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Everyone Finds Pleasure In the Strength He [Or She] Is Given in an Affair- by Imaam Ibnul Qayyim [rahimahullaah]

In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy

Imaam Ibnul Qayyim [rahimahullaah] said:

Keep away from the one who shows enmity to the people of the Qur’aan and the [authentic] Sunnah lest you are afflicted by his loss [or depravity].

Beware of two enemies through which many people were destroyed: The one who was hindered from the Path of Allaah due to his [i.e. the person’s] Shubuhaat and adorned speech; fascination with his Dunyah [i.e. worldly possessions, achievements etc] and leadership.

Whoever is given strength and facilitated [with the means] to something, then his pleasure will be found in utilising that strength [in that affair].

  1. Whoever is granted the strength to have sexual relations, he will find pleasure in utilising his strength in it.
  2. Whoever is given strength to become angry and overcome [others], he will utilise the strength of his anger to [obtain what he desires].
  3. Whoever is given the strength to eat and drink, his pleasure will be found in utilising his strength in [eating and drinking].
  4. Whoever is given the strength to [obtain] knowledge and understanding, his pleasure will be found in utilising his strength and directing it towards [obtaining] knowledge.
  5. Whoever is given strength in [having] love for Allaah, turning to Allaah in repentance, submission and obedience, being devoted to Allaah [sincerely with one’s] heart, having an ardent desire [to please, obey and meet Allaah] and [desiring to come close to Allaah, be recognised and loved by Allaah etc], he will find his pleasure and bliss in utilising this strength in that.

    All these pleasures [i.e. numbers 1, 2, 3 & 4] will dwindle and disappear, except this one [i.e. number 5]. And the most praiseworthy outcome of [numbers 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5] is that they should be neither for nor against the person.  [Slightly paraphrased]


Your suggestions and comments are welcome to improve the content of this article. Baarakallaahu Feekumn

 

The Students of Hadeeth Must Strive to Be the Best People In Behaviour- by Khateeb Al-Baghdaadi [rahimahullaah]

In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy

Al-Khateeb Al-Baghdaadi [rahimahullaah] said:

It is incumbent that the seekers of Hadeeth should be the [possessors of the] most perfect [behaviour, traits, manners, etiquettes etc] amongst the people; the most humble amongst the people, the greatest in their impartiality and adherence to the religion; the least in [deviating from good conduct] and [becoming] angry. And that is due to their constant listening to the narrations that combine the excellent manners and etiquettes of Allaah’s Messenger [sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam], the lives of the virtuous pious predecessors, the path of the scholars of Hadeeth and the virtues of the [pious ones and scholars] who have passed away; so they adhere to the most refined and excellent [aspects of those traits, etiquettes, manners etc] and turn away from the most despised and lowly [traits, behaviour, manners, etiquettes etc]


[Source: (Jaami Bayaan Al-Ilm 1/78). Slightly paraphrased]

 

If Speech is Silver, Then Silence is Gold – Ibnul Mubaarak [rahimahullaah] Explains

Ibnul Mubaarak [rahimahullaah] was asked about the statement of Luqmaan [alayhis-salaam] to his son: ‘’If speech is from silver, then silence is from gold.” So he said: ‘’It means that if speech in obedience to Allaah is from silver, then silence [in order to refrain from] disobedience to Allaah is gold.”


[Jaami-ul Uloom Wal-Hikam: page: 155]

Allaah Reminds The Nations About The Fate of Their Forefathers!

In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy

Allaah [The Most High] says in Surah Al-A’raaf Ayah 100-102:

[  أَوَلَمۡ يَهۡدِ لِلَّذِينَ يَرِثُونَ ٱلۡأَرۡضَ مِنۢ بَعۡدِ أَهۡلِهَآ أَن لَّوۡ نَشَآءُ أَصَبۡنَـٰهُم بِذُنُوبِهِمۡ‌ۚ وَنَطۡبَعُ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِہِمۡ فَهُمۡ لَا يَسۡمَعُونَ- Is it not clear to those who inherit the earth in succession from its (previous) possessors, that had We willed, We would have punished them for their sins. And We seal up their hearts so that they hear not?]- Meaning: Allaah [The Most High] informs those who inherit the earth in succession from those who preceded them, that He [The Most High] destroyed their forefathers due to their sins, yet they commit the same sins that were committed by their forefathers! Do they not take heed that had Allaah willed He would punish them due to their sins, for this is the manner in which Allaah deals with mankind – both the previous nations and those who inherited the earth after them. Allaah [The Most High] warned those who inherited the earth from the previous nations, but they did not take heed. Allaah sent them reminders but they did not reflect. Allaah showed them guidance through signs, but they did not follow guidance, so Allaah punished them by sealing their hearts – neither did truth enter their hearts nor did good reach their hearts; nor did they give an attentive ear [to the truth]; rather they only heard that which established the proofs against them.

Then Allaah [The Most High] said:

[ تِلۡكَ ٱلۡقُرَىٰ نَقُصُّ عَلَيۡكَ مِنۡ أَنۢبَآٮِٕهَا‌ۚ وَلَقَدۡ جَآءَتۡہُمۡ رُسُلُهُم بِٱلۡبَيِّنَـٰتِ فَمَا ڪَانُواْ لِيُؤۡمِنُواْ بِمَا ڪَذَّبُواْ مِن قَبۡلُ‌ۚ كَذَٲلِكَ يَطۡبَعُ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِ ٱلۡڪَـٰفِرِينَ – Those were the towns whose story We relate unto you (O Muhammad). And there came indeed to them their Messengers with clear proofs, but they were not such as to believe in that which they had rejected before. Thus Allah does seal up the hearts of the disbelievers (from each and every kind of religious guidance)]-Meaning: Messengers came and called them to that which will lead them to happiness [in the life and the next]. Those Messengers were given manifest signs and clear evidences to clarify the truth, but the people did not listen and thus were not benefited. And because they belied those manifest signs and clear proofs after being well aware of them, Allaah [The Most High] prevented them from accepting the sound and infallible creed ordained by Allaah. This was punishment on them because they rejected the truth, just as Allaah [The Most High] said in Surah Al-An’aam Ayah 110:

[وَنُقَلِّبُ أَفۡـِٔدَتَہُمۡ وَأَبۡصَـٰرَهُمۡ كَمَا لَمۡ يُؤۡمِنُواْ بِهِۦۤ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ۬ وَنَذَرُهُمۡ فِى طُغۡيَـٰنِهِمۡ يَعۡمَهُونَ – And We shall turn their hearts and their eyes away (from guidance), as they refused to believe therein for the first time, and We shall leave them in their trespass to wander blindly].

Then Allaah [The Most High] says in Ayah 102 Surah Al-A’raaf:

[وَمَا وَجَدۡنَا لِأَڪۡثَرِهِم مِّنۡ عَهۡدٍ۬‌ۖ وَإِن وَجَدۡنَآ أَڪۡثَرَهُمۡ لَفَـٰسِقِينَ  –  And most of them We found not (true) to their covenant, but most of them We found indeed Fasiqun (rebellious, disobedient to Allah)]-Meaning: The majority of the nations -to whom Allaah [The Most High] sent Messengers – were not true to their covenant. Neither were they steadfast nor did they adhere to the commands of Allaah, nor did they submit obediently to the commands of Allaah which the Messengers ordered them to obey; rather they followed their desires, except a very few of them. The majority of them turned away from guidance out of arrogance, so Allaah sent them various types of punishment.


[Source: Tayseer Al-kareem Ar-Rahmaan Fee Tafseer Kalaam al-Mannaan’ by Imaam As-Sadi (rahimahullaah). Paraphrased and abridged]

 

Some Evil Consequences of Pride and False Analogy – By Imaam Ibnul Qayyim [rahimahullaah]

In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy

قَالَ مَا مَنَعَكَ أَلَّا تَسْجُدَ إِذْ أَمَرْتُكَ ۖ قَالَ أَنَا خَيْرٌ مِّنْهُ خَلَقْتَنِي مِن نَّارٍ وَخَلَقْتَهُ مِن طِينٍ

[Allah] said: “What prevented you [O Iblis] that you did not prostrate, when I commanded you?” Iblis said: “I am better than him (Adam), You created me from fire, and him You created from clay.”

Imaam Ibnul Qayyim [rahimahullaah] said: It has been stated that the reason behind Iblees being distanced [from the Mercy of Allaah] is because of false interpretation, for indeed he made an analogy and gave precedence to the analogy over the text. He made a false representation about himself and gave precedence to that rational analogy over the command [that was given to him] to prostrate [to Aadam]. Allaah [informed us that Iblees] said: [أَنَا خَيْرٌ مِّنْهُ  – I am better than him (Adam)]- Meaning: A more virtuous individual cannot humble himself to the one who has been given precedence over him; then Iblees immediately stated [as Allaah informed us that Iblees] said:

[خَلَقْتَنِي مِن نَّارٍ وَخَلَقْتَهُ مِن طِينٍ -You created me from fire, and him You created from clay].  He thought that this rational analogy that resembles the truth- even though it is false- will benefit him in his false interpretation. So that which happened to him happened and he became the leader of everyone- until the day of judgement – who makes a false interpretation of the divine texts. How many a people in this world are followers of this cursed leader! And if you contemplate on the majority of those doubts that are made to resemble the truth by the false interpreters of the texts- whilst seeking to nullify them- you will find that it is similar to the doubts of Iblees which they seek to portray as truth.

So a person says: If the intellect and the text oppose each other, then give precedence to the intellect; this is where this principle [i.e. false analogy] is derived from and he [i.e. this person] utilises it as fundamental principle by way of which he rejects those texts of the revelation which he claims are  in opposition to the intellect, just as his leader Iblees claimed that a [so called] rational evidence opposed the command to make Sujood. This doubt came to him due to pride and it prevented him from submitting to the clear text of the revelation.  Likewise, you find that every false disputer against the texts of the revelation does so due to pride. Allaah [The Most High] said:

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يُجَادِلُونَ فِي آيَاتِ اللَّهِ بِغَيْرِ سُلْطَانٍ أَتَاهُمْ ۙ إِن
فِي صُدُورِهِمْ إِلَّا كِبْرٌ مَّا هُم بِبَالِغِيهِ ۚ فَاسْتَعِذْ بِاللَّهِ ۖ إِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ

Verily, those who dispute about the Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) of Allah, without any authority having come to them, there is nothing else in their breasts except pride [to accept you (Muhammad) as a Messenger of Allah and to obey you]. They will never have it (i.e. Prophethood which Allah has bestowed upon you). So seek refuge in Allah (O Muhammad from the arrogants). Verily, it is He Who is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer. [40:56]


[Source: Badaa’i At-Tafseer al-Jaami Limaa Fassarahu Al-Imaam Ibnul Qayyim’ Vol 1. Page 377. Abridged and slightly paraphrased]

Being Forgiving and Tolerant, Whilst Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil – by Imaam Ibnul Qayyim

In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy

Imaam Ibnul Qayyim [rahimahullaah] said:

There is no doubt that the one who is obeyed by the people [finds himself in] three situations: Firstly, he gives them orders and prohibits them [from certain actions] for their own welfare. Secondly, he obligates on them that which they must do in order to obey him. Thirdly, the people with him are of divided two categories: The loyal one who agrees with him and the obstinate one who opposes him, and they have rights he must fulfil. His obligation with regards to giving them orders and restraining them [from evil] is that he commands them with good in order to bring about rectification for them in their personal affairs and forbids them from what is in opposition that.

His Obligations towards the Obedient Ones:

His obligation towards those who obey him is that he enjoins on them that which is easy. He should be generous to those who are submissive and are not hesitant to obey him. He should not burden them with hardship and difficulties, and thus corrupts their affair.

His Obligations towards the Foolish Ones:

His obligation towards the foolish ones – those who act foolishness towards him- is that he turns away from them, neither responding to them in like manner nor taking revenge against them for himself. Indeed, Allaah [The Most High] said to His Prophet [sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam]:

خُذِ ٱلۡعَفۡوَ وَأۡمُرۡ بِٱلۡعُرۡفِ وَأَعۡرِضۡ عَنِ ٱلۡجَـٰهِلِينَ

Show forgiveness, enjoin what is good, and turn away from the foolish.

And what is intended [in this ayah] is not that [one] turns away from the one who has no knowledge and not to teach and guide him, rather what is intended is that [one] turns away from the foolishness of the one who behaves foolishly towards him, and he does not respond to him in like manner. This Ayah contains the affair of excellent social relationship with the people – fulfilling their rights and safeguarding oneself from their evil. And had all the people adhered to this ayah, it would have sufficed them and brought them close to one another, for indeed being forgiving [in reality] is to overlook the [bad] manners of the people and being tolerant towards their characters.


[Source: For further details, see Badaa’i At-Tafseer Al-Jaami Limaa Fassarahu Al-Imaam Ibnu Qayyim Al-Jawzee: Vol: 1: page: 434-436. (abridged & slightly paraphrased)]