Memoirs from the life of Imam Ahmad

By Muhammad al-Sharîf

In an interesting book, Wadâ' ar-Rasul li `Ummatihi, Shaykh Al-Qahtâni recalls the final words that Rasul Allâh said on his deathbed. After living a life of Jihad, Da'wah, and Ibâdah, Rasul Allâh (sallalahu alayhi wasalam) gathered the people around him on his deathbed and said,

“I have left two things that you shall not go astray after them so long as you stick to them: the Book of Allâh and My Sunnah.”

After Rasul Allâh (sallalahu alayhi wasalam) moved onto Ar-Rafîq al-`Alâ, the Ummah was tested with humans that tried to corrupt, discredit, or amputate the Sunnah from Islam.

And from the depths of the Ummah's men and women, Allâh ta'ala – from His mercy to the Ummah of Muhammad - raised up warriors that would stand in the face of the most vicious of the enemies of the Sunnah.

From those people that Allâh ta'ala raised was a young boy named Ahmad. Ahmad lived in Baghdad over a thousand years ago. On those cold wintry nights, his mother – the blessed Mu'minah that she was – would wake long before Fajr to warm the water for her son. Then – again long before Fajr – she would wake him to make Wudu, then she would wrap him in shawls and off through the molten dark alleys of Baghdad they would carefully make their way to the Masjid.

There was no male to escort him (he was an orphan), so Ahmad's mother would take him that early so that he could get a good seat in the Hadith halaqah after Fajr. Then she would wait for him long after the sun rose to safely escort him back home. Her son grew up to be one of these warrior defenders of the Sunnah, one of the four Imams of this Dîn, Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal.

In his collection, al-Musnad alone, he narrated from over 280 teachers. He grew up under the shade of the Sunnah and he lived the Sunnah. It was reported that he said,

"I've never written a hadith that I did not try to implement."
And he raised his children like this too. When you see other fathers throwing a baseball with their young Muslims that Allâh entrusted them with, remember this example: Abdullâh, Imam Ahmad's son, taught his students that when he was young his father would play with him,

"Take any chapter you wish from the Musannaf of Wakî'. Ask me any hadith and I'll tell you the chain of narrators, or tell me any chain of narrators and I'll tell you the hadith!"
He was challenged in his Dîn like few other humans have been challenged. His name remains engraved in our admiration till today - across hundreds of years, across thousands of miles, across thousands of nations – because of his love for the Sunnah and his stand against those that would seek to corrupt it. Reading through his life, I came across an event that brought back sad memories. How do you feel when your father is swore at in public. Imam Ahmad once prayed Asr and he sat with his son in the Masjid alone with another man by the name of Muhammad ibn Sa'îd Al- Khuttalî. Al-Khuttalî then remarked,

"Did you (O Ahmad) tell the people to boycott Zayd ibn Khalaf?"
Imam Ahmad replied,

"I received a letter from his people asking about his affair, so I replied explaining his Madhhab and what he has innovated (in the Sunnah) and commanded that they not sit with him.."
Al-Khuttalî exploded in Imam Ahmad's face, red with anger,

"I'm going to make sure you go back to prison. I'm going to have them crush your ribs…"
The vulgarity grew louder and louder. Imam Ahmad turned to his son,

"Don't reply to what he says and don't speak to him."
Imam Ahmad took his sandals - al-Khuttali swearing from behind his back - and told his son,

"Tell the neighbors to not speak to him nor to reply him."
Imam Ahmad stepped away as Al-Khuttali continued in the background cursing and shouting profanity. When the Khalifah al-Mu'tasim heard that Imam Ahmad had not agreed with him and his court Muftis on a specific issue, they brought him and questioned him in the courtyard of the Khalifah. They would debate with him and like a gladiator with a spear he would hit back with bigger and stronger arguments. The Muftis would shout, "O khalifah, he has done Kufr!" Until the Al-Mu'tasim was convinced and in came the executioners. They stripped Imam Ahmad and each of the strongest guards would take turns lashing Imam Ahmad until he fell unconscious. Regardless of his state, they continued the lashing. The sun went down that day and Imam Ahmad had not relented in his faith. That day he became an icon for all followers of Sunnah. Qutaybah said,

"If you ever see someone that loves Imam Ahmad, know that they are a follower of the Sunnah."
Al Hasan ibn Arafah narrated,

"I visited Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal after he was whipped and tortured. I said to him, "O Abu Abdillâah, you have reached the station of the Prophets!" He said, "Keep quiet. Verily, I saw nothing more than people selling their Dîn. And I saw scholars that were with me sell their Faith. So I said to myself, `Who am I, what am I. What am I going to say to Allâh tomorrow when I stand in front of Him and He asks me, "Did you sell your Dîn like the others did?" So I looked at the whip and the sword and chose them. And I said, "If I die I shall return to Allâh and say: `I was told to say that one of Your Characteristics was something created but I did not.' After that, it will be up to Him - either to punish me or forgive me."
Al-Hasan ibn Arafah then asked,

"Did you feel pain when they whipped you?"
He said

"Yes, I felt the pain up to 20 lashes then I lost all feeling (They whipped him over eighty times). After it was over I felt no pain and that day I prayed Dhuhr standing."
[In fact he prayed as the blood soiled his clothes.] Al-Hasan ibn Arafah started weeping when he heard what had happened. Imam Ahmad questioned him,

"Why are you crying? I did not lose my Iman. After that why should I care if I lose my life." [Qul lan yusîbana illa mâ kataballâhu lana, huwa Mowlâna, wa ala Allâhi falyatawakkalil mutawakkilun.]

Before – when Imam Ahmad was being led off to the Khalifah – people had tried to dissuade him from a most certain execution. His student: Al-Marrudhî had told him, "O teacher, Allâh says, [Do not kill yourselves]." Imam Ahmad had replied, "O Marrudhî, go outside and tell me what you see." Al-Marrudhî went to the wall of the Khalifahs court and saw an ocean of students with their pens and scrolls in their hands.

Al-Marrudhî asked some of them, "What are you waiting here for?" They said, "We are waiting to see what Ahmad will say and then transcribe it." Al-Marrudhî went back to Imam Ahmad and told him what he had seen. "O Marrudhî,"he said, "what shall I gain by misguiding all those people?"

Imam Ahmad lived a life of poverty. When others eat lavishly remember there were days – as Abdurrazzaq recalls – that Imam Ahmad would make a mistake in Salah. When Abdurrazzaq inquired further he learnt that Imam Ahmad had not eaten for 3 days.

In this life of poverty, hardship and trials, Abdullah asked his father one day, "Abi when will we ever relax?" His father, one of the greatest revivers of the Sunnah, a role model for all Muslims, looked him in the eye and said, "With the first step we take into Jannah."

Rahim Allâhu Al-Imam Ahmad.

This is just a clip of one of the greatest imams that has ever lived. SubhanaAllah look at how he chose the whip and sword over changing his beliefs. this is true iman my brothers and sisters, standing firm on the truth no matter what. the topic they were debating on was, "Is the Qur'aan created". Imam Ahmed stood firm on the truth that the Qur'aan is the speech of Allah and the speech of Allah is not created.

May Allah makes us all as strong as Imam Ahmed ibn Hanbal Ameen.

Benefits from reading this:

“I have left two things that you shall not go astray after them so long as you stick to them: the Book of Allâh and My Sunnah.”- from knowing this we know that we have to stick to the quran and Authentic sunnah and if we dont we will go astray.

understanding the love of one's mother to her son. as Imam ahmed's mother would wake long before fajr to warm the water so that her son would do wudhu with warm water. she would take him to the masjid early so that he can have a good seat in the halaqa after fajr.

"I've never written a hadith that I did not try to implement." - that Imam ahmed will practise what he preeches. this will inshaAllah encourage us to do what we say.

raising your child and playing with him. Imam ahmed will play with his son an amazing game about hadiths. this will inshaAllah encourage the child to be steadfast in the deen and grow up to be a scholar.

keeping ones distance from the innovators.

Imam ahmed's patience when al-khuttali was swearing and cursing him.

when in a debate always try to come back with something bogger and better.

standing firm on the truth- imam ahmed was lashed and lashed till he became on unconscious all knowing that this is for the sake of Allah and that he shall have a good answer when he is questioned, "Did you sell your Dîn like the others did?"

the love of his companions to imam ahmed. they would cry when they heard his story.

Abdullah asked his father one day, "Abi when will we ever relax?" His father, one of the greatest revivers of the Sunnah, a role model for all Muslims, looked him in the eye and said, "With the first step we take into Jannah." - knowing that this life is full of hardship and struggles and our time to relax in gardens were rivers are flowing beneath will never let ones head drop. this will keep inshaAllah every believer from climbing this mountain.

I pray that Allah keeps us all strong on the truth. Ameen

Four Things You Are Unsafe From

Imaam Ath Thahabi Rahimahullah mentions in his monumental book "Seer A’alaam an Nubalaa” Vol.8 P.406 on the authority of Abdullah Ibn Al Mubaarak Rahimahullah (181H.):“The people of knowledge and insight do not consider themselves safe from four things:1) A past sin he committed which he does not know what Allaah will do with it (either forgive and pardon him for it or punish him with it);2) What is left of his life, whether there is something therein waiting to destroy him;3) A favor that Allaah bestowed upon him, perhaps it is a plot which will lead him step by step to his eventual destruction and ruin;4) Deviance which is beautified for him so that he sees it to be guidance and in a split second, his heart can deviate and he will be stripped of his deen and he doesn't even realize it.”

How do I Know if I am Sincere?

How do I know if I am sincere? I asked this question way back in September 2004 to some of the students of knowledge, the late Shaykh, Dr. Saleh as-Saleh (rahimahullaah) and my good friend, Mu’tasim al-Hameedee.

I was not able to catch all the points of benefit that Shaykh Saleh as-Saleh mentioned, but I will try my best to paraphrase what I managed to take of notes:

He said that his Shaykh, Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen (rahimahullaah) said that: We should always be checking ourselves and asking: “Did I really do that for Allaah?” He said that we should make the du’aa where we ask Allaah (subhaanahu wa Ta’aala) to protect us from falling into shirk (and of course doing an act for other than Allaah is shirk) and that we should seek forgiveness often. He continued by saying that shaytaan is always trying to corrupt our intention and trying to take away from its purity. He then went on to say that the Salaf used to say that they found nothing more intense then striving to be sincere. He closed by saying that when you find yourself having an inclination to read the Qur’aan and seek (beneficial) knowledge then this is a sign of there being sincerity in ones actions.

Br. Mu’tasim al-Hameedee said (to paraphrase):

That there is no meter that we can attach to our heart or our body to give a reading, and that everyone knows in himself what he is doing and why he is doing it, and everyone is a proof against himself or on behalf of himself. You know when you are doing an action whether you are doing it for the sake of Allaah or for the sake of showing off, you know it in your heart, and it is not something that has to be learnt, it is something from our fitrah and we are created with this sense and we know ourselves if we are doing what we are doing for Allaah or for the people.

Some of the righteous predecessors mentioned some signs, and they where that if you find yourself more active in worship when you are in front of others and that you do not have the same zeal or strength in worship when you are by yourself then this is a sign that there is something wrong with your intention, and this is a sign you are doing it for the sake of the people, maybe not completely for the people, but at the least there is some deficiency in your intention.

There is a story about a man who was fasting, and this man used to pray very quickly at home, but on this day, the day he was fasting he went to the masjid and he prayed and the people were saying what an excellent prayer he is praying, so he turned around in his prayer and said to them: “I am fasting today too!”

The Muslim is always struggling with his intention, shaytaan will always come and try to corrupt that intention, so always have in mind that I am doing it for the sake of Allaah because Allaah ordered me to and I hope to get reward for it.

So be warned - Brother and Sister Muslim - that no action is acceptable to Allaah if somebody else is given a share in it. Reflect carefully upon the words of Yoosuf bin al Hussain ar-Raazee: "Indeed the hardest thing (to achieve) in this world is Ikhlaas. How many times have I struggled to extinguish riyaa (showing off) from my heart except that it only appeared again in a different colour" [1]

Also reflect upon the words narrated by Ibn Qudaamah al-Maqdisee in his [Mukhtasir Minhaaj il-Qaasideen] "Indeed mankind, all of them, are destroyed except those with knowledge and all those with knowledge are destroyed except those who act upon it and all those who act are destroyed except those who are sincere in their action and all those who are sincere are in great danger (of associating other than Allaah in their actions)". [2]

1 [Jaami ul-Uloom wal-Hikam] of Ibn Rajab al-Hanbalee
2 [Mukhtasir Minhaaj il- Qaasideen] of Ibn Qudaamah al-Maqdisee

Notes taken by Aboo Uthmaan

Lacking Khushoo' in Salaat

I rushed into the room and, checked the time, only 5minutes left for my break. I guess I should just pray the fardh salah and get out of there in time. Allaahu Akbar …hey this carpet design looks awkward! Allaahu Akbar...oh man, should’ve tied my belt lower, it’s too tight! Allaahu Akbar…When is the deadline for my project? What was I supposed to do before work? I wonder if my friends are waiting for me at the mall…better call them right after salah. Oh, wait which rakah am I at? Hmm is that three or four. Probably four. May Allah forgive me, I can’t remember! Salamu alaykum wa rahmatullaah. Did I have wudoo?!! Oh man, I’m already late! I got up and wore my shoes and jolted out of the room.

Sounds familiar?

Great, plenty of time to get ready. What should I wear? Oh yes, I like this suit; looks nice and it’s comfortable as well. I even feel nice in these! Ok, what else. My portfolio, check. My watch, check. Matching shoes, check. Ok let me review some of the notes now to get their early. Thirty minutes early! No problem, just sit here patiently till they call me in. Oh, wow time almost flew, it’s my turn! Ok, just be cool, and remember to concentrate on details! Better be careful, he might be my boss. Give him all the answers to get this job…''Yes sir, I’ll learn this as well. Yes sir, I have studied these concepts as well as applied them already''.…Hmm this isn’t bad, I actually know these things! Good thing I reviewed in advance!

Wow, that interview was long! He asked me so many questions. I think I did well. I hope I get the job! I better jot down the things I wasn’t able to understand. It will help significantly towards my next interview.

Sounds familiar?

Is it any surprise that most Muslims lack khushoo in salah? As described by the above two scenarios, where does salah lie in terms of our priorities? We strive to understand and implement everything that might benefit us in this dunya, yet how meagre the effort we put in for the required duties towards our Creator! No doubt, the salah we perform in such lack of concentration and effort is doomed for rejection! How much do we benefit from our salah? Or has salah in itself has become difficult to establish? Do we even know how to come closer to Allaah? We can come close to Allaah, by following his commands, and amongst the very first command following tawheed is to establish salah.

“Successful indeed are the believers, those who offer their salah (prayers) with all solemnity and full submissiveness.” [al-Mu’minoon 23:1-2]

How can we attain Khushoo’?

In order to attain khushoo’ we must have knowledge of the main obstacles in our path. Shaytan’s number one project is diverting us from salah, as the prophet (sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam) mentioned, the first thing that our religion loses will be khushoo’.

Khushoo’ means calmness, serenity, tranquility, dignity and humility. It comes from fearing Allah in a calm manner; the heart stands before the Lord in humility and submission. Salah is extremely difficult, except for the people who have khushoo.

“And seek assistance through patience and prayer, and most surely it is a hard thing except for the humble ones.” [al-Baqarah 2:45]

Every time the slave wants to turn his thoughts towards Allaah, thoughts of other matters come sneaking into his mind. The Shaytaan is like a bandit lying in wait to launch an ambush: every time the slave wants to travel towards Allaah, the Shaytaan wants to cut off his route.

When the slave stands up to pray, the Shaytaan feels jealous of him, because he is standing in the greatest position, one that is closest [to Allaah] and most annoying and grievous to the Shaytaan. So he tries to stop him from establishing prayer in the first place, then he continues trying to entice him and make him forget, and making assaults on him with his cavalry and infantry, until he thinks of prayer as less important, so he starts to neglect it, and eventually gives it up altogether.

If the Shaytaan fails to achieve this, and the person ignores him and starts to pray, the enemy of Allaah will come and try to distract him, by reminding him of things that he did not remember or think of before he started praying. A person may have forgotten about something altogether, but the Shaytaan will remind him of it when he starts praying, so as to distract him from his prayers and take him away from Allaah, so that his heart will no longer be in his prayers, and he will lose out on the honour and reward of Allaah turning toward him, which is only attained by the one whose heart is really in his prayer. Thus he will finish his prayer no better off than when he started, with his burden of sins not reduced at all by his salaah, because prayer only expiates for sins when it is done properly, with perfect khushoo, and the person stands before Allaah in body and soul. (Al-Waabil al-Sayib, p. 36).


How the Salaf used to Pray

When Saeed al-Tanookhi prayed, there would be tears rolling down his cheeks onto his beard. We heard that one of the Taabieen, when he stood up to pray, his colour would change, and he would say, Do you know before Whom I am going to stand and with Whom I am going to talk?

Who amongst us has fear and respect like this?

Abu Bakr al-Subghi said: I lived through the time of two imaams (leaders) although I was not fortunate enough to hear them in person: Abu Haatim al-Raazi and Muhammad ibn Nasr al-Marwazi. As for Ibn Nasr, I do not know of any prayer better than his. I heard that a hornet stung him on his forehead and blood started flowing down his face, but he did not move. Muhammad ibn Yaqoob al-Akhram said: I have never seen any prayer better than that of Muhammad ibn Nasr. Flies used to land on his ears, and he did not shoo them away. We used to marvel at how good his prayer and khushoo were. His fear [of Allaah] in prayer was so great that he would put his chin on his chest as if he were a piece of wood standing up. (Tazeem Qadr al-Salaah, 1/58).

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him), when he started to pray, used to tremble so much that he would lean right and left.

Compare this with what some of us do nowadays, looking at our watches, adjusting our clothes, fiddling with our noses, thinking of deals and counting our money whilst praying, or tracing the patterns of decorations on carpets and ceilings, or trying to see who is beside us. Think of how anyone would behave before some great leader of this world, would he dare to behave in such a manner then?!

Many methods exist to help improve your khushoo'—gain knowledge about all that benefits your salah and strive harder towards it inshaAllaah!

Lastly, the following is a reflection of what we all must strive to achieve while realising that we will always require more knowledge and practice in improving our salah and ourselves. May Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta’aala) help us perform our salah with proper khushoo’ and accept them from us. (Ameen!)

We have been studying here for hours, I can’t wait to relieve myself with salah! Is it time yet? Maaan, still half an hour! All this work makes me really realize that meaning of that hadith, seek comfort in salah.

Perfect, it’s time! “Hey guys, please excuse me. I have an obligatory prayer soon. I’ll be back shortly, please do not do my section of the assignment, I’ll come and take of that myself.” They all look up from behind their books, “Sure, Fatima.” The rest nodded.

Finally! Ok, do I have enough time? Yes. Let me do wudoo’ first before the rush begins. Bismillaah. Alhamdulilaah, the water feels great! I feel fresh again. SubhanAllaah. Ok, they haven’t yet started the salah. I guess I can read my mushaf till then. “Verily with every hardship there is ease.” Alhamdulilaah. That was so relevant to me! It’s like Allaah is talking directly to me through this Qur’an! Alhamdulilaah. They are giving the aqamah, finally.

And I prayed, how soon the salah ended. Let me pray two more rakats before I go back. Wow, I actually spent 15 minutes! Alhamdulillaah that felt so great. I have to return to studies. Allaah, I know I didn’t pray enough, for You deserve much more worship then what I offered. I wonder if You will accept it from me. Astaghfirullaaah, ya Rabb. Forgive me in my shortcomings. (Ameen)

Even though I felt sad for not having more time to finish nafl salah, I feel much better then before. The Qur’an reading and salah totally opened my mind and motivated me to try harder for finishing up my work. I left to join the study session.

Ok let’s get this done. Hmm hey you know what? I know how to solve this….before we knew it, we were done! The non-muslims asked, “Fatima, what exactly did you do in your prayer? You left so tired and you returned completed hyped up! Did they drug you?” And I smiled, before giving them my answer…

GEMS

Assalamu ‘Alaykum,

I want to share with you some various gems I learnt from my Ustaadh whilst studying for my Islamic degree course. Insha’Allah for my own benefit first, and possibly for the benefit of some of you as well.

GEM ONE: Don’t do things which you can’t start with Bismillah!

I believe this to be a great test we all can and should apply before undertaking our actions. Because... Is there anyone who can say “Bismillah” and then watch “Eastenders” for 30 minutes when those same 30 minutes could have been used to walk to the masjid, pray ‘ishaa in jama’a, and walk back home? Is there anyone who can say “Bismillah”, hit the snooze button on his alarm clock and say “10 more minutes” when he/she knows that the same action led to missing the fajr prayer 3 times last week? Is there anyone who can say “Bismillah – with the name of ALLAH” and then spend £1000 for a laptop while knowing that there are many computers out there priced as low as £300 and knowing how many needy people out there could have used the £700 to buy food and clothing, pay the rent, etc...?

GEM TWO: Sleep does not give you strength!

I’ve come home from college too many times, very tired and exhausted, with tons of coursework and/or studying waiting for me to do. I’d eat dinner, pray maghrib and say “let me sleep for 2 hours, get some rest, regain some energy and then get up and study.” Well, probably needless to say, 2 out of 3 times I did not get up until the next morning except to pray ‘Ishaa. And too many times did I go to sleep after fajr fooling myself that I am doing that so that I could be well rested for the day and so that I could have more energy to do things when I come back from college. SubhanAllah, how tricky shaytaan is: “go to sleep now so that you can be strong in helping your deen during the day” and you never really gain any additional strength. This means that...Tiredness is IN OUR MIND!!!!!!!!!! So, we need to say isti’aadhah when we’re tired!!! Its only shaytaan messing with our brain. What we need to do is show him what we got and smash into pieces all his deceptive tricks, InshaAllah.

GEM THREE: Pleasure does not make you stronger!

We live in comfortable houses, sit on comfortable sofas, sleep on comfortable beds, eat beautifully tasting and plentiful food, drive expensive spacious cars (well some of us). Why? To make our life easier, to make it pleasant, to give us more energy to do things. The news is folks: Pleasure hasn’t made anyone any stronger. It is hardship that nurtures a strong individual. It is empty stomach that makes us truly appreciate Allah’s blessings although we also thank him when we fill our bellies with delicious food. I am not necessarily advocating we all start sleeping on the floor, buying £300 cars, selling our sofas etc. But the question is how much comfortable do our beds have to be, how fancy our living areas have to look, how many pairs of shoes we really must have. Does our lunch have to cost £8 when we could get by with £2 meal? And do we have to spend £1.75 for a milkshake every time we go to McDonalds, when water would quench our thirst even better and when £1.75 could feed an entire family for a day in, for example, Sudan.

GEM FOUR: Your du’aa should be preceded by good actions!

Allah says in Qur’aan (29:65): If they embark on a boat, they call on Allah, making their devotion sincerely (and exclusively) to Him; but when He has delivered them safely to (dry) land, behold, they give a share (of their worship to others)!

We seem to make du’aa only when we’re really pressed between a rock and a hard place. But our du’aas should be preceded with shows of dedication and devotion to this deen. Before going in front of Allah and asking something from Him, we ought to do some specific actions which will be a sign that we are really committed and we really mean business when it comes to establishing Allah’s deen on this Earth. So, before you ask Allah to help your financial situation, go and give a portion of what you already have showing that you really believe when you say that you put your trust in Allah. Similarly, before your 9am exam, don’t spend an hour and a half sleeping after fajr “gaining strength” and then making du’aa for Allah’s help at 8:59am on your way to the exam hall after you had just woke up at 7:50am. Spend that time reciting Qur’an and then ask for Allah’s help (after you had, of course, already studied for your exam in the days leading to the exam day).

Let me share with you guys something that happened to a Brother once (this is a true story). At the time he was a Uni student and he was also the Imam of his local Masjid. It was Friday and he had his final exam at uni but he also needed to give the jumu’ah khutbah and lead the salaat at the masjid. No doubt he wouldn’t back out of his religious duties so he decided to go to the Masjid, give the khutbah and lead the Friday prayer hoping he would still be able to make it for his exams afterwards. After he finished leading the salaat he made duaa asking Allah to aid him and he left for the Uni. As he was driving, however, there was bare traffic and he feared he would not make it. Finally he arrived but he missed more than half of the time of the exam. He sat down and started the exam with Bismillah. He finished half of the exam and realised he was running out of time and only had 5minutes to finish the rest. SubhanAllah, this part is really amazing. You know what he did? He picked a letter, for example, A (it was multiple choice) and he circled that letter for the rest of the answers and he put his trust fully in Allah. When results came in, he was really anxious and feared he failed. He opened his results and it said he got 110%!!! How was that possible, he couldn’t believe it? In class the lecturer told everyone that the examiners changed the exam this year due to a research study they were conducting. The last 30 questions or so had the same letter as the answer and they wanted to see if students would realise this. They were shocked when only one person got it and so they gave him 110% in his exam. SubhanAllah, as I was listening to this I remembered the beautiful ayah where Allah says:

"...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." (Surah Talaq:2,3)

Allah tells us in many places in the Noble Qur'aan that "Allah is capable of doing anything that He Wills to do." Whenever He wants anything done, He merely says "Qun! Faya Qun!" (Be! And so it will be!)A great lesson is to be learned from this inshaAllah. I pray it has benefitted you as much it has benefitted me. There’s many more gems I would like to share with you guys but this will turn into a 10 page post. InshaAllah next time.

Can I sincerely ask you all to make duaa for my Ustaadh and his family. I just recieved an email from him informing me that his dad's brother passed away yesterday. Inna lillah wa inna ilayhi raji'oon. May Allah forgive him, have mercy on him and grant him the highest ranks in Jannah, next to our Beloved Prophet (sallallahu 'alayhi wa salaam). Ameen Ya Rabal 'Alameen

Anything good that I may have said in this post is from Allah and Allah Alone and anything bad is from my ownself and Shaytaan. I ask Allah to forgive my shortcoming and to make me among His most dearest Servants inshaAllah.

Wassalaamu ‘Alaykum

How To Be A Strong Muslim

The first and most important note of all, is that for a person to really boost his imaan and stay strong on his deen, one MUST truly accept that Allah exists and His attributes are beyond our imagination. He is capable of anything and everything. Faith in Allah is essential. Accept that Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the last of a long line of Prophets that started with Adam (alayhis salaam), through Nuh (alayhis salaam), Ibrahim (alayhis salaam), Musa (alayhis salaam), Isa (alayhis salaam) and everyone in between and accept that the Holy Quran is the last and true word of Allah.

2. Pray sincerely. Know that Allah is close to you and is Watching over you. Always pray on time, Try not to delay it. Avoid doing things that will only prevent you from doing things that are much more important. Nothing is much more important than obeying what Allah asks of you. While working or studying, halt everything you are doing and go to the nearest masjid to pray. If somebody were to ask you where you are heading, say that you are answering Allah's call to prayer. And who knows, that might even inspire the questioner to come with you.

3. Pray in the middle of the night. Pray when most people around you are sleeping soundly. The name of the prayer is Tahajjud. However to perform this special voluntary prayer, one must try and wake up in the last third of the night before the time of subah sadiq. Even if it's for a short amount of time, one can gain immense benefits from it. If it is too hard to wake up or stay awake till the last third of the night, then one can pray his tahhajud straight after he prays his Isha Salah.

4. Remember Allah all the time. This known as Zikr, reciting His name and His praises (e.g Subhanallah, Alhamdulillah and Allah Hu Akbar) will ultimately make you a strong Muslim because as you do more zikr your heart is being cleansed of evil.

5. Be grateful for everything you have. The more thankful you are the more you will realize how much you have been blessed. And by doing this, Insha'allah you will be strengthen your imaan because you will realise how Kind and Merciful your Creator really is.

6. Protect your chastity (Very important!). You need to know that adultery is a sinful act and always avoid it. This applies to both men and women. Women should not wear tight or revealing clothes, and men should always lower their gaze and guard their modesty. When a person gets too involved with the opposite sex, Allah takes away fear and piety from their heart. Like a pious person once said, "Haram love is for those who do not love Allah enough".

7. Keep to your promise. If you feel that you cannot manage something, just inform that person. Abiding to your promise will ultimately make you trustworthy person.

8. Respect the opinion of others. No opinions are bad or stupid. You should treat them as gems. Without opinions, things will never get better. If you do not like any idea, do not invalidate them but add on to the idea to either understand why the opinion may be wrong or add on to it to improve the idea.

9. Fast for the right reasons. Not because you want to impress others, nor because you want to feel superior. Fast with the intention to please only Allah, and to get the reward for fasting. Nevertheless fast because of remembering those who do not have privileges like food and water. Fast twice a week, preferably on Mondays and Thursdays. Fast during the month of Ramadan and also on the day of Arafah which is on the 9th of Zulhijjah. Allah will forgive all the minor sins you have done the one year before and after if you fast during the day of Arafah.

10. Never lie. It should be emphasized that Allah does not like those who lie to others. It is important to also note, that a person who lies often has a trait of hypocrisy in his heart. Your integrity will directly have an impact towards your dignity. People will look high upon you if you are honest and true to whatever you say.

11. Be good to your wife, if you are a man. The Prophet Muhammad (saw) said that "The best of you is he who is the best to his wife". Be kind to her, always support her and allow her an equal share in decision making and property ownership.

12. Struggle towards goodwill. Sacrifice your time and visit the mosque if there is a lecture. Forfeit your property to those who needs it more than you do. In other words, always give charity. The person who recieves it will be thankful that you have given them aid in their daily life. Remember, the one who gives is better than than one who receives.

13. Practice good character towards everyone. Be gentle and good-hearted not only to your parents, but to your cousins, to your friends, and even to those who may not have accepted islam. Always protect the surroundings. Never ever be aggressive towards the animals.

14. Be gracious towards your parents. They have worked hard to bring home food. Your mother has suffered all the pain just to bring you to this world. What have you done to say thanks to them? They have brought joy to your life by buying you presents every now and then. Have you acknowledged that and appreciated them? Do whatever they expect of you and you will be fine.

15. Observe patience over a loved one's death. To mourn a loved one for 3 days is permissible but it should not be done in a way that is blasphemous and excessive. Know that death is inevitable and will strike us all one day. Remember that To Allah we belong and to Him we will return. Remember death often because it will remind you that at the end of the day the only true power that exists is the Power and Might of Allah. One day He WILL take your life and one Day he WILL bring you back to life again.

16. Try not to waste your Time on useless things. The wasters will be the brother of satan. On the day of judgement, some items/properties are going to talk for the reason you wasted/damaged the properties.

17. Read the Qur'an Regularly. It will keep your iman strong and will keep your soul pure. You'll get thawab for every letter you say and not just that but on the Day of Judgement the Qur'an Will act as an intercessor for you.


May Allah give both me and those who read this post the ability to be strong and firm muslims. Ameen.

(Originally taken from http://www.wikihow.com/Become-a-Strong-Muslim but was tweaked a little ;))

The Devil's Da'wah Techniques

OK, I know what you’re thinking. ‘Since when does Shaytaan do Da’wah?’ Right??? Well that’s not the kind of da’wah I’m referring to here. I’m talking about the kind of Da’wah where Shaytaan (may Allah’s curse be upon him) tries to convert us Believers to ‘HIS’ religion (the religion of kufr) or at least lead us astray from the straight path.

While studying tafseer of Surah al-Baqarah, my Ustadh (may Allah preserve him) taught us ‘The Devil’s Da’wah Techniques'. We reached a place where Allah says in verses 34-36 of Surah al-Baqarah:

34. And when We said to the angels: "Prostrate yourselves before ‘Adam!" So, they prostrated themselves, all but Iblis (Satan). He refused, and became one of the infidels.
35. And We said, "O ‘Adam, dwell, you and your wife, in Paradise; and eat at pleasure wherever you like, but do not go near this tree, otherwise you will be (counted) among the transgressors."
36. Then, Satan caused them to slip from it, and brought them out of where they had been. And We said, "Go down, all of you, some of you the enemies of others; and on the earth there will be for you a dwelling place and enjoyment for a time."

When Shaytaan refused to prostrate to Adam (alayhis salaam) out of pride and arrogance, he earned Allah’s wrath and he was refused Jannah. While, on the other hand, Adam and his wife Hawa were told by Allah to enter Paradise and enjoy everything therein, but to not come near a certain tree.

Shaytaan at this stage had pure hatred for Adam (alayhis salaam) and couldn’t stand the fact that he was refused Paradise because of him. So what does the Shaytaan do? He comes up with a plan to get them out of Jannah. But not just any plan; A SLY, SLICK PLAN. This is after all Shaytaan we’re talking about.

He proceeded to Adam (alayhis salaam) and used the most eloquent words and talks to him as if he is his best friend. Think about it, would you ever take advice or listen to someone who had pure hatred for you? Even if you didn’t know they hated you, you would be able to tell by their expression on their face innit? But Shaytaan’s clever, he puts on a disguise.

He goes to them and says:

Then Satan whispered to them, so that he might expose to them their shame that was hidden from them; and said, "Your Lord has not prohibited this tree for you, but to avoid your becoming angels or your becoming eternal." He swore an oath, "I am one of your well-wishers." [Qur’an Al A’raf: V. 20-21]

So Shaytaan made them eat from the tree that Allah forbade them and they were all thrown out from Paradise and dwell on earth for some time. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!!

So my dear brothers and sisters, you’ve seen how easily Shaytaan managed to get Adam and Hawa, our father and mother (may Allah’s peace be upon them) from paradise using his ‘da’wah techniques’. He’s been using these techniques since day one and has managed to misguide many.

Here’s another story the Sheikh narrated to illustrate the ‘Devil’s Da’wah Techniques’. It’s about a pious worshipper named Burseesah who fell into the traps of Shaytaan. May Allah protect us all from the Shaytaan. Ameen.

The Story of Burseesah

There were three men from Bani Israel who were called to fight for the sake of Allah. They accepted the call, but they had concerns for their sister as she would be left behind with no-one to look after her. After some discussion, they agreed that the best place to leave her would be with the most trusted person in town.

This was a pious man called Burseesah, who lived in a sanctuary and devoted his entire life in the worship of Allah. They came to Burseesah and said to him, "O Burseesah. We know you to be a pious and trustworthy man. We have been enlisted to fight for the sake of Allah and we want to leave our sister with you. O Burseesah! We trust no one else in town except you. Please take care of our sister."

Burseesah immediately said, "AoothoBillah! (I seek refuge in Allah) Get away from me! I have sworn to spend my time devoting it to the worship of Allah! I do not want to deal with these issues and be burdened with looking after someone"

The three men said to him, "O Burseesah! We have no where else to take her! We can’t leave her with anyone else and we don't trust anyone else. Please take care of our sister!"

Shaytaan heard the discussion, and came to Burseesah.

"Burseesah..." The waswaas [evil whisperings] began. "Burseesah if you don't look after her, she might be left with someone who is not trustworthy! You have to take this responsibility"

Burseesah listened and finally agreed to look after her. He told the brothers to leave her in a separate house so not to distract him from his acts of worship. They left her there, said goodbye and went to jihad.

Burseesah would continue his acts of worship as normal, and during the day he would leave food on his doorstep so the woman would have to leave the house to collect the food. This also ensured they never saw one another and Bursesah never even left his place of worship.

Time passed by. Shaytaan came to Burseesah.

"Burseesah..." he whispered, "You can't leave the food on your doorstep! As she is leaving the house someone might see her by herself. All alone and venerable and take advantage of her. Rather than her leave her house, you go to her house and drop off the food on her doorstep."

Burseesah made the decision that this was the right thing to do, and followed the bait that Shaytaan masked in a cover of righteousness. So during the day Burseesah would leave his worship, leave his place of worship, go to the house and leave the food on her doorstep.This happened for a while and with the trap just being set, Shaytaan moved in for the next step.

"Burseeeeesah..." the whispers came again. "Burseeesah...you are now leaving the food on her doorstep, but still this is not good. She still has to open the door and collect the food. Someone might still see her and she is so beautiful. She is VERY beautiful".

This servant of Allah, who never saw this woman started to be tempted by the whispers from Shaytaan about her beauty.

"Burseesah, her beauty is intoxicating and if someone sees her they may try something. You have to leave the food INSIDE her house. You don't have to look at her. Just knock on the door, and hand her the food as she opens the door."

Burseesah saw no harm in this. After all, it would stop people from seeing her. More deception covered in righteousness.

So again, Burseesah would leave his worship, leave his place of worship, go to the house and knock on her door to hand her the food.

Time passed by again. Shaytaan remained patient before executing his next plan.

Shaytaan came again.

"Burseeesah...you can’t leave this poor woman all alone. Without any company. No one is speaking to her. She's lonely Burseesah. Just talk to her. There’s no harm in saying salaam and asking how she is. You can talk to her from behind the door...you don’t have to see her...just talk from outside."

He liked the idea and when he would bring her the food he would talk to her behind the door while she was in her room. They would talk for hours every day and the relationship began to get stronger. Shaytaan found it easier and easier to drag him into the next step.

"Burseeesah.....Burseesah....you can't just sit behind the door. You know each other well enough to be in the same room now. Just sit in the same room and speak to her. You don't have to look at her. Just sit in the same room."

Burseesah began to follow the advice of Shaytaan. Everytime they met, the talk became more intimate as they began getting closer...and closer...and closer.

...He would hold her hand......

...The kiss came a few days later...

Eventually...they made zinaa [fornication] with each other.

"Ohh what have I done" Burseesah said as he realised his mistake.

--From being a slave of Allah...to becoming a fornicator.--

But the story did not end there. From that night, the woman became pregnant. Nine months later she delivered a baby boy. The familiar whispers started again as Shaytaan flowed through Burseesah's veins like blood.

"Burseeesaah...when her brothers come back and find out their sister has a child in zinaa, you are going to be in trouble! There is only one way to solve this problem. Burseesah........you have to kill the baby! Get rid of the evidence!"

Grief and anxiety ran through Burseesah's mind as he listened to the whispers of Shaytaan. He did what he heard and killed the baby.

"Ohhhh Burseesah. Do you think this woman will keep this a secret after you killed her own child?? Nooo. Burseesah.....the only thing to do now is to kill her!"

Burseesah then killed the woman and buried both mother and child under the house and covered it with a rock.

--From being a slave of Allah...to becoming a murderer.—

The three brothers returned and went to greet their sister. She was no where to be found. They went to the house of Burseesah and asked him, "Where is our sister?"

"She has passed away" he said as he pointed to a fake grave.

The brothers were saddened by the loss, and made du'a for her. That night when they went to sleep, Shaytaan came to them in their dreams and told them all what had happened.

"Burseesah has lied to you! Burseesah killed your sister! Burseesah made zinaa with her! She is buried under the rock inside the house."

As they all woke up in the morning, and talked about their dream, they began relating the same dream and thought there must be some truth in it. They first dug up the grave Burseesah pointed to and found no body. They stormed to Burseesah's house and demanded to know what had happened to their sister. One of them saw the rock in the house and uncovered it, where they saw their sister and her child.

"What has happened to our sister?!” The eldest screamed.

They forced Burseesah to disclose the secret of what happened and Burseesah told them everything.

Burseesah was taken to court where he confessed everything to the King. The King sentenced Burseesah to be executed. As they dragged him to his death, fear overcame Burseesah.

For the first time during this whole incident, Shaytaan appeared before Burseesah and said to him, "Oh Burseesah! Listen! Look at me! I was the one who was whispering to you since this whole thing started! I am Shaytaan!"

Burseesah's fear grew as the blade for his execution was brought!

"Now I can get you out of all this trouble. I was the one who put you in it, and I can get you out of it!"

"Oh Shaytaan, what should I do?!" Burseesah cried!

With an evil grin, Shaytaan said, "Make sujood to me. I am Shaytaan and I will save you! Bow down and prostrate to me!"

Burseesah fell down in sujood to Shaytaan and as soon as he did this, Shaytaan ran away!

.....and Burseesah was executed.

--From being a servant of Allah, bowing down to Allah...to becoming a servant to Shaytaan...bowing down to Shaytaan.

–-- From Imaan...to the worst type of kufr - bowing down to Shaytaan! –

Who could ever imagine a servant of Allah making sujood to Shaytaan!?

Imagine if Shaytaan came to Burseesah at the beginning and said "Burseesah make sujood to me", would Burseesah do it? NO!

If Shaytaan came to Burseesah at the beginning and said "commit zinaa" , would he do it? NO!

If Shaytaan came to Burseesah at the beginning and said "commit murder" , would he do? NO!

But Shaytaan knows the game! He's been playing his tricks since the time of Adam. Classical method of misleading people. Through step by step deception. This is how Shaytaan pulls at your feet and deceives you. So even if something may SEEM to be like an insignificant sin / action, be careful. It might be the start of a trap.

Beware of Satan, for the safety of your religion. He has lost all hope that he will ever be able to lead you astray in big things, so beware of following him in small things.

Allah tells us

O you who believe, do not follow the footsteps of Satan. Whoever follows the footsteps of Satan, (should know that) he orders (one to commit) shameful acts and evil deeds. Had it not been for the grace of Allah upon you, and His mercy, not a single person from you would have ever attained purity. But Allah purifies whomsoever He wills. Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing. [24:21]