ar- Raqâ’iq - The Heart Softening Narrations

[Ibn Abi Ahmed]

Re: Ar-Riqaq - The Heart Softeners

Hammad bin Salamah said, "I have never stood up for prayer without imagining that Jahannam is before my eyes."

[Tadhkirat al Huffadh 1/219]​

 

[Ibn Abi Ahmed]

Re: Ar-Riqaq - The Heart Softeners

Mu`adh bin Jabal advised his son, "My son! Pray the prayer of he who is just about to leave and imagine that you might not be able to prayever again. Know that the believer dies between two good deeds, one that he performed and one that he intended to perform later on."

[Sifat as Safwah 1/496]​

 

[Ibn Abi Ahmed]

Re: Ar-Riqaq - The Heart Softeners

Al Qasim bin Muhammad said, "Whenever I went out in the morning, I used to visit `Aishah radhiallahu `anha (his aunt and the wife of the Prophet, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) and greet her. One day I found her performing Ad Duha prayer, reciting this Ayah repeatedly, crying and invoking Allah: 'So Allah has been gracious to us, and has saved us from the torment of the Fire.' (52:27) I stood there until I felt bored, so I left and went to the market to do something and said to myself that when I finish what I have to do, I will go back (to`Aishah radhiallahu `anha). When I finished and went back to her, I found her still standing in prayer, reciting the same Ayah, crying and invoking Allah.'"

[Al Ihya 4/436]​

 

[Ibn Abi Ahmed]

Re: Ar-Riqaq - The Heart Softeners

Maymun bin Hayyan said, "I never saw Muslim bin Yasar turning his head while praying, whether the prayer was short or long. Once, a part of the mosque came down and the noise caused fear to the people who were in the market, while he was in the mosque, did not fear nor even turn his head and kept praying."

[Az Zuhd by Imam Ahmad p 359]​

 

[Ibn Abi Ahmed]

Re: Ar-Riqaq - The Heart Softeners

"I accompanied `Ata bin Rabah for eighteen yers. When he became old and weak, he used to stand in prayer and read close to two hundred Ayat from Surat al Baqarah while standing in such firmness that no part of him would move."

[As Siyar 5/87, Sifat as Safwah 2/213]

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Abu Bakr bin Aiyash said, "If you saw Habib bin Abu Thabit while in Sujud, you would think that he had died because of his long prostration."

[As Siyar 5/291]

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Ali bin Al Fudayl said, "I saw ath-Thawri went into Sujud while praying, and I performed Tawaf around the House seven times before he raised his head from Sujud."

[As Siyar 7/277]​

 

[Ibn Abi Ahmed]

Re: Ar-Riqaq - The Heart Softeners

Uthman bin Abi Dahrash said, "I never performed a prayer without invoking Allah afterwards to forgive me for falling into shortcomings in the way I performed it."

[Tarikhu Baghdad 13/207]
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Mu`awiyah bin Murrah, "I lived during the time of seventy of the Companions of Muhammad, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam, and had they lived among you today, they would not recognize any of your acts except the Adhan!"

[Hilyat al Awliya 2/299]​

 

[Ibn Abi Ahmed]

Re: Ar-Riqaq - The Heart Softeners

When Hatim al Asamm was asked about his prayer, he said, "When it is near the time of prayer, I perform a perfect Wudu and go to where I am going to pray and sit down there until I become fully attentive to what I am about to do. I then stand up and pray, imagining that the Ka`bah is in front of my eyes, Paradise to my right, Hellfire to my left and the Angel of Death behind me. I imagine that it is the last prayer I am about to perform, stand up in hope (in Allah, His Paradise and rewards) and fear (from Allah's torment in Hellfire) and recite the Takbir while having full attention. I recite the Qur'an calmly, make Ruku` humbly, go into Sujud with Khushu and then sit on my left leg, with the left food laid on the floor and the right food raised up, all the while praying with sincerity. Afterwards, I do not know (nor feel certain) if that prayer was accepted from me!"

[Al Ihya 1/179]​

 

[Ibn Abi Ahmed]

Re: Ar-Riqaq - The Heart Softeners

One of the Salaf said, "O son of Adam! You need your share in this life, but need your share in the Hereafter even more. If you took care of your share in this life, then you will lose your share in the Hereafter and are soon bound to lose your share in this life too. If you took care of your share in the Hereafter, you will also win your full share in this life with ease."

[Fada'il adh Dhikr by ibn al Jawzi p. 19]​

 

[Ibn Abi Ahmed]

Re: Ar-Riqaq - The Heart Softeners

Talq bin Habib said, "Allah's Rights are greater than the slave's capacity and ability to fulfill them. Therefore, reach the morning in a state of repentance and reach the night in a state of repentance."​

 

[Ibn Abi Ahmed]

Re: Ar-Riqaq - The Heart Softeners

Ibn Mas'ud used to say:

`If I had but ten days left to live, I would like to marry, so as not to meet God as a celibate.'​

 

[Ibn Abi Ahmed]

Re: Ar-Riqaq - The Heart Softeners

Narrated Anas:

While the Prophet was in the house of one of his wives, one of the mothers of the believers sent a meal in a dish. The wife at whose house the Prophet was, struck the hand of the servant, causing the dish to fall and break. The Prophet gathered the broken pieces of the dish and then started collecting on them the food which had been in the dish and said, "Your mother (my wife) felt jealous."
Then he detained the servant till a (sound) dish was brought from the wife at whose house he was. He gave the sound dish to the wife whose dish had been broken and kept the broken one at the house where it had been broken.

[Bukhari]
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This was the person that the Messenger :arabic5: loved the most:
Narrated Abu Uthman:

Allah's Apostle sent 'Amr bin Al As as the commander of the troops of Dhat-us-Salasil. 'Amr bin Al-'As said, "(On my return) I came to the Prophet and said, 'Which people do you love most?' He replied, 'Aisha.' I said, 'From amongst the men?' He replied, 'Her father (Abu Bakr)'.

[Bukhari]
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She destroyed food in front of the guests of her husband, the Messenger of Allah :arabic5:. How many men would have taken that as an act of disrespect worthy of at least one divorce? Not all actions that women do are intended to disrespect the husband as much as they are to express their emotions. So if it isn't an act of war don't take it as such.

[Gem from Love Notes Seminar - Taught by Shaykh Yaser Birjas]
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[Ibn Abi Ahmed]

Re: Ar-Riqaq - The Heart Softeners

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] I heard the Sheikh of Islam, Ibn Taymiyyah - may Allah sanctify his soul - say, [/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]'Truly, there is a Heaven in this world,
[And] whoever does not enter it,
Will not enter the Heaven of the next world.'
[/FONT]​

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] And once he said to me, [/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]'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].'
[/FONT]​

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] 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].'[/FONT]


[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] 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. [/FONT]


[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] 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.' [57:13][/FONT]


[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] 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. 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. [/FONT]


[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] 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. 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. [/FONT]


[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] 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. [/FONT]


[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] Protect your heart and be careful of how you spend your day and your night. [/FONT]


[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] Let not the sun set on you before you reach camp, 'lest you be carried off'. [/FONT]


[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] 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.

[/FONT]

[The Heaven of this World - al-Waabil as-Sayyib - Ibn Qayyim Al Jawziyyah - When he accompanied Ibn Taymiyyah in prison]
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[Ibn Abi Ahmed]

Re: Ar-Riqaq - The Heart Softeners

Ataa al Khurasani said:

"I don't advise you to mind your life's affairs because I know that you are covetous to do so, but I advise you to mind the affairs of the Hereafter. Take from this temporary home to the eternal one. Consider this life as something that you have left, I swear by Allah you will leave it. Consider death as something that you have tasted, I swear by Allah you will taste it. And consider the Hereafter as a home that you have visited, I swear by Allah you will be there."
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Dhu'n-Noon al-Misri said:

"The ailment of the body is in sickness and that of the heart is in sins. A delicious meal cannot benefit the body when the person is sick and likewise, the heart cannot taste the sweetness of worship if it is full of sins."
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Ash-Shafi`i said:

"The greatest of deeds are three: To give generously out of the few that you have, to be devoted to Allah in loneliness and to say the truth in the face of someone who is hoped and feared."
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`Ali ibn Abi Talib said:

"Whoever has the following six characteristics does all that is required to make him enter Paradise and avoid Hell: to know Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala and obey him, to know Satan and disobey him, to know the truth and follow it, to know the falsehood and avoid it, to know the life of this world and renounce it, and to know the Hereafter and seek it."
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Ibrahim al-Ash`ath said: I heard al-Fudayl saying:

"Man's fear of Allah is equal to his knowledge of Him, and his renunciation of the life of this world is equal to his desire of the Hereafter. Whoever acts according to what he knows, Allah will make him successful in what he doesn't know. And whoever is [ill-tempered disgraces his honour, religion and generosity."
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Narrated Dirar ibn Murrah: Iblis said:

"If I am successful in persuading man to do three things, then that will be all I need: to make forget his sins, to regard his good deeds as too many, and to be proud of his opinion."
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Wahib ibn al-Ward said:

"Do not insult Satan explicitly whereas you take him clandestinely as a friend."
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Narrated Anas Ibn `Ayyad,

"I saw Safwan Ibn Salim, and had it been said to him: 'Tomorrow is the Day of Resurrection', he would have not needed to perform an additional act of worship."
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Ibrahim ibn Adham was asked: "How are you?" He said:

"We patch the life of this world by tearing from our religion, so neither our religion remains nor what we patch. Blessed is he who prefers Allah, his Rabb and renounces the life of this world for what he expects as reward in the Hereafter."
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Abu Bakr al-Maruthi said: I visited Ahmad ibn Hanbal one morning and said to him: "How are you?" He answered:

"How is the one whose Rabb requires to perform his duties, whose Prophet requires to flow the Sunnah, the two angels require that he rectifies his deeds, his human self requires him to follow its desires, Satan requires him to commit evil deeds, the angel of death requires him to give his life and his children require him to satisfy their needs."
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A man said to Al Fudayl ibn `Ayyad: "How are you?" He replied:

"If you are asking about the life of this world, it has diverted us from the right path and sent us in many directions."

[Excerpted from "The Life of This World Is a Transient Shade"]​

 

[Ibn Abi Ahmed]

Re: Ar-Riqaq - The Heart Softeners

Abu Bakr ibn Abi Dawood narrated that Abu-d-Dardaa, radhiallaahu `anhu, once saw a man walking in the marketplace holding the hand of his child, whom he adorned and dressed up beautifully, and the man seemed to take great pride in his son. Abu-d-Dardaa' then made an audible comment, saying:

"Adorn them as you please, and this will surely help boost their ego and self deception!"​

 

[Ibn Abi Ahmed]

Re: Ar-Riqaq - The Heart Softeners

Abu Musa Al Ashari (r.a.) said:

"What destroyed earlier nations and lead to their annihilation was nothing but their love for the Dinar and Dirham, and it will unfailingly do the same to you."

[Narrated in Hilyat ul Awliyaa of Abu Nu`aim]
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[Ibn Abi Ahmed]

Re: Ar-Riqaq - The Heart Softeners

The Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam said about Mu`aadh ibn Jabal:

"Verily, when the people of knowledge will be present before their Lord, the Mighty and Sublime, Mu`aadh will be one step ahead of them."
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[Saheeh, Ibn Sa`d, Aboo Nu`aim, at-Tabaraanee]​

 

[Ibn Abi Ahmed]

Re: Ar-Riqaq - The Heart Softeners

Muhammad ibn Waasi` used to say,

"If sins had an odour then nobody would be able to sit with me."

[From 'The Evil of Craving for Wealth and Status' - Imam Ibn Rajab Al Hanbali]
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[Ibn Abi Ahmed]

Re: Ar-Riqaq - The Heart Softeners

`Umar ibn `Abdul-`Azeez once wrote in a letter:

"And do not praise anyone for this except Allaah, since if He abandoned me to my own devices I would be just like the others."

[From 'The Evil of Craving for Wealth and Status' - Imam Ibn Rajab Al Hanbali]
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[Ibn Abi Ahmed]

Re: Ar-Riqaq - The Heart Softeners

«إِذَا سَأَلْتُمُ اللهَ الْجَنَّةَ، فَاسْأَلُوهُ الْفِرْدَوْسَ فَإِنَّهُ أَعْلَى الْجَنَّةِ وَأَوْسَطُ الْجَنَّةِ، وَمِنْهُ تَفَجَّرُ أَنْهَارُ الْجَنَّة»


If you ask Allah for Paradise, then ask Him for Al-Firdaws, for it is the highest part of Paradise, in the middle of Paradise, and from it spring the rivers of Paradise.

[Bukhari]
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[Ibn Abi Ahmed]

Re: Ar-Riqaq - The Heart Softeners

«إِنَّ اللهَ يَتَجَلَّى لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ يَضْحَك»
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(Verily, Allah will appear before the believers while He is laughing.)
​

[Narrated in Muslim (1/367) on the authority of Jabir. This will take place on the open plains of the Resurrection place.]
​