The Art Of Islamic Living : The Sixth Fitness by Dr. Ahmad Al- Bara' Al-Amiri

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THE ART OF ISLAMIC LIVING
The Six Fitnesses
DR. AHMAD AL-BARA' AL-AMIRI
IPH
دروس في فن الحياة اللياقات الست
الدار العالمية للكتاب الإسلامي
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Contents
Pronunciation and Transliteration Chart.
Arabic honorific symbols
Hadith grade terms..
About the Word 'Lord'.
Publisher's Note
Preface
Introduction: Time is Life.
Time as mentioned in the Qur'an
Time as discussed in the Sunnah.
13
17
18
3 7 8 2 2 2 2
19
20
22
Time as discussed in the Islamic legacy
Concept of time in other cultures.
Importance of time in the life of righteous scholars
Time management..
How to manage time
Time wasters and how to overcome them.
Visitors
Telephones...
Meetings
Procrastination.
Television
Benefitting from 'waiting' time..
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Pronunciation and
Transliteration Chart
Arabic script T
s1ī
ب
ت
ة
Pronunciation
short 'a', as in cat
longer 'a', as in cab (not as in cake) /b/ as in bell, rubber and tab
/t/ as in tap, mustard and sit
takes the sound of the preceding diacritical mark sometimes ending in h (when in pausal form): ah, ih or ooh; or
atu(n), ati(n) or ata(n)
when uninterrupted
Trans- literated form
a
â
b
t
h or t (when followed by another
Arabic word)
ت
/th/ as in thing, maths and wealth jl as in jam, ajar and age
th
j
a 'harsher' sound than the English
こ
initial /h/, and may occur medially and in word-final position as well
h
خ
د
as in Bach (in German); may occur initially and medially as well
/d/ as in do, muddy and red
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Spiritual fitness 57
Ibn 'Abbas() said:
A good deed produces light on the face, purity in the heart, an increase in sustenance, enhancement of physical strength, and people's love. On the other hand, a sin produces dimness on the face; darkness in the heart and grave; feebleness in the body; a decrease in sustenance; and people's dislike.'
Voluntary worship in addition to obligatory worship
In a hadith qudsi, the Prophet (3) said that Allah states: «Nothing that My servant does is dearer to Me than what I have commanded him to do; but when My servant does voluntary acts of worship, he eventually wins My love.» (Bukhari)
From this, we may conclude that what endears human beings to Allah, the Almighty, the most is the performance of His enjoined commandments, which can be:
1- Physical, like prayer and fasting;
2- Financial, like zakâh;
3- Both physical and financial, like pilgrimage and jihad;
4- Spiritual, like remembering the Almighty;
5- Both verbal and spiritual, like reciting the Qur'an.
The above are active compulsory duties. Some passive actions which one is prohibited from include stealing, drinking alcohol, adultery, fornication, backbiting, covetousness, and so on.
What matters most about all the activities, including the above acts of worship, is their essence, not their outer form. The Prophet
()said:
1 For this and for further discussion, see Ibn Qudâmah, Mukhtaşar Minhaj al-Qâsideen, 228-233.
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Spiritual fitness 57
Ibn 'Abbas() said:
A good deed produces light on the face, purity in the heart, an increase in sustenance, enhancement of physical strength, and people's love. On the other hand, a sin produces dimness on the face; darkness in the heart and grave; feebleness in the body; a decrease in sustenance; and people's dislike.'
Voluntary worship in addition to obligatory worship
In a hadith qudsi, the Prophet (3) said that Allah states: «Nothing that My servant does is dearer to Me than what I have commanded him to do; but when My servant does voluntary acts of worship, he eventually wins My love.» (Bukhari)
From this, we may conclude that what endears human beings to Allah, the Almighty, the most is the performance of His enjoined commandments, which can be:
1- Physical, like prayer and fasting;
2- Financial, like zakâh;
3- Both physical and financial, like pilgrimage and jihad;
4- Spiritual, like remembering the Almighty;
5- Both verbal and spiritual, like reciting the Qur'an.
The above are active compulsory duties. Some passive actions which one is prohibited from include stealing, drinking alcohol, adultery, fornication, backbiting, covetousness, and so on.
What matters most about all the activities, including the above acts of worship, is their essence, not their outer form. The Prophet
()said:
1 For this and for further discussion, see Ibn Qudâmah, Mukhtaşar Minhaj al-Qâsideen, 228-233.
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THE ART OF
ISLAMIC LIVING
The Six Fitnesses
What is the best way of implementing the teachings of the Qur'an and Sunnah in daily life? From where do we start? How do we ensure that every action of ours, whether at home, in the workplace, or at social gatherings, gains us Allah's pleasure and increases our good deeds?
In this motivational self-help book, Dr. Ahmad al-Bara' al-Amiri explains how anyone can take practical steps towards an Islamic lifestyle by achieving 'the six fitnesses, that is, proficiency
and fitness in six major areas: spiritual, psychological, mental, social, physical and, financial. These form the six major chapters in this book, and within each chapter, Dr. al-Amiri gives handy and practical tips that are useful for both those who are just embarking on embracing an Islamic lifestyle and those who already follow it and want to enhance its quality.
This concise, easy-to-read book is full of helpful information, sincere advice, and comprehensive plans of action that will benefit the readers immensely.
About the author
Dr. Ahmad al-Bara' al-Amiri holds a PhD in Islamic Studies. He taught English, Arabic, and Islamic Studies at the Islamic University of Imam Muhammad ibn Saud and the King Saud University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and served as advisor to the Minister of Education in Riyadh for ten years. In his extensive career, he has prepared and presented more than three hundred radio talks and television programmes; published ten books; and conducted many workshops, training courses, and seminars on Functional Excellence, The Art of Thinking. The Psychology of Success, Discourse and Oratory, and The Six Fitnesses.
ISBN 978-603-501-415-1
IIPH
9 786035 014151