Pearls of Wisdom of the Salaf

jazakallah khair sis beautiful article

- The least torture in Hell-

The severity of its heat, and their variation in it:
An-Nu`man ibn Bashir (RA) narrated that he heard the Prophet(SAW) say:

“The least torture in the Hell on the Day of Judgment is that of a man whose foot sole is laid on a live coal which causes his brain to boil just like a boiler.”
[Bukhari and Muslim]

Muslim narrated in his Sahih:
“He does not think that any other person is tortured more severely than him although he is in the least torture.”
[Muslim]

Abu Huraira (RA) narrated:
This fire of yours which burns the son of Adam (in this world) is the seventieth part of the heat of the Hell. They say: ‘We swear by Allah, our fire is quite enough.’ The Prophet said: ‘It is sixty nine times more and each part of it is like the heat of your fire.’”
[Muslim]

Abu Huraira said that the Prophet (SAW) said:
“The Hell complained to her Rabb: O my Rabb! I am eating myself. He allowed her two breaths: One in winter and the other one in summer, and that is why you feel the heat in Summer and the cold in Winter.”
(Bukhari and Muslim)

Samura narrated that he heard the Prophet, (SAW), said:
Fire holds some to their ankle bones, some to their knees, some to their waists, and some up to their collarbones.”
[Muslim]

This Hadith is a statement for the variation in degrees in the punishment of those in the Hell. We seek protection of Allah from it and from anything that leads to it whether word or deed.

Jazaikhair sis

- 'The food from Allaah'Swt -

Abdullah Ibn Masud (RA) related that the Prophet (SAW) said: "Verily, the Qur’an is the food from Allah, so come closer to it if you are able. Verily, the Qur’an is the rope of Allah, bright light, good medicine, and a guide for those who hold on to it. When he strays, the Qur’an will remind him of the path; and when he is misguided, the Qur’an will correct him. Its miracle lasts forever, and will not be reduced by rejection. Read the Qur’an. Allah will reward each word of your reading tenfold...."
[al-Hakim]

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A man came to al-Hasan (al-Basree) and said, "I wish to debate with you about the Religion." Al-Hasan replied, "I know my Religion. If you have lost your Religion go out and look for it."

[Reported by al-Aajurree in ash-Sharee`ah (p. 57), al-Laalikaa'ee in as-Sunnah (no. 215) and Ibn Battah (no. 586) and it is saheeh.]

- The blessing of time -

Al-Hasan Al-Basri said, “Every day the sun rises it calls upon us, “Oh people! I am a new day; I am an observer of your actions. Take advantage of me for I will not return until the Day of Judgment.” “Oh, son of Adam you are nothing but a few breaths. Once one breath goes out, part of you goes with it. In the same way that part of you has gone, soon all of you will go.”

Ibn Al-Qayyim said, “Every gulp of air that goes out in a cause other than the cause of Allah (SWT) will turn to sorrow and regret on the Day of Judgment.” He also said, “A sign that Allah (SWT) despises you is when you find yourself wasting your time with trivial matters; in this way you miss your chance of going to heaven. And a sign that Allah (SWT) likes you is when you find yourself fulfilling more duties than you have time for.” A saying goes, ‘The devil makes work for idle thumbs.’ If you want to know whether Allah (SWT) is pleased with you, then think: Are you busy or idle?

Al-Muhasiby said, “I wish that time could be acquired with money. If so I would buy time from wasteful and ungrateful people so that I could spend it serving Allah (SWT).”

Ibn Masoud said, “I never regretted anything except a day that passed by without having increased my deeds.”




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Habib ibn Abu Tha’bit said: “While Ibn Mas’oud radiAllaahu ‘anhu was walking, some people were following him; he turned to them and said: ‘Can I help you?’ They said: ‘No but we would like to walk with you’: He radi Allahu ‘anhu said: ‘Go back, for it is a humiliation for the followers and a Fitnah for the person followed.’” – Ibn al-Jawzi, “Sifat as-Safwah”: 1/406

فإن من شاهد في إخلاصه الإخلاص
فقد احتاج إخلاصه إلى إخلاص

"Whenever they see sincerity in their sincerity, their sincerity is in need of sincerity!” - Abu Yaqub al Susi

People have discussed about mahabbah (love of Allaah); its causes and what brings it about, its signs, its fruits, and its rulings. The most comprehensive saying about this is what Abu Bakr al-Kattaanee (d.322H) relates about al-Junayd (d.297H).

Abu Bakr al-Kattaanee (d.322H) said: “A discussion about mahabbah took place in Makkah during the Pilgrimage month. The Shaykhs who were present spoke about this matter, and al-Junayd was the youngest of them. They said to him: ‘O ‘Iraqi, what do you have to say?’ So he bowed his head and tears were flowing from his eyes, then he said:

‘A servant should overcome his soul;
And be continuous in the remembrance of his Lord;
Establishing the rights of his Lord;
Focusing upon Him with his heart;
The light of fear letting ablaze his heart;
Whilst drinking from the vessel of true love;
And certain realities become unveiled for him.
So when he talks, it is due to Allaah.
When he speaks, it is from Allaah.
When he moves, it is by the Command of Allaah.
And when he is serene, then it is from Allaah.
He belongs to Allaah, is for Allaah, and is with Allaah.’

So the Shaykhs started to weep and said: ‘How can that be increased upon. May Allaah reward you with good, O crown of the knowledgeable ones!’.”

Taken from: Madaarij-us-Saalikeen, 3/9 (Imaam ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah)

Bismillaah!

- Remembering our destination -

Assalaamu Alaikum.

When one’s mind is clear, he will be able to see clearly, thus giving such a person a light in his heart that will allow him to almost witness the Warning and the Promise, Paradise and Hell, and

what Allah has prepared in this (Paradise) For His Awliyaa` (loyal friends) and in that (Hell) for His enemies. He will then witness people rushing out of their graves following the call of the Truth (Resurrection).

The angels in the heavens will the descend and will surround them (creation). Allah will then come to judge (between creation) and His Kursi (literally a footstool or chair) will be raised. The earth will shine with the Light of its Lord (Allah, when He comes to judge between His creation), the Book (of Records) will be opened and the Prophets and the witnesses will be brought forward. The Mizan (Scale) will then be established, the books of (individual) records will fly around and the foes will converge, each holding to its foe. Al-Houdh (the pool that runs outside the gates of Paradise from a river inside it) will then appear and its cups will appear close by.

Thirst will intensify, but those who are allowed to drink are few. Al-Jisr (the bridge over Hell that everyone must pass over into Paradise) will then be laid (over Hell) so that (mankind and the Jinn) can pass over it (as for the disbelievers and those whose sins outweigh their good deeds, they will fall into Hell, where only the disbelievers will reside for eternity). People will then be gathered in its direction.

The Fire (Hell) will appear each part harshly consuming the other parts beneath it. Those who fall into it are far more than those who are saved from it. Then, an eye will be opened in his (the man who is thinking about these scenes) heart with which he will be able to see clearly. His heart will then witness some scenes of the Last Life, along with imagining the various stages of the Last Life which will last for eternity, as compared to this Dunya and its briefness.
[Ibn al Qayyim: Madaarij us-Saalikeen]

Wassalaam.

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Bismillaah!

- Four noble aims -

'Akrama bin Khalid narrated that 'Ali bin Abi Talib (RA) once said: "Learn four things from me, although, even if you were to ride on the speediest racing camels to attain them, your camels will fall exhausted before you can ever arrive at fully accomplishing them;
1) Let a servant implore no one beside his Lord;
2) let a servant fear nothing greater than the consequences of his own sin;
3) let an unlearned person not shy to inquire about what he does not understand; and finally,
4) let no scholar, when asked about something he does not know, shy to say, 'I do not know the answer to that question, surely Allah knows best.' You also must know that patience to one's faith is like the head in relationship to one's body."

[Imam al-Hafiz Abu Naim al-Asfahani, The Beauty of The Righteous, pg. 69]

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Bismillaah!

- Increasing the help from Allah(SWT) -

Ibn al-Shakheer said: "The goodness of a deed is related to the goodness of the heart, and the goodness of the heart is related to the goodness of the intention."
Furthermore, Ibn al-Qayyim (rh) said: "The degree to which a person is helped and aided by Allaah depends on the degree of his intention, drive, aim and hopes. Help from Allaah comes to people in proportion to their drive, intention, hopes and fears, and failure comes to them in like manner."

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The Merits of Forgiveness & Humility



[Sahih Muslim: Book 32 'Kitab Al-Birr was-Salat-I- wa'l-Adab' , Number 6264]

Abu Huraira (Radi Allah Anhu) reported Allah's Messenger (sal-allahu-alleihi- wasallam) as saying:
Charity does not in any way decrease the wealth
And the servant who forgives Allah adds to his respect,
And the one who shows humility Allah elevates him in the estimation (of the people).

Imaam al-Awzaa'ee, rahimahullaah, said, "Knowledge is what comes from the Companions of Muhammad (saws) and that which does not come from a single one of them is not knowledge". Refer to Jaami 'Bayaanil - 'Ilm of Ibn 'Abdul Barr (2/36).

Bismillah!

- True friends -

"For various moral, psychological and social reasons, people need good company and close friendship. The type of friends you have, often indicate the type of person you are. 'Show me your friends and I will tell you what you are,' says the well-known proverb. The noble Prophet (pbuh) pointed to the value of good company when he said that it is better to be alone than in the company of the wicked, and it is better to be in the company of the good than to be alone. Good company can be a great source of help and support in leading a virtuous life, while bad company can lead to sin and ruin....
The Prophet (SAW) was asked:
"What is the person that can be the best friend?"
"He who helps you when you remember God, and he who reminds you when you forget Him," the Prophet (SAW) replied.
Then he (SAW) was asked, "And which friend is the worst?"
"He who does not help you when you remember God and does not remind you of God when you forget," he replied.
Then he was again asked, "Who is the best among people?"
He replied, "He who when you look at him, you remember God."

.....When Zaid ibn Harithah (RA), the servant of Muhammad (SAW), was killed at the battle of Mu'tah, the Prophet (SAW) said: "Zayd strove in the path of God sincerely as he should. Today he has met his Lord, and he is serene." Thereafter, Zayd's daughter found the Prophet (SAW) weeping over the dead body of her father and said: "What do I see?" The noble Prophet (SAW), with tears in his eyes, said: "A friend weeping for his friend."

Through such actions and sentiments, the Prophet (SAW) showed his gentleness and brotherhood. "

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Bismillaah!

- Death is seeking you -

Do not fix your hopes on your health and do not laugh away life.

Remember how they walked and now their joints lie separately,
and the tongue with which they talked lightly is eaten away by worms.

Do not sit idle for indeed death is seeking you

[Hasan al-Basri]

Remember your contemporaries who have passed away and were your age.
Remember the honours and fame they earned, the high posts they held and the beautiful bodies they possessed. Today all of them are turned to dust. They have left orphans and widows behind them, their wealth is being wasted, and their houses turned into ruins. No sign is of them is left today, their wealth is being wasted and their houses turned into ruins. No sign of them is left today and they lie in dark holes underneath the earth. Picture their faces before your minds eye and ponder.

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Bismillaah!

- For the sake of Allaah SWT -

When the news of the crusader army (Christians) that had prepared on the horizons to wipe out Islam reached him, Abu Qudaamah Ash-Shaamee moved quickly to the Mimbar of the Masjid. In a powerful and emotional speech, Abu Qudaamah ignited the desire of the community to defend their land, Jihad for the sake of Allah. As he left the Masjid, walking down a dark and secluded alley, a women stopped him and said, "As salamu alaykum wa Rahmatullaah!"

Abu Qudaamah stopped and did not answer. She repeated her salam again, adding "this is not how pious people should act." She stepped forward from the shadows. "I heard you in the Masjid encouraging the believers to go for Jihad and all I have is this." She handed him two long braids. "It can be used for a horse rein. Perhaps Allah may write me as one of those who went for Jihaad."

The next day as that Muslim village set out to confront the crusader army, a young boy ran through the gathering and stood at the hooves of Abu Qudaamah's horse. "I ask you by Allah to allow me to join the army." Some of the elder fighters laughed at the boy. "The horses will trample you," they said. But Abu Qudaamah looked down into his eyes as he asked again, "I ask you by Allah, let me join." Abu Qudaamah then said, "On one condition, if you are killed, you will take me to Jannah with you amongst those who you will be allowed to intercede for." That young boy smiled and said "It's a promise."

When the two armies met and the fighting intensified, the young boy on the back of Abu Qudaamah's horse asked, "I ask you by Allah to give me 3 arrows." "You'll lose them!" The boy repeated, "I ask you by Allah to give me them." Abu Qudaamah gave him the arrows and the boy took aim. "Bismillaah!" The arrow flew and killed a Roman. "Bismillaah!" The second arrow flew, killing a second Roman. "Bismillaah!" The third arrow flew, killing a third Roman. An arrow then struck the boy in the chest - knocking him off the horse. Abu Qudaamah jumped down to his side, reminding the boy in his final breaths, "Don't forget the promise!" The boy reached into his pocket, extracted a pouch and said, "Please return this to my mother." "Who's your mother?" asked Abu Qudaamah. "The woman who gave you the braids yesterday."

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Bismillaah!

- Three Solid Truths -

Once, a person was verbally abusing Abu Bakr (RA) while the Prophet (SAW) was curiously watching with a smile. After taking much abuse quietly, Abu Bakr responded to a few of his comments. At this, the Prophet exhibited his disapproval, got up and left. Abu Bakr caught up with the Prophet and wondered, 'O Messenger of Allaah, he was abusing me and you remained sitting. When I responded to him, you disapproved and got up.' The Messenger of Allaah responded,

'There was an angel with you responding to him. When you responded to him, Shaytaan took his place.'

He then said, 'O Abu Bakr, there are three solid truths: If a person is wronged and he forbears it (without seeking revenge) just for the sake of Allaah (SWT), Allaah will honour him and give him the upper hand with His help; if a person opens a door of giving gifts for cementing relationships with relatives, Allaah will give him abundance; and, if a person opens a door of seeking charity for himself to increase his wealth, Allaah will further reduce his wealth.'

( Mishkaat & Musnad Ahmad)

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- Fasting of all the limbs -

Abu Hurayra (RA) relates that Rasulullah (SAW) said: "Many of those who fast obtain nothing through such fasting except hunger, and many a one performs "Salaat" by' night but obtains nothing by it, except the discomfort of staying awake."
(Ibn Majah & Nasai)

With regard to this Hadith, the "Ulama" have mentioned three different interpretations:

First, this Hadith may refer to those who fast during the day and then for "Iftaar" eat food that is "Haraam"; all the reward for fasting is lost because of the greater sin of eating 'Haraam' and nothing is gained except remaining hungry.

Secondly, it may mean those who fast duly but, during fasting, engage themselves in backbiting and slandering others.

Thirdly, the person referred to may be one who, while fasting, did not stay away from evil and sin. In this Hadith all such possibilities are included.