Ilm: Knowledge

On Never Tiring of Hearing Beneficial Knowledge

The Prophet ﷺ said, “The believer will never be satisfied with hearing what is beneficial until he ends up in Paradise” [Tirmidhī].
‏ “‏ لَنْ يَشْبَعَ الْمُؤْمِنُ مِنْ خَيْرٍ يَسْمَعُهُ حَتَّى يَكُونَ مُنْتَهَاهُ الْجَنَّةُ ‏”‏

From this simple and profound ḥadīth, we learn:

– Of the characteristics of the believer is to be ever eager to learn, and benefit. The one who desires Allah will never be satisfied with the amount of knowledge, and beneficial advice, that he listens to.

– ‘Hearing what is beneficial’ is a very broad term, and includes all types of benefit. First and foremost it includes the Quran, the best of all speech. And then of course hadith, and sirah, followed by all aspects related to the religion. But it also includes matters of worldly benefit, because the believer wants the good of this world and the good of the next. So the believer is always wanting to benefit himself intellectually and spiritually; every day is a new opportunity to learn.

– Of the ways to enter Jannah is to follow this path of being ever-eager to learn! A curious mind, a yearning heart and an insatiable appetite for pure knowledge leads to Jannah!

– What’s beautiful is the mere desire to want to benefit is itself praiseworthy. True, ideally we would want to implement all that we learn, but it’s better to learn and implement partially while we strive for perfection than to not learn at all!!

May Allah make us always eager to learn beneficial knowledge!

-Dr. Yasir Qadhi

Guaranteed for you..

Ibn ‘Aṭā’ al-Sakandari said, “You toiling for what is already guaranteed for you, while being preoccupied from what is demanded of you, is an indication of the heart going blind.”

Meaning, our rizq (provisions) are guaranteed, while Paradise is not, yet we pant after our worldly gains and are lazy with our hereafter.

When it comes to working for the hereafter, some find a ready list of excuses, and when it comes to working for worldly success, it’s “No excuses! Sky’s the Limit!”

When it comes to charity, some search their pockets for the smallest currency, then casually ask Allah for the highest Paradise.

When it comes to prayer, some are satisfied with just Jumuah and others cram their prayers in the leftovers of their day. But when it comes to reaching the right restaurant…

When it comes to Ramadan, some are consumed with weight loss goals and hosting feats. But when it comes to spiritually prepping for the sacred fast…

Your share with Allah is the outcome of His share with you. Slowly reverse the predicament above, and watch Allah transform your life inside and out. Bismillah.

-Sh. Muhammad Elshinawy

Full Speed

Life is like a car speeding forward at full speed on the highway; it has no breaks and no reverse gear.

That which you have done yesterday cannot be returned to, and you cannot slow down what is destined for you even for a single moment.

Now the question is: are you driving in the right direction, following the signs and obeying the law so you can head towards forgiveness and mercy from your Lord? Or are you driving in utter darkness against traffic on a one way street?

You can’t stop, but you can decide your direction.

-Sh. Muhammad Alshareef

Balanced Middle

It is reported that Wahb b. Munabbih – Allâh have mercy on him – said: A scholar once asked another greater than him in knowledge,
“How much should I build?”
He replied, “As much as shelters you from the sun and the rain.”

He asked, …“How much food should I eat?”
He replied, “More than what keeps you hungry and less than what makes you full.”

He asked, “How much should I wear?”
He replied, “As the Messiah (Jesus) did.”

He asked, “How much should I laugh?”
He replied, “As much as appears on your face but does not make audible your voice.”

He asked, “How much should I cry?”
He replied, “Never tire from crying out of the fear of Allâh.”

He asked, “How much should I hide my deeds?”
He replied, “Until people think you had not done a good deed.”

He asked, “How much should I make public my deeds?”
He replied, “As much as will let the keen follow your example but not have the people talk about you.”

Wahb said. “Everything has two ends and a middle. If you grab one end, the other will slant, but if you take the middle, both ends will balance. Stick to the balanced middle in all affairs.”

{Abû Nu’aym, Hilyatu Al-Awliyâ` 4:45}

Art of Manners

Rasool Allah ﷺ was always prepared for his family. In the way he looked, smelled and dressed.

The Prophet ﷺ said, “I was only sent to perfect good character.”

Character is becoming rarer and rarer around us. But it is more important than ever before for your family, for your work, for your faith, and for your world.

When you build character you build the foundation that anchors you in trials, fuels you towards your goals and dreams, and frames how you perceive others and are perceived by them.

Your character is the most important quality you have for success in this world and the next.

Many will eventually pursue public success while allowing their moral, personal, familial responsibilties to decay. The result is people with an impressive exterior, but nothing save ruin and misery within.

Celebrate your successes in finding peace with yourself or wisely handling a relationship. The best success is ethical, rational, and wise response to life’s situations, not the openly celebrated stunts the world is so consumed in today.

The traps of shaytan are everywhere and they’re tricky to avoid but the ones coming from own Nafs are worse.

It’s hard not to slip.

One way to protect yourself from falling for these traps and committing sins is to seek Allah’s refuge from such evils in advance.

Allāhumma innī a`ūdhu bika min munkarātil-akhlāqi wal-a`māli wal-ahwā’

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