Meaning of Tahreef, Ta 'teel and Tamtheel

Meaning of Tahreef, Ta 'teel and Tamtheel
Shaykh-ul-Islam ibn Taymiyah .And it forms part of the faith in Allah that we believe in those Attributes with which Allah has qualified Himself and with which the Prophet (peace be upon him) has qualified Allah. Neither should alterations be made nor negations, nor attributing a state of being nor of likeness to creation. The belief should rather be that the Self of Allah is as He has mentioned in the verse:

"There is nothing like unto Him and He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer."

While explaining the meaning of Faith in detail, the author tells about the Faith of the Ahlus Sunnah wal Jama 'ah.

Tahreef means changing. Introducing change in a statement means leaving out the meaning understood by it and accepting such a meaning which the words may indicate in a doubtful sense. Of course, if there is a context to justify this sense then one must explain its possibility.

Ta'teel means leaving and vacating. In the present context it means negating the Attributes of Allah and denying them with His Self. The difference between Tahreef and Ta 'teel is that in the latter case that real meaning is denied which is proved by the Quran and the Hadith, while in Tahreef the
explanation of the text is done with such meanings that are false and the word does not prove them. So Ta'teel includes Tahreef. Wherever there is Tahreef, Ta'teel is certainly there, but the reverse is not true. If someone tries to prove the false meaning and denies the real meaning, he is committing both Ta 'teel and Tahreef. If someone denies the Attributes proved from the Quran and the Sunnah and maintains that it is not the manifest sense which is meant, and yet he himself does not determine a sense, then it is called Tafweed . It is wrong to say that Tafweed was the creed of the Salaf. It was the Asha'irah1 of the later times who ascribed this thing to the Salaf. The Salaf did not do Tafweed while trying to find out the meaning of something nor did they read anything whose meaning they did not understand. On the other hand, they understood the meaning of the passages of the Quran and the Sunnah, and proved these meanings in favour of Allah. Albeit, they would submit the knowledge of the reality and state of these meanings to Allah. When Imam Malik was asked about the state of Istiwaa (establishing, rising) of Allah on the heaven (Throne), he said Istiwaa is known but its condition is unknown.

Takyeef means to have faith that the states of the Attributes of Allah are such and such, or putting questions about the state of the Attributes of Allah.

Tamtheel means to believe that the Attributes of Allah are like the Attributes of the creature. The phrase Bi ghair takyeef means that Ahlus Sunnah deny that they have any knowledge of His condition, for Allah Alone knows the state of His Self and Attributes. But this does not mean that they
completely deny the states themselves, for it is essential for everything that it has a state.

"There is nothing like unto Him."

It is a clear Quranic verse. This is the code of conduct of the Ahlus Sunnah about negation and affirmation. He has negated the existence of anything like Him but has affirmed the Attributes of hearing and seeing for His Self.

This shows that the correct creed is not that the Attributes are completely denied as is the way of the Mu'attilah2 nor is it to try to completely prove them as is the way of the Mumaththilah3 . The true reed is to make an affirmation of the Attributes without similitudes. In the word Kamithlihi the
Arabic letter Kaaf has been added for emphasis as the poet says: "There is none comparable to Zuhair in nobility."

Sharh Al-Aqeedat-il-Wasitiyah by shaykh-ul-Islam ibn Taymiyah

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1. Al-Asha'irah (Ash'arite): They are the followers of Abul Hasan Al-Ash'ari, who was Mu'tazili. Then he left E 'tizaal and adopted a way between E 'tizaal and Ahlus Sunnah wal-Jama 'ah. In his last age, he returned to the creeds of Ahlus Sunnah and followed Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal in his theories. But some of his followers still remained on previous belief. They amplify the Attributes of Allah and have belief similar to Al-Murji'ah. They are closest to Ahlus Sunnah among all astrayed sects.
2. AI-Mu'attilah: One group of Mu 'tazilah.
3. Al-Mumaththilah, Al-Mushabbiha or AI-Mujassimah: They are opponent of Al-Jahmiyah in affirmation of Names and Attributes of Allah. They believe that Allah Possesses Hand similar to the hand of creatures, Hearing as hearing of creatures, Sight as sight of creatures etc. Exalted is Allah from that the wrongdoers say about Him. He is High and Great.

Ibn Taymiyyah’s Letter to his Mother from Prison

Ibn Taymiyyah’s Letter to his Mother from Prison

(Ibn Taymiyyah’s Letter to his Mother, in which he apologises for his stay in Egypt. A stay he felt was necessary to educate the people.)

In the name of Allaah, Most Merciful, Dispenser of Mercy

From Ahmad bin Taymiyyah to my dear and honourable Mother, may Allaah bless her amply, and grant her peace and comfort, and make her amongst the
best of His servants,

Assalamu ‘alaykum wa rahmatullaahi wa barakatuh.

We praise Allaah, the most worthy of praise. There is no deity worthy of worship but He, and He has Power over all things. We ask Him to bless the Seal of the Prophets and Imaam of the pious, Muhammad His servant and Messenger (salallaahu alayhi wa salam).

Indeed the bounties of Allaah come abundantly, and His aid is never ending. We praise Him for it, and ask Him to increase His favour. It will not escape you, my contented mother, the fact that our stay in Egypt is for an important issue. The abandonment of such a task leads to the corruption of our Deen and of our life.

Yet it was not our choice to be far from you. Had birds been able to carry us, we would have come to you. But the absent one has his reason; and had you been able to look deeply into the affairs of the Muslims, you would not choose for me another place to the one I am in now. Nevertheless, I had never intended to reside here permanently. Instead, I pray to Allaah to guide you and I to the right choice, and I pray for your well-being. I ask Allaah to bless us and the rest of the Muslims, with His goodness and what that goodness
encompasses of safety and benefit.

Allaah had opened for me His gates of blessings, mercy and guidance in a way I have never conceived of before. Yet I am always considering travel towards you, making the prayers of Istikhaarah. It is inconceivable for me, if given the choice, to favour any of this life’s mundane issues or of the lesser obligations of the Deen, to being close to you. Yet there are great issues which l cannot abandon for fear of their general and personal dangers (1) – and the witness sees what the absent does not.

I beseech you to supplicate to Allaah profusely. Ask Him to guide us to choose our best paths, for He Knows and we do not, and He is able and we are weak.

The Messenger of Allaah (salallaahu alayhi wa salam) said:
It is from the happiness of the son of Aadam to practice lstikhaarah and be pleased wîth what Allaah had ordained for him. And it is from the misery of the son of Aadam to drop the Istikhaarah of Allaah and be displeased at Allaah’s decrees. (2)

Indeed, the travelling trader might fear the loss of his money, so he resides at a place until he is able to travel once again. The matter that we are in the middle of is too great to describe, but there is no power or ability but through Allaah.

Finally, convey my salaam to the entire household, young and old, and the rest of neighbours, friends and relatives one by one.

Wasalamu ‘alaykum wa rahmatullaahi wa barakatuh!
Praise be to Allaah, and may His Blessings and Peace be upon Muhammad, his
family and companions.
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Footnotes
1. Shaykh Muhammad Aboo Zahrah comments on his book Ibn Taymiyyah: the general danger is the corruption of people. The personal one is that as a Scholar, he has to fulfil his obligation of guiding the people to the right way.
There is also another danger which, is that Ibn Taymeeyah came to Egypt whilst accused in his belief, and that he has a right to defend and vindicate himself.

2. Shaykh Hamed al-Faqi commented of this hadeeth by saying that it was
related by at-Tirmithee and he called it hasan ghareeb; and it was also narrated by Ahmad, Aboo Ya’laa and al-Haakim who said of it: Saheeh allsnad. (al-’Uqood ud-Durreeyah, p257)

Love is Insanity

Love and insanity seem to have the same effect on a soul
Souls sold to the highest bidder to gain control of its whole
In shackles chained down by the fascination of being loved
Busting out busting loose, like the rhythm method of birth control.
Inventory taken used to be in control of my hearts population
Now I see it holds so many frequent occupations
Stop accusing them blame yourself take accusation
If only I had remained patient, I wouldn't be a patient.
Now I Seek segregation from my heart, body and mind
Love has left me blind.
My soul circles around my heart playing border control
Paying a percentage of foolishness losing integrity no dignified way to dig me
What order is being served recipe whip it up run that game don't give up.
I guess you get what you deserve I thought being young and in denial was a past minor role
Got to find a peace of mind
So much in just a short period of time
I can't go back my heart has been stolen
My mind rearranged and I have no clue rather I am in love or going insane

Rastafarian Belief Class one

The Rastafari movement is a monotheistic, Abrahamic, new religious movement that arose in a Christian culture in Jamaica in the 1930s.[1][2] Its adherents, who worship Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia, former Emperor of Ethiopia (1930–1936 and 1941–1974), as the Second Advent, are known as Rastafarians, or Rastas. The movement is sometimes referred to as "Rastafarianism", but this term is considered derogatory and offensive by some Rastas, who dislike being labelled as an "ism".[3]

Rastafari is not a highly organized religion; it is a movement and an ideology. Many Rastas say that it is not a "religion" at all, but a "Way of Life".[4] Most Rastas do not claim any sect or denomination, and thus encourage one another to find faith and inspiration within themselves, although some do identify strongly with one of the "mansions of Rastafari" — the three most prominent of these being the Nyahbinghi, the Bobo Ashanti and the Twelve Tribes of Israel.

The name Rastafari is taken from Ras Tafari, the pre-regnal title of Haile Selassie I, composed of Amharic Ras (literally "Head," an Ethiopian title equivalent to Duke), and Haile Selassie's pre-regnal given name, Tafari. Rastafari are generally distinguished for asserting the doctrine that Haile Selassie I, the former, and final, Emperor of Ethiopia, is another incarnation of the Christian God, called Jah.[5] They see Haile Selassie I as Jah or Jah Rastafari, who is the second coming of Jesus Christ onto the Earth.

The Rastafari movement encompasses themes such as the spiritual use of cannabis[6][7] and the rejection of western society (called Babylon, in reference more to the metaphoric Babylon of Christianity than to the historical Mesopotamian city-state). It proclaims Africa (also "Zion") as the original birthplace of mankind, and embraces various Afrocentric social and political aspirations[6][8] such as the sociopolitical views and teachings of Jamaican publicist, organizer, and black nationalist Marcus Garvey (also often regarded as a prophet).

Today, awareness of the Rastafari movement has spread throughout much of the world, largely through interest generated by reggae music. The most notable example is Jamaican singer/songwriter Bob Marley (died 1981). By 1997, there were around one million Rastafari faithful worldwide.[9] About five to ten percent of Jamaicans identify themselves as Rastafari.

1.^ "Rastafari, Roots and Ideology". OneWorld Magazine. http://www.oneworldmagazine.org/focus/etiopia/rasta.html. Retrieved 2010-02-01.
2.^ ""Dread Jesus": A New View of the Rastafari Movement". Cesnur.org. http://www.cesnur.org/testi/rasta.htm. Retrieved 2010-02-01.
3.^ Encyclopedia of African and African-American Religions p. 263 by Stephen D. Glazier, 2001
4.^ The anthropology of religious conversion - Google Books. Books.google.com. http://books.google.com/books?id=t-VVY9-aVYoC&pg=PA151&dq=rastafari+%22way+of+life%22+religion. Retrieved 2010-02-01.
5.^ Jah the Rasta name for God incarnate, from a shortened form of Jehovah found in Psalms 68:4 in the King James Version of the Bible
6.^ a b c d Dread, The Rastafarians of Jamaica, by Joseph Owens ISBN 0-435-98650-3
7.^ The Ganja Complex: Rastafari and Marijuana by Ansley Hamid (2002)
8.^ a b Chanting Down Babylon p. 342-343.
9.^ Chanting Down Babylon p. 1

UNCENSORED HIGHLIGHTS IN THE HISTORY OF SEX

UNCENSORED HIGHLIGHTS IN THE HISTORY OF SEX


14 A.D. Tiberius became the emperor of Rome. He forbade the execution of virgins so that when such women were condemned to death, they would have to suffer the extra humiliation of being publicly deflowered by the executioner just before the sentence was carried out.


130 The word gonorrhea was coined by the noted Greek physician Galen. Erroneously describing one of the symptoms, it literally means "a flow of seed."


138 Soranus, a Greek physician, died. His Gynaecology gives his foolproof method of contraception: ". . . the woman ought, in the moment during coitus when the man ejaculates his sperm, to hold her breath, draw her body back a little so that the semen cannot penetrate into the os uteri, then immediately get up and sit down with bent knees, and in this position, provoke sneezes."


c. 875 The Scottish King Ewen III established the rights of "the First Night." According to a chronicle: "Another law he made, that wives of common men shall be free to the nobles; and the Lord of the ground shall have the maidenheads of all the virgins dwelling in the same." This popular sport may have continued up to the beginning of the Middle Ages.


1072 Pietro Damiani, an Italian reformer, died. Totally obsessed by the idea that virginity should be preserved, he spent his whole life trying to convince girls to abstain from sex. He also spent much time attempting to stamp out prostitution by preaching inside brothels. His zeal was undoubtedly fired by the fact that he was the son of a prostitute.


1191 At the start of his first crusade against the infidels, King Richard the Lion-Hearted arrived at Marseilles and was horrified to discover that his advance party of trusty knights had spent all the campaign funds on prostitutes.


1274 St. Thomas Aquinas, whose theories and writings have become the cornerstone of the Roman Catholic Church, died. His fundamental opinions on sex (which he called "lust") are significant. Any sexual activity other than that intended for procreation was a sin against nature. His four offending categories were, in descending order: (1) bestiality; (2) homosexuality; (3) using any position other than face to face, with the woman on her back; and (4) masturbation, which he considered effeminate in men.


1275 Angela de Labarthe of Toulouse became the first woman to be burned at the stake for having sexual intercourse with the devil. Her crime was discovered after she reportedly gave birth to a child with a wolf's head and a snake's tail.


1300s The Lothardi sect flourished in Russia. Their belief was that while above ground, men should lead moral lives-but once they were at least 27 in. below ground, everything changed. Hence, all their meetings were held in subterranean caves and were riotous orgies.


1382 The word sex made its first appearance in English in Wycliffe's translation of the Bible: "Of alle thingis havynge sowle of ony flesh, two thow shalt brynge into the ark, that maal sex and femaal lyven with thee."


1415 Pope John XXIII-the original Pope John XXIII-was deposed for "notorious incest, adultery, defilement, homicide, and atheism." Earlier, while still a chamberlain, he quite openly kept his brother's wife as a mistress. In an effort to squash the scandal, his superiors promoted him to cardinal and sent him to Bologna, where "two hundred maids, matrons, and widows, including a few nuns fell victim to his brutal lust

40 Ahadith Qudsi

A collection of hadith qudsiShare
Sunday, May 2, 2010 at 10:35pm | Edit Note | Delete
Hadith Qudsi 1:
On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said:

When Allah decreed the Creation He pledged Himself by writing in His book which is laid down with Him: My mercy prevails over my wrath.

It was related by Muslim (also by al-Bukhari, an-Nasa'i and Ibn Majah).


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Hadith Qudsi 2:
On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: Allah Almighty has said:
The son of Adam denied Me and he had no right to do so. And he reviled Me and he had no right to do so. As for his denying Me, it is his saying: He will not remake me as He made me at first (1) - and the initial creation [of him] is no easier for Me than remaking him. As for his reviling Me, it is his saying: Allah has taken to Himself a son, while I am the One, the Everlasting Refuge. I begot not nor was I begotten, and there is none comparable to Me.

(1) i.e., bring me back to life after death.

It was related by al-Bukhari (also by an-Nasa'i).


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Hadith Qudsi 3:
On the authority of Zayd ibn Khalid al-Juhaniyy (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:
The Messenger of Allah (may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) led the morning prayer for us at al-Hudaybiyah following rainfall during the night. When the Prophet (may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) finished, he faced the people and said to them: Do you know what your Lord has said? They said: Allah and his Messenger know best. He said: This morning one of my servants became a believer in Me and one a disbeliever. As for him who said: We have been given rain by virtue of Allah and His mercy, that one is a believer in Me, a disbeliever in the stars (2); and as for him who said: We have been given rain by such-and-such a star, that one is a disbeliever in Me, a believer in the stars.

(2) The pre-Islamic Arabs believed that rain was brought about by the movement of stars. This Hadith draws attention to the fact that whatever be the direct cause of such natural phenomena as rain, it is Allah the Almighty who is the Disposer of all things.

It is related by al-Bukhari (also by Malik and an-Nasa'i).




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Hadith Qudsi 4:
On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: Allah said:
Sons of Adam inveigh against [the vicissitudes of] Time, and I am Time, in My hand is the night and the day (1).

(1) As the Almighty is the Ordainer of all things, to inveigh aginst misfortunes that are part of Time is tantamount to inveighing against Him.

It was related by al-Bukhari (also by Muslim).




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Hadith Qudsi 5:
On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: Allah (glorified and exalted be He) said:
I am so self-sufficient that I am in no need of having an associate. Thus he who does an action for someone else's sake as well as Mine will have that action renounced by Me to him whom he associated with Me.

It was related by Muslim (also by Ibn Majah).




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Hadith Qudsi 6:
On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) say:
The first of people against whom judgment will be pronounced on the Day of Resurrection will be a man who died a martyr. He will be brought and Allah will make known to him His favours and he will recognize them. [ The Almighty] will say: And what did you do about them? He will say: I fought for you until I died a martyr. He will say: You have lied - you did but fight that it might be said [of you]: He is courageous. And so it was said. Then he will be ordered to be dragged along on his face until he is cast into Hell-fire. [Another] will be a man who has studied [religious] knowledge and has taught it and who used to recite the Quran. He will be brought and Allah will make known to his His favours and he will recognize them. [The Almighty] will say: And what did you do about them? He will say: I studied [religious] knowledge and I taught it and I recited the Quran for Your sake. He will say: You have lied - you did but study [religious] knowledge that it might be said [of you]: He is learned. And you recited the Quran that it might be said [of you]: He is a reciter. And so it was said. Then he will be ordered to be dragged along on his face until he is cast into Hell-fire. [Another] will be a man whom Allah had made rich and to whom He had given all kinds of wealth. He will be brought and Allah will make known to his His favours and he will recognize them. [The Almighty] will say: And what did you do about them? He will say: I left no path [untrodden] in which You like money to be spent without spending in it for Your sake. He will say: You have lied - you did but do so that it might be said [of you]: He is open-handed. And so it was said. Then he will be ordered to be dragged along on his face until he is cast into Hell-fire.

It was related by Muslim (also by at-Tirmidhi and an-Nasa'i).




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Hadith Qudsi 7:
On the authority of Uqbah ibn Amir (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: I heard the messenger of Allah (PBUH) say:
Your Lord delights at a shepherd who, on the peak of a mountain crag, gives the call to prayer and prays. Then Allah (glorified and exalted be He) say: Look at this servant of Mine, he gives the call to prayer and performs the prayers; he is in awe of Me. I have forgiven My servant [his sins] and have admitted him to Paradise.

It was related by an-Nasa'i with a good chain of authorities.




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Hadith Qudsi 8:
On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (PBUH), who said:
A prayer performed by someone who has not recited the Essence of the Quran (1) during it is deficient (and he repeated the word three times), incomplete. Someone said to Abu Hurayrah: [Even though] we are behind the imam? (2) He said: Recite it to yourself, for I have heard the Prophet (may the blessings and peace of Allah be up on him) say: Allah (mighty and sublime be He), had said: I have divided prayer between Myself and My servant into two halves, and My servant shall have what he has asked for. When the servant says: Al-hamdu lillahi rabbi l-alamin (3), Allah (mighty and sublime be He) says: My servant has praised Me. And when he says: Ar-rahmani r-rahim (4), Allah (mighty and sublime be He) says: My servant has extolled Me, and when he says: Maliki yawmi d-din (5), Allah says: My servant has glorified Me - and on one occasion He said: My servant has submitted to My power. And when he says: Iyyaka na budu wa iyyaka nasta in (6), He says: This is between Me and My servant, and My servant shall have what he has asked for. And when he says: Ihdina s-sirata l- mustaqim, siratal ladhina an amta alayhim ghayril-maghdubi alayhim wa la d-dallin (7), He says: This is for My servant, and My servant shall have what he has asked for.

(1) Surat al-Fatihah, the first surah (chapter) of the Qur'an.

(2) i.e. standing behind the imam (leader) listening to him reciting al-Fatihah.

(3) "Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds."

(4) "The Merciful, the Compassionate".

(5) "Master of the Day of Judgement".

(6) "It is You we worship and it is You we ask for help".

(7) "Guide us to the straight path, the path of those upon whom You have bestowed favors, not of those against whom You are angry, nor of those who are astray".

It was related by Muslim (also by Malik, at-Tirmidhi, Abu-Dawud, an-Nasa'i and Ibn Majah).




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Hadith Qudsi 9:
On the authority of Abu Harayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (PBUH), who said: Allah (mighty and sublime be He) says:
The fist of his actions for which a servant of Allah will be held accountable on the Day of Resurrection will be his prayers. If they are in order, then he will have prospered and succeeded: and if they are wanting, then he will have failed and lost. If there is something defective in his obligatory prayers, the Lord (glorified and exalted be He) will say: See if My servant has any supererogatory prayers with which may be completed that which was defective in his obligatory prayers. Then the rest of his actions will be judged in like fashion.

It was related by at-Tirmidhi (also by Abu Dawud, an-Nasa'i, Ibn Majah and Ahmad).




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Hadith Qudsi 10:
On the authority of Abu Harayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (PBUH), who said: Allah (mighty and sublime be He) says:
Fasting is Mine and it I who give reward for it. [A man] gives up his sexual passion, his food and his drink for my sake. Fasting is like a shield, and he who fasts has two joys: a joy when he breaks his fast and a joy when he meets his Lord. The change in the breath of the mouth of him who fasts is better in Allah's estimation than the smell of musk.

It was related by al-Bukhari (also by Muslim, Malik, at-Tirmidhi, an-Nasa'i and Ibn Majah).




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Hadith Qudsi 11:
On the authority of Abu Harayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (PBUH), who said: Allah (mighty and sublime be He) said:
Spend (on charity), O son of Adam, and I shall spend on you.

It was related by al-Bukhari (also by Muslim).




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Hadith Qudsi 12:
On the authority of Abu Mas'ud al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said:
A man from among those who were before you was called to account. Nothing in the way of good was found for him except that he used to have dealings with people and, being well-to-do, he would order his servants to let off the man in straitened circumstances [from repaying his debt]. He (the Prophet p.b.u.h) said that Allah said: We are worthier than you of that (of being so generous). Let him off.

It was related by Muslim (also by al-Bukhari and an-Nasa'i).




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Hadith Qudsi 13:
On the authority of Adiyy ibn Hatim (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:
I was with the Messenger of Allah (may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and there came to him two men: one of them was complaining of penury (being very poor), while the other was complaining of brigandry (robbery). The Messenger of Allah (may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: As for brigandry, it will be but a short time before a caravan will [be able to] go out of Mecca without a guard. As for penury, the Hour (Day of Judgement) will not arrive before one of you takes his charity around without finding anyone to accept it from him. Then (1) one of you will surely stand before Allah, there being no screed between Him and him, nor an interpreter to translate for him. Then He will say to him: Did I not bring you wealth? And he will say: Yes. Then He will say: Did I not send to you a messenger? And he will say: Yes. And he will look to his right and will see nothing but Hell-fire, then he will look to his left and will see nothing but Hell-fire, so let each of you protect himself against Hell-fire, be it with even half a date - and if he finds it not, then with a kind word.

(1) i.e. at the time of the Hour. It was related by al-Bukhari.




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Hadith Qudsi 14:
On the authority of Abu Harayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (PBUH), who said:
Allah (glorified and exalted be He) has supernumerary angels who rove about seeking out gatherings in which Allah's name is being invoked: they sit with them and fold their wings round each other, fillin that which is between them and between the lowest heaven. When [the people in the gathering] depart, [the angels] ascend and rise up to heaven. He (the Prophet p.b.u.h.) said: Then Allah (mighty and sublime be He) asks them - [though] He is most knowing about them: From where have you come? And they say: We have come from some servants of Yours on Earth: they were glorifying You (Subhana llah), exalting you (Allahu akbar), witnessing that there is no god but You (La ilaha illa llah), praising You (Al-Hamdu lillah), and asking [favours] of You. He says: And what do they ask of Me? They say: They ask of You Your Paradise. He says: And have they seen My Paradise? They say: No, O Lord. He says: And how would it be were they to have seen My Paradise! They say: And they ask protection of You. He says: From what do they ask protection of Me? They say: From Your Hell-fire, O Lord. He says: And have they seen My Hell-fire? They say: NO. He says: And how would it be were they to have seen My Hell-fire: They say: And they ask for Your forgiveness. He (the Prophet p.b.u.h) said: Then He says: I have forgiven them and I have bestowed upon them what they have asked for,and I have granted them sanctuary from that from which they asked protection. He (the Prophet p.b.u.h) said: They say: O Lord, among then is So-and-so, a much sinning servant, who was merely passing by and sat down with them. He (the Prophet p.b.u.h) said: And He says: And to him [too] I have given forgiveness: he who sits with such people shall not suffer.

It was related by Muslim (also by al-Bukhari, at-Tirmidhi, and an-Nasa'i).




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Hadith Qudsi 15:
On the authority of Abu Harayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Prophet (PBUH) said: Allah the Almighty said:
I am as My servant thinks I am (1). I am with him when he makes mention of Me. If he makes mention of Me to himself, I make mention of him to Myself; and if he makes mention of Me in an assembly, I make mention of him in an assemble better than it. And if he draws near to Me an arm's length, I draw near to him a fathom's length. And if he comes to Me walking, I go to him at speed.

(1) Another possible rendering of the Arabic is: "I am as My servant expects Me to be". The meaning is that forgiveness and acceptance of repentance by the Almighty is subject to His servant truly believing that He is forgiving and merciful. However, not to accompany such belief with right action would be to mock the Almighty.

It was related by al-Buhkari (also by Muslim, at-Tirmidhi and Ibn-Majah).




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Hadith Qudsi 16:
On the authority of son of Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), from the Messenger of Allah (PBUH), among the sayings he related from his Lord (glorified and exalted be He) is that He said:
Allah has written down the good deeds and the bad ones. Then He explained it [by saying that] he who has intended a good deed and has not done it, Allah writes it down with Himself as a full good deed, but if he has intended it and has done it, Allah writes it down with Himself as from ten good deeds to seven hundred times, or many times over. But if he has intended a bad deed and has not done it, Allah writes it down with Himself as a full good deed, but if he has intended it and has done it, Allah writes it down as one bad deed.

It was related by al-Bukhari and Muslim.




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Hadith Qudsi 17:
On the authority of Abu Dharr al-Ghifari (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (PBUH) is that among the sayings he relates from his Lord (may He be glorified) is that He said:
O My servants, I have forbidden oppression for Myself and have made it forbidden amongst you, so do not oppress one another. O My servants, all of you are astray except for those I have guided, so seek guidance of Me and I shall guide you, O My servants, all of you are hungry except for those I have fed, so seek food of Me and I shall feed you. O My servants, all of you are naked except for those I have clothed, so seek clothing of Me and I shall clothe you. O My servants, you sin by night and by day, and I forgive all sins, so seek forgiveness of Me and I shall forgive you. O My servants, you will not attain harming Me so as to harm Me, and will not attain benefitting Me so as to benefit Me. O My servants, were the first of you and the last of you, the human of you and the jinn of you to be as pious as the most pious heart of any one man of you, that would not increase My kingdom in anything. O My servants, were the first of you and the last of you, the human of you and the jinn of you to be as wicked as the most wicked heart of any one man of you, that would not decrease My kingdom in anything. O My servants, were the first of you and the last of you, the human of you and the jinn of you to rise up in one place and make a request of Me, and were I to give everyone what he requested, that would not decrease what I have, any more that a needle decreases the sea if put into it. O My servants, it is but your deeds that I reckon up for you and then recompense you for, so let him finds good praise Allah and let him who finds other that blame no one but himself.

It was related by Muslim (also by at-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah).




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Hadith Qudsi 18:
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) will say on the Day of Resurrection:
O son of Adam, I fell ill and you visited Me not. He will say: O Lord, and how should I visit You when You are the Lord of the worlds? He will say: Did you not know that My servant So-and-so had fallen ill and you visited him not? Did you not know that had you visited him you would have found Me with him? O son of Adam, I asked you for food and you fed Me not. He will say: O Lord, and how should I feed You when You are the Lord of the worlds? He will say: Did you not know that My servant So-and-so asked you for food and you fed him not? Did you not know that had you fed him you would surely have found that (the reward for doing so) with Me? O son of Adam, I asked you to give Me to drink and you gave Me not to drink. He will say: O Lord, how should I give You to drink whin You are the Lord of the worlds? He will say: My servant So-and-so asked you to give him to drink and you gave him not to drink. Had you given him to drink you would have surely found that with Me.

It was related by Muslim.




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Hadith Qudsi 19:
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.

It was related by Abu Dawud (also by Ibn Majah and Ahmad) with sound chains of authority. This Hadith also appears in Muslim in another version.




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Hadith Qudsi 20:
On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said:
The gates of Paradise will be opened on Mondays and on Thursdays, and every servant [of Allah] who associates nothing with Allah will be forgiven, except for the man who has a grudge against his brother. [About them] it will be said: Delay these two until they are reconciled; delay these two until they are reconciled.

It was related by Muslim (also by Malik and Abu Dawud).




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Hadith Qudsi 21:
On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said that Allah the Almighty said:
There are three (1) whose adversary I shall be on the Day of Resurrection: a man who has given his word by Me and has broken it; a man who has sold a free man (2) and has consumed the price; and a man who has hired a workman, has exacted his due in full from him and has not given him his wage.

(1) i.e. types of men.

(2) i.e. a man who has made a slave of another and has sold him.

It was related by al-Bukhari (also by Ibn Majah and Ahmad ibn Hanbal).




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Hadith Qudsi 22:
On the authority of Abu Sa'id (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said:
Let not any one of you belittle himself. They said: O Messenger of Allah, how can any one of us belittle himself? He said: He finds a matter concerning Allah about which he should say something, and he does not say [it], so Allah (mighty and sublime be He) says to him on the Day of Resurrection: What prevented you from saying something about such-and-such and such-and-such? He say: [It was] out of fear of people. Then He says: Rather it is I whom you should more properly fear.

It was related by Ibn Majah with a sound chain of authorities.




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Hadith Qudsi 23:
On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: Allah will say on the Day of Resurrection:
Where are those who love one another through My glory? Today I shall give them shade in My shade, it being a day when there is no shade but My shade.

It was related by al-Bukhari (also by Malik).




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Hadith Qudsi 24:
On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said:
If Allah has loved a servant [of His] He calls Gabriel (on whom be peace) and says: I love So-and-so, therefore love him. He (the Prophet pbuh) said: So Gabriel loves him. Then he (Gabriel) calls out in heaven, saying: Allah loves So-and-so, therefore love him. And the inhabitants of heaven love him. He (the Prophet pbuh) said: Then acceptance is established for him on earth. And if Allah has abhorred a servant [of His], He calls Gabriel and says: I abhor So-and-so, therefore abhor him. So Gabriel abhors him. Then Gabriel calls out to the inhabitants of heaven: Allah abhors So-and-so, therefore abhor him. He (the Prophet pbuh) said: So they abhor him, and abhorrence is established for him on earth.

It was related by Muslim (also by al-Bukhari, Malik, and at-Tirmidhi).




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Hadith Qudsi 25:
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:
Whosoever shows enmity to someone devoted to Me, I shall be at war with him. My servant draws not near to Me with anything more loved by Me than the religious duties I have enjoined upon him, and My servant continues to draw near to Me with supererogatory works so that I shall love him. When I love him I am his hearing with which he hears, his seeing with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes and his foot with which he walks. Were he to ask [something] of Me, I would surely give it to him, and were he to ask Me for refuge, I would surely grant him it. I do not hesitate about anything as much as I hesitate about [seizing] the soul of My faithful servant: he hates death and I hate hurting him.

It was related by al-Bukhari.




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Hadith Qudsi 26:
On the authority of Abu Umamah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: Allah (mighty and sublime be He) said:
Truly of those devoted to Me the one I most favour is a believer who is of meagre means and much given to prayer, who has been particular in the worship of his Lord and has obeyed Him inwardly (1), who was obscure among people and not pointed our, and whose sustenance was just sufficient to provide for him yet he bore this patiently. Then the Prophet (pbuh) rapped his hand and said: Death will have come early to him, his mourners will have been few, his estate scant.

(1) i.e. he has not been ostentatious in his obedience.

It was related by at-Tirmidhi (also by Ahmad ibn Hanbal and Ibn Majah). Its chain of authorities is sound.




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Hadith Qudsi 27:
On the authority of Masruq, who said:
We asked Abdullah (i.e. Ibn Masud) about this verse: And do not regard those who have been killed in the cause of Allah as dead, rather are they alive with their Lord, being provided for (Quran Chapter 3 Verse 169). He said: We asked about that and the Prophet (pbuh) said: Their souls are in the insides of green birds having lanterns suspended from the Throne, roaming freely in Paradise where they please, then taking shelter in those lanterns. So their Lord cast a glance at them (1) and said: Do you wish for anything? They said: What shall we wish for when we roam freely in Paradise where we please? And thus did He do to them three times. When they say that they would not be spared from being asked [again], they said: O Lord, we would like for You to put back our souls into our bodies so that we might fight for Your sake once again. And when He saw that they were not in need of anything they were let be.

(1) i.e. at those who had been killed in the cause of Allah.

It was related by Muslim (also by at-Tirmidhi, an-Nasa'i and Ibn Majah).




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Hadith Qudsi 28:
On the authority of Jundub ibn Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said:
There was amongst those before you a man who had a wound. He was in [such] anguish that he took a knife and made with it a cut in his hand, and the blood did not cease to flow till he died. Allah the Almighty said: My servant has himself forestalled Me; I have forbidden him Paradise.

It was related by al-Bukhari.




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Hadith Qudsi 29:
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) says:
My faithful servant's reward from Me, if I have taken to Me his best friend from amongst the inhabitants of the world and he has then borne it patiently for My sake, shall be nothing less than Paradise.

It was related by al-Bukhari.




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Hadith Qudsi 30:
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:
If My servant likes to meet Me, I like to meet him; and if he dislikes to meet Me, I dislike to meet him. Prophetic explanation of this Sacred Hadith: He who likes to meet Allah, Allah likes to meet him; and he who dislikes to meet Allah, Allah dislikes to meet him. Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: O Prophet of Allah, is it because of the dislike of death, for all of us dislike death? The Prophet (pbuh) said: It is not so, but rather it is that when the believer is given news of Allah's mercy, His approval and His Paradise, he likes to meet Allah and Allah likes to meet him; but when the unbeliever is given news of Allah's punishment and His displeasure, he dislikes to meet Allah and Allah dislikes to meet him.

It was related by al-Bukhari and Malik. The Prophetic version is related by Muslim.




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Hadith Qudsi 31:
On the authority of Jundub (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) related:
A man said: By Allah, Allah will not forgive So-and-so. At this Allah the Almighty said: Who is he who swears by Me that I will not forgive So-and-so? Verily I have forgiven So-and-so and have nullified your [own good] deeds (1) (or as he said [it]).

(1) A similar Hadith, which is given by Abu Dawud, indicates that the person referred to was a goldly man whose previous good deeds were brought to nought through presuming to declare that Allah would not forgive someone's bad deeds.

It was related by Muslim.




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Hadith Qudsi 32:
On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said:
A man sinned greatly against himself, and when death came to him he charged his sons, saying: When I have died, burn me, then crush me and scatter [my ashes] into the sea, for, by Allah, if my Lord takes possession of me, He will punish me in a manner in which He has punished no one [else]. So they did that to him. Then He said to the earth: Produce what you have taken-and there he was! And He said to him: What induced you to do what you did? He said: Being afraid of You, O my Lord (or he said: Being frightened of You) and because of that He forgave him.

It was related by Muslim (also by al-Bukhari, an-Nasa'i and Ibn Majah).




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Hadith Qudsi 33:
On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (PBUH), from among the things he reports from his Lord (mighty and sublime be He), is that he said:
A servant [of Allah's] committed a sin and said: O Allah, forgive me my sin. And He (glorified and exalted be He) said: My servant has committed a sin and has known that he has a Lord who forgives sins and punishes for them. Then he sinned again and said: O Lord, forgive me my sin. And He (glorified and exalted be He) said: My servant has committed a sin and has known that he has a Lord who forgives sins and punishes for them. Then he sinned again and said: O Lord, forgive me my sin. And He (glorified and exalted be He) said: My servant has committed a sin and has known that he has a Lord who forgives sins and punishes for sins. Do what you wish, for I have forgiven you.

It was related by Muslim (also by al-Bukhari).




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Hadith Qudsi 34:
On the authority of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) say: Allah the Almighty said:
O son of Adam, so long as you call upon Me and ask of Me, I shall forgive you for what you have done, and I shall not mind. O son of Adam, were your sins to reach the clouds of the sky and were you then to ask forgiveness of Me, I would forgive you. O son of Adam, were you to come to Me with sins nearly as great as the earth and were you then to face Me, ascribing no partner to Me, I would bring you forgiveness nearly as great at it.

It was related by at-Tirmidhi (also by Ahmad ibn Hanbal). Its chain of authorities is sound.




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Hadith Qudsi 35:
On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said:
Our Lord (glorified and exalted be He) descends each night to the earth's sky when there remains the final third of the night, and He says: Who is saying a prayer to Me that I may answer it? Who is asking something of Me that I may give it him? Who is asking forgiveness of Me that I may forgive him?

It was related by al-Bukhari (also by Muslim, Malik, at-Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud).

In a version by Muslim the Hadith ends with the words:

And thus He continues till [the light of] dawn shines.




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Hadith Qudsi 36:
On the authority of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (PBUH), who said:
The believers will gather together on the Day of Resurrection and will say: Should we not ask [someone] to intercede for us with our Lord? So they will come to Adam and will say: You are the Father of mankind; Allah created you with His hand He made His angels bow down to you and He taught you the names of everything, so intercede for us with you Lord so that He may give us relief form this place where we are. And he will say: I am not in a position [to do that] - and he will mention his wrongdoing and will feel ashamed and will say: Go to Noah, for he is the first messenger that Allah sent to the inhabitants of the earth. So they will come to him and he will say: I am not in a position [to do that] - and he will mention his having requested something of his Lord about which he had no [proper] knowledge (Quran Chapter 11 Verses 45-46), and he will feel ashamed and will say: Go to the Friend of the Merciful (Abraham). So they will come to him and he will say: I am not in a position [to do that]. Go to Moses, a servant to whom Allah talked and to whom He gave the Torah. So they will come to him and he will say: I am not in a position [to do that] - and he will mention the talking of a life other that for a life (Quran Chapter 28 Verses 15-16), and he will fell ashamed in the sight of his Lord and will say: Go to Jesus, Allah's servant and messenger, Allah's word and spirit. So they will come to him and he will say: I am not in a position [to do that]. Go to Muhammad (may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), a servant to whom Allah has forgiven all his wrongdoing, past and future. So they will come to me and I shall set forth to ask permission to come to my Lord, and permission will be given, and when I shall see my Lord I shall prostrate myself. He will leave me thus for such time as it pleases Him, and then it will be said [to me]: Raise your head. Ask and it will be granted. Speak and it will be heard. Intercede and your intercession will be accepted. So I shall raise my head and praise Him with a form of praise that He will teach me. Then I shall intercede and HE will set me a limit [as to the number of people], so I shall admit them into Paradise. Then I shall return to Him, and when I shall see my Lord [I shall bow down] as before. Then I shall intercede and He will set me a limit [as to the number of people]. So I shall admit them into Paradise. Then I shall return for a third time, then a fourth, and I shall say: There remains in Hell-fire only those whom the Quran has confined and who must be there for eternity. There shall come out of Hell-fire he who has said: There is no god but Allah and who has in his heart goodness weighing a barley-corn; then there shall come out of Hell-fire he who has said: There is no god but Allah and who has in his heart goodness weighing a grain of wheat; then there shall come out of Hell-fire he who has said: There is no god but Allah and who has in his heart goodness weighing an atom.

It was related by al-Bukhari (also by Muslim, at-Tirmidhi, and Ibn Majah).




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Hadith Qudsi 37:
On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: Allah said:
I have prepared for My righteous servants what no eye has seen and no ear has heard, not has it occurred to human heart. Thus recite if you wish (1): And no soul knows what joy for them (the inhabitants of Paradise) has been kept hidden (Quran Chapter 32 Verse 17).

(1) The words "Thus recite if you wish" are those of Abu Harayrah.

It was related by al-Bukhari, Muslim, at-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah.




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Hadith Qudsi 38:
On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said:
When Allah created Paradise and Hell-fire, He sent Gabriel to Paradise, saying: Look at it and at what I have prepared therein for its inhabitants. The Prophet (pbuh) said: So he came to it and looked at it and at what Allah had prepared therein for its inhabitants. The Prophet (pbuh) said: So he returned to Him and said: By your glory, no one hears of it without entering it. So He ordered that it be encompassed by forms of hardship, and He said: Return to it and look at what I have prepared therein for its inhabitants. The Prophet (pbuh) said: So he returned to it and found that it was encompassed by forms of hardship (1). Then he returned to Him and said: By Your glory, I fear that no one will enter it. He said: Go to Hell-fire and look at it and what I have prepared therein for its inhabitants, and he fount that it was in layers, one above the other. Then he returned to Him and said: By Your glory, no one who hears of it will enter it. So He ordered that it be encompassed by lusts. Then He said: Return to it. And he returned to it and said: By Your glory, I am frightened that no one will escape from entering it.

(1) The Arabic word used here is "makarih", the literal meaning of which is "things that are disliked". In this context it refers to forms of religious discipline that man usually finds onerous.

It was related by Tirmidhi, who said that it was a good and sound Hadith (also by Abu Dawud and an-Nasa'i).




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Hadith Qudsi 39:
On the authority of Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said:
Paradise and Hell-fire disputed together, and Hell-fire said: In me are the mighty and the haughty. Paradise said: In me are the weak and the poor. So Allah judged between them, [saying]: You are Paradise, My mercy; through you I show mercy to those I wish. And you are Hell-fire, My punishment; through you I punish those I wish, and it is incumbent upon Me that each of you shall have its fill.

It was related by Muslim (also by al-Bukhari and at-Tirmidhi).




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Hadith Qudsi 40:
On the authority of Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said:
Allah will say to the inhabitant of Paradise: O inhabitants of Paradise! They will say: O our Lord, we present ourselves and are at Your pleasure, and goodness rests in Your hands. Then He will say: Are you contented? And they will say: And how should we not be contented, O Lord, when You have given to us that which You have given to no one else of Your creation? Then He will say: Would not like Me to give you something better than that? And they will say: O Lord and what thing is better than that? And He will say: I shall cause My favour to descend upon you and thereafter shall never be displeased with you.

It was related by al-Bukhari (also by Muslim and at-Tirmidhi).

Two ladies during the time of Musa alayhi salaam

The Trial of Mashtha and Asiyah (AS)
Two ladies in the time of Musa (AS)
The daughter of Firaun (pharoah ramses the great) had a nurse maid. The name of this nurse maid was Mashtha. There came a day when Mashtha, the nurse maid, was busy combing the hair of the daughter of Firaun. Whilst combing, the comb fell out of her hand onto the floor. In raising and lifting that comb from the floor, this maid of the daughter Firaun, uttered the following words,

"Curses be upon those who reject Allah!"

Immediately the daughter of Firaun turned to her and said,

"Do you believe in a god besides my father?!"

Mashtha, the maid said,

"My Creator, my Allah, and your Allah and your father’s Allah, and the Allah of the heaven’s and the earth, He is one Allah, no partners have He!"

Then the daughter of Firaun said,

"You dare say such a word!"

...and she entered the chambers of her father weeping and crying. (Hadith)

What happened here was in the time of Prophet Musa (AS). Amongst the era of the Israelites, there were many who had accepted an Islam in secret. They had come to him and accepted. They came and accept Islam, the true religion. They accepted the deen of Musa (AS), or Islam. They accepted it, but they remained in secret. Why did they remain in secret? I’ll quote it to you in the first ayah of the Quran. They accepted and remained in secret why???

Firaun was an oppressor!!! He slew their male children and he preserved the females alive for personal use and aggrandizement (glorification). So because he was an oppressor, they were afraid and fearful to reveal their Islam to him. Therefore they held it back. But there were many Muslims in the employ of Firaun. Many, many they were who had accepted the deen.

One of them so happened to be the youthful maid, of the daughter of Firaun who worked in the palace, in the chambers of Firaun.

Firaun with a tremendous power and strength in Egypt (the Quran says) in Surah Zukhruf 43:51-52. And Allah says:

"And Firaun proclaimed among his people. O My People! Does not the land of Egypt belong to me and I am not the possessor, the maker of the land of Egypt and these are the rivers that flow in my property, the Nile and the tributies of the Nile. I have created them. They are my property. They belong to me. There’s no god besides me. Don’t you see am I not better than Musa, who is a disgrace and can’t even express himself clearly?" (Muslimeen, you know the story of Prophet Musa, not being able to utter clearly)

Now what does Firaun? He laughs at Musa,

"This Musa is the Musa that grew up in MY palace. He is trying to bring about change and he is trying to bring about La ilaha illa Allah. Well he is a disgrace! He doesn’t even speak clearly. He doesn’t even have bracelets of gold or angels to attend to him in orderly procession (while Firaun had ALL these armies and parades)."

He (Firaun) said,

"Musa hasn’t got anything!"

In the Egypt, the mark of a man of status was (you’ll see it even now in the idols and so on) they have this golden bracelet around the neck.

"So Musa hasn’t even got any mark of being a man of honor, of status and dignity! He’s got not blue blood! And he’s got no angels or soldiers or armies parading for him!"

That is what Allah tells us. This is how Firaun was. That’s the kind of man he was. Quran tells us in Surah Mu’min 40:25:

"And when the Prophets [Prophet Musa (AS) is meant here] came to them with a troop from us, they said (O these oppressor said), ‘Slay the sons of those who have believed with him [in other words, slay the sons of those who have believed with Musa (AS)] and save their daughters alive for our use. But the strategy of the disbelievers (says Allah) was to end in vain."

We’re coming to our story now…

What did Firaun say?

"Any believer you find in my community and amongst my people, anyone you find who is believing in the deen of Musa (AS), slay their sons (with him) and save their daughters alive."

But the strategy says, all of the believers was to end in vain. Allah (SWT) also says in Surah An-Nazi’at 79:23-27. Allah says (And this Firaun, he called up a big parade on Monday, a big rally he made, and what did he say?),

"And the Firaun gathered his people and he proclaimed, ‘I am your Lord and the Supreme one.’ Therefore (says Allah), Allah chastised him with a punishment of the hereafter and also of the present life (and Allah says), verily here is an example and a lesson for him, that fear of Allah."

The story I am about to tell you. This is the theme of it, "That we must learn to respect, honor our deen and to fear Allah (SWT) all the time."

See now the fear of a maid, in the palace. See now the courage and the bravery of a simple maid, in the palace of this powerful Firaun. Imagine what I’m going to tell you now and reveal to you now, of what is courage of iman and what is bravery of quite conviction.

Here is a girl, young girl, she was a mother, yes. She’s a young girl, she comes from a very poor family. She’s working for a living. She is the comb girl and maid of the daughter of the Firaun. But when iman came into her, look at what iman did to her.

This maid’s name was Mashtha. She was the mother of two. She was the wife of Karkeel, who also had accepted the deen of Prophet Musa (AS), Islam. But Mashtha was an extrovert, meaning that she was a fearless person. Whatever she had to say, she always said it. Remember when she was picking up the comb, she said what she wanted to say. So she was an extrovert type of person. Very brave, very honorable, very courageous. And she admitted to Firaun’s daughter to believing in Allah and said that he is Lord and Creator of the worlds and of Firaun and of the heavens and of the earth.

The daughter of Firaun went and reported this girl Mashtha to her father. Firaun holds court, in other words, like a court proceedings. Firaun holds court and he summons Mashtha. Soldiers, go and bring her, chained as she is. She is brought before the justice of Firaun. She comes however smiling and laughing. And in her heart she says,

"Today is a test of my iman, today is the test of my faith. I, she tells herself, will never succumb because I am ever prepared to meet my maker. Today, let the interrogation begin. Ask me what you will, but you shall not get me to change my faith or to succumb."

So Firaun proceeds.

After establishing her faith, she says she believes in the God of Musa, in the Allah of Musa, in the unity of Allah, Allah is one. Accepting the words which she said in front of the daughter of Firaun. She repeats it bravely and courageous in front of this powerful ruler (where Allah says what his power was, in the Quran recited above). Allah also speaks of his power. He (that said),

"Everything belongs to him."

That man threatens her and he tells hers, and she in front of him, without fear of punishment, she tells him exactly the truth. Then he tells her, he says,

"Look here Mashtha leave your Allah and accept me as your Lord and Creator for who is going to save you now? If you accept me as your God I can save you and release you. But if you have a God, where’s your God? Can He save you now?"

This was his belief. And he said,

"All right Mashtha! I’ll give you a chance. Leave your God. Leave your Allah. Accept me as your Allah, as your God and I will spare your life."

Listen to her reply. Mashtha replies, she says,

"Not on your life! Not on my life! Do your worst you criminal, but me you will never convince! Not til the day of Qiyamah (day of judgment)!!!"

This is the first time where anybody has had this bravery and courage (besides Prophet Musa (AS) of course). This is the first time in the history of Egypt, when Firaun ruled, where a young girl of this kind, a servant girl, stood up in front of Firaun and bravely told him his story. This courage and conviction came from this servant girl.

So Firaun, like Shaytan, also adopted certain strategies and steps to punish people. He orders Mashtha, he orders the soldiers, to take her to the reptile den.

He had a special reptile den. If anybody who is a believer, suspected of belief is brought in front of him, he questions them. He asks them whether they are believers. If they admit they are believers, they are put into a reptile den. That is where the people are made to suffer, where there are reptiles and scorpions, and everything are kept.

So, he orders Mashtha to be taken to the reptile den, and she is told,

"O Mashtha, you will be released to these pythons, reptiles, snakes, and scorpions and they shall feed on you for two months. We warn you before we put you in there. Accept Firaun as your God and we will set you free."

And she replied to the soldiers and she told them,

"You talk of two months? To me, even if you put me in this reptile den for seventy months, that would be too little. With each day of this punishment that I have here in this reptile den, my faith will only increase without going back. Without abating one bit. No matter to what trial and test you face me or force me!"

And she laughed at them in their face!

In Sahih Bukhari there is a Hadith which says,

"The power of iman is such that once it fills the heart of a true believing Mu’min it is impossible to be removed."

Mashtha had two daughters. She’s put into the reptile den. Whatever happened there is not told to us. What period she remained in the reptile den, we don’t know. All we know that she was taken out from there by the soldiers of Firaun UNSCATHED. So, she is removed from there.

Test number two: Mashtha had two daughters. One was a five year old girl and she had a breast-feeding baby. So Firaun orders these two girls, of this young mother, the two daughters must be brought. He first says,

"Take Mashtha and strap her."

Now Firaun had a punishment torture chamber. On this chamber there was a big slab of stone. And on this stone, there were four places (four pegs) jetting out of the ground. And he had these little prongs and anybody he wanted to punish or torture was thrown onto this slab of stone and then they were pegged like a tent. Their two hands and feet were stretched like this and tied down. They were pronged to it.

So he orders Mashtha to be tied down in this matter. This was the custom which was started, this custom of torture was started by Firaun. This is what the Quran says regarding the system of torture which was introduced by Firaun. Firaun said (O to this Mashtha) in the Quran. Firaun tells her (to Mashtha and whatever believers there were) he tells her,

"Have you believed in Him, in this Allah, of Musa before I have given such permission. Verily this is a plot which you have contrived in the city to remove its inhabitants. But you shall soon know that I am the Lord and the Master and the Creator, for I will cause you, your feet and your hands to be cut off on opposite sides and cause you all to be crucified."

So this system of crucification and strapping was introduced (tells the Quran to us), by Firaun. Firaun used to strap those who he suspected of true belief in one Allah and in the deen of Musa (AS) by their hands and feet, to four sticks, fixed on the slab of stone, the torture stone, and then to torture them, torment them.

So Musa saw Mashtha was tied down and prepared for torture and torment. First her eldest five year old daughter is brought, placed over the chest of her mother and in those days the system of torture was if they wanted to kill anybody, all they did was to take a sharp knife and slit their throats, cut it off completely! This was the system of punishment. This little girl is brought, placed over the breast of her mother. And in front of her mother while her mother is looking on, her neck is cut off!

And then Mashtha is told,

"Now listen. O Mashtha get some sense into you. Accept Firaun as your Lord and your God and we will release you. Otherwise we will have to slaughter your little baby."

And she replies (as a mother only can reply),

"If you bring the whole of this world and sacrifice every daughter on my chest, I will not leave Allah, my Rubb, my Rubb."

Firaun then orders, let the baby be brought and slay it across her chest and her bosom.

Her little child is brought. He is placed on her chest. Her body, hands and feet being strapped and fastened as they were, this mother is totally helpless. And they prepare to cut the baby’s neck.

The six month old baby of Mashtha, who had only recently suckled milk from her mother and who was now undergoing the supreme test of faith and iman. The tears flow freely down this mother’s eyes and her baby and her body (the mother’s body) contorts with the emotion of heartbreak and every nerve and tissue, every fiber of her body is wreck by the passionate pain which only a mother experiences, the love which only a mother experiences for a child.

And in this tense and frightful but macabre (gruesome) moment this baby of Mashtha (AS), this six month old baby, of this mother (who should be an example to every living mother of this world) speaks out in a loud and clear tone of voice.

This little baby six month old baby, as the solider holds a knife to slaughter it and to cut off its neck; this little child in a loud voice so that everybody congregated in that chamber (hundreds of them used to congregate in that chamber to see the torture meated out by Firaun ,over those who were believers). This little child in a loud voice where everyone that is present there can hear tells his mother,

"O my beloved mother, why do you cry so? Why do you weep so? I can see Jennah is being prepared for you my mother. O mother! O mother, don’t weep so. When you get to Jennah, you will be blessed with a vision and the noor (light) of Allah. So be in peace, in peace and in peace!"

And as he says so, the neck of this child is cut off. In front of it’s mother. When this is done and these words of the child goes into the ears of the mother, tranquillity and peace descends on her. So the child is slain and on Firaun’s orders, the mother is also then slain. The mother is also, her neck is chopped off. This is what happens in this torture chamber.

But there is another lady and a true believer in the chamber, who is sitting on one side from upstairs, you can say, from her rooms and she is like watching this entire scene. You know who is that? That is the Mother of Musa (AS), if you can call her it. One was his real mother. One was his mother in the palace. She was who? Asiyah (AS).

She is watching this whole seen. She was a believer, even before Mashtha was a believer. She cannot bare it. She cannot tolerate that a girl, a servant girl, has displayed this kind of iman (faith). She cannot tolerate it, and she runs from her room. She is completely overcome with emotion. She is hysterical, and Asiyah (AS) runs down seeks Firaun. She saw this entire proceedings and was overwhelmed.

What convinced her even more to reveal her faith, was not only the courage and conviction of a maid, but what she saw by the Qadar (decree) of Allah. Of the malikahs (angels) descending from the heavens. Allah revealed to her. Allah took away the curtains from her eyes and when Mashtha was killed, Asiyah (AS) by the Qadar of Allah saw the malikahs descending from the heavens with garlands and coffin from Jennah for Mashtha. Wrapping her Ruh in these robes of Jennah and ascending they were. This was too much for her. She could bear it no longer and she became hysterical. She regarded it as contemptible to hide her faith in Allah, any longer. She went (ran about) seeking out her husband and let fly. When she met him, she let fly with these words,

"Have you become so courageous, you worst amongst mankind, you worst amongst men? You have dared to raise your finger towards Mashtha for a simple belief and you have slain her?"

Firaun turns to her and says,

"O Asiyah have you become incensed by it and angered by it? Are you also influenced by her brand of madness, by Mashtha’s brand of madness?"

She replies and she says:

"No! I am no jimun (I am not mad)! But I tell you now (for this is the first time she reveals to Firaun her iman)."

She says,

"But I warn you Firaun and I tell, my Lord, my Creator, My Rubb, My Allah, and your Lord and your Rubb and your Allah, same with Mashtha and youth, and the Lord of the Heavens and the Earth is one Allah and nobody comes near Him. He has no partnership!" (This is not in the Quran I am quoting Hadith)

Firaun was a powerful man. He was not only a genius and a very clever man, he was also a very big man. He had a very big body. He was a very powerful man. He stood up like an enraged bull. He tore her clothes and he beat her to a pulp. And then he summoned her family and her people and he said,

"Talk some sense into her."

He beat her until she was black and blue. Then he called her father, her mother, and her parents, sisters and all and he said,

"Now you talk to this woman! Talk to her and explain to her that if she does not accept me as God and if she continues and persists in belief, believing in the deen of Musa (AS), then I will destroy her!"

So the family, came together. Listen to the families words. This is nepotism. This is what we call booty, booty. They said,

"O Asiyah. Let it be. Leave well alone. But Firaun IS God. He IS All-Mighty. He IS All-Powerful on earth, and he rules as he pleases. What goes on with you? Why are you throwing such golden opportunities away? Where is your pride? Where is your honor? Where is your dignity? We are amazed at your folly and stupidity. Come to your senses, O Asiyah! We plead with you. Look at all these things which Firaun has give us, all these homes and comforts and servants and wonderful presents he has given us, and gifts he has given us. All this we must loose? Asiyah, look at you, you the queen! Everything you want, you desire, you’ve got! Are you going to kick all those wonderful material blessings and pleasures that he has given you? You’re kicking all this aside, for La ilaha illa Allah? And for the deen of Musa (AS). What’s the matter with you, have you become mad?"

And she replies. Listen to the reply of Asiyah, she says:

"Don’t waste your breath any longer, O foolish ones! What moves you, but the selfishness of pride and prejudice, and not the honor of dignity and respect. The affection for glamour and splendor moves you and not the inclination of pardon and submission to Allah, who is the Rubb and the Creator of all things. Even if Firaun were to present me with a glittering crown, the glory of which would be such, that the sun appear in front of me and he put the moon at the rear and the moon is at the rear with the sparkling stars inter-spaced between the two, I will not leave my Allah, who is my Rubb. That is my decision, that is my commitment, that is my conviction!"

This was too much for Firaun and he immediately ordered her torture to begin. So she was strapped and fastened on the SAME slab of stone on which Mashtha had just recently been crucified.

A tray of burning fire, a slab, a stone, he had a heavy stone. One was a stone below, then they placed a stone on her chest. A heavy stone was placed on her chest and on top of this stone, a huge bonfire was lit.

The system was: the top stone was a thinner slab and what happens, you light a big fire on top. The stone is a slow condenser, so it heats up slowly and then it starts burning up the body. Slowly it starts, through heat, the body burns. In other words, if you put fire to the body it will burn immediately.

So he had evolved the strict way. First the big slab of stone, on which you are laid and you are strapped up. Then he had a thin slab of stone, like a tray, which is placed which is quite heavy, which is placed on top of you, and then a huge fire is lit on top of you. The heat of the fire travels upward, but a lot of the heat goes at the bottom and it penetrates, and then starts burning you up and torturing you.

This gives him time, to try and force the believer to say that he (Firaun) is God. Once you say he is God, you are set free. So this was his system of punishment. So on Asiyah, his own wife, he does this. The stone is placed on her and a huge bonfire is lit on top of her, and he tells her,

"O Asiyah, now leave your God alone and accept me as your God, as your Rubb; or I will increase your torture!"

And she replies,

"O Firaun if you punish me, you can only torture this body of mine. But you can never touch the love which I bare for Allah. Nor lessen it in any way. O Firaun! Even if you break my body into pieces and tear it into shreds, for each drop of blood that flows out, will my love for Allah will increase the more, no matter how you batter and bruise me. Reproaching, rebuking, and reviling O Firaun, are superficial complaints, but the love for a beloved, is deep and profound. INSIDE it is unapproachable. Look at me now Firaun, blood flows from every part of my body! A fire is placed on top of me which is beginning to burn and scorch me, but the fire of irreproachable and unlimited love for Allah burns intensely and fiercely within this body!"

These are the words of Queen Asiyah. This lady of Egypt. But in the mean time word of the Queen’s discovery of faith and iman, in one true Allah, has reached Prophet Musa (AS). And Musa who had grown up in this palace, who knows every avenue, every door, every link of the palace of Firaun, he rushes to the palace. He knew the entire, he knew the severity of the test.

Which, this is why he had told Asiyah when she accepted faith at his hands, he told her don’t reveal it to Firaun otherwise he will torture you to death. But now the torture and the test has come. And he rushes in, wondering whether Asiyah could withstand and endure the pain of the torture that Firaun would meat, beat out to her.

However on arriving in the torture chamber, he finds her strapped and tied down in the sacrificial chamber. Blood streaming from cuts and abrasions, lacerations, all over her body. But a great smile of peace and contentment he finds on her face. And she sees Musa coming and she says,

"O Musa, Do you see? I have put on the mantle of departure from this world and I have put on the coat of the hereafter. Tell me, O Musa! Is my Creator satisfied, pleased and happy with me. Or is my Rubb displeased and angry with me?"

And Prophet Musa (AS) replies to her. He said:

"O Asiyah bint Muzahim (daughter of Muzahim), the malikahs of the seven heavens are awaiting you with great pleasure and Allah (SWT) looks forward to the pleasure of meeting you. Allah is pleased to meet you."

This is what the Qur’an has to say about these last, last moments. I am quoting to you from Surah At-Tahrim 66:11. Allah says:

"And Allah sets forth for those who believe the example (the parable) of the wife of Firaun, when she said: "O my Rubb, build for me a house with Thee in Jennah and deliver me from Firaun and his doings and deliver me from these unjust people."

In the heavens Allah (SWT) is indicating to the angels, the nobleness and courage of conviction of a true believing Mu’minaat and of her love for Allah, for which she is prepared to sacrifice so much of wealth, position, and status and to endure so much pain, suffering and anguish. Allah (SWT) in front of the malikahs that are gathered there who are pleading with Allah to save Asiyah, Allah (SWT) is telling them that this is ihsan (the highest level of deeds and worship),

"You see malikahs, when I created him, you said this ihsan is going to do so much public, so much evil and bloodshed in the world and commit so much sin. Do you see what quality I have given to those who believe? Look at this Asiyah, look at that Mashtha, look at this Musa, look at the courage and conviction of faith."

Allah is telling the malikahs this,

"Verily, We created man of a most excellent fabric. So Allah tells about this creation, and in the meantime in suffering and hardship and the trials and tribulations their love and fear for me (says Allah to the malikahs) increases."

Allah is holding his court. Firaun is having his court here. Allah is holding his court with the malikahs. And Allah tells them,

"In suffering and hardship and the trials and tribulations, the love of my true servants and the fear that they have for me, increases. These are the true, the sincere, the devoted, and the faithful ones. ‘O Asiyah, what do you ask for?’"

Allah asks Asiyah in those words,

"O Asiyah what do you want? What do you ask? What do you seek? And you tell me what does a faithful slave ask of Allah in these moments?"

This is what she asks. She says,

"O Allah, you are in Jennah. O Allah, build me a house in Jennah so I can be close to you and near you."

Allah (SWT) orders Gabriel to reveal to her, as her eyes closes, as she is about to die, Gabriel (AS) is ordered to reveal to Asiyah her home in Paradise, in Jennah. And seeing this, she was soon overcome with joy and peace and she passes silently out of this world…

That is the story of Asiyah (AS) and That was the story of Mashtha (AS).