Taken from The Path to Guidance By Ibn Al-Qayyim Al-Jawziyyah
And who is better in speech than he who invites (men) to Allah (Islamic Monotheism), does righteous deeds and says, “I am one of the Muslims” (Surah Fussilat (41:33))
Al-Hasan al-Basree said, “This is the beloved of Allah, this is the Friend (waliyy) of Allah. He submitted to Allah, acted in obedience to Allah and called the creation to Him.”
These types of people are the most excellent of all the types of people, the highest of them in rank on the Day of Judgment in the Sight of Allah and those whom Allah has excluded from the losers (mentioned) in His saying:
By Al-Asr (the time). Verily man is in loss. Except those who believe, do righteous good deeds, and recommend one another to the truth and recommend one another to patience. (Surah al-Asr (103:1~3))
So He, free from all imperfection, swore an oath over the ruin and loss of mankind, but excepted the one who perfected himself with faith and righteous actions and who perfected others by advising them with both of these things (faith and righteous actions). This is why Imaam ash-Shaafi’ee (may Allah have mercy on him) said, “If all of mankind were to reflect upon Surah al-Asr, it would suffice them” Ibn al-Qayyim said, “And an explanation of this is that by the completion and perfection of the four levels, an individual attains the limit in his perfection. The first: Knowing the truth; the second: acting upon it; the third: teaching it to the one who is not conversant with it and the fourth: having patience in learning it, acting upon it and teaching it:
O Allah, beautify us with the adornment of eemaan, make us guides (for others), guided, not astray leading others astray, peaceful to Your close friends (awliyaa), warring with Your enemies. With Your love do we love those who love You and with Your enmity do we show enmity to those who oppose You. AMEEN
