Note: The following transcript was generated using AI and may contain inaccuracies.
Alhamdulillahi Rabbil Alameen, Lahu Alhamdul Hassan Wa Thana'u Al Jameel, Wa Ash'hadu An Laa Ilaha Illa Allahi Wahdahu Laa Sharika Laha, Yaqulu Al Haqqa Wa Huwa Yahdi Al Sabeel, Wa A'udhu Billahi Minash Shaitanir Rajeem. Wa Ash'hadu Anna Muhammadan Abduhu Wa Rasuluh, Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Ala Alihi Wa Ashabihi Wa Ttabi'ina Lahum Bi Ihsanin Ila Yawmi Al Deen Amma Ba'd. This InshaAllah Ta'ala is our third episode.
We're going to carry on speaking about Al-Amru Min Makli Allah. In this episode InshaAllah Ta'ala I want to speak about the importance of seeking refuge in Allah from your evil soul and Shaytan and how that helps towards not being a person who feels secure from the plans of Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala. The Messenger Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam in his Khutab that he would do Alayhi Salatu Wasallam, the sermons that he would do and any important reminder or lecture that the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam would start by mentioning and saying, Wa Na'udhu Billahi Min Shururi Anfusina Wa Sayyiati Amalina.
We seek refuge in Allah, the Prophet would say, from the evils of our nafs and the evils of our actions. So the nafs is something you seek refuge in Allah from. It is the nafs that wants to feel safe from the plans and the punishment of Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala.
I remember a Tirmidhi narrated in his Sunan, from the hadith of Abu Hurairah that Abu Bakr he came to the Messenger and he said, Ya Rasool Allah, Murni Bishayin Aqooluhu Idha Asbahtu Wa Idha Amsaytu. Abu Bakr said to the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, say to me, command me something O Prophet of Allah. Abu Bakr is saying, Siddiquhu Hadhi Al-Ummah, command me something that I could say in the morning and in the evening.
The Messenger Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam has said to him, Qul say, Allahumma Alim Al-Ghaybi Wa Al-Shahada, O Allah, the Lord of the universe, the seen and the unseen, Fatir As-Samawati Wa Al-Ard, the one who created the earth, the one who created the sky, the heavens, Rabb Kulli Shay'in Wa Malika, the master of everything, the king of everything, Ashhadu An La Ilaha Illa Ant, I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except you, A'udhu Bika, I seek refuge in you, O Allah, Min Sharri Nafsi, I seek refuge in you, O Allah, from the evils of my soul, Wa Min Sharri Shaytani, and I seek refuge in you, O Allah, from Shaytan, Wa Shirkihi, and you can also say Wa Sharakihi, Wa Shirkihi means and his helpers, I seek refuge in Shaytan and those who help him and aid him in misguiding the people. Shaytan has friends, he has allies, he has people who are working for him, Wa Inna Ash-Shayateena La Yuhuna Ila Awliya'ihim Li Yujadilukum, Shaytan has friends and colleagues and helpers who help him in misguiding the people. So I seek refuge in Allah from Shaytan and those who help him.
And if we read it as Wa Sharakihi, it means I seek refuge in Allah from Shaytan, Wa Sharakihi and the instrument that he uses to misguide others, I seek refuge in Allah from that as well. The Prophet said to Abu Bakr, Qulhu, say this Dua, Idha Asbahta Wa Idha Amsayta, say it in the morning, say it in the evening, Wa Idha Akhatta Madhja'aka, and say it when you go to your bed. What we benefit from this Hadith is, or this Dua that the Prophet taught Abu Bakr is that we seek refuge in Allah from the evil of our soul.
We seek refuge in Allah from Shaytan, Shaytan is planning and plotting against us. He wants to misguide us, he wants us to feel safe from the punishment of Allah and he wants us to believe that we are good and we are righteous and there's nothing wrong with us, that's why Shaytan wants to convince us and he wants Allah's punishment to come to us when we're least expecting it. Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala says in the Qur'an, Wa Ma Ubarri'u Nafsi, Inna An-Nafsa La'ammaratun Bis-Su'i Illa Ma Rahima Rabbi, Inna Rabbi Ghafoorun Raheem.
Allah Ta'ala elaborates here, Allah Ta'ala points out that this Nafs of ours, it's one that calls us to evil. Allah says, Wa Ma Ubarri'u Nafsi, Inna An-Nafsa, Verily the Nafs, what is it? La'ammaratun Bis-Su'i, it commands evil, it calls the person to evil. And then Allah says, Illa Ma Rahima Rabbi, except those who Allah has bestowed upon them his mercy, they're an exception.
There are people who Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala has guided them and their Nafs is Nafs which is Mutma'inna, a tranquil soul, a Nafs that is in line with Allah's commandments and stays away from the prohibitions of Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala. They have tranquility in their life. This is the Nafs that we're all trying to work towards in order to achieve it and gain it.
Inna An-Nafsa La'ammaratun Bis-Su'i Illa Ma Rahima Rabbi, Inna Rabbi Ghafoorun Raheem. Verily Allah is one that is forgiving, a very merciful one. So if Allah is forgiving and he's merciful and our Nafs is calling us to evil, who should we run to? We should run to Allah and not to our Nafs that is calling us to misguidance, that wants to bring upon us destruction.
We seek refuge in Allah from that Nafs. We ask Allah Ta'ala to protect us from that Nafs because if we do, we will Insha'Allah we will not be from those who feel safe from the punishment of Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala. Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala in the ayah The last part of the verse is what I want.
Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala, He says Anyone who is protected from the stinginess of his Nafs, Verily they are the successful ones. Anyone who is protected from the evil of his Nafs, Verily he is from the successful ones. Anyone who is protected from the bad traits that are generally present in the human Nafs, Verily they are from the successful ones.
This Nafs, you need Allah Ta'ala to help you from the evils that it can do to you. This Nafs, it's problematic. And SubhanAllah, its evil traits become clear at times when you are least expecting it.
At times when you don't even think it's going to do something, it does it. And a lot of people, they learn themselves in situations, they get to know who they really are. They didn't know themselves before that.
They say, I wasn't expecting myself to do that. Why did I do that? How did that even come from me? How did that even occur from me? And the reason for that is, it is what the scholars call It is those hidden evil traits in the Nafs which pops out in random situations. So you need to keep cleansing and keep cleansing and keep cleansing.
And get those traits that are hiding. Pull them out. Expose them out of your body.
And bring them out into the open and deal with them. Don't hide them. Don't cover them up.
If you've got a wound on your body, you don't place creams on your body. What you do is, you've got a wound. You go to a doctor or you do surgery or you do something.
And then if you want to put cream on it, you can. The cream is not going to remove the wound. The wound is deeply into your body.
So you need to get a doctor's observation. وَمَن يُوقَى شُحَى نَفْسِهِ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ If you are protected from the evil of your nafs, then Wallahi you are a successful person. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah said something very powerful.
He said مَا مِنْ نَفْسٍ إِلَّا وَفِيهَا مَا فِي نَفْسِ فِرْعَوْا He said that there is, Ibn Taymiyyah mentioned that there was the great scholars of Islam, the early scholars of Islam. They mentioned, Ibn Taymiyyah is referencing them or quoting them. He is saying that they said مَا مِنْ نَفْسٍ There is no soul إِلَّا وَفِيهَا مَا فِي نَفْسِ فِرْعَوْا Except that in the nafs, there is no individual.
Except in his nafs is what was in the nafs of Firaun. The transgression and the wrongdoing and the crimes that Firaun had in him. يعني تَوْغِيَان That Firaun had in him.
That tyrannical, ignorant, oppressive mindset that Firaun had. Every nafs has that. What is the difference? غَيْرَ أَنَّ فِرْعَوْنَ قَدَرَ فَأَظْهَرْ The difference here is Firaun had the ability to execute that feeling.
Because he was in control, he had a position. So he brought that trait out. He brought it out.
وَغَيْرُهُ عَجَزَ فَأَضْمَرْ And other than Firaun, they were unable to do it. Because they don't have the followers and they don't have the power and the money and whatnot. So what do they do? Because they are unable, they hid that trait.
You see? So this nafs, if the statement is said like that, we should all be scared. And that is why we always have to remember that we don't want to worship our nafs. Allah Ta'ala says in the Qur'an أَرَعَيْتَ مَنِ اتَّخَذَ إِلَهَهُ هَوَاهُ أَفَأَنْتَ تَكُونُ عَلَيْهِ وَكِيلًا Those who take their desires as their Lord, they worship their nafs.
Their nafs tells them to do something and they do it. Whereas if Allah was to tell them to do something else, they wouldn't do it. Their nafs is what commands them.
Their nafs is what prohibits them. Their nafs is the source of legislation for them. Not Allah and His Messenger.
Allah says أَرَعَيْتَ مَنِ اتَّخَذَ إِلَهَهُ هَوَاهُ أَفَأَنْتَ تَكُونُ عَلَيْهِ وَكِيلًا His Ilah is what? His Hawa, his desires is. No one can help you on the Day of Judgement if you're one who follows his desires and everything. And that you do everything that comes to your heart and mind.
وَلِذَٰلِكَ الَّمَسْنِجَةَ صَلَى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَامًا He instructed and He Himself used to do it. That we make the following dua by saying اللَّهُمَّ آتِ نَفْسِهِ تَقْوَاهَا O Allah, give my nafs piety. Give it taqwa.
Give it the fear that it needs. Make it righteous. Make my nafs conscious of You, O Allah.
اللَّهُمَّ آتِ نَفْسِهِ تَقْوَاهَا O Allah, give my nafs piety. That is the dua that the Messenger ﷺ used to say. Wallahi, what you don't want it to happen is that you come Yawm al-Qiyamah.
And when you come the Day of Judgment, you thought that you did righteous action. You thought you exerted a lot of effort. But you come the Day of Judgment, and what really is waiting for you is the punishment and the wrath of Allah ﷻ. What is going to happen to you? You're going to be gobsmacked.
You're going to be mind boggled. What has happened? What is taking place in that situation? There's no running away. There's no one who can help you.
وَلِذَٰلِكَ أَللَّهُ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَىٰ He said in the Qur'an, وَلَوْ أَنَّ لِلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا مَا فِي الْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا وَمِثْلَهُ مَعَهُ لَفْتَجَوْا بِهِ مِنْ سُوءِ الْعَدَابِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَبَدَى لَهُم مِّنَ اللَّهِ مَا لَمْ يَكُونُوا يَحْتَسِبُونَ Allah ﷻ said, وَلَوْ أَنَّ لِلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا If it was for the oppressors, if the oppressors and the wrongdoers were to have مَا فِي الْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا وَمِثْلَهُ مَعَهُ If they were to have what is on this earth, if they were to have everything on this earth, if they were to have it, the wrongdoers and the criminals, what would they have done? لَفْتَجَوْا بِهِ مِنْ سُوءِ الْعَدَابِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ They would have given all of that to free themselves from the hellfire. And then Allah ﷻ, He says, وَبَدَى لَهُم مِّنَ اللَّهِ مَا لَمْ يَكُونُوا يَحْتَسِبُونَ It became clear to them. It became clear to them that all of the good that they did was really not for them.
وَبَدَى لَهُم مِّنَ اللَّهِ مَا لَمْ يَكُونُوا يَحْتَسِبُونَ It became clear to them that which they were doing وَبَدَى لَهُم مِّنَ اللَّهِ مَا لَمْ يَكُونُوا يَحْتَسِبُونَ And they came to the Day of Judgment and they saw that which they were not expecting. Mujahid ibn Jabrin, the great tabi'i, the great scholar, and the student of Abdullah ibn Abbas, an imam in tafsir, who took that entire tafsir from Ibn Abbas three times, from beginning to end, from beginning to end, from beginning to end. He took the entire tafsir from Ibn Abbas, Mujahid ibn Jabrin.
Mujahidin, he said, when he came to this ayah, he said, عَمِلُوا أَعْمَالَ These people, they did actions. تَوَهَمُوا أَنَّهَا حَسَنَاتٌ فَإِذَا هِيَ سَيِّئَاتٌ These people, they did actions, good actions. تَوَهَمُوا أَنَّهَا حَسَنَاتٌ They thought that they were good actions.
فَإِذَا هِيَ سَيِّئَاتٌ But in reality, they were sins at which they did. They either did it with no intention, so it became an evil action, or they did it in a way that wasn't in accordance to the sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ, so they were doing innovation. So all of it became clear to them that all the crying and all the dancing that they thought that they were going to get closer to Allah with, all of it is null and void.
وَبَدَى لَهُمْ مِنَ اللَّهِ مَا لَمْ يَكُونُوا يَحْتَسِبُونَ Also, it was said regarding this tafsir on the ayah, some of the Mufassireena, they said عَمِلُوا أَعْمَالَ تَوَهَمُوا أَنَّهُمْ يَتُوبُونَ مِنْهَا قَبْلَ الْمَوْتِ فَأَدْرَكَهُمُ الْمَوْتُ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَتُوبُوا Another tafsir, another meaning was given to the verse, which was they did actions, يعني they committed crimes, they did sins, they disobeyed Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى and they thought that they would repent. They said, we're young right now, we're still in our teens, Inshallah, we're going to repent. And Inshallah, that will be when we grow older.
Right now, we just want to have fun. We're just young. I'll get there.
And what happened to them is death came to them before they could repent. فَأَدْرَكَهُمُ الْمَوْتُ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَتُوبُوا Death came to them before they could repent. They did not live their lives with preparation.
They didn't work. They came with الأمن من مكر الله They felt secure from the plans and the plots of Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى Allah's plan and Allah's punishment. They found from it safety, security.
They said there’s nothing to worry about.
Ikrimah Ibn Ammar said:
جَزَعَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُنْكَدِرِ عِنْدَ مَوْتِهِ جَزَعًا شَدِيدًا
Ikrimah Ibn Ammar mentioned that Muhammad Ibn Al-Munkadir, the great Tabi’i, when he was on his deathbed, became very, very frightened.
فَقِيلَ لَهُ — They said to him:
مَا هَذَا الْجَزَعُ — Why are you so frightened? Why are you so scared? Why are you so nervous?
قَالَ — He said:
أَخَافُ آيَةً مِنْ كِتَابِ اللَّهِ
“There is a verse in the Book of Allah that I fear, that I am scared of.”
And the Ayah is:
وَبَدَا لَهُم مِّنَ اللَّهِ مَا لَمْ يَكُونُوا يَحْتَسِبُونَ
It has become clear to them—
وَبَدَا لَهُم — It has become clear to them from Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala,
مَا لَمْ يَكُونُوا يَحْتَسِبُونَ — That which they did not expect.
Then he said:
فَأَنَا أَخْشَى أَنْ يَبْدُوَ لِي مَا لَمْ أَكُنْ أَحْتَسِبُ
"I am scared that it will become clear to me that which I was not expecting."
He was scared.
He didn’t have the false sense of security that many of us have—
الأَمْنُ مِنْ مَكْرِ اللَّهِ—the attitude that we are good, we are noble, and no one can judge us.
That’s the mindset we came with.
And now, we are standing in front of Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala—
لَيْسَ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَ اللَّهِ تُرْجُمَان
There is no one between us and Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala.
He is right in front of us.
He is questioning us, interrogating us, subhanahu wa ta’ala.
What are we going to say that day?
Allah is not someone we can deceive.
Allah is not someone we can hire a lawyer for, hoping that the lawyer will get the case dismissed.
And inshaAllah, maybe that might be a means of me not entering Hellfire?
That won’t work.
No lawyer.
No solicitor.
Nothing will work for you that day.
Your entire record of actions is documented.
It is written—
Even before you speak, even before you utter a word—
It is all going to be presented to you.
And it’s all there.
Abu Huraira narrated—
Before I mention the hadith of Abu Huraira, what I want to mention is that Muhammad Ibn Al-Munkadir was a great Imam who performed many Hajj.
He performed many Hajj.
He came with many righteous actions.
With that being said, he was still scared.
Did he become a person who depended on his righteous actions?
Did he say, "But I did this, but I did this, but I did this"?
Is that what he said?
The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam told us in the hadith of Abu Huraira—
Muslim and Bukhari both narrated that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:
"Whoever goes and performs Hajj and does not commit any sin in Hajj, does not engage in fisq (disobedience), does not engage in sexual intercourse—he will return like the day his mother gave birth to him—sinless."
That’s how he is going to come back.
Muhammad Ibn Al-Munkadir could have said, "This hadith applies to me! I have not only performed one Hajj, but I have done many Hajj, so I am a person whom Allah has forgiven for my sins."
He could have said that.
But he didn’t rely on that.
He didn’t rely on that.
He knew that Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala is the One he is going to face.
So we need to be very cautious.
And we also need to take heed.
There is a story I want to mention, inshaAllah—
To show how important it is that we take heed in all of our actions and that we do not delay anything until tomorrow.
Al-A’sha—
He was an Arab poet.
A well-known poet.
Among the poets of the Arabs.
And Quraysh knew of Al-A’sha.
Everyone knew of Al-A’sha.
Al-A’sha’s words were highly respected.
If Al-A’sha said something, it was memorized, and it would circulate in society.
Everyone would be speaking about his lines of poetry.
He had influence.
Al-A’sha made the decision that he was going to embrace Islam.
He said:
"I’m no longer going to remain upon this way. I need to rectify myself.
I need to go to Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and embrace Islam."
So he got his riding beast ready.
He packed his belongings.
And he made his way to Madinah.
Quraysh heard of this.
So they ran after him.
They intercepted him.
They told him:
"Al-A’sha, what are you trying to do?
Why are you trying to embrace Islam?
What do you need?
What is it that we can do for you?"
He dismissed everything they offered him.
He said:
"I’m going to Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
I am going to embrace the religion that he preaches and calls to."
Then they said to him:
"Did you not hear?
Muhammad forbids Zina!
Did you not know that Muhammad does not allow you to have sexual intercourse with a woman before marriage?
Did you not know that?"
Al-A’sha said:
"I am a very old man.
I am not sexually driven.
At this moment, that isn’t my problem.
I am more than happy to follow him in that command."
Then they thought of something else—
"Did you not also hear that he forbids alcohol?
He forbids intoxication.
He does not allow it.
Did you know that?"
Al-A’sha said:
"Is that what he does?"
They said:
"Yes.
Muhammad forbids alcohol.
It is prohibited in his religion."
Then he said:
"Okay.
If that is the case, I love alcohol.
This year, I am going to drink.
I am going to indulge.
I am going to make sure that I reach my pinnacle.
And when I have finished, when I have enjoyed it, when I have had my fill—
I will stop.
And I will go to Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and embrace Islam."
They said—
That very same year in which he was drinking alcohol, he died.
He passed away.
So he delayed a righteous action.
And he died without Islam.
The people who called him and stopped him from going to Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam—
They were Shayateen.
He obeyed them.
He listened to them.
He also obeyed his Nafs.
The poet said:
"If yesterday you committed a sin and crimes—
Then today is a second chance."
You have a second chance.
Today, you have a chance.
So what do you do?
Come with righteous actions.
Do not delay good deeds for tomorrow.
Because tomorrow could come—
And you could be dead.
If you committed a sin yesterday, you have a chance today to repent.
And ask Allah for forgiveness.
And also, if there is any righteous action that you can do at this moment, do it.
Don't push it to tomorrow.
Because tomorrow could come—
But you might not be there.
Tomorrow might come—
And you might not be alive.
So don’t delay any righteous action.
That’s what he did.
This is the problem—
He delayed a righteous action for tomorrow.
He pushed it back.
But he didn’t live to see it.
Our Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam instructed us—
The best action in Islam after the Shahadah is what?
The Salah.
And the Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam used to say to his companions:
"If you stand up for your prayer, pray the Salah of one who is never going to pray again."
Pray this Salah as though it’s going to be your last Salah.
Now I ask you a question—
How would you pray your last Salah?
Isn’t that an important question?
How do you pray your last Salah?
What are the things that you would do in your last prayer?
You would make sure that your Ruku’ is long.
You would make sure that your Qiyam is long.
You would make sure that the Dua you can make—
You would make it all in Sujood.
You would make sure that the recitation of the Qur’an is done properly.
You’re going to do that.
You’re going to beautify your voice.
You’re going to make sure you stand properly when you pray.
You’re going to make sure that your Salah has Khushu’.
All of that—
You will make sure—
Because you know there is no prayer after this.
إذا قمت في صلاتك فصل صلاة مودع
The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said that.
Do not delay a righteous action for tomorrow.
Tomorrow might come—
And you might not be alive.
And for that reason, Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala says:
لَيْسَ بِأَمَانِيِّكُمْ وَلَا أَمَانِيِّ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ ۗ مَنْ يَعْمَلْ سُوءًا يُجْزَ بِهِ وَلَا يَجِدْ لَهُ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ وَلِيًّا وَلَا نَصِيرًا
Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala says:
"It is not according to your wishful thinking, nor is it the wishful thinking of the People of the Scripture.
Whoever does an evil action—
يُجْزَ بِهِ—he will be punished accordingly.
وَلَا يَجِدْ—and he will not find—
لَهُ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ وَلِيًّا وَلَا نَصِيرًا
For him, besides Allah, any Wali (ally), nor any Nasir (helper)."
If you have committed crimes—
And you have done wrong—
No one is able to protect you from the punishment of Allah.
When it comes to you—
There is no one who can help you.
You won’t have any allies.
You won’t have anyone aiding or supporting you.
So what is it that you must do?
You must depend on Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala alone.
I’m going to stop there.
Anything that I have said that was wrong or incorrect is from me and Shaytan.
And Allah and His Messenger are both free from it.
سُبْحَانَكَ اللَّهُمَّ وَبِحَمْدِكَ أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ أَسْتَغْفِرُكَ وَأَتُوبُ إِلَيْكَ
السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته
