Saying Alhamdulillaah is Better than the Favour/Blessing granted

Ibn Maajah reports from Anas bin Maalik that the Prophet (Peace and Blessings be upon him) said,

"Allah does not grant a servant a favor for which he says al-Hamdulillaah except that what he offered [of praising] is better and more virtuous than what he took [of the favor]. [Ibn Maajah [no. 3805] and it was declared hasan by al-Albaanee in ‘Saheeh ibn Maajah’ [no. 3067]]

Al-Bayhaqee commented on this by saying,

"This is because the servant does not attain [the station] of praising and thanking Allah except by His tawfeeq. Therefore the greater excellence [of his praising Allah as compared to the initial blessing that Allah bestowed upon him] is by virtue of his being blessed with the [ability to] praise Allah and extol him and this did not exist in the initial blessing. [‘Sharh as-Sindee `alaa ibn Maajah’ [no. 3795]]

Similarly, Shaykh Jamaal ad-Din Zarabozo wrote:

"In fact, every worldy blessing that is not accompanied with thanks to Allaah is a calamity. If Allaah blesses a person and guides him to thanking Allaah for a bounty he has received, that act of thankfulness is better than that worldly bounty and more beloved to Allaah. Allaah is pleased with the attribute of thankfulness and gratitude. And He bestows ti as a special grace from Himself to whomsoever He wills"

[End Quote, Commentary on the forty hadith of Al-Nawawi, Hadith #26: Charity Upon Every Joint]

The most beneficial fiqh to learn

Abu Ubaydallaah Hamid Vince Kromwell [15/08/13]

 The most beneficial fiqh you could learn is the fiqh of your daily life. If you understand this fiqh, your life will become easier and happier insha Allah...

An exercise I like to do is to categorize all my actions that I do rountinely into the 5 ahkam; waajib , mustahaab, mubaah, makrooh, and haraam. So for example, the first action I usually do of the day is to glance at the clock (for salatul Fajr). Looking at the time is permissible originally but because I am doing it for salaah,it is mustahaab (something I get rewarded for doing but no sin if I neglect). 

My next action would be to get out of the bed (for salaah). Getting out of the bed is simply a permissible action originally but to do so for salaah becomes obligatory. Why? Because salaatul Fajr is obligatory and any action that completes an obligation becomes an obligation also. The time span for salaatul Fajr is a little over an hour, so maybe I decide to pray at the beginning of this time. Because of certain narrations that indicate praying at the beginning of this prayer is highly desirable,my praying at the beginning of the time is desirable (although I can pray at any time of the allotted time) and so on for all of the days religious and worldly action.

It is a tedious exercise. But because it is intricate,it teaches a person to think intricately and break down issues to core. A person will no longer look at matters only on the surface and then judge but look at things with a deeper understanding. As it is said, part of giving the proper judgement to a matter is to have proper conceptualization of the matter.

Doing this exercise, insha Allah, gives a person the ability to answer many question to things they will encounter daily,making their life easier to live and will rarely need to seek a fatwa for them...

O Allaah, grant me understanding of the Deen

The places of residence are Three

UmmuAbdillaah Salafiyyah [6/9/12]:

Shaikh Salih al-Fawzaan mentioned in his explanation of Kitab at-Tawhid under the chapter [The Virtues of Tawhid and that which it Expiates from Sins], “The places of residence – as ibn ul-Qayyim mentioned – are three;

The First: The residence of this world, and it is the residence of actions and gaining [good deeds].

The Second: The residence of the Barzakh, and that is the residence within the graves, a barzakh between this world and the Hereafter. The term barzakh means a “divider” or “barrier” [i.e. the life within the graves is the seperator between this world and the Hereafter], and the life within the graves is [therefore] termed as the life of the barzakh. Within it are amazing affairs; in it is blessing or punishment,either a pit from the pits of the Hell-Fire, or a garden from the gardens of Paradise. The dead remain in their graves until Allah the Mighty and Majestic wishes to resurrect and gather them for accountability and recompense…[and so] this residence is a waiting station [until resurrection].

The Third: The residence of recompense, which is the Day of Judgement, [either] Paradise or Hell; and this residence does not perish nor cease ever. If a person believes in these two abodes [Paradise and Hell], then indeed that will cause a person to perform righteous actions and [seek] repentance from sins and wrong-doing. So if he is certain that Paradise exists, and that he cannot enter this Paradise except with righteous actions – then [surely] he will act [upon righteousness]. [Similarly] if he is certain that Hell exists and that he will enter it [if he performs] sins, disbelief and evil actions – then [surely] he will be wary and cautious of that and repent to Allah the Mighty and Majestic.

Therefore, eemaan in Paradise and Hell causes the slave to perform righteous actions and to seek repentance from sins and evil actions, as for the one who does not believe in the Hereafter, then this one will act in accordance to what his desires dictate to him and what his soul craves and he will not hold himself accountable [and reflect] ever”.
~
[Written by Abu Muadh Taqweem Aslam|Courtesy of: Salafi Centre of Manchester]

Filthy Nature of Those who Enjoy Criticizing Others

' Abu Ubaydallaah Hamid Vince Kromwell [7/9/12]:

Ibnu Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) Discusses the Filthy Nature of Those who Enjoy Criticizing Others

"Some people have the disease of criticizing all the time. They forget the good about others and only mention their faults. They are like flies that avoid the good and pure places and land on the bad places and on wounds. This is because of the evil within their souls and their spoiled nature."

Ibnu Taymiyyah [d.728H]



Courtesy: ‎"Authentic" Hadeeth of the Day

A Forgotten Sunnah: Two Units of Prayer After an Argument

Abdulkabir Atanda Ige [6/9/12]:

A Forgotten Sunnah: Two Units of Prayer After an Argument


From Abu Hurairah, may Allaah be pleased with him, in marfoo’ form, “The expiation for every argument/dispute is two units of prayer.”

As-Saheehah, vol. 4, p. 397.

Analogy of Taqleed and 'Ittibah

Umm Maryam Nimatallaahi Abdul [6/9/12]:

A man is in the desert, it is pitch black he is unfamiliar with the terrain and he has no guidance........ out of the darkness comes a man upon a camel with a torch, who gives the man safe passage.

The man with the torch is a man of knowledge (a sheikh), the man in the desert is most of us and the torch is ilm. Perhaps the man will just follow behind the sheikh going whereever the sheikh goes stumbling if the sheikh stumbles, standing when the sheikh stands, sitting when the sheikh sits, he follows the sheikhs every move like a shadow this is taqleed.

Perhaps he will follow the sheikh whilst allowing the light to guide him on the way but he will look for pebbles on the way, avoid any pebbles even if the sheikh mistakenly stepped in one, he uses the light to see far and thus is able to follow, but follow with relative safety this is 'ittibah. And perhaps Allah will bless him so that one day he will be the one with the torch guiding others along the path.

Benefits from Al-Qawaaid Al-Fiqheeyah Lifahm Al-Nusus Al-Sharaeeyah(Understanding the Principles to the Texts of Islamic Law) - 5

Abu Ubaydallaah Hamid Vince Kromwell [7/9/12]: 

Sheikh Al-Sa'adi said that from the principles(roots) of Islamic legislation is facilitating ease in any matter which there is difficulty. (Example of this is sitting when one doesn't have the ability to stand in prayer). The explainer said that matters are broken down into two concerning a person: What a person can not bear,and Allah will not hold a person accountable for this. What a person can bear and so a person must do and will be held accountable if they don't.

There is a point that should be added here. What is the meaning of 'can not bear' or harship? Another book I read on the same subject mentioned that hardship is broken down into three categories: slight hardship, extreme hardships,and hardships that lean towards one(extreme) or the other(slight, and these type of hardships are normally not excused). An example of slight hardship is making wudu with cold water in cold weather. An example of extreme means something that could cause loss of life or a body limb. Then there is whatever is between those two. 

However,as was explained to the brothers when we studied usool al-fiqh, each situation is subjective and the person who is in the situation is the one who best knows and decides what their limit of bearing a hardship is with the condition that they are being sincere with Allah.