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

Greed or Despair

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, came to Basra and entered a mosque and found story-tellers telling stories. He made them get up until he came to al-Hasan al-Basri, may Allah be pleased with him. He said, "Lad, I will ask you about something, If you answer it, I will let you stay. Otherwise I will remove you as I removed your companions." He saw that he possessed proper behaviour and guidance. Al-Hasan replied, "Ask whatever you wish." He asked, "What is the basic foundation of the deen?" "Scrupulousness," he replied. He asked, "What is the corruption of the deen?" "Greed," he replied. He said, "Sit. Someone like you can speak to people."

Greed is the root of abasement because a greedy person leaves a mighty Lord to attach himself to a lowly slave and so he becomes low like him. He leaves a Noble Lord to attach himself to a poor slave and so he becomes poor like him.

Part of the religion of Prophet Ibrahim alayhissalaam is to oppose all that distracts a person from Allah and to direct the himma (special spiritual aspirations) with love to Allah.

If one attaches one's himma to the world, one achieves riches and position; if one attaches it to worship, one achieves stations and inspirations; and if it belongs to God, all praise be to Him, all attachments fall away and the aspiration becomes one.

When Prophet Ibrahim alayhissalaam was shot out of the catapult, the angel Jibril, peace be upon him, came to Ibrahim and asked, 'Do you have a need?' He replied, 'As for you, no. As for Allah, yes.' He said, 'Then ask Him.' He said, 'His knowledge of my state spares me asking.' Look at how Ibrahim removed his aspiration from creation and directed it to the True King. He did not ask Jibril for help nor take the opportunity to ask Allah. He saw that Allah was nearer to Him than Jibril and from his request. That is why Allah saved him from Nimrod and his punishment, and blessed him with His gift and bounty and singled him out for His acceptance.

Shaykh Abu'l-Hasan ash-Shadhili said, "A man kept my company and was burdensome for me. I was frank with him and he was delighted. I said, 'My son, ask what you need and then do not keep my company.' He said, 'Sir, I am told that you know alchemy and so I kept your company to learn from you.' I said to him, 'You spoke the truth and whoever told you spoke the truth, but I suspect that you will not accept.' He replied, 'But I will accept!' I said, 'I have studied creatures and found them to fall into two categories: enemies and lovers. I looked at the enemies and knew that they would not be able to even pierce me with a thorn if Allah did not will that for me. So I ceased to look at them. Then I attached myself to the lovers and I saw that they could not help me with anything which Allah had not willed for me and so I completely despaired of them and attached myself to Allah. I was told, 'You will not reach the reality of this matter until you completely despair of Us as you despaired of other than Us, as We will only give you what was written for you before time.'"

If you desire direction to the Rich, it lies in despair.

You will not reach the reality of this matter until you stop hoping for things that Allah has not allotted for you as you have stopped hoping from others things that they cannot give. You will only get the things that you desire if Allah had willed that for you, so don't hope from Allah something which He has not Willed for you.

A poet once said,

Desires refuse to smash me
I am a slippery slope for them
A slave is free as long as he does not obey desire
The free man is a slave whenever he obeys desire.

May Allah free us from the bondage of greed and adorn us in the robe of scrupulousness. Ameen.

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

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

By Allah and For Allah

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

When Allah created Adam and ordered Iblis and Angels to bow to Adam, the Angels bowed to Adam but Iblis didn't. Iblis made a mistake and he sinned. After that Allah put Adam in Paradise and said not to eat from a particular tree but Adam ate from the tree. Adam made a mistake. How did Adam and Iblis responded to their respective mistakes?

Adam said to Allah "Our Lord! We have wronged ourselves. If You forgive us not, and bestow not upon us Your Mercy, we shall certainly be of the losers." He sought forgiveness. He looked at the fact that he chose to do what he did. But Iblis blamed Allah for his mistake and said "You (Allah) misled me. He looked at the fact that Allah created his action.

The outcome were different. Allah forgave Adam and chose him for his mission on earth. Adam was sent down to earth in honor. But Allah cursed Iblis and he was sentenced to eternity to Hell. Iblis was sent down to earth as a trial for us till the Day of Judgment.

So, what should be our manners when we make a mistake? We should look at ourselves. This is the way of the Prophets. If we do that, what comes out of it is repentance. Repentance is beloved to Allah. But if we do a good thing, we don't look at ourselves. We look at Allah who created it. What comes out of it is gratitude, humility and fear. You are grateful for your prayer, for example; you are humble before Allah because you won't be able to do it without Him, and you are afraid that He does not help you to perform the next prayer. If we look at yourself for the good deed, pride, arrogance or feeling invincible can result.

With the people who understand the meaning of la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah (there is no strength nor power except by Allah,) it does not diminish joy if an error appears from them nor does it increase if an act of obedience appears from them because they are by Allah and for Allah.

Don't be overjoyed at obedience because it has issued from you.
Rejoice in it because it has come from Allah to you.
Say: It is the favor of Allah and His mercy that should be the cause of their rejoicing.
That is better than anything they accumulate. ... ibn 'Ata'llah

May Allah rid us of pride and arrogance and make us among His best servants. Ameen.

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

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

When Knowledge is Gone

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Fitan (trials) come naturally when knowledge is gone, and greed appears. When ignorance sets in, things spin out of control. People do crazy things. Violence emerges. Oppression becomes a common thing.

One day the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, asked his companions, "Do you see what I see?" They replied, "No". He said, "Verily I see fitan falling on your homes like rain."

Fitan will continue to surge like the waves of the ocean.

How do we prepare ourselves from the fitan? Remember Allah much, be an agent of good, rush to do good, remain steadfast, recite the Qur'an, smile at somebody, have a good family and learn religious knowledge. You don't sell your religion for the comfort and a piece of the world. You don't take off your hijab or shave your beard.

The point of learning religion is to increase in faith and become a strong believer.

As long as you are on the right side, remain steadfast and holding on to the ropes of Islam, you will be fine, inshaAllah.

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

Before you there will be commotions like pieces of a dark night in which a man will be a believer in the morning and an disbeliever in the evening. He who sits during them will be better than he who gets up, and he who gets up during them is better than he who walks, and he who walks during them is better than he who runs. They (the people) said: What do you order us to do? He replied: Keep to your houses.

Even if you are swept by the tide, you don't be part of the violence. Shut your doors. The fourth righteous Caliph of the believers, Uthman ibn Affan, may Allah be pleased with him, followed this advice. He was assassinated in his home while reciting Qur'an. His blood fell on the mushaf (hardcopy of the Qur'an). He passed his test. Will we?

May Allah protect us from fitans and increase our Iman and make us die in Iman. Ameen.

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

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

A Corpse

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

A sign of the death of the heart:
lack of sadness about beneficial actions you have missed,
and lack of regret about your mistakes. ...Ibn 'Ata'illah

The dead heart does not feel anything. It is the same to it where it obeys or disobeys. It does not rejoice in obedience and harmony nor is it sad for a mistake or disobedience, as is the business of the physical corpse.

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said,

Whoever is delighted by his good actions and grieved by his evil actions is a believer.

Abdullah ibn Mas'ud said,

The believer sees his wrong actions as if they were the foot of a mountain which he fears will fall on him. The impious sees his wrong actions as flies which land on his nose and he says, 'Like that," and swats them away.

May Allah fill our hearts with His Light. Ameen.

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

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Your First Step

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 make intense supplication
and the timing of the answer is delayed,
do not despair of it.
His reply to you is guaranteed;
but in the way He chooses,
not the way you choose,
and at the moment He desires,
not the moment you desire. ... Hikam Ibn 'Ata'llah

Ask Allah for your needs. Allah is the One who fulfills our needs. So, make the whole relationship between you and Allah. If Allah wants you to do something, you do it. Don't worry about people. People cannot add or subtract to anything. So, you put people in the background and you deal with everybody through Allah.

On the authority of Abdullah bin Abbas, Allah be pleased with both father and son, who said,

One day I was behind the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, and he said to me: "Young man, I shall teach you some words [of advice]: Be mindful of Allah, and Allah will protect you. Be mindful of Allah, and you will find Him in front of you. If you ask, ask of Allah; if you seek help, seek help of Allah. Know that if the Nation were to gather together to benefit you with anything, it would benefit you only with something that Allah had already prescribed for you, and that if they gather together to harm you with anything, they would harm you only with something Allah had already prescribed for you. The pens have been lifted and the pages have dried.

[Tirmidhi]

You make your first step towards Allah and then you turn to people. Asking people is just a means because Allah want you to do that. People cannot change a matter that is coming to you. So don't change what you are doing on account of people don't like it. This takes courage and patience. This courage and patience are fruits of your faith and trust in Allah.

Allah Almighty says,

إِن يَنصُرْكُمُ اللَّـهُ فَلَا غَالِبَ لَكُمْ ۖ وَإِن يَخْذُلْكُمْ فَمَن ذَا الَّذِي يَنصُرُكُم مِّن بَعْدِهِ ۗ وَعَلَى اللَّـهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ ﴿١٦٠

If Allah should aid you, no one can overcome you; but if He should forsake you, who is there that can aid you after Him? And upon Allah let the believers rely. (160)

[Qur'an AleImran 3:160]

May Allah grant us patience and steadfastness. Ameen.

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

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Choose Your Friends Carefully

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

If someone's state does not lift you up,
and his words do not lead you to Allah
- then do not keep his company!

... Hikam of ibn 'Ata'llah

The one whose state lifts you up is someone who is such that, when you see him, you remember Allah. If you see him when you are in a state of heedlessness, he lifts you to a state of wakefulness. If you see him when you are in a state of desire, he raises you to a state of asceticism. If you see him when you are in a state of occupation with disobedience, he raises you to a state of repentance. If you are in a state of ignorance of your Lord, he raises you to recognition of your Lord, and so forth.

The one whose words guide you to Allah is the one who speaks by Allah. He directs you to Allah and withdraws from other than Him. When he speaks, he takes all the hearts, and when he is silent, his state raises you to the Knower of the Unseen worlds. So his state confirms his words and his words are in harmony with his knowledge. The company of someone like this is an elixir which transforms the sources. This is understood from the words of the Shaykh, "If someone's state does not life you up, then do not keep his company." Keep the company of the one whose state will lift you up and whose words will lead you to Allah.

...ibn Ajiba's commentary

You love someone because you feel they are close to Allah. Their closeness to Allah wins your love for them. It is a very virtuous deed indeed when you love someone for Allah. Through it you get the sweetness of faith. You feel content and your heart is tranquil. The heart moves with Allah. The sign that you love someone for Allah is that you can leave that someone when he/she is distant from Allah. People who are distant from Allah, you have an aversion of them. You don't want to be their best friend.

Choose your friends carefully. You will be like them. These are the people that can bring you closer to Allah or away from Allah.

It is good to love the believers because this is your means of success in the Day of Judgment.

When you see righteousness in your friends, it is good to say "I love you."

May Allah grant us righteous companions and grant us the sweetness of faith. Ameen.

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

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Seeking Closeness With Allah

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

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]

When Allah says, "Indeed, I am near," it is not just a slogan. He is telling us something and if we don't find Him near, then we should seek closeness with Him.

This world is a traveling place and our destination is Allah. The very best provision for seeking Allah is piety.

لَّيْسَ الْبِرَّ أَن تُوَلُّوا وُجُوهَكُمْ قِبَلَ الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ وَلَـٰكِنَّ الْبِرَّ مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللَّـهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَالْمَلَائِكَةِ وَالْكِتَابِ وَالنَّبِيِّينَ وَآتَى الْمَالَ عَلَىٰ حُبِّهِ ذَوِي الْقُرْبَىٰ وَالْيَتَامَىٰ وَالْمَسَاكِينَ وَابْنَ السَّبِيلِ وَالسَّائِلِينَ وَفِي الرِّقَابِ وَأَقَامَ الصَّلَاةَ وَآتَى الزَّكَاةَ وَالْمُوفُونَ بِعَهْدِهِمْ إِذَا عَاهَدُوا ۖ وَالصَّابِرِينَ فِي الْبَأْسَاءِ وَالضَّرَّاءِ وَحِينَ الْبَأْسِ ۗ أُولَـٰئِكَ الَّذِينَ صَدَقُوا ۖ وَأُولَـٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُتَّقُونَ ﴿١٧٧

It is not piety, that you turn your faces to the East and to the West. True piety is this: to believe in God, and the Last Day, the angels, the Book, and the Prophets, to give of one's substance, however cherished, to kinsmen, and orphans, the needy, the traveller, beggars, and to ransom the slave, to perform the prayer, to pay the alms. And they who fulfil their covenant when they have engaged in a covenant, and endure with fortitude misfortune, hardship and peril, these are they who are true in their faith, these are the truly godfearing. (177

[Qur'an Al-Baqarah 2:177]

Some signs of piety

1. Guarding the tongue from backbiting and shunning suspicion.

O you who have believed, avoid much [negative] assumption. Indeed, some assumption is sin. And do not spy or backbite each other. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his brother when dead? You would detest it. And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is Accepting of repentance and Merciful.

(Qur'an Al-Hujurat 49:12)

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

Avoid suspicion, for airing suspicion is the most lying form of speech.

[Musnad Ahmad]

2. Shunning mockery

O you who have believed, let not a people ridicule [another] people; perhaps they may be better than them; nor let women ridicule [other] women; perhaps they may be better than them. And do not insult one another and do not call each other by [offensive] nicknames. Wretched is the name of disobedience after [one's] faith. And whoever does not repent - then it is those who are the wrongdoers. (11)

[Qur'an Al-Hujurat 49:11]

3. Lowering the gaze and guarding private parts (one's chastity)

Tell the believing men to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts. That is purer for them. Indeed, Allah is Acquainted with what they do. (30) And tell the believing women to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts and not expose their adornment except that which [necessarily] appears thereof and to wrap [a portion of] their headcovers over their chests and not expose their adornment except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands' fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers, their brothers' sons, their sisters' sons, their women, that which their right hands possess, or those male attendants having no physical desire, or children who are not yet aware of the private aspects of women. And let them not stamp their feet to make known what they conceal of their adornment. And turn to Allah in repentance, all of you, O believers, that you might succeed. (31)

[Qur'an An-Nur 24:30-31]

And do not approach unlawful sexual intercourse. Indeed, it is ever an immorality and is evil as a way. (32)

[Qur'an Al-Isra' 17:32]

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said,

The eyes commit zinaa (fornication) and their zinaa is looking… The heart ardently desires and awaits, and the private parts either confirm it or deny it.

[Bukhari and Muslim]

4. Truthfulness of the tongue

And when you testify, be just, even if [it concerns] a near relative. And the covenant of Allah fulfill. This has He instructed you that you may remember. (152)

[Qur'an Al-An'am 6:152]

5. Recognizing the blessings of Allah Most High to avoid conceitedness

They consider it a favor to you that they have accepted Islam. Say, "Do not consider your Islam a favor to me. Rather, Allah has conferred favor upon you that He has guided you to the faith, if you should be truthful." (17)

[Qur'an Al-Hujurat 49:17]

6. Spending one’s wealth and blessings on good

And [they are] those who, when they spend, do so not excessively or sparingly but are ever, between that, [justly] moderate (67)

[Qur'an Al-Furqan 25:67]

7. Not being wasteful

And He it is who causes gardens to grow, [both] trellised and untrellised, and palm trees and crops of different [kinds of] food and olives and pomegranates, similar and dissimilar. Eat of [each of] its fruit when it yields and give its due [zakah] on the day of its harvest. And be not excessive. Indeed, He does not like those who commit excess. (141)

[Qur'an Al-An'am 6:141]

8. Not seeking haughtiness and pride for oneself

That home of the Hereafter We assign to those who do not desire exaltedness upon the earth or corruption. And the [best] outcome is for the righteous. (83) Whoever comes [on the Day of Judgement] with a good deed will have better than it; and whoever comes with an evil deed - then those who did evil deeds will not be recompensed except [as much as] what they used to do. (84)

[Qur'an Al-Qasas 28:83-84]

9. Maintaining with care the obligatory prayers and praying on time.

Maintain with care the [obligatory] prayers and [in particular] the middle prayer and stand before Allah, devoutly obedient. (238)

[Qur'an Al-Baqarah 2:238]

10. Steadfastness upon the way of Sunnah and Jama'ah

And, [moreover], this is My path, which is straight, so follow it; and do not follow [other] ways, for you will be separated from His way. This has He instructed you that you may become righteous. (153)

[Qur'an al-An'am 6:153]

May Allah grant us piety and steadfastness and bring us closer to Him. Ameen.

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

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Invitation to the Home of Peace

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

This much every Muslim knows that Paradise is a place of bliss beyond human imagination. Allah invites all of us to Paradise. The people of Paradise will be blessed with more -- seeing the true Lord. This is far superior to whatever blessings there are. Why would you not accept His invitation?

ٱللَّـهُ يَدْعُوٓا۟ إِلَىٰ دَارِ ٱلسَّلَـٰمِ وَيَهْدِى مَن يَشَآءُ إِلَىٰ صِرَٰطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ ﴿٢٥
لِّلَّذِينَ أَحْسَنُوا۟ ٱلْحُسْنَىٰ وَزِيَادَةٌ ۖ وَلَا يَرْهَقُ وُجُوهَهُمْ قَتَرٌ وَلَا ذِلَّةٌ ۚ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ أَصْحَـٰبُ ٱلْجَنَّةِ ۖ هُمْ فِيهَا خَـٰلِدُونَ ﴿٢٦

And Allah invites to the Home of Peace and guides whom He wills to a straight path (25). For them who have done good is the best [reward] and extra. No darkness will cover their faces, nor humiliation. Those are companions of Paradise; they will abide therein eternally (26)

[Qur'an Yunus 10:25-26]

The Prophet ﷺ said:

When the people of Paradise enter it, Allah the Exalted will say: Would you like anything more? They will say: Have you not brightened our faces? Have you not entered us into Paradise and saved us from the Hellfire? The Prophet continued, "Allah will lift the veil and among the bounties given to them, nothing would be more beloved than looking at their Lord the Exalted.” Then he recited the verse, “For those who do good is more…” (10:26)

[Muslim]

Yahya ibn Mu'adh Al-Razi has given some man-to-man advice to whomsoever it may reach:

0 son of Adam! Allah Almighty invited you to the Home of Peace (Daru's-Salam). When and from which country would you take that right step in response to this Divine call? Understand, and mark it well. If you have started making efforts to say yes to this invitation (from your Lord) while you are still here in this world, you will succeed. You will reach the Home of Peace. And if you wasted the years of your life here, then landed in your grave, and then thought of following this call, you will be stopped. You will not move from there, not even one step - because, the place where you are is no Home of Deeds (Daru'l-'Amal).

May Allah guide us on the straight path and give us the ability to move ahead on course. Ameen.

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

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

related archives:
A Way to Paradise
A Special Gate to Paradise
Meadows of Paradise
Paradise and Hell
Paradise or Hell, The Choice is Yours

Using the Brain to Get Ahead

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 try to get ahead using your brain, you are just making your life very difficult. Allah has made it so easy for us to get ahead by submitting to His Will like a dead body in the hands of the person washing him, turning as he wills. The dead body just turned whichever the washer turns him. Can a dead body use his brain to figure out what is good for him and object to what the washer is doing to him?

Whether the Lord tells you to do something or not to do certain things, you are expected to simply submit. The mind cannot know the intent of God. We can understand the intent of God only through Allah telling us. The mind is not the final source for right and wrong. It is a source of reasoning for the basis of religious belief and to bring revelation to the forefront and align ourselves to it.

Whether you know the "goodness" of the command or not, you are expected to submit, no question ask. This is the purpose of our creation.

وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالْإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ ﴿٥٦

And I did not create man and jinn except to worship Me.

[Qur'an Zariyat 51:56]

It is not acceptable for people to violate Allah's instructions. Violating Allah's instructions is violating His purpose.

Intellect is able to tell right from wrong but this understanding is based on the assumption that matters are intrinsically right or wrong. How can we be sure that what we feel good is good with Allah and what we feel bad is bad with Allah?

Good is that which is pleasing to Allah, that which results in an eternal rank with Allah. Bad is the opposite. There is a Truth that is behind Divine commands. Violating this Truth and acting contrary to Allah's commands has dreadful consequences like in the story of the People of Sabbath in the Qur'an.

We know that life is a blessing and taking it away is going against this. Everyone knows that oppression is wrong. Denying one of his basic right to live is an oppression. So, we are sure that to kill someone is wrong. But Ibrahim, Allah grant him peace, was commanded by God to sacrifice his only son, Ismail, and he obeyed the command. It was a good act to offer his son in sacrifice. The Abrahamic way is complete surrender and submission. Whatever Allah wants, Ibrahim was there to surrender. This is the essence of religion--humble slavehood. He did not ask "why?" and his son too did not ask "why?" They both submit to the decree. And the Lord rewarded Ibrahim and took him for a Friend (khalilullah) and made him the father of the prophets.

Allah is All Wise. His commandments have wisdom. Some of these are discernible to us, some are not. Our feelings or sense of worth are meaningless. Look at where Iblis ended up because he wanted to follow his own sense instead of following Allah's command to prostrate to Adam.

Ibn Khaldun says about the intellect, "Follow what the lawgiver has commanded you of beliefs and practices for He is more keen on your felicity than you, and more aware of what benefits you than you; because it is from a realm higher than yours, and a source more expansive than yours. There is not to detract from the intellect and its insights for the intellect is a true scale, its judgments are certain, no error in it, but you cannot hope to weigh in it...what is beyond its realm for that is hoping for the impossible. That is like the case of a man who saw a weighing scale that is used for weighing a gold and then hopes to weigh with it a mountain--this does not mean that the scale is wrong, but the intellect has a level that it cannot bypass."

People have values that they see to be universal and these values for them are so universal that they can't imagine not being right in everything. When they see to the contrary they do everything in their power to re-interpret the text. There is an essential problem because we need to know what Allah wants from us, not to know what we want Allah to be telling us about.

وَمَا كَانَ لِمُؤْمِنٍ وَلَا مُؤْمِنَةٍ إِذَا قَضَى اللَّـهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَمْرًا أَن يَكُونَ لَهُمُ الْخِيَرَةُ مِنْ أَمْرِهِمْ ۗ وَمَن يَعْصِ اللَّـهَ وَرَسُولَهُ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ ضَلَالًا مُّبِينًا ﴿٣٦

It is not for a believing man or a believing woman, when Allah and His Messenger have decided a matter, that they should [thereafter] have any choice about their affair. And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger has certainly strayed into clear error. (36)

[Qur'an Al-Ahzab 33:36]

If we interpret the law based on our own sense of right and wrong then where do we we draw the line?

فَإِن لَّمْ يَسْتَجِيبُوا لَكَ فَاعْلَمْ أَنَّمَا يَتَّبِعُونَ أَهْوَاءَهُمْ ۚ وَمَنْ أَضَلُّ مِمَّنِ اتَّبَعَ هَوَاهُ بِغَيْرِ هُدًى مِّنَ اللَّـهِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّـهَ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الظَّالِمِينَ ﴿٥٠

But if they do not respond to you - then know that they only follow their [own] desires. And who is more astray than one who follows his desire without guidance from Allah? Indeed, Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people. (50)

[Qur'an Qasas 28:50]

The Prophet ﷺ said, “The closest that a servant is to the Lord is when he is in prostration”

We should know then where to put our brains in order to get ahead in this life and the next.

May Allah guide us to what pleases Him. Ameen.

Please keep us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

An Intimate Gift

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Ask any unbiased non Muslim, they know what the essential or common trait of Muslims is. They will say that Muslims "pray to Allah 5 times a day." Do all Muslims pray 5 times a day?

If you have a hard time keeping up with the 5 daily prayers, it means you have a serious problem. Your priority is wrong. You don't have the right attitude towards prayer. You need to change.

Prayer is the ascent of a believer. It is something big--bigger than any PhD projects, in fact bigger than all the projects of the world. When prayer time comes, you pray, whether you are at home or elsewhere. Everything else can wait.

Allah says,

إِنَّنِي أَنَا اللَّـهُ لَا إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا أَنَا فَاعْبُدْنِي وَأَقِمِ الصَّلَاةَ لِذِكْرِي ﴿١

Verily, I am God. There is no god but I: So serve Me (only), and establish regular prayer for celebrating My praise. [Qur'an Taha 20:14]

حَافِظُوا عَلَى الصَّلَوَاتِ وَالصَّلَاةِ الْوُسْطَىٰ وَقُومُوا لِلَّـهِ قَانِتِينَ ﴿٢٣٨

Guard strictly your (habit of) prayers, especially the middle prayer; and stand before Allah in a devout (frame of mind). [Qur'an al-Baqarah 2:238]

وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ وَارْكَعُوا مَعَ الرَّاكِعِينَ ﴿٤٣

And establish prayer and give zakah and bow with those who bow [in worship and obedience]. (43) [Qur'an Al-Baqarah 2:43]

Imam Al-Junaid said, "Ultimately life is praying 5 prayers and waiting to die."

There is no act more powerful than praying the 5 prayers--Dhuhr (afternoon), 'Asr (mid-afternoon), Maghrib (sunset), 'Isha (night) and Fajr (dawn). They take the weight of fifty prayers. It is a very potent concentrated medicine to pray five times daily. Prayer is our support and strength, and joy for those people who Allah blessed them in their prayers.

The Prophet ﷺ said: "The coolness of my eyes is in the prayer." Prayer is an absolute tranquility and peacefulness. The call to prayer is a comfort to People of Allah. The Prophet ﷺ said: "O Bilal, comfort us with it." Meaning give the call to prayer.

Praying five times a day is our personal school as long as we keep it for the rest of our lives. We will learn knowledge that we cannot learn from books.

Imagine someone who prays five times a day no matter where they are, no matter what conditions they are in, the prayer will teach him things that books cannot teach. Praying in parking lots, sidewalks, roadside, airports, malls and many other awkward places, would teach him who is more important and whose eyes he care about more. Books cannot teach him that.

Imagine praying five times a day in places where there are the seasons. It can be quite challenging when Fajr is 2 or 3 o'clock in the morning and 'Isha is very late at night. Some of us are experiencing it now and will continue into the fasting month of Ramadhan. It requires planning and readjusting your sleep and work schedule in order to pray at their prescribed times. This teaches you an important virtue in our daily lives--flexibility. Books cannot teach you this.

Someone who prays five times a day faithfully under whatever circumstances is not a normal person with Allah. He is a very special person.

إِنَّمَا وَلِيُّكُمُ اللَّـهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا الَّذِينَ يُقِيمُونَ الصَّلَاةَ وَيُؤْتُونَ الزَّكَاةَ وَهُمْ رَاكِعُونَ ﴿٥٥

Your (real) friends are (no less than) Allah, His Messenger, and the (fellowship of) believers,- those who establish regular prayers and regular charity, and they bow down humbly (in worship). [Qur'an Al-Ma'ida 5:55]

Prayer is the greatest opportunity to draw near to our Lord in this life. As soon as the prayer time enters we should be longing to stand before our Lord. The more longing we have to stand before our Lord, it would directly translate into the next world into our degree of closeness to Him. When the prayer is intact and in shape then everything else will be intact and in shape as well.

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ وَأَقَامُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتَوُا الزَّكَاةَ لَهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ وَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ ﴿٢٧٧

Indeed, those who believe and do righteous deeds and establish prayer and give zakah will have their reward with their Lord, and there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve. (277) [Qur'an al-Baqarah 2:277]

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَتْلُونَ كِتَابَ اللَّـهِ وَأَقَامُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَأَنفَقُوا مِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ سِرًّا وَعَلَانِيَةً يَرْجُونَ تِجَارَةً لَّن تَبُورَ ﴿٢٩

Those who rehearse the Book of Allah, establish regular Prayer, and spend (in Charity) out of what We have provided for them, secretly and openly, hope for a commerce that will never fail. For He will pay them their wages, nay, He will give them (even) more out of His Bounty: for He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Ready to appreciate (service). [Qur'an Fatir 35:29-30]

There is no better way to expose ourselves to the Mercy and sweet breezes of Mercy of Allah than through the prayer and in particular praying as our Prophet ﷺ prayed, inwardly and outwardly. Our lives change at least 5 times a day, with our 5 daily prayers, and it is an amazing change.

The mother of the believers, Aisha, my Allah be pleased with her, was from the greatest of those who had the opportunity to see the Prophet ﷺ prayed. She prayed as she saw him prayed. When asked what was the most amazing thing that she saw about the Messenger of Allah ﷺ she started to weep and say, “What was not amazing of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, his entire affair was amazing. But when everyone went to sleep at night, and everyone went to lay with their beloved, the Prophet ﷺ used to stand before his Lord at night - this was the most amazing affair about him, the way he used to stand in the night before his Lord in prayer.”

If you want to wake up for Tahajjud and Fajr, you can wake up. You do whatever it takes to wake up, just as you did to make sure you didn't miss your early morning flight to your vacation or business destination. Like if you missed your flight, you might be able to catch another flight, but it is not the same. You have missed the fun or business deals which you could have enjoyed had you not missed your flight and arrived at your destination on time. You cannot make up the lost opportunity ever.

Every traveller when they come home they have a gift for the loved ones. When the Prophet ﷺ returned from Isra’ wal Miraj (the night journey and ascension to heaven), the the gift that he brought back to the Ummah was the 5 daily prayer. We should see the prayer as a deep and an intimate gift from our Lord, to whom we shall return and to whom is our final destination.

كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَائِقَةُ الْمَوْتِ ۖ ثُمَّ إِلَيْنَا تُرْجَعُونَ ﴿٥٧

Every soul will taste death. Then to Us will you be returned. (57) [Qur'an Al-Ankabut 29:57]

وَإِلَى اللَّـهِ الْمَصِيرُ ﴿١٨ ...

... And to Allah is the [final] destination. (18) [Qur'an Fatir 35:18]

The Prophet ﷺ, stated,

The first thing one will be asked on the Day of Judgment is prayer.

[Sunan Abu Dawud, al Nasa’i, Al-Hakim]

What are you going to say to your Lord about what you have done with His gift when you meet Him?

May Allah grant us steadfastness and righteousness. Ameen.

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

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Benefits of Sending Peace and Blessings on the Prophet ﷺ

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Allah Almighty says,

إِنَّ اللَّـهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ۚ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا ﴿٥٦

Indeed, Allah confers blessing upon the Prophet, and His angels [ask Him to do so]. O you who have believed, ask [Allah to confer] blessing upon him and ask [Allah to grant him] peace. (56)

[Qur'an Al-Ahzab 33:56]

There are numerous benefits and rewards of sending peace and blessings on the Prophet ﷺ (salawat). These include:

1. Allah's sending blessings on the slave

Abu Hurayra, may Allah be pleased with him, relates that the Prophet ﷺ said, “He who sends blessings on me once, Allah sends him blessings ten times.” [Muslim, Abu Dawud, & Tirmidhi]

Anas ibn Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, relates that the Prophet ﷺ said, “He who sends blessings on me once Allah sends blessings on him ten times and removes from him ten sins and raises him by ten degrees.” [al-Nasa'i].

2. Forgiveness

Abu Kahil relates that the Prophet ﷺ said, “O Abu Kahil, whoever sends blessings on me three times every day and three times every night out of love for me and longing for me, it is his right on Allah that He forgive him his sins for that day and night.”

3. Sufficiency for one's worldly and other-worldly affairs for the one who makes all of his prayers blessings on the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace.

Ubayy ibn Ka`b relates: I said, “O Messenger of Allah, I send much blessings on you. What proportion of my prayer should I devote to you?” He said, “As much as you like.” I said, “A quarter?” He said, “As much as you like, and if you increased it would only be better for you.” I said, “Then a half?” He said, “As much as you like and if you increased then it would only be better for you.” I said, “Then two thirds?” He said, “As much as you like and if you increased it would only be better for you.” I said, “I'll devote all of my prayers to sending blessings on you.” The Prophet ﷺ said, “In that case it will suffice you from your worries and your sins will be forgiven. “ [Reported by Tirmidhi who declared it well authenticated]

4. Attaining intercession of the Prophet ﷺ

Abu al-Darda' relates that the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “Whoever sends blessings on me ten times in the morning and ten in the evening will have my intercession on judgement day.” [Tabarani]

5. Attaining the pleasure of Allah Most High and His mercy

6. Protection from Allah's anger

7. Being shaded by Allah's throne on Day of Judgment,

8. Purification of the heart from hypocrisy, and

9. Seeing our Beloved Prophet ﷺ in one's sleep.

May Allah increase our love for His beloved Messenger ﷺ and moist our tongues with His remembrance and salawat upon His beloved, Allah bless him and grant him peace. Ameen.

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

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

source: Fiqh of Sending Peace and Blessings upon the Prophet

Welcoming Sha'ban

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Welcome to the month of Sha'ban, the 8th month of the Islamic lunar calendar.

Two momentous events occurred in Sha`ban. It was the month in which the moon was split in half for the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and grant him peace, and the Qiblah was changed from Bayt al-Maqdis in Jerusalem to the Ka`bah in Makkah.

Sha'ban is immediately preceding the month of Ramadhan. Therefore, some preparatory measures are suggested by the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace.

The Prophet ﷺ used to fast most of the month in Sha'ban.

Ummul Mu'mineen Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, said, "Prophet Muhammad ﷺ used to fast the whole of Sha'ban. I said to him, 'Messenger of Allah, is Sha'ban your most 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."

Ummul-Mu'mineen Umm Salamah, may Allah be pleased with her, said: "I have never seen the Messenger of Allah fasting for two months continuously except in the months of Sha'ban and Ramadan."

These reports indicate that fasting in the month of Sha'ban, though not obligatory, is so meritorious that Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, did not like to miss it.

It is related that Abu Hurayra, may Allah be pleased with him, said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

"Allah said, 'Every action of the son of Adam is for himself except for fasting. It is Mine and I repay it.' Fasting is a shield. When someone is fasting, he should not have sexual relations nor quarrel. If someone fights him or insults him, he should say, 'I am fasting'. By the One in whose hand the self of Muhammad is, the changed breath in the mouth of the faster is more fragrant to Allah Almighty than the scent of musk. The faster experiences two joys: when he breaks his fast he rejoices and when he meets his Lord he rejoices in his fasting."

[Bukhari]

When the Generous One says "It [Fasting] is Mine and I repay it," it is a tremendous reward indeed, something weu cannot imagine. Only Allah knows the extent of his reward and how much his good deeds will be multiplied.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Every deed of the son of Adam will be rewarded between ten and seven hundred fold. Allah said: ‘Except fasting, for it is for Me and I shall reward for it’”

This is like the verse in which Allah says,

إِنَّمَا يُوَفَّى الصَّابِرُونَ أَجْرَهُم بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ ﴿١٠ ...

...Indeed, the patient will be given their reward without account." (10)

[Qur'an Al-Zumar 39:10]

The words '[Fasting] is Mine' are sufficient to indicate the superiority of fasting over all other acts of worship. [Al-Nasaa’i]

Other than fasting, it is recommended to send abundant peace and blessings upon the Beloved of Allah, Allah bless him and grant him peace (salawat). It was in this month that Allah revealed:

إِنَّ اللَّـهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ۚ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا ﴿٥٦

Indeed, Allah confers blessing upon the Prophet, and His angels [ask Him to do so]. O you who have believed, ask [Allah to confer] blessing upon him and ask [Allah to grant him] peace. (56)

[Qur'an Al-Ahzab 33:56]

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, called Sha`ban 'my month,' when he said in the hadith: 'Rajab is the month of Allah, Sha'bān is my month, and Ramadan is the month of my Ummah.'

Sending blessings upon the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, is one of the greatest means of strengthening our connection to him in this life and also the next. The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, informed us that “The closest people to me on the Day of Rising will be those who send the most blessings upon me.”[Tirmidhi]

There are numerous benefits and rewards of sending peace and blessings on the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace.

It was also the habit of some of the early Muslims to recite the Qur’an in abundance during Sha`ban. This along with fasting gives us the best preparation for Ramadan, as it takes time for the nafs to become accustomed to doing these things in abundance.

اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ لَنَا في رَجَبٍ وَ شَعْبَانَ وَ بَلِّغْنا رَمَضَانَ

O Allah bless us in Rajab and Sha`bān and enable us to reach Ramadhan. [Ahmad]

Please don't forget us in your du'as. Ameen.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Obedience

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Obedience is the heart of our religion, Islam. It is the key to the highest ranks that we can dream of.

وَمَن يُطِعِ اللَّـهَ وَالرَّسُولَ فَأُولَـٰئِكَ مَعَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمَ اللَّـهُ عَلَيْهِم مِّنَ النَّبِيِّينَ وَالصِّدِّيقِينَ وَالشُّهَدَاءِ وَالصَّالِحِينَ ۚ وَحَسُنَ أُولَـٰئِكَ رَفِيقًا ﴿٦٩

And whoever obeys Allah and the Messenger - those will be with the ones upon whom Allah has bestowed favor of the prophets, the steadfast affirmers of truth, the martyrs and the righteous. And excellent are those as companions. (69)

[Qur'an An-Nisaa 4:69]

On the converse, disobedience is the way to the lowest level we can imagine.

إِلَّا بَلَاغًا مِّنَ اللَّـهِ وَرِسَالَاتِهِ ۚ وَمَن يَعْصِ اللَّـهَ وَرَسُولَهُ فَإِنَّ لَهُ نَارَ جَهَنَّمَ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا أَبَدًا ﴿٢٣

(But [I have for you] only notification from Allah, and His messages." And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger - then indeed, for him is the fire of Hell; they will abide therein forever. (23)

[Qur'an Al-Jinn 72:23]

The act of obeying Allah and His Messenger, Allah bless him and grant him peace, is the most important act for us to be concerned about in our lives. We cannot live life without obeying Allah. The substance what we need to be obeying in order to reach the high level of Paradise and save us from the pits of Hell is in the Qur'an and the Sunnah. Holding fast to the Qur'an and the Sunnah, following and obeying the Qur'an and the Sunnah is the way out of misguidance. In every instance of our lives, we want to know what is it that we should be doing and should not be doing. For every act of ours, there is a ruling from Allah and we need to know this ruling and apply it so we be of those who obey and not of those who disobey.

The whole relationship we have with Allah is that of slavehood. We must ask about what we don't know of what the Master wants. We can't assume that "I am a good person so I am going to make it to Paradise." You might make it to Paradise, out of Allah's mercy, but this is not guaranteed and this is not the process.

الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ الْإِسْلَامَ دِينًا

This day those who disbelieve have despaired of [defeating] your religion; so fear them not, but fear Me. This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion...

[Quran Al-Ma'ida 5:3]

We should learn our religion from scholars to avoid misguidance and destruction. We cannot just read the Qur'an and the Hadith books and think we know what Allah wants us to do. Just like when we see a wonderful giant tree, we see the tree as a big trunk with branches and leaves and we might marvel at its beauty but not to a very skilled carpenter who sees bookshelves or an ornate table because he is trained and has the tools and know how. Someone who has been properly trained as a scholar has a deeper understanding of the Qur'an and Sunnah.

May Allah make us His best servants and grant us righteous teachers who He is pleased with to teach us His religion. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Giving Sincere Advice

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

On the authority of Abu Ruqayya Tameem ibn Aus ad-Daaree (radi Allahu anhu) that the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam), said:

'The Deen (religion) is naseehah'. We said 'To whom?' He said 'To Allah and His Book, and His Messenger, and to the leaders of the Muslims and their common folk.'

[Muslim]

Naseehah is a comprehensive word, whose meaning implies the desire for all possible good for the one being advised. We cannot worship Allah sincerely without being sincere to what He has revealed, and to the people, giving naseehah according to their station in life. Also we have to respect and honor His Messenger, Allah bless him and grant him peace, which is to respect and honor what he said, did, approved of or recommended, and to love him for who he was and what he was.

It is not for everyone to give naseehah on religious matters, even if you think you know about certain matter.

First, our intention must be correct, that is, we are doing it to seek the pleasure of Allah. Only such an intention deserves reward from Allah and His acceptance. If the intention is other than for the sake of Allah, then we deserve the anger and wrath of Allah, not to mention the hatred and rejection of the person to whom the advice was given.

We must have a sincere concern for that person. A believer loves for his brother what he loves for himself. The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam), said:

None of you will truly believe until you love for your brother what you love for yourself.

[Bukhari]

The naseehahis given to guide the person toward goodness, and take him away from harm. Advice is best given in private, indirectly, and in a positive manner that focuses on the next steps, not on what has already happened.

Ibn Rajab wrote: When the righteous predecessors intended to give naseehah to someone, they admonished him privately, to the point that some of them said, 'The one who exhorts his brother between him and himself, then it is naseeha. The one who exhorts him in front of people, then is merely scolding.'

The sincere advisor should not aid the Shaytan over his brother by publicly rebuking him and letting Shaytan beguile his brother into not taking the naseeha. Everyone loves to be treated with respect and honor.

The sincere advisor must be kind, soft and well mannered in giving the naseeha to others. Naseeha is like opening a door and that door will not be opened without the proper key. There is no better key to unlock the heart that is locked than kindness in giving advice, gentleness in exhortation and softness in speech.

The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam), said:

Kindness is not to be found in anything but that adds to its beauty, and it is not withdrawn from anything but it makes it defective.

[Muslim]

Giving naseeha is a a sign of true brotherhood, a way of bringing the hearts closer, and of closing the doors of hatred and suspicion. When someone mentioned your faults try not to be apprehensive because the person may know something that perhaps you are unaware of, and is compelled to tell you about it out of sheer compassion.

'Umar bin Khattab (radhi Allahu anhu) was reported to have said, "There is no good in a people that don't give naseeha, and there is no good in a people that don't like naseeha."

وَالْعَصْرِ ﴿١﴾ إِنَّ الْإِنسَانَ لَفِي خُسْرٍ ﴿٢﴾ إِلَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالْحَقِّ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالصَّبْرِ ﴿٣

By time, (1) Indeed, mankind is in loss, (2) Except for those who have believed and done righteous deeds and advised each other to truth and advised each other to patience. (3)

[Qur'an Al-'Asr 103]

By pointing out each other's faults, we help to keep each other from destruction.

فَأَخَذَتْهُمُ الرَّجْفَةُ فَأَصْبَحُوا فِي دَارِهِمْ جَاثِمِينَ ﴿٧٨﴾ فَتَوَلَّىٰ عَنْهُمْ وَقَالَ يَا قَوْمِ لَقَدْ أَبْلَغْتُكُمْ رِسَالَةَ رَبِّي وَنَصَحْتُ لَكُمْ وَلَـٰكِن لَّا تُحِبُّونَ النَّاصِحِينَ ﴿٧٩

So the earthquake seized them, and morning found them in their habitation fallen prostrate. (78) So he turned his back on them, and said, 'O my people, I have delivered to you the Message of my Lord, and advised you sincerely; but you do not love sincere advisors.' (79)

[Qur'an Al-'Araf 7:79]

May Allah grant us sincerity and patience. Ameen.

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

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Breathing

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

What comes to your mind when you hear the word "breathe"? Labor and delivery room, lamaze class, yoga, asthma patients, ...? Breathing... it’s pretty much every moment of our lives, waking and sleeping. That's a lot of breathing. When have you ever done something with that excess? Or when has something become so second nature that you don’t even think about it, similar to the way we don’t think about the next breath we need to take. It's automatic. It just happens because it’s such a part of what you know you need to do and who you are.

Breathing...one of the many blessings we should be thankful for constantly. Alhamdulillah (All Praise belongs to Allah). Even if we devote all our time with saying Alhamdulillah till we die, it won't be enough showing of thanks to Allah, Al-Muhyi (the Giver of life). In fact our ability to say Alhamdulillah is from Him, and in itself a blessing, for which we should be thankful, but we do as much as we can in all of our states.

If we fall short, try to imagine the number of people in the hospitals all over the world sick and are on breathing tubes or other breathing apparatus. No doubt there are so many of them. And here we are, we are not gasping for air like the fish out of water. This is a great blessing. Try imagine the lives of people who have to carry oxygen tank around. I once had a client who breathed from an oxygen tank which got replenished a few times a week. I didn't know at first she had a terminal illness until I interviewed to prepare her estate planning documents. Although she was able to move around, she could become very tired/sick after a while. She died about a year later. If you cannot imagine how difficult the lives of people like her and their families, it is a good idea to visit a hospital nearby. Hospitals are to care for the sick as much as for the healthy, the latter is voluntary. In fact, it is more important for the healthy ones to go to the hospital and visit the sick. Perhaps it will remind us that every breath we take is a blessing and a cause for praise and gratitude.

If we can pause for a moment from what that keep us so busy, and just reflect only on the blessing of breathing, we will have to love Allah, and Allah Alone.

Gratitude is the heart’s joy at receiving blessings whilst the body is devoted to obedience of the Blesser. Or, it is to acknowledge the blessings of the Blesser with devotion. It has three forms: The gratitude of the tongue, which is to vocally acknowledge the blessing with resignation, which is itself a blessing; and the gratitude of the body, which is to devote it to God’s service; and the gratitude of the heart, which is to see the Blesser in every blessing. The foundation of all of these is contained in Junayd’s words: ‘One must not disobey God by means of His blessings.’ Ordinary people are grateful when they praise God with their tongues; the elite are grateful when they serve God with their bodies; and the elite of the elite are grateful when they immerse themselves completely in the vision of the Giver. [Ibn Ajiba]

May Allah not leave us alone even for a blinking of an eye and make us His thankful servants. Ameen.

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

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Watch Our Adab

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Our adab is what sets us apart from other animals. It makes us descent human beings or civilized people. So, it is of utmost important to learn adab and strive to be people of adab.

Adab is the right way of doing something and putting things in their right places. Everything we do has an adab of doing it. This adab comes from the Prophetic examples, the one who is most praised for his character. His character is the most distinguished aspect of his outward person.

Abu Ad-Darda, may Allah be pleased with him, reported: The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, There is nothing that weighs more heavily on the Scales (on the Day of Judgment) than good character. [Sunan Abu Dawud]

The character of the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, is defined as tremendous.

وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَىٰ خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٍ ﴿٤

And verily, you (O Muhammad) are on an exalted (standard of) character. (4)

[Qur'an Al-Qalam 68:4]

The Prophet's character was the Qur'an. Sa’ad, may Allah be pleased with him, reported:

Once I went to Aisha and her father, Allah be pleased with them both, and asked them about the character and conduct of the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, to which Aisha, Allah be pleased with her, replied: "Don't you read the Qur'an?" I said: "Yes." She said: "The character of the Messenger of Allah is the Qur'an."

That is the adab of the Qur'an. Observe what Allah tells us in the Qur'an about praiseworthy conduct--how the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, dealt with people, with difficult people, etc. We should then learn the Qur'an properly and read the Qur'an attentively because the Qur'an details the character of the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace.

The basis in terms of proper manners is gentleness with people and honoring people. Striving to uphold gentleness returns to mercy. The one who is merciful is granted mercy from Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate.

Adab has many benefits. It teaches us restraint. Restraint is a means of taqwa. Proper manners will remind you of Allah and awaken your heart to Allah. It is also an expression of excellence and beauty. Allah has decreed excellence in all things. Allah is beautiful and loves beauty. This excellence and beauty is both beloved to Allah and to people. When you act with proper manners with people, people feel safe, honored and comfortable, and it strengthens bonds between people.

Islamic manners are the most refined. They take care of the feelings of all people, even the weakest, humblest or youngest in any group or community.

One of the areas that we saw commonly happened and we need to catch ourselves doing it and correct it immediately is leaving out one person in a conversation or whispering to another person to the exclusion of another person.

It is prohibited for two people conversing to the exclusion of a third without his permission except in case of need. It is the same if two people speak in a language which he does not understand.

إِنَّمَا النَّجْوَىٰ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ لِيَحْزُنَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَلَيْسَ بِضَارِّهِمْ شَيْئًا إِلَّا بِإِذْنِ اللَّـهِ ۚ وَعَلَى اللَّـهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ ﴿١٠

Private conversation is only from Shaytan that he may grieve those who have believed, but he will not harm them at all except by permission of Allah. And upon Allah let the believers rely. (10) [

Qur'an Al-Mujadila 58:10]

Ibn 'Umar reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "When there are three together, two should not speak privately to the exclusion of the third." [Agreed upon]

Ibn Mas'ud reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "When you are three together, two should not speak together privately apart from the other one until you come together with other people because that might upset him." [Agreed upon]

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, gave this advice on different occasions and in different wordings, so that it would be known and people will act on it. The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, is concerned for the third person that is left out of the conversation between the other two. We do not have any qualification to limit this instruction to any situation, which means that whoever the third person happens to be, he or she must not be so obviously excluded.

Another version of this Hadith adds a clarification. When the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, stated this prohibition, his companions asked: “What if they are four?” He said: “That is all right.” This applies when two of the four have some private conversation. The restriction does not apply here because the other two could talk to each other. The feeling of exclusion does not apply. However, if three of them talk together and exclude the fourth, the same prohibition applies.

Abu Dawud related it and added that Abu Salih said, "I asked Ibn 'Umar, 'What about four?' He replied. 'It will not harm you.'"

Malik reported in al-Muwatta' that 'Abdullah ibn Dinar said, "'Abdullah ibn 'Umar and I were at the house of Khalid ibn 'Uqba who was away at the market. A man came who wanted to speak to 'Abdullah ibn Umar and I was the only other person present. 'Abdullah ibn Umar called another man so that we were four and said to me and the man whom he had called, 'Go a little way off together because I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, "Two should not converse to the exclusion of a third."'"

So, if they are three friends, three family members, three classmates, three colleagues, or indeed any three, the restriction applies. The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, mentioned the figure three because it is the least number where exclusion may occur. But it applies to any larger number of people where such exclusion takes place. When there is a group of people, they must not leave any one of them feeling excluded.

We ask Allah to make us of people of noble character and grant us tawfiq. Ameen.

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

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Mercy and Humility

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Having mercy is among the excellent qualities of Islam, which take one towards the broad path of uprightness until they prepare the possessor of the qualities for the greatest generosity.

The one who is merciful to Allah's creatures for Allah’s sake, Allah is merciful to him. This person will receive a great portion of the Mercy of Allah, Al-Rahman, because recompense is in accordance to a work.

We should examine our mercy towards Allah's creation--people, animals, even plants and inanimate objects.

So, don't be kicking the chairs or the tires or throw/break dishes or yell at donkeys or throw rocks at dogs. Don't uproot a plant/tree for no good reason or wound a tree by improperly cutting a large limb that tear away a long strip of bark. Care for your plants and don't let it die because you didn't water it for weeks. When you slaughter an animal, show kindness to the animal to be slaughtered, and that is, one use sharp blade and one does not fell it to the ground cruelly or harshly, nor drag it from one place to another. It also includes facing it towards the Qibla and taking the name of Allah upon it, and cleanly and quickly cutting the throat and the two jugular veins, and then leaving it until it has turned cold.

Sayyid Ahmad Ar-Rifai (may Allah be pleased with him) (born 512 AH), was known as Sultanul Awliya in his era and he was a relative of Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani (may Allah be pleased with him) and were also good friends.

Shaykh Ahmad Ar-Rifai had his tariqa Rafaiyya in the same era as Abdul Qadir Jilani and was established independently while the Qadri took its root in Baghdad. However, even though Shaykh Ahmad Ar-Rifai was such a strong Qutb (pole) he bowed himself to give his shoulders to Abdul Qadir Jilani who said: “This foot of mine is on the shoulders of all the saints of Allah”.

His way of walking and speaking made people convert to Islam and he showed respect to all creatures, specially those who were weak. Shaykh Ahmad Ar-Rifai though being a great sufi saint and very rich, lived his life with humbleness and simplicity. He liked loneliness and peace for meditation.

One Friday, Sayyid Ahmad Ar-Rifa'i was sleeping and woke to find that it was time for prayer. However, there was a cat asleep on his robe. He asked his wife for some scissors, cut off the part of his robe where the cat lay, stood up and went to prayers. When he returned, the cat had awakened and left, so he asked his wife for thread to sew the robe back together. When he saw his wife's displeasure at what he had done to his robe, he said "Do not worry, nothing but goodness happened and I did not suffer because of this; this was a good thing."

Once, Sayyid Ahmad Ar-Rifa'i spent forty days caring for a dog with leprosy in the wilderness. When he returned and was asked why he had spent so much time caring for an unclean beast, he replied, "When I die and meet my Maker, what would I have said if He asked me why I hadn't helped one of His creatures?"

He helped the blind find their shoes after worship, and also helped guide them to the places that they wanted to go. He respected old people and recommended respecting them. He always used to quote the words of our Prophet Muhammad, Allah bless him and grant him peace, “If a person shows respect to old people and those in need, Allah will assign people who will respect them when they are old.”

Sayyid Ahmad Ar-Rifa'i used to go to the houses of the leprous and bedridden, wash their clothes, bring their meals, sit and eat with them, and pray for them. When he heard that the people of his city were sick in a far-off city, he used to visit them. He also cured wounded animals, and said, “Compassion for the creatures of Allah is one of the qualities that bring human beings closer to Allah.”

He was very kind and compassionate to orphans. He would cry for the poor, grow merry with their joy, and behave very modestly towards them. He considered himself as one of them.

Great people in Sayyid Ahmad Ar-Rifa'i's time said, “The most important reason for his reaching his high station was his great kindness to all creatures and his humility.”

May Allah grant us humility and a merciful heart. Ameen.

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

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

related archives: Solving the World's Problems

Solving the World's Problem

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Pride is the main source of problems on this earth. Wars, destruction, bribery, theft, hate and so many other kinds of corruption that we hear and experience ourselves are consequences of people's pride and arrogance.

Why are you proud and arrogant? Nothing of this world deserves it. This world will not stay with you forever. You can lose it at any moment.

Pride and arrogance are pure ignorance, and Allah has warned us against pride,

"Pride and glory are My garments, whoever claims them, I torture him.”

[Muslim]

The Punishment for pride in this life is spiritual blindness.

سَأَصْرِفُ عَنْ آيَاتِيَ الَّذِينَ يَتَكَبَّرُونَ فِي الْأَرْضِ بِغَيْرِ الْحَقِّ وَإِن يَرَوْا كُلَّ آيَةٍ لَّا يُؤْمِنُوا بِهَا وَإِن يَرَوْا سَبِيلَ الرُّشْدِ لَا يَتَّخِذُوهُ سَبِيلًا وَإِن يَرَوْا سَبِيلَ الْغَيِّ يَتَّخِذُوهُ سَبِيلًا ۚ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ كَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا وَكَانُوا عَنْهَا غَافِلِينَ ﴿١٤٦

I will turn away from My signs those who are arrogant upon the earth without right; and if they should see every sign, they will not believe in it. And if they see the way of consciousness, they will not adopt it as a way; but if they see the way of error, they will adopt it as a way. That is because they have denied Our signs and they were heedless of them. (146)

[Qur'an Al-'Araf 7:147]

And in the Hereafter they will be thrown into Hell.

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said,

“Shall I tell you about the people of Hell? Every harsh, ungenerous and proud man.”

[Bukhari and Muslim]

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said,

He who has in his heart the weight of an ant of pride will not enter paradise. A man then asked, “What if one likes to dress well?” The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, replied, “Truly Allah is beautiful and He loves beauty. Pride is to deny the truth and despise people.”

[Muslim]

Qarun was a wealthy man who had much knowledge. The wealth he had acquired through his knowledge led him to become arrogant. His people told him to not exult, and they gave him many valuable advice but he didn't take heed. His chest puffed up with pride. "I got what I got because I am so smart!" He forgot Allah and had contempt for the people. When he didn't show gratitude for the gifts that Allah had given him, Allah caused the earth to swallow him and his wealth. [Qur'an Al-Qasas 28:76-83]

How do we prevent pride and arrogance from creeping into our hearts? It is by realizing that everything we have are gifts from Allah. Allah created us and Allah also created everything we have--our minds, our understanding, our property, and everything we have. Were it not for His generosity, we would not be able to think, understand, pass our exams, get good jobs, make money and accumulate wealth.

How do we solve the world's problem? We must work on ourselves first before we try to solve the world's problems. Purify our hearts from the diseases. Don't ever say you are the good guy that is going to solve the world's problems, even if it is done in the name of Islam.

Be keen in works that increase your humility.

Give the salutation of peace to your fellow Muslims you meet--rich or poor, big or small, friend or foe, young or old, your wife and your children, your students, your teachers, your employees, etc. Do it first, don't follow your lower self (nafs) that tells you that you deserve a greeting.

Abdullah ibn 'Amr reported that a man asked the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, "Which is the best of Islam?" He replied, "Feeding people and giving the greeting to those you know and those you do not know."

Thabit al-Bannani reported that Anas ibn Malik walked by some children and greeted them. He said, "The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to do that."

Aisha reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "The Jews do not envy you for anything the way that they envy you for the salam and the Amin."

Bashir ibn Yasar said, "No one preceded or got ahead of Ibn 'Umar when giving the greeting."

Al-Hasan said, "Greeting is an act of obedience while the answer is a duty."

Do jobs that break your ego. Imam Ghazali (450AH-505AH/1058-1111), known as the Hujjatul Islam (The Proof of Islam), a great and renowned scholar. He attained great status in the sight of people at young age. His lectures were attended by great imams of the time. Suddenly he abandoned all that and traveled from Baghdad to Sham seeking spiritual awakeness. He spent 10 years in seclusion, renounced worldly pleasures and he took on a job as a janitor/sweeper of the Umawi mosque.

Uwais Al Qarny lived in Yemen during the time of the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, but did not not personally see the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, because he was taking care of his mother. He was so poor that he gathered food from the garbage and yet he shared this food with the poorer people and the orphans. He used to make du'a "O Allah, don't blame me for a human who slept in hunger." One day he was searching for food in the rubbish, and a dog barked at him. He said to the dog, "Don't hurt me and I won't hurt you. I take the food that is in front of me and you take the food that is in front of you for if on the Day of Judgment I enter Paradise, I am better than you, and if I fall into Hell, then you are better than me."

It's true...animals will turn into dust in the Day of Judgment. Humans have the chance to enter Paradise and enjoy a blissful eternal life. But if we go to Hell, the dog is better than us. So we have to purify our hearts from pride and arrogance.

Help the poor and the needy. Help the old people in our community with their tasks--shopping, carry their groceries, mow their lawns, help them with cooking, etc.

Hold your parents hands when you walk with them. Some children are too embarrassed to do this in front of people. Why so? Pride.

وَلَا تُفْسِدُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ بَعْدَ إِصْلَاحِهَا وَادْعُوهُ خَوْفًا وَطَمَعًا ۚ إِنَّ رَحْمَتَ اللَّـهِ قَرِيبٌ مِّنَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ

And cause not corruption upon the earth after its reformation. And invoke Him in fear and aspiration. Indeed, the mercy of Allah is near to the doers of good.

[Qur'an al-'Araf 7:56]

May Allah help us fight our egos and make all our works pleasing to Him. Ameen.

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

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Recommended lecture: Imam Ghazali by Dr Ali Goma'a

Related Archives: Uwais Al Qarny

Standard in Seeking Piety

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

قَالَ مَا مَنَعَكَ أَلَّا تَسْجُدَ إِذْ أَمَرْتُكَ ۖ قَالَ أَنَا خَيْرٌ مِّنْهُ خَلَقْتَنِي مِن نَّارٍ وَخَلَقْتَهُ مِن طِينٍ ﴿١٢

[Allah] said, "What prevented you from prostrating when I commanded you?" [Satan] said, "I am better than him. You created me from fire and created him from clay." (12)

[Qur'an Al-'Araf 7:12]

"I am better than him" is the standard of Shaytan. The standards of the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and grant him peace, is humility, patience, mercy and kindness to the creation.

As a person reaches a level of knowledge of the deen (by understanding of a certain rulings) and attachment to this religion (by waking up in the night to pray and fasting during the day), the sign of truth in this is not just the image of the person, it is by the person's character and his interactions with people; and the sign of falseness in this, is that he has no character.

We see some people, as they worship more, as they gain more knowledge, or they are more attached to the religion, the more their faces grow angry; the more they are rude with people; the more harsh they become with their families who are less attached with the Deen; the more they are despised and disgusted with the community. Why are they like that? It is because of lack of sincerity in their seeking knowledge or performing acts of worship. The truth is realizing the interaction with Allah and realizing His bounties.

Therefore, if we are seeking piety, we should gaze at our hearts and find out what is the truth in our hearts.

When you come out of the masjid after an 'Isha or Friday prayer and you find someone's car blocking your car, how do you perceive the person who blocked your car? Will you have compassion and mercy towards the person? Based on the standard of the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, you will say, "This person has not heard what I have heard, O Allah, provide this person to hear as well and give this person success." And when he finally came out, and he looked at you, you smile and say, "Assalaamu alaykum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh." And you help him move his car while you remain patient and calm. What kind of impact this will have on the heart of the person and any onlookers? But if on the other hand, you looked at the person harshly and incessantly saying, Audhu billahi minash-Shaytanir rajeem (I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Shaytan), what is this showing? Are you better than him?

Wherever fine and pure character is present, religion is present; wherever fine and pure character is not present, there is no religion and no knowledge present. If you are confused between two sides, each side saying "we are upon the truth," look at the character of both parties.

May Allah grant us noble character and purify our hearts. Ameen.

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

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Ibn Ajiba on Sincerity of Actions

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Actions refer to physical movements or movements of the heart. The shapes are the qualities which the mind fixes. The life-breath (ruh) and the secret are lodged in living creatures. Here it refers to that by which perfection is achieved in actions. Sincerity is when the heart is devoted to the worship of the Lord as well as its secret and core. That is the truthfulness designated by being free of strength and might since it is only complete by it, even if it is sound without it since sincerity negates showing-off and hidden shirk. Its secret negates pride. Self-regard and showing off detract from the soundness of the action, while pride detracts only from its perfection.

All actions are forms and bodies. Their life-breath is the existence of sincerity in them. As forms can only abide with spirits since otherwise they are dead and fallen-down, so actions of the body and heart only abide by the existence of sincerity in them. Otherwise they are propped-up shapes and empty forms of no consideration Allah Almighty says, "They were only ordered to worship Allah, making their deen sincerely His, as people of pure natural faith," (98:5) and "Worship Allah, making your deen sincerely His." (39:2) The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, reported that Allah says, "I am the furthest removed from what is associated with Me." The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "That which I most fear for my community is hidden shirk. It is showing off." In one version, "Fear this hidden shirk, It creeps like an ant." They asked, "What is hidden shirk?" "Showing off," he replied.

In a hadith, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was asked about sincerity and said, "Not until I ask Jibril." When he asked him, he said, "Not until I ask the Lord of Might." When he asked Him, he told him, "It is one of My secrets which I have entrusted in the hearts of those of My slaves who loves Me. No angel sees it so that he records it and no shaytan sees it so that he can corrupt it" One of them said, "This is station of ihsan: that you worship Allah as if you were seeing Him."

Sincerity has three levels: the level of the common, the level of the elite, and the level of the elite of the elite. The sincerity of the common is to remove creation from dealings with Allah while seeking the portions of this world and the Next, like preservation of the body, money, expanded provision, castles and houris. The sincerity of the elite is to seek the portions of the Next world rather than this world. The sincerity of the elite of the elite to seek to remove all portions. So their worship is to fully realise slavedom and to undertake the requirements of the Lord, or love and yearning for His vision, as Ibn al-Farid said:

My request is not for bliss of the Garden. I only desire to see You.

Another said:

All of them worship out of fear of the Fire and see salvation as a generous portion,

Or seek to dwell in the Garden and to relax in meadows and drink of Salsabil.

I have no opinion of Gardens or Fire. I do not seek any recompense for my love.

Shaykh Abu Talib said, "Sincerity with the sincere is to remove creatures from one's dealings with the Real. The first of creatures is the self. Sincerity among the lovers is not to do an action for the sake of the self. Otherwise it is affected by looking for recompense or inclining to the portion of the self. For the unifiers, sincerity is to remove creatures from dealings with of the Real by not seeing them in actions and not relying and relaxing with them in states."

One of the shaykhs said, "Make your actions sound with sincerity and make your sincerity sound by being free from strength and power." One of the gnostics said, "Sincerity is not achieved until people do not see and until he fails to think of people." That is why another said, "Whenever you fall in people's eyes, you become great in Allah's eyes. Whenever you become great in the eyes of people, you fall in Allah's eye." This is when you take note of them and are watchful of them.

I heard our shaykh say, "As long as the slave continues to watch people and have awe of them, his sincerity will never be fully realised." He also said, "Your watching Allah will never be combined with watching creation because it is impossible that you see Him and see other-than-Him with Him." The upshot is that it is not possible to ever leave the self and to be purified of subtle showing-off without a Shaykh. Allah knows best.

So obscurity is part of sincerity. Indeed, it is usually only achieved by it since the self has no portion in it.

May Allah grant us sincerity. Ameen.

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

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam