Online Lecture Series: Selected Benefits From The Book, “Al-Fawāʾid” of Shaykh ul Islaam Ibn al-Qayyim Taught by Shaykh Abū Hakīm Bilāl Davis

Mpubs · [Lesson 01] Knowing Oneself: Between Allah’s Justice and Grace

Shaykh Abū Hakīm Bilāl Davis حفظه الله mentioned the following points:

• Imām Ibn Al-Qayyim was referred to by the people of knowledge as – “Ṭabīb al-Qalb – The Heart Doctor”.
• His book, “Al- Fawāʾid” revolves around the affairs of al-raqāʾiq – heart-softening reminders that cause the believer to reflect on his dīn and on his relationship with his lord.
• First raqāʾiq – Al-Tawāḍuʿ (Humility) and ʿAdam al-Kibr walʿUjb (Refraining from Arrogance and Vanity).
• This was the characteristic of the prophets and the messengers – they were people who were filled with humility and refrained from kibr (arrogance) and ʿujb (self-amazement).
• Ibn Al-Qayyim mentions: “Ṭūbā (glad tidings) for the one who is just with his Lord, acknowledging his own ignorance regarding Allāh’s knowledge, his shortcomings in his deeds, the flaws in his own soul, his negligence in fulfilling Allāh’s rights, and his injustice in his dealings. If He (Allāh) takes him to account for his sins, he will see His justice; and if He does not take him to account for them, he will see His grace.”
• The ʿibād (servants of Allāh) are between the ʿadl (justice) and faḍl (grace) of Allāh. So whatever falls upon him, whether in the dunya or ākhira, this is based on the justice of Allāh.
• If Allāh does not take him to account – He overlooks him and pardons him, this is Allāh dealing with him with His mercy and His grace. The servant then sees the virtue of Allāh upon him.
• Two gifts from Allāh: Firstly, performing good deeds is a favour and a ṣadaqah from Allāh. He guided you to the desire to perform good deeds and gave you the ability to reflect upon their importance. Secondly, acceptance of these deeds after guiding you towards them is another gift. 
• We constantly see the virtue of Allāh in the tawfīq (success) to be filled with remorse after sinning, beseeching Him for forgiveness and increasing in righteous deeds. Recognizing this tawfīq is a virtue from Allāh.
• If Allāh rejects an action, it was because it was not befitting to be presented before Him. We should constantly question if our righteous deeds are worthy to be presented before Allāh.
• Reflect on one’s prayer for e.g., if we pray like a chicken, is this action worthy of Allāh’s blessing?
• Ibn Al-Qayyim further says, “Indeed, when a servant commits a sin, he perceives that as a result of Allāh leaving him, forsaking him, and withholding His protection from him. This is part of Allāh’s justice towards him. Even in the act of committing the sin, there may be khair (goodness) for the servant, even if he does not realize it.”
• The performance of a sin could be the cause of an individual entering Jannah, not because of the sin, but because of what follows – regret, remorse, rectification etc. He recognizes his great need for his Lord. 
• If Allāh forgives him, then it is purely out of His kindness. 
• Ibn Al-Qayyim explains that the secret of the whole affair is that one does not see his Lord except as being full of goodness and one does not see himself except as being a sinner, negligent, or deficient.
• Look at the difference between those filled with humility and those filled with pride. The former is on the path of the prophets, messengers and theʿulamāʾ. 
• The believer always sees himself as falling short, as sinful and as negligent. He always sees that there is much more that he can do.
• The believer sees every blessing from his Lord as grace and kindness towards him and as a source of joy, and he sees every sin and what comes from that as Allāh’s justice towards him and as a source of sorrow.
• The extent of Allāh’s generosity is seen in the endless sustenance He bestows on His creation. In return, He seeks from us one small ṣadaqah and that is to shed one teardrop out of humility in comparison to the seven seas He created.

Mpubs · [Lesson 02] The Origin of Praiseworthy and Blameworthy Morals

Shaykh Abū Hakīm Bilāl Davis حفظه الله mentioned the following points:

• Imām Ibn Al-Qayyim describes the aṣl (origin) of Al-Akhlāq Al-Faḍīlah (Praiseworthy Morals) and Al-Akhlāq Al-Madhmūmah (Blameworthy Morals).
• The origin of blameworthy character is arrogance, baseness and lowliness.
• The origin of praiseworthy character is al-khushūʿ – humility from the fear of Allāh and ʿulū al-himmah – having high ambitions and lofty goals.
• Pride, extravagance, vanity, envy, oppression, injustice, harshness, seeking superiority, love of status and leadership, desiring praise when undeserving of it, turning away from the truth, refusing to accept advice and selfishness all stem from al-kibr (arrogance).

• Cowardice, stinginess, weakness, laziness, humbling oneself before other than Allāh and preferring what is inferior over what is better all arise from baseness, lowliness and pettiness of the soul.
•  On the other hand, the virtuous characteristics such as patience, courage, justice, magnanimity, chastity, integrity, generosity, forbearance, selflessness, humility, contentment, honesty, sincerity, repaying good deeds with equal or better, overlooking the faults of others and refraining from meddling in what does not concern oneself, all stem from humility and high ambitions.
• The scholars are beautiful examples of humility and are manifestations of the noble characteristics of the prophets and the messengers.
• The people of sharr (evildoing) and bidʿah all share the common trait of kibr.
• Al- kibr is not just one characteristic but from it are numerous traits of sharr. Likewise, numerous traits stem from at-tawāḍuʿ (humility).

• The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Charity does not decrease wealth, no one forgives another except that Allāh increases his honour, and no one humbles himself for the sake of Allāh except that Allāh raises his status.”

• Within each of the three sentences is a trait that most people will perceive as a depletion but in actuality provides an increase for them:
• 1. Regarding charity, the normal perception is that it is a loss when in actuality, it increases wealth because it brings barakah – giving for the sake of Allāh.
• None is better in repaying and in recompensing your wealth than Allāh.

• Regarding forgiving someone who has harmed you, most people believe that in order to gain honour before the people, they have to supersede that person in harm. Forgiveness is perceived as a weakness when in actuality Allāh makes you more honourable and raises your station.
• Humility for the sake of Allāh is a means of raising one’s status.
• Each one of these characteristics requires mujāhadat an-nafs – striving against one’s desires.
• Each of these characteristics should be done for the sake of Allāh and with humility, firstly, because Allāh loves it and from that, Allāh will raise you.

Mpubs · [Lesson 03] The Signs of Success and The Signs of Wretchedness

Shaykh Abū Hakīm Bilāl Davis حفظه الله mentioned the following points:

• Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim discusses Al-ʿAlāmāt As-Saʿādah (The Signs of Success) and Al-ʿAlāmāt Ash-Shaqāwah (The Signs of Wretchedness).

Some Signs of Success and Happiness:

• Increase in knowledge – increase in humility and mercy.
• Increase in action – increase in fear of Allāh and vigilance.
• Increase in age – decrease in greed.
• Increase in wealth – increase in generosity.
• Increase in status and honour – increase in closeness to the people, fulfilling their needs and being humble before them.
• Reflect on these traits and see if you are successful. Eg. if you increase in status, does it cause you to become humble or haughty. Does it cause you to look down upon the people below your level?
• Success ultimately returns to at-tawāḍuʿ (humility).

Some Signs of Wretchedness:

• Increase in knowledge – increase in arrogance and pride
• Increase in actions – increases in self-praise, contempt for others, self-importance.
• Increase in age – increase in greed over the affairs of the dunya. Shayṭān starts to instil within you the fear of poverty. When Shayṭān threatens you with poverty, he commands you with evil.
• Increase in wealth – increase in miserliness.
• Increase in status and honour – increase in arrogance and pride. You only care about who or what will increase your status.
• These affairs are a test from Allāh through which some will attain happiness while others will be ruined by it.
• Likewise, they test one’s gratitude to Allāh.
• We usually look at the things in life that are difficult, as a trial and a test, but blessings such as honour, authority and wealth are trials just like hardships.
• When the throne of Bilqīs (Queen of Sheba) was presented before Sulaymān he said, “This is from the grace of my Lord to test me whether I will be grateful or ungrateful.”
• Allāh says, “And as for mankind, when his Lord tests him by giving him honour and blessings he says that my Lord has honoured me. But when his tests come to him by way of a restriction of his provisions. He says, my Lord has humiliated me.” (Sūrah Al-Fajr; 89:15-16)
• Allāh responds to these two statements with “Kallā – Nay!” This is used in the Arabic language to negate what was mentioned previously.
• When Allāh places an affliction upon us, the conclusion is usually that Allāh is humiliating us. We should avoid thinking and worse yet asking, “Why is Allāh making me and my family go through this?”
• We should always have ḥusn aẓ-ẓanni billāh – good suspicions of Allāh.
• Fiqh of Imām Ibn Al-Qayyim about this verse – Allāh choses who to bless with wealth. Certain people use their wealth for charity, so Allāh gives them more.
• Conversely, Allāh gives wealth to test others.
• Wealth can be either a blessing or a humiliation.
• Great importance of drawing closer to Allāh and being humble.
• The Prophet (ﷺ) was a great example of this tawāḍuʿ (humility).
• Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī said, “Love the poor, for I heard the Messenger of Allāh (ﷺ) say in his supplication: ‘O Allāh, cause me to live poor and cause me to die poor, and gather me among the poor (on the Day of Resurrection).”
• Likewise, Allāh nurtured the prophets and messengers upon this humility. They were nurtured upon being shepherds before they became prophets.
• The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Allāh did not send any prophet except that he was a shepherd.” The companions asked, “And you, O Messenger of Allāh?” He (ﷺ) replied: “Yes, I was a shepherd, grazing sheep for a few qarārīṭ (small coins) for the people of Makkah.”
• Working as a shepherd, nurtures one upon taking care and looking after the flock and being in tune with the nature of the sheep etc.
• This in turn aids a person to become a shepherd over the people, nurturing them upon humility and patience.
• In the ḥadīth of Anas ibn Mālik, where the Prophet ‘s (ﷺ) camel Al-ʿAḍbā’ was strangely defeated, the Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Indeed, it is a right upon Allāh that whenever He raises something in the worldly affairs, He lowers it.”
• Several lessons extracted – an encouragement to be humble, the affairs of the dunya are deficient, the insignificance of the dunyā to Allāh and avoiding mutual rivalry and competitiveness.
• The believer is mutawāḍiʿ(humble).
• Some statements of the salaf concerning tawāḍuʿ:
• Fuḍayl ibn ʿIyāḍ – that a person humbles himself for the truth and he accepts it from whomsoever says it, even if it is a child before him.
• Aḥnaf ibn Qays – it is amazing that Ibn Ādam should be arrogant when he has exited from the place of urine, twice.
• The 4 pillars of Kufr: al-kibr (arrogance), al-ḥasad (envy), al-ghaḍab (anger) and ash-shahwah (following desires).