The Devil Runs Away

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

I fall in love with Surah Maryam when I first heard a beautiful tilawah by Shaykh Abdel Baset, may Allah have mercy on him, decades ago. And ever since when I heard its first 5 letters being recited by a qari or an imam, I get very excited. So last night, at taraweeh, was one of those times. SubhanAllah. But I get more excited when the next surah, Surah Taha, was being recited. The excitement of being a Muslim--that I can go anywhere and practice Islam, that Allah gave me the courage to bring my 3 teenage boys to this blessed land of Egypt to learn His religion, that He made it possible for us to pray taraweeh with the group of people of this blessed land and listen to beautiful recitation of His Speech every night. Allahu Akbar! Perhaps the same excitement that the early Muslims felt when they were able to become public after 3 years of secret calling to Islam and persecution by the Quryash.

'Umar, Allah be pleased with him, a very well built towering figure, was one of the toughest in persecution of the Muslims. He used to torment his slave girl and lashed her with his whip. When he was tired he sat down and told the slave girl that he didn't stop because he felt sorry for her but he stopped because he was tired. The slave girl responded that it was Allah who made him stop. It was unimaginable to the Muslims at the time that he would become a Muslim.

But when he listened to the first few verses of Surah Taha, everything about him changed. When 'Umar came to Islam, Islam changed. Muslims were able to become public. Things transformed for the Muslim because of that. 'Umar was an amazing man. He was a very pure man. He didn't have an ounce of hypocrisy and that was why Islam was strengthened through 'Umar.

He was a strong personality and was clear in what he stood for. During his caliphate there was no disputes among the Muslims. He saw the truth and followed it, the reason why he was nick named al Farooq by the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace. 'Umar was clear in his thinking. There is no people, no worldliness. There is only clarity. The devil runs away from people like 'Umar. The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said that if there is going to be a prophet after him it would be 'Umar.

It is according to his tradition that some of us follow till this time--praying 20 raka'ah of taraweeh at the masjid.

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

طه (١) مَآ أَنزَلۡنَا عَلَيۡكَ ٱلۡقُرۡءَانَ لِتَشۡقَىٰٓ (٢) إِلَّا تَذۡڪِرَةً۬ لِّمَن يَخۡشَىٰ (٣) تَنزِيلاً۬ مِّمَّنۡ خَلَقَ ٱلۡأَرۡضَ وَٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ ٱلۡعُلَى (٤) ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنُ عَلَى ٱلۡعَرۡشِ ٱسۡتَوَىٰ (٥) لَهُ ۥ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَمَا بَيۡنَہُمَا وَمَا تَحۡتَ ٱلثَّرَىٰ (٦) وَإِن تَجۡهَرۡ بِٱلۡقَوۡلِ فَإِنَّهُ ۥ يَعۡلَمُ ٱلسِّرَّ وَأَخۡفَى (٧) ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ‌ۖ لَهُ ٱلۡأَسۡمَآءُ ٱلۡحُسۡنَىٰ (٨)

Ta - Ha [These letters are one of the miracles of the Qur'an, and none but Allâh (Alone) knows their meanings.] We have not sent down the Qur'an unto you to cause you distress, But only as a Reminder to those who fear (Allah). A revelation from Him (Allah) Who has created the earth and high heavens. The Most Gracious (Allah) rose over (Istawâ) the (Mighty) Throne (in a manner that suits His Majesty). To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is on the earth, and all that is between them, and all that is under the soil. And if you speak (the invocation) aloud, then verily, He knows the secret and that which is yet more hidden. Allah! La ilaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshiped but He)! To Him belong the Best Names. (Qur'an Taha 20:1-8)

May the One who changes the hearts, make our hearts steadfast on Islam. Ameen.

May Allah increases our worship in sincerity these last ten days of this blessed month and facilitates us to encounter Laylatul Qadr. Ameen.

"Whoever stands (in qiyaam) in Laylatul Qadr (and it is facilitated for him) out of faith and expectation (of Allah's reward), will have all of his previous sins forgiven." (Bukhari and Muslim).

"When the last ten started, the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, would tighten his izzar, spend the whole night awake (in prayer), and wake up his family." (Bukhari and Muslim)

And Allah knows best.

Please don't forget me and my children in your prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

Wassalaam