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The Fear of the Salaf that their Actions may not be Accepted
Written by Shaykh Saleem bin ‘Eed al-Hilaalee
Know my brother & sister in faith, may Allaah enlighten your heart with guidance, that the great reward and the general goodness which Allaah has promised for His slaves can only be realised for the one who has done actions with faith and reflection.
The hearts of the believers are between the Two Fingers from amongst the Fingers of Ar-Rahmaan and He turns them as He pleases. O Allaah! Make our hearts firm upon our religion.
One's determination for sincerity may be badly affected and so losing the promised reward without him even knowing it, because one is only rewarded if one was sincere in the action.
So those who follow the biographies of the Prophet (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam), his Companions and the Taabi’een in regards to their statements and actions would see that their way was between having fear and having hope. The Lord of the creation, the Most High and the Most Perfect, describes the best of the creation:
“Those who live in awe, fearing their Lord, those who believe in the signs of their Lord, those who do not join partners with their Lord, those who spend from what they are given and their hearts are full of fear because they know that they will return to their Lord.” (57-60)
It is related from 'Aa'ishah (radee Allaahu ‘anhaa) who said: “I asked the Messenger of Allaah (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) concerning this aayah: ‘...those who spend what they are given and their hearts are full of fear…’ Are they those who drink wine and are extravagant? The Messenger of Allaah (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: ‘No, 0 daughter of Siddeeq, but they are those who fast, pray, give charity and are fearful that these will not be accepted from them and they are those, who are racing towards doing good actions’.” (Hasan because it has support through other narrations and has been related by at-Tirmidhee (3175), Ahmed (6/159, 205), al-Haakim (3/393-394) and others)
Allaah, the Most High and the Most Perfect, has mentioned the believers who race towards doing good deeds with the best descriptions when they establish their worship, even though it was excellent they feared that it may not be accepted from them.
Their fear was not that Allaah will not reward them. On the contrary Allaah does not break His promises.
“As for those who believe and work righteousness, Allaah will pay them (in full) their reward.” (3:57)
In fact He gives them more as a bounty and a favour from Him:
“For He will pay them their reward and He will give them (even) more out of His bounty.” (35:3)
Rather their fear was that they may not have fulfilled the conditions of worship as ordered by Allaah.
It was not possible for them to be certain that what they had done was what Allaah intended from them. On the contrary they used to think that they were deficient in that, and so they used to fear that their actions may not be accepted. So they used to race each other in doing good and compete with each other in doing righteous actions.
Therefore a servant must contemplate all of these things to increase his carefulness in the perfection of worship, and to be careful of one's actions, and this is achieved through sincerity to Allaah and by following the Messenger of Allaah (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam).
The Companions of the Messenger of Allaah (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) were fearful lest their actions might be invalidated and this was due to their complete faith and good character.
“No one can feel secure from the Plan of Allaah except those (doomed) to ruin.” (7:99)
‘Abdullaah bin ‘Ubaydullah bin Abi Mulaikah, the faqeeh and trustworthy narrator said: “I met thirty of the Companions of the Prophet (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam), they all feared hypocrisy upon themselves. None of them said that he has the Eemaan of Jibreel or Mika’eel.” (Related by al-Bukhaaree (1/109) in a disconnected form and it is found connected in Tareekh Dimashq (1367) by Aboo Zur’ah ar-Razee)
Al-Haafidh in Fath-ul-Baree (1/110-111) said: “Of those Companions that Ibn Abi Mulaikah met the most dignified were 'Aa'ishah and her sister Asma, Umm Salamah, the four 'Abdullaah’s, Aboo Hurayrah, ‘Uqbah bin al-Harith and Musawwir bin Makhramah. These are those whom he heard from and he also met a group in his lifetime who were more dignified than them; ‘Alee bin Abi Talib and Sa’d bin Abi Waqqas and he affirmed emphatically that they were frightened of having hypocrisy in their actions. Nothing different was narrated from them and thus it was like a consensus among them. The believers found faults in their actions which contradicted their sincerity, because of their fear, it did not mean that they fell into it, but it was due to their piety and fear of Allaah.”
Al-Haafidh was certainly right, because that righteous generation hated that they be regarded as the ones that were close to Allaah, the Most High and the Most Perfect. They got closer to Allaah much more than anybody else after them, even those who strove to the utmost in their actions.
Those truthful ones looked at the rights of Allaah over them. So He, the Most Mighty and the Most Majestic, put in them this hatred for themselves and He taught them that salvation does not arise except by His Pardon, the Mercy of Allaah and His forgiveness. His rights are that He is to be obeyed and not disobeyed, that He is remembered and not forgotten, and that He is thanked and not rejected.
Anyone who looks at the rights which the Creator has over him would know with certainty that he is not doing as much as he should be doing and he is not given the capability except by mercy and forgiveness. If he was left to himself and his actions alone, he would be destroyed.
Therefore the people who are sincere to Allaah must reflect. They should feel a sort of despair within themselves and attach all their hopes to Allaah's Mercy and Forgiveness. It is a cause of worry when I look at the condition of the people today and see them in opposition to this. People look at rights due from Allaah and not at Allaah's rights upon themselves.
They cut themselves off from Allaah and they screen their hearts from knowing Him, loving Him, the joy of meeting Him and the delight of remembering Him. This is the main cause of man being ignorant about his Lord and himself.
Know, may Allaah have mercy upon you, that the main aspect of a profitable trade is for the slave to look into the rights of Allaah and then to see if he has implemented them as they should be implemented. This will then take him to the position of the truthful and righteous ones who have submitted their hearts to their Lord humbly, with humility, with modesty yet with strength. Showing a need but with self sufficiency.
O Allaah these are our hearts between Your Hands and our actions which are known to You!
O Allaah make firm our hearts upon Your straight path; the path of those who have received Your Bounties from amongst the Prophets, truthful ones, martyrs and the righteous, and what a good company they are!
Written by Shaykh Saleem bin ‘Eed al-Hilaalee
Know my brother & sister in faith, may Allaah enlighten your heart with guidance, that the great reward and the general goodness which Allaah has promised for His slaves can only be realised for the one who has done actions with faith and reflection.
The hearts of the believers are between the Two Fingers from amongst the Fingers of Ar-Rahmaan and He turns them as He pleases. O Allaah! Make our hearts firm upon our religion.
One's determination for sincerity may be badly affected and so losing the promised reward without him even knowing it, because one is only rewarded if one was sincere in the action.
So those who follow the biographies of the Prophet (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam), his Companions and the Taabi’een in regards to their statements and actions would see that their way was between having fear and having hope. The Lord of the creation, the Most High and the Most Perfect, describes the best of the creation:
“Those who live in awe, fearing their Lord, those who believe in the signs of their Lord, those who do not join partners with their Lord, those who spend from what they are given and their hearts are full of fear because they know that they will return to their Lord.” (57-60)
It is related from 'Aa'ishah (radee Allaahu ‘anhaa) who said: “I asked the Messenger of Allaah (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) concerning this aayah: ‘...those who spend what they are given and their hearts are full of fear…’ Are they those who drink wine and are extravagant? The Messenger of Allaah (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: ‘No, 0 daughter of Siddeeq, but they are those who fast, pray, give charity and are fearful that these will not be accepted from them and they are those, who are racing towards doing good actions’.” (Hasan because it has support through other narrations and has been related by at-Tirmidhee (3175), Ahmed (6/159, 205), al-Haakim (3/393-394) and others)
Allaah, the Most High and the Most Perfect, has mentioned the believers who race towards doing good deeds with the best descriptions when they establish their worship, even though it was excellent they feared that it may not be accepted from them.
Their fear was not that Allaah will not reward them. On the contrary Allaah does not break His promises.
“As for those who believe and work righteousness, Allaah will pay them (in full) their reward.” (3:57)
In fact He gives them more as a bounty and a favour from Him:
“For He will pay them their reward and He will give them (even) more out of His bounty.” (35:3)
Rather their fear was that they may not have fulfilled the conditions of worship as ordered by Allaah.
It was not possible for them to be certain that what they had done was what Allaah intended from them. On the contrary they used to think that they were deficient in that, and so they used to fear that their actions may not be accepted. So they used to race each other in doing good and compete with each other in doing righteous actions.
Therefore a servant must contemplate all of these things to increase his carefulness in the perfection of worship, and to be careful of one's actions, and this is achieved through sincerity to Allaah and by following the Messenger of Allaah (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam).
The Companions of the Messenger of Allaah (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) were fearful lest their actions might be invalidated and this was due to their complete faith and good character.
“No one can feel secure from the Plan of Allaah except those (doomed) to ruin.” (7:99)
‘Abdullaah bin ‘Ubaydullah bin Abi Mulaikah, the faqeeh and trustworthy narrator said: “I met thirty of the Companions of the Prophet (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam), they all feared hypocrisy upon themselves. None of them said that he has the Eemaan of Jibreel or Mika’eel.” (Related by al-Bukhaaree (1/109) in a disconnected form and it is found connected in Tareekh Dimashq (1367) by Aboo Zur’ah ar-Razee)
Al-Haafidh in Fath-ul-Baree (1/110-111) said: “Of those Companions that Ibn Abi Mulaikah met the most dignified were 'Aa'ishah and her sister Asma, Umm Salamah, the four 'Abdullaah’s, Aboo Hurayrah, ‘Uqbah bin al-Harith and Musawwir bin Makhramah. These are those whom he heard from and he also met a group in his lifetime who were more dignified than them; ‘Alee bin Abi Talib and Sa’d bin Abi Waqqas and he affirmed emphatically that they were frightened of having hypocrisy in their actions. Nothing different was narrated from them and thus it was like a consensus among them. The believers found faults in their actions which contradicted their sincerity, because of their fear, it did not mean that they fell into it, but it was due to their piety and fear of Allaah.”
Al-Haafidh was certainly right, because that righteous generation hated that they be regarded as the ones that were close to Allaah, the Most High and the Most Perfect. They got closer to Allaah much more than anybody else after them, even those who strove to the utmost in their actions.
Those truthful ones looked at the rights of Allaah over them. So He, the Most Mighty and the Most Majestic, put in them this hatred for themselves and He taught them that salvation does not arise except by His Pardon, the Mercy of Allaah and His forgiveness. His rights are that He is to be obeyed and not disobeyed, that He is remembered and not forgotten, and that He is thanked and not rejected.
Anyone who looks at the rights which the Creator has over him would know with certainty that he is not doing as much as he should be doing and he is not given the capability except by mercy and forgiveness. If he was left to himself and his actions alone, he would be destroyed.
Therefore the people who are sincere to Allaah must reflect. They should feel a sort of despair within themselves and attach all their hopes to Allaah's Mercy and Forgiveness. It is a cause of worry when I look at the condition of the people today and see them in opposition to this. People look at rights due from Allaah and not at Allaah's rights upon themselves.
They cut themselves off from Allaah and they screen their hearts from knowing Him, loving Him, the joy of meeting Him and the delight of remembering Him. This is the main cause of man being ignorant about his Lord and himself.
Know, may Allaah have mercy upon you, that the main aspect of a profitable trade is for the slave to look into the rights of Allaah and then to see if he has implemented them as they should be implemented. This will then take him to the position of the truthful and righteous ones who have submitted their hearts to their Lord humbly, with humility, with modesty yet with strength. Showing a need but with self sufficiency.
O Allaah these are our hearts between Your Hands and our actions which are known to You!
O Allaah make firm our hearts upon Your straight path; the path of those who have received Your Bounties from amongst the Prophets, truthful ones, martyrs and the righteous, and what a good company they are!
