Sunday 04 Mar 2018
✏️ Lesson 7: What are the signs of having the Noor of Eemaan? Preparing for death before it arrives
- Brief recap of previous Lesson (Lesson 6):
- When the Noor (light) of Eemaan (Belief) departs from the heart, the heart becomes constrained
- Some may be in an apparent outward appearance of luxury, but in reality, they live a life with a constrained heart:
- Allah gives the world (comfortable lifestyle, luxury) even to the non-believers, therefore it is not something to be used as a yardstick or measurement of how content and expanded someone’s heart is.
- When Noor enters the heart, the heart becomes expanded and alleviated
- The Worldly life is a delusion
- A Muslim should see the worldly life as a path towards the hereafter and his/her heart is not attached to it, therefore its luxuries do not tempt him/her nor do its difficulties worry him/her
- Recap of Imam Nawaawi’s poem
- Ibn Qayyim’s Example of the three brothers
- What are the signs of a person having the Noor of Eemaan?, Shaikh Muhammad Amaan Al-Jaami says:
- Returning back to Allah in repentance
- Keeping away from the abode of Delusion, i.e. withdrawing from the Worldly life
- To Prepare for death before it arrives
- How does a person prepare for death? Shaikh Muhammad Amaan Al-Jaami says
- By making Taubah (Repentance)
- By Turning back to Allah
- By going over and revising the pages of your deeds. Review your actions and take your soul into account.
- By turning back to Allah and making Repentance for your sins, your soul will feel regret for that sin, as well as fear and apprehension as you do not know what your end will be and in what state you will depart this world
- This fear and apprehension allows a person to prepare for death by examining their actions and making repentance
- By preparing for death, the heart becomes relaxed.
- The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) used to regularly ask for forgiveness, and he was the best of creation (صلى الله عليه وسلم)
- Verse: “And I swear by the self-reproaching person (a believer).” [Surah Al-Qiyaamah (The Day of Resurrection) verse 2]
- Allah takes an oath by the self-reproaching soul i.e. a soul which examines its actions and blames itself for its sins
- Shaikh Hassan Al-Basri said concerning this, that you will not find a believer except that he blames his soul and takes it to account for its sin, however the sinner continues to move forward in his sin and does not contemplate or become worried about where he is headed.
- How did the Salaf reproach themselves?
- Ibn Shumasah reported: We visited ‘Amr bin Al-‘as (May Allah be pleased with him) when he was in his deathbed. He wept for a long time and turned his face towards the wall. His son said: “O father, did not the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) give you the good news of such and such? Did he not give you glad tidings of such and such?” Then he (‘Amr) turned his face towards us and said: “The best thing which you can count upon is the affirmation that: La ilaha illallah (there is no true god except Allah), and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. I have passed through three phases. I remember when I hated none more than I hated the Messenger of Allah (PBUH), and there was no other desire stronger in me than that of killing him. Had I died in that state, I would have definitely been one of the dwellers of Fire (Hell). When Allah instilled the love for Islam in my heart, I went to Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and said, ‘Extend your right hand, so that I pledge allegiance to you.’ He (PBUH) stretched out his right hand, but I withdrew my hand. He said, ‘What is the matter, ‘Amr?’ I said, ‘I wish to lay down same conditions.’ He asked, ‘What conditions do you wish to put forward?’ I replied, ‘To be granted forgiveness.’ He said, ‘Do you not know that (embracing) Islam wipes out all that has gone before it (previous misdeeds). Verily, emigration wipes out all the previous sins, and the Hajj (pilgrimage) wipes out all the previous sins.’ Thereafter, no one was dearer to me than Messenger of Allah (PBUH), and none was more respectable than him in my eyes. So bright was his splendour that I could not gather enough courage to look at his face for any length of time. If I were asked to describe his feature, I would not be able to do so because I have never caught a full glimpse of his face. Had I died in that state I could have hoped to be one of the dwellers of Jannah. Thereafter, we were made responsible for many things and in the light of which I am unable to know what is in store for me. When I die, no mourner, nor fire should accompany my bier. When you bury me, throw the earth gently over me and stand over my grave for the space of time within which a camel is slaughtered and its meat is distributed so that I may enjoy your intimacy, and in your presence ascertain what answer can I give to the Messengers of my Rubb (the angels in grave).”[Muslim]
- Malik related to me from Ishaq ibn Abdullah ibn Abi Talha that Anas ibn Malik said, “I heard Umar ibn al-Khattab, when I was going out with him to visit an orchard, say to himself, and there was a wall between him and me and he was inside the garden, ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab, amir al-muminin! Well done! Well done! By Allah, fear Allah or he will punish you.’ “ [Muwatta Malik]
- Death does not wait for anyone