Iman and Its Characteristics

It is narrated on the authority of Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) said: Ask me (about matters pertaining to religion), but they (the Companions of the Holy Prophet) were too overawed out of profound respect for him to ask him (anything). In the meanwhile a man came there, and sat near his knees and said: Messenger of Allah, what al-lslam is? - to which he (the Holy Prophet) replied: You must not associate anything with Allah, and establish prayer, pay the poor-rate (Zakat) and observe (the fasts) of Ramadan. He said : You (have) told the truth. He (again) said: Messenger of Allah, what al-Iman (the faith) is? He (the Holy Prophet) said: That you affirm your faith in Allah, His angels, His Books, His meeting, His Apostles, and that you believe in Resurrection and that you believe in Qadr (Divine Decree) in all its entirety, He (the inquirer) said: You (have) told the truth. He (again) said: Messenger of Allah, what al-Ihsan is? Upon this he (the Holy Prophet) said: (Al-Ihsan implies) that you fear Allah as if you are seeing Him, and though you see Him not, verily He is seeing you. He (the inquirer) said: You(have) told the truth. He (the inquirer) said: When there would be the hour (of Doom)? (Upon this) he (the Holy Prophet said: The one who is being asked about it is no better informed than the inquirer himself.

I, however, narrate some of its signs (and these are):when you see a slave(woman)giving birth to her master - that is one of the signs of (Doom); when you see barefooted, naked, deaf and dumb (ignorant and foolish persons) as the rulers of the earth - that is one of the signs of the Doom. And when you see the shepherds of black camels exult in buildings - that is one of the signs of Doom. The (Doom) is one of the five things (wrapped) in the unseen. No one knows them except Allah.

Then (the Holy Prophet) recited (the following verse): "Verily Allah! With Him alone is the knowledge of the hour and He it is Who sends down the rain and knows that which is in the wombs and no person knows whatsoever he shall earn on morrow and a person knows not in whatsoever land he shall die. Verily Allah is Knowing, Aware”

He (the narrator, Abu Hurayrah) said: Then the person stood up an (made his way). The Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) said: Bring him back to me. He was searched for, but they (the Companions of the Holy Prophet) could not find him. The Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) thereupon said: He was Gabriel and he wanted to teach you (things pertaining to religion) when you did not ask (them yourselves).

[Muslim, Chapter 2 Book 1, Number 0006]

Tawhid

The concept Tawhid in Islam is about Allah’s True Nature and His Oneness, which we acquired it through the Mercy and Guidance of Allah delivered by His prophets and revealed texts, [1] In order to provide a better understanding of Islamic Tawhid, we have provided a description of Allah and some of His attributes as it appears in a famous, classical text of Islamic knowledge.

The following is an original translation of excerpts from Revival of the Religious Sciences by Imam Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali [2]:

Allah is singular in His essence with no partner, Unique with no equivalent, Absolute, no opposite has He, Alone without peer. He is beginning less without predecessor, perpetual of being without end, singularly sustaining everything without stop. He is not victim to termination or cessation, or to the elapsing of spans or the passing of interims. Rather He is the First and the Last; the Outward and the Inward – and He has knowledge of everything.

He is not a body with form, nor is He a confined or quantifiable substance. He does not resemble bodies in quantifiably or divisibility. Rather He resembles nothing existent, nor does anything existent resemble Him. There is absolutely nothing like Him, nor is He like anything.

No measure confines Him, no space contains Him, no direction encompasses Him, nor do the heavens surround Him.

He is above everything until the farthest reaches of the stars – an above-ness that does not increase His nearness to the heavens; rather He is exalted in degree above the heavens to the same extent that He is exalted in degree above the depths of the earth. Notwithstanding, He is near to all existence, and He is nearer to the bondsman than his jugular vein. His nearness, however, no more resembles the nearness of bodies one to another than His essence resembles the essences of bodies.

He is too sublime that space should encompass Him, as He is too hallowed that time should restrict Him. Rather He was, before He created time and space, and He is now as He was always. He is separate from His creation by His attributes. He is transcendentally holier than to be subject to change and movement. Rather He remains in His qualities of absolute majesty, not subject to abating, and in His qualities of perfection with no need of increase.

He is Living, Almighty, Irresistible, Overpowering; deficiency does not affect Him nor does incapacity. “No slumber can seize Him nor sleep.” [3] Extinction and death do not counteract Him. He is possessed of absolute dominion, sovereignty, and grandeur; to Him is creation and command.

He is matchless in creating and beginning, solitary in causing existence and originating. He creates all beings and their acts, decrees their sustenance and spans. Nothing possible is outside His grasp, and He is never detached from the absolute governing of all affairs. His abilities cannot be enumerated, and His knowledge is boundless.

He knows all things knowable, encompassing all that transpires between the depths of the earths to the ends of the universe. Nothing of an atom’s weight in the earth and the heavens escapes His Knowledge; rather He knows the creeping of a black ant across a soundless stone on a lightless night. He knows the movement of the particles on a windy day. He knows the hidden and what is beyond. He presides over the thoughts of the conscience, the movements of the cerebrations, and the recondite subtleties of the psyche, with a beginningless, eternal Knowledge that has been with Him forever.

He is the willer of all that exists, and He is the director of all that occurs. Nothing occurs in the seen or unseen world, be it minimal or abundant, small or large, good or evil, beneficial or harmful, of belief or disbelief, knowledge or ignorance, triumph or ruin, increase or decrease, obedience or defiance, except by His decree, foreordainment, command, and volition. What He wills is, and what He does not will is not.

A servant has no escape from disobeying Him except through His conferred success and mercy; he has no power to obey Him except through His assistance and will. If all of mankind united together to move or retard a single atom in the universe without His will and volition, they would be unable to do so.

He hears and He sees. No audible thing, however faint, escapes His hearing, and no visible thing, however minute, is hidden from His sight. Distance does not impede His hearing and darkness does not obstruct His seeing. His attributes do not resemble the attributes of the creation to the same extent that His essence does not resemble the essences of creation.

Everything other than Him is an originated thing that He created by His power from nothingness, since He existed in eternity alone and there was nothing whatsoever with Him. He originated creation thereafter as a manifestation of His power and as a realization of His preceding Will, not because He had any need of it.

He is Magnanimous in creating and in imposing obligations upon His creation; He is not compelled to do it by necessity. He is Gracious in beneficence and reform, though not through any need. Munificence and Kindness, Beneficence and Grace are His. He rewards His believing worshipers for their acts of obedience according to generosity and encouragement rather than according to their merit and obligation, for there is no obligation upon Him in any deed towards anyone. Tyranny is inconceivable in Him, for there is no right upon Him towards anyone. [4]

While these are the Islamic beliefs on Allah in written form, it must be noted that a person is not accountable for his intellectual understanding of them, but rather he is responsible for truly incorporating them in his heart. True conviction in Allah’s existence and in His actual relationship with every one of us comes only with His Mercy and Guidance. As such, Muslims ask Allah in every prayer (solah and do’a) for guidance unto His Straight Path.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Footnotes:
[1] For a more-detailed presentation of these concepts, see Introducing Islam’s “Messengers” and “Revelation” sections respectively.
[2] A famous Islamic jurist, theologian, and sage who died in the beginning of the 6th century after Hijrah (1111 CE).
[3] Surah Al-Baqarah, 2: 255.
[4] This passage was an original translation of excerpts of al-Ghazali’s “Foundations of Belief,” found in Book II of his Revival of the Religious Sciences. A fuller version of the section can be found on the Dartmouth College MSA website.

©IslamOnline

Belief in Scriptures

Description: Why God revealed His message in the form of scriptures, and a brief description of the two of the Scriptures of God: the Bible, and the Qur'an.

Belief in the scriptures revealed by God is the third article of Islamic faith.

Thre are four main reasons for the revelation of scriptures:

(1) The scripture revealed to a prophet is a point of reference to learn the religion and obligations towards God and fellow human beings. God reveals Himself and explains the purpose of human creation through revealed scriptures.

(2) By referring to it, 'disputes and differences between its followers in matter of religious belief and practice or in matters of social practice could be settled.

(3) The scriptures are meant to keep the religion safe from corruption and deterioration, at least for some time after the death of the prophet. At the present time, the Qur'an revealed to our Prophet Muhammad, may the blessing and mercy of God be upon him, is the only scripture to remain safe from corruption.

(4) It is God’s proof against human beings. They are not allowed to oppose or overstep it.

A Muslim firmly believes that divinely revealed books were actually revealed by the Compassionate God to His prophets to guide mankind. The Qur'an is not the only spoken Word of God, but God also spoke to prophets before Prophet Muhammad.

“…and to Moses God spoke directly.” (An-Nisaa', 4:164)

God describes true believers are those who:

“…believe in what has been sent down to you (Muhammad) and what has been sent down before you…” (Al-Baqarah, 2:4)

The most important and central message of all scriptures was to worship God and God alone.

“And we sent never a prophet before you except that we revealed to him, saying, ‘there is no God but I, so worship Me.’” (Al-Anbiyaa', 21:25)

Islam is more inclusive in the holy revelations it affirms than any other heavenly religion in its present form.

Muslims uphold and respect the following scriptures:

(i) The Qur'an itself, revealed to the Prophet Muhammad.

(ii) The Torah (Tawrah in Arabic) revealed to the Prophet Moses (different from the Old Testament read today).

(iii) The Gospel (Injeel in Arabic) revealed to Prophet Jesus (different from the New Testament read in churches today).

(iv) The Psalms (Zabur in Arabic) of David.

(v) The Scrolls (Suhuf in Arabic) of Moses and Abraham.

Third, Muslims believe whatever is true in them and has neither been altered or deliberately misconstrued.

Fourth, Islam affirms that God revealed the Quran as a witness over the previous scriptures and confirmation of them, because He says therein:

“And We have sent down to you (O Muhammad) the Book (the Qur'an) in truth, confirming the scripture that came before it and trustworthy in highness and a witness over it (the collection of old scriptures)…” (Al-Maidah, 5:48)

Meaning the Qur'an confirms whatever is true in previous scriptures and rejects whatever alterations and changes human hands have made to them.

Original Scriptures and the Bible

We must distinguish between two matters: the original Torah, Gospel, and Psalms and the present day Bible. The originals were God’s revelation, but the present day Bible does not have the exact original scripture.

No divine scripture exists today in the original language it was revealed in, except the Qur'an. The Bible was not revealed in English. Different books of today’s Bible are at best tertiary translations and different versions exist. These multiple translations were done by people whose knowledge, skill, or honesty is not known. As a result, some bibles are larger than others and have contradictions and internal inconsistencies! No originals exist. The Qur'an, on the other hand, is the only scripture in existence today in its original language and words. Not one letter of the Qur'an has been changed since its revelation. It is internally consistent with no contradictions. It is today as it was revealed 1400 years ago, transmitted by a rock-solid tradition of memorization and writing. Unlike other sacred texts, the entire Qur'an has been memorized by almost every Islamic scholar and hundreds of thousands of ordinary Muslims, generation after generation!

The previous scriptures essentially consist of:

(i) Stories of man’s creation and earlier nations, prophesies of what was to come like signs before the Judgment Day, appearance of new prophets, and other news.

The stories, prophecies, and news in the Bible read in churches and synagogues today are partly true and partly false. These books consist of some translated fragments of the original scripture revealed by God, words of some prophets, mixed with explanations of scholars, errors of scribes, and outright malicious insertions and deletions. Qur'an, the final and trustworthy scripture, helps us sort out fact from fiction. For a Muslim, it is the criterion to judge the truth from the falsehood in these stories. For example, the Bible still contains some clear passages pointing to God’s unity.[1] Also, some prophecies regarding the Prophet Muhammad are found in the Bible as well.[2] Yet, there are passages, even whole books, almost entirely recognized to be forgeries and the handiwork of men.[3]

(ii) Law and rulings, the allowed and prohibited, like the Law of Moses.

If we were to assume the law, that is the lawful and the prohibited, contained in the previous books did not suffer corruption, the Qur'an still abrogates those rulings, it cancels the old law which was suitable for its time and is no longer applicable today. For example, the old laws pertaining to diet, ritual prayer, fasting, inheritance, marriage and divorce have been cancelled (or, in many cases, reaffirmed) by the Islamic Law.

The Holy Qur'an

The Qur'an is different from other scriptures in the following respects:

(1) The Qur'an is miraculous and inimitable. Nothing similar to it can be produced by human beings.

(2) After the Qur'an, no more scriptures will be revealed by God. Just as the Prophet Muhammad is the last prophet, the Qur'an is the last scripture.

(3) God has taken it upon Himself to protect the Qur'an from alteration, to safeguard it from corruption, and to preserve it from distortion. On the other hand, previous scriptures suffered alteration and distortion and do not remain in their originally revealed form.

(4) The Qur'an, for one, confirms early scriptures and, for another, is a trustworthy witness over them.

(5) The Qur'an abrogates them, meaning it cancels the rulings of the previous scriptures and renders them inapplicable. The Law of the old scriptures is no longer applicable; the previous rulings have been abrogated with the new Law of Islam.

[Excerpted from IslamReligion.com, Published on 16 Jan 2006 - Last modified on 01 Jul 2007]____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Footnotes:
[1] For example the declaration of Moses: “Hear, O Israel The Lord our God is one Lord” (Deuteronomy 6:4) and the announcement of Jesus: “...The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; the Lord our God is one Lord.” (Mark 12:29).
[2] Refer to (Deuteronomy 18:18), (Deuteronomy 33:1-2), (Isaiah 28:11), (Isaiah 42:1-13), (Habakkuk 3:3), (John 16:13), (John 1:19-21), (Matthew 21:42-43), and more.
[3] For example, refer to books of the Apocrypha.

© IslamReligion.com

Where's Today's Ark?

By Nasir Munir

The world is an incessant interplay of the ninety-nine attributes of God. These attributes are almost equally divided between those of rigor and immanence. Man benefits from both. Where immanence predominates, one is to be thankful for God's mercy [1]. When tested with rigor, a concerted effort to correct any deviation from the monotheistic path (tawhid) is required.

The Prophets are chosen by God to guide erring humanity to the Straight Path.

Introduction

The people later to be known as the nation of Noah a.s gradually slipped into a state heedlessness (ghaflah). They negated the primordial covenant with God and attributed divine power to replicas of people, things and special events. The Satan who was granted the power to "whisper to the soul" made this practice fair seeming. Against this backdrop, God sent a messenger to reacquaint the people with the covenant and guide them to the Straight Path (Siraat ul Mustaqeem).

The time slices during which God's Messengers were sent to earth are times of divine refraction in human experience. During these times Truth becomes manifest and evidentiary miracles, often custom made, are in plain view of people. Rebuffing Truth (which is Kufur) with the divine light blazing is a form of Pharaonic arrogance not dissimilar to Iblis's first act of disobedience. God grants human beings volition in accepting or rejecting the Guidance (Hidayah).

The nation of Noah a.s, by and large, rejected Guidance. God decreed that the rejecters would perish. An enormous body of water overwhelmed all, save those in the ship of salvation.

Prophet Noah a.s, in common with other Messengers of God, showed, for all humanity the path to reclaim the title: "lieutenant of God on earth" [2]. Stations of the nafs along this path are followed by aspects of Prophet Noah's life-long Message as it reflected in life-events of later Messengers of God. Finally, the teasing question: "Where's Today's Ark?" is tackled.

Discovering the Straight Path

The Prophets are chosen by God to guide erring humanity to the Straight Path (Siraat al Mustaqim). A Hadith [3] identifies three Stations along this path:

1) Islam: concerns the stage of action, (generally acts of piety that require the body to be performed) [4]

2) Iman: the state of firm conviction in the belief in God; this is the stage where the mind surrenders to the Truth.

3) Ihsan: indescribable in human terms is the witnessing of God (shahood). Hallmarks of the previous states are unnecessary. God is witnessed through the 'eye' of the Heart (qalb). Each of these states has associated with them a progressively more abstract and more complete view of the true nature of God. The ascension to succeeding Stations - states - is made possible through Jihad al Nafs [5]. The ascension to higher states is not necessarily linear, as Imam Rumi's ascension to the state of Ihsan shows.

Those that rely on intentions, Walk on the Path. Those that rely on love, Fly on the Path. Imam Rumi was a renowned Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) scholar. While visiting the city of Tabriz, he was questioned about the purpose of acquiring knowledge. Not content with his answer, the questioner stated that the purpose of knowledge was to "Know, the Known". In an incommunicable flash of realization, Imam Rumi realized the significance of the questioner's statement. Whereupon, guided by the questioner, who he accepted as a Sheikh (guide), he followed a path to Know the Known (Almighty God), which led him to the state of Ihsan. The questioner, as it turned out, was a Gnostic, himself, Imam Shams Tabrazi. Imam Rumi's son later writes that the great scholar was like a schoolboy learning from his Sheikh every day.

The Prophets

Iblis, the ancient enemy of Adam a.s, has purposed himself to make mankind forget our affirmation to: "Alastu -bi -rabbikum" (Am I not Your Lord?). Failure to honor our covenant leads to outcomes similar to that of Satan. God, in His mercy, selects people (Prophets) to remind, guide and admonish erring humanity. Noah a.s was selected to remind people of their covenant with God and give them an opportunity to accept or reject it. This is the mission of all Prophets of God. The truths, sense of ‘ubudiyyah, ridha and the road to salvation shown by Prophet Noah’s are recounted in the context of later day Prophets.

The Nations of Ad, Thamud

The people of Ad and Thamud were descendants of the people of Noah a.s - who were in the ship of Salvation. Similar to the people of Noah a.s, they too attributed divine power to man-made objects, thereby rejecting God and the Prophets sent to them (Hud and Salih). Their fate was similar to that of the nation of Noah a.s.

Heedlessness leads to attributes similar to those of Iblis - with ensuing consequences.

Prophet Ibrahim

Prophet Ibrahim a.s was cast into the fire (after he destroyed the idols). God decreed he should be saved: "O fire be coolness and peaceful to Ibrahim". (Al-Anbiya’, 21:69)

God who made the natural order can just as easily break it.

Prophet Ibrahim a.s when challenged to sacrifice what he loved most - offered his son, Isma’il.
The sacrifice required is not of flesh and blood, but rather the surrender of man's purpose and will to God. (in a word: Islam)

Prophets Yusuf and Yunus

Prophet Yusuf a.s was a favorite son of a Prophet, abandoned in a dry well, sold to slavery and imprisoned in Egypt.

Prophet Yunus a.s was cast in the pit of a large fish and endured ill health.

Neither Prophets railed against God. Both of them showed a serene acceptance of God's will (Ridha, a key Islamic virtue).

Prophet Moses

Prophet Moses a.s wished to behold God: “‘Reveal Yourself unto me so that I can see you'. (God replied :) 'You Shall Not See Me, but look at that mountain, if you see it standing, then shall you see Me". God revealed his Glory to the mountain. The mountain was flattened and Moses fell in a swoon. ..." (Al-‘Araf, 7:143)

Almighty God does not reveal himself in this crude manner. Contained in man is something that is not of the earth (that points to heaven, our primordial home), by cultivating that can man hope to see God (with the eye of the Heart)

Prophet Isa

For all his exalted position (his ascension and second coming him) his first words on his (miraculous) birth were: "I am the slave of God ..." (Maryam, 19:30)

The state of ubudiyyah (slave-hood, obedience) as contrasted to Satan's disobedience is the most perfected of the states, and most pleasing to God. (Note: Slavery and slave-hood in this context should not be confused with chattel slavery (e.g.: Roman Empire, New World)

Prophet Mohammad

He is the seal of Prophets, after him there will be no Prophets. "...This day have I perfected your religion for you completed my favor upon you and have chosen for you Islam as your religion..." (Al-Maidah, 5:3)"

The Message first conveyed by Prophet Adam a.s and affirmed by all succeeding Prophets after him was reaffirmed and re-conveyed for the last time. The era of the Prophets has come to a close.

God has completed His favor on mankind. The Book, Al-Qur’an is a witness and source of salvation for all of humanity till the end of time.

Present Day Ark

Today, humanity is in need of an Ark to save us from the ravages of Modernity. The era of Modernity ushered in by the writings of, for example, Gibbon and Edmund Burke has led to a loss of meaning. With only the lower agitated possibilities of the human condition recognized, Modernity has striven to find meaning. Karl Marx attributed alienation of the soul to class differences in society; Sigmund Freud attributed it to the early repression of the passional dimensions of the human condition. When these remedies proved inadequate, meaning was sought in a sea of machines, skepticism and then skepticism about skepticism and later by New Age spirituality (among others). With higher states of the human condition explicitly excluded, Modernity's quest to find meaning and purpose are bound to be frustrated.

Modernity is characterized by a lifestyle that is centered on the self, and on the lower possibilities of the human condition. The message of vision we inhale almost from birth is to glorify the nafs of clay-bound body in one form or the other: to "discover oneself"; to "free oneself", and last but not least to "be yourself" emphasize a self-centric modality of behavior. Our patterns of consumption for instance: automobiles, clothing, being seen at the "right" places etc., it appears, define our identity. The result, not surprisingly, is a society which enthusiastically pursues material happiness but which puzzles over ever increasing rates of suicide, drug abuse, failed relationships, and aberrant forms of self-mutilation. Unremarkably, it's a society in denial, pain.

"... Had you spent all that is upon the earth, you would not have reconciled their hearts, but God has reconciled their hearts ..." [Al-Anfal, 8:63]

The Prophetic Message and The final Prophet's luminosity reshaped the pagan Arabs from a crude materialistic populace to a unified nation - all this in a span of twenty three years. This shows that the Adamic restoration is possible even under the worst of conditions, even in times such as ours. The proverbial ark is with us. With the Qur’an, the example of the Prophet s.a.w and thousands of transformed souls to guide us, let us set foot in the Ark - before the rains.

[Excerpted with modification from IslamiCity - published on 5/16/2009 - Religious - Article Ref: IC0410-2493]
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Footnotes:

[1] Whereas God is under no compulsion to be merciful; mercifulness (i.e. to be merciful) is a state that God has prescribed for Himself:" ...kataba alihi rahama ..." [Al-An’am, 6:12]

[2] “I will create a vicegerent on earth.” [Al-Baqarah, 2:30]

[3] It is narrated on the authority of Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) said: Ask me (about matters pertaining to religion), but they (the Companions of the Holy Prophet) were too overawed out of profound respect for him to ask him (anything). In the meanwhile a man came, and sat near his knees with hands on laps and said: Messenger of Allah, what Al-Islam is?-to which he (the Holy Prophet) replied: You must not associate anything with Allah, and establish prayer, pay the poor-rate (Zakat) and observe (the fasts) of Ramadaan. He said: You (have) told the truth. He (again) said: Messenger of Allah, what Al-Iman (the faith) is? He (the Holy Prophet) said: That you affirm your faith in Allah, His angels, His Books, His meeting, His Apostles, and that you believe in Resurrection and that you believe in Qadr (Divine Decree) in all its entirety, He (the inquirer) said: You (have) told the truth. He (again) said: Messenger of Allah, what Al-Ihsan is? Upon this he (the Holy Prophet) said: (Al-Ihsan implies) that you fear Allah as if you are seeing Him, and though you see Him not, verily He is seeing you. He (the inquirer) said: You (have) told the truth. He (the inquirer) said: When there would be the hour (of Doom)? (Upon this) he (the Holy Prophet said: The one who is being asked about it is no better informed than the inquirer himself.

I, however, narrate some of its signs (and these are):when you see a slave(woman)giving birth to her master - that is one of the signs of (Doom); when you see barefooted, naked, deaf and dumb (ignorant and foolish persons) as the rulers of the earth - that is one of the signs of the Doom. And when you see the shepherds of black camels exult in buildings - that is one of the signs of Doom. The (Doom) is one of the five things (wrapped) in the unseen. No one knows them except Allah.

Then (the Holy Prophet) recited (the following verse): "Verily Allah! With Him alone is the knowledge of the hour and He it is Who sends down the rain and knows that which is in the wombs and no person knows whatsoever he shall earn on morrow and a person knows not in whatsoever land he shall die. Verily Allah is Knowing, Aware”

He (the narrator, Abu Hurayrah) said: Then the person stood up an (made his way). The Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) said: Bring him back to me. He was searched for, but they (the Companions of the Holy Prophet) could not find him. The Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) thereupon said: He was Gabriel and he wanted to teach you (things pertaining to religion) when you did not ask (them yourselves).

[Muslim, Chapter 2 Book 1, Number 0006]

[4] Piety that generally require acts of the body to perform: Shahadah (The Twin Testimonial: No Diety save God and Mohammad is the Messenger of God), Fasting, Zakat, Haj and Prayers

[5] Jihad al-nafs: The struggle to purify oneself from diseases of the heart (lust for power, honor, and greatness, greed ...)

©IslamiCity

The Excellence of the Remembrance of Allah

Allah, the Exalted, says:

"And the remembering (praising) of (you by) Allah (in front of the angels) is greater indeed [than your remembering (praising) of Allah in prayers]'' (Al-Ankabut, 29:45)

"Therefore remember Me (by praying, glorifying). I will remember you.'' (Al-Baqarah, 2:152)

"And remember your Rabb by your tongue and within yourself, humbly and with fear and without loudness in words, in the mornings and in the afternoons, and be not of those who are neglectful.'' (Al-‘Araf, 7:205)

"And remember Allah much, that you may be successful.'' (Al-Juma’ah, 62:10)

"Verily, the Muslims (those who submit to Allah in Islam) men and women... (up to)... And the men and the women who remember Allah much with their hearts and tongues. Allah has prepared for them forgiveness and a great reward (i.e., Jannah).'' (Al-Ahzab,33:35)

"O you who believe! Remember Allah with much remembrance. And glorify His Praises morning and afternoon [the early morning (Fajr) and `Asr prayers].'' (Al-Ahzab, 33:41,42)

1408. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: "There are two statements that are light for the tongue to remember, heavy in the Scales and are dear to the Merciful: `Subhan-Allahi wa bihamdihi, Subhan-Allahil-Azim [Glory be to Allah and His is the praise, (and) Allah, the Greatest is free from imperfection)'.'' [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Commentary: This Hadith affirms that man's actions carry weight. On the Day of Judgement, his actions will be cast into the Balance. At that time Allah will endow these actions with weight, or according to some scholars, those records which register man's actions will be weighed. This is quite possible for the reason that Almighty Allah is Capable of weighing things without even their physical form. This discussion apart, when actions will be cast into the Balance, the formula mentioned in the Hadith, the utterance of which is very easy, will prove weighty. Every Muslim should make it a practice to repeat them frequently.

1409. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "The uttering of the words: "Subhan-Allah (Allah is free from imperfection), Al-hamdu lillah (all praise is due to Allah), La ilaha illallah (there is no true god except Allah) and Allahu Akbar (Allah is the Greatest)' is dearer to me than anything over which the sun rises.'' [Muslim].

Commentary: This Hadith hightlights the fact that the formulas which mention the Praise and Glory of Allah, His Majesty and Oneness are liked by the Prophet (PBUH) more than anything in the world, because this is one of the virtues which will survive and will be rewarded, while the world and all that it has will perish.

1410. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "He who utters a hundred times in a day these words: `La ilaha illallahu, wahdahu la sharika lahu, lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamdu, wa Huwa `ala kulli sha'in Qadir (there is no true god except Allah. He is One and He has no partner with Him; His is the sovereignty and His is the praise, and He is Omnipotent),' he will have a reward equivalent to that for emancipating ten slaves, a hundred good deeds will be recorded to his credit, hundred of his sins will be blotted out from his scroll, and he will be safeguarded against the devil on that day till the evening; and no one will exceed him in doing more excellent good deeds except someone who has recited these words more often than him. And he who utters: `Subhan-Allahi wa bihamdihi (Allah is free from imperfection and His is the praise)' one hundred times a day, his sins will be obliterated even if they are equal to the extent of the foam of the ocean.'' [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Commentary: Here sins mean minor sins and those which do not relate to the rights of people. This point has already been elaborated in the preceding Ahadith.

1411. Abu Ayyub Al-Ansari (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (PBUH) said: "He who utters ten times: `La ilaha illallahu, wahdahu la sharika lahu, lahulmulku wa lahulhamdu, wa Huwa `ala kulli sha'in Qadir (there is no true god except Allah. He is One and He has no partner with Him. His is the sovereignty and His is the praise, and He is Omnipotent),' he will have a reward equal to that for freeing four slaves from the progeny of Prophet Isma`il.'' [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Commentary: "Slaves from the progeny of Isma`il'' is a simile for very precious slaves. That is, it has the same reward to which the emancipation of four very precious slaves is eligible.

1412. Abu Dharr (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said to me, "Shall I tell you the expression that is most loved by Allah?'' It is `Subhan-Allahi wa bihamdihi' (Allah is free from imperfection and His is the praise)'.'' [Muslim].

1413. Abu Malik Al-Ash`ari (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Wudu' is half of Salat, and the expression: `Subhan-Allah (Allah is free from imperfection)' fills the Balance, and the expression: `Al-hamdu lillah (praise be to Allah)' fills the space between the heavens and the earth.'' [Muslim].

Commentary: "Tuhur'' is purification or Wudu', while "Tahur'' is water or something which is used for purification. According to some scholars, `Faith'' means Salat. This is also the sense in which it has been used in the Qur'an: "And Allah would never make your Faith to be lost (i.e., your prayers).'' [2:143]. Thus when Salat is the Faith, the purification is a prerequisite for Salat. Salat is not valid without purification. Some scholars are of the opinion that Faith here means Faith in general, as the Shari`ah defines it: To sincerely accept and believe in all that the Prophet (PBUH) came with, i.e., sincere acceptance of Allah and His Prophet (PBUH).

"Purification is half of the Faith'' means the acceptance that purification is the most important article of Faith. It is like the saying of the Prophet (PBUH) that "Hajj is `Arafah'', which means that `Arafat (the place where the pilgrims stay on the 9th day of Dhul-Hijjah) is the most important element of the Hajj. Thus, this Hadith stresses the importance and merits of purification and offers an inducement for it. It also mentions the eminence of the invocations mentioned in the Hadith by saying that if they are given a form, they will fill the space between the heavens and the earth. In other words, it is a description of the infinite vastness of the Mercy and Grace of Allah.

1414. Sa`ad bin Abu Waqqas (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: A bedouin came to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and said to him, "Teach me a few words to recite frequently.'' He (PBUH) said, "Say: "La ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharika lahu; Allahu Akbar kabiran, wal-hamdu lillahi kathiran, wa subhan-Allahi Rabbil-`alamin; wa la hawla wa la quwwata illa billahil-`Azizil-Hakim (there is no true god except Allah the One and He has no partner with Him; Allah is the Greatest and greatness is for Him. All praise is due to Him. Allah, the Rubb of the worlds is free from imperfection; there is no might and power but that of Allah, the All-Powerful and the All-Wise.)''' The bedouin said: "All of these for my Rubb. But what is for me?'' Thereupon he (Messenger of Allah (PBUH)) said, "You should say: `Allahummaghfir li, warhamni, wahdini, warzuqni (O Allah! Grant me pardon, have mercy upon me, direct me to righteousness and provide me subsistence)'.'' [Muslim].

1415. Thawban (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Whenever the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) concluded his prayer, he would beg forgiveness from Allah thrice and then would recite: "Allahumma Antas-Salamu, wa minkas-salamu, tabarakta ya Dhal-Jalali wal-Ikram (O Allah, You are the Grantor of security, and security comes from You. You are Blessing, O You Who have majesty and nobility)!'' (Imam) Al-Awza`i, one of the narrators of this Hadith, was asked: "How forgiveness is to be sought?'' He answered: "The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) used to say: `Astaghfirullah! Astaghfirullah! (I beseech Allah for forgiveness, I beseech Allah for forgiveness)'.'' [Muslim].

1416. Al-Mughirah bin Shu`bah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) used to say at the conclusion of prayer: "La ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharika lahu, lahul-mulku, wa lahul-hamdu, wa Huwa `ala kulli shai'in Qadir. Allahumma la mani`a lima a'tayta, wa la mu`tiya lima mana`ta, wa la yanfa`u dhal-jaddi, minkal-jaddu (there is no true god except Allah. He is One and He has no partner with Him, His is the sovereignty and His is the praise, and He is Omnipotent. O Allah! None can deny that which You bestow and none can bestow that which You hold back; and the greatness of the great will be of no avail to them against You).'' [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Commentary: "Al-Jaddu'' means good luck and richness. That is, good fortune and prosperity will not be of any avail before Allah. What will really benefit a person before Him are Faith and virtuous deeds. The prayer quoted in this Hadith makes a special mention of His Oneness.

1417. It has been reported that `Abdullah bin Zubair (May Allah be pleased with them) used to recite after Taslim at the conclusion of every Salat (prayer): "La ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharika lahu, lahul-mulku, wa lahul-hamdu, wa Huwa `ala kulli shai'in Qadir. La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah. La ilaha illallahu, wa la na`budu illa iyyahu, Lahun-ni`matu, wa lahul-fadlu, wa lahuth-thana'ul-hasan. La ilaha ilallahu, mukhlisina, lahud-dina, wa lau karihal-kafirun (there is no true god except Allah; He is One. To Him belongs the dominion and to Him is all praise, and He is Powerful over all things. There is no power and might except with (the help of) Allah. There is no God but Allah and we worship none except Him, to Him belongs the bounty and to Him belongs the grace, and to Him belongs all excellent praise; there is no deity but Allah. We reserve our devotion exclusively for Him though the disbelievers may detest it).'' Ibn Az-Zubair said: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) used to celebrate Allah's Greatness in those terms after every Salat (prayer). [Muslim].

Commentary: The invocation mentioned in this Hadith is ordained by the Prophet (PBUH) and was his practice. To recite Shahadah repeatedly after Salat and to offer benediction and salutations to the Prophet (PBUH) collectively is a self-invented formula and is not consonant with the practice of the Prophet (PBUH). It is, therefore, a heresy and will have no merit. Every Muslim has to follow only the preachings and practice of the Prophet (PBUH).

1418. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The poor Emigrants came to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and said: "The wealthy have gone with the highest ranks and lasting bliss.'' He asked: "How is that?'' They replied: "They offer Salat (prayer) as we offer it; they observe fast as we do; (and as they are wealthy) they perform Hajj and `Umrah, and go for Jihad, and they spend in charity but we cannot, and they free the slaves but we are unable to do so.'' The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Shall I not teach you something with which you may overtake those who surpassed you and with which you will surpass those who will come after you? None will excel you unless he who does which you do.'' They said: "Yes, please do, O Messenger of Allah'' He (PBUH) said, "You should recite: Tasbih (Allah is free from imperfection), Takbir (Allah is Greatest), Tahmid (Praise be to Allah) thirty-three times after each Salat.'' [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Abu Salih, the subnarrator of the Hadith said, when Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) was asked about the manner of reciting Tasbih, Tahmid and Takbir, he said, "Recite: "Subhan-Allah, wal-hamdulillah, wallahu Akbar', till all are recited thirty-three times.

Commentary: This Hadith has already been mentioned, but with a slightly different wording with reference to Sahih Muslim. The elaboration made by Abu Salih apparently seems to indicate that all the three words should be recited in combination while other religious scholars have shown preference for reciting them separately. The purpose is, however, attained in either way. There does arise one question here: Should one recite each of these words thirty-three times or in all for thirty-three times? The wording of the Hadith does not make this clear. Other Ahadith, (which will follow soon) make it clear that each of these words is to be recited for thirty-three times. This is how their aggregate will come to ninety-nine. The Hadith that follows makes this point lear.

1419. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "He who recites after every prayer: Subhan-Allah (Allah is free from imperfection) thirty-three times; Al-hamdu lillah (praise be to Allah) thirty-three times; Allahu Akbar (Allah is Greatest) thirty-three times; and completes the hundred with: La ilaha illallahu, wahdahu la sharika lahu, lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamdu, wa Huwa `ala kulli shai'in Qadir (there is no true god except Allah. He is One and He has no partner with Him. His is the sovereignty and His is the praise, and He is Omnipotent), will have all his sins pardoned even if they may be as large as the foam on the surface of the sea.'' [Muslim].

1420. Ka`b bin `Ujrah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "There are some words, the reciters of which will never be disappointed. These are: Tasbih [saying `Subhan-Allah' (Allah is free from imperfection)], thirty-three times, Tahmid [saying `Al-hamdu lillah' (praise be to Allah)] thirty-three times and Takbir [saying `Allahu Akbar' (Allah is Greatest)] thirty-four times; and these should be recited after the conclusion of every prescribed prayer.'' [Muslim]

Commentary: "Muaqqibat'' means the words of Praise and Glorification of Allah which are recited after Salat. This Hadith says that the words "Allahu Akbar'' should be recited thirty-four times.

1421. Sa`d bin Abu Waqqas (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) used to seek (Allah's) protection after prayers in these words: "Alla-humma inni a`udhu bika minal-jubni wal-bukhl, wa a`udhu bika min an uradda ila ardhalil-`umur, wa a`udhu bika min fitnatid-dunya, wa a`udhu bika min fitnatil-qabr (O Allah, I seek refuge with You from cowardice, miserliness and from being sent back to a feeble age; and, seek refuge with You from the trials of this life and those of the grave).'' [Al-Bukhari].

Commentary: Some religious scholars are of the opinion that it is better to observe reciting this Du`a after concluding prayers, and that it is better to combine both. Some scholars say that the Prophet (PBUH) used to recite this Du`a just before Taslim, while he used to recite the Du`a mentioned earlier after Taslim.

1422. Mu`adh (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) took hold of my hand and said, "O Mu`adh! By Allah I love you, so I advise you to never forget to recite after every prayer: "Allahumma a`inni ala dhikrika, wa shukrika, wa husni `ibadatika (O Allah, help me remember You, to be grateful to You, and to worship You in an excellent manner).'' [Abu Dawud].

Commentary: This Hadith stresses the fact that one should seek the Help of Allah for His remembrance, thanksgiving and worship, because one cannot do anything without His Help and Support. It also shows the superiority of Mu`adh (May Allah be pleased with him) and the Prophet's love for him.

1423. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "When anyone of you has done his Tashahhud during Salat (prayer), he should seek refuge in Allah against four things and say: "Allahumma inni a`udhu bika min `adhabi jahannam, wa min `adhabil-qabr, wa min fitnatil-mahya wal-mamat, wa min sharri fitnatil-masihid-dajjal (O Allah! I seek refuge in You from the torment of Hell, from the torment of the grave, from the trials of life and death, and from the mischief of Al-Masih Ad-Dajjal (Antichrist).'' [Muslim].

Commentary: "Trials of life'' means ordeals which one has to face in life and which can harm his Faith and body. "The trials of death'' means the troubles which one has to face before death. "Masih'' means Mumsuh-ul-`Ain, one who is squint. Ad-Dajjal (deceiver, impostor) refers to that man with a squint who will appear before the Day of Judgement. This is why he is called Al-Masih Ad-Dajjal. He will make claim of godhood and in order to test the Faith of people, Allah will get some supernatural works done from him. The pious ones would, however, recognize him and will save themselves from his trap. This will be a great trial indeed and one must seek refuge with Allah from it.

1424. `Ali (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: When the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) was in Salat (prayer), he used to supplicate towards the end of prayer after Tashahhud and before the concluding salutations: "Allahum-maghfir li ma qaddamtu wa ma akh-khartu, wa ma asrartu, wa ma a`lantu, wa ma asraftu, wa ma Anta a`lamu bihi minni. Antal-Muqqadimu, wa Antal-Mu'akh-khiru. La ilaha illa Anta (O Allah! Forgive my former and latter sins, which I have done secretly and those which I have done openly, and that I have wronged others, and those defaults of mine about which You have better knowledge than I have. You Alone can send whomever You will to Jannah, and You Alone can send whomever You will to Hell-fire. None has the right to be worshipped but You.'' [Muslim].

1425. `Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported: The Prophet (PBUH) used to recite frequently in his bowing and prostration: "Subhanak-Allahumma, Rabbana wa bihamdika. Allahum-maghfir li (O Allah! You are free from imperfection and I begin with praising You. Forgive my sins).'' [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

1426. `Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) used to recite in his bowing and prostration: "Subbuhun Quddusun, Rabbul-mala'ikati war-ruh [You are the Most Glorious. The Most Holy. You the Rabb of the angels and of Jibril] [Muslim].

Commentary: "Subbuh'' and "Quddus'' are two attributive Names of Allah which denote His Perfect Purity and Uniqueness. "Ar-Ruh'' means Jibril (Gabriel). Although he, too, comes in the category of angels but his special mention is made here to emphasize his majesty and honour. In short, the recitation of the prayers mentioned in this Hadith is in keeping with the practice of the Prophet (PBUH).

1427. Ibn `Abbas (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: "Glorify your Lord in Ruku` (bowing posture) and exert yourself in supplication in prostration. Thus your supplications are liable to be accepted.'' [Muslim].

1428. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "A slave becomes nearest to his Rubb when he is in prostration. So increase supplications while prostrating.'' [Muslim].

Commentary: Both the Ahadith mentioned above, evidently show that there is greater possibility of acceptance of an invocation which is made in prostration. Therefore, one must do it in the voulntary Salat.

1429. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) used to say in his prostration: Allahum-maghfir li dhanbi kullahu: diqqahu wa jillahu, wa `awwalahu wa akhirahu, wa alaniyatahu wa sirrahu (O Allah! Forgive all my sins, the small and the great, first and the last, the open and the secret).'' [Muslim].

Commentary: Although the Prophet (PBUH) was innocent and free of sins, he used to pray for the forgiveness of his shortcomings out of his gratitude to Allah's Might and Majesty. Thus, this Hadith has a great lesson for us. In spite of being innocent, he was always fearful of the Wrath of Allah, while we, despite being embodiments of sins, are fearless of Allah.

1430. `Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported: One night I missed the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) from his bed. I searched for him. When I found him he was in bowing or prostrating posture and was reciting: Subhanaka wa bi hamdika. La ilaha illa Anta (You are free from imperfection and I begin praising You. There is no true god except You).''

Another narration is: My hand fell over his feet while he was in prostration with his feet erect. He was supplicating: "Allahumma inni a`udhu biridaka min sakhatika, wa bi-mu`afatika min `uqubatika, wa a`udhu bika minka, la uhsi thana'an `alaika, Anta kama athnaita `ala Nafsika (O Allah! I seek protection against Your Wrath in Your Pleasure. I seek protection in Your Pardon against Your chastisement, I am not capable of enumerating praise of You. You are as You have lauded Yourself).''

1431. Sa`d bin Abu Waqqas (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: We were with the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) when he asked, "Is anyone of you unable to earn a thousand good deeds?'' One of those present asked: "How can one earn thousand good deeds in a day?'' He (PBUH) replied, "By saying: Subhan Allah a hundred times, then one thousand good deeds will be recorded for him or one thousand sins will be blotted out from his record.'' [Muslim].

Commentary: One thousand good deeds in return for saying the word "Subhan-Allah'' is a minimum reward under the promise that says i.e., ten-fold reward would be given for each good deed. The words "Au yuhattu'' is open to disagreement among the religious scholars. Some of them have mentioned it with "Au'' which means one gets one thousand good deeds or a thousand sins are forgiven; while others have mentioned this Hadith with the word "Wa yuhattu'', that is, one is given a thousand virtues and a similar number of sins are pardoned.

1432. Abu Dharr (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Every morning charity is due from every joint bone of the body of every one of you. Every utterance of Allah's Glorification (i.e., Subhan-Allah) is an act of charity, and every utterance of praise of Him (i.e., Al-hamdu lillah) is an act of charity, and every utterance of profession of Faith (i.e., La ilaha illallah) is an act of charity, and every utterance of His Greatness (i.e., Allahu Akbar) is an act of charity; and enjoining good is an act of charity and forbidding what is disreputable is an act of charity; and two Rak`ah prayer which one offers in the forenoon (Ad-Duha) will suffice for all this.'' [Muslim].

Commentary: This Hadith has already been mentioned. See Hadith No. 118. It brings into prominence the distinction of the two Rak`ah of Ad-Duha as it is a means to express one's gratitude to Allah for 360 joints in one's body. Similarly, the Praise and Glorification of Allah, the declaration of His Oneness, enjoining good and forbidding vices are all Sadaqah of man's body.

1433. Juwairiyah bint Al-Harith (May Allah be pleased with her) reported, the Mother of the Believers: The Prophet (PBUH) came out from my apartment in the morning as I was busy in performing the dawn prayer. He came back in the forenoon and found me sitting there. The Prophet (PBUH) said, "Are you still in the same position as I left you.'' I replied in the affirmative. Thereupon the Prophet said, "I recited four words three times after I had left you. If these are to be weighed against all you have recited since morning, these will be heavier. These are: Subhan-Allahi wa bihamdihi, `adada khalqihi, wa rida nafsihi, wa zinatah `arshihi, wa midada kalimatihi [Allah is free from imperfection and I begin with His praise, as many times as the number of His creatures, in accordance with His Good Pleasure, equal to the weight of His Throne and equal to the ink that may be used in recording the words (for His Praise)].'' [Muslim].

Commentary: The recitation of the words quoted in this Hadith is highly meritorious and rewarding because they are full of Praise and Glorification of Allah.

1434. Abu Musa Al-Ash`ari (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (PBUH) said, "The similitude of one who remembers his Rubb and one who does not remember Him, is like that of the living and the dead.'' [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Commentary: Lack of remembrance of Allah is akin to death. When a person dies, he is unable to do anything. Similarly, a person who does not remember Allah goes so far from Him that he cannot do anything which can benefit him.

1435. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Allah the Exalted says: `I am as my slave expects me to be, and I am with him when he remembers Me. If he remembers Me inwardly, I will remember him inwardly, and if he remembers Me in an assembly, I will remember him in a better assembly (i.e., in the assembly of angels).'' [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Commentary: "I am as my slave expects me to be'' means that one should have the conviction that He accepts repentance, grants pardon, relieves people of their tensions and emancipates them from their troubles. Along with this conviction one should do good deeds which please Allah and avoid such deeds which have been prohibited by Him. With this conduct, one should hope for the best from Allah. This approach is similar to that of a cultivator who ploughs his land, sows the seed, waters it, takes every possible care of it and then cherishes hope for a good crop. It can also be linked to the endeavours of a person who intends to become a scholar, or a physician or an engineer. The first and foremost requirement to pursue his ambition is to study the books through which he can gain the required knowledge. For every work one intends to do, one has to first make a foundation and then acquire the means essential for it. It is only then that one can hope to achieve one's aim.

Similar is the case of associating good hopes with Allah. Unless a person does not furnish the foundation of Faith and good deeds for it, it will be unwise to associate good hopes with Allah. A slave who rather than serving his master runs away or annoys him and still hopes that his master being so kind will not take him to task for his excesses would be called stupid by the people. The same is true of Allah, who is certainly the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful and Forgiving. But for whom is He so? The answer is for His faithful and obedient slaves and not for those who are followers of Satan. For Satan and his followers, Allah's Decision is that: "I will fill Hell with you (Iblis) and those of them (mankind) that follow you, together.'' (38:85).

1436. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "The Mufarridun have gone ahead.'' He was asked, "Who are the Mufarridun?'' He (PBUH) replied, "Those men and women who frequently celebrate the remembrance of Allah.'' [Muslim].
Commentary: This Hadith highlights the following two points: First, the eminence of plentiful remembrance of Allah. People who have this quality will be ahead of others in reward on the Day of Judgement. Second, people who remember Allah and are obedient to Him, be they men or women, will be rewarded equally. In the matter of reward no distinction will be made on the basis of their gender.

1437. Jabir (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) saying, "The best way to celebrate the remembrance of Allah is to say: La ilaha illallah (there is no true god except Allah).''[At-Tirmidzi].

Commentary: Since the Shahadah is the basis of Islam, its repetition in abundance has the greatest eminence. Some religious scholars regard only La ilaha illallah as eminent, while others hold that the second part of it (Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah) is also included in it. Thus, in their opinion both these parts of the Shahadah should be recited together.

1438. `Abdullah bin Busr (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: One of the Companions said, "O Messenger of Allah. There are many injunctions of Islam for me. So tell me something to which I may hold fast.'' He said, "Keep your tongue wet with the remembrance of Allah.'' [At-Tirmidzi].

Commentary: Shara'i` is the plural of Shari`ah Shari`ah is in the sense of Mashru`ah, that is the Divine injunctions. These Divine injunctions are of various kinds, i.e., some of them are obligatory, some desirable and some voluntary. The obligatory ones are compulsory and their compliance is indispensable. What is termed as Mustahabbat (desirables) are also highly important for gaining the Pleasure of Allah. Similarly, voluntary acts are a means of getting close to Allah. Ordinary people are sometimes puzzled by the abundance of the latter and want to adhere to the first two, which is obligations and what comes in the category of desirables. A desire to this effect is mentioned in this Hadith. The Prophet (PBUH) answered the query in this matter by saying to the inquirer, "Keep your tongue wet with the remembrance of Allah.'' Keeping the tongue wet with the remembrance of Allah here means its abundant recitation. In other words, one should make the remembrance of Allah a permanent feature. If one is not able to do many voulntary good works, which some people find difficult, the remembrance of Allah will make up the deficiency in that regard.

1439. Jabir (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (PBUH) said, "For him who says: `Subhan-Allahi wa bi hamdihi (Allah is free from imperfection, and I begin with praising Him, and to Him),' a palm-tree will be planted in Jannah.'' [At-Tirmidzi].

Commentary: Jannah is so vast that we cannot even imagine its vastness. The planting of trees in return for the Praise and Glorification of Allah is, therefore, neither something difficult nor surprising. So, there should not be any hesitation in accepting it as a fact. Some people take it is as a metaphor for a plentiful reward.

1440. Ibn Mas`ud (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "I met Ibrahim (PBUH) on the Night of Ascension (Al-Asra), and he said to me: `O Muhammad, convey my greetings to your Ummah, and tell them that Jannah has a vast plain of pure soil and sweet water. It is a plain levelled land. The plants grow there by uttering: Subhan-Allah, Al-hamdu lillah, La ilaha illallah and Allahu Akbar (Allah is free from imperfection; praise be to Allah; there is no true god except Allah; and Allah is Greatest).''[At-Tirmidzi].

Commentary: Qi`an is the plural of Qa` which means plain levelled land that does not have any tree. Trees grow on the plain land of Jannah in return for remembrance and Glorification of Allah. The more one remembers Allah, the greater is the number of trees which grow on the piece of land that will be awarded to him.

1441. Abud-Darda (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Shall I not inform you of the best of your actions which are the purest to your Rabb, which exalt you to the high ranks, which are more efficacious than spending gold and silver (in charity), and better for you than you should encounter your enemies whom you will smite their necks and they will smite your necks?'' They said, "Certainly.'' He (PBUH) said, "Remembrance of Allah the Exalted.'' [At-Tirmidzi].

Commentary: This Hadith also tells us about the eminence of remembrance of Allah, as the basis of every good deed is remembrance of Allah and expression of one's devotion and obedience to Him. Without these two, even the greatest virtue is useless and is of no value. Thus, we must always bear it in mind that remembrance of Allah is superior to everything else.

1442. Sa`ad bin Abu Waqqas (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and I went to see a woman. She had date-stones or pebbles in front of her, and she was counting and reciting Tasbih. [`Subhan-Allah' (Allah is free from imperfection)]. He said, "Shall I not inform you of what is easier or better than this for you?'' You should say: `Subhan-Allahi `adada ma khalaqa fis-sama', wa subhan-Allahi `adada ma khalaqa fil-ardi, wa subhan-Allahi `adada ma baina dhalika, wa subhan-Allahi `adada ma Huwa Khaliqun, wallahu Akbaru mithla dhalika, wal-hamdu lillahi mithla dhalika, wa la ilaha illallahu mithla dhalika, wa la hawla wa la quwwata illa billahi mithla dhalika (Subhan-Allah, equal to the number of what He created in the heaven; and Subhan-Allah, equal to the number of His creatures in the earth; and Subhan-Allah, equal to the number in between them; and Subhan-Allah equal to the number of those He will create).' Then say: `Allahu Akbar' (Allah is Greatest) in the same way. Then say: `Al-hamdu lillah' (praise be to Allah) in the same way. Then say: `La ilaha illallah' (there is no true god except Allah) in the same way. Then say: `La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah' (there is no change of a condition nor power except by Allah) in the same manner.'' [At-Tirmidzi].

Commentary: Sheikh Al-Albani has accepted this Hadith as Hasan because of the defect in its authority. He has stated that the original narration of it is without any reference to gravels and stones (of fruits) and that is "Sahih'' and has been mentioned by Imam Muslim in his Sahih with reference to Jawairiyah (May Allah be pleased with her). (See Riyad-us-Saliheen, edited by Sheikh Al-Albani).

1443. Abu Musa (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said to me, "Shall I not guide you to a treasure from the treasures of Jannah?'' I said: "Yes, O Messenger of Allah!'' Thereupon he (PBUH) said, "(Recite) `La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah' (There is no change of a condition nor power except by Allah).'' [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Commentary: In this Hadith the invocation "La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah'' has been regarded a treasure of Jannah or one of the most precious stores of Jannah. The reason for its high eminence seems to be that through it, one makes a confession of his utter weakness and helplessness and attributes all power and authority to Allah, and this is very much liked by Allah. This statement is an outright admission that man has no power and if he can prevent himself from any mischief or do any good deed, it is only by the Will of Allah and His Permission.
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Excerpted from Riyad-us-Saliheen, Chapter 244,The Excellence of the Remembrance of Allah

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Basis for Jannah

Keeping away from Hell, Gates of Goodness, Consequences of the Tongue.

1522. Mu`adz bin Jabal (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: I inquired the Messenger of Allah (PBUH): Inform me of an act which will cause me to enter Jannah and keep me far from Hell.''

He (PBUH) replied, "You have asked me about a matter of great importance, but it is easy for one for whom Allah makes it easy.''

He added, " Worship Allah, associate nothing with Him in worship, offer As-Salat (the prayer), pay the Zakat, observe Saum (fasting) during Ramadan and perform Hajj (pilgrimage) to the House of Allah, if you can afford it.''

He (PBUH) further said, "Shall I not guide you to the Gates of Goodness? Fasting is a screen (from Hell), charity extinguishes (i.e., removes) the sins as water extinguishes fire, and standing in prayers by a slave of Allah during the last third part of the night (qiyamulail).'' Then he recited: "Their sides forsake their beds, to invoke their Rabb in fear and hope, and they spend (in charity in Allah's Cause) out of what We have bestowed on them. No person knows what is kept hidden for them of joy as a reward for what they used to do.'' (Surah Sajdah, 32:17, 18)

Then he added, "Shall I tell you of the root of the matter, its pillar and its highest point?'' I replied: "Yes! Certainly, O Prophet of Allah.'' He said, "The root of this matter (foundation) is Islam, its pillar (mainstay is) As-Salat (the prayer) and its highest point is Jihad (fighting in the Cause of Allah).''

Then he asked, "Shall I tell you of that which holds all these things?'' I said: "Yes, O Messenger of Allah.'' So he took hold of his tongue and said, "Keep this in control.'' I asked: "O Messenger of Allah! Shall we really be accounted for what we talk about?'' He replied, "May your mother lose you! People will be thrown on their faces into the Hell on account of their tongues.''

[At-Tirmidzi]

Commentary: Besides describing Articles of Islam, this Hadith mentions the dangers which lie in the careless use of the tongue. All good actions can go waste if one does not guard his speech. One should, therefore, guard his tongue against that which Allah has made prohibited, (but keep your tongue wet with the remembrance of Allah (zikrullah).
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Excerpted from Riyad-us-Saliheen, Book Seventeen- The Book of the Prohibited Actions

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The Most Honoured Person

What does Islam say about racial discrimination?

The Most Honoured Person with Allah Is the Most Pious

Sheikh Muhammahah Ibn Ibrahim Al-Tawaijri

All the Praise be to Allah Subhanahu wata’ala.

All people are the descendants of one man and one woman; they may be a believer and kafir, black and white, Arab and non-Arab, rich and poor, noble and ordinary.

Islam indeed does not pay attention to differences in colour, race or lineage. All people come from Adam, and Adam was created from dust. The Most Honoured Person with Allah Is the Most Pious. However in Islam, the differentiation between people is based on faith (eman) and piety (taqwa), by doing that which Allah has enjoined and avoiding that which Allah has prohibited. Allah says:

“O mankind! We have created you from a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one another. Verily, the most honourable of you with Allaah is that (believer) who has At-Taqwa [i.e. he is one of the Muttaqun (the pious)]. Verily, Allah is All-Knowing, All aware” [Al-Hujuraat, 49:13]

Islam regards all people as equal as far as rights and duties are concerned. People are equal before the law (syari’ah), as Allah says:

“Whoever works righteousness — whether male or female — while he (or she) is a true believer (of Islamic Monotheism) verily, to him We will give a good life (in this world with respect, contentment and lawful provision), and We shall pay them certainly a reward in proportion to the best of what they used to do (i.e. Paradise in the Hereafter)” [Al-Nahl, 16:97]

Faith, truthfulness and piety all lead to Paradise, which is the right of the one who acquires these attributes, even if he is one of the weakest or lowliest of people. Allah says:

“And whosoever believes in Allaah and performs righteous good deeds, He will admit him into Gardens under which rivers flow (Paradise) to dwell therein forever. Allah has indeed granted for him an excellent provision” [Al-Talaq, 65:11]

Kufr, arrogance and oppression all lead to Hell, even if the one who does these things is one of the richest or noblest of people. Allah says:

“But those who disbelieved (in the Oneness of Allah – Islamic Monotheism) and denied Our Ayaat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.), they will be the dwellers of the Fire, to dwell therein forever. And worst indeed is that destination” [Al-Taghabun, 64:10]

The advisors of the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) included Muslim men of all tribes, races and colours. Their hearts were filled with Tawhid and they were brought together by their faith and piety – such as Abu Bakr from Quraysh, ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib from Bani Hashim, Bilal the Ethiopian, Suhayb the Roman, Salman the Persian, rich men like ‘Uthman and poor men like ‘Ammar, people of means and poor people like Ahl al-Suffah, and others.

They believed in Allah and strove for His sake, until Allah and His Messenger were pleased with them. They were the true believers.

“Their reward with their Lord is ‘Aden (Eden) Paradise (Gardens of Eternity), underneath which rivers flow. They will abide therein forever, Allah will be pleased with them, and they with Him. That is for him who fears his Lord” [Al-Bayyinah, 98:8]

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Excerpted from Usul al-Deen al-Islami by Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ibrahim al-Tuwaijri.

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