Masjid Bani Hashim: Love of Allah Series Notes

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Fiqh of the Hearts (فقه القلوب) – Part 9

Recap

§ If a heart is sick and does not become cured, it will become a hard heart. The shaitan will make fitna to those who have diseases in their hearts.

§ The heart has two powers, one is to for emotions and the other is for intellect.

Emotional Qualities in the heart (الصفات الارادية)

§ Satisfaction (الاطمئنان)

§ Taqwa (التقوى)

§ Tranquility (السكينة)

§ Mercy (الرحمة)

§ Returning to Allah (swt) (الانابة): a heart that has gone back to its Creator.

§ Harshness (الغلظة): if you are harsh to the people, they will turn away.

§ Sin (الاثم):

§ Wrapped heart (الغلف): it cannot understand what is being said because it is wrapped.

§ Grudge (الغل): the believer prays to not have any grudge in his heart

§ Soundness (السلامة): Allah (swt) will accept the hearts on the Day of Judgement that came back to Him, safe, sound, pure and clean.

Effect of sins on the heart

§ Hadith: (ما ضرب عبد بعوقبة اعظم من قسوة القلب - امام احمد 2/300) (The Prophet (pbuh) said: A slave is not hit with a punishment as great as hardness of the heart.)

§ The sins immediately affect the hurt.

§ Surah Al Baqarah 74: (ثُمَّ قَسَتۡ قُلُوبُكُم مِّنۢ بَعۡدِ ذَٲلِكَ فَهِىَ كَٱلۡحِجَارَةِ أَوۡ أَشَدُّ قَسۡوَةً۬‌ۚ وَإِنَّ مِنَ ٱلۡحِجَارَةِ لَمَا يَتَفَجَّرُ مِنۡهُ ٱلۡأَنۡهَـٰرُ‌ۚ وَإِنَّ مِنۡہَا لَمَا يَشَّقَّقُ فَيَخۡرُجُ مِنۡهُ ٱلۡمَآءُ‌ۚ وَإِنَّ مِنۡہَا لَمَا يَہۡبِطُ مِنۡ خَشۡيَةِ ٱللَّهِ‌ۗ وَمَا ٱللَّهُ بِغَـٰفِلٍ عَمَّا تَعۡمَلُونَ) (Then, after that, your hearts were hardened and became as stones or even worse in hardness. And indeed, there are stones out of which rivers gush forth, and indeed, there are of them (stones) which split asunder so that water flows from them, and indeed, there are of them (stones) which fall down for fear of Allâh. And Allâh is not unaware of what you do.)

· We have to take this as a lesson for us. We shouldn’t become argumentative, and ask too many questions.

· Some stones have rivers come out, and some stones are humble to Allah (swt) and others are not. Allah (swt) knows everything we are doing. This duniya is made as the place of deeds and how much we will believe. Allah (swt) made us see some things, and some things are of the unseen. And what is unseen is much more than the seen, and the test is to believe in the unseen. We will believe in the seen, that is easy, but the difference between a believer and disbeliever is the belief in the unseen, subhan Allah.

Treatment of a hard heart (علاج قسوة القلب)

§ Attending the study circles: which are places where angels gather.

§ Much remembrance of death: fear comes when we are not prepared

§ Visiting of the graves: this is not for women, but if can participate in the ghusl of the dead, it is a great reminder.

§ Recitation of the Quran

Fitna (فتنة)

§ Hadith: (عن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال‏:‏ ‏ "‏ بادروا بالأعمال فتناً كقطع الليل المظلم يصبح الرجل مؤمنا ويمسي كافراً ويمسي مؤمنا ويصبح كافراً، يبيع دينه بعرض من الدنيا‏"‏ ‏(‏‏(‏رواه مسلم‏)‏‏)‏‏.) (Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Be prompt in doing good deeds (before you are overtaken) by turbulence which would be like a part of the dark night. A man would be a believer in the morning and turn to disbelief in the evening, or he would be a believer in the evening and turn disbeliever in the morning, and would sell his Faith for worldly goods.") – Muslim Book 1, Hadith 87

§ The fitnas will come so quickly, in the evening they are reciting Quran, praying the night prayer, and they wake up with so much fitna, and they will become disbeliever, we ask Allah (swt) to protect us. Ameen.

§ People will sell their religion for the little enjoyment of the duniya. What does selling the deen mean? It means they do not mind if they speak disbelief or act disbelief so that they can get the temporary enjoyments of the duniya. It means the person had faith, belief in Allah (swt) and the Last Day, and these were great treasures. And he was ready to take these ‘treasures’ to a market and sell it for something less, subhan Allah.

§ Hadith: (تعرض الفتن على القلوب كالحصير عودا فأي قلب اشربها نكت فيه نكته سوداء و اي قلب انكرها نكت فيه نكته بيضاء) (I heard the Messenger of Allah (may peace be, upon him ) observing: Temptations will be presented to men's hearts as reed mat is woven stick by stick and any heart which is impregnated by them will have a black mark put into it, but any heart which rejects them will have a white mark put in it) – Sahih Muslim 144

· Whoever accepts the fitna, there will be black spots, but whoever turns away from the fitna, then his heart will have a white spot. Meaning his heart will not be affected.

§ Types of fitna (انواع الفتن):

· General fitna (فتنة عامة): meaning an entire population is affected, for example poverty.

· Specific fitna (فتنة خاصة): loss of blessings – loss of family members, wealth, etc, temptations, doubts.

Veiling of the heart (حجب القلب)

§ Shirk

§ Bida’a

§ Major sins

§ Minor sins

Anger (غضب) – A disease of the heart

§ Anger (غضب) is a disease of the heart and if not cured, it will become a grudge.

§ And if that grudge is not removed, then it will cause envy (حسد).

§ A man came to the Prophet (pbuh) and asked him to advise me in brief, he said, ‘don’t be angry, don’t be angry, don’t be angry’.

§ When something is being repeated by the Prophet (pbuh) it means it is important and it is something that happens too much that we need to take heed of.

§ We have to be careful what we say to others and how we react, because if we say harsh and mean words, it is very difficult to cure it. Because it is like placing a nail in a brick, when you try to pull out the nail, meaning to say ‘sorry’, it will leave a hole in the brick. The pain is engraved.

§ What makes a person get angry?

· Think highly of themselves: Imagine like a horse that walks in pride, tail up, head up, subhan Allah. The cure for this is to be humble. Everyone claims to love Allah (swt), but if Allah (swt) loves a slave, then that is special. We have to see the faults in ourselves, because we are Bani Adam, we are not perfect.

· Self-amazed: like Qaroon, who said I became rich out of my intelligence. They are a ‘cat’ but see themselves as a ‘lion’ in the mirror, subhan Allah. They see everyone as poor in front of them. The cure for this is that we need to see our faults. Our problem is that we focus on other people’s faults, and not ours. We are accountable for ourselves, not for others. We want our account to be positive. We should see the negative in ourselves and see the positive in others, subhan Allah. Don’t find faults in people all the time and criticize others all the time because you will create a problem one day. It’s like striking a match – striking it, striking it, until it lights up and causes a fire. For example husband and wife, a wife is constantly nagging her husband and finding faults in him, and he is like a sponge, just taking it in. But one day, when he has soaked up all he can, she will say something, and even in a gentle way ‘why did you do this’, and that will be the day when he will break and everything will come out, subhan Allah.

· Constant joking all the time: Too much joking is not good. Don’t sit with people who like to make fun of people all the time.

· Cannot stand if good things happens to others: How to cure it? Look at the blessings that you have and see what people less than you have, then it will make you feel humbled. There was a man who was always complaining of his arthritis, until he saw a man without a leg, and then he stopped complaining, subhan Allah.

§ Cure to Anger (علاج الغضب):

· Knowledge (العلم): knowledge is studying the Quran and the Sunnah. Where will you understand the reward for those who suppress their anger?

o After controlling the anger, you also need to cool down by pardoning and forgiving.

o And after that do ihsan for that person, and be kind and help them without knowing.

o Surah Ash Shura 37: (وَٱلَّذِينَ يَجۡتَنِبُونَ كَبَـٰٓٮِٕرَ ٱلۡإِثۡمِ وَٱلۡفَوَٲحِشَ وَإِذَا مَا غَضِبُواْ هُمۡ يَغۡفِرُونَ) (And those who avoid the greater sins, and Al-Fawâhish (illegal sexual intercourse), and when they are angry, forgive)

o Allah (swt) says to take whatever is given to you. And advice good, and refrain from those who are ignorant. It does not mean people who have no knowledge, they might have endless degrees, but their attitude with their words and actions are foolish.

o Hadith: (وعن أبى هريرة رضي الله عنه أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال‏:‏ ليس الشديد بالصرعة، إنما الشديد الذى يملك نفسه عند الغضب”) (Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "The strong man is not the one who wrestles, but the strong man is in fact the one who controls himself in a fit of rage.") – Al Bukhari Book 1, Hadith 647

o Hadith: (أَلاَ وَإِنَّ الْغَضَبَ جَمْرَةٌ فِي قَلْبِ ابْنِ آدَمَ أَمَا رَأَيْتُمْ إِلَى حُمْرَةِ عَيْنَيْهِ وَانْتِفَاخِ أَوْدَاجِهِ فَمَنْ أَحَسَّ بِشَيْءٍ مِنْ ذَلِكَ فَلْيَلْصَقْ بِالأَرْضِ) (Anger is an ember in the heart of the son of Adam, as you see it in the redness of his eyes and the bulge of his jugular veins. So whoever senses something from that, then let him cling to the ground.) – At Tirmidhi 2191

· Actions (العمل)

· Patience (الصبر)

Fiqh of the Hearts (فقه القلوب) – Part 8

Recap

§ We have an aim that we want to reach, which is paradise. When Jibreel saw paradise, he said everyone would want to be there, but it is covered with difficult things, like patience, etc. So you have to do these things in order for these difficult things to be loved:

· Leave the habits (هجر العوائد): you want to reach the love of Allah (swt), cut out habits that are not in line with the love Allah (swt).

· Cut the wrong relations (قطع العلائق)

· Remove the obstacles (ازالة العوائق): removing shirk, bida’a

§ Hadith: (عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ حُفَّتِ الْجَنَّةُ بِالْمَكَارِهِ وَحُفَّتِ النَّارُ بِالشَّهَوَاتِ) (Anas b. Malik reported: The Paradise is surrounded by hardships and the Hell-Fire is surrounded by temptations.) - Sahih Muslim 2822

Faith is made of two important fundamentals (الإيمان أصلين)

§ Belief (التصديق): to believe whatever Allah (swt) and His Messenger (pbuh) said. We have to be aware that we can face others place doubt (شبهات) in the deen and sunnah, and you have to protect your heart, so do not argue, and leave the argument. Always make dua’a to ask Allah (swt) to protect you, to increase you in knowledge. And how to cure it? To believe in anything that is (قال الله و قال الرسول). Allah (swt) always says the truth, and may Allah (swt) make us to accept it and act on it. Ameen.

§ Obedience (طاعة): whatever commands are given, I need to follow. There are people nowadays that have doubts about ahadeeth, and this comes due to lack of belief, the 1^st fundamental, subhan Allah. This means their faith is not complete. Dua’a: (ربنا لا تزغ قلوبنا) (Our Rabb do not make our hearts deviate). How can you pray or perform pilgrimage without ahadeeth? Subhan Allah.

· This happens when there are desires (شهوات) and so it becomes difficult to obey. And remember that hellfire is surrounded with temptations. When you indulge in your desires for one hour, it is followed with so much sorrow and regret, subhan Allah.

§ The major reason for corruption is because of doubts and temptations. When Allah (swt) made this duniya, He made it perfect, so we have to accept it, how? By accepting His laws and commands, that is our happiness and our success.

Faith as if surrounded by 5 fortresses

§ Imagine faith is like a country, its outer walls are gold first, then silver, then iron, then stone, then bricks, what are these?

§ When the enemy comes, he has to break the gold, which is difficult. But when he breaks it, then comes silver, still a bit difficult, but once broken, then the rest of the walls are easy, subhan Allah.

§ What do these walls represent?

· Gold à certainty (يقين): whatever you learn from Quran and Sunnah, there is no doubt or question in your mind or heart that it is true.

· Silver à sincerity (اخلاص): everything you do has to be for the sake of Allah (swt).

· Iron à obligations (فرائض): like prayers

· Stone à voluntary (سنن)

· Bricks à manners (اداب)

§ It is easier to break the ‘bricks’ the manners, for example, a person starts to become arrogant, thinks they are doing fine – they are deceived by this. Then the ‘stones’, the voluntaries are broken, you were building a palace in paradise everyday with praying the voluntaries, but now you say it’s ok if I miss it one day. Then comes the obligations, become busy and too distracted with the duniya, even start to combine prayers. Then sincerity goes, whatever they used to do, becomes for the duniya, even paying zakat is for the duniya. And once sincerity is gone, then there is no yaqeen, subhan Allah. May Allah (swt) protect us. Ameen

§ This description is based on Ibn Jawziyyah (may Allah have mercy on him).

Heart (قلب)

§ Heart comes from (قلب), which means ‘to turn’. The heart is always turning.

§ Sometimes this heart sees the truth as truth, and sometimes it sees the truth as falsehood. For example, there are people who used to have a lot of faith, but then they start to question a lot of things in the deen. Losing the deen is the most dangerous, because you will lose paradise, and you will lose your Rabb, may Allah (swt) protect us. Ameen.

§ The Prophet (pbuh) used to make this dua’a. (يا مقلب القلوب ثبت قلبي على دينك) (Oh Turner of the hearts, keep my heart firm on Your deen), imagine the Prophet (pbuh), of highest faith, is making this dua’a, so what about us? Subhan Allah.

§ If we don’t take care of our heart, then it can easily get diseased, tarnished, and when it becomes dirty, then the truth cannot be seen. Similar to a house that becomes dirty, it will be difficult to live in such a house. If the heart is being taken care of, then we will have an alive heart, and we will accept the truth as truth.

§ If we do not take care of this heart, then it becomes dark and hard. And when it is hard, it will be difficult to make things enter.

§ Damage of the heart comes from heedlessness and feeling secure.

§ Hadith: (كن في الدنيا كعابر سبيل) (Be in the duniya as if you are a traveler). When you are travelling in the duniya, are you going to live forever? No. Are you going to take your house? No. Imagine we are all on a ship going to a beautiful island, and we are told we have only half to see the island, and then we need to go back to the ship. There are trees, birds, beautiful sights, the smart people will say we need to head back because we can only stay for half an hour, which is very short. So they go back to the ship early, and they get the best spots back on the ship. Some people say let me enjoy, so they head back 2 minutes before it’s time. And they get whatever space they can get. Some people just want to enjoy and they forget the time and ship. Some people wanted to go back, but they reached late, so they missed the boat and remained on the island. So those left on the island are eaten by the animals, but those on the ship got saved. And this is a similitude to the duniya being only temporary, and you are just a traveler, so don’t miss the boat to your final destination, subhan Allah.

§ Hadith: (سَمِعْت رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه و سلم يَقُولُ: "إنَّ الْحَلَالَ بَيِّنٌ، وَإِنَّ الْحَرَامَ بَيِّنٌ، وَبَيْنَهُمَا أُمُورٌ مُشْتَبِهَاتٌ لَا يَعْلَمُهُنَّ كَثِيرٌ مِنْ النَّاسِ، فَمَنْ اتَّقَى الشُّبُهَاتِ فَقْد اسْتَبْرَأَ لِدِينِهِ وَعِرْضِهِ، وَمَنْ وَقَعَ فِي الشُّبُهَاتِ وَقَعَ فِي الْحَرَامِ، كَالرَّاعِي يَرْعَى حَوْلَ الْحِمَى يُوشِكُ أَنْ يَرْتَعَ فِيهِ، أَلَا وَإِنَّ لِكُلِّ مَلِكٍ حِمًى، أَلَا وَإِنَّ حِمَى اللَّهِ مَحَارِمُهُ، أَلَا وَإِنَّ فِي الْجَسَدِ مُضْغَةً إذَا صَلَحَتْ صَلَحَ الْجَسَدُ كُلُّهُ، وَإذَا فَسَدَتْ فَسَدَ الْجَسَدُ كُلُّهُ، أَلَا وَهِيَ الْقَلْبُ".) (I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say, “That which is lawful is clear and that which is unlawful is clear, and between the two of them are doubtful matters about which many people do not know. Thus he who avoids doubtful matters clears himself in regard to his religion and his honour, but he who falls into doubtful matters [eventually] falls into that which is unlawful, like the shepherd who pastures around a sanctuary, all but grazing therein. Truly every king has a sanctuary, and truly Allah’s sanctuary is His prohibitions. Truly in the body there is a morsel of flesh, which, if it be whole, all the body is whole, and which, if it is diseased, all of [the body] is diseased. Truly, it is the heart.” [Al-Bukhari][Muslim])

· There are some matters in life that come that are doubtful, ‘grey’. So whoever avoids this, then they have protected their deen and self. And whoever follows these doubts, then they have fallen to the haram. So a believer leaves these doubts.

· We need to protect our heart.

§ Don’t be around people of desires and temptations, their life is based on how to enjoy life to the max. The duniya is a prison for a believer, and paradise for the disbeliever.

§ Their heart become a slave of their desires, and the light in their heart has been extinguished. Your heart might have light, but being with them brings a cloud to your heart. They are good with convincing, talking, and affecting you. And you will notice the light of the face begins to go away, subhan Allah.

§ There is something that is called the light of faith in the heart, which is reflected in the face, subhan Allah.

§ If you sit with a smoker, aren’t you inhaling the smoke as well? Yes. Is it not being absorbed into your clothes? Yes. So even if you are not doing anything, just sitting with them will for sure affect you. This will start to cause a hard heart if we do not cure it.

§ These people left belief and obeying Allah (swt) and the Messenger (pbuh), and begin to follow their doubts and temptations. May Allah (swt) protect us. Ameen.

· Some stones can break from the fear of Allah (swt), and ‘rivers’ come forth. Some hearts are so hard, they do not get affected by the Quran, and they don’t even get affected by the great trials going on in their life. They don’t see it as a sign to return to Allah (swt), subhan Allah.

Some reasons for a hard heart (اسباب قسوة القلوب)

§ Sins and disobedience

§ Attachment to other than Allah (swt)

§ Leaving the Quran: the Quran is on their shelves and they do not study it

§ Attachment to the duniya

§ Extreme in anything

§ Bad companions

§ Listening to music: because it is the sound of the shaitan. It is like drinking alcohol, it starts to cover the mind, and you begin to think of songs all the time. People even in tawaf start to remember songs, may Allah (swt) protect us. Ameen.

§ Too much laughing

What is the hard heart? (ما هو القلب القاسي؟)

§ It is dryness in the heart. Imagine play-doh in the beginning, it is soft and can be molded, but when it is left outside, it becomes hard and difficult to shape. They read the Quran from beginning to end and they do not get affected.

§ There is no guilt in this heart, it is so hard.This heart cannot accept the truth. Allah (swt) wants a transparent and clear truth, because kallam Allah cannot enter any heart. It is very heavy and has much weight. And only the heart that is worthy can kallam Allah enter it.

§ It is difficult for the hard heart to accept the truth, but it is easy for them to accept falsehood.

§ There was a man in prison, who used to make tea out of sewage water, and used to enjoy it. When he left prison, he was given tea made with pure water, and he spit it out. He couldn’t stand it. This is the similitude to a hard heart. When truth comes to it, it rejects it, but when falsehood comes, it accepts it. We ask Allah (swt) to make our heart light upon light (نور على نور), and to make it clear and pure. Because that is the sound heart.

§ It is not easy to accept our faults and mistakes, but we have to remember that we all face Allah (swt) on the Day of Judgment, and nothing will be hidden on that Day.

§ There are people whom Allah (swt) loves, may we be of them, ameen.

§ Hadith: (سَأَلَ ابْنَ عُمَرَ كَيْفَ سَمِعْتَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ فِي النَّجْوَى قَالَ ‏ "‏ يَدْنُو أَحَدُكُمْ مِنْ رَبِّهِ حَتَّى يَضَعَ كَنَفَهُ عَلَيْهِ فَيَقُولُ عَمِلْتَ كَذَا وَكَذَا‏.‏ فَيَقُولُ نَعَمْ‏.‏ وَيَقُولُ عَمِلْتَ كَذَا وَكَذَا‏.‏ فَيَقُولُ نَعَمْ‏.‏ فَيُقَرِّرُهُ ثُمَّ يَقُولُ إِنِّي سَتَرْتُ عَلَيْكَ فِي الدُّنْيَا، فَأَنَا أَغْفِرُهَا لَكَ الْيَوْمَ ‏") (A man asked Ibn `Umar, "What did you hear Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saying regarding An-Najwa (secret talk between Allah and His believing worshipper on the Day of Judgment)?" He said, "(The Prophet (ﷺ) said), "One of you will come close to his Lord till He will shelter him in His screen and say: Did you commit such-and-such sin? He will say, 'Yes.' Then Allah will say: Did you commit such and such sin? He will say, 'Yes.' So Allah will make him confess (all his sins) and He will say, 'I screened them (your sins) for you in the world, and today I forgive them for you."') - Sahih al-Bukhari 6070

§ Oh Allah make our account easy (اللهم اجعل حسابنا يسيرا). Ameen.

Fiqh of the Hearts (فقه القلوب) – Part 7

Recap

§ Heedless about Allah (swt) (الغفلة عن الله):

· Little remembrance of Allah (swt). Similar to the hypocrites, they only remember Allah (swt) in time of hardship. They think about Allah (swt) last, subhan Allah.

· The heart is very much attached to other than Allah (swt), house, money, business, fame, etc.

§ Heedless about Allah’s commands (الغفلة عن اوامر الله):

· When their desires are so strong, they cannot listen to the commands of Allah (swt) – to the halal and haram. They want their own book of do’s and don’ts, subhan Allah. They don’t want to learn the commands of Allah (swt), they don’t want to hear it from anyone, they say, don’t give me books, don’t invite me to lectures. Why? Life is too short, let me enjoy. Duniya is tempting and the shaitan will not come ugly, he will come as ‘beautiful’. May Allah (swt) protect us. Ameen.

§ Heedless about the Day of Judgment (الغفلة عن يوم الاخر):

· When we don’t talk about death. When we don’t remember death, then we are forgetting life. If we don’t remember death, then we will think we will live forever, subhan Allah. If you get a chance to do ghusl for the dead, then do it, it will greatly you remind you of death. The first destination of the akhira is in the grave.

§ If you want to summarize all of these points, the basis for all of them is à love of the duniya.

§ Ibn Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said the love of Allah (swt) cannot enter the heart that has the love of the duniya.

§ When the heart is full something, it will not have space for another thing. If the heart is full of the duniya where will the love of Allah enter? Subhan Allah.

Parable of the Good Tree (شجرة طيبة)

§ Surah Ibrahim 24-25: (أَلَمۡ تَرَ كَيۡفَ ضَرَبَ ٱللَّهُ مَثَلاً۬ كَلِمَةً۬ طَيِّبَةً۬ كَشَجَرَةٍ۬ طَيِّبَةٍ أَصۡلُهَا ثَابِتٌ۬ وَفَرۡعُهَا فِى ٱلسَّمَآءِ (٢٤) تُؤۡتِىٓ أُڪُلَهَا كُلَّ حِينِۭ بِإِذۡنِ رَبِّهَا‌ۗ وَيَضۡرِبُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡأَمۡثَالَ لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَتَذَڪَّرُونَ (٢٥)) (See you not how Allâh sets forth a parable? - A goodly word as a goodly tree, whose root is firmly fixed, and its branches (reach) to the sky (i.e. very high). (24) Giving its fruit at all times, by the Leave of its Lord and Allâh sets forth parables for mankind in order that they may remember. (25))

§ The date tree represents faith and ikhlas. Its roots are deep and firm. The roots need a lot of space underneath and lots of water. The roots are the aqeedah, it is so strong, it can carry a load, all of the legislations of Allah (swt), subhan Allah.

§ Its branches can reach high, and these represent the good deeds, and they go high because they are accepted. And not only their good deeds, but their manners as well, subhan Allah.

Parable of the Evil Tree (شجرة خبيثة)

§ Surah Ibrahim 26: (وَمَثَلُ كَلِمَةٍ خَبِيثَةٍ۬ كَشَجَرَةٍ خَبِيثَةٍ ٱجۡتُثَّتۡ مِن فَوۡقِ ٱلۡأَرۡضِ مَا لَهَا مِن قَرَارٍ۬) (And the parable of an evil word is that of an evil tree uprooted from the surface of earth having no stability.)

§ The bad word is like a bad tree. That is when there is disbelief, shirk, riya’a. The tree does not grow, it remains on the ground. It has no roots, it remains on the surface and can easily get uprooted.

§ There are no branches because their deeds do not reach.

The Sick Heart (القلب المريض)

§ When the heart is sick it needs medicine, and its medicine is repentance and forgiveness – to return back to Allah (swt).

§ It becomes rusty when the duniya begins to cover it, it is no longer transparent, and the light cannot enter anymore. It no longer remembers death.

§ And in order to remove this rust, it needs to remember Allah (swt) and worship Him. The heart is hungry when it does not remember and worship Allah (swt).

§ If we cure this sick heart, it can become a qalb saleem (قلب سليم) – a sound heart – again, but if we leave it then it becomes a hard heart, harder than a stone (قلب قاسي) – nothing comes out and nothing enters anymore, subhan Allah.

§ The heart gets its health with the remembrance of Allah (swt) and it becomes sick when desires and the shaitan enter the heart.

§ Hadith: (أَلاَ وَإِنَّ فِي الْجَسَدِ مُضْغَةً إِذَا صَلَحَتْ صَلَحَ الْجَسَدُ كُلُّهُ، وَإِذَا فَسَدَتْ فَسَدَ الْجَسَدُ كُلُّهُ‏.‏ أَلاَ وَهِيَ الْقَلْبُ) (There is a piece of flesh in the body if it becomes good (reformed) the whole body becomes good but if it gets spoilt the whole body gets spoilt and that is the heart.) – Al Bukhari 52

§ The heart is the king, the mind is the minister, and the limbs are soldiers

Four Major Enemies

§ Nafs commanding to evil: it is cured with iklhas

§ Shaitan

§ Bad companions

§ Dispraised duniya: it is cured when remembering the akhira, it does not mean leave the duniya completely, but take from it what will make you reach the akhira

Power in the Heart

§ Power of gaining knowledge and intellect: this is called (القوة العلمية), the power to understand.

· The heart has the power to understand

o Surah Al Hajj 46: (أَفَلَمۡ يَسِيرُواْ فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ فَتَكُونَ لَهُمۡ قُلُوبٌ۬ يَعۡقِلُونَ) (Have they not travelled through the land, and have they hearts wherewith to understand)

· The heart has the power to ponder: There are locks, not lock, on the heart, subhan Allah.

o Surah Mohammed 24: (أَفَلَا يَتَدَبَّرُونَ ٱلۡقُرۡءَانَ أَمۡ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبٍ أَقۡفَالُهَآ) (Do they not then think deeply in the Qur'ân, or are their hearts locked up (from understanding it)?

· The heart has the power to seek knowledge: but it cannot learn if it is sealed.

o Surah At Tawbah 93: (رَضُواْ بِأَن يَكُونُواْ مَعَ ٱلۡخَوَالِفِ وَطَبَعَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِہِمۡ فَهُمۡ لَا يَعۡلَمُونَ) (They are content to be with (the women) who sit behind (at home) and Allâh has sealed up their hearts (from all kinds of goodness and right guidance) so that they know not (what they are losing).

· The heart has the power to hear: the heart has ears, but it cannot hear if it is sealed. What can it hear? It hears the truth.

o Surah Al ‘Araf 100: (وَنَطۡبَعُ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِہِمۡ فَهُمۡ لَا يَسۡمَعُونَ) (And We seal up their hearts so that they hear not?

· The heart has the power to see: which means it has insight to see the truth. To see truth as truth and false as false, but when the eyes in the heart are weak, then it cannot see properly.

o Surah Al Hajj 46: (فَإِنَّہَا لَا تَعۡمَى ٱلۡأَبۡصَـٰرُ وَلَـٰكِن تَعۡمَى ٱلۡقُلُوبُ ٱلَّتِى فِى ٱلصُّدُورِ) (Verily, it is not the eyes that grow blind, but it is the hearts which are in the breasts that grow blind)

· The heart has the power to understand with wisdom (فقه), and this is something that not all can have, except those whom Allah (swt) loves, subhan Allah.

o Surah Al ‘Araf 179: (لَهُمۡ قُلُوبٌ۬ لَّا يَفۡقَهُونَ) (They have hearts wherewith they understand not)

§ Power of love and determination: this is called (القوة العملية), we need this power to do actions, for the practical side. According to the power of your love and determination to please your Rabb you will do actions according to that level. One of the actions of your heart is your intention.

· If the deeds are good then everything will go smoothly, but if there are sins then it becomes weak and full of sadness and sorrow.

· Whoever disobeys Allah (swt) in any form of disobedience, be it shirk, kufr, major sins, minor sins – Allah (swt) sends ‘two soldiers’ – (هم و غم) – (هم) is worries, worries about the future. (غم) is sadness depression, always thinking about the past.

· That is why the believer has no fear or sadness.

· We can remove the worry and sadness when we repent. We need to ask Alalh (swt) to forgive us.

Covers between the heart and Allah (swt)

§ Shirk

§ Disbelief

§ Bida’a: going against the Sunnah

§ Major Sins

§ Minor Sins

§ What is hated: anything that is hated but done excessively begins to cover the heart, like too much eating or too much vain talk.

§ The sins cause heaviness if we don’t get rid of them. Imagine holding a cup of water, in the beginning it’s normal, but keep holding on to it and it becomes tiresome and heavy. This is what sins do to us, they put a weight on us.

What keeps you away from Allah (swt)?

§ Doubts

§ Desires

§ Anger

§ A heart will not taste any enjoyment until it is safe and clean. Until it is cleared from all of the coverings.

Types of injustice (أنواع الظلم)

§ Surah Ar Room 29: (بَلِ ٱتَّبَعَ ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوۤاْ أَهْوَآءَهُمْ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ فَمَن يَهْدِي مَنْ أَضَلَّ ٱللَّهُ وَمَا لَهُمْ مِّن نَّاصِرِينَ) (Nay, but those who do wrong follow their own lusts without knowledge, Then who will guide him whom Allâh has sent astray? And for such there will be no helpers)

§ (الظلم): is to put something in its wrong place.

§ When following desires à then becoming ignorant, and when ignorant à become deviated.

§ Injustice against:

· Rights of Allah: to worship Him alone, to know Him, to trust Him, to love Him. If we do not fulfill these rights, then we have committed (ظلم). People who worship with Allah (swt) are not giving the rights of Allah (swt).

· Rights of the People: everything is mentioned in the Quran and the Sunnah. How to deal with our parents, spouses, children, relatives, neighbors, Muslims, non-Muslims, and even the animals. There was a lady worshipping Allah (swt) during the night and fasting in the day but was in the hellfire due to hurting the neighbors with her words. A lady entered the hellfire for not feeding a cat and locking it up until it died. We ask Allah (swt) to protect us. Ameen.

· Rights of the Self

Types of Covers on the Heart

§ (الغين): this happens only to the Prophets. Once the Prophet Mohammed (pbuh) prayed the asr prayer, and was feeling sad. The companions asked did the asr change from 4 to 2 units, because he prayed 2 units for asr, so he too can forget. (انه لغيان على قلبي و اني لأستغفر الله في اليوم 100 مرة) – The Prophet (pbuh) used to say istighfar Allah 100 times a day because he too can forget.

§ (الغيم): this happens to the believers. When the heart is very strong, they can feel a pin in their heart when they do something wrong. If they say something wrong or make a mistake, they feel it, their hearts have strong senses because it is healthy.

§ (ران): Hadith: (عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ قَالَ ‏:‏ ‏"‏ إِنَّ الْمُؤْمِنَ إِذَا أَذْنَبَ كَانَتْ نُكْتَةٌ سَوْدَاءُ فِي قَلْبِهِ فَإِنْ تَابَ وَنَزَعَ وَاسْتَغْفَرَ صُقِلَ قَلْبُهُ فَإِنْ زَادَ زَادَتْ فَذَلِكَ الرَّانُ الَّذِي ذَكَرَهُ اللَّهُ فِي كِتَابِهِ ‏{كَلاَّ بَلْ رَانَ عَلَى قُلُوبِهِمْ مَا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَ}‏ ‏"‏ ‏) (It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:“When the believer commits sin, a black spot appears on his heart. If he repents and gives up that sin and seeks forgiveness, his heart will be polished. But if (the sin) increases, (the black spot) increases. That is the Ran that Allah mentions in His Book: “Nay! But on their hearts is the Ran (covering of sins and evil deeds) which they used to earn.” [83:14]) – Ibn Majah Book 37, Hadith 4385.

· The sins affect our heart. Nowadays, in the X-rays they have found black dots on some hearts, subhan Allah.

· The heart: can either get diseased or healthy when it remembers Allah (swt), do forgiveness, repentance. It is clean, the heart can breathe. But on some days, there will be a lot of temptations and bad deeds. What has happened, the heart has become ‘dusty’ and dirty.

Signs of a Sick Heart

§ They take care of minor things in the deen and leave the major: major things are aqeedah, getting rid of bida’a, minor things always focusing for example to say the good word. And if any doubt in the deen comes to them, they immediately get affected, it goes inside them and makes them sick very quickly. One temptation and they will fall for it. Friday to Friday they read the Quran, or they pray Friday to Friday.

§ If the truth is in their favor, they hold on to it strongly. For example: the rights of the inheritance they know perfectly, but they don’t know the rights of Allah, they do not know that they have to pay zakat, subahn Allah. If it goes with their desires they take it, and if it goes against their desires, they leave it and say Allah is All-Forgiving. They take what they want from the Quran, subhan Allah.

§ The Prophet (pbuh) said (طوبى لمن وجد في صحفاته استغفار): Good for whomever has istighfar in his books.

How to struggle against yourself

§ Need to have sincerity, need to watch yourself all the time, leave anger, and always remember Allah (swt). The shaitan is just waiting for that moment when you forget Allah (swt).

§ There was a magician who repented, and he said that the easiest time to do magic on a woman was in the wedding or while in the toilet, subhan Allah. Don’t be heedless. This man suffered so much to go back to Allah (swt), he had a very pious wife. The first test he had to face was against his wife, and the shayateen played against their unborn child, the child died, and then the wife died, and he lost everything in life, but then Allah (swt) made him firm and now he is a da’ee, subhan Allah. His advice is to never be heedless of Allah (swt).

§ Parable of dog: Surah Al ‘Araf 176: (وَلَوۡ شِئۡنَا لَرَفَعۡنَـٰهُ بِہَا وَلَـٰكِنَّهُ ۥۤ أَخۡلَدَ إِلَى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَٱتَّبَعَ هَوَٮٰهُ‌ۚ فَمَثَلُهُ ۥ كَمَثَلِ ٱلۡڪَلۡبِ إِن تَحۡمِلۡ عَلَيۡهِ يَلۡهَثۡ أَوۡ تَتۡرُڪۡهُ يَلۡهَث‌ۚ ذَّٲلِكَ مَثَلُ ٱلۡقَوۡمِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَذَّبُواْ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا‌ۚ فَٱقۡصُصِ ٱلۡقَصَصَ لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ) (And had We willed, We would surely have elevated him therewith but he clung to the earth and followed his own vain desire. So his parable is the parable of a dog: if you drive him away, he lolls his tongue out, or if you leave him alone, he (still) lolls his tongue out. Such is the parable of the people who reject Our Ayât (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.). So relate the stories, perhaps they may reflect)

§ The one who is full temptation is like a panting dog. When you want to do something haram, remember the scene of a panting dog, subhan Allah.

‘Food’ that destroys the Heart

§ If we feed our heart with the wrong foods, it will become diseased.

§ Hate

§ Envy

§ Ignorance

§ Arrogance

§ Lying

§ Bad deeds

§ The major of these ‘foods’ is lying.

Peak of Sins

§ When the heart is attached to other than Allah (swt): the peak is shirk

§ When the nafs is angry: the peak is murder

§ When the nafs is full of temptation: the peak is adultery.

§ That is why the Ibad Ar Rahman – the slaves of the Most Merciful – (عباد الرحمن) are protected from these things.

§ Surah Al Furqan 68: (وَٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَدۡعُونَ مَعَ ٱللَّهِ إِلَـٰهًا ءَاخَرَ وَلَا يَقۡتُلُونَ ٱلنَّفۡسَ ٱلَّتِى حَرَّمَ ٱللَّهُ إِلَّا بِٱلۡحَقِّ وَلَا يَزۡنُونَ‌ۚ وَمَن يَفۡعَلۡ ذَٲلِكَ يَلۡقَ أَثَامً۬ا) (And those who invoke not any other ilâh (god) along with Allâh, nor kill such person as Allâh has forbidden, except for just cause, nor commit illegal sexual intercourse - and whoever does this shall receive the punishment)

Fiqh of the Hearts (فقه القلوب) – Part 6

Life of the Heart

§ The heart can see the truth and can see falsehood. The better the health, the better it will see. But if the health gets weaker, then it will see the truth as less truth and false as less false, so it can have doubts, subhan Allah.

§ The healthy heart can hear the truth as truth and accept it. And it can see the truth and truth and accept it.

§ Faith can become old and faded, similar to clothing. If we do not renew our faith and freshen it, it can become old. Always ask Allah (swt) to renew the faith in our hearts. Ameen.

§ Hadith: (قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم:إن الايمان ليخلق في جوف أحدكم كما يخلق الثوب. فاسألوا الله تعالى ان يجدد الايمان في قلوبكم. صححه الالباني) (The Messenger (pbuh) said: Faith gets worn out just as a garment gets worn out. So ask Allah (swt) to renew the faith in your hearts).

§ The companions used to remind each other of renewing their faith and increasing it.

§ Hadith: (قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم: ان قلوب بني آدم كلها بين اصبعين من أصابع الرحمن. كقلب واحد يصرفه حيث يشاء. ثم قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم: اللهم مصرف القلوب صرف قلوبنا على طاعتك - صحيح مسلم) (The Messenger (pbuh) said: The hearts of the sons of Adam are between the two fingers of Ar Rahman changing it as He wills. Then the Messenger (pbuh) said: Oh Allah change our hearts upon your obedience) – Sahih Muslim.

§ We have to always ask (يا مقلب القلوب ثبت قلوبنا على دينك) – Oh Turner of the Hearts, Keep our hearts firm on Your deen.

§ Surah Al Anfal 24: (يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ ٱسۡتَجِيبُواْ لِلَّهِ وَلِلرَّسُولِ إِذَا دَعَاكُمۡ لِمَا يُحۡيِيڪُمۡ‌ۖ وَٱعۡلَمُوٓاْ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَحُولُ بَيۡنَ ٱلۡمَرۡءِ وَقَلۡبِهِۦ وَأَنَّهُ ۥۤ إِلَيۡهِ تُحۡشَرُونَ) (O you who believe! Answer Allâh (by obeying Him) and (His) Messenger when he (SAW) calls you to that which will give you life, and know that Allâh comes in between a person and his heart (i.e. He prevents an evil person to decide anything). And verily to Him you shall (all) be gathered).

§ Allah (swt) is calling us to keep our hearts alive, and know for sure, with certainty, that Allah (swt) can make a barrier between you and your heart.

§ The heart needs food just as the body needs food. If a person does not know the main reason for the life of the heart, which is knowing Allah (swt), then that heart is not alive.

§ The food of the heart is faith. If we don’t give our body proper food, then it becomes sick, and it can die. Similar to the heart, if we do not feed it with faith and Quran, then it becomes dead, though it is still there.

§ What’s the difference between us and animals? We are both living, but Allah (swt) gave us more which is to know Him and worship Him. And if we do not take this, then it can make a person fall – fall into temptations, fall to shayateen, may Allah (swt) protect us. Ameen. Allah (swt) elevates those who are believers; however, if they do not seek knowledge, then the heart will be far from the nafs, and that body will start to fall.

§ And we need actions, we cannot be elevated only with knowledge.

§ Hadith: ‘Verily Allah does not look to your faces and your wealth but He looks to your heart and to your deeds.’ – Sahih Muslim

§ If we didn’t make our heart saleem in this duniya, then it will have to be purified in the akhira, and it is more painful then.

Food of the Heart (غذاء القلوب)

§ The disbelievers’ heart is dead because they denied Allah (swt). But the believer’s heart is alive and it has light. They can see, hear, and feel the truth.

§ The best food for the heart is anything about Allah (swt), Allah’s names, attributes, what He loves, what He does not love. We need to know Allah our Creator. A heart without knowing Allah (swt) is still not healthy.

§ Talking about Allah’s blessings, when we look at Allah’s creations that will lead you to the magnification of Allah (swt). Look at Allah’s blessings, it is all ihsan. If you were to count the blessings of Allah, you would not be able to count it. How can this world go smoothly if there is more than one God? Subhan Allah, that is why it is (لا اله الا الله). Talk about Allah’s blessing, praise Him (و أما بنعمة ربك فحدث).

§ This duniya will not be a place of sukoon unless we know Allah (swt), similarly paradise would not have its value if we were not to meet Allah (swt). This duniya would have no value if we did not know Allah (swt). Ibn Taymiyah said if we never knew the paradise in this duniya, then we will not be able to know the paradise of the akhira, subhan Allah.

§ Looking at Allah’s promises and warnings. Allah (swt) is the Most Merciful and He is severe in punishment. We have to look at both sides, it has to be balanced. We cannot have too much hope, nor too much fear either. That is why when there is talk about paradise, there is talk about hellfire. This is to be balanced.

§ When the heart becomes alive, then the barrier is opened, and it begins to repent and seek forgiveness from Allah (swt).

§ How will we know to go to Adam (as) on the Day of Judgement, if we did not know about it in the duniya, subhan Allah. Everyone will remember (نفسي نفسي) – myself, myself, even the messengers. Except for our messenger, Mohammed (pbuh), who will say (امتي امتي) – my ummah, my ummah, subhan Allah.

§ People eat special food and do special exercises in order to win, and we need to be winners for our hearts.

The Heart (القلب)

§ The heart turns (قلب), and we are working on keeping it firm, not to flip and turn.

§ Al Wahshi killed Hamza, the uncle of the Prophet (pbuh) and Musaylimah Al Kadhab. The Prophet (pbuh) told him as long as I am alive, do not let me see you. So he would always make this dua’a all the time. (يا مقلب القلوب ثبت قلوبنا على دينك) – Oh Turner of the Hearts, keep our hearts firm on Your deen.

Sickness of the Heart (مرض القلب)

§ What are signs that you are sick? Fever, temper, imbalanced, can’t taste, can’t do normal things, feeling pain, and all of these symptoms are exactly what the heart goes through.

§ Of course the intensity of the symptoms depends on the stage of sickness.

§ The food that you were eating when you were healthy benefited you. But the same food you eat while sick does not have the same effect as when you were healthy, and similarly with the heart, subhan Allah.

§ Any temptation that comes, and the heart is weak, then it can feel it, and can quickly fall. Similar to doubts, a weak heart gets affected quickly, because they do not see the truth as truth, the heart is diseased.

Major Reasons why the heart becomes sick

§ Heedless about Allah (swt) (الغفلة عن الله):

· Little remembrance of Allah (swt). Similar to the hypocrites, they only remember Allah (swt) in time of hardship. They think about Allah (swt) last, subhan Allah.

· The heart is very much attached to other than Allah (swt), house, money, business, fame, etc.

§ Heedless about Allah’s commands (الغفلة عن اوامر الله):

§ Heedless about the Day of Judgment (الغفلة عن يوم الاخر):

§ If you want to summarize all of these points, the basis for all of them is à love of the duniya.

The Sick Heart (القلب المريض)

§ If we don’t cure our heart with truth, then it will become more sick.

§ Anything that enters the eyes and ears are gates to the heart. What is entering? Quran, kallam Allah, study circles, hadiths – this is nutrition for the heart.

§ The heart becomes hard when there is temptation, doubt, love of the duniya, shirk, kufr, bida’a. When you are sick, there is weakness, and when the truth comes to it, it cannot take it fully because the heart is weak. So it needs a lot of faith and guidance, subhan Allah.

Signs of a sick heart:

§ Heedless heart (القلب الغافل): they are heedless from remember Allah (swt), and his desires are superior to obeying their Master, subhan Allah.

· Surah Al Kahf 28: (وَٱصۡبِرۡ نَفۡسَكَ مَعَ ٱلَّذِينَ يَدۡعُونَ رَبَّہُم بِٱلۡغَدَوٰةِ وَٱلۡعَشِىِّ يُرِيدُونَ وَجۡهَهُ ۥ‌ۖ وَلَا تَعۡدُ عَيۡنَاكَ عَنۡہُمۡ تُرِيدُ زِينَةَ ٱلۡحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡيَا‌ۖ وَلَا تُطِعۡ مَنۡ أَغۡفَلۡنَا قَلۡبَهُ ۥ عَن ذِكۡرِنَا وَٱتَّبَعَ هَوَٮٰهُ وَكَانَ أَمۡرُهُ ۥ فُرُطً۬ا) (And keep yourself (O Muhammad SAW) patiently with those who call on their Lord (i.e. your companions who remember their Lord with glorification, praising in prayers, and other righteous deeds) morning and afternoon, seeking His Face, and let not your eyes overlook them, desiring the pomp and glitter of the life of the world; and obey not him whose heart We have made heedless of Our Remembrance, and who follows his own lusts and whose affair (deeds) has been lost)

o Don’t just take Surah Al Kahf and finish it and done for Friday. Take at least one ayah and think about it.

§ Wrapped heart (القلب الأغلف): the heart is wrapped with kufr, shirk, and ignorance.

· Surah Al Baqarah 88: (وَقَالُواْ قُلُوبُنَا غُلۡفُۢ‌ۚ بَل لَّعَنَہُمُ ٱللَّهُ بِكُفۡرِهِمۡ فَقَلِيلاً۬ مَّا يُؤۡمِنُونَ) (And they say, "Our hearts are wrapped (i.e. do not hear or understand Allâh's Word)." Nay, Allâh has cursed them for their disbelief, so little is that which they believe)

§ Doubtful heart (القلب المريب): they are full of doubts and confused. They cannot protect their heart since they are doubtful.

· Surah At Tawbah 45: (إِنَّمَا يَسۡتَـٔۡذِنُكَ ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤۡمِنُونَ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلۡيَوۡمِ ٱلۡأَخِرِ وَٱرۡتَابَتۡ قُلُوبُهُمۡ فَهُمۡ فِى رَيۡبِهِمۡ يَتَرَدَّدُونَ) (It is only those who believe not in Allâh and the Last Day and whose hearts are in doubt that ask your leave. So in their doubts they waver.)

Types of heart

§ Sick heart (القلب المريض): inflicted with sickness, like doubt and hypocrisy.

· Surah Al Ahzab 32: (فَيَطۡمَعَ ٱلَّذِى فِى قَلۡبِهِۦ مَرَضٌ۬) (lest he in whose heart is a disease (of hypocrisy, or evil desire for adultery) should be moved with desire).

§ Blind heart (القلب الاعمى): blind to the truth. On the Day of Gathering, they will resurrected physically blind, subhan Allah.

· Surah Al Hajj 46: (وَلَـٰكِن تَعۡمَى ٱلۡقُلُوبُ ٱلَّتِى فِى ٱلصُّدُورِ) (But it is the hearts which are in the breasts that grow blind).

§ Occupied heart (القلب اللاهي): they are heedless of the Quran and busy with the falsehood of duniya and its temptations.

· Surah Al Anbiya 3: (لَاهِيَةً۬ قُلُوبُهُمۡ‌ۗ) (With their hearts occupied (with evil things))

§ Sinful heart (القلب الآثم): they cover the truth.

· Surah Al Baqarah 283: (وَلَا تَكۡتُمُواْ ٱلشَّهَـٰدَةَ‌ۚ وَمَن يَڪۡتُمۡهَا فَإِنَّهُ ۥۤ ءَاثِمٌ۬ قَلۡبُهُ ۥ‌ۗ) (And conceal not the evidence for he, who hides it, surely his heart is sinful.)

Types of Desires

§ Praised desire (الهوى المحمود): following what Allah and His messenger love. They do what is obligatory and recommended and they feel the sweetness of faith.

§ Dispraised desire (الهوى المذموم): taking their desire ahead of what Allah and His messenger love. The reason for bida’a is because of desires. People worship idols out of desire.

· Doubts (الشبهات): doubts are worse than temptations because it makes a person far from belief of Allah (swt).

· Temptations (الشهوات): the higher the post, the more restricted in what you can do, like the wives of the Prophet (pbuh). They are his wives both in the duniya and akhira. And no one was allowed to marry them after the Prophet (pbuh) died – they became the ‘Mother of the Believers’. They are restricted in what they do, but their reward is double as well. Surah Al Ahzab 32: (يَـٰنِسَآءَ ٱلنَّبِىِّ لَسۡتُنَّ ڪَأَحَدٍ۬ مِّنَ ٱلنِّسَآءِۚ إِنِ ٱتَّقَيۡتُنَّ فَلَا تَخۡضَعۡنَ بِٱلۡقَوۡلِ فَيَطۡمَعَ ٱلَّذِى فِى قَلۡبِهِۦ مَرَضٌ۬ وَقُلۡنَ قَوۡلاً۬ مَّعۡرُوفً۬ا) (O wives of the Prophet! You are not like any other women. If you keep your duty (to Allâh), then be not soft in speech, lest he in whose heart is a disease (of hypocrisy, or evil desire for adultery) should be moved with desire, but speak in an honourable manner). If the wives of the Prophet (pbuh) are being warned of temptations, then what about us? Subhan Allah.

Inner-enemies (أعداء الذات الداخلية)

§ Self commanding to evil (النفس الامارة بالسوء): this is the greatest enemy. Our nafs has needs, but it needs to be balanced. The body has to eat, rest, but it needs to be balanced. The mind takes whatever you feed it.

§ Your desire (الهوى): change your desire to following the sunnah, and when you follow the sunnah, your life will have so much enjoyment and real life, subhan Allah.

§ The whispers of the shaitan (الشيطان): remember the plot of the shaitan is weak. Seek refuge in Allah (swt) from the shaitan. Be amongst the good companions.

Outer-enemies (أعداء الذات الخارجية)

§ Temptations of the duniya (الدنيا المذمومة): it can really take you far away.

§ Bad companions (رفيق السوء): they are like magnets. No matter what you do, the guilt will never go away. Whatever companion you go with, they will definitely take you. A book and youtube are also companions because it has an influence.

Fiqh of the Hearts (فقه القلوب) – Part 5

What is (السكينة)?

§ (السكينة) is calmness in the heart. Because it is in the heart, it affects our limbs. And it usually comes after the believer faces fear and doubts. So with this sakeenah their faith increases. It means that the heart is sakin, it is not moving, it is still and calm.

§ Different degrees of السكينة:

· The Prophets: for example, Ibrahim (as) was given sakeenah in his heart when he was thrown into the fire. Allah (swt) gave sakeenah into the heart of Musa (as) when he was told to throw the staff and it turned into a snake. He was also given sakeenah when the sea was in front of him and the army was behind him.

· Prophet’s followers: these are the believers and sakeenah is also placed in their hearts.

· Sakeena which comes from worshipping. It begins in the heart and spreads to the limbs – for example the prayer.

Types of Sakeena (انواع السكينة)

§ Al Waqar (الوقار): is a type of sakeenah. It includes:

· Al Khushu’ (الخشوع): the heart becomes tranquil when praying or reciting the Quran.

· Dealing with others (المعاملة)

· When a person accounts himself (محاسبة النفس): When we account our selves, then we find out our weaknesses d awhere we need to improve. Allah (swt) told the Prophet (pbuh) if your manners were harsh then the people would have run away from you. Our deen is all about manners. People are attracted to good manners. The Prophet (pbuh) came to complete the high level of manners. How do you get this? To worship Allah (swt) as if you see Him, and if you do not see Him then He sees you. We want to please our Lord in our worship, and to please Allah through people. What does this mean? By perfecting our manners and treatment towards others according to what we are told in the Quran.

· Acceptance of what is distributed in terms of rizq (الرضا بالقسم). Everything is rizq, not only wealth, but our manners, the knowledge we gain, our repentance, even when we notice our mistakes, this is rizq. We have to be thankful for what we have. Paradise is not about deeds, it is all about mercy from Allah (swt), subhan Allah. The companions asked if paradise is already written for us or not, then why bother with deeds? He said no, you do not know what is written for you, so work to reach firdaous al ‘ala. May we be granted firdaous al ‘ala. Ameen. May Allah (swt) guide us to accept any decree and to have sakeena in our hearts. Ameen.

Definition of (الطمأنينة)

§ Sakeenah comes and goes, it can be high or low, unlike (الطمأنينة) which is constant.

§ (الطمأنينة) is broader than sakeenha, it is deeply rooted. The more knowledge you have, the more (طمأنينه) you will have, which then leads to yaqeen.

§ We ask for the nafs al mutma’inah and this nafs carries al qalb al saleem.

§ This person does not have an atom of doubt.

§ (الطمأنينة): also means truthfulness (الصدق). Sometimes people are in a situation and the only way they can get out of it is by lying, but do you think they will have a secure heart? Never. That is why they say lying has a short rope. Meaning one lie cannot hold you, you have to add lies upon lies. That is why truth gives security in the heart, it is relaxed and safe, subhan Allah.

§ That is why the sidiqeen, the always truthful ones, are right after the prophets in rank, subhan Allah.

§ Surah Ar Ra’ad 28: (ٱلَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ وَتَطْمَئِنُّ قُلُوبُهُمْ بِذِكْرِ ٱللَّهِ أَلاَ بِذِكْرِ ٱللَّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ ٱلْقُلُوبُ) (Those who believed, and whose hearts find rest in the remembrance of Allâh, Verily, in the remembrance of Allâh do hearts find rest)

Levels of (الطمأنينة)

§ When the heart remembers Allah (swt), then that heart goes:

· From fear to hope. When you are in a state of fear and you remember Allah (swt), then there is nothing impossible for Allah (swt). That fear is gone because you relied on Allah (swt).

· From discomfort to wisdom. Any rule of Allah (swt) is the best, whether it is decree or legislative. When your heart trusts Allah (swt), then the heart will be mutma’in – secure.

· From being tested to looking forward to the rewardreward. This life is all about tests. Fitna = life. Surah Al Mulk 2: (خَلَقَ ٱلۡمَوۡتَ وَٱلۡحَيَوٰةَ لِيَبۡلُوَكُمۡ أَيُّكُمۡ أَحۡسَنُ عَمَلاً۬‌ۚ وَهُوَ ٱلۡعَزِيزُ ٱلۡغَفُورُ) (Who has created death and life, that He may test you which of you is best in deed. And He is the All-Mighty, the Oft-Forgiving). Allah (swt) wants to see the best of deeds, and we will not reach this level unless we follow two conditions: sincerity, doing it for the sake of Allah (swt) and following the Sunnah of the Prophet (pbuh).

How does the soul become (مطمئن)

§ The nafs is commanding to evil (النفس الامارة بالسوء), so how will it become مطمئن?

§ When we know that Allah (swt) is watching us all the time. We start to want to reform our faults because we want to please our Lord. When Allah (swt) loves a person, Allah (swt) calls Jibreel (as) and tells him I love this slave of mine. Don’t you want to hear your name being mentioned? Subhan Allah. Imagine Jibreel (as), when the Prophet (pbuh) saw him he fainted, and it is said he has 600 wings.

§ Tawheed is what makes the heart alive.

§ When the heart sees the mercy of Allah (swt)

What are the signs that our nafs is (مطمئنه)

§ Repentance: anyone who sins will have fear in his heart, so the person is so happy to repent to Allah (swt). They feel the taste of returning back to Allah (swt), to please Him and to follow the commands of the Prophet (pbuh).

§ The nafs is accepting of Allah (swt) and enjoys remembering Allah, loving Him, and knowing about Him, subhan Allah.

§ Once you taste the sweetness of iman, you don’t want to go back to darkness. This taste you will not get unless you believe in Allah (swt), subhan Allah.

§ Every soul knows when it makes a mistake. This is called ‘consciousnesses’. But our problem is that we do not want to hear our conscious, so we make it quiet. But the believer keeps his consciousness switched on. When they feel that needle pin in the heart, when they feel that pinch, then this is a sign that the heart is alive. A dead heart cannot even feel a knife going through it, subhan Allah.

§ Let’s take an example, a full moon is full of light but then a cloud comes and covers it. When people sin, they can feel it. The light is gone and they make istighfar and repent in order to get that light again. If they don’t repent then that ‘cloud’ remains.

§ They love reciting the Quran, attending study circles. Some hearts are unhappy when they hear the Quran, this is a heart that is inverted. May Allah (swt) protect us from this. Ameen.

§ Their heart goes from doubt to certainty. All of their doubts are gone and there is yaqeen. When there is talk about the grave, they believe in it, when they hear about the Day of Judgement they believe in it. They are quick to believe, subhan Allah.

§ Their heart goes from foolishness to knowledge. They understand life.

§ Their heart goes from heedlessness to awareness. They do not need someone to remind them. They know when it’s time for prayer. Then don’t need to be awaken for tahajjud or fajr.

§ They feel that whatever they hear is from Allah (swt) and they take it personally.

§ Their heart is always ready to meet Allah (swt). They remember death often because they know it is truth. The soul never dies, only the body dies. The soul begins in the duniya, then it goes to barzakh, then to the Day of Judgement, and then either to paradise or hellfire.

§ They do not waste their time, they are very tight in managing their time and deeds.

§ May Allah (swt) make us our nafs mutma’ena and make us hear these words. Ameen.

§ Because there is also the nafs al khabeetha (النفس الخبيثه) that the Angel of Death says, ‘o wretched soul, return to the wrath of Allah’. May Allah (swt) protect us. Ameen.

Ibn Qayyim said the heart will not be sound unless it is sound from these (لا يسلم القلب حتى يسلم من خمسة أشياء):

§ From shirk, which is contrary to tawheed (من شرك يناقض التوحيد)

§ From bida’a which contrary to the Sunnah (من بدعة تناقض السنة): everything has to be according to the Sunnah, whatever the companions did is sunnah, other than that is bida’a, even if it looks like a worship.

§ From desire which is contrary to purely for Allah (من هوى يناقض الاخلاص): heart has to be done for the sake of Allah (swt).

§ From heedlessness which is contrary to remembrance (من غفلة تناقض الذكر)

§ From temptations which is contrary to following commands of Allah (swt) (من شهوة تناقض الأمر)

Ayah Yunus 57

§ (يٰأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ قَدْ جَآءَتْكُمْ مَّوْعِظَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَشِفَآءٌ لِّمَا فِي ٱلصُّدُورِ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةٌ لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ) (O mankind! There has come to you a good advice from your Lord (i.e. the Qur'an, enjoining all that is good and forbidding all that is evil), and a healing for that (disease of ignorance, doubt, hypocrisy and differences,) Which is in your breasts, - a guidance and a mercy (explaining lawful and unlawful things) for the believers)

§ Fadhl means favor from Allah (swt) that you did not ask for and more.

§ Did we ever realize that the Quran is fadhl min Allah? Did we ask Allah (swt) to make us Muslims? Subhan Allah.

§ The Quran is like a friend, the longer your friendship, the more you will get to know its secrets. So the friend will not give his secrets to one who sits a few minutes with it and then goes away. Subhan Allah.

§ Make the Quran your true friend.

Description of the Quran

§ The Quran is light, it is mubarak, it has great news, it is the straight path, it is the criterion, it is the evidence, it is magnificent, it is kallam Allah, it is Arabic, it has no contradictions. So how can we ever think any rule of Allah (swt) as heaviness.

§ Imagine the Quran is the thick rope that we have. Just like a climber, they are safe holding on to the rope, but as soon as it is cut, then they are insecure and fall. The Quran is like this.

§ Also the Quran will either be for or against you. Don’t you want to be called the people of the Quran and the special ones. Subhan Allah.

§ It is the straight path, it is a mercy. Reading it a blessing, memorizing it is blessing, applying it is a blessing.

§ Does our heart become mutma’en when we remember Allah (swt)?

§ The Prophet (pbuh) said the heart that remembers Allah (swt) and the one that does not is like an alive and dead heart.

§ Allah (swt) said the hypocrites only remember Allah (swt) a little. A little means only in times of problems, but they forget Him in times of pleasure, subhan Allah.

§ Hadith: (قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم: ان الايمان ليخلق في جوف أحدكم كما يخلق الثوب. فاسألوا الله تعالى ان يجدد الايمان في قلوبكم. صححه الالباني) (The Messenger (pbuh) said: Faith gets worn out just as a garment gets worn out. So ask Allah (swt) to renew the faith in your hearts)

§ We have to renew the faith all the time. When the heart is not comfortable, then we need to do more istighfar and increase our remembrance of Allah (swt).

§ (اللهم جدد الايمان في قلوبنا) Oh Allah renew the faith in our hearts, ameen.

§ Hadith: (قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم: ان قلوب بني آسم كلها بين اصبعين من أصابع الرحمن. كقلب واحد يصرفه حيث يشاء. ثم قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم: اللهم مصرف القلوب صرف قلوبنا على طاعتك - صحيح مسلم) (The Messenger (pbuh) said: The hearts of the sons of Adam are between the two fingers of Ar Rahman changing it as He wills. Then the Messenger (pbuh) said: Oh Allah change our hearts upon your obedience)

§ Answer and fulfill the commands of Allah (swt) and the Messenger (pbuh). They are calling you to live a good life, good life in the duniya and the akhira. And know that for sure Allah (swt) creates a barrier between that nafs and the heart.

§ What is the wall that is between the nafs and heart? That wall will not allow the person to know about Allah (swt), about His names and attributes. So many people are deprived of the knowledge of Allah (swt) and His names. Subhan Allah. May Allah (swt) keep us firm and make us of the grateful ones. Ameen.

§ We need faith in our hearts more than we need food and water for our body. The food of the heart is faith and if we do not feed it with faith then it will die.

§ That person will not see the truth and will start to follow their desires and the shaitan. Why? Because they are blind.

§ They cannot see kallam Allah, they cannot understand the actions of Allah (swt) and His attributes. This heart is never happy.

§ No one understands the heart better than the One Who created it. So why not listen to the One Who created it? Subhan Allah.

§ A person was once asked, ‘Do you get the taste of Allah (swt) when you pray? Do you get wake up for tajahud?’ He said no. Then it was said to him, you do not know what Allah (swt) is depriving you. Subhan Allah.

§ Whoever loves to meet Allah (swt) then Allah (swt) loves to meet him. And whoever hates to meet Allah (swt) then Allah (swt) hates to meet him.

§ May Allah (swt) makes us of those who love to meet Him and He loves to meet us. Ameen.

Fiqh of the Hearts (فقه القلوب) – Part 4

Fiqh of the Hearts (فقه القلوب) – Recap

1. The safe and sound heart needs to be free of shirk, desires, doubts, and bida’a. Ibn Jawziyah said the heart will not be saleem unless it free of the points mentioned.

2. Only those who will come to Allah (swt) are those who come with a qalban saleem. May Allah (swt) grant us al qalb al saleem. Ameen.

Signs of an Alive Heart (علامات لقلبا حي)

1. Fearful (وجل): when they hear ayat Allah (swt), their faith goes up, it does not go down, and they have trust in Allah (swt). The closer you get to Allah (swt), the more fearful you will become.

· Surah Al Anfal 2: (إِنَّمَا ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَ ٱلَّذِينَ إِذَا ذُكِرَ ٱللَّهُ وَجِلَتۡ قُلُوبُہُمۡ وَإِذَا تُلِيَتۡ عَلَيۡہِمۡ ءَايَـٰتُهُ ۥ زَادَتۡہُمۡ إِيمَـٰنً۬ا وَعَلَىٰ رَبِّهِمۡ يَتَوَكَّلُونَ) (The believers are only those who, when Allâh is mentioned, feel a fear in their hearts and when His Verses (this Qur'ân) are recited unto them, they (i.e. the Verses) increase their Faith; and they put their trust in their Lord)

2. Shivering, goose bumps (القشعريرة): believers have a very lively and sensitive heart. The believers have all of the doors open to their tongue, ears, eyes, and heart. Meaning ayat Allah enter through all of these doors.

· Surah Az Zumar 23: (ٱللَّهُ نَزَّلَ أَحۡسَنَ ٱلۡحَدِيثِ كِتَـٰبً۬ا مُّتَشَـٰبِهً۬ا مَّثَانِىَ تَقۡشَعِرُّ مِنۡهُ جُلُودُ ٱلَّذِينَ يَخۡشَوۡنَ رَبَّہُمۡ ثُمَّ تَلِينُ جُلُودُهُمۡ وَقُلُوبُهُمۡ إِلَىٰ ذِكۡرِ ٱللَّهِ‌ۚ ذَٲلِكَ هُدَى ٱللَّهِ يَہۡدِى بِهِۦ مَن يَشَآءُ‌ۚ وَمَن يُضۡلِلِ ٱللَّهُ فَمَا لَهُ ۥ مِنۡ هَادٍ) (Allâh has sent down the Best statement, a Book (this Qur'ân), its parts resembling each other (in goodness and truth), and oft-repeated. The skins of those who fear their Lord shiver from it (when they recite it or hear it). Then their skin and their heart soften to the remembrance of Allâh. That is the guidance of Allâh. He Guides therewith whom He wills and whomever Allâh sends astray, for him there is no guide).

3. Khushu of the heart (خشوع قلب): the believers are so reserved in their actions, they are humble, and they are afraid that may say something wrong in front of Allah (swt). Just as the body prostrates to Allah (swt), their heart is prostrating to Allah too, subhan Allah.

· Surah Al Hujurat 3: (إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يَغُضُّونَ أَصۡوَٲتَهُمۡ عِندَ رَسُولِ ٱللَّهِ أُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱمۡتَحَنَ ٱللَّهُ قُلُوبَہُمۡ لِلتَّقۡوَىٰ‌ۚ لَهُم مَّغۡفِرَةٌ۬ وَأَجۡرٌ عَظِيمٌ) (Verily, those who lower their voices in the presence of Allâh's Messenger (SAW), they are the ones whose hearts Allâh has tested for piety. For them is forgiveness and a great reward.)

4. They accept the truth (الاذعان للحق و الاخبات له): they accepts the truth, there are no doubts or objections in this heart. It takes the rain, which represents knowledge, quickly and brings forth fruit quickly, subhan Allah.

· Surah Al Hajj 54: (وَلِيَعۡلَمَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ ٱلۡعِلۡمَ أَنَّهُ ٱلۡحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّكَ فَيُؤۡمِنُواْ بِهِۦ فَتُخۡبِتَ لَهُ ۥ قُلُوبُهُمۡ‌ۗ وَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَهَادِ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓاْ إِلَىٰ صِرَٲطٍ۬ مُّسۡتَقِيمٍ۬) (And that those who have been given knowledge may know that it (this Qur'ân) is the truth from your Lord, so that they may believe therein, and their hearts may submit to it with humility. And verily, Allâh is the Guide of those who believe, to the Straight Path).

5. Much returning to Allah (swt) (كثرة الانابة الى الله):

· Surah Qaf 33: (مَّنۡ خَشِىَ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنَ بِٱلۡغَيۡبِ وَجَآءَ بِقَلۡبٍ۬ مُّنِيبٍ) ("Who feared the Most Gracious (Allâh) in the Ghaib (unseen) and brought a heart turned in repentance).

6. Tranquility (السكينة): When Allah (swt) mentions ‘sakeenah’ in the Quran it is after having mentioned worry, subhan Allah. When you are nervous and worried, you cannot think properly or move freely, so Allah (swt) gives the sakeenah to the believers, subhan Allah.

· Surah Al Fat’h 4: (هُوَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَنزَلَ ٱلسَّكِينَةَ فِى قُلُوبِ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ لِيَزۡدَادُوٓاْ إِيمَـٰنً۬ا مَّعَ إِيمَـٰنِہِمۡ‌ۗ وَلِلَّهِ جُنُودُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ‌ۚ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمً۬ا) (He it is Who sent down As-Sakinah (calmness and tranquillity) into the hearts of the believers, that they may grow more in Faith along with their (present) Faith. And to Allâh belong the hosts of the heavens and the earth, and Allâh is Ever All-Knower, All-Wise)

7. Their heart is clean and free of hatred (سلامة القلب من الاحقاد): their hearts are free of envy and hatred of their fellow Muslims.

· Surah Al E Imran 103: (وَٱعۡتَصِمُواْ بِحَبۡلِ ٱللَّهِ جَمِيعً۬ا وَلَا تَفَرَّقُواْ‌ۚ وَٱذۡكُرُواْ نِعۡمَتَ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيۡكُمۡ إِذۡ كُنتُمۡ أَعۡدَآءً۬ فَأَلَّفَ بَيۡنَ قُلُوبِكُمۡ فَأَصۡبَحۡتُم بِنِعۡمَتِهِۦۤ إِخۡوَٲنً۬ا وَكُنتُمۡ عَلَىٰ شَفَا حُفۡرَةٍ۬ مِّنَ ٱلنَّارِ فَأَنقَذَكُم مِّنۡہَا‌ۗ كَذَٲلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمۡ ءَايَـٰتِهِۦ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَہۡتَدُونَ) (And hold fast, all of you together, to the Rope of Allâh (i.e. this Qur'ân), and be not divided among yourselves, and remember Allâh's Favour on you, for you were enemies one to another but He joined your hearts together, so that, by His Grace, you became brethren (in Islâmic Faith), and you were on the brink of a pit of Fire, and He saved you from it. Thus Allâh makes His Ayât (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.,) clear to you, that you may be guided).

8. Love of fellow Muslims (خفقان القلب بحب المؤمنين): They love fellow Muslims who love Allah (swt) and the Prophet (pbuh).

· Surah Al Hashr 10: (وَٱلَّذِينَ جَآءُو مِنۢ بَعۡدِهِمۡ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا ٱغۡفِرۡ لَنَا وَلِإِخۡوَٲنِنَا ٱلَّذِينَ سَبَقُونَا بِٱلۡإِيمَـٰنِ وَلَا تَجۡعَلۡ فِى قُلُوبِنَا غِلاًّ۬ لِّلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ رَبَّنَآ إِنَّكَ رَءُوفٌ۬ رَّحِيمٌ)

Reforming Heart (صلاح القلب)

1. Certainty (اليقين): Their heart is certain that Allah (swt) is The Giver, The Preventor, The One Who Honors, The One Who Humiliates, The One Brings Life, the One Who Brings Death, there is only One Allah. Their heart has yaqeen, it has no doubts. Our heart needs food, and its ‘food’ is the Quran. It needs to worship Allah (swt).

2. Needs of the Heart (حاجات القلب): The need of the heart is more than the physical needs of the body. The physical needs are just like a drop in the sea. If you ignore the needs of the heart, then this is will be dangerous. Even the amount of food we should put in our stomach should be minimal. Hadith: (سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول “ما ملأ آدمي وعاء شراً من بطن، بحسب ابن آدم أكلات يقمن صلبه، فإن كان لا محالة؛ فتلث لطعامه وثلث لشرابه، وثلث لنفسه‏"‏‏.‏ (I heard Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: "No man fills a container worse than his stomach. A few morsels that keep his back upright are sufficient for him. If he has to, then he should keep one-third for food, one-third for drink and one-third for his breathing.") – At Tirmidhi Book 1, Hadith 516

3. Faith increase with more obedience (الايمان يزيد بكثرة الطاعات): Faith is not constant, so if you do good, it goes up, if you do bad, it goes down. They are observant of the universal signs of Allah (swt), and this increases them in more faith.

4. You cannot get rid of bad habits without struggle (الباطل لا يزول الا بالتضحية): Why? Because this duniya has a lot of temptations with people, entertainment, and the shaitan will beautify the sins. Allah (swt) said that hellfire is surrounded with desires and temptations. You need to struggle so that Allah (swt) will give us more guidance, subhan Allah. The beginning is with us and the reward is from Allah (swt).

§ The majority are not necessarily following the right way, that is why Allah (swt) says ‘few who are grateful’, ‘few who believe’, ‘few who think’, etc, subhan Allah. Don’t be of those who say ‘I am with them, if they do good, I follow, and if they do bad, I folllow’ – people who are just going with the flow.

§ Surah Al An’am 122: (أَوَمَن كَانَ مَيۡتً۬ا فَأَحۡيَيۡنَـٰهُ وَجَعَلۡنَا لَهُ ۥ نُورً۬ا يَمۡشِى بِهِۦ فِى ٱلنَّاسِ كَمَن مَّثَلُهُ ۥ فِى ٱلظُّلُمَـٰتِ لَيۡسَ بِخَارِجٍ۬ مِّنۡہَا‌ۚ كَذَٲلِكَ زُيِّنَ لِلۡكَـٰفِرِينَ مَا كَانُواْ يَعۡمَلُونَ) (Is he who was dead (without Faith by ignorance and disbelief) and We gave him life (by knowledge and Faith) and set for him a light (of Belief) whereby he can walk amongst men— like him who is in the darkness from which he can never come out? Thus it is made fair¬seeming to the disbelievers that which they used to do).

§ A dead body cannot be alive, but a heart can be made alive. It becomes open and the light of Allah (swt) enters this heart. Is this person the same as one who is deep in darkness? Being in darkness is being in layer upon layer of darkness. If a person is in darkness then how can he guide himself, let alone others? Subhan Allah.

§ Hasan Al Basri said the believers are always thinking about Allah (swt) to the point that they feel they will not be saved, they are always afraid. Whereas the wrong-doer says everyone is like me, and Allah (swt) will forgive me and everbody, no worries for me, I’m doing fine, Allah’s mercy is vast.

The Believer’s Heart (قلب المؤمن)

1. Is alive (حي)

2. Allah (swt) honored it with light (أكرمه الله بالنور)

3. Can see truth as truth and falsehood as falsehood (يبصر به الحق من الباطل): They do not mix truth with falsehood because of their desires. If Allah (swt) said something is haram, they will not make it look like halal. Haram is haram, halal is halal. They can differentiate what is right and wrong. For example, the believer can tell when something is pure or not. Why? Because they have powerful perception - in their eyes, ears, and heart. Allah (swt) said to lower gaze because it can affect the heart. And the gaze is considered an arrow of Iblis. There is even a study that revealed when a man looks at something wrong, in a matter of seconds it burns the brain cells, subhan Allah. We don’t need proof to increase us faith because Allah (swt) has already told us and that is the biggest proof, subhan Allah.

4. The Quran lights the heart (القرآن نور تستضئ به القلوب): the Quran is light and when it is inside the body, then the heart is alive. When there is no Quran in the heart, then it cannot be alive.

5. The Quran is a spirit enlivening the heart (القرآن روح تحيا به القلوب): Just as a body without a spirit is dead.

Three Types of Fortunate People – May Allah (swt) make us among them. Ameen

1. There are people who became slaves to Allah (swt) and want to please Him before meeting Him (من أرضى خالقه قبل ان يلقاه). For example, there are people who enter a palace and they are moving here and there, and there are people who are standing, waiting for the command from the king, remember you are just a visitor. Allah (swt) wants our hearts in be in awe of Him, magnifying Him, and waiting for His commands. The heart needs to have shame (حياء), shame that Allah (swt) is looking at me and hearing me.

2. They were good to their parents before they passed away (من بر والديه قبل ان يفارقوه). They know their parents were a door and once gone it is closed. But even if your parents have passed away, you can still make dua’a for them, or make hajj for them, and most importantly repay any debts they have.

3. Their hearts leave the duniya before they leave the duniya (من ترك الدنيا قبل ان تتركه): We need to divorce the duniya from our hearts. The duniya is a place to work, so use it as a bridge for the akhira.

The Light in the Heart (النور في القلب)

§ The companions did not put the duniya in their heart, they put the whole world in their hand. They were leaders, they were wealthy, but they all used it for the hereafter, subhan Allah.

§ They can see the promises and warnings of Allah (swt), it always in front of them. Imam Ash Shafi’ee used to be scared to answer fatwa questions. He said I used to put paradise on my right and hellfire on my left and I am walking on a razor thin path. They are always thinking before they speak. Once they speak the words are out and the damage is done, subhan Allah. So they are very careful.

§ The light in this heart becomes more powerful when they are doing more good deeds. And it becomes dimmer when they do bad deeds, or become heedless. And when there is any badness, they feel like a pin is going through their heart, subhan Allah. They can feel it because their heart is so healthy.

§ This heart has the love of Allah (swt) and the light is reflection in the face as well. And this light is guidance in the heart. For example, if you are travelling in the mountains, if your lights are dim, you won’t be able to recognize if there is a tree or ditch, but when your light is strong you will see, and people behind you will even use your light, subhan Allah. The way to Allah is One, it is a Straight Path and the Only Path, and so when there is more light, you can also benefit others to be on the right way, subhan Allah.

§ The more light in the heart, the more tawheed in the heart. There will be no shirk or bida’a in that heart. We need tawheed and (لا اله الا الله) until are last moments.

§ Surah Yunus 57-58: (يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلنَّاسُ قَدۡ جَآءَتۡكُم مَّوۡعِظَةٌ۬ مِّن رَّبِّڪُمۡ وَشِفَآءٌ۬ لِّمَا فِى ٱلصُّدُورِ وَهُدً۬ى وَرَحۡمَةٌ۬ لِّلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ (٥٧) قُلۡ بِفَضۡلِ ٱللَّهِ وَبِرَحۡمَتِهِۦ فَبِذَٲلِكَ فَلۡيَفۡرَحُواْ هُوَ خَيۡرٌ۬ مِّمَّا يَجۡمَعُونَ (٥٨)) (O mankind! There has come to you a good advice from your Lord (i.e. the Qur'an, enjoining all that is good and forbidding all that is evil), and a healing for that (disease of ignorance, doubt, hypocrisy and differences,) Which is in your breasts, - a guidance and a mercy (explaining lawful and unlawful things) for the believers. (57) Say: "In the Bounty of Allâh, and in His Mercy (i.e. Islâm and the Qur'ân); -therein let them rejoice." That is better than what (the wealth) they amass (58)

Place of Paradise (جنة المعاد)

§ Their heart is light they have a qalb saleem. They get a taste paradise on earth in their hearts. They go to study circles because it touches the heart. When they go to barazkh, it will either be a garden of paradise, or a pit of hellfire. May Allah (swt) make our graves a garden of paradise. Ameen.

§ The completion of their delights is when they go back and meet their Rabb, subhan Allah.

To benefit the heart we need

§ Surah Qaf 37: (إِنَّ فِى ذَٲلِكَ لَذِڪۡرَىٰ لِمَن كَانَ لَهُ ۥ قَلۡبٌ أَوۡ أَلۡقَى ٱلسَّمۡعَ وَهُوَ شَهِيدٌ۬) (Verily, therein is indeed a reminder for him who has a heart or gives ear while he is heedful.)

§ (إِنَّ فِى ذَٲلِكَ لَذِڪۡرَىٰ): the reminders, the Quran is what causes the effects.

§ (لِمَن كَانَ لَهُ ۥ قَلۡبٌ): the heat is the place where it accepts these reminders. If we want to benefit from the Quran, we need to make the heart saleem, lively, healthy, no doubt, no shirk, no bida’a or heedlessness. We need to clean it with repentance and istighfar.

§ (أَلۡقَى ٱلسَّمۡعَ): condition needed is to also listen with the ears. We need ears to listen, the ears have to always be open. The companions memorized the Quran by hearing. Listening makes you understand more quickly than reading.

§ (وَهُوَ شَهِيدٌ۬): Being attentive.

§ Surah Al Isra’ 36: (وَلَا تَقۡفُ مَا لَيۡسَ لَكَ بِهِۦ عِلۡمٌ‌ۚ إِنَّ ٱلسَّمۡعَ وَٱلۡبَصَرَ وَٱلۡفُؤَادَ كُلُّ أُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ كَانَ عَنۡهُ مَسۡـُٔولاً۬) (follow not (O man i.e., say not, or do not or witness not) that of which you have no knowledge. Verily! The hearing, and the sight, and the heart, of each of those one will be questioned (by Allâh).

§ You are responsible for what you see, what you hear, and what goes inside your heart. Allah (swt) gave us these blessings, so how are we using it?

§ Even the baby is formed with a heart first, then ears, then eyes, subhan Allah.

Pondering the Quran (تدبر القرآن)

§ Love of the Quran

§ Learn the tafseer and the tajweed.

§ Repetition: if you have an ayah that has affected you, read it, especially in the night prayer or during dhuha.

§ The companions would hear one ayah and it would freeze them. Omar bin Khattab (ra) froze when he heard (ان عذاب ربك لواقع).

§ One of the descriptions of the Slaves of the Most Merciful (عباد الرحمن) is fear of the hellfire. Surah Al Furqan 65-66: (وَٱلَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا ٱصۡرِفۡ عَنَّا عَذَابَ جَهَنَّمَ‌ۖ إِنَّ عَذَابَهَا كَانَ غَرَامًا (٦٥) إِنَّهَا سَآءَتۡ مُسۡتَقَرًّ۬ا وَمُقَامً۬ا (٦٦)) (And those who say: "Our Lord! Avert from us the torment of Hell. Verily! Its torment is ever an inseparable, permanent punishment." (65) Evil indeed it (Hell) is as an abode and as a place to rest in. (66))

§ Recite with a voice. Don’t recite so loudly but not so softly either. Recite with some voice so that others can enjoy it and be encourage to recite as well.

§ If the Quran was revealed to the mountains, it would have broken out of fear of Allah (swt). So we really have to think and ponder about this. Why does our heart not get affected like this? Subhan Allah. Why do we not get that taste? We have to ask ourselves.

§ We need to be assured that Allah (swt) is talking to us personally when reciting the Quran.

§ Allah (swt) is giving us a checklist of what we need to do in the Quran, are we checking ourselves?

§ The Quran will either be for us or against us. The Prophet (pbuh) said my people left the Quran by not understanding it.

§ The Quran is the greatest honor for the Ummah of Mohammed (pbuh), it’s an everlasting miracle.

The Quran is commands, advice and legislation from Allah (swt)

§ Never take the Quran as a burden. It is there as a mercy, guidance, and cure.

§ Never dream of happiness without (لا اله الا الله). This heart is only for Allah (swt). Imagine using your nose to see, it doesn’t work, subhan Allah. Same with the heart, the heart will not function without having Allah (swt) inside that heart, subhan Allah.

Hadith of the Prophet (pbuh)

§ Hadith: (عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: ضرب الله مثلا صراطا مستقيما و على جنبتي الصراط سوران، فيهما ابواب مفتحة، و على الابواب ستور مرخاة و على الصراط داع يدعو فيقول: يا ايها الناس! اسلكوا الصراط جميعا و لا تعوجوا و داع يدعو على الصراط فإذا أراد احدكم فتح شئ من تلك الابواب قال: ويلك لا تفتحه فإنك ان تفتحه تلجه) (The Prophet (pbuh) said: Allah gave the parable of a straight path and to its sides are open doors, and on the doors are light curtains. On the path is a caller calling: Oh you people, take the path all of you and do not go crooked. And another caller on the path calling: If one of you opens one of these doors, it will be said: Be aware, Do not open it, for if you open it, you will fall) – Narrated by Ahmed.

§ The sirat is Islam, the curtains are the boundaries of Allah (swt), meaning do not cross these red lines. They are curtains, but once you go near them, they are dangerous. The open doors are the prohibitions.

§ The caller from above is our conscious that is inside us, reminding us. If you give this conscious good ‘food’, good knowledge, it will remind you to go back on the straight path, don’t do wrong or haram.

§ Food for thought: ‘If life is broken by outside force, life ends. If broken by inside force, life begins. Great things always begin from inside.’

§ The heart has to be prepared to take on guidance. When there is guidance in the inside, a new life begins, subhan Allah.

24 January, 2014

Fiqh of the Hearts (فقه القلوب) – Part 3

Fiqh of the Hearts (فقه القلوب)

1. There is a flesh in the body, if it is good, then the whole body is healthy, and if it is corrupt, then the whole body is corrupt – and that is the heart.

2. Allah (swt) gave you three major storage places:

1. Heart: it is the storage for faith and tawheed, for knowing and loving Allah (swt). You cannot know Allah (swt) with only eyes and ears.

2. Mind: place for intellect.

3. Stomach: place for food and drink

3. The major part of your body is the heart because that is where you are connected to Alalh (swt) and the actions of the heart take place there, which are important and Allah (swt) is watching.

4. Allah (swt) does not look to our faces and outer, but to our hearts and deeds. Allah (swt) made our face and body, so He will not account us for this. Allah (swt) will look at our hearts and what we are doing, subhan Allah.

5. Supplication: (اللهم اني اعوذ بك من علم لا ينفع و قلب لا يخشع و من نفس لا تشبع و من دعوة لا يستجاب لها) (Oh Allah I seek refuge in You from knowledge that is not beneficial, from a heart that is not humble, from a nafs that is not satisfied, and from a supplication that is not answered.)

· We can be getting knowledge, but what is the point of so much knowledge if we are not benefiting, subhan Allah. Banu Israel had knowledge of the Prophet (pbuh) and knew him better than their children, but still they did not follow him. So they did not benefit from the knowledge.

· The heart needs to be humble, like the earth, down and low. Then it can take the rain, and be fruitful. But if the heart is not going down to Allah (swt), then it will become arrogant. Iblis did not prostate out of arrogance and his name became Iblis (ابلس) which means take away from the mercy of Allah (swt). And no one can enter paradise without the mercy of Allah (swt). May Allah (swt) be merciful on us and make us enter His jennah. Ameen.

· Knowledge that is beneficial while give you khushu’ and make your heart humble. When your heart is humble, then it will love Allah (swt), and when you love Allah (swt), you will want to know more about Allah (swt). Surah Fatir 28: (إِنَّمَا يَخْشَى ٱللَّهَ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ ٱلْعُلَمَاءُ) (It is only those who have knowledge among His slaves that fear Allâh)

· Adam (as) became honored because of knowledge, and that will make us know about Allah (swt), know His promises, what He loves, what He doesn’t, subhan Allah. It will make us pure slaves of Allah.

Types of Hearts (انواع القلوب)

§ Dry Heart (يابس): It’s a heart that is hard and light cannot enter it.

§ Melted (مائع): it’s a heart that takes the shape of whatever vessel it is placed in. If placed in a round vessel, it becomes round, if square, then square. This is the heart of the hypocrite, who is changing with his surroundings – changing wherever he is placed, subhan Allah. We ask Allah (swt) to protect us from hypocrisy. Ameen.

§ Delicate and pure (أرقها و اصفها): this heart is like crystal, it is strong because it can carry the Quran. If it gets tarnished, it is quick to clean itself. Surah An Noor 35: (للَّهُ نُورُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ‌ۚ مَثَلُ نُورِهِۦ كَمِشۡكَوٰةٍ۬ فِيہَا مِصۡبَاحٌ‌ۖ ٱلۡمِصۡبَاحُ فِى زُجَاجَةٍ‌ۖ ٱلزُّجَاجَةُ كَأَنَّہَا كَوۡكَبٌ۬ دُرِّىٌّ۬ يُوقَدُ مِن شَجَرَةٍ۬ مُّبَـٰرَڪَةٍ۬ زَيۡتُونَةٍ۬ لَّا شَرۡقِيَّةٍ۬ وَلَا غَرۡبِيَّةٍ۬ يَكَادُ زَيۡتُہَا يُضِىٓءُ وَلَوۡ لَمۡ تَمۡسَسۡهُ نَارٌ۬‌ۚ نُّورٌ عَلَىٰ نُورٍ۬‌ۗ يَہۡدِى ٱللَّهُ لِنُورِهِۦ مَن يَشَآءُ‌ۚ وَيَضۡرِبُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡأَمۡثَـٰلَ لِلنَّاسِ‌ۗ وَٱللَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَىۡءٍ عَلِيمٌ۬) (Allâh is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The parable of His Light is as (if there were) a niche and within it a lamp, the lamp is in glass, the glass as it were a brilliant star, lit from a blessed tree, an olive, neither of the east (i.e. neither it gets sun-rays only in the morning) nor of the west (i.e. nor it gets sun-rays only in the afternoon, but it is exposed to the sun all day long), whose oil would almost glow forth (of itself), though no fire touched it. Light upon Light! Allâh guides to His Light whom He wills. And Allâh sets forth parables for mankind, and Allâh is All-Knower of everything)

§ This Heart is Free of:

1. Shirk (الشرك)

2. Ignorance (الجهل)

3. Arrogance (الكبر)

4. Heedlessness (الغفلة)

5. Love of duniya (حب الدنيا)

6. Bad character (سئ الخلاق)

§ If it has any of these, it will not make the heart sound. It will make the heart sick and eventually destroy it.

§ Time, health, knowledge – our entire life are all blessings that we have to use for the akhira.

§ The sound heart is also free of :

· Hatred and Envy: envy can burn our deeds. Just as fire burns words. Don’t ever look at people who are above you in the duniya because it will bring diseases of the heart.

· Miserliness: they just want to collect, and if you ask them for money, they don’t want to help even though they can. They don’t want to share, and this will make the heart sick. That is why our deen teaches us to spend for the sake of Allah (swt). So how do we cure it? By giving. We are required to give 2.5% every year – this is zakat, which means you are cleansing your money. And that means giving barakah to your remaining 97.5%, subhan Allah. You will find those who do not give the 2.5%, zakat will end up losing more than 2.5% because there is no barakah in their money, subhan Allah.

§ Anything that Allah (swt) forbids us from is not good for us because it can take us far from Allah (swt). Allah (swt) made everything to serve us, and He said this heart has to go back to Him because it will not be satisfied unless it is linked to Allah (swt) – that is the paradise they get in the duniya, subhan Allah. Ask those who were in darkness and then came to the noor of Islam, subhan Allah. They never want to go back to their darkness.

§ Everything you do should be to reach to the pleasure of Allah (swt), His satisfaction. Nothing should come in between, this heart wants to be connected to Allah (swt) all the time.

Types of Hearts mentioned in the Qur'aan (ذكر القلب في القرآن الكريم)

1. Sound (السليم): their heart is tranquil and is at peace. They are satisfied with whatever happens.

· Surah Al Shu’ara 89: (إِلَّا مَنۡ أَتَى ٱللَّهَ بِقَلۡبٍ۬ سَلِيمٍ۬) (Except him who brings to Allâh a clean heart [clean from Shirk (polytheism) and Nifâq (hypocrisy)].)

2. Always-Returning (المنيب): this heart is always returning and repenting to Allah (swt)

3. Humble (المخبت): they surrender to Allah (swt), they have khushu’ in their hearts.

· Surah Al Hajj 54: (وَلِيَعۡلَمَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ ٱلۡعِلۡمَ أَنَّهُ ٱلۡحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّكَ فَيُؤۡمِنُواْ بِهِۦ فَتُخۡبِتَ لَهُ ۥ قُلُوبُهُمۡ‌ۗ وَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَهَادِ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓاْ إِلَىٰ صِرَٲطٍ۬ مُّسۡتَقِيمٍ۬s) (And that those who have been given knowledge may know that it (this Qur'ân) is the truth from your Lord, so that they may believe therein, and their hearts may submit to it with humility. And verily, Allâh is the Guide of those who believe, to the Straight Path)

4. Fearful (الوجل): fearful of Allah (swt), they run ‘towards’ Allah (swt) out of fear, not ‘away’ to Allah (swt), subhan Allah. Fear of Allah (swt) brings you closer because it burns the temptations and bad deeds that can bring us down, subhan Allah. With other people, when we fear them, we turn away, subhan Allah. Just as a believer always wants to go back to Allah (swt) with love, they always have fear if they fulfilled their deeds to the pleasure of Allah (swt), and with ihsan, subhan Allah. When Aisha (ra) heard this ayah, she thought it was those committing bad deeds, but the Prophet (pbuh) said no, it’s those who are doing good deeds and they are afraid to return to Allah (swt) that their deeds are not accepted, subhan Allah.

· Surah Mu’menoon 60: (وَٱلَّذِينَ يُؤْتُونَ مَآ آتَواْ وَّقُلُوبُهُمْ وَجِلَةٌ أَنَّهُمْ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِمْ رَاجِعُونَ) (And those who give that (their charity) which they give (and also do other good deeds) with their hearts full of fear (whether their alms and charities, have been accepted or not), because they are sure to return to their Lord (for reckoning).)

5. Taqi (التقي): is to follow Allah’s commands and to keep away from His prohibitions. Those who magnify Allah’s rituals, like hajj, are those who have taqwa in their heart.

· Surah Al Hajj 32: (ذَٲلِكَ وَمَن يُعَظِّمۡ شَعَـٰٓٮِٕرَ ٱللَّهِ فَإِنَّهَا مِن تَقۡوَى ٱلۡقُلُوبِ) (Thus it is [is an obligation that mankind owes to Allâh]. and whosoever honours the Symbols of Allâh, then it is truly from the piety of the hearts)

6. Guided (المهدي): Whoever has belief in Allah (swt) will get guidance. First link yourself to Allah (swt), know who He is. Imagine when the heart is guided by Allah (swt), there is life and light in the heart, that is guidance. That person was ‘dead’ and now he is alive with the light of Allah (swt), subhan Allah. We have to make the first step, the more eager we are, the greater the guidance.

· Surah Al Taghaban 11: (مَآ أَصَابَ مِن مُّصِيبَةٍ إِلَّا بِإِذۡنِ ٱللَّهِ‌ۗ وَمَن يُؤۡمِنۢ بِٱللَّهِ يَہۡدِ قَلۡبَهُ ۥ‌ۚ وَٱللَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَىۡءٍ عَلِيمٌ۬) (No calamity befalls, but by the Leave [i.e. Decision and Qadar (Divine Preordainments)] of Allâh, and whosoever believes in Allâh, He guides his heart. And Allâh is the All-Knower of everything)

7. Satisfied (المطمئن): to have peace and tranquility. The angel of death will say the words: (يَـٰٓأَيَّتُہَا ٱلنَّفۡسُ ٱلۡمُطۡمَٮِٕنَّةُ (٢٧) ٱرۡجِعِىٓ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكِ رَاضِيَةً۬ مَّرۡضِيَّةً۬ (٢٨) فَٱدۡخُلِى فِى عِبَـٰدِى (٢٩) وَٱدۡخُلِى جَنَّتِى (٣٠)) ("O (you) the one in (complete) rest and satisfaction! (27) "Come back to your Lord, Well-pleased (yourself) and well-pleasing (unto Him)! (28) "Enter you, then, among My (honoured) slaves, (29) "And enter you My Paradise!" (30)) May Allah (swt) make us hear these words. Ameen. You need to struggle and strive to reach this level. You need to work on the heart. If you don’t use your heart, then it will get rusty.

· Surah Ar Ra’ad 28: (ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَتَطۡمَٮِٕنُّ قُلُوبُهُم بِذِكۡرِ ٱللَّهِ‌ۗ أَلَا بِذِڪۡرِ ٱللَّهِ تَطۡمَٮِٕنُّ ٱلۡقُلُوبُ) (Those who believed (in the Oneness of Allâh - Islâmic Monotheism), and whose hearts find rest in the remembrance of Allâh, Verily, in the remembrance of Allâh do hearts find rest)

8. Alive (الحي): alive heart. This heart is alive with faith and knowing Allah (swt). It is important for us to learn these things.

· Surah Qaf 37: (إِنَّ فِى ذَٲلِكَ لَذِڪۡرَىٰ لِمَن كَانَ لَهُ ۥ قَلۡبٌ أَوۡ أَلۡقَى ٱلسَّمۡعَ وَهُوَ شَهِيدٌ۬) (Verily, therein is indeed a reminder for him who has a heart or gives ear while he is heedful.)

Humble Heart (القلب المخبت)

§ Surah Al Hajj 34-35: (وَبَشِّرِ ٱلۡمُخۡبِتِينَ (٣٤) ٱلَّذِينَ إِذَا ذُكِرَ ٱللَّهُ وَجِلَتۡ قُلُوبُهُمۡ وَٱلصَّـٰبِرِينَ عَلَىٰ مَآ أَصَابَہُمۡ وَٱلۡمُقِيمِى ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ وَمِمَّا رَزَقۡنَـٰهُمۡ يُنفِقُونَ (٣٥)) (And (O Muhammad SAW) give glad tidings to the Mukhbitun [those who obey Allâh with humility and are humble from among the true believers of Islâmic Monotheism], (34) Whose hearts are filled with fear when Allâh is mentioned; and As-Sabirun [who patiently bear whatever may befall them (of calamities); and who perform As-Salât (Iqâmat-as-Salât), and who spend (in Allâh's Cause) out of what We have provided them.)

§ Those who have this heart, give glad tidings:

· Their heart will be fearful out of magnification of Allah (swt). When it hears something, this heart opens.

· They will have patience when facing calamity, patience from disobeying Allah (swt), and patience from His decrees. One of the pillars of faith is to have faith in the decree, good and bad. Sheikh Bin Uthaymeen said the most difficult of the pillars is to be patient with the decree. You can find people patient in obeying Allah and from disobeying Him, but if a person dies, which is something decreed, then their faith just disappears, subhan Allah. We ask Allah (swt) to protect us. Ameen.

· They are disciplined with their prayer. They are eager to wait for the prayer because that is their appointment with Allah (swt), subhan Allah. They have the delight of paradise in their prayer. They are not the ones who say, still time for prayer, and then they pray like birds pecking the floor, and then say alhamdulillah I’m finished, istaghfar Allah.

§ If there is remembrance of Allah (swt), they become wajil, fearful. We are a sample of what is inside us. If we are beautiful inside, part of it will come out. If not, it will come out as well. If the taste of the tongue is bad, then what is inside, meaning the heart, is even worse inside. And if the tongue is good and clean, then what is inside the heart is even better, subhan Allah.

Health of the Heart (صحة القلب)

§ The minute we know Allah (swt), we have ‘projects’ that we need to work on. We all have weak point, good points, and points that we want to reach. This is just between you and Allah (swt). The weak ones we need to work on and the good ones we need to improve to ihsan.

1. Repentance and Returning to Allah (swt) (التوبة و الانابة): we need to begin by repenting from the major sins first because they can lead to the hellfire. And then from minor sins that you might think are minor but are major. Hadith: (عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم مَرَّ عَلَى قَبْرَيْنِ فَقَالَ ‏ "‏ إِنَّهُمَا يُعَذَّبَانِ وَمَا يُعَذَّبَانِ فِي كَبِيرٍ أَمَّا هَذَا فَكَانَ لاَ يَسْتَتِرُ مِنْ بَوْلِهِ وَأَمَّا هَذَا فَكَانَ يَمْشِي بِالنَّمِيمَةِ ‏") ("The Prophet passed by two graves. He said: 'These two are being punished. And they are not being punished for something major. As for this one, he would not protect himself from his urine. As for this one, he used to spread Namimah (slander).'") – Jami’ At Tirmidhi, Book 1, Hadith 70. People think they are doing something small, that it’s not so bad, but it is big with Allah (swt). We have role models such as the Prophets and companions that we wish to follow. And if we cannot reach, we have people around us who are doing good. They are running to do good. And it is praised to be jealous of those doing good. They rush to help, to give others, to teach, etc.

2. They have pain in their heart if they leave any obedience (الم فوات طاعة) and they taste the sweetness of the obedience (لذة في الطاعات و حلاوة الإيمان): they enjoy and can taste the delight of obedience. When they read the Quran, they are enjoying it. Waking up in the middle of the night is between them and Allah (swt) – when they are asking Allah (swt) for forgiveness and more guidance, they love it, subhan Allah. If people are not enjoying the obedience, the worship, then there is sickness in the heart, then their heart is not there, their enjoyment is somewhere else. Just as a sick person does not enjoy the food, a sick heart does not enjoy obedience.

3. Hardship in the deen (مصيبة في الدين): We have to say ‘alhamdulliah’ that we can sit in peace and learn about Allah (swt), there are people who cannot even pray one unit in their own house. And we will be asked about our blessings, what did you do with the wealth Allah gave you? Witj the health He gave you? With the knowledge He gave you? Subhan Allah.

4. Ihsan in our deeds and sincerity in following the Sunnah (الاحسان في العمل و الاخلاص في المتابعة): We need to do deeds with iklhas and following the Sunnah of the Prophet (pbuh) and before we think of doing any good deeds we need to have aqeedah.

5. Their time is precious to them (شحيح بوقته): Why? The answer in Surah Al Asr: (وَٱلۡعَصۡرِ (١) إِنَّ ٱلۡإِنسَـٰنَ لَفِى خُسۡرٍ (٢) إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ وَتَوَاصَوۡاْ بِٱلۡحَقِّ وَتَوَاصَوۡاْ بِٱلصَّبۡرِ (٣)) (By Al-'Asr (the time). (1) Verily, man is in loss, (2) Except those who believe (in Islâmic Monotheism) and do righteous good deeds, and recommend one another to the truth and recommend one another to patience)

Signs of an Alive Heart (علامات لقلب حي)

1. Fearful (وجل): when they hear ayat Allah (swt), their faith goes up, it does not go down, and they have trust in Allah (swt).

2. Shivering, goose bumps (القشعريرة): this is what happens to a believer when they read the most beautiful, eloquent, miraculous words –the Quran. The holes in their skin become tight, and that causes goose bumps. This happens when the heart is alert and has fear so it gets affected. After the goose bumps, then their heart and skin become soft – so there is tranquility and peace. The Quran is covers different levels, from fear and relaxation, paradise and hellfire, glad tiding and warning. This is the guidance from Allah (swt). But for those who are astray, then no one will guide them. Whoever is left will not be guided.

3. Khushu of the heart (خشوع قلب): the heart becomes humble, magnifying Allah (swt). The heart feels so low and down. Do not be like the People of the Book, and for a long time forget to remember Allah (swt) and became heedless – as if there is no hereafter. Don’t be far from the faith, because what happens then? The heart becomes hard, subhan Allah.

4. They accept the truth (الإذعان للحق و الاخبات له): if the heart is not ready, then truth cannot enter. It’s like hard land, how can rain enter and plants come out from hard land? So it needs to be soft, it cannot have arrogance, doubts, temptations, then the heart is alive and ready to accept the truth, subhan Allah. Look at the Ansar who accepted the truth immediately. They were far from dawah, but Allah (swt) made their hearts ready, subhan Allah. And when you have more believe then the more guidance.

5. Much returning to Allah (swt) (كثرة الانابة الى الله):

6. Tranquility (السكينة): Allah (swt) brings it to them. They are not arrogant, they think, they are wise, they do not react and become emotional very fast. There is tranquility in their heart, the more wisdom, the more elevated they become. Their faith will become higher with their iman.

7. Their heart is clean and free of hatred (سلامة القلب من الاحقاد): they do not look down at any person. If you feel that your heart is hard on others, make dua’a. If you are looking down on any brother or sister then this is because the heart is not alive, it is not sound. We need to surrender to Allah (swt).

§ A dead body cannot be alive, but a heart can be made alive. It becomes open and the light of Allah (swt) enters this heart. Whereas the disbelievers beautified their sins, so light cannot enter their hearts.

§ Surah Al E Imran 2: (رَبَّنَا لَا تُزِغۡ قُلُوبَنَا بَعۡدَ إِذۡ هَدَيۡتَنَا وَهَبۡ لَنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحۡمَةً‌ۚ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلۡوَهَّابُ) (They say): "Our Lord! Let not our hearts deviate (from the truth) after You have guided us, and grant us mercy from You. Truly, You are the Bestower,")

§ We need Allah’s mercy both in this duniya and the akhria, and we are asking to be granted this mercy without asking because Allah is Al Wahab.

22/1/2014

Fiqh of the Hearts (فقه القلوب) – Part 2

Fiqh of the Hearts (فقه القلوب)

§ Beautifying the heart with faith shows both from the inside and outside. For this reason in Surah Hujurat 14: (قَالَتِ ٱلۡأَعۡرَابُ ءَامَنَّا‌ۖ قُل لَّمۡ تُؤۡمِنُواْ وَلَـٰكِن قُولُوٓاْ أَسۡلَمۡنَا وَلَمَّا يَدۡخُلِ ٱلۡإِيمَـٰنُ فِى قُلُوبِكُمۡ‌ۖ) (The bedouins say: "We believe." Say: "You believe not but you only say, 'we have surrendered (in Islâm),' for Faith has not yet entered your hearts.). The Prophet (pbuh) is telling the bedouin that what is in your outside has to match your inside first. When we do good deeds it gives us light, and this affects us both from the inside and outside. So it is not one way, it is a cycle.

§ Surah Al Anfal 2-4: (إِنَّمَا ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَ ٱلَّذِينَ إِذَا ذُكِرَ ٱللَّهُ وَجِلَتۡ قُلُوبُہُمۡ وَإِذَا تُلِيَتۡ عَلَيۡہِمۡ ءَايَـٰتُهُ ۥ زَادَتۡہُمۡ إِيمَـٰنً۬ا وَعَلَىٰ رَبِّهِمۡ يَتَوَكَّلُونَ (٢) ٱلَّذِينَ يُقِيمُونَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَمِمَّا رَزَقۡنَـٰهُمۡ يُنفِقُونَ (٣) أُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ هُمُ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَ حَقًّ۬ا‌ۚ لَّهُمۡ دَرَجَـٰتٌ عِندَ رَبِّهِمۡ وَمَغۡفِرَةٌ۬ وَرِزۡقٌ۬ ڪَرِيمٌ۬ (٤)) (The believers are only those who, when Allâh is mentioned, feel a fear in their hearts and when His Verses (this Qur'ân) are recited unto them, they (i.e. the Verses) increase their Faith; and they put their trust in their Lord (Alone); (2) Who perform As-Salât (Iqâmat-as-Salât) and spend out of that We have provided them. (3) It is they who are the believers in truth. For them are grades of dignity with their Lord, and Forgiveness and a generous provision (Paradise). (4))

§ When ayat of Allah (swt) are mentioned it affects their hearts, why? Because their heart is alive with faith, good deeds, and following the Sunnah. But when the heart has shirk, kufr, bida’a, it will be dark, and ayat Allah cannot affect this heart, subhan Allah.

§ The believers cannot sit without being affected; it enters their ears, which ears? The ears in their heart. They become fearful. And the ayat of Allah (swt) include both universal (كوني) and shar’ee (شرعي) ayat. So seeing these ayat makes them remember the greatness of the Owner of these ayat, subhan Allah.

§ What is (الحياة)? – When the heart becomes alive, and when it is alive it will be active to do good deeds. But when the heart is dark, when it is dead, it will see not see the truth as truth and it will not see falsehood as falsehood. We ask Allah (swt) to protect us. Ameen.

§ What is (النور)? – The Quran is light for our heart.

§ The heart has eyes which can see and ears which can hear. When we clean our heart all the time, then the eyes and the ears will be healthy. They will see and hear the truth clearly. Whatever comes to them from the Quran and Sunnah, they will be able to receive it. So they will know the essence of what is right and wrong, subhan Allah. Remember the heart is a solider of Allah (swt).

§ Imagine when a room is dark, how will you differentiate if there is a book, or snake, or rubber in the room? Similarly, if the heart does not have love, fear, or hope of Allah (swt) it will not be able to differentiate in this life, and will not know its aim, subhan Allah.

Types of hearts (انواع القلوب)

1. The Sound Heart (القلب السليم): it is the alive, healthy, sound, tranquil, ‘white’ heart; it is adorned with faith and ikhlas, what does that mean? Only Allah (swt) is inside. The ten honors mentioned before are inside this heart. It is alive and is in constant istighfar. We want the sound heart.

2. The Sick Heart (القلب المريض): sometimes the faith is very high and sometimes the faith is low. This heart is fluctuating to extremes. With the right companions it is high and with the wrong companions it is low. Sometimes they are pulled to see the wrong things and hear the wrong things. They are quickly affected.

3. The Dead Heart (القلب الميت): it is like a haunted house, dark and broken, like the heart of a disbeliever, and who is living in this heart? The shaitan and different evils. We ask Allah (swt) to protect us. Ameen.

Types of Desires (اقسام الهوى)

§ Doubts (الشبهات): when we have doubts in our hearts and we do not clarify it with the Quran and Sunnah. If we don’t clarify our doubts, then it will lead to sicknesses in our heart.

§ Temptations (الشهوات): when we have love for the duniya, when we are surrounded with bad companions then we become inclined to temptations.

§ So to have a sound heart, we need to cure ourselves from these two types of desires. The root of all diseases of the heart are these two – (الشبهات) and (الشهوات), and from them branches out different diseases of the heart, such as envy, hatred, arrogance, pride, etc.

The Sound Heart (القلب السليم)

§ What does (سليم) mean? To be safe, strong, and far away from shirk. Shirk is the biggest crime that anyone can commit against Allah (swt). Allah (swt) will forgive everything, but the one thing He will not forgive is shirk. So the most important thing we have to work in our life is tawheed, subhan Allah. What do we need to remove in order to have a sound heart?

1. Shirk (الشرك): People say I am not worshipping idols, but they forget that there are other ‘idols’ – our desires, our love for money, for position, for status, subhan Allah. So we need knowledge to learn what is shirk and what is taw heed.

2. Ignorance (الجهل): we need knowledge to remove the ignorance. The Quran and Sunnah is the Straight Path that we need to walk upon. Before Allah (swt) created Adam (as), He told the angels that He is going to create mankind. Mankind was created to have free will and the angels questioned why should there be a creation that has free will? Though the angels have a heart and mind, they do not have free will, for this reason there is no paradise and hellfire for them because their job is only to obey Allah (swt). But what was given to Adam (as)? Allah (swt) honored Adam (as) by teaching him, subhan Allah. And this shows you that in order to be leaders on the earth, they need knowledge. You cannot have worship without knowledge, subhan Allah. So we need to kick out ignorance. Surah Fatir 28: (إِنَّمَا يَخْشَى ٱللَّهَ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ ٱلْعُلَمَاءُ) (It is only those who have knowledge among His slaves that fear Allâh).

3. Arrogance (الكبر): Iblis did not prostrate to Adam (as) because he thinks he is better. Hadith: (عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ لاَ يَدْخُلُ الْجَنَّةَ مَنْ كَانَ فِي قَلْبِهِ مِثْقَالُ حَبَّةٍ مِنْ خَرْدَلٍ مِنْ كِبْرٍ) (Abdullah narrated that the Messenger of Allah said: "Whoever has a mustard seed's weight of pride (arrogance) in his heart, shall not be admitted into Paradise) – Jami’ At Tirmidhi, Book 27, Hadith 2129. What is the meaning of (كبر)? To think yourself (كبير), to yourself as being ‘big’ while others are ‘small’. It also means to reject the truth and to see people lower in any terms. For example, this person doesn’t come to lectures and I do, so I know better. I have memorized one juz, and they have only memorized one surah, istaghfar Allah. Ibn Uthaimeen said if you have a bit of arrogance in your heart, then it is like the start of ‘cancer’. If you do not remove it from the start it will spread and it will become other diseases, subhan Allah. On the Day of Judgment, those who were arrogant in the duniya, Allah (swt) will make them small, so we have to humble ourselves towards Allah (swt). How will we be humble? By knowing that everything is from Allah (swt) and by being fearful that whatever blessing I have could easily go away. I should not be arrogant and think I have this blessing and it won’t go away. Iblis was a very obedient slave of Allah (swt), he had tawheed, he had knowledge – he passed in these areas. But he failed in arrogance, subhan Allah. We ask Allah (swt) to protect us. Ameen.

4. Heedless (الغفلة): forgetful, to remember Allah (swt) very little. When do they remember Allah (swt)? When they are in a calamity, sickness, when someone passes away. They only remember Allah (swt) from time to time, atmosphere to atmosphere. Sometimes our security guard wants to take a rest, what is our security guard? Our faith. Our faith cannot take a rest; it has to be on duty all the time, because the shaitan will never rest for us.

5. Love of duniya (حب الدنيا): Allah (swt) created us with a purpose. Allah (swt) told Adam (as) you will be a khalifa (leader), you will live the religion of Allah and make it known to others. But if a person does not fulfill his purpose in life then he will be caught in the duniya. For example, imagine having a pot of honey, and a fly comes and it is supposed to take a bit instead it takes too much. So it gets stuck falls into the honey, similar to one falling into his desires.

6. Bad character (سئ الخلاق): when you have bad character, then it will affect both your faith and the deeds you will do.

The Sound Heart (القلب السليم) is an Alive Heart – What does it have?

§ What is the difference between one who is dead and alive? One can see, hear, think, and do good deeds, while the other cannot. And this is exactly the same with an alive heart and a dead heart.

1. No Shirk: The alive heart will never commit shirk. Everything in their heart is for Allah (swt). They trust Allah (swt), and they just want to please Allah. It is a humble heart and every heart beat is for Allah (swt). It has love, hope, fear of Allah (swt). Ibn Jawazziah described it like a bird. The head represents love of Allah (swt), and the wings represent hope and fear, if you there is no head, then it is dead. That is why love of Allah (swt) is so important. Subhan Allah.

2. His deeds are purely for Allah’s sake (خلص عمله لله): deeds done purely for Allah (swt). If you want a reward from the people, or praise, then this is shirk. It is a hidden shirk called riya’a which the Prophet (pbuh) warned us about. You have to ask yourself before doing anything, are you doing purely for the sake of Allah, and are you doing it according to the Sunnah? These are the conditions for the deeds to be accepted. You can be doing something purely for the sake of Allah (swt), but you are doing a bida’a – this is invalid. Or you can be following the Sunnah, but your intention is not purely for Allah (swt) – this is invalid too. There were even people that were doing things purely for the sake of Allah (swt), that they did not even let their wives know that they were fasting or doing tahhajud, subhan Allah.

3. To give for Allah (swt), to take for Allah, to love for Allah, to hate for Allah: these hearts even feel for the sake of Allah (swt).

4. Do actions for Allah (فعل لله)

5. Nothing should come into your ikhlas (ليس لك ارادة تعارض الاخلاص): you do little for Allah (swt), and Allah (swt) rewards you so much. Look at what Allah (swt) gives us, it cannot be compared to what we are doing, subhan Allah.

Truth (الصدق)

§ The root to all actions is truth.

1. Faith (الإيمان): there has to be truth in your faith.

2. Ihsan (الإحسان): ihsan is to worship as if you see Allah (swt), and you need truth when worshipping.

3. Taqwa (التقوى): which is to prevent yourself from doing any deed that can bring the wrath of Allah (swt) and to do any deed that will bring the pleasure of Allah (swt).

4. Reliance, returning to Allah (swt) all the time, submission (التوكل الإنابة التسليم): to purify ourselves all the time, to seek forgiveness and repentance from Allah, and to constantly return back to Allah (swt).

§ That is why the siddiqeen, ‘the truthful ones’, their degree comes immediately after the Prophets, subhan Allah. They say the truth, they behave the truth, and they accept the truth, subhan Allah. If they have two choices, they pick the truth. They enter with truth and exit with truth. The hypocrite is the exact opposite; their life is based on lies. Hadith: (عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ "‏ آيَةُ الْمُنَافِقِ ثَلاَثٌ، إِذَا حَدَّثَ كَذَبَ، وَإِذَا اؤْتُمِنَ خَانَ، وَإِذَا وَعَدَ أَخْلَفَ ‏"‏‏) (Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "The signs of a hypocrite are three: Whenever he speaks he tells a lie; whenever he is entrusted he proves dishonest; whenever he promises he breaks his promise.") – Al Bukhari 2749

Lie (الكذب)

1. Riya’a (الرياء): is a hidden shirk with Allah (swt), we are showing that we are doing good deeds for Allah (swt), but inside we want the reward from the people. We want the people to praise us, or give us something in return.

2. Self-admiration (عجب): this is the beginning of arrogance. If a person has this, then they cannot accept the truth. And this is lying to yourself.

3. Arrogance (الكبر): the arrogant person is like a big fire, and smoke comes out from above, but that smoke is dirty. They might go up, but they are nothing, like smoke. People who are humble are like a moon, whose reflection can be seen on a river. People see their reflection, but they are actually very high with Allah (swt), subhan Allah. Everyone’s heart is in between two fingers of Allah, He can turn it how He wants and return it how He wants, subhan Allah.

4. Laziness and cowardice (الكسل الجبن): this happens when we do not prioritize properly. We become lazy when it comes to performing what is important. There are people who cannot come to the truth because they are afraid what their friends will say, family, society, etc. Sometimes they do not have the power, like Ammar bin Yasser since he was being tortured, and saw his mother and father being tortured. And he said he disbelieved in the Prophet (pbuh) to make them stop. Then he came to the Prophet (pbuh) and asked what to do, he said what is in your heart, he said faith.

5. Disabled (العجز): for example, a person might have so much money, but he is spending on the duniya and is unable to spend it on good and helping others.

6. Proud, haughty, cocky (الفخر الخيلاء البطر الأشر)

§ We should see Allah (swt) in all of our blessings. When we see these diseases, we need to know that these are our enemies, and it will make our heart sick. And we have to cure it because we want to go back to Allah with Al Qalb Al Saleem.

§ Hadith: (عن ابن مسعود رضي الله عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال‏:‏ ‏ "‏إن الصدق يهدي إلى البر وإن البر يهدي إلى الجنة، وإن الرجل ليصدق حتى يكتب عند الله صديقاً، وإن الكذب يهدي إلى الفجور، وإن الفجور يهدي إلى النار، وإن الرجل ليكذب حتى يكتب عند الله كذاباً‏"‏) (Abdullah bin Mas'ud (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Truth leads to piety and piety leads to Jannah. A man persists in speaking the truth till he is enrolled with Allah as a truthful. Falsehood leads to vice and vice leads to the Fire (Hell), and a person persists on telling lies until he is enrolled as a liar". – Agreed upon)

The heart will not be sound unless it is sound from these (لا يسلم القلب حتى يسلم من خمسة أشياء):

1. From shirk, which is contrary to tawheed (من شرك يناقض التوحيد)

2. From bida’a which contrary to the Sunnah (من بدعة تناقض السنة): everything has to be according to the Sunnah, whatever the companions did is sunnah, other than that is bida’a, even if it looks like a worship.

3. From desire which is contrary to purely for Allah (من هوى يناقض الإخلاص): heart has to be done for the sake of Allah (swt).

4. From heedlessness which is contrary to remembrance (من غفلة تناقض الذكر)

5. From temptations which is contrary to following commands of Allah (swt) (من شهوة تناقض الأمر)

§ Surah Al An’am 122: ( أَوَمَن كَانَ مَيۡتً۬ا فَأَحۡيَيۡنَـٰهُ وَجَعَلۡنَا لَهُ ۥ نُورً۬ا يَمۡشِى بِهِۦ فِى ٱلنَّاسِ كَمَن مَّثَلُهُ ۥ فِى ٱلظُّلُمَـٰتِ لَيۡسَ بِخَارِجٍ۬ مِّنۡہَا‌ۚ كَذَٲلِكَ زُيِّنَ لِلۡكَـٰفِرِينَ مَا كَانُواْ يَعۡمَلُونَ) (Is he who was dead (without Faith by ignorance and disbelief) and We gave him life (by knowledge and Faith) and set for him a light (of Belief) whereby he can walk amongst men— like him who is in the darkness (of disbelief, polytheism and hypocrisy) from which he can never come out? Thus it is made fair seeming to the disbelievers that which they used to do.)

§ Who gives life and death? Allah (swt). Allah (swt) gives life to the body, life to the earth, and life to the heart. This person was dead in the heart and Allah (swt) made His heart alive and it became filled with light. The heart had so much light that he was spreading it to others. May Allah (swt) make us of that. Ameen.

§ On the other hand, the one without faith is in layers of darknesses, meaning there are so many bad deeds, that the light cannot enter, and they cannot hear or see. The light on the sea is only on the surface, but as you go deeper, there is less light, there is darkness, there is ignorance, shirk, heedlessness, arrogance. The heart becomes darker and darker.

§ Sick people cannot taste food, they cannot hear properly. Imagine a dead person who cannot feel if something is being done to him. So what about a dead heart? We ask Allah (swt) to protect us. Ameen.

The Believer (المؤمن)

§ The more light that is in the heart, the more of shirk and other diseases will be out.

§ On the Day of Judgment, the light of the believers, their faith, will appear so they can cross the sirat, which is thinner than a hair and sharper than a sword.

§ When the Quran enters the heart, it makes it alive. The believer has truth inside his heart, and he can taste the delight of an alive heart, subhan Allah.

§ Hadith: (قال صلى الله علية وسلم :- القلوب أوعية وهى تصدأ كما يصدأ الحديد. فقيل له:وما جلاؤها يا رسول الله(ص) قال: قراءة القراَن وذكر الموت.) (The Prophet (pbuh) said: The hearts are like vessels, and they rust similar to metal. So it was said to him, with what do we polish it? The Prophet (pbuh) said with reciting the Quran and remembering death).

§ The heart becomes rusty, so how do we polish it? By reciting the Quran and remembering death. If you see the dead, and your heart does not move, then that heart is dead. If we read the entire Quran and we don’t feel anything, then remember that heart is dead. We ask Allah (swt) to protect us. Ameen.

Fiqh of the Hearts 1 (فقه القلوب)

What is the heart? (ما هو القلب)

§ We should remain away from any cause that comes between our heart and Allah (swt).

§ What are we made of? (مكونات الذات)

1. Heart (القلب): the king is the heart and it commands.

2. Mind (العقل): the mind is the minister, very close to the heart and listens to it.

3. Limbs (الجوارح): the limbs are the soldiers obeying the commands of the heart and mind.

§ When you put all of these parts together, it is as if you are running a city with a ruler and its followers, subhan Allah.

§ Hadith: (إن الله لا ينظر إلى أجسامكم ، ولا إلى صوركم، ولكن ينظر إلى قلوبكم وأعمالكم‏) (Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) narrated: Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Allah does not look at your figures, nor at your attire but He looks at your hearts and accomplishments".) – Muslim, Book 1, Hadith 7

§ It’s not the physical appearance that matters, Allah (swt) already chose this for us, but what He sees is our hearts and our deeds, how do we react, what do we believe, what is inside? Subhan Allah.

§ If this piece of flesh is good, the whole body will be good. Remember the heart is the king, so the whole city, society will be good subhan Allah. But if it is bad, then the whole body will be bad.

§ We have to both physically take care of the heart and to take care of it with faith.

What is the role of the heart? (مهمة القلوب)

§ If the heart is in its place, then it will:

1. Go to Allah (swt) and to the Day of Judgment (يسير الى الله و الدار الاخرة): its concern will be Allah (swt) and the hereafter – it is not caught up in the duniya.

2. It will search for the truth (يكشف عن طريق الحق)

3. It will search for what is bad for the nafs: remember the nafs is the soul and body. (يكشف آفات النفس)

4. It will search for the enemies (يكشف قطع الطريق): it will see what the things that can destroy it and take it off track.

§ Five things that will allow the heart, ‘king' to function (خمس اشياء يحقق القلب مهمته):

1. Light (نور): the more light in the heart, the clearer it becomes. Imagine the clearer and well-lit the city, the brighter, and the more active it will be. It can grow and progress. On the contrary, the dimmer and darker it is, the slower the activity. Imagine people who knit, which is a very delicate job. If they had to knit in the dark, then the colors will not be in sequence and they will confuse the colors. Similarly, light in the heart will make you see things clearly and do things properly.

2. Energy and strength (قيامه و قوته): how active and lively is this heart.

3. Health and determination (صحته و عزمه)

4. Soundness of its hearing and seeing (سلامة سمعه و بصره): you might ask this is the heart, how can it hear and see? The heart also has vision and hearing, it has insight and perception, subhan Allah.

5. How busy is the heart? (غيمة الشواغل): It is busy with good or bad? Imagine if you have a crystal bowl that is filled with stones, can you add more to it? No. So what is the heart filled and busy with? Watching movies, novels, bad companions or with the Quran, good companions, seeking knowledge etc. Subhan Allah.

Strengthening the heart (صلاح القلوب)

1. Knowing Allah (swt) (معرفة الرب): knowing the Creator, the heart is the only organ that Allah (swt) made for Himself. If this heart does not go back to Allah (swt), then it will not be at peace, subhan Allah. This heart should understand why Allah (swt) created it. If the heart is good, then the whole body will be good. It needs to know who is Our Creator? What are His names and attributes? What does He want from us?

2. What are the means that will save or ruin this heart (اسباب النجاة اسباب الهلاك)

3. To hold on to Allah (swt) (الاعتصام بالله): the more you hold on to Allah (swt), the stronger and healthier your heart will be. It is like a rope holding on to Allah (swt). The thicker and tighter the rope is, the stronger you will be held. But the weaker and looser the rope is, then it will eventually break and you will fall – far away from Allah, subhan Allah. You might find people who physically cannot stand to pray but their heart is flying to the throne of Allah (swt), enjoying the delight of connecting to their Rabb. That is why the Prophet (pbuh) said (ارحنا يا بلال) (Relieve us, Oh Bilal (referring to calling the adhan for prayer)), so that they may relax and have their hearts fly to Allah, subhan Allah.

4. Each person’s perception of things is different (الناس مختلفون): Why? Because their hearts are different. Some people might look at an object and rate is as 2 out of 10, some 8 out of 10, and another 13 out of 10, subhan Allah.

§ A Jewish man once asked the believer why does the shaitan come to you during your salat. While we pray, we have khushu’ and are relaxed. He said, well if your house is a poor house, then will the thief go there? No. If your house is a rich house, then the thief will go to this house. So of course the shaitan wants to go to what brings ‘richness’ in the heart. What will the shaitan do with a heart that is haunted, corrupted? Subhan Allah. So if a person is getting wiswas during their salat, it’s a sign that there is faith because what is the point of striving during the salat? But don’t get occupied with the wiswas, you need to overcome it.

Beautifying the heart with faith (زينة القلب بالإيمان)

§ A person’s beauty is from their character and behavior. That is why Allah (swt) sent the Prophet (pbuh) to complete the best and highest of good character, manners, and behavior. Allah (swt) mentioned in the Quran about the Prophet (pbuh) (و انك على خلق عظيم) (And verily you are upon great character.) A person becomes beautiful from the inside and out with the beautiful character. Subhan Allah.

§ Beautifying the limbs with good deeds (زينة الجوارح بالأعمال): what is the difference between the human and the animal? It is their character and manners. Obeying Allah (swt) will also show in the face.

§ The Prophet (pbuh) sent (مصعب بن عمير) to Madinah. He was known to be a scholar in the deen and so many people came into Islam while he was in Madinah. When he approached one of the top leaders (اسيد بن حضير) he was upset that what he was teaching the people of Madinah about Islam, he was complaining to him that they are changing their ways, etc. So مصعب told him wait and let’s have a chat. So he told him about Islam and the Quran. And after a short time, اسيد said, how do people enter your religion? He told him go take a shower and say the shahada. He said his face looked completely different after he took the shahada, that it was glowing with noor.

§ When the heart is filled with faith, the noor will show in the face.

§ Surah Al Anfal 2: (إِنَّمَا ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ ٱلَّذِينَ إِذَا ذُكِرَ ٱللَّهُ وَجِلَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَإِذَا تُلِيَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ ءَايَٰتُهُ زَادَتْهُمْ إِيمَٰناً وَعَلَىٰ رَبِّهِمْ يَتَوَكَّلُونَ) (The believers are only those who, when Allâh is mentioned, feel a fear in their hearts and when His Verses (this Qur'ân) are recited unto them, they (i.e. the Verses) increase their Faith; and they put their trust in their Lord (Alone)).

§ When they recite the ayat of Allah (swt), their faith increases even more. We know that our faith can either go up or down, it is never constant.

§ Ibrahim (as) asked Allah (swt) to see how do you make the dead alive? Allah said, ‘Do you not believe already?’ He said yes, but so that my heart is sound – meaning he wanted more faith, subhan Allah.

§ That is why when the believers see the signs of Allah (swt), their heart gets affected because their faith is increasing.

Allah (swt) gave the believers 10 honors (اكرام الله قلب العبد المؤمن 10 إكرمات):

§ We ask Allah (swt) to grant us all of these. Ameen.

1. Tranquility (السكينة): especially at the time of death he receives the glad tidings, and he is at peace. Surah Al Fajr 27-30: (يَـٰٓأَيَّتُہَا ٱلنَّفۡسُ ٱلۡمُطۡمَٮِٕنَّةُ (٢٧) ٱرۡجِعِىٓ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكِ رَاضِيَةً۬ مَّرۡضِيَّةً۬ (٢٨) فَٱدۡخُلِى فِى عِبَـٰدِى (٢٩) وَٱدۡخُلِى جَنَّتِى (٣٠)) ((It will be said to the pious — believers of Islamic Monotheism): "O (you) the one in (complete) rest and satisfaction! (27) "Come back to your Lord, Well-pleased (yourself) and well-pleasing (unto Him)! (28) "Enter you, then, among My (honoured) slaves, (29) "And enter you My Paradise!" (30))

o Surah Al Fat’h 4: (هُوَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَنزَلَ ٱلسَّكِينَةَ فِى قُلُوبِ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ لِيَزۡدَادُوٓاْ إِيمَـٰنً۬ا مَّعَ إِيمَـٰنِہِمۡ‌ۗ) (He it is Who sent down As-Sakinah (calmness and tranquillity) into the hearts of the believers, that they may grow more in Faith along with their (present) Faith.)

2. Cure (الشفاء): just as honey is a cure for the body, faith is the cure for the heart. The higher your faith, the healthier you are because it cures the diseases of your heart. Knowledge is the cure for ignorance.

o Surah At Tawbah 14: (وَيَشۡفِ صُدُورَ قَوۡمٍ۬ مُّؤۡمِنِينَ) (heal the breasts of a believing people)

3. Purity (الطهارة): The heart needs to get purified and Allah (swt) tests the hearts. The higher the faith, the higher the level, the higher the test. The Prophets were tested the most. Allah (swt) will put that heart in the fire only once in the duniya, subhan Allah. The more tests the higher the elevation, and as a result, the heart becomes cleaner, and the understanding becomes bigger, subhan Allah.

o Surah Al Hujurat 3: (أُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱمۡتَحَنَ ٱللَّهُ قُلُوبَہُمۡ لِلتَّقۡوَىٰ‌ۚ) (They are the ones whose hearts Allâh has tested for piety)

4. Guidance (الهداية): You just have to make the first step. When you come walking, Allah (swt) will come running, subhan Allah. There are people who are waiting for miracles to happen, and they say Allah (swt) did not give me guidance (astaghfor Allah). They blame Allah (swt) for their faults. Astaghfur Allah. The problem is they need to take steps, they need to be honest. Always aim high, that is why the Prophet (pbuh) said (اذا سألتم الله اسألوا الله الفردوس الأعلى) (If you ask, ask for firdaous al ‘ala). Be amongst the sabiqoon, the foremost – don’t be a dreamer. We ask Allah (swt) to grant us firdaous al ‘ala and be amongst the sabiqoon. Ameen.

o Surah At Taghabun 11: (وَمَن يُؤۡمِنۢ بِٱللَّهِ يَہۡدِ قَلۡبَهُ) (And whosoever believes in Allâh, He guides his heart)

5. Firmness of the faith (ثبوت الايمان): We always ask Allah (swt) (يا مقلب القلوب ثبت قلوبنا على دينك) (Oh Turner of the hearts, keep my heart firm on Your deen) when the stone is engraved; it cannot go back to its original form. There is nothing like seerah of our Prophet Mohammed pbuh that will make a person understand the religion. Heracles, who had studied the Bible and knew of the coming of the Prophet (pbuh), he asked have the people left the religion after having entered it. He said never. When the faith enters the heart, it spreads everywhere. And we need Allah (swt) at the time of death and at the time of questioning in the grave. How we will answer if we did not live it in the duniya? We need Allah (swt) to help us to make us firm and to answer the questions. (اللهم ثبته عند السؤال).

o Surah Al Mujadila 22: (أُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ ڪَتَبَ فِى قُلُوبِہِمُ ٱلۡإِيمَـٰنَ وَأَيَّدَهُم بِرُوحٍ۬ مِّنۡهُ‌ۖ) (For such He has written Faith in their hearts, and strengthened them with Rûh (proofs, light and true guidance) from Himself.)

6. Unity with love (الألفه): Our strength is when we are united, and our enemies want us to be divided, and to have enmity in our hearts with each other. Hadith: (عَنْ أَبِي مُوسَى ـ رضى الله عنه ـ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ "‏ الْمُؤْمِنُ لِلْمُؤْمِنِ كَالْبُنْيَانِ يَشُدُّ بَعْضُهُ بَعْضًا ‏"‏‏) (The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "A believer to another believer is like a building whose different parts enforce each other." The Prophet (ﷺ) then clasped his hands with the fingers interlaced (while saying that).) – Al Bukhari 2446. If one part of the body is not comfortable, then the whole body is not comfortable. If you spend whatever is on the earth, you will not be able to unite the people, only Allah (swt) can unite the hearts.

o Surah Al Anfal 63: (وَأَلَّفَ بَيْنَ قُلُوبِهِمْ لَوْ أَنفَقْتَ مَا فِي ٱلأَرْضِ جَمِيعاً مَّآ أَلَّفَتْ بَيْنَ قُلُوبِهِمْ وَلَـٰكِنَّ ٱللَّهَ أَلَّفَ بَيْنَهُمْ إِنَّهُ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ) (And He has united their (i.e. believers') hearts. If you had spent all that is in the earth, you could not have united their hearts, but Allâh has united them. Certainly He is All-Mighty, All-Wise.)

7. Sound, at peace (الطمأنينة): the heart is at peace, it is tranquil, happy, delighted, it does not have doubts. The sound heart (القلب المطمئنة) is the highest level, the lowest level is the commanding evil (النفس الامرة بالسوء) and in the middle is the blaming nafs (النفس اللوامة). Faith has a taste to it. When we are sick, we cannot taste anything, so we don’t enjoy the food. And when the heart is sick, it cannot taste the sweetness of faith, subhan Allah. As people become further away from Allah, no matter what they do, they cannot find happiness. Why? Because the delight of the heart is not from material things, the delight of the heart is linked to Allah (swt) and only the believer will understand this, subhan Allah. The companions got to see both darkness and light, and when they saw the light, they asked Allah (swt) of never wanting to leave this light, they never wanted to return to their jahiliya.

o Surah Ar Ra’ad 28: (ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَتَطۡمَٮِٕنُّ قُلُوبُهُم بِذِكۡرِ ٱللَّهِ‌ۗ أَلَا بِذِڪۡرِ ٱللَّهِ تَطۡمَٮِٕنُّ ٱلۡقُلُوبُ) (Those who believed (in the Oneness of Allâh - Islâmic Monotheism), and whose hearts find rest in the remembrance of Allâh, Verily, in the remembrance of Allâh do hearts find rest)

8. Love (المحبة): who made us love the faith and place it in our hearts? Allah (swt).

o Surah Al Hujurat 7: (وَلَـٰكِنَّ ٱللَّهَ حَبَّبَ إِلَيۡكُمُ ٱلۡإِيمَـٰنَ) (But Allâh has endeared the Faith to you )

9. Adornment (الزينة): Who made the faith an adornment and beautified it in our hearts? Allah (swt).

o Surah Al Hujurat 7: (وَزَيَّنَهُ ۥ فِى قُلُوبِكُمۡ) (and has beautified it in your hearts)

10. Protection from the evil (الحفاظ من السوء): Hating of kufr, shirk, disobedience.

o Surah Al Hujurat 7: (وَكَرَّهَ إِلَيۡكُمُ ٱلۡكُفۡرَ وَٱلۡفُسُوقَ وَٱلۡعِصۡيَانَ‌ۚ أُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ هُمُ ٱلرَّٲشِدُونَ) (and has made disbelief, wickedness and disobedience (to Allâh and His Messenger SAW) hateful to you. Such are they who are the rightly guided)

Types of hearts (انواع القلوب)

§ Ibn Qayyim Al Jawziah has divided the hearts in to four types according to the Quran and Sunnah:

1. The Sound Heart (القلب السليم): it is the alive, healthy, sound, tranquil, ‘white’ heart, it is adorned with faith and ikhlas, what does that mean? Only Allah (swt) is inside. The ten honors mentioned before are inside this heart. It is alive with is in constant istighfar.

2. The Sick Heart (القلب المريض): sometimes the faith is very high and sometimes the faith is low. This heart is fluctuating to extremes. With the right companions it is high and with the wrong companions it is low. Sometimes they are pulled to see the wrong things and hear the wrong things. They are quickly affected.

3. The Inverted Heart (القلب المنكوس): they do not see truth as truth and falsehood as falsehood. They see things as opposite, their vision is not straight, and it is twisted. Imagine how can the blood circulate properly in a twisted heart? How can the truth and faith enter a heart that is functioning in opposite? Subhan Allah.

4. The Dead Heart (القلب الميت): it is like a haunted house, dark and broken, like the heart of a disbeliever, and who is living in this heart? The shaitan and different evils. We ask Allah (swt) to protect us. Ameen.

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08 January 2014

Desires(الهوى)

Desire (الهوى) – Masjid Bani Hashim Linguistic meaning of (الهوى) desire

 (عشق و تمكن): extreme love
 (ميل): leaning towards, inclined
 (ارادة): want
 (محبة و غلبة): love and overpowering
 It also means something that falls from top to bottom, that is why there is a place in the hellfire

)هواية( called
 Allah (swt) always talks about (هوى) in a negative connotation. The only time it is praised when this

.is managed towards the love of Allah (swt), the Sunnah, love of Quran, etc )هوى( )آثر الهوى( Effects of desire

)ضعف العزيمة( and weakens your determination )فساد العقل(  Spoils the mind
 The desire becomes the captain of the ship and it begins to steer the mind. It becomes the leader,

and now it is steering both your heart and mind.
 § Surah Al Jathiya 23: (أَفَرَأَيْتَ مَنِ ٱتَّخَذَ إِلَـٰهَهُ هَوَاهُ) (Have you seen him who takes his own lust (vain desires) as his ilâh (god)?)
 Desire can lead to arrogance, that is why people who followe their desires do not accept it if

someone tries to correct them, they will always fight, why? Because their (هوى) is their god.
 Sins occur on the land because of (هوى). Those who do shirk and not follow the sunnah, they want to follow their (هوى). People who want to commit major sins, it is because of their (هوى), their desires.

Subhan Allah.
 (هوى) leads to ignorance, suppose a person is suffering from cancer, and they have the symptoms,

and when they are told to go to the doctor, they refuse, because they don’t want to change their routine. People of (هوى) are the same, they do not want to change their situation, their ways, their lifestyle.
,)هوى( leads to disobedience of Allah (swt), why? Because their god is not Allah (swt), it is their )هوى(  subhan Allah.
 It will make them far from the straight path. If you see their relationship with people, you will see that their manners are disliked, because they are always arguing, fighting, disrespecting others – so others do not respect them either.
 They spread mischief in the lands.
 § They forget the Day of Judgement, they forget that one day they have to stand in front of Allah (swt). Parable of the dog – Surah Al Arah 176: (وَلَوۡ شِئۡنَا لَرَفَعۡنَـٰهُ بِہَا وَلَـٰكِنَّهُ ۥۤ أَخۡلَدَ إِلَى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَٱتَّبَعَ هَوَٮٰهُ‌ۚ فَمَثَلُهُ ۥ كَمَثَلِ ٱلۡڪَلۡبِ إِن تَحۡمِلۡ عَلَيۡهِ يَلۡهَثۡ أَوۡ تَتۡرُڪۡهُ يَلۡهَث‌ۚ ذَّٲلِكَ مَثَلُ ٱلۡقَوۡمِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَذَّبُواْ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا‌ۚ فَٱقۡصُصِ ٱلۡقَصَصَ لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ) (And had We willed, We would surely have elevated him therewith but he clung to the earth and followed his own vain desire. So his parable is the parable of a dog: if you drive him away, he lolls his tongue out, or if you leave him alone, he (still) lolls his tongue out. Such is the parable of the people who reject Our Ayât (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.). So relate the stories, perhaps they may reflect)

 They are impressed to disobey Allah (swt) instead of obeying Him, subhan Allah.
 Those who follow their (هوى) become weak in accepting and seeing their faults. Because the shaitan

beautifies their desires and they do not see themselves in the wrong anymore.
 You find that they are irresponsible people, they have poor time management. They forget that they are important to their family, that they have a role to play. Why? Because they do not fear the akhira. Surah Al Mutafifeen 6: (يَوْمَ يَقُومُ ٱلنَّاسُ لِرَبِّ ٱلْعَالَمِينَ ) (The Day when (all) mankind will stand before

the Lord of the 'Alamîn (mankind, jinn and all that exists)?)
 They are very contagious – they can quickly affect others. Like someone who has the flu and has a

runny nose, you don’t want to sit to such people, especially if you have a weak immune system. This is similar to having weak faith. You can easily get affected with their talk and it can affect your heart very quickly.
 People of (هوى) are always complaining and are never pleased. They just want to gossip, slander, make fitna.
 They think a lot about pleasing others – they think if I should wear this or not, what will others say? They don’t think that Allah (swt) is watching them every second. Their concern is clearly their duniya, what others think of them.

)اتباع الهوى( Following of desire

 It becomes a sickness both in the heart and body.
 People of the duniya may praise you in front of you, but behind your back they are slandering you.

Whereas when people of the akhira compete, they are happy that you are doing good deeds, they want to teach you and make you move forward, subhan Allah. People of duniya are following their .and people of akhira are following Allah (swt) and the Sunnah (هوى)
 It can lead to the bad ending if they do not repent. They will not be able to answer the questions of the grave. Why? Because they did not invest for their akhira. Whatever Allah (swt) has written in terms of your provision you will get. But people of desire are not satisfied if they do not get what they want, so you see they are struggling in this life. In the end, they have lost both their duniya and akhira.
 There are seven people who are under the shade of the throne of Ar Rahman. If you see the common quality between all of them is they went against their (هوى). A just leader has to go against his (هوى) when making rules. A youth goes against his (هوى) despite the tempting world around him. The man who spends his time in the masjid, though he could have spent it in other places, he went .)هوى( against his
 It can lead to major sins and to the killing of the prophets, for example rejecting the Messenger (pbuh) and Jesus (as) and those who spoke wrongly about Mary, mother of Jesus (as).

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بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

(الهوى) Desire 08 January 2014

 § Surah Al An’am 119: (وَإِنَّ كَثِيرً۬ا لَّيُضِلُّونَ بِأَهۡوَآٮِٕهِم بِغَيۡرِ عِلۡمٍ‌ۗ) (And surely many do lead (mankind) astray by their own desires through lack of knowledge)
 People who follow their desires become blind and ignorant, and this leads to being astray. How to strive against desire

 We have to be always fearful that we are not following our desire until the time of death. Especially at the time of death, because the shaitan will appear in the form of someone whom we know who has died and he will say I died and I know the truth, and the truth is not Islam, istaghfar Allah. Only the one who lived for (الله اله الا لا) will be firm, how will the one who made his god his (هوى) be firm? Subhan Allah.
 We have to think why Allah (swt) created us. We have an aim in this life, we need to understand who is Our Creator, Our Rabb, and we have to know that Allah (swt) has provided everything for us.
 If the (هوى) starts running inside you, then we need a lot of istighfar and purification.
.)هوى(  Remind yourself of the ending of those who followed their
 (هوى) makes you blind, whenever we follow our desires, then what we are doing is disgusting and

ugly, but we don’t see it.
 We have to remember the power of Allah (swt), and that Allah is Al Haleem, The Forebearing. We

should not take advantage that Allah (swt) is forbearing, and just say Allah isThe Most Merciful and do what we want. You have to remember that Allah is also Strong in Punishment, it is balanced. We need to remember that our feelings towards Allah (swt) should be foremost love, and that is balanced with fear of His punishment and hope in His reward. Like a bird, who head represents love, and one wing is fear and the other is hope.
 When we travel and we see the transit are, we have to remember that we are also a traveler, with the duniya as our transit. Imam Ash Shafiee used to walk on a stick, they asked him why do you walk on a stick? He said it reminds me that we are travellers in this duniya, and can leave it anytime.

§ Surah Al Asr: (وَٱلۡعَصۡرِ (١) إِنَّ ٱلۡإِنسَـٰنَ لَفِى خُسۡرٍ (٢) إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ وَتَوَاصَوۡاْ بِٱلۡحَقِّ وَتَوَاصَوۡاْ بِٱلصَّبۡرِ (٣)) (By Al-'Asr (the time). (1) Verily, man is in loss, (2) Except those who believe (in Islâmic Monotheism) and do righteous good deeds, and recommend one another to the truth (i.e. order one another to perform all kinds of good deeds (Al-Ma'ruf) which Allâh has ordained, and abstain from all kinds of sins and evil deeds (Al-Munkar) which Allâh has forbidden), and recommend one another to patience)
 We need patience with everything. If you want to obey Allah (swt) you need patience, you want to control yourself from disobedience, you also need patience. And you have to remind yourself that Allah (swt) is watching you and you do not want to lose whatever deeds you have.
 You alone we worship and seek help (إ َّيا َك َنعبد َوإ َّيا َك َنستعين). Ask Allah (swt) to make the righteous good deeds beautiful in front your eyes. If you are heart is full of faith, you will want to do good deeds and please Allah (swt).
 Always have good companions, they are very powerful in influencing. We cannot live in a cave and seclude ourselves from others. We have to live with our family, but don’t make your surrounding around bad companions. And bad companions is not exclusive to people only, it can also be internet, computers, parties. As they say, (الصاحب ساحب) ‘the friend drags you along’.

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بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

(الهوى) Desire 08 January 2014

 If I want to do something I need to seek the help and guidance of Allah (swt), so we need to always ask Him.

Way to success

 (بذل الاسباب) take the means: someone who wants to quit smoking, he needs to stop going to the mini mart to buy it. Instead he can put something in his mouth like a miswak or gum. Allah (swt) wants to see your actions but remember that success comes from Allah (swt) alone.

§ Have the intention to do good deeds at least. Surah Al E Imran 159: (فَإِذَا عَزَمْتَ فَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُتَوَكِّلِينَ) (Then when you have taken a decision, put your trust in Allâh, certainly, Allâh loves those who put their trust (in Him)
 We have to try again, and again, we need to come back until we reach the success. )خطوات علاج اصحاب الاهواء( Steps to cure people of desire

 We have to think of the consequences of desire.
 The more we love Allah (swt), the shariah, the Quran, the sunnah, the more we will hate desire.

Success is always going against desire. When choose between two things, the one that is closer to

your desire then leave it.
 Never be satisfied with the duniya, because you are not here to be established on this earth, you are

here temporarily to please your Rabb. Allah (swt) is watching us and accounting us.
 Look at the people of desire, do you actually think they are living a good life? They are so far away

from Allah (swt) the Most Powerful and that can only mean a miserable life.
 We have to advice each other and support. Surah Al Asr 3: (َو َت َوا َصواْ بٱل َحق َو َت َوا َصواْ بٱل َّصبر ) (Recommend one another to the truth (i.e. order one another to perform all kinds of good deeds (Al-Ma'ruf) which Allâh has ordained, and abstain from all kinds of sins and evil deeds (Al-Munkar) which Allâh

has forbidden), and recommend one another to patience))
 Believers have to be merciful to each other and help each other. Because when we are advising

others, we are also reminding ourselves.
 When we follow our desires, then our faith is stripped away. It means success left us, Allah (swt) is

no longer with us and now all of our enemies are with us. We lose the door of tawfeeq, why? Because we lost Allah (swt). Just as they forget Allah, Allah (swt) will forget them on the Day of Judgement.
 Duniya is very tempting and we are created with desire, but we have to learn to manage it. We cannot become stoic, with no desire, because Allah (swt) created us with desire and Allah (swt) wants what is beneficial for us, not harmful.
 Desire is a sickness, and the cure is to go against it.
 We have to remember the danger of anger. If we do not control it, it will damage everything,

ourselves and those around us. And in the end, we end up regretting, subhan Allah.
 To strive against your desire is the greatest struggle, subhan Allah.

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بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

(الهوى) Desire 08 January 2014

 Committing sins and following your desire go together and performing good deeds and going against your desire go together. For example, we really want to stay under the blanket in the morning and stay asleep, but we have to go against our desire to wake up and pray fajr.
 We have to have determination to get rid of our desire.
 We have to love the deen and the shariah, and there are people who made their (هوى) to please

Allah (swt) and to follow the sunnah of the Prophet (pbuh).
 Allah (swt) describes those follow their desires as cattle and even lower.
 Allah (swt) gave us a very high position in this duniya, to lead. And to become a leader you need

knowledge and a balanced life. Why did Allah (swt) not give paradise to the angels? Why did Allah (swt) make the angels prostrate to Adam? (اني اعلم ما لا تعلمون) (Verily I know what you do not). Allah (swt ) wants to elevate us in ranks and we are bring ourselves down, even lower than cattle, subhan Allah.
 We have to remember that the pain that comes after committing the sin is greater than the pain of controlling your desire before it, subhan Allah.
 (هوى) damages the taste of faith, the light of guidance, the taste of reading the Quran and praying – desire jeopardizes the taste.
 Our weakest enemy is the shaitan, our strongest enemy is our nafs, our (هوى). Shaitan will not come .)هوى( if you are strong in controlling your
.)هوى(  We are being unjust to ourselves when we begin to follow our
 Paradise has been lined with things you don’t like, ie: controlling your anger, waking up in the early

morning, etc. But hellfire has been lined with temptations, and following our (هوى) is very attractive. Majority are on the road to temptation, that is why the Prophet (pbuh) said holding on to the faith is like hold a burning coal in your hand. Imagine when you make bukhoor and you see that charcoal, can you even hold that? Subhan Allah.
 Every human being has a beginning and an ending. It’s like a race, there is starting line and an end. So we have to think what do we want in the end, what do we want to leave behind, how much goodness do we want to do, which level of jennah do we want? So we need to think about this in the beginning.
 If the akhira is in the heart and it has filled the heart, then there is no space for duniya. If the duniya is in the heart, then there is no space for the akhira.
 The duniya will come to you, whatever is written for you, will come. But you are not guaranteed to have the akhira. For example, once there was a goat that was ready to be slaughtered, and while being at that moment between life and death, he ate grass, why? Because that is provision that is written for him, and he will have it no matter what, even if he is at the point of death, subhan Allah.

§ Hadith: (عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ مَنْ كَانَتِ الآخِرَةُ هَمَّهُ جَعَلَ اللَّهُ غِنَاهُ فِي قَلْبِهِ وَجَمَعَ لَهُ شَمْلَهُ وَأَتَتْهُ الدُّنْيَا وَهِيَ رَاغِمَةٌ وَمَنْ كَانَتِ الدُّنْيَا هَمَّهُ جَعَلَ اللَّهُ فَقْرَهُ بَيْنَ عَيْنَيْهِ وَفَرَّقَ عَلَيْهِ شَمْلَهَ وَلَمْ يَأْتِهِ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا إِلاَّ مَا قُدِّرَ لَهُ ‏") ("Whoever makes the Hereafter his goal, Allah makes his heart rich, and organizes his affairs, and the world comes to him whether it want to or not. And whoever makes the world his goal, Allah puts his poverty right before his eyes, and disorganizes his affairs, and the world does not come to him, except what has been decreed for him.") – Jami At Tirmidhi, Book 37, Hadith 2653

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THE LOVE OF ALLAH

18th December 2013

How to make our Hawah according to Allah’s pleasure?

“Whoever puts those desires under their leg”, means they have control over their desires. The Shaytan is very weak. The minute we are able to control the Hawah, we control ourselves totally. There will then be no way for the Shaytan to enter our castle.

The mind follows Qur’an and Sunnah by instinct. But when we follow our Hawah, our mind will go astray and stop following the right path.

Umar (raa) was so strong in controlling his Hawah that Shaytan would change his way not to cross him!

What is the secret to control the Hawah?

o By knowing your enemy: the Shaytan. Knowing his weak points is the key. This is the Sabr that we need. If our Nafs is strong, then we do not deal with Shaytan.

o When we make our Hawah for Qur’an and Sunnah it is considered a good Hawah. But when Allah talks about Hawah in Qur’an it relates to the bad Hawah.

“When we go against the Hawah, that is the success.”

For example: When we have two things to choose, we need to think which one of the two things is closer to our heart and we need to choose the other one. This is the choice that will lead to success. Because the minute we follow our Hawah, it will not lead to success.

If you want to win your Dunia and Akhirah you need to choose the difficult options, that is the Jihad that you will make. Choosing the closest to our heart will result in following our Hawah.

It is a battlefield! It is the Big Jihad! Being able to control everything within ourselves is the hardest. Isn’t it that building muscles for the bodyguards of your castle?

[Surah Najm -Verse 23]

“They are not but [mere] names you have named them - you and your forefathers - for which Allah has sent down no authority. They follow not except assumption and what [their] souls desire, and there has already come to them from their Lord guidance.”

Following our desires lead us to having assumptions and our mind will then be under the control of the Hawah. The minutes the Hawah comes to the land of piety, it will kill the Eman, taqwa…

Hadith: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:

· “When Allah created Paradise, He said to Jibreel: ‘Go and look at it.’ Jibreel went and looked at it, then came and said: ‘O my Lord! By Thy might, no one who hears of it will fail to enter it.’   Allah then surrounded it with disagreeable things, and said: ‘Go and look at it, Jibreel.’ He went and looked at it, then came and said: ‘O my Lord! By Thy might, I am afraid that no one will enter it.’  

· When Allah created Hell, He said: ‘Go and look at it, Jibreel.’ Jibreel went and looked at it, then came and said: ‘O my Lord! By Thy might, no one who hears of it will enter it. ‘  Allah then surrounded it with desirable things and said: ‘Go and look at it, Jibreel.’ Jibreel went, looked at it, then came and said: ‘O my Lord! By Thy might and power, I am afraid that no one will remain who does not enter it.’ [Abu Daud]

Paradise is not easy to reach! We need to do Ijtihaad (struggle) to get it. Where is our struggle when we are bombarded by our friends, family, work… Where is your Jihad when dealing with all those trials?

Parable: “Eman is like a country which has many boundary walls:

Shaytan is trying to enter from the weakest boundary wall. He will not attack the strongest wall first! We will target your weakness. Shaytan is trying to break each wall, one after the other.

· One wall is made out of brick: Very weak: it represents Your etiquette, Your character… When Shaytan control our manners he will attack us on our Sunnah.

· One wall is made out Strong stone: Following the Sunnah. Shaytan will try to make you lazy on the Sunnan deeds.

· One wall is made our of Iron: The compulsory things. Shaytan will then make you leave your Fard actions. He will make you forget the Fard.

· One wall is made out of Silver: Having Ikhlass. Shaytan will then start making you doing good deeds for fame, Dunia…

· One wall is made out of Gold: Yaqeen. This is the top level! Yaqeen is believing in a way that we feel, experience it. Shaytan will finally start putting doubt in our heart about Akhirah.

The way you can stop Shaytan from breaking your boundary walls is to do Jihad!

Some consequences of following our Hawah mentioned in the Qur’an:

· “But those who wrong follow their [own] desires without knowledge. Then who can guide one whom Allah has sent astray? And for them there are no helpers.” [Qur’an: 30:29]

According to this verse we understand that following our desires can lead us to do injustice, and then be astray.

· “Say, "Indeed, I have been forbidden to worship those you invoke besides Allah ." Say, "I will not follow your desires, for I would then have gone astray, and I would not be of the [rightly] guided." [Qur’an: 6:56]

What makes people do Shirk? It is following their desires. Hawah may lead us to Shirk. Shirk then leads to Kufr (denying our Rabb).

· “And keep yourself patient [by being] with those who call upon their Lord in the morning and the evening, seeking His countenance. And let not your eyes pass beyond them, desiring adornments of the worldly life, and do not obey one whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance and who follows his desire and whose affair is ever [in] neglect.” [Al-Kahf -Verse 28]

Following our Hawah will lead to the heedless, forgetfulness of Allah’s remembrance. Their heart became heedless. Then it leads us to not worship Allah the way it should be.

· But if the Truth had followed their inclinations, the heavens and the earth and whoever is in them would have been ruined. Rather, We have brought them their message, but they, from their message, are turning away. [Qur’an: 23:71]

When we follow our Hawah, we create corruption in the Heavens and Earth. The hypocrites are those who spread corruption because they follow their desires.

How much blood would be shed if we followed our Hawah? Allah protect us…

If you want to please Allah, you have to take the means and struggle. Have knowledge, learn the weaknesses and strength of your enemy and don’t think about your rest so much. We are here for a reason; we are in Dunia to succeed in Akhirah. We need to become As-Saabiqoon. Our mistake is that we do not do our Homework and say: “Allah is Most pardoning, Most Merciful”

Do you want to reach Success? Brainstorming is required to reach the highest level of Paradise:

“Try it; fail; try again; do it again, and again till you succeed.”

“Do again and again till you reach Success! Keep on doing! Be like an aunt!”

Example of the ants: Look at the ants when they want to climb a wall, they never give up! They collect in summer to have food during the winter. They are planning for the future. They even kill the ones among them who lie! An experiment was lead with ants. A scientist put a piece of sugar in a box full of ants. One of them found it and called all the other ants to get the piece of sugar. The scientist removed it before they reached and after the second time this happened the ants kill the one who called them to the sugar! Ants are so disciplined, not like us! They are united, not like us! They even have cleaners! They have farmers, soldiers… Beautiful society!

· “And I will mislead them, and I will arouse in them [sinful] desires, and I will command them so they will slit the ears of cattle, and I will command them so they will change the creation of Allah ." And whoever takes Satan as an ally instead of Allah has certainly sustained a clear loss.” [Qur’an: 4: 119]

The Hawah leads to misguidance. When we follow our Hawah, the mind becomes useless because it is a slave of the Hawah.

Three ways that we can claim that we love Allah more than anything:

1. To control the Hawah, to polish it the way Qur’an and Sunnah says.

2. There is Hawah that comes from people. Today it is very difficult to have Muttaqeen friends surrounding us. Those who are in control of their Nafs. If a person is ignorant, it is easy to advice. The problem comes when knowledge is there but the Hawah is still followed. Because denial will start. Iblis had the same problem! He used to be very beautiful in his worship. We cannot become blind out of love and follow the Hawah from people when they push us towards it.

3. The Hawah from Shaytan is the easiest way because he is very weak. If we control the two first Hawah it is then easy to fight the Shaytan.

How can we do Jihad against our Hawah?

· If my nafs tells me to do smth, I go against it.

· It will lead you to Dunia consequences.

· The Hawah is blind. We see it beautiful when we follow it.

· Those who follow their desires are not earning respect. How low they become! And how strong we become when going against our desires!

· You are like a shaheed on a battlefield, don’t give up… you are in a battle.

· Patience is little time but the reward is much bigger! In Akhirah we will see the Dunia as half a day!

· A lot of dua are required. We cannot control any Hawah without Allah. Ask protection against hypocrisy…

· Aim to please Allah Alone. Stick to the friends who are aiming the same like you. They will be your friends in Akhirah too! Never leave them.

· To know Allah is also another way to be in control of our Hawah.

· Be careful from bad companions who can pull you towards leading your Hawah. They are contagious. Are we checking our heart if we have hypocrisy the same way we check our body from virus? Be kind to them but be in control when dealing with them.

· Take heed from the stories of those who are following their desires. Usually the consequences are bad!

· Be careful not to be so relaxed in this Dunia. There is an aim behind Dunia, it is very dangerous if we forget our purpose of life.

· Worship Allah Alone and ask help form Him to control your nafs. He never gets tired from your Dua’, not like human beings! He will give you!

· Do Jihad against your Nafs.

· Having enjoyment in following the Shariah.

· Having the enjoyment of studying the Qur’an and Sunnah.

A list of all what you need to think about at all time:

· Hawah is a disease. The cure for it is going against the Hawah.

· To have dignity is to go against the Hawah (not watching tempting movie, not wearing revealing clothes, not listening to music…)

· Doing sins and following the Hawah are like husband and wife (always together). Hawah will lead us to do sins!

· The dignity, self-respect is when we control our Hawah.

· Eman is like a cloth that we cover our body with. Following the Hawah is as if we are removing those clothes from our body.

· The Hawah are most dangerous in 2 places: Stomack (eating halam, drinking halam, smelling halam…) and private parts. Do not go close to Hawah because it will tempt you till you sin.

· When you are in trouble choose the option that is against your Hawah. Later you will say it was the right decision.

· When we control our Hawah, it is success in Dunia and Akhirah. Those who follow their Hawah are into darkness and they will fail in Dunia and Akhirah.

· To get Paradise it needs a lot of patience and struggle.

· Following Hawah may lead to Kufr and Shirk!

· Hawah and mind can’t be at the same level. One will always control the other. So make your mind control your Hawah.

· It is like a bee in a honey jar. If she goes after her desire, she will fall into the jar and be stock in it. So be in control.

11th December 2013

Love of Allah

We need to polish ourselves and adjust our Hawah the way Allah wants it to be.

1. Our obstacles:

We are at war inside ourselves with two major things:

· Our desires: it is an obstacle for our success. Success is to reach Jannah and the pleasure of Allah. The Hawah is the biggest enemy of our mind. Hawah and mind can’t go together. Hawah is actually bigger than “desires”. It is something that makes us fall down from high. Hawah is the reason that takes us away from the straight path. Never let your Hawah control you and become like an idol.

· The Shaitan.

2. Our aim is:

Our purpose of life is to please Our Creator. Striving for that aim is already a blessing from Allah. He alone gives us His Tawfiq to work for His Deen.

3. Our path is:

The straight path is the “Siraatul mustaqeem” from Qur’an and Sunnah. The desires pull us away from the right path. It acts like a big magnet that deviates us and puts us into darkness. Our Nafs is actually a bigger enemy than Shaitan!

A brave person can control his desire. Allah gave us mind. Allah programed our mind according to Sunnah and Quran but if we do not use it the right way, it will mislead us from the straight path. Our mind is what makes us different than other creations but if some of us do not use it for its purpose, Allah compares them to cattle in the Qur’an.

“Have you seen the one who takes his own desires as a god: are you to be his guardian? Do you think that most of them hear or reason? They are just like cattle –no, they are even farther astray from the path” [Qur’an- 25:43-44]

· Advice of Ali ibn Talib (raa):

“I am scared for you for two very important things:

1. Long hopes.

2. Following the desires.”

Explanation:

1. When we have long hopes, we forget Akhirah. All the deeds that we do in this Dunya are never lost. We need to use it to our best for our Akhirah. Consider this Dunya is the “ashaab” (means) to reach our final goal. Allah gave us good friends, good gathering, time… This life is our investment for Akhirah. We will harvest and eat the fruits of our work only in Akhirah. If used purposely, Dunya is not bad; it is simply a means to achieve success.

We never know if we will reach the end of the day. The Sahabah were different than us because they remembered that fact every minute of their lives.

2. When we follow our desires, it is as if we were blind. We do not see the truth. Desires will surely deviate us from the straight path.

We are safe and secured when we are following the Sunnah. Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “ you will not succeed until you make your desires according to Sunnah and Qur’an”

The straight path is the straight path, the correct path. Shaitan knows it and sits on it in order to distract us. Being aware of that, we need to know the tricks of our enemy! Knowledge is the key of success. It is important to understand why we are here as well as knowing our enemy.

When we follow our Hawah we are following the path of blindness and deviate from the straight path.

Prophet (peace be upon him) once drew a line on the sand and said: “This is Allah’s path”. He then drew several lines to the right and to the left and said: “these are the paths of misguidance on each of which is a devil inviting people to follow it”

Hawah are like a trap. If we fall in it, we won’t stop falling in it unless Allah saves us. It will keep on hurting us again and again. No one can come out of it without injuries.

How to be safe? How to protect ourselves?

· Improve your relation with Allah: Know Allah. Learn Aqeedah, Qur’an, Sunnah.

The creed is only one. It came as it is, so we need to follow it as it is.

· By watching over ourselves: “What are my deeds? Where do we want to reach? What do I leave behind?”

If we truly respect ourselves we should then never accept our mistakes and correct it immediately.

· By having good friends, good gatherings. This is a reminder. Allah gives barakah when you share Khair in Jam’aa.

[Surah al-Asr] We learn from Surah Al-Asr that patience is required in order to control our desires!

“Controlling the Hawah can be compared to driving a car at very fast speed and suddenly facing a huge obstacle in front of you that would destroy you if you do not avoid it. Your reaction should be to use maximum break to not bang it! And for that you need a lot of patience.”

Look at the history of Hawah: Why do people do Shirk? Why do they do Bid'aa?

The core of the problem has always been Hawah.

Shaitan will see your weaknesses and will use that window to deviate you from the straight path! So we need to do Ijtihaad to stop him.

· Umar ibn Khattab (raa) said:

o “Stop yourself from the temptation because the truth is very heavy.”

The truth is heavy, bitter because the Dunia is full of temptations.

o The friends who are tempting you towards the wrong are looking so happy and beautiful apparently. Choose your friends wisely.

We are made of Body and Ruh. Ruh is faith, Akhlaaq, intention… Ruh has an effect on others. The good companions’ advices are like diamonds.

o To leave the sin is easier than treating the illness with tawbah.

Would you jump from a mountain intentional knowing that you would break your leg and then go to hospital to cure it? NO! It is too painful! Better you avoid the sin than curing it later. Before committing a sin, stop from it as far as asking forgiveness is hard.

o Maybe one eye look will grow shahawaat inside the heart. It will hit the heart and makes it bleed.

Don’t look at haram, don’t watch movies that teach you haram… because this is what will create the desires inside you.

o 1 hour of following your desire will create a very long sadness on the Day of Judgment.

Even the people of Jannah will regret 1 hour, which they did not do anything during.

o Account yourself.

Be very honest. Open the book in your heart. Do not deny anything you do. Today should be better than yesterday and tomorrow should be better than today. Otherwise change the model of the “car”/ your way of life! Or refill the petrol!

· Another advice: Two meetings happen every morning. The deeds and the Hawah meet. If the deeds follow the Hawah. That day is bad. But if the Hawah is following the deeds, it is like petrol, energy. If your temptation is to please Allah. How much will you do? That day will become beautiful.

Allah made the heart king. The heart is for Allah only. All the rest is for us. Unless we remember that we don’t own our heart, we won’t be happy!

“Imagine twisting your arm from its normal place all the time! It will pain you! The heart will pain if it is deviated from the way it should be. Only turned your heart to Allah.”

The mind follows the heart. The mind will then give the orders to the limbs (soldiers). Happiness can’t be reached when these 3 things don’t go in the same direction.

Verse 61. “Allah’s guidance is the guidance.”

Even Prophet (peace be upon him) could not guide his uncle!

In Surah Taha - ayah 15: Allah says:

“Indeed, the Hour is coming - I almost conceal it - so that every soul may be recompensed according to that for which it strives.”

Only Allah knows when the last day will come because this is the test. Do we believe in the Unseen? If the unseen were open to us, everybody would believe and worship Allah.

Jibra'eel (as) saw paradise: “I don’t think anybody can reach except if You have mercy on them”

“Hawah comes into our heart when we do not believe enough in the Akhirah.”

Don’t sit with the people from the family of Hawa. There are family of Qur’an who study it, love it, and sit with them instead.

Ex: 3 blind men and an elephant. You send each blind man touching the elephant from each side. They will all describe it differently. Lesson: “Happiness in life is seen differently by each one of us.”

· So don’t sit with those who are family of Hawah. Because the light of your Eman will become less in your castle.

Hadith:

Handala Al-Osayyidi (may Allah be pleased with him) said that he passed by Abu-Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) weeping. Abu-Bakr (raa) said to him: “What is wrong with you Handala!” Hanzdala said: “Handala has committed hypocrisy Abu-Bakr! When we are with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) he reminds us of Paradise and Hellfire, as if we see them with our own eyes, but when we return to our wives and possessions we forget much.” Abu-Bakr said: “By Allah, we suffer the same. So, let us go to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). We went to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). When he saw us he said: “What is wrong with you Handala!” Handala said: “Handala has committed hypocrisy Messenger of Allah! When we are with you Messenger of Allah, you remind us of Paradise and Hellfire, and it is as if we see them with our own eyes, but when we return to our wives and possessions we forget much.” “The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “Had you clung to the state you leave me, the angels would shake hands with you in your seats, pathways, and on your beds. But Handala! One should fulfill his obligations (to give the due rights of Allah to Him, etc.)” [At-Tirmidhi]

The hadith tells us that faith will go up and down but we need to fix it quickly and it goes down. Otherwise:

· The beauty of the face will go. The real beauty is when the heart is full of Eman. The heart reflects on our face.

· Hatred will come into your heart.

A Jew was saying that he was never disturbed by Shaitan. The Muslims told him because Shaitan tries to steal from the rich’s house only. Faith is precious and it is always at risks if we do not care for it.

The effects of People of Hawah on you:

· Lots of smoke will come into your heart

· The faith will go little down

· The beauty of your face will be affected

· It creates uneasiness in your heart.

· It becomes like if the aim is only to please your stomach and private parts

In Surah Najm - Verse 23 - Allah says:

When a person follows the Hawah he will have doubts, the Hawah will occupy the mind, the Hawah is a very bad invader to the mind.

In Surah Al-Baqarah - Verse 87 - Allah says:

“And We did certainly give Moses the Torah and followed up after him with messengers. And We gave Jesus, the son of Mary, clear proofs and supported him with the Pure Spirit. But is it [not] that every time a messenger came to you, [O Children of Israel], with what your souls did not desire, you were arrogant? And a party [of messengers] you denied and another party you killed.”

Bani Israeel were known to deny their messenger and followed their arrogance. They killed prophets, disobeyed them… because they followed their desires.

When we follow our desires we might fall into arrogance.

Example of faith:

Like a country that has boundaries: one of gold, one of silver one of stone, one of iron and one of bricks.

It is like our heart, when we have

1. Yaqeen - gold

2. Ikhlass - silver

3. Fard - iron

4. Sunnan - stone

5. Adaab - brick

Shaitan will attack from down to up, gradually.

20st November 2013

Love of Allah

How to?

· Save my heart and mind?

· Be Productive?

· Enter Paradise?

By Fearing Allah.

Healthy fear is required in Islam. Because it psychologically makes you balanced in life.

Example: All sahaba used to strive for Paradise because of their fear of Allah.

Healthy fear:

· It makes us do more good deeds

· It protects us from haram

How to fear Allah?

· To know our Rabb, to love him to worship him. 99 names of Allah and attributes needs to be understand and memorize.

· To know that Allah is watching me all time.

· Also learning the law of Allah

· Always having need of Allah

· Remembering this Dunya is just a passage

· Having good friends who will make u remember Allah SWT

· Quran - it should be food for our soul all time, Tadabur.

· Thinking about Akhirah

· Listening to lecture

· Reading good books

The only person who can save You is You! Nobody else.

Passion turns kings into slaves, and patience turns slaves into kings... Do you not see the story of Yusuf and Zulaykha?”

Good companions are like palm trees. Everything is beneficial in them! They love you for yourself, not for what you can give them. They will help you stay in control of your Hawah.

On the contrary, bad companions will pull you towards following your desires. They are like the blacksmith who will burn your clothes if you get too close from him.

Generally, people are afraid from the people of Qur’an, they flee like the zebra flee from the lion!

Allah says:

“Then what is [the matter] with them that they are, from the reminder, turning away?

As if they were alarmed donkeys,

Fleeing from a lion?”

[Qur’an 74:51-53]

Parable of Ibn Qayyim on AlHawah:

· Your Heart is like a castle.

· Your mind lives inside your heart.

· There are doors, gaps and tracks in the boundaries of your castle.

· Guards are protecting your castle. These guards are your consciousness of Allah/ Taqwa.

· At the entrance of your castle there is a big mirror for you to easily see who tries to enter inside your castle. This mirror should always be clean and shiny in order to be useful.

· In your castle you have a room where your animals are. These animals are your temptations.

· The visitor of your animals is Shaytan.

· The role of Shaytan is to make smoke so that your mirror becomes black. He tries to invade your castle through the gaps that are left unprotected.

· The faith is the light of your castle. It is what brightens your mirror and allows you to clearly differentiate the right from the wrong. Tawbah is a mean of cleaning your mirror and keep your heart pure from any dirty spots.

“You are the only person who can save yourself! You alone can elevate yourself. The determination should come from you and hold on to Allah all the time!”

Just like travelling…

Whenever we travel we plan and organise our luggage and plan our route towards destination.

We are travelling towards Akhirah so the same way we need to plan for it:

· The destination is the pleasure of Allah, Jannatul Firdeaus.

· The path is the straight path

· The tools are the good deeds. You should be addicted to good deeds as well as learn from and admit our mistakes.

“The biggest mistake a person can do is to say, “I am not making mistakes””

· Du’a and repentance are also required during our journey to Akhirah.

· The scale for our luggage (manners and good deeds) is Prophet Mohammed (saw)

The heart has to be compatible with the mind. The more we follow the Sunnah, the more Allah will love us and help us. And this is when Allah will make you satisfied.

On the other hand, those who follow their desires are traveling on the path of disobedience following the footsteps of Shaytan. And their scale is Shaytan and his evil attributes.

Allah warns us in Qur’an about the dangers of following our desires. Because it is one of the main reason to makes us far from the straight path.

What can help us?

· When Dunia is under our feet. Shaytan runs away from people who do not value Dunia at all.

Whenever Umar (raa) would come, Shaytan would run away in fear from him. This was because Umar (raa) did not value Dunia and his fear of Allah was extremely high.

· Patience and Knowledge are also a source of help.

· The success is when you disobey what your desires order you to do.

*********************************************************************************

13th November 2013

We should remain away from every cause that comes between Allah and us.

Definition of Hawa:

· Hawa = “air”. It is empty; you will not get anything from it. No benefit at all.

· You will run behind it.

· The devil makes it attractive.

· It is this love that occupies the heart and mind.

· It is something that falls from very high: desires make you fall from the height of your faith to very low pleasures.

· It is a curve. Heart and mind are made for a purpose but when this invader comes in between, it drives us to wherever it wants. Especially when we do not live according to the Quran and Sunnah.

· There is a place in Hell AlHawiyah: always (very hot). Because when the people will fall in Hell they will fall from a height.

· It is something that a person becomes determined about and it becomes like a driver for him. Temptations when the emotions are in control of our actions. Like children for example, they insist and are occupied by their desires.

There are two types of Desires:

Shubuhaat: Doubts (usually in deen) and Shahawaat: Wants.

Shubuhaat:

Human being when they reject become arrogant and fight for their opinion till they make a new sect. Shubuhaat are very dangerous because it takes us very far from the straight path and it is difficult to come back to the city.

Shahawaat: are desires, attractions. It is a sin but it is little less dangerous than shubuhaat but if we sunk in it is dangerous for our khaatimah.

Two types of Hawah:

· Hawa Al mahmood: desirable, it is not a sin. Means I am thirsty and I desire to drink water. It is halal. When you know your limitations, this is mahmood. It is a food for our heart; it is like energy for us. It is required and it is power for us and need it for life. We are safe because we obey Allah and Mohammed (saw). Our Deen is to be with people. There are laws that we need to follow. If you follow those laws it gives you a promotion. The mind is the difference between animal and humans. When we disable our mind, there are no difference between animals and us. When we follow the laws we are given the honour and being promoted. Whatever attracts us, we are in control of it.

Even in the jungle animals have rules. Life is full of rules. In the jungle, the king is the lion! Punishment is set if any animal cross the rule. Even in the jungle! So don’t complain about the rules of Allah for us.

Allah says in Surah Al-A’raaf - Ayah 176:

“And if We had willed, we could have elevated him thereby, but he adhered [instead] to the earth and followed his own desire. So his example is like that of the dog: if you chase him, he pants, or if you leave him, he [still] pants. That is the example of the people who denied Our signs. So relate the stories that perhaps they will give thought.”

We are like dogs when we follow our desires that are outside of the law of Allah.

· Hawah Al Mathmoon: when we leave our desires we actually go above Allah and Muhammad (saw). We cross the limits. This hawah will make you go astray. We go behind bidah and leave the Sunnah when we have this type of Hawah. We also fall into sins when our desires come above Allah’s rules. It is also false, not true.

Signs of those who follow their Hawah:

· Always see themselves better than others, superior.

· They are not balanced in their life; they do not have laws, principles, and disciple. They waste their time, money without thinking of the consequences.

· They do not like other persons to advice them.

· They do not have good relationships because they are not organised.

· They cannot be productive person. Everyone should be productive. Help your friends, family, society. They do not have any input of being productive. They are the same everyday.

· “Al Hawai” is never just to his enemies. They never see good things in the person they don’t love.

Example: When Aisha (raa) was accused, she was just with the accusers. The sister of Zainab accused her and she used to say my biggest competitor in Dunia was Zainab (raa). But she used to speak good about Zainab (raa) always. She said: “I have never seen a pious women than Zainab”.

Even if they do injustice be just to people because if you are just with people Allah will be just with you. Don’t become slave of your anger and desires.

· When they praise and criticize they are extreme. No balance.

These points are psychology. Our Deen is teaching us and it builds our personality. Everything is in our Deen.

· The way they speak is mixed with right and wrong. It is not focused. They will say so many things. They are not logic.

· They are never productive for themselves or others.

· They are very stingy. They don’t like to spend and help. They are not charitable. They can’t share and they collect and hide what they have. They don’t like anybody to be better than them. They don’t smile easily or only to those who can benefit them.

· They will agree only with people who think like them. They don’t accept others’ opinions

· They slip very easily into sins, bidah, shirk… Easy for them to joke about the Deen…

· They never have mercy for others in their conversation. They will cut the others argument and will try to win always. They will want to win in bad way or good way. They love themselves.

Our nafs causes us to do bad. If your nafs does not want you to do the good deeds then you also disobey your nafs by doing the bad deeds. The nafs should be disobeyed! This is jihad, struggle. You need to come out of your nafs and make your nafs follow you. You become the driver, leader.

Why do we follow the Hawah?

· No discipline as a child.

· Bad companions:

Rasul Allah (saw) said: "The example of a good companion and a bad one is the bearer of musk and the worker on the fires. A bearer of musk would give you some, you might buy some from him, or you might enjoy the fragrance of his musk. The worker on the fires, on the other hand, might spoil your clothes with sparks from his bellows, or you get a bad smell from him." [Sahih Bukhari]

Pious friends are like musk Bad companions can be through media (tv mobile>>.) not only people. We become like them.

· Lack of Knowledge.

· They are like this because no one advises them.

· They love Dunia.

Verse 43: when the hawa becomes like a god. How can you guide him?

1- The people who worship the idol: it will not harm them not benefit them, It had no value, the idols doesn’t have any ability

2- The desire: it will surely harm them, the desire becomes the leader, because it has value, desires control the minds and it is the door for Shaytan.

The effect of Hawah on us?

· They will loose saying the truth. They lie and live. Truth has no place in them.

· They loose their mind, because it becomes the slave of their desires.

· They become occupy and think only one way not the big picture.

· They become like a slave, not happy inside, because they cannot fully serve their desires. Because if you give it freedom it will not end. Like the thirsty person who goes after the seawater.

· They are hating people and are jealous. They are not settled inside because they are not getting what they want. It burns them.

· They are not satisfied.

· They become contagious to others. They may affect you because they will tempt others. Uthman bin Afwaan (raa) said: “The women who does adultery, the all society will follow her”. They will convince others that what they do is not wrong.

· They live life today and forget their standing in front of Allah.

· They are irresponsible. They are selfish. They have to do what they want and don’t care who that will harm (ex: smokers don’t care about harming their own families). They only serve their hunger.

· They are unorganised. They don’t bother about their schedule. They do not account themselves.

· They are moody. They are unsettled.

· They are looser and not productive, can’t see their faults anymore

· They have the disease in their heart. Sick in their body and heart. They have taken the wrong path. They are lost and use all the means to disobey Allah.

· They cannot control their mind. Like if you are driving the train, if you loose the control of the break, it will crash and kill everyone.

· They do corruption in heavens and earth. As individual or as a group. They are not bothered about the consequences. They don’t care about the pollution, harm…

· They are very unjust. They reach to the extent of being tyrants. They don’t care of others only of themselves.

· They will deviate people. People need people and will try to pull people towards their way and lead them to Kufr, Bidah, Shikr.

· They loose the respect for others.

· Disease of heart.

· The body becomes tired. They are not healthy physically.

· It causes a lot of anger and enmity.

· It causes a lot of insult. Their reputation becomes bad because they lie…

· They loose the Akhirah.

· The Hell is their destination.

· They are not under the shade of Allah.

· The more they go behind their desires, the tighter their grave becomes.

· They fall into Shirk, Kufr,

We are made of aqel, mind and limbs. The heart is the king. All the rest is the soldiers. Like in a ship, you are the captain. They are people working for you in the other room. These people follow your commands. Your limbs are the ship.

4 enemies in life:

· Nafs which drags you to sins (inside)

· The shaytan (inside)

· Bad companions, colleagues, family (outside)

· Dunia when it is bad (outside)

Follow the Sunnah and Quran in a balanced manner.

When your desires becomes according to the Sunnah. Prophet (saw) lived like a human being. He saw these men who stopped themselves from halal and he told them: “who doesn’t follow my Sunnah are not from me”

Surah Al- Furqaan. Ayah 68:

“And those who do not invoke with Allah another deity or kill the soul which Allah has forbidden [to be killed], except by right, and do not commit unlawful sexual intercourse. And whoever should do that will meet a penalty.”

The 3 most dangerous sins that might make a person into destruction, Allah mentions in one ayah.

How?

· Shirk: when the heart is clinged to other than Allah.

· Killing: when the nafs is controlled by anger is not balanced. (ask the killers why they killed…)

· Adultery: starts by the eyes. Lower your eyes. Smile then, they shake hand, they the date and the zena starts. When the nafs is tempted by the desires it leads to adultery.

When the mind is high (wisdom starts) when it is low (ignorance starts). Anger is not always bad if it is balanced and controlled. When you use the energy of anger without the fire of it. When you are determined and you will know how to defend your views in a right way without harming anybody. Without hurting just using the energy. Also being a coward if bad.

The shahawaat are natural since Adam (as) who also followed his desire. We just need to balance this attraction and become self-respected. The dog is ugly not respected because he is panting, following his desires. When we are fearful for our Akhirah, we become controlled. Yusuf (as) is our example. A lady who became a slave of her desires tried to tempt him.

What makes you far from Allah?

· Doubt in Deen (Quran and Sunnah).

· The temptation when it becomes your leader.

· The anger when fueled in the wrong way.

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23th October 2013

The love of Allah is like energy fuel that we put into our heart and keeps our faith strong. It is the coolness of our eyes and the delight of never being depressed or sad. The more we become slaves of Allah, the more we love Allah and gain closeness to Him. The love of Allah is also light.

We all claim to love Allah! No matter whom we ask, everyone claim to love Allah. But do we really love Him?

Prophet (saw)’s character was Qur’an. He had the most perfect Akhlaaq.

In Dunia, for everything we have a scale to judge weight, distance and measure precisely quantity of things. “The scale of our Akhlaaq is Prophet (saw)! And he was Qur’an! How do we behave in comparison to him and what the Qur’an contains?”

Allah gives us Paradise in exchange of following Prophet’s (saw) footsteps!

“Say, [O Muhammad], "If you should love Allah , then follow me, [so] Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful." [Qur’an – 2:31]

What else do we wish other than the love of Allah? Because if Allah loves us, all creations will love us too! Allah’s Mercy is so great that on top of giving us His love He also forgive our sins if we follow Muhammad (saw). How do we follow him (saw)? By knowling his sunnah, the hadith, the seerah… we will then love him (saw) more.

Our love for Allah should then be: - Obvious: it should come up and be reflected in our actions.

Where are we spending the most of our time?

§ The core of our belief like the seed in the mist of a fruit.

§ Be pure and clean from any dirt. Not mixed with any other love.

§ Protected as if it was the most precious thing we own.

The level of love is fluctuating according to our level of faith. So we need to nurture it and gives it petrol constantly.

In our religion we must always keep the balance. If we live under the roof of the commands of Allah we need to balance our life. The Haqq of Allah should come first but the Haqq of the creations comes right next to it. We cannot be rude to people and claim that we love Allah. The two are going side by side in a balanced way.

And [yet], among the people are those who take other than Allah as equals [to Him]. They love them as they [should] love Allah . But those who believe are stronger in love for Allah . And if only they who have wronged would consider [that] when they see the punishment, [they will be certain] that all power belongs to Allah and that Allah is severe in punishment. [Quran – 2:165]

The believers love Allah more! Nothing else can be loved like Allah. He Alone deserves the highest level of love which is Ubudyyah. When we become His true slave. (Please refer to the levels of love explained by Ibn Qayyim). Your belief is not complete till your desires follow Qur’an and Sunnah’s laws.

The signs of our love for Allah are: Feeling shame from Allah, always remembering Allah, Being complete slave of Allah, running towards Allah and His pleasure, using our limbs for Allah.

Proofs of loving Allah:

§ Loving others for the sake of Allah

§ Loving the days/months that Allah loves: Ftiday, Ramadan, Arafat, Muharram.

§ Loving Angels, Prophets

§ Loving the Ibadah, your love for Islam is how you love your prayer.

§ Qur’an is our mirror: Allah describes those whom He loves and who love Him:

· They are very humble to the believers

· Very kind, merciful

· They are not afraid to say the Haqq because they fear Allah

Qur’an is to be listened, recited, memorized, pondered upon, understood and applied.

“Qur’an is a room of treasures when you open it you get a new treasure”

Two types of information in Qur’an: News and commands.

“In Physics we learn that there are two forces: “Yaa Pull and Yaa Push!” Same in our life, Push what makes you far from Allah and Pull what makes you closer to Allah”

How to do Tadabbur on Qur’an?

§ Empty your heart from temptation. We need to balance our life. This Dunia is only a passage to Akhirah. If we loose the balance Dunia becomes Paradise!

§ Understand Qur’an. If you understand one ayah, repeat it and tell others. The best among the believers are those we learn and teach Qur’an. Start with your house first as far as the closest to us should know first.

Qur’an will be with you or against you. It requires work. Qur’an is guidance. We need to collect as much as light as we can for our Dunia and Akhirah.

§ Control your desires. Be satisfied with Allah as far as “you are with those whom you love”.

What covers our heart? For example the teenagers are following these celebrities. If we only ask them: “Do you want to be behind them on the day of Judegement?” they will always say “no”. So why do we follow them? Desires are the biggest enemy of our mind. If the desire wins the mind, it becomes the slave of the mind.

Du’a of Daw’ood:

'O Allah I ask You for Your Love and the love of those whom You Love and the actions that will cause me to attain Your Love, O Allah make Your love more beloved to me than myself, my family and cold water''

§ Memorize Qur’an. Prophet (saw) would respect the sahaba according to their level of memorisation of Qur’an. How much of Qur’an have we memorized? We have maybe hundred copies of Qur’an ion our houses but how much of it is in our heart?

Qur’an should amaze us. Jinns valued the Qur’an and were amazed by it. What about us? Umar (raa) felt sick for one month after hearing the beginning of Surah Tur. SubhanaAllah.

What are the signs of the love of Allah for a slave?

§ First: He will test him! SubhanaAllah. If he passes the test he will be elevated in rank in Dunia and Akhirah (money, himself, family, patience…). Our Deen requires ijtihaad! It’s fine if people call you ninja! How long can you stand in the storm? Believers are like palm trees! They stand firm and are always beneficial to others.

§ Second: Allah will choose. If the believer passed the test Allah will choose him for His work. Good deeds will be given to him to do by the permission of Allah. Also his test will now become stronger. Prophet (saw) used to feel double time the pain (headache, fever…).

§ Third: If they are satisfied, Allah will elevate them higher. And if they are not pleased, they will be rejected far from Allah.

Does this means we cannot complain? No! Prophet (saw) complained about his headache but he was never displeased!

Why tests are given to us?

§ To push away our sins. Trials are a means of purification of our sins.

§ To elevate us. When Allah wants one of His slave to go higher in Paradise He gives him trials.

Tests are never bad! Allah think good of Allah!

Example: a mother when she wants to protect her child form fire, she might beat him in order to protect him from the greater danger.

Who ever think of Akhirah in his heart, Allah will make him rich in his heart. Life will become easy for that person. Dunia will come behind him even if he does not want it. Others who run for Dunia, Allah will give them only what is written for them, not more. And they will not get anything in Akhirah.

“Remember our dhikr is like the battery of the angles that are blinding your house in Jannah.

When you stop, they stop working!”

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THE LOVE OF ALLAH

30th October 2013

Introduction:

The 10 means to attain Allah’s love given by Ibn Qayyim are like the car we are driving to reach destination. Today we will study another mean:

“We should give precedence to what Allah loves over what we love when we are overtaken by our desires.”; “We should remain away from every cause that comes between our heart and Allah.”

We should realise what is wrong with us. We need to cure it in order to reach the top level. The same way than when we see the symptoms of a disease and do not know what is happening. We need to found out the disease and cure it.

What is the difference between Ruh and Nafs?

Ruh: Spirit. As humans we are made of a body and a Ruh.

Nafs: it is both the Ruh and the body. You, yourself when you are alive. Ex: if I take out the battery from the clock it won’t work. We are nothing without the Ruh. When we die we become only a body. The Ruh is gone after death.

As far as we are alive they are two (body and Ruh), which means Nafs. The hukum is on the Nafs.

There are two types of Hawaa:

Shubuhaat and Shahawaat

Shubuhaat: means doubts in our Deen. In Allah, in Prophet (saw), in Qur’an, in Sunnah, in rules… These are very dangerous because it leads us to shirk… More dangerous Hawaa because people who fall in Shubuhaat can’t come out of it but people who fall in shahawaat will be able to cure themselves.

Shahawaat: means temptation towards the wrong direction. It is like falling into sins. It is also dangerous because it is like when you are thirsty and you go behind the seawater, you will drink more and more and never feel satisfied… this is Dunia. Don’t exceed the line Allah draws for us. Halal and Halam. Learn where to stay. Our Deen is simple. Be far from from the forbidden line.

Example: Imagine a King’s castle surrounded by a fence. The king says don’t cross my boundary. If you cross you will be jailed, but outside of it you are free to enjoy all what you like. Our problem is that we do not have enough of halal. We run and try to see the inside of that land. It is attractive to us. The end can come anytime so we must stay away from shahawaat.

What are the signs that show that we are following our desires?

· Sometimes people are attracted to some human beings (ex: celebrity). They follow their lives everyday and check everywhere they can. This is dangerous. It is a sign. Maybe they are falling in love with this person. Extreme is dangerous and it makes you do shirk. You become obsessed and forget Allah. Allah’s love is above everything. Ex: Ibrahim was Khalil Allah because he never put anything in between him and Allah. Allah asked him to slaughter his son as to slaughter the love he had for him in the heart!

· When there is a choice they follow their desires. Ex: Some men remember always the Sunnah of four wives before the other Sunnahs because they follow their desires.

· They make serious matters very simple, easy.

· They argue a lot. Remember Porphet (saw) who said: Leave the argument even if you are right. You will get to the middle of Paradise!

· When they make mistake they don’t accept it.

· They don’t account their mistakes and judge others, blame others, backbite about other people. Arabic expression: “You see a sand in others eyes and don’t see the stone in your own eye!”

· Wasting a lot of time. Time is not valuable for people who follow their desires. The hypocrites pray at the last minute and do only the action of prayer… Allah swears by the time. Human beings are in loss. Time is our life and investment for Akhirah.

· They are always busy criticizing other people, talking bad about people, nations….

Verse 162 (example like the dog): They could have been elevated but they preferred to be on the land. There nafs did not want, they wanted the food, the earth… Allah says take but have limits… don’t exceed. Allah compares them as a dog always panting.

Why people follow these desires?

They did not learn disciple as child. They were pampered too much and no one ever said no to them.

They are having bad company who want only to enjoy. Follow their desires, from one party to another, no limit. It is like drinking the sea water when thirsty. Like a jar of honey where the bee will come, if she takes a little and fly she will survive, but she will fall in the jar if she follows her desires for honey. So many suicide in democratic countries why? Because their nafs is not happy and the desires kills their hearts. Allah put limitaions for our now good. He knows what we need and what will harm us. Everything is balanced in our deen, Allah makes our life easy. If we surrender the Him totally we will understand and accept the limitations easily.

Having lack of knowledge about Allah. We need to learn.

When we see people doing wrong we don’t advice them to stop. We should help others and advice nicely.

Love of Dunia. When it is attractive we forget akhirah and forget it is only a passage to akhirah.

3 things that will make us in problems, make us loose, destroy us:

1 The greediness: don’t want to share the good, only want to please himself. They do this because they don’t trust Allah. They count and don’t want to see their risq reduce.

2 Following their desires: like if the desires becomes their leader. Ex: chocolate is hawaa, the minds starts planning to get it. They all the money, resources, heart will run after this chocolate. It becomes a god! Youtube of chocolate, email of the chocolate, picture of the chocolate day and night. The mind is slave here.

3 When a person likes himself: It is a disease. We can be confident but U’jub is a disease beginning of kibr. It is a self-admiration. I am the best! Me , my, my, my… never thank Allah and grown up like a balloon full of air. Arrogance will be the result of that disease.

3 things that will save us:

1 Fearful from Allah in front of people and alone. Always fearful of Allah. Today no one can stop us from doing wrong even our mobile works at night. But when we pray at night, it is a secret… only Allah watch.

2 To be balanced: whether we are poor or rich. We spend in a balanced way. No extreme.

3 Saying the truth in time of anger and in times of happiness. More difficult when we are angry. All the time.

(verse 43) The desire if it is not seen: it will surely harm me. But this desire is in our mind we don’t touch it, it is controlling us. The shaytan will now become your captain and he uses your mind as a slave. We can’t control it.

Ex: captain of a ship: sit and I will lead the ship. The enemy tied you with the chain.

If it is seen: it will not harm me. Statues have a value for people who believe in it but in reality it does not have value.

We are made of: Mind, Heart and limbs

When we want to do f=good deeds we want:

§ the heart which encourages the mind

§ the mind that plans

§ the limbs which are moving (the engine)

What stops us? The Nafs bi’l amara bi su’, (When we start commanding ourselves to do wrong, we need to chain ourselves. Not only shaytan who push us to wrong.), Bad friends, Dunia when is it directing us to the wrong.

Enemies from outside: bad dunia, bad friends (not religious),

The inside enemy: nafs when it commands us to evil, The temptation, desires, and shaytan. The worst is our nafs bil amara bi sou. When our desires are according to following the sunnah we are safe. If we don’t follow the sunnah we will go away. Shaytan is the weakest one.

When we follow the desires:

The heart becomes sick. If it is sick, all the body will be sick.

The grudge increases, jalousy, fights, not loving each other increases…envy…

The respect becomes less, the person will become loner. No one likes the people who follow the hawaa. They are arrogant.

Their end result is Hellfire, not dunia nor akhirah as a result! nO GAIN.

They will be deprived from the shade of Allah.

The grave will be tighter for them. Because only our deeds are opening the space bigger.

They fall into sins which are bigger when they follow their desires. They talk bad about Allah.

Very dangerous to follow hawaa like falling in a dangerous trap. We need Allah to protect us and cure our desires from our Nafs.

*

THE LOVE OF ALLAH

9th October 2013

Introduction:

Some love are beneficial and some love are harmful

1. Beneficial love : Faith needs love

Love the people because they are closer to Allah and the same applies with place and time.

Ex : Like prophets, Angels, Places Like Masjid Al haram, Time Like days beloved to Allah SWT like dhul hijjah...

2. Some harmful love

·      Making partners with Allah SWT

·      Anything which we love and Allah SWT does not love

·      Love that will cut us you from love of Allah SWT

Following Prophet SAW will lead to love of Allah. Those who does not love Sunnah will not be loved by Allah.

What is Completes love?

·      Love for Allah and detesting something because Allah does not love that.

·      To run behind good deeds.

·      Preventing disobedience to Allah.

Last week discussed about the first of the ten means that will bring us closer to Allah's love: Reciting quran and pondering, Listen, Recite, Memorise, Ponder, Understand and Apply.

Today we will learn about another way which is:

Getting closer to Allah SWT by Volunteering to perform voluntary deeds after completing obligatory deeds.

·      Allah says in hadith Qudsi: "My slave continuously getting closer to Me by performing voluntary deeds until I love him."

·      We need injection of love everyday.

·      The best sadaqa is hidden charity. Your left hand will not know what is given from your right hand.

Our Daily routine to get closer to Allah should include:

1. Fard prayer - obligatory prayers

2. Read quran.

3. Qiyaam al layl - night prayer specially the last portion of night when Allah SWT descends and ask who is asking Me? I shall grant him. Who is repenting? I shall forgive him. Subhanallah!

4. Salatul Duha – Equivalent of charity for each and every joint you when you pray 2 rakah.

5. Do tasbeeh until sunrise then pray 2 rakah - it is equivalent to Hajj and Umra.

6. Do tasbeeh whenever you can.

7. Do sadaqa everyday – at least make niyah – for example give water to labours or bread to birds.

8. Remember Prophet SAW and send Salam to him SAW.

9. Make intention pure to multiply your rewards.

10. Three days at least fast in a month. Try for more voluntary fast like Monday or Thursday.

11. Email family call them, keep ties with relatives check on them.

12. Go to lectures, circles of knowledge.

13. Give good Hospitality for guest when they visit you.

14. Go to visit sick - you will be wrapped with Allah's mercy and angels will make dua for you.

15. Be your own accountant at the end of the day. Always admit your mistakes.

16. Do lots of good deeds a year.

17. Give Chiarity. One whose hand is charitable will be close to Prophet SAW on Day of Judgement. Prophet SAW said - One lady used to do lot charity but hurted cat everyday therefore she was in Hell fire. If when we don't harm anyone or anything around us that is also charity.

*************

Continue to remember Allah SWT with your tongue heart and actions. The extent of our love for Allah is determined by this.

·      Remembering Allah in mind without tongue it is Khair

·      Remembering by tongue but not from heart will not lead to Khair

·      Remembering by tongue and heart is very important that is complete submission.

Remember Allah with lots of love

When you stop remembering Allah SWT. Angels who are constructing a Palace for you by your dhikr will stop their work in Paradise till your dhikr starts again.

Allah says: “Therefore remember Me, I will remember you and be grateful to Me, and never be ungrateful to me” [Surah al-Baqarah, Aayah 152]

Remember all time not just when we need something

- Mufarridun - one who do dhikr all time.

- Always make your tongue moist by remembering Allah SWT.

Small story

One man visited the masjid and all the time read quran and was praying as well but on his death bed he could not say "la ilaha illallah". This Dhikr became very heavy on his tongue. All the time in masjid and prayer did'nt come for help on his death bed because he was doing it for the sake of showing off to people.

Take capsule of dhikr all time

1. Subhanallah, Alhamdulillah, Allahu Akbar - Tree in paradise

`Abd Allah ibn Mas`ud reported that the Prophet said: "During the Night Journey I met Ibrahim who said to me: O Muhammad, convey my greetings to your Community, and tell them that the Paradise is of pure land, its water is sweet, and its expanse is vast, spacious and even. And its seedlings are:

·      subhan allah: Glory to Allah

·      wa al-hamdu lillah: and Praise to Allah

·      wa la ilaha illallah: and there is no god but Allah

·      wallahu akbar: and Allah is greatest.

2. Hasbiaallahu la ilaha illallah - 7 times - Any problem Allah SWT took it from you that day.

3. Subhanallah, wallilahilhamd - Palm tree in paradise

4. Subhanallahi wa bihamdihi- 100 times a day- Erases all sins like foam of sea.

5. Nabi yan rasoolah Dua- 3 times morning 3 times evening.

6. Subhanallah- 100 times - 1000 hasanah we get and 1000 sins will erase

(Make intention before dhikr)

7. 12 rakah a day Sunnah prayer i.e. Ar-Rawathib - Palace in Paradise.

8. Pray 4 Sunnah after dohr - your name will be haram on hellfire.

9. The more you send Salam to prophet more easier will be on Day of Judgement.

10. Aythal Kursi- if death comes Jannah will be abode and protection from shaythaan.

11. Fasting 3 days.

Allah SWT says in Quran: Those who remember those who thank me I will give more those who are disobedient I will close My door to them.

Dhikr in Quran come in 10 major ways

1. Day and Night mention Dhikr

2. Don't be in Ghaflah: those who forgot Allah

3. Falah: success for those who do Dhikr.

4. Forgiveness and reward for those who do Dhikr.

5. Don't be of those who forget to remember

Surah munafiqun- ayah 9: "O you who have believed, let not your wealth and your children divert you from remembrance of Allah . And whoever does that - then those are the losers." (Verses: 63-9)

6. Angels say on day of jundgement " subhanaka ... We dint worship you how we should have worshipped. Even though they are in sujood and ruku all time from the day of their creation

7. Remember me in Dunya and I will remember you in Akhirah, Remember me in good times and I ll remember you in bad times.

8. Any Ibadaat wrap it with Dhikr.

9. Both Dunya and Akhirah should be asked to Allah

10. Surah Ali Imran:

"Those who remember Allah standing, sitting and on their sides," (3:191), and

"Those men and women who engage much in Allah's praise. For them has Allah prepared forgiveness and a great reward." (3:191, 33:35)

Benefits when we remember Allah SWT

-   Shaythaan will come near you, when you dont remember Allah. So, while Dhikr he won't come near us.

- When we remember we will feel good and peace.

- Removes sins gives reward.

-          Makes heart soft or humble

-           We get istigfar from Angels for us

-           You are safe from hypocrisy

-           Our Heart, Tongue, Mind and Lips all should move in Dhikr of Allah SWT

Most of the people will go to Hellfire because of tongue so when we do dhikr it will purify.

In Any Majlis rememberance of AllahSWT is very important.

FEAR RESPECT AND LOVE SHOULD BE TOGETHER FOR ALLAH SWTSPEAK, ADDRESS AND TALK TO ALLAH SWT

Remember Prophet SAW all time

We dont have to be in Madinah to give our salaam to our prophet SAW.

Anyone saying salaam to Prophet (saw) will receive his Salam back.

Whom do you love more than Prophet SAW?

Prophet (saw) was crying one day and sahabah said we are with you Prophet (saw) then why are you crying and he replied you are my asahab but my brothers and sisters are yet to come and yet they have not seen me they will love me.

We have to know and follow our Prophet SAW

- He was patient when his enemy who throwed animal dirt on him during his sujood.

- His character was Quran.

Friday don't forget to praise Prophet SAW

If we want him to remember us on day of judgement keep saying this Dhikr

Salatul Ibrahima- Allahumma Salli ala Mohammed wa ala ali Mohammed Kama salaytha ala Ibrahim wa ala ali Ibrahim ........

Benefits of Adhkar on Prophet (saw):

-   Cleanse our sin

-        We will be close to him in Akhirah

-         It is light for Dunya, qabar and Day of Judgement.

Allah SWT will remember you, if you remember Prophet SAW

Prophet SAW will recognise his Ummah by noor of wudu.

To increase the love for Prophet (saw) read seerah.

Dua:

Allahumma arzukni husnul khathimah

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The love of Allah

25^th September 2013

What is the meaning of الحب ?

Anything you have in your body is a servant to Allah. The love for Allah should be:

- Pure love:

When a person’s teeth are pure white pure. Love of Allah should be pure like this.

- Firm love

Allah created us to worship Him to our maximum. When you love Allah it should show, through your actions, love of Allah it needs proof.

There is a competition when people run after the love of Allah. Love is that light that comes in your hearts and takes out whatever is falsehood; this is the coolness of our heart.

Love is the energy of our heart! Our heart needs fuel like car needs petrol.

We are faced with so many things in life and we strive on His way. Love is honest and pure between you and your creator. Nobody can judge it except Allah. And you will see when Allah loves you.

Surah Ali Imran verse 31

“Say, [O Muhammad], "If you should love Allah, then follow me, [so] Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful."’

When people started saying we love Allah this surah was revealed. This ayah is called "ayah of the love".

It is a test. Ok if you love Allah there is a test. Will you pass it?

If you really love Allah, then follow me (Prophet (saw)). The result of following the messenger will be the love of Allah.

Loving Allah is a natural love but gaining Allah’s love that is the achievement we need to target.

Ex: If a company rewards its employees so much, everybody will want to work in this company. But getting a job in that company is not easy. The person will need to demonstrate her skills and qualifications. Allah also had criterions, conditions for us to gain His love.

Obeying Allah and Prophet is the proof that you love Him.

Surah Al-Maidah - Verse 54

“O you who have believed, whoever of you should revert from his religion - Allah will bring forth [in place of them] a people He will love and who will love Him [who are] humble toward the believers, powerful against the disbelievers; they strive in the cause of Allah and do not fear the blame of a critic. That is the favor of Allah ; He bestows it upon whom He wills. And Allah is all-Encompassing and Knowing.”

Allah calls the believers and say He can bring better people than us if we return to disbelief.

Then Allah describes those whom He loves:

Allah announces His love for them. And they also love Allah. The love is two ways. This is the best achievement. The people Allah loves are like bricks of a same building. If one of them is in pain they all feel pain. There is love among them. Also they have self-respect when dealing with disbelievers, they love those who love Allah and do not have place for those who do not love Allah.

They are merciful for any human being but the love of Allah burns everything that is not loved by Allah.

They strive in their sleep, money … only to please Allah. My time is for You, my limbs are for You…Yaa Allah.

You live a normal life, but where is your heart at each action. Where is your connection?

They want to reach the straight path paradise

They have no fear except from Allah. Once you know Allah, His names and dignity will you be afraid of anything except Allah? Never. Because everything is so small compare to Allah. He has everything in His hands, nothing moves without His command.

They are so merciful with each other because their love is directed to one, all the hearts are going one way only: To Allah.

And all this feelings they have, this is again from Allah as a gift more than what a person whishes. Never be proud of striving in the way of Allah because He alone allows you to do these efforts.

Many ayahs in Quran show what Allah loves:

- Those who repent

- Those who do Ihsaan

- The people who have Taqwa

- The patient ones …

Many other ayahs show what Allah dislikes:

- The arrogant people

- The disbelievers

- Those who disobey Him

- The boasting people

- Those who disclose their sins…

What will make you closer to Allah?

One of the most loved deeds is the one that you do continuously. For example the night prayer, do little but do it always because Allah never gets fed up.

Faith has taste, sweetness in the heart. Our hearts has all the senses of our body. Our heart dies, become sick, listen, hears, sees…

Accept that Allah is your lord and believe in that. And accept Prophet (saw) as your Prophet (saw).

Types of love

Allah loves some nation and does not hide His love. He announces His love.

'Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, reported: he said, "While we were sitting with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless with him and grant him peace, one day a man came up to us whose clothes were extremely white, whose hair was extremely black, upon whom traces of travelling could not be seen, and whom none of us knew, until he sat down close to the Prophet, may Allah bless with him and grant him peace, so that he rested his knees upon his knees and placed his two hands upon his thighs and said, 'Muhammad, tell me about Islam.' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless with him and grant him peace, said, 'Islam is that you witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, and you establish the prayer, and you give the Zakat, and you fast Ramadan, and you perform the hajj of the House if you are able to take a way to it.' He said, 'You have told the truth,' and we were amazed at him asking him and [then] telling him that he told the truth. He said, 'Tell me about iman.' He said, 'That you affirm Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, and the Last Day, and that you affirm the Decree, the good of it and the bad of it.' He said, 'You have told the truth.' He said, 'Tell me about ihsan.' He said, 'That you worship Allah as if you see Him, for if you don't see Him then truly He sees you.' He said, 'Tell me about the Hour.' He said, 'The one asked about it knows no more than the one asking.' He said, 'Then tell me about its tokens.' He said, 'That the female slave should give birth to her mistress, and you see poor, naked, barefoot shepherds of sheep and goats competing in making tall buildings.' He went away, and I remained some time. Then he asked, 'Umar, do you know who the questioner was?' I said, 'Allah and His Messenger know best.' He said, 'He was Jibril who came to you to teach you your deen'." Muslim (8) narrated it. 

Love people for the sake of Allah. When someone reminds you of Allah love this person.

In Sahih al-Bukhari, there is a Hadith which states that a Bedouin asked the Prophet about the Hour. He said, "It will surely come to pass. What have you prepared for it?" The man said, "O Messenger of Allah, I have not prepared much in the way of prayer and good works, but I love Allah and His Messenger." The Prophet said, "You will be with those you love." The Muslims had never rejoiced as much they did when they heard this Hadith.

What did you prepare for the last day?

We are here in test and need to fulfill the purpose. Everything you do is like a thirst or hunger to make the One you love love you.

Any human being is with whom you love. Check yourself? Who do you love more? What are you thinking about more? Who’s name do you mention more during day? Some people are obsessed with their house, business, fashion,,, what are we obsessed about in life? Check and change yourself if it is other than Allah.

Du’a that we should always ask:

“O Allah, I ask for Your love, and the love of those persons who love You and love of actions that bring me closer to Your love” [Bukhari, confirmed by Albani].

Taabud (worship) is Love which is the peak of worship. To have a perfect love and humiliate yourself and perfectly magnifying Allah is love. The bird’s head is love of Allah (fear and hope are its wings).

The levels of love:

العلاقة

الصبابة

الغرام

الشغف

التتيم

التعبد

When the love reaches its peak this is when you worship Allah.

Allah doesn’t need anybody to mix His love with other love. Allah doesn’t want this type of love.

To take Allah as illaah is worship. Means we don’t ask anybody but him, hope form him only… To become like a true slave. And this is the reason why He created us for.

Knowing His names and attributes also increases love for Allah.

Don’t look for people’s praise but Allah’s pleasure only.

الذل

1- Be so humble that you become a slave, humble and obey Allah and Prophet (saw)’s commands.

2- Love anybody only for Allah’s sake no matter where they are coming from. Why do I love this person? Is it because this person is “blablabla” or because of Allah ?

3- After they tasted faith and Hidayah they hate the days of Jahiliyya and Kufr. They are always afraid to go back in darkness. They tasted the faith and they love it and don’t want to loose it. And they fear from hell.

الخضوع

Allah is perfect. Allah is perfect in all the ways. Why do we love Allah? Because He is:

Nothing in this world is perfect but Allah has all the perfection. Any name of Allah is that character of Allah.

The day of increase: they want to see Allah. The believer’s hearts are flying for that day when they will meet Allah.

Musa lost conscious when he tried to see Allah in Dunia but in Akhirah it will be possible.

During Isr’a wal Miraaj Prophet (saw) did not turn his eyes and he saw only what he was allowed to see. The love of Prophet (saw) for Allah is the highest.

Nobody ever reach the “ghulah” between them and Allah except Ibrahim (as) and Muhammad (saw).

This level of love is when every cell of the body loves Allah. Nobody can achieve this level except them two.

Imagine, Ibrahim was asked to slaughter his son. It was a test for him, even he did not accept Angel Jibreel’s help when we came to save him from the fire. Full Tawakkul.

Love of Allah is when you worship Him, not only when you say you love Him. When you depend on Allah you don’t complain because everything happens because Allah has planned it. Worship Him.

Some people love Allah like their idols. But the believers love Allah more. For a believer the love of Allah should the strongest.

The name “Allah”: means the true god that we should be worship. This name includes all His others names.

There are three types of people:

1- Those who have perfect love for Allah. They did not displease Allah and they obey Him. They run to increase their meter of khairaat.

2- Those who are in the middle. They don’t run fast after the good but protect themselves from bad.

3- There are another type of people who disobey Allah. They are incomplete in their love but they are not without love.

Love of Allah is like a pearl in a shell, don’t let its shine go. Don’t let scratches to come on the pearl.

Let’s now ask ourselves a question:

Where does our love go most?

When you rest who are you thinking about most?

To know our level of love for Allah ask yourself these questions:

1- At night going to bed do I say:

- “tomorrow I will repent”

- “tomorrow I will become a better person”

2- When you wake up: what first do I think about?

3- And at the time of prayer, where is my heart?

What are the signs of love of Allah:

- Do Istighfar

- Do what He loves

- Go where He loves

- You give everything to please Him

- Be a proper slave of Allah.

What do you hear more? Is it mentioning Allah’s book?

Their heart, speech where are they?

Love is like a tree

Its roots is to be humble to Allah

Its trunk is Ikhlaass

Its branches are the deeds

Its fruits are the rewards

2 comments:

woodflooringApril 18, 2018 at 10:13 PM
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AngelaMarch 5, 2020 at 9:04 AM
If a heart is sick and does not become cured, it will become a hard heart.The heart has two powers, one is to for emotions and the other is for intellect.
You want to know more information. just click at I need Allah .

Masjid Bani Hashim

Titles

Love of Allah Series Notes

Fiqh of the Hearts (فقه القلوب) – Part 5

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THE LOVE OF ALLAH

The love of Allah

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