Ghareebah
Bint Abdulkadir
:ma:
Sheikh Salih al Fawzan's daily talk before Taraweeh Prayer Sep 24, '07
(Sheikh Saalih Al-Fawzan is a Professor of Islamic Jurisprudence, Member of the board of Senior Scholars & Member of the Permanent Committee for Fatwa & Research in Saudi)
(This is a quick translation of Sheikh Salih al Fawzan's daily talk
before Taraweeh Prayer in his Masjid in Malz, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia. This appears courtesy of Abu Isma'il Mustafa George, & the
"Salafee Methodology" yahoo group)
Bismallahi Rahmani Raheem
In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of His Mercy.
May peace and blessings of Allah be upon His Messenger Muhammed, and
upon Muhammed's family and companions.
For that which precedes,
Verily in the quick passing of nights and days is a sign and lesson for
those who take heed. This is the reality of life, it begins, and then
becomes shorter and shorter until it ends. There is nothing that is
everlasting in the dunya (life), rather everything continues toward
decrease and conclusion. This is because this life is a passing life.
But Allah has made this life and means of planting (obtaining) for the
hereafter. This life is a chance for the pious and righteous
individuals to gain through their righteous actions. This takes place
for the one whom Allah has given success to take advantage of this
opportunity. But as for the one who wastes this opportunity and is
negligent of it, then verily this life will end and pass while that
individual is upon non-righteous actions and sin. He will therefore
move to the hereafter while in a state of loss, we seek refuge in
Allah from this state. This person will not have righteous deeds in
his book. Indeed this is a terrible loss. As for the one who benefits
from this life, then he alone will benefit from his hereafter. But the
one who wastes this life, he will waste his hereafter. (Sentence that
I can't make out)... So be aware of this matter oh Muslim! And take
advantage of your time, race toward repentance and righteous deeds
before this chance slips through your hands. If you do not do so, you
will knock on the door of the hereafter without having any good deeds,
and you will bite your hands out of regret and sorrow. Allah says:
{When death comes to one of them, they will say: Oh my Lord return
Allah responds to this by saying:
{NO}
Meaning: There is no return.
Allah continues to say:
{Verily this is a statement that he has said}
Meaning: This regretful, destroyed individual must say such a
statement, and he must feel sorrow once his time (death) has come.
Allah says (in another verse):
{Oh you who believe, do not allow your children nor wealth to distract
you from the remembrance of Allah. Whoever does so, they will be lost}
Even if this person possessed the wealth of this dunya, if he is
negligent and distracted from the remembrance of Allah, he will still
be lost. This is because salvation is not based on gaining wealth,
rather it is based on working for the hereafter and its happiness.
This is the true beneficial trading.
Allah says:
{Should I not inform you of a trade that will save you from severe
punishment?! Belief in Allah and His Messenger, and fighting in the
way of Allah with your wealth and bodies. Indeed this is better for
you if only you knew. Allah will forgive you for your sins and enter
you into paradise underneath which rivers flow, and grant you
comfortable homes in this everlasting paradise. Indeed this is great
success}
Therefore, this is the beneficial trade. But as for gathering wealth
in large amounts, if this is not done in obedience to Allah and
seeking His pleasure, and if one does not use this wealth to perform
righteous actions, and he does not spend it in the way of Allah, then
this wealth will become a means of loss for its owners.
Allah says:
{Spend from that which We have granted you before death approaches,
and then a person will say: Oh my Lord delay my death until a later
time in order that I may give charity and be from the righteous! Allah
will not delay a soul when its time (death) has approached. Verily
Allah is all aware of what you do}
The Messenger (sallAllahu alayhi wa salem) mentioned that everyone
will regret once death approaches. If a person was righteous, he/she
will regret that they did not increase upon their good deeds. Once a
person sees the great, wonderful reward for these actions, they will
regret not having increased in good deeds. And if one is negligent and
wasted his life, he will regret what he has wasted and neglected in
this life.
Verily death and the end is close!
You began The Month of Ramadan, and now the first 10 days have passed.
Now you are at the doors of the 10 middle days, and whoever Allah
gives life to will reach the last 10 days, and then the month will
end. The question is: What will these days end upon, and what will the
hours pass upon? A Muslim should think and reflect. The business men
and those who possess large amounts of wealth constantly review and
moniter their wealth. They moniter weither they profitted and not, and
if they realize that they did not profit in a business deal, they will
obstain from the sort of dealing and focus on another (seeking
profit). Therefore, those that work and trade for the hereafter should
moreso do such monitering. They should always moniter their actions
and see where they have gained or not. They should increase in
righteous deeds and repent from evil deeds. Allah says:
{Oh you who believe, fear Allah, and let every soul look toward that
which it has put fourth for tomorrow. And fear Allah, verily Allah is
all aware of what you do. DO NOT BE like those who have forgotten
Allah and as a result, Allah made them forget themselves}
When these individuals forgot Allah and forgot that which Allah has
made obligatory upon them, Allah made them forget themselves. How can
a person forget himself?! This is amazing. Does a person own anything
more precious and valuable then himself? But if a person forgets
himself, Allah will make this person forget himself, and he will not
seek good for himself, nor will he safeguard himself from evil. This
is the major loss. Verily the lost individual is the one who has lost
himself and his family on The Day of Judgement. Verily this is the
major loss.
Therefore, it is upon us all to think and reflect. All of us are
sinners and wrong doers, but upon us is to increase in repentance and
seeking forgiveness. And doing so is not merely with the tongue,
rather it (repentance) should be done with the tongue, heart and with
our actions. We should correct our actions. Verily repentance only
with the tongue has no value. Due to this, some of the Salaf used to
say: "Verily our repentance is in need of repentance"
Why? Because this was only done with the tongue, and indeed this is
evil. Repenting only on one's tongue is evil and dangerous. Therefore,
if one does such an act, he needs to repent once more.
Upon a Muslim is to sincerely repent to Allah with one's heart. One
should struggle with himself, moniter his actions, and look at them.
That which is good, he should praise Allah for allowing him to do such
good deeds, and he should increase in doing them. But that which is
evil, the performer of those deeds should repent to Allah and seek His
forgiveness, he should also stop those action and distance himself
from them. As long as one is still alive, then he has the ability to
do so, and he has the ability to repent and act, but once death
approaches, then everything stops, as The Messenger (sallAllahu alayhi
wa salem) said:
"If the child of Adam (mankind) dies, all of his actions stop except
three..."
And once his time (death) has come, and the Angel of death rears, then
repentance will not be accepted. The Messenger (sallAllahu alayhi wa
salem) said:
"Allah accepts repentance as long as death has not approached"
Meaning: As long as the soul has not reached the throat. Once this
takes place and nothing remains except the Angels pulling the soul
from the body, at this moment Allah will no longer accept repentance.
If it was accepted at this moment, then everyone would repent, even
this disbeliever would repent at this moment, and the sinner also, but
it is no longer accepted. Repentence has its specified time, which is
before the approaching of death. And at this time a person still can
think and reflect and knows that he/she has neglected his life, but he
can no longer repent,and even if he were to repent with his tongue at
that time, it would not be accepted from him. (In the ayat mentioned
at the beginning of this talk) They will say:
{Oh our Lord, return us in order that we may do righteous actions!}
But this request will not be fulfilled.
Therefore, it is upon a Muslim to be aware of this matter, and reflect
over the quick passing of days and nights. We have witnessed the
passing of the first 10 days of Ramadan, at this point we should judge
ourselves. What have we put foward in these 10 days?! And what have we
left from that which we should have put forward?! We should judge
ourselves and focus on the middle 10 days and the last 10 before those
pass us as well and we waste this great month. Upon us is to judge and
moniter ourselves. We should think about our direction, we should look
at our faults. If you were to infact count your evil deeds, you would
not be able to count them all. There is no change nor might except
with Allah. And if you were to count your good deeds, you would find
that they are low in number and weak. Therefore, upon you is to repent
to Allah. You need to repent! You need to seek forgiveness! You need
to correct your actions! You need this life, it should not pass
without benefit! This is your main source of wealth, your main wealth
is not money because that will pass and end, rather your main source
of wealth is your life and time in this life. This is your correct
wealth, so preserve it and be diligent in increasing it and
profitting. Verily this is the means of happiness or sadness on The
Day of Judgement.
"A person's feet will not be moved on The Day of Judgement until
he/she is asked about 4: His life, what did he do with it..."
Allah says:
{Did we not give them a life, where in it, the could have reflected,
and reminders (Prophets and Messengers) came to them. Then taste the
punishment, and the wrong doers will not have a helper}
Allah said in that verse: Did we not give you a life span? Allah gave
you this life not for you to play, eat and enjoy like the animals.
Rather, He gave you this life to work in it and with it. He gave it to
you in order for you to work for your next life, and if you don't do
so, it will be a means of torment against you on The Day of Judgement.
The Prophet continued to say in the aforementioned hadeeth:
"...and about his youth, what did you spend it doing, and about his
wealth, where did he obtain it, and what did he spend it on, and about
his knowledge, what did he do with it"
You will be asked about these 4 things on The Day of Judgement, so
what will your answer be?!
In this life you were informed about these questions, so it is upon
you to work for the answers and prepare them before you are asked.
Children in school are taught the curriculams and they are informed
that they will be questioned about what they learned, and as a result,
the students study the materials word for word, they turn the pages
and make certain they know the answers, and they prepare for the test,
and this is in this life. But as for the next life and its test,
rarely do you find a person preparing and focusing on it, except for
those whom Allah has given success.
We ask Allah to make us and you from those who act for their hereafter
and from those who make their religion sincerely for Him, and those
who repent from their sins, and those who race toward good deeds
before the ending of their lives and before the ending of their hours.
May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon our Prophet Muhammed, and
upon his family and companions.
(I apologize for any grammar mistakes. I pray Allah gives me the
tawfeeq to benefit the Muslims with a few more of the Sheikh's daily
talks in this blessed month of Ramadan.Note: All questions and answer
are put on hold until after Ramadan insha Allah)
Translated By Mustafa George
Sheikh Salih al Fawzan's daily talk before Taraweeh Prayer Sep 24, '07
(Sheikh Saalih Al-Fawzan is a Professor of Islamic Jurisprudence, Member of the board of Senior Scholars & Member of the Permanent Committee for Fatwa & Research in Saudi)
(This is a quick translation of Sheikh Salih al Fawzan's daily talk
before Taraweeh Prayer in his Masjid in Malz, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia. This appears courtesy of Abu Isma'il Mustafa George, & the
"Salafee Methodology" yahoo group)
Bismallahi Rahmani Raheem
In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of His Mercy.
May peace and blessings of Allah be upon His Messenger Muhammed, and
upon Muhammed's family and companions.
For that which precedes,
Verily in the quick passing of nights and days is a sign and lesson for
those who take heed. This is the reality of life, it begins, and then
becomes shorter and shorter until it ends. There is nothing that is
everlasting in the dunya (life), rather everything continues toward
decrease and conclusion. This is because this life is a passing life.
But Allah has made this life and means of planting (obtaining) for the
hereafter. This life is a chance for the pious and righteous
individuals to gain through their righteous actions. This takes place
for the one whom Allah has given success to take advantage of this
opportunity. But as for the one who wastes this opportunity and is
negligent of it, then verily this life will end and pass while that
individual is upon non-righteous actions and sin. He will therefore
move to the hereafter while in a state of loss, we seek refuge in
Allah from this state. This person will not have righteous deeds in
his book. Indeed this is a terrible loss. As for the one who benefits
from this life, then he alone will benefit from his hereafter. But the
one who wastes this life, he will waste his hereafter. (Sentence that
I can't make out)... So be aware of this matter oh Muslim! And take
advantage of your time, race toward repentance and righteous deeds
before this chance slips through your hands. If you do not do so, you
will knock on the door of the hereafter without having any good deeds,
and you will bite your hands out of regret and sorrow. Allah says:
{When death comes to one of them, they will say: Oh my Lord return
Allah responds to this by saying:
{NO}
Meaning: There is no return.
Allah continues to say:
{Verily this is a statement that he has said}
Meaning: This regretful, destroyed individual must say such a
statement, and he must feel sorrow once his time (death) has come.
Allah says (in another verse):
{Oh you who believe, do not allow your children nor wealth to distract
you from the remembrance of Allah. Whoever does so, they will be lost}
Even if this person possessed the wealth of this dunya, if he is
negligent and distracted from the remembrance of Allah, he will still
be lost. This is because salvation is not based on gaining wealth,
rather it is based on working for the hereafter and its happiness.
This is the true beneficial trading.
Allah says:
{Should I not inform you of a trade that will save you from severe
punishment?! Belief in Allah and His Messenger, and fighting in the
way of Allah with your wealth and bodies. Indeed this is better for
you if only you knew. Allah will forgive you for your sins and enter
you into paradise underneath which rivers flow, and grant you
comfortable homes in this everlasting paradise. Indeed this is great
success}
Therefore, this is the beneficial trade. But as for gathering wealth
in large amounts, if this is not done in obedience to Allah and
seeking His pleasure, and if one does not use this wealth to perform
righteous actions, and he does not spend it in the way of Allah, then
this wealth will become a means of loss for its owners.
Allah says:
{Spend from that which We have granted you before death approaches,
and then a person will say: Oh my Lord delay my death until a later
time in order that I may give charity and be from the righteous! Allah
will not delay a soul when its time (death) has approached. Verily
Allah is all aware of what you do}
The Messenger (sallAllahu alayhi wa salem) mentioned that everyone
will regret once death approaches. If a person was righteous, he/she
will regret that they did not increase upon their good deeds. Once a
person sees the great, wonderful reward for these actions, they will
regret not having increased in good deeds. And if one is negligent and
wasted his life, he will regret what he has wasted and neglected in
this life.
Verily death and the end is close!
You began The Month of Ramadan, and now the first 10 days have passed.
Now you are at the doors of the 10 middle days, and whoever Allah
gives life to will reach the last 10 days, and then the month will
end. The question is: What will these days end upon, and what will the
hours pass upon? A Muslim should think and reflect. The business men
and those who possess large amounts of wealth constantly review and
moniter their wealth. They moniter weither they profitted and not, and
if they realize that they did not profit in a business deal, they will
obstain from the sort of dealing and focus on another (seeking
profit). Therefore, those that work and trade for the hereafter should
moreso do such monitering. They should always moniter their actions
and see where they have gained or not. They should increase in
righteous deeds and repent from evil deeds. Allah says:
{Oh you who believe, fear Allah, and let every soul look toward that
which it has put fourth for tomorrow. And fear Allah, verily Allah is
all aware of what you do. DO NOT BE like those who have forgotten
Allah and as a result, Allah made them forget themselves}
When these individuals forgot Allah and forgot that which Allah has
made obligatory upon them, Allah made them forget themselves. How can
a person forget himself?! This is amazing. Does a person own anything
more precious and valuable then himself? But if a person forgets
himself, Allah will make this person forget himself, and he will not
seek good for himself, nor will he safeguard himself from evil. This
is the major loss. Verily the lost individual is the one who has lost
himself and his family on The Day of Judgement. Verily this is the
major loss.
Therefore, it is upon us all to think and reflect. All of us are
sinners and wrong doers, but upon us is to increase in repentance and
seeking forgiveness. And doing so is not merely with the tongue,
rather it (repentance) should be done with the tongue, heart and with
our actions. We should correct our actions. Verily repentance only
with the tongue has no value. Due to this, some of the Salaf used to
say: "Verily our repentance is in need of repentance"
Why? Because this was only done with the tongue, and indeed this is
evil. Repenting only on one's tongue is evil and dangerous. Therefore,
if one does such an act, he needs to repent once more.
Upon a Muslim is to sincerely repent to Allah with one's heart. One
should struggle with himself, moniter his actions, and look at them.
That which is good, he should praise Allah for allowing him to do such
good deeds, and he should increase in doing them. But that which is
evil, the performer of those deeds should repent to Allah and seek His
forgiveness, he should also stop those action and distance himself
from them. As long as one is still alive, then he has the ability to
do so, and he has the ability to repent and act, but once death
approaches, then everything stops, as The Messenger (sallAllahu alayhi
wa salem) said:
"If the child of Adam (mankind) dies, all of his actions stop except
three..."
And once his time (death) has come, and the Angel of death rears, then
repentance will not be accepted. The Messenger (sallAllahu alayhi wa
salem) said:
"Allah accepts repentance as long as death has not approached"
Meaning: As long as the soul has not reached the throat. Once this
takes place and nothing remains except the Angels pulling the soul
from the body, at this moment Allah will no longer accept repentance.
If it was accepted at this moment, then everyone would repent, even
this disbeliever would repent at this moment, and the sinner also, but
it is no longer accepted. Repentence has its specified time, which is
before the approaching of death. And at this time a person still can
think and reflect and knows that he/she has neglected his life, but he
can no longer repent,and even if he were to repent with his tongue at
that time, it would not be accepted from him. (In the ayat mentioned
at the beginning of this talk) They will say:
{Oh our Lord, return us in order that we may do righteous actions!}
But this request will not be fulfilled.
Therefore, it is upon a Muslim to be aware of this matter, and reflect
over the quick passing of days and nights. We have witnessed the
passing of the first 10 days of Ramadan, at this point we should judge
ourselves. What have we put foward in these 10 days?! And what have we
left from that which we should have put forward?! We should judge
ourselves and focus on the middle 10 days and the last 10 before those
pass us as well and we waste this great month. Upon us is to judge and
moniter ourselves. We should think about our direction, we should look
at our faults. If you were to infact count your evil deeds, you would
not be able to count them all. There is no change nor might except
with Allah. And if you were to count your good deeds, you would find
that they are low in number and weak. Therefore, upon you is to repent
to Allah. You need to repent! You need to seek forgiveness! You need
to correct your actions! You need this life, it should not pass
without benefit! This is your main source of wealth, your main wealth
is not money because that will pass and end, rather your main source
of wealth is your life and time in this life. This is your correct
wealth, so preserve it and be diligent in increasing it and
profitting. Verily this is the means of happiness or sadness on The
Day of Judgement.
"A person's feet will not be moved on The Day of Judgement until
he/she is asked about 4: His life, what did he do with it..."
Allah says:
{Did we not give them a life, where in it, the could have reflected,
and reminders (Prophets and Messengers) came to them. Then taste the
punishment, and the wrong doers will not have a helper}
Allah said in that verse: Did we not give you a life span? Allah gave
you this life not for you to play, eat and enjoy like the animals.
Rather, He gave you this life to work in it and with it. He gave it to
you in order for you to work for your next life, and if you don't do
so, it will be a means of torment against you on The Day of Judgement.
The Prophet continued to say in the aforementioned hadeeth:
"...and about his youth, what did you spend it doing, and about his
wealth, where did he obtain it, and what did he spend it on, and about
his knowledge, what did he do with it"
You will be asked about these 4 things on The Day of Judgement, so
what will your answer be?!
In this life you were informed about these questions, so it is upon
you to work for the answers and prepare them before you are asked.
Children in school are taught the curriculams and they are informed
that they will be questioned about what they learned, and as a result,
the students study the materials word for word, they turn the pages
and make certain they know the answers, and they prepare for the test,
and this is in this life. But as for the next life and its test,
rarely do you find a person preparing and focusing on it, except for
those whom Allah has given success.
We ask Allah to make us and you from those who act for their hereafter
and from those who make their religion sincerely for Him, and those
who repent from their sins, and those who race toward good deeds
before the ending of their lives and before the ending of their hours.
May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon our Prophet Muhammed, and
upon his family and companions.
(I apologize for any grammar mistakes. I pray Allah gives me the
tawfeeq to benefit the Muslims with a few more of the Sheikh's daily
talks in this blessed month of Ramadan.Note: All questions and answer
are put on hold until after Ramadan insha Allah)
Translated By Mustafa George
