In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful The Bestower of Mercy
Imaam Sufyaan Ath-Thawree (rahimahullaah) said: Be mindful of Allaah’s Anger in three affairs: Be mindful of falling short in that which you have been commanded; be mindful that He sees you, whilst you are not pleased with what He has portioned for you (of the dunyah); be mindful that you seek for something from the worldly life and do not find it, so you become angry with your Lord. [Siyar A’laam Nubulaa 7/244]
In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful The Bestower of Mercy.
A man said to Abdullaah Bin Mas’ood [may Allah be pleased with him], “I do not want to be amongst the companions of the right, I want to be amongst those foremost in faith; so, Abdullaah Bin Mas’ood said to him, ‘But there is a man right here [meaning himself] who wishes that he is not resurrected after he dies [i.e. due to fear of the hereafter]’”.
One day, he [Abdullaah] came out and the people followed him, so he said to them, “Do you have a need?” They said, “No, but we want to walk along with you.” He said, “Go back, for indeed it is humiliation for the one following and a trial for the one followed”.
He said, “Had you known what I know about myself, you would have hurried to cover my head with dust”.
[Source: Az-Zuhd of Imaam Ahmad: page: 195, 198, 265]
In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.
After Imaam Ibnul Qayyim (rahimahullaah) described the beauty and perfection of the women of Paradise so that one is drawn towards them, he warned against being deceived by the evil women of this worldly life-those who are deprived of every excellent trait. They are neither perfect in their physical appearances nor do they possess good actions.
How can one be deceived by a woman who possesses ugly manners and is untrustworthy! How can one be deceived by a woman who neither fulfills her obligations nor does she possess patience! How can one be deceived by a woman who is neither contented nor is she obedient and humble [i.e. not obedient to Allaah in that which Allaah has commanded her to fulfil in marriage], and her deeds are ugly! Rather she is a female shaytaan disguised in the image of a human, so she deceives the despicable and depraved people who desire her because they are similar to her and are ready to obey her.
As for the people of goodness and virtue, she neither wants nor desires them because there are no similarities between her and them. She is deprived of everything that directs her towards good and prevents her from evil. She neither possesses the correct way of life ordained by Allaah and a sound moral intellect nor does she possess good manners and fear of Allaah. She does not possess natural beauty, rather her beauty is a falsified one that emanates from cosmetics. And when she leaves that beautification and embellishment the defects on her becomes apparent and she is deprived of everything that makes a person desirous of her. She is characterized with betrayal-neither grateful towards good companionship nor does she preserve and fulfill its rights.
Her beauty is a thin shell and underneath it are defects and ugly affairs. Her beauty resembles a fake coin plated with gold or silver, which one may consider to be a real gold or silver coin; but this counterfeit cannot be circulated amongst the money changers even though many people are deceived by it.
[Sharh Al-Qaseedah An-Nooniyyah by Shaikh Muhammad Khaleel Al-Harraas (rahimahullaah): Vol 2, page: 738-739]
In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.
Shaikh Saaleh Al-Fawzaan [hafidhahullaah] said:
Supplicate for your brother to be blessed. Supplicate for him to be blessed instead of wishing that the blessing he is given should cease to exist. Supplicate for him that the blessing he is given should remain and that Allaah blesses him with it. This [supplication of yours for your brother] will not harm you, rather it something through which Allaah will benefit you. Envy is cured with the likes of these deeds.
Also that which will cure the disease of envy is that you seek after provision and employ the means of earning a livelihood. As for sitting (about idly) and being lazy, whilst envying those who earn through seeking after provision – envying them for that which Allaah has bestowed on them of His bounties- then you are to be blamed. You are the one who has fallen short; you are the one who has abandoned the means to earning a livelihood and the one with a self-inflicted laziness; therefore you should blame yourself, let alone envy people for what Allaah has given them of His bounties.
Envy can lead to disbelief just as it led Iblees to disbelief; it can lead to committing murder just as it led Haabil to murder his brother Qaabil. Allaah narrated this story to us in order that we may ponder upon it; take warning from it and be warned against envy.
Envy can lead a person to oppose Allaah [Glorified and Exalted Be He]- opposing His Divine Will and Decree – that Allaah is not All-Wise, Fully-Aware and All-Knowing because he gave someone who is not worthy to be given or punishes someone who is not worthy to be punished. This (belief) is tantamount to disbelief in Allaah’s Divine Will and Decree. Envy is a harmful disease, so seek Allaah’s Refuge against envy. In a hadeeth transmitted by Imaam Ahmad and Imaam Tirmidhee, it is stated: “Envy consumes good deeds just as fire burns wood’’. Therefore, be warned lest your rewards and righteous deeds are consumed due to envy. Seek Allaah’s Refuge against envy and ask Allaah to give you from His bounties; love good for your brothers and supplicate for them to be blessed. All the bounty is in the Hand of Allah; He grants to whom He wills. And Allah is All-Sufficient for His creatures’ needs, the All-Knower. Therefore, do not oppose Allaah and thus your deeds are nullified whilst you are unaware of that. [Paraphrased: Listen to audio here:
In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.
Question:
What is incumbent on a woman to do if she has a dream in her sleep that she’s having sexual intercourse with a man?
Answer:
If a man dreams in his sleep that he is having sexual intercourse with a woman, or if a woman dreams in her sleep that a man is having sexual intercourse with her, then there is no blame [i.e. sin] on them because accountability is removed from them in a state of sleep and due to their inability to prevent that. Allaah [The Most High] does not burden a soul beyond what it can bear. The Prophet [sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam] said: “The pen (i.e. accountability) is lifted from three (people): The sleeping person until he (or she) wakes up; the insane person until he (or she) returns to sanity and the child until he (or she) reaches the age of puberty”. (1) The one who sees such a dream should make Ghusl if he (or she) saw a discharge (i.e. sexual discharge). (2)
[1] Hadeeth reported by Imaam Ahmad; Imaam Abu Dawood; Imaam Nasaa’ee and Al-Haakim. It is an authentic hadeeth; see Irwaa al-Ghaleel of Shaikh Albaani..Number: 271]; [2] Fataawa Al-Lajnah Ad-Daa’imah 5/311]
In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.
Some of the wise people said, “The days are three types: Yesterday is like a moral lesson, so it remains as an admonition and a lesson for you. Today is like a friend who gives you [good] advice. You did not approach it, rather it came to you. It was hidden from you for a prolonged period and will depart quickly, so get hold of it [by doing good]. As for Tomorrow, you do not know what Allaah has decreed, whether you’ll be from its people or not”.
Bahjatul Majaalis 3/330. By Ibn Abdil Barr [rahimahullaah]
In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.
Ibn Umar [radiyallaahu-anhumaa] said that the Messenger of Allaah [sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam] said, “All of you are guardians and responsible for those under your care. The ruler is the guardian of his subjects and is responsible for them; a man is the guardian of his family and is responsible for them; a woman is the guardian of her husband’s house and is responsible for it; and a servant is the guardian of his master’s belongings and is responsible for them”. Ibn Umar added, I thought that he also said, ‘A man is the guardian of his father’s property and is responsible for it. All of you are guardians and responsible for your wards and the things under your care’’’. [Bukhaari Number 893]
This includes [the responsibilities of] a father, a married couple, a head teacher [or manager], a [government] minister and other than them- those whom others are placed under their responsibility [i.e. under their authority, care or guardianship]. It is not only limited to the leader of a nation, [rather] a Muslim has responsibilities towards his children, spouse, [extended] family, society, and occupation, [as well as responsibilities] in his street and Masjid! [Source: An Excerpt from ‘Silsilah Ar-Rasaa’il Al-Manhajiyyah Fin-Nus’hi Wal-Irshaad Wat-Taw’iyah’ Pages 24-25’. slightly paraphrased]
It is not permissible to exalt and praise the innovators even if they have some truth with them. That is because raising and praising them will spread their bidah and place them amongst the sincere ones-those who are taken as examples amongst distinguished men of this Ummah. The Salaf warned against having trust for the innovators, (warned against) praising them and their gatherings. In this regard, Asad Ibn Musa (rahimahullaah) wrote: ”Beware of being a brother of the innovator (by association) or a companion of his, or one whom you sit with; for indeed it has been narrated that ‘Whoever sits with a person of innovation has left the protection of Allaah and is entrusted to himself’.
The innovators must be warned against and kept away from even if they have some truth with them. Indeed, the most astray are not devoid of some truth, but as long as they have with them innovation, opposition and sinful views, it is not permissible to praise and exalt them. It is impermissible to not have an objection against their innovation because this spreads bidah, belittles the Sunnah and by way of this the innovator will emerge and become a guide for the Ummah.
As for giving consideration (to the fact) that the innovation has some truth, this does not justify praising him. This is -to a far greater extent- against what is of overriding benefit and it is known in relation to a principle in the religion that averting harm takes precedence over seeking that which is of benefit. And with regards to having hatred for the innovator, the harm that is averted from the Ummah is weightier than the benefit possessed by the innovator. And had we adhered to this concept (i.e. praising the innovator because he has some truth with him), then no one would have been judged to be misguided and declared an innovator. That is because there is not an innovator except that he has some truth and adherence to the Sunnah. The innovator (may) neither be a disbeliever nor be in opposition to all the Islamic legislation; rather he is either an innovator in some or most of the affairs. However, if the innovation is particularly related to affairs of Creed and Methodology, then the affair is dangerous indeed because it will become an example (to be followed); innovation will spread and the innovators will become active in spreading their innovation.
So, this person who praises the innovators and makes their affair obscure to the people -due to some truth they (i.e. innovators) have – is one of two (people): Either he is one ignorant of the methodology of the pious predecessors and their stance against the innovators, so neither is it permissible for this ignorant one to speak nor is it permissible for the Muslims to listen to him; or he is one who has an objection to the truth because he knows the danger of innovation and the innovators, but he wishes to spread innovations. Nevertheless, this is a dangerous affair and it is not permissible to be lackadaisical with regards to innovation and its people, whatever that may be. [Source: An Excerpt from At-Tabdee Wat-Tafseeq Wat Takfeer. Page: 72-76. slightly paraphrased]
In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.
Question to Al-‘Allâmah Ahmad bin Yahyā An-Najmī (rahimahullaah): This question states: What is your view of the one who warns against bid’ah and innovators in general but does not hold that names are to be mentioned?
Answer: When something happened the Prophet (sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam) used to say: “What is wrong with a people (who did or say such and such)?! This is correct; but is this said about the leaders of misguidance – those who call the people to affairs of misguidance and the people are put to trial through them; is this said about them? No, these ones must be mentioned; they must be made known and they must be known, so that the people are cautious about them. As for us keeping quiet about them and saying: “No, we do not mention their names; we neither say Sayyid Qutb nor Hasan al-Banna, neither such and such person nor such and such person”; then with respect to the one who utters this statement, for example: If we were to warn against the people of bid’ah, who will be able to say that it is other than these people….these (people) are the leaders of ahlul bid’ah.
Shaikh Saaleh Al-Fawzaan [hafidhahullaah] said: The principle related to this [i.e. mentioning names] is about warning against mistakes and deviation, after identifying it as such. If the affair requires making known the name of an individual among the obstinate opponents so that beguilement does not occur through their [affair] – especially those individuals with deviated views or deviation in behavior and methodology, and they are well known among the people and the people have a good opinion of them- then there is no harm in mentioning them by their names and their methodology warned against.
The scholars carry out research in the science of Jarh Wat-Tadeel [criticism and praise] and then mention the narrators and the reproach stated against them. This is not [done] for the purpose of personal [criticism]; rather it is [done] for the purpose to giving advice to the Ummah in case they come across affairs from these individuals that are harmful to the Religion or lies against the Messenger [sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam].
Therefore, first and foremost, this principle is about warning against mistakes. However, the one who committed such mistake(s) is not to be mentioned if that would either lead to greater harm or if there is no benefit in mentioning him. However, if the affair requires that his name be made known for the purpose of warning the people against his methodology, then this is [considered] to be sincerity to Allaah, His Book, His Messenger, to the leaders of the Muslims and their common folk, especially if he [i.e. the one warned against] is active within the people and they have a good opinion of him, and acquire his books and tapes. Then there has to be clarification and the people must be warned, because [employing] silence will be harmful to the people. His affair has to be unveiled, but not for the purpose of defamation or following one’s desires [in that]; rather it has to be [done] for the purpose of sincerity to Allaah, His Book, His Messenger, the leaders of the Muslims and their common people. [Source: Al-Ajwibah Al Mufeedah; page 162 Question number: 66 Slightly paraphrased]
And say to My slaves that they should (only) say those words that are the best. (Because) Shaitan (Satan) verily, sows disagreements among them. Surely, Shaitan (Satan) is to man a plain enemy.
Allaah [The Blessed and Most High] command His slave and Messenger [i.e. Muhammad (sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam)] to command Allaah’s believing slaves that they speak to one another in their conversations and discussions with what is better and good, for if they do not do that, shaytaan will initiate a state of conflict between them and speech will lead to actions, and thus evil, [blameworthy] argumentation and fighting will arise; for indeed shaytaan is an enemy of Aadam and his children since [the time] he refused to prostrate to Aadam. His enmity is clear and manifest, so because of this it prohibited for a man to point at his Muslim brother with an iron [instrument], for indeed shaytaan [can entice an evil action] in his hand and he may strike [ his Muslim brother] with it. [Ref 1]
Imaam Sadi stated that this command [i.e. in Surah Al-Israa Aayah 53] is related to every speech that will bring a person close to Allaah, such as recitation [of the Qur’aan], remembrance of Allaah, enjoining good and forbidding evil, [to address the people] with good and gentle speech in accordance with their different social statuses and positions. If something resolves around two good affairs, then Allaah commands that the better of the two is chosen if it is not possible to combine both of them. Good speech leads to every beautiful mannerism and righteous deed, for indeed the one who controls his tongue will be able to take control of his affairs.
Shaytaan wants to cause disagreements between you. He hastens towards that which will corrupt the religious and worldly affairs of the slaves. Therefore, the remedy for this is that he is not to be followed when he incites you to utter statements that are not good in order to cause enmity and disagreements between you. He is your real enemy and it is obligated on you to wage war against him because he calls you to be among the people of the hell fire. [Ref 2]
[Ref 1: Source: An Excerpt from Al-Misbaah Al-Muneer Fee Tahdheb Tafseer Ibn katheer’ Surah Al-Israa 17: 53]
[Ref 2: An Excerpt from Tayseer Al-kareem ar-Rahmaan Fee Tafseer Kalaam al-Mannaan]
