The Spiritual Purpose of Muslim conquests:

The effect which Islam exerted on the education of its followers in the first period of Islam by the purification of their souls, polishing of their minds, the sincerity of their beliefs and actions and sincere love and well wishing for the mankind ensured that their participation in the military campaigns against other lands was not primarily motivated by any worldly ambition. 

Rather, it was the compelling desire to propagate Islam, to enable it to take firm root in these lands and to organize and administer the newly-conquered territories. 

It was the wish to solve the various problems of these lands, and any new problems which might arise, in accordance with the true teachings of Islam. 

The Muslims were not motivated by any desire to dominate those peoples or to acquire their wealth, nor were they attempting to escape from the hardship of life in the desert, as has been maintained by the Orientalists.

Mission of Muslims is to liberate all of Humanity:

نحن قوم ابتعثنا الله لنخرج العباد من عبادة العباد إلى عبادة رب العباد، ومن ضيق الدنيا إلى سعة الآخرة، ومن جور الأديان إلى عدل الإِسلام

Al Tabari narrated that just before the start of the important battle of Qadisiyya, Rabi` ibn `Amir رضي الله ﺗﻌﺎﻟﯽٰ عنه  entered the court of Rustum, the Persian commander, who asked him: “What brought you here?”

Rabi` رضي الله ﺗﻌﺎﻟﯽٰ عنه  said: “God sent us, and He brought us here in order to lead whom He wills from the worship of man to the worship of God alone; from the narrowness and oppression of this world to the vastness and abundance of the hereafter; and from the injustice of other religions to the justice of Islam.”

What Rabi` ibn `Amir, رضي الله ﺗﻌﺎﻟﯽٰ عنه  the representative of the Muslims, said to the Persians was not only the expression of his personal feelings. Rather, it voiced the thought which was predominant among the Muslim leadership and most of the Mujahidin. 

This does not exclude the possibility that some of the Bedouin who had participated in the military expeditions had been attracted by the prospects of material gains and booty, in addition to the desire for jihad; but these Bedouin did not represent either the leadership of the movement or its motivating spirit and were only a small minority in the Muslim armies. 

Adapted from 'Madinan Society at the Time of the Prophet' by Dr Akram umari 

Save your Soul, each day!

Spiritual SOS (Save our Souls):

On the authority of Abu Malik Al-Harith bin Asim Al-Ashari said that the messenger of Allah ﺻﻠﯽ الله ﺗﻌﺎﻟﯽٰ ﻋﻠﯿﮧ ﻭﺍٓﻟﮧ ﻭﺳﻠﻢ  said: 

-"Purity is half of faith. 

-Alhamdu lillah الحمد لله  [Praise be to Allah] fills the scales (of deeds), and 

-Subhana Allah سبحان الله  [How far is Allah from every imperfection] and alhamdu lillah الحمد لله  [Praise be to Allah] fill that which is between heaven and earth. 

-Prayer is light; 

-charity is a proof; 

-patience is illumination; and 

-the Quran is an argument for or against you. 

-Everyone starts his day and is a vendor of his soul, either freeing it or bringing about its ruin." 

-Related by Muslim.

The worshippers are like warriors -Hadith:

 The worshippers are like warriors -Hadith:

Abu Huraira رضي الله ﺗﻌﺎﻟﯽٰ عنه 

narrated that Allah's Messenger ﺻﻠﯽ الله ﺗﻌﺎﻟﯽٰ ﻋﻠﯿﮧ ﻭﺍٓﻟﮧ ﻭﺳﻠﻢ  said, 

"Shall I not tell you of something by which Allah erases sins and elevates ranks?" 

They (the sahabah) said, 'Of course, 0 Messenger of Allah!" 

He said, 

"To perfect ablution even in trying conditions, to go towards mosques very often and to wait for the next salah after offering one. This is ribat (guarding the frontiers of Islamic lands)." 

[Bukhari 7733, Muslim 251, Nasai 90]

Those who neglect and belittle the acts of perfecting one's Ibadaat and think that only political activitism is the 'be all and end all' of Islam should read the Quran and books of Hadeeth properly. 

Every thing has it's place in the Deen and a strong spiritual  relationship between an individual and his Lord is central to the Islamic world view. All other injunctions of Islam are meant to protect and improve this relationship. 

Also we should not forget that the success in the other areas of the Deen depends on perfecting this spiritual core. The entire Seerah and the lives of the Sahaba and the Salaf bear ample testimony to this.

The most favored servant of Allah: Hadith Qudsi

The most favored by Allah:

On the authority of Abu Umamah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: 

Allah said: 

"Truly of those devoted to Me the one I most favour is a believer who is of meagre means and much given to prayer, who has been particular in the worship of his Lord and has obeyed Him inwardly, who was obscure among people and not pointed out, and whose sustenance was just sufficient to provide for him yet he bore this patiently. 

Then the Prophet (peace be upon him) rapped his hand and said: Death will have come early to him, his mourners will have been few, his estate scant."

It was related by at-Tirmidhi (also by Ahmad ibn Hanbal and Ibn Majah). Its chain of authorities is sound.

 Notes:

So the 'most favored status' is given by Allah to a poor, ordinary  Muslim who is unknown among people but who bears poverty with patience and excessively prays and worships Allah (with out showing off to others) and obeys His commands carefully.

He also dies early which means that he achieves this spiritual status and habit of devotion and worship while he is still young. He also has fewer family and friends to mourn his death.

Dont neglect Nafil Ibadah, they may save you from Hell!

Don't neglect Nafil Ibadah:

On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (peace be upon him), who said: 

Allah (mighty and sublime be He) says:

 

"The first of his actions for which a servant of Allah will be held accountable on the Day of Resurrection will be his prayers. If they are in order, then he will have prospered and succeeded: and if they are wanting, then he will have failed and lost. 

If there is something defective in his obligatory (Fardh) prayers, the Lord (glorified and exalted be He) will say: See if My servant has any supererogatory (Nafil) prayers with which may be completed that which was defective in his obligatory prayers. Then the rest of his actions will be judged in like fashion." 

It was related by at-Tirmidhi (also by Abu Dawud, an-Nasa'i, Ibn Majah and Ahmad).

Finding excuses for a Muslim: Salaf quotes

Finding excuses for a Muslim:

‘Umar Ibn Al-Khattab رضي الله ﺗﻌﺎﻟﯽٰ عنه  said:

“Do not think about a word that exits from a Muslim’s mouth except that you interpret it in the best manner.” [Ameelah of Al-Muhaamilee, p.395]

Muhammad Ibn Sireen رحمه الله  said:

“If something reaches you about your brother, then search for an excuse for him. If you do not find an excuse for him, then make an excuse for him.” [Al-Jaami’ Li Shu’ab Al-Eemaan, 14/441]

Ja’far Ibn Muhammad رحمه الله  said:

“If something that you dislike reaches you about your brother then search for one excuse for him up to seventy excuses. If it hits the mark, (then good). If not, then say, ‘Perhaps he has an excuse that I am not aware of.‘ ” [Al-Jaami’ Li Shu’ab Al-Eemaan, 14/442]

Imam Abu Hamid al-Ghazali رحمه الله

said: "The hypocrite looks for faults; the believer looks for excuses."

5 Qualities to look for in a Friend: Imam Ghazali

5 Qualities to look for in a Friend:

From Imam Ghazali’s رحمه الله  Bidayatul Hidayah (The Beginning of Guidance):

You should first consider the stipulations of companionship and friendship so that you will establish the relationship of brotherhood only with those who are fit for brotherhood & friendship. 

The Messenger of God ﺻﻠﯽ الله ﺗﻌﺎﻟﯽٰ ﻋﻠﯿﮧ ﻭﺍٓﻟﮧ ﻭﺳﻠﻢ  said:

“A man is upon the religion of his best friend, so let one of you look at whom he befriends.” (Sunan Abu Dawud 4833-Sahih)

1) Intelligence

Sayyidina Ali رضي الله ﺗﻌﺎﻟﯽٰ عنه  said:

Do not be in the company of an ignorant friend; Beware of him & let him beware of you.

How often an ignorant man has brought destruction to a forbearing man who has befriended him.

2) Good Character

Do not be the companion of a man whose character is bad. He is one who is unable to control himself when he is angry and is excited when he desires something. 

3) Righteousness

Do not be the companion of a wicked man (Fasiq) who persists in major sin. This is because he who fears God does not persist in major sin, and he who does not fear God may cause you mischief.

Allah SWT commanded His Prophet (pbuh):

“Do not follow him whose mind We have caused to be neglectful of remembrance of Us and who follows his passions, and whose case exceeds all bounds.” (18:28)

Beware, then of association with a wicked man, because the constant sight of wickedness and sin will remove the dislike of sin from your mind & will create the feeling that sin is something light. The sinfulness of backbiting has become light to man’s mind for this reason and not for the reason that mind cannot understand it. If people see that a Muslim jurist is wearing a gold ring or a silkcloth, they strongly oppose it because they rarely see this, whereas they do not oppose backbiting even though it is a more serious sin, because they always see this.

4) Absence of greed

Companionship of a man greedy for the world is deadly poison, for human nature is such that the nature of one man tends to resemble that of another and to imitate it; indeed, a man’s nature steals the qualities of another man’s nature in such a way that he is not aware of it. Therefore, association with a greedy man will increase your greed, and association with the ascetics will increase your asceticism.

5) Truthfulness

Do not be the companion of a liar, for he is like a mirage: he will show that which is far as near to you and that which is near as far from you.”