Translation Of Al-fusul al-ilmiyyah wa al-usul al-hikmiyyah [PDF]

MUKADDIMAH

 

In the Name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful

 

“There is no power and no strength except with the help of Allah, the Most High and the Most Great. Glory be to You, we know nothing but what You have taught us, surely You are the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.”

 

Praise be to Allah, the Most Merciful, the wisest of His laws, the best of His creation, the best of the givers of fortune, whose knowledge encompasses all things and can calculate all counts, as mentioned in the following words of Allah:

 

“Does Allah, the Creator, not know (what you bring forth or conceal): and He is subtle, knowing?” (Al-Mulk: 14)

 

And the following words of Allah:

 

Mighty and Wise.” (QS. Faathir: 2)

 

May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon our Lord, the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, who was sent to bring mercy to the entire universe, as the final prophet, as the leader of the apostles and all his family, friends and followers until the Day of Judgment.

 

It should be noted that we have compiled this book to fulfill the needs of those who need guidance towards Allah by expressing all the guidance that is acceptable to everyone, hoping that this book will be useful for the author and for the readers.

 

It should be noted that this book contains various matters and wisdom, so that one who studies this book well, ja can write each of its titles into one book as understood by scholars whose hearts are clean and who are given wisdom by Allah, as mentioned in the following words of Allah:

 

“And whoever is endowed with wisdom has indeed been endowed with a great bounty. And it is only the wise who learn from the words of Allah.” (QS. Al-Baqarah: 269)

 

It should be noted that when we started compiling this book title by title, we did not disseminate it until after the title of this book amounted to forty chapters, then we asked our friends to write it in a book and disseminate it to everyone, because every good deed depends on the intention and every person depends on his intention.

 

Mighty and Wise.” (QS. Faathir: 2)

 

May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon our Lord, the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, who was sent to bring mercy to the entire universe, as the final prophet, as the leader of the apostles and all his family, friends and followers until the Day of Judgment.

 

It should be noted that we have compiled this book to fulfill the needs of those who need guidance towards Allah by expressing all the guidance that is acceptable to everyone, hoping that this book will be useful for the author and for the readers.

 

It should be noted that this book contains various matters and wisdom, so that one who studies this book well, ja can write each of its titles into one book as understood by scholars whose hearts are clean and who are given wisdom by Allah, as mentioned in the following words of Allah:

 

“And whoever is endowed with wisdom has indeed been endowed with a great bounty. And it is only the wise who learn from the words of Allah.” (QS. Al-Baqarah: 269)

 

It should be noted that when we started compiling this book title by title, we did not disseminate it until after the title of this book amounted to forty chapters, then we asked our friends to write it in a book and disseminate it to everyone, because every good deed depends on the intention and every person depends on his intention.

 

The number of chapters in this book is 20 and in the middle there is some knowledge that can be added to it.

 

Now let us nobly discuss one by one the articles we have collected.

 

May Allah be the only one who can help us, for there is no power and no strength except with the permission and strength of Allah, He is our Lord and He is the best place to rely on. There is no guidance except the return to Allah and I surrender and return to Allah.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FIRST ARTICLE: A DESCRIPTION OF THE THOUGHTS OF THE ARIFBILLAH AND THE IGNORANT

 

This article can help Arif and muhaggig who want to justify and strengthen their faith and belief, want to sincerely believe in monotheism from all hidden shirk diseases, want to straighten out praiseworthy morals such as zuhud, sincerity and spaciousness for every Muslim, want to stay away from bad morals such as greed, wants to improve the outward good deeds, wants to keep away from bad deeds, wants to improve the way to find sources of fortune and how to process the assets obtained by means of wara’ and careful and willing to accept what is given by Allah even if only a little.

 

And finally, it can please those who know Allah, because they are content with what Allah has given them. Hence, they are wara’ and shun injustice. Know this matter well.

 

It is also a reminder to those who are negligent to straighten up their lives and curb their lust for pleasure, food, clothing, marriage, and accumulating money and saving it. Then the aim is to remind them to improve their outward observances and

 

Their inner manners are all aimed at establishing faith. Whoever pays close attention to this chapter will understand it well. Wallahu a’lam.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ARTICLE TWO: DIVINE WISDOM ABOUT MOST PEOPLE WHO NEGLECT THE ESSENCE OF FAITH

 

If all people were to gather to prove the nature of their faith and reason, they would be inclined towards the Hereafter as a whole, they would turn away from the world as a whole, they would not be affected by the worldly world at all, except to fulfill their needs, they would think that the world is ephemeral and there is nothing straight at all in worldly affairs.

 

It has been decreed in Allah’s destiny and His will that this world is only temporary, that is, according to Allah’s will, it will be destroyed and perish. Since many people are ignorant of the nature of this world and all its pleasures, which do not last long, many people compete to accumulate wealth and enjoy the pleasures of this world and turn away from the Hereafter. Of course, such ignorance has been mentioned by one of the following sayings of the Prophet:

 

“The world is a dwelling place for those who will have no dwelling place in the Hereafter, and it is a treasure for those who will have no treasure in the Hereafter, and it is a place where people accumulate as much money as they can, i.e. people who have no sense.”

 

Al-Hasan Al-Bashri said: “Were it not for the ignorance of the ignorant, surely this world would not be prospered by its inhabitants.”

 

A pious salaf said: “Allah created the son of Adam in a state of ignorance. Had it not been for his ignorance, no one would have enjoyed his life. But it has been a mercy of Allah that He ordained some of His slaves to be wary of the life of this world, because they have understood the nature of this world, which is transitory and temporary. As for those who understand the nature of this world, they will always hope for Allah’s mercy and life in the Hereafter even if they have to sacrifice their worldly life. Such people exist at all times and in all places, but they are not numerous. Therefore, pay close attention to this issue because it is of great value and underneath it lies noble knowledge that only Allah knows.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ARTICLE THREE: THE GOOD TIMES AND THE BAD AND CORRUPT TIMES

 

There are good and bad people in the world, there are good people and bad people, there are good people and bad people, there are good people and bad people. If there are many virtuous people in the world, and they choose the right path, then the world will be full of virtues. But if corruption and falsehood are rampant in the world, then it is called a bad time, as it is said that the time of the Prophet and the khulafaur rashidin were among the best times. If at one time the people developed evil and corruption, then at that time the good and the people who did good were very few in number, so they were closed, because at that time the world was always filled with various kinds of bad deeds and trials, so the world was called the world of trials and badness. Even if a time is a bad time, there will still be people who do good, although they will be few in number, and there will be people who do bad. Most of what happens in the present time is a time in which there is all kinds of corruption, evil and people who do evil. But there are not many people who do good, so their numbers are not as visible as those who do bad. Wallahu a’lam.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FOURTH CHAPTER: PRIDE AND NEGLIGENCE ARE DISEASES OF THE HEART.

 

Usually the arrogant and the ignorant always turn away from the word of Allah and from all the secrets contained in the word of Allah, because they are indeed turned away by Allah from all forms of truth, as mentioned in the following word of Allah:

 

“I will turn away those who arrogate themselves on the earth without just cause from the signs of My power. When they see any of (My) verses, they do not believe in it. And if they see a path that leads to guidance, they do not want to take it, but if they see a path of misguidance, they continue to take it. That is because they deny Our verses, and they are always negligent of them.” (QS. Al-A ‘raaf: 146)

 

Allah calls their behavior arrogant, disrespectful and their minds inattentive. This is because they are unaware of the sickness in their hearts that prevents them from understanding the words of Allah. How can they understand the words of Allah when their hearts are hardened like stone and they are unable to realize the content of Allah’s words at all, as mentioned in the following words of Allah:

 

“Thus Allah seals the hearts of the arrogant and arbitrary.” (QS. Al-Mu’min: 35)

 

As for those who are negligent, because their negligence causes their hearts to turn away from the guidance of their Lord’s verses, they do not want to understand or contemplate the words of Allah. Therefore, Allah told His Prophet to turn away from them, as mentioned in the following words of Allah:

 

“So turn away (O Muhammad) from those who turn away from Our warning.” (QS. An-Najm: 29)

 

And the following words of Allah:

 

“And do not follow those whose hearts We have turned away from remembering Us.” (QS. Al-Kahf: 28)

 

The word of Allah above tells us to beware of feeling arrogant, because feeling arrogant is a disease that was once done by the devil when he refused to prostrate to Adam, so the devil’s denial and arrogance caused him to receive Allah’s curse and be kept away from all forms of Allah’s mercy and his heart will continue to harden like a stone. May we be protected by Allah from such actions.

 

We should guard ourselves against being negligent of the remembrance of Allah and of preparing for life in the Hereafter, because negligence is one of the causes of destruction that causes a person to always want to do bad things and it is a disaster in this world and in the Hereafter, as mentioned in the following words of Allah:

 

“Those who do not expect (believe in) a meeting with Us, and are content with the life of this world, and take comfort in it, and those who neglect Our verses, their place is Hell, because of what they have always done.” (QS. Yunus: 7-8)

 

And the following words of Allah:

 

“They know only the outward things of the life of this world, but they are ignorant of the Hereafter.” (QS. Ar-Ruum: 7)

 

Allah deliberately deprived them of knowledge even though they were given knowledge to know the life of the world, then they are referred to as those who are negligent of the Hereafter. May Allah keep us away from being negligent of the Hereafter. Ameen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FIFTH ARTICLE: IT IS NOT PROPER TO FORSAKE THE THINGS THAT MEND THE HEART JUST BECAUSE OF MEN

 

A pious and sensible person today should not be more concerned with taking into account the evils of others, while he himself does not care about the good for his heart and for himself. Anyway, whoever is more concerned about the badness of others and who forgets his own badness, then in the end he will not be able to control his own shortcomings. Because caring about the badness of others is an act that is hated by good people, as mentioned in the following stanza:

 

“Whoever is always concerned about the evil of others, will die in a state of distress and because he always rejoices when he sees the evil of others.”

 

In the past, if a person cared about the bad things of others, it was a good lesson for him, because he could separate the good from the bad. But today a person who likes to see the bad in others will miss the opportunity to correct his own shortcomings.

 

A sensible and pious person does not want to take into account the shortcomings of others before taking into account his own shortcomings, so that he can be safe in this world and in the hereafter. The point is that everyone should take care of themselves, not care about the shortcomings of others.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SIXTH ARTICLE: FOUR CLASSES OF PEOPLE WHO ARE RIGHTEOUS AND VICE VERSA

 

People with knowledge are of four kinds, based on their piety, their steadfastness, and between their piety and their steadfastness:

 

  1. An upright worshipper, a zahid, with perfect knowledge of Allah and a clear view of his religion.

 

  1. A person who is knowledgeable about the Shari’ah, who is well versed in the Qur’an and Sunnah, who practices them to the best of his ability, who teaches and advises people well, who always enjoins the good and forbids the evil, and who is never afraid to defend his religion even if he is criticized by the people.

 

3, A just ruler, who is sensible, whose behavior is good, whose heart is straightforward and whose politics are also good.

 

  1. A pious rich man who has great wealth and always spends his wealth in good causes, especially to help the weak, poor and needy, and he does not accumulate wealth except to please others.

 

Along with the four people mentioned above, there are also people whose characteristics contradict them, including:

 

Along with the upright worshipper and Sufi, there is also one whose deeds are deviant and confusing.

 

Along with a pious person who practices his knowledge, there is also a pious person who likes to sin and belittle others.

 

Along with a just ruler, there is also an unjust ruler, who does not favor the truth and does not have a good attitude towards his people and politics.

 

Along with the righteous rich man, there is also the unjust rich man who accumulates wealth from both lawful and unlawful sources, hoards his wealth and refuses to spend it in the cause of goodness.

 

These last four people cause a knowledgeable person to become corrupt who is only concerned with the badness of others, never taking himself into account. Everything is left to Allah and He has dominion over everything. Glory be to Allah, the Mighty, the Possessing, the Giver, the One Who causes all things as He wills and desires, for there is no God but Him and to Him alone will all people return.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SEVENTH CHAPTER: MAN’S LEVEL OF WORLDLY USE –

 

Know that Allah, the Exalted, has made this world a means of doing good deeds for the believer as a provision in the Hereafter, so that the believer can obey his Lord with his good deeds. He has also made the world for the unbeliever who is always concerned with his worldly life and fulfills all his desires, so that he neglects his Lord and the Hereafter. During this time, Allah also provides whatever His creatures want and everything is given according to their respective levels, and some are even given more than they want by multiplying. Then Allah allows some of His servants to seek the world according to their needs, so that they can make provisions for the hereafter. Allah constantly warns them not to go overboard with their needs and to control their lusts, so that they do not overdo it.

 

humans are divided into various kinds:

 

  1. Some of them receive wealth for those who are below the poverty line. Such people, if they get a little money, immediately spend it on others who deserve it. These were the prophets and messengers (peace be upon them). Their generosity was also followed by the shiddigs, scholars of great knowledge and righteous servants of Allah. Among them were the zuhud who did not like the world at all.

 

The people before them were among those whose virtues were beautiful, for they did not flee from the world nor did they need it. Whatever wealth they had, they spent it on others in accordance with the commands of Allah and His Messenger. These were the people whom Allah favored.

 

  1. There are those who receive wealth just to fulfill their daily needs.

 

  1. There are those who receive more than they need. These people are divided into several sections: Some of them receive more than their daily needs so that they can spend their wealth in good causes.

 

Some of them achieve their goals and are upright in their spending, but others fall into confusion and danger.

 

| Some of them received more money than they could spend in the areas permitted by Allah, but they always claimed that they did not spend more than they needed. He does not want to boast, rather he is always compassionate to everyone.

 

Some of them receive excessive wealth so that they can use their wealth to live a luxurious life and always have enough to eat.

 

Some of them are so concerned with acquiring as much wealth as possible that they forget about Allah and the Hereafter, and they boast about Allah, and they even boast about those who live austere lives because they do not understand Allah and they dare to oppose Allah.

 

There are those who claim that the extent of their wealth is limited to their daily needs.

 

There are those who accumulate wealth and store it well with the intention of giving it in charity and giving it to others in areas of goodness, but he is very far from that. All his actions and words contradict what he says.

 

Similarly, Allah bears witness to this person’s shortcomings. The angels who guard the believing servants of Allah always view this person’s behavior as very bad, because he chooses evil for himself, even though he claims that he is a good person before his Lord.

 

May Allah protect us from feeling ghurur, from committing sins and from all kinds of trials and humiliations, and we always ask Allah to protect us and the Muslims.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

EIGHTH ARTICLE: THE PATIENT AND THE IMPATIENT POOR, THE PRAISEWORTHY AND THE BLAMEWORTHY.

 

If a person wants as much wealth as he needs or more than he needs, it is not easy for him, because he has to share his wealth as much as he needs. Such a one is poor, but he is not one of the zuhud. He is wara’ and pious when he receives his wealth, then he is patient with his sufficiency, so he becomes a patient poor man.

 

As for praiseworthy poverty, it has been mentioned as a virtue by the Qur’an and a number of hadiths of the Prophet, as mentioned in the following saying of the Prophet:

 

“The poor who are patient will be close to Allah on the Day of Resurrection.”

 

But whoever loses his piety and wara’a when seeking this world, feels less than what Allah has given him, is impatient and dissatisfied with the will of Allah, feels hardship and disappointment in the provisions of Allah, then he is among the despicable poor. Perhaps that poverty is what is meant in one of the following sayings of the Prophet:

 

“It is possible that poverty will cause one to become a disbeliever”

 

Perhaps it was this kind of poverty that caused the Prophet to seek protection from Him.

 

It is this kind of poverty that causes a person to be despised among his community, but even then it is not much, because he keeps himself from begging others.

 

Let only Allah and His Messenger know their situation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NINTH CHAPTER: THERE IS NO PEACE IN THE WORLD, EXCEPT FOR THE IGNORANT.

 

A believer who is reasonable, must feel unhappy when he gets wealth, because if he feels calm but calm “then followed by negligence of his Lord and the hereafter. As for the ignorant person, he will feel at ease in the world, because ja does not think that the world will cause him misery, his heart is always worried even though he has a lot of wealth, because everyone always needs a quiet life, namely a life that is not tainted by any distress. The clever and sensible person always hopes for peace in his life, but the foolish or unreasonable person is always happy with the wealth he has.

 

A person will find peace of mind if he is always mindful of his Lord, as spoken by Al-Mutanabbih in the following stanzas: .

 

“Sometimes life is easy for the ignorant, because he is oblivious of the hardships that have befallen him and the hardships that are to come. A person who misjudges his own righteousness, his lust always hopes for something that will not be achieved in life.”

 

Al-Mutanabbih also said: .

 

“A wise man is miserable when he receives pleasure with his intellect, but a foolish man is miserable when he receives pleasure.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TENTH ARTICLE: THE STATE OF A PERSON BECOMES GOOD WITH PIETY AND BECOMES BAD WITH DISOBEDIENCE.

 

It should be noted that everything is more beautiful when one accepts it with piety and ihsan than when one does not accept Allah’s destiny with pleasure, such as poverty, wealth, health, illness, honor and dishonor. One who does not accept Allah’s destiny gladly, such as poverty, wealth, health, sickness, honor and dishonor, will also be happy. But on the contrary, everything will feel disappointing to him if he cannot be grateful for the gifts that Allah has given him.

 

The explanation for this is that when a person is confident and has faith in Allah, then any difficulties he faces will be satisfied because he is supported by Allah with various feelings that please him, such as feelings of satisfaction, acceptance, patience, wara’ and not needing the gifts of others. In any case, he will always keep himself free from despicable traits, because Allah has given him contentment, closeness, help, patience, assistance and other noble traits. In spite of this, he looks victorious and happy, because ja can make up for his shortcomings so that others praise him.

 

Conversely, if a person is afflicted with poverty and he is not content and patient with the hardships he faces, then he will feel resentful, frowning and always hoping to get the same wealth that is given to others.

 

Such a person is never satisfied, does not feel helped and is never patient, because he always shows his poverty in front of others and he always curses his poverty, because he is not good at choosing for himself, is not good at keeping himself good and he is always prejudiced against Allah who has tested him with poverty in this world.

 

But it is different with a person who fears and prefers Allah, then Allah gives him a feeling of sufficiency and satisfaction, so that he is always grateful, glorifies the blessings of Allah and uses them to obey his Lord, always gives his property to do good and he will always do good to those who are far away and to those who are close.

 

Anyway, he is always pleased and satisfied, especially when he is given better pleasures than he has, so that everyone talks about him as a good person, because he likes to do good, so that others also pray for him that he be given ease, breadth and so on.

 

But if a person likes to sin and harm others even if he is given enough wealth, then he will be eager to accumulate as much wealth as possible, miserly and always hope to be given more wealth than he has and he hopes that all the bad things will befall others.

 

Everyone should be grateful for his piety, virtue, health and safety and should always try to draw closer to Allah and use all of Allah’s bounties to draw closer to Allah.

 

If a person has this attitude, then Allah will be pleased and give him glory, so that others praise him for his good deeds and he always increases his good deeds and obedience.

 

Such a person, even though he is sick and never well, is always content, patient and surrendered to the will of Allah, never angry or despairing of Allah, and never complaining about his poverty or ugliness to others.

 

Then Allah will give him satisfaction, help, assistance, gentleness and peace of mind. Anyway, everyone who sees him will praise him, because he is always patient with difficulties, illnesses and all the trials he faces. He believes that all that Allah has given him will expiate his sins and elevate his position.

 

Another case with a person who likes to sin, even if he is given health, safety and wealth, he will certainly be arbitrary towards others and lazy to worship. Anyway, all the gifts given to him by Allah are used for sin and various sins.

 

Such a person will be wrathful and shunned by Allah and the tongues of the good will always reproach him for his arbitrariness and for his behavior of always wanting to sin.

 

If such a person is hit by a mild trial or test, then his heart will be resentful, impatient and desperate with the destiny of Allah and he will behave badly to anyone.

 

Such a person will be wrathful to Allah and expelled from His mercy, and people will call him a bad person because of his sickness, the sins he has committed, injustice and many other sins. Regarding such matters, then see that glory, dishonor, shutting oneself off from fame and pleasure, will certainly have a good or bad impact among people. But if the pious person loves to do good and obeys Allah, his Phaka is different from the one who loves to sin, because others often accuse and reproach his sinful deeds.

 

Everyone should think about this issue carefully, so that he will be relieved of all his difficulties. If we were to extend the discussion of this matter, it would require a great deal of time and discussion. But for a genius, this is enough, because he always expects good from Allah.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ELEVENTH CHAPTER: IMPROVING A PRACTICE IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE PRACTICE ITSELF

 

Doing good in all good deeds is important among those who understand Allah correctly. Such a person always prays well, always fasts well, always recites the Qur’an well and always remembers Allah well. Nevertheless, he is always well-mannered, glorifies Allah, focuses his attention on Allah alone, because he always believes that it is Allah who destines him to do good, as mentioned in the following hadith of the Prophet:

 

“There are some people who worship at night, but their worship does not make them like a worshipper, except as one who stays up late and is difficult. There are also some who fast during the day, but their fasting does not make them like a fasting person, except for hunger and thirst.”

 

All of this is in return for the good that the sinful person usually does, such as the one who likes to do riya’, he is not good at reciting the recitations in his prayer, in his bowing, in his prostration and he does not fulfill his obligations properly, so he is one of those who worship in vain, exhaust himself and bring sin because of it. Therefore, if you do good, then try your best and direct all your good deeds to Allah alone.

 

All good deeds should be directed inwardly and outwardly to Allah alone, do it sincerely and focus on Allah, be friendly to him, so that your good deeds, even if they are few, but if you do them well, then they are considered by Allah to be better than a person who does a lot of worship but does not do it perfectly, does not establish it for the sake of Allah alone, he is like a person who is only told to bow and prostrate. Therefore, do all good deeds for the sake of Allah alone, as mentioned in one of the following sayings of the Prophet:

 

“Verily, Allah is always kind to everything, so if you kill, kill well, and if you slaughter a sacrifice, slaughter well.”

 

Furthermore, consider the following saying of the Prophet:

 

“Verily, Allah records every good deed for everything that a servant does.”

 

You already know what ihsan means in general in everything that you normally do well, so that if you do it less than perfectly then your heart will be disappointed, because you did not do it well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TWELFTH ARTICLE: DOING AND LEAVING THINGS WELL

 

Everyone is obliged to do good when he does good for the sake of Allah. Similarly, if a person leaves a sinful act, then he should do so with good feelings.

 

The meaning of ihsan is to do all good deeds for the sake of Allah alone, out of reverence for Allah, out of shame of Allah, out of fear of the punishment of Allah. He will not do good deeds out of fear of people or because of riya’ to people, and he will not fear anyone if he abandons them. Similarly, if you do a good deed outwardly, then you should not talk about it to others, do not feel insecure about your virtue, rather you should always be afraid if your virtue is not accepted by Allah.

 

Among the acts of ihsan is that when you abandon a good deed, you should be compelled to abandon it out of fear of offense in your work when you do a good deed, you should be afraid of getting support from people who like to do bad things and know that such feelings are difficult to do.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THIRTEENTH ARTICLE: ONE SHOULD GIVE PRIORITY TO USEFUL SCIENCES.

 

It should be noted that there are many types of knowledge, but not all knowledge is good.

 

There is some knowledge that is beneficial to a group of people and some knowledge that is not beneficial to them. Some knowledge is beneficial to a group of people and some is not beneficial to them.

 

Imam Ghazali has mentioned in the book Al-Ilmu Minal Haya’i as follows:

 

“If this is the case, then every knowledgeable person must devote himself to acquiring knowledge that will benefit him, and seeking knowledge that will benefit him is even more important. Then he should seek knowledge for the benefit of others, and this should not be neglected, because a person’s life is limited and his time is precious; death will come soon, he will travel to the Hereafter, and he will be held accountable by Allah for his deeds.”

 

Every believer should not occupy himself in his life with anything but that which is more important to him if he is of sound mind, and he should not occupy himself with anything other than that. If a person always occupies himself with seeking knowledge that is useful for himself and for others, then he will be fortunate in his religion, worldly life and hereafter.

 

If a person prioritizes other things in his life, he may be praised by others. This is not the case with religion because religion is different from everything else.

 

 

 

 

 

FOURTEENTH CHAPTER: CONTEMPLATING THE SITUATION IN THE HEREAFTER

 

If you want to know the treasure that is beneficial more than knowledge and beneficial deeds, then present yourself more as if you die tomorrow morning and tomorrow morning you want to meet Allah and face Him, surely you will ask about

 

You will be asked about the knowledge you have and how you have practiced it. Likewise, you will be asked about all your deeds and your situation, then you will be invited to enter Paradise or Hell. So what is most important and useful to you is that when the time of your death comes and what is most important to you is the truth that you are preoccupied with, then when death comes, all that you have worked for will be in vain. Therefore you may abandon it and do not occupy yourself with it.

 

As for what you encounter, it is what is most important to you, and you should strive to make what is more important sufficient for you.

 

Anyway, try to do whatever is most important for you to achieve Allah’s pleasure, then do it well for the sake of your safety and success in this world and in the Hereafter, because both are more eternal, more inclined to the truth with Allah’s permission. All of this will be given by Allah to His servants who always obey Him, because Allah is a great giver.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FIFTEENTH ARTICLE: RESULTS OF LEARNING USEFUL KNOWLEDGE

 

It has been agreed by the scholars that the most beneficial, the truest and the most obvious knowledge is that which brings one closer to Allah, namely knowledge learned from the Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Prophet; knowledge that always encourages one to remember Allah and remember the Hereafter, namely knowledge that explains about Paradise and Hell.

 

Such sciences are the main sciences that must be studied and paid attention to properly, because they can lead to the firmness of faith and belief in the Messenger of Allah, the Hereafter and they always invite people to obey and worship Allah and tell people to abandon all sinful deeds, shorten aspirations, increase preparations for death and the hereafter, namely by preparing to meet Allah, inviting people to live zuhud and hope for happiness in the hereafter.

 

Such knowledge includes the noble character and virtuous deeds of the pious that were practiced by the prophets and saints of Allah.

 

Furthermore, if you notice, all the writings of the ancients, such as Imam Ghazali’s Al-Ihya’, Al-Arba’in, Minhaajul Abidin and Bidayatul Hidayah, always invite us to think about the Essence of Allah, the Hereafter and religious matters. Therefore, no one denies the immense benefit of Imam Ghazali’s writings except the ignorant and the negligent.

 

May Allah guide us to the straight path to prevent us from doing bad things, for there is no power except with Allah’s permission.

 

 

 

 

 

SIXTEENTH CHAPTER: UNCOVERING THE CONFUSION OF SOME SEEKERS DUE TO THE PLETHORA OF KNOWLEDGE

 

Sometimes a person who wants to draw closer to Allah sees that the sciences that he is commanded to study are quite numerous, so he is confused as to which book or science he should study. But if he finds a murshid teacher, then he will be guided to study or delve into various sciences that are beneficial for his din. In particular, the sciences that relate to the firmness of one’s faith and the sciences that relate to the Shari’ah, such as the science of purification, the science of prayer and fasting. All the knowledge that we have mentioned should be well known to the believer. Once he knows them, he should study and practice them according to what suits his situation, what suits his heart and what brings him closer to his Lord. And nothing is hidden from Allah about his intentions, his hopes, his requests and his efforts to draw closer to Allah.

 

At that time people will take the path of Allah in their own way. Some ways are suitable for themselves and some are not suitable, except for others. Some people will take the path of seclusion and maintain their personalities well, while others will not go into seclusion. The point is that a disciple will not be good unless he has detached himself from everything that is considered beneficial to him. Similarly, if some people travel long distances or always stay in their country, they are doing all that they can to achieve the pleasure of Allah.

 

If a person wants to draw closer to Allah and he cannot find a more suitable way than drawing closer to Allah, then he should not deny that method, because denying it is contrary to his own situation. The point is that anyone who wants to draw closer to Allah must know what knowledge he has and what path he should take to draw closer to Allah, because Allah, the Exalted, has made all knowledge to have experts and to be practiced. Likewise, every position has someone who takes that path.

 

It is not that easy to follow the path of Allah unless one has sufficient knowledge and has been guided by the righteous ones to whom Allah has revealed the secrets of the unseen.

 

Similarly, if a person wants to take the path of Allah, if ja has knowledge and practices it, and he knows that the path he is taking is not suitable for him, then he should stop that way and not continue, because it is not suitable for him.

 

It should be noted that there is a great deal of knowledge, practice and paths that can bring one closer to Allah. Therefore, it is incumbent upon everyone to follow these paths, whether he is suited to them or not. If he finds it suitable, then he may continue with it. But if he does not find it suitable, then he should stop immediately, because the number of paths he wants to take is like a market selling all the necessities of life, some things he needs and some things he does not need.

 

If you know this, then you should choose one of the paths that will bring you closer to Allah.

 

It should be noted that the path taken by a person to get to Allah is of four kinds:

 

  1. There is a person who, when he sees the abundance of food and pleasures, chooses what suits him best. That is the way of a reasonable person, because he can choose everything that is beneficial to him.

 

  1. There is also the person who takes whatever is useful to him and does not take what is not useful to him, but he thinks that no one else will accept it. An example of this kind of person is one who is stupid and short-minded.

 

  1. There is someone who wants to get everything that is beneficial to him or that is not beneficial to him. He hopes that what is not good for him at the time, but he takes it so that it will be useful for him at another time. Such a one is ignorant, desiring things that do not benefit him.

 

  1. There is someone who, upon seeing the abundance of food and pleasure, stops because he is confused as to what he should be looking for.

 

These four states are among the divisions that some people often choose from a variety of knowledge and practices and ever-changing paths. There is the person who wishes to have everything, and there is the person who is so confused that he does not know what is suitable for him, and there is the person who clings to what he thinks is suitable for him and hates everything that is not suitable for him.

 

All of this shows that he is very short-sighted and uncharitable.

 

O my disciple, you should always understand well what we have explained above, because what we have explained above is very useful for you.

 

It is said that Abul Hasan Ash-Shadzili at the beginning of his endeavor to take the path to Allah, he was always confused as to whether he should accumulate more knowledge or he should worship fully until he found a teacher who could take him out of his confusion. The stories of this problem are numerous and well known.

 

Similarly, the problem of doubt and confusion was once felt by Shaykh ‘Abdullah ibn As’ad Al-Yaff’i. He said: “When I was in a state of confusion whether I should study a lot of knowledge or should increase worship and focus myself on Allah, then I got a piece of paper whose contents were different from other papers and in it was written:

 

“Leave everything that confuses your feelings and leave all destiny to Allah.”

 

You will find that what we have described above is experienced by many people who draw close to Allah. At that time it was mentioned that Sayyid Al-Arif Abdurrahman bin Sheikh Aidid Ba’alawi had received a letter from one of the Sufi leaders named Abdullah bin Muhammad Alawi who always lived near the city of Medina. He wrote to him to read various books before he embarked on his journey towards Allah, so that his journey would not get lost on the way.

 

We often gathered with this Sayyid Abdullah and we often made pilgrimages to the grave of the Prophet and sat in dialogue with him, because he was one of the Sufi figures who never showed his piety.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SEVENTEENTH ARTICLE: THE MEANING OF THE PHRASE: “LET A SERVANT BE CONTENT WITH WHAT ALLAH HAS DECREED FOR HIM.”

 

It should be noted that most of the scholars of tashawuf are of the opinion that everyone should be content with whatever Allah decides for him, and that he should not be excluded from the trials that suit his desires and want to be free from all the difficulties that he faces. Allah’s choice for His servant is better than a servant’s choice for himself, and Allah’s plan for His servant is more beautiful and more perfect than a servant’s plan for himself, because Allah is All-Knowing and All-Wise, All-Merciful and Most Compassionate. But some ignorant people think that all the hardships they face are against the will of their lusts, whereas all people are bound by a certain wisdom of Allah, so there are people who complain, protest and accuse Allah with unkind accusations. There are even some rulers who vent their anger on their people. Similarly, the rich take out their anger on the poor, so that they squander their wealth out of place.

 

Of course, such an action is very wrong and deviates from the straight path, whereas all the decrees that Allah imposes on His servant show that Allah loves him and is pleased with him. That is the first condition.

 

As for the second, a servant must continue to obey Allah and try to take the path to Allah’s pleasure even though difficulties still confront him.

 

Thirdly, he should always hope to reach the highest position in the sight of Allah, which must be achieved with great difficulty. Man cannot attain the highest position except through great struggle. Therefore, Allah makes trials for him so that he can reach the highest position with Allah with strong determination and by suppressing his lusts.

 

My brother, you should pay attention to my advice above, because this advice is very important in your life.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

EIGHTEENTH ARTICLE: ONE SHOULD PERFORM GOOD DEEDS TO THE BEST OF ONE’S ABILITY

 

Every believer must have the greatest hope to achieve the pleasure of Allah, bring himself closer to Allah as close as possible, get glory with Him and always be with Allah, so that every virtue or obedience that brings him closer to Allah will be carried out seriously.

 

There are also some good deeds that no one else can do, such as voluntary prayers, voluntary fasting, reciting the Qur’an, remembering Allah, and so on. There are also some good deeds that none but a few people can do, but he is not prevented from doing even some of them, so he cannot put together what he can do and what he cannot do.

 

Whenever you hear that there is some good deed that you cannot do or you can do it but not as perfectly as you would like, then you should intend to do it well with your good intention because Allah will reward you, as mentioned in the following saying of the Prophet:

 

“A believer’s intention to do good is better than his doing it.”

 

Even with his good intentions he can attain the highest position that he cannot attain with his deeds.

 

For example, you hear of the virtues of those who strive in the cause of Allah, but you are unable to do so, or you hear of the virtues of those who give in charity and those who feed others, but you are unable to do so because you are not rich, or you hear of someone who upholds justice, enjoins good and forbids evil, but you are unable to do so because you do not have the strength to do so, but if you intend to do all these good deeds, you will surely be rewarded like those who have done them.

 

You should always help those who like to do good deeds as much as you can even if you only pray for them or love them, because they have done as much good as possible, you should pray for them and encourage others to help them, because a person who encourages others to do good, he will be rewarded like those who do it, as mentioned in the following saying of the Prophet:

 

“He who shows kindness to others will be rewarded like the one who does it.”

 

In addition, the Prophet also said:

 

“Whoever encourages others to do good, he will be rewarded like those who do it without taking anything away from the reward of those who do it.”

 

Furthermore, it should be noted that no one is able to do all the branches of righteous deeds, but he looks for the better, more perfect and easier ones to do, so that he with his good intentions will be rewarded like those who do them.

 

In addition, there are various good deeds that you do not feel moved to do, such as seeking useful knowledge or increasing the number of Sunnah deeds, such as prayer, fasting and so on. With such a variety of good deeds, you should try your hardest to do them to the best of your ability. But since you are unable to do so, it is your good intentions that will be rewarded by Allah, like one who performs various good deeds.

 

The Prophet said:

 

“None of you should ask to be given a position. But if it is given to you without asking for it, then you will be helped to perform it well.”

 

It is also mentioned that Tsa’labah once asked to be prayed for to become a rich man from the Prophet, because ja intended to give away his wealth to others, but after he was given wealth, it turned out that he did not keep his promise until Allah revealed the following words:

 

“And among them are those who have pledged to Allah: “Verily, if Allah bestows any part of His bounty upon us, we shall surely give in charity.”” (QS. AtTaubah: 75)

 

So, every good deed that you are going to do, you should try to do it well, including if you hear that there is a great reward given to a person who is hit by a disaster or affected by an illness, then he is patient, then you should have the intention of getting such trials so that you get a gift from Allah, but sometimes you are tested with a difficulty but you cannot be patient, even though the Prophet PBUH. But sometimes you are tested with a difficulty but you cannot be patient, even though the Prophet told you to always ask to be saved from all trials and you only have to have a sincere intention that you are saved from various trials, so that you are saved from trials and your intention of wanting to do the best will be rewarded.

 

You know what we have explained above, so everyone should do as many good deeds as he can, and he should choose the one that is easiest and has the greatest reward, because no one can do all the good deeds well.

 

In conclusion, every believer should have the intention to do all kinds of good deeds, whether easy or difficult, but if he cannot do it, then he should have the intention to do it so that he will be rewarded like those who have done it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NINETEENTH ARTICLE: THE PLEASURES OF THE WORLD ARE MISERIES, AND THE MORE THEY DEMAND, THE MORE MISERIES THERE ARE.

 

It is known that most people whose lives are tranquil and whose enjoyment lasts are those who always strive hard, are patient and whose hardships come one after another to them, so they are like the rulers and the rich. But the people whose lives are most tranquil and who are not greedy for worldliness are those who are not given any hardship, they are like the poor and needy.

 

The main reason for this is that the pleasures of this world are always competing with the lusts that cause a person’s heart to be unsettled, because the people who are competing for a decent life and the people who seek it are countless. Hence, anyone who wants to enjoy the pleasures of life has to face the hardships of life and the pleasures of his lusts, so the rulers and the rich you find that their lives are never at ease even though they seem to be able to enjoy themselves in the flesh.

 

Unlike the poor, they do not think much about worldly pleasures and do not expect much in the way of worldly pleasures. Therefore, they always have peace of mind.

 

Peru knows that a person who earns enough for one day is less troubled and more relaxed than a person who earns enough for one week. Similarly, a person who earns enough for a month is less troubled than a person who earns enough for an eternity. Anyway, the more the demands of life, the more difficult it is to feel calm.

 

A person who is always concerned with seeking the pleasures of life and fulfilling the desires of his lusts, then when in the world he gets pressure and difficulties, so on the Day of Judgment he will face calculation, torment, difficulties and anxiety.

 

The wise men were once asked: “For whom is the pleasure of the Hereafter?”

 

They replied: “The pleasures of the Hereafter are given to those who seek them.”

 

It was also asked: “For whom are the pleasures of the world?”

 

They replied: “The pleasures of this world are only given to those who do not need them.”

 

Ibrahim bin Adham once said to the poor people who were in distress and he did not attach the slightest importance to the pleasures of this world: “Verily, if the rulers knew the pleasures that are given to us, they would compete for them even by fighting.”

 

The main reason why Ibrahim ibn Adham left his palace was because he had seen during the day a poor man who had leaned against a tree, he took out a piece of bread, then the bread was eaten and he drank a sip of water in the shade of his palace, so Ibrahim was surprised at the calmness of the poor man, so he asked the poor man: “Are you satisfied with eating this piece of bread?” the poor man replied: “Yes, I am satisfied.” So Ibrahim said to himself: “If one is satisfied with the world that he has, then what good is it that I have great wealth but I cannot feel any happiness.” So in the evening he went out of his palace and wandered in search of his Lord so that he could have a peaceful life.

 

From the above stories it can be concluded that the tranquility of the world and its lusts will be the main cause of distress for everyone. But the more a person has no wealth, the happier his life is than a person who has a lot of wealth, because his thoughts are always worried about the reduction of his wealth, so he cannot enjoy the happiness of life.

 

This advice that I am giving you is advice that you need to pay proper attention to.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TWENTIETH CHAPTER: THE WISDOM OF GOD IN CREATING ALL THINGS DIFFERENT

 

There are some weak-minded people who view the universe very strangely, because they see things in contradictory ways. For example, he sees light and darkness, goodness and badness, piety and corruption, benefit and harm and so on. If he sees that there is light and darkness, good and bad, piety and corruption, benefit and harm, and so on, then he will look at the universe with a favorable view, although sometimes he looks at things in a way that contradicts Allah’s creation of everything that contradicts him, so that he thinks that his existence is useless and does not provide any wisdom. Surely the one who holds such a view is ignorant, weak-minded and negligent, because Allah, the Wise, has created His wisdom with His knowledge that is unmatched by anyone’s knowledge, He is All-Powerful over everything and He is Merciful to everyone.

 

It is mentioned in a gudsi hadith that Allah said:

 

“Verily, I am Allah, there is no God but Me, I have created good and evil and I have also created their respective experts, so it is very fortunate for whoever I create for good and set good before him. And very wretched is whoever I create for evil and make evil to be before him. And very wretched is whoever says for what and how.”

 

As for the one who says: “Why, how and even though” when I tell him to do something that he does not know the wisdom of My command, then indeed he has defied Allah and His wisdom.

 

Know that the existence of this universe as it is with the content of various different things is a perfection that is unmatched in beauty when compared to the main purpose for which this universe was created, then realize

 

When described, the existence of the universe has one of four states:

 

  1. Its existence is in accordance with its real state, which consists of a variety of diversity and plurality in it.

 

  1. There is only good and benefit in it.

 

  1. There is only evil and harm in it.

 

  1. No creation of this world at all.

 

Of course, human logic says there are only four things above the function of the existence of this universe without imagining in the brain the existence of a fifth purpose.

 

If it is said that it does not exist, then the universe is not anything and does not even have an essence to it, so its creation was a complete waste.

 

If it is said that only good should be done in it, then all the wisdom and benefit in it will be destroyed. Such a realm is only half-functioning and the full purpose of its creation will not be realized.

 

If it were said that nature was created with misery, then there would be no benefit and benefit in it.

 

From this you realize that the facts that exist in this universe are the best and the most perfect. Our explanation is almost similar to Imam Ghazali’s explanation of this matter in the chapter on monotheism in his book Ihya’, right down to his saying: “In all that is possible there is nothing more marvelous than what is already there.”

 

This is true and there is no denying it, because this issue requires a very long explanation, and there is very little time available, so he put it in a few words that are short and concise, but still invite complexity in understanding this issue, even though his words are full of very special and observant meanings. This is how things are explained in very complicated matters, especially when an expert tries to make a non-expert understand, which increases the complexity of the matter, and the expert ends up being criticized by the non-expert.

 

You should know that the universe in its present state is full of functional meanings of Allah’s names and attributes, all of which cannot be realized unless the universe is in its present state.

 

It is also full of clues about the image of the Hereafter, which is not realized except in this state of nature, and even this kind of state also shows the true nature of nature itself, which will not be revealed unless the state of nature is like this, for example, a person will not recognize light unless he sees darkness, good will not be recognized unless he sees evil, and so the series of information on prosperity and misery, sickness and health and other contradictory things.

 

Recognize what we are explaining in this chapter, for it is full of very special instructions and very soft essence, which would require a very long and wordy commentary.

 

Allah is True in what He says and He is the One who guides to the right path.

 

 

 

 

TWENTY-FIRST CHAPTER: THE BEST OF MANKIND ARE THE PIOUS AND THEIR EXAMPLE TO OTHERS

 

It should be noted that the noblest, highest and most excellent person in this world and the Hereafter is the one who is given knowledge so that he can know Allah well and the one who is given obedience and piety for the sake of Allah. This is a fact that does not need to be disputed, because everything is known in particular and in general. But when a person is obliged to obey Allah and fear Him, he finds it hard to do so, especially against his lusts. Most people prefer not to obey Allah even though they know that obeying and fearing Allah will bring great honor and bounty in this world and in the Hereafter, but they prefer to follow their lusts and pleasure, and they prefer to do everything that Allah has forbidden, because everything that is contrary to the prohibition of Allah suits the lusts even though a person who commits a sin will be humiliated, useless and become the worst person.

 

It should be noted that the people of ma’rifat and those who obey Allah are like a servant who serves a ruler, so that he becomes the ruler’s confidant to hold all his secrets and wealth, while those who stand before the ruler to speak to him or to serve him need special permission from the ruler. Who is fit to be a servant of the ruler? Similarly, Allah Ta’ala has also chosen some of His servants as those who are given special trust by Him.

 

As for those who fulfill their lusts and are negligent and defiant, their example is like that of some of Allah’s servants who were made into despicable slaves who guarded the storehouses of domestic animals and swept up their dung, but they were made into despicable and filthy people.

 

Therefore, distinguish carefully between these two differences and choose for yourself the best in society.

 

Know that if you do not return to Allah and do not want to obtain the promise of Allah in the Hereafter, then you will not be given glory in this world in the sight of Allah, even though Allah has promised for His chosen ones all the pleasures that no eye has ever seen, no ear has ever heard and no heart has ever moved.

 

Similarly, if Allah had not threatened those who like to fulfill their lusts, like to sin and are not promised a reckoning in the Hereafter and punishment in the Hereafter, they would have been among the despised people and kept away from Allah’s mercy.

 

This is what you need to think about when it comes to making people God’s chosen ones.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TWENTY-SECOND CHAPTER: LOVING THE GODLY IS A SIGN OF GOOD FORTUNE

 

If the people of this world and the ignorant like to gather with the good people of the scholars, auliya’ and righteous people and revere them, of course their love for these good people will have a positive impact, happiness and success, sometimes it will also cause them to become good people, enter into their taregat, follow in the footsteps of their good deeds, follow their good qualities and such incidents are quite numerous.

 

Among them was a group of negligent people who gathered in one place, then they sent one of them to buy fruits for 20 dirhams, so that they could taste the fruits together. When one of them went to the market to buy fruits, he would find many people gathering and scrambling to buy watermelons, because the watermelon had been held by Basyar ibn al-Harith, so everyone wanted to buy it in order to get the blessing of the watermelon, but the one who was sent to buy fruits for 20 dirhams immediately bought the watermelon and he brought it to the place where his friends had gathered. When he arrived, his friends asked: “Why are you so slow in coming and have you brought only one watermelon?” So the man replied: “Surely this watermelon is a marvelous watermelon.” They asked: “Why is this watermelon marvelous?” The man answered: “This watermelon has been held by Basyar bin AlHarith. Ja was one who always obeyed Allah, so Allah gave him glory.” So his companions realized and said: “If the one holding this watermelon is a person who obeys Allah, then surely this watermelon will be as blessed by Allah as this watermelon was in this world, so what will happen to this watermelon in the Hereafter?” So the people who were gathered all repented and they abandoned all their sins.

 

Indeed, such incidents often happen to the heedless when they are in the company of the pious, even though they revere the pious and the righteous.

 

Moreover, if those who are pious and obey Allah love some of the negligent and sociable people and incline towards them and think well of their deeds, surely those good people will love worldly pleasures and they will turn from loving Allah to loving the world and lust. Although the value of this world is very low, many people still love worldly possessions and pleasures. If people who are pious and love Allah can turn into people who love the world, it is because they love worldly pleasures, so they are looked down upon by Allah, whereas they used to be honored by Allah.

 

The example of the world and its pleasures is no more than the carcass of an animal that has rotted and been thrown in the garbage, as mentioned in one of the Prophet’s sayings and said by pious scholars that the world is like the carcass of a rotten animal. The Prophet (peace be upon him) likened worldly pleasures to excrement coming out of the stomach of a foul-smelling person.

 

Fudhail bin Iyadh said: “Suppose someone said to me: “You should be willing to accept lawful wealth without counting it.” I would have replied: “Indeed, I am disgusted with wealth in the same way that one of you is disgusted if he passes by the carcass of a dead animal or if his clothes are touched by it.”

 

Al-Imam Al-Yafi’i mentioned in one of his works that a minister came out of his palace accompanied by beautifully dressed soldiers, so people who did not know him asked: “Who is this man and why is he being honored like this?” One of the women who happened to be on the way answered: “This man is a despised man in the eyes of Allah and he is being tested by the pleasure you see in him.” When the minister heard the woman’s words, he returned to the ruler and declared his resignation from his position as minister, then he went to the city of Mecca to repent and he remained in his state of repentance until he died.

 

For one who obeys Allah and desires the pleasures of the Hereafter, if he sees rich people busy accumulating wealth, he should deplore the plight of these people and pray for them: “May Allah save them from His wrath,” because they have turned away from Allah and occupied themselves with the interests of this world. They have exchanged the pleasures of the Hereafter for the pleasures of this world and because they do not know the value of this world compared to the value of the Hereafter.

 

The Prophet has warned his people in the following saying:

 

“If the value of the world in the sight of Allah was equal to one wing of a mosquito, then Allah would not give drink to any disbeliever.”

 

There are many such stories and only Allah knows them, because everything that exists is only with the permission of Allah and there is no God but Allah.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TWENTY-THIRD CHAPTER: TAKING THE MIDDLE WAY IN ALL THINGS IS THE BEST WAY.

 

Know that a simple life is indispensable for those who want to be on the path of Allah. It is mentioned in the following hadith of the Prophet:

 

“The best of affairs is the middle.”

 

It is also mentioned in the following hadith:

 

“Living simply and behaving well is one of the twenty-five parts of prophethood.”

 

Amirul Mukminin All ra. said:

 

“You should choose the middle of everything, because those who sell expensively will return to Him and will be followed by the next people.”

 

Anything less than the middle or excessive than the middle is an act that is not commendable according to reason, Shariah, worship and custom.

 

Allah has guided us to live modestly in spending our wealth and it is a praiseworthy act. as mentioned in the following words of Allah:

 

“And do not let your hands be tied around your necks and do not stretch them out too much, so that you will be disgraced and regretful.” (QS. Al-Israa’: 29)

 

Allah also says:

 

“And those who, when they spend, are neither extravagant nor miserly, and their spending is in the middle.” (QS. Al-Furgaan: 67)

 

All that is moderate, neither excessive nor deficient is praiseworthy ethics and the best of deeds.

 

Therefore, the one who is generous and always overdoes it in spending his wealth, as I once heard from Allah, may He be exalted, that overdoing everything is wasteful and Allah is not pleased with those who overdo it in spending their wealth and Allah is also not pleased with the miser, because the miser will be far from Allah and others.

 

Similarly, if a person is too bold, his actions will be wur and will harm him. It is best for everyone to have a middle feeling between the two.

 

Similarly, the feeling of tawadhu’ is sometimes very praiseworthy, but if one is too tawadhu’, then one will become despicable. Therefore, everyone should be moderate between the two.

 

Similarly, one who is very shy is like a weak and unsociable woman in seclusion, while one who has no shyness is despicable.

 

Similarly, a person who likes to joke and smile, if he goes too far in his joking, he will be insulted by people. It is better for everyone to be in the middle, not too joking and not too serious, so that his personality is respected by others.

 

Similarly, a person who is excessive when eating, sleeping, speaking, dressing and so on, should not be excessive in anything, so that his personal value is respected by people.

 

It should be noted that there are times when a person does not understand the limits of moderation in all matters, and this is known only to those whose religious knowledge and beliefs are very high.

 

Whoever does not understand that, then he should refer back to those who are highly knowledgeable in religion and belief. If you find it difficult to find them, because they are in short supply these days, then you should be careful to find such people. Especially if you find it difficult to find people who are highly knowledgeable about religion and belief, then look at someone who is very good in behavior, always tawadhu’, generous in all matters of life, has a sense of shame and many other praiseworthy qualities, he does not sleep much, eat, talk. But the praiseworthy action is that which is moderate, neither excessive nor deficient.

 

If a person does any religious act, he should neither overdo it nor underdo it; he should do it in the middle. If a person overdoes or underdoes his acts of worship, then he is one of those who violate the religious rulings.

 

According to Imam Ghazali: “If a person is confused about whether he is a miser or a spendthrift, then he should lean towards extravagance, because a spendthrift is better than a miser, and human passions are more inclined towards miserliness than spending. If a person is confused about whether he is excessive or insufficient in humility or tawadhu’, then he should choose to increase his humility, as we mentioned when discussing one’s generosity in giving. If a person is confused about whether his eating and sleeping habits are too much or too little, then he should choose to eat less and sleep less, because a person’s desires always incline him to eat more and sleep more, after all, breaking a habit is a praiseworthy action so long as it does not harm his brain and body. Reflect on this matter because it is very important.”

 

It should be noted that there are instances narrated from some of the pious and theosophers that it is sometimes understood that their actions go beyond the bounds of normalcy, for example they increase in acts of worship, but in their daily habits they abstain from them to the point of negating their own strength. Such actions will not be realized as they should be, except in an exaggerated manner. It is no different from a riding animal that is still wild and cannot be tamed for riding or other work, except by restricting its diet and working it beyond its ability, so that if it is tamed and not wild, then at that point it can be returned to its normal habits. Such a thing is narrated from those who like to start their awaj mujahadah towards the path of Allah. This action is very correct and in accordance with wisdom and good organization.

 

As for the occurrence by some people who have reached the pinnacle of spirituality, then it can be said that they are overpowered by their spiritual state, the power of light and the revelation of various secrets to the extent that it causes a person to break out of his human habits and make him resemble most of the characteristics of the angels. Such habits cannot be practiced continuously because the practitioner is weak. It has been narrated that Shaykh Sahal ibn ‘Abdullah did not eat except once every 15 days and when the month of Ramadan arrived, he did not eat for one month.

 

It is also narrated that Abu Ubaid As-Sirri when Ramadan came he used to enter his room and tell his wife to lock the door, leaving only a small hole where she would throw a piece of bread every night for him. After Ramadan ended when the wife opened the door, she found the thirty loaves of bread that she had thrown into her husband’s room. It is mentioned that during Ramadan Abu Ubaid As-Sim did not eat in a year except once.

 

It is narrated that Al-Faqih Al-Muqaddam Muhammad bin Ali Ba’alawi at the end of his life for 4 months he did not eat a single bite and did not drink a single sip of water. On the last day of his life, they forced him to eat something. When he felt that, he opened his eyes and said: “Will you get tired of me?” After that he passed away.

 

There are many such stories among beginners as well as those who have reached the final stage, and all of them can be done by experts, especially those who have attained the pleasure of communing with Allah.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TWENTY-FOURTH CHAPTER: THE GOODNESS BEHIND MEEKNESS AND HARSHNESS

 

It should be noted that being gentle in every Hajj is highly recommended and loved according to sharee’ah and reason, because it will bring about good, which cannot be achieved by being harsh. Gentleness is a trait of the wise and merciful chosen servants of Allah.

 

Allah said:

 

“So it is by the mercy of Allah that you are gentle with them. If you had been stern and harsh, they would have withdrawn from around you.” (QS. Ali Imran: 159)

 

“Be thou forgiving, and enjoin men to do what is right, and turn away from those who are foolish.” (QS. Al-A’raaf: 199)

 

“And the servants of the Most Merciful are those who walk the earth humbly, and when the ignorant address them, they speak words of salvation.” (QS. Al-Furgaan: 63)

 

The Prophet said:

 

“Verily, Allah loves gentleness in all things.”

 

The Prophet also said:

 

“There is no gentleness in a thing except that it adds to its beauty, and there is no gentleness in a thing except that it makes its ugliness apparent.”

 

 

The Prophet’s words above imply that everything should be done with gentleness, love and politeness. A hadith states that the Prophet:

 

“The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was not given a choice between two things except that he would choose the lesser of the two, but if the choice was a bad thing then he was the one who avoided bad things the most.”

 

Particular gentleness is required, especially when dealing with the interests of the masses, namely the noble ones, such as the saints and those who have a position in this world and in their religion. Therefore, they must be gentle in order to unify opinions among them and increase the number of followers. Whoever does not have a gentle nature towards his followers and is harsh, then any agreement will be broken. Similarly, if there is incompatibility among his followers, then there will be outwardly rather than inwardly division, so that it is always accompanied by the hatred and anger of the people.

 

It should be noted that gentleness is pure goodness. A reasonable person should not do anything except with gentleness, especially anything that has to do with people, whether it is a special person, a child, a servant or a general person other than them. It is not permissible for a person to change this gentle attitude, while he can obtain his desires through this attitude even if it is for a long time.

 

If gentleness cannot be used to deal with some people who are always abusive, then he must be strict with the intention of correcting and straightening out their behavior, as one Anifbillah said: “Verily some people do not have a perfect mind. If you cannot subdue them, then they will subdue you.”

 

Al-Mutanabbi said in his verse:

 

“If you honor a noble person, then you can subdue him. But if you are able to honor a lowly person, then he will abuse you. If you put dew on a sword, it will certainly be dangerous, like putting a sword where there is dew.”

 

But this is very rare, especially with ordinary people. They have no merit whatsoever, because their brains are weak and ignorance and stupidity rule them. It is not permissible to be harsh except with those who are harsh in order to correct their behavior and restrain their evil. It is for this reason that some of the great scholars were harsh at times with some people.

 

Gentleness is the origin of all things, and it is what everyone wants, unless it leads to making things worse and adding to the damage, in which case there is no other way to remove it except by force, which he may do.

 

The Prophet was always gentle in his daily behavior, such as towards a man who urinated in the mosque and towards a person who had been given something by the Prophet but he did not accept it and said bad things, so his companions wanted to beat him, but he reprimanded them and he added a gift to the person so that he was satisfied and said good words.

 

It is mentioned that a young man asked the Messenger of Allah for permission to commit adultery, so he asked: “Are you willing to have another man commit adultery with your daughter?” The young man replied: “No.” The Prophet asked: “Neither would anyone else be willing for this to happen to their daughter.” In the course of the conversation the Prophet managed to pacify the young man’s evil desire, because he knew that there is no act worse than adultery.

 

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) did many such things, as did the religious leaders, scholars, and righteous people after him. Therefore, you should be gentle in all your actions, because it will bring its own blessings and will cause its own goodness, as mentioned in the following words of Allah:

 

“These good qualities are not bestowed except on those who are patient, and they are not bestowed except on those who have great gain.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TWENTY-FIFTH ARTICLE: IT IS NOT PROPER TO HONOR A FOOLISH PERSON, EVEN IF OF HONORABLE DESCENT.

 

It is not permissible to honor an ignorant person, even if he is of noble descent and righteous piety, because if one praises him outwardly, this may cause fitnah in his religion, make him deceived about Allah’s bounty, prevent him from doing good and neglect his Hereafter. But if one praises him outwardly, this will cause him to be deluded and deceived, and he deserves the wrath of Allah and His Messenger, and of the righteous salaf, who were always strict with the ignorant.

 

How can a person be proud of himself because ja has a good lineage without being accompanied by piety? Whereas the Prophet once said to Siti Fatimah (ra): “O Fatimah, fear Allah, for I cannot defend you from Allah’s punishment in the least.”

 

Likewise, a hadith states: “O Banu Abdul Muttalib, O so-and-so, O so-and-so who is a relative of the Messenger of Allah,” they are advised to protect themselves from the wrath of Allah. In fact, the Prophet said to one who praised another:

 

“Indeed you are wretched, for if you praise him then he cannot save himself from pride.”

 

In another one of the Prophet’s sayings:

 

“If a man meets his brother with a drawn knife, it is better than if he praises him in his presence.”

 

The praise of an ignorant person will harm the person praised, because he does not understand anything about his religion and beliefs.

 

As for a scholar who knows his belief in his Lord, then any praise for him will not bring harm to him, as when the Prophet praised some of his companions, even the praise of the Prophet did not increase them unless they wanted to increase their goodness, worship and obedience to Allah.

 

It is mentioned in a hadith:

 

“If a believer is praised by his brother, his faith will be strengthened in him.”

 

But those who understand and are strong in their religion do not want to be praised by others nowadays, and those who are ignorant are increasing in number. Therefore, a believer who fears his Lord and loves his religion should be wary of anything that might harm him or other Muslims.

 

Sometimes if one of the ahl al-bayt commits a sin, then others praise him and consider his sin to be minor because they will be defended by the Prophet.

 

He does not know that this praise will bring destruction to him, because Allah will multiply the reward for those who do good and will multiply the sins for those who commit sins, as mentioned in the following words of Allah:

 

“O wives of the Prophet, whosoever of you do any manifest abomination, their punishment shall be doubled.” (QS. Al-Ahzab: 30)

 

Allah’s words above indicate that his wives were among the ahl al-bayt of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Whoever thinks that disobeying Allah and committing sinful acts will not harm a person of noble lineage or noble parents is deceiving Allah. That is what all Muslims agree upon. However, the Messenger of Allah’s ahl al-bayt had the honor and he paid more attention to them. The Prophet’s ahl al-bayt have the honor and the Prophet paid more attention to them, as mentioned in the following words of Allah:

 

“Say: “I do not ask of you any reward for my calling except familial affection.” (QS. Ash-Shu’araa’: 23)

 

The words of Allah above instruct Muslims to honor the Prophet’s family, as long as they do not exceed their portion. Then among them there are still noble people, because they are related to the Prophet. They always do good deeds that are pleasing to Allah and follow the footsteps of their elders, such as Ali bin Abi Talib (peace be upon him), Al-Hasan and Al-Husayn (peace be upon them), both of whom are the grandsons of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), Ja’far bin Abi Talib, as well as Hamzah and Abdullah Ibn Abbas, his father Imam Al-Abbas the Prophet’s uncle, Imam Zainal Abidin, Imam Muhammad Al-Bagrr, Imam Ja’far Ash-Shadig. These are the ones whose actions may be followed.

 

If some of the Prophet’s family do not follow the good deeds of the righteous among them because they are ignorant, then they should still be respected because they are related to the Prophet. They should always be given good advice so that they will follow in the footsteps of their pious salaf, starting from studying knowledge, doing good deeds, behaving well and acting well. Hence, they must be informed before anyone else. Relying on lineage alone will not elevate a person’s status if he neglects piety, is preoccupied with worldly affairs, does not observe religious commands and defiles himself with sin, as the following poet said:

 

“By Allah, the honor of a person depends only on the goodness of his religion, let him not abandon piety because he has a noble lineage. Islam has elevated Salman Al-Farisi by the firmness of his faith, on the other hand, Islam despised Abu Lahab despite his close kinship with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).”

 

Al-Mutanabbi said:

 

“If a noble’s position is not like that of his elders, then what good is a high position?”

 

Another poet said:

 

“What good is a descendant of Banu Hashim if he is not as noble as his ancestors?”

 

Talking about the descendants of the pious is no different than one talking about the glory of the Prophet’s family. Whoever of them follows in the footsteps of his elders will be honored, exalted and blessed. But if a fool commits an act that violates the honor of his elders, then he needs to be guided and directed to a good path, but also must remain respected because of their noble elders. How could it not be, has not Allah said about the two youths and the wall:

 

“And there was treasure for them both underneath, and his father was a righteous man.” (QS. AlKahf: 82)

 

We are told that the seventh of the two elders is from his mother’s side, but their world and wealth are still preserved by Allah, let alone the affairs of the hereafter.

 

Know and understand this issue well and put it in its proper place, then seek Allah’s help for happiness and guidance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TWENTY-SIXTH ARTICLE: MEASURES TO DETERMINE THE INCREASE AND DECREASE OF DEGREES

 

If a person wants to be respected by others in terms of his religion, whether he has perfected his religious character or he has harmed it, then look at his state and his deeds in the month that has passed or in the year that has passed. If his deeds in the past year were better than his present ones, then he is in a state of loss. But if his present deeds are better than the past, then ja is in a state of good fortune.

 

It has been narrated in a hadith:

 

“Whoever’s deeds today are better than yesterday’s, is a loser. And whoever’s deeds today are worse than yesterday is cursed.”

 

This means that he is far from Allah’s mercy because he has sinned. As for the details, if you have done good in the past days, then you should maintain your good deeds as in the previous days. But if you do something bad today, then know that your value has decreased, including your deeds for your hereafter, so be aware of this matter carefully. If you see that your deeds today are better than your deeds yesterday, then you should be more grateful, because only Allah has made you a better person than yesterday. If you are not grateful, then the problem is as mentioned in the following words of Allah:

 

“Were it not for the grace of Allah and His mercy upon you all, none of you would have been clean (from these abominable and forbidden deeds) forever, but Allah cleanses whom He wills. And Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.” (QS. An-Nuur: 21)

 

 

 

 

TWENTY-SEVENTH CHAPTER: EQUATING THE WORLD WITH THE HEREAFTER IS FOOLISHNESS

 

Know that anyone who equates his hereafter with his worldly concerns is a fool. What then is the fate of one who prioritizes his worldly life over his hereafter? What then is the fate of one who has no concern for his Hereafter? May Allah protect us and those close to us from the trials that would destroy us and the Muslims.

 

As for the one who equates the affairs of the Hereafter with the affairs of this world, and tries his best to attain them, then he is one of the most foolish people, because he equates something that is better, lasting, cleaner and more spacious with something that is worse, quickly destroyed, dirty and inconvenient. He is like someone who equates a precious stone with dirt, gold with dirt, and even more astonishingly, even though in the Hereafter there is nothing good except immortality and salvation from all evil, he should prefer the pleasures of the Hereafter and not the pleasures of this world, as the pious wrongdoers say: “If the world were made of gold, which is perishable, and the Hereafter were made of clay, which is eternal, we would prefer the clay, which is eternal. So what if the situation were reversed?”

 

It is clear that the one who gives preference to worldly pleasures over the pleasures of the Hereafter is doubtful and wretched. The one who equates the two is a fool. And the one who gives preference to the interests of the Hereafter over the worldly, then he is a clever believer.

 

All virtues belong only to Allah, He gives them to whomever He wills, including guidance is only in the hands of Allah and He will give it to whomever He wills and only Allah is the All-Wise, the All-Knowing.

 

 

 

 

 

TWENTY-EIGHTH CHAPTER: DISEASES OF THE HEART ARE MORE DANGEROUS THAN DISEASES OF THE BODY

 

It should be noted that diseases of the heart are greater in danger and complications, even worse than diseases suffered by a person’s body from all sides and in various forms. Diseases of the heart can harm a person from his religion, so that it will torment a person in this world and in the Hereafter, because diseases of the heart will have a negative impact when a person is in the Hereafter, so that he will remain in the punishment of Allah for eternity. As for the diseases that afflict a person’s body, they are not too dangerous for the sufferer, except in this mortal world which he will soon leave. The sickness that afflicts a person’s body leads to death, so the sickness that afflicts a person’s body is still more beneficial to his religion and more beneficial in the Hereafter than when he is still in this world, because a person who is tested with a great sickness by Allah will also be rewarded with a great reward. Among the benefits of sickness that befalls a person’s body, both immediate and delayed, are the verses and hadeeths that mention their rewards.

 

There are some diseases of the heart that a person cannot feel, because the diseases of the heart cannot be felt in pain, whereas the diseases that afflict a person’s body can be felt clearly. Hence, a person who is afflicted with a disease of the body is quicker to seek a cure than one who is afflicted with a disease of the heart.

 

Imam Ghazali said: “A person who has stripes does not feel anything on his body, only his friends tell him, and he does not even believe that his skin has stripes.”

 

Likewise, all the diseases that are mentioned as threats by religion are diseases of the heart for which the perpetrators will be tortured in the hereafter and this disease is usually underestimated by people affected by liver disease, even among them there are those who feel surprised that is in their hearts.

 

A person who is afflicted with a disease of the heart takes it for granted, because he is insecure towards Allah and he does not expect much forgiveness and salvation from the disease that afflicts his body.

 

As for the diseases of the heart, they are mysterious and not obvious, so people who suffer from them always underestimate them and do not try to treat them, even if one of us has a disease of the heart, he does not know how to get rid of it because he does not care about it. If he knows that there is a disease in his body, then he tries his best to treat it.

 

As for the cause, the sickness of the heart is not felt by the senses, it is not the same as the sickness that afflicts a person’s body, and he even neglects it, while the punishment promised by Allah is an unseen word that occurs after his death and arrives in the village of akhurat.

 

A foolish person thinks that death is still far away, let alone the events after it. If he had reason and faith, he would have realized that death is an unseen matter that is awaited, as mentioned in the following saying of the Prophet:

 

 

“Paradise will be closer to you than the strap of your sandals and so will hell.”

 

It should be noted that the diseases of the heart are many and the most dangerous is if one does not believe in his religion or if one has weak faith in Allah and His Messenger and in the Hereafter. Among the diseases of the heart are riya’, arrogance towards others, miserliness, grudges, wanting to do evil, wanting to cheat the Muslims, especially love for the world and being very fond of it, wishing a lot and forgetting the Hereafter. If a person forgets about the Hereafter so that he does not prepare himself by increasing his good deeds, then this is one of the greatest diseases of the heart.

 

Because the heart is always covered with a veil, such feelings are not usually visible to the five senses, and cannot even be seen with the most sophisticated equipment, so that a reasonable person who is always concerned about his religion and the salvation of his afterlife and always tries to recognize and treat his heart disease before ja is picked up by death and meets his Lord with a dirty heart so that he is lost and wretched. A person who has a disease of the heart will be seen outward signs, including laziness to worship and do good, even he always wants to do sin and pleasure. As for his desire to cleanse his heart, it is very little. Therefore, whoever feels that his heart has a disease, then he should try as hard as possible to treat it. |

 

The best way is to seek out a murshid who knows the sickness of his heart, so that he will be instructed about the sickness of his heart. But if he cannot find a murshid, then he should look for a good brother who can give him advice.

 

If a person has a disease of the heart, he should read Imam Ghazali’s Ihya’, especially the chapter on Rub’ul Muhlikat, because Imam Ghazali wrote that title with the aim that his heart would be free from all diseases and get the best cure, as well as the signs that indicate its existence and the strength of the signs. But all the advice contained in the book is not as effective as a wise teacher and a pious friend, but it is an alternative way for those who do not find a murshid teacher or a pious friend to guide them to the path of Allah.

 

Indeed, Allah helps the one who has the willpower to draw closer to Allah, for Allah is the best of Lords to whom help can be sought.

 

 

 

 

 

TWENTY-NINTH CHAPTER: DO AS MUCH GOOD AS YOU CAN AND LEAVE AS MUCH BAD AS YOU CAN.

 

Whoever is unable to do all the good deeds, he should not abandon all the good deeds, he should try his best to do them, because one good deed will attract the doer to another good deed. Similarly, no matter how small a good deed is, it will lead to greater good deeds, and even a little good deed will lead to a lot of good deeds.

 

Similarly, whoever is unable to leave all his bad deeds in their entirety should try to leave some of them with good deeds, because the Prophet (peace be upon him) said that good deeds take away minor sins, as mentioned in the following hadith:

 

“If you do a bad deed, then cover it up with a good deed afterward, so that the bad deed will not be seen, for the hidden will be covered by the hidden and the obvious will be covered by the obvious.”

 

If a person is tempted to do evil or disobedience, then he should not stay away from Allah at all and stay away from doing good and obedience as a whole, so that his good deeds can cover his sins, so there is no other way for him except to be reconciled with his Lord to achieve his benefit, he should always remember the k:sah of a thief who always harasses people on their way, sheds their blood and robs Muslims of their property.

 

So when one of the righteous saw him while he was fasting, the righteous man asked: “O brother, why did you rob this man of his property while you were fasting?” The thief replied: “Yes, I still have a way to make peace and I have not cut off all the ways between me and my Lord.” The pious man continued his story: “Not long after that, I saw the thief circumambulating the Ka’bah and he had repented so when I saw him, he said: “Surely my fast can still help me to make peace between me and my Lord.” From the above story it can be concluded that if a person is unable to do all good deeds, he should not – do it even if it is small, a servant should always be in pure goodness and obedience if he is unable and is hindered by his lust so that he falls into sinful acts, he should hold on to the good and obedient deeds that he used to do. And Allah is the Most Enduring, the Most Praiseworthy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THIRTIETH CHAPTER: POSITIVE IMPACT OF ASSOCIATION AND COMPARISON

 

A person who is friendly, associates and sits with others will be influenced by them for good or bad. If a person keeps company with either the righteous or the wicked and ill-tempered, then he will be influenced by their behavior, although not all at once, but over time his heart is called to imitate the deeds of his friend.

 

The Prophet said:

 

“One will be influenced by one’s seatmates.”

 

On another occasion the Prophet also said:

 

“A person will be influenced by the religion of their close friends, so pay attention to who you make close friends.”

 

The Prophet also said:

 

“The example of a person who hangs out with a perfume seller is that he will be given perfume or he will be able to buy perfume, at least he will smell the fragrance. Similarly, whoever associates closely with a bad person will be like an iron blower in a fire; he may burn your clothes or at the very least you will smell a bad odor from him.”

 

Whoever wants to know who his close friend is, then he should look at the thickness or thinness of his faith, religion and virtue before sitting as his close friend. This is how one checks one’s faith. If he sees that his faith and behavior have increased, then he can know that this friendship is beneficial to his religion and heart and if this friendship continues, it will bring many benefits. But if he sees that his faith and behavior are diminishing, then he should realize that this friendship has a negative impact on his religion and heart and if this friendship continues, it will bring greater harm and evil.

 

With such considerations in mind, one should weigh his situation in his association with a person, then he knows that in general, close friends will have a good or bad influence. That is, if his good outweighs his bad, then it is hoped that his good will influence him to become a good person. But if his bad qualities outweigh his bad qualities, then it is to be feared that he will have the same bad influence as his close friend.

 

That is the clear understanding of those who are good at socializing in judging good or bad associations.

 

The Prophet said:

 

“Good company is better than sitting alone, while sitting alone is better than sitting with bad company.”

 

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was gifted with the ability to say a few words with a deeper meaning that was never given to any of the pious salaf (prophets) before or after him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THIRTY-FIRST ARTICLE: THE PERSONALITY OF A BELIEVER IS BETTER THAN THAT OF A PREACHER, WHILE THAT OF A HYPOCRITE IS THE OPPOSITE.

 

The personality of a pious believer is better than the news and its mention, even if the news is good and beautiful. If you get to know and associate with him more and more, then your love for him will increase, because you see him always obeying Allah, worshiping Allah a lot, always glorifying Allah, always hastening to achieve Allah’s pleasure, avoiding all sins and carrying out Allah’s commands well in order to avoid Allah’s wrath.

 

The personality of a hypocrite is far worse than his news and mention of it, even if the news is already bad. As you get to know and associate with him more and more, your hatred for him will increase, because you will see that he does not love Allah, disregards Allah’s commands, likes to cause Allah’s wrath and does not keep the commands of Allah that are required of him.

 

You will know from what we have mentioned that the experience of a believer is better than that of a hypocrite and that a hypocrite always tries to hinder good deeds.

 

Thus we should take lessons from those who are very concerned about religion from the scholars and pious people as well as those who have a high position in worldly affairs, such as rulers and sultans. If they are more related and closer to the good, then this indicates the goodness and straightness of their affairs. But if they are more associated with people who are far from good, then this is different from the above. The reason for this is either because they are weak in fulfilling their rights and duties, or because they are negligent and preoccupied with matters that are not of first importance.

 

If one stays away from them, then he is less good and pious, whereas one stays close to them, then he is better and more pious. This shows their goodness. Yet they are still weak and negligent in their duty to warn against things that are contrary to religion.

 

Sometimes it is because the ruler’s territory is very large and his people are numerous and scattered everywhere, as Amirul mukminin Umar bin Khaththab (may Allah be pleased with him) said at the end of his reign below:

 

“O Allah, indeed I am growing old, my strength is growing weak, and my people are increasing in number. Therefore, if you put me to death, then put me to death without being tested and without neglecting my duties towards them.”

 

Umar ra. also said:

 

“Surely if any animal dies by the river Furat in vain, then I fear to be held accountable by You for it.”

 

It becomes clear that the power of ‘Umar Ibn Khaththab (may Allah be pleased with him) at that time was so vast that it was not appropriate for a weak person to exercise it. That is why many scholars did not want to be given any power, because the Prophet said:

 

“A soul that can reckon with itself is better than a power that cannot reckon with its power.”

 

The point of the above hadith is that if a person is unable to uphold or exercise power, he will be held accountable for it.

 

 

 

THIRTY-SECOND ARTICLE: DIFFERENT PURPOSES OF ASSOCIATING OR BEFRIENDING GOOD PEOPLE

 

Associating with people who are strong in religion, good people from the scholarly community who practice their knowledge and with righteous servants of Allah is highly recommended. This is because associating with them will bring immediate and future good.

 

There is much mention of this in the reports and atsar, but the people who seek this are divided into various intentions and purposes.

 

The best is the one who associates with them with the aim of learning the best from them, imitating their pious deeds and speech, in order to emulate their good deeds. He has no aim except to emulate their words and deeds.

 

As for those who get along well with them and love them, because they prioritize the salvation of their religion, do His commands, occupy themselves with obeying Him and doing good deeds that can bring themselves closer to Allah, follow good manners and imitate good deeds, so he loves them and invites others to get along well with them and he wants to do good like they do. But whoever is unable to imitate their good deeds will regret it and he will want to do his best if he has the opportunity to do the good deeds that they do, as mentioned in the following hadith of the Prophet:

 

“A person will be gathered with the one he loves.” In addition, the Prophet also said:

 

“Whoever imitates the behavior of a group of people is one of them.”

 

As for the one who associates well with them, that is so that he may receive their blessings and the benefit of their prayers. He has no intention of doing anything except to follow their behavior, because the one who follows them will be blessed and he is one of those mentioned in the following hadith Qudsi:

 

“They are a group of losers who sit with them.”

 

Even if one associates closely with them, he will be protected by Allah from the devil, humans and jinn, and he will not lose anything from the blessings of the good people.

 

But it is haraam for a person to associate closely with good people if his aim is to cover himself from all the sinful acts that he is accustomed to.

 

Imam Ghazali has divided riya’ into several levels.

 

There is a person who riya’ by showing his good deeds in order to be known as a good person. This can be done by anyone who likes to sin. If a person does such an act by associating closely with pious people, then he will behave as a pious person, whereas Satan is a clear enemy who has various ways to deceive people so that people can do bad things and evil. May Allah keep us away from Satan, for Allah is the best to seek refuge in.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THIRTIETH ARTICLE: LEVELS OF HALAL AND HARAM

 

Seeking halal sources of fortune is an obligation, because whoever consumes in accordance with his needs, such a life is more beneficial and better for himself and for those under his responsibility. Because such actions can cleanse the heart of all stains, can soften the heart, shine the heart, beautify the heart and decorate the heart with a noble and straight belief, including the traits that save good character, good limbs, sincere obedience and straight speech.

 

Please note that what is halal is divided into several levels:

 

  1. The highest level of halaal is that which is free from haraam or unlawful things, such as river water, grass that grows among dead vegetation, and fishing in fresh water and sea water, which can be eaten by everyone. If a person takes food from these sources and consumes it with care and with the intention of fearing Allah and seeking His help to use it as a means of obeying Him, and he does not go beyond his needs, then that is the case. If a person takes food from these sources and consumes it with caution and with the intention of fearing Allah and seeking Allah’s help to make it a way of obeying Allah, and he does not go beyond his needs, then that is something that is permissible and recommended by religion.

 

It was reported that some of the righteous salaf ate only grass, so that their bodies became green. It was narrated that Sufyan Ats-Tsauri and Ibrahim Ibn Adham, if they could not find halal food, would eat sand. They made sand a substitute for their food. This includes the grass in some mountains or in some valleys that people usually do not want to consume, but Allah always helps His servants according to the level of intention and purpose.

 

  1. The second level. There are permissible sources of wealth that are absolutely free from any doubt, such as a person who collects grass and wood from various places and is always careful when collecting it, then he brings it to his house to sell it to others, then the proceeds are used as a source of livelihood. Such a person is always wara’ from anything that is forbidden by religion. They usually consume food or dress modestly. This was the practice of most of the righteous salaf.

 

  1. The third level. There are sources of fortune that are not completely halal goods absolutely are the results of a person’s work or industrial products, such as a person who sells paper, sewing, trading or by other means or by buying and selling goods. All he does with piety, wara’ and care to consume it with the good intention of worshipping Allah and obeying His commands. He also consumes food and wears clothes only as necessary, as well as other necessities and he also intends to give away his surplus wealth for the sake of Allah.

 

  1. As for the fourth level, this is if a person finds a source of wealth without being careful, so that he is exposed to shubhat, because he always underestimates halal matters and he does not pay attention to piety, so that their wealth is mixed with shubhat from unknown sources. Hence it is said of such a person:

 

“Whoever is not careful about where he gets his wealth from, then Allah does not care about him from which door he will enter hell.”

 

These are the four levels of halal. As for the opposite, there are also four levels that are haram and doubtful:

 

  1. The first level is something that is absolutely forbidden that a believer should not consume unless forced to do so. For example, eating carrion, blood, pork and alcohol.

 

  1. The second level is something that is forbidden in itself, such as wheat, dates and grapes, but they belong to someone else, so it is not permissible for anyone to consume them, unless they reach you from a source that is permissible in sharee’ah, such as buying, being given or inheriting, and so on.

 

  1. The third level is all sources of fortune that contain shubhat which is originally haram. Although it becomes halal, but its halalness is still doubtful. The person who consumes it is someone who has little knowledge, lacks piety and is carried away by lust.

 

As for the shubhat goods that are originally halal, but the prohibition is doubtful, as mentioned in the following saying of the Prophet:

 

“Whoever approaches things that are doubtful is bound to fall into things that are haraam, like a shepherd who herds his sheep around haraam areas. Then one day, his sheep will eat from a haraam source.”

 

It is also mentioned in the hadeeth narrated by Ugbah about a woman whom he married, then a black woman came who claimed that she had breastfed him and breastfed the woman he married.

 

Such examples are numerous and have been explained by Imam Ghazali at length in the book Ihya’ chapter Al-Halal wal Haram.

 

In general, everything that is permissible is originally permissible according to external knowledge, but if the one who receives it is not careful, then the permissible thing will become haram, because people always want to take a large amount of everything and squander it beyond the level of extravagance, so the scholars said: “What is lawful will not be used for anything that is wasteful.”

 

In a hadith it is stated:

 

“A person cannot attain the position of perfect piety until after he has abandoned everything that is doubtful, for fear of being exposed to sin.”

 

Among the sayings of the Companions: “We used to leave nine out of ten things that we had doubts about, because we were afraid of falling into something haram.”

 

In a hadith narrated by Al-Hasan bin Aji (may Allah be pleased with him), the Prophet said:

 

“Leave everything that doubts you for something that does not doubt you.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THIRTY-FOURTH CHAPTER: THE DANGER OF WASWAAS DURING WORSHIP AND THE OBLIGATION TO PROTECT ONESELF FROM IT

 

The three most dangerous things that distract a person from his prayers, recitation of the Qur’an and dhikr are misgivings in the heart, thinking too much and remembering the beautiful passions of the past. If a person’s heart is preoccupied with this feeling, then all his acts of worship will disappear and mean nothing to him, perhaps his worship is only outwardly visible, so that his state is like someone who does not worship at all or even worse than he does. If a person thinks of acts of worship that have nothing to do with the act of worship that he is doing, it is a trick from the devil to make him turn away from the act of worship that he is doing. Moreover, if a person is thinking about sinful things in his worship, then it is worse and Allah is angry with him. The point is that one must block out any thoughts that interfere with the act of worship that he is doing.

 

Everyone should be aware of this, because he is never free from waswaas that do not bring good to him, while he is standing before Allah to seek and pray for the sake of Allah, especially if he reads the following words of Allah:

 

“And whoever strives, then surely his striving is for himself. Verily, Allah is indeed All-Rich (in need of nothing) of the universe.” (QS. Al-Ankabuut: 6)

 

Allah also said:

 

“Those good qualities are not bestowed but upon the patient, nor are they bestowed but upon those who have great gain. And if the shaytaan disturbs you with a disturbance, then seek refuge with Allah. Verily, He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.” (Os, Fushshilat: 35-36)

THIRTY-FIFTH ARTICLE: ISTIOAMAH IS A TRAIT THAT GATHERS USEFUL KNOWLEDGE.

 

Staying on the straight path that will lead one to Allah without deviating from it, because this is a very difficult matter to do, except for the infallible prophets and the saints who truly guard their religion for the sake of Allah, as mentioned in the following verse:

 

“So keep to the right path, as it was commanded you and those who repented with you, and do not exceed the limits. Verily, He is All-Seeing of what you do. And do not incline to the wrongdoers that you may be touched by the Fire, and you will have no helper but Allah, then you will not be helped. And pray on the two sides of the day (morning and evening) and in the first part of the night. Verily, the good deeds expiate the bad deeds. That is a warning for those who remember. And be patient, for surely Allah does not waste the reward of those who do good.” (QS. Huud: 112. 115)

 

Allah also said:

 

“And remain as you were commanded, and follow not their lusts, and say: “I believe in all the Scripture which Allah has sent down, and I am commanded to be just among you. Allah is our Lord and your Lord. For us are our deeds and for you are your deeds. There is no quarrel between us and you; Allah gathers us together and to Him is our return.” (QS. Ash-Shuura: 15)

 

Allah also said:

 

“Indeed, those who say: “Our Lord is Allah,” then they make their stand firm, then angels will descend upon them saying: “Fear not, nor be grieved: and gladden them with the Jannah which Allah has promised you.” We are your protectors in the life of this world and the Hereafter: therein you shall have what you desire and therein you shall have what you ask for. As a dish (for you) from God, the Forgiving, the Merciful.” (QS. Fushshilat: 30-32)

 

Allah also said:

 

“Indeed, those who say: “Our Lord is Allah”, then they remain steadfast, there is no fear for them, nor do they grieve. They are the dwellers of Paradise; they will abide therein, as a reward for what they have done.” (QS. Al-Ahgaaf: 13-14)

 

The Prophet said:

 

“You should always be steadfast in your acts of worship and never count your acts of worship in the slightest, but straighten them out and improve them as much as possible. Know that no one can escape the punishment of Allah with his good deeds.” Asked the companions: “Is it you too, O Messenger of Allah?” He said: “So do I, unless Allah grants me mercy and favor from Him.”

 

Sufyan bin Abdillah ra. said: “I once asked the Messenger of Allah: “O Messenger of Allah, tell me a saying in Islam and I will not ask anyone other than you.” He said:

 

“Say: “I believe in Allah,” then fulfill His commandments.”

 

Umar ra. said:

 

“Keep the commandments of God diligently and well and do not deviate from them in the least.”

 

The word istiqamah is a sentence that contains various useful knowledge, noble morals and righteous deeds that are always done well without hesitation, without laziness and without deviating from the commandments at all.

 

A pious salaf said to the Prophet: “O Messenger of Allah, you used to say when it was said to you that your hair had turned gray: “What has caused my hair to turn gray are the words of Allah in Surah Hud and other words of Allah.” Which verse caused your gray hair, O Messenger of Allah?” He said: “What caused my gray hair was the word of Allah which means: “Be steadfast as you are commanded.”

 

There are a number of hadeeths that mention the Prophet’s hair turning gray, because of Surah Huud and its brothers. This is because Surah Huud contains the story of the destruction of a number of previous nations and the words of Allah:

 

“Remember the destruction of the people of ‘Ad.” (QS. Huud: 60)

 

“Remember, destruction is for the people of Tsamud.” (QS. Huud: 68)

 

“Remember, destruction is for the people of Mad-yan.” (QS. Huud: 95)

 

The Prophet’s answer does not contradict the people who saw the white hair on the Prophet’s head, and another narration states that his hair was all white.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THIRTY-SIXTH CHAPTER: THE NATURE OF THE WORLD INVITES A LIFE OF ZUHUD

 

Allah said:

 

“In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Alif laam miim. This Book (Qur’an) has no doubt in it, a guide for those who have faith, (namely) those who believe in the unseen, who establish prayer, and spend some of the wealth We bestow upon them. And those who believe in the Book (Qur’an) which has been revealed to you and the Books which were revealed before you, and they are certain of the Hereafter. Those are they who are guided by their Lord, and they are the fortunate ones.” (QS. Al-Baqarah: 1-5)

 

And the word of Allah:

 

“The land of the Hereafter We have made for those who do not want to arrogate themselves and do mischief on the earth, and the end is for the righteous.” (QS. Al-Qashash: 83)

 

And the word of Allah:

 

“Whoever desires the gain of the Hereafter We will increase it for him and whoever desires the gain of the world We will give him some of the gain of the world and he will have no share in the Hereafter.” (QS. Ash-Shuura: 20)

 

The Prophet said:

 

“A clever person is one who prepares himself with good deeds as his provision for death. Whereas a weak person is one who follows the lure of his passions and hopes for Allah’s forgiveness.”

 

In addition, the Prophet also said to Abdullah bin Umar ra:

 

“Make yourself in this world a stranger or a passer-by on a journey and count yourself among the dead.”

 

After Allah revealed the following words:

 

“So are those whose hearts Allah opens to Islam and they receive light from their Lord the same as those whose hearts are petrified?” (Az-Zumar: 22)

 

So the Companions asked the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) about the meaning of these words, and he said:

 

“Verily, when the light of Islam has been introduced into the heart of a person, his heart will be filled with joy and gladness.” The companions asked: “Is there any sign of that?” The Prophet said: “The sign is that if a person has shunned all the pleasures of this world, he returns to his hereafter and he prepares for his death before he dies.” Whoever reflects on the above verses and the sahih hadiths and the sayings of the righteous pious among the Companions will increase his belief in Allah, His Messenger, and the Hereafter, and he will always believe in the promises and threats of Allah to those who disbelieve and those who do wrong, and he will believe that there are pleasures in Paradise for the believers who are pious and do good deeds, He will restrain himself from all the pleasures of this world and from all temporary pleasures, then he fully expects to get eternal pleasure in the hereafter which is eternal and free from all disturbances, he will be serious in carrying out religious orders, will spend all his time in worship so that he will benefit in the hereafter and will be saved from the wrath of Allah and His punishment. He does not think of the pleasures of this world except those that he has received, and he seeks out useful knowledge, good manners and good deeds that reach him.

 

As for the one who follows the whispers of his passions and the pleasures of his heart, then he is among the heedless people whom Allah compares to cattle, as mentioned in the following words of Allah:

 

“They are like cattle; they are even more perverse. They are the ignorant ones.” (QS. Al-A’raaf: 179)

 

They abandoned the good deeds that the pious used to do and they behaved as Imam Shafi’i said below:

 

“Whoever does not understand about the world, then I will tell him about the world and I will show that the world causes one suffering and torment, whereas the world is nothing but a disgusting carcass and it is fought over by the dogs that love it. But if one stays away from it, then one will live in safety, but if one fights over the world then one fights over it with the dogs that fight over it.”

 

Another poet said:

 

“If a clever person is examined about the world and its pleasures, he will see that the world is the enemy in the blanket.”

 

Another poet said:

 

“Avoid the world and do not approach it in the least and do not propose to it, for it will kill whoever marries into it. The world cannot be expected to be good, but its evil will appear if you look properly.”

 

The meaning of the above stanza of poetry is that a person whose mind and will are healthy, then he will stay away from the world in order to prepare himself with good deeds for his afterlife, to seek provisions for his afterlife and he does not turn away at all from his afterlife, except for his needs. He always tries to acquire the world even if it is only a little and he is content with what he has. He is very concerned about the following hadith of the Prophet:

 

“I do not care a bit about the world, for I regard it as a man traveling on a very hot day and then he takes shelter under a tree and in a little while he continues on his way.”

 

In addition, the Prophet also said:

 

“If the world had a value in the sight of Allah even as a mosquito’s wing, Allah would not have given drink to any disbeliever.”

 

In addition, the Prophet also said:

 

“The world is a prison for a believer and a paradise for a disbeliever.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THIRTY-SEVENTH ARTICLE: A CLEVER PERSON IS ONE WHO IS NOT DECEIVED BY THE WORLD.

 

Imam Shafi’i said:

 

“The world is only a moment, so use it to obey Allah.” Al-Busti mentions the following in his famous kasidah:

 

“If a person gains more wealth, it makes up for the lack of his good deeds. As for his gain other than pure goodness, it is a great loss.”

 

Imam Ismail Al-Muqri mentioned in one of his poems the following which he used to advise his son:

 

“How long will you live deceived and negligent about the world. How long do you sleep without waking up, do you waste your time in the world that in front of Allah is not worth the weight of a mosquito’s wing. If you had the wealth that was given to Uarun, you would not have gotten it, except for the morsel of rice that is in your mouth and the piece of cloth that is on your body.”

 

A person who contemplates the above stanzas of poetry will become a clever person, his heart will change at the slightest hint of the world, he will always do good deeds for his afterlife and he will live with a modest provision, as mentioned in the following words of Allah:

 

“And whoever strives, then surely his striving is for himself. Verily, Allah is indeed All-Rich (in need of nothing) of the universe.” (QS. Al-Ankabuut: 6)

 

And the following words of Allah:

 

“These good qualities are not bestowed except upon the patient, nor are they bestowed except upon those who have great gain.” (QS. Fushshilat: 35)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THIRTY-EIGHTH ARTICLE: FILLING TIME WITH WORSHIP

 

Imam Ghazali mentions in his book Bidayatul Hidayah the chapter on the manners of preparing for the obligatory prayers from the beginning of their time: “Do not occupy yourself with unimportant matters, rather you should occupy yourself, keeping your night and daytime devotions in order. Fill all your time with good deeds. Then in that way you will feel the blessing of your age. But whoever leaves his time wasted is like an animal that does not know what to do with his time, so most of it is lost in vain. As for the time in your life, it is the most expensive treasure. It is the capital of your trade, with which you can attain the eternal pleasure of Allah. Every breath of yours is priceless, so you should use it to the best of your ability. If you miss out on a good deed, then that time will not come back again. Do not be a deceived fool who lives only to have fun at every moment by increasing wealth even if it means wasting his age. Is there anything better than wealth that increases, age that is not wasted? Do not rejoice, unless you can increase knowledge, can practice it, because both will be your companions in your grave when others have left your grave including your family, your property, your children and your friends.”

 

Furthermore, Imam Ghazali mentions the following in the book Bidayatul Hidayah:

 

“Know that there are 24 hours in a day and night. So do not spend more than eight hours sleeping at night and during the day. If you are only 60 years old then you have spent 20 years or one-third of your life in vain. If you Treat to prepare for your death by multiplying good deeds and being patient in obeying Allah’s commands, then you will rejoice when your death comes. But if you squander your years, and death comes suddenly, then you will have an infinite loss, for in the morning there will be a group of people who praise Allah gladly and when death comes, then your certainty will be seen and you will indeed know the news of the Qur’an after some time.”

 

A reasonable and knowledgeable person will surely know from this short book or from other books that are longer in explanation, so Ash-Shadzili said: “For a Sufi who is of sound mind, what Imam Ghazali says in al-Bidayah is sufficient for him at first. As for the middle, it is sufficient for him what Imam Ghazali said in Minhajul Abidin. As for the peak, it is sufficient for him what Imam Ghazali said in Ihya’ Ulumuddin.”

 

The meaning of Imam Ghazali’s words above is that everyone should always be aware and adorn himself with good deeds and attributes and Allah is no god but He.

 

How fortunate is the one who says:

 

“Prepare provisions that you cannot leave behind, for there is a time for every person to return to Allah. Are you willing for some people to have provisions, while you have none?”

 

In addition, another poet also said:

 

“I have seen you when you were in the daytime, you have strayed from the straight path.”

 

A poet also said:

 

“I will advise you once and again, this advice or suggestion is beneficial to you. If you prefer the world to your hereafter because of its luxuries, then that is a bad choice. If goals and endeavors are not clear, then who is evil and who is good among us? We are being toyed with by leafy branches of fruitless wishful thinking.”

 

The above lines of poetry are very useful for the people of Yemen. Shaykh Al-Outhub ‘Umar Al-Muhdhar bin Abdurrahman greatly admired the above stanzas of poetry. Similarly, Shaykh Fadhal bin Abdillah At-Tarimi was very impressed with the verses created by the pious.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THIRTY-NINTH CHAPTER: MUAWIYAH’S REGRET FOR WHAT HE DID TO ALI RA.

 

It is narrated that Muawiyah bin Abu Sufyan once said to Dhirar bin Dhamrah: “O Dhirar, tell me the attributes of Ali.” Dhirar asked: “Will you forgive me, O emirul mukminin?” Muawiyah replied: “Just mention it.” So Dhirar said: “Ali b. Abi Talib is a man of great strength, firm in speech, fair in thought, prefers coarse food and poor clothing, he is always contemptuous of it and all its pleasures and prefers it when the night and its darkness have come. I testify that I have seen his person one dark night. He stood on his mihrab and he moved like a healthy person but he wept like one in distress, he held his beard and said: “O world, tempt others, I have divorced you three times and I will not return to you again, for your age is very short, your value is very low, your danger is very great. O woe is me if my provisions for the Hereafter are so few and the journey is so long and so difficult.” Hearing Dhirar’s words like that Muawiyah cried, then he said: “Indeed what you say about Abul Hasan is true.”

 

Dhirar’s words caused Muawiyah to regret that he had fought Ali, as well as Aisha, Talhah, Zubayr, as well as Abdullah bin Umar who did not side with Ali when Ali and his followers fought alone. But that is the condition that Allah has determined for a number of the companions of the Messenger of Allah.

 

The following stanzas of poetry recited by Shahibul Burdah are very high in value:

 

“I seek forgiveness from Allah for all words without deeds. I have attributed myself to one who is barren. I told you to do good, but I did not do it myself. I was not faithful to what I said to you. I did not provide myself before death with sunnah deeds and I did not pray except the obligatory ones and I was not diligent in fasting. Indeed, I have wronged the Sunnah of the Prophet, who used to keep the night alive until he (peace be upon him) felt the soles of his feet swollen. He would bind his stomach because of hunger and fold it. He was offered various hills to become gold, but was refused by him kindly. His austerity towards the world was a habit of his life. Its harm did not make him commit a sin. How will you invite us to love the world when if the person of the Prophet was not created, the world in its entirety would not have been created.

 

Muhammad is the leader of the world and the hereafter, of humans and jinn, and of the two groups of Arabs and Ajam (non-Arabs).”

 

In addition, Al-Bushiri mentions in the following verse of his poem that ends with the letter lam:

 

“How long will you continue to indulge in worldly pleasures? Yet you neglect everything that will be questioned. Every day you hope to repent in the morning, while you do not carry out any of your intentions.”

 

Al-Khalil bin Ahmad said in the following verse:

 

“It is not that time only changes night after night. Each day also changes after the previous day. Similarly, the month keeps changing after the last month. The passing of time always brings the new closer to destruction, sends the bodies of all noble people to the grave and they are left behind by wives who used to be jealous of others and deprived of the pleasures that surround the stingy.”

 

Another poet also said:

 

“I see your delight in wealth increasing, as if you will never die. Is that what you are aiming for if one day you will be denied wealth because of its abundance?”

 

Another poet said:

 

“O one who always hopes for life, when all of it involves hardship. You have spent your past times of pleasure, when to reach them you had to sail a dangerous sea and you did not get all the water you wanted except a little. One who accepts things as they are never fears being poor and he does not need friends when he is in trouble.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FORTIETH CHAPTER: THE LIFE OF ZUHUD AMONG THE KHULAFAUR RASHIDIN AND THE RIGHTEOUS SALAF

 

It is narrated that if Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) breathed, he would smell the odor of a burning heart. Some say that it was because of how much he feared Allah, some say it was because he was sad after the Prophet died, some say it was because of the poison of the snake that bit him when he put his foot in a hole to guard the Prophet in the cave of Tsaur and some say it was because he ate food that contained poison. There was a man named Harith who had knowledge of medical science, when he tasted the poison in the food, so he said to Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him): “This food contains poison, within a year we will die from it.” And both of them died on the same day. When Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) became ill, the Companions said: “Shall we call a physician for you?” He replied: “The physician has seen me and said: “Verily I may do as I please.” In another narration he said: “It was the physician who made me sick.” This means that the physician is Allah. When his illness grew worse, he handed over the caliphate to ‘Umar ibn Khathab (may Allah be pleased with him).

 

During the caliphate of ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), he ate only wheat and was not ashamed to patch his own clothes. When he performed the night prayer, he recited a verse of the Qur’an until he was so frightened that he fainted and became ill, so he could not leave the house.

 

As for ‘Uthman ibn Affan (may Allah be pleased with him), he always served the dishes that the rulers used to eat for their guests, while he himself only ate bread with oil. When the rebels surrounded his house, they entered and killed him. At that time he said: “O Allah, unite the people of Muhammad.” At that time he was holding the Qur’an in his lap, so his blood dripped on the following verse:

 

“Then Allah will preserve you from them. And He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.” (QS. AlBaqarah: 137)

 

Abdullah bin Salam said: “Had he not prayed for Allah to unite this ummah, it would not have been united after his death.”

 

As for ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (a.s.), his attributes have been mentioned in the story of his friend Dhirar when he was questioned by Muawiyah. During his reign, he ate only wheat and shortened the sleeves of his robe to his wrists, so he was once reprimanded for his rude manner of living and dressing. After hearing the Qur’an, he said: “I do this so that the Muslims will imitate me and the disbelievers will not despise his poverty.”

 

That was the pattern of life of the early Muhajirin and Anshar. They preferred to live simply and be content with the needs of a reasonable life rather than many worldly luxuries, such as Ammar, Abu Ubaidah Ibnul Jarrah, Mu’adz bin Jabal, Abu Dhar, Hudzaifah, Khabbab Ibnul Arrat and Itban bin Malik.

 

Similarly, the tabi’in Imams, such as Al-Imam Ali bin Husain Zainal Abidin, his son Al-Bagir, his son Ja’far, Sa’id bin Musayyab, Umar bin Abdul Aziz, Uwais Al-Qarni, Haram bin Hayyan,

 

Hasan Al-Bashri, Abu Hazim Al-Madani and Atha’ ibn Saib. The same applies to the tabi’in, such as the four Imams of the Madhhab, Fudhail ibn Iyadh, Ibrahim ibn Adham, Ibrahim At-Taimi, Malik ibn Dinar and the Imams who were equal to them, especially the generation of the three centuries mentioned by the Prophet (peace be upon him):

 

“The best of centuries is my century, then the generation after them.”

 

The Prophet also said:

 

“In every century of the generation of my Ummah, there will be people who will always strive for good deeds.”

 

That is how they were commanded. However, most people change the habit of zuhud, they hide behind various periods, they do not pay attention to the following words of the Prophet:

 

“No Ummah will perish if I am the first and Isa the son of Mary is the last.”

 

We have given a brief biography of the righteous salaf at the end of Ad-Da’watut Tammah and we also mentioned them in the following kasidah:

 

“O one who asks me about my tears and the shouts that make my joints shake.”

 

This kasidah has been explained by Sayyid al-Alim Ak Allamah Ash-Shufi, Al-Habib Ahmad bin Zein Al-Habshi Alawi, with clear information. Then he mentioned some of their ways of life in the kasidah that we have described in our book. We have only mentioned a few of them, but their long lives speak volumes about their situation. All this has been practiced by the righteous salaf and has been narrated in the book Majma’ul Ahbab, the book Outhul Oulubi by Imam Abu Talib and the book Ihya’ written by Hujjatul Islam Imam Ghazali. In addition, the state of the good people is also narrated in various books of the righteous salaf, the Companions and the tabi’in and tabiut tabi’in who followed the good journey of the righteous salaf who preferred the Hereafter to the world. They were always content with the little world they had. They were never deceived by the beauty of the world, in fact they did not want to indulge in the beauty of the world even if they could do so in a lawful way.

 

A poet said:

 

“Verily Allah has a number of clever people. They left the life of this world for fear of fitnah. They see that this life is not a place of pleasure for the living. Therefore, they made this life a means to achieve happiness in this world by multiplying righteous deeds as the boat.”

 

Abul Atahiyah said:

 

“O lovers of wealth, leave wealth for those who need it. What will you do with wealth when a little life has sufficed you?”

 

Basyar b. Al-Harith said:

 

“I swear by the name of Allah, who is able to make all grains grow, and to send down water on grains, so that people are eager to get them and they compete for them. I think it is enough for a man to have sufficient wealth but to rejoice in a profitable trade. Desperation is a glory. Piety is the straight path. Whereas following the lusts will bring evil. Whoever makes the world his pleasure will surely regret it one day.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CLOSING

 

To conclude this book, we have included some of the words of Allah and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), as well as some of the sayings of the righteous salaf who followed the path of guidance.

 

Allah said:

“And guard yourselves against the Day on which you will all be returned to Allah. Then each of you will be given a full recompense for what he has done, and they will not be wronged in the least.” (QS. Al-Baqarah: 281)

 

It is narrated that the above verse was among the last verses revealed by Allah. After the above verse was revealed, the Prophet did not live more than 10 days. Allah said:

 

“O you who believe, be patient, and strengthen your patience, and keep alert (in your borders), and fear Allah, that you may be fortunate.” (QS. Ali “Imran: 200)

 

Allah said:

 

“O you who believe, obey Allah and obey His Messenger and the rulers among you. Then if you differ in opinion about anything, then refer it back to Allah (the Qur’an) and the Messenger (his Sunnah), if you truly believe in Allah and the Last Day. That is better for you and more beneficial.” (QS. AnNisaa’: 59)

 

Allah said:

 

“There is no sin on those who believe and do righteous deeds for eating the food they used to eat, if they fear and believe, and do righteous deeds, then they continue to fear and believe, then they (also) fear and do righteous deeds. And Allah loves those who do good.” (QS. Al-Maa’idah: 93)

 

Allah said:

 

“Be thou forgiving, and enjoin men to do what is right, and turn away from those who are foolish.” (QS. Al-A’raaf: 199)

 

“You are not in a state, nor do you recite a verse from the Qur’an, nor do you do any work, but We are witnesses to you as you do it. Not a zarrah (atom) in the earth or the sky escapes the knowledge of your Lord. There is nothing smaller or greater than that, but it is all recorded in a book that is manifest.” (QS. Yunus: 61)

 

Allah said:

 

“Whoever desires the life of the world and its adornments, We shall surely give them the reward of their work in the world in full, and they shall not be wronged in the world.” (QS. Huud: 15)

 

Allah said:

 

“And I do not exempt myself (from blame), for indeed the passions always urge to evil, except the passions with which my Lord has mercy. Verily, my Lord is forgiving and merciful.” (QS. Yusuf: 53)

 

Allah said:

 

“Do not raise your eyes to the pleasures of life which We have given to some of them (the disbelievers), and do not grieve for them and be humble towards those who believe.” (QS. Al-Hijr: 88)

 

Allah said:

 

“Verily, Allah is with those who fear and those who do good.” (QS. An-Nahl: 128)

 

Allah said:

 

“Whoever hopes to meet his Lord, let him do righteous deeds, and let him associate no partner in worship with his Lord.” (QS. Al-Kahf: 110)

 

Allah said:

 

“And command your families to establish prayer and be patient in its performance. We do not ask you for sustenance, it is We who provide for you. And that (good) result is for those who fear.” (QS. Thaahaa: 132)

 

Allah said:

 

“Do you think, then, that We created you playfully, and that you will not be returned to Us?” (Al-Mu’minuun: 115)

 

Allah said:

 

“And those who strive for Our pleasure, We will surely show them Our way. And surely Allah is indeed with those who do good.” (QS. Al-Ankabuut: 69)

 

Allah said:

 

“Verily, We have revealed a trust to the heavens, the earth and the mountains, and all of them were reluctant to take up the trust, fearing that they would betray it, and man took up the trust. Indeed, man is very unjust and very foolish.” (QS. Al-Ahzab: 72)

 

Allah said:

 

“And they did not glorify Allah with due honor when the earth will be in His grasp on the Day of Resurrection and the heavens will be rolled up with His right hand. Glory be to God, and He is above all that they associate.” (QS. Az-Zumar: 67)

 

Allah said:

 

“Do those who do evil think that We will make them like those who believe and do righteous deeds, that is, equal between their life and death? Very bad is what they think.” (QS. Al-Jaatsiyah: 21)

 

Allah said:

 

“O you who believe, fear Allah and let each one of you consider what he has done for tomorrow (hereafter): and fear Allah, surely Allah knows best what you do.” (QS. Al-Hasyr: 18) .

 

Allah said:

 

“O you who believe, repent to Allah with repentance nasuhaa (the purest repentance). It is hoped that your Lord will cover your faults and admit you into a Jannah with rivers flowing underneath, on the Day when Allah will not disgrace the Prophet and those believers who are with him: while their light shines before them and on their right, and they say: “O our Rabb, make perfect for us our light and forgive us: surely You are over all things.” (QS. At-Tahrim: 8)

 

The Prophet said:

 

“O people, you should always repent to Allah before you meet death. Compete in doing all good deeds before you are busy, connect with your Lord by increasing the remembrance of Him.”

 

The Prophet also said:

 

“Strive to do good deeds before the darkness in which a man may believe in the morning but become a disbeliever in the evening. Sometimes he is a believer in the evening but a disbeliever in the morning, because he sold his religion for the cheapest price.”

 

The Prophet also said:

 

“Whoever sets out at night will reach his home in the morning. Know that the merchandise of Allah is very expensive. The merchandise of Allah is Paradise.”

 

In addition, the Prophet also said:

 

“The highest wisdom is to fear God.”

 

The Prophet also said:

 

“The best of a person’s Islam is when he abandons everything that is not related to his own safety.”

 

The Prophet also said:

 

“Leave what doubts you for something that does not doubt you.”

 

The Prophet also said:

 

“The faith of one of you is not complete until he loves his brother as he loves himself.”

 

The Prophet also said:

 

“Indeed, one of the sayings of a prophet is that if you are not ashamed, then do whatever you like.”

 

The Prophet also said:

 

“Verily, Allah has enjoined obligations, so do not underestimate them. Allah has forbidden some things, so do not transgress them, and Allah has prescribed some rules, so do not underestimate them. Allah has kept some things silent to have mercy on you and Allah never forgets. So do not seek what Allah has not enjoined.”

 

The Prophet also said:

 

“Whoever sees an evil happening, then prevent it with his hand (his strength). If he is unable to do so, then prevent it with his tongue. But if he is unable to do so, then deny it with his heart. And that is the weakest of faith.”

 

The Prophet also said:

 

“The faith of any one of you is not complete until his lusts follow my teachings.”

 

The Prophet also said:

 

“Faith includes seventy-one branches, the highest of which is the utterance of Laa Ilaaha Illaallah and the lowest of which is removing any disturbance from the middle of the path.”

 

The Prophet also said:

 

“I have never seen a man who loves Paradise but always distances himself from it, and I have never seen a man who hates Hell but always neglects it.”

 

The Prophet also said:

 

“Paradise is always filled with hardships and hellfire is always filled with pleasures.”

 

The Prophet also said: “.

 

“There is nothing worse for the son of Adam to fill than his stomach. If a man needs food, then it is enough that he can stand up and if he wants to increase it then he should divide a third for his food, another third for his drink and another third for breathing.”

 

The Prophet also said:

 

“Eat as much as your stomach can take and accustom your body to good habits, for such actions are among the behaviors of the prophets or from the behavior of the prophets.”

 

The Prophet also said:

 

“There are three things that can save a person and three things that can destroy a person. The three things that can save a person are fearing Allah in times of loneliness and in times of light, being content with what Allah has given him, and speaking justly when he is happy or angry. As for the three words that can destroy a person, they are a miser who is obeyed by people, a lustful person who always follows his whims and a person who admires himself.”

 

The Prophet also said:

 

“There are seven people whom Allah will protect in His protection on a day when there is no protection except His: A just ruler, a young man who grows up in the worship of Allah, a man whose heart is attached to the mosque, two people who love each other and separate for the sake of Allah, a man who is seduced by a beautiful and highly placed woman but he says: “I fear Allah,” a man who gives charity in secret so that his left hand does not know what his right hand is doing, and a man who is so alone in the remembrance of Allah that he sheds tears.”

 

The Prophet also said:

 

“As if death is prescribed only for others, as if righteousness is obligatory only for others, as if one who participates in burying the dead will soon follow his departure and will return to us, as if we leave their bodies in the grave and we will inherit their property, as if we live forever, whereas we have neglected good advice and we feel safe from every calamity.”

 

The Prophet said:

 

 “I have left you two counselors, one who can speak and one who is silent. The one that speaks is the Book of Allah and the one that is silent is death.”

 

The Prophet also said:

 

“On the Day of Resurrection, a person’s feet will not move until he is asked about five things: what he spent his age on, what he spent his youth on, what he earned and spent it on, and what he did with his knowledge.”

 

The Prophet also said:

 

“If there are nine things among people, nine things will happen: if adultery spreads, there will be a large number of sudden deaths. If they refrain from paying zakat, Allah will not send rain on them. If they like to tip the scales, then they will be hit by a long period of drought. If they transgress the law, injustice and enmity will prevail among mankind. If they have broken covenants, then Allah will punish them by favoring their enemies. If they had forsaken the good, then Allah would have disrupted their affairs. If they have forsaken the prohibition of the unlawful, then Allah will make evil people their leaders. If they have severed their ties of kinship, then Allah will put their wealth in the hands of those who are not responsible. If they constantly commit sins, then Allah will bring sudden calamity upon them.”

 

Ali (a.s.) said: “If the veil had been lifted, my faith would not have increased one iota.”

 

Alli ra. also said: “Consider that Allah has forgiven those who have sinned. Do their good deeds increase?”

 

In addition, ‘Ali (a.s.) also said:

 

“Indeed, very fortunate are those who are always zuhud when in the world, they always hope for life in the hereafter, they make the earth a bed and a seat, the water they make something good, while prayer and reading the Qur’an as their clothes, they reject the world like the life of Jesus (peace be upon him).”

 

Zainal Abidin Ali bin Husam (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “Verily Allah has hidden three things in three things: Allah hides His pleasure in the obedience of a servant, so do not underestimate your obedience to Allah at all, which may have His pleasure in it. Allah hides His wrath in sinful deeds, so do not underestimate sinful deeds even a little, perhaps Allah will be angry with you. Allah hides His domain in His creatures, so do not underestimate any of His creatures, perhaps he is a guardian of Allah and Allah will be angry with you. The weapon of the bad people is their filthy speech.”

 

His son, Al-Imam Muhammad AI-Baglqir ra. said: “I used to have two friends and both of them were very dear to me. I honored him because he considered the value of the world to be small.”

 

His son, Ja’far Ash-Shadig ra. said: “Glory has gone, so it is difficult to find it again. If a small part of it remains, then it may not be visible to the eye. If the glory is hidden in laziness, then it is almost invisible to the naked eye. There is nothing more beautiful than covering oneself. If we are alone, then speechlessness is a beautiful garment to wear. If it hides within us, then it is like the speech of the pious salaf. But a happy person is one who always lives alone from others.”

 

Al-Hasan al-Bashri (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “Death has worsened the corruption of the world, so that a reasonable person never feels happy.”

 

He also said: “Do not always wish for Allah’s forgiveness without doing any good deeds, for many people wish for it and die a loser having never done any good deeds. Do not always wish for good, for good wishful thinking is a valley that is always abandoned by the ignorant.”

 

When Umar bin Abdul Aziz (may Allah be pleased with him) was given a garment worth 1000 dirhams, he said: “How beautiful this garment would be if it were not so rough.” Then when he was given a garment worth 10 dirhams, he said: “How beautiful this garment would be if it were not so fine.”

 

Umar bin Abdul Aziz was the one who forbade Muslims from cursing ‘Ali bin Abi Talib (peace be upon him) on pulpits and he made them recite the following words of Allah instead:

 

“O our Lord, forgive us and our brothers who have believed before us.” (QS. Al-Hasyr: 10)

 

Or recite the words of Allah:

 

“Verily, Allah enjoins justice and righteousness.” (QS. An-Nahl: 90)

 

Or recite both verses.

 

How beautiful were the words of Sharif Ridha when he praised Umar bin Abdul Aziz:

 

“O son of Abdul Aziz, if the eyes were to weep for the death of a man, I would surely weep for your death. You have cleansed us from the scorn of the Muslims. If we could give you a reward, then we would give you the best reward. May mercy be bestowed upon the corpse of ‘Umar ibn ‘Abdul Aziz, for he was the best of the dead from the family of Marwan.”

 

Abu Hazim Al-Madani ra. said:

 

l “If a person still has wealth, he is happy, but if his wealth is gone, he is only in a state of wishful thinking.”

 

He also said:

 

“You have not gained the world but sinners have gone before you to gain it.”

 

If Malik bin Dinar (ra) went out of his house, he would tie his hands and say: “If it were not for some dogs, I would open my hands,” because he did not have any wealth.

 

He was approached by a woman who took the Qur’an and her blanket, then he followed her and said: “O woman, do you have a child to recite to? Do you have a husband to recite to?” The woman replied: “No.” Malik said: “Then give me back the Qur’an and take my blanket.”

 

Fudhail bin Iyadh said:

 

“Abandoning good deeds because of people is riya’, doing good deeds because of people is shirk. But what is sincere is when you are protected by Allah from both.”

 

Fudhail also said:

 

“If the world is gold and it is gone, and the Hereafter is a skin that lasts forever, then a reasonable person would prefer the skin that lasts forever, so how can the Hereafter vanish while the world will last and regret?”

 

Ibrahim bin Adham said:

 

“I once passed by a stone and on it was written: ‘Turn me over so that you may learn a lesson,” after I turned it over, I found the inscription: “You know what you do not know, why do you seek knowledge that you do not practice.”

 

It was said to Ibrahim bin Adham:

 

“Surely the price of meat is increasing.” So he said: “Lower the price by giving up meat.”

 

He also said:

 

“Improve your food sources, then you will not need to worship at night and will not need to fast during the day.” A man said to David Ath-Tha’i: “Counsel me.”

 

So David said:

 

“Fast from wealth and make your book in the hereafter, run from men as you would run from a lion.”

 

Ma’ruf Al-Karkh said:

 

“I passed by Ibn Sammak while he was advising others, so I heard him say: “Whoever earnestly hopes in Allah, Allah will earnestly give him hope and whoever turns away from Allah, Allah will turn away from him. Whoever occasionally turns to Allah, Allah will occasionally turn to him.” So I told ‘Ali ibn Musa Ar-Ridha (may Allah be pleased with him) and he said: “Sufficient is what you have heard as advice for you, so I left all my preoccupations about wealth, except my devotion to ‘Ali b. Musa Ar-Ridha (peace be upon him).”

 

Sirri As-Saqathi said:

 

“Whoever knows God well will live happily. Whoever loves the world will be miserable. A wise man is one who can control himself, while a foolish man is one who does something useless every day.”

 

Al-Junaid bin Muhammad (ra) said:

 

“We do not learn thasawuf from the words of others, but we learn it from enduring hunger and sleep, rejecting the world and cutting off all pleasures.”

 

His companions heard that when he was dying, he recited the Qur’an and he started reciting from the beginning and it was said to him: “It is in this state that you find favor.” He replied: “Who is more favored than I am while my notebook is closed?”

 

Bisyir Al-Hafi said:

 

“Whoever hopes to gain wealth will be dishonored and despised on the Day of Judgment. But whoever does not care for them will be honored in the Hereafter.”

 

There was a man who came to his house very cold and he had taken off his clothes, so the man asked and he replied: “I remember the pain that poor people experience when they are cold and I have nothing to give them.”

 

Al-Harith Al-Muhasibi (ra) said:

 

“Whoever adorns his inner self with muragabah and sincerity, Allah will adorn his outer self with mujahadah and following the sunnah.”

 

Yahya bin Mu’adz said:

 

“I deliberately leave behind wealth, because it brings much trouble, hastens its disappearance, serves little purpose and humiliates its owners.”

 

Sahal At-Tusturi ra. said:

 

“There is no helper except Allah, no guide except the Messenger of Allah, no provision except piety and no good deed except patience.”

 

Abu Sa’id Al-Khurazi said:

 

“Whoever thinks that with the effort of his good deeds he will arrive is mistaken, and whoever thinks that without the effort of his good deeds he will arrive is wishful thinking.”

 

Abul Hasan Ash-Shafi said: “I once saw Manshur bin Ammar (ra) in my dream. Then I said to him: “What has Allah done to you?” He replied: “Allah made me stand before Him, then He said: “Is your name Manshur bin Ammar?” So I answered: “Yes, O my Lord.” My Lord asked: “Are you zuhud in the life of the world while you hope to gain it?” I replied: “Yes, O my Lord, but I do not make the world my seat, then I praise You and send blessings upon the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), and a third of it I use as advice for Your servants.” So Allah said: “Indeed what you have said is true. Put him on a chair so that he may praise Me in the presence of My angels as he praised Me on My earth among My servants.”

 

It is also mentioned that a slave belonging to a merchant passed by the assembly of Mansur b. Ammar. At that time he heard Mansur say: “Whoever gives four dirhams to this poor man, Allah will compensate him and grant his wish.” Then he gave the money to the poor man, even though he was being sent by his employer on an errand. After he gave him the four dirhams, Mansur bin Ammar prayed for him with four supplications. Then he returned to his employer without any money. So he was asked about the supplication made by Mansur b. Ammar, and he said: “He prayed for me: “May Allah release me from slavery.” So the master set him free. Then the master asked again: “Then what was the second supplication?” He answered: “May Allah compensate me with a few dirhams.” So his master said: “I gave you four thousand dirhams, then what is the third supplication?” He said: “May Allah accept repentance for myself and you.” So his employer said: “Now I repent to Allah. Then what is the fourth supplication?” So he answered: “May Allah forgive me, you and the speaker and those present.” Then the employer said: “The fourth supplication has nothing to do with me.” At night the master was sleeping and dreamt of meeting Allah: “Do you think that you have done your duty and I have not done mine? Know that I have forgiven you, your slave, the speaker and those present.”

 

Glory be to Allah, how Glorious, Compassionate, Great and Merciful He is. He alone has all bounties, there is no God but Him and only to Him is the return.

 

This concludes the discussion of this book. May Allah shower His blessings and peace upon the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), who was sent to bring mercy to the entire universe, and may his family and companions be guided to the straight path, as well as those who follow him until the end of time, as mentioned in the following words of Allah:

 

“Say: “This is my way (of religion), I and those who follow me call (you) to Allah with a clear proof, Glory be to Allah, and I am not of those who polytheists.” (Yusuf: 108)

 

The writing of this book was completed on the morning of Thursday the 12th of the month of Shafar in the year 1130. May Allah send blessings and peace upon the Prophet who migrated and upon his companions.

 

The discussion of these chapters has been stalled for some time for no apparent reason, as there is more discussion in these chapters than in the previous ones. Although this chapter has been quoted by many people, it has not been perfected to the best of its ability.

 

As a continuation, we intend to make it more perfect, may Allah bless the author and readers of this book, because all understanding and comprehension comes from Allah alone.

 

Therefore, we always ask Allah to make it easy for us to explain chapters that we find difficult, and we look to Him alone for help, because anything without Allah’s help will not work at all.

 

May our wishes be granted by Allah for ourselves, our parents, our children, our loved ones, our friends and all Muslims. May Allah be pleased to close our lives in a good, loving state and safe from all apparent and hidden fitnah.

 

Everything depends on the will of Allah, there is no power and strength except with the permission of Allah. He is our Helper and He is the best of protectors.

 

O Allah, only to You do we worship and only to You do we ask for help in the course of our lives whose provisions You have set forth in Your knowledge.

 

O our Lord, forgive us and only to You shall we return.