Have Book But Knowledge is Lost

Imam Ahmed narrates that Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said regarding something: “That would happen when knowledge is lost.” One of the Sahabah asked, “O Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam), how could knowledge be lost when we have studied the Quran, we are teaching it to our children and our children will teach it to theirs.” Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wasallam) said: “Woe to you! I thought you were one of the most learned men of Medinah. Can’t you see the Jews and Christians are not benefiting even though they have their scriptures (Torah and Injeel) right with them?”


This hadith makes clear that if there is no application of the Quran, its recitation becomes useless. If we know what the Quran contains but don't apply it, we become like donkeys carrying books as our burdens, not benefitting from our loads.

How did the Sahabah study the Quran? If we take the example of Abdullah ibn Umar (radi Allahu anhu), it took him 14 years to finish memorizing Surah Baqarah. He was so happy after he completed memorizing it that he slaughtered a camel and invited all the people to come celebrate with him.

Abdullah ibn Umar (radi Allahu anhu) was a companion of Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) and the Quran was revealed in his own language. Abdullah ibn Umar (radiAllahu anhu) was also an eminent scholar. Then how is it that he took 14 years to memorize what is done nowadays by Muslims in a matter of months?

This is because the way that the Sahabah would study the Quran is that they would take ten ayaat at a time only. They would study these ten ayaat, study the eemaan, the ilm, the halal and the haram in these ayaat. They would memorize the ayaat and apply its rulings to their lives. They would not move onto the next ten ayaat until they had brought their lives into compliance with the first ten. The Quran thus became alive and second nature to them, its knowledge was not wasted and lost.

The Right Attitude

Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) went to visit a sick bedouin. Whenever the Prophet went to a patient, he used to say to him, "Don't worry, if Allah will, it will be expiation (for your sins)." The bedouin said, "You say expiation? No, it is but a fever that is boiling or harassing an old man and will lead him to his grave without his will." The Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said, "Then, yes, it is so." [Sahih Bukhari]


This hadith conveys to us the importance of having a positive attitude. Since the man denied the comforting news regarding his illness, conveyed by the Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam), he wasn't deserving that the good news should apply to him.

Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) has given us glad tidings that no suffering of ours is in vain. Whether it be physical pain, financial difficulty or emotional stress, each functions to purify us of the sins that we habitually accumulate. Following the Prophet's example, we should also encourage patients to bear their pain and suffering with hope of reward from Allah (subhana wa ta’ala), in compensation for their patience through the trial that they are undergoing.

Even if Sins Reached the Sky!

The Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, says, ‘O son of Adam, as long as you call on Me, I shall forgive you of what you have done, and think nothing of it. O son of Adam, even if your sins were to reach up to the clouds in the sky, and then you were to ask for My forgiveness, I would forgive you and think nothing of it. O son of Adam, even if you were to come to Me with sins nearly as great as the earth, and then you were to meet Me after death, not worshipping anything besides Me, I would bring you forgiveness nearly as great as the earth.’” [Tirmidhi]


Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) loves it when people ask Him to forgive their sins. He is overjoyed with their repentance, since He hates to punish anybody. At the slightest excuse He washes people’s sins away. The only condition is that the human being must truly regret in his/her heart that they did what they did. The sinner should be ashamed of their misdeeds, and discontinue committing such sins. If the resolve to avoid the sin is not there then one has not actually repented.

In this hadith, Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) tells us that no matter how many a person’s sins are, should they even reach the sky in heaps, Allah would forgive the sinner if they were to turn to Allah in repentance. In a different hadith, the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) told us that Allah’s bounty is so vast that He would actually convert all the sins into good deeds, should the person truly repent. We should not postpone repenting of our sins and reforming ourselves to when we become old, since nobody knows when they will die.

Keys of Paradise

Bismillah.


The Prophet (sallALLAAHu alayhi wa sallam) said: “The key to Paradise is prayer (salat), and the key to prayer is ritual purity (tuhur).” [Ahmed]

Paradise has eight doors. If you have the key to a door, you can turn the key in the lock and the door easily opens for you. If, on the other hand, you don’t have the keys, you could keep trying other keys that don't fit, or attempt to break the door down. When the keys are easily available though, only a foolhardy person would insist on trying wrong keys, or try to get in by breaking the door down. The keys to Jannah have been given to you. Don't waste your time with trying wrong ones. The keys to Jannah are the obligatory five daily prayers. And purification of the body, through wudhu and ghusl, are the keys to the prayer.

In everyday life, if we were to keep looking at a person, they would feel obliged to turn to look at us. ALLAAH Most Mighty and Majestic is much more obliging than all of HIS creation. When you pray, you are addressing ALLAAH (subhanahu wa ta'ala). So ALLAAH definitely looks at you, listens to you, and pays full attention to you, while you pray. Be careful that you are giving ALLAAH (subhanahu wa ta'ala) the kind of attention in prayer that is worthy of a Mighty and Loving King.

If you are heavily indebted to somebody, how are you in their presence? Respectful, careful, attentive, somber,…? When in the presence of a world renown celebrity, whom you are very impressed by, how would you be in their company? Would you be careful about what you say, would you take pains with your appearance, your manners, or your demeanor? Would you prepare for your meeting with them, so you wouldn't miss the chance to make a favorable impression? ALLAAH is the ultimate source of all goodness and power. Should you not be more careful when appearing before HIM?

Suspicions

Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “Keep away from ill-thinking/suspicions because ill-thinking is the greatest falsehood.” [Sahih Bukhari]
During the Abbasid period one of the scholars in Baghdad was greeted by an acquaintance who said, "Do you know what I just heard about your friend?"
Scholar: "Hold on a minute, before telling me anything I'd like you to pass a little test. It's called the Triple Filter Test.
"The Man: "Triple Filter Test? "
Scholar: "That's right, before you talk to me about my friend it might be a good idea to take a moment and filter what you're going to say. That's why I call it the triple filter test. The first filter is Truth. Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me is true?
 "The Man: "No, actually I just heard about it and ...
"Scholar: "All right, so you don't really know if it's true or not. Now let's try the second filter, the filter of Goodness. Is what you are about to tell me about my friend something good?
 "The Man: "No, on the contrary...
 "Scholar: "So, you want to tell me something bad about him, but you're not certain it's true. You may still pass the test though, because there's one filter left: The filter of Usefulness. Is what you want to tell me about my friend going to be useful to me?
 "The Man: "No, not really.
 "Scholar: "Well, if what you want to tell me is neither true nor good nor even useful, why tell it to me at all?"

 Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) asks us: "O you who believe! Avoid much suspicions, indeed some suspicions are sins. And spy not, neither backbite one another. Would one of you like to eat the flesh (meat) of his dead brother? You would hate it (so hate backbiting). And fear Allah. Verily, Allah is the One Who accepts repentance, the Most Merciful." [Quran 49:12] Let's pass our intended speech through the triple filter test before we madly utter our every thought. And lets subject others to the triple filter test too before we hear any number of damaging things from them.

Last Words of the Prophet Mohammed (pbuh)

Suddenly, there was a person, he said salaam.
'May I come in?' he asked.
But Fatimah did not allow him enter the room.
'I'm sorry, my father is ill,' said Fatimah, turned her body back
and closed the door.
She went back to her father who had opened his eyes and asked Fatimah,'Who
was he, my daughter?'
'I don't know, my father. It was the first time for me to see
him,'Fatimah said gently.
Then, Rasulullah looked at his daughter with trembled look, as if he
wanted to reminisce about every part of his daughter's face.
'Know one thing! He is who erases the temporary pleasure; he is who
separates the companionship in the world.
He is the death angel,' said Rasulullah .
Fatimah bore the bomb of her cry. The death angel came toward him, But
Rasulullah asked why Jibril did not come along with him.
Then, Jibril was called. Jibril was ready in the sky to welcome the
soul of Habibullah and the leader of the earth.
'O Jibril, explain to me about my rights in front of ALLAH?' Rasulullah
asked with a weakest voice.
'The doors of the sky have opened, the angels are waiting for your
soul.'
'All jannat are open widely waiting for you,' Ji bril said.
But, in fact, all this did not make Rasulullah relieved, his eyes were
still full of worry..
'You are not happy to hear this news?' asked Jibril.
'Tell me about the destiny of my people in future?'
'Don't worry, O Rasul ALLAH. I heard ALLAH tell me: 'I make jannat
haram for every one, except the people of Muhammad who are inside it,'
Jibril said.
It became closer and closer, the time for Malaekat Izrail to do his work.
Slowly, Rasulullah's soul was pulled. It was seemed that the body of
Rasulullah was full of sweat; the nerves of his neck became tight.
'Jibril, how painful this sakaratul maut is!'
Rasulullah uttered a groan slowly. Fatimah closed her eyes, Ali sat
beside her bowed deeply and Jibril turned his face back.
'Am I repugnant to you that you turn your face back o Jibril?'
Rasulullah asked the Deliverer of Wahy.
'Who is the one who could see the Habibullah in his condition of
sakaratul maut,' Jibril said.
Not for a while, Rasulullah uttered a groan because of unbearable pain.
'O ALLAH, how great is this sakaratul maut. Give me all these pains,
don't give it to my people.'
The body of Rasulullah became cold, his feet and chest did not move
anymore....
His lips vibrated as if he wanted to say something, Ali took his ear
close to Rasulullah.
'Uushiikum bis salati, wa maa malakat aimanuku - take care of the
saalat a nd take care the weak people among you.'
Outside the room, there were cries shouted each other, sahabah held
each other. Fatimah closed her face with her hands and, again, Ali
took his ear close to Rasulullah's mouth which became bluish.
'Ummatii, ummatii, ummatii?' - 'My people, my people, my
people.'
And the life of the noble man ended.
Could we love each other like him? Allahumma salle 'ala Muhammad wa baarik
wa sallim 'alaihi. How deep is Rasulullah's love to us.

Up to a Third

In the Year of Hajjatul-Wada, Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) paid a Sahabah a visit while he was suffering from an ailment that had brought him to the verge of death. He said, “O Allah's Apostle! My sickness has reduced me to the (bad) state that you see, and I am a rich man, but have no heirs except one daughter. Shall I give 2/3 of my property in charity?” The Prophet replied, “No.” The Sahabah said, “Then 1/2 of it?” The Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said, “Even 1/3 is too much, for, to leave your inheritors wealthy is better than to leave them in poverty, begging from people. And (know that) whatever you spend in Allah's Cause, you will get reward for it, even for the morsel of food which you put in your wife's mouth.” [Bukhari]


From this hadith we learn that we may will away a maximum of a third of our wealth. The other two thirds must be distributed according to the rules of inheritance laid down by Allah (subhana wa ta’ala). Another thing we learn from this hadith is that taking care of one’s family is also a source of reward with Allah (subhana wa ta’ala). We must not neglect our family and relatives when practising charity.