فَاذْكُرُونِي أَذْكُرْكُمْ وَاشْكُرُوا لِي وَلَا تَكْفُرُونِ
Therefore remember Me (by praying, glorifying, etc.). I will remember you, and be grateful to Me (for My countless Favours on you) and never be ungrateful to Me. Soorah al-Baqarah 2:152
Amongst those things that is necessary to know is that the prayer by which the eye finds pleasure and by which the heart finds comfort and rest, is the one that combines six matters. (Read the first and second matter here)
The Third: Following and Imitating the Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and Guiding One’s Actions by Him
This is that the servant has great zeal in guiding himself by the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam with respect to his prayer, and that he prays as he صلى الله عليه و سلم used to pray whilst turning away and leaving what the people have innovated both with respect to adding and taking away things from the prayer as well as the various fabrications, none of which have been narrated from the Messenger صلى الله عليه و سلم nor from any of the Companions.
Do not give consideration to the sayings of those who make allowances, those who stop and pause (only) at the least of that which they believe to be obligatory even though someone else will have contested with them regarding it, and would have made obligatory that which they have abandoned and dropped. Perhaps the hadeeth are established and the Prophetic Sunnah is right next to them, but they will not turn towards that and will (instead) say, “We are the blind-followers of the madhhab of so and so.”¹
This is not pure and correct in the sight of Allaah, the Exalted, and it is not an excuse for the one who opposes what he knows from the Sunnah, for Allaah, the Exalted, ordered obedience to His Messenger and following and imitating him alone. He did not command the following of others besides him. Others besides the Messenger صلى الله عليه و سلم are only obeyed when they command only that which the Messenger صلى الله عليه و سلم commanded, and everyone besides the Messenger صلى الله عليه و سلم - his speech can be taken (and accepted) or refused (and rejected).
And Allaah, free is He from all imperfections, the Exalted, has sworn upon His own Noble Self that we do not truly believe until we make the Messenger صلى الله عليه و سلم the sole judge in all disputes that occur between us and until we comply with his judgement and submit to it perfectly and completely.²
Referring judgement to someone besides the Messenger صلى الله عليه و سلم will not benefit us and will not deliver us from the punishment of Allaah. The answer (i.e. “We are bling followers of the madhhab of so and so …”) will not be accepted from us when we hear His Call, free is He of all imperfection, on the Day of Judgement:
How did you respond to the Messengers? (Soorah Qasas 28:65)
It is definite that He will ask us about that and will request from us an answer. He, the Exalted, said:
Then surely, We shall question those (people) to whom it (the Book) was sent and verily, We shall question the Messengers. (Soorah al-A’raaf 7:6)
The Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم said, “It has been revealed to me that you will be put to trial through me and that you will be questioned about me,”³ meaning the questioning in the grave.
Therefore, if the sunnah of the Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه و سلم comes to someone and he abandons it for the saying of anyone amongst people, it will be rejected (from him) on the Day of Resurrection and he will come to know (the truth).
Transcribed from ‘The Path to Guidance’ by Ibn al-Qayyim, p. 37-40. (The other three matters will be posted soon inshaa’ Allah)
Footnotes.
¹ Ibn al-Qayyim rahimahullah said in I’laamul-Muwaqqi’een (4/177) “Let the muftee beware, the one who fears standing in front of Allaah, free is He from all imperfections, that he answers the questioner with a verdict from his madhhab of which he is a blind-follower, while he knows that in this particular matter, a madhhab other than his own is stronger and is more sound in its evidence. But leadership teaches him to embark boldly in giving a fatwaa with something about which he knows, overwhelmingly, that the truth is in opposition to it. As a result he is deceitful and dishonest to Allaah, His Messenger and to the questioner. Allaah does not guide the plan of the deceitful and He has forbidden Paradise to the one who meets Him while he has been dishonest to Islaam and its people. And the religion is but giving sincere advice. Dishonesty is an opposite to the religion, just like the opposition of lying to truthfulness and falsehood to truth. And when a matter arises in which we hold an opinion which opposes (our own) madhhab, then we cannot give a verdict in opposition to what we believe (to be correct), therefore we quote the strongest madhhab (in that matter) and give it preference, and we say, “This is what is correct and it is more deserving of being accepted.” and Allaah grants succes.” Refer to Chapter Twelve: Ibn al-Qayyim on Following a Madhhab.
Imaam at-Tahaawee rahimahullah said, “None blindly follows except an ignorant person or a bigoted partisan,” reported from him by Ibn ‘Aabideen in Rasm al-Muftee (1/32). It is also reported from him by Ibn Hajr al-Asqalaanee in his biography in Al-Lisaan (1/305), that Abu ‘Ubayd ibn Jurthoomah was revising some questions with him, so he responded to one matter and Abu ‘Ubayd said, “This is not the saying of Abu Haneefah.” So he replied, “O Qaadee! Do I hold everything that Abu Haneefah said?!” So he said, “I did not think that you were anything but a blind follower.” So he said, “Does anyone blindly follow except a bigoted partisan?” So he said, ”Or an ignorant person.”
² And this is due to the saying of Allaah, the Exalted:
But no, by your Lord, they can have no Faith, until they make you (O Muhammad) judge in all disputes between them, and find in themselves no resistance against your decisions, and accept (them) with full submission. (Soorah an-Nisaa 4:65)
³ Reported by Imaam Ahmad with the wording, “As for the trial of the grave, then by me you will be put to trial and about me will you be questioned.” Declared hasan by Shaikh al-Albaanee in Saheehul-Jaami’, no. 1361
“Allaahumma aslamti nafsee ilayk, wa fawwadtu amree ilayk, wawajjahtu wajhee ilayk, wa alja’tu thahree ilayk, raghbatan wa rahbatan ilayk, la maljaa wala manja minka illa ilayk, amantu bikitabikal lathee anzalt, wa binabiyyikal arsalt.”
Verily, in the remembrance of Allaah do the hearts find rest! Inshaa’ Allah I will also add the athkaar when waking up and before going to sleep. (Do you guys want me to add the transliteration of surah as-Sajdah and surah al-Mulk? Just let me know inshaa’ Allah)
Amongst those things that is necessary to know is that the prayer by which the eye finds pleasure and by which the heart finds comfort and rest, is the one that combines six matters:
The First - Sincerity of Purpose
And this is that the reason behind the prayer and the thing which calls to it, is the servant’s aspiration for Allaah, his love of Him, his seeking His pleasure, nearness to Him, frequently calling upon Him and fulfilling His orders. Such that nothing from the shares of this world constitute a motive for the prayer, ever. Rather, a person comes to the prayer whilst seeking the Face of the Lord, the Most High, out of love for Him, fear of His punishment and hoping for His forgiveness and reward.
The Second - Truthfulness and Sincerity of Action
This is when a person vacates his heart for Allaah and strives his utmost in turning himself towards Allaah during prayer. That within the prayer he gathers his heart together for the prayer and performs it in the best of ways and the most perfect amongst them, both outwardly and inwardly. For the prayer has an outward appearance and an inner one.
Its outward appearance are the observable (physical) actions and motions and the audible sounds. Its inner appearance is humility and submissiveness of the heart (khushoo’), carefully observing oneself, knowing that Allaah is in fact observing the servant (muraaqabah), emptying the heart for Allaah, turning the heart wholly and fully towards Allaah during the prayer and not turning away from Him to something else. All of these (inner appearances) are like a soul (for the prayer). Therefore, when the prayer is lacking a soul, it is like a body without a soul.
Does the servant not feel ashamed then, that he faces his Master with the likes of this? Because of this the prayer is coiled and twisted like the shabby, worn-out garment, and the face of its owner (i.e., performer) is struck with it and it says, “May Allaah waste you as you have wasted me.”
The prayer whose outward and inner appearance has been perfected rises (to the heavens) while it has light and manifest proof, just like the light of the sun, until it is brought to Allaah and He is pleased with it and accepts it, and it says, “May Allaah guard you as you have guarded me.”²
Transcribed from ‘The Path to Guidance’ by Ibn al-Qayyim, p. 35-36. (The other matters will be posted soon inshaa’ Allah)
¹ Refer also to chapter four to ten, related to khushoo’ (humility and submissiveness) within the prayer.
² Ibn al-Qayyim said in Al-Fawaa’id (p.258), “The servant has two standings in front of Allaah. A standing in front of Him during the prayer and a standing in front of Him on the Day of meeting with Him. Whoever stood for the first standing, giving its due right, the other meeting will become easier for him. And whoever took this standing lightly and did not perform it with its due right, the other standing will become hard and severe for him. The Most High said:
And during night, prostrate yourself to Him (i.e. the offering of Maghrib and ‘Ishâ’ prayers), and glorify Him a long night through (i.e. Tahajjud prayer). Verily! These (disbelievers) love the present life of this world, and put behind them a heavy Day (that will be hard). (Al-Insan 76:26-27)”
