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An important habit that we need to cultivate in ourselves is to constantly assess ourselves and our actions. We need to ask ourselves whether we are engrossed in certain sinful behaviors and our carefree attitude, our intoxication with certain desires, and not fearing Allah has made it difficult to escape the traps of those behaviors. If you find yourself guilty of such, use whatever light of truth that remains in your heart to pause and assess the gravity of your behaviors. Follow that light and you will find a way out.

Consider the following advice by Ibn Al-Qayyim:

Abu Hurayrah, RadiyAllahu Anhu, narrated that the Messenger of Allah, Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wa Sallam, said:

“A sign of one’s excellence in his Islam, is ignoring what does not concern him.”

[Related by Ahmad, Malik & At-Tirmidhi]

THE STATUS OF THIS HADITH

Ibn Rajab said:

“This hadith is a basic and an important source of good behavior in Islam.”

Muhammad ibn Zayd, a great scholar of the Maliki Madhhab, said:

“Four ahadith comprise a perfect code of conduct.

One of them is:
“Whoever believes in Allah and His Messenger should say that which is useful or keep silent.”

Man needs the light of his past experiences to brighten his present and future. And, as we have seen earlier, all the different segments of humanity which have done anything to make this world a better place to live in deserve our gratitude; but, the most deserving of our regard are those whom we call the prophets of Allah (Ah.s). Each one of them has, in his own time, presented a winsom example of his sublime conduct and moral behaviour.

The Meaning of Worship

The statement of Allah – the Most High:

“I did not create the Jinn, nor mankind, except to worship Me.”
(Al-Qur’an 51:56)

Shaykh ul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (d. 728H) -rahimahullah – said:

“Worship (Al-‘Ibadah) is obedience to Allah by following that which He ordered upon the tongues of His Messengers.”

He also said:

“Worship (Al-‘Ibadah) is a comprehensive term covering everything that Allah loves and is pleased with – whether saying, or actions, outward and inward.”
[Majmu’ al-Fatawa (10/149)]

Ibn Al-Qayyim (d. 751H) – rahimahullah – said:

As for ikhlas, then that is one of the meanings of the testimony “there is nothing which has the right to ibadah except Allah” in that your ibadah should be exclusively and sincerely for Allah. Iman by itself is not sufficient for our ibadah to be accepted by Allah. Rather it is necessary that your action is out of iman in Allah and complete ikhlas to Him so that you do not make anyone a partner with Him.

The Exalted said:

“Those who have iman and confuse not their iman with injustice. For them there will be security and they are the rightly guided.”
(Al-Qur’an 6:82)

The Hadith Qudsi:

[Reported by Muslim, Malik, at-Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, an-Nasa’i and Ibn Majah]

I HAVE DIVIDED THE PRAYER BETWEEN MYSELF AND MY SERVANT.
[Surah al-Fatihah]

Abu Hurayrah radiallahu ‘anhu said: I have heard the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam say:

“Allah (the Mighty and Sublime) has said: I have divided prayer between Myself and My servant into two halves, and My servant shall have what he has asked for.

When the servant says: “All praise belongs to Allah the Rabb of all the Worlds.”

Allah (Mighty and Sublime is He) says: “My servant has praised Me.”

One of the most beautiful things about the concept of worship in Islam is the truly unique way in which it incorporates the feeling of love, fear and hope within the hearts of the worshippers of Allah. Understanding how to combine these three qualities into the worship (ibadah) of Allah is one of the most essential things that every Muslim must grasp, not least because every sect which has drifted from the Straight Path has strayed in the aspect of worship. The deviation of the other religions in this regard is clear for all to see: “God is love!

It is puzzling your insistence on asking for your desires and when ever they were delayed your insistence increase without thinking that your are not granted what you ask for because of:

Your benefit (for what you have asked could be a harm to you in a way)Your sins (for the sinner’s prayers are not answered).

If it was the second reason, you will have to clear the path of answering from the stains of sins. If it was the first reason then look at what you ask for:

Ikhlas (sincerity) cannot coexist in a heart which embraces the love of praise and commendation, nor the yearning to obtain that which is possessed amongst the people, save in the manner that fire and water, or a lizard and fish may coexist.

If your soul informs you to quest for ikhlas, turn first towards your yearning and slaughter it with a knife in a state of desperation.

Allah the Exalted said:

“Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their private parts; that will make for greater purity for them. Indeed Allah is well acquainted with all that they do.”
(Al-Qur’an 24:30)

So Allah made purification and spiritual growth to be the outcome of lowering the gaze and guarding the private parts. It is for this reason that lowrering ones gaze from (seeing) the prohibited things necessarily leads to three benefits that carry tremendous value and are of great significance.

THE FIRST: EXPERIENCING THE DELIGHT AND SWEETNESS OF FAITH

Safi ur-Rahman Mubarakpuri

The Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam combined both perfection of creation and perfection of manners.

Men’s dignity, devotion and estimation of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallamwere unique and matchless. No other man in the whole world has been so honoured and beloved. Those who knew him well, were fascinated and enchanted by him. They were ready to sacrifice their lives for the sake of saving a nail of his, from hurt or injury.

BEAUTY OF CREATION

The Sincere ‘Ubudiyyah to Allah

Allah – the Most High – has placed in everyone that He has created, a heart which must be filled; either with submission and servitude to Allah, or with submission and servitude to other than Allah. Every single heart has feelings, desires and inclinations. The question is: will those feelings, desires and inclinations be directed to Allah alone, or will they be directed to other than Allah? Only the former truly being the subjugation and servitude to Allah.

SPREADING KINDNESS IN THE HOME

‘A’ishah radiallahu ‘anha reported that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said:

“When Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala wills some good towards the people of a household, He introduces kindness among them.”
[Reported by Imam Ahmad in al-Musnad, 6/71; Sahih al-Jami’, 303]

According to another report:”When Allah loves the people of a household, He introduces kindness among them.”
[Reported by Ibn Abi ad-Dunya and others; Sahih al-Jami’, no. 1704]

Whoever knows Allah truly will make his deeds sincere to Him. For Riya’ occurs when someone lacks knowledge of His Creator, when he does not glorify Allah as should be, when the inner self seeks people’s compliments and praise.

The religion is nasihah.” The people asked, “To whom?” The Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, replied, “To Allah and to HisBook and to His Messenger and to the leaders of the Muslims and the common folk.” [Collected by Bukhari and Muslim]

From the morals and manners of the salaf was that they would constantly search their souls to breed in them the characteristics of the believers, and to discard the characteristics of the hypocrites. One is the opposite of the other. A summary of the believers characteristics is mentioned in His Great Book saying:

Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah

RAZA (HOPE) IN ALLAH:

Hope: it is the peaceful state of the heart which awaits what is dear to it. If the means – by which what the heart hopes for may come – are not present, then stupidity and foolishness would be a more accurate name for such a state. Similarly, if there is no doubt that what is being hoped for will definitely occur, then likewise, this state cannot be referred to as hope. For example, it would not be correct to say: I hope that the sun rises today. However, it would be correct to say: I hope that it rains today.

It is essential to know that sins and acts of disobedience are, necessarily, very harmful. Their harm effects upon the heart are akin to the harmful effects of poison upon the body, though the effects vary in their levels and intensities. So is there any evil or harm in this world, or in the Hereafter, except that it is due to sins and disobedience?

So what was it that expelled the two parents [i.e. Adam and Eve] from Paradise; the home of delight, bliss, splendor and joy; to the home of pain, sorrow and misfortune?

Abdullah ibn Mas’ud radiallahu ‘anhu relates that the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam would supplicate:

“O Allah! I ask You for guidance, piety, safety and well-being, and contentment and sufficiency.”

(Allahumma inni as ‘alukal-huda wat-tuqa wal-‘afafa wal-ghina.)

[Related by Muslim, no. 2721]

Imam as-Sa’di (d. 1376H) – rahimahullah – said in Bahjatul Qulubul-Abrar (p. 198):

“This du’a (supplication) is from the most comprehensive and beneficial du’a, since it includes asking Allah for well-being with regards to both the Religion and the World.

The Prayer is a sanctified and holy moment (mawqif) for the worshipper in the presence of his Lord, his Rubb in truth. He fulfils (by its performance) his covenants, obligations and statements of confession which are contained within and are required by the testimony that:”There is nothing which has the right to be worshipped except Allah and that Muhammed is His Messenger” and by whose attestation one becomes a Muslim.

These covenants, obligations and resolutions: among them are those of belief, those of speech and those of action; and the explanation of that is as follows:

As for the next part of the question, about the most valuable quality to aim for, then the answer to this is that the best prize is to have trust in Allah, reliance upon Him of His sufficiency, and keeping a good opinion of Him, the latter being that if anyone is anxious regarding their sustenance then he should turn to the shelter of Allah, as the Exalted said, from what is narrated by His Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam:

Ahmad ibn Hanbal (Ra)

Hadith (1):
Abdullah bin Omar (RadiyAllahu Anhu) narrates that once a person said to the Prophet (SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam):
‘O Apostle of God ! Tell me who is the wisest and most farsighted of men.’

The Prophet (SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) replied:

“He who remembers death much and makes the greatest preparation for it. They alone are wise and prudent who are like that. They earned respect in this world as well as glory in the Hereafter.”
[Tabrani]

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