[farah]

Old Islamica had a thread where we'd post excerpts from the book. Alhumdulillah, I still have a few posted on my blog, so I figured I'd transfer them here... plus, inshaAllah this should push me to not only finish the book but also finish posting excerpts. A new one every two or three days, inshaAllah.

Feel free to post your own favorite sections.

[farah]

Hatred or strong dislike of a person for no legitimate reason is the disease of bughd [ hatred]. The Prophet (saw) * once said to his Compansions, "Do you want to see a man of Paradise?" A man then passed by and the Prophet (saw) said, "That man is one of the people of Paradise." So a Companion of the Prophet (saw) decided to learn what it was about this man that earned him such commendation from the Messenger of God (saw). He spent time with this man and observed him closely. he noticed that he did not perform the Night Prayer vigil (Tahajjud) or anything extraordinary. He appeared to be an average man of Madinah. The companion finally told the man what the Prophet (saw) had said about him and asked him if he did anything special. And the man replied, "The only thing that i can think of, other than what everybody else does, is that i make sure that i never sleep with any rancor in my heart towards another." That was his secret.

"The cure for hatred is straightforward. One should pray for the person toward whom he feels hatred; make specific supplications mentioning this person by name, asking God to give this person good things in this life and the next. When one does this with sincerity, hearts mend." ~ p 30-31



"In a profound and beautiful hadith, the Prophet (saw) said, "None of you has achieved faith until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself." ~ p 31.

[Jamroll]

Sah-weet thread. Appreciate it.

We need more of these kind of threads, inshallah.

Jazakallah khair, farah.

[RestlessSoul]

great thread. I had the same problems finishing the book. initially was reading it straight through but then I stopped for a while and forgot some of the finer points he had made earlier. I skip around now, but definitely you derive more meaning from it if you follow the book's natural progression.

[farah]

Envy

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"Whatever rank envy occupies in the hierarchy of diseases, most scholars will agree that it is the first manifestation of wrongdoing and the first cause of disobedience against God, when Satan (Iblis) refused to obey God when commanded to bow down before the new creation, Adam, the first human being. Nothing prevented Iblis from bowing down except his envy of Adam, for God chose Adam to be his vicegerent on earth instead of Iblis. Iblis grew arrogant and objected to the command that he show Adam any honor, for Iblis saw himself, a creation from fire, superior to this clay creature. When confronted with his disobedience, Satan did not seek forgiveness from God. Enviers develop a mindset that makes it impossible for them to admit they are wrong. To manifest envy is to manifest one of the characteristics of the most wretched creature, Satan." (p 39-40)

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"A blessing (ni'ma) is something that God bestows. One of God's names is al-Mun'im, the Giver of Blessing. Envy, then, is desiring that a person lose what God has given him or her. It is tantamount to saying that God should not have given this person a blessing or, worse yet, that He was wrong to do so "because I deserve it more."

"There is a well known story about al-Asma'i, the famous Arab philologist and anthologer of poetry, when he once came upon a Bedouin and was invited to enter his tent. In Bedouin culture, the women serve guests in the presence of their husbands. This Beouin happened to have a very beautiful wife, though he himself was quite unattractive. And when the men went out to prepare a lamb for a meal, the guest couldn't resist saying to this woman, "How did such a beautiful woman like you marry such an ugly man like that?" The woman said, "Fear God! Perhaps he had done good works accepted by his Lord and I am his reward."

"God is all-wise in what He gives to people. If one questions the blessing a person has received, then he or she is actually questioning the Giver. This makes envy reprehensible and forbidden. (p. 41) [ bold is my own edit ]

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Treatment.

As a remedy to the type of envy that prods one to bring about harm to another person, Imam mawlud suggests that one contradict his temptation, that is, do something that will benefit the person who is envied. For example, give that person a gift or do a favor. This defies the commands of one's whims, gains the pleasure of God, and protects against envy. The Imam suggests also that one may praise the person toward whom one feels the urge to slander. There is no hypocrisy in this recommendation. The purpose is to starve envy of the negative thoughts it requires to thrive. Being beneficient to a person against whom one feels envy often makes that person incline towards the envier. In general, good people are inclined to love those who show them good.

Another treatment is to know with certainty that holding envy against another person brings harm to oneself. Human nature's most primordial instinct is to avoid harm. It is easier for a person to repel negative feelings when he or she realizes these feelings hurt the soul." (p 43)

[RestlessSoul]

It is necessary to remember that when a person is straight with God - observant of His commands, avoiding what He has prohibited, and going beyond the mere obligations and remembering Him often through litanies, voluntary acts of worship, and generosity in charity - the evil prayers of others will not prevail. But if one is oppressing people - depriving them of their rights - then one is justified in feeling some fear, for the Prophet (s.a.w.) said, "Fear the supplication of the oppressed."

If someone prays against another unjustly, then the iniquity will revert back to the wrongdoer. God never commanded people to supplicate against others, with the exception of the oppressors. God said, "Let there be no hostility except against oppressors (Quran 2:193)." The Prophet (s.a.w.) said that supplication is "the weapon of the believer," a great blessing from God. In many circumstances we find people bereft of any means to defend themselves against wrongdoing and oppresssion and all they have is the power of supplication. But to say "that is all they have" is rather ironic, given that there is no power or might except with God. (Purification of the Heart p.76)

[Pushpa]

Displeasure With The Divine Decree

...How many times have we heard a person bemoan, "I do not deserve this!" or "why me?" or similar delarations? Many people live with rancor in their hearts over what they have been dealt in life. This attitude stems from a denial of God's omnipotence and that it is God alone who decrees all things. We cannot choose what befalls us, but we can choose our response to the trials of life, which are inevitable.

....

It is important to look at the life of the Prophet (saw) and know that no one faced greater tribulation. The Prophet (saw) lived to see all of his children buried, except for Fatima. How many people experience that in their lifetime? Out of six children, he saw five of them perish. His father died before his birth. His mother died when he was just a boy. His guardian grandfather then died. When he received his calling, he saw people turn against him with vehemence and brutality. People who had once honored him, now slandered him, calling him a madman, liar, and sorcerer. They stalked him and threw stones at him until he bled. They boycotted him and composed stinging invectives against him. He lost his closest friends and relatives. like Hamza who was killed on the battlefield. His beloved wife, Khadija, after 25 years of blissful marriage died during the Prophet's most difficult moment. Abu Talib, his protecting uncle, also died. The Prophet (saw) was the target of 13 assassination attempts. How many people have faced all of that? Not once in a single hadith is there a complaint from him - except when beseeching his Lord.

....

There are three blessings hidden in every trial: it could have been worse, it involved one's worldly affairs and not religion, and it came in this world and not in the Hereafter.

[farah]

Ostentation

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Definition

The next disease is riya’ or ostentation, the most nefarious form of which is when a person performs rites of worship merely to obtain a place in the hearts of others. The Prophet (saw) referred to this behavior as “the lesser idolatry.” He also said, “I do not fear that you will worship the sun, the stars, and the moon, but I fear you worshipping other than God through ostentation.” He said, moreover, “What I most fear for my community is doing things for other than the sake of God.”

(p 57)

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The root source of ostentation is desire, wanting something from a source other than God. (The Arabic word for root here is alwiya, a derivative that also refers to one who carries the banner, the standard-bearer, who leads the way or commences an activity.) The Imam says that the cure for ostentation is the same cure for reckless compromise (mudahana). It is actively and sincerely seeking out purification of the heart by removing four things: love of praise; fear of blame; desire for worldly benefit from people; and fear of harm from people. This is accomplished by nurturing the certainty (yaqin) that only God can benefit or harm one. This is at the essence of the Islamic creed. The Prophet (saw) said in one of his most celebrated statements:

“Be mindful of God and God will protect you. Be mindful of God and you will find Him in front of you. If you ask, ask of God. If you seek help, seek help from God. Know that if the whole world were to gather together to benefit you with anything, it would benefit you with something that God had already prescribed for you. And if the whole world were to gather together to harm you, it would harm you only with something that God had already prescribed for you. The pens have been lifted and the ink has dried.”

(p 57-58)

[RestlessSoul]

From the chapter on Boasting and Arrogance p. 127)

A cousin of Ali ibn Abi Talib asked him, "Who is better, you or Abu Bakr?" Ali answered, "Abu Bakr." And when asked the same question about Umar, he answered, "Umar." He then asked him, "What rank do you have." Ali said, "I am a Muslim among many." It is astonishing to hear people nowadays, who do not come close to the stature, knowledge, wisdom, and piety of Ali, who nonetheless are so easily offended when they perceive others have slighted them. And acts we perceive as humble today are often attempts at attaining the mere appearance of humility.

Ibn Ata'illah said, "If you're aware of your humility, then you are arrogant." But scholars say the following, "If you are not like the real people, at least mimic them." It is better to simulate humilty than to be an outright arrogant man. Imam al-Ghazali says, "If one wishes to master calligraphy, then he must go to a master calligrapher and repeat what he does."

[vegetables]

The Prophet(SAW) once said that whoever has a mustard seed of arrogance in his heart will not enter Heaven, a sentiment shared with Christianity. What God asks from obedient people is simply acknowledging that their obedience is a gift from God. The Prophet(SAW) said, "Do not find fault in others. If you find fault in them, God may take their faults away and give them to you." It is unbecoming for a believer to look with scorn at those in tribulation, exhibiting a loathsome disdain towards other who seem unguided. It is better to come with compassion toward them and gratitude with God. When the Prophet(SAW) saw people severely tried, he made the supplication: "Praise be to [God] who has given me well-being such that I was not tried like these people. And He has preferred me over so much for his creation." Compassion for those in tribulation and gratitude for well-being is how the Prophet(SAW) responded when he witnessed people in difficulty. (p. 71)

[Rida]

There is a tradition that's often mistaken that states "Act for dunya as if you would live forever, and act for Akhera as if you would die tommorow".

Sh. Uthmaan Bashir explained the above tradition. He said that most people don't understand it and It is a saying used by dunya lovers to justify their actions...."We have to act as if we will live forever.." But if you look at the saying and your situation bifocally it means "I have forever to do my dunya obligations, but I only have one day to fulfil my akhera obligations". This puts it in perspective. We don't have much time to work for akhera and that should be our main goal.

[amina9183]

this is one of my favorite books...awesome, awesome thread. Insha Allah when I have more time I'll post some stuff out of it.

[ssalmanj]

My all-time favorite book! I hope to contribute in the future as well, insha'Allah.

[Revert]

I remember Caribbean _Pirate was reading this..i thought to myself..i need that..and then forgot about it..

[Timbit]

Originally Posted by farah

"A blessing (ni'ma) is something that God bestows. One of God's names is al-Mun'im, the Giver of Blessing. Envy, then, is desiring that a person lose what God has given him or her. It is tantamount to saying that God should not have given this person a blessing or, worse yet, that He was wrong to do so "because I deserve it more."

Not really though. Envy isn't necessarily saying that God shouldn't have given that person a blessing. It's saying that you want the same one.

Originally Posted by farah

"There is a well known story about al-Asma'i, the famous Arab philologist and anthologer of poetry, when he once came upon a Bedouin and was invited to enter his tent. In Bedouin culture, the women serve guests in the presence of their husbands. This Beouin happened to have a very beautiful wife, though he himself was quite unattractive. And when the men went out to prepare a lamb for a meal, the guest couldn't resist saying to this woman, "How did such a beautiful woman like you marry such an ugly man like that?" The woman said, "Fear God! Perhaps he had done good works accepted by his Lord and I am his reward."