Hope – the Most Sublime Rank for the Followers

In this article, we will talk about hoping for Allah's mercy. The
believers' relationship with their Lord is characterized both by fear
and hope, such that the former deters them from sins and disobedience,
whereas the latter drives them towards good deeds.
Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:
"Hoping for the reward of Allah is one of the most supreme and
honorable ranks of one who pursues the right path. Allah The Almighty
praises those ]who do that[, when He Says )what means(:}There has
certainly been for you in the Messenger of Allah an excellent pattern
for anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Last Day and ]who[ remembers
Allah often.{]Quran 33:21[ It was also narrated in a Hadeeth Qudsi,
that Allah The Almighty Says: 'O son of Adam, If you supplicate to Me,
expecting My forgiveness, I will forgive you however great or many
your sins may be.' When a person has hope, it means that he or she is
bound and attached to these names of his or her Lord: "The Benevolent,
The Beneficent". The more one knows Allah The Almighty, His names,
attributes and the dominance of His mercy over His wrath, the more his
or her hope increases ]in Him[. Had it not been for hope, the
servitude of the heart and organs ]to Allah[ would have ceased, and
monasteries, churches, synagogues and mosques, where the name of Allah
is frequently mentioned, would have been demolished. If not for the
spirit of hope, ]our[ limbs would not have performed acts of
obedience, and neither would the ships of good deeds have sailed in
the seas of will without its pleasant breeze."
Similarly, the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, said:"If a
believer ]truly[ knew of the punishment of Allah, no one would expect
His Paradise. Equally, were a disbeliever to know of the ]actual[
mercy of Allah, none would despair of His Paradise."'Abdullaah ibn
Mas'ood, may Allah be pleased with him, remarked, "The most
encouraging verse in the Quran is in the Chapter Az-Zumar )The
Groups(; Allah The Almighty Says )what means(,}Say, "O My servants who
have transgressed against themselves ]by sinning[, do not despair of
the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He
who is the Forgiving, the Merciful."{]Quran 39:53["
One of those who visited Maalik ibn Anas, may Allah have mercy upon
him, during the night in which he died, asked him, "O Abu 'Abdullaah,
how do you find yourself?" He, may Allah have mercy upon him,
answered, "I do not know what to say to you except that you will soon
see ]aspects[ of the clemency of Allah that you have never expected."
Glory be to Allah The Almighty! If those who turn away from Him only
know how He waits for their return and how Merciful He is to them,
they will long for Him enormously. Indeed, if this is His will towards
such people, how will He be to those who draw near to Him? 'Abdullaah
ibn Al-Mubaarak approached Sufyaan Ath-Thawri, may Allah have mercy
upon them both, on the night of ]standing in[ 'Arafah, and found him
kneeling ]in prayer[, as his eyes overflowed with tears; he asked,
"Who is the worst person in this gathering ]in the plains of
'Arafah[?' Sufyaan Ath-Thawri, may Allah have mercy upon him, replied:
"Whoever thinks that Allah will not forgive their sins ]i.e., of the
people who are present[.'"
On a similar night, Al-Fudhayl ibn 'Iyaadh, may Allah have mercy upon
him, observed people's glorification ]of Allah The Almighty[ and their
crying, so he asked those around him: "If those people went to a man
and requested one-sixth of a dirham from him, would he let them return
empty-handed?" When they replied in the negative, he commented: "By
Allah, pardoning is easier for Allah than ]that[." Therefore, I
implore Allah The Almighty, seeking His forgiveness, knowing fully
that He absolves and forgives; even if people's sins are great, they
are minor in comparison to His mercy.
Hence, a slave should have much hope in Him, especially when he or she
is on the verge of death. Allah The Almighty Says, as narrated in a
Hadeeth: "I am ]to him or her[ as My slave thinks of Me." That is why,
perhaps, when Waathilah ibn Al-Asqa', may Allah be pleased with him,
went to see Yazeed ibn Al-Aswad, may Allah have mercy upon him, as he
lay dying, he asked him, "What is your expectation about Allah?" The
latter replied: "My sins have brought me to the brink of ruin, but I
hope for the mercy of Allah." So, Waathilah, may Allah be pleased with
him, ]happily[ exclaimed "Allah is The Greatest", and then said, "I
heard the Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam,
say:'Allah The Almighty Says: 'I am as My slave thinks of Me, so let
him think of Me what he wants'.'"For the same reason, when Sulaymaan
At-Taymi, may Allaah have mercy upon him, was dying, he instructed his
son: "O Mu'tamir, talk to me about exemptions ]in Islam[, so that I
may meet Allah while having good expectations of Him."
Hope prompts one to do good deeds
It is witnessed as a reality in life that many neglect good deeds and
dare to commit evil and sins, claiming that they trust in the mercy
and forgiveness of Allah The Almighty. Undoubtedly, this is a
misunderstanding of the true meaning of hope. The words of Al-Hasan
Al-Basri, may Allah have mercy upon him, are applicable to such people
mentioned above; he says: "There are people whose confidence in
forgiveness diverts them from doing what is moral, so much so that
they die with no virtues. They proclaim: 'we have good expectation of
Allah'. Surely, they are liars, for if they had hope ]in Him[, they
would have done good ]to support their claim[."
Allah The Almighty is indeed the most Forgiving, Ever Merciful;
however, I would like to draw your attention, dear reader, to the
subtle meaning embedded in the verse )which means(:}Indeed, those who
have believed and those who have emigrated and fought in the cause of
Allah - those expect the mercy of Allah. And Allah is Forgiving and
Merciful.{]Quran 2:218[. Contemplate how this verse alludes to these
people hoping for the mercy of Allah The Almighty alongside doing
those great noble deeds.
Dear Muslim, let us, then, do good and repent from our sins and evil
which we have committed. Let us repeat the words of Mahmood
Al-Warraaq, may Allah have mercy upon him: "O Allah, I have much hope
in Your forgiveness and You ]alone[ manage my affairs. I have
concealed my secrets from my relatives and others; You are the only
One to Whom I disclose them as I am confident that You will veil them.
O Allah! Do not fail me on the Day of Resurrection when all hidden
matters will be exposed. O Allah, do not reveal my secrets before
people; Your protection will provide me with an argument ]for my
forgiveness[, even though I have no basis for contention or a real
excuse."

Roughness Leads to Disunity

Roughness is a dispraised attribute that implies bad manners. It
causes disunity and estrangement among people and severs that which
Allaah The Almighty ordered to be maintained. Moreover, it has
destroyed many households and separated many families. Many people who
may love each other have nonetheless been afflicted with roughness and
alienation due to harsh tempers, ill treatment and a lack of
gentleness in tackling matters.
Roughness may be innate or acquired, and both are bad. A true believer
immediately sets himself aright by avoiding the causes and forms of
roughness. The Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, said:"Whoever
lives in the desert will become rough."]Ahmad and At-Tirmithi,
At-Tirmithi - Hasan Saheeh[ This means that if a person inhabits the
desert, his nature will become coarse, as man adopts the
characteristics of his environment. In other words, Westerners are
rougher than Easterners, and the dwellers of deserts and herders of
camels are rougher than others.
It was narrated on the authority of Ibn Mas'ood, may Allaah be pleased
with him, that the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam,
said:"]True[ belief is over there ]and he pointed with his hand
towards Yemen[, while roughness and harshness are the qualities of
those who own a great number of camels and drive them ]noisily[ behind
their tails ]to the direction[ where the two horns of Satan will
appear ]in the direction of[ the tribes of Rabee'ah and
Mudhar."]Al-Bukhaari and Muslim[
It was also narrated on the authority of Abu Bakr, may Allaah be
pleased with him, that the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam,
said:"Bashfulness is from faith, and faith leads to Paradise. Foulness
is from roughness, and roughness leads to Hell."]At-Tirmithi and Ibn
Maajah, At-Tirmithi - Hasan Saheeh[
Everything Has a Share of Its Name
It is noticeable that there is an obvious relationship between things
and their names, between man and the world around him, and between man
and the nature of his profession. Pediatricians, for example, may
differ from surgeons; the disposition of soldiers and troops may
differ from that of others, although a person is not allowed to
justify his roughness as a product of his nature, environment or work.
It is said that people did not disobey Allaah The Almighty except due
to false justifications.
The Quran Disparages Roughness
There are many texts that dispraise and warn against roughness. Allaah
The Almighty Says )what means(:
•}So by Mercy from Allaah, ]O Muhammad[, you were lenient with them.
And if you had been rude ]in speech[ and harsh in heart, they would
have disbanded from about you.{]Quran 3:159[
•}Then why, when Our punishment came to them, did they not humble
themselves? But their hearts became hardened, and Satan made
attractive to them that which they were doing.{]Quran 6:43[
•}So is one whose breast Allaah has expanded to ]accept[ Islam and he
is upon a light from his Lord ]like one whose heart rejects it[? Then,
woe to those whose hearts are hardened against the remembrance of
Allaah. Those are in manifest error.{]Quran 39:22[
•}Has the time not come for those who have believed that their hearts
should become humbly submissive at the remembrance of Allaah and what
has come down of the truth? And let them not be like those who were
given the Scripture before, and a long period passed over them, so
their hearts hardened; and many of them are defiantly
disobedient.{]Quran 57:16[
The Sunnah Forbids Roughness
Like the Quran, the Sunnah of the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa
sallam, forbade roughness. It was narrated on the authority of Abu
Moosa Al-'Ash'ari, may Allaah be pleased with him, that the Prophet,
sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, said:"Exalting Allaah The Almighty
involves showing honor to a grey-haired Muslim and to a person who
memorizes the Quran without acting extravagantly or roughly, and by
showing honor to a just ruler."]Abu Daawood, Al-Albaani - Hasan[ In
another Hadeeth which mentions the Hour, the Prophet, sallallaahu
'alayhi wa sallam, said:"When the naked, barefooted and rough people
become heads of people, this is a sign of the Hour."]Ahmad,
Al-Bukhaari and Muslim[
It was also narrated on the authority of 'Aa'ishah, may Allaah be
pleased with her, that the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam,
said:"The most hated person in the sight of Allaah is the most
quarrelsome person."]Al-Bukhaari and Muslim[ The quarrelsome one is he
who behaves wickedly when he quarrels.
Also, it was narrated on the authority of Abu Hurayrah, may Allaah be
pleased with him, that the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam,
said:"Do not speak foul words, do not give your backs to one another
]i.e., boycott or bear enmity towards one another[, do not spy on one
another, and do not override the sales transactions of one another,
and be, O slaves of Allaah, brothers."]Muslim[
It was also narrated on the authority of Abu Ayyoob Al-Ansaari, may
Allaah be pleased with him, that the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa
sallam, said:"It is not permissible for a Muslim to desert his brother
for more than three nights ]where[ when they meet, one turns away and
the other turns away; and the best of the two is the one who greets
the other first."]Al-Bukhaari and Muslim[
What the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, forbade us from in
this Hadeeth is certainly an aspect of roughness. Similarly, it was
narrated on the authority of Abu Hurayrah, may Allaah be pleased with
him, that the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, said:"It is not
permissible for a Muslim to desert his brother for more than three
nights; whoever deserts and then dies will enter Hell."]Abu Daawood,
Al-Albaani - Saheeh[ Additionally, it was narrated on the authority of
Abu Khiraash As-Sulami, may Allaah be pleased with him, that he heard
the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, saying:"If a person
deserts his brother for more than a year, this is considered as if he
has shed his blood."]Abu Daawood, Al-Albaani - Saheeh[
Finally, it was narrated on the authority of Sahl ibn Sa'd, may Allaah
be pleased with him, that the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam,
said:"A believer harmonizes with people and they harmonize with him;
and there is no good in a person who neither familiarizes nor is
familiarized."]Ahmad, Al-Albaani - Saheeh and it meets the conditions
stipulated by Muslim[
Allaah The Almighty, the angels and mankind, in general, hate
roughness and harshness. A believer, therefore, should avoid violence,
harshness, frowning, recklessness, ill treatment, undutifulness to
parents and ill thoughts. He should have gentleness, mercy,
righteousness, compassion and forbearance. Purification of the soul
precedes beautifying it.
A Muslim should strive hard to stay away from the causes and forms of
violence. Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:
•}He has succeeded who purifies it, And he has failed who instills it
]with corruption[{]Quran 91:9-10[
•}And those who strive for Us - We will surely guide them to Our ways.
And indeed, Allaah is with the doers of good.{]Quran 29:69[
A slave should resort to Allaah The Almighty and supplicate to Him -
perhaps Allaah The Almighty will guide him to follow the example of
the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam. The Prophet, sallallaahu
'alayhi wa sallam, was the most gentle of all people; he was a smiling
person and would maintain the ties of kinship, help the weak, support
the destitute, serve guests generously and assist those afflicted with
calamities. Allaah The Almighty never fails a person who adopts such a
behavior, as Khadeejah the mother of the believers, may Allaah be
pleased with her, stated.
Let us adopt the manners of the believers, for a believer is simple,
accessible and easy. He submits to the truth, harmonizes with people
and people harmonize with him. Conversely, there is no good in a
person who is rough and harsh: a person who does not harmonize with
people, nor do they harmonize with him.

Justice, -

Justice is the balance that Allaah has imposed for His creatures and
established for fulfilling rights. It is one of the foundations upon
which this world is established, and without it life can neither be
orderly nor reformed. Justice leads to bringing people together and
urges them to be obedient to Allaah. It is also a cause of development
and increase of wealth, growth of the young generations and prevalence
of security for those in power and authority. Due to the importance of
justice, it was said,"Life continues with justice and disbelief, but
cannot continue with injustice and Islam."
Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said,"Justice is the
foundation upon which everything has been established. When matters
pertaining to this life are based on justice, then it will remain on
the right course, even if the person who establishes this justice does
not have in the Hereafter any share. On the other hand, if this life
is not based on justice, it will not be on the right course, even if
the person who does not establish justice has faith that he will be
rewarded for in the Hereafter."
He also said,"Justice is the right that every person has over another,
under all circumstances; and injustice is prohibited and disallowed,
under all circumstances."
Due to the high and sublime status of justice, we find
theSharee'ahraising its importance and ordering people and urging them
to establish justice. In this respect, Allaah The Almighty Says )what
means(:
·}O you who have believed, be persistently standing firm in justice,
witnesses for Allaah, even if it be against yourselves or parents and
relatives.{]Quran 4:135[
·}O you who have believed, be persistently standing firm for Allaah ,
witnesses in justice, and do not let the hatred of a people prevent
you from being just. Be just; that is nearer to righteousness.{]Quran
5:8[
In these two verses, Allaah The Exalted commands the believers to
adopt justice as one of their morals and characteristics by using the
word "Qawwaam", which is a mode of hyperbole that declares Justice as
one of the manners instilled in them. In another general and
comprehensive verse, Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}Indeed,
Allaah orders justice and good conduct and giving to relatives and
forbids immorality and bad conduct and oppression. He admonishes you
that perhaps you will be reminded.{]Quran 16:90[
Issues of Establishing Justice
We are commanded to be just in everything. Here, we draw the attention
to some fields where justice apparently occurs:
1- Governance:In this field, establishing justice is required by
giving people their due rights and refraining from giving rights to
those who do not deserve them, providing equal opportunities to people
according to what is sufficient to each one of them and employing
people in their appropriate place according to their abilities. It was
narrated in aHadeeththat the Prophet,sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam,
said that a just ruler is one of those who will be protected by the
shade of Allaah on the Day of Judgment.
2- Judiciary:Settling disputes between people must be based on
justice, without the least trend of bias. This must occur in settling
disputes in courts, applying the prescribed punishments, other
disciplinary punishments and retributions. Allaah The Almighty Says
)what means(:}And when you judge between people, to judge with
justice.{]Quran 4:58[ It was narrated in aHadeeththat the
Prophet,sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, said:"When you judge between
people be just."In anotherHadeeth, he,sallallaahu 'alayhi wa
sallam,said:"Judges are of three types: One of them will enter
Paradise and the other two types will enter Hell. The one who knows
the truth and judges accordingly will enter Paradise; The one who
knows the truth and deviates in his judgment will enter Hell;
likewise, the one who ignorantly judges among people will enter Hell."
3- Giving Testimony:One is required to be just when he gives testimony
by informing of what he saw or heard, but if he testifies with what
contradicts what he saw, then he is to be deemed as a person who
testifies to falsehood. Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:
·}And when you testify, be just.{]Quran 6:152[
·}And ]they are[ those who do not testify to falsehood, and when they
pass near ill speech, they pass by.{]Quran 25:72[
4- Treating Wives:Justice in treating one's wives is by giving each
one of them her due share of financial maintenance, residence and
staying over at her house. The Prophet,sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam,
warned Muslims against being unjust in treating wives, where he
said:"When a man has two wives and he is inclined to one of them, he
will come on the Day of Judgment with his side sloping."
5- Treating Children:Acting justly with one's children is when the
parents give equal share of gifts, upbringing and any other thing they
can afford to give. It was narrated in aHadeeth, that the
Prophet,sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, said:"Fear Allaah and treat
your children fairly."
A Muslim is required to be just in all his dealings and what has been
mentioned above are just examples of showing justice.
Also, a Muslim is required to be just even with his enemies, as Allaah
The Almighty Says )what means(:}And I have been commanded to do
justice among you.{]Quran 42:15[
When the Prophet,sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, sent Abdullaah ibn
Rawaahah, may Allaah be pleased with him, to estimate the tax that was
to be paid for the dates in the fields of the people of Khaybar, they
wanted to bribe him, so he said,"By Allaah, I have come to you after
leaving the most beloved person to my heart and my hatred for you is
greater than my hatred for apes and pigs. However, my love for him and
hatred for you can in no way prevent me from being just with you."When
they heard this, they said,"Upon this ]justice[, both heaven and earth
are established."
As Muslims, when we adhere to justice in our manner and behavior and
consider it as a method of life, we spread the feeling of security,
assurance and enhance the welfare of our societies. Moreover, when we
adhere to justice, we reveal the greatness and sublimity of Islam
before others. Thereby, they will desire to know about this religion
and to embrace it, as it was the example of the early Muslims. We ask
Allaah The Exalted to grant us justice, in both calmness and anger.

Dought & clear, - Can khulwah be avoided if another woman is present?.

My wife told me that a gas canister ran out at home and has to be
changed, but I am not at home. Can a worker come to install the gas
canisters at home when I am not present? Please note that there is
another sister who will be with my wife in the house so as to avoid
leaving her on her own with the worker.
Praise be to Allah.
Firstly:
The scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) are unanimously agreed
that it is haraam to be alone with a non-mahram woman (khulwah),
because of the saheeh hadeeth: "No man should be alone with a woman
unless there is a mahram with her." Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5233;
Muslim, 1341.
An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: If a non-mahram man is
alone with a non-mahram woman, with no third person present, this is
haraam according to scholarly consensus.
End quote fromSharh Saheeh Muslim, 9/109
As-San'aani (may Allah have mercy on him) said: This hadeeth indicates
that it is haraam to be alone with a non-mahram woman, and there is
consensus on this point.
End quote fromSubul as-Salaam. 1/608
Secondly:
There is nothing wrong with a woman allowing a non-mahram man to enter
her husband's house when he is absent, as long as two conditions are
met:
1.Her husband should have given her permission to do that
2.There should be no khulwah (i.e., she should not be alone with him);
rather there should be a mahram with her such as her father or
brother, or anyone for whom it is permanently forbidden to marry her.
If she does not have a mahram with her, but there is another woman
with her, khulwah may be avoided thereby, but it is not permissible
for a woman to put herself in that situation unless the woman is
trustworthy and the man who is with them in that place is also
trustworthy and there is no fear that he could overpower the two
women.
An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: If a non-mahram man is
alone with a non-mahram woman, without a third person being present
with them, this is haraam according to scholarly consensus; this is
different from if a man is with a number of non-mahram women, in which
case the correct view is that it is permissible.
End quote fromSharh Saheeh Muslim, 9/109
As-San'aani (may Allah have mercy on him) said: It says in the hadeeth
that "the third one present with them is the Shaytaan". Can someone
other than the mahram take his place in that regard, so that there
will be someone with them in order that khulwah will be avoided? It
seems to be the case that he may take his place, because the reason
for the prohibition is the fear that the Shaytaan may cause temptation
between them.
End quote fromSubul as-Salaam, 1/608
Based on that, there is nothing wrong with the man allowing a
non-mahram to enter his house, on condition that he is not alone with
his wife and that he is trustworthy. However the basic principle, and
the best precaution to safeguard religious commitment, is that he
should not allow that unless there is a mahram present.
And Allah knows best.