Whenever I Waver And Become Indecisive.... By Shaykhul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah (rahimahullah)

Download Reason For The Unity Of Ahlus-Sunnah.pdf

This is the tremendous speech of Abul-Mudhaffar as-Sam'aanee - rahimahullaah - (d. 489H) regarding the reasons behind the unity of Ahlus-Sunnah and the disunity and separation of all the people of Innovations as cited by Qawwam as-Sunnah al-Asbahaanee in al-Hujjah fee Bayaan al-Mahajjah (2/223-226).

Whenever I Waver And Become Indecisive

Shaykhul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah rahimahullaah said: 

“Indeed whenever I waver and become indecisive in my mind about an issue, or about something or a situation [which is problematic for me] then I seek forgiveness from Allaah the Most High, a thousand times or more, or less until He opens my chest for me and solves the problem which I was confused about. Even if at that time I was in a market place, or in a masjid or in a mountain pass or a school, that does not prevent me from the remembrance [of Allaah] and asking for forgiveness until I achieve my objective.” 

Translated by: Aboo 'Abdillaah Bilal Hussain al-Kashmiree
Reference: [Al-‘Uqoodad-Durriyyah min Manaaqib Shaykhul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah by Ibn ‘Abdul-Haadee (d.748 H), page 5, Daar Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah Print, with the checking of Muhammad Haamid al-Faqee]

Asking Allaah To Grant You From His Bounties And Not Having Hatred & Envy

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen rahimahullaah said:

If a person sees someone who has surpassed him in knowledge, religion, children and wealth; then indeed he must recognise that it is from the favours and bounties of Allaah, and indeed he must ask Allaah for what He has bestowed upon this individual from His favours and bounties, so that He may grant it to you.

And as for you being envious of him and having hatred towards him due to what Allaah has blessed him with then this is a mistake in perception, foolishness in understanding and misguidance in the religion.

‏إذا رأى الإنسان من فاقه علماً وديناً وولداً ومالاً فليعلم أن ذلك من فضل الله وليسأل الله من فضله الذي أعطى هذا فليعطك وأما كونك تحسده وتكره ما أنعم الله به عليه فهذا خطأ في التصور وسفه في العقل وضلال في الدين.

Translated by: Aboo 'Abdillaah Bilal Hussain al-Kashmiree
Reference: [Fataawa Noorun 'Alaa ad-Darb "Shedding light upon the Mountain Pass" (2/22)]

The Clarification That The Grave Is Either A Garden From The Gardens Of Paradise Or A Pit From The Pits Of Hellfire

Question: Is it the case that the Reckoning is something immediate (after death) such that a person enters al-Jannah or the Hellfire?
Answer: There are many texts coming from the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) that prove that the grave is either a garden from the Gardens of Paradise or a pit from the Pits of Hell. And that if the servant is taken then he is given the glad tiding of al-Jannah, if he was a believer at the moment of being taken. And if he was a disbeliever, he will be given the news of Hell. So if he enters his grave as a disbeliever and he is questioned with that which is mandatory, he will then be punished in the grave. And this punishment is from the punishments of the Hereafter. On the other hand, when a believer enters his grave he will be in bliss therein and a door will be opened for him from al-Jannah whereby he will receive its bounties, its good fragrances and he will be made to see his seat therein. And he will be made to see his seat in Hellfire and that Allaah has saved and protected him from that. The disbeliever will likewise see his seat in Paradise but he will be prevented from it due to his disbelief and he will be made to see his seat in the Hellfire. And he will receive from its poisons, torments and punishments. His grave will be a pit from the pits of the Fire and he will be punished in it according to his evil deeds and his disbelief in Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic. So the grave is essentially a starting point of bliss for the believer and a starting point of torment for the disbeliever.
Furthermore, the sinful person is in grave danger and that is because if the sinful person dies upon sinning then it is possible that he will be punished in his grave even if he is not a disbeliever. It is authentically reported from the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) that he came across two people being tormented in their graves and he said: "Indeed they are being tortured and they are not being tortured for a major sin. As for one of them then he used to go about (carrying and spreading) Nameemah (gossip and tales). And as for the other one then he did not keep himself safe from being defiled by his urine." [Bukhaaree (no.216) & Muslim (no.703)]. Meaning: that he did not used to make Istinjaa (cleaning oneself with water etc) after urinating, so he informed about them that they were both being tormented due to these sins. And in another Hadeeth: "Most of the torment in the grave is from being soiled by urine." And his statement: Safeguard yourself from being soiled by urine for indeed the torment of the grave in general is due to it." So this is evidence that for sins a perpetrator could be punished in the grave on account of it. And so from this you know that the grave is either a place of torment or a place of bliss; but the torment is preliminary and a sample from the torment of the Hellfire and the bliss is also a sample from the bliss in Paradise. So it is incumbent upon the believer to be cautious, and to get ready and be prepared for the Hereafter, and that he should prepare himself to meet Allaah, and he should take precaution and beware of the means to receiving punishment. And that is by striving upon the obedience to Allaah, and being steadfast upon the commandments of Allaah, and distancing oneself from all disobedience to Allaah, and to enjoin one another with the truth and being patient upon that until you meet your Lord whilst you are in that state. That you meet your Lord whilst you are striving hard in obedience to Him, being far away from the prohibitions of Allaah, stopping and remaining within the boundaries set by Allaah, helping your brothers in doing good and directing them to the truth and being patient upon it. This is how a believer should be until he meets his Lord, the Mighty and Majestic.

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Being one who is patient and forbearing, keeping far away from everything that which Allaah has prohibited, and hastening to do that which earns Allaah’s pleasure until one meets their Lord, the Mighty and Majestic. And due to this he will find blissfulness in his grave and a tremendous amount of good and he will remain in a garden from the gardens of Paradise until he meets his Lord, the Mighty and Majestic. Then he will attain that which is greater and more tremendous than the bliss of Paradise (i.e. seeing his Lord). On the other hand, the unbeliever will be in a contrary situation than that. When he dies, he will be in torment and punishment and that which comes afterwards is far worse and more evil than it. We ask Allaah for safety and well-being.

Translated by: Aboo 'Abdillaah Bilal Hussain al-Kashmiree
Taken from Fataawa Noorun 'alaa ad-Darb by Shaykh Ibn Baaz (4/324-325), ash-Shuway’ir edition, transcribed from tape 7, Question no.17

The World Is Like A Dream

Hasan al-Basri rahimahullaah said:

The Dunya (worldly life) all of it, from the beginning of it, to its end is nothing except like a man who sleeps for a while and he sees what he loves in his dream, and then he wakes up.

قال الحسن البصري رحمه الله : " مَا الدُّنْيَا كُلُّهَا مِنْ أَوَّلِهَا إِلَى آخِرِهَا، إِلَّا كَرَجُلٍ نَامَ نَوْمَةً فَرَأَى فِي مَنَامِهِ مَا يُحِبُّ، ثُمَّ انْتَبَهَ "

(ابن أبي الدنيا في الزهد ٣٧٦)

Translated by: Aboo 'Abdillaah Bilal Hussain al-Kashmiree
Reference: Ibn Abee ad-Dunya in az-Zuhd p.171 (no.376).

Whoever Wears An Amulet Then He Has Committed Shirk

On the authority of 'Uqbah bin 'Aamir al-Juhanee (radiallaahu anhu) he said:

A group of people came to the Messenger of Allaah (ﷺ) [i.e. to give Bay’ah (pledge allegiance) to him]. He accepted the pledge of allegiance from nine from them and he withheld it from one. So they said: “O Messenger of Allah, you accepted from nine and have left this one? He (ﷺ) replied: "Verily, he is wearing an Amulet (Tamimah).” So the man he put his hand (in his garments) and tore it off. After that he (ﷺ) accepted his Bay'ah. And he (ﷺ) said: “Whoever wears an amulet then he has committed Shirk (Polytheism).”

Translated by: Aboo 'Abdillaah Bilal Hussain al-Kashmiree
Reported by Ahmad in his Musnad (4/156), please refer to Silsilatul-Ahadeeth as-Saheehah (1/889). Shaykh al-Albaanee rahimahullaah graded this Hadeeth as Saheeh

Live, Love And Act As You Wish

On the authority of 'Alee bin Abee Taalib - radiallaahu 'anhu - who said:

The Messenger of Allaah - Sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam - said: "Jibreel came to me and said: O Muhammad! Live as you wish for indeed you will certainly die. Love who you want, for indeed you will have to depart from him. Act as you wish for indeed you will be recompensed for it. Know that the nobility of the Believer lies in his standing in prayer during the night, and his honour lies in him not having any need of the people."

عن علي بن ابي طالب، رضي الله عنه، قال: قال رسول الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم:
“ أتاني جبريل فقال: يا محمد، عش ما شئت فإنك ميت، وأحبب من شئت فإنك مفارقه، واعمل ما شئت فإنك مجزي به، واعلم أن شرف المؤمن قيامه بالليل، وعزه استغناؤه عن الناس "

[أخرجه أبو نعيم في الحلية 3/202 وحسنه الالباني في الصحيحة 831]

Translated by: Aboo 'Abdillaah Bilal Hussain al-Kashmiree
Reported by Aboo Nu'aym in al-Hilyatil-Awliyaa (3/202) and graded by Shaykh al-Albaanee as Hasan (good/authentic) in as-Saheehah (no.831).

The Humiliation Of The Ummah Is In The Hands Of Allaah And Not In The Hands Of The Unbelievers

On the authority of Abdullaah bin Umar radiallaahu 'anhuma who said:

When you deal with 'Eenah (form of subtle usury) transactions, and you hold onto the tail of cows, and you become satisfied and pleased with agriculture, and you abandon Jihaad; then Allaah will send humiliation upon you. He will not remove it, until you return back to your religion.

إذا تبايعتُم بالعينةِ وأخذتم أذنابَ البقرِ ، ورضيتُم بالزَّرعِ وترَكتمُ الجِهادَ سلَّطَ اللَّهُ عليْكم ذلاًّ لاَ ينزعُهُ حتَّى ترجعوا إلى دينِكُم

Translated by: Aboo 'Abdillaah Bilal Hussain al-Kashmiree
Reference: Saheeh Sunan Abee Dawood, (no. 3462), graded Saheeh by Shaykh al-Albaanee rahimahullaah.

The Excellence Of Working And Earning A Living

On the authority of Ka'b ibn Ujrah radiallaahu 'anhu who said:

A man passed by the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam). The Companions of the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) noticed the man’s steadfastness and eagerness (i.e. in working and earning a living); and they said: "O Messenger of Allaah, if only he were doing this for the sake of Allaah!"

So the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said: "If he goes out striving and working hard in order to support his young children, then he is in the path of Allaah (i.e. for the sake of Allaah). And if he goes out striving and working hard in order to support his parents who are very elderly, then he is in the path of Allaah (i.e. for the sake of Allaah). If he is striving against his self in order to keep himself upright and chaste, then he is doing it for the sake of Allaah. And if he goes out striving and working hard due to showing off and boastful pride then he is doing it for the sake of Shaytaan.

Translated by: Aboo 'Abdillaah Bilal Hussain al-Kashmiree
Reference: Saheeh al-Jaami as-Sagheer, no.1428, Shaykh al-Albaanee declared it Saheeh

Receiving Reward For Good Actions Even When You Are Incapable

By Shaykh Ibn al-'Uthaymeen rahimahullaah

The Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “If a servant becomes ill or travels, then Allaah, the Most High, will write for him the reward that is the same as what he used to do whilst he was in good health and resident (at home).”

If, for example, your habit was that you used to pray with the congregation (in the masjid) and then you became ill and were not able to pray with the congregation; then it as if you are praying in congregation and twenty-seven rewards will be written for you.

Likewise, if you travel and your habit whilst resident (at home) in your land was that you would pray the nawaafil prayers, and you would read the Qur'an, make Tasbeeh, Tahleel and Takbeer; but because of the travelling you became preoccupied from all that, then indeed the reward of what you were accustomed to doing will be written for you whilst you were in your land and at home.

For example, if you were travelling and you prayed alone and no one was with you in the open countryside, then indeed the full reward of the congregational prayer will be written for you. That is if your habit was to pray with the congregation (in the masjid) while you were resident (in your homeland).

Furthermore, there is in this an admonishment and encouragement for a intelligent individual - as long as he is in the state of having good health and free time - it is incumbent upon him to strive in doing righteous actions. Such that when he is unable in doing them due to an illness or becoming preoccupied then the full reward for that will be written for him. Take advantage of your good health! Take advantage of your free time! Perform righteous actions! If you become preoccupied from them due to sickness or other than that, then the full reward will be written for you. And all praise is for Allaah.

This is the reason why Ibn 'Umar (radiallaahu 'anhuma) stated: "Take advantage of your health for your sickness, and your life for your death". This is how it is narrated from the narration of Ibn 'Umar. It is either his statement or taken from the statement of the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam), that it is necessary for an individual who is in the state of good health to seize the opportunity, such that if he becomes ill; then his actions while he was healthy would be written for him. And he should strive - as long as he is resident - in performing many righteous actions, such that when he travels the reward for what he did whilst he was resident (at home) would be written down for him.

We ask Allaah that He makes our intentions and your intentions solely for Him and He rectifies our actions and your actions.

Translated by: Aboo 'Abdillaah Bilal Hussain al-Kashmiree
Reference: Kitaab Sharh Riyadh-us-Saliheen by Shaykh Ibn al-'Uthaymeen rahimahullaah, Chapter 13 - Explaining the many ways of Goodness. [(No.133), (p.189-p.190)].