Dr. Muhammad Ali Al-Hashimi
Many hadith describe the status of two people who love one another for the sake of Allah (subhanahu wa ta`ala), and describe the high position in Paradise which He has promised them and the great honour which He will bestow upon them on the Day when mankind is resurrected to meet the Rabb of the Worlds: Among them is the hadith which describes the seven whom Allah (subhanahu wa ta`ala) will shade on the Day when there is no shade but His:
"...a just leader; a youth who grows up worshipping Allah (subhanahu wa ta`ala); a man who is deeply attached to the mosque; two men who love one another for the sake of Allah (subhanahu wa ta`ala), meeting for His sake and parting for His sake; a man who is called by a beautiful woman and says, I fear Allah (subhanahu wa ta`ala)'; a man who gives charity in secret such that his left hand does not know what his right hand is doing; and a man who remembers Allah (subhanahu wa ta`ala) when he is alone and his eyes fill with tears." (Bukhari and Muslim)
The two who love one another for the sake of Allah (subhanahu wa ta`ala) are clearly shown to be among those whom Allah (subhanahu wa ta`ala) will shelter with His shade and upon whom He will shower His mercy and kindness. What a great honour! It is enough honour for those who love one another for the sake of Allah (subhanahu wa ta`ala that their Almighty Rabb will greet them on the Day of Resurrection and say to them: "Where are those who loved one another for My glory? Today I will shade them in My shade on the Day when there is no shade but Mine." (Muslim)
Such is the magnificent honour and tremendous reward that will be bestowed upon those who truly loved one another for the sake of Allah (subhanahu wa ta`ala), on that awesome Day.
Love for the sake of Allah (subhanahu wa ta`ala), and not for the sake of anything else in this life which is filled with greed, desires and interests, is very difficult, and none can attain it except the one who is pure of heart, for whom this world is as nothing compared to the pleasure of Allah (subhanahu wa ta`ala). It is not surprising that Allah (subhanahu wa ta`ala) should give them a status and blessing which is commensurate with their position in this world, above whose concerns they have risen. We find proof of this in the hadith of Mu'adh who said that the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) said:
"Allah (subhanahu wa ta`ala) said: 'Those who love one another for My glory, will have minbars of light, and the Prophets and martyrs will wish that they had the same." [Reported by al-Tirmidhi, who said it is a hasan sahih hadith]
Allah (subhanahu wa ta`ala) gives to those who love one another for His sake a gift which is even greater than this status and blessing: that is His precious love which is very difficult to attain. This is proven by the hadith of Abu Hurayrah (radhiallahu `anhu) in which the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) said:
"A man went to visit a brother of his in another village. Allah (subhanahu wa ta`ala) sent an angel to wait for him on the road. When the man came along, the angel asked him, 'Where do you intend to go?' He said, 'I am going to visit a brother of mine who lives in this village.' The angel asked, 'Have you done him any favour (for which you are now seeking repayment)?' He said, 'No. I just love him for the sake of Allah (subhanahu wa ta`ala).' The angel told him, I am a messenger to you from Allah (subhanahu wa ta`ala), sent to tell you that He loves you as you love your brother for His sake."' (Muslim)
What a great love, that raises a man to a position where Allah (subhanahu wa ta`ala) loves him and is pleased with him!
The teaching of the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) goes even further and states that the better of two brothers who love one another for the sake of Allah (subhanahu wa ta`ala) is the one who loves his brother more. The Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) said:
"No two men love one another, but the better of them is the one whose love for his brother is greater." [Reported by Bukhari in al-Adab al-Mufrad]
Islam goes even further in spreading love in the rightly guided Muslim society by telling the Muslim that if he loves his brother, he should tell him. The Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) said: "If a man loves his brother, let him tell him that he loves him." [Reported by Abu Dawud and al-Tirmidhi, who said it is a sahih hadith]
The Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) understood the impact of this strong, pure love in building societies and nations, so he never let any occasion pass without advocating this love and commanding the Muslims to announce their love for one another, in order to open hearts and spread love and purity among the ranks of the Ummah.
Anas (radhiallahu `anhu) said that a man was with the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam), when another man passed by. The first man said, "O Messenger of Allah, indeed I truly love this man." The Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) asked him, "Have you let him know that?" He said, "No." The Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) said, "Tell him." He caught up with him and told him, "Truly I love you for the sake of Allah (subhanahu wa ta`ala)," and the man said, "May Allah (subhanahu wa ta`ala) love you who loves me for His sake." [Reported by Abu Dawud, with a sahih isnad]
Mu'adh began to spread this pure love among the Muslims throughout the Muslim lands, telling them what he had heard from the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) about the great reward that Allah (subhanahu wa ta`ala) had prepared for those who loved one another for His sake, and about His great love for them. In al-Muwatta', Imam Malik gives a report with a sahih isnad from Abu Idris al-Khulani who said: "I entered the mosque of Damascus, where I saw a young man who had a bright smile, and I saw the people gathered around him. When they disagreed on some matter, they referred it to him, and accepted his opinion. I asked who he was, and they told me, 'This is Mu'adh ibn Jabal (radhiallahu `anhu)." Early the next day, I went to the mosque but I found that he had arrived even earlier than I. He was praying, so I waited until he had finished, then I approached him from in front, greeted him and said, 'By Allah (subhanahu wa ta`ala) I love you.' He said, 'For the sake of Allah (subhanahu wa ta`ala)?' I said, 'For the sake of Allah'. He repeated his question, 'For the sake of Allah (subhanahu wa ta`ala)?' and I said, 'For the sake of Allah.' So he took hold of my collar and pulled me towards him and said, 'I have good news for you. I heard the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) say:
"Allah Almighty says: 'My love is granted to those who love one another for My sake, who visit one another for My sake, and who spend on one another for My sake.'"'
Source: islamway.com
"Why should I try to convert my non-Muslim friends when I often prefer them to the Muslims that I know? How will being Muslim change their lives for the better if they already display more of the Islamic virtues than most of the Muslims they are likely to meet? "
By British convert to Islam, Michael A. Malik.
There was a white face in the mosque. You don't see very many, so I went over and asked if he was a Muslim, “I used to be, but not any more.” he said, “I thought Islam was wonderful, but I couldn't stand the Muslims”. What could I say except “I know how you feel”;. Most converts do.
Of course one meets some special individuals in encounters with the ummah, but how is it possible that in the Muslim world they seem so few and far between? Does my being a cultural alien mean that I am inherently less capable of understanding Islam, or is it just that I don't understand my fellow Muslims? Why is it that a trip to the mosque so often leaves me closer to despair than hope? Why do I so rarely feel enlightened and uplifted after conversation with my fellow Muslims, yet so often offended by their behaviour, frustrated by their mindless approach to truth, and enraged by the inadequacy of the Islam they expect me to accept? How often I have felt like giving it all up.
Fortunately I was a Muslim for four years before going to the Muslim world and meeting those who feel that Islam belongs to them by birthright, so I early on formed a relationship with God which served to armour me against the ummah. The first time I went into a mosque in a Muslim country, the first thing to happen was that someone tried to throw me out. Now they weren’t to know that I was a Muslim but they didn't even ask. When I told them, in fact, the first thing they did ask was “Sunni or Shi’a?”, so if I'd picked the wrong one they would probably have thrown me out anyway. I thoroughly confused them when I said I didn't care, however, and eventually they let me stop and pray.
First impressions last a long time, they say, but many years after having learned by experience the best way to get in, pray, and get out without harassment, it still seems that in a strange mosque a strange face is more likely to be greeted with hostility than welcome.
The man in the editor's office was obviously a Muslim, so the brusque arrogance of his manner should not have come as a surprise. It did little, however, to incline me towards composing a careful answer, too much effort was required to remain courteous, and it seemed more like a challenge than a question. “And how many of your people have you converted?” he said, but I suspect the answer was more complex than he really wanted to hear.
“Converted to what?” is the first response. Islam presumably, yet here we have a huge assumption that we both agree on what that is. Why should I try to convert my non-Muslim friends when I often prefer them to the Muslims that I know? How will being Muslim change their lives for the better if they already display more of the Islamic virtues than most of the Muslims they are likely to meet? I share what I have found when they show Interest, but like me they often look at the Muslim world and wonder what we have in common. They find it hard to see living examples of the principles of which I speak.
I came to Islam through a search for Truth, but I found that in practice most Muslims give the truth a very low priority, and I can still be shocked by their facility for saying whatever they think suits the conversation best. Along with truth goes trustworthiness, surely an Islamic virtue, yet travelling through the Muslim world I met Muslims eager to sit down and discuss breaking an agreement not two minutes after sealing it with a pious recitation of Al Fatiha [first chapter of the Quran]. And closer to home how distasteful it is to belong to a community so notorious with regard to paying bills.
How about Mercy and Compassion - those words now repeatedly on my Muslim lips. In three years of travelling through the Muslim world, hardly a day passed without some stranger feeling he ought to instruct me in the principles of Islam. In all that time, in all these casual encounters, not only was mercy never given pride of place, but I actually don't recall it ever having been given a place at all. It is not necessary for my friends to look to the Muslim heartlands, when at home the Muslim example can be confused with “My Beautiful Launderette”.
But they see the Muslim heartlands every evening an TV, with their dictators and demagogues thick on the ground, oppressive and unjust societies, poverty and ignorance. There is no point in telling friends that Islam is a complete way of life. That it is a way to achieve joy and fulfillment in this life, hope and trust when approaching the next, and the perfect basis for a tolerant and peaceful society for all humanity. What can I answer when someone says “Show me!” - “Point to a Muslim country you can use as an example.”
My Islam sees in the prophet endless examples of forgiveness and tolerance, yet my friends see the mindless enforcement of rigid laws and eccentric punishments. I sometimes explain, but could just as well tell tales of Shari'a court corruption and injustice. My Islam insists on individual freedom, there is no compulsion, no priests are needed, and except for piety all men are equal. I kneel before no man, though I will kneel in prayer beside any, and my wealth and privilege is permitted, though charity is to be preferred, and the prophet chose to die a pauper.
My friends can understand and be drawn to such principles, but unless they can see this utopia in a more tangible form than my theories they are surely destined to remain cynical about their possible fulfillment. As long as I can't show them examples of Muslims living in a way they consider preferable to their own, I won't worry too much about their conversion. They see my Islam as a pipe dream, and who knows, perhaps they are right. The task is of course even harder when the friends concerned are women, as the clichéd platitudes of Islamic freedom and equality mean nothing when such highly visible inequities and oppression are impossible to hide.
Since I came back to this country there has been much talk in the Muslim community about an “identity crisis”. But the business successes of their family networks show that Muslims have no problem in identifying themselves with other Muslims, they just have trouble in identifying themselves with anything recognisable as Islam. In fact it seems that most Muslims would rather have as little to do with Islam as possible from the moment they are old enough to avoid it.
“Brother, let me tell you the most important thing in Islam”, said the stranger who had cornered me in a Lahore coffee bar. Far from agog, I waited to hear what it might be, though experience had taught me that it was unlikely to include any of the five pillars, truth or tolerance, or the like. “The most important thing in Islam” he said “is that your wife covers her head”, a view of Islam which I had heard often from many Muslim men. In other words the most important thing in the practice of Islam is to get your wife to do it, or your children, or your grandfather, or anybody but yourself!
Back in Britain I listened to the Muslim wails. “We are losing our children! By the time they leave school they are strangers, lost to us and to Islam! What can we do?” My usual response was often faced with dismay – “I can say what I think you should do, but it's unlikely that you will do it, because it involves changing yourselves. It involves changing the way you understand your Islam”. This is not suggesting wholesale innovation, as it might seem to imply, but quite the reverse. “It is necessary to revive that Muslim community which is buried under the debris of the manmade traditions of several generations, and which is crushed under the weight of those false laws and customs which are not remotely related to Islamic teachings, and which, in spite of all this, calls itself the ‘world of Islam’” (Qutb - Milestones). It's time to get back to the real thing - and I don't mean coca cola.
As I waited to begin my talk to the gathering of young Muslims I engaged in conversation with the group. A nice, quiet, attentive, well-mannered lot I thought. Then time to begin, but the mike wasn't working, and they waited “Testing! Testing! 123...” for while. Rather than just read numbers, it seemed more appropriate to read some Qur’an - after all, I was going to be talking about prayer. To my amazement, the first words of Fatihah seemed to fall in the room like a grenade, turning the group into a rabble. Punches flew, people rolled on the floor, conversations were attempted back and forth across the room, and Fatihah was generally taken as Time Out. If these were the ones at a Muslim conference, what on earth would the Muslim youth who weren't there have been like?
Now it's not that I'm a one for excessive displays of reverence, I see my religion more in a practical kind of way, but this was , which the Prophet called the best of the chapters of the Qur'an, and which Al-Ghazali called the key to Paradise. These words are not recited in every rakat of prayer without good reason. The outward displays of reverence, such as venerating a Qur'an, placing it high up and wrapped away, cannot do justice to the awe and wonder this surah deserves. But if a Muslim does not have a reason for this reverence which satisfies his understanding, the outward displays become hollow and easy to discard.
At the exhibition, the school kids of all ages were milling around looking at the World of Islam. As they tried to find the answers for their question sheets it was clear that Muslim kids knew little more than all the rest. No wonder our young people are losing their Islam. They have received so little to start off with. From out of the crowd around the Qur'an, one boy said to the teacher “I can read that!”, and proceeded to do so - more fluently than I could have done myself. The teacher was obviously highly impressed, but then asked the obvious question, “What does it mean?”, and the boys satisfaction turned to wry embarrassment. “I don't know”, he shrugged, and that was the end of that.
Now our young people are not stupid. Muslims have a better academic record than most groupings, as a glance at the honours board of your local school will show. The teacher's response was a common sense question, one that anyone might have expected in the situation. The embarrassment came from the common sense questions that remained unspoken, “Then why did you learn it?”, “What use is it to you?”, “Is this a skill without a purpose?” The teacher implicitly understood that these are questions you do not ask, and neither it seems do Muslims. It is as though Muslims are afraid that Islam can't stand up to common sense questions, yet Fatihah alone can satisfy whatever intellectual demands are put upon it and still remain inexhaustible. Are we passing on the key to the door of paradise, and forgetting to explain how you use it to open the lock.
If young Muslims are not shown the full richness of Islamic knowledge, we must not be surprised if they show more interest in fields where there seems further to explore. It will take some time before mosques are again centres of learning in all its aspects, places of research, experimentation and debate concerning our understanding of God and Creation. But when western educated young Muslim adults begin to search for their spiritual roots, God willing, they will uncover the means of reinvigorating the ummah, and leading them in the example of the Companions. If our Islam is not like theirs, filled with a sense of awe, wonder and excitement, can we really be doing justice to the service of Allah.
In such a situation, we will find new Muslims drawn towards the mosque. At the moment, amidst the ummah they are more likely to find Islam expressed as a cultural adjunct, where even the five pillars are avoided. But if the pillars are treated as unnecessary then what is needed to be Muslim, and if they are necessary how many Muslims are there in the ummah?
This goes to the heart of the conversation question, as we need to know what is essential for a person to be considered Muslim. Do Muslims in fact expect more from a convert than they do from those born in their cultures? How little does a westerner have to do before Muslims accept him as Muslim, and how far can he stray from their cultural norm before they consider him a disturbing intrusion and would rather that he stayed away? Is the reason there are not more converts because they would disturb the status quo?
But our effect on our surrounding society is a mirror to our behaviour and how well we represent Islam. We must live in a way that seems preferable and then at least partially satisfy the expectations of the inquisitive. Once upon a time, Islam spread like wildfire. In a few short years the Message spread to Morocco and to China. Millions welcomed the good news, and quickly shaped their lives around it.
Now Islam may be fast growing in the third world regions, but here in the West Muslims face a peculiar reaction to their invitations to join them in their faith, as almost nobody wants anything to do with it. If the message we are passing on no longer seems to have the same effect, is it not time to consider if we just have a communications problem, or whether we ourselves are abusing the message? Fortunately we still have the original - all we have to do is understand it!
Source: http://www.islamfortoday.com/
Adapted from a lecture given by Jamaal al-Din Zarabozo entitled 'Sticking to Islam'
Thabit al Bunani (rahimahullaah) said: "A lad who was trailing his garment (i.e. below his ankles) passed by Sila Ibn Ashyam (rahimahullaah) and his companions, and his companions wanted to harshly rebuke him. Sila said, 'Leave him be, I will deal with him for you.' He said to him, 'Nephew, I need something from you.' He asked, 'What do you need?' He (Sila) replied, 'I want you to raise your wrapper (i.e. ezaar).' He (the lad) said, 'Yes, and may your eye be blessed.' He raised his wrapper, and Sila (rahimahullaah) remarked to his companions, 'This is the same as what you wanted; [and yet] if you had abused him, and injured him, he would have vilified you.'"
...And we must fulfill all of our rights towards these people; these righteous people, [even though] we might differ with [them] in some opinions, and we might believe [that they] are mistaken [concerning certain issues]. And they might even be mistaken in some big issues, but all that we know of them [says] that they are righteous people, and that they are people of Knowledge.
And since they have established themselves as righteous people, and people of Knowledge, then we must have good suspicions... we must have good thoughts about them. We should not try to interpret everything they do in the worst possible manner; [for] we don't have the right to do that... instead we should think [that] they are pious people, and therefore, when we hear anything [bad, or negative] about them, we should think... or try to think of it in the best
way possible.
We should be kind and gentle with them, [and] we should try to down-play their faults, and conceal their faults for them. Ya'nee we should try to conceal the faults of every Brother, but especially with respect to the 'Ulamaa and those people of respect, as the Prophet has mentioned in the [well-known] Hadeeth.
And we should give them their due respect and honour... we should not treat them like we treat some... we should not treat them [in a manner which is less than that which they are deserving of]; Ya'nee, [because] they are in a place [deserving] of [great] respect. And we should not treat them like we treat each other, or like we treat young people, or like we treat children... we should not talk about them in that manner.
Allaah says [in the Qur'aan]: "Allaah will raise up in degrees those of you who believe and those who have been granted knowledge." Surah al-Mujaadalah 58:11
Allaah has given them special rank; those people whom Allaah has given Knowledge.
And Ibn 'Uthaymeen (hafidhahullaah) has explained to us why it is so important that we take a cautious approach to the 'Ulamaa; [that] we [should] not attack them, [nor] criticize them; but [that] we [should] give them naseeha (sincere advice) whenever we feel that they are wrong:
"There is no doubt, that the scholars disparaging, and putting one another down, is a deed that is forbidden. It is forbidden for a person to back-bite his Brother Muslim - even if he is not a scholar - so how is it permissible for him to back-bite his Brother scholars from among the Believers?
The one who is afflicted with this disease must realise that when he puts a scholar down, it will be a cause for what the scholar says of Truth to also be rejected.
He must realise that when he puts down a scholar, he is not just putting him down personally, but he is putting down one of the heirs of the Prophet ; as the scholars are the heirs of the Prophets. [He must also realise that] if he puts down and criticises the scholars, the people will no longer trust the Knowledge that they have, which is passed on from the Prophet . Therefore, they will not trust anything from the Sharee'ah that is presented by that scholar who is being criticised."
He continues:
"I do not say that every scholar is free from committing errors; [for] every human is apt to commit mistakes. If you see a scholar making a mistake, according to your belief, then contact him and try to discuss it with him - If it becomes clear [to you] that the Truth is with him, then it becomes obligatory upon you to follow him. [But] if you find that his statement is wrong, then it is obligatory upon you to refute it, and make his mistake clear. [And] this is because it is not correct to accept a mistake. But do not disparage him, and put him down while he is a scholar, who is well-known to have a good intention. If you are able to say, 'Some people say such and such, and that is a weak opinion.', and then you explain why it is weak - without mentioning the scholar - [then] that is good, and that is best."
And then he makes a very important point at the end, "If we wanted to disparage the scholars who are well-known for having good intentions, due to the mistakes that they fell into regarding questions of the Religion, then we would disparage even the greatest of scholars. Even if a scholar should follow an opinion, that goes against what the majority of the scholars are following - or what the leading scholars are following - this [in] itself, does not mean that we have the right to attack him." And in fact Ibn 'Uthaymeen (hafidhahullaah) again... in another Fatwa, he said,
"If a person differs from the majority of the scholars in an issue in which there is established evidence for the correctness of what he is saying, it is not allowed to abuse him, and it is not allowed to be harsh against him. [As well], it is not allowed to gather the people against him; instead one should debate with that person, and contact him.
And how many topics are there that are strange for the people to understand, and they think that there has been ijmaa' (concensus of agreement) on that question, however when they study, they will find that the person has evidence that will lead even his opponents to follow him, and accept it.
It is correct, and most likely, [that] the correct view will be with the majority - that is the normal case - however, that does not mean that the correct view is definitively with the majority."
"O you who Believe! Stand firmly for Allaah as just witnesses; and let not the enmity and hatred of others make you swerve away from justice. But be just; that is closer to piety." Surah al-Maa‘idah 5:8
...Stand up firm for the sake of Allaah, testifying to what is True. And you should not allow the hatred of a people to let you swerve from what is just, instead you must be just; for that is closer to Taqwa - that is a part of Taqwa - And you must fear Allaah. And Allaah is aware of everything you do.}
...Ibn ul-Qayyim (rahimahullaah) said, "We love Shaykh ul-Islaam (i.e. Ibn Taymiyyah rahimahullaah), but the Truth is more beloved to us."
...Ibn 'Uthaymeen (hafidhahullaah) was asked about the Ikhwaan and the Salafiyyeen and the Tableegh, and after saying that they should all come together as one group, he then said:
"...however, for those groups to make people flee from one another, and to curse one another, and to declare one another [as] faasiqeen..." ...even he said faasiqeen, not even mubtadi'een [as this group, for the most part, says today]... "...this goes against what Islaam has brought."
Help one another in what is Righteousness and Piety. And do not test one another in sinfulness and transgression by calling your Brothers for which you have no proof that they are Mubtadi'een, and have left the Path. Wa Taqq Allaah! And have Fear of Allaah! And Allaah is severe in punishment.
What are you gonna do?! Even a non-Muslim... [concerning] even a kaafir, you have the right to work with him, if what he is doing is correct and True. The Prophet joined an oath before Islaam, during the time of Jahiliyyah - the oath of Al-Kudhoor - and he said in Islaam, "If they called me to it, I would respond to it."
Al-Haqq, Al-Haqq! We are after the Truth, and what is Righteousness, and we [should] help one another for that goal.
And we have no excuse!... we have no excuse whatsoever not to co-operate with any Muslim who is doing what is right, when even if a non-Muslim is doing what is right; we can assist him.
"Have no co-operation with them whatsoever."!...[He is quoting from a fatwa put out from a Jordanian sheikh, encouraging non-co-operation with Muslims who have fallen into bid’ah]
Let us go back to the Qur'aan and Sunnah, and what the people of 'Ilm... the people of Knowledge have said. And let us, Insha Allaah, disregard such nonsense. Let us ask Allaah to forgive those Shaykhs, and all of those who joined [them] in [spreading] that [Fatwa]. May Allaah forgive them, but let us ignore and not follow the nonsense that they put forth.
And let us ask Allaah to forgive all of us...
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said that: "You should not be envious of one another, you should not turn your backs on one another, and boycott one another. Instead you should be Brethren; Servants of Allaah... and helping one another towards that cause." [Sahih Muslim]
And the Prophet (peace be upon him) [also] said that: "It is enough of a sin for a person that he belittle his Brother Muslim." [Sahih Muslim]
And, [as well he said]: "All of a Muslim is inviolable to another Muslim, his blood, his wealth and his honour." [Sahih Muslim]
However, I would like to quote from Ibn 'Uthaymeen. In this Fatwa, Ibn 'Uthaymeen is telling us who it is, who is benefitting from our behaviour, and who it is who is happy with what is going on between us; He was asked about the kind of division that exists among the different groups today, and he said:
"By Allaah, my position is that this is very painful and sorrowful. [For] it is feared that this Islaamic revival and re-awakening will become dry, and lose it's force. Because when people differ they become - as Allaah has said:
"And do not dispute with one another lest you fail and your moral strength deserts you" Surah al-Anfaal, 8:46
When you dispute [amongst yourselves] then you become weak, and your energy, your strength, leaves you."
And then he (i.e. Ibn 'Uthaymeen) said - and please listen to what this person of Knowledge that everyone, Insha Allaah, accepts as a person of Knowledge. He said:
"The enemies of Islaam - those who openly attach themselves to Islaam, and those who openly and inwardly are enemies to Islaam - are very happy with this division. In fact, they are the ones who stoke its fire; they come to this person and they say, 'This person has said such and such, and he has done such and such.', and they spread hatred and enmity among those Brothers who are calling to Allaah "
Then he continued:
"It is obligatory upon us to stand against the plots of those enemies of Allaah and His Messenger, and His Religion. And we must be one Ummah, and we must gather together and benefit from one another. We must make ourselves like we are one caller to Islaam - even if we differ in our Manhaaj in calling to Allaah, [for] that is not of importance. What is important is that we come together as Brothers, our hearts together on the Truth, and loving one another."
And Allaah has told us:
Truly! This, your Ummah is one Ummah, and I am your Lord, therefore worship Me (Alone). Surah al-Anbiyaa, 21:92.
Source: http://iisca.org/
Shaykh ul-Islaam ibn Taymiyyah Raheemahullaah
As for the next part of the question, about the most valuable quality to aim for, then the answer to this is that the best prize is to have trust in Allaah, reliance upon Him of His sufficiency, and keeping a good opinion of Him, the latter being that if anyone is anxious regarding their sustenance then he should turn to the shelter of Allaah, as the Exalted said, from what is narrated by His Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam,
"O My servants, all of you are hungry except for those I have fed, so seek food of Me and I shall feed you. O My servants, all of you are naked except for those I have clothed, so seek clothing of Me and I shall clothe you." [Upon Aboo Dharr, related by Muslim, at-Tirmidhee, and Ahmad]
In this regard there is also a hadeeth which at-Tirmidhee narrates from Anas (radiyallaahu `anhu), who said that the Messenger of Allaah (salalllaahu `alayhi wa sallam) said,
"Each of you should ask for his needs from Allaah, even if the strap of your sandal breaks, because if Allaah does not facilitate it, it will never be possible."
Allaah the Most High says in His Book:
"...But ask Allaah for His bounty..." [4:32]
"And when the prayer is finished, then you may disperse through the land, and seek the Bounty of Allaah..." [62:10]
Although this aayah is in the context of the congreagational Friday prayer, its meaning applies to all the prayers. That is why- and Allaah knows best - the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam instructed the person entering the mosque to say,
"AllaahummaftaH lee abwaaba raHmatik" (O Allaah! open the doors of Your mercy for me)
and when leaving the mosque to say,
"Allaahumma innee as'aluka min faDlik" (O Allaah! I ask of You some of Your Bounty)
[Muslim, Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa'ee, ad-Daarimee, ibn Maajah, Ahmad, Aboo 'Awaanah, Abdur-Razzaaq and al-Baihaqee]
Also the Friend of Allaah (i.e. Ibraaheem, `alayhis salaam) had said,
"...then seek sustenance from Allaah, serve Him, and be grateful to Him." [29:17]
This is a command, and a command signifies obligation. Therefore, to seek help from Allaah and to entreat to Him in the matter of livelihood and others is a fundamental principle. Furthermore, it is important in seeking a livelihood that one should acquire wealth with generosity of heart and not with greed so that he may be blessed in it. Neither should he make the wealth the primary aim; rather, he should regard wealth much as he regards the toilet, which he has need of but it has no place in his heart, and he only resorts to it when necessary.
A marfoo` (i.e. report consisting of a chain of narration that goes back to the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam) hadeeth which is related by at-Tirmidhee and others states that, "He who begins the morning with this world as his greatest concern, Allaah disperses his collected gains and puts its loss in front of him, and only that of the world comes to him which is written for him. And he who begins the morning with the Hereafter as his greatest concern, Allaah gathers for him his works and creates richness in his heart due to them, and the world comes to him subserviently." [Related by at-Tirmidhee with a da`eef isnaad, but the hadeeth is saheeh due to the supporting narrations of ibn Maajah, Ibn Hibbaan and Ahmad]
One of the Salaf said, "Each of you is in need of the world, but you are in more need of your portion in the Hereafter. Therefore, if you are in search of your portion in the Hereafter first and foremost, then you will achieve your portion of the world in passing, such that it is taken care of as it comes."
Allaah the Exalted says:
"I have only created jinn and men that they may worship Me. No sustenance do I require of them, nor do I require that they should feed Me. For Allaah is He who gives (all) sustenance, Lord of Power, Steadfast (forever)." [51:56-58]
Firstly:
Allaah has commanded us to spread the greeting of salaam, and has enjoined us to return the greeting to all Muslims. He has made the greeting of salaam one of the things that spread love among the believers.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
" When you are greeted with a greeting, greet in return with what is better than it, or (at least) return it equally. Certainly, Allaah is Ever a Careful Account Taker of all things." [al-Nisa'4:86]
And it was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "You will not enter Paradise until you (truly) believe, and you will not (truly) believe until you love one another. Shall I not tell you something which, if you do it, you will love one another? Spread the greeting of salaam amongst yourselves." Narrated by Muslim, 54.
In the answer to question no. 4596, there is a lengthy discussion on the importance of greeting with salaam and returning the greeting.
Secondly:
The command to spread the greeting of salaam is general and applies to all the believers. It includes men greeting men and women greeting women, and a man greeting his female mahrams. All of them are enjoined to initiate the greeting of salaam, and the other is obliged
to return the greeting.
But there is a special ruling that applies to a man greeting a non- mahram woman, because of the fitnah (temptation) that may result from that in some cases.
Thirdly:
There is nothing wrong with a man greeting a non-mahram woman with salaam, without shaking hands with her, if she is elderly, but he should not greet a young woman with salaams when there is no guarantee that there will be no fitnah (temptation). This is what is indicated by the comments of the scholars, may Allaah have mercy on them.
Imam Maalik was asked: Can a woman be greeted with salaam? He said: With regard to the elderly woman, I do not regard that as makrooh, but with regard to the young woman, I do not like that.
Al-Zarqaani explained the reason why Maalik did not like that, in his commentary on al-Muwatta': Because of the fear of fitnah when he hears her returning the greeting.
In al-Adaab al-Shar'iyyah (1/370) it says: Ibn Muflih mentioned that Ibn Mansoor said to Imam Ahmad: (What about) greeting women with salaam? He said: If the woman is old there is nothing wrong with it.
Saalih (the son of Imam Ahmad) said: I asked my father about greeting women with salaam. He said: With regard to old women, there is nothing wrong with it, but with regard to young women, they should not be prompted to speak by being made to return the salaam.
Al-Nawawi said in his book al-Adhkaar (p. 407):
Our companions said: Women greeting women is like men greeting to men. But when it comes to women greeting men, if the woman is the man's wife, or his concubine, or one of his mahrams, then it is like him speaking to another man; it is mustahabb for either of them to initiate the greeting of salaam and the other is obliged to return the greeting. But if the woman is a stranger (non-mahram), if she is beautiful and there is the fear that he may be tempted by her, then the man should not greet her with salaam, and if he does then it is not permissible for her to reply; she should not initiate the greeting of salaam either, and if she does, she does not deserve a response. If he responds then this is makrooh.
If she is an old woman and he will not be tempted by her, then it is permissible for her to greet the man with salaam and for the man to return her salaams.
If there is a group of women then a man may greet them with salaam, or if there is a group of men, they may greet a woman with salaam, so long as there there is no fear that any of the parties may be tempted.
Abu Dawood (5204) narrated that Asma' the daughter of Yazeed said: "The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) passed by us woman and greeted us with salaam." Classed as saheeh by al- Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.
And al-Bukhaari (6248) narrated that Sahl ibn Sa'd said: "There was an old woman of our acquaintance who would send someone to Budaa'ah (a garden of date-palms in Madeenah). She would take the roots of silq (a kind of vegetable) and put them in a cooking pot with some powdered barley. After we had prayed Jumu'ah, we would go and greet her, then she should offer (that food) to us."
Al-Haafiz said in al-Fath:
Concerning the permissibility of men greeting women with salaam and women greeting men: what is meant by its being permitted is when there is no fear of fitnah.
Al-Haleemi was quoted as saying: Because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was infallible and protected from fitnah. Whoever is confident that he will be safe from temptation may greet (women) with salaam, otherwise it is safer to keep silent.
And al-Muhallab is quoted as saying: It is permissible for men to greet women with salaam and for women to greet men, if there is no fear of fitnah.
And Allaah knows best.
Imaam ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah (d.751 H), rahimahullaah 1
Allaah - the Most High - said:
"O you who believe! Remember Allaah and remember Him a lot." [Soorah al-Ahzaab 33:4I].
"Those men and women who remember Allaah a lot." [Soorah al-Ahzaab 33:35].
"So when you have finished the rights of your Pilgrimage, then remember Allaah as you remember your fore-father, or with more intense remembrance." [Soorah al-Baqarah 2:200].
These verses contain a command to remember Allaah intensely and abundantly, since the worshipper is in dire need of [remembering Allaah] and cannot do without it even for a twinkling of an eye. This is because every moment that a person does not spend in the dhikr (remembrance) of Allaah will not be of any benefit to him. Rather, the harm entailed in being neglectful of the dhikr of Allaah is far greater than any benefits that can be gained. One of the 'aarifeen (those who are knowledgeable about Allaah) said:"If a person were to spend such and such number of years engaged [in the dhikr of Allaah], then he turns away from it for just a moment, what he will lose is far greater than whatever he has already gained."
Al-Bayhaqee relates from 'Aaishah radiallaahu 'anhaa that the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam said: "There is no time in which the son of Aadam does not remember AIIaah in it, except that it will be a source of regret for him on the Day of Judgement" 2
Mu'aadh ibn jabal radiallaahu 'anhu relates that the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam said: "The people of Paradise will not have any regrets except for those moments in which they were not engaged in the dhikr (remembrance) of Allaah." 3
Mu'aadh ibn Jabal also relates that Allaah's Messenger sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam was asked: What action is the most beloved to Allaah? So he replied: "That you continue to keep your tongue moist with the dhikr of Allaah, until you die." 4
POLISHING THE HEART
Abu Dardaa radiallaahu 'anhu said:"For everything there is a polish and the polish for the heart is the dhikr of Allaah".
Al-Bayhaqee relates from Ibn 'Umar radiallaahu 'anhu that AlIaah's Messenger sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam said: "For everything there is a polish, and the polish for the hearts is the dhikr (remembrance) of Allaah. There is nothing more potent in saving a person from the punishment of Allaah than the dhikr of Allaah." It was said: Not even Jihaad in the path of Allaah. So he replied: "Not even if you were to continue striking with your sword until it breaks."5
There is no doubt that hearts becomes rusty just as copper and silver coins become rusty. The polish for [this rust] is the dhikr of AIlaah. This is because [dhikr] is like a polish [which polishes the heart] like a shiny mirror. When dhikr is left, the rust returns. But when dhikr resumes, then the heart is [again] polished. And hearts become rusty due to two things:-
(i) neglecting remembering Allaah, and
(ii) committing sins.
The polish for these two things is:-
(i) seeking Allaah's forgiveness and
(ii) dhikr.
CONFUSING TRUTH WITH FALSEHOOD
Whoever neglects [remembering Allaah] most of the time, then his heart will become rusty in accordance with how neglectful the person is. And when this [filthy] rust accumulates on the heart, then it no longer recognises things as they really are. Thus, it views falsehood as if it is the truth, and truth as if it is falsehood. This is because this rust darkens and confuses the heart's perception, and so it is unable to truly recognise things for what they really are. So as the rust accumulates, the heart gets blackened, and as this happens the heart becomes stained with this filthy rust, and when this occurs it corrupts the heart's perception and recognition of things. The heart [then] does not accept the truth nor does it reject falsehood, and this is the greatest calamity that can strike the heart. Being neglectful [of dhikr] and following of whims and desires is a direct consequence of such a heart, which [further] extinguish the heart's light and blinds its vision. Allaah - the Most High - said:
"And do not obey him whose heart We have made to be neglectful of Our remembrance, one who follows his own whims and desires and whose affairs are furat [have gone beyond bounds and whose deeds have been lost]." [Soorah al-Kahf 18:28].
QUALITIES OF A GUIDE
So when a worshipper desires to follow another person, then let him see: Is this person from the people of dhikr, or from the people who are negligent [about remembering Allaah]? Does this person judge in accordance with his whims and desires, or by the Revelation? So, if he judges by whims and desires then he is actually from those people who are negligent; those whose affairs have gone beyond bounds and whose deeds are lost.
The term furat [which occurs in the above verse] has been explained in many ways. It has been explained to mean:- (i) losing the rewards of that type of action which is essential to do, and in which lies success and happiness; (ii) exceeding the limits of something; (iii) being destroyed; and (iv) opposing the truth. Each of these sayings are very close in meaning to each other.
The point is that Allaah - the One free from all imperfections, the Most High - has prohibited following all those who possess such attributes. So it is absolutely essential that a person considers whether such attributes are found in his shaykh, or the person who's example he follows, or the person that he obeys. If they are, then he should distance himself from such a person. However, if it is found that the person is, in most cases, pre-occupied with the dhikr of Allaah and with following the Sunnah, and his affairs do not exceed the limits, but rather he is judicious and resolute in his affairs, then he should cling to him very firmly.
Indeed, there is no difference between the living and the dead, except with the dhikr of Allaah; since [the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam] said: "The example of one who remembers Allaah and someone who does not, is like the example between the living and the dead."
