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_12 _March _2016åÜ ÇáãæÇÝÞ 12-03-2016ã, 10:00 PM
The most important thing that the student of knowledge should be particular about is to remember Allāh in all situations, as remembrance of Him is the greatest door and best path to what one seeks. Whoever turns from it has indeed been prevented from all good, and has deviated from the correct path. Whoever is guided to it has truly been guided, and has been led by the best leader and guide.
Ibn al-Qayyim said: “Rushing towards Allāh and depending on Him, being pleased with Him, filling the heart with love of Him, constantly remembering Him, feeling happiness and joy with knowing Him – all of these are instantaneous rewards, a paradise of this world, and a life that the lives of kings cannot even compare to. I heard Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allāh have Mercy on him) say: “Indeed, there is a paradise in this world. Whoever doesn’t enter it will not enter the Paradise of the Hereafter.” And he once said to me: “What can my enemies do to me? My paradise and garden are in my chest, and they are with me wherever I go. My imprisonment is my privacy with Allāh, my killing is martyrdom, and my expulsion from my homeland is tourism.”
And Allāh Knows that I never saw anyone with a purer life than him despite what he was experiencing of hardship and lack of relaxation and rest, and despite his imprisonment and fear of being killed. With all of this, he lived the purest life, had the strongest and most open heart, was happiest in spirit, and had a face that emanated the brightness of delight. When we were frightened, had desperate thoughts, and felt as if the world was choking us, we would rush to him. Simply by seeing him and hearing his words, this would all turn into relaxation, certainty, and assurance. So, glory to the One who allowed His slaves to witness His Paradise before meeting Him and opened for them its doors in this life, giving them from its taste and sweet breeze that they have been dedicating their strength to seeking and competing for.
Some of the people of knowledge would say: “If the kings and their sons knew what we were experiencing, they would have fought us with swords over it.”
Another said: “The people of this world are deprived. They left this world without tasting the sweetest thing in it!” It was asked of him: “And what is that?” He said: “Love of Allāh, knowing Him, and remembering Him.” So, love, knowledge, and constant remembrance (dhikr) of Allāh, leaning to Him, feeling tranquil with Him, singling Him out for love, fear, hope, dependence, and attention – such that He alone is the main concern and preoccupation of the slave and his goals – is the paradise and delight of this world that no other delight can compare to, and it is the coolness of the eyes of those who love Allāh, and true life for those who know Him.” [1]
Ibn al-Qayyim continued: “I was with Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah once when he prayed Fajr. He sat afterwards remembering Allāh until midday, and turned to me, saying: “This is my nourishment. If I do not receive this nourishment, I will have no energy,” or something to this effect. And he said to me once: “I never leave off making dhikr except with the intention of saving up my energy to rest myself in order to prepare for more dhikr,” or something close to this in meaning.” [2]
“There is no doubt that the heart becomes rusted just like copper, silver, etc. do, and it is polished with dhikr, as dhikr will clean it until it is left as shiny as a mirror. If it is left, it once again becomes rusty, and if you remember Allāh, it is once again polished.
The heart becomes rusted because of two things: heedlessness and sin, and it becomes polished with two things: repentance and dhikr. So, whoever is heedless more often will have more rust on his heart, and the amount of rust will be in accordance with how heedless he is. If the heart becomes rusted, its owner will not be able to see things for what they are. So, he will see falsehood as truth and truth as falsehood, because when the rust builds up, it causes a fog that prevents him from seeing things as they are. So, if the rust builds up and blackens the heart, his understanding and comprehension become ruined, he will not accept the truth as truth, and will not reject falsehood as falsehood. This is the greatest form of punishment that can afflict the heart.
This all stems from heedlessness and the following of one’s desires, as they put out the light of the heart and blind it:
{…and do not obey he whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance and who follows his own lusts, and whose affair has been lost.”} [3]
So, if the servant of Allāh wants to imitate someone, let him see: is he from those who remember Allāh, or is he from the heedless? Is he led by his desires, or by the Revelation? So, if he is led by his desires and is from the heedless, his affair is lost. The word ÝÑØÇ has been explained to mean lost, in that what he should be doing, and what will lead to his guidance and success, is lost. It has also been explained to mean wasted, in that he has wasted what he has. It has also been explained to mean destruction, and has been explained to mean opposition to the truth. All of these are similar in meaning, and the point is that Allāh forbade us from obeying those who have these traits. So, a man should look to his teacher and example and leader - if he finds these traits in him, he should avoid him. If he finds one who is usually remembering Allāh, following the Sunnah, and his affair is not lost – rather, he is doing his job – he should hold tightly to that person. The only difference between the living and the dead is in regards to the remembrance of Allāh, because the difference between the one who remembers his Lord and the one who doesn’t is like the difference between the living and the dead.” [4]
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allāh have Mercy on him) said: “Sometimes, I would come across a hundred different explanations for a single verse, and I would ask Allāh to allow me to understand them. I would say: ‘O Teacher of Adam and Ibrahim, teach me!’ I would go to an abandoned corner of a mosque, rub my face in the dirt, and ask Allāh, saying: ‘O Teacher of Ibrahim, teach me.’” [5]
Abu Musa al-Ash’ari (may Allāh be Pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) said: “The likeness of the one who remembers his Lord and the one who doesn’t is like that of the living and the dead,” [6] and this is al-Bukhari’s version. Muslim’s wording is: “The likeness of the house in which Allāh is remembered and that in which He is not remembered is like that of the living and the dead.” [7]
Ash-Shawkani (may Allāh have Mercy on him) said: “And this parable shows the lofty beauty and noble virtue of the one who remembers Allāh, and it shows the life that is granted to him and his soul as the result of the light he is surrounded with and the reward that he is granted. Likewise, it shows that the one who abandons the remembrance of Allāh – even if he is literally alive – is not considered to be alive. Rather, he is likened to the dead, who do not contain any of what the living who are busy obeying Allāh, the Mighty and Majestic, contain.
What is in this ḥadīth is also in the verse:
{“Is he who was dead, and We gave him life…”} [8]
This means that the disbeliever is likened to the dead, and guidance to Islam is likened to life.” [9]
Al-Bukhārī titled one of his chapters ‘Chapter: the Virtue of Remembering Allāh.’ In it, he included the aforementioned ḥadīth of Abu Musa, as well as this ḥadīth of Abū Hurayrah, in which the Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) said:
“Allāh has Angels who roam the roads, seeking out those who remember Him. So, if they find those who remember Allāh, they call out: ‘Come see what you’re looking for!’ and the Angels encircle them with their wings up to the sky. Then, their Lord asks them - though He Knows better than them – ‘What do My slaves say?' The Angels reply: ‘They say: subḥān Allāh, Allāhu Akbar, and al-ḥamdu lillāh.’ Allāh then Says: ‘Did they see Me?' ’ The Angels reply: ‘No! By Allāh, they didn't see You.’ Allāh Says: ‘How it would have been if they saw Me?’ The Angels reply: ‘If they saw You, they would worship You more devoutly and praise You more, and declare Your freedom from any resemblance to anything more often.’ Allāh will Say: ‘What do they ask Me for?’ The Angels reply: ‘They ask You for Paradise.’ Allāh Says: ‘Did they see it?’ The Angels say: ‘No! By Allāh, O Lord! They did not see it.’ Allāh Says: ‘How it would have been if they saw it?’ The Angels say: ‘If they saw it, they would have greater desire for it, and would seek it with greater zeal.’ Allāh Says: ‘From what do they seek refuge?’ The Angels reply: 'They seek refuge from the Fire.’ Allāh Says: ‘Did they see it?’ The Angels say: ‘No, by Allāh, O Lord! They did not see it.’ Allāh Says: ‘How it would have been if they saw it?’ The Angels say: ‘If they saw it, they would flee from it swiftly, and would have extreme fear of it.’ Then, Allāh says: ‘I make you witnesses that I have Forgiven them.’ One of the Angels would then say: ‘There was such and such a person amongst them, and he was not one of them. Rather, he had just come for some need of his.’ Allāh would then Say: ‘These are people whose companions will not be saddened.’” [10]
Al-Ḥāfidh Ibn Hajar (may Allāh have Mercy on him) said: “What is meant by remembrance here is that one pronounces the words that are encouraged to be said, and does this constantly, such as saying subḥān Allāh (glory be to Allāh), al-ḥamdulillāh (praise be to Allāh), lā ilāh illa Allāh (there is none worthy of worship except Allāh), Allāhu Akbar (Allāh is the Greatest), lā hawla wa lā quwwata illā billah (there is no might norpower except with Allāh), bismillāh (in the Name of Allāh), hasbuna Allāh wa ni’m al-Wakil (Allāh is sufficient for us, and He is the best Disposer of our affairs), as well as seekingAllāh’s Forgiveness, and supplicating for the good of this world and the next.
The remembrance of Allāh also includes doing that which Allāh has obligated or encouraged, such as recitation of the Qur’ān, reading ḥadīth, studying knowledge, praying optional prayers, etc. And dhikr sometimes occurs with the tongue, and the person gets rewarded for it without even having to know the meaning of what he is saying. Rather, he must not mean other than what it means, and if he adds to this pronouncement the presence of his heart, this is better. If he then adds to this the understanding of what this dhikr means - what it contains of the glorification of Allāh and denying any shortcomings in Him - this is even better. If he does this during any righteous action – whether it is prayer, Jihād, etc. – it only increases in virtue. If he turns completely towards Allāh and is sincere to Him in doing this, this is best and most complete.” [11]
In regards to the ḥadīth reported by Muslim: “The likeness of the house in which Allāh is remembered and that in which He is not remembered is like that of the living and the dead,” Ibn Ḥajar said: “What is described as being truly alive or dead is the inhabitant, not the house, and what is intended by describing the house as alive or dead is that its inhabitant is alive or dead. So, he (peace be upon him) likened the person who remembers Allāh – who is outwardly beautified with the light of life, and inwardly beautified with the light of knowledge – with one who is alive, and he likened the one who doesn’t remember Allāh with the house that is outwardly and inwardly ruined. It was also said that the likeness to the living and dead was because of how the living person can help his allies and harm his enemies, while the dead cannot.” [12]
So, those who should hold firmest to the handhold of dhikr are the people of knowledge and those who seek it. They are the ones who traverse swiftly and are rightly guided by it to the destination they seek, and with anything else, their feet would become sluggish, their hearts would become rusted, and they would become lost, as it was said:
If we become sick, we treat ourselves with Your remembrance
And when we leave this remembrance for a bit, we become depressed.
References
[1] ‘al-Wabil as-Sayyib’ (p. 44)
[2] ‘al-Wabil as-Sayyib’ (p. 39)
[3] al-Kahf; 28
[4] ‘al-Wabil as-Sayyib’ (p. 37)
[5] ‘Tafsir Surat al-Ikhlas’ (p. 6)
[6] ‘Saḥīḥ al-Bukhāri’ (6407)
[7] ‘Saḥīḥ Muslim’ (779)
[8] al-An’ām; 122
[9] ‘Tuhfat adh-Dhākirin’ (p. 15)
[10] ‘Saḥīḥ al-Bukhārī’ (6408)
[11] ‘Fath al-Bāri’ (11/212)
[12] ‘Fath al-Bāri’ (11/214)
Ibn al-Qayyim said: “Rushing towards Allāh and depending on Him, being pleased with Him, filling the heart with love of Him, constantly remembering Him, feeling happiness and joy with knowing Him – all of these are instantaneous rewards, a paradise of this world, and a life that the lives of kings cannot even compare to. I heard Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allāh have Mercy on him) say: “Indeed, there is a paradise in this world. Whoever doesn’t enter it will not enter the Paradise of the Hereafter.” And he once said to me: “What can my enemies do to me? My paradise and garden are in my chest, and they are with me wherever I go. My imprisonment is my privacy with Allāh, my killing is martyrdom, and my expulsion from my homeland is tourism.”
And Allāh Knows that I never saw anyone with a purer life than him despite what he was experiencing of hardship and lack of relaxation and rest, and despite his imprisonment and fear of being killed. With all of this, he lived the purest life, had the strongest and most open heart, was happiest in spirit, and had a face that emanated the brightness of delight. When we were frightened, had desperate thoughts, and felt as if the world was choking us, we would rush to him. Simply by seeing him and hearing his words, this would all turn into relaxation, certainty, and assurance. So, glory to the One who allowed His slaves to witness His Paradise before meeting Him and opened for them its doors in this life, giving them from its taste and sweet breeze that they have been dedicating their strength to seeking and competing for.
Some of the people of knowledge would say: “If the kings and their sons knew what we were experiencing, they would have fought us with swords over it.”
Another said: “The people of this world are deprived. They left this world without tasting the sweetest thing in it!” It was asked of him: “And what is that?” He said: “Love of Allāh, knowing Him, and remembering Him.” So, love, knowledge, and constant remembrance (dhikr) of Allāh, leaning to Him, feeling tranquil with Him, singling Him out for love, fear, hope, dependence, and attention – such that He alone is the main concern and preoccupation of the slave and his goals – is the paradise and delight of this world that no other delight can compare to, and it is the coolness of the eyes of those who love Allāh, and true life for those who know Him.” [1]
Ibn al-Qayyim continued: “I was with Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah once when he prayed Fajr. He sat afterwards remembering Allāh until midday, and turned to me, saying: “This is my nourishment. If I do not receive this nourishment, I will have no energy,” or something to this effect. And he said to me once: “I never leave off making dhikr except with the intention of saving up my energy to rest myself in order to prepare for more dhikr,” or something close to this in meaning.” [2]
“There is no doubt that the heart becomes rusted just like copper, silver, etc. do, and it is polished with dhikr, as dhikr will clean it until it is left as shiny as a mirror. If it is left, it once again becomes rusty, and if you remember Allāh, it is once again polished.
The heart becomes rusted because of two things: heedlessness and sin, and it becomes polished with two things: repentance and dhikr. So, whoever is heedless more often will have more rust on his heart, and the amount of rust will be in accordance with how heedless he is. If the heart becomes rusted, its owner will not be able to see things for what they are. So, he will see falsehood as truth and truth as falsehood, because when the rust builds up, it causes a fog that prevents him from seeing things as they are. So, if the rust builds up and blackens the heart, his understanding and comprehension become ruined, he will not accept the truth as truth, and will not reject falsehood as falsehood. This is the greatest form of punishment that can afflict the heart.
This all stems from heedlessness and the following of one’s desires, as they put out the light of the heart and blind it:
{…and do not obey he whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance and who follows his own lusts, and whose affair has been lost.”} [3]
So, if the servant of Allāh wants to imitate someone, let him see: is he from those who remember Allāh, or is he from the heedless? Is he led by his desires, or by the Revelation? So, if he is led by his desires and is from the heedless, his affair is lost. The word ÝÑØÇ has been explained to mean lost, in that what he should be doing, and what will lead to his guidance and success, is lost. It has also been explained to mean wasted, in that he has wasted what he has. It has also been explained to mean destruction, and has been explained to mean opposition to the truth. All of these are similar in meaning, and the point is that Allāh forbade us from obeying those who have these traits. So, a man should look to his teacher and example and leader - if he finds these traits in him, he should avoid him. If he finds one who is usually remembering Allāh, following the Sunnah, and his affair is not lost – rather, he is doing his job – he should hold tightly to that person. The only difference between the living and the dead is in regards to the remembrance of Allāh, because the difference between the one who remembers his Lord and the one who doesn’t is like the difference between the living and the dead.” [4]
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allāh have Mercy on him) said: “Sometimes, I would come across a hundred different explanations for a single verse, and I would ask Allāh to allow me to understand them. I would say: ‘O Teacher of Adam and Ibrahim, teach me!’ I would go to an abandoned corner of a mosque, rub my face in the dirt, and ask Allāh, saying: ‘O Teacher of Ibrahim, teach me.’” [5]
Abu Musa al-Ash’ari (may Allāh be Pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) said: “The likeness of the one who remembers his Lord and the one who doesn’t is like that of the living and the dead,” [6] and this is al-Bukhari’s version. Muslim’s wording is: “The likeness of the house in which Allāh is remembered and that in which He is not remembered is like that of the living and the dead.” [7]
Ash-Shawkani (may Allāh have Mercy on him) said: “And this parable shows the lofty beauty and noble virtue of the one who remembers Allāh, and it shows the life that is granted to him and his soul as the result of the light he is surrounded with and the reward that he is granted. Likewise, it shows that the one who abandons the remembrance of Allāh – even if he is literally alive – is not considered to be alive. Rather, he is likened to the dead, who do not contain any of what the living who are busy obeying Allāh, the Mighty and Majestic, contain.
What is in this ḥadīth is also in the verse:
{“Is he who was dead, and We gave him life…”} [8]
This means that the disbeliever is likened to the dead, and guidance to Islam is likened to life.” [9]
Al-Bukhārī titled one of his chapters ‘Chapter: the Virtue of Remembering Allāh.’ In it, he included the aforementioned ḥadīth of Abu Musa, as well as this ḥadīth of Abū Hurayrah, in which the Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) said:
“Allāh has Angels who roam the roads, seeking out those who remember Him. So, if they find those who remember Allāh, they call out: ‘Come see what you’re looking for!’ and the Angels encircle them with their wings up to the sky. Then, their Lord asks them - though He Knows better than them – ‘What do My slaves say?' The Angels reply: ‘They say: subḥān Allāh, Allāhu Akbar, and al-ḥamdu lillāh.’ Allāh then Says: ‘Did they see Me?' ’ The Angels reply: ‘No! By Allāh, they didn't see You.’ Allāh Says: ‘How it would have been if they saw Me?’ The Angels reply: ‘If they saw You, they would worship You more devoutly and praise You more, and declare Your freedom from any resemblance to anything more often.’ Allāh will Say: ‘What do they ask Me for?’ The Angels reply: ‘They ask You for Paradise.’ Allāh Says: ‘Did they see it?’ The Angels say: ‘No! By Allāh, O Lord! They did not see it.’ Allāh Says: ‘How it would have been if they saw it?’ The Angels say: ‘If they saw it, they would have greater desire for it, and would seek it with greater zeal.’ Allāh Says: ‘From what do they seek refuge?’ The Angels reply: 'They seek refuge from the Fire.’ Allāh Says: ‘Did they see it?’ The Angels say: ‘No, by Allāh, O Lord! They did not see it.’ Allāh Says: ‘How it would have been if they saw it?’ The Angels say: ‘If they saw it, they would flee from it swiftly, and would have extreme fear of it.’ Then, Allāh says: ‘I make you witnesses that I have Forgiven them.’ One of the Angels would then say: ‘There was such and such a person amongst them, and he was not one of them. Rather, he had just come for some need of his.’ Allāh would then Say: ‘These are people whose companions will not be saddened.’” [10]
Al-Ḥāfidh Ibn Hajar (may Allāh have Mercy on him) said: “What is meant by remembrance here is that one pronounces the words that are encouraged to be said, and does this constantly, such as saying subḥān Allāh (glory be to Allāh), al-ḥamdulillāh (praise be to Allāh), lā ilāh illa Allāh (there is none worthy of worship except Allāh), Allāhu Akbar (Allāh is the Greatest), lā hawla wa lā quwwata illā billah (there is no might norpower except with Allāh), bismillāh (in the Name of Allāh), hasbuna Allāh wa ni’m al-Wakil (Allāh is sufficient for us, and He is the best Disposer of our affairs), as well as seekingAllāh’s Forgiveness, and supplicating for the good of this world and the next.
The remembrance of Allāh also includes doing that which Allāh has obligated or encouraged, such as recitation of the Qur’ān, reading ḥadīth, studying knowledge, praying optional prayers, etc. And dhikr sometimes occurs with the tongue, and the person gets rewarded for it without even having to know the meaning of what he is saying. Rather, he must not mean other than what it means, and if he adds to this pronouncement the presence of his heart, this is better. If he then adds to this the understanding of what this dhikr means - what it contains of the glorification of Allāh and denying any shortcomings in Him - this is even better. If he does this during any righteous action – whether it is prayer, Jihād, etc. – it only increases in virtue. If he turns completely towards Allāh and is sincere to Him in doing this, this is best and most complete.” [11]
In regards to the ḥadīth reported by Muslim: “The likeness of the house in which Allāh is remembered and that in which He is not remembered is like that of the living and the dead,” Ibn Ḥajar said: “What is described as being truly alive or dead is the inhabitant, not the house, and what is intended by describing the house as alive or dead is that its inhabitant is alive or dead. So, he (peace be upon him) likened the person who remembers Allāh – who is outwardly beautified with the light of life, and inwardly beautified with the light of knowledge – with one who is alive, and he likened the one who doesn’t remember Allāh with the house that is outwardly and inwardly ruined. It was also said that the likeness to the living and dead was because of how the living person can help his allies and harm his enemies, while the dead cannot.” [12]
So, those who should hold firmest to the handhold of dhikr are the people of knowledge and those who seek it. They are the ones who traverse swiftly and are rightly guided by it to the destination they seek, and with anything else, their feet would become sluggish, their hearts would become rusted, and they would become lost, as it was said:
If we become sick, we treat ourselves with Your remembrance
And when we leave this remembrance for a bit, we become depressed.
References
[1] ‘al-Wabil as-Sayyib’ (p. 44)
[2] ‘al-Wabil as-Sayyib’ (p. 39)
[3] al-Kahf; 28
[4] ‘al-Wabil as-Sayyib’ (p. 37)
[5] ‘Tafsir Surat al-Ikhlas’ (p. 6)
[6] ‘Saḥīḥ al-Bukhāri’ (6407)
[7] ‘Saḥīḥ Muslim’ (779)
[8] al-An’ām; 122
[9] ‘Tuhfat adh-Dhākirin’ (p. 15)
[10] ‘Saḥīḥ al-Bukhārī’ (6408)
[11] ‘Fath al-Bāri’ (11/212)
[12] ‘Fath al-Bāri’ (11/214)