Being Two-Faced

Being Two-Facedal-Haafidh Abu Haatim Muhammad ibn Hibbaan
Reference: Rawdat al 'Uqalaa: P. 49

Category: Sayings of the Salaf

Muhammad ibnul Hussain ibn Qutaybah in 'Asqalaan informed me that Ibraheem al Hawraani…on the authority of Sahl who said that the Messenger of Allaah said: 'There is no good in a companion who does not observe the same rights towards you as you observe towards him.'
Abu Haatim, may Allaah be pleased with him, said: It is compulsory for an intelligent individual who was blessed by Allaah to have love for a Muslim, to stay close/cling on to him. He should accustom himself to stay in contact with him if he cuts him off, to turn towards him if he turns away, to give him if he withholds, to draw close to him if he distances himself, to the point that he is like a pillar in his life. It is from the greatest of faults for a person to be two faced in his affection.

Al Muntasir ibn Bilaal al Ansaaree recited (this poem) to me:

How many a friend displays affection with his tongue,
but is deceitful in my absence and is not regretful.
He unwillingly amuses me so I may love him,
but his words in my absence strike me like arrows.
...

Abu Haatim said: The intelligent individual is not deficient in his affection, he does not have two faces or two hearts. Rather, what he conceals is identical to what he reveals, his actions are in accordance to his speech. There is no good in two companions where deficiency grows between them, and their state increases in corruption, as 'Abdul 'Azeez ibn Sulaimaan al Abrash recited to me:

May Allaah revile one whom having affection towards is of no use,
and one whose rope/aid is feeble, when extended.
And one who is of two colors [two-faced], is not consistent,
in keeping ties, a betrayer of everyone trustworthy.
And one who has two hearts - meeting him,
is enjoyable, but is untrustworthy in his absence.
And one whom if his eyes were to speak,
they would cut off all paths of companionships.
...

'Amru ibn Muhammad an Nasaa-ee recited to me:
The eye reveals what is within the soul,
of hatred or love if present.
Indeed one who harbors hatred has an eye [look] which is apparent,
unable to conceal by it what lies within his heart.
The eye speaks even though the mouth moves not,
to the point where you would clearly see what lies within the heart.
...

'Alee ibn Muhammad al Basaamee recited to me:
A neighbor that continues to send me,
painful words that do not allow me to sleep.
His affection is distance from those close to him,
rather aversion, refuses to be consistent.
He rushes to extend the Salaam when we meet,
while underneath his ribs lies a diseased heart.
...

I heard Muhammad ibn al Mundhir say: I heard 'Abdul 'Azeez ibn 'Abdilaah say: Muhammad ibn Haazim said:

There are brothers who are always displaying smiles,
and brothers: 'Hayaak Allaah' and 'Marhaba (welcome)'.
And brothers: 'How are you and how's your family.',
but all this holds not the weight of a grain of sand.
Extremely generous when you are not in need of his wealth,
he says: I can give you a loan you if you are in need.
But if you tried to reach what is behind him,
you would find that his wealth is more distant than you thought.
...

Abu Haatim, may Allaah be pleased with him, said: The intelligent one does not befriend one who is two-faced, or one who has two hearts. He does not reveal anymore affection that what he conceals, and he does not conceal any less love than what he reveals. He should not be, when hardships arise, any different than he were before they arose or before getting involved, because a friendship that is unlike this is not praiseworthy. A man from Khuzaa'ah recited to Muhammad ibn Khalaf at Taymee, who recited to Muhammad ibnul Mundhir, who recited to me:
My brother is not the one who shows his love for me verbally,
but my brother is he who shows love for me during hardships.
He whose wealth is mine if I had none,
as my wealth is his if he were in need
So do not praise a friend during times of ease,
for he may forfeit his friendship during hardships.
He is only: 'How are you', and 'welcome',
but with his wealth is as evasive as a fox.
...

Abu Haatim, may Allaah be pleased with him, said: From the greatest of signs in knowing a persons affection...

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"Whoever abandons something for the sake of Allaah, He will replace it for him with something better than it"

"Whoever abandons something for the sake of Allaah, He will replace it for him with something better than it"

AUTHOR: 'Alee Hasan al-Halabee
SOURCE: Al-Asaalah Magazine (Issue 31, pg. 60-61)
PRODUCED BY: Al-Ibaanah.com

The teacher of our teachers,[1] the great scholar and historian, Shaikh Muhammad Raaghib At-Tabbaakh, rahimahullaah, mentioned the following story in his book “I’laam an-Nubalaa bi-Taareekh Halab ash-Shuhabaa” (7/231):

“Shaikh Ibraaheem Al-Hilaalee Al-Halabee – a pious and noble scholar – traveled to Al-Azhar University in search of knowledge. While seeking knowledge, he became very poor and used to rely on charity. One time, several days passed by and he did not find anything to eat, so he became extremely hungry.

So he came out of his room in Al-Azhar to ask for some scraps of food. He found an open door from which a pleasant smell of food was coming out of. So he entered the door and found himself in a kitchen with no one around. There he found some tempting food, so he grabbed a spoon and dipped it in, but when he lifted it to his mouth, he held himself back from eating it, since he realized that he had not been given permission to eat from it. So he left it and returned to his room in the dormitory of Al-Azhar, still hungry and starving.

But no less than an hour passed by, when one of his teachers, accompanied by another man, came into his room. And his teacher said to him: ‘This noble man came to me seeking a righteous student of knowledge to choose for marrying his daughter, and I have chosen you for him. So rise and come with us to his home where we can complete the marriage contract between you and his daughter and you can become part of his household.’ So Shaikh Ibraaheem struggled to get to his feet, obeying the command of his teacher and went with them. And behold they took him to the very same house he had been to, and which he had entered and dipped the spoon into the food!

So when he sat down, the girl’s father married her to him and the food was brought out. It was the same food he had put the spoon into before and which he abandoned. But now he ate from it and said to himself: ‘I withheld from eating it when I had no permission, but now Allaah has given me this food with permission.’

Afterward, this righteous wife went back with him to Halab, after he had finished his studies. And she bore righteous children for him.” So this is the fruit of patience and this is the result of having taqwaa, as Allaah says: “And whoever has Taqwaa of Allaah, He will make a way out for him (from hardship), and He will provide for Him from places He never imagined.” [Surah At-Talaaq: 2-3]

But as for those who are hasty – those who do not distinguish between the truth and falsehood, seeking after the transitory vanities of this worldly life – they will never experience anything but grief and sorrow in their hearts, for they will never attain the worldly life nor will they ever achieve Religion. This is because they forget – or perhaps neglect – the saying of Allaah: “Is not Allaah sufficient for His servant?” [Surah Az-Zumar: 36] As for those who are patient and firm and who have Taqwaa, they will gain ascendancy in this life and glory and honor with their Lord on the Day of Judgement.

And Allaah says: “So give the glad tidings to the patient ones.” [Surah Al-Baqarah: 155] And He says: “Verily, the patient ones will be given their reward without any reckoning.” [Surah Az-Zumar: 10]

Article Take From ---> http://al-ibaanah.com/articles.php?ArtID=81

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"How beautiful Knowledge is, better than gold and money, better than beautiful women, better than worldly possessions, Allah willing we will seek Knowledge until we die."

Shaykh Muqbil bin Haadee al-Waad'iee

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Could You?

Could you describe the sky

to a person without sight,

the gift of shades and shadows

you receive each day and night?

Could you depict the freedom

of walking down the street

to a person who has never

had the use of their two feet?

Could you express the comfort

of sleeping in a bed

to someone who does not have

a place to lay their head?

Could you explain the pleasure

of a satisfying meal

to a child who has never known

the fullness that you feel?

Could you, in all honesty,

with good and truthful measure,

say that you are thankful

and consider life a treasure?

Could You?
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The Weeping of Umm Ayman

On the authority of Anas, who said: ‘Aboo Bakr said to ‘Umar, after the death of the Messenger of Allaah sal’Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam: “Let us go visit Umm Ayman, as the Messenger of Allaah sal’Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam used to visit her.” When they finished visiting her (and were about to leave) she began to cry. So they asked her: “What is it that makes you cry? Is not that which is with Allaah better for the Messenger of Allaah sal’Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam?” So she replied: I am not crying because I am not aware that that which is with Allaah is better for the Messenger of Allaah sal’Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, but I am crying because the revelation from the heavens has stopped.” This moved them to tears, so they both began to weep with her.’ [Reported by Muslim]
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The Hardness of the Heart, by ibnul qayyim in al fa'wa'id

Al-Fawaa`id [pp. 111-112] of ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah, may Allaah
have mercy upon him.

[The translation is taken from 'An Explanation of Riyaadh as-Saaliheen Vol. 1, Trans. Abu Sulaymaan and modified.]

The servant is not afflicted with a punishment greater in severity than the hardening of the heart and its being distant from Allaah. The Fire was created to melt the hardened heart, this heart which is the most distant of hearts from Allaah. If the heart becomes hardened the eye becomes dry [and finds no joy or tranquillity].



There are four matters, when the limits are transgressed with regards to them, harden the heart: food, sleep, speech and sexual intercourse. A body afflicted by disease does not derive nourishment from food and water and similarly a diseased heart does not benefit from admonishment or exhortation.


. whosoever desires to purify his heart then let him give preference to Allaah over his base desires.

The heart that clings to its base desires is veiled from Allaah in accordance to the strength of its attachment to them. The hearts are the vessels of Allaah upon His earth, hence the most beloved of them to Him are those that are most tender, pure and resistant to deviation.

[A reference to the hadeeth, "Truly, Allaah has vessels from amongst the people of the earth, and the vessels of your Lord are the hearts of his righteous slaves, and the most beloved of them to Him are the softest and most tender ones" and it is hasan. Refer to as-Saheehah (no. 1691)]

The transgressors preoccupied their hearts with the pursuance of this world. If only they had preoccupied them with Allaah and seeking the Hereafter then they would have instead reflected upon the meaning of His Words and His Signs that are witnessed in creation. Their hearts would have returned to their owners (in whose chests they reside) bestowing upon them marvelous wisdom and pearls of benefit.

When the heart is nourished with dhikr, its thirst quenched with contemplation and cleansed from corruption, it shall witness remarkable and wondrous matters and be inspired with wisdom.

Not every individual who is endowed with knowledge and wisdom and dons its robe is from among its people. Rather the People of Knowledge and Wisdom are those who have infused life into their hearts by slaughtering their desires. As for the one who has
destroyed his heart and given precedence to his desires then knowledge and wisdom are deprived from his tongue.

The destruction of the heart occurs through possessing a sense of security and negligence. The heart is fortified through fear of Allaah and dhikr. If the heart renounces the pleasures of this world then it will be directed towards pursuing the bliss of the Hereafter and it will be amongst those who call to it. Should the
heart become content with the pleasures of this world the bliss of the Hereafter ceases to be pursued.

Yearning for Allaah and His meeting is like a gentle breeze blowing upon the heart, blowing away the blazing desire for this world. Whosoever causes his heart to settle with his Lord shall find himself in a calm and tranquil condition and whosoever sends it amongst the people shall be disturbed and excessively perturbed. This is because the love of Allaah can never enter the heart which contains love of this world until the camel passes through the eye of a needle.

Therefore the most beloved servant to Allaah is the one whom He places in His servitude, whom He selects for His Love, whom He causes to purify his worship for Him, who dedicates his life to Him, his tongue to His dhikr and his limbs to His service.

The heart becomes sick as the body becomes sick and its cure lies in repentance and seeking protection from evil.

It becomes rusty as a mirror becomes rusty and it is polished through dhikr.

It becomes naked as the body becomes naked and its adornment comes about through taqwaa.

It becomes hungry and thirsty as the body becomes hungry and thirsty and its hunger and thirst is satiated through knowledge, love, reliance, repentance and servitude to Allaah.



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To make the Heart Tender (Ar-Riqaq)

Bukhari :: Book 8 :: Volume 76 :: Hadith 509

Narrated Abu Huraira:

Allah's Apostle said, "Allah said, 'I will declare war against him who shows hostility to a pious worshipper of Mine. And the most beloved things with which My slave comes nearer to Me, is what I have enjoined upon him; and My slave keeps on coming closer to Me through performing Nawafil (praying or doing extra deeds besides what is obligatory) till I love him, so I become his sense of hearing with which he hears, and his sense of sight with which he sees, and his hand with which he grips, and his leg with which he walks; and if he asks Me, I will give him, and if he asks My protection (Refuge), I will protect him; ( i.e. give him My Refuge) and I do not hesitate to do anything as I hesitate to take the soul of the believer, for he hates death, and I hate to disappoint him."

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