Category: Uncategorized

‏        قال الله عز وجل: { هُوَ اللَّهُ الَّذِي لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ عَالِمُ الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ هُوَ الرَّحْمَنُ الرَّحِيمُ * هُوَ اللَّهُ الَّذِي لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الْمَلِكُ الْقُدُّوسُ السَّلَامُ الْمُؤْمِنُ الْمُهَيْمِنُ الْعَزِيزُ الْجَبَّارُ الْمُتَكَبِّرُ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ * هُوَ اللَّهُ الْخَالِقُ الْبَارِئُ الْمُصَوِّرُ لَهُ الْأَسْمَاءُ الْحُسْنَى يُسَبِّحُ لَهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ } سورة الحشر 22–24

 God the Almighty says in Qur’an (English translation): {

22. He is God, none has the right to be worshipped but He, Knower of the Invisible and the Visible. He is the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
23. He is God, none has the right to be worshipped but He, the King, the Holy, the Peace, the Bestower of Faith and security, the Guardian, the Exalted in Might, the Compeller, the Supreme. Glory be to God! Exalted is God above whatever they associate with Him.
24. He is God, the Creator, the Inventor, the Fashioner. To Him belong the Most Honorable Names. All that is in the Heavens and the Earth glorify Him. And He is the All-Mighty, the All-Wise} (Surah 59, verses 22-24).

———-

Islam is the religion that recognizes and praises God as the Only One true God and rejects associating any partners in His worship.  Islam is the religion that admits God’s perfection and asserts His Most High characteristics and Most Honorable Names.  In Islam, God is the Only One worthy of worship, the Only One with Perfect qualities, the Only One free of any flaw or imperfection, and the Only One with the Ultimate Power and Reign.

The word ‘Islam’ in the Arabic language comes from the root ‘Aslama (أسْلَمَ)’ which means: to Submit, to Surrender and to Obey.  In religion, Islam mean: to Submit and Surrender to the Only One God, and to Obey God by following His orders and avoiding things He has forbidden (sins).  The beauty of Islam appears when the Muslim fully implements God’s rules and tries to spread peace and justice on Earth.  The Muslim submits to God’s will and tries his best to follow God’s commands.

Islam puts great emphasis on living by Good Morals and avoiding bad morals and sins.  As an example, the Holy Book (Qur’an) mentions the Most Honorable Names of God and describes some of God’s Perfect qualities.  The Muslims are asked to reflect on these qualities and try to implement them in their daily lives and interactions.

—

God describes Himself in many instances as the Most Merciful, the Most Forgiving, and the Most Compassionate.  In Qur’an, many stories that describe the great Mercy of God are mentioned.  The first story is the story of our father and Prophet Adam, who ate from the forbidden tree.  The Qur’an describes Adam’s feeling of regret and remorse after eating from the tree, and the great Mercy of God when He accepted Adam’s repentance and pardoned him.  Thus in this story, we can appreciate the following Honorable Name of God: The Most Merciful (Al-Rahman), the Most Forgiving (Al-Ghafoor), the Pardoner (Al-Afewwu), and the Acceptor of Repentance (Al-Tawwab).

The story of Noah is described in chronological order in Qur’an.  The struggle of Prophet Noah with his people and his efforts to show them guidance is explained.  Also mentioned is the way Noah’s people reacted to his message and how they showed disdain and contempt for his message, going as far as making fun of him.  Then we read about his occupation with building the ark and taking the few believers and a pair of each animal on it with him.  And finally, we recite the verses that talk about the wrath of God and the Great Flood and how it destroyed the people who made fun of Prophet Noah’s message.  Thus in this story, we can appreciate the following Honorable Name of God: the Most Powerful (Al-Qawee), the Exalted in Might (Al-Aziz), the Compeller (Al-Jabbar), the Prevailing (Al-Qahhar), and the Supreme (Al-Mutakabbir).  Indeed, when the people of Noah rejected the message of their prophet and made fun of it, they were punished and destroyed (may God keep us safe).

The Story of Prophet Job (Ayyoob) is mentioned in Qur’an in beautiful details.  The entreaty of Prophet Job and the events that led to it are described.  We read how Prophet Job had enjoyed health and wealth for some time, but then was afflicted and lost everything except his patient and indefatigable wife.  Prophet Job was tested with the loss of all of his wealth and with severe body diseases that left him powerless and prone to sickness and fatigue.  He endured all of that patiently, never complaining about his trials and tribulations but putting his trust in God.  Finally, when Satan tried to mislead his wife by asking her to seek Satan’s help, Prophet Job raised his hands and supplicated to his Lord.  God says in Qur’an, Chapter 21, verse 83:

{ And (remember) Ayyoob (Job), when he called to his Lord: “Verily, distress has seized me, and You are the Most Merciful of all those who show mercy.  So We responded to his call, and removed what distressed him. And We restored his family to him (that he had lost), and the like thereof along with them, as a mercy from Ourselves and a Reminder for all who worship Us}.

So God responded to Prophet Job’s call, and granted him double his health and wealth as a reward for his patience and as a sign of God’s great Mercy.

In this beautiful story, we appreciate the following Honorable Names of God: The All-Hearer (Al-Samee’), the All-Seer (Al-Baseer), the Responder to supplication (Al-Mujeeb), the Preserver (Al-Hafeedh), the Nourisher (Al-Muqeet), the Most Generous (Al-Kareem), the Compassionate (Al-Ra’oof), and the Most Kind (Al-Barr).

Another Quality of God is the Most Kind and Planner (Al-Lateef).  God plans what is best for His sincere slaves.  In Qur’an, the story of Prophet Joseph (Yoosuf) is described in detail.  The Qur’an describes the earliest sign of Joseph’s prophet-hood when he saw in a dream as if the sun, the moon and eleven planets were prostrating to him.  He told his father (Prophet Jacob) about his dream, so Prophet Jacob warned him not to tell his elder brothers.  Prophet Jacob loved his son Joseph dearly which made Joseph’s elder brothers jealous.  They planned and God planned.  They planned to abduct Joseph and throw him in the well, but God planned that the ruler of Egypt would eventually buy young Joseph and raise him.  Then a group of women of high class who were besotted with Prophet Joseph planned to entice him.  When he refused to give in, they planned to send him to prison.  But God planned what was better for Prophet Joseph, so he interpreted dreams until the king heard of him few years later and appointed him the new ruler of Egypt.

—

Thus, we learn that God has the Ultimate Knowledge and Wisdom.  God has the Ultimate Patience and Forbearance.  God has the Ultimate Mercy and kindness.  And God has the Ultimate Power and Reign.

The Most Honorable Names and qualities of God are mentioned in many places in the Qur’an.  The Most Honorable Names depict characteristics that are 100%.  For example, while a human can be 60% merciful, for God all characteristics are 100%.  So in many cases, the characteristic becomes a name with God.  Thus, God is the Peace, the Most Merciful, the Most Forgiving and so forth.

          Islam praises God as the Perfect One God with no flaw or any imperfection whatsoever.  Islam rejects any partners in His worship, any injustices attributed to God, any false accusation, or any imperfection whatsoever. 

Islam states that this world is a test to see who follows God’s command and acts righteous and who follows the path of misguidance and Satan.  This test includes trials and tribulations that man must pass through to get the result.  Thus, this world was created imperfect for the purpose of testing, and all humans must pass through this test.  The Hereafter or life after death, on the other hand, is a perfect world with Paradise for the pious and Hell for the disbelievers.

In Islam, the Muslim submits and surrenders to One and Only One God.  The Muslim worships Only One God and admits God’s Perfection and Ultimate Power.  The Muslim ponders upon God’s qualities and tries to implement them in his daily lives.  The Muslim shows mercy, forgiveness, kindness, compassion, and other good morals.  The Muslim tries to live by the moral code of Prophet Muhammad who was of a very high moral character.  The Muslim then expects reward from His Lord and Paradise.

—

          In the last verse above, God the Almighty says: { He is God, the Creator, the Inventor, the Fashioner.  To Him belong the Most Honorable Names.  All that is in the Heavens and the Earth glorify Him. And He is the All-Mighty, the All-Wise}.

We can appreciate the great words of God, and sense the great meanings behind these words.  Indeed, He is God, and the Only One God worthy of worship.  He is the Creator, the inventor and the maker of Form.  The believer submits and surrenders before the One Creator and rejects paganistic theories.  God gives reference to His Most Honorable Names for humans to ponder upon, to reflect on their meanings, and to try to implement them.  Indeed, as God mentions, everything in the Heavens and Earth glorify His praises and attests to His Magnificence, Glory and Grandeur.  We may not see it or realize it fully now, but certainly we shall clearly see it in the Hereafter.  Indeed, God is the All-Mighty, the All-Wise.

And God knows best.

============================

       قال الله عز وجل: { وَلاَ تَسْتَوِى الْحَسَنَةُ وَلاَ السَّيِّئَةُ ادْفَعْ بِالَّتِى هِىَ أَحْسَنُ فَإِذَا الَّذِى بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَهُ عَدَاوَةٌ كَأَنَّهُ وَلِىٌّ حَمِيمٌ * وَمَا يُلَقَّاهَا إِلاَّ الَّذِينَ صَبَرُواْ وَمَا يُلَقَّاهَآ إِلاَّ ذُو حَظِّ عَظِيمٍ } سورة فصلت 34-35.

   قال ابن كثير: (أي: يدفعون القبيح بالحسن، فإذا آذاهم أحد قابلوه بالجميل صبرا واحتمالا وصفحا وعفوا).

——–

God the Almighty says in Qur’an (English translation): { The good deed and the evil deed cannot be equal. Repel (the evil) with one which is better, then verily he, between whom and you there was enmity, will become as though he was a close friend.  35. But none is granted it except those who are patient — and none is granted it except the owner of great fortune} (Surah 41, verse 34-35).

The Interpreter Ibn Katheer said: “ Repel evil with good: means they fend off evil with good conduct.  If anybody caused them harms, they respond with kindness out of patience, forbearing, pardon, and forgiveness.”

The scholar Al-Hasan said: “ Repel evil with good: means when they are denied, they give. When they are treated unjustly, they forgive. And when their relations are severed, they maintain it.”

Ibn Zaid said: “ Repel evil with good: means they ward off the evil act with a good act; they don’t repay the evil act with an evil act, rather they ward it off with a good act.”

Ibn Abbas -may God be pleased with them- said: “ Repel evil with good: means they ward off the misdeed with a good deed.”

——

Islam urges on good manners and forgiveness (‘afow), and promises great reward for them.  Good manners and forgiveness, apart from being a command of God and His Messenger -prayer and peace be upon him, create a united and loving family, community, society, and whole nation.  When every individual treats others like he himself wants to be treated, then the result is a family or community that is free of enmity (‘adaweh), hatred and disputes.  When family members and friends treat each with good manners and forgiveness, then the community becomes loving and united, and so the whole nation becomes loving and united.

Indeed, it is through nice manners and forgiveness that a Muslim wins others.  It is through good morals and forgiveness that others will come to naturally like him.  While bad manners and anger only serve to make others dislike you and lead them away from you!

Given the fact that no human is perfect and they all tend to behave in an unseemingly or impolite manner one time or another, the Muslim should then learn to forgive others.  He should find excuses for them.  He should think they acted that way because of sleeplessness, or she talked like that because she was tired or anxious, etc.  Muslims should learn to forgive each other, for it has a great reward, as mentioned in the above hadeeth, and moreover forgiveness fosters good relations and peace of mind and soul.

In the verse above, the Almighty God states that if you repel evil with good, { Then verily he, between whom and you there was enmity, will become as though he was a close friend}.  Thus, if you treat the one who mistreated you with forgiveness and kindness, s/he will regret his/her bad behavior and will be ashamed of his action.  Furthermore, if you continue in your kindness and good manners, this will lead to reconciliation and good relationship, and may even lead to close friendship and companionship.

Finally, it is mentioned in the hadeeth that when it is the Day of Judgment, it would be called: ‘Let those who forgave others for the sake of God rise.’  They would get up and then be led to Paradise while other people are still undergoing hisab or accounting.  Then what a great reward there is in forgiveness (‘afow).  Know that when you give up your anger and forgive others’ mistakes or slips for the sake of God, then that wouldn’t be wasted, rather you would get a great reward in its place, both in this life and the Hereafter.  And God knows best.

================================

عن عبدِ الله بنِ عمرَ بن الخطابِ رضيَ اللهُ عنهما، قَالَ: سمعتُ رسولَ الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، يقول: « انطَلَقَ ثَلاثَةُ نَفَرٍ مِمَّنْ كَانَ قَبْلَكُمْ حَتَّى آوَاهُمُ المَبيتُ إِلى غَارٍ فَدَخلُوهُ، فانْحَدرَتْ صَخْرَةٌ مِنَ الجَبَلِ فَسَدَّتْ عَلَيْهِمُ الغَارَ، فَقالُوا: إِنَّهُ لا يُنْجِيكُمْ مِنْ هذِهِ الصَّخْرَةِ إِلا أنْ تَدْعُوا اللهَ بصَالِحِ أعْمَالِكُمْ.
قَالَ رجلٌ مِنْهُمْ: اللَّهُمَّ كَانَ لِي أَبَوانِ شَيْخَانِ كبيرانِ، وكُنْتُ لا أغْبِقُ قَبْلَهُمَا أهْلًا ولا مالًا، فَنَأَى بِي طَلَب الشَّجَرِ يَوْمًا فلم أَرِحْ عَلَيْهمَا حَتَّى نَامَا، فَحَلَبْتُ لَهُمَا غَبُوقَهُمَا فَوَجَدْتُهُما نَائِمَينِ، فَكَرِهْتُ أنْ أُوقِظَهُمَا وَأَنْ أغْبِقَ قَبْلَهُمَا أهْلًا أو مالًا، فَلَبَثْتُ- والْقَدَحُ عَلَى يَدِي- أنتَظِرُ اسْتِيقَاظَهُما حَتَّى بَرِقَ الفَجْرُ والصِّبْيَةُ يَتَضَاغَوْنَ عِنْدَ قَدَميَّ، فاسْتَيْقَظَا فَشَرِبا غَبُوقَهُما. اللَّهُمَّ إنْ كُنْتُ فَعَلْتُ ذلِكَ ابِتِغَاء وَجْهِكَ فَفَرِّجْ عَنّا مَا نَحْنُ فِيهِ مِنْ هذِهِ الصَّخْرَةِ، فانْفَرَجَتْ شَيْئًا لا يَسْتَطيعُونَ الخُروجَ مِنْهُ.
قَالَ الآخر: اللَّهُمَّ إنَّهُ كانَتْ لِيَ ابْنَةُ عَمّ، كَانَتْ أَحَبَّ النّاسِ إليَّ- وفي رواية: كُنْتُ أُحِبُّها كأَشَدِّ مَا يُحِبُّ الرِّجَالُ النساءَ- فأَرَدْتُهَا عَلَى نَفْسِهَا فامْتَنَعَتْ منِّي حَتَّى أَلَمَّتْ بها سَنَةٌ مِنَ السِّنِينَ فَجَاءتْنِي فَأَعْطَيْتُهَا عِشْرِينَ وَمائةَ دينَارٍ عَلَى أنْ تُخَلِّيَ بَيْني وَبَيْنَ نَفْسِهَا فَفعَلَتْ، حَتَّى إِذَا قَدَرْتُ عَلَيْهَا- وفي رواية: فَلَمَّا قَعَدْتُ بَينَ رِجْلَيْهَا، قالتْ: اتَّقِ اللهَ وَلا تَفُضَّ الخَاتَمَ إلا بِحَقِّهِ، فَانصَرَفْتُ عَنْهَا وَهيَ أَحَبُّ النَّاسِ إليَّ وَتَرَكْتُ الذَّهَبَ الَّذِي أعْطَيتُها. اللَّهُمَّ إنْ كُنْتُ فَعَلْتُ ذلِكَ ابْتِغاءَ وَجْهِكَ فافْرُجْ عَنَّا مَا نَحْنُ فيهِ، فانْفَرَجَتِ الصَّخْرَةُ، غَيْرَ أَنَّهُمْ لا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ الخُرُوجَ مِنْهَا.
وَقَالَ الثَّالِثُ: اللَّهُمَّ اسْتَأْجَرْتُ أُجَرَاءَ وأَعْطَيْتُهُمْ أجْرَهُمْ غيرَ رَجُل واحدٍ تَرَكَ الَّذِي لَهُ وَذَهبَ، فَثمَّرْتُ أجْرَهُ حَتَّى كَثُرَتْ مِنهُ الأمْوَالُ، فَجَاءنِي بَعدَ حِينٍ، فَقالَ: يَا عبدَ اللهِ، أَدِّ إِلَيَّ أجْرِي، فَقُلْتُ: كُلُّ مَا تَرَى مِنْ أجْرِكَ: مِنَ الإبلِ وَالبَقَرِ والْغَنَمِ والرَّقيقِ، فقالَ: يَا عبدَ اللهِ، لا تَسْتَهْزِئْ بي! فَقُلْتُ: لا أسْتَهْزِئ بِكَ، فَأَخَذَهُ كُلَّهُ فاسْتَاقَهُ فَلَمْ يتْرُكْ مِنهُ شَيئًا. الَّلهُمَّ إنْ كُنتُ فَعَلْتُ ذلِكَ ابِتِغَاءَ وَجْهِكَ فافْرُجْ عَنَّا مَا نَحنُ فِيهِ، فانْفَرَجَتِ الصَّخْرَةُ فَخَرَجُوا يَمْشُونَ».  متفقٌ عليه.

 Narrated Abdul-Allah Ibn Omar Ibn Al-Khattab -may God be pleased with them- that he heard Prophet Muhammad -prayer and peace be upon him- say: “Three men amongst those before you set out on a journey till night came and they took shelter in a cave.  A big rock rolled down the mountain and blocked the entrance of the cave. They said: ‘Nothing will save you from this rock unless you invoke God with your righteous good deeds.’

Thereupon, one of them said: ‘O God, I had parents who were old, and I never served my family or servants with milk before them.  One day, I went far away in search of grazing and could not come back until they had slept.  When I milked as usual and brought the drink I found them both asleep.  I hated to disturb them and also disliked to give milk to my family or servants before them.  So I waited for them to wake up with the bowl of milk in my hand and the children crying at my feet.  When it was dawn, my parents awoke and drank the milk.  O God, if I did so to seek Your Pleasure, then deliver us from the distress caused by the rock.’  So the rock moved slightly but they were unable to get out.

The second man said: ‘O God, I had a cousin whom I loved more than anyone else (in another version he said: as a man can love a woman). I wanted to have sexual relations with her but she refused.  Hard pressed in a year of famine, she approached me.  I gave her one hundred and twenty dinars on condition that she would yield herself to me.  She agreed and when we got together, she said: ‘Fear God and do not break the seal unlawfully.’  I moved away from her in spite of the fact that I loved her most; and I let her keep the gold I had given her. O God, if I did that to seek Your Pleasure, then deliver us from the distress in which we are.’  So the rock moved aside a bit further but they were still unable to get out.

The third man said: ‘O God, I hired some laborers and paid them their wages except one of them departed without taking his due.  I invested his money and it prospered greatly.  He came back to me after some time and said: ‘O slave of God, pay me my dues.’  I said: ‘All what you see of camels, cattle, goats and slaves is yours.’  He said: ‘O slave of God, do not mock at me.’  I assured him that I was not mocking at him, so he took everything, drove the herds away, and left nothing.  O God, if I did so seeking Your Pleasure, then deliver us from the distress in which we are.’ So the rock rolled away completely and they got out walking freely.”  Related by Al-Bukhari and Muslim.

————————————————–

          These are true stories that happened to those before us and were related to us both in Qur’an and Hadith, as a lesson to learn and a model to follow.  God says in Qur’an: { Indeed in their stories, there is a lesson for people of understanding. It (the Quran) is not a forged statement but a confirmation of God’s existing Books (the Torah, the Gospel and other Scriptures of God); and a detailed explanation of everything, a guide and a Mercy for the people who believe} (Surah 12, verse 111).

In the above true story, we see three examples of righteous deeds done sincerely for the sake of God.  We see how God accepted these good deeds and not only rewarded the performers of these good deeds with deliverance and salvation, but also set their example as a lesson and a model for later generations.

The three good deeds relate to three great morals: Dutifulness to parents, Chastity and Honesty.  All three morals are experienced by most of us in our daily lives.  Some may succumb to temptation and may give in, but others stand strong in their conviction and try to follow their conscience and adhere to morality.

Indeed, how often do some of us show impatience with our parents or do not go out of our way to serve them; how often do some of us give in to the temptation of looking at unlawful women; and how often do we ignore honesty and integrity to advance our interests and desires.

But as the story above shows, dutifulness to parents, chastity and honesty are three morals that lead to eventual salvation and success, even if some may look at them with disdain.  On the other hand, disobedience to parents, shamelessness and dishonesty ultimately lead to loss and disgrace, even though some may consider them profitable in the short term.

Thus, the people of understanding always adhere to high standards and good morals during times of ease and hardship.  Then they can invoke God to deliver them from any distress or calamity that befalls them.  And God has promised salvation and success to those who follow His commands and those who adhere to the good morals He prescribed.

============================

    وعن أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الخُدْرِيِّ رضي الله عنه أَنَّ نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ ‏صَلّى اللهُ عليهِ وسلَّم ‏قَالَ: « ‏كَانَ فِيمَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَكُمْ رَجُلٌ قَتَلَ تِسْعَةً وَتِسْعِينَ نَفْسًا فَسَأَلَ عَنْ أَعْلَمِ أَهْلِ الْأَرْضِ فَدُلَّ عَلَى رَاهِبٍ فَأَتَاهُ، فَقَالَ: إِنَّهُ قَتَلَ تِسْعَةً وَتِسْعِينَ نَفْسًا فَهَلْ لَهُ مِنْ تَوْبَةٍ؟ فَقَالَ: لَا. فَقَتَلَهُ فَكَمَّلَ بِهِ مِائَةً، ثُمَّ سَأَلَ عَنْ أَعْلَمِ أَهْلِ الْأَرْضِ، فَدُلَّ عَلَى رَجُلٍ عَالِمٍ فَقَالَ: إِنَّهُ قَتَلَ مِائَةَ نَفْسٍ فَهَلْ لَهُ مِنْ تَوْبَةٍ؟ فَقَالَ: نَعَمْ، وَمَنْ يَحُولُ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ التَّوْبَةِ، انْطَلِقْ إِلَى أَرْضِ كَذَا وَكَذَا فَإِنَّ بِهَا أُنَاسًا يَعْبُدُونَ اللَّهَ فَاعْبُدْ اللَّهَ مَعَهُمْ، وَلَا تَرْجِعْ إِلَى أَرْضِكَ فَإِنَّهَا أَرْضُ سَوْءٍ، فَانْطَلَقَ حَتَّى إِذَا نَصَفَ الطَّرِيقَ أَتَاهُ الْمَوْتُ ( وفي رواية أخرى:  فَأَدْرَكَهُ الْمَوْتُ فَنَاءَ بِصَدْرِهِ نَحْوَهَا)، فَاخْتَصَمَتْ فِيهِ مَلَائِكَةُ الرَّحْمَةِ وَمَلَائِكَةُ الْعَذَاب.ِ فَقَالَتْ مَلَائِكَةُ الرَّحْمَةِ: جَاءَ تَائِبًا مُقْبِلًا بِقَلْبِهِ إِلَى اللَّهِ، وَقَالَتْ مَلَائِكَةُ الْعَذَابِ: إِنَّهُ لَمْ يَعْمَلْ خَيْرًا قَطّ.ُ فَأَتَاهُمْ مَلَكٌ فِي صُورَةِ آدَمِيٍّ، فَجَعَلُوهُ بَيْنَهُمْ، فَقَالَ: قِيسُوا مَا بَيْنَ الْأَرْضَيْنِ، فَإِلَى أَيَّتِهِمَا كَانَ أَدْنَى فَهُوَ لَهُ. فَقَاسُوهُ فَوَجَدُوهُ أَدْنَى إِلَى الْأَرْضِ الَّتِي أَرَادَ، فَقَبَضَتْهُ مَلَائِكَةُ الرَّحْمَةِ».  متفقٌ عليه.

Narrated Abu Sa’eed Al-Khudri may Allah be pleased with him- that the Prophet -prayer and peace be upon him- said (English translation):

“There was among those before you a man who had killed ninety-nine souls. Then he asked about the most knowledgeable person on earth, and was directed to a monk. He went to him and said to him that he had killed ninety-nine souls, so was there any repentance for him? The monk replied: ‘No.’ So he killed him and completed with him one hundred.

  He then asked about the most knowledgeable person on earth, and was directed to a scholar. He asked the scholar that he had killed one hundred souls, so was there any repentance for him?

The scholar replied: ‘Yes, what stands between you and repentance. Go to so and so land, for there is a group of people who worship God there, so worship God with them. And do not return to your land, for it is an evil land.’ The man set out until he reached half of the way when death struck him.

The angels of mercy and the angels of punishment had a dispute about him. The angels of mercy said: ‘He came repentant, turning his heart to Almighty God.’ The angels of punishment said: ‘He had never done any good deed.’

An angel in the form of a human came to them and they appointed him a judge between them. He said: ‘Measure the distance between the two lands, and to whichever land he is closer, he belongs to it.’ They measured it and found him closer to the land he sought, so the angels of mercy took him.”

And In another narration: “So he was closer to the righteous village by one hand span, and so was considered from its dwellers.”  Related by Al-Bukhari and Imam Muslim.

—

  Qatadah said: “Al-Hasan said: ‘It was mentioned to us that when the angel of death came to him, he stuck out his chest toward the righteous village.’ ”

The Almighty God is the Most Merciful and Most Forgiving.  However, in order to get that mercy and forgiveness, the son of Adam is instructed to turn to God in repentance and seek His Guidance.  Just like in this world things do not come to us but we have to go and get them, the same is true in good deeds.  The son of Adam is instructed to seek guidance to find it.  The Muslim is instructed to do good deeds and avoid sins to obtain God’s pleasure and win His Paradise.

The Companion of the Prophet, Anas Ibn Malik -may Allah be pleased with him, reported that Prophet Muhammad -prayer and peace be upon him- said: “The Almighty God said: ‘When a slave of Mine draws near to Me a span, I draw near to him a cubit; and if he draws near to Me a cubit, I draw near to him a fathom. And if he comes to Me walking, I go to him running.’ ”  Related by Al-Bukhari.

          Thus, we see the great mercy of God and His bounty, but the Muslim must do his part and turn back to God.  In the above true story, the sinful man killed 100 souls, but he felt remorse and regret for disobeying God.  He then embarked on his path back to God.  The man was instructed to leave his evil place and move to another town and worship God with its pious people.  When the man couldn’t reach his desired destination and was overtaken by death, he indicated his sincere repentance and showed his effort by sticking out his chest toward the other righteous town.  And that half span distance of sincerity and righteousness was the final judge between Doom-perdition and Salvation, and between Hell and Paradise.

Indeed, a small good gesture, a little good deed, a sincere righteous deed could be worth a great reward with God, but we should take the time and effort to do it.  Likewise, sometimes abstaining from a sin or resisting a temptation could lead to higher levels in Paradise, but we have to strengthen our resolve and overcome our weakness to succumb to it to gain the reward.  Indeed, the path of Guidance and virtue is clear and the path of evil and vice is clear.  And we have to be prudent which path to take and sensible of the consequences we may face.  We ask God to guide us and show us the Right Path.

============================

قال الله تعالى: { إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ وَالْإِحْسَانِ وَإِيتَاءِ ذِي الْقُرْبَى وَيَنْهَى عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالْمُنْكَرِ وَالْبَغْيِ يَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ} النحل 90.

Allah -the Exalted- says: {Verily, Allah orders justice, kindness, and giving (help) to the relatives, and He forbids immoral sins evil and oppression.  He admonishes you that perhaps you may take heed} (Surah 16, verse 90).

It is narrated that Al-Hasan Al-Basri recited this verse and then said: “The Almighty God has combined all good and all evil in this one verse.  I swear by God, ‘justice and kindness’ left nothing of the obedience of God but included it, and ‘immoral sins and evil’ left nothing of the disobedience of God but included it.”

—

    وعن ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما، قال: ( بَيْنَمَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِفِنَاءِ بَيْتِهِ بِمَكَّةَ جَالِسٌ، إِذْ مَرَّ بِهِ عُثْمَانُ بْنُ مَظْعُونٍ، فَكَشَرَ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَقَالَ لَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم: “أَلَا تَجْلِسُ؟” قَالَ : بَلَى. قَالَ: فَجَلَسَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مُسْتَقْبِلَهُ، فَبَيْنَمَا هُوَ يُحَدِّثُهُ إِذْ شَخَصَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِبَصَرِهِ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ، فَنَظَرَ سَاعَةً إِلَى السَّمَاءِ، فَأَخَذَ يَضَعُ بَصَرَهُ حَتَّى وَضَعَهُ عَلَى يَمِينِهِ فِي الْأَرْضِ، فَتَحَرَّفَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَنْ جَلِيسِهِ عُثْمَانَ إِلَى حَيْثُ وَضَعَ بَصَرَهُ، وَأَخَذَ يُنْغِضُ رَأْسَهُ كَأَنَّهُ يَسْتَفْقِهُ مَا يُقَالُ لَهُ، وَابْنُ مَظْعُونٍ يَنْظُرُ ، فَلَمَّا قَضَى حَاجَتَهُ وَاسْتَفْقَهَ مَا يُقَالُ لَهُ، شَخَصَ بَصَرُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ كَمَا شَخَصَ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ، فَأَتْبَعَهُ بَصَرَهُ حَتَّى تَوَارَى فِي السَّمَاءِ، فَأَقْبَلَ إِلَى عُثْمَانَ بِجِلْسَتِهِ الْأُولَى، قَالَ: يَا مُحَمَّدُ، فِيما كُنْتُ أُجَالِسُكَ وَآتِيكَ، مَا رَأَيْتُكَ تَفْعَلُ كَفِعْلِكَ الْغَدَاةَ! قَالَ: “وَمَا رَأَيْتَنِي فَعَلْتُ؟” قَالَ: رَأَيْتُكَ تَشْخَصُ بِبَصَرِكَ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ، ثُمَّ وَضَعْتَهُ حَيْثُ وَضَعْتَهُ عَلَى يَمِينِكَ، فَتَحَرَّفْتَ إِلَيْهِ وَتَرَكْتَنِي، فَأَخَذْتَ تُنْغِضُ رَأْسَكَ كَأَنَّكَ تَسْتَفْقِهُ شَيْئًا يُقَالُ لَكَ. قَالَ: “وَفَطِنْتَ لِذَاكَ؟” قَالَ عُثْمَانُ: نَعَمْ. قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: “أَتَانِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ آنِفًا، وَأَنْتَ جَالِسٌ”، قَالَ: رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ؟ قَالَ: “نَعَمْ”. قَال : فَمَا قَالَ لَكَ؟ قَالَ: { إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ وَالإِحْسَانِ وَإِيتَاءِ ذِي الْقُرْبَى وَيَنْهَى عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالْمُنْكَرِ وَالْبَغْيِ يَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ}” سورة النحل آية 90. قَالَ عُثْمَانُ: فَذَلِكَ حِينَ اسْتَقَرَّ الْإِيمَانُ فِي قَلْبِي ، وَأَحْبَبْتُ مُحَمَّدًا). رواه أحمد وصححه، ورواه البخاري في الأدب المفرد، وابن أبي حاتم والطبراني وابن مردويه.

          Narrated Abdul-Allah Ibn Abbas -may Allah be pleased with them- said: “While Prophet Muhammad -prayer and peace be upon him- was sitting in the courtyard of his house in Makkah, Othman Ibn Madh’oon passed by and smiled at the Prophet.  Prophet Muhammad -prayer and peace be upon him- said to Othman Ibn Madh’oon: ‘Why don’t you sit down?’ Othman replied: ‘Yes, I will.’

So Prophet Muhammad -prayer and peace be upon him- sat facing Othman.  While he was conversing with him, the Prophet -prayer and peace be upon him- stared up at the sky.

Prophet Muhammad -prayer and peace be upon him- kept looking up at the sky for a while.  He then brought his gaze down until he was looking at the ground to his right. Then he turned slightly away from his companion Othman to where he was looking. Then he began to tilt his head as if trying to understand something, while Othman Ibn Madh’oon was looking on.

When the matter was finished and he had understood what had been said to him, Prophet Muhammad stared at the sky again as he had done the first time, looking at whatever he could see until it disappeared.  Then he turned back and sat facing Othman again.

Othman said: ‘O Muhammad, I have accompanied and sat with you before, but I have never seen you do anything like you did today.’  Prophet Muhammad said: ‘What did you see me do?’  Othman said: ‘I saw you staring at the sky, then you lowered your gaze until you were looking to your right, then you turned to him and left me. Then you tilted your head as if you were trying to understand something that was being said to you.’  Prophet Muhammad asked: ‘Did you notice that?’  Othman replied: ‘Yes’.

Prophet Muhammad -prayer and peace be upon him- said: ‘A messenger from God (Angel Gabriel) came to me just now, while you were sitting.’  Othman asked: ‘A messenger from God?’ Prophet Muhammad said: ‘Yes.’  Othman asked: ‘And what did he say to you?’

Prophet Muhammad -prayer and peace be upon him- recited the verse of God that was revealed to him just then: ‘{Verily, God orders justice, kindness, and giving (help) to the relatives; and He forbids immoral sins, evil and oppression.  He admonishes you that perhaps you may take heed} (Surah 16, verse 90).’

Othman Ibn Madh’oon said: ‘That was when faith (and belief in Prophet Muhammad’s true message) was established in my heart (after what I saw and heard of the verses of God) and I began to earnestly love Muhammad -prayer and peace be upon him.’ ”  Related by Ahmad with a good narration.

==================================

    عن أنس بن مالك رضي الله عنه قال: ( خَدَمْتُ النَّبِيَّ ‏صَلّى اللهُ عليهِ وسلَّم عَشْرَ سِنِينَ فما قالَ لِي أُفٍّ قَطُّ، وما قالَ لِشَيْءٍ صَنَعْتُهُ لِمَ صَنَعْتَهُ وَلَا شَيْءٍ تَرَكْتُهُ لِمَ تَرَكْتَهُ، وكان رسولُ الله ‏صَلّى اللهُ عليهِ وسلَّم مِنْ أَحْسَنِ النَّاسِ خُلُقًا، ولا مَسَسْتُ خَزًّا قَطُّ ولا حَرِيرًا ولا شَيْئًا كَانَ أَلْيَنَ مِنْ كَفِّ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ‏صَلّى اللهُ عليهِ وسلَّم، ولا شَمَمْتُ مِسْكًا قَطُّ وَلَا عِطْرًا كَانَ أَطْيَبَ مِنْ عَرَقِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلّى اللهُ عليهِ وسلَّم). رواه الترمذي، وأخرجه الشيخان.

   Narrated Anas Ibn Malik -may Allah be pleased with him- said: “I served Prophet Muhammad -prayer and peace be upon him- for ten years, and he never said a word of displeasure to me (Uff), nor did he ever say to me concerning something I had done: ‘Why did you do that’.  And he never said to me concerning something I had not done: ‘Why did you not do this’. He had the best Moral character.

I never touched any silk or anything else that was softer than the palm of the Messenger of Allah -prayer and peace be upon him.  And I never smelled any musk or perfume that had a better fragrance than the sweat of the Messenger of Allah -prayer and peace be upon him.”  Related by Al-Tirmidhi, also related by Al-Bukhari and Muslim.

—

Narrated Ibrahim Ibn Muhammad (one of the children of Ali Ibn Abi Talib): When Ali Ibn Abi Talib -may Allah be pleased with him- described Prophet Muhammad -prayer and peace upon him, he would say:

“Prophet Muhammad’s face was round a little.  His skin was white tinged with red.  He had black eyes with long eyelashes.  His joints and shoulder joints were rather large. He had little hair extending from his chest down to his navel, but the rest of his body was almost hairless. He had thick fingers and toes.

While walking, he lifted his feet off the ground, as if he had been walking down a slope.  When he turned, he turned fully. The Prophet-hood Seal was between his shoulders.

Prophet Muhammad -prayer and peace upon him- is the Seal of Prophets.  He was the most generous and the most kind.  He was the most truthful among people.  He was the easiest to deal with and the noblest of companions.

  Whoever saw Prophet Muhammad unexpectedly would fear him and revere him.  And whoever got acquainted with him, would like him.  Anyone describing him would say: ‘I have never seen such a person neither before nor after seeing him.’ ”

Related by Al-Tirmidhi.

—

          If we reflect back to our childhood and the old days, we will see one thing standing out: the easy, cheerful and carefree time we used to enjoy.  Move to present day and one wonders what happened to our world.  Now many people seem to be preoccupied and afflicted with worries of all types.  No longer can one enjoy a peaceful life away from anxieties, fears, dreads, and outright panic and stresses.  Modern life is a lot more advanced, but it seems there is a negative side associated with it.  Does Islam have any remedy for that?

—

Indeed, Islam defined the purpose of this life from the outset, and encouraged the believers to try to fulfill and reach that real goal of life.

God -the Exalted- says in Qur’an: {

56. And I (God) did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me (alone).
57. I seek not any provision from them nor do I ask that them to feed Me.
58. Verily, God is the All-Provider, Owner of Power and Strength} (Surah 51, verses 56-58).

Thus, God declares that the real purpose of this life is to worship Him alone, obey His commands, and believe in all of His true messengers (From Prophet Adam, to Prophet Noah, Prophet Abraham, Prophet Moses, Prophet Jesus, to Prophet Muhammad).  Whoever does that, then God has promised him a peaceful life in this world and an eternal bliss in Paradise.  But when a human forgets that fact and starts focusing on the worldly life, then that peace is lost and new worries and anxieties start developing.

—

There is a famous proverb that states: ‘Too much bursts the bag’, and if we think about it we see how true this statement is.  Too much food turns out to be bad for health, too much water can have fatal consequences, and so on.  Excessiveness always leads to negative effects and undesirable consequences.

The same is true for the worldly life.  When we become too engrossed in the world and start forgetting and neglecting the real purpose of life, we are struck with new worries and anxieties that did not afflict us before.  When we give preference to this life over the Hereafter, we start losing faith and peace of mind and soul, thus shattering our sense of tranquility and contentment.  And when we devote our attention and focus to this world and forget the other world, we start losing the real blessings from heavens and must contend with new traits that we didn’t have before like covetousness, greed, rivalry, envy, sadness, depression, and others.

Indeed, Prophet Muhammad -prayer and peace be upon him- warned against this engrossment in the worldly life (dunya) and foretold its dire consequences:

    عن زيد بن ثابت رضي الله عنه قال: سمعتُ رسولَ الله صَلّى اللهُ عليهِ وسلَّم يقول: « مَنْ كَانَتِ الدُّنْيَا هَمَّهُ فَرَّقَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ أَمْرَهُ، وَجَعَلَ فَقْرَهُ بَيْنَ عَيْنَيْهِ، وَلَمْ يَأْتِهِ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا إِلَّا مَا كُتِبَ لَهُ، وَمَنْ كَانَتِ الْآخِرَةُ نِيَّتَهُ جَمَعَ اللَّهُ لَهُ أَمْرَهُ، وَجَعَلَ غِنَاهُ فِي قَلْبِهِ، وَأَتَتْهُ الدُّنْيَا وَهِيَ ‏رَاغِمَةٌ» .  رواه ابن ماجه والطبراني وابن حبان.

   Narrated Zaid Ibn Thabit -may Allah be pleased with him- said: “I heard the Messenger of Allah -prayer and peace be upon him- say: ‘Whose ever concern is the worldly life (dunya), God will separate him from his goal, place poverty before his eyes, and nothing of the worldly life will come to him except what was preordained for him.  And whose ever intention is the Hereafter, God will fulfill his goal, place richness in his heart, and the worldly life (dunya) will come to him unwillingly.’ ”  Related by Ibn Majah, Al-Tabarani, and Ibn Hibban (Authentic narration).

—

We see the truth of the Divine message of Prophet Muhammad in his many hadith.  This is one of them, how true his words came out to be.

Nowadays, when some people became too engrossed in the world, and forgot everything else, they are struck with a sense of greed and covetousness that is never satisfied.  They work day and night, and still feel the need to work more.  They occupy themselves the whole time, and still feel anxious and are besotted with worries about the future.  They devote their attention and effort to this life, but they end up feeling empty and purposeless at the end of the day. Moreover, their endless worry and anxiety result in new diseases and psychological illnesses that were rare before, like heart disease, depression, nervous breakdowns, and others.

Their condition becomes just like one of the companions of the Prophet described:

    عن أبي الدرداء رضي الله عنه، قال: ( ويل لكل جمَّاع، فاغر فاه كأنه مجنون، يرى ما عند الناس ولا يرى ما عنده، ولو يستطع لوصل الليل بالنهار، ويله من حساب غليظ وعذاب شديد).

   Narrated Abu Ad-Darda’ -may Allah pleased with him- said: “Woe to every collector (of wealth), open-mouthed greedy like a mad person, who regards the possessions of other people and disregards his own, and if he could work continuously all day and night he would have done so; woe to him from severe reckoning and painful punishment (by God).”

—

While the Muslim is instructed to work for his world and earn a good permissible earning, he is also instructed to make his main focus the Hereafter and the soon to come real life.  While the Muslim should be struggling and working for this life, his attention and focus should be devoted to his Hereafter.  The Muslim should be concerned and preoccupied with following God’s commands as best as possible, and relegate the worldly endeavors to second position.  The Muslim should find some time for this deen (religion) and do his best to fulfill his religious obligations first, and then think of his worldly duties.  Indeed, if this balance is broken, then the peace of mind and soul are shattered with it.  On the other hand, when this order is maintained then God Who is the real Provider, will provide for him both in this world and the Hereafter.  The Muslim must struggle for this world, but he should struggle harder for his other world to come to gain success in both.  And Allah knows best.

————————-

     قال الله تعالى: { إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ وَالْإِحْسَانِ وَإِيتَاءِ ذِي الْقُرْبَى وَيَنْهَى عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالْمُنْكَرِ وَالْبَغْيِ يَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ} سورة النحل، آية 90.

      Allah -the Exalted- says: { Verily, Allah orders justice, kindness, and giving (help) to the relatives.  And Allah forbids immoral sins, evil, and oppression.  He admonishes you that perhaps you may take heed} (Surah 16, verse 90).

—

     وعن أبي الدرداء رضي الله عنه أن النبيَّ صَلّى اللهُ عليهِ وسلَّم قال: « مَا مِنْ شَيْءٍ أَثْقَلُ في مِيزَانِ المُؤْمِنِ يَوْمَ القِيَامَة مِنْ حُسْنِ الخُلُقِ، وإِنَّ اللَّهَ يُبغِضُ الفَاحِشَ البَذِيءَ» .  رواه الترمذي وابن حبان.

     Narrated Abu Ad-Darda’ -may Allah be pleased with him- that the Prophet -prayer and peace be upon him- said: “There is nothing heavier in the Scale of the faithful (Mu’min) on the Day of Judgment than good morals (Husn Al-Khuluq).  And Allah dislikes the indecent, foul mouthed.”  Related by Al-Tirmidhi and Ibn Hibban.

—-

Good morals and conduct is what distinguishes the son of Adam from other creatures.  While the law of the jungle gives the power and authority to the strongest and may entail violating the rights of the weak and old (a lesson from we which we can learn), the rules of Islam and religion dictate fairness and justice to each individual and in every aspect of the human life.  Not only is the Muslim supposed to have the best morals and code of honor, but he is also supposed to protect the rights of the weak and the old as well.  Thus, not only is the Muslim a fair and just person who strives to be good and do good to others, but the whole community is composed of individuals who take care of each other and look after one another.

As the above hadith shows good morals are one of the greatest good deeds in Islam.  Islam encourages the Muslim to have good morals in every aspect of his life, and with every person with whom he deals.  The true Muslim is characterized by honesty, truthfulness, patience, generosity, justice, kindness and good manners.  These characteristics give the Muslim his identity and reflect his true inner faith in God.

       A true believer or Mu’min is someone who firmly believes in the Hereafter and the Day of Judgment; therefore, he strives to have good morals and rid himself of bad characteristics or vices.  The believer knows the blessed effects of good morals both in this life and in the Hereafter, and therefore tries hard to cultivate his good morals.  Good morals lead to peace and happiness in this life, and to Paradise in the Hereafter.  A Muslim with good morals not only leads a happy contented life, but also projects that happiness and contentment to others around him.

On the other hand, the Muslim understands the effects of vices on one’s faith and the recompense of such a bad deed both in this life and the Hereafter.  As for faith, vices and bad characteristics work to weaken faith, until the person becomes immoral and loses his moral sense.  This leads the person to immorality and sin, which leads to misery and different kinds of anxieties and depression.  In the Hereafter, vices and bad characteristics lead to Hell-fire, as much as they destroyed one’s sense of morality and faith.

—

Prophet Muhammad -prayer and peace be upon him- warned that as time passes by and we draw near to the Day of Judgment, faith will weaken, and immorality will appear and become widespread.  What used to be considered wrong before starts to be considered right; what used to be considered shameful before starts to be accepted; what used to be considered socially unacceptable before starts to be seen commonly; what used to be considered unjust before starts to be practiced by many; and so forth.  The Prophet -prayer and peace be upon him- warned that when such a time appears, then torments and disasters would appear as well.

Indeed, when basic values and principles are no longer respected and applied, when the laws of God are no longer followed, and when the commands of God are violated, then natural forces are given permission to take their course and that may lead to natural disasters and calamities.

Prophet Muhammad -prayer and peace be upon him- warned against this inversion of morality and values, and talked about the consequence of such actions in the following hadith: 

   وعن أبي هريرة  رضي الله عنه عن النبيِّ صَلّى اللهُ عليهِ وسلَّم قال: «‏ إِذَا اتُّخِذَ الفَيْءُ دُوَلًا، ‏وَالأَمَانَةُ مَغْنَمًا، وَالزَّكَاةُ ‏مَغْرَمًا،‏ ‏وَتُعُلِّمَ لِغَيْرِ الدِّينِ، وَأَطَاعَ الرَّجُلُ امْرَأَتَهُ، ‏وَعَقَّ ‏‏أُمَّهُ، وَأَدْنَى صَدِيقَهُ، وَأَقْصَى أَبَاهُ، وَظَهَرَتِ الأَصْوَاتُ فِي المَسَاجِدِ، وَسَادَ القَبِيلَةَ فَاسِقُهُمْ، وَكَانَ زَعِيمُ الْقَوْمِ أَرْذَلَهُمْ، وَأُكْرِمَ الرَّجُلُ مَخَافَةَ شَرِّهِ، وَظَهَرَتِ ‏القَيْنَاتُ ‏‏وَالمَعَازِفُ، وَشُرِبَتْ الخُمُورُ، وَلَعَنَ آخِرُ هَذِهِ الأُمَّةِ أَوَّلَهَا، ‏‏فَلْيَرْتَقِبُوا ‏‏عِنْدَ ذَلِكَ رِيحًا حَمْرَاءَ، وَزَلْزَلَةً وَخَسْفًا ‏‏وَمَسْخًا ‏‏وَقَذْفًا، ‏‏وَآيَاتٍ ‏‏تَتَابَعُ ‏ ‏كَنِظَامٍ ‏‏بَالٍ ‏قُطِعَ سِلْكُهُ فَتَتَابَعَ» .  رواه الترمذي.

   Narrated Abu Hurairah -may Allah be pleased with him- that Prophet Muhammad -prayer and peace be upon him- said: “

• When the booty (public money) is taken by some people apart from others,
• When the trusted item is taken as a loot,
• When charity is regarded as penalty,
• When the knowledge (of religion) is acquired for other purposes,
• When the man obeys his wife and disobeys his mother,
• When the man brings close his friend and keeps away his father,
• When people speak loudly in the houses of worship,
• When the dissolute sinful person dominates over his tribe,
• When the most vile person becomes the ruler of his people,
• When the man is honored for fear of his evil,
• When female singers and music instruments become prevalent,
• When wines are drunk abundantly, and
• When the late of this nation curse the early of this nation,
• Then let them watch and wait for a red wind, earthquake, landslide, figure deformation, pelting from the sky, and successive signs that will appear like falling beads from an old necklace that has broken so its beads continue to fall one by one.” Related by Al-Tirmidhi.

—

          Thus, Good Morals and conduct not only create a peaceful and just society that lives in peace and prosperity, but good morality also dispel calamities and disasters and keep them at bay.  The Muslim should always strive for good morals and should cultivate good characteristics such as justice, patience, kindness, forgiveness, and others.  The Muslim should also try to rid himself of bad characteristics or vices like pride, injustice, jealousy, greed, covetousness, and others.   Good morals is the identity of the true Muslim and reflects his inner true faith.  And Allah knows best.

————————————————-

         .قال الله عز وجل: {يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آَمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَكُونُوا مَعَ الصَّادِقِينَ} التوبة 119

Allah -the Exalted- says: {O you who believe, fear Allah, and be with those who the truthful} (Surah 9, verse 119).

—

    وعن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه قال: قال رسولُ الله صَلّى اللهُ عليهِ وسلَّم: « الْمَرْءُ عَلَى دِينِ خَلِيلِهِ، فَلْيَنْظُرْ أَحَدُكُمْ مَنْ يُخَالِلُ» .  رواه أبو داود والترمذي والحاكم وأحمد، بإسناد حسن

   Narrated Abu Huraira -may Allah be pleased with him- that the Messenger of Allah -prayer and peace be upon him- said: “The person takes after the habits of his companion, so beware of the company you keep.”  Related by Abu Dawood, Al-Tirmidhi, Al-Hakim, and Ahmad, with good (hasan) narration.

In the verse above, Allah -the Exalted- instructs the believers to accompany the righteous and pious people so as to take after their ways and learn from their example.  Prophet Muhammad -prayer and peace be upon him- explains that people tend to follow the ways of their close companion; a good companion prompts his friend to be good, and a bad companion tempts his friend to be evil.

     In Islam, we focus a lot on the stories of the righteous and pious people before us.  Indeed, in Quran, we are given the stories of the Prophets in detail and their true faith is represented to us.  The story of Prophet Adam and Hawwa’ (Eve) is given in detail and their true repentance is presented to us as a lesson and an example to follow for their progeny.

The story of Prophet Noah and his patience and endurance is shown to us when he continued to invite his people to God for about a thousand years, never showing any sign of despair or annoyance.

The story of Prophet Ayoob (Job) is described with such beautiful words that we can appreciate the hardships and pain he endured, and how his great patience led to the favor of Allah when he restored his health and wealth in double to him.

The story of Prophet Dhun-Noon is described in minute details when he despaired of his people and went on the ship, but was swallowed by the whale, and his true faith and reliance is represented to us through his calling to God while he was inside the belly of whale, and how Allah accepted his call and moreover guided all of his people.

The story of Prophet Ibrahim is given in many places in Qur’an and we can appreciate the great morals and true faith of the ‘Father of Prophets’ and the ‘Close Slave of God (Al-Kheleel)’.  We see how his true faith and reliance upon God, made the fire cool and peaceful for him.  We see his endurance and righteousness in every aspect of his life.

The stories of Prophet Moses and Prophet Jesus are given and we see their strength and determination in the face of widespread evil and corruption.  Both persisted, and while Prophet Moses was granted victory over the evil Pharaoh, Prophet Jesus was raised to heavens to be sent down later.

The story of our beloved prophet Muhammad -prayer and peace be upon him- is given in numerous places in Qur’an, and we see his patience, endurance and the highest level of morals that God took him as “Habeeb Allah” or his Beloved Slave.  And the list goes on.

—

On the other hand, Qur’an also mentions the stories of evil people and their demise is given as an admonition to turn back to Allah and repent to Him.

We recite the stories of the people of Noah and how they used to make fun of him and his ways, and then we read about the Great Flood and how it destroyed them.

We read the story of the people of ‘Aad, the giants who took houses in the mountains and spread injustice on earth, and then we read how the wind destroyed them.

We read the story of Pharaoh and his arrogance, and then we read how he and his men drowned in the Ocean by the will of Allah, the Almighty.  All of these stories are given to warn us of the other life to come, and urge us to prepare for it as well.  Allah -the Exalted- states in Qur’an:

{ Indeed in their stories, there is a lesson for those of understanding. It (the Qur’an) is not a forged statement but a confirmation of the Divine’s Books before it [the Torah, the Injeel (Gospel) and other Scriptures of Allah], a detailed explanation of everything, and a guide and a Mercy for the people who believe} (Surah 12. Verse 111).

—

Scholars too learned from the example of Qur’an and compiled volumes upon volumes of biographies of righteous people.  The Muslim scholars and historians gave special attention to the righteous people of this generation.  Thus many books have been written about sahabah or the Companions of the Prophet, about Tabi’een or the generation that came after sahabah, and about contemporary righteous people.

The idea behind these true story compilations  is that we should consider their high degree of righteousness and piety and try to emulate their example.  Indeed, the Companions of the Prophet or Sahabah gave us the best example in true faith, in piety, in patience and endurance, in generosity, in good morals, and in every aspect of our daily lives.  The following hadith gives us a glimpse of that:

Narrated Anas Ibn Malik -may Allah be pleased with him- that the Messenger of Allah -prayer and peace be upon him- said: “The most merciful of my nation towards my nation is Abu Bakr, the staunchest of them in the religion of Allah is Omar, the most truthful in shyness of them is Othman, the best judge among them is Ali Ibn Abi Talib, the best recite among them of the Book of Allah (Qur’an) is Ubey Ibn Ka’b, the most knowledgeable among them of the lawful and the unlawful in religion is Mu’ath Ibn Jebel, and the most knowledgeable among them of the distribution of heritage is Zaid Ibn Thabit.  Indeed, for every nation there is a trustworthy person and the trustworthy person of this nation is Abu Ubaidah Ibn Al-Jarrah.”  Related by Al-Tirmidhi, Ahmad, Ibn Majah, and Ibn Hibban.

—

Thus, the true stories of the righteous before us is a treasure for us; it is our heritage; it is our identity; and it is our model that we aspire to emulate.  The Muslim should read these true stories and consider these righteous people as his true companion and example.  We should both learn from and emulate the righteous people before us, and pray Allah to forgive us, accept from us and reward us like He forgave, accepted and rewarded the righteous people before us.  And Allah knows best.

============================

     قال الله عز وجل: { وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَى خُلُقٍ عَظِيم} سورة القلم 4.

     Allah -the Exalted- says: {And Verily, you (O, Muhammad) are of an exalted moral character} (Surah 68, verse 4).

—

    وعن أنس بن مالك رضي الله عنه قال: ( خَدَمْتُ النَّبِيَّ ‏صَلّى اللهُ عليهِ وسلَّم عَشْرَ سِنِينَ فما قالَ لِي أُفٍّ قَطُّ، وما قالَ لِشَيْءٍ صَنَعْتُهُ لِمَ صَنَعْتَهُ وَلَا لِشَيْءٍ تَرَكْتُهُ لِمَ تَرَكْتَهُ، وكان رسولُ الله ‏صَلّى اللهُ عليهِ وسلَّم مِنْ أَحْسَنِ النَّاسِ خُلُقًا، ولا مَسَسْتُ خَزًّا قَطُّ ولا حَرِيرًا ولا شَيْئًا كَانَ أَلْيَنَ مِنْ كَفِّ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ‏صَلّى اللهُ عليهِ وسلَّم، ولا شَمَمْتُ مِسْكًا قَطُّ وَلَا عِطْرًا كَانَ أَطْيَبَ مِنْ عَرَقِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلّى اللهُ عليهِ وسلَّم). رواه الترمذي، وأخرجه الشيخان.

   Narrated Anas Ibn Malik -may Allah be pleased with him- said: “I served the Messenger of Allah -prayer and peace be upon him- for ten years, and he never said a word of displeasure to me (Uff), nor did he ever say to me concerning something I had done: ‘Why did you do that’.  And he never said to me concerning something I had not done: ‘Why did you not do this’. He had the best character, and I never touched any silk or anything else that was softer than the palm of the Messenger of Allah -prayer and peace be upon him.  And I never smelled any musk or perfume that had a better fragrance than the sweat of the Messenger of Allah -prayer and peace be upon him.”  Related by Al-Tirmidhi, also related by Al-Bukhari and Muslim.

—

   ‘A Man from Paradise’

Narrated Anas Ibn Malik -may Allah be pleased with him- said: “While we were sitting with the Messenger of Allah -prayer and peace be upon him, he said: ‘A man from the people of Paradise will come out to you now.’  So a man from the tribe of Al-Ansaar came out, whose beard was dripping from his ablution, and he had hung his shoes in his left hand.  When the next morning came, the Prophet -prayer and peace be upon him- said the same thing, so the same man came out like the first time.  On the third day, the Prophet -prayer and peace be upon him- said the same thing again, and the same man came out in the same first condition.

When the Prophet -prayer and peace be upon him- left, Abdul-Allah Ibn Amr followed the Ansaari man and said to him: ‘I have quarreled with my father and I have sworn to avoid him for three days, so if you could let me stay with you until they pass.’  He replied: ‘Yes.’

Anas said: Abdul-Allah related that he slept those three nights in the man’s house, and he did not see him praying any voluntary prayer at night.  However, whenever he woke up, he would roll over on his bed and mention Allah -the Almighty- and say Allahu Akbar (Allah is the Greatest) until the dawn prayer.

Abdul-Allah said: ‘But I only heard him speak good.  When the three nights had passed and I almost scorned his deed, I said to him: O Abdul-Allah, there was not any quarrel or abandonment between my father and me, but I heard the Messenger of Allah -prayer and peace be upon him- say three times about you: `A man from the people of Paradise will come out to you now,`  and you came out on the three times.  So I wanted to stay with you and find out about your deed, and do likewise.  But I did not see you doing any great deed, so what made you reach what the Messenger of Allah -prayer and peace be upon him- had mentioned.’

He replied: ‘I have nothing except what you saw.’  When I turned to leave, he called me back and said: ‘I have nothing except what you saw, but I do not find within myself any deceitfulness for any of the Muslims, and I do not feel jealous toward anyone for any good that Allah has granted him.’  So Abdul-Allah said: ‘This is what made you reach that degree.’ ”  Related by Ahmad with a narration based on Al-Bukhari and Imam Muslim, and Al-Nasa’i, Abu Ya’la, and Al-Bazzar (Who named the obscure man as Sa’d).

============================

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

“Profit” in common parlance refers to benefit or gain, especially monetary. As a verb, “to profit” is to make a financial gain, but also to benefit, as in: “He greatly profited from his preparation for the exam.”

The analogy of financial benefit (or harm) to other types of benefit has also been used in the Qur’an and in the Hadith. Allah says, for instance:

O you who have believed, shall I guide you to a transaction that will save you from a painful punishment? [It is that] you believe in Allah and His Messenger and strive in the cause of Allah with your wealth and your lives. That is best for you, if you should know. He will forgive for you your sins and admit you to gardens beneath which rivers flow and pleasant dwellings in gardens of perpetual residence. That is the great attainment. (Qur’an, 61:10-12).

And the Prophet Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: