Shaykh ‘Arafāt ibn Ḥasan:
Praise be to Allāh, we are blessed (by Allāh). We eat, drink, sleep, rest, read, and listen, yet we are weak, and we lack in actions, in dhikr (remembering Allāh), in voluntary prayers, in night prayers, in Duḥā prayer, and in other voluntary acts of worship. We waste our time, and we create problems among ourselves out of idleness. Because we are idle, we end up going to problems and stirring up issues among ourselves. But if you were busy memorizing the Qur-ān, reciting it, memorizing the Sunnah, and attending lessons, you wouldn’t have time for "What did so-and-so say, and what did the other person say?"
As for the science of criticism and praise (Jarḥ & Ta‘dīl), it has its experts among the people of the Sunnah, and students follow their scholars. But we have become preoccupied with things that do not benefit us, things that harm and cause division.
If you know that this matter, which is one of worldly affairs — a word, action, or statement — causes discomfort to your brother and leads to him feeling embarrassed or distressed, then why would you do it? Why would you commit it? Stay away from anything that causes division, discord, or pain to your brother.
When the Prophet (ﷺ) entered Paradise in a dream, he said: «I saw a palace, and next to it was a young woman. I asked, ‘Whose palace is this?’ They said, ‘It belongs to a man from Quraysh.’» After that, they said it belongs to ‘Umar. In some narrations, they said it belongs to ‘Umar. The Prophet said (to ‘Umar), «I was about to enter it, but then I remembered your sense of protective jealousy, O ‘Umar.» Upon hearing this, ‘Umar wept and said, "Would I feel any protective jealousy against you, O Messenger of Allāh?"
Look at this! The Prophet (ﷺ) refrained from entering the palace. Why? So as not to provoke ‘Umar’s protective jealousy or cause him any discomfort. Look at the noble character of the Prophet (ﷺ)! Now, we do things that cause distress to our brothers, we engage in actions, words, and behaviors that cause discomfort to our brothers! This leads to alienation and hatred! Then you say, "We are in disagreement, we need to sit and resolve these problems..." But when you listen to these problems, you find that they are trivial matters, merely a waste of time!
Focus on what benefits you! Behind you, there is a nation in your homeland that needs knowledge, that needs tmemorisation the Qur-ān.
We need a khatīb (to deliver sermons)! We need someone to lead the Tarāwīḥ prayer and recite a Juz’ every day, someone who memorized the Qur-ān! Where are those people? Why aren't there more people of this caliber from Ahlus-Sunnah? I mean, in large numbers. Though, praise be to Allāh, there are indeed capable students of knowledge who memorize the Book of Allāh.
Therefore, take care! Allāh says, {And We have certainly made the Qur-ān easy for remembrance, so is there any who will remember?} (54:32) There is ease in reciting it, memorizing it, and understanding it. {And if there had been a Qur-ān with which mountains could be moved, or the earth could be cloven asunder, or the dead could be made to speak (it would not have been other than this Qur-ān). But the decision of all things is certainly with Allāh.} (13:31) Meaning, if there were any Qur-ān with such characteristics, it would be this Qur-ān — none other than this Qur-ān. This is the very Book that Allāh revealed to His Prophet (ﷺ), so that people may reflect upon this great Qur-ān. And we are falling short! Who among us has a schedule to memorize a certain amount of the Qur-ān each day, to review it each day, to commit to it every day? Very few people take care of the Qur-ān through memorization, recitation and reflection. A month or two pass, while one has completed one or two recitations (of the whole Qur-ān); this is the least that can be said, even if it is through recitation and not memorization. Yet, days, weeks, and months go by, and the Qur-ān is abandoned, not read.
Meanwhile, these devices and phones are constantly in hand, never leaving our grip, for hours! If you replaced that time with the Book of Allāh, you would accumulate thousands, even millions, of good deeds! For every letter you recite earns ten good deeds, and Allāh multiplies the reward up to seven hundred times and even more to whomever He wills, for His grace is vast. All this depends on the sincerity, truthfulness, and devotion you have in your heart toward Allāh. Why? Do not think that Allāh ﷻ looks at appearances or the mere quantity of deeds. Rather, He looks at what is in your hearts and at the quality of your actions.
This is why Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allāh have mercy on him, mentioned in his book "Madārij as-Sālikīn": "A man may pray in the same row as his brother, side by side, but the difference between the prayer of one and the other is like the difference between the heavens and the earth!" Though they are in the same row praying together! One of them prays with sincerity, humility, and devotion, having purified himself with proper ablution, acting upon the Sunnah, and being truthful & sincere in his prayer. Meanwhile, the other is lacking, negligent, and distracted, not humble or focused in his prayer, with his heart preoccupied by worldly matters. He is physically in prayer, but his heart is outside of it, though they are standing in the same row, their knees, ankles, and shoulders touching. But before Allāh, they are as distant as the heavens and the earth!
That is why the woman, who was a prostitute, found a dog panting from extreme thirst. She went down into a well, took off her shoe, filled it with water, and gave it to the dog. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "So she was forgiven." At that moment, sincerity gathered in her heart, and she was merciful toward this dog, even though it was just a dog. She was sincere, truthful and had mercy toward this animal, so Allāh forgave her.
Similarly, there is the ḥadīth of the man with the card who, on the Day of Judgment, will have 99 scrolls (with sins) on one side of the scale, and on the other side, he will have a single card with the testimony of faith (Lā ilāha illalāh), but he had been sincere and truthful despite his shortcomings. Allāh forgave him and admitted him to Paradise.
In any case, the question was about the weakness that afflicts the youth when a fitnah occurs, when their numbers decrease, or when some go and fall into fitnah. All of this is a cause of weakness. Wasting time on things that do not benefit, things that harden the heart.
Review your heart! Take care of your heart! Examine yourself! Spend time alone with Allāh, the Almighty. Look at your sins! Look at your shortcomings! Be repentant, constantly turning back to Allāh, increasing in repentance, and always acknowledging that you are among those who fall short, even if you fast during the day and pray during the night. So we ask Allāh, the Almighty, to make us from this type of people, and to grant us success toward what He loves and is pleased with, to strengthen the people of Sunnah and reinforce their power, and to bring benefit through them. and to bring benefit through them. And the last of our supplications is: praise be to Allāh, Lord of all that exists.
Translation: Yasin ibn Jamal
Source: https://t.me/Arafatbinhassan/10841