There are 3 parts of constructing a building. The most important part is it's foundation and emphasis is placed on it. The stronger the foundation, the stronger the building built above it. So if the foundation is strong, you begin to construct the shell and the building. Similarly, the foundation of one's deen is one's imaan.
The 5 pillars of islam are the materials to strengthen the foundation of the building of imaan.
The better the quality one uses for the foundation, the building that stands upon it will be firm in the same way.
So if we desire to have strong imaan we first need to strengthen our foundations. We need to correct and improve our foundations.
Now upon the foundation, The building of imaan are your actions and your speech
Just like the incident mentioned in surah Taubah, when the people advanced and tried to make the muslims afraid. The people had power and had weaponary and the muslims were in a weaker state to compete. They didnt have the same resources. Four companions had to share a sword and they didn't have enough numbers or means compared to those in opposition to them. So Shaytan asked them how they would compete against the opposition and he tried to make them run away.
A unique statement has been said in response and this has become a guidance for every human as all humans are tested.
The Quran has mentioned this incident.
Shaytan may influence and invite us to wrongdoing to take us away from Allah's obedience just as he tried to divert the Sahabah رضي الله عنهم. We should adopt the same method as the Sahabah
رضي الله عنهم
What did they do when shaytan tried to make them scared?
They said "hasbunAllahu wa n'imal wakeel!"
Instead of getting anxious they're imaan was strengthened as they knew that they had Allah with them and none could be a Greater protector than Allah.
So this is a great statement and a great event and what we realise here is that when one's imaan begins to weaken and a man is in danger or anxiety he should remember his Lord. "HasbunAllahu wa ni'mal wakeel!" Then one wouldn't be affected by the negative influence, rather he would stand firm infront of that distraction. He wouldn't be diverted from Allah or go to haraam. This is an example of the one who has imaan.
So Ramadan has been given to us so we can become Muttaqi so taqwa in reality is the extension of the building of deen. It is the broadening - where one's imaan increases and increases. The more a person improves and progresses, the more his imaan strengthens and steadfastness comes into his life and then his taqwa increases.
Allah has given a great encouragement here, that to become a Muttaqi you will recieve tough times, you will recieve problems because to become a mutaqi isn't easy. A high level of rewards will be given to a Muttaqi and they'll be given 2 gardens!
وَلِمَنْ خَافَ مَقَامَ رَبِّهِ جَنَّتَانِ
"But for him who fears the standing before his Lord, there will be two Gardens (i.e. in Paradise)."
(Ar-Rahman, verse 46)
Today, we turn to Haraam, undertake usury, lie, illegal claiming and consume haraam. Buildings collapse and cars become old but my friends If we stay firm for the sake of Allah and don't bring haram means, then we will recieve permanent rewards in the hereafter!
So when imaan solidifies and strengthens it's a biggest test for a person and that is what is being referred to as "being cautious."
And who are those who are cautious and try to preserve their imaan? What is the quality within them?
A feeling arises within them to leave the haraam for Allah's sake which is taqwa!
If we have such fear, for example, "how will I answer to Allah if I do such and such wrong action" like claiming money, lying etc, this feeling is taqwa.
A person should have the passion and the strength that he can be capable of answering Allah ta'ala correctly. This emotion is defined as taqwa.
19th May, 2020
What increases the imaan of a person?
What is the resource which Ramadan gives us so that we may become successful?
For our imaan to be increased we should remember Allah through Dhikr and strengthen our relationship with him.
[: يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ ذِكْرًا كَثِيرًا
O you who believe! Remember Allah with much remembrance.
.: وَسَبِّحُوهُ بُكْرَةً وَأَصِيلًا
And glorify His Praises morning and afternoon.
هُوَ الَّذِي يُصَلِّي عَلَيْكُمْ وَمَلَائِكَتُهُ لِيُخْرِجَكُمْ مِنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ إِلَى النُّورِ ۚ وَكَانَ بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ رَحِيمًا
It is He Who sends Salat (His blessings) on you, and His angels too (ask Allah to bless and forgive you), that He may bring you out from darkness (of disbelief and polytheism) into light (of Belief and Islamic Monotheism). And He is Ever Most Merciful to the believers.
(Al-Ahzab, verses 41-43)
Engage in Dhikr in a big quantity and engage in Dhikr in the morning and evening!
Allah says, Oh men and women remembering Allah, congratulations when you sit in solitude and do Dhikr or you are in the Dhikr gathering. Allah and His angels send mercy on the dhaakireen and the doors of Allah's grace, generosity and rewards of paradise descend on that person.
When you sit down to do Dhikr, due to the blessings and light of Dhikr, and due to the fear of Allah there is strengthening in imaan at that time. All the sins that you had attached to you before dhikr, the black heart, the darkness, it will be removed due to Allah's power and blessings and He will bring the love of deen into your heart and your heart will sparkle.
Allah's special mercy is given to His believing men and women due to Dhikr of Allah. This blessing is given to special people. The dhaakireen are the special servants of Allah!
So when one does Dhikr then the angels proclaim that these are the special servants of Allah and they've been given the special rewards!
Dhikr protects the hearts from sins and doesn't let any negative thoughts enter it, but expels it. And in parallel, it strengthens the imaan. So the Dhikr of Allah is such a great deed. The foundation of Ramadan is Dhikr Allah!
Mentioned in a Hadith, Nabi ﷺ recommended 4 actions which need to taken hold of in Ramadan:
2 actions are such that they will grant us Allah's pleasure:
1) Seek forgiveness from Allah.
2) Engage in abundance of Dhikr
If you do these 2 then you have attained Ramadan and Allah's pleasure. So we need to analyse how much of this we are doing. If one implements this, then ontop of Allah's pleasure, Allah grants him paradise and saves him from Hell. Such a person's Ramadan is successful.
We should perform sincere taubah, not just istighfar with our tongues.
Those men and women who perform Dhikr-Allah in Ramadan are forgiven, beyond forgiven! SubhaanAllah, because they have taken the real essence of Ramadan which is Dhikr. Allah says I become pleased with them because they've repented and remembered me abundantly. If we fast without doing this then it's a waste.
Ramadan and Dhikr Allah are connected and entwined. We can't become Muttaqi without engaging in Dhikr. The soul of every Muttaqi's life is in him doing Dhikr.
Mentioned in a hadith -
Everyone will enter into paradise after being reckoned, but the dhaakireen will have a unique glory, a unique grandeur.
A flag will be prepared for them on the day of resurrection. Beneath the flag, the dhaakireen will stand and come together, the flag will rise up and it will move along and the dhaakireen will move along with the flag and beneath that flag Allah will take them into the high lofty abodes in paradise. And the peope at the plains of resurrection will say to Allah, "this Is a unique treatment, which jama'ah is this who are entering paradise with this flag?"
Those people who will receive this status, imagine how high and lofty their jannah will be!?
Most of Ramadan has passed and we only have a few days left. From today we should begin to perform abundant Dhikr. When a person does alot of Dhikr, it is guaranteed he will become Muttaqi
If you do Dhikr Allah with a sincere heart in Ramadan, then due to the barakah of Ramadan you'll become a dhaakir and you'll get accustomed to it. Whoever spends their entire Ramadan like this, Allah praises them in the heavens and they have fulfilled the right of Ramadan and have become a Muttaqi.
This is the sign that such a person's Ramadan has been accepted
InshaaAllah, for sure with Allah's mercy we will try our best to keep this going even after Ramadan.
May Allah ta'ala give us the taufeeq to remember Him abundantly. Ameen!
The 5 pillars of islam are the materials to strengthen the foundation of the building of imaan.
The better the quality one uses for the foundation, the building that stands upon it will be firm in the same way.
So if we desire to have strong imaan we first need to strengthen our foundations. We need to correct and improve our foundations.
Now upon the foundation, The building of imaan are your actions and your speech
Just like the incident mentioned in surah Taubah, when the people advanced and tried to make the muslims afraid. The people had power and had weaponary and the muslims were in a weaker state to compete. They didnt have the same resources. Four companions had to share a sword and they didn't have enough numbers or means compared to those in opposition to them. So Shaytan asked them how they would compete against the opposition and he tried to make them run away.
A unique statement has been said in response and this has become a guidance for every human as all humans are tested.
The Quran has mentioned this incident.
Shaytan may influence and invite us to wrongdoing to take us away from Allah's obedience just as he tried to divert the Sahabah رضي الله عنهم. We should adopt the same method as the Sahabah
رضي الله عنهم
What did they do when shaytan tried to make them scared?
They said "hasbunAllahu wa n'imal wakeel!"
Instead of getting anxious they're imaan was strengthened as they knew that they had Allah with them and none could be a Greater protector than Allah.
So this is a great statement and a great event and what we realise here is that when one's imaan begins to weaken and a man is in danger or anxiety he should remember his Lord. "HasbunAllahu wa ni'mal wakeel!" Then one wouldn't be affected by the negative influence, rather he would stand firm infront of that distraction. He wouldn't be diverted from Allah or go to haraam. This is an example of the one who has imaan.
So Ramadan has been given to us so we can become Muttaqi so taqwa in reality is the extension of the building of deen. It is the broadening - where one's imaan increases and increases. The more a person improves and progresses, the more his imaan strengthens and steadfastness comes into his life and then his taqwa increases.
Allah has given a great encouragement here, that to become a Muttaqi you will recieve tough times, you will recieve problems because to become a mutaqi isn't easy. A high level of rewards will be given to a Muttaqi and they'll be given 2 gardens!
وَلِمَنْ خَافَ مَقَامَ رَبِّهِ جَنَّتَانِ
"But for him who fears the standing before his Lord, there will be two Gardens (i.e. in Paradise)."
(Ar-Rahman, verse 46)
Today, we turn to Haraam, undertake usury, lie, illegal claiming and consume haraam. Buildings collapse and cars become old but my friends If we stay firm for the sake of Allah and don't bring haram means, then we will recieve permanent rewards in the hereafter!
So when imaan solidifies and strengthens it's a biggest test for a person and that is what is being referred to as "being cautious."
And who are those who are cautious and try to preserve their imaan? What is the quality within them?
A feeling arises within them to leave the haraam for Allah's sake which is taqwa!
If we have such fear, for example, "how will I answer to Allah if I do such and such wrong action" like claiming money, lying etc, this feeling is taqwa.
A person should have the passion and the strength that he can be capable of answering Allah ta'ala correctly. This emotion is defined as taqwa.