Observance to Allah

Are you among those who keep observance to Alla (Fear him)

All praise be to Allah Almighty, the Oft Giver, in Whose hands are the treasures of things; and peace and blessings of Allah be upon the best of Prophets and upon his family and pious companions.

My Muslim brother, Allah has created people and He knows what they conceal and what they reveal, and knows their conditions wherever they are.

{Whatever you (O Muhammad SAW) may be doing, and whatever portion you may be reciting from the Quran, - and whatever deed you (mankind) may be doing (good or evil), We are Witness thereof, when you are doing it. And nothing is hidden from your Lord (so much as) the weight of an atom (or small ant) on the earth or in the heaven. Not what is less than that or what is greater than that but is (written) in a Clear Record.} [Surat Yûnus 10:61]

{وَمَا تَكُونُ في شَأْنٍ عَلَيْكُمْ شُهُوداً إذْ تُفِيضُونَ فِيهِ وَمَا يَعْرُبُ عَن رَّبِّكَ مِن مِّثْقَالِ ذَرَّة فِي الأَرْضِ وِلا فِي السَّمَاءِ وَلا أَصْغَرَ مِن ذَلِكَ وَلا أَكْبَرَ إِلاَّ فِي كِتَابٍ مُّبِين} يونس: 61

Transliteration: Wama takoonu fee shanin wama tatloo minhu min quranin wala taAAmaloona min AAamalin illa kunna AAalaykum shuhoodan ith tufeedoona feehi wama yaAAzubu AAan rabbika min mithqali tharratin fee alardi wala fee alssamai wala asghara min thalika wala akbara illa fee kitabin mubeenun

{They may hide (their crimes) from men, but they cannot hide (them) from Allah, for He is with them (by His Knowledge), when they plot by night in words that He does not approve, And Allah ever encompasses what they do.} [Surat An-Nisâ' 4:108]

{يَسْتَخْفُونَ مِنَ النَّاسِ وَلا يَسْتَخْفُونَ مِنَ اللهِ وَهُوَ مَعَهُمْ إِذْ يُبِينُونَ مَا لا يَرْضَى مِنَ القَولِ وَكَانَ اللهُ بِمَّا يَعْلَمُونَ مُحِيطاً} النساء: 108

Transliteration: Yastakhfoona mina alnnasi wala yastakhfoona mina Allahi wahuwa maAAahum ith yubayyitoona ma la yarda mina alqawli wakana Allahu bima yaAAmaloona muheetan

{Have you not seen that Allah knows whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is on the earth? There is no Najwa (secret counsel) of three, but He is their fourth (with His Knowledge, while He Himself is over the Throne, over the seventh heaven), nor of five but He is their sixth (with His Knowledge), not of less than that or more, but He is with them (with His Knowledge) wheresoever they may be; and afterwards on the Day of Resurrection, He will inform them of what they did. Verily, Allah is the All-Knower of everything.} [Surat Al-Mujaadila 58:7]

{أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ اللهَ يَعْلَمُ مَا فِي السَّمَوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الأرْضِ مَا يَكُونُ مِن نَّجْوَى ثَلاثَةٍ إلاَّ هُوَ رَابِعُهُمْ وَلا خَمْسَةٍ إِلاَّ هُوَ سَادِسُهُمْ وَلا أَدْنَى مِن ذَلِكَ وَلا أَكْثَرَ إِلاَّ هُوَ مَعَهُمْ أَيْنَ مَا كَانُوا ثُمَّ يُنَبِّئهُم بِمَا عَمِلُوا يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ إِنَّ اللهَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمُ} المجادلة: 7

Transliteration: Alam tara anna Allaha yaAAlamu ma fee alssamawati wama fee alardi ma yakoonu min najwa thalathatin illa huwa rabiAAuhum wala khamsatin illa huwa sadisuhum wala adna min thalika wala akthara illa huwa maAAahum ayna ma kanoo thumma yunabbiohum bima AAamiloo yawma alqiyamati inna Allaha bikulli shayin AAaleemun

My Muslim brother, to feel that you keep observance to Allah is one of the great meanings of faith, by which a servant is promoted to the rank of Al-Ihsân (i.e. to be patient in performing your duties to Allâh, totally for Allâh's sake and in accordance with the Sunnah (legal ways) of the Prophet (peace be upon him in a perfect manner).

Observance is that essential part of righteous deeds, at which the righteous believers and those who know Allah halt meditating and commending.

It is the adornments of deeds, and the maximum truth in words and actions.

Do you know what does observance to Allah mean?

Ibn al-Mubarak, may Allah have mercy on him, said: "Keep observance to Allah Almighty." When a man asked him about its interpretation, he said: "Be always as if you are seeing Allah Glorified and Exalted."

Ibrahim al-Khawâs, may Allah have mercy on him, said: "Observance means to devote all that you conceal and reveal to Allah Almighty."

Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy on him, said: "Observance means that a slave of Allah is always aware and certain that Allah the True Almighty is ever knowing his inward and outward."

It is said: "Observance means that heart should regard Allah the True in every step or idea."

O Muslim brother! This is observance as defined by the knowing scholars. Its meaning is understandable by the heart, but few are the hearts that understand it and act accordingly.

To remember the divine observance is an indication of success. If a servant is guided to it, then this is a sign of his prosperity and happiness.

The knowing has divided observance into various ranks, the following is the division of Al-Hâfiz ibn Rajab – may Allah have mercy on him – who divided observance into two ranks.

Ibn Rajab, may Allah have mercy on him, said: the first one is the rank of sincerity in which a slave of Allah brings to his mind that Allah is viewing him, and that He is close to him. If the slave of Allah remembers this in his actions, and works accordingly, in this case he is considered faithful to Allah, because remembering this in his work prevents him from paying attention to other than Allah and His will in his actions. The second rank is that of seeing (witnessing) Allah; that is the slave of Allah is to act as if he sees Allah by his heart. It is that the heart is illuminated by faith and the slave of Allah gains knowledge through his endowed insight, so that the unseen is just like the seen. And this is the truth about Al-Ihsân, to which it is referred in the Hadith of Jibrîl (Gabriel), peace be upon him. The people of this place vary according to the power of their insight."

O Muslim Brother, have you questioned yourself one day wondering: where is it from the observance of Allah Almighty? A little are those who face themselves with this question and hold themselves accountable in their retreat!

The majority has forgotten about reckoning and gave themselves what they wish without being hard on holding them accountable.

What do you think if you were told: You are under the observance of the Governor, what would be your condition?

There is no doubt that you will take precautions for yourself, and will keep away from any action that may be a reason for holding you accountable.

Nevertheless, many people know well that they are observed by He Who knows the secret and that which is yet more hidden… Blessed and Exalted… However, they do not pay attention to this observance.

This ignorance is the case with many of those who do not feel the observance of Allah Almighty.

Because of the greatness of the rank of observance, Allah Almighty sent His trustworthy Angle Gabriel, peace be upon him, to His Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, to remind him of the honorable state of that rank. In the long Hadith of Gabriel, peace be upon him, when he asked the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, about several issues, among them is this one: "O Messenger of Allah, "What is Al-Ihsan?" he replied: "To worship Allah as if you see Him, and if you cannot achieve this state of devotion then you must consider that He is looking at you." [Reported by Muslim]

»قال: فأخبرني عن الإحسان . قال: أن تعبد الله كأنك تراه . فإن لم تكن تراه ، فإنه يراك« رواه مسلم

Al-Hafiz ibn Rajab said: "This Hadith indicates that the slave worships Allah in this manner, by evoking His nearness and that he is before His hands as if he were seeing him, which leads one to fear, piety, respect and veneration."

O Muslim brother: That who watches Allah in his actions and words, is one of the people of al-Ihsan, they are those whom Allah Almighty has said about them: {For those who have done good is the best (reward, i.e. Paradise) and even more (i.e. having the honour of glancing at the Countenance of Allah) Neither darkness nor dust nor any humiliating disgrace shall cover their faces. They are the dwellers of Paradise, they will abide therein forever.} [Surat Yûnus: 26]

{لِّلَّذيِينَ أَحْسَنُوا الحُسنَى وَزِيَادَةٌ وَلا يَرْهَقُ وُجُوهَهُمْ قَتَرٌ وَلاَ ذِلَّةٌ أُوْلَئِكَ أَصْحَابُ الْجَنَّةِ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ} يونس: 26

Transliteration: Lillatheena ahsanoo alhusna waziyadatun wala yarhaqu wujoohahum qatarun wala thillatun olaika ashabu aljannati hum feeha khalidoona

Al-Hafiz Ibn Rajab said: "It is proven in Sahih Muslim that the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, explained 'and even more' by seeing the face of Allah Almighty in Paradise, which is appropriate to make it the reward of the people of Al-Ihsan. Because Al-Ihsan means that the believer worships his Lord in this world on the basis of His presence and observation, as if he views Him by his heart in his worship, the reward of this is to see Allah by his own eyes in the Hereafter. "

O you, who are engaged in sinful activities in your solitude, know that you are observed by the One from Him there is not a secret of you will be hidden.
You who are engaged in sinful deeds in your solitude, have you forgotten the observance of the King of kings.

How many people are those who when they are alone they forget this Divine observance, and are tempted by the forbearance of Allah Almighty, they fall over sins and commit the prohibited.

Some of the knowing said: "Fear Allah and do not make Him the least of those who can see you."

Some of them said: "Fear Allah as much as due to His ability over you, and be ashamed of Him as much as due to His closeness to you."

Abu Suleiman Ad-Darani, may Allah have mercy on him, said: "He is a loser that one who shows his most righteous deeds to people while in his solitude he fights with his shameful deeds the One who is closer to him than his jugular vein."

O you, who are unaware of the watch of the King of kings!
You are in the possession of the One who is aware of your entire affair and nothing can hide you from Him.

It behooves that who has learned that he is observed by Allah Almighty to be really cautious and thoroughly ashamed of Him.

Ibn Aj-Jawzi, may Allah have mercy on him, said: "Al-Haq (the True) Glorified and exalted, is much nearer to His servant than the jugular vein. However, He treats His slave as if He is invisible to, and remote from him. He commanded his slave to direct his intention, and raise his hands in supplication to Him. The ignorant hearts feel only His remoteness, therefore they fell committing in sins. Would they have realized that He is present and overseeing them, they would have abstained from committing sins. On the other hand, because they know His nearness, the observant feels His observance which prevents them from being lenient in performing deeds."

Muslim brother: The disease of many of the disobedient is their negligence of the observance of Allah Almighty. They forget that he sees them.

Ibn As-Sammak wonders about a man who has sound common sense and knows that Allah is watching him, and then if he is alone with the prohibited he commits them.

There is neither fear nor shame of Allah to prevent him.
This is the case with many of the fools who did not feel the greatness of Allah Almighty and His observance.

Sammak the preacher wrote to a brother of him: "I advise you to fear Allah, Whom you entrust your secrets to Him, and Who observes you when you are in public. Remember Allah in all your conditions day and night; fear Allah as much as due His nearness to you and his ability over you. And know that he watches you, and you cannot go out of His power to the power of any other one, nor could you go outside of His reign to any other reign. So your cautiousness and fear of Him should be great.”

O you, who committed sins when eyes were slumbering, know that there is an Eye, which never slumbers.
And you, who committed sins when night enshroud, learn that you are under the observation of the One who is aware of everything!

While 'Umar Ibn Al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, was travelling to Mecca, he stopped for rest in a place on the way. He saw a shepherd coming down a mountain. He said to him: "O Shepherd, sell me a sheep of this flock?

He said: "I am a slave".

'Umar said: "Tell your master that the wolf has eaten it."

The Shepherd said: "then where is Allah?"

'Umar wept. In the next day he bought this slave from his master and manumitted him.

He said to him: "this word had emancipated you in this world and I hope that it will emancipate you in the Hereafter!"

O Muslim Brother: If you meditate about this story you will find that observance to Allah almighty bears ripe fruits; such as the fear of Allah, truthfulness, faithfulness and honesty.

All of these sublime qualities can be found in those who are mindful of observation.

And they are rare qualities, as dear as the paucity of such attribute (the observance).

Imam Ash-Shafi'I, may Allah have mercy on him, said: "The best and rarest three things are generosity out of scarcity, piety in private, and the right word addressed to one who is a source of hope and fear."

Muslim brother: Observance to Allah is the greatest act of obedience and the noblest attribute, which characterize the believers.

Ibn 'Ata', may Allah have mercy on him, said: "The best acts of worship is the observance to Al-Haq at all times, "That who keeps observance to Allah throughout all his solitudes means that he is glorifying Allah, fearing from Him, sincere in his dealings with, and close to his Lord Glorified and Exalted."

So, always remember that you are observed from Allah, the King of kings, who knows the secret and the most concealed, so fear him wherever you are and wherever you go.

Abu Dhar, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, has said to me: "Fear Allah wherever you are, follow the evil deed with a good deed, so that it would erase it and treat people with good morals". [Narrated by At-Tirmidhi and declared Hasan (good) by Al-Albani]

»اتق الله حيث ما كنت ، وأتبع السيئة الحسنة تمحها ، وخالق الناس بخلق حسن«رواه الترمذي وحسنه الألباني

The observant to Allah Almighty will gain the fruits of observation, the top of which in this worldly life is to attain the degree of Al-Ihsan; and in the Hereafter is to enter Paradise.

Observance to Allah Almighty is a sign of the perfection of faith:

Al-Hafiz Ibn Rajab said: "Generally speaking, the fear of Allah in private is a sign of the perfection of faith, and has a great effect, as Allah implants praise to this person in the hearts of the believers”

Observance to Allah is the adornment of hearts:

Sahl Ibn Abdullah, may Allah have mercy on him, said: "no heart has been adorned with something better and more honorable than the knowledge of the slave of Allah that Allah witnesses him wherever he is."

Observance to Allah Almighty is an aid to lower the gaze:

Aj-Junayd, may Allah have mercy on him, was asked: "what can help me for lowering the gaze? He replied: "By knowing that the gaze of the Looker (Allah) to you is preceding your gaze to whomever being looked at."

Observance to Allah is a cause to win the protection of the shade of Allah, on the Day of Resurrection

The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, has said: “Allah will give shade, to seven, on the Day of Resurrection when there will be no shade but His", and he mentioned of them: “a man whom a beautiful woman of high rank seduces (for illicit relation), but he (rejects this offer by saying): ‘I fear Allah.’” [Agreed upon]

»سبعة يظلهم الله في ظله يوم لا ظل إلا ظله - وذكر منهم -ورجل طلبته امرأة ذات منصب وجمال ، فقال إني أخاف الله« متفق عليه

Dhul-Nûn, may Allah have mercy on him, was asked: how could a slave of Allah win Paradise? He said: "by five deeds: integrity without swerving, diligence without oversight, keeping observance to Allah in private and in public, waiting and preparedness for death, and to hold yourself accountable before you are being held accountable."

O Muslim brother, keep observance to Allah in your words and actions and in all what you have resolved to carry out. If Allah is satisfied with it go ahead in executing it, and desist carrying it out if Allah is not satisfied with, as the worthiest to keep observing His overseeing you is Allah Almighty.

If you, one day, become alone, do not say
I am lonely, rather say I have an observer.
Do not think that Allah oversights you for one hour,
nor those things you hide from Him are unseen.
Do not you see that today is the fastest to depart,
And that tomorrow is approaching fast to its expectant?

Mohamed Ibn Ali At-Tirmidhi said: "Make your observance to that Who does not lose sight of you, make your thanks to that Who does not cut off His blessings from you, and make your obedience to that Whom you cannot dispense with and you’re your subjugation to Him you cannot depart from his kingdom and power.

O Muslim brother, he who keeps observance to Allah Almighty in his entire affairs, Allah places his love in people's hearts and vice versa he who does not fear Allah Almighty, hearts would hate him.

Abu Ad-Darda', may Allah be pleased with him, said: "every one of you should beware that the hearts of the believers curse him while he is not aware, he commits acts of disobedience of Allah in private, so Allah places his hate in the hearts of the believers."

O Muslim! Make your solitudes as an opportunity to perform acts of worship, invoke your Lord, and remember His due merits. Remember that the righteous love the company of their Lord, exalted His remembrance. Therefore, no moment they spend much happier than the moments they pass in their solitudes confiding their supplications to their Creator and Divinity Almighty.

Habib Abu Mohamed had secluded in his house, saying: "whoever is not delighted with You, let him be deprived of delightedness, and whoever is not pleased with Your companion, let him feel no pleasure."

O Muslim! Therefore, keep observance to Allah in your private and public, your words and actions. Remember that Allah is always nearer to you than jugular vein.

And permanently hold yourself accountable; remembering the One from Him there is nothing hidden.

All praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings of Allah be upon His Prophet, Muhammad, his family and companions.

From the Series of Reckoning by Azhari Ahmed Mahmoud