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Rasulullaah صلى الله عليه وسلم said, “Part of the perfection of one’s Islam is his leaving that does not concern him.” [Tirmidhi: 2318]

I often find my mind to be seized up with this hadith a lot of times. Such a hefty thing, but overlooked so easily. Every talk, every thought, every matter of discussion that has nothing to do with you is not worth your time. With every passing second, a part of you is being buried and lost. A person with a sane mind won’t cost to squander it in vain. What is more worthy for you to be preoccupied than good deeds? With the scribes on your shoulders jotting down every little detail, can you stand to read in your book of records about things that brought you nothing but waste of time and regret? That’s why, it says “part of the perfection of one’s Islam.” You see?

Not only does this count in laghw things, but also bring the potential harm it bears. The mind feels foggy, the body feels weary, the heart experiences unnecessary grief, the soul feels constantly fatigued. For preoccupying yourself with other than Allaah will always keep you hanging in distraction and the feeling of burnout. The Shayatīn of jins jumps upon a person when he leaves remembering Allaah. So it’s more worthwhile to stay focused on what concerns you and your Akhirah than to be distracted by superfluous issues.

One of the ways to attain this is to be guarded on what you consume with your eyes and heart and say out loud with your tongue. Control what you utter. When Luqman عليه السلام was asked how he got such a respectful position among people. He said, “Truthful speech, and long silence upon what does not concern me.”By Allaah, avoiding giving your one-cent on every little matter will save you from many unnecessary situations, maintain your dignity and build in you subtle wisdom.

Understand your priorities and things that concern you. Show gratitude to the gift of time before it slips off your hands. Emulate the Salaf as in the narration it says that some Salaf were more stingy with their time than some of you with their wealth.

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There is a great difference between one who says: “religion is something we discuss while drinking a cup of coffee, it is something that teaches us to build discipline and improve our spirituality but it isn’t my main purpose in life” and one who says: “May my blood be sacrificed for this lofty religion” and actually sacrifices his soul for it. There is a difference between one who knows that Allah sent this religion for us to live and die for and upon, we are not here to enjoy sin and only act upon islam when it is convenient to our whims! You do not get to be rewarded before you win! You do not get to be paid before you work! And you do not get to enjoy bliss in Jannah until you sacrifice in dunyah. 

The least a muslim can sacrifice for this religion is the outer case of his soul: his body. The least a muslim can sacrifice to try to repay islam is his limbs which he didn’t attain out of his own diligence, but were also given to him by Allah to employ for this deen! And by sacrificing your limbs I do not mean cutting your arms and donating them to charity! You know exactly what I mean. To fight fisabillilah seeking to establish this lofty religion even if that means that you are deprived of your freedom, your wealth, your health or even your life. 

Oh Allah allow us to sacrifice these tired bodies for your sake ya Allah, for our souls wish to be released from the bars of our ribs to fly around your throne inside green birds. 

Allah blessed many of us with a blessing which even His prophet ﷺ was deprived of, which is: dying while defending this religion! Even the prophet ﷺ wished to be killed in battle, but Allah decreed that He ﷺ may not be harmed by mankind, so him dying in battle was therefore not possible. Something that the greatest of mankind ﷺ wished for himself is available in the hand of many believers, but Allah punished them for their sins with the calamity of qu’ood wa allahul mustaan, may Allah honour His servants with the blessing of Jihad.  Remember that if you do not act, Allah will send someone else to serve this deen, you will be replaced and lost.

“The souls of the martyrs are in green birds which are suspended from the Throne of Allah. They roam freely in Paradise wherever they wish, then return to these lanterns hanging from the Throne. Their Lord looks at them and says: ‘Do you wish for anything?’ They say: ‘What more could we wish for? We roam freely in Paradise wherever we wish.’ He asks them this three times. When they see that they will not be left alone unless they ask, they say:‘O Lord, we wish that our souls be returned to our bodies so that we may be killed again for Your sake.’ When He sees that they have no need, they are left to enjoy.” (Sahih muslim 1887) 

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Do not be surprised if, in our times, the voice of delusion is loud while the voice of truth seems quiet.

Remember, Abu Jahl loudly proclaimed his falsehoods near the Ka’aba, while Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم quietly recited the Words of Allah in the house of al-Arqam.

And what was their fate?

The first was slain and discarded into the well at Badr!

The second ascended to the Highest Heavens, where he conversed with his Lord at Sidrat al Muntaha)

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“He was martyred a few days after he married her, and they found a letter in which it said: “Do not think that I married you knowing that I would soon be killed out of selfishness, but I married you when I learned that a martyr intercedes for his family, so I wanted you to be one of my family.”

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Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet (ﷺ) said,

"An Israeli man asked another Israeli to lend him one thousand Dinars. The second man required witnesses. The former replied, 'Allah is sufficient as a witness.' The second said, 'I want a surety.' The former replied, 'Allah is sufficient as a surety.' The second said, 'You are right,' and lent him the money for a certain period. The debtor went across the sea. When he finished his job, he searched for a conveyance so that he might reach in time for the repayment of the debt, but he could not find any.

So, he took a piece of wood and made a hole in it, inserted in it one thousand Dinars and a letter to the lender and then closed (i.e. sealed) the hole tightly. He took the piece of wood to the sea and said. 'O Allah! You know well that I took a loan of one thousand Dinars from so-and-so. He demanded a surety from me but I told him that Allah's Guarantee was sufficient and he accepted Your guarantee. He then asked for a witness and I told him that Allah was sufficient as a Witness, and he accepted You as a Witness. No doubt, I tried hard to find a conveyance so that I could pay his money but could not find, so I hand over this money to You.' Saying that, he threw the piece of wood into the sea till it went out far into it, and then he went away. Meanwhile he started searching for a conveyance in order to reach the creditor's country.

One day the lender came out of his house to see whether a ship had arrived bringing his money, and all of a sudden he saw the piece of wood in which his money had been deposited. He took it home to use for fire. When he sawed it, he found his money and the letter inside it. Shortly after that, the debtor came bringing one thousand Dinars to him and said, 'By Allah, I had been trying hard to get a boat so that I could bring you your money, but failed to get one before the one I have come by.' The lender asked, 'Have you sent something to me?' The debtor replied, 'I have told you I could not get a boat other than the one I have come by.' The lender said, 'Allah has delivered on your behalf the money you sent in the piece of wood. So, you may keep your one thousand Dinars and depart guided on the right path.' "

Sahih al-Bukhari, 2291

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The Rewards For The Martyr

Narrated Al-Miqdam bin Ma'diykarib:

That the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:

"There are six things with Allah for the martyr. He is forgiven with the first flow of blood (he suffers), he is shown his place in Paradise, he is protected from punishment in the grave, secured from the greatest terror, the crown of dignity is placed upon his head - and its gems are better than the world and what is in it - he is married to seventy two wives along Al-Huril-'Ayn of Paradise, and he may intercede for seventy of his close relatives."

Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1663

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I believe that many who delay making tawbah are those unaware of the punishments awaiting them for their sins, even for something as “simple” as lying. It is not merely that you will have “one sin, two sins, three sins” collected in your book of deeds. Rather, every sin has a corresponding punishment, both in this dunya and in the akhira. Many of these punishments have been made known to us. Search them up, read about them, and perhaps this will cause many to rush toward seeking forgiveness from their Lord.

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Ibn Hazm رحمه الله said:

واعلم أن رياضة النفس أصعب من الرياضة الأسد

Know that training al-nafs is more difficult than training a lion.

[Rasāil Ibn Hazm 1/394]

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Those who end up relapsing and doubting Allāh's promises and the path were either most likely never wholeheartedly on that right path. Maybe apparently, but not wholeheartedly, and that's why it's important to work on the actions of the heart, renew intentions constantly, and to have Ikhlās in choosing the path of Tawhīd. Or it may be those who relapsed never learned or understood the reality of the path of the Stranger Muwahiddīn like the matters we discuss in these series like the Hadīth on Strangers, in statements like that of Waraqah or As'ad (رضي الله عنهم )— and like we said, before and above that, the many verses and Ahādīth on this topic. And with ignorance of that, the whispers of the Shaytān and the Nafs get the best of them.

-Ghuraba series by Sheikh AMJ (حفظه الله)

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How strange is it they label a man Khariji for his sincere belief and call to pure uncontaminated Tawheed?! All because he calls to Worship Allah alone and avoid Taughut (false Deities). They label him Khawarij for upholding the call of the Messengers of Allah that Judgement and sovereignty belongs to Allah alone.

— Shaykh Musa Jibril حفظه الله

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On the evening of ʿArafah, Ibn ʿUmar would raise his voice and say, "There is no true god but Allah alone who has no partner. To Him belongs the dominion, to Him praise is due, and He is able to do all things. O Allah, guide us with Your guidance. Adorn us with piety and forgive us in this life and the next."

He would then soften his voice and say, "O Allah, I ask You for Your bounties and provision all that which is blessed and pure. O Allah, You have commanded us to supplicate to You and You have decreed it upon Yourself to answer. You never break Your promise nor do You waver in Your covenant.

O Allah, make what You love, beloved to us and easy for us. And what You dislike, disliked by us and kept far from us. Do not deprive us of Islam after You have bestowed it upon us."

لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ، وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٍ، اللَّهُمَّ اهْدِنَا بِالْهُدَى، وَزَيِّنَّا بِالتَّقْوَى، وَاغْفِرْ لَنَا فِي الْآخِرَةِ وَالأُولَى. اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ وَعَطَائِكَ، رِزْقًا طَيِّبًا مُبَارَكًا، اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّكَ أَمْرْتَ بِالدُّعَاءِ، وَقَضَيْتَ عَلَى نَفْسِكَ بِالْاسْتَجَابَةِ، وأَنتَ لَا تُخْلِفُ وَعْدَكَ، وَلَا تَكْذِبُ عَهْدَكَ، اللَّهُمَّ مَا أَحْبَبْتَ مِنْ خَيْرٍ، فَحَبِّبْهُ إِلَيْنَا، وَيَسِّرْهُ لَنَا، وَمَا كَرِهْتَ مِنْ شَيْءٍ فَكَرِّهْهُ إِلَيْنَا وَجَنِّبْنَاهُ، وَلَا تَنْزِعْ عَنَّا الْإِسْلَامَ بَعْدَ إِذْ أَعْطَيْتَنَا.

— Ṭabarānī, Al-Duʿāʾ, p. 275

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HOW DOES FASTING ON ARAFAH EXPIATE TWO YEARS OF SINS?

فإن قيل: كيف تُكفّر سنةً ماضية وسنةً باقية؟ قيل: المراد بذلك أن الله يجعل صيامه سببًا لتكفير الذنوب في السنتين. قال شيخ الإسلام: “وتكفيره للذنوب يقع على قدر كمال صيام العبد، فإن صام صومًا كاملًا كُفّرت ذنوبه كلها، وإن صام دون ذلك كان بحسب حاله، فصومٌ يكفّر سنة، وصومٌ يكفّر نصف سنة، أو أقل أو أكثر.”

“If it is said: How can it (the fast of ʿArafah) expiate the sins of the previous year and the coming year? It is said: Allah makes the fast a cause for the expiation of sins in those two years. Shaykh al-Islām (Ibn Taymiyyah) said:

Its ability to expiate sins depends on the completeness of the fast. If the person fasts a complete and perfect fast, all of his sins may be forgiven. If his fast is lacking, then the expiation will be according to his condition. One person may have a fast that expiates a year, another a fast that expiates half a year, or less or more — depending on his state.”

Ibn al-Qayyim, al-Wābil al-Ṣayyib (الوابل الصيّب), p. 31

(from al-Wābil al-Ṣayyib, p. 31):

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Life is a constant struggle, and a feeling of weariness never departs your side, sometimes that of your body and at times of things that reside in your heart and refuse to go away. You have to strive either way, whether it’s for dunya or Akhirah, so why not direct all of your endeavours for the sake of Allaah?

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I heard someone last night crying, but it wasn’t a normal type of cry. This person was crying in the tashahhud, weeping at “كما صليت على إبراهيم وعلى آل إبراهيم”

This is not to assume someone’s inner state, but a cry like this is from the tightness of the dunyā…

It brought back memories سبحان الله, when I used to cry like this too… my eyes were constantly extremely swollen and I’d cry everywhere, and make no exception of my salāh.

In a way, I wish I cried out of fear for Allāh, the way the righteous do, and their genuine longing to Allāh, not out of the pressure of some dunyā matter. I did long for Allāh in those days, a lot, but did I long for Him during my times of ease in the same way? At the same time, these type of tears taught me that I really had none but Allāh, among many other lessons, and forced me back to Allāh to rectify my affairs between me and Him.

Though, there’s a difference between ورجل ذكر الله خاليًا ففاضت عيناه (or as Rasūlullāh said) and someone who tears up due to a dunyā matter and then redirects that pain to Allāh.

It’s not wrong at all, and actually the servant finds immense sweetness in constantly returning to Allāh, and in times of hardship it has a special sweetness to it. But I say this to remind myself and to keep it in check, my nafs needs to distinguish between the fine line of sincerity and true inābah (in times of ease and other than it) and simply feeling dunyawi pain.

It’s the same thing for wishing for shaهـādah, when do we long for it most? When we’ve got all we want out of this dunyā and have every want and need of ours? Or is it when we’ve been afflicted and want a way out of this dunyā completely? Again, I’m not saying wrong or right or shaming anyone (but myself), but remember that the only condition to be granted the level of shaهـādah even if one dies upon their bed (as in the Hadīth) is: sincerity. Do you think asking for it in the latter situation is more sincere than the former?

May Allāh grant us sincerity and make us among the truthful. May Allāh make us among those who truly enjoy His company in all times.

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Pitter and patter

In the last third of the night

Pouring torrents,

A breathtaking sight

Lightning and thunder,

Signs of His Might

The bedrooms are dark,

But the hearts are alight

Tearful supplications,

To be guided aright

Cheeks are soaked,

Like the earth outside

Iman swelling,

As if the high tide

If the skies weep in His fear,

My eyes shall do the same

May the sins be washed away,

In the late night rains

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True Value Lies in Iman

While worldly possessions are shared among all, Iman is a distinct honor. This hadith reminds us that true worth isn’t in what we own, but in the faith we’re granted.

Ibn Mas'ud said:

“Allah gives the Dunya to those He loves and to those He does not love, but He grants Iman only to those He loves. So when Allah loves a servant, He grants him Iman.”

[al-Musannaf of Ibn Abi Shaybah]