Tarbiya 88: The Assault of Sins

Committing sin is part of our human nature and what really counts is what we do following a sin. This tarbiya aims to give 5 ways on how we should act after sinning based on the examples of the companions (ra).

1) Be remorseful/regretful – but this does not mean losing faith and despairing. Never despair because while a sin may say a lot about us, it says nothing about Allah! And we should never accuse Allah of not being kind enough to forgive our sins. We are all familiar with the hadith that if your sins were to reach the clouds of the sky and you asked Allah to forgive you He would [Ahmad]. It is narrated that an old man in Makkah went to the Prophet (pbuh) and said “there is no sin, big or small, that I haven’t committed.” The Prophet (pbuh) asked him “are you a Muslim?” and he replied “yes”. The Prophet (pbuh) said “do good deeds, leave the bad ones and Allah will convert the bad into good”. The man was shocked “even my major sins?!” and the Prophet (pbuh) said “yes”. The narration then goes on to describe the happiness and joy this sahabi felt, and went around Makkah proclaiming ‘God is the Greatest God is the Greatest’ [Tabarani].

Furthermore, when we look at the story of Firown in the Quran- Allah tells us that not only did he say ‘I am your Lord’ he went on to commit genocide and kill thousands of innocent human beings! Yet Allah tells Musa “And speak to him with gentle speech that perhaps he may be reminded or fear [Allah]” [Surat Taha, 22:44]. Allah sees what is in our hearts and Allah’s mercy is such that if you ask sincerely Allah will forgive.

Having said that, being remorseful in and of itself is not sufficient. This leads us to the second point:

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Tarbiya 87: Patience my dear

I would like to focus on the importance of patience, which is often recommended alongside prayer. There are so many more-than-adequate verses in the Holy Qur’an on patience, and as I researched for this tarbiya, I found myself feeling reassured and content when flipping to each one.

“By time, verily! Man is in loss, except those who believe and do righteous good deeds, recommend one another to the truth, and to patience” (Qur’an 104). These are the Words of the Almighty, the All-knowing Allah. And who can know man better than his Creator, than the one who provides for him and sustains him?
He tells us: “Verily, man was created very impatient; irritable when evil touches him; and miserly when good touches him; Except those devoted to prayers, those who remain constant in their prayers; and those in whose wealth there is a known right…” (Qur’an 70: 19-24).

“Seek help in patience and prayer; truly it is extremely heavy and hard except for the true believers” (2:45).

What is patience, in Islam? I passed a church billboard the other day that read “patience is trusting God’s plan.” Sabr, generally translated as patience, entails calmness in the face of confusion, loyalty to the unseen, perseverance in doing good, and trust in the face of the unknown. Who faced more trials in this life than Mohammad (pbuh)? He encountered enemies of Islam everyday through both violence and verbal abuse. He also endured the loss of loved ones from a very early age, yet there are no stories of him giving up or losing his temper or dealing unjustly.

We have more examples of patience in each of the prophets of Islam. “O Mohammad (pbuh), follow the inspiration sent unto you, and be patient till Allah gives judgment…And he is the Best of judges” (Quran 10:109). A most inspiring story is that of Ayoub (as) whose test is summed up in this brief article (and of course in a previous tarbiya) http://www.helium.com/items/887791-the-story-of-the-prophet-ayub.

Like death is unavoidable, Allah warns us: “You shall certainly be tried and tested in your wealth and properties and in your selves, and you shall certainly hear much that will grieve you from those who received the Scripture before you, and from those who ascribe partners to Allah, but if you preserver patiently, and become of the pious, then verily, that will be a determining factor in all affairs, and that is from the great matters [which you must hold on with all your efforts].” (Qur’an 3:186)

In this age of instant gratification, it is easy to lose sight of the ‘big picture.’ But remember, life is short. “Verily, be patient. Allah loses not the reward of the good-doers” (Qur’an 11:115). A hadith in Bukhari relates that the Prophet (pbuh) said “do good deeds properly, sincerely, and moderately, and worship Allah in the forenoon and in the afternoon and during a part of the night and always adopt a middle, moderate, regular course whereby you will reach your target.” Moderation and regular prayer requires patience and constant practice.

Facing worldly matters can be difficult when combined with a lack of taqwa. So in Surah Ta’Ha (20:130), Allah reminds us: “strain not your eyes in longing for the things We have given for enjoyment to various groups of disbelievers, the splendor of the life of this world that We may test them thereby…the provision of your Lord (reward in the Hereafter) is better and more lasting.”

Patience is the appropriate advice in almost any situation. Job searching, marriage hunting, being bullied, dealing with a colleague or loved one, being stuck in traffic…there’s truth in the saying ‘patience is a virtue.” This also could not be truer when one makes dua. Allah, as the omniscient and omnipresent, answers duas in three ways: 1) yes 2) yes, but not now 3) He has a better plan for you. Or, as another church billboard I came across says, “God answers knee mail.” This life is full of tests, and the only way to pass is through prayer, worship, and patience…no matter if it takes 100 years or 5 days to achieve the desired result.

When faced with a difficult situation, say “Allah is sufficient for me, there is no god but He. In Him I put my trust” (9:129).

If we can be impatient in any aspect, it should be in rushing to our prayers.

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Tarbiya 86: One Ummah

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Ibn Al-Qayyim disagreed greatly with Shaykh Al-Islam Isma’eel Haroon Al-Hanbali. He would frequently disagree with him in his books, respond to his edicts and show where he was wrong. But when he was asked about this, he said: “Shaykh Al-Islam is beloved to us, but the truth is more beloved to us”

Perhaps this tarbiya should end here, with us pondering over the above statement. Two scholars who disagreed, expressing this disagreement, yet being able to say that the other was “beloved to us”. SubhanAllah, it made me immediately think of Allah’s statement: “The believers are but brothers…” [Surat Al-Hujurat, 49:10] You would rebuke your brother if he was wrong, but not out of spite or arrogance- you would do it out of love and even fear for your brother. At the end of the day, truth is not compromised, but respect and love is shown. Perhaps this is why I am saddened when I see in certain places, that we have regressed into an ummah of labels, and if we were to attack, we attack the label not specific ideas, with an intense hatred. In extreme circles, it has even gone so far as to declare others as disbelievers.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) has warned us: “Whoever calls someone else an unbeliever or declares him an enemy of Allah when it is not the case, then his statement will return back to him.” (Bukhari)

Most of us here perhaps wouldn’t go that far. We wouldn’t say that others are outside the fold of Islam. And yet some would curse the other group and look down on ‘them’. But look at the example of Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal- he considered the Jahmiyyah sect to be upon unbelief because of his view that anyone who declared the Qur’ân to be created (as opposed to the uncreated speech of God) to be an unbeliever. Nevertheless, he never once called any particular individual a disbeliever. Instead, he prayed for those people and would ask Allah to forgive them.

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Tarbiya 85: The Cool Shade

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

It is interesting to see how we see so many ads or articles saying eating or drinking X, Y and Z and cutting down sugars and salt will be beneficial for your health and make you “live longer”. There are even arguments whether tea is good for x or y– same with coffee. I.e. they can benefit it some way but can harm in other ways. The concept of death is something many people will want to avoid talking about but it is in fact a certainty that every person will face! Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’oon- To Allah (swt) we belong and to him we will return. Life here is only temporary and thus we must make provisions for the hereafter.

However, after death and its trials followed by our resurrection follows the Day of Judgement which lasts 50000 years (just to remind, a day does not always mean 24 hours), which is a serious long time. Though for a believer it could feel much shorter – for some simply the time between Dhuhr and ‘Asr [Hakim].

He will say: “What number of years did ye stay on earth?”
They will say: “We stayed a day or part of a day: but ask those who keep account.”
He will say: “Ye stayed not but a little,- if ye had only known!
“Did ye then think that We had created you in jest, and that ye would not be brought back to Us (for account)?”
Therefore exalted be Allah, the King, the Reality: there is no god but He, the Lord of the Throne of Honour!
[Holy Quran 23:112-116]

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Tarbiya 84: Antagonists of Ikhlas

يسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
والحمدلله لله رب العالمين والصلاة والسلام على أشرف الأنبياء والمرسلين

In the name of God, the Most Merciful the Most Compassionate.
All praise and thanks be to God, and may peace and blessings be upon the most noble of Prophets and Messenger.

Sincerity in all we do is a commandment of Allah:
“Say, ‘Indeed my prayer, my rites of sacrifice, my living and my dying are for Allah, Lord of the worlds. No partner has He. And this I have been commanded and I am the first among you of the Muslims.‘” -Surah al-An-aam ayat 162-163

“And they were not commanded except to worship Allah, sincere to Him in religion, inclining towards truth and to establish the prayer and to give Zakah. That is the correct Deen.” Surah Bayyinah ayah 5

Abd al-Qahir al-Jurjaani (may Allah have Mercy on him) defined Ikhlas as “not seeking any audience for your deeds other than Allah.”
Ikhlas is to make drawing closer to Allah one’s only goal in an act of worship, without seeking a worldly benefit or to tell people.

We’re warned throughout the Qur’an and Sunnah to have sincerity in the Tawheed (oneness) of Allah, sincerity in our intentions, sincerity in our Tawakkul (placing of trust and reliance) in Allah, sincerity in our worship (i.e. salah, sujood, du’a, siyaam/fasting, Hajj, zakah, sadaqah, tawba, recitation of al-Qur’an, etc.) and sincerity in all our actions and words.

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Tarbiya 83: Decision-making and Istikhara

يسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
والحمدلله لله رب العالمين والصلاة والسلام على أشرف الأنبياء والمرسلين
In the name of God, the Most Merciful the Most Compassionate
All praise and thanks be to God, and may peace and blessings be upon the most noble of Prophets and Messenger

Making decisions is something that we encounter everyday, from the littlest things to making career choices. As muslims, we know that we must reflect and think deeply about how we go about our daily lives. We know that we must have taqwaa (God consciousness) and this must be reflected in our actions. Often it is easy to make the really huge decisions, such as the direction that we want our careers and lives to go in general, but our lives, what we really encounter are the smaller, but nevertheless significant decisions, that we encounter everyday. Ones that can lead to later implications, for example taking up a position that may require commitment that you are unsure of, or deciding where you need to be most.

Decision-making can be hard, for some more than others. The beauty of Islam is that it gives us a remedy to this through the prayer of istikharah, which should rid us of indecisiveness. Yet we are also reminded of the importance of making reasoned decisions; because, to put simply, decisions lead to consequences.

Istikhaarah in Arabic means seeking guidance to make a decision concerning things that are permissible. The scholars are unanimously agreed that the prayer of Istikhaarah is Sunnah.

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Tarbiya 82: Qudwah Hasana

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Candy & Vinegar

Once upon a time, there were two shops. One was selling candy and the other – vinegar. Between the two shop owners there was intense rivalry.

The vinegar shop was a great success compared to the one selling candy. Every single customer who visited the vinegar shop would always come out of it with ‘gallons’ of vinegar while the customers of the candy shop would come out empty handed.

This imbalance went on for a while until one day, the candy seller decided to close down the shop. Feeling disgruntled and perplexed at the same time, he said to himself: “I just can’t leave in this state. I must go down to the vinegar shop and ask the vinegar seller the reason for the secret of his success.”

So, he went down to the vinegar shop said to the vinegar seller: “Listen here now; I sell candy – something that is nice and sweet. Everybody loves candy. But you, you are selling vinegar – something that is nasty, sour and disliked by most people. Can you please explain to me how you can sell much more than me?”

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Tarbiya 81: Humbleness

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بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

I speak for myself first and foremost and hope that some of these experiences may resonate and serve as a reminder of what is really important inshaAllah

As a recent graduate from LSE I often find myself pressured to think about my career relative to other ‘successful’ graduates and the expectations placed upon us as the “cream of Muslim leadership”. In actual fact although it is important to thing about these things with the right intentions, and inshaAllah whatever we are doing in our lives is serving some form of worship to Allah, I can often get carried with delusions of grandeur. It at this point I feel Shaytan is whispering words like status, respect, success, dunya in my head as the most important thing.

Astagfirullah, this is when it is important to ask the question and give an honest answer:

“Who do you think you are?”

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Tarbiya 80: Ayat Al-Kursi

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

The Greatest Aya

‘Everything has its pinnacle and the pinnacle of the Qur’an is Surat al-Baqarah. In it there is an ayah which is the greatest in the Qur’an: Ayat al-Kursi.’ (Tirmidhi)

Ayat al-Kursi (the Verse of the Throne) is verse 255 of the second Surah (chapter) of the Holy Qur’an – Surat al-Baqarah (the Cow).  It has been recorded in various hadith just how important this verse is, and the many benefits that may be derived from reciting it:

For example, Abu Dhar (ra) reported that he asked the Prophet (pbuh) ‘O Messenger of Allah, what is the greatest thing that has been revealed to you?’ The Prophet (pbuh) replied, ‘Ayat al-Kursi – Allah! La ilaha illa Huwa…’  (Nasa’i)

Also, the Prophet (pbuh) advised his companions and followers: ‘When you lie down in your bed [before going to sleep], recite Ayat al-Kursi … (al-Baqarah 2:255) until the end of the ayah, then you will have a protector in Allah, and no shaytan (devil) will come near you until morning comes.’ (Bukhari)

Most of us are aware of the virtues and benefits of reciting this wonderful ayat, but here I am going to briefly go through the tafseer of this most famous verse of the Holy Qur’an.

‘Allah! None has the right to be worshipped but He, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer and Protector. Neither slumber nor sleep overtakes Him. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Who is he that can intercede with Him except with His permission? He knows what happens to them [His creatures] in this world, and what will happen to them in the Hereafter. And they will never compass anything of His Knowledge except that which He wills. His Throne extends over the heavens and the earth, and He feels no fatigue in guarding and preserving them. And He is the Most High, the Supreme.’ (al-Baqarah 2:255)

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Tarbiya 79: The mercy of Allah through our parents

يسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
والحمدلله لله رب العالمين والصلاة والسلام على أشرف الأنبياء والمرسلين

In the name of God, the Most Merciful the Most Compassionate
All praise and thanks be to God, and may peace and blessings be upon the most noble of Prophets and Messenger

One of the virtues of Islam is that Allah made the right of our parents the greatest right after the right of Allah. Allah will only be pleased with us on the Day of Judgment and allow us entry into Jannah insha Allah if we have honored our parents.

When Allah talks about His rights in the Quran, Allah also talks about the rights of our parents upon us as though the worship of Allah cannot be complete until the gratitude towards our parents has been met. This is because if we can recognize our parents’ unconditional love and giving even though these are things we take for granted, it will make it easier to recognize Allah’s blessings which are too numerous to count, and that parents are a gift of Allah out of His mercy.

A man came to the Prophet pbuh and said “Oh Messenger of Allah pbuh, I bear witness that there is no God worthy of being worshiped except Allah and that you are the Messeger of Allah. I pray my five prayers, pay the Zakat on my wealth, fast in the month of Ramadan, and perform the Hajj to the house of Allah.” The Prophet pbuh replied to that “Whoever dies on these aspects will be gathered on the Day of Judgment with the Prophets and the siddiqin and the martyrs of Islam like these two fingers (i.e. close to them) as long as that person does not dishonor his/her parents.” (Ahmed, at-Tabarani)

We can see here the true importance of respecting our parents. We will only attain a high status in this world and in the akhirah if we are kind to our parents. This is why the Prophet pbuh said “Whoever pleases his parents has pleased God, whoever angers his parents has angered God” (Ibn An-Najjar)

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