Aa] I want to be a devoted slave of Allaah … ten pointers

Aa]
And whoever desires the Hereafter and strives for it, with the necessary effort due for it (i.e. does righteous deeds of Allaah’s obedience) while he is a believer (in the Oneness of Allaah Islamic Monotheism) — then suchare the ones whose striving shall be appreciated, (thanked andrewarded by Allaah)”
[al-Isra’ 17:18-19]
My brother, if you want tohave a high position in all kinds of good deeds, to bea devoted slave of Allaah and to honour your parents, and you are seeking Paradise, then you have to do the following:
1 – You have to revive thefaith in your heart. Faith iswhat will bring the Muslim everything he seeks in this world and in the Hereafter. Faith is the key to all goodness and locks the door to all evil. The means of reviving and strengthening faith inone’s heart are many and varied, including doing a lot of acts of worship and righteous deeds.
2 – You must turn to your Lord sincerely, as it says in the report: “If My slave turns to me inwardly and outwardly, Iwill turn the hearts of My slaves to him with love and mercy.”
Allaah has made worship the ultimate aim and loftiest purpose of man:
“And I (Allaah) created notthe jinn and mankind except that they should worship Me (Alone)”
[al-Dhaariyaat 51:56 – interpretation of the meaning)]
3 – You should always setyour sights on the highestdegrees, and make your goal in life to earn the pleasure of Allaah, and strive to attain the victoryof Paradise, or to attain the highest Firdaws. You should strive as hard as you can to achieve these lofty aims.
4 – You should follow the example of historical Muslim figures such as theSahaabah, Taabi’een and righteous forebears (the salaf).
5 – You should make the most of every minute, every moment and every heartbeat to use it in sucha way as to increase your faith.
6 – You should try to keepcompany with righteous people, because the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “A man will follow the religion of his close friend,so let each one of you look at whom he befriends.” Narrated by Abu Dawood and al-Tirmidhi with a hasan isnaad. Good friends are one of the best means of helping you to obey Allaah and to avoid sin and error.
7 – Doing a lot of righteous deeds which will bring you happiness in this world and in the Hereafter.
8 – Praying qiyaam al-layl, making du’aa’ in the time just before dawn. The feet of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to swell because of his desire to be a thankful slave, even though Allaah had forgiven his previous and future sins.
9 – Persisting in reading aportion of Qur’aan daily, and other dhikr that helpsyou to think and ponder the meanings of the Qur’aan.
10 – Striving to spread the word and make da’wah for the sake of Allaah, and working for Islam as much as possible.
If you want to reach the status of devoted slave for which you long, then be as Allaah commanded His Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him):
“Say (O Muhammad): Verily, my Salaah (prayer), my sacrifice, my living, and my dying are for Allaah, the Lord of the ‘Aalameen (mankind, jinn and all that exists)”
[al-An’aam 6:162]
Being a devoted slave of Allaah means declaring one’s devotion and belonging to the Lord, which can only be achieved by applying this aayah, so that we are for Allaah, the Lord of the Worlds, in all our affairs.
Being a devoted slave of Allaah can only be fully achieved in this manner; it can only be achieved byworshipping Allaah in the fullest sense of the word, which means making our living and dying, and all our movements, for Him alone. So we only speak that which is pleasing to Allaah; we only do that which is pleasing to Allaah; we focus our intention in these words and deeds only on Allaah. Worship should not be reduced to merely raising and lowering our heads atcertain times, or giving a few pennies every once ina while, or fasting a few days each year, or movingour lips to say a few words and dhikrs.
Hence the deeds that leadto this status – of being a devoted slave – are innumerable and may take many shapes in all aspects of our lives and the places where we live. This is by the bounty of Allaah towards us and towards all people.
Just look, in every place where you find yourself and every moment that comes to you, for that which will please Him, and what you think He wants to see you doing, and do it. Then you will be a devoted slave.
Finally, we ask Allaah to accept righteous deeds from us and from you, and to gather us and you in His mercy with the Prophets, siddeeqs, martyrs and righteous, and those are the best of companions.
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A] I want to be a devoted slave of Allaah … ten pointers

A]
My question is short. I want to enter Paradise, I want to strive to control my self (my nafs), I want to kiss my mother’s hand every day, I want to keep away from whims and desires and from the Shaytaan, I want Allaah to call me a devoted slave on the Day of Resurrection, in sha Allaah, I want to love my brothers, and I want my faith to keep increasing. What should I do?.
Praise be to Allaah.
We ask Allaah to make yousteadfast in adhering to the truth, and to make your hopes come true, andto make you one of those who turn to Him and who know the truth, defend it and adhere to Islam.
The things you mention in your question indicate thatyou have a sound and pure nature, and a great desire to achieve great things and to give everyone his rights. These are great hopes that can be achieved through faith, as it was narrated that Sufyaan al-Thawri said: Faith is not wishes or pretence, rather it is what settles in the heart and is proven by actions.” So we will discuss the matter of faith and how important itis in becoming a devoted slave, pleasing and honouring one’s parents and achieving the victory of Paradise.
Whoever seeks to achieve great things has to stay upat night (worship).
Hence al-Fudayl said: “You hearts can never taste the sweetness of faith until they shun worldly pleasures.” And he also said, “If you cannot pray qiyaam at night and fast during the day, then knowthat you are deprived.”
The sincere believer has a heart like a burning coal, hence it was narrated by al-Haakim in his Mustadrakand al-Tabaraani in his Mu’jam with a saheeh isnaad that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “Faith wears out in your heart as clothes wear out, so ask Allaah to renew the faith in your hearts.”
The believer’s heart may sometimes feel overwhelmed by clouds of sin. This was portrayed to us by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) when he said: “There is no heart that does not have clouds like the clouds that cover the moon. When the cloud covers it, it is dark, and when the cloud moves away it shines.” Narrated by al-Tabaraani in al-Awsat, and classed as saheeh by al-Albaani. So the believer’s heart is sometimes covered with a cloud and its light is hidden, and it remains dark and lonely, but if he strives to increase his storeof faith and seeks the help of Allaah, that cloud goes away and the light in his heart starts to shine again.Hence one of the salaf said: “It is part of a person’s smartness to c heck on his faith and be aware of what affects it.” It is also part of a person’s smartness “that he recognizes how the Shaytaan whispers to him.”
So he has to come back to faith. If you come back to faith and do as it requires, then you will achieve whatyou want. We will tell you of a basic principle which will let you know when faith is present and when it is not. Imam Ibn al-Jawzisaid: “O you who are turned away, O you who are deprived of meeting your loved ones, if you want to know how you stand before the king, thenlook at how you are spending your time and what work you are assigned to do. How many people stand at the door of the king, but no one enters except the one whom he cares for. Not every heart is fit to draw close, not every heart can be filled with love, not every wind is like the morning breeze.”
If a person want to know how he stands before Allaah and how he stands in relation to His commands and prohibitions, let him look at himself and see what heis preoccupied with. If he isbusy with da’wah and with saving people from the Fire, striving to attain Paradise, helping the weakand needy, honouring his parents, then let him rejoice in the fact that he isclose to the King of kings, for Allaah does not help anyone to do good except those whom He loves.
But if he is has no interest in da’wah, dislikes the daa’iyahs and does not do good things, if he is preoccupied with this world and its gains, and with gossip and asking toomany questions, whilst notdoing much or following his whims and desires, let him know that he is far from Allaah and has been deprived of that which willbring him closer to Paradise, because Allaah says in His holy Book (interpretation of the meaning):
“Whoever desires the quick-passing (transitory enjoyment of this world), We readily grant him whatWe will for whom We like. Then, afterwards, We haveappointed for him Hell; he will burn therein disgracedand rejected ( far away from Allaah’s Mercy)
:->
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:-> Is it permissible to offer a sacrifice in gratitude to Allaah for a specific blessing?

:->
The view of the Hanbalis, the more correct view among the Shaafa’is, is that these meals are mustahabb.
Ibn Qudaamah said: Theseinvitations – other than the wedding feast (waleemah) and ‘aqeeqah– are something good, but they are like invitations that are given for no reason; if the person who does them intends thereby to give thanks to Allaah for His blessing and to feed his brothers and offer food, then he will have the reward for that in sha Allaah. End quote.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked:
If one of my children doeswell in school, is it permissible for me to offer a sacrifice to celebrate his success, and to give thanks to Allaah?
He replied:
There is nothing wrong with making food (waleemah) if the childrenor one of them succeeds, and inviting one’s loved ones and his child’s friends, to celebrate Allaah’s blessing and to encourage the child. End quote.
Liqaa’aat al-Baab il-Maftooh (no. 161, question no. 1).
Secondly:
It is essential to beware ofsome beliefs which many people hold, and say that in order to protect the new house or car it is essential to offer a sacrifice and sprinkle it with the blood of the slaughtered animal, or that evil spirits will not keep away from you unless you do that, otherwise the blessing will soon dissipate. hese are jaahili beliefs which do not come from someone who believes in Allaah as his Lord Who possesses all powers to bring benefit or cause harm, in Whose hand is the creation and the commandment, and knows that it is not permissible to do acts of worship unless they are done for the sake of Allaah.
The scholars of the Standing Committee wereasked about the belief held by many people, thatoffering a sacrifice on the threshold of the new house before entering it isone of the most important means of warding off the evil eye, and making the house blessed, and avoiding calamities and undesirable events.
They replied:
If this custom – i.e., offering a sacrifice on the threshold of the new house – is done in order to placate the jinn and ward off calamities and undesirable events, then it is a haraam custom, andis in fact shirk. This is what seems to be the case with offering the sacrifice before entering the house, and doing it onthe threshold in particular.
But if the intention is to honour one's new neighbours and get to know them, and to give thanks to Allaah for the blessing of a new home, and to honour one's relatives and friends on this occasion, and to showthem the house, then this is good and the one who does it is to be praised forhis action. But that is only usually done after the people have moved into the house, and not before,and the animal or animalsshould not be slaughteredon the threshold of the house or in the entryway to the house. End quote.
Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah (1/214)
See also the answer to question no. 26952 , which quotes two fatwas from Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz and Shaykh al-‘Uthaymeen concerning the same topic.
And Allaah knows best.

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Is it permissible to offer a sacrifice in gratitude to Allaah for a specific blessing?

Is it permissible for a person who has bought a car or a house to offer a sacrifice in gratitude to Allaah?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
The blessings that Allaah bestows upon people are many, and His bounty andgenerosity towards them are vast. A blessing can only be responded to by giving thanks and appreciating it. Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted, has enjoined giving thanks to Him, for He is Appreciative and loves those who give thanks.
Allaah says (interpretationof the meaning):
“So eat of the lawful and good food which Allaah has provided for you. And be grateful for the Graces of Allaah, if it is He Whom you worship”
[al-Nahl 16:144]
“seek your provision fromAllaah (Alone), and worship Him (Alone), and be grateful to Him. To Him(Alone) you will be brought back”
[al-‘Ankaboot 29:17]
Part of being grateful to Allaah is seeking to draw closer to Him by means ofdifferent kinds of acts of worship and to endear oneself to Him by means of good deeds such as prayer, zakaah, fasting and so on.
Another part of being grateful to Allaah is givingthanks to Him by means of sacrifice rituals, which means offering a sacrifice for the sake of Allaah.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in his commentary on the verse “Therefore turn in prayer to your Lord and sacrifice (to Him only)” [al-Kawthar 108:2]:
What is meant is that prayer and sacrifice are the best of the things by means of which one may draw closer to Allaah, and the usage of the word fa (translated here as “therefore”) points to the reason, i.e., doing that – prayer and sacrifice – in gratitude for that which Allaah has given him of al-Kawthar (a river in Paradise) and much goodness. So he should give thanks to the One Who has blessed him and worship Him, and the twogreatest types of worship are these two acts of worship; indeed, prayer is the ultimate act of worship. It is as if He is saying to him: We have given you al-Kawthar and a great deal of goodness, and We have blessed you with that because you have been doing these two acts of worship in gratitude for Our blessing to you; these are the reasons why We have bestowed these blessings upon you, so do these two things for Us, for prayer and sacrifice are surrounded by blessings that come before them and after them. The best financial act of worship is sacrifice and the best physical act of worship is prayer, and the benefits that a slave of Allaah may gain from prayer cannot be compared to any othertype of worship, as is known by those whose hearts are alive and those of high aspirations. Adding to it the benefits of offering sacrifice, whichis a sign of devotion to Allaah and thinking positively of Him, and having strong certainty and faith about that which is in the hand of Allaah is something wonderful, if that is accompanied by faith and sincerity. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) obeyed the command of his Lord and prayed and sacrificed a great deal to Him; he even sacrificed sixty-three camels with his own hand during the Farewell Pilgrimage, and he used to offer sacrifices on the Eids and at other times. End quote.
Majmoo’ al-Fataawa 916/532).
If Allaah bestows a great blessing upon a person – and all His blessing are great – then it is mustahabb for him to give thanks to Allaah for itby showing kindness to people, so he should offer a sacrifice and make food and invite his brothers and friends, and give charity to those who are in need.
It says in al-Mawsoo’ah al-Fiqhiyyah (26/180-181):
It is mustahabb to give thanks anew when new blessings come, by speaking words of praise. Gratitude for that may also be expressed by doing acts of worship, which includes offering a sacrifice or inviting peopleto a meal. The fuqaha’ have mentioned the kindsof meals that may be offered when blessing arerenewed, such as the wakeerah which is made for a new home, or naqee’ah which is made on the return of an absentloved one, and hidhaaq which is done when a child completes a reading of the Qur’aan./ - - - :-> Transtors: 1.http://free-translation.imtranslator.net/lowres.asp 2.http://translate.google.com/m?twu=1&hl=en&vi=m&sl=auto&tl=en