Sunday 14 Jan

✏️ Remedying the Heavy and Tight Chest

Lesson 1: Introduction, Biographies, What is the Basis of a relaxed heart

  • Introduction to the class
  • What are the means by which the chest can be alleviated from stress and tightness?
  • Ibn Al-Qayyim in his book lists several ways however he does not make them related to the world
  • Living in the land of disbelief means attaining means of remedying heavy chest is important however it is also difficult in the west due to reduced access to knowledge
  • Who was Ibn Al-Qayyim? A brief biography
    • When/where was he born
    • At what age did he start seeking knowledge?
    • Where did he travel to?
    • What did he study?
    • What was he known for?
    • Who did he seek knowledge from?
    • When did he pass away?
  • The commentary of the book is done by Shaikh Muhammad Amaan Al-Jaami, a brief Biography of the Shaikh
    • Where is he from?
    • What is his full name and kunya
    • How was his journey to Makkah?
    • Where else did he travel to?
    • What was he known for?
    • Who were his students?
    • What was his approach to those who opposed and even physically harmed him?
    • When did he pass away?
  • Only the Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) attained pure and perfect tawheed
  • The greatest cause of alleviating the chest is Tawheed (Islamic Monotheism)
  • IMPORTANT: the strength of your Tawheed influences how relaxed your chest feels
  • Ibn Qayim quotes the Verse: “Is he whose breast Allah has opened to Islam, so that he is in light from His Lord (as he who is non-Muslim)? So, woe to those whose hearts are hardened against remembrance of Allah! They are in plain error!” [39:22]
  • Ibn Qayyim also quotes: “And whomsoever Allah wills to guide, He opens his breast to Islam, and whomsoever He wills to send astray, He makes his breast closed and constricted, as if he is climbing up to the sky. Thus, Allah puts the wrath on those who believe not.” [6:125]
  • Tawheed increases and decreases, Why?
    • This is because the basis of Tawheed is belief (Eemaan) in Allah, if this is not existent then a person’s Tawheed (monotheism) also does not exist
    • However, Tahweed is also influenced by the degree of completeness/perfection of Tawheed and this is of two types. There is the OBLIGATORY perfection and Superogatory (optional) Perfection.
    • Obligatory Perfection of belief in Allah, this is to fulfil the obligations of Allah and stay away from his prohibitions
    • Superogatory (optional) perfection, this is attained by doing optional and non-obligatory acts of worship
    • People vary in the above, i.e. some person may find his/her Tawheed and belief (eemaan) is strong whilst someone else may find their tawheed or eemaan weak and the same person may find some differences within themselves from time to time
  • Ibn Qayyim mentions in another book that people’s tawheed is also influenced by the knowledge that they have and many other factors. The greatest of people who have the most perfect of Tawheed are the Prophets (may Allah have mercy on them all), and amongst those the best are the Messengers (may Allah have mercy on them all). Among the Messengers, the one’s who are most perfect are the five strong, firm-willed Messengers.
    • Who are the five firm-willed Messenegers (may Allah have mercy on them)?
      • Nuh (Noah) (may Allah have mercy on him)
      • Ibrahim (Abraham) (may Allah have mercy on him)
      • Musa (Moses) (may Allah have mercy on him)
      • Eesaa (Jesus) (may Allah have mercy on him)
      • Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم)
    • Ibn Qayyim continues the most perfect of these five are the (Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) and Musa (may Allah be pleased with him), the two beloved and close friends of Allah. They carried out and implemented Tawheed in such a way that no has done so before them.