The high ranked generosity and natural kind-heartedness is one of the countless and innumerable good qualities and excellent characters the Holy Prophet Sallallaahu alaihi Wasallam possessed. His generosity knew no limits, and the ocean of his kindness knew no shore.
Generosity and kindness covers such a vast field, and is such an ocean of a subject, that to cover all of its details is an almost impossible task. Generosity and kindness doesn't only mean that you give when you still gain or retain, but in fact means to give when you yourself hardly have anything. According to these details, generosity could be divided into three groups:
1. To give while one has something in possession and the one to whom it is given also has something in possession.
2. To give while one has something in possession and the one to whom it is given is in need.
3. The one who is giving is in need but places his own needs aside and gives priority to others over him.
The last group is the best and most desirable of all, and it is this third one which will be found in the life of the Prophet Sallallaahu alaihi Wasallam. For example, a story has been narrated that in the time of the Prophet Sallallaahu alaihi Wasallam a woman made an intention of giving the Prophet Sallallaahu alaihi Wasallam a present; because she didn't have much wealth to buy him something expensive, she intended to weave and offer some cloth. The Prophet Sallallaahu alaihi Wasallam accepted it, as he was in dire need of it, and wore it as an izar (a sheet of cloth worn to cover the lower part of the body). A companion saw the Prophet Sallallaahu alaihi Wasallam with this izar and liked it, so asked for it. The Holy and Noble Prophet Sallallaahu alaihi Wasallam without second thoughts and without hesitation changed into another garment, which was borrowed from somebody, and gave this one away. The companions who saw this felt guilty about the person asking, because they knew well that the Holy Prophet sallallaahu alaihi Wasallam would never refuse, but what could be done now, it had already been given and the Prophet sallallaahu alaihi Wasallam would never take it back. The Sahabi reasoned his act by saying, "I asked for it to use as my shroud."
A sensible person can understand from this story and by now would have deduced, that the Prophet sallallaahu alaihiWasallam ’s generosity is on such a level that it is absolutely impossible to imagine, such as the case where he himself was in need, had come to the circumstances of borrowing from someone else, yet gave away his own to someone who had merely asked for it.
The religion of Islam has always viewed animals as a special part of God's creation.
The Holy Qur'an (Koran), the Hadith (Muslim religious text), and the history of Islamic civilization offer many examples of kindness, mercy, and compassion for animals.
Here are more sayings on kindness to animals from Prophet Muhammad saw, the Hadith and the Holy Qur'an (Koran):
God's kindness towards his creature is more than a mother's towards her babe.
If you put your whole trust in God, as you ought, He most certainly will give you sustenance, as He doth the birds; they come out hungry in the morning, but return full to their nests.
All God's creatures are His family; and he is the most beloved of God who doeth most good to God's creatures.
Whoever is kind to His creatures, God is kind to him; therefore be kind to man on earth, whether good or bad; and being kind to the bad, is to withhold him from badness, thus in heaven you will be treated kindly.
Prophet Mohammad (saw) repeatedly forbade cruelty to animals, saying in the Hadith popular tradition, "Whoever is kind to the creatures of God is kind to himself."
He who is not kind to God's creatures, and to his own children, God will not be kind to him.
Similarly, Mohammed taught "A good deed done to a beast is as good as doing good to a human being; while an act of cruelty to a beast is as bad as an act of cruelty to a human being."
Prophet Muhammad saw mentioned "Verily God hath one hundred loving kindnesses; one of which he hath sent down amongst man, animals, and every moving thing upon the face of the earth: by it they are kind to each other, and forgive one another; and by it the animals of the wilds are kind to their young; and God hath reserved ninety-nine loving kindnesses by which he will be gracious to His creatures on the last day."
It is mentioned in The Quran (Verse 6:38) "There is not an animal on Earth, nor a bird that flies on its wings, but they are communities like you. Nothing have we omitted from the Book, and they all shall be gathered to God in the end."
Islam encourages doing well with all its universal, humane sense, and commands kindness in all its forms and purposes, thus making it a most wonderful virtue.
Kindness is doing well, but this virtue has taken on the meaning of "Benevolence"; that is, the "charity" which a person gives to the poor and the needy as a consolation for their poverty and neediness.
In its essence and ultimate goal, kindness is when the well-doer alleviates the suffering of the person to whom he gives charity, and palliates his defeat and misery. It is the solidarity of one human being with another, to make the person who is suffering and disadvantaged feel that he is not lonely in this world, and that he has brethren who share his distress and happiness.
Kindness makes the Muslim - who follows the teachings of his religion - a partner of every sufferer in this world.
But the Most Kind is Allah -the Great and Almighty - to whom all the hearts turn whenever misfortune befalls people and adversity overwhelms them.
Allah has established kindness and commanded it, not only for the sake of the person to whom one is being kind but also for the doer of good as well:
"But do thou good, as Allah has been good to thee", [The Story: 77].
"If ye did well, ye did well for yourselves, if ye did evil, (ye did it) against yourselves", [The Night Journey: 7].
Allah commands justice, the doing of good, and liberality to kith and kin, and he forbids all shameful deeds, and injustice and rebellion (The Bee: 90).
Volume 3, Book 40, Number 552
Narrated by Asma' bint Abi Bakr,
The Prophet prayed the eclipse prayer, and then said, "Hell was displayed so close that I said, 'O my Lord! Am I going to be one of its inhabitants?"' Suddenly he saw a woman. I think he said, who was being scratched by a cat. He said, "What is wrong with her?" He was told, "She had imprisoned it (i.e. the cat) till it died of hunger."
Narrated by 'Abdullah bin 'Umar,
Allah's Apostle said, "A woman was tortured and was put in Hell because of a cat which she had kept locked till it died of hunger." Allah's Apostle further said, (Allah knows better) Allah said (to the woman), 'You neither fed it nor watered when you locked it up, nor did you set it free to eat the insects of the earth."
The moral of the story is that if we wish Allah to be merciful to us, we must be eager to show mercy to all the living creatures of the earth.
When a flower blooms, its colour and scent first touch the garden near it, and then spread. In the same way, a Muslim’s acts of human kindness should first touch those nearest to him, his family and his neighbors.
May Allah make our efforts sincere and keep us all on the straight path...........
Feel free to Share the information here with everyone you know,
And earn Sawab-e-Jariya...May Allah swt make it a source of Sawab-e-Jariya for u and me .Ameen
P.S.: "Have fun praying don’t forget to make dua for me."
Showing posts with label religion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label religion. Show all posts
Sunday, 28 November 2010
Thursday, 22 April 2010
MEANING OF DREAMS
Every person on earth dreams pretty much every night, and evidence suggests that all mammals do also. It follows then that something extremely important must be going on while we sleep and dream, yet in the industrialized world, the majority of people pay little attention to dreams, and sometimes shortchange themselves on sleep because it is perceived as lost time, or at best unproductive.
Dreams are broken into three parts according to the Sunnah:
Ru'yaa - good visions (dreams)
Hulum - bad dreams
Dreams from one's self
Abu Hurayrah narrated Muhammad (SAW) said, "There are three types of dreams: a righteous dream which is glad tidings from Allah, the dream which causes sadness is from Shaitan, and a dream from the ramblings of the mind. (Sahih Muslim)
True/Good Dreams
We can see true dreams are from Allah Ta'aala as Muhammad (S) said, "True dreams are from Allah, and bad dreams are from Shaitan." (Sahih Al-Bukhari)
True believers are more likely to happen to those who are truthful in their lives as Muhammad (S) said, "Those of you with the truest dreams will be those who are most truthful in speech" (Sahih Muslim)
Good dreams are also from Allah Ta'aala. Prophet Muhammad (S) said, "If anyone of you has a dream that he likes then it is from Allah. He should thank Allah for it and narrate it to others." (Sahih Al-Bukhari) Good deeds consist of people doing Halaal (lawful) acts.
One should share their dreams with those they like as Muhammad (S) said, "If one sees a good dream, let him expect good, and not tell it except to those he likes." (Muslim) An example of this is Yaqoob (AS) telling his son, Yusuf (AS) concerning his dream about eleven stars and the sun and the moon prostrating to him (scholars have said the eleven stars were his brothers, and the sun and the moon represented his mother and father): "He said, "O my son! Relate not your vision to your brothers lest they arrange a plot against you. Verily! Satan is to man an open enemy." (Surah Yusuf 12:5) We know the half-brothers of Yusuf were jealous of him to begin with so telling them the dream would probably only serve to increase the jealousy.
Muhammad (S) also told us, "Nothing is left of prophet hood except glad tidings." Those with him asked, "What are glad tidings?" He (S) replied, "Good dreams." (Sahih Al-Bukhari)
Bad Dreams
As stated above bad dreams are from Shaitan. Muhammad (S) told us what to do upon seeing a bad dream. "So when one of you sees a dream which he does not like, he should spit on his left side three times, seek refuge with Allah from Shaitan thrice, and change the side which he was lying (Sahih Muslim) and in another narration in Muslim, Muhammad (S) told us if we spit three times and seek refuge from Allah then it (the dream) will not harm them." (Sahih Muslim)
Muhammad (S) also told us that if we saw a bad dream to "stand up and offer prayer." (Sahih Muslim)
Bad Dreams Should Not Be Disclosed
Muhammad (S) said if he has a dream that he dislikes, then it is from Shaitan. He should seek refuge with Allah from its evil, and he SHOULD NOT MENTION IT TO ANYBODY, then it will not harm him." (Sahih Al-Bukhari) If one does tell somebody about the bad dream then there could be the chance that some harm will come out of it.
Dreams from One's Self
These dreams come from one's thoughts and are neither from Allah or Shaitan.
Lying About Dreams
Prophet Muhammad (S) said, "Indeed the worst of lies is that of a person who falsely claims to have dream." (Sahih Al-Bukhari) also 'Whoever claims to have dream which he did not have, will be ordered to tie two barley grains together, which he will never be able to do; and if somebody eavesdrop on some people's conversation which they didn't want him to hear or they tried to keep away from him, then molten lead will be poured into his ears on the Day of Resurrection; and whosoever makes a picture (of a being with a soul) will be punished on the Day of Resurrection and (will) be ordered to put a soul in it, which he will not be able to do." (Sahih Al-Bukhari)
This is only a short article, but it is hoped this is beneficial to all that reads it, and it will erase some misconceptions people have about dreams. It is also hoped this will stop some practices people do upon seeing good or bad dreams which are not found in the Quran or Sunnah.
Anything correct is from Allah Ta'aala and anything incorrect is from my self.
MEANING OF DREAMS
"True dreams are from Allah and bad dreams are from Satan" [Sahih of Bukhari, Vol 9 p 95, no 113]
BRIEF INTRODUCTION
Most books on dream interpretation are either attributed to Muhammad ibn Seereen (653-729 CE): English publication of Muhammad Al Akili's 508 page work entitled 'Ibn Seerin's Dictionary of Dreams: According to Islamic Inner traditions' in 1992, followed shortly thereafter by 'Dreams and Interpretations' by Ibn Seereen.
However, Ibn Seereen, without a shadow of a doubt, did not write any book on dream interpretation. He did, however, write a compilation of Abu Huraira's narrations from the Prophet (pbuh) along with the opinions of Abu Huraira. This text was kept by his brother, Yahyaa ibn Seereen, because Muhammad ibn Seereen, in his later days, did not like to keep books. [Tareekh, vol 2 p 14b by Yaqoob al Fasawee and quoted in Studies in Early hadith literature p 38]
NOTE: In the below narrations there was mention of the Prophets, may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon them all; mentioning of the companions (male and female), may Allah be pleased with them; and of course mentioning of dreams. We should be careful to realize that in many of the explanations above the reference is to 'may', that is, seeing such a thing in a dream 'MAY' indicate that 'such and such' was seen. Thus as none of us have the fortune of being a Prophet, nor do we have the fortune of being in the company of Prophet Joseph - who excelled in dream interpretation - we should consider the matters above with caution.
General Dreams
ATHAAN (call to prayer): Seeing oneself giving the call to prayer may indicate one's plans for Hajj will succeed. [Sharh as Sunnah vol 12 p 224]
Based on: "Proclaim the Hajj to mankind" [Surah al Hajj (22): 27]
BATHING: Dreaming of oneself bathing in cool water may refer to Allah's acceptance of one's repentance, a cure from sickness and/or the lifting of a calamity. [Sharh as Sunnah vol 12 p 220]
Based on: Verses referring to Prophet Job (Ayoob) as,”This is cool water to bath in and a refreshing drink. And I returned his family to him and along with them a similar number of additional offspring" [Surah Saad (38): 42-43]
BIRDS: Seeing birds flying or circling over one's head in a dream may indicate the attainment of an administrative post. [Sharh as Sunnah vol 12 p 221]
Based on: Verses referring to Prophet David (Daoud) "The birds assembled, and all (with David) turned to (Allah in praise and repentance) and I strengthened his dominion" [Surah Saad (38_: 19-20]
BLOWING - Blowing away something or someone disliked in a dream indicates that the problem will soon be eliminated. [Sahih of Muslim, Sharh an Nawawee vol 8 p 39]
Based on: Abu Huraira (R.A.) quoted
Prophet Muhammad SAW saying "While sleeping, I saw two gold bangles on my hands
This disturbed me, but I was inspired to blow on them, so I blew on them and they flew away. I interpreted the two bangles as the two great liars who would appear after me, and one of them is al Ansee from Sanaa, and the other, Musaylimah, from Yamaamah" [Sahih of Muslim, vol 4 pp 1228-9 no 5650]
CLOTHING/COVER: Seeing clothing or a cover in a dream may refer to a husband or wife according to the metaphor 'libaas' (meaning: clothing/cover). [Sharh as Sunnah vol 12 p 221]
Based on: "They (wives) are a cover for you and you are a cover for them" [Surah al Baqara (2): 187]
COWS: Fat cows indicate a good yield of harvest while lean cows indicate a poor yield.
Based on, Prophet Joseph's (Yusuf's) dream "O Joseph!" (He said) "O man of truth! Expound to us (the dream) of seven fat kinds whom seven lean ones devour and of seven green ears of corn and (seven) others withered: that I may return to the people and that they may understand." (Joseph) said: "For seven years shall ye diligently sow as is your wont: and the harvests that ye reap ye shall leave them in the ear except a little of which ye shall eat.” Then will come after that (period) seven dreadful (years) which will devour what ye shall have laid by in advance for them (all) except a little which ye shall have (specially) guarded. "Then will come after that (period) a year in which the people will have abundant water and in which they will press (wine and oil)." [Surah Yusuf (12): 46-49]
DATES: If one sees fresh Ibn Taab dates in a dream, it indicates that one's practice of the religion will become better.
Based on: Anas ibn Malik (ra) quoted Prophet Muhammad saying
"Last night I dreamt that we were in the house of Uqbah ibn Raafi and were brought some Ibn Taab fresh dates. I interpreted it as meaning that eminence in this world will be granted to us, a blessed hereafter, and that our religion has become good" [Sahih of Muslim, vol 4 p 1228 no 5647; Sunan of Abu Dawood, vol 3 p 1397 no 5007]
Prophet (SAW) derived the concept of a blessed hereafter (aaqibah) from the name Uqbah, he derived the eminence (rifah) from the name Raafi, and he derived becoming good i.e. complete (taaba) from the name Taab.
Dreaming of oneself eating ripe dates, acquiring them, etc. may signify Allah's granting of provision, or a reminder to pay charity, or a reminder to avoid extravagance.
Based on: "It is He who produces gardens with trellises and without and dates and tilt with produce of all kinds and olives and pomegranates similar (in kind) and different (in variety): eat of their fruit in their season but render the dues that are proper on the day that the harvest is gathered. But waste not by excess: for Allah loves not the wasters" [Surah al Anaam (6): 141]
DOOR: Seeing one ‘self enter a door or a gate in a dream, may refer to the successful completion of a project, or the winning of an argument. [Sharh as Sunnah vol 12 p 221]
Based on- Enter upon them through the gate. For when you enter victory will be yours" [Surah al Maidah (5): 23]
Opening a door in a dream may refer to the acceptance of a supplication or the need to make one, according to the derivation of the word 'istiftaah', [Sharh as Sunnah vol 12 p 220]
Based on: "If you ask for a judgment, the judgment has come" (In tastaftihu faqad ja akumul fathu) [Surah al Anfaal (8): 19]
EGG: Seeing an egg in a dream may refer to a woman, according to the metaphor used in Quran referring to the maidens of paradise. [Sharh as Sunnah vol 12 p 220]
Based on: "And they will have with them chaste females with lowered, large, beautiful eyes; delicate and pure, like well preserved hidden eggs" [Surah as Saaffaat (37): 48-9]
ELEVATION: Seeing oneself in a dream either elevated, ascending or in the sky may refer to an elevation in status or rank (rifah). [Sharh as Sunnah vol 12 p 220]
Based on Prophet Idrees, where the word 'rafanaa' is used "And I raised him to a high station" (Wa rafanahu makanan aliy ya) [Surah Maryam (19): 57]
FLOWING SPRINGS: A flowing spring in a dream indicates continued reward for one's good deeds.
Based on: Kharijah ibn Zaid ibn Thabit (ra) narrated that,
Um Al-'Ala an Ansari woman who had given the Pledge of allegiance to Allah's Apostle said, (Uthman bin Maz'un came in our share when the Ansars drew lots to distribute the emigrants (to dwell) among themselves. He became sick and we looked after (nursed) him till he died. Then we shrouded him in his clothes. Allah's Apostle came to us. I (addressing the dead body) said, 'May Allah's Mercy, be on you, O Aba As-Sa'ib! I testify that Allah has honored you.' The Prophet said, 'How do you know that?' I replied, 'I do not know, by Allah.' He said, 'As for him, death has come to him and I wish him all good from Allah. By Allah, though I am Allah's Apostle, I neither know what will happen to me, nor to you. (Um Al-'Ala said, "By Allah, I will never attest the righteousness of anybody after that." She added, "Later I saw in a dream, a flowing spring for 'Uthman. So I went to Allah's Apostle and mentioned that to him. He said, 'that is (the symbol of) his good deeds (the reward for) which is going on for him.' [Sahih of Bukhari, vol 9 pp119-20 no 145]
FURNISHING: Seeing furniture and rugs in a dream may indicate the coming of a time of rest or a break from a period of difficulty or it may imply the attainment of an administrative office which was sought. [Sharh as Sunnah, vol 12 p 221]
Based on: "Reclining on couches lined with brocade and the fruits from the two gardens will be nearby" [Surah ar Rahman (55): 54]
Furnishing in a dream may also symbolize women and children.
Based on: "They will be on elevated couches, and I have specifically created them virgins who will love husbands of equal age" [Surah al Waaqiah (56): 34-37]
GARDEN: Seeing a garden in a dream indicates the richness of Islam.
Based on: Abdullah ibn Salaam said: (In a dream) I saw myself in a garden, and there was a pillar in the middle of the garden, and there was a handhold at the top of the pillar. I was asked to climb it. I said, "I cannot." Then a servant came and lifted up my clothes and I climbed (the pillar), and then got hold of the handhold, and I woke up while still holding it. I narrated that to the Prophet who said, "The garden symbolizes the garden of Islam, and the handhold is the firm Islamic handhold which indicates that you will be adhering firmly to Islam until you die." [Sahih of Bukhari, vol 9 p 117 no 142]
GIFT: Receiving a gift in a dream may indicate a blessing of happiness. [Sharh as Sunnah, vol 12 p 221]
Based on: "Indeed you are happy with your gift" [Surah an Naml (27): 36]
GOLD: Being given gold or finding gold may indicate finding a suitable wife or a successful marriage. The symbolism is derived when the Prophet restricted ornaments of gold to women.
Based on: Abdullah ibn Zurrayr : related that he heard Ali ibn Abi Talib (R.A.) say that the Prophet took some silk in his right hand and some gold in his left hand. Then he said, "These two are forbidden to the males of my nation" [Sunan of Abu Dawood, vol 3 p 1133 no 4046; an Nasaee and Ahmad]
HAJJ: Hearing oneself congratulated on doing Hajj or Umrah indicates that it went well.
Based on: Abu Jamra Nasr bin 'Imran Ad-Duba'i said, "I intended to perform Hajj-at-Tamattu' and the people advised me not to do so. I asked Ibn Abbas regarding it and he ordered me to perform Hajj-at-Tammatu'. Later I saw in a dream someone saying to me, 'Hajj-Mabrur (Hajj performed in accordance with the Prophet's tradition without committing sins and accepted by Allah) and an accepted 'Umra.' So I told that dream to Ibn Abbas. He said, 'This is the tradition of Abul-Qasim.' Then he said to me, 'Stay with me and I shall give you a portion of my property.' " I (Shu'ba) asked, "Why (did he invite you)?" He (Abu Jamra) said, "Because of the dream which I had seen." [Sahih of Bukhari, vol 2 p 373 no 638]
Hajj-at-Tammatu: this is Umrah combined with Hajj in which the pilgrim is allowed to leave his state of consecration (ihraam) after the completion of the Umrah
Hajj-Mabrur: which means 'may your Hajj be righteous'
Abdul-Qasim: this was Prophet Muhammad's nickname, derived from the name of his son, al Qaasim
HAND-HOLD: Grasping a hand-hold in a dream indicates that one will continue to hold firmly to Islam.
Based on: Abdullah bin Salaam said: (In a dream) I saw myself in a garden, and there was a pillar in the middle of the garden, and there was a handhold at the top of the pillar. I was asked to climb it. I said, "I cannot." Then a servant came and lifted up my clothes and I climbed (the pillar), and then got hold of the handhold, and I woke up while still holding it. I narrated that to the Prophet who said, "The garden symbolizes the garden of Islam, and the handhold is the firm Islamic handhold which indicates that you will be adhering firmly to Islam until you die." [Sahih of Bukhari, vol 9 p 117 no 142]
KEYS: Seeing keys in one’s hand, or receiving keys in a dream, indicates the receipt of administrative authority. [Sahih Muslim: Sharh an Nawawee, vol 8 p 39]
Based on: Abu Hurayrah said: The Prophet said, "I have been given the keys of eloquent speech and given victory with awe (cast into the hearts of the enemy), and while I was sleeping last night, the keys of the treasures of the earth were brought to me till they were put in my hand." Abu Hurayrah added: Allah's Apostle left (this world) and now you people are carrying those treasures from place to place. [Sahih of Bukhari, vol 9 p 106 no 127; Sahih of Muslim, vol 1 p 266 no 1063]
LAUGHING: Dreaming of oneself laughing in a dream may refer to the arrival of good news, good times. [Sharh as Sunnah, vol 12 p 221]
Based on: "Some faces on that day will be bright, laughing and rejoicing at the good news" [Surah Abasa (8): 38-9]
LEG IRONS: Seeing oneself bound in leg-irons indicates stability in the religion.
Based on: Muhammad ibn Seereen said: "Abu Huraira hated to see neck irons (metallic neck collars) in a dream, and people generally liked to see leg-irons. Leg-irons were said to symbolize one's constant and form adherence to religion" [Sahih of Bukhari, vol 9 p 118-9 no 144]
Imam an Nawawee noted that the reason shackles (qayd) on the feet were liked was because they indicate avoiding sin and evil (i.e. the feet are prevented from taking the body to corruption). On the other hand, a shackle (gull) on the neck is one of the characteristics of those in Hell (Quran 13:5, 34:33, 36:8 and 40:71). [Sharh an Nawawee, vol 8 p 28]
MAKKAH: Seeing oneself entering Makkah in a dream may refer to a state of security and peace. [Sharh as Sunnah, vol 12 p 221]
Based on: "Whoever enters Makkah will be secure" [Surah al Imran (3): 97]
MARRIAGE: Dreaming of oneself getting married may indicate an impeding marriage. If there are no marriage plans at the time of the dream, one may propose to the women shown in the dream.
Based on: Aisha said: Allah's Apostle said to me, "You were shown to me twice (in my dream) before I married you. I saw an angel carrying you in a silken piece of cloth, and I said to him, 'Uncover (her),' and behold, it was you. I said (to myself), 'If this is from Allah, then it must happen. ‘Later I dreamt of the angel carrying someone in a silken piece of cloth, and I said (to him), 'Uncover (her),' and behold, it was you. I said (to myself), 'If this is from Allah, then it must happen.' “[Sahih of Bukhari, vol 9 p 115-6 no 140]
MILK: Receiving milk in a dream means that religious knowledge has been granted.
Based on: Abdullah ibn Umar said: Allah's Apostle said, "While I was sleeping, I was given a bowl full of milk (in the dream) and I drank from it (to my fill) till I noticed its wetness coming out of my limbs. Then I gave the rest of it to 'Umar bin Al-Khattab." The persons sitting around him, asked, "What have you interpreted (about the dream) O Allah's Apostle?" He said, "It is (religious) knowledge." [Sahih of Bukhari, vol 9 p 112 no 135]
MOUNTAINS: seeing Mountains in a dream means that you are going to Canada. LOL? Just joking to see if anyone has made it this far.
Seeing mountains in a dream may indicate the attainment of an administrative post.
Based on: Verses to Prophet David "Indeed, I made the mountains glorify our praises along with David in the evening and in the morning...and I strengthened his dominion" [Surah Saad (38): 18 & 20]
PEARLS: Dreaming of pearls may indicate Allah's granting of a mater, male or female, which refer to the young men and women of paradise granted to the believers.
Based on: "And their will be large eyed maidens like hidden pearls" [Surah al Waqiah (56): 22-3]
"And there will be young men of perpetual youth serving them; if you saw the youths, you would think that they were scattered pearls" [Surah al Insaan (76): 19]
RECONCILIATION: Seeing reconciliation in a dream may refer to a good settlement of one's affairs. [Sharh as Sunnah, vol 12 p 221]
Based on: "There is nothing wrong in making peace between themselves, for reconciliation is better" [Surah an Nisa (4): 128]
RIGHT SIDE: If one dreams of being led to the right side of a location, it indicates achieving a state of security or an escape from harm.
Based on: Ibn Umar said: Men from the companions of Allah's Apostle used to see dreams during the lifetime of Allah's Apostle and they used to narrate those dreams to Allah's Apostle. Allah's Apostle would interpret them as Allah wished. I was a young man and used to stay in the mosque before my wedlock. I said to myself, "If there were any good in myself, I too would see what these people see." So when I went to bed one night, I said, "O Allah! If you see any good in me, show me a good dream." So while I was in that state, there came to me (in a dream) two angels. In the hand of each of them, there was a mace of iron, and both of them were taking me to Hell, and I was between them, invoking Allah, "O Allah! I seek refuge with you from Hell." Then I saw myself being confronted by another angel holding a mace of iron in his hand. He said to me, "Do not be afraid, you will be an excellent man if you only pray more often." So they took me till they stopped me at the edge of Hell, and behold, it was built inside like a well and it had side posts like those of a well, and beside each post there was an angel carrying an iron mace. I saw therein many people hanging upside down with iron chains, and I recognized therein some men from the Quraish. Then (the angels) took me to the right side. I narrated this dream to (my sister) Hafsa and she told it to Allah's Apostle. Allah's Apostle said, "No doubt, 'Abdullah is a good man." (Nafi' said, "Since then 'Abdullah bin 'Umar used to pray much.)" [Sahih of Bukhari, vol 9 p 127-8 no 155]
Hafsa was his sister and she was also one of the Prophet's wives
Nafi was the freed slave of Ibn Umar, who became his student and one of the most outstanding scholars of his time
ROOM: Dreaming of oneself in a room or in different rooms, may refer to being safe from what one fears.
Based on: "They will reside in rooms in peace and security" [Surah Saba (34): 37]
ROPE: Seeing a rope in a dream and grabbing hold of it may indicate one's adherence to the covenant with God and Islam. [Sharh as Sunnah, vol 12 p 220]
Based on: "Hold on firmly to the rope of Allah and do not become divided" [Surah al Imran (3): 103]
RULER: Being addressed by a ruler in a dream may refer to the attainment of a high post or rank. [Sharh as Sunnah vol 12 p 220]
"When he (the ruler) spoke to him, he said, 'Indeed, today you are considered an established, trustworthy person'" [Surah Yusuf (12): 54]
SEXUAL INTERCOURSE: Dreams of sexual intercourse are fundamentally satanic and therefore not interpretable. However, they may only be classified as good dreams if the people involved are married.
If a person has an orgasm while dreaming, taking a complete ritual bath (ghusl) is obligatory on that individual to attain the state of purity (taharaah) necessary to make formal prayers.
Anas ibn Malik reported that Umm Sulaym came to the Prophet while he was with Aisha and asked him, "O Messenger of Allah, when a woman sees and experiences in a dream what a ma does, what she should do?" Aisha remarked, "O Umm Sulaym, you have humiliated women, May your right hand be covered in dust". The Prophet said to Aisha, "May your right hand be covered in dust". He then said to Umm Sulaym, "O Umm Sulaym, she should take ghusl if she sees any discharge" [Sahih of Muslim, vol 1 p 178 no 607]
Right hand be covered in dust: this is an Arabic statement of disapproval
SHIP: Seeing a ship in a dream may mean success or escape. [Sharh as Sunnah, vol 12 p 220]
Based on: Prophet Noah "Then I saved him and those with him in the shop, and made it a lesson for all of the worlds" [Surah al Ankaboot (29): 15]
SHIRT: Wearing a shirt in a dream indicates adherences to the religion.
If i.e.: .The longer the shirt the greater commitment to Islam.
Abu Said ul Khudri said: I heard Allah's Apostle saying, "While I was sleeping, I saw (in a dream) the people being displayed before me, wearing shirts, some of which (were so short that it) reached as far as their breasts and some reached below that. Then 'Umar bin Al-Khattab was shown to me and he was wearing a shirt which he was dragging (behind him)." They asked. What have you interpreted (about the dream), O Allah's Apostle?" He said, "The religion." [Sahih of Bukhari, vol 9 p 113-4 no 137]
SILK CLOTH: Receiving or giving silk cloth in a dream may indicate impending marriage. Since silk garments are restricted to women, dreaming about silk may be symbolic of a woman.
Based on: Aisha said "Allah's Apostle said to me, "You were shown to me twice (in my dream) before I married you. I saw an angel carrying you in a silken piece of cloth, and I said to him, 'Uncover (her),' and behold, it was you. I said (to myself), 'If this is from Allah, then it must happen.' Then you were shown to me, the angel carrying you in a silken piece of cloth, and I said (to him), 'Uncover (her),' and behold, it was you. I said (to myself), 'If this is from Allah, then it must happen.' “[Sahih of Bukhari vol 9 p 115-6 no 140]
Dreaming of oneself flying in paradise holding a piece of silk cloth indicates righteousness in the individual.
Based on: Ibn Umar said: I saw in a dream a piece of silken cloth in my hand, and in whatever direction in Paradise I waved it, it flew, carrying me there. I narrated this (dream) to (my sister) Hafsa and she told it to the Prophet who said, (to Hafsa), "Indeed, your brother is a righteous man," or, "Indeed, 'Abdullah is a righteous man." [Sahih of Bukhari, vol 9 p 118 no 143]
SWORD: Seeing a sword in a dream refers to one's companions and supporters coming to their aid. [Saheeh Muslim: Sharh an Nawawee, vol 8 p 38]
Based on: Abu Musa said: The Prophet said, "I saw in a dream that I waved a sword and it broke in the middle, and behold, that symbolized the casualties the believers suffered on the Day (of the battle) of Uhud. Then I waved the sword again, and it became better than it had ever been before, and behold, that symbolized the Conquest (of Mecca) which Allah brought about and the gathering of the believers." [Sahih of Bukhari, vol 9 p 133-4 no 164]
And Allah Knows Best.
Have fun praying and getting ready for the Day of Judgment coz that day will NOT be fun :) P.S.: don’t forget to make dua for me. !!
Dreams are broken into three parts according to the Sunnah:
Ru'yaa - good visions (dreams)
Hulum - bad dreams
Dreams from one's self
Abu Hurayrah narrated Muhammad (SAW) said, "There are three types of dreams: a righteous dream which is glad tidings from Allah, the dream which causes sadness is from Shaitan, and a dream from the ramblings of the mind. (Sahih Muslim)
True/Good Dreams
We can see true dreams are from Allah Ta'aala as Muhammad (S) said, "True dreams are from Allah, and bad dreams are from Shaitan." (Sahih Al-Bukhari)
True believers are more likely to happen to those who are truthful in their lives as Muhammad (S) said, "Those of you with the truest dreams will be those who are most truthful in speech" (Sahih Muslim)
Good dreams are also from Allah Ta'aala. Prophet Muhammad (S) said, "If anyone of you has a dream that he likes then it is from Allah. He should thank Allah for it and narrate it to others." (Sahih Al-Bukhari) Good deeds consist of people doing Halaal (lawful) acts.
One should share their dreams with those they like as Muhammad (S) said, "If one sees a good dream, let him expect good, and not tell it except to those he likes." (Muslim) An example of this is Yaqoob (AS) telling his son, Yusuf (AS) concerning his dream about eleven stars and the sun and the moon prostrating to him (scholars have said the eleven stars were his brothers, and the sun and the moon represented his mother and father): "He said, "O my son! Relate not your vision to your brothers lest they arrange a plot against you. Verily! Satan is to man an open enemy." (Surah Yusuf 12:5) We know the half-brothers of Yusuf were jealous of him to begin with so telling them the dream would probably only serve to increase the jealousy.
Muhammad (S) also told us, "Nothing is left of prophet hood except glad tidings." Those with him asked, "What are glad tidings?" He (S) replied, "Good dreams." (Sahih Al-Bukhari)
Bad Dreams
As stated above bad dreams are from Shaitan. Muhammad (S) told us what to do upon seeing a bad dream. "So when one of you sees a dream which he does not like, he should spit on his left side three times, seek refuge with Allah from Shaitan thrice, and change the side which he was lying (Sahih Muslim) and in another narration in Muslim, Muhammad (S) told us if we spit three times and seek refuge from Allah then it (the dream) will not harm them." (Sahih Muslim)
Muhammad (S) also told us that if we saw a bad dream to "stand up and offer prayer." (Sahih Muslim)
Bad Dreams Should Not Be Disclosed
Muhammad (S) said if he has a dream that he dislikes, then it is from Shaitan. He should seek refuge with Allah from its evil, and he SHOULD NOT MENTION IT TO ANYBODY, then it will not harm him." (Sahih Al-Bukhari) If one does tell somebody about the bad dream then there could be the chance that some harm will come out of it.
Dreams from One's Self
These dreams come from one's thoughts and are neither from Allah or Shaitan.
Lying About Dreams
Prophet Muhammad (S) said, "Indeed the worst of lies is that of a person who falsely claims to have dream." (Sahih Al-Bukhari) also 'Whoever claims to have dream which he did not have, will be ordered to tie two barley grains together, which he will never be able to do; and if somebody eavesdrop on some people's conversation which they didn't want him to hear or they tried to keep away from him, then molten lead will be poured into his ears on the Day of Resurrection; and whosoever makes a picture (of a being with a soul) will be punished on the Day of Resurrection and (will) be ordered to put a soul in it, which he will not be able to do." (Sahih Al-Bukhari)
This is only a short article, but it is hoped this is beneficial to all that reads it, and it will erase some misconceptions people have about dreams. It is also hoped this will stop some practices people do upon seeing good or bad dreams which are not found in the Quran or Sunnah.
Anything correct is from Allah Ta'aala and anything incorrect is from my self.
MEANING OF DREAMS
"True dreams are from Allah and bad dreams are from Satan" [Sahih of Bukhari, Vol 9 p 95, no 113]
BRIEF INTRODUCTION
Most books on dream interpretation are either attributed to Muhammad ibn Seereen (653-729 CE): English publication of Muhammad Al Akili's 508 page work entitled 'Ibn Seerin's Dictionary of Dreams: According to Islamic Inner traditions' in 1992, followed shortly thereafter by 'Dreams and Interpretations' by Ibn Seereen.
However, Ibn Seereen, without a shadow of a doubt, did not write any book on dream interpretation. He did, however, write a compilation of Abu Huraira's narrations from the Prophet (pbuh) along with the opinions of Abu Huraira. This text was kept by his brother, Yahyaa ibn Seereen, because Muhammad ibn Seereen, in his later days, did not like to keep books. [Tareekh, vol 2 p 14b by Yaqoob al Fasawee and quoted in Studies in Early hadith literature p 38]
NOTE: In the below narrations there was mention of the Prophets, may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon them all; mentioning of the companions (male and female), may Allah be pleased with them; and of course mentioning of dreams. We should be careful to realize that in many of the explanations above the reference is to 'may', that is, seeing such a thing in a dream 'MAY' indicate that 'such and such' was seen. Thus as none of us have the fortune of being a Prophet, nor do we have the fortune of being in the company of Prophet Joseph - who excelled in dream interpretation - we should consider the matters above with caution.
General Dreams
ATHAAN (call to prayer): Seeing oneself giving the call to prayer may indicate one's plans for Hajj will succeed. [Sharh as Sunnah vol 12 p 224]
Based on: "Proclaim the Hajj to mankind" [Surah al Hajj (22): 27]
BATHING: Dreaming of oneself bathing in cool water may refer to Allah's acceptance of one's repentance, a cure from sickness and/or the lifting of a calamity. [Sharh as Sunnah vol 12 p 220]
Based on: Verses referring to Prophet Job (Ayoob) as,”This is cool water to bath in and a refreshing drink. And I returned his family to him and along with them a similar number of additional offspring" [Surah Saad (38): 42-43]
BIRDS: Seeing birds flying or circling over one's head in a dream may indicate the attainment of an administrative post. [Sharh as Sunnah vol 12 p 221]
Based on: Verses referring to Prophet David (Daoud) "The birds assembled, and all (with David) turned to (Allah in praise and repentance) and I strengthened his dominion" [Surah Saad (38_: 19-20]
BLOWING - Blowing away something or someone disliked in a dream indicates that the problem will soon be eliminated. [Sahih of Muslim, Sharh an Nawawee vol 8 p 39]
Based on: Abu Huraira (R.A.) quoted
Prophet Muhammad SAW saying "While sleeping, I saw two gold bangles on my hands
This disturbed me, but I was inspired to blow on them, so I blew on them and they flew away. I interpreted the two bangles as the two great liars who would appear after me, and one of them is al Ansee from Sanaa, and the other, Musaylimah, from Yamaamah" [Sahih of Muslim, vol 4 pp 1228-9 no 5650]
CLOTHING/COVER: Seeing clothing or a cover in a dream may refer to a husband or wife according to the metaphor 'libaas' (meaning: clothing/cover). [Sharh as Sunnah vol 12 p 221]
Based on: "They (wives) are a cover for you and you are a cover for them" [Surah al Baqara (2): 187]
COWS: Fat cows indicate a good yield of harvest while lean cows indicate a poor yield.
Based on, Prophet Joseph's (Yusuf's) dream "O Joseph!" (He said) "O man of truth! Expound to us (the dream) of seven fat kinds whom seven lean ones devour and of seven green ears of corn and (seven) others withered: that I may return to the people and that they may understand." (Joseph) said: "For seven years shall ye diligently sow as is your wont: and the harvests that ye reap ye shall leave them in the ear except a little of which ye shall eat.” Then will come after that (period) seven dreadful (years) which will devour what ye shall have laid by in advance for them (all) except a little which ye shall have (specially) guarded. "Then will come after that (period) a year in which the people will have abundant water and in which they will press (wine and oil)." [Surah Yusuf (12): 46-49]
DATES: If one sees fresh Ibn Taab dates in a dream, it indicates that one's practice of the religion will become better.
Based on: Anas ibn Malik (ra) quoted Prophet Muhammad saying
"Last night I dreamt that we were in the house of Uqbah ibn Raafi and were brought some Ibn Taab fresh dates. I interpreted it as meaning that eminence in this world will be granted to us, a blessed hereafter, and that our religion has become good" [Sahih of Muslim, vol 4 p 1228 no 5647; Sunan of Abu Dawood, vol 3 p 1397 no 5007]
Prophet (SAW) derived the concept of a blessed hereafter (aaqibah) from the name Uqbah, he derived the eminence (rifah) from the name Raafi, and he derived becoming good i.e. complete (taaba) from the name Taab.
Dreaming of oneself eating ripe dates, acquiring them, etc. may signify Allah's granting of provision, or a reminder to pay charity, or a reminder to avoid extravagance.
Based on: "It is He who produces gardens with trellises and without and dates and tilt with produce of all kinds and olives and pomegranates similar (in kind) and different (in variety): eat of their fruit in their season but render the dues that are proper on the day that the harvest is gathered. But waste not by excess: for Allah loves not the wasters" [Surah al Anaam (6): 141]
DOOR: Seeing one ‘self enter a door or a gate in a dream, may refer to the successful completion of a project, or the winning of an argument. [Sharh as Sunnah vol 12 p 221]
Based on- Enter upon them through the gate. For when you enter victory will be yours" [Surah al Maidah (5): 23]
Opening a door in a dream may refer to the acceptance of a supplication or the need to make one, according to the derivation of the word 'istiftaah', [Sharh as Sunnah vol 12 p 220]
Based on: "If you ask for a judgment, the judgment has come" (In tastaftihu faqad ja akumul fathu) [Surah al Anfaal (8): 19]
EGG: Seeing an egg in a dream may refer to a woman, according to the metaphor used in Quran referring to the maidens of paradise. [Sharh as Sunnah vol 12 p 220]
Based on: "And they will have with them chaste females with lowered, large, beautiful eyes; delicate and pure, like well preserved hidden eggs" [Surah as Saaffaat (37): 48-9]
ELEVATION: Seeing oneself in a dream either elevated, ascending or in the sky may refer to an elevation in status or rank (rifah). [Sharh as Sunnah vol 12 p 220]
Based on Prophet Idrees, where the word 'rafanaa' is used "And I raised him to a high station" (Wa rafanahu makanan aliy ya) [Surah Maryam (19): 57]
FLOWING SPRINGS: A flowing spring in a dream indicates continued reward for one's good deeds.
Based on: Kharijah ibn Zaid ibn Thabit (ra) narrated that,
Um Al-'Ala an Ansari woman who had given the Pledge of allegiance to Allah's Apostle said, (Uthman bin Maz'un came in our share when the Ansars drew lots to distribute the emigrants (to dwell) among themselves. He became sick and we looked after (nursed) him till he died. Then we shrouded him in his clothes. Allah's Apostle came to us. I (addressing the dead body) said, 'May Allah's Mercy, be on you, O Aba As-Sa'ib! I testify that Allah has honored you.' The Prophet said, 'How do you know that?' I replied, 'I do not know, by Allah.' He said, 'As for him, death has come to him and I wish him all good from Allah. By Allah, though I am Allah's Apostle, I neither know what will happen to me, nor to you. (Um Al-'Ala said, "By Allah, I will never attest the righteousness of anybody after that." She added, "Later I saw in a dream, a flowing spring for 'Uthman. So I went to Allah's Apostle and mentioned that to him. He said, 'that is (the symbol of) his good deeds (the reward for) which is going on for him.' [Sahih of Bukhari, vol 9 pp119-20 no 145]
FURNISHING: Seeing furniture and rugs in a dream may indicate the coming of a time of rest or a break from a period of difficulty or it may imply the attainment of an administrative office which was sought. [Sharh as Sunnah, vol 12 p 221]
Based on: "Reclining on couches lined with brocade and the fruits from the two gardens will be nearby" [Surah ar Rahman (55): 54]
Furnishing in a dream may also symbolize women and children.
Based on: "They will be on elevated couches, and I have specifically created them virgins who will love husbands of equal age" [Surah al Waaqiah (56): 34-37]
GARDEN: Seeing a garden in a dream indicates the richness of Islam.
Based on: Abdullah ibn Salaam said: (In a dream) I saw myself in a garden, and there was a pillar in the middle of the garden, and there was a handhold at the top of the pillar. I was asked to climb it. I said, "I cannot." Then a servant came and lifted up my clothes and I climbed (the pillar), and then got hold of the handhold, and I woke up while still holding it. I narrated that to the Prophet who said, "The garden symbolizes the garden of Islam, and the handhold is the firm Islamic handhold which indicates that you will be adhering firmly to Islam until you die." [Sahih of Bukhari, vol 9 p 117 no 142]
GIFT: Receiving a gift in a dream may indicate a blessing of happiness. [Sharh as Sunnah, vol 12 p 221]
Based on: "Indeed you are happy with your gift" [Surah an Naml (27): 36]
GOLD: Being given gold or finding gold may indicate finding a suitable wife or a successful marriage. The symbolism is derived when the Prophet restricted ornaments of gold to women.
Based on: Abdullah ibn Zurrayr : related that he heard Ali ibn Abi Talib (R.A.) say that the Prophet took some silk in his right hand and some gold in his left hand. Then he said, "These two are forbidden to the males of my nation" [Sunan of Abu Dawood, vol 3 p 1133 no 4046; an Nasaee and Ahmad]
HAJJ: Hearing oneself congratulated on doing Hajj or Umrah indicates that it went well.
Based on: Abu Jamra Nasr bin 'Imran Ad-Duba'i said, "I intended to perform Hajj-at-Tamattu' and the people advised me not to do so. I asked Ibn Abbas regarding it and he ordered me to perform Hajj-at-Tammatu'. Later I saw in a dream someone saying to me, 'Hajj-Mabrur (Hajj performed in accordance with the Prophet's tradition without committing sins and accepted by Allah) and an accepted 'Umra.' So I told that dream to Ibn Abbas. He said, 'This is the tradition of Abul-Qasim.' Then he said to me, 'Stay with me and I shall give you a portion of my property.' " I (Shu'ba) asked, "Why (did he invite you)?" He (Abu Jamra) said, "Because of the dream which I had seen." [Sahih of Bukhari, vol 2 p 373 no 638]
Hajj-at-Tammatu: this is Umrah combined with Hajj in which the pilgrim is allowed to leave his state of consecration (ihraam) after the completion of the Umrah
Hajj-Mabrur: which means 'may your Hajj be righteous'
Abdul-Qasim: this was Prophet Muhammad's nickname, derived from the name of his son, al Qaasim
HAND-HOLD: Grasping a hand-hold in a dream indicates that one will continue to hold firmly to Islam.
Based on: Abdullah bin Salaam said: (In a dream) I saw myself in a garden, and there was a pillar in the middle of the garden, and there was a handhold at the top of the pillar. I was asked to climb it. I said, "I cannot." Then a servant came and lifted up my clothes and I climbed (the pillar), and then got hold of the handhold, and I woke up while still holding it. I narrated that to the Prophet who said, "The garden symbolizes the garden of Islam, and the handhold is the firm Islamic handhold which indicates that you will be adhering firmly to Islam until you die." [Sahih of Bukhari, vol 9 p 117 no 142]
KEYS: Seeing keys in one’s hand, or receiving keys in a dream, indicates the receipt of administrative authority. [Sahih Muslim: Sharh an Nawawee, vol 8 p 39]
Based on: Abu Hurayrah said: The Prophet said, "I have been given the keys of eloquent speech and given victory with awe (cast into the hearts of the enemy), and while I was sleeping last night, the keys of the treasures of the earth were brought to me till they were put in my hand." Abu Hurayrah added: Allah's Apostle left (this world) and now you people are carrying those treasures from place to place. [Sahih of Bukhari, vol 9 p 106 no 127; Sahih of Muslim, vol 1 p 266 no 1063]
LAUGHING: Dreaming of oneself laughing in a dream may refer to the arrival of good news, good times. [Sharh as Sunnah, vol 12 p 221]
Based on: "Some faces on that day will be bright, laughing and rejoicing at the good news" [Surah Abasa (8): 38-9]
LEG IRONS: Seeing oneself bound in leg-irons indicates stability in the religion.
Based on: Muhammad ibn Seereen said: "Abu Huraira hated to see neck irons (metallic neck collars) in a dream, and people generally liked to see leg-irons. Leg-irons were said to symbolize one's constant and form adherence to religion" [Sahih of Bukhari, vol 9 p 118-9 no 144]
Imam an Nawawee noted that the reason shackles (qayd) on the feet were liked was because they indicate avoiding sin and evil (i.e. the feet are prevented from taking the body to corruption). On the other hand, a shackle (gull) on the neck is one of the characteristics of those in Hell (Quran 13:5, 34:33, 36:8 and 40:71). [Sharh an Nawawee, vol 8 p 28]
MAKKAH: Seeing oneself entering Makkah in a dream may refer to a state of security and peace. [Sharh as Sunnah, vol 12 p 221]
Based on: "Whoever enters Makkah will be secure" [Surah al Imran (3): 97]
MARRIAGE: Dreaming of oneself getting married may indicate an impeding marriage. If there are no marriage plans at the time of the dream, one may propose to the women shown in the dream.
Based on: Aisha said: Allah's Apostle said to me, "You were shown to me twice (in my dream) before I married you. I saw an angel carrying you in a silken piece of cloth, and I said to him, 'Uncover (her),' and behold, it was you. I said (to myself), 'If this is from Allah, then it must happen. ‘Later I dreamt of the angel carrying someone in a silken piece of cloth, and I said (to him), 'Uncover (her),' and behold, it was you. I said (to myself), 'If this is from Allah, then it must happen.' “[Sahih of Bukhari, vol 9 p 115-6 no 140]
MILK: Receiving milk in a dream means that religious knowledge has been granted.
Based on: Abdullah ibn Umar said: Allah's Apostle said, "While I was sleeping, I was given a bowl full of milk (in the dream) and I drank from it (to my fill) till I noticed its wetness coming out of my limbs. Then I gave the rest of it to 'Umar bin Al-Khattab." The persons sitting around him, asked, "What have you interpreted (about the dream) O Allah's Apostle?" He said, "It is (religious) knowledge." [Sahih of Bukhari, vol 9 p 112 no 135]
MOUNTAINS: seeing Mountains in a dream means that you are going to Canada. LOL? Just joking to see if anyone has made it this far.
Seeing mountains in a dream may indicate the attainment of an administrative post.
Based on: Verses to Prophet David "Indeed, I made the mountains glorify our praises along with David in the evening and in the morning...and I strengthened his dominion" [Surah Saad (38): 18 & 20]
PEARLS: Dreaming of pearls may indicate Allah's granting of a mater, male or female, which refer to the young men and women of paradise granted to the believers.
Based on: "And their will be large eyed maidens like hidden pearls" [Surah al Waqiah (56): 22-3]
"And there will be young men of perpetual youth serving them; if you saw the youths, you would think that they were scattered pearls" [Surah al Insaan (76): 19]
RECONCILIATION: Seeing reconciliation in a dream may refer to a good settlement of one's affairs. [Sharh as Sunnah, vol 12 p 221]
Based on: "There is nothing wrong in making peace between themselves, for reconciliation is better" [Surah an Nisa (4): 128]
RIGHT SIDE: If one dreams of being led to the right side of a location, it indicates achieving a state of security or an escape from harm.
Based on: Ibn Umar said: Men from the companions of Allah's Apostle used to see dreams during the lifetime of Allah's Apostle and they used to narrate those dreams to Allah's Apostle. Allah's Apostle would interpret them as Allah wished. I was a young man and used to stay in the mosque before my wedlock. I said to myself, "If there were any good in myself, I too would see what these people see." So when I went to bed one night, I said, "O Allah! If you see any good in me, show me a good dream." So while I was in that state, there came to me (in a dream) two angels. In the hand of each of them, there was a mace of iron, and both of them were taking me to Hell, and I was between them, invoking Allah, "O Allah! I seek refuge with you from Hell." Then I saw myself being confronted by another angel holding a mace of iron in his hand. He said to me, "Do not be afraid, you will be an excellent man if you only pray more often." So they took me till they stopped me at the edge of Hell, and behold, it was built inside like a well and it had side posts like those of a well, and beside each post there was an angel carrying an iron mace. I saw therein many people hanging upside down with iron chains, and I recognized therein some men from the Quraish. Then (the angels) took me to the right side. I narrated this dream to (my sister) Hafsa and she told it to Allah's Apostle. Allah's Apostle said, "No doubt, 'Abdullah is a good man." (Nafi' said, "Since then 'Abdullah bin 'Umar used to pray much.)" [Sahih of Bukhari, vol 9 p 127-8 no 155]
Hafsa was his sister and she was also one of the Prophet's wives
Nafi was the freed slave of Ibn Umar, who became his student and one of the most outstanding scholars of his time
ROOM: Dreaming of oneself in a room or in different rooms, may refer to being safe from what one fears.
Based on: "They will reside in rooms in peace and security" [Surah Saba (34): 37]
ROPE: Seeing a rope in a dream and grabbing hold of it may indicate one's adherence to the covenant with God and Islam. [Sharh as Sunnah, vol 12 p 220]
Based on: "Hold on firmly to the rope of Allah and do not become divided" [Surah al Imran (3): 103]
RULER: Being addressed by a ruler in a dream may refer to the attainment of a high post or rank. [Sharh as Sunnah vol 12 p 220]
"When he (the ruler) spoke to him, he said, 'Indeed, today you are considered an established, trustworthy person'" [Surah Yusuf (12): 54]
SEXUAL INTERCOURSE: Dreams of sexual intercourse are fundamentally satanic and therefore not interpretable. However, they may only be classified as good dreams if the people involved are married.
If a person has an orgasm while dreaming, taking a complete ritual bath (ghusl) is obligatory on that individual to attain the state of purity (taharaah) necessary to make formal prayers.
Anas ibn Malik reported that Umm Sulaym came to the Prophet while he was with Aisha and asked him, "O Messenger of Allah, when a woman sees and experiences in a dream what a ma does, what she should do?" Aisha remarked, "O Umm Sulaym, you have humiliated women, May your right hand be covered in dust". The Prophet said to Aisha, "May your right hand be covered in dust". He then said to Umm Sulaym, "O Umm Sulaym, she should take ghusl if she sees any discharge" [Sahih of Muslim, vol 1 p 178 no 607]
Right hand be covered in dust: this is an Arabic statement of disapproval
SHIP: Seeing a ship in a dream may mean success or escape. [Sharh as Sunnah, vol 12 p 220]
Based on: Prophet Noah "Then I saved him and those with him in the shop, and made it a lesson for all of the worlds" [Surah al Ankaboot (29): 15]
SHIRT: Wearing a shirt in a dream indicates adherences to the religion.
If i.e.: .The longer the shirt the greater commitment to Islam.
Abu Said ul Khudri said: I heard Allah's Apostle saying, "While I was sleeping, I saw (in a dream) the people being displayed before me, wearing shirts, some of which (were so short that it) reached as far as their breasts and some reached below that. Then 'Umar bin Al-Khattab was shown to me and he was wearing a shirt which he was dragging (behind him)." They asked. What have you interpreted (about the dream), O Allah's Apostle?" He said, "The religion." [Sahih of Bukhari, vol 9 p 113-4 no 137]
SILK CLOTH: Receiving or giving silk cloth in a dream may indicate impending marriage. Since silk garments are restricted to women, dreaming about silk may be symbolic of a woman.
Based on: Aisha said "Allah's Apostle said to me, "You were shown to me twice (in my dream) before I married you. I saw an angel carrying you in a silken piece of cloth, and I said to him, 'Uncover (her),' and behold, it was you. I said (to myself), 'If this is from Allah, then it must happen.' Then you were shown to me, the angel carrying you in a silken piece of cloth, and I said (to him), 'Uncover (her),' and behold, it was you. I said (to myself), 'If this is from Allah, then it must happen.' “[Sahih of Bukhari vol 9 p 115-6 no 140]
Dreaming of oneself flying in paradise holding a piece of silk cloth indicates righteousness in the individual.
Based on: Ibn Umar said: I saw in a dream a piece of silken cloth in my hand, and in whatever direction in Paradise I waved it, it flew, carrying me there. I narrated this (dream) to (my sister) Hafsa and she told it to the Prophet who said, (to Hafsa), "Indeed, your brother is a righteous man," or, "Indeed, 'Abdullah is a righteous man." [Sahih of Bukhari, vol 9 p 118 no 143]
SWORD: Seeing a sword in a dream refers to one's companions and supporters coming to their aid. [Saheeh Muslim: Sharh an Nawawee, vol 8 p 38]
Based on: Abu Musa said: The Prophet said, "I saw in a dream that I waved a sword and it broke in the middle, and behold, that symbolized the casualties the believers suffered on the Day (of the battle) of Uhud. Then I waved the sword again, and it became better than it had ever been before, and behold, that symbolized the Conquest (of Mecca) which Allah brought about and the gathering of the believers." [Sahih of Bukhari, vol 9 p 133-4 no 164]
And Allah Knows Best.
Have fun praying and getting ready for the Day of Judgment coz that day will NOT be fun :) P.S.: don’t forget to make dua for me. !!
Friday, 16 April 2010
"Between a person and disbelief is discarding prayer"
There is a misunderstanding amongst many people that Islam is difficult and a burden to follow. Such people either have an incorrect understanding of Islam or do not realize how easy the rules of Islam are to follow. Let us look at the basic teachings of Islam and see how simple, natural and easy it is to practice Islam.
The scholars of Islam have agreed that the general principle regarding things of this world is that everything is permissible unless proven otherwise. So the burden of proof actually falls on those who say that anything is prohibited. This applies to all worldly things, as for religious deeds, the deed must be proven or it will be considered an innovation. Proof for this principle can be found in the following verses, “Allah wishes to make things easy for you, and not to make things difficult for you,” [1] and “We did not place difficulty in this religion.” [2]
Also the following Hadith is proof of this principle: “Religion is very easy and whoever overburdens himself in his religion will not be able to continue in that way. So you should not be extremists, but aim to be near to perfection and receive the good tidings that you will be rewarded; and gain strength by worshipping in the mornings and the nights.” [3] In fact, Imam Bukhari has a chapter in his Saheeh Al-Bukhari called “The chapter of the religion being easy” and ample proof for this point can be found in that chapter.
Firstly, the fact that everything worldly is permissible unless prohibited by sacred texts or deduction from them, is proof that Islam is not a difficult religion to follow, the amount of things that are permissible to do are far more than the obligations or prohibitions. Islam is not an ascetic religion that expects people to abandon the world and worship Allah all day in a cave, in fact, Islam prohibits such behaviour and encourages us to interact with society and live normal lives within the boundaries set by Allah, fulfilling our rights to Allah, to ourselves, and to the rest of creation.
Islam has given rights to all creation; we are not to harm any human, animal, plant or even ourselves unjustly. We must stay away from all sources of vice and whatever leads to them and we must fulfill our basic obligations. If we do these things, we can enjoy the permissible things of this world like family, spousal relations, physical sports or whatever you enjoy as long as you do not break the rules of Islam.
Islam is the natural religion; it appeals to our inner nature (Fitrah) and fulfills its basic needs without asking us to do anything unnatural. Try and find one ruling in the Quran and Sunnah that goes against human nature, you will not find it.
Islam is not a burden and does not ask us to do anything that we are incapable of doing, we are not required to give up our personalities, social lives or money. We are not required to pray all night or fast every day, in fact such things are prohibited. Islam emphasizes that we live a balanced life fulfilling our obligations to Allah as well as our obligations towards people and even our own selves. Try and find one command or prohibition in Islam that is beyond human ability, there is no such ruling.
One reason many people find Islam difficult to practice is because Satan beautifies evil deeds and makes good deeds look boring and difficult, thus we becomes lazy. Yet if one overcomes this obstacle he will find that the deeds emphasized by Islam bring true inner peace and are not too difficult, and he will begin to see the evils and wastage involved in committing sins. Take that first step and see for yourself
Allah, subhanahu wata'aala, is the creator of mankind and therefore knows his nature more intricately than mankind himself. Allah, subhanahu wata'aala, has therefore chosen for us a religion best suited to the nature of mankind, a religion that goes neither to the extremes of hardship nor of laxity, but instead provides a middle path; in other words, a religion of ease. Allah, subhanahu wata'aala, said;
"Allah intends for you ease, and does not want to make things difficult for you" [2:185]; and "Allah does not want to place you in difficulty" [5:6].
Such easiness is well explained in the hadeeth reported by Abu Hurairah, radiya Allahu 'anhu, that the Prophet, salla Allaahu 'alaihe wasallam, said, "Religion is easy..." [Bukhari], he also said; "The best of your religion, is the easiest." [Ahmad]
The easiness of this religion was put into practise by the best of humanity, the one who came to deliver the message, as Allah, subhanahu wata'aala, said;
"Verily there has come unto you a Messenger from amongst yourselves, it grieves him that you should suffer any difficulty, he is anxious for you, for the believers he is full of pity and merciful" [10:128]
This understanding is clarified in a hadeeth in which the Prophet, salla Allaahu 'alaihe wasallam, said; "… Allah did not send me to be harsh, or cause harm, but He sent me to teach and make things easy" [Muslim]. This understanding is further implemented by the mercy sent to mankind, Muhammed, salla Allaahu 'alaihe wasallam, in the hadeeth reported by his noble and pure wife, 'Aishah, radiya Allahu 'anhu, who said; "Whenever the Prophet, salla Allaahu 'alaihe wasallam, has a choice between two matters, he would choose the easiest, unless it is sinful (act)" [Bukhari].
Many hadeeths have been reported on the matter of easiness: "Allah likes for this nation ease and hates for it hardship and adversity." [Tabaraani].
"We have been given a privilege over other nations... .we have been given verses that no one else has been given, the last two verses of Surah Baqarah(chapter 2)"Our Lord! Punish us not if we forget or fall into error. Our Lord! Lay not on us a burden greater than we have strength to bear" After each statement, Allah responded by saying, "I did, I did, I did"" [Muslim].
To further emphasise this understanding to his companions, when once a Bedouin stood up and started urinating in the mosque, the people caught him; but he, salla Allaahu 'alaihe wasallam, ordered them to leave him and to pour a bucket or a tumbler of water over the place where he had urinated. The Prophet, salla Allaahu 'alaihe wasallam, then said, "You have been sent to make things easy and not to make them difficult" [Bukhari].
An example that illustrates this point is Salah, an act so important and vital to Islam that the Prophet, salla Allaahu 'alaihe wasallam, said; "Between a person and disbelief is discarding prayer" [Muslim]. He also warned against leaving salah, even at the time of his death, in his very last breaths before departing from this world.
Yet in this worship Allah has also prescribed easiness. At first, the number of prayers was fifty in number, but they were reduced several times until they were five. Then it was proclaimed 'O Muhammad, the order is not changed. These five are (equal in reward) to fifty' [Tirmidhi].
Causes of hardship
If Islam is a religion of ease, why do we find many Muslims not practising it? Why do we find them doing very little of what they ought to be doing, and why do even those who practise their religion sometimes find it difficult?
There are reasons why the practice of Islam can becomes hard:
1) Lack of piety
When we speak about Islam being easy we are, in reality, speaking about the easiness of its acts of worship and morals. Religion by definition means commitment and an obligation to a master. Therefore, being a religious person means to be always aware that we are slaves to a master, Allah, subhanahu wata'aala.
From here we see the mistake of those who want 'ease' to mean 'doing nothing', just saying "I am a Muslim", committing themselves to nothing. It is obvious that they want it to be easy, but what exactly do they want? They want an easy life, a life without any religious practices.
The idle belief of 'existing only to live' has long ago been negated by Allah, subhanahu wata'aala. He said:
"Do you think you have been created for nothing and that you will not be resurrected and brought back to Allah again!" [23:115]. He also said: "Thinks man that he is left aimless?" [75:86].
Islam is easy to practice; but those who do not understand the reasons behind their existence, who do not understand the concepts of religion, but meanwhile are striving to secure themselves in this life; then surely they will find its practices difficult.
The easiness of Islam is felt in all of its commandments. Some people find this or that commandment hard to follow but this does not mean that the command is in itself hard; often it is the person who is the cause.
For example Salah, it is an easy act of worship, as Allah, subhanahu wata'aala, has made clear:
"And seek help in patience and prayer and truly it is (prayer) extremely heavy and hard except for Al-Khashi'un (i.e. true submitting)" [2;45].
Prayer is an easy act of worship except, of course, for those who do not truly submit to their Lord; they will find it toilsome.
Why do they find it so? The answer is that it is not the prayer that is difficult, but it is the hearts of these people which have changed from good to bad, as Allah, subhanahu wata'aala, mentioned:
"Verily, the hypocrites seek to deceive Allah, but it is He Who deceives them. And when they stand up to pray, they stand with laziness …" [4;142]; in another verse He subhanahu wata'aala, said; "And that they came not to prayer except in a lazy state …" [9;54].
2) Ignorance
The rules of Islam did not come as mere do's and don'ts. Each obligation has wisdom and motivation behind it. It should make no difference to us if the wisdom for that particular practice is known or not, because if it is not known to us today, then if Allah wills, He will reveal it to future generations. What is primarily expected from us is to fully submit and implement every command.
For example, the giving of charity, which apparently decreases the wealth of the giver. Islam did not say "Pay charity, pay charity", as this would not motivate people and therefore make it difficult to act upon. Instead Allah says;
"Would you not like to give a loan to your Lord, and this loan will be paid back to you multiplied and you will be rewarded for it." [2:245]
The Prophet, salla Allaahu 'alaihe wasallam, said; "Verily, wealth does not decrease because of charity." [Muslim]
It seems Muslims often ask why this act or matter is Halaal or Haraam. With such an attitude they will never achieve their goal, because behind each injunction there is an aspect of wisdom. Without understanding this, practising Islam becomes a heavy burden. With strong belief, we do not even have to ask whether this or that is halaal or Haraam, but rather if it pleases Allah. Therefore we should take the rules seeking the pleasure of Allah subhanahu wata'aala,. If pleasing Allah subhanahu wata'aala, is, always, our aim, then undoubtedly the practice of religion becomes easy, no matter what apparent hardships we may encounter.
3) Inappropriate environment
It is true that sometimes we find it difficult to practise the religion, even those who are committed to it!
The reason behind this is that we are practising our religion in an non-religious environment. Islam is not meant to be practised while being immersed in a Kufr (disbelieving) society. Its practice will indeed be difficult in such an environment. Therefore, the difficulty cannot be blamed upon Islam as a religion, but rather on the circumstances of the society.
Returning to our example of prayer, we see that prayer by itself is easy, but if you have to stand alone to pray amongst non-Muslims, all of them watching you, it will suddenly become difficult. The obvious conclusion is that the prayer in itself is not difficult, but the environment has made it difficult.
Another example is that of a woman who wears hijaab and is happy to cover herself. If this were an Islamic society, it would have been difficult for her not to be covered, or for a man not to respond to the call to prayer and pray in a mosque. Thus difficulty is not the nature of our religion, but we are trying to be pure in a decadent and immoral environment. These realities are not unknown to Islam, because the Prophet, salla Allaahu 'alaihe wasallam, already warned his companions some fourteen centuries ago, and by that has also warned us by saying, as reported by Abu Tha'laba, radiya Allahu 'anhu, "… Ahead of you are days which will require endurance (in the practice of religion), in which he who shows endurance will be like him who grasps live coals. The one who acts rightly during that period will have the reward of fifty men who act as he does."
The hearers said, "The reward of fifty of them, Messenger of Allah!" He replied, "The reward of fifty of you." A companion said about this difference in reward, "Now you find people helping you to do good deeds, but then they will not find things to help them but they will find things to resist and oppose them." [Tirmidhi].
So Islam is the religion of ease. If we accept it as a religion to start with, then we should take it with its concepts, and practise it in a pure environment (as opposed to a corrupted and decadent one); it will then become an easier religion to practise.
As it is not possible to have a 100% pure society, we have to strive to achieve this by being surrounded by good Muslims. In doing this, the religion will loosen the burdens around it.
The easiness of Islam has even been testified by the enemies of Islam. This was apparent in the statement of the Jews at the time of the Prophet, salla Allaahu 'alaihe wasallam, when a man and a woman from amongst them committed fornication. Some of them said to the others: "Let us go to this Prophet, for he has been sent with an easy law …". [Abu Dawood].
So may Allah, subhanahu wata'aala, make us amongst those who
"Listen to the word and follow the best thereof, whom Allah has guided and those are men of understanding." [39;18].
Ameen.
The scholars of Islam have agreed that the general principle regarding things of this world is that everything is permissible unless proven otherwise. So the burden of proof actually falls on those who say that anything is prohibited. This applies to all worldly things, as for religious deeds, the deed must be proven or it will be considered an innovation. Proof for this principle can be found in the following verses, “Allah wishes to make things easy for you, and not to make things difficult for you,” [1] and “We did not place difficulty in this religion.” [2]
Also the following Hadith is proof of this principle: “Religion is very easy and whoever overburdens himself in his religion will not be able to continue in that way. So you should not be extremists, but aim to be near to perfection and receive the good tidings that you will be rewarded; and gain strength by worshipping in the mornings and the nights.” [3] In fact, Imam Bukhari has a chapter in his Saheeh Al-Bukhari called “The chapter of the religion being easy” and ample proof for this point can be found in that chapter.
Firstly, the fact that everything worldly is permissible unless prohibited by sacred texts or deduction from them, is proof that Islam is not a difficult religion to follow, the amount of things that are permissible to do are far more than the obligations or prohibitions. Islam is not an ascetic religion that expects people to abandon the world and worship Allah all day in a cave, in fact, Islam prohibits such behaviour and encourages us to interact with society and live normal lives within the boundaries set by Allah, fulfilling our rights to Allah, to ourselves, and to the rest of creation.
Islam has given rights to all creation; we are not to harm any human, animal, plant or even ourselves unjustly. We must stay away from all sources of vice and whatever leads to them and we must fulfill our basic obligations. If we do these things, we can enjoy the permissible things of this world like family, spousal relations, physical sports or whatever you enjoy as long as you do not break the rules of Islam.
Islam is the natural religion; it appeals to our inner nature (Fitrah) and fulfills its basic needs without asking us to do anything unnatural. Try and find one ruling in the Quran and Sunnah that goes against human nature, you will not find it.
Islam is not a burden and does not ask us to do anything that we are incapable of doing, we are not required to give up our personalities, social lives or money. We are not required to pray all night or fast every day, in fact such things are prohibited. Islam emphasizes that we live a balanced life fulfilling our obligations to Allah as well as our obligations towards people and even our own selves. Try and find one command or prohibition in Islam that is beyond human ability, there is no such ruling.
One reason many people find Islam difficult to practice is because Satan beautifies evil deeds and makes good deeds look boring and difficult, thus we becomes lazy. Yet if one overcomes this obstacle he will find that the deeds emphasized by Islam bring true inner peace and are not too difficult, and he will begin to see the evils and wastage involved in committing sins. Take that first step and see for yourself
Allah, subhanahu wata'aala, is the creator of mankind and therefore knows his nature more intricately than mankind himself. Allah, subhanahu wata'aala, has therefore chosen for us a religion best suited to the nature of mankind, a religion that goes neither to the extremes of hardship nor of laxity, but instead provides a middle path; in other words, a religion of ease. Allah, subhanahu wata'aala, said;
"Allah intends for you ease, and does not want to make things difficult for you" [2:185]; and "Allah does not want to place you in difficulty" [5:6].
Such easiness is well explained in the hadeeth reported by Abu Hurairah, radiya Allahu 'anhu, that the Prophet, salla Allaahu 'alaihe wasallam, said, "Religion is easy..." [Bukhari], he also said; "The best of your religion, is the easiest." [Ahmad]
The easiness of this religion was put into practise by the best of humanity, the one who came to deliver the message, as Allah, subhanahu wata'aala, said;
"Verily there has come unto you a Messenger from amongst yourselves, it grieves him that you should suffer any difficulty, he is anxious for you, for the believers he is full of pity and merciful" [10:128]
This understanding is clarified in a hadeeth in which the Prophet, salla Allaahu 'alaihe wasallam, said; "… Allah did not send me to be harsh, or cause harm, but He sent me to teach and make things easy" [Muslim]. This understanding is further implemented by the mercy sent to mankind, Muhammed, salla Allaahu 'alaihe wasallam, in the hadeeth reported by his noble and pure wife, 'Aishah, radiya Allahu 'anhu, who said; "Whenever the Prophet, salla Allaahu 'alaihe wasallam, has a choice between two matters, he would choose the easiest, unless it is sinful (act)" [Bukhari].
Many hadeeths have been reported on the matter of easiness: "Allah likes for this nation ease and hates for it hardship and adversity." [Tabaraani].
"We have been given a privilege over other nations... .we have been given verses that no one else has been given, the last two verses of Surah Baqarah(chapter 2)"Our Lord! Punish us not if we forget or fall into error. Our Lord! Lay not on us a burden greater than we have strength to bear" After each statement, Allah responded by saying, "I did, I did, I did"" [Muslim].
To further emphasise this understanding to his companions, when once a Bedouin stood up and started urinating in the mosque, the people caught him; but he, salla Allaahu 'alaihe wasallam, ordered them to leave him and to pour a bucket or a tumbler of water over the place where he had urinated. The Prophet, salla Allaahu 'alaihe wasallam, then said, "You have been sent to make things easy and not to make them difficult" [Bukhari].
An example that illustrates this point is Salah, an act so important and vital to Islam that the Prophet, salla Allaahu 'alaihe wasallam, said; "Between a person and disbelief is discarding prayer" [Muslim]. He also warned against leaving salah, even at the time of his death, in his very last breaths before departing from this world.
Yet in this worship Allah has also prescribed easiness. At first, the number of prayers was fifty in number, but they were reduced several times until they were five. Then it was proclaimed 'O Muhammad, the order is not changed. These five are (equal in reward) to fifty' [Tirmidhi].
Causes of hardship
If Islam is a religion of ease, why do we find many Muslims not practising it? Why do we find them doing very little of what they ought to be doing, and why do even those who practise their religion sometimes find it difficult?
There are reasons why the practice of Islam can becomes hard:
1) Lack of piety
When we speak about Islam being easy we are, in reality, speaking about the easiness of its acts of worship and morals. Religion by definition means commitment and an obligation to a master. Therefore, being a religious person means to be always aware that we are slaves to a master, Allah, subhanahu wata'aala.
From here we see the mistake of those who want 'ease' to mean 'doing nothing', just saying "I am a Muslim", committing themselves to nothing. It is obvious that they want it to be easy, but what exactly do they want? They want an easy life, a life without any religious practices.
The idle belief of 'existing only to live' has long ago been negated by Allah, subhanahu wata'aala. He said:
"Do you think you have been created for nothing and that you will not be resurrected and brought back to Allah again!" [23:115]. He also said: "Thinks man that he is left aimless?" [75:86].
Islam is easy to practice; but those who do not understand the reasons behind their existence, who do not understand the concepts of religion, but meanwhile are striving to secure themselves in this life; then surely they will find its practices difficult.
The easiness of Islam is felt in all of its commandments. Some people find this or that commandment hard to follow but this does not mean that the command is in itself hard; often it is the person who is the cause.
For example Salah, it is an easy act of worship, as Allah, subhanahu wata'aala, has made clear:
"And seek help in patience and prayer and truly it is (prayer) extremely heavy and hard except for Al-Khashi'un (i.e. true submitting)" [2;45].
Prayer is an easy act of worship except, of course, for those who do not truly submit to their Lord; they will find it toilsome.
Why do they find it so? The answer is that it is not the prayer that is difficult, but it is the hearts of these people which have changed from good to bad, as Allah, subhanahu wata'aala, mentioned:
"Verily, the hypocrites seek to deceive Allah, but it is He Who deceives them. And when they stand up to pray, they stand with laziness …" [4;142]; in another verse He subhanahu wata'aala, said; "And that they came not to prayer except in a lazy state …" [9;54].
2) Ignorance
The rules of Islam did not come as mere do's and don'ts. Each obligation has wisdom and motivation behind it. It should make no difference to us if the wisdom for that particular practice is known or not, because if it is not known to us today, then if Allah wills, He will reveal it to future generations. What is primarily expected from us is to fully submit and implement every command.
For example, the giving of charity, which apparently decreases the wealth of the giver. Islam did not say "Pay charity, pay charity", as this would not motivate people and therefore make it difficult to act upon. Instead Allah says;
"Would you not like to give a loan to your Lord, and this loan will be paid back to you multiplied and you will be rewarded for it." [2:245]
The Prophet, salla Allaahu 'alaihe wasallam, said; "Verily, wealth does not decrease because of charity." [Muslim]
It seems Muslims often ask why this act or matter is Halaal or Haraam. With such an attitude they will never achieve their goal, because behind each injunction there is an aspect of wisdom. Without understanding this, practising Islam becomes a heavy burden. With strong belief, we do not even have to ask whether this or that is halaal or Haraam, but rather if it pleases Allah. Therefore we should take the rules seeking the pleasure of Allah subhanahu wata'aala,. If pleasing Allah subhanahu wata'aala, is, always, our aim, then undoubtedly the practice of religion becomes easy, no matter what apparent hardships we may encounter.
3) Inappropriate environment
It is true that sometimes we find it difficult to practise the religion, even those who are committed to it!
The reason behind this is that we are practising our religion in an non-religious environment. Islam is not meant to be practised while being immersed in a Kufr (disbelieving) society. Its practice will indeed be difficult in such an environment. Therefore, the difficulty cannot be blamed upon Islam as a religion, but rather on the circumstances of the society.
Returning to our example of prayer, we see that prayer by itself is easy, but if you have to stand alone to pray amongst non-Muslims, all of them watching you, it will suddenly become difficult. The obvious conclusion is that the prayer in itself is not difficult, but the environment has made it difficult.
Another example is that of a woman who wears hijaab and is happy to cover herself. If this were an Islamic society, it would have been difficult for her not to be covered, or for a man not to respond to the call to prayer and pray in a mosque. Thus difficulty is not the nature of our religion, but we are trying to be pure in a decadent and immoral environment. These realities are not unknown to Islam, because the Prophet, salla Allaahu 'alaihe wasallam, already warned his companions some fourteen centuries ago, and by that has also warned us by saying, as reported by Abu Tha'laba, radiya Allahu 'anhu, "… Ahead of you are days which will require endurance (in the practice of religion), in which he who shows endurance will be like him who grasps live coals. The one who acts rightly during that period will have the reward of fifty men who act as he does."
The hearers said, "The reward of fifty of them, Messenger of Allah!" He replied, "The reward of fifty of you." A companion said about this difference in reward, "Now you find people helping you to do good deeds, but then they will not find things to help them but they will find things to resist and oppose them." [Tirmidhi].
So Islam is the religion of ease. If we accept it as a religion to start with, then we should take it with its concepts, and practise it in a pure environment (as opposed to a corrupted and decadent one); it will then become an easier religion to practise.
As it is not possible to have a 100% pure society, we have to strive to achieve this by being surrounded by good Muslims. In doing this, the religion will loosen the burdens around it.
The easiness of Islam has even been testified by the enemies of Islam. This was apparent in the statement of the Jews at the time of the Prophet, salla Allaahu 'alaihe wasallam, when a man and a woman from amongst them committed fornication. Some of them said to the others: "Let us go to this Prophet, for he has been sent with an easy law …". [Abu Dawood].
So may Allah, subhanahu wata'aala, make us amongst those who
"Listen to the word and follow the best thereof, whom Allah has guided and those are men of understanding." [39;18].
Ameen.
Monday, 8 March 2010
Islam is the Path of "knowledge."
In the Islamic theory of knowledge, the term used for knowledge in Arabic is 'ilm,
'Knowledge' falls short of expressing all the aspects of 'ilm. Knowledge in the Western world means information about something, divine or corporeal, while 'ilm is an all-embracing term covering theory, action and education.
In fact there is no concept that has been operative as a determinant of the Muslim civilization in all its aspects to the same extent as 'ilm. This holds good even for the most powerful among the terms of Muslim religious life such as, for instance, tawhid "recognition of the oneness of God," ad-din, "the true religion," and many others that are used constantly and emphatically. None of them equals ilm in depth of meaning and wide incidence of use. There is no branch of Muslim intellectual life, of Muslim religious and political life, and of the daily life of the average Muslim that remains untouched by the all pervasive attitude toward "knowledge" as something of supreme value for Muslim being. 'ilm is Islam, even if the theologians have been hesitant to accept the technical correctness of this equation. The very fact of their passionate discussion of the concept attests to its fundamental importance for Islam.
Before one sets out to seek knowledge we must bear in mind there are etiquettes for seeking knowledge. Only when one attains knowledge according to them, will the knowledge gained be beneficial. If we have no respect for the knowledge that we gain, that knowledge will merely remain information. Knowledge can only be beneficial for us if we gain it according to the following guidelines:
Be patient – To gain ‘ilm is not easy and a lot of hard effort and sacrifice is required. For this reason it is very important that one remains patient.
It may be said that Islam is the path of "knowledge." No other religion or ideology has so much emphasized the importance of 'ilm. In the Qur'an the word 'alim has occurred in 140 places, while al-'ilm in 27. In all, the total number of verses in which 'ilm or its derivatives and associated words are used is 704. The aids of knowledge such as book, pen, ink etc. amount to almost the same number. Qalam occurs in two places, al-kitab in 230 verses, among which al-kitab for al-Qur'an occurs in 81 verses. Other words associated with writing occur in 319 verses. It is important to note that pen and book are essential to the acquisition of knowledge. The Islamic revelation started with the word iqra' ('read!' or 'recite!').
According to the Qur'an, the first teaching class for Adam started soon after his creation and Adam was taught 'all the Names'.
Allah is the first teacher and the absolute guide of humanity. This knowledge was not imparted to even the Angels. In Usul al-Kafi there is a tradition narrated by Imam Musa al-Kazim ('a) that 'ilm is of three types: ayatun muhkamah (irrefutable signs of God), faridatun 'adilah (just obligations) and sunnat al-qa'imah (established traditions of the Prophet [s]). This implies that 'ilm, attainment of which is obligatory upon all Muslims covers the sciences of theology, philosophy, law, ethics, politics and the wisdom imparted to the Ummah by the Prophet (S). Al-Ghazali has unjustifiably differentiated between useful and useless types of knowledge. Islam actually does not consider any type of knowledge as harmful to human beings. However, what has been called in the Qur'an as useless or rather harmful knowledge, consists of pseudo sciences or the lores prevalent in the Jahiliyyah.
'Ilm is of three types: information (as opposed to ignorance), natural laws, and knowledge by conjecture. The first and second types of knowledge are considered useful and their acquisition is made obligatory. As for the third type, which refers to what is known through guesswork and conjecture, or is accompanied with doubt, we shall take that into consideration later, since conjecture or doubt are sometimes essential for knowledge as a means, but not as an end.
Beside various Qur'anic verses emphasizing the importance of knowledge, there are hundreds of Prophetic traditions that encourage Muslims to acquire all types of knowledge from any corner of the world. Muslims, during their periods of stagnation and decline, confined themselves to theology as the only obligatory knowledge, an attitude which is generally but wrongly attributed to al-Ghazali's destruction of philosophy and sciences in the Muslim world. Al-Ghazali, of course, passed through a turbulent period of skepticism, but he was really in search of certainty, which he found not in discursive knowledge but in mystic experience. In his favour it must be said that he paved the way for liberating the believer from blind imitation and helping him approach the goal of certain knowledge.
...........The Aadaab of Seeking Knowledge..............
These are some points which should be taken into consideration when setting out to seek knowledge:
1. Have the correct intention
The Prophet Muhammad (saw) said, “All actions are by their intentions” meaning all actions are judged according to the niyyah with which they have been done. So even if a good deed was done with a bad intention, it will not be accepted as a good deed because the intention behind it was bad.
2. Stay away from sins
Staying away from sins is essential when seeking knowledge. The story of Imam ash-Shafi’i rahimahullah is very famous where he complained to his teacher Waki’ rahimahullah about his bad memory. So ash-Shafi’i says: “fa-arshadanee ila tark il-ma’aasi” “He advised me to leave the disobedient acts.”
Al-Muhaddith, Allaamah Yusuf Binnouri rahimahullah mentions in his book, Ma’aarif us-Sunan that looking with an evil gaze weakens one’s memory.
3. Act upon what you have learnt
It is essential that whatever is learnt, you should try your utmost to act upon it. It is said, “Knowledge without action is like a load without a carrier.”
It is narrated in a hadith to the nearest meaning, “man ‘amila bi-ma ‘alim ‘allamahu-llaaha bi-ma lam ‘alim” “The one acts on what he has learnt, Allah will teach him that which he has not learnt.” So if we act on what we have learnt, even if it is very little, Allah will give us more.
It is said that the thing Sayyidina Abud-Dardaa radiAllahu anh used to fear the most was that he would be asked on yawm ul-qiyaamah about what actions he did with all the knowledge he had learnt.
4. Stay away from the mushtabahaat in food and drink
It is very important, especially in the student days to make sure that everything you eat is halaal, upto the point that even the things you are not sure about, you should leave them. The Prophet (saw) said, to the nearest meaning, “da’ maa yuribuk ilaa maa laa yuribuk” “Leave the things which put you in doubt for those things which do not put you in doubt.”
It is narrated of Abdullah ibn Mubaarak rahimahullah that when he went from his home town to ash-Shaam, he borrowed a pen from somebody there. Later on, he forgot about this pen and returned home. When he had reached home, he remembered that he had borrowed a pen from somebody in ash-Shaam, so he travelled all the way back just to return the one pen. He said, “To give back one dirham which I am unsure about is more beloved to me than to spend 1000 daraahim in the path of Allah.”
5. Don’t be lazy in the mustahabbaat
It is fairly common nowadays so hear, “Oh it is only mandub” or “It’s only sunnah, you don’t have to do it”. But the truth of the matter is that our a’maal are such that we cannot afford to lose out on a single sunnah, be it however small.
Whoever thinks lowly of the aadaab and mustahabbaat, he will soon begin to think lowly of the sunnah. And whoever thinks lowly of the sunnah, he will soon begin to think lowly of the faraaid. And whoever thinks lowly of the faraaid and does not fulfil them, then surely he has lost the dunyaa and the aakhirah.
6. Be humble
It is absolutely necessary to stay away from kibr in any form. Especially in this case, it is impossible to gain any beneficial knowledge without humility. It is said, “Humility is for the one from whom knowledge is learnt” so it is essential that especially with your teachers, and fellow pupils you adopt a humble attitude.
7. Tolerate all hardships in the way of knowledge with patience
It was the way of the salaf that on the road of seeking ‘ilm, they would tolerate all kinds of difficulties with utmost patience, hoping only for a reward in the aakhirah.
Sheikh Abdul-Fattaah Abu Ghuddah rahimahullah has written on this topic ‘Safahat min Sabr il-Ulama and Shada'id al-Ilm wa tahseel’ in which he mentions some of the difficulties the ulamaa faced whilst studying and seeking knowledge.
Imam Abu Yusuf rahimahullah says, “al-ilmu izzun la zhulla feeh – wa yuj’alu bi-zhullin la izza feeh” Nothing is gained without hardship. Ilm is an honour but to get to it you will have to undergo much humiliation.
Imam Maalik rahimahullah says that the condition of Rabee’ rahimahullah was such that he had even sold the roof of his house for the sake of seeking ‘ilm.
SubhanAllah. This is the true zeal for knowledge. Nothing came in is his to knowledge, till he even sold the roof of his own house! Rabee’ has realised the true importance of knowledge, so he let nothing come in his way when he was seeking it, may Allah have mercy on him.
8. Realise the status of ilm and know your position as one who seeks it
It is said, “al-ilmu yu’taa wa la ya’ti” so it is you yourself who will have to go through trouble to gain ilm, it will not come to you by itself. Remember that you are the taalib and ilm is the matloob not the other way round. And this is illustrated in the story of Imam Maalik rahimahullah who, when asked to teach the sons of the king refused, as ilm is not something so cheap that it will come to the princes in their palace. Ilm is something which must be sought for.
Imam Abu Yusuf rahimahullah says, “al-ilmu shay’un la yu’tika ba’duhu hattaa tu’til-insaana kulluh.” “Ilm is a thing which will not give you even a part of itself until man gives himself wholly to it.”
It comes without saying that to achieve such a high status as that of a taalib ilm, for whom the angels spread out their wings, and even the fish in the sea seek forgiveness, you have to fulfil duties and take up responsibilities.
# Good company – Pious company and friends should be kept so that one can attain their good qualites. It is also good to keep company with those who have a great zeal for knowledge instead of those who do not. This is so that one can never be put off wanting to learn more. The ‘Ulama state, that in order to gain good habits and to acquire beneficial knowledge, it is vital to stay in the presence of good and pious people. If one is not able to be in the company of the pious, then one should read the books written by these pious people.
# Respect and have good conduct with the teacher – One should ensure that respect is always shown towards the teacher. One cannot gain all knowledge from books without the guidance of a good teacher.
'Knowledge' falls short of expressing all the aspects of 'ilm. Knowledge in the Western world means information about something, divine or corporeal, while 'ilm is an all-embracing term covering theory, action and education.
In fact there is no concept that has been operative as a determinant of the Muslim civilization in all its aspects to the same extent as 'ilm. This holds good even for the most powerful among the terms of Muslim religious life such as, for instance, tawhid "recognition of the oneness of God," ad-din, "the true religion," and many others that are used constantly and emphatically. None of them equals ilm in depth of meaning and wide incidence of use. There is no branch of Muslim intellectual life, of Muslim religious and political life, and of the daily life of the average Muslim that remains untouched by the all pervasive attitude toward "knowledge" as something of supreme value for Muslim being. 'ilm is Islam, even if the theologians have been hesitant to accept the technical correctness of this equation. The very fact of their passionate discussion of the concept attests to its fundamental importance for Islam.
Before one sets out to seek knowledge we must bear in mind there are etiquettes for seeking knowledge. Only when one attains knowledge according to them, will the knowledge gained be beneficial. If we have no respect for the knowledge that we gain, that knowledge will merely remain information. Knowledge can only be beneficial for us if we gain it according to the following guidelines:
Be patient – To gain ‘ilm is not easy and a lot of hard effort and sacrifice is required. For this reason it is very important that one remains patient.
It may be said that Islam is the path of "knowledge." No other religion or ideology has so much emphasized the importance of 'ilm. In the Qur'an the word 'alim has occurred in 140 places, while al-'ilm in 27. In all, the total number of verses in which 'ilm or its derivatives and associated words are used is 704. The aids of knowledge such as book, pen, ink etc. amount to almost the same number. Qalam occurs in two places, al-kitab in 230 verses, among which al-kitab for al-Qur'an occurs in 81 verses. Other words associated with writing occur in 319 verses. It is important to note that pen and book are essential to the acquisition of knowledge. The Islamic revelation started with the word iqra' ('read!' or 'recite!').
According to the Qur'an, the first teaching class for Adam started soon after his creation and Adam was taught 'all the Names'.
Allah is the first teacher and the absolute guide of humanity. This knowledge was not imparted to even the Angels. In Usul al-Kafi there is a tradition narrated by Imam Musa al-Kazim ('a) that 'ilm is of three types: ayatun muhkamah (irrefutable signs of God), faridatun 'adilah (just obligations) and sunnat al-qa'imah (established traditions of the Prophet [s]). This implies that 'ilm, attainment of which is obligatory upon all Muslims covers the sciences of theology, philosophy, law, ethics, politics and the wisdom imparted to the Ummah by the Prophet (S). Al-Ghazali has unjustifiably differentiated between useful and useless types of knowledge. Islam actually does not consider any type of knowledge as harmful to human beings. However, what has been called in the Qur'an as useless or rather harmful knowledge, consists of pseudo sciences or the lores prevalent in the Jahiliyyah.
'Ilm is of three types: information (as opposed to ignorance), natural laws, and knowledge by conjecture. The first and second types of knowledge are considered useful and their acquisition is made obligatory. As for the third type, which refers to what is known through guesswork and conjecture, or is accompanied with doubt, we shall take that into consideration later, since conjecture or doubt are sometimes essential for knowledge as a means, but not as an end.
Beside various Qur'anic verses emphasizing the importance of knowledge, there are hundreds of Prophetic traditions that encourage Muslims to acquire all types of knowledge from any corner of the world. Muslims, during their periods of stagnation and decline, confined themselves to theology as the only obligatory knowledge, an attitude which is generally but wrongly attributed to al-Ghazali's destruction of philosophy and sciences in the Muslim world. Al-Ghazali, of course, passed through a turbulent period of skepticism, but he was really in search of certainty, which he found not in discursive knowledge but in mystic experience. In his favour it must be said that he paved the way for liberating the believer from blind imitation and helping him approach the goal of certain knowledge.
...........The Aadaab of Seeking Knowledge..............
These are some points which should be taken into consideration when setting out to seek knowledge:
1. Have the correct intention
The Prophet Muhammad (saw) said, “All actions are by their intentions” meaning all actions are judged according to the niyyah with which they have been done. So even if a good deed was done with a bad intention, it will not be accepted as a good deed because the intention behind it was bad.
2. Stay away from sins
Staying away from sins is essential when seeking knowledge. The story of Imam ash-Shafi’i rahimahullah is very famous where he complained to his teacher Waki’ rahimahullah about his bad memory. So ash-Shafi’i says: “fa-arshadanee ila tark il-ma’aasi” “He advised me to leave the disobedient acts.”
Al-Muhaddith, Allaamah Yusuf Binnouri rahimahullah mentions in his book, Ma’aarif us-Sunan that looking with an evil gaze weakens one’s memory.
3. Act upon what you have learnt
It is essential that whatever is learnt, you should try your utmost to act upon it. It is said, “Knowledge without action is like a load without a carrier.”
It is narrated in a hadith to the nearest meaning, “man ‘amila bi-ma ‘alim ‘allamahu-llaaha bi-ma lam ‘alim” “The one acts on what he has learnt, Allah will teach him that which he has not learnt.” So if we act on what we have learnt, even if it is very little, Allah will give us more.
It is said that the thing Sayyidina Abud-Dardaa radiAllahu anh used to fear the most was that he would be asked on yawm ul-qiyaamah about what actions he did with all the knowledge he had learnt.
4. Stay away from the mushtabahaat in food and drink
It is very important, especially in the student days to make sure that everything you eat is halaal, upto the point that even the things you are not sure about, you should leave them. The Prophet (saw) said, to the nearest meaning, “da’ maa yuribuk ilaa maa laa yuribuk” “Leave the things which put you in doubt for those things which do not put you in doubt.”
It is narrated of Abdullah ibn Mubaarak rahimahullah that when he went from his home town to ash-Shaam, he borrowed a pen from somebody there. Later on, he forgot about this pen and returned home. When he had reached home, he remembered that he had borrowed a pen from somebody in ash-Shaam, so he travelled all the way back just to return the one pen. He said, “To give back one dirham which I am unsure about is more beloved to me than to spend 1000 daraahim in the path of Allah.”
5. Don’t be lazy in the mustahabbaat
It is fairly common nowadays so hear, “Oh it is only mandub” or “It’s only sunnah, you don’t have to do it”. But the truth of the matter is that our a’maal are such that we cannot afford to lose out on a single sunnah, be it however small.
Whoever thinks lowly of the aadaab and mustahabbaat, he will soon begin to think lowly of the sunnah. And whoever thinks lowly of the sunnah, he will soon begin to think lowly of the faraaid. And whoever thinks lowly of the faraaid and does not fulfil them, then surely he has lost the dunyaa and the aakhirah.
6. Be humble
It is absolutely necessary to stay away from kibr in any form. Especially in this case, it is impossible to gain any beneficial knowledge without humility. It is said, “Humility is for the one from whom knowledge is learnt” so it is essential that especially with your teachers, and fellow pupils you adopt a humble attitude.
7. Tolerate all hardships in the way of knowledge with patience
It was the way of the salaf that on the road of seeking ‘ilm, they would tolerate all kinds of difficulties with utmost patience, hoping only for a reward in the aakhirah.
Sheikh Abdul-Fattaah Abu Ghuddah rahimahullah has written on this topic ‘Safahat min Sabr il-Ulama and Shada'id al-Ilm wa tahseel’ in which he mentions some of the difficulties the ulamaa faced whilst studying and seeking knowledge.
Imam Abu Yusuf rahimahullah says, “al-ilmu izzun la zhulla feeh – wa yuj’alu bi-zhullin la izza feeh” Nothing is gained without hardship. Ilm is an honour but to get to it you will have to undergo much humiliation.
Imam Maalik rahimahullah says that the condition of Rabee’ rahimahullah was such that he had even sold the roof of his house for the sake of seeking ‘ilm.
SubhanAllah. This is the true zeal for knowledge. Nothing came in is his to knowledge, till he even sold the roof of his own house! Rabee’ has realised the true importance of knowledge, so he let nothing come in his way when he was seeking it, may Allah have mercy on him.
8. Realise the status of ilm and know your position as one who seeks it
It is said, “al-ilmu yu’taa wa la ya’ti” so it is you yourself who will have to go through trouble to gain ilm, it will not come to you by itself. Remember that you are the taalib and ilm is the matloob not the other way round. And this is illustrated in the story of Imam Maalik rahimahullah who, when asked to teach the sons of the king refused, as ilm is not something so cheap that it will come to the princes in their palace. Ilm is something which must be sought for.
Imam Abu Yusuf rahimahullah says, “al-ilmu shay’un la yu’tika ba’duhu hattaa tu’til-insaana kulluh.” “Ilm is a thing which will not give you even a part of itself until man gives himself wholly to it.”
It comes without saying that to achieve such a high status as that of a taalib ilm, for whom the angels spread out their wings, and even the fish in the sea seek forgiveness, you have to fulfil duties and take up responsibilities.
# Good company – Pious company and friends should be kept so that one can attain their good qualites. It is also good to keep company with those who have a great zeal for knowledge instead of those who do not. This is so that one can never be put off wanting to learn more. The ‘Ulama state, that in order to gain good habits and to acquire beneficial knowledge, it is vital to stay in the presence of good and pious people. If one is not able to be in the company of the pious, then one should read the books written by these pious people.
# Respect and have good conduct with the teacher – One should ensure that respect is always shown towards the teacher. One cannot gain all knowledge from books without the guidance of a good teacher.
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