ISLAM, IMAN, IHSAN
ASSEMBLED BY MALLAM ABBA
ABANA, KUBWA, ABUJA, NIGERIA
https://web.facebook.com/abba.abana
1st JUNE 2017 – 6ST
RAMADAN 1438
Praise be to Allaah; we seek His help and His forgiveness. We seek
refuge with Allaah from the evil of our own souls and from our bad deeds.
Whomsoever Allaah guides will never be led astray, and whomsoever Allaah leaves
astray, no one can guide. I bear witness that there is no
god but Allaah, and I bear witness that Muhammad (Sallalhu alaihi Wasalam)
is His slave and Messenger.
ISLAM, IMAN, IHSAN
In this world, the Straight Path comprises three levels: Islam, Iman, and Ihsan.
Whoever remains on the level of Islam until he dies will be saved from eternity in the Fire and he must enter Paradise, even if, before this, he is punished in the Fire.
Whoever remains on the level of Iman until he dies will be prevented from entering the Fire altogether for the light of faith extinguishes the blaze of the Fire to such an extent that it says, 'O believer, go on your way! Your light has extinguished my blaze!' [Tabarani]
Ahmad has the hadith on the authority of Jabir that the Messenger of Allah (salallahu alaihi wa salam) said, "There is no righteous person or sinner except that he will enter it. It will be a source of coolness and peace for the believer just as it was for Ibrahim to the point that the Fire itself will raise a hue and cry at its coolness!" [Ahmad] This is the legacy of the lovers inherited from Ibrahim (Alaihi Salam).
In the fire of the lover is a blaze of love:
The fiercest heat of Hell is its coolest portion!
Whoever remains on the level of Ihsan until he dies will reach Allah,
For those who do good is the best (reward) and an addition. [Holy Quran Chapter, 10:26]
The authentic hadith mentions, "When the People of Paradise enter Paradise a caller will announce, 'People of Paradise, Allah has given you a promise which He wishes to fulfil.' They will say, 'What is that? Has He not made our faces white? Has He not made our scales heavy? Has He not granted us entry in Paradise and saved us from the Fire?' So He will remove the veil and they will look on at Him and by Allah, He will not have granted them anything more beloved to them than this, and there will be nothing that gives more pleasure to their eyes than this! This is the addition." Then He recited the above verse. [Muslim & Ibn Majah].
All the inhabitants of Paradise will have a share of this vision but they will differ as to their closeness when seeing Him and in the number of times they see Him. All of the People of Paradise will see Him on the Day of Increase which is the Day of Jumuah [Tabarani], and the elite amongst them will look at the Face of Allah twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening. The generality of the People of Paradise have their provision given them twice a day, in the morning and the evening, whereas the elite see Him in the morning and the evening. Neither palaces can make the Gnostics forget their beloved and nor can running rivers quench their thirst. One of them used to say, 'When I am hungry, remembrance of Him is my food, and when I am thirsty, witnessing Him is my wish and gratification.'
One of the righteous was seen in a dream and he was asked about the condition of two scholars to which he replied, 'At this time I have left them before Allah, Mighty and Magnificent, eating, drinking, enjoying bliss.' He was asked, 'What of you?' He replied, 'He knows my lack of desire for food so instead He allows me to look at Him.'
When I desire drink, You are my satiation And when I desire food, You are my gratification.
Ahmad records the hadith on the authority of ibn Umar that the Messenger of Allah (salallahu alaihi wa salam) said, "The people with the lowest ranking in Paradise will look at his dominion for two thousand years seeing the farthest end of it as he sees the nearest end of it, and he will look at his wives and servants. The ones with the highest ranking will look at the Face of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, twice a day." [Ahmad]. This hadith was also recorded by Tirmidhi with the wording, "The person with the lowest ranking in Paradise will be one who will look at his gardens, wives, blessings, servants, and couches, for the journey of one thousand years. The best of them with Allah will look at His Face morning and evening." [Tirmidhi] Then the Messenger of Allah recited,
That Day will faces be resplendent, looking toward their Lord. [Holy Quran Chapter, 75:22-23]
It is because of this that the Messenger of Allah (salallahu alaihi wa salam) said in the authentic hadith reported on the authority of Jarir ibn Abdullah al-Bajali, "You will see your Lord on the Day of Judgment like you see the moon on a night when it is full, you will have no difficulty in seeing Him." He then said, "So if you are able not to be overwhelmed to the point of missing a prayer before the rising of the sun and before its setting, then do so." Then he recited,
And glorify your Lord - all the while praising Him - before the rising of the sun and before its setting. [Holy Quran Chapter, 50:39]
THE PERIODS OF MORNING
AND EVENING
In Paradise, the periods of the morning and the evenings are reserved for looking at Allah with respect to the elite, and in this world he (salallahu alaihi wa salam) encouraged the preservation of the prayer at these two times. Therefore whoever prays these two prayers in this world in the best of ways, with submissiveness, presence of heart, and performing all its mannerisms, it is hoped that he will be of those who will see Allah at these two periods in Paradise. This is more so if one holds fast to the remembrances and other types of worship until the sun rises or sets. If the servant adds to this a journey in the last part of the night, then he has journeyed in all three times: the end of the night, the morning, and the evening, and if he is true, for sure this will be followed by the achievement of the greatest objective,
In an Assembly of Truth, in the presence of a Sovereign Omnipotent. [Holy Quran Chapter, 54:55]
Whoever adheres resolutely to truthfulness in his journey will be led to a Sure Footing,
And bring unto those who believe the good tidings that they have a sure footing with their Lord. [Holy Quran Chapter, 10:2]
The lover is always asking after his beloved, inquiring about any news concerning him, eliciting any small piece of information, and following his tracks in order to traverse the path that leads to him.
O seeker after her! Is there anyone who can answer (me)?
For, after our time together, I know of no other felicity!
Were I only to know where her family have pitched tent,
To which of Allah's lands have they wandered to,
We would have rushed after her as does the wind!
Seeking this felicity even if it be beyond the stars!
Great indeed is the aspiration whose goal is Allah and noble indeed is the soul whose beloved is He.
Allah says,
Repel not those who call upon their Lord at morn and evening, seeking His face. [Holy Quran Chapter, 6:52]
What has the lover to do save the pursuit of his love? In every land the lover roams as one delirious.
THOSE WHO HOLD TO THE WORLD AND THOSE WHO
HOLD ON TO THE HEREAFTER
The worth of every man is judged by what he seeks. None can put a value to one who seeks Allah for this is immeasurable. The one who seeks after the world is too lowly to be valued. Shibli said, 'Whoever holds fast to this world will be burned by its blaze until he becomes ashes blown about by the wind. Whoever holds on to the Hereafter will be burned by its light such that he becomes pure gold of the highest quality and is benefited from. Whoever holds on to Allah will be burned by the light of Tawhid and will become a jewel that is beyond value.'
He has ambitions, the greatest of which is illimitable; The least of which time itself finds untouchable.
Al-Shibli was asked, 'Will the lover ever gain satisfaction from something from his Beloved before witnessing Him?' He replied with the following couplets,
By Allah! Were You to crown me
With the crown of Chosroes, king of the orient,
And before me the wealth of creation present
The wealth of those today and those of old
'But we shall not meet for a time,' I am told
To our meeting, My Master, would I gladly assent!
Whoever's ambition is great will only ever be content with seeking Allah, Glorious and Exalted is He.
My every journey to and fro,
Morning and evening
And so too, remembrance of You
is my very breath of life,
A refreshing breeze and soothing quietude.
You are my ambition and my lot,
My objective and my success.
O source of my succour and refuge
Keep me guided aright and correct me
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