Me, Myself & I
Me, Myself & I
By
Shaykh ul –Islaam
Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah as-Salafi
-Rahimullaah-
From his book
‘Za’ad al-Ma’aad’
Translated by
Abbas Abu Yahya
Ibn al-Qayyim said:
‘Every Muslim should be warned of the oppression of:
‘I – My/Mine – I Possess’
Indeed these three words are what Iblees (Shaytan), Fir’awn and Qaroon were tried with.
Iblees said: ‘I am better than him’
Fir’awn said: ‘Is not mine the Kingdom of Egypt,’
Qaroon said: ‘This has been given to me only because of knowledge I possess.’
So regarding the saying of the Slave of Allaah ‘I’ – then the best that he can be described with is:
I am a slave who sins, makes mistakes, seeks forgiveness and recognizes this.
So regarding the saying of ‘My/Mine’ – and those statements similar to that is:
My sins, my crimes, my humbleness, my depravation and submissiveness.
So regarding the saying of ‘I Possess’:
Forgive me for my mistakes and what I do intentionally, in jest, or in seriousness and I possess all these shortcomings.
[Taken from ‘Za’ad al-Ma’aad’ 2/475 – By Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawzeeyah]
الله ذو اللطائف
Allah, The Most Kind and Gentle
أَغِيبُ وذو اللّطائِف لا يغيبُ وأرجُوهُ رَجاءً لا يَخِيبُ
Although I vanish, the Most Gentle and Kind Remains .Thus, I have hope in Him – hope that never fails.
وأَسْأَلُهُ السَّلامَةَ مِن زَمانٍ بُلِيتُ به نوائبهُ تُشِيبُ
I seek safety with Him from an era wherein tribulations turn the hair grey!
وأُنزِلُ حاجتي في كل حالٍ إلى مَن تطمئنُّ به القلوبُ
So, I bring my needs,
as I’m ever in poverty To the One Who Tranquils the heart
فكم لله مِنْ تَدبِيرِ أَمْرٍ طَوَتْهُ عَنِ المُشَاهَدةِ الغُيوبُ
Numerous are the matters that Allah decrees in the Unseen realm, that is seldom understood
وكم في الغَيْبِ مِن تَيْسِيرِ عُسْرٍ ومِنْ تَفريجِ نائبةٍ تَنُوبُ
His decree eases secretly our difficulties
And with it He alone alleviates our calamities
ومِن كَرَمٍ ومِن لُطْفٍ خَفِيٍّ ومِن فَرَجٍ تَزُولُ بِه الكُرُوبُ
and by His Hidden kindness and generosity,there’s relief – replacing all adversity.
ومَنْ لِي غَيرَ بابِ الله بابٌ ولا مَوْلًى سِواهُ ولا حَبيبُ
Whose door do I have, besides Allah’s door?I have no other Master nor another whom I so adore!
كريمٌ مُنْعِمٌ بَرٌّ لَطِيفٌ جَمِيلُ الستْرِ للدّاعي مُجيبُ
He is generous, kind and gentle, blessing us ceaselessly,He answers our prayers and conceals our faults so beautifully,
حَليمٌ لا يُعاجِلُ بالخَطايا رحيمٌ غَيْثُ رَحْمَتِهِ يَصُوبُ
Enduring is He, never hastening to recompense our delinquency He bestows his mercy like pure rain, gracefully
فيا مَلِكَ المُلوكِ أَقِلْ عِثَارِي فَإنِّي عنْكَ أَنْأَتْنِي الذُّنُوبُ
O King of kings! Please pardon me;
My sins have cast me so far away from thee
وَأَمْرَضَنِي الهَوَى لِهَوانِ حَظِّي وَلَكِنْ لَيسَ غَيْرَكَ لِي طَبِيب
My lusts have caused me illness
And there is none but thee to heal me
فَآمِنْ رَوْعَتِي وَاكْبِتْ حَسُودًا فَإِنَّ النَّائِباتِ لها نُيُوبُ
So my Lord, comfort and shield me from eyes burning green.
for when calamities strike only then do you see the Fangs of the enemy
وَآنِسْنِي بِأَوْلادِي وَأَهْلِي فَقَدْ يَسْتَوْحِشَ الرَّجُلُ الغَرِيبُ
My Lord, fasten me with the joys of children and family
Without them a man is certainly a stranger, poor and lonely
وَلِي شَجَنٌ بِأَطْفالٍ صِغَارٍ أَكادُ إِذا ذَكَرْتُهُمُ أَذُوبُ
Ah, my young children, on their fate I do fret
Worn from worry and grief I am ever upset
ولَكِنِّي نَبَذْتُ زِمَامَ أَمْري لِمَنْ تَدْبِيرُهُ فِينا عَجِيبُ
But to thee the reigns of my life I do surrender
To the One who handles affairs with majestic splendor
هُوَ الرَّحْمنُ حَوْلِي وَاعْتِصَامِي بِهِ وَإِلَيْهِ مُبْتَهِلاً أُتِيبُ
The Most Merciful, my refuge and the pillar on which I lean
In repentance, I call Him with none in between.
إِلهِي أَنْتَ تَعْلَمُ كَيفَ حَالِي فَهَلْ يا سَيِّدِي فَرَجٌ قَرِيب
Allah, my condition is Known by You
so my Master, I ask, is relief near?
فيا دَيِّانَ يَومِ الدِّينِ فَرِّجْ هُمُوماً فِي الفُؤَادِ لها دَبِيبُ
O Lord of Judgment Day, relieve this anxiety of stubborn worries that in my heart sink deeply
وَصِلْ حَبْلِي بِحَبْلِ رِضَاكَ وَانْظُرْ إِلَيَّ وَتُبْ عَلَيَّ عَسى أَتُوبُ
And bind me to the rope of thy content, and turn thy Face to me
And accept me so that I may repent and return wholly to thee.
وَرَاعِ حِمَايَتِي وَتَوَلَّ نَصْرِي وَشُدَّ عُرَايَ إِنْ عَرَتِ الخُطُوبُ
My safety and success are in thy Hands
So support my will against life’s difficult demands
وَأَلْهِمنِي لِذِكْرِكَ طُولَ عُمْرِي فَإِنَّ بِذِكْرِكَ الدُّنْيا تَطِيبُ
And with Thy remembrance illuminate my life.Indeed when recalling thy name sweetness becomes fragrant
وَقُل عَبْدُ الرَّحِيمِ وَمَنْ يَلِيهِ لَهُم فِي رِيفِ رَأْفَتِنَا نَصِيبُ
And say of me that I am still thy servant
sharing in thy Kindness, drawing near to thee, no longer distant
فَظَنِّي فِيكَ يا سَنَدِي جَمِيلٌ وَمَرْعَى ذَوْدِ آمَالِي خَصِيبُ
My thoughts of thee, my Sustainer, are pleasant
And my hopes in thee, lie in meadows, fertile and fragrant
وَصَلِّ عَلى النَّبِيِّ وآلهِ مَا تَرَنَّمَ فِي الأراكِ العَنْدَلِيبُ
And send prayers and praises upon the Prophet and his family
For whom the nightingales from their branches sing their sweet melody
PERMISSION
Kaladah ibn Hanbal reported that Safwaan ibn Umayyah sent him to the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) with some milk and cucumbers when the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) was staying in the upper part of the (Makkan) valley.
He said, “I entered (his house) without seeking permission or giving Salaams, so the Prophet ( صلى الله عليه و سلم) said to me, ‘Go back out and say: as-Salaam‘alaykum, may I enter?’ ” Collected by Aboo Daawood and at-Tirmithee.
EXPLANATION:
PART 1 General Meaning This incident occurred when Kaladah’s maternal brother, Safwaan ibn Umayyah sent him to the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) with some milk and vegetables. Since Kaladah was new to Islaam and the therefore needed guidance,
the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) instructed him on the proper manners for visiting. The general method for visiting is outlined in the Qur’aan.
Allaah said, { يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ آَمَنُوا لاَ تَدْخُلُوا بُيُوتًا غَيْرَ بُيُوتِكُمْ حَتَّى تَسْتَأْنِسُوا وَتُسَلِّمُوا عَلَى أَهْلِهَا } “O believers, do not enter houses other than your own until you have asked permission and given greetings (salaam) to those in them.” Soorah an-Noor (24):27
This hadeeth is an example of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) putting the Qur’an into practice. His instructions in this and other hadeeths give the details of how permission is requested and greetings are given.
keeping in mind that ultimately good is what Allah has defined as good and not necessarily what they feel is good.
عَنِ عُمَرِ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ صلى الله عليه و سلم يَقُولُ :
(( إِنَّمَا اْلأَعْمَالُ بِالنِّيَّاتِ وَإِنَّمَا لِكُلِّ امْرِئٍ مَانَوَى فَمَنْ كَانَ هِجْرَتُهُ إِلَى دُنْيَا يُصِيبُهَا أَوْ إِلَى امْرَأَةٍ يَنْكِحُهَا فَهِجْرَتُهُ إِلَى مَا هَاجَرَ إِلَيْهِ )) رَوَاهُ الْبُخَارِيُّ وَمُسْلِمٌ
‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab said, I heard the Messenger of Allaah (صلى الله عليه و سلم) say:“Deeds are [judged] according to their intentions and every person will get whatever he intends. So, whoever’s migration was for worldly gain or for marriage, his migration [will be rewarded] according to what he migrated for.”
[1] Sahih Al-Bukhari, vol.1, p.1, no.1 and Sahih Muslim, vol.3, p.1056, no.4692.
Sincerity is an essential component of good deeds. Deeds in the phrase “Deeds are judged by their intentions,” refers to good deeds, not the evil deeds because the best of intentions will never changes an evil deed into an good deed, but evil intentions will change a good deed into an bad deed.
Muslims need to reflect on this principle carefully, keeping in mind that ultimately good is what Allah has defined as good and not necessarily what they feel is good. Furthermore, if a person’s intention while doing good is not for the pleasure of Allaah, then that good deed will become an evil deed on the Day of Judgment
Did Your Affair Begin, O Messenger of Allaah?
ad-Daarimee reported (1/8-9), and al-Haakim (2/616-617), and Ahmad (4/184) from `Utbah ibn Mas`ood as-Sulamee, and he was from the Companions of Allaah’s Messenger (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam), that he narrated that: A man said to Allaah’s Messenger (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam): “How did your affair begin, O Messenger of Allaah?”
So he said:
« I was being taken care of by a woman from Banoo Sa`d ibn Bakr. So I went off with a son of hers along with some of our goats, and we did not take any provision along with us. So I said: “O my brother, go and bring us some provision from our mother.” So my brother went off and I remained with the goats. Then two white beings that were flying came, being as if they were two eagles. Then one of them said to the other: “Is it him?” The other one replied; “Yes”. So they hastened to me, took hold of me, and threw me upon the ground on my back. Then they split open my chest and extracted two black clots from it, and one of them said to his companion: “Bring me ice-water”, and he washed my insides with it. Then he said: “Bring me snow-water”, and he washed my heart with it. Then he said: “Bring me tranquillity”. And he planted it in my heart. Then one of them said to his companion: “Sew it up”, so he sewed it up and sealed it with the seal of Prophethood. Then one of them said to the other: “Place him upon a scale, and place a thousand of his nation upon another scale.” »
Allaah’s Messenger (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) said :
« “So I saw a thousand people above me and feared that some of them were going to fall upon me.” He said: “If his whole nation were weighed against him he would outweigh them.” Then they went off and left me. »
Allaah’s Messenger (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) said:
« And I became very afraid, and I went back to my mother and informed her of what I had experienced. So I wished that I had been mistaken for someone else. She said: “I entrust you to Allaah’s protection”. So she prepared a camel of hers for riding, placed me upon the saddle, and rode behind me until we reached my (true) mother. Then she said: “I have fulfilled my trust and my responsibility, and she told her what had happened to me, and this did not alarm her. She said: “When he came out from me I saw light which shone and revealed the palaces of Shaam.”»
-Shaikh al-Albaanee said in “as-Saheehah” (no.373):
“…..this chain of narration is “hasan”… and this hadeeth has many witnesses…”
[Translated by Aboo Talhah Daawood ibn Ronald Burbank]
