'The Barriers from Al-Mohaimen are four' (qasida 5:16)

This is the motto of this section, which is for talking about the barriers that cuts off the Moslems' relations with Allah [Al-Mohaimen which is a name of Allah that means the Dominant who controls everything]. We need to know these barriers in order for us to be able to avoid or rectify them in our path to Allah.

This section started with a question from one of our viewers, which he sent to the Discussion page. We then found out that it is a big issue that needs more extensive discussion. We found a book made out of a research conducted by a group of brothers which took them 2 years to complete. This book discusses this subject extensively from the point of view of Sd. Fakhreddin because it was made with the help of some of his elder companions. The book's title is "al-Morshid al-Wagis" which means [the summarized guide].

Now we have other writers who right stories about their experience in this field.

You may find special expressions in the Glossary. We need your comments to develop this site for you.

The Daughter of the Goose

It has been a while since I stayed in bed… like a soldier sticking to his unit… as the one of us is in the rank of a General at his home as long as he is healthy. This is not for all men, of course. Some men are always soldiers. However, this is how we men are supposed to be. Anyway, whenever one gets sick his downgraded to a soldier, he becomes calm and gentle, and this will be the chance for those in the house to get even… claiming that they are only doing it for his health. So do not eat this, do not do that, do not drink cold water, do not get off bed… and he would not be able to do anything except obeying. Anyway this is not the case with my wife, she is totally innocent from this, as she knows that as soon as I get better, I would get even, so she left this mission to my daughter; the two star General… as my wife used to say "the strong one has someone stronger than him"…

"Father… Father" she said; my daughter, she came as I was speaking about her. Yes, I answered. She said: did you take the 12 o'clock medicine. I said with low voice: No… I forgot. She said: why, why? Do I need to remind you every while? I said: Ok… Ok, get the medicine and some water, and get me the mobile phone while you are at it. As you see she is the stronger one that my wife mentioned. I stopped talking as she entered with the mobile in one hand and the medicine with a glass of water in the other hand. She put the medicine in my mouth and gave me the water saying: May it brings you health, ISA. I drank, and called my friend, while she was standing looking at me. I said to her: is there anything? She said: do not talk much because you are tired… ok?

I said: Ok. She went out. My friend answered: hey man where have you been? You did not show up for a while. Yes, I was relieved of the headache, but I really missed you… I said: I was sick and laying in bed, but did you even ask about me on the phone. He said: May Allah give health… Ok you sleep now and rest so that you may maybe cured fast, and I will pass by you, ISA, tomorrow or the day after. I said: what are you saying? I want to know now what you were telling me… You may continue. I am listening… He said: on the phone? How? I said: do not be afraid. I am participating in the property of talking for two hours without pay. He said: will you be able to concentrate? I said: Yes… I will manage. I called my daughter and told her: bring me a pen and a notebook, and come. When she came, I told her: Write what your uncle is going to say on the phone.

I held the mobile and turned the speaker on. My friend started saying: the last time when we talked about polytheism and disbelief, I noticed that you got lost from me… my daughter interrupted him saying: Hey… do I write this non understandable words? My friend said: No dear, write "there is no god but Allah" and this is a word of negation and affirmation and… I said: one moment… and I directed my speech to my daughter: why are not you writing? She said: I cannot write something that I do not understand. My friend said: go easy with her… Then he said to her: what do you want to understand? She answered: what is the meaning of god? I screamed at her: ruined are your home and the home of your father, what… he interrupted me saying: easy… easy, she is just a young girl and she wants to learn… darling, do you know Allah? she said: of course, Allah created us and provided for us and… My friend said: very good… look we first solve the problem of writing then we continue… we waited a while, then he said: your mobile, does it have a recorder for the calls? I said: Yes. And I turned the recorder on.

He started again his speech: in order for you to understand these words… we have to start over… when Allah created Sd. Adam [PBUH], He taught him all the names and He ordered the angels to prostrate themselves to him. They all did except the damned Satan. The Lord Almighty expelled him from paradise. Satan decided to make the reason for his expelling, which is refusing to prostrate to Adam, become the reason for making Adam's sons obey him and disobey Allah. My daughter said: How? He said: look dear… when Sd. Adam [PBUH] descended to earth and begot boys and girls and he taught them worshiping Allah alone. So the sons of Sd. Adam [PBUH] learned that "there is no god but Allah". the damned Satan wanted to ruin the worldly life and the hereafter for the sons of Sd. Adam [PBUH], so got between Qabil and Habil and drived a wedge between them with envy and grudge. Until Qabil killed Habil, and ran away and begot children and was followed by many people. After a while Sd. Sheith [PBUH] fought Qabil and won the battle and killed Qabil. Satan told the people of Qabil not to bury him, instead put him in a decorated place where he would be seated and everyone comes to see him would bow to him out of honoring and glorifying. They obeyed him, so Qabil became the first one to be prostrated for, other than Allah. after that Satan taught them how to build the statues and worship them, so they prostrated for them and called them gods.

Sayyduna Muhammad [PPBUH] said a dictum about this… what is dictum, i.e. he summed up… it means there is no other words to be said after what he said… so what did he say? He said (the best thing I said, me and the prophets before me, is "there is no god but Allah"). the prophets [PBUT] said something with the same meaning. In the Sura [chapter] of Houd, verse 2, Allah said [Worship none but Allah. Lo! I am unto you from Him a Warner and a Bringer of good tidings]. Our Lord, Almighty, is saying to sayyduna Muhammad [PPBUH]: tell them that. In the same Sura, verse 26, on the tongue of Sd. Noah to his people [That you worship none, save Allah. Lo! I fear for you the torture of a painful Day], and in the verse 50 of the same Sura [And unto A’ad their brother, Houd. He said: O my people! Worship Allah! You have no other god save Him. Lo! You do but invent], and in the verse 61 [And unto Thamoud their brother Salih. He said: O my people! Worship Allah, You have no other god save Him...], in the verse 84 [And unto Midian their brother Shuwaib. He said: O my people! Worship Allah. You have no other god save Him!].

When sayyduna the Messenger of Allah [PPBUH] came he invited them to worship Allah al-Wahid [the One]  al-Ahad [the Unique] saying )there is no god but Allah(. They said: Did he make the gods one god, that is a wonder. So they described what they are worshiping other than Allah, as gods while it is not like that. My daughter said: what do you mean? I laughed, so he said: what are you laughing at. I said: I was about to ask the same question. He said: Yes, as the son of… No… the daughter of the goose is a swimmer, and whoever resembles his father then he has do no wrong… anyway… look my daughter, at your school, at your class, you sure have someone who is the cleverest and someone who is the stupidest student… ok… She said: Yes. He said: when you say to the stupidest student: you are clever… then you have described him or her with something that he is not at all… ok? She said: Right. He said: that is what they did, they described what they worship as gods, which it is not… understand? She said: Yes, they say it is gods while it is not. He answered: Exactly… sayyduna the Messenger of Allah [PPBUH], when he said (there is no god but Allah), he denied them the description as gods and confirmed it to Allah alone… it means that there is no real deity except Allah Almighty…

"Kh Kh Kh Kh"… He said: what is this sound? She said: nothing… just father fell asleep, continue… I am with you. My friend laughed and said: I was only worried about one… now there are two… look dear; the name Allah is derived from the word god [in Arabic]… that name is private only to the Creator Himself, Almighty. They also say that it is derived from the word "confusion" in Arabic, as the servant the more he thinks about the qualities of Allah and his grace the more gets confused. They also said: it is derived from the word "adore" in Arabic, i.e. loving Him. Some wise men said: Allah is beloved for all things, the evidence is His saying [and there is not a thing but hymns His praise; but you understand not their praise] al-Esraa 17:44. They also say that it is derived from the word "veiled" in Arabic, referring to the verse [Vision comprehends Him not, but He comprehends vision] al-Anaam 6:103. do you understand this? She said: No… but my father woke up… yes father. I said: where have you gone? And you sir… continue your talk… My friend said: later, we continue next time, ISA. He hanged up. I turned to my daughter saying: what happened? Where did you go? She said laughing: it was not me who went away… it was you… you went to sleep.

Written by Ahmed Abbas

Translated by Samira