The seven under the Shade of Allaah Almighty - II

4. Two men who love each other for Allaah's sake, meeting for that and
parting upon that:
Allaah Almighty Says)what means(:"The believers are nothing else than
brothers, so make reconciliation between your brothers, and fear
Allaah, that you may receive mercy."]Quran 49:10[
Having mutual love for the sake of Allaah is one of the great doors
leading to the good of the Hereafter and a causeof tasting the
sweetness of faith in this world. Loving one another for Allaah's sake
means that the Muslim does not love another except for the correctness
of his religion. So it does not matter what the person looks like,
what he wears, how rich or poor he is, where he comes from, or what
the color of his skin is - perhaps you dislike everything about him,
but you love him for his belief in Allaah: this is loving for Allaah's
sake. 'Allaah, the Mighty and Magnificent Says in a Sacred
Narration:"Those who have mutual love for the sake of My Glory will
haveminarets of light and will be envied the Prophets and
martyrs."]At-Tirmithi& Ahmad[
Imagine being envied by Allaah's chosen Messengers and those who were
slain in His Path! Such is the reward of those who love one another
for Allaah's sake.
5. A man who is called)seduced( by a woman of beauty and position but
he says: 'I fear Allaah':
Allaah Says )what mean(:"And come not near to the adultery. Verily, it
is a shameful )deed( and anevil way )that leads one to Hell(."]Quran
17:32[
This world is full of temptations that lead to burning in the Fire and
amongst them is that which comes from women. Many a man has led his
soul into destruction on account ofthe lure of a woman, which is why
the Prophetwarned his nation specifically about this. Hesaid:"The
world is sweet and green and verily Allaah is going to install you as
successors upon it in order to see how you act. So avoid the
allurement of women: verily the first trial for the Children of
Israa'eel was caused by women."]Muslim[
The most important provision which we needto protect ourselves from
this and all other temptations in life is the fear of Allaah. This
fact is alluded to in the following verse )what means(:"And as for him
who feared standing before his Lord and restrained himself from impure
evil desires, verilyParadise will be his abode."]Quran 79:40[
6. A man who gives in charity and hides it, such that his left hand
does not know what his right hand gives in charity:
This describes the type ofperson who goes to great lengths to protect
himself from ostentation and showing off in worship. Being
ostentations is to do deeds in order to earn the praise and
recognition of people. This sin destroys all the benefits that lie in
righteous deeds and brings on a serious punishment for the one who
commits it. It is particularly dangerous because it is in man's nature
to desire and enjoy the praise of others.
Thus, great care has to betaken to ensure that one's intentions begin
and remain pure whenever good actions)such as charity( are being done.
Allaah warns)what means(:"O you who believe! Do not render vain your
charity by reminders of your generosity or by injury, like him who
spends his wealth to be seen of menand he does not believe in Allaah
nor in the Last Day."]Quran 2:264[
7. A man who remembered Allaah in private and so his eyes shed tears:
Our noble Prophetinformed us:"If you knew what I knew, you would laugh
little and weep much."]Al-Bukhaari[ Crying is not a sissy thing to do!
The Prophetwho was the best of all creation, would weep, as would
allof his Companions. Tears are a genuine expressionof fear of
Allaah's Punishment and of our sincere love and awe of Him.
But how often do we remember Allaah in seclusion and are then moved to
tears? How much do we laugh and how little do we weep? The
Prophetsaid:"There is nothing more beloved to Allaah than two drops
and two marks: A tear shed due tofear of Allaah, and a dropof blood
spilled in the path of Allaah. And as for the two marks, then a mark
caused in the path of Allaah, and a mark caused by fulfilling one of
the duties made obligatory by Allaah."]At-Tirmithi[
Finally, through these seven types of people mentioned in the
narration, we have been given clear signposts of the way to attain
Allaah's pleasure and satisfaction.So you should devote yourself to
being one amongst those seven, for indeed fortunate will be those who
are granted Allaah's Shade on the Daywhen there will be no shade but
His.

The seven under the Shade of Allaah Almighty - I

On the Day of Resurrection, all people that ever lived will be
gathered before Allaah toawait His judgment for all they have done of
saidduring their lives. During this time, the sun will come very close
to the people )as close as one mile according to some narrations(.
People will want to get away from the heat of the sun but there will
be no Shade or shelter to goto and they will start sweating in
proportion to their sins. The more sins a person has the more he or
she will sweat.
During this traumatic time, however, the seven groups of people who
are mentioned in the following Hadeeth)Prophetic narration( will be
completely immune tothe sun's heat and they will be in complete
comfort.
These people will be in such comfort because they will be enjoying the
only shade available on that day and that is the Shade of Allaah. They
willenjoy such an honor because of their piety and obedience to Allaah
while they were in this life.
The Prophetsaid:"There are seven whom Allaah will shade in His Shade
on the Day when there is no shade except His Shade: a just ruler; a
youth who grew up in the worship of Allaah, theMighty and Majestic; a
man whose heart is attached to the mosques; two men who love each
other for Allaah's sake, meeting for that and parting upon that; a man
who is called by a woman of beauty and position ]for illegal
intercourse[, but be says: 'I fear Allaah'; a man whogives in charity
and hidesit, such that his left hand does not know what his right hand
gives in charity; and a man who remembered Allaah in private and so
his eyes shed tears."]Al-Bukhaari and Muslim[
In this beautiful narration, the Prophetspoke about small acts
ofworship which result in such a huge reward: shade on the Day when
there will be no shade except His Shade, i.e., the Shade of His
Throne.
This may not seem like much at first but then reflect upon the
following narration:"On the Day of Resurrection, the sun would draw so
close to the people that there would be left a distance of only one
mile.The people will be submerged in perspiration according totheir
deeds, some up to their ankles, some up to their knees, some up to the
waist and some would have the bridle of perspiration )and, while
saying this, the Messenger of Allaahput his hand towards his
mouth(."]Muslim[
Let us examine now the characteristics and virtues of these seven
categories of people whowill be worthy of such anexalted position on
the Day of Gathering.
1. A Just Ruler:
The concept of Justice in Islam is very important and it is something
which the Muslim - Ruler and the ruled - must apply in all matters
without exception. Justice means to give each the right he deserves:
Muslim or non-Muslim, relative or stranger, friend or enemy. Allaah
Says )what means(:"...And do not let hatred cause you to act unjustly,
that is nearer to piety."]Quran 5:8[
Unfortunately, even if weadmit this in theory, we quickly forget it in
practice. So we find that when we speak about our friends and loved
ones, we praise them beyond reason and whenwe speak about those whom
we hold difference with, we can find no good in them andwe just
capitalize on their bad points.
The Prophetsaid:"Allaah does not bless a people among whom a weak man
is not given his right."]At-Tirmithi[
The concept of justice is most important for the Ruler, since he is in
charge of his people and the primary disposer of justice in the land.
For this reason, the Ruler is given special mention as one of the
seven who will be honored with Allaah's Shade.
2. A youth who grew up in the worship of Allaah:
The great scholar, Imaam Ayyoob As-Sakhtiyaani)d.131H(stated: 'From
the success of a youth is that Allaah guides him to a scholar of the
Sunnah)to study under and learn from(.'
Indeed, it is a great blessing from Allaah for ayouth be guided
towardsworship and be befriended by the righteous, since it is in
youth that a person is most vulnerable to the temptations of life and
liable to drift away from the Islamic Path. This becomes apparent when
we look at society around us and we see that most of the worldly
distractions, such as music, games, clubs, fashion etc. are all
specifically targeted at the young.
'You're only young once!'they are told, which is why many Muslims
nowadays waste their youth thinking that they will pray, wear Hijaab
and go on Hajj, etc. whenthey are old, as if they have a guarantee of
longevity from Allaah! How well we would do toheed the Prophet'sadvice
when he said:"Take benefit of five before five: your youth before your
old age, yourhealth before your sickness, your wealth before your
poverty, your free time before you are preoccupied and your life
before your death."]Al-Haakim[
3. A man whose heart is attached to the mosques:
There is great encouragement in the Sunnah for men to pray in the
mosques and the reward associated with itis tremendous. Not only does
it make the person eligible for Allaah's Shadeon the day of
Judgement,but also: "he does not take a step ]towards the mosque
except that because of it, he is raised by one rank and one sin is
removed from him. Then when he prays, the Angels do not cease
supplicating for him]for[ as long as he remains at his place of Prayer
]sayings[: O Allaah send blessings upon him, O Allaah have mercy
uponhim..." ]Al-Bukhaari[
It must be emphasized here however, that all the narrations
encouraging the men to be attached to the mosques are not intended to
lead one to the conclusion that Islam is a Religion which should be
confined to themosques, as many peopleimagine. Nonetheless, the mosque
should be at the heart of the Muslim community, and the role of those
in authority of the mosques is vital here.They are the ones mainly
responsible for making the mosque a welcome refuge for the Muslims.
To be concluded

Makkah - The dearest of all lands to Allaah and His Messenger

The Value of Glorifying the SacredCity:
The importance of values lies in the fact that they are the criterion
by which people, ideologies,actions, positions and subjects can be
judged and measured; moreover,values decide the identityof the
community; the values in a given community have a direct effect and
influence on the manners and conductwhich the members of that
community adopt.
Whenever the values of acommunity originate from the teachings of its
faith, the behaviour and conduct of its people will reflect such a
faith and they will certainly enjoy fine and fulfilling lives within
their respective communities.
Strengthening the social values that Islam instructsand emphasises
upon is the safety valve that protects and guards the community, and
one of the greatest and most important of such values is to glorify
the symbols of Allaah. Indeed, such glorification results in lofty
social customs and etiquettes that guaranteethe stability of the
Muslimcommunity and assures happiness in this life and the Life to
come.
Allaah Almighty has madethis city a Sacred and Secure one and has
honoured His House )the Ka'bah(; He made glorifying this city one of
the most honourable actsof worship by which a person draws close to
Allaah; He says )what means(:"That ]is so[. And whoever honours the
symbols]i.e. rites[ of Allaah — indeed, it is from the piety of
hearts."]Quran 22: 32[
Glorifying what Allaah and His Messengerhave glorified results in
establishing great social values that will yield countless benefits to
the Muslims, and will reflect the unity of the Muslims - a nation that
direct themselves to one Qiblah)direction during prayer towards
Ka'bah(, believe in one religion and harbour the same objectives and
hopes, as if their hearts are that of a single person.
The Prophettaught us how to build this value ofglorifying Makkah -
since his prophethood started in Makkah itself - in a practical manner
that is away from fantasy and ina realistic manner that is easy to
comprehend, andmade it deeply rooted in the hearts in a way that
guaranteed the continuity of such glorification by those who reside in
the Sacred City and those who come to visit it. He did so with great
wisdom and with tender care which causedpeople to long to see
andglorify thisSacredCity.
Words and actions that reflects its love:
Imaam Al-Bukhaarireported on the authority of 'Aai`shahthat she said:
"When the Prophetcame to Al-Madeenah, both Abu Bakr and Bilaal became
sick. Whenever fever attacked Abu Bakr, he would recite the following
verses of poetry:
A person wakes up among his household-active he is
While death is in fact closer to him than his shoelaces
Whenever fever eased from Bilaal,he would recite the following verses of poetry:
Will I ever again go back to spenda night- only once
In the valley with Ith-khir and Jaleel )plants( in abundance?]1[
And will I one day again drink from the water of Mijannah? ]2[
And will again see )the mountains of( Tafeel and Shaamah? ]3[
Then he would say: 'O Allaah! Curse Shaybah binRabee'ah and 'Utbah bin
Rabee'ah and Umayyah bin Khalaf as they forced us from our land to a
land full of diseases'. Then the Prophetsaid:"O Allaah! Make
Al-Madeenah dear to our hearts just like you made Makkah dear to our
hearts, and even more so. O Allaah! Bless our Saa' and our Mudd]4[and
make it a healthy place for us, and move its fever to the area of
Al-Juhfah."Bilaalalso said: 'We arrived at Al-Madeenah and it was
aland full of diseases as thevalleyofBathaanwould have putrid water
running through it.'"
Ibn 'Abbaasnarrated: "The Prophetsaid, addressing Makkah:"How good you
are as a land and how dear you are to my heart! Had your people not
forced me out of you, I would have never come outand left you and
would have never resided in any other city but you."]At-Tirmithi & Ibn
Hibbaan[
Ibn 'Abbaasnarrated: "When the Prophetwas forced to leave Makkah he
headed out toa cave, turned around, and said, addressing Makkah:"You
are the most beloved land to Allaah, and you are the most beloved land
to me. Had the polytheists not forced me out of you, I would never
have come out and left you. The worst enemy is the one who
transgresses the sanctities of Allaah, or kills a soul without
dueright or kills a soul as revenge from the era of pre-Islaamic
ignorance."Then Allaah revealed the following verse )which means(:"And
how many a city was stronger than your city ]i.e. Makkah[ whichdrove
you out? We destroyed them; and there was no helper for them."]Quran
47:13["]Ibn Jareer At-Tabari[ Imaam Al-Qurtubisaid: "This is an
authenticnarration." ]End of quote[
Imaam At-Tirmithi, Ahmad and 'Abd bin Humaydreported that 'Abdullaah
bin 'AdiyyIbn Al-Hamraa'narrated: "I saw the Prophetstanding on a
hillock ]5[ and addressing Makkah, saying:"I swear by Allaah! You are
the best of the lands of Allaahand you are the most beloved land to
Allaah, and had it not been that I was forced to leave you, I would
have never left you."
Imaam Al-Faakihireported on the authority of 'Amr bin Shu'ayb, who
reported from his father who reported from his father that he )'Amr's
grandfather( said: "The Prophetsent 'Itaab binUsayd as a leader for
the people of Makkah and said to him:"Do you know where I am sending
you? I am sending you to the people )dear to( Allaah. There is no city
dearer to Allaah - the Almighty, the Glorified - and to myself than
thiscity, and had it not been that its people forced me out of it, I
would never have left it."
This is Makkah and this is its virtue. Will we win thehonour of
glorifying it and loving it with its due love and glorification?
Footnotes:
]1[ Jaleel: a weak plant that the residents of Makkah would use in their homes.
]2[ Mijannah: a place thatwas a few kilometres from Makkah which had a market.
]3[ Shaamah and Tafeel: Two mountains about 50 Km from Makkah.
]4[ Saa and Mudd: measures of weight for food
]5[ This small hill was at the lower end of the market overlooking Makkah.

Dought & clear - How can I call someone who wants to become Christian?

I have a friend whose father is Muslim and her mother is Christian,
and her father is separated from her mother. The daughter wants to
follow the Christian religion; how can I make her come back to Islam?
Praise be to Allah.
Perhaps one of the most difficult questions asked by many of those who
send questions to our website is that which is mentioned here, "How
can I make my friend come back to Islam?" That is because people's
hearts are in the hands of the Most Merciful, andno one holds the keys
to people's hearts except Him, may He be glorified and exalted.
Because weare keen to save all people from the doom of apostasy from
Islam, we feel sorry for the questioner and we hopethat Allah will
help her and enable her to speak the words of truth and sincerity that
will be a means of her friend becoming steadfast in Islam. We say to
her that no matter what words we write, whatever advice we give, even
if we were to do everything that is possible, the most successful way
to help her friend to become steadfast is being completely sincere in
advising her, being compassionate towards her and showing her love,
friendship and sincere words that will move her and revive in her
heart the faith that is diminishing. She should also pray sincerely
for her, asking Allah to save her from that. That can only be achieved
with a sincere heart and warm feelingstowards her. That is the only
thing that will makeher stop and think and look at her situation
andthe real reasons that are encouraging her to apostatise and become
Christian. If you do that, we do not doubt that she will decide to
remain in Islam and saveherself from great danger.
Throughout all that, you should be keen to discuss things with her and
make her ask questions about the reality of what she is going to do
and what it is that she is missing in Islam and has found in
Christianity?!
We think that you should focus on two important basic matters:
-1-
The great importance of Tawheed or affirming the Oneness of Allah.
Thisis the foundation of the religion of Islam and the basis of the
messages of all of the Prophets. This is the message that Allah
commanded His Prophet to address to the People of the Book:
"This is what We recite to you (O Muhammad SAW) of the Verses and the
Wise Reminder (i.e. the Qur'an).
Verily, the likeness of 'Eesa (Jesus) before Allahis the likeness of
Adam. He created him from dust, then (He) said to him: 'Be!' - and he
was.
(This is) the truth from your Lord, so be not of those who doubt.
Then whoever disputes with you concerning him ['Eesa (Jesus)] after
(all this) knowledge that has come to you, [i.e. 'Eesa (Jesus)] being
a slave of Allah, and having no share in Divinity) say: (O Muhammad
SAW): 'Come,let us call our sons and your sons, our women and your
women, ourselves and yourselves- then we pray and invoke (sincerely)
the Curse of Allah upon those who lie.
Verily! This is the true narrative [about the story of 'Eesa (Jesus)],
and, Laa ilaaha ill-Allah (none has the right to beworshipped but
Allah, the One and the Only True God, Who has neither a wife nor a
son). And indeed, Allah isthe All-Mighty, the All-Wise.
And if they turn away (and do not accept thesetrue proofs and
evidences), then surely, Allah is All-Aware of those who do mischief.
Say (O Muhammad SAW): 'O people of the Scripture (Jews and
Christians): Come to a word that is just between us and you, that we
worship none but Allah (Alone), and that we associate no partners with
Him, and that none of us shall take others as lords besides Allah.'
Then, if they turn away, say: 'Bear witness that we are Muslims.'
O people of the Scripture(Jews and Christians)! Why do you dispute
about Ibraheem (Abraham), while the Tawraat (Torah) and the Injeel
(Gospel) were not revealed till after him? Have you then no sense?
Verily, you are those who have disputed about that of which you have
knowledge. Why do you then dispute concerning that of which you have
no knowledge? It is Allah Who knows, and you know not.
Ibraheem (Abraham) was neither a Jew nor a Christian, but he was a
true Muslim Haneefa (Islamic Monotheism - to worship none but Allah
Alone) and he was not ofAl-Mushrikoon.
Verily, among mankind who have the best claim to Ibraheem (Abraham)
are those who followed him, and this Prophet (Muhammad SAW) and those
who have believed(Muslims). And Allah is the Wali (Protector and
Helper) of the believers.
A party of the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) wish to
lead you astray. But they shallnot lead astray anyone except
themselves, and they perceive not.
O people of the Scripture! (Jews and Christians): Why do you
disbelieve in the Ayaat of Allah, [the Verses about Prophet Muhammad
SAW presentin the Tawraat (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel)] while you
(yourselves) bear witness (to their truth).
O people of the Scripture(Jews and Christians): Why do you mix truth
with falsehood and conceal the truth while you know?"
[Aal 'Imraan 3:58-71].
-2-
Belief in all the Messengers of Allah, loving them and acknowledging
their status. If she were to ponder this matter, she would find that
Islam is the only religion that believes in all of the Messengers and
Prophets and acknowledges them as they should be acknowledged. It was
the final message that confirmed the Books and Messengers that came
before it and completed their laws and their message. When the people
are called on the Day of Resurrection, for those who believed in the
Prophets to enter Paradise, the Muslims will be the first to enter. As
for those followers of other religions, they disbelieved in Muhammad
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) completely, asdid those who
believed in Moosa (Moses) and did not believe in 'Eesa (Jesus). At
that time they will be in grave danger before Allah, may He be
glorified and exalted. Allah says (interpretationof the meaning):
"The Messenger (Muhammad SAW) believes in what has been sent down to
him from his Lord, and (so do) the believers. Each one believes in
Allah, His Angels, His Books, and His Messengers. They say,'We make no
distinction between one another of His Messengers' - and they say, 'We
hear, and we obey. (We seek) YourForgiveness, our Lord, and to You is
the return (of all)'"
[al-Baqarah 2:285].
Al-Bukhaari (3442) and Muslim (2365) narrated that Abu Hurayrah said:
The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)
said: "I am the closest of the people to 'Eesa ibn Maryam, in this
world and in the Hereafter. TheProphets are brothers; their mothers
are different but their religion is one"
We checked everything that we have published previously on our site
about calling non-Muslims and helping Muslims to remain steadfast in
Islam, and we found a good number of fatwas and questions that you can
learn from and makeuse of in your efforts to call your friend. They
also include a number ofimportant references concerning this matter.
These answers appear under the following numbers:
219, 2690, 10469, 12615, 12628, 12637, 14418, 154022, 182059, 182799
Take from the above whatever is appropriate to your friend's
situation, and strive to accompany that with sincere du'aa'
(supplication) for her in her absence; ask Allah, may He be glorified
and exalted, to guide her to the straight path, for du'aa' is the
weapon, but not everyone is aware of its importance.
And Allah knows best.