Contemplation - Excerpts from 'Sharh Riyaadh as-Saaliheen' of Ibnul-'Uthaymeen

Chapter: Contemplation [Muraaqaba]

Allaah says,

"Who sees you when you stand up (for prayer), and your movements along with those who fall prostrate." (26:218-219)


"He is with you wheresoever you may be." (57:4)


"Truly nothing is hidden from Allaah, in the earth or in the heavens." (3:5)


"Indeed your Lord is Ever-Watchful (over them)" (89:14)


"Allaah knows the fraud of the eyes and all that the breasts conceal." (40:19)


The verses concerning this are many and well known. After mentioning the chapter concerning Truthfulness and the verses and ahaadeeth pertaining to it, the author follows this up with the chapter concerning Contemplation. There are two aspects to contemplation:

1. That you contemplate Allaah, Azza wa Jall
2. That you know that Allaah is watching you as He says, "and Allaah is Ever a Watcher (Raqeebaa) over all things."

As for your contemplating Allaah then this is that you know that Allaah, the Exalted, Knows your every saying, action, or belief, as He said, "and put your trust in the All-Mighty, the Most Merciful – Who sees you when you stand up (for prayer) and your movements along with those who fall prostrate." (26:216-218)


"Who sees you as you stand" meaning at night, when the person stands in a place in seclusion from others such that no one would see him, but Allaah, Subhaanahu wa Ta’aalaa, sees Him even if he be in the darkest and most intense of darkness.


"And your movements along with those who prostrate" meaning: and you move along with all those who prostrate to Allaah in this hour, for indeed Allaah sees a person when he stands and prostrates. Standing and prostrating have been (specifically) mention because standing in prayer is better than prostration with respect to the remembrance of Allaah, and prostration is better with respect to its appearance and condition. As for the standing being better than the prostration with respect to remembrance then this is because the legislated remembrance in the state of standing is the recitation of the Qur’an and the Qur’an is the noblest of speech. As for the prostration being better than the standing with respect to its appearance and condition then this is because the person in the state of prostration is closest to His Lord, Azza wa Jall, as is established from the Prophet(sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) when he said:


"The closest a person is to His Lord is when he is in prostration." [Muslim]

This is why we have been commanded to increase our supplications while in prostration.

Also from your contemplating Allaah is that you know that Allaah hears everything single thing that you say as He said, "or do they think that We Hear not their secrets and private discourse? (Indeed We do) and Our Messengers are by them, to record." (43:80)


And along with this, that you know that every good or evil thing that you say, be it openly or secretly then it is written – for or against you. Allaah, the Blessed and Exalted says, "not a word does he utter, but there is a watcher by him ready (to record it)" (50:18)

Know this, and beware! Beware that their emit from your tongue a saying which will count against you on the Day of Judgement. Make sure that your tongue is continuously articulating the truth or that it remains silent as the Messenger of Allaah(sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) said, "whosoever believes in Allaah and the Last Day then let him speak only good or remain silent." [Bukhaaree]


(Also from your contemplating Allaah) is that you do so with regards to your secrets and what is in your heart. Look to what is in your heart! Associating partners with Allaah, showing off, deviations, jealousy, hatred and dislike displayed towards the Muslims, love of the disbelievers and other such things that Allaah is not Pleased with. Supervise and be attentive to your heart for Allaah has said,


"indeed We created man, and We know what his own self whispers to him." (50:16)


So contemplate Allaah in these three places, in your actions, your saying and your heart so that your contemplation may be complete. This is why, when the Prophet(sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) was asked about Ihsaan, he replied, "that you worship Allaah as if you see Him, and if you do not see Him, then indeed He sees you."


Worship Allaah as if you see Him and witness Him with the eye, and if you do not see Him then go to the next station below this: then indeed He sees you.


So the first station is to worship Him out of hope and desire. The next is to worship Him out of fear and awe this is why he said, "and if you do not see Him, then indeed He sees you."


So it is necessary for the person to contemplate His Lord and that he know that Allaah is Watching over you. Anything that you say or do or keep secret, Allaah, Exalted is He, Knows it. The author has mentioned a number of verses that prove this and began with the verse that we have already mentioned,


"and put your trust in the All-Mighty, the Most Merciful – Who sees you when you stand up (for prayer) and your movements along with those who fall prostrate." (26:216-218)

URL REFERENCE: http://alturl.com/4ynd

Tawheed is the key to Paradise

The Reality of Tawheed

by Imâm Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah

Translated by Abu Rumaysah

The Relief of the Heart and Body Lies in the Obedience of Allah

In this lies a great secret from the secrets of Tawheed. This is that the heart cannot become firm, it cannot find satisfaction and it cannot find tranquillity except by reaching out to Him. Everything that is loved and desired besides Him then it must be desired for other than His sake. The One Who is desired, the One Who is beloved in and of Himself, with Whom all matters find their final goal is only one. It is impossible that the final goal be to two destinations just as it is impossible that the beginning of the creation be from two sources.

So the one whose love, desire, will and obedience ends at other than Him then it will be rendered null and void, it will disappear and split off from him no matter how great his need be of it. However the one whose love, desire, will, obedience, awe and reverential fear ends at Him, far removed is He from imperfection, will find himself winning His favours, bliss and rapture, magnificence and splendour, and felicity for eternity.

The servant continuously finds himself altering between the laws of commandments and the laws of decree. Therefore he is perpetually in need of aid to fulfil the commandments and in need of kindness and leniency at the onset of the calamity. It is the extent to which he establishes the obligations that determine how much kindness the servant will receive at the onset of the calamity. Therefore if he completes his obligations both inwardly and outwardly then he will attain kindness and leniency both inwardly and outwardly. If, however, he merely establishes the outward form [of the commandments] without establishing their reality [inwardly] then he will receive an outward kindness and his portion of inward kindness will [greatly] diminish.

So if it is asked: what is this inward kindness?

[I say in reply:] It is what the heart attains of tranquillity and satisfaction at the onset of the calamity and the removal of unrest, confusion and despair. Therefore the servant surrenders and submits himself before his Lord and Master and he emerges in a state of complete rest and tranquillity - looking on at Him with his heart, and his soul at peace. His witnessing His Kindness has distracted him from the severity of the situation. His knowledge of Allaah's excellent choice and decision for him diverts him from feeling the calamity just as does his knowledge that he is nothing but a mere servant upon whom the decrees of his Master take effect, and he can either be pleased with them or angry with them. So if he is pleased then he will attain Pleasure and if he is displeased then his portion is nothing save Displeasure. Therefore this inward kindness is the fruit of this inward action [of being pleased with the decree of Allaah], it increases with its increase and decreases with its decrease.

The Benefits of Tawheed

Author: Shaikh Muhammad bin Jameel Zainoo
Source: The Methodology of the Saved Sect (trans. Abu Nasir)
http://www.salafipublications.com/

When pure tawheed is actualised in the life of an individual or the society it produces the best of results. From its results are the following:

1) Liberation of mankind from worship and submission to other than Allaah. The creation cannot create anything, rather they themselves are created. They are not capable of harming nor benefiting their souls. They are not capable of causing death nor giving life nor are they able to resurrect the dead. So tawheed liberates man from every worship, except to his Lord, the One Who created him and then proportioned hini. It liberates his intelligence from deviation and delusions.

It liberates his mind from obedience, humility and submission to other than Allaah. It liberates his life from the mastery of the rulers, the soothsayers and those who deem themselves divinely appointed over the slaves of Allaah.

Due to this, the leaders of shirk and oppression in the times of ignorance rose up against the call of the Prophets in general and particularly against the call of the Messenger, because of the fact that they understood the meaning of "La ilaaha lila Allaah" to be a universal pronouncement for the liberation of mankind, and the overthrowing of the tyrants from their false thrones, and the elevation of the faces of believers, those who do not prostrate except to Allaah, the Lord of the Worlds.

2) The personality remains balanced. Tawheed aids the formation of a balanced personality, the preferred aim and direction of this life, and it unifies and consolidates its purpose. So the personality does not turn except to the only One worthy of worship, and it turns to Him in private and in open and it calls to him in private and in open, and it calls upon Him in ease and in adversity. As opposed to the Mushrik (pagan) who shares his heart between those who are worshipped besides Allaah, at times he turns to the living and at times he turns to the dead, and Yusuf said:

Oh my two companions of the prison, are many different lords better, or Allaah, the One, the Irresistible? [ 12:39 ]

So, the believer worships One Lord, he knows what is pleasing to Him and what is displeasing to Him, lie stops at whatever pleases Him and his heart becomes calm.

As for the Mushrik, lie worships numerous deities, one he takes from here and another he takes from there and he is divided between them and he has no comfort.

3) Tawheed is the source of security for the people, because it fills the soul of the individual with peace and satisfaction. He does not fear anyone except Allaah and tawheed blocks the ways to fear of loss in provisions, the soul and the family, fear from mankind, jinn, death and other than that from those things which are feared.

The believer who worships Allaah alone. does not fear anyone except Him and because of this he feels secure whilst the rest of mankind fear and he feels satisfaction whilst the people are restless. This is the meaning that is indicated in the Qur'aan in His saying:

Those who believe and do not mix their belief with dhulm, they are those upon whom is security and they are the rightly guided.[6:82]

This security emerges from the innermost depths of the soul and not from any police guard which is the security of this world. As for the security of the Hereafter, then it is greater and more lasting for those who are sincere to Allaah and do not mix their tawheed with shirk, because shirk is a great dhulm.

4) Tawheed is the source for the strengthening of the soul, because it gives an individual a strong and formidable mental attitude, by which he fills his soul with hope in Allaah, confidence in Allaah and reliance upon Allaah, pleasure with His Decree, gives him patience upon His Tests and freedom from reliance upon the creation. This individual is firmly established, like the mountains, and when a calamity befalls him he asks his Lord to remove it and not the dead. The Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) indicated this in his saying: "When you ask, then ask Allaah and when you seek help, then seek help from Allaah alone. " [Hasan Sahih – Tirmidhi]

If Allaah touches you with harm, none can remove it except Him."[ 6:17 ]

5) Tawheed is the foundation of brotherhood and equality, because it does not permit following those who take others as lords besides Allaah, since worship is for Allaah alone and worship to Allaah alone must be from all of mankind, and the head of them is Muhammad (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) His Messenger and His chosen one.