*!* The Forty Sayings- by An Nawawi *!* - Page 2

Khayal

Hadeeth 16

The Forbiddance of Anger

On the authority of Abu Hurairah (radiAllaahu anhu),

That a man said to the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam : "Counsel me", so he (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said :
Do not become angry.
The man repeated [his request for counsel] several times, and he (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said : Do not become angry.
It was related by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim.

Explanation of Hadeeth Number 16
The author of "al-Ifsaah min al-Jaa'iz" said that the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam recognised in this man considerable anger, so he singled out for him this particular advice. And the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam has praised the one who is able to control himself at the time of anger, and has said "The powerful man is not the one who is able to wrestle, but the powerful man is the one who is able to control himself at the time of anger".

And Allaah ta'aalaa has also praised such a person where He says : "those who repress their anger, and who pardon others"
[aal-'Imraan, 134].

And it is narrated from the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) that he said : "Whoever represses his anger while he is able to express it and is not in the wrong, then Allaah 'azza wa jall will call him amongst the best of Creation on the Day of Resurrection, and he will be allowed to choose whoever he wishes from amongst the Hoor."

And it has also been narrated in another hadeeth : "Verily anger is from Shaytaan", and it is because of this that the angry person is no longer able to deal justly, and he speaks falsehood, and he takes on many blameworthy characteristics, and he takes into his heart feelings of hatred and malice and other than that of the despicable, forbiddden characteristics - and all of this is from anger, may Allaah protect us from it. And it has been narrated in the hadeeth of Sulaymaan bin Sarud : "Verily seeking refuge with Allaah from Shaytaan, the outcast, causes the anger to recede." And this is because Shaytaan is the one who beautifies anger and all other such blameworthy affairs, for Shaytaan always tries to mislead man and keep him away from the Pleasure of Allaah 'azza wa jall, and so seeking refuge with Allaah from him is one of the strongest weapons available to repel his evil designs.

Summary :

That one can simply ask for advice or counsel from a teacher
That one must not become angry because of impatience
That the teacher may delay in responding to the question
That the teacher can be asked the same question serveral times
That the teacher can respond with the same answer each time.

Khayal

Hadeeth 18

Good Character

On the authority of Abu Dharr Jundub ibn Junaadah, and Abu 'Abd-ir-Rahmaan Mu'aadh bin Jabal (radiAllaahu anhumaa) that the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said :

Have Taqwaa (Fear) of Allaah wherever you may be, and follow up a bad deed with a good deed which will wipe it out, and behave well towards the people.

It was related by at-Tirmidhee, who said it was a Hasan (Good) Hadeeth, and in some copies it is stated to be a Hasan Saheeh Hadeeth.

Explanation of Hadeeth Number 18
The virtues and outstanding traits of Abu Dharr (radiAllaahu anhu) are many. He accepted Islaam while the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) was still in Makkah, and was instructed by him to return to and keep close to his tribe [in order to call them to Islaam]. However, when the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) saw in him a great eagerness to remain with him in Makkah, and knowing that he would not be able to do so [due to the torment of the Quraysh], he said to Abu Dharr : "Have Taqwaa (Fear) of Allaah wherever you may be, and follow up a bad deed with a good deed which will wipe it out", and this is in accordance with the statement of Allaah ta'aalaa "Verily, the good deeds remove the evil deeds"
[Hood, 114].

And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "and behave well towards the people" means that one should treat the people the way one would like them to treat oneself. And know that "Verily the heaviest thing to be placed in the Scales [on the Day of Accounting] will be the Good Character/Behaviour".
And the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) is reported to have said "Verily the most loved of you by me and the closest of you to me on the Day of Resurrection are the best of you in Character"
[related by at-Tabaraanee, but judged weak by al-Haafidh al-Mundhiree in at-Targheeb wa at-Tarheeb]. And good character is from the characteristics of the Prophets and Messengers and the chosen ones from amongst the Believers - those who do not retaliate with evil, but rather forgive and pardon and behave well despite being treated badly.

Summary :
That one must remember Allaah with Fear no matter where he may be

That one must do a good act to cover up each bad act that he commits

That a Muslim must behave well towards others

.

Khayal

Hadeeth 20

Modesty is from Faith (Eemaan)

On the authority of Abu Mas'ood 'Uqbah bin 'Amr al-Ansaaree al-Badree (radiAllaahu anhu) who said : The Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said :

Verily, from what was learnt by the people from the speech of the Earliest Prophecy is : If you feel no shame, then do as you wish.

It was related by al-Bukhaaree

Explanation of Hadeeth Number 20
The meaning of his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "From the speech of the Earliest Prophecy" is that modesty has always been considered praiseworthy, commendable and ordered with, and has never been abrogated in the teachings and Laws of the earlier Prophets.

And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "then do as you wish" has two angles to it :

The first of them is that it is not an order to do as we please, but rather it is a warning or threat that if we do so then we shall have to face the consequences. And this is similar to the statement of Allaah ta'aalaa with reference to the Disbelievers : "Do what you will"
[Fussilat, 40].
And this is a threat to them as it has been made clear to them what will come about as a result of their disbelief. And this is also similar to the statement of the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) "Whoever sells alcohol then let him also make permissible the eating of swine" - and, clearly, there is not in this permission to eat the flesh of pigs !

The second is that if a person does not have any modesty or shame, then let him come forward and openly perform every single shameful act without any reservation. And similar to this is his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement : "Modesty is from Eemaan (faith)". Its meaning is that modesty prevents a person from committing shameful and evil deeds, but rather encourages him towards piety and good actions; just as a person's Eemaan (faith) prevents him from committing such acts, and instead encourages him upon obedience [of the Lord]. Thus, modesty attains the station and position of Eemaan, through its being equivalent to Eemaan in this.
And Allaah knows best.

Summary :

That people are generally alright until they corrupt themselves

That when one has remained pure one can trust one's conscience

.

Khayal

Hadeeth 21

Say 'I believe in Allaah' and then be Steadfast

On the authority of Aboo 'Amr - and he is also called Aboo 'Amrah - Sufyaan bin Abdillaah ath-Thaqafee (radiAllaahu anhu) who said :

I said : "O Messenger of Allaah, tell me something about al-Islaam which I can ask of no one but you."
He said : "Say: I believe in Allaah - and then be Steadfast"

It was related by Muslim.

Explanation of Hadeeth Number 21

The meaning of his (radiAllaahu anhu) statement "tell me something about al-Islaam which I can ask of no one but you" is that he is asking the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) to teach him a comprehensive statement about the meaning of al-Islaam, that is clear in and of itself, and does not require any further explanation by anyone other than the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam), such that he may act upon it and protect himself (from the Fire) with it. So the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) replied to his question with his statement : "Say: I believe in Allaah - and then be Steadfast".
This is from the Complete and Comprehensive Speech that has been given to our Messenger (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam), for verily he (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) has combined, for the questioner, in these two phrases the complete meanings of al-Islaam and al-Eemaan. For verily these words instruct one to renew one's Eemaan through the tongue and the remembrance of the heart, and they instruct one to remain steadfast (have Istiqaamah) upon performing the actions of Obedience and to refrain completely from all the actions of Disobedience, since it is not possible to establish al-Istiqaamah while at the same time having some element of crookedness and disobedience, as this is its opposite. And this is similar to His statement : "Verily, those who say: 'Our Lord is Allaah', and then they remain steadfast upon that"
[Fussilat, 30], ie they believe in Allaah alone, and then they remain steadfast upon that, and upon His obedience, until Allaah takes their souls and they are still upon that. 'Umar bin al-Khattaab (radiAllaahu anhu) said : "They are steadfast upon the obedience of Allaah, and they do not swerve away from that with the evasions of the fox". And its meaning is that they are firm upon most of what Allaah has ordered, from the matters of Belief, Speech and Action. And they persist upon that, and this is the meaning of the explanation given by most of the scholars of Tafseer, and it is the meaning of the hadeeth, in shaa' Allaah ta'aalaa.
And similarly the statement of Allaah subhaanahu : "So stand (O Muhammad SAW) firm and straight (on the religion of Islaam) as you are commanded"
[Hood, 112].
Ibn 'Abbaas (radiAllaahu anhu) said that no other verse from the entire Qur'aan was revealed upon the Messenger (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) that was harder upon him than this verse. And due to this he sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam said : "(The Soorah) Hood and its companions have made my hair white". And Aboo Bakr (radiAllaahu anhu) has narrated that he (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said : "My hair has been made white by (Soorahs) Hood, and al-Waaqi'ah, and al-Mursalaat, and 'Amma yatasaa'aloon, and Idha ash-Shamsu Kuwwirat".
al-Ustaadh Aboo al-Qaasim al-Qushairee (rahimahu Allaahu ta'aalaa) said : al-Istiqaamah is a station by which is achieved the perfection of the affairs, and their completion, and with its presence one attains all that is good and in order. And he who does not attain Istiqaamah in his endeavour then he has lost that endeavour and all good fortune.
And it is said : al-Istiqaamah is not sustained except by the elders and seniors [in the Deen], because it involves keeping away from the common [incorrect] practises of the [ignorant] people. And it involves difference and separation from the [incorrect] customs and traditions of the people, and instead standing firm between the Hands of Allaah ta'aalaa upon the Reality of Truth, and due to this the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said "Be steadfast [in your actions] and do not count/enumerate [your good actions, which may cause you to limit them]. And know that the best of your actions is the Prayer, and none except the [true] Believer takes care to maintain his wudoo'". And al-Waasitee (rahimahu Allaah) said : "al-Istiqaamah is a trait such that with it all the good qualities are perfected, and without it they are all disfigured."
And Allaah knows best.

Summary :

That only the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) fully understood the essence and worth of worshipping Allaah truly
That one must truly believe that Allaah is his Lord whom he worships, and then stay upright and steadfast upon that belief, and that covers the whole religion
That keeping Upright / Steadfast is following the injunctions that have come from Allaah in Whom he trusts and Whom he worships and Whom he takes as the highest authority

Khayal

Hadeeth 22
Confinement to the Obligatory Deeds is Sufficient to be Entered into Paradise

On the authority of Abu 'Abdillaah Jaabir bin 'Abdillaah al-Ansaaree (radiAllaahu anhumaa) that :
A man questioned the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) and said : Do you think that if I perform the obligatory Prayers, fast in Ramadaan, treat as lawful that which is Halaal, and treat as forbidden that which is Haraam, and do not increase upon that [in voluntary good deeds], then shall I enter Paradise ? He (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) replied : Yes

It was related by Muslim.

And the meaning of 'treat as forbidden the Haraam' is to stay away from it, and the meaning of 'treat as lawful the Halaal' is to perform it believing it to be permissible.

Explanation of Hadeeth Number 22
This man who questioned the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) was an-Nu'maan bin Qawqal. The Shaykh Aboo 'Amr bin as-Salaah (rahimahu Allaah) said : "What is apparent from his statement 'treat as forbidden that which is Haraam' is two issues.
The first : that he believes those things to be forbidden.
The second : that he does not perform those actions, which is different from the case of treating the Halaal as permissible, as in the latter case it is sufficient to believe that they are permissible [without actually performing all of them]."

The author of al-Mufham said that in this hadeeth the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) did not mention to the questioner any of the voluntary actions, and this is a proof indicating the permissibility of leaving all of the voluntary actions. But the one who does so, and does not perform anything from the voluntary deeds, has deprived his soul of a tremendous profit and an immense reward. And the one who persists upon leaving something from the Sunnah is considered to have a deficiency in his Religion, and an impairment to his decency and justice. And if his leaving it is due to disdain or indifference to it, or due to his detesting it, then this is considered to be fisq (sinfulness) that is deserving of punishment.
And our scholars have said : If the people of a land come to an agreement upon the leaving of a Sunnah, then they must be fought against until they return back to it. And the leaders from amongst the Sahaabah (radiAllaahu anhum) and those who followed them would persevere upon performing the voluntary deeds, and these would make easy persistence upon the obligatory deeds, and they would not distinguish between the voluntary and the obligatory in trying to attain reward.

And here the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) left out the Sunan and other voluntary acts in his advice to the man to make the Religion easy for him, due to his having recently accepted Islaam, as excessive obligations may have alienated him from the Religion. And he (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) knew that if the man established himself upon Islaam and if Allaah opened his heart to the Deen, then he would, of his own accord, seek those voluntary actions which the other Muslims sought. Also, it is possible that the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) did not mention the voluntary deeds in his advice so that the man would not wrongly assume that such actions are also obligatory.
And similarly in another hadeeth :
A man asked the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) about the Salaah (Prayer), so he (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) told him that they are five. So the man said : "Am I required to perform any more [other than these five] ?" to which the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) replied "No, except that which you perform voluntarily". Then the man asked about the Fasting, and the Hajj and other prescribed matters, and the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) answered him [in a similar manner]. Then at the end of this the man said : "By Allaah, I will not increase upon this, nor will I perform less than it", to which the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said : "He will be Successful if he is truthful", and in another narration "If he holds onto that which he has been commanded with then he will enter Paradise".

And the Sunan and voluntary deeds have been prescribed to complete and beautify the Obligatory deeds. So in the case of this questioner, and the one mentioned before him, the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) did not include in his advice the voluntary deeds in order to make the Religion easy for them, until their own understanding of the Deen increased, which would then lead to a desire to attain the reward of the voluntary deeds.
So he who preserves the deeds obligatory upon him, and performs them in their time, without leaving anything from them or violating any of their requisites, then he will attain a tremendous and immense Success - may Allaah grant us that. And similarly, he who comes with the obligatory deeds and then follows that up with additional voluntary deeds will achieve a Success even greater than the first.

Summary :

The hadeeth is self-explanatory and clear

That Paradise is guaranteed for him who fulfills his Prayer and Fasting in the right way, with faith and perfect submission, and without asscociating any partners with Him, together with treating as lawful those things that are so, and treating as forbidden those things that are so

That some things become an obligation to be done or avoided under certain circumstances and given certain conditions, and those things are included in the hadeeth too

That treating as lawful that which is lawful and treating as forbidden that which is forbidden essentially covers the practising of the whole of the Deen
That fulfilling the conditions of this hadeeth for Paradise is the upholding of Tawheed by the Worshipper in his life

.

Güven

Jazakallahu Ghairan Sis

Khayal

Hadeeth 23

Hastening to do Good

On the authority of Abu Maalik al-Haarith bin al-Haarith al-Ash'aree (radiAllaahu anhu) who said : The Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said :

Purity is half of Eemaan (Faith).
'Al-Hamdu lillaah' [Praise be to Allaah] fills the scales, and
'AubhaanAllaah' [How far is Allaah from every imperfection]and
'Al-Hamdu lillaah' fill that which is between heaven and earth. And the
Salaah (Prayer) is a Light, and
Charity is a Proof, and
Patience is Illumination, and the
Qur'aan is a Proof either for you or against you. Every person starts his day as a vendor of his soul, either freeing it or causing its ruin.

It was related by Muslim.

Explanation of Hadeeth Number 23

This hadeeth is a Principle from amongst the Principles of Islaam, and it encompasses within it many important matters and fundamental principles of the Deen.

As for 'Purity' then what is intended here is the action. The 'ulemaa have differed over the meaning of the phrase 'Purity is half of Eemaan', so some have said that it means that the reward of purifying oneself is such that it reaches half the reward of Eemaan, and some have said that the meaning of Eemaan here is the Salaah (Prayer). As Allaah ta'aalaa has said : "And Allaah would never let your eemaan (prayers offered towards Jerusalem, before Makkah was made the Qiblah) to be lost"
[Soorah al-Baqarah, 143].
And purity is a condition for the correctness of the Prayer, so it becomes like a part of it, and it is not necessary that a part of something is really half of it. And others have said other than this.
And as for his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "'al-Hamdu lillaah' [Praise be to Allaah] fills the scales" then its meaning is that due to the great reward for reciting the Praise of Allaah, the scale of good deeds of the worshipper is filled. And it is apparent from the texts of the Qur'aan and the Sunnah that the deeds of the slave will be weighed on the Day of Judgement, and will either be heavy or light.
And similar to this is his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "and 'subhaanAllaah' [How far is Allaah from every imperfection] and 'al-Hamdu lillaah' fill that which is between heaven and earth" and the reason for its great virtue is that it combines within it the denial for Allaah of all forms of deficiency and imperfection, and establishes our complete dependence upon Him and need of Him.
And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "the Salaah (Prayer) is a Light" means that it prevents a person from sin, forbids him from fahshaa' (lusts) and guides him towards that which is Right, just as one uses a light to illuminate ones way. And it has also been said that it means that its reward will be a light for the worshipper on the Day of Resurrection, or that it will be a clear and apparent light on the face of the worshipper on the Day of Resurrection, and also in this life in the form of beauty and radiance in his face. And this is the opposite of those who do not Pray, and Allaah knows best.

And as for his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "charity is a Proof" then the author of at-Tajreed said : Its meaning is that safety and refuge is sought through it, just as safety and refuge is sought through proofs [of the truth]. And when the slave will be asked on the Day of Resurrection about how he spent his wealth, then his spending in charity will be a proof for him in answering that question, so he will say "I spent it in charity".

And others have said that its meaning is that charity is a proof showing the eemaan of the giver, since the hypocrite does not give charity as he does not believe in its prescription or benefit. So whoever spends in charity, then this is an indication of the strength of his eemaan, and Allaah knows best.

And as for his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "and Patience is Illumination" then it refers to that Patience which is loved and recommended by the Sharee'ah, and that is Patience upon obedience of Allaah ta'aalaa, and Patience upon avoiding His disobedience. And it also includes Patience with the different difficulties that one must face in the world. And the implication of all this is that Patience is praiseworthy, and always shows the correct path, and always guides to that which is right.
Ibraaheem al-Khawaas (rahimahu Allaah) said : Patience is having steadfastness upon the Qur'aan and the Sunnah. And it is said that patience is restraining oneself in times of difficulty with the best manner and character. And Abu 'Alee ad-Diqaaq (rahimahu Allaah) said that patience is not remonstrating against that which Allaah decrees for us. However, making apparent ones difficulty through complaining [to Allaah] about it does not negate ones patience. For Allaah ta'aalaa said about Ayyoob (alayhi as-salaam) "Truly! We found him patient. How excellent a slave! Verily, he was ever oft-returning in repentance (to Us)!"
[Soorah Saad, 44],
while also saying "And (remember) Ayoob, when he cried to his Lord: Verily, distress has seized me, and You are the Most Merciful of all those who show mercy."
[Soorah al-Anbiyaa', 83], and Allaah knows best.
And as for his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "and the Qur'aan is a Proof either for you or against you" then its meaning is clear that if one recites it and acts upon it, then one will attain great benefit from it, and if not then it will be a proof against us.
And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "Every person starts his day as a vendor of his soul, either freeing it or causing its ruin" means that every person strives for his soul, so amongst mankind are those who sell themselves for Allaah through their obeying Him, and thus free their souls from the Punishment, as Allaah ta'aalaa has said : "Verily, Allaah has purchased from the believers their lives and their properties; for the price that theirs shall be Paradise"
[Soorah at-Tawbah, 111].
And whoever sells his soul for Shaytaan and his desires through his following them, then he has destroyed his soul.
O Allaah ! Grant us that we act in Your Obedience, and save us from destroying ourselves through opposing You. InshaAllaah .... Aameen!

Summary :

That cleanliness according to the requirements of Islaam is half of Faith
That realisation and acknowledgement of Allaah as the One deserving all Praise adds weight in our favour to the Scale of Judgment [al-Meezaan]

That the above coupled with the realisation and acknowledgement of Allaah as the Most Perfect is of great value and ensures justice to the creation from the worshipper

That Prayer builds Faith and shows the Way

That charity is a proof of our faith which will be given credit on the Last Day

That patience in our affairs beautifies them and is a sign of wisdom

That everything is to be judged by the Qur'aan

That taking the Qur'aan as a judgement of authority either proves our case or convicts us

That we are ourselves responsible for our actions and Paradise or Hell very much depends on what we have done, how we have done it and with what sort of faith

.

.

Khayal

Hadeeth 24

The Forbiddence of Oppression

On the authority of Abu Dharr al-Ghifaaree (radiAllaahu anhu) from the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) from his Lord ('azza wa jall) that He said :

O My servants ! I have forbidden dhulm (oppression) for Myself, and I have made it forbidden amongst you, so do not oppress one another.
O My servants, all of you are astray except those whom I have guided, so seek guidance from Me and I shall guide you.

O My servants, all of of you are hungry except those whom I have fed, so seek food from Me and I shall feed you.

O My servants, all of you are naked except those whom I have clothed, so seek clothing from Me and I shall clothe you.

O My servants, you commit sins by day and by night, and I forgive all sins, so seek forgiveness from Me and I shall forgive you.

O My servants, you will not attain harming Me so as to harm me, and you will not attain benefitting Me so as to benefit Me.

O My servants, if the first of you and the last of you, and the humans of you and the jinn of you, were all as pious as the most pious heart of any individual amongst you, then this would not increase My Kingdom an iota.

O My servants, if the first of you and the last of you, and the humans of you and the jinn of you, were all as wicked as the most wicked heart of any indivdual amongst you, then this would not decrease My Kingdom an iota.

O My servants, if the first of you and the last of you, and the humans of you and the jinn of you, were all to stand together in one place and ask of Me, and I were to give everyone what he requested, then that would not decrease what I Possess, except what is decreased of the Ocean when a needle is dipped into it.

O My servants, it is but your deeds that I account for you, and then recompense you for. So he who finds good, let him praise Allaah, and he who finds other than that, let him blame no one but himself.
It was related by Muslim.

Explanation of Hadeeth Number 24

This hadeeth is a hadeeth where the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam narrates something from Allaah ta'aalaa, and is referred to as a 'Hadeeth Qudsee'.

Regarding His 'azza wa jall statement "I have forbidden dhulm (oppression) for Myself, and I have made it forbidden amongst you", some of the 'ulamaa have said thats its meaning is : "it does not befit My Majesty and hence is not possible for Me", as Allaah ta'aalaa has said : "But it is not befitting of (the Majesty of) the Most Beneficent (Allaah) that He should beget a son". So dhulm is inconceivable in respect of Allaah ta'aalaa. And some of the 'ulamaa have said regarding this hadeeth : "It is not permitted for anyone to ask Allaah to Judge against his adversary except with the Truth, from His - suhaanahu - saying : "I have forbidden dhulm for Myself", so He - subhaanahu - does not oppress His slaves of His own accord, so how can anyone conceive that He would oppress one of His slaves for the sake of another one of His slaves ?"

And similarly He said : "so do not oppress one another" and this implies that the oppressed will he avenged for the oppression committed against him.

And His statement "all of you are astray except those whom I have guided ... all of of you are hungry except those whom I have fed ... all of you are naked except those whom I have clothed" is a reminder of our poverty before Allaah, and our inability to bring about good for ourselves and to fend off harm from ourselves, except by the Help of Allaah subhaanahu in that, and this returns to the meaning of the statement : 'laa howla wa laa quwwata illaa billaah', ie 'there is no movement or power except by the Will of Allaah'. So let the slave know that when he sees the traces of these blessings upon himself then this is from the blessing of Allaah, and so it is necessary for him to thank Allaah ta'aalaa for that. And for every thing that he receives in excess of these blessings he should increase in Praise and Thankfulness of Allaah ta'aalaa.

And His statement : "so seek guidance from Me and I shall guide you", then this generally informs the slave that when he sought guidance from his Master, then He guided him. And even if he received guidance before he asked for it from his Lord, then he still cannot say that he attained guidance by knowledge that he possessed. And similarly the meaning of "all of of you are hungry ..." till the end, is that Allaah has created all of creation in a state of poverty and need of food. So every one who eats was in a state of hunger until Allaah fed him, by sending his rizq (sustenace) to him and perfecting the favours that had been shaped for him. So let not the possessor of wealth think that the sustenace which he holds in his hand and which he has raised to his mouth has been provided to him by anyone other than Allaah ta'aalaa. And in this statement also is an indication of the required manners of the needy - as though He said : "Do not seek sustenance from anyone other than Me, for verily all those others from whom you might seek sustenance have themselves been provided for by Myself. So seek sustenance from me and I will provide for you", and similarly for that which follows this.

And His statement "you commit sins by day and by night" contains a censure against that [sins] which every believer feels ashamed of. For Allaah has created the night to be obeyed in, and to be worshipped sincerely in, as the deeds performed in the night are generally safe from riyaa' (ostentation) and hypocrisy. So does not the Believer feel ashamed that he does not spend his nights and days in the obedience of Allaah ? And also, Allaah has created witnesses from amongst mankind too, so what is expected of every intelligent and astute person is that he will obey Allaah, and will not openly display disobedience in front of the people. And how can it be that a Believer would sin whether openly or secretly, for verily Allaah subhaanaha wa ta'aalaa has said after that : "and I forgive all sins". And in the arabic of this statement are two forms of emphasis which indicate that Allaah will forgive all forms of sin. And He said this before His order to seek forgiveness from Him, so that no one who has committed a sin may despair of the Mercy of Allaah, no matter how great that sin may be.

And in His statement "if the first of you and the last of you, and the humans of you and the jinn of you" until the end, is an indication that the taqwaa (piety) of the pious is a Mercy granted to them, and that it does not affect or increase the Kingdom of Allaah in the least.

And as for His statement "... were all to stand together in one place" then in it is an exhortation to the creation to lay importance upon asking Allaah and to seek from Him in all affairs, and not to feel shy or decrease in asking Him, for verily that which is with Allaah does not decrease and His treasures are inexhaustible, so let not anyone think that what is with Allaah will diminish by His giving, as the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam has explained in another hadeeth : "Allaah's Hand is Full; it is not diminished by His giving all of the day and the night. Have you not seen that your Lord has been giving ever since He created the Heavens and the Earth, and all that has not diminished what is in His Right Hand by the least". And what is hidden in this is that His Qudrah (Power, Ability) is always ready for bestowing favours upon His creation, and it is not possible that He lose the ability to do so, or that He decrease in doing so, or that what He is able to do becomes restricted.
And His statement "except what is decreased of the Ocean when a needle is dipped into it" is a metaphor, whose purpose is to make understood what we testify for Allaah. And its meaning is that what is with Allaah does not decrease at all.
And His statement "it is but your deeds that I account for you, and then recompense you for. So he who finds good, let him praise Allaah" means that the slave should not consider his actions of obedience and worship of Allaah as being the sole result or his own nafs (soul), but rather he should consider them to be the result of the tawfeeq (guidance, good fortune) from Allaah, and hence he should Praise Him for that.
And He said "and he who finds other than that" and He did not say "and he who finds evil"; and the meaning of this is therefore "and he who finds anything other than that which is best". Then, such a person should not blame anyone except himself. And Allaah emphasises this through a nuance in the Arabic language, so that no person may think that there can be anyone else who partly or wholly bears resposibility for his actions.
And Allaah knows best.

Summary :
That Allaah never oppresses

That Allaah cannot oppress

That it is Haraam for us to oppress one another

That nobody is guided unless he is guided by Allaah

That although the Guidance is to be found in the Qur'aan and the Sunnah, yet one cannot be guided by them unless Allaah turns our hearts to His worship

That it is incumbent upon us to seek His guidance

That if we sincerely seek His guidance then He will indeed guide us

That sustenace and provision is from Allaah alone

That we must seek sustenance and provision from Him Only

That He will give us sustenance and provision if we ask it of Him

That all of us are sinful to a greater or lesser extent, ie nobody

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Khayal A tHoUgHt Status: Offline Posts: 4,712 Reputation: 11609 Rep Power: 37 Join Date: May 2005 Location: iN tHoUgHtS Gender: Way of Life: Muslim	*Re: !* The Forty Sayings- by An Nawawi ! - 2 Weeks Ago Hadeeth 16 The Forbiddance of Anger On the authority of Abu Hurairah (radiAllaahu anhu), That a man said to the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam : "Counsel me", so he (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said : Do not become angry. The man repeated [his request for counsel] several times, and he (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said : Do not become angry. It was related by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim. Explanation of Hadeeth Number 16 The author of "al-Ifsaah min al-Jaa'iz" said that the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam recognised in this man considerable anger, so he singled out for him this particular advice. And the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam has praised the one who is able to control himself at the time of anger, and has said "The powerful man is not the one who is able to wrestle, but the powerful man is the one who is able to control himself at the time of anger". And Allaah ta'aalaa has also praised such a person where He says : "those who repress their anger, and who pardon others" [aal-'Imraan, 134]. And it is narrated from the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) that he said : "Whoever represses his anger while he is able to express it and is not in the wrong, then Allaah 'azza wa jall will call him amongst the best of Creation on the Day of Resurrection, and he will be allowed to choose whoever he wishes from amongst the Hoor." And it has also been narrated in another hadeeth : "Verily anger is from Shaytaan", and it is because of this that the angry person is no longer able to deal justly, and he speaks falsehood, and he takes on many blameworthy characteristics, and he takes into his heart feelings of hatred and malice and other than that of the despicable, forbiddden characteristics - and all of this is from anger, may Allaah protect us from it. And it has been narrated in the hadeeth of Sulaymaan bin Sarud : "Verily seeking refuge with Allaah from Shaytaan, the outcast, causes the anger to recede." And this is because Shaytaan is the one who beautifies anger and all other such blameworthy affairs, for Shaytaan always tries to mislead man and keep him away from the Pleasure of Allaah 'azza wa jall, and so seeking refuge with Allaah from him is one of the strongest weapons available to repel his evil designs. Summary :** That one can simply ask for advice or counsel from a teacher That one must not become angry because of impatience That the teacher may delay in responding to the question That the teacher can be asked the same question serveral times That the teacher can respond with the same answer each time. __________________ Even a Smile is charity!

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Khayal A tHoUgHt Status: Offline Posts: 4,712 Reputation: 11609 Rep Power: 37 Join Date: May 2005 Location: iN tHoUgHtS Gender: Way of Life: Muslim	*Re: !* The Forty Sayings- by An Nawawi ! - 2 Weeks Ago Hadeeth 18 Good Character On the authority of Abu Dharr Jundub ibn Junaadah, and Abu 'Abd-ir-Rahmaan Mu'aadh bin Jabal (radiAllaahu anhumaa) that the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said : Have Taqwaa (Fear) of Allaah wherever you may be, and follow up a bad deed with a good deed which will wipe it out, and behave well towards the people. It was related by at-Tirmidhee, who said it was a Hasan (Good) Hadeeth, and in some copies it is stated to be a Hasan Saheeh Hadeeth. Explanation of Hadeeth Number 18 The virtues and outstanding traits of Abu Dharr (radiAllaahu anhu) are many. He accepted Islaam while the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) was still in Makkah, and was instructed by him to return to and keep close to his tribe [in order to call them to Islaam]. However, when the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) saw in him a great eagerness to remain with him in Makkah, and knowing that he would not be able to do so [due to the torment of the Quraysh], he said to Abu Dharr : "Have Taqwaa (Fear) of Allaah wherever you may be, and follow up a bad deed with a good deed which will wipe it out", and this is in accordance with the statement of Allaah ta'aalaa "Verily, the good deeds remove the evil deeds" [Hood, 114].** And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "and behave well towards the people" means that one should treat the people the way one would like them to treat oneself. And know that "Verily the heaviest thing to be placed in the Scales [on the Day of Accounting] will be the Good Character/Behaviour". And the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) is reported to have said "Verily the most loved of you by me and the closest of you to me on the Day of Resurrection are the best of you in Character" [related by at-Tabaraanee, but judged weak by al-Haafidh al-Mundhiree in at-Targheeb wa at-Tarheeb]. And good character is from the characteristics of the Prophets and Messengers and the chosen ones from amongst the Believers - those who do not retaliate with evil, but rather forgive and pardon and behave well despite being treated badly. Summary : That one must remember Allaah with Fear no matter where he may be That one must do a good act to cover up each bad act that he commits That a Muslim must behave well towards others . __________________ Even a Smile is charity!

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Khayal A tHoUgHt Status: Offline Posts: 4,712 Reputation: 11609 Rep Power: 37 Join Date: May 2005 Location: iN tHoUgHtS Gender: Way of Life: Muslim	*Re: !* The Forty Sayings- by An Nawawi ! - 2 Weeks Ago Hadeeth 20 Modesty is from Faith (Eemaan) On the authority of Abu Mas'ood 'Uqbah bin 'Amr al-Ansaaree al-Badree (radiAllaahu anhu) who said : The Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said : Verily, from what was learnt by the people from the speech of the Earliest Prophecy is : If you feel no shame, then do as you wish. It was related by al-Bukhaaree Explanation of Hadeeth Number 20 The meaning of his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "From the speech of the Earliest Prophecy" is that modesty has always been considered praiseworthy, commendable and ordered with, and has never been abrogated in the teachings and Laws of the earlier Prophets. And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "then do as you wish" has two angles to it : The first of them is that it is not an order to do as we please, but rather it is a warning or threat that if we do so then we shall have to face the consequences. And this is similar to the statement of Allaah ta'aalaa with reference to the Disbelievers : "Do what you will" [Fussilat, 40]. And this is a threat to them as it has been made clear to them what will come about as a result of their disbelief. And this is also similar to the statement of the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) "Whoever sells alcohol then let him also make permissible the eating of swine" - and, clearly, there is not in this permission to eat the flesh of pigs ! The second is that if a person does not have any modesty or shame, then let him come forward and openly perform every single shameful act without any reservation. And similar to this is his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement : "Modesty is from Eemaan (faith)". Its meaning is that modesty prevents a person from committing shameful and evil deeds, but rather encourages him towards piety and good actions; just as a person's Eemaan (faith) prevents him from committing such acts, and instead encourages him upon obedience [of the Lord]. Thus, modesty attains the station and position of Eemaan, through its being equivalent to Eemaan in this. And Allaah knows best. Summary :** That people are generally alright until they corrupt themselves That when one has remained pure one can trust one's conscience . __________________ Even a Smile is charity!

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Khayal A tHoUgHt Status: Offline Posts: 4,712 Reputation: 11609 Rep Power: 37 Join Date: May 2005 Location: iN tHoUgHtS Gender: Way of Life: Muslim	*Re: !* The Forty Sayings- by An Nawawi ! - 1 Week Ago Hadeeth 21 Say 'I believe in Allaah' and then be Steadfast** On the authority of Aboo 'Amr - and he is also called Aboo 'Amrah - Sufyaan bin Abdillaah ath-Thaqafee (radiAllaahu anhu) who said : I said : "O Messenger of Allaah, tell me something about al-Islaam which I can ask of no one but you." He said : "Say: I believe in Allaah - and then be Steadfast" It was related by Muslim. *Explanation of Hadeeth Number 21* The meaning of his (radiAllaahu anhu) statement "tell me something about al-Islaam which I can ask of no one but you" is that he is asking the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) to teach him a comprehensive statement about the meaning of al-Islaam, that is clear in and of itself, and does not require any further explanation by anyone other than the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam), such that he may act upon it and protect himself (from the Fire) with it. So the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) replied to his question with his statement : "Say: I believe in Allaah - and then be Steadfast". This is from the Complete and Comprehensive Speech that has been given to our Messenger (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam), for verily he (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) has combined, for the questioner, in these two phrases the complete meanings of al-Islaam and al-Eemaan. For verily these words instruct one to renew one's Eemaan through the tongue and the remembrance of the heart, and they instruct one to remain steadfast (have Istiqaamah) upon performing the actions of Obedience and to refrain completely from all the actions of Disobedience, since it is not possible to establish al-Istiqaamah while at the same time having some element of crookedness and disobedience, as this is its opposite. And this is similar to His statement : "Verily, those who say: 'Our Lord is Allaah', and then they remain steadfast upon that" [Fussilat, 30], ie they believe in Allaah alone, and then they remain steadfast upon that, and upon His obedience, until Allaah takes their souls and they are still upon that. 'Umar bin al-Khattaab (radiAllaahu anhu) said : "They are steadfast upon the obedience of Allaah, and they do not swerve away from that with the evasions of the fox". And its meaning is that they are firm upon most of what Allaah has ordered, from the matters of Belief, Speech and Action. And they persist upon that, and this is the meaning of the explanation given by most of the scholars of Tafseer, and it is the meaning of the hadeeth, in shaa' Allaah ta'aalaa. And similarly the statement of Allaah subhaanahu : "So stand (O Muhammad SAW) firm and straight (on the religion of Islaam) as you are commanded" [Hood, 112]. Ibn 'Abbaas (radiAllaahu anhu) said that no other verse from the entire Qur'aan was revealed upon the Messenger (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) that was harder upon him than this verse. And due to this he sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam said : "(The Soorah) Hood and its companions have made my hair white". And Aboo Bakr (radiAllaahu anhu) has narrated that he (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said : "My hair has been made white by (Soorahs) Hood, and al-Waaqi'ah, and al-Mursalaat, and 'Amma yatasaa'aloon, and Idha ash-Shamsu Kuwwirat". al-Ustaadh Aboo al-Qaasim al-Qushairee (rahimahu Allaahu ta'aalaa) said : al-Istiqaamah is a station by which is achieved the perfection of the affairs, and their completion, and with its presence one attains all that is good and in order. And he who does not attain Istiqaamah in his endeavour then he has lost that endeavour and all good fortune. And it is said : al-Istiqaamah is not sustained except by the elders and seniors [in the Deen], because it involves keeping away from the common [incorrect] practises of the [ignorant] people. And it involves difference and separation from the [incorrect] customs and traditions of the people, and instead standing firm between the Hands of Allaah ta'aalaa upon the Reality of Truth, and due to this the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said "Be steadfast [in your actions] and do not count/enumerate [your good actions, which may cause you to limit them]. And know that the best of your actions is the Prayer, and none except the [true] Believer takes care to maintain his wudoo'". And al-Waasitee (rahimahu Allaah) said : "al-Istiqaamah is a trait such that with it all the good qualities are perfected, and without it they are all disfigured." And Allaah knows best. *Summary :* That only the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) fully understood the essence and worth of worshipping Allaah truly That one must truly believe that Allaah is his Lord whom he worships, and then stay upright and steadfast upon that belief, and that covers the whole religion That keeping Upright / Steadfast is following the injunctions that have come from Allaah in Whom he trusts and Whom he worships and Whom he takes as the highest authority __________________ Even a Smile is charity!

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Khayal A tHoUgHt Status: Offline Posts: 4,712 Reputation: 11609 Rep Power: 37 Join Date: May 2005 Location: iN tHoUgHtS Gender: Way of Life: Muslim	*Re: !* The Forty Sayings- by An Nawawi ! - 1 Week Ago Hadeeth 22 Confinement to the Obligatory Deeds is Sufficient to be Entered into Paradise** On the authority of Abu 'Abdillaah Jaabir bin 'Abdillaah al-Ansaaree (radiAllaahu anhumaa) that : A man questioned the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) and said : Do you think that if I perform the obligatory Prayers, fast in Ramadaan, treat as lawful that which is Halaal, and treat as forbidden that which is Haraam, and do not increase upon that [in voluntary good deeds], then shall I enter Paradise ? He (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) replied : Yes It was related by Muslim. And the meaning of 'treat as forbidden the Haraam' is to stay away from it, and the meaning of 'treat as lawful the Halaal' is to perform it believing it to be permissible. *Explanation of Hadeeth Number 22* This man who questioned the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) was an-Nu'maan bin Qawqal. The Shaykh Aboo 'Amr bin as-Salaah (rahimahu Allaah) said : "What is apparent from his statement 'treat as forbidden that which is Haraam' is two issues. The first : that he believes those things to be forbidden. The second : that he does not perform those actions, which is different from the case of treating the Halaal as permissible, as in the latter case it is sufficient to believe that they are permissible [without actually performing all of them]." The author of al-Mufham said that in this hadeeth the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) did not mention to the questioner any of the voluntary actions, and this is a proof indicating the permissibility of leaving all of the voluntary actions. But the one who does so, and does not perform anything from the voluntary deeds, has deprived his soul of a tremendous profit and an immense reward. And the one who persists upon leaving something from the Sunnah is considered to have a deficiency in his Religion, and an impairment to his decency and justice. And if his leaving it is due to disdain or indifference to it, or due to his detesting it, then this is considered to be fisq (sinfulness) that is deserving of punishment. And our scholars have said : If the people of a land come to an agreement upon the leaving of a Sunnah, then they must be fought against until they return back to it. And the leaders from amongst the Sahaabah (radiAllaahu anhum) and those who followed them would persevere upon performing the voluntary deeds, and these would make easy persistence upon the obligatory deeds, and they would not distinguish between the voluntary and the obligatory in trying to attain reward. And here the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) left out the Sunan and other voluntary acts in his advice to the man to make the Religion easy for him, due to his having recently accepted Islaam, as excessive obligations may have alienated him from the Religion. And he (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) knew that if the man established himself upon Islaam and if Allaah opened his heart to the Deen, then he would, of his own accord, seek those voluntary actions which the other Muslims sought. Also, it is possible that the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) did not mention the voluntary deeds in his advice so that the man would not wrongly assume that such actions are also obligatory. And similarly in another hadeeth : A man asked the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) about the Salaah (Prayer), so he (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) told him that they are five. So the man said : "Am I required to perform any more [other than these five] ?" to which the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) replied "No, except that which you perform voluntarily". Then the man asked about the Fasting, and the Hajj and other prescribed matters, and the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) answered him [in a similar manner]. Then at the end of this the man said : "By Allaah, I will not increase upon this, nor will I perform less than it", to which the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said : "He will be Successful if he is truthful", and in another narration "If he holds onto that which he has been commanded with then he will enter Paradise". And the Sunan and voluntary deeds have been prescribed to complete and beautify the Obligatory deeds. So in the case of this questioner, and the one mentioned before him, the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) did not include in his advice the voluntary deeds in order to make the Religion easy for them, until their own understanding of the Deen increased, which would then lead to a desire to attain the reward of the voluntary deeds. So he who preserves the deeds obligatory upon him, and performs them in their time, without leaving anything from them or violating any of their requisites, then he will attain a tremendous and immense Success - may Allaah grant us that. And similarly, he who comes with the obligatory deeds and then follows that up with additional voluntary deeds will achieve a Success even greater than the first. *Summary :* The hadeeth is self-explanatory and clear That Paradise is guaranteed for him who fulfills his Prayer and Fasting in the right way, with faith and perfect submission, and without asscociating any partners with Him, together with treating as lawful those things that are so, and treating as forbidden those things that are so That some things become an obligation to be done or avoided under certain circumstances and given certain conditions, and those things are included in the hadeeth too That treating as lawful that which is lawful and treating as forbidden that which is forbidden essentially covers the practising of the whole of the Deen That fulfilling the conditions of this hadeeth for Paradise is the upholding of Tawheed by the Worshipper in his life . . __________________ Even a Smile is charity!

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Güven Servant of Allah Status: Offline Posts: 445 Reputation: 877 Rep Power: 2 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Holland Gender: Way of Life: Muslim	*Re: !* The Forty Sayings- by An Nawawi ! - 1 Week Ago Jazakallahu Ghairan Sis**

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Khayal A tHoUgHt Status: Offline Posts: 4,712 Reputation: 11609 Rep Power: 37 Join Date: May 2005 Location: iN tHoUgHtS Gender: Way of Life: Muslim	*Re: !* The Forty Sayings- by An Nawawi ! - 1 Week Ago Hadeeth 23 Hastening to do Good On the authority of Abu Maalik al-Haarith bin al-Haarith al-Ash'aree (radiAllaahu anhu) who said : The Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said : Purity is half of Eemaan (Faith). 'Al-Hamdu lillaah' [Praise be to Allaah] fills the scales, and 'AubhaanAllaah' [How far is Allaah from every imperfection]and 'Al-Hamdu lillaah' fill that which is between heaven and earth. And the Salaah (Prayer) is a Light, and Charity is a Proof, and Patience is Illumination, and the Qur'aan is a Proof either for you or against you. Every person starts his day as a vendor of his soul, either freeing it or causing its ruin. It was related by Muslim. Explanation of Hadeeth Number 23 This hadeeth is a Principle from amongst the Principles of Islaam, and it encompasses within it many important matters and fundamental principles of the Deen. As for 'Purity' then what is intended here is the action. The 'ulemaa have differed over the meaning of the phrase 'Purity is half of Eemaan', so some have said that it means that the reward of purifying oneself is such that it reaches half the reward of Eemaan, and some have said that the meaning of Eemaan here is the Salaah (Prayer). As Allaah ta'aalaa has said : "And Allaah would never let your eemaan (prayers offered towards Jerusalem, before Makkah was made the Qiblah) to be lost" [Soorah al-Baqarah, 143]. And purity is a condition for the correctness of the Prayer, so it becomes like a part of it, and it is not necessary that a part of something is really half of it. And others have said other than this. And as for his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "'al-Hamdu lillaah' [Praise be to Allaah] fills the scales" then its meaning is that due to the great reward for reciting the Praise of Allaah, the scale of good deeds of the worshipper is filled. And it is apparent from the texts of the Qur'aan and the Sunnah that the deeds of the slave will be weighed on the Day of Judgement, and will either be heavy or light. And similar to this is his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "and 'subhaanAllaah' [How far is Allaah from every imperfection] and 'al-Hamdu lillaah' fill that which is between heaven and earth" and the reason for its great virtue is that it combines within it the denial for Allaah of all forms of deficiency and imperfection, and establishes our complete dependence upon Him and need of Him. And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "the Salaah (Prayer) is a Light" means that it prevents a person from sin, forbids him from fahshaa' (lusts) and guides him towards that which is Right, just as one uses a light to illuminate ones way. And it has also been said that it means that its reward will be a light for the worshipper on the Day of Resurrection, or that it will be a clear and apparent light on the face of the worshipper on the Day of Resurrection, and also in this life in the form of beauty and radiance in his face. And this is the opposite of those who do not Pray, and Allaah knows best. And as for his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "charity is a Proof" then the author of at-Tajreed said : Its meaning is that safety and refuge is sought through it, just as safety and refuge is sought through proofs [of the truth]. And when the slave will be asked on the Day of Resurrection about how he spent his wealth, then his spending in charity will be a proof for him in answering that question, so he will say "I spent it in charity". And others have said that its meaning is that charity is a proof showing the eemaan of the giver, since the hypocrite does not give charity as he does not believe in its prescription or benefit. So whoever spends in charity, then this is an indication of the strength of his eemaan, and Allaah knows best. And as for his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "and Patience is Illumination" then it refers to that Patience which is loved and recommended by the Sharee'ah, and that is Patience upon obedience of Allaah ta'aalaa, and Patience upon avoiding His disobedience. And it also includes Patience with the different difficulties that one must face in the world. And the implication of all this is that Patience is praiseworthy, and always shows the correct path, and always guides to that which is right. Ibraaheem al-Khawaas (rahimahu Allaah) said : Patience is having steadfastness upon the Qur'aan and the Sunnah. And it is said that patience is restraining oneself in times of difficulty with the best manner and character. And Abu 'Alee ad-Diqaaq (rahimahu Allaah) said that patience is not remonstrating against that which Allaah decrees for us. However, making apparent ones difficulty through complaining [to Allaah] about it does not negate ones patience. For Allaah ta'aalaa said about Ayyoob (alayhi as-salaam) "Truly! We found him patient. How excellent a slave! Verily, he was ever oft-returning in repentance (to Us)!" [Soorah Saad, 44], while also saying "And (remember) Ayoob, when he cried to his Lord: Verily, distress has seized me, and You are the Most Merciful of all those who show mercy." [Soorah al-Anbiyaa', 83], and Allaah knows best. And as for his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "and the Qur'aan is a Proof either for you or against you" then its meaning is clear that if one recites it and acts upon it, then one will attain great benefit from it, and if not then it will be a proof against us. And his (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement "Every person starts his day as a vendor of his soul, either freeing it or causing its ruin" means that every person strives for his soul, so amongst mankind are those who sell themselves for Allaah through their obeying Him, and thus free their souls from the Punishment, as Allaah ta'aalaa has said : "Verily, Allaah has purchased from the believers their lives and their properties; for the price that theirs shall be Paradise" [Soorah at-Tawbah, 111]. And whoever sells his soul for Shaytaan and his desires through his following them, then he has destroyed his soul. O Allaah ! Grant us that we act in Your Obedience, and save us from destroying ourselves through opposing You. InshaAllaah .... Aameen! Summary :** That cleanliness according to the requirements of Islaam is half of Faith That realisation and acknowledgement of Allaah as the One deserving all Praise adds weight in our favour to the Scale of Judgment [al-Meezaan] That the above coupled with the realisation and acknowledgement of Allaah as the Most Perfect is of great value and ensures justice to the creation from the worshipper That Prayer builds Faith and shows the Way That charity is a proof of our faith which will be given credit on the Last Day That patience in our affairs beautifies them and is a sign of wisdom That everything is to be judged by the Qur'aan That taking the Qur'aan as a judgement of authority either proves our case or convicts us That we are ourselves responsible for our actions and Paradise or Hell very much depends on what we have done, how we have done it and with what sort of faith . . __________________ Even a Smile is charity!