AbuZayd Al-Britaani
04-08-04, 04:23 PM
The Reward of the Pious
Allah the Exalted says, He who does good, whether he be male or
female, and is a believer, We shall cause him to live a good life
(QURAN, 16:97).
And, Allah has promised those of you who believe and do good works
that He shall cause them to rule in the land, as He caused those
before them to rule, that he shall establish firmly for them their
religion, which He has chosen for them, and that He shall change their
fear into security (QURAN, 24:55).
And He says, Exalted is He, Those who believe and do good works, We
shall not waste the reward of those who do excellent works. They shall
have Gardens of Eden, beneath which rivers flow. Therein they shall be
adorned with bracelets of gold, wearing green clothes of silk and
brocade, leaning therein upon couches. How fair the reward and how
excellent the resting place!" (QURAN, 18:30-31).
And [Allah] says, Exalted is He, Those who believe and do good works,
the All-Merciful shall give them affection (QURAN, 19:96).
Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said about this last
passage, "He will love them and cause the believers to love them
also." The Messenger of Allah, sallaAllah `alayhi wa sallam, said,
"Allah the Exalted says, `He who shows hostility to a wall of Mine,"
on him I declare war! My servant draws nearer to Me with nothing I
love more than that which I have made incumbent upon him. And My
servant ceases not to draw nearer to me with supererogatory devotions
until I love him. Once I love him, I become his hearing with which he
hears, his eyesight with which he sees, his hand with which he
strikes, and his foot on which he walks. Should he ask of Me, I shall
give him, and should he seek My protection, I shall protect him."
Therefore, he who does what is obligatory upon him, then adds
supererogatory acts of devotion in abundance in order to draw nearer
to Allah, Allah honors him with this great love which renders his
every movement by Allah and for Allah.
The Messenger, sallaAllah `alayhi wa sallam, also relates from Allah
the Exalted, "When My servant draws nearer to Me by a handspan, I draw
nearer to him an armspan. When he draws nearer to Me an armspan, I
draw nearer to him two armspans. When he comes to Me walking, I come
to him running." The servant draws nearer to his Lord by obeying and
serving Him. The Lord draws nearer to His servant by His favor and
mercy.
The Messenger, sallaAllah `alayhi wa sallam, relates as well from
Allah the Exalted, "I have prepared for My virtuous servants [in
Paradise] that which no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no human
heart has ever imagined."
In the Psalms it is said, "0 Son of Adam! Obey Me and I shall fill
your heart with independence, your two hands with provision, and your
body with health."
And Allah said to the world, "0 world! He who serves Me, serve him,
but he who serves you, make him your servant!"
Bishr ibn al-Harith, may Allah's mercy be upon him, said, "People of
goodness possess both this world and the next."
And Yalhya ibn Mu`adh has said, "Sons of this world are served by
slaves, but sons of the Hereafter are served by free men."
O my brother, if you wish to have rank that does not vanish, eminence
that does not diminish, honor that is permanent, and glory that is
perpetual, then obey your Lord! For Allah has placed all these—[rank,
eminence, honor, and glory]—in His obedience. He graciously bestows
these things on those of His servants who obey Him. He has honored
servants who obeyed Him by freeing them from servitude to their whims
and appetites, purifying their hearts from the impurity of attending
to things ephemeral; wrought at their hands supernatural events and
wondrous miracles, such as knowledge of the unseen, the abundance of
baraka, and the answering of prayers. Thereafter, people took of their
lights, followed in their footsteps, implored Allah to relieve their
own hard-ships for their sake, requested Him by their rank with Him to
protect them from harm, beseeched Him by their footprints to fulfill
their requests, and sought the baraka of the dust of their tombs. But
Allah gave them more than that; He cast of His light into their
hearts, filled them with the purest of His knowledge and love,
comforted them in their retreats with the remembrance of Him, so that
they felt estranged from His creation, prepared for them permanent
bliss in the Abode of Bliss, and promised them to see His Noble
Countenance—and greater still will be His satisfaction with them. That
is the great triumph! (QURAN, 44:57). For the like of this let workers
work! (QURAN, 37:61).
© Mutual reminding by Imam Abdullah al-Haddad. Translation by Mostafa
al-Badawi
Allah the Exalted says, He who does good, whether he be male or
female, and is a believer, We shall cause him to live a good life
(QURAN, 16:97).
And, Allah has promised those of you who believe and do good works
that He shall cause them to rule in the land, as He caused those
before them to rule, that he shall establish firmly for them their
religion, which He has chosen for them, and that He shall change their
fear into security (QURAN, 24:55).
And He says, Exalted is He, Those who believe and do good works, We
shall not waste the reward of those who do excellent works. They shall
have Gardens of Eden, beneath which rivers flow. Therein they shall be
adorned with bracelets of gold, wearing green clothes of silk and
brocade, leaning therein upon couches. How fair the reward and how
excellent the resting place!" (QURAN, 18:30-31).
And [Allah] says, Exalted is He, Those who believe and do good works,
the All-Merciful shall give them affection (QURAN, 19:96).
Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said about this last
passage, "He will love them and cause the believers to love them
also." The Messenger of Allah, sallaAllah `alayhi wa sallam, said,
"Allah the Exalted says, `He who shows hostility to a wall of Mine,"
on him I declare war! My servant draws nearer to Me with nothing I
love more than that which I have made incumbent upon him. And My
servant ceases not to draw nearer to me with supererogatory devotions
until I love him. Once I love him, I become his hearing with which he
hears, his eyesight with which he sees, his hand with which he
strikes, and his foot on which he walks. Should he ask of Me, I shall
give him, and should he seek My protection, I shall protect him."
Therefore, he who does what is obligatory upon him, then adds
supererogatory acts of devotion in abundance in order to draw nearer
to Allah, Allah honors him with this great love which renders his
every movement by Allah and for Allah.
The Messenger, sallaAllah `alayhi wa sallam, also relates from Allah
the Exalted, "When My servant draws nearer to Me by a handspan, I draw
nearer to him an armspan. When he draws nearer to Me an armspan, I
draw nearer to him two armspans. When he comes to Me walking, I come
to him running." The servant draws nearer to his Lord by obeying and
serving Him. The Lord draws nearer to His servant by His favor and
mercy.
The Messenger, sallaAllah `alayhi wa sallam, relates as well from
Allah the Exalted, "I have prepared for My virtuous servants [in
Paradise] that which no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no human
heart has ever imagined."
In the Psalms it is said, "0 Son of Adam! Obey Me and I shall fill
your heart with independence, your two hands with provision, and your
body with health."
And Allah said to the world, "0 world! He who serves Me, serve him,
but he who serves you, make him your servant!"
Bishr ibn al-Harith, may Allah's mercy be upon him, said, "People of
goodness possess both this world and the next."
And Yalhya ibn Mu`adh has said, "Sons of this world are served by
slaves, but sons of the Hereafter are served by free men."
O my brother, if you wish to have rank that does not vanish, eminence
that does not diminish, honor that is permanent, and glory that is
perpetual, then obey your Lord! For Allah has placed all these—[rank,
eminence, honor, and glory]—in His obedience. He graciously bestows
these things on those of His servants who obey Him. He has honored
servants who obeyed Him by freeing them from servitude to their whims
and appetites, purifying their hearts from the impurity of attending
to things ephemeral; wrought at their hands supernatural events and
wondrous miracles, such as knowledge of the unseen, the abundance of
baraka, and the answering of prayers. Thereafter, people took of their
lights, followed in their footsteps, implored Allah to relieve their
own hard-ships for their sake, requested Him by their rank with Him to
protect them from harm, beseeched Him by their footprints to fulfill
their requests, and sought the baraka of the dust of their tombs. But
Allah gave them more than that; He cast of His light into their
hearts, filled them with the purest of His knowledge and love,
comforted them in their retreats with the remembrance of Him, so that
they felt estranged from His creation, prepared for them permanent
bliss in the Abode of Bliss, and promised them to see His Noble
Countenance—and greater still will be His satisfaction with them. That
is the great triumph! (QURAN, 44:57). For the like of this let workers
work! (QURAN, 37:61).
© Mutual reminding by Imam Abdullah al-Haddad. Translation by Mostafa
al-Badawi