The meaning of the saying of the Exalted: "And as for the favor of your Lord, then speak of it," and that speaking of favors is done with the heart, the tongue, and the limbs.
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The Shaykh :[Ad-Duhaa 93:11] Is the favor one or more? Well, let us ask [Ad-Duhaa 93:11] is it one or many? Brother.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : No, I am asking you: Is the favor of Allah one or many?
The student: Many.
The Shaykh : Many? What is the evidence? The evidence is:[An-Nahl 16:18] So here, the favor of Allah is a singular noun with a definite attribute, and the principle of jurisprudence is that when a singular noun is attributed to a definite noun, it becomes general, and this is attributed to a definite noun [Ad-Duhaa 93:11].
Well, does one speak with the tongue, or with the limbs, or with the soul? By Allah, I do not know if you know the difference? - Be patient, boy -. Do you know the difference between these three things? Speaking with the tongue, or with the limbs, or with the soul? Do you know the difference?
The soul means the heart.
The tongue is well known.
The limbs are the external organs.
Is the meaning that a person speaks to himself about the favor of Allah, or speaks to others with the tongue, or speaks to others with the limbs? The answer is: It includes all of them. As for speaking with the soul, it means that a person reflects and thinks about what Allah has bestowed upon him of health, intellect, well-being, knowledge, wealth, family, and children. He speaks to himself and says to himself: O soul, these are great favors that require gratitude, not stinginess and forgetting. This is called what? Speaking of the soul. He speaks to himself about what Allah has bestowed upon him and thinks about it. If we assume that he is sick, whom does he look at? Whom is sicker than him, is that not so? A person, for example, has a headache that sometimes afflicts him or is constant; he must know that there are people who have diseases of the head, back, chest, and legs. Is that not so? Well, so you are in a state of favor now. And for this reason, it came in the hadith:Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2513Sahih (Darussalam) Because when you see a disease in yourself, do not look at the healthy one; look at whom? At the one who is sicker than you, so that you know the favor of Allah upon you.
Speaking with the tongue is that you say to your brothers: I was poor, so Allah enriched me; I was ignorant and did not know, so Allah taught me; I was alone, so Allah provided me with a wife and children. This is speaking with what? This is speaking with the tongue. But it is necessary not to say this by way of boasting, self-admiration, or arrogance. And for this reason, the master of mankind, Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), said: Meaning, I do not boast with that, but I speak of the favor of Allah. Well, we said there is a third thing; what is it?
Speaking with the limbs means that the effect of Allah's favor is seen upon the servant. So if he is wealthy, let him wear what the wealthy wear, let him dwell in what the wealthy dwell in, and let him ride what the wealthy ride. This is speaking of the favor of Allah, because if I see this man wearing beautiful clothes, the clothes of the wealthy, what do I say? I say he is wealthy. So he has spoken to me about the favor of Allah with what? Brother.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Hm?
The student: With the deed.
The Shaykh : With the deed. May Allah bless you. It is as if I see you going right and left, combing your hair, not combing it? Well.
If a wealthy man appeared to us wearing clothes that only the poor wear, dirty patched clothes, is this speaking of the favor of Allah? No. And for this reason, perhaps I would take a dirham from my pocket and give it to him in charity, because he did not speak of the favor of Allah.
But as for the favor of your Lord, report [it].
وأما بنعمة ربك فحدثBut as for the favor of your Lord
أما بنعمة ربكThe student: ... .
The Shaykh : No, I am asking you: Is the favor of Allah one or many?
The student: Many.
The Shaykh : Many? What is the evidence? The evidence is:
And if you should count the favors of Allah, you could not enumerate them
وإن تعدوا نعمة الله لا تحصوهاBut as for the favor of your Lord, report [it].
وأما بنعمة ربك فحدثWell, does one speak with the tongue, or with the limbs, or with the soul? By Allah, I do not know if you know the difference? - Be patient, boy -. Do you know the difference between these three things? Speaking with the tongue, or with the limbs, or with the soul? Do you know the difference?
The soul means the heart.
The tongue is well known.
The limbs are the external organs.
Is the meaning that a person speaks to himself about the favor of Allah, or speaks to others with the tongue, or speaks to others with the limbs? The answer is: It includes all of them. As for speaking with the soul, it means that a person reflects and thinks about what Allah has bestowed upon him of health, intellect, well-being, knowledge, wealth, family, and children. He speaks to himself and says to himself: O soul, these are great favors that require gratitude, not stinginess and forgetting. This is called what? Speaking of the soul. He speaks to himself about what Allah has bestowed upon him and thinks about it. If we assume that he is sick, whom does he look at? Whom is sicker than him, is that not so? A person, for example, has a headache that sometimes afflicts him or is constant; he must know that there are people who have diseases of the head, back, chest, and legs. Is that not so? Well, so you are in a state of favor now. And for this reason, it came in the hadith:
Look to one who is lower than you, and do not look to one who is above you. For indeed that is more worthy(so that you will) not belittle Allah's favors upon you.
انظروا إلى من هو دونكم ولا تنظروا إلى من هو فوقكم فإنه أجدر أن لا تزدروا نعمة الله عليكمSpeaking with the tongue is that you say to your brothers: I was poor, so Allah enriched me; I was ignorant and did not know, so Allah taught me; I was alone, so Allah provided me with a wife and children. This is speaking with what? This is speaking with the tongue. But it is necessary not to say this by way of boasting, self-admiration, or arrogance. And for this reason, the master of mankind, Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), said:
I am the master of the children of Adam - what? - and no boasting.
أنا سيد ولد آدم - ايش؟ - ولا فخرSpeaking with the limbs means that the effect of Allah's favor is seen upon the servant. So if he is wealthy, let him wear what the wealthy wear, let him dwell in what the wealthy dwell in, and let him ride what the wealthy ride. This is speaking of the favor of Allah, because if I see this man wearing beautiful clothes, the clothes of the wealthy, what do I say? I say he is wealthy. So he has spoken to me about the favor of Allah with what? Brother.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Hm?
The student: With the deed.
The Shaykh : With the deed. May Allah bless you. It is as if I see you going right and left, combing your hair, not combing it? Well.
If a wealthy man appeared to us wearing clothes that only the poor wear, dirty patched clothes, is this speaking of the favor of Allah? No. And for this reason, perhaps I would take a dirham from my pocket and give it to him in charity, because he did not speak of the favor of Allah.