We Hear and We Obey

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Allah is as-Sami' (the All-Hearing). His hearing covers everything. Whether you say or do something in secret or in the open, Allah hears.

Allah Almighty says,

سَوَاءٌ مِّنكُم مَّنْ أَسَرَّ الْقَوْلَ وَمَن جَهَرَ بِهِ وَمَنْ هُوَ مُسْتَخْفٍ بِاللَّيْلِ وَسَارِبٌ بِالنَّهَارِ ﴿١٠

It is the same [to Him] concerning you whether one conceals [his] speech or one publicizes it and whether one is hidden by night or conspicuous [among others] by day. (10)

[Qur'an Ra'd 13:10]

Relationship is communication and there is no relationship without communication. Our communication with Allah is to call upon Him. The slave who knows his Lord hears everything, he speaks to Him a lot. He doesn't cease talking to his Lord wherever he is.

Allah Almighty says,

وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنِّي فَإِنِّي قَرِيبٌ ۖ أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ الدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِ ۖ فَلْيَسْتَجِيبُوا لِي وَلْيُؤْمِنُوا بِي لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْشُدُونَ ﴿
١٨٦

And when My servants ask you, [O Muhammad], concerning Me - indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me [by obedience] and believe in Me that they may be [rightly] guided. (186)

[Qur'an Al-Baqarah 2:186]

"Verily, Allah gives respite until when the first third of the night departs, He descends to the lowest heaven and says, "Is there a seeker of forgiveness? Is there a repenter? Is there an asker? Is there a caller? until the break of the dawn." [Related by Muslim]

This is your Lord, the All-Hearing. He created you to speak to Him. He created your lips to speak to Him. And everyday He asks, is there anyone asking, so He may answer.

So ask Allah for everything. Even when you tie a shoelace, ask Him to help you to tie the other shoelace. This is the way of the knower of Allah. They ask Allah for everything because they know He hears them and they know He is the All-Powerful and they are the all needy. This knowledge pushed them to talk to Allah a lot and to ask Allah a lot.

Allah knows when we have been wronged, mistreated or oppressed. Our knowledge of the All-Hearing gives us strength. We know that we don't have to file a complaint with someone because the One who we want to complain to knows what is happening. We don't worry about revenge and defending ourselves because Allah sees and hears those who are wronging us. It suffices ourselves with Allah.

Allah hears us when we call upon Him. So we too must hear when He orders us. Allah gives us hearing to hear His address and to hasten to His worship. The hearing that we have is the hearing of obedience to Allah, not the hearing of sound waves.

The fact that Allah gives us hearing should push us to be people of hearing, who hear Allah in everything. When they hear the bird chirping, it is not merely a chirping of the bird, they realize Allah is the Creator and He suffices them.

Don't be like the people who say they hear but they act deaf and dumb. The people who benefited from their hearing are those who say, "we hear and we obey." These are the people of iman, of ihsan, and of submission.

آمَنَ الرَّسُولُ بِمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْهِ مِن رَّبِّهِ وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ ۚ كُلٌّ آمَنَ بِاللَّـهِ وَمَلَائِكَتِهِ وَكُتُبِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ لَا نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍ مِّن رُّسُلِهِ ۚ وَقَالُوا سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا ۖ غُفْرَانَكَ رَبَّنَا وَإِلَيْكَ الْمَصِيرُ ﴿٢٨٥

The Messenger has believed in what was revealed to him from his Lord, and [so have] the believers. All of them have believed in Allah and His angels and His books and His messengers, [saying], "We make no distinction between any of His messengers." And they say, "We hear and we obey. [We seek] Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the [final] destination." (285)

[Qur'an Al-Baqarah 2:285]

May Allah bring us close to Him and make us among those who hear and obey Him. Ameen.

Please keep us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Making Up a Lost Opportunity

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Half of the year has just passed us. Whether we had fun or not, those were precious moments that we cannot bring back. If you have filled them with good works, it is good for you, but if you have used it to chase after this world, it is your lost opportunity--opportunity to draw closer to the Master. And if you are trampling over others to get there, and if you harbor rancor, indeed it is a great loss.

We don't know when our end is going to be. So always be prepared. Avoid doing anything that could harm others (guard your tongue and be extra careful when you speak) and always look to fulfill your obligations towards others; give people their due rights and not demand your rights. Don't busy yourself with this life. Know that the basket is always full and will remain full with things to do until the day you die. So, prioritize. Busy your life with what will benefit you the most in the next life. For each moment, strive to do the optimal. Optimal varies for each individual and each situation, and what is optimal for a particular moment does not necessarily mean direct worship. It can be taking medicine at that moment when you are ill or helping a neighbor find her lost kitten.

The blessed month of Ramadhan is just around the corner (starting on July 9 or 10 based on some calculation) and this month of Sha'ban is our opportunity to make physical and spiritual preparations. If we have not done so or fall short, it is not too late yet. We have a few Sha'ban days left.

We can prepare for Allah's gaze.

Baihaqi relates, “When it is the first night of the month of Ramadan, Allah, Mighty and Majestic, gazes to them and the one to whom Allah looks, He does not punish him, ever.”

The place to which Allah looks is the heart.

Allah Almighty says,

يَوْمَ لَا يَنفَعُ مَالٌ وَلَا بَنُونَ ﴿٨٨﴾ إِلَّا مَنْ أَتَى اللَّـهَ بِقَلْبٍ سَلِيمٍ

The Day when there will not benefit [anyone] wealth or children (88) But only one who comes to Allah with a sound heart.

[Qur'an Ash-Shu'ara 26:88-89]

Narrated by Abu Hurayra, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

Verily Allah does not look to your bodies nor to your faces but He looks to your hearts."
And he pointed towards the heart with his fingers.

[Sahih Muslim]

So what will Allah see in our hearts if He were to look to us on the first night of Ramadhan?

One of the qualities that would prevent us from this blessed gaze (and from many other opportunities for forgiveness) is malice.

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, taught us of the Night of Power and the Half Night of Sha’ban that those who harbor rancor, mistreat parents, severe bonds of kinship or drink are prevented from Allah’s merciful gaze. Do we want Allah to look to His servants on the first night of Ramadan and overlook us because we are bearing ill will against each other? Is whatever anyone has done to hurt us so important that we cannot overlook it in exchange for an opportunity for eternal salvation from Allah's punishment? What about all of those whom we have wronged? Do we not need Allah's pardon as well as theirs?

We can purify our hearts in preparation for this gaze from the Merciful, Forgiving Lord and also expose ourselves to an opportunity for His pardon when we need it most, by pardoning His servants.

Allah Almighty says,

وَجَزَاءُ سَيِّئَةٍ سَيِّئَةٌ مِّثْلُهَا ۖ فَمَنْ عَفَا وَأَصْلَحَ فَأَجْرُهُ عَلَى اللَّـهِ ۚ إِنَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ الظَّالِمِينَ ﴿٤٠

And the retribution for an evil act is an evil one like it, but whoever pardons and makes reconciliation - his reward is [due] from Allah. Indeed, He does not like wrongdoers. (40)

[Quran Ash-Ashura 42:40].

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said,
A caller will call [on the Day of Rising], ‘Let him stand whose reward is upon Allah and let him enter

paradise’ Then he will call a second time, ‘Let him stand whose reward is upon Allah and let him enter paradise’ It will be said, ‘Who is the one whose reward is upon Allah, Mighty and Majestic?’ He will say, ‘Those who pardon people.’ Then he will call a third time, ‘Let him stand whose reward is upon Allah and let him enter paradise.’ Then so and so many thousand will stand and enter paradise without reckoning.

[Tabarani]

Imagine being among that fortunate group and having all of our many sins forgiven and receiving our reward directly from Allah.

In preparation for the blessed first night of Ramadhan, let us pardon one another and all of Allah's servants.

O Allah, if any of Your slaves have transgressed the rights You have prescribed to me, they are excused. I ask you to grant them and me Paradise, and that You make us among its dwellers whom You have described in Your saying, "And We will remove whatever is in their breasts of resentment, [so they will be] brothers, on thrones facing each other. (47)" [Quran Al-Hijr 15:47].

I ask anyone who I have wronged to seek their due from me and forgive me.

رَبَّنَا اغْفِرْ لَنَا وَلِإِخْوَانِنَا الَّذِينَ سَبَقُونَا بِالْإِيمَانِ وَلَا تَجْعَلْ فِي قُلُوبِنَا غِلًّا لِّلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا رَبَّنَا إِنَّكَ رَءُوفٌ رَّحِيمٌ

Our Lord, forgive us and our brothers who preceded us in faith and put not in our hearts [any] resentment toward those who have believed. Our Lord, indeed You are Kind and Merciful. [Quran Al-Hashr 59:10]

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Related archives:
What to do before this Ramadhan
Welcoming Sha'ban

As Egypt Turns

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

As Egyptians are turning towards the upcoming mass nationwide protests against President Morsi and people are gripping with fear once again, we have to remind ourselves and those close to us and next to us the purpose of our creation. Allah created us only to serve Him, the True King. He does not need us but we need Him. We need His mercy. We need His compassion.

This month is one of the meritorious month in which we should be spending our time preparing ourselves for the arrival of the noble month of Ramadhan. How do we do that? By fasting and be good to one another.

Ummul Mu'mineen Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, said, "Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and grant him peace) used to fast the whole of Sha`ban. I said to him, 'Messenger of Allah, is Sha`ban your favorite month for fasting?' He said, 'In this month Allah prescribes the list of the persons dying this year. Therefore, I like that my death comes when I am in a state of fasting.’"

Don't be part of violence because Hell is definitely not a fun place. Hell is a place of pain and misery. Hell is the punishment of the arrogant and wrongdoers.

Don't forget our beginning. We were created from a fluid held despicable (Surah al-Mursalat 77:20) We are nobody no matter how great people think we are. Every beginning has an ending.

Don't forget this life is fleeting. This world is not worth it. Don't go about causing problems for people just because you are not satisfied with the way things are. The punishment in the grave, Paradise and Hell are all real.

Be conscious of Who is looking at you. Be to Him as He wants you to be.

There was a king who had a slave who he liked very much. And people asked him why? He was neither more handsome nor valuable in the marketplace. The king rode through the desert and when he passed by a mountain, he moved his head. That slave lowered his head and ran off with his horse before the king even looked at him. No one in the group knew what was going on. Just a short time later, he returned and had some snow with him. How did he know the king wanted snow? Because the king looked at the mountain. When kings look at something they always look at it for a reason. The king answered the people. "I draw him near to me and I prefer him to you because you guys are busy with yourself and he is busy in observing my states. What I am looking for."

May Allah guide the Ummah and grant peace to Egypt and make it a safe place for us to seek knowledge. Ameen.

Please make du'a for Egypt and don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Related Archives
Welcoming Sha'ban

What To Do Before This Ramadhan

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Ramadhan is fast approaching. So is our remaining time on this earth is fast coming to an end. May Allah enable us to reach Ramadhan so we may worship Him more on this earth.

Abu Hurayra, may Allah be pleased with him, who reported that the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said,

Be scrupulous, and you'll be the most worshipful of people.

[Ibn Majah, Baihaqi]

One cannot realize the full significance of scrupulousness (wara’) unless one recognizes that ten things are strictly incumbent upon one.

Take one or two obligations a day, strive to be conscious of them throughout the day and work on improving on them each day of the remaining Sha'ban and maintain it throughout Ramadhan.

1. Guard against using the tongue for backbiting (ghiba), because He has said (Exalted is He): And do not backbite one another. (Qur'an 49:12)

2. Avoid the tendency to harbor sinister suspicions (su’ adh-dhann), since He has said (Exalted is He): O you who believe, you must avoid a great deal of suspicion, for some suspicion is a sin. (Qur'an 49:12)
And the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said: Beware of suspicion, for it is the most misleading source of information (akdhab al-hadith).

3. Steer well clear of mockery and ridicule (sukhriyya), because He has told us (Exalted is He): O you who believe, one group of people should not scoff at another group of people, who may be better than they. (Qur'an 49:11)

4. Lower one’s eyes in the presence of things that should be treated as sacred (maharim), because He has told us (Exalted is He): And tell the believing men to keep their eyes downcast (and to guard their private parts). (Qur'an 24:30)

5. Be true to one’s word, because He has told us (Exalted is He): And if you give your word, you must act fairly. (Qur'an 6:152)
That is, you must prove that you really mean what you say.

6. Acknowledge one’s dependence on the gracious favor of Allah (Exalted is He), as a precaution against self-centered conceit, since He has told us (Exalted is He): It is rather that Allah is treating you with gracious favor, inasmuch as He has guided you to faith. (Qur'an 49:17)

7. Spend one’s wealth on that which has true value (haqq), and not to spend it on that which is quite worthless (batil), because He has told us (Exalted is He): And (among His faithful servants are) those who, when they spend, are neither prodigal nor parsimonious. (Qur'an 25:67)
In other words, they neither spend their wealth on sinful disobedience, nor withhold it from the support of worshipful obedience.

8. Don't go seeking high-and-mighty status and prestige for the sake of self-aggrandizement, because He has told us (Exalted is He): As for that Ultimate Abode, We shall assign it to those who are neither intent on high-and-mighty status on earth, nor on corruption. (Qur'an 28:83)

9. Observe the five ritual prayers at the times prescribed for them each day, following the correct sequence of bowing (ruku’) and prostration (sujud), because He has told us (Exalted is He): Be careful to observe your prayers, and (especially) the middle prayer, and stand obedient to Allah. (Qur'an 2:238)

10. Stick to the course prescribed by the Sunna (exemplary precedent set by Allah’s Messenger, Allah bless him and give him peace) and the Jama’a (common practice agreed upon by the Companions of the Prophet, [Allah bless him and give him peace] during the time of the rightly guided Caliphs, Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, ‘Uthman and ‘Ali, [may Allah be well pleased with them all]) , since He has told us (Exalted is He): And this path of Mine is straight, so follow it. Do no follow other paths, lest you be separated from His path. (Qur'an 6:154)

-- [Shaikh 'Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani, Sufficient Provision for the Seekers of the Path of Truth (Al-Ghunya li-Talibi Tariq al-Haqq)

Allah alone gives success. May Allah help us remove our blameworthy traits and grant us tawfiq. Ameen.

Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam


Related Archives:
Welcoming Sha'ban
Scrupulousness

Scrupulousness (Wara')

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Abu Hurayra, may Allah be pleased with him, who reported that the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said,

Be scrupulous, and you'll be the most worshipful of people.

[Ibn Majah, Baihaqi]

The slaves are prevented from coming to Allah by attractions to other than Allah. Whenever their hearts desire to travel to Allah, that attachment pulls them to what they are attached to and they think of returning to it and turning to it.

Humbly entreat Allah and do not entreat people
Be content with might
Might lies in despair
Be independent of need of every relative and kin
The wealthy one is the one who is free of need of people.

Allah Almighty says,

يَوْمَ لَا يَنفَعُ مَالٌ وَلَا بَنُونَ ﴿٨٨﴾ إِلَّا مَنْ أَتَى اللَّـهَ بِقَلْبٍ سَلِيمٍ ﴿٨٩

The Day when there will not benefit [anyone] wealth or children (88) But only one who comes to Allah with a sound heart. (89)

[Qur'an Ash-Shu'ara 26:88-89]

A sound heart is one which is not attached to anything except Allah.

Scrupulousness is to completely remove aspirations from others. It results in sound certainty, perfect attachment to the Lord of the worlds, the existence of trust in Him, aspirations being devoted to Him, and the tranquillity of the heart in Him so that he does not rely on anything other than Him.

This is the scrupulousness which is opposed corrupting greed, and through it every action of devotion and fortunate state is sound. Scrupulousness produces might and freedom. Illusion produces greed and greed produces abasement and slavedom. Love of things and desire for them is the cause of abasement, humiliation and slavedom to other beings. Despairing of things and not having any aspirations from them is the reason for might, freedom and pride over peers.

A pious predecessor once said,

I saw that contentment is the capital of wealth
and so I clung to its coat-tails.
So its might invested me in a robe of honor
which was not rent over the passage of time.
So I become wealthy without dirhams,
proud above people as a king is proud.

Scrupulousness is the greatest wealth and the master elixir of all elixirs.

A great imam said, "Know that the scrupulousness of the elite is only understood by a few. Part of their scrupulousness is their scrupulousness in not relying on other than Allah, inclining with love to other than Him, or their desires extending to other than His favor and good. Part of their scrupulousness is their scrupulousness in not having fear about means and secondary causes and stripping away equals and lords. Part of their scrupulousness is scrupulousness in not stopping with customs and relying on acts of obedience and not depending on the lights of manifestations. Part of their scrupulousness is their scrupulousness in not allowing this world to tempt them or settling for the next world. They are scrupulous regarding this world out of faithfulness and regarding the next world out of purity."

"Abu'l-Hasan Ash-Shadhili said, 'Scrupulousness is the best path for the one who wants to hasten his inheritance and sublime reward. Scrupulousness leads them to taking from Allah and by Allah and speaking by Allah and acting for Allah and by Allah with the clear evidence and piercing insight. So in all their moments and states they do not manage, choose, desire, or reflect, look, speak, strike, walk or move except by Allah and for Allah since they know that knowledge will compel them to the reality of the matter. So they are gathered in the source of gatheredness and do not separate in what is higher nor what is lower. As for the lowest of the low, their scrupulousness regarding it is a reward for their scrupulousness in being careful to not contend with the Shari'a. Anyone who inherits nothing from his knowledge or actions is veiled by this world or subject to a false claim. His inheritance is to exalt his character and be proud towards his peers and to direct to Allah by his knowledge. This is the 'clear loss'. We seek refuge with Allah Almighty from that! Those who are clever are scrupulous regarding this scrupulousness and they seek refuge with Allah from it. Whoever is not provided by his knowledge and action with need of his Lord, abasement of himself and humility towards His creation is destroyed. Glory be to the One who cuts off many of the righteous by their righteousness from their benefit, as He cuts off many of the corrupters by their corruption from the One who brought them into existence. So seek refuge with Allah, He is the All-Hearing, All-Seeing.'

May Allah adorn us with the robe of honor and scrupulousness. Ameen.

Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam