At-Taqarrub Ilaa Allah

(Drawing close to Allah).

Fawzi Sunuqrot
January 1991
Rajab 1411

Contents:
Page 3

Introduction.

Page 11

Acts that gain closeness to Allah and acts of

obedience

Page 12

1) The Perfection of the action (Ihsaan Al-Amal).

Page 19

2) The Recitation of the Quraan Al-Kareem.

Page 24

3) Strict and attentive observance of the Faraaid

(obligatory acts).

Page 30

4) Observing the scale of values.

Page 35

5) Generosity and selflessness.

Page 40

6) The Performance of a lot of Nawaafil.

Page 44

7) The Duaa, Dhikr and Istighfaar.

Page 54

8) Having the fear of Allah TaAalaa.

Page 61

9) Loving for Allah.

Page 69

10) Obedience to the Ameer.

Page 72

11) Sabr at the time of being tested.

Page 82

12) Confidence in the promise of Allah.

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Introduction:

All Praise is due to Allah the Lord of the Worlds who said in His
Kitaab Al-Kareem:

Indeed, those who have said "Our Lord is Allah" and then remained on a right
course, there will be no fear upon them, nor will they grieve (Al-Ahqaaf 13).
And He (swt) said:

Verily those who believe and act righteous deeds, they are the best of creatures (AlBayyinah 7).
May blessings and peace be upon his Messenger Al-Ameen and the
leader of the Muttaqeen. He purified the Muslims; he taught them the
Kitaab and Al-Hikmah (wisdom) whilst before that they had been upon
clear and manifest error. One day Sufyaan Bin Abdillah Ath-Thaqafi
approached him and said: O Messenger of Allah, Inform me of a
matter that I can hold on to firmly. He (saw) said:

Say: I have believed in Allah, then stand firm (upon that)

(Muslim).
Indeed the thoughts of Islaam are concepts and they are not merely
information to improve ones knowledge but rather they represent that
which regulates human behaviour in the life of this world. These
thoughts have come as a guidance, mercy and exhortation, and as
solutions for the humans actions whilst also specifying the way in
which he conducts himself and his behaviour. For this reason, it is
necessary for the Muslim to fully perceive and comprehend that the
Shareeah texts have come to be acted upon and that they have come
specifically in relation to his behaviour within life. Therefore it is
obligatory for the Muslim to comprehend that Islaam has come with
concepts (Mafaaheem) to regulate his behaviour in the life of this world,
so that he adopts every thought as a law and his conduct is regulated
within the remits of this law. For this reason the practical aspect
manifests in him and not the educational aspect. It must be clear, that if
he was to approach the Islamic thoughts and concepts from an
educational angle alone, then he would have lost and strayed from their
original purpose, which is to discipline and regulate the conduct. These
thoughts would then become knowledge like History and Geography
and therefore they would lose the vitality that exists within them, in
addition to losing the reality of being a complete and comprehensive
ideology (Mabda). In other words it would lose its description as an
intellectual belief (Aqeedah) from which a detailed and complete system
emanates. It would just become Islamic knowledge which the Muslim
will strive to encompass and delve in to. His concern would be to
increase his information and knowledge base whilst being driven by a
taste for academia. He will proceed along this path without it crossing
his mind that he should be taking these thoughts and concepts for the
purpose of disciplining and regulating his behaviour within life.

For this reason the previous Ulamaa from amongst the righteous
predecessors paid attention to the characteristics and attributes
reflecting the view that one should act in accordance to his knowledge
and that his speech should not contradict his actions.
Allah (swt) said:

Do you order the people upon righteousness and forget yourselves whilst you are
reciting the scripture? Will you then not reason? (Al-Baqarah 44).
They would pay careful attention and ardently avoid falling within the
category that Allah (swt) described when He Azza Wa Jalla said:

The example of those who were entrusted with the Torah and then did not take it
onboard is like that of a donkey who carries volumes [of books] (Al-Jumuah 5).
It has been narrated from the Nabi (saw) that he said: <<Woe to the
gatherers of speech! Woe to those who stubbornly persist!>>.
Those meant here are those who hear the speech but do not act upon
it. Similarly the Nabi (saw) said:

:
Two types of men have destroyed my Ummah. The sinful
corrupted scholar and the ignorant worshipper.
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It was then asked: Which of these two is of greater evil?

He (saw) said:

The scholars when they are corrupted.

(Note: I could not find the reference for the exact wording of this
Hadeeth apart from the last part stating the Ulamaa when they are
corrupted which came in a Hadeeth in which the Messenger (saw) was
asked: Who are the worst of people?. I did find a number of
narrations with a similar meaning such as: The destruction of my
Ummah is in the sinful corrupted (Faajir) scholar and the rational
ignorant person and the worst of the worst are the bad Ulamaa and the
best of the best are the best Ulamaa. The Hadeeth has been narrated
by As-Sibky in the Tabaqaat Ash-Shaafiiyyah and very similar have
been related by others however it appears that the Isnaad for all of
these narrations have weaknesses in them).
It is narrated that Abu Ad-Dardaa (ra) said: The matter that I am most
fearful of when I fall before Allah is that He (swt) will say to me:

...

You have learnt ... so what then, have you acted upon?
Based upon this, gaining knowledge of the Islamic thoughts and
Shariyah rulings, without paying attention to the fact that they
represent the regulation of the humans conduct, is a knowledge that is
rotten and it results in these thoughts and rules having no real affect
upon the conduct of many people. This is in addition to the great sin
6

that is earned and a severe punishment on the Day of Judgment, a Day

in which no amount of wealth or number of sons and offspring can
bring any benefit, with the exception of the one who comes to Allah
with a sound heart.

) 88(
A day in which wealth and children will not bring benefit. Except for the one who
comes to Allah with a sound heart (Ash-Shu-araa 88-89).
Islaam took special care to shape and form the Islamic personality
(Ash-Shakhsiyyah Al-Islaamiyyah) by the Islamic Aqeedah, as the
personalitys Aqliyah (mentality) and Nafsiyah (disposition)is shaped
by it. The Islamic Aqliyah is the mentality that thinks upon the basis of
Islaam by making Islaam alone the general measure for all thoughts
about life. The Islamic Nafsiyah (disposition) is that which makes all of
its Muyool (inclinations) accord to the basis of Islaam, by making
Islaam alone the general measure for all of its satisfactions (in terms of
organic needs and instincts). Similarly Islaam has also commanded the
increase of the Islamic culture, to develop the Aqliyah so that it
becomes capable of measuring every thought. It has likewise
commanded the performance of the Waajibaat (obligations) and to
perform the Mandoobaat and Mustahabbaat (recommended acts) a lot
and regularly. It has also forbidden the Muharramaat (prohibitions), the
Makroohaat (disliked acts) and the Shubuhaat (doubtful/suspicious
acts) so that the Nafsiyah is strengthened and becomes capable of
deterring every inclination that is in opposition to Islaam. All of this is
for the purpose of elevating the Shakhsiyah (personality), so that it
proceeds upon the high and elevated path, whilst attaining the pleasure
of Allah Tabaarak Wa TaAalaa in this life and the next.

The entire Dunyaa is hostile towards Islaam and the Muslims. The
disbelievers are Awliyaa (friends, helpers and protectors) to one
another. All of their schools of thought possess a strong and unified
resolve in regards to plotting against Islaam day and night, secretly and
openly. Their minds cannot rest, their eyes cannot sleep and they
cannot find peace until the light of Allah has been extinguished. At the
same time, they exert all of their efforts to prevent the establishment of
the Islamic Khilafah State and to prevent Islaam from returning to the
reality of life.
This is the true state and condition of the disbelievers and their people.
So how is it possible to confront and stand in the face of this great plot
and clear trial? Indeed the Nahdah (revival) that we desire and the
resumption of the Islamic way of life that we hope for, requires and
necessitates a bitter struggle with the weapon of enlightened thought. It
is essential to stand against the Kufr (disbelief) and its agents from
amongst the rulers and those smitten by the Kufr civilisation. This
work requires Nafsiyahs that are unrivalled and elevated, formidable
and purified. There is no way to achieve this except by strengthening
the connection and relationship to Allah TaAalaa the Lord of the
worlds and all creation. He Subhaanahu must be relied upon alone for
help and full Tawakkul must be placed upon Him alone, whilst the
attainment of His pleasure must be made the highest aim of this life. It
was necessary to reawaken the Nufoos (hearts) with Taqwaa of Allah
and obedience to Him, with the fear of His punishment and yearning
for His gardens of paradise. The one who carries the Dawah is in the
greatest need of being obedient to Allah and to stand firmly upon His
Deen. If he was to do that then the Dunyaa would become
insignificant in front of his eyes, the affair of the disbelievers would be
diminished before him and the difficult matters would become easier.
He will burden the torture and those who attempt to stand in the way
of Allahs path, he will flout and brush aside the threats of the
disbelievers whilst embracing the promise of Allah and he would be
8

able to see the victory of Allah coming in which he would have no

doubt.

) 7(

) 8(



) 9(

) 01(





O you who have believed, if you support Allah, He will support you and plant your
feet firmly.
But those who disbelieve, for them is misery, and their actions are wasted.
That is because they disliked what Allah revealed, so He rendered their deeds
worthless.
Have they not travelled through the land and seen the end of those before them?
Allah destroyed [everything] over them, and for the disbelievers is something
comparable.
That is because Allah is the protector of those who have believed and because the
disbelievers have no protector for them.
(Muhammad 7-11).
The following are some of the Qurabaat (Acts of gaining closeness to
Allah) and Taaaat (Acts of obedience pleasing to Allah), which
generate the Jaw Al-Imaani (Atmosphere of Imaan) within the Dawah
carrier and increase the realisation of his relationship and connection to
Allah TaAalaa. This atmosphere then strengthens the Nafsiyah of the
Dawah carrier and causes him to regulate all of his inclinations in line
with the commands and prohibitions of Allah. In this way the binding
9

between the Aqliyah and the Nafsiyah is completed and the personality
of the Dawah carrier would become a distinguished personality. This
personalitys Aqliyah and Nafsiyah would be of one and the same type
and based on a single basic principle; the Islamic Aqueedah.
The Messenger of Allah (saw) said:

None of you believes until his desires are in accordance to that
which I have come with.
(An-Nawawi Hasan Saheeh).
Fawzi Sanqart
Rajab 1411h
January 1991.

10

Qurabaat and Taaaat (Acts that gain closeness to Allah and acts
of obedience):

1) The Perfection of the action (Ihsaan Al-Amal).

2) The Recitation of the Quraan Al-Kareem.
3) Strict and attentive observance of the Faraaid (obligatory acts).
4) Observing the scale of values.
5) Generosity and selflessness.
6) The Performance of a lot of Nawaafil.
7) The Duaa, Dhikr and Istighfaar.
8) Having the fear of Allah TaAalaa.
9) Loving for Allah.
10) Obedience to the Ameer.
11) Sabr at the time of being tested.
12) Confidence in the promise of Allah.

11

1) The perfection of the action (Ihsaan Al-Amal):

For an action to be Hasan (good) it is necessary to sincerely purify the

intention for Allah and for the act to be in agreement with the Shara
(Islamic legislation). Due to this, the early Scholars (May Allahs mercy
be upon them) used to combine these too fundamental principles.
In respect to the speech of Allah (swt):

Who created the death and the life so that he may test you, which of you will be the
best in deed (Mulk 2).
In regards to this Aayah, Al-Fudail Bin Iyaad said it means: Akhlasuhu
(Its most sincere) and Aswabuhu (Its most correct). He was asked:
What do Akhlasuhu and Aswabuhu mean? He responded: If the
action is correct but is not sincere then it is not accepted and if it was
sincere but not correct then it will not be accepted. It will not be
accepted until it is sincere and correct, sincere in that it is purely for
Allah and correct in that it is upon the Sunnah.
Saeed Ibn Jubair said: The statement (Qawl) is not accepted unless
there is action, the statement and the action are not accepted in the
absence of the Niyah (intention), and the statement, action and Niyah
are not accepted unless they are all in agreement with the Sunnah.
Indeed Umar Ibn Al-Khattaab (ra) used to make the following Duaa:
O Allah make every act of mine Saalih (upright), and make it purely
for Your sake and dont let any part of it be for other than you.

12

And it has been narrated about Al-Imaam Maalik that he said: The
Sunnah is the ship of Nuh (as). Whoever boards it has been saved and
whoever stays back from it is drowned.
The Dawah carrier guards with the utmost attention and caution the
perfection of his acts and to make sure that in his Dawah he does not
seek any worldly gain. If he did so, his action would hold no worth and
he would be from amongst those who have lost.
The Noble Hadeeth states:

Anyone who gains knowledge so that he can vie and debate with
Scholars, argue with the foolish and to draw people to his
personality, Allah will make him enter the fire.
(At-Tirmidhi, Ibn Hibbaan and others but there is weakness in
the Isnaad).
The focus must be towards perfecting the action and not quantity of
the action.
Allah (swt) said:

That he may test you, which of you will be the best in deed (Al-Mulk 2)
He (swt) did not say: To see which of you did the most actions.
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It was narrated from Maalik Bin Deenaar that he said: Say to those
who has not been Saadiq (truthful/sincere) (in his action). Dont wear
yourself out!. Once when Abu Umaamah walked past a person who
was in Sajdah he remarked: What a wonderful Sajdah that is, had it
taken place in your house and Fudail Bin Iyaad said: How many times
is this house (the Kabah) circumbulated whilst there is another person
in a far off place who has much greater reward than him.
Due to all of this, it is obligatory to observe pure sincerity (Ikhlaas) and
the best intentions when undertaking all acts. This is because the
validity of actions and their being accepted by the Lord of the worlds
(swt) rests upon the Niyah (intention). In regards to the Hadeeth:

Actions are only by the intentions and every person will attain
what he intended (Agreed upon).
It is not strange to find, that the Ulamaa considered this Hadeeth
representative of one third of the Ahaadeeth that Islaam revolves
around. The earliest of the Ulamaa from the Salaf used to prefer to
place this Hadeeth first and ahead of every matter that arises from the
matters of the Deen due to its general application over all kinds of
matters.
Ikhlaas in their view meant making the actions of the servants the same
whether they were open or hidden. Al-Imaam Al-Haarith AlMahaasabiy said: The Saadiq (truthful/sincere person) does not mind
if he loses all appreciation from the hearts of creation for the sake of
reforming his own heart. He does not like to inform people about the
good that he has done whilst not hating that the people find out about
the bad that he has done. And AL-Imaam Al-Qushairiy said: Al14

Ikhlaas is singling out Al-Haqq (Allah) Subhaanahu Wa TaAalaa in

obedience by his intention. And by his obedience he wishes only to
draw close to Allah TaAalaa and nothing else, whether his intention is
aimed towards the creation so that he is commended amongst the
people or so that he gains love and praise from the creation, or any
other direction that is other than the direction that aims purely at
attaining closeness to Allah TaAalaa.
Al-Hasan Bin Ar-Rabee said in relation to the Jihaad of the
honourable Imaam Abdullah Ibn ul Mubaarak: A masked rider from
amongst the Muslims went out into the battle and killed a rider from
amongst the enemy who had been having his way with the Muslims.
The Muslims then made Takbeer (Allahu Akbar) and he entered into
the midst of the people and nobody knew who he was. I followed him
until I asked him that by Allah he should take off his mask. I then
recognised him and said: Are you hiding yourself despite this great
victory that Allah has made easy by your hands? He replied: The one
for whom I did it, nothing is hidden from Him.
Ibn Qutaibah said in his book Uyoon Al-Akhbaar: Maslamah bin
Abdul Malik laid siege to a fortress and this fortress had some holes
that had been made in the wall. So the people wanted someone to enter
through it but nobody did so. Then an (unknown) person came from
within the midst of the army, he went through it and then Allah
opened the fortress via him which led to victory. Maslamah then called
out: Where is the one who went through the hole? When nobody
came to him he then called out again and ordered the guard to let the
person in at the time of his coming as he was determined to wait for
him. A man later approached the guard and sought permission to see
the Ameer (Army leader). The guard asked him if he was the soldier of
the holes and he responded by saying: I will tell you all who he is. The
guard then went to Maslamah and told him about the man who had
approached. Maslamah then gave him permission to enter and the man
15

said to him: The soldier of the holes demands three things from you
(i.e. conditions): That you do not propagate his name, that you do not
order him with anything and that you do not ask him who he is i.e.
from which tribe etc..) Maslamah responded and said: He can have
that. So the man said: I am the one. Then after this incident Maslamah
would not perform a prayer except that he would say: O Allah let me
be raised with the soldier of the holes.
How beautiful was the statement of Umar Ibn Abdul Aziz (rh) when
he spoke about the consequences of having pure sincerity to Allah
TaAalaa when he said: The level of Allahs help and assistance to His
slaves is in accordance to the level of the intentions. So the one who
has perfected his intention then the help of Allah is perfected for him
whilst the one who falls short in his Niyah then the help of Allah will
fall short for him.
From amongst the signs and manifestations of Ikhlaas (sincerity) is
submitting to the truth, accepting advice and even if it came from
someone considered to be of a lower station or level to him, so his
breast does not feel any tightening or constriction if the truth is
manifested by others to him.
Ibn Hajar (rh) narrated in his Tahdheeb At-Tahdheeb when
mentioning Ubaidullah Bin Al-Hassan Al-Anbariy who was one of the
prominent people of Al-Basrah, from their Ulamaa and their Judge.
He narrated that his student Abdur Rahman Bin Mahdi said: We were
at a Janaazah and he was asked a question and made an error in his
answer. So I said: May Allah correct your affair, the correct answer is
such and such. He lowered his head and said: In that case return for I
am made low. To be a tail upon the Haqq (truth) is more beloved to
me that to be the head upon Baatil (falsehood).

16

Another sign of Ikhlaas is not to be overbold in regards to providing a

Fatwaa or legal ruling and it is for this reason that many of the
righteous predecessors used to be very cautious in regards to providing
verdicts and wished that they would not be asked.
Abdur Rahmaan Bin Abi Laylaa said: I met one hundred and twenty
of Messengers (saw) companions. One of them would be asked a
question on an issue and he would pass the question on to another, and
then that one would pass it to the next, until the issue would return
back to the first.
As such, the one who loves to issue verdicts in sittings and be
questioned, is someone who has been regarded to be not qualified or
fit to be asked.
Bishr Bin Al-Haarith (rh) was from the most prominent Ulamaa and
he was not shy or embarrassed to say: I do not know. Ash-Shabi was
asked about a matter one day and he said: I dont know. He was then
asked if he was embarrassed to say that he didnt know whilst he was
the Faqeeh (Jurist) of the Iraaqiyeen (people of Al-Iraq). He replied:
But the angels were not shy or embarrassed when they said:

Exalted are You, we have no knowledge except what You have taught us (AlBaqarah 32).
The following was mentioned in the Tabaqaat of Ash-Shaafiiyah:
Al-Qaadi Izz ud-Deen Al-Hakaariy narrated in a book of his a mention
of the life of Sheikh Izz ud-Deen Abdus Salaam. He said that Sheikh
Izz ud-Deen once provided a Fatwaa (verdict) and then the error of
his judgment became evident to him. He then called out in Egypt and
17

Cairo against himself saying: The one who provided a verdict to so and
so, do not act in accordance with it, because it is an error.

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2) The Recitation of the Quraan Al-Kareem

Spending time with the Quraan Al-Kareem is from the very best acts
of Ibaadah. It is the Kalaam (speech) of Allah TaAalaa and the basis
of Islaam.
Allah (swt) said:

Indeed, those who recite the Book of Allah and establish prayer and spend [in His
cause] out of what We have provided them, secretly and publicly, [can] expect a
profit that will never perish (Al-Faatir 29).
The Messenger of Allah (saw) advised Abu Dharr (ra) and said to him:

You must recite the Quraan because it is a light for you upon the
earth and a stored provision for you in the sky (hereafter).
(Abu Naeem in his Hulyat ul-Awliyaa).
The Messenger (saw) warned about the one who abandons the Quraan
when he said:

19

The one who does not have inside of him anything from the
Qur'aan in him is like a desolate or ruined house.
(At-Tirmidhi Hasan Saheeh).
For this reason it is necessary to commit to the Quraan Al-Kareem
and to be careful not to let it be forgotten.
The Messenger of Allah (saw) said:

Commit to the Quraan (to read and learn it) because by the One
in Whose Hand Muhammad's soul is, it escapes from memory
faster than a camel does from its tying ropes.
(Saheeh Al-Bukhaari).
It was a regular habit of the Messenger of Allah (saw) to order his
companions (rah) to recite the Quraan in a good manner. He used to
recite to them and ask them to recite to him in his presence.
Abdullah Ibn Masood (ra) narrated that he learnt seventy Surahs
directly from the Messenger of Allah (saw) and Al-Bukhaari and
Muslim reported that when the Messenger (saw) was upon the Minbar
he said to Ibn Masood (ra): Recite to me. Ibn Masood responded:
How can I recite to you whilst it is revealed upon you. Then the
Messenger of Allah (saw) said:

I love that I hear it being recited from other than myself.
(Saheeh Muslim).

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Abdullah Ibn Masood (ra) then said: So I recited Surah An-Nisaa

until I reached the Aayah:

So how [will it be] when We bring from every nation a witness and we bring you,
[O Muhammad] [people] as a witness over these (people)? (An-Nisaa 41).
He (saw) then said: That is sufficient from you now. So I turned
towards him and saw that his eyes were flowing with tears.
The Messenger of Allah (saw) used to encourage the people to
memorise the Quraan and he (saw) would distinguish and make
preference between them based on their standing in relation to the
Quraan.
He (saw) said:

The people are led (in the Salaah) by the one who is most read.
(Abu Daawood Saheeh).
And in a Hadeeth Abu Hurairah (ra) relates: The Messenger of Allah
(saw) dispatched an expedition party and there was a number of
them so he asked them about their Quraan, asking every man
from amongst them in regards to the amount of Quraan that he
possessed. He then came to a man from amongst them who was
the youngest in age and said: What do you possess (of the
Quraan) O so and so? He replied: I have this and this and
Surah Al-Baqarah. The Messenger (saw) then asked: Do you
21

(really) have Surah Al-Baqarah? He replied: Yes. So the

Messenger (saw) said: Go for you are their Ameer (Al-Haithami
Majma Az-Zawaaid Saheeh).
The Qaaris (reciter) state must be one of Khushoo, Tadabbur
(reflection) and submission as this is the required aim of recitation. It is
recommended for him to cry and for the one who cannot do this
naturally then it is recommended for him to make himself cry. It is the
Sunnah to adhere to the description of the Nabis (saw) recitation. His
recitation was Tarteelan (slow and clear), it was not hasty but rather
each letter was manifested clearly. The Messenger of Allah (saw) used
to interrupt and pause between the recitation of each Aayah and he
would read the Quraan whilst standing, sitting, lying down, when he
(saw) had Wudoo and when he did not have Wudoo. If he recited an
Aayah containing a supplication he would then supplicate, if it
mentioned seeking forgiveness he would then seek forgiveness, if it
mentioned a prostration he would prostrate and if it mentioned Allahs
Rahmah (mercy) he (saw) would ask for it.
The recitation of the Quraan must be preserved and maintained in the
night and the day and whilst travelling and when at home.
It has been narrated that the Messenger of Allah (saw) exhorted and
advised Abdullah Bin Amr to complete the Quraan once every week.
Indeed a number of the Sahaabah (rah) used to do this like Uthmaan,
Zaid Bin Thaabit, Ibn Masood and Ubayy Bin Kab for example.
Uthmaan (ra) would begin on the night of Jumuah (Thursday night)
reciting from Al-Baqarah to Al-Maaidah, Friday night he would recite
from Al-Anaam to Hud, Saturday night from Yusuf to Maryam,
Sunday night from Ta Ha to Al-Qasas, Monday night from AlAnkuboot to Saad, Tuesday night from Az-Zunar to Ar-Rahmaan and
on Wednesday night he would complete the remainder.
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In addition it is recommended to fast on the day that the recitation of

the Quraan is completed unless it coincides with a day in which the
Shara has forbidden. Similarly it is recommended to make Duaa at the
time of completing the Quraan in the company of family and others.
For example it is known that Anas Bin Maalik (ra) would gather his
family and make Duaa upon the completion of the Quraan.
There are some Surahs and Aayaat that are recommended to recite
often and these include: Ya Seen, Ad-Dukhaan, Al-Waaqiah, Al-Mulk,
Al-Ikhlaas, Al-Muawwidhataini (Al-Falaq and An-Naas), Aayat ul
Kursiy, the last two Aayaat of Surah Al-Baqarah and Surah Al-Kahf on
the day of Jumuah.

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3) Strict and attentive observance of the Faraaid (obligatory

acts):

These obligatory acts are many and they include the five prayers that
are performed at their designated times, as Allah (swt) said:

) 9(

) 01(



And those who attentively maintain their prayers. They are the inheritors. Those
who will inherit Al-Firdaus and reside in it forever (Al-Muminoon 9-11).
The Shara has also warned about any complacency or neglect in
regards to abiding by it when He (swt) said:

) 4(




Woe to those who pray but are heedless in the performance of their prayer (AlMaoon 4-5).
The Messenger of Allah (saw) said: Whoever makes light of his
prayer, then Allah Azza Wa Jall will make even lighter of him
(Note: I could not find a reference for this Hadeeth). And it is has been
attribute to Umar Ibn Abdul Aziz (rh) that he said: Verily the one
who falls short in or abandons his Salaah then his abandonment in
regards to all of the other rulings of Islaam will be even greater.
Therefore this means that the person, who abandons or is neglectful in
relation to the matter of the Salaah, will not be trustworthy, sincere and
24

truthful when it comes to the carrying of the Dawah or in regards to

his affiliation to Islaam.
Indeed the preservation and maintaining of the Salaah is not restricted
to him, as Allah (swt) has commanded the Messenger (saw) and his
people with prayer and to persevere in the face of its difficulties.
Allah (swt) said:

And enjoin prayer upon your family [and people] and be steadfast therein. We ask
you not for provision, as We provide for you. And the [best] end is for those who
have Taqwaa. (Ta Ha 132).
The Islamic legislation (Shara) has urged the performance of the
collective prayer and has warned the one who leaves it after having
heard its call. The Messenger of Allah (saw) said:

It is the utmost apathy and sign of disbelief and hypocrisy upon

the one who hears the call of Allah calling, inviting him to
salvation and then does not respond to it (Related by As-Suyooti
and Ibn Katheer but is classified as Daeef)
25

Amr Ibn Umm Kulthoom narrated: I said: O Messenger of Allah! I

am very blind and I do not have a suitable guide so do you find
that I have a Rukhsah (exceptional permission) that permits me
to perform the Salaah in my house? He (saw) asked: Do you
hear the call? He said: Yes and so he (saw) said: I do not find
that you have a Rukhsah.
And the Messenger of Allah (saw) said: Whoever hears the call to
the Salaah and an Udhr (excuse) does not prevent him from
coming to it. They then interrupted and said: And what is the
Udhr (excuse) O Messenger of Allah? He (saw) continued: The
Udhr is Khawf (fear) and Marad (illness). (Whoever does not
attend) then the prayer that he performs will not be accepted
(Has been classified as Saheeh and Mawqoof to Ibn Abbaas, Hasan
and Daeef by others).
Al-Haakim in his Mustadrak recorded from Ibn Abbaas (ra) that he
said: The Messenger of Allah (saw) said:

There are three whom Allah has cursed: The one who leads a
people whilst they hate him. A woman who goes to sleep whilst
her husband is angry with her and a man who hears Hayya Alaa
Al-Salaah, Hayya Alaa Al-Falaah (come to the prayer, come to
success) and he does not respond (Abu Daawood).
It has also been reported that Abu Bakr As-Siddeeq (ra) commanded
his son Abdullah to divorce his wife Aatikah Bint Zaid after she kept
26

him busy from the Salaah in Jamaaah (congregation) and then he

complied with the command of his father may Allah be pleased with
them both.
It is necessary to have Khushoo in the Salaah and to observe the
understandings of the meanings of the speech. This is done by
removing any distraction that could stimulate the sight or hearing. The
Qiblah is focused upon and the sight is directed towards the place of
Sujood (prostration) whilst taking care to avoid places that are
engraved or patterned or anything that will distract or agitate his senses.
This is because the Nabi (saw) when he was praying in certain clothing
made of cotton and wool which had signs (emblems) on it. He took it
off and said: It distracted me before from the performance of my
Salaah.
The one who wishes to perform the Salaah should first complete all
business and distracting matters before the Salaah. He must remember
the Aakhirah and the great seriousness of standing before Allah Azza
Wa Jalla. He is hopeful for the attainment of reward whilst at the same
time he is fearful of punishment due to any negligence or falling short.
The following are examples of the Salaah of the Salaf As-Saalih (May
Allahs mercy be upon them all):
Muhammad Bin Abi Al-Waraaq narrated: Muhammad Bin Ismaaeel
Al-Bukhaari was invited to the gardens of some of his friends. When
the time of Zhuhr came the people prayed and then he stood to
perform the recommended prayer and he remained in the standing
position for a lengthy period. When he had finished his Salaah he lifted
the tail of the garment that he was wearing and he had been stung by a
wasp in sixteen different places. His body had swollen as a result and
the stings of the wasps were clearly visible. Some of the people then
asked why he had not interrupted his Salaah after the very first sting.
27

He answered: I was in the middle of a Surah and I preferred to

complete it.
One day Umar Ibn Abdul-Aziz said to the son of Abi Milkiyah:
Describe Abdullah Ibn Az-Zubair to us. So he said: By Allah I have
never accompanied a person like him. When he used to enter into his
Slaah he would completely close himself off from everything else. He
used to bow and prostrate and sparrows would perch upon his back
and shoulders and nothing was equal to him in terms of his length of
Rukoo and Sujood except for the wall or a garment that had been
abandoned on the ground. Once a catapult projectile flew past between
his beard and his chest whilst he was praying and by Allah he was not
even aware of it, he did even tremble or interrupt his recital because of
it nor did he hasten his Rukoo.
Saeed Ibn Al-Musayyib said: I performed Hajj forty times, I have not
missed the opening Takbeer (in Jamaaah) in fifty years and I have not
seen the back of a man in the Salaah for fifty years.
After the Messenger of Allah (saw) and the Muslims had completed the
Ghazwah (military expedition) of Dhaat ur Ruqaa they set down in a
place to rest the night. The Messenger (saw) chose a group from
amongst his Sahaabah to act as guards and put them in teams. From
amongst this group were Ammaar Ibn Yaasir and Abbaad Bin Bishr
who were together in one team. Abbaad saw that his companion
Ammaar was tired out and so asked him to sleep for the first part of
the night whilst he guards. Abbaad saw that the place that he was in
was secure and so he began to perform the Salaah. He had finished AlFaatihah and was reciting a Surah from the Quraan when an arrow
pierced through his upper arm. So he pulled it out and continued with
his Salaah. He was then struck with a second and in the darkness of the
night the attacker struck him with a third arrow which he removed. He
then went into Rukoo and Sujood (prostration) and his strength was
28

dissipating due to fatigue and pain. So when he was prostrating he

stretched out his right hand to reach his companion who was sleeping
next to him and went about shaking him until he awoke. He then lifted
from his Sajdah, read the Tashahhud and completed his Salaah.
Ammaar had awoken to the tired words that said to him: Get up to
guard in my place as I have been struck. Ammaar then leapt up making
sudden movements and noise to scare away those who had snuck into
their camp. They ran away and then he turned to Abbaad and said:
Subhaanallah, why did you not awaken me when you were first hit?
Abbaad responded: I was reciting from the Quraan Aayaat that filled
by soul with awe and wonder and I did not want to interrupt them.
And by Allah, had it not been that the post that the Messenger of Allah
had commanded me to guard would have been lost I would have
preferred death over interrupting the Aayaat that I was reciting.

29

4) Observing the scale of values:

This means that Allah and His Messenger are more beloved to the
person than the whole Dunyaa and everything that is in it. It means
that the person will sacrifice all of his interests and ties for the sake of
Allah (swt), whilst making the Dawah his number one priority in his
life of this Dunyaa. This is the true manifestation of Imaan and the
meaning of being pure to Allah Subhaanahu Wa TaAalaa.
Allah (swt) said:

Say: "If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your wives, your relatives, the wealth
which you have obtained, the commerce wherein you fear decline, and dwellings with
which please you, are more beloved to you than Allah and His Messenger and
Jihaad in His cause, then wait until Allah executes His command. And Allah
does not guide the defiantly disobedient people (At-Taubah 24).
And the Messenger of Allah (saw) has taught us the scale of values
when he said:

30

If you are conducting business, holding the ears of your oxen
and are satisfied by engaging in farming whilst you have
abandoned the performance of Al-Jihaad, then Allah will make
disgrace and humiliation dominate over you and this will not be
removed until you return to your Deen (Abu Daawood, Ibn
Taymiyyah classified it as Saheeh whilst others have found it to
be weak).
The Salaf As-Saalih have provided us with many examples of this
which the sincere workers can follow:
Here we have Khaalid Bin Al-Waleed (ra) saying: There is no night
with a new bride or when glad tidings of a new son arrives that is more
beloved to me than the severely cold night in a military expedition
amongst the Mujaahideen on a severely cold night before facing the
Mushrikeen.
We also have the statement of the Messenger of Allah (saw) in regards
to Musab Ibn Umayr (ra) when he said:

31

I has seen this Musab of ours in the past and there was no
young man in Makkah who was spoilt and given more by his
parents than him and he left all that behind out of love for Allah
and His Messenger
(Note: I could not find this narration but found one related by AlMundhiri in his At-Targheeb wat Tarheeb which mentioned how the
Nabi (saw) commented about how Musab was in Makkah compared
to Al-Madinah when he (ra) entered the Masjid in garments that were
covered in patches).

We also have the words of Sad Ibn Abi Waqqaas (ra) that he said to
his mother: Do you know, that by Allah O Mother, if you had one
hundred souls and they would leave you one by one, I would not leave
my Deen that I am on. So eat if you wish or dont eat if you wish.
(Note: This is when his mother refused to eat unless he returned to her
Deen and leave Islaam).
Also we have the example of Suhaib Ar-Roomi (ra) who sacrificed
everything that he owned in exchange for the permission to make the
Hijrah and he would say: This is the profit of trade o Abu Yahyaa, this
is the profit of trade Abu Yahyaa.
And the example of Saeed Ibn Aamir (ra) who said to his wife when
he preferred to give his wealth in the way of Allah rather than to her:
You know, that in Jannah there are Hour-ul-Ain and such beautiful
treasures and if one of them was to look over the earth, the whole
earth would be lit up and the power of her light would be like that of
the sun and the moon combined. So if I sacrifice you for their sake it is
better and greater than sacrificing them for your sake.
The Qaadi Bahaa ud Deen Bin Shiddaad said the following in regards
to Salaah ud Deen (May Allahs mercy be upon him): His love for Al32

Jihaad and his passion for it had taken control over his heart and the
rest of his limbs in a great manner. This was to the extent that he did
not speak except that he spoke about it and he did not look into a
matter except that it was connected to it. He had no concern except for
his men and he was not inclined to anyone unless they remained him of
it and encouraged him upon it. In his love for Al-Jihaad in the way of
Allah he left behind his people, children and the land that he was raised
in and all other lands. He was in no need of the Dunyaa when staying
under the shade of his tent as it was struck by the winds on its left and
right.
This was a generation of Shabaab who proceeded along the path of the
Dawah and persevered upon it. They were not swayed or distracted by
anything and not even the Kufr of their fathers and mothers and their
stubborn resistance to the call. So Ali and Jafar (rah) were upon
Islaam whilst their father Abu Taalib died as a disbeliever and Abu
Ubaidah Al-Jarraah (ra) killed his father Abdullah Ibn Al-Jarraah on
the day of Badr. Abu Hudhaifah (ra) also killed his father Utbah Bin
Rabee on the same day and he was extremely saddened but only
because he had died upon disbelief and not for any other reason.
Musab and Sad (rah) were afflicted with hostility from their mothers
but this did not sway them whilst Al-Waleed, Hishaam and Khaalid
were the sons of the one described in the Quraan Al-Kareem as:

) 01(



) 00(

) 01(
And do not obey every worthless habitual swearer.
[And] scorner, going about with malicious gossip.
A preventer of good, transgressing and sinful.
33

Cruel, moreover, and an illegitimate pretender (Al-Qalam 10-13).

There is an example of an amazing contrast when Islaam joined
together Hanzhalah and Jameelah in marriage whilst their fathers held
the most animosity against Islaam and the Deen. Hanzhalah was the
son of Aamir Ar-Raahib who was a leader of disbelief and agency to
the Roman Empire whilst Jameelah was the daughter of Abdullah Ibn
Ubayy the head of the hypocrites of Al-Madeenah Al-Munawwarah.
Also there is the incident of the Messenger of Allah (saw) and the lady
from Bani Deenaar. Her father, husband and brother had all become
Shuhadaa (Martyrs) on the day of Uhud. When she saw the Muslims
returning from the battle she rushed towards them asking them about
her sons, so they made her aware about her father, brother and
husband but she eagerly asked them: And what about the Messenger
of Allah? They replied: He is well, and he is Al-Hamdu Lillah as you
love him to be. She then said: Show him to me so that I can see him.
They then remained by her side until the Messenger of Allah (saw)
approached and then when she saw him she headed towards him whilst
saying: Every calamity other than that related to your wellbeing is of
lesser concern and diminished importance.

34

5) Generosity and selflessness:

From the characteristics and attributes of the Muslims in general, and
the Dawah carriers specifically, are generosity, giving and stretching
out the hand to others in need. The texts from the Quraan and the
Sunnah that praise generosity and spending whilst disparaging
miserliness and refraining from helping people are abundant.
Allah (swt) says:

) 01(
They arise from [their] beds whilst supplicating their Lord in fear and aspiration,
and from the Rizq (sustenance) We have provided them, they spend.
And no soul knows what has been hidden for them from that which comforts the
eyes as a reward for what they used to do.
(As-Sajdah 16-17).
It has been reported from the Messenger of Allah (saw) that he said:

The dust that is gained in the way of Allah (i.e. in Al-Jihaad) and
the smoke of the fire of Jahannam (Hellfire) will not meet within
an Abd (slave) ever, and stinginess and Imaan will not meet
within a heart of an Abd ever (Ibn Hibbaan in his Saheeh).

35

And He (saw) also said to Bani Salamah: Who is your master? They
replied: Al-Jad Bin Qais but we are miserly in regards to him. So he
(saw) said: And which disease is worse than the disease of miserliness
(Al-Bukhl)? (Ibn Jareer At-Tabari, Saheeh).
The Messenger (saw) also said:

There are three matters that are destructive: Greed and
miserliness that is obeyed, a desire that is followed and a person
being pleased and impressed with himself (At-Tabaraani,
Hasan)
Aaishah (ra) related that they had previously slaughtered a sheep and
the Nabi (saw) asked her: How much of it is remaining? She
replied: Nothing remains except for its shoulder. He (saw)
responded: All of it remains apart from its shoulder (AtTirmidhi, Saheeh).
It has been confirmed that the Nabi (saw) was even more generous
than the winds and that he would never say no when asked for
something. A man came to him asking for help and he (saw) gave him
sheep between the mountains so the man then returned to his people
and said: O People embrace Islaam for verily Muhammad gives
provision like the one who does not fear poverty.
One day the Messenger of Allah (saw) spoke to Abdur Rahman Bin
Auf (ra) and said to him: O Ibn Auf you are from the rich people
and you will crawl into Jannah, so lend to Allah a goodly loan and
he will set your legs free (An-Nasaaiy, Mawdoo, Daeef). From
the day that he heard this Abdur Rahman never stopped giving his
36

money to others. On one day he sold land for 40,000 Deenaar and then
he distributed all of it upon his people from Bani Zahrah, the Mothers
of the believers and the poor Muslims. On one day he presented 500
horses Fee Sabeelillah and on another occasion he provided 1500
riding camels. On the day of Mutah he gave 50,000 Deenaar whilst in
his Wasiyah (will) he gave 400 Deenaar to anyone who was still
remaining from those who had participated in the battle of Badr, to the
extent that even Uthmaan Ibn Affaan took his share despite being
wealthy himself. He said in regards to this: The money of Abdur
Rahman is Halaal and pure and to taste from it is good for the person
and a blessing.
Abdullah Ibn Aamir purchased the house of Khaalid Bin Uqbah that
was situated in the market for 90,000 Dirham. When the night arrived
he heard the family of Khaalid crying, so he asked his people: What is
the matter with them? They said: They are crying because of their
house. So he said: O boy (from those who were present), go to them
and inform them that the house and the money now both belong to
them.
Qaid Bin Sad Bin Ubaadah became ill and his brothers were slow to
visit him and he was told: They feel shy because of the debts that they
owe you. So he responded: May Allah disgrace money that prevents
brothers from visiting. He then commanded for a town crier to call
out in the streets: Whoever Qais has a (financial) right over then it is
now cancelled. The narrator said: By night time Qaiss temperature
had abated due to the great number of people who visited him.
As long as generosity distinguishes the believers and is from their
original make-up and nature, then the issue does not rest upon the
possession of riches or being wealthy. Ponder the statement of the
Messenger of Allah (saw) when he said:
37

One Dirham can be better than and surpass one hundred
thousand Dirham.
A man then asked: How can this be O Messenger of Allah? He
(saw) said: There is a man who has vast amounts of wealth and
he takes 100,000 from that to give in Sadaqah. There is another
man who has nothing except for two Deenaar and then he takes
one of them and gives it in Sadaqah (Al-Bazzaar, authenticity
questioned but there is a similar narration from Ibn Hibbaan that
he has recorded in his Saheeh).
There was a poor man from amongst the Ansaar known as Abu Uqail
and during the expedition of Tabook he related: I spent the night
working collecting water in exchange for two measures of dates. So i
took one back to my family and I used the other to gain closeness (to
Allah) through it. So the Messenger (saw) commanded that it be
distributed as Sadaqah and then the Munaafiqeen found fault in it due
to its small amount and they said: Allah was in no need of the measure
of Abu Uqail. In response to this Allah (swt) revealed:

Those who criticize the contributors among the believers concerning [their] charities
and [criticize] the ones who find nothing [to spend] except their effort, so they
ridicule them. Allah will ridicule them, and they will have a painful punishment
(At-Taubah 79).
38

The highest level of Sakhaa (generosity) is Al-Eethaar (selflessness)

and there is no level beyond that in terms of generosity. Allah (swt) has
commended the companions of the Messenger of Allah (saw) in
respect to their possession of this quality when He (swt) said:

And they gave preference over themselves and even though they were in themselves in
destitution (Al-Hashr 9).
This Noble Aayah was revealed in relation to the story of Abu Talhah
when he preferred to give a man in need food rather than take it for
himself and his children.
There is also the example of Ikramah Bin Abi Jahl, Suhail Bin Amr,
Al-Haarith Bin Hishaam and a group from Bani Al-Mugheerah who all
became martyrs in the expedition of Al-Yarmouk. This was when they
were all dying of thirst and each of them refused to take water for
themselves until the others had taken it first. They continued passing
the water, from one to the other, until all of them had passed away
without any of them having tasted it (May Allahs mercy be upon them
all).
This nature of generosity is reflected in the words of the poet who said:

You see him when you approach him in a jubilant state.

It is as if you are the one giving him that which you have asked
for.
(i.e. the one who gives is as content as if he was receiving something
great himself).
39

6) The performance of a lot of Nawaafil:

This is like the Qiyaam Al-Layl because its merit is great and it is the
path towards the Maqaam Al-Mawood (the promised station).
The Messenger of Allah (saw) said:

You should perform Qiyaam Al-Layl because it is the habit of
the righteous who came before you. It is an act of gaining
closeness to your Lord, an expiator of the bad deeds, a preventer
of sin and it casts out the disease from the body. And in the night
there is an hour in which the Duaa (supplication) is responded
to (At-Tirmidhi, its authentic is differed upon)
He (saw) also said:

Verily in the night there is an hour that a Muslim man does not
encounter whilst asking Allah Azza Wa Jalla for goodness in a
matter of the Dunyaa or the hereafter, except that he is given that
(which he has asked for). And this (hour) occurs in every (single)
night (Saheeh Muslim).
40

And if the Muslim wakes up in the night, then awakens his wife and
then they pray two Rakah together, they will be written as being from
the Dhaakireena Allah Katheeran and Dhaakiraat (Males and females
who remember Allah a lot) as the Messenger (saw) has informed us.
Al-Imaam Al-Hasan Al-Basri (rh) said: I do not find from the acts of
Ibaadah that which is harder than the prayer in the heart of the night.
He was asked: Why do those who perform Tuhajjud have the best
faces from amongst the people? He replied: Because they seclude
themselves with Ar-Rahmaan and so He dresses them from his Nur
(light).
Al-Itikaaf is also from the Nawaafil acts, particularly in the month of
Ramadhaan and even if it is only undertaken for a short period. The
Nawaafil also include Salaat ud Duhaa, At-Taraaweeh, Al-Witr and AlIstikhaarah. This is in addition to giving Sadaqah often and regularly,
performing Umrah and fasting non-obligatory fast on the days that the
Legislator has specified amongst many other acts.
The Salaf As-Saalih used to perform and undertake many Nawaafil
whilst hoping from Allah that this would be a path towards attaining
Tawfeeq and the reaching of what is aimed at.
On Monday the 19th of Jumaadi Al-Ulaa in the year 757 Hijri (28th May
1453) Muhammad Al-Faatih enjoined his army to fast on that day in
order to gain close to Allah and so that it would be a purification for
themselves in preparation for their final assault that he had decided to
carry out against Constantinople on the following day. When the sun
set and the Mujaahidoon performed Salaat ul Maghrib they then
proceeded to break their fast. The Sultaan (Muhammad Al-Faatih) then
called his war council and army leaders to a final meeting before the
41

assault would begin. He then addressed them with a speech which

included the following within it:
If Allah Azza Wa Jalla helps us then Constantinople will be opened
for us and the Hadeeth of the Messenger of Allah (saw) will be realised
and a miracle from amongst His great miracles. And it will be our
fortune to be included in the honour and high standing that was
mentioned in the Hadeeth of the Messenger of Allah (saw). So inform
our sons from the military, one by one, that the great victory that will
be achieved will increase honour and standing to Islaam. And it is
obligatory on every soldier to make the teachings of our Shareeah that
which he stands upon. So nothing should come from them that is
contrary to these teachings and he must stay away from the churches
and places of worship. They cannot touch them with any harm and the
Priests, weak and those incapable of fighting must be left alone.
When the victory of Allah Azza Wa Jalla came the very first act of the
Sultaan Muhammad Al-Faatih was to fall down in prostration upon the
ground in gratitude to Allah for the great victory that he had provided
the Muslims with. The Uthmaaniyoon had only just entered the city
when a large number of them began to leap up the walls and they
removed the Byzantium flags and replaced them with the flag of the
Islamic State. At that moment tens of the Mujaahideen raised their
voices with the sound of the Adhaan from above the walls of the city
and when Al-Faatih reached the centre of the city he halted and the
read in classical Arabic the noble glad tidings of the Prophet (saw):

You will certainly open Constantinople, so blessed be the Ameer
who will be its (the armys) Ameer and blessed be the Army that
will be that Army (Ibn Abdul-Barr, Hasan, As-Suyootiy, Saheeh).
42

When the conquest of Egypt that was taking place in the time of Umar
Ibn Al-Khattaab (ra) had slowed down, Umar (ra) wrote to Amr Bin
Al-Aas and said: I am surprised by your slowness in respect to
conquering Egypt. You have been fighting for years and this is only
because of what you have found and desired from the matters of the
Dunyaa which your enemy loved. And verily Allah TaAalaa does not
give victory to a people except due to the sincerity and truthfulness of
their intentions. And I have sent in your direction four people (AzZubair Ibn Al-Awwaam, Al-Miqdaad Bin Al-Aswad, Ubaadah Bin
Saamit and Maslamah Bin Mukhlid) and I have informed you that one
of them is worth the value of one thousand other men according to
what I know of them.... So if this letter reaches you, address the people
and exhort them to fight their enemy. Make them desire patience and
focus them upon the intention. And present those four people within
the breasts of the people and order the people to be like the thrust of a
single man in respect to them. And let this address take place at the end
of the day of Jumuah because this is the time in which mercy descends
and it is the time of responsiveness. And you should stir the people
towards Allah and so that they ask Him for the victory over their
enemy.
So when the letter of Umar (ra) arrived, he gathered the people and
read it to them. He (ra) then called the four who had been mentioned
and presented them before the people and then ordered the people to
purify themselves and they prayed two Rakah. They then awakened
their desire in Allah and they made Duaa to Allah for victory and for
the conquest of Allah to come to them.

43

7) Ad-Duaa, Adh-Dhikr and Istighfaar:

The Duaa is from amongst the greatest acts of Ibaadah and it is the
Mukh (brain) of the Ibaadah as the Noble Messenger (saw) informed
us. The one who does not ask from Allah earns Allahs anger and there
is nothing nobler to Allah than the Duaa.
For this reason the Duaa is recommended in the good and the bad
times and in secret and openly so that the reward of Allah TaAalaa can
be attained. It is best to make Duaa from that which has come in the
Quraan and the Sunnah which contain Duaas and Adhkaar that
encompass all situations. These include those related to what is said
upon awaking from sleep, when leaving the house and returning to it,
when walking to the Masjid and when entering it and leaving it, at the
time of making Wudoo, after the Salaah, at the time of Istikhaarah, at
the time of rain, thunder and the sighting of the new moon, at the time
of eating and seeing that which you like, at the time of restlessness,
distress and sadness, when travelling, at the time of marriage and when
approaching the wife, at the time of illness and when witnessing the
afflicted people and at the time of confronting the oppressors and
when fighting in the way of Allah.
There are many more Adhkaar and Adiyah (supplications) and it is
possible to refer back to the Book of Adhkaar from An-Nawawi and
The acts of the day and night by Ibn As-Sunni, in order to memorise
all of these Adhkar and Adiyah.
The Dawah carrier does not supplicate for himself alone but rather he
supplicates for the Muslims and for the Shabaab of the Dawah asking
Allah TaAalaa to grant them victory and perseverance, and for the
Lord of the worlds to place them under His protection.
44

So he can say for example:

O Allah Have mercy upon the Islamic Ummah.

O Allah open (give victory) upon us and open by us and hasten the
establishment of the Khilafah State.

O Allah verily we seek refuge in You from the disbelievers, their agents
and their intelligence forces and we seek refuge in You from their evil.

. .



.

O Allah, Lord of the seven heavens and Lord of the great throne. Be a
protector for us from so and so the son of so and so and his
confederates from amongst your creations so that not one of them
abuses or oppresses us. Your shade is mighty and your praise is
majestic. There is nothing worthy of worship other than you.

45

.

,

.



O Allah, Assist us and do not assist against us, support us and do not
give support against us, plot on our behalf and do not plot against us.
O Allah, accept our repentance, wash away our sins, answer our call,
strengthen our argument, make our tongues clear, guide our hearts and
remove the blackness from our breasts.
Making Dhikr a lot and often is required and the Messenger of Allah
(saw) said:

There is no act that the son of Adam does that will save him more
from the punishment of Allah than the Dhikr of Allah (Ibn Hajar
Buloogh Al-Maram, Hasan).
And he (saw) said:

Say: There is no power and might other than Allah for verily it is
a treasure from the treasures of Jannah (Al-Bukhaari).
And he (saw) said:

46

Two words that are light upon the tongue, heavy upon the scales
and beloved to Ar-Rahmaan: Subhaanallah Wa BiHamdihi
Subhaanallahi-l-Azheem (Al-Bukhaari).
The merit of Dhikr is not only confined to Tasbeeh, Tahleel, Tahmeed
and Takbeer but rather any person who does an act for Allah in His
obedience, then he someone who is remembering Allah TaAalaa as has
been stated by Saeed Ibn Jubair and others from amongst the Ulamaa.
Ataa (rh) said in a gathering: The gatherings of Dhikr are the
gatherings of the Halaal and the Haraam, the manner that you buy and
sell and how you pray, fast, marry, divorce, perform Hajj and so on....
The Messenger (saw) said:

: "

:

When you pass by the gardens (Riyaad) of Jannah then graze
well. They (The Sahaabah) asked: And what are the Riyaad of
Jannah? He (saw) said: They are the circles of Dhikr. For verily
Allah has caravans of Angels who are seeking the circles of Dhikr
and if they arrive at them they surround and enclose them.

47

(Note: I could not find this exact version. The first part is: When you
pass by the gardens (Riyaad) of Jannah then graze well. They (The
Sahaabah) asked: And what are the Riyaad of Jannah? He (saw) said:
They are the circles of Dhikr is related by At-Tirmidhi as Ghareeb
Hasan and the second part: For verily Allah has caravans of Angels
who are seeking the circles of Dhikr and if they arrive at them they
surround and enclose them was recorded by Al-Haithami as Hasan in
a different narration).

When Ibn Masood (ra) mentioned this Hadeeth he commented: As

for this, I do not mean storytelling but rather the circles of Fiqh. Anas
related this same meaning and Ahmad related in his book Az-Zuhd:
Abu As-Suwaar Al-Adawi was in a circle discussing Ilm (knowledge)
in it and there was a young man amongst them who said to them: Say
Subhanallah and Al-Hamdu Lillah. Abu As-Suwaar was angered by this
and said: Woe to you, what do you think we were doing then?!!
Indeed the gatherings of knowledge are better than the gatherings in
which Allah is remembered and mentioned with the Tasbeeh, Tahmeed
and Takbeer. This is because the seeking and gaining of knowledge falls
under the category of the Fard Ain or Fard Kifaayah whilst the type of
Dhikr mentioned above falls under the extra voluntary acts.
It is necessary for the Dawah carrier and Muslim to seek forgiveness
and to do this a lot and often due to the great number of acts of
disobedience that come from the slave.
The following came in the Hadeeth Qudsi:

O slaves, Verily you commit sins through the night and the day
and I forgive all of the sins, so seek forgiveness from Me and then
I will forgive them for you (Muslim).
48

And Al-Bukhaari related that the Messenger of Allah (saw):

By Allah, verily I seek forgiveness from Allah and repent to Him

more than seventy times in the day.
Abu Hurairah (ra) related that he had not seen anyone say:
Astaghfirullah Wa Atoobu Ilaihi (I seek Allahs forgiveness and I
repent to Him more than the Messenger of Allah (saw) used to do.
Verily in the Messenger of Allah (saw) we have the best model and
example for those seeking Allah and the Day of Judgement and where
do we stand in comparison to the Messenger of Allah (saw) whilst he
had the most Taqwaa and had the most fear of Allah?
There is a Noble Hadeeth that guides to the merits and consequences
of seeking forgiveness (Istighfaar) in which the Messenger of Allah
(saw) said:

The one who commits to seeking forgiveness Allah will provide a
way out for him from every difficulty and a relief from every
distress and he will be provided with sustenance from where he
could not expect (Abu Dawood, differed upon by
Muhadditheen).
One should hasten to make Taubah. The Muslim in general and the
Dawah carrier in particular must guard and pay close attention to his
49

own purity and not let the Munkaraat (Evil Haraam acts) build up upon
him otherwise he will be destroyed and may refuge in Allah be sought
from that.
Muslim narrated in his Saheeh that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said:

:

.

The temptations [of the world] are presented to people's hearts

as a mat is spread out [over the floor], one reed at a time. Any
heart that partakes of them is stained with a black spot, while any
heart that spurns them will take on a white spot until there comes
to be two types of heart: one as black as an overcast sky, like an
overturned earthen vessel that neither recognizes a good deed
(Maroof) nor shuns an evil (Munkar) except that which follows
its own desire, and the other one will be as white as a stone,
which may never be harmed by temptation as long as the heavens
and earth remain (Muslim).
The best Dhikr to make when one is facing a trial or being tested is
what was narrated from Al-Imaam Jafar As-Saadiq who said:
I am amazed at how when people are tested by four matters they
forget four matters:
50

I am amazed by the one who is tested by fear and has forgotten to say:

(Hasbunallah Wa Nimal Wakeel)

Allah is sufficient for me and the best to depend upon.
And this is because Allah (swt) has said:

) 071(









Those to whom people said: "Indeed, the people have gathered together against you,
so fear them." But this only increased them in Imaan (belief) and they said:
"Sufficient for us is Allah , and [He is] the best Disposer of affairs."
So they returned with favour from Allah and bounty, no harm having touched them.
And they pursued the pleasure of Allah, and Allah is the possessor of great bounty.
(Aali Imraan 173-174).
And I am amazed by the one who has been afflicted and tested with
sickness when he forgets to say:

(Massani-d-Durru Wa Anta Arhamu-r-Raahimeen)

I have been touched by harm and You are the most merciful of those
who show mercy.
And this is because Allah (swt) said:
51




) 81(

And Ayuub, when he called to his Lord: "Indeed, adversity has touched me, and
you are the Most Merciful of the merciful."
So We responded to him and removed what afflicted him of adversity. And We gave
him [back] his family and the like thereof with them as mercy from Us and a
reminder for the worshippers.
(Al-Anbiyaa 83-84).
And I am amazed by the one who is afflicted by anguish and distress,
and then forgets to say:

(Laa Ilaaha Illaa Anta Subhaanaka Innee Kuntu Min-azh-Zhaalimeen).

There is no deity except You, exalted are You. Indeed, I have been of
the wrongdoers
And this is because Allah (swt) has said:

) 87(

52

And Dhu-n-Noon (Yunus), when he went off in anger and thought that We would
not decree [anything] upon him. And he called out within the darknesses: "There is
no deity except You, exalted are You. Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers."
So We responded to him and saved him from the distress. And thus do We save the
believers.
(Al-Anbiyaa 87-88).
And I am amazed at the one who is afflicted by the plotting of the
people and then forgets to say:

(Ufawwidu Amri Ila Allaha InnAllaha Baseerun Bil Ibaad).

I entrust my affair to Allah . Verily Allah is all Seeing of [His] servants.
And this is because Allah (swt) said:

)44(

And you will remember what I [now] say to you, and I entrust my affair to Allah.
Verily Allah is all Seeing of [His] servants."
So Allah protected him from the evils they plotted, and the people of Pharaoh were
enveloped by the worst of punishment.
(Ghaafir 44-45).

53

8) Having the fear of Allah TaAalaa:

One of the military commanders of the Muslims once described his

men as follows:
They are the best of Shabaab in the prime of their lives; they keep their
eyes from what is bad and keep away from falsehood. They are tireless
in worship and worn out in the early hours of the morning. Allah could
look at them throughout the night whilst their backs are bent over the
parts of the Quraan and every time one of them reads an Aayah that
contains a mention of Jannah he cries due to his yearning and longing
for it and if he goes past an Aayah that contains a mention of the fire
he gasps a great gasp as if the breath of Jahannam lay between his two
ears.
The above reflects some of the fruits that result from fearing Allah
(swt) and it is a type of fear that is beneficial and useful. It is the guard
and the protector and it represents that which guarantees the person
proceeding upon the Siraat-ul-Mustaqeem (Straight path).
Allah (swt) says:

So do not fear them but fear Me if you are believers (Aali Imraan 175).
And He (swt) said:

So do not fear the people but fear Me (Al-Maaidah 44).
54

And it was stated in the Hadeeth Al-Qudsi:

By my Honour and Majesty, I will not combine two fears upon
my slave, nor will I combine two securities. If he feels safe from
Me in this life, I will make him fear on the Day Of Judgment.
And if he fears Me in this life, I will give him safety on the Day of
Judgement (Al-Iraaqi and slightly different order of wording in
Saheeh of Ibn Hibbaan).
And the Messenger of Allah (saw) said:

One who weeps out of fear of Allah, will not enter hell till milk
returns back in the udder (At-Tirmidhi, Hasan Saheeh).

It has been related that Abdullah Ibn Rawaahah (ra) was crying one
day and so his wife asked him: What has caused you to cry like that?
He (ra) replied: I have been informed about whats coming but I have
not been informed if I will be saved from it. And Abdullah Ibn Umar
(ra) said: For me to shed a single tear out of fear of Allah is more
beloved to me than giving 1000 Dinaar in Sadaqah.
Saeed Ibn Aamir (ra) said to Umar Ibn Al-Khattaab (ra): I will advise
you with some words from the teachings of Islaam: Fear Allah in
respect to the people and do not fear the people in respect to Allah.
55

And do not let your speech be contrary to your action because the best
speech is that which the action affirms. And love for the Muslims that
are near and far what you love for yourself and the people of your
household. And hasten to drive the adversities to the truth as soon as
you become aware of them and do not fear for the sake of Allah the
blame of the blamers (i.e. any consequences from other than Allah).
In the introduction to his book Al-Kharraaj Al-Imaam Abu Yousuf
(rh) mentioned that when Umar Ibn Abdul Aziz (rh) passed away a
group of Fuqahaa went to his wife to offer their condolences and to
tell her the greatness of the calamity that had befallen the people of
Islaam due to his death. They then said to her: Tell us about him
because the people who know a person best are his family. So she said:
By Allah he did not pray or fast more than everyone but by Allah I
have not seen a slave of Allah who possessed a greater fear of Allah
than Umar. If the night came and the people still had needs he would
continue throughout that night. One night he had dealt with the
peoples affairs by the evening and so he requested a lantern that he had
used from his own personal money. He then performed two Rakah
and then slumped placing his hand under his chin whilst tears ran
down his cheeks. He remained in this state until the dawn of Fajr and
then began the day fasting. So I asked him: Was there some matter that
troubled you this night?' And he said, 'Yes, I saw how I was occupied
while governing the affairs of the community, all its black sheep and its
white sheep, and I remembered the stranger, beggar and straying, and
the poor and the needy, and the prisoners in captivity, and all like them
in the far places of the earth, and I realised that Allah, the Most High
would ask me about all of them, and Muhammad would testify about
them, and I feared that I should find no excuse when I was with Allah,
and no defence with Muhammad. And by Allah even when 'Umar was
with me in bed, where a man usually find some pleasure with his wife,
if he remembered some affair of God's (people), he would be as
unsettled as a bird that had fallen into water. Then his weeping would
56

rise until I would have to throw off the blankets from over us. By Allah
he would say: How I wish that there was between me and this office
the distance of the East from the West!'.
The fear of Allah Aza Wa Jalla would drive the Shabaab of the Dawah
to expend all of his efforts to propagate the thoughts, win over
supporters, to speak the word of Haqq and to not fear in the way of
Allah and His call, the blame of the blamer (Lawmatu Laaim). He will
not be two faced, he will not flatter and he will closely guard to make
sure that the sovereignty is always for the ideology. So his concern is
not earning the pleasure of the people and gaining their acceptance
because he is a trustworthy guardian of Islaam and he applies the
rulings of Islaam upon the realities as they occur with truthfulness and
as a trust.
The Messenger of Allah (saw) said:

:



:



.

None of you degrades himself more than the one who sees a
matter related to Allah which requires speech but does not do it.
He will then be asked when he meets Allah Azza Wa Jalla (on
the Day of Judgement): What prevented you from speaking on
that day? He will say: Yaa Rabb, the fear of the people. He (swt)
will respond: I had more right to be feared (Ash-Shawkaani,
Fath ur-Rabani trustworthy narrators Rijaal Ath-Thiqaat).

57

Jafar Al-Mansoor forbade Al-Imaam Maalik Bin Anas (rh) to mention

the statement taken from Ibn Abbaas (ra):

There is no divorce for the one who has been coerced
However Al-Imaam Maalik refused and spoke about it openly and as a
result was lashed and beaten.
(Translators note: Advisors to Jafar Mansoor said that Imaam Maalik
was using this statement to infer that the Baiah to Mansoor was not
valid as it had not been taken upon the acceptance of the people and
was forced upon them).
One of the students of Al-Izzu-d-Deen Bin Abdus Salaam (rh) asked
him if he had been afraid when he accounted the ruler and he replied:
By Allah, my son, I have placed the awe of Allah TaAalaa inside of me
so that the Sultaan (Imaam) standing before me has become like a
kitten.
An Arab Bedouin entered the quarters of Sulaymaan Bin Abdul Maailk
and said: O Ameer ul Mumineen, I am going to speak to you in a
certain way so endure it, even if you dislike it, as behind it there is
something that you will love if you accept it. He said: Speak. So he
said:
O Ameer of the believers, you have been surrounded by men who
have purchased the Dunyaa at the expense of the hereafter and have
bought your pleasure at the expense of the anger of their Rabb, they
feared you more than Allah, they have demolished the hereafter and
built the Dunyaa and they are at war with the Aakhirah and at peace
with the Dunyaa. So do not entrust them with that which Allah has
entrusted upon you because they will not leave a trust except in loss
58

and will not spare the Ummah from sinking down. This is because you
are responsible for the crimes that they commit whilst they are not
responsible for your crimes. So do not make good their Dunyaa by
ruining your Aakhirah because the most unjust of people is the one
who has sold his Aakhirah for the Dunyaa of someone else.
The Sulaymaan said: As for you, then you have let your tongue free
and it is sharper than your sword.He replied: Yes Ameer ul
Mumineen, but is for you and not against you. Sulaymaan then asked:
Do you have anything that you want for yourself in this matter? He
replied: Other than the general benefit for all I have nothing specific
that I want for myself. He then stood and left.
Sulaymaan then said: To Allah belongs all glory for the likes of this
man. How honourable is his origin and how complete is his heart, how
sharp is his tongue and how pure is his intention and how excellent is
his spirit!!
Ishaq Bin Hanbal, the uncle of Ahmad Bin Hanbal (rh), said: I visited
Abu Abdullah when he was imprisoned and I said to him: O Abu
Abdullah, your friends (i.e. other scholars) have responded (i.e. to the
demands of the ruler) whilst you remain imprisoned and in hardship.
So Abu Abdullah replied: If the god fearing knowledgeable one
responds and the one who is ignorant remains ignorant, then how will
the Haqq (truth) ever be made clear?!
He (Ishaq) said: So I left the issue. Then he (Ahmad Bin Hanbal) said:
What is your position in respect to the Hadeeth of Khabaab: Verily
there were those who came before you where one of them would be
sworn with a saw and this would take him away from remaining firm
upon his Deen. Ishaq said: So we gave up trying to change his mind.
Then Ahmad said: I do not mind being imprisoned as it is just my
individual home and I do not fear being killed by the sword. I am only
afraid of being lashed as I fear that I will not remain steadfast. Then
59

some of the guards heard this and responded by saying: Dont worry
O Abu Abdullah, it is no more than two lashes and then you will not
know where the rest have struck. After he heard this he became more
discreet.

60

9) Loving for Allah:

The Messenger of Allah (saw) said:

The strongest bond of Imaan is the love for Allah's sake and the
hatred for Allah's sake
(Many have classified as Daeef but a Marfou chain from Ibn
Masood has been classified as Hasan by Al-Albaani).
He (saw) also said:

There are not two people who love each other for Allahs sake
except that the one who has the greater love for the other is the
best of them (Saheeh Ibn Hibbaan).
They are from amongst the seven whom Allah (swt) will place under
his shade on the day in which there will be no shade except for His.
The presence of this sincere love and pure affection is a natural matter
between the Shabaab of the Islamic Dawah and it is a guide upon
which the interaction takes place and an evidence for the purity of the
carrying of the Dawah. Those who are like this, are then from amongst
the Awliyaa of Allah in truth.
The Messenger of Allah (saw) said:

61

There are people from the servants of Allah who are neither
prophets nor martyrs; the prophets and martyrs will envy them on
the Day of Resurrection for their rank from Allah, the Most High
(Al-Haithami, Abu Daawood).
O Messenger of Allah, inform us of who these people are?
He (saw) said:

They are people who love one another for the spirit of Allah (i.e.
the Qur'an), without having any mutual kinship and giving
property to one. I swear by Allah, their faces will glow and they
will be (sitting) in (pulpits of) light. They will have no fear (on
the Day) when the people will have fear, and they will not grieve
when the people will grieve.
(Abu Daawood)
He (saw) then recited the Aayah:

62

Behold! Verily for the friends of Allah there is no fear, nor shall they grieve
(Younus 62).
Allah (swt) mentions to us the nature of the relationships that existed
between the Muhaajiroon and the Ansaar in a portion of the Quraan
that was recited over a number of days:
He (swt) said:

And [also for] those who were settled in the land (Al-Madinah) and [adopted] the
faith before them. They love those who emigrated to them and find not any want in
their breasts of what the emigrants were given but give [them] preference over
themselves, even though they are in a deprived state. And whoever is protected from
the stinginess of his soul then he is from those who will be the successful (Al-Hashr
9).
Then when Allah (swt) finished this statement, He follows it by
mentioning that which those who come after them (the Muhaajiroon
and Ansaar) and follow them in Ihsaan (perfection and excellence) until
the Day of Judgement should say:

63

And those who came after them who say: Our Lord, forgive us and our brothers
who preceded us in faith and put not in our hearts [any] resentment toward those
who have believed. Our Lord, indeed You are Kind and Merciful (Al-Hashr 10).
For this reason it is necessary to strengthen the connections between
the Shabaab of the Dawah and for frequent visits to be made amongst
them and for them to be concerned for each other, for each of them to
love for his brother better than what he loves for himself and for them
to be there for one another at the time of need and hardship.
It has been narrated that Abu Hurairah (ra) was in Itikaaf in the Masjid
of Rasoolullah when he saw a man sitting on the side of the Masjid
who looked sad. So he approached the man and asked him about the
reason for his sadness. When he was informed about the mans
problem he said: Come with me and I will deal with your need. The
man then said: You will leave your Itikaaf in the Masjid of the
Messenger of Allah for my sake? Abu Hurairah then wept and said: I
heard from the one who rests in this grave (saw) and who did not leave
us long ago that he said:
For one of you to go out (of his way) to fulfil his brothers need
until he has accomplished that, then this is better than his
performance of Itikaaf for ten years.
(Note: A similar narration has also been reported stating that Ibn
Abbaas (ra) approached the man and one report states better than two
months).
And it is a duty of the Muslim to leave all Gheebah (backbiting) in
respect to his brother by mentioning him in a bad manner when he is
absent. Instead the correct manner is to be focused upon disclosing the
faults of the disbelievers and hypocrites whilst exposing their position
towards Islaam and the Muslims.
64

Sufyaan Bin Hussein Al-Waasitiy said: I spoke badly about another

man in front of the Qaadi (Judge) of Basrah Iyaas Bin Muaawiyah AlMuzniy (He was a Taabiiy and would present intelligent examples to
explain his points). He looked straight at my face and said: Did you
fight against the Romans? So I replied: No. He then asked: What about
Sind, Hind and the Turks? I replied no. He then said: So the Romans,
Sind, Hind and the Turks are all safe from your harm whilst your
Muslim brother is not safe from you! Sufyaan then said: I did not
return to this action again after that.
The Muslim must also abandon thinking negatively or badly of his
brothers or cast doubt and suspicion over them. Rather he should
interpret their actions positively as much as possible and this is due to
the statement of the Messenger of Allah (saw) when he said:

Beware of suspicion, for suspicion is the most deceitful of speech

(Al-Bukhaari).
Being suspicious could lead to a form of spying which is prohibited
and as such the Muslim must conceal the faults of his brother and to
look over it as this is the mark of the people of Taqwaa. The great
Scholar Abdullah Ibn ul-Mubaarak said: The believer seeks excuses
(for others) whilst the Munaafiq looks for their slipups and mistakes.
It is well known that spite and envy are normally behind shortcomings
in relation to concealing peoples faults and behind the desire to
disclose them. The believer however should be the furthest away from
anything related to that and the Muslim should rather make Duaa for
his brother whilst he is living and continue to do so after his death with
everything that he makes Duaa for himself.
65

Muslim related in his Saheeh that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said:

:
The supplication of the Muslim for his brother when he is absent
is responded to. By his head is an angel who is entrusted over
him and every time that he asks for goodness for his brother the
angel who has been entrusted to him says: Aameen and for you is
the same.
(Muslim).
It has been reported that Abu Ad-Dardaa (ra) used to make Duaa for
many of his brothers and that he would name them by their names.
Similarly it has been reported that A-Imaam Ahmad Bin Hanbal (rh)
used to spend the late part of the night supplicating for six different
groups of people. In Adaab Al-Mufrad compiled by Ibn Katheer (rh)
he relates a Hadeeth narrated by Abdullah Ibn Amr (ra) from the
Messenger of Allah (saw) that he said:

The fastest Duaa to be answered is the Duaa of the absent for

the absent (Abu Daawood, Ibn Asaakir Hasan Ghareeb).
And it has also been related in the book that Abu Bakr As-Siddeeq (ra)
said:

66

Verily the Duaa made for the brother for Allahs sake is answered.
The Muslim must also lower his wing in kindness to his brothers and
he must always submit to the truth and not follow desires. The Noble
Messenger (saw) warned about the person being pleased with himself
and about following his desires. He (saw) forbade Kibr (pride) and
called the people towards humility and humbleness when he said:

:

:

No one will enter Paradise who has an atom's weight of pride in
his heart." A man said, "What if a man likes his clothes to look
good and his shoes to look good?" He said, "Allah is beautiful
and loves beauty. Pride means denying the truth and looking
down on people.
(Muslim).
Ash-Shawkani (rh) said in respect to the Batar-ul Haqq (denying the
truth) mentioned in this Hadeeth that: It means his defensiveness and
denial in an arrogant manner.
An-Nawawi said: In an arrogant tyrannical manner.
Al-Qamoos Al-Muheet (Classical dictionary) states that the meaning
of Batar ul-Haqq is: That he is too arrogant to accept the truth.
The word Ghamt in the Hadeeth was explained by An-Nawawi to
mean: Having scorn and contempt for the people.
67

In respect to Ikhlaas (sincerity) and At-Tawaadu (humility) Al-Imaam

Ash-Shaafi (rh) said: I have not regarded anyone and desired that he
makes an error and I do not possess in my heart any knowledge except
that I have desired that this knowledge would belong to everyone
whilst not being attributed back to me.
This same meaning was conveyed in the words of Abdullah Ibn
Abbaas (ra) in regards to the extent of loving others:
When I realize the importance of a verse of God's Book, I would wish
that all people should know what I know. When I hear of a Muslim
ruler who deals equitably and rules justly, I am happy on his account
and I supplicate for him and even if I am not connected to him (i.e. A
Waali of another province). And when I hear of rains which fall upon
the land of Muslims I rejoice and even if this land is far away from
benefiting me.

68

10) Obedience to the Ameer:

Obedience is an essential matter for order and discipline to exist and it

is an obligation that Allah (swt) and His Noble Messenger (saw) have
commanded. The Muslim must commit to this obedience and even if
the matter that he has been commanded with does not agree with what
he wants or if he dislikes it.
The Messenger of Allah (saw) said:

Whoever dislikes something from his Ameer then he should
remain patient (Al-Bukhaari and Muslim).
And he (saw) said:

Hearing and obeying is oblige upon the Muslim in that which he
likes and that which he dislikes as long as he is not commanded
with an act of disobedience. So if he is commanded with an act of
disobedience then there is no hearing and no obedience (AlBukhaari)
Irbaad Bin Saariyah (ra) narrated that: The Messenger of Allah (saw)
led us in prayer one morning and then turned towards us and then
addressed with words that caused the eyes to flow and filled the hearts
69

with fear. Then someone said: O Messenger of Allah, it as if this is a

farewell exhortation so what do you oblige us with?
He (saw) then said:

I enjoin you to have Taqwaa (fear) of Allah, and to listen and

obey [your leader], even if a slave was to become your Ameer.
Verily he among you who lives long will see great controversy, so
you must keep to my Sunnah and to the Sunnah of the Khulafaa'
ar-Raashideen (the Rightly Guided Caliphs), those who guide to
the right way. Cling to it stubbornly [literally: with your molar
teeth]. Beware of newly invented matters [in the religion], for
verily every Bid'ah (innovation) is misguidance (Al-Mundhiri, AlMulqin, Saheeh and Hasan).
In this Hadeeth the Messenger of Allah (saw) is linking the Taqwaa
(fear and obedience) of Allah to the hearing and obedience to the
Ameer and this is due to the seriousness and importance of the
command to obey. So when the inner self responds affirmatively to
and absorbs these words of the Messenger (saw), the issue of
obedience would then become a characteristic and attribute from
amongst the attributes of the Dawah carrier. The inner self will then
not be inclined to rebel against the commands, disobey them or refrain
from implementing them and even if these commands were contrary to
his own opinions or if he was not convinced of their correctness and as
long as there was no sin involved or attached to their performance. All
of this is required and necessary for the ordering, preservation and
discipline of the Kutlah (party structure/Jamaaah) that Allah (swt) has
70

commanded to be established in addition to allowing the leadership to

focus upon the affairs of the Dawah and be freed to concentrate its
efforts upon the struggle against disbelief and its agents.
When Abu Dharr (ra) was in the Town of Ar-Rabdhah a delegation
from Kufa approached him and asked him to raise up the banner of
disobedience against the Khalifah and so he rebuked them with the
following decisive words: By Allah, if Uthmaan was to crucify me
upon the longest piece of wood or mountain I would hear and obey
him. And I would have patiently persevered in anticipation of reward
and I would have seen that as being good for me and if he made me
travel from one side of the earth to the other I would have heard and
obeyed, patiently persevered and anticipated the reward and I would
have seen that as being good for me.
When Abu Hurairah (ra) was appointed as a Waali (governor of a
province) he saved money from his Halaal sources of income and
Umar (ra) found out about this and called him to Al-Madinah. Abu
Hurairah said: Umar said to me: O enemy of Allah, O enemy of His
Book, you have stolen the property of Allah? I replied: I am not the
enemy of Allah and I am not the enemy of His Book but rather I am
the enemy of those who are enemies to them (Allah and His Book) and
I am not the one who has stolen the property of Allah. He said: So
how were you then able to gather together ten thousand? I said:
Through the breeding of a horse of mine and gifts that I received.
Umar then said: Then pay it to the Bait ul-Maal (treasury) of the
Muslims. Abu Hurairah (ra) then paid the money to Umar and raised
his hands and said: O Allah forgive the Ameer of the believers.

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11) Sabr at the time of being tested:

Facing adversities and trials is a natural consequence of carrying the

Dawah and struggling against Kufr and its supporters, and the carrier
of the Dawah should not believe that he will not be tested and put
through trials whatever the level of this adversity may be.
Allah (swt) says:

) 0(
) 1(

Alif, Lam, Meem
Do the people think that they will be left to say: "We believe" and they will not be
tried?
And We indeed tested those who were before them. And Allah will certainly make
(it) known (the truth of) those who are true, and will certainly make (it) known (the
falsehood of) those who are liars
(Al-Ankaboot 1-3).
And He (swt) says:

You will surely be tested in your possessions and in yourselves. And you will surely
hear from those who were given the Scripture before you and from those who associate
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others with Allah much abuse. But if you are patient and fear Allah - indeed, that
is of the matters [worthy] of determination (Aali Imraan 186).
And the level of affliction and the test is in accordance to the level of
the persons Deen and Imaan.
Imaam At-Tirmidhi relates that Sad Ibn Abi Waqqaas (ra) related:

:
:

I said: O Messenger of Allaah, which of the people are most

severely tested? He said: The Prophets, then the righteous,
then the next best and the next best from the people. A man will
be tested in accordance with his level of his Deen. If his religious
commitment is strong, he will be tested more severely, and if his
religious commitment is weak, he will be tested in accordance
with his religious commitment. Calamity will keep befalling a
person until he walks on the earth with no sin upon him.
For a Muslim to be capable of facing this test, it is essential for him to
believe in the Qadr and to know that what he has been afflicted with is
not due to his sins and that the errors of a person are not the reason or
cause for the affliction. He should understand that if the entire Ummah
gathered against him to cause him harm then he would not be harmed
by anything except that Allah (swt) had written this affliction for him.
This belief rests in his deepest depths and becomes a conviction that he
fully submits to. It disciplines his conduct in life and makes of him a
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courageous man who drives forth to undertake the burdens of the

Dawah without hesitation or fear.
Abu Daawood related in his Sunan that the Noble Sahaabah Ubaadah
Bin Saamit (ra) said the following to his son when his death was
approaching: O son, you will not find the true flavour of Imaan until
you understand that what afflicts you of adversity was not due to your
errors and that which you err in is not the reason for being afflicted. I
heard the Messenger of Allah (saw) say:

.

:
:

:

The first of what Allah created was the pen and then He said:
Write. The pen asked:O my Rabb, what should I write? He
said: Write the Maqaadeer (Qadr) of everything until the hour is
established.
Ubaadah (ra) then said: O my son, verily I heard the Messenger
of Allah (saw) say: Whoever dies upon other than this (belief)
then he is not from me.
So that the Dawah carrier can stand up to and face the test and
affliction he must seek help and reliance by way of patience and prayer.
Allah (swt) said:

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O you who have believed, seek help through patience and prayer. Indeed, Allah is
with the patient (Al-Baqarah 153).
He must exhort and advise others with patience and perseverance or he
will be from amongst those who are lost:

) 2( ) 1(

)3(



By time. Man is in loss. Except for those who have believed and done righteous
deeds and advised each other to truth and advised each other to patience (Al-Asr).
He asks Allah (swt) to bestow upon and favour him with the attribute
of patience:

"And you take vengeance on us only because we believed in the Ayaat (proofs,
evidences, lessons, signs, etc.) of our Lord when they reached us! Our Lord! Pour out
on us patience, and cause us to die as Muslims (Al-Aaraaf 126).
He is patient with the best and most beautiful patience (Sabrun Jameel)
as Allah (swt) has commanded and this is the Sabr that carries no
complaint in regards to the creation as Ibn Taymiyyah (rh) stated. He
also must understand the great reward that awaits the Saabireen (those
who are patience and persevere):

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Those will be rewarded with the highest place (in Paradise) because of their patience.
Therein they shall be met with greetings and the word of peace and respect (AlFurqaan 75).
It has been reported from the Messenger of Allah (saw) that he said:

How wonderful is the affair of the believer, for his affairs are all
good, and this applies to no one but the believer. If something
good happens to him, he is thankful for it and that is good for
him. If something bad happens to him, he bears it with patience
and that is good for him (Muslim).
The carriers of the Dawah are certain that Sabr is the means towards
realising the victory of Allah:
Allah (swt) said:

And certainly messengers were denied before you, but they were patient over [the
effects of] denial, and they faced harm until Our victory came to them. And none

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can alter the words of Allah. And there has certainly come to you some information
about the [previous] messengers (Al-Anaam 34).
He (swt) said:

So be patient. Indeed, the promise of Allah is truth. And do not let those who have
no certainty (in belief) lessen your efforts (Ar-Room 60).
The sincere Dawah carriers have indeed been tested in the past and
recent times and have been afflicted by many forms of tests which has
included death, torture, being beaten, starved, mocked, exiled from
their lands, imprisonment and being hunted in addition to facing a
barrage of false and lying propaganda and slander. Indeed, there has
not been a time or period in which the enemies of the Dawah carriers
have not been active in harming them using all the styles and means
that they have at their disposal.
And here are the words of the great Sahaabi Khubaib Bin Adiy (ra) as
he was being executed:
The confederates have gathered their tribes around me,
And summoned all of them who could come.
They have gathered their women and children,
I am bound fast to a lofty trunk.
To Allah alone I complain of my helplessness and sufferings,
And of the death, the confederates have prepared for me.
Lord of the Throne! Give me endurance against their design,
They have cut my flesh bit by bit, and I have been deprived of sustenance.
They let me choose infidelity but death is preferable,
Tears roll out of my eyes, though not of fear.
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By Allah! I do not care as long as I die a Muslim,

In which place I will be killed for the sake of Allah.
I will not show subservience or fear to the enemy,
If my Lord so desires, He will bless my torn limbs and broken joints.
In regards to Khabbaab Bin Al-Aratt (ra) Ash-Shabiy said:
Indeed Khabbaab patiently persevered and the disbelievers did not
leave him alone. They used to attach his bare back to grill and burn him
until his skin would fall off.
Umm Anmaar the Mistress of Khabbaab used to place a red hot iron
bar upon his head until he would faint from the pain and one day the
Messenger of Allah (saw) passed by Khabbaab whilst he was being
tortured and was greatly affected by what he saw but was unable to do
anything for him at that time except to strengthen his resolve and he
supplicated: O Allah support Khabbaab.
Amr Bin Maymoon narrated the following in regards to Ammaar Bin
Yaasir (ra): The Mushrikeen burnt Ammaar Bin Yaasir with fire and
the Messenger of Allah (saw) walked past him and he passed his hand
over his head and said: O fire be cool and peaceful upon Ammaar just
as you were cool and peace upon Ibrahim (as). And Ammaar (ra) said
whilst being tortured: O Messenger of Allah (saw) we have been
tortured to an extent that cannot be surpassed. The Messenger (saw)
then responded: Patiently persevere O Abu Yaqzhaan! Patiently
persevere O family of Yaasir! Verily your destination is Jannah.
Az-Zubair (ra) related: The first to recite the Quraan openly in
Makkah aside from the Messenger of Allah (saw) was Abdullah Ibn
Masood (ra). This happened when one day the companions of the
Messenger of Allah (saw) gathered together in a meeting and they said:
By Allah the Quraish have not heard the Quraan being recited at all so
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who will be the man to make them hear it? Then Abdullah Ibn
Masood (ra) said: I will do it. They responded: We fear for you from
them, we need someone who has a clan that will protect him from the
people if they wanted to harm him. He replied: Let me go because
verily Allah will protect me. Abdullah then went out in the morning
until he arrived at the Maqaam (in front of the Kabah) at the time of
Duhaa and the Quraish were sitting around. So he stood at the
Maqaam and then began to recite from Surah Ar-Rahmaan. He raised
his voice aloud:

) 0(

He then turned and faced the Quraish directly whilst continuing his
recitation and they were contemplating what they were hearing and
said: What is the son of Umm Abd saying!! He is reciting some of
what Muhammad has come with. They then approached him and
began to strike him in the face whilst he continued reciting and he
remained as such until he was unable to take any more and then he
returned back to his companions with injuries to his face and body.
They then said: This is what we feared would happen to you.
Abdullah (ra) then replied: The enemies of Allah are in no more
comfortable a state than me right now and if you like I will go out to
them early again tomorrow. They replied and said: You have done
what is sufficient because you have made then hear that which they
hate.
When the Roman King was unable to entice and tempt Abdullah Bin
Hudhaafah As-Sahmi to leave Islaam and embrace Christianity through
offering him a share in his kingdom and the hand of his daughter in
marriage, he then brought a large copper pot and boiled water inside it.
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He then brought one of the Muslim prisoners he held captive and

threw him into the pot and his flesh was burnt revealing his bones. The
King then asked him to embrace Christianity one more time but he
refused once again and so the King ordered that Abdullah be thrown
into the pot. He was then lifted to be thrown into the pot and then he
began to cry. The King then thought that he had found his weakness
and so called to him. Then Abdullah said: Indeed I only cried because
this soul of mine is only one that will be thrown into the pot for Allah
and I would love that I had as many souls as the number of hairs that I
have on my body so that they could all be tortured with this torture for
the sake of Allah. Then the King said to him: If you kiss my forehead
then I will set you free. Abdullah responded: And set free all of the
Muslim captives alongside me? He replied: Yes. Abdullah then kissed
his head and he and all of the Muslim captives were set free. When he
returned to Al-Madinah Umar Ibn Al-Khattaab (ra) said: It is a right
for every Muslim to kiss the forehead of Abdullah Ibn Hudhaafah and
I will be the first. So he approached Abdullah and kissed his
forehead, may Allah be pleased with them all.
Al-Imaam Ibn ul-Qayyim Al-Jawziyah (rh) described the condition of
his Sheikh Ibn Taymiyyah (rh) whilst he was held prisoner in the
Damascus fortress. He relates: He said to me one time: What can my
enemies do to me? I have in my breast both my Heaven and my
garden. If I travel they are with me, and they never leave me.
Imprisonment for me is a religious retreat [khalwa]. To be slain for me
is martyrdom [Shahaadah] and to be exiled from my land is a spiritual
journey [Siyaahah]. And he also said: I could not be more grateful for
this blessing and even if I was to be given this entire fortress in gold';
or, 'I could never repay them for the good that has come to me in [this
prison].'
And the great Sheikh remained in imprisoned until he passed away
Rahimuhullah.
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Sad Ibn Abi Waqqaas (ra) described the situation of the Muslims when
they were being boycotted by the Quraish and said: I went out one
night to relieve myself and then I heard a rattling sound underneath the
urine and I saw a piece of dry camel skin. So I picked it up, washed it,
roasted it and then soaked it in water and ate it over the following three
days.
The above are some of the stances adopted by men and represent the
tip of the iceberg in respect to the history of the Muslims. In our
current time many of the carriers of the Islamic Dawah have been tried
and tested in respect to their lives and property through imprisonment,
torture, being driven out of their homes and pursuance. They have had
their sources of income, jobs and interests attacked, their passports
confiscated and have been killed and executed in many lands. So we
ask Allah TaAalaa for his forgiveness, abundance in reward and to join
us with them so that we will all be together in the comfort and stability
of His Rahmah.
Allah (swt)

Among the believers are men true to what they promised Allah. Among them is he
who has fulfilled his vow [to the death], and among them is he who awaits [his
chance]. And they did not alter [the terms of their commitment] by any alteration
(Al-Ahzaab 23).

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12) Confidence in the promise of Allah:

In Surat ul-Ahzaab two different stances have been mentioned:

The stance of the believers as manifested in this Noble Aayah:

And when the believers saw the confederates (Ahzaab) they said: "This is what
Allah and His Messenger had promised us, and Allah and His Messenger spoke
the truth." And it only increased them in Imaan and acceptance (Al-Ahzaab 22).
Followed by the stance of the hypocrites who were exposed in this
Noble Aayah:

And [remember] when the hypocrites and those in whose hearts is disease said:
"Allah and His Messenger did not promise us except delusion (Al-Ahzaab 12).
Therefore the believers are those who sincerely attest their
commitment to Allah and His Messenger whilst the Munaafiqoon
(Hypocrites) are those who are insincere and deceitful to Allah and His
Messenger. This Aayah defines the position and stance of the believers
and indeed it is a distinguished stance in respect to their absolute and
complete trust in the promise of Allah. It is a stance that does not
waver, shake or become unsettled otherwise doubt would occur in
respect to the Imaan.
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The one who has recited the Aayaat of the Quraan would have found
that it has confirmed that the promise of Allah is coming and that there
is no doubt in that. He would have found that the victory and support
is the ally of the believers, that ease follows hardship, that Allah has full
control and dominance over His affairs and that Allah will make Islaam
prevail over all other Deens and even if the disbelievers hate it.
Lets contemplate the following Noble Aayaat:

So be patient. Verily, the Promise of Allah is true, and let not those who have no
certainty of faith, discourage you (Ar-Room 60).

Or think you that you will enter Paradise without such (trials) as came to those who
passed away before you? They were afflicted with severe poverty and ailments and
were so shaken that even the Messenger and those who believed along with him said:
"When (will come) the Help of Allah?" Yes! Certainly, the Help of Allah is near!
(Al-Baqarah 214).

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Verily, We will indeed make victorious Our Messengers and those who believe (in
the Oneness of Allah Islamic Monotheism) in this world's life and on the Day when
the witnesses will stand forth (Ghaafir 51).

Verily, those who disbelieve spend their wealth to hinder (men) from the Path of
Allah, and so will they continue to spend it; but in the end it will become an
anguish for them. Then they will be overcome. And those who disbelieve will be
gathered unto Hell (Al-Anfaal 36).
The Messenger of Allah (saw) has promised victory and relief on many
occasions and this is like the words he spoke to Khabbaab (ra) when he
approached the Messenger (saw) and complained of the severity of the
harm that they were facing.
The Messenger of Allah (saw) said:

By Allah this matter will certainly be accomplished until the rider
travelling from Sana (Al-Yaman) and going to Hadramawt (AlIraq) will have nothing to fear except for Allah or a wolf
threatening his sheep, however you are in a hurry (Al-Bukhaari).
Muslim related in his Saheeh that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said:

84

You will wage war in the Arabian Peninsula until Allah grants
you its conquest, then the Persians and Allah will grant you its
conquest and then you will wage war against the Romans and
Allah will grant you the conquest...
In another narration it mentioned ...And you will conquer Egypt and
they have named it Al-Qairaat and then treat its people will.
The Messenger of Allah (saw) also foretold of the conquest of
Constantinople more than eight and half centuries before it happened
when he (saw) said:

You will certainly conquer Constantinople so blessed be the
Ameer who will be its Ameer and blessed be the army who will be
its army (Al-Haithami, Rijaaluhu Thiqaat).
Let us look at what came of the promises of Allah (swt) and His
Messenger (saw) in the time that has already passed us by. The promise
of Allah and His Messenger were realised, the Islamic State was
established, the Quraish were defeated, Islaam became dominant and
Shirk was eradicated from the Arabian Peninsula. They dismantled the
Jewish infrastructure, they caused the Roman and Persian Kings to
completely disappear from existence and they conquered
Constantinople. They raised the flag of Islaam over a vast part of the
world, the Islamic State was the worlds number one and leading State
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for thirteen centuries and in that time the word of Allah was made the
highest and the word of those who disbelieve was brought low.
And today and in this current time the Khilafah will be established
once again by the permission of Allah just as the Messenger of Allah
(saw) informed us when he said:

The beginning of your Deen will be Prophethood and Rahmah
(Mercy), it will remain with you for as long as Allah wishes it to
remain. Then Allah will remove it and then there will be a
despotic rule (Mulk Adood) and it will remain amongst you for
as long as Allah wishes for it to remain. He will then remove it
and then there will be a tyrannical rule (Mulk Jabriy) and it will
remain for as long as Allah wishes for it to remain. Then he will
remove it and then there will be a Khilafah upon the
methodology of the Prophet, it will deal with the people in
accordance to the Sunnah of the Nabi and Islam shall spread its
rule over the earth which the inhabitants of the earth and heavens
will be pleased with. Then the skies shall not withhold a drop of
rain except that it will cause it to fall and the earth shall not
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withhold anything from its produce and blessing except that they
will be brought out.
(The first part of this Hadeeth has been found in a number of
references as Saheeh, Hasan and Jayyid but I have not found a
reference for the second half the Hadeeth with this wording).

The Muslims will be victorious and prevail over the Yahood for a
second time as the Noble Messenger of Allah (saw) promised when he
said:

The Day of Judgement will not come until the Muslims fight the
Yahood and the Muslims will kill them to the point that the
Yahood will hide behind the rocks and the trees. The rocks and
the trees will then say: O Muslim, O Abdullah, there is a
Yahoodi behind me so come and kill him except for the Gharqad
tree which is from the trees of the Yahood.
(Muslim).
Rome will be conquered just as Constantinople was conquered before
it and this is because the Noble Messenger of Allah (saw) has promised
that:
Abdullah Ibn Amr Al-Aas (ra) related:

87

Whilst we were writing in the company of the Messenger of

Allah (saw) the Messenger of Allah (saw) was asked: Which of
the two cities will be conquered first, Constantinople or Rome?
So the Messenger of Allah (saw) said: The city of Heraclius will
be conquered first (Al-Haithami Saheeh).
The Muslims are certain of all of this because this is what Allah and
His Messenger have promised us and Allah and His Messenger have
spoken the truth. This matter requires from us continuous work and to
look to the future with great hope. However, it is not allowed for us to
imagine that the achievement of these promises has to be realised by
our own hands. If some of these promises were accomplished at the
hands of the early generation then that is the favour of Allah that he
gives to whom he wishes. Outside of that the continuation of the
Dawah remains obligatory and leaving it is a great sin. Despairing of
the Rahmah (mercy) of Allah means misguidance and hopelessness in
the Rauh (soothing mercy) of Allah and is from the actions of the
disbelievers.
We see the disbelievers upon their disbelief persevering upon that
which they wish to accomplish and they do not sit back from acting in
order to arrive at their goals and objectives. The Yahood persevered
for fifty years until the disbelievers established a State for them in 1948
in Palestine whilst the Communists persevered for seventy years until
they were able to establish their first State in Russia in 1917. If this is
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the case then how should it be for the carriers of this Dawah whilst
the enemy is upon the Baatil (falsehood) and they are upon the Haqq
(truth) and whilst Allah TaAalaa is their Mawlaa, the best of protectors
and supporters?

That is because Allah is the Mawlaa (Helper and Protector) of those who believe,
and because the disbelievers have no Mawlaa for them (Muhammad 11).

There are two Noble Hadeeth Qudsi that express this meaning in full.
The first states:
Allah (swt) said:

How little is the modesty of the one who seeks my mercy whilst
he is miserly to Me in his obedience. How can I be generous with
My Mercy with the one who is miserly in his obedience to Me?
(Note: This is referenced in some of the books of Tafseer as a
statement from Allah (swt) to Musaa (as) but is not verified in the
collections of Ahaadeeth).
Whilst the second states:
Allah (swt) said:
89

'I have declared war on anyone who shows enmity to a friend of
Mine. My slave does not draw near to Me with anything I love
more than what I have made obligatory on him. And my slave
continues to draw near to Me with Nawaafil (superogatory
actions) until I love him. When I love him, I become his hearing
with which he hears, his seeing with which he sees, his hand with
which he strikes, and his foot with which he walks. If he were to
ask Me for something, I would give it to him. If he were to ask
Me for refuge, I would give him refuge.
(Al-Bukhaari).
Therefore we must strive in the obedience of Allah and to gain
closeness to Him by performing the Faraaid (obligations) and
Nawaafil, so that Allah will be pleased with us and bestow His mercy
upon us. In this way each of us will become the walking representation
of Islaam upon the earth until we stand out amongst the people and so
that we may be from amongst the best attendees as described by the
Messenger of Allah (saw). He (saw) was asked:

" :

90

Which of our participants is the best? He (saw) said: The one

who reminds you of Allah when you see him and the one who
increases your knowledge with his speech and the one who
reminds you of the hereafter with his knowledge.
(Al-Mundhiri Its narrators are Saheeh apart from Mubaarak Bin
Hassaan. Others have declared it to be Daeef).
We have hope in Allah Subhaanahu Wa TaAalaa that the existence of
men upon this mould will be the path that leads towards the Tawfeeq.
That He (swt) will hasten the victory and establish us firmly upon the
earth, so that the Islamic Khilafah will be established and the Raayah
(banner) of Islaam will once again be raised high. Verily Allah is
capable over all matters and the only worthy source to respond to our
supplications.

91