Bring Yourself to Account

‘Umar ibn al Khattab radiallahu ‘anhu said :

 “Bring yourself to account before you are brought to account. And weigh your deeds before your deeds are weighed.”

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Perhaps the power of that statement heightens as it comes with the connotation of the powerful lecture from which it is derived, that is, Fear the Dunya by Hasan As-Somali, mashaaAllah. But the statement itself inshaaAllah is a reminder for the Muslimeen. It makes us inshaaAllah review ourselves in this dunya – our performance and our deeds. And the wisdom comes in doing this before your time comes and before you leave this dunya, for then, your return is to Allah ta’ala and it is He who shall weigh your deeds, and it is He who you shall account to. 

 Moreover, it highlights the yaqeen (certainty) of the Day of Reckoning, while likewise highlighting the lack of this same yaqeen with regards to the life of this world, and how long this will be our abode. So the wisdom of this statement is in its warning – for us to reevaluate ourselves, for us to bring ourselves to account before this blessing leaves us — before the Angel of Death arrives, before our souls are leaving our body and before we taste the punishment our deeds have given us.

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The Greater the Hardship, The Greater the Reward – Abu Uwais

EXCERPT [from lecture]: In another Hadeeth (listen to this brother) : If you have a difficulty in your life brother, if you have a difficulty in your life sister, if there is some sadness in your household, if you lost a child, if that child has been hurt, if there is a sickness in your family or whatever the case, whatever difficulty or trial, whatever problem you are going through, listen to the words of Messenger (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam), it will make it clear. Listen to the words of Rasoolullah (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam), it will cool your heart, it will take you to that which is right, it will correct you, it will guide you, it will increase your faith, and your patience. There is no difficulty that happens to a Muslim except that Allaah removes a sin because of it even if a thorn pricks him and even to that degree. If Allaah removes to that degree what about some other sadness? Or some other loss or some other trial or some other difficulty?

Lastly Abu Huraira (radiyallaahu ‘anhu) that he heard the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and also Abu Said Al Khudri : “No pain, or sickness affects a believer. No tiredness (this is also sickness), or grief nor any worry except that Allaah removes from that person a sin because of it.”

This should tell us to be patient. This should tell us that our pathways are not going to be filled with rose petals and life is not always going to give you that which you want or think you deserve, that there are going to come down your way or into your life things that are sad, things that bring you grief, things that bring difficulty but your test is shown, your character is shown, whether you can weather the storm by being patient with the decree of Allaah, in praising Allah (subhana wa ta’ala), in hoping a reward from Allaah (subhana wa ta’ala), for no one can reward what Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) will give the person who has patience. Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) has granted it and he will grant it without calculation, will grant it without it being something that we could calculate or imagine. So any difficulty brother reflect upon this issue that is khair for you, is good for you, if you are a believer and if you are patient and if you praise Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) and it is a way to remove your sins and a way that you have no understanding of what Allaah ! (subhana wa ta’ala)! It may be preparing you for a better station, a better status in the Hereafter that you would not have reached if He had left you in that state that you were in. But when he tested you, you were patient and therefore Insha-Allaahu wa ta’ala that position or that status will be there.

NB: The lecture itself may be found at: www.authenticstatements.com or www.masjidtawheedchicago.org under speaker, Abu Uwais Abdullah Ali, inshaaAllah ta’ala. May it be a source of benefit and a source of comfort for those experiencing hardships and difficulties – may you have sabr and may Allah ta’ala reward you the better for it.

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Life is a Fitnah!

Life is a Fitnah!
(as Understood From Soorah Al-‘Ankaboot)
Shaykh Saalih ibn ‘Abdil-‘Azeez Aalish-Shaykh

[ In the Name of Allaah, the All-Merciful, may His Salaah and Salaam be upon His final Messenger to all mankind, and upon his companions and family members, and all those who follow his path until the Day of Judgement, to proceed: ]

The central theme of Soorah Al-‘Ankaboot, as some of the scholars have mentioned, is fitnah (trials and tribulations). Fitnah is mentioned right from the very beginning of the soorah where Allaah says [2]:

( Alif – Laam – Meem. Do people then think they will be left alone upon saying, “We believe in Allaah,” and they will not be faced with fitnah? And verily we put those who came before them to trials, so that Allaah would make known those who have been truthful, and so that Allaah would make known the liars. )

So fitnah is mentioned specifically in the beginning of the soorah.So what kind of fitnah are people tried with? A man may be put to trial due to his intellect, or by the dunyaa. He may be tried by his parents or by his family. He may be put to fitnah by way of a long lifespan. His fitnah may be that he faces no hardships at all in life! So the reality is that a man may be tested by a variety of trials, all of them are mentioned here in this soorah.

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And They Are Three

(This is) a clarification of the categories of Tawheed, and they are three:

Tawheed ar-Ruboobiyyah (Lordship)
Tawheed al-Uloohiyyah (Worship)
and Tawheed al-Asma’ was-Sifaat (Names and Attributes)

As for Tawheed ar-Ruboobiyyah: Then it is to believe that Allaah, the Most High, is the Creator of everything, and is the Disposer of Affairs of everything, and He has no partners besides Him in that.

And as for Tawheed al-Uloohiyyah: Then it is to believe that Allaah, the Most High, is the One worshipped in truth, and He has no partners besides Him in that. And this is the meaning of Laa Ilaaha Illa Allaah, and the meaning of this is: there is no deity worshipped in truth except Allaah. So all the acts of worship from Salaah (prayer), Sawm (fasting), and other than them, then they must be (done) sincerely for Allaah alone and it is not permissible to associate, anything from these acts of worship, with anyone other than Allaah.

And as for Tawheed al-Asma’ was-Sifaat: Then it is to believe in everything that has been revealed in the Noble Qur’aan and the authentic ahadeeth, from the names of Allaah and His attributes. And affirming them for Allaah alone, at the level that is befitting the Most High, without Tahreef (perverting the texts), without Ta’teel (denying their meanings), without Takyeef (seeking after their specific details), and without Tamtheel (likening Allaah to His Creation). Complying with the statement of the Most High:

“Say (O Muhammad): “He is Allaah, (the) One. Allaah-us-Samad (The Self-Sufficient Master, Whom all creatures need, He neither eats nor drinks). He begets not, nor was He begotten; And there is none co-equal or comparable unto Him.” – Al-Ikhlas (112):1-4

And His (‘Azza Wa Jall) statement: “There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer.” – Ash-Shura (42):11

 Shaykh ‘Abdul ‘Azeez bin ‘Abdullaah bin Baaz (Rahimahullaah)
Taken from: Duroosul Muhimmah Li ‘Aamatil Ummah

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“I Fear Allah”

The Prophet sallalahu alayhi wasallam said:“Allah will give shade to seven types of people on the day when there will be no shade except the Shade of Allah. 1. A just leader; 2. A young man who grows up serving Allah; 3. A man whose heart is attached to the mosques; 4. Two men who show love towards each other for the sake of Allah; they meet because of Allah and they part because of him; 5. A man who is invited (to sin) by a woman of status and beauty but refuses her invitation by saying “I fear Allah”; 6. A man who gives charity and conceals it to the extent that his left hand does not know what his right hand had spent and a man who remembers Allah in a state of being empty and consequently weeps.Al Bukhari and Muslim. 

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A young Muslim man habitually began to attend a gym, having both male and female members. Yet in the midst of his exercises a woman caught his eye. They found themselves at the gym at the same times, and enjoyed between themselves a silent mutual interest – devoid of any speech. Yet one day, the woman approached the young Muslim man and they began talking in the gym at great length. At the end of their discussion, the woman extended the man an invitation later that night. The young Muslim man gained a perplexed look upon his face – as if realizing the wrong he had engaged in thus far – and refused this invitation. The woman was utterly confused, as they had just enjoyed a pleasing conversation and asked why?The man took out his lighter and pressed down upon its switch such that the fire was clear and apparent.Do you know what he then said? “I fear the fire … I fear Allah.” SubhaanAllah.

Look to this individual who was called to temptation but refused; and why is it that he refused? Surely, he put Allah ta’ala before his desires, leaving off the harmful for that which is better.  Beyond this admonition we should also take from the account the virtue of staying away from the places which may lead to fitnah – those places where it is easy for you to be afflicted, for we know that beyond a haraam act are the roads which pave the way for it. Let us avoid these scenarios, seek to guard our chastity & modesty and remember the commandment of lowering the gaze. May Allah make us of those who remember him in times of fitnah and allow us to fear Him with the fear that He is Most Deserving from us.

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