Yaser Birjas – TaSeel #67
AI: Summary ©
The speakers emphasize the benefits of avoiding mud, trusting others, and staying friends with people who have similar behavior. They stress the importance of fasting, helping others, and knowing and gathering information for the Quran. The speakers also recommend reducing the number of people in a situation to avoid distractions and making it easier for others to understand. The importance of healthy deeds and family ties is emphasized, as well as the need to be mindful of one's behavior and not to avoid distractions. The speakers emphasize the importance of reducing the number of people in a situation to make it easier for others to understand.
AI: Summary ©
material and just read the book and kind
of expand on what was mentioned.
No, they went way and beyond to create,
alhamdulillah, like action item plans based on the
material of our discussion and our studies.
And that's what's so beautiful about it.
Hopefully, inshallah, you guys get a chance to
read what they wrote, biddenillahi tabaraka wa ta
'ala, as we publish that inshallah wa ta
'ala.
Bismillah, shall we start?
Alhamdulillah rabbil alameen, salallahu wasallam baraka nabiyyina muhammadin
wa ala alihi wa sahbihi wasallam tasliman kathiratun
mamma ba'd.
So we're back alhamdulillah with our ta'seel
class tonight inshallah ta'ala.
We will continue from the chapter on al
uzla, the benefits of solitude on page 93.
On page 93, so Imam Ibn Qudama rahmatullahi
ta'ala alayh, he had a chapter on
the benefits and the pitfalls of solitude.
And he mentioned a few of them, starting
with the first one, like when you have
seclusion and you have a life of solitude,
you will free your time and yourself for
ibadah.
So you don't have to worry about dealing
with people, obligations towards other people and all
that kind of stuff, like you focus on
yourself and your ibadah.
The second one, he says you free yourself
from falling into sins and mistakes in relationship
to dealing with people.
So you're not going to sit with people
to backbite others or insult others or hurt
other people's feelings and so on.
No, no.
You're on your own, away from all these
things and so forth.
He mentioned of course some scenarios.
And tonight inshallah ta'ala we start with
the third, the third benefit of solitude.
Bismillah.
Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim.
The author Ibn Qadamah writes, the third benefit,
deliverance, khalas, from temptations, fitan, and disputes, khasumat,
and safeguarding religion by not engaging in those
things.
Because cities are rarely free of bigotry, asabiya,
and disputes, excluding a person who isolates himself.
He is obviously protected from them.
Alhamdulillah wa salat wa salam ala Rasulallah.
So just, I would say maybe in terms
of the translation, the word fitan, the translator
used the word temptation for that.
It's one of the meanings of fitna, no
doubt about it.
But in the context of this point, he
doesn't mean fitan means temptations, he means turmoils.
Like basically when there are turmoils, when there
is uprisings, when there is disputes, khasumat, these
are the turmoils, all these that happens in
the society and the community.
He says when there is a huge turmoil
in the community and the society, at least
the one who have a life of solitude,
safeguarded themselves from getting involved.
You don't take sides, you don't have to
fight anybody, you don't have to live a
life of partisanship, like having the asabiya, the
partisanship of course, and the feeling of you
have to support this person regardless of they're
right or wrong, because you're free from all
that stuff, free from bigotry, all kind of
these things.
That's what he says the meaning of having
a life of solitude, away from the fitan
and the khasumat.
And this hadith is actually hasan, which means
acceptable hadith.
As you see the Prophet ﷺ, he gave
us prophecies into the future.
So these are like min alamat al-sa
'ah, and that's part of the truthfulness of
the Prophet ﷺ when he speaks about the
future.
So he predicted that ﷺ, and he says,
when the time comes, people don't keep their
promises.
In terms of their trust, it becomes very
very frail.
You don't find people to trust anymore.
Like back in the days in the past,
you can trust anybody.
The Bedouins, even the non-Muslims, even the
mushrikeen, imagine that.
Even the mushrikeen, they had those rules and
laws of trust because they live in a
very harsh environment, the desert.
So when they travel in the desert, in
order for them to survive, they have to
honor certain rules.
Like even if you find someone who killed
your brother or killed your father and they
come to you as guests in the desert,
you have to honor them for three days
and three nights until they leave.
Once they disappear in the horizon, then you
go chase after them if you want to.
But there are specific rules for that, and
they trusted each other.
But nowadays, unfortunately, if you look at how
many people can you trust with your money,
with your property, with the key to your
house, for example, right?
Many of these things, Allah musta'an.
People nowadays, they thrive, unfortunately, on cheating other
people, like hackers online, for instance.
They find pleasure in cheating other people out
of their wealth and money and so on.
The Prophet s.a.w. says, stay like
this, which means, stay like in the jama
'a.
The Prophet s.a.w. asked him, what
do I do, O Rasulullah, what do you
advise me to do?
If that's the case and you're unable to
be with the people of the jama'a,
then at least stay in your own house.
Like live the life of seclusion and solitude.
And watch your tongue, watch what you're saying.
Like mind your own business, watch what you're
saying.
وَخُذْ مَا تَعْرِفْ وَدَعْ مَا تُنْكَرْ Observe that
by fitrah, the natural innate, you feel inclined
to being good.
So recognize what is good and follow it,
and what is wrong and stay away from
it.
وَعَلَيْكَ بِأَمْرِ الْخَصَّةِ وَدَعْ أَمْرَ الْعَامَّةِ And make
sure, as a result of that, he said,
s.a.w., attend your own affairs and
leave alone the affairs of the common people.
No, خلاص, just mind your own business and
leave all these public affairs and so forth.
So that's from the Prophet s.a.w.
as an advice, he says, to avoid falling
into the fitnah of disputes among the people.
Again, one of the benefits of being in
seclusion or solitude is staying away from all
these fitnah.
The fourth benefit, being safe from the evil
shell of people because at different times they
will offend you by backbiting, riba, tail-bearing,
namima, thinking ill, su-al-dhan of you,
and giving you false ambitions, أَتْسَمَعَ الْكَذِبِيَةِ Whoever
mixes with people will most likely encounter jealous
people, حَسَد, enemies, عَدُو, and other types of
evil that a person comes across, and the
people whom he knows.
Solitude enables a person to avoid all of
that.
A poet said, Before we read the poet,
so he's basically like, he summarized an entire
chapter in one paragraph.
He says, look, when you live a life
of seclusion or solitude, you free yourself from
the evil that will come from associating yourself
closely with people.
Like what?
What is the most likely problems you will
have being around people?
He mentioned them.
He said, number one, backbiting.
So you will backbite people, and they will
backbite you probably.
Like when you interact with people, something happens
that makes you start speaking bad about others,
and they'll speak bad about you.
The second one, he says, وَمَرَّةً بِالنَّمِيمَةِ Tailbearing,
which means what?
You have people coming telling you about others,
and people start telling others about you, and
it goes around and around and around.
Like basically, like, slandering one another.
وَمَرَّةً بِالسُّؤْضَنِ Sometimes you'll have all these bad
assumptions about people when you see them and
interact with them.
Sometimes they will have bad assumptions about you,
holding grudge against you.
And he says, قَالُ وَالتُّهْمَةُ Sometimes people, they
will just suspect you.
They'll become suspicious about you.
So when they interact with you, they're very
cautious.
And that can create maybe tension between other
people as well too.
وَمَرَّةً بِالأَطْمَاعِ الْكَادِبَةِ Basically, this is when you
have false ambitions.
You have all these hopes with people.
And as a result, you're sometimes dealing with
people and you have hope from them that
might be financial gain.
You can imagine how you compromise yourself for
the sake of these false hopes.
And he says, قَالُ وَالتُّهْمَةُ If you're going
to associate yourself with the people, you can't
be free from one of these two things.
Whether you have someone who's envious of you,
or someone who's just being an enemy to
you.
Like they have no reason to suspect you
other than their own jealousy and their own
envy that comes from their heart.
So no matter how much you try, you'll
always find people who would have issues with
you.
قَالُ And this is few of the many
evils that you might have when you associate
yourself with people.
And if you go into solitude, you have
a خَلَص.
And you'll be free from all these things.
And now he says, like the poet said,
A poet said, Your enemies are from your
friends.
Therefore, do not have many friends.
Indeed, diseases mostly emanate from food or drink.
نعم So in Arabic he says, قَالُ عَدُوبُكَ
مِنْ صَدِيقِكَ مُسْتَفَادُ فَلَا تَسْتَكْثِرَنَّ مِنَ الصِّحَابِ فَإِنَّ
الدَّاءَ أَكْثُرُ مَا تَرَاهُ يَكُونُ مِنَ الطَّعَابِ أَوِ
الشَّرَابِ He says that, Look, your enemy is
going to benefit a lot from your friends.
How so?
Like sometimes when you have so many friends,
And if something happens, If something happens, These
friends become what?
Enemies.
And if some of them have issues with
you, If you have an enemy, They probably
will side with this enemy against you.
He goes, So therefore, make sure that you
don't have too many friends.
Because these people might turn against you at
some point in life.
He says, فَإِنَّ الدَّاءَ أَكْثُرُ مَا يَكُونُ Because
sometimes sickness and illness, Most likely comes from
what?
From food and drink.
Means things that are desirable, Things that are
good for you technically, But they might cause
you harm as well too.
Just like friends are good, But they can
be the cause of harm and damage to
you.
May Allah protect us from this, O Lord
of the worlds.
Ibrahim Ibn Adham said, Do not introduce yourself
to those whom you do not know, And
ignore those whom you know.
A person asked his brother, Should I accompany
you for Hajj?
He said, Let us be content that Allah
has hidden our faults.
Indeed, I fear that if we travel together,
We will see in each other what will
cause us to hate each other.
So Ibrahim Ibn Adham, he says, If you
have people already around you, Don't try to
add more to them.
Like enough what you have.
And slowly and gradually you are going to
reduce The kind of association of the people
that you have around you.
But by the way, These statements are sometimes
extreme In certain situations, circumstances.
But in normal circumstances, it is different.
And he says, Someone says, I want to
go with you to Hajj.
I don't know how many of you have
been to Hajj, But you know in Hajj,
You roommate with people you have seen the
first time in your life.
So you are going to see their hygiene,
their habits, Their this and that.
And God knows how much you are going
to be excited about this.
And you have to be with people in
tents.
You have to be going with them here.
So you are going to see tons of
things.
Therefore, he said to him, Look, listen, I
mean, if we go together, We might see
things we are not going to like from
each other.
So let's stay friends.
Let's stay friends.
However, sometimes, Traveling together, Can really strengthen the
bonds.
It really depends on who you associate yourself
with.
Like, people don't know about your shortcomings.
Because they don't associate very much, very often
with you.
But if you go with everybody everywhere, And
you become too casual with them, Definitely they
are going to see things from you that
you will not be happy with.
Keep going.
It was said, Whoever avoids all the people,
They will all like him.
So what it means by that, One of
the benefits is that people, When you are
not available too often, They stop kind of
like, Hoping for things from you.
They stop asking you.
They stop, you know, Going after you for
things.
So alhamdulillah, you are free from their wants
and their needs of you.
Similarly, If you live a life of solitude,
You become independent of them.
And they become independent of you.
So you are not going to need them.
They are not going to need you.
Alhamdulillah.
So we save ourselves from all these things.
He says, Because If you need to please
them, He says, This is something that you
can never really reach.
Because no matter how much you try, You
cannot satisfy everybody around you.
But you don't have to worry about this,
Because you are independent of them.
Alhamdulillah, you save yourself from trying to please
everybody.
As for your losing interest, Indeed a person
who looks at the worldly adornments will be
keen to acquire them.
His greed for the world will receive impulse
by his keenness, And he will be disappointed
By not being able to acquire most of
his desires.
Thus he will be hurt by that.
But if you are independent of all these
wants from these people, Alhamdulillah, You don't have
to worry about any of these things.
A hadith states, Look at one who is
lower than you, And do not look at
one who is above you.
For indeed that is more worthy That you
not belittle Allah's favours upon you.
This is al-Bukhari Muslim.
The Prophet ﷺ says, قَالَ أُنظُرُوا إِلَى مَن
دُونَكُمْ وَلَا تَنظُرُوا إِلَى مَن فَوْقَكُمْ لِأَلَّا تَزْدُرُوا
نِعْمَةَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ In matters of dunya, In
the matters of dunya, Look at those who
are below you.
Don't look at those who have more than
you.
Otherwise you will never appreciate the ni'mah that
Allah blessed you with.
But in matters of the akhira, Where would
you look?
You look at those who are higher than
you.
Don't look at those who are lower than
you.
Like if someone tells you, Hey man, why
don't you come to the majlis?
Hey listen to me, at least I pray,
not like that guy.
Why would you put yourself in this position?
Like you compare yourself to someone who is
way low down there.
In matters of dunya, yes.
In this case, don't look at those who
are above you.
But in the matters of the akhira, Look
for those who are above you so that
you can inshallah encourage yourself and do better.
But when you look at them with the
eye of ghibta, Not the eye of hasad.
It's not envy, rather it's subhanallah, It's wish
to be like them in a good way
inshallah ta'ala.
Allah the Exalted said, وَلَا تَمُدَّنَّ عَيْنَكَ إِلَىٰ
مَا مَتَّعْنَا بِهِ أَزْوَاجٍ مِّنْهُمْ زَهَاطِ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا
And do not extend your eyes toward that
by which you have given enjoyment to some
categories of them.
It's being but the splendor of worldly life.
Which when you live a life of solitude,
You don't have to look at what people
have in their hands.
You don't even have to worry about that
stuff.
Subhanallah, some of our ulema, From the past,
they lived this life of minimalism and solitude.
And they busied themselves with ilm and knowledge
and studying and teaching.
To the extent that they had no clue
how far the society advanced.
It was said to me about, and we
read about, Shaykh Shanqeet, may Allah have mercy
on him, The author of Adwaa al-Bayan.
Who came from Shanqeet, and of course, And
he taught in Mazin Nabawi, And also Al
-Jama'a in Madina Munawwara.
So they said about him, may Allah have
mercy on him, That he couldn't even tell
the difference between the currency bills.
Like he doesn't know the difference between the
100 from the 50 from this and that.
Like he doesn't know what do they mean.
Why is it different like this?
Also, he couldn't even, when he sees cars,
He asks people, he goes, How do people
recognize which car is theirs?
Like he, to that level, subhanallah.
I know for us, we say like, come
on, I mean, this is, Well, he was
so busy.
He was so busy with things that are
much more beneficial to him, And to us,
alhamdulillah.
We learn from his ilm and his knowledge,
That he was completely oblivious to what was
going on in the world around him.
Rahmatullahi ta'ala alayhi.
And I mentioned to you guys about him,
subhanallah.
And I heard about stories about his ilm
and his knowledge.
That he was like an encyclopedia, rahmatullahi ta
'ala alayhi.
Like someone when he speaks, all the ilm
comes natural to him, subhanallah.
Without hesitation, without looking into a book.
So I was able finally to secure, at
that time they were in cassettes, I was
able to secure 50 cassettes of tafsir surat
al-an'am.
By him, rahmatullahi ta'ala alayhi.
And ya Allah, when I was listening to
it, I just cannot believe the one who
is speaking is not reading from a book.
You can't really believe that.
He must be reading from a book.
But that was a halaqa, in the masjid.
And he would speak and the ilm just
flows on his tongue from his mind.
It's just like Allahu Akbar.
Speaking about grammar and then he switches to
poetry and he goes back into fiqh and
then usool and then this.
Switching from one ilm and this ilm to
the other one, just instantly as he speaks
and he gives tafsir, everything flows naturally to
him.
Without having to dedicate his time in seclusion
or solitude for that ilm, how could he
have accomplished that?
Yes.
The sixth benefit, avoiding mixing with annoying and
foolish people and enduring their behavior.
If a person is offended by annoying people,
he will start to backbite them.
If they criticize him, he will respond in
the same manner and this will cause corruption,
fasad and religion.
In solitude, there is safety, salama from that.
Like he made this the last one, right?
Like if you go into solitude, you're going
to save yourself from dealing with those, he
called them in Arabic language, al-thuqala wal
hamqa.
Al-thuqala, like those in Arabic, we say
thaqeel al-dam.
Even the expression, there is no real literal
translation for it.
Thaqeel al-dam is just like someone who
is obnoxious, someone who is just annoying.
Like you just feel annoyed by their presence.
Because if you go into solitude, you don't
have to deal with these people.
You don't have to worry about that stuff.
Wal hamqa, the foolish ones.
Those people who don't know your status, don't
know your level of ilm and knowledge, maybe
they don't even know who you are.
And so when they speak, they might insult
you.
They might cause you to feel hurt by
that.
And that will make you maybe backbite them,
maybe insult them.
So you go into the sin and to
the fitna with these people.
So he said just stay in solitude.
You don't have to worry about these foolish
ones and al-thuqala.
May Allah protect us from all these.
So these are the benefits.
He mentioned six of these benefits of al
-uzla, solitude.
Next time inshallah when we come back, we
will talk about the pitfalls of solitude.
Meaning it's not always good.
And if you guys remember from the very
beginning of the chapter, about the ruling of
uzla, what is better for us, to go
into solitude or into mingling with people and
enduring the hardships of dealing with them.
We mentioned that it's a case by case
scenario.
It depends on the people and their circumstances.
But overall, there is benefit for being in
solitude and there is also pitfalls for that.
So what is the dangers of being in
solitude?
He is going to talk about this next
time inshallah.
Wallahu a'lam.
Bismillah.
Alhamdulillah rabbil alameen.
Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam wa barakatuhu wa nabiyyin
wa muhammadin wa ala alihi wa sahbihi wa
sallam tasliman kathiratun mamma ba'd.
So we are still reading from hadith number
36 Then Imam al-Nawawi, may Allah have
mercy on him, recited a hadith about Ibn
Rajab.
The hadith of Abu Hurairah, may Allah be
pleased with him and be pleased with him,
about the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless
him and grant him peace, that he said,
Whoever takes a breath from a believer who
is close to this world, Allah will take
a breath from him who is close to
the Day of Resurrection.
And whoever is easy for a person, Allah
will make it easy for him in this
world and the Hereafter.
And whoever is a Muslim, Allah will make
it easy for him in this world and
the Hereafter.
And Allah is in the help of the
servant as the servant is in the help
of his brother.
And whoever follows a path in which he
has knowledge, Allah will make it easy for
him in the way to Paradise.
And when a people sat in a house
of Allah's houses, reciting the Book of Allah,
and studying it among themselves, the tranquility came
down on them, and mercy overwhelmed them, and
the angels comforted them, and Allah reminded them
of those who are with Him.
And whoever delays in his work, his lineage
will not be hastened.
Hadith.
Conceal his wrong action in the world and
the next life.
Allah is ready to help the slave as
long as the slave is ready to help
his brother.
Whoever travels on a path seeking in it
knowledge, Allah will smooth for him by a
path to the Garden.
If people gather in one of the houses
of Allah, reciting the Book of Allah, studying
it together, and teaching it to each other,
tranquility will descend upon them, mercy will cover
them, the angels encircle them, and Allah remembers
them among those who are with Him.
Whoever's deeds hold him back will not be
advanced by his lineage.
So, last time we studied this, Alhamdulillah, we
said that this hadith has seven statements.
We covered the first three, and we come
to the fourth one tonight, Insha'Allah wa
ta'ala.
So we discussed the whole principle of تنفيس
الكوربات meaning relieving people out of their distress.
We talked about how to make easy the
life of other people as well too, how
you can make it easy for them, especially
those who are going through difficulties and hardships.
And we also talked about الستر which means
concealing the عورات and the faults of other
people.
Tonight, Insha'Allah wa ta'ala, we come
to the fourth point, and that is the
saying of the Prophet ﷺ, وَاللَّهُ فِي عَوْنِ
الْعَبْدِ مَا كَانَ الْعَبْدُ فِي عَوْنِ أَخِيهِ What
does it mean when the Prophet ﷺ says
Allah is ready to help the servant or
the slave as long as the slave is
ready to help the brother.
So let's see what he says here Insha
'Allah wa ta'ala.
Bismillah.
The author, Rahimahullah, writes, as for the second
type...
No, no, we said his saying.
The second paragraph right after that.
He's saying Allah is ready to help the
slave as long as the slave is ready
to help his brother.
There is in the hadith of Ibn Aman,
whoever is ready to help his brother in
need, then Allah is ready to help him
in his need.
We have seen previously in the explanation of
the 25th and 26th hadith the merit of
discharging someone else's needs.
So if you remember this hadith, the 25th
hadith if you guys remember it, we cover
that in your book on page 405.
Hadith Abu Dharr radiyallahu anhu wa rada when
the people came to the Prophet, ذهب أهل
الثور بالأجور The wealthy people are taking all
the reward, Ya Rasulallah.
Hadith number 26, hadith Abu Hurairah radiyallahu anhu
wa rada in page 416 in your book
that you have.
كل سلام من الناس عليه الصدق Everybody when
they wake up in the morning they have
the responsibility to give charity on behalf of
every joint in their body.
So he mentioned these hadith as a reference
to what does it mean to help other
people.
Yes.
The best of actions is bringing happiness to
a mu'min such as you clothe his nakedness,
feed him in hunger or discharge his need.
Did you guys reflect on this hadith right
now?
It's a very short statement.
Hadith Al-Tabarani.
Even though some dispute the authenticity of it,
but it can be hasan.
The Prophet ﷺ here simply says, أفضل الأعمال
The best of your good deeds.
He didn't say fasting or tahajjud or coming
to the masjid more frequently.
No, no, no.
He says, ادخال السرور على المؤمن ادخال السرور
على المؤمن means bringing joy into the life
of a believer.
Making them happy.
And he gave examples.
Like what?
كسوت عورتهم You clothe them, buy them clothes.
أو أشبعت جوعته Or even, alhamdulillah, give them
food.
أو قضيت له حاجة Or help them fulfill
some of their needs.
Now, I don't know how many of you
have seen people smile when it comes to
carry some of these things for you.
If you have never really volunteered to go
and help people, refugees in camps and disaster
areas.
Subhanallah, you have no idea what does it
mean to see happiness.
Happiness on the face of people.
Subhanallah, I delivered boxes of aid and food
parcels locally in the community.
I did that.
So you go to people's apartments and you
knock on the door and you give them
boxes.
Subhanallah.
Or sometimes they come to the van and
they get it from your hand and so
on.
But frankly, people in the city unfortunately at
some point they become very entitled.
Like I remember one time we knocked on
someone's door.
They came and they were on the phone
and they just pointed to us to leave
it on the ground.
And they closed the door.
And I'm like, wow.
Subhanallah.
Like they really became so entitled to that
that they don't really appreciate that.
But some of the best experiences I had
unfortunately was in places of disaster.
Like the earthquake last February in Turkey.
I remember visiting one of the buildings that
was designated for orphans.
Syrian families, orphans and their mothers, widows.
And it was even not just any orphans
or any widows.
No.
The criteria has to be widows, children, means
orphans and at least one of the kids
or maybe the mother has a special need.
So it's double the trouble basically for them,
subhanallah.
But I can tell you it was one
of the most joyful moment to be there.
And as we were leaving that building wallahi,
your heart is breaking.
It was so, so difficult to leave because
we spent about maybe half an hour or
an hour probably maximum with them.
And Sheikh Abdullah Udoorah was with us and
he brought balloons and we just were sharing
that time with them and kind of like
enjoying time doing nasheed and jokes and talking.
It was fun time with them.
One of those moment that was that broke
our hearts in that moment, subhanallah.
One of the kids came to us holding
our hands.
He goes, when are you going to be
back?
And I'm like, oh man.
There was no plan to come back again.
But that time that you spend bringing that
moment of joy into the heart of these
kids, it's something that you can't really, you
can't forget about, subhanallah.
You cannot forget about it.
So if you've never really experienced that joy,
I highly recommend for you to do that.
Go volunteer, help out.
Those are the most vulnerable when you give
them something as simple as a balloon, simple
as a toy, or a sandwich, or food,
whatever that you give, subhanallah, they can, they
will appreciate it in a way that you
have never seen probably before.
Now.
Al-Hasan al-Basri sent some people of
his company to look after the needs of
a man and he said to them, go
to Thabit al-Bunani and take him with
you.
They went to Thabit and he said, I
am an ertika for treat.
So they went to Al-Hasan and told
him and he said, say to him, do
not know that you are walking for the
sake of your brother.
Brother Muslim's need is better for you than
hajj after hajj.
They returned to Thabit and he abandoned his
ertika and went with them.
Thabit al-Bunani was very well known for
his ibadah and his zuhud.
Kind of like, again, the solitude lifestyle, subhanallah.
And he thought that his ertika would be
better than that.
But obviously, Al-Hasan al-Basri would know
better.
He says, no, what are you talking about?
I mean, going to help the people out
there is way better than you doing your
individual ibadah over here.
So once again, if you would like to
find that joy, you will find it in
helping other people.
You want some spirituality?
Go and help other people.
Like the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, he
said in the hadith, if anyone desires for
our heart to soften, what do you need
to do?
قَالَ يَمْسَحَ لَرَأْسِ الْمِسْكِينَ You need to go
and wipe over the head of the miskeen
and the orphans.
Like if you go and you help in
these circumstances, you will find your heart become
softer and softer.
Yes.
Imam Ahmed narrated a hadith from my daughter
of Khabab ibn al-Arat that she said,
Khabab went out on a raid and the
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam came repeatedly to
us to milk a female goat of ours
in a large bowl of ours.
It would fill up so much that it
would overflow.
When Khabab came, he milked it and its
milk returned to the condition it was in.
So Imam ibn al-Rajab r.a, when
he speaks about right now, helping other people,
he is going to bring us right now
the example of the best people.
The example of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam.
Like even the great messenger of Allah didn't
find anything wrong in going to the house
of Khabab.
Who is Khabab?
Khabab ibn al-Arat was one of the
weak individuals considered back in the days in
Mecca.
Like he is in the rank of Bilal
r.a and Suhaib al-Rumi like the
destitute and the weak and completely ignored people.
People don't even pay attention to them.
So here is the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam.
When he realized that Khabab left in a
hurry, which means he is now going out
for the sake of Allah s.w.t.
on an expedition.
The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam would come
to his family in the household take care
of them.
And he would milk the goat for them
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
Can you imagine the Prophet does that?
And when the Prophet did that there was
so much barakah in the milk.
When Khabab came back and he tried himself
it went back again to normal.
And then he mentioned the example of Bakr
as-Siddiq.
And then the example of Umar ibn Khattab
r.a like he is telling us that
if the best people the best people in
the Ummah such as the Prophet sallallahu alayhi
wa sallam or Bakr as-Siddiq or Umar
ibn Khattab they did things that you will
just be shocked by.
Subhanallah.
I want you to hear the story of
Umar ibn Khattab.
So look at Umar went regularly.
Umar went regularly to some widows and he
would draw water for them at night One
night Talha saw him entering a woman's house
and so Talha went to see her during
the day and found her to be an
old crippled blind woman.
He asked her what does this man do
for you?
She said this man since such and such
time has come to me regularly to do
things for me and remove things that trouble
me.
Talha said may your mother be bereft of
you Talha.
You follow up the slips of Umar.
Like Talha when he saw Umar ibn Khattab
at night go into the house he was
like wait a minute.
I mean does that where is he going?
What does he do?
And the next day he go to the
house he find that woman that Umar ibn
Khattab goes to help out and she doesn't
even know that that was the Khalifa.
Amirul Mu'mineen r.a. So look at this
example.
He's showing us that even the best of
the best they had that time.
They spared some time and help the people
in their community.
So who are we to say you know
what I don't have time for this and
I cannot do that.
Let's move on inshallah.
Fasting on a trip.
An example.
There is in the two Sahih books from
Anas that he said we were with the
Prophet s.a.w. on a journey and
some of us were fasting and some were
not fasting.
He said we alighted at a place on
an extremely hot day.
Those who had the greatest shade were those
who had large outer garments.
Some people protected themselves from the sun with
their hands.
He said those fasting collapsed.
Those who were not fasting arose in pitch
tents and got water for their mouths.
The Messenger of Allah s.a.w. said
those who are not fasting have gone off
with the reward today.
So what does that mean?
He brings another example of helping one another.
We're traveling.
Is it permissible to fast on a journey?
It's permissible.
Is it recommended?
No.
The Prophet s.a.w. said it's not
good for you to fast while traveling.
However he himself he fasted s.a.w.
making the prohibition only to be disliked if
you cannot handle it.
And on this journey some fasted.
Some they didn't.
Those who were fasting they couldn't handle it.
It was too hot.
It was too difficult.
So just like collapsed.
So who cared for the entire caravan including
the fasting?
Those who were not fasting.
So that's when the Prophet s.a.w.
said those who were not fasting today got
all the reward.
Like they did better than those who were
fasting.
So yeah it's about helping the people.
Look imagine.
The fasting they were doing the ibadah for
themselves.
But those who were helping around even though
they were not fasting their service to others
was much more rewarded than fasting.
رضي الله تعالى عنهم وارضاهم.
Serving the parents is another example.
It is narrated from a man of Aslam
that the Prophet s.a.w. was brought
food on one of his journeys and so
all his companions ate from it.
The man from Aslam withheld his hand and
the Messenger of Allah s.a.w. said
to him What is wrong with you?
He answered, I am fasting.
He asked, What made you do that?
He said, My two sons are with me
and they sat on my mount for me
and served me.
So he said, they continue to have more
merit than you.
So that's if somebody is going to be
serving anybody those who deserve your service first
before anybody else would be who?
جماعة Your parents.
Your own people.
First of all.
Before anybody else you serve your family inshallah.
رضي الله تعالى عنهم وارضاهم.
Now an interesting hadith here from Mursal Abu
Dawood رحمه الله تعالى in regards to again
traveling So is it individual Ibadah better than
helping others or how does it look like?
Now.
There is in the Mursal of Abu Dawood
Mursal Hadith of Abu Dawood from Abu Qilaba
that some of the companions of the Messenger
of Allah s.a.w. arrived praising one
of their people highly.
They said, We have never seen the like
of so and so.
Whenever we traveled he was reciting and whenever
we alighted he performed Salah.
He asked, So who looked after his property
until he mentioned and who gave fodder to
his camel or riding beast?
They answered, We did.
He said, Then all of you are better
than him.
Did you understand that?
Your individual Ibadah is not greater than helping
other people.
So never ever belittle the service of volunteering
and helping and making people comfortable in the
Masjid in the program, the activity.
Do not belittle that because I know a
lot of our volunteers feel burned out and
they say, Oh I missed the Taraweeh I
couldn't do this while I was hoping to
be in the first line of Salatul Jummah
but I always pray in the back because
I have to be the usher of the
door.
You know what?
Do not belittle the reward that you, or
the Ibadah that you do helping and serving
other people.
It has high reward as the Prophet Sallallahu
Alaihi Wasallam mentioned here in this Hadith.
Now, moving to the fifth point that was
mentioned in the Hadith about seeking knowledge.
He said, If you walk a path to
seek knowledge Allah will facilitate a path for
you to Jannah.
Let's see what does that mean.
He's saying, Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam whoever travels on
a path seeking knowledge in it Allah will
smooth it, smooth by it, Allah will by
it smooth for him a path to the
garden.
This same sense is also narrated by Abu
Dardaf and the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam.
So what does it mean here when he
say, if you take a path of seeking
knowledge.
What kind of path are we talking about?
Is that a physical path or a metaphorical
path?
Let's see what he says here.
So two meanings for the path that you
tread and you go through for seeking knowledge.
Traveling on a path and seeking knowledge comprises
traveling literally on a path.
So that's obviously meaning what?
Taking a physical journey.
Like you move from Dallas to go to
Houston to attend a program for instance.
Or going from Valley Ranch all the way
let's say to Plano for instance or to
Frisco or even Arlington.
Like you really literally, you go because there's
a program happening there there's a sheikh or
a scholar or a program.
You have to attend that.
So you make that journey.
That's a physical now path.
A second?
Walking on one's feet to the assemblies of
people of knowledge and it comprises traveling in
metaphorical paths which will bring which will bring
one to knowledge such as memorizing it studying
it being involved in discussion of it overviewing
it writing and recording it coming to understand
it and similarly all the paths of meaning
by which knowledge is obtained.
So what does that mean here?
It's not necessarily journey to seek that knowledge.
No.
Any path that will lead to seeking knowledge
like what?
Listening, reading, writing, studying, opening a book, maybe
advancing in the Arabic language whatever, you know,
effort that you put in seeking knowledge that's
a path as well too.
So whether it's an actual physical path where
you journey to a place to seek knowledge
or the actual effort you put in seeking
that knowledge there both can be considered meaning
whoever takes a path من سلك طريق and
you go on to the path to seek
knowledge.
Now, what about سَهَّلَ اللَّهُ لَهُ بِهِ طَرِيقًا
لِلْجَنَّةِ Now what about the path that Allah
SWT will facilitate for them to Jannah.
What does that path mean?
He has also other meanings for that.
He's saying Allah will smooth for him a
path by it to the garden.
May mean that Allah will make easy for
him the knowledge which he is seeking and
traveling on his path because knowledge is a
path which leads to the garden.
So that's the first meaning.
Means making knowledge and his journey easy.
So سَهَّلَ اللَّهُ لَهُ بِهِ طَرِيقًا لِلْجَنَّةِ Allah
will make the path easy for them to
Jannah.
Means Allah will make the path of seeking
knowledge easy for them.
Make knowledge easy for them to understand.
And seeking it will be easy.
So Allah will provide for them scholars, opportunities.
Alhamdulillah may be wealth enough for them to
purchase these books and travel to these places.
Allah will make that journey easy for them.
That's the first meaning.
The second meaning go down there it may
also mean It may also mean that Allah
makes easy for the seeker of knowledge if
he intends the face of Allah by seeking
knowledge that he benefits by it and that
he act according to his requirements.
So that's the second meaning.
The second meaning is that Allah will make
them benefit from what they learn.
The second meaning that they learn and that
knowledge becomes beneficial that they work upon it.
It's not like they learn and they just
forget it.
No.
They actually act upon it.
So it becomes easy for them.
Number three Allah may make other sciences easy
for the seeker of knowledge by which he
gains benefit.
So what does that mean?
Like I would love to study for example
Usul.
But to study Usul I have to learn
maybe a little bit of Arabic.
A little bit of Fiqh and maybe this
or maybe that.
So while you're seeking a specific subject Allah
will facilitate ease for you to understand other
subjects as well too.
Like build on that knowledge by benefiting from
other knowledge as well too.
And the fourth one down there.
There may also be comprised in that the
facilitation of the sensory path to the garden
on the day of rising.
So that's the fourth meaning that it might
be that Allah will make the actual physical
path to Al-Jannah easy for them.
Because we know on the Day of Judgment
there are multiple stations, right?
You have to stand before Allah SWT first.
You have to answer for your deeds.
And you have to weigh your deeds.
And you have to walk this.
There are a lot of different stations on
the Day of Judgment.
Perhaps those people Allah SWT will make their
path so easy.
Like the 70,000 who will go to
Jannah without any Hisaab or Adhab.
No account.
No reckoning.
Nothing.
They go straight to Jannah.
Maybe Allah will facilitate for these people students
of knowledge that they go straight to Jannah.
Doesn't have to go over the account and
so on.
May Allah make us some of them Ya
Rabbal Alameen.
So, four meanings He mentioned.
What does that path Allah facilitate for the
seeker of knowledge is?
Naam.
Why knowledge is so important?
The Prophet SAW like in the bearers of
the knowledge with which he had come to
the stars by which one is guarded.
No, before that.
We said the previous part.
Where is number four is?
Continue.
And that is the Sirat.
Yes.
And that is the Sirat to the bridge
over the fire to the garden and those
terrors proceeding and succeeding it.
And so he facilitates it to the seeker
of knowledge so that he might benefit by
it.
Because knowledge shows the way to Allah by
the nearest paths to Him.
So, what's the benefit of knowledge?
Why knowledge is so important?
Simply in that statement because knowledge shows the
way to Allah by the nearest paths to
Him.
Like many, many people they go in this
dunya doing what?
Seeking the truth.
Right?
So, they go into a lot of experimentation.
So, they go into seclusion, they climb mountains,
go into a solo trip around the globe,
whatever that is.
They're looking to find the truth and they
want to find their way to back to
Allah SWT.
He says, look, knowledge is a shortcut that
brings you back to Allah SWT.
Where we get that from?
It's in the Quran as Allah SWT says,
إِنَّمَا يَخْشَ اللَّهُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ الْعُلَمَاءِ Those who
truly fear Allah SWT among all His servants
are those who have the knowledge.
So, you have the knowledge, it brings you
closer to Allah SWT.
The next point right now, what's the value
of scholars?
The Prophet.
The Prophet SAW likened the bearers of the
knowledge with which he had come to the
stars by which one is guided in the
dark.
So, what does that mean?
Today, who are the stars in our town?
When you say the stars, who are they?
Who are they?
I don't want to reference a very famous
show, you know.
But eventually, who are the stars?
Unfortunately, so-called celebrities, right?
People who have absolutely no value except entertainment.
And probably their big asset is just their
looks.
Nothing else, really.
Not even a talent, subhanAllah.
And those have become the stars by which
people, they find guidance in this life.
I want to be like this singer and
that actor.
And this footballer, that's their dream.
These are the stars by which they see
their life and their direction of becoming in
that direction.
And here the Prophet SAW tells us the
real stars are those who truly bring you
back to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.
You navigate through the darkness of night through
what?
The knowledge that comes from these ulama.
These are the stars that you really need
to be following.
By which?
There is in the Musnad from Anas that
the Prophet SAW said the likeness of the
people of knowledge in the land is like
that of the stars in the sky by
which one is guided in the darkness on
land and on sea.
Then when the stars are effaced it is
very likely that guides will go astray.
Any of you guys camped in the darkness
of the night?
Anyone camped outdoors?
Have you done that?
If you have done that and you've seen
the real dome, subhanAllah, of the stars.
It's gorgeous.
It's beautiful.
I remember when we were young we used
to go camping in the desert in Kuwait
and then sometimes part of the activities is
to create a special group among the group
of the campers and so on, like Boy
Scouts and so on.
So they take us and they send us
somewhere in the desert.
They drop us there and they just give
us directions to follow the stars and a
compass to go back again to the camp.
They give you a tent to carry with
you.
Back then tents were very heavy so you
have to carry them as a group of
people together.
So if you cannot find it, you're going
to have to camp through the night until
the next day we'll come and pick you
up.
So I remember, alhamdulillah, we find our way
back to the camp looking at the stars
and looking at the compass.
It was such a beautiful experience, subhanAllah.
Another group, they arrived but they arrived without
the tent.
What happened to the tent?
Because it's too heavy.
They dropped it in the desert.
They were punished for that though.
So they had to go back again to
pick it up and bring it, subhanAllah.
But the idea of using the stars to
navigate the darkness of the night is so
unique, subhanAllah.
And having the ulema being these stars in
our lives and the metaphoric expression, what an
unbelievable thing.
And the greater, in terms of their ilm,
the depth of their knowledge, the brighter they
shine in your life.
Alhamdulillah rabbil alamin.
Now.
As long as knowledge remains on the earth,
people will be guided.
The remaining of knowledge is the existence of
those who bear it.
So how does knowledge stay on earth, jama
'ah?
As long as we have scholars.
As long as we have scholars.
What does that mean?
We need people who dedicate themselves for this.
Living in our time today, if you look
at how the world is kind of working,
who even would want to spend his life
in seeking knowledge when you can, mashallah, become
a millionaire just by shaking your hips on
a camera.
Why would you basically kind of want to
do anything besides that in Allah's time?
So therefore, it's not that simple and easy
to dedicate yourself for the life of knowledge.
And that's just a very interesting thing.
Look at the concert, see how many people
watching it versus look at the halaqat of
knowledge, for example.
Very different way of living today.
What about, what happens, how is it removed?
The second paragraph, the Prophet mentioned.
The Prophet ﷺ mentioned a day when knowledge
would be removed.
So someone asked him, how can knowledge go
when we recite the Qur'an and teach
its recitation to our women and our children?
The Prophet ﷺ said, there is a Torah
and the Injil with the Jews and the
Christians.
So what good did it do to them?
Rabada Ibn As-Samit was asked about this
hadith and he said, if you wish, I
will tell you the first knowledge to be
removed from people.
Humble, submissiveness, khushur.
Rabada said this because there are two categories
of knowledge.
So before we get to this point, so
how is ilm removed?
By the removal of the ulama.
When the ulama are removed, the book will
still be there, but we don't get benefit
from it at all because no one knows
what does it mean exactly.
As the Prophet ﷺ described by the Injil
and the Torah as well.
And Rabada Ibn As-Samit, one of the
sahabah, he says, do you know what the
first ilm that would be removed from the
people?
It is the ilm of khushur.
Like the practice.
Look, subhanallah, how do you define knowledge?
They don't define knowledge by information.
Define knowledge by what?
By practice.
Because the first ilm that will be removed
is the ilm of khushur.
To understand the value of it and the
importance of it and the dedication to it
and the way to do it.
All of this, when it's gone, no one
really pays attention to what does khushur mean.
So khushur is ilm in itself.
Like if you really understand what does it
mean and how important that is and how
valuable that is, you'll put all the effort
to have your life, a life of khushur
and humbleness for the sake of Allah subhanahu
wa ta'ala.
So then he elaborated, he says that ilm
is two levels.
One is what we call al-batin and
one is al-dhahir.
Al-ilm al-batin is the intrinsic that
comes in the heart.
And al-dhahir, the one that you profess,
of course, with your statements as well too.
Yes, first?
First, that whose fruits are in a person's
heart, which is the knowledge of Allah exalted
is He and of His names, attributes, and
actions, which necessarily require that one fear Him,
have awe of Him, magnify Him, and submit
to Him, love Him, hope for Him, supplicate
Him, and rely upon Him, and so on.
So basically, we explained that before if you
remember.
That ilm, at the very beginning of studying
this book, in the first actual book we
studied together, that al-ilm al-haqiqi ilmu
marifat Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.
The true meaning of knowledge is your recognition
and understanding who Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala
is.
And that's of course the ilm of the
heart.
When the heart recognizes who Allah is, then
you have love for Him, hope for Him,
and also awe and fear of Him subhanahu
wa ta'ala, and all the other, of
course, ilm of al-qalb.
The second category.
The second category is the knowledge that is
on the tongue and it is the proof
of Allah as it is said in the
hadith.
The Quran is a proof for you or
against you.
The first knowledge to be removed is useful
knowledge which is inward knowledge which mixes with
the heart and puts it right.
No.
Then there remains spoken knowledge as a proof
of which people treat lightly and with contempt,
not acting according to its requirements, neither those
who bear it nor others.
So what he's saying is that the other
part of knowledge is what is visible to
us.
So we hear it, we see it in
your actions, and that's ilm al-dhahir.
Two types of ilm over here.
Ilm al-batil is the most important thing
obviously which is in the heart and then
that should translate into, of course, benefiting from
it through your actions and through your a'mal.
Let's move to number six, inshallah, gathering for
the Quran.
He's saying, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, that people
do not sit in one of the houses
of Allah reciting the Book of Allah and
studying it together but that tranquility will descend
on them.
So he says, if you gather together, you
get four benefits.
What are these benefits?
Number one, tranquility.
Tranquility will descend on them.
Mercy will cover them.
That's number two.
The angels will encircle them.
That's number three.
And Allah will mention them among those who
are with him.
That's number four.
So these are the four rewards for gathering
together for the sake of reading the Quran
and studying the Quran.
But what does it mean?
What does it mean to gather for the
Quran?
Is it just for the Quran specifically or
is it general meaning?
So he defined it in two ways.
The first meaning, If it is interpreted to
mean learning the Quran and teaching it, then
there is no disagreement as to it being
highly desirable.
So basically, if the meaning of the hadith
is just about the Quran, reading and studying
it, then it's very exclusive.
Like that's when you get those four benefits.
Only when people sit down to read the
Quran and study the Quran.
That's it.
What about the second meaning?
If it is interpreted in a more general
sense than that, then it comprises gathering in
mosques for the study of the Quran without
any qualifications.
So what does that mean?
Even when you study, for example, hadith that
involves talking about the Quran, tafsir in general,
uloom al-Quran, everything related to the deen
in general will be part of the halaqat
alhamdulillah that will have those four benefits.
So hopefully, what we're doing over here right
now, even though it's not exclusively studying the
Quran itself, but what is related to the
book of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala in
extension to it, will have the four benefits
as well too inshallah.
Now, next.
Atiyah narrated?
Atiyah narrated from Abu Sa'id al-Khudri
that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said,
if any people pray the morning prayer and
then sit in the place where they prayed
reciting the book of Allah to each other
and studying it together, Allah will entrust them
to angels who will seek forgiveness for them
until they plunge into some other talk.
So this narration made it exclusive in what
time is the best time for this.
What time was it?
Did I mention the hadith?
Morning, which means after fajr.
That's the best time.
So, this shows, Ibn Rajab says, this shows,
same statement, after that, after this.
It shows that it is highly desirable to
gather after the morning prayer to study the
Quran, but there is some weakness in Atiyah.
So, the narration itself is a bit weak,
however, there are other narrations that suggest the
general time for the Quran is okay as
well too.
Now, who started it?
Like, who started bringing the people together to
study the Quran after fajr in the masjid?
Just like Taraweeh.
Who brought the people together in Taraweeh to
pray behind one imam in Ramadan?
Umar bin Khattab, r.a. Right?
And who was the first imam?
Do you remember?
Ubayy ibn Ka'b.
Ubayy ibn Ka'b, r.a. Okay, so,
who was the first person to start officially
bringing people in the masjid to study the
Quran together after Fajr?
Let's see.
Harub al-Kirmani narrated with his chain of
transmission from al-Awza'i that he was
asked about study after the morning prayer and
he said, Hassan ibn Atiyah informed me that
the first person to introduce it in the
mosque of Damascus was Hisham ibn Ismail al
-Maqsumi.
What does it mean the mosque of Damascus,
jama'a?
Masjid al-Umawi.
You know, just recently in Syria, when they
reclaimed Damascus back again, into the hand of
the rebels and of course, the new department
right now in Syria, the new government in
Syria, the first thing they did, they cleaned
the masjid from all the nonsense that was
happening before, bring it back again to its
glory, being a house of worship and a
place of ilm and knowledge and so on.
So, as you can see, this is a
long, long time ago, from the time of
the Umayyads.
The masjid was a house of ilm and
knowledge.
It was a glorious place for studying, subhanallah.
He says, the first to introduce that was
Hisham ibn Ismail al-Makhzumi.
Hisham ibn Ismail, by the way, he is
related to al-Walid ibn al-Mughira.
So, he is from Bani Umayyah, extended to
Bani Umayyah and he used to be the
governor of Medina for Abdul Malik ibn Marwan
at that time.
So, the first was him introducing that to
Damascus.
Also, we will see that in Beirut as
well, Imam al-Awza'i used to do
that as well too.
So, in the masjid, of Damascus and also
Beirut in modern day Lebanon.
How did they recite?
How did the people back then recite the
Quran together?
Let's see what he says here.
Harb mentioned?
Harb mentioned that he saw the people of
Damascus, Homs, Mecca, and Basra gathering for recitation
after the morning prayer.
All of the people of Sham used to
recite the Quran together with a single surah
and with loud voices but the people of
Mecca and Basra would gather and each recite
10 ayat while the others were silent listening
and then another would recite 10 ayat until
the ayat finished.
Harb said all of that is good and
beautiful.
So, they had two styles back then.
One style, it's still practiced today until this
day in North Africa by the way.
I've seen it actually in Morocco and other
places in which the people in the masjid
they get together and they all had masahif
and sometimes they recite from their hifdh and
they all recite the same surah together.
They all recite together.
So, as you recite from your hifdh, those
who memorize better than you, they will help
you to remember and recall when you miss
a word or something like that as you
all review together.
So, that's one way of dealing with it.
The other style is the Mecca, Basra, Iraq
and others which is the most common probably
in our areas including in our masjid is
what?
One recites, the others listen and they all
go in circle.
Everybody takes turn to finish the surah or
finish the juz' and he says both of
them are okay.
In whichever way you recite, you should be
fine inshallah ta'ala.
Imam Malik, however, he considered that to be
bid'ah.
Let's see what he says.
So, that's Imam Malik's position on the subject.
What's Ibn Rajab's view on his opinion?
Let's see what he says in the bottom
there.
The majority.
So, Ibn Rajab's opinion is actually, is not
in favor of Imam Malik's opinion.
He goes, no, no.
The majority says it's okay to do that
and we have proofs for that.
And he's going to mention a few hadith
over here.
The first hadith in the Tulsid Bukhari Muslim
Abu Huraira.
Go ahead.
By Allah, they haven't seen you.
He says, how would it be if they
saw me?
They reply, if they saw you, they would
worship you more devoutly and glorify and praise
you more deeply and more often declare your
freedom from defect and from any resemblance to
anything.
He asks, what do they ask me for?
They reply, they ask you for the garden.
He asks, have they seen it?
They answer, no.
By Allah, Lord, they have not seen it.
Allah asks, how would it be if they
saw it?
They reply, if they saw it, they would
covet it even more.
They would seek it with greater zeal and
would have greater desire for it.
He asks, from what do they seek refuge?
They reply, from the fire.
Allah asks, have they seen it?
They answer, no.
By Allah, Lord, they have not seen it.
Allah asks, how would it be if they
saw it?
They answer, if they had seen it, they
would flee from it strenuously and would have
even more fear of it.
Then Allah, exalted as He says, I make
you witnesses that I have forgiven them.
One of the angels says, so and so
was among them and he was not one
of them, but he had just come for
some need.
He says, they are the assembly who are
such that the ones who sit with them
will not come to grief.
What a great generosity from Allah, subhanahu wa
ta'ala, for someone to be passing by
and just sits down, for example, in a
gathering and then he is forgiven because of
just being in that gathering.
So from this, Imam Ibn Rajab said, look,
the people are going to gather in the
masjid studying the deen of Allah, subhanahu wa
ta'ala, so there is nothing wrong in
making these assemblies.
And he brought also other evidences as we
mentioned, Sahih Muslim, Hadith Mu'awiyah and also
Al-Hakim, another Hadith Mu'awiyah, radiyallahu ta
'ala wa ta'ala, as a proof that
it's okay, it's okay to have these gatherings
in the masjid contrary to what Imam Malik,
rahimahullah, suggested.
The reward for the gathering is four things.
What are they?
First, the descent of tranquility, sakinah upon them.
There is in the two Sahih books from
Al-Bara' Ibn Azib that he said, a
man was reciting Surah Al-Kahf, while there
was a horse with him and a cloud
spread over him, it went around him and
drew near and the horse began to try
to flee from it.
In the morning, he went to the Prophet
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and mentioned it to
him and he said, that was sakinah which
descended because of the Quran.
And some other narration which is going to
be coming next, actually it was Usaid Ibn
Hudai, radiyallahu ta'ala, so the first thing
is sakinah.
And subhanallah, sometimes differently, you'll be stressed out
but when you come to a gathering like
this, you find some sense of peace.
Our Shaykh, rahimahullah ta'ala, in the class,
sometimes as he teaches, obviously, you know, sometimes
the monotone of the conversation causes some people
to start kind of dozing off.
So a Shaykh, he would comment on this
and mashallah, basically like a sakinah, like descended
upon him.
And he would ask, he goes, is he
khaasha or not?
Is he sleeping or khushu?
He goes, no Shaykh, he's sleeping, so he's
just waking up.
Right?
So sometimes, the khushu is too much that
people start falling asleep.
Number two, the second one.
Second, the covering of a mercy.
Allah, exalted as he says, Allah's mercy is
close to the good doers.
Al-Hakim narrated a hadith of Salman that
he was among a group of people who
were remembering Allah, exalted as he and the
messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon
him, passed by them and said, what are
you saying?
Because I saw mercy descending upon you and
I wanted to share in it with you.
Subhanallah, so the rahmah comes upon the people.
Meaning Allah, subhanallah, his pleasure is with them
as well too.
Number three, the third.
Third, the angels encircle them and this is
mentioned in these hadith which we have cited.
There is in a previously mentioned hadith of
Abu Hurairah, they encircle them with their wings
up to the lower heaven.
So imagine being here and the angels, subhanallah,
surrounding you with their wings.
Means protecting you from any evil thoughts or
from the shayateen or from the evil that's
out there and you have this kind of
like a temporary departure from this realm into
a whole different realm.
A spiritual realm.
Being away from all the temptations of the
dunya until the session is over and you
go back to reality.
And that's when you realize, subhanallah, what just
happened, oh my god, that was just different
world, subhanallah, we were in earlier.
Number four.
Fourth, that Allah mentions them among those who
are with him.
There is in the two sahih books from
Abu Hurairah, the prophet, sallallahu alayhi wasallam, said,
Allah azza wa jal says, I am in
my slave's opinion of me.
I am with him when he remembers me.
So if he remembers me in himself, I
remember him in myself.
If he remembers me in an assembly, I
remember him in an assembly better than them.
Which one is better?
Which one out of the four is the
best?
That's an issue among the ulama, right?
They ask, which of these four are the
best?
Are they being put in the right order
of value or what?
Like which one?
Is it from higher to lower or lower
to higher?
What do you think?
It seems to be the lower to the
highest.
The lowest to the highest.
So which one is the highest it's going
to be?
That Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala remembers you.
One of the sahabah, radiyallahu anhu wa rada,
the prophet, sallallahu alayhi wasallam, came to him
and he says, Allah commands me to recite
Surat al-Wadduha to you.
And that sahabah was like shocked.
did he mention me by name?
He goes, yes he did.
He starts crying.
Can you imagine Allah mentioned by name?
Do you guys know who the sahabah was?
Who was the sahabah the prophet, sallallahu alayhi
wasallam, came to and he says, Allah commands
me to recite Surat al-Wadduha.
Ubayy ibn Ka'b.
He said, I want to recite Surat al
-Wadduha to you.
Me?
You received the Quran.
He goes, Allah commands me to recite to
you.
That obviously means what the jama'ah?
Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is telling the
prophets, what about Ubayy?
That he's excelled in the recitation of the
Quran.
That he's an authority basically when it comes
to the recitation of the Quran.
So may Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala give
us all these beautiful bounties of these gatherings
of Rabbil Alameen.
How does Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala remember
the people in those gatherings?
Allah is remembering His slave as He is
praising him in the highest assembly among the
angels and is boasting of him to them
and is elevating him by the remembrance of
him.
Al-Rabir ibn Anas.
Imagine Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has mentioned
your name to the angels.
I mean the angels by themselves to us
is a greater assembly.
Imagine your name is being mentioned circulating among
all this creation of Allah subhanahu wa ta
'ala.
What a great privilege.
The last point insha'Allah wa ta'ala
is number seven.
Hussain salallahu alayhi wa sallam whosoever's deeds hold
him back will not be advanced by his
lineage.
Means that action is a thing by which
the slave attains the degrees of the Akhirah.
As Allah exalted as He says وَلِكُلِّنْ دَرَجَاتُ
مِمَّا عَمِلُوا۟ All have rankings according to what
they did.
So the last statement of the hadith is
a very unique statement.
Qala salallahu alayhi wa sallam وَمَنْ بَطَّأَ بِهِ
عَمَلُهُ لَمْ يُسْرَ بِهِ نَسَبُوا۟ Like subhanallah it's
a departure from the theme of the hadith.
The hadith speaks about and all of a
sudden the Prophet says at the end وَمَنْ
بَطَّأَ بِهِ عَمَلُهُ لَمْ يُسْرَ بِهِ نَسَبُوا۟ Look,
if your deeds are going to hold you
back like if you don't have enough good
deeds to bring you forward your lineage is
not going to get you any advantage.
Doesn't matter who you are, who your parents
are, who your father was, who you belong
to, doesn't really matter.
What matters at the end of the day
is your good deeds.
And Allah will rank people based on what?
Their bloodlines?
Their royalties?
No.
They will be ranked based on their good
deeds and their taqwa.
Yes.
So your lineage, your family ties, if you
have connection with this royalty or this family
and these celebrities would not benefit you at
all on that day.
Next, insha'Allah ta'ala, holding back over
Jahannam.
So what does it mean بَطَّأَ بِهِ عَمَلُهُ
that their deeds if they're not pushing them
forward it's going to basically kind of hold
them back.
What does that mean exactly?
One of the meanings here?
Allah gives the command for the Sirat and
it is laid over Jahannam.
People pass over in groups according to the
measure of their actions.
The first of them are like a flash
of lightning, then like the passage of the
wind, then like the flight of birds, then
like the passage of animals until a man
passes over running and so much so that
a man passes over walking and so much
so that the last of them passes over
thrown on his belly and so he will
ask Lord why have you held me back?
And he will answer I did not hold
you back but it was only your actions
that held you back.
May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala make us
among those who are foremost O Lord of
the worlds.
As you can see people they pass over
the bridge of Jahannam based on their good
deeds.
So it doesn't matter what lineage you're coming
from what's going to make you be among
those elites who go fast versus being slow
is the ranking of your good deeds.
However, when it comes of course to trying
to help and try to assist make sure
to focus on your family first.
Yes, your good deeds for yourself but also
try to bring your family with you so
you can all be ranked among the best
inshallah ta'ala.
There isn't two, right?
There is in the two Sahih books from
Abu Hurairah that he said the Messenger of
Allah s.a.w. said said at the
time that warn your near relatives was revealed
community of Quraish purchase yourselves from Allah I
cannot avail you in any way with Allah
Bani Abdul Muttalib I cannot avail you in
any way with Allah Abbas ibn Abdul Muttalib
I cannot avail you in any way with
Allah Safiyyah paternal Safiyyah paternal aunt I'm the
Messenger of Allah I cannot avail you in
any way with Allah Fatima bint Muhammad ask
me of whatever you wish I cannot avail
you in any way with Allah So what
means here the Prophet s.a.w. when
Allah commands him to warn his nearest kin
what did he do?
He made it very clear to his uncles,
his cousins, his daughter he says look you
do your thing because I cannot avail you
you know in any way with Allah s
.w.t on the Day of Judgment means
your good deeds are going to bring you
closer or farther away from Allah s.w
.t which lastly Ibn Abid Dunya narrates a
hadith about that when it comes to have
that wilaya which means that close relations with
Allah s.w.t it's based on taqwa
Yes Ibn Abid Dunya narrated a hadith of
Abu Hurairah that the Prophet s.a.w.
said my close friends are the people of
taqwa on the Day of Rising even though
some lineages are closer than others people will
bring deeds and you will bring the world
carrying me on your neck saying Muhammad Muhammad
so that I will say it is like
this it is like this and he turned
away from them from side to side demonstrating
how his response will be to turn away
from them Yes so at the end of
the day even the Prophet s.a.w.
is going to recognize people but who how
are they going to be recognized by their
good deeds and may Allah s.w.t
make us among those who are always foremost
in their good deeds Ya Rabbil Alameen that
we always be among the best in the
Dunya and the Akhirah Wallahu ta'ala alam
so inshallah next time when we come we
will study hadith number 37 inshallah Allah s
.w.t bismillah
let's see any questions alright we have few
questions here what to do if you are
trying to avoid people especially someone whose presence
annoys you but then won't won't leave you
alone especially if it is family I hope
you are not talking about your spouse look
it really depends on the circumstances obviously I
mean you don't have to entertain relatives all
the time at their own at the expense
of your own time like there is time
for your ibadah for your ta'a and
so on but subhanallah especially sometimes the elderly
will be there and the elderly's world of
jama'a is very very very narrow you
being young masha'Allah you are very mobile
you still have goals and ambitions and things
to accomplish so therefore you have a lot
of things to do but if you are
but the elderly their life has shrunk completely
around them in terms of mobility they can't
drive they can't move around they are retired
so now their ambitions is just alhamdulillah living
the best they can and the quality of
life that they have so therefore sometimes their
biggest really their biggest interest is to be
around their families playing with their children with
their grandkids and so on so sometimes they
just want companionship that's all and this could
be your best your best care that you
give them and the best reward is to
entertain them for the sake of Allah subhanahu
wa ta'ala so may Allah make it
easy for you but again when there is
time for your ibadah it's time for your
ibadah insha'Allah oh so
here's a question about what is the word
for the hadith the prophet mentioned which means
to bring joy into the life of the
believer or the heart of the believer if
someone there you go it's written there for
you so in regards to helping others being
better than personal ibadah is this applicable to
any voluntary ibadah or fara'at of course
fara'at is the best no when it
comes to fara'at versus helping other people
obviously the farida comes first unless it's emergency
so for example you're praying your fard salah
and then you see a child falls and
now they're crying what do you do you
continue with your surah al-baqarah if you
can make your salah now shorter to finish
quickly or if it's emergency you break your
salah and go and help that kid or
that individual and then go back again to
start your salah over but if you're going
to say should I pray first my fard
salah or I can delay my fard salah
because someone for example need help with carrying
something no no tell them let me finish
my salah and I'll come to help you
inshallah your fard salah will be have a
priority because if you remember in the hadith
that we recited in riyad al-salihin the
prophet said what you don't draw yourself nearer
to Allah anything better than what Allah made
obligatory upon you so that's better than helping
other people so at BRIC
community I have a lot of friends within
the community should I not like should I
cut ties with someone reduce my friend circles
just trying to understand that your enemies are
from your own friends therefore do not have
too many friends subhanallah you know one of
the best advice I got when I was
studying in medina is from a senior student
you know when you come to medina university
medina university is an international university so you'll
see muslims from all over the world really
you see people from countries you've never heard
of like I saw a muslim from the
samoa the samoa island really mashallah he was
so puffed his muscles are so real and
he's tattooed all over his face and arms
and he was carrying his bag just like
a purse in his hand the whole bag
is just like so tiny he didn't last
long though in the jamia unfortunately I think
the environment was not his thing but you
see wonders over there however being so excited
to get to know all these people I
learned something valuable from a senior student he
told me the first days of my arrival
in medina he goes listen my advice to
you do not make too many friends in
the first year I was like what are
you talking about man I mean people from
all over the world I want to know
the muslim ummah blah blah blah he goes
no no just listen to me he goes
you still have four years you get your
chance to know many many people over the
four years but the first year he says
reduce the number of friends he says because
the more friends you'll have in your life
the more you become obliged to return favors
to help out do this and do that
and eventually you'll find yourself distracted by all
these obligations you owe to other people around
you that you lose the purpose why you
came here in the first place and subhanallah
I took this this literally so I started
minding my own business just studying and even
I see some people they come to me
and they want to become friends with me
but politely and gently I say thank you
very much I appreciate you coming to me
but just let me want to let you
know that we came here for a purpose
and that's to seek knowledge inshallah so I
highly recommend for you to focus on this
now inshallah that we can get to know
each other later that's how I used to
meet the people in the first years of
my subhanallah it was such an interesting thing
so yeah sometimes you are going to have
to make this very difficult decision to reduce
the number of people that you have around
you so you can focus on the purpose
of your life of your ibadah of
your ibadah ibadah ibadah of your ibadah
of your ibadah ibadah ibadah ibadah