Refresh Your Imaan

Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wasallam) told us that there was a group from the Bani Israel who went to visit a graveyard. There they said, “How about if we pray two rakahs and ask Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) to resurrect someone, so we can ask him about death.” So they prayed two rakahs and asked Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) to resurrect one of the dead. A dark man was resurrected, who had the sign of sujood (prostrations) on his forehead.  He said, “What do you want from me? I died one hundred years ago and the pain of death only just stopped at this moment. Pray to Allah and ask him to return me to as I was.” [Abu Daud] There are three lessons to learn from this hadith: 1. The pain of death is severe and it lasts for a long time. We should pray to Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) to make it easy for us. 2. The value of shahada. One of the many honors that Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) will give a shaheed is that his/her pain of death would feel no more then the sting of a mosquito

Anas (radi Allahu anhu) reported regarding the marriage of the Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) to Safiyya bint Huyayy (radi Allahu anha): “Allah's Messenger (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) arranged the wedding feast consisting of dates, cheese, and refined butter…. And the people ate to their fill, and they said, ‘We do not know whether he (the Prophet) has married her (as a free woman) or as a slave woman.’ They said, ‘If he (the Prophet) makes her wear the veil, then she is a free woman, and if he does not make her wear the veil, then it means that she is a slave woman.’ When he intended to ride, he made her wear the veil and she sat on the hind part of the camel; so they came to know that he had married her.” [Sahih Muslim] There are many lessons to be drawn from this Hadith. A few of these are:  A man should publicize his marriage with a wedding feast.  One should provide sufficient food to the guest that they may eat to their fill.  The veil is the mark o

The Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “Secret Zikr is the best Zikr.” [Ihya Ulum Id-Deen] Don’t waste your good deeds by informing others about them, obviously or obliquely. And try to perform your good deeds while hidden from the eyes of men.  To do a good deed is indeed not as difficult as safeguarding it is. To obtain the maximum reward for it on the Day of Judgement it must have been done for Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) alone and so must be saved from being used to show-off and earn mileage in the world. Another Hadith states that the reward of a secret deed is seventy times more than that of an open deed.

Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “Truthfulness leads to righteousness and righteousness leads to Paradise; a person remains truthful until he is written as a Siddeeq (truthful person) with Allah. Lying leads to sin and sin leads to the Fire; a person keeps lying until he is written as a Kadhdhab (liar) with Allah.”  [Bukhari, Muslim] Imam Malik records that Abdullah ibn Masud would say, “Each time someone lies a black spot appears on his heart until his whole heart becomes black and he is written with Allah as a Kadhdhab.” He also records that it was asked of Luqman, “How have you reached this level in excellence?” He replied, “By being true in speech, fulfilling trusts and leaving what does not concern me.” Such is the importance of remaining truthful that the Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said that a Momin could at any one time perform one sin or the other but he could never be a liar. Shaitan incites us to lie, saying it is only one lie. But that is how the h

It was narrated that Abu Hurairah (radi Allahu anhu) said that the Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “Whoever seeks knowledge that should be sought seeking the Face of Allah, but he only seeks it for the sake of some worldly gain, he will not smell the fragrance of Paradise on the Day of Ressurrection." (Hasan) [The Book of Knowledge: Sunan Abu Dawud] This hadith reminds us to acquire knowledge for the pleasure of Allah alone. If a religious scholar acquires it to make it a means of worldly gains, then it turns into such a serious crime that such an alim/scholar will not even smell the fragrance of Jannah, although its fragrance can be smelt from a very great distance. This means that he or she will not enter Jannah along with the saved. May Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) save us from such an end.  However, if a scholar gains wealth or other worldly gains through it without that being his or her intention, then it is a different matter. In that case, it is not har

The Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wasallam) said: “When Allah created Paradise, He said to Jibreel: ‘Go and look at it.’ Jibreel went and looked at it, then came and said: ‘O my Lord! By Thy might, no one who hears of it will fail to enter it.’   Allah then surrounded it with disagreeable things, and said: ‘Go and look at it, Jibreel.’ He went and looked at it, then came and said: ‘O my Lord! By Thy might, I am afraid that no one will enter it.’ When Allah created Hell, He said: ‘Go and look at it, Jibreel.’ Jibreel went and looked at it, then came and said: ‘O my Lord! By Thy might, no one who hears of it will enter it. ‘ Allah then surrounded it with desirable things and said: ‘Go and look at it, Jibreel.’ Jibreel went, looked at it, then came and said: ‘O my Lord! By Thy might and power, I am afraid that no one will remain who does not enter it.’ [Abu Daud] Hellfire is surrounded by tempting things and sin appears attractive to us; but where sin leads to is horrific. On the