Bismillah

1. Prayer and Righteousness to parents: “The most beloved deeds to Allah is observing prayer at its right time and being dutiful and righteous to parents.” [Agreed Upon]
2. Belief (Eman), Joining the ties of Kinship, and Enjoining good and Forbidding evil: “The most beloved deeds to Allah are believing in Allah, then joining the ties of kinship, then enjoining what is good and forbidding the evil.” [Abu Ya'la, Hasan according to Albani]
3. Consistency: “The most beloved deeds to Allah are those that are done consistently, even if they are few.” [Agreed Upon]
4. Remembrance of Allah: “The most beloved deeds to Allah is to die while your tongue is soft with His Remembrance.” [Tabarani, Hasan according to Albani]
5. Truthful speech: “The most beloved speech to Allah is the most truthful.” [Bukhari]
6. Prayer and Fasting of Dawud: “The most beloved fasting to Allah is the fasting of Dawud (alayhi salam), he would fast every alternate day. The most beloved prayer to Allah is the prayer of Dawud (alayhi salam), he would sleep for half of the night, pray for a third of it then sleep for a sixth of it.” [Agreed Upon]
7. Sharing food: “The most beloved food to Allah is that which is touched by many hands (i.e., shared by many).” [ibn Hibban, Hasan according to Albani]
8. Good Character: “The most beloved slaves to Allah are those that are best in character.” [Tabarani, Saheeh according to Albani]
9. “Subhan Allahi wa biHamdihi”: “The most beloved speech to Allah is that a slave should say, ’subhan Allahi wa biHamdihi” (How perfect is Allah and for Him is all praise).” [Muslim]
10. “SubhanAllah, Alhamdulillah, La ilaha il Allah, Allahu Akbar”: “The most beloved speech to Allah is four: SubhanAllah (Glorified is Allah and High Above any imperfection), Alhamdulillah (All praise and thanks belong only to Allah), La ilaha il Allah (There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah), Allahu Akbar (Allah is greater than everything else).” [Muslim]

Bismillah

The Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said, “Whoever covers the fault of his Muslim brother, Allah will cover his faults on the Day of Judgment.” [Bukhari]

Imam al-Munawi (rahimahullah) says,

“Covering the fault of a Muslim means to not reveal any deeds they committed or words they said that will humiliate them, because revealing them may cause him embarrassment with regards to his family, his job, or his status in the community. So the Muslim does not reveal him, or speak of what he has said or done to others nor does he take him to a judge, with the condition that they are not one of those who openly indulge and commit illicit and abominable acts, or they are not known for harming others.

Allah will cover his faults on the Day of Judgment, meaning Allah will not humiliate him in front of all of creation by revealing his faults and sins. Rather Allah will make his accounting easy for him, and he will not be punished because Allah is Kareem (Generous and Kind), and He is Hayyiy (Very Modest), He covers faults out of His Generosity and Modesty.

Uthman (radi Allahu anhu) was once called to investigate some people based on suspicion, so he went to take their account but they dispersed when he reached them, and he did not pursue them. He then freed a slave out of thankfulness to Allah (azza wa jal) that he did not cause the humiliation of a Muslim.”

Fayd al-Qadeer (6/149)

Bismillah

Allah azza wa jal says in surah Waqi’ah:

فَأَمَّا إِن كَانَ مِنَ الْمُقَرَّبِينَ فَرَوْحٌ وَرَيْحَانٌ وَجَنَّتُ نَعِيمٍ

Then, if he (the dying person) be of those brought near to Allah, then for him is rawh and bounty and a Garden of Delights. (56:88-89)

There are many scholarly opinions regarding what rawh is, among them:

1- Happiness and delight, narrated from Sa’eed ibn Jubayr from ibn Abbass.

2- Rest and relaxation, narrated from Abu Tahlah from ibn Abbass.

3- Forgiveness and mercy, narrated from al-’Awafi from ibn Abbass.

4- Jannah, according to Muhajid.

5- Rest from any distress and anxiety, according to Muhammad ibn Ka’b.

6- Goodness and ease in the grave, according to ibn Qutaybah.

In another qira’ah (recitation) it is read as, “rooh”, and this includes several meanings:

1- Mercy, according to Qatadah.

2- An everlasting life, according to ibn Qutaybah.

Imam al-Tabari states, “the best and most correct of these meanings according to me is happiness, forgiveness and mercy.”

We ask Allah azza wa jal for Rawh in the hereafter.

Bismillah

The Good End of the Believing Women

Umm as-Sahbaa Mu’adhah al-’Adawiyyah (rahimahaAllah): ‘Ufayrah reported that she went to visit Umm as-Sahbaa, and she saw her cry and then laugh. Those around her asked, “what made you cry, and what made you laugh?” She said, “The thought of not being able to fast, pray and do dhikr made me cry. As for my laughing, I saw Abu as-Sahbaa (her husband) who left before me and I saw him wearing two beautiful green garments and he was in a large group. By Allah, I have never seen more beautiful people in this world - so I laughed at him.” She died before the next prayer time.

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Bismillah

Have you ever wondered why “rahmah” is singular and “barakat” plural in the salaams?

Rahmah is a masdar (verbal noun) that does not have a plural. It would be incorrect to say “Rahamat”, just as we do not say “ra’afaat” (kindness), instead we say “ra’fah”. Rahamat would signify a limit that would be contained within a certain number, while “rahmah” points to a more universal, specific and absolute meaning. So, the singular is better and more complete than the plural. This is one of the amazing aspects of the language, that a singular word is far reaching in meaning than the plural. This is why Allah azza wa jal says:

قُلْ فَلِلَّهِ الْحُجَّةُ الْبَالِغَةُ
‘Say: “With Allah is the perfect proof and argument”‘ (6:149)

Hujjatul Baalighah (both singluar) is more perfect and more prevailing in meaning than saying “fa lillah al-hujaj al-bawaligh” (plural)

Similarly, Allah ta’ala says:

وَإِن تَعُدُّوا نِعْمَتَ اللَّهِ لَا تُحْصُوهَا
“and if you count the Blessings of Allah, never will you be able to count them.” (14:34)

The use of the singular word “ni’mat” is more universal than saying “ni’am”, the plural.

Similarly, the ayah:

رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ
“Our Lord! Give us in this world that which is good and in the Hereafter that which is good, and save us from the torment of the Fire!” (2:201)

“Hasanah” has a more complete meaning than “hasanat”.

Likewise the ayah:

يَسْتَبْشِرُونَ بِنِعْمَةٍ مِّنَ اللَّهِ وَفَضْلٍ
“They rejoice in a Grace and a Bounty from Allah” (3:171) (Ni’mah and Fadl are both singular)

As for ‘barakat”, it refers to good that is continuous - when one good ends, another one begins. The plural is more universal than the singular with this meaning, which is why we see “barakat” used in the Qur’an:

رَحْمَتُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ عَلَيْكُمْ أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ
“The Mercy of Allah and His Blessings be on you, O the family [of Ibrahim]” (11:73)

-Imam ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah (rahimahullah), “Bada’i al-Fawa`id”

Bismillah

The following is a compilation of narrations from the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) highlighting different ways we can give sadaqah (charity) with commentary from Riyad as-Saliheen.

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Bismillah

Part two will cover: al-’aabidaat, women who were known for their worship.

‘Aatikah al-Makhzumiyyah rahimahaAllah : Whenever she would tire from how much she cried, she would say: “it is not befitting that the one who fears the Fire has a dry eye, until he is certain that he is safe from it.”

‘Ufayrah al-’Aabidah rahimahaAllah : When it was said to her, “aren’t you tired from crying so much?” She said, “how can man tire from his medicine and his cure?!”

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Bismillah

Part One

What makes a woman powerful? Is it her status, wealth, gorgeous looks, number of children or degrees? Is it her political or economic leadership reign over society? Or is it her piety and righteousness? People will always differ on this topic. But the fact remains that power connotes ability to inspire, ability to move, ability to remain on the tongues and in the minds of people even after one passes away. Power is legacy.

Alhamdulillah, we hear many stories of the Companions (radi Allahu anhum ajma’een) who left legacies through their good deeds, but we hardly hear stories of righteous women other than the few famous ones we know. So, this is dedicated to the sisters! Here are your examples!

1. Umm ad-Dardaa (radi Allahu anha): She gained knowledge from her husband, Abu ad-Dardaa, and Salman al-Farisi, Ka’b ibn ‘Aasim, A’ishah, and Abu Hurayrah (radi Allahu anhum ajma’een). She was known for her knowledge, good deeds and asceticism. Makhool said about her, “Umm ad-Dardaa was a faqeehah (a scholar of fiqh).” ‘Awn ibn Abdillah said about her, “We used to go to Umm ad-Dardaa, and we would remember Allah with her.” Yunus ibn Maysarah said, “The women used to worship with her, and when they would tire from standing, they would hold on to ropes!”

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Bismillah

Among those deceived people may be one who thinks that his good deeds are more than his sins, because he does not pay attention to his bad deeds or check on his sins, but if he does a good deed he remembers it and relies on it.

This is like the one who seeks Allah’s forgiveness with his tongue (that is, by words only), and glorifies Allah by saying “subhan Allah” one hundred times a day, then he backbites about the Muslims and slanders their honor, and speaks all day long about things that are not pleasing to Allah. This person is always thinking about the virtues of his saying “subhan Allah” and saying “la ilaha ila Allah” but he pays no attention to what has been reported concerning those who backbite, tell lies, and slander others, or commit other sins of the tongue. They are completely deceived.

-ibn al-Qayyim (rahimahullah)

Bismillah

We covered the meaning of Al-Lateef yesterday, here is more material on it.

Imam al-Qurtubi (rahimahullah) mentions 22 ways Allah is Al-Lateef (The Most Kind, Courteous and Subtle) and the meanings of Allah’s Lutf.

1- Ibn Abbass (radi Allahu anhuma) said the meaning of the ayah, “Allahu Lateefun bi ‘ebadihi”, Allah is Lateef to His servants, means that He is Kind towards them.

2- He is benevolent to them.

3- He does not cause the righteous or the sinners to die from starvation due to their sins out of His kindness.

4- He is gentle towards them.

5- He is watchful and aware of them.

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