Ibn Qudāmah al-Maqdisī رحمه الله
Three Levels of Fasting
- Fasting of the masses.
- Fasting of the select, and
- Fasting of the elite.
The fasting of the masses: To restrain the stomach and private parts from engaging in base desires.
The fasting of the select: To restrain the eyes, tongue, hands, feet, hearing, sight, and all limbs from transgression.
The fasting of the elite (among the select): The fasting of the heart from foul, lowly concerns and thoughts that distract from Allāh.
مختصر منهاج القاصدين
This dear brother, Ismael Beaumont, who was a graduate of Madinah University & founded @MaysoorArabic passed away in 2022 from cancer. May Allah have mercy upon him & grant him Jannah.
Here is some of his advice for us all.
A believer must not knowingly put themselves in situations of intolerable hardship or trauma, as that is a form of self-degradation. It is reported that the Prophet ﷺ said:
"It is not befitting for a believer to humiliate himself." They asked: "And how does he humiliate himself?"
He ﷺ replied: "By exposing himself to trouble beyond what he can bear."
• صحيح الترمذي (٢٢٥٤) وابن ماجة (٤٠١٦)
Sit for a short while before you sleep and do this
Ibn al-Qayyim said: "Avoid those things that necessitate the punishment of the grave.
And from the most beneficial of them is that when a man wants to sleep, he sits for an hour, for the Sake of Allaah, calling himself to account over the things that he has lost and gained during that day of his. Then, between him and his Lord, he renews his sincere repentance over those things that he lost, and sleeps on that repentance, firmly resolving not to return to the sin when he wakes up–and he does this every night.
So if he dies on that night of his, he would have died upon repentance and if he wakes up, he will wake up going towards action, pleased with the postponement of his appointed time so that he can turn to his Lord and set right what he missed out on.
And there is nothing more beneficial for the servant than this sleep, especially when he follows that [i.e., his resolve to renew his repentance] up with the remembrance of Allaah, performing those sunnahs which have been reported from the Prophet of Allaah when going to bed, [doing so] until sleep overtakes him.
So whoever Allaah wishes good for, He will grant him the success to do that. And there is neither movement, nor power except through Allaah.”
{Ar-Rooh, p. 79.}
Prophet (ﷺ) said:
Four things bring happiness:
- a righteous wife,
- a spacious home,
- a righteous neighbor
- a comfortable ride
Four things bring misfortune:
- a bad neighbor
- a unrighteous or wicked wife
- a cramped home
- an uncomfortable ride
Shaykh yasser ad dossari:
The Prophet ﷺ said: “The best among you are those who learn the Qur’an.” He did not say: “The best among you are those who read the Qur’an,” nor “those who recite the Qur’an,” Nor “those who perfect its recitation,” nor “those who