Is it permissible to pray to drink from the Prophet’s hand at al-Hawd (the Cistern), a refreshing drink after which one will never thirst again?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
The Cistern of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) is called al-Kawthar, and its location is before the Siraat, according to the more correct opinion. Its water comes to it from the river of al-Kawthar in Paradise. His Cistern is square, and its length and breadth are the distance of a month’s travel by camel. Its water is whiter than milk, its fragrance is more pleasant than musk and its taste is sweeter than honey. The number of its vessels is like the number of stars in the sky, and even more. Whoever drinks from it will never thirst again after that.
For more details concerning the Cistern, please see the answer to question no. 48995
Secondly:
Many people believe that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) is the one who will give people to drink from the water of that Cistern, hence we hear and see them say in their du‘aa’: “Give us to drink from his (the Prophet’s) noble hand a drink after which we will never thirst again”! But this belief is mistaken, for several reasons:
1. That is not proven in any of the reported hadeeths about the Cistern.
2. It is proven in al-Saheeh that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) stated that whoever comes to the Cistern will drink from it. Thus we see inn the hadeeth that drinking is connected to coming to the Cistern, not to being given the drink by the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
3. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) stated that the number of its vessels is like the number of stars in the sky. This indicates that everyone who comes to it will drink by himself.
Shaykh Saalih Aal al-Shaykh (may Allah preserve him) said:
Its vessels, as described by the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in the hadeeth of ‘Abd-Allah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘Aas and others, are as numerous “as the stars in the sky”. From this we may understand two characteristics:
1. That they are numerous, because their number is like the number of stars in the sky. This indicates that there will be ease and comfort in drinking from it, and that there will be no pushing and shoving around its vessels, or that the people will drink from their hands.
2. That its vessels – or cups or jugs, etc – will be like the stars of the sky in brightness, splendour and light.
The stars of the sky are numerous, and have the characteristics of light and brightness.
Sharh al-‘Aqeedah al-Tahhaawiyyah (tape no. 14)
Shaykh Safar al-Hawaali (may Allah preserve him) said:
There is nothing in these reports to suggest that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) will give the people to drink from his noble hand, as some people claim and say “O Allah, give us to drink from his (the Prophet’s) noble hand a refreshing drink after which we will never thirst again” This is not narrated in any of the reports that I have examined. This is as far as the text is concerned.
If we examine the issue from a rational point of view, it is as if the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) alone will give those people to drink from his noble hand, despite this huge number of people and the great vastness of the Cistern. Moreover this is not appropriate to the status of Prophethood; it is as if the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) is no more than a water carrier who will give them water to drink! Even though the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) is the first one who will come to it and the Cistern is his.
The fact that he has been given the Cistern does not imply that he will give the people water with his own hand; rather he is the one who will precede his ummah, then he will rejoice when he sees them drinking in such large numbers, and they will come and drink from this great bounty that Allah has bestowed upon him and with which He has honoured him, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) will feel sad when he sees people being turned away from the Cistern.
So he will not give them to drink, because what is clearly stated is that they will come and will drink, and others will be excluded and driven away.
http://www.alhawali.com/index.cfm?method=home.SubContent&contentID=4624 [in Arabic]
Based on that, praying that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) will give the supplicant to drink on the Day of Resurrection with his noble hand from his Cistern is something that should not be circulated. There is no report to indicate that that will happen on the Day of Resurrection. Sticking to what is mentioned in the reports is greater in blessing and will protect one against making mistakes in knowledge and action.
If a person hopes that Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, will honour him by causing him to be given to drink from the hand of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), that may happen. Allah knows best what will happen on the Day of Resurrection, to him and to others.
And Allah knows best.
Friday, 23 March 2012
Warning against the book al-Du‘aa’ al-Mustajaab and its hadeeths
Please let me know if there are any benefits in reciting Duaa-e-Mustajab. I have read at several places that this dua should be read at least once in a life time is it true?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
If what is meant is the du‘aa’ that is published widely in many chatrooms and on many websites under the name “al-du‘aa’ al-mustajaab”, which is attributed to a report that says that ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab and ‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever offer ssupplication calling upon Allah by these names, He will answer his supplication: ‘O Allah, You are the Ever Living Who never dies, the Creator Who never is overcome, the All-Seeing Who is never in doubt, the All-Hearing Who is never uncertain, the Truthful One Who never lies…’”… To the end of the lengthy hadeeth:
This is a fabricated a du‘aa’ that is falsely attributed to the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and there is no saheeh hadeeth that speaks of its virtue. It is not permissible for any Muslim to transmit it on the basis of it being a hadeeth from the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). We have previously discussed this in detail on our website, in the answer to question no. 116137.
Secondly,
If what this sister is referring to is the book which is called ad-Du‘aa’ al-Mustajaab, it is also an unreliable book which includes many fabricated hadeeths and a number of things that are contrary to sharee‘ah, hence the scholars have warned people against it.
In Fataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa’imah (2/449) it says:
This book – ad-Du‘aa’ al-Mustajaab – cannot be relied upon because it contains a large number of weak (da‘eef) and fabricated (mawdoo‘) hadeeths. End quote.
‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn ‘Abdullah ibn Baaz, ‘Abd ar-Razzaaq ‘Afeefi, ‘Abdullah ibn Ghadyaan, ‘Abdullah ibn Qa‘ood.
Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
It is a book that cannot be relied upon and its author is not a scholar. Hence we have been drawing attention to this for a long time and we have stated that this book cannot be relied upon. Readers should be alerted to the fact that it cannot be relied upon because of what it contains of weak and fabricated hadeeths.
Fataawa Ibn Baaz, 26/354-355
Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan (may Allah preserve him) said:
There is a book that is widely circulated among people today and is available in bookstores. It is called ad-Du‘aa’ al-Mustajaab, by Muhammad ‘Abd al-Jawaad. It is a book of myths which includes innovated Sufi du‘aa’s and dhikrs which are quoted without any evidence for that from the Qur’aan and Sunnah. Its title is an audacious statement about Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, because the book is called ad-Du‘aa’ al-Mustajaab (the supplication that is answered). But who is the one who told him that this supplication is answered? What evidence is there for that, except that he wanted to attract the attention of the common folk and deceive them with this fabricated book. I refer the reader to some trustworthy books of du‘aa’s and dhikrs that were written by leading, trustworthy Sunni scholars:
1. al-Waabil as-Sayyib by al-‘Allaamah ibn al-Qayyim
2. al-Kalim at-Tayyib by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah
3. al-Adhkaar by Imam an-Nawawi
These books do not contain any innovated dhikrs; they do contain dhikrs narrated in the Qur’aan and Sunnah. They are sufficient and there is no need for books of myths written by jokers, praise be to Allah.
End quote from Majmoo‘ Fataawa Fadeelat ash-Shaykh Saalih ibn Fawzaan, 2/697
You could also refer to what is quoted on our website in the answer to question no. 13506, where we discussed the conditions of du‘aa’ being answered and the means of having one’s supplication accepted by Allah, may He be exalted.
And Allah knows best.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
If what is meant is the du‘aa’ that is published widely in many chatrooms and on many websites under the name “al-du‘aa’ al-mustajaab”, which is attributed to a report that says that ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab and ‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever offer ssupplication calling upon Allah by these names, He will answer his supplication: ‘O Allah, You are the Ever Living Who never dies, the Creator Who never is overcome, the All-Seeing Who is never in doubt, the All-Hearing Who is never uncertain, the Truthful One Who never lies…’”… To the end of the lengthy hadeeth:
This is a fabricated a du‘aa’ that is falsely attributed to the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and there is no saheeh hadeeth that speaks of its virtue. It is not permissible for any Muslim to transmit it on the basis of it being a hadeeth from the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). We have previously discussed this in detail on our website, in the answer to question no. 116137.
Secondly,
If what this sister is referring to is the book which is called ad-Du‘aa’ al-Mustajaab, it is also an unreliable book which includes many fabricated hadeeths and a number of things that are contrary to sharee‘ah, hence the scholars have warned people against it.
In Fataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa’imah (2/449) it says:
This book – ad-Du‘aa’ al-Mustajaab – cannot be relied upon because it contains a large number of weak (da‘eef) and fabricated (mawdoo‘) hadeeths. End quote.
‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn ‘Abdullah ibn Baaz, ‘Abd ar-Razzaaq ‘Afeefi, ‘Abdullah ibn Ghadyaan, ‘Abdullah ibn Qa‘ood.
Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
It is a book that cannot be relied upon and its author is not a scholar. Hence we have been drawing attention to this for a long time and we have stated that this book cannot be relied upon. Readers should be alerted to the fact that it cannot be relied upon because of what it contains of weak and fabricated hadeeths.
Fataawa Ibn Baaz, 26/354-355
Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan (may Allah preserve him) said:
There is a book that is widely circulated among people today and is available in bookstores. It is called ad-Du‘aa’ al-Mustajaab, by Muhammad ‘Abd al-Jawaad. It is a book of myths which includes innovated Sufi du‘aa’s and dhikrs which are quoted without any evidence for that from the Qur’aan and Sunnah. Its title is an audacious statement about Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, because the book is called ad-Du‘aa’ al-Mustajaab (the supplication that is answered). But who is the one who told him that this supplication is answered? What evidence is there for that, except that he wanted to attract the attention of the common folk and deceive them with this fabricated book. I refer the reader to some trustworthy books of du‘aa’s and dhikrs that were written by leading, trustworthy Sunni scholars:
1. al-Waabil as-Sayyib by al-‘Allaamah ibn al-Qayyim
2. al-Kalim at-Tayyib by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah
3. al-Adhkaar by Imam an-Nawawi
These books do not contain any innovated dhikrs; they do contain dhikrs narrated in the Qur’aan and Sunnah. They are sufficient and there is no need for books of myths written by jokers, praise be to Allah.
End quote from Majmoo‘ Fataawa Fadeelat ash-Shaykh Saalih ibn Fawzaan, 2/697
You could also refer to what is quoted on our website in the answer to question no. 13506, where we discussed the conditions of du‘aa’ being answered and the means of having one’s supplication accepted by Allah, may He be exalted.
And Allah knows best.
Comment on the du‘aa’, “I strove hard to conceal my sins, and You strove hard, my Lord, in concealing me”
I used to recite a du‘aa’, but my friends told me that this du‘aa’ is haraam. I would like to find out whether it is haraam or not: “I strove hard to conceal my sins, and You strove hard, my Lord, in concealing me”.
Praise be to Allaah.
By His bounty towards the Muslim, Allah has made the matter of du‘aa’ broad in scope. There are du‘aa’s in the Qur’aan, du‘aa’s of the Prophets and Messengers, that are few in words but great in meaning. And there are du‘aa’s in the Sunnah, du‘aa’s of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). And there are also du‘aa’s of the noble Sahaabah, Taabi‘een, scholars and righteous people, which have been compiled in many books and are also to be found in their biographies. We do not think there is any need for anyone to come along and make up phrases for calling upon his Lord, and not be content with keeping them between him and his Lord until he spreads them among people on web sites and elsewhere. The one who browses websites will find a great deal of such material, most of which is questionable. The reason for that is that those who originally wrote these things were not scholars or seekers of knowledge.
One example of what we are talking about is something that is widespread on many web sites, a du‘aa’ that contains clear exaggeration and some phrases that is extremely abhorrent and distasteful. It is the du‘aa’ mentioned by the questioner. Its mistakes are twofold:
1. Using the same word referring to the striving of the created being in committing sin and the striving of the Lord, the Creator, the All-Forgiving. This is something that it is not befitting for the one who is calling upon his Lord to do, and it is disrespectful towards Allah, may He be glorified and exalted.
2. It ascribes “striving” to Allah, may He be exalted! This is a word that it is abhorrent to attribute to the Lord, may He be exalted. This word is indicative of expending effort and energy, which is impossible in the case of Allah, may He be exalted, Who told us that He created the heavens and the earth and everything in between and no fatigue or tiredness touched Him. Allah, may He be exalted, said (interpretation of the meaning): “And indeed We created the heavens and the earth and all between them in six Days and nothing of fatigue touched Us” [Qaaf 50:38]. This clearly states that there is no tiredness or fatigue on the part of Allah, may He be exalted, at all. Rather He mentioned it here, after He created the heavens and the earth and everything in between them, so as to dispel any confusion and refute those among the Jews who attributed that to Him. This negation of tiredness and fatigue is indicative of the perfection of His power, may He be glorified and exalted.
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said: It should be noted that when it is said that Allah does not possess an attribute, it is not only a negation; rather as well as the negation, what is meant is the opposite. So when Allah, may He be exalted, said of Himself (interpretation of the meaning): “and nothing of fatigue touched Us”, what is meant is a negation of fatigue and an affirmation of the perfection of His might and power.
End quote from Tafseer Soorat al-Baqarah, 2/132
If it were correct to say of a sinful person that he “strove” in committing sin, how can a person be content to say of his Lord, may He be exalted, that He “strove” in concealing it when He – may He be exalted – is able to conceal it and, rather, to forgive it and replace it with good deeds (hasanaat) with one word, “Be!” This is not permissible; rather it is haraam, and it is not permissible for anyone to speak of his Lord in a manner that is suggestive of shortcomings or that is far removed from the proper etiquette that must be observed before Him, may He be glorified.
What the Muslim must do is refrain from using this phrase in his du‘aa’ and beware of spreading it. Websites must also erase this sentence from their pages and not incur sin by spreading it.
And Allah knows best.
Praise be to Allaah.
By His bounty towards the Muslim, Allah has made the matter of du‘aa’ broad in scope. There are du‘aa’s in the Qur’aan, du‘aa’s of the Prophets and Messengers, that are few in words but great in meaning. And there are du‘aa’s in the Sunnah, du‘aa’s of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). And there are also du‘aa’s of the noble Sahaabah, Taabi‘een, scholars and righteous people, which have been compiled in many books and are also to be found in their biographies. We do not think there is any need for anyone to come along and make up phrases for calling upon his Lord, and not be content with keeping them between him and his Lord until he spreads them among people on web sites and elsewhere. The one who browses websites will find a great deal of such material, most of which is questionable. The reason for that is that those who originally wrote these things were not scholars or seekers of knowledge.
One example of what we are talking about is something that is widespread on many web sites, a du‘aa’ that contains clear exaggeration and some phrases that is extremely abhorrent and distasteful. It is the du‘aa’ mentioned by the questioner. Its mistakes are twofold:
1. Using the same word referring to the striving of the created being in committing sin and the striving of the Lord, the Creator, the All-Forgiving. This is something that it is not befitting for the one who is calling upon his Lord to do, and it is disrespectful towards Allah, may He be glorified and exalted.
2. It ascribes “striving” to Allah, may He be exalted! This is a word that it is abhorrent to attribute to the Lord, may He be exalted. This word is indicative of expending effort and energy, which is impossible in the case of Allah, may He be exalted, Who told us that He created the heavens and the earth and everything in between and no fatigue or tiredness touched Him. Allah, may He be exalted, said (interpretation of the meaning): “And indeed We created the heavens and the earth and all between them in six Days and nothing of fatigue touched Us” [Qaaf 50:38]. This clearly states that there is no tiredness or fatigue on the part of Allah, may He be exalted, at all. Rather He mentioned it here, after He created the heavens and the earth and everything in between them, so as to dispel any confusion and refute those among the Jews who attributed that to Him. This negation of tiredness and fatigue is indicative of the perfection of His power, may He be glorified and exalted.
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said: It should be noted that when it is said that Allah does not possess an attribute, it is not only a negation; rather as well as the negation, what is meant is the opposite. So when Allah, may He be exalted, said of Himself (interpretation of the meaning): “and nothing of fatigue touched Us”, what is meant is a negation of fatigue and an affirmation of the perfection of His might and power.
End quote from Tafseer Soorat al-Baqarah, 2/132
If it were correct to say of a sinful person that he “strove” in committing sin, how can a person be content to say of his Lord, may He be exalted, that He “strove” in concealing it when He – may He be exalted – is able to conceal it and, rather, to forgive it and replace it with good deeds (hasanaat) with one word, “Be!” This is not permissible; rather it is haraam, and it is not permissible for anyone to speak of his Lord in a manner that is suggestive of shortcomings or that is far removed from the proper etiquette that must be observed before Him, may He be glorified.
What the Muslim must do is refrain from using this phrase in his du‘aa’ and beware of spreading it. Websites must also erase this sentence from their pages and not incur sin by spreading it.
And Allah knows best.
What should she do as she prayed against herself asking that she not be successful and her du‘aa’ was accompanied by an oath?
I am a girl who offers the five prayers regularly and fears Allah, but I fell into the pit of the secret habit. I regret what I have done and I have repented more than once, but of two occasions I swore that if I did it again that my dream of getting good grades in my exams – which is my life’s dream – should not come true. This was so that I would stop what I was doing. But unfortunately I did it again. But now I have repented sincerely and my exams are in a few days’ time, and I am afraid that what I prayed for may come true. I wanted to fast for three days but I did not have the strength to do that because of the exams and psychological pressure. But I have decided to fast after I finish the exams.
My question is: is it possible for what I prayed for to come true?
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
The secret habit is an abhorrent and haraam action on the part of both males and females. We have discussed the ruling on that and how to deal with it in the answers to questions no. 329 and 101539.
Secondly:
What you have done of praying against yourself and asking that you not be helped to succeed in obtaining high grades is something that was not appropriate, because it was praying for something bad for oneself. Falling behind in your studies is not a good thing; rather it would lead to serious negative consequences. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) forbade the Muslim to pray against himself. It was narrated that Umm Salamah said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Do not pray against yourselves except for good things, for the angels says ameen to whatever you say.”
Narrated by Muslim, 920
Muslim also narrated (3014) from Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Do not pray against yourselves, do not pray against your children, and do not pray against your wealth, lest that coincide with an hour when Allah is asked for something and He responds to you.”
Thirdly:
If a person swears to do an act of disobedience then he does it, what he is required to do is offer expiation for the oath he swore. This expiation is not expiation for the sin he committed; rather it is expiation for the oath that he swore. As for the sin, what he has to do is repent sincerely from it. Part of his repentance is regretting what he did in the past and resolving not to do it again.
See the answer to question no. 103424
Thus, if a person swears against himself with the aim of encouraging himself to do something or preventing himself from doing something, as appears to be the case in your question, then it comes under the ruling on oaths, and if he broke it then he must offer expiation for it.
Shaykh Khaalid al-Mushayqih (may Allah preserve him) was asked:
What is the ruling on one who says, “Insha Allah I should die if I do such and such?” or he said “May such and such befall me if I do this thing?” when he knows that he wants to go back to it and he said that in a moment of anger? Is this regarded as being the same as an oath? May Allah reward you with good.
He replied:
Firstly, it is forbidden for a person to pray against himself…
Secondly, if a person prayed against himself in this manner, intending to encourage himself to do something or prevent himself from doing something, or to confirm something or to say that something was a lie, then the oath was broken, then he must offer expiation for breaking an oath (kafaarat yameen). For example, if he said, “If I do not go, may I fall ill or die,” then he did not go. In that case he has to offer expiation for breaking an oath.
End quote from Fataawa ash-Shaykh, 2/145.
And Allah knows best.
My question is: is it possible for what I prayed for to come true?
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
The secret habit is an abhorrent and haraam action on the part of both males and females. We have discussed the ruling on that and how to deal with it in the answers to questions no. 329 and 101539.
Secondly:
What you have done of praying against yourself and asking that you not be helped to succeed in obtaining high grades is something that was not appropriate, because it was praying for something bad for oneself. Falling behind in your studies is not a good thing; rather it would lead to serious negative consequences. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) forbade the Muslim to pray against himself. It was narrated that Umm Salamah said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Do not pray against yourselves except for good things, for the angels says ameen to whatever you say.”
Narrated by Muslim, 920
Muslim also narrated (3014) from Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Do not pray against yourselves, do not pray against your children, and do not pray against your wealth, lest that coincide with an hour when Allah is asked for something and He responds to you.”
Thirdly:
If a person swears to do an act of disobedience then he does it, what he is required to do is offer expiation for the oath he swore. This expiation is not expiation for the sin he committed; rather it is expiation for the oath that he swore. As for the sin, what he has to do is repent sincerely from it. Part of his repentance is regretting what he did in the past and resolving not to do it again.
See the answer to question no. 103424
Thus, if a person swears against himself with the aim of encouraging himself to do something or preventing himself from doing something, as appears to be the case in your question, then it comes under the ruling on oaths, and if he broke it then he must offer expiation for it.
Shaykh Khaalid al-Mushayqih (may Allah preserve him) was asked:
What is the ruling on one who says, “Insha Allah I should die if I do such and such?” or he said “May such and such befall me if I do this thing?” when he knows that he wants to go back to it and he said that in a moment of anger? Is this regarded as being the same as an oath? May Allah reward you with good.
He replied:
Firstly, it is forbidden for a person to pray against himself…
Secondly, if a person prayed against himself in this manner, intending to encourage himself to do something or prevent himself from doing something, or to confirm something or to say that something was a lie, then the oath was broken, then he must offer expiation for breaking an oath (kafaarat yameen). For example, if he said, “If I do not go, may I fall ill or die,” then he did not go. In that case he has to offer expiation for breaking an oath.
End quote from Fataawa ash-Shaykh, 2/145.
And Allah knows best.
Admiring oneself after doing a good deed
Sometimes a person finds himself filled with self-admiration or showing off after doing a good deed or act of worship, and he is scared that this will cancel out what he has done. What do you advise?
Praise be to Allaah.
If a person feels self admiration after doing something good or fears that he may show off, he should ward that off and resist it by seeking refuge with Allaah from it, and saying “Allaahumma inni a’oodhu bika an ushrika bika wa ana a’lam, wa’staghfiruka lima laa a’lam (O Allaah, I seek refuge with you from knowingly associating anything with You, and I seek Your forgiveness for that of which I am unaware)” – as was reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).
These kind of feelings happen to everyone, but you have to try to be sincere towards Allaah, seek His forgiveness, and remember that there is no strength and no power except with Allaah; if it were not for the help of Allaah, you would not have been able to do this good deed, so to Allaah be praise in the beginning and at the end.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to Mu’aadh ibn Jabal: “O Mu’aadh, by Allaah indeed I love you, and I advise you, O Mu’aadh, do not forget at the end of every prayer to say: Allaahumma a’inni ‘ala dhikrika wa shukrika wa husni ‘ibaaditika (O Allaah, help me to remember You, give thanks to You and worship You in the best way).” (Narrated by Ahmad, Abu Dawood, al-Nasaa’i, and others; it is saheeh).
Do not forego doing good deeds for fear of showing off, because this is one of the tricks that the Shaytaan uses to weaken people’s resolve and stop them from doing things that Allaah loves and is pleased with.
As for merely feeling happy that one has done a good deed, this does not contradict sincerity and faith, for Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Say: “In the Bounty of Allâh, and in His Mercy (i.e. Islâm and the Qur’ân); —therein let them rejoice.” That is better than what (the wealth) they amass” [Yoonus 10:58] – meaning, if he attains guidance, faith and righteous deeds, and the mercy resulting from that overwhelms him and he feels joy and success as a result. Hence Allaah commanded us to rejoice over such things.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If your good deeds make you happy and your bad deeds make you sad, then you are a believer.” (Narrated by Ahmad, Ibn Majaah and others from the hadeeth of Abu Umaamah; it is a saheeh hadeeth).
By the same token, if people praise you for your good deed, then this is a portion of the glad tidings of the Hereafter, which Allaah gives a person in this world. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was asked, “What do you think if a man does a good deed and the people praise him for it?” He said: “That is the portion of the glad tidings for the believer which he is given in this world.” (Narrated by Muslim from the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah, may Allaah be pleased with him).
So this praise is a sign that Allaah is pleased with him and loves him, so He makes him dear to other people.
We ask Allaah to make our intentions and deeds right.
Praise be to Allaah.
If a person feels self admiration after doing something good or fears that he may show off, he should ward that off and resist it by seeking refuge with Allaah from it, and saying “Allaahumma inni a’oodhu bika an ushrika bika wa ana a’lam, wa’staghfiruka lima laa a’lam (O Allaah, I seek refuge with you from knowingly associating anything with You, and I seek Your forgiveness for that of which I am unaware)” – as was reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).
These kind of feelings happen to everyone, but you have to try to be sincere towards Allaah, seek His forgiveness, and remember that there is no strength and no power except with Allaah; if it were not for the help of Allaah, you would not have been able to do this good deed, so to Allaah be praise in the beginning and at the end.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to Mu’aadh ibn Jabal: “O Mu’aadh, by Allaah indeed I love you, and I advise you, O Mu’aadh, do not forget at the end of every prayer to say: Allaahumma a’inni ‘ala dhikrika wa shukrika wa husni ‘ibaaditika (O Allaah, help me to remember You, give thanks to You and worship You in the best way).” (Narrated by Ahmad, Abu Dawood, al-Nasaa’i, and others; it is saheeh).
Do not forego doing good deeds for fear of showing off, because this is one of the tricks that the Shaytaan uses to weaken people’s resolve and stop them from doing things that Allaah loves and is pleased with.
As for merely feeling happy that one has done a good deed, this does not contradict sincerity and faith, for Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Say: “In the Bounty of Allâh, and in His Mercy (i.e. Islâm and the Qur’ân); —therein let them rejoice.” That is better than what (the wealth) they amass” [Yoonus 10:58] – meaning, if he attains guidance, faith and righteous deeds, and the mercy resulting from that overwhelms him and he feels joy and success as a result. Hence Allaah commanded us to rejoice over such things.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If your good deeds make you happy and your bad deeds make you sad, then you are a believer.” (Narrated by Ahmad, Ibn Majaah and others from the hadeeth of Abu Umaamah; it is a saheeh hadeeth).
By the same token, if people praise you for your good deed, then this is a portion of the glad tidings of the Hereafter, which Allaah gives a person in this world. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was asked, “What do you think if a man does a good deed and the people praise him for it?” He said: “That is the portion of the glad tidings for the believer which he is given in this world.” (Narrated by Muslim from the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah, may Allaah be pleased with him).
So this praise is a sign that Allaah is pleased with him and loves him, so He makes him dear to other people.
We ask Allaah to make our intentions and deeds right.
Seeking knowledge in order to teach people and not for the purpose of showing off
If a person learns one of the branches of religious knowledge in order to play his role in the village where he lives, and he memorizes Qur’aan in order to lead the young men in praying at night in Ramadaan, will that be a kind of minor shirk (al-shirk al-asghar)?
Praise be to Allaah.
It is known from the evidence of sharee’ah that seeking knowledge and seeking to understand the religion is one of the best acts of worship and obedience. The same is true of studying the Qur’aan and trying to recite it a lot and to memorize it or as much as one can. All of these are among the best acts of worship. If you do what you should of teaching the people of your village, guiding them, leading them – the young men and others – in prayer, all of these are good deeds which will be appreciated and for which you will be rewarded. This is not showing off and it is not shirk, if your aim is to seek the pleasure of Allaah and the Hereafter, and you are not doing it to show off to people and earn their praise, but to help them and increase their knowledge and understanding of their religion. That could be minor shirk only if you did it to show off to people or to earn their praise. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “The thing that I fear most for you is minor shirk.” He was asked what that was, and he said, “Showing off.” “When a man stands up to pray and he makes his prayer beautiful because he thinks that the people are looking at him.” On the Day of Resurrection, Allaah will say to those who show off, “Go to those for whom you used to show off in the world, and see whether you find any reward with them.” Showing off means that you do something with the aim of people seeing you and praising you; reputation is a part of that. For example, if you read Qur’aan so that people will praise you and say, “He is a good reader” or “He reads well”; or you do a lot of dhikr so that they will praise you and say, “He does a lot of dhikr”; or you enjoin what is good and forbid what is evil so that people will praise you. This is showing off, and this is minor shirk. It is essential to beware of that and to do what you do for the sake of Allaah alone, not for the sake of showing off to people and earning their praise. But you should learn in order to act upon that knowledge and to teach your brothers and lead them in prayer, and hope for the reward that is with Allaah. You should do that with the aim of helping them, not for the purposes of showing off or enhancing your reputation. If you read from the Mus-haf there is nothing wrong with that if you lead your brothers in prayer reading from the Mus-haf in Ramadaan. The freed slave of ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) used to lead her in prayer reading from the Mus-haf. So it is OK to read from the Mus-haf when praying at night in Ramadaan if you have not memorized it, but if one has learned it by heart and can recite it from memory, that is better, but there is nothing wrong with reading from the Mus-haf if necessary.
Praise be to Allaah.
It is known from the evidence of sharee’ah that seeking knowledge and seeking to understand the religion is one of the best acts of worship and obedience. The same is true of studying the Qur’aan and trying to recite it a lot and to memorize it or as much as one can. All of these are among the best acts of worship. If you do what you should of teaching the people of your village, guiding them, leading them – the young men and others – in prayer, all of these are good deeds which will be appreciated and for which you will be rewarded. This is not showing off and it is not shirk, if your aim is to seek the pleasure of Allaah and the Hereafter, and you are not doing it to show off to people and earn their praise, but to help them and increase their knowledge and understanding of their religion. That could be minor shirk only if you did it to show off to people or to earn their praise. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “The thing that I fear most for you is minor shirk.” He was asked what that was, and he said, “Showing off.” “When a man stands up to pray and he makes his prayer beautiful because he thinks that the people are looking at him.” On the Day of Resurrection, Allaah will say to those who show off, “Go to those for whom you used to show off in the world, and see whether you find any reward with them.” Showing off means that you do something with the aim of people seeing you and praising you; reputation is a part of that. For example, if you read Qur’aan so that people will praise you and say, “He is a good reader” or “He reads well”; or you do a lot of dhikr so that they will praise you and say, “He does a lot of dhikr”; or you enjoin what is good and forbid what is evil so that people will praise you. This is showing off, and this is minor shirk. It is essential to beware of that and to do what you do for the sake of Allaah alone, not for the sake of showing off to people and earning their praise. But you should learn in order to act upon that knowledge and to teach your brothers and lead them in prayer, and hope for the reward that is with Allaah. You should do that with the aim of helping them, not for the purposes of showing off or enhancing your reputation. If you read from the Mus-haf there is nothing wrong with that if you lead your brothers in prayer reading from the Mus-haf in Ramadaan. The freed slave of ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) used to lead her in prayer reading from the Mus-haf. So it is OK to read from the Mus-haf when praying at night in Ramadaan if you have not memorized it, but if one has learned it by heart and can recite it from memory, that is better, but there is nothing wrong with reading from the Mus-haf if necessary.
Working for a salary and not for the Hereafter – is this blameworthy?
There is an employee who has been working for the state for more than twenty years. He is an honest worker with a good attitude who tries to please his superiors and boss, and works hard so that he will receive his salary in full with nothing docked from his pay, and so that he will earn promotion. All of these efforts are only for the sake of his work, not for the sake of Allaah. But this employee worships Allaah and does good deeds sincerely for the sake of Allaah, outside of his work. He prays, fasts, gives charity, pays zakaah, goes for Hajj, reads Qur’aan, reads Tafseer and does all kinds of good things sincerely for the sake of Allaah and in accordance with His sharee’ah. So what is your opinion – may Allaah reward you with good – about this man’s attitude when he is at work? Is it permissible, or is it shirk , or what? Please advise us and tell us what he should do. Is there any sin on him for what he has done in the past in his work? May Allaah take care of you.
Praise be to Allaah.
It is known that employment and work is not called ‘ibaadah (worship), and it is not one of the kinds of worship that should be done only for Allaah. People work at their jobs in order to make their salaries halaal, and so that they will be deserving of what they are given, and so on. The intention cannot be described in terms of worship. But if he knows that it is a trust between him and Allaah, and that Allaah is always watching him, so he pays attention to the fact that his Lord is watching him in this work, so that what he takes as wages will be halaal beyond a doubt, then he will have the reward for this sincerity, even if his intention is that nothing should be docked from his pay and so on. Given that this employee undertakes his religious duties and keeps away from haraam things, he is to be commended for that. And Allaah multiplies the reward for whomsoever He wills. And Allaah is the Generous Bestower and All-Knowing.
Praise be to Allaah.
It is known that employment and work is not called ‘ibaadah (worship), and it is not one of the kinds of worship that should be done only for Allaah. People work at their jobs in order to make their salaries halaal, and so that they will be deserving of what they are given, and so on. The intention cannot be described in terms of worship. But if he knows that it is a trust between him and Allaah, and that Allaah is always watching him, so he pays attention to the fact that his Lord is watching him in this work, so that what he takes as wages will be halaal beyond a doubt, then he will have the reward for this sincerity, even if his intention is that nothing should be docked from his pay and so on. Given that this employee undertakes his religious duties and keeps away from haraam things, he is to be commended for that. And Allaah multiplies the reward for whomsoever He wills. And Allaah is the Generous Bestower and All-Knowing.
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