Sunday 28 Jan

Lesson 3: What is Muraaqabah? What things cause a servant to be forsaken by Allah?

  • Brief Recap of lesson 2, what things weaken or strengthen a person’s Tawhid?
  • Recap of why Shaikh Muhammad Amaan Al-Jaami mentions Tawhid alongside Eemaan
  • What is Muraaqabah?
    • It is to worship Allah being conscious of him watching you, as though one sees Allah and so finds closeness to Allah and his chest feels opened
  • When a person sins or commits a mistake, the heart of a believer has certain symptoms
    • Every Human commits mistakes and sins
    • When the person who has Muraaqabah commits sins, he feels alone
    • Such a person as above should run back to Allah when that occurs
    • Why does he/she run back to Allah? = So Allah can save him/her from the evil of the person’s own self and own desires
  • Where are the acts of worship manifested?
    • The heart (e.g. fear, love)
    • The tongue (e.g. reciting the qur’an)
    • The limbs (e.g. prayer, hajj, fasting etc)
  • The acts of worship of the heart (e.g. fear, love etc), do they have levels or are they absolute/discrete?
    • The actions of the heart can increase and decrease
    • How can the acts of worship of the Heart be increased?
      • Ibn Qayyim says: Whenever Muraaqabah (Being conscious that Allah is watching you) increases, then this brings about shyness, shame, tranquillity, fear, hope and submission before Allah that is not attained by anything other than it (i.e. Muraaqabah)
      • Therefore increasing Muraaqabahn will increase the acts of worship of the heart
  • Allah Says: “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.” [Surah An’aam (6):125]
    • Shaikh Muhammad Amaan Al-Jaami mentions that there are two types of guidance:
      • Guidance of directing and making things clear for a someone
        • Does this type of guidance mean a person is a Muslim? = No. This is because this type of guidance can occur by Allah but can also occur by others e.g. prophets and messengers etc.
      • Guidance of Allah granting success and inspiration
        • This is when a person’s chest is opened to Islam as Allah mentioned in the verse above. This guidance can only occur by Allah and so if someone finds this in their heart, then this means Allah has guided him/her
        • This type of guidance must come after the first type
        • In this guidance the chest of a person is opened to sincerity in performing the worships and in accordance to the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم)
        • NOTE: Some Muslims say, “Muslims in the world are in a dire state, lets unite as a large umbrella group and not concern ourselves with what we believe (e.g. Sunni, Sufi, Shia, etc), let’s just get together”. This is FALSE and goes AGAINST the Sunnah of our Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم).

  • The opposite of the above is one whom Allah misguides and so his chest becomes tight as though he is ascending in the heavens, see above verse.
  • What does it mean chest tight and constrained as though lifted up in the sky?
  • Allah says: “Have We not opened your breast for you (O Muhammad (Peace be upon him))?” [Surah Asharh (94) verse 1]
  • Shaykh Uthaymeen says this is in relation to the chest expanding towards the judgement of Allah
  • There are two types of Allah’s Judgement;
    • Allah’s universal judgement: for example, trials and tests in one’s life, and so if Allah expands a person’s chest in this regard then he/she will be able to bear it
    • Allah’s Legislative judgement: This is the sharia, the commandments and prohibitions. When Allah expands the chest of a person in this regard then it becomes easy for him or her to follow the religion. NOTE: the soul’s desires go against these commandments and prohibitions and so it is important to strive against one’s desires and therefore having Allah’s help in opening your chest is needed.
  • Shaikh Muhammad Amaan Al-Jaami says regarding the one that Allah has misguided and forsaken,  Do you fit into the description this type of person?
    • Profile:
      1. Finds it difficult to do the commandments such as charity, visiting parents, being good to your spouse
      2. Finds it easy to sin
      3. Does not have expansion of his chest
      4. Considers there laws of Islam as hard limitations, like chores or shackles
      5. Wants to be free and liberated from the commandments of Allah
    • This type of person, Allah has forsaken him
    • If you see this in yourself, it is important to cure it
    • How do you cure it:
      • You run back to Allah and know that only Allah can give that guidance needed
  • Q&A:
  • What is the case of a masjid which was upon the Sunnah, but then invites people of Innovation to come and make events etc
  • How stern was the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) against innovation?
    • The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) warned against innovation before it had even occurred and warned against sternly with the fire of Hell, that should indicate to us how great of a matter this is
  • What if one lives near a masjid of the people of innovation such as a tableeghi masjid, can one pray there? Should one associate with that masjid?

 

Next week insha Allah: Greatest cause of tightness of the chest and what is the light of the chest?