O Allah! Place Reality of This Ayah In Our Hearts and Enable Us To Strive For Wholesome Relationships
In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.
Allah, The Most High, said:
وَتَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْبِرِّ وَالتَّقْوَىٰ ۖ وَلَا تَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْإِثْمِ وَالْعُدْوَانِ
Help you one another in Al-Birr and At-Taqwa [virtue, righteousness and piety]; but do not help one another in sin and transgression. [Al-Ma’idah. 2]
Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:
This Ayah contains all the Masaalih [beneficial affairs] for the slaves in their worldly affairs and affairs related to the Hereafter- be it between themselves or between them and their Lord; for indeed every servant [of Allah] finds himself within two circumstances and obligations – either [required] to fulfil the obligations owed to Allah or the obligations owed to Allah’s creation. As for the obligations owed to the creation, they include [righteous] association, companionship, aiding one another upon what Allah loves and obedience to Allah, and that is the goal behind one’s search for happiness and success in the afterlife. There can be no happiness in the afterlife except through Bir [virtue] and Taqwaa [piety], for it is basis of all affairs of the religion. As for Taqwa, its reality is to act in obedience to Allah based on Iman in Allah and hoping for Allah’s Reward; fulfil what Allah has commanded based on having Iman in that which Allah has commanded and affirming the reward Allah has promised; abandoning what Allah has forbidden based on one’s belief that what Allah has forbidden is forbidden and fearing Allah’s punishment, just as Talq Bin Habeeb, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:
“When Fitna occurs, extinguish it with Taqwa”. So the people said, “What is Taqwa?” He said, “You act in obedience to Allah upon a light from Allah [i.e. Iman, sincerity etc] and hoping for reward from Allah. And you abandon disobedience to Allah upon a light from Allah and fearing the punishment of Allah”.
This is the best of that which has been stated regarding Taqwa, for indeed there has to be an aim and a goal behind every deed. A deed cannot be considered an act of obedience to Allah and an act that gets one close to Allah until it is based on Iman, so that which leads to the performance of that deed is solely due to Iman – neither [Un-Islamic] customs nor [evil] desires, neither seeking praise nor status and other than it; rather it should be solely based on Iman and the aim behind it should be to attain Allah’s reward and seeking after Allah’s Pleasure. [1]
Allah, The Most High, said:
الْأَخِلَّاءُ يَوْمَئِذٍ بَعْضُهُمْ لِبَعْضٍ عَدُوٌّ إِلَّا الْمُتَّقِينَ
Friends on that Day will be foes one to another except the pious. [Az-Zukhruf 67]
Abu Hurairah reported that the Messenger of Allaah said: Allah will say on the Day of Judgement:
“Where are those who love each other for the sake of My Glory? Today, I will shelter them in my shade on a day when there is no shade but mine [i.e. the shade from Allah’s Throne(a)]”. [2]
Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:
“Whoever possesses the following three qualities will have the (delight) of faith: The one whom Allaah and His Messenger become dearer to him than anything else; the one who loves a person and he loves him only for the sake of Allaah, and the one who hates to revert to disbelief as he hates to be thrown into the fire”. [3]
The Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:
“There are not two people who love each other for the sake of Allaah, and then they split from each other, except that it is due to a sin of one of them”. [4]
Al-Allamah Zaid Bin Haadi Al-Mad’khali, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:
This Hadith shows that to love one another, the religious and worldly benefits it contains is legislated in the Sharee’ah. Regarding the religious benefits of this love, (it brings about) co-operation upon righteousness and piety. As for its worldly benefits, it (leads to the attainment) necessities of life that are sought after. Those who love one another are attached to each other and remain upon that until one of them commits a sin that leads to the destruction of this legislated love- the love that was established for the sake of Allaah and for the sake of Islamic brotherhood. Therefore, it is a good thing that the person (i.e. the one at fault) abandons the sin he committed, which was the cause of separation between them, so that brotherhood for the sake of Allaah is restored as it was before, and so that both the religious and worldly benefits of that brotherly love can continue. The basis of the sin committed by one of them may have occurred without any external influence (i.e. was solely the person’s fault), or it may have occurred due to tale-bearing and instigated by some of the devils amongst mankind- those who hasten to caused corruption in the earth.
Loving one another for the sake of Allah, The Mighty and Majestic, carries reward that has been mentioned in the Shariah texts. Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:
“Allaah will give shade to seven on the day when there will be no shade but His”…and amongst those people are: “Two people who love each other only for the sake of Allah and they meet and part in Allah’s cause only”. [Al-Bukhari 660] [5]
Footnote a: Refer to Fat’hul Baaree 4/63 and also Al-Allamah Rabee, rahimahullah, has a Risaalah on this topic. Visit link: http://www.rabee.net/ar/articles.php?cat=8&id=149
We ask Allah to grant us the Tawfiq to act upon everything mentioned in the above Prophetic narrations and overlook our shortcomings. Indeed, rectification is not achieved through victim mentality, emotional appeals, snooker tactics, borrowed status – treating another person’s authority or status to upgrade ours. We ask Allah to enable us to strive to restrain our souls and bless us with truthful companions who constantly remind us that this behaviour is an illusion.
We ask Allah to bless us with with truthful companions who will interact with us strictly based on our actions and not merely who we are attached to. Indeed, it is piety and truthfulness that should be the goal, neither impunity nor provoking others to step into a pecking order where one seeks to outrank others by association.
We ask Allah to protect our weak souls from playing status games, instead of being truthful to ourselves, acknowledgeging our shortcomings, dealing with facts and realities, and adhering to the well known boundaries during mutual dealings, and not overstep them.
We ask Allah to bless us with the ability to act based on clear proof and direction, but not merely because the one who mentions something is connected to so and so.
Furthermore, we ask Allah to protect us from wanting validation and special treatment when we err or comnit wrong doing, rather, we ask Him to bless us with brothers who are gentle, compassionate and forgiving, while helping us to reform.
Indeed, none can demand preferential treatment due to their connections while persisting in wrong. May Allah grant us the courage to desire being ordinary, even if ignored and vilified, while giving precedence to clarity and justice.
We ask Allah to protect us from inflating ourselves through others, and bless us with companions who will challenge this fantasy – those who will speak to us directly and normally as peers and not over-acknowledge any connection we have. This is not disrepect, rather, it is reality based, for indeed, when truth must be said, a person must be sperated from the proxy. Distinction between us and the truth has to be made, and cannot be obscured by name-dropping. Accontability must be separated, regardless of one’s image, abundant knowledge, charisma, reputation or social status, for these are not evidence of innocence. In the absence of this distinction, our weak souls would hide behind names and personalities due to a desire to conceal honest dialogue and instead making it abstract and emotional.
Borrowed status will not protect any of us nor earn us genuine trust. Similarly, demanding trust without striving for good behaviour, self-scrutuny and treating others they way we would love to be treated will not be accepted by others. Trust is reciprocal and built over time, thus, anyone demanding it straight away while withholding what would make others witness it in practice is nothing else but portraying trust as control. We ask Allah to protect our weak souls from this behaviour, for indeed, no sensible person would bargain self-respect for the cheap prize of approval.
Furthermore, good behaviour necessitates that we acknowledge the good others have done for us regardless of how big or small – whether in worldly or religious matters. We all need help and we still need help in our relationships, because co-operation upon Bir and Taqwah is the pursuit behind one’s happiness as quoted from Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim at the beginning of this article. None of us has achieved anything, except by the Tawfiq of Allah and what Allah has facilitated through others. An absence of this acknowledgement whether through our statements, indications, gestures or behaviour would imply that we want to appear “self-made.”
Similarly, we ask Allah to bless us with the ability to build friendships and companionships based on sound mutual advice with compassion, gentleness and love of truth. This should be independent of any connections we have. Khalid Bin Hayyan narrated from Jafar Bin Burqan, may Allah have mercy upon them, who said: Maymoon Bin Mihran, may Allah have mercy upon him said to me:
“O Jafar! Say what I detest (i.e. the bitter truth) in my face since a man will not have (fulfilled) advice to his brother until he says in his face what he detests”. [6]
Umar Ibn Abdul Azeez, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:
Whoever advises his brother to rectify affairs related to his religion and gives him insight into a worldly affair has perfected their relationship and fulfilled his obligation of (brotherhood) to him”. [7]
Finally, as social media, especially Tiwtter (X) has become a place for seeking validation and connections, we ask Allah to bless us with the ability to strive to maintain independence and not to care the least for validation – not fearing being unpopular because of the choices we make to retweet this or that. None of us should allow others to make us feel this way because it takes away the objectivity of a person, thus, one is lured into the notion that mere visibility is equal to virtue and silence with indifference. Name-dropping or borrowed status is becoming rife on twitter, so, one must exercise caution. All of it is a waste of time and time is very precious.
“Prioritise today for your own sake, recognise the importance of the hour, and value the significance of a single word, while being cautious of regret when the moment of death approaches. [Hilyah Al-Awliya 2/139]
Abu Al-Abbas Ad-Daynuri, may Allah have mercy on him, stated:
There is nothing in this world or the Hereafter more precious and delicate than time and the heart, yet you are squandering both time and the heart. [Az-Zuhd Al-Kabir. 294]
Imam Ibn Al-Jawzi, may Allah have mercy on him:
It is befitting that a person recognises the significance of their time and the value of each moment, ensuring that no instant is wasted on anything unworthy. One should prioritise the best actions and words, maintaining a sincere intention for good without being slack in that which the body is able. It has been reported that some of the early generations were quick to seize moments. For instance, it is narrated that Amir ibn Abd Qais responded to a man who asked him to speak by saying, “Hold the sun!” [Footnote a] Additionally, Thabit al-Bunani, may Allah have mercy upon him, recounted that when he went to remind his father, his father replied, “My son! Leave me, for I am in my sixth recitation.” There was an instance when some of the early scholars visited another scholar on his deathbed, and upon being asked about his condition, he remarked, “Now my record is being closed.” If a person understands—despite their diligence—that death will interrupt their deeds, they should strive during their lifetime to establish actions that will continue to earn them rewards after their passing. This could involve leaving behind a charitable endowment, planting trees, digging a well, or ensuring that they have descendants who will remember Allah after them, thus securing ongoing rewards. Alternatively, one might author a book on knowledge, as the writings of a scholar serve as a lasting legacy. Engaging in good deeds and imparting knowledge allows others to follow in their footsteps, ensuring that their influence endures beyond their physical existence. Indeed, some have passed away while still living on in the hearts of the people. [Saydul Khatir 34]
Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy upon him, stated:
Wasting time is more severe than death, for while wasting time distances you from Allah and the Hereafter, death separates you from this world and its inhabitants. [Al-Fawaid. p44]
We ask Allah:
اللَّهُمَّ بِعِلْمِكَ الْغَيْبَ وَقُدْرَتِكَ عَلَى الْخَلْقِ أَحْيِنِي مَا عَلِمْتَ الْحَيَاةَ خَيْراً لِي وَتَوَفَّنِي إِذَا عَلِمْتَ الْوَفَاةَ خَيْراً لِي، اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ خَشْيَتَكَ فِي الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ كَلِمَةَ الْحَقِّ فِي الرِّضَا وَالْغَضَبِ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ الْقَصْدَ فِي الْغِنَى وَالْفَقْرِ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ نَعِيماً لَا يَنْفَذُ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ قُرَّةَ عَيْنٍ لَا تَنْقَطِعُ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ الرِّضِا بَعْدَ الْقَضَاءِ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ بَرْدَ الْعَيْشِ بَعْدَ الْمَوْتِ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ لَذَّةَ النَّظَرِ إِلَى وَجْهِكَ وَالشَّوْقَ إِلَى لِقَائِكَ فِي غَيْرِ ضَرَّاءَ مُضِرَّةٍ وَلَا فِتْنَةٍ مُضِلَّةٍ، اللَّهُمَّ زَيِّنَّا بِزِينَةِ الْإِيمَانِ
وَاجْعَلْنَا هُدَاةً مُهْتَدِينَ
O Allah! By Your Knowledge of the unseen and by Your Power over creation, let me live if life is good for me, and let me die if death is good for me; O Allah! I ask You to grant me (the blessing of having) fear of You in private and public, and I ask You (to make me utter) a statement of truth in times of contentment and anger, and I ask You for moderation when in a state of wealth and poverty, and I ask you for blessings that never ceases, and I ask You for the coolness of my eye that never ends, and I ask You (to make me pleased) after (Your) decree; and I ask You for a life of (ease, comfort, tranquillity, etc) after death; I ask You for the delight of looking at Your Face (i.e. in the Hereafter) and yearning to meet You without any harm and misleading trials (coming upon me). O Allah! Adorn us with the adornment of Iman, and make us (from those who are) guided and guiding (others). [As-Sahihah 1301]
اللَّهُمَّ أَصْلِحْ لِي دِينِي الَّذِي هُوَ عِصْمَةُ أَمْرِي
وَأَصْلِحْ لِي دُنْيَايَ الَّتِي فِيهَا مَعَاشِي
وَأَصْلِحْ لِي آخِرَتِي الَّتِي فِيهَا مَعَادِي
وَاجْعَلِ الْحَيَاةَ زِيَادَةً لِي فِي كُلِّ خَيْرٍ
وَاجْعَلِ الْمَوْتَ رَاحَةً لِي مِنْ كُلِّ شَرٍّO Allah! Rectify my religion for me, which is the safeguard of my affairs; rectify my worldly [affairs], wherein is my livelihood; and rectify my Afterlife to which is my return; and make life for me [as a means of] increase in every good and make death for me as a rest from every evil. [Saheeh Muslim Number: 2720] [Muslim 2720]
[1] An Excerpt from ‘Badaa’i At-Tafseer Al-Jaami Limaa Fassarahu Al-Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim Al-Jawziyyah. 1/307-311. Publisher: Daar Ibn Al-Jawziyyah 2nd Ed, 1431AH
[2] Muslim 2566
[3] Al-Bukhaari Number 16
[4] As-Sahihah 637
[5] Awn Al-Ahad As-Samad Sharh Al-Adab Al-Mufrad 1/445-446]
[6] [Siyar A’lam An-Nubulaa. 5/75]
[7] Tarikh at-Tabari 6/572]