>A letter was handed to al-Buhlul…

>
‘Some of the students of al-Buhlul said: A letter was handed to al-Buhlul so he opened it and it was in it:

“From a woman from Samarqand of Khurasan, I am a woman who committed all types of sins that no other ever committed, but turned to Allah and repented, and I asked about the worshippers living on earth so I was informed of four worshippers, one of them is al-Buhlul in Africa. O Buhlul, I ask you by Allah to invoke Allah for me so He maintain for me this guidance”
Upon reading this, the letter fell off the hands of al-Buhlul and he fell on his face weeping and crying until he wet the letter with his tears then he said [blaming himself]: O Buhlul! From Samarqand Khurasan [They know of you]? Woe to you if Allah did not cover you [i.e. conceal your faults and make you unknown]!

This story is a lesson to all those who seek knowledge to debate so and so or to give lectures and talks so people know him, or so that people approach him to ask him questions, or to be called a shaykh or a student of knowledge, and it is for those who dislike it when someone does not pay attention to what they say, or feel insulted when someone call them laypeople, and for those who learn but do not act upon what they learn, and for those whose knowledge did not increase the sense of fearing Allah in their hearts, for those who thinks knowledge is about memorizing and for those and for those…

May Allah engulf our hearts with His Mercy and write us amongst those who fear Him and act upon what they know for Imam al-Shafi’e said: Knowledge is not to memorize, rather to act upon it.

And Allah directs Whoever He likes to success.

Source:

 
[al-Qadi 'Iyyad related it in his known book 'Tartib al-Madarik' (3:89) under the biography of Imam al-Buhlul ibn Rashid al-Qayrawani al-Maliki who was one of the companions of Imam Malik and known for his piety and excessive wosrhip.]

http://ahlalhdeeth.com/vbe/showthread.php?p=74610

Secret Devotion

It is reported that Shurayh the Judge used to have a house in which he would spend time alone on Fridays; no one knew what he did in it.

Al-Dhahabî, Siyar A’lâm Al-Nubalâ` Vol.4 p105.

It is reported that Abû Al-‘Âliyah said, “I learned writing and the Qur`ân without my family noticing, and not a drop of ink was ever seen on my garment.”

Abû Nu’aym, Hilyatu Al-Awliyâ` Vol. 2 p217.

It is reported that when Ibn Abî Laylâ prayed [at night], if someone entered [his house], he would lie down on his bed [as if he was sleeping].

Abû Nu’aym, Hilyatu Al-Awliyâ` Vol. 4 p351.

It is reported that Ayyûb Al-Sakhtiyânî used to pray all night and hide it. In the morning, he would raise his voice as if he had just woken up.

Al-Dhahabî, op. cit. Vol. 6 p17.

It is reported that Dâwûd b. Abî Hind fasted for forty years without his family knowing, he would take his lunch out with him and donate it in the street.

Al-Dhahabî, op. cit. Vol. 6 p378.

http://ahlalhdeeth.com/vbe/showthread.php?t=5959

"Do not be decieved by my worship…"

It is reported that a man was closely watching Bishr As-Sulaimi (radiAllahu anhu),who was prolonging his prayer and performing it well.

When Bishr completed his prayer, he said to the man, “Do not be deceived by what you have seen from me. For indeed, Iblis the Devil –may Allah curse him-worshipped Allah for thousands of years and then ended up being what he is now!”

Bahrud-Dumu, pg. 171

“Glimpses of the Lives of Righteous People“

(compiled) by Majdi Muhammad Ash-Shahawi

(c) Maktaba Dar-us-Salam, 2004

‘Ibaadah – A Reflection of ‘Ilm

As-salaamu `alaykum wa rahmatullaah

‘Ibaadah – A Reflection of ‘Ilm

http://fajr.wordpress.com/2007/11/22/ibaadah-a-reflection-of-ilm/

Hasan al-Basri (rahimahullaah):

“I saw a people from the Companions of the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam) saying:

‘Whoever acts without knowledge, then that which he corrupts and ruins is greater than that which he sets aright. The one who does deeds without ‘ilm is like a traveller without a path, so seek knowledge with such a seeking that does not harm ‘ibaadah (worship) and seek (to perform) ‘ibaadah such that it does not harm ‘ilm.

And a man from amongst them would seek knowledge until it was readily seen from his khushoo’ (humbleness), his zuhd (asceticism), his speech and sight.”

[Siyar A’laam al-Nubalaa’]

The link between ‘ilm and ‘ibaadah is one that we must all pay close attention to. If our knowledge is not adding to the quality and quantity of our ‘ibaadah, then it should be a cause for concern because the first benefit we receive from ‘ilm is evident in our ‘ibadah.

We ask Allaah for tawfeeq and tafaqquh (understanding)

‘Ibaadah – A Reflection of ‘Ilm

As-salaamu `alaykum wa rahmatullaah

‘Ibaadah – A Reflection of ‘Ilm

http://fajr.wordpress.com/2007/11/22/ibaadah-a-reflection-of-ilm/

Hasan al-Basri (rahimahullaah):

“I saw a people from the Companions of the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam) saying:

‘Whoever acts without knowledge, then that which he corrupts and ruins is greater than that which he sets aright. The one who does deeds without ‘ilm is like a traveller without a path, so seek knowledge with such a seeking that does not harm ‘ibaadah (worship) and seek (to perform) ‘ibaadah such that it does not harm ‘ilm.

And a man from amongst them would seek knowledge until it was readily seen from his khushoo’ (humbleness), his zuhd (asceticism), his speech and sight.”

[Siyar A’laam al-Nubalaa’]

The link between ‘ilm and ‘ibaadah is one that we must all pay close attention to. If our knowledge is not adding to the quality and quantity of our ‘ibaadah, then it should be a cause for concern because the first benefit we receive from ‘ilm is evident in our ‘ibadah.

We ask Allaah for tawfeeq and tafaqquh (understanding)