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

[Translated by Aboo Talhah Daawood ibn Ronald Burbank]

Posted by Saad Burbank @ www.alitisaambissunnah.wordpress.com

* Concerning an-Najjaashee’s refusal to surrender the Muslims in his land to the Mushrikoon from Quraish, and his refusal to accept gifts to bribe him to do that:-

* az-Zuhree said: “I had this hadeeth narrated by “Urwah ibn az-Zubayr (rahimahullaah): from Umm Salamah (radiyallaahu “anhaa). So “Urwah said: “Do you know what he (i.e. an-Najjaashee) meant by his saying: “Allaah did not take any bribe from me, when He restored my kingdom to me, such that I should accept any bribe to keep my kingdom; And Allaah did not do what the people wanted with regard to me, such that I should obey the people against Him.” ?

So I said; “No.”… So then “Urwah explained it, saying:  ”Aa’ishah (radiyallaahu ‘anhaa) narrated to me that:

<< His father was previously king of his people, and he had a brother, and his brother had twelve sons. But the father of an-Najjaashee had no child besides an-Najjaashee.

So the people of Abyssinia started plotting together and they said: We ought to kill the father of an-Najjaashee, and give the kingship to his brother, then his brother has twelve sons. So then later they can inherit the kingship and the Abyssinian people will remain for a long time without any infighting between them. So they attacked (the king) and killed him, and they made his brother king.

So then an-Najjaashee entered upon his uncle, and he impressed him so much that he consulted nobody else besides him, and he was found to be a person of intellect and firm resolve.

So when the rest of the Abyssinians saw the status which he now had with his uncle they said: This boy has got the better of his uncle now, so we do not feel safe that he will not make him king over us (after himself), and he knows that we have killed his father. So if that happens, he will not leave a single noble amongst us except he will kill him.

So they went to his uncle and said: You know that we killed his father, and put you in his place; and we do not feel safe that he will not become king over us (after you). So either you kill him, or you banish him from our land.

He said, “Woe to you, you killed his father yesterday, and now I have to kill him today! Rather I will send him away from your land.”

So they took him away, and put him in the market place; and they sold him as a slave to a trader from the traders who threw him into a ship, having bought him for 600 or 700 dirhams.

Then he departed with him.

Then when it was the evening of that same day some clouds from the autumn clouds appeared. So his uncle went out to enjoy the rain, but he was struck by a lightening bolt which killed him.

So the people quickly went to his children, but they found that they were stupid people. There was not a single one that had any good in him. So the affair of the Abyssinians was thrown into confusion.

So some of them said to others:
“You know, by Allaah, that the only one who is suitable to be king over you is the one who you sold this morning. So if you have any concern for the affair of the Abyssinians, then go and get him before he leaves.”

So they went searching for him. So they found him and they brought him back; and they placed the crown upon his head, and they sat him upon his throne, and they made him the king.

But the trader (came and) said: “Give me back my money, for you have taken my slave!”

They said: “We will not give you anything.”
So the trader said, “Then by Allaah, I will go and speak to him.”

So he went to him and spoke to him, and said: “O king! I bought a slave and the people who sold him to me took the price, but then they seized the slave and took him away from me, and they won”t give me my money back.” So this was the first case that was seen from the firmness, wisdom, and justice of an- Najjaashee that he said:

“You must either give him his money back; or hand over his slave to him so that he may take him wherever he wants.”
So the people said: “Rather we will give him his money.” So they gave it to him.

So this is why ((when the Najjaashee did not surrender the Muslims, and did not accept the bribe from the Quraish to hand over the Muslims)), he said:

“Allaah did not take any bribe from me, when He restored my kingdom to me, such that I should take any bribe to keep my kingdom; And Allaah did not do what the people wanted with regard to me, such that I should obey the people against Him.”

* Shaikh al- Albaanee mentioned that it is reported by Ibn Hishaam in his abridgement of Ibn Ishaaq”s “Seerah” (1/363-364), and by Aboo Nu”aym in “ad-Dalaa.il” (pp.81- 84), and that its chain of narration is “hasan”.

* – This is the same one, an- Najjaashee, who sent a message to the Prophet (sallallaahu “alaihi-wa sallam) to say that he had accepted Islaam; and he died upon Islaam (radiyallaahu “anhu).

- Then Ibn Ishaaq reports through his chain of narration from “Aa.ishah that when an- Najjaashee died that the people mentioned that light was continually seen over his grave. Shaikh al-Albaanee said its chain is hasan (good).

- He is the one who is mentioned in al-Bukhaaree and Muslim in a hadeeth of Aboo Hurairah (radiyallaahu ‘anhu) that when he died, the Prophet (sal Allaahu alaihi wa sallam) was told through Revelation, and that he ordered the Companions to form rows and he prayed the Funeral Prayer for him, as no one in his land prayed the Funeral Prayer for him.
***

A View through Hijab – By Sister Khaula From Japan 10/25/1993 [57]

“A view through Hijaab” is an informative account of life in Hijaab. Written by Khaula Nakata, it is the experience of Hijaab as seen through the eyes of a Japanese woman who embraced Islam.

My Story To Islam :

As most of the Japanese, I’d followed no religion before I embraced Islam in France. I was majoring in French Literature at the university. My favorite thinkers were Sartre, Nietchze and Camas, whose thinking is atheistic. At the same time, however, I was very interested in religion, not because of my inner necessity but of my love for the truth. What was waiting for me after death did not interest me at all; how to live was my concern(58). For a long time I had a sort of impression that I was not doing what I should do and I was wasting my time. Whether God existed or not was the same to me; I just wanted to know the truth and choose my way of life-to live with God or without God.

I started to read books on different religions except Islam. I had never thought that Islam was a religion worth studying. It was for me, at that time, a sort of primitive idolatry of the simple mind (how ignorant I was!). I made friends with Christians, with whom I studied the Bible, to come to realize a few years later the existence of God. But then I had to face a dilemma because I could not “feel” God at all, in spite of my conviction that he should exist. I tried to pray in church, but in vain. I felt nothing but the absence of God.

I then studied Buddhism, hoping I would be able to feel God through Zen or Yoga. I found as many things in Buddhism that seemed to be true as I had in Christianity, yet there were many things I could not understand or accept. In my opinion, If God exists, He should be for everyone(59) and the truth should simple and clear to everyone. I could not understand why people should abandon ordinary life to devote themselves to God.

I was really at a loss for what to do to reach the end of my desperate quest for God. It was then that I met an Algerian Muslim. Born and raised in France, he didn’t even know how to pray and his life was quite far from the ideal of a Muslim; nevertheless, he had very strong faith in God. However, his belief without knowledge irritated me and made me decide to study Islam. To start with, I bought a French translation of the Qur’an, but I could not read more than two pages. It seemed so strange and boring. I gave up my effort to understand it alone and went to the mosque in Paris to ask someone to help me. It was a Sunday and there was a lecture for women. The sisters welcomed me warmly. It was my first encounter with practicing Muslim women. To my surprise, I felt myself very much at ease with them, although I’d always felt myself a stranger in the company of Christians. I started to attend the lecture every weekend and to read a book given to me by one of the Muslim women. Every minute of the lecture and every page of the book were, for me, a revelation, giving me great spiritual satisfaction I’ve never known before. I had an excited feeling that I was being initiated into the truth. What was wonderful, Subhaanallah (Praise be to Allaah), was my feeling the presence of God very close to me while in the posture of Sajdah (prostration).
__________
(57) Sister Khaula visited the Women’s Office of The Islamic Guidance Center in Buraidah, Al-Qassim, Saudi Arabia on 10/25/1993. She shared this information with other Muslim Sisters in the Office. 1 found it important to share with our Muslim brothers and sisters the Story of Khaula’s coming to Islam followed by her experience and advice concerning the Hijab.
(58) This is the concern of so many people in the World and especially in the West or in countries dominated by Western culture. People become “workaholic” to keep up with more and more of what they want to have. The secondary things of today are the necessities of tomorrow! The Medium way described by the Creator, Allah, is ignored except by the few.(Dr.S. As-Saleh)
(59) Allah is the God of everyone. This thought translates that God must be one. There is no nationalistic belonging to God! Being the God of everyone, He does not command some people to worship Him alone while at the same time makes it permissible for others to set up rivals with Him in worship. This means that His worship must be one and that it is not up to us to define this type of worship. The way of worship belongs to the One and Only One True God, Allah. This constitutes His religion and He had named this way: Islam.

Khula’s Story with the Hijab :

“Two years ago when I embraced Islam in France, the polemic around the wearing of the hijab at school was very hot. The majority of people thought it was against the principle of the public school which should keep its neutrality towards the religion. I, who was not yet Muslim then, could hardly understand why they were worried over such a tiny thing as a small scarf put on the head of Muslim students…but, apparently, French people who had faced the serious problem of the increasing non-employment rate and the insecurity in big cities became nervous over the immigration of workers from Arab countries. They felt aggrieved by the sight of the hijab in their town and in their school.

Read more…

As-Sadhaan said, “Shaikh Sameer az-Zuhairee who is from the students of the Shaikh, may Allaah have mercy on him, said, ‘I met up with some of the students of knowledge in Jordan one day. As was the norm in such gatherings, the Shaikh was mentioned and one of the people there started a sweeping attack on him due to the difference in methodology [between the two].

I saw no point in debating with this man due, firstly, to his lack of fairness, and secondly, his severe anger which took him beyond the limits of moderation. So I said to him, ‘If this is the image you have of the Shaikh–and he is not as you think him to be–then why don’t you give him some advice directly, because he is better than your backbiting and slander of him?’

He replied, ‘Al-Albaani does not accept advice.’

So I said, ‘Have you tried?’

‘I’ve never seen him, but this is unanimous about him,’ he said.

So I said to myself, ‘Subhaanallaah! This man has been affected to such an extent due to his Shaikhs without ever having searched for the truth himself or [without ever] having met the Shaikh even though they live in the same city and have been doing so for years!’

Later I organised a gathering of knowledge in the evening with the Shaikh [held] in my house and I called a whole group of students of knowledge. [I also called] this person who had spoken against the Shaikh–but I didn’t tell the Shaikh anything about that [incident].

Most of the gathering was monopolised by that man who argued with the Shaikh, raised his voice and was infuriated [at Shaikh Al-Albaani], to such an extent that it became apparent that I was angry and embarrassed [on behalf of the Shaikh]. When the Shaikh saw that on my face he turned to me smiling and said, ‘Don’t worry about it/don’t take it upon yourself.’

By Allaah, that smile never left the Shaikh’s face and he continued answering him with proofs from the Book and the Sunnah with great patience and an open heart, as was his habit, may Allaah have mercy on him.

At the end of the gathering the man stood up and said to the Shaikh, ‘I thank Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, that you had changed [already] and that I met you after this change!’

The Shaikh said, ‘And have you ever met me before today?’

‘No,’ he replied.

So the Shaikh pointed to one of the brothers from Syria who had accompanied him in [his call to] the Salafi da’wah, and who was, at that time, a guest of the Shaikh in Amman [Jordan], and said:

 ‘I have not changed. And this brother has accompanied me for more than twenty years in da’wah, and he knows that about me.  Either way, may Allaah reward you with good, and as for me, then I ask you to forgive me if I have wronged you in anything.  And I ask Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, to forgive me if I have wronged any one from the Muslims.’

Then he started crying, may Allaah have mercy on him.

And then that person [who had been angry at the Shaikh] could do nothing except cry too, and he started to kiss the Shaikh’s hand and head.

And I never knew him after that to be anything except a Salafi, following [the proofs], who loved the Shaikh and honoured him greatly.’

Al-Imaam al-Albaani, Duroos, wa Mawaaqif, wa Ibar, of Abdul-Aziz ibn Muhammad Abdullaah as-Sadhaan, pp. 158-159.

Translated by Ahmed Abu Turaab @ his blog http://shaikhalbaani.wordpress.com/

This lecture of Shaykh Falaah Ismaeel (حفظه الله) was recorded on Tuesday, February 08, 2011.

In this lecture the Shaykh covered everything in regards with following the Salaf. He mentioned that we should follow the Salaf in their Aqeedah (creed), Ibadaat (acts of worship), Ikhlaaq (good manners), Mua’mulaat, and in everything. He mentioned many stories and one of the stories was about one of the Student of Knowledge (حفظه الله).

The Shaykh said – “I met one Student of Knowledge about 30 years ago when he was studying in Madinah (Saudi Arabia). We used to live together and sit with Ulemah. He was a very good student, he was excellent in the first year, excellent in the second, and in the third year but when the forth year started, he came to me and told me that he would like to go back to his home country (United Kingdom). Everybody asked him that why you want to leave, you are almost there, finish your education, get your degree, and then leave. He began to cry and said that he got a phone call from his family member and they told him that his father is very sick and he is in the hospital and the family is afraid that he may die (upon kufr). We told him that your father may not die, a lot of people go to the hospital but not everyone dies immediately. But he said that something in my heart telling me to leave. So he got on the plane and went back and didn’t finish the forth and last year of the University”.

The Shaykh said that he didn’t care about the degree. He was truthful with Allah as related to guiding his father to Al-Islam and Allah was truthful with him as well. He went back and after a couple of days, we talked to him and he said alhamdulillah my father has accepted Islam. He said that alhamdulillah my father died upon Islam in the same hospital. The Shaykh said I visited him after many years and he said that now my mother is Muslim and my whole family is Muslim. The Shaykh said what we learn from this story that if you really care about your family and they are non Muslims, then focus your time and do what you can, the success is with Allah (سبحانه وتعالى).

I have to be patient and wait on Allah’s decree

I constantly pray that hijrah awaits me,

I wish to move to the land of the moslimoon

I wish that the distance between me and the mushrik is like

The distance of the Earth to the moon

I want to be raise in a pious land

Where scholars and students are as far away as a hand span

I want this for myself and not because of my parents

I want to please Allah and that is all that is apparent

I wish I can dream a dream of making Hajj

and then getting on the plane heading to Damaaj

My parents taught me the importance of gaining knowledge

and now its of my own desire to go to Salafi College

You see Harvard University doesn’t impress me

send me to the Medina Univeristy

I want to know more of my Lord before I meet Him

I don’t want to be of those who lose, but those who win

It is hard to find peers on the same page

A lot of people my age just think there is still time to play

I am very careful of the company I keep

Making sure they are strong so I may not become weak

A muslim child in the west has Oh so many tests

I wish to be a Muslim Child in the east

sitting with the scholars where my mind is at peace

Internet Source : http://www.muslimaat.info/

Related Links:

• Muslim Children

• Hijrah and Residing in the Lands of Disbelief – By Imaam Muhammad Naasirud-Deen al-Albaanee

  In the tape series ‘Al-Hudaa wa An-Noor’ tape # 617, Al-Imaam Al-Albaanee was asked: “Residing in the lands of disbelief, like that is the question, the question is about this matter, and in addition to it the American people who are Muslims, the Americans who are originally Muslims, is it incumbent upon them to make hijrah from there?”

• I am a Salafee – Why use the word ‘Salafee’ ? - by Shaik Nasiruddin Albanee

  Allaah Has Named us Muslims, So Why Ascribe Ourselves to the Salaf ?

  This questions was very beatifully answered by Imaam al-Albaani in his discussion with someone on this subject, recorded on the cassette entitled, “I am Salafi”.

• Why Choose Salafiyah ? – by Shaik Nasiruddin Albanee

  Source: Al-Asaalah, Issue 9

  Question: Why use the name Salafee? Is it a call towards a party or a group or a madh-hab (school of thought)? Or is it a new sect in Islaam?

In the Name of Allaah, The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful
All Praise is due to Allaah, Lord of everything that exists

The Importance of Being Truthful

Shaikh Falaah Isma’eel recently relayed a heart-melting story that may interest you.

When the Shaikh visited Holland, he was of course met by Muslims from Holland and they told him, “If you had come two weeks earlier you would have seen it yourself. We prayed over this man.” Then they told him the following story.

[What follows is not verbatim, but a summary, with some explanations so as to clarify some terms that may be new to non-Muslims.]

He was a 26-year-old Christian from Holland. One day, he changed his dress to thobes, a burnoose, grew a beard, and the people started calling him “the one who looks like Jesus.”One day, he met some Muslims, and he said to them, “I love Jesus.” And the Muslims told him, “We also love Jesus, and it is even a condition of Islam. We love Jesus and Moses.”

So this man tried imitating Jesus, helping others when he could, cutting their lawns and the like. After two years, he entered the mosque [the Muslims' place of worship] for the first time, and he was greeted with “ahlan” [which means welcome, and thus was not greeted with the greeting reserved for Muslims "as-salaamu 'alaykum" (which means: may peace and safety be upon you on the Day of Judgement)].

He said, “no; I want to be a Muslim.”

Then, the Muslims witnessed his testimony (pronounced “shahada”) – there is none deserving of worship except Allaah, and Muhammad is His servant and Messenger, and Jesus is His servant and Messenger – taught him the basics, and taught him how to pray. He began praying in congregation with them, not missing a single congregation. Then one day, he noticed that the other Muslims were arriving at the mosque after him, so he asked for a key to the mosque. And he was given one.

The Muslims then observed that not only was he opening the mosque, but additionally he was routinely found in optional prayer whenever they entered the mosque for the dawn prayer. [They would enter and find him already engaged in the worship of Allaah.]

Then one day, he told the Muslims how he decided to become Muslim. He said he had a dream about Jesus (the son of Mary), and Jesus said to him, “Be Muslim. Be Muslim. Be Muslim.” He said, “I woke up, and a few days later, I had the same dream. This happened three times.”

[The shaikh interjected and said, this is success from Allaah.]

So after having prayed for 20 days with the other Muslims, he died.

May Allaah have mercy on him.

This is the mercy of Allaah, and Allaah saved him [from dying upon other than Islam].

This is Sidq (truthfulness); he truthfully loved Jesus, so he became Muslim. Allaah guided him to become Muslim, because he was truthful in his love for Jesus.

If one is truthful in his love for Jesus and his following Jesus, then this should lead him to the true religion of Jesus (Islam) and should lead him to following whom Jesus commanded to be followed after him – Muhammad, the seal of all Prophets.

After all, the religion of all the Prophets was Islam, and their creed was the same, and their message was the same, and they confirmed each other. It is only the deviant who have distorted the message of the previous Prophets, and thus Allaah promised to preserve His last revelation (the Qur`an) from corruption.

To read about Jesus, click The Status of Jesus in Islam

Source : Posted by Maher Attiyeh in West London Dawah yahoo group

Someone i trusted narrated to me that, there was a scholar who was living in some of the cities of India and was giving classes in the Masjids. He used to whenever he finishes his classes, supplicates a lot to Allah. And among his supplication is that, he used to supplicate against Sheikh Muhammed Ibn Abdul Wahab and cursed him.

Fortunately, there was one smart and intelligent Saudi student who was attending his class. This student thought about how he could save this poor Sheikh who was led astray by the evils of propoganda, till he fell into deadlock. So his thinking guided him to the following plans: He took Kitab At-Tawheed (i.e The Book of Tawheed), which is the right of Allah upon His slaves, and he peeled off the covers and the first pages contain the biography or the information of the author. He then gave this book to the Indian Sheikh and then asked him to read the book and give him feedback about the book. So the Sheikh took the book, and read it and was pleased with it. So the next day, the student asked him about the book. It was then that the teacher started to praise the book in an amazing manner, and that it is one of the best books written on this subject matter. Then the student said to him, the author of the book is Muhammed Ibn Abdul Wahab the one you always curse. And then he gave him the cover and the papers that contain the name of the Sheikh. So the teacher was very astounded and regretful of what he did. And then he started to supplicate for the student, and changed his postion towards the Sheikh and started to suppplicate for him after his class instead of supplicating against him. So we asked Allah the Almighty to forgive him. This is how the false propoganda misleads the people and entraps them, but subsequently the true Da’wah to Allah is always successful, but with wisdom as we have seen in the act of the Saudi student(May Allah have mercy on him). Allah Subahana wa ta’alaa said:

Invite(Mankind, O Muhammed Salallahu alayhi wa Salam) to the Way of your Lord (i.e Islam) with wisdom(i.e with the Divine Revelation and the Qur’an) and fair preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better.

This is the Daw’ah of Muhammed Ibn Abdul Wahab from its birth, till the present day. I summerized its presentation including some of the problems it underwent. This call has undergone a alot of turmoil and trials the like of which no call to this present era has undergone, but yet still the success that was written for the other calls. Therefore,. we ask Allah to reward the owner of this call and those who carried it on after his death the good which he rewarded the reformers with, as we ask Him the Almighty to keep the kings of the Saudia family and thier leaders firm on the path, thise who helped this call out, spread it, defended it, published its books and are still like that. May Allah accept from their Islamic Deeds and may Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon the best of His creatures Muhammed, his family members and his companions.

Taken from the book “The Problems Of The Da’wah and the Du’aat In The Present Era” by ,Sheikh Muhammed Amaana Ibn Al-Jaami page 85

Internet Source

In Al-Fawaaid Ad-daraaree, Al-Ajloonee related that Imam Bukhaaree (may Allah have mercy on him) once travelled by boat on a journey to seek out knowledge and that  he had taken with him one-thousand dinars. One of his fellow travelers ingratiated himself with Imam Bukharee, outwadly showing him love and admiration. During the sea-voyage, the man often made it a point to sit in his company. On long journeys, friendships develop faster than normal, and during the course of the time they spent together, Imam Bukhaaree informed the man that he had one-thousand dinars with him.

The morning after Imam Bukharee spoke about the money, the man woke up and began to cry, scream, rip his clothing apart, and slap his own face, as if he had just been afflicted with a great loss. His fellow shipmates asked him what was wrong, and he refused to answer at first, as if he was still in a state of  shock and could not bring himself to speak about his situation. After they continually insisted that he tell them what the matter was with him, he finally said, “I had a bag that contained one-thousand dinars, and I lost it.”

The crewmen who were incharge of the ship began to search the passengers. One by one everyone was being searched, and upon realizing what was happening, Imam Bukharee, making sure that no one was looking, threw his bag of money over the side of the ship. When it was his turn to be searched, nothing was found. When the entire ship and all of its passengers were searched, and when no bag of money was found, those in authority on the ship went back to the man who had made up the story and chastised him for making a false claim and for putting them through so much trouble. As soon as the ship finally reached shore, the passengers began to disembark;meanwhile, Imam Bukhaaree’s old friend went to him and asked him what he had done with the bag of money.

“I threw it into the sea,” Imam Bukhaaree matter-of-factly replied.

“And you are patiently accepting the fact that you have just lost such a huge sume of money?” the man asked in bewilderment.

“O ignorant one,” Imam Bukhaaree said,

“do you not know that I have spent my entire life gathering the Ahadeeth of the Messenger (Sallalaahu alaihi wa Sallam) and that  the world now acknowledges my trustworthiness. Would it then have been befitting for me to subject  myself to the accusation of theft? And shall I lose the precious pearl (i.e my knowledge and achievements as a scholar) that I have earned over a lifetime over a limited number of dinars?”[1]

Footnotes:
[1] Refer Al-Fawaaid Ad-Daraaree As-Sujloonee, and to Seerathul Bukhaaree by Al-Mubaarakpooree

Source: The Boigraphy of Imaam Bukhaaree (May Allah have mercy on him), published by dar-us-salam. pg 143-144

Related Links:

• Check other Inspirational Stories

[The Journey to Allaah : -Ibn Rajab al Hanbali ; pg 62 ]

And worship your Lord till the certainty comes to you . [al Hijr :99]

al Hasan said,

“Persistence, persistence! Surely Allaah  has appointed the time of cessation of deeds to be just before death,”

and the he recited the above verse. He also said,

“Your souls are your mounts ,so tend to your mounts, in this way they will convey you to your Lord, Mighty & Magnificent.”

The meaning of tending to one’s mounts is to be easy on them, to keep them fit & healthy, & not  to overburden them.

Therefore if one feels his soul is coming to a halt in its travel, he tends to it by inculcating in its the desire to finish the journey,as the situation may demand .

One of the salaf said,

” Hope is the guide & fear is the driver & the soul will stop & it will then need gentle treatment & song to provoke it to into recommencing its journey”.

In this respect the camel leader, who drives on his herd by singing,said,
“its guide gave it glad tidings saying: Tomorrow shall you see bananas & mountains.”

Fear is like a whip & when a person is excessively whips the animal, it could die.As such one must also strike it with  “songs” of hope that would encourage it to eagerly revitalize its efforts until it arrives at the destination .

Abu Yazeed said,

” I have persistently guided my soul to Allaah without letting up, it weeping all the way, then i urged it to on until it laughed”

it is said,

“When it complained of the burdens of the journey,
he promised  it Of the relief of arrival so it revitalized of its efforts.”

Related Links:

• Living to Die or Dying to Live! - from Al-Istiqaamah News Letter
• The Last Drops of this World – Sayings of the Salaf
• Each of us has a Bank called “T I M E”

Indeed the Shaytaan has succeeded in leading many people astray from the straight path of Allah. He promised this, as we were informed by our Lord – The Most High – when He said:

I will indeed sit on Your straight path. Then I will approach them from the front, from behind, from the right and then from the left. You will find most of them to be ungrateful. (Surah al ‘Araaf:18)

From the countless tricks of the shaytaan and his constant deception of the children of Adam (may the blessings of Allah be upon him) is that he seeks to divert the servant away from performing sincere repentance. He is keen to accomplish this through several means and sinister strategies. Amongst his strategies is persuading an individual to blame others for difficulties and calamities that occur as a result of one’s own sins. Due to this Allah – The Most High – has informed His servants that that which occurs in one’s life of calamity is a direct or indirect result of what a person has put forward by way of his own hands. Allah – The Most High – said:

That which befalls you of calamity is due to what your hands have put forward, and Allah pardons much. (Surah al Shura:30)

Sheikh ‘Abdul Rahmaan al Sa’di commented on the above verse:

Allah informs in this verse that a person is not afflicted with a trial in his body, wealth, children, or in anything that he loves and is dear to him, except that this occurs due to that which he has put forward of sins from his own hands. (Tayseer Kareem al Rahmaan pg.899)

The Salaf of the past realized this evil plot of the shaytaan and as a result, they did not seek to blame others if calamities took place, especially those which occurred as a result of one’s sins.

If one were to read the speech of the Salaf, one would find them to be undoubtedly well versed and exceptionally intelligent as it pertains to sins and repentance. The likes of their true understanding of the ill effects of sins and what follows them of trials and calamity can be witnessed in the statement of Fudayl bin ‘Eyaan, he said:

Indeed I disobey Allah and as a consequence, I witness the evil result in the character of my donkey and my servant. (Hilyat al Awliyah 8/109, Al Daa wa Dawaa pg.134)

Another example which shows how the Salaf viewed this matter is illustrated in the story of the repentance of Habeeb Abu Muhammad.

It is mentioned that he was a wealthy merchant who used to lend money to those in need, but with a stipulation that the debtor repays the loan along with interest. One day while Habeeb was leaving his home he passed by a group of young boys who upon seeing him began to chant:

Here comes the man who deals in interest!

Upon hearing this, Habeeb lowered his head in humiliation and said:

Oh Allah! You have exposed my affair even to these young boys!

Habeed then returned home, gathered his wealth and said:

Oh my Lord! I am a slave, and I seek to purchase myself with this wealth, so please free me.

In the morning Habeeb donated all of his wealth in charity and thereafter he began to diligently busy himself with the worship Allah.

It is mentioned that from that time on, if anyone saw Habeeb, he would either be fasting, or indulged in prayer and remembrance of Allah.

It took place that after some time Habeeb passed by a group of youth who upon seeing him mentioned:

Lower your voices. Here comes Habeeb, the devoted worshiper!

Upon hearing this Habeeb said:

Oh Allah! At times You admonish, and other times You praise. Indeed this is all from You.

The people of his time mentioned that Habeeb became in individual whose supplication was always accepted. (Tahtheeb al Kalaam 5/390)

Many lessons and points of reflection can be derived from this story. From amongst them:

1. When Habeeb realized that his affair became well known to the public, he immediately turned to Allah in repentance and sought His forgiveness.

2. He did not become angry because of the information being spread, but rather he straight away concluded that his own sins were the cause of the public becoming aware of his faults.

3. Without delay Habeeb removed from his presence that which he had gained of wealth by way of sin. This is an indication of his true sincerity in repentance.

4. Habeeb did not begin to inquire about who informed the youth of his sin, nor did he say that those who informed the youth had backbitten him. Instead, he grasped the most significant benefit derived from this occurrence, which is the fact that he has committed a wrong against his soul, and he is in need of Allah’s forgiveness.

In the actions of Habeeb are important lessons for the believers and we should all try to gain from this tremendous story.

A present day example of this is, if a Muslim female, for example, were to listen to music from time to time on the internet. One day while her husband is sitting with their children one of them says: Abee, do you know that Ummi listens to music on the computer? If the husband confronts and admonishes his wife, she should not become upset and angry with her children. Instead, she should recognize that possibly this means that her Lord wants well for her! How? It’s possible that if her husband never became aware of this sin, she would continue performing it thereby causing greater harm to her soul. But once her fault became known to her husband and she was admonished for it, at this point, if she stops the sin, turns to Allah and seeks His forgiveness, this trial in reality has become a blessing!

The statement of Fudayl and the story of Habeeb clearly illustrate how the Salaf understood the great affair of repentance, and how they attributed what befell them of trials and tribulations to themselves and not to others. Indeed when an individual comes to such a realization, he will begin to sincerely return to Allah and seek His forgiveness.

Another matter which is worthy of mentioning is that if a servant finds himself constantly committing wrong, but his Lord does not cause difficulties and misfortunes to occur in his life, but instead Allah continues to bless him, this is considered Istidraaj (leading to one’s destruction). This fact was mentioned by our beloved Prophet Muhammad (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), he said:

If you notice that Allah continues to bless an individual with that which he loves of this world, while that person persists to indulge in sin, know that this is leading to his destruction. (Musnad Imam Ahmed and declared authentic in Silsilah al Saheehah 1/700)

The above narration clearly indicates that when Allah wants good for a person who has wronged himself, He will put in that person’s path a calamity that will affect him to such a degree that he sincerely returns to his Lord in a state of humiliation seeking His forgiveness and begging for His pardon. This information proves that tribulations in the life of the Muslim can in fact turn into enormously needed means of purification. But this only takes place if the servant notices this reality and uses the calamity to his benefit from the very beginning. In light of this, the Prophet of Mercy said:

Indeed patience is to be displayed at the beginning of the difficulty. (Sahih al Bukhari:1283, Sahih Muslim:2178)

With clarification of this important issue, it becomes evident how cleverly the shaytaan has allowed tremendous reward and forgiveness to escape the hands of those who are neglectful and careless at times of major tests in their lives!

May Allah correct our affairs and grant us Tawfeeq to understand all matters of our wonderful religion so that we may be saved from the endless plots of the shaytan.

Mustafa George DeBerry
Riyadh, K.S.A
August 24, 2010

Source: Recieved from http://www.authenticstatements.com/ mailing list

Related Links:

• Repentance ( At-Tauba ) & Forgiveness ( Isthigfar )
• Trials – Stress, Worries and Grief & Sabr (Patience) – Tolerance – Anger & Steadfastness

• [] Benefits From the Stories of Those Who Repented – by Abul-Hasan Maalik Aadam al-Akhdar
  Benefits from the story of a man who killed 99 people and repented and entered into Jannah

• A Woman’s Strong Determination to Repent !!! Inspiring Read
• One Sin led to his Repentance