The Book of Assistance

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Relieve those in hardship, fulfill the needs of those in need, and keep the sinner's disgrace concealed. For the Prophet (may blessings and peace be upon him), has said: 'God shall grant ease to him who eases the hardship of another, and shall conceal, in this world and the hereafter, (the sins) of him who conceals (the disgrace of) a believer; and He shall relieve from one of the hardships of the Day of Rising the one who relieves a Muslim from one of the hardships of this world; He shall fulfill the need of the man who fulfills his brother's need. He assists His servants as long as he assists his brother.'

Try to gladden the hearts of believers in every possible way, as long as these ways are not sinful. Intercede for anyone who requests it of you with those with whom you are influential, for God will ask His servant to account for his influence just as He will ask him to account for his money. If, following an act of intercession, you receive a gift for it you should refuse it, for it is a form of usury. [The Book of Assistance]

salam

[vanillawafer]

Always smile at believers, show them an engaging friendly face, speak well to them, be gentle and 'lower your wing' to them. The Prophet has said, (may peace be upon him): 'Do not disdain any act of goodness, even should this meeting your brother with a friendly face.' And: 'A kind word is a charity.' It has been handed down that when two Muslims meet and shake hands a hundred mercies are divided between them, ninety-nine of which are for the friendlier of the two.

Beware of breaking off relations with a Muslim for the sake of yourself. If you need to leave him for a religious reason then do not do so for more than three days, for the Prophet has said, (may blessings and peace be upon him): 'The one who deserts his brother for more than three days will be driven by God into the Fire, unless God rescues him through Him mercy.' This relates to desertion for the purpose of discipline; but if it be done because a wrong is being committed or a right neglected, then there can be no restoration until one reverts to right conduct.

Show delight and pleasure when something good befalls the Muslims, such as the arrival of rains, lowering of prices, or victory over aggressors or disbelievers. Be sad and aggrieved when hardship befalls them such as epidemics, rising prices, and seditions. Entreat God to relieve them of such trials, yet you should accept His decree and ordinance. The Prophet (may blessings and peace be upon him) said: 'The one who is not interested in the affairs of the Muslims is not one of them.'

When a Muslim does you a favor you must accept it, and thank and reward him. If you cannot reward him or you fear to offend him, then pray for him. For the Prophet (may blessings and peace be upon him) said: 'When someone does you a favor reward him; if you are unable to then pray for him until you feel that you have rewarded him.' And: 'The one who says to someone who has done him a favor: "May God reward you with goodness!" has given him an exceedingly good prayer.' [The Book of Assistance]

salam

[Safia]

Keep it up, insha'Allah .

[vanillawafer]

Effect reconciliation between the hearts of the believers, and cause them to love each other by bringing to light their virtues and concealing their vices. Restore good relations between them, for such a thing is more meritorious than supererogatory prayers and fasts, especially when effected between a father and his son, or a man and his relatives.

Beware of sowing discord through slander, backbiting or anything else such as will result in antagonism and aversion; for this is considered an immense sin by God.

Slander is to report the words of one person to another with the intention of creating discord between them. The Prophet (may blessings and peace be upon him) has said: 'A slanderer cannot enter the Garden.' And: 'The most abhorrent amongst you are those who damage (relationships) between brothers by slander, and create rifts between brethren.

Backbiting is to say things about a person, in his absence, which he would have resented had he been present, whether it be verbal, written, or indicated. The Prophet (may blessings and peace be upon him), has said: 'Every part of a Muslim is sacrosanct with regard to other Muslims: his blood, his wealth, and his honor.' And: 'Backbiting is worse than adultery.' God revealed to Moses, peace be upon him: 'The one who dies having repented of his backbiting will be the last to enter the Garden, and the one who dies persisting in it will be the first to enter the Fire'.

Beware of injustice, for it will be darkness on the Day of Rising, especially injustice to others, which is never left alone by God. Therefore, if you ever wrong anyone, hasten to emerge from the situation by submitting to punishment if it is a legal offense, asking to be absolved if it is a matter of honor, and returning to what you have taken if it is a financial injustice.

If you find yourself altogether unable to make reparations for some of your injustices, then seek refuge in God with sincerity, urgency, and an acknowledgment of your powerlessness, that He may get your adversary to accept you; also pray in abundance and ask for forgiveness for those whom you have wronged. [The Book of Assistance]


salam

[vanillawafer]

Defend the lives, honor, and wealth of Muslims as you defend your own, whether they be present or not. The one who supports a Muslim will be supported by God, and the one who deserts a Muslim will be deserted by Him.

You must be of good counsel to all Muslims. The highest point of this is that you conceal nothing from them which if made known would result in good or preserve from something evil. Support a Muslim in his absence as you would in his presence.

Do not praise anyone unless you know that your praises will incite him to more good works or unless he is a superior person whose superiority is not well known and you wish to make it so, this being on condition that you are safe from lying and he is safe from conceit.

Speak truthfully and honor your commitments and your promises, for breaching commitments and breaking promises are signs of hypocrisy. 'The signs of a hypocrite are four: when he speaks he lies, when he promises he breaks his promise, when he is trusted he betrays the trust, and when he quarrels he acts corruptly.

Be wary of argumentation and wrangling, for they cast rancor in the breasts of men, alienate hearts, and lead to enmity and hatred. If anyone argues against you and has right on his side, accept what he says, for truth must always be followed. If, on the other hand, he is wrong, then leave him, for he is ignorant.

Respect Muslims, especially people of merit such as the scholar, the righteous, the nobleman, and the one whose hair has greyed in Islam. Never frighten or alarm a Muslim; never mock or ridicule, or despise him, for these are part of ominous and blameworthy behavior. The Prophet, may blessings and peace be upon him, has said: 'It is sufficient evil for a man that he should despise his brother Muslim.' [The Book of Assistance]

salam

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Be humble, for humility is the attribute of believers. Beware of pride, for God does not like the proud. Those who humble themselves are raised up by God, and those who are proud are abased by Him. The Prophet, may blessings and peace be upon him, has said: 'Pride is to deny the truth and despise other people.' And: 'The man who looks at himself with admiration and others with disdain is proud.'

There are signs which distinguish the humble from the proud: Signs of humility include a liking for obscurity, a dislike of fame, to accept truth whether it be from a man of high or low birth, to love the poor, associate with them and keep their company to fulfill the rights people have upon you as completely as you can, thank those who fulfill their duties to you, and excuse those who are remiss.

Signs of pride include a liking for sitting in the positions of most dignity when in company or in a public gathering, praising oneself, speaking in a pompous manner, openly displaying haughtiness and arrogance, strutting, neglecting the rights your brothers have upon you while at the same time demanding the rights you have upon them.

Think well of all Muslims, and beware of thinking ill of any of them. The Prophet, may blessings and peace be upon him, has said: 'Two traits are unsurpassed by any other good: thinking well of God, and thinking well of His servants. And two traits are unsurpassed by any other evil: thinking ill of God, and thinking ill of His servants.'

To think well of Muslims is to regard nothing they do or say as evil when it can be interpreted otherwise. If you cannot find a good interpretation, in the case of sins, for example, then reproach them for committing them, and believe that their faith will eventually drive them to refrain and repent of them.

Thinking evil of Muslims is to regard as evil those acts and words of theirs which are in appearance good. For example, you may see a Muslim who frequently prays, gives charity, and recites the Quran, and you think that he is only doing this so that people may see him, and that his aim is wealth and social position. This corrupt form of thinking occurs only to those who are inwardly vile, and is an attribute of the hypocrites. [The Book of Assistance]


salam

[vanillawafer]

Make frequent supplications, and ask for forgiveness for yourself, your parents, relatives, friends, and all other Muslims, for the prayer of a Muslim for his brother in his absence is answered. The Prophet, may blessings and peace be upon him, has said: 'Some prayers have no veils between them and God: the prayer of the wronged, and that of a Muslim for his brother in his absence.'

Know that Muslims have many mutual obligations. If you want to fulfill these properly then behave towards Muslims, whether they be present or absent, as you would like them to behave towards you. Oppose your own soul, and accustom your heart to wish for Muslims every good that you wish for yourself. The Prophet, may blessings and peace be upon him, has said: 'None of you has believed until he loves for his brother that which he loves for himself.' People are either afflicted or free (of affliction) so be compassionate to the afflicted and thank God for freedom (from affliction).

You must repent from every single sin, small or great, outward or inward. Know that repentance cannot be sound unless the sin itself is renounced, remorse is felt, and there is present a determination never to repeat it for the rest of one's life. God loves the penitent. The true penitent is characterized by signs, among which are softness of the heart, frequent weeping, adhering to obedience, and forsaking evil companions and places.

Beware of willful persistence, which is to sin and not repent immediately. It is a believer's duty to guard against sins, both small and great, in the way he would against come across burning fires, engulfing waters or lethal poisons. He should neither commit nor intend a sin, neither talk about it before nor delight in it after it happened. If he does fall into it he should conceal and hate it, and hasten to repent immediately. [The Book of Assistance]

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Renew your repentance frequently, for sins are numerous and a servant is never free, outwardly and inwardly, from a great number of rebellious acts, even if his state is good, behavior upright, and obedience continual. It should suffice you (to Know) that the Messenger of God, may blessings and peace be upon him, infallible and absolutely perfect as he was, repented to God and asked for His forgiveness more than seventy times each day.

Ask for forgiveness repeatedly, night and day, especially the last hours of night. The Prophet has said, may blessings and peace be upon him: 'God will grant the one who perseveres in asking for forgiveness relief from everything that worries him, a way out of every difficulty, and provision from whence he did not expect it.' [The Book of Assistance]

salam

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Have hope and fear, for these are the two of the most noble fruits of faith, and God has attributed to the Foremost among His servants. The basis of hope is the heart's knowledge of the immensity of God's mercy and generosity, the magnitude of His favors and kindness, and His gracious promise to those who obey him. This knowledge generates a state of joyous relief which is termed 'hope', the intended result of which is that one hastens to acts of goodness and is careful in performance of one's acts of obedience, for obedience is the road to God's Good Pleasure (Ridwan),and His Garden.

The basis of fear is the heart's knowledge of the majesty of God. His invincible might, His independence of any of His creatures, and the severe punishments and painful torments with which He has threatened those who disobey Him and contravene His commands. This knowledge generates a state of apprehension which is termed 'fear', the intended result of which is that one abandons sins and thoroughly guards oneself against them, for sin is the road leading to God's wrath and His place of punishment.

Any hope or fear that does not lead to adherence to obedience and renunciation of transgressions is considered by the people of inward vision to be useless illusion and folly, for the one who (really) hopes for something seeks it and the one who (really) fears something flees from it invariably.

Beware of either despairing of God's mercy or feeling secure from His deception, for both are among the major sins. They only despair of the mercy of their Lord who are astray, and they only feel secure from the deception of God who are the people of perdition.

'Despair' is to be so overwhelmed by fear as to leave absolutely no room for hope, while 'security' is to have so much hope as to leave absolutely no room for fear. The man who has either of the two is ignorant of God, and will inevitably neglect His obedience and transgress. For the one who despairs forsakes obedience because he feels it will be of no avail to him, while the one who is secure commits sins thinking that they will not harm him. We seek God's protection against damnation and against evil destiny. [The Book of Assistance]

salam

[vanillawafer]

Beware of those hopes for forgiveness which will sever you therefrom. These you from deluded people who say that God will forgive all sins, that He stands in no need of us and our works, that His treasures are full of bounty and His mercy envelops everything, but who then persist in committing sins and neglecting good works, as though they were in effect saying that acts of obedience are of no benefit and sins bring no harm. This is a 'formidable falsehood!'

The Prophet, may blessings and peace be upon him, has said: 'The shrewd man is he who accuses himself and works for that which follows death, and the incompetent is he who follows his soul's passions and harbors (illusory) hopes regarding God.'

If you say to one of these deluded people that he should refrain from earning and commerce and God the Exalted will send him his provision, he will ridicule you and reply that he never saw anything come except when sought and pursued, mostly with toil and exertion. Nevertheless, God has guaranteed (his share of) the world for him, but not the Hereafter. Is this anything but an inversion of (the truth) and standing upside down on one's own head? [The Book of Assistance]

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[vanillawafer]

You must show fortitude (sabr), for it is one of the foundations and is inescapable as long as you are in this abode. It is a noble trait and a great virtue. The Messenger of God, many blessings and peace be upon him, has said: 'Fortitude is the commander of the believer's soldiers.' And: 'There is much good in the patient endurance of that which one finds unpleasant.' And: 'Know that victory comes with fortitude, relief with hardship, and that with each difficulty comes ease.'

Know that happiness depends on the occurrence of nearness to God, which in turn depends on always following the truth and avoiding falsehood. The soul (lower self) is by its very nature inclined to detest truth and lean towards falsehood. The determination of the seeker of felicity is thus always in need of fortitude, sometimes to force the soul to follow the truth and sometimes to force it to avoid falsehood. [The Book of Assistance]

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[vanillawafer]

Fortitude (sabr) is of four kinds:
Firstly, patiently enduring one's perseverance in acts of obedience. This is realized inwardly through sincerity and presence of heart, and outwardly through holding constantly to them, showing zeal, and performing them in the correct and lawful way. This kind of fortitude is helped by remembering God's promised rewards, both immediate and to come, for obedience. The one who keeps to this kind of fortitude reaches the station of nearness where he will find indescribable sweetness, pleasure, and intimacy in acts of obedience.

Secondly, patient endurance in renouncing sins. This is realized outwardly by avoiding them and by keeping away from the places where they might be committed, and by preventing the soul from discoursing upon them and from inclining to them, for the very beginning of a sin is a thought.

As for remembering previous sins, if this results in fear or remorse it is good, if not then refraining from it is better. This kind of fortitude is helped by remembering God's threats of punishment in this world and the next for disobedience. The one who keeps to this kind of fortitude will be honored by God with finding all disobedience so repugnant that entering the Fire would be easier for him to bear than the committal of the smallest sin.

Thirdly, patient endurance of unpleasant things. These are of two kinds: The first comprises those which come from God without an intermediary, as illness, death of a dear relative or a friend etc. This kind of fortitude is realized inwardly by forsaking restlessness, which is to become annoyed and irritated, and outwardly by not complaining to any creature.

This kind of fortitude is helped by the knowledge that impatience is painful in itself, in addition to its leading to punishment and the loss of reward. Complaining to one who can neither benefit nor protect his own self is foolish, and such are all creature. Furthermore, to complain is evidence of not finding one's sufficiency in God, in Whose hand is the Dominion of all things, and also of omitting to remember those verses which relate to the worth of patient endurance of losses, infirmities, and afflictions, and that God the Exalted knows better than a man that which is of most benefit to him. God will give the one who perseveres in this kind of fortitude to taste the sweetness of surrender and find rest in the serenity of contentment.

The second kind of unpleasant things comprises those which are caused by other men, whether by way of offenses to oneself and one's honor, or of some act of withholding. Complete fortitude in this regard means preventing oneself from hating the offender, if he is a Muslim, or wishing him to come to harm, preventing one's tongue from praying to God against him, and not reproaching him at all, which thing will be accomplished either by forbearance and fortitude, through one's reliance on God's assistance, or by reconciliation, in the wish for His reward.

This kind of patience is helped by knowledge of that which has been handed down regarding the merit which is in suppressing one's anger, enduring injuries, and forgiving others. The Prophet, may blessings and peace be upon him, has said: 'God fills the heart of one who suppresses his anger when he is able to carry out its demands with serenity and faith. The one who perseveres in this kind of fortitude will be honored by God with a goodly character, which is the source of all virtues and the foundation of all perfections.

Fourthly, patient renunciation of desires, which are all those boashut uplly worldly things to which the soul inclines. Perfect patient denial is attained by inwardly stopping the soul from thinking and leaning towards them, and outwardly restraining it for seeking or coming close to them.

This kind of fortitude is helped by knowledge of the distraction from God and His worship which comes from seeking and fulfilling desires, the risks of falling into the suspect and prohibited things and the arousal of greed for the world and the wish to remain therein so as to be able to enjoy its pleasures. Abu Sulaiman al Darani has said: 'To abandon a single desire is of more benefit to the heart than a year's of worship.' God will honor the one who grows accustomed to denying himself his desires by removing these things from his heart until his only desire is the Creator Himself and not the created things.[The Book of Assistance]

salam

[vanillawafer]

You must thank God for all that He has favored you with. You have no good thing, whether outward or inward, religious or worldly, but that it comes from Him. God's favors upon you are more than you can number or beware of, let alone adequately thank Him for. You should do as much as you can to thank your Lord, and confess your total incapacity to do so adequately.

Know that thankfulness leads to perpetuation of favors already received and to the obtaining of others that are desired. He is, Exalted is He, too generous to take away a favor from someone who is thanking Him. And God has exhorted His servants to render thanks to Him many times in His Book. And the Prophet, may blessings and peace be upon him, has said: 'Let each of you have an invoking tongue and a thankful heart.' And: 'Faith has two halves: one is patience and the other thankfulness.'

Know that just as you must thank God for favors which are proper for you, such as knowledge and health, you must also thank Him for favors which are general, such as the sending of Messengers, the revelation of Books, raising up the sky, and stretching out the earth. [The Book of Assistance]

salam

[vanillawafer]

The basis of thankfulness is that the heart be aware of such favors, that they are from God alone, and that nothing comes to one through one's own ability and power, but only through God's grace and mercy. The limit of thankfulness is to use each one of His favors in His obedience; if you do not do so you will have neglected to give thanks for it, and if you use them to disobey Him you will have fallen into ingratitude, whereby favors turn into afflictions.

Anyone who still enjoys some favors while using them in disobedience to God is being lured. God the Exalted has said: We shall lure them from whence they do not know. And: We only give them rein that they may grow in sinfulness. Similarly, 'God gives rein to the wrong doer until, when He takes him, He does not let him go.' (Hadith)

It is part of thankfulness to praise God frequently, and to rejoice for the favors bestowed, because they are means of attaining to the propinquity of God, and because they are evidence of God's solicitude for His servants.

It is part of thankfulness, too, to make much of His favors, even those that are small. It is related that God once said to one of His Prophets: 'Whenever I grant you a poor grain of wheat, know that I have remembered you thereby; therefore thank Me for it.

It is part of thankfulness likewise to speak of God's favors without, however, digressing into anything that might suggest self-righteousness in religious matters or insolence in matters of the world. Deeds are according to the intentions behind them. And all good comes from following our virtuous predecessors in all circumstances; and God knows best. [The Book of Assistance]

salam

[vanillawafer]

You must renounce the world, for renunciation is the forerunner of felicity, the manifestation of Providence, the sign of sanctity. Just as loving the world is the origin of all sins, so also is hating it the origin of all obedience and excellence. It is enough to make you renounce the world to know that in numerous passages in His Book God has called it the Comfort of Illusion, and God the Exalted defined the world as being but a distraction and play to which no intelligent person should pay any attention and to which only fools are attracted.

Know that to renounce the world is an immediate felicity, and that only those whose breasts God has opened up by the dawning of the lights of gnosis and certainty are capable of it. The Prophet has said, may blessings and peace be upon him: 'When light enters the heart it opens up and is enlarged.' (The Companions) said: 'Is there any sign for that? and he replied: 'Yes, to shun the abode of illusion and attend to the abode of immortality.' And he said: 'Renouncing the world relieves the heart and the body, while desire for the world increases worry and sorrow.' And: 'Renounce the world, and God will love you.' [The Book of Assistance]

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