Watch Your Tongue January 21, 2007
Posted by aMuslimForLife in Hadith, Tasawwuf/Sufism.4 comments
Watch Your Tongue
Prophet (sallahu alayhi wa salaam) said to Muadh Ibn Jabal, “Shall I not tell you of what controls all that?’ I said: ‘Yes, O Messenger of Allah.’ So he took a hold of his tongue, and said: ‘Restrain this!’ (ie hold your tongue) I said: ‘O Prophet of Allah, will we be held accountable for what we say?’ He, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: “May your mother be bereaved of you, O Mu’adh! Is there anything that causes people to be dragged on their faces – or he said – on their noses into Hellfire other than the harvests of their tongues?’” (Al-Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah and Ahmad- Sahih) (1)
My Thoughts:
This hadith is so important because it evolves around the issue of one’s speech. Learning how to properly control one’s speech is very difficult to implement because of how often we speak. The hadith above expresses the importance of learning how to control one’s speech. The number one thing that leads people to hell fire is one’s speech.
Sahl Ibn Sa’ad reported that Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: “Whoever can guarantee for me (that he will guard) what is between his jaws (tongue) and what is between his legs (private parts), I will guarantee for him Paradise.” (Bukhari)
So what is the sunnah regarding one’s speech? The sunnah of Prophet (sallahu alayhi wa salam) regarding speech is based on the following hadith.
Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: “Whosoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him say what is good or remain silent.” (Bukhari)
The default of one’s speech is that one remains silent and one does not speak unless one is sure that his speech will be good. If one is unsure if it will be good or bad than one remains silent. So the sunnah is that one remains silent until one is sure.
Some of the sins related to one’s tongue:
1) ghiba: (Backbiting)
2) namima: (Gossiping)
3) suma (showing off (riya) with speech)
4) iftikhar (boasting to others, making claims)
5) kadhib (lying)
6) khawd fi al-batil (mentioning the useless or immoral)
And Allah knows best.
(1) The Complete Hadith:
Mu’adh Ibn Jabal reported: “I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah! Tell me of an act that will take me to Paradise and keep me away from the Hellfire.’ He said:
‘You have asked me about a major matter. But it is easy for he whom Allah, may He be Exalted, makes it easy for. You must worship Allah, associating nothing with him. You must perform the prayers and pay the Zakat. You must fast in Ramadan and perform the Hajj to the House (Ka’bah).’ Then he, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: ‘Shall I not show you the gates of goodness? Fasting is a shield; charity extinguishes sin as water extinguishes fire; and (so does) the praying of a man in the depths of the night.’ Then he, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, recited: ‘(Those) who forsake their beds to cry unto their Lord in fear and hope, and spend of what We have bestowed upon them. No soul knows what is kept hidden for them of joy, as a reward for what they used to do.’ [Surah As-Sajdah: 16] Then he, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: ‘Shall I not tell you of the peak of the matter, its pillar and its uppermost part?’ I said: ‘Yes, O Messenger of Allaah!’ He said: ‘The peak of the matter is Islam. The pillar is prayer and its uppermost part is Jihad.Shall I not tell you of what controls all that?’ I said: ‘Yes, O Messenger of Allah.’ So he took a hold of his tongue, and said: ‘Restrain this!’ I said: ‘O Prophet of Allah, will we be held accountable for what we say?’ He, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: “May your mother be bereaved of you, O Mu’adh! Is there anything that causes people to be dragged on their faces – or he said – on their noses into Hellfire other than the harvests of their tongues?’” (Al-Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah and Ahmad- Sahih)
Knowledge has its priority December 21, 2006
Posted by aMuslimForLife in Aqidah, Fiqh, Knowledge, Tasawwuf/Sufism, Traditional Islam.10 comments
Knowledge has its priority, the highest being aqidah, then fiqh and then tasawwuf.
Aqidah is to understand Allah, His Messenger and the Unseen. One does this by studying one of the Islamic texts on Aqidah from either the Ashari, Maturidi, and Athari (not Salafi) schools of Aqidah. A recognized Ashari text in Aqidah to study is Jawharat Tawhid by Imam Ibrahim Laqani. A recognized Maturidi text in Aqidah to study is Aqidah Nasafi by Imam Nasafi. A recognized Athari text in Aqidah to study is Aqidah Tahawi by Imam Tahawi.
Aqidah texts you want to avoid, the The Sharh of Imam Tahawi by Ibn Abu Al Izz, any text on Aqidah by Ibn Taymiyyah, Ibn Uthaymeen, Bin Baz and the likes.
Fiqh is to understand the rulings of the Shariah. One does this by studying one of the Islamic text of fiqh from either the Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi or Hanbali schools of fiqh,
Tasawwuf is the science of how to put the rulings of the Shariah into practice with sincerity. One can do this by taking one of the valid tariqas of Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamaah, the Shadhili, Naqshabandis, Qadiris and the likes, or if one is able to find an upright shaykh to teach him how to purify his heart and to do his acts of worship with sincerity.
The vehicles needed to know and understand this properly is to first have a living shaykh teach you these sciences.
The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said,
“Truly, Allah does not remove Sacred Knowedge by taking it out of servants, but rather by taking back the souls of Islamic scholars [in death], until, when He has not left a single scholar, the people take the ignorant as leaders, who are asked for and who give Islamic legal opinion without knowledge, misguided and misguiding” (Al Bukhari- Sahih)
If one is unable to find a living shaykh to teach them, then one can learn these sciences online through website like Sunnipath at www.sunnipath.com or Zam Zam Academy at http://www.zamzamacademy.com/ Zaytuna Institute also has a distance learning program at www.zaytuna.org .
If for some reason one is unable to access these website for whatever reason, then one must find a reliable book to study from, such as the Reliance of the Traveler by Ahmad Al Misri translated by Nuh Keller, and there are other resources available.
And Allah knows best.
Preferring the Afterlife over This Worldly Life August 22, 2006
Posted by aMuslimForLife in Hadith, Tasawwuf/Sufism.add a comment
In the Name of Allah the Beneficent the Merciful
Abu Ya’la Shaddad ibn Aws reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “The intelligent man is the one who takes himself to account and works for what will come after death. The stupid man is the one who follows his own whims and hopes that his desires will be gratified by Allah.” [at-Tirmidhi]
At-Tirmidhi and other scholars said that “dâna nafsahu” (subjugates himself) means to make it answerable.
My Thoughts:
True Intelligence is having realization that the afterlife is more important then this life. It is to realize that this life is only a means to the end. It is to realize that this life is just a bridge to the next life. And only the stupid man stops on the bridge and builds his house there. It does not mean one has to be miserable on the bridge, but one needs to realize this life should not be one’s goal. The bridge is there to help one get to the other side and one should use the bridge as such. The bridge may appear to be long but “He (Allah) is with you wherever you are.” (57:4)
One takes himself to account by being mindful of Allah, by following the Quran and Sunnah. By fulfilling the rights of Allah and the rights of His creation. One takes himself to account by preferring the afterlife over his whims and desire. One takes himself to account by looking at the bigger picture. By preferring the best over that which is ok.
There are two things that are permissible, for example having a car, one has the money to by a Mercedes, however he knows there is a brother who is in need of money. Well the Mercedes is nicer and probably more reliable than a cheaper car, it is wiser for him to buy a Honda, a reliable car, and use the rest of the money to help out his brother. In this way he prefers the pleasure of Allah and the pleasure he will attain in Jannah over the pleasure he would have attain in this world.
The intelligent man seeks Allah, while the fool seek this life and hopes that Allah will fulfill his vain desire of this world without taking himself to account. By taking the haraam and makroh out of one’s life in order to gain the pleasure of Allah.
It is Allah alone who give success. And we ask Allah to give us success. Amin.
