The Path To Guidance

Imaam Ibn Katheer said about Imaam Ibn al-Qayyim, “He was attached to occupying himself with knowledge, day and night. He would pray and recite the Qur‘aan much and was of excellent character, and showed great affection and friendship. He would not be jealous or envious.” “Get up (and hurry) in entering upon Allaah and accompanying Him in the Home of Peace, without any tiredness, hardship or fatigue, but in fact by the nearest of paths and the most easiest (of them). And this is (by realising) that you are in a time between two times which is (what constitutes) your life, and this is the present time which is between what has passed and what is yet to come. Then that which has passed, you can correct by repentance, remorse and seeking forgiveness. This is something in which there will be no tiredness, fatigue, or any straining efforts (required on your behalf). It is (nothing but) the action of the heart” “And there is due from the servant to Allaah, in every moment from his time, servitude which will advance him or bring him nearer to Allaah. So if he spends his time in servitude to Allaah, he will advance to his Lord and if he busies himself with desires, or relaxation or inactivity, he will lag behind. And the servant never ceases either to be moving forward or falling behind, and there is no stopping whilst on the path, ever.” Every harm that enters upon a servant, is caused by the heart’s corruption. The corruption of the heart in turn brings about the removal of the heart’s right upon Allaah, the Exalted, and a dimunition of its degree and rank in the sight of Allaah. For this reason, some of the shaikhs advised with their saying, “Be cautious of (the) mixing with a person which will cause wastage of time and corruption of the heart. For verily, when time is wasted and the heart is corrupted, all of the affairs of the servant will become ruined …” “How can it befit the intelligent person that he should waste and neglect it (i.e., his soul), and to sell it for an insignificant price, in a ceasing, wasting, perishing place. Is this but the greatest of frauds? This senseless and foolish fraud will become manifest on the Day of Resurrection, when the scales of those having taqwaa of Allaah will be heavy (with good deeds) and the scales of the falsifiers will be light (devoid of good deeds).”