A person attains reward simply by attending a Dhikr gathering, although the purpose of the gathering is not merely to attain reward.
When people gather together to remember Allah ta'ala, the angels of mercy surround that gathering, and Allah ta'ala forgives everyone present, even the greatest sinners and those who attend without any particular purpose or intention. Allah ta'ala envelops the gathering with His mercy and instils a special contentment within the hearts of those who have assembled. He mentions the names of those who are remembering Him in the presence of His special angels. This is because such gatherings are greatly beloved to Allah ta'ala.
We are not guaranteed another opportunity to attend such a gathering in our lifetime. Therefore, we should make a firm promise never to miss these gatherings. No matter how many times we attend them, we continue to receive immense blessings and rewards, and we will inherit a great kingdom in the Hereafter. Allah ta'ala has enabled us to remember Him worldwide through this great technology, and He does not desire that any of His believing servants enter the Hellfire.
Those who fail to attend these gatherings face loss, misfortune and wretchedness, and Allah ta'ala has sealed their hearts. They do not even realise the extent of their loss because they are immersed in worldly pursuits.
What a great misfortune it is for a person to miss these gatherings despite being blessed with such great opportunities from Allah ta'ala. We should truly value these precious treasures bestowed upon us by Allah ta'ala.
Every moment, Allah ta'ala enables the believer to develop concern for his own rectification. We are all full of faults and shortcomings. If we never assess ourselves and instead consider ourselves to be pious, then how can we improve and rectify ourselves?
Allah ta'ala is fully aware of all our faults, our thoughts and our worries. He knows us better than we know ourselves. We are ashamed to commit sins in front of others, yet the One who created us is fully aware of every sin that we commit.
Two angels have been appointed to record our deeds at every moment. If we sincerely intend to improve ourselves and perform good deeds, then Allah ta'ala will open the means and opportunities for that believer.
Behind every task we undertake is a driving force that motivates us to fulfil it. What is that driving force? It is either love or fear. A person acts either out of love or out of fear.
When a person loves his career, he is determined to study and excel. When a person loves wealth, he strives to earn more and more. Likewise, when a person fears something, he acts because of that fear. This same principle applies to the deeds we perform for the Hereafter. We perform righteous deeds either out of love or out of fear.
It is among the greatest favours and blessings of Allah ta'ala that He introduces a person to a Sheikh at a young age and grants him the guidance of that Sheikh while he is still young. The hard work, sacrifice and spiritual enjoyment a person experiences in his youth cannot be experienced in the same way during old age.
We should not waste this opportunity. We should value such a teacher. Whatever effort we make while in his company, we will reap the fruits of those efforts later in life. If we waste this opportunity today, then tomorrow we will have nothing to benefit from.
Hadhrat Muad Ibn Jabal رضي الله عنه accepted Islam at the age of eighteen and was blessed with the company of the Prophet ﷺ. He did not miss a single expedition.
The Prophet ﷺ once said to Hadhrat Muad Ibn Jabal رضي الله عنه, "By Allah, I love you." He is also reported to have said that "the most knowledgeable in halal and haram is Mu'adh ibn Jabal..." [Tirmidhi Shareef]
If you truly love someone, you will sacrifice everything to meet them and speak to them. To know that your beloved also loves you in return is an immeasurable blessing.
Hadhrat Muad Ibn Jabal رضي الله عنه narrates in a Hadith that the knowledge of the Qur'an and Ahadith continues to expand. The more you delve into them, the more you learn, and each time you study them you discover new lessons and insights.
Hadhrat Muad Ibn Jabal رضي الله عنه once asked the Prophet ﷺ for advice so that the entire Ummah could benefit from it. The Prophet ﷺ replied that a person should make it essential to develop fear and concern.
By adopting this fear, our deeds become improved and corrected. Fear motivates a person to perform good deeds and to abandon evil.
We should cultivate love for Allah ta'ala, and by remembering Him abundantly we will be granted true love for Him.
Unfortunately, we are lacking because we do not possess sufficient love and fear within our hearts. We should fear displeasing Allah ta'ala through prohibited actions. If we develop this fear in our lives, we will find it much easier to follow the path leading to Paradise.
A person commits sins when he has no fear of Allah ta'ala. If we strive to practise this advice and make an effort to act upon it, then, by the mercy of Allah ta'ala, we will enter Paradise.
A person who delays and neglects prayer has reached the brink of disbelief. If a person is lazy towards prayer without any valid excuse, then he has reached a very dangerous state close to disbelief. Those who do not pray are those who do not possess the fear of Allah ta'ala.
Thus, the Prophet ﷺ said that if we wish to be safe from the punishments of various sins, we must develop fear. We must remain aware of our sins and understand their consequences. The Qur'an is filled with examples of the consequences of our actions.
We often become stubborn regarding our sins, attempting to justify them and even presenting incorrect Ahadith as evidence. Instead, we should recognise our own faults rather than trying to conceal them.
Both believers and disbelievers will enter the Hellfire, however, the commentators state that the fire of Hell will be made cool for the believers. Then they will then be taken out of the Hellfire, whereas those believers who committed sins and abandoned prayer will receive punishment in Hell according to the will of Allah ta'ala.
A believer should live his life with caution and constantly reflect on how he can overcome and rectify his mistakes.
When a person begins to act out of the fear of Allah ta'ala, he becomes a Zaahid. He exercises caution, abstains from sins, and attains Zuhd through Taqwa.
A believer who practises the Deen out of love for Allah ta'ala and engages in abundant Dhikr becomes beloved to Allah ta'ala, and Allah ta'ala becomes beloved to him.
We should assess how much love for Allah ta'ala has entered our hearts. The Noble Companions possessed great intelligence and strength, and they could have attained the riches of this world had they desired. However, because of their love for Allah ta'ala, they chose to live simple lives.
When a person truly possesses love for Allah ta'ala, he is tested so that the sincerity of his love may be manifested.
The true standard of success is not happiness, comfort or worldly luxuries. These are not signs of Allah ta'ala's love. Rather, true success is to remain content with whatever circumstances Allah ta'ala decrees for us, even if we possess very little. We should never complain to Allah ta'ala about our hardships. Hardships are, in reality, a blessing because they earn a person great reward. It is the hypocrites who constantly complain and make a fuss.
We should ask Allah ta'ala for goodness and wellbeing. However, when difficulties arise, we should realise that Allah ta'ala is elevating our status, that our Dhikr is benefiting us, and that we are being tested by Allah ta'ala. Therefore, we should remain steadfast upon the Deen.
The third piece of advice given to Hadhrat Muad Ibn Jabal رضي الله عنه was that a person should entrust all of his affairs to Allah ta'ala with patience and endurance.
May Allah ta'ala grant us the ability to implement these precious pearls of wisdom. Ameen.
A person attains reward simply by attending a Dhikr gathering, although the purpose of the gathering is not merely to attain reward.
When people gather together to remember Allah ta'ala, the angels of mercy surround that gathering, and Allah ta'ala forgives everyone present, even the greatest sinners and those who attend without any particular purpose or intention. Allah ta'ala envelops the gathering with His mercy and instils a special contentment within the hearts of those who have assembled. He mentions the names of those who are remembering Him in the presence of His special angels. This is because such gatherings are greatly beloved to Allah ta'ala.
We are not guaranteed another opportunity to attend such a gathering in our lifetime. Therefore, we should make a firm promise never to miss these gatherings. No matter how many times we attend them, we continue to receive immense blessings and rewards, and we will inherit a great kingdom in the Hereafter. Allah ta'ala has enabled us to remember Him worldwide through this great technology, and He does not desire that any of His believing servants enter the Hellfire.
Those who fail to attend these gatherings face loss, misfortune and wretchedness, and Allah ta'ala has sealed their hearts. They do not even realise the extent of their loss because they are immersed in worldly pursuits.
What a great misfortune it is for a person to miss these gatherings despite being blessed with such great opportunities from Allah ta'ala. We should truly value these precious treasures bestowed upon us by Allah ta'ala.
Every moment, Allah ta'ala enables the believer to develop concern for his own rectification. We are all full of faults and shortcomings. If we never assess ourselves and instead consider ourselves to be pious, then how can we improve and rectify ourselves?
Allah ta'ala is fully aware of all our faults, our thoughts and our worries. He knows us better than we know ourselves. We are ashamed to commit sins in front of others, yet the One who created us is fully aware of every sin that we commit.
Two angels have been appointed to record our deeds at every moment. If we sincerely intend to improve ourselves and perform good deeds, then Allah ta'ala will open the means and opportunities for that believer.
Behind every task we undertake is a driving force that motivates us to fulfil it. What is that driving force? It is either love or fear. A person acts either out of love or out of fear.
When a person loves his career, he is determined to study and excel. When a person loves wealth, he strives to earn more and more. Likewise, when a person fears something, he acts because of that fear. This same principle applies to the deeds we perform for the Hereafter. We perform righteous deeds either out of love or out of fear.
It is among the greatest favours and blessings of Allah ta'ala that He introduces a person to a Sheikh at a young age and grants him the guidance of that Sheikh while he is still young. The hard work, sacrifice and spiritual enjoyment a person experiences in his youth cannot be experienced in the same way during old age.
We should not waste this opportunity. We should value such a teacher. Whatever effort we make while in his company, we will reap the fruits of those efforts later in life. If we waste this opportunity today, then tomorrow we will have nothing to benefit from.
Hadhrat Muad Ibn Jabal رضي الله عنه accepted Islam at the age of eighteen and was blessed with the company of the Prophet ﷺ. He did not miss a single expedition.
The Prophet ﷺ once said to Hadhrat Muad Ibn Jabal رضي الله عنه, "By Allah, I love you." He is also reported to have said that "the most knowledgeable in halal and haram is Mu'adh ibn Jabal..." [Tirmidhi Shareef]
If you truly love someone, you will sacrifice everything to meet them and speak to them. To know that your beloved also loves you in return is an immeasurable blessing.
Hadhrat Muad Ibn Jabal رضي الله عنه narrates in a Hadith that the knowledge of the Qur'an and Ahadith continues to expand. The more you delve into them, the more you learn, and each time you study them you discover new lessons and insights.
Hadhrat Muad Ibn Jabal رضي الله عنه once asked the Prophet ﷺ for advice so that the entire Ummah could benefit from it. The Prophet ﷺ replied that a person should make it essential to develop fear and concern.
By adopting this fear, our deeds become improved and corrected. Fear motivates a person to perform good deeds and to abandon evil.
We should cultivate love for Allah ta'ala, and by remembering Him abundantly we will be granted true love for Him.
Unfortunately, we are lacking because we do not possess sufficient love and fear within our hearts. We should fear displeasing Allah ta'ala through prohibited actions. If we develop this fear in our lives, we will find it much easier to follow the path leading to Paradise.
A person commits sins when he has no fear of Allah ta'ala. If we strive to practise this advice and make an effort to act upon it, then, by the mercy of Allah ta'ala, we will enter Paradise.
A person who delays and neglects prayer has reached the brink of disbelief. If a person is lazy towards prayer without any valid excuse, then he has reached a very dangerous state close to disbelief. Those who do not pray are those who do not possess the fear of Allah ta'ala.
Thus, the Prophet ﷺ said that if we wish to be safe from the punishments of various sins, we must develop fear. We must remain aware of our sins and understand their consequences. The Qur'an is filled with examples of the consequences of our actions.
We often become stubborn regarding our sins, attempting to justify them and even presenting incorrect Ahadith as evidence. Instead, we should recognise our own faults rather than trying to conceal them.
Both believers and disbelievers will enter the Hellfire, however, the commentators state that the fire of Hell will be made cool for the believers. Then they will then be taken out of the Hellfire, whereas those believers who committed sins and abandoned prayer will receive punishment in Hell according to the will of Allah ta'ala.
A believer should live his life with caution and constantly reflect on how he can overcome and rectify his mistakes.
When a person begins to act out of the fear of Allah ta'ala, he becomes a Zaahid. He exercises caution, abstains from sins, and attains Zuhd through Taqwa.
A believer who practises the Deen out of love for Allah ta'ala and engages in abundant Dhikr becomes beloved to Allah ta'ala, and Allah ta'ala becomes beloved to him.
We should assess how much love for Allah ta'ala has entered our hearts. The Noble Companions possessed great intelligence and strength, and they could have attained the riches of this world had they desired. However, because of their love for Allah ta'ala, they chose to live simple lives.
When a person truly possesses love for Allah ta'ala, he is tested so that the sincerity of his love may be manifested.
The true standard of success is not happiness, comfort or worldly luxuries. These are not signs of Allah ta'ala's love. Rather, true success is to remain content with whatever circumstances Allah ta'ala decrees for us, even if we possess very little. We should never complain to Allah ta'ala about our hardships. Hardships are, in reality, a blessing because they earn a person great reward. It is the hypocrites who constantly complain and make a fuss.
We should ask Allah ta'ala for goodness and wellbeing. However, when difficulties arise, we should realise that Allah ta'ala is elevating our status, that our Dhikr is benefiting us, and that we are being tested by Allah ta'ala. Therefore, we should remain steadfast upon the Deen.
The third piece of advice given to Hadhrat Muad Ibn Jabal رضي الله عنه was that a person should entrust all of his affairs to Allah ta'ala with patience and endurance.
May Allah ta'ala grant us the ability to implement these precious pearls of wisdom. Ameen.