Despite all the proofs that I have for Islam being the one and only true religion, and despite those proofs piling up day after day, no proof is greater than the Holy Qur’an itself.. I mean, just listen to this! I N C R E D I B L E

Sheikh Redha Jumuah Mansoor reciting Surah Al A’raaf

Length: 21:00 (I could not upload the entire recitation due to the file size limit)

Khash’yah (Awe) does not (exist), except through Knowledge due to the saying of Allaah: 

إِنَّمَا يَخْشَى اللَّهَ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ الْعُلَمَاءُ 

”It is only those who have knowledge among His slaves that fear Allah. Verily, Allah is All-Mighty, Oft-Forgiving.” [35:28] 

As for the Khawf (fear), a human may be afraid of something scary and he doesn’t know about the actual situation of this thing (it is mere fear). So Khash-yah is established due to the Greatness of the one who is feared, and khawf may come about due to the weakness of the one who fears.

Source: Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen – Fawaa’id wa musaabaqaat al ma’een min fataawaa wa duroos Ibn Utheymeen – P.245, Translated by: Abu Zainab Al-Hindee

Allah Ta’ala said:

“When there comes to them some matter pertaining to (public) safety or fear, they make it known (among the people)…” [al-Nisa: 83]

Al-Hafidh Ibn Kathir said in the tafsir of this verse,

‘And this statement of His “When there comes to them some matter pertaining to (public) safety or fear, they make it known (among the people)…” is a reprimand of those who rush into matters without first verifying them and so they spread it and tell others even though it may not be authentic.

Muslim said in his introduction to the Sahih collection: ‘… And it’s narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) said, ‘It is enough of a lie that a person should pass on everything he hears.’ [Reported by Muslim in the Muqaddimah]

Source: Page 22, The Way Out of Tribulations by Shaykh Muhammad Isma’il al-Muqaddam, Translated by Farhia Yahya

From `Abdul `Aziz Bin `Abdullah Ibn Baz to all Muslims. May Allah help us do what pleases Him and safeguard us against what causes His wrath and punishment! Amen! 

As-salamu `alaykum warahmatullah wabarakatuh (May Allah’s Peace, Mercy, and Blessings be upon you!)

Allah  has bestowed on us many blessings and countless graces. The most important of these graces and blessings is the blessing of Islam. This great blessing has no equal. Whoever understands it and thanks Allah  for it will be a winner in this world and the hereafter, if he strictly follows it in words and action. 

Allah  says:

“and if you count the Blessings of Allah, never will you be able to count them. Verily, man is indeed an extreme wrong-doer, a disbeliever (an extreme ingrate who denies Allah’s Blessings by disbelief, and by worshipping others besides Allah, and by disobeying Allah and His Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alaihe wasallam).” [Surah Ibrahim, 14: 34] 

Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) also says:

“And whatever of blessings and good things you have, it is from Allah. Then, when harm touches you, unto Him you cry aloud for help.” [Surah Al-Nahl, 16: 53]

Therefore, it is incumbent upon all Muslims to thank Allah (may He be Praised) for these bounties and to avoid being ungrateful. Allah says while mentioning the bounties He bestows upon His servants:

“And Allah has brought you out from the wombs of your mothers while you know nothing. And He gave you hearing, sight, and hearts that you might give thanks (to Allah).” [Surah Al-Nahl, 16: 78] 

Thanking Allah  for His bounties in general and in detail protects these bounties and increases them. Allah says:

“And (remember) when your Lord proclaimed: “If you give thanks (by accepting Faith and worshipping none but Allah), I will give you more (of My Blessings); but if you are thankless (i.e. disbelievers), verily My punishment is indeed severe.” [Surah Ibrahim, 14:7] 

Allah  also says:

“Nay! But worship Allah (Alone and none else), and be among the grateful.” [Surah Al-Zumar, 39: 66] 

Allah also says:

“Therefore remember Me (by praying, glorifying), I will remember you, and be grateful to Me (for My countless Favours on you) and never be ungrateful to Me.” [Surah Al-Baqarah, 2: 152] 

Allah  also says:

“Work you, O family of Dawud (David), with thanks!” But few of My slaves are grateful.” [Surah Saba’, 34: 13] 

Moreover, the Prophet (peace be upon him) advised Mu`adh Ibn Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) to say this Du`a’ (supplication) at the end of every Salah (Prayer):

“O Allah, help me to mention, thank and worship You in the best manner.”

Thanking Allah for His bounties and using them in all that pleases Him make things much better and diminishes the effect of evils. One of the best and noblest characteristics of the prophets and messengers of Allah and their followers is thanking Allah for His bounties and asking for His support. Allah says about His prophet Solomon (peace be upon him):

“My Lord! Grant me the power and ability that I may be grateful for Your Favours which You have bestowed on me and on my parents, and that I may do righteous good deeds that will please You, and admit me by Your Mercy among Your righteous slaves.” [Surah Al-Naml, 27: 19] 

He also said when mentioning His bounties upon His prophet Noah (peace be upon him):

“Verily, he was a grateful slave.” [Surah Al-Isra’, 17: 3] 

One of the signs of thanking Allah for His blessings is using these blessings in what pleases Him and avoiding what displeases Him. One of the signs of thankfulness is to acknowledge these bounties and attributing them to Allah alone away from ostentation or pride especially before those who are deprived of these graces.

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Ibn Al-Jawzee (rahimahullaah) stated in Ath-Thabaat Indal Mamaat, page: 11 

And indeed many of the creation become helpless when their loved ones die. So amongst them is one who tears his clothes; and amongst them is one who strikes his face out of despair and amongst them is one who raise objections.

And indeed I have seen an old man who reached nearly eighty years of age and he used to strictly guard the Congregational prayer. So a son of his died and he said: ‘’It is not befitting for anyone to supplicate, for indeed he will not be answered.’’ He then said: ‘’Indeed Allaah has turned away from us, for He has not left us with a child.’’

So, I realised that his prayers and performance of good deeds was merely a habitual thing, because they were not nurtured upon knowledge and Imaan. These (people) are those who worship Allaah on an edge (i.e. in doubt). ¹

¹ Allaah [The Most High] said: ‘’And among mankind is he who worships Allah on an edge (i.e. in doubt); if good befalls him, he is content therewith; but if a trial befalls him, he turns back on his face.’’ ([Soorah Al-Hajj: Ayah 11]|(Translated by: Abu Mu-aawiyyah (Abdullaah Al-Gambi)

The heart is inherently dependent on Allaah in two ways: from the point of view of worship, which is the ultimate goal, and from the point of view of seeking His help and relying upon Him, which are the means to that end.

The heart cannot be sound, or succeed, or find joy, or be happy, or feel pleasure, or be good, or be at peace, or find tranquillity, except by worshipping its Lord, loving Him and returning to Him.

Even if it attains all that it can enjoy of created things, it will not feel at peace or find tranquillity, because it has an inherent need for its Lord, for He is the focus of its worship, love and seeking, and this is the only way to attain joy, happiness, pleasure, peace and tranquillity. 

…For if a person is helped to attain what he loves, seeks, desires and wants, but he does not worship Allaah, he will never achieve anything but sorrow, regret and suffering. He can never be free of the pain and hardship of this life except through loving Allaah sincerely, so that Allaah becomes his ultimate desire and he loves Him for what He is, and he loves anyone or anything else only for His sake, and he does not love anything for its own sake except Allaah. If he does not achieve this (level of love), he had not properly understood the true meaning “la ilaha ill-Allaah” or of Tawheed or of ‘ubudiyyah or of loving Allaah. There is something lacking in his eemaan and Tawheed, and he will suffer pain, regret and anguish accordingly.

Excerpted from: Al-‘Ubudiyyah: Being a True Slave to Allah, by Imam Ibn Taymiyyah (rahimahullaah), Translated by Nasiruddin al-Khattab

Ibn Abdul Barr (rahimahullaah) said in Jaami Bayaan Al-Ilm Wa-Fadlihi:

The Scholars are the People of the narrations—those who possess understanding of the (narrations) and have excelled in it with proficiency, distinction and understanding.

Therefore, the one from whom knowledge is to be acquired is one described with the following qualities and has fulfilled the following conditions: 

[1]: He is to be one who follows that which is found in the Book and the Sunnah. He is neither one who gives precedence to views and the intellect nor to current affairs, politics or other affairs over the Book and the Sunnah. 

[2]: He is to be one confined and restricted to the understanding of the Book and the Sunnah upon the understanding of the Salaf of the Ummah. 

[3]: He is to be one upon obedience (to Allaah) and keeps away from disobedience and sins. 

[4]: He is to be distanced from innovation, misguidance and ignorance, and is one who warns against these (affairs). 

[5]: He is to be one who fears Allaah. 

[6]: He is to be from the people of understanding and research (based on the Book and the Sunnah).

Source: This Knowledge Is Deen-Religion: Benefits From Shaikh Ahmad Baazmool (may Allaah preserve him).

“… Indeed tribulations are like accumulated clouds, coming one after another engulfing people in total blindness and deafness, just like the dark pieces of the night or the clashes of the deep waves. In it, the minds of the people are seized and their hearts die, except the one whom Allah protects.

It is from the guidance of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam), which is the best of guidance that there should be preparation for tribulations before they fall by arming ourselves with knowledge and insight (basirah), with good deeds, Ijtihad (struggling to distinguish the truth) and preparation for the Day of Reckoning – so that we can be aware of sins, soften our hearts, wake up from our heedlessness and take advantage of the occasion before the sudden arrival of Fitan and its terrors.”

Source: Introduction - Selected chapters from The Way Out of Tribulations, by Shaykh Muhammad Isma’il al-Muqaddam, Translated by Farhia Yahya

There are those from the people that backbite or listen to backbiting, and they do so to please the company they keep, with the awareness that the victim is likely to be innocent of some of the things that are uttered about him. Often such offenders feel that if they were to attempt to end such conversation in a gathering, their presence might become unwelcome or burdensome. 

There are many methods and guises that are employed when one mentions another in a negative way. Under the pretence of being informative, one could say that it is not one’s habit to mention others, except for the sake of relating another’s condition to someone.

Or one could state that by Allāh, indeed so-and-so is one to be pitied, thereby showing superiority over one who is to be rejected.

Another method might be to say that so-and-so is a good person; however, he has such and such qualities. Again, one is justified in revealing another’s faults.

One could also simply state that we should forget so-and-so, and make supplication for their forgiveness as well as our own, intending only to belittle the one that was mentioned.

In reality, all these tactics are designed to try to deceive Allāh (the Exalted) and to please the creation; in reality, many that follow these methods only serve to deceive themselves. 

Then there are those that backbite to raise their own status. When they hear of someone’s error, they employ words like, “Had I prayed for so-and-so last night in my prayer, the new of their sin would not have reached my ears.” Again, when a person states of another that he lacks understanding in a matter, the implication is personal superiority for the one that mentions the other’s shortcoming. 

There are also those that couple jealousy with backbiting – the act of being critical or belittling to those that are praised in the company of others. Some people also backbite for the sake of humour, playfulness and light-heartedness.

A person finds a certain amount of satisfaction from being appreciated for his story-telling abilities; speaking ill of someone in a humorous fashion adds flavour to a tale.

Others engage in backbiting by showing surprise and amazement at another’s actions: “How is it that someone could do such a thing?”

Yet others mention people and their actions with the pretence of sympathy for their actions or misfortunes. In reality, the one who backbites actually finds contentment and satisfaction at the mention of others and their misdeeds.

Another form of backbiting is relating someone’s misfortune to their enemies, so that they too may find pleasure in putting them down. From these examples, one can surmise that backbiting pertains to a disease of the heart …

May Allāh save us from this most evil of actions and protect us from its temptations.

Transcribed from: Gems and Jewels, Compiled by: Abdul-Malik Mujahid

It is quite amazing how it can be easy upon a person to be cautious and wary with regards to [different impermissible acts such as]: eating from unlawful means, oppression, adultery and fornication, stealing, drinking intoxicants, looking at prohibited things and the likes, and yet quite difficult for him to be careful about the movement of his tongue.

So bad that you find a person towards whom the people point to concerning his practice of the Religion, his asceticism, and worship, and despite this he says statements that anger Allaah greatly and he shows no concern about this, yet this statement will take him [to a Fire] that is farther than distance between east and west. (1)

How many people do you see from amongst those who have enough piety to abstain from lewd, indecent acts, oppression and wrong doing, but their tongues rip apart the honor of both the dead and the living and they show not a care in the least.

Footnotes: (1) Just as al-Bukhaaree (no. 6477) and Muslim (no. 2988) have collected on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah.

Source: al-Jawaabul-Kaafee/adDaa wad-Dawaa.

Transcribed from: The Appendix of “An Explanation of the Hadeeth: “Say, ‘I believe in Allah’, and then be upright and steadfast.”, Ibn Rajab

My ears and hearts can not get enough of the Words of Allah, my heart is in need of nourishment like my body is in need of food. But my heart stands in far greater nourishment than my body, for I can go days without food, but going one day without the Words of my Lord can result in the death of my heart.

Sameer Al Bashiri reciting Surah At-Taghabun (64)

Length: 5:39

Sheikh ‘Abdur Rahman ibn Naasir as-Sa’dee, may Allaah have mercy upon him, says in one of his friday sermons; 

“All praise due to Allaah, the Lord, the Great, Most Forbearing, Full of Kindness, Most Merciful. I bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped except Allaah, Most Kind, Most Generous. And I bear witness that Muhammad is His Slave and Messenger and who is to the believers kind and merciful. Oh Allaah send salutations, blessings and peace upon Muhammad, his family and companions and all those who follow them upon the Straight Path. As for what follows; 

Oh Mankind! Fear Allaah, the Most High, and beware of being from those who Allaah mentioned concerning them: 

“Then, there had succeeded them a generation who have given up As-Salat (the prayers) [i.e. made their Salat (prayers) to be lost, either by not offering them or by not offering them perfectly or by not offering them in their proper fixed times, etc.] and have followed lusts. So they will be thrown in Hell.” [19:59] 

They disregarded the prayer by not praying it at it’s correct time and were negligent concerning the juma’ (friday prayers) and Congregational prayers. They did not fear there Lord nor were they heedful of His punishments. When they offered the prayer it was like the pecking of a bird not consisting of any tranquillity, serenity or hope of a reward.

You would think they were being propelled when they began to pray and you see them careless about its pillars and conditions, unconcerned about its completeness. They forgot Allaah, therefore He forgot them and they wasted the worldly and religious benefits. 

They squandered away the prayer and followed their desires because of their wretchedness and preferred the cravings of the soul over establishing the obligations. When they desire a thing they rush towards it with no hesitation, but when the command of Allaah comes they are (extremely) lethargic. This is sufficient enough a loss and deprivation.

Woe be to the one who gives precedence to his evil desires over the obedience of his Master! And how deprived is he who forsakes the good and follows the lusts of his soul, thus destroying him. 

Where is the Islaam and Eemaan oh you who claim to have it?! Where is the fear from a day that a person will find and encounter everything that he did?! The day this bankrupt individual will not find his deeds sufficient enough to save him from the punishment of His Lord. 

So woe that day to those who waste their prayers when: 

“…the Day a man will flee from his brother. And from his mother and his father. And from his wife and his children. Everyman, that Day, will have enough to make him careless of others.” [80:33-36] 

Where are these despicable ones from the people who consider the prayer as one of the greatest blessings from Allaah?! Coming to it with open hearts, sincere aspirations and upright actions. Not a jumu’ah  nor Congregational prayer misses them unless they have an legitimate excuse. 

“Men whom neither trade nor sale diverts them from the Remembrance of Allah (with heart and tongue), nor from performing As-Salat, nor from giving the Zakat. They fear a Day when hearts and eyes will be overturned (from the horror of the torment of the Day of Resurrection). That Allah may reward them according to the best of their deeds, and add even more for them out of His Grace. And Allah provides without measure to whom He wills.” [24:37-38] 

May Allaah bless us by the Noble Qur’aan.”

Source: Sheikh ‘Abdur Rahman ibn Naasir as-Sa’dee, Translated by: Abu Fouzaan Qaasim, Arabic Source: Link

“As for the sicknesses of the hearts, its remedy is the Prophetic medicine. The doctors cannot treat this sickness. It’s possible that they (the doctors) themselves are sick, however the remedy is in the Prophetic medicine. Busy yourself with the remembrance of Allaah, the legislated words of remembrance.

It is upon you to choose books of al-Adhkaar (the words of the remembrance of Allaah), al-Adhkaar by an-Nawawi, al-Waabil as-Sayyib, al-Kalamut Tayyib and Saheeh al-Kalam at- Tayyib.

Also (one should have) other than that from the Adhkaar, the books that have gathered the related Adhkaar, clarified the virtue of al-Adhkaar and the status of al-Adhkaar in order that you don’t forget Allaah.

If you were to forget Allaah you will be destroyed and you will have fallen into all types of pain. When the sickness has been diagnosed, the remedy of it becomes easy. Therefore when we come to know of these different types of sickness, it is upon us to work hard in the usage of the remedy. With Allaah is all the success.”

Source Shaykh Muhammad Amaan al-Jaami (rahimahullah), Taken from the Shaykh’s explanation of Asbaabu Sharhis Sadr [p.g. 62-63], Translated by Abu Yusuf Khaleefah