Matters of the Qalb

Worship in the last ten days of Ramadan

In part of the his book dedicated to dhikr and du'a, ibn al-Qayyim mentioned the following point: [ إن أفضل أهل كل عملٍ أكثرهم فيه ذكراً لله عز وجل، فأفضل الصوام أكثرهم ذكراً لله عز وجل في صومهم، وأفضل المتصدقين أكثرهم ذكرا لله عز و جل، وهكذا سائر الأحوال] The best people who engage in any action are those who have the most remembrance of Allah while performing that action. So the best of those who fast are those who remember Allah the most while fasting, and the best of those who give charity are those those remember Allah the most, and so on. [al-Wabil al-Sayyib pg 104]

Imam Ibn al-Jawzi (رحمه الله) said: ▪️“…Where are those who fast and where are those who pray by night? ▪️Where are those who obey their Lord and where are those who work righteousness? ▪️Where are those who are foremost and where are are the humble ones? ▪️Where are those who remember [their Lord] and where are those devoted to Him? ▪️Where are the truthful and where are the patient? ▪️Where are the charity givers? ▪️Where are those who enjoin good, who save the troubled ones and who forbid the evil? ▪️Where are those who heed contemplation and who listen to sound advice and life-lessons? ▪️By الله, they have indeed gone with the righteous, returned with the believers, settled with the Prophets and taken residence with the truthful ones. ▪️But us, we remain behind with the ignorant, have settled with the wrong doers and have taken the heedless as our guides. ▪️So, glad tidings to those who obey the Most Merciful King in this month of Mercy, this month of Ramadan. They bore patience over a few days, and thus long-lasting mercy and abundant blessings came after them and pursued them. ▪️Every time you do good in this month, you shall be rewarded for the rest of your life because righteousness is a habit and evilness is mere stubbornness. ▪️Where are you O’ fasting one, who prays by night? Come forth to goodness and you shall triumph with everlasting happiness! Trade with your Lord and you shall profit, work with Him and you shall be successful, apologize and He shall accept your apology, seek His forgiveness and He shall forgive your sins, draw close to Him and He shall alleviate your suffering, ask Him from His Bounties and He shall expand your provisions, repent to Him and He shall increase your portion. ▪️O my dear brother, in this month all faults and mistakes are concealed, all souls and hearts are softened, sins and burdens are forgiven, and الله relieves every sad and troubled one. . . . ▪️O my dear brother, whenever you give food to others in this month for the Sake of الله the Lord of the heavens and the earth, you shall be raised to high ranks in the lofty grounds of Paradise, and you will be clothed with complete goodness and stripped of all sin…” 📓Bustan al-Wa’idhin (pg. 185-186)

Invisible Behind Bars: Muslim Prisoners in the Maldives #VaanuvaaSarcar #EndVaanuvaa

Seven Daily Ibadat to Kick-Start a Blessed Day and Elevate Your Akhirah

Seven Daily Ibadat to Kick-Start a Blessed Day and Elevate Your Akhirah

We stand with Shaykh Ahmad Musa Jibril حفظه الله تعالى

“Allah didn’t test you to doom you. As a Muwahid, He tried you to draw you closer to Him. To better you. He tested you to purify you and purify the ranks from impurities like gold needs heating to purify it. Keep the mention of Allah fresh on your tongue and hold fast onto the rope of Allah.” — Shaykh Ahmad Jibril حفظه الله

What went through your mind when you said so and afterwards? Did you feel any hesitancy? Know that if anything negative struck you, if you backtracked or if your mind wandered to 'what ifs', if you felt unsure even for a millisecond; then you need to work on your iman and try harder to build your trust; your tawakkul in your Lord. He's our Rabb Who keeps His Promises, Who has never failed you, never done you any wrong for you to doubt Him. Your Rabb is The One Who loves you the most, Who wishes only and only the BEST for you. So how come you cannot blindly Trust the one who is managing all your affairs and all the affairs of the whole creation metilicously, with such unparalleled love, care and wisdom? How is the Lord Who is the All Knowledgeable, from Whom nothing is hidden— He, whom does not get distracted by anything, and neither fatigue nor sleep touches Him, enough for you? Why are you lacking in your conviction? Where is your Yaqin? May Allah make us of those who utterly and sincerely submit ourselves to our Lord and count us among those for whom Allah is enough, always. May we be complete believers. #Mattersoftheqalb #checklist

Self test: [Especially for those going through a hard time or feeling uneasy having to face the unknown] Pause for a bit. And whisper to yourself: "Ya Allah. I'm your slave. You are my Lord. Do with me whatever You wish. Take from me as much as You're pleased." #Mattersoftheqalb #selfassessment

Agents for the Preservation of Virtue and Elimination of Vice When we were in prison, many people embraced Islam, all praise is due to Allah. They used to say, “The whole compound became Muslim because of the Jibrils.” They were referring to me and Ahmad. I spent my days in prison teaching. Every morning, I would go out to the track and announce, “If you want to learn, follow me. If you’re just here to waste time, I don’t want to see you.” And they would come, ready to learn. Anyone who teaches people about Islam represents the Prophet (ﷺ), this is what it means to be a deputy of the Prophet (ﷺ). Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says: “Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ ‘This is my way. I invite to Allah with insight — I and those who follow me…’” (Surat Yusuf: 108) The most important thing to teach, is ‘Aqeedah. Lā ‘Ilāha ‘Illa Allah, there is no god worthy of worship except Allah alone. Negation, then affirmation. Whenever people would change, Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) would send a Prophet with a new message, abrogating what came before. Despite their different times and communities, all 124,000 Prophets, and 314 Messengers (عليهم الصلاة والسلام), were sent with one purpose: And We certainly sent into every nation a messenger, [saying], "Worship Allah and avoid Taghut." (Surat An-Nahl: 36) This is our way, and we strive to make it everyone’s way. Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says: “You are the best nation raised for mankind — you enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong…” (Surat Aal ’Imran: 110) To enjoin good and forbid evil is to preserve the moral compass of society. Every Muslim should aspire to this, even if not everyone takes on the responsibility. Abu Umama al-Bahili said that: Two men, one learned and the other devout, were mentioned to God’s messenger, who then said, “The superiority of the learned man over the devout man is like mine over the most contemptible among you,” adding, “God, His angels, the inhabitants of the heavens and the earth, even the ant in its hole and even the fish invoke blessings on him who teaches men what is good.” (Mishkat al-Masabih 213, 214) - Shaykh Musa Jibril (حفظه الله تعالى)

Tawheed is the key to 'real' life: a life that is sound and proper 🗝️ 🌿 “You must know that a servant's need for Allah— that he worship Him and not associate any partner with Him— is a need concerning which there is no comparison that one can make an analogy to. In some matters, it resembles the need of the body for food and drink. However, there are many differences between the two. The reality of a human being is in his heart and soul. These cannot be prosperous except through [their relation] with Allah, concerning whom there is no other god. There is, for example, no tranquillity in this world except in His remembrance. Verily, man is heading toward his Lord and he shall meet Him. He must definitely meet Him. There is no true goodness for him except in meeting Him. (This is because the soul, by its ingrained nature, yearns for its meeting with its Creator.) If the human experiences any pleasure or happiness other than in Allah, that joy and happiness will not endure. It will move from one nature to another or from one person to another. The person will enjoy it at one time or only some of the time. In fact, sometimes the thing he enjoys and gets pleasure from does not bring him pleasure or enjoyment. Sometimes it even hurts him when it comes to him. And he is even more harmed by that. But his God is definitely always with him under every circumstance and at all times. Wherever he is, He is with him [by His knowledge and aid]. If someone worships anything other than Allah— even if he expects loves it and attains some love in this world and some form of pleasure from that— [that false worship] will destroy the person in a way greater than the harmful displeasure that comes to a person who ate poison. You must know that if anyone loves something other than for the sake of Allah, then that beloved thing will definitely be a cause of harm and punishment. If somebody loves something other than for the sake of Allah, that thing will harm him whether it is with him or he is without it.” —Shaykh al-Islam lbn Taymiyyah رحمه الله تعالى, Majmoo, vol. 1, pp. 24-29

Gems with Shaykh Musa I was sitting with Shaykh Musa حفظه الله تعالى, and I asked him: “Once we’ve found the true path — Insha’Allah — what can we do to stay firm on this path?” He (حفظه الله تعالى) said with a kind smile, that Allah Says: وَإِذْ تَأَذَّنَ رَبُّكُمْ لَئِن شَكَرْتُمْ لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ “And [remember] when your Lord proclaimed: If you are grateful, I will surely increase you [in favor]… [14:7] You thank Allah for His Guidance, and He سبحانه وتعالى will increase you in His Guidance, Insha’Allah. Then he mentioned the Ayah: وَقَلِيلٌ مِّنْ عِبَادِيَ الشَّكُورُ ‏But few of My servants are truly grateful. [34:13] He then said: “Shall we not strive to be amongst them?” He continued and mentioned the Hadith: وَمَا تَقَرَّبَ إِلَيَّ عَبْدِي بِشَيْءٍ أَحَبَّ إِلَيَّ مِمَّا افْتَرَضْتُهُ عَلَيْهِ، وَمَا يَزَالُ عَبْدِي يَتَقَرَّبُ إِلَيَّ بِالنَّوَافِلِ حَتَّى أُحِبَّهُ، فَإِذَا أَحْبَبْتُهُ كُنْتُ سَمْعَهُ الَّذِي يَسْمَعُ بِهِ، وَبَصَرَهُ الَّذِي يُبْصِرُ بِهِ، وَيَدَهُ الَّتِي يَبْطِشُ بِهَا، وَرِجْلَهُ الَّتِي يَمْشِي بِهَا، وَلَئِنْ سَأَلَنِي لَأُعْطِيَنَّهُ، وَلَئِنِ اسْتَعَاذَنِي لَأُعِيذَنَّهُ “My servant does not draw near to Me with anything more beloved to Me than the duties I have imposed upon him. And My servant continues to draw near to Me with supererogatory deeds (nawāfil) until I love him. And when I love him, I become his hearing with which he hears, his sight with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes, and his foot with which he walks. If he asks Me, I will surely grant it to him; and if he seeks refuge in Me, I will surely protect him.” [Bukhari, 6502] He said to be persistent and striving, in completing as many Nawafil (voluntary acts) as we can, for what is absolute guidance, except when Allah Loves you? Does Allah not guide whom He Loves? A deep question, which many spend their lifetimes searching the answer for, the Shaykh answered with two Ayāt, a Hadith, and a smile. May Allah preserve our beloved Shaykhayn and their family, and give them both a long life full of deeds, and an absolute protection from the evil of this life and the next, and grant them a lofty status and company in the hereafter, with the Siddiqeen, Shuhada’, and Righteous. Https://musajibril.org

One of the biggest acts of defiance against the Nafs is forgiveness of someone who wronged you, despite them not seeking your forgiveness nor caring to acknowledge their fault or Dhulm. The innate human desire for revenge and retribution, even if it be in the afterlife, is one of the most intense feelings one can harbor. Some let it get so out of hand that they wouldn’t forgive their brother in faith even if he sought their forgiveness through multiple means and begged for it repeatedly. Allāh سبحانه وتعالى says: وَلَمَن صَبَرَ وَغَفَرَ إِنَّ ذَٰلِكَ لَمِنْ عَزْمِ ٱلْأُمُورِ And whoever endures patiently and forgives — surely this is a resolve to aspire to. [42:43] ‘Azm Al-Umūr — because forgiveness is not a one time thing. A person forgives, yet his heart inclines and relapses into grudges and grief again and again at the remembrance of the offenses. ‘Azm Al-Umūr — because at times, one works internally for years to bring his heart on the same page as his tongue in the matter of forgiveness. It is a school of the soul every waking hour of the day, and for this reason, you find that the most noble of character and the most honored of people in the sight of others are those who forgive and act graciously to those who offended, hurt, or wronged them. The Messenger of Allāh ﷺ said: “No one forgives, but Allah increases him in honor…” [Muslim] May Allāh سبحانه وتعالى soften our hearts and guide us to cleanse them towards our brothers and sisters in faith, and forgive them and us for our wrongs. What a noble deed, for one cannot forgive except for the sake of Allāh’s Pleasure, as it brings no immediate benefit in this worldly life.