Dear Brothers in faith
The one who wants the highest of status in Paradise and to enjoy it without being subject to any prior torture in Hellfire must avoid all the sins and fulfill all the obligations. Among the obligations is to learn the personal obligatory knowledge. Ibn Hibban related that Abu Hurayrah once asked the Prophet: “O Messenger of Allah guide me to a good deed if I perform I shall be admitted into paradise”. The Prophet answered: “feed the poor in obedience to Allah, keep ties with your Muslim kin and perform optional prayers at night while people are asleep. Doing this will earn you admission into Paradise without prior punishment”. Whoever lives by these practices and qualities will win Paradise without punishment.
Dear brothers, the best of all deeds is to believe in Allah and His Prophet. Among the essentials of the belief is to believe that Allah does not resemble the creations.
Dear Muslim brothers, if you read any of the sayings of the Prophet where the Prophet refers to Allah by saying ‘Allah says’ it does not mean that Allah speaks like we do. Allah’s speech does not resemble the speech of the creation in any way; the speech of Allah is not made up of letters or sounds, rather it is without a beginning or an end likewise is the case with all his attributes.
Dear brothers, there are things in this world that are originally from Paradise. Amongst these things is the Maqam of Prophet Ibrahim peace be upon him, which is the rock that people nowadays pray two rak^ahs at after circumambulating the Ka`bah.
The Black Stone is another example. Its origin is a ruby, one of the precious gemstone of Paradise. Imam At-Tirmidhiyy narrated the Hadith from the route of Ibn ^Abbas that the “Black Stone is from Paradise”, and in the Hadith narrated by ^Abdullah Ibn ^Amr and Imam Ahmad: “The Black Stone is from the stones of Paradise and if it weren’t for the sinful and blasphemers touching it with their hands, the blind and those inflicted with leprosy and other diseases would have been cured by touching it”. Imam At-Tirmidhiyy also narrated an authentic Hadith that “the Black Stone came down from Paradise and it was purer in whiteness than milk, but it was the sins of some of mankind that blackened it”.
Also among what came down from Paradise is Adam peace be upon him and Hawwa’ (Eve), as well as Al-Buraq and Iblis may Allah curse him.
The ram which was sacrificed in place of Isma^il was also from Paradise, and it has been said that the Staff of Prophet Musa was also from Paradise.
Brothers in Islam; only few days are left in the blessed month of Ramadan. Glad tidings are given to the one who wisely employs his time during this grand blessed month through performing good deeds and seeking the blessings of Ramadan particularly in such ways as attending the circles of knowledge where one learns how to differentiate between halal (the permissible) and haram (the prohibitions). The knowledge of Islam brings life to hearts, therefore do not deprive yourselves from the great bounties found in such blessed gatherings even past Ramadan. Where the hearts of those who acquire the knowledge of Islam is filled with life, the hearts of the ignorant one is dead and is easily susceptible to most of the evil doings such as blasphemy, major and minor sins.
O Allah, keep us steadfast on attending the circles of knowledge, to teach it and seek it during and past the blessed month of Ramadan. O Allah, we humbly ask You to grant us a safe admission into Paradise and guide us to the deeds and sayings which lead us to it. Ameen.
