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

• 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.

• 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.

• 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).

• The ṣaḥābah had iqbāl for Allāh – manner of turning towards Allāh with fervence.
• As salafīs, we adopt this iqbāl. Salafiyyah revolves around emulating them as much as possible, not only in the affairs of ʿaqīdah and uṣūl , but also in the affairs of ʿibādah, zuhd
• Allāh has left the example of the prophets and the messengers for us as well as the companions of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم).
• Allāh says in Sūrah Al-Baqarah verse 137, “And if they believe in the like of that which you believe, then they are rightly guided; but if they turn away, then they are only in opposition. So Allāh will suffice you against them. And He is the All-Hearer, the All-Knower.”
• Regarding the statement of Allāh, “The time of reckoning has drawn near for the people, while they are in heedlessness, turning away.” (Sūrah Al-Anbiyāʾ21:1), this served as an admonisher for the companions.
• This verse agitated them and caused their hearts to tremble with fear and their eyes to flow with tears out of caution.
• Allāh says, “…and the valleys flow according to their capacity” [Sūrah Ar-Raʿd; 13:17]. The literal translation of the verse is that valleys were filled to their capacity but some of the scholars of Tafsīr held that the meaning of the verse is that eyes shed tears.
• This heedlessness that Allāh speaks about is one of the arenas that shayṭān tries his utmost to keep Banī Ādam within, regardless of who that individual is.
• This heedlessness could just be for a period or could be extended to weeks, months or years.
• The person is slowly broken down by shayṭān until he reaches a quagmire of heedlessness, barely holding on to his five ṣalawāt.
• Shayṭān’s mission is with the believers. As far as the kuffār, then he is happy with what they are upon.
• His goal is for us to oppose The Book and the Sunnah.
• We always have to be cautious and diligent, making sure that our heart is in the right place. We must do things only for Allāh and from what is legislated.
• One of the many excuses people have is that they intended Reflect on the statement of ibn Masʿūd, “How many an individual intends good but does not reach it?”
• An example of Zuhd is seen in ʿAlī Ibn Abī Tālib where the world adorned itself to him and he divorced it thrice to show the effect of his zuhd. He pronounced three times to ensure no inclination towards it.
• He abhorred the idea of the Ḥalalah marriage, especially as he was one of the narrators of this ḥadīth where the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said, “Allah has cursed the muḥallil (the one who marries a woman temporarily to make her permissible for her first husband) and the muḥallal lahu (the first husband for whom this is done).”
• Allāh says, “Divorce may be [pronounced] twice, then either keep [her] in an acceptable manner or release [her] with good treatment. And if he divorces her [for the third time], then she is not lawful to him afterward until she marries a husband other than him.” [Sūrah Al-Baqarah 229-230]
• Ibn Al-Qayyim said, “There is no place of seclusion within this dunyā, so one should make seclusion within oneself…”
• He advises that the believer acquaints himself with self-nurturing and being cautious because as life goes on, he will realize that the majority of Banī Ādam is self-involved.
• He advises with taking care of oneself because we will enter the grave alone and stand before Allāh alone.
• He advises to concern oneself with one’s own deeds and not with that of others while your own deeds are pitiful and meagre.
• He continues, “You will inevitably be pulled by attractions so recognize them and be cautious of them. These distractions will not harm you if you isolate yourself from them internally, even while being amidst them. Indeed, the light of truth is brighter than the sun so it is fitting for the bats of insight to be blinded by it.”
• Ibn Al-Qayyim creates a metaphor with bats. Just as it cannot see the sun, the misguided and the deviant cannot see the sun of truth even if that sun is shining brightly.
• So powerful is the light of truth that bats who usually do not recognise light, will be blinded by the sun for the bat that has insight. This is a parable for the person with insight.
• Further comparison made with impaired vision and impaired tastebuds to show the effect of being blinded to the truth.
• His final statement is about the path of Allāh being free of those who have doubt and who follow their desires and is instead populated by people of certainty and patience.
• He advises to be with the people of certainty and patience.
• That however does not mean that the one who follows his desires may not be upon khair (good). One could be upon khair and fall into following desires.
• Allāh says, ““And We made from among them leaders guiding by Our command when they were patient and used to believe firmly in Our signs.” [Sūrah As-Sajdah; 32:24]
• Shaykh al-Islām ibn Taymiyyah’s monumental statement – “With ṣabr and yaqīn, (patience and certainty), one will attain the station of imāmah in the dīn and will become an imām in the religion.”
• Concentrate upon drawing closer to Allāh and know that the more one is free of doubt and following desires, the closer one draws towards Allāh and the greater the likelihood that the nūr of the ḥaqq will reach you.