Abu Hatim: 'The one reason which leads the smart one to place this world in its proper place, abandon relying upon it and seeking that which has been decreed for him of eternal life and everlasting blessing, is abandoning long hopes and remembering that death is something which can come at any given moment. This is because long hopes have forever severed the necks of men just like the mirage... it disappoints whoever places his hope in it, and it deceives whoever sees it.'
Abu al-Darda' addressed the people of Damascus saying, 'Won't you have some shame? You build that which you do not live in, you hope for which you cannot achieve and you gather that which you will not eat. Indeed, those who came before you built strong buildings, they gathered up much and they had long hopes. So their buildings became graves, their wealth an illusion and their gatherings perished.'
Imam al-Samarqandi said, 'A believer is in need of 6 characteristics:
1. Knowledge which guides him to the Hereafter.
2. A friend who helps him maintain obedience to Allah, the Most High, and prevents him from disobeying Him.
3. Knowing his enemies and being cautious of them.
4. Insight which he uses to contemplate over the Verses of Allah, and over the passing nights and days.
5. Being kind to the creation so that they do not argue with him on the Day of Judgment.
6. Preparation for death before it arrives so that he is not exposed on the Day of Judgment.
The Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) said, 'Does every one of you want to enter Paradise?' They said, 'Yes! May Allah sacrifice us for you, O Messenger of Allah!' He said, 'Sever your long hopes and be shy of Allah as He truly deserves.' They said, 'O Messenger of Allah, we are all shy of Allah.' He said, 'That is not shyness. Rather, shyness of Allah Ta'ala is to remember the graves and its trials, to preserve the chest and what it gathers, and to preserve the head and what it contains.' [Sahih al-Jami']
And it is also reported in a sound narration (Sahih al-Jami') that the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) said, 'Rectification in the first part of this nation was in Zuhd (detachment from the excesses of this world) and Yaqeen (certainty), and the destruction of the last part of this nation will be in greed and long hopes.'
[Including the above 3 posts, Translated from 'Tanbih al-Ghafilin' by Imam al-Samarqandi (pg. 156-160)]
Part 2 -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRhj_mMmf3g&feature=relmfu Most people are fooled into thinking that this world is the final abode and that success is only materialistic. But the truth is, everything will be left behind and the only thing of benefit will be our deeds!
At a funeral one day, Dawud al-Ta'i* (rahmatullahi alaih) was heard to say, "Whoever fears the Divine threat, all that seems far looms near to him; whoever harbours endless hopes, his deeds are feeble; everything that is going to place is actually near! Know, my brother, that everything that keeps you away from your Lord is a misfortune for you. Know that the dwellers of the graves are happy for what they sent forth and regret their useless occupations, while the dwellers of the world fight and compete with one another precisely over what the grave-dwellers regret." (The Four Imams and their Schools, p19, G. F. Haddad)
* Abu Sulayman Dawud ibn Nusayr al-Kufi al-Ta'i (rahmatullahi alaih) (d. 160 or 165). He narrated a number of hadith from the Tabi'een and took fiqh from Abu Hanifa (rahmatullahi alaih).
The Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم said, 'The food of humans strikes a parable of this worldly life. From what come sout of humans (as waste), even after they had seasoned it and added salt to it (and made it very tasty), look at what it ends up as." [Ibn Hibban]
Imam an-Nawawi رحمه الله stated that a person in this world is like a slave who was sent by his master to another land to fulfil some objectives. His goal will be to fulfil that objective as quickly as possible and then return to his land and owner. As long as he is there, he will not bother with anything else along the way or with gathering as much as he can from that other land. [Quoted in Ibn Hajr رحمه الله, Fath, Vol 13, p 10]
Masha.Allah found this thread very beneficial. Have made intention to read some posts from here on a daily basis, to keep me in rememberance of death, as it is the rememberance of death that extinguishes the love of this world.
It is reported that Ibrāhīm Al-Taymī - Allāh have mercy on him - said:
What a great difference there is between you and those people [of the past, the Salaf]! Worldly wealth came to them but they fled from it, whereas the world turns its back on you and you go after it.
[Ibn Al-Mubārak, Al-Zuhd wa Al-Raqā`iq article 538]
It is reported that Al-Hasan Al-Basrī - Allāh have mercy on him - said:
By Allāh, never was a person given an abundance of worldy wealth and then not feared this might be a plot against him [for his wrongdoing] except a person lacking intelligence and sound opinion. And never has Allāh held back worldy wealth from a person and that person has not thought that a good choice has been made for him except a person who [also] lacks intelligence and sound opinion.
This cannot be undone and I am sure it will be greatly appreciated.
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