The affirmation of the attribute of العلو for Allaah تعالى

بسم الله والحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله ، وبعد

Allaah تعالى said:

﴿إِلَيْهِ يَصْعَدُ الْكَلِمُ الطَّيِّبُ وَالْعَمَلُ الصَّالِحُ يَرْفَعُهُ﴾

{To Him ascends good speech, and righteous work raises it.} [Surah al-Faatir (34): 10]

Shaikh Muhammad Ibn `Abdullaah al-Sabeel (d. 1434H) رحمه الله said:

Allaah تعالى said:

﴿إِلَيْهِ يَصْعَدُ الْكَلِمُ الطَّيِّبُ﴾

{To Him ascends good speech} [Surah al-Faatir (35): 10]

{To Him}, meaning: towards Allaah سبحانه وتعالى.

{Yas`ad}, meaning: ascends, rises.

{Good speech}, meaning: Remembrance (of Allaah), Recitation (of the Qur’aan), Du`aa (supplication).

{And righteous work raises it}, meaning: the sincere action, which is free from Riyaa’ (showing-off), and is in accordance with the Sunnah; Allaah تعالى raises it towards Him and accepts it.

In these Noble Verses, there is affirmation of the Attribute of العُلُو (The Most High) for Allaah سبحانه وتعالى; for ascension and rising (of a thing) is not possible except from the lower (level) towards the higher (level).

فتاوى ورسائل مختارة ص. (33)

 

Hadeeth: Where the laws of physics don’t apply

Where the laws of physics don’t apply: The lower you go, the higher you get:

بسم الله والحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله ، وبعد

Thaubaan رضي الله عنه, the freed slave of Allaah’s Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم said that the Allaah’s Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “Make frequent prostrations before Allaah, for you will not perform one prostration to Allaah, except Allaah will raise you one degree in status thereby, and remove one sin from you, because of it.” [Saheeh Muslim (488), Sunan Ibn Maajah (1423) and Sunan al-Nasaa’ee (1139)]

Abu Faatimah رضي الله عنه said: The Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “O Abu Faatimah! Make lot of prostrations, for no Muslim prostrates to Allaah تعالى but He تعالى will raise him in status one degree thereby.” [Musnad Ahmad (15527, 15528) and graded as “Saheeh” by Shaikh al-Albaanee in al-Saheehah (1519)]

Abu Faatimah رضي الله عنه reported: I said: O Messenger of Allaah! Tell me of a deed that I can adhere to and act upon. He صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “Upon you is prostration, for you will not prostrate to Allaah but He تعالى will raise you in status one degree thereby and erase from you one sin.” [Sunan Ibn Maajah (1422) and graded as “Saheeh” by Shaikh al-Albaanee] 

`Ubaadah bin Saamit رضي الله عنه said that he heard the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم saying: “No one prostrates to Allaah تعالى except that Allaah تعالى will record for him one good deed and thereby will erase one bad deed and raise him in status one degree. So prostrate a great deal.” [Sunan Ibn Maajah (1424) and graded as “Saheeh” by Shaikh al-Albaanee]

Some of the narrations on al-Khushoo`:

بسم الله والحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله ، وبعد

Some of the Companions رضي الله عنهم, namely, Hudhaifah used to say: “Beware of Khushoo` al-Nifaaq (hypocritical humility). It was said to him: And what is hypocritical humility? He said: When you notice the body to be humble and whereas the heart is not.”

`Umar Ibn al-Khattaab رضي الله عنه saw a man bowing his neck in the prayer, so he said to him: “O companion of the (bend) neck! Raise your neck. Khushoo` is not in (bending) the neck, rather al-Khushoo` is in the heart.”

`Aaishah رضي الله عنها saw some youths passing by and they were swaying in their walk. She asked her companions: Who are they? They replied: These are the ascetics. She رضي الله عنها said: “`Umar Ibn al-Khattaab رضي الله عنه, when he walked, he was quick; when he spoke, he was heard; if he hit (someone), it would hurt; if he ate, he would eat till satisfaction; and indeed he was a true devout person.”

Al-Fudhail bin `Iyaadh said: “They (the Salaf) used to detest that a man is seen with devotion that is more than what is in his heart.”

[Madaarij al-Saalikeen (1/517)]

Shaikh `Abdul Mohsin al-`Abbaad: I do not know

بسم الله والحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله ، وبعد

  

All praise is for Allaah alone. Yesterday, Friday, November 22, 2013, Shaikh `Abdul Mohsin al`Abbaad حفظه الله began his Dars (study circle) on the great book: “Saheeh Muslim”. The first day was an introduction to this great book and this great Imaam, Muslim Ibn al-Hajjaaj رحمه الله.

The Shaikh حفظه الله mentioned a lot of things, all from his memory: Imaam Muslim’s birth, his death, the total number of Ahaadeeth in his Saheeh, and the number of Ahaadeeth without repetition. The Shaikh, Allaah reward him with good, mentioned so many things, all from memory. Anyone who had listened to him yesterday would be amazed at the level of knowledge, memorization and understanding of the Shaikh حفظه الله.

But when the Q&A session came, in the very first question he was asked:

“Was the death of Imaam Muslim caused due to overeating of dates? How much true is this?”

This mountain of knowledge, in front of 100s of students of knowledge, in Masjid al-Nabawee, had only two words in reply: لا أدري (I do not know).

He did not shy away to say that he doesn’t know about it. It did not matter to him his age or his status in the society. He did not beat around the bush by saying: “oh it is said…” or “I heard…”. It was a straightforward two words reply: لا أدري.

This is the simplicity of the scholars. They speak when they have knowledge and they remain silent when they don’t know.

Then there are those arrogant people, who might have just climbed the first step of the ladder of seeking knowledge; when they come in the public, over the stage, in front of the mic, they would rush to answer each and every question, whether they know the answer or not. For them, it is against their honor to say: I don’t know.

Allaah save us from such arrogance and keep us away from such arrogant people.

Ibn Taymiyyah: "Let not these criteria pass you by"

بسم الله والحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله ، وبعد

Shaikh al-Islaam, Ibn Taymiyyah, رحمه الله said:

“Let not these criteria pass you by: Whenever a slave’s love for his Lord gets stronger, the number of (worldly) things he loves gets reduced and (his attachment) to the things he loves will also diminish. And whenever his (love for his Lord) weakens, the number of (worldly) things he loves will increase (and his attachment towards them will get stronger) and will be widespread.