Salaf-us-Saalih.com :: The Call of the Salaf is True Islam

Source :Class 42 from Lessons on Tawhid – Approximately 50 Classes – from Dar-ul-Hadith, Dammaj, Yemen new

These were lessons conducted on the book ‘al-Qawl-ul- Mufeed Fee Adillatit-Tawhid’ [Beneficial Speech in Establishing the Evidences of Tawhid] written by one of the major scholars of the Sunnah in Yemen, Shaikh Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhab al-Wasabi (may Allah preserve him).

al-Qisam al-Awwal (The First Category):

• Those who have gathered between Ikhlaas (sincerity) and Mutaabi’ah (following the guidance of the Prophet).
• So their actions, all of them, are for Allaah, and all of their statements are for Allaah, and their giving and their forgiving is for Allaah, and their love is for Allaah and their hatred is for Allaah, and their actions, both in the apparent and the hidden, are for the face of Allaah alone.
• They do not want by this from the people a recompense or thankfulness, and nor do they seek a high position with them, and they do not seek praise and position in their heart, and they are not fleeing from their rebuke. Verily, they see the people [who are alive] in the position of the people of the grave, those who do not control for them harm or benefit, or life or death, or resurrection. So actions for the people, and seeking a position with them,and hoping in harm or benefit from them [i.e. the general people], is not from them [i.e. these category of people]. Verily, it is from those who are ignorant of the situation and ignorant of theirLord. And whoever knows the people and puts them in their proper places, and knows Allaah, is sincere in his actions and his statements and his givings and his forgivings and his love and his hatred. So no one does actions and deeds for the creation other than Allaah except that he is ignorant of Allaah and ignorant of the creation. For verily, the one who knows Allaah and knows the people prefers actions and deeds for Allaah over actions and deeds for the people.

• And like this their actions, all of them, and their worship is in agreement with the command of Allaah, and with what He loves and what He is Pleased with. And Allaah does not accept from the people any action except this. And Allaah has tested His servants with life and death, so He said: Who has created death and life, that He may test you which of you is best in deed. (Al-Mulk 67:2)

And He has made that which is upon the earth as a beauty for them upon the earth so that He may test them which of them are best in actions and deeds. al-Fudayl ibn ‘Iyyaad said: A beautiful action (al-‘Amal al-Hasan) is that which is sincere (Akhlasuh) and that which is correct (Aswabuh).

They said: Oh Abaa ‘Alee, what is sincere and what is correct? He said: Verily, if the action is sincere (Khaalis) but it is not correct (Sawaab): it is not accepted (Lam Yuqbal), and if it is correct but it is not sincere: it is not accepted, until it is sincere and correct. And a sincere [action] is: that which is for Allaah, and a correct [action] is: that which is upon the Sunnah.

And this is mentioned in His statement:

So whoever hopes for the Meeting with his Lord, let him work righteousness and associate none as a partner in the worship of his Lord. (Al-Kahf 18:110)

And in His (ta’aalaa) statement:

And who can be better in religion than one who submits his face (himself) to Allaah (i.e. follows Allaah’s Religion of Islaamic Monotheism); and he is a Muhsin (a good-doer). And follows the religion of Ibraaheem (Abraham) Haneefaa (Islaamic Monotheism – to worship none but Allaah Alone). (An-Nisaa’ 4:125)

So Allaah does not accept from the actions except that which is done sincerely seeking His Face, and that which is in agreement with His Order, and other than this is not accepted, rather it is repelled back on the person who does it at a time when he is in most need of it, and it is turned intoscattered ashes.

And in as-Saheehayn [i.e. al-Bukhaaree and Muslim] from the narration of ‘Aa’ishah (radiyAllaahu ‘anhaa) who narrated from the Prophet (Peace be Upon him), that he said: ((Whoever introduces into this affair of ours that which is not from it will have it rejected)). And in the narration from Muslim: ((Whoever does a deed that is not ordered by us will have it rejected)).

So every action that is not in agreement [with the Sunnah], then it does not increase its doer except in distance away from Allaah, for verily Allaah (ta’aalaa) is only worshipped with what He has ordered to be worshipped with, not with opinions (Aaraa’) and desires (Ahwaa’).

al-Qisam ath-Thaanee (The Second Category):

• Those who have no sincerity and have no adherence to the Sunnah,so their actions and deeds are not in agreement with the legislation, and they are not sincere to the One who is worshipped.
• They are like the ones who beautify themselvesto the people, showing-off to them with that which Allaah has not decreed and that which the Messenger has not informed the people of. And they are the evilest of creation (Shiraarul-Khalq).
• And they are the most disliked and the most hated of people to Allaah (‘azza wa jall), and they havethe biggest portion of His (ta’aalaa) statement: Think not that those who rejoice in what they have done (or brought about), and love to be praised for what they have not done,- think not you that they are rescued from the torment, and for them is a painful torment. (Aali Imraan3:188)
• They are happy with what they do from innovation (Bid’ah) and misguidance (Dalaalah) and association (Shirk), and they love that they be praised as they are the followers of the Sunnah and the people of sincerity – and they are not from the people of the Sunnah or sincerity (Ahlus-Sunnati wal-Ikhlaas) –
• And this category of people are numerous, from the people who have gone astray from the ones who are alienated from the people of knowledge (‘Ilm), and poverty (Faqr), and worship (‘Ibaadah), from the Straight Path (Siraatul-Mustaqeem).
• For verily they do actions of innovation and misguidance to show-off and to be heard-off, and they love to be praised for that which they have not done from the following of the Sunnah, and possessing sincerity and knowledge. So they are the people of hatred and misguidance (Ahlul-Ghadabi wad-Dalaal).

al-Qisam ath-Thaalith (The Third Category):

• The one who is sincere in his actions and deeds,but his actions and deeds are not in agreement with the order of Allaah.
• And they are like the ignorant worshippers and the ones who are from the path of abstinence (Zuhud) and poverty (Faqr).
• And they are the ones who worship Allaah with other than what He has decreed and legislated, and they believe that their worship is bringing them close to Allaah.
• And they believe that listening to clapping and whistling is bringing them close to Allaah, and being isolated and leaving off the Jumu’ah [i.e. the Friday prayer] and the Jama’ah [i.e. the mandatory prayers] is also being close to Allaah, and continuing the fast until the night is also being close to Allaah, and fasting the two holidays (Siyaam al-‘Eedayn) of al-Islaam is also a way of being close to Allaah.
• And they try to get close to Allaah with actions of innovation (Bid’ah) and disobedience (Ma’aasee).
• So the sincerity of a person in this state does not benefit him because these actions that he does are from the actions of innovation. And the actions of the innovator are not accepted, and the proof being in the Hadeeth of Umm-ul-Mu’mineen ‘Aa’ishah (radiyAllaahu ‘anhaa), raised to the saying of the Prophet (Peace be upon him): ((Whoever introduces into this affair of ours that which is not from it will have it rejected)). Agreed Upon [i.e. reported by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim].

al-Qisam ar-Raabi’ (The Fourth Category):

• The one whose actions are in accordance with the Sunnah, but they are for the sake of other than Allaah.
• Such as obedience of the ones who show-off, and like the ones who fight to show-off, and because of great pride and great courageousness. And he does the Hajj so that it may be said that he has performed the Hajj.
• And he reads the Qur’aan so that it may be said that he reads the Qur’aan.
• And the actions of these people, from the apparent they seem righteous, but they are not righteous since they are performed for other than the sake of Allaah, so they are not accepted. Allaah (ta’aalaa) said: And they were commanded not, but that they should worship Allaah, and worship none but Him Alone (abstaining from ascribing partners to Him). (Al-Baiyinah 98:5)
• So they have not been ordered except that they worship Allaah with that which He has legislated and with sincerity to Him in all their worship.

And the people of sincerity and adherence (Ahlul-Ikhlaas wal-Mutaabi’ah), they are the people of:You (Alone) we worship, and You (Alone) we ask for help (for each and everything). (Al-Faatihah 1:5)

End of excerpt from the book Madaarij as-Saalikeen of al-‘Allaamah Ibnul-Qayyim (rahimahullaah) (1/95-97).

And from the evil understanding of this Religion is that which was attained by the Khawaarij[6] who revolted and fought against ‘Alee (radiyallaahu ‘anhu). This was because they understood the texts of the Sharee’ah with an erroneous understanding, which contradicted the understanding of the Companions (radiyallaahu ‘anhum). Due to this, when Ibn ‘Abbaas (radiyallaahu ‘anhumaa) debated them, he clarified to them the correct understanding of the texts. So there returned from amongst them those who returned, and the remainder of them did not return back from their misguidance. And the story of his debate with them has been recorded in the Mustadrak (2/150-152) of al-Haakim (d.405H), and the isnaad is saheeh upon the condition of Muslim (d.261H). In it is the statement of Ibn ‘Abbaas, "I have come to you from the Companions of the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam), from the Muhaajireen and the Ansaar, so that I may inform you of what they say. They are well aware of what they say, as the Qur’aan was sent down upon them. And they are more knowledgeable concerning the revelation than you, and it was revealed amongst them. And none of them are amongst you." So some of them said, ‘Do not argue with the Quraysh (i.e. since Ibn ‘Abbaas is from the Quraysh), since Allaah says,

{Rather, they are a quarrelsome people.}, [Sooratuz-Zukhruf, Aayah 58].’

Stated Ibn ‘Abbaas, "And I have come to a people whom I have not seen anyone more severe in striving hard than them. Their faces have become pale from staying up late at night, it is as if their hands and feet do not deter them." So there remained those who remained. So some of them said, ‘Let us speak with him and let us see what he says.’ ‘I said, ‘Inform me of that which you harbour against the son of the uncle of the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and his son-in-law, the Muhaajireen and the Ansaar.’ They said, ‘Three issues.’ I said, ‘What are they?’ They said, ‘As for the first of them, then he (‘Alee) has allowed men to judge in the affair of Allaah, yet Allaah the Exalted says,

{The judgement is for none but Allaah.}, [Soorah Yoosuf, Aayah 40]

So it is not for men and it is not for judges.’ So I said, ‘This is only one issue.’ They said, ‘As for the other issues, then he fought his enemies, yet he did not take any prisoners or war booty. So if those whom he fought were disbelievers, then their imprisonment and war booty has been made lawful. And if they were believers, then fighting them is not permissible.’ I said, ‘These are only two issues, so what is the third?’ They said, ‘Indeed, he erased the title, ‘Leader of the Believers’ from himself, so therefore he is the leader of the disbelievers.’ I said, ‘Do you have anything besides this?’ They said, ‘This is sufficient for us.’ So I said to them, ‘Do you hold that if I recite to you from the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam), that which refutes your statement, that you will obey?’ They said, ‘Yes!’ So I said, ‘As for your statement that he has allowed men to judge concerning from the affair of Allaah, then I shall recite to you that which shows that Allaah relegated His judgement to men concerning the price of four dirhams, concerning a rabbit and its like from game. So Allaah said,

{O you who believe! Do not kill game whilst you are in a state of ihraam.}, [Sooratul-Maa'idah, Aayah 95]

Up until He said,

{…as judged by two just men from amongst you.}, [Sooratul-Maa'idah, Aayah 95]

So I implore you by Allaah: Is the judgement of men with regards to a rabbit and its like from game better, or their judgement concerning their blood and reconciliation between them?! And you must know that if Allaah had wished, He would have judged and not relegated that to the men. And Allaah the Mighty and Majestic has said concerning the woman and her husband,

{And if you fear a breach amongst the two of them, then appoint two arbitrators, one from his family and one from hers. And if they both wish for peace, then Allaah will bring about their reconciliation.}, [Sooratun-Nisaa', Aayah 35]

So Allaah made the judgement of the men a tradition to be believed in. So do you leave this?" They said, ‘Yes!’ He said, "As for your statement that he fought and he did not take prisoners, nor did he take war booty, then do you revile your mother, ‘Aa’ishah? Then you must declare her lawful in that which you have declared lawful with regards to other than her! So if you were to do that, then you would become disbelievers, as she is your mother. And if you say, ‘She is not our mother,’ then you have disbelieved. Since, Allaah says,

{The Prophet is closer to the Believers than their own selves, and his wives are their mothers.}, [Sooratul-Ahzaab, Aayah 6]

So you are revolving around two positions of misguidance. Regardless of which of them you adopt, you have adopted misguidance." So they began to look at each other.’ ‘I said, ‘Have you left from this?’ They said, ‘Yes!’ ‘And as for your statement, that he erased the title of ‘Leader of the Believers’ from his name, then I shall come to you with one whom you are pleased with and I shall see you. Indeed, you have heard that on the day of al-Hudaybiyyah, the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) made a treaty with Suhayl Ibn ‘Amr and Abaa Sufyaan Ibn Harb. So the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said to the Leader of the Believers (‘Alee), "Write O ‘Alee: These are the terms of peace agreed upon by Muhammad the Messenger of Allaah." So the pagans said, ‘No, by Allaah! Had we known that you were the Messenger of Allaah, we would not have fought you.’ So the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, "O Allaah! You know that I am the Messenger of Allaah. Write O ‘Alee: These are the terms of peace agreed upon by Muhammad Ibn ‘Abdullaah."[7] So by Allaah, the Messenger of Allaah was better than ‘Alee, yet he was not removed from Prophethood when he erased the title from his name." Stated ‘Abdullaah Ibn ‘Abbaas (radiyallaahu ‘anhumaa), "So two thousand of those people repented, and the rest were killed upon misguidance."[8]

So in this story, two thousand from amongst the Khawaarij repented from their falsehood, due to clarification and elucidation which emanated from Ibn ‘Abbaas (radiyallaahu ‘anhumaa). So in that is proof that there is in the referring back to the people of knowledge, security from evils and tribulations. Indeed, Allaah the Mighty and Majestic said,

{So ask the people of remembrance if you do not know.}, [Sooratun-Nahl, Aayah 43]

THE TRUE TREASURE (I went to steal from him, but he stole from me)

A burglar scaled the wall of Maalik bin Dinar’s house one night and easily managed to get inside. Once inside the house, the thief was disappointed to see that there was nothing inside actually worth stealing. The owner of the home was inside at the time, he was busy performing prayer. Realizing that he was not alone, Maalik quickly ended his prayer and turned around to face the thief. Without showing any sign of being shocked or afraid, Maalik calmly extended greetings of peace and then said, "My brother, may Allah forgive you. You entered my home and found nothing that is worth taking, yet I do not want you to leave my home without taking away some benefit."

He stood up, went to another part of the room, and came back with a jug full of water. He looked into the eyes of the burglar and said, "Make ablution and perform two units of prayer, for if you do so, you will leave my home with a greater treasure than you had initially sought when you entered it."

Much humbled by Maalik’s manners and words, the thief said, "Yes, that is a generous offer indeed."

After making ablution and performing two units of prayer, the burglar said, "O Maalik, would you mind if I stayed for a while, for I want to stay to perform two more units of prayer?"

Maalik said, "Stay for whatever amount of prayer Allah decrees for you to perform now."

The thief ended up spending the entire night at Maalik’s house. He continued to pray until the morning. Then Maalik said, "Leave now and be good."

But instead of leaving, the thief said, "Would you mind if I stayed here with you today, for I have made an intention to fast the day?"

"Stay as long as you wish," said Maalik.

The burglar ended up staying for a number of days, praying during the late hours of each night and fasting throughout the duration of each day. When he finally decided to leave, the burglar said, "O Maalik, I have made a firm resolve to repent for my sins and for my former way of life."

Maalik said, "Indeed, that is in the Hand of Allah."

The man did mend his ways and began to lead a life of righteousness and obedience to Allah. Later on, He came across another burglar he knew. [His friend] said to him, "Have you found your treasure yet?"

He said, "My brother, what I found is Maalik bin Dinaar. I went to steal from him, but it was he who ended up stealing my heart. I have indeed repented to Allah, and I will remain at the door [of His Mercy and Forgiveness] until I achieve what his obedient, loving slaves have achieved."

[al-Mawaa'idh wal-Majaalis: 85]

Source: The above is taken from the book "Stories of Repentance" from dar-us-salam publications

Related Links:

• Establish the Prayers and the Prize is Paradise – Abdul Malik Al Qasim
• The prayer and its effect upon abandoning sins and developing the soul – by Imâm Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah
• The Excellence of Prayer and Its Beings A Means of Expiation of Sins – Hussain al-Awaa’ishah
  Source: As-Salaat Wa Atharuhaa Fee Ziyaadatil Eemaan (Trans Abu Iyaad). An excellent collection of 22 ahaadeeth which summarise the great rewards and excellence of the prayer. An excellent reminder

Suppose you found a watch in the middle of the desert. What would you conclude? Would you think someone had dropped the watch? Or would you suppose that the watch came by itself?
Of course, no sane person would say the watch just happened to emerge from the sand. All the intricate working parts could not simply develop from the metals that lay buried in the earth. The watch must have a manufacturer.
If a watch tells an accurate time, we expect the manufacturer must be intelligent. Blind chance cannot produce a working watch.
But what else tells accurate time? Consider the sunrise and the sunset. Their timings are so strictly regulated that scientists can publish in advance the sunrise and sunset times in your daily newspapers. But who regulated the timings of sunrise and sunset? If a watch cannot work without an intelligent maker, how can the sun appear to rise and set with such clockwork regularity? Could this occur by itself?
Consider also that we benefit from the sun only because it remains at a safe distance from the earth. A distance that averages 93 million miles. If it got much closer, the earth would burn up. And if it got too far away, the earth would turn into an icy planet making human life here impossible. Who decided in advance that this was the right distance? Could it just happen by chance?
Without the sun, plants would not grow. Then animals and humans would starve. Did the sun just decide to be there for us?
We need to experience sunrise. We need the sun’s energy and its light to see our way during the day. But we also need sunset. We need a break for the heat, we need the cool of the night and we need the lights to go out so we may sleep. Who regulated this process to provide what we need?
Moreover, if we had only the warmth of the sun and the protection of the atmosphere we would want something more beauty. Our clothes provide warmth and protection, yet we design them also to look beautiful. Knowing our need for beauty, the designer of the sunrise and the sunset also made the view of them to be simply breathtaking.
The Creator who gave us light, energy, protection and beauty deserves our thanks. Yet some people insist that He does not exist. What would they think if they found a watch in the desert? An accurate, working watch? A beautifully designed watch? Would they not conclude that there does exist a watchmaker, One who appreciates beauty? Such is God who made us.

AsSalam Alaikum WaRahmatullahi wa Barakaatuhu.

It was reported in a local paper in Rochdale (A town, northeast of Manchester), of a young woman who was raped in a small dark alley (a narrow passage between buildings) one evening. On a separate evening around the same time, a young Muslim girl was walking home from college. Aware that it was getting dark fast, she wanted to get home as soon as possible, so her mother would not be worrying about her being outside alone at night.

The young Muslim girl faced a dilemma. To take the short-cut down the same alleyway to avoid getting home after dark, or to take the longer route and have her mother worrying herself sick about her daughters safety.

Conscious of the time, she takes the alleyway. While the girl is walking she sees a rather sinister and dark figure of a man walking towards her from the other end. As her pace quickens, she begins to read
Ayat-ul-kursi for her safety. the man, he makes eye contact but carries on walking. When the young Muslim girl reaches home she tells her family about this sinister looking man, they advise her to contact the police, after having read the newspaper article some time before. When she contacts the police they ask her to give a physical description of the man. It matches the description the rape victim had given. Some days later the young Muslim girl receives a phone call from the police, asking her if she would come down to the police station to identify the man in a line up. Both the rape victim and the Muslim girl pick out the same man.The police are confused; they ask the rapist why he attacked one girl and not the other. In reference to the Muslim girl, he replies ‘why would I attack her? when she was walking with two huge men on either side of her?’

Alhamdulillahi Rabbil Aalameen.

Related Links:

• The Hadeeth of the Ghoul ( Hadeeth of Ayatul Qursi)
• AayatulQursi – Uthaimeen – From Commentary on Imaam ibn Taymeeyah’s Sharhul ‘Aqeedatil-Waasitiyyah - by Shaikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah
• Tafseer Ayatul-Kursi – by Shaykh Muhammad Saleh Al Uthaymeen

Once upon a time there was a rich King who had four wives. He loved the 4th wife the most and adorned her with rich robes and treated her to the finest of delicacies. He gave her nothing but the best. He also loved the 3rd wife very much and was always showing her off to neighboring kingdoms. However, he feared that one day she would leave him for another. He also loved his 2nd wife. She was his confidant, and was always kind, considerate and patient with him. Whenever the King faced a problem, he could confide in her, and she would help him get through the difficult times.

The King’s 1st wife was a very loyal partner and had made great contributions in maintaining his wealth and kingdom. However, he did not love the first wife. Although she loved him deeply, he hardly took notice of her! One day, the King fell ill and he knew his time was short. He thought of his luxurious life and wondered, "I ! now have four wives with me, but when I die, I’ll be all alone."Thus, he asked the 4th wife, "I have loved you the most, endowed you with the finest clothing and showered great care over you. Now that I’m dying, will you follow me and keep me company?"

"No way!", replied the 4th wife, and she walked away without another word. Her answer cut like a sharp knife right into his heart.

The sad King then asked the 3rd wife, "I have loved you all my life. Now that I’m dying, will you follow me and keep me company?" "No!", replied the 3rd wife. "Life is too good! When you die, I’m going to remarry!" His heart sank and turned cold.

He then asked the 2nd wife, "I have always turned to you for help and you’ve always been there for me. When I die, will you follow me and keep me company?" "I’m sorry, I can’t help you out this time!", replied the 2nd wife. "At the very most, I can only send you to your grave." Her answer came like a bolt of lightning, and the King was devastated.

Then a voice called out: "I’ll leave with you and follow you no matter where you go." The King looked up, and there was his first wife. She was so skinny as she suffered from malnutrition and neglect. Greatly grieved, the King said, "I should have taken much better care of you when I had the chance!"

In truth, we all have 4 wives in our lives: Our 4th wife is our body. No matter how much time and effort we lavish in making it look good, it will leave us when we die.

Our 3rd wife is our possessions, status and wealth. When we die, it will all go to others.

Our 2nd wife is our family and friends. No matter how much they have been there for us, the furthest they can stay by us is up to the grave.

And our 1st wife is our Soul. Often neglected in pursuit of wealth, power and pleasures of the world. However, our Soul is the only thing that will follow us wherever we go.

Related Links:

• Living to Die or Dying to Live! - from troid.org
• Be in this Life as if you were a Stranger or a Traveller on a Path – al-Hâfidh Ibn Rajab Hanabali
• The Evil of Craving for Wealth and Status – by al-Haafidh ibn Rajab al-Hanbalee [PDF] [Book]
• Life of This world is a Transient Shade – by Abdul Malik alQasim [PDF]
• Take Benefot of Five Things Before Your Death – By Shaykh Abdul Atheem Badwi from the magazine Al- Isaalah
• The Good End Signs – Abdullah ibn Muhammad Al-Mutlaq [PDF]

AsSalam Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakaatuhu.

Interesting Story !! Read on ..

There is an interesting story related about Dinaar al-’Ayaar. Dinaar had a righteous mother who would constantly advise him to repent for his wayward, sinful existence, but as much as she tried, her words had no positive effect on him whatsoever. Then, one day, as he was walking by a graveyard, he stopped to pick up a bone. He was shocked to see how it crumbled and turned to dust in his hand. The sight of that bone had a profound effect on Dinaar. He began to think about his life and his past sins, and he then exclaimed, "Woe unto you, O Dinaar, you are going to end up like this crushed bone, and your body will turn into dust." All of his past sins then flashed before his eyes, and he made a firm resolve to repent. Turning his gaze towards the sky, he said, "My Lord, I now turn to you in complete submission, so accept me and have Mercy on me."

With a completely changed heart and state of mind, Dinaar went to his mother and said, "Mother, what does a master do when he captures his slave who had run away from him?" She said, "[To punish him] the master provides him with coarse clothing and low-quality food; and he ties his hands and feet so that he does not make another attempt to escape." Dinaar said, "Then I want a garment made of coarse wool, low-quality barley, and two chains. Mother, do with me that which is done with a runaway slave. Perhaps my Lord will, upon seeing my humiliation and humility, have mercy on me." Seeing that her son was adamant and resolute in his request, she complied.

At the beginning of every ensuing night, Dinaar would begin to cry and wail uncontrollably. And he would continue to repeat to himself the words, "Woe unto you, O Dinaar, do you have the power to withstand the Hell fire? How brazen you have been to have led a life that has made you deserving of the anger of the All-Mighty!" He would continue upon that state until the morning.

Turning wan and pale, Dinaar’s body slowly wasted away. Not being able to bear seeing him in that pitiable state, his mother said, "My son, be easy on yourself." He answered, "My mother, let me remain tied for a short while, so that perhaps I can achieve long-term comfort later on. For tomorrow, I will be waiting a long time before my Majestic Lord, and I do not know whether He will order me to go to places of beautiful shade or to places of unspeakable horror."

She said, "My son, at least rest for a while." He said, "It is not present rest or comfort that I am seeking out. Mother, it is as if I see you and other people being led tomorrow towards Paradise, while I am being led towards the Hell-fire along with his inhabitants." She left him then, and he returned to crying, worshipping, and reciting the Quran. One night, as he was reciting the Quran, he came across these verses:

فَوَرَبِّكَ لَنَسْأَلَنَّهُمْ أَجْمَعِين عَمَّا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ َ
So, by your Lord [o Muhammad], We shall certainly call all of them to account, for all that they used to do.

[al-Hijr : 92-93]

As he contemplated the meanings and implications of these verses, he cried with such intensity that he fainted. His mother rushed to him and tried very hard to revive him, but he wouldn’t respond. She thought he had died. Looking into the face of her son, she said, "O my beloved one, O the joy of my heart, where shall we meet again?" In fact, Dinaar still had some life left in him, and hearing his mother’s words, he answered with a faint voice, "My mother, if you do not find me on the wide plains of the Day of Resurrection, then ask Maalik, the Custodian of Hell-fire about me." He then made a croaking sound and died.

After she finished washing his body, Dinaar’s mother prepared him for his funeral. She then went out and made the announcement, "O people, come to the funeral prayer of one who has been killed by [fear of] the Hell-fire." People began to come from all directions. It is said that during that era, no greater gathering came together and no amount of tears were shed as much as on that day.

On the same night that his funeral was held, one of Dinaar’s friends saw him in a dream, attired in a green robe. Dinaar was prancing around in Paradise, all the while reciting the verse:

فَوَرَبِّكَ لَنَسْأَلَنَّهُمْ أَجْمَعِين عَمَّا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ َ
So, by your Lord [o Muhammad], We shall certainly call all of them to account, for all that they used to do.

During the dream, his friend heard him say, "By His Might and Majesty, He asked me [about my deeds]. Having mercy on me, He forgave me and pardoned me [my sins.] Lo! Convey news of this to my mother."

The above story is taken from "The Stories of repentence" published by dar-us-salam

Yusuf bin Al-Husain is the narrator of this story:

I was with Dhi-an-Nun on the edge of a stream, when we saw an extraordinarily large lizard crawling along the side of the stream. Something strange yet wonderful then happened. A frog surfaced from the stream, the lizard mounted its back, and the frog then swam to the other side of the stream, carrying its passenger on its back.

Dhi-an-Nun said, "There is something interesting about that lizard let us go and follow it." We crossed the stream (which wasn’t so wide in width), and on the other side, we saw a drunken man who had passed out. Suddenly, a snake appeared before the prone body of the drunkard. It slithered its way up to the man’s navel to his chest, making a direct course to one of his ears.

The lizard we saw earlier then sprang into action. It jumped onto the snake and struck it violently, splitting its body into two. Returning to the edge of the stream, the lizard then mounted the frog again, and the two crossed to the other side of the stream, though both were still visible to us. Dhi-an-Nun woke up the drunkard, who slowly opened his eyes and became conscious of what was happening around him. Dhi-an-Nun said, "O young man, look how Allah has saved you! When this snake came to kill you, that lizard came and killed it. He then eplained the entire story to the young man.

The young man stood up and exclaimed: "O my lord, this is how you deal with one who disobeys you, then what will your mercy be like for the one who obeys you?" He then betook himself to the desert, vowing to dedicate his life to worship and to never return to the evils of the city.

The above is taken from "The Stories of Repentence" published by dar-us-salam

Related Links:
Ar-Rahmaan & Ar-Raheem (The Most Merciful)

• Ar-Raheem : Bestower of Mercy – Based on: The Qur’an, Tafsir Ibn Kathir
• The Meaning of Ar-Rahman Ar-Rahim – the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful – Based on: Tafsir Ibn Kathir
• The difference between al-Rahmaan and al-Raheem – From Sharh al-’Aqeedah al-Waasitiyyah
• Hadiths mentioning Allah’s Mercy

THERE IS HOPE UNTIL THE VERY END

One day, as Ali bin Abi Taalib and al-Hussain bin Ali were walking together, they heard a man supplicating to Allah. The man was begging Allah to forgive him for his evil crimes. His sincere tone and eloquent words aroused the interest of Ali, who turned to his son and said, "Do you not hear the man who is so very contrite because of his sins? Go catch up with him and call him."

When al-Hussain caught up with the man, he saw that he was clean-looking, clean-smelling, with nice clothes and altogether handsome- except that he seemed to be paralyzed on the right side of his body. Al-Hussaid said, "Answer the summons of the Leader of the believers, Ali bin Abu Taalib."

Dragging his right side, the man followed al-Hussain back to where Ali was waiting for them.

"Who are you and what is your story," asked Ali.

"My story is that of a man who did not fulfill the rights of others and is now being punished for that," said the man.

"And what is your name?" asked Ali.

"Munaazil bin Laahiq," said the man.

"And what is your story?" asked Ali.

"I was famous among the Arabs for my frivolous and sinful exploits. Merciful and kind, my father would constantly admonish me and advise me to mend my ways. He would remind me of Allah’s punishment, saying, ‘My son, do not go against He who punishes with the Hell-fire!’ When he would persist in advising me, I felt his voice grating on my nerves. I would get so frustrated that I would beat him with harsh blows. In response to my blows, he one day said, ‘By Allah, I will fast withoug breaking my fast and I will pray without stopping to sleep.’ He fasted for an entire week, but seeing no change in my behavior, he climbed a camel and set off to perform Hajj. His parting words were, ‘I am going to the House of Allah, and there I will seek help from Allah against you.’ When he reached Makkah, he embraced the curtain of the Kaa’ba and supplicated against me, asking Allah to make me paralyzed on one side of my body. By the One Who raised the sky and sends down the rain, no sooner did my father finish his supplication than I became paralyzed on my right side, which became like a piece of wood. Anyone that would then pass by me would point to me and say, ‘Allah answered his father’s supplication against him.’"

"What did your father do then?" asked Ali.

"O Leader of the Believers, after he became pleased with me, I asked him to go back and invoke Allah on my behalf. He agreed to do so. I walked alongside him as he rode on his camel, until we reached a place called the Valley of Arak. When we reached there, a group of birds flew away from a tree, their sudden movement frightened the camel. As the camel raced off in a state of fright, my father fell off it and died."

It was certainly late for the man, but not too late, and so Ali advised him to continue to supplicate and to repent for his past misdeeds. Ali then parted from the man, but before leaving him, he taught him the supplication that a person in distress should say. [The narration does not specifically mention which supplication it was that Ali taught the man.]

The above story is taken from "The Stories of repentence" published bu dar-us-salam

Related Links:

• Repentance – by Shaykh Muhammad Saleh Al Uthaymeen
• Between The Past And The Future – by Imâm Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah – al-Fawaa’id, pp 151-152 Al-Istiqaamah, No. 2
• Obstacles that Prevent One from Making Repentance – By Shaikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah [PDF]
  Taken from the Book "At Tawba" – A very beneficial ebook that clarifies the steps that the believer needs to take in order to make a full correct Tawbah to his Lord and Sustainer.
• The State of Repentance - by Imâm Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah

THE EVER-LIVING NEVER SLEEPS

Both of them lived in a small town that was populated by only tens or hundreds of people. He was in love with her, and so when he saw her walking alone one night, he followed her until he had her cornered. When he came near to her, he said, "Woman, I crave for you."

She said, "First go and see if all the people are asleep."

Very pleased at her response, he walked around the town and returned. "Everyone is asleep," he said.

"What about Allah Azza wa Jal?" she asked. "Is He sleeping at this hour?"

"Woman, what are you saying?" he exclaimed. "Indeed, Allah does not sleep: neither slumber nor sleep overtake Him."

"The One Who hasn’t slept and doesn’t sleep sees us, even if people don’t see us," she said. "Do you not fear He Who neither sleeps nor is heedless of anything that happens?"

The man left her alone with tears flowing from his eyes, having nothing in mind except the desire to repent to the One Who neither sleeps nor is heedless of anything that happens.

Source: The above is taken from Stories of Repentance published by dar-us-salam
Related Links:

• Obstacles that Prevent One from Making Repentance – By Shaikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah [PDF]
  Taken from the Book "At Tawba" – A very beneficial ebook that clarifies the steps that the believer needs to take in order to make a full correct Tawbah to his Lord and Sustainer.