Part 7

Y SON, DO NOT LET YOUR PAST carelessness make you lose hope of achieving good, for many people have come back to wakefulness after long sleep. Shaikh Aba Hakim’, may Allah bestow His Mercy upon him, told me what follows: ‘When I was a child, I spent my time in idle play and did not pay attention to Sacred Knowledge. Then my father Abi ‘Abdullah, Allah bestow His Mercy upon him, wanted to talk to me and said: ‘My son, I will not be here for you forever, so take twenty dinars, open a bread shop and make some money.”

5’ The great exemplary scholar Aba Hakim Ibrahim ibn Dinar al-Nahruwani al-Hanbali, one of the Imams of Baghdad, a godly ascetic, who was benevolent and forbearing. He was one of the greatest scholars in the field of inheritance. He established a school by Bab al-Azaj and in which he temained, worshipping Allah. He preferred to be unknown, and was always content with his condition. He used to earn his bread as a tailor, taking only two coins for a garment. Some individuals attempted to anger him but to no avail, and he would serve the disabled and elderly with a joyful face. His hearing of hadith was correct. He passed away in 556. (al-Hafiz al-Dhahabi: Siyar alA‘lam alNubulé’, 20/396. For his biography, refer to: Ibn al-Jawzi: a/Muntazam, 10/201, 202, Thail Tabaqat al-Hanabila, 1/231-241, Shatharat al-Thahab, 4/116, al-Bidayab wa'l-Nibéyah, 12/245)

‘What are you saying?’ So he said: ‘Open a cloth shop then.” I said: ‘How can you say this to me when I’m the son of the judge of judges ‘Abdullah al-Damaghani**?’ He replied: ‘But I do not see you seeking knowledge.’ I said: ‘Give me a lecture right now.’ He did so and I came forward to busy myself with knowledge. From thereon, I began taking the studying of Sacred Knowledge seriously so Allah gave me success in that.”

A colleague of Abi Muhammad al-Halawani,” may Allah bestow His Mercy upon him, told me the following: ‘My father died when I was 21 and at that time I was known for being idle. When I went to claim a house I had inherited from its inhabitants, I heard them say: the Mudbir, i.e. a/Rabit [he who abandoned the adornment of life] has arrived.’ Having heard this, I said to my-

The profound scholar, the mufti of ‘Iraq, the judge of judges, Abii ‘Abdullah Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Hasan ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhab ibn Husawayhi al-Damaghani al-Hanafi (Damaghani refers to somebody from Damaghan which is a big city between al-Rayy and Naisabur). Al-Dhahabi said: “He was a person of nobility and great decency and has been compared to judge Abi Yusuf in his times. Among his children were Imams and judges.” He died in 478 and his son, the judge of judges Aba al-Hasan led his funeral prayer. For his biography, refer to: Tarikh Baghddd, 3/109, al-Bidayab wa'l-Nihdyah, 12/129, Shatharit al-Thahab, 3/362, al-Fawa'id al-Babiyyah, 182-183, al-Kimil, 10/ 146, Siyar al-A Vim al-Nubuld’, 18/485, al-Tbar, 3/292.

Methodology of Cultivation by Day and Night

S' This was the way they used to do things back then. Hassan ibn ‘Atiyya, one of the trustworthy Taba‘, would pray ‘Asr and sit in the masjid, remembering Allah till sunset (Siyar al-A lam al-Nubula’, 5/467). Al-Hafiz Ibn al-Qayyim, the dutiful student of Shaikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, says about his teacher (a/- Wabil al-Sayyib, 39-40): “I was with him once when he prayed Fajt. After praying he remained seated, remembering Ailah, Most High, till it was almost midday. Then he looked at me and said: 'This is my lunch, and if I do not nourish myself with lunch I will become weak.” I say: One of the most important things a Muslim should do after the Fajr prayer is to turn completely to Allah by remembering Him and reciting in the forenoon the words of remembrance established by the Sacred Law. He should make this remembrance a continuous habit and never leave it. Later on he can add other virtuous remembrance or Qur’anic recital to this until sunrise. Refer to: Iba al-Qayyim, Tarig al-Hijratain, p. 271, 272, and our booklet Adkhar al-Sabahi wa al-Masa’.

to die, and He shall resurrect us.” and “Praise be to Allah who holds the sky from falling on the earth except by His permission. Allah is truly benevolent and merciful to the people.”

Then get up to purify yourself and pray the Sunnah of Fajr“, then go to the Masjid in a humble attitude and on your way say: “O Allah! I ask You by the right that those asking have upon You and by the right of this walking of mine. I did not leave [my home] in arrogance and pride, nor to be seen or heard. I only left out of fearing Your anger and seeking Your pleasure. I ask You to pro-

“ ‘Riishah has been reported to have said: “The Prophet (9) did not take care of any voluntary act of worship the way he took care of the two prayer units of Fajr.” (al-Bukhari, 1169, Muslim, 724, 94 (repeated). It has also been reported from ‘A’ishah that the Prophet (3g) said: “The two prayer units of Fajr are better than this world and all that it contains.” (Muslim, 725, 96) In another report of his (725, 97): “They are more beloved to me than the whole world.”

Methodology of Cultivation by Day and Night

Join the Salah on the right side of the Imam“ and when you have finished the Salah, say the following ten times: “There is no deity worthy of worship but Allah alone without partners. His is all Kingship and His is all praise. He gives life and causes death.

A weak hadith: Ahmad, 3/21, Ibn Majah, 778, Ibn al-Sinni, 83. Al-Busayti said (a/-Zawa’id): ‘Its chain has a continuous chain of weak narrators.’ The hadith was also declared weak by al-Munthiri (a4 Targhib) and Shaikh al-Islam (a/-Tawassul wa al-Wasila). Refer also to: al-Albani: a/-Tawassul, p. 93-99, and Silsilah Abadith al-Da'ifab, 24, where he has done a good job in clarifying the hidden defects of this hadith. This narration can be replaced by what has been related by Muslim (763, 191) from the hadith of Ibn ‘Abbas that mentions how he stayed the night in the house of his aunt Maymuna. In this narration he talks about the nightly prayer of the Prophet (3g) and says: “The Mu’adhin aannounced the call for prayer - that is, the morning prayer - so he left to the prayer, saying: 'O Allah, put light in my heart and light on my tongue. Put light in my hearing and light in my sight. Put light behind me and light in front of me. Put light above me and light beneath me. O Alléh, give me light.”

“ Imam al-Bukhati placed a chapter heading in Kitab al-Adban of his al-Sabib (79) called: “The right side of the masjid and the Imam”. N\-Hafiz said (al-Fath, 2/ 213): “It is as if he is pointing here to what al-Nasa’i related with a sahih chain from al-Bara’a who said: ‘We used to like being on the right side of the Prophet (3%) when we were praying behind him.” Aba Dawid also related a marfii‘ basan narration from ‘A’ishah: ‘Allah sends praises on the right side of the rows and His angels pray for them.’ I say: Many people have abandoned these Prophetic traditions and virtues to the extent that I have seen with my own eyes how some of our brethren actually prefer the left side over the right side because the left one has air conditioners on it. Exalted is Allah above the actions of those who waste the abundant good contained in Allah’s praise for him in the highest gathering and the seeking of forgiveness of the angels for him.