You are peace and from You comes peace

an-nisaa:

Umm Sulaym bint Milhaan (رضي الله عنها) is a Muslimah about whom every Muslimah should know. She (رضي الله عنها) was from among the best women companion of the Messenger of Allaah (صلى الله عليه و سلم).

This noble soul was always with the Muslim army, taking care of the wounded soldiers more than 12 or 13 centuries before Florence Nightingale. [See Saheeh Muslim 3/1443 (no. 1810)]

In fact, even in the two most fierce battles entered by the Muslims, when defeat was close, this woman (رضي الله عنها) was in the battlefield steady like a rock while many a courageous man was fleeing under the shock of the surprise attack by the enemy. During the battle of Uhud, A’isha bint Abu Bakr (رضي الله عنها) and this woman, both of them had tucked up their garments, and they were carrying water-skins on their backs and would pour water into the mouths of the people. They would then go back (to the well), would fill them again and would return to pour water into the mouths of the soldiers. [See Saheeh Muslim 3/1443 (no. 1811)]

Once, the child of Umm Sulaym (رضي الله عنها) was very ill and his father Abu Talha (رضي الله عنه) was supposed to go out on a mission. Realizing that the mission was for the sake of the faith, umm Sulaym (رضي الله عنها) tried to convince her husband that the child was well enough, hiding his true state. Abu Talha (رضي الله عنه) left the town.

Before his return, the child passed away. When Umm Sulaym (رضي الله عنها) learnt that Abu Talha (رضي الله عنه) was on his way back from his tiring trip, she decided not to let him know of the child’s death until he completely rested from the journey. She asked everyone in the household to leave the matter of informing Abu talha to her. She begged that they control their emotions in the meantime.

As soon, as the father, Abu Talha (رضي الله عنه) enetered the house, he asked about the child. Umm Sulaym (رضي الله عنها) quickly assured him that the child was very quiet and peaceful, and she prepared a good meal for her husband and made sure that he had enough rest, hiding all the time the sorrow that tore her heart to pieces.

Then she calmly asked her husband: “If some people borrow something from another family and then (the members of the family) ask for its return, would they resist its return?”

He answered: “Certainly not.”

Then she told him: “I inform you about the death of your son.” [what she meant was that, the child was borrowed to us by Allaah and he has returned to his real owner (i.e. Allaah)]

Abu Talha (رضي الله عنه) was shocked and he was about to blame his wife for not informing him earlier, but he realized how much she suffered inside her just to give him the chance to rest after that long journey. [See Saheeh Muslim 4/1909 (no. 2144)]

She and her husband was the one who fed the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) and his companions when they were hungry [which they came to know because of his (صلى الله عليه و سلم) feeble voice, or when they saw him (صلى الله عليه و سلم) lying upon his belly in the mosque or having bandaged his (صلى الله عليه و سلم) belly due to hunger], even though they had almost nothing to eat for themselves. [See Saheeh Muslim 3/1612 and 1614 (no. 2040)]

These are just few examples from the life of this noble soul. It was not a wonder when the Messenger of Allaah (صلى الله عليه و سلم) said:

“I entered Paradise, and heard the noise of steps. So I said, ‘Who is this?’ and they told me, ‘She is Ghumaisa, daughter of Milhan, the mother of Anas bin Malik’ [i.e. Umm Sulaym bint Milhaan (رضي الله عنها)]”

[Saheeh Muslim 4/1908 (no. 2456)]

Shaykh ul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

The punishment for a sin committed by a believer is removed in ten ways:

1. He repents to Allah (taubah), so Allah accepts his repentance, for the one who repents from sin is like the one who has no sin.

2. He seeks forgiveness from Allah (istighfar), so Allah forgives him.

3. He does good deeds that erase his sin for good deeds erase bad ones.

4. His believing brethren pray for him or seek forgiveness for his sins during his life or death.

5. Or they [ask Allah] to bestow on him as gift from the reward for their deeds, with which Allah benefits him.

6. His Prophet Muhammad, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam, intercedes for him.

7. Allah tests him with trials in this world which expiate his sin.

8. Allah tests him in al-Barzakh (the intermediate life in the grave, between the death and the Day of Judgment) which expiates his sin.

9. Allah tests him in the various stages of the Day of Judgment which expiates his sins.

10. Or the Most Merciful of those who have mercy has mercy on him.

Whoever, then, is missed by these ten cannot blame anyone but himself.

[Majmoo’ al-Fatawa 1:45, 7:487]

(Source: thelightofwisdom)

• Allah guides whomever He wishes, and protects and keeps safe as a favour upon them; and He misguides whomever He wishes, and humiliates and puts to trial, from Justice.

Explanation:

Allaah, the One free from all imperfections, guides whomever He wishes and He misguides whomever He wishes; and this is by the Qadaa. (Ordainment) and Qadr (Pre-decree) of Allaah.

However, He guides those whom He knows are fitting to receive guidance and He guides those who eagerly seek out guidance and who devote themselves to it; then Allaah makes good easy for him.

And He misguides whomever He wishes by reason of that person’s turning away from seeking guidance and good; then Allaah misguides him as a punishment for him for turning away and for his lack of desire for good.This is made clear by His, the Most High, saying,

As for the one who gives in charity and is dutiful to Allaah and attests to what is true, then we make easy for him acting in obedience to Allaah. (Sooratul-Layl (92), aayaat 5-7)

So the cause is found with the servant, and the Pre-decree is from Allaah, the Perfect.

And as for the one who miserly and thinks himself self-sufficient and denies that which is true, then We make easy for him the path to evil. (Sooratul-Layl (92), aayaat 8-10)

So the cause is found with the person, and the Pre-decree is from Allaah, the Mighty and the Majestic. However, Allaah decreed that for him as a punishment for him.

So Allaah decreed guidance as a favour from Allaah, the Mighty and the Majestic, and He bestowed honour upon the person who wishes and desires guidance and desires good. Then for him, Allaah makes the good easy and easy for him to perform it. And this is for the person’s benefit; it is not for the benefit of Allaah, the Mighty and the Majestic.

And as for misguiding of the misguided people, then that is justice from Him, He the Perfect and Most High, and as a recompense for them for their turning away and for their and not turning to good and to obedience to Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic. He does not wrong them whatsoever. And therefore we find in the aayaat,

And Allaah does not guide the people who are transgressors (Sooratul-Baqarah (2), aayah 258)

And Allaah does not guide the unbelieving people (Sooratul-Baqarah (2), aayah 264)

And Allaah does not guide the wicked evil-doers (Sooratul-Maa.idah (5), aayah 108)

So He made wrongdoing and unbelief and wickedness reasons for the absence of guidance. And these things are actions of the people for which He recompenses them as justice from Him, He the Perfect and Most High, not as injustice or oppression.

And Allaah did not oppress them but rather they wronged their own souls. (Sooratun-Nahl (16), aayah 33)

So it is not befitting for Him, He the Perfect, that He should bestow honour upon one with those characteristics. And likewise, it is not befitting upon Him, He the Perfect and Most High, that He should cause the deeds of those who act, to be lost. He, the One free of all imperfections said,

Do those people who commit sins think that they will be made just the same as those who truly believe and perform righteous deeds, in their present lives and after death? Evil is the judgement that they make. (Sooratul-Jaathiyah (45), aayah 21)

And Allaah created the heavens and the earth in Truth so that He should recompense every soul in accordance with what it earned; and they will not be oppressed. (Sooratul-Jaathiyah (45), aayah 22)

Shall we make the Muslims just like the criminals? What is it with you – how do you judge? (Sooratul-Qalam (68), aayaat 35-36)

This would be oppression, which Allah is free of. He, the Perfect and Most High says,

Shall we make those who truly believe and work righteous and correct actions, (shall we make them just the same) as those who cause corruption upon the earth, or shall we make those who are dutiful to Allaah just like the wicked folk? (Soorah Saad (38), aayah 28)

So Allaah, the Perfect and Most High does not lose the reward of one who works a righteous and correct action, and He does not punish anyone for something which he did not do and for something which he did not earn.

You will not be recompensed except for that which you used to do. (Sooratus-Saaffaat (37), aayah 39)

So the actions, all of them, whether good or bad, are from the person; and the recompense is from Allaah out of His Favour and Justice.

End of explanation.

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Translator’s side point: Ibn Abil-`Izz rahimahullaah, in his longer explanation, commenting about this point, said: This contains a refutation of the Mu`tazilah with regard to their saying that it is obligatory upon Allaah that He must always do what is most beneficial for the person; and this is a question of guidance and misguidance.

So the Mu`tazilah, they say, “Guidance is from Allaah and it means explaining the correct way” and they say, “Misguidance is just calling a person ‘misguided’ and that He, the Most High, judges the person to be upon misguidance when the servant himself creates misguidance for himself.”

And this is built upon their false and futile principle – that the actions of the people are created by them. And the proof for what we have stated is the proof of Allaah, the Most High (addressing the Prophet sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam),

You do not guide those whom you love should be guided, but rather Allaah guides whomever He wishes (Sooratul-Qasas (28), aayah 56)

So if guidance was just explaining the correct way, it would not be correct for guidance to be denied for the Prophet sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam in this aayah because he showed the correct way to those whom he loved and those whom he hated.

And He the Most High said,

And if We wished We would have given every soul its right guidance (Sooratul-Sajdah (32), aayah 13)

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• And all of them fluctuate within His Will, between His Fadl (Favour) and His `Adl (Justice).

Explanation:

None of the servants escape fluctuating within the Will of Allaah, between His Fadl (Favour) upon those who obey Him, and the people of good, and between His `Adl (Justice) upon the people of unbelief and shirk.

And this is what befits His Wisdom and His Greatness, He the One free of all imperfections – that He does not gather together between those things that are opposites to each other and between those things which conflict (with each other).

Rather, He places all things in their due places and therefore from His Names is Al-Hakeem (the All-Wise) and from His Attributes is Al-Hikmah (Wisdom). So Al-Hakeem (the All-Wise) means the One who places all things in their due places.

So He puts His Fadl (Favour) upon the people who obey Him and He places punishment upon the people of unbelief and sins. This is His Favour (Fadl), He the Perfect, and His Justice (`Adl).

End of explanation.

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Translator’s side point:

Allaah misguides whomever He wishes and He guides whomever He wishes (Sooratul-Mudaththir (74), aayah 31)

And if guidance from Allaah just meant showing the correct way, which is general to every soul, it would not be correct to restrict that by His Will. And likewise, He the Most High said,

And if it were not for the Favour of my Lord I would have been one of those brought to the Hellfire (Sooratus-Saaffaat (37), aayah 57)

And He the Most High said,

Whomever Allaah wishes, He misguides him, and whomever He wishes, He places him upon a straight path (Sooratul-An`aam (6), aayah 39)

Translator’s side point: Ibn Abil-`Izz rahimahullaah, in his explanation said regarding this point:

Because they are just as He the Most High said,

He, Allaah, is the One who created you, so from you there are unbelievers and from you there are believers (Sooratut-Taghaabun (64), aayah 2)

So, whomever Allaah guides to true faith (eemaan) then He does so from His Fadl (Favour) and all praise is for Allaah. And whomever Allaah misguides, then He does so in accordance with His Justice and all praise is for Him. And there will follow a further explanation of this meaning inshaa’ Allaahu Ta`aalaa further in the book because the Shaykh (At- Tahaawee) rahimahullaah, he did not gather speech about Pre-decree all in one place, rather he separated it throughout the book; so I brought it here in accordance with his order.

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Source: At-Ta`leeqaat Al-Mukhtasarah `alaa Matn Al-`Aqeedah At-Tahaawiyyah By Shaykh Saalih ibn Fawzaan al-Fawzaan hafizahullaah Pages 52-54 (Points 36-37) Translated by Aboo Talhah Daawood Burbank, rahimahullaah, on 29th November 2004

1. One considers himself as belonging to the next world and not this world. He  is a stranger in this world anxious to reach his abode in the Hereafter.
   
   
2. One continues to be upset with himself any time he commits a sin until he finally and completely repents to Allah.
   
   
3. One is more upset and unhappy if he misses his daily recitation of the Qur’an and dhikr, than if he had lost his wealth.
   
   
4. One finds greater pleasure worshipping Allah than any pleasure in eating and drinking.
   
   
5. One’s worries and concerns about this world leave him whenever he begins  his formal prayers.
   
   
6. One’s only concern and worries are about Allah and doing deeds only for His sake.
   
   
7. One is more concerned and stingy about wasting time than a greedy person is with respect to his wealth.
   
   
8. One is more concerned about the correctness of his deeds than with the performance of the deeds themselves.

Source: Ighaatha al-Lahfaa, vol. 1, pp.70-73. Quoted in Commentary on the Forty Hadith of al-Nawawi, vol 1, pp. 471-472

• Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: I heard Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) saying,“When Allah created the creatures, He wrote in the Book, which is with Him over His Throne: `Verily, My Mercy prevailed over My Wrath”

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

• Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) said, “Allah has divided mercy into one hundred parts; and He retained with Him ninety-nine parts, and sent down to earth one part. Through this one part creatures deal with one another with compassion, so much so that an animal lifts its hoof over its young lest it should hurt it”.

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

• Another narration is: Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) said, “Allah has one hundred mercies, out of which He has sent down only one for jinn, mankind, animals and insects, through which they love one another and have compassion for one another; and through it, wild animals care for their young. Allah has retained ninety-nine mercies to deal kindly with His slaves on the Day of Resurrection.”

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

(Source: abdurrahman.org)