❞ كتاب A Message To Every Youth ❝ ⏤ عبدالله عزام

Verily,1 all praise is due to Allāh. We praise Him, seek refuge with Him, and seek
His Forgiveness. We seek refuge with Allāh from the evils of our souls, and the
mistakes in our actions. Whoever Allāh Guides, there is none who can misguide
him, and whoever Allāh misguides, there is none who can guide him. And I
testify that there is none worthy of being worshipped except Allāh, and I testify
that Muhammad (سلم و عليه االله صلى (is his servant and Messenger.

{“O you who believe! Have taqwā of Allāh as He deserves, and do not die except

as Muslims.”}2

{“O people! Have taqwā of your Lord, Who Created you from a single soul, and
Created from it its mate, and sprouted from it many men and women. And have
taqwā of Allāh, from Whom you demand your mutual rights, and do not cut off
the relations of the womb. Verily, Allāh is Ever‐Watching over you.”}3

{“O you who believe! Have taqwā of Allāh, and say that which is truthful. He
will rectify your actions for you and Forgive you your sins, and whoever obeys
Allāh and His Messenger has indeed achieved a great success.”}4

Verily, the most truthful of speech is the Speech of Allāh, and the best guidance
is the guidance of Muhammad (سلم و عليه االله صلى .(The worst of affairs are those
that are newly introduced, and every newly introduced affair is an innovation,
and every innovation is a misguidance, and every misguidance leads to the Fire.
As for what follows:5
The book ‘al‐Fawā’id’ is from the best of Ibn al‐Qayyim’s books. It was written as
if he is a man who is eighty years of age, sitting and talking about his experiences
in life. And they are, as he titled them, ‘al‐Fawā’id’ (points of benefit). Everything
that Ibn al‐Qayyim has written is from the best of what was written for Islām. In
truth, Ibn al‐Qayyim is a ripened fruit that sprouted from Ibn Taymiyyah. Ibn
Taymiyyah is distinguished for his vast understanding and knowledge, and he
spent a great part of his life as a Mujāhid between one battle and another. One
time, he led a battle himself, when the rulers of Shām sat back from confronting
the Tatars, and said: “We are unable to confront them.” So, Ibn Taymiyyah said:
“We will confront them,” and Allāh gave them victory.
I say: Ibn Taymiyyah sprouted an inhuman, ripened fruit, and that fruit was Ibn
al‐Qayyim. Ibn al‐Qayyim is distinguished with his depth of soul, and constant
worship. One time, he passed though Makkah, and the people of Makkah were
amazed at the amount of worship he would engage in, and his constant
preoccupation with the remembrance of Allāh.6
From the books that he wrote are ‘al‐Fawā’id,’ and he also wrote books dealing
with tarbiyah, such as ‘Madārij as‐Sālikīn Sharh Manāzil as‐Sā’irīn ilā Rabb al‐
‘Ālamīn,’ and the book ‘I’lām al‐Muwaqqi’īn ‘an Rabb al‐‘Ālamīn’ ‐ and it is a book
combining the subjects of Fiqh and Usūl – as well as the book ‘Zād al‐Ma’ād fī Sīrat
Khayr al‐‘Ibād,’ regarding his (سلم و عليه االله صلى (prayer, fasting, pilgrimage, battles,

medical practices, etc., as well the book ‘ar‐Rūh,’ and ‘Badā’i’ al‐Fawā’id,’ and ‘al‐
Jawāb al‐Kāfī fī as‐Su’āl ‘an ad‐Dawā’ ash‐Shāfī.’7
Anyway, in his book ‘al‐Fawā’id,’8 he said:
“There are ten useless matters that cannot be benefited from:
• Knowledge that is not implemented
• An action that is empty of sincerity, and is not based on the correct
example
• Wealth that is hoarded, as the owner neither enjoys it during this life,
nor obtains any reward for it in the Hereafter
• The heart that is empty of love and longing for Allāh, and of seeking
closeness to Him
• A body that does not obey and serve Allāh
• Loving Allāh without seeking His pleasure
• Time that is not spent in expiating sins or seizing opportunities to
perform deeds of righteousness that will bring one closer to Allāh
• A mind that thinks about issues which bring about no benefit
• Serving those who neither bring you close to Allāh or benefit you in
your life
• Hoping and fearing one who is under the authority of Allāh, and
whose forehead is in His Hand, while he cannot bring any benefit,
harm, life, death, or resurrection to himself.

However, the greatest of these matters is the wasting of the heart, and the
wasting of time. Wasting the heart is done by preferring this worldly life over the
Hereafter, and wasting time is done by having incessant hopes. All evil is in
following one’s desires and having incessant hopes, while all goodness is found
in following the right path and preparing oneself to meet Allāh, and Allāh is the
source of Assistance.”
Here, he summarized all evil in these two issues: wasting of the heart, and
wasting of time. Wasting the heart is done by preferring this worldly life over the
Hereafter, and wasting time is done by having incessant hopes, and incessant
hopes and the following of one’s desires are the ultimate manifestation of evil.

7 In reality, Ibn al‐Qayyim has over thirty famous works that are still printed and read today.
8 p. 161‐162

The following of guidance and the preparation for the meeting with Allāh are the
basis of all that is good:

{“As for him who transgressed and preferred the life of this world, verily, his
abode will be Hell‐fire. And as for he who feared the standing before his Lord,
and restrained himself from impure desires and lusts, verily, Paradise will be his

abode.”}9

Preferring the life of this world over the Hereafter corrupts the heart, and the one
who fears will prepare the preparation that does not waste his time. These are
the two manifestations of rectification: fearing the standing before the Lord,
which results in the preparation for meeting Him, and not wasting one’s time.
This brings life to the heart, as the hearts are given life by avoiding the desires
and following the guidance.

{“Verily, We have placed you as a successor on Earth. So, judge between men
with truth, and do not follow your desire, for it will mislead you from the Path

of Allāh.”}10

Desires are the root of oppression, and they are the root of wastefulness, and
they are the root of indecent sins, and they are the root of all evil, because the one
who follows his desires has essentially pushed aside the guidance. So, our job is,
as Allāh Said:

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