Submitted by : k.ibrahim on Islam

Once a man came to Ibn ‘Abaas Radiyallahu ‘Anh and said to him: Ya ibn ‘Abaas, I wish to enjoin whats good (alma’ruuf) and forbid the evilness (almunkar). He (ibn ‘Abaas) asked: have you reached this state?. He (the man) answered: I wish to. Then Ibn ‘Abaas said: “If you do not fear to be exposed by three ayaat (verses) from the Book of All?h then do so.” He (the man) said: and which are they?. Ibn ‘Abaas replied:
The saying of Him Ta’ala:

????????????? ???????? ?????????? ???????????? ????????????
Do you Enjoin Al-Birr (piety and righteousness and each and every act of obedience to Allâh) on the people and you forget (to practise it) yourselves”
(Suratu Al-Baqarah:44)
Ibn ‘Abaas asked the man: Ahakamta Hadheh. Have you mastered this ayah?
The man replied him no

So Ibn ‘Abaas continued: the second is the saying of Him Ta’ala

??? ??????? ????????? ??????? ???? ?????????? ??? ??? ?????????? ?
?????? ??????? ?????? ??????? ???? ????????? ??? ??? ???????????
O you who believe! Why do you say that which you do not do?
Most hateful it is with Allâh that you say that which you do not do
(Suratu Assaf: 2-3)
Ibn ‘Abaas asked the man: Ahakamta Hadheh? Have you mastered this ayah?
The man replied him no


Then ibn ‘Abaas recited the saying of the righteous slave Saleh ‘Alayhi Assalam:

????? ??????? ???? ????????????? ????? ??? ??????????? ?????? ???? ??????? ?????? ????????????
I wish not, in contradiction to you, to do that which I forbid you. I only desire reform to the best of my power.
(Suratu Huud: 88)
Ibn ‘Abaas asked the man: Ahakamta Hadheh? Have you mastered this ayah?
The man replied him no. So ibn ‘Abaas adviced him to start with himself first!


…will these three ayaat testify against or for you on The Day of Judgement?

Ad-Dahhaak Narrated this from Ibn ‘Abaas, see the explanation of the ayah 44 in suratul Baqarah. Tafseer Ibn Katheer Rahimahullah‘ (1)Abaas replied:
The saying of Him Ta’ala:

????????????? ???????? ?????????? ???????????? ????????????
Do you Enjoin Al-Birr (piety and righteousness and each and every act of obedience to Allâh) on the people and you forget (to practise it) yourselves”
(Suratu Al-Baqarah:44) Omar radi Allahu anhu said "Take account of yourselves before you are taken to account [by someone else], weigh your deeds before they are weighed [by someone else]."
Hasan al Basri rahimahu Allah said about the verse "No. I do swear by the criticizing self..." (Surah Qiyamah:2) : A believer will always be critical of himself in his food, his drink and his speech. A sinner will not criticize himself." He also said "A believer is a guardian over himself: he acounts himself for Allah. Those who take account of themselves in this world will be audited lightly in the Hereafter. Those who take this issue lightly will find their auditing very difficult."

(2)So Ibn ‘Abaas continued: the second is the saying of Him Ta’ala

??? ??????? ????????? ??????? ???? ?????????? ??? ??? ?????????? ?
?????? ??????? ?????? ??????? ???? ????????? ??? ??? ???????????
O you who believe! Why do you say that which you do not do?
Most hateful it is with Allâh that you say that which you do not do
(Suratu Assaf: 2-3) We are not made perfect by Allah subhana wa ta'ala and we inevitably have our shortcomings. The pious predecessors differed with us in that they were harsh on themselves when it came to their shortcomings because they knew that obedience can be very difficult.The pious predecessors were always fully aware of their Shortcomings and did everything to their capability to take their souls into account for its shortcomings, all out fear, love and hope in Allah subhana wa ta'ala.
Tameem Dari radi Allahu anhu failed to wake up for Tahajjud one night and he stayed awake at nights in prayer the whole of the next year. Talhah radi Allahu anhu became preoccupied with a bird on his wall on his orchard while he prayed and he donated the wall as redemption for that shortcoming. Imam Muhammad ibn Sireen narrated that Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu said "Sometimes I fell unconscious in between the mimbar of Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and the chamber of A'isha. People would say "Maybe he is mad!" However, Allah knows best that I am not mad, but my hunger made me fall." Omar radi Allahu anhu gave a piece of land when he missed 'Asr prayers in a group, and ibn Omar used to stay awake the whole night if he missed a group prayer and then he would free two slaves.
Allah said in the Qur'an "And those who kept their duty to their Lord will be led to Paradise in groups, till, when they reach it, and its gates will be opened (before their arrival for their reception) and its keepers will say: Salamun 'Alaikum (peace be upon you)! You have done well, so enter here to abide therein." (Surah al Zumar:73)

(3)Then ibn ‘Abaas recited the saying of the righteous slave Saleh ‘Alayhi Assalam:

????? ??????? ???? ????????????? ????? ??? ??????????? ?????? ???? ??????? ?????? ????????????
I wish not, in contradiction to you, to do that which I forbid you. I only desire reform to the best of my power.
(Suratu Huud: 88) When a Muslim knows the value of the Hereafter, making an effort to have a pleasant abode is no longer difficult. This is why the pious predecessors acted upon the Qur'an and Sunnah. Abu Bakr Siddiq radi Allahu anhu said "Whoever enters his grave without any provisions is like the one who mounts the sea without a ship."
Bringing the self to do actions of obedience to Allah has a great deal to do with being content by Allah's subhana wa ta'ala Decree. This state can only be attained by those who seek to have great knowledge and love. And so, by this it is possible to find pleasure in whatever they have been given by Allah whether it is a trial or a tribulation, JUST BECAUSE, it comes from Allah subhana wa ta'ala.
Allah said in the Qur'an "Whoever acts righteously, whether male or female, and is a believer, We will surely give him life with a good life, and We will surely give them their reward in accordance with the best of what they used to do..." (16:97)
Ahmad bin Bindar narrated that Abu Hurairah cried during his last illness, and when asked about it he said "Surely I am not crying being attached to your world, but rather for the long journey awaiting me, and the little provisions I have prepared for it. This morning, I am descending upon either paradise, or hell, and I have no idea towards which of the two I will be taken!"

Narrated Muawiya: I heard Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam saying, "A group of people amongst my followers will remain obedient to Allah's orders and they will not be harmed by anyone who will not help them or who will oppose them, till Allah's Order (the Last Day) comes upon them while they are still on the right path." (Sahih Bukhari: Volume 4, Book 56, Number 835)
Abdu Rahman ibn Abdullah bin Mas'ud narrated that someone asked his father "O Abu Abdu Rahman, teach me a few words that are all-encompassing and beneficial, so that I will need no further elaboration!" Ibn Mas'ud said "Worship Allah and associate nothing with Him. Live by the dictates of the Qur'an and pursue its guidance. Accept the truth and justice even if they come from a stranger you do not recognize, or even from someone you disregard as despicable, and refute falsehood even if it comes from a sibling you love."
Yahya ibn Mu'adh rahimu Allah said "Congratulations to those who leave the world before it deserts them; to those who build their graves before they enter them; and to those who please their Lord before they meet Him."
Thus we should try to bring ourselves to the very best of our abilities to do actions of obedience to Allah subhana wa ta'ala.
In Sahih Muslim it has been related that on the authority of A'isha radi Allahu anha that Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said "Everyone of the children of Adam has been created with three hundred and sixty joints; so he who declares the Glory of Allah, praises Allah, and declares Allah to be one, Glorifies Allah, and seeks forgiveness from Allah, and removes stone, or thorn, or bone from people's path, and enjoins what is good and forbids what is evil, to the number of those three hundred and sixty, will walk that having removed himself from hell."
Abu Dharr radi Allahu anhu reported "Some of the people from among the companions of Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said to him: "O Rasulullah the rich have taken away all the reward. They observe prayer as we do; they keep the fasts as we keep, and they give sadaqa out of their surplus riches. Upon this Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said "Has Allah not prescribed for you by following which you can also do sadaqa? In every declaration of the glorification of Allah there is sadaqa, and every takbir there is sadaqa and ever declaration that He is One is a sadaqa, and enjoining of good is a sadaqa, and forbidding of that which is evil is a sadaqa, and in man's sexual intercourse with his wife there is sadaqa." The companions said "Rasulullah is there reward for him who satisfies his sexual passion among us?" He said "Tell me if he were to devote it to something forbidden, would it not be a sin on his part? Similarly, if he were to devote it to something lawful, he should have a reward." (Muslim)
Abu Dharr radi Allahu anhu asked Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam "Which action is best?" Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said "Faith in Allah and Jihad in the way of Allah." He asked "Which neck is best for emancipation?" Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said "That which is dearest of them in price and most valuable of them near its masters." He asked "If I cannot do it?" Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said "You shall help a laborer or work for one who is disabled." He asked "If I cannot do it?" Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said "You shall call the people from wrong doing, because it is charity which you bestow upon yourself." (Agreed upon/Riyadhus saleheen)
Allah subhana wa ta'ala said in the Qur'an "If anyone does a righteous deed, it is for his own soul." (45:15) And, He has promised us in the Qur'an "And whoso does good an atom's weight will see it then." (99:7)
People are often distinguished by their thoughts and ideas, and a person is only ranked by his peers according to his level and depth of thinking. Likewise, by speaking to someone and listening to his/her speech, their level of intelligence, their depth of reflection and extent of contemplation is displayed.
Some statements regarding al-Tafakkur (Thought and Contemplation):
Salim ibn Abi al-Ja’d: I asked Umm al-Darda (radhiallahu `anha), ‘What was the best of Abu al-Darda’s deeds?’ She said, ‘al-Tafakkur (contemplation).’
Al-Hasan al-Basri: ‘Contemplation is a mirror that shows you, your good and bad deeds.’
Wahb ibn Munabbih: ‘The believer is the one who contemplates, remembers and restrains (himself from evil). He contemplates such that tranquility descend upon him and he remains calm and peaceful such that it humbles him. He (the believer) was content so he did not fall into distress, he refused his desires so he became free, he cast off jealousy so the love and Mercy of ALLAH descended and became widespread for him and he was ascetic in every temporal thing so his intelligence became complete. His heart is connected to his aspirations and his aspirations overlook his Hereafter. He does not take delight when the people of the world take delight; rather the reality of eternity has saddened him so he remains sad in his life. But when Others eyes fall asleep, then he takes delight; reciting the Book of Allah Ta’ala and the Glorification of ALLAH repeating it in his heart – at one point his heart feels fear and at another point, his eyes weep. The night passes him by while he is reciting, and the day passes him by while is in thinking, pondering over his sins and belittling his good deeds. Such a person will be called on the Day of Judgment in that great gathering at the head of all creation,(Ishaallah): ‘Stand up O’ noble one and enter Paradise!’
Ibn Abi al-Hawari: I said to Abu Safwan (’Abdullah ibn ‘Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan), ‘Which of these two is better: That a man should go hungry and sit in contemplation or that he should eat and get up to pray?’ He said, ‘That he should (first) eat then get up and contemplate in his prayer is more beloved to me.’ So I told that to Abu Sulayman and he said, ‘He (Abu Safwan) has told the truth. Contemplation during the prayer is better than contemplation outside of the prayer, because contemplation in the prayer is in reality two deeds (combined), and two deeds are better than one.’
Al-Hasan said to Sufyan ibn ‘Uyaynah: ‘Tafakkur is the key to Mercy. Don’t you see how a person contemplates and consequently repents?!’
Al-Fudhayl: ‘The speech of the believer is wisdom; his silence is contemplation and his vision is a lesson (for him). If you are like that, then you will not cease being in a state of worship.’ Then he read the verse, “I have not created Mankind or Jinn except to worship Me.” [al-Dhariyat: 56]
Ka’b al-Ahbar: ‘Whoever wishes to attain the honour of the Hereafter, let him increase in contemplation for he will then become knowledgeable.’