Jazakallahu khairaa..beautiful article.It`s really important to let each and everyone know that Allah loves them.If anybody really wants to know how much Allah loves them ..They simply have to read surah baqarah..How the baniisraeel disobeyed Allah and Allah keep on forgiving them ,giving them chance after chance.One of my favorite verses from surah imraan.108 وَمَا اللَّهُ يُرِيدُ ظُلْماً لِّلْعَـلَمِينَ
Allah wills no injustice to the `Alamin..

salaam

I need help –

If i may remind you of this beautiful hadith Qudsi:

On the authority of Abu Harayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Allah the Almighty said:

I am as My servant thinks I am (1). I am with him when he makes mention of Me. If he makes mention of Me to himself, I make mention of him to Myself; and if he makes mention of Me in an assembly, I make mention of him in an assemble better than it. And if he draws near to Me an arm’s length, I draw near to him a fathom’s length. And if he comes to Me walking, I go to him at speed.

It was related by al-Buhkari (also by Muslim, at-Tirmidhi and Ibn-Majah).

Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala is to us what we think of Him subhanahu wa ta`ala. He (swt) is the Most Merciful, His mercy encompasses EVERYTHING and He’s more merciful and loving to us than our own mothers.

A friend of mine had a similar fear and a very dear and respected shaykh of ours reminded her with a profound reminder. He said: Think of death as the challenge that’s preventing you from meeting Him subhanahu wa ta`ala.

Do not be scared of Al-akhirah. Think of Jannah more and read about it’s description. Think of the moment when we will be able to actually see Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala. Stay positive and think the BEST of Him subhanahu wa ta`ala. None of us is perfect in this world and we have all sinned. but as long we repent and NEVER give up on Allah’s mercy and compassion, Allah will ALWAYS be there for us!

Recently I have been suffering from being too afraid from the akhira, to the extent that I cannot function in my every day life. this excessive fear is making me stagnant. It is to the extent that I wish someone murders me and finishes me from this dunya.

Astaghfur ALLAH

jazakAllah for the reminder.

The Quran with some good tafasseer.

In English, Muhammad Al Ghazali’s “Thematic Commentary of The Quran” is a great resource. Also, Sayyid Qutb’s “In The Shade of The Quran” has been fully translated into an 18-volume set, it’s a brilliant supplement.

In Arabic, Fath Al Qadeer by Imam Shaukani (or you can get Zubdat At-Tafseer which is the abridged version done by Sh Muhammad Sulayman Al Ashqar) is good. Tafseer Kabeer by Imam Razi is also good.

Basically, study Qur’an on a personal level with guidance of tafseer and tafhim. That would be my first recommendation.

“In The Early Hours” by Khurram Murad is amazing, and also recommended by Imam Suhaib. It’s a great book to guide on how to develop an organic relationship with Allah.

And lastly, to get yourself or anyone out of a rut of pessimism in regards to Allah, Don’t Be Sad by Shaykh Aa’id Qarni is an instant classic and a psychologically positive and spiritually uplifting work.

Assalaamualaykum,

Check out Madarij al Salikeen by Ibn al Qayyim (get the tahdheeb since its shorter) and also Mahabbat Allah as well (same author).

Islam-lover, if you find such descriptions unsettling it might be because you imagine them in human terms. The problem is that our human languages were developed to describe human experience, and we don’t have the proper terminology to describe Allah. Indeed, we cannot comprehend or imagine Allah, and we should not try. He, Allah, is unlike anything in creation.

So even though the Quran and ahadith may describe Allah using some of the same words that we use to describe ourselves (loving, angry, laughing, forgiving, face, hand, smiling, etc), the key is to understand that only the word is the same; Allah’s reality is far different from ours, and thus we should not attempt to imagine or picture it, but merely to accept Allah’s words at face value, adding nothing to them and subtracting nothing.

And Allah knows best.

jazakAllahu khayr for the post. Do you have any recommended sources (ie: books, lectures) that can help a student of knowledge attain this level of God Consciousness?