Ruling on tankees or altering the order of verses when memorisingQur’an

I have a question regarding tankees. According to what I know, tankees
is when you recite an ayah, huroof, words, and surahs. But, what I
want to know is that is it haraam to MEMORIZE it that way. eg: I used
to memorize the quraan in a madrasah where we memorized this way: for
example, if our teacher gave us ayah 1-5, surah hashr; we would start
memorizing from: (transliteration)"wama qata'tum millinatin au tarak
tumooha qa'imah"(finsh ayah and go to the one before it, we DIDN'T
start from"sabbaha lillahi" and memorized backwards like that until we
reached the first ayah. Ofcourse, when we recitedit to the sheikhafter
memorizing, we said it in order, but is MEMORIZING while displacing
the order"tankees"?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Tankees or altering the order of verses when reciting is haraam,
whether that is during prayer or otherwise.
It says in Asna'l-Mataalib (1/63): It is haraam to switch the order of
verses when reciting, because that undermines the miraculous nature of
thetext and it ignores the wisdom behind the order in which the verses
appear. End quote.
It says in Haashiyat ad-Dasooqi (1/242): Switching the order of
soorahs is makrooh, and switching the order of consecutive verses in
one rak'ah is haraam and invalidates the prayer, because it distorts
it. End quote.
It says in Kashshaaf al-Qinaa' (1/343): It is makrooh to switch the
order of soorahs, such asreciting al-Inshiraah (94), then reciting
ad-Duha (93) after it, whether that is in one ortwo rak'ahs, because
of the report narrated fromIbn Mas'ood, according to which he was
asked about someone who recited Qur'an in the wrong order. He said:
Hisheart is disordered. Abu 'Ubayd explained that as referring to when
a person recites one soorah, then after it he recites another that
comes before it in the order (of soorahs in the Mushaf). This was
mentioned by Ibn Nasrullah in ash-Sharh asbeing similar to the case
with verses, that is, a similar ruling of it being makrooh applies in
the case of switching the order of the verses. It says in al-Furoo'
that there is consensus on this point. Ibn Nasrullah said: If it was
said that it is haraam to switch the order of verses, that would be a
valid opinion. The evidence for it being only makrooh is not clear,
and using as evidence the way the Prophet (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) learned it is subject to further discussion,
because that was due to need, as the Qur'aan wasrevealed according to
events. Shaykh [Ibn Taymiyah] said: Following the order of verses is
obligatory, because the order in which they appear is based on clear
instructions of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him), according to scholarly consensus. End quote.
But if the switching of the order occurs when memorising, not when
reciting or asking someone to listen so as to check one's
memorisation, there is nothing wrong with that. So one may begin by
memorising the fifth verse, for example, then the fourth, then when
one wants to recite them, one recites the fourth verse and then the
fifth, without switching the order. Then when he has memorised the
third, and he wants to recite what he had memorised,he should recite
them in the proper order without switching it. So he should recite the
third, then the fourth, then the fifth. There is nothing wrong with
this; some teachers do it this way and think that it is the best way
of memorising.
To sum up: It is not permissible to recite twoconsecutive verses in
thewrong order, and it is not permissible to switchthe order of words
in one verse.
For more information please see the answer toquestion no. 7189
And Allah knows best.

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The Second Caliph, Umar (634-644 A.C.)

"God has placed truth upon Umar's tongue and heart. (hadeeth)"
'Umar's Life
During his last illness Abu Bakr had conferred with his people,
particularly the more eminent among them. After this meeting they
chose 'Umar as his successor. 'Umar was born into a respected Quraish
family thirteen years after the birth of Muhammad (peace be on him).
Umar's family was known for its extensive knowledge of genealogy. When
he grew up, 'Umar was proficient in this branch of knowledge as well
as in swordsmanship, wrestling and the art of speaking. He also
learned to read and write while still a child, a very rare thing in
Mecca at that time. 'Umar earned his living as a merchant. His trade
took him to many foreign lands and he met all kinds of people. This
experience gave him an insight into the affairs and problems of men.
'Umar's personality was dynamic, self-assertive, frank and straight
forward. He always spoke whatever was in his mind even if it
displeased others.
'Umar was twenty-seven when the Prophet (peace be on him) proclaimed
his mission. The ideas Muhammad was preachingenraged him as much as
they did the other notables of Mecca. He was just as bitter against
anyone accepting Islam as others among the Quraish. When his
slave-girl accepted Islam he beat her until he himself was exhausted
and told her, "I have stopped because I am tired, not out of pity for
you." The story of his embracing Islam is an interesting one. One day,
full of anger against the Prophet, he drew his sword and set out to
kill him. A friend met him on the way. When 'Umar told him what he
planned to do,his friend informed him that 'Umar's own sister, Fatima,
and her husband had also accepted Islam. 'Umar went straight to his
sister's house where he found her reading from pages ofthe Qur'an. He
fell upon her and beat her mercilessly. Bruised andbleeding, she told
her brother,"Umar, you can do what you like,but you cannot turn our
hearts away from Islam." These words produced a strange effect upon
'Umar. What was this faith that made even weak women so strong of
heart? He asked his sister to show him what she hadbeen reading; he
was at once moved to the core by the words of the Qur'an and
immediately grasped their truth. He went straight to the house where
the Prophet was staying and vowed allegiance to him.
Umar made no secret of his acceptance of Islam. He gathered the
Muslims and offered prayers at the Ka'aba. This boldness and devotion
of aninfluential citizen of Mecca raisedthe morale of the small
community of Muslims. Nonetheless 'Umar was also subjected to
privations, and when permission for emigrationto Medina came, he also
left Mecca. The soundness of 'Umar'sjudgment, his devotion to the
Prophet (peace be on him), his outspokenness and uprightness won for
him a trust and confidence from the Prophet which was second only to
that given to Abu Bakr. The Prophet gave him the title 'Farooq'
whichmeans the 'Separator of Truth from False hood.' During the
Caliphate of Abu Bakr, 'Umar washis closest assistant and adviser.When
Abu Bakr died, all the people of Medina swore allegiance to 'Umar, and
on 23 Jamadi-al-Akhir, 13 A.H., he was proclaimed Caliph.
'Umar's Caliphate
After taking charge of his office, 'Umar spoke to the Muslims of Medina:
"...O people, you have some rights on me which you can always claim.
One of your rights is that if anyone of you comes tome with a claim,
he should leavesatisfied. Another of your rights is that you can
demand that I take nothing unjustly from the revenues of the State.
You can also demand that... I fortify your frontiers and do not put
you into danger. It is also your right that if you go to battle I
should look after your families as a father would while you are away.
"O people, remain conscious of God, forgive me my faults and help me
in my task. Assist me in enforcing what is good and forbidding what is
evil. Advise me regarding the obligations that have been imposed upon
me by God..."
The most notable feature of 'Umar's caliphate was the vast expansion
of Islam. Apart from Arabia, Egypt, Iraq, Palestine andIran also came
under the protection of the Islamic government. But the greatness of
'Umar himself lies in the quality of his rule. He gave a practical
meaning to the Qur'anic injunction:
"O you who believe, stand out firmly for justice as witnesses to God,
even as against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, and whether
it concerns rich or poor, for God can best protect both." [4:135]
Once a woman brought a claim against the Caliph 'Umar. When 'Umar
appeared on trial before the judge, the judge stood up asa sign of
respect toward him. 'Umar reprimanded him, saying,"This is the first
act of injustice you did to this woman!"
He insisted that his appointed governors live simple lives, keep no
guard at their doors and be accessible to the people at all times, and
he himself set the example for them. Many times foreign envoys and
messengers sent to him by his generals found him resting under a palm
tree or praying in the mosque among the people, and it was difficult
for them to distinguish which man was the Caliph. He spent many a
watchful night going about the streets of Medina to see whether anyone
needed help or assistance. The general social and moral tone of the
Muslim society at that time is well-illustrated by the words of an
Egyptian who was sent to spy on the Muslims during their Egyptian
campaign. He reported:
"I have seen a people, every one of whom loves death more than he
loves life. They cultivate humility rather than pride. None is given
to material ambitions. Their mode of living is simple... Their
commander is their equal. They make no distinction between superior
and inferior, between master and slave. When the time of prayer
approaches, none remains behind..."
'Umar gave his government an administrative structure. Departments of
treasury, army and public revenues were established. Regular salaries
were set up for soldiers. A popuation census was held. Elaborate land
surveys were conducted to assess equitable taxes. New cities were
founded. The areas which came under his rule were divided into
provinces and governors were appointed. New roads were laid, canals
were lug and wayside hotels were built. Provision was made for he
support of the poor and the needy from public funds. He defined, by
precept and by example, the rights and privileges of non-Muslims, an
example of which is the following contract with the Christians of
Jerusalem:
"This is the protection which theservant of God, 'Umar, the Ruler of
the Believers has granted to the people of Eiliya [Jerusalem]. The
protection is for their lives and properties, their churches and
crosses, their sick and healthy and for all their coreligionists.
Their churches shall not be used for habitation, nor shall they be
demolished, nor shall any injury be done to them or to their
compounds, or to their crosses, nor shall their properties be injured
in any way.There shall be no compulsion forthese people in the matter
of religion, nor shall any of them suffer any injury on account of
religion... Whatever is written herein is under the covenant of God
and the responsibility of His Messenger, of the Caliphs and of the
believers, and shall hold good as long as they pay Jizya [the tax for
their defense] imposed on them."
Those non-Muslims who took part in defense together with the Muslims
were exempted from paying Jizya, and when the Muslims had to retreat
from a city whose non-Muslim citizens had paid this tax for their
defense, the tax was returned tothe non-Muslims. The old, the poor and
the disabled of Muslims and non-Muslims alike were provided for from
the public treasury and from the Zakat funds.
'Umar's Death
In 23 A.H., when Umar returned to Medina from Hajj;, he raised his
hands and prayed,
"O God! I am advanced in years, my bones are weary, my powers are
declining, and the people forwhom I am responsible have spread far and
wide. Summon me back to Thyself, my lord!" Some time later, when 'Umar
went to the mosque to lead a prayer, a Magian named Abu Lulu Feroze,
who had a grudge against 'Umar on a personal matter, attacked him with
a dagger and stabbed him several times. Umar reeled and fell to the
ground. When he learned that the assassin was a Magian, he sid, "Thank
God he is not a Muslim."
'Umar died in the first week of Muharram, 24 A.H., and was buried by
the side of the Holy Prophet (peace be on him).

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When the Unstoppable Force Meets the Immovable Object

There's a centuries old Chinese story about a man trying to sell a
spear and a shield. When askedhow good his spear was, he said that his
spear could pierce any shield. Then, when asked how good his shield
was, he said that it could defend from all spear attacks. Then one
person asked him what would happen if he were to take his spear to
strike his shield; the seller could not answer. This led to the idiom
of " zìx?ang máodùn ", or "self-contradictory".
Today we would call this a paradox. A modern phrasing of this
particular paradox might be, "What happens whenan unstoppable force
meets an immovable object?"
The scientist and author Isaac Asimov answered this by saying that the
question was essentially meaningless, because a universe in which
there exists such a thing as an irresistible force is, by definition,
a universe which cannot also contain an immovable object, and vice
versa.
I want to look at this paradox from a personal angle, in terms of
challenges in our relationships and at work, and confronting the
myriad obstacles of life.
I believe that – within this worldly plane and subject only to Allah's
decree – the human will triumphs over all. I can become either the
unstoppable force or the immovable object.
Unstoppable Force
Try it. When faced with a challenge, become the unstoppable force.
Don't give up, no matter what. If one approach does not work, try
another. Ignorethose who tell you that what you're doing is
impossible. Learn from failure and try again. When the road is dark,
ask Allah for guidance and feel your way forward. When the path is
obscured with thorns and branches, blaze your own trail. You will find
that through sheer determination, the so-called "unstoppable force"
will crumble before you like a clod of dirt, Insha'Allah.
I've experienced this. By not taking "no" for an answer, I've gotten
jobs when there were no jobsto be had. By being persistent and patient
and never losing hope, I've experienced true love. By never quitting
even when I was tired and discouraged, I've become a martial arts
expert.
I first began practicing martial arts as a teenager. I used to
literally walk across the desert outside Riyadh to get to karate
class, carrying stones in case I needed to keep the wild dogs at bay.
Later, when Ilived in Oakland, I took up a different martial art
called Hapkido. When I moved to Panama I found a Hapkido school and I
rode the bus over an hour each way to get there. The bus had no air
conditioning and was packed with tired Panamanians going home from
work. It was noisy, hot and uncomfortable. People covered their mouths
with cloths because of the smog. The Hapkido school also had no air
conditioning. After class I would wring the sweat out of my uniform.
When I later moved to a house up in the mountains there were no
martial arts schools, so I bought mats, laid them in my living room,
and recruited a few locals to come to my house for training. I even
convinced my gardener to practice with me, on the clock. So I was
payinghim to learn from me, just so I could have a practice partner!
When I returned to California I found no Hapkido school,so I started
my own class, and three years later thatclass is still going strong.
Meanwhile I have earnedblack belts in two other martial arts.
I'm not boasting, I'm simply trying to give you a real-world example.
When you want something badly enough,become the unstoppable force.
Keep moving toward your goal no matter what.
Immovable Object
When you feel like you are under attack, becomethe immovable object.
Duck your head and root yourself like a mountain, and the "unstoppable
force" will break around you like a breeze. Whether you are under
attack for your faith, or being criticized for making life choices
that others do not understand, hold your ground and do not yield an
inch, as long as you are in Allah's path.
When the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) began preaching in
Makkah, thepeople were idol worshipers. The Prophet used to go to the
Ka'bah, the square mosque which is the oldest houseof worship on
earth, and preach the idea of "Laa ilaha-il-Allah". There is noGod but
Allah. In other words no idol is worthy of worship, no human being
should be deified, no saint or angel should be venerated. Only Allah.
Because of this preachingthe Quraysh (the Arab tribe which held sway
in Makkah, and to which the Prophet Muhammad himself belonged)
persecuted him relentlessly. And yet he persisted, gaining followers,
until the Quraysh became desperate. They met withMuhammad (sws)
privately, and offered to make him king of Quraysh, and to bestow
great wealth on him, on the condition that he stop preaching. He
replied, "…if they should put the sun in my right hand and the moon in
my left, even then I shall not abandon the proclamation of the Unityof
God. I shall set up the true faith upon the earth or perish in the
attempt."
Allahu Akbar! That is the immovable object! I will not detail the
extreme suffering that was imposed upon the Prophet Muhammad (sws) and
his family after that; the economic boycott, the assassinationattempts
and attempted wars of extermination against the Muslims; suffice it to
say that Islampersisted and grew until it became the dominant religion
of the world. All because one man was unstoppable and immovable.

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1a. Blessing and Dissipation

1a.
as we read in Surat al-A'raf, 32:
Say: "Who has forbidden the fine clothing that Allahhas produced for
His servants and the good kinds of provision?" Say:"On the Day of
Rising, suchthings will be exclusively for those who had faith during
their life in the hereafter�"
The Qur'an gives the example of Prophet Sulayman (as), to whom Allah
gave great wealth. Infact, it describes these possessions, as well as
his opulent palace and works of art, in Surah Saba', 12-13 and Surat
an-Naml, 44.
The important thing here is that Sulayman (as) gave thanks to Allah
amid all of these magnificent possessions, for he knew that they were
a mercy from our Lord. By relating his words: "Truly do I love the
love of good with a view to the glory of my Lord" (Surah Sad, 32), the
Qur'an draws our attention to his deep understanding.
This example shows us that the love of possessions, defined here as
"the love of good," is legitimate as long as it is ameans to praise
Allah. No doubt, believers who havethis kind of love will not hesitate
to use their possessions as Allah directs. Possessions are a blessing
belonging to Allah, and so those who have them will use them as Allah
commands.
But if possessions are not seen as a blessing, dissolution sets in.
The Qur'an gives many examples of how deviators understand the meaning
of riches. One of the clearest examples is that of Qarun, a rich man
who "gloated" (Surat al-Qasas, 76) and said: "I have only been given
it because of the knowledge I have" (Surat al-Qasas, 78). Such a love
of possessions cannot bring people close to Allah; rather, it diverts
them from His way and alienates them from faith. The Qur'an describes
this type of love as:
Truly man is ungrateful to his Lord, and indeed he bears witness to
that. Truly he is fierce in his love of wealth. (Surat al-'Adiyat,
6-8)
So, for this reason Muslimsmust view wealth according to the Qur'an's
criteria and pursue it only to please Allah and serve Islam. They must
desire allof Allah's blessings, because all blessings of this earthly
life have been created for those faithful and sincere servants who
exert every effort to please and serve Allah. Wehave to be continually
thankful for these blessings and follow Sulayman's (as) example:"What
an excellent servant! He truly turned tohis Lord" (Surah Sad, 30).
Those who live according to the real spirit of the Qur'an's moral
teachings and adopt the point of view described above will be deemed
"worthy and qualified" to enter Paradise, which possesses, as one of
its most salient characteristics, eternal splendor and dazzling wealth
and beauty. Peoplewho think and feel like Sulayman (as), who
said:"Truly do I love the love ofgood with a view to the glory of my
Lord" (Surah Sad, 32) amid all of this beauty, are believers.
Since this is how believers will think in Paradise, theirtrue home,
they must establish this point of view in this world, which is no more
than a preparation for the world to come. Far from regarding wealth,
beauty, and splendor as dissolution, believers mustknow that every
blessing is a mercy from our Lord, recognize its value, learn to enjoy
it, and be thankful.
The blessings of Paradise that we will look at in the following pages
must be examined from this point of view./

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1. Blessing and Dissipation

1.
In the following sections, we will analyze how the Qur'an looks at
Paradise and, based upon these descriptions,"try to imagine this
perfect place. But before we do this, let'slook at a few important
points. In today's societies,many people have erroneous ideas and
impressions in their conscious and subconscious minds. As such
obstacles cause them to formulate a mistaken view, we must describe
some basic Islamic concepts whose meanings have departed from their
original understanding.
With this in mind, we first have to distinguish between "blessing"
and"dissipation."
In the following pages, wewill see that the Qur'an describes Paradise
as an extremely luxurious and magnificent place, and that life therein
is as comfortable and attractiveas it can be.
However, to many people today, such a life is not so much "Islamic" as
it is a natural outcome of being alienated from Allah and religious
moral teaching.
So, because of this erroneous understanding that dominates society,
very many people think that a comfortable, luxurious, and ostentatious
life, and all that goes along with it, are "un-Islamic." They see such
things as expensive clothes, rich food, entertainment, dinner parties,
magnificently appointed houses, d�cor, and valuable art works as
belonging to ignorant people cut off from their religion. They usually
call alife filled with these things"dissolute," and criticize those
who give this society its name as "living undisciplined lives of
dissolution." The word"dissolution" (safahat) comes from the Arabic
safih, and can be translated as "a lack of discipline, overindulgence,
a weakness of mind that comes from living an irresponsible life of
wealthand comfort."
Here, we encounter a falseunderstanding that must be corrected. The
life of Paradise that Allah has been pleased to choose forHis
servants, as well as a life that contains every kind of luxury,
comfort, and ostentation, is also the most beautiful and noble way of
life, one that conforms as closely as possible to religious
moralteaching.
A false definition of dissolution opens the way to misunderstanding.
Dissolution, or rebellion against Allah through a lack of discipline
and overindulgence, is a condition of the human mind. People are not
dissolute because of their clothes, ostentatious houses, aesthetic
environments, or material wealth. Rather, the problem is in their
minds.
The natural result of this situation is this: If people have a
Qur'anic morality and a strong faith, they can live among the richest
opulence imaginable without ever becoming dissolute. On the contrary,
because they view everything they encounteraccording to the Qur'anic
criteria and moral teaching, they see all of the beauty surrounding
them as a blessing. In other words, they realize that all of these
things are gifts from Allah. So, if Muslims know that Allah has given
all of the surrounding riches, beauty, opulence, and magnificence,
naturally they thank our Lord for what He has provided. This is, after
all, why all blessings have been created.
If we applied this general way of thinking to our present society, we
would have to say that those who live a dissolute life and turn away
from Allah's commands have gone astray, because they do not see that
all of their possibilities are blessings from Him. If they saw these
things as blessings, this understanding would lead them to give thanks
to Allah. And then, they would use these blessings as Allah intended
them to be used: avoiding waste and using them in a way pleasing to
Him.
So, wealth can be defined in two ways. Some rich people are believers
who consider all of their possessions to be blessings from Allah,
whileother rich people go astray by considering all oftheir
possessions as their own, forget Allah, and fall into dissolution.
However, the model that Allah has proposed for all of His servants is
wealth, as mentioned in the first model above. Wealth and poverty are
tests for believers. Although some believers may be tested bypoverty,
Allah commands:"We desired to show kindness to those who were
oppressed in the land, and to make them leaders and inheritors" (Surat
al-Qasas, 5). This might happen in the world, but it certainly will
happen in the afterlife.
Therefore, it would be very wrong for Muslims to find fault with
grand, luxurious, and opulent lives. Muslims must not shun such people
and regard them with disdain, because, after all, all material things
in this life (e.g., fine clothes, deliciousfood, magnificent homes and
works of art) were created for Muslims, as we read in Surat al-A'raf,
32:
Say: :->

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Introduction Sunni and Shi'a

Introduction
Sunni and Shi'a:
-
The words Sunni and Shi'a appear regularly in stories about the Muslim
world but few people know what they really mean. Religion permeates
every aspect of life in Muslim countries and understanding Sunni and
Shi'a beliefs is important in understanding the modern Muslim world.
Introduction
The division between Sunnis and Shi'as is the largest and oldest in
the history of Islam.
They both agree on the fundamentals of Islam and share the same Holy
Book (The Qur'an ), but there are differences mostly derived from
their different historical experiences, political and social
developments, as well asethnic composition.
These differences originate from the question of who would succeed the
Prophet Muhammad as leader of the emerging Muslim community after his
death. To understand them, we need to know a bit about the
Prophet'slife and political and spiritual legacy.
The Prophet Muhammad
When the Prophet died in the early 7th century he left not only the
religion of Islam but alsoa community of about one hundred thousand
Muslims organised as an Islamic state on the Arabian Peninsula. It
wasthe question of who should succeed the Prophet and lead the
fledgling Islamic state that created the divide.
The larger group of Muslims chose Abu Bakr, a close Companion of
theProphet, as the Caliph (politico-social leader) and he was accepted
as such by much of the community which saw the succession in political
and not spiritual terms. However another smaller group, which also
included some of the senior Companions, believed that the Prophet's
son-in-law and cousin, Ali, should be Caliph. They understood that the
Prophet had appointed him as the sole interpreter of his legacy, in
both political and spiritual terms. In the end Abu Bakr was appointed
First Caliph.
Leadership claims
Both Shi'as and Sunnis have good evidence to support their
understanding of the succession. Sunnis arguethat the Prophet chose
Abu Bakr to lead the congregational prayers as he lay on his deathbed,
thus suggesting that the Prophet was naming Abu Bakr as the next
leader. The Shi'as' evidence is that Muhammad stood up in front of his
Companions on the way back from his last Hajj, and proclaimed Ali the
spiritual guide and master of all believers. Shi'a reports say he
tookAli's hand and said that anyone who followed Muhammad should
follow Ali.
Muslims who believe that Abu Bakr should have been the Prophet's
successor have come to be known as Sunni Muslims. Those who believe
Ali should have been the Prophet's successor are now known as Shi'a
Muslims. It was only later that these terms came into use. Sunni means
'one who follows the Sunnah'(what the Prophet said, did, agreed to or
condemned). Shi'a is a contraction of the phrase 'Shiat Ali', meaning
'partisans of Ali'.
The use of the word"successor" should not be confused to mean that
those leaders that came after the Prophet Muhammad were also prophets
- both Shi'a and Sunni agree that Muhammad was the final prophet.

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He is asking about al-‘Aqeedah al-Tahhaawiyyah?

What is al-'Aqeedah al-Tahhaawiyyah? What is it about?.
Praise be to Allaah.
al-'Aqeedah al-Tahhaawiyyah is a book dealing with 'aqeedah (basic
tenets offaith) which was writtenby Imam al-Tahhaawi and named after
him. Discussing this 'aqeedah means that we must lookat it from a
number of angles.
Firstly:
The author is the imam, muhaddith and faqeeh Abu Ja'far Ahmad ibn
Muhammad ibn Salaamah al-Tahhaawi - who is named after a village in
Upper Egypt - he studied with many Shaykhs and learned from them and
benefited from them, and he listed their number as three hundred
Shaykhs.
He was praised by more than one of the scholars:
Ibn Yoonus said: al-Tahhaawi was trustworthy, sincere, a faqeeh and a
man of wisdom, and after him there was no one else like him.
Al-Dhahabi said: the faqeeh, muhaddith, haafiz, one of the prominent
scholars, and he was trustworthy, sincere, a faqeeh and a man of
wisdom.
Ibn Katheer said: He was one of the trustworthy, sincere and a haafiz.
He wrote books which were well-written, comprehensive and of great
value, among which was his great book Ma'aani al-Athaar, which
contains research on fiqh accompanied by evidence and discussion of
controversial matters, and pointing to which view is more correct.
His books also include Mushkil al-Athaar and others.
He died (may Allaah havemercy on him) in 321 AH and was buried in
Egypt,in al-Quraafah.
See his biography in Siyar A'laam al-Nubala' (15/33-37) and
al-Bidaayah wa'l-Nihaayah (11/174).
Secondly:
This 'Aqeedah which waswritten by al-Tahhaawi mentions a number of the
beliefs of the righteous salaf and those who followed them of Ahl
al-Sunnah wa'l-Jamaa'ah, which was approved by the imams of the
Hanafis - as al-Tahhaawi followed the madhhab of Abu Haneefah. He
explained in his introduction his aims in doing that, and said:
"This is an explanation of the 'aqeedah of Ahl al-Sunnah
wa'l-Jamaa'ahaccording to the view of the fuqaha' of this madhhab: Abu
Haneefahal-Nu'maan ibn Thaabit al-Kufi, Abu Yoosuf Ya'qoob ibn
Ibraaheem al-Ansaari, and Abu 'Abd-Allaah Muhammad ibn al-Hasan
al-Shaybaani, may Allaahbe pleased with them all,and the beliefs
concerning the fundamentals of Islam, on the basis of which they
submit to the Lord of the Worlds." End quote.
Then he mentioned these basic beliefs, and the total number of things
he mentioned was 105 things believed by Ahl al-Sunnah wa'l-Jamaa'ah in
general.
He started by explaining the Oneness of Allaah, may He be exalted, and
said a little about the attributes of His Lordship(sifaat
ruboobiyyatihi), such as His being alive and self-sufficient, and His
being the Creator and Provider, and he affirmed the attributes of
perfection without discussing how or likening Him to any of His
creation, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): "There
is nothing like Him, and Heis the All-Hearer, the All-Seer" [al-Shoora
42:11]. Then he followedthat with a discussion of the obligation to
believein the Prophethood of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) and that he was sent to all people. Then he spoke of the
Holy Qur'aan, stating that it is the word of Allaah and not created,
and he affirmed that thebelievers will see Allaah in the Hereafter.
Then hementioned some mattersof the unseen in which Ahl al-Sunnah
believe, such as the Cistern (al-hawd), intercession, the Throne and
the Footstool (al-Kursiy). Then he mentioned the pillars of belief in
al-qada' wa'l-qadar (the Divine will and decree) and what Ahl
al-Sunnah wa'l-Jamaa'ah believe about this topic. Then hewent on to
define faith and its pillars, and explained that faith may increase
and decrease, and he explained the view of Ahl al-Sunnah in contrast
to the views of the Khawaarij and Murji'ah. He also described what
Ahl-al-Sunnah believe with regard to the noble Sahaabah (may Allaah
bepleased with them), and that loving them is part of Islam, faith and
ihsaan, and that hating them is kufr, hypocrisy and sin. Then he
mentioned some of the portents of the Hour andwhat will happen on
theDay of Resurrection, then he ended his essay with an discussion of
how this religion is the middle path, between exaggeration and
fallingshort.
Thirdly:
It is a book of 'aqeedah that is easy to read and clear in meaning. It
is comprehensive and brief. It sums up the beliefs of Ahl al-Sunnah
wa'l-Jamaa'ah and, for the most part, includes matters on which there
is scholarly consensus and agreement.
Many scholars have written commentaries on this 'Aqeedah and explained
its words and meanings. One of the most famous of them is Ibn
Abi'l-'Izz al-Hanafi, who wrote a lengthy commentary on it; among
later scholars, Shaykh 'Abd al-'Azeez ibn Baaz and Shaykh Muhammad
Naasir al-Deen al-Albaani (may Allaah have mercy on them) wrote
commentaries on it, as did Shaykh Safar ibn 'Abd al-Rahman al-Hawaali
(may Allaah preserve him). The one who wants to understand more of the
meanings of al-Tahhaawiyyah can refer to these commentaries.
Fourthly:
'Aqeedah al-Tahhaawi discusses matters in briefand general terms, but
what made it very famous and popular among the Salafis in particular
is the commentary which was written by Shaykh Ibn Abi'l-'Izz al-Hanafi
(may Allaah have mercy on him), which is the most important and most
detailed of its commentaries. He based his commentary on the books of
Ahl al-Sunnah, especially the books of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah
(may Allaah have mercy on him) and his student Ibn al-Qayyim (may
Allaah have mercy on him).
Fifthly:
Despite what we have referred to of the good features of this
'Aqeedahand its commentary by Ibn Abi'l-'Izz, it also contains a
number of issues which were criticized, because they go against what
the salaf believed, such as his saying, when defining faith: "Faith is
affirming with the tongue and believing in the heart," because
limiting it to that is the view of the Murji'i fuqaha' who excluded
physical actions from thedefinition of faith. The same applies to what
he said after that, "Faith is one and the same, and believers are
equal with regard to the foundation of faith."
It also includes some general phrases that may be understood
incorrectly, and are mostoften used by innovatorsto mean things that
are contrary to the beliefs ofthe righteous salaf, such as his saying,
"exalted beHe above limits and boundaries" and "exalted be He above
having faculties and parts" and "He is not subject to directions
anddimensions which are attributes of created beings." Such phrases
are used by those who misinterpret the attributes of Allaah
(al-mu'attilah) to deny what is affirmed in the Book of Allaah and
the Sunnah of His Messengerof the sublime attributesof Allaah that
befit His perfection, may He be glorified and exalted, such as His
Countenance,hands and eyes. They callthem faculties and parts,and deny
that Allaah possesses them.
Another example is His being above His creation, and His rising above
His Throne in His heaven. They call this "directions and location"and
deny that it applies to Allaah, may He be exalted.
Because of that, it is important for the seekerof knowledge to pay
attention to learning this 'Aqeedah from a scholar of Ahl al-Sunnah
who can explain it, such as Ibn Abi'l-'Izz among classical scholars
and from contemporary scholars who have written brief commentaries on
it, as we have referred to above.
There are many audio commentaries on this book, such as the commentary
by Shaykh Saalih Aal al-Shaykh, andthe commentary by Shaykh Yoosuf
al-Ghufays, and others.
Shaykh Safar al-Hawaali (may Allaah preserve him) has commented at
length on the commentary of Ibn Abi'l-'Izz; you may refer to it on his
website.
And Allaah knows best.

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Is it obligatory to obey aruler who does not rule according to the Book ofAllaah and the Sunnah ofHis Messenger (blessings and peace of Allaah be upon him)?

Is it obligatory to obey a ruler who does not rule according to the
Book ofAllaah and the Sunnah ofHis Messenger (blessings and peace of
Allaah be upon him)?.
Praise be to Allaah.
The ruler who does not rule according to the Book of Allaah and the
Sunnah of His Messengershould be obeyed in matters that do not involve
disobedience towards Allaah and His Messenger, and it is not
obligatory to fight him because of that; rather itis not permissible
to do so unless he reaches the level of kufr, in which case it becomes
obligatory to oppose him and he has no right to be obeyed by the
Muslims.
Ruling according to anything other than thatwhich is in the Book of
Allaah and the Sunnah ofHis Messenger reaches the level of kufr when
two conditions are met:
1. When he knows the ruling of Allaah and His Messenger; if he is
unaware of it, then he does not commit kufr by going against it.
2. When what makes him rule by something other than that which
Allaah has revealed is the belief that it is a ruling that is not
suitable for our time andthat something else is more suitable than it
and more beneficial for people.
If these two conditions are met, then ruling by something other than
that which Allaah has revealed constitutes kufrwhich puts a person
beyond the pale of Islam, because Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning): "And whosoever does not judge by what Allaah hasrevealed,
such are the Kaafiroon (i.e. disbelievers)" [al-Maa'idah 5:44]. The
authority of the ruler becomes invalid and he has no right to be
obeyed by the people; it becomes obligatory to fight him and remove
him from power.
But if he rules by something other than that which Allaah has revealed
whilst believing that ruling by that – i.e. that which Allaah has
revealed -- is what is obligatory, and that it is more suitable for
the people, but he goes against it because of some whims and desires
on his part or because he wants to wrong the people underhis rule,
then he is not a kaafir; rather he is a faasiq (evildoer) or a zaalim
(wrongdoer). His authority remains, and obeying him in matters that do
not involve disobedience to Allaah and His Messenger is obligatory,
and it is not permissible to fight him or remove him from power by
force or to rebel against him, because the Prophet (blessings and
peace of Allaah be upon him) forbade rebelling against rulers unless
we see blatant kufr for which we have proof from Allaah.

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The First Caliph, Abu Bakr(632-634 A.C.)

"If I were to take a friend other than my Lord, I would take Abu Bakr
as a friend." (Hadeeth)
Election to the Caliphate
The Prophet's closest Companion, Abu Bakr, was not present when the
Holy Prophet (peace be on him) breathed his last in the apartment of
his beloved wife of later years, Aisha, Abu Bakr's daughter. When he
came to know of the Prophet's passing, Abu Bakr hurried to the house
of sorrow.
"How blessed was your life and how beatific is your death,"
he whispered as he kissed the cheek of his beloved friend and master
who now was no more.
When Abu Bakr came out of the Prophet's apartment and broke the news,
disbelief and dismay gripped the community of Muslims in Medina.
Muhammad (peace be on him) had been the leader, the guide and the
bearer of Divine revelation through whom they had been brought from
idolatry and barbarism intothe way of God. How could he die? Even
Umar, one of the bravest and strongest of the Prophet's Companions,
lost his composure and drew his sword and threatened to kill anyone
who said that the Prophet was dead. Abu Bakr gently pushed him aside,
ascended the steps ofthe lectern in the mosque and addressed the
people, saying
"O people, verily whoever worshipped Muhammad, behold! Muhammad is
indeed dead. But whoever worships God, behold! God is alive and
willnever die."
And then he concluded with a verse from the Qur'an:
"And Muhammad is but a Messenger. Many Messengers have gone before
him; if then hedies or is killed, will you turn back upon your heels?"
[3:144]
On hearing these words, the people were consoled. Despondency gave
place to confidence and tranquility. This critical moment had passed.
But the Muslim community was nowfaced with an extremely serious
problem: that of choosing a leader. After some discussion among the
Companions of the Prophet who had assembled in order to select a
leader, it became apparent that no one was better suited for this
responsibility than Abu Bakr. A portion of the speech the First Caliph
gave after his election hasalready been quoted in the introduction.
Abu Bakr's Life
Abu Bakr ('The Owner of Camels')was not his real name. He acquired
this name later in life because of his great interest in raising
camels. His real name was Abdul Ka'aba ('Slave of Ka'aba'), which
Muhammad (peace be on him) later changed to Abdullah ('Slave of God').
The Prophet also gave him the title of 'Siddiq' - 'The Testifier to
the Truth.'
Abu Bakr was a fairly wealthy merchant, and before he embraced Islam,
was a respected citizen of Mecca. He was three years younger than
Muhammad (peace be on him) and some natural affinity drew them
together from earliest child hood. He remained the closest Companion
of the Prophet all through the Prophet's life. When Muhammadfirst
invited his closest friends and relatives to Islam, Abu Bakr was among
the earliest to accept it. He also persuaded Uthman and Bilal to
accept Islam. In the early days of the Prophet's mission, when the
handful of Muslims were subjected to relentless persecution and
torture, Abu Bakr bore his full share of hardship. Finally when God's
permission came to emigrate from Mecca, he was the one chosen by the
Prophet to accompany him on the dangerous journey to Medina. In the
numerous battles which took place during the life of the Prophet, Abu
Bakr was always byhis side. Once, he brought all his belongings to the
Prophet, who was raising money for the defense of Medina. The Prophet
asked "Abu Bakr, what did you leave for your family?" The reply came:
"God and His Prophet."
Even before Islam, Abu Bakr was known to be a man of upright character
and amiable and compassionate nature. All through his life he was
sensitive to human suffering and kind to the poor and helpless. Even
though he was wealthy, he lived very simply and spent his moneyfor
charity, for freeing slaves andfor the cause of Islam. He often spent
part of the night in supplication and prayer. He shared with his
family a cheerfuland affectionate home life.
Abu-Bakr's Caliphate
Such, then, was the man upon whom the burden of leadership fell at the
most sensitive period in the history of the Muslims.
As the news of the Prophet's death spread, a number of tribesrebelled
and refused to pay Zakat (poor-due), saying that this was due only to
the Prophet(peace be on him). At the same time a number of impostors
claimed that the prophethood had passed to them after Muhammad and
they raised the standard of revolt. To add to all this, two powerful
empires, the Eastern Roman and the Persian, also threatened the
new-born Islamic state at Medina.
Under these circumstances, many Companions of the Prophet, including
Umar, advisedAbu Bakr to make concessions to the Zakat evaders, at
least for a time. The new Caliph disagreed. He insisted that the
Divine Law cannot be divided, that there is no distinction between the
obligations of Zakat and Salat (prayer), and that any compromise with
the injunctions of God would eventually erode the foundations of
Islam. Umar and others were quick to realize their error of judgment.
The revolting tribes attacked Medina but the Muslims were prepared.
Abu Bakr himself led the charge, forcing them to retreat. He then made
a relentless war on the false claimants to prophethood, most of whom
submitted and again professed lslam.
The threat from the Roman Empire had actually arisen earlier, during
the Prophet's lifetime. The Prophet had organized an army under the
command of Usama, the son of afreed slave. The army had not gone far
when the Prophet had fallen ill so they stopped. After the death of
the Prophet the question was raised whether the army should be sent
again or should remain for the defenceof Medina. Again Abu Bakr showed
a firm determination. He said, "I shall send Usama's army on its way
as ordered by the Prophet, even if I am left alone."
The final instructions he gave to Usama prescribed a code of conduct
in war which remains unsurpassed to this day. Part of his instructions
to the Muslim army were:
"Do not be deserters, nor be guilty of disobedience. Do not kill an
old man, a woman or a child. Do not injure date palms and do not cut
down fruit trees. Do not slaughter any sheep or cows or camels except
for food. You will encounter persons who spend their lives in
monasteries. Leave them alone and do not molest them."
Khalid bin Waleed had been chosen by the Prophet (peace beon him) on
several occasions to lead Muslim armies. A man of supreme courage and
a born leader, his military genius came to full flower during the
Caliphate of Abu Bakr. Throughout Abu Bakr's reign Khalid led his
troops from one victory to another against the attacking Romans.
Another contribution of Abu Bakr to the cause of Islam was the
collection and compilation of the verses of the Qur'an.
Abu Bakr died on 21 Jamadi-al Akhir, 13 A.H. (23 August 634 A.C.), at
the age of sixty-three, and was buried by the side of the Holy Prophet
(peace be on him). His caliphate had been of amere twenty-seven months
duration. In this brief span, however, Abu Bakr had managed, by the
Grace of God, to strengthen and consolidate his community and the
state, and to secure the Muslims against the perils which had
threatened their existence.

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Biographies of the Companions (Sahabah)

The Sahaabah were the companions of Prophet Muhammad (saas). They are
described in glowing terms by the Prophet (saas) as the following
hadith from Sahih Muslim shows:
Book 30, Number 6159
Narrated Aisha:
A person asked Allah's Apostle (peace be upon him) as to who amongst
the people were the best.He said: Of the generation to which I belong,
then of the second generation (generation adjacent to my generation),
then of the third generation (generation adjacent to the second
generation).

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The Emperor and the Seed

An emperor in the Far East was growing old and knew it was time to
choose his successor. Instead of choosing one of his assistants or his
children, he decided something different. He called young people in
the kingdom together one day. He said, "It is time for me to step down
and choose the next emperor. I have decided to choose one of you."
The kids were shocked! But the emperor continued. "I am going to give
each one of you a seed today. One very special seed. I want you to
plant the seed, water it and come back here one year from today with
what you have grown from this one seed. I will then judge the plants
that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next emperor!"
One boy named Ling wasthere that day and he, like the others, received
a seed. He went home and excitedly told his mother the story. She
helped him get a pot and planting soil, and heplanted the seed and
watered it carefully. Every day he would water it and watch to see if
it had grown. Afterabout three weeks, some of the other youthsbegan to
talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow.
Ling kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. Three weeks, 4
weeks, 5 weeks went by.Still nothing. By now, others were talking
about their plants but Ling didn't have a plant, and he felt like a
failure. Six months went by-still nothing in Ling's pot. He just knew
he had killed his seed.
Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Ling
didn't say anything to his friends, however. He justkept waiting for
his seedto grow.
A year finally went by and all the youths of the kingdom brought their
plants to the emperor for inspection. Ling told his mother that he
wasn't going to take an empty pot. But honest about what happened,
Ling felt sick to his stomach, but he knew his mother was right. He
took his empty pot to the palace. When Ling arrived, he was amazed at
the variety of plants grown by the other youths. They were
beautiful-in all shapes and sizes. Ling put his empty pot on the floor
and many of the other kinds laughed at him. A few felt sorry for him
and just said, "Hey nice try."
When the emperor arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted the young
people. Ling just tried to hide in the back."My, what great plants,
trees and flowers you have grown," said the emperor. "Today, one of
you will be appointed the next emperor!" All ofa sudden, the emperor
spotted Ling at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered
his guards to bring him to the front. Ling was terrified. "The emperor
knows I'm a failure! Maybe he will have me killed!"
When Ling got to the front, the Emperor askedhis name. "My name is
Ling," he replied. All the kids were laughing and making fun of him.
The emperor asked everyoneto quiet down. He looked at Ling, and then
announced to the crowd, "Behold your new emperor! His name is Ling!"
Ling couldn't believe it. Ling couldn't even grow his seed. Howcould
he be the new emperor? Then the emperor said, "One year ago today, I
gave everyone here a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it,
water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled
seeds which would not grow. All of you, except Ling, have brought me
trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not
grow, you substituted another seed for the oneI gave you. Ling was the
only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed
in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new emperor!"
The Prophet taught,"Truthfulness leads to righteousness, and
righteousness leads to Paradise. And a man keeps on telling the truth
until he becomes a truthful person. Falsehood leads to Al-Fajur (i.e.
wickedness, evil-doing), and Al-Fajur (wickedness) leads to the (Hell)
Fire, and a manmay keep on telling lies till he is written before
Allah, a liar." [Sahih al-Bukhari, Vol. 8:116]

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What is meant by profaning the names of Allah and types of profanation

What is meant by profaning the names of Allah, may He be exalted?.
Praise be to Allaah.
The scholars have mentioned different types of profaning the names of
Allah, may He be exalted, all of which involve distorting the meaning
in a way other than the way it should be understood. There are several
types:
1.
Denying any of His names or the attribute to which a name refers. For
example: those who deny that the name ar-Rahmaan (the Most Gracious)
is one of the names of Allah, may He be exalted, as the peopleof the
Jaahiliyyah did.
Or they may affirm the name but deny the attribute to which it refers,
as some of the innovators said that Allah, may He be exalted,is
Merciful without mercy, All-Hearing without hearing.
2.
Calling Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, by a name by which He
did not call Himself.
The reason why this is profanation is that the names of Allah, may He
be glorified and exalted,are limited to what is mentioned in the texts
of the Qur'an and Sunnah, and it is not permissible for anyone to call
Allah, may He be exalted, by a name by which He did not call Himself.
This comes under the heading of speaking about Allah without
knowledge, andtransgressing against the rights of Allah, may He be
glorified and exalted. This is what some of the philosophers did, when
they called God the primary cause, and as the Christians did when they
called Allah, may He be exalted, the Father, and so on.
3.
Believing that these names refer to attributesof created beings, and
hence thinking that this points to likening Allah to His creation.
The reason why this is profanation is that the one who believes that
the names of Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, point to likening
Allah to His creation has misinterpreted them anddistorted them from
the correct meaning. He has understood the words ofAllah and the words
of His Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) as
pointing tokufr (disbelief), because likening Allah to His creation is
kufr, as it is a rejection of the words (interpretation of the
meaning): "There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the All-Hearer,
the All-Seer" [ash-Shoora42:11] and "Do you know of any who is similar
to Him?" [Maryam19:65]. Na'eem ibn Hammaad al-Khuzaa'i, the shaykh of
al-Bukhaari (may Allah have mercy on them both) said: The one who
likens Allah to His creation has committed an act of kufr, and the one
who denies any attribute that Allah has ascribed to Himself has
committed an act of kufr; there is nothing in the attributes that
Allah has ascribed to himself that is similar to the attributes of His
creation.
4.
Deriving names of idols from the names of Allah, may He be exalted,
such as deriving the name al-Laat from al-Ilaah (theGod), and al-'Uzza
from al-'Azeez (the Almighty) and Manaat from al-Mannaan (the
Benefactor).

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A Secret for the acceptance of Dua (Supplication)

we make a lot of dua's but it is not accepted, students many times say
that they are in difficulties, even the ulama's and scholars request
for dua's. He says: I will teach my friends a secret for the
acceptance of dua's. If you practiceupon it, InshaAllah, you will no
longer need to search of the Isme Azam. You will see it before your
eyes your dua's being accepted just as you complete it. I have
experienced this not a hundred times but a thousandtimes. The action
is small but the results are great. The secret for the acceptance of
dua's that the author has learnt from his elders and that he has
experienced thousands of times is:
Whenever a time comes in your life when youhave the opportunity to
commit a sin and you refrain due to fear of Allah, at that very
moment, make a dua to Allah and Allah will InshaAllah, accept your dua
at that very moment.
After one has refrained from a particular sin, any dua done with full
faith, full trust and full humility comming from the depths of the
heart should suffice for acceptance. InshAllah.

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The 3 conditions ofa successful servant of Allah- Ibn Qayyim

Three conditions aretokens of the servant's happiness [ sa'adat al-abd
] , and the signs of his success in this world and the next. No
servant is without them, but is always shifting from one to the other.
These are: 1. When blessed, give thanks (Shukr); 2. when tried with
difficulties/trials, persevere (Sabr); and 3. when sinful, seek
forgiveness (Tawba).
1. Shukr for blessings:
The first condition is the blessings which come to the servant from
God (Most High), one after another. What secures them is gratitude [
shukr ], based on three supports: (a) inward recognition of the
blessing; (b) outward mention and thanks for it; (c) and its use in a
way that pleases the One to whom it truly belongs and who truly
bestows it. Acting thus, the servant shows his gratitude for the
blessing—however brief.
2. Sabr in trials:
The second is the trials from God (MostHigh) which test the Servant,
whose duty therein is patience [ sabr ] and forbearance: (a) to
restrain himself fromanger with what is decreed; (b) to restrain his
tongue from complaint; (c) to restrain his limbs from offences, such
as striking one's facein grief, rending one's clothes, tearing one's
hair and like acts. Patience, then, rests on these three supports ,
and if the servant maintains them as he should, affliction will become
benefaction,trial will change to bounty and what he disliked will
become what he loves . For God (Exalted and Sublime) does not try the
servant in order to destroy him. Rather, He tries him to put his
patience and devotion [ al-ubudiyya ] to the test. For the servant
owes devotion to God in affliction as in ease. He must have as much
devotion in what he hates as in what he loves. And while most people
offer devotion in what they love, it is important to do so in the
things they hate. It is by this thatservants' ranks are distinguished
and their stations determined.
Ablution with cold water in searing heat is devotion. Sexual relations
withone's beautiful and beloved spouse is devotion. Spending money for
her, for one's children and for oneself is devotion. It is devotion no
less than ablution with cold water in the bitter cold; giving upvice
to which one's soul is driven without fear of people; and giving
charity in hardship. But there is a great difference between the [two
kinds] of devotion.
He who is God's servant in both states, maintaining his duty in both
comfort and adversity , is the one to whom His words refer, 'Is not
God sufficient for His servant?' With complete devotion comes complete
sufficiency, and withless comes what is less. Let him who discerns
some good give praise to God, but let whoever finds something other
than this blame no one but himself.
These are the servants over whom God's Foe has no control. God said
[to the Devil], ' Lo! As for My servants, you have no power over
them." And when HisFoe Iblis learned thatHe would not let His devoted
servants yield to him or give him control over them, he proclaimed,
'Then byYour Might, I will surely beguile them all save for Your
sincere servants among them. And God (Most High) said,' And Iblis
found his calculation true, for they [all] followed him save a group
of true believers. And he had no warrant whatsoever over [any of] them
save that We might know the ones who believe in the hereafter from
thosewho doubt it. ' God will not yield to His Foe control over His
faithful servants. They are in His protection and His care. If the
Devil robsany of them, as the thief robs the heedless man, this cannot
be avoided, because by heedlessness, passion and anger is the servant
tried. It is by these same three doors that the Devil comes to him.
Try as he may to protect himself, the servant is bound to be heedless
and given to passion andanger.
3.Tawba after sinning:
Adam, the father of all humanity, was the most discerning of
creatures, their superior in wisdom, and the most steadfast. Yet the
Foekept after him until he made him fall into that which he fell. What
then of someone with the reason of a moth, whose intelligence compared
to that of his father [Adam] is like a spittle in the ocean? Still,
the Foe of God obtains nothing from a faithful person except by
robbing him in [a moment oninattention and carelessness. And when he
causes him to fall, the servant may think that he can never again
facehis Lord, that this fallhas carried him away and destroyed him.
Yet behind it all is God's grace, mercy, clemency andforgiveness.
For if God intends what is good for His servant, He will then open for
him the doors of repentance [ al-tawba ] and remorse, abasement and
humility, dependence and need; the doors of the request for God'shelp
and protection; the doors of perpetual humility, supplication and the
approach towards Him by means of whatever good works he can manage—so
that his wrong may become a means to God's mercy. For the Foe says,
'Alas, I left him without causing himto fall!'
This is what one of the early believers [ salaf ] meant when he said,
'A person may commit a sin by which he goes to heaven and a good deed
by which he goes to hell.' 'How?' someone asked. He replied, 'Having
committed the sin, he is ever watchful in fear, regretful, timorous,
lamenting,shamed before his Lord, his head in his hands and his heart
rent. The sin that brings him all that we have mentioned, wherein lie
his happiness and salvation, is more beneficial to him than numerous
devotional acts. Indeed, it becomes the means by which he enters
Heaven.
[On the other hand], he may perform a goodly deed and constantly laud
it before his Lord, wax proud, boast, become vain and haughty with it,
as he says, 'I did this, I did that.' His self-importance, pride and
arroganceprovide him only with the means to his own ruin. If God
intends then what is good for this miserable person, Hewill try him
through something that breaks [his pride], abases him and reduces his
self-importance. But if He intends otherwise, He will leave him to his
self-importance and pride, and this misfortune is what leads to his
ruin.'

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