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)

The Fever

Br. Talal Sarwani

There’s a very interesting worldwide phenomena taking place among the Muslim youth of today. Everyone’s favourite bit of Sunnah has become the advice of the Prophet (salallahu ‘alayhi wasallam) to get married asap. Alhamdulillah, the wisdom of that advice is nothing short of Divine, but the abuse of that advice is causing much trouble in the Ummah today. That trouble has manifested itself into one of the hated of what is Halaal: Talaq (Divorce). Kids are getting married right and left, lost in some romanticised version of what married life seems to be about, and the second they find themselves stuck in a mud of responsiblity, it’s time to flip out the mobile and text your significant other:

I divorce you - I divorce you - I divorce you

Indeed, it is a time of cowards.

So I set out to investigate what was causing this desperate desire for the Great Hookup. What did I find? Were the beards really growin’ and the brows left un-threaded? Were the kufis being worn and the hijabs being tightened? Was the thawb and the ‘abaya truly being donned? Was the scent of ‘oud aromafying the surroundings? Read on, brothers and sisters, read on for the truth….

The number one danger towards the one who is single, is to be around those who have newly become doubles. It’s been referred to in the past as The Fever. The Fever is not just the feeling that one needs to get hitched, it’s the malady that causes such feelings simply from having attended the hitching ceremonies of all-too-many people in an all-too-short amount of time. For proof of the existence of this syndrome, please go up to any brother (Though I claim to know their perspective as well, out of respect, I shall take the fifth as far as sisters are concerned) during the summer, especially during this Summer of a Thousand Weddings. You’ll hear the usual talk of empty hearts needing companionship, of guys swooning over she who looked back and if you’re around one after someone else’s wedding, a feeling of slight dejection rather than complete happiness for his just betrothed brother and sister.

The Fever is a powerful thing, taking over the life of he or she who is stung by it, causing him or her to find themselves raising their hands to Allah every night, asking for either the filling of their empty hearts or at the very least a respite from their feelings. So, brothas and sistas, if you find yourself in this most unwanted predicament, the prescription is as follows:

Step 1: Lower your gaze
Step 2: Pray for the feeling to go away
Step 3: Lower your gaze
Step 4: Don’t talk to others about your predicament (you’ll realise they’re in the same hole, and then the both of you will wallow in each other’s misery)
Step 5: Lower your gaze
Rinse. Spit. Repeat.

InshaAllah The Fever should soon subside and all will be back to normal. HOWEVER, say the ol’ heart sparks at the just barely-sighted-glance of a certain someone, then be sure to follow the following steps. Now, keep in mind this is the ONLY acceptable follow-up to that “cue the chorus” moment. Consider this your final warning not to join certain committees of certain organisations/societies, “accidentally” finding certain someone’s sitting there.

BONUS:
Step 6: ISTIKHARA TIME!!!!!!!!
Possible Step 7 for Brothers: Be a Man. Call her parents.
Possible Step 7 for Sisters: Just sit there all coy and shy (I keed, I keed).

This prescription is signed and endorsed by Shaykh (of the Polaroid Picture kind) Ishq ibn Al-Hubbatani, so you better believe it works. There is however a lot more that contributes to the ‘I Think I Love You, Marry Me’ Ummah today. The majority of these causes rests in the realm of what a brother once said: “Blame it on the Deen”.

The Romantic Islam:
As a preface to what follows, let me say that this topic includes far more than I can write about in this space, so I’m not gonna cover anything… I mean everything. There’s literally an incredible amount of things that fall into The Romantic Islam, but I’ll just touch upon these two of varying extremes, to give you just a taste of what I mean.

I’m using the word romantic not in the sense of an ideal, but in the plain old Qais/Majnu/Romeo and their Lailas/Juliet sense. These are those bits (according to the very doubtable research done for this) of Islam that when people gain knowledge of them, at a certain time of their lives, in that certain state of mind, all havoc lets loose, the hearts open up in need, and the shaitaan is called in for playtime. ‘You… complete… me…’

When Tom Cruise uttered those words to his love in Jerry McGuire, the heart of every woman in movie theaters around the world let out a collective sigh. If only they knew what Muslimahs had already known for centuries, or at least what they did, once, know. I’m referring to the oft-repeated hadith of the Lone Hearted:

Narrated by Anas, who reported that the Prophet(salallahu ‘alayhi wasallam) said: When a man marries, he has fulfilled half of his religion…

We are the creations of a Creator who knows our innards better than we know our names, so when we experience this wisdom that has been passed down to us, our hearts yell: SUBHANALLAH!!! I NEED to get married.

Let’s just face it, this hadith makes everyone feel good about things, and is among the greatest proliferators of Wandering Heart technology. Do note the “…”, because you rarely ever hear the rest of the hadith:

...so let him fear Allah regarding the remaining half.’’ ‘Nuff said, yo.

Sweet Nothings:
Ahem, the following is a very interesting tidbit. It’s something I gleaned from a brother in whom the desire to be wed was gnawing at him from the inside. We were in a room with just pillows on the floor to chill on. It of course happened to be a time of someone else’s wedding, which is why I just sat relaxing after a long night of partying with the *cough*aunties*cough*. So, this brother comes up to me, with a copy of Sahih Bukhari of all things, and he prompts me to read:

Volume 2, Book 21, Number 258:Narrated ‘Aisha: After offering the Sunna of the Fajr prayer, the Prophet used to talk to me, if I happened to be awake; otherwise he would lie down till the Iqama call was proclaimed (for the Fajr prayer).

“Alright”, I thought, “so?” He plopped himself down onto the floor, and with a bleary-eyed look, said: “Wouldn’t it be amazing to have someone to talk to when you walk up a little early for Fajr?” Let’s just say he didn’t take too kindly at me falling over from laughter nor my suggestion that he could always give me a call anytime he feels lonely at that hour. If you’re in this state. brothers and sisters, please follow the prescription given to you above, and inshaAllah spare the rest of us from stomach-hurting hilarity.

The End of This:
Alas, all great things come to an end, as must this post. I just barely touched upon what I really wanted to talk about, but my mind is not in a state of organisation, so I leave you with this little conclusion. Realise that marriage isn’t a joke or little fling you go through. It’s a responsibility, where the third party in the trust between a husband and wife is Allah. All this talk of love and all that jazz is a distraction, so pay little attention to it. There is ONE person for whom you are meant, inshaAllah, so take care of your personal half of your deen, and Allah will provide you with the best of companionship. Take the halaal way, and you’ll feel it yourself. The second the Nikah is done, the man and woman are infused with a feeling of rahmahshaitaan lead you astray when he discovers the state of your heart and mind. Seek refuge and establish trust in Allah, for that is the only way to keep yourself on the Sirat-Al-Mustaqeem. Someone once questioned the hurried rush to marriage seen in the Ummah, and couldn’t understand how they took that step when they didn’t even have a way of supporting a family. “When you’re capable of getting her the washing machine, then you’re ready to begin a life together”.

It’s akin to that sudden mercy felt by one who has just become a parent. It’s not something you can understand beforehand. There’s lots of things in Islam that stir the hearts, but they are there to convince you of the correctness of the Straight Path.

If I offended anyone, forgive me, inshaAllah. Oh, and to those souls who recently have been, or soon will be paired back to those they were with in Fitrah, our Du’as are with you. May Allah grant you all the best in the Dunya and the Hereafter… Ameen, Ameen, Ya Rabbil ‘Alameen

Chatting to the Opposite Sex

I begin with the name of Allah the Most Merciful, the Very Merciful.

The topic in discussion is one that will surely create some controversy amongst the minds of many. Some of you may read the first paragraph and decide you would like to read no further. Others may read the entire post and quietly dismiss what is said. However I place a small request before you: please do ponder upon what is said. Jazakmullahu Khairan.

You may all agree that having a physical relationship with a non-mehram is totally forbidden in Islam. And if one was to transgress these boundaries then punishment would be the inevitable consequence. However, if one was to put it simply then we would agree that any form of communication that is likely to lead to ones carnal desires being aroused, is strictly forbidden. One does not know whether one's desires will be aroused or not - though there is always a possibility, hence such communication is forbidden.

By communication I mean conversations between a non mehram man and a woman in person, or via the phone, even by a mere look and yes, let me utter the deadly words, the most common form of communication amongst non-mehrams is taking place on the internet. It is the most easiest form and sadly it is succeeding beyond measure in corrupting our minds and leading us astray.

(Let me stress, this form of contact I am referring to is one that is kept unnecessarily, there are instances where non-mehrams can communicate which I will clarify below)

This post is specifically directed at MSN users. To be more precise I am referring to the chatting between non-mehram men and women that takes place on MSN. Or to be more exact, the chatting between men and women (who can marry) that takes place out of mere pleasure and which is not necessary. It seems these ‘chats’ that are taking place in today’s age has become the norm. We no longer consider it to be an evil act but instead it seems to be encouraged.

It is a plain fact and you all must be aware of it. To speak to a non-mehram man or woman, in particular on MSN (without a necessity) is islamically not right. The reason why I have targeted the usage of MSN is because this has become the most common and easiest form of prohibited communication between men and women that is taking place.

Having a conversation on MSN between a non-mehram man or woman (without a necessity) is zina. Yes this is such a strong word and you may object at such a word being used. But readers, this is no extreme way of putting it, it is a fact whether we approve of it or not. Chatting on MSN to a non-mehram for one’s own pleasure is committing zina of the hands, eyes as well as the mind. How? You may ask. Zina of the hands is committed when one types in a message to send to the person they are chatting to. Zina of the eyes is reading any message from the person and lastly zina of the mind is thinking about the person.

Imam Dhahabi Rahimahullah mentions in Kitabul Kaba'ir that the Messenger of Allah (May peace and blessings be upon him) said, "In the Hell-Fire there is a valley in which contains serpents. Each serpent is as fat as a camel's neck.When it stings the one who does not pray, it's poison boils in his abode for seventy years and then his flesh is torn out. There is also a valley called the well of Hazan (suffering) which contains serpents and scorpions. Each scorpion is as huge as a mule and has seventy spines. Each spine ends in a poisonous edge. Then, it strikes the adulterer and sprays poison in his body. The adulterer suffers from this painful poison for a thousand years. Then his flesh is torn out and pus flows from his genitals.”

One specific ploy used by people who want to make an excuse to chat to the opposite sex, is to refer to them as their 'brother' and 'sister.' Does this really convince you that what you are doing is islamically acceptable? Yes, every Muslim is a brother and sister to one another, but these so called brothers and sisters of ours are people who we can marry, hence the ruling of it being forbidden.

Neither does the excuse of being 'friends' work because such a thing as friends between a non-mehram man and a woman exist in Islam.

However, there is a type of communication in Islam that is permitted. This is the contact between a non-mehram man and woman who communicate for the sake of Islam. But please note only in extreme cases of necessity. Those whose sole purpose is to gain knowledge for the betterment of their own Imaan, as well as the entire Ummah.

Truly, this can be seen taking place at the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and his blessed companions (may Allah be pleased with them). The Mother of the Believers, hazrat Aishah (radiallahu anha) has related many hadiths to inform the Ummah of the blessed ways of our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). These hadiths were asked by the noble companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) upon which hazrat Aishah used to reply behind a screen in the most modest manner. Yes, indeed this is a perfect example that clearly shows such communication is permitted in Islam.

However, I ask you, what has become of us today? We use this very excuse of propagating Islam and instead misuse it to suit our desires. Yes, once in a while an Islamic issue may crop up but other times? Other times, readers we are involved in deep conversations be it MSN, Hi5, Facebook or any other way, we are involved in many hours of zina. What is the need in speaking to a non-mehram about personal issues, about petty issues which are simply not necessary?

Of course one may say 'my intentions are pure', truly I do not doubt that for one moment. However, all would agree that Shaytaan makes it a duty upon himself to convert these intentions to please him. Muslims are urged in the Qur'an,

'Do not even go close to fornication. It is indeed a shameful act, and an evil way to follow.'

"Do not go near indecent deeds open or secret."

"Say to believing men that they should lower their gaze..."

We notice that not only has Zina been prohibited. Allah has also prohibited the channels that lead to Zina such as idle chatting, touching, kissing etc; the slightest bit of temptation is eliminated from the start, before anything even takes place.

I’d like to apply this same aspect to internet chatting. Readers do not even go near unnecessary chatting between non-mehrams on the internet for this is the path leading to zina. We are mere mortals, we cannot always control our desires. It may begin as an 'Islamic issue' but result in zina.

I would like to end by asking, what do we derive from long hours of conversations or even merely keeping in contact with a guy/girl? Yes, it is a form of pass-time, or maybe we think it to be 'fun' and lastly, and most definitely we derive pleasure out of it. I ask you, what is our pleasure in comparison to that of the displeasure of Allah (subhanu wa ta’la)? What is our comfort in comparison to that of the discomfort and pain of our Blessed Prophet Muhammad (may eternal peace and blessings be upon him)?

Is it fair, that this very Prophet who experienced such hardships and pain for the sake of his Ummah to remain strong on his/her Imaan, so that Allah may grant his Ummah salvation from hell, this very Prophet's teachings are being torn to shreds. Do we feel even the slightest bit of remorse?

However let me stress, I do not wish to dishearten any of you. If you have used MSN or are using it for the purpose of chatting to guys/girls whom you are not supposed to, then this is your chance to repent and seek forgiveness. Allah is the Most Merciful and truly you shall be forgiven if your repentance is sincere. However, also remember that you must make the intention of not continuing with this sinful act in future.

The next time you are confronted by a non-mehram man/woman on MSN whom you must not be chatting to then control your inner, worldly desires by not responding and instantly deleting such a person from your list. Yes, it is hard and surely you will have to struggle for it but keep in mind that this sacrifice is solely for your own benefit.

In conclusion I would like to say that this post is not directed at a specific individual, but rather to the entire Ummah as a whole. I would like to apologise if I may have said anything that has caused any one of you readers to feel offended. This is not my attempt to be judgmental but rather I am placing a genuine concern before you, I pray that this entry creates an awareness of the evils of men and women chatting online. I pray that Allah gives me and all you readers the hidayah to practice upon what has been said.

Jazakumullahu khairan for taking your time out to read, it now lies upon yourselves whether you choose to practice upon what has been said.

Wassalamu ‘alaykum warahmatullah

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