A Sheep was slaughtered for Abdullaah Ibn Umar [radiyallaahu-anhumaa], so he said to his slave, “Have you given to our Jewish neighbour? Have you given to our Jewish neighbours? I heard the Messenger of Allaah [sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam] saying, ‘Jibreel did not cease advising me [about the rights of] a neighbour until I thought that he [a neighbour] would inherit from me.’ “
Which type of hearts benefits from the Qur’aan?!
The Prophet (sallahualayhiwasallam) said:
“The best of you are those who are the best to their wives; and I am the best of you to my wives.” (Tirmidhi 3895. Declared authentic by Imaam Albaani in Sahih at-Tirmidhi)
The Prophet (sallahualayhiwasallam) said:
“You never spend anything, except that you will be rewarded for it; even the morsel of food that you lift to your wife’s mouth” (Bukhaari 6352 & Muslim 1628)
In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy
Allaah [The Most High] said:
وَهُوَ الَّذِي جَعَلَ اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ خِلْفَةً لِّمَنْ أَرَادَ أَن يَذَّكَّرَ أَوْ أَرَادَ شُكُورًا
And He it is Who has put the night and the day in succession, for such who desires to remember or desires to show his gratitude. [25:62]
The night and the day differ- this one is white and that one is black. So one takes an admonition [from them], contemplates on the difference between them and thanks Allaah for them. [Ref 1]
Whoever misses the remembrance of Allaah in the morning, then he [or she] can do so in the evening and vice versa. [Ref 2]
[Ref 1: Source: A paraphrased excerpt from ‘Zaadul Maseer’ by Imaam Ibn Al-Jawzi (rahimahullaah). Publisher: Daar Ibn Hazm 1st edition 1423AH (Year 2002)]
[Ref 2: Source: A paraphrased excerpt from ‘Tayseer Al-Kareem Ar-Rahmaan Fee Tafseer Kalaam Al-Mannaan’ by Imaam Sadi (rahimahullaah). Publisher: Daar ibn Hazm 1st ed 1424AH (Year 2003)]
In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy
Whoever accuses a believer of something that is not true, Allaah will make him dwell in flowing pus on the Day of Judgement. [Saheeh Al-Jaami]
Repentance from sins committed against oneself and others
Imaam Abdul Azeez Bin Baaz (rahimahullaah) said:
Know that Allaah’s Mercy is extensive and His Kindness is tremendous, and that He is [الجواد – (The Munificent, Bountiful); الكريم (The Bountiful, The Generous One Abundant in Good)][Ref 1]. He is the Most Merciful of all those who show mercy and the best of all those who forgive [Glorified and Exalted be He]. And know that also to have (the audacity to commit acts of) disobedience is a great evil, a great corruption and a cause of (incurring) the anger of Allaah; but when a servant repents to his Lord –a truthful repentance-Allaah accepts his repentance. Indeed, the Prophet (sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam) was asked many times about a man who (committed) a lot of such and such faults, (acts) of disobedience and various types of kufr, and then he repents; so Messenger (sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam) said: ‘’Repentance wipes away what was (committed) before it (i.e. sins)’’ and ‘’Islaam (i.e. when a person abandons kufr and becomes a Muslim) wipes away what was (committed) before it (i.e. sins).’’ Therefore, you should know -with certainty- that by way of truthful sincere repentance, Allaah wipes away sins and evil deeds, even kufr. And because of this Allaah [Glorified Be He] said:
[وَتُوبُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ جَمِيعًا أَيُّهَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ – And all of you beg Allah to forgive you all, O believers, that you may be successful. [24:31] So He (Allaah) connected success to repentance.
Allaah (Glorified Be He) said:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا تُوبُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ تَوْبَةً نَّصُوحًا عَسَى رَبُّكُمْ أَن يُكَفِّرَ عَنكُمْ سَيِّئَاتِكُمْ وَيُدْخِلَكُمْ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ
”O you who believe! Turn to Allah with sincere repentance! It may be that your Lord will remit from you your sins, and admit you into Gardens under which rivers flow (Paradise) [66:8]
Therefore, O brother! Truthful repentance is (incumbent) upon you- cling to it; be firm upon it and be sincere to Allaah in that. And (receive) glad tidings that it wipes away your sins, even if they are like a mountain.
The conditions (to be fulfilled in order for repentance to be accepted are) three: [1] To be regretful and remorseful regarding the past (acts of disobedience you committed); [2] To renounce and abandon the sins – the big and small (of them); [3] To have a firm resolve (or determination) not to return to it (i.e. not to commit them again). If you owe the people their rights- wealth or (you committed offences related to blood-shed, murder or causing injury etc) or violating their honour, then their rights must be given back to them. This is a fourth affair related to a complete repentance. It is incumbent upon you to give the people the rights they are owed. If the affair is related to retribution, then retribution is established (i.e. by the state), unless they (i.e. the people) permit that you give blood money; if related to wealth, you give them back their wealth, unless they forgive; if related to their honour and you did backbite them, you should seek their forgiveness; but if seeking their forgiveness will lead to evil, then there is no hindrance in refraining from (informing them that you did backbite them and that you seek their forgiveness); rather you should supplicate for them and seek Allaah’s forgiveness for them, and mention the good you know about them in the same place you did mention them with evil. This will be expiation for (that sin of backbiting). And it is incumbent upon you to proceed –without delay- towards repentance before death, and then exercise patience and be truthful. Allaah (Glorified and Exalted Be He) said:
وَالَّذِينَ إِذَا فَعَلُواْ فَاحِشَةً أَوْ ظَلَمُواْ أَنْفُسَهُمْ ذَكَرُواْ اللّهَ فَاسْتَغْفَرُواْ لِذُنُوبِهِمْ وَمَن يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلاَّ اللّهُ وَلَمْ يُصِرُّواْ عَلَى مَا فَعَلُواْ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ
”And those who, when they have committed Fahishah (illegal sexual intercourse etc.) or wronged themselves with evil, remember Allah and ask forgiveness for their sins; – and none can forgive sins but Allah – And do not persist in what (wrong) they have done, while they know. [3:135]
(So) understand the meaning of the (statement): وَلَمْ يُصِرُّواْ – And do not persist in what (wrong)]- this means that they do not persist in sin, rather they repent, show regret and abandon the (sin) they committed; and they know [i.e. that persistence in sin is harmful, or that Allaah forgives the one who repents (Ref 2)]
Then Allaah [Glorified Be He] said:
أُوْلَئِكَ جَزَآؤُهُم مَّغْفِرَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ وَجَنَّاتٌ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا وَنِعْمَ أَجْرُ الْعَامِلِينَ
For such, the reward is Forgiveness from their Lord, and Gardens with rivers flowing underneath (Paradise), wherein they shall abide forever. How excellent is this reward for the doers (who do righteous deeds according to Allah’s Orders). [3:136]. This is the reward for those who repent and do not persist in (sin)- for them the reward is paradise. [Ref 3]
The Best Supplication for Seeking Forgiveness
The Supplication in Arabic:
اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ رَبِّي لا إِلَهَ إِلا أَنْتَ خَلَقْتَنِي وَأَنَا عَبْدُكَ وَأَنَا عَلَى عَهْدِكَ وَوَعْدِكَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُ أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا صَنَعْتُ
أَبُوءُ لَكَ بِنِعْمَتِكَ عَلَيَّ وَأَبُوءُ لَكَ بِذَنْبِي فَاغْفِرْ لِي فَإِنَّهُ لا يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلا أَنْتَ
O Allaah, You are my Lord! There is no one who has the right to be worshipped except you. You created me and I am your slave, and I am (sincere) to my covenant and promise (to You) as much as I am able. I seek refuge with You from the evil I have done. I acknowledge in your presence all the blessings You have granted me, and I confess to You my sins. So forgive me, for indeed none is able to forgive (a slave his) sins, except You.’’ [Ref Bukhaari Hadeeth Number:Number:6306] [Ref 4]
And Allaah knows best
[Ref 1: The translation of these two Names of Allaah was taken from the poster titled: The Beautiful Names of Allaah. (Minhaaj As-Sunnah Publications 2005) and Distributed by Salafipublications]
[Ref 2: Source: Zaadul Maseer Fee Ilm At-Tafseer’ By Imaam Ibnul Jawzi (rahimahullaah). Publisher: Daar Ibn Hazm. 1st Edition 1424AH (Year 2002)]
[Ref 3: http://www.binbaz.org.sa/fatawa/4251 abridged & slightly paraphrased]
[Ref 4: https://www.salaficentre.com/2012/03/abridged-the-best-way-to-seek-allaahs-forgiveness-with-comments-from-imaam-bin-baaz-rahimahullaah/]
A slave dealt harshly with his master, so he [i.e. the master] said: “Indeed as you can see I exercise patience with this boy in order to train my soul- because if I exercise patience with the slave [whilst bearing] that which is hated, I will exercise more patience with other than him [i.e. when dealing with others]”.
[Source: Kitaab Uyoounul Akhbaar’ of Ibn Qutaybah (rahimahullaah): Vol: 1-page: 332]
Ibn Shubrimah [rahimahullaah]
In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy
Allaah [The Most High] said in Surah Aal Imraan Ayah 100:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنْ تُطِيعُوا فَرِيقًا مِنَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ يَرُدُّوكُمْ بَعْدَ إِيمَانِكُمْ كَافِرِينَ
O you who believe! If you obey a group of those who were given the Scripture, they would [indeed] render you disbelievers after you have believed!
Few Reminders from the Above Aayah:
That is because of their envy and hatred towards you [believers], and their extreme eagerness to turn you away from your religion, just as He (The Most High) said:
وَدَّ كَثِيرٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ لَوْ يَرُدُّونَكُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ إِيمَانِكُمْ كُفَّارًا حَسَدًا مِنْ عِنْدِ أَنْفُسِهِمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُمُ الْحَقُّ
Many of the people of the Scripture wish that if they could turn you away as disbelievers after you have believed, out of envy from their ownselves, even, after the truth (that Muhammad Peace be upon him is Allah’s Messenger) has become manifest unto them. [2:109] [Ref 1]
Az-Zujaaj [rahimahullaah] said: If you obey and blindly follow them [they would return you to disbelief] [Ref 2]
NB: The above has nothing to do with having peace treaties with non-Muslims, fulling contracts and behaving oneself whilst living in non-Muslim countries. See articles on this links
http://www.abukhadeejah.com/treaties-with-the-non-muslims-do-they-necessitate-allegiance/
http://www.abukhadeejah.com/how-to-conduct-oneself-with-the-jews-christians-others-even-if-they-be-tyrants/
http://www.salafipublications.com/sps/sp.cfm?subsecID=LSC01&articleID=LSC010001&articlePages=1
[Ref 1: Source: (Tayseer al-Kareem Ar-Rahmaan Fee Tafseer Kalaam Al-Mannaan). Abridged & slightly paraphrased]
[Ref2: Source: (Zaadul Maseer’ by Imaam Ibnul Jawzi). Sliglyly paraphrased]
In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy
Imaam Muhammad Ibn Saaleh Al-Uthaymeen [rahimahullaah] said:
The heart of the caller [i.e. the caller to Islaam upon sound knowledge, clear-sightedness, wisdom, etc] should be relaxed towards the one who opposes him, especially if he knows that the one who opposes him has a good intention and has not opposed him except to establish the evidence he possesses; therefore, it is obligated on a person to be flexible in these affairs. He should not make this differing a cause for enmity and hatred, except against a man who opposes the [truth] obstinately after the truth has been made clear to him, but he carries on upon his falsehood; then indeed it is obligatory to deal with him [in a manner] he deserves-by alienating him and warning the people about him- because his enmity manifested after the truth has been made manifest to him and [refuses] to follow it. [1]
[1] [Source: (Zaad Ad-Daa’iyah Ilal laah’ page 27). Slightly paraphrased]
Articles to detail the above affair:
http://www.salaficentre.com/2015/05/a-misunderstanding-regarding-the-statement-laa-inkaar-fee-masaail-al-khilaaf-there-should-be-no-repudiation-in-the-affairs-of-khilaaf-i-e-differing/
http://www.salafitalk.net/st/viewmessages.cfm?Forum=9&Topic=12294
http://www.abukhadeejah.com/ahlus-sunnah-do-not-divide-that-is-the-methodolology-of-the-salaf/