The Nature of Things

Ibn al-Qayyim says: “For the tongue does not keep quiet at all. It is either a tongue that remembers or a tongue that is frivolous and it has to be one of these two.

It is the (nature of the) soul; if you do not preoccupy it with truth, it will occupy you with falsehood. It is the (nature of the) heart; if you do not accommodate it with love of Allaah, it will dwell with love of creation and this is a certain reality. It is the (nature of the) tongue; if you do not preoccupy it with remembrance, it will most definitely occupy you with frivolity.

Thus, choose for your own self one of the two courses and confer upon it one of the two standings.”

• Source: Al-Waabil as-Sayyib | Pgs. 166-167 | Ibn al-Qayyim
• Transcribed from: Causes Behind the Increase and Decrease of Eemaan | ‘Abdur-Razzq al-‘Abbaad

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True Nobility

Dhun-Noon said, “Who is more noble and honourable than one who is cut off from everyone except the One who has sovereignty of everything in His Hand?

• Transcribed from: The Evil of Craving for Wealth and Status | al-Haafidh Ibn Rajab al-Hanbalee

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Weep Tears of Understanding

Everything has its indications and signs. Indications that knowledge is beneficial are that it leads to fine character, good manners and praiseworthy attributes. In this regard it was said:

“He whose knowledge doesn’t cause him to weep, can be justifiably considered not to have been granted beneficial knowledge,” since Allaah subhanahu wa ta’ala described the people of knowledge saying:

Say believe in it (The Qur’aan) or do not believe. Verily! Those who were given knowledge before it, when it is recited to them, fall down on their faces in humble prostration. And they say: “Glory be to our Lord! Truly, the Promise of our Lord must be fulfilled”. And they fall down on their faces weeping and it adds to their humility.”

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Complain of Yourself

Imām Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allāh have mercy upon him,  said:

The ignorant one complains about Allāh to the people! This is the height of ignorance in complaining and in whom the complaint is about. For if a person were to truly know his Lord, he would never complain of Him. If he truly knew people, he would never complain to them … The gnostic complains only to Allāh, and the most knowledgeable of the gnostics are those who complain to Allāh about themselves, not others … So there are three levels: The most contemptible of them is to complain to people about Allāh; the loftiest of them is to complain to Allāh about oneself; the middle level is to complain to Allāh about others.

• Source: al-Fawa’id
• Transcribed from: Translator’s Footnote from ‘The Exquisite Peal – The Journey to Allāh & The Home of the Hereafter’ | Shaykh ‘Abd Al-Rahmān Al-Sa’di

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Two Paradises

Imām Ibn al-Qayyim said: ‘There is no [true] bliss, nor any delight, joy, or completeness for him, except in knowing Allāh, loving Him, being tranquil in the remembrance of Him, feeling delighted in drawing closer to Him and in yearning to meet Him; this being the paradise of the worldly life. Likewise, there is no delight or success for him in the Afterlife, except with his being enveloped in the Abode of Bliss in the Paradise of the next life. So there are for him two paradises, he will not enter the latter without first entering the former.

I heard Shaykh’l-Islām  Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allāh sanctify his soul, saying: ‘Indeed there is a paradise in this world, whoever does not enter it will not enter the Paradise of the Afterlife.’

One of the gnostics said: ‘There are times that pass over the heart about which I say: If the people of Paradise are in the likes of this [state], then what a wonderful life they are in.’

• Source: Madārij al-Sālikīn
• Transcribed from: The Translator’s Preface to ‘The Exquisite Peal – The Journey to Allāh & The Home of the Hereafter’ | Shaykh ‘Abd Al-Rahmān Al-Sa’di

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No Such Thing as True Thankfulness

From the moral and manners of the Salaf was that they would testify against themselves that they had not really thanked Allah. That is because they would see all their praise for Him as another of Allah’s favours upon them; the favours of Allah remaining and unending, impossible for anyone to catch up with.

Abu Bakr ibn Abdullah al-Muzani (rahimahullaah) said, “Never does a slave say alhamdulillaah (Praise be to Allah) without more thanks becoming required for him!”

Wahb ibn Munabbih (rahimahullaah) would say, “If your thanking Allah the Most High is a favour to you from the favours of Allah then in reality there is no such thing as true thankfulness. All your thanks mean that you have realized Allah’s abundant favours upon you, and that you cannot praise Allah enough for them.”

Sahl at-Tustari (rahimahullah) said, “Showing thankfulness to Allah is not to disobey Him with His favours. The whole body is from the favours of  Allah and His gift, so do not disobey Him with any of it.”

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Such is the Qur’aan

One who reads the Qur’aan, and ponders and reflects over its aayaat, finds within it such knowledge and learning, which strengthens, increases and develops his eemaan.

This is because he will come across within the discourse of the Qur’aan, a King, who possesses all dominion, for whom alone, is all praise. The reign of all affairs are in His Hand alone, they emanate from Him and return to Him. He has ascended above His throne and not a single secret in the regions of His dominion escapes Him.

He is aware of what is in the souls of His slaves, fully cognizant of their hidden and public deeds. Solely, He disposes of the affairs of the Kingdom.

He hears and sees, gives and withholds, rewards and punishes, and honours and abases. He creates and sustains, and gives life and causes death. He decrees, executes and disposes.

He invites His servants and directs them towards what constitutes their happiness and success. He entices them towards this, and warns them of what will cause their ruin.

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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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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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