The Prophet "Whoever gets up at night and says: -- 'La ilaha il-lallah Wahdahu la Sharika lahu Lahu-l-mulk, waLahu-l-hamd wahuwa 'ala kullishai'in Qadir. Alhamdu lil-lahi wa subhanal-lahi wa la-ilaha il-lal-lah wa-l-lahu akbar wa la hawla Wala Quwata il-la-bil-lah.' (None has the right to be worshipped but Allah. He is the Only One and has no partners . For Him is the Kingdom and all the praises are due for Him. He is Omnipotent. All the praises are for Allah. All the glories are for Allah. And none has the right to be worshipped but Allah, And Allah is Great And there is neither Might nor Power Except with Allah). And then says: --Allahumma, Ighfir li(O Allah! Forgive me). Or invokes (Allah), he will be responded to and if he performs ablution (and prays), his prayer will be accepted."
A little long yes, but trust me, the read is worth it.
Abu Hurairah 'Abd al-Rahman bin Sakhr, radiyallahu 'anhu, reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam, say: -“Stay away from that which I forbid you to do, anddo that which I command you to do to the best of your capacity. Verily the people before you were destroyed only because of their excessive questioning andtheir disagreement with their Prophets.”- Bukhari and Muslim Part 1 of 2: The instructions of the Prophet (saw) are simple and eloquent.Firstly and most importantly, understand and accept all the things that are Haram and keep yourself far away from them. This is the most important thing that you can do; it is much more important than nawaafil/extra deeds. SomeSahabawould teach their students that “to return a dirham unlawfully obtained is better than giving a thousand in charity”. Sofirsty, the most pleasing thing to Allah (swt) is to repent from committing Haram and stay away from it. This is something natural that everyone can do.Rasulullah did not ask us to stay away from Haram as much aswe can. That is because he knew that it ispossibleforevery human being to stay away from the Haram.Every human being is capableifhe follows the guidance of Allah (swt). The problem today isaddictions.The Shaytan is working very hard to hook many Muslims to haram things so much so that itbecomes hard for them to live without the Haram. As a result they become naturallyinclinedto do things thatharm themandthat result in displeasure from Allah (swt).
The solution? Let’s look to the guidance of Allah and his Messenger, the light that will clarify any misconceptions that we have in our brains or that Shaytan has planted in them. To the young men of our time, the Prophet (saw) ordered them to get married. If they cannot get married (due to financial reasons etc.) then he ordered them to fast. (Do not close your heart and mind to what the Prophet (Saw) instructed us to do). The young men are told to fast. That is because this reduces the temptations and weakens the desires of the nafs. So if a man is addicted to a certain secret habit, which of course is Haram*, then how should he cure himself of his addiction? By fasting. The guidance of Allah is ultimate and everlasting. He (swt) knows us better than we do ourselves, for he created us and formed us from an embryo. If one begins fasting Mondays and Thursdays consistently then hewillbe able to overcome his bad habits. Shaytan may whisper to him and tell him not to fast at all during a week because of trivial sporting events or because of going to the gym, but thetrue sincere slave of Allah (swt)will put all ofthese sporting events and training activities to thesideuntil fasting allows him to go back to his fitrah and overcome his addiction to the haram. *Leave (O mankind, all kinds of) sin, open and secret. Verily, those who commit sin will get due recompense for that which they used to commit.6.120 …come not near to Al-Fawahish (shameful sins, illegal sexual acts) whether committed openly or secretly… 6.151 Tell the believing men to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things), and protect their private parts (from illegal sexual acts).That is purer for them. Verily, Allah is All-Aware of what they do.24.30 As far as music is concerned, it is also an addiction. The proof that it is in an addiction is thatthose who listen to it are not willing to give it upandreplace it with Quranwhich they know ismore beneficial to them(for every letter you hear in the mode of pleasing Allah (Swt) you get10 good deeds, not for every word,for every letter). The solution? Gradually replace the music you listen to with Quran;try to listen to more and more Quran each dayandbe consistent. Stop listening to music in the car, instead only listen to Quran in the car. And when at home begin reading the Quran daily and pondering over its verses. With the help of Allah (swt) gradually you will depend less and less upon music and you will become addiction free. (Side note---: making this dua will surely help you in valuing the Quran much more than any music out thereFor Brothers: O Allah, I am Your slave, son of Your slave, son of Your female slave, my forelock is in Your hand, Your command over me is forever executed and Your decree over me is just. I ask You by every Name belonging to You which You have named Yourself with, or which you have revealed in Your Book, or which You taught to any of Your creation, or which You have preserved in the knowledge of the unseen with You, that You make the Qur'aan the life of my heart and the light of my breast, a departure for my sorrow and a release for my anxiety.
For Sisters: O Allah, I am Your slave, daughter of Your slave, son of Your female slave, my forelock is in Your hand, Your command over me is forever executed and Your decree over me is just. I ask You by every Name belonging to You which You have named Yourself with, or which you have revealed in Your Book, or which You taught to any of Your creation, or which You have preserved in the knowledge of the unseen with You, that You make the Qur'aan the life of my heart and the light of my breast, a departure for my sorrow and a release for my anxiety.) Proof that listening to Music is not a praiseworthy mode of spending time? And of mankind is he who purchasesidle talks(i.e. music, singing, etc.) to mislead (men) from the Path of Allahwithout knowledge, and takes it (the Path of Allah, or the Verses of the Qur'an) by way of mockery. For such there will be a humiliating torment (in the Hell-fire). 31.6 We are not supposed to be inclined towards useless singing and music. These things will only distract us from the signs of Allah (Swt). Allah knows us better than we know ourselves and so he prohibits from us the things that he know will harm us. The Quran contains so much more wisdom and benefit than the useless vulgar lyrics of music today. But if people do not want to listen to the beautiful commands of Allah, then the next verse addresses them. And when Our Verses (of the Qur'an) are recited to such a one,he turns away in pride, as if he heard them not- as if there were deafness in his ear. So announce to him a painful torment.31.7 Let us not be of these people and let us be of those who hear Allah (Swt) and obey inshaAllah. Listening to the Quran is always more beneficial andwill always let you gain more pleasure from Allah (swt). It is not going to be easy to overcome addictions, but followingthe guidance of Allah (swt)will make itpossible for us.We have to strive (Jihad) against our own soulsand the unnatural inclinations that Shaytan has made for usuntil we are back to the natural dispositionof being able to completely stay away from the Haram.
Part 2 of 2: After we have moved away from the Haram then Alhamdulillah we should already be doing the obligatory deeds such as praying five times a day etc. (The building of Islam built on five pillars, Bearing witness that there is nothing worthy of worship except Allah (Swt), and the Muhammad (saw) is his messenger, establishing the five prayers, fasting Ramadan, giving the yearly Zakah, and making the pilgrimage to Makkah when one is able –Bukhari and Muslim). Once we have given up the Haram then we are ready todo extra nawaafil deeds that the Prophet (Saw) used to do.The key here ishaving ikhlaas(pure sincerity)and doing these actionsonly to please Allah (swt). Once one has ikhlaas then he or she should do as much worship or dhikr as he is able and it should be an amount that he or she can be very consistent with (as the Prophet (saw) told us, do asmuch nawaafil/extra deeds as we are able to). Asmall amountofnawaafil worship done everydayis much better than a whole night spent reading Quran and then a whole month spent neglecting it. The key things to worshipping Allah with extra things are: 1) Ikhlaas (pure sincerity), and doing the actions only to please Allah (Swt) 2) Building consistent habits, such as reading some Quraneveryday, ormemorizing one versefrom the Quraneveryday, or praying two rak’ah Qiyamevery night, or going to the Masjid for Fajrevery morning. Allah (Swt) loves the consistent deeds done to please him only. 'A'isha said that Rasulullah saw said : "Thedeedsmost loved by Allah (swt)(are those) doneregularly, even if they aresmall". ( Bukhari, Muslim )
If someone continues to do a deed every day it shows that he isreally consistent in Loving Allah (Swt) and following the Messengerand that he is not weak minded. The small deeds build up; if someone starts reading some Quran every day, he may finish reading it in a couple months; if he starts memorizing a verse a day, he may finish Surat al-Baqarah in a year. The importance here is that when performing extra deeds (which by all means are necessary in improving our hearts and getting close to Allah (swt) ), we have to make sure we are doing themout of love of Allah (swt)and that we are doing them inan amount that we can be consistent with(as the Prophet (Saw) told us, do as much as we areable). This way we can be consistent in earning Allah (Swt)’s pleasure. If we do too much extra worship at once then we feel exhausted and we abandon the good habits.
Allah swt told us:
My servant continues to draw near to Me with supererogatory works so thatI shall love him. ...Were he to ask [something] of Me,I would surely give it to him, andwere he to ask Me for refuge, I would surelygrant him it. I do not hesitate about anything as much as I hesitate about [seizing] the soul of My faithful servant: he hates death and I hate hurting him. –Bukhari
Most of what is described above is contained in the single statement of Rasulullah (saw) at the beginning, this is theeloquenceof the last Messenger (saw). Subhanallah.
Let us allabandon the Haramand thenbegin doingconsistent nawaafilactsso that we may draw closer to Allah (swt)until he loves us inshaAllah =) .
Anything good in this is purely from Allah (Swt) and anything bad is of course from myself.
-Is he who was dead (without Faith by ignorance) and We gave him life (by knowledge and Faith) and set for him a light whereby he can walk amongst men - like him who is in the darkness (of disbelief) from which he can never come out? Thus it is made fair-seeming to the disbelievers that which they used to do. 6.122-
The book above contains the light of Allah.
“Alif Lam Ra. (This is) a Book which We have revealed to you that you may bring forth men, by their Lord's permission from utter darkness into light-- to the way of the Mighty, the Praised One.” 14.1
O mankind! Verily, there has come to you a convincing proof your Lord; and We have sent down to you a manifest light (this Qur'an). 4.174
The question I have for you is, how much do you use the light that Allah has given us through his book and the Sunnah of his last Messenger to navigate through your affairs in this life?
Whens the last time you picked up this book to read it? –Yesterday- a week ago? a few months ago? -I don’t know, maybe a couple years ago before your Khatm-Quran ?-(you know how we Desis do it. When we finish reading the Quran we have a big party and never pick up the book again).
Are we walking around in the dark here? The light to guide us is right here, but we refuse to use it, either because of our egos or because we don’t appreciate what our Lord tells us to do. We are blind to the benefits of obeying each and every command of Our Creator in his last and perfect Religion.
-This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion. 5.3-
Well, if we feel that we’re too good for the blessed guidance of Allah, then Allah is in no need of us. This guidance is only sent as a benefit to mankind. If we turn away from it, then we are without a doubt only harming ourselves, and that’s the crunk of it.
-But whosoever turns away from My Reminder then verily, for him is a life of hardship, and We shall raise him up blind on the Day of Resurrection. 20.124-
Unfortunately, many Muslims have abandoned the remembrance of Allah (the Quran) and as a result there is corruption and many trials for us throughout the lands and in our own.
Alright, so Allah’s reminder is really important. -Maybe it isn’t stressed enough to Muslims how much they’re benefitting if they use a light to guide themselves through life rather then walking around in the pitch black dark.
So how do we change this? Lets you and I take the first steps to bringing ourselves up to par and living up to our full potentials with complete understanding of the world around us. Let us be the ones who take the first step to REVIVING the WHOLE UMMAH. If we revive what is in ourselves, then we are facilitating the revival of all Muslims around the world, with the help of Allah (Swt). Let’s (as some people say), give our excuses a black eye! All of us need to start reading Quran everyday. Starting today! Get on that task. And make sure you read it today AND tomorrow inshaAllah; AND the day after. We are only doing this to better ourselves.
Are you ready to meet the new you?
Are you ready to begin a transformation that will take effort, that will kill your ego, and that will teach you to give up many things of this world for the Love of your Creator alone?
If So. Then Pick up that Quran off the shelf of your house right now, and if you don’t have one, order one online or obtain one from your local Masjid. But wait, before you take that important step, do yourself a favor to make things easier for you and sincerely make this Dua (directly below) to Allah (Swt) humbly beseeching his help in this affair.
For Brothers: O Allah, I am Your slave, son of Your slave, son of Your female slave, my forelock is in Your hand, Your command over me is forever executed and Your decree over me is just. I ask You by every Name belonging to You which You have named Yourself with, or which you have revealed in Your Book, or which You taught to any of Your creation, or which You have preserved in the knowledge of the unseen with You, that You make the Qur'aan the life of my heart and the light of my breast, and a departure for my sorrow and a release for my anxiety.
For Sisters: O Allah, I am Your slave, daughter of Your slave, son of Your female slave, my forelock is in Your hand, Your command over me is forever executed and Your decree over me is just. I ask You by every Name belonging to You which You have named Yourself with, or which you have revealed in Your Book, or which You taught to any of Your creation, or which You have preserved in the knowledge of the unseen with You, that You make the Qur'aan the life of my heart and the light of my breast, and a departure for my sorrow and a release for my anxiety.
May Allah make all of his true sincere slaves, and may he make of us those who love and follow the Quran and the Sunnah. Ameen. Jazakallahukhayran, And I wish you the best in you endeavors to understand the perfect speech of the Almighty!
-Will they not then ponder over the Qur’an, or is it that they have their locks on (their) hearts (which bar them from reason) 47.24-
SubhanaAllah, there are simply no words to describe this story. It will indeed melt your heart. May Allah grant us the ability to be inspired greatly. The youtube vdeo link is included
“…I knew him myself. I knew him, and I don’t say he was from the Children of Isra’il. He was from the sons of this land. He would weep intensely. He would weep intensely, and he would never have the Qur’an recited in his presence except that he would cry, and become humble and soft. He was an amazing, strange person.
He memorized the Qur’an when he was only twelve! However, he was older due to the Words of Allah and his knowledge of Allah, and I don’t place him higher in status than Allah would.
I tell you about him while I have placed a condition on myself that I don’t tell you other than what I saw with my own eyes. The second condition I placed on myself is that I don’t exaggerate in anything I say about him.
He memorized ‘Sahih Muslim’ with me in two weeks. He memorized ‘Sahih al-Bukhari’ with my third friend – we were three - in two weeks. Do you realize? I didn’t know that he had memorized al-Bukhari, and my friend didn’t know that he had memorized Muslim. He loved sincerity. He always loved as-Sirri as-Saqti. Do you know why as-Sirri as-Saqti in particular? Because as-Sirri as-Saqti used to pay a lot of attention to sincerity.
He was very good in school, and in fact excelled in it. He would only sleep between the time he got home from school until Dhuhr time. After ‘Asr, he would attendhalaqahs. After Maghrib, he would attend the lessons of the scholars. After ‘Isha’ until eleven, he would study for school. From eleven – every single day – he would pray all night until Fajr.
I am not exaggerating! He is from our own sons, from our country!
Whenever he would read the Qur’an, he would cry. I would read that when some of the Salaf would read the Qur’an, they would pass out. I know the dispute among the scholars on this, but I have never seen this with my own eyes except from this youth. We would pray the Friday prayer, and the imam would recite: {“And the inhabitants of Hell called out to the inhabitants of Paradise ‘Give us a drop of water!’”} [al-A’raf; 50] And he fell down on his head, and we thought he had died.
We prayed one night at my house. I pretended that I was asleep in order to see what he would do. He came over and motioned with his hand over my eyes (to see if I was awake). He woke up at eleven, and I would sleep and wake up, sleep and wake up – and he would be standing in a rak’ah and I wouldn’t see him go down. He would then bow and I wouldn’t see him come up.
On a different night, he would read the Qur’an. When he got to this verse, in front of me: {“Indeed, it is Hell, taking away the skin of the head!”} [al-Ma’arij; 15-16] he cried and passed out. I woke him up, and he got up and made ablution and prayed. When he got to the verse: {“Indeed, it is Hell, taking away the skin of the head!”} he again cried and passed out. I woke him up, and when he got to it a third time, he recited it and passed out again and didn’t wake up until the call for Fajr prayer.
He would recite the entire Qur’an every three nights in secret while praying at night, and would do so every seven days openly during the day. I am not exaggerating, as he would do this in front of me. And by Allah, he would remember Allah in a single day more than 12,000 times! I counted them myself while sitting with him - 12,000 times! I would ask him: “Why?” He replied: “I don’t want Abu Hurayrah to have done more than me.” He had jealousy, jealousy when it came to worship!
He was only seventeen at the time, when he was at this level!
I didn’t know what to say about him! Whenever he would come across a text to memorize, I would say: “I challenge you to memorize this.” He would say: “Don’t challenge me!” I would try to fire him up, and say: “I challenge you!” The next day, he would come and recite the text to me as if it were just his name. If he made just three mistakes, he would not consider himself to have memorized it. Three mistakes!
This was a person who would repent! If only you knew his sin! I will tell you later what his sin was.
If we lost hope in a youth – we would give da’wah to someone and lose hope in him, we didn’t know, and I am speaking about myself and Allah Knows best about others - he was someone whose supplication was answered in front of seventeen people who bear witness to this, in more than one incident. If we lost hope in a youth, we would tell him to go and give him da’wah. By Allah, after just two days, this person would be guided. He would walk with him for just two days. The first day, the second day, and he would then be praying in the first row! Whether he was a smoker, a drug user, etc., he would become upright right away by the Permission of Allah. This is blessing! Blessing!
One day, he would pray behind a scholar in the southern region who you know of who would elongate the prayer. So, he would elongate it, following the Sunnah. He would lead the people in prayer, and a man came and hit him on the back with a stick while he was bowing, in front of me. After the prayer, he looked at him and asked: “Why did you hit me?”
He replied: “You have whisperings! You make us pray too long!”
The imam replied: “You are healthy! You are healthy!”
The man replied: “How do you know I’m healthy?”
This youth then raised his hands to Allah – as soon as he raised his hands, my heart stopped – and said: “O Allah, take away his health until he knows its value and prays properly in front of You!” It was the ‘Asr prayer, and I swear by Allah that this man didn’t pray Maghrib with us. He was at home, laying in bed. After a few weeks, I saw him and said: “Fear Allah! The man is at home in bed! I ask you by Allah…” He said: “My brother, I didn’t mean to do this!” I said: “Ask Allah to cure him.” By Allah, the man prayed with us the next prayer!
In the Haram, he would wear thick glasses. I am telling you that this is a repenter from our times! I know him! He is my friend! I am greater than him in age, but he is greater than me. I don’t place him in status higher than where Allah has placed him.
They were in the Haram, and he was wearing glasses, and they bothered him. He said: “I can’t go to Palestine one day with glasses.” So, he went to the well of Zam Zam in front of the people – they were seventeen people – and he took off his glasses, took the Zam Zam water, said: “O Allah, make it a cure for my vision,” and drank it. He then said: “Allah is the Greatest!” and threw the glasses away in front of everyone! They wanted to test him, and they pointed to a clock that nobody could see, they asked him: “Can you tell us what time it is?” He said: “The time is such and such.” Exact! He would read the Qur’an…his vision was returned 100%!
Indeed, it is supplication! “…and if he asks Me, I will Give him.”
The incidents are many, but the time doesn’t permit me to tell them all.
You know, one day I asked him about his sin. When did I ask him? One day, he recited the verse: {“On the day when some faces will be brightened and some faces will be darkened…”} [Al ‘Imran; 106] By Allah, he cried to the point that my heart was as if it was being torn. I said to him: “The Messenger of Allah said:“The worst of people is he who is asked by Allah and is not responded to,” and I ask you by Allah: what makes you cry like this?” I want to cry like him, people! I want to feel the happiness he felt!
He said: “I committed a sin in my life.”
I asked him: “What is this sin?”
Do you know what his sin was? You will laugh at yourself. I will explain it to you. He said: “When I was in second grade, I went into a store and took a cookie and ate it, and the Fire is more deserving of a body that is nurtured on what is forbidden (i.e. he ate a cookie that didn’t belong to him).”
He died. He died, may Allah have Mercy on him, when he was only twenty. He died because of a stray bullet that someone fired accidentally while playing with a weapon. A bullet was accidentally fired and entered the body of this youth, killing him. He died as a righteous person, and I assume him to be such.
He died, and it was all over.
However, his life didn’t die. And by Allah, were it not the fact that he asked me by Allah to not reveal his name, I would have revealed it…”
As for killing time, since when is time an enemy that you should strive to kill?! Time is your breath, it is your lifetime and the moments of your life which you could fill with thousands and millions of hasanaat. It is sufficient for you to say Subhaan Allaah wa bi hamdihi (Glory and praise be to Allaah) once, and a palm tree will be planted for you in Paradise, so how many gardens have you failed to plant? How many hasanaat have you lost? (Islam QA)
Shaykh al-Albani Crying When Informed of a Ru`yah (Vision in a Dream) Concerning Allaah's Messenger
Translation (courtesy of Fatwa-Online. Com)
Once a sister from Algeria called the Shaykh and said: "O Shaykh! I have news!" The Shaykh said: "I hope Allaah has blessed you with good news". She said: "One of the sisters had a dream, and I shall narrate it to you". The Shaykh said: "I hope she saw (something) good". She said: "O Shaykh! is this confirmed, that someone comes and narrates a dream to you and you say: "I hope you saw (something) good and (hopefully) it is good"? Is this confirmed from the Sunnah?". The Shaykh said: "No. This is not confirmed, however, there is no harm in using this (term) sometimes".
She said: "This sister saw herself on a balcony which overlooked a path. And upon this path she saw the Messenger (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam) by his (known) description. Then she saw me standing infront of the Messenger (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam) and saw the Messenger (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam) smiling at me, and I was smiling at him. Then I called her, and said to her: "Come down. Come down with us." So when she came down she asked me: "Who are you looking at?" So I said: "Look at the one who looked at me", and she saw the Messenger (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam), then the Messenger (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam) smiled, and proceeded along the path.
We then walked together along the (same) path (the sister and I) and whilst we were walking we saw a Shaykh upon the (same) path, so we extended our greetings to him, we said: "as-Salaamu 'alaykum". So he replied to us: "wa 'alaykum as-Salaam wa Rahmatullaahe wa Barakaatuhu. " Then this Shaykh asked us: "Did you see the Messenger (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam)?" We said: "Yes, we saw him." So this sister asked me: "Who is this Shaykh?" So I said to her: "This is Shaykh al-Albaanee. "." [end of dream]
The sister who had called the Shaykh, then said: "I ask Allaah to make this good news for you O Shaykh, and I wished to inform you O Shaykh, so hopefully it is good news, inshaa.-Allaah, that you are upon the way of the Sunnah, inshaa.-Allaah Ta'aala. So what do you say O Shaykh?" Here, the Shaykh did not say a thing, rather, tears began pouring down (his face) and he cried profusely. He then asked those of the brothers who were in his gathering to leave.
“And whoever obeys Allah and the Messenger, then they will be in the company of those on whom Allah has bestowed His Grace – of the Prophets, the truthful, the martyrs and the righteous. And how excellent these companions are!” 4.69
57 O mankind! There has come to you an instruction from your Lord, and a healing for that which is in your breasts, - a guidance and a mercy for the believers.
58 Say: "In the Bounty of Allah, and in His Mercy ; therein let them rejoice." That is better than (the wealth) that they accumulate. surah 10
In the Name of Allah, The All-Merciful, The Most Merciful
"And We sent down iron, wherein is great military might and benefits for the people." [Al-Hadid (Iron) 57:25]
"Iron" is the title of this Surah and it is an element which has been highlighted in the Qur'an. At first glance this verse metaphorically suggests that, Allah SWT has given mankind iron for our own benefit. But if we look at the literal meaning of the Arabic words used in this verse, we find that it means "being physically sent down from the sky." With this knowledge we realize that, this verse is actually talking about a very important scientific miracle in the Qur'an.
The heavy metals on earth did not originate on the surface of our planet. Heavy metals, such as iron, are produced in the nucleus of much bigger stars than our sun, where the temperature reaches a few hundred million degrees. Our own solar system, however, does not have suitable sized structures to produce heavy metals. When the amount of iron exceeds a certain level in the gigantic star, the star can no longer bear the load. It eventually explodes in what is called a nova or a super nova. As a result of the explosion, meteors containing iron are scattered throughout space and they travel through the void until attracted by the gravitational force of a celestial body (Earth). That is how we find Iron on the surface of our planet today. Iron was literally sent down from the sky as the Qur'an states.
This discovery of modern science could not have in no way been confirmed at the time of the revelation of the Qur'an over 1400 years ago. It is truly a blessing that we have been given a religion that is so perfect that it even confirms the findings of modern science, not the other way around.
O you who believe! Turn to Allâh with sincere repentance! It may be that your Lord will expaite from you your sins, and admit you into Gardens under which rivers flow (Paradise) the Day that Allâh will not disgrace the Prophet (Muhammad SAW) and those who believe with him, Their Light will run forward before them and (with their Records — Books of deeds) in their right hands They will say: "Our Lord! Keep perfect our Light for us [and do not put it off till we cross over the Sirât safely] and grant us forgiveness. Verily, You are Able to do all things ."
Those who remember Allâh (always, and in prayers) standing, sitting, and lying down on their sides, and think deeply about the creation of the heavens and the earth, (saying): "Our Lord! You have not created (all) this without purpose, glory to You! (Exalted are You above all that they associate with You as partners). Give us salvation from the torment of the Fire.
These are the verses that Hazrat Umar read before he became Muslim. When he came to verse 14, he said "Sure this is the word of Allah, take me to Muhammad (SAW)"
This is a man that had left his house to Murder Muhammad (SAW), and when he read these verses he decided to become Muslim. He was the best Companion after Abu Bakr may Allah be pleased with them both.
Mu'ath bin Jabal narrated that the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, said the following.
Acquire knowledge, for surely it leads to fear of Allah. Seeking it is an act of worship ('ibadah); studying it is praising Allah; seeking it is jihad; teaching it to whomever doesn't known it is an act of charity (sadaqah); and giving it to its people draws one closer to them. Knowledge points to the permissible (Halaal) and the forbidden (haraam); and it is a shining light pointing the way to paradise It comforts the lonely, befriends the estranged, and talks to you in seclusion. It is a guide through prosperity and adversity; it is a weapon against enemies; and it is the best of friends. With knowledge, Alláh raises people to high stations, making them leaders in goodness, whose steps are traced. Their example is emulated, their opinion followed. The angels like to sit with the people of knowledge, surrounding their wings; and everything dry or wet, -fish of the sea and animals on land, - will ask Allah to forgive them. Knowledge gives life to the heart in the midst of ignorance, and illumines vision in the darkness. With knowledge, God's servants become the elite and reach the highest degrees in this life and in the hereafter. Contemplation with knowledge is equivalent to fasting (sawm); spending time to study it is equivalent to standing at night in prayer (qiyam); duties to relatives are fulfilled by it; and through it the halaal and haraam are known. Knowledge precedes action ('amal) and action always follows it. The fortunate ones attain it and the miserable ones are deprived of it.
The Uluma have said that his applies to religious knowledge.
And strive hard in Allâh's Cause as you ought to strive (with sincerity and with all your efforts that His Name should be superior). He has chosen you (to convey His Message of Islâmic Monotheism to mankind by inviting them to His religion, of Islâm), and has not laid upon you in religion any hardship, it is the religion of your father Ibrahim (Abraham) (Islâmic Monotheism). It is He (Allâh) Who has named you Muslims both before and in this (the Qur'ân), that the Messenger (Muhammad SAW) may be a witness over you and you be witness over mankind! So perform As¬Salât (Iqamat-as-Salât), give Zakât and hold fast to Allâh [i.e. have confidence in Allâh, and depend upon Him in all your affairs] He is your Maula (Patron, Lord), what an Excellent Maula (Patron, Lord) and what an Excellent Helper!
The Prophet Peace be upon him said, "religion is very easy and whoever overburdens himself in his religion will not be able to continue that way. So you should not be extremists, but try to be near to perfection and recieve the good tidings that you will be rewarded; and gain strength by offering the Salat (prayers) in the mornings, afternoons, and during the last hours of the nights."
