The 9 Means for warding off the punishments

بسم الله والحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله ، وبعد

Pondering over the meaning of the Qur’aan for the purpose of practicing its teachings, is the one of the greatest Wisdom for its revelation. While studying the Qur’aan, from the things that one should ponder over and follow is what Allaah تعالى mentioned in it about the punishments which afflicted the previous nations because of their deviating away from the path of Allaah. One would find that there were very many different types of punishments and Allaah تعالى commanded us to take a lesson and admonition from these incidents, as Allaah تعالى says:

﴿قَدْ خَلَتْ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ سُنَنٌ فَسِيرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ فَانظُرُوا كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الْمُكَذِّبِينَ﴾

Difference between the Righteous and the Reformer

بسم الله والحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله ، وبعد

Contemplate on the saying of Allaah تعالى:

﴿وَمَا كَانَ رَبُّكَ لِيُهْلِكَ الْقُرَىٰ بِظُلْمٍ وَأَهْلُهَا مُصْلِحُونَ﴾

{And your Lord would not have destroyed the cities unjustly while their people were REFORMERS} [Surah Hood (11): 117]

Contemplate on the word that Allaah تعالى said: مصلحون (reformers) and He تعالى did not say: صالحون (righteous).

The difference is that a righteous person works for his own good alone, whereas the reformer works for himself and for the betterment of the society as well - enjoining what is good and prohibiting what is evil.

Zainab bint Jahsh رضي الله عنها said: O Messenger of Allaah! Shall we be destroyed though there will be RIGHTEOUS people amongst us? The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “Yes! When evil would be predominant.” [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (3346, 3598, 7059, 7135) and Saheeh Muslim (6881, 6883)]

Narrated Hudhaifah رضي الله عنه: The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “By Him in Whose hand my soul is, you must enjoin what is reputable and forbid what is disreputable, or Allaah will certainly soon send punishment from Himself to you. Then you will make supplication and not receive an answer.” [Tirmidhee (2169) and graded as “Hasan” by Shaikh al-Albaanee]

Narrated Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq رضي الله عنه: You people recite this verse: {You who believe! Care for yourselves; he who goes astray cannot harm you when you are rightly guided.} [Surah al-Maaidah (5): 105] I heard Allaah's Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم say: “When people see something objectionable and do not change it, Allaah will soon include them all in His punishment.” [Sunan Abu Dawood (4338), and Sunan Ibn Maajah (4005) and Tirmidhee (3057) and graded as “Saheeh” by Shaikh al-Albaanee]

Do not be carried away by your “righteousness”

بسم الله والحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله ، وبعد

Allaah تعالى says:

﴿لَقَدْ حَقَّ الْقَوْلُ عَلَىٰ أَكْثَرِهِمْ فَهُمْ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ﴾

{Indeed the Word (of punishment) has proved true against most of them, so they will not believe} [Surah Yaaseen (36): 7]

A few benefits mentioned by Shaikh Ibn al-`Uthaymeen رحمه الله regarding this Aayah:

1) One of the benefits we learn from this Aayah is: to reaffirm the important news even if the one being address does not deny it; because here Allaah تعالى is informing the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and the Believers, even though they are the ones who do not deny it. This is only because of the importance of reaffirming (the news).

The 3 afflictions which daily affect every human being

بسم الله والحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله ، وبعد

Every day and every night, the children of Aadam are affected by the 3 afflictions. Not a day goes by except that they are afflicted by all the 3 of them.

THE FIRST AFFLICTION:

His lifespan is reduced everyday. He does not care much about his lifespan being reduced, but if there is any reduction in his wealth, he starts worrying. What he forgets is that wealth is recoverable but not the lifespan.

THE SECOND AFFLICTION:

Every day he consumes the sustenance provided to him by Allaah. If it is Halaal, he will be questioned about it [Surah al-Takaathur (102): 8]. But if it is through Haraam means, then he will be punished for it; and no one knows the extent of the punishment except Allaah.

THE THIRD AFFLICTION:

Every day he is nearing the Aakhirah by some distance; while at the same time he is being distanced from this worldly life by some distance. But his concern for the EVERLASTING HEREAFTER is nothing as compared to his concern for this FLEETING WORLD. He does not know if his abode will be the highest station in Paradise or the lowest depths of Hell.

اللهم لا تجعل الدنيا أكبر همنا، ولا مبلغ علمنا ، ولا إلى النار مصيرنا ، واجعل الجنة هي دارنا

O Allaah! Do not make this world our greatest concern, nor the limit of our knowledge. And do not set our path leading towards Hell. And make Paradise our final abode.

Why the previous nations had more people who used to receive inspiration than ours?

One of the greatest signs of the perfection of this Ummah in comparison the previous nations

بسم الله والحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله ، وبعد

The Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم said: ❝There had been among the people before you Muhaddathoon (inspired persons) and if there were any such among my Ummah `Umar Ibn al-Khattaab would be one of them.❞

Ibn Wahb explained the word Muhaddathoon as: “those who receive hint from the High (Mulhamoon).”

[Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (3689, 3469) andSaheeh Muslim (5901) from the Hadeeth of `Aaishah and Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنهما]

The foundations of all Good Manners

بسم الله والحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله ، وبعد

Shaikh Ibn al-`Uthaymeen رحمه الله said:

All the Good Islaamic values have been gathered in two words. Allaah عز وجل says:

إِنَّ اللَّـهَ يَأْمُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ وَالْإِحْسَانِ

{Verily, Allaah enjoins Al-`Adl and Al-Ihsaan} [Surah al-Nahl (16): 90]

[Sharh al-Arba`een al-Nawawee (1/158-159)]

***

And in his book, Jaami` al-`Uloom wal-Hikam, al-Haafidh Ibn Rajab رحمه الله mentioned:

Imaam Ibn Salaah رحمه الله reported from Abu Muhammad Ibn Abu Zaid - who was the leading Imaam of the Maalikee Jurisprudence of his time - that he said: (The basis for all) the Good Manners and that which opposes it have been gathered in four Ahaadeeth:

1) The saying of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم: ❝He who believes in Allaah and the Last Day, let him speak good or remain silent.❞ [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (6018, 6019, 6135, 6136, 6138, 6475, 6476) and Saheeh Muslim (75, 76, 78, 4286)]

2) And the saying of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم: ❝Part of someone's being a good Muslim is his leaving alone that which does not concern him.❞ [Tirmidhee (2317) and Ibn Majah (3976) and Authenticated by Shaikh al-Albaanee]

3) And the advice of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم to the man: ❝Do not get angry.❞ [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (6116)]

4) And the saying of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم: ❝None of you will have faith till he wishes for his (Muslim) brother what he likes for himself.❞ [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (13) and Saheeh Muslim (72, 73)]

[Jaami` al-`Uloom wal-Hikam (1/288)]

Tafseer: {Nor are you worshipers of what I worship}

بسم الله والحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله ، وبعد

Shaikh al-Islaam Muhammad Ibn `Abdul-Wahhaab رحمه الله quoted Shaikh al-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله as saying regarding the Aayah in Surah al-Kaafiroon:

﴿وَلا أَنْتُمْ عَابِدُونَ مَا أَعْبُدُ﴾

{Nor are you worshipers of what I worship} [Surah al-Kaafirron (109): 3 & 5]

Approaching a fortuneteller

بسم الله والحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله ، وبعد

Simply inquiring a fortuneteller (even if it is for fun) without believing in him will nullify our prayers for 40 days and believing in him is Kufr.

Allaah’s Messenger ﷺ said:

“He who visits a diviner (`Arraaf) and asks him about anything, his prayers extending to forty nights will not be accepted.”

[Saheeh Muslim (5540)]

۝۝۝

Allaah’s Messenger ﷺ also said:

“If anyone goes to a fortuneteller and believes in what he says, he has disbelieved in that which was revealed to Muhammad.”

[Sunan Ibn Maajan (639) and the wordings are his, Sunan al-Tirmidhee (135), and Sunan Abu Dawood (3904) and graded as “Saheeh” by Shaikh al-Albaanee. In Sunan Abu Dawood, the wordings are: “he has nothing to do with what has been sent down to Muhammad ﷺ.”]

۝۝۝

The Lajna said: “This means that those who go to fortunetellers to ask them anything, their Salaah shall not be accepted for forty nights but in case that they also believe them, then they are Kaafir.” [Faatawa Lajna (1/621)]

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