Purification of the Soul

Tamim ad-Dari radhiallahu 'anhu said, "The Prophet sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam said, (three times), "The Religion is nasihah (sincerity and sincere advice)." We said, "To whom?" He said, "To Allah, His Book, His Messenger, and to the leaders of the Muslims and the general people." [Related by Muslim (no. 55)]

Commentary

Imam An-Nawawi (d. 676H) - rahimahullah - said:

"As regards sincerity to Allah - the Most High - then its meaning refers back to having iman (faith) in Allah, and the denial of ilhad (denying or altering the meanings) with regards to His Attributes. Describing Him - the Most High - with the qualities of completeness, perfection, and greatness whilst declaring Him completely free from any defects or deficiencies. To avoid disobedience to Him. To love for His sake and to hate for His sake. To keep good relations wit those who obey Him and to have enmity towards those who disobey Him. To perform Jihad against those who disbelieve in Him. To recognize His favours and to give thanks to Him for them. To have sincerity in all affairs. To call to everything that we have mentioned, and to encourage it. To show kindness to all people, to all those whom you are able to, in this call. Imam Al-Khattabi (d. 388H) - rahimahullah - said, 'The reality of this attachment refers back to the servant being sincere to himself, since Allah - the Most High - has not need of the sincerity of the one doing it.'

The Miser and the Fortunate One

Abu Hurayrah radhiallahu 'anhu related that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam said: "That person is a miser who, when I am mentioned to him, does not send salah upon me." {qluetip title=[1]}Sahih: Related by Ahmad (1/201), At-Tirmidhi (2/271) and others; and declared to be authentic by Al-Hakim, Adh-Dhahabi and At-Tirmidhi himself. Refer to the checking of Al-Mishkat (no. 933) by Al-Albani{/qluetip}

Anas ibn Malik radhiallahu 'anhu said that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam said: "Whosoever sends salah upon me once, Allah will send salah upon him ten times; ommit from him ten evils and raise him up ten degrees." {qluetip title=[2]}Sahih: Related by An-Nasa'i (1/191) and Al-Hakim (1/550) who declared it Sahih and Adh-Dhahabi agreed. Refer to the checking of Al-Mishkat (no. 922){/qluetip}

Legacies from the Salaf: The Advice of Sufyan ath-Thawri

Sufyan ath-Thawri [1] - rahimahullah - wrote to 'Abbad ibn 'Abbad al-Khawwas al-Arsufi [2] - rahimahullah - saying:

To proceed: You are in a time which the Companions of the Prophet sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam used to seek refuge from reaching, and they had the knowledge that we do not have, and they had precedence which we do not. So how is it for us, when we reach that, having little knowledge, little patience, few helpers upon what is good, corruption of the people and pollution of this world?! So take to the original state of affairs and cling to it. [4] I advise you to remain unknown, since this is the age for remaining anonymous (khumul). [5] And remain aloof and mix little with the people, since before, when the people met, they would benefit from each other. But today that has gone and your safety - in our view - lies in abandoning them. [6]

Beware of the Rulers. Beware of coming near to them and of mixing with them in any of the affairs. Beware of being deceived, so that it said to you: Intercede [for me], so that you help one oppressed, or repel an act of oppression - because that is from the deception of Iblis, which the wicked reciters have taken as a means to attain a favorable position. [7] It used to be said: Beware of the fitnah (trial) of the ignorant worshipper and the wicked scholar, because the trial of these two is indeed a trial for everyone put to trial.

If you find questions and need for fatwa, then take take advantage of it - but do not compete desirously for it. And beware of being like the one who loves that his saying is acted upon, or that his saying is publicised or listened to, and if that is abandoned, the effects of that are seen upon him. [8]

And beware of the love of leadership, since leadership may be more beloved to a man than gold and silver - but it is something difficult and obscure; and this will not be understood except by wise Scholars. [9] So seek after your lost soul and work with correct intention and know that there has come near to the people a matter which a person would be desirous of death.

Was-salam. [10]

Allah - Most Perfect, Most High - said:

"O you who Believe! Have taqwa (fear) of Allah and believe in His Messenger; and He will bestow upon you a double portion of His Mercy and He will provide you with a light by which you will walk."

Allah - the Most High - also said:

"O you who Believe! If you have of taqwa of Allah, He will give to you a Furqan (criterion to judge between right and wrong)."

Al­Hafidh Ibn Kathir (d. 777H) - rahimahullah - said:

"Ibn 'Abbas, As-­Suddi, 'Ikrimah, Ad-Dahhak, Qatadah and Muqatil ibn Hayyan all said about Furqan that it means: a way out (from difficulty). Mujahid added: A way out (from difficulty) both in this world and in the Hereafter. In a narration from Ibn Abbas he said it means: salvation; and in another narration from him: being helped. Muhammad ibn Ishaq said that it means: a criterion to judge between truth and falsehood. This explanation from Ibn Ishaq is the most general of what has already preceded and it is a necessary consequence of it. Since whoever has taqwa of Allah by obeying His command and abandoning what He has prohibited, will be given the ability to recognise truth from falsehood. This will be the cause for his salvation, his being helped; and the cause for his worldly affairs being made easier and his happiness on the Day of Judgement. It will also be the cause for his sins to be expiated by Allah and his being granted forgiveness and shielding him from the people. It will likewise be the cause of him being the recipient of a great reward from Allah as He - the Most - says:

'O you who Believe! Have taqwa (fear) of believe in His Messenger; and He will bestow upon you a double portion of His Mercy and He provide you with a light by which you will walk.'

True Freedom

Without doubt, we all hate the slavery and subjugation we see upon the earth today. That being the subjugation of men over men, where some subjugate others, humiliating them and trampling over them. This is indeed hated. However, what we will talk about today is different to this. It is as Rabi' ibn 'Amir radhiallahu 'anhu said, "Allah has sent us to deliver whomsoever chooses, from the worship of men, to the 'ubudiyyah (worship and servitude) of Allah. And from the narrowness of this world, to the vastness of this world and the Hereafter. And from the oppression of the (false) religions, to the justice of Islam."{qluetip title=[1]}Al-Bidayah wa'n-Nihayah (7/40) of Ibn Kathir{/qluetip}

The Noble Ones

The 'ubudiyyah (submission and worship) mentioned here is the 'ubudiyyah to Allah, which makes a person the noblest of all the creation upon the earth. One of the Salaf said in a couplet:

"What has made me noble and precious,
Is that You, O Allah, have made me enter into Your submission,
And You have made me one of the followers,
Of Your Prophet, Muhammad sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam."