Having Good Thoughts of Allaah is an Enormous Act of Worship!

Bismillaah Al-Hamdulillaah wa salatu wa salaamu 'ala rasulullaah
Amma-ba'd

Allaah said (what means): And that He may punish the Munaafiqoon (hypocrites), men and women, and also the Mushrikoon men and women, who think evil thoughts about Allaah, for them is a disgraceful torment, and the Anger of Allaah is upon them, and He has cursed them and prepared Hell for them, and worst indeed is that destination. (Al-Fat-H, ayah 6)


Shaykh 'Abdur-Razzaaq Ibn 'Abdul-MuHsin Al-'Abbaad: Having Good Thoughts of Allaah is an Enormous Act of Worship! The following tremendous benefits were relayed from the lecture, "Having Good Thoughts of Allaah" by Shaykh 'Abdur Razzaaq Ibn 'Abdul MuHsin al-'Abbaad (hafidhahumullaah 'ala as-Sunnah)


Having good thoughts of Allaah is an enormous act of worship, and has a lofty position for those seeking to get close to Allaah. It is one of the obligations of Tawheed. In fact, the Tawheed of the slave will not be correct except by having good thoughts of Allaah. Having good thoughts of Allaah brings about praiseworthy effects and beneficial fruits in this life and the next.

Jaabir ibn 'Abdullaah (radiallaahu 'anhumma) said that three days before the Prophet's death, he (salallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said: Let not any of you die except while having good thoughts of Allaah. [Muslim]


Side Benefit -------> The 'ulamaa pay (extra) close attention to those statements and actions of the Prophet (sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) that happened close to his death - by days, weeks or months - because (of its approximity to the ceasing of revelation).

Having good thoughts about Allaah will produce good actions, and this comes from having knowledge of Allaah. One is the result of the other.

Hasan al-Basree (d. 110H, rahimahullaah) said: "Verily, when the believer perfects his thoughts about his Rabb (Lord), he would have perfected his actions. And the faajir (the wicked person) is the one who has corrupted his thoughts of his Lord, so his actions will also be corrupted."

Deeply reflect upon this consistent, strong connection between having good thoughts of Allaah and good actions. It is based upon having good knowledge of Allaah, specifically about his Lofty Names and Perfect Attributes. If you know the Name of Allaah "Al-Ghaffaar," then you have to perfect your thoughts about Him when you make istighfaar. If you deeply ponder upon His Beautiful Name "At-Tawwaab" and Allaah will accept the repentance of His servants and pardon them for their offenses, then it is upon you to perfect your thoughts of Him that He will accept your repentance regardless of what your offense is.

If some of the calamities of this world or pain afflicts you - even (if you have) some of those diseases that are called "incurable" or "fatal" - it is upon you to perfect your thoughts about Allaah that He is Ash-Shaafee (The One Who cures) and there is no remedy or healing except His healing.

Ibraheem, 'alayhi salaam, said about Allaah: Who has created me, and it is He Who guides me. And it is He Who feeds me and gives me to drink. And when I am ill, it is He who cures me. (Ash-Shu'ara, ayat 78-80)

This indicates that Ibraaheem ('alayhi salaam) had good thoughts about Allaah. He did not attribute becoming sick to Allaah as he attributed creation, guidance and sustenance to Him. He did not say 'when Allah makes me ill'; he attributed this to himself.

In your du'aa to Allaah for the good things of this dunyaa and aakhirah, you must perfect your thoughts about Allaah that He will answer you. Allaah said: ...Invoke Me, I will respond to your (invocation). Verily! Those who scorn My worship will surely enter Hell in humiliation! (Ghaafir, ayah 60)

Allaah said: And when My slaves ask you (oh Muhammad) concerning Me, then (answer them): I am indeed near (to them by My Knowledge). I respond to the invocations of the supplicant when he calls on Me. (al-Baqarah, ayah 186)

Having good thoughts about Allaah is from the most tremendous blessings and greatest bounties that Allaah gives to whomever He wishes​.

Ibn Abi Dunyaa, in Having Good Thoughts About Allaah, wrote:

"Ibn Mas'ood (radiAllaahu Ta'aala 'anhu) said: I swear by The One Who there is none worthy of worship except Him: A believing slave has not been given anything better than having good thoughts about Allaah. Then he (Ibn Mas'ood) said: And I swear by The One Who there is nothing worthy of worship except Him, that there is no slave who perfects his thoughts of Allaah except that Allaah will give him what he thought and all of that good is in the Hand of Allaah."


It is said that whoever is more knowledgeable of Allaah will be the most fearing of Him. And whoever is most fearing of Him​, he will be foremost in acts of worship and will be furthest from acts of disobedience.

As Allaah says: It is only those who have knowledge among His slaves who fear Allaah. (Faatir, ayah 28​)
Indeed having good thoughts is constructed upon perfecting your 'ilm and understanding of Allaah, and this produces good actions and obedience, and this will be your share and portion of the People of Eemaan. And this is a description of the People of Eemaan​. Munaafiqoon (hypocrites) and mushrikoon (polytheists, disbelievers) have no share regarding having good thoughts of Allaah. In fact, they have bad thoughts of Allaah. It is a sign of nifaaq and kufr to have bad thoughts of Allaah, because those who have bad thoughts of Him are those who do not believe in Him.

And that He may punish the Munaafiqoon (hypocrites), men and women, and also the Mushrikoon men and women, who think evil thoughts about Allaah, for them is a disgraceful torment, and the Anger of Allaah is upon them, and He has cursed them and prepared Hell for them, and worst indeed is that destination. (Al-Fat-H, ayah 6)

Thus, the scholars have said that there is no punishment mentioned in the Qur`aan more severe than that for having bad thoughts about Allaah. They have bad thoughts of Allaah due to their disbelief in Allaah, their corrupted 'Aqeedah and the deviation in their hearts.

Having bad thoughts of Allaah is a destructive position for the one who has it. It will destroy him in this life and the next. Allaah said: And that thought of yours which you thought about your Lord, has brought you to destruction, and you have become (this Day) of those utterly lost! Then, if they have patience, yet the Fire will be a home for them, and if they beg for to be excused, yet they are not of those who will ever be excused. (Fussilat, ayatain 23-24)

They had this assumption that Allaah didn't know much of what they were doing. Look at this serious crime and distortion in 'Aqeedah. It made them inherit bad thoughts of Allaah. That thought will eventually destroy them, and they will be from those who are utterly lost. It is incumbent upon the Muslim to perfect his thoughts of Allaah and that he shows great importance in having trust in Allaah, and that he strengthens his ultimate dependence upon Him and in taking refuge in Allaah, and in turning to Him in repentence.

Whoever transgressed the boundaries against his or her own soul regarding sins and (perpetual) crimes should not allow this to cause him to despair in the Mercy of Allaah. Rather, the person who has committed these sins should rush to perfect his thoughts about Allaah that He will forgive him. He will forgive all of their sins, the great and small, the first and the last...

Relayed by: Abu Dihya Dawood Adeeb (hafidhahullaah 'ala as-Sunnah)
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Allaah (The All-Wise) said:

And that He may punish the Munaafiqoon (hypocrites), men and women, and also the Mushrikoon men and women, who think evil thoughts about Allaah, for them is a disgraceful torment, and the Anger of Allaah is upon them, and He has cursed them and prepared Hell for them, and worst indeed is that destination. (Al-Fat-H, ayah 6) Imaam Ibn Katheer (d. 774H, rahimahullaah) said this refers to those who question the wisdom in Allaah's decisions.

Jaabir ibn 'Abdullaah (radiallaahu 'anhumma) said that three days before the Prophet's death, he (salallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said: Let not any of you die except while having good thoughts of Allaah. [Muslim]

Imaam Muhammad ibn 'Abdul-Wahhab (d. 1206H, rahimahullaah) relayed the following benefit in Kitab at-Tawheed, under the chapter Prohibition of Evil Thoughts Regarding Allaah: Ibn Al-Qayyim (d. 751H, rahimahullaah) said regarding this [above] verse [from Sooratul Fat-H]:

"The 'thought of ignorance' is explained as meaning that Allaah ('Azza Wa Jall) will not help the Messenger (salallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam), and his mission will soon fade away. It is also explained as meaning that the afflictions he suffered were not due to Divine Preordainment from Allaah and His Wisdom. It is therefore explained as the denial of Wisdom and Decree, and denial that the mission of His Messenger (salallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) would be completed and that it would prevail over all other religions. These were the evil thoughts in the minds of the Munafiqoon (hypocrites) and Mushrikoon (polytheists) which are mentioned in Soorah al-Fat-H as Su`-udh-dhan (evil thoughts).

These thoughts were explained as Su`-udh-dhan (evil thoughts) because these are against what is befitting the Most Perfect (Allaah). Neither do they befit His Wisdom and Praiseworthiness nor His True Promise. Any person who thinks that the falsehood (Shaytan, Shirk) will prevail over truth (Islaam, Tawheed) continuously, and it would cause truth to vanish; or who denies that things occur due to Allaah's Decision and Decree or who denies an overriding wisdom behind His Decree that is deserving of praise, and thinks that such is due to an arbitrary purpose-less will: That is the consideration of those who disbelieve! Then woe to those who disbelieve (in Islamic Monotheism) from the Fire! (Sad, ayah 27)

Most people think the worst about Allaah with regards to what affects them in particular and what He does with others. No one is safe from that except who truly knows Allaah and His Names and Attributes, and the necessity of His Wisdom and Praise.

Let the intelligent recipient of good advice look closely at himself in this matter and let him repent to Allaah, and beg His forgiveness for having harbored the worst thought about his Lord. If you were to look closely at (such individuals), you would see in him distress and annoyance with what Allaah has decreed, blaming and finding fault in it, and thinking it should rather be such and such. In this thought, some are up to lesser extent and others up to greater. Examine yourself: are you free from such thought? If you are saved from it, you have been saved from a great calamity. But if not, I cannot regard you as saved."

One of the revivers of the Khawaarij, Hasan al-Bannaa, falsely claimed: "the acts of worship are greater (more numerous) than the moments of time." This wicked statement can still be found in Majmoo'ah Rasaa`il Hasan al-Bannaa, at the end of Risaalatut-Ta'aaleem (p. 30). Concerning this vile statement, Ustaadh Abu 'Iyaad Amjad Rafiq (hafidhahullaah 'ala as-Sunnah) wrote the following in the footnote section on page 110 of Ibnul Qayyim's The Path to Guidance: "And this phrase - the meaning of which is suspecting and accusing Allaah of oppression - has been made one of the legacies (of advice) of this man, as you can see, and it is often distributed in the gatherings of the general-folk. (This is what it is) even though we may be aware that they desire by this to arouse and stimulate the people's thoughts and concerns for establishing the obligatory aims of the movement! We are not aware of obligations save those of the Sharee'ah, which are facile and easy, and all Praise is due to Allaah, Who is alone in legislating..."

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Related Link: The Reality of Character and Manners, and how Ahlul Bid'ah distort the true meaning of Akhlaaq: http://www.salafitalk.net/st/viewmessages.cfm?Forum=8&Topic=10613