Here is an e mail which I found particularly useful. May Allah enable us all to benefit and act upon it and re-focus our lifestyles Insha'Allah. IN THE NAME OF ALLAAH THE MOST KIND THE MOST MERCIFUL > >Assalaam 'alaikum wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuhu. > >Innal hamdalillaah >was-salaat was-salaam 'alaa rasoolillaah. > >Below is a transcript of the lecture: > >'A Party in Paradise and a party >in Hell' >========================================= > >by Shaikh Abu 'Ali >Nabeel al-Awadhi. > > >------------------------------------------------------------ > > >Bismillaahir-Rahmaanir-Raheem > >Alhamdulillaahi rabil-'aalameen, >was-salaatu was-salaamu 'ala >nabeeyinaa muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa >ashaabihi wa man tabi'ahum >bi ihsaanin ila yawmid-deen, amma b'ad: > >The >Companions of our Prophet Muhammed (salallaahu 'alayhi wa >salaam) used to >gather to remember death so that they would benefit >their souls by >increasing in fear of Allaah and strive to gain His >pleasure. If this was >the case of the Sahaabah and they were the >best of generations, the most >pious and God-fearing of this ummah, >then what about us? Surely, it means >that we need to engage in the >rememberance of Allaah - The Most Perfect, >The Most High - even >more. After all, we are in far more need of this act >of worship >than they were. > >Let us begin at the end of a man's life, in >his last moments. He is >lying on his death bed and his family are at his >side. His father is >calling for the doctor. His wife asks him: "To whom >are you leaving >us?". The man's little daughter asks him, "Why do you not >answer me?", >and his small boy cries but nobody responds to him. This is >the >situation Allaah, The Most High and The Most High, has informed us > >about: > >"Nay, when the soul reaches the throat, and it is said: "Who >will >cure him now?". The dying person concludes that this is the time >for >departing. The leg joins the other leg." [Al-Qiyaamah: 26-29] > >They place >him in his shroud, his leg joins his other leg. Then he >is carried upon >the shoulders and taken to a dark hole. If he was a >transgressing criminal >he cries out: "Woe to it! Where are you >taking it?" > >"The drive that day >will be to your Lord" [Al-Qiyaamah: 30 ] > >Then he is lowered into this >ditch and dirt is thrown upon him until >he is sealed in it. If he was a >criminal, Allaah - The Most Perfect >and The Most High - says: > >"So he >neither believed nor did he pray. Rather he belied and turned >away" >[Al-Qiyaamah: 31-32 ] > >This trangressor will remain in his grave alone, >there will be no >one to sit with him and no one to keep him company. He >will feel >the heat of the fire, smell its foul odour, and be tortured >therein. >This man's grave will sqeeze in upon him so much so that the >bones >of his rib cage will cross each other. Despite all this punishment > >and all this torture and pain, he will hope that the hour will never >be >established. For this man knows that the hour is far worse and of >he will >be in greater loss on that Day. > >The man hears 'As-Saakhah' from within >his grave, and what is >'As-Saakhah'? It is the second blowing of the >trumpet. This is when >all that is in the graves shall be raised and >ressurrected. > >So the criminal will cry: "Woe to us, who has woken us >from our >resting place?" It will be said: "This is what the Ever-Merciful > >promised and the messengers where truthful" [Yasin: 52] > >The earth will >be torn away from above him. This man will see the >heavens being cleft >assunder, the stars falling and being scattered, >the oceans in their >greatness bursting forth, burning, the graves >will at that time bring >forth their contents. Every person shall >know what he has sent forth of >good and bad deeds at that moment. >[Al-Infitaar: 1-5] > >Then he will >raised up and driven to the crowding place: >'Al-Mahshar'. That day, the >mother who is nursing her child will >become careless of it, the mother who >is carrying her child will >drop her load. That day, mankind will appear as >if they are drunk >yet they they are not drunk. Indeed the punishement of >your Lord >is great. [Al-Hajj 1-2] > >The mother will come to her son and >say: "Oh my son, my breast was >a container for you, my womb was a >container for you. Oh my son I >seek from you a hasanah (merit) that I may >approach Allaah with. >My son, do not be greedy towards me". In the world >this son would >have sacrificed his life, rather many lives for merely the > >happinness of his mother so how does he treat her now? He responds >to >her plea: "Get away from me! Leave me! Indeed I am in need of >this merit >more than you." > >"So when 'As-Saakhah' comes. That day a man will flee >from his >brother, from his mother and his father, from his wife and his > >children. That day every man shall have enough to make him careless >of >others." [Al-Abasa: 33-37] > >So mankind will wait in this crowding place >for 50,000 years, after >which Allaah, The Most Perfect and The Most High, >will come to judge >them. So He will call the criminal and say to him, "Oh >so and so, >did I not give you of the cold water to drink? did I not give >you a >healthy body? Did I not give you many bounties? What have you done > >with all that which I bestowed upon you?" > >So the man replies, "I have >done nothing my Lord." > >So he lies to his Lord on that day. Allaah says: >"Where are the >witnesses!". So the Angels come and bear witness that this >criminal >did not pray in those moments of prayer, he drank, fornicated, > >lied, cursed and insulted. He turned away from belief and was proud >and >arrogant. So the criminal says to his Lord, "I do not accept >accept a >wintness except one from myself." > >His Lord replies to him, "And you have >that?" > >"The day when we shall seal their mouths, there hands will speak >to >us and their legs will bear witness to that which they used to >earn" >[Yasin: 65] > >So he turns to his skin and says to it: it was only for you >that I >was arguing. > >"Nay, when the earth is shaken a true shaking and >your Lord comes >with the Angels in rows. That day the Fire will be brought >near. >That day man will remember but how will that remembrance avail him? > >He will say, 'Woe to me! Would that I had put forth something for >this >life.' " [Al-Fajr: 21-24] > >This man then remembers. This criminal >remembers that when he heard >the call for prayer and he did not respond to >it. He remembers when >he woke and the sun had already risen yet he had not >prayed al-fajr. >This man remembers when he abused this one, when he >slandered that >one, when he earned that unlawful wealth, when he struck >this one >and killed that one. This criminal remembers every sin with which > >he disobeyed Allaah with.That day all his remorse and regret amounts >to >nothing. > >Then Allaah will say, "Sieze him and fetter him. Then throw him >into >the blazing fire. Then put a chain which is 70 cubits long through > >him. Indeed he did not used to believe in Allaah, The Most Perfect, >The >Most High." > >The Angels will then drag him upon his face into the fire. > > >As he enters it he will see his friends from the world already >present. > > >"Every time a nation enters it curses it sister nation" >[Al-a'araaf: >38]. > >So he is greeted with curses and given a wretched abode in which > >to abide. The fire encompasses him from all sides roasting, burning >his >skin completely, > >"Whenever their skins have been done (burnt away) we >replace them >with new skins so that they may taste of the punishment" > >[an-Nisaa: 56]. > >Their food in the fire is Ad-Daree' (a thorny plant). > > >"No food will they have except Ad-Daree'. It neither nourishes nor > >removes hunger" [Al-Ghaashiyah: 6-7] > >When they eat it they choke due >to the thorns. So when they are >choking they ask to be rescued with water, >so they are rescued with >an intensly boiling water which grills their >faces when they appoach >it. When they drink from the water, due to its >heat, it cuts their >intestines and causes them an increased pain. > >They >eat from Az-Zaquum. They eat a bitter fruit which cannot be >tasted. > > >"Indeed the tree of Zaquum will be the food of the sinners. Like >boiling >oil, it will boil in the belies, like the boiling of >scalding water. It >will be said : Drag, sieze him and drag him into >the midst of the blazing >fire. Then pour upon his head the torment >of boiling water. Taste! You >were pretending to be the Mighty the >Generous" [ad-Dukhaan: 43-49] > >Due >to this intense pain, suffering and anguish they are >experiencing they >call upon the guardian of hell-fire, > >"They call, Oh Maalik let your Lord >destroy us" After many years >he responds to them with two words "You are >staying" [43:77]. > >After all of this, they have one last chance and they >call upon >their Lord, "Oh our Lord we were indeed astray! Oh our Lord we > >were indeed misguided, we did fall short. Return us to the world >so that >we can do good instead of that which we used to do." > >Allaah replies to >them, "Rot in it and do not speak to me. After >this they do not speak nor >do they utter." > >They are then called from afar, "Oh dwellers of the >fire, do you >know what this is?" They reply, "Yes that is death in the >form of >a ram." Death is then slaughtered in a place between Al-Jannah an > >An-Naar. It is said to the dwellers of the fire, ever-lasting >life >without death. > >As for the other group, the ones who obeyed their Lord in >this >world, let us describe briefly their fate: > >When he is placed into >his grave it is widened and made spacious for >him. He smells the sweet >fragrance of Al-jannah and feels some of >its comforts. He sleeps in his >grave like a bride on her wedding >night who no-one shall awaken except her >beloved. When the cry comes >he is gathered to the crowding place and waits >there for 50,000 >years. This time passes as if it were the time between >Zohar and >Asr. Then the Lord of the worlds comes to make judgement, so He > >calls His slave saying, "Oh my slave, do you not remember that sin, >do >you not remember this sin." So the slave replies, "My Lord I >have >perished!" So Allaah replies to him, "I hid it in the world fo >you and >this day I forgive it." > >This good man is handed his book in his right >hand. Due to his >happiness he runs to the people and says "Take it; read >my book. >Indeed I used to think I would meet my accounting." > >"So he >will be in a content life" [Al-Haaqah: 19-21] > >Then he will be crowded >from a group of al-jannah. > >The Jannah has eight gates and between each >gate is a distance >that would take 40 years to traverse. There comes a day >when the >gates are crowded. So as this slave of Allaah enters Al-Jannah he > >is greeted with salaam (peace). He sees before him 4 rivers: > >"... In >it are rivers of water, the taste and smell of which are >not changed. >Rivers of milk of which the taste never changes, rivers >of wine delicious >to those wo drink and rivers of clear and pure >honey ..." [Muhammad: 15] > > >He has therein a house and he knows this house as he knows his >dwelling >in this life. His house is made from bricks of gold and >silver. In it he >has wives from the Hoorul-'een. > >"And Hooron 'een, like untouched, >unseen, precious pearls. A reward >for what they used to do." [Al-Waaqiah: >22-24] > >"Indeed we have created them a special creation, made them >virgins, >loving only their husbands of equal age." [al-waaqiah: 35-37] > > >Every time they cohabit with their husbands they return to being > >virgins. > >Outside this house he has a tent, in it he has wives. When he >goes >to one of them, the other does not see him. > >In Al-Jannaah the >righteous slave has everything he desires, wishes >and wants. He neither >feels extreme heat nor the bitter cold: > >"They will see there neither the >excessive heat of the sun nor the >bitter cold." [Al-Insaan: 13]. > >There >is not a tree in Al-Jannaah except its trunk is made of >gold. When he >requires its fruit he does not need to get up from >his place, since it >comes to him: > >"The bunches of fruit thereof hang low, within reach" > >[al-insaan: 14]. > >"They are served by youthful boys who never age. If >you were to see >them you would think them scattered pearls" [al-Insaan: >19] > >So he resides therein, tranquil and at ease. No pain, no ill feeling > >and no foul speech. Life without death, lasting with no end. > > >These >are not mere stories that we tell to amuse ourselves or scare >one another, >rather they are the destinies of the ones who obey >Allaah and those who >disobey. Allaah calls His slaves to repentance >many times in every day so >avail these opportunities. Repentance has >only three conditions, that you >be sincere to Allaah, that you leave >the sin and that you make a firm >resolve that you never return to >the sin. > >So be the children of the >Hereafter and not the children of this >life; a party in Paradise and a >party in the Hell-fire. > > >---------------------------------------------------------------- > > >Wassalaam 'alaikum wa rahmatullaah. >-- >"Take benefit of five before >five: your youth before >your old age, your health before your sickness, >your >wealth before your poverty, your free-time before your > >preoccupation, and your life before your death." >[Muhammad sallallaahu >`alayhi wa sallam - al-Haakim, >al-Bayhaqee, Saheeh] > >JIMAS >PO Box 24, >Ipswich, Suffolk, IP3 8ED > >Tel/Fax: 01473 251578 _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp <<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>> To view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: [log in to unmask] <<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>