"Between them is a veil..."

[LivingUnderMercyOf Allah]

As many of you may already know, I have a profound admiration for Ibnul Jawzi, and ofcourse, his most popular work is none other than 'Saaid Al-Khatir'.

Today, I'll do my best to begin translating chapters from his other work, 'Bustan Al-Wa'idheen wa Riyadh As-sami'een'. If the work is already translated, please let me know so I can stop.

Chapter 4: "and on the heights will be men who would know every one by his marks" [Al-A'raf:46]

Ibnul Jawzi says:

[The meaning of Al-A'raf]

They are the those who are mentioned by the Patron and Protector in the verse, "and on the heights will be men who would know everyone by his marks". They are a group of people who find their deeds and sins equal on the scale and so, are confined in Al-A'raf. Al-A'raf is an elevated vicinity along the sirat for the sirat itself is made up of seven barrages which are bridges and each one is more difficult than the other; some are more difficult in questions than others; and some are higher in altitude than others. Along each bridge, the slave of Allah is asked about his acts of worship which Allah has obligated upon him in this world. We ask Allah to grant us success in this dunya and easiness during our affairs in these stages in Al-Akhira.

[What is the slave of Allah will be accounted for on the day of Judgement]

To be continued, Inshaa Allah...

[LivingUnderMercyOf Allah]

[That which the slave of Allah will be accounted for on the day of Judgement]

The first matter the slave (of Allah) will be questioned about is his prayer, then zakat, then siyaam, then hajj, then al-amanah (carrying out of trust), then the guardance of the tongue, then the rights of one's neighbors, then in keeping ties with relatives, and the same applies with all that which Allah has obligated and all that which Allah has forbade. Whenever anyone reaches a bridge from the bridges of the sirat, he will be asked about all his worship. If (he/she) replies correctly then he can proceed to Jannah alongside a light of Iman that covers his hands, that which is between his right and left, and if he doesn't answer appropriately, his light will decrease, and that is the light of faith because the faith increases and decreases. It increases with obedience of Allah and decreases in disobedience. Therefore, all those who have had their reward decreased due to disobedience will have their light dimmed in the sirat. Whomsoever Allah wills to punish, He will have lit for him some of the bridges of the sirat but will also extinguish the light in others. The sirat is a black and dark place, more dark than hellfire, and if a small drop of this darkness were to be placed in this world, it can darken the eastern and western hemispheres where people would die from the extreme darkness.

[William Wurkmun Fosterr]

Dear Brother,

I Believe that Allaah Is Omnipresent.

All The Best,
Brother William

[LivingUnderMercyOf Allah]

[The benefit from confining the people of Al-A'raf]

The reason why Allah has confined these group of people in Al-A'raf is so that to show the people of Jannah, the Angels, the Jin, Mankind, and all that which Allah, may He be exalted, has created the preferrence of the Prophet, peace be upon him. The Prophet's sanctity, relevance, and worth wil be shown from Allah, The Glorious, and that's when Allah, the Exalted, will order His slaves to proceed on the sirat above Hellfire, and then comes the believers and the disbelievers on the sirat. As for the believers, they will pass as their light seeks and covers their hands, and that which is on their right.

As for the disbelievers, they will move in utter darkness and in the darkness of their actions which they acted upon in their state of disbelief (kufr) in this world. When they arrive at the sirat, from the very first step they take on the sirat, they fall into hellfire and the angels will shackle and throw them in the depth of hellfire.

[LivingUnderMercyOf Allah]

I Believe that Allaah Is Omnipresent

From prior readings of your posts, I feel that you believe that goodness and peace should be omnipresent - socially and not divinely. That, on one scale, I stand to agree with you, William. Goodness and virtue should be present in all societies and cultures.

However, if you mean to say that God is omnipresent, in the sense that He is everywhere, then we certainly and most emphatically don't believe in that. We believe that Allah is All-Knowning, Omniscient, and His names and attributes are those befitting to His Majesty only. In other words, Allah chooses to be above His throne, and since He is All-Knowning and All-Seeing, and because he is the Creator, everything runs the way He pleases. I don't think, William, just because you believe in virtue that it should reside everywhere even in non-living matter such as air and tree. That's somewhat philosophical rather than religious. In faith, we are seeking answers, and if you were to open the Qur'an, I'm sure you would reach them.

Hey, at least you know what we believe in. Perhaps you should take time to look into it.

[Abu Ibraaheem]

Jazakallahu khairan akhee
Keep em coming inshaAllah

[ibn 'abd al-jabbaar]

Jazakallahu khairan akhee
Keep em coming inshaAllah

indeed... jazaakAllahu khairan

[LivingUnderMercyOf Allah]

[Happenings between the believers and hypocrites]

Once the believers move forward with their lights, the hypocries follow closely in their footsteps as they call upon them to slow down so to reach their light. It will be said to them to go back and attempt to find light. Allah says, " Surely the hypocrites strive to deceive Allah, and He shall requite their deceit to them"[3:142] When the hypocries would meet the believers in this world, they would act as though they believed and show faith in their speech but in their hearts, they were committed to disbelief. Allah deals with His slaves based on the conviction of their hearts yet the hypocrites used to inject the believers with problems and hardships. When the hypocrites are finally on the sirat and are trying to walk on the footprints of the believers, they will say: wait for us so that we can get close to your light. It will be said to them: Go back, behind you, and try to reach the light there. The hypocrites then think that they are able to get light from the back, and when they do, there appears a tunnel which makes the hypocrites believe that it can take them across the sirat but it leads them to the doors of hellfire. Once the believers witness the fall of the hypocrites, one after another, they become terribly afraid, an it will be said to them: Glad-tidings to you on this day paradise from which rivers run from underneath, and the punishment which you were afraid of is for those hypocrites who disobeyed Allah and His prophet, and denied the verses of Allah and defied His book.

[Muntasir]

Dear Brother,

I Believe that Allaah Is Omnipresent.

All The Best,
Brother William


Dear William

The brother is correct when He said Allaah is not "everywhere" though He most certainly is aware of everything. Allaah is above the seven heavens, He has ascended above His throne in a manner that suits His Majesty. Saying Allaah is everywhere would mean He is in some very inappropriate places (the bathroom, within us, the sewer) and this is not a correct way to think about the Lord, Most High.

[Aishah]

Asalamu alaikum warahmatulahi wabarakatuh

i've copy and pasted this on a sheet and printed it. I shall read it at bedtime... please continue posting more amm looking forward to reading it insHALLLah... jazkaallahu khair

wa Asalamu alaikum wr wb

[William Wurkmun Fosterr]

Thank You For Your Attention, Brothers. I Support You In Your Beliefs. I Believe That Each Person Has A Different Perspective On/From Allaah. Each Person Has Good Reason To Believe What They Believe, even if I cannot agree. Each Person Has A Personal, Restricted Revelation From Allaah and It Is Refreshing to Hear Each Person's Revelation, Each Person without exception.

I Believe That We, even in Our Imagination, cannot picture how High Allaah Is. It Helps to paint verbal pictures of Just How High He Is, but Allaah Is Infinitely Higher than We Can even imagine or paint.

I am a monist. I Believe That There Is Only One Substance, One Material In The Universe, And That Is Allaah. In Our Existence, Which Is Eternal, We Find, Explore The Heights, The Depths, The Widths, The Lengths, of Allaah. Allaah Is Everything To Me. Allaah Is In My Comfort Zone. Allaah Is In My discomfort zone. Allaah Is Everywhere.

Thank You For Your Patience with Me. I Value You As Much As I Value Myself!! I cannot Communicate adequately My Esteem For Each Of You!!

I Know That I Elevate Myself to call Myself Your Brother, but I Do It Boldly And I Encourage You to call Yourselves My Sisters And Brothers.

All The Best,
Brother William:)

[William Wurkmun Fosterr]

Even If I make My bed in hell, Allaah Is There.

Thank You So MUCH For Your Kindness And Patience.

[Muntasir]

No, even if you make your bed in Hell, and I hope you do not by choosing Islam as your Religion, Allah will still be above the seven heavens.

[LivingUnderMercyOf Allah]

By the way, are you guys finding this chapter beneficial or should we move on to another chapter?

[William Wurkmun Fosterr]

No, even if you make your bed in Hell, and I hope you do not by choosing Islam as your Religion, Allah will still be above the seven heavens.There is no superior locus in the universe. ...But I Love Your Imagery.

Allaah Is The Air I Breathe, The Ground I Walk, The Nourishment I Take, The Relief I Feel, The Sun That I Work By, The One In Whom I Live, In Whom I Have My Being.

REALLY Love Your Imagery!! Thank You.