The Salaf On Being Overweight

The Salaf On Being Overweight 

Observe & Take Heed O Muslims! 

• Having a big stomach: you're disabled:

Ibn Rajab: "Some scholars said: If you have a big stomach, you should consider yourself disabled until you become slim." (al-Jami', p. 519)

• Criticized for his big stomach just as he is done for his sins:

Salamah bin Sa'id: "A person is criticized for his big stomach just as he is criticized for his sins." (al-Jami', p. 519)

• Eat less!

Abu 'Imran al-Juni: "The one who wants to have an enlightened heart should eat a little." (al-Jami', p. 519)

Sufyan ath-Thawri: "If you want to feel well and sleep a little, you should eat little." (al-Jami', p. 520)

They have not moved except for the ake of Allah

Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali mentions,

وَيَلْزَمُ مِنْ صَلَاحِ حَرَكَاتِ الْقَلْبِ صَلَاحُ حَرَكَاتِ الْجَوَارِحِ، فَإِذَا كَانَ الْقَلْبُ صَالِحًا لَيْسَ فِيهِ إِلَّا إِرَادَةُ اللَّهِ وَإِرَادَةُ مَا يُرِيدُهُ لَمْ تَنْبَعِثِ الْجَوَارِحُ إِلَّا فِيمَا يُرِيدُهُ اللَّهُ، فَسَارَعَتْ إِلَى مَا فِيهِ رِضَاهُ، وَكَفَّتْ عَمَّا يَكْرَهُهُ، وَعَمَّا يَخْشَى أَنْ يَكُونَ مِمَّا يَكْرَهُهُ وَإِنْ لَمْ يَتَيَقَّنْ ذَلِكَ.

“Soundness of the actions of the heart causes soundness of the actions of the limbs. If the heart is sound, and desires nothing except Allah and what He desires, the limbs will do nothing except what Allah desires. They will hurry to what pleases Him, and halt from what He hates, and what one fears that He might hate, even if he is not sure of it.

قَالَ الْحَسَنُ: مَا ضَرَبْتُ بِبَصَرِي، وَلَا نَطَقْتُ بِلِسَانِي، وَلَا بِطَشْتُ بِيَدِي، وَلَا نَهَضْتُ عَلَى قَدَمِي حَتَّى أَنْظُرَ عَلَى طَاعَةٍ أَوْ عَلَى مَعْصِيَةٍ؟ فَإِنْ كَانَتْ طَاعَتُهُ تَقَدَّمَتْ، وَإِنْ كَانَتْ مَعْصِيَةً تَأَخَّرَتْ.
وَقَالَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْفَضْلِ الْبَلْخِيُّ: مَا خَطَوْتُ مُنْذُ أَرْبَعِينَ سَنَةً خُطْوَةً لِغَيْرِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ.
وَقِيلَ لِدَاوُدَ الطَّائِيِّ: لَوْ تَنَحَّيْتَ مِنَ الظِّلِّ إِلَى الشَّمْسِ، فَقَالَ: هَذِهِ خُطًى لَا أَدْرِي كَيْفَ تُكْتَبُ.

al-Hasan said, “I have not looked with my eyes, nor pronounced with my tongue, nor beaten with my hand, nor risen to my feet until I see whether it is for obedience or disobedience. If it is out of obedience, then I proceed, and if for disobedience, I hold back.”

Muhammad b. al-Fadl al-Balkhi said, “I have not taken a step during the last forty years for other than [the sake] of Allah, the Exalted and Glorified.“
Further, it was said to Dawud at-Ta’i when he went from the shade into the sun, “This is a mistake for which I am not sure how it will be recorded.”

فَهَؤُلَاءِ الْقَوْمُ لَمَّا صَلَحَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ، فَلَمْ يَبْقَ فِيهَا إِرَادَةٌ لِغَيْرِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ، صَلَحَتْ جَوَارِحُهُمْ، فَلَمْ تَتَحَرَّكْ إِلَّا لِلَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ، وَبِمَا فِيهِ رِضَاهُ، وَاللَّهُ تَعَالَى أَعْلَمُ.

Those are a people that when their hearts were sound and for whom no desire for other than Allah remained, the actions of their limbs also became sound, and they did not move except for the sake of Allah, the Exalted and Glorified, and for what pleased Him. And Allah Knows Best.”

(Jami’ al-‘Uloom wa’l-Hikam, vol. 1, pg. 213-214)

Awake my beloved for the promised time draws nigh.

The wife of Habib- Abu Muhammad al Farisi- would wake him at night time and say,

‘Awake O Habib for the path is long and our provision is paltry.
The caravan of the righteous has passed ahead of us and we have been left behind!’

O sleeper by night for how long will you lie?
Awake my beloved for the promised time draws nigh.
For a portion of the night your Lord deify-
For sleep begets neither rest nor equanimity.
Whoever in slumber deep spends the night,
will not have striven or arrived at the destination right”


Transcribed from ‘The journey to Allaah (pg59)
By Imaam ibn Rajab al Hanbali Rahimahullaah

Shouldn't one of us feel shy to ask his Lord to forgive his sin,

Ibn Rajab Al Hanbali said: It was said to Hasan Al Basri :
" Shouldn't one of us feel shy to ask his Lord to forgive his sin, then do it again, then ask for forgiveness, then do it again?" He said: " The Shaytan wishes that you would have this attitude, so do not tire of asking for forgiveness"

- Jaami al-Ulum wal-Hukam, 1/165

O my soul! It is not, except a few days of patience

Ibn Rajab – rahimahullaah – said: (1)


ولا بد للمؤمن من صبر قليل حتى يصل به إلى راحة طويلة…



…and it’s incumbent upon the believer to have a little patience in order to reach by way of it to a lengthy rest.



فإن جزع ولم يصبر فهو كما قال ابن المبارك

من صبر فما أقل ما يصبر ومن جزع فما أقل ما يتمتع



If he gets impatient then he is,
as has been said by Ibn al-Mubaarak:


Whoever exercises patience,
then how little is the patience he will have to exercise.
And whoever is impatient,
then how little is the enjoyment he will have.



:وكان الإمام الشافعي رحمه اللَه ينشد



يا نَـفـسُ مــا هِـــيَ إلاّ صَـــبـــرُ أَيّامِ

كَــأَنَّ مُـدَّتَــهـــا أَضــغــاثُ أَحــلامِ

يا نَـفْـسُ جـــوزي عَـنِ الـدُنــيا مُـبـادِرَةً

وَخَــلِّ عَـنـهـا فَـإِنَّ الـعَـيشَ قُــدامـــي


al-Imaam ash-Shaafi’ee – rahimahullaah -used to recite (the following verses of poetry):



“O my soul! It is not, except a few days of patience;
As if the extent were but a few dreams.
O my soul! Pass quickly on through this world;
And leave it, for indeed life lies ahead of it.” (2)

______________________

(1) From Ibn Rajab al-Hanbalee’s book “Fadl ‘ilm as-Salaf” - The Excellence of the Salaf’s Knowledge.

(2) Translation of ash-Shaafi’ee’s – rahimahullaah – poem is taken from an article titled “The Yearning of the Pious for Paradise” –
al-Istiqaamah Magazine, Issue #2, Safar 1417 A.H.

“Eid is not for the one who wears new clothes.."

Ibn Rajab: 

“Eid is not for the one who wears new clothes. Eid is for the one whose obedience rises. Eid is not for the one with beautiful clothes and fine means of transport, Eid is for the one whose sins are forgiven.” 

(al-Lata'if, p. 371)