1 week ago
23 October 2010
Shyness is of two types
Shyness is of two types:
1. What consists of character and disposition and cannot be acquired. Shyness is the behavior Allah granted the servant. The Prophet sallallahu alayhe was salaam said " Shyness brings about nothing but good." It prohibits a person from committing despicable actions and displaying degrading behavior.
2.What is attainable through knowing Allah and knowing His greatness as well as His closeness to His servants.His overseeing them, and His knowledge of what deceives the eyes while being hidden in the chests.
22 October 2010
Small sins
Anas (Raliyyalaah anh) said: “You indulge in (bad) actions which are more insignificant to you than a hair while we considered them at the time of Messenger of Allah sallalaah alahi wasallam to be great destroying sins.”
(Bukhari)
Commentary: The less fear of Allah, one has the more disobedient he becomes to Him. As the fear of Allah decreases, one becomes more bold in committing sins. As the Companions of the Prophet sallah alahi wassalam were intensely fearful of Allah, they were afraid of committing even very minor sins.
(Bukhari)
Commentary: The less fear of Allah, one has the more disobedient he becomes to Him. As the fear of Allah decreases, one becomes more bold in committing sins. As the Companions of the Prophet sallah alahi wassalam were intensely fearful of Allah, they were afraid of committing even very minor sins.
21 October 2010
A Woman’s Strong Determination to Repent
It was reported on the authority of Hassan Al Basree (Rahimahullah), who was one of the scholars from the Ta’bieen:
There was a prostitute who had a third of the beauty of Adam (Alaihis salam). She would not allow anyone to have sexual relations with her unless it was for 100 dinars. There was a slave boy who saw her one day and her beauty amazed him so much that he went and worked and toiled with his own two hands until he collected 100 dinars. So he went to her and said: “Your beauty amazed me so much that I went and worked and toiled with my own two hands and immediately collected 100 dinars!” So she said to him: “Enter!” So he entered and to his amazement she had a bed made of gold. He said: “So I sat on her bed and she said to me: “Come on!” So when he sat between her legs he remembered his standing in front of Allah!! His heart began to tremble and quiver and he said to her: “Let me leave and you can keep the money!!” She said to him: “What is wrong with you?! You were the one who said that you saw me and my beauty amazed you so you worked and toiled hard and quickly with your bare hands until you collected 100 dinars and now that you have the ability to take what is rightfully yours this is what you do?!!! “
So he said: “I am afraid of Allah and my standing in front of Him! I was once the most hated person to you (because he was a poor slave) and now you are the most hated person to me!” (because he now realizes the sin she is allowing him to commit) So she said: “If you are honest in what you say, then you are the only husband for me!” So he said: “Let me leave!” So she said: “No! Not until you marry me?!” So he said: “No! Not until you allow me to leave!” So she said: “If you leave and I go out in search of you, do you promise that if I find you, you will marry me?” So he said: “Perhaps!” So she let his garment go, he left and returned to his city. She set out in search of him remorseful and repentant for what she had done until she found the city where he resided. She asked around town about his whereabouts and she was directed towards where he lived. So someone said to him in passing:
إن الملكة قد جاء!
“The queen has come!” (He said this because her clothing and demeanor spoke that of a queen)
So when he saw her he cried so profusely and began to gag and gasp for air (as he never expected to see her again and now to his amazement, believed that she was a queen!) and he died while falling into her arms! So she said:
أما هذا فقد فاتني فهل له من قريب؟
“As for him, I have lost this one! Does he have any relatives?
So it was said to her:
له أخ فقير!
“He has a brother but he is poor!”
So she said with all candor and sincerity:
فأتزوجه حبا لأخيه!
“Thus I will marry him because of my love for his brother!!” (keep in mind they still believe that she is the queen!)
So she married him.
Translator’s Note: This narration is taken from a book called Hilyat ul Awliyaa by Abu Nu’aim Al Asbahani (Rahimahullah) and it is a book filled with narrations about amazing events during the time of the Salaf. Some of these narrations may not be authentic or we may not know the authenticity of them, however the scholars use them in the realm of what is called At Targheeb wat Tarheeb (i.e. encouragement (to be obedient to Allah) and discouragement (from disobedience to Allah) and they have stipulated 4 conditions for using these narrations and I will provide them below for the reader’s clarification:
The First: The narration can not be used to establish and/or substantiate a legislative Islamic ruling. As the Islamic rulings in Islam are established and/or supported by authentic unequivocal and concrete texts from the Qur’an, Authentic Sunnah and the Ijma’a (i.e. Consensus) of the Sahabah and the Salaf us Salih (i.e. Righteous Predecessors)
The Second: The narration can not be attributed to the Prophet (Sallahu alaihi wa salam) or the narrator unless the Isnad (i.e. chain of narrators) is affirmed by those scholars who are proficient in that respective field. So thats why the scholars will say when narrating these types of narrations “It was reported….” Or “it was mentioned about…” but they will never say such and such said.
The Third: The class of the narration has to be clarified when quoted so as not to mislead the reader and/or listener to believe that it is authentic if it is not authentic.
The Fourth: It can only be used in the realm of what the scholars call At Targheeb wat Tarheeb, as it was mentioned before.
Translated by Abu Az Zubayr Shadeed Muhammad on the 1431H./1/4 corresponding to Dec. 19 2009 in the city of Riyadh, the Capital of Saudi Arabia.
20 October 2010
13 October 2010
Our call
Who are we?
[1]: We believe in Allah and His Names and Attributes, as they were mentioned in the Book of Allah and in the Sunnah of the Messenger of (Allah Sallalahu alaihi wa Sallam), without tahreef (distortion), nor ta‘weel (figurative interpretation), nor tamtheel (making a likeness), nor tashbeehta’teel (denial). (resemblance), nor
[2]: We love the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (Sallalahu alaihi wa Sallam), and we hate those who speak against them. We believe that to speak ill of them is to speak ill of the Religion, because they are the ones who conveyed it to us. And we love the Family of the Prophet with love that is permitted by the Sharee’ah.
[3]: We love the People of Hadeeth and all of the Salaf of the Ummah from Ahlus-Sunnah.
[4]: We despise ’ilmul-kalaam (knowledge of theological rhetoric), and we view it to be from amongst the greatest reasons for the division in the Ummah.
[5]: We do not accept anything from the books of Fiqh (jurisprudence), nor from the books of Tafsir (explanation of the Qur’an), nor from the ancient stories, nor from the Seerah (biography) of the Prophet, except that which has been confirmed from Allah or from His Messenger. We do not mean that we have rejected them, nor do we claim that we are not in need of them. Rather, we benefit from the discoveries of our Scholars and the jurists and other than them. However, we do not accept a ruling, except with an authentic proof.
[6]: We do not write in our books, nor do we cover in our lessons, nor do we give sermons with anything except the Qur’an, or the authentic and authoritative hadeeth. And we detest what emanates from many books and admonishers in terms of false stories and weak and fabricated Ahadith.
[7]: We do not perform Takfeer (expel one from Islaam) upon any Muslim due to any sin, except Shirk (polytheism) with Allah, or the abandonment of Prayer, or apostasy. We seek refuge in Allah from that.
[8]: We believe that the Qur’an is the Speech of Allah, it is not created.
[9]: We hold that our ‘obligation is to co-operate with the group that traverses the methodology of the Book and the Sunnah, and what the Salaf of the Ummah were upon; in terms of calling to Allah the Glorified, and being sincere in worship of Him, and warning from Shirk, innovations, and disobedience, and to advise all of the groups that oppose this.’ ‘So co-operating upon righteousness and piety (taqwaa) and mutual advising necessitates warning against evil and not co-operating with the wicked.’
[10]: We do not deem it correct to revolt against the Muslim rulers as long as they are Muslims, nor do we feel that revolutions bring about reconciliation. Rather, they corrupt the community.
[11]: We hold that this multiplicity of present day parties is a reason for the division of the Muslims and their weakness. So therefore, we set about ‘freeing the minds from the fetters of blind-following and the darkness of sectarianism and party spirit.’
[12]: We restrict our understanding of the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the → Messenger of Allah r to the understanding of the Salaf of the Ummah from the Scholars of hadeeth, not the blind-followers of their individuals. Rather, we take the truth from wherever it comes. And we know that there are those who claim Salafiyyah, yet Salafiyyah is free from them, since they bring to the society what Allâah has prohibited. We believe in ‘cultivating the young generation upon this Islaam, purified from all that we have mentioned, giving to them a correct Islâmic education from the start – without any influence from the disbelieving western education.’
[13]: We believe that politics is a part of the Religion, and those who try to separate the Religion from politics are only attempting to destroy the Religion and to spread chaos.
[14]: We believe that there will be no honor or victory for the Muslims until they return to the Book of Allah and to the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah.
[15]: We oppose those who divide the Religion into trivialities and important issues. And we know that this is a destructive Daw’ah.
[16]: We oppose those who put down the knowledge of the Sunnah, and say that this is not the time for it. Likewise, we oppose those who put down acting upon the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah.
[17]: Our Daw’ah and our ’Aqeedah is more beloved to us than our own selves, our wealth and our offspring. So we are not prepared to part with it for gold nor silver. We say this so that no one may have hope in buying out our Daw’ah, nor should he think that it is possible for him to purchase it from us for deenaar or dirham.
[18]: We love the present day Scholars of the Sunnah and hope to benefit from them and regret the passing away of many of them.
[19]: We do not accept a Fatwaa except from the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah.These are glimpses into our ’Aqeedah and our Daw’ah. So if one has any objection to this, then we are prepared to accept advice if it is truthful, and to refute it if it is erroneous, and to avoid it if it is stubborn rejection. And Allâah knows best.
Endnotes:[1] This explanation of our call has been summarized from Tarjumah Abee ’Abdur-Rahmaan Muqbil Ibn Haadee al-Waadi’ee (p. 135-142) of Shaykh Muqbil Ibn Haadee with minor additions from other sources.
[2] al-Furqaan magazine (issue no. 14, p. 15)
[3] From Fiqhul-Waaqi’ (p. 49) of Shaykh al-Albaanee
[4] Fiqhul-Waaqi’ (p. 51)
[1]: We believe in Allah and His Names and Attributes, as they were mentioned in the Book of Allah and in the Sunnah of the Messenger of (Allah Sallalahu alaihi wa Sallam), without tahreef (distortion), nor ta‘weel (figurative interpretation), nor tamtheel (making a likeness), nor tashbeehta’teel (denial). (resemblance), nor
[2]: We love the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (Sallalahu alaihi wa Sallam), and we hate those who speak against them. We believe that to speak ill of them is to speak ill of the Religion, because they are the ones who conveyed it to us. And we love the Family of the Prophet with love that is permitted by the Sharee’ah.
[3]: We love the People of Hadeeth and all of the Salaf of the Ummah from Ahlus-Sunnah.
[4]: We despise ’ilmul-kalaam (knowledge of theological rhetoric), and we view it to be from amongst the greatest reasons for the division in the Ummah.
[5]: We do not accept anything from the books of Fiqh (jurisprudence), nor from the books of Tafsir (explanation of the Qur’an), nor from the ancient stories, nor from the Seerah (biography) of the Prophet, except that which has been confirmed from Allah or from His Messenger. We do not mean that we have rejected them, nor do we claim that we are not in need of them. Rather, we benefit from the discoveries of our Scholars and the jurists and other than them. However, we do not accept a ruling, except with an authentic proof.
[6]: We do not write in our books, nor do we cover in our lessons, nor do we give sermons with anything except the Qur’an, or the authentic and authoritative hadeeth. And we detest what emanates from many books and admonishers in terms of false stories and weak and fabricated Ahadith.
[7]: We do not perform Takfeer (expel one from Islaam) upon any Muslim due to any sin, except Shirk (polytheism) with Allah, or the abandonment of Prayer, or apostasy. We seek refuge in Allah from that.
[8]: We believe that the Qur’an is the Speech of Allah, it is not created.
[9]: We hold that our ‘obligation is to co-operate with the group that traverses the methodology of the Book and the Sunnah, and what the Salaf of the Ummah were upon; in terms of calling to Allah the Glorified, and being sincere in worship of Him, and warning from Shirk, innovations, and disobedience, and to advise all of the groups that oppose this.’ ‘So co-operating upon righteousness and piety (taqwaa) and mutual advising necessitates warning against evil and not co-operating with the wicked.’
[10]: We do not deem it correct to revolt against the Muslim rulers as long as they are Muslims, nor do we feel that revolutions bring about reconciliation. Rather, they corrupt the community.
[11]: We hold that this multiplicity of present day parties is a reason for the division of the Muslims and their weakness. So therefore, we set about ‘freeing the minds from the fetters of blind-following and the darkness of sectarianism and party spirit.’
[12]: We restrict our understanding of the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the → Messenger of Allah r to the understanding of the Salaf of the Ummah from the Scholars of hadeeth, not the blind-followers of their individuals. Rather, we take the truth from wherever it comes. And we know that there are those who claim Salafiyyah, yet Salafiyyah is free from them, since they bring to the society what Allâah has prohibited. We believe in ‘cultivating the young generation upon this Islaam, purified from all that we have mentioned, giving to them a correct Islâmic education from the start – without any influence from the disbelieving western education.’
[13]: We believe that politics is a part of the Religion, and those who try to separate the Religion from politics are only attempting to destroy the Religion and to spread chaos.
[14]: We believe that there will be no honor or victory for the Muslims until they return to the Book of Allah and to the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah.
[15]: We oppose those who divide the Religion into trivialities and important issues. And we know that this is a destructive Daw’ah.
[16]: We oppose those who put down the knowledge of the Sunnah, and say that this is not the time for it. Likewise, we oppose those who put down acting upon the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah.
[17]: Our Daw’ah and our ’Aqeedah is more beloved to us than our own selves, our wealth and our offspring. So we are not prepared to part with it for gold nor silver. We say this so that no one may have hope in buying out our Daw’ah, nor should he think that it is possible for him to purchase it from us for deenaar or dirham.
[18]: We love the present day Scholars of the Sunnah and hope to benefit from them and regret the passing away of many of them.
[19]: We do not accept a Fatwaa except from the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah.These are glimpses into our ’Aqeedah and our Daw’ah. So if one has any objection to this, then we are prepared to accept advice if it is truthful, and to refute it if it is erroneous, and to avoid it if it is stubborn rejection. And Allâah knows best.
Endnotes:[1] This explanation of our call has been summarized from Tarjumah Abee ’Abdur-Rahmaan Muqbil Ibn Haadee al-Waadi’ee (p. 135-142) of Shaykh Muqbil Ibn Haadee with minor additions from other sources.
[2] al-Furqaan magazine (issue no. 14, p. 15)
[3] From Fiqhul-Waaqi’ (p. 49) of Shaykh al-Albaanee
[4] Fiqhul-Waaqi’ (p. 51)
06 October 2010
The Soul that Greatly Commands Evil
by Shaikh Abdur-Razzaq Al-Abaad
Taken from Causes Behind the Increase and Decrease of Eemaan pg.109-111
This is a condemned soul, which Allaah placed inside the individual. It orders him with every evil, invites him to all perils and guides him to every vulgarity.
This is its nature and that is its trait, except for the soul that Allaah grants tawfeeq and which He makes firm and assists. None has been saved from the evil of his soul except by the tawfeeq of Allaah, as Allaah says relating from the wife of al-Azeez:
"And I free not myself (from the blame). Verily, the soul does indeed incline greatly to evil, except when my Lord bestows His Mercy (upon whom He wills). Verily, my Lord is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." (Soorah Yoosuf 12:53)
Allaah says:
".....And had it not been for the Grace of Allaah and His Mercy on you, not one of you would ever have been pure..." (Soorah an-Noor 24:21)
Allaah also says to the most honorable and beloved creation to Him:
"And had We not made you stand firm, you would nearly have inclined to them a little." (Soorah al-Israa 17:74)
Furthermore, the Prophet (sallallaahu alaiyhi wa salam) used to teach them (i.e.., the people) the 'Speech of Need' (Khutbah al-Haajah): " All praise is for Allaah; we praise Him, seek His aid and forgiveness. We seek refuge with Allaah from the evil of our souls and from the wickedness of our actions. Whosoever Allaah guides, then none can misguide him and whosoever Allaah misguides, then none can guide him..." (related by Aboo Daawood)
Thus, evil is concealed within the soul and it necessitates actions of evil. If Allaah lets the servant have his own way with his soul, he will perish at the evil of his soul and the evil actions that it sanctions. If Allaah on the other hand, grants the servent tawfeeq and assists him, he will deliver him from all of this.
Allaah has made in contrast to this soul, a soul that is content. If the soul that constantly commands evil urges the servant with something, the content soul prohibits him from it. The person at times obeys this soul, and at other times obeys the other; he himself is one of the two that is prevalent over him.
Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allaah have mercy upon him, states: "Allaah has assembled two souls: a soul that greatly orders evil and a soul that is content, and they are hostile towards one another. Whenever one diminishes, the other strengthens. Whenever one takes pleasure in something the other suffers pain as a result of it. Nothing is more difficult for the soul that constantly encourages evil than performing deeds for Allaah and preferring His pleasure to its own desire and there is nothing more beneficial to it than Allaah. Likewise, there is nothing more difficult upon the content soul than performing deed for other than Allaah and that which the incentives of desire bring about, and there is nothing more harmful to it than desire.... and the war is continuous, it cannot come to an end until it completes its appointed time from this world."
Hence, there is nothing more harmful to a person's eemaan and religion than his soul that constantly commands evil, whose standing and description is such. It is a primary reason and effective and active constituent that weakens eemaan, unsettles it and impairs it.
As such, it becomes imperative for the one who seeks to safeguard his eemaan from diminution and weakness to tend to the matter of calling his soul to account, admonishing it and to increase in censuring it, so that he can deliver himself from its adverse and devastating consequences and ends.
taken from:
http://ibad-ur-rahman.org/soul_that_commands_evil.html
Taken from Causes Behind the Increase and Decrease of Eemaan pg.109-111
This is a condemned soul, which Allaah placed inside the individual. It orders him with every evil, invites him to all perils and guides him to every vulgarity.
This is its nature and that is its trait, except for the soul that Allaah grants tawfeeq and which He makes firm and assists. None has been saved from the evil of his soul except by the tawfeeq of Allaah, as Allaah says relating from the wife of al-Azeez:
"And I free not myself (from the blame). Verily, the soul does indeed incline greatly to evil, except when my Lord bestows His Mercy (upon whom He wills). Verily, my Lord is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." (Soorah Yoosuf 12:53)
Allaah says:
".....And had it not been for the Grace of Allaah and His Mercy on you, not one of you would ever have been pure..." (Soorah an-Noor 24:21)
Allaah also says to the most honorable and beloved creation to Him:
"And had We not made you stand firm, you would nearly have inclined to them a little." (Soorah al-Israa 17:74)
Furthermore, the Prophet (sallallaahu alaiyhi wa salam) used to teach them (i.e.., the people) the 'Speech of Need' (Khutbah al-Haajah): " All praise is for Allaah; we praise Him, seek His aid and forgiveness. We seek refuge with Allaah from the evil of our souls and from the wickedness of our actions. Whosoever Allaah guides, then none can misguide him and whosoever Allaah misguides, then none can guide him..." (related by Aboo Daawood)
Thus, evil is concealed within the soul and it necessitates actions of evil. If Allaah lets the servant have his own way with his soul, he will perish at the evil of his soul and the evil actions that it sanctions. If Allaah on the other hand, grants the servent tawfeeq and assists him, he will deliver him from all of this.
Allaah has made in contrast to this soul, a soul that is content. If the soul that constantly commands evil urges the servant with something, the content soul prohibits him from it. The person at times obeys this soul, and at other times obeys the other; he himself is one of the two that is prevalent over him.
Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allaah have mercy upon him, states: "Allaah has assembled two souls: a soul that greatly orders evil and a soul that is content, and they are hostile towards one another. Whenever one diminishes, the other strengthens. Whenever one takes pleasure in something the other suffers pain as a result of it. Nothing is more difficult for the soul that constantly encourages evil than performing deeds for Allaah and preferring His pleasure to its own desire and there is nothing more beneficial to it than Allaah. Likewise, there is nothing more difficult upon the content soul than performing deed for other than Allaah and that which the incentives of desire bring about, and there is nothing more harmful to it than desire.... and the war is continuous, it cannot come to an end until it completes its appointed time from this world."
Hence, there is nothing more harmful to a person's eemaan and religion than his soul that constantly commands evil, whose standing and description is such. It is a primary reason and effective and active constituent that weakens eemaan, unsettles it and impairs it.
As such, it becomes imperative for the one who seeks to safeguard his eemaan from diminution and weakness to tend to the matter of calling his soul to account, admonishing it and to increase in censuring it, so that he can deliver himself from its adverse and devastating consequences and ends.
taken from:
http://ibad-ur-rahman.org/soul_that_commands_evil.html
04 October 2010
03 October 2010
Proper Manner in Answering the Phone
What follows is beneficial knowledge from AshShaykh Al’Allaamah AlAlbaanee (rahimahullaah) transmitted by way of his student Saalih bin Taha Abu Islaam in his book entitled, (what translated means) Al’aqeedah first, if they but only knew (Vol 1, pgs. 16-17), wherein he (Abu Islaam) said,
“He called me rahimahullaah (meaning AshShaykh AlAlbaanee) one day by telephone, but I was not there. My young daughter, upon answering the telephone, said, “Assalaamu ‘alaikum wa rahmatullaah”. The Shaykh asked for me and then said to her, “Inform your father that Muhammad Naasiriddeen AlAlbaanee called”. (He did not say ‘AshShaykh’ . . . and this is from his humbleness, may Allaah raise his rank in Aljannah)”.
Harshness upon the People of Innovations
Shaikh Rabee' bin Hadee 'Umayr Al-Madkhalee (hafidhahullaah) was asked the following question after a recent lecture he delivered in Masjid Al-Qiblatayn, Medinah.
Question: A novel way of putting people off the scholars has appeared, which is to categorize the scholars into those who are harsh and those who are lenient (tolerant), and sometimes [the people who claim this] say the scholars of one region are harsh and those of another are tolerant. What is your guidance on this?
Answer by Shaikh Rabee' bin Hadee 'Umayr Al-Madkhalee (hafidhahullaah):
This is one of the methods of the enemies of the Salafi Manhaj. Amongst the Salaf there were those who were lenient but they never used to hold it against each other. Rather, they used to respect those who were harsh against the followers of falsehood. You have [for example] Hammaad bin Salamah (rahimahullaah). Imam Ahmad (rahimahullaah) used to praise him greatly and suspect the religion of anyone who spoke against him [saying],
quote:
Whoever speaks against Hammaad bin Salamah, then suspect his religion because he [Hammaad bin Salamah] was harsh against the People of Bid'ah.
Being harsh against the people of falsehood used to be a virtue according to the Salaf. But since the People of Bid'ah and misguidance have come and taken over the minds of many of the youth, very regrettably, being harsh against the people of falsehood has become a "vice and a defect," and being relaxed and flexible [with them] has become a "distinction and an honorable trait."
[You must] adhere to the Salafi Manhaj and take the Salafi position towards the People of Bid'ah. It is not wrong to call them to Allaah wisely and through good exhortation. If they respond, thanks and praise are for Allaah. If they do not, there is no wrong in being harsh against them and...
The Salaf were harsh against them, and [in some cases] ordered some of them to be executed... [The Salaf] wrote many works [in refutation of them]. What do you say about them? Read Al-Sharee'ah of Al-Ajurree, read Al-Sunnah of 'Abdullah bin Ahmad, read Al-Sunnah of Al-Khallaal. Those [who decry being harsh towards the people of falsehood] have not read these works, they have not read these works and seen the position taken by the Salaf towards the People of Bid'ah and deviation.
What should our stance be towards the Jahmiyah, what should our stance be towards the Raafidah and what should our stance be towards their followers and supporters? Many who associate themselves with the Salafi Manhaj got influenced by these currents and became compromised and began to fight against the callers to truth and the Sunnah [by accusing them of being] "harsh."
I have written [refutations], and I am the harshest one. I wrote during the time of Ibn Baaz, Al-Albaanee and Al-'Uthaymeen. I refuted the Ikhwaan Al-Muslimoon (the Muslim "Brotherhood"), Al-Tableegh (Tablighi Fircat) and all the People of Bid'ah and those scholars supported these writings and supported Rabee'. None of them opposed him and none of them said... Al-Albaanee said a statement praising Rabee', "[Shaikh Rabee'] is the bearer of the standard of Jarh and Ta'deel in this era." Hmm, what do you think about this? Then [Al-Albaanee] said [Rabee'] has some harshness in him. These compromisers rejoiced and flew with the quote [spreading it everywhere]. I contacted Shaykh Al-Albaanee and said, "Why o Shaikh do you accuse me of being harsh?" He said, "By Allaah this is what I personally think." I said, "O Shaikh, this harms the Salafi Da'wah and it harms me." So the Shaykh apologized - rahimahullah. Shortly afterwards, I sent him [my book] Al-'Awaasim mimmaa fee Kutub Sayed Qutb min Al-Qawaasim, which is the harshest book I have written. [Shaykh Al-Albaanee] read it and supported it because it was the truth, and said, 'You have spoken the truth, so continue and do more o Shaykh Rabee',' or words to that effect - rahimahullaah.
Ibn Baaz never... He used to say, "Refute the People of Bid'ah with wisdom and good exhortation." He never used to oppose me, and by Allaah he wrote to me saying, "It has reached me that you have refuted Al-Mawdoodee - rahimahullaah - and I hope you can send me a copy of this refutation." He never used to object. Shaikh Al-Tuwayjiree used to refute and refute harshly the People of Bid'ah, and Shaikh Ibn Baaz used to support him and recommend his books. Hmm, he never once said - and [Shaykh Al-Tuwayjiree also] used to refute Al-Albaanee - may Allaah bless you... Shaikh Ibn Baaz never silenced him, he would never say to him, 'be silent,' he would never say, 'you are harsh,' may Allaah bless you. Al-Fawzaan used to refute the People of Bid'ah during the time of Shaykh Ibn Baaz, and he never said, 'be silent,' may Allaah bless you. Rather he would support him... There are so many writings [Shaykh Ibn Baaz] recommended of Shaykh Al-Tuwayjiree and he praised my books and my methodology (manhaj) - rahimahullaah. All of these Mashaaikh used to be supportive.
This is the manhaj in which we have become weak. We are not on the same level as we used to be during their time; rather we have become weak but despite this they say we are "harsh," and they say Ibn Baaz [was not like you]. By Allaah, Ibn Baaz used to fight the People of Bid'ah and support those who fought them and praise those who fought them - may Allaah bless you. Bring me one proof that Ibn Baaz silenced one person who refuted the People of Bid'ah. Did he silence Al-Fawzaan? Did he silence Al-Tuwayjiree? Did he silence Rabee'? Did he silence Al-Albaanee? Not one of them. Likewise, all the scholars used to support and aid those who speak the word of truth and refute what is wrong....
Continue reading here: http://www.salafitalk.net/st/viewmessages.cfm?forum=9&topic=11580
Question: A novel way of putting people off the scholars has appeared, which is to categorize the scholars into those who are harsh and those who are lenient (tolerant), and sometimes [the people who claim this] say the scholars of one region are harsh and those of another are tolerant. What is your guidance on this?
Answer by Shaikh Rabee' bin Hadee 'Umayr Al-Madkhalee (hafidhahullaah):
This is one of the methods of the enemies of the Salafi Manhaj. Amongst the Salaf there were those who were lenient but they never used to hold it against each other. Rather, they used to respect those who were harsh against the followers of falsehood. You have [for example] Hammaad bin Salamah (rahimahullaah). Imam Ahmad (rahimahullaah) used to praise him greatly and suspect the religion of anyone who spoke against him [saying],
quote:
Whoever speaks against Hammaad bin Salamah, then suspect his religion because he [Hammaad bin Salamah] was harsh against the People of Bid'ah.
Being harsh against the people of falsehood used to be a virtue according to the Salaf. But since the People of Bid'ah and misguidance have come and taken over the minds of many of the youth, very regrettably, being harsh against the people of falsehood has become a "vice and a defect," and being relaxed and flexible [with them] has become a "distinction and an honorable trait."
[You must] adhere to the Salafi Manhaj and take the Salafi position towards the People of Bid'ah. It is not wrong to call them to Allaah wisely and through good exhortation. If they respond, thanks and praise are for Allaah. If they do not, there is no wrong in being harsh against them and...
The Salaf were harsh against them, and [in some cases] ordered some of them to be executed... [The Salaf] wrote many works [in refutation of them]. What do you say about them? Read Al-Sharee'ah of Al-Ajurree, read Al-Sunnah of 'Abdullah bin Ahmad, read Al-Sunnah of Al-Khallaal. Those [who decry being harsh towards the people of falsehood] have not read these works, they have not read these works and seen the position taken by the Salaf towards the People of Bid'ah and deviation.
What should our stance be towards the Jahmiyah, what should our stance be towards the Raafidah and what should our stance be towards their followers and supporters? Many who associate themselves with the Salafi Manhaj got influenced by these currents and became compromised and began to fight against the callers to truth and the Sunnah [by accusing them of being] "harsh."
I have written [refutations], and I am the harshest one. I wrote during the time of Ibn Baaz, Al-Albaanee and Al-'Uthaymeen. I refuted the Ikhwaan Al-Muslimoon (the Muslim "Brotherhood"), Al-Tableegh (Tablighi Fircat) and all the People of Bid'ah and those scholars supported these writings and supported Rabee'. None of them opposed him and none of them said... Al-Albaanee said a statement praising Rabee', "[Shaikh Rabee'] is the bearer of the standard of Jarh and Ta'deel in this era." Hmm, what do you think about this? Then [Al-Albaanee] said [Rabee'] has some harshness in him. These compromisers rejoiced and flew with the quote [spreading it everywhere]. I contacted Shaykh Al-Albaanee and said, "Why o Shaikh do you accuse me of being harsh?" He said, "By Allaah this is what I personally think." I said, "O Shaikh, this harms the Salafi Da'wah and it harms me." So the Shaykh apologized - rahimahullah. Shortly afterwards, I sent him [my book] Al-'Awaasim mimmaa fee Kutub Sayed Qutb min Al-Qawaasim, which is the harshest book I have written. [Shaykh Al-Albaanee] read it and supported it because it was the truth, and said, 'You have spoken the truth, so continue and do more o Shaykh Rabee',' or words to that effect - rahimahullaah.
Ibn Baaz never... He used to say, "Refute the People of Bid'ah with wisdom and good exhortation." He never used to oppose me, and by Allaah he wrote to me saying, "It has reached me that you have refuted Al-Mawdoodee - rahimahullaah - and I hope you can send me a copy of this refutation." He never used to object. Shaikh Al-Tuwayjiree used to refute and refute harshly the People of Bid'ah, and Shaikh Ibn Baaz used to support him and recommend his books. Hmm, he never once said - and [Shaykh Al-Tuwayjiree also] used to refute Al-Albaanee - may Allaah bless you... Shaikh Ibn Baaz never silenced him, he would never say to him, 'be silent,' he would never say, 'you are harsh,' may Allaah bless you. Al-Fawzaan used to refute the People of Bid'ah during the time of Shaykh Ibn Baaz, and he never said, 'be silent,' may Allaah bless you. Rather he would support him... There are so many writings [Shaykh Ibn Baaz] recommended of Shaykh Al-Tuwayjiree and he praised my books and my methodology (manhaj) - rahimahullaah. All of these Mashaaikh used to be supportive.
This is the manhaj in which we have become weak. We are not on the same level as we used to be during their time; rather we have become weak but despite this they say we are "harsh," and they say Ibn Baaz [was not like you]. By Allaah, Ibn Baaz used to fight the People of Bid'ah and support those who fought them and praise those who fought them - may Allaah bless you. Bring me one proof that Ibn Baaz silenced one person who refuted the People of Bid'ah. Did he silence Al-Fawzaan? Did he silence Al-Tuwayjiree? Did he silence Rabee'? Did he silence Al-Albaanee? Not one of them. Likewise, all the scholars used to support and aid those who speak the word of truth and refute what is wrong....
Continue reading here: http://www.salafitalk.net/st/viewmessages.cfm?forum=9&topic=11580
01 October 2010
Advice On Dealing With Anger
Among the benefits of this advice given by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is the fact that it prevents the angry person from going out of control, because he could strike out and injure someone, or even kill - as we will find out shortly - or he could destroy possessions and so on.
The Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) said: "The strong man is not the one who can overpower others (in wrestling); rather, the strong man is the one who controls himself when he gets angry."
Anger is one of the evil whispers of Shaytaan, which leads to so many evils and tragedies, of which only Allaah knows their full extent. For this reason Islam has a great deal to say about this bad characteristic, and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) described cures for this "disease" and ways to limit its effects, among which are the following:
(1) Seeking refuge with Allaah from the Shaytaan:
Sulayman ibn Sard said: "I was sitting with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and two men were slandering one another. One of them was red in the face, and the veins on his neck were standing out. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, 'I know a word which, if he were to say it, what he feels would go away. If he said "I seek refuge with Allaah from the Shaytaan," what he feels (i.e., his anger) would go away.'" (Reported by al-Bukhaari, al-Fath, 6/337)
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "If a man gets angry and says, 'I seek refuge with Allaah,' his anger will go away." (Saheeh al-Jaami' al-Sagheer, no. 695)
(2) Keeping silent:
The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "If any of you becomes angry, let him keep silent." (Reported by Imaam Ahmad, al-Musnad, 1/329; see also Saheeh al-Jaami', 693, 4027).
This is because in most cases, the angry person loses self control and could utter words of kufr (from which we seek refuge with Allaah), or curses, or the word of divorce (talaaq) which would destroy his home, or words of slander which would bring him the enmity and hatred of others. So, in short, keeping silent is the solution which helps one to avoid all that.
(3) Not moving:
The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "If any of you becomes angry and he is standing, let him sit down, so his anger will go away; if it does not go away, let him lie down."
The narrator of this hadeeth is Abu Dharr (may Allaah be pleased with him), and there is a story connected to his telling of it: he was taking his camels to drink at a trough that he owned, when some other people came along and said (to one another), "Who can compete with Abu Dharr (in bringing animals to drink) and make his hair stand on end?" A man said, "I can," so he brought his animals and competed with Abu Dharr, with the result that the trough was broken. [i.e., Abu Dharr was expecting help in watering his camels, but instead the man misbehaved and caused the trough to be broken]. Abu Dharr was standing, so he sat down, then he laid down. Someone asked him, "O Abu Dharr, why did you sit down then lie down?" He said: "The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: . . ." and quoted the hadeeth. (The hadeeth and this story may be found in Musnad Ahmad, 5/152; see also Saheeh al-Jaami', no. 694).
According to another report, Abu Dharr was watering his animals at the trough, when another man made him angry, so he sat down . . . (Fayd al-Qadeer, al-Manaawi, 1/408)
Among the benefits of this advice given by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is the fact that it prevents the angry person from going out of control, because he could strike out and injure someone, or even kill - as we will find out shortly - or he could destroy possessions and so on. Sitting down makes it less likely that he will become overexcited, and lying down makes it even less likely that he will do something crazy or harmful. Al-'Allaamah al-Khattaabi, may Allaah have mercy on him, said in his commentary on Abu Dawud: "One who is standing is in a position to strike and destroy, while the one who is sitting is less likely to do that, and the one who is lying down can do neither. It is possible that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told the angry person to sit down or lie down so that he would not do something that he would later regret. And Allaah knows best." (Sunan Abi Dawud, with Ma'aalim al-Sunan, 5/141)
(4) Following the advice of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him):
Abu Hurayrah, may Allaah be pleased with him, reported that a man said to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), "Advise me." He said, "Do not become angry." The man repeated his request several times, and each time the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told him, "Do not become angry." (Reported by al-Bukhaari, Fath al-Bari, 10/456)
According to another report, the man said: "I thought about what the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, and I realized that anger combines all kinds of evil." (Musnad Ahmad, 5/373)
(5) Do not become angry and Paradise will be yours (a saheeh hadeeth, see Saheeh al-Jaami', 7374. Ibn Hajr attributed it to al-Tabaraani, see al-Fath 4/465):
(a saheeh hadeeth, see Saheeh al-Jaami', 7374. Ibn Hajr attributed it to al-Tabaraani, see al-Fath 4/465):
Remembering what Allaah has promised to the righteous (muttaqeen) who keep away from the causes of anger and struggle within themselves to control it, is one of the most effective ways of extinguishing the flames of anger. One of the ahaadeeth that describe the great reward for doing this is: "Whoever controls his anger at the time when he has the means to act upon it, Allaah will fill his heart with contentment on the Day of Resurrection." (Reported by al-Tabaraani, 12/453, see also Saheeh al-Jaami', 6518).
Another great reward is described in the Prophet's words: "Whoever controls his anger at the time when he has the means to act upon it, Allaah will call him before all of mankind on the Day of Resurrection, and will let him choose of the Hoor al-'Iyn whoever he wants." (Reported by Abu Dawud, 4777, and others. It is classified as hasan in Saheeh al-Jaami, 6518).
(6) Knowing the high status and advantages offered to those who control themselves:
The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "The strong man is not the one who can overpower others (in wrestling); rather, the strong man is the one who controls himself when he gets angry." (Reported by Ahmad, 2/236; the hadeeth is agreed upon). The greater the anger, the higher the status of the one who controls himself. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "The strongest man is the one who, when he gets angry and his face reddens and his hackles rise, is able to defeat his anger." (Reported by Imaam Ahmad, 5/367, and classified as hasan in Saheeh al-Jaami', 3859)
Anas reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) passed by some people who were wrestling. He asked, "What is this?" They said: "So-and-so is the strongest, he can beat anybody." The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, "Shall I not tell you who is even stronger then him? The man who, when he is mistreated by another, controls his anger, has defeated his own shaytaan and the shaytaan of the one who made him angry." (Reported by al-Bazzaar, and Ibn Hajr said its isnaad is saheeh. Al-Fath, 10/519)
(7) Following the Prophet's example in the case of anger:
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is our leader and has set the highest example in this matter, as is recorded in a number of ahaadeeth. One of the most famous was reported by Anas, may Allaah be pleased with him, who said: "I was walking with the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and he was wearing a Najraani cloak with a rough collar. A Bedouin came and seized him roughly by the edge of his cloak, and I saw the marks left on his neck by the collar. Then the Bedouin ordered him to give him some of the wealth of Allaah that he had. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) turned to him and smiled, then ordered that he should be given something." (Agreed upon. Fath al-Baari, 10/375)
Another way in which we can follow the example of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is by making our anger for the sake of Allaah, when His rights are violated. This is the kind of anger which is praiseworthy. So the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) became angry when he was told about the imaam who was putting people off the prayer by making it too long; when he saw a curtain with pictures of animate creatures in 'Aa'ishah's house; when Usaamah spoke to him about the Makhzoomi woman who had been convicted of theft, and he said "Do you seek to intervene concerning one of the punishments prescribed by Allaah?"; when he was asked questions that he disliked, and so on. His anger was purely for the sake of Allaah.
(8) Knowing that resisting anger is one of the signs of righteousness (taqwaa):
The righteous (al-muttaqoon) are those praised by Allaah in the Qur'aan and by His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Paradise as wide as heaven and earth has been prepared for them. One of their characteristics is that they (interpretation of the meaning) "spend (in Allaah's Cause) in prosperity and in adversity, [they] repress anger, and [they] pardon men; verily, Allaah loves al-muhsinoon (the good-doers)." [Aal 'Imraan 3:134]
These are the ones whose good character and beautiful attributes and deeds Allaah has mentioned, and whom people admire and want to emulate. One of their characteristics is that (interpretation of the meaning) ". . . when they are angry, they forgive." [al-Shooraa 42:47]
(9) Listening to reminders:
Anger is a part of human nature, and people vary in their anger. It may be difficult for a man not to get angry, but sincere people will remember Allaah when they are reminded, and they will not overstep the mark. Some examples follow:
Ibn 'Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported that a man sought permission to speak to 'Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allaah be pleased with him), then he said: "O son of al-Khattaab, you are not giving us much and you are not judging fairly between us." 'Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) was so angry that he was about to attack the man, but al-Hurr ibn Qays, who was one of those present, said: "O Ameer al-Mu'mineen, Allaah said to His Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) (interpretation of the meaning): 'Show forgiveness, enjoin what is good, and turn away from the foolish' [al-A'raaf 7:199]. This man is one of the foolish." By Allaah, 'Umar could go no further after al-Hurr had recited this aayah to him, and he a man who was careful to adhere to the Book of Allaah. (Reported by al-Bukhaari, al-Fath, 4/304).
This is how the Muslim should be. The evil munaafiq (hypocrite) was not like this when he was told the hadeeth of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and one of the Companions said to him, "Seek refuge with Allaah from the Shaytaan." He said to the one who reminded him, "Do you think I am crazy? Go away!" (Reported by al-Bukhaari, al-Fath, 1/465). We seek refuge with Allaah from failure.
(10) Knowing the bad effects of anger:
The negative effects of anger are many; in short they cause damage to one's own self and to others. The angry person may utter words of slander and obscenity, he may attack others (physically) in an uncontrolled manner, even to the point of killing. The following story contains a valuable lesson:
'Ilqimah ibn Waa'il reported that his father (may Allaah be pleased with him) told him: "I was sitting with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) when a man came to him leading another man by a rope. He said, 'O Messenger of Allaah, this man killed my brother.' The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) asked him, 'Did you kill him?' He said, 'Yes, I killed him.' He asked, 'How did you kill him?' He said, 'He and I were hitting a tree to make the leaves fall, for animal feed, and he slandered me, so I struck him on the side of the head with an axe, and killed him.' . . ." (Reported by Muslim, 1307, edited by al-Baaqi).
Anger could lead to less than killing, such as wounding and breaking bones. If the one who caused the anger runs away, the angry person turns his anger in on himself, so he may tear his clothes, or strike his cheeks, or have a fit, or fall unconscious, or he may break dishes and plates, or break furniture.
In the worst cases, anger results in social disasters and the breaking of family ties, i.e., divorce. Ask many of those who divorced their wives, and they will tell you: it was in a moment of anger. This divorce results in misery for the children, regret and frustration, a hard and difficult life, all as a result of anger. If they had remembered Allaah, come to their senses, restrained their anger and sought refuge with Allaah, none of this would have happened. Going against the sharee'ah only results in loss.
The damage to health that results from anger can only be described by doctors, such as thrombosis, high blood pressure, tachycardia (abnormally rapid heartbeat) and hyperventilation (rapid, shallow breathing), which can lead to fatal heart attacks, diabetes, etc. We ask Allaah for good health.
(11) The angry person should think about himself during moments of anger:
If the angry person could see himself in the mirror when he is angry, he would hate himself and the way he looks. If he could see the way he changes, and the way his body and limbs shake, how his eyes glare and how out of control and crazy his behaviour is, he would despise himself and be revolted by his own appearance. It is well-known that inner ugliness is even worse than outer ugliness; how happy the Shaytaan must be when a person is in this state! We seek refuge with Allaah from the Shaytaan and from failure.
(12) Du'aa':
Du'aa' is always the weapon of the believer, whereby he asks Allaah to protect him from evil, trouble and bad behaviour and seeks refuge with Him from falling into the pit of kufr or wrongdoing because of anger. One of the three things that can help save him is: being fair at times of contentment and of anger (Saheeh al-Jaami', 3039). One of the du'aa's of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was:
"O Allaah, by Your knowledge of the Unseen and Your power over Your creation, keep me alive for as long as You know life is good for me, and cause me to die when You know death is good for me. O Allaah, I ask You to make me fear You in secret and in public, and I ask You to make me speak the truth in times of contentment and of anger. I ask You not to let me be extravagant in poverty or in prosperity. I ask You for continuous blessings, and for contentment that does not end. I ask You to let me accept Your decree, and for a good life after death. I ask You for the joy of seeing Your face and for the longing to meet You, without going through diseases and misguiding fitnah (trials). O Allaah, adorn us with the adornment of faith and make us among those who are guided. Praise be to Allaah, the Lord of the Worlds."
The Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) said: "The strong man is not the one who can overpower others (in wrestling); rather, the strong man is the one who controls himself when he gets angry."
Anger is one of the evil whispers of Shaytaan, which leads to so many evils and tragedies, of which only Allaah knows their full extent. For this reason Islam has a great deal to say about this bad characteristic, and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) described cures for this "disease" and ways to limit its effects, among which are the following:
(1) Seeking refuge with Allaah from the Shaytaan:
Sulayman ibn Sard said: "I was sitting with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and two men were slandering one another. One of them was red in the face, and the veins on his neck were standing out. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, 'I know a word which, if he were to say it, what he feels would go away. If he said "I seek refuge with Allaah from the Shaytaan," what he feels (i.e., his anger) would go away.'" (Reported by al-Bukhaari, al-Fath, 6/337)
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "If a man gets angry and says, 'I seek refuge with Allaah,' his anger will go away." (Saheeh al-Jaami' al-Sagheer, no. 695)
(2) Keeping silent:
The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "If any of you becomes angry, let him keep silent." (Reported by Imaam Ahmad, al-Musnad, 1/329; see also Saheeh al-Jaami', 693, 4027).
This is because in most cases, the angry person loses self control and could utter words of kufr (from which we seek refuge with Allaah), or curses, or the word of divorce (talaaq) which would destroy his home, or words of slander which would bring him the enmity and hatred of others. So, in short, keeping silent is the solution which helps one to avoid all that.
(3) Not moving:
The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "If any of you becomes angry and he is standing, let him sit down, so his anger will go away; if it does not go away, let him lie down."
The narrator of this hadeeth is Abu Dharr (may Allaah be pleased with him), and there is a story connected to his telling of it: he was taking his camels to drink at a trough that he owned, when some other people came along and said (to one another), "Who can compete with Abu Dharr (in bringing animals to drink) and make his hair stand on end?" A man said, "I can," so he brought his animals and competed with Abu Dharr, with the result that the trough was broken. [i.e., Abu Dharr was expecting help in watering his camels, but instead the man misbehaved and caused the trough to be broken]. Abu Dharr was standing, so he sat down, then he laid down. Someone asked him, "O Abu Dharr, why did you sit down then lie down?" He said: "The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: . . ." and quoted the hadeeth. (The hadeeth and this story may be found in Musnad Ahmad, 5/152; see also Saheeh al-Jaami', no. 694).
According to another report, Abu Dharr was watering his animals at the trough, when another man made him angry, so he sat down . . . (Fayd al-Qadeer, al-Manaawi, 1/408)
Among the benefits of this advice given by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is the fact that it prevents the angry person from going out of control, because he could strike out and injure someone, or even kill - as we will find out shortly - or he could destroy possessions and so on. Sitting down makes it less likely that he will become overexcited, and lying down makes it even less likely that he will do something crazy or harmful. Al-'Allaamah al-Khattaabi, may Allaah have mercy on him, said in his commentary on Abu Dawud: "One who is standing is in a position to strike and destroy, while the one who is sitting is less likely to do that, and the one who is lying down can do neither. It is possible that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told the angry person to sit down or lie down so that he would not do something that he would later regret. And Allaah knows best." (Sunan Abi Dawud, with Ma'aalim al-Sunan, 5/141)
(4) Following the advice of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him):
Abu Hurayrah, may Allaah be pleased with him, reported that a man said to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), "Advise me." He said, "Do not become angry." The man repeated his request several times, and each time the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told him, "Do not become angry." (Reported by al-Bukhaari, Fath al-Bari, 10/456)
According to another report, the man said: "I thought about what the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, and I realized that anger combines all kinds of evil." (Musnad Ahmad, 5/373)
(5) Do not become angry and Paradise will be yours (a saheeh hadeeth, see Saheeh al-Jaami', 7374. Ibn Hajr attributed it to al-Tabaraani, see al-Fath 4/465):
(a saheeh hadeeth, see Saheeh al-Jaami', 7374. Ibn Hajr attributed it to al-Tabaraani, see al-Fath 4/465):
Remembering what Allaah has promised to the righteous (muttaqeen) who keep away from the causes of anger and struggle within themselves to control it, is one of the most effective ways of extinguishing the flames of anger. One of the ahaadeeth that describe the great reward for doing this is: "Whoever controls his anger at the time when he has the means to act upon it, Allaah will fill his heart with contentment on the Day of Resurrection." (Reported by al-Tabaraani, 12/453, see also Saheeh al-Jaami', 6518).
Another great reward is described in the Prophet's words: "Whoever controls his anger at the time when he has the means to act upon it, Allaah will call him before all of mankind on the Day of Resurrection, and will let him choose of the Hoor al-'Iyn whoever he wants." (Reported by Abu Dawud, 4777, and others. It is classified as hasan in Saheeh al-Jaami, 6518).
(6) Knowing the high status and advantages offered to those who control themselves:
The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "The strong man is not the one who can overpower others (in wrestling); rather, the strong man is the one who controls himself when he gets angry." (Reported by Ahmad, 2/236; the hadeeth is agreed upon). The greater the anger, the higher the status of the one who controls himself. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "The strongest man is the one who, when he gets angry and his face reddens and his hackles rise, is able to defeat his anger." (Reported by Imaam Ahmad, 5/367, and classified as hasan in Saheeh al-Jaami', 3859)
Anas reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) passed by some people who were wrestling. He asked, "What is this?" They said: "So-and-so is the strongest, he can beat anybody." The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, "Shall I not tell you who is even stronger then him? The man who, when he is mistreated by another, controls his anger, has defeated his own shaytaan and the shaytaan of the one who made him angry." (Reported by al-Bazzaar, and Ibn Hajr said its isnaad is saheeh. Al-Fath, 10/519)
(7) Following the Prophet's example in the case of anger:
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is our leader and has set the highest example in this matter, as is recorded in a number of ahaadeeth. One of the most famous was reported by Anas, may Allaah be pleased with him, who said: "I was walking with the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and he was wearing a Najraani cloak with a rough collar. A Bedouin came and seized him roughly by the edge of his cloak, and I saw the marks left on his neck by the collar. Then the Bedouin ordered him to give him some of the wealth of Allaah that he had. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) turned to him and smiled, then ordered that he should be given something." (Agreed upon. Fath al-Baari, 10/375)
Another way in which we can follow the example of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is by making our anger for the sake of Allaah, when His rights are violated. This is the kind of anger which is praiseworthy. So the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) became angry when he was told about the imaam who was putting people off the prayer by making it too long; when he saw a curtain with pictures of animate creatures in 'Aa'ishah's house; when Usaamah spoke to him about the Makhzoomi woman who had been convicted of theft, and he said "Do you seek to intervene concerning one of the punishments prescribed by Allaah?"; when he was asked questions that he disliked, and so on. His anger was purely for the sake of Allaah.
(8) Knowing that resisting anger is one of the signs of righteousness (taqwaa):
The righteous (al-muttaqoon) are those praised by Allaah in the Qur'aan and by His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Paradise as wide as heaven and earth has been prepared for them. One of their characteristics is that they (interpretation of the meaning) "spend (in Allaah's Cause) in prosperity and in adversity, [they] repress anger, and [they] pardon men; verily, Allaah loves al-muhsinoon (the good-doers)." [Aal 'Imraan 3:134]
These are the ones whose good character and beautiful attributes and deeds Allaah has mentioned, and whom people admire and want to emulate. One of their characteristics is that (interpretation of the meaning) ". . . when they are angry, they forgive." [al-Shooraa 42:47]
(9) Listening to reminders:
Anger is a part of human nature, and people vary in their anger. It may be difficult for a man not to get angry, but sincere people will remember Allaah when they are reminded, and they will not overstep the mark. Some examples follow:
Ibn 'Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported that a man sought permission to speak to 'Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allaah be pleased with him), then he said: "O son of al-Khattaab, you are not giving us much and you are not judging fairly between us." 'Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) was so angry that he was about to attack the man, but al-Hurr ibn Qays, who was one of those present, said: "O Ameer al-Mu'mineen, Allaah said to His Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) (interpretation of the meaning): 'Show forgiveness, enjoin what is good, and turn away from the foolish' [al-A'raaf 7:199]. This man is one of the foolish." By Allaah, 'Umar could go no further after al-Hurr had recited this aayah to him, and he a man who was careful to adhere to the Book of Allaah. (Reported by al-Bukhaari, al-Fath, 4/304).
This is how the Muslim should be. The evil munaafiq (hypocrite) was not like this when he was told the hadeeth of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and one of the Companions said to him, "Seek refuge with Allaah from the Shaytaan." He said to the one who reminded him, "Do you think I am crazy? Go away!" (Reported by al-Bukhaari, al-Fath, 1/465). We seek refuge with Allaah from failure.
(10) Knowing the bad effects of anger:
The negative effects of anger are many; in short they cause damage to one's own self and to others. The angry person may utter words of slander and obscenity, he may attack others (physically) in an uncontrolled manner, even to the point of killing. The following story contains a valuable lesson:
'Ilqimah ibn Waa'il reported that his father (may Allaah be pleased with him) told him: "I was sitting with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) when a man came to him leading another man by a rope. He said, 'O Messenger of Allaah, this man killed my brother.' The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) asked him, 'Did you kill him?' He said, 'Yes, I killed him.' He asked, 'How did you kill him?' He said, 'He and I were hitting a tree to make the leaves fall, for animal feed, and he slandered me, so I struck him on the side of the head with an axe, and killed him.' . . ." (Reported by Muslim, 1307, edited by al-Baaqi).
Anger could lead to less than killing, such as wounding and breaking bones. If the one who caused the anger runs away, the angry person turns his anger in on himself, so he may tear his clothes, or strike his cheeks, or have a fit, or fall unconscious, or he may break dishes and plates, or break furniture.
In the worst cases, anger results in social disasters and the breaking of family ties, i.e., divorce. Ask many of those who divorced their wives, and they will tell you: it was in a moment of anger. This divorce results in misery for the children, regret and frustration, a hard and difficult life, all as a result of anger. If they had remembered Allaah, come to their senses, restrained their anger and sought refuge with Allaah, none of this would have happened. Going against the sharee'ah only results in loss.
The damage to health that results from anger can only be described by doctors, such as thrombosis, high blood pressure, tachycardia (abnormally rapid heartbeat) and hyperventilation (rapid, shallow breathing), which can lead to fatal heart attacks, diabetes, etc. We ask Allaah for good health.
(11) The angry person should think about himself during moments of anger:
If the angry person could see himself in the mirror when he is angry, he would hate himself and the way he looks. If he could see the way he changes, and the way his body and limbs shake, how his eyes glare and how out of control and crazy his behaviour is, he would despise himself and be revolted by his own appearance. It is well-known that inner ugliness is even worse than outer ugliness; how happy the Shaytaan must be when a person is in this state! We seek refuge with Allaah from the Shaytaan and from failure.
(12) Du'aa':
Du'aa' is always the weapon of the believer, whereby he asks Allaah to protect him from evil, trouble and bad behaviour and seeks refuge with Him from falling into the pit of kufr or wrongdoing because of anger. One of the three things that can help save him is: being fair at times of contentment and of anger (Saheeh al-Jaami', 3039). One of the du'aa's of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was:
"O Allaah, by Your knowledge of the Unseen and Your power over Your creation, keep me alive for as long as You know life is good for me, and cause me to die when You know death is good for me. O Allaah, I ask You to make me fear You in secret and in public, and I ask You to make me speak the truth in times of contentment and of anger. I ask You not to let me be extravagant in poverty or in prosperity. I ask You for continuous blessings, and for contentment that does not end. I ask You to let me accept Your decree, and for a good life after death. I ask You for the joy of seeing Your face and for the longing to meet You, without going through diseases and misguiding fitnah (trials). O Allaah, adorn us with the adornment of faith and make us among those who are guided. Praise be to Allaah, the Lord of the Worlds."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
