"Verily actions are based upon the intentions (behind them) and every man shall have (in accordance) with what he intended. Thus, he whose migration was (for the sake of) Allāh and His Messenger, then his migration was indeed for Allāh and His Messenger. And he whose migration was to attain a portion of the world or to take some woman in marriage, then his migration was for that for which he migrated."

Actions Are By Intention

Level 1 - Islam"Islām is to bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped but Allāh and Muḥammad is the Messenger of Allāh, to establish the prayer, to pay the zakāh, to fast in Ramaḍān and to make pilgrimage to the House if you are able to do so. Level 2 - ImanĪmān is to believe in Allāh, His Angels, His Books, His Messengers, the Last Day, and to believe in the Divine Decree (and foreknowledge) Level 3 - IhsanIt is to worship Allāh as if you can see Him, and even though you cannot see Him, He most certainly sees you."

The 3 Levels in Islam

Islām is built upon five (pillars):<ol><li>The testimony that none has the right to be worshipped (in truth) but Allāh and that Muḥammad is the Messenger of Allāh</li><li>Establishing the (daily) prayer(s)</li><li>Giving the zakāh</li><li>Fasting in Ramaḍān</li><li>Pilgrimage to the house of Allah (Ka'ba, Makkah)</li></ol>

The five pillars of Islam

<ul><li>The first Stage in mother's womb over forty days as a nuṭfah</li><li>Then he is an ʿalaqah for a like period.</li><li>Then he is a muḍghah for a like period.</li><li>Then an angel is sent to it and it breathes the spirit into it</li><li>It is then commanded with four words:</li></ul><ol><li class="ql-indent-2"> -- the writing of its sustenance, </li><li class="ql-indent-1">-- its lifespan</li><li class="ql-indent-1">-- its deeds</li><li class="ql-indent-1">---whether happy or wretched (in the Hereafter). </li></ol>

The Stages of Creation of Mankind

The Messenger of Allāh (ṣallallāhu alayhi wasallam) said, "Whoever introduces something into this affair of ours that is not from it will have it rejected."

Innovation( Bid'ah) in Religion is rejected

That which is lawful is clear and that which is unlawful is clear and between the two are ambiguous matters which many people do not know of.So whoever took caution regarding the ambiguous matters has absolved himself regarding his religion and his honor. And whoever fell into the doubtful matters has fallen into the unlawful, just like the shepherd who grazes his flock around the sanctuary (of a king), all but grazing therein.Indeed, every king has a sanctuary (that cannot be violated) and indeed the sanctuary of Allāh is his prohibitions.

Doubtful Matters vs Clear Matters

Indeed, there is a morsel of flesh in the body which if it is sound the whole body is sound and which if it is corrupt the whole body is corrupt. Indeed, it is the heart

That which corrupts the whole body

The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ʿalayhi wasallam) saidThe religion is sincerity of purpose.We said, "To whom?"He said,"To Allāh, His Book, His Messenger, the leaders of the Muslims and their general folk"

Islam = Sincerity of purpose

I have been ordered to fight the people until they testify that none has the right to be worshipped (in truth) but Allāh and that Muḥammad is the Messenger of Allāh, and (until) they establish the prayer and give the zakāh. So if they do that, their blood and wealth is safeguarded from me, unless it pertains to a right of Islām, and their reckoning is with Allāh.

Imam Nawawi's (May Allah have mercy upon him) Forty is a compilation of forty hadiths by Imam al-Nawawi, most of which are from Sahih Muslim and Sahih al-Bukhari.

education

Learning & Education

Nawawi's Forty Hadith (1-8)

<ul><li>Perform all obligations, Abandon all Prohibitions.</li><li>Safeguard your Prayer and Purification (Wudoo)</li><li>Don't take false oaths and frequent oaths by Allah</li><li>Take care of your eyes, tongue and ears from falling into what is prohibited</li><li>Safeguard your stomach from consuming unlawful food and drink</li><li>Safeguard your tongue and private parts from infringing on the proscribed</li></ul>

Follow and Preserve the limits set by Allah 

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">He will protect your Body, Children, Family & Wealth</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Learn the Deen, Memorize Quran - Allah will preserve your intellect when you are old.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Safeguard your limbs from sins when you are young, Allah will protect them when they're old.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Allah will safeguard your children and grandchildren by virtue of your righteousness.</li><li class="ql-align-justify"> Allah will protect you from any Harms, Predatory Animals, Doubts and Desires</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Ask Allah to Preserve your faith</li></ul>

Obey Allah and will Protect you

Be Sincere to Allah, He will Intervene between you and the routes leading to destructive sin. Like the story of Kifl, a person from children of Israel who was ready to perform illegal intercourse but was reminded to fear Allah and so he left her. Kifl passed away same night and the following morning, these words were inscribed on his door "Allah has forgiven Kifl"

Being Sincere to Allah & the story of Kifl

<ul><li>Obey Allah, Obey his commandments and He will choose what is best for you</li><li>Remember Allah and He'll remember you.</li><li>If you wish not to be afflicted with anything bad, Don't do anything which Allah dislikes.</li></ul>

Honor Allah, He'll honor you!

Allah is with those who have Taqwa (God consciousness) of him<ol><li>Spend long periods of time alone and in isolation in remembrance of Allah; if you feel loneliness, you're missing the point</li><li>Perform optional good deeds so as to become closer to Allah</li><li>Fill your heart with the love of Allah until your limbs does only that is pleasing to your lord</li></ol>

How to be closer to Allah?

<ul><li>Remember Allah at the time of ease, He'll remember you at the time of distress</li><li>If you're given to supplicating at the time of ease and are faced with a hardship, and supplicate to Allah, The angels will intercede you saying "this is a familiar voice.."</li><li>Remember your righteous deeds at the time of death, It helps alleviate throes of death and strengthens your hope</li><li>Remember Allah during your life, Allah will take care of you in your deathbed. He will allow you to die in faith</li></ul>

Remembering Allah at the time of ease

<ul><li>Ask Allah as he love to be asked. He wants his servants to show their need of him.</li><li>Allah is angry at someone who doesn't ask him. Whereas his creation get angry at someone who ask them.</li><li>Allah calls out every night asking if there's any caller invoking him so he may respond to their need</li><li>Don’t beg people without a need lest you lose your nobility in front of Allah</li><li>Go to the Masjid, Pray two Rakah and ask for your need</li></ul>

Ask Allah Alone

<ul><li>Allah recorded the fates of all creatures fifty thousand years before he created the heavens and the earth.</li><li>Allah has decided five matters for every servant: his lifespan, his provision, his deeds, his lying down, and whether he is wretched or felicitous.</li><li>Upon you is to perform good deeds, remain steadfast and be balanced because everyone is eased (towards what he was created for)</li></ul>

The Pen has dried, Fates have been decided

Everything has a reality and the servant will not attain the reality of faith until he knows that what afflicted him would never have missed him, and what missed him would never have afflicted him

Everything happens by the will and decree of Allah. Don't please the creation by displeasing Allah. When you truly realise that it is only Allah who can bring about benefit, cause or remove harm, and grant or withhold, this will necessitate your singling Him out for obedience and worship and giving that precedence over obeying any other creature.

Only Allah's decree is in effect!

Hope takes on a number of forms: 1)hoping to attain what is desired 2) hoping to keep it after it has been attained 3)hoping to keep at bay all that is disliked and that it not occur 4) hoping to see theend of anything that is disliked that has already occurred. When the feeling ofhope becomes deeply ingrained in a person, it leads to state of submissivenessand humility in the same way that this state is achieved when fear takes firm rootin the heart.

Types of Hope

Hope takes on a number of forms:1) Hoping to attain what is desired2) Hoping to keep it after it has been attained3) Hoping to keep at bay all that is disliked and that it not occur4) Hoping to see the end of anything that is disliked that has already occurred.When the feeling of hope becomes deeply ingrained in a person, it leads to state of submissiveness and humility in the same way that this state is achieved when fear takes firm root in the heart.

Hope & Fear go hand in Hand

"Be desirous of all that would benefit you and seek Allah's aid and do not despair. If you are afflicted with something, do not say, 'If only I had done [this], such and such would have happened,' rather say, 'Allah decreed and did what He willed.'[Saying], 'If only,' opens [the door to] the actions of Shaytan.Say La Hawla Wa Laa Quwwata illah billah. It is a cure for 99 ailments, the least of which is worry.

Faith in decree removes worry and distress

It is Recommended and is a state of excellence to be content with decrees of Allah that are hard to bear. If you're unable to be content, It is a must that you remain patient.<ul><li>The Content doesn't desire any other state than the one he is in, whereas the Patient Does.</li><li>The Content accepts whatever he's facing, whereas the patient prevents soul from displeasure </li></ul>

Being content vs Being Patient

No matter what hardship a person faces, Allah will send relief afterwards for one hardship cannot overcome two eases<ul><li>Supplicate when faced with tribulation. </li><li>Confer gratitude in a state of ease</li><li>Place your trust and dependency on Allah alone</li></ul>Here ends the treatise by the grace of Allah

Ease follows Hardship

This is a brief treatise by Ibn Rajab Al Hanbali (R) where he explains the advice of Prophet ﷺ to Ibn Abbas رضي الله عنه

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Religion & Spirituality

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Books

ʻAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Aḥmad Ibn Rajab

The Legacy of the Prophet

<ul><li>The time spent in this world is short. Every breath is a step closer to death</li><li>The time we're held in our graves is long</li><li>Happiness is only achieved by going against your lusts and desires.</li><li>Allah is the source of All Help</li></ul>

Don't follow your lusts and desires, Time is limited. 

<ol><li>See the sky how perfectly it is laid out. See your own body, how perfectly it is made.</li><li>Understand that every created thing has a creator, every construction has a maker.</li><li>Contemplate on the proofs of the truthfulness of the Prophet Muhammed ﷺ</li><li>Once you understand the above, Submit to the sacred law. Be a believer in Allah and fulfil your obligatory and voluntary deeds towards him. Be a Muslim.</li></ol>

Understand the Existence of Allah and follow sacred law

<ul><li>As a six-year-old, his intellect was much higher than that of older men.</li><li>He used to play less on roads and used to attend gatherings in the masjid.</li><li>He'd memorize Ahadeeth's (texts) from Prophet Muhammed's ﷺ life.</li><li>He was inspired to abandon the vanities of the world and began constant fasting and reduced his food intake to very little.</li><li>Due to his persistence and hunger in seeking knowledge, Allah blessed him and protected his honour and granted him the ability to write and memorize quickly.</li></ul>

Ibn Al Qayyim (R)'s Childhood life

<ul><li>Water your tree while there's still some moisture left in it. Seek forgiveness for the time that you've wasted in the past. Perform good deeds for the future.</li><li>Try to enact every single virtuous deed and cry out for missing a single one as our righteous salaf (predecessors) used to do.</li><li>Days consists of hours and hours are made up of breaths you take. Every Breath is a treasure chest. Don't let any breath go wasted without doing a beneficial deed. You don't want to find any empty treasure on the day of Judgement.</li></ul>

Regret the past, Work on the future

Rabia Al Adawiyyah, One of the righteous salaf used to stay up the whole night worshipping Allah and when dawn came, she'd lay down for a bit and then get up frightened, saying to herself"Sleep in the grave is long"

Sleep in the grave is long

<ol><li>Paradise and Hellfire = Eternal</li><li>Day of judgement = 50,000 Years long</li><li>Time spent in the grave = Very long</li><li>Time spent in this world = Say 60 years out of which about 30 hours is spent in sleep, 15 or so is spent in childhood and remaining is spent chasing after desires, food and money.</li></ol>Is this the price of eternal life? What is for you to buy with it?

The Price of Eternal Life?

<ul><li>Wake up for Fajr reciting Dhikr</li><li>Don't Converse about worldly matters</li><li>Pray Fajr Sunnah</li><li>Stand for Fajr Prayer right side of the Imam</li><li>Remain Seated and Recite Adhkaar after Salah</li><li>Pray Salat Al Awwabeen or Salat Al Dhuha after Sunrise.</li><li>Seeking sincere Knowledge is Better than Voluntary prayers and reciting Quran, but need to maintain a balance.</li><li>Practice Isolation and avoid bad companionship</li></ul>

Morning Routine of a Muslim

<ul><li>Spread Knowledge, Dont expect anything from people. Live Honorably</li><li>3 Things a student of Knowledge needs - Long life, Free Hands (Doesn't busy himself with work and is content with little) and Intelligence.</li><li>When Fear of Allah is REAL, You shall see all good. Store Good deeds as much as you can. Remember Story or Yunus Ra, Story of Firawn and Story of 3 People Stuck in Cave</li></ul>

Spread knowledge, Fear Allah

<ul><li>There are very few who combine complete knowledge with complete action. Aim to be PERFECT.</li><li>According to Ibn Al Qayyim, Sa'd ibn Al Musayyib, Hasan Al Basri, Sufyan At Thawri, and Ahmad Ibn Hanbal (Ra) were the most perfect of the Tabi's in implementing their knowledge.</li></ul>

Combining Complete Knowledge + Complete Action

Key points from the book of Imam Ibn Al Qayyim Al Jawzi Rahimahullah who provides sincere counsel to the seekers of sacred knowledge, while advising his son Abul Qasim.

Nawawi's Forty Hadith (1-8)

The Legacy of the Prophet

Sincere Counsel to the Students of Sacred Knowledge

Muhammed Anshad K