Commentary on the Last Chapter in the Book Al-Murshidu Al-Mu’īn 09

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

الحمد لله رب العالمين والصلاة والسلام على المبعوث رحمة للعالمين وعلى آله وصحبه أجمعين ومن تبعهم بإحسان إلى يوم الدين وبعد

Assalāmu Alaykum Warahmatullāh Wabarakātuh

Honored Brothers and Sisters on the Platform

You are welcome to this morning’s session of the Halqah where we shall continue from where we stopped in our Commentary on the Last Chapter of the Book Al-Murshid Al-Mu’īn which was written by the Imām Ibn ‘Āshir Al-Mālikī rahimahullāh

We stopped at where he said

يَصْحَبُ شَيْخًا عَارِفَ الْمَسَالِكْ                يَقِيهِ فِي طَرِيقِهِ الْمَهَالِكْ

يُذْكِرُهُ اللهَ إِذَا رَآهُ                               وَيُوصِلُ الْعَبْدَ إِلَى مَوْلاَهُ

“He accompanies a Shaykh who knows the Treading Path; Who guides him on his Path from the Mahālik (things that destroy the soul)

He reminds him of Allāh whenever he sees him; And leads a Servant to his Lord”

And we explained it’s meanings

Then the Shaykh said, rahimahullāh

يُحَاسِبُ النَّفْسَ عَلَى الأَنْفَاسِ                 وَيَزِنُ الْخَاطِرَ بِالْقِسْطَاطِ

“He takes himself to account per breathe; And weighs his thoughts with the Scales”

The Next most important thing for the Seeker of Allāh is Al-Muhāsabah which is Taking the Self into account

Umar radiyallāhu ‘anhu said

حاسبوا أنفسكم قبل أن تحاسبوا وزنوا أنفسكم قبل أن توزنوا، فإنه أهون عليكم في الحساب غدا أن تحاسبوا أنفسكم اليوم

“Take yourselves into account by yourselves before it is done on you, and weigh your deeds yourselves before you are weighed for it will be  much less serious upon you tomorrow that you should take yourself into account today”

This was recorded by Ibn Abī Dunya in Muhāsabatu An-Nafs and by Imām Ahmad in Az-Zuhd. And though this Athar was declared weak by Shaykh Muhammad Nāsiruddīn Al-Albānī, it is accepted generally by the Ulamā and it’s meaning considered sound. Imām Ibn Qudāmah in Mukhtasar Minhāju Al-Qāsidīn considered Al-Muhāsabah as the Third 🥉 Maqām (Level or Status) in one’s Journey to Allāh

Allāh referred to Muhāsabah in the Quran on Sūratu Al-Hashr where He said

يا أيها الذين آمنوا اتقوا الله ولتنظر نفس ما قدمت لغد واتقوا الله إن الله خبير بما تعملون

“O you who believe! Fear Allah and keep your duty to Him. And let every person look to what he has sent forth for the morrow, and fear Allah. Verily, Allah is All-Aware of what you do.”

And in the Hadīth that was recorded by Imām Abū Īsā At-Tirmidhī from Shaddād Ibn ‘Aws, and graded Hasan, the Rasūl salallāhu alayhi wasallam said

الكيس من دان نفسه وعمل لما بعد الموت، والعاجز من أتبع نفسه هواها وتمنى على الله الأماني

“The Wise man is the one who calls himself to account (and refrains from doing evil deeds) and does noble deeds to benefit him after death; and the foolish person is the one who subdues himself to his temptations and desires and seeks from Allah the fulfillment of his vain desires”

The Imām Ibn ‘Āshir Al-Mālikī said that this Muhāsabah must be done per second and the thoughts themselves should be weighed

This is a formula for success and a sure way to correct one’s Journey as he goes

May we all remember what Allāh said in Sūratu Al-Mujādilah

يوم يبعثهم الله جميعا فينبئهم بما عملوا أحصاه الله ونسوه والله على كل شيء شهيد

“On the Day when Allah will resurrect them all together (i.e. the Day of Resurrection) and inform them of what they did. Allah has kept account of it, while they have forgotten it. And Allah is Witness over all things.”

And what He said

ونضع الموازين القسط ليوم القيامة فلا تظلم نفس شيئا وإن كان مثقال حبة من خردل أتينا بها وكفى بنا حاسبين

“And We shall set up balances of justice on the Day of Resurrection, then none will be dealt with unjustly in anything. And if there be the weight of a mustard seed, We will bring it. And Sufficient are We as Reckoners.”

We ask Allāh to grant us Tawfīq and Sadād in taking ourselves into account and in correcting our ways, Āmīn

We shall pause her for the week

Bārakallāhu Fīkum jazakumullāhu Khayran

We shall pause here for the Week Inshā Allāh

سبحانك اللهم وبحمدك أشهد أن لا إله إلا أنت أستغفرك وأتوب إليك

Assalāmu Alaykum Warahmatullāh Wabarakātuh