The Sentry That Never Sleeps

Qatādah said,

Allāh is with those who have taqwā of Him. Whoever has Allāh with him, then with him is the party that will never be overcome, the sentry that will never sleep and the guide who will never go astray. [1]

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As if you See Him

The Prophet salAllāhu ‘alayhi wasallaam explained ihsān as being:

“That you worship Allāh as if you see Him, for if you do not see Him, He sees you.” (1)

Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali, may Allāh have mercy upon him, said as a part of his commentary to the above Prophetic words:

It indicates that the servant (‘abd) should worship Allāh in this manner; namely, evoking the feeling of His nearness and of His being with him as though he sees Him. This in turn necessitates reverence, fear, awe and glorification [of Allāh]; as occurs in the narration of Abu Hurayrah: “That you revere Allāh as if you see Him.” It also necessitates sincerity in worship, as well as exerting all one’s efforts in improving, completing and perfecting it. (2)

Ibn Rajab further said: “It has been said that it [the second part of the sentence] is the cause for the first part. This is because when the servant is ordered to have vigilance (murāqabah) of Allāh whilst worshipping Him and to feel His closeness, to the point that it is as if he was seeing Him, then this may be difficult. So he seeks aid to attain this through his faith that Allāh sees him, is fully aware of his secret and public [acts], his inner and outer [states], and that nothing of his affairs is ever hidden from Him. When he actualizes this station (maqām), it becomes easier for him to move to the second station, which is where there is a continual realization, upon spiritual perception (basīrah), of Allāh’s closeness to His servant and of His being with him; to the extent that it is as if he actually sees Him.

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“They are the True Scholars”

Whoever’s knowledge is not beneficial and deems himself better than those who preceded him in his stances and his elaborate, laborious speech, will also deem himself better than them in knowledge or ranking in the Sight of Allah. He will look down upon those who came before him and mock them for having little knowledge. This pauper does not realize that the lack of speech arising from the Salaf was because of their wara’ and fear of Allah, had they wished to lengthen or detail their discussions, they were fully capable of doing so. When ibn ‘Abbas heard some people debating about the religion he said,

Do you not know that to Allah belong certain servants, though they are fully able to respond and are not dumb, the fear of Allah has silenced them and given them tranquility. They are the true scholars, the eloquent ones, the intelligent, the noble; scholars of the Days of Allah, except that when they brought to mind the greatness of Allah, their minds were overcome, their hearts split for the fear of Allah, and their tongues were silenced. When they recovered from this state they rushed to performing righteous deeds thinking themselves to be amongst those who were negligent when in reality they were sagacious, those of strong determination; thinking themselves to be oppressors and sinners when in reality they were pious worshippers, free of oppression and sin. They did not think that abundant worship was too much for Him; they were not content with little worship, and they did not look down on any acts of worship. Wherever you were to meet them you would find them sombre, solicitous, in a state of dread and fear of their Lord. [Reported by Abu Nu’aym and others.]

• Transcribed from: The Excellence of Knowledge – The Virtue of the Salaf over the Khalaf | Fadl ‘Ilm al-Salaf ‘alal-Khalaf | Ibn Rajab Al-Hanbali

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‘Fear Your Lord’

Indeed the advice, which Allaah has given to His servants from the time of Aadaam (‘alayhis salaam) up until now, has been to have taqwaa (fear) of Him. Glorified and Exalted be He.

 The Mighty, the Majestic says:

 And verily, We have recommended to the people of the Scripture before you, and to you (O Muslims) that you (all) fear Allâh, and keep your duty to Him, But if you disbelieve, then unto Allâh belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth, and Allâh is Ever Rich (Free of all wants), Worthy of all praise. (An-Nisa 4:131)

 It is also the advice of the Messenger of Allaah subhaana wa ta’alaa to his nation:

Abu Umamah Suddi Ibn ‘Ujlan al-Bahili (radiallaahu ‘anhu) reports: I heard the Messenger of Allaah salAllaahu ‘alayhi wa salaam giving a sermon in the farewell Hajj saying:

 “ Fear your Lord, pray your five prayers, fast the month of Ramadhaan, pay your zakaah and obey your leaders, in doing so, you will enter your Lord’s Paradise”

[reported by at-Tirmidhee]

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The Heart’s Captivation and Imprisonment by Sin

And among its effects is that the disobedient (sinner) is constantly in the shackles of his Shaytaan and the prison of his shahwa (desires) and the chains/fetters of his hawaa (whims). So he is a captive, one who is imprisoned and who is tied up.

There is no captive in a worse state than the one who is captivated by his worst enemy and there is no prison which is tighter than the prison of hawa and there is no bond/fetter stronger than the bond of desire.

How, then, will a heart which is captivated, imprisoned and fettered travel unto Allaah and the Home of the Hereafter? How will a person take a single step forward when the heart is bound and harmful things approach it from every direction? The harmful things approach it to the extent that it is tied up [i.e. imprisoned by its desires and whims..].

The example of the heart is like the example of a bird. Every time it ascends it becomes distant from the harmful things and every time it descends the harmful things hurt it. In a hadeeth there occurs that Shaytaan is like a wolf to people. Just as when a sheep has no protector and is in between many wolves, they are quick in causing damage and injury; likewise the servant who does not have guardianship from Allaah, then his wolf [i.e. his desires, whims etc.] is to him a predatory animal.

[Thus] there is no escape for the servant from having protection from Allaah. Taqwaa is a safeguard for him and a strong shield between himself and the punishment of this world and the Hereafter. Every time the sheep is close to its shepherd it is safer from the wolf and every time it becomes distant from its shepherd it is closer to destruction. So its sanctuary is when it is close to its shepherd because the wolf takes the lonely one from the flock and this is the one which is the furthest one of the flock from the shepherd. The basis of all of this is that every time the heart is distant from Allaah the harmful things are quick in approaching it and every time it is close to Allaah the harmful things become distant from it

• Author: Ibn Al Qayyim | Source: Al Jawab Al Kafi | Trans: Abu Iyaad

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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. 

 ~~~~~

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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Weeping from the Fear of Allaah

And whosoever fears Allah and keeps his duty to Him, He will make a way for him to get out (from every difficulty). And He will provide him from (sources) he never could imagine. And whosoever puts his trust in Allah, then He will suffice him. Verily, Allah will accomplish his purpose. Indeed Allah has set a measure for all things.

(Qurâan 65:2-3)

In his eloquent writing style, Al Awaayishah brings to the forefront that which the believer should truly be occupied with and that which will soften their hearts, hearts which in most cases have become hard as they are occupied with this dunya life. It is a source of purification for the believer, elucidating the virtue of weeping from the fear of Allah and the path towards such an action. The wise statements and narrations are expanse and its powerful content strikes the heart, making one more adamant in striving for the Hereafter. This wonderful compilation of Quraanic ayat, hadeeth and statements of our pious predecessors is such that it truly allows the reader to reflect and reevaluate their current situation, such that they may seek to emulate the great examples of the past, those who had truly gained Allah’s Pleasure.

Oft-times we are far-removed from the teachings of Islaam, for while we may read the Quraan and learn from the Sunnah, many do not reflect upon its discernible reality. Al Awaayishah’s persistence o­n topics such as death and the Day of Judgement dispel such a disposition and as its certainty is brought to the forefront, the seed of fear is implanted into the heart of the believer as the tears ultimately begin to flow.

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