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]
The Messenger [sallal laahu alayhi wasallam] said: ‘’The best of the people are those living in my generation, then those who will follow the latter and then those who come after them. Then there will come after them people who will be treacherous and will not be trustworthy, they will bear witness without being asked to do so [Ref 1], and they will vow, but will never fulfil their vows, and fatness will appear among them.’’ [Ref 2].
Shaikh Rabee [hafidhahullaah] said: They [i.e. the people mentioned in this hadeeth] give false testimony, act treacherously and deceitfully. They behave in a very sinful manner and follow evil desires, except those whom Allaah safeguards amongst the Taa’ifatul Mansoorah [i.e. the aided group of Muslims upon the straight path] – those whom Allaah’s Messenger [alayhis salaatu wassalaam] praised. Therefore, it is obligated on us to acquire knowledge for the sake of Allaah [The Mighty and Majestic] and act upon it. Ignorance is a deadly disease and knowledge is a weapon that will destroy you if you do not act upon it, and Allaah’s refuge is sought. [Marhaban Yaa Taalibal Ilm pages 268-270]
[Ref 1]: Regarding the statement, ‘’They will bear witness without being asked to do so.’’ This can mean that they bear witness before being asked, or they bear witness based on falsehood, or they give witness without being from those who are worthy of it. [For further details see Sharh Saheeh Muslim 12/17)]. However, there is another Hadeeth in which the Prophet [sallal laahu alayhi wasallam] stated: ‘’Should I not inform you about the best of witnesses, they are those who bear witness before being asked.’’ The scholars say that what is intended by this hadeeth is for example: someone has a witness to give on behalf of another person based on truth, but the person does not know about it, so he [i.e. the one who should give the witness] informs the person about it; or for example, a person has already passed away and another person knows what the deceased person has left behind as inheritance, so he bears witness to that and makes it known. [For further details see Fat-hul Baari 5/260]
[Ref 2: And regarding the statement, ‘’And fatness will appear among them.’’ – Meaning: These people give importance to the means of fattening themselves – food, drink and over-abundance. So, their only concern is their bodies and fattening themselves. As for being fat without choice, then one cannot be blamed for that, just as a person cannot be blamed for being tall, short, black or white…[For further details, see Majmoo Al-Fataawaa 10/1056 -By Shaikh Uthaymeen (rahimahullaah)]
In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy
If a person begins the day and reaches the evening, whilst his [foremost] concern is [to obey or seek the pleasure of Allaah], Allaah [Glorified be He and free is He from all imperfections] will fulfil all his needs, take care of everything that worries him, [free his heart from other things and busy it with] love of Allaah, [preoccupy] his tongue with remembrance of Allaah and His limbs with acts of obedience to Allaah.
And if he begins the day and reaches the evening whilst his [foremost] concern is the worldly life, Allaah will make him carry the displeasure of his worries and griefs, leave him to himself, preoccupy his heart with love of the creation instead of love of Allaah, [preoccupy] his tongue with remembrance of the people instead of remembrance of Allaah, [preoccupy] his limbs with obedience to [people] by serving them and being busy in their service, instead of being obedient to Allaah; so he toils in their service just like the bellows that blows and squeezes for the benefit of others. Everyone who turns away from servitude to Allaah, obedience to Allaah and love of Allaah, he will be afflicted with servitude to a created thing, love of it and serving it. Allaah [The Exalted] said: [ وَمَن يَعْشُ عَن ذِكْرِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ نُقَيِّضْ لَهُ شَيْطَانًا فَهُوَ لَهُ قَرِينٌ– And whosoever turns away [blinds himself] from the remembrance of the Most Beneficent [Allaah], We appoint for him Shaitan [Satan – devil] to be a Qareen [an intimate companion] to him. [Surah Az-Zukhruf. Aayah 36]
Source: An Excerpt from ‘Al-Fawaa’id’ page 134-135. Slightly paraphrased
In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy
“Regardless what level you reach in knowledge, remember the [vast amount of knowldege] left behind by the predecessors for the successors.”
Shaikh Uthaymeen [rahimahullaah] said: This [statement] is good, but we say that what is better than that is: “Regardless what level you reach in knowledge, remember the statement of Allaah [The Mighty and Majestic]:
وَفَوْقَ كُلِّ ذِي عِلْمٍ عَلِيمٌ
But over all those endowed with knowledge is the All-Knowing [Allaah][Surah Yusuf’ Aayah 76]
And remember the other Aayah:
وَمَا أُوتِيتُم مِّنَ الْعِلْمِ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا
And of knowledge, you [mankind] have been given only a little.
[Surah Al-Israa’ Aayah 85]
In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy
It is an aspect of having a high aspiration to [acquire noble characteristics, dignity etc] that a person does not place his eyes on what is in the hands of the people [i.e. he is not coveteous]. Some of the people have a certain [manner] of asking for wealth: If he finds something he likes in the possession of [another] person, he gets hold of it in his hand and starts moving it about, saying: “How nice [or beautiful] this is!” “MaaShaaAllaah!” “Where did you buy it?” “Can it be found in the market.” The reason behind] all this is so that it is given to him, for indeed the generous person might become shy and say: “Indeed, he [i.e. the person asking this question] did not ask, except so that I say, “Take it.”
This person – the one who places his eyes [on other people’s possessions] or asks indirectly – lowers the status of the student of knowledge and that of others.
In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy
Question: Should a person show a friendly [or welcoming face] to everyone, even to the criminals?
Answer: It depends on what the situation requires, but your habit should be that you show a friendly [or welcoming face], for this is the best thing by way of which the people will be attracted to you, have love for you and approach you with their confidential affairs [i.e. to seek advice]. But if you are misrable [unfriendly or unwelcoming], the people will fear you and will be unable to speak to you.
However, if the situation requires that you [refrain from] showing a friendly [face], then do so. This is why a person cannot be blamed unrestrictedly for showing an unfriendly [or unwelcoming face] nor praised unrestrictedly for not having a friendly [or welcoming face]
In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower
If the non-Muslims give us salaam, we return the [salaam] because Allaah [The Most High] said: When you are greeted with a greeting, greet in return with what is better than it, or (at least) return it equally. [Surah An-Nisaa’ Aayah 86]
So, if they [i.e. non-muslims] say: ‘Assalaamu alaykum [i.e. peace be upon you]’, we say clearly ‘Alaykumus salaam’ [i.e. peace be upon you], because [Allaah] states in the Aayah [i.e. Aayah 86 Surah An-Nisaa]: Greet in return with what is better than it, or [at least] return it equally. The only [reason] the Prophet [sallal laahu alayhi wasallam] commanded us to say ‘Wa alaykum’ [i.e. ‘And upon you’ without the word Salaam] is because they [i.e. some of the yahood in Madeenah used to say to the Muslims out of hatred], ‘As-Saam Alaykum [i.e. death be upon you] as occurs in the hadeeth narrated by Abdullaah Ibn Umar: “Indeed, when the Yahood give you salaam, they say, As-saam ‘alaykum [i.e. death be upon you]; so say, ‘Wa alaykum’ [i.e. And upon you].
Nay, but they have denied the truth (this Qurān) when it has come to them, so they are in a confused state (can not differentiate between right and wrong). Sura Qāf: 5
Shaykh Uthaymīn:
“Likewise every person who rejects the truth the first time, then he should know that he will be trialed with doubts and uncertainty in accepting the truth in the future. Therefore it is obligatory upon us when we hear that this thing is the truth, that we say: “we hear and obey.”
Shaykh Uthaymīn (rahimahullāh) in explanation of verse 12 in Al-Hujurāt:
Repentance (tawbah) from the servant is to move from disobeying Allāh to obeying Him. And repentance from Allāh means that Allāh accepts the repentance of the servant and subsequently exchanges his sins for good deeds.
It is reported that Mālik ibn Dīnār (rahimahullāh) said,
If a man seeks knowledge to act upon it, his knowledge will make him happy. And if he seeks knowledge, for other than acting upon it, his knowledge increases him in haughtiness.
