365 Quran & Sunnah Selection For Daily Reading

An Ignorant Judge
• The Prophet (peace be upon him)
said Judges are of three types, two
of them will go to the Hellfire and
one type will go to Paradise. The
one who knows the truth and judges
with it – he is in Paradise. One who
knows the truth but doesn t judge
by it, will go to Hellfire. The one
who doesn t know the truth and
judges between people with
ignorance, will go to the Hellfire.
[Abu Daud, Tirmidhi]
6

• Disputes occur at home, at work, in
government and foreign relations,
internationally... Passing a judgment
as to who is in the right and who isn t,
is not a matter to be taken lightly. It
could land the person in Hell. This is
because anyone who judges without
knowledge of the facts of the case, and
without using “llah s given criteria of
right and wrong, judges unjustly, and
will be sent to Hell as recompense.
7

• Never hasten to judge. Always refer
the case to one more qualified than
yourself. If you have to judge, first
ascertain all the facts. Hear all parties
out completely. Then refer to “llah s
Book and the Sunnah of His
Messenger to see what the Divine law
is concerning such a situation. Then
pray to Allah (subhana wa ta ala) with
all sincerity to guide you and bless
your judgment.
8

• The Messenger of “llah pbuh said One
judge shall go to Paradise, and two to
Hell. The judge who knows what is right
and judges accordingly shall be in
Paradise. The one who knows what is
right but intentionally judges unjustly
will go to Hell, and so will the judge who
judges without knowledge. [Hakim]
9

• What the truth is, is determined by
Allah. He has spelt it out for us in the
Shariah, that is the Quran and
Sunnah. If a person passes judgment
according to his or her own standards
of right and wrong, rather than what
Allah has declared as right or wrong,
then that judge is judging with
ignorance.
10

Your Hands Won t ”e Lowered
Empty
• The Messenger of Allah (peace be
upon him said “llah is the Ever-
Living, the Most Generous, and if a
man raises his hands in
supplication, He will be ashamed to
let them be lowered disappointed and
empty. [“bu Dawud, Kitab ad-
Dua]
11

• Umar ibn al-Khattab (radi Allahu
anhu said: I do not have any anxiety
about the answer, but I worry about
the Dua itself, because anyone who is
inspired by Allah to make Duas
immediately invokes His response
when he makes the Dua.
12

A Goodness Through and
Through
• The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
Modesty is a virtue through and
through, or said: Modesty is a goodness
complete. [Muslim]
• Once the Prophet (peace be upon him)
passed by a man who was admonishing
his brother regarding Haya and was
saying, 'You are very shy, and I am afraid
that might harm you.' On that, Allah's
Apostle said, 'Leave him, for Haya is (a
part) of Faith.' [Bukhari]
15

• This hadith tells us that there is nothing
bad about modesty. Therefore, if
something is purely good, then however
much you have of it, it can only be good
for you. This is something to especially
remember in these times when moral
and modest are portrayed as backward,
oppressed' and 'under-confident.
• A person with Haya does not show off
his mind, body, or anything else. Haya is
translated as modesty but it includes all
of the following meanings as well: self
respect, bashfulness, having scruples,
having awareness of Allah. This word is a
prime example of how much is lost in
translation from Arabic to any other
language.
16

You will Recognize Your Home
in Jannah
upon him said ”y the One in
Whose hand is the soul of
Muhammad, any one of them
(believers) will be more familiar with
his dwelling in Paradise than he was
with his house in this world.
[Bukhaari]
17

• In-sha-Allah, when we go to Jannah
we will recognize our houses and
properties with certainty. We will
know them to be ours with greater
certitude than we claim our homes in
this world. We will feel that they have
always been ours and no one has
greater right to them than us.
18

Are You Lucky
said How lucky is that man who
adopts humbleness without having
scarcity, who considers himself
inferior without having to beg for
anything, who spends his own earned
money in the right causes without
disobeying Allah, who is kind to those
having little means, and who
remains in the company of learned
men. [Tibrani]
21

• In this hadith we are told who an
enviable person is:
1. A person who is humble despite
having that which makes people proud.
2. A person who earns and spends in the
path of Allah.
3. A person who is kind to those less
privileged.
4. A person who benefits from the
companionship of the learned.
22

• Having wealth does not make one
lucky; but having earned it honestly, by
one's own hands and, moreover,
having spent it on those things which
earn Allah's pleasure, while obedient to
Allah, are what entitles one to be
counted among the lucky. Wealth that
is accompanied by arrogance and
ignorance (ignorance of what will earn
Allah's pleasure), is extremely unlucky.
Can you count yourself
lucky?
23

Your Friend's Religion Is Yours
upon him said “ man is upon the
religion of his friend, so let one of
you look at whom he befriends.
[Jami at-Tirmidhi]
24

• We are very heavily influenced by the
company we keep. Slowly and
imperceptibly to ourselves, though
perhaps others might notice, we adopt
the thinking, habits, beliefs,
mannerisms and lifestyle of our
friends. It is thus very important that
we choose those people as friends
who we won t be embarrassed to be
with on the Day of Judgement.
25

uopn him) said that even animals
influence the personality of the people
who keep company with them. He
(peace be upon him) said that he who
spends much time around camels
learns to harbour grudges, while he
who keeps the company of horses
becomes arrogant. If animals can
influence us so much, how much
more can those who are of the same
species?
26

Avoiding Argumentation
Whoever does not argue when he is in
the wrong will have a home built for
him on the edge of Paradise. Whoever
avoids it when he in the right will have
a home built for him in the middle of
Paradise. And whoever improves his
own character, a home will be built for
him in the highest part of Paradise.
[Tirmidhi]
29

• Arguing with people is strongly
discouraged in Islam. We are to state
our point of view and then leave it at
that. Nor are we to involve ourselves in
matters that do not affect a person s
deen. Note that a person is to shun
argument whether he is in the right or
whether his stand is wrong. Both get
houses built for them in Paradise. But
since the person who knows that he is
right finds it more difficult to leave the
argument and let things be, he/she is
promised a greater reward.
30

• Arguing with people rarely gets anyone
to change their minds. It usually only
produces defensiveness and creates ill
feelings between people. The issue
becomes a matter of one s ego and
makes it more difficult for a person to
change their stance. Allah loves to have
Muslims live harmoniously with each
other. Try this hadith out in practice, and
you will see that your relations improve
with people and that you have greater
peace of mind.
31

You Know What She Said!...
upon him said He who stirs
enmity among people, by quoting
their words to each other, will not
enter Paradise. [”ukhari]
32

• Unfortunately, this is a common social
evil these days. Rather than mend
relations among people, Shaytaan has
us excited about carrying tales to each
other. You won t believe what he
did!...Can you imagine what she
said?...
33

• Refuse to listen to what other people have
said or done. It is backbiting, just to hear it.
If what you are being told about is not true,
it is an even bigger sin, both for the person
telling it and the person listening to it. If you
tell yourself not to believe everything you
hear, your heart will nevertheless be tainted
by it. That is why the Prophet (pbuh) told
his companions not to say things about each
other to him, since he didn't want to meet
them with disquiet in his heart. If the
Messenger of Allah's feelings for people had
the possibility of getting soured by hearing
tales about them, despite his being rehmat-
ul-lil-alameen, then we are certainly not
above being corrupted by listening to tales.34

• The people who carry tales from one
person to another, do it in the guise
of well wishers. First they
sympathize with one party. Then
they take what they have gleaned to
other people and sow discord,
ruining relations between people, by
repeating things. A person who
behaves in such a manner is being
two faced. Prophet (pbuh) said: You
find that among the worst people is
someone who is two-faced, showing one
face to some and another face to
others. [”ukhari]
35

Ask and You Shall Be Given
said “sk, and you shall be given it
and you shall be given it.
[Tirmidhi]
said Let everyone of you ask of His
Lord all that He wants. [Tirmidhi]
38

• We were informed by our Prophet
(peace be upon him) that Allah fulfills
everybody s wishes so long as a person
does not get impatient and say, I asked
“llah for so and so and I still haven t
received it. We are told never to despair
of the mercy of Allah.
39

informed us that there are several forms
for the acceptance of dua. One is that
you are given what you ask for. Another
is that you are given better than what
you asked for. A third is that some
calamity that was about to befall you has
been averted instead. The fourth is that
the dua is saved up for you as
sawaab/reward for the Day of Judgment.
In all cases, asking Allah for things is
beneficial.
40

When Angry Stay Silent
upon him said When you are
angry, be silent. When you are
angry, be silent. [“l-Adab al-
Mufrad Al-Bukhari by Imam
Bukhari]
41

• The Prophet (pbuh) advised us not to
speak when we are angry.
• The cure for anger is to not speak at
the time of anger. Ibn Rajab declared
this to be a very great cure that the
Messenger of Allah (peace be upon
him) has mentioned since it is in the
state of anger that a person says a lot
of things that he or she may regret
later on. Sometimes, regretting one's
actions will not help since once words
are spoken, the damage will take
effect.
42

• For example, a person in anger may
question Allah (subhana wa ta ala) or
raise an objection to one of His
commands. In anger, a husband may
divorce his wife. In anger, people say
things that destroy relationships and
may take years to rebuild. Breaking
someone's heart is very easy while
joining hearts is very difficult.
Damaging a relationship can be done
with one word while building
relationships may, in some cases, take
years.
43

• That is why it is best to refrain from
speaking when in anger and to wait
until the anger has subsided, then
speak in a calm manner so that a
person does not regret what he is
saying.
44

As Blood Circulates In You
• Safiyah bint Huyai (may Allah be pleased with her), the
Mother of the ”elievers, said I came to visit the
Prophet (pbuh) while he was in the state of Itikaf
[seclusion in the mosque during the last ten days of
Ramadan]. After having talked to him, I got up to
return. The Prophet (pbuh) also got up with me and
accompanied me a part of the way. At that moment two
Ansari men passed by. When they saw him they
quickened their pace. The Prophet (pbuh) said to them,
Do not hurry. She is Safiyah, daughter of Huyai, my
wife. They said Subhan Allah (Allah is free from
imperfection)! O Messenger of Allah! (You are far away
from any suspicion . The Messenger of “llah pbuh
replied, Satan circulates in a person like blood. I
apprehended lest Satan should drop some evil thought
in your minds. [Sahih ”ukhari]
47

• Even a passing thought of something
undesirable about the Prophet (peace be
upon him) is dangerous for Eeman
(faith). In order to prevent any evil
suspicions from arising, the Prophet
(peace be upon him) stopped the two
Companions and explained to them the
situation. This was done lest Shaytaan
create some doubt in the minds of the
two Companions.
48

• The conclusion from this hadith is that
if at any time there is a chance that
your actions will allow somebody to
question your uprightness then it is
necessary to give an explanation to
clarify the situation. This is particularly
important for Ulema (scholars), who
should remain aloof from such
occasions and places that might induce
people to start doubting their integrity
and piety. This happens because
Shaytaan is always trying to sow
discord between people.
49

• On the other hand, one should not jump
to evil conclusions regarding others, but
always give them the benefit of the
doubt. The Prophet (peace be upon him)
said to make seventy excuses for your
Muslim brother or sister before you
accuse him or her of anything. Do we
even try to come up with seventy
excuses, before rushing to pass an
unfavorable judgment?
50

When Angry Sit Down and Lie
Down
said If one of you gets angry and
he is standing, then he should sit
down until his anger subsides. If it
does not, then he should lie down.
[Sunan Abu Dawood]
51

• The Prophet (pbuh) gave us lots of
practical advice on managing anger.
One of the things he (peace be upon
him) told us to do is to sit down if at
the time you are getting angry you are
standing, and if you are already
sitting, then to lie down.
52

• In this way you are getting further
away from taking revenge. If you are
standing, it will be easy to run towards
the object of your anger and hit him,
but if you sit down, you will feel a little
lazy to get up and go towards him,
while if you lie down, you have already
moved three stages away from acting
on your anger. Now you will think, that
in order to reach the person who has
angered you, you will first have to sit
up, then stand up and finally run to hit
him. Therefore, it is wiser to leave him
and let him go.
53

• Additionally, in the state of anger one
should think of his position as a
servant in the presence of His Master,
Allah, the Most High, who is
definitely watching him. We are
always hopeful of “llah s mercy upon
us, and wish that Allah will forgive
our faults on the Day of Qiyaamah,
yet we refuse to show mercy to His
creation. Here we become totally
heedless. If anybody troubles us, we
do not find rest until and unless we
take revenge.
54

• One of the Salaf said, "One of you
might see his own faults but he still
loves himself. He then hates his
Muslim brother on suspicion. So
where is the logic?"
55

Are You A Momin
• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon
him said “ momin does not taunt,
does not curse and reproach, does not
indulge in obscene talking and obscene
acts. [Tirmidhi]
58

 Did you make any sarcastic comments to
anybody today?
 Did you by word or gesture make fun of
anybody today?
 Did you insult anyone today?
 Did you demoralize anybody today?
 Did you put someone down for a mistake
that they made?
 Did you curse anybody today?
 Did you say anything vulgar today?
 Did you do anything obscene today?
We need to check No next to each of
these questions everyday to qualify as
Momineen. 59

• It is one thing to be a Muslim and
another to be a Momin. To be a
Muslim is a basic qualification, in
other words, you pass. To be a Momin
is a distinction. A Muslim has entered
Islam but does not have the Eeman
that a Momin possesses.
60

What To Say When Angry
• "Two men abused one another in the
presence of the Prophet (peace be
upon him) and one of them began to
get angry and his face got red. The
Prophet (peace be upon him) looked
at him and said, 'I know some words
that, if he says them, will remove
this from him. They are, I seek
refuge with Allah from the Accursed
Shaytan. " [”ukhari]
61

• The first cure for anger is to say
"audhu billahi minash-shaytan nir-
rajeem" which means, I seek refuge
with Allah from the Accursed
Shaytan. What does this have to do
with curing anger? Since anger comes
from Shaytan, you should seek refuge
with Allah from the accursed Shaytan.
62

• “fter this, think of “llah s
punishment. Allah has more power
over you than you have over that
person. Just as you are angry at
someone today, what if Allah ta ala
becomes angry and decrees to punish
you. What will you be able to do then?
• Think of Allah. Think of His power
and punishment. When an angry
person does not think of these things,
it proves that he has become ensnared
in the clutches of Shaytaan. How is it
possible that in spite of being
Momineen we forget Allah at such
moments? 63

All Intoxicants
• The Prophet (peace be upon him) was
once asked about mead. He replied,
Every drink that intoxicates is
forbidden. [Sahih ”ukhari]
66

• Al-Hasan al-Basri said, How could
any man ruin his mind, which is the
most beloved thing in God s creation,
with wine? “n “rab was once asked
why he did not drink, and he replied,
”y God, I am not happy with my
mind when it is sound, so why should
I corrupt it even further? [The
Seventy-Seven Branches of Faith by
Imam al-Bayhaqi]
67

• "According to official statistics, of the 5059
people who died in traffic accidents in Britain
in 1988, more than a thousand lost their lives as
a result of alcohol consumption. Similarly, over
a third of British hospital beds are occupied
with alcohol-related cases. But it is not merely
people s health that suffers from alcohol use.
More than half of ”ritain s violent crimes are
committed under the influence . The U.K.
economy loses more than 2 billion pounds
annually thanks to this drug. Suicide, sterility,
depression, brain damage, child neglect, wife
beating – these are just some of the other effects
of this habit forming narcotic." [Translator s
note, The Seventy-Seven Branches of Faith,
p.30, The Quilliam Press]
68

• “ wise man once asked his son, Why
do you drink? and he replied, It helps
to break up the food in my stomach.
”y God, his father replied, it will
break up your religion even more
surely. [The Seventy-Seven Branches of
Faith]
69

• Allah says in the Quran, Say: My
Lord has forbidden only shameful
acts, be they open or secret, and sin,
and wrongful oppression. [Surah :
133] . Imam al-Bayhaqi says: In this
verse, sin [ithm] is forbidden explicitly,
and it is said that ithm is actually one
of the names of wine, as is shown by
the following verse: I drank ithm, until
my mind went awry, Truly, ithm does
away with the minds of men.
70

What s there to “sk Forgiveness
for?
said O people, turn in repentance
to Allah! I swear by Allah that I
turn in repentance to Him more
than seventy times each day.
[Bukhari; Kitab ad-Da awaat]
71

• Do we feel grateful for everything Allah
(subhana wa ta ala) gives us every day of
food, clothes, family?
• We don t constantly thank “llah, yet if
the same behavior were exhibited
towards us, after one favor we would
withhold any other favors. So do we need
to turn to him in repentance or not?
• Do we thank Him for running water
coming so easily out of taps (or do we
complain for having to wash dishes)?
• Do we thank Allah (subhana wa ta ala)
for the light and fan working with the
touch of a button (or do we complain for
not having air-conditioning)?
72

• Do we thank Him for the tree outside
the window which shades in summer,
beautifies the view, and sheds its
leaves in winter so the warm sun can
come in?
• Do we thank Him for having someone
to talk to anytime we want in the form
of sisters/brothers? People are so
lonely and dependent on friends
because they don t have siblings.
• Do we thank Him everyday for hands,
feet, and organs that work or do we
only mention them when something
goes wrong.
73

• But most of all, do we constantly
thank Allah for making us Muslims,
those with a fantastic future ahead of
them? And do we care about the rest
of His creation by trying to bring them
into the mercy of Islam too? We got
into the shade out of the blazing hot
sun but did we care about the people
we left behind and did we invite them
to come in as well?
• Do we not need to repent to Allah for
how we behave?
74

Authority of the Sunnah
Preserve knowledge by writing.
[Ibn Abd al-Bir, quoted in Authority
of Sunnah by Muhammad Taqi
Usmani]
77

• In addition to memorizing ahadith, the
Companions of the Prophet, on his
encouragement, also wrote them down.
Many manuscripts are from that era. The
statements of the enemies of Islam, that
ahadith were not written down till three
centuries after the death of Prophet
Muhammad (peace be upon him), are
just another attempt to discredit the
Sunnah and thus render Islam
ineffective.
78

• Allah has taken upon Himself the
protection of the Quran. As it is the last
book to be revealed, none will be able to
tamper with it or change it till the Day
of Resurrection. “llah s promise of
preservation of revelation extends to the
Sunnah as well, since the Sunnah is
required in order to live by the Quran.
For example, the obligation to pray is
mentioned seventy three times in the
Quran, yet its details are not elaborated
therein. These are all available from the
Sunnah.
79

• In the Quran, whenever obedience of
Allah is mentioned, it is always coupled
with obedience to the Messenger of Allah
(peace be upon him). There is no ayat of
the Quran where obedience of Allah has
been mentioned alone, without
simultaneously enjoining obedience of
His Messenger.
“nd obey “llah and the Messenger so
that you may be blessed. [ : ]
Say, Obey “llah and obey the
Messenger; then, if you turn away, upon
him rests what is laid on him, and upon
you rests what is laid on you… [ : ]
80

• The prophets are the spokespeople of
Allah, therefore, obedience or
disobedience of what they bring is
obedience or disobedience of Allah. We
would not know what the will of Allah
is except through the intermediary i.e.
the Messenger.
“nd whoever obeys the Messenger,
thereby obeys “llah. [ : ]
Whatever the Messenger gives you,
take it, and whatever he forbids you,
refrain from it. [ : ]
81

Wasted Mountains
• The Messenger of “llah pbuh said People will
come on the Day of Judgement with good deeds
like the mountains of Tihaamah and Allah will
make their deeds like scattered dust. The
Companions (may Allah be pleased with them)
asked Will they not be Muslims? He pbuh
replied Of course! They will have prayed as you
pray, they will have fasted as you fast, they will
have spent in charity from their excess wealth
and will have given their portion of the night
(Tahajjud). However, when they were alone they
would violate the Sanctuary of Allah (i.e.
trespass into what is unlawful . [Ibn Majah]
82

• A hypocrite undertakes actions for the
sake of people and reputation. He
behaves differently when people are
not around to witness his deeds. The
purpose of his performing good deeds
is to win acclaim from people for
them. It is important for him to have
his good deeds witnessed and known.
• Why should Allah (subhana wa ta ala)
reward deeds that are done not for
Him but for other people? Good
deeds should be done only for Allah if
the reward is desired from Him.
83

• We ask Allah to purify our intentions
and save us from showing off and
from seeking fame. This is the most
dangerous of diseases because when a
servant is inflicted with it, it corrupts
all his actions.
84

“ ”eliever s Death
• The Prophet of Allah (peace be upon
him) said: "When the soul of a believer
comes out [of its body], two angels
receive it and rise with it towards the
heavens, whereupon the inhabitants of
the heavens say, 'A good soul has
come from the earth. Allah has blessed
you and the body which you used to
occupy.'" [Sahih Muslim]
87

• Verse of the Quran and many ahadith
give us a detailed picture of the events
that take place at the time of death.
From these sources the following facts
emerge:
88

• The Angel of Death comes to the believer,
sits at his/her head and says, 'O you good
soul, come out and receive your Lord's
forgiveness and pleasure.' Then the soul
flows out effortlessly just as water flows
from the mouth of a waterskin. When the
soul of a believer comes out of its body, two
angels [besides the angel of death] receive it
to escort him to the Heavens. They bring
with them beautiful clothing from Jannah,
some fragrance of musk, and a vase from
Jannah. Then they ascend with the soul to
Heaven, and they do not pass with it by any
group of angels but they say: 'What is this
good and sweet-smelling soul?' 89

• The two angels tell them (he is) "such"
the son of "such," choosing the best of
the names he used to be called in this
life, until they reach the lowest sky.
They ask permission to enter, and they
are granted entry. Thus they ascend
from one heaven to the next until they
end at the seventh heaven, then to
Allah, Exalted and High.
90

• Allah commands: "Write the book of
my servant in Illiyeen. " [“l-Quran
83:18] “nd so the believer s
book/record of deeds is written in
Illiyeen. Then Allah says, Return him
to the earth, for (I promised them) I
have created them from it, and into
it I shall return them, and from it I
shall extract (resurrect) them a
second time. [“l-Quran 20:55] So his
soul is returned to earth and reenters
his body. Thus, his time in Barzakh
begins.
91

“ Disbeliever s Death
him said “llah accepts the
repentance of the servant so long as his
ruh (spirit) has not arrived at his
throat. [Tirmidhi]
• “llah says If you could see when the
wrongdoers taste the pangs of death
and the angels stretch their hands out,
[saying], 'Deliver up your souls. This
day you will be awarded a degrading
punishment.' [“l-Quran 6:93]
92

• When an unbeliever is about to depart
from this world, angels with black faces
descend from the heavens carrying rough
hair-cloth, and sit around the dying person
in throngs stretching as far as the eye can
see. Then the Angel of Death comes and sits
at the head of the unbeliever and says: 'O
foul soul, come out to the wrath and anger
of Allah!' The soul inside the disbeliever's
body does not want to deliver itself up and
divides up in the body of the dying person,
whereupon the Angel of Death violently
pulls it and it is dragged out like a skewer
is pulled out of wet wool. [Ar-Ruh: The
Soul s Journey after Death, by Imam Ibn “l
Qayyim Al Jauziah] 93

• Then the “ngel of Death takes hold
of the soul. When he has grasped it,
the other angels do not leave it in his
hand even for the twinkling of an eye.
They take it and wrap it in the rough
hair-cloth and a stench emanates from
it like that of the most evil smelling
corpse on the face of the earth. [Ar-
Ruh: The Soul s Journey after Death,
by Imam Ibn Al Qayyim Al Jauziah]
94

• Then the angels ascend with the
depraved soul, and they do not pass
with it by any group of angels but the
angels ask: "What is this wicked soul?"
They are told (he is) "such" the son of
"such", choosing the most hated of the
names he used to be called by in this
life. For instance, Abu Jahl (Father of
Ignorance), whose actual name was
Umar, would have been called Abu
Jahl by the angels. The evil soul is
cursed by all the angels between the
earth and the sky and by all the angels
in the sky.
95

• When the angels reach the lowest heaven,
they ask permission to enter, but they are
not granted entry because of the evil soul
with them. No opening will there be of
the gates of heaven, nor will they enter
the Garden, until the camel can pass
through the eye of the needle. [“l-Quran
7:40] Then Allah, Exalted and High, says:
"Write the book of my servant in Sijjeen in
the lowest earth. The evil soul is
thereafter flung down with a mighty
hurl. It is cast back into its body and its
trial in the grave then begins. [Ar-Ruh:
The Soul s Journey after Death, by Imam
Ibn Al Qayyim Al Jauziah] 96

Weak and Oppressed in Paradise
upon him said Shall I not tell you
about the people of Paradise? The
Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with
them said Of course. He peace
be upon him said Every weak and
oppressed person; if he were to
implore Allah for anything, He
would grant it to him. [”ukhari]
99

• Most of those who enter Paradise will be
people who were weak and destitute in
the world. They were those whom we
usually ignore, care little about, and
easily trample over. But in the sight of
Allah they are important. They are
important because they fear Him and
worship Him faithfully with humility.
• Commenting on this hadith, An-Nawawi
said: It refers to those whom others
despise, scorn and oppress because of
their weak position in this world. What is
meant is that most of the people of
Paradise will be of this type, but it does
not mean that all of them will be (in
Paradise .
100

We Are Riders Seeking Shade
• Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with
him narrated The Messenger of
Allah (peace be upon him) was sleeping
upon a mat, then he stood, and the mat
had left marks on his side. We said, O
Messenger of Allah! We could get a bed
for you. He said, What do I have to do
with the world! I am not in the world
but as a rider seeking shade under a
tree, then he catches his breath and
leaves it. [Jami “t-Tirmidhi]
101

• When you check into a motel and find
it not to your liking do you start
ordering new furniture? Perhaps you
ask for an architect to redesign the
place?
• This world that we are so infatuated
with, and on amassing whose
comforts we spend the better part of
our time, health, and resources, is not
even equivalent to an inn, rest house,
or motel, but only a tree by the
roadside.
102

• We should remember how brief our
stay here is, but how significant, and
not waste it on gathering the goods of
this world but spend the best of our
wealth, time, health, and youth
gathering the goods of the Hereafter.
103

A Believer in the Grave
him) said: "When a deceased person
is laid in his grave, he hears the
sound of the footsteps of people as
they go away. If he is a believer, the
prayer will stand by his head, the
fasting will be to his right, alms to
his left, and all other good deeds of
charity, kindness to relations, and
good behavior will be by his feet."
[Ahmad]
106

• Then two fearsome, dread-inspiring
angels, called Munkar and Nakeer,
visit the soul to ask it about its
religion, God, and prophet. The
believing soul sits upright in its grave
as Allah grants it the strength to
answer the angels with full faith and
certainty.
107

Munkar and Nakeer: What is your
religion?
”elieving soul Islam.
Munkar and Nakeer: Who is your
Lord?
”elieving soul “llah.
Munkar and Nakeer: Who is your
Prophet? or What do you say about
this man?
”elieving soul Muhammad.
Munkar and Nakeer: How did you
come to know these things?
”elieving soul I read the ”ook of “llah
i.e. the Quran and I believed it.
108

• Then, when the soul passes the test, a voice
from the heavens will call out: My slave has
spoken the truth, supply him with
furnishings from Paradise, clothe him from
Paradise, and open a gate for him to
Paradise. The believer s grave is made
roomy and spacious and filled with light. He
is shown what would have been his abode in
Hell - had he been a wicked sinner - before a
portal is opened for him every morning and
evening showing him his actual home in
Paradise. Excited and full of joyful
anticipation, the believer will keep asking:
When will the Hour of Resurrection
come?! When will the Hour come?! until he
is told to calm down. [Tirmidhi]
109

A Disbeliever in the Grave
• Zaid bin Thabit (may Allah be pleased
with him) narrated how, when the Prophet
(peace be upon him) and his Companions
were once passing some graves of
polytheists, the Prophet s horse bolted and
almost unseated him. The Prophet (peace
be upon him explained These people are
being tortured in their graves, and were it
not that you would stop burying your
dead, I would ask Allah to let you hear the
punishment in the grave which I (and this
horse can hear. [Sahih Muslim]
110

• After the soul of a wicked person is
restored to its body, the two fearsome,
dread-inspiring angels, Munkar and
Nakeer, come to it for its interrogation.
“fter making him sit up, they ask: Who
is your Lord? The disbelieving soul
answers: “las, alas, I do not know.
Munkar and Nakeer ask: What is your
religion? The disbelieving soul says:
“las, alas, I do not know. Munkar and
Nakeer ask: What do you say about this
man Muhammad sent to you? The
disbelieving soul says: “las, alas I do not
know.
111

• Having failed his test, the disbeliever s head is
struck with an iron hammer with a force so
violent that it could crumble a mountain. A cry is
heard from heaven: He has lied, so spread out
carpets of Hell for him, and open for him a portal
into Hell. [“hmad] The floor of his grave is thus
set alight with some of Hell s fierce fire, and his
grave is made narrow and constricted to the
extent that his ribs become intertwined as his
body is crushed. [Ahmad] Then, an incredibly
ugly being, wearing ugly garments and giving off
a foul and offensive odour comes to the
disbelieving soul and says: ”e grieved with what
displeases you, for this is your day which you
have been promised. The disbeliever will ask:
Who are you, with your face so ugly and
bringing evil? The ugly one will reply: l am
your wicked deeds!
112

• The disbeliever is then made to taste bitter
remorse as he is shown what would have been his
abode in Paradise - had he lived a righteous life -
before a portal is opened for him every morning
and evening showing him his actual home in Hell.
[Ibn Hibban] Allah mentions in His Book how the
wicked people of Pharaoh are, at this very
moment, suffering from such an exposure to Hell
from within their graves: The Fire: they are
exposed to it, morning and afternoon, and on
the Day when the Hour will be established (it
will be said to the angels : Now cause
Pharaoh s people to enter the severest
torment! [Quran : ] Overcome with fear
and loathing, anxiety and despair, the disbeliever
in his grave will keep asking: My Lord, do not
bring the last hour. Do not bring the last hour.
113

What is Hospitality?
upon him said The people who
believe in Allah and the Day of
Judgement should show hospitality
to their guests. [”ukhari]
116

• Hospitality includes all those matters
which are essential for showing due
respect and honor to the guest and
making provisions for his comfort, peace,
happiness and fulfillment of needs.
Showing respect means treating your
guest with politeness and in good cheer;
entertaining him with pleasant
conversation, making provisions for his
rest and relaxation; introducing him to
your other respectable friends; arranging
provisions of food and drink for him
generously; and personally serving and
attending to him. [ Etiquettes of Life in
Islam by Muhammad Yusuf Islahi]
117

Wedding Greetings
used to congratulate the newly-
wedded with these words Baarak-
Allahu laka wa baaraka alaikuma wa
jama a bainakuma fee khairin.
[Tirmidhi]
118

• The meaning of this Dua is: May “llah
keep you in prosperity and confer His
blessings upon both of you and may He
grant you the favor of living together in
perfect harmony.
• What lovely wishes with which to
congratulate someone, how much more
eloquent than ”est Wishes!
• No need to fumble for words in
congratulating the bride or groom. Now
you know what to write in wedding
cards too. Subhan Allah! Allah (subhana
wa ta ala) did not leave us without the
best guidance for any situation!
119

Are Your Answers Ready
"A servant of God will remain
standing on the Day of Judgment
until he is questioned about his (time
on earth) and how he used it; about
his knowledge and how he utilized it;
about his wealth and from where he
acquired it and in what (activities) he
spent it; and about his body and how
he used it." [Tirmidhi]
122

• Have you ever thought about these
questions? Try to answer them now.
See where you stand. We better have
good answers to give on the Day of
Questioning.
123

Worst Container
upon him said The human does
not fill any container that is worse
than his stomach. It is sufficient for
the son of Adam to eat what will
support his back. If this is not
possible, then a third for food, a
third for drink, and a third for his
breath. [Jami at-Tirmidhi]
124

• Eating and drinking is not the be all and
end all of man s life. The main purpose of
our creation is to fulfill our oath of
allegiance to Allah [Quran, Surah Al-
“ raaf] and earn our place in Jannah. To
do so a healthy body helps and a healthy
body is maintained by keeping a part of
our stomachs empty at meal times. We
need to stop eating while we still feel a
little hungry. To constantly keep eating
till we feel satiated causes our stomachs
to go bad. We would, therefore, be well
advised to eat only as much as is
necessary.
125

Affectionate
• Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased
with him) said, "The Prophet (peace be
upon him) kissed al-Hasan ibn Ali (his
grandson) while al-Aqra ibn Habis was
with him. Al-Aqra said, 'I have ten
children and have never kissed any of
them.' The Messenger of Allah (peace be
upon him) looked at him and said,
'Anyone who does not show mercy will
not be shown mercy." [Sahih Bukhari]
128

• Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her)
said, "Some of the Bedouins came to the
Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)
and said, 'Do you really kiss your
children?' He said, 'Yes.' They said, 'But,
by Allah, we do not!' The Messenger of
Allah (peace be upon him) said, 'There is
nothing I can do if Allah has removed
mercy from your hearts!'" [Sahih
Bukhari]
• Emulate the Prophet (peace be upon
him) and be affectionate towards your
children.
129

What Makes Allah
Unresponsive
upon him said I swear by Him
Who has power over my life, you
must enforce virtue and curb evil,
otherwise Allah shall very soon send
such calamity over you that you will
cry and seek mercy from Allah but
you will get no response.
[Tirmidhi]
130

• Nowadays it is not considered polite,
or anybody s right, to tell someone
else what to do or what not to do. But
Allah (subhana wa ta ala) tells us that
when we stop reminding others to do
that which Allah (subhana wa ta ala)
has enjoined, and when we stop
telling others to leave doing what
brings “llah s wrath, then we will
soon be stricken with calamities and
misfortunes ourselves.
131

• You come home to find that your
house has been wrecked by your
younger children: windows are
broken, toys, food and clothes are
strewn all over the house, sofas are cut
open and walls scribbled on. Your
older children were at home and
silently allowed all of this to take
place while they watched. Will you
punish only the younger children or
the older children even more than the
younger ones?
132

• People say such things as, We asked
Allah for help to take us out of our
troubles but He didn t answer. This
hadith tells us why. They might be of
those people who had forgotten
“llah s rights over them in their good
times. They didn t bother to tell
people to abide by “llah s commands.
Now that the time of their
punishment has come, Allah will not
respond to them, as they had been
unresponsive to Allah. May Allah
(subhana wa ta ala) save us from this!
133

“ Muslim s Six Rights on You
• Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him)
reported that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh)
said, "The Muslim has six rights.
(1) When you meet him, you should greet him.
(2) When he invites you, you should accept his
invitation.
(3)When he asks you for counsel, you should
counsel him.
(4) When he sneezes and praises Allah, you should
bless him.
(5) When he is ill, you should visit him.
(6) When he dies, you should follow him (i.e. his
funeral procession)." [Sahih Muslim] 136

How many of these did you consider
another Muslim's right upon you? Ask
yourself:
(1) Do you greet other Muslims whenever
you come across them, whether you
know them or not?
(2) Do you accept invitations from
Muslims or do you reject the invitations
of those you consider beneath you? To
view yourself as superior because of
what Allah has bestowed upon you is an
act of arrogance, one of the major sins in
Islam.
137

To keep away from events where Allah
is disobeyed is commendable and a
Muslim should not participate in
disobedience to Allah because of having
been invited by another.
138

(3) Do you give sincere advice when asked,
putting yourself in your Muslim
brother/sister s shoes? If not, this is a
betrayal of trust and a form of lying.
(4) When a Muslim sneezes and says
'Alhamdolillah' do you say
'Yarhamakullah'?
(5) Do you visit, or at least call, when you
hear of a Muslim's illness?
(6) Do you take time out to join the funeral
of a Muslim when he/she dies?
139

• These are required of you. This means
that doing these earns sawaab/hasanaat
for you, while neglecting them accrues
sins for you.
140

You Will Be With Those Whom You
Love
• A man asked the Prophet (peace be
upon him), "When will the Hour be
established O Allah's Apostle?" The
Prophet (peace be upon him) asked,
"What have you prepared for it?" The
man said, "I haven't prepared for it
much of prayers or fast or alms, but I
love Allah and His Apostle." The
Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "You
will be with those whom you love."
[Bukhari]
141

• There are three important points to note
here:
1. There is something more important
than knowing when the Day of
Judgement will occur. The more
important thing is our preparation for
that Day. What good or bad deeds have
you sent forth for that Day? Each
person's Judgement begins as soon as
they die, and their grave becomes either a
pit of fire or a garden of Paradise.
Therefore, the most relevant thing to
worry about are our daily deeds, as we
never know when we will die and our
Judgement commence.
142

2. The questioner in the hadith did the
required (Fardh) prayers, fasts, and
charity but not a whole lot extra. Some
people do the opposite; they neglect
the Fardh while doing a lot of the
Sunnah (supererogatory). This is
misguided because the greatest
reward is for Fardh deeds and
punishment is for neglecting the
Fardh, not the Sunnah.
143

3. Most sobering is that you will be
with the people you love on the Day
of Judgement. If you love the
Muslims, you will be with the
Muslims and will follow them where
they will go (Jannah). If you have love
for the Kuffar, you will be with the
Kuffar on the Day of Judgement. Peer
into your heart to see who it is you
really love. This will tell you where
you will be on the Day of Judgement.
144

• On the Day of Judgement “llah will tell
the people, Follow the gods you used to
worship. So whoever used to worship
the cross will follow the cross, and
whoever used to worship an idol will
follow that idol." What Allah is telling us
is that if somebody didn t worship Him,
they shouldn't expect the Reward from
Him either. They should go to the gods
they worshipped for their reward. That s
the justice of Allah. Then Allah (subhana
wa ta'ala) will take all the false gods and
throw them in Hell; and their people will
have to follow them. And there is No god
besides Allah.
145

“llah s Compassion
• Narrated Abu Huraira (may Allah be
pleased with him): "I heard Allah's
Apostle (peace be upon him) saying,
“llah divided Mercy into one-
hundred parts and kept ninety-nine
parts of it with Him and sent down
one part on earth. And because of that,
its one single part, His creations are
Merciful to each other, so that even the
mare lifts up its hoofs away from its
baby animal, lest it should trample on
it. " [Sahih ”ukhari] 148

• The other ninety-nine parts Allah has
reserved for the Day of Judgement. The
one single part of Mercy which He sent
down is the cause of all the love and care
that is seen on earth by any and all
creatures, since creatures first came into
existence, until the end of their existence
at the end of time. It is a part of this
mercy that a mare carefully lifts her legs
so she does not trample her foal and a cat
does not scratch her kittens and that a
mother loves her child.
149

• It is estimated that there are 10-100
different species of organisms alive on
earth today, and each species has an
uncountable number of organisms.
The sum total of this love thus
becomes difficult to imagine. Yet this
is not even close to one hundredth of
“llah s Mercy.
150

• Imam Ibn Qayyim said that a believer
has two wings, one of good hope in
Allah and the other of fear of Allah's
punishment. These two feelings should
balance each other out in a believer, so
that he/she becomes neither over-
confident of “llah s forgiveness nor
despairs of the mercy of Allah.
151

Warn Your Nearest Kin
• Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with
him) narrated that when Allah revealed the
ayat, Warn your nearest kinsmen,
Prophet pbuh got up and said, O people
of Quraish! Buy (i.e. save) yourselves (from
the Hellfire) as I cannot save you from
Allah's Punishment; O Bani Abd Manaf! I
cannot save you from Allah's Punishment,
O Safiya, aunt of Allah's Apostle! I cannot
save you from Allah's Punishment; O
Fatima bint Muhammad! Ask me anything
from my wealth, but I cannot save you from
“llah's Punishment. [Sahih ”ukhari] 152

• Our relatives are entitled to our good
treatment in this world. But their
greatest right on us is that we save
them from the worst thing that could
happen to them. Definitely, the worst
thing that could happen to a person is
that they burn for eternity. Therefore,
of all people we should make special
effort with our nearest relatives to
save them from the Fire of Hell.
153

• Though our relatives may object, it is
because they are unaware of the
danger of which they are being
warned and from which they are
being saved. A man who is being
delivered from the danger of a fierce
lion does not object to who saves him
or how he saves him. But since
Jahannum is hidden from our eyes for
now, this service is generally not
appreciated at this time.
154

• The Prophet (pbuh) told his relatives
to buy themselves . This refers to the
deal we made with Allah (subhana wa
ta ala) in which we sold our lives and
wealth in exchange for Paradise. Thus,
he/she who uses his/her life and
wealth according to how the new
owner (Allah) wishes for them to be
used will have fulfilled their end of
the bargain and can hope for
deliverance from the Fire and
entrance into Jannah.
155

• ”ehold, “llah has bought of the
believers their lives and their
possessions, promising them Paradise
in return, [and so] they fight in Allah's
cause, and slay, and are slain: a
promise which in truth He has willed
upon Himself in the Torah, and the
Gospel, and the Qur'an. And who
could be more faithful to his covenant
than Allah? Rejoice, then, in the
bargain which you have made with
Him: for this, this is the triumph
supreme! [Quran : ]
156

Among the Workers of Allah
• A Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with
him) said, "O Prophet of Allah (pbuh) I
have a wife. When I meet her she says,
'Welcome my chief and the chief of my
household.' When she finds me in a sad
mood she says, 'Why worry about this
world when the provision for your afterlife
is being earned (anyway)?'" Upon hearing
this, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said,
"Inform that lady that she is among the
workers of Allah, and she earns half the
rewards of Jihad." [Kanz] 159

• This is the great reward for just
verbally honoring one s husband. We
should try to greet our spouses with
cheer and encouragement.
160

What's My Future
upon him) said: "Whoever wants to
know what Allah has prepared for
him, should look to what he has
prepared for Allah." [Abu Nu'aym,
al-Hilyah. Silsilah as-Saheehah]
161

• What a beautiful, simple formula to
calculate one's future with! Match
yourself against the Quran and the
Sunnah to know who you are, and
look what you have set aside for Allah
(subhana wa ta ala) to know what
Allah the Almighty and Majestic has
prepared for you.
• It is imperative that a person take his
soul to account and treat his
deficiencies. Umar (may Allah be
pleased with him) said, "Take account
of yourselves before you are taken to
account, weigh your deeds before they
are weighed." 162

• Hasan al Basri (rahimahu Allah) said
about the ayah, "No. I do swear by the
criticizing self..." [Surah Qiyamah: 2],
"A believer will always be critical of
himself in his food, his drink and his
speech. A sinner will not criticize
himself." He also said "A believer is a
guardian over himself: he takes
account of himself for Allah. Those
who take account of themselves in this
world will be audited lightly in the
Hereafter. Those who take this issue
lightly will find their auditing very
difficult." 163

• When a Muslim takes account of his actions, he is able to
realize the right of Allah over him. Ibn Qayyim said, "A
benefit of understanding Allah's right over the servant is
that it breeds condemnation of oneself and delivers one
from showing off and vanity. It also opens the door of
humbleness in front of Allah and closes the doors of
conceit. It allows one to realize that salvation is only
through Allah's grace and mercy. It is Allah's right that He
should be obeyed and not disobeyed: that He should be
remembered and not forgotten and that He should be
appreciated and not unappreciated. Whoever thinks over
these things will know with certainty that he cannot fulfill
these conditions and, thus, has to resort to Allah's mercy.
Such a person will be convinced that he cannot rely on his
actions, lest he be destroyed. Many people think about
their rights over Allah and do not about His rights over
them. This is how they are detached from Allah and
deprived of the desire to meet Him. This is the epitome of
ignorance of their Lord and of themselves." (Ighathatul
lahfaan 1/99-101; secondary reference)
164

Asking About the Nature of
Allah Most High
said, "People will keep wondering
and asking each other until it is said,
'This is Allah's creation, but who
created Allah?' Whoever finds
anything like this, let him say, 'I
believe in Allah and His
messengers.'"
167

• It is not possible to answer questions
about “llah s nature. This territory is a
slippery slope into the abyss of Kufr.
We have been warned against
exploring it and told to say that we
believe in Allah and what He has
revealed to us through His
messengers, and to wait patiently for
the Day of Judgment for all our
questions to be answered.
168

• Human beings have limited abilities of
sight, sound, hearing, experience and
intellect. It is a fact of life that we are not
all-powerful. For example, out of the
whole electromagnetic spectrum all that
human beings can see are the
wavelengths between 400 and 700 nm.
This we call visible light. ”ees on the
other hand are able to see ultraviolet
radiation markings on flowers, which
guide them to nectaries. Cobras are able
to see the infrared radiation that warm
bodies give off. This allows them to see
animals in what is pitch dark to us.
169

• As for our audible abilities, we can hear
sounds in the range of 20 Hz to 20,000
Hz. We cannot hear sounds that are
above or below this range. Dogs on the
other hand can detect frequencies as
high as 45,000 Hz, cats as high as 85,000
Hz, bats 120,000 Hz and dolphins an
amazing 200,000 Hz. While dogs, cats,
bats, and dolphins have an unusual
ability to detect ultrasound, an elephant
possesses the ability to detect infrasound
of a frequency as low as 5 Hz.
170

• Similar is the case of the limitations of
our sense of smell as well as other
senses. It is no wonder that Allah says:
He knows all that is beyond the
reach of a created being's perception
as well as all that can be witnessed
by a creature's senses or mind - the
Great One, the One far above
anything that is or could ever be!
[Al-Quran 13:9]
171

• Earlier nations used to pester their
prophets to ask Allah all kinds of
questions. Allah says that this resulted
in their getting answers that they were
not capable of understanding with their
limited experience and intelligence. As a
result, they turned to disbelief after
having experienced belief.
• Imagine a flat two dimensional worm
that sees and moves in only two
directions: forward-backward, right-left.
It has no concept of up and down.
Should an apple begin to descend into
its plane of existence, what would it see?
172

• The worm would see a red point that slowly
begins to expand. It mysteriously grows
larger and larger. Then as the apple begins
to descend through the plane of the worm s
existence, the red expanding circle begins to
contract until it becomes a point again and
disappears. Once the apple is below the
plane that the two dimensional worm exists
in, it has disappeared from the worm s sight.
Should the apple speak to the worm, the
worm would hear something but not know
where the sound is coming from. Were the
apple to try to explain its three dimensional
spherical shape to the worm, would the two-
dimensional worm be able to make any
sense of it? 173

• We too should accept our limitations
and not deny ourselves belief in Allah
just because our current abilities do not
allow us to fully comprehend His
Existence.
174

Wish for Death
• Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon
him) said, "None of you should wish
for death because of a calamity
befalling him; but if he has to wish
for death, he should say: 'O Allah!
Keep me alive as long as life is better
for me, and let me die if death is
better for me.'"
175

• Sometimes people are tested with
such calamities that there is no joy to
be found in living any more, and life
becomes a burden. In case any person
should happen to be in such a state,
the Prophet (peace be upon him),
nevertheless, told the person not to
wish for death. What matters most is
our second life, which is never going
to end and only Allah (subhana wa
ta ala) knows whether staying alive or
dieing is going to benefit our next life.
176

• This life, however it is will end. That's
the good news for those who are
going through trials. Since the afterlife
does not end, and Paradise gets better
with each day in eternity, while the
Fire of Hell only gets worse with each
passing day, we should try our best to
keep our focus on the next life.
177

Avoid Exaggeration
"Those who exaggerate will be ruined;
those who exaggerate will be ruined;
those who exaggerate will be ruined."
[Sahih Muslim]
180

• Simple advice that we can start
changing our lives with! Speech that is
devoid of exaggeration is almost
necessarily devoid of lying. For if a
person is careful enough to avoid
even exaggeration, it is not possible
that they would be careless enough to
lie. And one who avoids lying stays
on the path to Jannah.
181

Wudhu/Ablution
• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)
said, When a Muslim, or a believer, washes
his face (in the course of Wudhu), every sin
which he committed with his eyes, will be
washed away from his face with water, or
with the last drop of water; when he washes
his hands, every sin which he committed by
his hands will be effaced from his hands with
the water, or with the last drop of water; and
when he washes his feet, every sin his feet
committed will be washed away with the
water, or with the last drop of water; until he
finally emerges cleansed of all his sins.
[Sahih Muslim]
182

• This hadith informs us of the fantastic
blessings of Wudhu. Wudhu is a
means of purification of the body as
well as of the soul. Allah (subhana wa
ta ala) in His mercy has made clearing
ourselves of our sins as simple as
washing off dirt. Wudhu removes
minor sins, provided that these sins
are not related to the rights of people.
Sins which result from harming
another person are only forgiven by
either compensating the aggrieved,
obtaining his or her forgiveness, or
praying sincerely for him/her.
183

A Tolerant Man
upon him) said: "Allah likes a tolerant
man." [Sahih Muslim]
186

• Learn to ignore unpleasant things when
they concern your personal likes and
dislikes, and are not disobedience of
Allah. You will find that most of the
things you find intolerable are not
infringements of Allah's rights but rather
related to pleasing or displeasing you. If
you notice, hear, or see something,
which is unpleasant but can be tolerated,
act as though you have not seen it. Be
tolerant of the mistakes of others.
187

What s Your Legacy
• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)
said Verily, what reaches the momin of his
good works and good acts, after his death, is
the knowledge benefitted from … and a
righteous child which he has left (behind
him), or a book which he has given to
inherit, or a place of worship which he has
built, or a house for the homeless which he
has built, or a canal which he has caused to
be dug, or an act of charity which he has
done out of his wealth while in his health
and life. (The good effects thereof) reach him
even after his death. [Bayhaqi, Ibn
Majah]
188

• Ask yourself what legacy you are
leaving behind.
• Have you made an effort to leave
behind any sadaqa jaariya?
• Did you do it for the sake of Allah's
pleasure?
189

• Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) only
rewards our efforts when we do deeds
for His pleasure alone. Did you do
good deeds so people would
recognize you, praise you or reward
you? To the extent that your motive is
other than Allah's pleasure, your
reward in the akhirah is diminished.
For why should Allah reward you for
something you didn't do for Him in
the first place? Try to do good deeds
secretly in order to preserve the
benefit of your good deeds for the
akhirah, when you will really need it.
190

Allah is Shakoor
said: "Restore the trusts of those who
trust you, and deal not falsely with
him who deals falsely with you."
[Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi]
193

• The only way that a person can acquire
steadfastness in doing good is by
purifying their intention and doing good
only for Allah's pleasure, expecting
reward from Him alone. As said: "If you
do a good deed by a human they will
repay you with ten bad deeds, but if you
do a good deed by Allah, He repays
with a minimum of ten goodnesses."
194

• When we look at people's reactions they
can be very discouraging. But he/she
who has Allah in mind is never
discouraged from doing good. One of
Allah's names is Ash-Shakoor (the one
who appreciates in the best possible way).
Not the slightest thing goes by Him
unnoticed. He is the one who notices the
good that you do even when no one is
looking. Only when a person becomes
aware of this, can they keep people's
trusts.
195

Virtue Saves from Consequence
of Wickedness
upon him said “cts of kindness
and virtue save a man from the
adverse consequences of his wicked
deeds. The charity that is given
discreetly cools down “llah s anger
and kindness to relatives increases a
man s age. [Tibraani]
196

• When we throw a ball against a wall it
comes back at us, because every action
has an equal and opposite reaction. So
also we should be aware that all our
evil deeds will come back and hurt us.
But while we are helpless against
having a ball bounce back, we can
prevent the fallout of our bad actions
from hitting us.
• “llah s Messenger peace be upon
him) told us that by being kind and
doing good deeds we can escape the
consequences of our wicked deeds.
197

• He (peace be upon him) told us that
by giving Sadaqah in such a way that
people don t notice so there is no
worldly recognition and self-
glorification , we cool down “llah s
anger directed at us due to our
disobedience of His commands.
• And he (peace be upon him) told us
that treating relatives kindly increases
a person s lifespan.
198

Ayat ul-Kursi after Fardh
Salat
• Abu Umamah (may Allah be pleased
with him) narrated that the
him) said, "Whoever recites Ayat ul-
Kursi immediately after each
prescribed Prayer, there will be
nothing standing between him and
his entering Paradise except death."
[Nasai, Ibn Hibban, Darimi]
201

• Ayat ul-Kursi is so important because it
contains a description of the attributes of
Allah. The only way we can know Him is
through His sifaat/characteristics.
• One of the attributes of Allah mentioned
in Ayat ul-Kursi is that He is always
awake and fully alert. No sleep overtakes
him, nor does He ever get drowsy. To
sleep is one of the attributes of created
beings, and all of creation is limited in
many ways.
202

• Bani Israil asked Musa (alaihis salaam)
to ask Allah if He ever slept. Allah's
response to Musa (alaihis salaam) was
to tell him to take two glass bottles and
remain standing with them. A day
passed, and then two. Finally Musa
(alaihis salaam) was overcome by
tiredness and sleep. For the fraction of
a second that his eyes closed and his
grip on the bottles loosened, the bottles
crashed to the ground and shattered
into tiny fragments. Allah told Musa
(alaihis salaam) that if He were to sleep
for the blink of an eye, the universe
would similarly be destroyed.
203

• Knowing that Allah does not sleep
allows us to sleep soundly. We put our
trust in Him since no one can do a
better job than Him in watching over
us.
204

Value-Added Recording
him said “llah, the Mighty and
Majestic, has said, When My slave
wants to do an evil action, you should
not write it down until he does it. If he
does it, then write down the equivalent
of it. If he does not do it for My sake,
then write it down as a good action for
him. If he wants to do a good action and
does not do it, then write it down as a
good action. If he does it, then write
down ten to seven hundred of its like.
205

• This hadith describes “llah s orders to
the recording angels on how to record
our intentions and deeds. It shows us
how greatly Allah (subhana wa ta ala)
values our good intentions as well as
good deeds, how eager He is to
reward us, and how reluctant He is to
punish us. We find that even evil
intentions carry reward when we
refrain from acting on them out of
consciousness of Allah (subhana wa
ta ala).
206

• Sufyan (rahimuhulla) was asked:
How do the angels know that a
person intends a good or evil action?
He replied, When someone intends a
good action, they smell the scent of
musk coming from him, and when he
intends an evil action, they smell a
putrid smell coming from him.
• Ibn Hajar said in Al-Fath Al-Bari,
This hadith indicates that the angel is
aware of what is in the heart of the
human being, either by Allah
acquainting him with it or by creating
for him knowledge by which he
perceives it. 207

• Al-Hasan al-Basri said about the ayat When the
two angels meet together, sitting one on the right,
and one on the left, not a word he utters, but by
him is an observer ready at hand. [Quran : 7] :
O son of “dam! “ scroll has been unfurled for
you and two noble angels have been entrusted
with you, one on your right and the other on your
left. The one on your right records your good
actions. The one on your left records your evil
actions. So do what you wish, whether it is a little
or a lot. Then, when you die, your scroll will be
rolled up and placed by your neck with you in
your grave until you emerge on the Day of Rising.
Then “llah “lmighty will say: We have fastened
the destiny of every man about his neck and on
the Day of Rising We will extract a book for him
which he will find spread open in front of him.
Read your book! Today your own self is reckoner
enough against you! [Quran 7: - ]
208

“ttacking another s “ncestry
Two qualities in people are unbelief
attacking another s ancestry, and
wailing over the dead. [Sahih
Muslim]
211

• This hadith does not mean that these
things put one beyond the pale of Islam,
but that they are the actions of the
unbelievers and therefore sinful deeds
that must be abstained from.
212

Verify Your Words
said It is lying enough for a man
to repeat everything he hears.
[Sahih Muslim]
213

• This is an exhortation for us to choose
our words carefully and speak only
after ascertaining the facts about which
we speak. This is because there are
angels with us that record every word
that we utter. Every gesture, every
glance, and our every deed are
recorded. After we have said something
we no longer have control over it. It is
like an arrow that has left the bow, or a
bullet that has exited the gun. We will
continue to be responsible for it for as
long as it circulates among people and
any good or harm that it does.
214

Acquiescing to Disobedience
• The Prophet (peace be upon him) said,
Whoever of you sees something
wrong, let him change it with his
hand. If unable, then let him change it
with his tongue. If unable, then with
his heart. And that is the weakest
degree of faith. [Sahih Muslim]
217

• And in the hadith related by Imam
Muslim concerning oppressors, the
Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
Whoever fights them with his hand is a
believer, whoever fights them with his tongue
is a believer, whoever fights them in his heart
is a believer. Beyond that, there is not a
mustard grain of faith.
• This hadith proves that whoever does not
condemn acts of disobedience in his
heart, or wish they would cease, is devoid
of faith. Fighting with the heart includes
asking Allah Most High to annihilate the
falsehood and its perpetrators, or guide
them if they are worthy of guidance. 218

Unsuccessful Fisherman
upon him said If “llah has
decreed a rank for one of his servants
to reach, but his deeds will not
suffice him to reach this rank, then
Allah afflicts him with hardship
with respect to his body, wealth and
children. Then he perseveres through
this until he reaches the high rank
that Allah has decreed for him to
reach. [“hmad]
219

• Once upon a time two men went
fishing. One was a disbeliever and the
other was a Muslim. When the
disbeliever would throw his fishing
net he would take the names of his
gods and his net would fill with fish.
When the Muslim would throw his
net out he would do so with “llah s
name, but no fish would get caught in
his net. This state of affairs continued
till sunset when, finally, the Muslim
caught one fish.
220

• However, this fish jumped out of his
hands back into the water. So this
poor Muslim had to return home
without a single fish, while the
disbeliever s bag was overflowing
with fish. On witnessing this strange
and sad outcome the angels
accompanying the Muslim were upset
and asked Allah (subhana wa ta ala),
O our Lord! How is it that your
Momin servant, who takes Your
Exalted Name returns empty handed
while your disobedient, disbelieving
servant returns with such success that
his bag is full of fish?
221

• Allah (subhana wa ta ala) showed the
Muslim s angels the beautiful palace
that He had prepared for him in
Paradise and asked, O angel, after
reaching this place do you think that
any of the anguish and sadness that
my Momin servant experienced
because of his failure to catch fish will
remain with him?
222

• And showing the horrible place
prepared for the disbeliever in Hell,
Allah (subhana wa ta ala asked: Will
those things that were granted to the
disbeliever in life, be able to rescue
him from the eternal punishment of
Hell?
The angel replied, O my Lord! I
swear by Your existence that this can
never happen. [Imam “hmad]
223

As You Will Be
“s you will be, so will be those who
shall be put in command over you.
[Baihaqi]
226

• This is true on all levels. Regarding corrupt
leaders this is true.
• This is also true for marriage. Every person
has the power of bringing out the best in
their partner. Just try the time-tested
formula of becoming the way you want
them to be. What happens mostly is that
instead of earning respect we expect respect
or instead of giving love, we demand love.
• Allah only helps those who help
themselves. Do not sit around and
complain. Make an effort to become a better
person yourself and bestow your partner
with whatever you need, in order to witness
the enchantment of getting all the things
that you long for.
227

Ummah's Most Blessed Time
prayed O “llah! Make the rising
in the morning of my Ummah
auspicious. [“bu Dawud]
228

• Early morning, the time from dawn
onwards, is especially blessed for
Muslims. To safeguard this time,
Allah (subhana wa ta ala) has required
Muslims to arise early to pray.
• If we realize that our days are
numbered, and that the time gone by
will never be given to us again, then
we will begin the day with
determination to derive maximum
benefit from it and we will take care to
see that we rise early and use the most
blessed time of the morning well.
229

Are Your Two Days Equal
He whose two days are equal, is a
loser. [Daiylami]
232

• A Mumin is racing towards Jannah.
He/she is always trying to have their
today better than their yesterday. They
want to keep increasing in piety and good
deeds. They try to devote more time,
energy, and resources with each passing
day to win “llah s pleasure. They want
their inner self to be better today than it
was yesterday and their tomorrow to be
better than today. They don t want to
repeat their mistakes, they learn from
their experiences, and try to purify their
hearts and their intentions to make them
better all the time. Thus, a Mumin s two
days are not equal.
233

• A Mumin s competition is with
himself/herself because they know that
as they get better they win more of
“llah s pleasure and thus higher and
better places in Jannah. It is immaterial
how good one is compared to others.
However, when a believer sees another
trying harder than oneself for “llah s
pleasure, it motivates them too. The
Sahabah competed with each other, but
not for the things of this world.
234

• In order to finance the expedition to Tabuk
against the Romans, the Prophet (pbuh)
made a public request for charity. Umar
thought that this was his chance to outdo
Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with
him). It was almost impossible to outdo
Abu Bakr in any good deed, so Umar (may
Allah be pleased with him) brought half of
his belongings and placed them before the
Prophet (pbuh). It turned out that Abu
Bakr had brought everything that was in
his house as sadaqah for Ghazwa Tabuk.
When he was asked by the Prophet (pbuh)
what he had left for his family, he replied,
“llah and His Messenger.
235

• We compete with each other so that we can
have a nicer house than our friends and
relatives, or a bigger car, or are more well-
dressed, or are held in higher esteem due to
our education or job titles. But the Sahabah
competed for the Hereafter. They were
always trying to outdo each other in good
deeds and piety. Their motivation was not
money or fame or social standing, but
“llah s Pleasure.
• If each day you make only one tiny
improvement; tell one less lie, do one
additional act of sadaqah, learn one small
hadith, think of how much you will
improve over time. Are your two days
equal in accomplishment?
236

Unfulfilled Wishes Converted to
Good Deeds
him said There shall not be a single
prayer offered by a pious person
concerning which “llah will not state, I
granted this prayer (Dua) of yours in the
world and I added that desire of yours to
the balance of your reward in eternity.
The pious person will ponder then,
Would that none of my prayers Duas)
been granted in the mortal world! Hence,
the servant should continue to pray under
all conditions. [Hakim]
237

• This hadith gives us the wonderful
news that those wishes of ours that
Allah (subhana wa ta ala) does not
grant us in life will be stored for us as
good deeds, to be placed in our
balance on the Day of Judgement.
When we see on the Day of
Judgement that in place of our
unanswered supplications Duas)
are the bounties of Jannah, we will
then wish that none of our wishes had
been granted in the life of this world!
238

• A point to note here is the use of the
word pious regarding that person
whose every wish is converted into
something good for him (whether in
this life or the next). Try not to
disobey Allah (subhana wa ta ala) in
any matter big or small, in order to be
counted among the pious.
239

• Then put complete faith in Allah
(subhana wa ta ala) as to the
acceptance of your Duas. Don t give
up supplicating Allah if quick results
in the form of the fulfillment of your
wishes are not forthcoming. Instead of
feeling anxious about the acceptance
of your Duas, concentrate on doing
your duties as the slave of Allah and
on asking for all things from Him.
240

Appoint a Leader
him said When three people go on a
journey they must appoint one of them
as their ameer leader . [“bu-Dawud]
243

• Every successful organization is headed
by a single leader. Having multiple
leaders results in clashing wills and
efficiency and the purpose of
organization is lost. This hadith
indicates the necessity of being
organized at all times, even if it is only
three people on a journey. Leadership in
Islam is to be entrusted to the most
capable and Allah fearing, whose job it
is to take counsel from those around
him. It is the duty of the rest to give
good counsel but obey their leader in
whatever he decides.
244

• It must be remembered though that
obedience to any human being is subject
to “llah s obedience. He who disobeys
Allah for the sake of obeying a person is
then enslaved by that person as a
punishment from Allah. One example of
this is the enslavement of our countries
to the back breaking and poverty
engendering laws of the IMF and World
”ank. We disregarded “llah s
prohibitions on interest (riba) and thus
we are now in their clutches.
245

Unlawful for Hell to Consume
said I will tell you the
distinguishing marks of a person for
whom the fire of Hell has been made
unlawful and who is a forbidden
person for Hellfire to consume; He is
a man who bears a sweet temper,
tender heart and is soft-spoken.
[Tirmidhi]
246

• Tenderness, politeness and civility
generate feelings of affection and love
in the heart and it is on the basis of
these virtues that a good society can
be formed.
• Begin practicing your sweet temper,
tender heart and soft spokenness on
your family – your parents, your
spouse, your children, your siblings.
They are first and foremost deserving
of your good conduct. Then expand
this manner of behavior to all whom
you come in contact with.
247

As Fire Consumes Wood
”eware of envy, for envy consumes
good works as fire consumes wood.
[Abu Dawud]
250

• Envy takes eeman away as a fire
reduces wood to ashes. A person who
envies desires that the goods granted to
the envied person be taken away from
him. That is to say, the main objective of
a man who envies his affluent neighbor
is not to be affluent but that his
neighbor be poor. He doesn t like for
another person to be at parity with him
or better than him. This is a disgraceful
and mean property not befitting of
Muslims.
251

• Envy and pride go hand in hand. When a
person allows himself false pride then he
envies others so that he can have more
than what the other has in order to exhibit
greater pride. Whereas, Allah made us
and either directly gave us what we are
proud of or allowed us the opportunity to
become who we are. In each and every
case all good is from Allah. Therefore, all
pride is false. It is attributing to oneself
what can only be attributed to Allah.
Thus, pride is also the biggest lie one tells
oneself. It is the lie that, I am
something.
252

• Envy and pride are two major sins and
fundamental flaws of character. If there
are two huge cracks in the foundations
of a building the smallest of tremors
will bring the building crashing down.
Thus also does eeman come crashing
down if these flaws of envy and pride
are present in a Muslim.
253

• Look at what envy and pride did to
Iblees. He was such a devout worshipper
of Allah that he had been raised from the
level of the Jinn to the level of angels. But
pride in himself and envy at the station
that Allah had destined for Aadam
(alaihis salaam) and humans, caused his
years of worship to evaporate instantly
and He refused to submit to Allah. He
continued in his disobedience of Allah,
getting bolder and bolder in his
insolence, because his false pride in who
he was wouldn t let him bow down
before Allah and seek forgiveness.
254

Useless and Immoral
upon him said The greatest in
sins on the Day of Judgement will be
the one most given to speaking about
the useless and immoral. [Ibn Abi
Dunya]
255

• Conversing about what is useless or
immoral means discussing acts of
disobedience, such as stories about
drinking sessions and fornicators when
there is no legitimate purpose connected
with the conversation. Gossip, soap
operas, etc. are all unlawful because they
manifest one s own disobedience or
another s without there being any need
to.
• Now judge what T.V. shows, movies and
novels are all about. Will they add to
your good deeds on the Day of
Judgement or burden the Scale in
evidence against you?
256

Always Alhamdulillah
• Abu Yahya Suhaib bin Sinan (may
Allah be pleased with him) reported
that the Messenger of Allah (peace be
upon him said How wonderful is the
case of a believer; there is good for him
in everything and this applies only to a
believer. If prosperity befalls him, he
expresses gratitude to Allah and that is
good for him; and if adversity befalls
him, he endures it patiently and that is
good for him. [Sahih Muslim]
259

• For a Muslim there is reward (hasanaat),
and thus eternal good (khair), in every
circumstance. Since Allah is responsible
for all the good that comes to us we
thank and praise Him by saying and
feeling “lhamdulillah in all
circumstances.
• There was once a courtier of a king who
would always say, “lhamdulillah. One
day the king s hand got cut. The courtier
exclaimed, “lhamdulillah. The king got
very upset at this and had the courtier
thrown into prison. The courtier again
said “lhamdulillah on being put in jail.
260

• Some time later the king went on a hunt. As
he was sleeping under a tree a lion came to
attack him. But on smelling the blood and
flesh from the king s cut hand he left him
alone considering him to be already dead.
When the king realized how his cut hand
had saved him he thought of his courtier. He
had him recalled from prison and asked
him, I understand your wisdom in
proclaiming “lhamdulillah when my hand
got cut, but why did you say “lhamdulillah
when you were thrown into prison? The
courtier replied, If I hadn t been put in jail I
would have accompanied you on your hunt.
The lion would have left you alone but gone
after me. 261

• Thus, a Muslim always says
“lhamdulillah. When he is happy and
feels grateful to Allah he is rewarded by
Allah. And when he is sad but patient
with “llah s Decree, he is again
rewarded by Him.
262

Household Work Equivalent to
Jihad
• Women asked “llah s Messenger peace
be upon him , O Messenger of “llah, by
performing Jihad the men have grabbed
“llah s favors. Is there any deed that we
women can do through which we can
obtain the same reward of performing
Jihad? The Messenger of “llah peace be
upon him said, Yes, if one of you does
the work of her house it will fetch her the
same reward as performing Jihad.
[Baihaqi]
263

• All the work that is performed inside
the house - whether it be related to
cooking, cleaning, taking care of
children or organizing things - can be a
source of great reward for women. So
don t complain about it. If you want
Allah (subhana wa ta ala) to give you
Jannah in return for this simple work,
thank Him for providing you with this
easy way in which to earn the great
reward of Jihad, and do it happily.
264

• Nobody can reward you as
extravagantly as Allah (subhana wa
ta ala) can for changing diapers, reading
to your children, washing dishes,
sweeping floors, etc. So don t look
towards anyone else for compensation
and feel grateful that while men have to
participate in the most difficult of
activities – Jihad - you get the same
reward by cheerfully doing the work of
your house instead. Subhan-Allah!
265

The Slave Who Taught
Manners
upon him taught us to say O
Allah, I ask You for the good that
Your slave and Prophet has asked
You for, and I seek refuge with You
from the evil from which Your slave
and Prophet sought refuge. [Ibn
Majah]
266

• While this is a short yet
comprehensive Dua and part of a
larger invocation it also tells us that
regardless of the position any one of
us holds with respect to any other
human, in relation to Allah (subhana
wa ta ala), we are all His slaves. The
him was “llah s slave and each
human being is “llah s slave, willing
or unwilling!
267

• Hasan Basri (rahimatullahu alaihi), a
Tabiee who had the good fortune of
having met a hundred and twenty
Sahabah, bought a slave. He asked the
slave, O slave, what is your name?
The slave replied, Sir! Slaves do not
have a name except that by which
their master addresses them.
Hasan Basri (rahimatullahu alaihi)
then asked him, What do you prefer
to eat? The slave replied, Sir, a slave
has no preferences of food. Whatever
the master provides, he eats.
Whatever he feeds one, one eats.
268

• Hasan Basri (rahimatullahu alaihi) then
asked, What clothing do you prefer to
wear? To this, the slave replied, Sir, slaves
have no preferences pertaining to clothes.
Whatever the master dresses them in, are
their clothes. With whatever he clothes, one
wears.
On hearing this Hasan Basri (rahimatullahu
alaihi) fell unconscious.
On regaining consciousness he said, I have
set you free. The freed slave firstly thanked
him by saying Jazak“llah and then asked,
What was the basis of freeing me? Due to
what happiness do I owe my freedom?
Hasan Basri (rahimatullahu alaihi) replied,
You have taught me the meaning of true
servitude to Allah (subhana wa ta ala . 269

• Thus, whatever Allah feeds one with,
one must happily eat; whatever He
clothes one with, one must happily
wear; and the wife He grants one, be
pleased with her.
270

Asr Salat
“mong the Salat (prayers) there is
one Salat (prayer), whoever misses it,
it is as if he were deprived of his family
and his wealth. [Sahih Muslim]
3

• Imagine how a person would feel if
they heard that a fire had burnt
down their home, all their belongings
had been destroyed and their family
killed. May Allah save us from such a
fate! It is similar to this what a person
loses, when they miss the Asr prayer.
4

The Air Conditioning of
Worship
upon him said To cast a glance at
the charms of a woman is one of the
poisonous arrows of Iblees. Allah
grants him the taste of exhilarating
worship who refrains from such
glances. [Minhaaj ul Abideen by
Imam Ghazzali]

• You are traveling in a desert and it is
burning hot. You are in a new car with
good air conditioning. You have
turned the air conditioning on but
somehow don t feel its cooling effect.
On investigation it turns out that a
window has been left partially open.
This is letting the scorching heat in
and preventing you from experiencing
the coolness generated by the air
conditioning.
6

• Allah (subhana wa ta ala) has guaranteed
peace and contentment of the heart to
those who remember Him. Those who
believe and whose hearts are peaceful
with the remembrance of Allah. Listen,
only in the remembrance of Allah do
hearts find peace. [Quran: Surah Ar-
Raad, Ayat 28]
• But worship is like air-conditioning. Its
coolness is felt in the heart and mind
when the windows of the eyes, the ears,
the tongue, the hands, the heart, and the
stomach are closed to sin by Taqwa – the
fear and awareness of Allah (subhana wa
ta ala). 7

• If a man looks at women other than his wife,
the hot air of this sin ruins the cooling effect
of the worship he performs. Similarly, if a
person backbites, then it is as though they
have left the window of their tongue down,
and the hot wind coming in through it
doesn t allow the air conditioning of worship
to cool their heart. If they harbour jealousy or
eat Haraam food, the windows of their heart
and stomach weren t shut against the heat,
again depriving their worship of providing
them peace of mind. Thus, despite praying
and much recitation of the Quran, Duas and
performance of Nawafil, such a person
remains mentally disturbed and uneasy with
himself and the world around him.
8

• We should try to give up our sins. But
we should continue with worship
even if we are involved in some sin
and find it difficult to give up. The
day we give up sinning, the utterance
of one “llah will allow us to
experience the air-conditioning of the
heavens and the earth. The heart will
be granted perfect peace and
tranquility.
9

At the Hands of Their Tongues
”eware, … for what else throws men
into the Fire upon their faces or upon
their noses, but the harvests of their
tongues. [Tirmidhi]
12

• Some people use their tongues without
reservation and without giving any
thought to its consequences. Anything is
fair game for them - the Sahabah, “llah s
Laws (Shariah), ordinary Muslims,
Mujahideen. They liberally slaughter
them at the hands of their tongues.
• Keep in mind that The Prophet (peace
be upon him) was warning Muslims
with this hadith. This is because often a
Kaafir will not dare to say what a
Munafiq will casually utter confident of
impugnity.
13

• ”ut “llah s appointed angels keep track of
every word uttered against Abu Bakr
(may Allah be pleased with him), Aisha
(may Allah be pleased with her), Abu
Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with
him), Umar (may Allah be pleased with
him), Uthman (may Allah be pleased with
him) and everybody else near and dear to
“llah. Those who criticize “llah s laws as
backward or excessive need to think
about whether they would dare to say
this to Allah on the Day of Judgment,
because their words will be played, audio
and video, for all to see, when they stand
before Him on that frightful Day.
14

• In a gathering of doctors no layman
dares to say what a patient s diagnosis
and treatment should be. Nor would
such a person be paid any attention.
Then why is it that when it comes to
Islam, every Islamically illiterate person
feels that they have the right to spout
their opinion?
15

• A person may plant a seed and then
leave to come back years later to find
that it has become a deeply rooted,
gigantic, tree. When you plant a seed
of doubt in Islam - in the Prophethood
of Muhammad (peace be upon him),
in the authority of his Sunnah, or in
the integrity of his Sahabah - in
people s minds, then don t be
surprised if this seed becomes a tree of
corruption, a tree of Kufr, and a
lifetime of wrong-doing. Then don t be
surprised if this tree causes you to be
thrown on your face into Jahannum.
16

Types of People Anger Wise
him) said: "Some are swift to anger
and swift to cool down, the one
characteristic making up for the other;
some are slow to anger and slow to cool
down, the one characteristic making up
for the other; but the best of you are
those who are slow to anger and swift
to cool down, and the worst of you are
those who are swift to anger and slow
to cool down." [Tirmidhi]

• In other words, the best people are
those who spend the shortest time
being angry, and the worst people are
those who spend the longest time in a
state of anger.
• A point to realize and remember is
that a short tempered person thinks
very highly of himself for hidden
within anger is the trait of pride.
18

• When striking out in anger a person
has the inferiority of the opposite
party embedded in his heart and
attempts by his anger to prove his
own superiority.
• When you succumb to anger, study
your face, and if you can record your
voice, the inflections therein. You will
realize that it is very much like
Shaytaan s.
19

Asking Allah to Bless His
Messenger
him said If anyone invokes blessings
on me once, Allah will grant him ten
blessings, wipe out ten of his wrong
actions, and raise him up ten levels.
[Muslim, Kitab as-Salah]
22

• The Quran has stated that a good deed
is multiplied by ten, and invoking
blessings on the Messenger of Allah
(peace be upon him) is, according to the
Quran, a good deed which accordingly
gives the one who does it ten grades in
the Garden.
• Furthermore, Allah has granted the
servant who remembers Him the
reward of his being remembered by
Him. In the same way, the servant who
remembers His Messenger (peace be
upon him), is rewarded by his being
remembered by Him.
23

The Prize for Self Control
upon him said One who desires
that lofty mansions be constructed
for him in Jannah and that he be
granted high levels in Jannah should
forgive those who deal unjustly with
him, he should give to those who
deprive him and he should establish
ties with those who sever them.
[Rooh ul Ma aani]

• We are wounded by words, attitudes
and behavior all the time. ”ut aren t
the high, beautiful, strongly built
mansions of Jannah worth
suppressing our negative feelings
for?
• But how many times do we retort and
how many times do we swallow our
anger, forgive the person who deals
unjustly with us, give to him who
exclude us, and keep taking steps to
enhance relationships with those who
cut off from us?
25

• Sometimes we don t even forgive the
people nearest and dearest to us such
as our children, our spouses, our
parents, our aunts and uncles. With
every sunset ask yourself who did you
forgive today and who were you
exceptionally nice to despite their
angering you?
26

A Thousand Hindrances
If people became aware of the rewards
and blessings of offering prayers in
Jamaat, they would hasten to join the
Jamaat for prayer despite a thousand
hindrances. The first row of a Jamaat
for prayer is like the row of angels. It is
better for two men to offer prayers
together than separately. The larger the
congregation the dearer it is to “llah.
[Abu Dawud]
29

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