Aayaat That Will Give You Tranquility Whenever You are Disturbed and Worried

 Imaam Ibn Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) wrote:

Allah the most High mentioned tranquility in His book in six places:

First: His saying: “And their Prophet (Samuel) said to them: Verily! The sign of His Kingdom is that there shall come to you At-Taaboot (a wooden box), wherein is Sakeenah (peace and reassurance) from your Lord.” [Soorah al-Baqarah: 248).

Second: His saying: “Then Allâh did send down His Sakeenah (calmness, tranquility and reassurance, etc.) on the Messenger (Muhammad) and on the believers [Soorah At-Tawbah: 26].

Third: His saying: “And he said to his companion (Abu Bakr): ‘Be not sad (or afraid), surely Allâh is with us." Then Allah sent down His Sakeenah (calmness, tranquility, peace, etc.) upon him, and strengthened him with forces (angels) which you saw not.” [Soorah At-Tawbah: 40]

Fourth: His saying: “He it is Who sent down As-Sakeenah (calmness and tranquility) into the hearts of the believers, that they may grow more in Faith along with their (present) Faith. And to Allâh belong the hosts of the heavens and the earth, and Allâh is Ever All-Knower, All-Wise.” [Soorah Al-Fath: 4]

Fifth: His saying: “Indeed, Allah was pleased with the believers when they gave the pledge to you (O Muhammad) under the tree: He knew what was in the breast, and He sent down As-Sakeenah (calmness and tranquility) upon them, and He rewarded them with a near victory.” [Soorah Al-Fath: 18]

Sixth: And His saying: “When those who disbelieve had put in their hearts pride and haughtiness –the pride and haughtiness of the time of ignorance, -- and Allah sent down His As-Sakeenah (calmness and tranquility) upon His messenger and upon the believers.” [Soorah Al-Fath: 26]

Whenever issues become difficult for Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him), he used to recite the verses of Sakeenah (calmness and tranquility). Once I heard him saying that about the great incidence that befell him during his illness, the intellects could not bear to wage war against the evil spirits that appeared to him when he was in a state of weakness.

He said: “When things became difficult for me, I said to my relatives and those around me: Read the verses of calmness and tranquility.” Then he continued: “Then I was relieved of that condition and I sat down with no ailment in me that I was afraid of.” I [Ibn Qayyim] have also tried reciting these verses at times of anxiety and I noticed that it has a pronounced effect in calming and reassuring the heart.

Source: Madaarij as-Saalikeen, vol. 2 p. 405 by Imaam Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah; Daar al-Hadeeth edition. Transl. by Abdus-Samee’ Abdus-Salaam.

 

Do Not Acquire Knowledge For Mutual Rivalry

 

Imaam Ibn Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

Allaah said: “Competition in [worldly] increase diverts you until you visit the graveyards. No! You are going to know. Then no! You are going to know.”  [Soorah At-Takaathur: 1-4]. There is mutual rivalry in everything. So whoever is distracted by mutual rivalry for any worldly thing and becomes diverted from Allah and the abode of the Hereafter is included in the ruling of this verse.  There are some among the people that mutual rivalry for wealth diverts from their [Lord].

However, for some others; mutual rivalry for status or knowledge diverts them. So, they combine between mutual rivalry for knowledge and pride. This person is the worst in condition before Allaah than the one who is distracted by mutual rivalry for wealth and status. This is because the former employed the means of the Hereafter for the world while the companion of wealth and status employed the means of the world for it and does mutual rivalry with its means.

Source: ‘Uddah as-Saabireen wa Dhakheerah ash-Shaakireen, by Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah; translated by Abdus-Samee Abdus-Salaam.

Beware of All Forms of Oppression

 

Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan (may Allaah preserve him) said:

Linguistically, the word zulm (oppression) means putting something in improper place, and it is of three types:

The First Type: The first is zulm between the slave and his Lord; and this is done by committing shirk, and Allaah will not forgive it. The Most High said:

إِنَّ الشِّرْكَ لَظُلْمٌ عَظِيمٌ

“Verily! Joining others in worship with Allaah is a great Zulm (wrong) indeed.” [Soorah Luqmaan: 13] . Allaah the most High also said:

الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَلَمْ يَلْبِسُوا إِيمَانَهُمْ بِظُلْمٍ

“It is those who believe (in the Oneness of Allâh and worship none but Him Alone) and confuse not their belief with Zulm (wrong i.e. by worshipping others besides Allâh)…” [Soorah al-An’aam: 82] meaning shirk. Allaah will not forgive this except with repentance.

The Second Type: The second type is zulm between the slave and himself, and this is done by committing sins and evil deeds. He is the one who wronged himself with regard to what is less than shirk. Allaah – blessed and exalted be He – will forgive whomsoever He wishes of this sin. Allaah said:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَغْفِرُ أَنْ يُشْرَكَ بِهِ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَلِكَ لِمَنْ يَشَاءُ

 “Verily, Allaah forgives not that partners should be set up with him in worship, but He forgives except that (anything else) to whom He pleases…” [Soorah An-Nisaa’: 48]

The Third Type: The third type is oppression between a person and the people by transgressing against them concerning their property, honour and blood. Allaah will not forgive such a person unless the oppressed ones pardon him, otherwise the oppressed must retaliate upon the oppressor [on the Day of Resurrection], because the right of the creature cannot be waived except through forgiveness or fulfillment.

Allaah the Most High has restrained oppression from Himself because it does not befit Him – blessed and exalted be He -. He will not punish anyone without his action and He will never punish anyone except based on what he has done. This is justice. But if He were to punish him for something he did not do, this would be oppression; and Allaah is free from it based on His saying: “I have restrained oppression from Myself…”

Al-Minhatur-Rabbaniyyah fee Sharh al-Arba’een an-Nawawiyyah, p. 196 by Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan. Translated by Abdus-Samee Abdus-Salaam