Ibn Hazm's Awesome Reflections

By Dr. Muddassir Khan

The great scholar Ibn Hazm needs no introduction (May Allah have mercy on him).

How to adorn oneself with virtue?

Author Ibn Hazm said:

"Blessed is he whose soul finds pleasure in virtue and good works, fleeing vice and sins. Unhappy is he who finds pleasure in vice and sins, fleeing virtue and good works.

Anyone who struggles for the Hereafter is on the side of the angels. Anyone who fights for evil is on the side of the demons. Whoever runs after glory and victory is on the side of the beasts. Anyone who runs after the pleasures of the senses is on the side of the beasts. Anyone who runs after money as such, and not to spend it on religious obligations and laudable acts of charity, is too vile, too vile to be compared to a beast. Rather, it looks like stagnant water in inaccessible cellars: no animal benefits from the slightest drop.

The wise man derives no satisfaction from a characteristic that places him in a lower rank than wild animals, beasts, and inanimate objects. He only rejoices in his progress in the virtue by which Allah distinguishes him from these same beasts and objects. This is the virtue of reason that he shares with the angels."

Many such deep contemplations and meditations of Ibn Hazm can be found in this book. By contemplating on them you will improve your character and morals.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dr. Muddassir Khan
• Release date: May 8, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005214401

Book preview

Preface

All praise is due to Allah. We praise Him, seek His assistance and forgiveness and we seek refuge with Him from the evil of our souls and our misdeeds.

I testify that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah alone. He has no partner. I also testify that Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is His slave and Messenger.

The great scholar Ibn Hazm needs no introduction (May Allah have mercy on him).

How to adorn oneself with virtue?

Author Ibn Hazm said:

"Blessed is he whose soul finds pleasure in virtue and good works, fleeing vice and sins. Unhappy is he who finds pleasure in vice and sins, fleeing virtue and good works.

Anyone who struggles for the Hereafter is on the side of the angels. Anyone who fights for evil is on the side of the demons. Whoever runs after glory and victory is on the side of the beasts. Anyone who runs after the pleasures of the senses is on the side of the beasts. Anyone who runs after money as such, and not to spend it on religious obligations and laudable acts of charity, is too vile, too vile to be compared to a beast. Rather, it looks like stagnant water in inaccessible cellars: no animal benefits from the slightest drop.

The wise man derives no satisfaction from a characteristic that places him in a lower rank than wild animals, beasts, and inanimate objects. He only rejoices in his progress in the virtue by which Allah distinguishes him from these same beasts and objects. This is the virtue of reason that he shares with the angels."

Many such deep contemplations and meditations of Ibn Hazm can be found in this book. By contemplating on them you will improve your character and morals.

Our Deeds are determined by our intentions - whether they are good intentions or bad intentions. Therefore we should always check our intentions before we do or say anything. We must make sure that the action is for the sake of Allah so that it is accepted by Allah and that we will be rewarded for it, In-sha Allah. We ask Allah by His beautiful names and attributes that He unites our hearts upon the truth and that He makes us sincere advisers to one another based on the Quran and Sunnah as understood by the Companions.

I ask Allah to make this effort sincere, seeking His Pleasure, and I ask Him to grant us refuge in Him from the evils within us, and that in our actions. I ask him to grant us success in doing what pleases Him; He is close and responsive (to the prayers of His faithful servants).

Chapter One

Introduction

In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful: O Allah, I plead for your help, O Allah bless Muhammad and his family and give them peace.

Abu Muhammad 'Ali ibn Ahmad ibn Sa'id ibn Hazm al-Andalusi (Allah be pleased with him) said:

1. Praise be to Allah for his great blessings. May Allah bless Muhammad His servant, the seal of the Prophets and Messengers. May He grant him everlasting blessings. I rely on Him for every ability and strength I have, and I seek His help and protection against all the various horrors and evils of this world. And may he deliver me from all terrors and ills in the next world.

2. Now in this book, I (ibn Hazm) have gathered numerous ideas which Allah, the Provider of the Intellect, has enabled me to benefit from day by day [and year by year]. Circumstances change (as life goes on) so I experienced the variations of fate and understood how I can control its fluctuations to the extent that I have devoted most of my life to it. I have chosen to (utilize my time to) master these problems through study and reflection instead of diving into the various sensual joys that attract most souls on this earth and instead of amassing unnecessary wealth. I have summarized all of my observations in this book in the hope that the Almighty can allow any of His servants He desires to benefit from it, and understand the matters on which I have dedicated my life to understand and devote all my efforts to them and ponder them at length. I hope it will be well received. I present it with good intentions and blessings, and with a good heart.

This book will serve a person more than financial treasures and possessions of property. The condition is that he should meditate on them (the reflections and contemplations) and if Allah enables him to use them well. I hope to receive the greatest reward from Allah for this book, as I intend to help His servants to eliminate everything corrupt in their character and to cure the sickness of their souls. I ask Allah for help.

Chapter Two

Treatment of Souls

3. The pleasure that a practical man gets from his own common sense, a scholar from his knowledge, a wise man from his wisdom, the pleasure of anyone who works hard in a way that will please Almighty Allah is greater than the pleasure that the person who eats excessively gets from his food, a drinking man from his alcohol, a lover from the act of love, a conqueror from his conquest, a partygoer from his amusements, the sportsperson from his game, or a commander from giving instructions. The evidence of this is that the wise, the prudent, the learned scholar, the practicing Muslim, and anyone else we have mentioned can enjoy these pleasures as much as the man who indulges in them. They have the same feelings and desires as those who hurry to satisfy them. But they have purposely refrained and turned away from them, preferring to pursue moral excellence. No one can judge these two kinds of pleasures except someone who has known both; not someone who knew one and not the other.

4. When things happen one after another, and when you look deeply into worldly matters you get sad and end up thinking about the transient nature of everything down here in this world, and the fact that the truth is only in the pursuit of the afterlife. Since every ambition to hold on to ends in tears: either your goal will be ripped away or you will have to give up trying before you can achieve it. Either of these ends is inevitable, except in the search for Allah Almighty and Powerful. Then the result is always a joy, both immediate and everlasting. The immediate joy is that you stop worrying about the things that normally worry people. This leads to an increase in the respect that friends and enemies show you. Paradise is the eternal joy!

5. I've been trying to find a goal that everyone would agree to be excellent, and worth pursuing. I only found one such goal: to be free from anxiety. As I thought about it, I realized that not only are they all agreed to appreciate and desire it, but also that, despite their many different passions and aspirations and worries and desires, they never make the slightest gesture unless it is designed to drive fear and anxiety far away. One man gets lost by losing his way, another almost goes wrong, finally, another is successful - but he is a rare man and success is rare, O All-Knowing Allah. Allaying anxiety is a goal that all nations from the time the Almighty created the world to the Day of Judgment.

Some people may not desire this goal. For example, some people are not religious and do not consider their eternity. There are some who by nature and inclination prefer anonymity to fame. There are some who have no interest in amassing a fortune and prefer abstinence to owning property. This was the case with many Prophets (peace be upon them) - and with those who followed their example, that is those who worship Allah sincerely. There are