The Difference between Taubah and Istaghfar*Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyah (751H)
There are two types of Istaghfar;1. Istaghfar that is mentioned alone.2. Istaghfar that is mentioned with Taubah.
*The Istaghfar* that is mentioned alone is found in the words of Nuh (peace and blessings be upon him) : “I said (to them): ‘Ask forgiveness from your Lord; Verily, He is Oft-Forgiving; ‘He will send rain to you in abundance [ nuh 10-11]
and in the words of Salih (peace and blessings be upon him) : Why seek you not the Forgiveness of Allah, that you may receive mercy?” [an-naml 46]
Allah also said,:“…and ask Allah for His Forgiveness. Truly, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most-Merciful.[ Al-Baqarah 199]“And Allah would not punish them while you (Muhammad) are amongst them, nor will He punish them while they seek (Allah’s) Forgiveness[Al-Anfal 33]
*Istaghfar mentioned with Taubah* is found in the following verses from the Most Merciful’s speech.
Seek the forgiveness of your Lord, and turn to Him in repentance, that He may grant you good enjoyment, for a term appointed, and bestow His abounding Grace to every owner of grace [ Hud 3]
Ask forgiveness of your Lord and then repent to Him, He will send you (fromthe sky) abundant rain.[Hud 52] .
Also Prophet Salih’s words to his people have Taubah and Istaghfar mentioned together
He brought you forth from the earth and settled you therein, then askforgiveness of Him and turn to Him in repentance.[ Hud 61]
and Shuaib’s speech as well has these two actions joined together.
“And ask forgiveness of your Lord and turn unto Him in repentance. Verily,my Lord is Most Merciful, Most Loving.” [ Hud 90]
Al-Istaghfar is like Taubah and in reality it is. Contained in Istaghfar is the request of Allah’s forgiveness. Allah’s forgiveness is the removal of the sin, its affect and protection from the sin’s harm… Al-Istaghfar contains At-Taubah and vice versa. Both of these actions are included in each other. Whenever both of these words are mentioned together
Al-Istaghfar is protection from the consequence of any previous evil. At-Taubah on the other hand is to return to Allah obediently and the search of His protection from the sin’s effect in the future.
There are two sins. The sin that was committed. Hence a person does Al-Istaghfar- seeking protection from its harm and evil. And then there is the second sin which is the one that is feared to occur in the future.
At-Taubah is the resolution to avoid the sin and penitence to Allah. Penitence to Allah holds two things. The first is the act of returning to Allah in order to be protected from the result of previous sin and evil. Thesecond thing held in At-Taubah is the search for protection against evil that might befall you in the future resulting from the evil of yourself and deeds.
The sinner is like a driver who takes a road that leads to his death. That road doesn’t take him where he intended to go. He is ordered to take alternative route and travel the road that leads to his safety. That alternative route takes him where he wanted to go and as a result he is successful.
Therefore in this instance there are two things that are necessary.;
1. Separation from something2. Recourse to a different way
At-Taubah is the recourse and Al-Istaghfar is the separation. Whenever these words are mentioned separately one is included in the other. Allah knows best, but that’s why He said, “”And ask forgiveness of your Lord and turn unto Him in repentance “ [ Hud 90]
This is the recourse to the path of truth after separation from the path of falsehood.
In conclusion, Al-Istaghfar is from the chapter of the removal of harm. And At-Taubah is from the chapter of requesting a good outcome. Therefore Al-Maghfirah is protection against sin’s evil and At-Taubah is the obtainment of good after the protection is sought. Each one is included in the other when mentioned alone. Allah knows best
Taken from Madarajus SallikeenTranslated by Abu Aaliyah Abdullah ibn Dwight Battle
The Difference between Taubah and Istaghfar
Dreams in the Scale of Islam
Bismillaahir Rahmaanir Raheem!
Alhamdulillaah! Was-Salaatu Was-Salaamu ‘Ala Rasoolillaah!
As salaamu ‘alaykum wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuh,
Khateeb’s Name Su’ood Ash-Shuraym
Summary:
1) People’s desire to talk about the unseen.
2) No one knows the unseen except Allaah.
3) People’s interest in dreams.
4) The position of educated people and intellectuals regarding dreams.
5) The position of Islamic scholars regarding dreams.
6) The reason for people’s interest in dreams in the present time.
7) The Prophet’s way in dealing with dreams.
8) The three types of dreams are:
- True dreams.
- Satanic dreams.
- Whispers of the soul.
9) Dreams cannot be bases for Islamic rulings or judgment of people.
10) The conditions of dream interpreters and their etiquettes.
11) The danger and evil consequence of interpreting dreams through satellite channels and general people’s gatherings.
First Khutbah
O people! The son of Aadam has a great desire and an enflamed interest regarding the unseen, whether it is related to the past or the future, and refusing to accept that such a phenomenon exists, is ignoring a fact of life. People’s obsession with such phenomena is related to how close they are to the Sunnah of the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam and Qur’aan which firmly addressed this subject and clarified it, as Allaah says, which means, “(He is) Knower of the unseen, and He does not disclose His (knowledge of the) unseen, Except whom He has approved of as messengers, and indeed, He sends before him (i.e. each messenger) and behind him observers” (Al-Jinn: 26-27).
It is no wonder that the further people are from the time of prophet hood, the more confused they become and mix facts regarding the issue of the unseen, and the more eager people with weak souls become to know the unseen. Some believe in illusions as facts, others accept what fortune-tellers say, and others guess and speak about the unseen during all times while the verses from the Qur’aan are recited before them day and night, like the saying of Allaah, which means, “Say, ‘ None in the heavens and earth knows the unseen except Allah and they do not perceive when they will be resurrected.’” (An-Naml: 65) as well as the sayings of the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, like the Hadeeth where he said, “Five things only Allaah knows, and he recited the verse (the meaning of which is) “Indeed, Allaah (alone) has knowledge of the hour and sends down the rain and knows what is in the wombs. And no soul perceives what it will earn tomorrow and no soul perceives in what land it will die. Indeed, Allaah is Knowing and Acquainted” (Luqmaan: 34)”
Thus, it is not possible to know the unseen or address it, except through what Allaah has told us, or what He revealed to His Messenger sallaalhu ‘alaihi wa sallam. Anything other than this would be guesses and illusions, or a mixture of words conveyed to people by some Jinn.
Islam removes confusion and illusions from the mind and guides those who stray from the straight path. Believing in the unseen cannot be equated with believing in fantasies.
Those who survive this phenomenon, get trapped by their eagerness to know the future, which they think is a major factor in deciding the stability and instability of their lives, so they try to reach that through dreams. You might meet a brother (in faith) or a friend and be greeted with a gloomy or cheerful face, but you would be surprised to discover that this disposition is due to a dream which they have seen in their sleep.
Slaves of Allaah! This issue is not only the concern of individuals or common people, but many eminent figures join them in this concern. Dreams have disturbed many great people, and other dreams came as glad tidings to many others. Some dreams became the concern of nations, like the dream of the king of Egypt, which the Qur’aan told of in the story of Prophet Yoosuf, peace be upon him. His dream included both glad tidings and warnings at the same time; it gave glad tidings of the increase in provisions for seven consecutive years, then warned against famine for the following seven years.
Slaves of Allaah! Dreams have had great importance in people’s lives before and after Islam. Educated people and intellectuals might differ in the way they view dreams and judge their issue.Philosophers have rejected that dreams have any meaning at all and claimed that dreams result from the reactions which take place in the body and reflect the state of mind. Some psychiatrists have a negative stance towards dreams, which is actually very close to that of the philosophers. They refer it to the mood of people and certain parts of their memory which become hyper during sleep, making dreams purely biological.
On the other hand, Islam and its scholars have followed the prophetic path in dealing with dreams, and have judged dreams according to the Qur’aan and the Sunnah. They have ruled that true dreams are from Allaah, some warn and others bring glad tidings. Ibn Mas’ood, may Allaah be pleased with him, narrated that the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, said,“Prophecy is finished but tidings remain” people asked, ‘What are these tidings?’ he sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam replied, “A true dream which a man sees, or others see for him” (Bukhaari & Maalik). These tidings could be good or bad as Allaah says, which means, “So give them tidings of a painful doom” (Al-Inshiqaaq: 24).
Slaves of Allaah! These dreams are the ones which the truthful and trustworthy sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said about them that, “At the end of time, the believer’s dream will rarely be incorrect; the more truthful a person is, the truer his dreams are; and the dream of a faithful believer is a part of the forty six parts of Prophecy”(Bukhaari & Muslim).
In this era, many people’s hearts have little attachment to Allaah. Belief in divine decree, pre-destiny and that whatever Allaah wants happens and whatever He does not will not happen, and that everything happens with His command…all these aspects of belief have become weak in people’s hearts. Due to this, their hearts have become more attached to the issue of dreams, and in this way, they have differed from the righteous generations of our Salaf. They have started talking about this issue more and relying on it, until it has reached a level where it has overwhelmed people’s discussions in their gatherings, on satellite channels and religious inquiries, so much so that people ask more about dreams than they ask about matters of religion, and what should and should not be done by a Muslim.
These practices take place while people are heedless of what they should do regarding dreams, and how they should deal with them based on the prophetic instructions, which one should not transgress nor ignore. The Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam left us with a clear religion, and he sufficed us regarding the issue of dreams, talking about it, getting attached to it, seeking to find out its interpretation or relying on it. People’s increased inquiries about dreams is a form of transgressing the limits set in the Sunnah and an imbalanced approach to the issue.
When some people see a dream, their lives become disturbed, and they become terrified and unable to relax until they find someone to interpret it for them so as to discover whether it brings glad tidings or evil news to him. If we stop at the limits which are set for us in the prophetic guidance, then such anxiety would not be felt, and people would not occupy themselves with this subject, which has become a way to attract audiences to the internet and satellite channels.
In order to discern the best way of dealing with this widespread phenomenon in our communities, let us listen to some of the etiquettes relating to this issue. Abu Salamah, may Allaah be pleased with him said, ‘I used to see dreams and become sick because of it, until I saw Abu Qutaadah and told him about this. So he said to me, I heard the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam saying, “Good dreams are from Allaah, and bad dreams are from Satan, so if of you see in your dream something which you dislike, then spit three times to your left and seek refuge in Allaah from its evil, then it will not harm you” (Muslim). In another narration Abu Salamah, may Allaah be pleased with him said, ‘I used to see dreams and they would feel heavier on me than a mountain, until I heard this saying of the Prophet, then it never bothered me after that’ (Muslim).
Slaves of Allaah! We see that not everything one sees in his sleep is a good dream that needs an interpretation, because what people see in their sleep is one of the three types, as narrated by‘Awf Ibn Maalik, may Allaah be pleased with him, that the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said, “Dreams are of three types, some are from Satan to sadden the son of Aadam, some are the result of what a person thinks about while he is awake so he sees it in his sleep, and some are one of the forty six parts of prophecy” (Ibn Maajah). Imaam Al-Baghawi said, ‘This Hadeeth proves that not everything which a person sees in his sleep in true and should be interpreted. The correct understanding is that some of it is from Allaah, and the rest are mixed up false dreams which have no interpretation’.
An example for these mixed up false dreams is the story of the Bedouin who came to the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam and said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah! I saw in my dream that someone beheaded me, and my head rolled and I started going after it ” So the messenger sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said: “Do not inform anyone nor talk to people about whispers that come to you in your dreams from Satan” (Muslim).
As we were instructed through the Sunnah, the way a believer should deal with this type of dream is to seek refuge in Allaah from its evil and the evil of Satan; to spit three times to the left; not to inform anyone about it; to stand up and pray as much as he is capable of; and then switch to the other side when he lies down. Some scholars added that he should recite the verse ofAl-Kursee (the throne) because the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam informed us that Satan will not be able to harm the one who recites it.
Imaam An-Nawawi said regarding the way to deal with evil dreams, ‘One who sees an evil dream should follow all the etiquettes which were mentioned in the different narrations from the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, and even if he does only some of them, it will protect him from the evil of Satan with the will of Allaah’.
The second type of dreams is that which results from a person’s whims and what he thinks about during the day and that which occupies his mind. For example, if he has been thinking about traveling or a trade, then he would see in his dream similar to what he was thinking while he was awake. These mixed up dreams are also ones that cannot be interpreted.
The only type left is the true, good dream from Allaah that brings good or bad tidings. It may be clear and not in need of an interpretation, as the dream of prophet Ibraaheem when he saw that he is slaughtering his son. Some may be ambiguous and need someone to interpret them, like the dreams that the mates of prophet Yoosuf saw in prison. This is the type which the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam forbade us from telling except to scholars or wise people seeking their advice, the messenger sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said: “Don’t tell your dream except to a scholar or a wise person seeking his advice” (Tirmithi).
All other dreams which one might see and it includes legislating things to be lawful or unlawful; performing certain acts of worship; deciding the night of Al-Qadr which the Prophet was informed with then later was made to forget it; or dreams which result in judging people, giving or depriving them of their rights, and whether they are truthful and honest people or not…all such dreams are mixed up dreams and doubts, which we should not rely on, according to the sayings of the majority of scholars, like Imaam Ibn Al-Qayyim, Ibn Taymiyyah, An-Nawawi, Ash-Shaatibi and others. Ash-Shaatibi mentioned the story of the Caliph Al-Mahdi who wanted to kill the judge Shurayk Ibn ‘Abdullaah. Shurayk asked him, ‘Why do you want to kill me, while it is unlawful for you to spill my blood?’ He replied, ‘I saw in my dream that I was talking to you and you were talking to me with your back to me, so I asked an interpreter, and he told me that this man (Shurayk) is one who visits you often and opposes you behind your back’ Shurayk said, ‘O leader of the believers! Your dream is not like the dream of (prophet) Yoosuf the son of (prophet) Ya’qoob, and Muslim’s blood cannot be shed based on dreams’ so Al-Mahdi bowed his head down and signaled him with his hand to leave, so he left.
Ibn ‘Asaaker mentioned in the history of Damascus that some people saw Imaam Ash-Shaafi’ in their dream saying to them, ‘Yoonus Ibn ‘Abdul A’laa lied on my behalf in narrating such and such Hadeeth, I did not narrate it’ Imaam Ibn Katheer commented on this saying, ‘‘Yoonus Ibn ‘Abdul A’laa is a trustworthy scholar, and cannot be doubted simply because of a dream’.
Imaam Ath-Thahabi narrated that Al-Maroozi said, ‘I took Ibraaheem Ibn Al-Husari (a righteous man) to Imaam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, and he said to Imaam Ahmad, my mother saw such and such a dream for you, and she mentioned you in Paradise. So Imaam Ahmad said, dear brother, Sahl Ibn Salaamah was told the same by people, then he started killing Muslims. A dream should not deceive a believer’.
Second Khutbah
O people! If we want to be just, fair and sincere in our advice, then we should not put all the blame on the people who see the dreams, but we must also address those who interpret them, because they have a great responsibility towards people who see these dreams.
An interpreter should be a scholar in this great field of knowledge, and should be able to weigh the harms and benefits resulting from the interpretation. He should not take the lead in interpreting dreams, specially those who do it through satellite channels, and in big gatherings, because it is just like passing a fatwaa. The king said in the story of Yoosuf, as Allaah says, which means, “And (subsequently) the King said, ‘ Indeed, I have seen (in a dream) seven fat cows being eaten by seven (that were) lean, and seven green spikes (of grain) and others (that were) dry. Oh eminent ones, explain to me my vision, if you should interpret visions.’” (Yoosuf: 43).
Ibn Al-Qayyim said, ‘A person passing Fatwaa, an interpreter and a doctor are exposed to the private hidden affairs of people, so they should conceal these things’.
Interpreters should not rush to interpret dreams, nor should they make people feel that their interpretations are facts. They should know the danger of this and the arrogance it could lead to. Ibn ‘Abdul Barr narrated that Imaam Maalik was asked, ‘Can anyone interpret dreams?’ he said, ‘How can people play around with matters related to prophecy’. Ibn ‘Abdul Barr also narrated that Imaam Hishaam Ibn Sassaan said, ‘Ibn Sereen used to be asked about one hundred dreams but he would not answer, but he would tell people, fear Allaah while you are awake, then what you see in your dream would not harm you’ and he would also say, ‘I only say what I think to be the interpretation, and I could be wrong’.
If this was the saying of the leader of interpreters through the ages, how should people in our time act? We see a person asked about one thousand dreams, and not once would he say, I do not know, or say that they are mixed up false dreams.
Interpreters should also realize the danger of interpreting dreams through TV channels that millions of people watch or in big gatherings, for the following reasons:
First: It is dangerous because he is talking about the unseen, specially that no one can say for sure that what he is interpreting is going to take place or not.
Second: It is difficult to know the situation of the one who saw the dream through TV channels, and whether they are righteous people or not, which has a strong connection to how a dream is interpreted. Two men came to Imaam Ibn Sereen both saw that they were calling the Athaan (the call for prayer), so he interpreted it for the righteous man as performing pilgrimage according to the verse which means “And proclaim to the people the Hajj (pilgrimage); they will come to you on foot and on every lean camel; they w ill come from every distant pass” (Al-Hajj: 27), while he interpreted it to the other man that he will steal and his hand will be cut according to the verse which means “So when he had furnished them with their supplies, he put the (gold measuring) bowl into the bag of his brother. Then an announcer called out, ‘Oh caravan, indeed you are thieves.’”(Yoosuf: 70).
Third: Some people would not comprehend the way the interpretation was done through the screens, and ignorant people would think that it is a type of fortune telling which is prohibited, and the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said: “Say to people that which they are acquainted with, or do you want that people reject what Allaah and His Messenger say” (Bukhaari).
Ibn Mas’ood, may Allaah be pleased with him, narrated that the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said: “If you talk to people with words which they cannot comprehend, then it will be a trial for them” (Muslim).
Fourth: Preventing evil precedes accomplishing benefits, and the evil of interpreting through TV channels is greater than the benefits for many obvious reasons. One reason being the fact that it is talking about the unseen and interpreting is like passing Fatwaa and our Salaf used to avoid that. And then the evil resulting from the interpretation of some dreams is also great. For example a girl will not succeed in her marriage or another case whose husband will marry a second wife in secret. What do you think the situation of these women would be? One is awaiting failure in life and will remain depressed, and the other will always doubt her husband? Some people take these interpretations without referring to trustworthy scholars to confirm them, which results in the expected problems.
Some people give the excuse that the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam used to ask: “Who saw a dream?” (Muslim) so that he can interpret it for them. We would answer saying,
- This was the Prophet sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam, and his interpretations were undoubtedly true.
- His interpretations were in a mosque that was attended by a small number of people, not millions like the case of TV channels.
- The audience with the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam were the companions whose wisdom cannot be compared.
- No one from the four rightly guided caliphs or those who came after them did that, and especially Abu Bakr for whom the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam testified that he is knowledgeable in the field of interpretation.
Seeing Allaah in this world
Questions and Answers from Shiekh Bin Baz rahimallah
Fifth question: What is the ruling on whoever claims to have seen Allah in a dream? Is it true, as some say that Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal saw Allah in a dream more that a hundred times?
A: Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah be merciful to him) and others mentioned that it is possible for a person to see his Lord in a dream, but what they see will not be the truth, because nothing resembles Allah (may He be Glorified and Exalted), Who says: There is nothing like Him; and He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer. So nothing
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of His creation resembles Him. However, someone may see in their dream that their Lord is speaking to them, yet, whatever visions they see is not Allah, because there is nothing like Him, so none is co-equal or comparable to Him.
Shaykh Taqy Al-Din (may Allah be merciful to him) mentioned in this regard that this may vary according to the situation of the person who sees it. The more righteous and good the person is, the closer their dream will be to what is true and correct. However, He is different from whatever they see, because the basic principle is that there is nothing like Allah (may He be Glorified and Exalted).
However, a person may hear a voice that says so and so or does such and such, without seeing any image that resembles any created being. This is because nothing resembles Allah (may He be Exalted). It was narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) saw his Lord in a dream, from the Hadith of Mu`adh (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) had seen His Lord. It was also narrated via a number of Isnads (chain of narrators) that he saw his Lord and that Allah put His Hand between the Prophet’s shoulders so that he felt its coolness on his chest. Al-Hafizh Ibn Rajab wrote an essay on that, entitled “Ikhtiyar al-Awla fi Sharh Hadith Ikhtisam al-Mala’ Al-A`la”. It indicates that the Prophets might have seen their Lord in their dreams. However, seeing the Lord in this world with one’s eyes does not happen.
Moreover, the Prophet (peace be upon him) had said that no one would see their Lord until they die, related by Muslim in his Sahih. When the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was asked: “Did you see your Lord”, he said: “I saw Light” and in another narration: “Light, how could I see Him” (Both were related by Muslim from the Hadith of Abu Zhar (may Allah be pleased with him)).When `Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) was asked about this, she said that no one in the worldly life shall see Him, for seeing Allah (may He be Exalted) in Jannah is the greatest delight presented to the Mu’minun (believers). Therefore, it only occurs to the people of Jannah (Paradise) and Iman (faith/belief) in the Hereafter as well as the Mu’minun in the place of standing on the Day of Resurrection. This world is the abode of trial and testing shared by both good and evil people. It is not a place for seeing Allah (may He be Exalted), as seeing Him is the greatest delight; therefore Allah (may He be Exalted) has saved it for His Mu’min servants in the abode of honor on the Day of Resurrection. With regard to seeing Allah (may He be Exalted) in a dream as many people claim to have seen, this varies according to the situation of the one who sees. Shaykh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah be merciful to him) said it is pursuant to their virtue and piety, for some may imagine that they have seen Allah when that is not the case, since Satan may appear to them and make them think that he is their Lord. It was narrated that Satan appeared to `Abdul-Qadir al-Jilany on
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a throne above the water, and said: “I am your Lord, and has relieved you of all the obligations upon you”, then shaykh `Abdul-Qadir said: “Shut up, O enemy of Allah, you are not my Lord, because the commands of my Lord can never be dropped from those who are Mukallafin (persons meeting the conditions to be held legally accountable for their actions)” – or words to that effect. The point is that seeing Allah (may He be Exalted) during wakefulness cannot happen to anyone in this world, nor the prophets (peace be upon them), according to the Hadith of Abu Dhar. This is also indicated by Allah’s Saying to Musa (Moses) (peace be upon him) when he asked his Lord to let him see Him. Allah (may He be Exalted) told him: You
cannot see Me However, the Prophets and some of the righteous may see Him in a dream in a manner that does not resemble any of His creation, as stated above in the Hadith of Mu`adh (may Allah be pleased with him). However, if there is a command to do something that goes against Shari`ah (Islamic Law), this is a sign that they have not seen their Lord, but rather Satan. If someone sees Satan, he may tell, “Do not pray, for you have been exempted from obligations”; “You do not have to pay Zakah (obligatory charity), fast Ramadan, or honor your parents”, or “It does not matter if you eat Riba (usury/interest)” …and so on – all such things are signs that the person seen in the dream is Satan, not Allah (may He be Exalted). Regarding the reports that Imam Ahmad had seen his Lord, I do not know if they are authentic or not. It is said that he saw his Lord, but I do not know about the credibility of that.
Source http://alifta.net/Fatawa/FatawaChapters.aspx?View=Page&PageID=745&PageNo=1&BookID=14
Al-Ihsaan – Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Saalih Al-‘Uthaymeen
Source: An Explanation of the Three Principles
Al-Ihsaan is the opposite of behaving badly, and it means that a person strives to do what is good and to repel harmful things. So he strives to benefit the servants of Allaah through his wealth, position, knowledge and his person.
So as for the case of doing good with one’s wealth, then he spends and gives in charity, and pays the zakaat, and the best of the types of doing good through wealth is the zakaat since it is one of the pillars of Islaam, and one of its great foundations. A person’s Islaam will not be complete without it. It is the charity most loved by Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, and that is followed by that which it is obligatory upon a person to spend upon his wife, mother, father, children, brothers, children of his brothers, sisters, paternal uncles, paternal aunts, maternal aunts, and so on. Then by charity given to the poor and to the rest of those deserving of charity – such as students of knowledge for example.
As for the case of doing good by means of one’s position, then it is that people are found in different levels. Some of them have status with someone in authority and so strive to benefit the people by means of his position. So if a man comes to him and requests that he should intercede for him with the one in authority then he does so, either to repel some harm from him or to attain some good for him.
As for doing good by means of his knowledge, then it is that he strives to pass on his knowledge to Allaah’s servants, in open and private gatherings and assemblies. Even if people sit socially, to drink coffee, then it pertains to good and fine behaviour that he should teach the people. Even if you are in a public gathering it is from what is good that you teach the people. However wisdom is to be used in this matter. So you should not weary the people making it a habit that every single time you sit in a gathering you admonish and address the people, since the Prophet used to give them admonition now and then, and not too frequently. This is because the souls become weary and bored. When they become bored they become languid and weak and may even come to dislike what is good merely because of the frequency with which the person stands and addresses them.
As for seeking to benefit the people with ones person, then the Prophet (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said:
“… that you help a man to mount and ride his riding beast, or you lift up his luggage on to it for him, is a charity.” (Reported by al-Bukhaaree, Eng. Trans. 4/90-94/No. 161 & Muslim, Eng. Trans. 2/483-484/ No. 2204).
So you help this man to carry his luggage, or you guide him to the correct road to take and so on, all of this pertains to ihsaan. So this is with regard to striving to do good to the servants of Allaah.
As for ihsaan in the worship of Allaah, then it is that you worship Allaah as if you were seeing Him, as the Prophet (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said. So worship done in this way that a person worships his Lord as if he were actually seeing Him is worship that is accompanied by yearning and seeking. So a person will find that his soul encourages him upon worship done in this way, since he is yearning for the one he loves. Therefore he worships Him as if he were seeing Him, and he directs his heart to Him and turns to Him and seeks to draw near to Him, He the One free of all imperfections and the Most High.
“Then even though you do not see Him, then He certainly sees you.” This part shows worship done whilst fleeing and fearing, and is therefore the second level of ihsaan. So if you do not worship Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, as if you are seeing Him and seeking Him and your soul is encouraging you towards Him, then worship Him keeping in mind that He sees you. So you will then worship Him as one who fears Him and seeks to flee from His retribution and punishment. This level is held by those having knowledge of these affairs to be lower than the first level. Worship of Allaah, the Perfect and Most High, is, as Ibn al-Qayyim said:
“Worship of the Most Merciful is utmost love of Him, along with the worshipper’s submission and humility, they are its two pillars.”
So worship is built upon these two matters: utmost love, and utmost humility and submission. Love causes one to desire and seek, and humility causes one to fear and flee. This is ihsaan in the worship of Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic. If a person worships Allaah in this manner, then he will become one who is pure and sincere in his worship of Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic. He will not desire with his worship that he is seen by the people, or heard of, nor will he desire their praise. It will be the same to him whether the people notice him or do not notice him. He will worship with ihsaan in every condition.
Indeed part of the completion of purity and sincerity of worship (al-ikhlaas) is that a person should seek not to be seen by the people when he worships, and that his worship should be a secret between him and his Lord. That is unless there is some benefit for the Muslims or for Islaam in his performing it openly, for example if he is a person who is followed and taken as an example and he wishes to manifest his worship to the people so that they should take it as an example to follow; or that he manifests his worship so that his companions, friends and associates should follow his example, then this is good. This benefit which he takes account of may be more excellent and greater than the benefit of keeping it hidden. Therefore, Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, has praised those who spend of their wealth in charity secretly and openly. So whenever performing it secretly is better and more beneficial for the heart, and causes one to be more humble and submissive, and to turn to Allaah more attentively, then they give in secret. But when performing it openly produces benefit for Islaam, due to manifestation of its prescribed practices, and will mean that the people follow this person’s example, then they do this openly. The Believer looks to what is most appropriate. So whatever is most appropriate and most beneficial in worship, then it will be what is most complete and most excellent.
Source : http://croydonict.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=33&Itemid=29
The legal judgement regarding using the seven methods of recitation of the Holy Qur’an at one time Fatwaa
Fatwa Subject : The legal judgement regarding using the seven methods of recitation of the Holy Qur’an at one time
Fatwa Number : 6
Publishing Date : Sunday 4 Muharram 1426 AH, corresponding 13 February 2005 AD.
Fatwas Source : From the Fatwas Delivered by Shaikhul-Islam Ahmad Ibn Taimiah
Fatwa Reference : Majmu’ Al-Fatawa, Volume thirteen, Page 404.
Question: Ibn Taymiyah [may Allâh's mercy be upon him] was asked about using the seven methods of recitation of the Holy Qur’an at one time. Is it Sunnah or Bid’ah (innovation in religion)? Did any one use these methods of recitation during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) or not? Is the one who learns these methods and uses all of them at one time in reciting the Holy Qur’an better than the one who recites with only one method of recitation?
Answer :
Shaikh Al-Islam Taqiud-Din Abul-’Abbas Ahmad bin Taymiyah praised Allah and said that the mere learning of the methods of recitation is Sunnah followed by the last generation who learnt from the first one. So, learning the method of recitation with which the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to recite the Holy Qur’an or approved it for the Companions or even gave them the permission to recite according to it is Sunnah. Bearing all this in mind, the one who is knowledgeable in the field of the methods of recitation and practices them is better than the person who knows only one method of recitation.
As for using more than one method of recitation while reciting the Holy Qur’an at one time whether while in prayer or otherwise, it is a reprehensible innovation in religion. On the other hand, using these methods of recitation for the sake of studying and memorizing the Holy Qur’an is a kind of respectable efforts exerted by some groups of people for learning the method of recitation.
Source: http://www.qurancomplex.org/qfatwa/display.asp?f=6&l=eng&ps=subFtwa
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What are the characteristics required in those reconciling Muslims?
Q : What are the characteristics required in those reconciling Muslims?
A : They should be characterized with forbearance, fear of Allah, righteous deeds, and fair judgment even against oneself to make peace among people according to the knowledge, insight, fair judgment, and modesty Allah (may He be Exalted) granted them. When a person has these traits, he may bring about peace among disputants and foes whom Satan allured them to disagreement and dispute.
A peace-maker should also be generous, gentle, modest, polite, and a good speaker.
Such a person should bring about peace among people with fine words and an honorable style, kindness, and generosity. When necessity calls for a banquet or some aid, he will be willing to do so in order to make peace. He may also pay money to bring about peace; he may borrow from his brothers to achieve reconciliation among the disputing parties, tribes, families, brothers, and so on. Thus, one might need to spend money even through borrowing a certain sum. It is permissible to give such a person out of the money of Zakah, if he undertakes to make peace. A peace-maker is worthy of aid and support even by the money of Zakah. There is a Sahih (authentic) Hadith wherein the Messenger (peace be upon him) said: Seeking aid is not permissible but for one of the three (classes) of persons: one who willingly paid a fine, meaning, blood money, damages, compensation and so on, and to bring about peace among disputing parties; thus, seeking aid is permissible till he pays that off, after which he must stop it. Narrated by Muslim in his Sahih.
Source:
Eight things I learnt from Shaqeeq
Reference: Mukhtasar Minhaaj al Qaasideen: P. 28 – more about reference here…
It was narrated that Shaqeeq [ibn Ibraheem] al Balkhee said to Haatim [al Assam- his student]:
You have accompanied me for a long period of time, so what have you learnt?
Haatim replied:
Eight things:
The first: I looked at the creation and found that every person has something that is beloved to him, but when that person reaches his grave, his beloved would be separated from him. So I made the most beloved thing to me my righteous deeds, so that they may be with me in my grave.
The second: I looked at the saying of Allaah the Elevated:
… and restrained himself from impure evil desires and lusts. [An Naazi’aat: 40]
So I strove against my self, repelling desires and lusts from it until it settled upon obedience to Allaah.
The Third: I saw that whoever possessed something valuable would keep it in a safe and secure place, I then looked at the saying of Allaah the Glorified:
Whatever is with you will come to an end, and whatever is with Allaah will remain. [An Nahl: 96]
So whenever something of value came into my possession, I directed it to Him, so that it may remain for me with Him.
The Fourth: I saw that people return to wealth, lineage and nobility, and they are all worthless, so I looked at the saying of Allaah the Glorified:
Indeed the most honourable of you with Allaah are those who have Taqwaa [Al Hujuraat: 13]
So I worked on attaining Taqwaa so that I may be honorable with Allaah.
The Fifth: I saw that people envy each other, so I looked at the saying of the Elevated:
It is We Who portion out their livelihood between them [Az Zukhruf: 32]
So I forsook envy and jealousy.
The Sixth: I saw them taking each other as enemies, so I looked at the saying of the Glorified:
Surely, Shaytaan (Satan) is an enemy to you, so take (treat) him as an enemy [Faatir: 6]
So I left their enmity and took Shaytaan as my only enemy.
The Seventh: I saw that they humiliate themselves in pursuing provision, so I looked at the saying of Allaah the Glorified:
And no moving (living) creature is there on earth except that its provision is due from Allaah. [Hood: 6]
So I concentrated on what was due to Him from me, and left what was due to me to Him.
The Eighth: I saw them dependent upon their trades, professions and health, so I depended upon Allaah the Glorified.
Source http://www.subulassalaam.com/articles/article.cfm?article_id=28
The ruling on kissing the Mus-haf
The ruling on kissing the Mus-haf
Q: What is the ruling on kissing the Mus-haf (Arabic Qur’an) if it falls from an elevated place?
A: There is no evidence on the prescription of kissing the Mus-haf. However, there is no harm in doing this, as it was narrated on the authority of the great Sahaby (Companion of the Prophet) `Ikrimah ibn Abu Jahl (may Allah be pleased with him) that he used to kiss the Mus-haf and say, “These are my Lord’s Words.” Anyhow, there is no harm in kissing the Mus-haf, but there is no evidence on its prescription.
( Part No : 9,Page No:290)
If a person kisses it out of honor and respect when it falls from an elevated place, there is no harm in this in sha’a-Allah (if Allah wills).
http://www.alifta.net/Fatawa/FatawaChapters.aspx?View=Page&PageID=1178&PageNo=1&BookID=14
Shaykh ’Ubayd al-Jaabiree Warns Against Anwar al-Awlaki
Bismillaah, wal-hamdulilaah, was-salaatu was-salaamu ‘alaa rasoolillaah,
As Salaamu ‘Alaykum wa Rahmatullaahi wa Barakatuh
| Audio: Shaykh ’Ubayd al-Jaabiree Warns Against Anwar al-Awlaki |  |
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| Monday, 23 November 2009 |
 By the Noble Scholar of Madeenah, Shaykh ‘Ubayd Ibn ‘Abdullaah al-JaabireeQuestions posed concerning the corrupt statements of Anwar al-Awlaki and his incetement towards violence and civil unrest. Review: So these are some of the statements of one of the du’aat (callers), his name is Anwar al-Awlaki. You will find these statements on his official website. We present them to the noble Shaykh ‘Ubayd Ibn ‘Abdillaah al-Jaabiree – (may Allaah preserve him) – so that he may comment upon them so we can then spread the answers and the comments among the brothers here in America and in Britian and throughout the West in general. The first statement: “The rulers in the Arabian Peninsula are playing a central role in the fight against Islam especially the al Saud family. The al Saud of today is the Abdullah bin Ubay of yesterday.” And he says in the second statement: “May this be the beginning of the greatest Jihad, the Jihad of the Arabian Peninsula that would free the heart of the Islamic world from the tyrants who are deceiving the ummah and standing between us and victory.” Should I – O Shaykh – mention the third statement as well or can I suffice with this? [A]: Present the third statement. [Q]: And the third is that this man says: “The Jihad in Somalia should carry on until the last AU soldier leaves the country and any forces that side with the AU -including the Sharif government -and Sharif is the president who won the recent election – become legitimate targets.” So what is your comment upon these statements, may Allaah bless you? [A]: With the name of Allaah. The praise is for Allaah and may peace and salutations be upon his servant and Messenger Muhammad and upon his Family and all of his Companions. The summary of what has become apparent to me from these three statements that you have quoted from a specific forum or a specific website for Anwar al-Awlaki, and the name Awlaki (‘Awlaqee) proves that the origin of this man is Yemeni. The essence of what is comprised within these statements – in that which is apparent to me – are two affairs: The first affair: is his ignorance concerning the fiqh of Jihaad. And that he does not know anything about the Jihaad, which is from the well-planned obligations that Allaah has established up until Allaah causes the earth and whosoever is upon it to perish. And I suspect that this man has become polluted by the ideas of Sayyid Qutb al-Misree and similar to him are Aboo Qataad, Aboo Muhammad al-Maqdisee and many others besides them. All of these individuals and the same applies to this man have been influenced by the likes of Sayyid Qutb; and Sayyid Qutb, according to the people of research and experience with examining statements, is the flag bearer of takfeer in this time. His book, Ma’aalim fit-Tareeq (Milestones) proves this clearly as Sayyid erroneously and falsely declared the entire Ummah to be disbelievers, the rulers and their subjects. And Jihaad according to Ahlis-Sunnah, who have inherited from Muhammad (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) the correct understanding of the religion, the correct understanding of worship and the correct understanding of social dealings, this Jihaad is of two categories: Jihaadut-Talab (the offensive Jihaad) and Jihaadud-Daf’ (the defensive Jihaad). Jihaadut-Talab is to mobilize the troops and to dispatch the armies and to prepare sufficient equipment in order to fight whosoever is surrounding them from the disbelievers to make the word of Allaah uppermost. And this is the responsibility and special role of the Muslim ruler. He is the one who can call to such an act, he is the one who establishes this and he himself is the one who leads it or he appoints someone to lead a military detachment. So whosoever calls to Jihaad in a general manner (without consideration of the legislated prerequisites or guidelines), then he is one of two men, either he is ignorant concerning the fiqh of Jihaad or he is a person of desires who is misguided and misguiding others, an innovator. And regardless of whether he is the former or the latter, it is obligatory upon the Ummah to be cautious of him and to have hatred for him. And it is obligatory upon the Scholars to refute him and to warn against him. The second is Jihaadud-Daf’, and this is to defend against the assailant and the transgressor. So when an assailant and a transgressor from the disbelievers attacks and transgresses against a Muslim country, then it is permissible for the people of that country to defend themselves and to resist the attack in order to stop its evil and to challenge its deception. It is a required condition that they must have the ability and the strength to do this. So if they have the ability and the strength, they can mobilize themselves to defend against the subjugation of the transgressing party and to defeat its endeavour and to reject its tyranny. If they do not have the ability and the strength for that, then they have two choices: they can either flee with their Religion and their honour to wherever they will be safe, or they can seek a treaty of peace with this tyrannical enemy and they can make contracts and agreements with him to preserve and safeguard the territory of the people of al-Islaam. Therefore, it can be concluded from this that the required condition for Jihaadut-Talab (the offensive Jihaad) is the ruler, since it is from his special functions. And the required condition for Jihaadud-Daf’ (the defensive Jihaad) is the strength and ability to carry it out. And strength and ability are necessary for both of these acts in order to defeat the endeavour of the enemies of Allaah. The second matter that has become apparent from the first two statements is that this man harbours resentment against the Arabian Peninsula and he harbours resentment against the rulers from al-Saud. And due to this, he has described them with kufr (disbelief) or nifaaq (hypocrisy) or both of them. The crime of al-Saud according to him and his likes from the people of desires, splitting and the Khawaarij is that their nation is a nation of Tawheed and the Sunnah – every person of Sunnah testifies to this. And their nation has been the flag bearer of Tawheed and the Sunnah since its inception at the hand of al-Imaam Muhammad Ibn Sa’ood – may Allaah have mercy upon him; and verily it gives victory to Tawheed and the Sunnah. Shaykh Muhammad Ibn ‘Abdul-Wahhaab called to Tawheed and the Sunnah and the Imaam, the Ameer Muhammad Ibn Sa’ood used to aid him and defend him and he used to defend his call. And the fruit of that effort was that Allaah made this righteous Imaam, al-Mujaahid strong and influential due to his raising the flag of Tawheed and the Sunnah- I deem him as such and Allaah is his Reckoner. From the fruits of this da’wah was the establishment of a mighty nation. It has taken on the burden of establishing the Religion. And there is no person of Sunnah, except that his heart is with this nation. Likewise, it has taken on the political and economic burden. So these are all fruits of aiding Tawheed and the Sunnah. The Khawaarij in every time and place have always had enmity towards Ahlus-Sunnah, the rulers and their subjects, because Ahlus-Sunnah are the farthest of the people from takfeer (wrongfully labelling a Muslim a disbeliever), let alone tabdee’ (declaring someone an innovator) and tafseeq (declaring someone a disobedient sinner), except with a proof that obligates takfeer, or tabdee’ or tafseeq of the individual. And this is known to those who are familiar with the history of Ahlus-Sunnah and their written works. However, the one who has been overwhelmed by malice and desire has become deep-rooted within him, then he opposes Ahlus-Sunnah and displays enmity towards them. So it is not strange that Awlaki should take this path, since he has a predecessor and he himself is from the later followers. Consequently, I warn the Muslims firstly against this man and I call upon them to boycott him and to severe ties with him and to refute him with a knowledge based refutation that will expose his call and reveal his true condition and show that he is an enemy to the people of Islaam and the Sunnah. This individual and his likes are from those who have disfigured the image of Islaam and the image of the people of al-Islaam to the extent that they have driven those who do not possess intellect from the Jews and the Christians to attack the personality of the Messenger of Allaah and to degrade the Mushaf. This is because due to their lack of intellect and due to their lack of knowledge about Islaam and its people they think that him, his predecessors and his contemporaries represent the people of Islaam; and that this path of theirs is the true path of the people of Islaam and that transgressing against the honour, wealth and the lives of others, and that the nullifying of contracts and ratified treaties between our rulers and the rest of the non-Muslim nations of the world, such as those of Europe and America, then these feeble-minded fools and those who have been deprived of justice and fairness, they think that this is the Islaam that we practice. So how astonishing it is that America let this man remain therein, yet it raises its voice to say that it opposes terrorism, and as for us then we say that they are Khawaarij. Indeed this man and his likes are the terrorists that the Europeans, Americans and the Western world in general refer to, and I think that even the non-Muslims from the people of the East like Russia have labelled them with this title. So these individuals in reality are the instruments of terrorism and they are the river from which the Khawaarij draw out what they draw out to support their transgression against the people of Islaam and the Sunnah, and for their transgression against those whom we have contracts and treaties with (i.e. the non Muslim states), since they do not recognize any contract or treaty. They only declare people disbelievers en masse. This is what I liked to make note of and I ask Allaah, the Glorified and Most High to keep the people of al-Islaam away from every evil and detestable thing and to withhold from them the evil of the Khawaarij, whether they are the Khawaarij who sit and incite others or whether they are the ones who physically participate themselves; and that He keeps the misery of the Khawaarij among their own selves and that He allows the Muslims to see a lesson in them; and that He seizes the Khawaarij with a mighty and strong seizure and that He makes them a lesson for those who take heed. And may the peace and salutations of Allaah be upon our Prophet Muhammad and his Family and all of his Companions. This was dictated by one in need of Allaah: ‘Ubayd Ibn ‘Abdullaah Ibn Sulaymaan al-Jaabiree, a former professor at the Islamic University of al-Madeenah. And the date of this discussion was Wednesday night, the 23rd of Dhul-Qa’dah, in the year 1430H, corresponding to the 11th of November in the year 2009. And success is with Allaah. And may the peace and salutations of Allaah be upon our Prophet Muhammad and his Family and all of his Companions. Forum Discussion on this topic: http://www.troid.org/index.php?option=com_kunena&Itemid=445&func=view&catid=14&id=734#785 |
Happiness, Misery and Signs of Their People
Happiness, Misery and Signs of Their People
Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyyah
From the signs of happiness and joy is that whenever a worshipper increases in knowledge, his humbleness and mercy increases. Whenever he increases in acts of worship, his fear and caution increases. Whenever he increases in age, his greed decreases. Whenever he increases in wealth, his generosity and spending increases. And whenever he increases in status and position, his nearness to the people increases as does his fulfilling their needs and being humble with them.
And from the signs of misery is that whenever a worshipper increases in knowledge, his pride and arrogance increases. Whenever he increases in acts of worship, his bragging increases as does his belittling of people while always giving himself the benefit of the doubt. And whenever he increases in status and position, his arrogance and ego increases.
All of these things are trials from Allaah and a test by which He tests His servants, and because of them, some people attain happiness and others become miserable.
Similarly, some things people honor and admire are also trials like possessions, authority, and wealth. Allaah says about His prophet, Sulaymaan, when he saw the throne of Bilqees in front of him:
“This is from the favor of My Lord to test me whether I will be grateful or ungrateful”
[Soorah An-Naml, 27:40]
So, blessings are tests from Allaah that make apparent the gratitude of the grateful, and the ingratitude of the ungrateful. In the same way, hardhips are also trials from Him ; He tests by way of blessings and hardships.
Allaah says:
“And as for man, when his Lord tests him and is generous to him and favors him, he says, “My Lord has honored me!” But when He tests him and restricts his provision, he says, “My Lord has humiliated me!”
[Soorah Al-Fajr, 89:15-16]
In other words, it’s not the case that everyone I increase with honor and blessings, that’s My way of honoring him. And everyone I tighten his sustenance and test him, it’s not necessarily that I’m humiliating him.
- The shahaadatain is a test for the slave’s heart;
- The salat is a test for the slave’s limbs, and ability to manage himself and his time;
-The zakat is a test for man in his wealth;
-The fasting is a test for the slave’s ability to leave off desires for the sake of His Creator and Lord;
-The Hajj is a test for the slave’s ability to bear hardship, difficulties of traveling in the way of Allaah
1 This article is taken from Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyyah’s famous book, “Al-Fawaaid” (no. 112).
