Sheikh Samir Al-Nass

Merits of the Quran

Book Reviews!

Sheikh Samir Al-Nass

Prohibitions in the Quran

Sheikh Muhammad Al-Yaqoubi

Misconceptions Syria Uprising

Sheikh Muhammad Al-Yaqoubi

Importance of time

Sheikh Hamza Yusuf

On Malcolm X

The Disputations

Part Thirty three

1.      I just want to thank those who back bite me because of the time they have saved me! Why? Because I do not have enough time to do a lot of good works and now they have given me theirs it saves me lots of time!

2.      Honesty has gone because no one is honest

3.      Actors are really liars because they convince you that they feel something they do not.

4.      Hypocrites are those who actions speak louder than their words.

5.      They only like you if you fit into what they think you should be not what you are

6.      Habib Abu Bakr Ibn salim, May Allah be pleased with him, said, "he who has no wird is a monkey."

7.      We see graves everywhere yet we do not think our time will come? Clock is ticking until our new home is six feet down in a box

8.      One of the great tricks of the devil is to convince you that the sin does not count when nobody is around to see you do it...

9.      Putting a coat on a naked man might keep him warm but he is missing his essential clothes. Likewise training one to debate has no place until one learns the basics.

10.  Sheikh Ali ibn Alawi (may Allah be pleased with him) used to hear the response to the salawat in the prayer from the Prophet (may Allah bestow peace and blessings upon him) directly.

11.  There are many good people who are friendly to Muslims. It behooves us to return the kindness they have shown to us. The other day a nice English man opened a door for a Muslim but the Muslim looked at him through the eyes of suspicion. It looked really ugly because this man was showing kindness and the least we should do is return their kindness.

12.  There is a difference between he who learns and understands knowledge and he repeats what he hears. As no one says that a parrot has knowledge even though it repeats what it hears!

13.  A lot of people are like iPhones they are sensitive to touch

14.  The point of dua is to attach your heart to Allah and not to get what you asked for. Attaching your heart to Allah is worship.

15.  I'd rather be hated for who I am than be loved for who I am not...

16.  Blessing for true scholars are continuous. So when you study the same things you get a different experience because the blessings are different. But the false scholar has no blessings so he repeats the same things again and again. The experience with them does not change.

17.  Just because one is a Muslim does not mean everything one does is halal.

18.  Sidi Abu Al-Abbas Al-Mursi (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "People have their means. Our means is Allah."

19.  When someone finds fault in something where there is no fault - know they are upset about something else.

20.  Sufis call tribulation ta'arfat literally it means notification coming from a root meaning to know. So when bad things happen Allah is letting the servant know who is in charge and you are rudely awakened from being distracted in the world. This is good because you only do something like this to someone you care about

21.  Fed up of liars and cheats dressed in clothes of respect

22.  The reason why people leave tariqah because they see the murids opposite to what the sheikh is.

23.  If Tariqah is an ego trip then its time to get off and repent.

24.  Books cannot be understood without men to teach them

25.  Your desires are endless so why do you bother even trying to fulfil them?!?

26.  I do hate it when the brainwashed speak...

27.  Rulings are based on proof not passion. Rulings based on passion fade into the distance. Ruling based on proof remain

28.  Sheikh Abu Bakr Ibn Salim (may Allah show him mercy) said, “Someone who looks at themselves with displeasure; Allah looks at him with pleasure.”

29.  Remember your faults in the faults of other people

Sheikh Yahya Rhodus

Purifying ones heart

Sheikh Yahya Rhodus

Obeying

Sheikh Ibrahim Osi efa

The Spiritual Way

Sheikh Hamza Yusuf

A Special Khutbah

Description of disbelievers

This seems like a strange post but its inspiration came from something that one of my teachers said. He said that Muslim who has characteristics like disbelievers are closer to disbelief than belief. 

I started to wonder what the attributes of a disbeliever were, in an effort to avoid them and inform anyone who would listen. The Quran is the main source for this information.

As ever, the stories that are in the Quran about the disbelievers are varied but there are some common traits that they all have. The stories are not in there for jest they are there to make you ponder over the magnitude of rejecting belief which is by rejecting a prophet. When tribes did that (reject their prophet) punishment followed swiftly and it meant destruction. In some cases all traces of their existence was wiped off the Earth. Almost as if they were not there in the first place.

Here we want to list all the things we found in the Quran and point out those character traits that made these peoples the wretched of the earth.

Dislike of advice

How many a prophet came to these people but they rejected them after a time and rejected the sincere advice of those calling for monotheism.

فتولى عنهم وقال يا قوم لقد أبلغتكم رسالة ربي ونصحت لكم ولكن لا تحبون الناصحين

[الأعراف : 79]

"He turned to them and said, "O people I have informed you of the message of my Lord and given you sincere advice but you you do not like those who give advice."
Al-Araf 7:79.

The Prophet Salih (upon him peace) was encouraging his people to believe but they refused his sincere advice. This is one of the worst attributes of any person when they refuse to listen to advice. Especially when it comes to elders as many of them have good advice. Its not going to kill you to listen but it does also work both ways as many elders do not listen. So if you hate it when people give you advice then know that you one of the worst characteristics. We need to love of receiving advice if we are true believers.

Despair of the mercy of Allah

“Certainly, no one despairs of Allah’s mercy except the people who disbelieve.”  Yusuf 12: 87

As they have no hope in anything because they are here and the world is there be and end all.

Hatred

“Hatred has already appeared from their mouths but what their breasts conceal is far worse.” (Aal-Imran 4: 118)

Here they contain hatred for the believers and it’s hidden; we have to be careful living in their lands.

Rejection

“They recognise the Grace of Allah, yet they deny it and most of them are disbelievers.” (An-Nahl: 83

This is one of the worst things about a disbeliever especially in wealthy countries. They benefit from so much wealth and many worldly blessings but are ungrateful to the gift giver. It’s like the guest is rude and fails to acknowledge the host. How will the host feel?

فَاذْكُرُونِي أَذْكُرْكُمْ وَاشْكُرُواْ لِي وَلاَ تَكْفُرُونِ

“Remember Me I’ll remember you; be grateful and do not reject.” Al-Baqarah 2:154. 

Here takfurron does not disbelief it means rejecting blessings; as transmitted by Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him). So the other attributes of a disbeliever is that they are ungrateful to God for all the blessings they have.

Limitation of the world

“They know only the outside appearance of the life of the world (i.e. the matters of their livelihood, or irrigating, or reaping, or sowing, etc.) And they are heedless of the hereafter.” Ar-Room: 7

They believe that the world is everything and reject everything else. They have science as their idol and they worship it by seeking answers from it.

الدُّنيَا سِجنُ المُؤمِنِ وَ جَنَّة الكَافِرِ

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “The world is the prison of the believer and the paradise of the disbeliever.”

(Tirmidhi and Muslim)

You see the disbeliever in their paradise now because they have no rules and do what they like. Yet the believer is limited for a short time and then in paradise he can do what he wants forever.

 

Arrogance

 “…But most of them behave ignorantly” (Al-An’aam: 111).

Arrogance is the sin that was perpetrated by satan over Adam (upon him peace). When the command came down to prostrate satan stubbornly refused.

“Except Iblis (Satan): he was proud and was one of the disbelievers.” Sa'ad 38: 74.

His rejection made him one of those rejected forever.

Eating too much

The Prophet (may Allah bestow peace and blessings upon him) said, “The disbeliever eats too much but the Muslim is satisfied with little food in order to be able to worship. He preserves a third of his stomach for his food, a third for his drink and a third for his breath. A believer’s food is blessed.” He also said, “The food of two persons suffices three and the food of three suffices four.” (Al-Bukhari)

Why do disbelievers eat so much? Because they have no blessings in their food! Why would you have blessings in your food when you reject the host?

Miserly

“Those who are miserly and enjoin miserliness on other men and hide what Allah has bestowed upon them of His bounties.” 4:37

When there is no understand of benefit or necessity, then there is little need of giving. So dependent on the disbeliever’s upbringing and nature they may or may not give charity. Being miserly is a characteristic that those who are wretched have.

“And when it is said to them, “Spend (to the needy) from the provision Allah has given to you”, the disbelievers say to the believers, “Shall we feed those whom Allah could have fed, if Allah so willed? You are plainly erroneous.” Yasin 36:47.

This, perhaps, gives more clarity to the previous quote; at the miserly nature of the disbeliever. Though it has to be said that many disbelievers give great amounts of charity to the poor but because of their disbelief are not given benefit of it like a Muslim would. The poors test is that they are in need and our test is that we have to spend. We have to spend to pass our test.

Not give zakah?

“Those who give not the Zakah and they are disbelievers in the Hereafter.” Fussilat 41:7

Even though disbelievers are under no obligation to pay Zakah. So this is warning for Muslims and those who do not believe in the afterlife.

Argumentation

“Have you noted those who argue against the proofs of Allah, and how they have deviated?” Quran 40:69.

“We have cited in this Quran every kind of example, but the human being is the most argumentative creature.” Quran 18:54.

A Muslim who argues is displaying his ignorance in religious matters. He has no knowledge and thinks that everyone thinks like him. So he argues with everyone and loves to put people down. The disbeliever argues about Allah and there is a slight difference here. So they are both arguing about religious matters but they are in different parts of the same field. The disbeliever argues about his disbelief and he rejects any reason for submission to anything.

Repel others from path of Allah

“Those who disbelieve spend their money to repel others from the way of Allah. They will spend it, and then it will turn into sorrow and remorse for them. Ultimately, they will be defeated, and all disbelievers will be summoned to Hell.” Quran 8:36.

They spend money to help support systems that cause Muslims problems. Many Muslim countries have allowed missionaries into their countries and because of this the locals have many problems. Millions if not billions are spent pushing ideas of disbelief into all homes thanks to the television and the internet.

This also has a bearing on those who stop lessons of sacred knowledge take place in masjids. They are ignorant and do not see the need for knowledge thus condemning others to the same fate. Any Muslim with a hate for spreading knowledge is not a true Muslim to say the least! As the worst may be feared for such people as the spread of knowledge keeps Islam alive.

Heedless

"O you who believe! Obey Allah and His Messenger, turn not away from him - the Messenger Muhammad, while you are hearing. And be not like those who say: We have heard but they hear not. Verily! The worst of moving living creatures in the sight of Allah are the deaf and the dumb, those who understand not - the disbelievers. Had Allah known of any good in them, He would indeed have made them listen, even if He had made them listen, they would but have turned away, averse to the truth.” Al-Anfal 8:20-4.

This shows that the disbelievers were called to faith but did not respond but instead preferred to be how they were. 

Muslims should not put their trust in them

“Those who disbelieved are allies of one another. Unless you keep these commandments, there will be chaos on earth, and terrible corruption.” Quran 8.73

The fall of Muslim Spain was partly down to regional kings paying tributes to other Christian kings to protect them from other Muslims! This made the coffers of the Christians swell and they slowly took back the land from the Muslims.

Mock Quran

“Even if we sent down to them a physical book, written on paper, and they touched it with their hands, those who disbelieved would have said, "This is no more than clever magic."” Quran 6:7

We have seen some deranged Christan groups burn the Quran. Of course they cannot do such a thing they are merely burning the translation. Yet the punishment they will receive will be brutal. 

Punishment of rejection

“Allah seals their minds and their hearing, and their eyes are veiled. They have incurred severe retribution.” Quran 2:7

Their hearts are sealed as a punishment for continually rejecting the message.

Do not prostrate

“When the Quran is read to them they do not prostrate.” 84:21

They do not prostrate and they do not prayer. So this leads to arrogance and a Muslim has to prayer and he has no choice in his five daily prayers.

Do not repent

“See them not that they are tested once or twice in every year? Still they turn not in repentance, neither pay they heed.” 9:126

They do not repent and even after there are sent tribulation; it does not move them. They are constant in their state. They see no need in repentance because they are too haughty to repent. A Muslim repents because his heart does not feel tranquil without it but a disbeliever’s heart is not like that.

Do not honour orphans

“You do not honour orphans.” Fajr 89:17

Orphans are children without parents or guardians and they need lots of care. Harming those who are weak is the high of ignorance and oppression. 

Souls pulled out violently

“By those (angels) who pull out (the souls of the disbelievers and the wicked) with great violence.” –Naziat 79:1

When the soul of disbeliever is pulled out it is done with great violence and unbelievable pain. May Allah (the Exalted) save us from such torment.

Do not let their riches deceive you

“So let not their riches nor their children please you (O Muhammad). Allah thereby intended but to punish them in the life of the world and that their souls shall pass away while they are disbelievers.” Quran 9:55

Do not think that Allah (the Exalted) loves those he gives worldly things to. If you loved someone would you give them what is transitory or would you give them something permanent? Answer is you would give them something permanent and what’s that? Paradise. So the riches of a believer are nothing but a tribulation that he will pay dearly for.

Surah Kafiroon (109)

Is one of the most interesting surah’s because of its first line, “O you disbeliever,” here Allah using a grammatical term to draw the disbelievers attention to what is being said. In that belief is incumbent upon them to save them from an everlasting torment.  

Final note

The characteristics are dangerous to have and if a Muslim has them he is in great danger of causing himself great harm. As the essence of a disbeliever is denial of his Creator. So if you are Muslim and have these characteristics then fight them until you remove them from yourself. We hope this has been beneficial for those who have read it.

If you would like to find out the characteristics of a believer then please read the following work by Dhu Noon Al-Misri (may Allah show him mercy) and may Allah protect us from all wretched characteristics. Ameen.

   Depiction the Believers by Dhu Al-Noon Al-Misri by Arfan Shah

Imam Zaid Shakir

Expose yourself to the gentle breezes

Mahmood Norris

From Christianity to Islam