Who Are the People of Taqwa? – Nouman Ali Khan
The Man and the Snake
A man returns home from his shop on a winter night and finds his wife and children sitting in the veranda. He asks them surprizingly, “why are you sitting in the veranda in this cold weather?” His wife replies, a long black snake has entered the room in the evening.
The man then enters the room with a big stick and searches everywhere for the snake, but couldn’t find it. The wife says, I have seen the snake entering the room with my own eyes, and the children bear witness to it.
Upon hearing this, the man enters the room again and takes out everything from the room until the room is completely empty. Then he searches everything thoroughly and keeps it back in the room one by one, but still there is no sign of any snake.
He consoles his wife and children saying that the snake might have left the house from this drain and you might not have seen it go out. Hearing this, their fear is curtailed and they enter the room.
Now they have their dinner as usual and prepare to sleep. The man sits on his bed and starts checking his shop’s account. Suddenly he sees his shirt which was hanging on the wall moving slightly even though the fan is off due to cold and doors and windows are tightly shut. He thinks that the snake is hiding behind the shirt. Terrified, the man takes a stick and touches his shirt. Then he shakes it vigorously with the stick, but there is no snake. He picks up the shirt and hangs it inside the cupboard and returns to his bed.
Now he feels he is not interested in the shop’s account. So he switches the lights off and lies on his bed. He alone was awake in the house and everyone else had slept already. Suddenly the empty cup on the cupboard falls down on the floor. He again imagines the snake curled on top of the cupboard. He switches on the light while sitting on the bed itself. Then stands on his place and looks at the cupboard.
Once again he takes up courage and searches the room for the snake, but to no avail. Tired, he lies down again for sleeping without switching off the light this time.
To his astonishment, whenever he closes his eyes, he sees a long black snake in front of him. He opens his eyes out of fear. He spends his whole night turning from one side to other and could not sleep due to the fear of the snake…
His wife had informed him of a snake entering the room due to which he searched the room thrice but couldn’t find any trace of a snake. His wife might have lied to him, and used to lie at him sometimes. But believing in her report, he scanned the room thrice and could not sleep due to fear. Any small sound would make his hairs stand on their ends.
But the most truthful of all, our Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam has seen with his own eyes and informed us of various stages in the Hereafter. Let alone Jannat, Jahannum, Sirat, the Day of Resurrection, the Punishment of the Grave, etc and let alone the Power of Allah, His hidden Treasure, and His hidden System (of governing everything), if we only take the report that every human has two angels (Kiraman Katibeen) on their shoulders who record each and every deed; how many of our nights were spent sleepless due to the fear of these Kiraaman Kaatibeen?
Just due to the report of his wife seeing a snake he spent his whole night in fear, how many nights have we spent in fear due to these angels informed by our Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam? Let alone spending sleepless nights, how many times did we ever think of these angels continously monitoring us and our hairs have stood on their ends?
From: A brother’s mailing list
A Man Comes to Ibrahim ibn Adham
A man came to Ibrahim ibn Adham, may Allah be pleased with him, and said, “Abu Ishaq, I am unable to control myself. Please give me something to help me with it”
“If you accept five conditions,” said Ibrahim, “and are able to put them into practice, your disobedience will not cause you any problem.”
“Just tell me what they are, Abu Ishaq!” the man said. “The first is that when you want to disobey Allah you do not eat anything He provides.”
“Then how will I get anything to eat? Everything on the earth is from Him!”
“So is it right to eat His provision and disobey Him at the same time?” replied Ibrahim.
“No, it is not. What is the second condition?”
“When you want to disobey him, move off His land.”
“That is even more difficult! Exclaimed the man. “In that case where will I live?”
“Is it right to eat his provision and live on His land and then to disobey Him?” asked Ibrahim. “No, it is not.”
“What is the third condition?” “When you want to disobey Him in spite of eating His provision and living on His land, find a place where He will not see you and disobey Him there.”
“What do you mean, Ibrahim? He knows everything that happens even in the most hidden places!” “So is it right to disobey Him when you eat His provision and live on His land and when you know that He can see everything you do?” “It certainly is not!” the man replied.
“Tell me the fourth condition.” “That when the Angel of Death arrives to take your soul, you say to him, ‘Give me a reprieve so that I can repent and act righteously for Allah.’”
“But he won’t listen to me!” “Then if you cannot ward off death long enough to give yourself time to repent, and you know that when it comes there will be no reprieve, how can you hope to be saved?”
“What is the fifth?” “That when the angels of the Fire come to you to take you to the Fire, you do not go with them.” “They will take me whether I like it or not!” exclaimed the man.
“So how can you hope to be saved?”
“Enough, enough, Ibrahim! I ask Allah’s forgiveness and I turn to Him!”
The man’s repentance was sincere and from that time on he was assiduous in his worship and avoided acts of disobedience until the day he died. (FA)
7 Practical tips for praying Qiyam Al-Layl
7 Practical tips for praying Qiyam Al-Layl
Qiyam means standing and Qiyam Al-Layl means standing at night. In the Islamic terminology, both words refer to the voluntary night prayer, whose time extends from after Isha prayer until dawn.
Other common names for Qiyam Al-Layl are Salat-ul-Layl (the night prayer), Tahajjud (from hajada, meaning remained one who awake at night), and Taraweeh (resting).
A widespread misconception is that Tahajjud is a different night prayer than Qiyam or Taraweeh. It is important to clarify this misunderstanding and to make clear that the voluntary night prayer is known by different names.
1. Ikhlas (Sincerity)
Allah’s Help is required not only for worldly affairs but also for our worship. And Allah helps those who are sincere in their hearts. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “If you are truthful with Allah, then Allah will deliver to you what you wish for.” (An-Nasa’i, Al-Hakim and Sahih Al-Jami’’)
Therefore, one should have a sincere intention to pray Qiyam Al-Layl. One should seek the pleasure of Allah alone and avoid any desire of praise or fame. Allah says:
“And they were commanded not, but that they should worship Allah, and worship none but Him Alone…” (Qur’an, 98:5)
Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim said: “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. Failure comes to them in a similar manner.”
2. Know the virtue
Knowing the virtues and rewards of worship encourages us to perform them. The virtue of praying at night during Ramdan supersedes the virtue of praying any other night during the year. Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: “Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) encouraged the people, without making it an absolute command, to perform Qiyam during Ramadan. He (peace be upon him) used to say: ‘Whoever stands (in Qiyam) in Ramadan out of faith and expectation (of Allah’s reward), all his previous sins will be forgiven.’ ” (Sahih Muslim)
3. Take a nap
Taking a nap before or after Zuhr Salah will reduce stress and give you sufficient energy to wake up late at night to stand in front of your Lord. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “Take a nap, for the Shayateen (pl. of Shaytan) do not take naps.” (At-Tabarani, Al-Sahihah, no. 2647)
4. Sleep as per the Sunnah
• Sleep early! It’s a healthy habit and it was the practice of Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him). He would sleep immediately after performing the Isha prayer. Abu Barzah Al-Aslami said the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to prefer to delay Isha, and he did not like to sleep before it or talk after it.” (Al-Bukhari)
• Sleep in a state of taharah (cleanliness). Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “Purify these bodies and Allah will purify you, for there is no slave who goes to sleep in a state of purity, but an Angel spends the night with him, and every time he turns over, (the Angel) says, ‘O Allah! Forgive Your slave, for he went to bed in a state of purity.’ ” (At-Tabarani, Sahih Al-Jami’, no. 3831)
• Choose a suitable bed. Extreme luxury and very soft mattresses provoke laziness. We tend to sleep more and become negligent. Ayesha (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated that the pillow of the Prophet (peace be upon him) was made of leather stuffed with palm fibers.” (Abu Dawood and Musnad Ahmad, Sahih Al-Jami’, no. 4714)
• Keep the bed clean and lie on your right side. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “When any one of you goes to bed, let him clear his bed by hitting it with his garment, for he does not know what may have come onto it. Then let him lie down on his right side…” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
• Recite the Adhkar (supplications) mentioned in the Sunnah before sleeping. Among the Adhkar are reciting the last two verses of Surah Al-Baqarah; reciting Surah Al-Falaq, Al-Nas and Ikhlas and blowing in the palms and wiping as much of the body as possible – starting from the head, face and then the front of the body – three times; and saying Subhan Allah 33 times, Alhamdulillah 33 times and Allahu Akbar 34 times. (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
5. Don’t eat too much
Eating and drinking too much are the main obstacles that make one lazy and negligent of Qiyam Al-Layl. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, “Man fills no vessel worse than his stomach. It is sufficient for the son of Adam to have a few mouthfuls to give him the strength he needs. If he has to fill his stomach, then let him leave one-third for food, one-third for drink and one-third for air.” (At-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah, Sahih Al-Jami’, no. 5674)
Abu Juhayfah reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said to a man who burped in his presence: “Stop your burping, for the people who eat the most in this life will be the most hungry on the Day of Resurrection.” (Al-Hakim, Sahih Al-Jami’, no. 1190)
6. Exert yourself
Exert yourself to get up and pray. Rise above your desires. Allah says in the Qur’an:
“And as for those who strive hard in Our Cause, We will surely guide them to Our Paths. And verily, Allah is with the Muhsinoon (good-doers).” (Qur’an, 29:69)
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “The Mujahid (one who strives in the Cuase of Allah) is the one who strives against his own self for the sake of Allah.” (Al-Tirmidhi, Al-Sahihah, no. 549)
He (peace be upon him) also said: “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 wudu, 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 Allah 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.” (Musnad Ahmad, Sahih Al-Targheeb, no. 627)
7. Regret if you missed it
Qiyam Al-Layl is a great blessing of Allah. He has kept numerous spiritual benefits and rewards for the believer in this prayer. Therefore, one should regret if he misses this great opportunity of achieving rewards and the Pleasure of Allah. Allah says in the Qur’an:
“O you who believe! Fear Allah and keep your duty to Him. And let every person look to what he has sent forth for the morrow, and fear Allah. Verily, Allah is All-Aware of what you do.” (Qur’an, 59:18)
Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim said, “If the slave is responsible and accountable for everything, even his hearing, sight and innermost thoughts, as Allah says, “…Verily, hearing, sight, and the heart of each of you will be questioned by Allah.” (Qur’an, 17:36), then he should check on himself before he is brought to account.” – As-Sunnah
Ref: ‘The Night Prayers’ by Muhammad Nasir-ud-Deen Al-Albani
From: Cool Guy Muslim’s Blog
Oh Allah, Forgive Me!
To give up hope of the mercy of Allah, Ar-Rahman, is of the greatest of sins one can do, more greater than all your sins combined. This is among the most encouraging and deepest lectures I have ever heard. May Allah (swt) forgive our sins, wipe them clean, and make us purified, obedient slaves of His (yes, ‘abd means slave in its true form, not servant.) Ameen.
Yasir Qadhi: My Conversion – Admitting One’s Mistake and Moving On
Posted by Yasir Qadhi • May 18th, 2009 • Printer-friendly
This is, in many ways, an awkward post for me. Admitting one’s mistake is not easy to do. Claiming that one’s past opinions were wrong – opinions that were defended publicly, in writing and speech, and championed for many, many years – is always a bitter pill to swallow. And this is even more difficult to do when the ‘mistake’ is not just one secondary matter or trivial opinion, but rather an entire framework or methodology.
But now, I am forced to make such a confession. I have given the matter great thought, and have realized there is no way forward unless I break clean of my past. And if I do so, I am not the first, nor shall I be the last, to make such a claim. Many great scholars in our tradition have gone through phases of their life, realizing later on that they followed an incorrect system in an earlier stage.
It is an open secret that there are two great traditions in our times competing with one another. Each of these two systems claims to be better and more perfect. Each one claims to be older, or more ‘orthodox’. Each one claims to have large numbers of followers. Each one presents an entire methodology – a holistic framework from which all other programs of one’s life should spring forth. Each one is eager for converts, critiquing the other tradition with utmost contempt (sometimes with very cheap and underhand tactics – as bloggers know all too well).
It is obvious that both of these systems cannot simultaneously be true in all that they say. One of the two MUST be the more correct and better.
For many years of my life, (in fact for ALL of the years that I have been of age), I had been an ardent follower of what I thought was the only system. As a young teenager, I never even knew that people followed other methodologies, and the first time I was exposed to the other system I truly found it incomprehensible. It seemed too difficult to follow, too ’strange’ and exotic. As I grew older, and learnt more about both systems, initially my faith in my own tradition grew stronger and stronger. It is actually ironic that I wrote many works, books and treatises in its framework. In many public and private gatherings, I had defended my own preferred methodology and mocked the other.
It is true that many people tried to convert me, and initially I rebuffed them quite easily. But as these efforts increased in earnestness, and I found close friends of mine, people whom I truly looked up to, convert one by one, I felt the seeds of doubt grow within me. Perhaps my system was not the best? Perhaps the framework that I had initially been led to believe was the truest and most perfect was not actually so?
Du’as for When Waking Up
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When Waking Up
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Farshy Al-Turab (Dust is My Bed)
From: Road to Heaven
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1 |
Narrated by |
Transmitted by Ibn Majah (Mishkat) |
| Allah’s Messenger (Sal-allahu-aleihi-wasallam) said: “I prohibited you from visiting graves, but visit them now, because they teach renunciation in the world and remind the hereafter.” [1769] | ||
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2 |
Narrated by Jaber |
Transmitted by Muslim (Mishkat) |
| The Messenger of Allah (Sal-allahu-aleihi-wasallam) prohibited from plastering a grave or constructing a building over it, or sitting over it. [1697] | ||
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3 |
Narrated by |
Transmitted by Sahih Bukhari |
| Two old ladies from among the Jewish ladies entered upon me and said, “The dead are punished in their graves,” but I thought they were telling a lie and did not believe them in the beginning. When they went away and the Prophet (Sal-allahu-aleihi-wasallam) entered upon me, I said, “O Allah’s Apostle! (Sal-allahu-aleihi-wasallam) Two old ladies…” and told him the whole story. He said, “They told the truth; the (sinful) dead are really punished, to the extent that all the animals hear (the sound resulting from) their punishment.” Since then I always saw him seeking refuge with Allah from the punishment of the grave in his prayers. [Vol 8:#377] | ||
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4 |
Narrated by Abu Hurairah |
Transmitted by Sahih Bukhari |
| Allah’s Apostle (Sal-allahu-aleihi-wasallam) used to invoke (Allah): “O Allah! I seek refuge with you from the punishment in the grave and from the punishment in the Hell fire and from the afflictions of life and death, and the afflictions of Al-Masih Ad-Dajjal.” [Vol 2:#459]
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5 |
Narrated by |
Transmitted by Muslim (Mishkat) |
| She asked: O Apostle of Allah (Sal-allahu-aleihi-wasallam), what shall I recite (meaning) at the visiting of graves? He said: Say, Peace be on the inmates of the abodes of the believers and Muslims, and may Allah show mercy to those who predeceased us and who will succeed us, and we shall join you, if Allah wills. [1767]
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6 |
Narrated by |
Transmitted by Darimi (Mishkat) |
| Khaled said: Sura As-Sajdah (32) will argue on behalf of its reader in the grave saying: O Allah! had I been of your Book, accept my intercession for him; and had I been not your Book. efface me from it. It will then become like a bird which will spread over its wings upon him and will intercede for him and will prevent the punishment of the grave from him. And he said about Surah Al-Mulk (67) in a similar manner. [Part of Hadith - 2176] | ||
Joel Osteen teaches Christians clean/unclean foods! No pork!
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