He who remembers his Lord and he who does not are like the living and dead.

(Bukhari,
Muslim).
Allah does not look at your forms and possessions, but He looks at your hearts and your
deeds. (Muslim)
Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said: "The noblest charity is that a Muslim acquires some
knowledge (of the Deen) then imparts it to a brother Muslim." (Ibn Majah).

Life and Beyond according to the Quran

By: Muhammad Abdel Haleem
In the Quran life in this world is an inseparable part of a continuum, a unified whole - life, death,
life - which gives our life a context and relevance. In this context, the life of the individual is made
meaningful and enriched inasmuch as it is full of 'good works'. Life in this world leads to the
afterlife, a belief which is fundamental in the Quran. The afterlife is not treated in the Quran in a
separate chapter, or as something on its own, for its own sake, but always in relation to life in this
world.
Linguistically it is not possible in the Quran to talk about this life without semantic reference to the
next since every term used for each is comparative with the other. Thus: al'ula and al-akhira (the
First and the Last life), al-dunya and al-akhira (the nearer and the further/latter life). Neither has a
name specific to itself, or independent of the other. Consequently, the frequency of the terms in
the Quran is the same, in the case of dunya and akhira- each appears 115 times.
There is a reference, direct or indirect, to one aspect or another of the afterlife on almost every
single page of the Quran. This follows from the fact that belief in the afterlife is an article of faith
which has a bearing on every aspect of the present life and manifests itself in the discussion of
the creed, the rituals, the ethics and the laws of Islam. In discussing the afterlife, moreover, the
Quran addresses both believers and non-believers. The plan of two worlds and the relationship
between them has been, from the beginning, part of the divine scheme of things:
It is God who created you, then He provided sustenance for you, then He will cause you to die,
then He will give life back to you. Quran 30:40
It is We who give life and make to die and to Us is the homecoming. Quran 50:43
He created death and life that He might try you according to which of you is best in works. Quran
67:2
According to the Quran, belief in the afterlife, which is an issue fundamental to the mission of
Muhammad, was also central to the mission of all prophets before him.
Belief in the afterlife is often referred to in conjunction with belief in God, as in the expression: 'If
you believe in God and the Last Day'. Believers are frequently reminded in the Quran, 'Be mindful
of God and know that you shall meet Him' (Quran 2:233) (used in this instance to urge fitting
treatment of one's wife in intimate situations). 'To Him is the homecoming/ the return' (Quran
36:83; 40:3 and passim). As a belief in the afterlife is so fundamental to Islam, it is only right that
Muslims should regularly be reminded of it not only throughout the pages of the Quran but also in

their daily life. Practicing Muslims in their five daily prayers repeat their praise of God at least
seventeen times a day, 'The Master of the Day of Judgment' (Quran 1:4) . Being inattentive to the
afterlife (Quran 30:7) or to the prospect of coming to judgment (Quran 32:14) are signs of the
unbeliever.
All this heightens the believer's sense of responsibility for actions in this life. In fact the principles
and details of religion are meant to be seen within the framework of the interdependence of this
life and the afterlife and to color the Muslims' conception of life and the universe and have a
bearing on their actions in this life.

Amazing Poetry: opinion is (like) night and hadeeth is (like) day.

Al-Khateeb Al-Baghdaadee (d. 463H) cites an isnaad going back to 'Ubaidah ibn Ziyaad who
said, (in some lines of poetry):
"The Religion of the Prophet Muhammad ( ) is narrations,
And what a blessed means to an end the Aathaar are for a youth.
So do not forsake the hadeeth nor its people,
Because opinion is (like) night and hadeeth is (like) day.
And perchance a youth may err upon the Path of Guidance,
But the Sun is rising in splendour and has much light."

Ibn Abbas on the idols worshipped by pagan Arabs belonging to pious men
by islamtees
Narrated Ibn Abbas (

) :

All the idols which were worshipped by the people of Noah were worshipped by the Arabs later
on. As for the idol Wadd, it was worshipped by the tribe of Kalb at Daumat-al-Jandal; Suwa' was
the idol of (the tribe of) Murad and then by Ban, Ghutaif at Al-Jurf near Saba; Yauq was the idol of
Hamdan, and Nasr was the idol of Himyr, the branch of Dhi-al-Kala.' The names (of the idols)
formerly belonged to some pious men of the people of Noah, and when they died Satan inspired
their people to (prepare and place idols at the places where they used to sit, and to call those
idols by their names. The people did so, but the idols were not worshipped till those people (who
initiated them) had died and the origin of the idols had become obscure, whereupon people
began worshipping them.
Sahih Bukhari,

From Where to Where

A person who was taken aback by the honour given to Luqman (alaihis salaam) once approached
him and asked: Are you the very same Luqman who was a slave of the Banu Has-haas tribe?
Luqman (alaihis salaam) replied: Yes! The man then asked: Are you the very same person who
used to herd sheep? Luqman (alaihis salaam) replied: Yes! The person asked yet again: Are
you the very same person with a dark complexion? Luqman (alaihis salaam) replied: My dark
complexion is quite visible and clear to one and all, but what is it that really astonishes you
regarding me? The man replied: I am astonished that people flock to your gathering and eagerly
accept your advice. Luqman (alaihis salaam) then advised him saying: Young man! You can
also receive this very same rank and honour provided you adhere to the following aspects:
1. Lower your gaze
2. Control your tongue
3. Eat that which is pure and halaal
4. Guard your private parts
5. Adhere to the truth
6. Fulfill your trusts
7. Honour your guests
8. Take care of your neighbours
9. Stay away from what does not concern you
These are the qualities that elevated me to the position that you see me enjoying. (Tafseer Ibnu
Katheer vol 3 pg 459)

The Stratagem of the Activists in Ascribing Ignorance to the Imaams of Ahl us-Sunnah
by islamtees
Author: Dr. Ali bin Muhammad bin Nasir al-Faqihi
Source: Al-Furqan (no.101)
Article ID : MNJ080004
Dr Ali bin Muhammad bin Nasir al-Faqihi, when asked about the reasons for the presence of
doubts about the scholars in the context of ruling by the Shariah of Allaah and the desire of the
political activists to establish it, replied: "Verily, the way of these people is just like those of the
very first times in that they desire to separate the youth from the Scholars when they say, the
scholars do not understanding anything and when they speak evil about the key figures of the
Ummah from amongst the Scholars. They also cause doubts about these scholars by their
actions, so they say, they do not understand anything of current affairs, and nor of the affairs of
the society or what Islaam requires [in the current times], they only understand specific issues
such as what is said for example, the issues of womens menses and impurities.
Something similar was stated by their likes (of the earlier times) as occurs in the book of ash-

Shatibi al-Itisam when he mentions about a person from the Innovators that he said, the thought
of Ibn Seereen and Hasan al-Basri is one that does not extend beyond the cloths of
menstruation!! And another one said, Certainly, the thought of ash-Shafiee and Abu Haneefah
does not go beyond the womens undergarments!!
This is what is meant, that those scholars, such as Hasan al-Basri, Ibn Seereen, Imaam ashShafiee, Imaam Abu Haneefah, those who are leaders of the Ummah, they say about them that
they do not understand anything but that.
As for these contemporary ones, then they have come out with the same claims but with different
ways and means. So they say, These scholars do not understanding anything of current affairs,
fiqh ul-waqi, all they know is this particular fiqh, that of womens menses and impurities.
So the purpose behind this is to separate the youth from the scholars, for when they have
achieved such a separation between the youth and the scholars who give them understanding of
the religion of Allaah, it then becomes possible for them to make them confused and enter them
into whatever ideas they wish. And in such a manner have succeeded, because they have
separated the society from this particular scholar or that one.
And the mischief-makers are capable of spreading whatever ideas they wish amongst the youth
because when the minds of the youth are corrupted, they fall into errors by which they harm
themselves, the society they live in and the dawah too. This is because these youth begin to
seek understandings from each other, reading the hadeeths to one another and extracting the
rulings from them (by themselves), and then begin implementing all this, in their views and in their
desires. Yet if they had returned to the scholars, they would have explained all of this to them.
And the Khawarij, when they read the hadeeth, "One who fornicates, does not do so while he is a
believer", they said that such a one is a disbeliever, and they built their principle upon this.
However, if there was a scholar amongst them, he would have said, "Come, there is another
hadeeth, reported by Abu Dharr himself, Whoever dies upon Tawhid will enter Paradise, even if
he fornicated and stole."
Therefore, the scholars are the ones who explain matters to the youth. But as for these people,
then they cause doubts about the key figures of the Ummah, their goal being to separate the
youth from the scholars so that they eventually do not understand anything and then begin to
follow them in whatever they desire." (al-Furqan no. 101)

Lessons from the Lives of the Pious

Being Considerate to the Host

Once, Hadhrat Saharanpuri (rahmatullahi alaihi) arrived at Meerut during the late portion of the
night. Thus, he felt that if he went to Hadhrat Moulana Aashiq Ilaahi Sahib (rahmatullahi alaihi) at
that time of the night, he would be disturbing him. Hence, he slept in the Musjid. When he awoke
for Tahajjud, he lowered a bucket into the well to draw out water.
In the meantime, Hadhrat Moulana Aashiq Ilaahi Sahib (rahmatullahi alaihi) whilst asleep dreamt
that Hadhrat (rahmatullahi alaihi) had come and slept in the Musjid and is now drawing water out
of the well. Suddenly his eyes opened and he could hear the sound of a bucket in the well. He got
up with a shock to find Hadhrat (rahmatullahi alaihi) drawing water from the well. Immediately he
came up to Hadhrat (rahmatullahi alaihi) and asked, Why didnt you wake me up? Hadhrat
(rahmatullahi alaihi) replied, What was the need to disturb your sleep? I slept very comfortably in
the Musjid.

Forgiveness and Kindness Win the Day

Once while Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) and the Sahaabah (radiyallahu anhum) were
on a journey, there was a heavy downpour which caused them to be drenched. Rasulullah
(sallallahu alaihi wasallam) hung his clothes on a nearby tree and lay down to rest beneath it. The
Ghatfaan tribe who were till then enemies of Islam saw this to be an opportune moment to
assassinate Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam). Hence they challenged Duthoor, a gallant
young man, to accomplish this task. They said: Muhammad is lying down all alone under that
tree. All his companions are scattered about. Why dont you finish him off?
Grasping an exceptionally sharp sword, Duthoor strode up to Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi
wasallam). He wielded the unsheathed sword before Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) and
arrogantly demanded: O Muhammad! Tell me! Who will save you from my sword today?
Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) calmly responded: Allah will protect me. At this Jibreel
(alaihis salaam) struck him with a severe punch to his chest and his sword flew out of his hand.
Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) retrieved the sword and asked: Now tell me, who will save
you from me? Duthoor replied: Nobody. Duthoor then embraced Islam, reciting the kalimah of
shahaadah. He also pledged not to assemble forces against Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi
wasallam). Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) handed his sword back to him. Duthoor
returned to his tribe and invited them to Islam. (Al Bidaayah wan Nihaayah, vol. 4 pg. 3)
Lesson: Allah Taala alone is the protector. If Allah Taala wishes to protect someone, nobody can
harm him/her. Furthermore, what won the day? What removed the kufr from the heart of a person
who set out to assassinate Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) and opened the way for Imaan
to enter? What expelled the hatred from his bosom and replaced it with love? FORGIVENESS
and KINDNESS! When Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) pardoned him, in one moment
there was a revolution in his heart. Let us also learn to forgive and taste the sweetness that
follows.

The Most Unqualified Occupation

Every effort of Deen has a code of conduct with established rules and principles. In order to be
part of any effort of Deen, together with the necessary abilities and capabilities, the basic
requirement is complete submission to the code and conduct. Those who submit in this way,
progress tremendously. On the other hand there are those who do not wish to submit and take
part in any effort of Deen. They simply object and criticise the sincere efforts of others without any
valid reason. This is the easiest thing to do, as it requires absolutely no qualification. Thus, a
person who has no ability or capability to do something constructive for the Deen of Allah Taala,
now becomes destructive by engaging himself in objecting and criticising the effort of others.
Since he lacks the ability to do anything, he will now try to undo the good work of others. This
happens due to the absence of submission in a persons li fe. Submission paves the path towards
progress. However, if making baseless objections becomes ones habit, ones life will be spent
objecting against others, eventually leading to ones own destruction.

The Content of The Quran

By Ibnul-Qayyim
If we look closely at the words of the Quran, we will find a Sovereign, to whom belongs all
Dominion and all praise and thanks are due to Him, all affairs are in His grasp, and He is the
source and the end of all affairs. He rose over His throne, and no secret of His kingdom shall ever
be hidden from Him, as He is the Knower of the servants' souls. He Alone is the Planner of the
kingdom's affairs. He hears, sees, grants, averts, rewards, punishes, honors, abases, creates,
gives and takes life, provides estimates, judges, and conducts the affairs of man.
a. The decrees, whether minor or major, descend and ascend by His permission. Nothing can
move, even equal to the weight of an atom, except by His permission; not a leaf falls, but He
knows it.
b. Let's think about the way in which He praises and glorifies Himself, and how He warns His
servants and guides them to happiness and salvation, by directing their interest to the right path.
He warns them against the way of destruction. He acquaints them with His Names and Attributes,
and He gets closer to them by bestowing His blessings and grace upon them. He reminds them
of His blessing, and orders to the way of salvation. He warns them against His wrath, reminding
them of the reward prepared for them if they are obedient, and also of the torment prepared for
them if they are disobedient. He narrates the stories of the believers and the disbelievers as well
as the end of both parties.
c. He praises the believers by virtue of their good deeds and qualities, and He dispraises His
enemies by their wrong doings and evil qualities. He sets forth parables and provides evidence
and proof. He refutes the lies of His enemies by portraying the best of answers, and believing the

truthful and belying the liars. He says the truth and guides to the right path.
d. He calls to the dwelling of peace, mentioning its characteristics, and its bliss. He warns against
the dwelling of destruction, mentioning its torment, awfulness and pain.
e. He mentions His servants and their need for Him at all times: there is never a time when they
are not in need of Him, even for the twinkling of an eye. He states His richness above all
creatures, and the fact that He is free of all needs and wants. He mentions the fact that all
creatures stand in need of Him, and no one can attain the least blessing or more except by His
Mercy and Grace, and no one can be afflicted by the least amount of evil or more except by His
justice and wisdom.
f. The speech of Allah implies His gentle admonition to the believers, because in spite of
everything He raises them from their falls, forgives and excuses them, reforms their corruption,
and supports them. For them, He is the defender, the supporter, the sustainer and the rescuer
from every distress. He always fulfils His promises. They have no protector other than Him, for He
is their true Master, and their Helper against their enemies, so what an excellent Protector and
what an excellent Helper.
g. If the hearts witness through the Quran, a glorious, great, bountiful, merciful sovereign like this,
then how can these hearts stop loving Him, and how can they not compete in approaching Him
and getting closer to Him? For them, that sovereign should be the most lovable of all, and His
satisfaction should be sought more than the satisfaction of others.
Really, how can these hearts stop remembering Him, since loving and longing for Him are the
source of power and remedy, to the extent that if the hearts do not have these things then
destruction and corruption would be their destiny, and their lives would be of no value.

A Journey back to the Days when we were an embryo inside the Womb of our Mother
by islamtees
The closest thing to man is himself. How many of us really know about ourselves before even
thinking about the environment surrounding us? There are many great things in ourselves that we
are either heedless regarding their magnificence or that we take for granted. Let us take the
following journey back to the days when each one of us was an embryo inside the womb of his
mother:
[Who took care of me with utmost care and graciousness when I was a tiny seed settled on the
wall of the uterine with three layers of darkness surrounding me?
Who made my mothers blood bring me food I need until I grew up to a stage in which my body
was able to stand the air, the light, and the hands of people who turn me around?
Then, when the contractions pushed me, and I was squeezed out and to the world of tests and
trials I came out!
Who shielded you inside as a fertilized egg? Then who made your residence enlarge as you
grew up? Who opened the way for you when you came out naked without belongings or wealth?
There you came so poor and needy. Two containers of milk hanging on your mothers chest
came to the rescue! Who commanded the milk to develop and then to stand ready for your lips to
come and suck it out? A milk so agreeable to you, neither cold nor hot; neither salty nor bitter. You
were so thirsty and so hungry.

Who turned the hearing of your mother and filled it with mercy, love and attachment? The moment
she hears you crying she comes forth led by her mercy and love. She would prefer to see herself
in pain not you! You enlighten her life. Who put all of that in her heart?
When your body got stronger and your belly size became bigger, you needed another kind of
food. Who put in your mouth the cutting and grinding tools? Who held your teeth from growing
during the period of your breastfeeding? It was a mercy for your mother when they were held and
a mercy for you when they came out! And the stronger you became, the more you got from these
tools of your mouth! Thereupon you used a new set of tools: the molars working on meat,
bread and all kinds of solid food. Who provided you with these instruments and made them easy
for you to utilize.
When we came out we knew nothing. What a burden it would have been if we were born in a
state possessing the intelligence of an adult wrapped in diapers? What kind of living it would be?
Would we receive the care and kindness you normally get as developing newborns?
Our intelligence developed gradually and we were able to slowly but surely familiarize ourselves
with our surroundings. Who is the One Who is All-Wise and Most Merciful, the One Who is ever
watching over us and providing us with the means we need in due proportions and exact
measurements?
Then who is the One Who fashioned our heads with hair as a beauty and protection from cold
and heat?
Who adorned the face of the growing man with the distinctive beauty of the beard and kept the
woman's face soft, radiant and hairless?
Many are turning away from the one who created us and increasingly becoming heedless
regarding the true objective behind our existence. They are misled by a concept and a "theory".
That is it! A "theory" that practically denies the existence of the true God (Allaah).
Source: Man & Nature?, Compiled by Dr. Saleh As-Saleh (d.1429H - rahimahullaah)

Behind a Great Man is a Great Woman

One night while Ameerul Mumineen Umar bin Khattab (radiyallahu anhu) was doing his rounds in
Madinah Munawwarah, he leaned against a wall and overheard a unique conversation between a
young girl and her mother. The mother instructed the girl to add water to the milk that was to be
sold the next day. The girl replied: O my mother! Arent you aware of the order that Ameerul
Mumineen has passed today? The mother inquired as to what was the order. The daughter
replied: He ordered someone to announce that water should not be added to milk (since this was
deception). The mother said to her: O my daughter! Just add the water since you are in such a
place where neither Umar can see you nor the one who has made the announcement on his
behalf. The daughter replied: O my beloved mother! I cannot be so dishonest to obey him in
open and disobey him in private.
After listening to the entire conversation Umar (radiyallahu anhu) asked his servant Aslam to
remember the location of the house. The next morning Umar (radiyallahu anhu) sent his servant

to enquire whether the girl was married or not? When Umar (radiyallahu anhu) found out that the
girl was unmarried he gathered his sons and said: If your father had an urge for marriage he
would have been the first to marry this girl. Now which of you require a wife, since it is highly
possible that this girl will give birth to such a warrior who will be a leader of the Arabs? His son
Aasim said: I dont have a wife so get me married to her. From this marriage a daughter was
born who in turn became the mother of Umar bin Abdul Aziz (rahimahullah), the great leader of
Islam. (Sifatus Safwah vol. 1 pg. 409, Al-Kitaabul Jaamiu li Seerati Umar ibni Abdil Aziz vol. 1 pg.
13)
Lesson: There is a beautiful saying, that the nurturing of a child begins the day the mother of that
child was born. The nurturing of Umar bin Abdul Aziz began the day his mother was born, and her
nurturing was carried out in the most pious of ways since her mother was pious from a young
age. The piety of the mother shapes the childs future and helps raise true servants of Allah
Taala. Every mother should realise her important role in the upbringing of her children.

Questions asked in the Grave and the Punishment in the Grave

by islamtees
Al-Bara bin Azib ( ) reported that they (the companions) went out with Allaahs
Messenger ( ) to the funeral of a man from al-Ansar. They reached the location of
the grave before it was dug. The Messenger ( ) sat down facing the Qiblah; and
they sat around him quietly, as if afraid to disturb the birds standing on their heads. He held in his
hand a stick with which he was moving the earth. He looked towards the sky, then toward the
earth, raising and lowering his eyes three times. He said to them (two or three times),
Seek refuge in Allah from the punishment in the grave.
Then he said (three times): O Allah, I seek refuge in You from the punishment in the grave.
THE BELIEVER
He ( ) continued:Verily, when a believing abd (slave/servant) is at the point of
departure from the worldly life, and is about to enter the next life (i.e. he is close to death), angels
descend from heaven. Their faces are white (and bright) like the sun. They carry with them a
shroud from the clothes of Jannah, and embalmment from the fragrance of Jannah. They sit away
from him at the limit of his eyesight. The angel of death then arrives, sits by his head, and says,
O good and peaceful soul, depart to Allahs forgiveness and pleasure.
On hearing this, the soul leaves the body (as easily) as water drops flow from the sprout of a
water skin; and he (the Angel of Death) takes it. When the soul leaves the body, all angels
between the heavens and the earth, and all angels in the heavens, pronounce salah on him (i.e.
they ask that he be forgiven). All the gates of the heavens open for him; the guardians of every
gate implore Allah that this soul ascends in their direction.
When the Angel of Death takes the soul, they (other angels) do not leave it in their hand for as
little as the blinking of an eye. They take it and place it in their shroud and embalmment. To this
apply Allahs words:
Our messengers (the angels) take his soul, and they never neglect their duty. [Al-Anam 6:61]

There emanates then from the soul the best smelling scent of musk that ever existed on the
surface of the earth.
The angels then ascend with it. As they pass by the gathering of angels, they ask them, What is
this good soul? They (the angels holding it) reply, He is so and so, the son of so and so, using
the best names with which he had been addressed in the first life. When they reach the lowest
heaven, they ask for permission to enter; and the gates open for them. The most elite (angels) of
each heaven escort him to the next one, until he reaches the seventh heaven. Allah then says,
Write My servants record in illiyyun, And what will make you know that Illiyyun is? An inscribed
register, witnessed by those nearest (to Allah among the angels) [Al-Mutaffifin 83:19-21]
Thus, his records are inscribed in Illiyyun; and the angels are told, Take him back to the earth,
because I promised them that from it I create them, into it I return them, and from it I resurrect
them once again. [Taha 20:55]
He is then returned to the earth; and his soul is returned to his body, so that he hears the
thumping of his companions shoes as they walk away from his grave.
Two angels of severe reprimand then come to him, and shake him. They make him sit up, and
ask him, Who is your Lord? He replies, My Lord is Allah. They ask him, What is your Deen
(religion)? He replies, My Deen is Islam. They ask him, Who is that man who was sent to
you? He replies, He is Allahs Messenger () . They ask him, What did you do?
He replies, I read Allahs Book, believed in it, and obeyed it. They shake him again, asking,
Who is your Lord? what is your Deen? Who is your Prophet? And this is the last fitnah (trial) to
which the believer is subjected. In this regard, Allah says:
Allah keeps the believers firm with firm words in the fist life, and in the last one. [Ibrahim 14:27]
He repeats, My Lord is Allah, my Deen is Islam, and my Prophet is Muhammad (
). A caller then calls from the heavens, My servant has spoken the truth; so provide him with
furnishings from Jannah; clothe him from Jannah; and open for him a door to Jannah. Thus he
receives provision and perfume from it; and his grave is spread to the extent of his eyesight.
Before him appears a man with a pleasant face, nice garments and a good smell. He says to
them, I am to give you glad tidings that will please you: tidings of Allahs acceptance, and
gardens with everlasting bliss. This is the day that you have been promised. He responds, Glad
tidings from Allah be to you too. Who are you? Your face is one that brings goodness. He says, I
am your good deeds. By Allah, I only knew you quick in obeying Allah, and slow in disobeying
Him. May Allah reward you with good.
A door is opened for him to Jannah and another one to the Fire; and he is told, This (the Fire)
would have been your dwelling had you disobeyed Allah. But Allah has substituted it for you with
this (Jannah). When he sees what is awaiting him in Jannah (of pleasures), he says, O my Lord,
speed up the arrival of the Hour (of Resurrection), so that I may rejoin my family and property.
He is told, Calm down.
THE DISBELIEVER
And verily when a disbelieving (or disobedient) abd is at the point of departure from the worldly
life, and is about to enter the Hereafter, strong hulking angels with dark faces descend to him
from the heavens. They bring with them tough fabrics from the Fire. They sit away from him at the
limit of his eyesight. The Angel of Death arrives, sits by his head, and says, O malicious soul,
depart to a wrath and anger from Allah. (On hearing this) it becomes terrified, and clings to the
body; but he extracts it (by force), like a skewer is pulled from wet wool, causing the veins and
nerves to burst.

Every angel between the heavens and the earth, and every angel in the heavens, curses him.
The gates of heaven are shut; the guardians of every date implore Allah that this soul does not
ascend in their direction.
When the Angel of Death takes the soul, they (the other angels) do not leave it in his hand for as
little as the blinking of an eye. They put it in the fabric that they have (from the Fire); and from it
emanates the most repugnant odour of a decaying cadaver that ever existed on the surface of the
earth.
The angels then ascend with it. As they pass by gatherings of angels, they ask them, What is this
malicious soul? The angels holding it respond, He is so and so, son of so and so, using the
worst names with which he had been addressed in the first life. When they reach the lowest
heaven, they ask for permission to enter; but the gates are not opened for him. (Here the
Messenger recited: For them (the disbelievers), the gates of heaven will not be opened; and they
will not enter Jannah until the camel goes through the eye of the needle.) [Al-A'raf 7:40]
Allah then says, Write his record in Sijjin (a place most low/a place of imprisonment) in the
lowest earth. And they are told, Take him back to earth, because I promised them that from it I
create them, into it I return them, and from it I resurrect them once again. [Taha 20:55] His soul is
then cast down from the heavens without regard; and it falls into his body. (Here Allahs
Messenger ( ) recited:
As for the one who joins partners with Allah, it is as if he plunges down from the skies
whereupon birds snatch him off, or the wind casts him away to a remote place (from Allahs
mercy). [Al-Hajj 22:31]
His soul is restored to his body, so that he hears the thumping of his companions shoes as they
walk away from his grave.
Two angels of severe reprimand come to him and shake him. They make him sit up, and ask him,
Who is your Lord? He replies, Alas, alas, I do not know! They ask him, What is your Deen?
He replies, Alas, alas, I do not know! They ask him, Who is that man who was sent to you? He
cannot recall his name, and he is told, (His name is) Muhammad! He says, Alas, alas, I do not
know. I just heard the people say that. He is then told, You did not know; and you did not recite
(the Quran)! A caller calls from the heavens, He lies! So spread for him furnishings from the Fire;
and open for him a door to the Fire.
Thus its heat and fierce hot wind reach him; and his grave is tightened around him, causing his
ribs to break;
Before him appears a man with an ugly face, repulsive clothes, and a foul smell; he says, I am to
give you evil tidings that will displease you. This is the day that you have been promised. He
responds, Evil tidings from Allah be to you too! Who are you? Your face is one that brings evil.
He says, I am your malicious deeds. By Allah, I only knew you slow in obeying Allah, and quick in
disobeying Him. May Allah repay you with evil.
A blind, deaf, and dumb person is appointed for him. He carries in his hand a sledgehammer that,
if it hits a mountain, would turn it to dust. He hits him (with it) once; and he becomes dust. Allah
then restores him as he was; and the person hits him again; he sounds a shriek that is heard by
everything except men and jinns.
A door is opened for him to the Fire; and he is given the furnishings from the Fire. He then says,
O my Lord! Do not establish the Hour.
Recorded by Ahmad, Abu Dawud and others; verified to be authentic by Al-Albani (Sahih ul-Jami'

no. 1676)

Doing Good Becomes Easy

We should never become obedient to and follow our nafs (carnal desire), or else with time we will
become such slaves of our nafs that it will be very difficult to do any action contrary to the dictates
of the nafs. On the other hand if we anger our nafs only for the pleasure of Allah Taala and
continue to place it under little difficulties (by abstaining from wrong), then it will automatically
become accustomed to it. Then to carry out good deeds becomes very easy. For the friends of
Allah Taala, doing good actions is a total pleasure, whereas we find it very difficult. This is due to
us always obeying our nafs, hence we desire to have ease and comfort at all times.

Inspirational Advice
Highway Robber becomes the Saint of the Time
Fudhail bin Iyaadh (rahimahullah) was a great saint and scholar of his time. His initial years were
spent in highway robbing. The incident of his repentance is as follows:
One night, as he was climbing a wall to meet a girl that he was infatuated with, he heard
someone reciting the verse:

Has not the time come for the people of imaan that their hearts surrender to the remembrance of
Allah Taala
When he heard this, he immediately replied: Undoubtedly O my Lord, the time has come, and
he returned. On his way back he took shelter for the night at a certain place where there were
other travellers as well. He overheard their conversation where in someone had suggested: Let
us continue with our journey. Upon this somebody replied: Not before the morning, because
Fudhail will rob us on the road.
He says: This left me thinking. How bad are you? You are spending your night in vice, whilst
other Muslims are fearing you? It seems like Allah Taala has sent them for me to take heed. O
Allah! I repent to You, and as part of my repentance, I would pass the rest of my life in the
precincts of the Kabah in ibaadat. (Siyaru Aalaamin Nubalaa vol. 8, pg. 423)
Lesson: Sometimes there are things that really tug at our heart and make us want to turn to Allah
Taala. It may be something we perhaps heard in a talk, or read in a book or just something that
was advised by a friend. These moments are special opportunities which we should grab with
both our hands and immediately sincerely turn to Allah Taala. That moment may change our lives
forever

The Infamous Gap between Islam and Modernity

By: Sohaib Baig
POSTED: 29 JUMADA AL AKHIRAH 1434, 10 MAY 2013
It is time for Muslims to stop playing catch-up.
~~~~~
Egypt in 1826. It was about a quarter of a century since Napoleon s invasion. Egypt was under
the control of Muhammad Pasha, an ambitious, power-hungry Albanian who sought to establish

his own empire in these Ottoman lands. Caught in the tangle of European networks of power, he
sought to enhance his own standing amongst them by putting Egypt on the path of modernization
and industrialization. Like so many others since then, who have been and continue to be
enthralled by European power, he aspired to learn and apply their secrets to power and
sophistication.
It was thus perfectly logical for Muhammad Pasha to send groups of students to Paris in the
1820s, to study the sciences of Western civilization. Accompanying one of these batches in 1826,
was Imam Rifaah Rafi al-Tahtawi. Imam Tahtawi had been educated at Jamiat Al-Azhar in Cairo,
and his role in this batch was primarily to provide religious guidance for the rest of the students.
Nevertheless, his own thoughts and ideas began to evolve as he witnessed and participated in
French culture. He kept a diary that was later published to much acclaim from the governing elite
(whom Tahtawi had also praised). His diary was interestingly very pro-Western for the day, even
if it still retained a somewhat critical approach. He criticized the moral debauchery that he saw
amongst the French, but he remained mostly awe-inspired by the learning and the civil, political,
and educational institutions that existed in France. Thus, he praised the modernization activities
that Muhammad Pasha initiated in Egypt, including his efforts to industrialize and establish new,
modern schools.
Once he returned, Tahtawi busied himself with heading many of these new schools and in
translating French works into Arabic. This was unsurprising obviously, the fastest way to learn
from Europe would be to directly translate and teach its treasures. In his lifetime, he translated
works ranging from military science to geography and from history to political science showing
not only his wide scope, but his near complete adulation of French intellectual works.
Tahtawi ultimately carved out an important legacy as a key pioneer of the Nahda - the Arab
cultural and intellectual renaissance that saw many new modernist reinterpretations of Islam.
Disoriented by the weakening political clout of the Muslims, many of these thinkers focused on
the issue they considered to be of utmost importance: of reconciling Islam and modernity, as if
these were somehow two distinct, monolithic entities that had fought long battles. Tahtawi
arguably precipitated many of these newfound campaigns and efforts.
~~~~~
Perhaps Tahtawis story could have ended right there, but given our challenges today, it simply
cannot. It is extremely striking how similar the concerns Tahtawi had are to our own concerns.
Although Tahtawi lived in the 19th century, it is commonplace to still hear such rhetoric today
regarding the need to progress and build bridges between Islam and modernity. Indeed, the
student group which Tahtawi accompanied to Paris perhaps can be said to have been 19h
century manifestations of the we must learn the Western sciences to progress and modernize
paradigm that continues to thrive. Tahtawi himself then represented those who tried to apply an
Islamic filter the idea that Muslims must take the good and leave the bad of Western
civilization in order to progress and modernize.
The persistence of this rhetoric today poses an extremely important question: Why havent
Muslims succeeded in advancing or modernizing in these two centuries since Tahtawi? Why
have the efforts of educators and intellectuals like Tahtawi failed to bring the Muslim world into a
modernized state of being?
In reality, this failure simply testifies to the longevity and powerful grip of Western notions of
progress and civilization. The persistence of this rhetoric today is not an accident or a mistake it
stems directly from the problematic nature of the quest to modernize itself. Few seemed to realize
the very exercise of building a bridge itself can create its own ruptures, that it could perpetuate
forever the fundamental differences between two artificially separated entities. Even fewer
seemed to have reevaluated the basic underpinnings of their visions. What made something
modern and something un-modern if they existed simultaneously, at the same time? Who

decided what it meant to be advanced or civilized anyways? Why was progress or

advancement even such a pressing concern? How had one culture established its own
monopoly of what it meant to be advanced and modernized?
Thus, despite all his efforts to utilize and filter Western knowledge in the cause of Egypt or Islam,
Tahtawi still remained entrapped by Western categories of understanding. At the core, he was still
attempting to adapt Islam to Western notions of progress and modernity, without even probing the
value of such notions in the first place. Much of his thought, from his emphasis on education as a
means for the ideology of development, to his endorsement of parliamentary systems stemmed
from a worldview which had not completely interrogated its Western underpinnings. It was Islam
that was transformed not Western learning. Thus, in reality, it was Islam he ultimately
interrogated with a Western lens, as seen in the efforts to open the minds of those who
remained opposed to Western education.
Tahtawi serves as an important reminder of the risks inherent in engaging within Western
epistemologies, of the deep power-broking involved in importing Western sciences. Indeed, it is
common nowadays to hear Muslims from almost all segments of society speak about the need to
give the social sciences and humanities proper attention and importance. Muslims must go into
history, psychology, political science, sociology, communications, international relations,
marketing, fashion, film, gender studies, global studies, literature, English into every study and
discipline that is in the Western academy. This, many argue, is not only how we will tap into the
joys and fruits of Western learning, but how we will make Muslims up to par with the Western
world in terms of culture and civilization.
In reality, we must question every single task that we set forth before ourselves and we must
question the tools and concepts that we use to judge them. To avoid making the mistakes that
have been made countless times in the last few centuries, we must interrogate them and chart
out their scope, to see if they lead like Tahtawis did to a self-perpetuation of foreign categories of
understanding, or if they lead to something more organic and integrative at the same time. In
practical terms, we have to understand the deeper implications of what it means to be engaged in
anthropology, in film studies, in womens studies, in media, in political science, in economics, in
anything. We have to realize that every time we embrace these, we cross real epistemological
zones and embrace different paradigms of conceiving and living life just as we did, with
disastrous consequences (and still do) with science and its underlying scientism.
This is not to set up new walls or boundaries between what is Islamic and Western. This is only to
suggest that we must be aware of the power-broking inherent in the act of learning from and in
the purposes of modernizing and catching up. Two centuries have not seen this process
completed, not because this process somehow still needs more time, but because this process is
precisely set upon concepts and categories which will forever sustain these imbalances. For too
long, Muslims have been imprisoned by the idea that their Present is simply the Wests Past, and
that their Future can only lead to the Wests Present. To actually fulfill Tahtawis real vision, we
must tap into the deep, rich bodies of knowledge produced by Muslims over the centuries, and
unchain ourselves from Western hegemonizing categories of understanding. This is how we can
produce a fresh and liberating engagement with Western traditions of knowledge.