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In the name of Allah most gracious most merciful.

The devout to Allah, and the most devout.

Written by: Sk Abd-Razzag Taher Farih

Translated by: Dr. Faheem Bukhatwa

09 February 2018

29 Jumada-Al-Aola 1439.

Dearly beloved, Allah says:

One day the prophet ppbu sat down and asked his companions: {Who would take a few words from me and he would follow them or teach others to follow them?} Abu-Huraira said: I will, O messenger of Allah. The messenger then took Abu-Huraira’s hand and counted to five, then said: {Avoid; and be fearful of the forbidden then you would be the most devout of all people. And accept and be satisfied with what Allah Has pre-determined for you then you would be the richest of all people. And treat well your neighbour then you will be a true believer (or a true person of faith). And love for all people what you would love for yourself then you would be a Muslim. And do not laugh far too much. For too much laughter kills off the heart}. These are fantastic advice or guidance that came in this hadeeth whosoever follows would be saved; and whosoever ignores would demise. There are those who are devout to Allah; and worship Allah at the highest levels. In other words, there can be a man who we say is a devout and there is another who is more devout. Just as you would say about someone is a generous man; but someone else is a more generous. Or you may say about someone is brave but someone else is the braver. Similarly with devotion, there are those who are devout but there are those who are more or most devout. When you yourself are the most devout then you become amongst the best of all people, and you would be saved in this life and the life next.

The most devout of people is not that who does a lot of prayers, and comes with a lot of donations, and this who does a lot of fasting, or goes for Hajj and Amrah (pilgrimage), or him who teaches the good or who preaches for Allah, or that who recommends good and deters against evil; or that who loves or hates for the sake of Allah; and that who does a lot of good deeds. And there is no doubt that any person who does all that is a true devout person who worships Allah; but this person would be most devout of all the people if he or she avoided and feared the forbidden. In other words they kept away from what is forbidden (or haram); and they did not violate Allah’s prohibitions. Listen to what the messenger ppbu said when he was outlining to us how some people’s good deeds are lost or go to waste or go in vain. The messenger ppbu said: {I know for certain that some people of my nation who will come on the day of resurrection with good deeds as big as the white Tahamat mountains and Allah makes all scattered worthless waste. And they are some of your brothers and from the same background as you, and they stay up part of the night in worship just as you do, but when they are alone or unseen they violate Allah’s prohibitions}. That is when they are alone with the haram they commit it instead of avoiding it and instead of being fearful of it. Therefore, the most devout of the people are those who keep away from the prohibitions.

Slaves of Allah, you should know that the forbidden finds its way into the heart through seven ways or doors; and then it ruins the heart. Those ways or doors are: either through the tongue (talking) or the private parts (sex), or the eye (vision); or the ear, or the stomach (food) or the hand or the foot. With reference to the tongue and the private parts; the messenger ppbu said: {whoever guarantees me what is between his jaws and between his thighs then I guarantee him paradise}. And with regard to the eye and ear Allah says in the Quran: {The hearing and the sight and the heart – he will be questioned or interrogated for each of them} 17:36. And with regard to the stomach Allah says in the Quran: {Those who wrongly eat away or devour the money or the wealth which belongs to the orphans, they in fact swallow fire into their bellies, and they will be exposed to burning flame.} 17:36. And with regard to the hand and foot Allah says in the Quran: {On this day We seal up their mouths, and their hands speak out to Us and their feet bear witness as to what they used to earn. } 36:65.

So, with the help of your faith; if you can establish a guard or protection against those seven doors then you are one of the most devout of people. And then it applies to you what the messenger ppbu had said about staying away from and being fearful of the prohibitions or haram. Staying away makes you the most devout of people.

Those most devout of people have certain characteristics. Allah used those characteristics describing them when He says: {Those who turn repentant (to Allah), those who worship (Him), those who give thanks (to Him), those who do fasting, those who bow down, those who fall prostrate (in worship), those who enjoin or encourage right and who forbid or deter evil and those who keep the limits or boundaries of Allah. Give great news and glad tidings to those who have faith} 9:112. In this verse, Allah tells the prophet ppbu to give the good news to the faithful believers who have those characteristics, that in return they have Allah’s contentment and satisfaction and Allah’s paradise.

We ask Allah to separate us by great distances with any Haram; as much as the distances, He placed between the heavens and the earth.

Notes:

Adhan - The call to prayer.

Ahmad (Ahmed)- Another name for the messenger Muhammad (PPBU).

Allah - The Arabic word for "god." It is often used as a name for God in Islam.

Ansar (or Al-Ansar): The inhabitants of the city of Al-Medina that received and supported the messenger (PPBU) when he immigrated from Mekkah in the very early years of Islam.

Assalam Alaikum - The Islamic greeting, literately means: Peace be with you. Used when approaching or leaving. When used during approaching it will be like saying: I bring no harm to you . and when said during leaving somebody it will mean: No harm will come to you after I leave.

Aya (or Ayah): is a verse of the Koran. It also means a miracle or a sign from God.

Arafa (or Arafah or Arafat): is a mountain outside the city of Mecca that represents the climax of the Hajj worship. All doing Hajj must stay at this location on the same day.

Badr - The place of the first significant battle between the Muslims and the pagans of the Quraish. It is located in Saudi Arabia.

Caliph - A Muslim ruler. See: (Khalifa)

Dajjal - Antichrist or the False Massiah.

Dawah - The proliferation of Islamic teachings through word and deed.

Deen (Din) - Religion or way of life.

Duaa: a prayer in the form of talking to Allah; praising him and asking him for help.

Fatwa - Legal verdict given based on the Qur'an (Koran) and the Sunnah which are the recorded sayings and deeds of Muhammad.

Ferdose: is the highest level of the all the gardens of Eden or paradise.

Fiqh - Religious law.

Hadeeth: is something reported that the messenger have said. It includes all the speeches and ceremonies he gave. It is usually narrated or told by one of his companions. There is a list of hadeeths approximately 14000 that are reported and checked to be genuine. No more hadeeths are acceptably added to this list.

Hajar - The Black Stone set into the corner of the Ka'aba in Mecca. It is said to be a stone from Heaven.

Hajj - The pilgrimage to Mecca which takes place in the last month of the Islamic calendar. One of the five pillars of Islam.

Hasana or hasanas: is the reward for a good deed. a hasana is a point or a merit for a good deed.

Hadith - The sayings and not deeds of the prophet Muhammad recorded by his followers. Considered authoritative and perfect.

Hajj: is the worship of pilgrimage.

Hijra (or Hejrah): the event of the immigration of the messenger from Mekkah to Madina. This event marks the start of the Islamic calendar. the Islamic calendar has 12 months based on the lunar cycle, each is 29.5 days. Hijra is also used as a name for the Islamic dating system.

Ibadah - Worship. All the words and deeds with which Allah is pleased. These deeds could be prayer and charity.

Iblis - (Ibleese): On of Satan's names.

Ibn (Ebn): the son of. Used by Arabs as part of an individual's name. Example: Ali whose father is Omar or the son of Omar, would be called: Ali Ibn Omar.

Imam (or Emam)- The leader for a prayer. In the Shiaa sect, an Imam is the individual who has the religious authority.

Iman: belief or faith

Injil (Enjeel) - The Bible. The book inspired to Jesus for the Christians.

Islam - Submission, the religion of all the prophets of Allah culminating in Muhammad.

Jannah - The heavenly garden, Paradise. The place of the faithful in the afterlife.

Jihad: is striving in the line of Allah in many forms. Includes a very wide scope varying from improving oneself to fighting a defensive war in protection of Allah's word. The greatest Jihad is the fight one's self against temptations. It also means "holy war."

Jinn - Supernatural, invisible beings race of beings, below angels. They were made from fire. Like humans, there amongst them are the faithful and the non beleivers and Jinn shall be judged on Judgment Day.

Ka'aba: A cube shaped building in Mecca containing a stone laid there by Abraham and Ishmael. Some say Ka'aba was first built by Adam, and some say by Abraham. It is the holiest place for Muslims. It is where all Muslims face in their daily prayers. Ka'aba also makes a major part of the pilgrimage in a ritual known as Tawaf.

Khalifa: is the Muslim ruler. Head of the Islamic empire. Exact translation: "Successor".

Khutbah - A sermon given in a Mosque, usually on Friday.

Kufr - Denial or Disbelief. A term Muslims use for anyone who denies existence of Allah or the prophecy of Muhammed.

Koran - Also spelled Qur'an. The holy book of Islam revealed to Muhammad by Allah through the Archangel Gabriel. Koran literally means "the recital." It is the final revelation of Allah given to the prophet Muhammad. It consists of 114 surahs (or chapters.)

Madinah - (Medinah): A city in the Arabian peninsula (in the country known now as Saudi Arabia). A city where the messenger had to immigrate to. Then it was called Yathrib.

Masjid - A center for Muslim activity. It is referred to as a mosque.

Masiah - A sin, or a sinful act

Mecca or Makkah: **is the holiest city for Muslims. It contains the Ka'aba mosque with the famous black cubical shape. Mecca is the birth place of the messenger (PPBU).**

Mosque - A Muslim house of worship.

Muhajir - (Muhajireen) Immigrant, one who leaves his home town due to lack of religious freedom. It was first used to describe early Muslims immigrating from Mecca to Median and Ethiopia.

Muhammad - the final messenger and prophet of God whose message abrogated all previous revelations. He received the Koran through the angel Gabriel over a 23 year period. Born in Mecca and died in Medina at the age of 63. His full name: Muhammad ibn Abd-Allah

Muslim - One who holds faith to the religion of Islam.

Nafilah: a voluntary prayer other than the five obligatory prayers; performed at any time.

Nasara - Christians. Nasrani: A Christian individual. Nasraniah: Christianity.

Ommah: is the Arabic word for a nation. It usually refers to the Islamic nation unless otherwise specified.

Paradise - Another word for heaven. A garden of bliss, fruits, rivers and all forms of pleasures imaginable and imaginable. No suffering, disease or death. Service is provided by angels. All live in it an ever lasting youthful life. Promised by Almighty Allah to all faithful, true Jews, true Christians and True Muslims. Paradise is one of two places every person will go to, either Paradise or Hellfire.

PPBU (P.B.U.H.) : Peace and Prayers Be Upon him. A statement Muslims use any time they mention the name of the messenger or make a reference to him.

Qadar - Fate. Preordainment is the teaching that all things, good and bad, are preordained to occur.

Qadr - (night of Qadr): The night when the first revelation of the Koran took place. Most likely it happened during one of the last ten nights of the month of Ramadan. Or when the Koran was brought down to the nearest heaven in one go, and from there it was brought down in bits and few verses at a time over a period of 23 years. This night is considered the holiest night for Muslims with tremendous advantages.

Qibla - The direction which Muslims turn for daily prayers, towards Mecca.

Quraish - An ancient Arab tribe to which the messenger Muhammad belonged.

Ramadan - The ninth month of the Islamic calendar which is the month of the fast. The holiest month in the Muslim colander.

Salat - Prayers. Generally it covers all forms of worship, but more specifically refers to the Muslim rituals which is performed to worship Allah five times daily.

Shiaa: A sect of Islam that teaches that a religion leader (Imam) should be the political ruler and must be direct descendants of the messenger (PPBU). Therefore, disapproving of all Muslim leaders who ruled After the messenger (PPBU) except Ali, the messenger's grandson.

Shirk - Associating another god with Allah. Or associating anyone or anything with Allah. Or using anyone or anything as a medium to Allah. The opposite of Monotheism or Tawheed.

Siam or Soam- Fasting

Sunni: is a the title of those Muslims who are suppose to be following the life style of the messenger. This differentiates them from the Shiaa of Iran.

Sunna (Sunnah): Is how the Messenger PPBU lived, what he did or said. It includes the way he dressed, ate, drank, prayed, interacted with other people and fought. Basically, sunnah is the life style of the messenger PPBU. It is considered the second source of legislation in Islamic laws and it is considered to be an important reference to be used for concluding arguments and disputes. It is also a title give to the main stream Muslims who make 90% if all Muslims.

Surah - A chapter of the Koran.

Tawaf: part of the pilgrimage (Hajj) ritual. It involves walking round the Ka'aba Mosque in anti-clock wise direction a number of seven circles.

Tauhid - Tawheed - Monotheism, in Islam is the teaching that there is only one God who alone is worthy of worship. The first requirement of becoming a Muslim. It is included in the testimony of faith for new Muslims when declaring that God is one: (No God but Allah)

Taqwah - Proper fear and veneration of Allah. A divine spark that enables the person to understand God.

Taurat: The old Testaments and scriptures of Mosa.

Ummah - the word means: a Nation. Usually refers to the Islamic nation unless otherwise stated.

Umrah - (Amrah): A mini hajj. A Minor form of pilgrimage to Mecca. Unlike Hajj which can only be done on the 12th month of the Islamic year, Umrah can be performed at any time.

Wathoo (wadoo): a washing up ritual done by Muslims before each of the five daily prayers known as ablution.

Zaboor - The Psalms

Zakat - The third pillar of Islam. Alms giving, charity that is given to the poor.

Faheem Bukhatwa, my email address is : faheemfb@gmail.com