Have You Abandoned the Qur’an? Ibn Qayyim

Allah says in the Quran: "And the Messenger will say: '“O my Lord! My people have abandoned this Qur’an!”' [25:30]    

The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: ‘Indeed, God elevates a people by this Book and debases others by it.’ [Muslim, no.817]

This hadith probably goes some way in explaining why Muslims – and what is still referred to as Muslim world – are in the plight and predicament they are in.

 In his work on miscellaneous spiritual benefits, al-Fawa’id, Imam Ibn al-Qayyim (d.751H/1350CE) describes five ways in which the Qur’an may be ignored, neglected and even deserted! Only by being aware of these ways can we offer a candid response to: Have we parted company with the Qur’an?

Abandoning the Qur’an is of various types:

Firstly, refusing to listen to it and believe in it or to pay any heed to it.

Secondly, ceasing to act on it and abide by what it declares as lawful or unlawful, even if one reads it and believes in it.

Thirdly, to abandon judging by it and being judged by it, whether in the fundamentals of the faith or in its branches; and to believe that it does not beget certainty or that its textual wordings do not beget sure knowledge.

Fourthly, neglecting to ponder over it or comprehend it; not seeking to uncover what the Speaker intended by it.

Fifthly, to abandon seeking a cure or healing through it in respect to the diseases of the heart and its maladies, but rather to seek healing for such illnesses from other than it.

All of this is included in Allah’s words: And the Messenger will say: “O my Lord! My people have abandoned this Qur’an!” [25:30] This being the case, even though certain forms of abandonment are more detestable than others.’1

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1. Al-Fawa’id (Makkah: Dar ‘Alam al-Fawa’id, 2008), 118.

Taken with slight modifications from http://thehumblei.com/2012/10/21/have-you-parted-company-with-the-quran/

What is 'Qalb-e-Saleem' (A Pure-Heart)? An Explanation:

Explanation of the Quranic word 'Qalb-e-Saleem' by various Imams:

Allah says in the Quran, “The day when wealth and children will not benefit anyone except he who will come to Allah with a Qalb-e-Saleem.” (Surah Shu’ara 26, Aayah 88-89).

Our beloved Nabi Muhammad (SAWS) used to say in his Du’aa: “O Allah! I ask you for a Qalb-e-Saleem.” (Tirmidhi: On the authority of Shaddad bin Aws.) 

Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) says:

ألا وإنّ في الجَسَدِ مُضْغَةً إذا صَلَحَتْ صَلَحَ الجَسدُ كُلُّهُ وإذا فَسَدَتْ فَسَدَ الجَسَدُ كُلُّهُ ألا وهْيَ القَلبُ

 “ Indeed there is a piece of flesh in the body (the heart) when that stays right, the whole body stays right, when that goes astray, the whole body goes astray! Listen carefully, that is the Qalb” (Bukhâri)

 'Saleem' is a word derived from 'Salaamat'. It is a broad term but we can translate it as 'safe and sound'.

The 'Qalb e Saleem' means that all the qualities (latent or manifest) that have been given to it, are not wasted. The immense potential, which Allah Ta’ala has bestowed to the human Qalb is intact and well used and not disused. 

It was already mentioned that man has been selected for expression of all the Attributes of Allah Ta’ala. Man's Qalb is designed to accommodate the faculties of quite different and opposing nature, as man is a mixture of opposites. 

If each faculty of Qalb remains in its right proportion and limits and each does its job in a just manner, it can be called as 'Saleem' (safe, sound and healthy). What is safe, is sound and healthy as well. If it is not safe, it is not sound and healthy i.e., it is diseased. 

When it is diseased, it stops doing its function. It is the king of all parts of the body and when the king becomes defunct one can imagine the fate of the nation (the man). 

Mentioned below are the different ways in which the Imams and Ulema (scholars) of the Salaf (early Muslims) have interpreted and explained the phrase 'Qalb-e-Saleem':

 1. Abdullah bin Abbas, Mujaahid, Qataadah, Ibn Sireen and many others (R.A.A.) are of the opinion that Qalb-e-Saleem is a heart that is absolutely free from Kufr (disbelief) and Nifaaq (hypocrisy). 

Ibn Sirin said, "The clean heart knows that Allah is true, that the Hour will undoubtedly come and that Allah will resurrect those who are in the graves.'' [Ruh-ul-Ma’aani, Ibn Katheer, etc.]

 2. It is heart that is free from Kibr (pride), Hasad (jealousy) and Hiqd (hatred). In the words of Qurtubi (R.A.A.) it is a Khaalis (sincere) heart. This opinion is supported by the following:
 i.) Rasoolullah (SAWS) said: “None of you can (truly) believe until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.” (Bukhari, Muslim)

 ii.) He  (SAWS)  also said: “A group of people will enter Jannah – their hearts are like the hearts of the birds.” (Muslim)

 iii.) Anas bin Maalik (R.A.) used to say that: “Most of the dwellers of Jannah are AL-Bulh.” According to one interpretation Al-Bulh are people who have clean hearts and who always entertain good thoughts regarding others (Qurtubi). Sa`id bin Al-Musayyib said, "The clean heart is the sound heart.''

 3. It is the heart which, due to extreme love for Allah and His Rasool  (SAWS) , leads to total obedience to Allah and his Rasool  (SAWS) . This opinion is supported by the following:

 i.) Rasoolullah  (SAWS)  said: “…. There is a piece of flesh in the body; if it is good, the whole body is good. And if it is bad, the whole body is bad. Listen! That piece of flesh is the heart.” (Bukhari, Muslim)

 ii.) The Salaf (pious predecessors) used to say: “The heart is the king of the limbs and the rest of the limbs are its soldiers; they always obey him by implementing his instructions and they never disobey him in any regard. (Remember) when the king is pious, his soldiers will also be pious. Similarly, when the king is sinful, his soldiers will also be sinful.” (Jaami-ul-Uloom wal-Hikam by Ibn Rajab Hanbali)

 iii.) According to one interpretation the statement of Anas (RA) that: “Most of the dwellers of Jannah are Al-Bulh” refers to people who “don’t know sin”. (Qurtubi)

 4. Sa’eed bin Musayyab (RA) explains that the Arabs very often used the word 'Saleem' in the meaning of 'Ladeegh' (one who was bitten by a snake or scorpion) and this is exactly the case in the phrase Qalb-e-Saleem. (Ruh-ul-Ma’aani, etc). 

Thus Qalb-e-Saleem is the heart which, due to extreme fear for Allah, is like the heart of a person who has just been bitten by a scorpion. (Qurtubi). In the words of Abu Bakr ibn-ul-Arabi (R.A.A.) it is a heart that is “burnt and stung with fear (for Allah)" [Ahkaam-ul-Qur’an]. 

Some commentators of Hadith claim that the group of people who will enter Jannah because “their hearts are like the hearts of the birds” (Muslim) refer to people whose hearts are overwhelmed with fear for Allah.

It is our duty to make an effort to inculcate this Qalb-e-Saleem. May Allah guide us all to make such an effort and may He bless us all with the Qalb-e-Saleem. Aameen


More on 'Qalb-e-Saleem': 

http://tazkiyatips.blogspot.com/2012/02/what-is-qalb-part-4-qalb-e-saleem.html
and
http://tazkiyatips.blogspot.com/2012/02/polishing-hearts-by-imam-ibn-qayyim-al.html

Detailed article on importance of "Qalb" (heart) in Islamic spirituality:
http://tazkiyatips.blogspot.com/2012/02/what-is-qalb-heart-by-dr-rafiq-ahmed.html

The Salaf's (pious predecessors) worship In Ramadan

"Ramadan is the (month) in which was sent down the Quran" [Al-Quran, 2:185]

The Methodology of Pleasing Allah The righteous predecessors used to worship Allah like someone who works hard to appease an annoyed beloved. If a house servant erred gravely and was caught, he would beg forgiveness from his master and vow to be more careful in the future. Such was their worship. Our attitude needs to be the same in this blessed month. We must acknowledge and understand the gravity of our sins, be ashamed in front of Allah, beg forgiveness, and vow righteousness in the future. Peace and Rest The noble elders would sacrifice their rest during this month for the sake of worship, and we need to follow their example. If we sleep and awaken according to our own will eleven months out of the year, then surely we can sacrifice our sleep and rest for the blessed month of Ramadan. Below are given some examples from the lives of the pious Salaf (predecessors) of their devotion to the Quran in Ramadhan. Some of the Salaf would complete reciting the whole Quran during the night prayer of Ramadan every 3 days, others every 7 days e.g Qataadah, others in 10 days e.g. Abu Rajaa' al-Atardi. The Salaf would recite Quran in Ramadan in Prayer as well as outside it.  Ibrahim an-Nakh'I would do likewise in the last 10 nights specifically, & every 3 nights during the rest of the month. Qataadah would regularly finish the Quran in 7 days, but in 3 days during Ramadan, when he would study the Quran especially, and every night during its last 10 days.  Al-Zuhri would say when Ramadan began, 'It is recitation of the Quran and feeding of people.' During the holy month Ramadan, Imam Abu Hanifa (May the mercy of Allah be upon him) would complete one reading of the Holy Quran in the morning, a second in the evening, and would listen to three complete recitals of the Holy Book in tarawih  for a total of sixty-three completions during the month. (see for details: Imam Al Kardari's 'Manaqib Al-imam Abu Hanifa') When Ramadan began, Imam Malik would cease narrating Hadith and sitting with the people of knowledge, and stick to reciting the Quran from its pages, while Sufyan al-Thawri would leave other acts of worship and stick to reciting the Quran. Zayd al-Yaami would bring copies of the Quran when Ramadan began and gather his companions around him. ... It is reported that Al-Aswad [b. Yazîd Al-Nakha’î] used to complete the recitation of the Quran in Ramadan every two nights; sleeping between al-maghrib and al-‘ishâ. Outside of Ramadân, he used to complete a recitation every six nights. Abû Nu’aym, Hilyatu Al-Awliyâ` 1:250. It is related from Al-Rabî’ b. Sulaymân that Imam “Muhammad b. Idrîs Al-Shâfi’î (Imam Shafi) used to complete reciting the Quran in the month of Ramadan sixty times, all in the prayer.” Ibid. 4:107 It is reported that Abul-Ash-hab said, “Abû Al-Rajâ` [Al-Atârudî] would complete with us a recitation of the Quran in the night prayers of Ramadan every ten days.” Ibid. 1:348 It is reported that Qatâdah used to complete a recitation of the Quran once every seven nights, and when Ramadan came, once every three nights. During the last ten nights, he would complete a recitation every night. Ibid. 1:364 It is reported that Imam Al-Bukhârî used to complete a recitation [of the Quran] once in the day time in Ramadan, and would pray after Tarâwîh every night, completing another recitation every three nights. (Totally more than forty in the month). Al-Dhahabî, Siyar A’lâm Al-Nubalâ` 12:439 Notes After mentioning some similar examples from the Salaf, Imam Ibn Rajab says in Latâ`if Al-Ma’ârif, p319: "The prohibition of reciting the Quran in less than three days [found in some ahadith] refers to doing so regularly [throughout the year]. As for virtuous times, like Ramadan – especially the nights in which it is hoped Laylatu Al-Qadr will occur – or virtuous places, like Makkah – for those who enter it and are not residents there, then it is recommended to increase in reciting the Quran, making the most of the time and the place. This is the position of [Imam] Ahmad, Ishâq [ibn Râhûyah] and other Imams, and the practice of others [from the Salaf] indicates [they held the same position]." May Allah remove our Laziness Shaykh Zulfiqar Ahmed D.B. says:  "We will be terribly ashamed on the Day of Judgment when the righteous predecessors present worthy deeds in front of Allah. At that time, we will wish that we had enormous number of fasts and recitations of the Holy Quran to present to Allah, had we not been lazy during Ramadan. If we are lazy and unable to conquer our nafs eleven months out of the year, we should be able to say to Allah that there was one month in which we tried our utmost to worship and win Allah’s favor. Please accept O Lord, These flowers that I have picked for You -Based on Ibn Rajab's "Lata'if Al-Maarif", Abû Nu’aym's Hilyatu Al-Awliyâ and other sources