The Hardened Heart Imam Ibn ul Qayyim al Jawziyyah Excerpted from the translator's footnotes to "An Explanation of Riyadh al-Saliheen" by Shaykh Muhammad ibn Salih al-Uthaymeen Translated from al-Fawa'id by Sajad ibn `Abdur Rahman, © 1998 Sajad Rana The slave is not afflicted with a punishment greater than the hardening of the heart and being distant from Allah. For the Fire was created to melt the hardened heart. The most distant heart from Allah is the heart which is hardened. If the heart becomes hardened, the eye becomes dry. If four matters are exceeded in quantity, beyond what is necessary, the heart shall become hardened: Food, sleep, speech and sexual intercourse. A body afflicted by disease does not derive nourishment from food or water, similarly a heart diseased by desire does not benefit from admonishment or exhortation. Whosoever desires to purify his heart, then let him prefer Allah to his desires. The heart which is clinging to its desires is veiled from Allah, commensurate to the degree that it is attached to them. The hearts are the vessels of Allah upon His earth, hence the most beloved of them to Him, are the ones most compassionate, pure and resistant to deviation. They (the transgressors) preoccupied their hearts [in the pursuance] of the Dunya, would that they preoccupied them with Allah and the Hereafter, then surely they would have reflected upon the intended meaning of His poignant Words and Verses. Their hearts would have returned to their masters with a wisdom, marvelously curious and [in possession] of the rarest of precious gems. If the heart is nourished with remembrance, its thirst quenched with contemplation and cleansed from corruption, it shall witness remarkable and wondrous matters, inspiring wisdom. Not every individual is endowed with knowledge and wisdom, and assumes its character is from amongst its people. Rather the People of Knowledge and Wisdom are those who infused life into their hearts by slaying their desires. As for the one who slayed his heart and vitalized his desires, then knowledge and wisdom is naked upon his tongue. The destruction of the heart occurs by security [in this Dunya] and negligence, its fortification occurs by fear and remembrance. If the heart renounces the pleasures of the Dunya, it settles upon the [pursuance] of the pleasures of the Hereafter, and amongst those who call towards it. Should the heart become content with the pleasures of the Dunya, those pleasures [of the Hereafter] cease [to continue]. Yearning for Allah and His meeting is like the gentle breeze blowing upon the heart, extinguishing the blaze of the Dunya. Whosoever caused his heart to settle with his Lord shall be in a state, calm and tranquil, and whosoever sent it amongst the people shall be disturbed and excessively perturbed. For the love of Allah shall not enter a heart which contains the love of this world, except as a camel which passes through the eye of a needle. Hence, the most beloved servant before Allah is the one whom He places in His servitude, whom He selects for His love, whom He causes to purify his worship for Him, dedicates his objectives for Him, his tongue for His remembrance, and his limbs for His service. The heart becomes sick, as the body becomes sick, and its remedy is al-Tawbah and protection [from transgression]. It becomes rusty as a mirror becomes rusty, and its clarity isv obtained by remembrance. It becomes naked as the body becomes naked, and its beautification is al-Taqwa. It becomes hungry and thirsty as the body becomes hungry, and its food and drink is knowledge, love, dependence, repentance and servitude.

Dead Hearts Imaam ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah rahimahullaah Taken from Al Jumuah, Vol 8 Issue 4 While thousands of Muslims are killed all over the world, and while tens of thousands are imprisoned and tortured for calling to the path of Allah and for enjoining the good and forbidding the evil, most Muslims remain remarkably silent and have no worry except for the material things of life. Their hearts have been filled with the love of this life and the forgetfulness of the Hereafter. Allah says in the Qur'an: "You will indeed find them, of all people, most greedy of life, even more than those who do not believe in Resurrection. Each one of them wishes he could be given a life of a thousand years. But the grant of such life will not save him even a little from due punishment. For Allah sees well all that they do." (Al Baqarah, 2:96) Many Muslims today have become so much attached to their life that their desire is to dwell among their family, house, money and commerce. They have forgotten that matters of the Hereafter should come before matters of this life and that we must strive to follow the orders of Allah, not just those we find easy and convenient to follow. Some Muslims today claim that it is better to perform extra prayers and extra fasting rather than enjoin the good and forbid the evil or defend the lives of weak Muslims. Such people would even blame the Muslims who strive to perform these obligations. This is what Ibn al-Qayyim had to say about such people: ''The Shaitan has misled most people by beautifying for them the performance of certain voluntary acts of worship such as voluntary prayers and voluntary fasting while neglecting other obligatory acts of worship such as enjoining the good and eradicating the evil, to the extent that they do not even make the intention of performing them whenever they are able to. Such people are considered by the scholars to be on the bottom of the scale of religion: For the essence of our religion is to perform what Allah ordered us to do. The one who does not perform his obligations is actually worse than the one who performs sins. Anyone having some knowledge about the revelation of Allah, the guidance of the Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, and the life of the companions would conclude that those who are pointed at today as the most pious people are in fact the least pious. Indeed, what kind of piety is there in a person who witnesses Allah's sanctities being violated, his religion abandoned, the Sunnah of His Messenger shunned, and yet remains still with a cold heart and a shut mouth' Such a person is like a dumb Shaitan! In the same way the one who talks falsehood is a speaking Shaitan. Isn't the misfortune of Islam due only to those who whenever their life and food are secure, would not care about what happens to the religion? The best among them would offer a sorry face. But if they were challenged in one of the things their heart is attached to like their money, they would spare no efforts to get it back. These people, besides deserving the anger of Allah, are afflicted with the greatest calamity without even knowing it: They have a dead heart. Indeed the more alive a person's heart is, the stronger its anger for the sake of Allah and the more complete his support to Islam and Muslims." (A'alaam al-Muwaqqi'een, volume 2, page 176).

Bitter Consequences of Sin Imaam ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah rahimahullaah Ad-Daa' wad-Dawaa' (pp.65-67) It is essential to know that sins and acts of disobedience are, necessarily, very harmful. Their harm effects upon the heart are akin to the harmful effects of poison upon the body, though the effects vary in their levels and intensities. So is there any evil or harm in this world, or in the Hereafter, except that it is due to sins and disobedience? So what was it that expelled the two parents [i.e. Adam and Eve] from Paradise; the home of delight, bliss, splendor and joy; to the home of pain, sorrow and misfortune? What was it that expelled Iblees [i.e. Satan] from the heavenly realms, causing him to be rejected and cursed; transforming him both inwardly and outwardly, so that his form became ugly and hideous - his inner form more hideous than his outer - replacing his nearness with remoteness, mercy with curse, his beauty with ugliness, from being in Paradise to being in the blazing Fire, from having faith to being an unbeliever, from having the patronage and friendship of Allaah, the Praiseworthy Guardian, to being the greatest enemy and opponent, from glorifying and praising Him to committing acts of unbelief, shirk, lies, deception and shamelessness, from being adorned with faith to being clothed in the garment of unbelief, sinfulness and disobedience, causing him to reach the deepest depths of despicability, plunging down in the sight of Allaah as far as it is possible to plunge; causing the anger of Allaah the Exalted to be upon him, making him an outcast - despised and humiliated - so that he became a leader for every sinner and criminal, becoming pleased with leadership for himself, after having reached the station of worship and nobility? O Allaah, we seek refuge in You from opposing Your command and falling into what You have forbidden. What was it that caused the people of the earth to drown, to the extent that the water rose above even the mountaintops? What was it that caused the violent winds to overcome the people of `Aad, such that it flung them down dead upon the face of the earth - as if they were lopped-off palm trunks - and it destroyed whatever dwellings and crops it came across, thus making them an example for nations until the Day of Resurrection? What was it that caused the piercing shrieks to be set loose upon the Thamood people, such that their hearts were severed within their very bodies, by which they all perished? What was it that caused the town of the homosexuals to be raised­ up and turned upside down, such that they were all destroyed? Then stones from the sky pelted down upon them so that they suffered a combined punishment, the like of which was not given to any other nation! And for their brothers will be its like; and it is not far off from the transgressors! What was it that caused the clouds of punishment to overcome the people of Shu'ayb, such that when these clouds were above their heads it rained scorching fire upon them? What was it that caused the Pharaoh and his people to be drowned in the ocean, and caused their souls to be transported to the Hellfire, so their bodies drowned and their souls burned? What was it that caused Qaaroon, his dwelling, wealth and family to sink down into the earth? What was it that caused the destruction of those generations after Noah, and how they were afflicted with various punishments that caused their annihilation? What was it that caused the destruction of the companions of Yaa Seen, with the clamorous shout, which destroyed them? What caused there to be sent against the Children of Israa'eel enemies of great strength and might, plundering their homes, killing their men, enslaving their women and children, burning their dwellings, seizing their wealth, and then returning again a second time, destroying what was rebuilt after the first onslaught? What was it that caused the various types of punishments to be set loose upon the Children of Israa'eel? Killing them, enslaving them, destroying their land and at times causing them to be oppressed by kings, whilst at another time causing them to be transformed into apes and swines -and finally the Lord took an oath that: "He would certainly keep on sending against them, until the Day of Resurrection, those who will inflict them with a humiliating torment." [soorah al-A'raaf 7:167] Imam Ahmad said: al-Waleed ibn Muslim related to us; that Safwaan ibn 'Amr related to us; that `Abdur-Rahmaan ibn Jubayr ibn Nufayr related; from his father, who said: "When Cyprus was conquered and its people were dispersed and they started weeping to each other, I saw Abud-Dardaa sitting alone and weeping. So I said to him: O Abud-Dardaa! What makes you weep on this day that Allaah has granted strength and honor to Islaam and its people? So he said: Woe be to you O Jubayr! How insignificant the creation becomes to Allaah when they turn away from His command. In front of us is a nation who were evidently powerful and who had dominion, yet they abandoned Allaah's command, so look what has become of them." [Reported by Imaam Ahmad in az-Zuhd (1/86) with an authentic (saheeh) chain of narration; as stated by Shaykh `Alee Hasan al-Halabee in his verification of the book. (p.67)] `Alee ibn al-Ja'd said: Shu'bah ibn `Amr ibn Murrah informed us; I heard Abul-Bukhtaree say: I was informed by someone, who heard the Prophet (saw) saying: "The people will not perish, until they have no excuse left for themselves." [Reported by Ahmad (4/260) and Abu Daawood (no.4347) with an authentic chain of narration] Imaam Ahmad reports in his Musnad, from the hadeeth of Umm Salamah, who said: I heard Allaah's Messenger (saw) saying: "When acts of disobedience become widespread in my ummah, then Allaah may send punishment upon them all from Himself" So I said: 0 Allaah's Messenger! Even if there are righteous people amongst them that day? So he replied: "Indeed!" So I said: How will that be? He replied: "They will be afflicted with what afflicts the people, then they will move on to the forgiveness of Allaah and His good pleasure." [Reported by Ahmad (6/304) and one of its narrators is Layth ibn Abee Sulaym, who is weak. However the hadeeth is established due to further supporting narrations. Consult Silsilatul - Ahaadeethus-Saheehah (no.1372) of Shaykh al-Albaanee]

Masha Allah, Subhanallah, Allahu Akbar! thanks for sharing ukhti

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Mabruuk Bro Duke!! may Allah bless your marriage! amin!

Beneficial and Comprehensive Principles Concerning Afflictions and Trials Imam Ibn ul Qayyim al Jawziyyah "The Delight of Faith" Abdullah bin Jarullah al-Jarullah, transl. J. Zarabozo © Dar as-Salaam, 1996 "The affair of the believer is amazing! The whole of his life is beneficial, and that is only in the case of the believer. When good times come to him, he is thankful and it is good for him, and when bad times befall him,, he is patient and it is also good for him." [saheeh Muslim #7138] 1. The evil that the believers are inflicted with is less than that which occurs to the disbelievers. 2. When the believers are inflicted with anything it should be accompanied with pleasure with Allah's decree and hoping for His reward. Hence, if they miss anything that they want, this should lead them to patience and hoping for reward and this will, without doubt, lessen the catastrophe. 3. The believer will be relieved of such hardship according to the amount of his obedience, purity and the existence of the realities of Faith in his heart to the point that if this hardship had occurred to another [who has not that amount of Faith], he would not be able to bear it. This is how Allah repels hardship from His believing slave. 4. If the love of Allah is firmly planted in the heart, then bearing the pain from the Beloved will be pleasureful for those who love Him and will not be something hated. 5. What the disbeliever and evildoer attain of power and strength is also accompanied with its opposite. 6. Allah afflicting His believing slave is like a kand of medicine that removes a disease. If that disease were to remain, it would destroy the person or lessen his reward. 7. Such occurrences are part of the necessary aspects of being a human. 8. In such ocurrences, Allah has a great and recognized wisdom. 9. Those afflictions and trials make it apparent who is the truthful person and who is the liar. 10. Humans by their nature are social creatures. They must mix with others. However, they have different natures and desires that may cause difficulties. The believer is obliged to fulfill his responsibilities concernig them and this makes the trial much easier. 11. The affliction that occurs to a person cannot but be from one of four types: Either it is with respect to his life, or with respect to his wealth, or with respect to his honor, or with respect to his family and those whom he loves from among mankind. These things affect all different peoples. Those who are not believing pious people are afflicted by much more than the believing pious person, as is witnessed.

Allah Grants Help and Victory to Followers of the True Deen Imam Ibn ul Qayyim al Jawziyyah Ighaathatul-Lahfaan min Masaa'id ish-Shaytaan [2/229] Transl. islaam.com A lot of people think that followers of the True Religion are humiliated, subdued and always defeated, unlike those who follow other paths. So they do not have certainty in Allah's promise of victory for His religion and His servants. Rather, even if they don't say it, they think that this promise is either particular to a specific group, or to a specific time, or they link it to Allah's will (not related to any rules that Allah set in His creation). This (attitude and understanding) is due to absence of certainty in the Promise of Allah, the Most High, and due to a poor understanding of His Book. 1. Allah subhanahu has explained in His Book that He is the Helper of believers in this world and the next. He said, the Most High, "Indeed We will support Our messengers and those who believe during the life of this world and on the Day when the witnesses will stand." [Ghafir 40:51] "And whoever is an ally of Allah and His Messenger and those who have believed - indeed, the party of Allah - they will be the predominant." [al-Ma'idah 5:56] "Indeed, the ones who oppose Allah and His Messenger - those will be among the most humbled. Allah has written [i.e. decreed], 'I will surely overcome, I and My messengers.' Indeed, Allah is Powerful and Exalted in Might." [al-Mujadilah 58:20-21] There are many such verses in the Qur'an. 2. Allahu subhanahu has also explained in the Qur'an that what befalls a servant from calamity, or defeat, or other than that, is because of his sins. Allah subhanahu has explained both of these principles in His Book, so when you join them, the reality of the matter will become clear to you, problems will completely disappear, and you will be in no need of unnecessary, burdening explanations, or far-fetched interpretations. Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala has explained the first principle in different ways, including what has preceded (in the verses above). Likewise, He censured one who seeks help and honor from other than the believers, as in His saying:: "O you who have believed do not take the Jews and the Christians as allies. They are [in fact] allies of one another. And whoever is an ally to them among you then indeed, he is [one] of them. Indeed, Allah guides not the wrongdoing people. So you see those in whose hearts is disease [i.e. hypocrisy] hastening into [association with] them, saying, 'We are afraid a misfortune may strike us.' But perhaps Allah will bring conquest or a decision from Him, and they will become, over what they have been concealing within themselves, regretful. And those who believe will say [i.e. about the hypocrites and their exposure], 'Are these the ones who swore by Allah their strongest oaths that indeed they were with you?' Their deeds have become worthless, and they have become losers. O you who have believed, whoever of you should revert from his religion - Allah will bring forth [in place of them] a people He will love and who will love Him [who are] humble toward the believers, powerful against the disbelievers; they strive in the cause of Allah and do not fear the blame of a critic. That is the favor of Allah; He bestows it upon whom He wills. And Allah is all-Encompassing and Knowing. Your ally is none but Allah and [therefore] His Messenger and those who have believed - those who establish prayer and give zakah, and they bow [in worship]. And whoever is an ally of Allah and His Messenger and those who have believed - indeed, the party of Allah - they will be the predominant." [al-Ma'idah 5:51-56] So Allah rebuked those who seek help from other than His party and informed that His party – they will be the predominant. In this regards, He said, "Give tidings to the hypocrites that there is for them a painful punishment. Those who take disbelievers as allies instead of the believers. Do they seek with them honor [through power]? But indeed, honor belongs to Allah entirely *." [al-Nisaa' 4:138-139] [* Being the source of all power and honor, Allah grants them to whom He wills.] “They say, 'If we return to Al-Madinah, the more honored [for power] will surely expel therefrom the more humble.' And to Allah belongs [all] honor, and to His Messenger, and to the believers, but the hypocrites do not know.†[Al-Munafiqoon 63:8] "Whoever desires honor [through power] - then to Allah belong all honor. To Him ascends good speech, and righteous work raises it *." [Fatir 35:10] [*For acceptance by Allah, meaning that righteous deeds are confirmation and proof of what is uttered by tongue.] That is, whoever seeks honor, let him seek it by obedience to Allah through good speech and righteous work. "It is He who has sent His Messenger with the guidance and the religion of truth to manifest it over all religion, although they will associate others with Allah dislike it." [at-Taubah 9:33] "O you who have believed, shall I guide you to a transaction that will save you from a painful punishment? [it is that] you believe in Allah and His Messenger and strive in the cause of Allah with your wealth and your lives. That is best for you, if you should know. He will forgive for you your sins and admit you to gardens beneath which rivers flow and pleasant dwellings in gardens of perpetual residence. That is the great attainment. And [you will obtain] another [favor] that you love - victory from Allah and an imminent conquest; and give good tidings to the believers." [saff 61:10-13] That is, He will give them another [favor] besides forgiveness of their sins and entrance to the Paradise – help and victory: “O you who have believed, be supporters of Allah, as when Jesus, the son of Mary, said to the disciples, 'Who are my supporters for Allah?' The disciples said, 'We are supporters of Allah.' And a faction of the Children of Israel believed and a faction disbelieved. So We supported those who believed against their enemy, and they became dominant." [saff 61:14] Allah said to Jesus, `alayhis salam, "'Indeed I will take you and raise you to Myself and purify [i.e. free] you from those who disbelieve and make those who follow you [in submission to Allah alone] superior to those who disbelieve until the Day of Resurrection." [Aal `Imran 3:55] So because the Christians follow him, they are superior to the Jews until the Day of Resurrection, and because Muslims follow him more than the Christians, they are superior to them until the Day of Resurrection. Allah ta`ala said to the believers, "And if these [Makkans] who disbelieve were to fight you, they would certainly turn their backs [in flight]. Then they would not find a protector or a helper. [This is] the established way of Allah which has occurred before. And you will never find in the way of Allah any change." [Fath 48:22-23] This is addressed to the believers who fulfilled both outward and inward realities of faith. “Indeed, the [best] outcome is for the righteous." [Hud 11:49] And, “The [best] outcome is for [those of] righteousness." [Taha 20:132] The intended here is the outcome in this world before the next, because He mentioned this after the story of Nooh, and his victory over his people and patience with them. So He said, "This is from the news of the unseen which We reveal to you, [O Muhammad]. You knew it not, neither you nor your people, before this. So be patient, indeed, the [best] outcome is for the righteous." [Hud 11:49] That is, the outcome of help for you and those with you, as it was for Nooh - `alayhis salam – and those who believed with him. Likewise His saying, "And enjoin prayer upon your family [and people] and be steadfast therein. We ask you not for provision; We provide for you and the [best] outcome is for [those of] righteousness." [Taha 20:132] "If good touches you, it distresses them; but if harm strikes you, they rejoice at it. And if you are patient and fear Allah, their plot will not harm you at all. Indeed, Allah is encompassing of what they do." [Aal `Imran 3:120] "Yes, if you remain patient and conscious of Allah and they [i.e. the enemy] come upon you [attacking] in rage, your Lord will reinforce you with five thousand angels having marks [of distinction]." [Aal `Imran 3:125] He said, relating the words of Yusuf - `alayhis salam – that he was helped due to his taqwa and his patience. So he said, "'I am Joseph, and this is my brother. Allah has certainly favored us. Indeed, he who fears Allah and is patient, then indeed, Allah does not allow to be lost the reward of those who do good.'" [Yusuf 12:90] "O you who have believed, if you fear Allah, He will grant you a criterion and will remove from you your misdeeds and forgive you. And Allah is the possessor of great bounty." [al-Anfal 8:29] The criterion is honor and help, and victory and light, which distinguish between the Truth and the falsehood. “And whoever fears Allah – He will make for him a way out. And will provide for him from where he does not expect. And whoever relies upon Allah – then He is sufficient for him. Indeed, Allah will accomplish His purpose. Allah has already set for everything a [decreed] extent.†[at-Talaq 65:3-4] Ibn Maajah and Ibn Abi Dunya have related on the authority of Abu Dharr, radhiallahu `anhu, that the Prophet, sallallahu ta`ala `alayhi wa alihi wa sallam said: “If all people acted in accordance with this ayah, it would suffice them.†[Narrators of the hadeeth are trustworthy except that the chain is disconnected, so the hadeeth is weak] This is related to the first principle. As for the second principle: "Why [is it that] when a [single] disaster struck you [on the day of Uhud], although you had struck [the enemy in the Battle of Badr] with one twice as great, you said, 'From where is this?' Say, 'It is from yourselves [i.e. due to your sin].' And Allah, over all things, is competent." [Aal `Imran 3:165] "Indeed, those of you who turned back on the day the two armies met [at Uhud] - it was Satan who caused them to slip because of some [blame] they had earned. But Allah has already forgiven them. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Forbearing." [Aal `Imran 3:155] "And whatever strikes you of disaster - it is for what your hands have earned; but He pardons much." [ash-Shura 42:30] "Corruption has appeared throughout the land and sea by [reason of] what the hands of people have earned so He [i.e. Allah] may let them taste part of [the consequence of] what they have done that perhaps they will return [i.e. refrain]." [ar-Rum 30:41] "But if they turn away - then We have not sent you [O Muhammad], over them as a guardian; upon you is only [the duty of] notification. And indeed, when We let man taste mercy from Us, he rejoices in it; but if evil afflicts him for what his hands have put forth, then indeed, man is ungrateful." [ash-Shura 42:48] "And when We let the people taste mercy, they rejoice therein, but if evil afflicts them for what their hands have put forth, immediately they despair." [ar-Rum 30:36] "Or He could destroy them for what they earned; but He pardons much." [ash-Shura 42:34] "What comes to you of good is from Allah, but what comes to you of evil, [O man], is from yourself. And We have sent you, [O Muhammad], to the people as a messenger, and sufficient is Allah as Witness." [an-Nisaa' 4:79] This is why Allah subhanahu ordered His Messenger and believers to follow what was sent to them, that is, to be obedient to Him. This is the first principle. He also ordered them to wait for His Promise, and this is the second principle. And He ordered them to seek forgiveness and practice patience because the servant will certainly have shortcomings and seeking forgiveness will clear those shortcomings. Likewise, patience is required while waiting for the Promise. Obedience is perfected and completed with seeking forgiveness, and certainty in the Promise is perfected and completed with patience. Allah subhanahu has joined the two in His saying, "So be patient. Indeed, the promise of Allah is truth. And ask for forgiveness of your sin and exalt [Allah] with praise of your Lord in the evening and the morning." [Ghafir 40:55] Allah subhanahu has mentioned in His book the stories of the Prophets and their followers and how they saved themselves with patience and obedience. Then He said, "There were certainly in their stories a lesson for those of understanding." [Yusuf 12:111]

Addressing the Believers Imam Ibn ul Qayyim al Jawziyyah the Magnificent Journey © 1995 QSS And Allah ta`ala said: "Believers! Obey Allah, and obey the Messenger and those charged with authority among you; if you differ in anything, refer it to Allah and the Messenger (for judgment) if you truly believe in Allah and the Last Day: that is best and most suitable for final determination." [4:59] Allah ta`ala is requiring obedience to Him and to His Messenger (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam). He starts the aayah with an address to the "believers", hinting that what is required thereafter is a consequence of that name with which they are addressed. This is similar to saying: "You whom Allah has favored and enriched with His bounties, be good to others as Allah has been good to you." And like, "Learned men, teach people what would benefit them." And, "Ruler, rule with justice." And so on. For this reason, legislative matters in the Qur'an are frequently addressed to the believers, starting the address with "Believers". For example Allah says: "Believers, fasting is prescribed for you." [2:183] And He says: "Believers, when the call is proclaimed for prayer on Friday, hasten earnestly to the remembrance of Allah." [62:9] And He says: "Believers, fulfill the contracts." [5:1] Addressing the believers like this carries the implication that: "If you are true believers, you should perform the following action, because it is a requirement for the integrity and sincerity of Iman."

A Refutation of Naturalists Imam Ibn ul Qayyim al Jawziyyah Men & The Universe - Reflections of Ibn Al-Qayyem By Capt. Anas Abdul-Hameed Al-Qoz © 2000 Darussalam ...Who was it who managed all that, perfected it, directed it and controlled it in the best way? Someone might, if he were one of the depraved, say: "it is the work of nature; there are wonderful things in nature." To such a debater we say: if Allah had let your heart, you would yourself have refuted such a statement by replying: "Tell me about this nature, is it self-sustained, having knowledge, and having the ability to contrive those wonders? Or is it not? Is it not rather just an abstract quality and a display of the visible things around?" If the answer occurs to you: It is an independent entity with full knowledge, ability, will and wisdom," say: What you describe is the Creator, the Author and Shaper, so why do you call Him nature? Forget about what he naturalists dictate and turn to what Allah has taught humans to call Him in the words of His messengers, and if you do you will be one of the happy and wise folk. Why attribute to nature the attributes that belong to Allah? If, on the other hand, the adversary says: "Nature is an abstract quality, a display in need of an agent, and all that we witness of its accomplishments s brought about without nature having knowledge, will, ability, or even the mere consciousness of what it is producing. All that we see is evidence of nature's achievements;" then the reply should be that no sane person would accept this reasoning. Do you really believe that the amazing actions and subtle contrivances that we see in this world, that no mind can fathom o fully appreciate, are made by an agent that itself has no thinking, ability, wisdom or feeling? Would anyone believe such reasoning but a madman or an animal? You may further add: "If what you claim were true, I would be clear that such an abstract quality cannot have created itself or originated itself, so who is its Lord, Maker and Originator? Who enabled it to do all that? This logic is a most decisive piece of evidence in favor of believing in the Originator and Maker of nature, in the infinity of His ability, knowledge and wisdom. Indeed, this group has gained nothing by denying the Lord and His Attributes and Actions. They merely abolish the intellect and innate intuition. Nature itself would discredit such logic: it in fact contradicts mind, innate intuition, nature and even humanity, and it has caused the most ignorant and deluded attitudes that one can cause. If one does concede what the mind dictates and admits that it is not possible to have wise effects without the agency of a wise, able and knowing entity; that it is not possible to have well-controlled effects without here being a maker who is able, autonomous, in control of things, aware of what he is doing, not frustrated or overwhelmed by what he is doing - if one concedes that much then the right answer to such a person would be: What is the matter with you? When you accept the necessity of a great Creator beside whom no other god exists, and no other lord, stop calling Him nature or the 'self-active mind' or such appellations. Say instead: What I describe is Allah, the Creator, the Originator, the Shaper, Lord of the Worlds, Sustainer of the heavens and the earth, Lord of the east and the west, He who made excellent all that He created, and perfected what He crafted. Do not deny His Names and Attributes and Self and attribute His making to another and His creation to someone else. You have to concede His existence, and attribute to Him authorship, creation, lordship and control. There is no other way, praised is Allah, Lord of the Worlds. The Meaning of Nature By reconsidering the word 'nature' in this context, you will be led directly to the Creator, the Originator, as the common mind understands the word. That is because this word 'nature' (Arabic: tabee`ah) means that something was made by someone to behave according to a preset plan, and there is no other meaning at all. He word 'nature' is of the same class of words as 'instinct', 'disposition', 'temperament', 'an animal's or a human's nature', and the like. An animal has been made to react to stimuli, a reaction which is ingrained in it. It is self-evident that a 'nature' without a 'nature-maker' is impossibility: The very word, then, points to the Maker, the Almighty, just as its meaning indicates. Muslims believe that nature is one of Allah's creations, that it is under control, tamed and that this is part of His law operative among His creations; that He manages it the way He wills, and when He wills, so that He may deny it any aspect of its power when He wills, and reverse any of its effects when He wills, so that His servants may see that He alone is the Creator, the Originator, the Shaper, and that He creates whatever He wills, and in the way He wills. This is the meaning of the following verse from the Qur'an: "But His command, when He intends a thing, is only that He says unto it: Be! and it is." (36:82) Nature, which his the utmost that those short-sighted lot can perceive, is no more than a creature of the Lord, equal in that to any of His creations. Considering this, how would a human, with the least bit of humanity or thinking, be blind to its being made to behave as it behaves, and how would he attribute to it making and originating! Time and again Allah halts its power, alters it and reverses it, so that it does the opposite of what it originally did, all to illustrate to His servants that it is His creation and making, that it is controlled by Him. That much can be supported by this verse from the Qur'an: "His verily is all creation and commandment; blessed is Allah, Lord of the worlds" (7:54)

^ Nice haddad > after Calmadow and the Maakhir beaches, Andalucia(Southern Spain) & the Maldives

^ yes... you can only see about 30 out of the 300. Masha Allah~~ The End Depends Upon the Beginning

Foxy... 'think and grow rich' is a fine book indeed! i've the online version... whoever is interested! try and check out the audio version!

Masha Allah!! waa war lagu Farxo! Nabad iyo Caano

I've read the book, and most of what he says can be summed up to - you don't need money nor institutional education to get rich(in America). i don't think he is against 'learning', but more against the current educational system in the states. his main problem with them is, that they don't teach 'how to make money' in schools. it was a good read, worth checking out!

somalidoctor and somalistudents look like the same design to me. the more simple the better, the less graphics(specialy animated) the better. best somali forum design - Somaliaonline.com - simple to use - no graphics - no animations i have yet to see a good news site with a good design, less animation/graphics with good archive! i like daljir.com but its only audio! Animal Farm To be honest, Somali websites use too many colours, they stretch images and they overload the site with content. I think most of them at best displayed -- feeble attempt to sell over sensationalized news. Webmasters often show their lack of design, presentation, and content management. The most annoying thing about Somali websites is that they never archive news from months of weeks ago - they often remove them. Even the sites that try to deliver good design and presentation - lack adequate content and need I say more ARCHIVES. ^^well said!!

I Conquer The World With Words I conquer the world with words, conquer the mother tongue, verbs, nouns, syntax. I sweep away the beginning of things and with a new language that has the music of water the message of fire I light the coming age and stop time in your eyes and wipe away the line that separates time from this single moment. by Qabbani

ps. i didn't know cambodians were such bad drivers! maybe they should Ban 'smilling while behind the wheels'

Malakul Mawt doesn't miss! so walaal give Thanks to Allah(swt) that it wasn't your time....yet. we can't scape death - but we can choose the state we are in, when The Angel of Death visits us. lets hope we are in a state of ibaadah and not kufr.

Orgileqe, this 1 is 4 u; I have heard that a royal prince of short stature and mean presence, whose brothers were tall and good-looking, once saw his father glancing on him with aversion and contempt but he had the shrewdness and penetration to guess the meaning and said: 'O father, a puny intelligent fellow is better than a tall ignorant man, neither is everything bigger in stature higher in price. A sheep is nice to eat and an elephant is carrion.' The smallest mountain on earth is Jur; nevertheless It is great with Allah in dignity and station. Hast thou not heard that a lean scholar One day said to a fat fool: 'Although an Arab horse may be weak It is thus more worth than a stable full of asses.' The father laughed at this sally, the pillars of the state approved of it, but the brothers felt much aggrieved. While a man says not a word His fault and virtue are concealed. Think not that every desert is empty. Possibly it may contain a sleeping tiger. I heard that on the said occasion the king was menaced by a powerful enemy and that when the two armies were about to encounter each other, the first who entered the battlefield was the little fellow who said: 'I am not he whose back thou wilt see on the day of battle But he whom thou shalt behold in dust and blood. Who himself fights, stakes his own life In battle but he who flees, the blood of his army.' After uttering these words he rushed among the troops of the enemy, slew several warriors and, returning to his father, made humble obeisance and said: 'O thou, to whom my person appeared contemptible, Didst not believe in the impetuosity of my valour. A horse with slender girth is of use On the day of battle, not a fattened ox.' It is related that the troops of the enemy were numerous, and that the king's, being few, were about to flee, but that the puny youth raised a shout, saying: 'O men, take care not to put on the garments of women.'* These words augmented the rage of the troopers so that they made a unanimous attack and I heard that they gained the victory on the said occasion. The king kissed the head and eyes of his son, took him in his arms and daily augmented his affection till he appointed him to succeed him on the throne. His brothers became envious and placed poison in his food but were perceived by his sister from her apartment, whereon she closed the window violently and the youth, shrewdly guessing the significance of the act, restrained his hands from touching the food, and said: 'It is impossible that men of honour should die, and those who possess none should take their place.' No one goes under the shadow of an owl Even if the homa should disappear from the world. This state of affairs having been brought to the notice of the father, he severely reproved the brothers and assigned to each of them a different, but pleasant, district as a place of exile till the confusion was quelled and the quarrel appeased; and it has been said that ten dervishes may sleep under the same blanket but that one country cannot hold two padshahs. When a pious man eats half a loaf of bread He bestows the other half upon dervishes. If a padshah were to conquer the seven climates He would still in the same way covet another. The Gulistan of Sa'di By Sa'di Written 1258 A.C.E. (*) hablooy - not my words! Amani

S.Korean man dies after 50 hours of computer games SEOUL (Reuters) - A South Korean man who played computer games for 50 hours almost non-stop died of heart failure minutes after finishing his mammoth session in an Internet cafe, authorities said on Tuesday. The 28-year-old man, identified only by his family name Lee, had been playing on-line battle simulation games at the cybercafe in the southeastern city of Taegu, police said. Lee had planted himself in front of a computer monitor to play on-line games on August 3. He only left the spot over the next three days to go to the toilet and take brief naps on a makeshift bed, they said. "We presume the cause of death was heart failure stemming from exhaustion," a Taegu provincial police official said by telephone. Lee had recently quit his job to spend more time playing games ( ), the daily JoongAng Ilbo reported after interviewing former work colleagues and staff at the Internet cafe. After he failed to return home, Lee's mother asked his former colleagues to find him. When they reached the cafe, Lee said he would finish the game and then go home, the paper reported. He died a few minutes later, it said. South Korea, one of the most wired countries in the world, has a large and highly developed game industry.

kidhogo kidhogo

hmmm... are we in Nepal?

Warrior of Light ; jazakallah Originally posted by ORGILAQE: SALAALA WEWE MSWAHILI UMENIKOROFISHA NA MASEMO YAKO NDGU! ina adeerow bal maxaad tiri iigu sheeg! :confused: Qorshel; well said!!

I love this sheek! walaahi so lively, so happy, so proud, so wise. Masha'Allah. visit the official website; http://www.ahmed-deedat.co.za/ http://www.ipci.org/