“Change of Heart” by Dr. Umar Sulayman Al-Ashqar

 

Excerpts from Al-Ikhlas

By Dr. `Umar Sulayman Al-Ashqar (may Allah have mercy on him) | Translated by Naiyerah Kolkailah

The Difficulty of Attaining Sincerity

Having true sincerity is one of the most difficult things to achieve, and it is not only the common people who experience this; many scholars and righteous people struggle with it too. Sufyan Ath-Thawri says: “I have never dealt with anything more difficult than my intention; it keeps changing on me.”

That is why the Messenger ﷺ (peace and blessings be upon him) would often supplicate, “O turner of hearts, keep my heart firm upon Your faith.”

He would also often say in his oaths, “Nay, by the turner of hearts.”

The heart changes frequently in its aims and intentions, and you can see this just by how much your heart’s aims and wishes vary within one hour. The Messenger ﷺ says: “There is no heart except that it is suspended between Two Fingers of the Most Merciful; if He wills, He keeps it firm, and if He wills, He deviates it; and the scale is in the Hand of the Most Merciful—He elevates some people and debases others, until the Day of Judgment.”

The Messenger ﷺ says: “Surely, the heart of the son of Adam turns over and over more than a pot of boiling water.”

The reason hearts change and turn so much is because of the amount of factors influencing the heart. As Sahl ibn Abdillah says, the heart is “delicate and easily affected by passing thoughts.”

Al-Harith al-Muhasabi mentions three factors that affect the heart.

The first is the warnings of the Most-Merciful. As the hadith (narration) says, “Whomever Allah wills good for him, He will place for him a warning conscience in his heart.”

In another hadith, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ says, “Allah, the All-Mighty, sets forth a parable of the straight path: on either side of the path are walls with open doors, and the doors are draped with curtains. On the path, there is a caller saying, ‘O people enter all of you onto the path and do not deviate.’ Another caller also calls at the head of the path. So, when a person attempts to open one of these doors, the caller says, ‘Beware, do not open it. If you open it, then you will go through it (and leave the straight path).’ The path is Islam, and the walls are Allah’s legal boundaries, and the open doors are what Allah has forbidden. The caller at the head of the path is the Book of Allah, and the caller on the straight path is the warning conscience of Allah that is in the heart of every Muslim.”

The second element that influences the heart is Satan’s adornment of evil acts, and all his suggestions and whispers. Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He) has commanded His messenger to flee to Allah, seeking refuge from Satan’s attempts: “And if an evil suggestion comes to you from Satan, then seek refuge in Allah. Surely, He is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.”

It is out of Allah’s wisdom that He made the hearts of His servants this battlefield, where both an angel and a devil vie for influence; one overtakes it sometimes, and the other at other times. The All-Mighty says, “Satan threatens you with poverty, and commands you to evil, while God promises you forgiveness from Him and bounty.”

The Messenger ﷺ elucidates this in the hadith: “Surely, an angel puts thoughts in the heart of the son of Adam, and the devil also puts thoughts. The angel’s thoughts promise goodness and affirm the truth, and the devil’s thoughts promise evil and reject the truth.” Then he read, “Satan threatens you with poverty, and commands you to evil, while God promises you forgiveness from Him and bounty.”

As Ibn Al-Qayyim says, “Satan bewitches the mind until it overpowers it, and nobody is safe from his magic except whomever Allah wills. He makes the harmful act seem appealing, until a person imagines that it is the most beneficial of things; and he turns him away from beneficial things, until he imagines that they are harmful to him. La ilaha illa Allah (there is no deity but God). How many people are deceived by this magic, and how many hearts are deprived of Iman (faith), Islam, and Ihsan (excellence in faith/worship) because of it; and how much has falsehood been adorned so it appears positive; and how much has truth been denigrated so it appears negative!”

The third source of influence on the heart is the self, since it commands one to do evil acts, and calls to disobedience: “Surely, the self constantly commands to evil.” The Prophet of Allah, Ya`qub (Jacob), told his sons when they claimed that the wolf ate Yusuf (Joseph): “No, your own selves enticed you to something (evil).” The All-Mighty also said regarding Adam’s son who killed his brother, “Then his own self persuaded him to kill his brother.”

The Muslim cannot be saved from the self that incites evil, and his own whims and desires, except through persistent struggle and self-discipline, and through arming oneself with the weapons Allah (swt) gave him, such as dhikr (remembrance of Allah), recitation of the Qur’an, acts of devotion and worship, etc.

Why Allah is the Ultimate Aim

The human being will be miserable if his aim is directed toward anything besides His Creator, and he will become even more miserable when he accumulates more worries and aimless endeavors. If a person’s aim is not uniformly devoted to One above all worldly endeavors, this person will find herself not knowing where to go and what direction to take. But a Muslim’s aim is One, and the methodology that guides her toward this aim is one; and thus, she is able to please God and follow His guidance.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ says, “Whoever makes the Hereafter his goal, Allah places abundance in his heart, and organizes his affairs, and the world comes to him despite its unwillingness. And whoever’s aim is worldly gain, Allah puts poverty before his eyes, and disorganizes his affairs, and nothing of this world comes to him, except what has been decreed for him.”

Signs of Sincerity

Imam al-Shafi`i (may Allah have mercy on him) says, “How I wish the creation would learn this knowledge without attributing even one letter of it to me.”

He also says, “I have not spoken to anyone except that I wished that he is supported and aided, and that he is under Allah’s care and protection.”

Imam al-Ghazali says, “There is one sign that shows true sincerity in a person who counsels and advises others for the sake of God and not for people’s acceptance; if he is replaced by someone who is better, more knowledgeable, or more articulate than him, and people’s acceptance of that person surpasses his own, then he will be pleased, and he will thank Allah for relieving him from his obligation with someone more qualified than him.”

The sign of one who aims to impress others is that he will be pleased with words of praise or appreciation, even if they are not true; and he will be upset with words of criticism, even if they are true. The same applies to those who are after money. But that is not the case with the sincere one; she is pleased with the word of truth—whether it be for her or against her, and she is angered by a word of falsehood—whether it be in her favor or against her.

The sincere person finds no problem in everyone’s hearts being void of appreciation for him, if his heart is sound in the Eyes of Allah, the All-Mighty. He also does not wish for any person to see even an atom’s weight of his good deeds. If the sincere person is presented with two matters, one for Allah and one for worldly gain, he will prefer what is for Allah— knowing that this life is fleeting and the Hereafter permanent.

Source: Change of Heart by Dr. ‘Umar Sulayman Al-Ashqar

Criticism and Praise are the Same

Bismilllah walhamdulillah

By Scott Young

If you do anything unique, people will attack you for it. Self-motivation depends on having a thick skin, persisting in spite of criticism. But equally important is the ability to not let praise consume you, either. Because, praise and criticism are just reflections of each other.

In order to properly handle criticism, you also need to properly handle praise. If someone excessively flatters you for a minor success, you need to internalize it the same way you would internalize a scathing insult. The person that is easily flattered is also easily criticized.

Ultimately, only you can steer your life. If you allow yourself to be misled by attacks or flattery, you won’t reach your destination.

The Problem with Praise

If someone congratulates you, by all means, thank them. Enjoy the fruits of your success. But if you fully embrace every piece of praise you receive, you open yourself to becoming overconfident. Additionally, since praise and criticism are equal partners, when you accept all praise without a thought, you expose yourself to criticism.

A friend of mine was also involved with the same new venture competitions I was this year. His team had a tremendous success at their first competition and he fully absorbed the praise that went with it. He was extremely confident and happy in his team’s success.

However, at a later competition, when his team did not perform as well, he was crushed. I feel his unguarded acceptance of all praise in the first victory is what opened him to deeper criticism later.

Internalizing praise can lower your motivation to work hard just as much as criticism. While some minor critiques encourage improvement, excessive flattery promotes laziness. Instead of working hard to constantly improve, it is just easier to rest and enjoy the congratulations of people around you.

Stop Caring What Other People Think of You

The solution, both to prevent the excesses of praise and the humiliation of criticism, is to stop caring what other people think of you. Take what is actionable from their feedback and ignore the rest. Since you are the sole captain of your life, don’t allow others to steer the ship.

If I write an article, I generally receive a mix of positive comments and negative comments. For criticism, I seek out any actionable suggestions from their comments. If someone notes that I made a grammatical mistake in an article, I’ll happily correct it. Or, if someone feels the logic of my argument was weak, I can make efforts to correct it in a future discussion of the topic.

For praise, I take a similar approach. I thank the person for their comment, and see if there is anything actionable from their suggestion. If several people enjoyed a topic, I’ll know it is something readers are interested in and worth discussing again.

What I strive not to do, with both praise and criticism, is to let it get under my skin. If someone writes an attack on my writing, I’ll remind myself that this comment is just a small pebble on my course, and not to allow it to derail me. Similarly, if I get a piece of praise, I’ll remind myself that this is just one view, and not to let it distract me from the bigger goal.

Start Caring What You Think of Yourself

Far more important than praise or criticism is what you think of yourself. I don’t care if I’m receiving thousands of words of praise or attacks, if I know that what I’m doing doesn’t reflect my true goals or values, I won’t be happy. Start caring what you think of yourself, because you are the one that has to look in the mirror each day.

In running this business, I need to constantly ask myself whether what I’m doing is aligned with my goals. Do my daily actions reflect my short and long-term goals for the website? Am I writing content that delivers deeper value, or is it just self-help infocrack that gains popularity but provides no substance?

Praise and criticism can’t answer those questions, only you can. Which is why you need to listen to yourself above everyone else.

Listening to yourself first isn’t arrogant. You are the only person that intimately understands your goals and values. You are the one who set the goals in the first place. So, how can you expect other people, with different motives, to give you the ideal feedback to move forward?

Other people can offer great advice. But the emotional impact of praise and criticism should come from yourself. Other people can offer actionable suggestions, but they can’t be the judge of your self-worth.

Humble Confidence

The ideal state of mind is humble confidence. You are humble, because you accept all feedback, searching for actionable suggestions, open to any opportunity. You are confident because you won’t allow emotional praise or criticism to distract you from your goals.

In practice, it is impossible to maintain this state perfectly. I’m human like everyone else, so when I am insulted, I’ll feel bad about that. When I’m praised, I’ll feel happy. Those instincts won’t go away.

However, if you accept those first impressions, but don’t let them gnaw at your conscious self-image, you’ve succeeded. You can feel hurt from an insult, but you can evaluate the attack afterward and prevent it from wounding you. This is similar to the Stoic idea that nothing is good or bad, except in the mind. You may be forced to have a first impression from criticism or flattery, but you can then re-evaluate that so it doesn’t distract you from your goals.

If people praise you, thank them and focus on your goal. If people criticize you, thank them and focus on your goal. Because, in the end, you’re the one who has to judge yourself and live with it.

 

Disclaimer: Take the good, leave the wrong.

The Fruits of Sincerity in Your Knowledge and Time

From: http://iskandrani.wordpress.com/2008/07/20/the-fruits-of-sincerity-in-your-knowledge-and-time/

“…How great are the fruits of sincerity, and how are the Muslims, the righteous, the worshipers who seek Allah and the Hereafter and know the worthlessness of the life of this world in dire need of purifying their actions to be solely for Allah so that they can see these fruits and blessings for themselves, and so that they can see things that nobody would believe could happen within the normal limits of the human perspective!

From these is that the scholars who wrote and sought knowledge sincerely for Allah were granted blessing in their time, lives, and knowledge by Allah, and many people benefited from them.

Take ‘Sahih al-Bukhari’ as an example. How many books have been written and authored? However, the author of this book was sincere towards Allah, and he would not write in it a single hadith except after making ablution and praying two units and making istikharah to Allah, and there was the worship and zuhd that was known in the life of Imam al-Bukhari. When this was the case, Allah blessed him in his time, and He blessed him in his deeds, and He gave this book the position and degree that it has. It is the most authentic book after the Book of Allah, and the Muslims of every era until the Day of Resurrection have accepted it wholeheartedly. This is indeed a great miracle, as how many books have been written that do not have what this book has?

Such is the case with the life of Imam Ahmad, may Allah be Pleased with him and he with Him. Look at the acceptance in the hearts of the people that Allah granted him – it is incredible! When Ahmad would simply point at someone with his finger and said ‘Yes,’ or if he were to mention someone and just say ‘Yes,’ – he praised him by simply saying ‘Yes,’ or ‘He is a good man,’ etc. – Allah would raise the status of that particular man in the eyes of all the Muslims. So, this man would become exalted, and this word of praise would spread from Baghdad to Khurasan to Egypt to Andalusia to everywhere else, and it would be recorded in the books that Ahmad said about such and such a man that he is good or that he praised him. So, this would be a tazkiyah for him and a means for the acceptance of his narrations and knowledge, and a confirmation of the soundness of his beliefs.

And the Khalifah al-Mutawakkil – from his intense keenness to be seen in a good light in front of his people as is the case with the rulers of every era – requested of Imam Ahmad to visit him because the people knew that Imam Ahmad only ate what was halal. So, he wanted him to come and eat from his food so that the people would take note of this and al-Mutawakkil would be praised by the people just because Imam Ahmad ate from his food, even if Ahmad himself did not praise him with a single word!

So, Imam Ahmad refused, and when al-Mutawakkil begged him – and he is al-Mutawakkil, the one through whom Allah revived the Sunnah and destroyed innovation, and Ahl as-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah are indebted to him, and he is a leader of the Muslims – he saw that he had no other option but to obey him. So, he went to him while he was fasting. His sons ‘Abdullah and Salih said: “We were worried about our father that he would die, as he was continually fasting through the days and nights, and he would only drink water, as water was not something that could be considered a favor from anyone.” All the while, al-Mutawakkil assumed that he was eating from his food because they were not sitting and eating at the same table.

Why did they have this prestige? It was only because of their sincerity towards Allah.

In terms of the blessing in their time, look to the writings of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, the writings of adh-Dhahabi, the writings of Ibn Kathir, and the writings of an-Nawawi. You will see the most amazing things when you see these books despite the expulsion, prison, beating, inquisition, having their books burned, and prevention from any writing instruments that they suffered – especially Ibn Taymiyyah – and that despite this, the preoccupation with worship and Jihad that they displayed. Ibn Taymiyyah performed Jihad against the Batinis and the Tatars. Jihad and knowledge, collecting and researching knowledge from the books, worship, and he is still able to write all these books. How was this possible?!

Today, as you can see – we ask Allah to bless our time and our lives, and to grant us sincerity that will make us deserving of this – a student will spend five years preparing his doctorate, and he will then produce a book that will be nothing more than quotations. If he worked a little harder, he would finish it in a few months, and if he was one of the Salaf, he would have compiled it in a matter of days or weeks, as it is nothing more than quotations. What was all of this time spent doing?

This all has to do with how much sincerity we have. How?

Some even said that if you were to take the lifespan of one of them and divide it between the books that he wrote, you would find that he would write twenty pages a day. Is it possible for anyone to write this much? When would he have the time to check it over? When would he publish it?

If we ask a brother to prepare an article just one page long, he would spend the entire night writing it, and would then spend the entire next day reviewing and revising it. In fact, entire weeks might go by without him producing anything. Subhan Allah!! How did these people write so much? If they were able to write twenty pages that were reviewed, revised, fully and accurately referenced, and filled with precisely derived rulings, this could not have been possible except due to the blessing that Allah had placed in their knowledge, and this was all due to their sincerity to Allah.

This is why they had high determination and aspirations.

When at-Tabari told his students: “I will provide you with the ‘Tafsir’ in 300 volumes,” they said: “This is too long” – three hundred volumes was too long, and they couldn’t handle it – he replied: “Allahu Akbar! The aspirations have weakened!” So, he wrote it in thirty volumes instead of the 300. These thirty volumes were in accordance with the strength of their aspiration, as the vastness of ‘Tafsir at-Tabari’ – with all of its narrations, chains, linguistic commentaries and explanations – was written by at-Tabari for those with weak determination. Today, we say that at-Tabari should have summarized it, and it actually has been summarized, because the aspirations and determination that exists today is only a tenth of what existed during the days of at-Tabari’s students.

This is how it was. So, how does one’s determination become weak?

Determination weakens when there is little sincerity, and it increases when there is more sincerity and certainty. When a person combines the qualities of sincerity, certainty, love, and all the other actions of the heart that I have mentioned and will mention, he will reach the ultimate level of determination.

When the Companions reached this state, they gave no consideration whatsoever to the powers on Earth, no matter who or what they were. Rather, they would send armies to the East and West, land and sea, and they would not care in the least, and they would not look to the enemy as having any worth. Yes, they would make the necessary preparations, study the enemy in as much detail as possible, and engage in strategic research and military intelligence. However, they knew that they were fighting for Allah. So, no power was able to stand before them. They were victorious because of their faith, righteousness, sincerity, and truthfulness with Allah.

There is just one more issue to address that I will close with, and it is that having sincerity results in you being considered from the sincere, and this is because what goes around comes around. So, if you are sincere and truthful with Allah, Allah will make you from the sincere, and the sincere ones are the best of Allah’s Creation. They are the ones who know Allah, and this is the most important of their many characteristics. This is mentioned in ‘as-Saffat’ after Allah mentions the condition of the polytheists and their likes who ascribed a son to Allah and kinship between He and the jinn. So, at the end of these verses, He Said: {“Allah is Glorified above what they ascribe to Him”} [as-Saffat; 159] {“…except the sincere slaves of Allah.”} [as-Saffat; 40].

So, He is free of everything that He is described with with except what those who know Him and give Him His proper due describe Him with, and they describe Him with the attributes of perfection and praise…”

Cure for Self-Amazement (‘Ujb) by Sh. Ash-Shinqitee

One of the salaf said: “By Allah, I never sat in a gathering thinking myself to be the best of them except that I left being the lowest! And I never sat thinking myself insignificant, except that I left being upmost.”

Do not sell your soul for a lowly price

Do not sell your soul for a lowly price

Taken from Fajr Blog (Click the link above)

As-salamu `alaykum wa rahmatullah

Shaykh Sayyid al-‘Affani: “Whoever seeks Allah and desires nobility and great honour, let him not sell his soul for a lowly price when in front of him lies Paradise and eternity. Indeed, we have only been created to live with our Creator in a Home the garden of which Allah the Most High has cultivated with His Hands.”

‘Aamir ibn ‘Abd: “I have not looked towards anything except that I saw Allah the Most High was closer to it than myself.”

Al-Junayd: “Know that He `azza wa jall, draws close to the hearts of His slaves according to how close they draw to Him, so look to what is drawing close to your heart.”

Al-‘Affani: “Knowing the greatness of Allah, the King of Kings, will make it easier for a person to gain sincerity. Likewise it’s made easier knowing that the hearts and forelocks of the slaves of Allah lie in His Hands, and that He runs their affairs; He commands and prohibits, honours and disgraces. He turns the hearts of the creation, so the heart of him whom you wish to show off to in is the Hands of Him Whom you are disobeying… It is incredible that you should know Him and yet not be sincere to Him, incredible that you should hear His call and yet delay in responding. Indeed, everything has a replacement, but Allah cannot be replaced.”

One of the salaf said, “Fight your soul and prevent it from the causes of Riya’ (showing off), and try to imagine the people around you as being like cattle or children so that you do not differ in your ‘Ibadah (worship) when they are present or absent, when they see you or not, and be content with the fact that Allah sees you.”

Abu al-Darda’ (radhiallahu `anhu) said, “O Allah, I seek refuge in You from the humbleness of the hypocrites.” It was said, “And what is the humbleness of the hypocrites?” He said, “That you should see the body being humble, but the heart refuses to be humble.”

Dhul-Nun: “When the wise one feels comfort in solitude, then he has attained sincerity, and at that point, his wisdom will move him to the truth and correctness in matters.”

لا تركنن لمخلوق على طمع *** فإن ذلك نقص منك في الدين
Do not rely upon the creation to grant you your wishes
Indeed that’s only a shortcoming on part of your religion

لن يقدر العبد أن يعطيك خردلة *** إلا بإذن الذي سواك من طين
A slave has no power to grant you, not even an atom’s weight
Except with the Permission of He who made you from clay

فلا تصاحب قوياً تستعز به *** و كن عفيفاً و عظِّم حرمة الدين
So do not walk with the mighty in order to boast with them
Rather be modest and virtuous and exalt the sanctity of this Deen

واسترزق الله مما في خزائنه *** فإن رزقك بين الكاف والنون
Seek provision from Allah; from the treasures that are with Him
For indeed your provision only lies between Kaf and Nun*

* i.e. between the letters Kaf and Nun – in Arabic this spells out كن (‘Be,’ or ‘to become’) which is a reference to the verse “Verily, His Command, when He intends a thing, is only that He says to it, “Be! (kun)” and it is.” [Ya-Sin: 82].

– Taken from ‘Ta’tir al-Anfas min Hadith al-Ikhlas’ by Shaykh Sayyid Husayn al-’Affani

Shaykh Al Fawzan’s advice to those who went to the extreme in criticizing

 

Advice: Seek knowledge.

‘For the Sake of Allah Alone’ – Is it really?

March 9, 2010

As-salamu `alaykum wa rahmatullah

Ibn Taymiyyah said:

حكي أن أبا حامد الغزالي بلغه أن من أخلص لله أربعين يوما تفجرت ينابيع الحكمة من قلبه على لسانه

قال: فأخلصت أربعين يوما فلم يتفجر شيء فذكرت ذلك لبعض العارفين فقال لي: إنك إنما أخلصت للحكمة ولم تخلص لله تعالى

”… News reached Abu Hamid al-Ghazali that whoever proves sincere to Allah for forty days, wisdom springs from his heart and is established upon his tongue.

He (al-Ghazali) said, ‘So I became sincere to Allah for forty days but nothing happened so I mentioned this to a righteous person and he said to me, ‘You were not sincere for the sake of Allah, rather you were sincere for the sake of attaining wisdom.”

Ibn Taymiyyah then says:

وذلك لأن الإنسان قد يكون مقصوده نيل العلم والحكمة أو نيل المكاشفات والتأثيرات أو نيل تعظيم الناس له ومدحهم إياه أو غير ذلك من المطالب وقد عرف أن ذلك يحصل بالإخلاص لله وإرادة وجهه, فإذا قصد أن يطلب ذلك بالإخلاص لله وإرادة وجهه كان متناقضا, لأن من أراد شيئا لغيره فالثاني هو المراد المقصود بذاته, والأول يراد لكونه وسيلة إليه

فإذا قصد أن يخلص لله ليصير عالما أو عارفا أو ذا حكمة أو صاحب مكاشفات وتصرفات ونحو ذلك, فهو هنا لم يرد الله بل جعل الله وسيلة له إلى ذلك المطلوب الأدنى

“And that is because a person’s intention becomes (solely) the attainment of knowledge or wisdom, or to seek out hidden matters, or to gain popularity with the people and gain their praise etc. He knows that he can only achieve all that by being sincere to Allah and seeking His Face. So if he seeks these things (praise, gaining knowledge etc) by the token of sincerity to Allah and seeking His Face, then such a person contradicts himself because whoever seeks something (e.g. being sincere to Allah) for the sake of something else (e.g. gain understanding/knowledge), then the latter becomes his real goal and the first is just a means to that.

So if a person intends to be sincere to Allah so that he may become a scholar, or pious, or one endowed with wisdom, or one who discovers hidden realities etc, then such a person does not intend Allah, rather he has made Allah a means for him to gain that inferior matter…”

– From the book درء تعارض المنقول مع صريح المعقول by Ibn Taymiyyah (rahimahullah).

– Incredible. It’s such a subtle difference in intention (although not always blameworthy) but it really makes one appreciate and realise the reasons why the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) feared Riyaa’ for this Ummah so much. Ibn Taymiyyah’s statement above is not really rebuking people who take such a route, but it’s highlighting the great difference between doing something for the Sake of Allah Alone and doing it in order to attain something specific (even though it may be praiseworthy and permissible). This difference is what brings out the true Mukhliseen (sincere) from the Salihin (righteous).

Tackling Insincerity

Bismillah walhamdulillah

If you are ever struggling with your sincerity to Allah swt during a speaking or a teaching situation, this is for you:

A thought to ponder upon for all bloggers, halaqah-givers, teachers of Islamic knowledge, etc…

Ask yourself, what if they [the blog-readers, halaqah-goers, and the ‘students’ in front of you] benefit from my words, and I don’t? What if this is saves them, but destroys me?

A sobering thought…

Scholarly Gems: Al-Ikhlaas

Scholarly Gems of Tremendous Benefit as Related to al-Ikhlaas AbdurRahman.org | March 24, 2011 at 7:47 PM | Categories: Character, tawheed | URL: http://wp.me/p1VJ3-xL

Bismillaah Al-Hamdulillaah wa salatu wa salaamu ‘ala rasulullaah
Amma ba’d

Scholarly Gems of Tremendous Benefit as Related to al-Ikhlaas

Imam Ahmad recorded that Mahmud bin Labid said that the Messenger of Allaah (salallaahu ‘alaihiwasallam) said: What I fear the most for you is the small Shirk. “They said: What is the small Shirk, O Messenger of Allaah.” He said: Showing off (Ar-Riya’). Allaah will say on the Day of Resurrection, when the people are rewarded or punished for their deeds, “Go to the one for whom you were showing off in the world and see if you will find any reward with him.”

Al-Ikhlaas: Is to single out Allaah – free from all imperfection – in one’s intention (qasd) in one’s obedience (to Him).

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Shaikh Muhammad ibn ‘Abdul-Wahaab al-‘Aqeel (hafidhahullaah) relayed as a paragon of the Sunnah the following gem:

Imam ash-Shafi’ee (rahimahullaah) used to ask Allaah: I wish if the people took my knowledge and they didn’t know my name. I wish they didn’t even know me, but they took the knowledge that I had.

Shaikh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaimeen (rahimahullaah) said in his sharh of Thalaathal Usool:

…As for ihsaan in the worship of Allaah, then it is that you worship Allaah as if you were seeing him, as the Prophet (salallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said. So worship done in this way, that a person worships his Lord as if he were actually seeing Him is worship that is accompanied by yearning and seeking. So a person will find that his soul encourages him upon worship done in this way, since he is yearning for the One he loves. Therefore, he worships Him as if he were seeing Him, and he directs his heart to Him and turns to him and seeks to draw near to Him, He the One free of all imperfections and the Most High. “Then even though you do not see Him, then He certainly sees you.” This part shows worship done while fleeing and fearing, and is therefore the second level of Ihsaan. So if you do not worship Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, as if you are seeing Him and seeking Him and your soul is encouraging you toward Him, then worship Him, keeping in mind that He sees you. So you will then worship Him as one who fears Him and seeks to flee from His retribution and punishment. This level is held – by those having knowledge of these affairs – to be lower than the first level. Worship of Allaah, the Perfect and Most High, is, as Ibn al-Qayyim (rahimahullaah) said: Worship of Ar-Rahman is utmost love of Him, along with the worshippers’ submission and humility; they are its two pillars. So worship is built upon these two matters: utmost love, and utmost humility and submission. Love causes one to desire and seek, and humility causes one to fear and flee. This is Ihsaan in the worship of Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic. He will not desire with his worship that he is seen by the people, or heard of, nor will he desire their praise. It will be the same to him whether the people notice him or do not notice him. He will worship with Ihsaan in every condition. Indeed part of the completion of purity and sincerity of worship (al-ikhlaas) is that a person should seek not to be seen by the people when he worships, and that his worship should be a secret between him and his Lord…

Abu Uwais relayed from the work of Shaikh ‘Abdul-‘Aziz ibn Muhammad Sid-Han (rahimahumullaah) the following tremendous benefit as the first matter to adhere to for those who desire rectification of the Ummah – al-Ikhlaas.

And this matter [al-ikhlaas] is the foundation for the success of our actions and the success of the one doing the actions. It is the principle from which we [act]. If we correct our niyya and if we have sincerity, then our actions will be righteous. And with corruption in our intention and corruption in our actions, then in that case our intention would be corrupt and our action would be corrupt. Based upon the importance of ikhlas, it has come several times – verified and confirmed and assisted upon – in the Book of Allaah tabarak wa ta’aala, such as: And they were commanded not, but that they should worship Allaah, and worship none but Him Alone (abstaining from ascribing partners to Him), and perform As-Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat) and give Zakat: and that is the right religion. (Al-Baiyinah, ayah 5) Say (O Muhammad): “Verily, I am commanded to worship Allaah (Alone) by obeying Him and doing religious deeds sincerely for Allaah’s sake only and not to show off, and not to set up rivals with Him in worship. (Az-Zumar, ayah 11) Say (O Muhammad): “O My slaves who believe (in Tawheed), be afraid of your Lord (Allaah) and keep your duty to Him. Good is (the reward) for those who do good in this world, and Allaah’s earth is spacious (so if you cannot worship Allaah at a place, then go to another)! Only those who are patient shall receive their rewards in full, without reckoning.” (Az-Zumar, ayah 10) So, call you (O Muhammad, and the believers) upon (or invoke) Allaah making (your) worship pure for Him (Alone) (by worshipping none but Him and by doing religious deeds sincerely for Allaah’s sake only and not to show off and not to set up rivals with Him in worship). However much the disbelievers (in Tawheed) may hate (it). (Ghafir, ayah 14) With ikhlaas, Allaah blesses the actions of those who work. Allaah will increase the person’s tawfeeq, and will support that person. And the sincere worker is upon khair (good), and from good, and to good. And because of this, the sincere advisers – even if he doesn’t have much legislated knowledge – Allaah will bless their striving, and bless their da’wah. And this is the effect of their ikhlaas. Even their advice has a place in the nafs (soul) of the one called; it has an effect on them. And no doubt, this is from the benefit and the fruit of ikhlaas. And upon the caller to Allaah is that he asks Allaah to grant him al-ikhlaas in all affairs, and any time that your desires comes up against your intent, [you must] battle with that, that you come out of that [battle] with ikhlaas, and to strive against your lower desires and your self, and you be steadfast in that. And you will see from Allaah tabarak wa ta’aala that which will bring enjoyment to your eyes and open up your chest. As for those who strive hard in Us (Our Cause), We will surely guide them to Our Paths (Allaah’s Religion – Islamic Monotheism). And verily, Allaah is with the Muhsinoon (good doers). (Al-‘Ankabut, ayah 69) Imam Ibnul-Qayyim (rahimahullaah) said: He who gets himself in the habit of doing actions just for the sake of Allaah, there is nothing harder upon him than to do an action for other than Allaah. And he who gets himself in the habit of doing actions based upon his desires, or [an ulterior motive, such as praise from the people, or status, or position, or wealth] then there is nothing harder upon him than to try to do an action sincerely to Allaah.

Shaykh ‘Abdul-Malik ar-Ramadaanee (hafidhahullaah) – in his excellent book Sittu Durar – said:

It has been stated in definition of Ikhlaas: It is to single out Allaah – free from all imperfection – in one’s intention (qasd) in one’s obedience (to Him).

Maymun ibnu Mihram said:

Perhaps a person will do a small action that will be magnified on account of his intention and sincerity. Perhaps a person will do a large action that will be shrunken and will be made nothing on account of his insincerity to Allaah.

So for example, in giving da’wah, he does not seek praise from the people, nor money, nor does he seek status or leadership or position. Rather, he invites to Allaah alone, not seeking praise or wealth or status, and he does not invite to hizbiyyah, or bid’ah.

Shaikh Muhammad ibn ‘Abdul-Wahhab al-Wasabee (hafidhahullaah) said:

Shaykhul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah (rahimahullaahu ta’aalaa) said in his valuable book Iqtidaa` as-Siraatul-Mustaqeem, page 453: Whoever calls to other than Allaah has associated (Ashrak), and whoever calls without His Permission has innovated (Ibtida’), and Shirk is Bid’ah, and the Mubtadi’ (innovator) leads himself to Shirk, and you will not find an innovator except that you find in him a certain type and category of Shirk… I [Shaikh Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhab al-Wasabee] say: “So let the Muslim take great care and caution that he may call the people to Hizbiyyah (partisanship) or to innovation (Bid’ah). And it is upon him to call the people to their Creator (subhaanahu wa ta’aalaa) with what He has Legislated, and not with innovations (Bid’ah) and desires (Ahwaa`). And the statement of Shaykhul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah is taken from the statement of Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta’aalaa): Or have they partners with Allaah (false gods), who have instituted for them a religion which Allaah has not allowed. (Ash-Shooraa, ayah 21)

Here are some Consequences of Ar-Riyya` (Showing off):

1- Ar-Riyya` is minor shirk – that does not remove one from Islaam – but it is shirk nonetheless, and therefore worse than bid’ah that does not reach the level of kufr, and also worse than major sins such as usury, sodomy, fornication, drinking alcohol, gambling… It can be major shirk, as Shaikh Muhammad ibn ‘Abdul-Wahhab al-Wasaabee (hafidhahullaah) explained:

Ar-riyaa` (showing off) can be from ash-Shirk al-Akbar if a person performs an action only for the people. And it can be from ash-Shirk al-Asghar if a person starts with the right intention, but then ar-riyaa` overcomes him.

2- It nullifies the action. He will not receive a reward on the Day of Judgement for it.

3- Humiliation. Allaah will command him to go to those he showed off for in this world, and see if they have a reward for him. And as the scholars explained, Allaah will also expose this person in this world.

4- It may be a cause of entering the hellfire – aoodhubillaah! – even if it is not forever.
5- It can lead to hypocrisy – aoodhubillaah! – since the hypocrites do deeds to be seen by men, while they disbelieve. And the hypocrites, of course, will be in the lowest level of the hellfire.

And refuge in Allaah is sought from falling into ar-Riyya`, and that which ar-Riyya` may lead to.

Internet Source : salafitalk.net

Related Material:

Narrations of the Salaf about Sincerity, Showing Off and the Love of Fame

Ten Ways to Avoid the Hellfire, by Shaykh-ul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah

Understanding the Reality of Ikhlaas and Riyaa’

Gems from ‘al-Qawl-ul- Mufeed Fee Adillatit Tawheed’ (Beneficial Speech in Establishing the Evidences of Tawheed)

Be a Key for Good

Explanation of ‘Umar’s statement: Bringing Yourself to Account Before you are taken to Account; Weigh your deeds before your deeds are weighed

Rectifying The Hearts

Other Sources used: a Masjid Rahmah tape Milestones of Rectification (as Abu Uwais (rahimahullaah) said, “the good Milestones, not the bad Milestones” meaning not the evil and wicked book of Sayyid Qutb, similarly titled)

Subhanak Allaahuma wa bihamdika ash-hadu anlaa illaaha illa anta astaghfiruka wa atubu ilayk

If I said anything correct, then it is from Allaah (subhanahu wa taa’ala), and if I erred, then that is from me and shaytan.

Sincerity, Showing off, and Love of Fame

Narrations of the Salaf about Sincerity, Showing off and the Love of Fame
– Compiled and Translated by Abu Abdillaah Hassan as-Somali

Taken from the book: ‘Min Akhbaar-is-Salaf’

Ayoob As-Sakhtayaani used to pray the night prayer, and he would conceal this. If
morning arrived, he would raise his voice as if he only awoke at that hour. (Sifatus
Safwah: 3/492)

Abdus Samad ibn Abdil Waarith said:
Hawshab would cry and say: My name has reached the Masjid Al-Jaami’.

It is reported upon Abul Aaliyah that if more than three people were to gather and
sit around him, he would get up. (At-Tawaadu’:47)

It is reported upon Bishr ibn Al-Haarith that he said:
O Allaah. If you have made me famous to expose me on the day of judgement,
then strip it away from me. (Az-Zuhd by Al-Bayhaqi: 147)

Al-Fudayl ibn ‘Iyaad said: No one loves leadership except that they are envious,
transgress, search for the faults of the people and hate that anyone be mentioned
with good. (Jaami’ Bayaan Al-‘ilm: 1/652)

Abdullaah ibn Al-Mubaarak said:
Sufyaan Ath-Thawri said to me: Beware of fame. Everyone I met warned me about
fame. (As-Siyar: 7/260)

Abul ‘Aaliyyah said: The Companions of Muhammad said to me:
“Do not perform an action for other than Allaah, as He will leave you to the one
whom you have acted for.” (Al-Musannaf: 7/207)

Hamdoon Al-Qassaar was asked:
“Why is the speech of the Salaf more beneficial than ours?
He replied: This is because they spoke to give ascendancy to Islam and to please
The Most Merciful; whereas we speak to give ascendancy to ourselves, to seek
after the worldly life and please the creation.
(Safwatus Safwah: 2/122)

Muhammad  ibn Al-Qaasim said:
I accompanied Muhammad ibn Aslam for more than 20 years, and I never saw him
pray two supererogatory rak’ahs, except on the day of Jum’ah. On one occasion, I
heard him take an oath: “By Allaah If I was able to pray a supererogatory prayer
where my two angels could not see me; I would do so out of fear of showing off.
He used to enter his house and close his door. I was never aware of what he would
get up to until I heard his young son conversing how he used to cry. However, when he used to go outside, he would wash his face and apply kuhl, and no sign of him crying would be visible. He used to provide for a people and clothe them, but when he would send his Messenger, he used to say: Make sure they don’t know who sent you. (As-Siyar: 12/201)

Hurmulah said:
I heard Ash-Shaafi’ee say:
I hoped to be rewarded for all the knowledge that I possessed and that the people
had learnt from me, but (I desired) that they would not praise me. (As-Siyar:
10/55)

Al-Fudayl ibn ‘Iyaad said:
“Whosoever is saddened by loneliness and feels tranquil around the people, is not
safe from Riyaa.
(As-Siyar: 8/436)

Abu Haazim said:
“Hide your good deeds more than you hide your bad deeds.” (Al-Musannaf: 7/195)

Al-Khuraybee said:
They used to prefer that a man hide his righteous deeds, (to the extent), that his
wife or anyone else wouldn’t be aware of it. (As-Siyar: 9/349)

Wakee’ said:
Whoever inquires about something and he already understands it, then this is a
part of showing off.
(Al-Jaami’ Li Akhlaaq Ar-Raawi: 1/ 197)

‘Aqeel ibn Ma’qil said:
I heard my paternal uncle, Wahb ibn Munabbih, say:
Three signs of a hypocrite: when his alone he is lazy, he is energetic when in the
company others and he chases after praise in all of his affairs.
Three signs of an envious person: he backbites the one whom he is jealous of, if he
were to meet him, he flatters him, and he is delighted at his misfortunes. (Al-
Hilyah: 4/47)

When ‘Abdur Rahman ibn Mahdi rose from a gathering, he was followed by the
people. (Upon this) he said: O people! Do not follow me. (Siyar: 9/207)

Abu ‘Awn said:
When the righteous people met one another they would advise each other and if
they were absent they would write to one another, (with the following):
Whoever does an act seeking the hereafter then Allaah will suffice him in his
worldly affairs, whoever corrects what is between him and Allaah, then Allaah will
correct that which is between him and the people, and whoever corrects his
behaviour in private, then Allaah will correct his situation publicly.  (Al-Musannaf:
7/162)

Bishr ibn Al-Haarith said:
The (person) that loves fame has not feared Allaah.
He also said:
Don’t act in order to be mentioned, and hide your good deeds like you hide your
bad ones. (As-Siyar: 10/476)

Sa’eed ibn Al-Haddaad said:
Nothing hinders from the path of Allaah like seeking praise and status. (As-Siyar:
14/ 214)

Al-Fudayl ibn ‘Iyaadh said:
Whoever loves to be mentioned, will not be mentioned; and whoever dislikes to be
mentioned, then he will be mentioned. (As-Siyar: 8/432)

Sufyaan Ath-Thawri:
Safety is that you don’t desire to be known. (As-Siyar: 7/257)