Jazakhllah Khair

Bismillaah

As Salaamu'alaykum Wa Rahmatullaahi Wa Barakaatuh



Shaykhul Islaam Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah

Reference: Miftaah Dar as Sa'aadah: 2/150


Also, ponder over the frail ant - the intelligence and dynamics it was granted in gathering, storing, preserving and repelling harms/disease from its provision. You will indeed see signs and lessons in this.

You see a group of ants, if they want to gather and store their sustenance, they depart from their swarm in search for it. When they find it, they make a pathway from their home to the food and embark on transporting it [back]. You find that they are two groups; a carrier group that carries the sustenance to their home in a line, and another group that does not cross paths with the first group which leaves it's home headed for the sustenance. They are like two threads, like a group of people parting in one path, and another group beside them returning.

If something is too heavy for one of them, a group of ants gather to help it carry the weight, like a group of people helping each other carry a boulder or log. So if one ant discovers [a big piece], its companions help it carry it home and clear the way for it. If a group of ants meet it, they would help with the weight and break it into small pieces at the door.

An experienced man once stated that he saw a wondrous thing while watching them one day. He said: I saw an ant approach a grass hopper's wing, it tried to carry it but was unable to lift it off the ground. It then went nearby and returned with a group of ants. I lifted the wing off the ground, so when the ant reached the area, it walked in circles around it and so did its companions but they weren't able to find anything. They left and I replaced the wing. The same ant found it again and brought the group once again and I also lifted the wing again. They circled the area and when they didn't find anything, they formed a circle around the first ant and attacked it, cutting it to pieces as I watched!

Their intelligence is also bewildering, when they carry seeds to their homes, they break them so that they do not sprout. If the seed is of the type that sprouts when split, they split it into four pieces. If the seeds are moistened or get wet and the ants fear they may spoil, they take them out [to dry] in the sun and then return them. This is why you sometimes find a lot of broken seeds outside an ant home, and if you return a little while later you wouldn’t find one seed.

Another aspect of their intelligence is that they do not build a nest except on high ground in order to protect themselves from being drowned by running water, so you wouldn’t find an ant nest at the bottom of a valley, rather you would find it on top or above the water level.

In attesting for their intelligence, it is sufficient what Allaah the Majestic, the Elevated, stated in His Book: what an ant said to a group of ants when it saw Sulaimaan, عليه الصلاة والسلام, and his troops:

{O ants! Enter your dwellings, lest Sulaimaan (Solomon) and his hosts should crush you, while they perceive not.}

It spoke with ten different categories of speech in its advice: Al Nida-a, al Tanbeeh, at Tasmiyah, al Amr, an Nass, at Tah-dheer, al Takh-sees, al Taf-heem, at Ta'meem and al I-'itithaar. So its advice, though summarized, consisted of these ten [categories of speech] and this is why Sulaimaan was amused by its speech, smiled and asked Allaah to enable him to be grateful for the blessing that He bestowed upon him when he heard the ant's speech. Do not think that this level of intelligence is far fetched for a whole nation/species that glorifies their lord, as was authentically related that the Prophet said:

"One of the prophets rested under a tree and was bitten by an ant [he removed the sting?] and then burnt down the ant hill so Allaah revealed to him: Just because one ant bit you, you burnt down a one whole nation [of ants] that glorify [their lord], because of one ant."



Translator: Nadir Ahmad, Abu Abdul-Waahid

www.madeenah.com

Bismillaah

As Salaamu'alaykum Wa Rahmatullaahi Wa Barakaatuh


Shaykh Saalih ibn Fowzaan al-Fowzaan

Reference: Fataawa Nur ‘ala ad-Darb


Allaah blessed me to embrace the true religion of Islaam at the hands of some Shaykhs, and I therefore changed my name from ‘Abdus Saleeb’ (servant of the cross) to ‘Abdullaah. This did not please my father who then ordered me not to transgress upon my name and my family’s name. Due to this some differing broke out between me and him which caused me to leave my fathers country and migrate to this noble country (Saudi).

However I am still in a state of confusion. Does Islam require me to please my father and obey him even if he is Christian? Or does it require me to ignore what my father said to me, knowing that he is a Christian who is obstinate concerning his faith, as well as knowing that my previous name was ‘Abd as Saleeb?



Firstly: You should be grateful to Allaah the Elevated, for granting you success to discovering the truth and embracing Islaam, the religion of truth. Allaah ordered all the people of Earth, regardless of their diverse religions and sects, to embrace this religion of truth and abandon what they are upon, the religion of Allaah the Glorified, which He accepted for Himself. So you should be grateful to Allaah for allowing you to attain this tremendous virtue. We pray that Allaah makes you firm upon the religion of Islaam.

As for the second issue which is your relationship with your parents, Allaah, the Glorified and Elevated, decreed the obligation of being kind and beneficent to parents even if they were non-Muslims, Allaah the Elevated said:

{And We have enjoined on man (to be dutiful and good) to his parents. His mother bore him in weakness and hardship upon weakness and hardship, and his weaning is in two years – be grateful to Me and to your parents. To Me is the final destination. But if they (both) strive to make you associate others in worship with Me, that of which you have no knowledge of, then obey them not; but behave with them in the world kindly, and follow the path of those who turn to Me in repentance and in obedience. Then to Me will be your return, and I shall tell you what you used to do.} [Luqmaan: 15-16]

So it is compulsory for you to be kind and beneficent to you parents in relation to worldly affairs.

As for religious affairs, you are to follow the religion of truth, even if it contradicts the religion of your parents, but while being kind to them in recompense. So you must be beneficent to them and recompense them for the good they have done for you even if they were non-Muslims. So there is nothing wrong with keeping in touch with your father and recompensing him, but do not obey him in something that is a disobedience to Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic.


Translator: Nadir Ahmad, Abu Abdul-Waahid

www.madeenah.com

jazaks for ur informative post...

we will be accountable for our every actions that we performed on this earth!!

Imam Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyah


This book, AI-Fawaid: A Collection of Wise Sayings is one of the well-known compilations of Imam Shams Ad-Dm Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyyah, who is well known by the name Ibn Al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy upon him). This blessed book is not like others that simply contain sections, chapters and themes, but it consists of the elevated thoughts that Allah, Exalted be He, bestows upon some of His servants as He wills. So whenever any of these scattered pearls of wisdom occurred to the Imam, he would immediately record them. I am sure that he did not sit down and write this book in one or two weeks, but surely it was developed over a long period of time. Whenever something came to his mind, he would record it, and whenever he learnt a lesson or anything crucial in his life, he would illuminate the lines of his page with the ink of his pen.

- Download Book - (12 MB) Right click and save target as

Ibn al-Qayyim said:

"From the greatest of sins which are hidden - and widely practiced - is that the servant is enjoying a blessing that Allah has blessed him with and chosen for him, then that servant becomes bored of it and seeks to exchange it for what he thinks - due to his ignorance - is better for him than it, and His Lord continues to be merciful to him and does not prevent him from this blessing, and He excuses him due to his ignorance and this bad choice that he has chosen for himself. When he reaches the limit in scorning this blessing and his boredom with it overcomes him, Allah removes this blessing from him. So, if he is given what he sought in exchange for that blessing, and he sees the immense difference between what he was previously enjoying and and what he has now been given instead of it, his anxiety and regret increase and he requests a return to what he previously had. So, if Allah desires good and guidance for His servant, He allows him to bear witness that what he had was a blessing from the blessings of Allah upon him, and He causes him to become pleased with that blessing and to give thanks to Allah for it. If his soul then whispers to him to again seek to exchange that blessing for something else, he makes istikharah to His Lord, the istikharah of the one who is ignorant of what is in his best interests and unable to attain them. He turns his affairs to Allah, requesting of Him to help him make the best decision.

And there is nothing more harmful to the servant than to become bored of the blessings of Allah, because he does not see it as a blessing, and he does not thank Allah for it, and does not become happy because of it. Rather, he belittles it, complains about it and considers it to be a disaster - all this while it can well be from the greatest of Allah's blessings upon him.

Most people have a feeling of enmity towards Allah's blessings upon them, and they do not percieve that this opening that Allah has given them is actually a blessing, and they exert the utmost effort in repelling it and pushing it away out of ignorance and oppression. So, how many are those whom Allah's blessings comes to one of them, and they rise to repel and fight against it? And how many are those whom the blessing comes to one of them and he strives to push it away and brush it to the side out of ignorance and oppression?

Allah - the Exalted - says: {"And this is because Allah would not change a blessing that He has blessed a people with unless they change what is within themselves."} [al-Anfal; 53]

subhanAllah.. who do we turn to for strength when we feel our path narrowed in these times... othen then the book of Allah..

well the rawdatul-muhibeen, mashallah a piewce of it was brought here, i was about to puit it here.

but here is one that I didnt see on any of the post

From: The Steps of the Followers,

by Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya



Muraqabah is knowing that Allah is watching over us. Allah, subhanahu wa ta'ala, says, "And know that Allah knows what is in your minds, so fear Him." [2:235] "And Allah is Ever a Watcher over all things." [33:52] "And He is with you wherever you may be." [57:4] There are many other similar verses stating the same concept.

In the hadeeth of Jibreel, when he asked the Prophet (s) about ihsan (goodness and excellence), the Prophet (s) replied, "Ihsan is to worship Allah as if you see Him, but since we do not see Him we should know that He sees us at all times." (Bukhari and Muslim) The meaning of this hadeeth is the definition of muraqabah. Namely, the endurance of the servant's knowledge and his conviction and certainty that Allah is watching over his internal and external affairs. To have this knowledge and certainty at all times is called muraqabah. It is the fruit of the servant's knowledge that Allah is his Watcher, Over-seeing him, Hearing his utterances, and Observing all of his deeds at all times.

Al-Junaid said, "The one firm in muraqabah fears the waste of even a moment for other than his Lord." Dhun-Nun said: "The sign of muraqabah is to favor what Allah has sent down (of the revelation), to glorify what Allah has glorified, and to despise what Allah has despised." Ibraheem Al-Khawass said: "Muraqabah is the sincerity of both the internal and external to Allah." It has been said that "The best that man may cling to on this road to Allah is muhasabah (reckoning of the self), muraqabah, and governing his conduct with knowledge."

The people of true knowledge have unanimously agreed that having muraqabah for Allah in one's hidden thoughts is a means for it to manifest in the deeds and the behavior externally. So, whoever has muraqabah for Allah in secret and internally, Allah will preserve him in his actions and behavior, both internally and externally.

One of the finest definitions for muraqabah is the following: muraqabah of Allah is being on the way to Him at all times with over-whelming glorification, inciting nearness and urging joy. The overwhelming glorification is to have the heart filled with glorification of Allah. Such a state makes the servant unconcerned with glorifying others or paying attention to others beside Allah. A servant should always have this state, especially when he is remembering Allah. To be with Allah provides one with intimacy and love. If these are not associated with glorification, they may take one outside of the limits of servitude. Any love that is not associated with glorification of the Beloved One is a reason to distance him away from the Beloved and lose His respect.

The overwhelming glorification includes five components: walking towards Allah, constantly walking towards Him, presence within the heart for Him, glorification of Him, and being overwhelmed by His glorification to be concerned with others. The inciting nearness is the closeness to Allah that incites the servant to have these five components. This closeness makes him glorify Allah in a manner that he pays no attention to himself or others. The closer the servant becomes to Allah, the more he glorifies Him and the less mindful he will be for others. The urging joy is happiness and glorification. It is the delight one finds in this nearness. There is nothing in this world comparable in any way to the joy and happiness of the heart and the delight of the eye with Allah and His closeness. This is one of the states in Paradise. A knowledgeable person said, "There are times when I would say that if the people of Paradise can be in a state like this, they are indeed living a good life." This joy, no doubt, urges him to be constant in walking to Allah and oing his best to seek Allah's Pleasure. If one didn't achieve this joy or even a portion of it, then one should doubt their faith and deeds. Faith has grace and sweetness. If one has not tasted it, then one should go back and achieve the true faith and its sweetness.

The Prophet (s) mentioned the sweetness of faith in many ahadeeth, including: "...tasted the taste of faith, those who take Allah as their Lord, Islam as their religion and Muhammad as a Messenger." (Muslim and Ahmad) He also said: "Whoever possesses the following three qualities attains the sweetness of faith: To have Allah and His Messenger dearer to him than anything else, to love a person only for the sake of Allah, and to hate to returne to kufr after Allah has rescued him from it like he hates to be thrown into fire." (Bukhari & Muslim) I heard Sheikul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah saying: "If you don't find sweetness and joy in the deed you perform, then doubt its sincerity, for Allah is Shakur (Most Appreciative and Rewarding)." He meant that Allah will certainly reward His servant for his deeds in this world as long as the servant is delighted and happy with his deeds. But if he doesn't find the delight and the joy in his heart, then his deed is imperfect, defective.

This imperfection and defectiveness is the reward of what the servant receives for his deeds. Deeds have consequences and effects that return to the servant that performed them, affecting his life and all of his affairs. Salah, for example, prevents the servant from unlawful and evil deeds. It also refines his morals and brings him up in the best manner that Allah loves.

Siyaam strengthens his will and enlightens self-reproach and insight, so the person may see the straight path and become among the righteous. Such are all the good and righteous deeds, they have a reward that affords prosperity in all of man's affairs. As a result, family life and the society become joyful and prosperous. The evil deeds have their consequences as well. Allah said, "For those who have done good is best (reward)." [10:26] and "The evil was the end of those who did evil." [30:10]

The opposition in people is of three kinds. Only those that Allah protects are free from these. The first kind is the opposition to His Names and Attributes by presenting false and unclear matters. These falsities are negated because of what Allah and His Messenger have ascribed for Him. These people have ascribed to Allah what He negated for Himself. By doing so, they became loyal to His enemies and enemies to His Allies. They changed the words from the correct status and have abandoned, as a result, a great part of what was sent to them.

They are those that have divided their religion into differing sects with each group rejoicing in its belief. The only thing that protects from this is the pure submission to the wahy (Divine inspiration). When the heart submits to the wahy (revelation), it will witness its soundness, realize intellectually and in the light of fitrah (sound nature) that it is the truth. Such a submissive person submits by way of hearing, the mind, and the fitrah. This is the most perfect faith.

The second type of person is the one who is in opposition to His Message and Command. These people can vary slightly and can be further categorized. Some may oppose with their opinions and analogies. They make lawful what Allah has made unlawful, and make unlawful what Allah has made lawful. They void what Allah has made obligatory and make obligatory what Allah has voided. Another type amongst these people are those that oppose the facts of faith and the Message with their visions, personal experiences, and false devilish inspirations. These compose a religion that Allah has not allowed, invalidate the religion that Allah sent to His Messenger, and oppose the facts of faith using the devil's tricks. These people have religions to worship other than Allah's religion and placce these before Allah's religion. Because of their analogies, opinions and personal experiences, the entire world could have been ruined and the pillars of the religion destroyed. But Allah has preserved this religion and promised to protect those that will preserve and protect it from the plots of these plotters.

Another group of those in opposition are those that oppose the Law of Allah with their unjust rules. They put their rules before the rules of Allah and His Messenger (s). Thus they suspend Allah's Law, justice and His Hudood (legislated punishments).

The third type of opposition is of those who oppose Allah's actions, decrees and ordinances. This opposition comes primarily from ignorant people. It has many forms, some are clear and some are not. This kind of opposition exists within many souls. If we were to contemplate our utterances, actions and desires, we would see this clearly. Most of us have some kind of opposition to Allah's decree and His portioning of livelihood.

The ones that are free of this type of opposition are those that know Allah with a true knowledge and accept Him with complete satisfaction.

subhanAllaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

It is not possible to encompass one of Iblees' evils, let alone all of them. Since Iblees' evil is of six types, Iblees remains behind the son of Adam until he gets him to do one or more of these six evils.

One

THE FIRST EVIL IS THE EVIL OF KUFR AND SHIRK and enmity to Allaah (SWT) and His Messenger (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam). If he gains this from the son of Adam, his moaning is eased, and he rests from his ordeal with this man. Further, this is the first thing Iblees wants from the worshipper (al-'Abd). If Iblees gains this, he makes this person part of his army, one of his soldiers, and he appoints him as a deputy or agent against other human beings. Then, this person becomes one of the deputies or callers of Iblees.

Two

If he despairs of enticing him with the first evil, and if this person is one of those for whom it was written that he would be a Muslim in his mother's womb, Iblees tries:
the SECOND CLASS OF EVIL. THIS IS BID'AH (innovation). Iblees loves Bid'ah more than debauchery and disobedience because the harm of Bid'ah is in the essence of the religion. Moreover, it is an unrepentable sin and is against the call of the messengers and is a call to a message different from the one conveyed by Ar-Rasool. Bid'ah is a gate to Kufr and Shirk. Therefore, if Iblees gains the performance of Bid'ah from a person and makes him one of the people of Bid'ah, he also becomes one of his agents and a caller of his.

Three

If Iblees fails and is unable to trap Al-'Abd at this class, and if he is one of those who were granted by Allaah (SWT) the gift of As-Sunnah and hatred of the people of Bid'ah and error, he proceeds to:
the THIRD CLASS OF EVIL, which is the class of MAJOR SINS in their various forms.
Iblees is very covetous of letting a person fall into major sin, especially if he is a scholar who is followed. Iblees is covetous of that, so that he may repel people from him and spread his sins and disobedience amongst the people. He uses some people as his agents to spread this person's sins under the false pretence that this will help them to get closer to Allaah. But in fact this person is the deputy of Iblees without knowing it. For those who would like abomination to be spread amongst the believers there is a great torment in this life and in the Hereafter especially if they take charge of spreading about enormities, not out of advice, but by obeying Iblees and being his agent. All this is to repel people from the Scholar and from his benefit.
Furthermore, the sins of this person (scholar), even if they reach the sky, are less to Allaah (SWT) than the sins of those who would like to spread his sins about. The scholar's sins are wrongdoing to himself. If he seeks forgiveness from Allaah (SWT) and repents, Allaah (SWT) will accept his repentance, and He will change his bad deeds to good deeds. However, the sin of those who spread about abominations are doing wrong to the believers by looking for their mistakes and by intending to expose them. Allaah (SWT) is in close observation, and He knows about this ambuscade. Nothing hidden in the chest or soul is hidden to Allaah (SWT).

Four

If Iblees is unable to snare Al-'Abd at this degree he moves him to:
the FOURTH CLASS, or the MINOR SINS. These sins may ruin a person if they accumulate. That is why Ar-Rasool (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) said, Be aware of the minor sins, because the simile of the minor sin is like the people who went to a desert. Then he (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) mentioned a Hadeeth the meaning of which is that every one of them brought a stick of wood until they had kindled a huge fire (just as the minor sins add up little by little until they become a major sin). The person continues taking the matter of minor sins easily until he considers them inconsequential. Therefore, a person who commits major sins but fears their effect is in a better condition than he is.

Five

If the Al-'Abd has prevented Iblees from trapping him at this level, he moves him to the fifth level:
The FIFTH LEVEL IS TO OCCUPY HIM WITH PERMISSIBLE THINGS that do not gain him reward or punishment. However, the punishment of this level is caused by passing the reward missed by being occupied with these deeds.

Six

If Al-'Abd has kept Iblees from succeeding at this level, and if he is careful about his time, being covetous with it, knows the value of moments, and knows the value of what comes of comfort or torment, Iblees transfers him to the sixth level:
The SIXTH CLASS is to OCCUPY HIM WITH DEEDS OF LESSER REWARD to keep virtue away from him and to prevent him from attaining the reward of the favoured deed.
Therefore, he orders him to do a good action with less reward if that includes leaving a better action. Very few people are aware of this. Because if a person feels a strong urge to some kind of obedience, he does not doubt that it is true obedience and that he is getting closer to Allaah (SWT).. He never thinks that this call is from Iblees because he believes that Iblees never calls one to do good. Therefore, he thinks that this call is from Allaah (SWT).. Actually he is excused because he never knew that Iblees would call one to seventy doors of good deeds either to get him to one door of evil or to let a better deed than these seventy deeds pass away from him.
This cannot be known except by a light from Allaah (SWT),, a light he instils in the heart of Al-'Abd. The source of this type of knowledge is following the way of Ar-Rasool (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) and taking care of the levels of deeds with Allaah (SWT),, the deeds of His favoured ones, the deeds more pleasing to Him, and those more beneficial to Al-'Abd, and deeds that have more Naseehah (guidance) from Allaah (SWT),, His Rasool, His Book, and His believing worshippers. No one has this type of knowledge except the inheritors of Ar-Rasool (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam), his deputies in the Ummah, and his successors on earth. In addition, most of the creation is screened from this. This call does not come to their hearts. Allaah (SWT) gives His favour to whomever He wills from among His worshippers.

Seven

If Al-'Abd prevents Iblees from trapping him at any of these six levels, and if it becomes difficult for Iblees, he empowers his party of jinn and human beings with different kinds of harm:
IMPUTING DISBELIEF TO HIM, CALLING HIM MISGUIDED AND AN INNOVATOR, WARNING PEOPLE AGAINST HIM, and intending to weaken him and to disturb his heart. Iblees, by using this method, tries to confuse this person's thinking and tries to PREVENT PEOPLE FROM BENEFITING FROM HIM. Therefore Iblees expends his utmost effort to empower the defenders of falsehood, from human beings and from jinn, against him. Then the believer is at war until death. Whenever he gives up, he is hurt or is taken captive. Hence the believer is in Jihad until he meets with Allaah (SWT)..
Finally, I hope you take note of this chapter and think about its great benefit. Moreover, make this knowledge your balance to weigh people and deeds. This shows you some universal realities and the level of people. Allaah (SWT) is the one from whom I seek aid, and on Him I depend.


Source.

Woah........