10 Types of Disbelievers Who Think They Are Believers

Rasulullah (saw) said,

"Ten [types of people] from this ummah are disbelievers (kuffar) in Allah the Great and who think they are believers - the killer without a right, the one who practices magic, the withholder of zakat, the drinker of alcohol, the one upon whom hajj becomes obligatory but did not perform it, the spread of sedition and trouble (fitna), the seller of weapons to the enemy, the one who has anal intercourse with a woman, the one who commits adultery with a close female relative (mahram) whom he is legally forbidden to marry - if they deem what they have done permissible (halal) then they have apostatised."

7 People Allah Will ot Look at Nor Purify and will make them enter Hellfire

The Prophet (saw) said,

"There are seven people whom the Creator will neither look at on the Day of Judgement nor will He purify them, and He will make them enter the Hellfire - the homosexual and his partner; the one who masturbates; the one who engages in bestiality; the one who has anal intercourse with a woman; a man who marries both a woman and her daughter; the one who fornicates with his neighbor's wife; and the one who hurts his neighbour to such a degree that he curses him."

Six Types of Fear

Uthman (ra) said, "The believer is in six types of fear - the first is that Allah the Exalted will take away his iman (faith); the second is that the angels will write down things that will expose him on the Day of Judgement; the third is that Satan will render his actions void; the fourth is that the Angel of Death will take his soul when he is in a state of heedlessness; the fifth is that the dunya will delude him and make him work for other than the Hereafter; and the sixth is that his family and children will preoccupy him such that he neglects the remembrance of Allah the Exalted."

Giving Good Counsel to Fellow Muslims

Giving Good Counsel to Fellow Muslims:

by Imam al-Haddad
Condensed from The Book of Assistance


You must be of good counsel to all Muslims. The highest point of this is that you conceal nothing from them which if made known would result in good or preserve from something evil. The prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) has said, "Religion is good counsel" Part of this is to support a Muslim in his absence as you would in his presence, and not to give him more verbal signs of affection than you have for him in your heart. It is also part of this that when a muslim asks you for advice, and you know that the correct course does not lie in that which he is inclined to do, you should tell him so.

The absence of good counsel is indicated by the presence of envy of the favors God has given other Muslims. The origin of such envy is that you find it intolerable that God has granted one of His servants a good thing whether of the religion, or of the world. The utmost limit is to wish that he be deprived of it. It has been handed down that "envy consumes good deeds just as fire consumes dry wood". The envious man is objecting to God's management of His dominion, as if to say "O Lord! You have put your favours where they do not belong."

It is permitted to be envious without rancour whereby when you see a favor being bestowed on one of His servants, you ask Him to grant you the like.

When someone praises you, you must feel dislike for his praises within your heart. If he has praised you for something you truly possess, say: "praise belongs to God who has revealed the good things and hidden the ugly things." And if he praises you for something you do not possess, say "O God! Do not call me to account for what they say, forgive me what they do not know, and make me better than they think."

In your case, do not praise anyone unneccesarily.

When you wish to give advice to someone regarding any behaviour of his that you have come to know about, be gentle, talk to him in private and do not express explicitly what may be conveyed implicitly. Should he ask you to tell him who told you that which you know, do not tell him lest it stir up enmity. If he accepts your advice, praise God, and thank Him. If he should refuse, blame yourself.

If you are given something as a trust guard it better than if it was yours. Return that which was entrusted to you, and beware of betraying trust. The prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said:

"He who cannot keep a trust has no faith" and "Three things are attached to the Throne of God: Benefaction which says "O God! I am by you, therefore let me not be denied!" Kinship, which says "O God! I am by you, thus let me not be severed!" and Trust, which says "O God! I am by you, so let me not be betrayed!".

Speak truthfully and honor commitments and your promises, for breaching them are signs of hypocrisy.

"The signs of a hypocrite are three: when he speaks he lies, when he promises he breaks his promise, and when he is trusted, he betrays that trust."

Beware of arguments and wrangling, for they cast rancour into the breasts of men, alienate hearts and lead to enmity and hatred. If anyone argues against you and has right on his side, accept what he says for truth must always be followed. If on the other hand he is wrong, leave him, for he is ignorant, and God has said

"And turn away from the ignorant." [vii :199]

Renounce all joking, if very occasionally you do joke to assuage a Muslim's heart, then speak only the truth. The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) has said:

"Neither argue with your brother nor quarrel, and do not make him a promise and then break it."

Respect all Muslims, especially those deserving of merit, such as the scholars, the righteous, the elderly.

Never frighten or alarm a Muslim, never mock or ridicule them, or despise them.

Be humble for humility is the attribute of believers. Beware of pride for God does not like the proud. Those who humble themselves are raised up by God, and those who are proud are abased by Him.

There are signs that distinguish the humble from the proud:

"that God may separate the vile from the good" [VIII:37].

Signs of humility include a liking for obscurity, dislike of fame, acceptance of truth whether it be from a lowly or noble person, to love the poor, associate with them, to fulfill the rights people have upon you as completely as you can, thank those who fulfill their duties to you, and excuse those who are remiss. Signs of pride include a liking for positions of most dignity when in company, praising oneself, speaking proudly, open haughtiness, arrogance, strutting, and neglecting the rights of others upon you while demanding your rights from them.

How Are You?

When one of the sages was asked, "How are you?" He replied, "I am with my Lord in compliance, with the nafs in opposition, with creatures [in giving and taking] advice, and with the dunya only in necessity."

On Reflection (Fikr)

On Reflection (FIKR)

Chapter 9 from Risaalatu'l Mu'awanah (The Book of Assistance)


You should have a wird of reflection in every twenty-four hours, for which you should set aside one or more hours. The best time for reflection is the one in which are the least pre-occupations, worries, and more potential for the heart to be present, such as the depths of the night. Know that the state of one's religious and worldly affairs depend upon soundness of one's reflection. Anyone who has a share of it has an abundant share of everything good. It has been said : 'An hour's reflection is better than a year's worship.' 'Ali, may God ennoble his face, has said: 'There is no worship like reflection.' And one of the gnostics; may God have mercy on them all, said: 'Reflection is the lamp of the heart; if it departs the heart will have no light.'

The ways of reflection are many. One, which is the most noble of them, is to reflect on the wonders of God's dazzling creation, the inward and outward signs of His Ability, and the signs He has scattered abroad in the Realm of the earth and the heavens. This kind of reflection increases your knowledge of the Essence, Attributes, and Names of God. He has encouraged it by saying: Say: Look at what is in the heavens and the earth! (10:101)

Reflect on the wondrous creations He has made, and on yourself. He has said: In the earth are signs for those who have certainty, and in yourselves; can you not see? (51:20-21)

Know that you must reflect on the favors of God, and His bounties which He caused to reach you.

Remember the favors of God, that you may succeed. (7:69)

Should you (attempt to) number the favors of God, you would not be able to do so. (16:18)

All good things that you possess are from God. (16:53)

This kind of reflection results in the heart filling with the love of God, and continuously rendering thanks to Him, inwardly and outwardly, in a manner that pleases and satisfies Him.

Know that you should reflect on God's complete awareness of you, and His seeing and knowing all about you.

We have created man, and We know what his soul whispers to him; and We are nearer to him than his jugular vein. (50:16)

And He is with you wherever you are, and God sees what you do. (57:4)

Have you not seen that God knows what is in the heavens and the earth, and no three (persons) converse but that He is their fourth?(58:7)

This kind of reflection results in your feeling ashamed before God should He see you where He has forbidden you to be, or miss you where He has commanded you to be. Know that you must reflect on your shortcomings in worshipping your Lord, and your exposing yourself to His wrath should you do what He has forbidden you.

I created jinn and men only to worship Me. (51:56)

Do you think We created you in vain, and that to Us you will not be returned? (23:115)

O man! What is it that has deceived you concerning your Generous Lord? (82:6)

This kind of reflection increases your fear of God, encourages you to blame and reproach yourself, to avoid remissness and persevere in your zeal.

Know that you must reflect on this worldly life, its numerous preoccupations, hazards, and the swiftness with which it perishes, and upon the hereafter, and its felicity and permanence.

Thus does God render the signs clear to you, that you may reflect on this world and the hereafter. (2:119-220)

But you may prefer the life of this world, when the hereafter is better and more abiding. (87:16-17)

The life of the world is but distraction and play; while the Last Abode is indeed the Life, if but they knew. (29:64)

This kind of reflection results in losing all desire for the world, and in wishing for the hereafter.

Know that you should reflect on the imminence of death and the regret and remorse which occur when it is too late.

Say: The death that you flee will indeed meet you, and you will then be returned to the Knower of the unseen and the seen, and He will inform you of that which you had been doing.(62:8)

Until, when death comes to one of them he says: 'My Lord! Send me back that I may do good in that which I have left!' No! It is but a word he says. (23:99-100)

O you who believe! Let not your wealth or your children distract you from the remembrance of God! up to: But God will not reprieve a soul whose time has come. (63:9-11)

The benefit of this kind of reflection is that hopes become short, behavior better, and provision is gathered for the Appointed Day.

Know that you should reflect on those attributes and acts by which God has described His friends and His enemies, and on the immediate and delayed rewards which He has prepared for each group.

The righteous are in felicity, and the depraved are in hell.(82:13-14)

Is the one who is a believer like the one who is corrupt? They are not equal. (32:18)

As for the one who gave, had taqwa, and believed in goodness, We shall ease him into ease, (92:5-7)up to the end of the sura.

The believers are those who, when God is mentioned, their hearts tremble, up to: they will have degrees with their Lord, and forgiveness, and generous provision. (8:2-4)

God has promised those among you who have believed and done good works that He will make them rulers over the earth as He made those before them rulers. (24:55)

Each we took for their sin; on some we sent a hurricane, some were taken by the Cry, some We caused the earth to swallow, and some We drowned. It was not for God to wrong them, but they wronged themselves. (29:40)

Hypocrite men and hypocrite women proceed one from another; they enjoin evil and forbid good, up to: God curses them, and theirs is a lasting torment.(9:67- 68)

Believing men and believing women are helping friends to each other; they enjoin good and forbid evil. up to: and good pleasure from God which is greater; that is the supreme gain. (9:71-72)

Those who do not expect to meet Us, are content with the life of the world and feel secure therein, up to: and the end of their prayer is, Praised be God, the Lord of the Worlds! (10:7-10)

The result of this kind of reflection is that you come to love the fortunate, habituate yourself to emulating their behavior and taking on their qualities, and detest the wretched, and habituate yourself to avoiding their behavior and traits of character.

Were we to allow ourselves to pursue the various channels of reflection we would have to forgo the brevity which we intended. That which we have mentioned should suffice the man of reason.

You should with each kind of reflection, bring to mind those verses, hadiths and other narratives relating to it. We have given an example of this by quoting some of the verses related to each kind of reflection.

Beware of reflecting on the Essence of God and His Attributes in the wish to understand their nature and how they exist. No one ever became enamoured of this without falling into the abysses of negation (ta'til) or the traps of anthropomorphism (tashbih). The Messenger of God, may blessings and peace be upon him, has said: 'Reflect on the signs of God, and do not reflect on His Essence, for you will never be able to give Him His due.'

Source: Imam 'Abdallah Ibn 'Alawi al-Haddad, Risaalatu'l Mu'awanah(The Book of Assistance), translated by Dr. Mostafa al-Badawi, The Quilliam Press, UK, 1989, p31-34.

Seizures

A wise man said, "The son of Adam will face four seizures - the Angel of Death will seize his soul, his heirs will seize his wealth, the worms will seize his body, and his adversaries [the people he had wronged or backbited] will seize his honour, meaning his good deeds, on the Day of Judgement."

The One who Mocks Scholars

Rasulullah (saw) was reported to have siad, "The one who mocks five will lose five - the one who mocks scholars will lose his Religion (din); the one who mocks rulers will lose this life (dunya); the one who mocks his neighbours will lose their assistance; the one who mocks the strong and mighty will lose their compassion; and the one who mocks his family will lose the joy of living."

Knowledge is a Proof of Action

Yahya ibn Mu'adh al-Razi said, "Knowledge is the proof of action, comprehension is the vessel of knowledge, the intellect is the leader to goodness, desire is the mount of sins, wealth is the garment of the arrogant, and this world is the market for the next world."

Six Things are Strangers in Six Situations

The Prophet (saw) said, "Six things are strangers in six situations - the mosque is a stranger amongst people who do not pray; the Quran is a stranger in a household where it is not read; the memorized Quran is a stranger in the heart of an open sinner (fasiq); a righteous Muslim woman is a stranger in the hands of an evil wife of bad character; and a scholar is a stranger amongst a group of people who do not listen to him."

Then he said, "Verily Allah the Exalted will not look at them on the Day of Judgement in a merciful manner."

The Corruption of Hearts

Al-Hasan al-Basri said, "The corruption of people's hearts is in six things - the first is that they sin with the hope of repentance; they seek knowledge but do not act upon it; if they do act upon it they are insincere in doing so; they eat the sustenance Allah has provided them but do not show gratitude for it; they are not content with the allotment (qisma) of Allah; and they bury their dead but do not take heed."

Safety

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"The one who does not fear Allah will not be safe from the lapses of the tongue; the

heart of one who does not fear meeting Allah will be safe neither from unlawful (haram) things,

nor from things over the permissibility of which there is doubt; the one who does not break off

dependence on creatures will not be safe from greed; the one who does not safeguard (the

sincerity of) his actions will not be safe from showing-off; the one who does not seek the help of

Allah in guarding his heart will not be safe from jealousy; the and the one who does not look to

those who are better than him in knowledge and worship will not be safe from pride."

-saying of a wise man-

Time is Perplexing

A poet said:

"It is an obligation upon people to repent.
But leaving sins is even more of an obligaton.

Patience in the midst of hardships is difficult to bear.
But losing the opportunity for reward is more difficult to bear.

Time is indeed perplexing in the way it passes.
Yet people's heedlessness is even more perplexing.

Everything that is due to arrive is indeed close,
Yet death is closer than everything else."

The Four Most Difficult Actions

Ali (r) said, "The most difficult of actions are four - forgiving when in a state of anger, contentment in times of hardship, chastity in seclusion, and speaking the truth in front of someone whom one fears or from whom one hopes for largesse."

The True Believer

The true believer likes to remain unknown and hidden, and dislikes prominence and fame. He does not talk of what does not concern him, and his heart is saddened by his short comings. He accepts no compromise in religious matters and does not please people by displeasing the Lord of the Worlds.

He is engaged in acts of goodness or acquiring knowledge. He is a person from whom people expect goodness and do not fear evil. He does not repay harm with harm, and does not shun those who shun him. he is like a palm tree, throwing tender dates at the one who throws stones at it, like soil on which filth is thrown, but out of which grow beautiful things.

The light of his truthfulness shows outwardly, and what is shown on his face indicates what is hidden inwardly. He strives and aspires to please his Lord, and is eager and careful to follow His Messenger. [Mutual Reminding--Good Manners]

10 Reasons for the Death of our Hearts

It is said that Abu Ishaq Ibrahim was once passing through a bazaar in Basra when he was asked, "O Abu Ishaq! Verily Allah has declared, 'Ask Me and I will grant you your request. Ask Me, make du'a' and I will give you what you wish.' Why is it that when we ask, He does not grant?' Then Abu Ishaq replied, 'It is because of your heart. Your heart has become dead, and it is due to ten reasons." Then he gave those ten reasons:

1 You have known who is Allah and yet you have not fulfilled your duties to Him.

2 You have read the Qur'an, but you have not practised it.

3 You have proclaimed love of the Messenger of Allah, but you haven't followed his way.

4 You have declared that Shaytan is your enemy, but you have stood with him.

5 You have declared your desire for Paradise, but you have done nothing to achieve it.

6 You have declared your fear of Jahannam, but you have done nothing to escape from it.

7 You have proclaimed that there is no escape from death, yet you don't prepare for it.


8 You have indulged in searching out the faults of others, yet you have not looked at your own faults.

9 You have enjoyed all the blessings and bounties, yet you do not give Him due praise.

10 You have buried your dead, but you have taken no lesson from it.