23 rd May 2013 Hadith 29: Deeds that lead to Paradise II Lecture by Sister Eman al Obaid www.alhudasisters.wordpress.com On the authority of Muadh bin Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: I said, O Messenger of Allah, tell me of an act which will take me into Paradise and will keep me away from the Hellfire. He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, You have asked me about a great matter, yet it is easy for him for whom Allah makes it easy: worship Allah, without associating any partners with Him; establish the prayer; pay the zakat; fast in Ramadhan; and make the pilgrimage to the House. Then he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, Shall I not guide you towards the means of goodness? Fasting is a shield; charity wipes away sin as water extinguishes fire; and the praying of a man in the depths of the night. Then he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) recited: [Those] who forsake their beds, to invoke their Lord in fear and hope, and they spend (charity in Allah s cause) out of what We have bestowed on them. No person knows what is kept hidden for them of joy as a reward for what they used to do. [as-sajdah, 16-17] Then he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, Shall I not inform you of the head of the matter, its pillar and its peak? I said, Yes, O Messenger of Allah. He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, The head of the matter is Islam, its pillar is the prayer and its peak is jihad. Then he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, Shall I not tell you of the foundation of all of that? I said, Yes, O Messenger of Allah. So he took hold of his tongue and said, Restrain this. I said, O Prophet of Allah, will we be taken to account for what we say with it? He (peace and blessings of Allah 1
be upon him) said, May your mother be bereaved of you, O Muadh! Is there anything that throws people into the Hellfire upon their faces or: on their noses except the harvests of their tongues? It was related by at-tirmidhi, who said it was a good and sound hadeeth. I said, O Messenger of Allah, tell me of an act which will take me into Paradise and will keep me away from the Hellfire. Maudh bin Jabal asked Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam a question which led to a hadith, the gates of good. From this question you can see the main concern of the sahabah is to go to Paradise. Maudh bin Jabal not only wants the information, he also wants to apply it, put it into practice. The sahabah wanted the knowledge from Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Maudh bin Jabal is a Seeker of Knowledge. Seeker of Knowledge When you acquire the knowledge your main concern should be to go to Paradise and to be away from Hellfire. Sometimes people seek the knowledge as a desire to feel good. Seek knowledge in order to make yourself closer to Allah subhana wa ta'ala. For the Sake of Allah subhana wa ta'ala When you seek knowledge to be closer to Allah subhana wa ta'ala and to go to Paradise you will not care about the result, you will acquire the knowledge for the Sake of Allah. Are you seeking the knowledge for the Sake of Allah or: Are you seeking knowledge for yourself to satisfy yourself? May Allah subhana wa ta'ala make our deeds for the Sake of Allah. Acquiring knowledge for your desires diverts you from the main purpose of acquiring the knowledge AL JANNAH where you will be close to Allah subhana wa ta'ala. Abdul Mubarak one of the righteous people said: The ilm, if you don t learn the ilm for Jannah then the ilm is transgression like when water overflows from a container. People are overflowing with knowledge but it will not make them go to Paradise because it is like a desire. Some people love to study which is a good thing the desire for learning is a good thing. If you are using your desire for learning the deen in order to fulfil your own desire, for yourself, this will not lead to Paradise. We learn two things from this statement: To LEARN and to APPLY what you learn 2
Don t make the knowledge a desire, acquire knowledge to make you CLOSER TO ALLAH subhana wa ta'ala. Why am I learning? We need to always ask ourselves Why I am learning? The signs that show you are not learning for the Sake of Allah is when you are frustrated, impatient, hasty this is when you are learning for your own ego. But when you learn for the Sake of Allah you know that Allah subhana wa ta'ala will appreciate your learning. The sahabah had a very high ambition - they wanted to go to Paradise. What was Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam response? He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, You have asked me about a great matter, Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam did not consider this a simple question or that he had already given them an answer in another hadith. Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam appreciated this question because to go to Paradise is very important, very great and the secret of our life is that our goal should be to reach Paradise. The Greatest Success A person who is pulled away from Hellfire and admitted to Paradise, they have obtained the greatest success. Success from himself, success from shaytan etc., so many things we need success from to reach Paradise. It is not just knowledge that we need to learn, we need to overcome ourselves. Knowledge should reform you, not make you like Fir aun learning just for the sake of knowledge, learning just to obtain some material thing. Paradise is a very great goal. Life is a deception full of so many temptations that deceive us. Paradise is something so great therefore it is not an easy matter. yet it is easy for him for whom Allah makes it easy: This is to motivate you to go to Paradise is not like going to University or applying for a job, you are in the neighbourhood of Allah subhana wa ta'ala. Don t close the doors, it is easy, but the ease is connected to something. It will be easy for whom Allah subhana wa ta'ala made it easy for them. Paradise is not easy when you try to go there by yourself. In every matter you 3
should not be far away from Allah subhana wa ta'ala, you need Allah subhana wa ta'ala to make the way to Paradise easy for you. Chapter (2) sūrat l-baqarah (The Cow) 2:185 Allah intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship Islam is easy Allah subhana wa ta'ala made the religion of Islam based on ease. Allah subhana wa ta'ala said it is easy for whom Allah subhana wa ta'ala made it easy. You need to rely on Allah subhana wa ta'ala to make the path easy. For some people the way is difficult and for others it is easy. Why is it easy or hard for you? HARD when you can t seem to do good deeds, this is when you rely on yourself and are not relying on Allah subhana wa ta'ala. When Allah subhana wa ta'ala makes it easy nothing can stop you, there will be no obstacles. We need to overcome ourselves, overcome our confidence. You need Allah subhana wa ta'ala to make the way easy. EASY Chapter (92) sūrat l-layl (The Night) 92:5 As for he who gives and fears Allah 92:6 And believes in the best [reward], 92:7 We will ease him toward ease. Their goal is Allah subhana wa ta'ala, their goal is to reach to Allah subhana wa ta'ala. Their target is La illaaha illa Allah (None has the right to be worshipped except Allah). If you go towards Allah subhana wa ta'ala, Allah subhana wa ta'ala will make the way easy for you. The Mutawakkil totally rely on Allah subhana wa ta'ala. They will go to Allah subhana wa ta'ala on the Day of Judgment without any hisab, no difficulties, no waiting. I cannot rely on myself or rely on my deeds. Our deeds are full of defects and are not what Allah subhana wa ta'ala deserves. How much is your tawakkulallah? The Amal worship Allah, without associating any partners with Him; 4 Submit to Allah subhana wa ta'ala out of LOVE AND MAGNIFICATION, be a Slave of Allah. You can t do without your Master accepting your actions. Love You need the love to do the good deeds, blindly. If you love or desire something else you will deviate. Your prayer should be out of love. You need love to keep going, you need to
magnify Allah subhana wa ta'ala in order not to sin, in order to repent. Don t worship as if you have a favour on Allah subhana wa ta'ala, Allah subhana wa ta'ala knows what is in your heart. Chapter (2) sūrat l-baqarah (The Cow) 2:156 There is no compulsion in religion. Verily, the Right Path has become distinct from the wrong path. Love will motivate you. When you worship Allah subhana wa ta'ala don t look at how big your deeds are, you are giving your deeds to Allah subhana wa ta'ala the Greatest so be shy. Don t share your worship Don t let anyone have a share in your worship Don t be a Slave of Allah with somebody else don t share Allah subhana wa ta'ala does not like you to share the worship, Allah is the Most Rich, He doesn t accept it if you associate anyone with Him. Hadith Allah subhana wa ta'ala left them with their shirk. We cause our own destruction when we are a slave of someone else with Allah subhana wa ta'ala. Allah subhana wa ta'ala wants us to be high. Allah subhana wa ta'ala will leave you with your shirk. We want to share what is tangible, infront of us. But people make their desires their god. Purify yourself to free yourself from Hellfire. SHIRK is the greatest thing Allah subhana wa ta'ala forbade us from. TAWHEED is the greatest thing Allah subhana wa ta'ala commanded us to do. Your heart should be pure, pure with something deserving. establish the prayer; Now we have all the pillars of Islam. Imagine this is the advice to one of the sahabah not to someone new to Islam. Your struggle is to perfect your salat. No one is perfect in their salat. We need Allah subhana wa ta'ala to help us. worship on the Day of Judgment. We always feel our last prayer was not so perfect but we will try to better the next prayer continuously we should feel like this. No one can say their prayer is perfect this is another trap. We only know the result of our 5
pay the zakat; This is purifying your money this is one of the rights of the people. fast in Ramadhan; and make the pilgrimage to the House. First you need to know the Arkhan al Islam, the Pillars of Islam, the foundation. Then you can move on. To go to Paradise you do what Allah subhana wa ta'ala wants from you, you do the minimum, this is the minimum with which you can reach to Paradise. Don t expect too much human beings are never satisfied, they want lots of du a, lots of prayer. Quantity is not important quantity is to satisfy ourselves. Ask yourself why do you want quantity? Allah subhana wa ta'ala wants the quality Minimum, you get these five pillars right and you will enter Paradise. The Mutawakkil can be someone doing the minimum required of them but doing the minimum correctly. Hadith: Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam told a man Islam is the five pillars. The man said I will not increase or decrease in the five Pillars of Islam I will focus on the five pillars. Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said to the sahabah If this man was truthful in what he said, he will go to Paradise. Truthfulness is important learn to reach Paradise, this is your goal. 6
Next in the hadith Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam gives even more advice. Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam asked Muadh bin Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) a question. Muadh bin Jabal just listened. Then he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, Shall I not guide you towards the means of goodness? Doors of Goodness 3 gates leading to Paradise Fasting Charity Prayer Fasting is a shield; ج ن ة A barrier. A barrier / shield from what? Fasting itself is protection and a shield from Shaytan Shaytan cannot flow in the blood as the veins are very narrow from lack of food and water. Ourselves Self-control, discipline to do good. Forbidden desires From shaytan and from yourself. From two words there is so much ilm fasting is a shield in the dunya and in the akhirah. One day of voluntarily fasting will make a person seventy years away from Hellfire. Uniqueness There are a variety of doors you can do one, two or all three. When Allah subhana wa ta'ala opens the doors of good deeds grab them, stick with them. Everybody is unique in creation and in deeds and how you will go to Paradise is also unique. People who go to Paradise talk together which will be endless. You cannot rely on one particular deed to take you to Paradise. Whatever Allah subhana wa ta'ala makes easy for you, you should do, and ask Allah subhana wa ta'ala to accept it and to make it easy for you. 7
charity wipes away sin as water extinguishes fire; الص د ق ة Whether it is a kalima, a smile, caring for somebody, carrying something for somebody, sleeping, eating, etc. the best of the sadaqa is giving money for the Sake of Allah. have any expectations. Parable Here you have a parable, a tangible picture, the water will extinguish the fire, sadaqa will extinguish the sins. The fire resembles the sin a person will be burned in the dunya with their sins by causing misery and pain. Hellfire will also cause pain, it will hurt. In the dunya one gets used to the pain when you don t repent. The water is the charity giving sadaqa will extinguish the sin i.e. the prostitute who fed a dog and all her sins were expiated. When you give sadaqa for Allah subhana wa ta'ala you don t Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said Everybody will be under the shade of their sadaqa on Qawm al Qiyamah. On the Day of Judgment everything will become tangible. It is easy for Allah subhana wa ta'ala, Allah subhana wa ta'ala made it easy. Everything you give from your time, yourself, your sleep is sadaqa. Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam made a special khutbah for the ladies. Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said You need to give as much sadaqa as you can. The women started to give away their jewelry. Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said Most of the people in Hellfire will be women. The sahabiyah asked What did we do to deserve to be in Hellfire? Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said You made kuffar. The women asked We disbelieved in Allah? Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam replied No, you were ungrateful to your husbands. One time your husband makes a tiny mistake, you don t forget it this is what causes women to go to Hellfire. Allah subhana wa ta'ala knows our nature so this is a way of reforming. Don t blame anybody this is the main cause of issues in the marriage. 8
and the praying of a man in the depths of the night. This is also for women. Praying in the middle of the night will also put out the fire. This is the best of qiyam the beginning of the last third of the night. The good is very hidden your tiredness will not show. We need Allah subhana wa ta'ala to make it easy for us. This is a blessed time. This is a transcript of a lecture given by Sister Eman al Obaid. Anything that is good from these notes is from Allah subhana wa ta ala. Any mistakes & misrepresentations are my own. 48:29 Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah; and those who follow him are harsh towards the disbelievers, compassionate towards each other. You see them bowing and prostrating [in prayer], seeking bounty from Allah and [His] pleasure. Their mark is on their faces from the trace of prostration. That is their description in the Torah and the Gospel: like a seed which produces its offshoots and strengthens them so they grow firm and stand upon their stalks, delighting the sowers - so that Allah may enrage by them the disbelievers. Allah has promised those who believe and do righteous deeds among them forgiveness and a great reward. 9