Ibn alQayyim: Provisions for the Hereafter

Taught by Sheikh Sajid Umar

 

Season 2, Lesson 12

Notes of a student

Session 12:  1st December 2015

 

Introduction

Assalaamu alaykum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuhu,

The Sheikh welcomes session 10 of the ‘Provisions for the Hereafter’ course. He begins by praising Allah and sending blessings upon the final messenger Muhammad (Khutbatul Haajah).

Summary Notes – Lesson 12

– The first pillar after the Shahadah is Salaah. The Prophet ﷺ said: “The difference between a believer and a disbeliever is the prayer.”

– Salaah was given to the Prophet ﷺ before Hijrah during the Night of Israa wal Miraaj (The Night Journey). On this night Allah revealed 50 Salaah, however when the Prophet ﷺ met Musa (as) on his journey back, he advised him to reduce the number until it reached 5 as his Ummah wouldn’t be able to manage it.

– As the DOJ approaches, barakah will be removed from time. Salaah time comes so quick today. Imagine if there were 50?

– Even though we pray 5, Allah promises us a reward of 10. So we are rewarded as if we observed 50!

– Salaah was given to the Prophet ﷺ as a gift. It must be taken care of and valued. It only has goodness for us in this life and the hereafter.

 

– Salaah is not a burden. We should be sad when we finish one Salaah and we should protect it from becoming a routine.

– There is a difference between an ‘Aada (routine/habit) and ‘Ibaadah (worship).

– The Prophet ﷺ would say to Bilal: “O Bilal, cool us.” The Adhaan is cooling, calming and exciting due to what it calls you to, which is Salaah.

– Allah raised the Prophet ﷺ to a noble standing, the heavens, and directly there He gave the gift of Salaah. Salaah was revealed in the heavens! An occasion was made with regards to Salaah.

– The Night Journey – The Prophet ﷺ travelled on the Buraq from his house to Baytal Maqdis to the Heavens.

– Our Salaah should be a relaxation for our hearts and souls.

– We must be very careful of how we speak about Salaah.

 

 

– In our life we should not burn ourselves out! Salaah was reduced to 5 to keep it sweet and not a burden.

– We should not pray just for the sake of getting it done.

 

Imam ashShafi discussed in his book that the Shariah is so perfect in amount and how it applies to all timespans.

– Even the rakah’s for each Salaah are perfectly ordained.

– Allah has made Hajj compulsory only once as He knew that two would be difficult for the Ummah.

 

– We learn the importance of burning in and not burning out. Even in Dawah we must do only what is in our ability.

– If you are working for Allah you must keep yourself moving!

– Even when you want to memorise the Qur’an, start slowly.

 

– Musa (as) learnt from his experience from Bani Israel and he used his wisdom to advise the Messenger ﷺ. We should also learn from experience and from our past mistakes and difficulties and successes.

– We should keep a journal with all our lessons.

– Insanity is doing the same thing but expecting different results.

– Henry Ford: “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.” If you want to get what you never got then you must do what you’ve never done!

– We must do a post mortem of our day and reflect on where we went wrong.

 

– We also learn the importance of being a sincere advisor. We are all on the same team and we want each other to success that is why we give advice.

– In the Dawah, we should complete each other and not compete with each other.

– Imam ashShafi discussed in his book that the Shariah is so perfect in amount and how it applies to all timespans.

– Even the rakah’s for each Salaah are perfectly ordained.

– Allah has made Hajj compulsory only once as He knew that two would be difficult for the Ummah.

 

– We learn the importance of burning in and not burning out. Even in Dawah we must do only what is in our ability.

– If you are working for Allah you must keep yourself moving!

– Even when you want to memorise the Qur’an, start slowly.

 

Lessons from the conversation betwen Musa and Rasulullah ﷺ 

– Musa (as) learnt from his experience from Bani Israel and he used his wisdom to advise the Messenger ﷺ. We should also learn from experience and from our past mistakes and difficulties and successes.

– We should keep a journal with all our lessons.

– Insanity is doing the same thing but expecting different results.

– Henry Ford: “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.” If you want to get what you never got then you must do what you’ve never done!

– We must do a post mortem of our day and reflect on where we went wrong.

– We also learn the importance of being a sincere advisor. We are all on the same team and we want each other to success that is why we give advice.

– In the Dawah, we should complete each other and not compete with each other.

– We shouldn’t hop from one organisation to another chasing money. We should work for Allah.

Reading – Pg. 52 – 63

Sidenote: Scholars wouldn’t only look at one narration but at collective narrations from different scholars.

 

Israa wal Miraj

– Majority of the scholars say that the Israa wal Miraj happened much later in the Makkan period.

– Some scholars say it happened much earlier. Why? Because Salaah was a big part of the Makkan period.

 

Blessings and benefits of Salaah

 

– Salaah helps us acheive Taqwa. We were not created except to worship Allah and the purpose of our worship is to attain Taqwa. The purpose of attaining Taqwa is to get into Jannah. “O mankind! worship your Lord, the One Who created you and those from before you, so that you may become righteous.” (2:21)

-From the benefits of salah is the attainment of taqwa. But, the question arises: If salah helps us attain taqwa, how do we find people that pray salah and still don’t fear Allah in their interaction with others?

-In surah al Ankabut Allah tells us, {إِنَّ الصَّلَاةَ تَنْهَىٰ عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالْمُنكَرِ }

“Indeed, prayer prohibits immorality and wrongdoing” [29:45]

-The answer to this question is that the ‘Salah’ mentioned in this ayah is definite in Arabic, i.e. “The Salah”, so Allah is referring to a specific form of Salah. The consistent, focused salah in its true form. Then and only then we will acieve taqwa.

-Let us judge our own salah and not others’ salah.

-Who are the people of taqwa? “Those who believe in the unseen and establish the salah, and from that which we blessed them with they spend.” [2:3]

 

– Note: Allah always mentions “establishing” the prayer, i.e. making it a central aspect of our lives.

“Indeed, those who have said, “Our Lord is Allah ” and then remained on a right course – the angels will descend upon them, [saying], “Do not fear and do not grieve but receive good tidings of Paradise, which you were promised.” [41:30]