!

O noble brother
(1)
, may Allah give you success in obeying
Him and make us and you guided, rightly-led; and may He
gather us, you and our parents in the Gardens of Delight in
the company of those on whom Allah has bestowed His
Grace, of the Prophets, the truthful ones, the martyrs, and
the righteous. [4:69] Aameen!

My Muslim brother, know that Allah has created us in order
to worship Him and commanded us to single Him out (with
all that is exclusive to Him like worship, love, fear, etc.) and
obey Him, and He has promised whoever obeys Him with a
bountiful reward; and He has promised whoever disobeys
Him a painful punishment. Allah the Most High states:
_. _L`, < .`. .1 ! !.,Ls _
And whosoever obeys Allah and His Messenger (), he
has indeed achieved a great achievement. [33:71]

And He the Most High states:

(1)
[TN] Although the author only addresses the male Muslim prisoner, it should be
noted that in his motherland of Saudi Arabia, Muslim women only make up around
6.6% of the total prison population (According to ICPS, 2003). Nonetheless, the
address is relevant to Muslim women also, rather it is relevant to every Muslim
wherever they may be, as the world is a prisoner for the believer... [Sahih Muslim].


_. _-, < .`. .1 _. .l. !.,. _
And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger (), he
has indeed strayed in a plain error. [33:36]

Cling to the taqwaa
(2)
of Allah and obedience to Him by
carrying out the commands of Allah and refraining from His
prohibitions, for it is the fruit of happiness in the world and
Hereafter, due to the statement of Allah the Most High:
_. _`., < _-> .` l>>: . `, _. ,> ..> _
And whosoever has taqwaa of Allah and keeps his duty to
Him, He will make a way for him to get out (from every
difficulty). And He will provide him from (sources) he
could never imagine. [65:2-3]

Thus, He has promised whoever obeys Him with a way-out
from every difficulty and hardship, and with provision from
where it would not occur to him, so for that, all praise and
thanks are to Allah; just as He has promised the facilitation of
his affairs for whoever obeys Him and has taqwaa of Him, by
His statement the Most High:
_. _`., < _-> .` _. .:. . _
...and whosoever has taqwaa of Allah and keeps his duty
to Him, He will make his matter easy for him. [65:4]

(2)
[TN] Taqwaa is to shield oneself from the anger and wrath of Allah by fulfilling what
He has commanded, and abstaining from what He has prohibited.



Just as He has promised whoever obeys Him and has taqwaa
of Him with the atonement of his sins and the magnification
of his rewards, in His statement:
_. _`., < >`, .s ..!:,. L-`, .` > _
...and whosoever has taqwaa of Allah and keeps his duty
to Him, He will expiate from him sins, and will enlarge
his reward. [65:5]

Be patient upon what has befallen you and have faith in the
fact that this affliction did not occur except with the Qadr
(decree) of Allah due to the sins of man, just as He the Most
High states:
!. ,.. _. ,,.. !., ,. >,., -, _s ,. _
And whatever of misfortune befalls you, it is because of
what your hands have earned. And He pardons much.
[42:30]

And from Imaan in Allah, is to have patience upon what Allah
decrees; and it consists of three types: (1) patience upon the
obedience to Allah, by not leaving it; (2) patience from
sinning, by not committing it and (3) patience with the
decrees of Allah which are painful, by not being discontent
with them. Allah the Most High states:


:, _..l . _ :| .,.. ,,.. l! !.| < !.| ,l|
`-> . ,.l` ,l. ,l. _. , .> .l` `> ...l
_
but give glad tidings to the patient ones. Who, when
afflicted with calamity, say: Truly! To Allah we belong
and truly, to Him we shall return. They are those on
whom are the Salawaat (i.e. who are blessed and will be
forgiven) from their Rabb, and (they are those who)
receive His Mercy, and it is they who are the guided
ones. [2:155-157]

Allah has bestowed you with a lengthy time in which he has
enabled you to invest it and utilise from it that which will give
you pleasure and nearness to your Rabb, from recitation of the
Noble Quran and listening to it and remembrance of Allah
the Most High by making tahleel (laa ilaaha illallaah), takbeer
(Allahu Akbar) and tasbeeh (subhanallah)
(3)
; such as your
saying:
- -
Subhaanallahi wal-hamdulillahi wa laa ilaaha illallahu
wallahu akbar (Allah is free from imperfection, all praise is

(3)
[TN] Consider the example of Shaykhul-Islam Ibnu Taymiyyah G who spent his final
two years in imprisonment; his student Ibnu Abdil-Haadee mentions that during that
period, he completed the Quran 80 times and that he would recite three Juzz a day,
thereby completing it in its entirety every 10 days. (Al-Uqoodud-Durriyah, p.384)


for Allah, there is nothing worthy of worship in truth except
Allah and He is the most great) for these four statements are
from the most beloved words to Allah, it is the plantation of
Paradise and it is from the ever-remaining righteous actions;
and such as your saying:
- -
Subhanallahi wa bihamdihi, Subhanallahil-Atheem
(Allah is free from imperfection and all praise is for Him,
Allah the Great is free from imperfection), for the Prophet
said about these two tremendous statements: There are two
statements, light on the tongue, beloved to ar-Rahmaan (the Most
Merciful), heavy on the scales: Subhanallahi wa bihamdihi,
Subhanallahil-Atheem;
(4)
and such as repeating the statement
of Tawheed:
-
-
Laa ilaaha illallahu wahdahu laa shareeka lahu, lahul-
mulku walahul hamdu wa huwa alaa kulli shayin qadeer
100 times or 10 times for it is established in authentic
Hadeeth that whoever says it 10 times is like one who has
freed four slaves,
(5)
and whoever says it 100 times, it is
equivalent to him freeing ten slaves, 100 good deeds are
written for him, 100 evil deeds are wiped out from his record
and he has protection from the Shaytaan during that day until

(4)
Recorded by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim
(5)
Recorded by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim


evening, and none will come forward on the Day of Judgment
like him except one who did similar to him or more
(6)
; and
this is a tremendous matter which cannot be underestimated.

Do not let yourself fall short in supplicating, seeking
forgiveness, asking for the Paradise which has been prepared
for those who obey Allah and seeking refuge from the Fire
prepared for those who disobey Him; and Allah the Most
High remembers he who remembers Him and loves those
who supplicate to Him:
_! `, _.`s: `>.`. >l _
And your Rabb said: Invoke Me, I will respond to your
(invocation). [40:60]

And He forgives those who seek forgiveness from Him, He
accepts the repentance of those who repent to Him and He is
the Accepter of Repentance, the Bestower of Mercy. Through
the remembrance of Allah are the hearts made tranquil and
difficulties, dislikes and sorrows are removed. There is not an
action which can most likely save the son of Aadam from the
punishment of Allah like the remembrance of Allah.

Do not forget that you will be questioned about your time,
accounted for it and recompensed according to what you did
in it from that which is good or evil; therefore, do not let it

(6)
Recorded by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim, and it is to be said in the morning


pass without doing (a good) action, nor neglect the hours of
your short life-span without consideration.

And do not let it pass you that your tongue is a double-edged
weapon, indeed busy it with what benefits you by way of
remembrance, supplication and seeking forgiveness,
otherwise, it will busy you with what will harm you by way of
swearing, cursing, backbiting and tale-carrying, for they are
prohibited and from the causes of punishment and entering
the Fire, as the Prophet said (to Muaadh): Are people
thrown into the Fire upon their faces or noses-, except for what
their tongues have harvested?
(7)
and these are not from the
characteristics of the believers.

Upon you my Muslim brother, is to avoid acts of worship and
acts of blind following which differ with the pure Shariyyah
and which have become acceptable habits among many
people, may Allah guide them to the Truth, and examples of
that include: smoking, sheeshah, lowering the garment below
the two ankles, shaving the beard and listening to music. All
types of smoking harm the health, wealth and community
with its unpleasant smells, therefore it is from the group of
forbidden detestable matters according to the text of the
Noble Quran, due to the statement of Allah the Most High
in his description of our Prophet :
_> `l .,,Ll `> `,l. .,>l _

(7)
Recorded by at-Tirmidhee, who said the Hadeeth is Hasan Saheeh.


...he allows them as lawful at-Tayyibaat (i.e. all good and
lawful things, deeds, beliefs, persons, foods), and
prohibits them as unlawful al-Khabaa'ith (i.e. all evil and
unlawful things, deeds, beliefs, persons, foods), [7:157]

And the Prophet prohibited wasting money, and which
type of wasting money is worse than burning it with fire; and
if we saw a person burning his (cash) notes with fire, we
would consider him mad, then what of the burning of the
body, wealth and health all together? And man will be asked
about his wealth, how he earned it and how he spent it; and
harming the Muslims with disliked smells is forbidden. Also,
a man is a role model to his children, relatives and
community, be it in something good or bad, either he guides
them to the Paradise or the Fire, may Allah guide us and our
Muslim brothers to the straight path, and may He protect us
and them from the evils of our selves, and from the evils of
our actions, and from the insinuations of the Shaytaan and
based on what has preceded, it is forbidden to buy and sell it.

Lowering the garment below the two ankles is from the major
sins which has been warned against with a severe warning, and
which is from the apparent forms of pride and the one who
has an atoms weight of pride will not enter Paradise as
mentioned in the authentic Hadeeth reported by Muslim
[no.147-91].



And shaving the beard is a sinful act before Allah and His
Messenger () and resembles the women, it is the action of
the accursed and resembles the disbelievers, and there occurs
in the Hadeeth: Whoever resembles a people, then he is from
them.
(8)


Allah and His Messenger () and the predecessors of this
nation have ruled that songs and listening to them are
forbidden, due to them repelling the remembrance of Allah
and the prayer; and they harbour hypocrisy in the heart and
repel one from the truth and lead to misguidance; and they
would busy you from listening to the Noble Quran and
benefitting from it, for the love of the Quran and the love of
songs are opposites which cannot be combined - and Allah is
the One from whom help is sought! Based on this, it is
forbidden to record songs, buy, sell or value them because
when Allah forbids a thing, He forbids its value, and in the
permissible (matters) is a blessing and sufficiency over the
forbidden (matters); and whoever eats from the forbidden, his
action is not accepted from him nor is his supplication
answered.

My Muslim brother, it is essential for you to socialise and
have friends, so it is upon you to sit with those who are good,
righteous, God-fearing, obedient to Allah; and beware of
sitting with those who are evil, disobedient to Allah, for a man

(8)
A Hasan Hadeeth, recorded by Abu Daawood, at-Tabaraanee and others.


is considered according to his close companions and will be
upon the religion of his close friend; therefore look to whom
you take as a close friend for just as mankind follows those
around him in their appearance, he also follows them in
action and behaves according to their character.

My Muslim brother, you will soon be asked about what you
listened to, or looked at, and about where your conscience
was (during that time); therefore, account yourself about these
things before you are accounted (on Judgment Day); so do
not listen to that which is forbidden, nor look at that which is
forbidden such as the Awraat and strange women who are not
from your mahaarim; and think about that which will benefit
you and not about that which will harm you. Allah the Most
High states:
| _..l .,l :l _ ,.l` l .s :`.. _
Verily! The hearing, the sight and the heart, of each of
those (things), one will be questioned (by Allah). [17:36]

My Muslim brother, if you desire that Allah accepts from you
your actions, and that you are attributed with the attributes of
the righteous believers, then cling to the taqwaa of Allah in
every moment of your time and short life; and preserve the
five prayers in their correct times with the congregation in the
Masjids and preserve the voluntary prayers and Sunans before
and after the prayers, because they will restore what is
deficient from them; and preserve the Witr prayer for it is a


right on every Muslim. And the Prayer is the connection
between the slave and his Rabb, it expiates sins and evil
actions, it forbids filthy and evil actions and it is from the
greatest good actions which removes evil actions.

Know my Muslim brother, that whoever knows the truth
then follows it, and (he knows what is) falsehood then avoids
it, Allah guides him, grants him success and accepts from him
his actions; as is evident from the statement of Allah the Most
High:
_ ..> `>: _.> ., `1. _
While as for those who accept guidance, He increases
their guidance and bestows on them their taqwaa.
[47:17]

And His statement the Most High:
.,, < _ ..> _.> _
And Allah increases in guidance those who walk aright.
[19:76]

And His statement the Most High:
_, ..> !., .,..l !.l,. _
As for those who strive hard in Us (Our Cause), We will
surely guide them to Our Paths (Islam). [29:69]



On the other hand, whoever knows the truth then leaves it,
(and knows what is) false then commits it, he is far from
being successful; as is evident from the statement of Allah the
Most High:
!.l s _ < ,l < _. 1l _,1..l _
So when they turned away (from the Path of Allah),
Allah turned their hearts away (from the Right Path). And
Allah guides not the people who are Faasiqoon (rebellious,
disobedient to Allah). [61:5]

So when they knew the truth and abandoned it, and they
knew what was falsehood and they then committed it, Allah
punished them by turning their hearts away, and He has
informed that He does not guide whoever exits from His
obedience after knowing it; therefore the Muslim should be
warned from opposing the command of Allah and the
command of His Messenger () for he may close the doors of
guidance and success upon himself.

My Muslim brother, do not forget to supplicate to your Rabb
for the goodness of your religion, your worldly life and your
life-after, for Allah has commanded the supplication and has
guaranteed the answer:
_! `, _.`s: `>.`. >l _
And your Rabb said: Invoke Me, I will respond to your
(invocation). [40:60]



He, the One free from imperfection, never breaks His
promise on the condition that we respond to Him, we obey
Him and believe in Him, then we ask Him and He will
answer us; for how many supplications He has responded to,
and how many sorrows He has removed, and how many He
has cured from illness, and how many difficulties He has
ceased? So to Allah is all praise, thanks and extol for that, and
from the most comprehensive supplications:
!.`, !.., _ !,..l ..> _ :> ..> !. ,.s !.l _
Our Rabb! Give us in this world that which is good and
in the Hereafter that which is good, and save us from the
torment of the Fire! [2:200]
!.`, _. !.,l .-, :| !..,.> `> !.l _. ,. .> ,.| .
,!>l _
Our Rabb! Let not our hearts deviate (from the truth)
after You have guided us, and grant us mercy from You.
Truly, You are the Bestower. [3:8]

Indeed these supplications contain the good of the worldly life
and after-life.

Lastly, my Muslim brother, I call you to make a truthful
repentance before you die by leaving sins, have regret over
what has occurred from them and have determination to
never return to them in the future and seek forgiveness over


them; for indeed Allah the Most High accepts the repentance
of the one who repents, and He forgives the one who seeks
forgiveness; and the one who repents from sin is like the one
who has no sins. Allah the Most High states:
,. _|| < !-,.- , _`...l >l-l _>l. _
And all of you beg Allah to forgive you all, O believers,
that you may be successful. [24:31]

Meaning: When you repent, you succeed, you win and you
are saved; and Allah the Most High states:
!!., _ `.., ,. _|| < ,. l>.. _ .s >, >`,
>.s >.!:,. l>.`, ..> _> _. !.> `.. _
O you who believe! Turn to Allah with sincere
repentance! It may be that your Rabb will expiate from
you your sins, and admit you into Gardens under which
rivers flow (Paradise)..." [66:8]

Meaning: when you all repent to Allah the Most High with a
true repentance, Allah will expiate your sins and forgive them
for you, and He will enter you all to Gardens of delight, and
this is the upmost thing the Muslim desires and hopes for,
and Allah the Most High states:
_ _:!,-., _ `. _ls .. L.1. _. .- < | <
`-, ,. !-,.- ..| > '-l `,>l _


Say: O My slaves who have transgressed against
themselves (by committing evil deeds and sins)! Despair
not of the Mercy of Allah. Verily, Allah forgives all sins.
Truly He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. [39:53]

Allah has forbidden being in despair in this Aayah, and it
(despair) is to cut off hope from His Mercy, and He has
informed that He forgives all sins, i.e. to those who repent
seeking forgiveness, because He the Most High is the All-
Forgiving, Bestower of Repentance; and Allah the Most High
states:
_.| "!-l _.l ,!. _., _.- !>l.. . _..> _
And verily, I am indeed forgiving to him who repents,
believes and does righteous good deeds, and then remains
constant in doing them (till his death). [20:82]

Therefore He the Most High has promised forgiveness to
whoever repents at any time from any sin and evil action and
believes in Allah, His Angels, His Books, His Messengers, the
Last Day and Qadr the good and evil of it, with a sincere
belief, and acts righteously, sincerely for Allah, in agreement
with the Sunnah of His Messenger such as Prayer, Zakaah,
charity, fasting, Hajj, good treatment of parents, keeping the
ties of kinship (the close relatives); then he persists and
remains upright upon guidance, faith and righteous actions to
the point he dies; and these are the four causes for forgiveness:
true faith, righteous actions, sincere repentance and


persistence on that. And the Prophet said: Allah the Most
High said: O son of Aadam! If your sins were to reach the clouds
in the heavens, then you were to seek forgiveness from Me, I
would forgive them for you.
(9)


Thus, Allah has opened the doors of repentance, forgiveness
and hope for those who seek repentance, seek forgiveness and
hope in His Mercy; just as He has opened the doors of
response to those who ask, and increase to those who are
thankful; so to Allah is all praise, thanks and extol for that,
and we ask Him for increase from His bounty and mercy, and
that He make us from those who, when they are given, they
give thanks, when they are trialled, they are patient and when
they sin, they seek forgiveness.

My Muslim brother, I ask Allah the Most High for me and
you, and for all the Muslims guidance and success, and I ask
Allah the Most High, by His Beautiful Names and Lofty
Attributes that He gathers us, you and our parents in the
Gardens of Delight, and that He protects me, you and our
parents from the punishment of the Fire. Aameen.
(10)


(9)
Recorded by at-Tirmidhee, who said the Hadeeth is Hasan Saheeh.
(10)
Source: Risalaah lis-Sujanaa (A Letter to the Prisoners) by Abdullah al-Jaarallah with
minor alterations and omissions.