In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.
Al-Alaa Bin Ziyaad [rahimahullaah] said, “Do not [allow] your eyes to follow the garment of a woman because one’s gaze places desire in the heart’’. [Az-Zudh By Imaam Ahmad (rahimahullaah). 311]
Shaikh Saaleh al Fawzaan [may Allaah preserve him] said: Safety from the fitnah of women is by way of lowering the gaze, distancing oneself from paying attention to them and [distancing oneself from] following them. Allaah [The Most High] said:
[ قُلْ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ يَغُضُّوا مِنْ أَبْصَارِهِمْ وَيَحْفَظُوا فُرُوجَهُمْ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ أَزْكَىٰ لَهُمْ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا يَصْنَعُونَ – Tell the believing men to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things), and protect their private parts from (illegal sexual acts). That is purer for them. Verily, Allaah is All-Aware of what you do]. [24:30]
So, lower your gaze from that which Allaah has made forbidden and do not enter places of fitnah so that you are safeguarded. This is one of the means to safety from fitnah. [Source: Sil-silatu Mu-allifaat Fadheelatus Sheikh No: 7. page: 43-44]
In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.
The Messenger [sallal laahu alayhi wasallam] said, “Any man whom Allaah has given authority to look after the affairs of a people and he dies whilst not looking after them [in the manner obligated by Allaah and His Messenger], he will not smell the scent of paradise”. [Saheeh Al-Bukhaari’ Number 7150]
Regarding the statement of the Messenger [sallal laahu alayhi wasallam]: “Any man whom Allaah has given authority to look after the affairs of a people”; Shaikh Uthaymeen [rahimahullaah] said: This does not [only] mean the Muslim ruler, his assistant or a minister, or the elders of a people; rather it applies even to a man in his house. If he dies and did not look after his family [in the manner obligated by Allaah and His Messenger], then indeed Allaah will prevent him from smelling the scent of paradise. And those who give their families games [or means of amusement] that corrupt manners and destroy [sound] Aqeedah, then there is no doubt that they have not looked after their families [i.e. in the manner obligated by Allaah and His Messenger in this affair]. And if they die whilst being upon this state, it is feared that Allaah will prevent them from smelling the scent of paradise. [Ref 1] We ask Allaah for well-being and safety. [At-taleeq Alas Siyaasatish Shar’iyyah. page 35]
Ref 1: Shaikh bin Baaz [rahimahullaah] said: The sinners [i.e. those who die whilst committing sins lesser than shirk] are under the will of Allaah- if Allaah wishes, He will either punish them or forgive them straight away, or He enters them into hell for some time and paradise thereafter, just as Allaah said: [إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَغۡفِرُ أَن يُشۡرَكَ بِهِۦ وَيَغۡفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَٲلِكَ لِمَن يَشَآءُ-Verily, Allah forgives not that partners should be set up with him in worship, but He forgives except that (anything else) to whom He pleases. [Surah An-Nisaa’ Aayah 48]
إن أهل المعاصي تحت مشيئة الله، إن شاء الله غفر لهم وأدخلهم الجنة من أول وهلة، وإن شاء عذبهم في النار على قدر معاصيهم مدة من الزمن، ثم بعد التطهير والتمحيص يخرجهم الله من النار إلى الجنة، كما قال الله -سبحانه-: إِنَّ اللَّهَ لا يَغْفِرُ أَنْ يُشْرَكَ بِهِ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَلِكَ لِمَنْ يَشَاءُ
In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.
Mutarrif Bin Abdillaah Ash Shikh-kheer [rahimahullaah] said, “It is more beloved to me that I sleep all night [i.e. without performing the optional night prayer] and wake up in the morning whilst being regretful than stay up all night in prayer and then become self-amazed”. [Ref 1]
Imaam Adh-Dhahabi [rahimahullaah] commented on this statement and said, “The one who attributes piety to himself or is amazed with himself will not be successful”. [Ref 2]
[Ref 1: Az-Zuhd 448. By Imaam Ibnul Mubaarak (rahimahullaah)]
In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.
Imaam Dhahabi [rahimahullaah] said: The most evil [type] of haughtiness [i.e. the haughtiness lesser than the one that led Iblees to disbelief] is that of one who is haughty towards the people due to knowledge [he possesses] and feels exalted within himself due to virtue [he possesses]; for indeed this [type of person] is not benefited by his knowledge. Indeed, the one who seeks knowledge for the afterlife [i.e. to perform righteous deeds for the afterlife], his knowledge will prevent him [i.e. restrain him from evil, unpraiseworthy deeds etc], his heart will possess khash’ya [i.e. that fear of Allaah founded upon knowledge of the greatness of Allaah, His perfect Dominion and sovereignty], his soul will be at ease and he will be watchful over himself. [Al-Kabaa’ir page 76]
In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.
Shaikh Rabee Bin Haadee Al-Madkhalee [may Allaah preserve him and prolong his life upon righteous deeds] said: Destructive Good Suspicion is to have a good suspicion of the people of falsehood whether are they disbelievers, innovators or evil (open) sinners. And that which led the disbelievers to belie the Messengers, (harbouring) a severe disbelief in them and their message was due to their evil suspicion towards the people of truth (i.e. the Prophets and their true followers), and having a good suspicion of their forefathers and their religions of falsehood and disbelief. Ahlul Bidah such as the Rawaafid, the khawaarij, the soofiyyah, the murji’ah, the qadariyyah and the people of Tahazzub Al-Baatil [false partisanship] are destroyed by good suspicion towards their shuyookh and figureheads, and their corrupt creeds. On the other hand, they are destroyed by their evil suspicions towards the truth and its people. Abul Hasan Al-Maribee and his followers have a share of both this destructive good suspicion and destructive evil suspicion. [Majmoo 13/363-364]
In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful The Bestower of Mercy.
Shaikh Abdur-Razzaaq Al-Badr [hafidha-hullaah] was asked whether the sects that existed in the past such as the Mutizilah, Jahmiyyah and others are present today; so he said, “The scholars state in their books about the sects: [لِكُلِّ قَوْمٍ وَارِث وَلِكُلِّ أَرْضٍ حَارِث وَلِكُلِّ ضَرٍّ هَالِك -Every people have their inheritors, every earth has a cultivator and every evil has one destroyed by it.” This is enough an answer [i.e. the contemporary sects are from the ancient ones]”. [Source: Sharh Aqeedah Al-Waasitiyyah: lesson:9]
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:
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.
Shaikh Rabee Bin Haadi [may Allaah preserve him] said:
The political parties [or groups] emerged in this era [whilst] affected- to some extent- by the creed and methodologies of [the khawaarij]. And for this reason they do not give importance to [other affairs] besides politics. Neither do they give any concern to rectifying the situation of the Ummah though [sound] Creed and Knowledge nor do reflect upon [the affair about] returning the Ummah to the Book, the [authentic] Sunnah, and the piety and steadfastness the Salafus Saaleh were upon in every aspect of the Religion. Rather they [i.e. these political parties (or groups)] increase the Ummah in corruption upon corruption-in creed and manners. So, you see them giving allegiance to the people of Bidah and Misguidance; waging war against the people who [truly] follow the Qur’aan and the Sunnah, and the scholars [i.e. waging war against those scholars who truly adhere to the Qur’aan and the Sunnah].
They erect false objectives and slogans for Ahlul Bidah Wad-Dalaalah [the people of Bidah and Misguidance] and their books; and amongst them [i.e. these people of bidah] are Sayyid Qutb and his followers – the one [i.e. Sayyid Qutub] who embark upon the stratagem of the Khawaarij, the Rawaafid, the Mu’tazilah and the Jahmiyyah in creed, methodology and politics; especially in the subject matter of Takfeer based on oppression and ignorance [i.e. he make Takfeer based on ignorance and oppression]. According to him all human societies are societies of Pre-Islamic ignorance and the Muslim Ummah is the severest in its apostasy and Pre-Islamic state of ignorance. Thereafter, the path of the Baatiniyyah was added to this [methodology of his, such] as assassinations, blowing up [buildings, people etc]. Then his followers attribute themselves to the Salafi Methodology based on a mighty plot against the [true, upright] leaders [of the Salafi Methodology].
[Therefore], when you come to know this, you will know that the Salafi Methodology is free from this [type] of Takfeer, and destruction; and you will know who the treacherous people are. If you know this, then it is tantamount to an act of manifest oppression when the Raafidah, the Secularists and Rationalists attribute [terrorist acts], [false] Takfeer and destruction to the Salafi Methodology. [An Excerpt from Shaikh Rabee’s Book Titled: (من هم الإرهابيون) pages 104-105. slightly paraphrased]
