THE STATION OF MURAQABAH

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.”
(Al-Qur’an 2:235)

“And Allah is Ever a Watcher over all things.”
(Al-Qur’an 33:52)

“And He is with you wherever you may be.”
(Al-Qur’an 57:4)

There are many other similar verses stating the same concept.

In the hadith of Jibril, when he asked the Prophet (SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) about ihsan (goodness and excellence), the Prophet (SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) replied:

THE STATION OF AL-KHAWF

The al-khawf or fear station is one of the most splendid stations of the road and the most beneficial to the heart. It is also mandatory upon everyone. Allah said:

“So fear them not, but fear Me, if you are believers.”
(Al-Qur’an 3:175)

“And fear none but Me.”
(Al-Qur’an 2:40)

and
“So fear not men but fear Me.”
(Al-Qur’an 5:44)

Allah, subhanahu wa ta’ala, also praised His people in His Book, saying:

“Verily! Those who live in awe for fear of their Lord … It is these who race for the good deeds and they are foremost in them.”
(Al-Qur’an 23:57-61)

THANKSGIVING IN ISLAM (SHUKR)

“Then do ye remember Me; I will remember you. Be grateful to Me and reject not Faith.”
(Al-Baqarah 2:152)

“And remember when your Lord proclaimed, “If ye are grateful, I will add more (favors) unto you; but if ye show ingratitude, truly My torment is terrible indeed.”
(Ibrahim 14:7)

“We bestowed wisdom on Luqman: “Show (thy) gratitude to Allah.” Any who is (so) grateful does so to the profit of his own soul; but if any is ungrateful, verily Allah is free of all wants, worthy of all praise.”
(Luqman 31:12)

HEAL THE BROKEN HEART

As for the sickness of desire and passionate love then this is the soul loving that which would harm it coupled with this is a hatred of that which would benefit it.

PORTRAIT OF A TRAVELER – II

Part II: The Heedless

In Surah al-Qiyamah, Allah, subhanahu wa ta’ala, describes the extraction of the soul, those last minutes. He probably went to sleep that night not intending to pray Fajr. He promised his kids they would go to Disneyland in the summer. He promised his wife a new dress. He promised himself a new car if he beat his golf score. Tonight, however, he had an unexpected visitor. O the visitor had an appointment with him, he was just careless and forgot.

“Nay, when (the soul) reaches to the collar bone (i.e. up to the throat in it’s exit).”
(Al-Qur’an 75:26)

PORTRAIT OF A TRAVELER

In the name of Allah, the Merciful, the Mercy giving. We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides, none can misguide. And whoever Allah allows to go astray, none can guide them aright. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, Alone, and that Muhammad (SAWS) is His Servant and Messenger. To begin …

Part I:

Al-Fudayl ibn Iyadh, rahimahullah (may Allah have mercy upon him), once sat with a senior and asked him, “How old are you?”

The man replied:
“60 years old.”

EXCESSIVE LAUGHTER – CORRUPTION OF HEART

This is a problem that is widespread, especially among the youth. Someone asked:
“Our gatherings with friends and colleagues are filled with too much laughter, and it goes to extremes. This phenomenon is becoming ever more widespread. What is the solution?”

In response, the solution to this problem has two aspects: theoretical and practical. The theoretical aspect may be further broken down into two points:

Firstly, we should know how the Prophet (SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) conducted himself when it came to laughter, and he is the best example in this as in all other things.

MIGRATION TO THE MESSENGER OF ALLAH (SAWS)

Description of a Migrator to the Messenger of Allah (SAWS):

Migration to the Messenger sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam is a knowledge that has been [mostly] lost [from among people]; only its name continues to exist. It is a practice that has been abandoned; only its outline remains. It is a road whose milestones have been obliterated by wild animals, and whose water sources have been dried up by the enemies.

MIGRATION TO ALLAH

MIGRATION OF THE HEART:

The caravan departs, and the traveller enters into a foreign land. He becomes separated from the habits and customs associated with his homeland. This allows him to ponder carefully over his situation. He seeks the most important thing that helps in his journey to Allah, and that deserves his life’s pursuance.

The One in whose Hand is the guidance guides him to this most important thing that he seeks:

ALLAH IS PURE AND ACCEPTS ONLY THE PURE

HADITH: It is narrated by Abu Hurayrah (RadiyAllahu Anhu) that the Messenger of Allah (SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) said:

“0 people! Allah is Pure Himself, and accepts only what is pure, and He has given the same Command, concerning it, to all Believers as He has to His Prophets (AS).
For them, the Commandment is:

“0 ye Messengers! Eat of the good (and lawful) things, and do right.”
(Al Mu’minoon 23:51)

And for the Believers:

“O Mankind! Eat of what is lawful and wholesome in the earth (and avoid what is impure).”
(Al Baqarah 2:172)

SERVING HUMANITY – ISLAM’S MISSION (2)

Islam teaches us to open our hearts and minds to help the needy and the destitute without any distinction of color, creed, race or religion. One has to rise above these biases and prejudices. Humanity is just one and one family. We are from one father and one mother.

Abdullah bin Masood (RA) relates that Prophet (SAWS) said:

“The entire humanity is Allah’s family, and Allah loves him most from among this family, who benefits the family most.”
[Mishkaat]

Jarir bin Abdullah (RA) reported that Allah’s Messenger (SAWS) said:

SERVING HUMANITY – ISLAM’S MISSION (1)

BismillahhirRahmannirRahim

Serving and treating fellow human beings with courtesy and kindness is an essential part of a good moral conduct. All world religions share and support this concept. The Holy Qur’an details the teachings of Prophet Ibrahim (AS) and all succeeding prophets from his son, Prophet Ishaque (AS)’s progeny. Their covenant is mentioned in Aayah 83-84 of Surah Al-Baqarah in these words:

THE PATH OF THE BELIEVERS – (I)

Imam ibn Abi Jamrah (ra) said:

“Indeed the scholars have said regarding the statement of Allah:

” … And follows other than the Path of the Believers, We will turn him to what he has turned to … ”
(Al-Qur’an 3:115)

CONTEMPLATION

Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala) says:

“Who sees you when you stand up (for prayer), and your movements along with those who fall prostrate.”
(Al-Qur’an 26:218-219)

“He is with you wheresoever you may be.”
(Al-Qur’an 57:4)

“Truly nothing is hidden from Allah, in the earth or in the heavens.”
(Al-Qur’an 3:5)

“Indeed your Lord is Ever-Watchful (over them).”
(Al-Qur’an 89:14)

“Allah knows the fraud of the eyes and all that the breasts conceal.”
(Al-Qur’an 40:19)

THE HEAVEN OF THIS WORLD

I heard the Shaykh of Islam, Ibn Taymiyyah – may Allah sanctify his soul – say:

“Truly, there is a Heaven in this world, [and] whoever does not enter it, will not enter the Heaven of the next world.”

And once he said to me:
“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 (shahadah) and to be exiled from my land is a spiritual journey (siyaha).”

CONTENTMENT IS BLISS

Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqaas (RadiyAllahu Anhu) traveled to Makkah after he had become blind. Upon his arrival the people hastened to him and kept on asking him to make supplication for them, and he did, as Allaah always accepted his supplication. ‘Abdullaah ibn As-Saa’ib (r.a.) said: ‘I came to him when I was still a young boy and became acquainted with him, so he knew me and said to me:

‘Are you the one who recites the Quran for the people of Makkah?’

I replied, ‘Yes.’
Then I asked him:

‘MUJAHADAT ASH-SHYTAN’

Bismillah, walhamdulillah, was salatu was salam ala rasulillah!

Amma ba’d.

Allah says:

“As for those who strive hard in Our cause, We will surely guide them to Ours Paths (Allah’s religion).”
(Al-Qur’an 29:69)

HONEST EARNING

The Honest Trader Will Be With The Prophets, The Truthful and The Martyrs:

Hadith:
It is related by Abu Saeed Khudri (RadiyAllahu Anhu) that the Messenger of Allah (SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) said:

“The trader who plies his trade cleanly and honestly will rise, in the Hereafter, in the company of the Prophets (Alayhum assalaam), the Truthful, and the Martyrs.”

[Tinnizi, Daara’ni and Daar-Qutni]
Note: The same Tradition has been quoted by Ibn Majah, on the authority of Sayyidina Ibn Umar (RadiyAllahu Anhu).

Commentary:
Says the Qur’an:

TEACHING CHILDREN GOOD MANNERS

Just as a child should be taught ritual acts of worship, he should also be taught good habits and etiquettes until they become second nature to him.

The Prophet (SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) said:

“The believers who have the most perfect faith are those who have the best manners.”
[Abu Daawood]

Good manners are an acquired trait that must be adopted from a young age. Of such manners are the following:

BEING RESPECTFUL AND DUTIFUL TO PARENTS:

WHAT GIVES THE HEART LIFE AND SUSTENANCE

You should know that acts of obedience are essential to the well being of the servant’s heart, just in the same way that food and drink are to that of the body. All wrong actions are the same as poisonous foods, and they inevitably harm the heart.

The servant feels the need to worship his Lord, Mighty and Glorious is He, for he is naturally in constant need of His help and assistance.

POISONS OF THE HEART -TOO MUCH FOOD

The consumption of small amounts of food guarantees tenderness of the heart, strength of the intellect, humility of the self, weakness of desires, and gentleness of temperament. Immoderate eating brings about the opposite of these praiseworthy qualities.

Al-Miqdam ibn Ma’d Yakrib said that he heard the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, say:

POISONS OF THE HEART – UNRESTRAINED GLANCES

The unrestrained glance results in the one who looks becoming attracted to what he sees, and in the imprinting of an image of what he sees in his heart. This can result in several kinds of corruption in the heart of the servant. The following are a number of them.

It has been related that the Prophet, Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wa Sallam, once said words to the effect:

“The glance is a poisoned arrow of Shaytan. Whoever lowers his gaze for Allah, He will bestow upon him a refreshing sweetness which he will find in his heart on the day that he meets Him.”

POISONS OF THE HEART – UNNECESSARY TALKING

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Beneficent.

You should know that all acts of disobedience are poison to the heart and cause its sickness and ruin. They result in its will running off course, against that of Allah, and so its sickness festers and increases. Ibn al-Mubarak said:

I have seen wrong actions killing hearts, And their degradation may lead to their becoming addicted to them. Turning away from wrong actions gives life to the hearts, And opposing your self is best for it.

KNOWLEDGE FOR KNOWLEDGE

HADITH:
From Jabir (radhiallahu ‘anhu) who said that Allah’s Messenger (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said:

“Do not acquire knowledge in order to compete with the scholars, nor to argue with the ignorant, nor to gain mastery over the gatherings. Since whoever does that, then: The Fire! The Fire!”

THE POWER OF ISTIGHFAR – ‘ASTAGHFIRULLAH’ (I seek forgiveness of Allah)

People often forget the importance of the simple yet powerful dua (supplication) – Istighfar i.e., saying “Astaghfirullah” (I seek forgiveness of Allah). Prophet Muhammad (SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) recited this at least 100 times a day. Let us see the benefits and virtues of reciting this simple beautiful supplication insha Allah.

Istighfar (Astaghfirullah) is the gateway of relief and happiness. Whenever you are in distress start reciting it and Insha Allah it will take you out of your anxiety and will put you in a peaceful situation and will give you happiness.