The Heart’s Best Medicine

Ibn Al Qayyim, may Allaah have mercy upon him, says:

In short, there is nothing more beneficial for the heart than reading the Qur’aan and with contemplation and reflection. The Qur’aan encompasses all the levels of the travellers, the conditions of the workers, and stations of those possessing knowledge. It is the Qur’aan that generates love, desire, fear, hope, repentance, reliance, pleasure, entrustment, gratitude, patience, and the rest of the different states that are life to the heart and perfection of it. Likewise, it repels all the rebuked characteristics and actions that cause the corruption and ruin of the heart.

If people were to possess a realization of what recitation of the Qur’aan with contemplation contains, they would devote themselves to it at the expense of anything else. When the person reads it with reflection and he comes across an aayah that he is in need of, for the cure of his heart, he repeats it, even if he does so a hundred times or the whole night. Hence, to recite a single aayah of the Qur’aan with contemplation and reflection is better than reciting the Qur’aan to completion without any contemplation or reflection. It is also more beneficial for the heart and more conducive to attaining eemaan and tasting the sweetness of the Qur’aan.

• Source: Miftaah Daar as-Sa’aadah, page 204 | Ibn Al Qayyim
• Transcribed from: Causes Behind the Increase and Decrease of Eemaan | Shaykh ‘Abdur-Razzaaq al-‘Abbaad

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Tawakkul (Trusting) in Allaah

The Messenger of Allāh salAllaahu alayhi wasallam described those who trust in Allāh as having two qualities: they seek means and ways of earning their livelihood and have great trust in He Who has full control of all means and ways of provision. Those who possess only one or none of these qualities will acquire failure and utter loss. In contrast, those who seek the legal and lawful ways of earning their sustenance, trust in Allāh and appreciate His bounties whenever they earn them, all the while observing patience during times of hardship and distress, will acquire success and win what they need and covet.

How can those who acknowledge that they are in need of their Lord in all conditions and situations, not trust in Him? How can those who acknowledge that they are helpless and feeble without the help of their Lord, ever stop seeking His help or invoking Him for relief? How can those who are certain that ownership of all affairs rests in Allāh’s Hands, not ask Him for their various needs? How can those who have knowledge of Allāh’s Richness and Most Generous Essence, refrain from seeking His Kindness in all of their matters? How can those who are certain of Allāh’s Mercy, that He is more merciful with His slaves than the mother with her own child, not trust His Judgment? How can those who know that Allāh is Most Wise in all decisions, not feel assured and pleased with all that He decides and destines for them?

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Having Pleasant Speech

Allah has described the people of Jannah as those who treat the creation well by means of their good deeds and wealth, and they are patient when harmed. He said, “And hasten forth to forgiveness from your Lord, for Jannah is as wide as the heavens and the earth, prepared for the pious. Those who spend in prosperity and in adversity, who repress anger, and who pardon people; verily Allah loves Al-Muhsinun (the good-doers).” (Aali Imraan 3:133-134) Spending in prosperity and in adversity with one’s wealth implies the highest level of doing good. Repressing anger and pardoning people means that one does not reciprocate evil with evil, which entails that one must have pleasant speech and avoid ill-mannerism when it is permissible, thus He says, “Verily Allah loves Al-Muhsinun.”

Some of them have been asked: what is good character? They replied: Generosity and the withholding of harm. This description mentioned is even more comprehensive in the Qur’an for they are described as being generous and they are patient when harmed. The servant who has good character reaches the level of those who do many acts of worship as the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasallam) said, “Indeed a person with good character would reach the level of the one who constantly fasts in the day and stands at night.” (1)

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Whilst the People Sleep

Praying at night necessitates Jannah as was previously mentioned. Allah said: Verily, the pious will be in the midst of gardens and springs, taking joy in the things which their Lord has given them. Verily, they were before this Muhsinun. They used to sleep but little of the night. And in the hours before dawn, they were asking for forgiveness, and from their properties was [given] the right of the beggar, and the deprived. (Adh-Dhariyat 15-19)

Thus He described them as being awake at night, seeking forgiveness in the early hours of the morning, and spending from their wealth. Some of the Salaf would be asleep and something would come to them saying: Stand and pray. Don’t you know that the keys to Jannah lie with those who stand at night? They are its treasurers.

Standing at night entitles one to the highest levels in Jannah. Allah said to His prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasallam), “And in some parts of the night offer the Salah with it (ie. recite the Qur’an), as an optional salah for you. It may be that your Lord will raise you to the highest level in Jannah.” (Isra: 79) Hence, He made the highest level in Jannah the reward for his (salAllahu alayhi wasallam) tahajjud at night.

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The Religion is Narrations

‘Ubaidah ibn Ziyaad said (in some lines of poetry):

“The Religion of the Prophet Muhammad (salAllaahu alayhi wasallam) is narrations,

And what a blessed means to an end the Aathar are for a youth.

So do not forsake the hadeeth nor its people,

Because opinion is (like) night and hadeeth is (like) day.

And perchance a youth may err upon the Path of Guidance,

But the Sun is rising in splendour and has made much light.”

• Source: Khateeb Al-Baghdaadee’s Sharf Ashaabil-Hadeeth (The Nobility of the Companions of Hadeeth) | Transcribed from: The Status of the People of Hadeeth | Shaykh Rabee’ ibn Hadee al-Madkhalee

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A Fly

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ ضُرِبَ مَثَلٌ فَاسْتَمِعُوا لَهُ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ تَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ لَن يَخْلُقُوا ذُبَابًا وَلَوِ اجْتَمَعُوا لَهُ وَإِن يَسْلُبْهُمُ الذُّبَابُ شَيْئًا لَّا يَسْتَنقِذُوهُ مِنْهُ ضَعُفَ الطَّالِبُ وَالْمَطْلُوبُ

“O mankind! A similitude has been coined, so listen to it (carefully): Verily those on whom you call besides Allāh, cannot create (even) a fly, even though they combine together for the purpose. And if the fly snatches away a thing from them, they will have no power to release it from the fly. So weak are (both) the seeker and the sought.” (Hajj 22:73)

Shaykh Abdur Rahmaan as-Sa’dee said:

This is a parable which Allaah has given to show the vileness of worshipping idols, and to explain the deficiency of the intellect of those who worship them, and the weakness of all of them. So He said:

“O mankind!”

Which is an address to the Believers and the Unbelievers. So the Believers will increase in knowledge and clarity, whereas the Unbelievers will have the proof established against them.

“A similitude has been coined, so listen to it (carefully) …”

Meaning: listen attentively to it and understand what it comprises. Do not meet it with inattentive hearts, nor with hearing that is turning away. Rather pay attention to it with your hearts and your hearing; and it is this:

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