25...Questions....FOR YOU TO THINK ABOUT!

[HELWAA]

One of the Prophet's Companions, Khalid ibn al Walid (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated the following hadith which has 25 important and meaningful questions. The reply to these questions shows the divine knowledge through which the holy Prophet was guided and answers questions treasured by the sincere among us.

A Bedouin came one day to the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) and said to him, 'O, Messenger of Allah! I've come to ask you a few questions about the affairs of this Life and the Hereafter.' 'Ask what you wish' said Rasulullah (peace be upon him).

Q: I'd like to be the most learned of men.
A: Fear Allah and you will be the most learned of men.

Q: I wish to be the richest man in the world.
A: Be contented, and you will be the richest man in the world.

Q: I'd like to be the most just man.
A: Desire for others what you desire for yourself, and you will be the most just of men.

Q: I want to be the best of men.
A: Do good to others and you will be the best of men.

Q: I wish to be the most favoured by Allah.
A: Engage much in Allah's praise, and you will be most favoured by Him.

Q: I'd like to complete my faith.
A: If you have good manners you will complete your faith

Q: I wish to be among those who do good.
A: Adore Allah as if you see Him. If you don't see Him, He sees you. In this way, you will be among those who do good.

Q: I wish to be obedient to Allah.
A: If you observe Allah's commands you will be obedient.

Q: I'd like to be free from all sins.
A: Bathe yourself from impurities and you will be free from all sins.

Q: I'd like to be raised on the Day of Judgment in the light.
A: Don't wrong yourself or any other creature, and you will be raised on the Day of Judgment in the light.

Q: I'd like Allah to bestow His mercy on me.
A: If you have mercy on yourself and others, Allah will grant you mercy on the Day of Judgment.

Q: I'd like my sins to be very few.
A: If you seek the forgiveness of Allah as much as you can, your sins will be very few.

Q: I'd like to be the most honourable man.
A: If you do not complain to any fellow creature, you will be the most honourable of men.

Q: I'd like to be the strongest of men.
A: If you put your trust in Allah, you will be the strongest of men.

Q: I'd like to enlarge my provision.
A: If you keep yourself pure, Allah will enlarge your provision.

Q: I'd like to be loved by Allah and His messenger.
A: If you love what Allah and His messenger love, you will be among their beloved ones.

Q: I wish to be safe from Allah's wrath on the Day of Judgment.
A: If you do not loose your temper with any of your fellow creatures, you will be safe from the wrath of Allah on the Day of Judgment.

Q: I'd like my prayers to be responded to.
A: If you avoid forbidden actions, your prayers will he responded to.

Q: I'd like Allah not to disgrace me on the Day of Judgment.
A: If you guard your chastity, Allah will not disgrace you on the Day of Judgment.

Q: I'd like Allah to provide me with a protective covering on the Day of Judgment.
A: Do not uncover your fellow creatures faults, and Allah will provide you with a covering protection on the Day of Judgment.

Q: What will save me from sins?
A: Tears, humility and illness.

Q: What are the best deeds in the eyes of Allah?
A: Gentle manners, modesty and patience.

Q: What are the worst evils in the eyes of Allah?
A: Hot temper and miserliness.

Q: What assuages the wrath of Allah in this life and in the Hereafter?
A: Concealed charity and kindness to relatives.

Q: What extinguishes hell's fires on the Day of Judgment?
A: Patience in adversity and misfortunes.

CSW
Related by:
Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal
(May ALLAH be pleased with him)

[HELWAA]

By tears Rasulallah SAW referred to the tears of a Muslim who repents.

Abu Omamah reported from the Holy Prophet who said: Nothing is dearer to Allah than two drops and two marks: One drop of tears out of fear of Allah and one drop of blood shed in the way of Allah; and as for the two marks, one mark in the way of Allah, and another mark in (discharge of) an obligatory duty of the obligatory duties of the Almighty Allah. (Tirmizi (classified as hasan, good)

In another hadith, a man came to Rasulallah SAW and asked him for some advice, and Rasulallah SAW replied, “Hold your tongue and cry about your sins often.”

Crying shows a personÂ’s guilt and helplessness in front of Allah. When we sin, we are acting in accordance to our nafs. During the act of a sin, we are holding our nafs higher than the command of Allah. Otherwise, we wouldnÂ’t sin. When we cry in repentance, we admit our mistakes, we admit our weakness for obeying our nafs, and we ask Allah for forgiveness for our sin and because we didnÂ’t follow His command. This ties in with humility.

Read the following hadith

On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: Allah (mighty and sublime be He) said:
Pride is my cloak and greatness My robe, and he who competes with Me in respect of either of them I shall cast into Hell-fire.

Our admittance of flaws and faults is our humility. To acknowledge AllahÂ’s greatness is also humility.
Humility is a virtue that carries on into all actions. ItÂ’s the opposite of pride. The kind of clothing one wears, the way one walks, the way one talks, the way one eats. There are etiquettes to every aspect of living. The best example of course is our beloved Muhammad SAW. To know what humility is, the best thing to do is read on his lifestyle, from his choice of clothes to where he slept, what he ate, etc. Simplicity is key.

Also, read this hadith.

Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Sadaqa does not decrease property and Allah only increases a slave in might by forgiveness and no one is humble for the sake of Allah without Allah elevating him." [Muslim]

And now illness.

Illness, if endured patiently yields great reward from Allah, and the forgiveness of sins. Recall the story of Ayub AS. In surah Saad, verse 43, Allah tells us how He multiplied AyubÂ’s AS blessings after relieving his illness.

And the ahadith:

“Whatever trouble, illness, anxiety, grief, hurt or sorrow that afflicts a Muslim, even the prick of a thorn, Allah removes in its place some of his sins.”
{Ref. 38 Bukhari and Muslim with a chain up to Abu Sa'id and Abu Hurairah (sp) related that the Prophet (sa) said this.}

“I (Abdullah son of Mas'ud (RAA) said: ‘O Messenger of Allah (sa) you have a very high fever.’ He replied: ‘Indeed, my fever is as high as that of two of you.’ I said: ‘That is because you will receive twice the reward.’ He said: ‘That is so. A Muslim does not suffer from anything, even from a (little) thorn prick or greater, unless Allah removes (from him) in its stead some of his sins, and his sins fall as leaves fall from a tree.’"
{Ref. 39 Abdullah son of Mas'ud (s) related that he visited the Prophet (sa) when he had fever and that he said this.}