The Disease of the Heart

I have permission from our dear sister UmMohamed to share her notes from the halaqah she attended.


The 'Purification of the Soul' course is organised under the supervision of the wife of Abu Talha (Graduate from the Islamic University of Madinah).

Sister UmMohamed recommends a book:

The purification of the heart - compiled from the works of Ibn Rajab al- Hanbali, Ibn al -Qayyim and Abu Hamid al-Ghazali





Al-hamdu Lillaahi nasta’eenahu wa nastaghfiruhu, wa na’oodhu billaahi min shuroori anfusinaa wa sayi’aati a’maalinaa. Man yahdih Illaahu falaa mudilla lahu wa man yudlil falaa haadiya lahu. Wa ashhadu an laa ilaaha ill-Allaah wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu wa rasooluhu (Praise be to Allaah, we seek His help and His forgiveness. We seek refuge with Allaah from the evil of our own souls and from our bad deeds. Whomsoever Allaah guides will never be led astray, and whomsoever Allaah leaves astray, no one can guide. I bear witness that there is no god but Allaah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger).

1: Volume: 1, Book Number: 1, Hadith Number: 1 (Bukhari)
Narrated 'Umar bin Al-Khattab :

I heard Allah's Apostle saying, "The reward of deeds depends upon the intentions and every person will get the reward according to what he has intended. So whoever emigrated for worldly benefits or for a woman to marry, his emigration was for what he emigrated for."

It is to ensure that the intentions behind all acts of worship and obedience to Allah are axclusively for His pleasure.
Sincerity is a condition for Allah`s acceptance of good deeds performed in accordance with the SUNNAH of the Prophet .

` And they have been commanded to worship only Allah, being sincere towards Him in their deen and true.` (98:5)

Abu Sa`id al-Khudri related that the Prophet said in his khutbah during the farewell pilgrimage,- Allah will bless whoever hears these words and whoever understands them, for it may be that those who pass on this knowledge are not those who will understand it the best. There are three things concerning which a heart of a believer should feel no enmity or malice: devoting one`s actions to Allah, giving councel to the Imams of the Muslims, and being loyal to the majority.` (Sahih, Ibn Ma`jah)

What is meant here that these three things strengthen the heart.

A servant can only free himself from shaytan through sincere devotion:

`Except those of Your servants who are sincere.` (38:83)

Devotion is the purifying of the heart from all impurities, so that the intention of drawing nearer to Allah is freed from all other motives, except that of seeking His pleasure.

The remedy for love of this world is to break the wordly desires of the self, ending its greed for this world and purifying it in preparation for the next world.

It has been related that a man was used to praying in the first row in the mosque. One day he was late, so he prayed in the second row. Feeling embarrassement when people saw him in the second row, he realised that the pleasure and satisfaction of the heart that he used to gain from praying in the first row were due to people seeing him there and admire him for it.

`Say: Shall We tell you who will lose most in respect of their deeds? Those whose efforts were astray in the life of this world, while they thought that they were doing good works` (18:103-104)

Sincerity in different actions: e.g
- wudu + prayer
- fasting in Ramadan
- love for the mosque
- tears in remamberance
- performing the Azan
- giving Sadaqa
etc.

We have to be humble and ask Allah to help us to do many good deeds that are accepted.

Do actions with multiple intentions:
- give sadaqa on behalf of relatives
- search knowledge to teach people

“Subhaanaka Allaahumma wa bi hamdika, ashhadu an laa ilaaha illa anta, astaghfiruka wa atoobu ilayk (Glory and praise be to You, O Allaah, I bear witness that there is no god but You, I seek Your forgiveness and I repent to You).”


To continue Insha Allah

Al-hamdu Lillaahi nasta’eenahu wa nastaghfiruhu, wa na’oodhu billaahi min shuroori anfusinaa wa sayi’aati a’maalinaa. Man yahdih Illaahu falaa mudilla lahu wa man yudlil falaa haadiya lahu. Wa ashhadu an laa ilaaha ill-Allaah wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu wa rasooluhu (Praise be to Allaah, we seek His help and His forgiveness. We seek refuge with Allaah from the evil of our own souls and from our bad deeds. Whomsoever Allaah guides will never be led astray, and whomsoever Allaah leaves astray, no one can guide. I bear witness that there is no god but Allaah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger).

1: Volume: 1, Book Number: 2, Hadith Number: 49 (Bukhari)

Narrated An-Nu'man bin Bashir :

I heard Allah's Apostle saying, 'Both legal and illegal things are evident but in between them there are doubtful (suspicious) things and most of the people have no knowledge about them. So whoever saves himself from these suspicious things saves his religion and his honor. And whoever indulges in these suspicious things is like a shepherd who grazes (his animals) near the Hima (private pasture) of someone else and at any moment he is liable to get in it. (O people!) Beware! Every king has a Hima and the Hima of Allah on the earth is His illegal (forbidden) things. Beware! There is a piece of flesh in the body if it becomes good (reformed) the whole body becomes good but if it gets spoilt the whole body gets spoilt and that is the heart.

1)Healthy heart

On the Day of Judgement only your heart will benefit you

`The day on which neither wealth nor sons will be of any use, except for whoever brings to Allah a sound heart.` (26:88-89)

One of the definition of the healthy heart: `It is a heart cleansed from any passion that challenges that Allah commands, or disputes what he forbids. It is free from any impulses which contradic His good. As a result, it is safeguarded against the worship of anything other than Him, and seeks the judgement of no other except that of His Messenger :SAWS: Its services are exclusively reserved for Allah willingly and lovingly, with total reliance, relating to all matters to HIM, in fear, hope and sincere dedication.When it loves, its love is in the way of Allah. If it detests, it detests in the light of what He detests.When it gives, it gives for Allah. If it withholds, it withholds for Allah. Nevertheless, all this will not suffice for its salvation until it is free from following or taking as its guide, anyone other than His Messenger :SAWS:`

It hears and obeys. It is free from desires, it is humble, soft, gentle.

The Heart is the soldier, the limbs follow it.
The person with healthy heart will have good manners.

`Oh you who believe, do not put yourself above Allah and His Messenger, but fear Allah, for Allah is Hearing, Knowing.`(49:1)


2) Dead Heart

It is the opposite of the healthy heart.
It does not know its Lord and does not worship Him as He commands, in the way which He likes, and with which He is pleased.
It clings instead to its lusts and desires.
It worships things other than Allah. Its whims are its imam. Its lust is its guide.
This kind of heart gives, withholds, loves coz of himself.
It has wordly objectives only -> `I live only once`
To associate and keep company with the owner of such a heart is to tempt illness:living with him is like taking poison, and befriending him means utter destruction.


3)Sick Heart

This type of heart has life in it, as well as illness. The former sustains it at one moment, the latter at another, and it follows whichever one of the two manages to dominate it.
It has love for Allah, faith in Him, sincerity towards Him, and reliance upon Him, these are what give it life.
It also has a craving for lust and pleasure, and prefers the, and srives to experience them. It is full of self-admiration, which can lead to its own destruction.
(E.g it does not give sadaqa coz needs the money -> but we know that the sadaqa won`t decrease our wealth.)

Your heart can change. It is between the two fingers of Allah.

An important dua to memorize:

Yaa muqallib al-quloob thabbit qalbi ala deenaka, Yaa musarrif al-quloob, asrif qalbi ila taa’atika

(O Controller of the hearts, make my heart adhere firmly to Your religion, O Director of the hearts, direct my heart to obey You).

Sister UmMohamed recommends you to watch this lecture: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01WUNryT6pk

“Subhaanaka Allaahumma wa bi hamdika, ashhadu an laa ilaaha illa anta, astaghfiruka wa atoobu ilayk (Glory and praise be to You, O Allaah, I bear witness that there is no god but You, I seek Your forgiveness and I repent to You).”

to be continued.... next one will be The 4 poisons of the heart.

Al-hamdu Lillaahi nasta’eenahu wa nastaghfiruhu, wa na’oodhu billaahi min shuroori anfusinaa wa sayi’aati a’maalinaa. Man yahdih Illaahu falaa mudilla lahu wa man yudlil falaa haadiya lahu. Wa ashhadu an laa ilaaha ill-Allaah wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu wa rasooluhu (Praise be to Allaah, we seek His help and His forgiveness. We seek refuge with Allaah from the evil of our own souls and from our bad deeds. Whomsoever Allaah guides will never be led astray, and whomsoever Allaah leaves astray, no one can guide. I bear witness that there is no God but Allaah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger).

All acts of disobedience are poison to the heart and cause its sickness and ruin. Ibn al-Mubarak said:

I have seen wrong actions killing hearts, And their degradation may lead to their becoming addicted to them. Turning away from wrong actions gives life to the hearts, And opposing your self is best for it.

Whoever is concerned with the health and life of his heart, must rid it of the effects of such poisons, and then protect it by avoiding new ones. If he takes any by mistake, then he should hasten to wipe out their effect by turning in repentance and seeking forgiveness from Allah, as well as by doing good deeds that will wipe out his wrong actions.

The 4 poisons that have the greatest effect on the heart are:

1) Unnecessary talking
2) Unrestrained glances
3) Too much food
4) Keeping bad company

1. UNNECESSARY TALKING:

In a hadith related on the authority of Mu'adh , the Prophet said, "Shall I not tell you how to control all that?" I said, "Yes do, O Messenger of Allah." So he held his tongue between his fingers, and then he said: "Restrain this." I said, "Oh Prophet of Allah, are we accountable for what we say?" He said, "May your mother be bereft by your loss! Is there anything more than the harvest of the tongues that throws people on their faces (or he said 'on their noses') into the Fire?"

- Unnecessary talking are for example backbiting, slandering, lying, swearing, hypocratical talk, quarrelling, showing off, watching TV. While you do these things you forget about Allah.

- Qur`an and unnecessary talk does not exist together. How to control it? The only way is to restrain your tongue.

It has been related on the authority of Sahl ibn Sa'd that the Prophet said, "Whoever can guarantee what is between his jaws and what is between his legs, I guarantee him the Garden." We can clearly see from this hadith that this leads to the Fire. The Prophet mentions unnecessary talking on the same level with zina, we have to think about this. We all consider Zina a grave sin and stay away from it, but when it comes to unnecessary talking we fall into it easily.

It has also been related by Abu Huraira, , that the Prophet , said, "Let whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day either speak good or remain silent."

We have to control our tongue. We feel sorry for a person who cannot speak but truly he is blessed.

Umar ibn al-Khattab visited Abu Bakr, , and found him pulling his tongue with his fingers. Umar said "Stop! may Allah forgive you!" Abu Bakr replied; "This tongue has brought me to dangerous places."

Abu Huraira reported that Ibn al-Abbas said: "A person will not feel greater fury or anger for any part of his body on the Day of Judgement more than what he will feel for his tongue, unless he only used it for saying or enjoining good."

We must not talk about anything that does not concern us. The following hadith of the Prohet is enough to indicate the harm of this fault: "One of the merits of a person's Islam is his abandoning what does not concern him."

Abu Ubaida related that al-Hassan said: "One of the signs of Allah's abandoning a servant is His making him preoccupied with what does not concern him."

2) UNRESTRAINED GLANCES

It can be men looking at women, women looking at men.The unrestrained glance results in the one who looks becoming attracted to what he sees, and in the imprinting of an image of what he sees in his heart.

This distracts the heart and makes it forget its more important concerns. So the heart loses its straight path and falls into the pit of desire and ignorance. Allah, Mighty and Glorious is He, says:

"And do not obey anyone whose heart We have made forgetful in remembering Us- who follows his own desires, and whose affair has exceeded all bounds." (18:28)

It has been said that between the eye and the heart is an immediate connection; if the eyes are corrupted, then the heart follows
Staring and gazing without restraint is disobedience to Allah:

"Tell the believing men to lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that is more purifying for them. Surely Allah is aware of what they do." (24:30)

Letting the gaze run loose also makes the heart blind to distinguishing between truth and falsehood, between the sunnah and innovation; while lowering it for Allah, the Might and Exalted, gives it a penetrating, true and distinguishing insight.

- One of the problem in our society is the unrestrained glances. It will result in having girl/boyfriends, commiting haram.
- It is very important to stay away from this poison of the heart. Even if you are a full hijabi or even a niqabi you can look, we have to guard our glances.
- We have to keep in mind that Shaytan tries to attack those who are closer to Allah.
- Allah will reward you, if you restrain your glance.

3) TOO MUCH FOOD

Al-Miqdam ibn Ma'd Yakrib said: "I heard the Messenger of Allah say: "The son of Adam fills no vessel more displeasing to Allah than his stomach. A few morsels should be enough for him to preserve his strength. If he must fill it, then he should allow a third for his food, a third for his drink and leave a third empty for easy breathing."

If you eat too much, you become lazy, tired and you won`t be able to do `Ibadah.

The Prophet and his companions, may Allah be pleased with them, used to go hungry quite frequently. Although this was often due to a shortage of food, Allah decreed the best and most favourable conditions for His Messenger, This is why Ibn Umar and his father before him-in spite of the abundance of food available to them-modeled their eating habits on those of the Prophet . It has been reported that Aisha,(Radhi Allahu Anha), said: "From the time of their arrival in Madina up until his death, the family of Muhammad never ate their fill of bread made from wheat three nights in a row."

- You musn`t eat too much but you have to finish your food, so take small portion!!!
- Shaytan will eat the leftover and he will have more power.
- We have to teach ourselves and our children the proper Islamic etiquette of eating.

4)KEEPING BAD COMPANY

The Prophet said that everybody is upon the religion of his friends. So we must be very selective and keep the company of good pious sisters.

We have to divide people in our life into 4 categories:

The *FIRST* category are those people whose company is like food: it is indispensable, night or day. These are the people with knowledge of Allah-of His commands.

The *SECOND* category are those people whose company is like a medicine. They are only required when a disease sets in. When you are healthy, you have no need of them. However, mixing with them is sometimes necessary for your livelihood, businesses, consultation and the like. Complete mixing with them should be avoided.

The *THIRD* category are those people whose company is harmful. Mixing with this type of person is like a disease.You will never profit either in this life or in the next life if you have them for company, and you will surely lose either one or both of your deen and your livelihood because of them. Amongst such people are those who neither speak any good that might benefit you, nor listen closely to you so that they might benefit from you.

The *FOURTH* category are those people whose company is doom itself. It is like taking poison.They are the people of religious innovation and misguidance, those who abandon the sunnah of the Messenger of Allah sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam and advocate other beliefs. They call what is the sunnah a bid'a and vice-versa.

“Subhaanaka Allaahumma wa bi hamdika, ashhadu an laa ilaaha illa anta, astaghfiruka wa atoobu ilayk (Glory and praise be to You, O Allaah, I bear witness that there is no god but You, I seek Your forgiveness and I repent to You).”

To continue Insha Allah

Al-hamdu Lillaahi nasta’eenahu wa nastaghfiruhu, wa na’oodhu billaahi min shuroori anfusinaa wa sayi’aati a’maalinaa. Man yahdih Illaahu falaa mudilla lahu wa man yudlil falaa haadiya lahu. Wa ashhadu an laa ilaaha ill-Allaah wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu wa rasooluhu (Praise be to Allaah, we seek His help and His -forgiveness. We seek refuge with Allaah from the evil of our own souls and from our bad deeds. Whomsoever Allaah guides will never be led astray, and whomsoever Allaah leaves astray, no one can guide. I bear witness that there is no god but Allaah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger).

`So remember Me – I will remember you.` (2:152)

- Remembrance of Allah instils love for Allah, fear of Him, and relating all matters to Him.

Ibn Taimiyya wrote: Remembrance of Allah is to the heart what water is to fish. What happens to a fish when it is taken out of water?

- Remembrance of Allah is sustenance for both the heart and the spirit. If the servant is deprives of it he becomes like a body which has been deprived of food.

-Remembrance of Allah also drives away Shaytan, suppressing him and breaking him.
Such a heart is always aware and free from wrong actions.

- Although remembrance is one of the easiest forms of worship, the mercy and honour that it brings cannot be achieved by any other means.

Narrated Abu Huraira :

Allah's Apostle said," Whoever says: "La ilaha illal-lah wahdahu la sharika lahu, lahu-l-mulk wa lahu-l-hamd wa huwa 'ala kulli shai'in qadir," one hundred times will get the same reward as given for manumitting ten slaves; and one hundred good deeds will be written in his accounts, and one hundred sins will be deducted from his accounts, and it (his saying) will be a shield for him from Satan on that day till night, and nobody will be able to do a better deed except the one who does more than he." (Bukhari)

Jabir reported that the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam said:` Whoever recites the words – Glory be to Allah and His is the praise- will have a palm tree planted for him in the Garden.` (at-Tirmidhi)

- Remembrance of Allah is a remedy for hard hearts.

Abu Musa once related that the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam said:` The difference between the one who remembers his Lord and the one who does not is like the difference between the living and the dead.` (Bukhari)

Abdullah ibn Busr related that a man once told the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, ` The roads to good are many and I am unable to take all of them, so please tell me something to which I can hold fast, but do not overburden me lest I forget it`. He said,` Make sure that your tongue is moist and supple with the remembrance of Allah.` (at-Tirmidhi)

- It is a means which prevents him from talking in the wrong way, such as backbiting. Either the tongue is mentioning Allah and remembering Him, or it is talking incorrectly.

There are several types of remembrance.

The remembrance of the Names of Allah, the remembrance of His Attributes, and praising Him, thanking Him. All of these can take the form of saying : Alhamdulillah, SunhanAllah, La ilaha illallah.A servant can also remember Allah by referring to His Names and Attributes, such as by saying, for example, `Allah, Mighty and Glorious is He, Hears all that his servants say and do`, or by mentioning what He has commanded and what He has forbidden, such as saying, `Allah, the Mighty and Glorious, commands such and such, or forbids such and such.`

- Remembrance of Allah is also: talking about His blessings.

- The best type of remembrance is the recitation of the Qur`an, because this contains remedies to cure the heart from illnesses. Allah, the Exalted, says:

` O mankind, there has come to you a protection from your Lord and a healing for what is in your hearts, and for those who believe, a guidance and mercy.` (10:57)

' We send down in the Qur`an that which is healing and a mercy for those who believe.` (17:82)

All the illnesses of the heart result from desires and doubt, and the Qur`an is a cure for both.

Whoever studies the Qur`an, and allows it to be absorbed by his heart, will recognize truth and falsehood and will be able to distinguish between them.

As for curing the disease of the desires, it is because it contains wisdom and good counsel. This recommends avoiding worldly gains and inspires a yearning for the akhira.

- All in all, the most beneficial thing for the servant is to remember Allah, Mighty and Glorious is He:

`Surely in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest.` (13:28)

“Subhaanaka Allaahumma wa bi hamdika, ashhadu an laa ilaaha illa anta, astaghfiruka wa atoobu ilayk (Glory and praise be to You, O Allaah, I bear witness that there is no god but You, I seek Your forgiveness and I repent to You).”


To continue Insha Allah

Al-hamdu Lillaahi nasta’eenahu wa nastaghfiruhu, wa na’oodhu billaahi min shuroori anfusinaa wa sayi’aati a’maalinaa. Man yahdih Illaahu falaa mudilla lahu wa man yudlil falaa haadiya lahu. Wa ashhadu an laa ilaaha ill-Allaah wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu wa rasooluhu (Praise be to Allaah, we seek His help and His forgiveness. We seek refuge with Allaah from the evil of our own souls and from our bad deeds. Whomsoever Allaah guides will never be led astray, and whomsoever Allaah leaves astray, no one can guide. I bear witness that there is no God but Allaah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger).

Forgiveness s being shielded from the harmful consequences of wrong actions, and the veiling of them. Seeking forgiveness is mentioned again and again in the Qur`an, and in some places it is a command:

And seek forgiveness of Allah; surely Allah is Forgiving, Compassionate. (73:20)

In other places, Allah praises those who seek forgiveness:

And those who pray for forgiveness in the early hours of the morning. (3:17)

In other places, Allah tells us that He forgives those who ask for His forgiveness:

And whoever does evil, or wrongs his own soul, but afterwards seeks Allah`s forgiveness, will find Allah is Forgiving, Compassionate. (4:110)

Why must we repent?

The Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam said believer should feel as though they are standing under a mountain that is about to fall.

In regards to our sins we have no fear or dread of our own destruction.

Sins lead to the Fire:

You verily will eat from the trees of Zaqqum.
Then you will fill your bellies therewith,
And drink boiling water on top of it,
So you will drink (that) like thirsty camels. (56:52-55)


Sins lead to decrease in eeman:

Shaikh al Uthaymeen : “as for the decrease of eeman it has causes:

committing acts of disobedience. The eeman will decrease according to the class of the sin, its amount, the indifference towards it, and the strength or weakness of the incentive to perpetrate it.”


Categories of sins:

1.All sins are a major sin against Allah because they all earn His displeasure.

Major sins: are those that have prescribed punishment – alcohol, fornication, murder, stealing etc.

2.Minor sins

The Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam told:`avoid the major sins and Allah will forgive you the minor sins`

He sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam feared for his ummah not the major matters but the minor matters.
Tricks of shaitan to minimise the sin. “its not that bad” or “I could be worse” compare self to others.
So without doubt all sins decrease eeman. – further away from Allah and His pleasure.

The Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam taught us “Do not look at the minuteness of the sin but the One you have sinned against”

Imagine a time you have upset a relative or friend. You have wronged them.
Remember how you felt before you had the chance of saying sorry. Cant eat/sleep/rest
Yet we feel so indifferent to Allah.

When we have apologised that person, later done favours for them, cooked for them. No guarantee that they will forgive us entirely.

Yet we do have a guarantee from Allah that He will accept our tauba.


With 3 conditions:

1)Regret for what is passed
2)Giving up the sin
3)Resolving not to go back to it – if you do repent again

Only with these 3 conditions can the repentance be sincere and thus accepted from Allah.


Allah’s Names:
At- Tawwab – The Ever-Returning

But if anyone repents after his wrongdoing and puts things right, Allah will turn towards him.(5:42)

alGhafur – The Ever Forgiving
alGhafir - The Forgiver of sins
aGhaffar – The Endlessly Forgiving
each derived from the root word – ghafara – veiling and concealing.

Al- ‘Afuww: The All-Pardoning

Hadith Qudsi: “Oh My servants, you sin night and day and I forgive all sins, seek forgiveness and I will forgive you.”

It is He who accepts repentance from His servants, and pardons bad deeds and knows all that you do.(42:25)

Allah does know all that we do – better than us. We sin without realizing – either habit or out of innovation. We are in need of His forgiveness.

The repenter is better than the one who hasn’t sinned

…those who repent and believe, and do righteous deeds, for those, Allah will change their sins into good deeds, and Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (25:68-70)

Imagine the scales before sin, then after, then after sincere repentance.

True repentance offers true hope

Sins can cause us to despair. We feel lost and in some cases can lead us further away from Allah.
Sincere repentance must be offered knowing that Allah loves to Forgive and having hope that He will.
Making duah to Allah is having hope that He is the One Who Responds to every duah.

Abu Huraira narrated the Messenger of Allah saws said: “Our Lord descends each night to the earths sky (lowest heaven) when there remains the final third of the night, and He says: Who is saying a prayer to Me that I may answer it? Who is asking something of Me that I may give it to him? Who is asking forgiveness of Me that I may Forgive him?”

Allah calls out to us each night, yet we sleep soundly, not afraid that death could come even while we sleep.

RUSH towards repentance – soon after the sin

Allah excepts only the repentance of those who do evil in ignorance and foolishness and repent soon afterwards; it is they whom Allah forgives and Allah is Ever All knower All Wise. And of no effect is the repentance of those who do evil deeds until death faces one of them and he says “Now I repent”; nor of those who die while they are disbelievers. For them we have prepared a painful torment.(4:16-17)


Means to Allah`s forgiveness:

Salah: like bathing 5 times
Charity: extinguishes sins like water to fire
Doing good deeds: good deeds wash away bad deeds
Fasting:expiation of sins
Haj/umrah : new born baby
Offering salam/smiling/shaking hands
Reading Quran
Hurting oneself – not even a thorn pricks son of Adam but its an expiation for him
Having sabr in times of hardship


THE BEST for of tawba is

Offer two rakah and then duah Most signifanct duah for repentance:

“ I ask forgiveness from Allah, The Great, The One except Whom none has the right to be worshipped, He is the Living, the Ever-Lasting, The Oft-forgiving of sins, the Owner of Majesty and Honour, I return to Him in repentance from all sins, disobedience and offences, from any sin that I have ever committed knowingly or unknowingly openly or secretly, by word or act, in all my movements and my thoughts from the sin which I know, and the sin I am unaware of, I ask for forgiveness as many times as the number of what is contained by knowledge included in the Book, and written by the Pen, and intended by the will and as amount of the ink of the Words of Allah, I ask for fogiveness that is suitable to the Majesty and Perfectness of the Countenance of our Lord, and in the way our Lord likes and is pleased with.”

“Subhaanaka Allaahumma wa bi hamdika, ashhadu an laa ilaaha illa anta, astaghfiruka wa atoobu ilayk (Glory and praise be to You, O Allaah, I bear witness that there is no god but You, I seek Your forgiveness and I repent to You).”


To continue Insha Allah

Al-hamdu Lillaahi nasta’eenahu wa nastaghfiruhu, wa na’oodhu billaahi min shuroori anfusinaa wa sayi’aati a’maalinaa. Man yahdih Illaahu falaa mudilla lahu wa man yudlil falaa haadiya lahu. Wa ashhadu an laa ilaaha ill-Allaah wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu wa rasooluhu (Praise be to Allaah, we seek His help and His forgiveness. We seek refuge with Allaah from the evil of our own souls and from our bad deeds. Whomsoever Allaah guides will never be led astray, and whomsoever Allaah leaves astray, no one can guide. I bear witness that there is no god but Allaah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger).

Allah has commanded us to supplicate to Him and has promised to respond to us when we do so.

Call on Me – I will answer you.(40:60)

Then He follows by saying:

Surely those who are too arrogant to worship Me will enter Hell in humiliation(40:60).

Allah has made the servant`s supplication for the fulfillment of his needs and the accomplishment of his endeavours a rewardable act of worship, which He has asked of him and which He has severely reprimanded when he neglects it, by describing him as being arrogant.

Abu Huraira has related that the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam said, `Whoever does not supplicate to Allah invokes His wrath.` (hasan, At-Tirmidhi)

Is it not He (best) Who answers the one who has been wronged when he calls on Him, and removes the evil?( 27:62)

And when My servants ask you about Me, I am indeed near to them ; I answer the prayer of every supplicant when he calls on Me. (2:186)

An- Nu`man ibn Bashir said , The Messenger of Allah sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam said: Supplication is worship itself. Then he recited the ayat above (40:60) . (At-Tirmidhi)

Any supplication that fulfils the correct requirements will, most surely, be answered by Allah. This is further confirmed by the following ahadith:

`Allah is the Ever-Living, The Most Generous, and if a man raises his hands in supplication, He will be ashamed to let them be lowered disappointed and empty.` (Hasan, At-Tirmidhi)

Abu Sa`id al-Khudri related that the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam said:` No Muslim makes a du`a to Allah, without being granted one of three things by Allah: it hastens the fulfillment of what he has asked for; or it is saved up for him until the Day of Judgment, or it prevents a similar kind of trouble from happening to him – unless it was for something bad, or something that might break family ties.` (At-Tirmidhi)


Choosing special times for supplication:

- The day of Arafat
- Month of Ramadan
- Friday
- Early morning (Last third of the night)
- an hour of the night
- an hour on friday
- du`a after the Salat
- after performing wudu
- before drinking Zamzam
- Du`a inside the Ka`bah
- first 10 Days of Dhul-Hijjah
- while visiting the sick
- when the soul of a person is taken


Choosing favourable conditions:

- at the time of rainfall
- at the time that armies fightinh in the way of Allah march out
- at the time of being in the position of sajdah ( `A servant is nearest to his Lord when he is in prostration, so increase your supplication when in prostration.`)
- time between the adhan and the iqama

We have to be firm when supplicating and confident in Allah`s response.
It is good to be in wudu, to be facing towards Makka and to repeat the du`a 3 times.

The supplication should begin with praise of Allah, by referring to His Names and His Attributes, followed by invoking blessings on the Messenger of Allah sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam. We should ask forgiveness and give thanks to Allah for our blessings then we should describe our needs and make our requests, then finally conclude with reciting more prayers on the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam and praise of Allah.

The one who asks should not insist on the immediate fulfillment of his wishes, nor should he say: ` I prayed to Allah, but He has not responded to my du`a.` Abu Huraira reported that the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam said:` The supplication of any one of you will be fulfilled (by Allah), provided he does not become so impatient as to say, I asked, but my requset has not been fulfilled.` (Bukhari)

By ending this lecture I would like to recommend the book :Du`a the weapon of the believer by Abu Ammar Yasir Qadhi.

“Subhaanaka Allaahumma wa bi hamdika, ashhadu an laa ilaaha illa anta, astaghfiruka wa atoobu ilayk (Glory and praise be to You, O Allaah, I bear witness that there is no god but You, I seek Your forgiveness and I repent to You).”

To continue Insha Allah

Al-hamdu Lillaahi nasta’eenahu wa nastaghfiruhu, wa na’oodhu billaahi min shuroori anfusinaa wa sayi’aati a’maalinaa. Man yahdih Illaahu falaa mudilla lahu wa man yudlil falaa haadiya lahu. Wa ashhadu an laa ilaaha ill-Allaah wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu wa rasooluhu (Praise be to Allaah, we seek His help and His forgiveness. We seek refuge with Allaah from the evil of our own souls and from our bad deeds. Whomsoever Allaah guides will never be led astray, and whomsoever Allaah leaves astray, no one can guide. I bear witness that there is no god but Allaah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger).

Abu Huraira narrated that the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam said:`If anyone invokse blessings on me once, Allah will grant him ten belssings.'(Muslim)

Invoking blessings on the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallamis one of the most excellent things a Muslim can do.

Ibn al-Arabi said:`If someone asks about the merit of Allah`s saying Whoever does good shall be given ten times as much. (6:160), we would say,` It has great merit. The Qur`an has stated that a good deed is multiplied by ten, and invoking blessings on the Messenger of Allah sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam is, according to the Qur`an, a good deed which accordingly gives the one who does it ten grades in the Garden.

Al-Iraqi said:`Allah's blessing the servant is not his only reward, for, as we are told in the following ahadith, He also records ten good deeds in the servant`s record and moves ten wrong actions from it, and raises him up ten levels.`

Anas ibn Malik reported that the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam said:` If I am mentioned in anyone`s presence then he should invoke blessings on me and if anyone invokes blessings on me once, Allah will grant him ten belssings.`

In an other version:` If anyone invokes blessings on me once, Allah will grant him ten blessings, wipe out ten of his wrong actions, and raise him up ten levels.`(Sahih,Ibn as-Sunni, also Muslim)

`The miser is the one in whos precence I am mentioned and yet he does not invoke blessings on me.` (Sahih, an-Nisa`i)

Ibn Mas`ud reported that the Messenger of Allah sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam said:` Allah has roaming angels who come and inform me of the blessings that my Ummah invoke on me.`(Sahih, Ahmad)

Ibn Mas`ud reported that the Messenger of Allah sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam said:`The nearest to me on the Day of Resurrection will be those who invoke blessings on me frequently.` (Hasan, At-Tirmidhi)

It is the best to frequently invoke blessings on the Messenger of Allah sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam on Fridays. Aws Ibn Aws related that the messenger of Allah sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam said:` Among the most exceelent of your days is Friday, because on that day Adam was created, and on it he dies, and on that day the Trumpet will be sounded, and on it shall come the Hour. So invoke blessings on me frequently on that day, for your blessings will be brought to me. He was asked. O Messenger of Allah, how will our blessings be conveyed to u when your body has become part of the decaying earth?He replied. Allah has prohobited the earth from destroying the bodies of the prophets.`(Abu Da`wud, Sahih Ibn Ma`jah)

The form of the invocation:

Abu Mas`ud Al-Ansari ralated:`We were sitting in the company of Sa`d ibn ubada, when the Messenger of Allah sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam came to us. Bashir ibn Sa`d said. Omessenger of Allah, Allah has commanded us to ask blessings on you but how should we invoke blessings on you? The Messenger of Allah sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam kept silent. We were much perturbed over his silence and wished that he had not asked him this question. Finally, The messenger of Allah sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam said. Say, O Allah, bless Muhammed and the family of Muhammad as You blessed Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim. O Allah, give baraka to Muhammed and the family of Muhammad as You gave baraka Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim.Surely You are worthy of Praise and Glorious, and then give the taslim as you have learnt.` (Muslim)


“Subhaanaka Allaahumma wa bi hamdika, ashhadu an laa ilaaha illa anta, astaghfiruka wa atoobu ilayk (Glory and praise be to You, O Allaah, I bear witness that there is no god but You, I seek Your forgiveness and I repent to You).”


To continue Insha Allah

Al-hamdu Lillaahi nasta’eenahu wa nastaghfiruhu, wa na’oodhu billaahi min shuroori anfusinaa wa sayi’aati a’maalinaa. Man yahdih Illaahu falaa mudilla lahu wa man yudlil falaa haadiya lahu. Wa ashhadu an laa ilaaha ill-Allaah wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu wa rasooluhu (Praise be to Allaah, we seek His help and His forgiveness. We seek refuge with Allaah from the evil of our own souls and from our bad deeds. Whomsoever Allaah guides will never be led astray, and whomsoever Allaah leaves astray, no one can guide. I bear witness that there is no god but Allaah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger).

1. Satisfied soul
2. The soul that dictates evil
3. The Self-reproching soul

1. Nafs al-Mutamainna:

0 you satisfied soul. Return to your Lord pleased with yourself and pleasing to Him. Enter among My servants. And enter My paradise.(89 :27-30)

The Qur'aan is the voice of Al-Rahman just as music is the voice of Satan. If the evil-inspiring soul finds solace in music and dance, the satisfied soul finds its peace and consolation in the Qur'aan, prayer and the company of the righteous. The satisfied soul has such a deep conviction in Allah and the Last Day that never is it upset by the sorrows or demands of this world.
The satisfied soul does not question Allah, they are content with whatever happens.

Be sure, We shall test you with something of fear, hunger, some loss of goods or lives or fruits of your toils. But give glad tidings to those who are patient. Those who say, when afflicted by calamity: To Allah we belong and to Him we shall return. (2: 155-156)

Illness, financial worries, loss of property or death of dear ones do not cause the satisfied soul to wail, curse or complain. Whenever it faces any problems it simply say, To Allah we belong and to Him we shall return and faces the misfortune with patience and trust in its Lord.

No misfortune can happen on earth or to your soul but it is written in a decree before We bring it into existence. That is truly easy for Allah. In order that you may not despair over matters that pass you by, nor exult in favors bestowed upon you, for Allah loves not the vain boasters. (57: 22-23)

If it fails to acquire something for which it has struggled for many years, it will accept its destiny and remember the following words of the Prophet of Allah (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) :

`What has reached you was never meant to escape you and what has escaped you was never meant to reach you.` (Muwadih by Al-Khateeb Al-Baghdadi)

The satisfied soul seeks its nourishment in Dhikr (the remembrance of Allah), prayer, fasting, Zakat and Hajj. It relies heavily for support on the branches of faith, the highest of which is to say and believe in.There is no god worthy of worship except Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, and the lowliest of which is to remove an obstacle from the path. Angels are present to strengthen this soul and to bless and greet it when it departs this material life, when it is resurrected and when it is admitted into the gardens of paradise. Their greeting to it is the greeting of a Muslim to his fellow Muslim: `Peace be unto you`;

And those who feared their Lord will be led to the Paradise in crowds; until they arrive there, its gates are opened and its keepers will say: Peace be upon you! Well have you done. Enter here and dwell forever. (39: 73)


2. Nafs ammara bis su:

This soul is inclined to evil. The Shaytan surrounds it day and night.You will see it lying and cheating, wasting time on leisure and sports, frequenting cinemas and concerts, listening to music and dancing.

The one who withdraws himself from the remembrance of the Merciful, We appoint for him a satan to be a companion to him. (43: 36)

You should stay away from this soul. If you feel you are strong in your deen you should help them.


3. Nafs Lawwama:

I do call to witness the Resurrection Day. And I do call to witness the self-reproaching Soul. (Soorah Al Qiyamah: 1-2)

It does evil actions but then regrets them and reproches itself for being weak.These feelings of remorse cause it to turn back to Allah, to repent sincerely, and to receive spiritual solace. It is better for each Nafs to blame itself whenever it commits a wrong. If not, it will find itself being blamed from all those around it.

The Nafs al Lawwama is an inner court of justice within each person; when he acts wrongfully. his conscience or soul reprimands him, and it is then up to him to pay heed to it or to ignore it.

Most of us fall under this category.

As long as you repent you can get to Jannah.

“Subhaanaka Allaahumma wa bi hamdika, ashhadu an laa ilaaha illa anta, astaghfiruka wa atoobu ilayk (Glory and praise be to You, O Allaah, I bear witness that there is no god but You, I seek Your forgiveness and I repent to You).”

To continue Insha Allah

In the last lecture I posted the Sister talked about Returning to Alllah and made the talk from this khutbah so I decided to put all as it is very beneficial mashaAllah.


Musa alayhis salaam led the elders and men, the women and children of Bani Israeel to the mouth of the raging sea. With nothing to defend themselves, they turned back to see Fir’own, furious, and his henchmen – blades sheathed – racing towards them. They cried to Musa, as recorded in the Qur’an:

And when the two hosts saw each other, the companions of Musa said, “Indeed, they shall catch us” (Ash-Shu’ara 26/61).

But Musa knew that Allah would not allow the da’wah to be wiped away and annihilated. Allah recorded Musa’s alayhis salaam reply, which radiated with the eman of a Prophet and Messenger:

He [Musa] said, “Nay! Indeed my Lord is with me, and He will guide me” (Ash-Shu’ara 26/62).

Immediately, Allah ta’aala commanded Musa:

Then We inspired Musa, “Strike with your staff the sea.” And it parted, and each portion became like a great towering mountain / And We advanced thereto the others [Fir’own’s party] / And We saved Musa and those with him, all together /Then We drowned the others (Ash-Shu’ara 26/63-66).

When Fir’own slipped out of the sea and ached with the pangs of death, he said:

...when drowning overtook him, he said, “I believe that there is no deity except that in whom Banu Israeel believe and I am of those that submit” (Yunus 10/90).

Ibn Abbas explains that on the day Fir’own slipped out of the sea, and knowing that death loomed, Jibraeel came to him and began kicking dirt into his face and mouth, for fear that Fir’own would plead for the Mercy of Allah, and he would be granted it.

But as Allah revealed to Fir’own and those who would wait till the gargling of the soul to do tauba:

Now (you believe) while you refused to believe before and you were one of the corrupters (Yunus 10/ 91).

Istighfaar means to seek forgiveness from Allah ta'aala with one’s tongue and heart. Allah subhaanahu wa ta’aala informs us:

And whoever does evil or wrongs himself but afterwards seeks Allah’s forgiveness, he will find Allah Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful (An-Nisaa’ 4/110).

And from the authority of Abu Hurayrah, Allah's Messenger sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said:

"(I testify) by He who holds my soul in His Hands, were you not to err, Allah ta'aala would have taken you (all) away [and] He would have brought a people that would err, and then ask Allah for forgiveness, so He would forgive them" (Muslim).

Today, in sha Allah, we shall take a tiny glimpse of the aayaat that speak about istighfaar, the seriousness of sin in the eyes of the early generations, the conditions of an accepted repentance, and what are some of the etiquettes when making du’a:

1. Istighfaar is a Characteristic of Those to Whom Allah shall Grant SuccessAllah says:

(The evil dwellers of Hell shall say),“Our Lord, remove us from it (Hellfire), and if we were to return (to evil), we would indeed be wrongdoers / He [Allah] will say, "Remain despised therein and do not speak to Me / “Indeed there was a party of My servants who used to say, ‘Our Lord, we have believed, so forgive us and have mercy upon us, and You are the best of all who show mercy.’ / “But you took them in mockery” (Al-Mu’minoon 23/107-110)…

Then Allah says:

Indeed, I have rewarded them this Day for their patience; they are indeed the ones who are successful (Al-Mu'minoon 23/111).

2. Istighfaar Opens the Doors of All Goodness, in this Life and the Next

During the Khilaafah of Ameer Al-Mu’mineen ‘Umar Ibn Al-Khattab radi Allahu anhu, a drought befell the Muslims of Madinah. Calling for the congregational rain prayer (Salaat Al-Istisqaa’), Umar ascended the mimbar and during his khutbah, he recited no more than those verses that dealt with istighfaar. He recited that day the words of Allah, speaking of what Nuh alayhis salaam said to his nation:

I [Nuh] said (to them), “Ask forgiveness (Istighfaar) from your Lord; Verily, He is Oft-Forgiving / He will send upon you (rain from) the sky in showers / And give you increase in wealth and children, and provide for you gardens, and provide for you rivers” (Nuh 71/10-12).

3. Istighfaar is an Indication of Those Most Beloved to Allah

Abu Hurayrah radi Allahu anhu narrates that he heard Allah's Messenger sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam say:

"By Allah, I ask Allah for forgiveness and return to Him in a single day more than seventy times."

And in the story of Ayyub, Allah describes him:

(We said), “And take in your hand a bunch (of grass) and strike with it and do not break your oath.” Indeed We found him patient, an excellent servant. Indeed, he was one who repeatedly turned back (to Allah)” (As-Saad 38/44).


4. The Seriousness of Sin

I remember in Madinah University when we were studying Islamic criminal law and the Hadith of Maa'iz was the topic of discussion for the day. It was such a dramatic moment, leaving many students reflecting on istighfaar and how sincere Maa’iz must have been.

What happened was that Maa'iz had committed zina (fornication) and had come to the Prophet saying, "O Messenger of Allah, I have committed Zina!" Rasul Allah sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam avoided him so that perhaps Maa'iz would desist and save himself from the punishment, but Maa'iz kept stepping in the face of Allah's Messenger and repeated, "I committed zina! I committed zina!"

When Maa'iz had said it again and again, Allah's Messenger sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam asked him a series of questions. "Are you mad?"

“No.”

“Are you intoxicated (and he requested someone to smell his breath)?”

“No.”

“Did you enter her?”

“Yes.”

Allah's Messenger then asked him slowly, "What do you want from all this?"

And Maa'iz said, "I want you to purify me!"

It is people like Maa'iz whose repentance to Allah was so blessed that the mercy from it could have extended to all the inhabitants of Madinah.

Hilaal Ibn Sa'd said, "Don't look at the meagerness of your sin, look at who it was that you disobeyed."


5. Conditions of a Sincere Repentance

Anas radi Allahu anhu narrates, Allah’s Messenger sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam said:

“All the children of Adam make mistakes, and the best of those that make mistakes are those who repent the most” (Tirmidhi).

Imam Nawawi rahimahullah wrote that repentance (tauba) is required for each sin. If that disobedience only concerns the slave and Allah – not concerning anyone else – then there are three conditions for the repentance’s acceptance:

1. That he desists from the sin

2. That he feels sincere regret for what happened

3. That he feels determination to never return to that sin.

If one of these three were missing, his tauba would be deficient.

A fourth condition is added if the sin involves the right of another human being:

4. That he frees himself from the right of that human.

Thus if he stole something, he should return it. If he physically hurt someone, he should give that person the opportunity to hurt him back or ask forgiveness. If he slandered someone, he should ask that person for his pardon…all this so long as a greater evil does not result in him informing the other party.

On a final note – after heavy rainfall, Hisham Ibn Hasan was walking behind Al-Alaa’ Ibn Ziyaad through the sloppy muddy streets of their village. He noticed Ibn Ziyaad avoiding all the treacherous puddles, until someone bumped him and his sandal slipped into the puddle. Forced by the momentum, Ibn Ziyaad had to carry through to the other end of the unforgiving mire.

After they had reached their destination, Ibn Ziyad turned to Hisham and said, “Just like we avoided all those puddles on our way to this destination, so should as Muslim avoid the disobedience of Allah throughout his journey to the Hereafter. And just as you saw the momentum of falling into the puddle, such is the similitude of sin; when someone falls into it, it carries him deeper and deeper.”

http://www.khutbah.com/en/return_allah/return.php

To continue Insha Allah

Al-hamdu Lillaahi nasta’eenahu wa nastaghfiruhu, wa na’oodhu billaahi min shuroori anfusinaa wa sayi’aati a’maalinaa. Man yahdih Illaahu falaa mudilla lahu wa man yudlil falaa haadiya lahu. Wa ashhadu an laa ilaaha ill-Allaah wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu wa rasooluhu (Praise be to Allaah, we seek His help and His forgiveness. We seek refuge with Allaah from the evil of our own souls and from our bad deeds. Whomsoever Allaah guides will never be led astray, and whomsoever Allaah leaves astray, no one can guide. I bear witness that there is no god but Allaah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger).

Patience is an essential quality for a Muslim. It is a must.

The Prophet :sawa: passed by a woman who was weeping beside a grave. He told her to fear Allah and be patient. She said to him, "Go away, for you have not been afflicted with a calamity like mine." And she did not recognize him. Then she was informed that he was the Prophet . so she went to the house of the Prophet and there she did not find any guard. Then she said to him, "I did not recognize you." He said, "Verily, the patience is at the first stroke of a calamity."

Ali ibn Abi Talib RA said: The relation of patience to iman is like the relation of the head to the body. If the head is chopped off, the body becomes useless. Certainly, the one who has no patience has no iman, and patience is like a riding-horse that never gets tired.

Umar ibn al-Khattab RA said: The best days we ever lived were by virtue of patience, and if patience were to take the shape of a man, he would be a noble and generous man.

Umar ibn Abdul-Aziz said: Allah never bestows a blessing on His slave then takes it away and compensates him by giving him patience, but that with which he has been compensated is better than that which has been takes away from him.

Believers, be patient, and race in patient, be steadfast, fear Allah, in order that you will be victorious. (3:200)


Patience gives the ability to cope with anything.

We shall test you with something of fear and hunger, and decrease of goods, life and fruits. Give glad tidings to the patient. (2:155)

By the time of the afternoon.
Surely, the human is in a (state) of loss,
except those who believe and do good works and charge one another with the truth and charge one another with patience.
(Surah Asr-103)


There are 3 types of patience:

1) Sabr (patience) in obeying Allah

- Patience in worshipping Allah and carrying out His instructions means that you perform the prescribed acts of worship regularly, and do so sincerely and with knowledge and according to the Sunnah.
- Path to the Jannah is very hard, to the Jahannak is very easy
- Our life is a continuous struggle.
- Who stops practicing- lost patience


2)Patience in staying away from sins

- This type of patience can be achieved through the fear of the punishment which follows the wrong action, or through a feeling of haya` (shyness or shame) before Allah for using His blessings in committing wrong actions. The person who refrains from wrong action because of haya` is better than the one who abstains because of fear.

e.g the patience of Prophet Yusuf AS in disobeying the wife of al- `Aziz. Yusuf remembered Allah.

- Remembering Allah gives the ability to stay away from sins.
- Allah will bless us and have mercy on us if we are patient.
- Patinece mentioned about 90 times in the Qur`an. This quality should make a big difference between Muslims and non-Muslims.

(When somebody dies you should cry- it is rahma)

- The Prophet SAWS picked up a child who was breathing difficult. He :saw: cried.

Crying = you have mercy.

- Allah test us who is the best in deeds. (Surah Mulk)
- If we are grateful in good, Allah will give us more.
- Patience is lost in our time, haya`- shyness is looked down nowdays. (The Prophet SAWS was more shy than a virgin.)
- If your child is not patient you have to teach him patience by giving him tasks that takes long, so they will learn patience.
- The temptation of gossip is big, but we have to have patience and control our tongue. The tongue is behind a cage (the lips and the teeth- there is a hikmah behind this). When u say something wrong you cannot say sorry enough.

It was narrated that Suhayb said: the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:

“How wonderful is the affair of the believer, for all his affairs are good, and this applies to no one except the believer. If something good happens to him, he gives thanks, and that is good for him, and it something bad happens to him, he bears it with patience, and that is good for him.”(Muslim)


3)Patience upon the decree of Allah

1.Thinking of the good reward that lies ahead.
2.Expecting and hoping for a time of ease.
3.Thinking of Allah`s countless blessings

- Death of a relative:Inna lillahi wa inna ilajhi rajioon
Allah has taken that belongs to Him at the first place. Every single soul has an appointed time.

The Prophet said: “No fatigue, no disease, no sorrow, no sadness, no hurt, no distress befalls a Muslim, not even the prick of a thorn, but Allaah expiates some of his sins for that.”

- Who has taqwa knows on day he has to meet Allah, so he is patient.
- Tests are not punishment, if u pass them Allah will raise your degree.

O you who believe!seek help with patient perseverance (sabr) and prayer...(2:153)

- Allah test those whom he loves. Make dua to Allah to help u in patience. (O Allah, there is no ease other than what You make easy. If You please You ease sorrow. - Fortress of the Muslims no.139.)

- Sometimes you will be able to see the fruits of patience in this dunya. (e.g. searching for knowledge than share it with others)

(Recommended book: Patience and Gratitude by Ibn Qayyim)

“Subhaanaka Allaahumma wa bi hamdika, ashhadu an laa ilaaha illa anta, astaghfiruka wa atoobu ilayk (Glory and praise be to You, O Allaah, I bear witness that there is no god but You, I seek Your forgiveness and I repent to You).”

To continue Insha Allah

It was not part of the lecture in the circle but thought would be beneficial so I wrote this from the book I recommended and the lecture was from:



Ways of strengthening patience

Patience consists of two elements: knowledge and action, and from these two elements are derived the remedies for all spiritual and physical troubles. Knowledge and action, combined are always essential.

Knowledge:

The element of knowledge is necessary in order to realize the benefits of following the commands of Allah and the sense of happiness and fulfillment that one may attain by following them; and to understand what it is in the forbidden things that causes harm, imperfection and evil.

Action:

As we have seen patience is a constant battle between the motives of reason and religion on the one hand, and the motive of whims and desires on the other. If a person wants reason and religion overcome whims and desires, then he has to strengthen the former and weaken the latter, just like promoting good health and reducing the risk of illness.


Strengthening the motive of reason and religion

1.We should remember the glory and greatness of Allah, and feel that He is too great to be sinned against as He is All-seeing and All-hearing.

2.If we claim we love Allah, then we should not disobey Him because of that love. Those who refrain from committing wrong action out of their love for Allah are of the highest status in His sight.

3.We should think of the blessings and favors of Allah, as a decent and noble person would never act against the one who has been treating him kindly.

4.We should think of the wrath and punishment of Allah, as He will be angry with the person who persists in committing wrong action.

5.We should think of what the person who commits wrong action has to lose, in this world and the next. It should be sufficient to think of the loss of iman, of which the smallest amount is worth much more than everything in this world. How can anyone be willing to lose his iman in return for some brief moment of pleasure the consequences of which might last forever?

6.We should relish the idea of defeating the Shaytan and being victorious over him, because overcoming him, and our whims and desires, is a thing of joy and carries great reward.

7.We should bear in mind the reward and compensation which Allah has promised to those who control their whims and desires, and abstain from from what which is haram.

8.We should think of the special companionship of Allah, as He has told us:` Allah is with those who patiently persevere`(2:153)`For Allah is with those who restrain themselves and those who do good`(16:128)`For verily Allah is with those who do right.`(29:69)

9.We should be ever mindful of death, which could come upon us at any time, suddenly and without warning.

10.We should stop thinking of falsehood and bad ideas.

11.We should gradually strengthen our religious motive in fighting whims and desires.

12.We should direct our thoughts towards contemplation of the signs of Allah which He has encouraged us to think about, whether they are in the Qur`an or in the universe around us.

13.We should remember how short is our stay in this earth. Even the person who has many good deeds to his credit will feel that sense of regret when he realizes that he could have done even more.

14.We should know that Allah has created us to live an eternal life with no death, a life of pride and ease with no humiliation, a life of security with no fear, a life of richness with no poverty, a life of joy with no pain, a life of perfection with no flaws.

The best way to protect ourselves from wrong is to keep away from anything that could lead to it. One of the tricks of the Shaytan, which deceives everyone except those who are clever enough to see it, is to show a person some goodness in a wrong thing, and call him to go towards what is good;when the person gets close to it, he falls into the trap.