Put First Things First – The Best Thing to Do!

I think it was many years ago when I first informed from a close contact of a book titled ”The 7 habits of highly effective people” authored by Dr. Steven Covey. With over 15 million copies sold in different languages, this universal and timeless publication highlights 7 principles that can maximise ones productivity and effectiveness in achieving goals by presenting a plethora of individual stalwart characteristics which can help one attain felicity.

Amongst the ideas under the context of self-mastery, Covery presents the idea of putting first things first in respect to planning and prioritising weekly chores based upon the premises of importance and to evaluate whether results of such engagements reflect upon personal inclined ethics with the effect of motivating one further towards their objectives.

Amongst the capacious challenges that a substantial amount of us face is our desire in trying to accomplish so much in so little time, and thus become so overwhelmed in our thoughts trying to establish exactly what we should be doing and what our obligations are at a given point in time. I mean everyone of us wants to build a grand mosque with multipurpose facilities, everyone wants to build an educational institition with a first class Islamic curriculum bringing forth the next Imam Abu Hanifah, everyone wants to liberate Masjid al-Aqsa, I am sure there must have been some part of our life where we wanted to be the next Shaykh-ul ibn Taimiyyah, we would all love to engage in dawaah, participate in jihad, teach others, learn ilm and so many other great acts of worship so that this can elevate our status to the highest level of jannah! I mean we all dream this kinda stuff at some stage of our life right ?!  This common contention is however that this cycle of thought leads us to solely conceptualise on what we cannot accomplish moreso than what we can accomplish. This can be well and good, and as Ibn al-Jawzi said, a person can be rewarded for his intentions more than for his actions. However, the  purpose of having sincere intentions is to not only be constructive and but hopefully to extract something tangible from that intention (depending on the deed ofcourse).

Part of being generative is to have a methodical framework as to when to focus on what. For example, if your worship and intentions for specific efforts are organized and you properly place your focus where and when it should be, you’ll find yourself accomplishing much more as a Muslim, no matter if you’re a scholar who teaches, a caller to Allah who motivates, or a general worshipper who simply wants to get closer to your Lord.

Without emersing this entry into meticulous detail, I think getting a classical scholarly prespective per se is will hopefully shed some insight into looking at the process of being productive. Taking the translated extract from another website, Imam Ibn al-Qayyim had written in ‘Madarij as-Salikin’ (1/188):

“…They say that the best worship is to do what will please the Lord at every time in accordance with what that particular time calls for.

So, the best acts of worship during the time of Jihad is Jihad, even if this leads to abandoning certain rituals such as night prayer, fasting, etc. In fact, this applies even if you are to not pray a complete obligatory prayer as you would in times of safety and calm.

And the best thing to do when you have a guest, for example, is to see to his rights as a guest and to preoccupy yourself with that instead of the recommended rituals you would usually engage in at the time.

Such is also the case in fulfilling the rights of your wife and family.

The best thing to do during the early morning hours is to be preoccupied with prayer, Qur’an, supplication, remembrance of Allah, and asking His Forgiveness.

The best thing to do when teaching a student or ignorant person is to completely turn your attention towards teaching him.

The best thing to do during the call to prayer is to leave whatever rituals you are engaged in and to occupy yourself with repeating after the one making the call.

The best thing to do during the five prayers is to try your best in carrying them out in the best possible manner and to rush to perform them right away, and to go out to the mosque – even if it is far – is better.

The best thing to do when someone needs help physically or financially is to busy yourself with helping that person, relieving his distress, and to place this as a priority over your private worship that you’d usually be engaged in.

The best thing to do when reciting the Qur’an is to have your heart and mind present in order to reflect over and understand it as if Allah is personally addressing you with it. So, to have your heart present to understand and reflect over it and to have the zeal to implement its commands is greater than the attentiveness of the heart of one who has received a message from the ruler to that message.

The best thing to do when standing at ‘Arafah is to exert yourself in being humble before Allah, supplicating, and remembering Him instead of fasting.

The best thing to do during the first ten days of Dhu al-Hijjah is to increase in worship, especially saying ‘Allahu Akbar,’ ‘La ilaha illa Allah,’ and ‘al-hamdu lil-Lah.’ This is better here than the Jihad that is not an individual obligation.

The best thing to do during the last ten nights of Ramadan is to stay in the mosque and to seclude yourself in it without mixing with others and being distracted by them. This is to the point that it is better than teaching them and practicing the Qur’an with them according to many of the scholars.

The best thing to do when you have a brother who is sick or dying is to visit him, attend his funeral, and to prefer this over your private worship or social activities.

And the best thing to do when a disaster befalls you or people hurt you is to fulfill the obligation of having patience while continuing to interact with them and not running from them, since the believer who mixes with people and is patient despite their harm to him is better than the believer who doesn’t mix with them and isn’t harmed by them.

And the best thing you can interact with them in is whatever is good, and this is better than to seclude yourself from them in such a case. As for bad things, it is better to seclude yourself from them in such a case. However, if you know that mixing with in this case will help remove or reduce the bad, it is better to mix with them than to abandon them.

So, the best thing to do in every time and situation is whatever will please Allah at that particular time and situation and to focus on the foremost obligation at that particular time and whatever it necessitates and requires…”

So, while Ibn al-Qayyim’s advice above illustrates very distinct acts of worship, you hopefully get the point. It echoes amongst the 7 habit principles ie  having a ”be proactive” attitude which Ibn Qayyim is postulating here to reinforce the point that to look to what’s in front of you and what needs to be done then and there, as this is the best way to please Allah in that particular situation. If we employ such a characteristic in our regular day to day activities in general and your service to Allah and Islam in particular, we will find that you’ll get much more out of our daily routine. May Allah The Most-High bless us with the tawfiq in making every second of our life in His servitude, to forgive us for our short comings and to grant us the best in both this world and the hereafter!

 

A day in the life of Shaykh-ul Islam ibn Taymiyyah

Subhan’Allah this is truly what a productive Muslim is mash’Allah! Always inspiring to read the stories of Ibn Taymiyyah and the great scholars of this deen that really gave it 110% fisabillah! Well worth a quick read because it is both short and simply remarkable in how he utelised his time very efficiently subhan’Allah! BTW he didnt have a family of his own, partly due to the fact that he was thrown in jail several times by the enemies of the truth… Also reminds those who truly reflect and ponder, the beautiful name of Allah The Most-High, Al-Qawi (The Supremely-Strong)…..Laillahaillah

al-Imam al-Bazzar wrote a long, first hand account of the life of Ibn Taymiyyah, who was his personal friend and companion. The book is called‘al-A’lam al-’Aliyyah fi Manaqib Ibn Taymiyyah,’ and this is a very, very small glimpse from it:

“During the nights, he would separate himself from everybody, secluding himself with his Lord, strictly maintaining his recitation of the MightyQur’an, and repeating the various types of daily and nightly worship.

When the night was over, he would rejoin the people for the Fajr prayer, praying the optional prayer before meeting them. When he would begin the prayer, your heart would want to fly from its place just from the way in which he would make takbirat al-ihram. When he would begin the prayer, his limbs would shake, moving him left and right. When he would recite, he would elongate his recitation, just as was authentically reported in regards to the recitation of the Messenger of Allah. His bowing and prostration, as well as his coming up from them, are from the most complete of what has ever been reported in regards to the obligatory prayer. And he would severely lighten his sitting for the first tashahhud, and would say the first taslim out loud, to the point that everyone who was present would hear it…

…And I came to know that it was his habit that nobody would speak to him unless absolutely necessary after the morning prayer. He would remain in a state of dhikr of Allah, listening to himself. Sometimes, he would let those sitting next to him listen to his dhikr, all the while constantly turning his eyesight to the sky. He would remain in such a state until the Sun rose, and the time in which prayer is forbidden had passed.

During my stay in Damascus with him, I would spend some of the day and most of the night with him. He would draw me near to him, sitting me beside him. I would hear what he would recite and repeat, and I saw that he would repeat ‘al-Fatihah’ over and over again, and would spend all of his time between Fajr and sunrise doing this.

So, I kept thinking to myself, wondering: why would he recite this specific chapter of the Qur’an in exclusion to the others? Eventually, it became clear to me – and Allah Knows best – that his intention in doing so was to combine with his recitation between what was narrated in the ahadith and what was discussed by the scholars, in regards to whether the narratedadhkar should take precedence over recitation of the Qur’an, or vice versa. So, he saw that in repeating ‘al-Fatihah,’ he could combine between both opinions, and reap the benefits of both actions, and this was from his strength in logic and depth of insight.

After this, he would pray Duha, and if he wanted to hear Hadith in another place, he would rush to that place with whoever was with him at the time.

It was rare that any intelligent person would see him and not come and kiss his hands. Even the busiest of businessmen would walk from what they were doing to greet him and seek his blessings. With all of this, he would give everyone of them their share of time, greetings, etc.

If he saw any evil in the street, he would work to remove it, and if he heard of a funeral taking place, he would rush to pray in it, or would apologize for missing it. Sometimes, he would go to the grave of the deceased after he finished listening to Hadith and pray over it (Asking Allah The Most Merciful to forgive the deceased et al).

Afterwards, he would return to his mosque, where he would remain either giving fatawa to the people or fulfilling their needs, until it was time to pray Dhuhr in congregation. He would spend the rest of the day in such a manner.

His classes were general for the old, the young, the wealthy, the poor, the free, the slave, males, and females. He appealed to everyone that would pass by him of the people, and everyone of them would feel that Ibn Taymiyyah was treating them better than he was treating anyone else present [as was the great sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him)].

He would then pray Maghrib, and would follow it up with as much optional prayer as Allah made possible. I, or someone else, would then read his writings to him, and he would benefit us with various points and notes. We would do this until we prayed ‘Isha’, after which we would continue as we were before, delving into the various fields of knowledge. We would do this until much of the night had passed. During this entire time – night and day – Ibn Taymiyyah would constantly remember Allah, mention His Oneness, and seek His forgiveness.

And he would constantly raise his eyesight to the sky, and would not stop doing this, as if he saw something there that kept his eyesight hooked. He would do this for as long as I was staying with him.

So, Subhan Allah! How short were these days! If only they were longer! By Allah, until this day, there has never been a time in my life that is more beloved to me than the time I spent with him, and I was never seen in a better state than I was at that time, and this was for no other reason than the barakah of the Shaykh, may Allah be Pleased with him.

Every week, he would visit the sick, especially those at the hospital.

I have been informed by more than one person – whose trustworthiness I do not doubt – that the entire life of the Shaykh was spent in the way that I witnessed (and described above). So, what worship, and what jihad is better than this?”

 

The 20 Most Effective Characteristics of a True Leader

 

[Taken from Shaykh Riad Ourzazi's (HafidUllah) blog called Serene Coaching]

1. Careful Planning:

• The beginning is the most important part of the work
• Leaders spend 80% of their time planning and 20% executing
• Leaders plan carefully to ensure the success of their desired outcome
• Some of the methodologies used are: SDLC, Lean Six Sigma, DMAIC…

2. Organization:

• A leader is organized
• He keeps only what he needs in his drawers and on top of his desk
• Every day he prepares a list of everything he wants to do
• A leader knows how to prioritize his action items

3. Goal Setting:

• There is no success without goals. A leader plans time for his family, reading, relaxation, business, personal development…
• A leader balances goals to have a better life

4. Decision Maker:

• A leader is trained on how to make decisions easily
• A leader doesn’t wait for things to happen
• A leader takes decisions to make things happen

5. Risk Taker:

• A leader is not afraid of taking risks, he knows in order to improve his performance, survive the competition, he needs to take some risks
• A leader knows how to mitigate the risks

6. Communication Skills:

• A leader knows when to talk and how to deliver his message
• A leader is an excellent listener who never interrupts people when they talk
• A leader creates rapport with everyone

7. Manage Change:

• A leader welcomes change versus resisting it
• A leader doesn’t like routine
• A leader anticipates market changes and acts accordingly

8. Managing Stress:

• A leader understands the danger of stress
• A leader educates himself on how to master it
• Some leaders choose to join health clubs, community centers…

9. Delegation:

• A leader believes in others and value his time
• A leader trusts his team and knows when and whom to delegate to get the job done

10. Vision and Creativity:

• A leader has an excellent business vision
• A leader can see things that others can’t
• A leader is very creative and is renowned for his great ideas

11. Trainer, Coach and Team Builder:

• A true leader enjoys sharing knowledge
• A leader needs to ensure business continuity. A recovery plan has to be in place in case of a disaster or a swift resource change

12. Motivation:

• A leader is a self-motivated person
• A leader recognizes the efforts of each individual in his team and praises them in private and public

13. Skills:

• A leader is well educated and knowledgeable
• A leader knows what he’s talking about
• A leader is always looking for ways to improve himself
• A leader strives to “climb the mountain towards excellence”

14. Confidence:

• A leader has a strong personality
• A leader knows how to control a situation and learn from it. His confidence makes his team respect him

15. Action:

• A leader is action-oriented
• He knows the difference between talking and doing.
• After careful planning, a leader moves immediately by taking the necessary actions

16. Commitment:

• A leader is committed to his plans and he knows that success takes time
• A leader is committed to achieving his goals; he’s committed to success!

17. Energy:

• A leader is energetic
• A leader watches his eating habits and respects his body.
• A leader works out regularly

18. Passion:

• A leader is a very passionate person
• A leader loves what he does and does it with passion. When you love what you do, you get to produce more

19. Flexible:

• A leader is persistent. If his plans are not getting the results he desires, he looks for another way to reach his goals
• A leader adjusts his plans, adopts himself, and keep readjusting until he reaches the desired outcome
• A leader takes mitigated risk. He’s not afraid of getting out of the comfort zone

 

20. Honesty:

• A leader is fair and just
• A leader is very loyal to his organization, his team, his job and his family
• A leader is very transparent
• A leader works SMART but also HARD.

 

”Let nobody have a favor over you….”

From Shaykh/Dr. A. ‘Azzam, may Allah have mercy on him and raise his status:

Let Nobody Have Any Favor Over You:

“al-Imam Ahmad – may Allah have Mercy upon him – would not accept any gifts from the people, so that they would not have any favor over him. He would reject the gifts of the rulers. One time – and the people loved to present him with gifts – he sent one of his sons to buy a loaf of bread. So, when the baker asked the boy who he was, he replied: “I am the son of Ahmad bin Hambal.” So, instead of filling the bag with bread, the baker filled it with gold and silver, and gave it to him. When Ahmad bin Hambal opened the bag and found gold and silver, he told his son: “Go back to him.” When he gave the bag back, the baker called out to him: “Come, at least take the bread that you paid a dirham for!” Imam Ahmad’s son said: “My father commanded me to return everything.

” They would wish that they could give him some gift, but, he was honorable in the face of such a reality, as the Prophet said: “Abstain from the dunya, and Allah will Love you. Abstain from what is with the people, and the people will love you.”

Then came the tribulation of the creation of the Qur’an. al-Ma’mun adopted this belief, and came to torture Ahmad bin Hambal, so that he would do the same. al-Ma’mun died, al-Mu’tasim continued in torturing him, and he took a stand for Allah – the Mighty and Exalted – in which he honored this religion. Eighteen years, and three rulers who tortured him so that he would accept and endorse the belief of the Qur’an being created, but, he refused. Then came al-Wathiq, who reversed all that had happened in terms of the affair of the creation of the Qur’an. He wanted to honor Ahmad bin Hambal publicly, but, Imam Ahmad refused. So, he sent for his sons and showered them with gifts, which they accepted. When Ahmad bin Hambal learned that his sons had accepted the gifts of al-Wathiq, he built a wall between his home and theirs, boycotting them.

One day, Ahmad bin Hambal became sick. So, his doctor instructed him to roast a ear of corn in the oven and eat it. So, he bought the corn, and asked that it be roasted. So, it was taken to the oven of his uncle, Salih. When it was brought back to Ahmad, he asked: “Where did you roast it?” They said: “In the oven of your uncle, Salih.” He said: “I will not even taste it, as his wealth has been mixed with the gifts of the ruler.”

As a result, it got to the point that even the jinn would fear him! A crazed girl was brought to al-Wathiq, so, he said: “Send her to Ahmad bin Hambal.” When she was brought to Ahmad, they asked him: “Please cure this crazed girl for us!” So, he began to speak to the jinni that had possessed this girl, saying: “Get out of this girl! Get out of this girl!” But, it didn’t come out. He continued, saying: “Get out, or I’ll – and Ahmad began to threaten the jinni – ” and the jinni came out, saying: “O Ahmad! You feared Allah, so, everything is afraid of you! You feared Allah, so, everything is afraid of you!” The jinni waited until Ahmad bin Hambal eventually died, and it returned to possess the girl once again. So, they brought the girl to a shaykh – who, as it was said, is more like us than Ahmad bin Hambal – and he began to speak to the jinni, saying: “Get out, or I’ll…” Suddenly, the jinni began to laugh, saying: “Ahmad bin Hambal has died; Ahmad bin Hambal has died…”"

“Abstain from the dunya, and Allah will Love you. Abstain from what is with the people, and the people will love you.”

['Fi Dhilal Surat at-Tawbah'; p. 195-196]

 

Overcoming Arrogance

As we continue Surat al-Fatiha, we find that this chapter of the Qur’an has some of the best cures for the greatest sicknesses of the heart. Let’s go over a few.

The first disease, and one of the greatest diseases of the heart, is kibr (arrogance). That is why the Prophet Muhammed ﷺ said “The one who has even an atom’s weight of arrogance in their heart will not go to Paradise” (related by Abdullah bin Masood).

How do we define arrogance? After the Prophet Muhammed ﷺ made this statement, some of his companions said, “Ya Rasulallah, O Messenger of God, we like to dress nicely. We like to wear nice clothes and nice shoes.” The Prophet ﷺ said this is not kibr. We can take one lesson from this: as Muslims we should dress nicely. Even if we wear a thobe orshalwar khmeez (Arab or Desi cultural clothing), we should iron it and have a nice appearance. One time the Prophet ﷺ sent his companions on a mission and told them, “Straighten your saddles and have a good appearance” (related by  Abu Dawud with a sound chain of narration). Having a good appearance doesn’t mean dressing like J. Lo or Shahrukh Khan. Having a good appearance means that I dress nicely and Islamically. That’s why Sheikh Muhammed Shanqiti, one of my teachers, told me that every Imam should have a budget to buy decent-looking clothes. This does not mean that you go out and buy a five thousand dollar suit, but the person should have a good appearance.

The Prophet Muhammed ﷺ defined arrogance for us when he said, “Arrogance is to turn away from the truth when it’s given to you and to look down on people.”

Turning away from the truth is very dangerous. For example, someone comes to you and says, “Ya akhi (O my brother) I swear by Allah, I love you more than myself and I saw you doing something today and it’s wrong.”

Then you reply, “Well, back home this is the way we do things.” You’d better check yourself before you wreck yourself.

Or for example, someone comes to a sister and says, “Sister, masha’ Allah, you did a really great job today, however according to Islam we should do it like this.”

And you reply, “Well, I don’t do it like that.”

This is turning away from the truth. It’s very sneaky, because when someone disobeys Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He) and they do so knowingly, it is because they feel that they know better than Allah (swt). This is scary. For example if someone suggests that we need to pray and another replies “You know, I don’t think we should pray in the library. All kinds of things are going on in the news about Muslims, I think it would be wiser and more intelligent if we wait and pray tomorrow.” Well, that’s an opinion, but it doesn’t matter what he thinks, because this is what Allah (swt) commands.

Humble yourself, because after the sins of Iblees, the first sin was the sin of logic. Deistic philosophy, as Newton said, that God created us and the world works like a clock. He just created creation and left it to function without intervention, therefore creation can think whatever they want to think. This is not how we work. We believe, as we saw in al-Fatiha, that Allah (swt) is close to us. Allah (swt) said “And when My servants ask you, [O Muhammad], concerning Me – indeed I am near,” (Qur’an, 2:186).

When Allah (swt) told Adam `alayhi assalaam (upon him be peace), “[…] do not come close to this tree […]”, Iblees said, “Your Lord did not forbid you this tree except that you become angels or become of the immortal,” (Qur’an, 7:19 – 20). Logically, being angels and living forever seem quite good, so Adam and Eve ate from the tree. That’s why the`ulema(scholars) said that Allah (swt) gave this story at the beginning of humanity to let us know that for the one who submits to Allah (swt), even their logic is subservient to His orders. As Francis Bacon said, the human’s intellect is like a dim lantern: sometimes it gets it right, but sometimes they fall on their face. And Allah (swt) says that, “There has come to you from Allah a light and a clear Book,” (Qur’an 5:15). The Qur’an is a bright light. Nobody can get lost with it.

So the first form of arrogance is turning away from people and disobeying Allah (swt). For example we don’t pray Fajr (the pre-dawn prayer) because we read in Time magazine two years ago that eight hours of sleep is the average needed for a healthy individual. Masha’ Allah, most college students don’t have that problem because they’re getting fourteen or twelve hours of sleep, or playing video games all night. So we think we shouldn’t go to Fajr because we need to wake up early and go to class. This is turning away from and debasing the truth.

The second form of arrogance is even more dangerous. It is to look down on people.

We are going to go through some causes of arrogance and then we’ll talk about their cures in Surat al-Fatiha and then next week we’ll continue with al-riyaa (showing off) and what Imam Ghazali said about the five kinds of riyaa. We will also talk about how al-Fatiha cured al-riyaa and al-hasad. Al hasad means more than envy, and insha’ Allah in the future we will give you the translation.

What are some of the reasons for arrogance?

The first one is that people in general become arrogant when they start to have a lot of knowledge or when they start to become (assumedly) pious. The arrogance of knowledge and piety. These two have possibly destroyed more people than any other kind of arrogance.

A way to understand this is to ask ourselves: who was the most pious person that ever walked the face of the earth? It wasRasulallah ﷺ. What happens when someone starts to feel that they’re pious? They think to themselves, “I’m so close to Allah, I’m praying my tahajjud (late night prayers), I’m fasting twice a week. Masha’ Allah, look at me.” And then here comes a sister who, for example, doesn’t wear hijab. The “pious” sister who wears hijab is disgusted. Or she doesn’t talk to the sister without hijab. Or maybe she thinks, “Hmmm, I sure am lucky I’m not like you.” This can be arrogance. Of course we say that the level of the person who wears hijab is high with Allah (swt), higher than the one who doesn’t wear hijab. But if the one who wears hijab does so without ikhlas, sincerity, and she feels that she is better than others, she’s in trouble.  Maybe a brother memorized the Qur’an and spent some time to learn how to read the Qur’an correctly. He comes to the masjid and discovers some brothers reading the Qur’an incorrectly. He says to himself, “Masha’ Allah, I’m so great!” This is the danger of knowledge.

Nobody was more knowledgeable than the Prophet ﷺ, but yet he used to say salaam (lit. peace, in this case greetings) to children. When he was walking through Madinah and saw some kids he would say, “As-salaam alaykum, peace be upon you,” and he would be smiling. He wouldn’t say, “I’m a sheikh, I’m an ’alim (person with knowledge).” No. The Prophet ﷺ used to sit on the floor and eat food with people. Sisters always like to hear that the Prophet ﷺ used to do the chores in the home when he went home to be with his wives. He didn’t go home and say, “Are you asking me to wash the dishes? Do you know who I am?” No, he used to serve and help them.

One time the people saw Abu Bakr radi allahu `anhu (may Allah be pleased with him) sewing the soles of his own shoes. They exclaimed, “You are Amir al Mumineen (leader of the Believers)!” He said, “Me? I’m nothing. Who am I?”

This is humility. It is to be careful about your knowledge. You know how you can understand this? Who is the greatest scholar? Iblees. Nobody knows more than Iblees. But where is Iblees now? Is he chilling with the European fatwa (legal ruling) council? No. He is the fatwa of the people of hellfire. That’s why one poet said, “Knowledge is like rain, and behavior is the soil. If the soil is corrupted it doesn’t matter what kind of rain you put on it. Iblees knows more than every human being, but still the only thing he got is curses.” Even the kuffar (disbelievers) curse Iblees. So his knowledge, without humility, did nothing for him. And what was Iblees’s major mistake? He said, “I am better than him. You created me from fire and created him from clay,” (Qur’an 38:76).

If we look at the lives of the salaf (righteous people) we find that they used to fight themselves to be humble. Hasan Al Basry was the greatest scholar in his area. He used to say, “I will not leave a room until I feel that I am worse than everybody in the room.”

How did the Prophet ﷺ act with a sinner? We all know the hadith that one time he was giving a khutbah (sermon) and he was on the minbar (pulpit). The Prophet ﷺ watched as a man walked in and then sat down. What did the Prophet ﷺ say to him? He said, “Did you pray?” He did not say, “What didn’t you pray! You are a sinner!” He simply asked if the man had prayed, even though he was watching the man. Why? Because the caller to Allah (swt) never wants the people he is calling to feel that he is better than them. So even though the Prophet ﷺ was watching the man, he asked if he had prayed. When the man said no, the Prophet ﷺ said, “Stand and pray.”

The second lesson from this hadith is that our da’wah (invitation to Islam) is never based on suspicion. Our da’wah is based on facts. For example, one time I went to a masjid and forgot my topi (prayer hat). One man asked me, “What kind of guy are you, you don’t even wear a kufi (prayer hat)! You don’t believe in wearing a kufi?” I thought to myself, “Subhan Allah(glory be to God), I forgot it at home. I had it but I left it in the house.” If I had told him that he would have felt bad.

Sometimes when we see someone doing something we jump to conclusions. For example we see a guy in the cafeteria talking to a girl, we think, “Ah ha, I knew it!” We shouldn’t think like that. Maybe he has to talk to her for a class assignment or some other reason. Or maybe he is a sinner. But how are you going to deal with him? As my sheikh told me, the one who calls to Islam is like a physician. You don’t give Prilosec to every patient. To some people you give penicillin, others amoxicillin, Tylenol, or Advil. Everybody’s medicine is different. Maybe you see a sister walking across the campus and you see her do something wrong. You say, “Istaghfir Allah! Authoo billah! I seek protection in Allah!” But you have to be sure she is doing something wrong. What happened to her? What problem is she having? This is a sign of humility.

Do you know what Ibn Qayyim said? He said a sinner can go to Paradise and an obedient servant can go to hell. How? Because the one who was obedient to Allah (swt) was obedient out of arrogance. For example, he would think to himself, “I pray Fajr on time, I’m good. I pray tahajjud, I have a beard, I follow the sunnah (way of the Prophet ﷺ), I’m better than you.” Like Shaytan. But the sinner realizes one day the he has been sinning and when he realizes that, his heart breaks. He goes in front of Allah (swt) and he starts crying, he gives Allah (swt) the sadaqah (charity) from his eyes, and he starts repenting to Allah (swt). Then Allah (swt) forgives him and he is among the people of Paradise.

This is the kibr of piety and knowledge.

The second form of looking down on people is position. When someone gets a position and they feel proud of themselves, for example they boast, “Yeah, I’m MSA President now” or “I’m a big Sheikh.” Position can be in a lot of things: family, money, position in an organization, or academic position. For example, “I made the Dean’s list every year”. But have you made Allah’s list? This is the danger of position.

Although the Prophet ﷺ had the highest position he was very humble. Even if righteous people are given positions they work to be humble. I had a Sheikh who I was studying with. One day my kufi fell off. He ran, grabbed my kufi and put it on my head. I was embarrassed and I said, “Istaghfir Allah (I seek forgivness from Allah), you’re the Sheikh!” He quoted the verse, “Be merciful to the believers.” Why did Allah (swt) say that the true believers are merciful to the believers? Because they do not look at the believers, even the sinners, with arrogance. They are soft with them. Firm, but soft. It doesn’t mean that if you see a guy out there drinking a forty you should say, “Oh, brother Suhaib said I have to make sure, so maybe that’s not beer, maybe it’s apple juice.” Most definitely you need to go and advise the person, but how you advise them and carry yourself is very important in order to deliver the right medication.

People used to come to the Prophet ﷺ and ask, “What’s the best action?” Sometimes he would answer, “To pray on time.” Another time he answered, “Being good to your Mom and Dad.” Yet another time he answered, “Jihad.”

Why is the answer changing? Because the patient is different. Most of these hadiths are found in al-Bukhari and they aresahih (authentic). So you need to know how to deal with the patient. And the first patient is you.

When we look at righteous people, we find that they used to force themselves to be humble. For example, Umar ibn Abdulaziz. One day Umar ibn Abdulaziz was sitting with his companions when his sword fell from his horse. One guy ran to get it and put it back, then asked Umar, “Is this enough, is there anything else I can do for you?” Umar replied, “If I stand, I am Umar ibn Abdulaziz. If I sit, I am [still just] Umar ibn Abdulaziz. Who am I? Why are you doing that?” You know Umar ibn Abdulaziz used to dig a hole in his backyard and sit in it when he couldn’t pray qiyam al-layl (praying during the night). He would sit in this grave and say to himself, “This is where you are going to live. This is your permanent residence.” Then he would get up and pray in the night. He would force himself to be humble with people.

People used to come to Umar ibn al-Khattab (ra) and say, “Make du`a’ (supplication) for me, ya Amir al Mumineen (leader of the Believers).” Subhan Allah, you know what he used to reply? “Who am I? I am aathim (a sinner).” Subhan Allahnowadays when you come to someone and say, “Make du`a’ for me” it makes them feel proud of themselves. Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman (ra) used to keep a list of the hypocrites. After Umar (ra) became the khalifa (caliph) and 700 cities were conquered by him, he would go to Hudhayfah and ask, “Please, am I on the list? Tell me if I’m on the list, I need to know.” This is Umar (ra) who used to have lines on his face from crying in the night. He’s afraid that he’s a hypocrite. This is humility. One time a man found Umar (ra) walking and carrying a water skin on his shoulder. This was the habit of the slaves in the time before the Prophet ﷺ. They would carry water on their shoulders. Now here is the leader of the Muslim nation carrying this like a slave. The man went to Umar (ra) and said, “Oh Umar! How come you are doing this? This is not at your level. It is not for you.” And you know what Umar said? Subhan Allah, it’s amazing. He said, “You know when people come to me and I say something, they obey me and listen to me. When they do that I found that arrogance fell into my heart. So I am carrying this on my back to make myself humble.”

Imam al-Shaarawi, one of the great scholars of Qur’anic interpretation in the last 100 years in Egypt, used to give a dars(lesson) every Friday on TV. About seven million people would be watching. One day, Imam Shaarawi came to the masjid in Cairo. Suddenly he got up and left. Now, those of you who have been to Muslim countries know that at Maghrib time the public restrooms in masjids are really bad. A man came into the restroom and found Sheikh Shaarawi, who was about seventy-five, scrubbing the toilets in his Azhari dress. The man said, “Subhan Allah! Sheikh Shaarawi, how come you’re doing this?” He replied, “I was sitting in the masjid and I started to think I’m this great Qur’anic scholar. So I wanted to kill this arrogance.” He was scrubbing the toilets in the robes of ‘ulema to break himself and make himself humble. Some of us think that we have so much spiritual knowledge, but even if we’re given one position we become very proud.

So, to fight yourself and struggle against yourself is important to fight arrogance. One time I gave this Eid khutbah in MCA (Muslim Community Association). A man came to me afterwards and started brushing his hands on me (in a congratulatory fashion). I started to feel that I was becoming proud of myself, that I wasn’t getting any barakah (mercy, good) from this, so I started to rub him back. He was surprised and he asked, “What are you doing?” I said, “I’m the same as you.” I’m not saying this to praise myself, but rather to show that you have to fight yourself. If not, you’re going to start slipping—especially academically. Someone might start praising you and saying, “Oh, Muhammed, you’re such a scholar in physics. We think you’re such a genius. You’re going to be the next Hawkins.” Then two years later, Muhammed says, “I don’t believe in Allah.” We have some people right now on this campus like that who have lost themselves because of academic arrogance.

 

Ijma (Consensus) in Islam

Assalamulaykum warahmatullahi wabarakatuhu,

Received this email from a brother some time back MashÁllah.

Alhamdulliah he sent an excellent email with points.

As one Shaykh (HafidUllah) once said ”In Islam there are 3 hujjas (evidenses): Qur’an, Sunnah (Way of Prophet Muhammad [Peace be upon him]) & Ijma (Consensus).

JazakAllahaire

Omar

Wa’aleikom asalaam wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuh

Insha’Allah this finds you all well.

This is a reminder to myself that though I am often harsh etc I should not become arrogant and remember that I should want the best of the dunya and akhira for XXXXX and everyone who is part of it- and that naseeha isn’t a stick to beat someone over the head with, but because you have genuine concern for them as your brother in Islam

Also to myself the purpose of this discussion is to get closer to the truth- not to prove the other person wrong and exult over them. Even if your opinion is correct, if that’s how it is being argued then it’s for ego and not for the sake of Allah

I am certain there is the justified opinion that I will charge in and condemn everything as ‘haraam’ etc- but bear me out insha’Allah. This is an opportunity to go beyond single issues and discuss principles insha’Allah- something much more useful bi’ithnillah.

Lastly, I like being challenged as it’s only then you can clarify your points and make sure you and everyone else has understood the topic properly. So questions insha’Allah- otherwise I’m going to assume everyone agrees

What is our methodology for understanding Islam? We are talking about differences of opinion, valid or invalid- what is our criteria to differentiate the two? As you know some people- may Allah guide them and us- have used ‘difference of opinion’ to justify things which we would all agree are not open to discussion, e.g. The obligation of hijab, cutting the hand off the thief- does that make sense?

There are many ways in which halal/haraam is established in Islam- the four main sources of Islamic Law- Qur’an, Sunnah, Consensus/Ijma and Analogy/Qiyas. Everyone agrees on this

We keep mentioning ijtihad- what is it? Ijtihad means to take the ‘limited’ textual sources of sharee’ah and use principles in Islam to apply them to new issues. I say limited because Islam doesn’t directly address for example drugs. So scholars extract the reason (the ‘illa) why alcohol is prohibited (intoxication) and from that can say that drugs are not allowed. In this way Islam is truly a religion for all times and places as it has an established system to deal with new situations. Does that make sense?

So therefore in Islam there are 2 types of fiqhi issues:

¤Ones that have happened in the past so the ruling has been established- e.g. rulings on distribution of inheritance. This is because Islam is following not innovating. There is no room for ijtihad in these matters as the ruling is clear and ijtihad is only for issues in which there is no established ruling

¤nawazil- new issues, e.g. Organ transplant- that the sharee’ah is silent on. Because there is nothing available, this is when ijtihad is required- a qualified scholar will take the principles/fiqhi maxims already put down by Islam (e.g. No harm or reciprocating of harm; neccessity lifts prohibition, etc) and try apply it to the new situation. If he is qualified to make the ijtihad according to the conditions set down by Islam, then he will get 2 rewards if he is right and one if he is wrong, as the Prophet sallAllahu aleyhi wasallam told us. Obviously if he’s not qualified in the first place to make that ijtihad he’s sinful anyway and won’t get any reward. Nowadays we have fiqh councils where whole groups of scholars sit down and discuss new issues- which is much safer alhamdulilaah and avoids the pitfull of lone scholars with shad (dodgy) opinions. Does that make sense?

When scholars of the past- whose standard was amazing masha’Allah- whose fear of Allah and knowledge has been witnessed and agreed upon by the whole Ummah- then obviously we give preference to them. Does that mean a great scholar of the past is infallable and will always trump a scholar of this age in every single issue? Not neccessarily- but the scholar of this age will have scholars of the past behind him too- so it’s not his opinion Vs Imam Ahmad’s, but rather Imam Ahmad’s Vs Imam Malik. So nobody is innovating, but basing their difference on a difference that has been established already (as it is not a new issue). Does that make sense?

So now we talk about consensus. To be short, basically if the ummah agrees on a particular ruling then it cannot be changed. I.E. The sahaba all or vast majority agree that the ruling on so-and-so is haraam. Nobody can come after them and reverse that and bring another opinion on that same issue. That would be innovation. Make sense? There is no point discussing the proof or weight of consensus as an evidence in Islam in the same way there’s no point discussing the evidence behind the ruling on homosexuality- excuse the example- i.e. It’s already established and agreed upon, done and dusted. We just need to study insha’Allah

Consensus not only defines the agreed upon rulings, but also sets out the limits for differences of opinion. For example, the generation of Imam Ahmad have 2 opinions on an issue- e.g. permissible and preferred. Someone cannot come afterwards on that same issue and invent a third opinion- haraam. So for the opinion on an established issue to be valid it must remain within the opinions already mentioned and it cannot innovate a new category. For example, the scholars of the salaf and for hundreds of years afterwards agreed Niqab was either obligatory or recommended (check all the books of fiqh). Therefore someone cannot come 1400 years later and say it is a bid’ah- as the issue existed previously, was already discussed and the ruling arrived on. Saying it is a bid’ah has no precent with them and is therfore not a valid opinion. Does that make sense?

If scholars have taken a different stance, but when the overwhelming majority of the previous scholars- including ones of even higer status- agreed on the ruling, their opinion is considered shadh/odd. And we ask Allah to accept their efforts and forgive their mistakes. But just because we acknowledge their greatness it doesn’t mean we follow their mistakes. Every shaykh has mistakes, and the well-known saying more or less goes that one who gathers the weak opinions of all the scholars together is a zindeeq/heretic.

Imagine- some mathaahibs official position don’t put a condition of marriage for their to be a wali (it’s a little more complicated than that), others a mahr, others witnesses, and so on. Take it all together and you have a marriage with no mahr, witnesses, wali, etc- basically not much different to zina!

So considering something that has a consensus and to say that a scholar who comes later and says otherwise is not a valid difference of opinion. But don’t take my word for it- take the consensus quoted by so many scholars of the past

And in general, even the greatest scholars have errors, Are we going to say ‘yes, it’s allowed’? No, that would be wrong- but at the same time our own opinion is worthless- some scholars who allow riba-based morgages are wrong not because XXXX has said they are, but because they’re going against every other scholar in existence. The way we do that is to say that they are a great scholar and may Allah forgive them for their mistakes- and accept their efforts. We must show respect for the people of knowledge, but there’s a way to highlight their weird opinions whilst giving them credit for their efforts. Unfortunately I’m lacking in that- but it’s a charateristic of a true scholar to be soft/harsh at the right times

But let’s ignore even consensus for this case- what about the hadith of the Prophet sallAllahu aleyhi wasallam- in bukhari (therfore undisputed authenticity) saying that at the end of time a people will come who allow zina, silk (for men), musical instruments and so on. But in Islam we don’t read ayat and ahadeeth and invent rulings on our own- take it not from me, but from the Sahaba, An-Nawawee, Ibn Hajr, and so on. Does that make sense?

And even after that- the Prophet sallAllahu aleyhi wasallam told us to leave that which makes us doubt for that which makes us not doubt (tirmidhi, hasan saheeh). So- say we don’t know the ruling on an issue for certain. The attitude we fall short in is that we should leave doubtful issues and stay on the safe side. That way we protect our akhira, as the Prophet sallAllahu aleyhi wasallam told us (no internet so if someone could post the hadeeth in 40nawawee about ‘the halal is clear and the haraam is clear’ would be useful insha’Allah). The problem is, it takes a lot of taqwa and we’re lacking

So, sorry for my lack of clarity but insha’Allah that helps. I felt it was important to put across some important principles so we don’t keep covering the same ground insha’Allah

May Allah make it of benefit

 

The Lost and Found Nation of Qur’an

  

The Qur’an’s role in developing the right mindset and attitude towards life cannot be underestimated. Unfortunately, for many Muslims the Qur’an has become a book of mere blessings. Let there be no doubt that its blessings can neither be fathomed nor its beauty and aura captured. Many have left a daily, practical relationship with the Book of Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala (exalted is He) and instead have settled for a mystical relationship with it whose outcomes are not easily measured or understood. This is very dangerous. The outcomes of such attitudes can have paralyzing effects such as:

1. A chronic neglect of the Arabic language.
2. Preferring to give other sources priority over the Qur’an.
3. A dark depression that one is neither able to comprehend nor understand.

I would like to address the third point as I feel it is the cause of points one and two. Many feel that they are unable to approach the Qur’an, draw conclusions from its lessons and articulate its beautiful message in their daily lives. Thus we have an Ummah who is cut from its umbilical cord, frustrated, spiritually tired, and on the verge of collapse. The further we withdraw from our relationship with the Qur’an, the more our reference for life is replaced by other sources. This is one of the major reasons for the problems we see in our communities. Here are two examples:

1. A brother who spent the majority of his pre-pubescent and early adult life listening to DMX, 50 Cent, and Biggie will undoubtedly have issues when he gets married. When his wife trips, his mind will not revert to the statement of Allah (swt), “And live with them (your wives) in an honorable manner.” (Qur’an 4:19) Instead, his reaction will be “Girl $#$%^*!” Perhaps he will go back to his “Tommy Vercetti” and try to take matters into his own hands.

2. A sister who makes her seven circuits around the black elevator at her local mall once a week. She busies herself looking at the Sunday newspapers in order to get “the best deals” and “the finest clothes.” She compounds this with a 62 oz. Big Gulp of films, songs, and Internet sources which can only increase her desire to want more. She has to start asking herself some hard questions. What type of wife will she be to a brother involved in the struggle for da`wah (the call to Islam)? I’ve seen many of the sisters involved in seeking knowledge and performing da`wah sell their fellow brothers out and opt for a high flying Muslim Donald Trump who doesn’t practice. Then after some time, she leaves the work and we lose an important piece to the puzzle. They leave the brothers who have made sacrifices for the din (religion), and settle for the comforts of this life. No doubt we should be taking care of our sisters, but those brothers involved in performing da`wah are in need of the best sisters. If those sisters leave those brothers on the front lines empty handed, then the da`wah takes a hit. (Before any sisters start to burn their “Mothers of the Believer” CDs, don’t worry. The same applies to brothers who leave the sisters in the da`wah and run after the latest Aishwarya Rai).

These are the outcomes – perhaps a bit over the top – of materialism and selfishness (look at the crazy cost of mahrs [dowries] these days). If our constructs are based on revelation, strong tarbiyah (discipline) and a correct understanding of community, many of these problems would be addressed with the medication of revelation and communal support. However, we are constantly hounded with the fact that we are mere ‘awam (Qur’anic illiterates) lacking the basic skills to interpret the Creator’s message. In turn, this has led to another phenomenon—Hijrah from the Qur’an.

Sh. Muhammad al-Hassan Walid al-Dido al-Shanqiti (may Allah preserve him) stated that the Qur’an’s verses were divided by the scholars into the following:

1. Those verses whose meanings are only known to Allah (swt). An example would be alif lam mim (Qur’an, 2:1).
2. Those verses whose interpretation must be done by specialized scholars who finished a sound curriculum of study and are recognized by fellow contemporaries.
3. Those verses that can be explained by the serious students of knowledge who have access to scholars and resources.
4. Those verses that are understood by the common person. For example, “Say: He is Allah the unique” (Qur’an, 112:1) or “And there is nothing like Him.”(Qur’an, 16:74)

Verses found under the fourth category are understood by all. They are clear and offer a treasure of lessons for those who sit and ponder on them. We must bring back this understanding to Western Muslims who are struggling to uncover the true essence of their identities, roles, and purposes. If the common Muslim is disconnected from the roots of his or her identity, then it is not fair for religious leaders to blame or chastise them for something those very leaders forbade them from. If the Prophet’s ﷺ companions lost the ropes that tied their camels, they would seek the answer in the Book of Allah (swt). Then what can we say about those who are trying to find the answers to their purposes and identities?

Action Items:

1. Start a weekly halaqa (study circle) of Qur’an in your home.
2. Read a few verses and discuss them as a family or by yourself (if by yourself, keep a diary of what you’ve read and your thoughts. Then when you have a family, you can use what you’ve written.)

May Allah bless upon us the love of the Qur’an and help us read it and act on its profound lessons.

Imam Suhaib Webb

 

“I Can’t, It’s Impossible” – Impossible is nothing!

One often hears these words repeated, and they are a major reason for the state of failure that the Ummah is enduring.

These words are rooted in a state of mental inability, even though this inability is illusory, not real. Indeed, disabled minds only produce failure.

There is no doubt that there are things in life that are impossible. This is why when the Prophet – blessings and peace be upon him – used to take the oath of allegiance from his companions, he would make them repeat, “[I will listen and obey] to the utmost of my ability”. Allah – Glorified is He – says “Allah does not burden any soul with more than it can bear” [2:286]

This shows that there are some things beyond our abilities. We are not talking about this fact here. For otherwise we may enter into a prolonged discussion, and end upholding the illusion “I can’t, it’s impossible”, and moreover giving this illusion an ‘Islamic’ justification!

These two phrases “I can’t, it’s impossible” – despite their difference in meaning – have become a law that is used to excuse every failure, negligence and backwardness. They are used to justify the current backwardness, to numb the senses, to destroy the resolve of the Ummah, and to kill every success in its infancy.

Many people, generation after generation, took these two phrases as a beacon guiding their lives, as a way of thinking that makes them accept the current bitter state of affairs, and at the same time feel satisfied that there is nothing they can do.

I stand perplexed before the incredible backwardness of the Ummah, despite its enormous potential for success, progress, and leadership. I have thought long and hard about this, and have decided that the most prominent reason for this backwardness – and there are many – is the illusion “I can’t, its impossible”. This illusion has turned into an unshakeable principle. From it we take off, and in its darkness we operate.

How many tribulations befell us, and are still falling, because of this illusion. The most dangerous of these is not realizing that this is just an illusion; that it disappears when we start investigating it. But you will find those who waste a part of their life defending the idol “I can’t, it’s impossible”. They waste a part of their life trying to prove that this idol is a solid fact; an unquestionable axiom.

This illusion did not form overnight. It is the result of an accumulation of many factors, over the course of many years. Instead of producing men who would lead the Ummah forward without surrendering to the difficulties and obstacles, we found those factors producing more hopelessness, failure and despair.

But I am also amazed at that idolatrous nation that took from difficulties a starting point for its progress, until it was able to compete vigorously with its former enemies, without surrendering to psychological defeat, nor emotional despair. Japan rose from the ashes of Hiroshima and Nagasaki to become an important economic power, and did not make those defeats a reason to cry and hope for the sympathies of others.

As for Germany, it came out from underneath the ruins of World War II to become a powerful nation, and its economy one of the strongest in the world. This despite the fact that Germany was destroyed not long ago – the period between its destruction and its rise as an economic leader is less than 30 years.

Let me just imagine. Had the revivers of the Ummah surrendered to the illusion “I can’t, it’s impossible”, how would the Ummah have been now?!!

Had Abu Bakr – may Allah be pleased with him – said, “I can’t fight the Arabs after their apostasy, and I will surrender to this bitter state of affairs”, what would the result have been? Simply thinking about that scares me.

Had Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal – may Allah have mercy on him – not took his solid stand in the face of the makers of fitnah, backed by rulers who did not realize the danger of what is being said…Had he surrendered and said, “I can’t, it’s impossible”, do you think that that great victory for Ahl-us-Sunnah (at the hands of one man!) would have taken place?

Had Salahu-ud-Din surrendered to the awful humiliation that the Ummah endured under the occupation of the crusaders, excusing himself that he cannot take on that great power that possesses the most powerful weapons, with the unqualified support of many countries… Had he accepted what many other rulers of his time had accepted, humiliation and subjugation, together with the guarantee of continued rule…Had he done this, and said the removal of the crusaders is impossible, would Jerusalem have been purified from the crusaders and their hatred? How today is like yesterday.

Had Shaikh-ul-Islam, Ibn Taymiyah – may Allah have mercy on him – not seriously raised the banner of knowledge, action and jihad, at a time of when callers to falsehood and innovation became outspoken, at a time of political and military defeats…Had he surrendered to the belief “I can’t, it’s impossible”, would history have recorded for us that huge heritage of heroism, knowledge and challenging of falsehood?

Had Muhammad bin Abdul-Wahhab – may Allah have mercy on him – when he found the Arabian Peninsula living in the darkness of ignorance, innovation and blind following, had he accepted for himself what other righteous people did, “I can’t, it’s impossible”, do you think the Peninsula would have awaken from its sleep and got rid of its idolatry and innovations?

Our long history is full of such pioneering leaders and revivers, who recorded for us the most admirable examples the Muslim’s ability to overcome the greatest of physical and mental obstacles, neither surrendering to psychological defeat, nor allowing the compound difficulties to numb their senses.

Many would say, “They were great men, and how few such men are!!”

I say that we did not know they were great until after they recorded those shinning pages of history with their admirable victories in different fields. Before that they were just ordinary men. However, for many reasons, they were able to climb the ladder of success that made them heroes and leaders. Foremost of these reasons is the destruction of the illusion “I can’t, it’s impossible”

From missionislam.com

 

Take Advantage of Five Before Five

by Yasir Birjas

The Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam has been blessed with jawaami’ ul kalim, the most concise, or precise, speech. The Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam said, “I have been blessed with concise speech.” Therefore, when we look at the precious pearls that came out of the Prophet’s mouth, sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam, we find that many of his ahadith are in fact treasure chests of wisdom. The words might be small, but the meanings behind them are great. The speech might be succinct, but the benefits and the blessings that can be derived from them are innumerable.

And of the ahadith that are jawaami’, or comprehensive in nature, is the hadith of ibn Abbas radi Allahu anhu reported in the mustadrak of Al-Haakim, musnad Imam Ahmad, and others, with an authentic chain of narration. In this hadith the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam said to a man while he was advising him:

“Take advantage of five matters before five other matters: your youth, before you become old; and your health, before you fall sick; and your richness, before you become poor; and your free time before you become busy; and your life, before your death.”

The first word, ightanam comes from same root that signifies sheep – ghanam. Sheep, in Arabic, means ghanam, and ightanam is from the same root that also signifies sheep. What exactly is the meaning of ightanam? Ightanam is used to indicate any good that can be obtained without much effort. Just like sheep, they can easily be caught if they go astray. This is why the war booty that is found on the battlefield after the army has fled is called ghaneemah. It is easy to take, just like the sheep. You can grasp it without much effort. Ghaneemah, ightanam, and ghanam are all from the same root.

So it is as if the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam is pointing out that these five matters are very easy to obtain. They are easy to prey on and catch, and very simple to benefit from. That is because they are treasures that everyone possesses but few people appreciate.

What are these five things?

#1: Take Advantage of Your Youth Before Your Old Age

The Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam started off and said shabbab or shab, a youth or young person. The Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam said, “Take advantage of your youth before your haram.” And the word haram means old age, maybe even senility. It is an age in which the person does not have the power or mental faculties that he had while he was a youth.

Youthfulness is a time when a person is the most energetic, when he lays out the foundations for his future, and when he plans his life. So the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam said to take advantage of this time before the time comes when you do not have that enthusiasm, when you do not have that zeal, or that outlook. The enthusiasm and energy that you have been blessed with will never again be given to you after this age. Therefore, the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam said to seize the moment and take advantage of it. A person should exercise this energy for the sake of Allah by procuring knowledge of Allah, obtaining halal sustenance, and worshipping Allah through acts that he might not be able to do later on in life.

Youth here does not mean the western concept of youth that youthfulness finishes when someone is eighteen or nineteen years old. In the Islamic Shari’ah, a man’s life has been divided into a number of sectors or stages. Shabbab or shab, according to the strongest opinion, means before reaching the age of forty. This is because forty is the prime of life, when mental and physical capabilities have reached a peak, and after that they start to go down.

The Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam said:

“Seven are the people that will be sheltered on the Day of Judgment, the day in which there is no shade except the shade of Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala.”

One of the seven people, the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam mentioned was a youth who grew up in the worship of Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala. Remember, the youth is up to forty. So this young person, whether he is twenty or thirty or right before reaching the age of forty, he has grown up and has been raised or has raised himself busy in the worship of Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala.

Likewise, the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam said in an authentic hadith that Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala is pleased with and amazed at the youth who does not have any evil inclinations. This means he does not do evil. Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala loves such a youth who is straight in the worship of Allah and does not turn left or right to the paths of Shaytaan. Allah loves this person and is amazed at him because in general it is the youth, due to their virility and strong desires, who swerve left and right away from the path of the worship of Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala. So this is the first of the five: “your youth before your old age.”

#2: Take Advantage of Your Health, Before You Fall Sick

The second of the five matters is, “your health, before you fall sick.” The fact that one lives a normal life and is not afflicted with diseases and plagues, represents a person’s health. Take advantage of this before diseases and plagues come because mankind, being mankind, will fall sick. Everyone falls sick. If we did not fall sick, we would not be humans, we would be divine.

There will come a time when we will fall sick. Some of those times the sicknesses will be more severe, and for certain people even more severe. So the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam is reminding us that we do not know when we will have full possession of our faculties, of our strength, of our mental powers, before we will fall sick. Therefore, take advantage of it before that time comes.

The Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam said:

“There are two blessings the majority of mankind have been deceived concerning.” The majority of mankind do not appreciate these two blessings. They are “health,” good health, “and free time.”

Once a person came to Yunus ibn ‘Ubayy, one of the scholars of the Salaf, and he complained of extreme poverty as he had not been blessed with much. Yunus ibn Ubayy asked him, “Would you be willing to give away your sight for a certain amount of money?” The man said, “No, of course not.” Then he asked him, “Would you be willing to give your hands away?” He said, “No, of course not.” He asked, “Your feet?” He said, “Of course not.” When he finished he said “I see that you have hundreds of thousands of millions of blessings, yet you are complaining of poverty?”

We have our full faculties, we can see and hear. Look at someone who Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala has tested with blindness. It is a very severe test, and that is why the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam has said in an authentic hadith:

“There are two things if Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala takes them away from a person and he is patient, he is guaranteed Jannah. These two things are the two eyes.”

In other words, if a person is blind, and we seek Allah’s refuge from the physical and the spiritual blindness in this world and in the hereafter, then Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala is testing him. And if he is patient, then Allah will reward him with Jannah.

How about one who has been blessed not just with eyesight, but with hearing, health, arms, limbs, energy, vitality, enthusiasm, and many other things. Should we not appreciate the blessing from Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala? Do we not realize how sweet health is? It can be used for the worship of Allah. When we are blessed with these bodies, why do we not use them in the worship of Allah?

The least we can do, brothers and sisters, is the faraa’id (obligatory actions) such as salah five times a day, fasting in Ramadan, and going for the Hajj. All of these require that we use our physical bodies. That is the least that we can do, the bare minimum. Of course, the more that one does, the better it is for him.

This is the second of the five matters: “your health before you fall sick.”

#3: Take Advantage of Your Richness Before Poverty

The third is, “your richness, before poverty.” One day we might not have anything, and the next we might have much more than we need. One day, a person might have the best of jobs and the largest of salaries, yet, the next day, something happens and he does not have that job anymore and loses his source of income. So the wise person uses his richness before he becomes poor. He invests for his future.

As for the investments of this dunya, then the kafir and the Muslim are both the same; they both do that. Even the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam would store staple food items even up to a year. Sometimes he would store barley and grain for a whole year for his family. So this is obviously something halaal as the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam himself did it, and we should do it too. We should make sure we have enough money for our family and our children and ourselves, so we are not poor and we are not beggars. There is no doubt that this is a part of our Shari’ah as well.

But while we are doing this, let us not forget that we also need to invest for the Akhirah. Should we not think about investing this money so we can pick it and pluck it in the Hereafter when we need it far more than we need it in this world? We need to invest for the real future, our real life after our death.

The Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam once asked his companions, “Who amongst you loves his inheritors’ money more than his own money?”

The meaning of this hadith is that the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam is asking for example, does the father love the money of his son or does he love his own money? Of course, the father loves his own money. Likewise, every person will love his own money more than he loves the money of other people.

The Sahabah said, “Yaa RasulAllah, all of us love our own money more than we love the money of our inheritors. We all love our own money. We guard it and protect it more than the money of our inheritors.”

Then the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam said, “Verily, the money that you spend in charity is your money, and the money that you leave behind is the money of your inheritors.”

Ponder over that hadith for a while, how true it is. As for the father who loves his own money more than the money of his son, does he not realize that one day his son will take that very money of his and he will have nothing to do with it? All that is left of his money is what he spent during his life for the sake of Allah, if there was any such money. Any of it spent in charity for the sake of Allah, is money that will be yours permanently. The Arabic word for charity includes zakah, sadaqah, waqf, and any type of monetary good that you did. Everything besides this will go into the hands of your inheritors.

Remember that feeding your family is an ibaadah if you are doing it for the sake of Allah. If you are doing it for the sake of Allah, you will be rewarded. The Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam said that, “A morsel of food,” one morsel of food, one handful of food, “if you put it in your wife’s mouth, this will be a reward for you on the Day of Judgment.” Now everybody, Muslim or non-Muslim, feeds his family. But will everybody be rewarded for that? No. Because only the one who does it remembering Allah, thinking about Allah, and doing it for the sake of Allah will be rewarded.

Ask yourself if the last time you went shopping, Allah was in your mind? Did you think of doing this for Allah? When you picked up the milk and the bread, was your heart thinking, “Oh Allah, I am buying this food through halaal money, and this is halaal food, because I want to feed my family and this is an obligation that You have put upon me, therefore, I am doing it for your sake.” Who amongst us has this in his mind?

When we say, “That is spent for the sake of Allah,” we are not just talking about money, zakah, sadaqah, and charity. Of course, giving in charity is the best thing you can do with your money. But do not forget that the majority of income that we spend, and in fact for the mu’min, all of the income that he spends, can be for the sake of Allah as well. This means thinking of Allah, spending for the sake of Allah, and having the intention of pleasing Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala.

This is the third of the five things: “your richness, before poverty.”

#4: Take Advantage of Your Free Time Before You Become Busy

This is yet another great treasure that every single one of us possesses. Every single one of us must use our free time before we become busy. How much free time do we have and what do we waste it on? Think about it. Think about how much free time all of us have been blessed with. We have hours and hours every day and they go by. What do we waste it on? Primarily, in this country at least, television. It is also wasted on gossip and socialization of which there is no benefit whatsoever, in this world nor the hereafter.

Remember the hadith of the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam that we just quoted about the two blessings (health and free time) most people have been deceived by. In other words, they don’t realize their blessings of health and free time. You may have to work eight hours a day, no problem. Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala has allowed this for you. He has obligated it upon you. When you come home, you have four or five hours, so spend them wisely for the sake of Allah.

Spending time wisely does not necessarily mean purely religious deeds. But spending your time wisely and even be something in this world. Learn a trade. Learn something that can benefit you in this world and that can benefit other people as well. Islam is a complete way of life, a complete code. Do not forget that all of the acts a mu’min does can be transformed into acts of worship if, and only if, he does them for the sake of Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala.

Of course that there are religious deeds which are the best deeds to do. Every one of us should recite the Qur’an everyday, even if it’s only for five or ten minutes. You should have some relationship with the Qur’an. Every one of us should pray some extra prayers as well, a few sunnahs or the nafls, if not the continual sunnahs that the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam used to pray. This is the most important thing for us to do. But at the same time, do not forget that there can be many acts that can be rewarded if you change your niyyah and do them for the sake of Allah.

Do not waste your time. The greatest waster of time is the television. You turn it on, and an hour or two go by, and not only have you not gained anything for the Akhirah, you have not gained anything for this world. You have literally killed, murdered your time, and done absolutely nothing with it. And realize that you are lucky if you don’t come away from those two hours without any sin. How many are the sins that are in television, with music, and the women, and other things. In my opinion, it is better for a mu’min not to even have this instrument in his house because of the evil that comes from it. Like Allah says about alcohol, the evil that comes from it is more than the good that is obtained from it.

When you have some free time, take advantage of it. The greatest thing that we can do in this free time is to worship Allah. And one of the greatest acts of worship is to seek knowledge. Take a book out to read, listen to some cassettes, or listen to some CD’s. Do whatever you can do to increase your ‘ilm. Attend some classes or even visit one another for the sake of Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala. Visit your Muslim brother with the proper Islamic etiquette and adab. This is an act you can do that will pass your time away, and be worthwhile.

This is the fourth of the five matters: “take advantage of your free time before you become busy.”

#5: Take Advantage of Your Life Before Your Death

This one phrase summarizes it all: “take advantage of your life before your death.” Every one of us has a life. That is why we are here right now. Every one of us without a doubt will die. Allah says:

You are going to die and they too are going to die.

And it is as Allah said, the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam passed away and so did the people that opposed him and believed in him. They all have passed away. And the turn came for those after them, and then those after them, until it is our turn.

The Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam therefore reminded us, “Take advantage of your life before your death.” This is the greatest of foresight. Hence the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam concluded the hadith with this phrase.

How are we going to use this life before death comes? As for the kafir, he will totally waste it because he will make this life his goal. He will live only to appease and satisfy every desire of his. Then on the Day of Judgment, he will beg Allah to send him back to this life. Allah describes this in the Quran:

When death comes to them, he will say, “O my Lord!”

All of a sudden, when his Lord comes to him he remembers Allah. Whereas throughout all of the years that he lived, Allah was nowhere near him; Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala was the furthest thing from his death. On the Day of Judgment when he is resurrected, he will say:

Oh my Lord! Allow me to go back so that I may do good in the time that I had left.

Allah obviously will say, “Kalla” – no. You have only been allowed one life and you will not be able to go back and change that life. For every good you do you will be rewarded, and for every evil you do you will be punished.

Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala also describes them in the Qur’an as saying on the Day of Judgment:

O our Lord, we have seen and we have heard. Let us go back to do good deeds; we are now believers.

They claim to believe in Allah and the Day of Judgment but Allah will not allow this to happen because everyone has only one life. That is what Allah has given and this is what we must make the best of in this world so that we are compensated accordingly in the Hereafter.

These are the five things that the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam told the man to do. He advised him:

“Take advantage of five matters before five others: your youth, before your old age; and your health before you fall sick; and your wealth before you become poor; and your free time before you become busy; and your life before your death.”

This hadith deals with responsibility, wisdom, foresight, long-term planning, and good strategy. Every one of us has been blessed with these five blessings. There is no one amongst us who has not been blessed with these five things. So how do we utilize them? What do we utilize them for? Why do we utilize them?

The wise person is the one who strives to achieve the pleasure of Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala and then expects the best from Allah. The wise one is one who tries to arrive at the goal and then has tawakkul in Allah. Tawakkul does not mean to sit back and say, “Oh, this will happen to me.” Rather, you must strive for it. The fool is the one who follows his desires and then presumes that Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala will reward him.

We ask that Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala makes us amongst those who can ightallim, those who can seize these five things, who can take advantage of them before the five will come. These five matters will inevitably be taken away from us, and substituted by the others that the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam mentioned.

Wa aakhiru da’waana ‘anil hamdulillahi Rab al ‘Alameen, wa subhanak Allahumma wa bihamdika wa ash hadu’an laa ilaaha illa ant nastaghfiruka wa atubu ilayk.

 

Imam Sufyan Ath-Thawri’s letter to his brother

Allahumma inni nasaluka ilm’n nafi’a wanaoudhuka ilm’n la yanfa

May Allah SWT bless us with beneficial knowledge and wisdom. May Allah SWT protect us from the shackles of jahiliyah and lazyness.

May Allah SWT give us the tawfiq in doing righteous deeds and implementing that knowledge for His Jallah Waa’ala Sake.

Ameen…Ameen…Ameen