. J (cont.)

When a person realizes how merciful Allah is in this regard, it should make him love Allah more and remember Him even more fervently. 3 • Al-Sindi states that no one will have the right attitude toward the Quran until he truly realizes who the Sender is and who it is sent to. The Sender is Allah, the Master of the Day of Judgment, the One in whose Hand is the Dominions of the Heavens and the Earth. It is sent to mankind-- those who are lost without the guidance from their Lord and who are in need of their 1 Al-Qaari, vol. 1, p. 321. 2 lbn Uthaimeen, Sharh Riyaadh, vol. I, p . 139. 3 Al-Sabbaagh, p. 2 1 . Hadith #23: "Purification is Half of Faith . . . " Lord's help in every moment of their life. The Quran is the guidance that has come to them from their Lord. How can anyone ignore it and not apply it properly once he realizes exactly who it came from and what its purpose is? When a person realizes these aspects, he will turn to the Quran in the proper way and, in the Hereafter, the Quran will be a witness on his behalf.1 • The believer is precious and worthy of great dignity. He knows that his soul is worth more than anything that this world has to offer. Hence, he will sell it only to the most qualified buyer and for the best price. He will only sell it to his Lord and only for his Lord's pleasure. Anything else would be an insult to the dignity and honor that a believer should have, for he is one of Allah's noble creatures.2 Summary of the Hadith • "Purification is half of the faith." This either means that purification, such as ablution, is so essential to the prayer that it becomes like half of the prayer, with the word "faith" meaning prayer here. Or it means that purifying oneself from associating partners with Allah or from committing sins fulfills half of the faith. • The simple words, al-hamdulillah, when said with belief and adherence are very great in Allah's sight. Indeed, these words fill the scale. • The words, subhaanallaah and al-hamdulillah, together are also so great that they fill what is between the heavens and the earth. • "Prayer is a light" means that the effect of prayer is like a light of guidance. Prayer keeps the person away from performing evil deeds. In addition, prayer will be transformed into a light for the person to guide him to Paradise on the Day of Judgment. • "Charity is a proof." Charity is a proof of one's true belief in Allah. On the Day of Resurrection, when the slave is asked about his wealth and how he spent it, his charity will come as a clear proof that he used his wealth properly. • Patience is a brightness that every individual needs. Indeed, this brightness is the source of light and guidance. It is this light that guides the person to performing the obligatory deeds, abstaining from evil deeds and behaving properly in the face of every situation he meets. • The Quran will either be a proof for the individual or a proof against him. There is no third category. Either the person believes in and obeys the Quran or he does not. If he does, it will be a witness on his behalf. If he does not, it will be a witness against him. 1 Al-Sindi, Sharh al-Arbaeen, p. 78. 2 Cf., al-Bugha and Mistu, p. 1 70. Commentary on the Forty Hadith of al-Nawawi • Every day, whether the individual realizes this or not, he is either taking himself closer to his own rescue or to his own destruction. This is an inescapable fact of life. He can either free himself by selling himself to Allah or he can destroy himself by selling himself to Satan, his lusts or this world. ೾ ..... .c-, \' \'tp. .c-, \ \ - c;;. \ '" 'i..., \ . \ ..... \ ..... .c c:. \ '" ,,... .,, • \ ... \ • ?· 1 • 0 b t \ ..... .... \ t:::" .c-.,. °' ୟЖ "' - ...lo:., ' , К _,., .. .. I.... .r, - \ "- • \ ' 0 l- 'ft \\ - \ .. ,,.-_ 'G -0 2\ .... t-' ,;.._ ' Ǵ ௎ 0 • :. ୦.. ୛ \ • ๚ -: \ G\ \ З Ô \ .c-, \ ,._.... 3\ • ? • ? f ? "'- \ .c-\ ૓" •(.: .. ,,. U' f. ૐ f. P G. ·= ' D - - - C .. L t' \... \ "o \ ._ E--૑ \ 4 \ • '" U>• \ U>•\ U>•\ (;; ௐ :- -: r \ . • 'i.\ :0 \ . . ... - ._o q-, l5\ --1\ ૎ VW; X; .ff; -:nǭ:' \'\; Lt- ._ "• "' ­ I.... ' {'_. ଡ଼ " I....