Much needed advice from Ibn Taymiyyah 👍

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

"Many people, when they see evil or when the Muslim ummah goes through a lot of trouble, panic, lose hope and start complaining as people who are beset by calamities do. But this is forbidden; rather what is enjoined is to be patient, to put one’s trust in Allah, to be steadfast in adhering to the religion of Islam and to believe that Allah is with those who fear Him and those who do good, and that the best end is for those who fear Him; whatever befalls him is because of his sins, so he should be patient, for the promise of Allah is true; he should seek forgiveness for his sins and glorify and praise his Lord morning and evening."

Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa, 18/295

Me ☞ Myself and ☞ I

Imam Ibn al-Qayyim (Rahimahullaah) said:‘Every Muslim should be warned of the oppression of:

➡ I

➡ My

➡ Mine

➡ I Possess ’

Indeed these three words are what:

🔹Iblees' (Shaytan),

🔹Fir’awn and

🔹Qaroon were tried with...!

Iblees said:

‘I am better than him’.

Fir’awn said:

‘Is not Mine the Kingdom of Egypt,’ ?

Qaroon said:

‘This has been given to me only because
of knowledge I possess.’

So regarding the saying of the Slave of Allaah : ‘I’ ..then the best that he can be described with is...

'I am a slave who sins, makes mistakes,
seeks forgiveness and recognizes this.

So regarding the saying of ‘My/Mine’
and those statements similar to that is:

“my Sins,
my Crimes,
my Humbleness,
my Deprevation
and Submissiveness.”

So regarding the saying of ‘I Possess’:

“Forgive me for my mistakes and what I do intentionally,in jest, or in seriousness
and I possess all these shortcomings.”

Taken from ‘Za’ad al-Ma’aad’ 2/475|
By: Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah.
Tanslated by: Abbas Abu Yahya]

Al-Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

If a person intends two good things by his action: the good of this world and the good of the Hereafter, there is nothing wrong with that [i.e., no blame and no sin on him] because Allah says :
“And whosoever fears Allah and keeps his duty to Him, He will make a way for him to get out (from every difficulty).
And He will provide him from (sources) he never could imagine.”
[al-Talaq 65:2-3]

al-Qawl al-Mufeed (2/244)

"How can I advice when I fall short?"

Al-Hafidh Ibn Rajab رحيم الله said,

"If only the perfect, free from sins people gave advice, nobody would have ever advised anyone after the messenger of Allah [ﷺ] , because there is no perfection for anyone after him [ﷺ]."

[lataa'if al-ma'aarif. pg. 19]

Do You Possess The Characteristics Of Jealousy?

Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Saalih Al-'Uthaymeen, may Allaah have mercy upon him:

"When you see yourself disliking that Allaah blesses other than you with knowledge, wealth, good character, good health, or the likes of that, know that you have within you jealousy.

Try to eradicate it."

●[Explanation Of Buluugh Al-Maraam, 15/200]

Don't be Sad - La Tahzan:

If you are stricken by poverty...others are chained in debt.
If you don't have shoes ... others have no feet.

If you have committed a mistake...correct it - the doors of repentance ever open!
The fountain of forgiveness is ever rich
So dont be sad, let all bygones be bygones.

What is predestined for you, you shall see it happen.

Being sad will not change anything
So dont be sad
Sadness spoils your life
So dont be sad.

Supplication is your shield
Prayer is your beacon
So dont be sad
Prostrration is your means ...
So dont be sad.

See how vast is the Earth, How nice are the gardens and forests
How bright are the stars - all are happy but you are sad...
So dont be sad.

You have sweet water to drink - fresh air to breather - feet to walk with
You sleep safely in your bed
So dont be sad.

Every cloud has a silver lining
After long nights come the bright sun
Life will soon give you a smile
So be ready to get it
And dont be sad!

Real life is that spent in happiness
So cross out your sad days from your age! Peace of mind is the real treasure.

Abu Hurayra reported Allaah's Messenger (Sallallahu 'Alaihi Wa Sallam) said: "Look at those who are inferior to you and do not look at those who are superior to you, for that is more likely to keep you from despising Allaah's favour on you"

Shaikh A'id al Qarni gave us the above advice in his book La Tahzan (Don't be sad).

Character is a thief, it steals from other characters. A reason to be careful from bad friends.

Stay Humble, Stay Grounded.

"Understand that life has occassions. One time it is poverty, and another time it is wealth. Once it is honour, and another it is humiliation. Happy is he who remains grounded in each situation."

Ibn al-Jawzi (rahimahullah) [Sayd al-Khatir [p282]

Ibn al-Qayyim: Ginger is Beneficial for Digestion, Eyesight and Nausea Among Other Benefits.

Ginger (zanjabil) is described by the great scholar Ibn al Qayyim in his book "The Prophetic Medicine" as a mild cleanser with some of the following benefits on the body:

1) Warming and aids digestion;
2) Beneficial for obstructions of the liver;
3) Beneficial for blurred eyesight, such as that caused by glaucoma, when eaten or used as kohl;
4) Drinking a warm solution of ginger mixed with sugar and water could reduce blood clots from forming;
5) Can be used to treat nausea;
6) Freshens the breath;
7) increases the power of memory

Ginger is mentioned in the Qur'an as one of the delights for its inhabitants: "And they will be given to drink there a cup (of wine) mixed with ginger." [76:17]

What is ginger?

Although ginger is often referred to as a root, it is actually a reed-like herb that has rough, knotty rhizomes (underground stems).

Ginger is a rich source of powerful antioxidants such as gingerols, shogaols and zingerones. It also has blood-thinning qualities.

Some of the many health benefits of ginger include:

Osteoarthritis: one study found that taking extract of ginger helped to reduce knee pain in osteoarthritis patients.

Morning sickness: several studies have shown that eating ginger extract during the first trimester of pregnancy can significantly reduce the nausea and vomiting caused by morning sickness.

Motion sickness: two studies have demonstrated the effects of ginger on preventing and treating motion sickness.

Cancer: The antioxidant that gives ginger its flavor, 6-gingerol, was found to decrease tumor size and produce fewer tumors in mice. Ginger also induced apoptosis (programmed cell death) and autophagy (cells digesting themselves) in ovarian cancer cells. It was effective in controlling inflammation, thus stopping cancer cells from growing.

Tips on Using Ginger:
1) Ginger is available in fresh, pickled, dried or powdered form. Fresh ginger should be stored at room temperature.
2) The centre of the ginger stem in more fibrous and contains the stronger flavors.
3) Ginger can be used to spice up any dish, to make a marinade, or to flavor fresh juices or teas.

http://www.healthymuslim.com/?bhyqy

Allāh Raises Those Who Rectify Their Hidden Affairs

Ibn Al-Jawzi (rahimahullah) said:

By Allāh, I have seen one who is abundant in praying, fasting much, often staying silent, [one who] shows humility in himself and in his dress. Yet, the hearts [of people] turn away from him, and his status amongst them is not all that!
And I have seen one who attires himself in luxurious clothes, does not have a lot of voluntary acts [of worship], nor does he make a show of humility, yet the hearts go one after the other in feeling love for him. So I reflected on the cause [of this], and then I realised it was what people keep hidden from others [that Allāh knows].

Ibn Al-Jawzī. Ṣayd Al-Khāṭir. Dār Ibn Al-Khuzaimah. Riyadh: 1437H. p. 355.

DO NOT ABANDON FORBIDDING EVIL

It is narrated that: Al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī رحمه الله said to Mutarraf b. ʿAbd Allāh:

"Admonish your companions."

So he replied: "I fear I will say that which I do not do."

al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī رحمه الله said:

"May Allāh have mercy on you! Who from amongst us does (everything) that they say? The shayṭān aspires to attain the like of this (self-deprecating attitude) so that no one enjoins the good and forbids the evil."

[Imām al-Qurṭubī (rahimahullāh), al-Jāmiʿ li Aḥkām al-Qurʾān, 1/367]

The Messenger of Allāh ﷺ said:

‎ “If the servant (of Allāh) says: 'Alḥamdulillaahi Katheeran' (all praises and thanks be to Allāh a lot) Allāh, the Most High, says: 'Write for my servant My Mercy a lot'.”

‎● [صحيح الترغيب والترهيب ١٥٧٨، حسنه الألباني]

Take care of your Hereafter and Allāh will take care of your life.

Abu Nu’aim reported that Sufyan Ath-Thawri, may Allāh have mercy on him, said,

“Behave well in your private life and Allāh will make your public life excellent. Take care of what is between you and Allāh, and he will take care of what is between you and the people. Work for your Hereafter and Allāh will suffice your affairs in this world. Sell your worldly life for your Hereafter and you will profit in them both together, and do not sell your Hereafter for your worldly life or you will lose them both together.”

[Source: Ḥilyat al-Awliyā, 7/35]

‘Umar bin al-Khattab (رضي الله عنه) wrote in a letter to Abū Mūsā al-Ash’āri (رضي الله عنه) saying,

“Be content with your provision in this world, for the Most Merciful has honored some of His servants over others in terms of provision as a test of both. The one who has been given plenty is being tested to see if he will give thanks to Allāh and fulfill the duties which are his by virtue of his wealth (i.e. charity).”

[Tafṣīr Ibn Kathīr (رحمه الله), 16:71]

The Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) said:

“Three things cause destruction and three things lead to salvation.

The three things that cause destruction are :
1. desires that are followed,
2. greediness that is obeyed,
3. and a person’s self-admiration and conceit; this conceit is the worst of the three.

The three things that lead to salvation are :

1. fear of Allaah secretly and publicly,
2. moderation when rich or when poor,
3. and justice when angry or pleased. ”

[Saheeh, al-Bazzaar & Bayhaqi]

Al-Imām ibn al-Jawzi [may Allāh have mercy on him] said:

“When you sit in the darkness of the night between the Hands of your Master, then adopt the behaviour of children. For indeed, the child when he seeks something from his father, and is not given it, he cries over it [profusely].”

●[Al-Mudhish | Page 219 | Al-Imām ibn al-Jawzi]

Imam Shafi’i, رحمه الله, said:

‎“Conceal your hardship so much so the people presume you are blessed and have an easy life.”

‎(Manaqib ash-Shafi’i | 2/188)

Towards the end of his explanation of the story of the people of the cave in surah al-Kahf [18], sheikh 'Abd al-Rahman al-Sa'di wrote:

[وفي هذه القصة، دليل على أن من فر بدينه من الفتن، سلمه الله منها. وأن من حرص على العافية عافاه الله ومن أوى إلى الله، آواه الله، وجعله هداية لغيره، ومن تحمل الذل في سبيله وابتغاء مرضاته، كان آخر أمره وعاقبته العز العظيم من حيث لا يحتسب { وما عند الله خير للأبرار }]

This story indicates that:

-whoever flees turmoil for the sake of his religion, Allah will save him from it

-whoever strives for deliverance from harm, Allah will deliver him from harm

-whoever seeks refuge with Allah, Allah will give him refuge and make him a source of guidance for others

-whoever bears humiliation in serving Allah and seeking His pleasure, then his final state and end result will be tremendous honor from where he did not even imagine

[وَمَا عِندَ اللَّهِ خَيْرٌ لِّلْأَبْرَارِ]

"And that which is with Allah is best for the righteous ones" [Aal 'Imran 198]

[Taysir al-Kareem al-Rahman pg 550]

HADITH ON FATHERS

‎بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

We all know that paradise is under the mother’s feet but what about our fathers?

Abu Darda' radi Allahu anhu heard the Prophet (ﷺ) say that: "The father is the middle door of Paradise (i.e. the best way to Paradise), so it is up to you whether you take advantage of it or not."

(Sunan Ibn Majah 3663, Book 33, Hadith 7)

Honour your parents, look after them and don’t neglect one while serving another. They have cared for you, loved you and prayed for you. You are the answer to their Duas and a blessing in their life. Appreciate them and take care of your mother and father, for Paradise lies at the feet of your mother and your father is the door to it. Respect their wishes, seek their pleasure and gain their Duas while you can.

Ibn Hibbān رحمه الله said:

“Brothers are known at times of need, since everyone is a friend in times of ease. The worst of brothers is the one who deserts his brothers during hardship or in a time of need.”

Rawda tul ‘Uqala 221 | Abu Hātim, ibn Hibbān رحمه الله

Authentic Quotes

WHATEVER EVIL BEFALLS YOU, IS FROM YOURSELF

The good things that brings happiness, with which a slave may be tested, come from the obedience that the slave performs, and the evil thing that bring dislike and despair, with which a slave may also be tested, come from disobedience performed by the slave, as Allāh the Most High, said:

{ مَّآ أَصَابَكَ مِنْ حَسَنَةٍ فَمِنَ ٱللَّهِ وَمَآ أَصَابَكَ مِن سَيِّئَةٍ فَمِن نَّفْسِكَ وَأَرْسَلْنَٰكَ لِلنَّاسِ رَسُولًا وَكَفَىٰ بِٱللَّهِ شَهِيدًا }

Whatever of good reaches you, is from Allāh, but whatever of evil befalls you, is from yourself. And We have sent you (O Muhammad ﷺ) as a Messenger to mankind, and Allāh is sufficient as a witness.*

* [Sūrah an-Nisā' 4:79]

Book: The Principle of Love & Desire
By Shaykhul-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah
Translated by Ihsan Gonsalves
Authentic Statements Publications
P. 233, 234