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

Beautiful Patience

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

We just finished Surah Yusuf last night where we prayed taraweeh. This surah is one of my favorite surahs, the surah that lifts me up in times of difficulties.

"...come, beautiful patience! And Allah (Alone) Whose help can be sought against that which you describe." 12:18

"...come, beautiful patience! Haply God will bring them all to me; He is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.' 12:83

If you need a shoulder to cry on who would be best to give you that shoulder? Follow Prophet Ya'qub, Allah grant him peace, "He said, 'I only complain of my anguish and sorrow to Allah;.." 12:86

Allah put you in whatever situation you are in. Run to Him. Show your sorrow and grief to Him only and "...Do not despair of Allah's comfort..." 12:87

May Allah makes us among the patient. Ameen. Please do not forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.

Wassalaam

Don't Give Up

بسم اللخ الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

If you undertake something for the sake of Allah and you realize that everything is from Allah, you have no worries. You keep going. There is no such thing as a dead end. There are only openings. Just don't stop and you will reach another door and another door and another door. Maybe you have to travel through many difficult terrains, but you keep going. If you give up you are sure to fail, but if you keep going, you will find a group of nice people waiting to lend their hands on your journey.

May Allah not leaves us alone even for a blink of an eye. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.

Wassalaam

What Lasts?

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate

Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

We get something going the right way then something happen--the rug is pulled from under us. People never cease to disappoint us, giving us so much problems. Why so much problems? That could be Allah is showing His love to us. He wants to teach us something.

Only He is Perfect. This life never stays the same. This world always changing. The only thing that stay and last is our works for the sake of Allah. Seize the moment because the moment is the stage on which act is performed. Seize opportunities with good works, not things. "Take advantage of five matters before five other matters: your youth, before you become old; and your health, before you fall sick; and your richness, before you become poor; and your free time before you become busy; and your life, before your death."

People who disappoint you today, tomorrow they can be your best allies or your best friends. Turn to Him, the One who alters things and changes heart. Be patient.

May Allah guide our loved ones and makes us among the patient. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. JazakAllahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Come To Pray

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

If you don't live in an environment that reminded you of Allah at least 5 times a day, an environment where the call to prayer is made live every few hours everyday, and you are there somewhere unable to hear the adhans and the iqamas, waiting in an elevator, grocery shopping, waiting in line at the ticket box office for a movie premier, waiting in the traffic jam going to work, driving your kids to school, in meeting with your boss or clients, in the gym working out, and everything seem so rush, stressful, and out of shape, how do you occupy yourself with the Most Great? All the things you see around you should occupy yourself with the Creator because they all point to Him.

For starters, set whatever technological device you have to play the adhan when the prayer time comes for Fajr, Dhuhr, 'Asr, Maghrib and 'Isha. Have it in your office, in your car and in more than one location in your house. Definitely on your cell phones, iTouch, iPod. This is more important than your amazing ringing tones, music, pictures, contacts, etc.

When the caller say "Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar," (Allah Most Great), at that moment you are reminded that everything you do is for Allah because there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, and everything is done according to the sunnah of His Messenger, Allah bless him and grant him peace. You leave everything behind and go to pray. What will you get out of this? Real success. The only success is in your prayer. Your boss, your children, your wife, your husband, your mother, your father, your family, your friends, they all are not going to be able to help you in your grave and when you are being asked in the Day of Judgment the first thing--your prayer.

Hadith: "The first thing that will be judged among a person's deeds on the Day of Resurrection is the prayer. If that is in good order, he will pass the test and prosper, and if that is defective, he will fail the test and will be a loser." (Tirmidhi)

Aisha, Allah be pleased with her, said that the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to help his family in the house but the moment the prayer came he didn't know anybody.

So of course you will come to pray. When you go to the masjid, you wait for the second call to prayer. At that moment you are reminded again of the Day of Judgment. Everybody will be called to stand before Allah. Everybody are waiting in a row. You hear people screaming. You see people crying, faces black, people being dragged to the Hellfire. Your name will be called.

"Then, when there comes As-Sakhkhah (the second blowing of the Trumpet on the Day of Resurrection) — That Day shall a man flee from his brother, And from his mother and his father, And from his wife and his children. Every man, that Day, will have enough to make him careless of others." Qur'an Abasa 80:33-37

"(Some) faces on that day shall be bright, looking to their Lord. And (other) faces on that day shall be gloomy, knowing that there will be made to befall them some great calamity." Al-Qiyaamah 75:22-25

"Verily! they see it (the torment) afar off. But We see it (quite) near. The Day that the sky will be like the boiling filth of oil, (or molten copper or silver or lead). And the mountains will be like flakes of wool. And no friend will ask a friend (about his condition), Though they shall be made to see one another [(i.e. on the Day of Resurrection), there will be none but see his father, children and relatives, but he will neither speak to them nor will ask them for any help]. The Mujrim, (criminal, sinner, disbeliever) would desire to ransom himself from the punishment of that Day by his children. And his wife and his brother, And his kindred who sheltered him, And all that are in the earth, so that it might save him. By no means! Verily, it will be the Fire of Hell! Taking away (burning completely) the head skin! Calling (all) such as turn their backs and turn away their faces (from Faith) [picking and swallowing them up from that great gathering of mankind on the Day of Resurrection just as a bird picks up a food-grain from the earth with its beak and swallows it up]. (Tafsir Al-Qurtubi). And collect (wealth) and hide it (from spending it in the Cause of Allah). Verily, man (disbeliever) was created very impatient; Irritable (discontented) when evil touches him; And niggardly when good touches him;- Except those who are devoted to Salat (prayers). Those who remain constant in their Salat (prayers); Qur'an al-Ma'arij 70:6-23

So of course you will stand before Allah now, in prayer, with sincerity and deepest gratitude for Allah has blessed you with the ability to stand before Him right now, knowing that you might not be around when the next call to prayer comes because you might already be prayed upon and on your way to your grave and all doors of repentance have been shut for you.

May Allah grant us success in this world and the next. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

How Long Can You Last?

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you have a blessed Ramadhan with full acceptance of works of righteousness.

If you think your life is difficult, think again. Just imagine how long you can last in an over 100 degrees weather wiping and cleaning people's pathways. Many of you men have jobs in nice offices, with good paying jobs. And many of you ladies have husbands to bring food to your table, to buy you nice things, to take care of your children's needs, and for some to provide for your yearly vacation. In short there is nothing to complain about but so much to be thankful about if only we reflect. But we tend to be short sighted. If we just look around us--we don't have to go very far, we don't have to see with our own eyes even, although if we open our eyes, we should see many many people around us who are in a worse situation than us. So if we are grateful for what we have, we don't complain. Instead, we are merciful to people and help those who are less fortunate.

I had to travel to the US Embassy in Cairo the other day with my son to take care of some work for him. We decided to take the bus. By mistake, we stopped a little further than where we were supposed to stop. So we had to walk quite a ways to get to the Embassy! We took the pedestrian pathways to avoid the challenge of crossing the busy roads. This added to the amount of walking we had to do. I felt a little tired after a while (because of the heat and we were fasting) but did not want to show that to my son who was walking behind me, who was quite tired as well. As we were walking, there was this very skinny old man (at least he looked very old) with a bucket of muddy water and a rag on his knees wiping the floors. I pointed that out to my son--that we should be grateful that we were not in his shoes. My son was quiet so I didn't have to say more. On the way back, we took the commuter train. As we were walking to the main bus stop from the train station, there was this very skinny old woman (at least she looked very old) with a dust pan and an old broom sweeping the floor. I pointed that out to my son and ask Allah not to test me with that! My son was very quiet.

May Allah help all the Muslims and not lay a burden on us more than we can handle and may He make us among His grateful servants. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

When I Love Him...

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

Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that Ramadhan is full of blessings for you and your families.

Somebody whose hearing, seeing, hand and foot are with Allah is not a normal person. His life is not a normal life. He might have difficulties, might have tests, might have lost his loved ones, might not have much to speak of, but he is content and pleased with Allah. This is a life of a strong person.

This is a tremendous goal--for Allah to love us. But it means practicing Islam. First you do the obligatory acts of worship, then increase with recommended acts of worship. This will lead to Allah loves you and when Allah is completely with you in everything.

On the authority of Abu Hurayrah, Allah be pleased with him, who said that the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: Allah (Mighty and Sublime be He) said:

Whosoever shows enmity to someone devoted to Me, I shall be at war with him. My servant draws not near to Me with anything more loved by Me than the religious duties I have enjoined upon him, and My servant continues to draw near to Me with supererogatory works so that I shall love him. When I love him I am his hearing with which he hears, his seeing with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes and his foot with which he walks. Were he to ask [something] of Me, I would surely give it to him, and were he to ask Me for refuge, I would surely grant him it. I do not hesitate about anything as much as I hesitate about [seizing] the soul of My faithful servant: he hates death and I hate hurting him. (related by al-Bukhari)

'O soul at peace, Return to your Lord, well-pleased (yourself) and well-pleasing (unto Him)! Enter you, then, among My (honored) slaves, And enter you My Paradise!' Qur'an al-Fajr 89:27-30

May Allah grant us righteous deeds so He loves us. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
wassalaam

Live For The Next Life

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

Dear Friends

I pray that Ramadhan has been a big blessing for you and your families. May Allah accept your prayers and fasting. Ameen.

Life will always give us people who are rough and tough to deal with. If they are not from people on the streets, at the parking lot, at work, at school or at the masjid, they are from members of our own families, people in our homes--ill-mannered wife, ill-tempered husband, difficult children, insensitive and fussy in-laws. It drives some people crazy or even make them ill!

You can never get away from these people--you left one, there come another one. Alhamdulillah, Islam gives us a wider horizon to look at; we look at the longest term. The longest term is not this life. If we deal with these people appropriately, their roughness is a reward to us. So there is no need to be angry or stress ourselves over them. We are obliged to take care of problems the best way we can but in the meantime if we deal with them well with patience and perseverance, we get ranks with Allah which are tremendous. That is what we are aiming for in this life.

This earth and this life is about trial and tribulations. This is the Will of Allah. The sooner we submit to this, the easier our lives will be on this earth--at least in our hearts we will have peace. As Muslims, we live for the next life and nothing happen to us or around us on this earth should really matters, except as an opportunity to get higher in the ranks with Allah Most High.

What is greater a trial to someone than being ordered to slaughter your only son? Prophet Ibrahim and Prophet Ismail, Allah grant them peace, submitted to this command completely.

"My Lord! Grant me (offspring) from the righteous." So We gave him the glad tidings of a forbearing boy. And, when he (his son) was old enough to walk with him, he said: "O my son! I have seen in a dream that I am slaughtering you (offer you in sacrifice to Allah), so look what you think!" He said: "O my father! Do that which you are commanded, InshaAllah (if Allah will), you shall find me of As-Sabirun (the patient)." Then, when they had both submitted themselves (to the Will of Allah), and he had laid him prostrate on his forehead (or on the side of his forehead for slaughtering); And We called out to him: "O Ibrahim! You have fulfilled the dream!" Verily! thus do We reward the Muhsinun (good-doers). Verily, that indeed was a manifest trial. And We ransomed him with a great sacrifice (a ram); And We left for him (a goodly remembrance) among the later generations. Salaamun (peace) be upon Ibrahim!" Thus indeed do We reward the Muhsinun (good-doers). Verily, he was one of Our believing slaves. Qur'an As-Saaffat 37:100-111

May Allah guide us. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Submit

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

Dear Friends

I pray that your Ramadhan has been a big blessing for you and your families.

"Whoever recites Ayatul Kursi after every prescribed prayer, nothing prevents him from entering Paradise except death." (An-Nasa'i)

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلۡحَىُّ ٱلۡقَيُّومُ‌ۚ لَا تَأۡخُذُهُ ۥ سِنَةٌ۬ وَلَا نَوۡمٌ۬‌ۚ لَّهُ ۥ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ‌ۗ مَن ذَا ٱلَّذِى يَشۡفَعُ عِندَهُ ۥۤ إِلَّا بِإِذۡنِهِۦ‌ۚ يَعۡلَمُ مَا بَيۡنَ أَيۡدِيهِمۡ وَمَا خَلۡفَهُمۡ‌ۖ وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِشَىۡءٍ۬ مِّنۡ عِلۡمِهِۦۤ إِلَّا بِمَا شَآءَ‌ۚ وَسِعَ كُرۡسِيُّهُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضَ‌ۖ وَلَا يَـُٔودُهُ ۥ حِفۡظُهُمَا‌ۚ وَهُوَ ٱلۡعَلِىُّ ٱلۡعَظِيمُ

"Allah, there is no god but He, the Living, the All-Sustaining. Slumber seizes Him not, neither sleep; to Him belongs all that is in the heavens and the earth. Who is there that shall intercede with Him save by His leave? He knows what lies before them and what is after them, and they encompass none of His knowledge save such as He wills. His Footstool comprises the heavens and earth; the preserving of them tires Him not; He is the All-High, the Tremendous." Qur'an AlBaqarah 2:255

This verse is meant for us to feel we are are nothing. So we will act like someone who is nothing, remove our pride and arrogance and submit to His Will. Your feelings or your sense of worth is meaningless. Look at where Iblis ended up because he wanted to follow his own sense against Allah's Will. If our will is aligned with the Will of Allah, we will find peace in ourselves.

May Allah guide us and grant us Tawfiq. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.

Wassalaam

It Is Righteousness...

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

Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well and Ramadhan Kareem.

When you pray and fast but if the heart is not there, you missed out on the sweetness of praying and fasting. The moment you finished your taraweeh prayer, you rushed out. To what?

Allah deserves more of your time than anyone/anything else all the time. He is the One who can expand and constrict your time. So take 20 minutes after the taraweeh and read the translation/tafsir of the section of the Qur'an recited at the night's taraweeh before you go home. It will keep you fresh and refresh and make Ramadhan and taraweeh more meaningful inshaAllah. InshaAllah you will learn more about your Creator.

Don't try to postpone this and don't think you can find the 20 minutes at home because once you are home, most likely you will not be able to get to do this -- you will find the bed or you have more familial or social duties to take care of.

From the Holy Qur'an Al-Baqarah 2:177

It is not righteousness that you turn your faces to the East and to the West, but it is righteousness - to believe in Allah, and the Last Day, and the angels, and the Book, and the Prophets, to spend of your substance out of love for Him, for your kin, for orphans, for the needy, for the wayfarer, for those who ask, and for the ransom of slaves, to be steadfast in prayer, and practice regular charity, to fulfill the contracts which you have made; and to be firm and patient, in pain (or suffering) and adversity, and throughout all periods of panic. Such are the people of truth, the God-fearing.

May Allah accept your prayer and fasting. Ameen. Please don't forget me and all the Muslims in your prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.

Wassalaam

The Path of Knowledge--cont.

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Some of you were wondering where we were the other day. In Makkah, a grocery store, a disaster area, earthquake center, ...etc?

Actually, we were in a government hospital trying to get my kids to a room for a physical checkup in order to register them for al-Azhar schools. It must be done in a government hospital and cannot at a private clinic.

I could never imagine I would see such a sight in a medical facility! SubhanAllah. It was an experience and sight that also reminded me of the many blessings that Allah has bestowed upon my family--most of all the great blessings of health and time. Those people had no option about where to spend their time except at the hospital because they needed treatment and they had to endure the additional discomfort and hardship because they are too poor to seek treatment at a private clinic, but we had an out had we decided not to proceed with what we came to this 3rd world country in the first place.

Alhamdulillah, my boys are old (and big) enough that I didn't have to actually hold their hands--they waited by themselves at the door of the "examination" room, while I observed them from a little corner away from the heavy human traffic (sometimes my boys disappeared in the crowd), until they could get themselves in the examination room a few hours later.

May you have a blessed Ramadhan with full acceptance of all works of obedience and charity. Ameen. Please make du'a for me and my children and all the Muslims. Jazakum Allahu khairan.


And Allah knows best.

Wassalaam

The Path Of Knowledge

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

Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

The terror of the Day of Judgment is beyond the scope of our limited human experience. But, Alhamdulillah, my children and I had a small glimpse of it yesterday. The place was crowded with people. The noise was unbelievable. You see some people crying and moaning, some people kept knocking at doors, some screaming and yelling, some moving fast, some pushing and impatient--children and adults alike. The place was hot! My children and I were sweating profusely. One of my children was complaining about BO (and I asked him what is BO-it stands for Body Odor. So I learned a new acronym, alhamdulillah).

I remembered 'Arafah. All I could do while waiting for my children was asking Allah to relieve those people and ease our journey. Indeed, the path of knowledge is not easy, otherwise everybody will do it, this is only the beginning, but the reward is eternal bliss by mercy of Allah--I reminded my children. Afterward, we stopped by a perfume store and I bought my sons some nice musk and they said they wanted to carry sticks following the Prophet's sunnah (Allah bless him and grant him peace), and I bought that too.

He whose good deeds are heavy on the scale pan has eternal bliss. He whose good deeds are light in the scale pan will fall into Hell's deadly embrace.

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

ٱلۡقَارِعَةُ (١) مَا ٱلۡقَارِعَةُ (٢) وَمَآ أَدۡرَٮٰكَ مَا ٱلۡقَارِعَةُ (٣) يَوۡمَ يَكُونُ ٱلنَّاسُ ڪَٱلۡفَرَاشِ ٱلۡمَبۡثُوثِ (٤) وَتَكُونُ ٱلۡجِبَالُ ڪَٱلۡعِهۡنِ ٱلۡمَنفُوشِ (٥) فَأَمَّا مَن ثَقُلَتۡ مَوَٲزِينُهُ ۥ (٦) فَهُوَ فِى عِيشَةٍ۬ رَّاضِيَةٍ۬ (٧) وَأَمَّا مَنۡ خَفَّتۡ مَوَٲزِينُهُ ۥ (٨) فَأُمُّهُ ۥ هَاوِيَةٌ۬ (٩) وَمَآ أَدۡرَٮٰكَ مَا هِيَهۡ (١٠) نَارٌ حَامِيَةُۢ (١١)

The Clatterer!
What is the Clatterer?
And what shall teach thee what is the Clatterer?
The day that men shall be like scattered moths,
and the mountains shall be like plucked wool-tufts.
Then he whose deeds weigh heavy in the Balance
shall inherit a pleasing life,
but he whose deeds weigh light in the Balance
shall plunge in the womb of the Pit.
And what shall teach thee what is the Pit?
A blazing Fire!
Qur'an Al-Qari'ah (The Catastrophe) 101:1-11

May Allah bless our lives in this world and the next and save us from the pits of Hell. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. JazakAllahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.

Wassalaam

In Preparation For The Blessed Month Of Ramadhan

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

In preparation for the blessed of Ramadhan, I would like to share with you an address from one of my respected teachers (may Allah forgive and preserve them all.) Hope it is of benefit to you and your family. At the same time, I seek your forgiveness for all my shortcomings and if I have wronged you in any way. Jazakum Allahu khairan. Wassalaam.


In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful and Compassionate
Praise is for Allah, Lord of the Worlds
May Allah bless and grant peace to our liegelord Muhammad as well as his folk and companions

Dear brothers and sisters from the nation of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him),

As we wait in eager anticipation of the noble guest who approaches, the blessed month of Ramadan in which the Quran was revealed, we undoubtedly are making physical and spiritual preparations therefore.

Among the preparations that the scholars of Islam have encouraged is preparing our hearts 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. So what will Allah see in your and my heart if He were to look to us on the first night of Ramadan?

One of the qualities that would prevent us from this blessed gaze (and from many other opportunities for forgiveness) is malice. The Prophet, May 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 can not 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 our Merciful, Forgiving Lord and also expose ourselves to an opportunity for His pardon when we need it most, by pardoning His servants. Allah said, "The one who pardons and reconciles his reward is upon Allah;" Quran (42:40). Tabarani relates that the Prophet, may 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." 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 Ramadan, Insha'Allah, and that day in which each of us will meet Allah, let us pardon one another and all of Allah's servants. I will begin with my own sinful self. 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, "We have removed what was in their breasts of rancor, brethren on couches facing one another;" Quran (15:47). I also ask anyone who I have wronged to seek their due from me and to forgive me.

“Our Lord forgives us and our brethren who preceded us in faith and do no place in our hearts ill will towards those who believe. Our Lord, indeed you are compassionate and merciful.” Quran (54:10)

And Allah alone grants tawfiq (success),
Abdul-Kareem Yahyaa

Poeple You Never Forget

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are all in high spirits of iman.

I had the opportunity to attend a few of Shaykh Ibrahim Dremali's lectures when we first moved to Southern California, the first one was on the Day of Judgment--Trip to the Hereafter. The knowledge he imparted in his unique style had a very lasting impact on me and my young children who are now teenagers. MashaAllah. When I told my children today if they remember the Shaykh who told them about the Day of Judgment--they quickly say yes. When I told them he is ill, they made du'a for him. MashaAllah.

SubhanAllah, a few weeks ago, Shaykh Ibrahim came to my mind. I remembered his cupping session during his visit at al-Ribat, San Diego, a few years ago. This was my first introduction to this Prophetic medicine. Allah bless the Prophet and grant him peace. Upon my return to Egypt, for some reason I had this desire to have the hijama (never done this before). A few days later I was visited by a group of students from al-Azhar University and I asked them if they know anyone who could perform cupping and subhanAllah, she was sitting in front of me, and I had one done on me soon thereafter!

It was reported that the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "Whoever revives a Sunnah from my Sunnah and the people practice it will have the same reward of those that practice it without their reward diminishing…"

On the authority of Abu Hurayrah, Allah be pleased with him, who said that the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: Allah (mighty and sublime be He) will say on the Day of Resurrection:

O son of Adam, I fell ill and you visited Me not. He will say: O Lord, and how should I visit You when You are the Lord of the worlds? He will say: Did you not know that My servant So-and-so had fallen ill and you visited him not? Did you not know that had you visited him you would have found Me with him? O son of Adam, I asked you for food and you fed Me not. He will say: O Lord, and how should I feed You when You are the Lord of the worlds? He will say: Did you not know that My servant So-and-so asked you for food and you fed him not? Did you not know that had you fed him you would surely have found that (the reward for doing so) with Me? O son of Adam, I asked you to give Me to drink and you gave Me not to drink. He will say: O Lord, how should I give You to drink when You are the Lord of the worlds? He will say: My servant So-and-so asked you to give him to drink and you gave him not to drink. Had you given him to drink you would have surely found that with Me. (It was related by Muslim.)

If you visit the Shaykh, please convey my and my children's salaams to the Shaykh. I don't think he remembers us but we remember him. We cannot visit him personally but inshaAllah he will always be in our du'as.

May Allah grant Shaykh Ibrahim shifa quickly and forgive him all his sins. May Allah preserve him for all of us. Ameen.

And Allah knows best.

wassalaam

Raising Children To Know Allah

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

Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

We tell our children not to waste their time. But do they really understand what not wasting time means. They don't. A lot of adults don't. If they do, we would be another best generation. We wouldn't see people having TV on 24 hours a day, surfing the internet aimlessly, listening to music, passing time on YM or FB, or sitting smoking Shisha Hookah. Instead, they would be earning a living and if they are not doing that, they would be gathering good deeds.

Most of us have curiosities. These curiosities and our desires dictate our moves. That is why you see many children (even adults) on the internet (and TV) for most of their awake time! For someone who is with Allah, his move is dictated by what Allah wants him to do at that moment, not a desire to fulfill a curiosity. Even if it is nothing haram, he would do no less than the optimal thing that he can do for Allah at that moment.

You want to raise your children so they know Allah. Because when they know Allah, they will love Allah, and when they love Allah, they will do what Allah wants them to do and it will be easy for them to do what Allah wants them to do. It is a huge challenge to raise children in this high technological era, no doubt, but you have to be strong and you have to start somewhere. That somewhere starts at removing them from these modern addictions (of course you have to use good wisdom to be effective) and you have to keep trying. If you fail the first time, the second time, the third time, keep trying. Sometimes you can be alone on this. Make du'a.

Their hearts need to be emptied of the images of created things for the knowledge of Allah to enter into their hearts. Knowledge of Allah is valuable and anything of value requires big payment, big sacrifices and hard work.

Teach your children this hadith.

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "Take advantage of five matters before five matters--you youth before you before old; and your health before you fall sick; and your riches before you become poor; your free time before you become busy; and your life before your death."

BTW, when you tell your children not to waste their time and read Qur'an instead, it might help them to understand you and your dilemma by asking them, "would you like to have parents who waste their time on the internet, watching movies, listening to music, playing video games or sitting smoking Shisha?" You will be amazed by their looks and their answers.

May Allah bless our children, our families, our teachers and all the Muslims. Ameen, Please don't forget us in your night prayers. JazakAllahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.

Wassalaam

When You Are Stuck

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

Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

You do what you can to avoid problems, But sometimes problems just come to you despite your conscious efforts to avoid them, despite all your precautions, despite all your good planning, despite all your du'as. Some problems are just there and stay there. Some problems go away and another problem takes over. Maybe tougher. You are facing it, what seems to be the most difficult situation in your life. Your are alone. You feel stuck! It pains you. How do you get out of this pain? I really don't know. But I do know that this life is a battlefield. So you fight. You fight without losing yourself. Use this situation to turn to Allah and be patient until Allah sends you victory.

Remember were it not this situation He sent you, you would not have fought and tried to overcome it. So perhaps He is testing you to see how you react to this difficult situation. So cling to Him. Cling to Him and don't let go.

May Allah not leave us alone even for a blink of an eye. Ameen. Please keep us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.

Wassalaam

Pay The Price Now

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate

Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

In probate and trust administration cases, the first thing I advised my client/executor/trustee to do is to make a careful inventory of every single item he/she could literally put his/her finger on (apart from the big ticket items like real estate, insurance, financial accounts, automobiles, etc) and not overlook anything of the estate. Why I did that? To avoid lawsuit because lawsuit cost time and money whether you are suing or being sued.

Inevitably, what we normally thought of as being insignificant can turn out to be a source of lawsuit. That includes granny's faded old piece of framed crotchet that has been hanging in her bedroom wall for 50 years or granny's recipe book with her famous apple pie recipe! Someone could have been eyeing for it for a long time and now that granny is dead, it is more precious than ever. SubhanAllah. It is not uncommon for the heirs to fight over even the littlest thing and spend their life savings going up and down the court so they can have that piece of memory.

When we love something, we become the slave of that something. We do anything for that something, even do things that seem so irrational to another person. We pay whatever price to get that something. Even if it means costing us everything we have. But very seldom we see people willing to give everything they got for knowledge of Allah, Most High, when this is the only thing that can bring them happiness in the next life and in this life before the next.

May Allah shower us with His Light. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.

Wassalaam