Part 6

Yahya ibn Muadh caiman) Said, "Renew your hearts with the

remembrance of Allaah because it rushes into forgetfulness."

From the morals and manners of the Salaf was that they possessed tender hearts and would weep much because of their deficiency in their duties towards Allaah the Most High, so that He

may have mercy upon them.

The Messenger of Allaah iat stim ina Said, "If you knew what I knew, you would have laughed little and wept much.” The companions of Allaah’s Messenger (aun isnerunn thereupon

sobbed while covering their faces.

‘Ali canunin ain Said, “I saw the companions of Allaah’s MessenBEL damnite uti wien, but today I see no one like them! They would arise in the morning dusty, pale with dishevelled hair. Between their two eyes.a mark like.a goat's knee because they had spent the night in prostration and long standings. Rolling up and down between their feet and their foreheads. So if the morning came, they would stand steadily as a (swaying) tree does ona windy day. Their eyes would be bathed in tears. By Allaah! It is as if I am now with people who have slept forgetful."

1. Collected by al-Bukhaari (11/319) in "Ar-Riqaaq”, Al-Tirmidhi (9/194) in "Az-Zuhd". What is ineatit by khaneen (sobbing) is weeping with the noise spreading from the nose.

‘Umar ibn al-Khattab rrsusesm had two black lines on his face from his excessive weeping. Ibn ‘Abbaas auseam had marks like

a worn out shoe-lace under his eyes from his excessive weeping.

Ka’b al-Ahbaar ¢oimuun Said, "I prefer to. weep out of the fear of Allaah (even) with only one tear drop falling from my eyes

than to spend a mountain of gold with an ungracious heart."

"ALi ctisien'as WOuld say, "The signs of the righteous are: a pale complexion, bleary eyes, lips shrivelling from their hunger,

weeping, and wakefulness in prayer at night."

Fearing their deficiencies in their Deen:

From the morals and manners of the Salaf was that they would consider themselves on the verge of destruction because of their deficiencies in their works and then because of their sin-

They would say, “There is hope that Allaah will pardon us and that is the true.achievement. The concern, however, lies in thinking that He would recall our every tiny mistake and even less. This self-assessment lessens.the burden of accounting on the Day of Arising. Whoever does not bring his soul to account here,

he will have a long standing for accounting there!"

O You who believe! Fear Allaah and let every person look

fo what he has sent forth for tomorrow.!

‘Umar ibn-ul-Khattaab coun said, "Call yourselves to account before you are brought to account. Weigh them up before they are weighed, and prepare for the greatest parade. The Day that you shall be presented (for judgement), not a secret of yours will be hidden!"

surah 69 verse 18?

Ahmad ibn Hurmuz al-A’raj canon WOuld say, "Search yourselves, concerning the ugliness it is upon. Tomorrow everyone will be resurrected with those who did the same sins. Whoever fell into all sins then he will be gathered for each sin each time with the people of that sin." He used to rebuke himself saying, "A caller will pronounce on the Day of Arising : O people who did such and such sin; arise! So O A’raj! You will have to stand with them. Again it will be cried : O people who did that sin; arise! And you A’raj would stand with them and everyone else who

Little care about building homes etc:

From the morals and manners of the Salaf was that they would not care much about building homes etc. If one of them did build a house, he would limit. himself to what he needed without embellishment or adornment. That was because they did not possess enough lawful and pure earnings and because they did not extend their hopes and desires for worldly posses-

Anas ibn Maalik (euisunmo no Said, "The Messenger of Allaah wu biidw/dsitivenim drew a line and said, "This is man." He drew another line and said, "This is man’s death." He then drew a line further than the second line and said, "This is his hopes.While he tries to fulfil his hopes, the closest line takes him."!

One of the Salaf passed by a person who was building a house. So he recited the following poem: "Do you build houses for the immortal? If you thought, you would see your staying there is little; Under the shade of a stick is enough for him; Whom one day departure will embrace him;"

1. Narrated by al-Bukhaari (11/235, 236) in ar-Rigaaq.

He saw his friend who had spend a large amount of money for his house and told him, "If you had rented yout house, you would have only spent one tenth of what you have spent on it

The Salaf would tty to develop a lack of greed and high hopes.

Felt the world not to be precious:

From the morals and manners of the Salaf was that they would feel that the world was insignificant as the Messenger of Allaah (.ntsns suo aun Said, "What is the world compared to the Afterlife except like one of you was to put his finger in a sea and see how much water it retains!"! He (aitu'stinsanny also said, "If the world meant as much as a wing of a mosquito to Allaah, he would not have let the disbeliever take a drink of water

Maalik ibn Deenar (anmiau Said, "Beware of the sorcerer who enchant the hearts of the scholars distracting them from Allaah the Most High, i.e., the world. Its nature is uglier than the magic Haarut and Maarut came with, since their magic separated a man from his wife, whereas the world separates a slave from his Mas-

Hasan al-Basri (aumiuiun used to. say, "We have met a certain people to whom the world was like something entrusted to them which they would have to give back to its owner. They saw that

1. Reported by Muslim (18/93) in al-Jannah..., at-Tinmidhi (9/199) in azZuhd and ibn Maajah (4108).

2. Reported by at-Timnidhi (9/198) in az-Zuhd and said: Its chain is authentic.Al-Albaani comments upon it to be sahih = see "As-Saheehah" no. 943

they did not own anything therein, so they travelled lightly to the Afterlife."

‘Abdullaah ibn Mubaarak (non Would say, "The world is the believer’s prison. The best action in the prison is patience and control of one’s anger. The believer has no country in the world. His land will be there tomorrow in the Afterlife."

One of the Salaf used to say, “If you want to be close to Allaah

then put an iron wall between yourself and your desires."

1. The aim (and Allaah knows best) is that the believer does not:aspire for the world as evidenced in the statement of the Most High: That Home of the Hereafter We shall give to those who intend not high-handedness or mischief on earth: and the end is (best) for the righteous. (SooratulQasas: (28): 83] But Allaah will elevate him in this world.and.the Hereafter and give him hononr in this world as for the Hereafter.

Not wasting anything halaal:

From the morals and manners of the Salaf was that they would not waste what was halaal if they found it. That is because the halaal is rare at all times and according to. the levels of the people. They would give priority to earning halaal money to all other concerns because they were undoubtedly the children of the Afterlife.

Pure actions which are fit for the Hereafter do not occur for the one who eat haraam or doubtful food, because the one who eats haraam his.actions prove to be haraam, while the one who eats doubtful food, doubtful actions originate from him. Even if the one who eats haraam wanted to obey Allaah he will find he is hardly able to do so. That is why Allaah the Most High has ordered the messengers and believers the same thing with regards to eating halaal and. pure food. The Messenger of Allaah tanane ‘ax waum) Said, "Allah the Most High is good and accepts only that which is good. Allaah has commanded the believers to do that which he commanded the messengers. The Most High has said, "O' Messengers! Eat of the good things and do rightful actions"!, and Allaah the Most High has said, "O you who believe! Eat of the pure things wherewith We have provided

So eating pure and lawful food is the greatest aid in doing righteous actions and a precondition for the acceptance of sup-

Yoonus ibn ‘Ubaidur-Rahmaani atiss.tm Said, “Today there is less than a dirham which is pure. If we found it we would seek to

cure our sick with it."

1. Soorsmnt-Bagarah (2):172 2. Narrated by Muslim. (7/100) in az- -Zakaah and Al-Tirmidhi (11/110) in atTafseer,

Considering their own actions to be small:

From the morals and manners of the Salaf was that they would not belittle their own actions with respect to the reward they thought they had. earned, even if they had the actions of all mankind and jinn. They would. never think that they had fulfilled an atom’s weight of the rights of Allaah.

One of the Salaf said, “The rights of Allaah are heavier than a slave can carry out and His favours are more than one can keep count. So enter the morning repenting and enter the evening re-

The Messenger of Allaah (nan suniwatim WOuld pray until his feet would split. It was said to him, "Do you do that when your past and future sins have been forgiven?" So he replied, "Should

I not be a grateful slave?"! Thaabit al-Banaani (mmx Would say, "O Lord! If you permitted that prayers was performed at anyone’s grave then let it

Some people entered into the company of Junayd. (otimshusanj

1. Narrated by al-Bukhaari, Muslim, Al-Tirmidhi and an-Nisaa‘i - See chapt.

while he was breathing his last. He was asked, "Now?" To which he replied, "Now my record is being opened up.”

One of the Salaf would look forward to the night time as it approached so as to seclude himself in the presence of his Lord. The day would grieve him because he feared the people would preoccupy him from the worship of his Lord.

The people had reached a peak of sound heartedness. If it was said to them, "The Day of Arising is to occur tomorrow, there

would be no change in, their state of mind."

Muhammad ibn Abu ‘Umairah (emsunmw Who was a companion of the Messenger of Allaah snntmtucnvwssuny Said, "If a slave fell on his face in obedience of Allaah from the day he was born until the day he died as an old man, he would belittle that on that Day wishing he had increased in good deeds as he would love to be