Many Think Abandoning Qur’ān = Abandoning Reciting It, And This Is Wrong!

I heard someone last night crying, but it wasn’t a normal type of cry. This person was crying in the tashahhud, weeping at “كما صليت على إبراهيم وعلى آل إبراهيم”

This is not to assume someone’s inner state, but a cry like this is from the tightness of the dunyā…

It brought back memories سبحان الله, when I used to cry like this too… my eyes were constantly extremely swollen and I’d cry everywhere, and make no exception of my salāh.

In a way, I wish I cried out of fear for Allāh, the way the righteous do, and their genuine longing to Allāh, not out of the pressure of some dunyā matter. I did long for Allāh in those days, a lot, but did I long for Him during my times of ease in the same way? At the same time, these type of tears taught me that I really had none but Allāh, among many other lessons, and forced me back to Allāh to rectify my affairs between me and Him.

Though, there’s a difference between ورجل ذكر الله خاليًا ففاضت عيناه (or as Rasūlullāh said) and someone who tears up due to a dunyā matter and then redirects that pain to Allāh.

It’s not wrong at all, and actually the servant finds immense sweetness in constantly returning to Allāh, and in times of hardship it has a special sweetness to it. But I say this to remind myself and to keep it in check, my nafs needs to distinguish between the fine line of sincerity and true inābah (in times of ease and other than it) and simply feeling dunyawi pain.

It’s the same thing for wishing for shaهـādah, when do we long for it most? When we’ve got all we want out of this dunyā and have every want and need of ours? Or is it when we’ve been afflicted and want a way out of this dunyā completely? Again, I’m not saying wrong or right or shaming anyone (but myself), but remember that the only condition to be granted the level of shaهـādah even if one dies upon their bed (as in the Hadīth) is: sincerity. Do you think asking for it in the latter situation is more sincere than the former?

May Allāh grant us sincerity and make us among the truthful. May Allāh make us among those who truly enjoy His company in all times.

While discussing the merits of the second half of Ramadan, ibn Rajab al-Hanbali mentioned the following more general point:

[كل زمان فاضل من ليل أو نهار فإن آخره أفضل من أوله كيوم عرفة ويوم الجمعة وكذلك الليل والنهار عموما آخره أفضل من أوله ولذلك كانت الصلاة الوسطى صلاة العصر كما دلت الأحاديث الصحيحة عليه وآثار السلف الكثيرة تدل عليه ]

"For every virtuous time – whether it be in the day or the night – its latter part is more virtuous than its earlier part. Take for example the day of ‘Arafah and the day of Jumu’ah. Likewise, this applies to the night and day generally speaking, that the latter part is more virtuous than the earlier part. That is why “the middle prayer” is the ‘Asr prayer, as is indicated by authentic hadith narrations, and a great number of statements from the salaf also support this."

[Lataa'if al-Maraa'if pg. 176]

«reviving the heart»

‎Imām Ibn al-Qayyim رحمه الله said:

‎ "The Qur'ān revives the heart the way water gives life to the Earth."

‎مفتاح دار السعادة–٢٥٠

Life is a constant struggle, and a feeling of weariness never departs your side, sometimes that of your body and at times of things that reside in your heart and refuse to go away. You have to strive either way, whether it’s for dunya or Akhirah, so why not direct all of your endeavours for the sake of Allaah?

Ibn Rajab رحمه الله said:

يا من ضاع عمره لا شيء استدرك ما فاتك في ليلة القدر فإنها تحسب بالعمر.

O you who have wasted your life, nothing can make up for what you’ve lost except the Night of Decree (Laylatul Qadr), for indeed, its value is equal to a lifetime.

(191)كتاب لطائف المعارف فيما لمواسم العام من الوظائف - ط ابن حزم

The Forgotten Sister

My dear sister whom I have not met, Let me begin with my apologies for that is all I can offer, I’m sorry I can not do more than apologies, But in my dua is where your remembrance lies, I’m sorry your screams and cries go unheard of in the depths of the night, under ground in dark rooms of confinement where strangers imprison you and hurt you, I’m sorry they raped and bruised you, Broke you and shattered you, Squeezed you and shackled you, Choked you and battered you, I’m sorry I was too busy with my life, I wasted my time on my phone chilling out, Checking out what’s new and what’s old, I maybe only thought of you once every few months, Your screams I could not bare so I chose not to listen, We all overlooked you and your struggle, We kept quiet just so we don’t get in trouble, We had the answer all along, I’m sorry we’re too busy saying you and those that defend you are wrong, Once upon a time a single tear falling from your eye would have ranked and sent forth armies to your defence, But it seems as though this ummah has lost its common sense, Sometimes I imagine being in your place, But every time I do I feel like I’m lost in time and space, I admire your strength, If this test was given to just anyone they would have surely crumbled, So my dear sister I am sorry, But Alhamdulilah the ummah is slowly awakening and rising, Your relief after hardship is soon, So bear with beautiful patience, For Allah subhanu wata'ala gives His greatest tests to His strongest soldiers. الْحَمْـدُ للهِ الّذي عافاني مِمّا ابْتَـلاكَ بِهِ، وَفَضَّلَـني عَلى كَثيـرٍ مِمَّنْ خَلَـقَ تَفْضـيلا Praise is to Allah, Who has spared me what He has afflicted you with, and preferred me greatly above much of what He has created. Make dua for the ummah this Ramadhan, Alhamdulilah we have it way better than others, the purpose of Ramadhan is to remember the less fortunate and the struggle and to be greatful to Allah subhanu wata'ala for all that He has blessed us with, it’s so much more than just refraining from food and drink, it’s a month of beautiful lessons and a month to feed our souls. A reminder to myself first and foremost In Sha Allah.

This was the stance of Shaykh Sulāyman al-Alwān in prison when he smiled and swore:

“By Allah, I am pleased with this trial, and all praise is due to Allah! I see victories unfolding.”

O Allah, free Your servant Sulaymān al-‘Alwān, grant him steadfastness, relieve his distress, and grant him victory over those who have wronged him.

Ka’b ibn Malik reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said :

عَنْ كَعْبِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ إِنَّ أَرْوَاحَ الشُّهَدَاءِ فِي طَيْرٍ خُضْرٍ تَعْلُقُ مِنْ ثَمَرِ الْجَنَّةِ أَوْ شَجَرِ الْجَنَّةِ

Verily, the souls of martyrs are in green birds, hanging from the fruits of Paradise, or the trees of Paradise.

(1641) سنن الترمذي كتاب فضائل الجهاد باب ما جاء في ثواب الشهداء

Fasting all day and then feeling full after the first bite of food is the perfect example of how temporary this dunya is.

A believer never enjoys his sin, never finds his delight completed. Rather, even while committing the sin his heart is faced with grief, though the intoxication of desire covers up his feeling of it.

If the heart ever becomes void of this remorseful ache and the joy of sinning overpowers any feeling of remorse, then one should doubt one's faith, and cry over the death of his heart.

Were the heart alive, the committing of sin would make it sad, upbraid and constrict it, and it would sense it.

A wound, after all, does not cause pain to a corpse.

[ Madarij al-Salikin ] Ibn Qayyim al-Jawzi