Madinat al-Muslimeen Islamic Message Board
| Ali's (RA) description of those with Taqwa |
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| Bintul-Khattab |
| 11/07/01 at 07:55:49 |
| Assalaamu alaikum wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuhu This is the most comprehensive description of those with Taqwa i have ever read...with Ramadhaan coming, contemplation would be beneficial... -------------------------------------- Hammam ibn Shuraih - a companion of Ali (radia Allaahu 'anhu) - asked him to narrate the qualities of the people of taqwa so that he would be able to see them in front of him. Ali (RA) said: 'When Allaah created His creation, He did so while He was completely independant of their obedience towards Him and of their disobedience towards Him. No disobedience can hurt Him and no obedience can benefit Him. Then He distributed amongst them (the creation) their means of sustenance and placed them on earth. The people of taqwa on earth are those of virtue: their speech is correct (true); their garments are of moderate nature and their walk is one of humility. They lower their gazes when they see something that Allaah has forbidden them to see and they give ear to beneficial knowledge. They maintain their integrity in both adversity and prosperity. Had it not been for the appointed time that Allaah has written for them (death), their souls would not remain an extra second in their bodies out of yearning for reward and fear of punishment. The Creator ranks Supreme in their eyes, so everything else becomes immaterial to them. They are with Paradise as if they had already witnessed it and enjoyed its presence. They are with Hell as if they have already seen it and tasted its torment. Their hearts grieve and their evil (if any) is non-contagious. Their bodies are lean, their needs are few and their souls are chaste. The observe patience for a few days and expereince everlasting comfort. This is a profitable exchange that their Lord has made pleasant for them. The world tempts them, but they do not succumb. It imprisons them, but they ransomed themselves in exchange. During the nights they stand in rows and read protions of the Qur'an. They recite it with proper recitation which greives their hearts and drink it (the Qur'an) like medicine. If a verse of yearning comes along, they reach for it and beleive it is their destination. If an intimidating verse comes along, they pour their hearts towards it and beleive that Hell and its screams are in their ears. They sleep on their foreheads and elbows (i.e. they engage in prayers so much that it is as if they sleep in those postures) and implore Allaah to deliver them. In the day they are tolerant and learned, kind and God-fearing. Fear has chipped away at their bodies as if they were arrows. Anyone looking at them would think that they were sick. But they are not sick. Some will say that they are confused. A great fear has made them look like that. They are never content to do only a few actions (during the day), nor do they ask for a great deal. They condemn themselves and are apprehensive about their deeds. If one of them is called 'pious' he fears what will be said of him and says: 'I know myself better than you do. My Lord knows me better than I do. O Allaah! Do not take me to task for what they are saying about me and (O Lord) make me better than they think. Forgive my sins which they do not know about.' Their signs are that they are strong in Islaam, resolute in their softness, frim in their beleif. They crave for knowledge and are knowledgeable with tolerance; moderate in richness; pleasant in hunger; forebearing in distress; seeking halaal; active in (pursuing) guidance and they abhor greeed. They perform good deeds in fear (of rejection). They spend the evening in gratitutde and the morning in rememberance. They sleep in alarm and they awake in joy. If their carnal selves make it difficult for them to fulfill that which they dislike they deprive them (their selves) of that which they like. The apple of their eyes is in what does not perish and their abstemiousness is in what disappears. They combine knowledge with tolerance and speech with action. You will find their hopes are realistic their mistakes few; their hearts humble their selves contentl their diet meagre their matters simple; their deen safe-guarded, their desires killed and their anger subdued. Goodness is expected from them and evil is sheilded against them. If they are among those who are oblivious, they are counted amongst those who remember (Allaah). If they are among those who remember, they are not written among the oblivious. They pardon those who wrong them; they provide for those who deprive them and meet those who sever ties with them. THey are never profane and always lenient. They wrong doings are almost non-existent and their good deeds are always present. They are resolute when the earth quakes, steadfast in calamities and grateful in prosperity. They are not prejudiced against those they dislike nor do they favour those they love. They acknowledge the truth before it appears and do not lose anything they are entrusted with. They donot call anyone names nor do they hurt their neighbours. They do not curse at the time of difficulties nor do they venture into falsehood. Silence does not bother them and if they laugh they do not raise their voices. If they are treated with injustice they remain patient until Allaah vindicates them. Their own selves live in toil while others are comfortable around them. Their abstinence from thseo who stay away from them is their exoneration (from malice). Their proximity to those who are close to them is a means of mercy (for those who are close to them). Their remaining aloof is not out of pride and arrogance and their being close is neither a ploy nor a scheme. ------------------------------------------- Wa alaikum as salaam Wa Rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuhu |
| NS |
| Re: Ali's (RA) description of those with Taqwa |
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| meraj |
| 11/07/01 at 19:52:08 |
| slm, mashallah thats awesome :) thanx for sharing... but i have one question: [quote]You will find their hopes are realistic their mistakes few; their hearts humble [color=red]their selves contentl their diet meagre their matters simple; [/color][/quote] i cant make any sense out of that :( can someone help me with this part? :) |
| Re: Ali's (RA) description of those with Taqwa |
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| Arsalan |
| 11/07/01 at 22:38:50 |
| How about this: [quote]You will find their hopes are realistic; their mistakes - few; their hearts - humble; their selves - content; their diets - meager; their matters - simple; [/quote]Does it make sense now? |
| Re: Ali's (RA) description of those with Taqwa |
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| meraj |
| 11/07/01 at 23:13:14 |
| slm, ooooo i see... :) those semicolons make a difference ;-D jazakallahu khair arsalan :) |
| Re: Ali's (RA) description of those with Taqwa |
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| Bintul-Khattab |
| 11/08/01 at 07:57:37 |
| Assalaamu alaikum wa Rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuhu Just some food for thought to get you going perhaps.... One of the most striking things about this description which never fails to hit me everytime i read it is this part: [color=Red]Anyone looking at them would think that they were sick. But they are not sick. Some will say that they are confused. A great fear has made them look like that.[/color] This is how Ali (RA) has described someone with Taqwa....yet if we were to see someone like this...not just the Kuffar, but us as muslims...we would frown upon them, argue that they should care about their appearance, they should laugh more/smile more. If we were unable to sleep during the night due to visions of the Hellfire as many of the Sahaabah did, we would indeed be in a higher state of Eemaan, and doubtless we may end up looking as Ali (RA) has described. Laughter does add happiness, jolliness, and liveliness to life, but its important not to let it make us forget our true purpose here. As the Prophet [saw] said to a group of Companions, 'Verily, if you knew what i know, you would laugh less and cry more'. Wassalaamu alaikum wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuhu |
| Re: Ali's (RA) description of those with Taqwa |
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| deenb-4dunya |
| 11/10/01 at 20:37:04 |
| Reminds me of Shaikh Mokhtar ;). How's he doing Awlbanians? |
| Re: Ali's (RA) description of those with Taqwa |
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| Bintul-Khattab |
| 11/11/01 at 04:31:27 |
| Assalaamu alaikum wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuhu um...who's Sheikh Mokhtar...and what's an Awlbanian? |
| Re: Ali's (RA) description of those with Taqwa |
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| se7en |
| 11/14/01 at 21:20:50 |
| as salaamu alaykum, Sh. Mokhtar is an imam in the Albany, NY community. He's doing well, alhamdulillah :) I just wanted to post (well, re-post, I put this up before [url=http://www.jannah.org/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl/YaBB.pl?board=madrasa&action=display&num=4452]here[/url]) this beautiful description of people Allah exalts. [color=black] 'Aisha, God be pleased with her, reported that God's messenger once said: "Moses, upon whom be peace, once asked God Almighty, 'My Lord, tell me about Your most exalted people.' God Almighty responded, 'They are the ones who hasten to do what I want first, just like an eagle glides with precision towards what it desires. They are the servants of My creation who hasten to serve the guests like a young servant does in the house of his master. They feel offended if any of My injunctions are violated, just like an angry tiger does, for an angry tiger attacks with impunity no matter how many people it faces.'" Hence, among Allah's creation, there is an elite He blessed, and a choice He made. They are servants who take off the shoes of comfort, put on their best effort, and dislike honor and status in this world. The admonitions and warnings of the glorious Qur'an deprive their eyes from resting at night; and understanding the words of the benevolent King humbles to submission their body, mind, and gaze. Such are the ones who have made their foreheads a constant pillow for their prostrations, and the rough grounds of the earth a comfort for their sides. Hence, their hearts open, their understanding expands, and their determination to comply with its demands is stirred to the degree of intensifying their striving. Thus, the Qur'an becomes the candlelight of their nights, the seat and bosom of their rest, the guiding light of their life, and the confounding proof against their own mind. They grieve while people seem happy, they are awake when others are asleep, they fast when others are eating, they are bewildered when others seem at peace. Thus, they are in constant fear and reverence of their Lord, and they are cautious about any changes that may affect the conclusion of their life. Hence, they are mostly absorbed in their struggle. They venture onward to meet their destiny. They free themselves from any entanglements before it is too late, and they prepare themselves to meet their death. Their audaciousness in pursuing the inevitable seems unimportant alongside their greater fear of the promised punishment for failure and the dangers that engulf the attainment of a most sought reward. They conduct their lives by the dictates of the magnificent Qur'an. They liberate themselves by making sincere offerings and true sacrifices. They pursue the guiding light of the Merciful Lord and are impassioned in their pursuit until the divine utterance of the Qur'an is fulfilled, its promises are satisfied, and its promised comfort and joy for the believers becomes lawful for them. In fact, its comfort and light shelters them, and its warnings spare them. Through it, they satisfy their wishes, embrace their beloved, and in living by the Qur'an, they escape adversities, and live a heedful and a vigilant life in this world. This is because they readily and willingly bid farewell to the glitters of this world with contempt, and they focus their gaze on the effulgent light of the hereafter with confident expectations. Hence, they become truly content, for they have bartered the comforts of what is ephemeral for that which is everlasting. Indeed, blessed is their commerce, and winsome is their barter, for such true human beings have truly won both, benefited from the best of both, earned God's blessings in both, and achieved what is most praiseworthy in both. Such true believers attain their exalted and elevated stations as a reward for their brief endurance, determination, and a few short hours of patience. They live through the ephemeral days of this passing world satisfied with little, and cuatious of a forthcoming distressful Day of Reckoning. They intensify their struggle when calm entices others to slow down, and they are mindful of the unexpected surprises of the hour. They do not live their days indulging in heedlessness or in the pleasures of this world, rather they engulf themselves in striving and walking through hardships in order to build what is praiseworthy and everlasting. Exhausition tires their bodies from standing during long nights, remembering a blazing fire and praying to be spared from its sufferings. Such blessed ones hasten to do good and to abstain from distractions, and they are free from affectation and obscenities. They are silent but eloquent, blind but seeing, and in fact, no description can do them justice. For the sake of their trueness calamities are dispelled, and upon them God's blessings are showered, for they have the best manners and the sweetest of tastes, and they are the most true to their promise. They are like a saddle that carries the rider, and they are the minarets of the land, the light in the darkness, the substance of mercy and compassion, the prime of wisdom, and the backbone of the believers. Their sides disdain from resting and they would rather stand up in prayers, and they are most forgiving of others' pitfalls, they are most pardoning of those who repent, and they are most generous in their gifts. They aspire for God's gifts with awe, watchful awareness, and praiseworthy deeds. They dismount the saddle of this world, brake the reigns of their hopes in it, and their fear of displeasing their Lord does not leave them a nickel to indulge in lavish things or to upgrade their shelter. They solicit nothing of the treasures of this world, nor do they accept to relax in its comforts and furs. They are not attracted to the ease of its vehicle, nor is their focus ever distracted by the glitters of its monumental palaces. Nay! They instead see everything in its reality through the guidance of Almighty Allah, and by His inspiration to their hearts, they live with what they have, and they move onward with constancy, perseverance, and patience, consenting to a few short days of hard labor. They wrap their bodies in simple clothes and they guard themselves against the impermissible. They retreat to themselves to avoid possible wrongdoing, and they seek the safest passageway and the wisest course. They walk the road of wisdom and righteousness, and they share the blessings of the hereafter with their companions in this world. Their guarding themselves against true losses in their precaution against suffering when death comes, and they fear death, its pangs, agony, distress, and shock. They contemplate the grave and its tightness, and they often think about the questioning angels in the grave, and how they will initiate the questioning, their scorning of the sinners, and probing of the believers. They also fear the day when they will stand before their Lord, blessed is His name and holy are His attributes. Such servants of God Almighty are the light that dispels darkness, and indeed they are the fountainhead of wisdom, righteousness, and balance. God Almighty endows them with unique and unparalleled virtues, He cleanses them from affectation and replaces it with purity, trueness, and sincerity. [/color] --- #18, from The Beauty of the Righteous & the Ranks of the Elite, slightly edited. |
| Re: Ali's (RA) description of those with Taqwa |
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| Bintul-Khattab |
| 11/15/01 at 15:11:08 |
| Assalaamu alaikum wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuhu Subhaanallaah, i am utterly lost for words...there are so many parallels between thet statement of Ali (RA) and that which was just posted, that those points which we find in both are stressed even more...points like 'falling asleep' in prostration, indicating the virtues of the long sujood... about them seeming fearful and grieving while others are happy....about speaking little, about reflecting upon, and indeed drinking the quran with an insatiable thirst...about abstaining from the life and fleeting pleasures of this world, rather preferring the eternal pleasures of the next world. It's now ramadhan, walhamdulillaah, May Allaah accept our good deeds and forgive our sins, past, present and future..ameen. A time when people race to complete the quran as many times as possible. But it is a time too of reflection, of ponderance, of betterment...let us take the Quraan for what it was meant to be..a book of guidance, a manual for living, a book of signs. let us read the translation, let us read the tafseers, let us understand the Book of Allaah and His message, rather than just zooming through at lightening speed. Let us return to the essence of Islaam... Wassalaamu alaikum wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuhu |
| NS |
| Re: Ali's (RA) description of those with Taqwa |
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| Mystic |
| 11/21/01 at 09:52:02 |
| [slm] Jazakumu Allahu Khayran for the reminders... Its exhilarating to read posts like these :):):):):):) Maliha |
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