A new beginning

Allâh, the Most High, says in the Qur’ân

"It is only those who have knowledge amongst His slaves that fear Allâh" (35:28)


Allâh, the Most High, also says in the Qur’ân

"Say: Believe in it (ie the Qur’ân) or do not believe (in it). Verily! Those who were given knowledge before it, when it is recited to them, fall down on their faces in humble prostration, and they say: "Glory be to our Lord! Truly the promise of our Lord must be fulfilled. And they fall down on their faces weeping, and it adds to their humility". (17:107-9)


'Abdul A'lâ al-Taymee, said with regard to these noble verse:

"Whoever is given knowledge that doesn't make him weep, then clearly he has not been given knowledge that benefits, because Allâh, the Most High, has described the knowledgeable by saying: (17:107)".


Allâh, the Most High, says in the Qur’ân:

"And those who have been given knowledge know that it (the Qur’ân) is the truth from your Lord, and that they may believe therein, and their hearts may submit to it with humility. And verily Allâh is the guide of those who believe in the Straight Path" (22:54)


On the authority of Abû Dharr (ra) who said that the Messenger of Allâh (saw) said,

"I can see what you do not see, and I can hear what you do not hear. Indeed the sky groans (the large no.s of angels in the sky make it heavy so that it groans) and it has a right to do so. There is not an area equal to that of four fingers, except that an angel is prostrating to Allâh therein. By Allâh! If you knew what I know you would laugh little and weep much, and you would not enjoy your wives in bed. But rather you would come out onto the hills, supplicating and praying fervently to Allâh"
(Ahmad, at-Tirmidhî, Ibn Mâjah, hasan)

A burglar scaled the wall of Maalik bin Dinar's house one night and easily managed to get inside. Once inside the house, the thief was disappointed to see that there was nothing inside actually worth stealing. The owner of the home was inside at the time, he was busy performing prayer. Realizing that he was not alone, Maalik quickly ended his prayer and turned around to face the thief. Without showing any sign of being shocked or afraid, Maalik calmly extended greetings of peace and then said, "My brother, may Allah forgive you. You entered my home and found nothing that is worth taking, yet I do not want you to leave my home without taking away some benefit."

He stood up, went to another part of the room, and came back with a jug full of water. He looked into the eyes of the burglar and said, "Make ablution and perform two units of prayer, for if you do so, you will leave my home with a greater treasure than you had initially sought when you entered it."

Much humbled by Maalik's manners and words, the thief said, "Yes, that is a generous offer indeed."

After making ablution and performing two units of prayer, the burglar said, "O Maalik, would you mind if I stayed for a while, for I want to stay to perform two more units of prayer?"

Maalik said, "Stay for whatever amount of prayer Allah decrees for you to perform now."

The thief ended up spending the entire night at Maalik's house. He continued to pray until the morning. Then Maalik said, "Leave now and be good."

But instead of leaving, the thief said, "Would you mind if I stayed here with you today, for I have made an intention to fast the day?"

"Stay as long as you wish," said Maalik.

The burglar ended up staying for a number of days, praying during the late hours of each night and fasting throughout the duration of each day. When he finally decided to leave, the burglar said, "O Maalik, I have made a firm resolve to repent for my sins and for my former way of life."
Maalik said, "Indeed, that is in the Hand of Allah."

The man did mend his ways and began to lead a life of righteousness and obedience to Allah. Later on, He came across another burglar he knew. [His friend] said to him, "Have you found your treasure yet?"

He said, "My brother, what I found is Maalik bin Dinaar. I went to steal from him, but it was he who ended up stealing my heart. I have indeed repented to Allah, and I will remain at the door [of His Mercy and Forgiveness] until I achieve what his obedient, loving slaves have achieved."


[al-Mawaa'idh wal-Majaalis: 85]

It is reported that there was once a king who, at a certain moment during his rule, came to the realization that no matter how rich he was, his pleasures were of the fleeting kind and his end was going to be death. These thoughts lingered in his mind, until one day he secretly left his castle and made his way towards the seaside. There, he spent his days earning his keep by working with bricks, and his nights worshipping Allah. Although he had travelled far away from his homeland, he could not remain unrecognised for long, and soon news of his story reached the king of the land that he was in. That king summoned him, but he refused to go; and when he was summoned for a second time, he made it clear that he didn’t want to meet the king.

The king of the land was too curious about the former king’s story to let the matter rest there. And so he went to him in person, but when the former king saw him approaching, he began to run away. The king of the land chased him as he called out, “O slave of Allah, fear not,” but the former king continued to flee from him. This continued until the king of the land was able to convince him that he just wanted to talk to him for a few moments. When the two were face to face, the king of the land asked the former king, “What made you come to this land?”

He said, “I found that my heart desired separation from the children of Adam.”

The king of the land asked, “How can you bear living a life of loneliness?”

He said, “Whoever finds comfort with Allah finds unwholesome the company of anyone else.”

The king of the land asked, “And why did you leave your realm?”

He answered, “I thought about my outcome, my final destination on this earth, and I realized that my end here was near at hand. And so I decided to turn away from that which is temporary and to instead turn towards that which will abide forever. Turning to my Lord, I then fled from my sins.”

The king of the land said “You do not have more reason to fear Allah than I do.”

The king of that land then abdicated his throne, after which he followed his new companion on the path of simplicity, repentance, and worship.

"Truly in the heart there is a void that can not be removed except with the company of Allah.

And in it there is a sadness that can not be removed except with the happiness of knowing Allah and being true to Him.

And in it there is an emptiness that can not be filled except with love for Him and by turning to Him and always remembering Him.

And if a person were given all of the world and what is in it, it would not fill this emptiness."

-Ibn Qayyim al Jawziyya