All the praises and thanks be to Allah. Prayers and peace of Allah be upon His Messenger.
– They are those who are mentioned in a Quranic verse. Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, said, “I asked the Messenger of Allah, prayers and peace of Allah be upon him, about this (the following Verse): {And those who give that (their charity) which they give (and also do other good deeds) with their hearts full of fear (whether their alms and charities have been accepted or not), because they are sure to return to their Lord (for reckoning).} [Surat Al-Mu’minûn 23:60] Aisha said, ‘Are these who drink alcoholic drinks and steal?” He replied, ‘No! O the daughter of As-Siddîq, but they are those who fast, pray, and practice charity and they are afraid that (their good) deeds may not be accepted (by Allâh) from them. It is these who hasten in the good deeds, and they are foremost in them [e.g. offering the compulsory Salât (prayers) in their (early) stated, fixed times and so on].” [Reported by At-Tirmidhi and classified as authentic by Al-Albani]
– Its definition: it is leniency after severity, weakness after strength. The Prophet, prayers and peace of Allah be upon him, has said, “Every deed has a time of vitality, and for every time of vitality there is a period of slackening. Therefore, whoever has the period of slackening directed to abiding by my Sunnah, then, he is guided. And whoever directs his period of slackening to anything else, then, he is doomed.” [Reported by Ahmed and Al-Albani said: Its chain of transmission is authentic based on the conditions of Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
1- It is the lack of sincerity or its weakness in the time of hardship. The Prophet, prayers and peace of Allah be upon him, has said, “Verily, man may finish his prayer while what is recorded for him from it is only one tenth, ninth, eighth, seventh, sixth, fifth, fourth, third, or half.” [Reported by Abu Dawud and classified as good by Al-Albani]
He also says, {Say (O Muhammad): “Who has forbidden the adornment with clothes given by Allâh, which He has produced for His slaves, and At-Taiyyibât [all kinds of Halâl (lawful) things] of food?” Say: “They are, in the life of this world, for those who believe, (and) exclusively for them (believers) on the Day of Resurrection (the disbelievers will not share them).” Thus We explain the Ayât (Islâmic laws) in detail for people who have knowledge.} [Surat Al-A’râf 7:32]
In the Hadith of Hanzala Al-Usayyidi, who was amongst the scribes of the Messenger of Allah, prayers and peace of Allah be upon him, where he reported, “I met Abu Bakr and he said, ‘How are you Hanzalah?’ He (Hanzala) said, ‘Hanzala has turned to be a hypocrite.’ He (Abu Bakr) said, ‘Glorified and Exalted is Allah, what are you saying?’ Thereupon he said, ‘I say that because when we are in the company of the Messenger of Allah, prayers and peace of Allah be upon him, we ponder over Hellfire and Paradise as if we are seeing them with our very eyes. However, when we are away from the Messenger of Allah, prayers and peace of Allah be upon him, we attend to our wives, our children, our business; most of these things (pertaining to Afterlife) slip out of our minds. Abu Bakr said, ‘By Allah, I also experience the same.’ So Abu Bakr and I went to the Messenger of Allah, prayers and peace of Allah be upon him. I said to him, ‘O Messenger of Allah, Hanzala has turned to be a hypocrite.’ Thereupon the Messenger of Allah, prayers and peace of Allah be upon him, has said, ‘What has happened to you?’ I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, when we are in your company, we are reminded of Hellfire and Paradise as if we are seeing them with our own eyes. However, whenever we go away from you and attend to our wives, children and business, much of these things go out of our minds. Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah, prayers and peace of Allah be upon him, has said, ‘By Him in Whose Hand is my life, if your state of mind remains the same as it is in my presence, and you are always busy in the remembrance (of Allah), the Angels will shake hands with you in your beds and in your paths. Nevertheless, O Hanzala, a time (should be devoted to the worldly affairs) and a time (should be devoted to prayer and meditation).’ The Prophet said this thrice.” [Reported by Muslim]
Allah, Glorified and Exalted, says, {In houses (mosques) which Allâh has ordered to be raised (to be cleaned, and to be honoured), in them His Name is remembered [i.e. Adhan, Iqamah, Salât (prayers), invocations, recitation of the Qur’ânetc].. Therein glorify Him (Allah) in the mornings and in the afternoons or the evenings, (36) Men whom neither trade nor sale (business) diverts from the Remembrance of Allâh (with heart and tongue), nor from performing As-Salât (Iqâmat-as-Salât), nor from giving the Zakât. They fear a Day when hearts and eyes will be overturned (out of the horror of the torment of the Day of Resurrection). (37) That Allâh may reward them according to the best of their deeds, and add even more for them out of His Grace. And Allâh provides without measure to whom He wills.} [Surat An-Nûr 24:36-38]
Allah Almighty says, {And recite (O Muhammad) to them the story of him to whom We gave Our Ayât (proofs, evidence, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.), but he threw them away; so Shaitân (Satan) followed him up, and he became of those who went astray. [175]. And had We willed, We would surely have elevated him therewith but he clung to the earth and followed his own vain desire. So his parable is the parable of a dog: if you drive him away, he lolls his tongue out, or if you leave him alone, he (still) lolls his tongue out. Such is the parable of the people who reject Our Ayât (proofs, evidence, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.). So relate the stories, perhaps they may reflect.} [Surat Al-A’râf 7:175-176]
– Immediate repentance: Allah Almighty says, {“And turn in repentance and in obedience with true Faith (Islâmic Monotheism) to your Lord and submit to Him (in Islâm) before the torment comes upon you, (and) then you will not be helped. (54)“And follow the best of that which is sent down to you from your Lord (i.e. this Qur’ân, do what it orders you to do and keep away from what it forbids), before the torment comes on you suddenly while you perceive not!”(55) Lest a person should say: “Alas, my grief that I was undutiful to Allâh (i.e. I have not done what Allâh has ordered me to do), and I was indeed among those who mocked [at the truth! i.e. Lâilâhaillallâh (none has the right to be worshipped but Allâh), the Qur’ân, and Muhammad and at the faithful believers] (56) Or (lest) he should say: “If only Allâh had guided me, I should indeed have been among the Muttaqûn (the pious).”(57) Or (lest) he should say when he sees the torment: “If only I had another chance (to return to the world), then I should indeed be among the Muhsinûn (good-doers).} [SuratAz-Zummar 39:54-58]