From the works of Imam ibn al-Qayyim - Page 6

**Al-Mu'minah** · **Re: -From the works of Imam Ibn al Qayyim- -** 02-10-2007

Thread merged. Jazakallahu Khayr for the post

Abu Sayyad · **Re: -From the works of Imam Ibn al Qayyim- -** 02-11-2007

The Heaven of this World - al-Waabil as-Sayyib

I heard the Sheikh of Islam, Ibn Taymiyyah - may Allah sanctify his soul - say,

'Truly, there is a Heaven in this world,
[And] whoever does not enter it,
Will not enter the Heaven of the next world.'

And once he said to me,

'What can my enemies do to me?
I have in my breast both my Heaven and my Garden.
If I travel they are with me, and they never leave me.
Imprisonment for me is a religious retreat [khalwa].
To be slain for me is martyrdom [shahada]
And to be exiled from my land is a spiritual journey [siyaha].'

During his imprisonment in the fortress, he would say, 'I could not be more grateful for this blessing were I to have this entire fortress in gold'; or, 'I could never repay them for the good that has come to me in [this prison].'158

And in prostration he would say, whilst in a state of imprisonment 'O Allah, help me in my gratitude to You, remembrance of You and the most comely worship of You' as much as Allah willed. 159

Once he said to me, 'The real prisoner is someone whose heart is imprisoned from his Lord; the true captive is someone captured by his passions.' And when he entered the fortress and was inside its walls, he gazed upon them and recited the verse, 'And a wall between them is struck which has a gate. On the inside there is a mercy, on the outside punishment.' 160

Allah knows, I have never seen anyone who had a better life than his. Despite the difficulties and all that expunges comfort and luxury, nay, things completely opposite to them; despite intimidation and oppression, Ibn Taymiyyah had a purer life than anyone could. He was the most generous, the strongest of heart and the most joyful of soul, with 'the radiance of bliss' on his face.161 When we were seized with fear and our thoughts [about Allah's decree] turned negative, and the earth grew narrow for us, we would go to him. No sooner did we look at him and hear his words than all these [feelings] would leave us, to be replaced by relief, strength, certainty and tranquility.

So glory be to the One who lets His servants witness His Heaven well before they meet Him, who opens its doors to them in this world of deeds and who gives them something of its refreshment, its breeze and its perfume - that they might seek it and hasten towards it with all their strength. A gnostic once said, 'If kings and the sons of kings knew what we had, they would try to take it from us by the sword!' Another said:'How pitiful, the wordly people! They leave this life without ever having tasted the sweetest thing in it.' When asked what that was, he replied, 'The love of Allah, the knowledge of Allah and the remembrance of Allah,' or words to that effect.162 Another said: 'There are times when the heart dances in joy.' And another said, 'There are times when I say, If the people of Heaven have anything like this, how truly sweet their lives!' To love Allah, to know Him intimately, to remember Him constantly, to find peace and rest in Him, to make Him alone the [ultimate] object of love, fear, hope and trust; to base one's act on His control of His servant's cares, aspirations and will - such is the world's Heaven, and such is a blessing with which no other blessing can compare.

It is by this that the hearts of those who love Allah are gladdened and that the gnostics find life. As their hearts are gladdened by Allah, so others are gladdened by them. For whoever finds his source of gladdness in Allah, gladdens all hearts; whoever does not, finds nothing in this world but restlessness. Anyone with life in his heart will confirm this. But someone whose heart is dead will only estrange you from Allah; and so seek intimacy [with Allah] without him, when you can, for his mere presence will estrange you. If you are tested by him, show him only your outer aspect, but leave him behind in your heart. Depart from him with your soul and do not let him distract you from the one who is most important to you. Know that the greatest of all losses is the involvement with someone who weakens your relationship and standing with Allah, cutting you off from Him, wasting your time, dispersing your heart, weakening your resolve and dividing your aspirations. Therefore, if you are tested with this [kind of situation] - and it is inevitable that you will be - then bear up for the sake of Allah, and acknowledge Him as much as you are able. Draw near to Allah by whatever of it pleases Him. Make your association [with wordly people] a profit not a loss. Be like the man travelling along, whom another invites to stop: seek to take him along with you. When he comes along, lead him but be not lead by him. And if he refuses, and you have no hope that he will journey, then [at least] do not let him detain you. Rather, hasten on, pay him no heed. Do not [even] turn in his direction, for he is a highway robber regardless.

Protect your heart and be careful of how you spend your day and your night.

Let not the sun set on you before you reach camp, 'lest you be carried off'.

Nor let the dawn find you abandoned in the camp after the caravan has moved on, and the time is nigh for you to reach them. 163

FOOTNOTES
158 Ibn al-Qayyim accompanied Ibn Taymiyyah to prison (cf. Introduction).
159 A prayer recommended by the Prophet to Mu'adh. Nasa'i, Sahw, 1286; Abu Dawud, Salat, 1301.
160 Qur'an LVII:13.
161 'Nadratun al-na'im'. Qur'an LXXXIII:24.
162 Possibly referring to the saying by 'Abd Allah ibn al-Mubarak: ' Wordly people leave the world before having feasted on the sweetest thing in it.' They asked him what that was and he answered, 'The knowledge of Almighty
Allah.' Isfahani, Hilya, VIII:167.
163 There are some ommisions in the arabic editions here. The sense of the last sentence is not at all together clear.

hidaayah · **Re: -From the works of Imam Ibn al Qayyim- -** 02-13-2007

As-Safar said: “Abû Bakr fell ill, so some people visited him and asked whether they should call a doctor for him. He said,‘The Doctor has already seen me.’ They asked, ‘What did he say?’ Abû Bakr said, ‘He said, “I do what I want”.’ ” (Meaning, that Allâh is his “Doctor” and can make him sick or healthy as He wills) (Ahmad). ‘Umar ibn al-Khattâb (RA) said:

“The best days we ever lived were by virtue of patience, and if patience were to take the shape of a man, he would be a noble and generous man.”

‘Alî ibn Abî Tâlib (RA) said:

“The relation of patience to îmân is like the relation of the head to the body. If the head is chopped off, the body becomes useless.” Then he raised his voice and said: “Certainly, the one who has no patience has no îmân, and patience is like a riding-beast that nevers gets tired.”

‘Umar ibn ‘Abdu’l-‘Azîz said:

“Allâh never bestows a blessing on His slave then takes it away and compensates him by giving him patience, but that with which he has been compensated is better than that which has been taken away from him.”

The story of ‘Urwah ibn al-Zubayr
‘Urwah ibn al-Zubayr came to visit the Khalîfah al-Walîd ibn ‘Abdu’l-Malik. With him was his son Muhammad, who was one of the most handsome of men. The young man had dressed up for the occasion in fine clothes, and had his hair in two plaits or braids. When al-Walîd saw him, he said, “This is how the young people of Quraysh look!” and by so saying, put the evil eye on him. Before he left, the young man fell ill. When he was in the stable (preparing for the journey) he fell down, and the horses trampled him to death. Then ‘Urwah got gangrene in his leg, and al-Walîd sent doctors to him, who suggested that the leg should be amputated, otherwise the gangrene would spread to the rest of the body and kill him. ‘Urwah agreed, and the doctors began to remove his leg, using a saw. When the saw reached the bone, ‘Urwah fainted, and when he came around, sweat was pouring down his face, and he was repeating, “Lâ ilâh ill-Allâh, Allâhu akbar.” When the operation was over, he picked up his leg and kissed it, then said, “I swear by the One Who mounted me on you, I never used to walk to any place of wrong action or to any place where Allâh would not like me to be.” Then he gave instructions that the leg should be washed, perfumed, wrapped in a cloth and buried in the Muslim graveyard. When ‘Urwah left al-Walîd and returned to Madînah, his family and friends went to meet him at the outskirts of the city and to offer condolences. The only reply he made was to quote from the Qur’ân: “…truly we have suffered much fatigue at our journey” (al-Kahf 18:62). He did not say any more than that. Then he said, “I will not enter Madînah, for people there either rejoice over the afflictions of others, or else feel envy for their blessings.” So he went to stay in a place at al-‘Aqîq. ‘خsâ ibn Talhah came to visit him there and said, “May your enemies’ fathers perish!” and asked him, “Show me the affliction for which I have come to console you.” ‘Urwah uncovered his stump, and ‘خsâ said, “By Allâh, we were not preparing you to wrestle! Allâh has saved most of you: your sanity, your tongue, your eyesight, your two hands, and one of your two legs.” ‘Urwah told him, “Nobody has consoled me as you have.” When the doctors came to perform the amputation, they had asked ‘Urwah whether he would drink intoxicants to ease the pain. He said, “Allâh is testing me to see the extent of my patience. How could I go against His commands?”
Beautiful patience (sabr jamîl – Yûsuf 12:83) and panic
Mujâhid said: “Beautiful patience is patience without any panic.” ‘Amr ibn Qays said: “Beautiful patience means to be content with adversity and to surrender to the will of Allâh.” Yûnus ibn Yazîd said: I asked Rabî‘ah ibn ‘Abdu’l-Rahmân: “What is the ultimate of patience?”He said: “To be outwardly the same at the time of affliction as one was the day before it struck.” (This does not mean that a person does not or should not feel pain or anguish; patience in this instance means that one refrains from panicking and complaining.) Commenting on the meaning of beautiful patience, Qiyas ibn al-Hajjâj said:

“The person who is suffering from some affliction should behave in such a way that nobody is able to distinguish him from others.”

[Patience and Gratitude. By Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah. An abridgement of his original work entitled, “Uddat as-Sâbireen wa Dhâkirat by TaHa Publications]

hidaayah · **Re: The relief of the heart and body lies in obedience of Allah -** 02-20-2007

In this lies a great secret from the secrets of Tawheed. This is that the heart cannot become firm, it cannot find satisfaction and it cannot find tranquillity except by reaching out to Him. Everything that is loved and desired besides Him then it must be desired for other than His sake. The One Who is desired, the One Who is beloved in and of Himself, with Whom all matters find their final goal is only one. It is impossible that the final goal be to two destinations just as it is impossible that the beginning of the creation be from two sources.

So the one whose love, desire, will and obedience ends at other than Him then it will be rendered null and void, it will disappear and split off from him no matter how great his need be of it. However the one whose love, desire, will, obedience, awe and reverential fear ends at Him, far removed is He from imperfection, will find himself winning His favours, bliss and rapture, magnificence and splendour, and felicity for eternity.

The servant continuously finds himself altering between the laws of commandments and the laws of decree. Therefore he is perpetually in need of aid to fulfil the commandments and in need of kindness and leniency at the onset of the calamity. It is the extent to which he establishes the obligations that determine how much kindness the servant will receive at the onset of the calamity. Therefore if he completes his obligations both inwardly and outwardly then he will attain kindness and leniency both inwardly and outwardly. If, however, he merely establishes the outward form [of the commandments] without establishing their reality [inwardly] then he will receive an outward kindness and his portion of inward kindness will [greatly] diminish.

So if it is asked: what is this inward kindness?

[I say in reply:] It is what the heart attains of tranquillity and satisfaction at the onset of the calamity and the removal of unrest, confusion and despair. Therefore the servant surrenders and submits himself before his Lord and Master and he emerges in a state of complete rest and tranquillity - looking on at Him with his heart, and his soul at peace. His witnessing His Kindness has distracted him from the severity of the situation. His knowledge of Allaah's excellent choice and decision for him diverts him from feeling the calamity just as does his knowledge that he is nothing but a mere servant upon whom the decrees of his Master take effect, and he can either be pleased with them or angry with them. So if he is pleased then he will attain Pleasure and if he is displeased then his portion is nothing save Displeasure. Therefore this inward kindness is the fruit of this inward action [of being pleased with the decree of Allaah], it increases with its increase and decreases with its decrease.

hidaayah · **Re: -Sincerity towards Allah- -** 02-20-2007

Allaah says,

"There is not a single thing except that its depositories and treasures are with Us." [Al-Hijr (15): 21]

This verse comprises a [great] treasure from the treasures [of the Qur`aan], this being that nothing is sought except from the One Who possesses its depositories and treasures, the One in Whose Hands lie the keys to these treasures. Seeking [things] from anyone else is seeking something from one who does not possess them or possess any authority over them.

The saying of Allaah,

"And that to your Lord is the final goal." [An-Najm (53): 42]

Comprises an immense treasure, this being that every desired objective that is not desired for His sake and is not connected [in any form or fashion] to Him then it is temporary and soon to disappear for its final goal is not with Him. The final goal lies only with the One to Whom all matters find their conclusion, terminating at His creation, Will, Wisdom and Knowledge. Therefore He is the source of every desired matter.

Everything that is loved - if it is not loved for His sake then this love is nothing but distress and punishment. Every action that is not performed for His sake then it is wasted and severed. Every heart that does not reach Him is wretched, veiled from achieving its success and happiness.

Therefore Allaah has gathered everything that could be desired from Him in His saying,

"There is not a single thing except that its depositories and treasures are with Us." [Al-Hijr (15): 21]

And He has gathered everything that is done for His sake in His saying,

"And that to your Lord is the final goal." [An-Najm (53): 42]

Therefore there is nothing beyond Allaah that deserves to be sought and nothing finds its conclusion with other than Him.

hidaayah · **Re: -From the works of Imam Ibn al Qayyim- -** 02-25-2007

Excerpt from the book:
"The Garden of the Lovers and the Excursion of Those Who Yearn"
(Rawdatul Muhibbeen) by Imam Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyyah, Translated by Khalal Abu Asma

Chapter: Concerning the Desire for Allah and the Signs of the One Who Knows Allah As for the desire for Allah (raghbah), wanting Him (lit. His Countenance) and yearning for the meeting with Him, then it is the capital of the slave, the foundation of his affair, the basis of his life of goodness, the source of his (true) happiness, success and bliss, and it is the coolness of his eye. For this reason he was created and for it he has been commanded. The messengers have been sent and the books have been revealed also for this purpose. There is no rectification or bliss for the heart unless its desire is solely for Allah, alone, Mighty and Majestic is He. Hence, He alone should be his desire, what he seeks out and his goal. As Allah, the Exalted, has said,

"So when you have finished (your occupation), devote yourself for Allah's worship. And to your Lord turn your desires and intentions"
(Quraan 94:7-8 ).

And He, the Exalted, has also said,

"Would that they were contented with what Allah and His Messenger gave them and had said, 'Allah is sufficient for us. Allah will give us of His Bounty, and so will His Messenger. We implore Allah'"
(Quran 9:59 ).

Those who desire are three types:

Those who desire Allah,
Those who desire what Allah has
And those who desire other than Allah.

So the lover is the one who desires Allah. The one who is concerned with works is the one who desires what Allah has. And the one who is satisfied with this life, in neglect to the Hereafter, is the one who desires other than Him. The person whose desire is for Allah alone, Allah with suffice him from every concern, take on all of his affairs, deflect from him what he is not capable himself to deflect, protect him like the protection of a father to his child and preserve him from all afflictions. And whoever prefers Allah to all others, Allah will prefer him to others. And whoever is for Allah, Allah will be for him where he is not even there for his own self. Whoever knows Allah, nothing will be more beloved to him than Him and no desire will remain in this type of person for anything other than Him, except that which will bring him closer to Him or assist him in his wayfaring to Him.

From among the signs of experiential knowledge (maârifah) of Allah is veneration and awe (haybah). As the slave's experiential knowledge of his Lord increases, so to does his veneration and awe increase. As Allah, the Exalted, has said,

"It is only those who have knowledge among His slaves that fear Allah"
(Quran 35:28 )

meaning, those who are knowledgeable concerning Him. And the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said,

"I am the most knowledgeable of you concerning Allah and I am the most intense in awe and reverence of Him"
(Al-Bukhari and Muslim).

So whoever knows Allah (has maârifah) his livelihood will be pure, his life will be sweet, everything will revere him and all fear of created things will leave him. He will find intimacy with Allah and will have an aversion for (common) people. Knowledge of Allah (maârifah) will bequeath to him shyness in front of Allah, veneration and reverence of Him, vigilance (concerning His vision), love, trust in Him, turning to Him, pleasure in Him and submission to His ordinances.

It was said to Junayd, may Allah have mercy upon him, "There are a group of people here that claim that they can attain righteousness by leaving all movement." He responded, "Such ones have spoken of the removal of all action, and this is something very immense. The one who fornicates and steals is in a better state than the one who says that (as far as I am concerned). For verily, those who have experiential knowledge of Allah (the ma'arifa) have taken their actions from Allah and they have returned to Allah in them. If I were to live one thousand years I would not decrease in performing righteous works." He also said, "One who knows Allah does not really know Allah until he becomes like the earth; the feet of the righteous and the unrighteous tread upon him. And (until he becomes) like the rain that waters what it likes and what it doesn't like."

Yahya ibn Muadh said, "The one who knows Allah leaves this world (at the time of death) and he has not had his fill of two things: crying over his self and yearning for his Lord." Others have said, "One who knows Allah will not really know Allah until if he is given a dominion like the kingdom of Solomon it would not distract him from Allah for even the blink of an eye." It has also been said, "The one who knows Allah has found intimacy with Allah and has an aversion for other than Him. He has realized his poverty in front of Allah, so Allah has enriched him from His creation. And he has humbled himself in front of Allah, so He has ennobled him amongst His creation."

Aba Salyman Ad-Daanar said, "While (resting) in bed, the one who has experiential knowledge of Allah has openings that do not even come to the one who is standing in prayer!"

In summary, the life of the heart is with Allah and there is no life for it without that, ever. So when the heart is in agreement with the tongue in its dhikr (remembrance of Allah) and the heart is in agreement with what the Beloved wants from it; when he (the servant) belittles the many works and statements that he has made and regards even Allah's subtle generosity and kindness as great; when he embraces obedience and leaves off disobedience, and has left all of it for the sake of his Beloved, so that nothing of it remains; when his heart has become full with reverence, awe, preference and pleasure in Him and his patience in yearning for Him has reached its last straw; when he cannot find repose except in His remembrance, desire for Him and yearning for the meeting with Him; when he cannot find (true) intimacy except in His dhikr, while maintaining His ordinances and preferring Him to others. Then this, this is the true lover (muhibb).

Junayd said, "I heard Al-Harith Al-Muhasibar say: "Love (mahabbah) is your inclination to something with all of your being. Then, your preference to that thing over your own self, your soul and your possessions and wealth. Then, your being in accordance with that thing inwardly and outwardly, privately and publicly. Then, realizing your shortcomings with regards to your love of it."

It was said, "Love (mahabbah) is a fire that burns in the heart. It burns everything other than what the beloved wants from the lover." It was also said, "Nay, it is exerting all efforts in pleasing the beloved. And that could never be so until one no longer sees the 'love' anymore, but only witnesses the beloved." It is mentioned in some of the Hadith Qudsi, "My servant, I am, by your right, a lover of you. So, be you, by my right upon you, a lover of Me."

Abdullah ibn Al-Mubarak said, "Whomsoever is given something of love and is not given its equivalent of awe and veneration (khashyah), then he is deceived."

Yahya ibn Muadh said, "A muster seed's amount of love is more beloved to me than seventy years of worship without love!" Abu Bakr Al-Kattaar said, "An issue concerning love (mahabbah) came up in Makkah during the days of the Pilgrimage. The sheikhs spoke on the matter. Junayd was present and he was the youngest amongst them. So they said to him, 'Give us what you have O Iraqi!' He lowered his head in humility and his eyes shed tears, and he spoke: '(How great is) a slave who has left himself, connected to the dhikr of his Lord, upholding His rights, witnessing Him with his heart. The lights of His Essence have burned his heart and his drink is pure from the cup of His pure love. If such a one speaks, it is by Allah. If he utters, it is from Allah. If he moves, it is by the command of Allah. If he remains silent, he is with Allah. So he is by Allah, for Allah and with Allah.' So the sheikhs cried and said, 'There is nothing that can be added to this. May Allah rectify you, O Taj Al-a arifarn (crown of those who know Allah)!'"

It was said that Allah revealed to Dawud, peace be upon him, "O Dawud, I have made it prohibited (haram) for the hearts to contain the love of Me and the love of others at the same time."

Those who know Allah (the arifaun) have all agreed that love is not acceptable without compliance (with the Sacred Law), so much so that some of them said,"The reality of love is being in accordance with what beloved wants, concerning what pleases him and what makes him angry." The People (of the Science of Purification; Al-Qawm) have also agreed that love is not acceptable without Tawheed (belief in the Oneness of Allah).

It was related that there was a man who claimed that he was overwhelmed by the love of a certain person. So one day this certain person said to him (the lover), "How can this be, when my brother over here is much more attractive and more perfect in beauty?!" The man looked over to him and then the person pushed him and said, "Someone who claims that he loves us and then looks at other than us?!"

hidaayah · **Re: -From the works of Imam Ibn al Qayyim- -** 03-23-2007

Patience is half of Imân

by Imâm Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah

Imân is in two halves: half is patience ( sabr) and half is gratitude ( shukr). Therefore Allâh has mentioned patience and gratitude alongside one another:

“Verily in this are signs for all who constantly persevere and give thanks” (Ibrâhîm 14:5; Luqmân 31:31; Sabâ’ 34:19; ash-Shurâ 42:33).

The reasons why one half of îmân is patience and the other half is gratitude are as follows:

1. îmân is a term which covers words, deeds and intentions, all of which are based on one of two things, action or abstinence. Action refers to performing a deed in accordance with the instructions of Allâh, which is the reality of gratitude. Abstinence, as in refraining from wrong action, requires patience. The whole of religion is embodied in these two things: carrying out that which Allâh has commanded, and refraining from that which Allâh has prohibited.

2. îmân is based on two pillars, yaqîn (conviction) and patience, which are referred to in the following ayah:

“And We appointed, from among them, leaders, giving guidance under Our command, so long as they persevered with patience and continued to have faith in Our Signs” (as-Sajdah 32:34).

It is through faith that we know the reality of Allâh’s commands and prohibitions, or reward and punishment, and it is through patience that we carry out His instructions and abstain from that which He has prohibited. A person can never come to believe in Allâh’s commands and prohibitions, and in reward and punishment, and it is through patience that we carry out His instructions and abstain from that which He has prohibited, and in reward and punishment, except through faith, and that is truly from Allâh. And we can never carry out Allâh’s instructions and abstain from that which He has prohibited except through patience. Therefore patience is half of îmân, and the other half is gratitude.

3. Man has two powers, the power of doing and the power of abstaining, which control all his behaviour. So a person will do what he likes and abstain from what he dislikes. The whole of religion is doing or abstaining, carrying out the instructions of Allâh or abstaining from that which He has prohibited, neither of which can be accomplished without patience.

4. The whole of religion is hope and fear, and the true believer is the one who is both hopeful and fearful. Allâh said:

“…They used to call on Us with love and reverence, and humble themselves before Us” (al-Anbiyâ’ 21:90).

The Prophet (SAAS) used to pray:

“O Allâh, I have surrendered my soul to You, and turned my face to You. My (own) affair I commit to Allâh and I seek Your protection, in hope of You and in fear of You” (al-Bukhârî).

So the believer is the one who is both hopeful and fearful, but hope and fear can only be based on the foundation of patience: fear should make the believer patient, and his hope should lead to gratitude.

5.Any action done by man is either beneficial or harmful to him in this world and the next, or else it is beneficial to him in the world and harmful to him in the other. The best course for man is to do that which is beneficial to him in the Hereafter, and abstain from that which is harmful to him in the Hereafter. This is the reality of îmân: to do what is good for him, and that is gratitude; and to abstain from that which harms him, and that is patience.

6.Man is always is a situation where he has to carry out an instruction of Allâh, or avoid something which Allâh has prohibited, or accept something that Allâh has decreed. In all cases, he has to face the situation with patience and gratitude. Carrying out Allâh’s instructions is gratitude, and abstaining from prohibited things and being content with the decree of Allâh constitutes patience.

7.Man is constantly being pulled in two opposing directions: should he respond to the lure of this world of desires and pleasures, or should he answer the call of Allâh and the hereafter, with the eternal Paradise that Allâh has prepared for His friend ( walî)? Going against the call of whims and desires is patience, and responding to the call of Allâh and the Hereafter is gratitude.

8.Religion is based on two principles: determination and perseverance (patience), which are referred to in the du‘â of the Prophet (SAAS):

“O Allâh, I ask You for perseverance in all my affairs, and I ask You for the determination to stay on the straight and narrow path.”

9. Religion is based on truth (haqq) and patience, which is referred to in the âyah:

“…and they (join together) in the mutual teaching of truth, and of patience and constancy” (al-‘Asr 103:3).

Man is required to work according to the truth, both by himself and others, which is the reality of gratitude, but he cannot do that without patience, therefore patience is half of îmân. And Allâh knows best.

[Patience and Gratitude. By Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah. An abridgement of his original work entitled, “Uddat as-Sâbireen wa Dhâkirat by TaHa Publications]

hidaayah · 01:57 AM

Ibn al-Qayyim (rahimahullaah) said:

And among its effects is that the disobedient (sinner) is constantly in the shackles of his Shaytaan and the prison of his shahwa (desires) and the chains/fetters of his hawaa (whims). So he is a captive, one who is imprisoned and who is tied up. There is no captive in a worse state than the one who is captivated by his worst enemy and there is no prison which is tighter than the prison of hawa (desire) and there is no bond/fetter more strong than the bond of desire.How, then, will a heart which is captivated, imprisoned and fettered travel unto Allaah and the Home of the Hereafter. How will a person take a single step forward when the heart is bound and harmful things approach it from every direction. The harmful things approach it to the extent that it is tied up [i.e. imprisoned by its desires and whims..].

The example of the heart is like the example of a bird. Every time is ascends it becomes distant from the harmful things and every time it descends the harmful things hurt it. In a hadeeth there occurs that Shaytaan is like a wolf to people. Just as when a sheep has no protector and is in between many wolves, they are quick in causing damage and injury; likewise the servant who does not have guardianship from Allaah, then his wolf [i.e. his desires, whims etc.] is to him a predatory animal. [Thus] there is no escape for the servant from having protection from Allaah. Taqwaa is a safeguarding for him and a strong shield between himself and the punishment of this world and the Hereafter.

Every time the sheep is close to its shepherd it is more safe from the wolf and every time it becomes distant from its shepherd it is closer to destruction. So its sanctuary is when it is close to its shepherd because the wolf takes the lonely one from the flock and this is the one which is the furthest one of the flock from the shepherd. The basis of all of this is is that every time the heart is distant from Allaah the harmful things are quick in approaching it and every time it is close to Allaah the harmful things become distant from it.

Remoteness from Allaah has levels/degrees, some of which are more severe than others. Heedlesness distances the servant from Allaah and some acts of disobedience are greater than some acts of heedlesness. Some innovations are greater than some acts of disobedience and some things from hypocrisy and Shirk are greater than all of what has preceded.

hidaayah · **Re: Rulers and the ruled -** 04-01-2007

" And ponder upon Allah's Wisdom when He made kings of the people and their leaders and the men of authority over them a reflection of their deeds, as though [the ruled's] deeds appear in the form of their kings and their rulers.

So if the ruled are upright, then their rulers will be upright.

And if the ruled incline away [from justice], their leaders will do the same

And if they oppress, then their kings and their rulers will oppress

And if there appears between them plotting and deception, then their rulers will be this way

And if they deprive people of their rights and become miserly as to the rights of others, then their kings and rulers will deprive them of their rights

And if the ruled take away from the oppressed and weak among them that which they deserve not to take in their transactions with them, then their kings and rulers will do that towards the ruled's wealth and take what is not their right to take, and impose taxes and assignments on them. And whatever the ruled take from the oppressed and weak unjustly, then their rulers will do the same to them and take from them by force

So the actions of the ruled are reflected in the actions of the rulers.

And it is not from the Divine Wisdom that Allah assign authority over the wicked and the evil except those who are of their kind. Since the first generation was of the best generation and the most righteous, so were their rulers.

It does not befit Allaah's Wisdom that in our times those assigned to us be the likes of Mu'aawiyah or Umar bin Abdul-Azeez, not to mention Abu Bakr and Umar. Rather, our rulers are in accordance with our condition. And the rulers of those before us were in accordance with their condition. And this is mandated by the wisdom of Allah in both cases. "

[Miftaah Daar as-Sa'aadah, 2/177-178]

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Al-Mu'minah Super Moderator Status: Offline Posts: 5,133 Reputation: 22169 Rep Power: 55 Join Date: Jan 2005 Gender: Way of Life: Muslim	Re: -From the works of Imam Ibn al Qayyim- - 02-10-2007 Thread merged. Jazakallahu Khayr for the post __________________

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Abu Sayyad iwannagetmarried.com Status: Offline Posts: 6,443 Reputation: 38259 Rep Power: 75 Join Date: Mar 2005 Gender: Way of Life: Muslim	Re: -From the works of Imam Ibn al Qayyim- - 02-11-2007 The Heaven of this World - al-Waabil as-Sayyib I heard the Sheikh of Islam, Ibn Taymiyyah - may Allah sanctify his soul - say, 'Truly, there is a Heaven in this world, [And] whoever does not enter it, Will not enter the Heaven of the next world.' And once he said to me, 'What can my enemies do to me? I have in my breast both my Heaven and my Garden. If I travel they are with me, and they never leave me. Imprisonment for me is a religious retreat [khalwa]. To be slain for me is martyrdom [shahada] And to be exiled from my land is a spiritual journey [siyaha].' During his imprisonment in the fortress, he would say, 'I could not be more grateful for this blessing were I to have this entire fortress in gold'; or, 'I could never repay them for the good that has come to me in [this prison].'158 And in prostration he would say, whilst in a state of imprisonment 'O Allah, help me in my gratitude to You, remembrance of You and the most comely worship of You' as much as Allah willed. 159 Once he said to me, 'The real prisoner is someone whose heart is imprisoned from his Lord; the true captive is someone captured by his passions.' And when he entered the fortress and was inside its walls, he gazed upon them and recited the verse, 'And a wall between them is struck which has a gate. On the inside there is a mercy, on the outside punishment.' 160 Allah knows, I have never seen anyone who had a better life than his. Despite the difficulties and all that expunges comfort and luxury, nay, things completely opposite to them; despite intimidation and oppression, Ibn Taymiyyah had a purer life than anyone could. He was the most generous, the strongest of heart and the most joyful of soul, with 'the radiance of bliss' on his face.161 When we were seized with fear and our thoughts [about Allah's decree] turned negative, and the earth grew narrow for us, we would go to him. No sooner did we look at him and hear his words than all these [feelings] would leave us, to be replaced by relief, strength, certainty and tranquility. So glory be to the One who lets His servants witness His Heaven well before they meet Him, who opens its doors to them in this world of deeds and who gives them something of its refreshment, its breeze and its perfume - that they might seek it and hasten towards it with all their strength. A gnostic once said, 'If kings and the sons of kings knew what we had, they would try to take it from us by the sword!' Another said:'How pitiful, the wordly people! They leave this life without ever having tasted the sweetest thing in it.' When asked what that was, he replied, 'The love of Allah, the knowledge of Allah and the remembrance of Allah,' or words to that effect.162 Another said: 'There are times when the heart dances in joy.' And another said, 'There are times when I say, If the people of Heaven have anything like this, how truly sweet their lives!' To love Allah, to know Him intimately, to remember Him constantly, to find peace and rest in Him, to make Him alone the [ultimate] object of love, fear, hope and trust; to base one's act on His control of His servant's cares, aspirations and will - such is the world's Heaven, and such is a blessing with which no other blessing can compare. It is by this that the hearts of those who love Allah are gladdened and that the gnostics find life. As their hearts are gladdened by Allah, so others are gladdened by them. For whoever finds his source of gladdness in Allah, gladdens all hearts; whoever does not, finds nothing in this world but restlessness. Anyone with life in his heart will confirm this. But someone whose heart is dead will only estrange you from Allah; and so seek intimacy [with Allah] without him, when you can, for his mere presence will estrange you. If you are tested by him, show him only your outer aspect, but leave him behind in your heart. Depart from him with your soul and do not let him distract you from the one who is most important to you. Know that the greatest of all losses is the involvement with someone who weakens your relationship and standing with Allah, cutting you off from Him, wasting your time, dispersing your heart, weakening your resolve and dividing your aspirations. Therefore, if you are tested with this [kind of situation] - and it is inevitable that you will be - then bear up for the sake of Allah, and acknowledge Him as much as you are able. Draw near to Allah by whatever of it pleases Him. Make your association [with wordly people] a profit not a loss. Be like the man travelling along, whom another invites to stop: seek to take him along with you. When he comes along, lead him but be not lead by him. And if he refuses, and you have no hope that he will journey, then [at least] do not let him detain you. Rather, hasten on, pay him no heed. Do not [even] turn in his direction, for he is a highway robber regardless. Protect your heart and be careful of how you spend your day and your night. Let not the sun set on you before you reach camp, 'lest you be carried off'. Nor let the dawn find you abandoned in the camp after the caravan has moved on, and the time is nigh for you to reach them. 163 FOOTNOTES 158 Ibn al-Qayyim accompanied Ibn Taymiyyah to prison (cf. Introduction). 159 A prayer recommended by the Prophet to Mu'adh. Nasa'i, Sahw, 1286; Abu Dawud, Salat, 1301. 160 Qur'an LVII:13. 161 'Nadratun al-na'im'. Qur'an LXXXIII:24. 162 Possibly referring to the saying by 'Abd Allah ibn al-Mubarak: ' Wordly people leave the world before having feasted on the sweetest thing in it.' They asked him what that was and he answered, 'The knowledge of Almighty Allah.' Isfahani, Hilya, VIII:167. 163 There are some ommisions in the arabic editions here. The sense of the last sentence is not at all together clear. __________________ هَلْ جَزَاء الْإِحْسَانِ إِلَّا الْإِحْسَانُ؟ Is there any reward for good other than good? [ar-Rahman: 60] O Allah, Lord of Jibril, Mika'il and Israfil, Creator of the heavens and the earth, Knower of the unseen and the seen, You will judge between Your servants concerning that wherein they differ. Guide me with regard to that wherein there is dispute concerning the truth by Your leave, for You guide whomsoever You will to the straight path. Oh Allah, I seek refuge in You lest I misguide others, or I am misguided by others, lest I cause others to err or I am caused to err, lest I abuse others or be abused, and lest I behave foolishly or meet with the foolishness of others.

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hidaayah 313'z Status: Offline Posts: 2,767 Reputation: 5729 Rep Power: 27 Join Date: Nov 2005 Gender: Way of Life: Muslim	Re: -From the works of Imam Ibn al Qayyim- - 02-13-2007 As-Safar said: “Abû Bakr fell ill, so some people visited him and asked whether they should call a doctor for him. He said,‘The Doctor has already seen me.’ They asked, ‘What did he say?’ Abû Bakr said, ‘He said, “I do what I want”.’ ” (Meaning, that Allâh is his “Doctor” and can make him sick or healthy as He wills) (Ahmad). ‘Umar ibn al-Khattâb (RA) said: “The best days we ever lived were by virtue of patience, and if patience were to take the shape of a man, he would be a noble and generous man.” ‘Alî ibn Abî Tâlib (RA) said: “The relation of patience to îmân is like the relation of the head to the body. If the head is chopped off, the body becomes useless.” Then he raised his voice and said: “Certainly, the one who has no patience has no îmân, and patience is like a riding-beast that nevers gets tired.” ‘Umar ibn ‘Abdu’l-‘Azîz said: “Allâh never bestows a blessing on His slave then takes it away and compensates him by giving him patience, but that with which he has been compensated is better than that which has been taken away from him.” *The story of ‘Urwah ibn al-Zubayr* ‘Urwah ibn al-Zubayr came to visit the Khalîfah al-Walîd ibn ‘Abdu’l-Malik. With him was his son Muhammad, who was one of the most handsome of men. The young man had dressed up for the occasion in fine clothes, and had his hair in two plaits or braids. When al-Walîd saw him, he said, “This is how the young people of Quraysh look!” and by so saying, put the evil eye on him. Before he left, the young man fell ill. When he was in the stable (preparing for the journey) he fell down, and the horses trampled him to death. Then ‘Urwah got gangrene in his leg, and al-Walîd sent doctors to him, who suggested that the leg should be amputated, otherwise the gangrene would spread to the rest of the body and kill him. ‘Urwah agreed, and the doctors began to remove his leg, using a saw. When the saw reached the bone, ‘Urwah fainted, and when he came around, sweat was pouring down his face, and he was repeating, “Lâ ilâh ill-Allâh, Allâhu akbar.” When the operation was over, he picked up his leg and kissed it, then said, “I swear by the One Who mounted me on you, I never used to walk to any place of wrong action or to any place where Allâh would not like me to be.” Then he gave instructions that the leg should be washed, perfumed, wrapped in a cloth and buried in the Muslim graveyard. When ‘Urwah left al-Walîd and returned to Madînah, his family and friends went to meet him at the outskirts of the city and to offer condolences. The only reply he made was to quote from the Qur’ân: “…truly we have suffered much fatigue at our journey” (al-Kahf 18:62). He did not say any more than that. Then he said, “I will not enter Madînah, for people there either rejoice over the afflictions of others, or else feel envy for their blessings.” So he went to stay in a place at al-‘Aqîq. ‘خsâ ibn Talhah came to visit him there and said, “May your enemies’ fathers perish!” and asked him, “Show me the affliction for which I have come to console you.” ‘Urwah uncovered his stump, and ‘خsâ said, “By Allâh, we were not preparing you to wrestle! Allâh has saved most of you: your sanity, your tongue, your eyesight, your two hands, and one of your two legs.” ‘Urwah told him, “Nobody has consoled me as you have.” When the doctors came to perform the amputation, they had asked ‘Urwah whether he would drink intoxicants to ease the pain. He said, “Allâh is testing me to see the extent of my patience. How could I go against His commands?” Beautiful patience (sabr jamîl – Yûsuf 12:83) and panic Mujâhid said: “Beautiful patience is patience without any panic.” ‘Amr ibn Qays said: “Beautiful patience means to be content with adversity and to surrender to the will of Allâh.” Yûnus ibn Yazîd said: I asked Rabî‘ah ibn ‘Abdu’l-Rahmân: “What is the ultimate of patience?”He said: “To be outwardly the same at the time of affliction as one was the day before it struck.” (This does not mean that a person does not or should not feel pain or anguish; patience in this instance means that one refrains from panicking and complaining.) Commenting on the meaning of beautiful patience, Qiyas ibn al-Hajjâj said: “The person who is suffering from some affliction should behave in such a way that nobody is able to distinguish him from others.” [Patience and Gratitude. By Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah. An abridgement of his original work entitled, “Uddat as-Sâbireen wa Dhâkirat by TaHa Publications] __________________ وإذا لم يكن منَ الموتِ بُدُّ فمِنَ العَجزِ أنْ تَكُونَ جَبَانا If death is something inescapable, then it is from weakness to be a coward-! Lahoo main bhegay dareeda Anchal Qasam hai tum ko bhula na daina...

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hidaayah 313'z Status: Offline Posts: 2,767 Reputation: 5729 Rep Power: 27 Join Date: Nov 2005 Gender: Way of Life: Muslim	Re: The relief of the heart and body lies in obedience of Allah - 02-20-2007 In this lies a great secret from the secrets of Tawheed. This is that the heart cannot become firm, it cannot find satisfaction and it cannot find tranquillity except by reaching out to Him. Everything that is loved and desired besides Him then it must be desired for other than His sake. The One Who is desired, the One Who is beloved in and of Himself, with Whom all matters find their final goal is only one. It is impossible that the final goal be to two destinations just as it is impossible that the beginning of the creation be from two sources. So the one whose love, desire, will and obedience ends at other than Him then it will be rendered null and void, it will disappear and split off from him no matter how great his need be of it. However the one whose love, desire, will, obedience, awe and reverential fear ends at Him, far removed is He from imperfection, will find himself winning His favours, bliss and rapture, magnificence and splendour, and felicity for eternity. The servant continuously finds himself altering between the laws of commandments and the laws of decree. Therefore he is perpetually in need of aid to fulfil the commandments and in need of kindness and leniency at the onset of the calamity. It is the extent to which he establishes the obligations that determine how much kindness the servant will receive at the onset of the calamity. Therefore if he completes his obligations both inwardly and outwardly then he will attain kindness and leniency both inwardly and outwardly. If, however, he merely establishes the outward form [of the commandments] without establishing their reality [inwardly] then he will receive an outward kindness and his portion of inward kindness will [greatly] diminish. So if it is asked: what is this inward kindness? [I say in reply:] It is what the heart attains of tranquillity and satisfaction at the onset of the calamity and the removal of unrest, confusion and despair. Therefore the servant surrenders and submits himself before his Lord and Master and he emerges in a state of complete rest and tranquillity - looking on at Him with his heart, and his soul at peace. His witnessing His Kindness has distracted him from the severity of the situation. His knowledge of Allaah's excellent choice and decision for him diverts him from feeling the calamity just as does his knowledge that he is nothing but a mere servant upon whom the decrees of his Master take effect, and he can either be pleased with them or angry with them. So if he is pleased then he will attain Pleasure and if he is displeased then his portion is nothing save Displeasure. Therefore this inward kindness is the fruit of this inward action [of being pleased with the decree of Allaah], it increases with its increase and decreases with its decrease. __________________ وإذا لم يكن منَ الموتِ بُدُّ فمِنَ العَجزِ أنْ تَكُونَ جَبَانا If death is something inescapable, then it is from weakness to be a coward-! Lahoo main bhegay dareeda Anchal Qasam hai tum ko bhula na daina...

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hidaayah 313'z Status: Offline Posts: 2,767 Reputation: 5729 Rep Power: 27 Join Date: Nov 2005 Gender: Way of Life: Muslim	Re: -Sincerity towards Allah- - 02-20-2007 Allaah says, *"There is not a single thing except that its depositories and treasures are with Us." [Al-Hijr (15): 21]* This verse comprises a [great] treasure from the treasures [of the Qur`aan], this being that nothing is sought except from the One Who possesses its depositories and treasures, the One in Whose Hands lie the keys to these treasures. Seeking [things] from anyone else is seeking something from one who does not possess them or possess any authority over them. The saying of Allaah, "And that to your Lord is the final goal." [An-Najm (53): 42] Comprises an immense treasure, this being that every desired objective that is not desired for His sake and is not connected [in any form or fashion] to Him then it is temporary and soon to disappear for its final goal is not with Him. The final goal lies only with the One to Whom all matters find their conclusion, terminating at His creation, Will, Wisdom and Knowledge. Therefore He is the source of every desired matter. Everything that is loved - if it is not loved for His sake then this love is nothing but distress and punishment. Every action that is not performed for His sake then it is wasted and severed. Every heart that does not reach Him is wretched, veiled from achieving its success and happiness. Therefore Allaah has gathered everything that could be desired from Him in His saying, "There is not a single thing except that its depositories and treasures are with Us." [Al-Hijr (15): 21] And He has gathered everything that is done for His sake in His saying, *"And that to your Lord is the final goal." [An-Najm (53): 42]* Therefore there is nothing beyond Allaah that deserves to be sought and nothing finds its conclusion with other than Him. __________________ وإذا لم يكن منَ الموتِ بُدُّ فمِنَ العَجزِ أنْ تَكُونَ جَبَانا If death is something inescapable, then it is from weakness to be a coward-! Lahoo main bhegay dareeda Anchal Qasam hai tum ko bhula na daina...

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hidaayah 313'z Status: Offline Posts: 2,767 Reputation: 5729 Rep Power: 27 Join Date: Nov 2005 Gender: Way of Life: Muslim	Re: -From the works of Imam Ibn al Qayyim- - 02-25-2007 Excerpt from the book: "The Garden of the Lovers and the Excursion of Those Who Yearn" (Rawdatul Muhibbeen) by Imam Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyyah, Translated by Khalal Abu Asma Chapter: Concerning the Desire for Allah and the Signs of the One Who Knows Allah As for the desire for Allah (raghbah), wanting Him (lit. His Countenance) and yearning for the meeting with Him, then it is the capital of the slave, the foundation of his affair, the basis of his life of goodness, the source of his (true) happiness, success and bliss, and it is the coolness of his eye. For this reason he was created and for it he has been commanded. The messengers have been sent and the books have been revealed also for this purpose. There is no rectification or bliss for the heart unless its desire is solely for Allah, alone, Mighty and Majestic is He. Hence, He alone should be his desire, what he seeks out and his goal. As Allah, the Exalted, has said, "So when you have finished (your occupation), devote yourself for Allah's worship. And to your Lord turn your desires and intentions" (Quraan 94:7-8 ). And He, the Exalted, has also said, "Would that they were contented with what Allah and His Messenger gave them and had said, 'Allah is sufficient for us. Allah will give us of His Bounty, and so will His Messenger. We implore Allah'" (Quran 9:59 ). Those who desire are three types: Those who desire Allah, Those who desire what Allah has And those who desire other than Allah. So the lover is the one who desires Allah. The one who is concerned with works is the one who desires what Allah has. And the one who is satisfied with this life, in neglect to the Hereafter, is the one who desires other than Him. The person whose desire is for Allah alone, Allah with suffice him from every concern, take on all of his affairs, deflect from him what he is not capable himself to deflect, protect him like the protection of a father to his child and preserve him from all afflictions. And whoever prefers Allah to all others, Allah will prefer him to others. And whoever is for Allah, Allah will be for him where he is not even there for his own self. Whoever knows Allah, nothing will be more beloved to him than Him and no desire will remain in this type of person for anything other than Him, except that which will bring him closer to Him or assist him in his wayfaring to Him. From among the signs of experiential knowledge (maârifah) of Allah is veneration and awe (haybah). As the slave's experiential knowledge of his Lord increases, so to does his veneration and awe increase. As Allah, the Exalted, has said, "It is only those who have knowledge among His slaves that fear Allah" (Quran 35:28 ) meaning, those who are knowledgeable concerning Him. And the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, "I am the most knowledgeable of you concerning Allah and I am the most intense in awe and reverence of Him" (Al-Bukhari and Muslim). So whoever knows Allah (has maârifah) his livelihood will be pure, his life will be sweet, everything will revere him and all fear of created things will leave him. He will find intimacy with Allah and will have an aversion for (common) people. Knowledge of Allah (maârifah) will bequeath to him shyness in front of Allah, veneration and reverence of Him, vigilance (concerning His vision), love, trust in Him, turning to Him, pleasure in Him and submission to His ordinances. It was said to Junayd, may Allah have mercy upon him, "There are a group of people here that claim that they can attain righteousness by leaving all movement." He responded, "Such ones have spoken of the removal of all action, and this is something very immense. The one who fornicates and steals is in a better state than the one who says that (as far as I am concerned). For verily, those who have experiential knowledge of Allah (the ma'arifa) have taken their actions from Allah and they have returned to Allah in them. If I were to live one thousand years I would not decrease in performing righteous works." He also said, "One who knows Allah does not really know Allah until he becomes like the earth; the feet of the righteous and the unrighteous tread upon him. And (until he becomes) like the rain that waters what it likes and what it doesn't like." Yahya ibn Muadh said, "The one who knows Allah leaves this world (at the time of death) and he has not had his fill of two things: crying over his self and yearning for his Lord." Others have said, *"One who knows Allah will not really know Allah until if he is given a dominion like the kingdom of Solomon it would not distract him from Allah for even the blink of an eye."* It has also been said, "The one who knows Allah has found intimacy with Allah and has an aversion for other than Him. He has realized his poverty in front of Allah, so Allah has enriched him from His creation. And he has humbled himself in front of Allah, so He has ennobled him amongst His creation." Aba Salyman Ad-Daanar said, "While (resting) in bed, the one who has experiential knowledge of Allah has openings that do not even come to the one who is standing in prayer!" In summary, the life of the heart is with Allah and there is no life for it without that, ever. So when the heart is in agreement with the tongue in its dhikr (remembrance of Allah) and the heart is in agreement with what the Beloved wants from it; when he (the servant) belittles the many works and statements that he has made and regards even Allah's subtle generosity and kindness as great; when he embraces obedience and leaves off disobedience, and has left all of it for the sake of his Beloved, so that nothing of it remains; when his heart has become full with reverence, awe, preference and pleasure in Him and his patience in yearning for Him has reached its last straw; when he cannot find repose except in His remembrance, desire for Him and yearning for the meeting with Him; when he cannot find (true) intimacy except in His dhikr, while maintaining His ordinances and preferring Him to others. Then this, this is the true lover (muhibb). Junayd said, "I heard Al-Harith Al-Muhasibar say: "Love (mahabbah) is your inclination to something with all of your being. Then, your preference to that thing over your own self, your soul and your possessions and wealth. Then, your being in accordance with that thing inwardly and outwardly, privately and publicly. Then, realizing your shortcomings with regards to your love of it." It was said, "Love (mahabbah) is a fire that burns in the heart. It burns everything other than what the beloved wants from the lover." It was also said, "Nay, it is exerting all efforts in pleasing the beloved. And that could never be so until one no longer sees the 'love' anymore, but only witnesses the beloved." It is mentioned in some of the Hadith Qudsi, "My servant, I am, by your right, a lover of you. So, be you, by my right upon you, a lover of Me." Abdullah ibn Al-Mubarak said, "Whomsoever is given something of love and is not given its equivalent of awe and veneration (khashyah), then he is deceived." Yahya ibn Muadh said, "A muster seed's amount of love is more beloved to me than seventy years of worship without love!" Abu Bakr Al-Kattaar said, "An issue concerning love (mahabbah) came up in Makkah during the days of the Pilgrimage. The sheikhs spoke on the matter. Junayd was present and he was the youngest amongst them. So they said to him, 'Give us what you have O Iraqi!' He lowered his head in humility and his eyes shed tears, and he spoke: '(How great is) a slave who has left himself, connected to the dhikr of his Lord, upholding His rights, witnessing Him with his heart. The lights of His Essence have burned his heart and his drink is pure from the cup of His pure love. If such a one speaks, it is by Allah. If he utters, it is from Allah. If he moves, it is by the command of Allah. If he remains silent, he is with Allah. So he is by Allah, for Allah and with Allah.' So the sheikhs cried and said, 'There is nothing that can be added to this. May Allah rectify you, O Taj Al-a arifarn (crown of those who know Allah)!'" It was said that Allah revealed to Dawud, peace be upon him, "O Dawud, I have made it prohibited (haram) for the hearts to contain the love of Me and the love of others at the same time." Those who know Allah (the arifaun) have all agreed that love is not acceptable without compliance (with the Sacred Law), so much so that some of them said,"The reality of love is being in accordance with what beloved wants, concerning what pleases him and what makes him angry." The People (of the Science of Purification; Al-Qawm) have also agreed that love is not acceptable without Tawheed (belief in the Oneness of Allah). It was related that there was a man who claimed that he was overwhelmed by the love of a certain person. So one day this certain person said to him (the lover), "How can this be, when my brother over here is much more attractive and more perfect in beauty?!" The man looked over to him and then the person pushed him and said, "Someone who claims that he loves us and then looks at other than us?!" __________________ وإذا لم يكن منَ الموتِ بُدُّ فمِنَ العَجزِ أنْ تَكُونَ جَبَانا If death is something inescapable, then it is from weakness to be a coward-! Lahoo main bhegay dareeda Anchal Qasam hai tum ko bhula na daina...

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hidaayah 313'z Status: Offline Posts: 2,767 Reputation: 5729 Rep Power: 27 Join Date: Nov 2005 Gender: Way of Life: Muslim	Re: -From the works of Imam Ibn al Qayyim- - 03-23-2007 Patience is half of Imân by Imâm Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah Imân is in two halves: half is patience ( sabr) and half is gratitude ( shukr). Therefore Allâh has mentioned patience and gratitude alongside one another: “Verily in this are signs for all who constantly persevere and give thanks” (Ibrâhîm 14:5; Luqmân 31:31; Sabâ’ 34:19; ash-Shurâ 42:33). The reasons why one half of îmân is patience and the other half is gratitude are as follows: 1. îmân is a term which covers words, deeds and intentions, all of which are based on one of two things, action or abstinence. Action refers to performing a deed in accordance with the instructions of Allâh, which is the reality of gratitude. Abstinence, as in refraining from wrong action, requires patience. The whole of religion is embodied in these two things: carrying out that which Allâh has commanded, and refraining from that which Allâh has prohibited. 2. îmân is based on two pillars, yaqîn (conviction) and patience, which are referred to in the following ayah: “And We appointed, from among them, leaders, giving guidance under Our command, so long as they persevered with patience and continued to have faith in Our Signs” (as-Sajdah 32:34). It is through faith that we know the reality of Allâh’s commands and prohibitions, or reward and punishment, and it is through patience that we carry out His instructions and abstain from that which He has prohibited. A person can never come to believe in Allâh’s commands and prohibitions, and in reward and punishment, and it is through patience that we carry out His instructions and abstain from that which He has prohibited, and in reward and punishment, except through faith, and that is truly from Allâh. And we can never carry out Allâh’s instructions and abstain from that which He has prohibited except through patience. Therefore patience is half of îmân, and the other half is gratitude. 3. Man has two powers, the power of doing and the power of abstaining, which control all his behaviour. So a person will do what he likes and abstain from what he dislikes. The whole of religion is doing or abstaining, carrying out the instructions of Allâh or abstaining from that which He has prohibited, neither of which can be accomplished without patience. 4. The whole of religion is hope and fear, and the true believer is the one who is both hopeful and fearful. Allâh said: “…They used to call on Us with love and reverence, and humble themselves before Us” (al-Anbiyâ’ 21:90). The Prophet (SAAS) used to pray: “O Allâh, I have surrendered my soul to You, and turned my face to You. My (own) affair I commit to Allâh and I seek Your protection, in hope of You and in fear of You” (al-Bukhârî). So the believer is the one who is both hopeful and fearful, but hope and fear can only be based on the foundation of patience: fear should make the believer patient, and his hope should lead to gratitude. 5.Any action done by man is either beneficial or harmful to him in this world and the next, or else it is beneficial to him in the world and harmful to him in the other. The best course for man is to do that which is beneficial to him in the Hereafter, and abstain from that which is harmful to him in the Hereafter. This is the reality of îmân: to do what is good for him, and that is gratitude; and to abstain from that which harms him, and that is patience. 6.Man is always is a situation where he has to carry out an instruction of Allâh, or avoid something which Allâh has prohibited, or accept something that Allâh has decreed. In all cases, he has to face the situation with patience and gratitude. Carrying out Allâh’s instructions is gratitude, and abstaining from prohibited things and being content with the decree of Allâh constitutes patience. 7.Man is constantly being pulled in two opposing directions: should he respond to the lure of this world of desires and pleasures, or should he answer the call of Allâh and the hereafter, with the eternal Paradise that Allâh has prepared for His friend ( walî)? Going against the call of whims and desires is patience, and responding to the call of Allâh and the Hereafter is gratitude. 8.Religion is based on two principles: determination and perseverance (patience), which are referred to in the du‘â of the Prophet (SAAS): “O Allâh, I ask You for perseverance in all my affairs, and I ask You for the determination to stay on the straight and narrow path.” 9. Religion is based on truth (haqq) and patience, which is referred to in the âyah: “…and they (join together) in the mutual teaching of truth, and of patience and constancy” (al-‘Asr 103:3). Man is required to work according to the truth, both by himself and others, which is the reality of gratitude, but he cannot do that without patience, therefore patience is half of îmân. And Allâh knows best. [Patience and Gratitude. By Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah. An abridgement of his original work entitled, “Uddat as-Sâbireen wa Dhâkirat by TaHa Publications] __________________ وإذا لم يكن منَ الموتِ بُدُّ فمِنَ العَجزِ أنْ تَكُونَ جَبَانا If death is something inescapable, then it is from weakness to be a coward-! Lahoo main bhegay dareeda Anchal Qasam hai tum ko bhula na daina...

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hidaayah 313'z Status: Offline Posts: 2,767 Reputation: 5729 Rep Power: 27 Join Date: Nov 2005 Gender: Way of Life: Muslim	Re: -captivated and fettered - 03-28-2007 Ibn al-Qayyim (rahimahullaah) said: And among its effects is that the disobedient (sinner) is constantly in the shackles of his Shaytaan and the prison of his shahwa (desires) and the chains/fetters of his hawaa (whims). So he is a captive, one who is imprisoned and who is tied up. There is no captive in a worse state than the one who is captivated by his worst enemy and there is no prison which is tighter than the prison of hawa (desire) and there is no bond/fetter more strong than the bond of desire.How, then, will a heart which is captivated, imprisoned and fettered travel unto Allaah and the Home of the Hereafter. How will a person take a single step forward when the heart is bound and harmful things approach it from every direction. The harmful things approach it to the extent that it is tied up [i.e. imprisoned by its desires and whims..]. The example of the heart is like the example of a bird. Every time is ascends it becomes distant from the harmful things and every time it descends the harmful things hurt it. In a hadeeth there occurs that Shaytaan is like a wolf to people. Just as when a sheep has no protector and is in between many wolves, they are quick in causing damage and injury; likewise the servant who does not have guardianship from Allaah, then his wolf [i.e. his desires, whims etc.] is to him a predatory animal. [Thus] there is no escape for the servant from having protection from Allaah. Taqwaa is a safeguarding for him and a strong shield between himself and the punishment of this world and the Hereafter. Every time the sheep is close to its shepherd it is more safe from the wolf and every time it becomes distant from its shepherd it is closer to destruction. So its sanctuary is when it is close to its shepherd because the wolf takes the lonely one from the flock and this is the one which is the furthest one of the flock from the shepherd. The basis of all of this is is that every time the heart is distant from Allaah the harmful things are quick in approaching it and every time it is close to Allaah the harmful things become distant from it. Remoteness from Allaah has levels/degrees, some of which are more severe than others. Heedlesness distances the servant from Allaah and some acts of disobedience are greater than some acts of heedlesness. Some innovations are greater than some acts of disobedience and some things from hypocrisy and Shirk are greater than all of what has preceded. __________________ وإذا لم يكن منَ الموتِ بُدُّ فمِنَ العَجزِ أنْ تَكُونَ جَبَانا If death is something inescapable, then it is from weakness to be a coward-! Lahoo main bhegay dareeda Anchal Qasam hai tum ko bhula na daina... Last edited by hidaayah; 04-01-2007 at 01:57 AM.

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hidaayah 313'z Status: Offline Posts: 2,767 Reputation: 5729 Rep Power: 27 Join Date: Nov 2005 Gender: Way of Life: Muslim	Re: Rulers and the ruled - 04-01-2007 " And ponder upon Allah's Wisdom when He made kings of the people and their leaders and the men of authority over them a reflection of their deeds, as though [the ruled's] deeds appear in the form of their kings and their rulers. So if the ruled are upright, then their rulers will be upright. And if the ruled incline away [from justice], their leaders will do the same And if they oppress, then their kings and their rulers will oppress And if there appears between them plotting and deception, then their rulers will be this way And if they deprive people of their rights and become miserly as to the rights of others, then their kings and rulers will deprive them of their rights And if the ruled take away from the oppressed and weak among them that which they deserve not to take in their transactions with them, then their kings and rulers will do that towards the ruled's wealth and take what is not their right to take, and impose taxes and assignments on them. And whatever the ruled take from the oppressed and weak unjustly, then their rulers will do the same to them and take from them by force So the actions of the ruled are reflected in the actions of the rulers. And it is not from the Divine Wisdom that Allah assign authority over the wicked and the evil except those who are of their kind. Since the first generation was of the best generation and the most righteous, so were their rulers. It does not befit Allaah's Wisdom that in our times those assigned to us be the likes of Mu'aawiyah or Umar bin Abdul-Azeez, not to mention Abu Bakr and Umar. Rather, our rulers are in accordance with our condition. And the rulers of those before us were in accordance with their condition. And this is mandated by the wisdom of Allah in both cases. " [Miftaah Daar as-Sa'aadah, 2/177-178] __________________ وإذا لم يكن منَ الموتِ بُدُّ فمِنَ العَجزِ أنْ تَكُونَ جَبَانا If death is something inescapable, then it is from weakness to be a coward-! Lahoo main bhegay dareeda Anchal Qasam hai tum ko bhula na daina...

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Nuseyba bintkab LI Senior Member Status: Offline Posts: 146 Reputation: 304 R