Sat 12 Oct 2019

Read by Abu Muadh Taqweem

• Exaggeration and excessiveness in the rights of the righteous people
  The plots of shaytan and how deceives people into shirk
  What is picture making and why is it prohibited?
  Q&A

Sat 5th Oct 2019

Lesson 10: The issue of the graves and the Danger of Exaggeration

Recap of previous lesson

• The 7 different ways in which the Prophet (ﷺ) warned against Shirk and cut off its avenues. There are a total of 8 points, the 8th point is below

The issue of the graves

• The statement of Ibn Al Qayyim on the people of innovation with regards to the graves and how this completely contradicts the Sunnah of the Prophet (ﷺ)
• Common Innovations in our times regarding the graves:
  • Is it permissible to pray in the graveyards (other than Janaazah)? 
  • What about taking the graves as places of worship? 
  • What about places lights or lanterns at the graves?
  • What did the Prophet (ﷺ) say about making the graves a place of constant or repetitive visitation?
  • Is it permissible to use headstones or make shrines with fences? Or rather should the graves be more flat?
  • Can someone beautify a grave or write upon it? What about writing Qur’an on the grave?
• The danger of innovating things in the religion
• Contradicting the Sunnah of the Prophet (ﷺ) is a cause of weakness and loss of honour of the Muslim Ummah
• The importance of sticking to the Qur’an and Sunnah and abandoning innovation and contradictions to the religion

The state of the Ummah

• Ibn Al-Qayyim mentioned these above innovations several hundred years ago and the state of the Ummah has become even worse in this regard
• If you attempt to correct innovations, some people of innovation will say “you are not the majority” and they may even claim that the Sunnah of the Prophet (ﷺ) (i.e. to stay away from these innovations) is not the correct path!
• the shaytan will whisper to them that they are doing this out of love for the Prophet (ﷺ) and that to not carry out these innovations will be a disrespect for the awliya

The Eight Point: Exaggerating in the Right of the Prophet (ﷺ)

• This is the eighth point that may lead to shirk and the Prophet (ﷺ) warned against this
• The Prophet (ﷺ) is the best of creation and he has elevated rights, however we do not go above these rights
• However some Muslims go beyond these rights and this can lead to shirk
• The Prophet (ﷺ) himself forbade us from excessively praising him, why?
• The story of Nūh (may peace be upon him)
• What kind of excessive claims do the people of innovation make about the Prophet (ﷺ)
• Rather what is required is that we do not go into exaggeration, and at the same time we do not fall into negligence
• What does Allah say in the Qur’an?
  • “All the praises and thanks be to Allah, Who has sent down to His slave (Muhammad (ﷺ) ) the Book (the Quran), and has not placed therein any crookedness.” (Surah Al-Kahf (The Cave) verse 1)
  • There are many other examples which show us that the Prophet (ﷺ) has a raised and elevated station, and that he is the slave of Allah
  • e.g. Read Surah Al-Isra (The Journey by Night) verses 89-93
• The exaggeration and blatant shirk some Sufi poems e.g. the burda and how this completely opposes what the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came with
• What does it mean to love the Prophet (ﷺ)?

Fri 4th Oct 2019

Abu Muadh Taqweem

– Seeing Allah is the greatest reward for the inhabitants of Paradise
– How have the people of innovation deviated in this regard
– The importance of having the correct Aqeedah and sticking to the Qur’an and Sunnah

Sat 21 Sep 2019

Read by Abu Arwa Ali

Hadith 24

• Abu Dharr Al-Ghifārī – may Allah be pleased with him -said: the Prophet (ﷺ) mentioned from what he narrates from his Lord the Mighty and Sublime- that He said: “O my servants, I have restrained Myself from oppression, and have made it prohibited amongst you; so, do not oppress one another. O my servants, all of you lack guidance except whom I guide: so, seek guidance of me and I shall guide you. O my servants, you are all hungry except whom I feed; so, seek food of me and I shall feed you. O my servants, you are all naked except whom I clothe; seek clothing of me and I shall clothe you. O my servants, you err in the night and day, and I forgive all sins; so, seek forgiveness of me and I shall forgive you. O my servants, you all are incapable of bringing harm to Me such that you may harm Me and you are incapable of benefitting Me such that you may provide Me benefit. O my servants were the first of you and the last of you; the men of you and the jinn of you to be as the heart of the most pious one amongst you; that will not increase anything of My kingdom. O my servants, were the first of you and the last of you, the men of you and the jinn of you to be as the heart of the worst one amongst you; that will not reduce anything from My kingdom. O my servants were the first of you and the last of you; the men of you and the jinn of you to stand on a plain and you all supplicate to me and I grant everyone what he has asked; that will not reduce anything from what I have except what reduces from the sea if a needle is dipped in it. O my servants, it is but your actions; I keep record of them for you, and then, I will recompense you with it as is due. So, whoever finds good should give thanks and praise to Allah; and whoever finds other than that, let him blame no one but himself.” [Muslim]
• The explanation of this hadith is split into  10 parts
• In this Hadith Allah says “O My Servants” ten times
• The significance of Allah addressing us as His slaves and how privileged we are to receive this

Part 1: Hadith Qudsi

• What is a Hadith Qudsi?

Part 2: “O My slaves! Indeed I have forbidden oppression upon Myself, and I have made it forbidden amongst you, therefore do not oppress one another.”

• What is dhulm (oppression), what does it mean?
• Allah informs us in the Qur’an that He does not oppress:
  • “”Like the fate of the people of Nuh (Noah), and ‘Ad, and Thamud and those who came after them. And Allah wills no injustice for (His) slaves.” [Surah Ghaafir (The Forgiving) verse 31]
  • “Whosoever does righteous good deed it is for (the benefit of) his ownself, and whosoever does evil, it is against his ownself, and your Lord is not at all unjust to (His) slaves.” [Surah Fusilat (They are Explained in Detail) verse 46]
  • “Truly! Allah wrongs not mankind in aught; but mankind wrong themselves.” [Surah Yunus (Jonah) verse 44]
  • “Surely! Allah wrongs not even of the weight of an atom (or a small ant), but if there is any good (done), He doubles it, and gives from Him a great reward.” [Surah An-Nisaa (The Women) verse 40]
  • “And he who works deeds of righteousness, while he is a believer (in Islamic Monotheism) then he will have no fear of injustice, nor of any curtailment (of his reward).” [Surah Ta-Ha verse 112]
• The negation of oppression from Allah and affirmation of Justice of Allah

Part 3: “O My slaves, all of you are astray except the one whom I have guided, therefore seek guidance from Me and I shall guide you”

• Statement of Ibn Rajab Al Hanbali and the question he was asked about reconciling between narrations concerning the natural predisposition of mankind
• The importance of seeking guidance from Allah and asking him to make our hearts firm upon his religion
• Contemplating upon this
• Why do we say “Guide us to the straight Path” in our prayer 17 times a day when we are already Muslims?
• Guidance to Islam and Guidance towards the Sunnah and the correct path (indeed many people are guided towards Islam however they fall into the incorrect path by means of the groups of Innovations e.g. Sufism)

Part 4:”O My slaves, all of you are hungry except the one whom I have fed, therefore seek food from Me and I shall feed you. O My slaves, all of you are naked except the one whom I have clothed, therefore seek clothing from Me and I shall clothe you”

• These statements clarify the severe need of the slaves for their Lord for their sustenance, food, drink and clothing
• Do not think that making a request is insignificant even for the smallest things, indeed we are in need of Allah for every single thing and he loves to be asked

Part 5: “O My slaves, indeed you commit mistakes (sins) by day and by night, and I forgive all sins, therefore seek forgiveness from Me and I shall forgive you”