5. May (Sunnah Selection For Daily Reading)

Experience the Sweetness of Eeman

• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon

him said, Sight is a poisonous arrow

of the devil. Whosoever, whether male

or female, protects himself or herself

from evil glances, will be granted a

sweet eeman (faith) which will please

his/her heart. [Tabrani]

4

• The heart is like a container that you can

keep filling with eeman. But each glance at

a non-mahram makes a hole in this

container of eeman. Like a bucket full of

holes cannot hold water, so also does eeman

keep pouring out of the heart of the person

who does not restrain his/her glances to

what Allah has permitted looking at.

• The disease of checking out the opposite sex

has unfortunately become quite common.

Allah calls it an act of the devil that causes

eeman to turn sour. Therefore, if you would

like to taste the true sweetness of eeman,

you need to guard your glances and not

look at what Allah has prohibited. 5

• One needs to protect himself/herself

from allowing their aurah (parts of the

body men and women are required to

keep covered and hidden from the eyes

of others) to be seen by others. As we

would wear armour if physical arrows

were assaulting us, so we should wear

concealing clothes to protect ourselves

from the poisonous arrows of the

Shaytaan. These do not attack our

physical body, but they attack our soul

and tear holes in our faith.

6

Pressurizing for Batil


him said: He who presses for

something he knows is false (Batil)

remains under the hatred of Allah

until he gives it up. [“bu Dawud]

7

• We should be very careful about asking,

let alone insisting, on things contrary to

“llah s likes and dislikes. For example,

sometimes parents don t like the

practice of Islam by their children, and

harass their daughter to take her scarf

off, or their son to shave his beard off.

Many times this insistence is subtle, yet

all the more powerful.

8

• This pressure to live by standards set by

Shaitaan is actually common place in

society. It is normal to tell

friends/relatives to buy a house on

mortgage, or go to events where men

and women socialize together, or to take

an interest bearing loan for education,

etc. Asking a person to do anything that

is Haraam (forbidden) or Makruh

(disliked), or telling them to avoid a

Fardh (obligatory deed) or Sunnah

(recommended deed), is to press for

Batil.

9

• There are many ways in which a person

may press for something that is false.

Sometimes, in business transactions or law

suits, people insist on what is not rightfully

theirs in “llah s Sight, only because their

feelings or the law of the land allows them

to ask for it.

• People who apply pressure for Batil should

know that Allah (subhana wa ta ala) hates

them so long as they don t repent, ask for

His forgiveness, and try to make up for

their wrongs. There can be nobody more

ruined than one who is hated by Allah

(subhana wa ta ala). May He save us from

joining the ranks of the ruined. 10

Excessiveness in Religion


him said: ”eware of going to

extremes (in religion), for those before

you were only destroyed through

excessiveness. [“n-Nasai]

14

• Allah Most High says in the Quran,

Say: O people of the ”ook, do

not be excessive in your

religion.’ [4: 7 ]

15

• Imam Qurtubi says, “ccording to exegetes,

this refers to the extremism of the Jews

concerning Eesa (pbuh) in accusing

Maryam (may Allah be please with her) of

fornication, and the extremism of the

Christians in considering him to be a god.

For both excessiveness and remissness are

evil, and both may be unbelief. [“l-Jami li

ahkam al-Quran]

• Ibn Taymiya says regarding this hadith of

the Prophet peace be upon him , His

saying ”eware of going to extremes in

religion is a general prohibition applying to

all types of extremes, whether in beliefs or

works. [Fayd al-Qadir sharh al-Jami al-

saghir] 16

• Going to an extreme means to leave the Sunnah

of the Prophet (pbuh) and define piety for

oneself. Once a group of three men came to the

house of the Prophet (pbuh) and comparing their

worship to that done by the Prophet (pbuh)

thought that they should do more. So one of

them said, I will offer the prayer throughout the

night forever. The other said, I will fast

throughout the year and will not break my fast.

The third said, I will keep away from women

and will not marry ever. Prophet pbuh said to

them, ”y “llah, I am more submissive to “llah

and more afraid of Him than you; yet I fast and

break my fast, I do sleep and I also marry

women. So he who does not follow my tradition

in religion, is not from me (not one of my

followers . [Sahih ”ukhari]

17

• What the Christians invented in terms of

monasticism and the extremes they went

to in it was partly due to the fact that they

did not have with them the original or

comprehensive teachings of Eesa (pbuh).

But with the comprehensive code of

conduct that Allah Most High has

revealed to us in the form of the Quran

and Sunnah, there is no justification to

make anything up, add anything to the

religion or leave anything that is in it. In

fact, to do so is to reject what Allah has

revealed in favour of one s personal

opinion, and this is shirk.

18

• On the one hand are those Muslims who

Shaitaan misguides by making them

subject their bodies to deprivation and

pain in the name of greater piety. On the

other hand are those Muslims who

Shaitaan misguides by telling them that

to follow the religion of Allah in those

areas one finds difficult, is to go to

extremes. Such Muslims then consider

following the original teachings of Islam

as extremism. May Allah save us from

both these extremes of excessiveness and

remissness.

19

Pulling Back From the Fire

• The Messenger of “llah pbuh said: I am

like a person who lit a fire and when the

surrounding area became bright with light,

the moths and insects began to drop in the

fire. The person is now trying with all the

force at his command to stop these moths and

insects from dropping in the fire, but the

moths and insects are rushing towards the

fire rendering all his efforts ineffective.

Likewise, I am trying my best to draw you

back and keep you away from the fire, yet

you are bent on falling into it. [Mishkat]

20


him) came as a mercy for all mankind.

After being commissioned with the

message of Islam, he spent every day

and night for the remaining twenty-

three years of his life consumed with

worry, concerned that no one should fall

into Jahannum.

21

• The love of the Prophet (pbuh) for mankind

was such that he would spend the whole

night crying, Allahumma Ummati,

Allahumma Ummati O “llah my

Ummah, O Allah my Ummah). Every

Prophet is given one wish to use as he

pleases. Tears rolled down Rasul Allah

pbuh s face as his son Ibraheem was dying

in his arms, but he didn t use that wish to

save his son s life. He didn t use that wish

to save anyone of his family - not any of his

daughters (radi Allahu anha), not his

beloved uncle Abu Talib, nor anyone else.

He saved that wish to use for you and me

on the Day of Judgement. 22

• Allah (subhana wa ta ala) testifies to the

concern of the Prophet (peace be upon

him) in this ayat: ”ut will you,

perhaps, torment yourself to death

with grief over them if they are not

willing to believe in this message?

[Quran 18:6]

• He (peace be upon him) worried about

us so much, yet how worried are we

about ourselves?

23

Evil Thoughts


him said: “llah has forgiven my

followers the evil thoughts that occur

to their minds, as long as such

thoughts are not put into action or

uttered. [Sahih ”ukhari]

27

• Sometimes evil thoughts come to us the

occurring of which we have no control over.

When Shaytaan or our nafs puts such

thoughts in our minds, and we do not

entertain them, then Allah in His Infinite

Mercy and Justice does not hold us

accountable for them. Not entertaining such

thoughts means to not continue to think

about them, not speak of them, and not act

according to them.

• If our mind keeps mulling the thoughts

over, or God Forbid takes pleasure in such

thoughts, then we will not automatically be

forgiven them, for we chose then to think on

such lines. In order to stop thinking about

something it helps to get up and start doing

some physical work.

28

Pulpits of Pearl

• The Messenger of “llah pbuh said: Some

people shall be raised from their graves on the

Day of Judgement in a state that their faces will

be glowing with radiant light. They shall be

seated on pulpits made of pearls. Other people

shall envy their elevated state. These dignified

people, however, will neither include Prophets

nor Shuhada martyrs . The Companions

submitted: O Messenger of “llah pbuh ! Who

are these people? Tell us their distinguishing

qualities. “llah s Messenger pbuh observed:

These are the people who love each other for the

sake of “llah only. [Tabrani]

29

• When there is no benefit you wish to obtain

from someone, and you love them only

because of their devotion to Allah (subhana

wa ta ala), and because they are devoted to

safeguarding “llah s Deen, then your love

of them is for the sake of “llah.

• Those who love others for the sake of Allah

(subhana wa ta ala) are actually loving

“llah. “ saying in Urdu goes, When you

love Layla, even her dog becomes dear to

you. So how is it possible that a person be

true in their love of Allah, yet not love

others who love Allah and are striving in

His cause?

30

• The greatest sign of love is obedience.

When you love someone you want to do

whatever pleases him/her. You hate to do

what you know your beloved dislikes out

of fear of displeasing him/her. Allah

(subhana wa ta ala) says about the

Momineen ”ut those of Faith are overflowing in their love for “llah. [Quran 2:165] Thus, the Momineen are most careful

about sticking to “llah s Shariah – minding

His likes and dislikes.

• Loving for the sake of Allah is to love those

Muslims who ardently strive to please

Allah with His obedience. Pulpits of pearl,

faces radiant with light, and honour with

Allah; these are the rewards for being true

in your love of Allah. 31

Excessive Joking • The Prophet (pbuh) said to his Companions (may Allah

be pleased with them : Who will take these words and

apply them, or knows someone who will? “bu

Hurairah may “llah be pleased with him answered, I

will, O Messenger of “llah, whereupon the Prophet

(pbuh) took his hand and enumerated five things,

saying:

“void the unlawful deeds and you will be the most

religious of people.

”e satisfied with what “llah has alotted you and you

will be the richest of people.

Treat your neighbour well and you will be a believer.

Love for others what you love for yourself and you will

be a Muslim.

“void excessive laughter for too much laughter kills

the heart. [“hmad] 35

• Imam Nahlawi says The necessary

condition for the permissibility of joking

is that it does not contain lies or occasion

fright, because this hurts others, and we

are forbidden to do so.

• Excessive joking is blameworthy since

it eliminates one s dignity and reserve,

and creates resentment in certain

situations and people. It also causes

immoderate laughter, which kills the

heart. [al-Durar al-Mubaha fi al-Hazr

al-Ibaha, quoted in "Reliance of the

Traveller" by Ahmad ibn Naqib al-Misri]

36

Pious Woman is Half of Deen


him said: Whoever “llah blesses

with a pious woman has in fact been

helped by Allah with half his Deen. So

he should fear Allah (struggle to

achieve) regarding the other half as

well. [Majma Az-Zawa id by Imam

Al-Haythami: Kanz-ul-Ammaal]

37

• This hadith informs us of the importance

of having an Allah-fearing woman as

one s wife. Having such a wife has been

equated with having half of Eeman and

Islam. Such a woman is to be treasured

for the benefits she brings to her husband

in this world and in the next.

• In this life she makes his home a peaceful

sanctuary for him. Her love and

obedience enables his family life to be

spent pleasantly. The children are brought

up lovingly to be righteous Muslims and

they become Sadaqah Jaariya for their

parents.

38

• The benefit a pious wife brings to her

husband s Akhirah is that she facilitates

his religious obligations. She encourages

him to be a better Muslim, to pray

regularly, to perform his prayers in the

Masjid. If he is involved in activities to

earn “llah s pleasure she doesn t bother

him with demands. She allows him to

keep his focus on earning “llah s

pleasure.

39

• She lives contentedly with his income

and doesn t goad him to increase their

standard of living by Haraam means.

She doesn t taunt him by saying things

like, Look at so-and so s household,

how comfortably they live, how well

they eat! Instead, she thanks “llah and

her husband that he does not bring ill-

gotten wealth into the house.

40

• A pious wife spends her time positively

and so the other members of the

household also learn from her example

to utilize their time to benefit their

Akhirah. Since she doesn t watch TV or

movies, a lot of evil and un-Islamic

influences are kept at bay.

• It is thus no wonder that Allah (subhana

wa ta ala) says that a pious woman is

half of the Deen.

41

Entrance Ticket for Ar-Rayyan


him said: There is a gate to Paradise

that is called Ar-Rayyan. On the Day

of Resurrection it will say, Where are

those who fasted? When the last one

has passed through the gate, it will be

locked. [Sahih ”ukhari]

45

• Just as there are tickets to enter carnivals,

concerts, and movie theatres, Paradise also

has a price. The difference is that carnivals,

concerts and movie theatres are places

where Shaitaan and his corrupt followers

are found: while Paradise is a purely good

place. Nothing bad can happen to anyone in

Paradise. Nobody can get pick-pocketed,

molested, drugged or abused in any way. It

is pure fun with no evil consequences.

• One way to get in this beautiful Paradise is

by fasting. One of the eight gates of

Paradise accepts fasts as the entrance ticket.

Let s make sure we can at least enter

through this gate called Ar-Rayyan. 46

Permissible Lying

• The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:

He who settles disagreements

between people to bring about good or

says something commendable is not a

liar. Umm Kulthum (radi Allahu

anha added: I did not hear him

permit untruth in anything people say,

except for three things: war, settling

disagreements, and a man talking with

his wife or she with him (in smoothing

over differences. [Sahih Muslim] 47

• This is an explicit statement that lying is sometimes

permissible, scholars having established criteria

defining what types of it are lawful. Imam Abu

Hamid Ghazali says Speaking is a means to

achieve objectives. If a praiseworthy aim is

attainable through both telling the truth and lying, it

is unlawful to accomplish through lying because

there is no need for it…It becomes obligatory to lie if

an obligatory deed cannot be achieved except by

lying. When, for example, one is concealing a

Muslim from an oppressor who asks where he is, it

is obligatory to lie about his being hidden. Or when

a person deposits an article with one for safekeeping

and an oppressor wanting to appropriate it inquires

about it, it is obligatory to lie about having

concealed it, for if one informs him about the article

and he then seizes it, one is financially liable to

cover the article s cost…. [Reliance of the Traveller

by Ahmad ibn Naqib Al-Misri]

48

Exchange Gifts

• The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

Exchange gifts. This will generate

mutual feelings of love and eliminate

feelings of animosity and

estrangement from your hearts.

[Mishkat]

52

• The Prophet (pbuh) often sent gifts to

his illustrious Companions (may Allah

be please with them . The Prophet s

Companions (may Allah be please with

them) also frequently exchanged

presents among themselves.

• The exchange of presents augments

sentiments of love and creates a soft

corner in the heart of the receiver for the

donor.

53

• In the matter of exchanging gifts, always

keep within your means. Whatever the

status of the receiver, do not think that

your gift should necessarily be a costly

one. Give according to your means and

whatever is easily available.

• The real worth of your gift depends on

your sincerity and the nature and depth

of feelings with which you have

presented the gift. It is sincerity, love

and devotion that unites hearts.

54

Prayer for Fulfillment of a Need

• The Messenger of “llah pbuh said: When

someone seeks fulfillment of a need from Allah or

man, he should first carefully perform ablution, say

two Rakahs of superoragatory (Nafl) prayer and

then offer thanksgiving and praise to The Lord;

afterwards, he should invoke peace and blessings of

Allah on the Prophet, and finally utter this prayer

to Allah: La ilaha illallahul-halimul-karim.

Subhanallahi rabbil-arshil-azeem. Wal-hamdu

lillahi rabbil-alameen. “s aluka mujibati rahmatika

wa azaaimi maghfiratika wal-ghanimata min kulli

birrin was-salamata min kulli ithmin la tada li

dhanban illa ghafartahu wa la hamman illa

farrajtahu wa la haajatan hiya laka ridan illa

qadaitaha ya arhamar-rahimeen. [Tirmidhi] 55

• Whenever any need arises, big or small, stand

before Allah (subhana wa ta ala) and ask

through this prayer. The translation of the

words of this dua are There is no deity save

Allah, the Clement, the Bountiful. Glory be to

Allah, Lord of the Magnificent Throne! Praise

be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds! I beg of You

the means of (obtaining) Your Mercy and

securing Your Pardon; participation in every

righteousness and protection from every sin.

Leave no sin of mine unforgiven, no anxiety

unrelieved, and let no need of mine go

unfulfilled wherewith You are pleased. O You

the Most Merciful of those who show mercy!

56

• When your children ask you for favors,

direct them to ask Allah (subhana wa

ta ala) through this dua and Salaat.

Make their connection with Allah

strong. It is only if Allah puts it in your

heart and provides you with the means,

that are you able to fulfill the needs of

your children. Put your reliance and the

reliance of your children in Allah

(subhana wa ta ala). It is He who loves

us more than we love each other or

ourselves.

57

Earth’s Transformation on Day of Resurrection


him said: On the Day of

Resurrection, mankind will be

gathered on an earth that is Afra, like

a fine loaf of bread (made from pure

fine flour . [”ukhari]

61

• The colour Afra has been translated by

various scholars as dull white, white

which has a hint of red, and pure

white.

62

• The land on which mankind will be

gathered on the Day of Resurrection will

not look like this earth of ours. Allah

says in the Quran: On the Day when

the earth will be changed to another

earth and so will be the heavens, and

they (all creatures) will appear before

“llah, the One, the Irresistible.

[Surah Ibraheem: Ayat 48]

• The above mentioned Hadith tells us

what this new land will look like. It will

have no landmarks for anybody to make

use of.

63

Punctuality in the Asr and Fajr Prayers

• Abu Hurairah (radi Allahu anhu) reported

that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:

There are angels who take turns in visiting

you by night and by day, and they all assemble

at the dawn (Fajr) and the afternoon (Asr)

prayers. Those who have spent the night with

you, ascend (to the heaven) and Allah, Who

knows better about them, asks, In what

condition did you leave My slaves? They

reply, We left them while they were

performing Salat and we went to them while

they were performing Salat. [Sahih ”ukhari] 64

• When the principal of a school makes

special mention of the high achievement

of one of the students in assembly, it is

not because the Principal doesn t know,

but because he/she wants to honor the

high achiever by mentioning their

achievements before all the other

students and faculty. Almighty Allah

knows everything but even then He

asks the angels about His pious slaves

so that the piety of the believers and

their merit and distinction become

evident to all.

65

• The angels for the night come at the

time of Asr when the angels from the

morning are present. The angels of the

two shifts assemble at this time and

exchange duties. The angels of the night

shift then leave their duty in the

morning at Fajr, and the angels of the

morning shift resume their duty. Thus,

the two groups assemble again at this

time.

66

• Angels are very punctual. They know

no such thing as procrastination or

delay. Thus, when they are exchanging

duties only the people who are punctual

in their Salat are engaged in Fajr or Asr

prayers. Therefore, we should try very

hard to be punctual in praying the Asr

and Fajr Salat so that when Allah

(subhana wa ta ala) asks the angels

about us He is told that the angels left

us while we were remembering Him

and praying and not while we were

sleeping, busy in games, watching T.V.,

or some other worthless activity. 67

Eavesdropping

• The Messenger of Allah (peace be

upon him said: Whoever

eavesdrops on people s conversations

when they do not like that or they try

to move away from him, will have

molten lead poured into his ears on

the Day of Resurrection. [Bukhaari]

71

• People who eavesdrop on others will be

punished on the Day of Judgment by

having molten lead poured into their

ears. It isn t worth it to eavesdrop!

72

Pick up the Food you Drop


him said, When a morsel of any of

you falls, he should pick it up and

remove any of the dirt on it and then

eat it, and should not leave it for

Shaitaan... [Sahih Muslim]

73

• This hadith tells us to pick up a fallen

dry morsel of food and eat it after

brushing off any dirt that might be on it.

This is an expression of humility and

also prevents Shaitaan from deriving

blessings from our food.

74

• Present-day Muslims hardly care for

this directive of the Messenger of Allah

(pbuh) thinking that picking up

dropped food will bring disgrace and

dishonour upon them. To make matters

worse, some even throw away

unconsumed food in the garbage, while

others deem it necessary to leave a little

food in their plates as a sign of their

manners or affluence! How far the

Muslim community has departed from

the teachings and excellent example of

their Prophet (pbuh)!

75

Earth’s Information

• The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) recited

this Ayat: That Day it the earth will

declare its information. [Quran:

Surah Az-Zalzalah, Ayat 4] He (pbuh)

then asked his Companions: Do you

know what its information is? They

said: “llah and His Messenger know best. He pbuh said: Its information

means that it will testify against every

man and woman about what they did on

its surface. It will say, On such and such

a day they did such and such. That is its

information. [Tirmidhi] 79

• Among the witnesses against a person

will be the earth, and days and nights;

they will testify about what was done

on/in them and against them. Wealth

will testify against its owner a person s

own body will testify against him; and

the angels who record deeds, both good

and evil will also be witnesses. Imaam

Qurtubi devoted a chapter to this subject

in his Tadhkirah.

80

Patience on Death of Child • The Messenger of “llah pbuh said: When a

person's child dies, Allah the Most High asks

His angels, Have you taken out the life of the

child of My slave? They reply in the

affirmative. He then asks, Have you taken the

fruit of his heart? They reply in the affirmative.

Thereupon he asks, What has My slave said?

They say: He has praised You and said: Inna

lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji un (We belong to Allah

and to Him we shall be returned . “llah says:

”uild a house for My slave in Jannah and name

it Bait-ul-Hamd the House of Praise .

[Tirmidhi] 81

• One of the greatest worldly calamities for

a person is to lose his or her child. None

but those who have gone through it know

what it is like. This hadith highlights the

great merit of exhibiting patience at this

time of calamity. Rather than wailing and

complaining, one should submit to the

Will of Allah (subhana wa ta ala) and try

to remember His promised reward.

Children who die before reaching the age

of puberty cause their parents to be

brought to Jannah through them. An

attitude of patience brings great reward

from Allah (subhana wa ta ala).

82

• How does one reconcile with such

events? Another hadith tells us the story

of a pious man who loved his wife very

much. When she died suddenly he was

devastated. He shut himself off from

society, refusing to talk to or see anyone.

Finally, a woman sat outside his house

and refused to budge until he talked to

her regarding a problem that she had.

83

She told him that a friend of hers had given

her jewelry for safekeeping which she

would often wear. She had had it in her

possession for a long time but now her

friend had come to ask for it back. The

problem was that since she had had the

jewelry for so long she had gotten used to

having it and didn t want to give it back.

The man immediately replied from inside

the house that she must return her friend s

amanah (possessions given in trust). He

also realized that the problem she had

come to discuss with him was just to make

him realize how in fact he must reconcile

with Allah (subhana wa ta ala) taking back

what belonged to Him. 84

• Death is only a temporary separation

for family members going to Jannah.

People going to Jannah will be reunited

therein where they will never suffer

separation again.

85

Exchange of Deeds


Whoever wronged his brother with

regard to his honour or any other matter,

should seek his forgiveness today, before

there are no longer any dinars or

dirhams; and if he has any righteous

deeds, they will be taken from him, in

accordance with the wrong he did; and if

he has no Hasanaat (good deeds), some of

the Sayi aat (bad deeds) of his

counterpart will be taken and added to

his burden. [Bukhaari] 89

• When the Day of Resurrection comes, a

man s wealth and capital will be his

Hasanaat (good deeds).

• If he had wronged any people, they will

take from his Hasanaat to the extent that

he mistreated them. If he does not have

any Hasanaat, or if his Hasanaat run out,

then some of their Sayi aat (bad deeds)

will be taken and added to his burden,

till all scores are settled.

• Then his deeds will be weighed in the

Balance!

90

Purchase Garments of Paradise

• The Messenger of “llah pbuh said: If

any Muslim clothes a Muslim when he

is naked, Allah will clothe him with

some green garments of Paradise; if any

Muslim feeds a Muslim when he is

hungry, Allah will feed him with some

of the fruits of Paradise; and if any

Muslim gives a Muslim drink when he

is thirsty, Allah will give him some of

the pure wine which is sealed to drink.

[Abu Daud] 91

• Allah (subhana wa ta ala) has made

some things easy for us to acquire, that

we otherwise would not have known

how to obtain. Had Allah (subhana wa

ta ala) not told us, we would not even

have known of Paradise let alone the

garments therein. Not only has he

informed us of their existence but made

it possible for each one of us to easily

get some.

92

• Are we getting as excited about it as we

do about a clearance sale at our favorite

clothes store? If not, then there is

something wrong with our eeman.

Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with

him) said that if he were to see Paradise

with his own eyes he would not long for

it more than he already longs for it. Nor

would he by seeing Jahannum with his

own eyes fear it more than he already

does. This shows us the level of belief

the Sahabah had in the words of Allah

(subhana wa ta ala).

93

Evil in the Self and Deeds


him taught us to say: “ll praise is

for Allah, we praise Him and seek His

help and His pardon. We seek refuge in

Him from the evil in our selves and

from the evil of our deeds. [“bu

Dawud; Kitab an-Nikah]

97

• There is agreement amongst those who

seek Allah, despite their different

schools and practices, that the self (Nafs)

stands between the heart and reaching

Him. Only the silencing of the self – by

turning away from it and ignoring its

whims and overcoming it – can lead you

into the domain of Allah and make it

possible to reach Him.

98

• “llah, the Exalted, says: Then as for

whoever exceeded the limits and

preferred the life of this world, surely

his abode will be the Fire; and as for

whoever feared to stand before his

Lord and restrained the desires of his

self (Nafs), surely his abode will be

the Garden. [Quran: Surah Naziaat,

Ayaat 37-41]

99

• The self urges you to wrong actions, and

to preferring this life to the next life;

while Allah, the Exalted, tells His

servants to fear Him, and to restrain the

self from following its whims and

impulses.

• There are two kinds of people in life:

intelligent and foolish. The foolish kind

are those whose Nafs have overcome

them and led them to ruin because they

yielded to them and obeyed their

impulses. The intelligent kind of people

are those who have overcome their Nafs

and made them obey their commands. 100

• Evil lies hiding in the self, and it is this

that leads it on to do wrong. If Allah

were to leave the servant alone with his

self, the servant would be destroyed

between its evil and the evil that it

craves; but if Allah grants him success

and help, then he will survive. We seek

refuge in Allah the Almighty, both from

the evil of our selves and from the evil of

our deeds.

101

Protect Your Children


him said: “ct upon the obedience to

Allah and avoid the prohibitions of

Allah, and order your children to abide

by the commandments of Allah and to

avoid the prohibitions of Allah, and by

that you protect yourselves and them

from the Hellfire. [Ibn Jurayr]

102

• This hadith holds a couple of important

lessons for us:

1. It is the right of children to be brought

up in accordance with the guidelines of

Islam. It is the duty of parents to protect

their children from the Fire of Hell by

teaching them “llah s commands and

prohibitions.

103

2. The Messenger of Allah (peace be

upon him) first commands the parents

to act upon the commands of Allah

(subhana wa ta ala). It is a well known

fact, that children learn by imitation.

What a parent says, carries a lot less

weight, than what a parent does.

Children automatically do what their

parents do, but not necessarily what

they say.

104

Extinguish Anger With Water


him said: “nger comes from the

devil and the devil was created from

fire. Fire is but extinguished with

water; so if one of you gets angry, he

should perform ablution. [“bu

Dawood]

108

• When a fire breaks out, water is used to

extinguish it. Since anger is like fire, using water

will cool your temper. Do Wudhu.

• To summarize the instructions of the Messenger

of Allah (pbuh), when assaulted with anger:

1. Say "Audhu billahi minash-shaytan nir-

rajeem.

2. If you are standing, sit. If the anger fails to

subside, lie down.

3. Remain silent.

4. Make Wudhu.

5. Pray two Rakaat Nafl.

6. Remember to be merciful to “llah s creation if

you desire Him to be merciful towards you

and continue to have Him overlook and

forgive your faults.

109

On the Back of Every Fish


him said: It is written on the back of

every fish and bullock that it will be

the sustenance of such and such

persons. As such, it is only

unnecessary labour for a greedy person

to be in search of his sustenance.

[Minhaaj ul-Abideen by Imaam

Ghazali]

110

• Man s sustenance was allotted and

distributed in the very beginning of the

creation of the universe.

• It is necessary for me to have complete

faith in this Divine Dispensation and

conviction that no alteration in it is

possible.

• After putting faith in the eternally

original distribution of sustenance, it is

a matter of disgrace in the world and

loss in the Hereafter to search for

sustenance desperately and fretfully.

111

• I should work for a lawful income. The

Messenger of “llah pbuh said It is

compulsory on every Muslim to seek

lawful earnings. [Ihya Ulum Id-Din by

Imam Ghazali]

• However, I must pay full attention to

my prayers, not compromising on them

or any other order of “llah s e.g. loyalty

to Islam and Muslims, behavior, speech,

dress, or anything else) to make a living.

Nobody can take away what is destined

for me. And nobody can give me what is

not written for me.

112

First to Enter


"The first of those who shall enter

Paradise are the people who do acts of

kindnesses." [Tibrani]

116

• This story comes to us through the

Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)

that there was once a prostitute in the

tribe of the Bani Israil. She passed by a

dog going around a well about to die of

thirst. So she took off her shoe and, tying

it to her head wrap, lowered it into the

well to get some water for the dog.

Because of this one act of kindness,

Allah forgave her her sins.

117

• This shows us not only “llah s love for

humans and how He loves to forgive us,

but also His love for all His creatures.

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon

him) told us that we are rewarded for

every act of kindness we do to any

creature. Every time a bird eats from

your fruit tree you are rewarded by

Allah for that too.

• In today's society though, it seems that

kindness is reserved for animals while

one's relatives and fellow Muslims are

not considered worthy of it. Don't

neglect them. 118

• Instead of asking somebody to bring a

glass of water for you, bring it for them.

This is a kindness. To pay attention to a

child's story is a kindness. To give the

elderly your time is a kindness. To share

a particular skill you have is a kindness.

To wash someone else's dishes is a

kindness. To make room for somebody

is a kindness. There are hundreds of

kindnesses to do. Make it your goal for

this week to seek out acts of kindness

throughout the day, and do them! Every

little deed will count on the Day of

Judgment. 119

Obedience to Parents Opens Doors to Paradise

• The Messenger of “llah pbuh said: He who

arises in the morning as obedient to both parents

for the pleasure of Allah, then Allah opens out

two doors of Paradise for him. If he has a single

parent, a single door is opened for him. If he

arises in the morning as a disobedient child to

his parents, two doors of Hell are opened out to

him and if there is one parent then one door is

opened out. “ person asked, Even if the

parents are cruel to him or oppress him? He

pbuh replied, Even if they oppress him! Even

if they oppress him! Even if they oppress him!

[Bayhaqi; Sha bil Imaan] 120

• Allah (subhana wa ta ala) has left no

room for us to be disrespectful or

disobedient to our parents. Only if they

command us to go against any

injunction of “llah s are we allowed, in

fact required, to respectfully disobey

them. We are in all other matters to bow

down to their will and try to please

them for the sake of Allah (subhana wa

ta ala).

121

• If we adopt this behaviour because

Allah (subhana wa ta ala) asks us to,

then our reward is with Him. It is He

who will reward us and He is the best of

rewarders.

• When you wake up in the morning ask

yourself, would Allah (subhana wa

ta ala) rate you as a child who is

obedient to his/her parents or

disobedient?

122

Four Signs of A Hypocrite


him said: Whoever has the following

four characteristics will be a pure

hypocrite: If he speaks, he tells a lie; if he

gives a promise, he breaks it; if he makes a

covenant he proves treacherous; and if he

quarrels, he behaves in a very imprudent,

evil, insulting manner (unjust). And

whoever has one of these characteristics,

has one characteristic of a hypocrite unless

he gives it up. [Sahih ”ukhari]

126

• Make a check list of all un-Momin like

traits that you find within yourself. At

the end of each day check which

shortcoming you succumbed to. Give

yourself marks. See how long it takes

you to achieve full marks, i.e. you

display only Momin (believer vs.

Munafiq/hypocrite) like characteristics

that day. Then keep this up. Having a

visual check list and a grading system

helps.

127

Overlooking the Faults of Muslims


him said: Whoever conceals the

faults of a Muslim in this world, Allah

will conceal his faults in this world

and in the Hereafter. [Muslim]

128

• It is a sign of noble character to overlook

the mistakes of our Muslim brothers

and sisters. As we err, they err. As we

would like to be forgiven and have our

deficiencies concealed, we should

forgive and conceal their deficiencies.

129

• This is relevant to those faults of a

Muslim which pertain to his self. This

does not apply where the rights of other

people are involved. For example, you

will conceal the fact that a person

overeats, but you will not stay quiet

when that same person behaves

dishonestly with public funds.

130

Focus on Yourself


him) said: "O you who have entered Islam

with your tongues but whose hearts faith

has not entered: do not slander people, and

do not ferret out people's shameful points.

Whoever searches out the shameful points

of his brother, Allah will search out his

shameful points, and if Allah searches out

a person's shameful points, be sure that

He will disgrace him even if he should

remain in the middle of his house." [Abu

Dawud] 134

• This hadith teaches us a number of things:

1. It points to the difference between being a

Muslim and being a Momin. A person who

has embraced Islam but not reformed his

heart and inner self through it, is called a

Muslim but not a Momin.

2. One characteristic that differentiates a

Muslim from a Momin is that a Muslim

may be on the look out for people's hidden

flaws and shameful secrets: but a Momin

would never waste his or her time in such

a disgraceful activity. This is because a

Momin knows that in the Final Reckoning

they will be asked about their own faults

and not those of others.

135

3. The punishment for someone who tries

to find flaws in others is that Allah will

surely disgrace them by making their

shameful deeds public. These may be

things we considered done and hidden

forever. But if Allah chooses to disgrace

somebody, there is nowhere they can

hide to escape the wretchedness of

disgrace.

136

• We waste so much time looking for and

discussing the faults of others. Allah

says, "That is a nation which has

already passed away: there awaits it

whatever it has earned, while you

will have what you have earned. You

will not be questioned about what

they have been doing." [Quran 2:141]

Focus on that which is your

foremost responsibility and in your

control. Yourself!

137

Oath on Patience and Begging


him said: There are three men about

whom I can take an oath. No man s

wealth can be reduced by charity. Any

man who shows patience in the face of

oppression, Allah honors him. And a

man who opens the door to begging,

Allah opens on him the door to poverty

and want. [Ibn Majah]

138

• It often happens that with the people

nearest and dearest to us we are least

forgiving. Somebody says something

harsh and Shaitaan immediately jumps

to our side telling us to throw a brick in

exchange for a stone. He incites us

saying that unless we crush the other

person in retaliation we will never get

any respect.

• But this is not the formula for honor

given by our beloved Prophet (pbuh).

He told us to forbear the personal

insults we receive if we desire honor.

139

• It is sad that we are willing to show

forbearance when Allah (subhana wa

ta ala) is insulted, and patience when

Muhammad (peace be upon him) is

maligned, but quick to react when the

lowly persons of ourselves are treated

contemptuously.

140

• It is against the honor of a Muslim to ask

of others – let alone beg. This hadith tells

us that begging brings us no good

anyway. Allah (subhana wa ta ala)

guarantees that person poverty who

stretches his hand out in front of others

instead of Allah.

• If you want anything pray and ask Allah

(subhana wa ta ala) for it. He is the source

of everything anyway. Teach your

children also to ask from Allah, rather

than from you. If it is written for them,

Allah will put it in the heart of the person

through whom it is to reach them.

141

Farewell Advice

• Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon

him) said: "O people, your wives have

certain rights over you and you have

certain rights over them. Treat them

well and be kind to them, for they are

your partners and committed helpers."

[Tirmidhi]

145

• Fair dealings and good behavior is

necessary towards everyone, but the

Prophet (pbuh), mercy for all mankind,

emphasized it especially towards women.

A man is rewarded for every morsel of

food that he puts into his wife's mouth.

The best sadaqah is that which is spent on

one's family and kindness to the wife is an

aspect of faith. Aisha (may Allah be

pleased with her) reported Allah's

Messenger as saying, "Among the

believers who show most perfect faith are

those who have the best disposition, and

are kindest to their families." [Tirmidhi]

146

• Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her),

the Prophet's wife, is one of the most

famous women in Islamic history. She

was gifted with outstanding intelligence

and memory, and is considered to be one

of the most reliable narrators of ahadith

of the Prophet (peace be upon him).

147

Rich Begging


him said: The begging of a rich

person will appear as a disfigurement

on his face on the Day of

Resurrection. [Musnad al-Imam

Ahmad]

148

• One who asks from other people when

he is not in need, will be humiliated

with disfigurement on the Day of

Resurrection, as he had unnecessarily

disfigured his image in the world with

begging.

• Teach your children from day one not to

ask people for things. All bad habits

begin small.

149

Forty Women to One Men

• The Prophet (peace be upon him) said,

"A time will come when a man will go

about with alms from his gold and will

not find anyone to receive it. One man

will be seen being followed by forty

women dependant upon him on

account of the scarcity of men and

excess of women." [Sahih Muslim]

153

• This hadith reveals two of the prophecies of the

Prophet (pbuh) which have not been fulfilled

yet. One is that wealth will be abundant and the

other is that females will greatly exceed males in

number. This may happen due to wars, when

more males will be killed. It might be that the

birth rate of females exceeds that of males. Or it

may be due to any other reason. As a result of

pollution with oestrogen like compounds in

Britain's rivers, genetically male fish in the

rivers have been found to be physically

feminized in large numbers. SubhanAllah,

when fitnah appears in society, nothing remains

safe and everything is affected!

154

Retaliation


People shall be mustered on the Day of

Judgement naked, uncircumcised, and

possessionless, and a call will be made to

them in a voice that those who are far

shall hear as well as those who are near,

saying: I am the King, I am He who

gives recompense: it is not meet for any

inhabitant of hell to enter it while any of

the inhabitants of paradise owes him

something until I exact it of them. 155

And it is not meet for any inhabitant of

paradise to enter it while he owes any of

the inhabitants of hell something until I

exact it from him, even if it be the

requital of a single slap of the face. We

asked the Messenger of Allah (pbuh),

How will this be, when we meet “llah

Mighty and Majestic naked,

uncircumcised, and without a thing?

He replied, With good and bad deeds.

[Musnad Ahmad] 156

Retaliation…

• Just retaliation is a fact of the Day of

Judgement. No one will be able to avoid

it. It is the day when Allah (subhana wa

ta ala) as King and Judge will distribute

justice and nothing will escape His notice.

Every gesture and every intention will be

weighed in the balance. That day people

will pay each other with their good deeds.

If one person slapped another unjustly he

will have to hand over some of his good

deeds to make up for it. If a person s good

deeds finish while he still owes people,

their bad deeds will begin to be loaded

into his account.

157

• This news is a warning to each of us to

watch ourselves, for no deed, big or

small escapes “llah s knowledge. It is

also balm on the aching wounds of the

oppressed. Such perfect justice is not

possible on earth where you can t undo

most harm, you can t turn back the

clock, you can t catch every criminal,

you can t prove many injustices.

158

Fifteen Traits of the Doomed

• The Prophet pbuh said: If my Ummah bears fifteen

traits, tribulation will befall it. Someone asked, What

are they, O Messenger of “llah? He said, When any

gain is shared out only among the rich, with no benefit

to the poor; when a trust becomes a means of making a

profit; when paying Zakat becomes a burden; when a

man obeys his wife and disobeys his mother; and treats

his friend kindly whilst shunning his father; when

voices are raised in the mosques; when the leader of a

people is the worst of them; when people treat a man

with respect because they fear some evil he may do;

when much wine is drunk; when men wear silk; when

female singers and musical instruments become

popular; when the last ones of this Ummah curse the

first ones - then let them expect a red wind, or the earth

to swallow them, or to be transformed into animals.

[Tirmidhi] 162

• This hadith lists some of the evils that will

befall the Ummah in its last days. Because of

our committing these sins we will deserve to

be punished. It is scary to see how many of

these sins are now rampant amongst

Muslims.

• The first sin mentioned is that the wealthy

will keep wealth among themselves

exclusively, not letting it circulate and

benefit the poor. Look at current tax laws

and you will see this to be true. Another

manifestation of this sin is the invitation of

rich relatives to celebrations but not poor

ones. This is also a way of keeping good

things among the rich only, as it excludes the

poor from even benefiting from a meal. 163

• When people hold certain positions but

only do their job when they are bribed,

this amounts to using a trust to make a

profit. Holding a position of

responsibility is a trust/amanat, but we

see politicians, government servants and

many others, instead bent on

profiteering. Another example of using a

trust to make a profit is the practice of

banks loaning out to others on interest

the money that people keep as

safekeeping with them.

164

• The third trait mentioned in this hadith is

that zakat will become a burden. This is

also evident today. How many people

happily give zakat, despite it being a

purification of wealth and source of great

reward with Allah ?

• A man obeying his wife in preference to

his mother is also a sin. This is provided

that neither of them is asking him to do

something haraam or that which

compromises any other s rights. There is

no obedience if that obedience entails

disobedience of “llah s prescribed rules

and laws.

165

• Unfortunately, we also see among

Muslims today that friends take

precedence over family, although rights

through kinship are highly stressed in

Islam. We also see people raising their

voices in mosques in argumentation and

quarrels. The worst of a people being the

leader of that nation also appears to be

the case in many Muslim majority

countries around the world.

Consequently, people are afraid of the

evil of their leaders and despite their

wickedness thus treat them with respect.

166

• As for the last four traits: Many

members of the Muslim Ummah are

gripped in the vice of drinking alcohol;

many don t think much of the sin of men

wearing silk; female singers and music

are entrenched in the popular culture of

Muslims; and some deviant sects also

engage in the repulsive sin of bad

mouthing the first generation of

Muslims.

• We need to seriously repent and ask

Allah to save us from the punishments

that befall the sinful.

167

Old Dress


Whosoever puts on a new dress and

has means, should give away his old

dress to the poor. [Tirmidhi]

168

• The Prophet (peace be upon him)

guided us in all matters of life. A

Muslim s wardrobe is limited because

they care about their fellow human

beings, for the sake of “llah s happiness.

So when they get a new dress they

should give away one of their old

dresses to the poor. This is a way of

recycling usable material and also

taking care of the needs of the needy.

169

• As with all deeds, the intention should

be to seek the pleasure of Allah

(subhana wa ta ala) rather than

humanitarianism, taking care of the

environment, or any other motive.

“llah s laws and recommendations

already take care of people, their

environment and, in fact, all creatures. It

is our Maker and Cherisher we should

seek to please.

170

• When oil riggs are set up, the trillions

spent are not for the useful by-product

we call Vaseline. It is oil for which the

expenditure is incurred and petroleum

jelly is just a useful by-product. So also,

when we follow “llah s laws and

recommendations, the thing of real

value is “llah s Pleasure, while the

resulting benefits to humans and other

creatures is the useful by-product.

171

Fear of Allah • Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him)

narrated that the Prophet pbuh said: “ man who had

never done a pious deed said to his family members,

When I die burn me to ashes and divide the ashes into

two parts. Scatter one of them on land and the other in

the ocean. By Allah! If Allah gets hold over this body,

He will punish it as severely as He may not have

punished anyone else.

When he died, his family members obeyed his

instructions. Allah commanded the land to gather his

ashes and it collected every particle of his ashes on it.

And He commanded the ocean and it too gathered all

particles even from its depths. (Then He gave it life and

speech and He asked him, Why did you do that? He

said, My Lord! Fear of You! So “llah forgave him.

[Sahih Bukhari] 175

• This hadith highlights the importance of

having fear of Allah. The man had done

no good deed throughout his life despite

“llah s blessings on him, but at the time

of his death the events of his life flashed

before his eyes and made him so fearful

of “llah s punishment that he instructed

his family members to burn his body

and scatter his ashes over land and sea

in the hope that Allah would not be able

to put his body together again to punish

him.

176

• The man made a gross misjudgment of “llah s

attributes and supposed that by treating his

body in this way he would be able to defeat

“llah s plans to revive him. “llah, who has

created life out of nothing, is fully capable of

gathering scattered particles in the expanse of

the universe and reviving the dead. However,

Allah forgave the man because his wrong

approach had been prompted by fear of Him

and punishment at His hands.

• Thus, having the fear of Allah is a noble and

valuable asset. Allah says in the Quran, ”ut as

for him who feared the standing before his Lord

and restrained his soul from caprices, surely the

Garden shall be his abode. [79:4 -41]

177

• This hadith also teaches us never to despair of

the mercy of Allah Most High. We should

hope that He will forgive everyone who

makes a sincere repentance and seeks

forgiveness. A believer must maintain two

balanced approaches; that of fear and hope –

fear of being punished and hope for His

mercy. It is not correct to lean on any one

approach alone. As a bird with one wing

heavier than the other cannot fly so also

having a disbalance in fear and hope will not

allow a person to be a successful Muslim. An

extremity of fear makes one too despondent

to do good deeds, while over dependence on

hope makes one neglect piety.

178

One Whom Allah Loves


him said: ”y “llah, “llah will never

throw one who loves Him and whom

He loves into the Fire. [Musnad

Ahmad]

179

• Love is a reciprocal thing. Suppose you love

someone from the bottom of your heart but

regardless of what you do for them they do not

reciprocate your feelings. While you look at

them adoringly, they look past you as though

you were invisible. You put everything on the

side to serve them day and night but they don t

acknowledge your selfless love or any of your

sacrifices. You stand by them through thick and

thin but they don t value your feelings. You

always try to do what pleases them but they

don t ask for your opinion. They say about you

things that are untrue and listen silently while

your reputation is trashed. How long will your

love last?

180

• Allah (subhana wa ta ala) has shown

His intense and unceasing love for me;

but have I loved Him in return? Have I

given preference to Allah, His feelings

and His opinions?

• May Allah (subhana wa ta ala) help me

to become such that I reciprocate His

love. Those who believe are

overflowing in their love for “llah.

[Quran: Surah Baqrah, Ayat 165]

• May my love for Him become greater

than my love of my own desires and

may I value His opinion more than that

of people.

181

Fitnah of Duyna

• Abu Musa Ashari (may Allah be

pleased with him) narrated that the

Messenger of Allah (peace be upon

him said: He who loves his dunya

hurts his Akhirah, and he who loves

his akhirah hurts his dunya. Therefore

you should give preference to the one

that lasts over the one that is to

perish. [Hakim in Mustadrak]

185

• If you live in a rented house and are having

your own house built will you spend a

great deal of money, if any, on the rented

house or will you try to save as much as

you can for the construction of your own

house? When one works for the everlasting

next life they try to send whatever they

have forward. That means that they

compromise their life styles in order to

spend their money in “llah s path. They compromise on their leisure in order to put

in more effort for their akhirah. They

compromise on their desires so that Allah

fulfills their every desire in the Hereafter. In

short, they try to maximize the return on

whatever Allah has given them in this

world. 186

• A look at the life of any of the Sahabah

will show the practical application of

this hadith. Allah repeatedly calls this

world a deception. Despite being

warned, we act as though it will last

forever. We spend two or three decades

on acquiring the education that will

only serve us in this life. We then spend

the rest of our decades trying to enjoy

this life as much as we can. But for the

everlasting life that will begin with the

blink of an eye we do not bother to

prepare much.

187

• Sufyan Thawri narrated that Eesa ibn

Maryam (alaihis salam said “s fire

and water cannot coexist within the

same bowl; in the same way love of the

akhirah and love of this world cannot

coexist in the heart of a Momin. [Dham

ad-Dunya li Ibn Abi ad-Dunya]

188

On the Most Evil

• Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman (radi Allahu

anhu) narrated that the Prophet (peace be

upon him said: Islam will wear out as

embroidery on a garment wears out, until

no one will know what fasting, prayer,

(pilgrimage) rites and charity are. The

Quran will disappear in one night, and

not one verse of it will be left on earth.

And there will be some people left, old

men and old women who will say, We

saw our fathers saying these words: la

ilaha illa “llah, so we say them too. 189

Silah asked Hudhayfah, What will

saying la ilaha illa Allah do for them

when they do not know what prayer,

fasting, (pilgrimage) rites and charity

are? Hudhayfah ignored him; then Silah

repeated his question three times, and

each time Hudhayfah ignored him.

Finally he answered, O Silah, it will

save them from Hell, and said it three

times. [The Chapters on Tribulations

Sunan Ibn Majah]

190

On the Most Evil…

• This indicates that in the last days, knowledge

will be taken from the people, and even the

Quran will disappear from the Mushafs and

from people's hearts. People will be left without

knowledge. Only old people will tell them that

they used to hear people saying la ilaha illa

Allah; and they will repeat it to feel close to

Allah. So it will give them some blessing, even

if they do not have any good deeds or beneficial

knowledge. Knowledge will be taken away

from men and ignorance will increase during

the last days. Ignorance and misguidance will

increase until the end of time, as in the hadith

of the Prophet pbuh The Hour will not come

upon anyone who says, 'Allah, Allah'; it will

only come upon the most evil of men.

191

Friends of Allah

• The Messenger of “llah pbuh said: “llah

Most High says, He who is hostile to a friend

(Wali) of Mine I declare war against. My slave

approaches Me with nothing more beloved to

Me than what I have made obligatory for him,

and My slave keeps drawing nearer to Me

with voluntary works until I love him. And

when I love him, I am his hearing with which

he hears, his sight with which he sees, his hand

with which he seizes, and his foot with which

he walks. If he asks Me, I will surely give to

him, and if he seeks refuge in Me, I will surely

protect him. [Sahih ”ukhari] 195

• “llah s friends are those who are

constant and sincere in obedience to

Him. A friend (Wali) of Allah is one who

is close to Him because of his devotion

to Him, through obeying His commands

and shunning the acts which he has

forbidden. Allah declares war against

those who harass people because of their

Islam. Allah says that He will fight such

people Himself. And whoever such a

thing should happen to, should expect

only the worst possible things to happen

to him or her.

196

• This hadith also tells us that the obligatory

deeds (Faraid) are the most beloved to

Allah. Nothing makes Allah happier than

performance of Faraid and keeping away

from the forbidden deeds (Haraam). This

is what makes a person a friend of “llah s.

We should also keep the performance of

obligatory (Fard) and recommended

(Sunnah/Nafl) deeds in perspective. It is

said that the recommended deed amounts

to but one-seventieth of the value of an

obligatory deed. [Reliance of the Traveller

by Ahmad ibn Naqib Al-Misri]

197

• Thus, whoever draws near to Allah

through what is obligatory, and then

through the recommended deeds, Allah

draws him nearer to Himself and

elevates him from the level of true faith

(Iman) to the level of perfection of faith

(Ihsan). The consequence of this is the

preservation of the individual s whole

person, so that he forsakes selfish

desires and is wholly absorbed in

obedience.

198

• This hadith is also a metaphor for “llah s

help and assistance. By Allah becoming

someone s hearing or sight or hand what

is meant is that Allah helps the Momin to

perceive what He wants him to perceive

and do through his limbs what He wants

him to do.

• When a Momin becomes a friend of

“llah s, “llah grants the Momin what he

asks for. This happened to many of the

early Muslims, and Allah protects such a

person from whatever he fears. Whoever

draws near to Allah through the above

will not have his duas rejected.

199

Naked on Day of Resurrection

• When Aishah (may Allah be pleased

with her) heard the Messenger of Allah

pbuh say: Mankind will be gathered on

the Day of Resurrection, barefoot, naked

and uncircumcised, she said, O

Messenger of Allah, men and women

together, looking at one another? He

pbuh said, O Aishah, it will be too

distressing for them to be looking at one

another. [Mishkaat al-Masaabeeh]

200

• On the Day of Judgement all human

beings who ever lived will be

resurrected and gathered together. They

will be naked, barefoot and

uncircumcised. But the Day of

Judgement will be too stressful for

anyone to even notice the other people

around them, let alone look at them.

Each person will be consumed with

worry, so concerned about their fate that

everything else will cease to be of

significance to them.

201

• “nd warn them O Muhammad of

the Day that is drawing near (i.e. the

Day of Resurrection), when the

hearts will be choking the throats,

and they can neither return them to

their chests nor can they throw them

out. [Quran: Surah Ghafir, Ayat 18]

202

• O mankind! Fear your Lord and be

dutiful to Him! Verily, the

earthquake of the Hour (of

Judgement) is a terrible thing. The

Day you shall see it, every nursing

mother will forget her nursling, and

every pregnant one will drop her

load, and you shall see mankind as

in a drunken state, yet they will not

be drunken, but severe will be the

Torment of “llah. [Quran: Surah

Hajj, Ayaat 1-2]

203

Five Pillars


him said: Islam is built upon five

pillars: testifying that there is no God

except Allah and that Muhammad is

His Messenger, the establishment of

the prayer, the giving of Zakah, the

fast of Ramadan and the pilgrimage

(Hajj) to Makkah. [Sahih ”ukhari]

207

• A man came to the Prophet (peace be upon

him and said: O Messenger of “llah, tell

me what Allah requires of me as regards

fasting. He answered: The month of

Ramadan. The man asked: Is there any

other fast ? The Prophet peace be upon

him answered: No, unless you do so

voluntarily. [Sahih ”ukhari]

208

• The edifice of Islam is built on five

pillars. The fasts of Ramadhan are one of

the pillars that support the structure of

Islam. The whole Muslim nation agrees

that the fast of Ramadan is obligatory. It

is one of the pillars of Islam, and if one

disputes this, he cannot be called a

Muslim.

209

Necessary Education


The best gift that a father can bestow

upon his son is to arrange good

education and training for him.

[Mishkat]

210

• Concentrate all your efforts on training

and educating your children in piety.

Consider the greatest sacrifice too little

to achieve this purpose. This is an

obligation laid upon you by your

religion, it is a favor you owe to your

children, and it is the greatest good that

you can do to yourself. Allah (subhana

wa ta ala) says in the Quran: O you

who believe, save yourselves and

your families from a fire whose fuel

is men and stones. [Surah Tahreem:

Ayat 6]

211

• The only way to save oneself from

Hellfire is by passing one s life in loyalty

and devotion to the commands of Allah

(subhana wa ta ala) and His Messenger

(pbuh). For this one must gain the

requisite knowledge of religion.

212

• In a house alone at night, an old woman

was teasing some wool and speaking

aloud The prayer of the good be upon

Muhammad, may the blessed bless him!

I was standing in tears before dawn. If

only I knew, when death gives us

different forms, whether the Abode will

join me to my beloved! She meant the

Prophet (pbuh). Umar (may Allah be

pleased with him) wept as he overheard

her.

213

• Since this is the desire of all true

Muslims, not only for themselves, but

for other Muslims too, Umar (may Allah

be pleased with him) as the Khalifa of

the Muslims, prescribed compulsory

education for them that would enable

them to unite with their beloved: All

Muslim boys and girls were required to

commit at least Surah Al-Baqarah, Surah

An-Nisa, Surah Maidah, Surah Al-Hajj

and Surah An-Noor to memory. These

Surahs elaborate the Islamic laws and

principles that none of us can afford to

not know about. 214

Free to Believe


him said: “llah does not compel

belief, and leaves the people free to

believe or disbelieve. [Sahih Muslim]

218

• Winners carefully choose their beliefs

whereas losers adopt them from others.

Supreme success and the greatest

success as defined by “llah in the

Quran) is admittance into Jannah.

• Just as a person cannot be compelled to

try to get admission into an excellent

university, nobody can be forced into

having the set of beliefs (and resulting

actions) to get into Jannah either. There

must be sufficient motivation in the

individual himself/herself to gain

admission.

• What we choose to believe or disbelieve

is up to us. But the consequences have

been clearly spelt out. 219

No Body Hair in Jannah


him said: The people of Jannah will

enter Jannah hairless, looking as if

their eyes are ringed with kohl, aged

thirty-three. [Tirmidhi]

220

• One of the aspects of beauty of the people

of Jannah is that they will have no body

hair. Nobody has to make any effort to

keep themselves clean - its all taken care

of in advance! Think how much time it

will save us and what pains we are

spared once we make it to Paradise

inshaAllah.

• Our eyes will look like they are anointed

with kohl. No need for make-up, its all

naturally beautiful!

• Each person will enter Jannah aged thrity-

three, the age of strength, vitality and

youth.

221

Final Prophet


him said: My likeness among the

prophets is as a man who, having built a

house and put the finishing touches on it

and made it seemly, yet left one place

without a brick. When anyone entered it

and saw this, he would exclaim, How

excellent it is, but for the place of this

brick. Now, I am the place of that brick:

through me the line of the prophets (Allah

bless them and give them peace) has been

brought to completion. [”ukhari] 225

• Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon

him) was the last in a long succession of

prophets, that Allah sent to mankind

over the millennia. Anyone claiming to

be a prophet or messenger after him is a

fraud, misled and misleading. Since the

last prophet has come, we can deduce

that we are in the final stages of life on

earth.

• Since no prophets are to come after

Muhammad (peace be upon him), Allah

has taken it upon himself to guard the

final revelation from being tampered

with. It will remain in its original form

till the Blowing of the Trumpet. 226

Noblest Thoughts

• The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) went out to a

circle of his Companions and said, What is

it that has caused you to sit together? They

said, We sat down to remember “llah and

praise Him for He has guided us to Islam

and been gracious to us. He said, ”y “llah,

is that the only thing that made you sit

together? They said, ”y “llah, we sat down

for that reason alone. He said, I did not

make you swear out of any suspicion of you,

but Jibreel came to me and reported to me

that Allah Almighty is boasting about you to

the angels. [Sahih Muslim] 227

• Imagine! Allah (subhana wa ta ala)

boasting about us! Us? All praise

belongs to Him alone. It is His

graciousness that He consider us worth

talking about, let alone boasting of.

• This boasting on the part of Allah

Almighty is an indication of the nobility

of Dhikr in His sight. The Dhikr that the

Companions were engaged in, that

caused “llah s boasting, was mention of

“llah s favors on them and gratitude

towards Him for being guided to Islam.

These are the noblest thoughts and

feelings a human being can have. 228

False Advertising


“void swearing falsely in order to sell

your goods. Apparently it appears to

be promoting your business, but in

fact it lets your business down and

damages the goodwill of your

business. [Muslim]

232

• The Prophet (peace be upon him) taught

us everything of use to us, including

business ethics. He told us how false

advertising - making incorrect claims

about the product we want to sell - hurts

the business. Even if it appears to be

increasing sales, it is damaging in the

long run.

• Does this mean that if I am willing to

take on long term loss for short term

gain, I am free to do so? No, because

false advertising is still lying and lying

leads to the fire of Jahannum.

233

No Indulgence in Rebuking


him said: It is not possible that you

indulge in rebuking and reproaching

and at the same time remain Siddique

truthful and straight. [Mishkat Al-

Masabih]

234

• When a person gets into the rebuking

mode, he very easily goes overboard. It

suddenly becomes next to impossible

for the person to control himself and

limit himself to saying only that which

is strictly true, without making

generalizations and exaggerating. The

situation quickly develops into an

argument and each person becomes

bent on proving that they are right and

the other is to blame.

235

• If you must let someone know of their

shortcomings, decide in advance on exactly

what statement you are going to make.

Make sure that it is 100% factually true and

limit yourself to saying only that much. For

example, assume you felt insulted when

you were cut short in front of your friends.

Keep your tone neutral; simply describe the

bahaviour and your feelings When you

interrupted me in front of my friends, I felt

insulted. Please do not interrupt me like

that again. Should the other person start

attacking you, control yourself; hold your

tongue and say no more. 236

• If that statement had been said to you,

you should have evaluated it quietly in

your mind and fixed your shortcoming,

without starting an attack in return.

237

First Ummah to Enter Jannah


We are the last Ummah to appear ,

but we will be the first on the Day of

Resurrection. We will be the first of

mankind to enter Jannah. [”ukhari]

241

• The Muslim Ummah will be the first

nation to enter Jannah. This is because

they followed “llah s commands most

closely, in particular the command by

which He has distinguished them and

which is the basis of their excellence.

242

• You are indeed the best community

that has ever been brought forth for

(the good of) mankind: you enjoin the

doing of what is right and forbid the

doing of what is wrong, and you

believe in Allah. Now if the followers

of earlier revelation had attained to

(this kind of) faith, it would have been

for their own good; (but only few)

among them are believers, while most

of them are iniquitous. [Quran: Surah

Al-e-Imran, Ayat 110]

243

• Therefore, encouraging people to do

good deeds and trying to prevent them

from doing evil deeds, while believing

truly in Allah, His names and attributes,

is what distinguishes Muslims from

other nations. It is what makes them

worthy of entering Jannah before other

nations. It is not the job of a clergy to

bring people closer to Allah, but every

Muslim s job to work in his/her own

capacity to connect people with Allah

and His commands.

244

• Allah does not group people on the basis

of race, color or ethnicity. People are

either His followers or the followers of

Shaitaan; even though Shaitaan

promises nothing but lies while Allah

promises Jannah. Therefore, it is not a

particular race or ethnicity that will

enter Jannah but those most obedient to

“llah s commands.

245

Modesty Indicator of Eeman


him said: Indeed Haya (modesty)

and Eeman (faith) are companions.

When one of them is lifted, the other

leaves as well. [Baihaqi, Shu abul

Iman]

246

• Haya is a special characteristic of a

Mumin. People who are ignorant of the

teachings of the Prophet (pbuh) do not

concern themselves with Haya.

• Haya and Eeman are interdependent ;

therefore, they either exist together or

they both perish. One begins to do

immodest deeds, these lead to vulgar

deeds; then a person begins to justify his

lewd actions, thereby negating the

teachings of Islam. Denying the

teachings of Islam (e.g. that Hijab or

guarding one s gaze is not required of

Muslims), is Kufr (disbelief). 247

• Thus, we see that Haya and Eeman go

together, when one leaves the other

leaves as well. You can judge the level of

your Eeman by your level of modesty.

248

Family Counts in Sadaqah


him said: What a Muslim spends on

his family, for seeking the pleasure of

“llah, is also counted as charity.

[Bukhaari]

252

• Allah advises man to first be kind to

himself and to the people in his home,

then to his larger circle of relatives, and

then to all human beings.

• When a man provides for his wife,

children, parents and any other

dependents, he is worshipping Allah by

obeying Him. If his intention is to fulfill

the responsibilities Allah has assigned

to him, he gains the reward of

performing good deeds, by paying for

his family s food, clothes, housing,

medicine, etc. 253

• Allah has forbidden both miserliness

and extravagance (wasteful spending).

We should spend in a balanced manner,

keeping well away from these two

extremes.

254

Molten Lead in Whose Eyes


him said: On the Day of Judgement,

molten lead will be dropped in the eyes

of a person who lustfully looks at a

woman s beauty. [Az-Zawajir]

255

• Beware of what you see when you go

out of your house and beware of which

book you open or what screen you turn

on!

• Take for example television: What can

one not help but see if they turn their

T.V. on? It s not just movies and

entertainment programs that need to be

avoided; Is it worth watching

educational programs or the news if the

sight of the news-casters or

advertisements littering the program,

can be converted into molten lead in

one's eyes on the Day of Judgement? 256

Fasting Recompensed Without Measure

• The Messenger of Allah (peace be

upon him said: Every good deed of

the son of Adam will be multiplied

between ten and seven hundred

times, but “llah says, Except for

fasting, because it is for Me and I

will give the reward for it.

[Bukhaari]

260

• Among the actions which will be

multiplied beyond measure, to an extent

known only to the One Who gives the

reward, is fasting.

261

• The reason that the one who fasts will be

given reward without measure, is that

fasting requires Sabr (patience), and

those who are patient will be given

reward without measure. Allah says in

the Quran: Only those who are

patient shall receive their reward in

full, without measure. [Surah Az-

Zumar: Ayat 10]

• Imaam Qurtubi said The scholars

said, Every reward will be measured

and weighed out, except (the reward

for) fasting, which will be poured out

and heaped up. [Tafseer al-Qurtubi] 262

Manner of Advising


him said: O Umar! You are a strong

person. Do not jostle through the

crowds to reach the black stone lest

you injure the weak. If you find an

opening, then touch it, otherwise

simply face it and utter Tahleel and

Takbeer (laa ilaaha illallaah and

Allaahu akbar . [Musnad Ahmad]

263

• On one occasion the Prophet (pbuh) noticed

that Umar (may Allah be pleased with him)

was making Tawaf around the Kaabah and as

he wished to touch the black stone, he jostled

through the crowds and kissed it. Umar (may

Allah be pleased with him) was very

muscular and strong and on his way to the

black stone he could have harmed someone.

The Prophet (pbuh) wanted to advise him in

this regard, so in order to mentally prepare

him for advice he started by saying, O

Umar, you are a strong person. Umar may

Allah be pleased with him) became pleased

upon hearing this. The Prophet (pbuh) then

said, Do not jostle through the crowds to

reach the black stone. 264

• There was once a king who saw in a

dream that all his teeth had fallen out.

He called a dream-interpreter, told him

what he had seen, and asked him to

interpret it.

• When the interpreter heard the dream

his complexion changed and he began

to repeat, “llah s refuge is sought!

“llah s refuge is sought! The king

became worried and asked, What is the

interpretation of my dream? The

interpreter said, “fter many years pass,

your wife and children will die and you

will be all alone in your kingdom! 265

• The king screamed, became furious, and

began to hurl abuses and insults. He then

ordered that the interpreter be

imprisoned and called for another one.

He again related to him what he had seen

in his dream and asked him for the

interpretation.

• The dream interpreter smiled and said,

Glad tidings dear king! The king said,

What is the interpretation of the

dream? The interpreter said, It means

that you will live for very long – so long

that you will be the last of your family to

die, and you will remain a king your

entire life. 266

• The king became very pleased,

showered him with gifts, and remained

content with him whilst angry with the

first dream-interpreter. In reality, both

interpretations were the same, the

difference was in the way in which the

interpretation was conveyed.

• “ man s flesh is not fit for eating nor is

his skin fit for clothing – there is nothing

in him except the sweetness of his

tongue.

267

Forbearance and Patience Most Loved

• The Prophet (pbuh) said to al-Ashaj

bin Abd Qays (may Allah be pleased

with him : You have two qualities

that “llah and His Messenger love.

Al-Ashaj (may Allah be pleased with

him) became overjoyed and said:

What are the two qualities, O

Messenger of “llah? The Prophet

pbuh said: Forbearance and

patience. [“hmad] 271

• Before you rush to settle scores with

people remind yourself of this hadith.

• One of the most striking examples of

forbearance and patience is that of the

Prophet Yaqub (pbuh). Consider how he

dealt with his sons knowing they had

been involved in foul play with his

beloved Yusuf (pbuh), their step brother.

His love of his son Yusuf (pbuh) was

such that he did not even like him to go

out to play with his step brothers. Yet

how many decades did he forbear while

his heart bled and his eyes became blind

with silent weeping. 272

• Allah tells us the stories of prophets in

the Quran so we may model our

behavior on their exalted characters.

273

Misled by Debaters after Guidance


“fter receiving guidance no

community went astray and did not

deviate from the path it was following,

except when debaters turned them

away from it. [Tirmidhi]

274

• On account of their tongues, debaters do

not stay within limits. They keep talking,

feeling conceited and strutting along. For

this group, the import of their words is of

primary importance, while truth takes

second place. They are responsible for

their own misguidance as well as the

misguidance of their victims.

• Such debaters may be among our

families, colleagues or friends. They are

very prevalent on mass media, on T.V.,

radio, in the print media and scholarly

circles. Their slickness makes many

people slip.

275

• Each person should take care to avoid

the gatherings and spell-casting talk of

such people. We need to be very vigilant

because, while they will shoulder blame

for misguiding us, we will still be

punished for allowing ourselves to be

misguided by them.

276

Forbearance Required of Muslims


Patience comes with forbearance.

[Ad-Daraqutni]

280

• Forbearance means to suppress one s

anger and other negative reactions that

naturally and immediately surface in the

untrained person when they are

insulted, abused, hurt or taken

advantage of. Forbearance means to

tolerate perceived harm and control

one s reaction, exhibiting only such

behavior as pleases Allah.

281

• A Muslim preacher was once giving a

lecture in a prison. The lecture was

delivered in a special section of the prison

where most of the prisoners were guilty of

murder or manslaughter. When he had

finished his lecture and the prisoners were

going back to their cells, one of them came

forward to thank him. He was the one

responsible for cultural activities in the

prison. The preacher asked him about the

cause which led most of these men to

commit murder. He replied, Just anger. ”y

Allah, dear Shaykh, some of them have

killed over a few riyals during a dispute

with a shopkeeper or a petrol station

attendant! 282

• The Prophet (peace be upon him)

ordered us to train ourselves on

forbearance. The first time a person

suppresses his anger, it may drain his

emotions 100%. The second time, it will

decrease to 90%. The third time, it will

be 80%, and so one until forbearance

becomes second nature. Eventually, on

experiencing unpleasant circumstances,

a person will exhibit patience, one of the

qualities most beloved to Allah.

283

Marry If You Can, Otherwise Fast


Whoever among you can afford it, let

him get married, for it is more effective

in lowering the gaze and guarding

chastity. And whoever cannot afford it,

then let him fast, for it will be restraint

for him. [Sunan an-Nasai]

284

• The Prophet (pbuh) recommended that

Muslims get married. It is against the

teachings of Islam to have the financial

ability to get married but choose to stay

single.

• There is a specific code of conduct while in

this world that Allah (subhana wa ta ala)

has outlined for those who want to spend

eternity as they please in Jannah. One of its

requirements is to be careful with where

one looks and guard oneself from looking

at the opposite gender except one s

spouse). What the eye sees, the limbs follow

to. To look at forbidden things is the first

step in the wrong direction. 285

• ”eing married helps to guard one s gaze

and remain within the boundaries of

Islam. If a person is not able to get

married for some reason, then they

should fast. Fasting helps to guard one s

chastity.

286

Fifty Thousand Books of Account


him) was asked about the deed on

account of which most people will

enter Paradise. He (peace be upon him)

said: Fear of “llah and good

manners. [Tirmidhi]

290

• Adjust your accounts with everybody.

Account will be taken of you on the Day

of Resurrection, and of your dealings

with each and every person you

encountered in life.

• “ pious Muslim said I saw a merchant

in a dream and asked him, What

treatment has “llah meted out to you?

He replied, Fifty thousand books of

accounts have been opened before me. I

asked, “re all these records of sins. He

replied, You will find one record for

each person you have dealt with in the

world. All have been recorded in these

books of accounts. [Ihya Ulum Id-Din] 291

• Each person you come across in life

equals one book of accountability. We

don t just have monetary transactions

with people. Our books of account will

have our conduct with people recorded

in them, each word, each favor and each

injury.

• Think of how many people you ve come

across in life. Estimate how many books

of accountability you already have. Try

to keep the awareness of your mutual

book in mind every time you are in the

presence of another human being.

292

Unlawful Food Bars Acceptance of Dua

• Once Sa ad (radi Allahu anhu) said to

the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon

him : Pray to “llah that He may

accept my invocation. The Messenger

of “llah peace be upon him said: Eat

lawful food and for that your

invocation will be accepted. [Ihya

Ulum Id-Din by Imam Ghazali]

293

• If you feel that your prayers are not

being answered, look into the source of

your income. Scrutinize it carefully. Are

you going against any of “llah s

injunctions to earn it?

294

Modesty before Allah

• The Messenger of “llah pbuh said: ”e modest

before “llah as it is proper to be modest. The

Sahabah (radi Allahu anhum said: We are modest

before “llah, and for this we thank Him. The

Prophet pbuh said: This is not modesty. The

modesty that should be before Allah demands that

you keep your head and all parts safe from falsehood,

keep your belly and your food safe from forbidden

things, and remember the condition of death and that

of the grave; and he who wants to love the life of the

Hereafter, should give up the embellishments and

grandeur of worldly life, and should prefer the

Hereafter to the world. He who has done so has as if

fulfilled the right of being modest before “llah.

[Tirmidhi] 295

• We try to display our best conduct and

behavior in the presence of those whom

we consider great and whom we want

to please. Before them we speak only as

much as necessary. Every step that we

take before them is with caution and

fear of their disapproval.

296

• A Muslim whose religion teaches him

that he is never away from the sight of

Allah, because he is in His presence day

and night, is more awed by Allah

(subhana wa ta ala) than he is by

important people and more careful not

to displease Him than he is cautious

about displeasing important people. He

is, therefore, more careful to obey Him

than he is concerned about obeying the

people important in his life.

297

• If a person conducts his life with the

consciousness that Allah (subhana wa

ta ala) is watching him, and if he hates

to be lax and defective in matters

concerning Allah, then he has fulfilled

the right of being modest before Allah.

298

5. May (Sunnah Selection For Daily Reading)

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