Repentance...

As mentioned in the previous post, Insha-allah I will be posting on every Monday. With advice from a friend, I have decided to post some Fiqhi Masail as well as a short topic. Insha-allah I will also post some Dua's and supplications from time to time... Before I actually begin posting these topics, I think it is vital that we make an intention to act upon all that we read, to bring into practice what is read... so that these words are not left black and white, but flourish into beautiful colours thriugh our actions.

The first steps to success is a clean slate & and a clean intention... We all need to seek and practice this knowledge for the sake of Allah, and so that we can make a connection between us and Him. To achieve a good connection with Allah, we also need to have a clean slate, meaning, we have to ask forgiveness for our previous wrong-doings and be firm on making a new start. To learn knowledge and sin is similar to filling water in a bucket with a hole. It will eventually empty out. But Insha-allah if one makes an intention to leave sin, then the knwoledge and actions will save one from commiting sins also. May Allah give us the Taufique.

It is vital for a person, in order to change in life, to repent and ask forgiveness from Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala.

The gift of repentance is such that it gives man a second chance, a chance where he can make the difference of being a dweller of the hell-fire or the dweller of the garden of paradise.

The mercy of Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala can in no way be expressed when we talk about his forgiveness and acceptance of those who seek repentance.

Allah states:

Allah is very forgiving towards those who return (to Him)
(17:25)

Scholars say that this verse is referring to those people who sin and then ask for forgiveness, thereafter they sin and ask for forgiveness again. However, it is vital that this repentance is one that is sincere.

O you who believe, repent towards Allah, a sincere repentance
(Hud:3)

Sincere repentance in the words of scholars is 'to uproot oneself from sin at present, to resolve no to repeat it in the future and to feel remorse over its occurrence in the past. Then if someone's right has been violated, one should return his due.'

The benefits of repentance are countless, the one who repents is automatically drawn towards Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala. His repenting creates a fear of Allah in his heart and opens his eyes towards the hereafter. The black marks of sins that had been placed on his heart are also removed and it leaves one's heart ready for the Noor (divine light).

Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala is also pleased with that person who repents. It is narrated in a Hadeeth, the gist of which is, that Allah is more pleased towards his repenting servant than a traveller who loses his camel in the desert and has no hope of finding it. He thus sits down and accepts his death. However, when he awakes he finds his camel and all his provisions standing in front of Him, and due to the extreme pleasure he utters 'Oh Allah I am your lord and you are my servant.' Such is his happiness that he utters incorrect words, being lost in his new given life.

Similarly, a person who seeks forgiveness was one that had a life ended, but through seeking forgiveness he has found a new, meaningful life, a life of hope and success.

So repent all together O you who believe
so that you may acquire success
(Tahreem:8)

Our success lies in following the Sunnah and ways of the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam. Like all prophets, a Prophet who was immune from sins, a Prophet who's every step was in accordance to Allah's desires, a Prophet who was guaranteed a place in paradise.

Nevertheless, this Prophet who had no sins would also seek forgiveness from Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala over a hundred times a day. And this number of a hundred is not a limit, but just a way to express the immensity of his seeking forgiveness.

This action of the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam, of seeking forgiveness, shows us how vital and necessary it is for us to seek forgiveness from Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala every night, for the sins we are aware of and those which we have no clue about.

I pray to Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala that he gives us the ability to seek His forgiveness and that He accepts us and makes this repentance a start to a new life, a life that is lived for His pleasure and in accordance to His Shari'ah. I also ask Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala that he clears our hearts so that we can accept the truth and we can practice on all that which we read. Ameen.

Finally, an advice from Hadhrat Sulaiman Alayhis Salaam to his son:

My son! Do not delay repentance, for death comes all of a sudden.

Wasalaam

Islam - A Way of Life.

Islam, a religion as well as a way of life, teaches each and every one of its followers to follow a set law, Shari'ah.

Mankind's success lies within following some sort of law and set of rules, and similarly, his failure and ruin lies in breaking these laws.

The Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam came into this crime filled world to give it a law and way of life and living; to transform the people of the world from animals to human beings.

Allah proclaims that His sending the messenger to this world was itself a mercy, he states:

I have not sent you except as a mercy to the worlds.

In another place Allah states:

Indeed Allah favoured the believers when He sent within them a Prophet...

Many verses of the Holy Qur'an will clearly highlight that the Messenger Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam came into this world as a mercy and blessing; as a gift from Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala to His servants.

Such a merciful creator, such a merciful load, that He sent down a messenger with such calibre that he could steer an entire nation from the depth of Jahannam (Hell-fire) and put them onto a path of Jannah (paradise). A prophet who not only came for the Arabs nor only for mankind, moreover not even only for this world, but a prophet that was sent towards the entire creation, be it man or Jinn, be it this world or thousands of those created by Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala.

The prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam's entering this world has today became a day of celebration, just as it was the day he arrived. This day could be marked as the day Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala wrote down salvation for us from the Hell-fire; a day where Allah made us the best of nations that ever set foot on this planet; a day through which we became the nation that would bear witness upon all the preceding nations.

Such is this gift that messengers were prepared to give up their prophet-hood in order to be part of such a nation, in order to be classed as the follower of the prophet Muhammad Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam.

Such was the rank of the messenger Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam that nothing could exceed it except for his mercy for his nation. The messenger Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam was loved by Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala more than words can express. Such love and affection for the prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam can be perceived from the fact that Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala is any acts which His servants commit, yet even Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala sends Durood (blessings) upon the prophet Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala and commands the angels and believers to do the same.

Due to this rank and love, the prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam was given an option to live a luxurious life of a king. But despite such rank, despite such elevation, and disregarding every personal confort, the prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam chose a life of simplicity.

Such sacrifices were made by the prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam that tears would dry in attempt to accumulate them. However, these sacrifices were not for gold or silver, nor for fame and rank, but merely an attempt to save his nation from the flames of the hell-fire.

He was prepared to be showered by stones by the people of Taif, suffer at the hands of relatives and disbelievers, sacrifice all of his loved ones, yet was not willing to lket a single follower fall into the clutches of Kufr (disbelief).

Those who saw and appreciated the mercy, kindness and sacrifices of the prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam were willing to give their lives for him. Let alone humans, even the animals would run towards the prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam; some to be slaughtered by his blessed hands, and others to complain of the brutality of their masters.

Taking into consideration these few factors it deems necessary on every believer, if not every man, that he learns the teachings of the prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam and puts these teachings into action.

Worldly practice shows that the return of a good favour is also a good favour, it shows that love and consideration is created between two people who share and gift to one another.

This same practice should extend towards us in the case of the beloved prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam. The gifts and consideration of the prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam are so excessive that many books have been written in attempt to gather them, yet non will be able to do so with it's due right.

In conclusion, it is vital for each and every believer to learn the teachings of the Shari'ah, to practice what has been shown and sent down to us, to love the prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam in every respect.

Insha-Allah, in an effort to understand the teachings of Shari'ah I will be posting some Islamic topics once a week. I pray Allah to give me the strength and ability to finish that which I have started. I also pray that He accepts all that is said and read, and that He gives us the ability to put into practice all that we learn. Ameen.

A life of comfort...

As Salaamu Alaykum,

By the grace of Allah, i have returned safely from what i would call a very long and tiring journey. A journey that not only took me away from my sorrows and worries for a month, but opened my eyes to the sorrows and suffering of others.

Sometimes, we're so deep within our own little world that we fail to see all that is happening around us. We fail to see the tears of a orphan child, the burden of a widowed women and the worries of a helpless father.

and sometimes we're so trapped inside our world of confort and pleasure that we fail to realise that we have been given that which thousands of others have been deprived of.

So, what is it that we have done to deserve this? and what are we doing to show our appreciation for what Allah has bestowed us with?

It is only rational to let each individual judge for themselves... Are we grateful to Allah for the shelter he provides us day after day? Are we grateful for the food that we have on our table three times a day? Have we ever spread our hands in front of Allah and thanked Him for His favours?

It may seem that we have all that we have, and that whatever we have will remain with us for some time. But reality is different. If Allah wanted we could awake with nothing, nothing at all. Our house, family, wealth and even our health could be gone over night.

Allah states; "Woe be to mankind, how ungrateful he is!" and in another place Allah asks "Has a time not passed man when he was a thing not worth mentioning".

This shows the reality of mankind, we were nothing and no one. Then Allah with His infinate mercy gave us life, Imaan (faith) and all that we have.

So may Allah give us the ability to appreciate what we have and constantly thank Allah so that He may increase us in the bounties we have.

So next time we have something to moan about, let us think of those people who are less fortunate than us, and instead of complaing, let us thank Allah and make Dua for those less fortunate.

May Allah give me the Taufique first to practice upon that which I have learnt. Aameen.

GOOD DEEDS

Did you do a good deed today?

Was it to show of to others?
Did you intend to do the good deed only to gain reward? or

Did you do it seeking solely the face of Allah?

A good deed is that which is done seeking solely the face of Allah first and the secondary bonus we get in addition is the reward. We have to be very careful in the intention (Niyyah) we make and the actions we take in carrying out the good deed.

As Al-Fudail Ibn Iya'd, may Allah grant him mercy, once said: "The most sincere, the best guided way. If a deed was sincere but misguided, it is not acceptable. If it were well guided but not sincere, it is not accepted either. Only when it is both sincere and well guided is it accepted by Allah. A sincere deed is that which is intended for Allah's pleasure. The correct deed is that which follows the example of the Sunnah." Correct work must be intended for Allah's pleasure, for He does not accept any deed, which is not intended, purely for His pleasure. As in the Sahih Hadith: "Allah says, 'I am the One among the associates who is in least need for associates. He who does a deed which is intended for anyone other than Me, I am innocent of it. It all goes to he who was associated with Me."' [Reported by Ibn Majah]

We need to do good deeds continously, as we do not know which one of those good deeds will take us to jannah. It only takes one misdeed, yes, only one misdeed to take us to hell-fire... Subhan'Allah just think we can commit all the good deeds we want but it is possible that it may not be accepted and our one mis-deed can take us straight to the hell-fire... Subhan'Allah!

A Person's Deeds and Intentions
Allah has written down the good deeds and the bad ones. Then He explained it [by saying that] he who has intended a good deed and has not done it, Allah writes it down with Himself as a full good deed, but if he has intended it and has done it, Allah writes it down with Himself as from ten good deeds to seven hundred times, or many times over. But if he has intended a bad deed and has not done it, Allah writes it down with Himself as a full good deed, but if he has intended it and has done it, Allah writes it down as one bad deed. [It was related by al-Bukhari and Muslim]

Subhan'Allah, Allah is All forgiving and Most Merciful.

A Good Deed Rewarded
Once a nobleman of khajand died. Later he approached in someone's dream. The noble had once pulled a thorn from am orphan's foot. The dreamer saw the nobleman walking among the flower beds of a heavenly garden. The nobleman told him that the thorn had placed him in the middle of the flowers.

Be as kind and sympathetic to others as possible, because then Allah will be generous to you. Never be proud because you helped someone who was in difficulty. The sword of time that has fallen on them may fall again on you. If you help people and they raise their hands in prayers of gratitude to Allah, you should be thankful that you were His instrument. Kindness and generosity are the correct behaviour of kings and emperors. Indeed, they are the qualities of the prophets of Allah.

[Story taken from: The Rose Garden by Shaykh Sa'di]

Some words of wisdom:

• Like for others the things you like for yourself.
• Do not treat others with injustice as you do not like others to treat you with injustice.
• Do not take your friend's enemy as your friend.
• He who makes good his inner intentions, Allah would make good his outer appearance.

Ali (R.A) advised his son saying: "Profession with adequacy is better than richness with injustice. You should keep your secret within yourself. Keep company with good people and keep away from bad people. The worst food you take is the one you earn in a forbidden way. Be kind to anyone who might be harsh to you, for after a while he would become kind to you."

The most faithful to Allah are in constant fear of hidden shirk, and they continually exert efforts to conceal their righteous deeds, unless for, some reason, there is more benefit.
Concealing one's sin is a duty. A Muslim should not speak of sins he has committed; rather, he should be repent privately and correct his behaviour. Then Allah will conceal that sin for him on the Day of Judgment and forgive him.

Abu Hurairah (R.A) reported: Allah's Messenger (Sallallahu Alayhi Wassalam) said, "Be prompt in doing good deeds (before you are overtaken) by turbulence which would be like a part of the dark night. A man would be a believer in the morning and turn to disbelief in the evening, or he would be a believer in the evening and turn disbeliever in the morning, and would sell his faith for worldly goods.'" [Sahih Al Muslim]

This Hadith tells that the Day of Ressurection will be preceded by long chain of calamities. Because of the rush of these calamities, religion and Faith will loose their value in people. There will be a race for wealth, so much so that people would not hesitate to compromise their religion and faith to acquire wealth. People will rapidly change their faces. This is what is actually happening. In this situation true believers are exhorted to adhere strictly to Faith and perform noble deeds without delay.

In conclusion, we should abstain from bad deeds and lying. We should continue to do good deeds for as long as we live and with full submission to Allah reciting laillaha illallah in full conviction with support of Amaal (good deeds) and Imaan (faith) and only then shall we be on the correct path of those true believers who are striving for jannah...

"whosoever does good equal to the weight of an atom, shall see it and
whosoever does evil equal to the weight of an atom, shall see it."

O Allah, You are my Lord - there is no god but You. You created me, and I am Your servant; and I uphold Your covenant and [my] promise to You as much as I am able. I seek refuge in You from the evil I have done. I acknowledge before You Your favour upon me, and I acknowledge my sin, so forgive me. Indeed, there is none who can forgive sins except You. [Sahih Al Bukhari]

Our Lord, do not let our hearts deviate after You have guided us, and give us from Yourself mercy. Indeed it is You who is the Giver
[of all things]. (Surah Al Imran 3:8)

May Allah grant us the tawfiq to continuously engage in doing good deeds with the right intention...

Insha'Allah Ameen...

In Allah's acceptance is salvation and success.