An Effective Remedy for Ghaflah (being heedless of Allah)

An Effective Remedy for Ghaflah

( Being unmindful and heedless of Allah Ta‘ala.)

- Maulana Hakeem Akhtar D.B.

 

If the nafs (ego) is not rectified and is lazy in performance of religious duties like Salah and fasting, etc, then one should meditate upon death. One should meditate upon the fact that one day he will be laying in the grave. What answer will one give to Allah Ta’ala at that time?

The person whose heart has become hard and has become habituated to committing sins should meditate upon death for 4 to 5 minutes daily.

He should meditate (Say to himself):

“I have just died and after washing and shrouding my life-less body, the people are taking me to the graveyard and burying my lifeless corpse in the grave alone. My wife, children, business and home all have left me, and now, none of these things are of any benefit to me. Only my actions have remained.”

Death is a reality, it is definite, and how can there be any doubt about a thing which is definitely going to occur? Death is such a reality that even the kuffar (disbelievers) do not deny. Has any kafir (disbeliever) said that death will not come?

Therefore, ponder over the reason for us not performing Salah, and not paying the Zakah. What is the reason for us watching T.V. and V.C.R? What is the reason that we are involved in these evil actions? The reason is to pass time and entertain ourselves.

But ponder over the fact that when we are lowered into the grave, what will enter the grave with us? What will we entertain ourselves with then? How many T.V.’s and V.C.R.’s will we take with us? There will be no V.C.R in the grave, rather there will be punishment. Therefore, wake up from this heedlessness and do not entertain yourself with the disobedience of Allah Ta‘ala. 

"That slave who pleases his heart at the cost of displeasing his Master is in total loss"!:

Just the following statement is sufficient for the guidance of someone, ‘The slave who pleases his own heart (by living a life of disobedience) at the cost of displeasing his Master, is in total loss.’ i.e. at any time the punishment of Allah Ta’ala could descend upon him. Allah Ta’ala is giving us chance after chance in hope that we will rectify ourselves.

Nabi (saw) says,

“Remembrance of death is a sufficient lecturer and preacher.”

It is sufficient for guidance. It recharges one’s spiritual battery.

{In another hadith it is mentioned, “Keep much the remembrance of death, which is the destroyer of pleasures.” [Tirmidhi] }

One should also sit in pious company. Wherever there is any beneficial Deeni talk, then go there. Look! How far our pious predecessors used to travel to learn Deen!

TAQWA SELF-CHECK: HOW TO RECOGNIZE PIETY IN ONE'S SELF?

 
HOW TO RECOGNIZE PIETY?
 

Someone once asked Hadhrat Shafeeq bin Ibraheem (R.A), "People call me a pious person. How can piety be recognized?"

The reply was, “It can be recognized by three factors. These are:
 
1. Explain your inner condition to the pious people. If they are satisfied, then you are pious, otherwise not.

2. Offer the world to your heart. If it refuses the world then you are pious, otherwise not.

3. Offer death to yourself. If you are pleased with it, then you are pious, otherwise not.

 If a person has these three qualities, he should thank Allah and display humility. He should then never allow ostentation to infect his actions, for this will pour water over all that he does."

 

-Taken from 'Tambih-ul-Ghafileen' by Faqih Abu Lais Samarqandi [R.A]

Sinning with the excuse of Allah's Mercy?

Defeating the Satanic excuses for sinning:

While you persist in sinning and stubbornly refuse to see your errors, why are you so proud that Allah treats you with patience, kindness and generosity in spite of your sins? 

Is it that you are fooled by what the devil whispers in your ear, saying, "If it weren't for your sins and your revolt, how would Allah manifest His infinite mercy, compassion, and generosity?" 
Don't you see how irrational that evil teaching is? Would it be less merciful and beneficent for the Owner of Infinite Wisdom to prevent His servant from opposing His will and pleasure?

Then the devil may whisper in your ear again: "You have no hope of attaining the level of benevolence of those who are born with good character and obedience. They have come to this world and shown their obedience to the will of Allah, gathered their Lord's mercy and beneficence in this world, and left it. The real mercy, generosity, and kindness of Allah will be manifest in the Hereafter on the Day of Judgment, when He judges His disobedient servants who need of His mercy."

Only someone who has lost his senses could believe in and be deceived by such thoughts. Protect yourself against such temptations and tell your devil: "What you say about Allah's infinite patience and generosity towards His servants is true. Indeed, if there were no revolt, disobedience, and sin, we would not see the manifestation of His divine attributes. So many examples are related to us in the holy books and statements. But you, evil one, are using the truth for your own purposes - so that Allah's mercy be manifest, you encourage me to sin! You are trying to make me revolt because Allah is patient and kind.

"You ask me to test Allah's mercy and beneficence. How do you know, O accursed one, that I am of those who will be forgiven? Indeed Allah forgives whom He wills and punishes whom He wills. How do I know to which party I belong? All I know is that I am full of sin. And just as I was left in this world without the ability to repent and ask His forgiveness, He may well refuse me His mercy before I enter hell and punish me with the fire. Although one dies as one lives, and sin is the messenger of disbelief, if I am fortunate and give my last breath as a believer, then He will purify me in hell fire and take me out and give me peace in His mercy.

"If I knew for sure that there were no day of reckoning with my sins, that there were no punishment, and if I were certain that I would receive divine absolution, I might have considered your twisted reasoning. Even then, it would be no better than admitting foolishness, for it is certainly an unforgivable behavior for a servant to test the patience of his Lord.

"On the other hand, even if I were certain that I would receive divine punishment, the proper thing for me would be shame and thankfulness for His delaying His punishment and spending of all effort of which I am capable in trying to obey the commands of my Lord.

"I have not heard of any good word that all sins will be forgiven. On the contrary, one is left free to choose between the right and the wrong, and the Ultimate Judge is free to forgive or to punish. In your case, though, O evil-commanding ego, there is no choice. You are constant in your wish for the wrong and the forbidden!"

Extracted from "Kitab Kunh ma la budda minhu lil- murid"

Unlimited reasons to Thank Allah and Love Him!

 Did you know...
That one of the best ways to increase love of Allah in our heart is to ponder over His favors upon us.

If you find it difficult, just consider the below statistics.

If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep … you are richer than 75% of this world.


If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace … you are the top 8% of the world’s wealthy.

If you woke up this morning with more health than illness …, you are more blessed than the million who will not survive this week.


If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation … you are ahead of 500 million people in the world.


If you can pray in mosque without fear of harassment, arrest, torture, or death … you are more blessed than three billion people in the world.


If your parents are still alive and still married … you are very rare.


If you hold up your head with a smile on your face and are truly thankful … you are blessed because the majority can, most do not.


If you can read this message … you just receive a double blessing in that some one was thinking of you, and furthermore, you are more blessed than over two billion people in the world that cannot read at all.


“ then which of the blessings of your Lord will you both (jinns and men) deny?” Quran (55:13)


Thanking Allah for His blessings:


“And [remember] when your Lord proclaimed, ‘If you are grateful, I will surely increase you [in favor]…” (Qur’an, 14:7)

“Remember Allah during times of ease and He will remember you during times of difficulty” (Tirmidhi)

Thanking is recognizing and appreciating. The more you thank, the more you will see. The more you see how Allah has blessed you, you see His presence in your life and this in itself should create a certain soothing of the heart.

By thanking Allah, you are recognizing He is al-Wahhab (the Giver of gifts), ar-Razzaq (the Sustainer), al-Wadud (the Most Loving) and insha’Allah (God willingly) you will be able to recognize how He manifests His attributes and Names in your life.

Take the time out every evening to thank Allah for the blessings in your day – not only will you be overwhelmed because you will never be able to enumerate them, but you will truly recognize Allah’s presence in your life and you will start loving Him.

  "And those who believe are intense in their love for Allah". (2:165).

Truth and Honesty in Speech for attaining Tazkiya

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَقُولُوا قَوْلًا سَدِيدًا

يُصْلِحْ لَكُمْ أَعْمَالَكُمْ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ وَمَن يُطِعْ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ فَقَدْ فَازَ فَوْزًا عَظِيمًا

Ya ayyuha allatheena amanoo ittaqoo Allaha waqooloo qawlan sadeedan
Yuslih lakum aAAmalakum wayaghfir lakum thunoobakum waman yutiAAi Allaha warasoolahu faqad faza fawzan AAatheeman [33:70,71]

"O you who believe, fear Allah, and speak in straightforward words.
He will reform your deeds and He will forgive your sins;
And whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger,
Then indeed he has attained the greatest success."
 

You hear these ayahs during every Jumah Khutbah and Marraige sermon and they are important.
Read more for details, but the meaning of these ayahs, as explained by Shaikh Husain Abdul-Sattar, is if one is honest, truthful and clear in speech- Allah will reform their deeds (straighten their deeds in another translation) and forgive them and grant them success. Essentially, what this means is if one is honest, Allah will change a person so they no longer commit sins and their deeds are of a better nature. In other words, through the Barakah (blessedness) of speaking truthful words, Allah SWT Himself will make you into a better human being, which is what the goal of spiritual struggle and all the dhikr and ibadah we perform is!!

Therefore, it is important to always speak the truth, especially when it is hard to do so, and in doing so, Allah SWT will help us in our tazkiya and spiritual development. This represents a CORE teaching in our religion!

Every jumu’ah we hear the khateeb read the verse:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَقُولُوا قَوْلًا سَدِيدًا
Believers! Have conciousness [and fear] of Allah and say ‘qawlan sadeeda‘ (33:70)
 

What is the meaning of the word: 'qawlan sadeeda'?

سَدِيدًاis from Sadd: seen-daal-daal (س د د), which literally means wall, that has no space in it, or gaps or holes.
Qawlan Sadeeda is speech that has no ambiguity, it is clear, it is straight–like the wall, having no holes or gaps. ‘Tasdeedus Sahm‘ is a phrase which means to throw the arrow straight on the mark, when it reaches the bulls-eye; the arrow doesn’t go right or left. So sadeed refers to a speech that is to the point, clear, doesn’t go right or left–not mixed with exaggeration.

Qawlan Sadeeda gives a vast meaning:
1- a statement that is true.
2- a statement that is proper and appropriate. It is possible you may say a 100% true statement but it’s not appropriate.
Say that which is in accordance to reality, it is not reduced, increased and it is accurate.
 

What is the benefit of having taqwa and saying qawlan sadeeda?  

The next verse says:
يُصْلِحْ لَكُمْ أَعْمَالَكُمْ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ ۗ وَمَنْ يُطِعِ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ فَقَدْ فَازَ فَوْزًا عَظِيمًا

يُصْلِحْ لَكُمْ أَعْمَالَكُمْ He will reform your deeds. What does this mean? It means that Allah azza wa jal will accept your deeds.
وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ And He will forgive your sins; Allah will cover and forgive your past sins, your future sins and those you do due to forgetfulness.
وَمَنْ يُطِعِ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ And whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger:
فَقَدْ فَازَ فَوْزًا عَظِيمًا Then indeed he has attained the greatest success. Meaning he has attained his ultimate goal.
May Allah azza wa jal make us among those who say qawlan sadeeda and those who acheive the greatest success, Ameen.

Taken from Tayyibat Blog

Here are different ways to understand honesty, truthfulness and what qawlan sadeeda implies in our daily lives:

-honesty in thinking to bring about good thinking
-honesty in advice with sincerity
-honesty with your soul with islamic beliefs
-honesty with others in not being a hypocrite
-honesty in questions means good answers
-honesty in honoring a contract or covenant
-truthfulness in reciting the book of Allah- the truest words of all
-truthfulness in using the book of Allah for dawah and not using your own words
-truthfulness in saying dhikr, because dhikr is the most true thing
-truthfulness in saying kalimah which takes you to Jannah, just as all truthful words lead to somewhere, while lies are a dead-end
-truthfulness in your lifestyle and how you live to be true to the truth as a testimony to the veracity of the truth you live upon
-truthfulness being related to words of wisdom, Sunnah and Quran with accuracy
-truthfulness as being worried about your truthfulness as a sign of your being true to the truth
-truthfulness in being true not just to the words you are about to say, but the whether those words are true and fitting to the time, place, appropriateness, and to whom you are saying (think of ‘nasiha’- giving spiritual counsel advice)
-truthfulness in saying what is always best
-lying as a harm to others
-lying as a confusion
-lying as a distortion
-lying as a fib, inaccuracy, blurring
-lying as an equivocation
-lying as not speaking a truth earlier
-straightforward speech in being direct and clear
-straightforward speech in people understanding what you meant

-honesty is therefore a “process of being” because this has not just to do with the tongue but the mental tongue as well, the language is of supreme importance in all the social sciences and this is because it is tied to cognition and thinking and more importantly to all types of “transformational change.”

-when one hears a foreign language, it is like seeing the outside architecture of a building, the sharpness and the softness, the speed and narrowness, the perceived intent, all from a lack of understanding of the nature of the language, but yet it tells us something, but when a person speaks that language it is as if they have entered that building and their familiarity with the inner design (etymology, word choice, patterns, ) is governed by their intellectual honesty- hence from here, they may see the sun setting when in fact it is rising because they have convinced themselves…language is like the needle of a compass while honesty is the field telling you which way is north.

And Allah is the Haqq- the TRUTH. What more needs to be said?

Subhana kallahumma wa bihamdika ash-haduana la illaha illa ant astaghfiruka wa atubu ilayk, ameen.

Taken with slight modifications from http://muslimology.wordpress.com/2009/08/11/the-virtue-of-qawlan-sadeeda/

Perishing of the Dunya and Lasting of the Good Deeds: Ashraf Ali Thanwi

Perishing of the Dunya and Lasting of the Good Deeds:

وَٱضۡرِبۡ لَهُم مَّثَلَ ٱلۡحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡيَا كَمَآءٍ أَنزَلۡنَـٰهُ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ فَٱخۡتَلَطَ بِهِۦ نَبَاتُ ٱلۡأَرۡضِ فَأَصۡبَحَ هَشِيمً۬ا تَذۡرُوهُ ٱلرِّيَـٰحُ‌ۗ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىۡءٍ۬ مُّقۡتَدِرًا (٤٥) ٱلۡمَالُ وَٱلۡبَنُونَ زِينَةُ ٱلۡحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡيَا‌ۖ وَٱلۡبَـٰقِيَـٰتُ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتُ خَيۡرٌ عِندَ رَبِّكَ ثَوَابً۬ا وَخَيۡرٌ أَمَلاً۬ (٤٦)

"And present to them the example of the life of this world, [its being] like rain which We send down from the sky, and the vegetation of the earth mingles with it and [then] it becomes dry remnants, scattered by the winds. And Allah is ever, over all things, Perfect in Ability.

Wealth and children are [but] adornment of the worldly life. But the enduring good deeds are better to your Lord for reward and better for [one's] hope." [surah Al Kahf, 18:45&46]

 

Tafseer from Bayan ul Quran by Shaikh Ashraf Ali Thanwi [RA]:

 

And clarify for these people the state of the worldly life. It is as though We have brought down rain from the sky, then through it the vegetation of the earth has become nice and dense then having dried up after being green and lush; it becomes like chaff such that the wind is blowing with it.

Such is the state of the dunya. Today it seems to be flourishing and thriving. Ultimately, there won’t even be any trace or any mention left of it, and Allah Most High has full control over everything; whenever He wishes he brings into existence and causes to thrive. When he wishes, He destroys.

 

Since this is the state of the world itself and wealth and children are an adornment for (and subordinate to) the worldly life, then the demise of wealth and children will be even more swift, and the righteous deeds which will endure forever and ever, they (the righteous deeds) according to your Lord (in the Afterlife) are infinitely better than this world in terms of reward, and infinitely better in terms of expectation also.

Summary:
 

That is to say, expectations based on righteous deeds in the Afterlife will reach fruition and still much more will be given in reward. Contrary to worldly possessions which even in this world fall short of expectations and in the Afterlife do not even hold possibility of fulfillment. For this reason it is not befitting for one to be prideful of the Dunya or to hold it close to his heart. Instead, one must strive and make effort for the Afterlife.


Extracted from http://tafseer.shariahprogram.ca/

The Five Categories of People regarding Salah: Ibn Qayyim

 

By Shaykh Ibn Qayyim (RA)

 

The first: The category of the oppressor to himself, the negligent one, one who is deficient in performing ablution for it, negligent with its appointed time periods, its boundaries and its pillars.

The second: One who preserves it appointed time periods, its boundaries, its outward pillars and ablution for it. However, he forsakes striving against his own self from whisperings and thinking to himself, and so is preoccupied with whisperings and thoughts.

The third: One who preserves its appointed time periods, its pillars as well as strives against himself in repelling whisperings and distracting thoughts that overcome him, he is busy in striving against his enemy in order to prevent him from stealing his prayer, he is in prayer as well as Jihad (struggle).

The fourth: One whom when he stands for prayer perfects its rights, its pillars and its boundaries. His heart is occupied with preserving its boundaries and preventing anything of it being lost, rather all his attention is directed to performing it as it should be, in its most complete and perfect form, his heart is occupied with the prayer and worshiping his Lord the Elevated with it.

The fifth: One who performs the prayer like the previous person, but in addition to this, he has taken his heart and presented it to his Lord. He looks at his Lord with his heart, fully concerned with Him, in utmost obedience out of love and reverence for Him, it is as if he sees and witnesses his Lord. All distracting thoughts and whisperings fade away and the veil between him and his Lord is removed. The difference between this person in his prayer and others, is greater and better than all that is between the heavens and earth, he is fully occupied and overjoyed with his Lord in his prayer.

Results of the above types of Salaah:

The first category is punished, the second is held accountable, the third is pardoned, the fourth is rewarded and the fifth is brought close to his Lord, because he gains a portion of what made the prayer a delight to him.

 For whoever is delighted with his prayer in the life of this world, will be delighted by being close to his Lord in the afterlife as well as being delighted with his Lord in this life, and whoever is delighted with Allaah, everything would be delighted with him, and whoever is not delighted with Allaah, his soul will be torn apart for the life of this world in loss.

'Turning away' from Allah during Salah!

It is narrated that when a servant stands for prayer, Allaah the Glorified says; “Remove the veil.”, and if the servant turns away He says: “Replace it.”

This ‘turning away’ has been explained as the turning of the heart away from Allaah the All-Mighty to other than Him. So if he turns away, the veil is replaced between him and his Lord and Shaytaan enters and presents worldly affairs to him, he shows them to him in the image of a woman.

But if he turns with his heart to Allaah and does not turn away, Shaytaan would not be able to come between Allaah and that heart, he only enters if the veil is replaced. If he returns to Allaah with his heart, the Shaytaan would escape, and if he turns away, the Shaytaan would return, such is his state with his enemy in prayer.

-From his book 'Al Waabil as Sayyib'