Intending a Good Deed

Sayyiduna Khuraym ibn Fatik رضي الله عنه narrates: Nabee صلى الله عليه وسلم said: (as part of a longer narration)

“Whomsoever intends doing a good deed, his heart is set on carrying it out and Allah Ta’ala is aware that he wants to carry it out, then Allah Ta’ala will record for him one good deed”

(Musnad Ahmad)

The above narration explains that a person will be rewarded merely for having a firm intention to carry out a good deed, although he has not carried it out yet. When he carries it out, he will be rewarded tenfold as Allah Ta’ala mentions:

“Whosoever carries out a good deed, will receive ten times as much”

(Surah Al An’am, verse: 160)

A Memorable Month

The month of Ramadhán is always a memorable month. This is that special month in the Islámic calendar that causes Muslims all over the world to re-invigorate their ímán. No matter what the condition of the Muslim is, this individual finds it easy to give up bad habits and make more ‘Ibádat in the blessed month.

Maulana Maseehuallah Khan

Greed and Faith

Greed and faith can never coexist in the human heart.

An-Nasa’i

Maid of Pharaoh’s Daughter

It is mentioned in the book Raudatus Safa that Pharaoh’s daughter had a maid who was under her command and who used to comb her hair, etc.  She had believed in Musa alayhis salam. However, she did not expose her iman out of fear for Pharaoh.

Once while she was combing Pharaoh’s daughter’s hair, the comb fell from her hand. When she bent down to pick it up, she recited Bismillah. The daughter asked her: “What was it you recited just now?  Whose name is that?”  She replied: “it is the name of the one who created your father and also gave him a kingdom.”  She became astonished and remarked: “Is there anyone greater than my father!”  Saying this she ran out to her father, and related the entire incident him.

Pharaoh became extremely angry, called for the maid, and threatened her.
However she unhesitatingly said: “Do whatever you wish, I will not leave my iman.”

Nails were fastened to her hands and feet and thereafter hot ash and embers were placed on her. When this had no effect on her, a child who was in her lap was taken and thrown into the fire.  While the child was in the fire, it said: “Mother! Be patient and don’t ever leave your iman.”

She remained steadfast on her iman until she was also thrown into that fire.

Source: Bahesti Zewar

The Fortunate One

It is related by Abu Dharr Ghifaari radhiyallahu anhu that the Apostle of Allah sallallahu alayhi wasallam said : “He became fortunate and successful whose heart Allah set aside for faith and made it safe and sound [i.e., whom He blessed with faith so pure and untainted that not an iota of doubt or hypocrisy could enter his heart and protected it against the spiritual maladies like envy and ill-will], and whose tongue He endowed with truthfulness, and in most self with serenity [i.e., whose soul was such that it derived solace from the remembrance of Allah and the things that were pleasing to Him], and whose natural disposition He put right and free from weaknesses [so that it did not tend towards sin], and whose ear He made fit to hear and eyes He made fit to see [i.e., who could hear the truthful word of Allah and see His signs and take warning and draw lessons from them]. Thus, the ear is like the funnel [through which things go into the heart as the liquid is poured into a bottle], and the eye is the conveyor and stabilizer of things which it entrusts to the heart. And blessed, indeed, is the man whose heart the Lord made capable of remembering.”
Musnad-i-Ahmed and Bayhaqi

Commentary
What has been said about the ears and eyes in the concluding part of the above Tradition is to underline the importance of the part the two organs play in the life of a man. Whatever reaches the heart which, so to speak, is the monarch in the human body, and affects it, is generally, through the ears and the eyes. Consequently, the success and salvation of the bondsman is dependant on the ability and fitness of his eyes and ears to see and hear.

The last sentence denotes that even though the things of success and good fortune reach a man’s heart through the eyes and ears, salvation and felicity in the Hereafter cannot be attained unless the heart is capable of preserving and making proper use of them.

In the Qur’aan the three faculties of seeing, hearing and understanding have been mentioned, from place to place, in a way as if man’s guidance and deliverance was contingent on their soundness.

Riyaduljannah.com

The Parable of Belief

The allegory of belief [iman] is that of a land that has five walls. Al-Hajjawi said in its commentary: It is said that the allegory of belief is that of a land that has five walls. The first wall [the innermost wall] made from gold, the second from silver, the third from iron, the forth from cooked clay [aajurr], and the fifth [the outermost wall] from brick.

As long as the people of the brick wall are diligent in protecting the brick, the enemy does not aspire [destroying] the second; but if they neglect this [brick wall], they will aspire for the second and then the third, until they demolish all of the walls.

And like belief [iman] has five walls: certainty, then sincerity, then performing what is obligatory, then the recommended [sunan], and then refined behavior [aadab].

As long as one holds to and is diligent with having refined behavior, Satan does not scheme [to destroy] him. But if one forsakes refined behavior, Satan aspires to [destroying] the recommended works, then the obligatory, then sincerity, and then certainty. 

[Source: Al-Saffarini, _Ghudha al-Albab_. 1:27, taken from Sunnipath.com]

10 Ways of Developing Love for Allah

Adapted from Shaykh Ibn Qayyim’s (rah) Madarij-us-Saalikeen

Shaykh Ibn al-Qayyim (rah) says: “The reason which cause mahabbah (love) of Allaah to develop, are ten:

First: Reciting the Qur’aan, reflecting and understanding its meaning and its intent.

Second: Drawing closer to Allaah – the Most High – through optional deeds, after fulfilling the obligatory duties.

Third: Being continuous in the dhikr (remembrance) of Allaah, with the tongue, the heart and the limbs – under all circumstances. The more continuant the dhikr, the more muhabbah develops and intensifies.

Fourth: Giving precedence to what Allaah loves over personal loves, when being overcome by desires.

Fifth: Contemplating and deliberating over the Names and Attributes of Allaah.

Sixth: Recognizing and remembering the favors and bounties of Allaah – both manifest and hidden.

Seventh: To be humble and submissive before Allaah – and this is the greatest matter.

Eighth: To be in seclusion reciting the Qur’aan, during that time in which Allaah descends to the lowest heaven (which is the last third of every night), finishing this recitation with seeking Allaah’s forgiveness and repenting to Him.

Ninth: To sit in the gatherings of the true and sincere lovers of Allaah, reaping the fruits of their speech, and not to speak except if there is benefit in it and that you know that such talk will increase you in goodness and that it will benefit others as well.

Tenth: To stay clear of all those causes which distances the heart from Allaah – the Mighty and Majestic.

So these are the ten reasons which cause the person to develop true love for Allaah and to reach the rank of al-muhabbah, by which he reaches his Beloved.

taken from The Truth

Muslim Beliefs

The religion of a Muslim is called Islam. Muslim beliefs/ faith of the religion in a nutshell are given below.

  1. Muslim beliefs in Allah – the one and only almighty God, Lord and Creator. Him we trust and Him alone we fear.
  2. Muslims believe in the angels created by Allah. We know them even though they are not visible to us. They are the obedient servants of Allah and they carry out all His orders.
  3. Muslims believe that the words which Allah revealed to the prophets were written down in books. The last book, which was given to Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) is the Qur’an. The Quran is the only book from Allah which is complete and preserved in its original form.
  4. Muslims believe that Allah has sent His prophets to all mankind with the message to worship only Allah and to do good. Other Prophets Muslims believe in include Jacob (Yakub), Joseph (Yusuf), Jesus (Isa) and Moses (Musa) peace be upon them all.
  5. Muslims believe in the Day of Resurrection when Allah will wake us from our deaths. We will be rewarded for the good that we have done and those of us who did not believe in Allah and did evil, will be punished.
  6. Muslims believe that Allah has taught us to understand what good and evil is, so that we can ourselves decide for the good and against the evil. All good and evil is decreed by Allah.
  7. Muslims believe in Life after Death. The life after death is eternal and one will be rewarded with either Heaven or Hell depending on how the life of this earth was spent.

 As mentioned above these are Muslim beliefs in a nutshell and are the core of what each muslim believes.  However, there is much more to muslim beliefs than just the above and these are explored in more detail in other pages and articles of this site.