Eid Mubarak

Wishing you the blessings of Eid ul Fitr

Bismillahhirrahmannirrahim

The month of Ramadan has come to the end,
Ibnu Rajab express his deep feelings of the departure of Ramadan
through his poetic expression which can touch our hearts:

"Ibn Rajab" said:
O month of Ramadan, slow down.
Tears of your lovers are overflowing.
Their hearts are about to be broken.
So, slow down, lest the last moment before going apart calms down our pains.
Lest a man who was away from Allah can catch up with those who are accepted.
Lest Allah (SWT) sets a man who committed a lot of sins free of his sins.
Lest Allah (SWT) forgives a man who deserves hell.
O month of Ramadan, slow down.

MashaAllah, what a touching poem which can be felt deep in our hearts.
Those days pious people continuously seek forgiveness in fear as actions do not guarantee success.

Abdul Azeez ibn Abee Ruwaad said: "I have met people very diligent in performing actions, and upon completion of those actions they are faced with sadness in fear of the action being accepted or not."

It is reported that Ali bin Abi Taleb said: Be more concerned that your actions are accepted than your concern of performing the action itself. Did you not hear the statement of Allah:

{Verily Allah only accepts the actions of the Mutaqeen (pious)}

Some salaf used to say: "The people of the past would supplicate 6 months to Allah to allow them to reach the month of Ramadan, and then upon completion of the month, they would again supplicate 6 months (begging) for acceptance of their fast."They would display sadness on the day of Eid. It was said to them: "This is a day of happiness and joy!"They would respond: "You have spoken the truth, but I am a servant, my Lord has ordered me to perform an action but I am not sure if He will accept it from me or not."

We are far from possessing the characteristic of those pious people but we can still strive in our efforts to possess the quality of being moderate and having a true heart which constantly seek Allah’s mercy which can make us reach our ultimate target, that is to gain His Love, InshaAllah.

Bukhari records on the authority of Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (pbuh) said, "Your actions alone will not save any of you." They asked, Messenger of Allah, not even you?, He replied, 'Not even me, unless, Allah were to envelop me in His mercy. Be firm; steadfast and balanced; and journey [to Allah] in the beginning of the day, the end of the day, and a portion of the latter part of the night. Moderation, moderation! Through this you will attain your goal!"

Therefore, let us continue seeking forgiveness in order to attain Allah's Love, Mercy and Redha...
Hasan (al Basri) said: "Increase in you seeking of forgiveness, for verily you don’t know when the mercy of Allah will befall you."
Luqman said to his son: "Oh my son, condition your tongue to constantly seek forgiveness from Allah. Verily Allah has specific hours that He does not reject supplication."

Besides seeking forgiveness, we still need to be thankful to Allah for His numerous blessings despite our shortcomings and flaw. We must also praise Allah in order to show our gratitude and appreciation of His endless blessings and amazing guidance due to His enduring Love and Mercy.
"He wants you to complete the same number (of days) and that must magnify Allah (takbir) for having guided you and so that you may be grateful to Him." (Translation -Al-Baqarah 2:185)

So let us seek Allah’s forgiveness and Mercy
in our du’a in order to attain His enduring Love
and may Allah forgive us for all our shortcomings,
and let us be thankful to Allah
for His bounteous blessings He showers on us,
for His unfailing love and for His illuminating light.............

Ibn Hajr Al-`Asqalani (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “We have related in “Mahamiliyat” with a chain of narration that is hasan, from Jubayr ibn Nufayr who said: 'When the companions of Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) met on the day of `Eid, they would say to each other, 'Taqaballahu minna wa minkum (may Allah accept from you and us ).” (Fath al Bari 2:446)

Wishing you all a tranquil and blessed Eid
full of reflections and contemplation…….
'Taqaballahu minna wa minkum’
[may Allah accept (our deeds) from you and us].
Love and du’as always

Reconciling the Hearts

Reconciling the Hearts

Allaah - the One free from all imperfections - said:
"So have taqwaa (fear and obedience) of Allaah and reconcile the differences between yourselves." [Soorah al-Anfaal 8:1].

"Indeed the Believers are but brothers. Therefore reconcile the differences between your brothers, and fear Allaah so that you may receive mercy." [Soorah al-Hujuraat 49:10].

"So this is a knot which Allaah has bound the Believers together with, such that whenever a person is found possessing eemaan (faith) in Allaah, His Angels, His Books, His Messengers and the Last Bay - whether in the eastern or western part of the world - then such a person becomes the brother of the Believers. This brotherhood obligates that the Believers should love for that person that which they love for themselves, and hate for that person that which they hate for themselves. Therefore, the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam said - whilst ordering the brotherhood of eemaan (faith): "Do not envy one another. Do not inflate prices upon one another. Do not hate one another. Do not forsake one another. Do not under-cut one another. But be worshippers of Allaah and brothers. The Muslim is the brother of another Muslim; he neither oppresses him, nor humiliates him, nor lies to him, nor holds him in contempt. And piety is right here - and he pointed to his chest three times. It is enough evil for a person to hold his brother Muslim in contempt. The whole of a Muslim for another Muslim is sacred; his blood, his property and his honour."1 And he sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam said: "The Believer to the Believer is like a solid structure, one part supporting the other." And he interlaced his fingers to demonstrate this.2

Thus Allaah and His Messenger sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam ordered that the rights of the Believers be fulfilled by each other, and that those matters which will bring about harmony, love and togetherness be carried out. All of this is to be done in order to further the rights that they have over one another. So from such tights is that when fighting occurs between them - thereby causing their hearts to separate and to have hatred and to cut-off from each other - then the Believers should bring about reconciliation between their brothers and do that which will remove the enmity. Then Allaah ordered taqwaa in general and made the bestowal of His Mercy the consequence of their having taqwaa and their fulfilling the rights of the Believers. So He said: "And have taqwaa of Allaah in order that you may receive mercy." Thus, if Allaah's Mercy is attained, then the good of this world and the Hereafter will also be attained."3

'Aaishah radiallaahu 'anhaa used to say, that when people abandoned acting upon this Aayah (verse): "When two parties of the Believers fight each other, then make reconciliation between them." [Soorah al-Hujuraat 49:9]. So when the Muslims began fighting each other, it was obligatory to reconcile them, as Allaah - the Most High - ordered. However, when they did not do this, then fitnah (trials and tribulations) spread, as did ignorance, and this is what caused the differences to continue.4
Allaah's Messenger sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam said: "Shall I not inform you of something that is greeter in degree than (optional) fasting, charity and Prayer?" They said: Indeed inform us. So he said: "It is reconciling the people. For indeed causing corruption between them is the shaver!"5

And he sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam explained this shaving in another saying: "The disease of the people before you has overcome you, namely envy and hatred and it is the shaver. I do not say that it shaves-off the heir. Rather, it shaves-off the religion!"6

1. Related by Muslim (no.2564), from Abu Hurayrah radiallaahu 'anhu.
2. Related by al-Bukhaaree (no.481) and Muslim (no.2585), from Abu Hurayrah radiallaahu 'anhu.
3. Tayseerul-Kareemur-Rahmaan (7/133-134) of Shaykh as-Sa'dee.
4. Related by Ibn Abil-'lzz in Sharhul-'Aqeedatit-Tahaawiyyah (2/777). Al-Bayhaqee related something similar to this in his Sunanul-Kubraa (8/172).
5. Saheeh: Related by at-Tirmidhee (no.2640) and Abu Daawood (no.4919), from Abud-Dardaa radiallaahu 'anhu. It was authentitated by al-Albaanee in Ghaayatul-Maraam (no.414).
6. Hasan: Related by at-Tirmidhee (no.2641), from az-Zubayr ibn al-'Awwaam radiallaahu 'anhu. It was authenticated by al-Albaanee in Saheeh Sunan at-Tirmidhee (no.2038).

http://www.sunnahonline.com/ilm/istiqaamah/aug1996a.htm

SEEKING ISTIQAAMAH

SEEKING ISTIQAAMAH

Allaah - the Most High - said:
"Indeed those who say: Our Lord is Allaah, and then do istiqaamah (be upright and obedient) upon them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve. Those will be the companions of Paradise, to dwell therein forever - a reward for what they used to do." [Soorah Ahqaaf 46:13].

From Abu 'Umar Sufyan ibn 'Abdullaah radiallaahu 'anhu, who said: O Messenger of Allaah sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam! Tell me something about Islaam which I can ask of no one but you? So he said: "Say: My Lord is Allaah and then do istiqaamah (be upright)." Abu 'Umar then asked him: O Messenger of Allaah! What do you fear that is the most harmful to me? So he took hold of his tongue and said: "Control this." 1

Abu Bakr as-Siddeeq radiallaahu 'anhu said, whilst explaining the meaning of the aayah (verse): "thereafter do istiqaamah" said: "Not associating any partners in the worship of Allaah." And he said: "Not turning to other than Him."

Abul-'Aaliyah (d.90H) - rahimahullaah - said:
"To make the religion and one's actions pure and sincere for Allaah alone."

Qataadah (d.104H) - rahimahullaah - said:
"To stand firm upon obedience to Allaah." 2

Ibn Rajab (d.795H) - rahimahullaah - said: 3
"The foundation of istiqaamah is: firmness of the heart upon tawheed (i.e. firmness in worshipping Allaah alone, not worshipping others along with Him) - as Abu Bakr and others have explained.

Thus when the heart is firm and upright upon the ma'rifah (realisation and knowledge) of Allaah, and upon fear, veneration and awe of Him, and upon love, desire and hope in Him, calling upon Him, and repenting and turning away from everything besides Him - then the limbs will all follow in obedience to Him. This is because the heart is the king of the limbs and they are its army. So if the king is upright, then his army and subjects will be upright.

Then, after the heart, the greatest of the body-parts which takes care of one's istiqaamah is the tongue - since the tongue is the translator of the heart and is its interpreter (i.e. the tongue is like a ladle which scoops-out what is in the heart). This is why, when the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam ordered Abu 'Umar with istiqaamah, he then ordered him to safeguard his tongue.

The Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam also said:
"The eemaan (faith) of a person will not be upon istiqaamah (firmness and obedience to Allaah), until his heart is upon istiqaamah. And his heart will not be upon istiqaamah, until his tongue is upon istiqaamah." 4

And he sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam said:
"When the son of Aadam wakes up in the morning, then all of the body-parts humble themselves to the tongue, saying: Fear Allaah with regards to us, for we are dependant upon you. If you have istiqaamah, then we have istiqaamah, and if you swerve, then we also swerve." 5"

1. Related by Muslim (no.31) and at-Tirmidhee (no.2535).
2. Ibn Katheer related these narrations in his Tafseer Qur'aanul-'Adheem (4/106-107).
3. Jaami'ul-'Uloom wal-Hikam (pp.312-313), abridged.
4. Related by Ahmad (3/198) with a Hasan isnaad.
5. Hasan: Related by at-Tirmidhee (no.2531), from Abu Sa'eed al-Khudree radiallaahu 'anhu. It was authenticated by al-Albaanee in Saheehul-Jaami' (no.351).

http://www.sunnahonline.com/ilm/istiqaamah/july1996c.htm