ar- Raqâ’iq - The Heart Softening Narrations

[Ibn Abi Ahmed]

The delights of Paradise surpass the imagination and defy description. They are like nothing known to the people of this world; no matter how advanced we may become, what we achieve is as nothing in comparison with the joys of the Hereafter. As is mentioned in several reports, there is nothing like Paradise:

"It is sparkling light, aromatic plants, a lofty palace, a flowing river, ripe fruit, a beautiful wife and abundant clothing, in an eternal abode of radiant joy, in beautiful soundly-constructed high houses".
[Ibn Majah, as-Sunan, Kitab az-Zuhd, Bab Sifat al-Jannah, 2/1448, no. 4332. Ibn Hibban narrated it in his sahîh]

The Sahabah asked the Prophet about the buildings of Paradise and he replied with a wonderful description:

"Bricks of gold and silver, and mortar of fragrant musk, pebbles of pearl and sapphire, and soil of saffron. Whoever enters it is filled with joy and will never feel miserable; he will live there forever and never die; their clothes will never wear out and their youth will never fade." [Ahmad, at-Tirmidhi, ad-Darimî, Mishkat al-Masabîh, 3/29, sahih].

Allah indeed spoke the truth when He said:

"And when you look there [in Paradise] you will see a delight [that cannot be imagined]. And a great dominion" [76:20]

What Allah has kept hidden from us the delights of Paradise is beyond our ability to comprehend: al-Bukhari reported from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet said that Allah said

"I have prepared for My slaves what no eye has seen, no ear has heard and no human heart can imagine". Recite if you wish, "No person know what is kept hidden for them of joy as a reward for what they used to do." (32:17).

In the version reported by Muslim from Abu Hurayrah, there is the addition,

"Never mind what Allah has told you; what He has not told you is EVEN greater".

 

[Ibn Abi Ahmed]

Re: Ar-Riqaq - The Heart Softeners

An-Nawwaas ibn Sam'aan (ra) said, "I heard the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam) say, 'On the Day of Resurrection the Qur'aan and those who acted according to it will be brought with Surah al-Baqarah and Aal 'Imraan preceding it.'

The Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam) gave three similes which I did not forget afterwards. He said, "It is as if they are two clouds, or two black canopies with light between them, or two flocks of birds in ranks pleading for the one who recited them" [Sahih Muslim]

 

[Ibn Abi Ahmed]

Re: Ar-Riqaq - The Heart Softeners

The Dwellers of Al-Ghuraf

Narrated Abu Saeed Al-Khudri: the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi was sallam, said:

“The people of Paradise will look at the dwellers of Al-Ghuraf (the lofty mansions i.e. a superior place in Paradise) in the same way as one looks at a brilliant star far away in the east or in the west on the horizon; all that is because of their superiority over one another (in rewards).”

On that the people said, “O Allah’s Messenger! Are these residences (lofty mansions) for the Prophets which nobody can reach?”

The Prophet sallallaahu alayhi was sallam, replied, “No! By Him (Allah) in Whose Hand my soul is, these are for men who believed in Allah and also believed in the Messengers.”

Sahih al Bukhari

 

[Ibn Abi Ahmed]

Re: Ar-Riqaq - The Heart Softeners

"The doors of success have been closed upon the creation because of six things:

1. Their busying themselves with the blessings of Allah instead of thanking Allah for them,
2. their desire for knowledge while they abandon actions,
3. the hastiness to sin and delaying repentance,
4. the deception of having righteous companions and not taking them as examples,
5. the turning away of the dunya from them while they chase it,
6. and the approach of the afterlife towards them while they turn away from it."

Taken from al-Fawai'd by Ibn Al Qayyim​

 

[Ibn Abi Ahmed]

Re: Ar-Riqaq - The Heart Softeners

1 - The Messenger of Allah said:

"None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself."

[Reported by al-Bukhari (13), Muslim (45), Ahmad (3/176), at-Tirmidhi (5215), Ibn Majah (66), an-Nasa'i (8/115), and Ibn Hibban (234)]


2 - Ibn Rajab narrated:

"Muhammad bin Wasi' was selling a donkey to a man, so, the man asked him: "Are you pleased with this donkey?"

Ibn Wasi' replied: "If I was not pleased with this donkey, then I would not be selling it to you.""

['Jami' al-'Ulum wal-Hikam'; 1/305]


3 - 'Ali bin Abi Talib said:

"A man who desires that even the straps of his shoes are better than those of his friend enters into those mentioned in this verse: {"And this is the abode of the Hereafter: We prepare it for those who do not seek high status or mischief in the land."} [al-Qasas; 83]."

[Reported by at-Tabari in 'Jami' al-Bayan'; 20/122]


4 - al-Fudayl bin 'Iyad said:

"If you love for the people to have exactly what you have (and nothing more), then you have not been true to your Lord. So, how is it when you secretly wish for them to have less than what you have?"

['Jami' al-'Ulum wal-Hikam'; 1/309]


5 - Ibn 'Abbas said:

"Verily, I come across a verse of the Book of Allah, and I wish that all of the people had the knowledge of it that I have."

['Hilyat al-Awliya''; 9/119]


6 - Ibn 'Abbas also said:

"Verily, I become happy when I hear that a land inhabited by the Muslims has received some rainfall, even if I personally have nothing to gain from that rainfall."

['Hayat as-Sahabah'; 2/743]


7 - Abu Nu'aym reported:

"When 'Utbah would provide the people with food to break their fast, he would say to some of those present: "Bring me some of your water and dates to break my fast with, so that you would have the same reward as me.""

['Hilyat al-Awliya''; 6/235]


8 - ash-Shafi'i said:

"I wish that all of the people would learn this knowledge, without any credit being given to me for that."

['Siyar al-A'lam an-Nubala''; 10/55]


9 - Abu 'Abdullah bin al-Khatib narrated:

"Abu Hamdun (one of the Tabi'in) had a scroll on which was written the names of three hundred of his close friends, and he used to supplicate for them - one by one - every single night."

['Sifat as-Safwah'; 1/492]


10 - Ja'far bin Muhammad said:

"What a terrible friend one is: he whose brother does not feel comfortable opening up his bag of belongings in his absence and taking what he needs without asking his permission."

['Min Akhlaq as-Salaf'; p. 70]


11 - Abu Sulayman ad-Darani said:

"If I were to give the world and all that is in it to a brother of mine, then I would wish that I could give him more."

['Ihya' 'Ulum ad-Din'; 2/211]

 

[Ibn Abi Ahmed]

Re: Ar-Riqaq - The Heart Softeners

Hasan Al Basri said, "When a young man is devout, we do not recognise him by his speech. We recognise him by his actions. That is beneficial knowledge."
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Hasan Al Basri said, "Guard against having a bad opinion of people."
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al-Hasan al-Basree on the authority of Anas Ibn Malek is the following. He said: "The Messenger of God peace be upon him used to give the Friday sermon while standing near a piece of wood against which he would lean his back. When the number of people increased in the mosque he said: Make a pulpit of two steps for me, which they did. When the Prophet stood up to give the sermon on Friday the said piece of wood moaned as if it expressed its feeling of missing the Messenger of God peace be upon him. Anas comments: I was in the mosque and heard the piece moan. It continued to moan until the Prophet descended to it and embraced it. Then it was silent. As a matter of fact, whenever al-Hasan narrated this tradition he would cry and say: O slaves of God! A piece of wood misses the Messenger of God! It is you who should do so."
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Once al-Hasan described the effect of the Quran on the believer. He said: "Son of Adam! By God if you recite the Quran then believe in it then your sadness will be long in this life, so will be your fear and your weeping." That is why one contemporary of al-Hasan says: "I never saw anyone who had such a long time of sadness as al-Hasan al-Basree. Everytime I met him I thought he had a new misfortune."
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al-Hasan al-Basree once swore by God that he will be humiliated by God who honours money. That is why he said: "Two bad comrades are the dinar and the dirham. They are useful to you only when they leave you."
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Saleh Al Murri says, al-Hasan said: "Son of Adam! You are nothing but a number of days, whenever each day passes then part of you has gone."
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Mubarak Ibn Faddalah says: "I heard al-Hasan say the following: Death has shown the reality of this worldly life. It did not leave any happiness for those who are wise."
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Thabet quotes al-Hasan as saying: "The laughter of a believer is a sign of the inadvertence of his heart."
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Talha Ibn Sabeeh says: al-Hasan said: "A believer believes in what God has said. He is the best of men in his deeds, but he fears God most, so that if he spends the size of a mountain of money, he would not be sure of his reward until he sees this with his own eyes. The more righteous and charitable the believer is, the more afraid of God he becomes. While the hypocirte says: Men are too many, I shall be forgiven. There is no harm on me. Thus he acts badly, but wishes many things from God."
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Younus says: When death approached al-Hasan he began to say: "We are for God and to Him we will return."

When he repeated this his son said: "My father you make us sad for your sake. Have you seen anything around you which you don't like?"

al-Hasan said: "It is only myself nothing is more heavy for me than it is."

Hassan Ibn Hisham says: "We were with Muhammad Ibn Seereen on Thursday evening when a man told him about the death of al-Hasan al-Basree. He was so sad that he kept silent and the colour of his face was changed. He lived after al-Hasan for one hundred days only. May God be pleased with both.

 

[Ibn Abi Ahmed]

Re: Ar-Riqaq - The Heart Softeners

The Prophet (salalLahu 'alayhi wasalLam) said...

"A Believer does not become motivated except on three occassions: making provision for the Hereafter, seeking livelihood, or pursuing a pleasure which is not prohibited."


"Live for as long as you may, you are a mortal; love whomsoever you may, you shall separate from them; and do whatever you will, you shall be repaid in the same coin and questioned over it." [reported by At-Tabarani and Ash-Shirazi]

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Ahmad Bin Hanbal Raheemahullah said

"A little sufices , but much of it does not suffice."

He also said ; " I cannot compare youth with aught except something that was in my sleeve and then it fell out."

And he said :" whatever is lacking in the life of this world will be less for the Reckoning ."

from Al-Manaqib by ibn Jawzi & Tabakat al Hanabilah

__________________________________________________ _______________________________


Abu Hafs al-Nisaburi was sitting with his companions one day at the outskirts of the city. While he was lecturing them - enthralling them with discourse - a wild goat suddenly descended from the mountain and knelt down before him. Al-Nisaburi was visibly shaken and started to weep. His students asked him about his reaction, and he said:

I saw you gathered around me and how enthralled you were. I thought to myself, "If only I had a sheep to slaughter and could invite you all to a feast." As soon as this thought occurred, this goat came and knelt down in front of me. Thus I thought, "Am I like Pharaoh who asked his Lord to make the Nile flow for him, and it was made to do so?" I then said to myself, "What can possibly protect me from Allah giving me every material good in the world, while I remain bankrupt in the Hereafter, possessing nothing?" This is what disturbed me.

- in Ibn Rajab's The Heirs of the Prophets.

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The contemplative believer who remembers God will begin to enjoy solitude and places of seclusion where voices and movements are hushed... There he will find strength of heart and will, and he will no longer be worried or depressed... Then he will begin to taste the sweetness of worship, of which he cannot have enough. In it, he will find abundance of pleasure and comfort - more than what he used to find in diversion and play, or in the satisfaction of wordly desires...When he experiences this state, many of the wordly concerns will disappear, as he is in a completely different world from the rest of humanity.

-Ibn Al Qayyim, Madaarij As_Salikeen

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‘I wish I could live unknown in the mountain-passes of Makkah. I have been tested with fame. indeed I wish for death day and night.' Ahmed ibn Hanbal

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[Ibn Abi Ahmed]

Re: Ar-Riqaq - The Heart Softeners

If a person starts telling you, whether in private or public, something that you already knew very well, you should pretend as if you do not know it. Do not rush to reveal your knowledge or to interfere with the speech. Instead, show your attention and concentration.

The honorable tab'i Imam Ata ibn Abi Rabah said: "A young man would tell me something that I may have heard before he was born. Nevertheless, I would listen to him as if I had never heard it before."

Khalid ibn Safwan al-Tamimi, who frequented the courts of two Khalifahs: Umar ibn Abdul Aziz and Hisham ibn Abdul Malik, said: "If a person tells you something you have heard before, or news that you already learned, do not interrupt him to exhibit your knowledge to those present. This is rude and ill mannered."

The honorable Imam Abdullah ibn Wahab al-Qurashi al-Masri, a companion of Imam Malik, Al-Laith ibn Sad and Al-Thawri, said: "Sometimes a person would tell me a story that I have heard before his parents had wed. Yet, I listened as if I have never heard it before."

Ibrahim ibn al-Junaid said: "A wise man said to his son: 'Learn the art of listening as you learn the art of speaking.'"

Listening well means maintaining eye contact, allowing the speaker to finish the spech, and restraining your urge to interrupt his speech.

Al-Hafiz al-Khatib al-Baghdadi said in a poem:

Never interrupt a talk
Though you know it inside out

 

[Ibn Abi Ahmed]

Re: Ar-Riqaq - The Heart Softeners

{" Verily, there has come to you a Messenger from amongst yourselves. It grieves him that you should experience any injury or difficulty. He is anxious over you; for the believers, he is full of pity, kind, and merciful."} [at-Tawbah; 128]
​

'A'ishah narrated:

"Once, when I saw the Prophet in a good mood, I said to him: "O Messenger of Allah! Supplicate to Allah for me!"

So, he said: "O Allah! Forgive 'A'ishah her past and future sins, what she has hidden, as well as what she has made apparent."

So, I began smiling, to the point that my head fell into my lap out of joy.

The Messenger of Allah said to me: "Does my supplication make you happy?"

I replied: "And how can your supplication not make me happy?"

He then said: "By Allah, it is the supplication that I make for my Ummah in every prayer.""

[Reported in 'Sahih Mawarid adh-Dhaman' (# 1875), and it is in 'as-Silsilah as-Sahihah' (# 2254)]

 

[Ibn Abi Ahmed]

Re: Ar-Riqaq - The Heart Softeners

“And among His signs is this, that He created for you mates from among yourselves, that ye may dwell in tranquility with them, and He has put Love and mercy between your (hearts), verily in that are signs for those who reflect.”
- Ar Rum 30:21


The Messenger of Allah salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam speaking about his wife Khadijah said: “Verily, I was filled with love for her.”

Anas ibn Malik narrates, "I saw the Prophet (salla Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam), making for her (Safiya) a kind of cushion with his cloak behind him (on his camel). He then sat beside his camel and put his knee for Safiya to put her foot on, in order to ride (on the camel)."

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[Sahih Al-Bukhari]



Narrated al-Qasim: Aisha said that whenever the Prophet intended to go on a journey, he drew lots among his wives (so as to take one of them along with him). During one of his journeys the lot fell on 'Aisha and Hafsa. When night fell the Prophet would ride beside 'Aisha and talk with her. One night Hafsa said to 'Aisha, "Won't you ride my camel tonight and I ride yours, so that you may see (me) and I see (you) (in new situation)?" 'Aisha said, "Yes, (I agree.)" So 'Aisha rode, and then the Prophet came towards 'Aisha's camel on which Hafsa was riding. He greeted Hafsa and then proceeded (beside her) till they dismounted (on the way). 'Aisha missed him, and so, when they dismounted, she put her legs in the Idhkhir and said, "O Lord (Allah)! Send a scorpion or a snake to bite me for I am not to blame him (the Prophet ).

[Sahih Al-Bukhari]
​

"Of Love--may God exalt you!--the first part is jesting, and the last part is right earnestness. So majestic are its diverse aspects, they are too subtle to be described; their reality can only be apprehended by personal experience. Love is neither disapproved by Religion, nor prohibited by the Law; for every heart is in God's hands."

- Ibn Hazm


"Sometimes, it is true, Love comes as a result of a definite cause outside the soul, but then it passes away when the cause itself disappears: one who is fond of you because of a certain circumstance will turn his back on you when that motive no longer exists."

- Ibn Hazm


Love is characterized by longing for the loved one, horror of separation, hope of having one’s love reciprocated. It has been suggested that the sentiment varies according to its object. But the object varies only according to the lover’s desires, according to whether they are on the increase, the decrease, or are vanishing altogether. Thus, love felt for God Almighty is perfect love; that which unites beings in the quest for the same ideal, the love of a father, a son, parents, a friend, a sovereign, a wife, a benefactor, a person in whom one has placed one’s hopes, a lover, all is generally the same, all is love, but there are different species as I have just listed, differing by the amount of love inspired by what the loved one is able to give of itself. Thus love can take different forms: we have seen men die broken-hearted because of their sons exactly as a lover might have his heart broken by his loved one. We have heard of a man who burnt with such fear of God, with such love, that he died of it. We know that a man can be as jealous of them as a lover is of his mistress.

-Ibn Hazm in [Al-Akhlâq wa’l-Siyar (Morals and Behaviour)]


و من الشَقاوة أن تحبَ​

و من تحبُ يحبُ غيرك
أو أن تريد الخير للأن
سان و هو يريد ضيرك​

"And from misery is that you love,
and (the one) who you love, loves other than you,
or that you want good for a person,
and he wants to hurt you".

[Imam Ash-Shafiee]
​

"And among the accidents of love is the violent anxiety and silencing intensity of feeling which overcome the lover when he sees the beloved avoiding him and eschewing him; and the sign of that is sighing, and lack of vivacity, and sobbing, and having deep sighs: and on that subject I have made a poem, from which I quote:

The beautiful patience is imprisoned,
And tears are bursting forth from the eyes! "

[Tawq Al-Hamamah - Ring of the Dove by Ibn Hazm]​

 

[Ibn Abi Ahmed]

Re: Ar-Riqaq - The Heart Softeners

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

“Sin may be more beneficial for a person, if it leads him to repent, than doing a lot of acts of worship. This is what is meant by the words of one of the salaf: ‘A person may commit a sin and enter Paradise because of it, or he may do an act of worship and enter Hell because of it.’ They said: ‘How is that?’ He said: ‘He may commit a sin and continues to think about it, and when he stands or sits or walks he remembers his sin, so he feels ashamed and repents and seeks forgiveness and regrets it, so that will be the means of his salvation. And he may do a good deed and continue to think about it, and when he stands or sits or walks he remembers it and it fills him with self-admiration and pride, so it is the cause of his doom. So the sin may be the factor that leads him to do acts of worship and good deeds and to change his attitude so that he fears Allaah and feels shy before Him and feels humiliated before Him, hanging his head in shame and weeping with regret, seeking he forgiveness of his Lord. Each of these effects is better for a person than an act of worship that makes him feel proud and show off and look down on people. Undoubtedly this sin is better before Allaah and is more likely to bring salvation than one who admires himself and looks down on others, and who thinks that he is doing Allaah a favour. Even if he says words that indicate something other than that, Allaah is the Witness over what is in his heart. Such a person may feel hatred towards people if they do not hold him in high esteem and humiliate themselves before him. If he were to examine himself honestly, he would see that clearly."
​

-Madaarij al-Saalikeen, 1/299​

 

[Ibn Abi Ahmed]

Re: Ar-Riqaq - The Heart Softeners

al Mu’taman from Abū Ismā’īl al Harawī al Ansārī (d. 418 AH) on the subject of Studying Hadith:

“This affair is an affair for one who has no affair but this affair”
​

 

[Ibn Abi Ahmed]

Re: Ar-Riqaq - The Heart Softeners

And if you ask about the Day of Increase (in reward) and the visit of the all-Mighty, all-Wise, and the sight of His Face - free from any resemblance or likeness to anything - as you see the Sun in the middle of the day and the full Moon on a cloudless night, then listen on the day that the caller will call: 'O People of Paradise! Your Lord - Blessed and Exalted - requests you to visit Him, so come to visit Him!' So they will say: 'We hear and obey!' Until, when they finally reach the wide valley where they will all meet - and none of them will turn down the request of the caller - the Lord - Blessed and Exalted - will order His Chair to be brought there.

Then, pulpits of light will emerge, as well as pulpits of pearls, gemstone, gold, and silver. The lowest of them in rank will sit on sheets of musk, and will not see what those who are on the chairs above them are given. When they are comfortable where they are sitting and are secure in their places, and the caller calls: 'O People of Paradise! You have an appointment with Allaah in which He wishes to reward you!' So they will say: 'And what is that reward? Has He not already made our faces bright, made our scales heavy, entered us into Paradise, and pushed us away from the Fire?'

And when they are like that, all of a sudden a light shines that encompasses all of Paradise. So, they raise their heads, and, behold: the Compeller - Exalted is He, and Holy are His Names - has come to them from above them and majestified them and said: 'O People of Paradise! Peace be upon you!' So, this greeting will not be responded to with anything better than: 'O Allaah! You are Peace, and from You is Peace! Blessed are You, O possessor of Majesty and Honor!' So the Lord - Blessed and Exalted - will laugh to them and say: 'O People of Paradise! Where are those who used to obey Me without having ever seen Me? This is the Day of Increase!' So, they will all give the same response: 'We are pleased, so be pleased with us!' So, He will say: 'O People of Paradise! If I were not pleased with you, I would not have made you inhabitants of My Paradise! So, ask of Me!' So, they will all give the same response: 'Show us your Face so that we may look at it!'So, the Lord - Mighty and Majestic - will remove his covering and will majestify them and will cover them with His Light, which, if Allaah - the Exalted - had not Willed not to burn them, would have burned them.

And there will not remain a single person in this gathering except that his Lord - the Exalted - will speak to him and say: 'Do you remember the day that you did this and that?'and He will remind him of some of his bad deeds in the Worldy life, so he will say: 'O Lord! Will you not forgive me?' So, He will say: 'Of course! You have not reached this position of yours (in Paradise) except by my forgiveness.'

So, how sweet is this speech to the ears, and how cooled are the righteous eyes by the glance at His Noble Face in the Afterlife...

{Some faces that Day will be shining and radiant, l ooking at their Lord...} (al-Qiyaamah:22-3)

[from the amazing and beautiful book Haadi al-Arwaah ilaa Bilaad il-Afraah by Ibn al-Qayyim, pg. 193]​

 

[Ibn Abi Ahmed]

Re: Ar-Riqaq - The Heart Softeners

On the authority of Thawbaan , the Prophet said:

“The People will soon summon one another to attack you as people when eating invite others to share their food.” Someone asked, “Will that be because of our small numbers at that time?” He replied, “No, you will be numerous at that time: but you will be froth and scum like that carried down by a torrent (of water), and Allah will take the fear of you from the breasts (hearts) of your enemy and cast al-wahn into your hearts.” Someone asked, “O Messenger of Allah, what is al-wahn?” He replied, “Love of the world and dislike of death.”
[An authentic hadith recorded by Abu Dawud and Ahmad]

​

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Imam Ahmad records from Abu Dardaa as saying:

“If only you knew what you will certainly see upon your death, you would never eat again a single bite out of a craving appetite, and you would never again drink an extra sip of water for the pleasure of unquenchable and insatiable thirst.”

​

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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).
​

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“By (the Token of) Time (through the Ages), verily Man is in loss, except such as have Faith, and do right actions, and (join together) in the mutual teaching of the Truth, and of Patience and Constancy”
(al-‘Asr 103:1-3)
​

Commenting on this sûrah, Imâm ash-Shâfi‘î said:

“If people thought deeply on this sûrah, it would provide enough guidance, as man cannot attain perfection without perfecting these two things, his knowledge and his actions, i.e. his faith and right actions. As he is required to perfect himself, so he is required to perfect others, which is joining together in mutual teaching of the truth. The foundation of all this is patience.”​

 

[Ibn Abi Ahmed]

Re: Ar-Riqaq - The Heart Softeners

Ibn Abee Haatim Rahimahullah- said:

"I entered Damascus and came upon the students of hadeeth, and I passed by the circle of Qaasim al-Joo'ee . I found a group sitting around him and he was speaking. Their appearance amazed me; and I heard him saying: "Seize the benefit of five things from the people of your time: when you are present, you are not known; when you are absent, you are not missed; when you are seen, your advice is not sought; when you say something, your saying is not accepted; and when you have some knowledge, you are not given anything for it. I advise you with five matters: when you are treated unjustly, do not behave unjustly; when you are praised do not become happy; when you are criticised, do not become upset; when you are not believed, do not become angry; and if the people act deceitfully towards you, do not act deceitfully towards them." Ibn Abee Haatim said: So I took this as my benefit from Damascus"

Related by Ibn al-Jawzee (RH) in Sifatus-Safwaa (2/200)​

 

[Ibn Abi Ahmed]

Re: Ar-Riqaq - The Heart Softeners

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

"When a person spends his entire day with no other concern but Allaah alone, Allaah, may He be glorified, will take care of all his needs and take care of all that is worrying him; He will empty his heart so that it will be filled only with love for Him, free his tongue so that it will speak only in remembrance of Him (dhikr) and cause all his faculties to work only in obedience to Him. But if a person spends his entire day with no other concern but this world, Allaah will make him bear its distress, anxiety and pain; He will leave him to sort himself out, and cause his heart to be distracted from the love of Allaah towards the love of some created being, cause his tongue to speak only in remembering people instead of remembering Allaah, and cause him to use his talents and energy in obeying and serving them. So he will strive hard, labouring like some work-animal, to serve something other than Allaah… Everyone who turns away from being a true slave of Allaah and obeying Him and loving Him will be burdened with servitude, love and obedience to some created being. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 'And whosoever turns away (blinds himself) from the remembrance of the Most Beneficent (Allaah), We appoint for him a shaytaan (devil) to be a qareen (intimate companion) to him.' [al-Zukhruf 43:36"]
- Al-Fawaa'id, p. 159​

 

[Ibn Abi Ahmed]

Re: Ar-Riqaq - The Heart Softeners

Part from the days where you used to do as you wish
And restrain your soul when the decree of Allah is ordained
And don’t despair over the events of the past
Fore none of the events of the dunya were ever meant to remain
And be a man who is firm upon his affairs
And whose character is that of pardoning and nobility
And there is sadness or happiness that is continuous
Just as there is there is no comfort or pain
If you are a person who is satisfied with what he has
Then you and the owner of all possessions are equal
And upon he who’s open valley death descends upon
Then there is no earth or sky to protect you from it
And the earth of Allah is vast but
When the ordainment of Allah descends even the open valley congests


~Imaam Ash-Shafee’​

 

[Ibn Abi Ahmed]

Re: Ar-Riqaq - The Heart Softeners

Al-Musayyib Ibn Ra'fi' reported that Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud said

" A memoriser of the Quraan should be known for his long night prayers when people are asleep, his fasting when people are eating, his saddness when people are happy, his slience when people are talking nonsense, and his humbleness when people are not. He should be wise, gentle and not talk to much: he should not be rude, negligent, clamorous, nor hot tempered. "
~ Ibn Al Jawzee, Sifaat As-Safwa: 1/413​

 

[Ibn Abi Ahmed]

Re: Ar-Riqaq - The Heart Softeners

Mu'adh ibn Jabal Radi Allaahu Ta'ala 'anhu who stated that the Messenger of Allaah Salla Allaahu 'alahi wa Sallam said in a Khutbah:

"Learn Al-Ilm (knowledge), for learning it is a type of khashyah (Fear) of Allaah, seeking it is an act of worship, studying it is a type of Tasbih, searching for it is a struggle, teaching it to those who do not know is a charity and delivering it to those worthy of it is an act of drawing closer to Allaah.... it is a weapon to use against the enemies....
Allaah elevates some people by knowledge to the rank of leaders in righteousness who are followed, their actions imitated and their opinions referred to.... with knowledge the slave reaches the ranks of the righteous and the elevated grades in this dunya and the Hereafter. Thinking about knowledge is equivalent to Siyam (fasting), and studying it is equivalent to Qiyam (praying at night voluntarily).... Only the happy ones are endowed with knowledge while the miserable ones are deprived of it."
​

For complete Khutbah read Jami'u Bayani Al-'Ilm vol.1 p. 66​

 

[Ibn Abi Ahmed]

Re: Ar-Riqaq - The Heart Softeners

Imam Shafi' said,

"All humans are dead except those who have knowledge ... and all those who have knowledge are asleep, except those who do good deeds ... and those who do good deeds are deceived, except those who are sincere ... and those who are sincere are always in a state of worry."​