Bismillah

An amazing reminder for all:

Bismillah

Shaykh ibn Uthaymeen rahimahullah says:

The science of nahw (grammar) is a noble science tha is a means to two important things:

1. Having an understanding of the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam). Comprehension of these two will give one understanding and knowledge of grammar.
2. Establishing the tongue upon the Arabic language that the words of Allah were revealed in; this is why having an understanding of nahw is a very important matter. Although, nahw in the beginning stages is difficult to comprehend, it becomes easier in the end. The similitude is given: a house of straw, but a door of iron, meaning it is difficult to get inside, but once you are in, everything is easy for you. This is why it is necessary for the people to have a strong desire and motivation during the beginning stages of learning until it becomes easier upon them in the end.

Furthermore, we do not take into consideration the words of the one who says: “grammar is difficult!”, because the student thinks that he will never become firmly established in grammar, and this is not correct. Rather it is upon the student to study and concentrate in the beginning and it will become easy for him in the end.

Some of them (i.e., poets) say:

Nahw is difficult and its staircase is long*
When the one who does not understand it climbs it,
Intending to learn Arabic by it, instead it takes him further away from it.

* (meaning, learning it seems never-ending)

This is not correct, and we do not agree with this. Rather we say: inshaAllah - grammar is easy, its staircase is short and its steps are easy to climb, for the one who understands it from the beginning.

-Short introduction to his sharh of Ajrumiyyah

Bismillah

I came across a few gems from Shaykh ibn Uthaymeen rahimahullah in his tafseer and wanted to share them.

Hakeem before ‘Aleem

After the Angels give the glad tidings to Ibrahim alayhi salaam and Sarah alayha salaam of their son and she expresses her shock and amazement, the angels say to her:

قَالُوا كَذَ‌ٰلِكِ قَالَ رَبُّكِ ۖ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْحَكِيمُ الْعَلِيمُ
They said, “Thus has said your Lord; indeed, He is the Wise, the Knowing.” (51:30)

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Bismillah

Have you ever wondered why there is so much evil on the earth? Why are there so many environmental problems, so many wars, so many famines and sickness?

It’s because of you. Yes, you. And me, and the rest of man.

Many times when we are struck with a trial or calamity, our first reaction is the thought: “why me?!” Yet the sad fact is that we do not realize these trials are a result of what our own hands have reaped.

Allah azza wa jal says in a monumental ayah for our times:

Evil has appeared on land and sea because of what the hands of men have earned, that He (Allah) may make them taste a part of that which they have done, in order that they may return. (30:41)

Allah ta’ala says ‘fasaad’ has become apparent. Fasaad means an imbalance and is the opposite of ‘islaah’ (reformation).  Fasaad is when something decays, spoils and it is not as it should be. There are two types of fasaad: tangible evil such as famine, drought, wars and intangible such as bad manners and doing shirk.

This ayah does not only state that evil has appeared on the land, but it includes the land and sea. On the land, there is physical land pollution, drought, earthquakes and vegetation is scarce. There is also an imbalance in the people of the land. Such fasaad is also evident in the sea: the water is polluted, and certain species that live within it are nearing extinction.

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Do the companions of Muhammad (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) think that they can keep him to themselves? No, by Allah, we will surely race with them for him, until they know that they left behind men.

The famous tabi’i, Abu Muslim Al Khawalani rahimahullah

Bismillah

The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam once came upon his companion named Thawban (radi Allahu anhu) and noticed that he looked sad so he said to him, “O Thawban, what has changed your appearance?” Thawban replied, “O Messenger of Allah, I do not have any sickness or any pain except that I feel discomfort when I do not see you, so I seclude myself completely until I meet you. Then I remembered the hereafter and and was afraid that I would not see you there. I know that you will be with the Prophets, and if I enter Jannah, I will be in a level lower than yours. But if I do not enter Jannah, then I will never see you again.”

So Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala revealed,

“And whoever obey Allah and the Messenger, then they will be in the company of those on whom Allah has bestowed His Grace, of the Prophets, the truthful, the martyrs, and the righteous. And how excellent these companions are!” (4:69)

-Narrated by Ibn ‘Asaakir, Authenticated by Shaykh Albani.

Lessons from this Narration:

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In surah Tahreem, Allah azza wa jal says about the wives of Lut and Nuh:

“and it was said: “Enter the Fire along with those who enter!” (66:12)

We notice here that Allah ta’ala used the passive form in “qeela”, “it was said” (the doer is not mentioned).

Allah ta’ala says in this same ayah,

“They were under two of our righteous servants.” (66:12)

Some scholars of tafseer state that the passive form is used to show that although these two women were honored in the Dunya with being the wives of Prophets, in the aakhirah this not will not save them from the punishment of the Fire. They will not be given any special treatment in the aakhirah because of the status they held in the Dunya. Their righteous husbands will not be able to save them because they disobeyed Allah. Their status will not avail them in the least, because in the hereafter, we are only judged by our deeds. So it will be said to them both, enter the Fire, just like it will be said to every other dweller of the Fire.

Imam Qurtubi says,

The Most High sets this parable as a clarification and warning that no one will benefit from family or lineage when they are separated by the Deen. Lut and Nuh cannot protect their wives, even with the honor that Allah bestowed upon them (Prophethood and Islam), they will not be saved from the punishment of Allah.

Tafseer Qurtubi 201/18

In our society today we see how the status and family of a person can protect them for receiving retribution for the crimes they commit. The people are deluded by their fame and fortune, so they are not brought to account, they are preferred over regular people and given things that most do not have. In this life, they may be able to get away with their wrongdoings because money can buy a way out, but in the aakhirah - where the currency is good deeds - their wealth and family will not help them in any way and they will not be preferred over anyone else because of their status. This is a lesson and reminder for us all: in the hereafter we will only be judged according to our deeds, so look to your deeds and see what you have prepared.

We ask Allah to save us from the punishment and humiliation of the Fire.

Bismillah

His Hands are stretched and the angel waits …for you to repent! Turn back to At-Tawwaab: the One who consistently accepts repentance AND doesn’t tire of accepting it AND accepts repentence each time His slave repents.

Abu Musa Al-Ash`ari (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said: “Allah, the Exalted, will continue to stretch out His Hand in the night so that the sinners of the day may repent, and continue to stretch His Hand in the daytime so that the sinners of the night may repent, until the sun rises from the west”. [Muslim]

Abu Umamah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said, “The angel of the left raises [and holds] his pen for six hours from the Muslim servant of Allah who has wronged or committed a mistake. So if he regrets and seeks Allah’s forgiveness from it he returns it back, and if that is not the case then it is written as one.” [Mu'jam al Kabeer, Hasan according to Albani]

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Taken from MuslimMatters.org

The following is a message from brother Ahmed ibn Ambroise; a Muslim based in Haiti. JazakAllah khair to brother Tariq, President of SOAS Islamic Society, for sharing it with us.

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Ya Ikhwani! We are in need of your assistance. Our country has been hit by an act of nature that has left our people with countless deaths, homeless, without water, food, blood and medication.

All of our hospitals have crumbled, we have piles of people in the streets dead. Some people have had to have their limbs removed without aesthetics. Makeshift hospitals are being made with tents but there are not enough doctors or medication for the amount of injured.

The smell of dead bodies has risen in the entire city, the people have become desperate of the situation.

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Bismillah

I received this in an email and since I benefited from it, I wanted to share it with others:

Advice from Shaykh Hasan Abdul-Wahhab Al Banna

As I entered the masjid for our class with our Shaykh Hasan Abdul-Wahhaab Marzouq Al-Banaa, may Allah preserve him, I saw him praying. After I offered my prayer of greeting the masjid, I greeted the Shaykh, and kissed his head. We talked about how each of us spent our Eid and the conditions of our families. After this the Shaykh began to drink his tea, which was prepared for him. I asked the Shaykh, how does one become a strong student, treading the path of seeking knowledge?

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