*Reminders Thread*

[Ahmed Ibn Hassan]

Wasalaam-Alaykuum Waramutallah!
The basic purpose of this thread is so people that enjoy posting up their favorite reminder (it can be articles, quick messages, just about anything you think is beneficial) Insha’allah lets all remind each other and gain mountains of Ajr!!

10 Things We Waste
By Imaam ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah

1.Our Knowledge - Wasted by not taking action with it

2.Our Actions - Wasted by committing them with out sincerity

3. Our Wealth - Wasted by using on things that will not bring us reward. We waste our money, our status, our authority, on things which have no benefit in this life or in the hereafter

4. Our Hearts - Wasted because they are empty from the love of Allaah, and the feeling of longing to go to Him, and a feeling of peace and contentment. In its place, our hearts are filled with something or someone else

5. Our Bodies - Wasted because we don't use them in ibaadah and service of Allaah

6. Our Love - Our emotional love is misdirected, not towards Allaah, but towards something/someone else

7. Our Time - Wasted, not used properly, to compensate for that which has passed, by doing what is righteous to make up for past deeds

8. Our Intellect - Wasted on things that are not beneficial, that are detrimental to society and the individual, not in contemplation or reflection

9. Our Service - Wasted in service of someone who will not bring us closer to Allaah, or benefit in dunyaa

10. Our Dhikr - Wasted, because it does not affect us or our hearts
.....

[Ahmed Ibn Hassan]

20 Causes of Forgiveness of Future Sins


By: Dr. As-Sayyid bin Husayn al-'Affani

Just a note: Insh'Allah i will post 5 a day so it won't be long to read and will be alot easy to read and benefit from.


"That is the grace of Allah which He bestows on whom He pleases. And Allah is the Owner of Great Bounty." (Quran: 57:21)

1. Perfecting one's ablution

"No worshipper perfects his ablution except that his past and future sins are forgiven." (Hasan, al-Bazzaar. Al-Haythami and al-Mundhiri agreed.)

2. Fasting the month of Ramadan with belief and seeking Allah's reward

"Whoever fasts Ramadan out of Iman and seeking Allah's reward then his past and future sins are forgiven." (Hasan, Ahmad. Declared Hasan by adh-Dhahabi, as mentioned in al-Mughni (5876).)

3. Performing the night prayer in Ramadan with belief and seeking Allah's reward

"Whoever stands (in prayer) in Ramadan out of Iman and seeking Allah's reward then his past and future sins are forgiven." (Saheeh. an-Nasaa'i.)

4. Performing the night prayer on the Night of Qadar with belief and seeking Allah's reward

"It (Laylatul-Qadr) is in Ramadan, and expect it in the last ten days; it is on an odd night: on the 21st, or the 23rd, or the 25th, or the 27th, or the 29th, or on the last night (of Ramadan). He who performs the night prayer on it out of belief and seeking Allah's reward his past and future sins are forgiven." (Narrated by Ahmad. There is a difference of opinion among scholars regarding this Hadeeth, some declaring it weak and some Hasan. Al-Hafidh Ibn Hajr said in Al-Fath (4/116), "This addition – meaning, 'and future (sins)' – is also in 'Ubadah bin as-Samit's Hadeeth, in (the Musnad of) Ahmad, in two narrations. Its chain is Hasan and it is supported by the previous chain.")

5. Praising and thanking Allah after eating and putting one's clothes on.

"Whoever ate a food and then said, 'Praise be to Allah who has fed me this food and provided it for me, without any strength or power on my part', is forgiven his past [and future*] sins. And whoever wears a garment and says, 'Praise be to Allah who has clothed me with this (garment) and provided it for me, without any strength or power on my part', is forgiven his past and future sins." (Ibn Majah, Abu Dawud, at-Tirmidhi, an-Nasa'i, al-Bukhari in al-Kabeer, al-Hakim, Ibn Sunni and Ahmad. The addition marked by (*) is related by Abu Dawud. Shaikh Al-Albani declared the Hadeeth Hasan in Saheeh al-Jaami' (6086) and in al-Irwaa' (1989). He said in al-Irwaa', "Such a Hadeeth causes hesitation between making it Hasan (good) and Da'eef (weak). Maybe the first one is closer to be the truth, because those who made it weak didn’t explain it and didn’t explain the reason for its weakness. Allah knows best.")

To be continued Insh'Allah...

[Sibgatullah]

Asalamualaikum WR WB-One of my friends/sisters emailed this to me and I thought it was very beneficial

The goal of this activity is to cleanse one's heart of sins and other such vain activities that cause one's heart to deteriorate and harden. There is always one certain sin or another that you and I find very difficult to let go. Simply just pull out a sheet of paper and a pen and do a quick diagnosis of the sin that is constantly committed. On the sheet of paper, write the sin (or write it in a way that you only know) and beneath it take notes on the following pointers:

• 1. Why the sin is committed?
  • What are your thoughts and feelings while the sin is done? Are you remembering Allah or no reminder comes to mind?
• 2. When is the sin committed?
  • Mainly in the morning, afternoon, when you're bored, when you are tempted, etc...?
• 3. What state are you in when the sin is committed?
  • Does some other deed lead to this sin? Are you primed to inevitably fall into the sin?
• 4. Who are you with when the sin is committed?
  • Bad company? Alone?
• 5. What can be done to avoid the sin in the future?
  • Here you will counteract all the causes that lead to the sin
    • Du'a / supplication
    • Paste reminding ayaat or ahadith around the area where the sin is often committed
    • Leave bad company or avoid being alone and stay in a good company of people who fear Allah
    • Talk yourself out of it and beat the Shaytan and you nafs

This self-analysis seems quite simple and perhaps "pointless" but it is very different to simply "know" when or why something is done and to actually "write" your thoughts down into words.

[Ahmed Ibn Hassan]

Originally Posted by Sibgatullah

Asalamualaikum WR WB-One of my friends/sisters emailed this to me and I thought it was very beneficial

The goal of this activity is to cleanse one's heart of sins and other such vain activities that cause one's heart to deteriorate and harden. There is always one certain sin or another that you and I find very difficult to let go. Simply just pull out a sheet of paper and a pen and do a quick diagnosis of the sin that is constantly committed. On the sheet of paper, write the sin (or write it in a way that you only know) and beneath it take notes on the following pointers:

• 1. Why the sin is committed?
  • What are your thoughts and feelings while the sin is done? Are you remembering Allah or no reminder comes to mind?
• 2. When is the sin committed?
  • Mainly in the morning, afternoon, when you're bored, when you are tempted, etc...?
• 3. What state are you in when the sin is committed?
  • Does some other deed lead to this sin? Are you primed to inevitably fall into the sin?
• 4. Who are you with when the sin is committed?
  • Bad company? Alone?
• 5. What can be done to avoid the sin in the future?
  • Here you will counteract all the causes that lead to the sin
    • Du'a / supplication
    • Paste reminding ayaat or ahadith around the area where the sin is often committed
    • Leave bad company or avoid being alone and stay in a good company of people who fear Allah
    • Talk yourself out of it and beat the Shaytan and you nafs

This self-analysis seems quite simple and perhaps "pointless" but it is very different to simply "know" when or why something is done and to actually "write" your thoughts down into words.

JAK for sharing this!! It really puts things perspective.

[Sweet Muslimah]

Originally Posted by Haniya

Three things that harden the heart.

1. To laugh without reason
2. To eat without hunger
3. To talk without reason

That's something to think about...Thanks for sharing!

Touch Your Heart with Qur'an.



The heart becomes sick, as the body becomes sick, and its remedy is al-Tawbah.
It becomes rusty as a mirror becomes rusty,and its clearity is obtained by az-Zikr.
It becomes naked as the body becomes naked,and its beautification is al-Taqwa.
It becomes hungry and thirsty as the body becomes hungry and thirsty,and its food and drink are knowledge, love, dependance, repentance and servitude.
-Ibn al- Qayyim.

I really love this one so I thought I'll share it! We should all try reading the Qur'an (even thought it's just a few ayahs) everyday, it makes a big difference.
A difference that you can actually feel. At some point or another your heart is gonna miss the words of Allah (s,w,t) and you'll sense a feeling of emptiness; that's a sign that you should now open the Qur'an and read. And reading the Qur'an will ease the pain without a doubt.

"Read! In the name of your Lord, who created;
Created man, out of a clot of congealed blood.Read! And your Lord is most bountiful.He who taught you to write.Taught man that which he knew not."
(Surah 96, Al'Alaq)

[Ahmed Ibn Hassan]

]Ten Things You Will Never Benefit From


Shaykhul Islaam Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah


The First: Knowledge which is void of action.

The Second: Actions which are void of sincerity to Allah, and void of exemplification of the Sunnah. (Note: These two conditions constitute the act being accepted by Allah i.e. Ikhlaas and Ittiba`a)

The Third: Wealth which is not spent in the way of Allah, so the one who exhausted all of his energy amassing it will not benefit from it in this life, nor will he see the fruits of it in the hereafter.

The Fourth: A heart which is void of the love of Allah and the ardent desire to meet him.

The Fifth: A body which is void of obedience to Allah.

The Sixth: A love for other than Allah which is void of any boundaries. (i.e. unconditional)

The Seventh: Time which is void of benefit and the individual does not take advantage of it to do actions which would bring him closer to Allah.

The Eighth: A thought which goes through the individuals mind and will bring him no benefit.

The Ninth: Doing a favor for someone who, that favor will not bring him closer to Allah nor will it benefit him in the affairs of his livelihood.

The Tenth: Fear and hope of someone whose forelock is in the hands of Allah, like a captive in the company of his master, who can bring no benefit or harm to himself or others, nor can he give life to the dead nor does he have any power over resurrection.

The worse and most detrimental of these ten is two:

1) The Heart
2) The Time

Firstly the heart, because it`s corruption stems from giving precedence to this transient life over the hereafter, and time because it makes the individual feel like he will live forever (which enables him to be even more negligent about his obligation to Allah)

The most amazing thing is when someone is presented with a situation and he turns all of his attention towards Allah to fulfill his needs, and never takes the time to ask Allah for the remedy he is need of to bring his heart back to life from the death of ignorance and negligence, and the cure he is in dire need of for his disease of Shahawaat (following his lowly desires) and Shubuhaat (doubts and misconceptions). Indeed if the heart dies, he will never be conscious of the sins which he commits and his disobedience to Allah

[Ahmed Ibn Hassan]

Bismillah

The Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said,

من يُرد الله به خيراً يُفَقَّه في الدين، وإنما أنا قاسمٌ والله يُعطي،
ولن تزال هذه الأمة قائمة على أمر الله لايضرهم من خالفهم حتى يأتي أمر الله"Whoever Allaah desires good for, He will endow him with comprehension of the religion. And verily, I am but an oath taker and Allaah is the Provider. And this Ummah will never cease to be upon the command of Allaah. It will not be harmed by those who oppose them until the mater of Allaah arrives." [Narrated by Al-Bukhaaree from Mu'awiyyah, may Allaah be merciful to him.]

And Muslim narrated it (i.e. the Hadeeth) in Maarfu'an (literally means "raised up"; however, in Hadeeth terminology and classification it refers to a narration, which is completely connected from the narrator, that is "raised up" all the way to the source; in this case, to the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) from Mu'awiyyah with the phrasing,

من يُرد الله به خيراً يفقهه فى الدين، ولاتزال عصابة من المسلمين يقاتلون على الحق ظاهرين على من ناوأهم إلى يوم القيامة
"Whoever Allaah desires good for, He will endow him with comprehension of the religion. And there will never cease to be a group from the Muslims, fighting upon the truth, opposing those who go against them until the Day of Resurrection."

From the benefits of this Hadeeth:

A) This Hadeeth points out the virtue of knowledge and the virtue of its people and that the comprehension from the slave regarding his religion is from the signs that Allaah, the Most High, desires goodness for him. This is because, through his understanding his religion, his deeds will become righteous, as it has passed, concerning the obligation of compliance to the Sharee'ah for the validity of his actions. And by him understanding his religion, he will guide others to the truth and the goodness (as well). So he will gain the rewards of the deeds of whomever he guided. And this all clarifies the great virtue of knowledge and the great rewards of the people who act according to it.

Also, this Hadeeth indicates, with its understanding, that whoever is not endowed with comprehension of his religion has been forbidden the goodness. Ibn Hajr said,

وقد أخرج أبو يعلى حديث معاوية من وجه آخر ضعيف وزاد فى آخره
« ومن لم يتفقه فى الدين لم يُبَال الله به »
والمعنى صحيح، لأن من لم يعرف أمور دينه لايكون فقيها ولا طالب فقه، فيصح أن يوصف بأنه ما أريد به الخير،
وفى ذلك بيان ظاهر لفضل العلماء علي سائر الناس، ولفضل التفقه فى الدين علي سائر العلوم"And Abu Ya'ala has narrated this Hadeeth of Mu'awiyyah from an alternate route, which is weak and it contains an additional phrase in its end: '…And whoever is not granted the comprehension in his religion, then Allaah has not paid him any attention.' And the meaning (of this addition) is correct because whoever does not know the matters of his religion, he will neither be a jurist nor a student of jurisprudence. So it would be correct for this to be described as though good was not desired for him. And in that, there is an apparent clarification for the virtue of the 'Ulamaa above the rest of the people and for the virtues of leaning the religion above the rest of the sciences." ["Fat'h Al-Baree", Vol.1/165]

Allah Ta’ala says: {And on the earth are signs for those who have Faith with certainty. And also in your own selves, Will you not then see?}

B) Also, (it points out) that the knowledge will not be (attained) merely through an attempt to attain it - in other words, by seeking and leaning - rather, for whoever Allaah opens (the path) for. And the evidence for this, is his 's statement, من يـــرد الله به خيراً يُفقهه "Whoever Allaah desires good for, He will endow him with comprehension…" And he did not say, "…let him comprehend…" So he attributed this gaining of understanding, to Allaah and not the (mere) attempt of the slave, even if the attempt of slave through learning is a cause for it.

And his 's statement, in the narration of Bukhaaree: وإنما أنا قاسم "And verily, I am but an oath taker…" - in other words, for the knowledge and a conveyer of it, والله يعطى "…and Allaah is the Provider," in other words, Provider of the comprehension to whoever He wills. So not everyone who has been reached by a portion of the Prophet's knowledge is a jurist.

And His, the Most High's, statement supports this:

يُؤْتِ الحكمـــــة من يشــــاء ومن يُؤْتَ الحكمـــة فقد أوتى خيــراً كثيرا"He grants Hikmah (i.e. Wisdom) to whom He pleases, and he, to whom Hikmah is granted, is indeed granted abundant good. But none remember (will receive admonition) except men of understanding." (Al-Baqarah, 269)

So it has been confirmed that the Hikmah (i.e. wisdom) is something that is granted from Allaah, the Most High, and Ibn 'Abdul-Barr narrated from Maalik, may Allaah be merciful to him, that he said,

الحكمة هى الفقه في دين الله
"The Hikmah is the comprehension in the religion of Allaah." ["Al-Jaami' Bayaan Al-'Ilm", Vol. 1/17]

Also, Ibn 'Abdul-Barr narrated from Imaam Maalik, may Allaah be merciful to him, that he said,

الحكمـــة والعــــلم نـور يهدي به الله من يشاء وليس بكثرة المسائل"The Hikmah and the knowledge is a light, with which Allaah guides whomever He wills and it does not merely come through a plethora of matters (i.e. efforts to study etc.) And also from him, that he said,

إن العلم ليس بكثرة الرواية ولكنه نور جعله الله فى القلوب"Verily, knowledge does not come (merely) through a plethora of narrations, rather it is a light, which Allaah places in the hearts." ["Al-Jaami' Bayaan Al-'Ilm", Vol. 2/25]

Alhumdudlilha!

[Ahmed Ibn Hassan]

When we pack our bags to go visit our friends, we remember to pack our clothes, shoes, and other little things.

Since we could know right from wrong, we have started packing our bags and will finish when our souls leave us.

Have you packed your prayer in your bag of provisions everyday? Have you packed your fasting? Have you packed your reading and memorizing the Qur'an?

Our bags are called life. We have to pack everyday because we don't know when Allah will call us back, so we have to be ready for the journey.

And on the way up to Allah, you don't get any U-turns so that you could go back and get the things you forgot to pack. So start packing if you already haven't, and don't forget, there's no such thing as too many bags when we're packing for our trip to Allah.

Brother Ahmad

You don't get any U-turns on the way up to Allah

[Ahmed Ibn Hassan]

Three Questions

i came across this amazing article, Subhallah its very nice to read and benefit from Inshallah...


There was a young man who went overseas to study for quite a long time.
When he returned, he asked his parents to find him a religious scholar or any expert who could answer his 3 questions.
Finally, his parents were able to find a Muslim scholar.

Young man: Who are you? Can you answer my questions?
Scholar: I am one of Allah (SubHana Wa Ta`ala )'s slaves and insha-Allah
(God willing), I will be able to answer your questions.
Young man : Are you sure? A lot of Professors and experts were not able to answer my questions.
Scholar: I will try my best, with the help of Allah SubHana Wa Ta`ala.
Young Man: I have 3 questions:
1. Does God exist? If so, show me His shape.
2. What is takdir (fate)?
3. If shaitan (Devil) was created from the fire, why at the end he will be thrown to hell that also created from fire. It certainly will not hurt him at all, since Shaitan (Devil) and the hell were created from fire. Did God not think of it this far?
Suddenly, the Scholar slapped the young man's face very hard.

Young Man (feeling pain): Why do you get angry at me?
Scholar: I am not angry. The slap is my answer to your three questions.
Young Man: I really don't understand.
Scholar: How do you feel after I slapped you?
Young Man: Of course, I felt the pain.
Scholar: So do you believe that pain exists?
Young Man: Yes
Scholar: Show me the shape of the pain!
Young Man: I cannot.
Scholar: That is my first answer. All of us feel God's existence without being able to see His shape.
Scholar: Last night, did you dream that you will be slapped by me?
Young Man: No.
Scholar: Did you ever think that you will get a slap from me, today?
Young Man: No.
Scholar: That is takdir (fate).
Scholar: My hand that I used to slap you, what is it created from?
Young Man: It is created from skin.
Scholar: How about your face, what is it created from?
Young Man: Skin.
Scholar: How do you feel after I slapped you?
Young Man: In pain.
Scholar: Even though Shaitan (Devil) and also the hell were created from the fire, if Allah wants, insha-Allah (God willing), the hell will become a very painful place for Shaitan (Devil).

May Allah reward you for reading Inshallah!

[Ahmed Ibn Hassan]

"...And days gone by will never return..."
Posted by a brother on another forum.

Collected in the abridged version of al-Khatib al-Baghdadi's 'Iqtida' al-'Ilm al-'Amal' (p. 43-47), in the chapter titled 'Rushing to Deeds Before One's Youth and Health Disappear':

- Ghunaym bin Qays said:

"We would be admonished in the early days of Islam:

'O son of Adam! Act during your free time before you become busy, and during your youth before your old age, and during your health before your sickness, and during your stay in this world before the Hereafter, and during your life before your death.'"


2 - Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Masruq at-Tusi said:

"I recited to Mahmud bin al-Hasan:


Utilize your youth before it becomes spoiled * And the health of your body before it becomes sick;

And the days of your life before you die * For the one who lives will not live long;

And utilize your free time * Let your nights be spent in some work;

And put something forth, as every man is travelling towards * That which he has put forth...



3 - 'Abdullah bin al-Mubarak said:


Take advantage of two rak'at to bring you closer to Allah * If you happen to be relaxing;

And if you intend to speak a vain word * Replace it with a tasbih...



4 - Abu Muhammad Mansur bin Muhammad bin 'Abdullah al-Azdi chanted to himself:


Do not belittle an hour that can help you * In which you extend your hand in obedience;

As the living will die, and hopes are a deception * And the affair passes by hour by hour...



5 - Abu 'Abdillah Ahmad bin Ayyub chanted to himself:


In your free time, take advantage of the virtue of bowing in prayer * It might be that your death comes suddenly;

How many healthy ones have you seen without disease * Whose healthy selves disappeared and escaped them...



6 - Abu al-Walid Sulayman bin Khalaf bin Sa'd al-Andalusi chanted to himself:


If I knew for certain * That my entire life would last an hour;

Why would I be cheap with it * And not dedicate it to righteousness and obedience?



7 - Some of the scholars said:

"A group of people invited a man for some food on an extremely hot day. So, he said: "I am fasting."

They said: "On a day like this?!"

He said: "Do you want me to waste my days?""


8 - Abu Bakr bin Abi ad-Dunya said:

"A group of people invited a man for some food. So, he said: "I am fasting."

They said: "Break your fast today, and fast tomorrow."

He said: "And who will be there for me tomorrow?""


9 - 'Abdullah bin al-Mu'taz said:

"Seize the opportunity today, and do not wait for tomorrow, as there is nobody to guarantee tomorrow for you."


10 - One of Dawud at-Ta'i's brothers said to him:

"O Abu Sulayman! You know the kinship between us. So, advise me!"

So, his eyes began to water, and he said: "My brother! Indeed, the night and day are stages that the people pass through - one stage at a time - until they reach the end of their journey. So, if you are able to put forth for every day some provision for each stage, do so. And if your journey is cut short, prepare for your journey what you can, and fulfill what you are able of this affair, because it is as if its end will catch you by surprise. I do not know anyone who is more wasteful in this affair than I am."

He then got up and left."


11 - 'Umar bin Muhammad bin Ahmad recited:


You are in a state of heedlessness and false hope * You do now know when your end will come;

Do not be deceived by good health * For it is from the most painful of flaws;

Every soul has for its day * An awakening to cut off its incessant hope;

So, do that which is good and exert yourself * Before you are unable to do anything...



12 - 'Abdullah bin Muhammad al-Ash'ari al-Madini recited:


If yesterday you fell into a mistake * Then find some good to perform while you are thankful;

And do not delay a good deed from today to tomorrow * Tomorrow might arrive while you are deprived;

Because if you take care of today, it will benefit you * And days gone by will never return...