Antimony (Kohl Ithmid – Eye Liner)

Now I can understand what I thought was Arab Men wearing Loreal Eye liner, is in fact Kohl!

Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger (Sallallaahu Álayhi Wasallam) said,

"You should use Kohl for it improves the eyesight and makes the eyelashes grow." [Hasan, Saheeh ibn Maajah 3495].

Jabir (may Allaah be pleased with him) said,

"I heard the Messenger (Sallallaahu Álayhi Wasallam) say: you should use Kohl for it improves the eyesight and makes the eyelashes grow." [Hasan, Saheeh ibn Maajah 3496].

Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allaah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger (Sallallaahu Álayhi Wasallam) said,

"The best of your Kohl is Ithmid, for it improves the eyesight and makes the eyelashes grow." [Hasan, Saheeh ibn Maajah 3497].

Ibnul Qaiyum said,

"Ithmid is the best type of Kohl used for the eye, especially for old people whose eyesight has weakened." [p.251 Eng trans. Medicine of the Prophet by Imam ibnul Qaiyum]

.
Ibnul Qaiyum said,

"Ithmid is the black Kohl stone… the Kohl tends to be cold and dry and it is beneficial to the eye in that it strengthens it and also strengthens the eye nerve. Ithmid dissolves excess flesh around ulcers and closes the wound while cleansing the area around them." [p.251 Eng trans. Medicine of the Prophet by Imam ibnul Qaiyum].

Ibnul Qaiyum said,

"Ithmid also relieves headache when it is blended with pure watery honey. When Ithmid is ground and mixed with tender fat and then used as a bandage over burns, it prevents blisters from appearing and also helps cure the skin damage that occurs in cases of burns by fire." [p.251 Eng trans. Medicine of the Prophet by Imam ibnul Qaiyum].

Salat and du’a' for memory improvement

I came across this dua today in the Masjid, whilst reading a Hafs verison of the Qur'an (1 of 6 authentic version, and the most popular version in that).



This dua helps with memory towards the verses from the Qur'an. SubhanAllah.



Which translates as:



For those who cannot read the text fully especially the Adhadith pertaining to dua for Memory Improvement, here is an extract below:

Salat and du’a' for memory improvement

Here we would like to mention one tradition recorded by al-Tirmidhi in his Sunan, and is connected to 'Ali, r.a. Once, when he was in the presence of the Prophet (saws) he complained about the problem with remembering. The Prophet (saws)recommended to him to offer a special Salat and taught him a supplication which can be recited for improvement of hifz. We are presenting this tradition in its entirety:

It has been recorded by al-Tirmidhi with sanad of Ibn 'Abbas that he said: “Once, when we were with the Prophet of Allah, (saws), 'Ali ibn Abi Talib came and said:

O prophet of Allah, to me you are like a father or mother. This Qur`an is slipping out of my chest so that it is becoming very hard to me to keep it in my memory.

The Prophet (saws) responded:

Would you like me to teach you words (a supplication),which will, by the help of Allah, benefit you and those whom you teach? That way you will, by the help of Allah, make lasting in you chest (memory)what you memorized?

Ali (RA) said:

Yes, teach When the night of me, o prophet of Allah

The Prophet (saws) responded:

When the night of Friday starts (Lailatul-Jumu’ah), if you manage to get up in the last third of that night – get up, because that time is blessed and in it Allah accepts supplications. My brother Ya’qub told his sons: - I will surely supplicate to my Lord for you; and he was intending to do that in the Jumu’ah night. If you can not get up in its last third, then try in its half. And if you do not manage even in that part, get up at the beginning of that night and offer 4 rak’ahs. During the first rak’ah read sura al-Fatihah and the sura Yasin, during the second read suras al-Fatihah and al-Dukhan, during the third rak’ah surahs al-Fatiha and al-Sajdah, and on qiyam of the fourth rak’ah read suras al-Fatihah and al-Mulk. Upon completion of the fourth rak’ah, thank Allah and nicely express yourself about Him, then bring Salawat on me and do that nicely. Also, bring Salawat on other prophets of Allah and seek forgiveness for believing men and women and your brothers who surpassed you in religion.

At the end, he said:“O Allah, have mercy on me so that I stay away from sinning for as long as I live! Have O Allah, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, the Glorious and Honorable and Almighty, I beg you, the most Merciful, calling upon Your Glory and the Light of Your Face, to oblige my heart to remember Your Book the way You taught me. Bless me to read it the way that will please You!
My Lord, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, You Who are absolute in Your might, I implore You the most Merciful, calling upon Your Glory and Light of Your Face, to illuminate with you Qur`an my sight, to move with it my tongue and make it easy on my heart. With it make my chest wide and clean my body. Truly, on the path of Truth only You can help me and only You are able to give me the Truth. There is no might no power except with Allah, the most High, and the most Glorious!”

“O Abu al-Hasan, you will do that on three, five or seven Friday (Jumu’ah) nights, and it will be accepted from you with the permission of Allah. By the One Who sent me with the Truth, this has not yet left unaffected any (true) Muslim!

Abdullah ibn 'Abbas narrates: “By Allah, not five or seven Fridays passed by and 'Ali again came to the prophet and said:

O Prophet of Allah, earlier I used to memorize four verses at once, and each time I wanted to repeat them they would disappear. Now I memorize more than forty verses, and when I repeat them I feel as if the Book of Allah is wide open in front of me.

Also, when I now hear your sayings and pass them on later, I do not omit one letter from them.”The prophet of Allah said on that occasion:

“You are the believer, by the Lord of Ka’bah, o Abu al-Hasan!

See: al-Tirmidhi, Abu ‘Isa: Sunan, Dar al-hadith,
Cairo, vol. 5, pp. 563-565, hadith #3570. Sanad (chain of transmitters) of this hadith is as follows: Al-Tirmidhi reports from Ahmad ibn al-Hasan, and Ahmad from
Sulaiman ibn ‘Abdurrahman al-Dimishqi, and Sulaiman from al-Walid ibn Muslim, al-Walid from ibn Juraij, Ibn Juraij from ‘Ata` ibn Abi Rabah and ‘Ikrimah, and finally
these two from Ibn ‘Abbas. Imam al-Tirmidhi values this sanad as hasan-gharib.

Analysing the mentioned sanad according to the principles of the methodology of hadith which deals with the critique of transmitters of tradition (al-jarh wa al-ta’dil), we concluded the following:

a) The chain of transmition is connected (muttasil) and every rawi (transmitter) in it did heard it from the rawi that had preceded it;
b) The well known authority on hadith Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqalani, in his famous work Tahdhib al-Tahdhib and its resume Taqrib al- Tahdhib, gives to the majority of the mentioned transmitters high marks (thiqatun, hafiz, faqih), and only to al-Walid he gives a mark saduq, which is also considered a positive qualification. The scholars in the field of the science of hadith take the narrations with such marks as valid evidence for (hasan narrations).

In connection with the mentioned marks and qualifications consult: Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqalani: Tahdhib al-Tahdhib, Dar al-kitab al-islami, Cairo, 1993, and Taqrib al-Tahdhib, Dar al-kutub al-‘ilmiyyah, Bairut, 1993. The names of rawis in the mentioned works are listed in alphabetical order.

FreeStyle Islamic Quotes

Many a time have been in a situation where I have just heard an excellent quote from a Lecture series or from the TV/Internet and I quickly rush to jot this down on anything I can find in proximity, with fear I may forget this.

Worry not, now I have a jotter pad in hand everywhere I go now, like a scriber on call and I shall use this Blogg as a means to collate my quotes Insha'Allah, so watch this space.

Some of the Quotes I have come across to start this off are mentioned below:

The one who is (truly) imprisoned is the one Whose heart is imprisoned from Allah and the captivated one is the one whose desires have enslaved him.
-Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah

If they kill me it will be a shahadah for me; If they expel me, it will be a hijrah for me; if they expel me to Cyprus, I will call its people to Allah so that they answer me; If they imprison me, it will be a place of worship for me.
-Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah

The company of a good friend is like an owner of musk; if you don’t buy anything, you will get the smell of it. The company of a bad friend is like the blacksmith’s bellows; if you are not affected by its black dirt, you will be touched by its smoke.
–Prophet Muhammed (saw)

Everyone who is being overtaken by death asks for more time.While everyone who still has time make excuses for procrastination.
–Ali Ibn Abi Talib RA

Knowledge is my companion, it is with me wherever I go. My heart is its container, not the bookshelf.
–Ali RA

Indeed the whole world is imagination. Only He [Allah] is the real in Reality. Whoever understands this knows the secrets of the spiritual path.
–Ibn Arabi

A calamity that makes you turn to Allah is better for you then a blessing which makes you forget the remembrance of Allah.
–Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah

Islam is based on naql (texts) and ‘aql (intellect). Some people just have the texts – we call them naql-heads.
-Shaykh Hamza Yusuf

‘Ilm (knowledge) without ‘aql (intelligence) is like having shoes with no feet. And ‘Aql without ‘ilm is like having feet with no shoes.
–Ali RA

If a gem falls in to mud it is still valuble, if dust ascends to heaven it remains valueless.
–Shaykh Sa’di

Lord, fill a Muslim’s heart/With a desire so fervent/That it will set his heart aflame/And stir his soul.
–Muhammad Iqbal

Let love be selfless/and truth fearless;/Let our breasts be flooded with light–/Make our hearts clear as crystal.
–Muhammad Iqbal

Your true friend is the one who participates in your efforts and for the sake of your gain, is prepared to suffer losses.
–Ali RA

Forgiveness is part of the treasure you need/To craft your falcon wings/And return/To your true realm of/Divine freedom.
–Hafiz

Worship and knowledge while eating haraam is like construction on dung.
–Imam Al Ghazali

In God, there is no sorrow or suffering or affliction. If you want to be free of all affliction and suffering, hold fast to God, and turn wholly to Him, and to no one else. Indeed, all your suffering comes from this: that you do not turn toward God and no one else.
–Imam Al Ghazali

To completely trust in God is to be like a child who knows deeply that even if he does not call for the mother, the mother is totally aware of his condition and is looking after him.
–Imam Al Ghazali

It’s good to leave each day behind, like flowing water, free of sadness. Yesterday is gone and its tale told. Today new seeds are growing.
–Rumi

If you make intense supplication and the timing of the answer is delayed, do not despair of it. His reply to you is guaranteed; but in the way He chooses, not the way you choose, and at the moment He desires, not the moment you desire.
–Ibn Ata’Allah

People oppose things because they are ignorant of them.
–Imam Al Ghazali

The hypocrite looks for faults; the believer looks for excuses.
–Imam Al Ghazali

Anger begins with madness and ends with regret.
–Ali RA

An hour’s contemplation is better than a year’s adoration.
–Prophet Muhammad saw (Can’t find the narrator)

The people of the Qur'an are the people of Allah, and His Elite
-Imam Malik

It is better for a man to fill the inside oof his body with pus then to fill it with poetry
Prophet saw [Bukhari Chapter 28; 2048)

Knowledge is only a means whereby we may get closer to Allah and whereby we validate our humility before him. And there is no such thing as knowledge without action.
[Unknown)

Be a master of yourself by controlling your desires but not the other way around.
(Unknown)

May he perish who is the slave of Dinar and Dirham of black and striped sheets of cloth.
-Prophet saw (Reported by Imam Bukhari)

I am in this world like a rider who halts in the shade of a tree for a short time, and after taking some rest resumes his journey and leaves the tree behind.
-Prophet saw (Reported by Tirmidhi)

Everyone of you is a shepherd (over your families) and every one of you will be questioned about his flock.
-Prophet saw (Reported by Imam Bukhari & Muslim)

Look at those inferior to you and do not look at those superior to you. Thereby you would be able to appreciate better the benovolence of Allah bestowed upon you.
-Prophet saw (Reported by Imam Bukhari & Muslim)

A believer is like a brick for another believer, like one supporting the other.
-Prophet saw (Reported by Imam Bukhari & Muslim)

None of you is a perfect believer until he desires for his brother that which he desires for himself.
-Prophet saw (Reported by Imam Bukhari & Muslim)

Keep a happy man company and you will be come happy
-Uknown

Verily my community is amoing communities is like a white hair on a black bull.
-Prophet saw (Reported by Imam Bukhari)

The believer who mixes with people and is patient in the face of their offence is preferable to the believer who does not mix with people and is noot patient with their offence.
-Prophet saw (Reported by Ahmed & Tirmidhi)

We are all travellers along the road to the first destination, so whoever travels light, sending provisions on before him, will ease his burden and find his home in order upon arrival.
-Umm Muhammad (From the book "Realities of Faith")

"April Fools"- A Dishonest Tradition of Lying & Deception

This is a really good article on April Fools and General Lying and Deception. This has been extracted from the link below, May Allah reward the author of this article with Khayr. Aameen. I have included this into the blogg just in case the link is lost.
http://islamgreatreligion.wordpress.com/2010/03/31/april-fool-a-dishonest-tradition/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Islamgreatreligion+%28ISLAM+---+World%27s+Greatest+Religion%21%29

April Fool !! A dishonest Tradition
[Posted by: KING-slave of ALLAH ! on: March 31, 2010]

1st April – a day when people lie, play jokes and mock in the name of entertainment. This ugly practice of lying, which is considered to be merely a humor, is known to have caused great harm to many. Even trauma and deaths. Still this dishonest tradition is not only practiced among the common masses, but also newspapers and magazines participate in it by publishing false news and untrue stories on the first day of April!

Much is said about the origin of this practice, however what concerns the most to the Muslims is that it is a tradition which directly contradicts the teachings and morals of Islam.

Lying is a characteristic of hypocrisy and Allah’s Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) strictly forbade lying at all times. He (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) said:

“Let he who truly believes in Allah and the Last Day speak good or be silent.” [Saheeh al-Bukharee] Moreover, he (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) has specifically cursed the person who lies to make people laugh, he said: “Woe be on one who speaks and lies in order to make people laugh, woe be on him.”

[Abu Dawood]

The above Ahaadeeth show the gravity of participating in the false tradition of April Fool, which the Western tradition appreciates and encourages claiming that it brings joy and amusement, whereas the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) forbade lying and deceiving even if the intention of the person is to amuse people.

Abd al-Rahman Ibn Abi Laylaa said:

“The companions of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) told us that they were traveling with the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam). A man among them fell asleep and some of them went and took his arrows. When the man woke up, he got alarmed (because his arrows were missing) and the people laughed. The Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) said:

“What are you laughing at?” They said, “Nothing, except that we took the arrows and he got alarmed.” The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) said: “It is not permissible for a Muslim to frighten another Muslim.”

[Abu Dawood (5004) and Musnad Ahmad. Authenticated by Shaikh al-Albanee in Saheeh al-Jamee (7658)]

He (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) described the severe punishments for the liars and said:

“I saw (in a dream), two men came to me. They said, ‘The person, the one whose cheek you saw being torn away (from the mouth to the ear) was a liar and used to tell lies and the people would report those lies on his authority till they spread all over the world. So he will be punished like that till the Day of Resurrection.’”

[Saheeh al-Bukharee (vol. 8, no: 118)]

May Allah protect us from indulging ourselves in such dishonest activities and may He give us the strength to withstand such practices when they tend to infect our Muslim Society.

Avoid this fake tradition,save ur self from falling in sins,

Ameen!

Hadith of Jabir

Jabir b. Abdillah was the son of a famous warrior, Abdullah b. Haram. Jabir was from the Ansar, and accepted Islam as a young boy. He was blessed to participate in the Treaty of Aqaba, and lived an extremely long life. Because of this, Jabir became one of the most profuse narrators of hadith, earning his name in the top five companions in terms of quantity of hadith narrated.

Jabir married young - he was probably seventeen when he got married. His marriage occurred shortly after his father died a martyr in the Battle of Uhud. His story is mentioned in most books of hadith, including the two Sahihs:

Jabir b. Abdillah reported that once he was on an expedition with the Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam, and when they were close to the city of Madinah, he sped on his mount. The Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam asked him why he was in such a hurry to return home. Jabir replied, "I am recently married!" The Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam asked, "To an older lady or a younger one?" [the Arabic could also read: "To a widow or a virgin?"], to which he replied, "A widow." The Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam said, "But why didn't you marry a younger girl, so that you could play with her, and she could play with you, and you could make her laugh, and she could make you laugh?" He said, "O Messenger of Allah! My father died a martyr at Uhud, leaving behind daughters, so I did not wish to marry a young girl like them, but rather an older one who could take care of them and look after them." The Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wa salam replied, "You have made the correct choice..."

This is part of a much larger hadith, known as the 'hadith of Jabir'. It is a hadith full of benefits, and in fact separate treatises have been written by our scholars just on this one hadith. Some of the benefits we can derive from the portion cited above include:

The frankness of the Prophet's salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam question. He is encouraging Jabir to find a playful wife, and wants the both of them to enjoy each other. This clearly shows that it is one of the primary goals of a marriage that each party find satisfaction in the other.
The connotation of being sexually playful is clearly implied, without any direct reference. From this, and many other references, we see that the Quran and Sunnah are frank about sexuality, but never vulgar. This should be our attitude and tone as well.
The Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam clearly mentioned that both parties should be satisfied with each other. In many Muslim cultures, women's sexuality is sidelined or even suppressed (through such barbaric practices as FGM - female genital mutilation). Women's sexuality is no less important than men's, and it is essential that a woman also be given her due right.

Argue Not For the Rewards are So Great- Hadith

Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said:

“Whoever does not argue when he is in the wrong will have a home built for him on the edge of Paradise. Whoever avoids it when he in the right will have a home built for him in the middle of Paradise. And whoever improves his own character, a home will be built for him in the highest part of Paradise.”

[Tirmidhi]

Beautiful Nasheed by Abu Ammar: The Names of Allah (swt)

I was provided with a most delightful suggestion by one of Allahs Beautiful Abids the other day on going through Allahs 99 Names in 99 Days. Jazak Allah Khayr, Insha'Allah I will be look to taking this challenge up and update the blogg on my experience.

May we All benefit from seeking Ilm on the Asma Wa Sifaat of Allah and ultimately get closer to Allah swt through this in All our Ebadat, with the ultimate aim to increase our level of Taqwa. Aamin.

And to Allah belongs the Most Beautiful Names, so call on Him by them. (7:180)

Abu Hurayrah radi Allahu anhu reported that the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said,

Allah has ninty-nine names, one hundred less one. Whoever ‘ahsaaha‘ will enter Jannah. [Bukhari and Muslim]

The most important thing for us to remember is that the hadeeth says “man ahsaahaa”, meaning, according to shaykh Jamaal Zarabozo and shaykh Yasir Qadhi:

whoever enumerates them, believes in them, ponders their meanings, worships Allah by them and supplicates with them, and acts by them according to one’s belief in them. So it’s not just about memorizing the names of Allah ta’ala, we must ‘ahsaaha‘.

Pride: A Barrier to Paradise

Pride: A Barrier to Paradise - By Shaykh 'Abdur-Rahmaan Ibn Naasir as-Sa'dee
[Taken from Bahjatul-Quloobul-Abraar (pp. 156-158)]
Source: Al Istiqamah Magazine, Issue No.7 - Rabî' ul-Awwal 1418H / July 1997

From 'Abdullaah Ibn Mas'ood radi-Allaahu 'anhu who related that Allaah's Messenger sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam said:

"Whoever has an atoms worth of kibr (pride) in his heart will not enter Paradise." So a man said: What about a person who loves (i.e. takes pride in) wearing beautiful clothes and beautiful shoes? So he replied: "Indeed Allaah is beautiful and loves beauty. Kibr (pride) is to reject the truth, and to despise the people."

1.So Allaah - the Most High - informs us that the Hellfire is the abode of those who have kibr (pride and arrogance). And we learn from the (above) hadeeth that: "Whoever has on atoms worth of kibr (pride) in his heart will not enter Paradise." So this is a proof that kibr (pride) necessitates entry into the Hellfire and prevents entry into Paradise. And this comprehensive explanation that the Prophet sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam mentioned has clarified the meaning of kibr (pride) in the dearest possible manner. So he divided kibr into two types:-

[1] Pride against the truth: This is to reject the truth and not to accept it. So anyone who reject the truth is proud and arrogant - in accordance with what he reject of the truth. So it is obligatory upon everyone to humble themselves to the truth which Allaah sent His Messenger with, and which He sent down in His Book. As for those whose pride and arrogance prevents them from totally complying with the Messengers (i.e. having eemaan or faith in them and their message) - then they are kuffaar (unbelievers) who will dwell in the Hellfire for eternity.

Since when the truth comes to them via the Messengers, who explain to them the signs and clear proofs, they reject it and are prevented from accepting it, due to the kibr that they harbour in their hearts. Allaah the Most High - said:
"Indeed those who argue about the Signs of Allaah without any authority having come to them, there is nothing in their hearts except kibr (pride). They will never accept the Prophet Muhammad sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam as a Prophet." [Soorah Ghaafir (40):56]

As for those whose arrogance and pride prevent them from complying with parts of the truth - because it opposes their personal opinions or their whims and desires - then such people are not kuffaar (unbelievers), but such an action necessitates them being punished in accordance with what they have of kibr. This is why the Scholars are agreed that whenever the Sunnah (guidance and way) of Allaah's Messenger sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam has been explained to anyone, then it is not lawful for him to turn away from it to the saying of someone else, whoever and whatever status he may have. So it is obligatory upon the seeker of knowledge to give complete and absolute precedence to the saying of Allaah and the saying of His Messenger sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam over and above the saying of anyone else, and that he should make that the basis to which he returns, and the foundation upon which he builds; following the guidance of the Prophet sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam, striving hard to understand what is intended from it, and following this, both inwardly and outwardly. When a person conforms to this great principle, then he has indeed reached goodness and excellence, and all his errors will be forgiven to him; since his overall objective is to follow that which has been prescribed upon him. So his errors are excused due to his striving his best to recognise and comply with the truth - and this is humbling oneself to the truth.

[2] Pride towards people: This type is to despise the people, and to look down upon them. This attitude arises when a person is amazed with his own self, thinks highly of himself, and thinks he is better than others. So this causes him to have kibr towards the creation, despise them, mock them, and to degrade them through both speech and action. Allaah's Messenger sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam said:

"It is enough evil for a person to despise his brother Muslim." 2
This is why the man asked: "What about a person who loves (i.e. takes pride in) wearing beautiful clothes and shoes?" Because he feared that this was the kibr which would be under the threat of punishment. So the Prophet sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam explained to him that this was not from kibr; since this person was one who complied with the truth, and was humble towards people, and that this was from the beauty that Allaah loves, for indeed Allaah - the Most High is beautiful in His Dhaat (Self), Sifaat (Attributes) and Af'aal (Actions), and He loves both outer and inner beauty.

As regards outer beauty, then it includes cleanliness of the body, clothes and place. As regards to inner beauty, then it is beautifying the character. This is why the Prophet sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam used to supplicate:
"O Allaah! Guide me to having beautiful manners and characteristics, no one can guide me to beautifying them except You. And turn away from me all evil actions and characteristics, no one con turn them away from me except You." 3

And Allaah knows best.

FOOTNOTES
1. Related by Muslim in his Saheeh (1/65).
2. Related by Muslim (no.2564).
3. Related by an-Nasaa'ee (no.861). It was authenticated by al-Albaanee in his Sifatus-Salaah (p.93).

The Poor Man - Hadith

The Book of Virtue, Good Manners and Joining of the Ties of Relationship (Kitab Al-Birr was-Salat-I-wa'l-Adab)
Muslim :: Book 32 : Hadith 6251
Abu Huraira. reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying:

Do you know who is poor? They (the Companions of the Holy Prophet) said: A poor man amongst us is one who has neither dirham with him nor wealth. He (the Holy Prophet) said: The poor of my Umma would be he who would come on the Day of Resurrecton with prayers and fasts and Zakat but (he would find himself bankrupt on that day as he would have exhausted his funds of virtues) since he hurled abuses upon others, brought calumny against others and unlawfully consumed the wealth of others and shed the blood of others and beat others, and his virtues would be credited to the account of one (who suffered at his hand). And if his good deeds fall short to clear the account, then his sins would be entered in (his account) and he would be thrown in the Hell-Fire.

The Inspiring Story of Thalaba: A Pious Youth of 16‏

A beautiful story for all Mankind to reflect upon. Let us take note from this story and make beneficial changes to our lives, and ask ourselves, can we truly account for All our actions?

Thalaba Ibn AbdulRahman was a young man at the age of 16. He always ran errands (short trips taken to perform specified tasks) for the prophet pbuh. One day while walking though the city of Medina, he passed by a house with an open door. Out of curiosity he took a glance inside. In this glance, he saw a light curtain being blown away from a bathroom entrance were a woman was bathing. He immediately lowered his gaze. With an extreme feeling of guilt and hypocrisy his mind ran. Thinking to himself, “How could I be of the companions, one that is close to the prophet pbuh, one who runs his errands and be so horrible as to disrespect peoples privacy?”.. He feared that Allah would reveal to the prophet pbuh evidence of his hypocrisy. His guilt denied him to ever show his face to the prophet pbuh. So he ran away.

Days went by and the prophet kept asking the other companions if they had seen Thalaba. No one had seen him. With the prophet’s worry about Thalaba he sent a few of the companions to look for him everywhere, among them were Omar Ibn Al Khattab and Salman Al Farisiy. They looked everywhere in Medina, and on the out skirts of Madina, until they came about a set of mountains between Mecca and Medina where some nomads where herding sheep.

The companions asked the nomads if they had seen a young man with Thalaba’s characteristics. They told the companions about a weeping boy. He had been here for 40 days. He came down from the mountains once a day weeping and drank the milk they would offer him. Then he went back up the mountains weeping, crying, always asking for Allah for forgiveness, and saying words of repentance. So the companions waited until he came down and watched him. He had lost weight. His countenance reflected sorrow as he drank the milk that was mixed with his tears. The companions insisted that they take him back to the prophet pbuh but he refused and asked them if Allah had revealed verses saying he was a hypocrite. They told him that they had no knowledge of any such verses.

He was taken back to Medina where the prophet pbuh went to see him. He asked again if Allah had put him among the hypocrites or revealed that he was. The prophet pbuh assured him that there were no such verses. He laid out Thalaba’s tired, weak body and placed Thalaba’s head on his lap. He said, “Oh prophet of Allah remove the head of a sinner away from you.” The prophet pbuh comforted him until he told the prophet pbuh I feel as though ants are walking between my flesh and bones. The prophet told him it was death and his time had come. He witnessed while Thalaba’s head was on his lap, Thalaba proclaim “There is no god worthy of worship other than Allah, and that Mohamed pbuh is the messenger of Allah.” The prophet pbuh washed Thalaba and carried him to the grave. It is narrated that on their way to bury Thalaba, the prophet pbuh walked on his tippy toes as though he were in a crowd. When Omar asked about this, the prophet pbuh explained that he was being crowded with the angels.

This is a great line: Account yourselves before you are taken to account!" - `Umar ibn al-Khattaab [Az-Zuhd of Ibn-ul-Mubaarak].

May Allah swt forgive Us for Our Knowing and Unknowing Sins, during the Day and Night. Aamin.