Reminders for myself

Certainty has three levels:

‘Ilm al-Yaqīn (Knowledge of Certainty), then ‘Ayn al-Yaqīn (Seeing with the Eye of Certainty), then Ḥaqq al-Yaqīn (The Reality of Certainty) — and this is the highest of them.

The evidences have come with all three levels.

① — Allāh the Exalted said regarding the first:

{No! If you only knew with the knowledge of certainty} [al-Takāthur: 5].

The Prophet ﷺ said:

{Information is not the same as observation} — Reported by Aḥmad.

② — Allāh the Exalted said regarding the second:

{Then you will surely see it with the eye of certainty} [al-Takāthur: 7].

③ — Allāh the Exalted said regarding the third:

{And indeed, it is the truth of certainty} [al-Ḥāqqah: 51].

The Prophet ﷺ said:

“He has tasted the sweetness of faith who is pleased with Allāh as Lord, with Islām as religion, and with Muḥammad as Messenger.” — Reported by Muslim.

Imām Ibn Taymiyyah (رحمه الله) said:

“‘Ilm al-Yaqīn is the knowledge obtained through hearing, reports, analogy, and reflection. ‘Ayn al-Yaqīn is what the person has witnessed and seen with his own eyes. Ḥaqq al-Yaqīn is what he has directly experienced, found, and tasted. The three levels are illustrated by the one who informs you that he has honey and you do not doubt his truthfulness (this is ‘Ilm al-Yaqīn), then he shows it to you and your certainty increases (this is ‘Ayn al-Yaqīn), then you taste it and experience its flavour and sweetness (this is Ḥaqq al-Yaqīn).”

[Majmū‘ al-Fatāwā (10/645)]

People differ in attaining these levels and realizing this virtue. Some of them are only attained in the Hereafter — such as seeing Paradise and Hell with one’s own eyes, as mentioned in the text of the Qur’ān. Some are specific to the Messengers in this world.

Imām Ibn al-Qayyîm (رحمه الله) said in Madārij al-Sālikīn:

“Know that this level — Ḥaqq al-Yaqīn — is not attained in this world except by the Messengers of Allāh (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon them all). For our Prophet ﷺ saw Paradise and Hell with his own eyes, and Mūsā spoke directly to Allāh. However, we can attain a portion of Ḥaqq al-Yaqīn, which is tasting what the Messenger ﷺ informed us of regarding the realities of faith connected to the heart and its actions. When the heart directly experiences and tastes them, they become for him Ḥaqq al-Yaqīn. As for the matters of the Hereafter, the Return, seeing Allāh openly with the eyes, and hearing His Speech, then the believer’s share of that in this abode is faith and ‘Ilm al-Yaqīn. Ḥaqq al-Yaqīn is delayed until the time of meeting (Allāh).”

Ibn Taymīyyāh (رحمه الله) said:

“So people, with regard to what is present in the hearts and what is present outside them, are upon these three levels.

When faith enters the heart and mixes with its joy, the heart does not dislike it; rather, it loves it and is pleased with it. It possesses in the heart a sweetness, delight, happiness, and joy that cannot be expressed to the one who has not tasted it. And people differ in the degree of this tasting.

Allāh the Exalted said:

{Say: ‘In the bounty of Allāh and in His mercy — in that let them rejoice. It is better than what they accumulate.’} [Yūnus: 58]

And Allāh the Exalted said:

{As for those who believed, it increased them in faith, and they are rejoicing} [al-Tawbah: 124].

Rejoicing is happiness and delight due to what they find in their hearts of sweetness and pleasure.”

[Majmū‘ al-Fatāwā (10/648)]

Wallahi, All of these are deceptions and whispers of Satan so beware of them.

Turn to the Qur’an with sincerity, and rejoice in the goodness and openings that will come to you from where you neither know nor expect. In Sha Allah

They understood that everything in this Dunyā is temporary, and the only thing that lasts was their good deeds. ❞

O Allah, since You have guided us to Islām, do not take it away from us, and do not take us away from it until You cause us to die upon it while You are pleased with us.

“Our Lord, do not let our hearts deviate after You have guided us, and grant us mercy from Yourself; indeed, You are al-Wahhāb (the Bestower).” [Āl ʿImrān: 8]

Every hardship has an expiry date. Every tear will one day dry. Every sleepless night will become a memory. Every injustice will come to an end.

But what awaits the believer after patience is everlasting bliss.

This world was never meant to be your paradise. Allah created it as a place of examination, not permanent residence.

Allah says:

'الذي خلق الموت والحياة ليبلوكم أيكم احسن عملا'

"He Who has created death and life that He may test you which of you is best in deed."

67:2

“Among the happiness of the son of Adam is to be satisfied with what Allāh has decreed for him.

Among the misery of the son of Adam is to abandon asking Allāh for guidance,

and among the misery of the son of Adam is displeasure with what Allāh has decreed for him.”

"Allah created these stars for three reasons: (i) To adorn the heaven, (ii) as missiles against the devils and (ii) as signs by which (the traveller) may be guided; and so whoever claims more than this for them has is emoneous and has lost his reward (on the Day of Resurrection) and taken upon himself that of which he has no knowledge."

Benefits Derived From This Narration

1. The wisdom of creating the stars.

2. The falseness of the claims of those who say otherwise.

3. The forbiddance of belief in astrology.

4. The punishment prescribed for those who practice or believe in astrology.

Study of the stars is of three kinds: (i) That which is kufr, and that is the belief that the heavenly bodies themselves decide the events of our daily lives. (ii) The belief that events may be predicted by studying the courses and relative positions of the stars and planets which they claim is by Allah's Ordainment and His Will and there is no doubt of the forbiddance of this nor of its being a form of Shirk. (iii) The study of the stars and the planets in order to have knowledge of their cycles for the purpose of aiding travellers in order to know the direction of the Qiblah 3 and to know the time and season and this is permissible.