Ten Statements from the Salaf On Love and Hate for Allah’s Sake

Imaam Abu Hamid al-Tusi al-Ghazali1 -

‘Umar bin al-Khattab (رضي الله عنه) said:“If one of you is blessed with affection from his brother, he should hold onto that as tightly as possible, as it is quite rare for one to be blessed with this.”

2 - ‘Umar (رضي الله عنه) also said:“Nobody is given anything, besides his Islaam, better than a righteous friend.”

3 - ‘Ali bin Abi Talib (رضي الله عنه) said:“Tend to your brothers, as they are your sustenance in this world and the next. Do you not hear the saying of the people of Hell: {”Now, we have neither intercessors nor close friends to help us!”} [ash-Shu’ara’; 100-1]?”

4 - ‘Abdullah bin ‘Umar (رضي الله عنه) said:“By Allaah, if I fasted all day without eating, prayed all night without sleeping, spent all of my wealth in the Path of Allaah (سبحانه وتعالى), died the day I died, but, had no love in my heart for those who obey Allaah, and no hatred in my heart for those who disobey Allaah (سبحانه وتعالى), none of this would benefit me in the least.”

5 - ‘Abdullah bin Mas’ud (رضي الله عنه) said:“If a man were to stand for seventy years, worshipping Allaah between the Yemeni Corner and the Maqam of Ibrahim (at the Ka’bah), he would still be resurrected on the Day of Judgement with those whom he loved.”

6 - Ibn as-Sammak (رحمه الله) said, on his deathbed:“O Allaah! You Know that, even if I had disobeyed You, I loved those who obeyed You! So, make this for me a means of nearness to You!”

7 - Mujahid (رحمه الله) said:“Those who love each other for Allaah’s Sake, when they smile at each other, their sins fall from each other, just as the leaves fall from a tree before the winter.”

8 - al-Ghazali (رحمه الله) said, commenting on the hadith “The strongest bond of faith is to love for Allaah and to hate for Allaah”:“Because of this, it is a must that a person have enemies that he hates for Allaah’s Sake, just as he has friends and brothers that he loves for Allaah’s Sake.”

9 - Abu Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه) said:“The slave will be brought between the Hands of Allaah - the Exalted - on the Day of Resurrection, and Allaah (سبحانه وتعالى) will Say to him: ‘Did you love one of my awliya’, so that I can join you with him?’”

10 - al-Hasan al-Basri (رحمه الله) said:“Being harsh against a fasiq brings you closer to Allaah - the Exalted.”From ‘Ihya’ ‘Ulum ad-Din’ (2/195 onwards) Iqtida’ by Imaam al-Ghazali (رحمه الله)

I Want...I Want...I Want!!!

"I want Jannah man!"; "I wanna study overseas..."; "I want to bring peace to the world..." and so on. We all have these hopes, but do we really want them to come true?

At the recent Light Upon Light class in New York, Shaykh Yasir Qadhi marvellously summarised the relationship between our wants and salaatul tahajjud:

"If you want something and don't pray tahajjud, you don't really want it."

Perplexed, you might be thinking:

“What is that supposed to mean? I don’t pray tahajjud, but I still want Jannah.”

A closer examination of the Qur’anic text and Prophetic traditions reveals the truthfulness behind Shaykh Yasir’s genuinely enlightening statement. In describing His righteous servants, Allah subhanahu wa ta’aala says: “Verily, the Muttaqoon (the pious) will be in the midst of Gardens and Springs (in Paradise), taking joy in the things which their Lord has given them. Verily, they were before this Muhsinoon (good-doers). They used to sleep but little by night [invoking their Lord and praying, with fear and hope].” [adhDhariyaat: 15-17]

And the Prophet (peace be upon him) beautifully described the golden opportunity awaiting those who forsake their beds at night: "Our Lord, the Blessed, the Superior, comes every night down on the nearest Heaven to us when the last third of the night remains, saying: "Is there anyone to invoke Me, so that I may respond to invocation? Is there anyone to ask Me, so that I may grant him his request? Is there anyone seeking My forgiveness, so that I may forgive him?" [alBukhari]

It is also reported by Imam Ahmad that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Whenever a Muslim goes to bed in a pure state (with wudhu), falls asleep while mentioning Allah and then wakes up during the night and asks Allah for anything good, He grants it to him.”

So, if you really want something you will strive hard and get up in the middle of the night to ask Allah for it at that time when He is waiting to answer your prayers, and forgive your sins. If you are not willing to sacrifice some sleep, then you don’t really want it.

Think about the people who camp outside stores for a week when the new video game system is released. Why? Because they really want it, and they are doing whatever it takes to ensure that they get it, even if it means skiving off work or school.

The reasons and virtues of praying tahajjud are too numerous to mention here so Insha’Allah the aforementioned verse and hadeeth will suffice. In any case, the best way to learn about the blessings of tahajjud is to experience it yourself. Instead, the rest of this brief reminder will be better served providing helpful guidelines to facilitate the night prayer for yourself and family.

Sincerity

Every action begins with the proper intention. What makes the night prayer so beautiful is the sincerity that is innate to this act of worship: waking up in the middle of the night when everyone else is sleeping solely for the sake of Allah, weeping over your sins, seeking His Forgiveness and asking of His Infinite Bounties. Similar to fasting, nobody but Allah would know about it unless you went out of your way to advertise it, i.e. "Uncle, I'd definitely like to discuss my rishta (proposal) for your daughter, but I can't make it after midnight because I gotta pray tahajjud."

The salaf were very keen to conceal their acts of worship such as qiyaam al-layl. A man asked Tameem ibn Aws al-Daari (may Allaah be pleased with him), ‘How do you pray at night?’ He got very angry and said, ‘By Allaah, one rak’ah that I pray in secret in the small hours of the night is more beloved to me than praying the whole night long and then telling people about it.’

Ayyoob al-Sakhtiyaani used to spend the entire night in prayer, then when dawn approached, he would go back to bed and lie down, and when dawn came, he would raise his voice as if he had just woken up.

Ibn al-Qayyim brilliantly summarised the importance of sincerity: "The degree to which a person is helped and aided by Allah depends on the degree of his intention, drive, aim and hopes. Help from Allah comes to people in proportion to their drive, intention, hopes and fears, and failure comes to them in like manner."

Therefore, the greater your sincerity in praying tahajjud, the easier Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala will make it for you to wake up and perform it, and the more you will benefit from it.

Avoid Sins

Sins deaden the heart and prevent it from receiving the Mercy of Allah, thus depriving a person the opportunity to stand before Allah and ask of His Infinite Blessings. A man said to Ibraaheem ibn Adham, "I cannot pray qiyaam al-layl, so tell me the cure for this." He said, "Do not commit sin during the day, and He will help you to stand before Him at night, for your standing before Him at night is one of the greatest honours, and the sinner does not deserve that honour."

A man said to al-Hasan al-Basri: “”O Abu Sa’eed, I sleep in good health, and I love to pray qiyaam al-layl, and I prepare water with which to purify myself, so why can I not get up?” Al-Hasan said: “Your sins are restricting you.” He said, may Allaah have mercy on him, “The slave who commits a sin will be denied the opportunity to pray qiyaam at night and to fast during the day.”

Al-Fudayl ibn ‘Ayaad said: “If you cannot pray qiyaam al-layl, or fast during the day, know that you are indeed deprived and restricted, chained by your sins.”

Fear of Punishment, Hope for Mercy, Fearing the torment that awaits the inhabitants of the Hellfire will surely wipe out your sleep, as will the prospect of having your sins forgiven by Allah who is waiting in the lowest heaven for your repentance. ‘Amri ibn al ‘Aas used to say ‘Weep, and if you cannot weep, then pretend to weep. I swear by Him in Whose hand my life is, that if any of you really knew, you would plead until your voice went, and pray until your back was broken’. When Allah forgives you of your sins, Allah puts Noor in your face. Hassan al-Basri was once asked, “Why are those people who pray the night prayer so beautiful?” He responded, “Because Allah beautifies them with His light while others are sleeping in the dark.”

`Abdullah bin Rawaaha said: "Verily, when the servant of Allah is reminded of Paradise, his longing for it increases, and when he is reminded of the Fire, his sleep immediately disappears."

Daytime Nap

Taking an afternoon nap is a sunnah that has been practiced by our own Prophet (peace and blessing of Allah be upon him), his companions and scholars of all times. Even if for only 20 or 30 minutes, you will find this time-out to be vital to your ability to get up for tahajjud. It is reported by at-Tabarani that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Take a nap, for the shayaateen do not take naps.” Ishaaq ibn ‘Abd-Allaah said: “Taking a nap is one of the deeds of good people. It revitalizes the heart and helps one to pray qiyaam al-layl.”

Sleeping on Time

This point may seem elementary, but it deserves mention because it is often overlooked. Although sleeping abilities vary from person to person, it is safe to say that if you stay up until 1:00am partying, you will have difficulty waking up to pray tahajjud.

Sunnahs of Sleeping & Waking

Al-Baraa’ ibn ‘Aazib, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “When you want to go to bed, do wudoo’ as for prayer, then lie down on your right side.” Imaam Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “There is a reason for his lying on his right side, which is that the heart is located on the left, so if a person lays on his left side, he will sleep too deeply, because the heart’s position will be too comfortable, but if he sleeps on his right side, he will not be too settled, so he won’t sleep deeply.” There are many other sunnahs related to sleeping and waking up that you can easily find and should adhere to, as they will keep you in a state that is conducive for praying tahajjud.

Avoid Excessive Eating

Ever go to a wedding and eat two plates of biryani, two ladoos, and drink three mango lassis? You probably slept the night away and felt like a massive ogre afterwards. Overeating causes laziness and promotes sleep, both of which are factors that hinder the night prayer. Therefore, to help yourself pray tahajjud, it’s best to follow the sunnah of eating only as much as you need to. Imam Sufyaanal-Thawri said: “You should eat little, so that you will be able to pray qiyaamal-layl.”

Striving

Praying tahajjud requires determination because it’s not easy to leave your soft pillow-top mattress and cosy blanket. Always remember that the more you strive, the more Allah will assist you, as He says: “And as for those who strive hard in Our Cause, We will surely guide them to Our Paths. And verily, Allaah is with the muhsinoon (good-doers).”
[al‘Ankabut: 69]

Shaykh Yasir’s encouragement for the night prayer is further emphasised by the following statement of the Prophet (peace be upon him): “When a man from my ummah gets up to pray at night, striving against his own self to get up and purify himself, there are knots on him. When he washes his hands in wudoo’, one knot is undone. When he washes his face, another knot is undone. When he wipes his head another knot is undone. When he washes his feet, another knot is undone. Then Allaah says to those who are veiled (in the Unseen): ‘Look at this slave of Mine, he is striving against his own self and asking of Me. Whatever My slave asks of Me shall be his.”

One of greatest blessings that a person can have is the honour of speaking to his Lord in the depths of the night. Are you taking advantage of this opportunity, or are you sleeping
away the time about which the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “The closest that the Lord is to His slave is in the later part of the night, so if you can be one of those who remember Allaah at that time, then do so.” [at-Tirmidhi]

So before you go to sleep tonight ponder the following: in the middle of the night, Allah will be there waiting for you; the question is: will you be there to meet Him?

When the night is completely dark,
It finds them staying up in the night
Fear has chased away their sleep
So they stay up
While those who feel secure in this life
Quietly sleep on.

Ibn al-Mubarak (part of a poem from 'purification of the soul')

Istiqamah (steadfastness)

Istiqamah (steadfastness)

Asalaamulaikum Warahmatulahi Wabarkatahu!

Dear brothers and sisters in Islam, we suffer and struggle sooo much for this life, revising till the break of dawn for our exams, chasing after our desires and needs, working till the late hours of the night for decent wages. We struggle so much for this life.

Determination is a great thing, to have the willpower and strength to do somethig but why do we leave this determination when it comes to Islam? Why do we forget our Deen??? Where does that determination go when Fajr comes in? Where is that willpower when we must lower our gaze? Where is that strength of mind when others question our Deen???

Dear sisters and brothers of the Ummah, we are in this world for a very SHORT period, whereas the hereafter (the Akhirah) is eternal. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter what we get in exams, how much we earn, what car we drive or how big our houses are. All these trivial things will not help us attain Jannah! Only our actions which we carried out will avail.

Lets look at the hardships Bilal radi Allahu anhu, the Mu’addhin of Prophet Muhammad salallahu alayhi wa salam suffered. He did not doubt Allah, betray Allah or renounce his Islamic obligations... not even ONCE!!!! But us! We watch silly old soaps and when Magrib time arrives, we say, “o.k., just another 5 more minutes!”

As Muslims our first and foremost responsibility is to Allah, not to our TV’s!!!

Bilal radi Allahu anhu was one of the most illustrious sahabah the Ummah has seen, he was the Mu’addhin of the Prophet Muhammad salallahu alayhi wa salam.

Bilal was an Abyssinian slave and belonged to a disbeliever in Mecca.

His conversion to Islam naturally brought the wrath of his owner and the other disbelievers of Mecca, and therefore he was persecuted mercilessly by him and other disbelievers.

Ummayah bin Khalaf, one of the worst enemies of Islam, would make Bilal radi Allahu anhu lie down on the burning sand of Mecca at midday and would place a heavy stone on his chest, so heavy that poor Bilal r.a couldn’t even move a limb or a muscle, finding it hard to breathe even!
Ummayah bin Khalaf would then say to him:
“Renounce Islam or swelter and die.”

Even under these brutal afflictions, Bilal r.a. would proudly exclaim:
“Ahad” – The One (Allah). “Ahad” – The One (Allah).

And this happened day in, day out, on a constant basis!

This is not all brothers and sisters!!!!

The torturers would get tired carrying out this gruesome punishment, so Ummayah would take turns with Abu Jahl, Abu Lahab and others. They would compete with one another in afflicting Bilal, but Bilal radi Allahu anhu not budge.

For such love he had for Allah and His Messenger salallahu alayhi wa salam that once he tasted the sweetness of Imaan, he would not remove its beauty from his heart!

These persecutions carried on until Abu Bakr radi Allahu anhu bought Bilal radi Allahu anhu freedom, and Bilal became a free Muslim.

This shows Bilal r.a’s love and devotion to Allah. Allah was so dear to him that no amount of persecution could distract him from reciting Allah’s Blessed name.

The urchins of Mecca would drag him in the hills of Mecca, with his words “Ahad! Ahad!” would echo in Mecca Mukarramah

SubhanAllah, look how Allah the Almighty rewarded Bilal radi Allahu anhu for his steadfastness! Allah the Almighty gave Bilal radi Allahu anhu the honour of becoming the Prophet’s salallahu alayhi wa salam Mu’addhin! Bilal was to remain with him (salallahu alayhi wa salam) at home and abroad to call out the Athaan for Salah.

SubhanAllah just imagine! Being in such blessed company 24/7!!!

After the Prophet's salallahu alayhi wa salam death, it became very hard for Bilal radi Allahu anhu to continue his stay in Madinah where he would miss his beloved Nabi salallahu alayhi wa salam. Every step, every corner reminded Bilal radi Allahu anhu of the time he spent with the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa salam. Bilal therefore left Madinah, and decided to pass the rest of his life striving in the path of Allah. Once he saw the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa salam in his dream saying to him:
“O Bilal! How is it that you never visit me?”

No sooner did Bilal get up and set out for Madinah, on reaching there he met the Prophet's salallahu alayhi wa salam grandsons Hasan and Husain radi Allahu anhuma who requested Bilal radi Allahu anhu to call out the Athaan, Bilal radi Allahu anhu could not refuse them, for they were very dear to him.

As Bilal radi Allahu anhu called out the Athaan, the people of Madinah cried out openly, bursting in tears due to the anguish at the memory of the days of the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa salam, even the women came out from their houses weeping.

Bilal left Madinah after a few days, and died in Damascus in 20 A.H.

Look my dear brothers and sisters! Look at the tribulations Bilal radi Allahu anhu faced for Islam, Alhumdulilah, Islam is widely accepted in our society and we don’t have to face such torture. Is it tooo much to ask to pray on time? To fast in Ramadhan? To keep and revive the Sunnah of the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa salam in our lives??


Wassalaam, Mehak!

Prepare for the REAL Exam

This was written by one of my friends. It’s really an amazing reflection I benefitted from. In the midst of all the stress that’s occupying our lives these past weeks, it’s good to take some time and look at the greater picture.

>>>I think time is valued the most during finals week. You hear people from every corner of the room talking about how they have 10 minutes to eat, 3 hours to sleep, and then two papers to write and an exam to study for.

Something happened today in the library and it made me think. A girl sat in the SINC site for three hours doing a project. For some reason, it didn't save on the computer she was working on, although she said she did hit "Save", and then she exited out. Three hours of hard work…down the drain. And not just during any week, no, during finals week–where every minute is important. Not only would she now not be able to hand her work in on time, it would slow down all of the other things she had to do. She freaked.

So then I thought: what if this week were the final week of the dunya? Or just of our lives? Why do we not freak out when we waste three hours doing something that will in no way help our final grade in the dunya?

We embrace distractions from friends all throughout the year but when finals week comes– "Stay away from me! No, I can't go to the mall with you. No time to waste! No, I can't eat with you either, I already ate a twinkie."

But that's the sad part. We don't know when the final week of the dunya is; or of our lives. So how can we go on and let ourselves be distracted and heedless all year long? The most successful students are those that are eating those quick lunches and refusing to go to the mall with you all year long, because they have high goals they have to meet. Then there are those who are just rolling with the ball the whole semester and wake up during finals week. But at least they wake up and at least pass their classes. But how could someone be distracted all term, and continue to be distracted during finals week and do well? In other words, the only way we can pass this grand test of the dunya…the only way we can get any success in the Hereafter is if we constantly keep ourselves awake. We don't know when the last week will be…so if we're acting like it's not the last week, every week….we're doomed for failure. One of those weeks will be the final week.

And I thought about how Allah (subhanah wa ta’ala) says in the Qur'an that on the Day of Judgement, there will be people, who when they are asked how many years they spent on this earth, they will reply, "probably a day or less than a day". And they won't be lying…they'll really believe this was the truth. Because they will have wasted all of their time on earth. They will be shown their deeds and they will not be able to fathom how they could have spent so many years on earth and done such few good deeds.

Allah (subhanah wa ta’ala) gave us so much time to beautify our hearts, to do good deeds. And on the day of judgment, when we present our hearts to Him 'azza wa jall, it is us who will look at them and our book of deeds and be mortified at how it could take so many years to make something so ugly and worthless. It is us who will look at the empty pages where good deeds were supposed to be and say, "I must have lived only a day then…how else could this be possible?" (but inshaAllah it won't be us. May Allah (subhanah wa ta’ala) protect us and save us from being amongst these people. May He (subhanah wa ta’ala) give us the tawfiq to properly avail the time we are given in this dunya. Ameen)

Let us all insha Allah (myself first before anyone else) take this time management lesson from finals. If we can get so much done for the dunya in this week, why can we not do at least half of this for the akhira during other weeks? Let us race for good deeds not only in Ramadan, but year-round, so that we don't have to look at our book of deeds on the Day of Judgement and think we only lived one Ramadan. There are so many simple things to do that don't occupy much time or effort, like dhikr. Let it occupy your tongue constantly.

And the next time we get frustrated because something really important that shouldn't have got deleted, got deleted…..maybe we should focus our energy on thinking about if we get that frustrated when some of our greatest deeds get deleted (because of insincerity to Allah (subhanah wa ta’ala) or some other reason), and if we would work as hard to retrieve those good deeds as we would to retrieve our deleted project.

Never lose hope, a core part of our belief is to have Tawakkul (trust in Allah t'ala). Many of us believe that nothing can save us but Allah mentions in Surah Talaaq,

"Whoever fears Allah, He brings forth a way out for him, And provides for him (with what he needs) from where he does not even imagine. And whosoever places his trust in Allah, He is sufficient for him. Surely Allah is to accomplish His purpose. Allah has set a measure for everything."

Always have good hope of Allah 'azza wa jal, Allah mentions in a Qudsi Hadith, "I am as my servant thinks I am." if you think Allah is bad then that is how you will be treated but if you make yourself ONE with Allah, than everything is achievable.

Allah says in another Qudsi Hadtih, "...My servant does not draw near to Me with anything more loved by Me than the religious duties I have imposed upon him and My servant continues to draw near to Me with superogatory works so that I shall love him. When I LOVE him I am his hearing with which he hears, his seeing with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes and his foot with which he walks. Were he to ask (something) of Me, I would surely give it to him and were he to ask Me for refuge, I would surely grant him it."

If you make yourself one with Allah ('azza wa jal), no examination can break you in half.

Feelin' Tired???

Are you TIRED?? Feeling like you've done too much work and can afford to take the day off???

***

After the Battle of Uhud, the Muslims were wounded, bloodied and worn out physically as well as emotionally. Not only were they wearing and wielding 100 lbs worth of armour and weaponry in the hot, desert sun, they were also emotionally tired. They had just witnessed 70 of their best friends martyred and then mutilated in the worst possible ways. Hamza ibn Abdul Muttalib, Mus'ab ibn Umayr, Jabir ibn Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with them)...all their deaths had a severe emotional toll!

But the Prophet (may eternal peace and blessings be upon him) ordered them back up the very next day to continue pursuit of the mushrikeen army...

...And they ALL got up and obeyed without a word, and marched on....

These were the Sahaabas. The next time you feel like going on cruise control, think back to when the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) selflessly strove forward, and even RAN to the fragrance of Paradise...

May Allah [subhanahu wa ta'ala] unite us with them in the highest ranks of Jannah! Ameen