Hear and Obey

Ibrahim’s wife [Haajar] asked him, “To whom are you leaving us?” And in certain al-Bukhari narrations, she repeated this question or plea over and over again, yet throughout, he did not turn around to answer her; finally, she said, “Did Allāh order you to do this?” He ‘alayhi salam said, “Yes.” She said, “Then He will not allow us to waste away (or perish).” In another narration, she said, “I am pleased with Allāh (i.e., with His decree and with being placed in His care).” She did not, however, say, “There are priorities. Instead of leaving us in this barren desert, you should take us with you, for we can then help you in calling others to the way of Allāh.”

If we know that a command is from Allāh subhanahu wa ta’ala, we must only do as the mother of Isma’il did: answer and obey. Being pleased with Allāh’s decree, she began to move briskly from al-Safa to al-Marwa, now hoping to find water, and now fearing for her son who was on the verge of dying.

Some who have weak faith might say, “This was the calamity of near death for the child! What did this experience benefit him, his father, or his mother!” Such people do not appreciate the jihad and patience and sacrifices of Ibrahim alayhi salam and his family; instead, such people uphold a purely worldly view – the very view that has effectively struck down our Nation.

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Abu Bakr: His Bravery

‘Ali said: ‘Tell me who is the bravest of men?’ They said, ‘You.’ He said, ‘As for me, I never encountered anyone but that I took my due from him, but tell me who is the bravest of men?’ They said , ‘We don’t know. Who is it?’ He said, ‘Abu Bakr. On the Day of Badr we made a shelter from the sun for the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and then we said, “Who will be with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, so that none of the idolaters may fall upon him?” By Allah, none of us drew near except for Abu Bakr who brandished a sword over the head of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. No one fell upon him but that he in turn fell upon him. So he is the bravest of men.’

‘Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, said: I saw the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and Quraysh grabbed him. One held him and another threw him down and they were saying, ‘Are you the one who has made the gods into one god?’ By Allah, none of us approached except Abu Bakr, striking this one and restraining that one, and throwing down another saying, ‘Woe to you! Will you kill a man because he says, “My Lord is Allah?”‘ Then ‘Ali raised a cloak which he was wearing and wept until his beard was wet and said, ‘I adjure you by Allah! Is the believer of the people of Fir’awn better or Abu Bakr?’ People were silent. He said, ‘Will you not answer? By Allah, an hour of Abu Bakr is better than a thousand hours of the like of the believer of the people of Fir’awn. He was a man who concealed his iman, and this was a man who was open about his iman.’

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Begin with Yourself

A man went to Ibn ‘Abbas radiAllaahu ‘anhu and said, “O Ibn ‘Abbas, I want to enjoin people to do good and forbid them from doing evil.” Ibn ‘Abbas said, “And have you reached that level?” He said, “I hope that that is so.” He said, “If you do not fear to be exposed by three verses of Allah’s Book, then do so.” The man asked, “And what are they?” He mentioned this verse:

Enjoin you Al-Birr (piety and righteousness and each and every act of obedience to Allâh) on the people and you forget (to practise it) yourselves.” (Baqarah 2:44)

And then asked, “Have you applied the implications of this verse?” He said, “No.” Ibn ‘Abbas then mentioned the second verse:

O you who believe! Why do you say that which you do not do? Most hateful it is with Allâh that you say that which you do not do. (As-Saff 61:2-3)

After that he asked, “Have you applied the implications of this verse?” He said, “No.” He then mentioned the third verse regarding Shu’aib alayhi salaam:

“I wish not, in contradiction to you, to do that which I forbid you.” (Hud 11:88)

And then he asked, “Have you applied the implications of this verse? He said, “No.” Ibn ‘Abbas said, “Then begin with yourself.”

• Transcribed from: Gems and Jewels | Compiled by: Abdul-Malik Mujahid | DarusSalam

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Shaykh Uthaymeen (Rahimahullaah) – His Humbleness

Dr. Saleh As-Saleh (rahimahullaah) relays a story about his shaykh, rahimahullaah; the video follows to play the actual audio of this event. MashaAllaah tabarrakAllaah.

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‘Shaykh Ibn al-‘Uthaymeen!…’

Concerning the Imaam, the Shaykh – Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen (rahima-hullaah), it has been narrated:

“A member of the Daâ’wah and Guidance Centre in Jeddah narrates that during the hajj of 1416A.H, he was in the company of the Shaykh at King ‘Abdul-al ‘Azeez Airport in Jeddah surrounded by the pilgrims who were arriving for hajj.

Here, the Shaykh undertook that which was obligatory upon him by giving daâ’wah to the arriving pilgrims. A large group of Russian pilgrims arrived and the Shaykh wanted to offer some words (of daâ’wah) to them. So he asked if there was a translator amongst them. Then, the (Russian) guide for the group came forward not knowing this was Shaykh Ibn âl-‘Uthaymeen.

After completing the translation, the guide asked who the Shaykh was. He was told that it was Shaykh Ibn âl-‘Uthaymeen. At this, he turned to embrace the Shaykh kissing him (on his forehead) whilst crying. He then grabbed hold of the microphone and addressed all the members of his group that this was Shaykh Ibn âl-‘Uthaymeen. At this, tears began falling from the eyes of each and every member of the group, whilst the guide was repeatedly loudly calling out on the microphone ‘Shaykh Ibn âl-‘Uthaymeen! Shaykh Ibn âl-‘Uthaymeen! Shaykh Ibn âl-‘Uthaymeen!…’

The members of the group then came (forward) and conveyed their greetings to the Shaykh and kissed him (on his forehead).

The guide for the group then turned to the Shaykh and said:

These are your students. They used to read your books in shelters under the ground during the Communist rule.

• ‘al-Jaamiâ’ li-Hayaat al-‘Allaamah Muhammed ibn Saalih al-Uthaymeen’ Page 38

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The Humility of Shaykh Al Albaanee

Shaykh ‘Asheesh narrates an incident when the Imaam of Hadeeth, the Shaykh – Muhammad Naasiruddeen al-Albaanee (rahima-hullaah) was explaining the different scholarly levels of hadeeth, and Shaykh al-Albaanee went on to say: “al-Haafidth is one who has memorised a hundred thousand hadeeth along with their chains of narration and the text (of each hadeeth).”So Shaykh ‘Asheesh responds:
“Is it possible for me to be satisfied in the knowledge that our Shaykh has memorised a hundred thousand hadeeth?”Shaykh al-Albaanee said:
“This does not concern you.”

Shaykh ‘Asheesh said:
“Rather, it is from that which does concern me.”

Shaykh al-Albaanee said:
“…does not concern you.”

Shaykh ‘Asheesh said:
“So is it possible for me to say that our Shaykh is a haafidth?”

So Shaykh al-Albaanee became quiet.

Shaykh ‘Asheesh said:
“So is it possible for me to take your silence as an answer?”

Shaykh al-Albaanee said:
“Have I not told you that this does not concern you?”

Shaykh ‘Asheesh said:
“Yes. This is from that which does concern me. Is it possible for me to interpret (your) lack of response as an answer?”

So the Shaykh became quiet.

And Shaykh ‘Asheesh repeated his question to him a number of times.

Shaykh al-Albaanee recited:
“{And whatever you have of the blessings, then it is from Allaah}.”

And Shaykh ‘Asheesh quickly said:
“Can I interpret this as an answer?”

Shaykh al-Albaanee said:
“It is for you to interpret it as an answer and it is for you to interpret it as whatever you wish.”

Shaykh ‘Asheesh narrates:
“So I happily proclaimed: “Allaahu Akbar”, and jubilantly exclaimed: “Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah”, and said: “al-Hamdu Lillaah, indeed the Shaykh has memorised a hundred thousand hadeeth.”

So our Shaykh laughed; It was as if he confirmed what I was saying.”

Shaykh ‘Asheesh further narrates:
“From his responses from the beginning to the end there never was a clear answer from the Shaykh, so this does not imply anything except his extreme humility.”

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The Deception of Shaytaan

Barsisa || the Worshipper

Ibn Jarir said that Abdullah Ibn Mas’ud interpreted the Qur’anic Verse that reads:

(Their allies deceived them) like Shaitân (Satan), when he says to man: “Disbelieve in Allâh.” But when (man) disbelieves in Allâh, Shaitân (Satan) says: “I am free of you, I fear Allâh, the Lord of the ‘Alamîn (mankind, jinns and all that exists)!” So the end of both will be that they will be in the Fire, abiding therein. Such is the recompense of the Zâlimûn (i.e. polytheists, wrong-doers, disbelievers in Allâh and in His Oneness, etc.). (Al-Hashr 59:16-17)

Ibn Mas’ud (May Allah be pleased with him) said: Once upon a time there was a woman grazing sheep and goats. She had four brothers. She (for some reason) used to spend the night at a monk’s cell. The monk committed adultery with her and she got pregnant. Satan came to him and said: Kill the woman and then bury her for you are a reputable and highly respected man (i.e. don’t risk your own reputation for such a simple woman).The monk killed her and then buried her. Thereupon, Satan visited her four brothers in a dream while they were asleep and said to them: the monk committed adultery with your sister, and because she got pregnant, he killed her and buried her in such-and-such location. In the morning, one of them said: “By Allah! Last night I dreamt of something and I do not know whether to relate it to you or just keep it to myself?” They said: Relate it to us. He did so and one of them said: By Allah! I saw the same dream. Another said the same. And the fourth one said the same thing. They agreed on that there must be something serious about that dream. They went to the king and appealed for his help against the monk. The king’s troops came to arrest him and he was taken away. On the way, Satan came to the monk (and whispered in his ears): I set you up. No one else can save you from this. Prostrate yourself before me just for once and in return, I will save you from this. Thereupon, the monk prostrated himself before Satan. When they presented themselves before the king, Satan said to him: I am free of you! Finally, the monk was killed.

From: Stories of the Qur’an, By Ibn Katheer

Such is the deception of Shaytaan. Praise be to Allah, who Gives the Muslimeen safe haven from fitaan, with the different alternatives we have been given. And when Allah ta’ala has granted us the ability to leave off this fitnah, let us not willingly plunge ourselves into potentially harmful situations. For ultimately, we put our own emaan to the test. And shall we have yaqeen [certainty] with our level of emaan, knowing that it fluctuates, increasing at times and decreasing at others? No, for Allah Knows Best that which shall come to pass.

The example is brought before us, of a pious man, who fell into sin and was deceived by Shaytaan. And indeed the ma’asiyah [sin] shall touch those who are pious if they lower their shield of taqwa. So inshaaAllah, when the fitaan is present, let us remember Allah ta’ala, fear Him with the fear that He is deserving of us and distance ourselves from it.

O mankind! Be afraid of your Lord (by keeping your duty to Him and avoiding all evil), and fear a Day when no father can avail aught for his son, nor a son avail aught for his father. Verily, the Promise of Allâh is true, let not then this (worldly) present life deceive you, nor let the chief deceiver (Satan) deceive you about Allâh. (Luqman 31:33)

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