Shaykh Al-Uthaymīn (Allah have mercy on him) said:
The legislated texts came urging with (cultivating and) taking good care of the youth; directing them to that which is good, upright and proper.
Therefore, if the youth are upright and proper – and they are the foundation and future of this nation, their uprightness is built upon strong pillars of the religion and manners – in the future they will be a light for this nation and righteous successors for our scholars, inshā Allāh.
“These [are] Four Rules(1),that the Muslim benefits from throughout his life. And they address affairs of creed, and it is known that if the creed is correct and sound, everything else [will also be] correct.
Because the Messenger of Allah informed us that,
“ There is a morsel of flesh in the body, if it is sound, the whole body is sound. And if it is corrupt the whole body is corrupted, and it is the heart.”(2)
Therefore, if the heart is sound, then all of the limbs are in obedience; meaning the heart is (like a) king and the limbs are (like) soldiers. When the heart is righteous it does not reach out except to good, and it does not perform except [that which is] good.”
The first lesson of the Shaykh’s explanation of Al-Qawā’id Al-‘Arba’a,
(1) Al-Qawā’id Al-‘Arba’a authored by Shaykh Al-Islām Muhammad ibn ‘Abd Al-Wahhāb (rahimahullāh)
(2) Bukhāri & Muslim
Ponder! Why were you created? Ponder! To where are you travelling?
The one with intellect contemplates regarding his (current state), he contemplates regarding that which is approaching him, therefore he prepares for that which is in front of him.
The worldly life is a passing life and the Hereafter is an everlasting abode. The worldly life is the abode of action and the Hereafter is the abode of recompense.
Know your own reality! May Allah have mercy upon you.
Everyone must ponder regarding himself, what has he prepared for the meeting with Allah, The Glorified, The Most High.
{So whoever hopes for the Meeting with his Lord, let him work righteousness and associate none as a partner in the worship of his Lord.} Al-Kahf:110
In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy
Imaam Ibnul Jawzi [rahimahullaah] said:
I saw that solely being preoccupied with studying Fiqh and listening to [transmission] of hadeeth is not enough to rectify the heart, except [when] combined with [the authentic narrations concerning the] softening of the hearts, and looking into the biographies of the pious predecessors. As for having knowledge of Halaal and Haraam only, it does not have a great strength in softening the heart; rather the softening of the heart is [attained] by mentioning the Ahaadeeth on the subject matter and the stories of the pious predecessors. That is because they [i.e. the pious predecessors] grasped the intent behind narrating [ahadeeth]–they demonstrated the tangible obligated actions by way of them, practical encounter with their meanings and the goals behind them. And there is nothing that will make you experience this, except after cultivation and experience.
That is because I find that the ambition of the majority of the Muhadditheen and the students of hadeeth is [focused on acquiring hadeeth that has the closest chain of transmission from the Prophet (sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam) and gathering numerous authentic Ahaadeeth on a particular subject matter in the religion etc]. And the majority of the jurists [focus on] the science of debate and that which gives one the upper hand [i.e. what he observed during his era]; so how can the heart be softened through these affairs?
Indeed, a group of the pious predecessors aspired to see that a righteous slave should look to his character and upright guidance and not [merely] the knowledge he has acquired. That is [because] his character and upright guidance are the fruits of his knowledge. So understand this! The student of Hadeeth and Fiqh should combine [seeking after hadeeth and fiqh] with studying the lives of the pious predecessors and the Zuhhaad, so that it can be a means to softening the heart. Indeed, books have been compiled regarding the affairs and manners of each one of those well-known outstanding men [of piety]. A book has been compiled regarding the affairs of Al-Hasan [Al-Basri], Sufyaan Ath-Thawri, Ibraaheem Bin Ad-ham, Bishr Al-Haafiy, Ahmad Bin Hanbal, Ma’roof and other than them amongst the scholars and the Zuhhaad.
[An Excerpt from ‘Saydul khaatir’ Page 171. Daar Ibn Rajab. 1st edition 2003. Slightly paraphrased]
“How do we combine between the spread of knowledge and the spread of Islam everywhere and the saying of the prophet, peace be upon him, that every time will be worse than the one preceding it.”
The Answer in the video by Shaykh Fawzaan
“Knowledge will spread in all ages and reach the East and the West. Today, you see that knowledge used to spread through Jihad in the path of Allah and the call to Allah. Now, we have the media, so the Qur’an is recited with loud and clear. It is recited in the loudest voice in the East and West. The Athaan (call to prayer) is heard in the East and West. This is from the mercy of Allah and from the establishment of proof against the servants so they can not say, Islam did not reach us or nothing reached us.”
In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy
Qur’aanic Evidences Which Shows That The Beneficial Contemporary Sciences and Occupations Are Included [i.e. Affirmed and Regulated] In The Religion of Islaam
Question: “May Allaah be good to you. Is lying permissible for the purpose of calling to Allaah?”
Answer:
No, calling to Allaah is based upon truthfulness. There is no good in lying. Except for in the instance of rectification, rectification between the people. Rectification between the people, there is no problem with lying for the purpose of rectification, (which is) an overriding benefit. Likewise (lying) between the spouses for the sake of maintaining the close relationship between the two. So one of them lies to the other in order to rectify their relationship. There is no problem with this.
In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy
When the Salafiyyoon refute all the people of Bidah and refuse to co-operate with them, the callers to false unity accuse them of causing disunity and sectarianism in their desperate attempts to conceal the true reality of this term when applied in its right context. Imaam Ibnul Qayyim [rahimahullaah] said: ‘’When a proof that supports the truth is manifested and the one who wants to repel it finds no way of doing so, he refrains from mentioning it and thus becomes a silent devil, and sometimes he distorts it. Distortion is of two types: Distorting words and distorting meanings. Distorting words is when one utters a word in a context in which it does not establish the truth – either adding to the word or omitting something from it, or substituting it with something else- to the extent that the listener is made to believe something, whilst something else is intended by it, just as the Yahood [i.e. those Yahood who disbelieved in the Prophet & hated him] used to distort words when giving Salaam to the Prophet [i.e. saying As-Saamu Alayka (death be upon you), instead of saying Assalaamu alaykum)]. This is one type of distortion.
The second type of distortion is related to meanings – distorting the wording; giving it an interpretation that is not intended by the one who uttered it and pretending not to know its unintended meaning; or dropping other meanings intended by it etc. Allaah [The Most High] said: [وَإِن تَلۡوُ ۥۤاْ أَوۡ تُعۡرِضُواْ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُونَ خَبِيرً۬ا – and if you distort your witness or refuse to give it, verily, Allah is Ever Well-Acquainted with what you do].
And when it is the case that a witness is required to bear witness based on what the affair should be [i.e. the complete truth], therefore neither should he hide nor change it. Turning away from the testimony is tantamount to concealment, and distortion is tantamount to alteration and substitution. Therefore, contemplate on this ayah and the treasures of knowledge it contains. The Eemaan of a person cannot be complete, except by way of accepting the texts of the sharee’ah and calling the people to them – neither turning away from them at times nor distorting them at other times. [Source: An Excerpt from ‘Badaa’i At-Tafseer Al-Jaami Limaa Fassarahu Al-Imaam Ibnul Qayyim (rahimahullaah). Vol 1. Page 300-303. slightly paraphrased]
The cause of the differing that take place between the callers is the differing in methodologies. And had the callers (may Allaah guide them and grant them success) followed a singular methodology- the methodology of the Messenger (sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam; that which the Messenger (sallal-laahu-alayhi-sallam) and his companions were upon- then these differences would not have occurred.
Therefore, it is obligatory upon all the callers to make their methodology one–upon the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allaah (sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam); and that their call is (carried out) for the sake of Allaah and to make the word of Allaah uppermost. Their call should not be for the sake of desires, raising individuals or parties; rather their call should be sincerely for Allaah’s Face-making Allaah’s word uppermost; following the Messenger of Allaah (sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam) and to aid His Religion. (So) by way of this the differing will cease. [Source: Al-Ijaabaatul Muhimmah Fil Mashaakil Al-Mulimmah (page:221-222)]
Shaikh Zaid Ibn Hadee al Madkhalee (rahimahullaah) said:
The Mubtadi [i.e. the one who innovates that which is not from the religion and thus is labelled with the term ‘innovator in religion’ after the proofs have been established against him] is the cause for the splitting [in the Ummah]. That is because splitting is connected to innovation and unity (upon the sound creed and methodology of the Salaf) is connected to the Sunnah. The obligation of refuting the Mukhaalif (the opposer of the truth) is not lifted from the scholar due to anticipation of harm, unless it is harm he is not able to bear. Then (in this case), Allah does not burden a soul beyond what it can bear. The earth is not devoid of people of knowledge who will carry out refutation against the Mubtadi and the Mukhaalif. [Source: Al Ajwibah Al Mukhtasar Alaa As-ila Al-Ashrati(Page43-44)]
Must Read: The Splitting and Differing in the Ummah is Due to the Innovations and Innovators: http://www.salafipublications.com/sps/sp.cfm?subsecID=GSC01&articleID=GSC010003&articlePages=1
In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy
Shaikh Muhammad Bin Saaleh Al-Uthaymeen [rahimahullaah] was asked about the statement of a person who says: ”I am free [or liberated?]”
Answer: If a liberated [or free person] says this and intends by it freedom from slavery to the creation, then yes he is free from slavery to the creation. However, if he intends by this that he is liberated (freed) from servitude to Allaah [The Mighty and Majestic], then indeed he has erred in his understanding of servitude and he does not understand the meaning of freedom. That is because servitude to other than Allaah is bondage. As for the servitude to Allaah [The Mighty and Majestic], then this is real freedom because if he does not humble himself to Allaah, he will humble himself to other than Allaah. So he deceives himself when he says that he is free [or liberated]- meaning: he is liberated from obedience to Allaah.
[Source: Al-Manaahiy al-Laf’dhiyyah: page: 117. abridged and slightly paraphrased]
