Affairs of this Life and the Here After

Khalid ibn El Waleed (RA) narrated the following hadith: A Bedouin came one day to the Prophet (SAW) and said to him, "0, Messenger of Allah! I've come to ask you a few questions about the affairs of this Life and the Here After."

-Ask what you wish.

Q: I'd like to be the most learned of men.

A: Fear Allah, and you will be the most learned of men.

Q: I wish to be the richest man in the world.

A: Be contented, and you will be the richest man in the world.

Q: I'd like to be the most just man.

A: Desire for others what you desire for yourself, and you will be the most just of men.

Q: I want to be the best of men.

A: Do good to others and you will be the best of men.

Q: I wish to be the most favored by Allah.

A: Engage much in Allah's praise, and you will be most favored by Him.

Q: I'd like to complete my faith.

A: If you have good manners you will complete your faith

Q: I wish to be among those who do good.

A: Adore Allah as if you see Him. If you don 't see Him, He seeth you. In this way you will be among those who do good.

Q: I wish to be obedient to Allah.

A: If you observe Allah's commands you will be obedient.

Q: I'd like to be free from all sins.

A: Bathe yourself from impurities and you will be free from all sins.

Q: I'd like to be raised on the Day of Judgment in the light.

A: Don't wrong yourself or any other creature, and you will be raised on the Day of Judgment in the light.

Q: I'd like Allah to bestow His mercy on me.

A: If you have mercy on yourself and others, Allah will grant you mercy on the Day of Judgment.

Q: I'd like my sins to be very few.

A: If you seek the forgiveness Allah as much as you can, your sins will be very few.

Q: I'd like to be the most honorable man.

A: If you do not complain to any follow creature, you will be the most honorable of men.

Q: I'd like to be the strongest of men.

A: If you put your trust in Allah, you will be the strongest of men.

Q: I'd like to enlarge my provision.

A: If you keep yourself pure, Allah will enlarge your provision.

Q: I'd like to be loved by Allah and His messenger.

A: If you love what Allah and Him messenger love, you will be among their beloved ones.

Q: I wish to be safe from Allah's wrath on the Day of Judgment.

A: If you do not loose your temper with any of your fellow creatures, you will be safe from the wrath of Allah on the Day of Judgment.

Q: I'd like my prayers to be responded.

A: If you avoid forbidden actions, your prayers will he responded.

Q: I'd like Allah not to disgrace me on the Day of Judgment.

A: If you guard your chastity, Allah will not disgrace you on the Day of Judgment.

Q: I'd like Allah to provide me with a protective covering on the Day of Judgment.

A: Do not uncover your fellow creatures faults, and Allah will provide you with a covering protection on the Day of Judgment.

Q: What will save me from sins?

A: Tears, humility and illness.

Q: What are the best deeds in the eyes of Allah?

A: Gentle manners, modesty and patience.

Q: What are the worst evils in the eyes of Allah?

A: Hot temper and miserliness.

Q: What assuages the wrath of Allah in this life and in the Hereafter?

A: Concealed charity and kindness to relatives.

Q: What extinguishes hell's fires on the Day of Judgment?

A: Patience in adversity and misfortunes.

Related by Imam Ibn Hambal

Shared Between Jinns, Mankind, Animals & Insects

The Prophet (saw) said: Allah has divided Mercy into 100 parts, one of which He has sent down (to earth to be shared) between the Jinns, mankind, animals and insects. And it is because of this (1 part of Mercy) they love one another, show kindness to each other and even the wild animals are compassionate towards their offspring. Allah has reserved 99 parts of Mercy with which to be merciful to His slaves on the Day of Resurrection (a day when we all will need His Mercy the most). (Muslim)

Death, an indispensable reality

HOW often do we remember death? Yes death, a harsh and fearful reality that escapes no living person. None can avoid it. The people around a dying person don’t have the ability to prevent it. Death happens every moment and it does not discriminate between the young and the old, the rich and the poor, the strong and the weak. Everyone is equal in front of death, because no one has any means to escape it or use intercession to avoid it or even delay it.

Allah says in the Qur’an:

“Say: Indeed, the death from which you flee will surely meet you, then you will be sent back to Allah, the All-Knower of the unseen and the seen. And He will then tell you what you used to do.” (Qur’an, 62:8)

“Every one is going to taste death. And We shall make a trial of you with evil and with good, and to Us will you be returned.” (Qur’an, 21:35)

Our hearts tremble with fear on the thought of this indispensable reality. A person’s actions are sealed with death and what comes after that is more fearful, because will there be a place where one can flee to in order to escape the afflictions suffered in the grave? What will our reply be when we are questioned in the grave? None of us know where we will end up. Will it be Paradise whose width is like the heavens and the earth or will it be the Fire whose fuel is of men and stones?

Ibrahim Bin Adham (d. 160H) was asked about the verse: “Call upon Me and I will respond to you.” (Qur’an, 40:60) that: “We call upon Allah, but He does nor respond to us.” So Ibrahim replied:

“You know Allah; yet you do not obey Him. You recite the Qur’an; yet you do not act according to it. You know Shaytan; yet you continue agreeing with him. You claim to love Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him); yet you abandon his Sunnah. You claim to love Paradise, yet you do not work for it.
You claim to fear the Fire; yet you do not stop sinning.

You say ‘indeed death is true’; yet you have not prepared for it. You busy yourselves with the faults of others; yet you do not look at your own faults. You eat the sustenance that Allah provides for you; yet you are not grateful to Him. And you bury your dead; yet you have not heeded its
lesson.” (Ibn Rajab’s Al-Khushu’-fis-Salah, pg. 62)

This reality must be firmly established in our heart – the reality that life in this world is limited and has an appointed end, and that this end will surely come. Sheikh Ali Hasan Al-Halabi mentions some good reflections in his book Al-Mawt:

“The righteous will die; and the wicked will die. The warriors who fight jihad will die; and those who sit at home will die. Those who busy themselves with correct beliefs will die; and those who treat people as their slaves will die. The brave who reject injustice will die; and the cowards who seek to cling to this vile life will die. The people of lofty goals and ambitions will die; and the wretched who live for cheap enjoyment will die.

“...So keep death in mind, and the passing on to the next life, and the number of sins that one has committed and the small amount of good that one has done. Think of the good that you would earnestly like to do at that time – then bring that forward and do it today. And think of all those things which you would desire to clear yourself of – then clear yourself from them now.”

receieved by an email.

How To Make Shaytan (The Devil) Cry & Run Away

The Prophet (saw) said: When the son of Adam recites a verse of sajdah (prostration) and prostrates, the Shaytan (devil) withdraws weeping, saying: Woe to me, the son (/ daughter) of Adam was commanded to prostrate, and he prostrated, so Paradise will be his; I was commanded to prostrate and I disobeyed, so Hell will be mine. (Muslim)

Wealth

Hadhrat Shaqeeq Balkhi (rahmatullah alayh) said:

"Wealth has three disadvantages:

1. A heart full of worry
2. Hardness of heart
3. A difficult and fearful Reckoning (in Qiyaamah)."

This is generally the condition of those wealthy people whose goal in life is the dunya. o­n the other hand, Rasulullah- sallallahu alayhi wasallam - said: "Halaal wealth is excellent for a pious man."

For an easy Maut and for Freedom

"It appears in the Hadith of Rasulullah (sallahu alayhi wasallam): "Do not sin and Maut will be easy o­n you. Do not obtain loans, and you will lead a life of freedom."

(Hadhrat Maulana Ashraf Ali Thaanvi)