Chapter 67
Abomination of longing for Death

585. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, “None of you should wish for death. If he is righteous, perhaps he may add to (his) good works, and if he is a sinner, possibly he may repent (in case he is given a longer life).”
[Al-Bukhari].

In Muslim, Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported : Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, “Let none of you wish for death, nor he ask for it before it comes to him, because when he dies, his actions will be terminated; certainly the age of a (true) believer does not add but good.”
Commentary: This Hadith forbids a believer to wish for his death as the longevity of his age suits him by all means. The longer he lives, the greater degree of progress will he make in virtues pursuits. And in case he infringes upon the Shari`ah rules, he may perhaps incline towards penitence. A believer should, therefore, consider his life as a boon and try his utmost to do good things.

586. Anas bin Malik (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, “Let none of you wish for death on account of an affliction that befalls him. If he has no alternative, let him pray: `Allahumma ahyine ma kanatil-hayatu khairan li, wa tawaffani idha kanatil-wafatu khairan li (O Allah! Give my life so long as the life is good for me, and take away my life if death is good for me)’.”
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Commentary:  Here, too, a believer has been prevented from wishing for death. Because it betrays that he is far from agreeing to what Allah wills or has ordained. If at all his wishing becomes intense and indispensable under the pressure of circumstances, he should pray in the Prophetic words mentioned in the Hadith above.

587. Qais bin Abu Hazim (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: I went to visit Khabbab bin Aratt (May Allah be pleased with him) during his illness. He had been cauterized in seven places. He said: “Our companions who have died have left (this world) without having enjoyed the pleasures of the world (in order to get a great full reward in the Hereafter) while we have amassed wealth exceeding our needs for which there is no place to keep except in the earth. Had Messenger of Allah (PBUH) not prohibited us from longing for death, I would have prayed for it.” Then we visited him again and he was building a wall. He said: “There is a reward in store for a Muslim in respect of everything on which he spends except for something he places in the earth (i.e., something exceeding our needs or essentials).”
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Commentary:  This Hadith forbids a believer to wish for his death as the longevity of his age suits him by all means. The longer he lives, the greater degree of progress he will make in the pursuit of virtues. And in case he infringes upon the Shari`ah rules, he may perhaps incline towards penitence. A believer should, therefore, consider his life as a boon and try his utmost to do good things .

CHAPTER 15

The saying of Allah, the Exalted,

“Allah warns you of Himself” [Ali 'Imran (3): 28]

and His, Magnificent is His mention, saying,

“You know what is in myself but I do not know what is in Yourself” [al-Ma'idah (5): 116]

32. ‘Umar bin Hafs bin Ghayath narrated to us; my father narrated to us; al-A’mash narrated to us; from Shaqiq; from ‘Abdullah that the Prophet (SAW) said,

There is none having a greater sense of modesty and self-respect than Allah and it is for this reason that He has forbidden shameful deeds and sins. There is none to whom praise is more beloved than Allah.

33. ‘Abdan narrated to us; from Abu Hamzah; from al-A’mash; from Abu Salih; from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (SAW) said

When Allah created the Creation, He wrote in His Book – and He wrote [that] about Himself and it is placed with Him upon the Throne – ‘indeed My Mercy overcomes My Anger.’

34. ‘Umar bin Hafs narrated to us; my father narrated to us; al-A’mash narrated to us; I heard Abu Salih [saying]; from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet said (SAW),

Allah, the Exalted says, ‘I am just as My slave believes me to be and I am with him when He remembers Me. So if he remembers Me within himself, I too remember him within Myself. If he remembers Me in a group of people then I remember him in a group that is better than them. If he comes one span nearer to Me then I go one cubit nearer to him; if he comes one cubit nearer to Me then I go a distance of two outstretched arms nearer to him; and if he comes to Me walking then I go to him running.’

CHAPTER 16

The saying of Allah, the Mighty and Magnificent,

“everything will perish save His Face” [Al-Qasas (28): 88]

35. Qutaybah bin Sa’id narrated to us; Hammad bin Zayd narrated to us; from ‘Amr; from Jabir bin ‘Abdullah that

When this verse,
“Say (O Muhammad): He is [the One] Able to send torments on you from above” [al-An'am (6): 65]
was revealed the Prophet (SAW) said, ‘I take refuge with Your Face!’ Allah then said,
“…Or from beneath your feet” [al-An'am (6): 65]
At which the Prophet (SAW) said, ‘I take refuge with Your Face!’ Allah then said,
“…Or confuse you [so that you become] sects” [al-An'am (6): 65]
Upon which the Prophet (SAW) said, ‘this is easier.’

CHAPTER 17

The Saying of Allah, the Exalted,

“in order that you would be brought up under My Eye” [Ta Ha (20): 39]

[The meaning of tusna'a] is to be nurtured and brought up.

His, Magnificent is His mention, saying,

“sailing under Our observation” [al-Qamar (54): 14]

36. Musa bin Isma’il narrated to us; Juwayriyyah narrated to us; from Nafi’; from ‘Abdullah who said,

The Dajjal was mentioned in the presence of the Prophet (SAW) upon which he said, ‘Allah is not hidden from you, indeed Allah is not one-eyed,’ and he pointed with his hand towards his eye. [He continued], ‘indeed Al-Masih Ad-Dajjal is blind in the right eye and his eye looks like a protruding grape.’

37. Hafs bin ‘Umar narrated to us; Shu’bah narrated to us; Qatadah informed us; I heard Anas (RA) say that the Prophet (SAW) said,

Allah did not send any prophet except that he warned his people against the one-eyed arch-liar. Indeed he is one-eyed while your Lord is not one-eyed, the word kafir (unbeliever) is written between his two eyes.

CHAPTER 18

The Saying of Allah, the Exalted,

“He is Allah, the Creator, the Originator, the Fashioner” [al-Hashr (59): 24]

38. Is`haq narrated to us; ‘Affan narrated to us; Wuhaib narrated to us; Musa – who is ibn ‘Uqbah – narrated to us; Muhammad bin Yahya bin Habban narrated to me; from ibn Muhayriz; from Abu Sa’id al-Khudri that

During the military expedition against Bani al-Mustaliq the [Muslims] took female captives and intended to have sexual relation with them, but without impregnating them. So they asked the Prophet about coitus interruptus. He said, ‘it would not harm you to refrain from it for Allah has written whom He is going to create until the Day of Resurrection.’

Mujahid said; from Qaza’a; I heard Abu Sa’id saying that the Prophet (SAW) said,

No soul is created except that Allah is its Creator.

CHAPTER 19

The Saying of Allah, the Exalted,

“to whom I have created with My Two Hands” [Sad (38): 75]

39. Mu’adh bin Fadalah narrated to me; Hisham narrated to us; from Qatadah; from Anas that the Prophet (SAW) said,

Allah will gather the believers on the Day of Resurrection for [the Judgement] and they will say, “let us ask someone to intercede for us with our Lord that He may relieve us from [the severity of] this place of ours.” They will then go to Adam and say, “O Adam! Do you not see the [state of] the people? Allah Created you with His Hand, ordered His angels to prostrate before you and taught you the names of all the things. Intercede for us with our Lord so that He may relieve us from [the severity of] this place of ours.” Adam will say, “I am not fit for this undertaking” and mention to them the mistakes he had committed. [Then he will say], “but go to Nuh for he was the first Messenger sent by Allah to the people of the earth.”

They will then go to Nuh [requesting the intercession but] he will reply, “I am not fit for this undertaking,” and mention the mistakes he had committed. [Then he will say], “but go to Ibrahim, Khalil ar-Rahman (The beloved friend of the Most Merciful).”

They will then go to Ibrahim [requesting the intercession but] he will reply, “I am not fit for this undertaking,” and mention to them the mistakes he had committed. [Then he will say], “but go to Musa, a servant to whom Allah bestowed the Torah and to whom He spoke directly.”

They will then go to Musa [requesting the intercession but he] will reply, “I am not fit for this undertaking,” and mention to them the mistakes he had committed. [Then he will say], “but go to Jesus, the servant of Allah, His Apostle, His Word and a soul [created by Him].”

They will then go to Jesus [requesting the intercession but he] will say, “I am not fit for this undertaking, but go to Muhammad (SAW) a servant whose sins of the past and the future have been forgiven.”

So they will come to me and I will ask the permission of my Lord, and I will be permitted [to present myself] before Him. When I see my Lord, I will fall down in prostration before Him and He will leave me [in the state of prostration] for as long as He wishes. Then it will be said to me, “O Muhammad! Rise and speak and you will be listened to; ask and you will be granted [your request]; intercede and your intercession will be accepted.” I will praise my Lord with certain praises that He taught me and then I will intercede. Allah will appoint for me those I can intercede for and I will admit them into Paradise.

I will then return and when I see my Lord [again], I will fall down in prostration before Him. He will leave me [in the state of prostration] for as long as He wishes. Then it will be said, “O Muhammad! Rise and speak and you will be listened to; ask and you will be granted [your request]; intercede and your intercession will be accepted.” I will then praise my Lord with certain praises that He taught me and then I will intercede. Allah will appoint for me those I can intercede for and I will admit them into Paradise.

I will then return again and when I see my Lord [again], I will fall down in prostration before Him. He will leave me [in the state of prostration] for as long as He wishes. Then it will be said, “O Muhammad! Rise and speak and you will be listened to; ask and you will be granted [your request]; intercede and your intercession will be accepted.” I will then praise my Lord with certain praises that He taught me and then I will intercede. Allah will appoint for me those I can intercede for and I will admit them into Paradise. Then I will return and say, “O my Lord! None remains in the Fire except those whom Qur’an has imprisoned therein and for whom eternity has become inevitable.”

The Prophet further said, “everyone who says ‘La ilaha illAllah,’ and has in his heart good equal to the weight of a barley grain will come out of the Fire. Then everyone who says ‘La ilaha illAllah,’ and has in his heart good equal to the weight of a wheat grain will come out of the Fire. Then everyone who says ‘La ilaha illAllah,’ and has in his heart good equal to the weight of an atom will come out of the Fire.”

40. Abu al-Yaman narrated to us; Shu’ayb informed us; Abu az-Zinad narrated to us; from al-A’raj; from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said

‘Allah’s Hand is full, and it is not diminished by the continuous spending, day and night.’ He also said, ‘do you see what He has spent since He created the Heavens and the Earth? Yet all that has not decreased what is in His Hand.’ He also said, ‘His Throne is over the water and in His other Hand is the scale by which He lowers [and humiliates] and elevates [and exalts].’

41. Muqaddam bin Muhammad narrated to us; my uncle, Qasim bin Yahya narrated to me; from ‘Ubaidullah; from Nafi’; from ibn ‘Umar (RA) that

The Messenger of Allah said, ‘on the Day of Resurrection, Allah will Grasp the earth and the Heavens will be in His Right Hand. Then He will say, “I am the King.” ‘

It is [also] reported by Sa’id from Malik.

42. ‘Umar bin Hamzah said; I heard Salim [saying]; I heard ibn ‘Umar report this from the Prophet (SAW).

Abu al-Yaman said; Shu’ayb informed us; from az-Zuhri; Abu Salamah informed me; that Abu Hurayrah said,

The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said, ‘Allah will Grasp the earth.’

43. Musaddad narrated to us; he heard Yahya bin Sa’id [report]; from Sa’id bin Sufyan; Mansur and Sulayman narrated to me; from Ibrahim; from ‘Ubaydah; from ‘Abdullah that

A Jew came to the Prophet (SAW) and said, ‘O Muhammad! Allah will hold the heavens on a Finger, the earths on a Finger, the mountains on a Finger, the trees on a Finger, and all the [remainder of] creation on a Finger, then He will say, “I am the King.” ‘ On hearing that the Messenger of Allah (SAW) smiled till his premolar teeth became visible and recited,

“They have not appraised Allah with true, deserving appraisal…” [az-Zumar (39): 67]

Yahya bin Sa’id said; Fudayl bin ‘Ayad added; from Mansur; from Ibrahim; from ‘Ubaydah; from ‘Abdullah,

The Messenger of Allah (SAW) smiled in order to express his wonder and affirmation at what was said.

44. ‘Umar bin Hafs bin Ghiyath narrated to us; my father narrated to us; al-A’mash narrated to us; I heard Ibrahim saying; I heard ‘Alqamah saying; ‘Abdullah said,

A man from the People of the Book came to the Prophet (SAW) and said, ‘O Abu al-Qasim! Indeed Allah will hold the heavens upon a Finger, the earths on a Finger, the trees and land on a Finger, and all the [remainder of] creation on a Finger. Then He will say, “I am the King! I am the King!” ‘

Thereupon I saw the Prophet smiling till his premolar teeth became visible and he recited,

“They have not appraised Allah with true, deserving appraisal…” [az-Zumar (39): 67]

Al-Adab al-Mufrad – by Imam Al-Bukhari – - A code For Everyday Living: The Example of the Early Muslims
Imam al-Bukhari is world-renowned for his major work, “al Jami’ al Sahih” (”Sahih al Bukhari”), but he has also produced a number of other works, including “Al-Adab al-Mufrad”, here translated into English. This book is a compilation of ahadith on Islamic morals and manners from various sources.

V. Looking after children

45. A child is a source of both honour and cowardice

84. ‘A’isha said, “Abu Bakr said, ‘By Allah, there is no man on the face of the earth that I love better than ‘Umar.’ Then he went out and came back and said, ‘How did I swear, daughter?’ I told him what he had said. Then he said, ‘He is dearer to me although one’s child is closer (to one’s heart).’”

85. Ibn Abi Nu’m said, “I was with Ibn ‘Umar when a man asked him about the blood of gnats. He asked, ‘Where are you from?’ ‘From the people of Iraq,’ he replied. He said, ‘Look at this man! He asks about the blood of gnats when they murdered the grandson of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace! I heard the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, ‘They are my sweet basil in this world.’”

46. Carrying a child on one’s shoulders

86. Al-Bara’ said, “I saw the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, when al-Hasan was on his shoulder. He was saying, ‘O Allah, I love him, so love him.’”

47. A child is a source of joy

87. Jubayr ibn Nufayr said, “One day we were sitting when al-Miqdad ibn al-Aswad when a man passed us. The man said, ‘Blessing be to those two eyes which saw the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. By Allah, I wish that I had seen what you have seen and witnessed what you have witnessed!’ This angered al-Miqdad and that surprised me as the man had said nothing but good things. Then he turned to them and said, ‘What made the man desire to summon back what Allah has taken away? Does he not realise what his situation would be if he had seen him? By Allah, if certain people had been with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, Allah would have thrown them on their faces into Hellfire since they would neither have answered nor confirmed him? Do you not praise Allah Almighty since He brought you forth and you only know your Lord and confirm what your Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, brought? You see enough affliction in other people. By Allah, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was sent in the harshest state in which any Prophet was ever sent – in a gap (in the line of prophethood) and the time of Ignorance. They did not believe that the deen was better than worshipping idols. He brought the Discrimination by which it is possible to discriminate between the true and false, and which can part a father from his child. Then a man will think of his father, child or brother as an unbeliever. Allah has loosened the locks of his heart by faith and he knows that the other person will be destroyed in the Fire. Therefore his eye is not cool since he knows that the one he loves will be in the Fire. It is what Allah says, “Those who say, ‘Our Lord, give us joy in our wives and children.” (25:74)’”

48. A person who makes supplication that his friend will have a lot of money and many children

88. Anas said, “One day I visited the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and there was only myself, my mother and my aunt, Umm Hiram. When he came to us, he asked us, ‘Shall I pray with you?’ It was not the time of an obligatory prayer.” One of those listening to the person relating this asked, “Where did he put in Anas in relation to him?” The reply was, “He put him to his right.” The report from Anas continues, “Then he prayed with us and made supplication for us, the people of the house, that we would have the best of the blessings of this world and the Next. My mother said, ‘Messenger of Allah, make supplication to Allah for your little servant,’ and he asked Allah to grant me every blessing. At the end of his supplication, he said, ‘O Allah, grant him a lot of money and many children and bless him!’”

49. Mothers are merciful

89. Anas ibn Malik said, “A woman came to ‘A’isha and ‘A’isha gave her three dates. She gave each of her two children a date and kept one date for herself. The children ate the two dates and then looked at their mother. She took her date and split in it two and gave each child half of it. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came and ‘A’isha told him about it. He said, ‘Are you surprised at that? Allah will show her mercy because of her mercy towards her child.’”

50. Kissing Children

90. ‘A’isha said, “A bedouin came to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and asked, “Do you kiss your children? We do not kiss them.’ The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, ‘Can I put mercy in your hearts after Allah has removed it from them?’”

91. Abu Hurayra said, “The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, kissed Hasan ibn ‘Ali while al-Aqra’ ibn Habis at-Tamimi was sitting with him. Al-Aqra’ observed, ‘I have ten children and I have kissed any of them.’ The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, looked at him and said, ‘Whoever does not show mercy will not be shown mercy.’”

51. The parent teaching adab and his duty towards his child

92. Numayr ibn Aws said, “They used to say, ‘Correct action is a gift from Allah, but adab comes from the parents.”

93. An-Nu’man ibn Bashir said that his father had carried him to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. He said, ‘Messenger of Allah, I testify to you that I have given an-Nu’man such-and-such. (It was a slave). The Prophet asked, “Have you given each of your children the same”?” “No,” he replied. He said, “Then testify to someone other than me.” Then the Prophet asked, “Do you not want to show equal kindness to all of them?” “Indeed I do,” he replied. He said, “Then do not do it.”

52. The dutifulness of a father to his child

94. Ibn ‘Umar said, “Allah has called them the ‘dutiful’ (al-Abrar) because they are dutiful (birr) to their parents and children. Just as you have a duty which you owe your parent, so you have a duty which you owe your child.”

53. Someone who does not show mercy will not be shown mercy

95. Abu Sa’id that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, ‘Someone who does not show mercy will not be shown mercy.”

96. Jarir ibn ‘Abdullah said, “The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, ‘Allah will not show mercy to someone who does not show mercy to people.”

97. Same as 97.

98. ‘A’isha said, “Some bedouins came to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. One of their men said to him, ‘Messenger of Allah, do you kiss children? By Allah, we do not kiss them.’ The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, ‘Can I put mercy in your hearts after Allah has removed it from them?’”

99. Abu ‘Uthman reported that ‘Umar wanted to appoint a man as governor. The governor said, “I have such-and-such a number of children and I have never kissed any of them.” ‘Umar said, “Allah Almighty will only show mercy to the kindest of His slaves.”

54. Mercy consists of a hundred parts

100. Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “Allah Almighty has divided mercy into one hundred parts. He kept ninety-nine parts and sent down one part to earth. Because of that one single part, creatures are merciful to one another so that even the mare will lift its hooves away from its foal so that it does not trample on it.”

And ath-Thahabee mentions from al-Muzanee that he said: “I knew that if anyone could rid me of a troubling concern about an issue of tawheed, it would be ash-Shaafi’ee. So I went to him while he was in a mosque in Egypt. When I kneeled in front of him, I said, ‘I am troubled about a certain issue of tawheed. I know that no one knows as much as you, so what do you say about this?’ ”

He became angry and said, ‘Do you know where you are?’

I said, ‘Yes.’

He said, ‘This is the place where Allaah drowned Pharoah. Has it reached you that the Messenger of Allaah was ordered to ask about that?’

I said, ‘No.’

He said, ‘Have the Companions spoken about it?’

I said, ‘No.’

He said, ‘Do you know how many stars are in the sky?’

I said, ‘No.’

He said, ‘So you don’t even know about one planet – its type or the time and place of its appearance and disappearance?’

I said, ‘No.’

He said, “So there is something from the creation that you see with your own eyes that you do not even know anything about, yet you speak about the Knowledge of the Creator?’ Then he asked me a question about ablution, and I erred in my response. So he explained it from four different angles (and asked me about them), and I was not correct in any of my responses. So he said, ‘So you leave alone the knowledge of something which you are in need of five times a day, and instead you burden yourself with the knowledge of the Creator? When this (kind of thing) comes to your mind, then remember the statement of Allaah the Exalted,

“And your God is One God; there is no true god besides Him. He is the Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy. Verily in the creation of the heavens and the earth…” [Surah Al-Baqarah 2:163-164]

So use the creation as a proof for (the Greatness of) the Creator, and do not burden yourself with what is beyond your understanding.” [Siyar A’laamin-Nubalaa‘ (10/31)]

Imâm Ahmad ibn Hanbal – rahimahullah – said:

You should know – may Allâh have mercy upon you – that when the slave [of Allâh] leaves his house to go to the mosque, that he is going to face Allâh, the Irresistible, the One, the Omnipotent, the Exalted in Might, the Oft-forgiving, in the knowledge that nothing is hidden from Allâh, wherever it might be, and that nothing is hidden from Allâh and that even something as small as a mustard seed is not concealed from Him, nor even something smaller, nor larger – in the seven earths or the seven heavens, in the seven seas or the lofty mountains, fixed and firm. And verily, the mosque to which he comes is one of the Houses of Allâh. He desires only Allâh and he sets out to one of Allâh’s Houses, which:

“Allâh has permitted to be raised to honour, for the celebration in them of His Name: In them He is glorified in the mornings and the evenings [over and over] by men whom neither traffic nor merchandise can divert from the practice of regular charity: Their [only] fear is for the Day when hearts and eyes will be transformed.” [Qur'ân 24:36-37]

So when anyone from amongst you sets out from his house (for the mosque) he should say quietly to himself words of remembrance [of Allâh] – words unconnected with the affairs and business of this world. He should set out calmly, somberly, for this is what the Prophet, sallAllâhu `alaihi wa sallam, ordered us to do; he should set out with (his heart full of) longing and desire [for Allâh's pleasure] and fear and apprehension [of Allâh's anger] and with humility and meekness towards Allâh. For the more humble, the more meek, the more submissive he is to Allâh, the more virtuous and righteous does he become in Salâh and the greater becomes his reward, and the more noble and nearer to Allâh becomes the worshipper. But should he be filled with pride, Allâh will destroy him and will reject his deeds, for the deeds of the proud are never accepted. It has been narrated in a hadîth concerning Prophet Ibrahîm, `alaihis salam, Allâh’s Khalîl, that he spent the night in worship and remembrance of Allâh, and in the morning, he was pleased with the night’s worship and he said: “How Good is the Rabb (Lord), and how good is the slave, Ibrahîm (`alaihis salam).” On the following day, finding none to share his food with him – and he loved to share his food – he took his food outside to the road and sat, waiting for any passerby to eat with him. then two angels descended from the heavens and approached him.

So he invited them to eat with him and they accepted. Then Ibrahîm `alaihis salam suggested that they approach a nearby garden which contained a fresh water spring. They agreed to this and approached the garden, only to find that the spring had run underground, so there was no water. This was a severe blow to Ibrahîm, `alaihis salam, and he was embarrassed by what he had said (because there was no spring in evidence) and so the angels said to him: “Ask your Rabb to return the spring.” He did so, but the spring did not appear, and this was a great blow to him and so he said to the angels: ” You ask Allâh.” So one of them asked Him, and behold! The water returned, then the other supplicated Allâh and the water flowed near to them. Then they informed him that his being impressed by his own standing in prayer the previous night had caused his supplication to be rejected. So beware – may Allâh have mercy on you – of pride, for no deed will be accepted if it is accompanied by pride. Be humble in your Salâh. Should any of you stand in Salâh before his Rabb, he should know Allâh, in his heart by the great blessings which He bestows upon him and the Abûndant favour which He grants him, for Allâh has honoured him with great goodness, but he has saddled himself with sins. Therefore it is incumbent upon him to be excessive in his humility and meekness towards Allâh.

It is reported from Abû ad-Darda that he said, “That may face be covered in dust for my Rabb (is most loved by me), – for that is the best kind of worship for Allâh.” So let none of you fear the dust, nor find it distasteful to make sujud in it, for there is no doubt that every one of you comes from it (i.e. mankind was created from dust). Nor should any of you fear an excess of it, for verily, it is by this means that one attempts to attain freedom from slavery and salvation from the Hellfire – a fire before which the fixed lofty mountains which were placed as pegs (holding the earth) could not stand, nor the seven strong heavens, built one above another, which are placed as a well graded canopy over us, nor the earth, which was placed as a dwelling for us, nor the seven seas, of which none knows their depths or their size except the One Who created them. Then what about us, with our feeble bodies, our delicate bones, our flimsy skin? We seek refuge with Allâh from the Fire!

So should any of you stand in Salâh – may Allâh have mercy on you – then let him be as if he sees Allâh before him, for though he may not see Allâh, verily, Allâh sees him. It is narrated in a hadîth that Allâh’s Messenger, sallAllâhu `alaihi wa sallam, advised a man, saying:

“Fear Allâh as though you see Him, for verily, though you may not see Him, He sees you.” [Something similar to this wording is quoted in the hadîth in which the Prophet, sallAllâhu `alaihi wa sallam spoke to Jibrîl, `alaihis salam, informing him about the meaning of ihsan, as reported by Bukhârî and Muslim.]

This then, is the advice of the Prophet, sallAllâhu `alaihi wa sallam, to the slave in all his affairs, so what about when he performs Salâh, when he stands before Allâh, in a particular place, a sacred place, desiring Allâh and turning his face towards Him? Does not his standing, his situation in Salâh merit the same ihsan as all his affairs? It says in a hadith:

“Verily, the slave, when he starts his Salâh, should turn his face to Allâh, and he should not turn it away from Him until he leaves or turns to right and left.” [That is, when he makes taslim at the end of the prayer.] (Narrated by Ahmad, Abû Dawud and an-Nasa’i).

It is also narrated in a hadith:

“Verily, the slave, as long as he is in Salâh, possesses three qualities: Blessings are showered upon his head from the heavens above, the angels sit around him, from his feet to the heavens and a caller says:’If the slave knew the One Who hears his whispered utterances, he would never leave his Salâh’” [This narration was mentioned by Muhammad ibn Nasr al-Mirwazi in Kitâb as-Salâh from the hadîth of Al-Hasan Al-Basri in a mursal form (an incomplete chain of narrations, in which no Companion is mentioned).

Allâh showers His Mercy upon the worshipper who approaches prayer in a state of humility and meekness towards Allâh, in fear and supplicating Him with desire (for His Pleasure), and in hope (of His Mercy), making Salâh to his Rabb, his most important consideration, dedicating his whispered utterances to Him and his standing erect in worship and his ruku` and his sujud, poring out his heart and his feelings and struggling to perfect his acts of worship, for he knows not whether he will perform another prayer after it, or whether he will be overtaken (by death) before he can perform Salâh again. He stands before his Rabb, earnestly, with deep feelings, hoping for its acceptance and fearing its rejection, for verily, its acceptance is a cause for joy, while its rejection is a cause for misery and wretchedness. Nothing could be more important to you - O my brother - in this Salâh, or indeed in any of your actions [i.e. that Allâh should accept them]. What is more deserving of your distress and misery, your fear – indeed your terror – you know not whether your Salâh will find favour with Allâh at all, nor whether any of your good deeds will be accepted.

Do you know if your sins will be forgiven at all? After all this, you have no assurance that you will be spared from it (i.e. the punishment of the Hellfire). So who is more deserving of your tears and sadness [than Allâh] – that He may accept from you (your deeds)? In addition to this, you know not whether or not you will awaken in the morning, nor if you will still be here in the evening – will you be given the good news of Paradise, or the bad news of the Hellfire? I only desire to warn you – O my brother – of this terrible danger. It is not fitting that you should be happy because of your family, your wealth or your children. It is a most amazing thing that you should continue to be unmindful, chasing after vain desires, wasting your time in disregard of this most important matter, for you are being driven at a fierce pace (towards death) day and night, hour by hour, like the blink of an eye. You should expect – O my brother – that your time may come at any moment and do not be unmindful of this great danger which may visit you. Most assuredly, you must (eventually) taste death.

Your time may come in the morning or in the evening. You will be separated from all that you possessed – either (to be rewarded with) Paradise or (to be punished in) the Hellfire. Descriptions and stories of them (have become) superfluous. Have you not heard – O my brother the words of the pious slave:
“I am amazed concerning the Hellfire – how does the one who could flee from it sleep? And I am amazed concerning the Jannah – how does the one who desires it sleep? For by Allâh! If you neither desire Paradise, nor fear the Hellfire, then you are destroyed and grievous will be your sorrow, interminable your sadness and without limit your tears; you will be amongst the wretched, the punished ones. So if you claim that you are amongst those who seek refuge from the Fire and desire Paradise, then strive for that which you seek and do not be misled by your worldly desires.”

Chapter 1: Sincerity
Sincerity is the freeing of one’s intentions from all impurities in order to come nearer to Allah. It is to ensure that the intentions behind all acts of worship and obedience to Allah are exclusively for His pleasure. It is the perpetual contemplation of the Creator, to the extent that one forgets the creation.

Sincerity is a condition for Allah’s acceptance of good deeds performed in accordance with the sunnah of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Allah has commanded this in the Qur’an:

“And they have been commanded to worship only Allah, being sincere towards Him in their deen and true. “[98:5]

Abu Umama has related that a man once came to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and said,

“What of a man who joined us in the fighting, his intention being for fame and booty?” The Prophet said, “He recieves nothing.” The man repeated the question three times and each time the Prophet said, “He receives nothing”. Then he said, “Allah only accepts actions that are intended purely for His pleasure.”[1]

Abu Sa’id al-Khudri related that the Prophet (saw) said in his khutba during the farewell pilgrimage,

“Allah will bless whoever hears these words and whoever understands them, for it may be that those who pass on this knowledge are not those who will understand it the best. There are three things concerning which the heart of a believer should feel no enmity or malice: devoting one’s actions to Allah, giving counsel to the Imams of the Muslims, and being loyal to the majority.”[2]

What is meant here is that these three things strengthen the heart, and whoever distinguishes himself in them will have a heart purified from all manner of deceit, corruption and evil.

A servant can only free himself from shaytaan through sincere devotion, for Allah tells us in the Quran that Iblis said to Him:

“Except those of Your servants who are sincere. “ [38:83]

It has been related that a righteous man used to say,

“O self, be devout and you will be pure.”

When any wordly fortune, in which the self finds comfort and towards which the heart inclines, intrudes upon our worship, then it impairs the purity of our efforts and ruins our sincerity. Man is preoccupied with his good fortune and immersed in his desires and appetites; rarely are his actions or acts of worship free of temporary objectives and desires of this kind. For this reason it has been said that whoever secures a single moment of pure devotion to Allah in his life will survive, for devotion is rare and precious, and cleansing the heart of its impurities is an exacting undertaking.

In fact, devotion is the purifying of the heart from all impurities, whether few or many, so that the intention of drawing nearer to Allah is freed from all other motives, except that of seeking His pleasure. This can only come from a lover of Allah, who is so absorbed in contemplation of the next world that there remains in his heart no place for the love of this world. Such a person must be devote and pure in all his actions, even in eating, drinking and answering the calls of nature. With rare exceptions, anyone who is not like this will find the door of devotion closed in his face.

The everyday actions of a person who is overwhelmed by his or her love for Allah and the akhira are characterised by his love and they are, in fact, pure devotion. In the same way, anyone whose soul is overwhelmed by love for and preoccupation with this world, or status and authority, will be so overwhelmed by these things that no act of worship, be it prayer or fasting, will be acceptable, except in very rare cases.

The remedy for love of this world is to break the worldly desires of the self, ending its greed for this world and purifying it in preparation for the next world. This will then become the state of the heart and sincere devotion will become easier to attain. There are a great many actions where a man acts, thinking they are purely intended for Allah’s pleasure, but he is deluded, for he fails to see the defects in them.

It has been related that a man was used to praying in the first row in the mosque. One day he was late for the prayer, so he prayed in the second row. Feeling embarrassment when people saw him in the second row, he realised that the pleasure and satisfaction of the heart that he used to gain from praying in the first row were due to his seeing people seeing him there and admiring him for it. This is a subtle and intangible condition and actions are rarely safe from it. Apart from those whom Allah has assisted, few are aware of such delicate matters. Those who do not realise it only come to see their good deeds appearing as bad ones on the Day of Resurrection; they are the ones referred to in Allah’s words:

“And something will come to them from Allah which they had never anticipated, for the evil of their deeds will become apparent to them.” [39:47-48]

“Say: Shall We tell you who will lose most in respect of their deeds? Those whose efforts were astray in the life of this world, while they thought that they were doing good works. “ [18:103-104]

Yaqub said:

“A devout person is someone who conceals things that are good, in the same way that he conceals things that are bad.”

As-Sousi said:

“True devotion is to lose the faculty of being conscious of your devotion; for someone who identifies devotion in his devotion is a person whose devotion is in need of devotion.”

To contemplate devotion is to admire it, and admiration is an affliction; and that which is pure is whatever is free of all afflictions. This means that one’s deeds should be purified from any self-admiration concerning the actions they entail.

Ayyub said:

“It is much harder for the people of action to purify their intentions than it is to execute any of their actions.”

Some people have said:

“To be devout for a short while is to survive for ever, but devotion is rare.”

Suhail was asked:

“What is the most difficult thing for the self?” He said: “Devotion, when the self does not have the good fortune of being endowed with it.”

Al-Fudayl said:

“Forsaking action for the sake of other people is to seek their admiration. To act for the sake of their admiration is to associate others with Allah. Devotion is when Allah frees you from both of these states.”

Footnotes
[1] Sahih, an-Nisa’i, Kitab al-Jihad, 6/25; al Hafidh ibn Hajar, Fath al-Qadir, 6/28.
[2] Sahih, Ibn Ma’jah; also Ibn Hibban, Marwarid adh-Dham’an, p.47, on the authority of Zaid ibn Thabit.

Born in Australia, Sydney, Feiz Muhammad travelled to Medinah seeking knowledge from several Scholars of Islam. After having spent 4 years studying in the Islamic University of Medinah, Sheikh Feiz travelled back to Sydney to live his dream – to call to the path of Allah. His unique style of speech attracts a wide range of listeners, and is very beneficial and interesting to listen to. At current, he is completing his Doctorate degree in Islamic Law in Malaysia, and we ask Allah (swt) to accept all of his work.

Sheikh Feiz explains the etiquettes of the true Islamic Hijaab. Allah says, ?And tell the believing women to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts and not expose their adornment except that which [necessarily] appears thereof and to wrap [a portion of] their headcovers over their chests and not expose their adornment? [24: 31]

• Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

The second lecture at the 2009 Islamic Awakening Conference , hosted by PureIslam. Shaikh Feiz Muhammad draws parallels between the noble examples of the giants of Islam and the challenge that lays ahead for the Ummah. Sound advice with a strong dose of reality.

• Download