A Glimpse of Jannah (Eternal Bliss)

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

Ibn al-Qayyim (r.a.) said, in regards to the description of the Paradise and the delights that it contains:

"And if you ask about its ground and its soil, then it is of musk and saffron. 

And if you ask about its roof, then it is the Throne of the Most Merciful. 

And if you ask about its rocks, then they are pearls and jewels. 

And if you ask about its buildings, then they are made of bricks of gold and silver. 
And if you ask about its trees, then it does not contain a single tree except that its trunk is made of gold and silver. 

And if you ask about its fruits, then they are softer than butter and sweeter than honey. 
And if you ask about its leaves, then they are softer than the softest cloth.

And if you ask about its rivers, then there are rivers of milk who’s taste does not change, and rivers of wine that is delicious to those who drink it, and rivers of honey that is pure, and rivers of water that is fresh.

And if you ask about their food, then it is fruits from whatever they will choose, and the meat of whatever birds they desire.

And if you ask about their drink, then it is Tasneem, ginger, and Kaafoor.

And if you ask about their drinking cups, then they are crystal-clear and made of gold and silver.

And if you ask about its shade, then a fast rider would ride in the shade of one of its trees for a hundred years and not escape it.

And if you ask about its vastness, then the lowest of its people would have within his kingdom and walls and palaces and gardens the distance that would be travelled in a thousand years.

And if you ask about its tents and encampments, then one tent is like a concealed pearl that is sixty miles long.

And if you ask about its towers, then they are rooms above rooms in buildings that have rivers running underneath them.

And if you ask about how far it reaches into the sky, then look at the shining star that is visible, as well as those that are far in the heavens that the eyesight cannot possibly reach.
And if you ask about the clothing of its inhabitants, then they are of silk and gold.
And if you ask about its beds, then its blankets are of the finest silk laid out in the highest of its levels.

And if you ask about the faces of its inhabitants and their beauty, then they are like the image of the Moon.

And if you ask about their age, then they are young ones of 33 years in the image of Adam, the father of humanity.

And if you ask about what they will be hearing, then it is the singing of their wives from among the Hoor al-‘Ayn, and better than that are the voices of the Angels and the Prophets, and better than that is the Speech of the Lord of the Worlds.

And if you ask about their servants, then they are young boys of everlasting youth who resemble scattered pearls.

And if you ask about their brides and wives, then they are young and full-breasted and have had the liquid of youth flow through their limbs; the Sun runs along the beauty of her face if she shows it, light shines from between her teeth if she smiles; if you meet her love, then say whatever you want regarding the joining of two lights; he sees his face in the roundness of her cheek as if he is looking into a polished mirror, and he sees the brightness from behind her muscles and bones; if she were to be unleashed upon the World, she would fill what is between the Heavens and the Earth with a beautiful wind, and the mouths of the creation would glorifiy, praise, and exclaim greatness, and everything between the East and the West would be adorned for her, and every eye would be shut from everthing but her, and the light of the Sun would be outshone just as the light of the Sun outshines the light of the stars, and everyone on the face of the Earth would believe in the Ever-Living, the One who Sustains and Protects all the exists.

And the covering on her head is better than the World and all that is in it, and she does not increase with age except in beauty; free from an umbilical cord, childbirth and menses, and pure of mucous, saliva, urine and other filthy things; her youth never fades, her clothing is never worn out, no garment can be created that matches her beauty, and no one who is with her can ever become bored; her attention is restricted to her husband, so she desires none but him, just as his attention is restricted to her so she is the sole object of his desire, and he is with her in utmost safety and security, as none has touched her before of either humans or Jinn.

And if you ask about the Day of Increase (in reward) and the visit of the all-Mighty, all-Wise, and the sight of His Face - free from any resemblance or likeness to anything - as you see the Sun in the middle of the day and the full Moon on a cloudless night, then listen on the day that the caller will call: 'O People of Paradise! Your Lord - Blessed and Exalted - requests you to visit Him, so come to visit Him!' So they will say: ‘We hear and obey!’ 
Until, when they finally reach the wide valley where they will all meet - and none of them will turn down the request of the caller - the Lord - Blessed and Exalted - will order His Chair to be brought there. Then, pulpits of light will emerge, as well as pulpits of pearls, gemstone, gold, and silver. The lowest of them in rank will sit on sheets of musk, and will not see what those who are on the chairs above them are given. When they are comfortable where they are sitting and are secure in their places, and the caller calls: 'O People of Paradise! You have an appointment with Allaah in which He wishes to reward you!' So they will say: ‘And what is that reward? Has He not already made our faces bright, made our scales heavy, entered us into Paradise, and pushed us away from the Fire?’ 

And when they are like that, all of a sudden a light shines that encompasses all of Paradise. So, they raise their heads, and, behold: the Compeller - Exalted is He, and Holy are His Names - has come to them from above them and majestified them and said: 'O People of Paradise! Peace be upon you!' So, this greeting will not be responded to with anything better than: ‘O Allaah! You are Peace, and from You is Peace! Blessed are You, O possessor of Majesty and Honor!’ So the Lord - Blessed and Exalted - will laugh to them and say: 'O People of Paradise! Where are those who used to obey Me without having ever seen Me? This is the Day of Increase!'

So, they will all give the same response: ‘We are pleased, so be pleased with us!’ So, He will say: 'O People of Paradise! If I were not pleased with you, I would not have made you inhabitants of My Paradise! So, ask of Me!' So, they will all give the same response: ‘Show us your Face so that we may look at it!’ So, the Lord - Mighty and Majestic - will remove his covering and will majestify them and will cover them with His Light, which, if Allaah - the Exalted - had not Willed not to burn them, would have burned them. 

And there will not remain a single person in this gathering except that his Lord - the Exalted - will speak to him and say: 'Do you remember the day that you did this and that?' and He will remind him of some of his bad deeds in the Worldy life, so he will say: ‘O Lord! Will you not forgive me?’ So, He will say: 'Of course! You have not reached this position of yours (in Paradise) except by my forgiveness.'

So, how sweet is this speech to the ears, and how cooled are the righteous eyes by the glance at His Noble Face in the Afterlife…

{Some faces that Day will be shining and radiant, looking at their Lord…} (al-Qiyaamah:22-3)

[Haadi al-Arwaah ilaa Bilaad il-Afraah by Ibn al-Qayyim, pg. 193]

ibnulqayyim°

That is Love!

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

By Yasmin Mogahed.
As humans, we are made to feel love and attachment towards others. This is part of our human nature. While we can feel this way about another human being, five times a day we enter into a meeting with our Lord and Creator. I wondered how often we ever felt the whole world disappear while in His presence. Can we really claim that our love for Allah is greater than our love for anyone and anything else?

So often we think that Allah only tests us with hardships, but isn’t true. Allah also tests with ease. He tests us with na’im (blessings) and with the things we love, and it is often in these tests that so many of us fail. We fail because when Allah gives us blessings, we unwittingly turn them into false idols of the heart.

When Allah blesses us with money, We depend on the money rather than Allah, We forget that the source of our provision is not and never  was the money, but rather it was the giver of that money. In doing so, we are foolishly and ironically disobeying the Provider in order to protect the provision.

And so there are some who spend their whole lives seeking. Sometimes giving, sometimes taking, sometimes chasing, but often, just waiting. They believe that love is a place that you get to: a destination at the end of a long road. and they can’t wait for that road to end at their destination. They are those hearts moved by the movement of hearts. Those hopeless romantics, the sucker for a love story, or any sincere expression of true devotion. For them, the search is almost a lifelong obsession of sorts. But, this tragic ‘quest’ can have its costs- and its gifts.

The path of expectations and the ‘falling in love with love’ is a painful one, but it can bring its own lessons. Lessons about the nature of love, this world, people, and one’s own heart, can pave this often painful path. Most of all, this path can bring its own lessons about the Love of Creator.

Those who take this route will often reach the knowledge that the human love they seek was not the destination. Some form of that human love, can be a gift. It can be a means, but the moment you make it the End, you will fail. And you will live your whole life with the wrong focus. You will become willing to sacrifice the Goal for the sake of the means. You will give your life to reaching a ‘destination’ of worldly perfection that does not exist.

And the one, who runs after a mirage, never gets there; but keeps running. And so too will you keep running, and the willing to lose sleep, cry, bleed, and sacrifice precious parts of yourself- at times, even your own dignity. You’ll never reach what you’re looking for in this life, because what you seek isn’t a worldly destination. The Type of perfection you seek cannot be found in the material world. It can only be found in God (Allah).

That image of human love that you seek is an illusion in the desert of life. So, if that is what you seek, you’ll keep chasing. But no matter how close you get to a mirage, you never touch it. You don’t own an image. You can’t hold a creation of your own mind.

Yet, you will give your whole life, still, to reaching this ‘place’. You do this because in the fairy tale, that’s  where the story ends. It ends at the finding, the joining, and the wedding. It is found at the oneness of two souls. And everyone around you will make you think that your path ends there: at the place where you meet your soul mate, your other half- at the point in the path where you get married. Then and only then, they tell you, you will ever finally be complete. This, of course, is a lie because completion cannot be found in anything other than God (Allah).

Yet the lesson you've been taught since the time you were little- from every story, every song, every movie, every ad, every well-meaning auntie- is that you aren't complete otherwise. And if- God forbid- you are one of the ‘outcasts’ who haven’t gotten married, or have been divorced, you are considered deficient or incomplete in some way.

The lesson you’re taught is that the story ends at the wedding, and then that’s when Jannah (Paradise) begins. That’s when you’ll be saved and completed and everything that was once broken will be fixed. The only problem is, that’s not where the story ends. That’s where it begins. That’s where the building starts: the building of a life, the building of your character, the building of sabr, patience, perseverance, and sacrifice. The building of selfishness. The building of love.

However if the person you marry becomes your ultimate focus in life, your struggle has just begun. Now your spouse will become your greatest test. Until you remove that person from the place in your heart that only God should be, it will keep hurting. Ironically, your spouse will become the tool for this painful extraction process, until you learn that there are places in the human heart made only by- and for- God (Allah).

And the building of your path back to Him.

Among the other lessons you may learn along this path- after a long road of loss, gain, failure, success, and so many mistakes- is that there are at least two types of love. There will be some people you love because of what you get from them; what they give you, the way they make you feel. This is perhaps the majority of love- which is also what makes much of love son unstable. A person’s capacity to give is inconstant and changing. Your spouse to what you are given is also inconstant and changing. So if you’re chasing a feeling, you’ll always be chasing. No feeling is ever constant. If love is dependent on this, it too becomes inconstant and changing. And just like everything in this world, the more you chase it, the more it will run away from you.

But, once in a while, people enter your life that you love- not for what they give you- but for what they are. The beauty you see in them is a reflection of the Creator, so you love them, Now suddenly it isn't about what you’re getting, but rather what you can give. This is unselfish love. This second type of love is the rarest. And if it is based in, and not competing with, the love of God, it will also bring about the most joy. To love in any other  way is to need, to be dependent, to have expectations- all the ingredients for misery and disappointment.

So for all those who have spent their life seeking, know that purity of anything is found at the Source. If it is love that you seek, seek it through God. Every other stream, not based in His love, poisons the one who drinks from it. And the drinker will continue to drink, until the poison all but kills him. He will continue to die more and more inside, until he stops and finds the pure Source of water.

Once you begin to see everything beautiful as only a reflection of God’s beauty, you will learn to love in the right way: for His sake. Everything and everyone you love will be for, through and because of Him. The foundation of such love is God. So what you hold onto will no longer be just a unstable feeling, a fleeting emotion. And what you chase will no longer be just a temporary high. What you hold, what you chase, what you love, will be God: the only thing stable and constant. Thereafter, everything else will be through Him. Everything you give or take or love or don’t love, will be by Him. Not by your nafs. It will be for Him. Not for your nafs.

This means you will love what He loves and not love what He does not love. And when you do love, you will give to the creation- not for what you can get in return from them. You will love and you will give, but you will be sufficed from Him, for Him, and because of Him. That is the liberation of the self from servitude to any created thing. And that is freedom. That is happiness.

That is Love <3.

Is this Love that I’m Feeling?

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Image: love

By Yasmin Mogahed.
“Love is a serious mental disease.” At least that’s how Plato put it. And while anyone who’s

ever been Love’ might see some truth to this statement, there is a crucial mistake made

here. Love is not a mental disease. Desire is.

If being ‘in Love’ means our lives are in pieces and we are completely broken, miserable, utterly consumed, hardly able to function, and willing to sacrifice everything, chances are it’s not love. Despite what we are taught in popular culture, true love is not supposed to make us like drug addicts.

And so, contrary to what we’ve grown up watching in movies, that type of all-consuming obsession is not love. It goes by a different name. It is hawa- the word in the Holy Qur’an to refer to one’s lower, vain desires and lusts. Allah describes the people who blindly follow these desires as those who are most astray: “But if they answer you not, then know that only follow his own lusts (hawa). And who is more astray than the one who follows his own lusts, without guidance from Allah?” (The Holy Qur’an, 28:50)

By choosing to submit to our hawa over the guidance of Allah, we are choosing to worship those desires. When our love for what we crave is stronger than our love for Allah, we have taken that which we crave as a lord. Allah says: “Yet there are men who take (for worship) others besides Allah, as equal (with Allah): They love them as they should love Allah. But those of Faith are overflowing in their love for Allah.” (The Holy Qur’an 2:165)

If our ‘Love’ for something makes us willing to give up our family, our dignity, our self-respect, our bodies, our sanity, our peace of mind, our deen and our even our Lord who created us from nothing, know that we are not ‘in Love’. We are slaves.

Of such a person Allah says: “Do you see such a one as takes his own vain desires (hawa) as his lord? Allah has, knowing (him as much), left him astray, and sealed his hearing and his heart, and put a cover on his sight. (The Holy Qur’an, 45:23)

Real love brings about calm- not inner torment. True love allows you to be at peace with yourself and with God. That is why Allah says: “that you may dwell in tranquility.” Hawa is the opposite. Hawa will make you miserable. And just like a drug, you will crave it always, but never be satisfied. You will chase it to your own retirement, but never reach it. And though you submit your whole self to it, it will never bring you happiness.

True or pure love should never contradict or complete with one’s love for Allah. It should strengthen it. That is why true love is only possible within the boundaries of what Allah has made permissible. Outside of that, it is nothing more then hawa, to which we either submit or reject. We are either slaves to Allah, or slaves to our hawa. It cannot be both.

Only by struggling against false pleasure, can we attain true pleasure. They are by definition mutually exclusive. For that reason, the struggle against our desires is a prerequisite for the attainment of paradise. Allah says: “But as for he who feared the position of his Lord and prevented the soul from (unlawful) inclination, then indeed, Paradise will be (his) refuge.” (The Holy Qur’an 79:40-4)

Continue on next article: "This is Love."

How to get rid of Loneliness?

In the Name of Allah, The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful.

Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim,                  

I spent a part of my life abroad for studies. Some of it was pretty sad. I was away from home, family and friends, and I wasn’t really able to make friends easily, especially with people of other races. It was very lonely, and often I would get very depressed.

Human beings are very social creatures. We don’t like being alone. Even the most introverted people, and incidentally I count myself among them, need others around. There’s not even much need for conversation, just being there in the same room gives one a warm feeling.

‘If a person were condemned to spend months in isolation, cut off from all normal activities and interpersonal relationships, a substantial depression would result.’ says Dr. David Burns, author of Feeling Good. ‘Even young monkeys slip into a retarded, withdrawn state if they are separated from their peers and confined to a small cage.’

It’s bad enough when we find ourselves in situations of loneliness, but it’s worse when we deliberately put ourselves in such a situation. When people are depressed, they go into a state of inertia, termed by Dr. Burns as ‘do-nothingism’. You just can’t gather enough energy to get up and make contacts, and you don’t even want to. That sort of problem needs attention. It’s definitely not healthy to ignore it.

There’s a way of getting rid of this feeling of loneliness. It needs strength of faith and willpower. In the beginning of surat a-Baqara, Allah Ta’ala introduces the Quran to us thus:

Alif, Lam, Meem. This is the Book about which there is no doubt, a guidance for those conscious of Allah - Who believe in the unseen, establish prayer, and spend out of what We have provided for them… [Quran, 2:1-3]

Notice the first characteristic of the Muttaqeen: they believe in the unseen. No matter where we are, no matter in what desolate conditions, we are never alone. There are at least two angels with us at any given moment, one on the left and the other one the right, taking our records of good and evil deeds. We all know it, but since they are in the unseen, we don’t often realize and feel their presence.

If we obey Allah Ta’ala and worship Him wholeheartedly, He sends to us guardian angels, to protect us from all evil:

For each one are successive [angels] before and behind him who protect him by the decree of Allah . [13:11]

There are other angels who roam around the earth, seeking out gatherings in which Allah’s name is being invoked. ‘They sit with them and fold their wings round each other, filling that which is between them and between the lowest heaven.’ [Muslim]

Angels come and go in day and night shifts. ‘Then those who have stayed with you over-night, ascent unto Allah Who asks them, and He knows the answer better than they, "How have you left My slaves?" They reply, "We have left them praying as we found them praying."’ [Bukhari]

When one recites the Quran, angels come and listen.

Every one of us has a qareen from Jinns and one from the angels. The angel encourages us to do good.

The angels love those who do good and pray for them. In particular, they pray for the following groups of people:

• those who teach people good things
• those who wait for prayer in congregation
• those who pray in the first row
• those who fill the gaps in the rows
• those who eat suhoor
• those who send blessings upon the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam (did you just have an angel pray for you?)
• those who visit the sick

So next time you feel lonely, do some of the things which will summon more and more angels around you in sha Allah.

Courtesy of Understandquran.com

Why is the Heart So Important in Islam?

In the Name of Allah, The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful.

What will save us on the Day of Judgement? Are we favored based on our race or color? No. Then what is it? It is the place in our body which Allaahsubhanahu wa ta’alaa made the location of the most valuable possession of a human being: emaan (faith). It is your heart.

That favours you in the sight of Allaah subhanahu wa ta’alaa  is the state of your heart. What will save you on the Day of Judgement is qalbun saleem— a sound heart.

Let’s get started and find out about the amazing position of the heart in Islam and learn the secrets of a productive heart.

This is the week’s central ayah: So have they not traveled through the earth and have hearts by which to reason and ears by which to hear? For indeed, it is not eyes that are blinded, but blinded are the hearts which are within the breasts. [Quran, 22: 46]

The Significance of the Heart

In order to start moving in life you first need to have knowledge; with that knowledge you can define if something is important or not. Then it is up to you to make the move. The Prophet salallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said about your heart: Truly in the body there is a morsel of flesh which, if it be sound, all the body is sound and which, if it be diseased, all of it is diseased. Truly it is the heart. [al-Bukhaaree, Muslim]

Allaah ‘azza wajal informed us in the Quran about the “heart” (generally qalbin Arabic). For example, the word naas (people, mankind) is used 241 times, but the word “heart” is used no less than 137 times.

What is the State of Your Heart?

The state of your heart will decide what you do with your knowledge. Will you benefit from it by practicing it or not?  For example, if you hear an ayah of theQuran or a hadith, does it make you feel you want to practice it straight away or does it not have much impact on you? Whatever the answer is, it will tell you about the state of your heart.

Sins have an effect on your heart; they can cause your heart to be sealed so that the light of knowledge doesn’t reach it anymore and the ayaat of Allaah don’t affect you anymore. May Allaah ‘azza wajal protect us from this.

There are many diseases we find in our hearts, like jealousy, envy, greed, lust, and showing off. Our aim should be to strive to purify our hearts and turn back to Allaah with a sound heart. Once a wise man  made this dua: ‘ O Allah purify my heart from anything but You.’

The Heart and the Mind           

When you say the word ‘Think!” most of us point to our heads, right? How many of us point to our hearts when we say “Think?” The Messenger of Allaah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said, “Taqwa is here,” and he pointed to his chest. [Muslim, at-Tirmidhi, Ahmad]

Subhanallah, one of the functions of the heart is ta’aqqul (understanding). Allah subhanahu wa ta’alaa gave us a heart to comprehend, to reflect, and to reason. That brings us back to the central ayah: and have hearts by which to reason . . .

Ibn Taymiyyah rahimahullaah said that many doctors and philosophers have said that the mind is in the brain, so we think and understand with our brains and not with our hearts. He then said that the centre is actually the heart. Ibn Katheer said: The arrogant philosophers say that the mind is in the brain. [Tafsir ibn Kathir vol 4 p.508]

To believe, to disbelieve, to understand, to comprehend,  to have tranquility,  to feel confusion, to have tawakkul and to have khushoo’ are all functions of your heart.

Different Names for “Heart” in the Quran

In the Quran, Allah subhanahu wa ta’alaa uses different words to describe the heart; qalb, fu’aad and sadr.

Qalb is the general word for heart and the root word means something that turns around, something that changes easily. When Allah (swt) refers toemaan and the diseases of the heart, He uses the word qalb.

Fu’aad comes from a root that means “burning” or a flame and is used when the heart is inflamed with emotion. A beautiful example is when Allah describes the state of the heart of the mother of Musa alayhi salam: But there came to be a void in the heart (fu’aad) of the mother of Musa. [Quran, 28:10] Imagine how her heart was inflamed with emotions while she put her newborn, suckling son in a river!

Sadr means “chest.” When Allaah ‘azza wajal refers to secrets or motives, He uses the word sadr, like in Suratun Naas: The one who whispers in the hearts of Mankind. [Quran, 114: 5]

See how understanding the words of the Quran open a door to a whole new world of meanings for you?

 You Do With YOUR Heart?

Now the question is, what is your heart attached to? Is it attached to your house, your money, your favorite tv show, or to those special moments you spend with the Quran and reading about the Prophet ﷺ

Allah ‘azza wajal says:  . . . when the only one who will be saved is the one who comes before Allah with a heart devoted to Him. [Quran, 26:89]

How can you train your heart to become devoted and sound? I came across this beautiful list of the signs of a devoted and sound heart and I pray you will be as inspired as I was!

But before examining your own heart, take this extremely important step: askAllaah ‘azza wajal by His beautiful names to purify your heart. He is Al-Wahhaab (The Giver), so ask Him to give you a pure heart. He is Al-Qareeb(The Close One), so ask Him to make your heart close to Him. He is Al-Wadood (The Ever-Loving), so ask Him to fill your heart with love for Him. It’s as simple as that.

Now it’s time to test yourself on the signs of a pure and devoted heart!

§  ·         It continues to push its companion until he turns to Allah subhanahu wa ta’alaa and repents.

§  ·         It doesn’t grow tired of the remembrance of Allah subhanahu wa ta’alaa or His worship.

§  ·         If it misses out on an act of obedience it feels a pain that is more severe than the pain felt when losing money.

§  ·         It finds sweetness and delight in worship greater than any delight from food and drink.

§  ·         If it enters salah, its worries and troubles from this worldly life leave it.

§  ·         It is stingier with its time being wasted than a miser’s stinginess with his money.

§  ·         It is more concerned with a good deed being performed correctly and accepted than the actual deed itself.

Homework:

Memorize and use this beautiful Qur’anic dua in your daily life:

Who say, Our Lord, let not our hearts deviate after You have guided us and grant us from Yourself mercy. Indeed, You are the Bestower. [Quran, 3:8]

Website: Understandquran.com