An Investment. We Ask Allah for Sincerity
ما كان لله بقي
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He Loved Her, But Feared Allāh More — Then Something Remarkable Happened
I have gathered this narration or retelling, if you will, from different narrations present in the books of Ibn Qayyim, Ibn Jawzi and Imam Dhahabī.
ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Abī ʿAmmār was a man of knowledge and worship who lived in Makkah. He was known for his devotion to Allāh and was even given a nickname due to the great amount of his worship. He was also described as the jurist of the people of the Ḥijāz during his time.¹
One day, he passed by a young slave woman named Salāmah, who was known for her singing. He stopped when he heard her voice, and her master noticed his interest. The master invited him to enter and listen to her, but ʿAbd al-Raḥmān initially refused.
The man then suggested that he sit somewhere he could hear her singing without seeing her. He agreed, and her singing pleased him.
Her master subsequently offered to bring her before him. Although ʿAbd al-Raḥmān hesitated, he eventually agreed. When he saw her, he became captivated by her beauty, and his affection for her grew. She, too, developed a deep affection for him.
Their attachment became known among the people of Makkah.²
On one occasion, Salāmah said to him:
“By Allāh, I love you.”
He replied:
“And by Allāh, I love you too.”
She said:
“By Allāh, I would love to place my mouth upon yours.”
He replied:
“And by Allāh, I would love that too.”
She then asked:
“What is preventing you, when there is nobody here?”
ʿAbd al-Raḥmān replied:
“Woe to you! Indeed, I heard Allāh say:
﴿الْأَخِلَّاءُ يَوْمَئِذٍ بَعْضُهُمْ لِبَعْضٍ عَدُوٌّ إِلَّا الْمُتَّقِينَ﴾
‘Friends on that Day will be foes one to another except Al-Muttaqûn (the pious).’Sūrat al-Zukhruf (43): 67
“By Allāh, I would hate for the affection between you and me in this worldly life to become enmity on the Day of Resurrection.”
In another transmission of this conversation, Salāmah responded:
“Do you think that our Lord would not accept us if we repented to Him?”
He replied:
“Indeed, He would. However, I cannot be certain that death will not overtake me unexpectedly.”
He then rose, weeping, and departed. According to this transmission, he did not return to her thereafter and resumed his former devotion to worship.³
Yet his attachment to Salāmah had become so widely known that the scholars ʿAṭāʾ, Ṭāwūs and Mujāhid came to him and admonished him concerning his love.
He responded with…
Read more here:
aitchmk.substack.com/p/he-re…
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Hishaam | هشام retweeted
Leave the Scholars and the Righteous Alone
Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah raḥimahullāh said:
قال شيخ الإسلام ابنُ تيمية - رحمه الله -: ومِن أعظم خُبث القلوب أنْ يكونَ في قلب العَبد غِلٌ لخيار المؤمنين
“Among the greatest forms of corruption of the hearts is that a servant harbours rancour in his heart towards the best of the believers..”
Ibn Taymiyyah, Minhāj al-Sunnah al-Nabawiyyah, vol. 1, p. 22
Leave the Scholars and the Righteous Alone
Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah raḥimahullāh said:
قال شيخ الإسلام ابنُ تيمية - رحمه الله -: ومِن أعظم خُبث القلوب أنْ يكونَ في قلب العَبد غِلٌ لخيار المؤمنين
“Among the greatest forms of corruption of the hearts is that a servant harbours rancour in his heart towards the best of the believers..”
Ibn Taymiyyah, Minhāj al-Sunnah al-Nabawiyyah, vol. 1, p. 22
Hishaam | هشام retweeted
Today I attended the funeral of an old friend’s mother.
He is older than me, a strong man whom I had never seen emotional. But losing a mother can bring even the strongest of men to tears.
He gave us a reminder that stayed with me: his opportunity to care for his mother in this life had now closed. For some of us, that door is still open.
He encouraged us to stay in regular contact with our mothers and fathers. To spend time with them, keep them company and be present in their lives while we still can.
After she was lowered into her grave, we began placing the soil over her. He handed some into my hand himself, gently reminding me what to say.
There were tears in his eyes, but also a resolve and hope that I could see in his face.
Even in that moment, he spoke about what he could still do for her.
He recalled the hadith in which the Prophet ﷺ explained that when a person dies, their deeds end except for three: ongoing charity, beneficial knowledge and a righteous child who supplicates for them.
Sahih Muslim (meaning summarised)
He spoke of funding a well on her behalf, giving ongoing charity and continuing to make du‘a for her.
He could no longer sit beside her and care for her, but he could still honour her and seek reward for her.
I left thinking about how easily we postpone a phone call or a visit, assuming there will be another opportunity.
If your parents are still here, make time for them. And if they have passed away, remember them in your du‘a.
O Allah, forgive our Muslim parents who have passed away, have mercy upon them, illuminate their graves and admit them into Jannah.
Preserve our parents who are still with us, bless their lives in obedience to You and help us care for them with patience and love.
Guide our parents who are not yet Muslim to Islam, open their hearts to the truth and grant them a good ending.
Ameen.
Hishaam | هشام retweeted
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Do not belittle any good deed, even meeting your brother with a cheerful face”
Sahih Muslim
And he ﷺ said:
“Protect yourselves from the Fire, even with half a date”
Sahih al-Bukhari
We can all do some good regularly, a kind word, a little charity, a helping hand.
With sincerity and consistency, goodness can become part of our character as we seek Allah’s love
May Allah make us people who do good and whom He loves, Ameen
Hishaam | هشام retweeted
The Rise of Anime Daʿwah
May Allah reward the sincere sisters who strive to follow the way of the Salaf in their daʿwah, adhering to the example of the Companions and those who followed them in goodness, not only in their speech but also in their conduct, modesty and interactions with others.
In recent times, we have witnessed the emergence of a new trend in online daʿwah, where some female callers have gained prominence through public debates, social media appearances and interactions with male audiences.
While the intention may be to call others to Islam, certain practices raise legitimate concerns: engaging in unnecessary interactions with non-maḥram men, participating in entertainment-oriented TikTok content, posing for photographs alongside men, and appearing publicly in ways that may compromise the modesty and dignity expected of a Muslim woman.
These matters deserve sincere reflection, particularly when such individuals present themselves as representatives of Islamic knowledge and daʿwah.
Daʿwah is not merely about what we say; it is also about how we conduct ourselves. Calling others to the Sunnah should be accompanied by striving to uphold its teachings in our own behaviour.
Our concern should not be to belittle individuals or question their intentions, but rather to remind ourselves and others that the methodology of the Salaf encompasses both knowledge and action, outward conduct and inward sincerity.
ʿĀʾishah said: “Had the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ seen what women have introduced, he would have prevented them from attending the mosques, just as the women of the Children of Israel were prevented.” - al-Bukhārī (869)
If this was the concern expressed by ʿĀʾishah regarding developments during her own time, then how much more deserving of reflection are the challenges posed by today’s social media culture?
May Allāh preserve our sisters who sincerely call to His religion upon knowledge, modesty and adherence to the Sunnah, and may He guide us all to recognise our shortcomings and correct them.
The purpose of daʿwah is to call people to Allah, not to draw attention to ourselves.
And Allah knows best.
—-
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HE ASKED 100 PEOPLE THIS BEFORE HE GOT MARRIED
Abū al-Qāsim al-Naysābūrī (d. 406 AH) relates in ʿUqalāʾ al-Majānīn (The Wise Among the Mad), through his chain of narration, from Abū Maʿshar:
A man once swore an oath that he would not marry until he had consulted one hundred people, owing to the difficulties he had experienced with women.
He consulted ninety-nine people, leaving only one more.
He then went out, determined to ask the first person he encountered. He came across a madman who had fashioned a necklace from a bone, blackened his face and was riding a reed stalk.
The man greeted him and said, “I have a question.”
The madman replied, “Ask about what concerns you, and beware of involving yourself in what does not concern you.”
The man thought to himself, “By Allah, he is mad!”
He then said, “I have suffered greatly at the hands of women, and I swore that I would not marry until I had consulted one hundred people. You are the hundredth.”
The madman replied:
“Know that women are of three kinds: one who is for you, one who is against you, and one who is neither for you nor against you.
As for the one who is for you, she is a young woman in the bloom of her youth who has never been with a man. She is for you and not against you. If she experiences good, she praises it; and if she experiences something bad, she says, ‘All men are like this.’
As for the one who is against you, she is a woman who has children from another man. She strips her husband of his wealth and gathers it for her children.
As for the one who is neither for you nor against you, she is a woman who has been married before you. If she experiences good, she says, ‘This is how things ought to be.’ But if she experiences something bad, she longs for her first husband.”
The man then said, “I beseech you by Allah, what has brought you to the condition in which I see you?”
He replied, “Did I not stipulate that you must not ask about what does not concern you?”
But the man insisted upon his question and made him swear to answer.
The madman finally replied:
“I was being considered for appointment as a judge, so I chose the condition you see me in rather than accepting the judgeship.”
Abū al-Qāsim al-Ḥasan ibn Muḥammad al-Naysābūrī (d. 406 AH), ʿUqalāʾ al-Majānīn, edited by Muḥammad al-Saʿīd Basyūnī Zaghlūl, 1st edn, Beirut: Dār al-Kutub al-ʿIlmiyyah, 1405 AH/1985 CE, p. 39.
NEW UPLOAD on YOUTUBE:
youtu.be/YpUC71-aa8g?si=npL5…
The Effect of Charity on the Life of the Believer by Shaykh ‘Aadil ar-Ruhayli حفظه الله تعالى
More to come from the Shaykh insha’Allah.
May Allah allow it to be a means of benefit for us when we are in our graves.
Hishaam | هشام retweeted
I recently caught up with an old friend I hadn’t seen in a while
What began as a catch-up became a heart-to-heart, and something he said has stayed with me
He spoke about the last ten years of his life, the sacrifices he had made to get ahead and the things he had hoped those sacrifices would bring him
Looking back, he felt betrayed by the very life he had worked so hard to build
The cost had been far greater than his time
His worship had suffered, friendships had faded and his marriage had come under strain
The wake-up call came when he realised he was struggling to maintain his prayers and had almost lost contact with his daughter
Then he said something that made me stop and think
“Abdullah, don’t let this dunya deceive you the way it deceived me”
Hearing that from someone reflecting on ten years of his own life carried a weight that ordinary advice sometimes doesn’t
I reminded him of the words of the Prophet ﷺ:
“Deeds are judged by their endings”
Sahih al-Bukhari
His past mattered, but it did not mean the opportunity to change had passed
“As long as you’ve still got breath in you, it’s not over yet, we’ve still got a chance to make things right”
He smiled, and there was comfort in that moment
When I left him, I remembered the verse:
“So let not the worldly life delude you and be not deceived about Allah by the Deceiver”
Surah Luqman, 31:33
I left thinking about how easily we can count what we are gaining while overlooking what it is costing us
A missed prayer, a conversation postponed, a relationship left unattended, each can seem small in the moment, until we look back at the years they have become
May Allah bless our efforts in this world, protect us from neglecting what He has entrusted to us and grant us a good ending, Ameen
Hishaam | هشام retweeted
May Allah allow us to live to see another Ramadan, help us make the most of its days and nights, and accept our deeds. Ameen.
Mu‘alla ibn al-Fadl, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
“They would supplicate to Allah for six months to let them reach Ramadan, then supplicate for six months that He accept it from them.”
Ibn Rajab, Lata’if al-Ma‘arif
Don’t be a Pathetic, Coward Hiding Behind your Unknown Account.
Shaykh ‘Abdullāh Al-Bukhārī حفظه الله
Many wish for Martyrdom and many at the same time, underestimate the power of good deeds and how they impact the servant in both this life and the next.
Never underestimate the power of those continuous good deeds, that fasting, that praying and that deed you persist upon.
In this video, shaykh ‘Abdus-Salam Aal Sulayman, from the students of the 3 Muftīs and a member of the Senior Council of Scholars, narrates a beautiful story regarding two men who entered Jannah:
For more, please visit the YouTube channel and watch the rest of the video:
youtu.be/dI_2aekhXGQ
Hishaam | هشام retweeted
I’ve been thinking about the battles we face in life.
Our open enemy Shaytan works to turn our struggles into disobedience and our failures into despair.
This is a lifelong war and every war needs preparation.
Al-Hasan al-Basri (d. 110 AH) رحمه الله was asked whether Iblis sleeps. He replied:
“If he slept, we would find some relief.”
Recorded in al-Zuhd of Imam Ahmad.
Ibn al-Qayyim (d. 751 AH) رحمه الله said:
“Patience repels desires and corrupt intentions. Certainty repels doubts and misconceptions.”
Zad al-Ma‘ad.
We need to prepare before temptation arrives. Learn our religion. Guard our prayers. Remember Allah. Take seriously what we allow into our hearts.
We may lose a battle here and there. We may stumble into something we thought we had overcome. But we must keep repenting and striving. A fall must never become surrender.
May Allah protect us from Shaytan and grant us a good ending. That is the victory we cannot afford to lose.
Reading from the Mus-Haf or Reading From the Phone? Can I get More Reward?
ʿAbd Allāh ibn Masʿūd رضي الله عنه said:
أَدِيمُوا النَّظَرَ فِي الْمُصْحَفِ
“Make it a regular practice to look into the Muṣḥaf.”
ʿAbd al Razzāq, no. 5979; Faḍāʾil al Qurʾān by Abū ʿUbayd, no. 104; Ibn Abī Shaybah, no. 8558
The Virtue of Reciting from the Muṣḥaf
Al Ḥāfiẓ al Nawawī رحمه الله said:
“Reciting from the Muṣḥaf is superior to reciting from memory, because it combines recitation with looking into the Muṣḥaf, which is an additional act of worship.
This has been explicitly stated by groups of the Salaf, and I have not come across any disagreement concerning it.
Perhaps, however, they intended this to apply to someone whose humility, attentiveness and presence of heart are equal in both circumstances.
As for the one whose humility, presence of heart and contemplation are greater when reciting from memory, then reciting from memory is superior in his case.”
Al Majmūʿ - 2/166.
A Boy, His Mother, A Loaf of Bread & The Great Importance of Charity!
“One day, Ibn al-Furāt summoned one of the scribes and said to him:
‘Woe to you! I have harboured ill intentions towards you, and I have repeatedly wished to have you arrested and your wealth confiscated. Yet, whenever I see you in a dream, you prevent me from doing so with a loaf of bread.
Indeed, I saw you in a dream several nights ago. I was intent on arresting you, but you kept resisting me. So I ordered my soldiers to attack you. Yet, whenever they struck at you with arrows or anything else, you would shield yourself from their blows with a loaf of bread in your hand, and nothing could reach you.
Tell me, then, what is the story behind this loaf of bread?’
The man replied:
‘O Minister, ever since I was a young child, my mother would place a loaf of bread beneath my pillow every night. When morning came, she would give it in charity on my behalf. She continued this practice without fail until she passed away.
When she died, I continued the practice myself. Every night, I place a loaf of bread beneath my pillow, and when morning comes, I give it in charity.’
The minister was astonished by this and said:
‘By Allah, no harm shall ever befall you from me after this day! My intentions towards you have now become good, and I have grown to love you.’”
Ibn Kathīr, Al-Bidāyah wa al-Nihāyah, 11/224.
Shaykh ‘Ādil b. Īsā ar-Ruhaylī حفظه الله on the Works of Ibn Qayyim and their Importance in the lives of the believer!
Shaykh ‘Ādil is from the mashayikh of Madinah, known to the mashayikh and an excellent teacher and murabbi. May Allah preserve him.
In times like these, we are in need more than ever to return back to the mashayikh. And he is of the most nurturing of teachers around.
I shared the video and informed the Shaykh I would be translating & sharing more of his works. He thanked and encouraged:
“Strive hard, so that Allah may bring about benefit through it.”
Hishaam | هشام retweeted
I’ve been thinking this morning, prompted by some thought-provoking posts and articles from @DaarusSunnah and our brother Hishaam @aitchmk__, about how much we need to look at ourselves and put our own affairs right.
How often do we read a reminder and immediately think of someone else who needs it, without first asking what needs to change in us?
Allah tells us now what people will say when the reality of the Hereafter becomes clear, including those painful words:
“Oh, I wish I had sent ahead (some good) for my life.”
Surah al Fajr
That word “life” really makes us pause.
Imam al Sa‘di (d. 1376 AH) رحمه الله explains in his tafsir that it means the permanent, everlasting life. The dunya is a life we pass through, while the life ahead is the one we should be preparing for.
We are being told about that regret while we still have time to do something about it.
There are times when we need to address what others are doing, but our own hearts, prayers, character and responsibilities deserve most of our attention. Our families have rights over us, there are faults we need to correct and good deeds we keep putting off.
I’m reminding myself first, because being moved by a reminder should lead to something changing in how we live.
May Allah help us recognise our faults, sincerely rectify ourselves and use the time we have to prepare for the life that never ends. Ameen.