THE TYPES OF HEARTS

As-Salamu Alaykum (peace be upon you),

THE TYPES OF HEARTS

Narrated by Ibn Bashir: I heard Allah's Apostle saying:

"Both legal and illegal things are evident but in between them there are doubtful (suspicious) things and most of the people have no knowledge about them. So whoever saves himself from these suspicious things saves his religion and his honor. And whoever indulges in these suspicious things is like a shepherd who grazes (his animals) near the pastures of someone else and at any moment he is liable to get in it. (O people!) Beware! Every king has a pasture and the pasture of Allah on the earth is His illegal (forbidden) things. Beware! There is a piece of flesh in the body if it becomes good (reformed) the whole body becomes good but if it gets spoilt the whole body gets spoilt and that is the heart." [Bukhari]

It is clear from this Hadith that the heart is the essence of the whole body.

So what do we mean by a good and bad heart? Are we saying a bad heart is on the brink of a heart attack, clogged and cluttered with cholesterol and a healthy heart is of the one who cares for his health, eating well and exercising so his heart is strong.

NO!

This Hadith describes the doubtful matters, the matters that are not clearly forbidden or clearly permissible, the matters that one has no knowledge of. The one who avoids the doubtful matters, is keeping himself clear from what is unlawful. And the one who indulges in these matters, is likely to slip into the unlawful.

Clearly, with the warning that follows this must mean that the dealing in the doubtful and unlawful matters has an effect on the heart. So this is what we mean by the health of the heart.

To further emphasize the importance of the heart, the Hadith transmitted on the authority of Abu Hurairah with some addition:

"Verily Allah does not look to your bodies nor to your faces but He looks to your hearts," and he pointed towards the heart with his fingers." [Muslim]

So if Allah if going to look to our hearts, wouldn't you want your heart to be in the perfect condition? How much effort do we put into making our house, our personal presentation beautiful when we are expecting our fellow Muslims to visit? They are only the creations of Allah , surely we must exert much more effort in our presentation to Allah . We are unaware of what moment our souls will be taken from us forever, so we must make sure the house of our heart is spotless at all times.

To be able to do this we must first understand what condition our heart is in. Understand the different types and conditions of the heart.

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:

"The hearts are four types: polished as shiny as the radiating lamp, a sealed heart with a knot tied around its seal, a heart that is turned upside down and a wrapped heart. As for the polished heart, it is the heart of the believer and the lamp is the light of faith. The sealed heart is the heart of the disbeliever. The heart that is turned upside down is the heart of the pure hypocrite, because he had knowledge but denied it. As for the wrapped heart, it is a heart that contains belief and hypocrisy. The example of faith in this heart, is the example of the herb that is sustained by pure water. The example of hypocrisy in it, is the example of an ulcer that thrives on puss and blood. Whichever of the two substances has the upper hand, it will have the upper hand of that heart." [Ahmad]

This Hadith describes the types of hearts.


The Healthy Heart

We start first with the heart that is polished as shiny as the radiating lamp. This is the heart of the believer in Allah and His messengers and the radiating lamp is the light of faith.

There are so many references in the Quran describing the healthy, believing heart. Allah says:

"The believers are only those who, when Allah is mentioned, feel a fear in their hearts and when His Verses are recited unto them, they increase their Faith; and they put their trust in their Lord (Alone);"[Noble Quran 8:2]

"...who patiently bear whatever may befall them (of calamities)"[Noble Quran 22:35]

"And those who give charity and also do other good deeds with their hearts full of fear (whether their charities have been accepted or not), because they are sure to return to their Lord (for reckoning)." [Noble Quran 23:60]

"He it is Who sent down (calmness and tranquility) into the hearts of the believers, that they may grow more in Faith along with their (present) Faith..." [Noble Quran 48:4]

This heart is filled with fear, fear for disobeying Allah, fear of whether their good deeds will be accepted, fear of the Punishment of disobedience, fear of not reaching Paradise. And also patience for whatever befalls them, calmness and tranquility, having Faith in their Creator that everything is the Will of Allah.

Allah also says:

"And that those who have been given knowledge may know that it is the truth from your Lord, and that they may believe therein, and their hearts may submit to it with humility."

"And verily, Allah is the Guide of those who believe, to the Straight Path." [Noble Quran 22:54]

And this is the best part of a healthy heart, is the gift of understanding the knowledge. These hearts are filled with the knowledge that Allah has sent, it wasn't lost in the throat, in the chest, it sank into the heart and cleansed it, polished it so it would shine like a radiating lamp, filling the whole body with the desire to please Allah and fearful of displeasing Him.


The Dead Heart

Then we have two other types described in the previous Hadith "...a sealed heart and a heart that is turned upside down..."

These are the dead hearts. These are the hearts of the disbelievers, the ones who rejected the signs of Allah and who brought upon themselves the wrath of Allah.

The sealed heart is the heart that never believed. As described in the interpretation of the meaning of the Quran:

"Allah has set a seal on their hearts and on their hearings, and on their eyes there is a covering. Theirs will be a great torment." [Noble Quran 2:7]

Again it is most beautifully described in the Quran:

"Or the state of the disbeliever is like the darkness in a vast deep sea" [Noble Quran 24:40]

The other type of dead heart, is the upside down heart, the heart of the hypocrite. The one who has had knowledge and rejected it. For him is the lowest, most horrific abode in the Hellfire.

In the Interpretation of the meaning of the Quran, Allah says:

"And We shall turn their hearts and their eyes away (from guidance), as they refused to believe therein for the first time, and We shall leave them in their trespass to wander blindly." [Noble Quran 6:110]

They are arrogant in their thoughts:

"The Hypocrites - they think they are over-reaching Allah, but He will over- reach them: When they stand up to pray, they stand without earnestness, to be seen of men, but little do they hold Allah in remembrance;" [Noble Quran 4:142]

They oppose the laws of Islam:

"The Hypocrites, men and women, (have an understanding) with each other: They enjoin evil, and forbid what is just, and are closed with their hands. They have forgotten Allah. so He hath forgotten them. Verily the Hypocrites are rebellious and perverse." [Noble Quran 9:67]

And they are insulting towards the beloved Prophet of Allah, as Allah explains:

"And behold! The Hypocrites and those in whose hearts is a disease (even) say: "(Allah) and His Messenger promised us nothing but delusion!" [Noble Quran 33:12]

Certainly this shows the lowest nature of these hearts.


The Sick Heart

Now we examine the nature of the sick heart.

It is true that words of the Prophet (peace be upon him) come clear and sweet, as only he can explain the sick heart and leave no doubt to it's meaning:

"...As for the wrapped heart, it is a heart that contains belief and hypocrisy. The example of faith in this heart, is the example of the herb that is sustained by pure water. The example of hypocrisy in it, is the example of an ulcer that thrives on puss and blood. Whichever of the two substances has the upper hand, it will have the upper hand of that heart."

This is the heart of the believer in Allah, and the Last Day, but they are wavering in their faith. Their desires pull them away from their Creator and they are focused on the delights of the Dunya with little regard for the ultimate delights that could await them in the Hereafter. They are drowning in sinful behavior and slow to repent.

Their hearts have been described by the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)

"...and the other (heart) black and dust-colored like a vessel which is upset, not recognizing what is good or rejecting what is abominable, but being impregnated with passion." [Muslim]

We all, as believing Servants of Allah have times where we fall into this category, where our focus is diverted from the Hereafter and we become lost in the trials and delights of this short life we are currently living. It is a time when belief is weakened and fear of Allah is reduced.

Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said:

"There is (at times) some sort of shade upon my heart, and I seek forgiveness from Allah a hundred times a day." [Muslim]

Surely, on hearing this we must ask ourselves, the heart of the Prophet (peace be upon him) must be the healthiest of all hearts, he has been labeled the best of all Mankind, so if his heart feels a shade upon it and feels that he needs to seek forgiveness 100 times a day, we must ask...what must we do to have a healthy heart?

Repent sincerely, with full hope of Allah's Mercy and Forgiveness, and strive in His cause to better ourselves and the deeds that we do.

April Fool

Praise be to Allaah, we praise Him and seek His help and forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allaah from the evil of our own selves and from our evil deeds. Whomsoever Allaah guides, none can lead astray, and whomsoever He sends astray, none can guide. 

Lying is an evil characteristic, which all religions and systems of ethics warn against and which man's innate common sense (fitrah) agrees that it is wrong. Those who possess chivalry and sound reason also say this. 

Truthfulness is one of the pillars on which the moral survival of the world depends. It is the foundation of praiseworthy characteristics, the cornerstone of Prophethood, the result of taqwaa. Were it not for truthfulness, the rulings of all divinely-revealed laws would collapse. Acquiring the characteristic of lying is akin to shedding one's humanity, because speaking is an exclusively human trait. 

(Bareeqah Mahmoodiyyah, Muhammad al-Khaadimi, 3/183) 

Our purely monotheistic sharee’ah warns against lying in the Qur’aan and Sunnah, and there is consensus that it is haraam. The liar will have bad consequences in this world and in the next.

According to sharee’ah, lying is not permitted except in specific cases which do not lead to loss of rights, bloodshed or slander of people’s honour, etc., but which concern saving lives, reconciling between people, or creating love between husband and wife. 

There is a never a day or a moment when sharee’ah permits a person to tell lies or to say whatever he wants based on lies. One of the things that have become widespread among the common people is the so called “April Fool’s Day”, where they claim that the first day of the fourth solar month is a day when lying is permitted without being subject to any shar’i guidelines. 

Many bad things may result from this, some of which we will mention below. 

The prohibition of lying. 

1.                 Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“It is only those who believe not in the Ayaat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) of Allaah, who fabricate falsehood, and it is they who are liars

[al-Nahl 16:105] 

Ibn Katheer said: 

“Then Allaah tells us that His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is not a fabricator or a liar, because only the most evil of people who do not believe in the signs of Allaah, the kaafirs and heretics who are known amongst the people for telling lies, tell lies about Allaah and His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). The Messenger Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was the most truthful of people, the most righteous, the most perfect in knowledge, action, faith and certain belief. He was known amongst his people for his truthfulness; none of them doubted that, to such an extent that he was known amongst them as ‘al-Ameen (the trustworthy) Muhammad.’ Hence when Heraclius, the ruler of Rome, asked Abu Sufyaan about the characteristics of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), one of the things he asked was, ‘Did you ever accuse him of lying before he said what he said?’ He said, ‘No.’ Heraclius said: ‘If he refrained from telling lies about people he would not go and tell lies about Allaah.’ 

(Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 2/588) 

2.                 It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The signs of the hypocrite are three: when he speaks, he lies; when he makes a promise, he breaks it; and when he is entrusted with something, he betrays that trust.” 

(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 33; Muslim, 59) 

al-Nawawi said: 

“What the commentators and most of the scholars said – which is correct – is that this means that these characteristics are the characteristics of hypocrisy, and the one who has these characteristics resembles the hypocrites in this sense. 

The words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), ‘he is a pure hypocrite’ mean that he strongly resembles the hypocrites because of these characteristics. Some of the scholars said:  this is concerning one in whom  these characteristics predominate; one in whom these characteristics rarely appear is not included in this. This is the favoured view concerning the meaning of this hadeeth. Imaam Abu ‘Eesa al-Tirmidhi (may Allaah be pleased with him) narrated this meaning from the scholars and said: ‘The meaning of this according to the scholars is hypocrisy in one's actions.’” 

(Sharh Muslim, 2/46-47) 

The most evil kinds of lies are: 

1.                 Lies told about Allaah and His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). 

This is the most serious kind of lie, and the one who does this is subject to a severe warning. Some of the scholars said that the one who does this is to be denounced as a kaafir. 

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“Say: ‘Verily, those who invent a lie against Allaah will never be successful’”

[Yoonus 10:69] 

It was narrated that ‘Ali (may Allaah be pleased with him): “The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘Do not tell lies about me. Whoever tells lies about me, let him enter the Fire.’” 

(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 106). 

It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever tells lies about me, let him take his place in Hell.”

(narrated by al-Bukhaari, 110; Muslim, 3). 

Ibn al-Qayyim said:

“… ‘Whoever tells lies about me, let him take his place in Hell’, i.e., let him take his place in Hell where he will abide and settle; it is not like a manzil or camp where he stays for a while and then moves on.” 

(Tareeq al-Hijratayn, p. 169) 

Lying also includes lies told about or to other people, such as 

2.                 Lying in buying and selling.

It was narrated from Abu Dharr (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There are three to whom Allaah will not speak on the Day of Resurrection and He will not look at them or praise them, and they will have a painful torment.” The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) repeated this three times. Abu Dharr said: “May they be doomed and lost, who are they, O Messenger of Allaah?” He said, “The one who lets his garment hang below his ankles, the one who reminds others of his favours, and the one who disposes of his goods by swearing a false oath.” 

(Narrated by Muslim, 106) 

It was narrated that Hakeem ibn Hizaam (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘The two parties involved in a transaction have the option [of cancelling it] until they part. If they are honest and truthful, their transaction will be blessed for them and if they conceal something and tell lies, the blessing of their transaction will be wiped out.’” 

(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1973; Muslim, 532) 

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said: 

“Allaah has enjoined truthfulness and honesty, and He has forbidden lies and concealment with regard to matters which should be known and revealed to people, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said in a hadeeth whose authenticity is agreed upon: ‘The two parties involved in a transaction have the option [of cancelling it] until they part. If they are honest and truthful, their transaction will be blessed for them and if they conceal something and tell lies, the blessing of their transaction will be wiped out.’ And Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

‘O you who believe! Stand out firmly for Allaah as just witnesses; and let not the enmity and hatred of others make you avoid justice. Be just: that is nearer to piety’

[al-Maa’idah 5:8].” 

(Minhaaj al-Sunnah, 1/16) 

3.                 The prohibition on lying about visions and dreams 

This refers to when some of them claim to have seen such and such in a dream, but they are not telling the truth, then in the morning he starts to tell the people something that he did not see. 

It was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever tells of a dream that he did not see will be commanded [on the Day of Resurrection] to tie two grains of barley together, but he will never be able to do it. Whoever eavesdrops on people’s conversation when they dislike that – or they try to get away from him  - will have molten copper poured in his ears in the Day of Resurrection. And whoever makes an image will be punished and will be told to breathe life into it, and he will not be able to do so.” 

(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6635) 

Al-Manaawi said: 

“ ‘to tie two grains of barley together, but he will never be able to do it’ – because tying one to the other is not possible ordinarily. He will be punished until he does that, and he will never be able to do it. It is as if he is saying that he will be enjoined to do something that he can never do, and is being punished for it. This is a metaphor for continuous punishment… The reason why barley (sha’eer)  is mentioned specifically is because dreams are connected to feelings (shu’oor); the words sha’eer (barley) and shu’oor (feelings) come from the same root in Arabic. 

The punishment for that is so severe – even though lies when awake may cause more damage, because they may involve testimony that may lead to execution or a hadd punishment – because lying about a dream is a lie about Allaah, may He be exalted, for dreams are a part of Prophethood, so they come from Him, and lying about the Creator is worse than lying about created beings. 

(Fayd al-Qadeer, 6/99) 

4.                 The prohibition of speaking about everything that one hears 

It was narrated that Hafs ibn ‘Aasim said: “The Messenger of Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘It is sufficient lying for a man to speak of everything that he hears.’” 

(Narrated by Muslim, 5) 

With regard to the meanings of the hadeeth and reports on this topic, they discourage speaking about everything that one hears. For usually a person will hear both true things and lies, so if he were to speak of everything that he hears, he would be lying, by telling of something that did not happen. We have stated above the view of the people of truth: that lying means telling of something in a manner other than the way it happened. It is not conditional upon it being done deliberately, but its being done deliberately is a condition of it being a sin. And Allaah knows best.” 

(Sharh Muslim, 1/75) 

5.                 Lying in jest 

Some people think that it is permissible to tell lies if it is in jest. This is the excuse that they use for telling lies on April 1^st or on other days. This is wrong. There is no basis for this in the pure sharee’ah. Lying is haraam whether the one who does it is joking or is serious. 

Lying in jest is haraam just like other kinds of lies. 

It was narrated that Ibn ‘Umar said: “The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, ‘I joke, but I speak nothing but the truth.’” 

(narrated by al-Tabaraani in al-Mu’jam al-Kabeer, 12/391) 

This hadeeth was classed as hasan by al-Haythami in Majma’ al-Zawaa’id, 8/89, and classed as saheeh by Shaykh al-Albaani (may Allaah have mercy on him) in Saheeh al-Jaami, 2494) 

It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: “They said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah, you joke with us.’ He said, ‘But I only speak the truth.’” 

(narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 1990) 

Abu ‘Eesa said: this is a saheeh hasan hadeeth. 

A similar hadeeth was narrated by al-Tabaraani in al-Awsat (8/305) and classed as hasan by al-Haythami in Majma’ al-Zawaa’id, 9/17 

‘Abd al-Rahmaan ibn Abi Laylaa said: the companions of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told us that they were travelling with the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). A man among them fell asleep and some of them went and took his arrows. When the man woke up, he got alarmed (because his arrows were missing) and the people laughed. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “What are you laughing at?” They said, “Nothing, except that we took the arrows and he got alarmed.” The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “It is not permissible for a Muslim to frighten another Muslim.” 

(Narrated by Abu Dawood, 5004; Ahmad, 22555 – this version narrated by Ahmad). 

This hadeeth was classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’, 7658) 

It was narrated from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn al-Saa’ib ibn Yazeed from his father from his grandfather that he heard the Messenger of Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “None of you should take the belongings of his brother, whether in jest or otherwise. Whoever has taken the stick of his brother, let him return it.” 

(Narrated by Abu Dawood, 5003; al-Tirmidhi, 2160 in brief) 

The hadeeth was classed as hasan by Shaykh al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’, 7578 

6.                 Lying when playing with children 

We must beware of lying when playing with children, because that will be written down (in the record of deeds of) the one who that. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) warned against doing that. It was narrated that ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Aamir (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “My mother called me one day when the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was sitting in our house. She said, ‘Come here, and I will give you (something).’ The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, ‘What do you want to give him?’ She said, ‘I will give him a date.’ The Messenger of Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘If you had not given him something, you would have been lying.’” 

And it was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘Whoever says to a child, ‘Come here and take this,’ then does not give him something, this is counted as a lie.’” 

(Narrated by Abu Dawood, 4991) 

This hadeeth was classed as hasan by Shaykh al-‘Albaani inSaheeh al-Jaami’, 1319. 

7.                 Lying to make people laugh 

It was narrated that Mu’aawiyah ibn Haydah said: “I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: ‘Woe to the one who talks to make the people laugh and tells lies, woe to him, woe to him.’” 

(narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 235. He said: this is a hasan hadeeth. Also narrated by Abu Dawood, 4990). 

The punishment for lying: 

The liar is warned of destructive punishment in this world, and humiliating punishment in the Hereafter. These include: 

1.                 Hypocrisy in the heart. 

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“So He punished them by putting hypocrisy into their hearts till the Day whereon they shall meet Him, because they broke that (covenant with Allaah) which they had promised to Him and because they used to tell lies

[al-Tawbah 9:77] 

‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood said: “You may know the hypocrite by three things: when he speaks, he lies; when he makes a promise, he breaks it; and when he is entrusted with something he betrays that trust.”. He said: “Recite this aayah (interpretation of the meaning):

‘And of them are some who made a covenant with Allaah (saying): “If He bestowed on us of His Bounty, we will verily, give Sadaqah (Zakaah and voluntary charity in Allaah’s Cause) and will be certainly among those who are righteous.”

Then when He gave them of His Bounty, they became niggardly [refused to pay the Sadaqah (Zakaah or voluntary charity)], and turned away, averse.

So He punished them by putting hypocrisy into their hearts till the Day whereon they shall meet Him, because they broke that (covenant with Allaah) which they had promised to Him and because they used to tell lies

[al-Tawbah 9:75-77].” 

(Musanaaf Ibn Abi Shaybah, 6/125) 

2.                 Guidance to evildoing and to the Fire 

It was narrated that ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood said:

“The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘Truthfulness is righteousness, and righteousness leads to  Paradise. A person will continue to tell the truth until he is written with Allaah as one who tells the truth. Lying is evildoing, and evildoing leads to Hell. A person will keep on telling lies until he is written as a liar.’” 

(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5743; Muslim, 2607) 

al-San’aani said: 

This hadeeth indicates that whoever continues to speak the truth, it will become a feature of his, and whoever deliberately tells lies and persists in it, it will become a feature of his.  This is the same as any other good or evil characteristic, if a person persists in it, it becomes a feature of his. 

This hadeeth indicates how serious the matter of telling the truth is, and that it may lead a person to Paradise, and it indicates how ugly lying is and how it may lead a person to Hell. This is in addition to the consequences in this world, for the one who tells the truth will have his words accepted by people, and his testimony will be accepted by judges and he will be liked for what he says, whereas for the liar the opposite will be the case. 

Subul al-Salaam, 2/687 

3.                 His testimony will be rejected 

Ibn al-Qayyim said: 

[The reason why the testimony of the liar is rejected] 

The strongest reason why testimonies, fatwas and reports may be rejected is lying, because it corrupts the very essence of the testimony, fatwa or report. It is like the testimony of a blind man concerning sighting the new moon, or the testimony of a deaf man concerning having heard the admission of someone.   The lying tongue is like some faculty that is no longer working, indeed it is even worse than that, for the most evil thing a man may possess is a lying tongue. 

A’laam al-Muwaqqi’een, 1/95 

4.                 Blackening of the face in this world and in the Hereafter 

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“And on the Day of Resurrection you will see those who lied against Allaah (i.e. attributed to Him sons, partners) their faces will be black”[al-Zumar 39:60] 

Ibn al-Qayyim said:

Hence on the Day of Resurrection Allaah will make blackened faces the sign of the one who told lies about Him and His Messenger. Lying has a great effect in blackening the face and covering it with a mask of shame which every truthful person will be able to see. The feature of the liar is clearly visible in the face, and everyone who has the eyes to see can see it.  But Allaah will bless the truthful person with dignity and respect, so whoever sees him will respect him and love him, and He will give the liar humiliation and shame, so whoever sees him will loathe him and despise him. And Allaah is the Source of strength. 

A’laam al-Muwaqqi’een, 1/95 

5.                 The liar will have the flesh of his cheeks torn to the back of his head 

It was narrated that Samurah ibn Jundub (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) often used to say to his companions, ‘Has anyone among you seen a dream?’ Then whoever Allaah willed would tell of his dream. One day he said to us, ‘Two (angels) came to me last night and woke me up, then they said to me, ‘Let’s go!’… so we set out and came to a man who was lying flat on his back and another man standing over his head with an

iron hook, and behold, he would put the hook in one side of the man's mouth and tear off that side of his face to the back (of the neck) and similarly tear his nose from front to back and his eye from front to back. Then he turned to the other side of the man's face and did just as he had done with the other side. Hardly had he completed this side when the first side was restored to its normal state. Then he went back and did that all over again. I said to my two companions, 'Subhaan Allah! Who are these two persons?' They said to me, ‘Move on, move on!' (Then he said, describing how the two angels explained the things that he had seen): ‘As for the man you came across, the sides of whose mouth, nostrils and eyes were being torn off from front to back, he is the symbol of the man who goes out of his house in the morning and tells so many lies that it spreads all over the world.’” 

(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5745) 

The comments of the Salaf on lying: 

1.                 ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood said: “A man may speak the truth and persist in doing so until there is in his heart not even room for evil the size of a needle. Or a man may tell lies and persist in doing so until  there is in his heart not even room for truth the size of a needle. 

2.                 And it was narrated that he said: “It is not correct to tell lies whether in jest or in seriousness,” then ‘Abd-Allaah recited the aayah (interpretation of the meaning):

“O you who believe! Be afraid of Allaah, and be with those who are true (in words and deeds)”

[al-Tawbah 9:119] 

3.                 Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq said: “Beware of lying, for it has nothing to do with faith.” 

4.                 It was narrated that Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqaas said: “The believer may acquire all sorts of characteristics except treachery and lying.” 

5.                 It was narrated that ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “True faith is not achieved until one gives up lying in jest.” 

(Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah, 5/235, 236) 

Permissible kinds of lies 

Lying is permissible in three cases: war; reconciling between two disputing parties; and a husband lying to his wife or vice versa for the sake of love and harmony. 

It was narrated from Umm Kalthoom bint ‘Uqbah that she heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “He is not a liar who reconciles between people and narrates something good or says something good.” 

(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2546; Muslim, 2605) 

It was narrated that Asmaa’ bint Yazeed said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘It is not permissible to tell lies except in three (cases): when a man speaks to his wife in a way to please her; lying in war; and lying in order to reconcile between people.’” 

(Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 1939) 

This hadeeth was classed as hasan by Shaykh al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’, 7723 

April fool 

But with regard to “April Fool” (in Arabic, Kidhbat Neesaan or the lies of April), the origin of this lying is not known for sure. There are differing opinions concerning that: 

Some of them said that it developed from the celebrations of spring at the equinox on March 21. 

Some of them said that this innovation appeared in France in 1564 CE, after the introduction of a new calendar, when a person who had refused to accept the new calendar became the victim of some people who had subjected him to embarrassment and made fun of him, so he became a laughing-stock for others. 

Some of them said that this innovation goes back to ancient times and the pagan celebrations connected to a specific date at the beginning of spring, so this is the remnant of pagan rituals. It was said that hunting in some countries was unsuccessful during the first days of the hunt in some countries. This was the origin of these lies which are made up on the first day of April. 

 Le poisson d’avril 

The Europeans call “April Fool” le poisson d’avril (lit. “April fish”). The reason for this is that the sun moves from the zodiacal house of Pisces to the next house, or because the word poisson, which means fish, is a distortion of the word passion, which means suffering, “so it is a symbol of the suffering endured by Jesus (peace be upon him), according to the claims of the Christians, and they claim that this happened in the first week of April. 

Some of the kuffaar call this day All Fools’ Day, as it is known to the English.  That is because of the lies that they tell so that those who hear them might believe them and thus become a victim for those who  are making fun of him. 

The first mention of April Fool in the English language was in a magazine known as Dreck Magazine. On the second day of April in 1698 CE, this magazine mentioned that a number of people were invited to come and watch the washing of black people in the Tower of London on the morning of the first day of April. 

One of the most famous incidents that happened in Europe on April 1^st was when the English newspaper, the Evening Star, announced in March 1746 CE that the following day – April 1^st – that there would be an parade of donkeys in Islington, in England. The people rushed to see these animals and there was a huge crowd. They continued waiting  and when they got tired of waiting, they asked about when the parade would be. They not find anything, then they knew that they had come to make an exhibition of themselves, as if they were the donkeys! 

‘Aasim ibn ‘Abd-Allaah al-Qurawayti 

After knowing this reality,let us make a promise to ourselves never to celebrate this day. We have to learn from the Spanish and adhere to the reality of Islam and never allow our faith to be weakened again. 

I say: it does not matter what the origins of April fool are. What matters more is knowing the ruling on lying on this day, which we are sure did not exist during the first and best generations of Islam. It did not come from the Muslims, but rather from their enemies. 

The things that happen on April fools’ day are many. Some people have been told that their child or spouse or someone who is dear to them has died, and unable to bear this shock, they have died. Some have been told that they are being laid off, or that there has been a fire or an accident in which their family has been killed, so they suffer paralysis or heart attacks, or similar diseases. 

Some people have been told about their wives, that they have been seen with other men, and this has led them to kill or divorce their wives. 

These are the endless stories and incidents that we hear of, all of which are lies which are forbidden in Islam and unacceptable to common sense or honest chivalry. 

We have seen how Islam forbids lying even in jest, and it forbids frightening a Muslim whether in seriousness or in jest, in words or in actions. 

This is the law of Allaah in which is wisdom and care for people’s circumstances. 

And Allaah is the Source of Strength.

BACKBITING

As-Salamu Alaykum (peace be upon you),

BACKBITING

Backbiting, something that is a problem everywhere and that can have detrimental effects on our Ummah and ourselves. So how this is detrimental to us?

On the Day of Judgment our good deeds will be measured against our bad deeds and whichever has the greater balance will effect our outcome on that day.

What does this have to do with sins committed against others?

Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) as saying:

"Do you know who is poor? They (the Companions) said: A poor man amongst us is one who has neither dirham with him nor wealth. He (peace be upon him) said: The poor of my Ummah would be he who would come on the Day of Resurrection with prayers and fasts and Zakah but (he would find himself bankrupt on that day as he would have exhausted his funds of virtues) since he hurled abuses upon others, brought calumny against others and unlawfully consumed the wealth of others and shed the blood of others and beat others, and his virtues would be credited to the account of one (who suffered at his hand). And if his good deeds fall short to clear the account, then his sins would be entered in (his account) and he would be thrown in the Hell-Fire." [Muslim]

What is being described here is the bankrupt person is the one who runs out of good deeds on the Day of Judgment. How can this be so?

There is a part of the last day where the Muslims will meet on the Sirat (bridge), those that make it across this bridge go to Jannah, those that fall from the bridge will spend at least some time in the Hellfire. On this bridge each will take from the other whatever is outstanding from the previous life. So if a person has done something to harm another, they will take from that person their good deeds to reconcile with that person, so at the end everyone is cleared of outstanding matters, cleansed of their bad doings. Except for those who don't have enough good deeds to give to those who they harmed. As it describes in the Hadith. These will dwell for some time in the Hellfire to cleanse what is left of their sins.

What things are we talking about? You borrowed a pen from someone and you didn't return it, minor but still that person will come to claim what is rightfully theirs. You speak badly about someone or spread lies about them, they will come to collect. You borrow something and return it in bad condition without apology or replacing what you ruined. You steal from someone. You physically hurt someone. You short change them in a deal. There are some many ways in which we may cause harm or injustice to another person, and unless we sort it out now, in this life it will be sorted out on the Sirat in the form of handing over those good deeds.

How does this all related to the topic of backbiting?

Umar ibn al-Khattab came upon Abu Bakr as-Siddiq pulling his tongue. Umar said to him, "Stop, may Allah forgive you!" Abu Bakr replied, "This has brought me to dangerous places." [Muwatta']

We should be weary of our tongues and what we say. Think about this as an example ... how many times have you or someone else referred to one of your fellow sisters with a remark, "Look at the Hijab, isn't that ghastly" or some such similar comment. It isn't a huge comment, but just like the pen, it will be taken from you in good deeds on the Day of Judgment. We tend to focus on the big bad things we say, or others say without realizing that even the smallest thing will come back to us. And again think for a moment, one such small comment often begins a conversation which grows into worse forms of backbiting and slander.

Allah forbids these acts, as He says in the Quran:

"O you who believe! Avoid much suspicion, in deeds some suspicions are sins. And spy not neither backbite one another. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? You would hate it (so hate backbiting). And fear Allah, verily, Allah is The One Who accepts repentance, Most Merciful" [Noble Quran 49:12]

Can you imagine that backbiting is like eating the flesh of your fellow human being?

Do you understand what backbiting is?

Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) said:

"Do you know what backbiting is?" They said, "Allah and His Messenger know best." He then said, "It is to say something about your brother that he would dislike." Someone asked him, "But what if what I say is true?" The Messenger of Allah said, "If what you say about him is true, you are backbiting him, but if it is not true then you have slandered him." [Muslim]

Backbiting is something that you say about a person that they will dislike you to say that is true about them. Even worse is slander because you are adding the addition sin of lying about that person on top of it!!

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:

"Who protects his tongue from unlawful utterances and his private parts from illegal sexual intercourse, I shall guarantee him entrance into Paradise." [Bukhari and Muslim]

Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) also said:

"I asked the Messenger of Allah: Who is the best Muslim? The Messenger of Allah replied, "He is the one from whom Muslims are safe from the evil of his tongue and hands."

Are the Muslims safe from your tongue? Are you checking just what words are coming out of your mouth? Will you be handing out all your good deeds on the Day of Judgment because of what you said?

It is worth taking a stock take of what you say. Reflect upon that fact that the most likely person you say bad things about is most likely the person you would least like to share your good deeds with. Contemplate the effort you put into accumulating good deeds only to open your mouth and blow them all away!!

One last tip on this topic, it is easier to avoid backbiting, gossiping and slandering if you do not listen to such talk. It is also a sin to participate in backbiting by listening to others back bite.

Walk away or change the subject, but don't just sit there and absorb the evil utterances of others.

Repentance in Islam

As-Salamu Alaykum (peace be upon you), I WANT TO REPENT Allah has commanded all the believers to repent, as He says: "...And all of you beg Allah to forgive you all, O believers, that you may be successful." [Noble Quran 24:31] Allah's Mercy You should know that Allah has commanded His slaves to repent sincerely and has made doing so obligatory. He says: "O you who believe! Turn to Allah with sincere repentance..." [Noble Quran 66:8] Allah has given us time to repent before the honorable scribes (recording angels) record our deeds. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "The (scribe) on the left hand raises his pen (i.e., delays writing) for six hours [we do not know that this is six hours in our understanding of time] before he records the sinful deed of a Muslim. If he regrets it and seeks Allah's forgiveness, the deed is not recorded, otherwise it is recorded as one deed." [At-Tabarani] A further respite is granted after the deed has been recorded, up until the moment before death approaches. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Whoever repents before the death rattle reaches his throat, Allah will accept it from him" (Ahmad and al-Tirmidhi) and "Whoever repents before the sun rises in the West, Allah will accept his repentance" [Muslim] The Danger of Taking Sin Lightly Major or minor sins....all are disobedience to Allah. Anas said: "You do things which in your eyes are less significant than a hair, but at the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), we used to count them as things that could destroy a man." Ibn Mas'ud said: "The believer regards his sin as if he were sitting beneath a mountain which he fears may fall on him, whereas the sinner regards his sin as if a fly lands on his nose and he swipes it away." Will these people then understand the seriousness of the matter when they read the following Hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him)? "Beware of the minor sins which are often thought of as insignificant, for they are like a group of people who stopped in the bottom of a valley. One of them brought a stick, and another brought a stick, until they had gathered enough to cook their food. These minor sins, if a person is called to account for them, will destroy him." According to another report, he said: "Beware of minor sins, for they will pile up until they destroy a person." [Ahmad] Conditions For the Acceptance of Repentance The word Tawbah ("repentance") conveys a profound meaning, one which carries great implications. It is not, as many people think, the matter of mere lip-service, after uttering which a person may then continue in his sin. If you ponder the meaning of the ayah: "...Seek the forgiveness of your Lord, and turn to Him in repentance..." [Noble Quran 11:3] You will see that repentance is something which is over and above seeking for forgiveness. Condition 1 That the sin should be given up only for the sake of Allah, not for any other reason, such as being unable to do it, or being afraid of what people will say. The one who does not commit a sin because of reasons beyond her control cannot be described as one who repents. So the liar who is robbed of the power of speech, the adulterer who becomes impotent, the thief who loses her limbs in an accident...all of them must feel remorse for what they have done and give up any wish to do it again. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Remorse is repentance." [Ahmad and Ibn Majah] Condition 2 The one who repents should feel that her sin is repulsive and harmful. This means that if a person repents sincerely, she cannot derive any feelings of pleasure or enjoyment when she remembers her past sins, or wish to repeat them in the future. What Should I Do When I Have Sinned? The first is to feel remorse in one's heart and to be determined not to repeat the sin. This is the result of fearing Allah. The second is to undertake some physical action to do different kinds of good deeds, such as praying Salat at-Tawbah (the prayer of repentance). Abu Bakrah said: "I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) say: "There is no man who commits a sin, then gets up, purifies himself, prays two Rak'ahs then asks Allah to forgive him, but Allah will forgive him.'" Then he recited this ayah: "And those who, when they have committed Fahishah (illegal sexual intercourse, etc.) or wronged themselves with evil, remember Allah and ask forgiveness for their sins; - and none can forgive sins but Allah - and do not persist in what (wrong) they have done, while they know." [Noble Quran 3:135] Other Sahih reports describe how to perform the two Rak'ahs which will expiate for sin. In Summary 1. She should perform Wudu'. "There is no-one who performs Wudu' and performs it well, but her sins will fall from the washed limbs with the water or with the last drop of water." 2. She should stand and offer two Rak'ahs of prayer. 3. She should not make any mistakes or forget any part of the prayer. 4. She should not let her thoughts wander. 5. She should concentrate properly and think of Allah whilst praying. 6. Then she should seek the forgiveness of Allah. The result will be that her previous sins will be forgiven, and she will be assured of Paradise. This should be followed with more good deeds and acts of obedience to Allah. When 'Umar realized that he had made the mistake of disagreeing with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) during the Campaign of al-Hudaybiyah, he said: "Because of that I did many deeds," i.e., righteous deeds, as expiation for that sin. Think about the example given in the following Sahih Hadith: The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "The one who does bad deeds then does good deeds is like a man who wears a tight coat of mail which almost chokes him; when he does a good deed, it becomes a little looser, and as he does more good deeds it becomes even looser, until it falls off him and drops to the ground." [At-Tabarani] So good deeds release the sinner from the prison of disobedience, and bring her forth into the brave new world of obedience to Allah. Ibn Mas'ud said: "A man came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and said: 'O Messenger of Allah, I found a woman in a garden and I did everything with her (kissing and fondling) except that (intercourse), so do with me as you will.' The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) did not say anything, and the man went away. 'Umar said: 'Allah covered his sin. He should have covered it himself.' The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) followed the man with his gaze and said: 'Bring him back to me.' So they brought him back, and (the Prophet (peace be upon him) recited to him: 'And perform al-Salah (prayer) at the two ends of the day and in some hours of the night. "Verily, the good deeds remove the evil deeds (i.e., small sins). That is a reminder for the mindful (those who accept advice)" [Noble Quran 11:114] According to the report narrated by 'Umar, Mu'adh said: "O Messenger of Allah, is this just for him or does it apply to all the people?" The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "No, it applies to all the people." [Muslim] Other Steps to Take She should avoid the place where the sin was committed if her presence there will lead to her committing the same sin again. She should shun those who helped her to commit the sin. Allah says: "Friends on that Day will be foes one to another, except al-Muttaqun (the pious)." [Noble Quran 43:67] Bad friends will curse one another on the Day of Judgment, which is why when you repent, you should keep away from them, shun them, and warn others about them if they do not respond to your Dawah and advice. You should not let Shaytan tempt you to go back to them on the grounds that you want to advise them, especially when you know yourself to be weak and unable to resist this temptation. There are many cases of people falling back into sin because they went back to the company of bad friends. She should destroy the Haram things in her possession, such as alcoholic drinks, musical instruments (like 'Oud - a stringed instrument - and Mizmar - a wind instrument), Haram pictures and films, worthless literature and statues. She should choose righteous friends who will help her, instead of those bad friends. She should strive to attend gatherings where Allah is remembered and where she may gain more knowledge. She should fill her time with worthwhile pursuits so that Shaytan will not find ways to remind her of the past. She should rebuild her body which has been fed on unlawful things, by obeying Allah and striving to nourish it with only lawful things, so that it will become strong. Will Allah Forgive Me? The guiding principle for us Muslims is to refer to the Quran and Sunnah when we look for rulings, solutions and remedies. When we refer this matter to the Quran, we find that Allah says: "Say: 'O My slaves who have transgressed against themselves (by committing evil deeds and sins)! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah, verily Allah forgives all sins. Truly, He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. And turn in repentance and in obedience with true faith to your Lord and submit to Him..." [Noble Quran 39:53-54] It is sufficient to quote the words of Allah: "...and My Mercy embraces all things..." [Noble Quran 7:156] And the Sahih Hadith Qudsi, Allah says: "Whoever knows that I am able to forgive all sins, I shall forgive him, and I shall not mind, so long as he does not associate anything with Me." [At-Tabarani] This refers to when the slave meets his Lord in the Hereafter. Also the Hadith Qudsi: "'O son of Adam, so long as you call upon Me and put your hope in Me, I will forgive you for what you have done, and I shall not mind. O son of Adam, if your sins were to reach the clouds of the sky, and you were to ask me for forgiveness, I will forgive you and I shall not mind. O son of Adam, if you were to come to Me with sins nearly the size of the earth, and you were to meet Me not associating anything with Me, then I would bring you forgiveness nearly the size of (the earth).'" [At-Tirmidhi] The Prophet (peace be upon him) also said: "The one who repents from his sin is like the one who did not sin in the first place." [Ibn Majah] The repentance of one who killed a hundred The Prophet of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "There was among the people who came before you a man who killed ninety-nine people. Then he asked about the most knowledgeable person on earth, and was directed to a hermit, so he went to him, told him that he had killed ninety-nine people, and asked if he could be forgiven. The hermit said, 'No,' so he killed him, thus completing one hundred. Then he asked about the most knowledgeable person on earth and was directed to a scholar. He told him that he had killed one hundred people, and asked whether he could be forgiven. The scholar said, 'Yes, what could possibly come between you and repentance? Go to such-and-such a town, for in it there are people who worship Allah. Go and worship with them, and do not go back to your own town, for it is a bad place." So the man set off, but when he was halfway there, the angel of death came to him, and the angels of mercy and the angels of wrath began to argue over him. The angels of mercy said: 'He had repented and was seeking Allah.' The angels of wrath said: 'He never did any good thing.' An angel in human form came to them, and they asked him to decide the matter. He said: 'Measure the distance between the two lands (his home town and the town he was headed for), and whichever of the two he is closest to is the one to which he belongs.' So they measured the distance, and found that he was closer to the town for which he had been headed, so the angels of mercy took him." [Agreed upon] What then can come between a person and repentance? Do you think that your sins are any greater than the sins of this man, whose repentance Allah accepted? So why despair? The matter is even greater than this. Think about the words of Allah: "And those who invoke not any other god along with Allah, nor kill such life as Allah has forbidden, except for just cause, nor commit illegal sexual intercourse - and whoever does this shall receive the punishment. The torment shall be doubled to him on the Day of Resurrection, and he will abide therein in disgrace; except those who repent and believe, and do righteous deeds; for those, Allah will change their sins into good deeds, and Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." [Noble Quran 25:68-70]