“Whoever loves something will mention it a lot with his heart and tongue. And for this reason Allaah commanded His slaves to remember Him in all circumstances.”
Imaam Muhammad bin Saaleh Al-Uthaymeen [May Allah have mercy on him] said: “Whoever does not fulfill the obligations which Allaah [The Mighty and Majestic] has obligated on him with regards to nurturing his children [upon piety etc], then it might occur later on that they will not fulfill the obligations which Allaah has obligated on them to fulfill towards him [i.e. the father] when he reaches old age and [when] he dies. “ Sifat Us-Salaah page 27
Imaam Muhammad bin Saaleh Al-Uthaymeen [May Allah have mercy on him] said: “I encourage my brothers, especially the students of knowledge, to be eager to understand the meaning of the noble Qur’aan, because indeed the noble Qur’aan was revealed [as a guide for the people in their acts of ] worship – by reciting it and contemplating on its meaning.
Allaah [The Most High] said: “[This is] a blessed book which We have revealed to you, [O Muhammad], that they might reflect upon its verses and that those of understanding would be reminded.”” Fatawa fil Aqeedah 2/838
It is neither their meat nor their blood [i.e. the animals we sacrifice] that reaches Allah, but it is piety from you that reaches Him. Thus have We made them subject to you that you may magnify Allah for His Guidance to you. And give glad tidings (O Muhammad) to the Muhsinun (doers of good). [Surah Al-Hajj. Ayah 37]
“It is neither their meat nor their blood”- meaning: The aim [or goal] behind them [i.e. the animals slaughtered as sacrifice] is not just to merely slaughter them, for neither does their meat nor blood reach Allaah because Allaah is [الْغَنِيُّ الْحَمِيدُ -The Independent One Who is Free of all Needs and The One Who is Deservedly Praised (Ref A)]; rather what reaches Allaah is the sincerity [in your hearts in relation to the performance of the deed]; hope for Allaah’s reward and having a righteous intention.
“But it is piety from you that reaches Him”.
So with regards to this, there is an urge towards sincerity in [the act] of sacrifice and that one’s intention is to seek the Face of Allaah [alone], and not out of boasting, show off and to be heard; nor merely following a custom. Likewise, this is [the goal behind] all acts of worship, for if they are not connected to sincerity and piety, then they are similar to skins that have no flesh and a body that has no soul.
[Abridged and Slightly paraphrased..Source: Tayseer Al-Kareem Ar-Rahmaan Fee Tafseer Kalaam Al-Mannaan’ by Imaam Sadi (rahimahullaah). Publisher Daar Ibn Hazm 1st ed. 1424 (Year 2003)] [NB: The Translation of (الْغَنِيُّ الْحَمِيدُ) was taken from the poster titled: ‘The Beautiful Names of Allaah’- Distributors: SPubs (Salafipublications)]
“Glorified be Allaah! How many a heart is decayed yet its owner is unaware of it! How many a [person] is put to trial by the praises he [receives] from the people, deceived by Allaah’s concealment of his [sins, shortcomings etc] and being gradually led to destruction through the blessings Allaah bestowed upon him [i.e. he utilizes those blessings to commit sins and feels safe from punishment]! All these affairs are a punishment and humiliation, whilst the ignorant one thinks that it is nobility.”
Al-Allaamah Zaid Ibn Muhammad Al-Madhkali [May Allah have mercy on him] said:
“Preserve the prayer if you love yourself and want to be safe from the hellfire, which neither
spares [any sinner], nor does it leave [anything unburnt]!
And seek- [by way of the prayer]- a blessed life in the dunya; a life of light in the grave, and a life of bliss and eternity in paradise in presence of the Generous Lord [Allaah].”
The Messenger of Allaah (sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam) said:
”Indeed, the one who lives long amongst you will see a lot of differences, and beware of newly invented matters [in the religion] because it is misguidance. So whoever amongst you reaches that, then upon him to hold onto to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the rightly guided khulafaa, and bite onto it with the molar teeth.” [Reported by Ahmad: 4/126; Abu Daawud 4607; Tirmidhee 2676; Ibn Maajah 43]
Imaam Ibn Ibn Rajab [rahimahullaah] said: In this hadeeth is [the] command that when splitting and differing occurs, [one should] adhere to the Sunnah of the Messenger [sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam] and the Sunnah of the khulafaa [radiyallaah-anhum] after him. The Sunnah is a path that should be adhered toand it includes that which the rightly guided khulafaa were upon in creed, actions and statements. This is the complete Sunnah.
Shaikhul Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah [rahimahullaah] said:
The legislated divine law is nourishment for the hearts, so when the hearts are nourished with bidah, giving preference to the Sunnan does not remain in them; then [the affair] becomes like [the situation of a person] who nourishes himself with filth.
In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy
Imaam Fudayl Ibn Iyaad (rahimahullaah) said: ‘Do not sit with a person of innovation, for I fear that curses will descend upon you.’
Shaikh Saaleh Al-Fawzaan [may Allaah preserve him] commented on the above statement, saying: [That is] because punishment, anger and deviation descend upon a person of innovation, so it is feared that you will be afflicted with some of what afflicts him, and for that reason Allaah [جَلَّ وَعلَا] stated:
And when you [Muhammad] see those who engage in a false conversation about Our Verses (of the Qur’aan) by mocking at them, stay away from them till they turn to another topic. And if shaitaan causes you to forget, then after the remembrance sit not you in the company of those people who are the Zaalimoon [polytheists and wrongdoers]. 6:68
And it has already been revealed to you in the Book [this Qur’aan] that when you hear the Verses of Allaah being denied and mocked at, then sit not with them, until they engage in a talk other than that; (but if you stayed with them) certainly in that case you would be like them. Surely, Allaah will collect the hypocrites and disbelievers all together in Hell.’4:140
In this is a warning against sitting with the people of misguidance and desires, and against sitting, accompanying and listening to their speech or reading their books. So it is upon you [i.e. obligated on you] to be distant from these affairs. And Allaah’s Aid is sought! Nowadays, it is said about the one who acts upon this [i.e. the one who keeps away from the people of misguidance and desires] that he is an isolated [or unapproachable, secluded person etc], a boycotter and that he is one who harbours doubt towards the people.
[Source: It-haaful Qaaree Bitta’liqaat Alaa Sharh As-Sunnah Lil Imaam Barbahaaree (rahimahullaah) by Sheikh Saaleh Al-Fawzaan (hafidha-hullaah) (2/318-319 ). Slightly paraphrased]
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