For the Blessed month of Ramadhan, Khilafah.com has replicated a number of chapters from the book – The Essential Elements of the Islamic Disposition (Nafsiyah) issued by Hizb ut Tahrir and published in Beirut, Lebanon in 1425 AH.
The book seeks to help the believers reaffirm their Iman in Allah (swt) such that our tongues are moist with the remembrance of Allah, that our hearts are filled with fear of Allah and that our limbs hasten towards the good deeds.
Fear of Allah is obligatory and the evidences for that are the Kitab and Sunnah. As for the Kitab He swt says:
وَإِيَّايَ فَاتَّقُونِ .
“Fear Me Alone.” [TMQ Al-Baqarah: 41]
وَإِيَّايَ فَارْهَبُونِ .
“And fear none but Me.” [TMQ Al-Baqarah: 40]
إِنَّمَا ذَلِكُمْ الشَّيْطَانُ يُخَوِّفُ أَوْلِيَاءَهُ فَلاَ تَخَافُوهُمْ وَخَافُونِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ.
“It is only Shaitan (Satan) that suggests to you the fear of his Auliya’ [supporters and friends (polytheists, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah and in His Messenger, Muhammad SAW)], so fear them not, but fear Me, if you are (true) believers.” [TMQ Aali’Imraan: 175]
وَيُحَذِّرُكُمْ اللَّهُ نَفْسَهُ.
“Allah warns you against Himself (His Punishment).” [TMQ Aali’Imraan: 28]
فَلاَ تَخْشَوْهُمْ وَاخْشَوْنِ .
“So fear them not, but fear Me.” [TMQ Al-Maa`idah: 3]
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُوا ربَّكم.
“O mankind! Fear your Lord.” [TMQ A-Nisaa: 1]
إِنَّمَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ الَّذِينَ إِذَا ذُكِرَ اللَّهُ وَجِلَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ.
“The believers are only those who, when Allah is mentioned, feel a fear in their hearts.” [TMQ Al-Anfal: 2]
وَكَذَلِكَ أَخْذُ رَبِّكَ إِذَا أَخَذَ الْقُرَى وَهِيَ ظَالِمَةٌ إِنَّ أَخْذَهُ أَلِيمٌ شَدِيد.ٌ
إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لَآيَةً لِمَنْ خَافَ عَذَابَ الآخِرَةِ ذَلِكَ يَوْمٌ مَجْمُوعٌ لَهُ النَّاسُ وَذَلِكَ يَوْمٌ مَشْهُود.ٌ
وَمَا نُؤَخِّرُهُ إِلاَّ ِلأَجَلٍ مَعْدُودٍ.
يَوْمَ يَأْتِ لاَ تَكَلَّمُ نَفْسٌ إِلاَّ بِإِذْنِهِ فَمِنْهُمْ شَقِيٌّ وَسَعِيدٌ.
فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ شَقُوا فَفِي النَّارِ لَهُمْ فِيهَا زَفِيرٌ وَشَهِيق.ٌ
“Such is the Seizure of your Lord when He seizes the (population of) towns while they are doing wrong. Verily, His Seizure is painful, and severe. Indeed in that (there) is a sure lesson for those who fear the torment of the Hereafter. That is a Day whereon mankind will be gathered together, and that is a Day when all (the dwellers of the heavens and the earth) will be present. And We delay it only for a term (already) fixed. On the Day when it comes, no person shall speak except by His (Allah’s) Leave. Some among them will be wretched and (others) blessed. As for those who are wretched, they will be in the Fire, sighing in a high and low tone.” [TMQ Hud: 102-106]
وَالَّذِينَ يَصِلُونَ مَا أَمَرَ اللَّهُ بِهِ أَنْ يُوصَلَ وَيَخْشَوْنَ رَبَّهُمْ وَيَخَافُونَ سُوءَ الْحِسَاب.ِ
“Those who join that which Allah has commanded to be joined (i.e. they are good to their relatives and do not sever the bond of kinship), fear their Lord, and dread the terrible reckoning.” [TMQ Ar-Ra’d: 21]
ذَلِكَ لِمَنْ خَافَ مَقَامِي وَخَافَ وعيدِ..ِ
“This is for him who fears standing before Me (on the Day of Resurrection or fears My Punishment) and also fears My Threat.” [TMQ Ibraheem: 14]
يَاأَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُوا رَبَّكُمْ إِنَّ زَلْزَلَةَ السَّاعَةِ شَيْءٌ عَظِيم.ٌ
يَوْمَ تَرَوْنَهَا تَذْهَلُ كُلُّ مُرْضِعَةٍ عَمَّا أَرْضَعَتْ وَتَضَعُ كُلُّ ذَاتِ حَمْلٍ حَمْلَهَا وَتَرَى النَّاسَ سُكَارَى وَمَا هُمْ بِسُكَارَى وَلَكِنَّ عَذَابَ اللَّهِ شَدِيد.ٌ
“O mankind! Fear your Lord and be dutiful to Him! Verily, the earthquake of the Hour (of Judgement) is a terrible thing. The Day you shall see it, every nursing mother will forget her nursling, and every pregnant one will drop her load, and you shall see mankind as in a drunken state, yet they will not be drunken, but severe will be the Torment of Allah.” [TMQ Al-Hajj: 1-2]
وَلِمَنْ خَافَ مَقَامَ رَبِّهِ جَنَّتَان.ِ
“The one who fears the standing before his Lord, there will be two Gardens (i.e. in Paradise).” [TMQ Ar-Rahman: 46]
مَا لَكُمْ لاَ تَرْجُونَ لِلَّهِ وَقَارًا.
“What is the matter with you, [ that you fear not Allah (His punishment), and] you hope not for reward (from Allah or you believe not in His Oneness).” [TMQ Nuh: 13] The meaning is what is wrong with you that you do not fear the greatness of Allah .
يَوْمَ يَفِرُّ الْمَرْءُ مِنْ أَخِيهِ.
وَأُمِّهِ وَأَبِيه.ِ
وَصَاحِبَتِهِ وَبَنِيهِ.
لِكُلِّ امْرِئٍ مِنْهُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ شَأْنٌ يُغْنِيه.ِ
“That Day shall a man flee from his brother, and from his mother and his father, and from his wife and his children. Everyman, that Day, will have enough to make him careless of others.” [TMQ ‘Abasa: 34-37]
As for the Sunnah; some of the hadiths indicate the obligation to fear Allah from their wording (mantooq) whilst others indicate this by their implicit meaning (mafhoom):
• Narrated on the authority of Abu Hurayrah who said that I heard the Messenger of Allah (saw) said:
«سبعة يظلهم الله في ظله، يوم لا ظل إلا ظله: إمام عادل، وشاب نشأ في عبادة الله عز وجل، ورجل قلبه معلق بالمساجد، ورجلان تحابا في الله اجتمعا عليه وتفرقا عليه، ورجل دعته امرأة ذات منصب وجمال، فقال إني أخاف الله، ورجل تصدق بصدقة فأخفاها حتى لا تعلم شماله ما تنفق يمينه، ورجل ذكر الله خالياً ففاضت عيناه”.
“Seven types of people Allah will shade them by His Shade on the Day of Resurrection when there will be no shade except His Shade. They will be, a just ruler, a young man who has been brought up in the worship of Allah, a man whose heart is attached to mosques, two people who love each other for only Allah’s Sake, where they associated together because of Him and dissociated from each other because of Him, a man who is called by a charming lady of noble birth to commit illegal sexual intercourse with her, and he said, ‘I am afraid of Allah, a man who gives in charity secretly such that his left hand does not know what his right hand has given and a man who remembers Allah in seclusion and his eyes are then flooded with tears.”
• Anas narrated that the Messenger (saw) said:
«لو تعلمون ما أعلم لضحكتم قليلاً ولبكيتم كثيراً».
“Had you known what I know you would have laughed less and cried more.” (Agreed upon).
• It has been narrated on the authority of ‘Iddi b. Hatim who said that the Messenger of Allah said:
«ما منكم من أحد إلا سيكلمه الله، ليس بينه وبينه ترجمان، فينظر أيمن منه فلا يرى إلا ما قدم، وينظر أشأم منه فلا يرى إلا ما قدم، وينظر بين يديه فلا يرى إلا النار تلقاء وجهه فاتقوا النار ولو بشق تمرة».
“(On the Day of Judgment) none of you will have an interpreter between him and Allah, He will look to his right and he will see nothing but that which he earned, and then he will look to his left and will see nothing but that which he earned. Then he will look to the front and he will see nothing but the Fire in front of him. And so each one of you should save himself from the Fire even by giving half of a date-fruit (in charity).” (Agreed upon).
• Narrated by ‘Ayisha (ra) who said that she heard the Messenger of Allah (saw) :
«يحشر الناس يوم القيامة حفاة عراة غرلا، قلت يا رسول الله الرجال والنساء جميعاً ينظر بعضهم إلى بعض؟ قال يا عائشة الأمر أشد من أن يهمهم ذلك».
“The people will be gathered barefooted, naked, and uncircumcised.” ‘Ayisha said, “O Allah’s Messenger! Will the men and the women look at each other?” He said, “The situation will be too hard for them to pay attention to that.” (Agreed upon).
• Narrated by an-Nu’man b. al-Basheer who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (saw) say:
«إن أهون أهل النار عذاباً يوم القيامة لَرجلٌ توضع في أخمص قدميه جمرتان يغلي منهما دماغه».
“Verily the least person who will be suffering from amongst the people of Hellfire on the Day of Resurrection, will be a man under whose soles would be placed two smouldering embers from which his brain will boil.”
• Narrated by Ibn ‘Umar that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said:
«يقوم الناس لرب العالمين، حتى يغيب أحدهم في رشحه إلى أنصاف أذنيه».
“All mankind will stand before the Lord of the Worlds until they are drowned in their sweat up to the middle of their ears.” (Agreed upon).
• Narrated by Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (saw) :
«يعرق الناس يوم القيامة حتى يذهب عرقهم في الأرض سبعين ذراعاً ويلجمهم حتى يبلغ آذانهم».
“The people will sweat so profusely on the Day of Resurrection that their sweat will sink seventy cubits deep into the earth, and it will restrain then till it reaches their ears.” (Agreed upon).
• Narrated by Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah(saw) :
«يقول الله إذا أراد عبدي أن يعمل سيئة فلا تكتبوها عليه حتى يعملها، فإن عملها فاكتبوها بمثلها، وإن تركها من أجلي فاكتبوها له حسنة، وإذا أراد أن يعمل حسنة فلم يفعلها فاكتبوها له حسنة، فإن عملها فاكتبوها له بعشر أمثالها إلى سبع مائه ضعف».
Allah says (addressing the angels), “If My slave intends to do a bad deed, do not write it down unless he does it. If he does it, then write it down as it is. But if he refrains from doing it for My sake, then write it as a good deed. If he intends to do a good deed but does not do it, write it as a good deed (in his account), and if he does it, then write it for him as ten good deeds up to seven hundred times.” (Agreed upon)
• Narrated by Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (saw):
«لو يعلم المؤمن ما عند الله من العقوبة ما طمع بجنته أحد، ولو يعلم الكافر ما عند الله من الرحمة ما قنط من رحمته أحد».
“Had the believer known of all the punishment which is present with Allah, no one (of them) would long for paradise. And had the non-believer known of all the Mercy which is in the Hands of Allah, no one (of them) would lose hope of entering Paradise.” Reported by Muslim.
• Narrated by Ibn ‘Umar : I heard the Messenger of Allah (saw) say:
«كان الكفل من بني إسرائيل لا يتورع من ذنب عمله، فأتته امرأة فأعطاها ستين ديناراً على أن يطأها فلما أرادها عن نفسها ارتعدت وبكت، فقال ما يبكيك؟ قالت: لأن هذا عمل ما عملته قط، وما حملني عليه إلا الحاجة، فقال: تفعلين أنت هذا من مخافة الله! فأنا أحرى، اذهبي فلك ما أعطيتك، ووالله ما أعصيه بعدها أبداً، فمات من ليلته، فأصبح مكتوب على بابه: إن الله قد غفر للكفل فعجب الناس من ذلك».
The kifl from Bani Israel did not fear the sins of his bad deeds. One day a woman came and he gave her 60 dinars to have sex with her. When he approached her she began to tremble and cry. He said: what makes you cry? She said: this is something I have never done before. It is only the need that compels me to it. He said: You are like this because you fear Allah! Then I should fear Allah more. Go; take the money, by Allah I will never disobey Allah again. That night he died and it was found written on his door: ‘Indeed Allah has forgiven the kifl’ to which the people were very surprised.” at-Tirmizi reported this hadith and graded it hasan. Al-Haakim graded at as sahih and az-Zahabi agreed. The hadith has also been reported by Ibn Hibban in his Sahih and al-Bayhaqi in his Shu’ab.
• It has been reported on the authority of Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (saw) said that his Lord said:
«وعزتي لا أجمع على عبدي خوفين وأمنين إذا خافني في الدنيا أمنته يوم القيامة وإذا أمنني في الدنيا أخفته يوم القيامة”.
“By My Glory, I will not bring for my servant two times of fear and two times of protection; if he fears Me in this world I will protect him on the Day of Resurrection but if he felt safe from me in the world I will cause him to fear in the Hereafter.” [TMQ Reported by Ibn Hibban in his Sahih).
• It has been narrated that Ibn ‘Abbas said:
“لما أنزل الله على نبيه هذه الأية (يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا قُوا أَنفُسَكُمْ وَأَهْلِيكُمْ نَارًا وَقُودُهَا النَّاسُ وَالْحِجَارَةُ عَلَيْهَا) تلاها رسول الله ذات يوم على أصحابه فخرّ فتىً مغشيّاً عليه، فوضع النبي يده على فؤاده فإذا هويتحرك فقال رسول الله يا فتى قل لا إاله إلاّ الله، فقالها فبشره بالجنة، فقال أصحابه يا رسول الله أمن بيننا؟ قال أو ما سمعتم قوله تعالى (ذَلِكَ لِمَنْ خَافَ مَقَامِي وَخَافَ وَعِيد .)”ِ
“When Allah revealed the following Ayah to His Prophet:
“O you who believe! Ward off from yourselves and your families a Fire (Hell) whose fuel is men and stones.” [TMQ At-Tahreem: 6]
Once Allah’s Messenger recited this ayah before of his companions, a youth fainted. The Prophet (saw) put his hand over his heart and he found it beating, so the Messenger of Allah (saw) said: Young man, say: laa ilaaha ilallah. The boy repeated: laa ilaaha ilallah, so the Prophet gave him the glad tidings of Jannah. The companions asked: Is this for him from amongst us O Messenger of Allah? The Prophet (saw) said: Have you not heard the saying of Allah : “This is for him who fears standing before Me (on the Day of Resurrection or fears My Punishment) and also fears My Threat.” [TMQ Ibraheem: 14]” It is narrated by Al-Haakim and he verified it, Adh-Dhahabi agreed with him.
• It has been narrated that ‘Ayisha said: I said O Messenger of Allah, the saying of Allah ‘azza wa jalla:
وَالَّذِينَ يُؤْتُونَ مَا آتَوا وَقُلُوبُهُمْ وَجِلَةٌ أَنَّهُمْ إِلَى رَبِّهِمْ رَاجِعُون.َ
“And those who give that (their charity) which they give (and also do other good deeds) with their hearts full of fear (whether their alms and charities, etc., have been accepted or not), because they are sure to return to their Lord (for reckoning).” [TMQ 23:60] She added:
أهو الذي يزني ويشرب الخمر –وفي رواية ابن سابق- أهو الرجل الذي يزني ويسرق ويشرب الخمر، وهو مع ذلك يخاف الله عز وجل؟ قال لا، وفي رواية وكيع لا يا بنت أبي بكر أو بنت الصديق، ولكنه الرجل يصوم ويصلي ويتصدق وهو يخاف أن لا يقبل منه.
“Are these who drink wine and steal, (etc.)?” –and in the Ibn Ishaq’s version – is he the one who fornicates, steals and drinks wine but despite this he fears Allah azza wa jalla? Allah’s Messenger replied: No! And in the version of Wakee’: No O daughter of As-Siddeeq, but they are those who fast, pray, and practice charity, etc., and they are afraid that (their deeds) may not be accepted (by Allah) from them.”
Al-Bayhaqi reported it in his Shu’ab al-Imaan, al-Hakim in his al-Mustadrak declared it sound and az-Zahabi agreed.
• Thawbaan narrated that the Prophet (saw) said:
«لأعلمن أقواماً من أمتي يأتون يوم القيامة بحسنات أمثال جبال تهامة بيضاً، فيجعلها الله هباءً منثوراً، فقلت: يا رسول الله صفهم لنا، حلّهم لنا ألا نكون منهم ونحن لا نعلم، قال: أما إنهم من إخوانكم، من جلدتكم، ويأخذون من الليل كما تأخذون، ولكنهم أقوام إذا خلوا بمحارم الله انتهكوها».
“I indeed know that some people from my Ummah will come on the Day of Judgment with good deeds like the white mountains of Tihama, but Allah will make them scattered dust. “Thawban said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, describe them to us, so that we may not be one of them without knowing it!’ He said, “They will be your brothers, and from your people, and they will take from the night as you do (meaning prayers, etc.), but they are a people who, when they were alone with the prohibitions of Allah, violated them.”
(Ibn Maajah) al-Kanaani, the author of Misbaah az-Zujaajah, said this hadith is sound and its narrators are trustworthy.
• ‘Abdullah b. Mas’ud has narrated to us two hadiths; one attributed to the Prophet and the other to himself. The text is as follows:
«إن المؤمن يرى ذنوبه كأنه قاعد تحت جبل يخاف أن يقع عليه، وإن الفاجر يرى ذنوبه كذباب مر على أنفه فقال به هكذا قال أبو شهاب بيده فوق أنفه … »
“The believer sees his sin as a mountain beneath which he is sitting and which he fears it may fall down upon him. The rebellious person sees his sin as a fly which passes in front of his nose and he swats it away…” Reported by al-Bukhari.
• Sa’d narrated: I heard the Messenger of Allah (saw) say:
«إن الله يحب العبد التقي الغني الخفي».
“Allah (Mighty and Glorious is He) loves the slave who is Taqiyy (i.e, God-fearing), Ghaniyy (i.e, rich at heart), and Khafiyy (i.e, who refrains from showing off).” Reported by Muslim.
• Usamah b. Shurayk narrated that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said:
«ما كره الله منك شيئاً فلا تفعله إذا خلوت».
“Whatever thing Allah dislikes for you to do, do not do it when you are alone.” Reported by Ibn Hibban in his Sahih.
• ‘Abdullah b. ‘Amr narrated:
«قيل لرسول الله أي الناس أفضل؟ قال: كل مخموم القلب صدوق اللسان، قالوا صدوق اللسان نعرفه فما مخموم القلب؟ قال هو التقي النقي لا إثم فيه ولا بغي ولا غل ولا حسد».
“The Messenger of Allah was asked; which people are the best? He said: every makhmum al-Qalb and honest tongue. They said: We know what is an honest tongue but what is makhmum alqalb? He said: Every God-fearing and pure heart which harbors no sin, injustice, hatred or envy.”
Al-Kanaani said this isnad is sound and it has been reported by al-Bayhaqi in his Sunan in this manner.
• Abu Umaamah narrated that the Prophet (saw) said:
«إن أغبط أوليائي عندي لمؤمن خفيف الحاذ ذو حظ من الصلاة، أحسن عبادة ربه، وأطاعه في السر، وكان غامضاً في الناس لا يشار إليه بالأصابع، وكان رزقه كفافاً فصبر على ذلك، ثم نفض بيده فقال عجلت منيته قلّت بواكيه قل تراثه”.
“The most envied person in my sight among my friends (awliyaa’) is that believer who has little wealth, a good share (concentration) in Salah, worships Allah nicely and obeys him in secret,and he is not popular among people and fingers are not pointed towards him (people do not refer to him), and his sustenance is sufficient and he is patient (content) on that. Then Allah’s Messenger flipped his finger and said, ‘(the above referred person) passed away quickly (went in his life quickly), there are few to mourn his death and he left little wealth behind.” Reported by at-Tirmizi who declared it hasan.
• Bahz b. Hakeem narrated that: we were led in prayer by Zuraarah b. Abi Awfa in the mosque of Banu Qushayr. He read surah al-Muddaththir until he reached the verse:
فَإِذَا نُقِرَ فِي النَّاقُور.ِ
“Then, when the Trumpet is sounded.” [TMQ 74:8] after which he collapsed and died. Reported by al-Haakim who said it has a sound isnad.
• Ibn ‘Abbas narrated that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said on the day of Badr:
«من لقي منكم العباس فليكفف عنه، فإنه خرج مستكرها، فقال أبو حذيفة بن عتبة: أنقتل آباءنا وإخواننا وعشائرنا، وندع العباس والله لأضربنه بالسيف، فبلغت رسول الله فقال لعمر بن الخطاب: يا أبا حفص-قال عمر إنه لأول يوم كنّاني فيه بأبي حفص- يضرب وجه عم رسول الله بالسيف فقال عمر: دعني فلأضرب عنقه فإنه قد نافق، وكان أبو حذيفة يقول: ما أنا بآمن من تلك الكلمة التي قلت، ولا أزال خائفاً حتى يكفرها الله عني بالشهادة. قال: فقتل يوم اليمامة شهيداً».
“If any one of you meet al-‘Abbaas do not kill him, for he has been made to come out against his will. Abu Hudhayfa b. ‘Utabah said: Are you to kill our fathers and our sons and our tribesmen and leave al-‘Abbaas? By Allah, if I meet him I will hit him with the sword. This saying reached the ears of the Messenger of Allah, so he said to ‘Umar b. al-Khattaab: O Abu Hafs – and ‘Umar said that was the first time the Prophet had called by that title – ought the face of the uncle of the Messenger of Allah to be marked with the sword? ‘Umar replied: Let me cut off his head, for he showed hypocrisy. Abu Hudhayfah used to say: I never felt safe after my words that day. I was always afraid unless martyrdom atoned for them. He was killed as a martyr in the battle of al-Yamaama”.
Reported by al-Haakim in his al-Mustadrak who said the hadith is sound according to the condition of Muslim.