Surah Al-Waqiah (The Event) recited by Ibraheem Jibreen

The Muslim Has a Sense of Humor

The Muslim Has A Sense Of Humour Dr. Muhammad Ali Al-Hashimi The Ideal Muslim © 1999 IIPH

The Muslim has a sense of humour, which makes people like him. He mixes with them and jokes with them when it is appropriate to do so, without going to extremes or saying anything hurtful. Similarly, when he is serious, he does not go to extremes of harshness and strictness. His humour is within the limits of Islamic tolerance, and does not go beyond the bounds of truth. This is the example of the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) and the Sahabah in their jokes and humour. It is reported that the Sahabah said to the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam): “You are joking with us.” He said, “But I never say anything but the truth.” (Bukhari)

The Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) used to joke, but he never said anything but the truth in his jokes. The Sahabah took the same approach to humour. There are many delightful reports about the jokes exchanged between the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) and the Sahabah. Among the stories related in the books of hadith and sirah is the report that the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) used to joke with the small child of one of the Sahabah, a boy called Abu ‘Umayr, who had a small bird he used to play with. One day he saw the child looking sad, so he said, “Why do I see Abu ‘Umayr looking sad?” The Sahabah told him, “The nughar [a small bird, like a sparrow – author] which he used to play with has died, O Messenger of Allah.” The Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) began to gently joke with the child, saying, “O Abu Umayr, what happened to the nughayr?” [Nughayr: diminutive of nughar. – author.  In Arabic, this is a play on words, because of the rhyme between the boy’s name and that of the bird. – Translator. This story was reported in Hayat al-Sahabah, 3/149]

A man came to the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) to ask him to give him a beast to ride. The Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) jokingly told him, I will give you the offspring of a she-camel to ride.” He said, “O Messenger of Allah (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam), what will I do with the offspring of a she-camel?” The Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) said: “Are riding-camels born except from she-camels?” [Reported by Ahmad, Abu Dawud and al-Tirmidhi, with a sahih isnad.]

Imam Ahmad reported from Anas (radhiallahu `anhu) that there was a man from the desert people whose name was Zahir. He used to bring gifts from the desert to the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam), and in return the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) would provide him with whatever he needed when he went out to fight. The Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) said, “Zahir is our man of the desert, and we are his town-dwellers.” The Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) loved him very much, and he (Zahir) was an ugly man. One day the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) came to him whilst he was selling some goods. He embraced him from behind. The man could not see him, so he said, “Let me go! Who is this?” Then he turned around and recognized the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam), so he tried to move closer to him once he knew who it was. The Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) started to say, “Who will buy this slave?” Zahir said, “O Messenger of Allah (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam), you will find me unsellable.” The Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) said, “But in the sight of Allah (subhanahu wa ta`ala) you are not unsellable,” or he said, “But in the sight of Allah (subhanahu wa ta`ala) you are valuable.”

An old woman came to the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) and said: “O Messenger of Allah, pray to Allah (subhanahu wa ta`ala) that I will enter Paradise.” He said jokingly, “O Mother of So-and-so, no old women will enter Paradise.” The old woman went away crying, so the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) said, “Tell her that she will not enter Paradise as an old woman, for Allah (subhanahu wa ta`ala) says: (We have created [their Companions] of special creation, and made them virgin-pure [and undefiled]) (Qur’an 56:35-36).” Reported by al-Tirmidhi, it is hasan because of the existence of corroborating reports.

One of the hadiths that reflects the Prophet’s sense of humour and enjoyment of fun is the report that Ahmad gives ftom ‘A’ishah who said: “I went out with the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) on a journey. At that time I was a young girl and was quite slender. The Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) told the people, ‘Go on ahead,’ so they went ahead, then he said to me, ‘Come, let us have a race.’ So I raced with him, and I won. He let the matter rest until I had gained weight. Later, I accompanied him on another journey. He told the people, ‘Go on ahead,’ so they went ahead. He said to me, ‘Come, let us have a race.’ So I raced with him, and he won. He began to laugh, and said, ‘This is for that.”‘

The Sahabah saw nothing wrong with joking or having fun, as they saw the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam), their leader and teacher, occasionally doing so. The many delightful stories about their sense of humour reflect the easy-going nature of the first Islamic society, and how far removed it was from narrow-mindedness and gloom.

In al-Adab al-Mufrad, Bukhari reports from Bakr ibn ‘Abdillah who said: “The Companions of the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam ) used to throw melon-rinds at one another, but when the matter was serious, they were the only true men.”

This is moderate, Islamically acceptable humour, which does not go beyond the bounds of truth, or lessen the gravitas or manhood of a person. Rather, it serves its purpose of refreshing hearts and minds.

An example of the Sahabah’s sense of humour, which made the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) laugh, is the report given by Imam Ahmad from Umm. Salamah (radhiallahu `anha). Abil Bakr (radhiallahu `anhu) went to do business in Busra, and with him were Nu’ayman and Suwaybit ibn Harmalah (radhiallahu `anhuma), both of whom had been present at Badr. Suwaybit was in charge of food on the journey, and Nu’ayman said to him, “Feed me!” Suwaybit said, “Not until Abu Bakr (radhiallahu `anhu) comes.” Nu’ayman was a fun-loving man with a sense of humour, so he went to some people who had brought livestock with them, and said, “Will you buy a sturdy Arab slave from me?” They said, “Yes.” He said, “He has a big mouth, and he may tell you that he is a free man. If that means that you do not want to take him, then forget the matter, and do not cause trouble for me with him.” They said, “No problem, we will buy him.” So they bought him for ten young she-camels. Nu’ayman brought the animals back, and told the people: “There he is!” Suwaybit said: “I am a free man!” They said, “He has already told us all about you,” and put a rope around his neck and led him away. Then Abu Bakr came, and was told what had happened. He and his companions went and returned the animals and took Suwaybit back. They told the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) what had happened, and he and his Sahabah would laugh about the story for a year afterwards.

A Bedouin came to the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam). He entered the mosque and left his camel in the courtyard. Some of his Companions said to Nu’ayman ibn ‘Amr al-Ansari, who was known as al-Nu’ayman: “If you slaughter it, we will eat it, because we want to have some meat, and the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) will pay for it.” So al-Nu’ayman slaughtered it. Then the Bedouin came out and saw his saddle, so he shouted, “They have slaughtered my camel, O Muhammad!” The Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) came out and asked: “Who did this?” They said, “Al-Nu’ayman.” So he went looking for him, and found him at the home of Duba’ah bint al-Zubayr ibn ‘Abdul Muttalib (radhiallahu `anha), where he had hidden in a ditch and covered himself with palm branches and leaves. A man pointed to where he was and said, loudly, “I have not seen him, O Messenger of Allah.” The Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) brought him out of the ditch, and his face was dirty from where the leaves had fallen on him. The Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) asked him, “Why did you do that?” Al-Nu’ayrnan said: “The ones who told you where I was, O Messenger of Allah, are the same ones who told me to do it.” The Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) began wiping his face and laughing, then he paid the price of the slaughtered camel. [See Hayat As Sahabah, 3/154, 155]

There is no clearer indication than these and similar reports of the lightheartedness and sense of humour that Islam wants its followers to have. These qualities will make a person good-natured and likeable, which will enable him to win people’s hearts. No one needs such characteristics more than the Muslim who seeks to call others to Islam.

source: Islaam.com

As you treat others, you shall be treated…

Rawdhatul-’Uqala’ [post 6] 

The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) said, “Beware of suspicion (and ill-thinking), for it is the worst of false tales. Do not probe into each others affairs, and do not envy one another, and do not hate one another. But O’ slaves of Allah, be brothers!” [Sahih al-Bukhari & Muslim]

Kathir ibn Ziyad said, ‘I heard al-Hasan (al-Basri) say, “Do not ask about the good and bad deeds of your brother, for that is surely tajassus (probing, spying, finding fault etc).”‘

Abu Hatim: ‘The intelligent one must adhere to salvation by staying away from probing into the faults of people, and instead should preoccupy himself with his own faults. Surely, whoever preoccupies himself with his own faults instead of the faults of others, will find peace and relaxation in his being and his heart will not be exhausted. Whenever he looks to his faults and errors, then the similar faults of his brother will be easy for him to bear. However, whoever preoccupies himself with the faults of others instead of his own, then his heart will become blind, he will become tired out and he will forget his own shortcomings. The weakest of people is the one who criticizes others for what is in them, and the weakest from amongst them is the one who criticizes others for what is also within himself. And whoever criticizes others, will be criticized by them.’

Truthful was he who said:

‘If you rebuke others, they’ll rebuke you and do so more!
And then what was hidden within you, will be on show.
Someone once said in some statement of the past,
A word containing wisdom and beauty so vast:
If ever you mention people, then leave behind their errors
For there is no error, except that yours can be said
If you criticize a people for what is not within them
Then that is mighty in the Sight of Allah and also men
And if you criticize them for what is also within you
Then how can the one-eyed rebuke the one-eyed too?
And how can people be criticized by someone who
His faults are worse when all faults are diffused?
When you look for other’s defects, you shall indeed find them
But remember that what is in you is far greater than them
So grant peace to the people, and leave them to themselves
For they can see your errors more than you can see yourself.’

Al-Shaybani mentioned that, “It is written in the Books that: ‘As you treat others, you shall be treated, and the cup you give to others, is the cup you shall drink from…’”

Abu Hatim: ‘Probing and seeking the faults of others is from the branches of hypocrisy just like thinking good of others is from the branches of faith. The intelligent one always has a good opinion of his brothers, and keeps his grief and sadness to himself. As for the ignorant one, he has evil opinion of his brothers and does not think about his crimes and distress.’

[pg. 110-112]

SOURCE: http://fajr.wordpress.com/

“Verily for everything a person loses there is a substitute, but the one who loses Allah will never find anything to replace Him.”

Ibn al Qayyim rahimahullah

“Verily, I constantly renew my Islâm until this very day, as up to now, I do not consider myself to have ever been a good Muslim.” [Ibn Taymiyyah]

If the Rasoolullah s.a.s. was amongst us today

If he (sal Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was amongst us today…

You may have heard of this example many times before, but it’s so powerful and moving that it’s worth mentioning again:

If your door bell rang, and you opened the door and you saw a man who was introduced to you as Prophet Muhammad (sal Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam)…What would you do? How would you react? How would you be?

Moreover, imagine he (Peace be upon him) was to spend a few days with you – How would you organise your day? What would you spend your time doing?

I’m sure our minds are racing with thoughts of the 1001 things you’d do differently if he (Peace be upon him) visited you today… I want you to pick 3 top things you’d do differently today and start applying it your life, for indeed the Lord of all creation is watching. Whenever you feel like slipping back to your old ways, remember this insha Allah.

Effects of sins :: Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyyah

When Allah commands us to give up sins and to avoid them it is not because our sins will harm Him. It is only us who will benefit by avoiding sins. Likewise, we alone will be affected by the sins we commit. It was the habit of the righteous ancestors to think about their sins whenever they were faced with hardship in anything. In fact, sins have many bad effects on the lives of the sinners.

How can sins change our lives? What are the effects of sins on our well-being? Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim Al-Jawziyah explains to us these effects in his well-known book Al-Jawab A bn-Kafi:

• Prevention of knowledge: Knowledge is a light which Allah throws into the heart and disobedience extinguishes this light.

Imam Ash-Shafi`i said: “I complained to Wakee` about the weakness of my memory, so he ordered me to abandon disobedience and informed me that knowledge is light. He said that the light of Allah is not given to the disobedient.”

• Prevention of sustenance: Just as righteousness brings about sustenance, the abandonment of righteousness causes poverty. There is nothing which can bring about sustenance like the abandonment of sins.

• Prevention of obedience (to Allah): If there was no other punishment for sin except that it prevents one from obeying Allah then this would be sufficient.

• Disobedience weakens the heart and the body: The fact that it weakens the heart is clear. Disobedience continues to weaken the heart until its life ceases completely.

• Disobedience reduces one’s lifespan and destroys any blessings: Just as righteousness increases one’s lifespan, sinning reduces it.

• Legacy of the cursed: Every type of disobedience is the legacy of a nation from among those which Allah destroyed. Sodomy is a legacy of the people of Lot, taking more than one’s due right and giving what is less is a legacy of the people of Shu`aib, spreading mischief and corruption is a legacy of the people of Pharaoh and pride, including arrogance and tyranny, is a legacy of the people of Hud. So the disobedient one is somehow a part of those nations who were the enemies of Allah.

• Disobedience is a cause of the servant being held in contempt by his Lord: Al-Hasan Al-Basri said: “They became contemptible in (His sight) so they disobeyed Him. If they were honorable (in His sight) He would have protected them.”

• Effect of sins on others: The ill-effects of the sinner fall upon those around him as well as the animals as a result of which they are touched by harm.

• Living in sin: The servant continues to commit sins until they become very easy for him and seem insignificant in his heart and this is a sure sign of destruction. Every time a sin becomes insignificant in the sight of the servant it becomes great in the sight of Allah.

• Disobedience brings humiliation and lowliness: Every aspect of honor lies in the obedience of Allah. Ibn Al-Mubarak said: “I have seen sins kill the hearts. And humiliation is inherited by their continuity. The abandonment of sins gives life to the hearts. And the prevention of your soul is better for it.”

• Disobedience corrupts the intellect: The intellect has light and disobedience extinguishes this light. When the light of the intellect is extinguished it becomes weak and deficient.

• Sealing of the heart: When disobedience increases, the servant’s heart becomes sealed so that he becomes of those who are heedless. The Exalted said: [But no! A stain has been left on their hearts on account of what they used to earn (that is, their actions)] (Al-Mutaffifin 83: 14).

• Sins cause various types of corruption to occur in the land: Corruption of the water, the air, the plants, the fruit, and the dwelling places. The Exalted said: [Mischief has appeared on the land and the sea on account of what the hands of men have earned; that He may give them a taste of some of (the actions) they have done, in order that they may return] (Ar-Rum 30: 41).

• Disappearance of modesty: Modesty is the essence of the life of the heart and is the basis of every good. Its disappearance is the disappearance of all that is good. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Modesty is goodness, all of it.”

• Sins weaken and reduce the magnification of Allah the Almighty in the heart of the servants.

• Sins are the cause of Allah forgetting His servant: Sinning also causes Allah to abandon him and leave him to fend for himself with his soul and his Satan and in this is destruction from which no deliverance can be hoped for.

• Being removed from the realm of benevolence: When a persons sins, benevolence is removed from his heart. When benevolence fills the heart it prevents it from disobedience.

• Disobedience causes the favors (of Allah) to cease and makes His revenge lawful:No blessing ceases to reach a servant except because of a sin, and no retribution is made lawful upon him except because of a sin. Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “No trial has descended except due to a sin and it (the trial) is not repelled except by repentance.”

[Based on Al-Jawab Al-Kafi by Imam Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyah (Rahimahullah)]

Kunyahs vs. Names

Bismillah walHamdulillah

Kunyahs are the way to go. It’s more respectable, and I feel that it leads to greater hayaa’ (you shouldn’t enjoy brothers calling you by your name…)

ex of kunyah: Umm Kawthar, Abu Musa

If you cannot do that for some reason, then at least, initials:

sister AB.

brother CD

Email from the Grave by Dr. Mohammad Al Arifi

Ten Causes that Result in Allaah’s Love For His Slave and the Slave’s Love for his Lord

Author: Ibnul Qayyim al Jawziyyah, Source: Madarij as-Saalikeen (vol. 3, pp. 17-18 )

First, reciting the Qur’an while pondering over its meanings and what is meant by it.

Second, getting closer to Allaah by performing voluntary deeds after completing obligatory deeds. This is as is stated in a Hadith Qudsi: “My slave continues getting closer to Me by performing voluntary deeds until I love him.”

Third, continual remembrance of Allaah under all circumstances, with one’s tongue, heart and actions. The extent of one’s love of Allaah is determined by this.

Fourth, giving precedence to what He loves over what you love when you are overtaken by your desires.

Fifth, the heart being avid of Allaah’s Names, and Attributes and the heart roaming in that garden of knowledge.

Sixth, observing Allaah’s kindness, goodness and bounties, both hidden and open.

Seventh, and this is the most wonderful, the heart being soft, subdued and meek before Allaah.

Eighth, being alone with Allaah during the time when the Lord descends during the last portion of the night while reading His Book and ending that by asking for forgiveness and repenting.

Ninth, sitting with the beloved and sincere, benefitting from the most fruitful of their speech. And not to speak unless speaking is more beneficial and you know that it will improve your state and be beneficial to others.

Tenth, remaining away from every cause that comes between the heart and Allaah.

Related Links:

• Signs of Allah’s love for His slaves and the efforts for its Achievement – from Riyad as Saliheen
• Foundations of True Faith : Love for Allah – Al-Ibaanah Magazine , Issue No.1
  By Shaykh ’Abdur-Rahmân ibn Hasan Âlush-Shaykh , Fathul-Majîd Sharh Kitâbit-Tawhîd (pp.470-473) .
• The Characteristics of a Wali of Allah – by Shaikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah