Preserving Islam -- Don't Let it Die Out in Your Community

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

Religion is only preserved through knowledge, particularly Islam.

In the Qur'an, Allah Almighty states that prophets are obliged to deliver His messages and describes prophets as an "instructor and trainer:

لَقَدْ مَنَّ ٱللَّهُ عَلَى ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ إِذْ بَعَثَ فِيهِمْ رَ‌سُولًا مِّنْ أَنفُسِهِمْ يَتْلُوا۟ عَلَيْهِمْ ءَايَـٰتِهِۦ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ وَٱلْحِكْمَةَ وَإِن كَانُوا۟ مِن قَبْلُ لَفِى ضَلَـٰلٍ مُّبِينٍ ﴿١٦٤

Certainly did Allah confer [great] favor upon the believers when He sent among them a Messenger from themselves, reciting to them His verses and purifying them and teaching them the Book and wisdom, although they had been before in manifest error. (164)
[Qur'an, AleImran 3:164]

هُوَ ٱلَّذِى بَعَثَ فِى ٱلْأُمِّيِّـۧنَ رَ‌سُولًا مِّنْهُمْ يَتْلُوا۟ عَلَيْهِمْ ءَايَـٰتِهِۦ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ وَٱلْحِكْمَةَ وَإِن كَانُوا۟ مِن قَبْلُ لَفِى ضَلَـٰلٍ مُّبِينٍ ﴿٢

It is He who has sent among the unlettered a Messenger from themselves reciting to them His verses and purifying them and teaching them the Book and wisdom - although they were before in clear error - (2)[Qur'an, Al-Jumu'ah 62:2]

These verses tell us that the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) was a teacher assigned the duty of delivering the message of Allah.

Indeed, the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) himself emphasized that his primary duty as a Prophet was to teach by saying, "I have been sent only as a teacher to you." To explain his duty he also said, "I have been sent only to complete moral virtues."

In this sense, the duty of the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) was to reach and communicate with people and carry out educational activities.

Certainly the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) was not alone in carrying out the educational activities which would encompass all humanity alone. Just as it was not possible for him to reach everyone and everywhere, it was not possible for him to reach everyone in exactly the same way. Therefore, he worked on educating people with his Companions. Every Muslim was responsible for learning the religion and teaching what he learned to others. So every Muslim was a student and a teacher at the same time within the limit of his opportunities and capabilities.

Many Muslims today, unfortunately, don't pray, don't fast, don't do ghusl (ritual bath), eat like non-Muslims, wear like non-Muslims, named their children by European names, etc. There is a great danger that after a few decades their children will not identify themselves as Muslims except that they will say, "My grandparents were Muslims." We have seen so many examples of that. Don't let that happen to you and your family.

Moreover, history tells us that there were many parts of the world where Islam once predominated but had died out. Why? Because Islamic knowledge was not taught and if it was taught, it was not taught properly.

The first branch of knowledge to be taken away from the ummah is knowledge of inheritance. The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace), said: “Learn inheritance and teach it for it is half the knowledge and it will be forgotten, and it is the first thing to be ripped from my Ummah” (Ibn Majah 2710).

This is happening now. Students of knowledge either shy away from learning inheritance law or they couldn't find qualified teachers to teach them the inheritance law. And even well known Islamic colleges and universities don't put much emphasis in teaching inheritance law. If you survey the graduates in Islamic studies, you will find that most of them don't even understand the basics of the Islamic inheritance law.

He (Allah bless him and grant him peace) also said: “Learn inheritance and teach it to people for I am a mortal being and knowledge will decrease until two people would differ among themselves over inheritance, but wouldn’t find an arbitrator” (al Nisa’i 6305).

Look around you. You will see the truth of the Prophet’s statement — families divided over property, children hurt over parental preference in wills, siblings no longer on speaking terms with each other.

It is very critical for the preservation of Islam that there be a preservation of Islamic knowledge and teaching and to connect Islamic knowledge with the communities of believers.

We have to continue the Prophet's mission and tradition (Allah bless him and grant him peace). We must acquire Islamic knowledge and impart that knowledge.

It was said that Umar said (in the meaning of), if you want to have play, play archery, if you want to speak, speak about mirath (inheritance).

May Allah strengthen our iman, teach us His knowledge and help us teach others, and grant us tawfiq to practice what we know and spread His Deen. Ameen.

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Related Archive

Forgotten Knowledge

Counsels on Following the Book and Sunnah - Imam Al-Haddad (Book of Assistance)

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

Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Counsels on Following the Book and Sunnah

You must hold fast to the Book and the Sunnah. Take refuge in them, for they are the upright religion of Allah, and His straight path. Those who adhere to them find safety, profit, guidance and protection, while those who deviate from them go astray, grieve, lose, and are broken. Let them govern you and control what you do, and consult them in your every affair, in obedience to the counsel of Allah and that of His Messenger; O you who believe! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger, and those in authority among you. If you have a dispute concerning any matter, refer it to Allah and the Messenger, if you believe in Allah and the Last Day. That is better and of fairer consequence. [Qur'an, An-Nisa' 4:59]

Refer it to Allah and the Messenger means, 'refer it to the Book and Sunnah.' The Messenger of Allah, may blessings and peace be upon him, has said: 'I bid you take care of that with which, if you hold to it firmly, you will never err: the Book of Allah and my Sunnah.'If it pleases you to be well guided along the white road in which there is neither crookedness nor curvature, [Qur'an, Ta-Ha 20:107], then measure all your intentions, traits, acts, and words against the Book and Sunnah, then retain whatever conforms to them and abandon whatever does not. And always be cautious and follow the better alternative. Never innovate in religion, nor follow the ways of the non-believers, or else you will lose both this world and the hereafter, which thing is the manifest loss. Beware of novel things and invented opinions, for he has said, may blessings and peace be upon him: 'Every addition is an innovation, and every innovation is an error.' And: 'Anyone who adds to this affair of ours what does not belong to it is to be rejected.

There are three kinds of innovations.

The first is a 'good innovation', which is that which the well-guided leaders have opined in conformity with the Book and Sunna, intending to choose that which is more beneficial, more useful, and finer, as tor example Abu Bakr's collection of the whole Qur'an into one volume, 'Umar's institution of military pensions and of the Taraweeh prayers, 'Uthman's arrangement of the Qur'an and institution of a first call to prayer on Friday, and 'All's rules for fighting heretical rebels. May Allah bestow His good pleasure upon the four Caliphs.

The second kind of innovation is one that is 'blameworthy only from the point of view of renunciation and contentment,' such as the excessive use of licit clothes, foodstuffs, and houses.

The third kind is the 'absolutely blameworthy innovation', which contradicts the provisions of the Book and Sunnah, or the consensus of the nation. Innovators have fallen into this very frequently with regards the principles [usul], but infrequently with regard to the branches [furu]. The one who does not adhere exceedingly to the Book and Sunnah, and does not do his utmost to emulate the Messenger, and then pretends that he has a certain degree before Allah the Exalted, should not be paid attention to, nor attended, even if he be able to fly in the air and walk on water, and have distances folded up and the laws of nature broken for him. This happens frequently to demons, magicians, soothsayers, talisman makers, astrologers, and others who are similarly in error. These can only be considered charisma karamat] and confirmation, and not enticements and delusion, when rectitude [istiqama] is present in the one in whom they appear. Such deceivers can only deceive the rabble and the base people who worship Allah while harboring doubts.

As for those endowed with reason and intelligence, they know full well that believers differ in their nearness to Allah according to the differences between them in following the Messenger, and the more complete the emulation, the more perfect the nearness to Allah, and the greater the gnosis of Him. Abu Yazid al-Bistaml once went to visit a man who was said to be a saint. He sat down waiting for him in a mosque, until the man came out and spat on the wall of the mosque, at which Abu Yazid went away without speaking to him. He said: 'How can one be entrusted with Allah's secrets who is not careful to maintain the courtesies of the Law?' Al-Junayd, may Allah have mercy on him, has said: 'All roads are blocked except to him who follows in the footsteps of the Messenger, may blessings and peace be upon him.' And Sahl ibn 'Abd-Allah [al-Tustari], may Allah have mercy on him, has said: 'There is no helper but Allah, no guide but the Messenger of Allah, no provision but taqwa, and no work but to have fortitude (patience) in these things.'

Know that not everyone is capable of independently evaluating all his affairs, outward and inward, against the Book and Sunnah, for only erudite scholars can do this. Should you ever find difficulty doing so, go to one of those to whom Allah commanded you have recourse in His saying (Exalted is He): So ask the people of remembrance if you do not know. [Qur'an, An-Nahl 16:43]

The people of remembrance are those who have knowledge of Allah and His religion, practice what they know for His sake, have no desire for the world, are not distracted by commerce from His remembrance, [Qur'an, An-Nur 24:37], summon to Him clear-sightedly, [Qur'an, Yusuf 12:108], and to whom His secrets are unveiled. The presence of one such on the face of the earth has become so rare that some great men have even said that they no longer exist. The truth is that they do exist, but because of the unawareness of the elite and the turning away of the commonalty, Allah has hidden them under the cloak of His possessiveness and surrounded them with veils of obscurity. However, those who seek them with sincerity and zeal will not, by Allah's Will, fail to find one of them.

Sincerity is a sword that is never used against anything without cutting it. The earth is never without those who uphold the matter for Allah. And the Prophet has said, may blessings and peace be upon him: 'A group in my nation will always exist, victoriously defending the truth, unharmed by those who oppose them, until the command of Allah arrives.' These are the stars of the earth, the carriers of the Trust, the deputies of the Chosen One, and the heirs of the Prophets; Allah is well-pleased with them, and they are well-pleased with Him. Those are the party of Allah; indeed, the party of Allah are those who will succeed.[Qur'an, Al-Mujadila 58:22]

May Allah guide us to excellence and grant us perfect love for is beloved Messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace) and allow us to perfect our following of him. Ameen.

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Let's Read Surah Kahf Today (Friday) -- Prioritizing Our Lives and Doing Righteous Deeds

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

Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Everyday is an opportunity to try to gain Allah's love. Everything we do on this earth, whether it be seeking knowledge, helping people, entertaining guests, earning a livelihood, offering a sacrificial animal, reciting Qur'an and other acts of worship (obligatory or otherwise) or even mundane acts, should be for the love of Allah, and none besides.

إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ إِنَّا لَا نُضِيعُ أَجْرَ‌ مَنْ أَحْسَنَ عَمَلًا ﴿٣٠﴾ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ لَهُمْ جَنَّـٰتُ عَدْنٍ تَجْرِ‌ى مِن تَحْتِهِمُ ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُ‌ يُحَلَّوْنَ فِيهَا مِنْ أَسَاوِرَ‌ مِن ذَهَبٍ وَيَلْبَسُونَ ثِيَابًا خُضْرً‌ۭا مِّن سُندُسٍ وَإِسْتَبْرَ‌قٍ مُّتَّكِـِٔينَ فِيهَا عَلَى ٱلْأَرَ‌آئِكِ ۚ نِعْمَ ٱلثَّوَابُ وَحَسُنَتْ مُرْ‌تَفَقًا ﴿٣١

Indeed, those who have believed and done righteous deeds - indeed, We will not allow to be lost the reward of any who did well in deeds. (30) Those will have gardens of perpetual residence; beneath them rivers will flow. They will be adorned therein with bracelets of gold and will wear green garments of fine silk and brocade, reclining therein on adorned couches. Excellent is the reward, and good is the resting place. (31)

[Qur'an, Al-Kahf 18:30-31]

We want Allah to love us because our entire life, this temporal life and the eternal life of the Hereafter, depended Him alone. That Day will come sooner than we thought, starting with our own death. Allah reminds us don't see that Day as far, it is close.

إِنَّهُمْ يَرَ‌وْنَهُۥ بَعِيدًا ﴿٦﴾ وَنَرَ‌ىٰهُ قَرِ‌يبًا ﴿٧

Indeed, they see it [as] distant, (6) But We see it [as] near. (7)

[Qur'an, Al-Ma'rij 70:6]

Our view of Judgment Day is that 'we have a long way to go till it comes." We don't see it as near because we are busy with this dunya. We let materialism takes over our lives. There are deaths everywhere. I lost 2 of my younger siblings this year within a span of less than 2 months. Just in the past few weeks, we heard so many deaths in just one place -- Makkah/Mina. These are reminders that our turn is coming. What have we prepared for that Day?

This Surah keeps reminding us at least every Friday to prioritize our lives and prepare for the Day.

ٱلْمَالُ وَٱلْبَنُونَ زِينَةُ ٱلْحَيَو‌ٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا ۖ وَٱلْبَـٰقِيَـٰتُ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتُ خَيْرٌ‌ عِندَ رَ‌بِّكَ ثَوَابًا وَخَيْرٌ‌ أَمَلًا ﴿٤٦﴾ وَيَوْمَ نُسَيِّرُ‌ ٱلْجِبَالَ وَتَرَ‌ى ٱلْأَرْ‌ضَ بَارِ‌زَةً وَحَشَرْ‌نَـٰهُمْ فَلَمْ نُغَادِرْ‌ مِنْهُمْ أَحَدًا ﴿٤٧

Wealth and children are [but] adornment of the worldly life. But the enduring good deeds are better to your Lord for reward and better for [one's] hope. (46) And [warn of] the Day when We will remove the mountains and you will see the earth prominent, and We will gather them and not leave behind from them anyone. (47)

[Qur'an, Al-Kahf 18:46-47]

The way we prepare ourselves is to make a conscious effort to obey Allah and His Messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace).

قُلْ إِنَّمَآ أَنَا۠ بَشَرٌ‌ۭ مِّثْلُكُمْ يُوحَىٰٓ إِلَىَّ أَنَّمَآ إِلَـٰهُكُمْ إِلَـٰهٌ وَ‌ٰحِدٌ ۖ فَمَن كَانَ يَرْ‌جُوا۟ لِقَآءَ رَ‌بِّهِۦ فَلْيَعْمَلْ عَمَلًا صَـٰلِحًا وَلَا يُشْرِ‌كْ بِعِبَادَةِ رَ‌بِّهِۦٓ أَحَدًۢا ﴿١١٠

Say, "I am only a man like you, to whom has been revealed that your god is one God. So whoever would hope for the meeting with his Lord - let him do righteous work and not associate in the worship of his Lord anyone." (110)

[Qur'an, Al-Kahf 18:110]

رَ‌بَّنَآ ءَاتِنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَ‌حْمَةً وَهَيِّئْ لَنَا مِنْ أَمْرِ‌نَا رَ‌شَدًا

Our Lord, grant us from Yourself mercy and prepare for us from our affair right guidance. Ameen.

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Don't Miss the Fasting on Day of Arafah and the Starting of Eid Takbirs

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

The day we all have been anxiously waiting for, the Day of 'Arafah, is on the horizon. 9th Dhu'l-Hijjah is also known as ‘the Day of 'Arafah,’ because the pilgrims at Hajj gather at `Arafah in worship, which is one of the three central integrals of the Hajj rituals. Its importance is such that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Hajj is 'Arafah.”

The Day of `Arafah is important for those not at Hajj as well. We should never lose sight of the purpose of our existence ever, which is to worship none other than Allah Almighty, and we have very little time left do this.

كُلُّ مَنْ عَلَيْهَا فَانٍ ﴿٢٦﴾ وَيَبْقَىٰ وَجْهُ رَبِّكَ ذُو ٱلْجَلَـٰلِ وَٱلْإِكْرَامِ ﴿٢٧﴾ فَبِأَىِّ ءَالَآءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ ﴿٢٨

Whatsoever is on it (the earth) will perish. (26) And the Face of your Lord full of Majesty and Honor will remain forever. (27) So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny? (28)

[Qur'an, Ar-Rahman 55:26-28]

So, Allah has given us this tremendous opportunity and favor to connect ourselves to the way of Mercy -- the way of knowledge, the way of the shining light of the beloved Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace).

لَقَدْ جَآءَكُمْ رَسُولٌ مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ عَزِيزٌ عَلَيْهِ مَا عَنِتُّمْ حَرِيصٌ عَلَيْكُم بِٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ رَءُوفٌ رَّحِيمٌ ﴿١٢٨

There has certainly come to you a Messenger from among yourselves. Grievous to him is what you suffer; [he is] concerned over you and to the believers is kind and merciful. (128)

[Qur'an, At-Tawba 9:128]

وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَـٰكَ إِلَّا رَحْمَةً لِّلْعَـٰلَمِينَ ﴿١٠٧

And We have not sent you, [O Muhammad], except as a mercy to the worlds. (107)

[Qur'an, Al-Anbiya' 21:107]

These are challenging times for Muslims as individuals and as an Ummah. But we need to remember that both the Qur'an and Prophetic guidance tell us that our collective condition is the result of a disconnect from the way of Mercy.

The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) taught us to fast on the 9th Dhu’l-Hijjah with the promise that this would wipe away the wrongdoings of the previous year and the wrongdoings of the year to come.

It is a time to turn to Allah to ask for forgiveness and for our needs to be answered. There is nothing to stop any of us setting aside a little time on the Day of Arafah, especially from Asr to Maghrib, to do so. In doing so we imitate the people standing at Arafah, to whom forgiveness is guaranteed and we ask Allah to give to us what he is giving to them.

“The one who imitates a people is one of them.”

Let Allah see our desire for His mercy and His forgiveness especially at that blessed time and let us have no doubt that we will be encompassed by His immense generosity.

We should divide this time between reading the Qur’an (especially Surat al-Ikhlas), sending prayers upon the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, and other forms of remembrance, particularly tahlil, or proclaiming the oneness of Allah.

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

“The best du‘ā’ is the du‘ā’ of the Day of Arafah. The best thing which I and the Prophets before me have said is:

لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لاَ شَرِيكَ لَهُ، لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَ لَهُ الْحَمْدُ وَ هَو عَلَى كُلِّ شَيءٍ قَدِيرٍ

“There is no god but Allah, alone, He has no partners. To Him belongs the dominion and all praise and He has power over all things.”

If it is possible to gather with a group of people at that time then the reward is greater and the chance of acceptance is higher. This was the way of Sayyiduna `Abdullah Ibn `Abbas and other Companions.

Eid Takbirs

The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and grant him peace, taught us to fill these blessed days and nights with the remembrance of Allah generally and specifically with the takbir in which we express Allah’s greatness and transcendence. We should make the takbir after every prayer (fard or nafl) from Fajr on 9th Dhu’l-Hijjah until Asr on the 13th Dhu'l-Hijjah, the final day of the three days of tashriq. Thus, these takbirs last 5 days, and 23 prayers.

The takbirs:

Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, La ilaha illa Llahu.

Wa Llahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar wa lillahi Lhamd .

( اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ لَا إلَهَ إلَّا اللَّهُوَاَللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ وَلِلَّهِ الْحَمْدُ )

(Allah is the greatest, Allah is the greatest, there is no god but Allah.

And Allah is the greatest, Allah is the greatest and to Allah belongs all praise.)

We should also fill the night before Eid with takbir from Maghrib up until the Eid prayer. On this night only the takbir is not limited to being read after the prayer, but rather it should be read at all times in our houses and mosques and in the streets (without causing disturbance). We should read it with our hearts filled with the greatness of Allah so that we are not merely repeating words without experiencing their meaning.

It is a sunnah to give life to the night before Eid, meaning spending whatever time we are able to during that night in worship and remembrance (reciting Qur'an, etc) such that the night comes alive. The least we should do is to pray Maghrib, Isha and Fajr in congregation and then devote whatever time we are able to Allah.

It is mentioned in the hadith that whoever gives life to the nights before the two Eids Allah will give life to his heart on the day when hearts die. What is primarily meant is safety on the Day of Judgment but even in this life the majority of people’s hearts are dead, starved of the remembrance of Allah and heedless of the return to Him. Remembering Allah on nights such as these, however, when most people are busy with other things, will give life and tranquility to our hearts. Eid then will be a true celebration, an expression of our gratitude to Allah for the ability to worship and remember Him in the previous days and nights.

How was the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and grant him peace, ordered to show his gratitude to Allah for the immense good that he was given? “So pray to your Lord and sacrifice” (Surah al-Kawthar), which refers to the Eid Prayer and the sacrifice.

May Allah adorn our hearts and tongues with His remembrance and our bodies with acts of worship. May Allah bless you, your families, loved ones and the Ummah. May Allah grant us all to be of those freed from the Hellfire and to be ones He loves and looks on with His Endless Mercy. May He unite our hearts with those on Hajj, unite the hearts of this Ummah and give relief to those who are suffering and accept our efforts out of His endless Grace. May Allah reunite us always in the best of states and in the highest Paradise forever. Allahumma amin.

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Another form of takbir.

اللهُ أَكبرُ اللهُ أَكبرُ اللهُ أَكبر , لا إله إلا الله , والله أكبر الله أكبر ولِلَّهِ الحَمْد

“Allah is most great, there is no god but Him, all praise belongs to Him.”

(three times)

الله أكبرُ كَبيرا والحمدُ لله كثيرا وسُبْحانَ اللهِ بُكْرَةً وأَصيلاَ

لا إله إلا الله ولا نَعْبُدُ إلا إِيَّاهُ مُخْلِصِين لَهُ الدِّينَ وَلَوْ كَرِهَ الكافِرون

“There is no god but Him and we worship none but Him in complete sincerity even if the disbelievers dislike it.”

لا إله إلا الله وَحْدَه صَدَقَ وَعْدَه ونَصَرَ عَبْدَه وأَعَزَّ جُنْدَه وهَزَمَ الأَحْزَابَ وَحْدَه

لا إله إلا الله واللهُ أكبرْ اللهُ أكبرْ ولِلَّهِ الحَمْد

“There is no god but Him alone. He fulfilled His promise, gave victory to His slave, made mighty His forces and He alone destroyed the Confederates. Allah is most great, there is no god but Him, all praise belongs to Him.”

The scholars say that whenever it is recommended to remember Allah, it is also recommended to mention His Messenger, Allah bless him and grant him peace. Had it not been for him there would be no `Arafah or Eid or takbir.

For this reason we should add, in honor of our Messenger, his Companions, wives and progeny:

اللهُمَّ صلِّ على سَيِّدِنا مُحمد

وعلى آلِ سَيِّدِنا مُحمد وعلى أَصْحابِ سَيِّدِنا مُحمد

وعلى أَنْصَارِ سَيِّدِنا مُحمد

وعلى أَزْواجِ سَيِّدِنا مُحمد

وعلى ذُرِّيِّةِ سَيِّدِنا مُحمد

وسلِّمْ تَسْليماً كثيراً

Day of Arafah -- the 9th Dhu'l-Hijjah, Fasting and Takbirs Eid

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

The 9th of Dhu’l-Hijjah is also known as ‘the Day of `Arafah,’ because the pilgrims at Hajj gather at `Arafah in worship, which is one of the three central integrals of the Hajj rituals. Its importance is such that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Hajj is `Arafah.”

The Day of `Arafah is important for those not at Hajj as well.

Abu Qatada (Allah be pleased with him) related that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him, his family, and companions) said, “Fasting the Day of `Arafah [9th of Dhu’l-Hijjah] expiates for two years, one prior and one forthcoming.” [Muslim, Abu Dawud, Nasa’i, and Ibn Majah]

Therefore, try not to miss the fasting tomorrow, even for the one on Hajj in the Hanafi school, if it does not weaken the pilgrim from spending the day busy in worship. [Haskafi, Durr; Kasani, Bada’i`]

The Day of `Arafah is one of the days when supplications (du`a) are more likely to be accepted. The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, “The best of supplications are those on the Day of `Arafah.” [Tirmidhi, Ahmad, Malik, and others]

The Takbirs of Eid Start on this Day.

Allah Almighty commanded us to, “Remember Allah through the appointed days.”

... وَٱذْكُرُ‌وا۟ ٱللَّهَ فِىٓ أَيَّامٍ مَّعْدُودَ‌ٰتٍ

[Qur’an, Al-Baqarah 2.203]

Hakim recorded in his Mustadrak, from both Ali and Ammar that they said, “The Messenger of Allah used to… make the takbirs from the Fajr prayer of the Day of `Arafah and would stop them after the Asr prayer of the final day of the Days of Tashriq [13th of Dhu’l Hijjah].”

Legal status:

It is necessary (wajib) for every Muslim (male or female, whether praying in congregation or alone) to make the following takbir (declaration of the greatness of Allah) immediately after each obligatory (fard) prayer.

Time:

From: the Fajr Prayer on the 9th of Dhu’l-Hijjah (the Day of `Arafah)

To: the Asr Prayer on the 13th of Dhu’l-Hijjah.

Thus, these takbirs last 5 days, and 23 prayers.

The takbirs:

Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, La ilaha illa Llahu.

Wa Llahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar wa lillahi Lhamd .

( اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ لَا إلَهَ إلَّا اللَّهُوَاَللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ وَلِلَّهِ الْحَمْدُ )

(Allah is the greatest, Allah is the greatest, there is no god but Allah.

And Allah is the greatest, Allah is the greatest and to Allah belongs all praise.)

Rulings related to this:

1. The wajib is to recite this takbir once. If done more than this, it is good. [Haskafi, Durr, quoting `Ayni]

2. The position related above that it is obligatory for 23 prayers, whether in congregation or alone, for every Muslim, is the position of Abu Hanifa’s students, Abu Yusuf and Muhammad ibn al-Hasan, and it is the position acted upon and chosen for fatwa, because of the strength of their evidence and the inherited practice being on it, and because it is more cautious. [Durrand Ibn Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar; al-Fatawa al-Hindiyya, quoting al-Zahidi] Abu Hanifa’s position, that it lasts only 8 prayers, is supported by evidence, too, though, including the practice of some major Companions such as Ibn Mas`ud (Allah be pleased with him), and was taken by some major Hanafi imams, though a minority, such as Ibn al-Humam in his Fath al-Qadir.

3. It is not wrong (rather, it is recommended) to also perform it after the Eid prayer itself because the Muslims have performed it generation after generation, so it is proper to follow their inherited practice (that has been accepted by generation after generation of scholars). [Durr and Radd al-Muhtar]

4. The followers must perform it, even if the imam leaves it. [Durr]

5. Latecomers [those who missed one or more rakat of the congregational prayer] must perform it, but after completing their prayer.

6. It is necessary for the congregation to perform it out loud. [Ibn Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar, quoting Quhustani]

7. It is necessary to make the takbirs immediately after the salams. If one talks, loses one’s wudu, or performs other actions completely foreign to the prayer, one has missed the wajib. [al-Fatawa al-Hindiyya;Durr]

And Allah alone gives success.

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

source: seekershub.org

Prepare for Divine Mercy and Bounty on the Day of Arafah (9th Dhu'l-Hijjah)

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

We are approaching the climax of the magnificent ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah, which is the Day of `Arafah (9th Dhu’l-Hijjah).

It is the day on which the religion was perfected and Allah’s Favor was completed. It was reported from ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) that a Jewish man said to him, “O Ameer al-Mu’mineen, there is an aayah (verse) in your Book which you recite; if it had come to us Jews, we would have taken that day as an ‘Eid (festival).” ‘Umar said, “Which aayah?” He said: “This day I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion.” [al-Ma’idah 5:3 – interpretation of the meaning]. ‘Umar said, “We know on which day and in which place that was revealed to the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace). It was when he was standing in ‘Arafah on a Friday.” {Bukhari & Muslim]

On this day there is an immense outpouring of Divine mercy and bounty and it is considered by many scholars to be the best day of the year.

On this day Allah descends to the nearest heaven in a manner that suits His Majesty, and He is proud of His slaves on the earth and says to those in heaven, “Look at My servants. They have come from far and near, with hair disheveled and faces covered with dust, to seek My mercy, even though they have not seen My chastisement. Far more people are freed from the Hellfire on the Day of Arafah than on any other day.” (Abu Ya’la, Ibn Khzayma, al-Bazzar and Ibn Hibban)

It is the day of forgiveness of sins, freedom from the Fire and pride in the people who are there: It was narrated from Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: “There is no day on which Allah frees more people from the Fire than the Day of ‘Arafah. He comes close and expresses His pride to the angels, saying, ‘What do these people want?’” [Muslim]

It has also been narrated that anyone who has an atom’s weight of faith in their heart will be forgiven by Allah on this day, whether or not they actually stand at `Arafah. [Abū Dāūd]

Intend to Fast on Day of Arafah if not on Hajj

The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) taught those not on Ḥajj to fast on this day with the promise that this would wipe away the wrongdoings of the previous year and the wrongdoings of the year to come. [Muslim, Aḥmad, Abū Dāūd and al-Nasā’ī]

What is meant by the wrongdoings of the coming year being wiped out? The scholars mention that it is either protection from falling into them in the coming year or that if we fall into them, we will be forgiven. The wrongdoings mentioned are “minor” sins between a person and Allah, not cases where one person has wronged another. This is an immense gift from Allah to the Ummah of His Beloved (Allah bless him and grant him peace). There is no day better in the sight of Allah than the Day of Arafah.

Repentance and Asking for Forgiveness

We should turn to Allah to ask for forgiveness and for our needs to be answered, especially in the afternoon of this day. In doing so we imitate the people standing at `Arafah, to whom forgiveness is guaranteed, and we ask Allah to give to us what He is giving to them. As the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: “The one who imitates a people is one of them.”[Abū Dāūd and Aḥmad]

Reciting the Qur'an

We should apportion some time to recite the Qur’ān. It has been narrated that whoever reads Sūrat al-Ikhlāṣ one thousand times will be given whatever they ask for. [al-Hindī in Kanz al-`Ummā]

Sending Blessings upon the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) and other Remembrance

We should also bestow prayers upon the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace), and spend time in other forms of remembrance, particularly tahlīl, or proclaiming the oneness of Allah.

The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: “The best prayer is the prayer of the Day of `Arafah. The best thing which I and the Prophets before me have said is:

لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لاَ شَرِيكَ لَهُ، لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَ لَهُ الْحَمْدُ وَ هَو عَلَى كُلِّ شَيءٍ قَدِيرٍ

Lā ilāha ill’Allāhu waḥdahu lā sharīka lahu, lahu’l-mulku wa lahu’l-ḥamdu wa `alā kulli shayin qadīr

“There is no god but Allah, alone, He has no partners. To Him belongs the dominion and all praise and He has power over all things.” [al-Tirmidhī]

Another narration contains the following addition to the previous prayer:

اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْ في قَلْبي نُوراً و في سَمْعِي نوراً و في بَصَري نوراً ، اللَّهُمَّ اشْرِحْ لي صَدْرِي وَيَسِّرْ لي أَمْرِي

Allāhumma’j`al fī qalbī nūran wa fī sam`ī nūran wa fī baṣarī nūran. Allāhumma’shraḥ lī ṣadrī wa yassir lī amrī

“O Allah, place light in my heart, my hearing and my sight. O Allah, My Lord bring tranquility to my heart and give me ease in my affair.” [al-Bayhaqī]

Sayyidunā `Alī (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the supplication that the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) made most on the Day of `Arafah was:

اللَّهُمَّ لَكَ الحَمْدُ كَالَّذي نَقُولُ وخَيْراً مِمَّا نَقُولُ اللَّهُمَّ لَكَ صَلاتِي ونُسُكِي ومَحْيَايَ ومَمَاتِي وإِلَيْكَ مَآبِي ولَكَ رَبِّ تُرَاثِي اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ عَذابِ القَبْرِ ووَسْوَسَةِ الصَّدْرِ وشَتَاتِ الأَمْرِ اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِن شَرِّ ما تَهُبُّ بِهِ الرِّيحُ

Allāhumma laka’l-ḥamdu kalladhī naqūlu wa kharyan mimmā naqūlu. Allāhumma laka ṣalātī wa nusukī wa maḥyāya mamātī wa ilayka ma`ābi wa laka rabbi turāthī. Allāhumma innī a`ūdhu bika min `adhābi’l-qabri wa waswasati’l-ṣadri wa shatāt al-amri. Allāhumma innī a`ūdhu bika min sharri mā tahubbu bihi arrīḥ

“O Allah, to You belongs all praise, as we praise You and better than that. O Allah, my prayer, worship, life and death are for You, and to You is my return. Everything I possess, my Lord, returns to You. O Allah, I seek refuge in You from the punishment of the grave, the whispering of the devil and from my affairs being in disarray. O Allah I seek refuge in You from the evil which the wind carries” [al-Tirmidhī]

May Allah accept our worship and good deeds and forgive all our sins and shortcomings. May Allah grant the pilgrims an accepted hajj, make them remember to make du'a for us, and grant us the opportunity to perform hajj next year. Ameen.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

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The Day of Arafah: Important for Hajjis and Non-Hajjis

Counsels on Remembrance -- Imam Al-Haddad (Book of Assistance)

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Advice of Habib Husayn al-Saqqaf (may Allah preserve him and benefit us by him):

In these blessed days of remembrance, you should focus on two things:

1. Realizing the greatness of Allah and His remembrance. Allah says: “Truly Allah’s remembrance is greater [Qur'an, Al-Ankabut 29:45].” When you say “Allahu Akbar” you must realize in your heart that Allah is greater than everything else that you hold in high esteem. Then everything in creation will dwindle into insignificance and only Allah will remain in your heart. Realize that Allah is greater than yourself and all the things that your heart is attached to. Realize that Allah is the greatest, for if your heart is overcome with veneration for Him, that feeling will settle in your inner being and your heart will be in a state of submissiveness to Him. This will then lead to another type of remembrance which is:

2. Remembering Allah with more fervor, as indicated in the verse (referring to those performing hajj): “Remember Allah as you used to remember your forefathers, but with more fervor [Qur'an, Al-Baqarah 2:200].”

Imagine how you remember your family when you are apart from them or how you remember someone who was very dear to you who has passed away. How do you remember someone you yearn for? You need to remember Allah with a greater yearning. Remembering Allah with fervor does not mean articulating the words with fervor. Rather it means remembering Him with intense love. Allah says: “Those who believe are more fervent in their love for Allah (2:165).” You must remember Allah with intense passion, yearning and fervor. Say the Divine Name “Allah” with every atom of your body and with all your emotions. This is what is intended.

Every time you remember Allah, He remembers you – as expressed in a Hadith Qudsi: “I am as My servant believes Me to be, and I am present with him when he remembers Me”. Experience being “with Him.” Taste the sweetness of your Lord’s words when He says “I am with him.” Imagine how you would feel, you weak, needy and negligent slave, if He says to you, “I am with you”? Allah is your constant Companion – so reflect upon this.

Counsels on Remembrance

You should have a wird of remembering Allah [dhikr], which you must define with either a determined time or number. Under these circumstances there is no harm in using a rosary (beads) to keep count.

Know that remembrance is, as a gnostic once said, the pillar of the Path, the key to realization, the weapon of the seekers, and the unfolding of sainthood.

Allah the Exalted has said:

فَٱذْكُرُ‌ونِىٓ أَذْكُرْ‌كُمْ وَٱشْكُرُ‌وا۟ لِى وَلَا تَكْفُرُ‌ونِ

Remember Me and I shall remember you, [Qur'an, Al-Baqarah 2:152] and:

فَٱذْكُرُ‌وا۟ ٱللَّهَ قِيَـٰمًا وَقُعُودًا وَعَلَىٰ جُنُوبِكُمْ

...Remember Allah while standing, sitting, and on your sides, [Qur'an, An-Nisa 4:103] and:

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱذْكُرُ‌وا۟ ٱللَّهَ ذِكْرً‌ۭا كَثِيرً‌ۭا

O you who believe! Remember Allah abundantly. [Qur'an, Al-Ahzab 33:41]

The Messenger of Allah, may blessings and peace be upon him, has said: 'Allah the Exalted says: "I am as My servant thinks Me to be, and am with him when he remembers Me: when he remembers Me within himself I remember him within Myself, and when he remembers Me in a company I remember him in a better company."' And: 'Allah says: "I am the companion of him who remembers Me.'" And: 'Shall I not inform you of the best of your actions, the purest in the sight of your Lord, and the most elevating to your degrees, which is better for you than spending gold and silver, and than meeting your enemy so that you strike at their necks and they strike at yours?' They said: 'Yes,' And he said: 'The remembrance of Allah.'

Remembrance has fruits and consequences which those who persevere in it with good manners and attentiveness find. The least of these is to find it so sweet and pleasurable that every worldly pleasure that one knows becomes insignificant. The highest is to become extinct in the Remembered, to the remembrance, and to all else.

The one who sits in a secluded place, in a state of purity, facing the Qibla, keeping his limbs still and his head down, and then remembers Allah with an attentive heart and complete courtesy, will see in his heart a manifest influence of the remembrance. If he perseveres, the lights of proximity will descend upon his heart, and the secrets of the unseen will become unveiled for him.

The best remembrance is that which involves both the tongue and the heart. The remembrance of the heart is to be fully aware of the meaning of that which flows from the tongue, for example the meaning of transcendence and unification when one utters the words of glorification and unification [tasbih and tahlil].

Out of remembering and reciting aloud or silently, what is most useful for the invoker is that which is better for his heart. Remembrance is the continual, permanent wird, so strive to keep your tongue moist with it in all circumstances, except at times where another wird, for example recitation or reflection, is due which cannot be done at the same time as dhikr. These and other devotions are, however, included in the more general sense of remembrance.

Do not confine yourself to only one kind of dhikr, you should rather have a wird of every variety.

Be careful to keep to the textually transmitted invocations and prayers which follow the ritual prayers, and morning and evening, before going to sleep and on waking, and at all other specified times and recurrent occasions. The Messenger of Allah, may blessings and peace be upon him, made them sunnas only so that his nation would find in them the means for obtaining the goodness and escaping the evil which occur at these times and occasions. The one who, having neglected them, suffers something he dislikes, and is separated from his Beloved, should blame only himself. Anyone who wishes to practice that which we have mentioned should consult the imam al-Nawawi's book, al-Adhkar (The Invocations), may Allah have mercy on him and reward him well on behalf of all Muslims.

The most emphasized of that which is reported as following the ritual prayers is to say after each prescribed prayer: 'Allahumma a'inni 'ala dhikrika wa shukrika wa husni 'ibddatika. [O Allah, Help me to remember You, thank You, and worship You well.] and to recite the tasbih, tahmid, and takbir thirty three times each, and to complete the count to a hundred by saying: 'La ilaha illa'llahu wahdahu la sharika lahu, lahu'l mulku wa lahul hamdu, wa huwa 'ala kulli shay'in qadir.' [There is no Allah save Allah alone, He has no partners, His is sovereignty, and His is all praise, and He has power to do all things.] Repeat this sentence ten times after the dawn, afternoon and sunset prayers, before moving your legs and before talking, and add to it: 'yuhyi wa-yumit,' [He gives life and He gives death] after lahul-hamdu. Say also morning and evening: 'Subhan Allahi, wa'l-hamdu lil'llahi, wa-la ilaha illa'llahu, wa'l llahu akbar,' [Transcendent is Allah, all praise belongs to Allah, there is no Allah but Allah, and Allah is Greater], one hundred times, and: 'La ilaha illa'llahu wahdahu la sharika lahu, lahu'l-mulku, wa lahu'l-hamdu, wa huwa 'ala kulli shay'in qadir one hundred times each day.

Adopt a wird of prayers for the Messenger of Allah, may blessings and peace be upon him, for this will be a connection between you and the Prophet, and a door through which assistance from his presence flows in abundance to you. He has said, may blessings and peace be upon him: 'The one who prays on me once, upon him Allah prays ten times.' And: 'The most beloved to me and the nearest in sitting to me on the Day of Rising are those of you who pray on me the most.' Allah has exhorted you to do this, so obey, do it abundantly if you wish, add salutations [salaam], and include his family. In particular, repeat it frequently on Thursday night and on Friday, for he has said, may blessings and peace be upon him: 'Increase the number of your prayers on me in the White Night and the Bright Day.' May Allah bless him and his family, and grant them peace. And praise belongs to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds.

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Towards a Harmonious Marriage

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

One of the satisfying conversations in a marriage is the one involving future plans and goals in life. You can talk about kids and their lives ahead. And if you don’t have kids just yet, talk about when you intend to have them and how you can plan for them. You can talk about your dreams and aspirations with your spouse and make sure you know your spouse's wants and dreams in life too. But no matter what your dreams and aspirations are, you have to ask yourself ... what am I going to do for Allah's religion (Deen) while I am here?

Marriage is to serve the Deen, to benefit humanity -- for example to produce good teachers, good leaders, good future parents, etc. You can't do it if there is no harmony and stability at home. And so Allah laid down the structure of the family to help us do this.

Your husband is the Ameer (leader), though not an absolute boss. He holds the final decision. A household cannot function if the husband cannot make the final decision. A household cannot function if the wife cannot trust the husband's decision, for the children will eventually learn not to respect either parent's authority and they will squeeze themselves in the middle. Family is destroyed when this structure is broken.

It is true that a righteous spouse is a blessing from Allah. If husbands are responsible for their wives, wives should also remember that you are responsible for yourself and your children.

As the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: Each of you is a shepherd and each of you is responsible for his flock. The Ameer (leader) who governs the people is a shepherd and is responsible for his flock. A man is the shepherd of the members of his household and is responsible for them. A woman is the shepherd of her husband’s house and children and is responsible for them. A slave is the shepherd of his master’s wealth and is responsible for it. Each of you is a shepherd and each of you is responsible for his flock.
[Bukhaari]

A good leader will take care of his wife so well that he didn't have to argue or fight with his wife for his command to be obeyed. Why? Because a good wife would hate to disappoint her husband. The head of household don't blow up when his command is not obeyed. On the rare occasion when the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) got angry, he was silent. So, if you want to follow the Sunnah, your anger should be silent.

If the husband does his job as an Ameer well, the wife's job is not to take advantage of him. Just because your husband doesn't say anything, doesn't yell or scream, that doesn't mean you have an open license and do whatever you want. There has to be some respect and sensitivity towards his leadership and requests.

The Prophetic model of being patient and forgiving leaves the leash a little loose which may be taken advantage but Allah did not let that happen in the Prophetic household because harmony in the Prophetic household is crucial in his da'wah. Allah says,

ن تَتُوبَآ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ فَقَدْ صَغَتْ قُلُوبُكُمَا ۖ وَإِن تَظَـٰهَرَ‌ا عَلَيْهِ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ مَوْلَىٰهُ وَجِبْرِ‌يلُ وَصَـٰلِحُ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ ۖ وَٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ بَعْدَ ذَ‌ٰلِكَ ظَهِيرٌ‌ ﴿٤﴾ عَسَىٰ رَ‌بُّهُۥٓ إِن طَلَّقَكُنَّ أَن يُبْدِلَهُۥٓ أَزْوَ‌ٰجًا خَيْرً‌ۭا مِّنكُنَّ مُسْلِمَـٰتٍ مُّؤْمِنَـٰتٍ قَـٰنِتَـٰتٍ تَـٰٓئِبَـٰتٍ عَـٰبِدَ‌ٰتٍ سَـٰٓئِحَـٰتٍ ثَيِّبَـٰتٍ وَأَبْكَارً‌ۭا ﴿٥

If you two [wives] repent to Allah, [it is best], for your hearts have deviated. But if you cooperate against him - then indeed Allah is his protector, and Gabriel and the righteous of the believers and the angels, moreover, are [his] assistants. (4) Perhaps his Lord, if he divorced you [all], would substitute for him wives better than you - submitting [to Allah], believing, devoutly obedient, repentant, worshiping, and traveling - [ones] previously married and virgins. (5) [Qur'an, A-Tahrim 66:4-5]

Both husband and wife have to understand their roles. The husband has to understand what it mean to lead a family. The wife has to understand what it means to be a "qaanitat" to Allah and to her husband.

There is not a human on earth who like to be told what to do. It takes a lot of work to obey the other person. Men and women just don't like it. So give as little instructions as possible.

Husbands should try to only give instruction when absolutely necessary. Be as independent as you can be. Expect as little from your wife because when she does something you will be very happy. If you didn't do this, then your life will amount to making a list of things she didn't do. If you learn to become more independent, just like before you get married, and on top of that you take care of her needs, then you have a very good chance of keeping your family intact.

Many men think that housework is beneath them, and some of them think that it will undermine their status and position if they help their wives with this work. The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace), however, used to sew his own clothes, mend his own shoes and do whatever other workmen do in their homes. [Reported by Imam Ahmad in al-Musnad] This was said by his wife Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her), when she was asked about what the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) used to do in his house; her response described what she herself had seen.

According to another report, she said: "He was like any other human being: he would clean his clothes, milk his ewe and serve himself." (Reported by Imam Ahmad in al-Musnad]

She (may Allah be pleased with her) was also asked about what the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) used to do in his house, and she said, "He used to serve his family, then when the time for prayer came, he would go out to pray." (Bukhaari].

Wives should do something for your husbands too. You should help, be supportive of your husband, not out of religious obligations but out of your desire to please Allah. If you iron your husband's shirt, cook breakfast for him, and a whole list of things you do everyday for him and the family, you don't bring them up in fights. Same goes to the husbands with your wives. Don't bring up all the good that you do for her. The One who needs to appreciate what you do for the other has already appreciated it because you did it to another of His servant.

If couples can keep taqwa at the heart of their marriages, and keep what you are doing for each other for the ihsan and only to please Allah, and bringing up things is out of the question, you will have a happy marriage. Otherwise, you will have a miserable marriage.

We know it's an on-going struggle for many marriages. After all, this dunya is a test and a place to strive in, to make it to our home sweetest home — Jannah.

May Allah make our husbands among the best of husbands, our wives among the best of wives, our children among the best of children, our fathers among the best of fathers, our mothers among the best of mothers, and may Allah bring peace and harmony to our families. Ameen.

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Lessons From Hajj

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

Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

The Hajj links people across religions through a past shared by several Abrahamic traditions. This combined with the Islamic teaching of the common origin of humanity holds out much hope. Indeed, the Qur’an teaches:

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَـٰكُم مِّن ذَكَرٍ‌ۢ وَأُنثَىٰ وَجَعَلْنَـٰكُمْ شُعُوبًا وَقَبَآئِلَ لِتَعَارَ‌فُوٓا۟ ۚ إِنَّ أَكْرَ‌مَكُمْ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ أَتْقَىٰكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌ‌ۭ ﴿١٣

O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted. (13) [Qu'ran, Al-Hujurat 49:13].

This is a great celebration of the differences and at the same time unity of all of humanity.

An essential spiritual message of Hajj is one of humility to Allah and His supremacy and control over all that we know. The multitude of people and their inner beliefs and practices are all to be judged by Allah and Allah alone in His infinite wisdom and full knowledge. Indeed, as the Qur’an insists,

... لَآ إِكْرَ‌اهَ فِى ٱلدِّينِ ۖ قَد تَّبَيَّنَ ٱلرُّ‌شْدُ مِنَ ٱلْغَىِّ

There shall be no compulsion in [acceptance of] the religion. The right course has become clear from the wrong.... [Qur'an, Al-Baqarah 2:256]

The result of a successful Hajj is a rich inner peace, which is manifested outwardly in the values of justice, honesty, respect, generosity, kindness, forgiveness, mercy and empathy. And it is these values – all attributes of Allah almighty — that are indispensable to us all if we are just to get along in this world.

There is a whole Surah dedicated to Hajj in the Qur’an (Chapter Hajj, 22) and there are amazing daily life lessons hidden in this beautiful Surah.

Believing in Allah, your salah, your zakat, fasting in Ramadhan are things that always return in your life. If it’s not daily, then it’s at least yearly. But those who went on Hajj often think that Hajj is the end of the story; ‘I probably won’t go again..’ or ‘ I know I cannot go now anyway..’. so the meaning of the Hajj disappears from their lives.

In the Qur’an we find everlasting lessons. The Qur’an is not something we should struggle to fit into our lives; rather, it is the answer to how to get the most out of our lives. It is a guide to productivity. By acting upon the words of the Qur’an there will be benefit in every moment of your life. Let's bring the lessons from Hajj to your life, whether you already went, never went or are about to go.

Some spiritual lessons from Hajj from the preparation, the travel, the rituals there until the return home.

1) The Travel vs the Journey to the Hereafter.

When you travel to carry out the rituals of Hajj, you are reminded of your journey to Allah and the Hereafter. When you travel, you leave behind your family and homeland, and the journey to the Hereafter is like that. Traveling is difficult and can be tormenting. The journey to the Hereafter is like that and much more. Ahead of you are your dying, death, the grave, the gathering, the accounting, the scales and al-Siraat, followed by either Paradise or Hell.

2) Packing luggage vs the Provision of Taqwa

You equip yourself with enough provision to reach the sacred land. But do you remember the importance to pack your days of life with taqwa (fear of Allah, God consciousness)? Allah says,

ٱلْحَجُّ أَشْهُرٌ‌ۭ مَّعْلُومَـٰتٌ ۚ فَمَن فَرَ‌ضَ فِيهِنَّ ٱلْحَجَّ فَلَا رَ‌فَثَ وَلَا فُسُوقَ وَلَا جِدَالَ فِى ٱلْحَجِّ ۗ وَمَا تَفْعَلُوا۟ مِنْ خَيْرٍ‌ۢ يَعْلَمْهُ ٱللَّهُ ۗ وَتَزَوَّدُوا۟ فَإِنَّ خَيْرَ‌ ٱلزَّادِ ٱلتَّقْوَىٰ ۚ وَٱتَّقُونِ يَـٰٓأُو۟لِى ٱلْأَلْبَـٰبِ ﴿١٩٧

Hajj is [during] well-known months, so whoever has made Hajj obligatory upon himself therein [by entering the state of ihram], there is [to be for him] no sexual relations and no disobedience and no disputing during Hajj. And whatever good you do - Allah knows it. And take provisions, but indeed, the best provision is at-taqwa. And fear Me, O you of understanding. (197) [Qur'an, Al-Baqarah 2:197]

3) Ihraam vs Shroud

When you put on the two garments of your ihraam, you cannot help but be reminded of the shroud in which you will be wrapped [after you die]. Daily remembering death helps you fight disobedience and falling into sins. Just like you have given up your regular clothing [for Hajj] and put on two clean, white garments, you have to make your heart clean and white [pure], by polishing it daily by dhikr and seeking forgiveness.

4) ‘Labbayk Allaahumma labbayk’ vs Watching your tongue

As when we say 'Labbayk', we intend to speak only of obedience to Allah and avoid talk of disobedience. Allah watches us and our speech all the time, so we have to watch our tongue and avoid the two biggest problems we have with this muscle -- gossiping and excessive talking.

5) Haraam vs Halaal

When you are in your ihraam you give up things which are normally halaal for you but which Allah has forbidden to you at this time [during his ihraam]. How then can you violate the prohibitions of Allah by doing things which are haraam at all times and in all places?

6) The Sacred House of Allah vs The Day of Resurrection

When you enter the Sacred House of Allah, which He has made a sanctuary for mankind, you remember the sanctuary of the Day of Resurrection, which no one can reach without striving hard. The greatest thing which will keep a person safe on the Day of Resurrection is Tawheed and avoiding Shirk (associating others with Allah).

7) The Sunnah vs Reasoning

Kissing the Black Stone, which many dream to be given the opportunity to do, tawaaf (going around the Ka'bah 7 times) or throwing pebbles at the Jamarat teaches you to honor the Sunnah and not to oppose the laws of Allah with your feeble reasoning. This is a daily life lesson; you recognize that there is wisdom and goodness behind the laws and rituals prescribed for mankind, and you train yourself to submit yourself totally to your Lord, may He be exalted.

8) Zamzam water vs Water

When you drink the water of Zamzam you are reminded of the blessing which Allah has bestowed upon mankind in the form of this blessed water, which has never dried up. Water plays a central role in our daily life. In fact you are made from water. And what about the daily amount of water which you so easily drink at home? Recognize and thank Allah daily for the blessing of water in general. And do not waste water.

Abdullah ibn Amr reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, passed by Sa’d while he was performing ablution. The Prophet said, “What is this extravagance?” Sa’d said, “Is there extravagance with water in ablution?” The Prophet said, “Yes, even if you were on the banks of a flowing river.” [Ibn Majah]

9) Sa’ee vs Daily life trials

Sa’ee means effort. When you do al-Saa’ee, running between al-Safaa’ and al-Marwah, you are reminded of the trial of Haajar, a mother who was patient in the face of adversity. She didn’t just sit down but trusted her Lord and got into action.

10) The Holy House vs The Lord of The House

When you leave the Ka’bah in the direction of ‘Arafah to begin your Hajj, you are moving away from The House to meet The Lord of The House. ‘Arafah is outside the boundary of the Holy Land (Haram), signifying that the Lord of the House is everywhere, and is closer to man than he is to his own jugular vein.

وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ وَنَعْلَمُ مَا تُوَسْوِسُ بِهِۦ نَفْسُهُۥ ۖ وَنَحْنُ أَقْرَ‌بُ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ حَبْلِ ٱلْوَرِ‌يدِ ﴿١٦

And We have already created man and know what his soul whispers to him, and We are closer to him than [his] jugular vein (16) [Qur'an, Qaf, 50:16]

The standing (wuqoof) in ‘Arafah reminds you of the throngs of people on the Day of Gathering. If you feel tired from being in a crowd of thousands, how will it be in the crowds of barefooted, naked, uncircumcised people, standing for fifty thousand years?

Narrated Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him): The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, “You will be gathered (on the Day of Judgment), bare-footed, naked and not circumcised.” [Bukhari]

11) Pebbles vs Shaytan’s Daily attacks

When you throw the pebbles at the Jamaraat, you realize that Ibrahim (peace be upon him) knew that the one who was preventing him from obeying the Orders of Allah The Almighty was the devil as he was embodied for him three times to prevent him from slaughtering his son. Ibrahim threw seven pebbles at him three times and told him, “You will be thrown by me.” So, the devil was disappointed and turned on his heels. We are dealing with devils from mankind and jinn daily who want to prevent us from getting closer to Allah. Know your enemy and be motivated by Ibrahim to fight the attacks with yaqeen (certainty)!

إِنَّ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنَ لِلْإِنسَـٰنِ عَدُوٌّ مُّبِينٌ ﴿٥ ...

...Indeed Satan, to man, is a manifest enemy. (5) [Qur'an, Yusuf 12:5]

12) Limited Hajj time vs All other days

Hajj teaches us to get used to utilizing time. Time is our capital, you either waste it or invest it. During Hajj, you do great deeds in a period of time that might not exceed four days in different places that are far from each other and crowded. This shows that humans have great potential and latent energy. This is a great lesson for you that teaches you to get used to utilizing time and not wasting it in your daily life.

13) Sacrifice vs Emotions

When you slaughter your sacrifice (hady), you are reminded of the great event when our father Ibrahim submitted to the command of Allah to sacrifice his only son Ismael, after he had grown up and become a help to him. You remind yourself that there is no room for emotions which go against the commands and prohibitions of Allah. And very important; we have to work hard every day to instill sabr in our children like Ismael, who said "‘O my father! Do that which you are commanded. In shaa Allaah, you will find me of al-saabireen (the patient ones).’”

فَلَمَّا بَلَغَ مَعَهُ ٱلسَّعْىَ قَالَ يَـٰبُنَىَّ إِنِّىٓ أَرَ‌ىٰ فِى ٱلْمَنَامِ أَنِّىٓ أَذْبَحُكَ فَٱنظُرْ‌ مَاذَا تَرَ‌ىٰ ۚ قَالَ يَـٰٓأَبَتِ ٱفْعَلْ مَا تُؤْمَرُ‌ ۖ سَتَجِدُنِىٓ إِن شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ مِنَ ٱلصَّـٰبِرِ‌ينَ ﴿١٠٢

And when he reached with him [the age of] exertion, he said, "O my son, indeed I have seen in a dream that I [must] sacrifice you, so see what you think." He said, "O my father, do as you are commanded. You will find me, if Allah wills, of the steadfast." (102) [Qur'an, As-Saffat 37:102]

14) Hardship vs Ease

When you come out of your ihraam and things that had been forbidden become permissible again, teaches you a lesson of life: the consequences of patience and that after hardship comes ease. The one who responds to the call of Allah will taste the sweetness of obedience, which cannot be tasted through anything else. Like the joy you feel when you break your fast or when you pray qiyaam at night, after you have finished praying.

15) Return home vs Reunited in the Eternal Home

When you come back to your spouse and children, and experience the joy of meeting them again, this reminds you of the greater joy of meeting them in Paradise. This also teaches you that the greatest loss is losing oneself and one’s family on the Day of Resurrection. Allah says,

فَٱعْبُدُوا۟ مَا شِئْتُم مِّن دُونِهِۦ ۗ قُلْ إِنَّ ٱلْخَـٰسِرِ‌ينَ ٱلَّذِينَ خَسِرُ‌وٓا۟ أَنفُسَهُمْ وَأَهْلِيهِمْ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ ۗ أَلَا ذَ‌ٰلِكَ هُوَ ٱلْخُسْرَ‌انُ ٱلْمُبِينُ ﴿١٥

So worship what you will besides Him." Say, "Indeed, the losers are the ones who will lose themselves and their families on the Day of Resurrection. Unquestionably, that is the manifest loss." (15) [Qur'an, Az-Zumar 39:15]

Every day is a new page.

When you have finished all the rituals of Hajj as they were prescribed by Allah and in the manner that He loves, you hope that your Lord will forgive you all your sins, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) promised in the hadeeth, “Whoever does Hajj for the sake of Allah and does not have sexual relations (with his wife), commit sin, or dispute unjustly during the hajj, will come back like the day his mother gave birth to him. [Bukhaari & Muslim]

This invites you to start a new page in your life, free of sin. However, every night and every morning Allah gives you a new opportunity, whether you went on Hajj or not, you just have to grab it. Allah, the Exalted, stretches His Hand during the night so that those who commit sins by day may repent, and He stretches His Hand in the day so that those who commit sins by night may repent. He keeps doing so until the sun rises from the West”. [Muslim]

Subhan Allah wa Alhamdulillah wa la ilaha illallahu wa Allahu Akbar wala hawla wala quwwata illa billahi al-Aliyy Al-Adheem

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Counsels on Pilgrimage -- Imam Al-Haddad (Book of Assistance)

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

Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Hasten to perform the obligations of Hajj [Pilgrimage] and 'Umrah [the Smaller Pilgrimage] as soon as you are able. Beware of postponing them while able for you may lose the ability or die while this duty is still incumbent and you will then be deemed neglectful. The Prophet has said, may blessings and peace be upon him: 'The one who is not hindered by an obvious necessity, a disabling sickness, or a tyrannical ruler, and who dies without having performed the Hajj, let him die a Jew if he so chooses, or a Christian if he so chooses.'

Also, whenever able, perform supererogatory acts of Hajj and 'Umrah, just as you perform any other supererogatory devotion. It has been handed down that Allah the Exalted has said: 'Any servant whose body I have made healthy and whose wealth I have made abundant, and who lets five years go by without coming to Me, is an evil servant indeed.

When you decide to go on Hajj, you must learn its necessary acts, its sunnahs, and its invocations. You must also learn how to locate the Qiblah, the concessions allowed during a journey and the associated proprieties, and the invocations to be said during it.

Do not intend both Hajj and commerce at the same time. You should only take such worldly goods as you intend to spend on the road. If you must [trade], then avoid anything that may distract you from the correct performance of and the" due respect for the rites ordained by Allah.

You must visit the Messenger of Allah, may blessings and peace be upon him, for visiting him after his death is like visiting him during his life. He is alive in his grave as are all the other Prophets. It is churlish to go to the House of Allah for Hajj and then neglect to visit Allah's Beloved for no overwhelming reason. Know that if you had come [walking] on your head from the farthest land of Islam to visit him, may blessings and peace be upon him, you would not even have begun to render thanks for the guidance that Allah gave you through him.

When you wish to do something of consequence such as traveling or marrying, consult one of your brothers in whose knowledge and awareness you are confident. If the advice he gives you conforms to what you have in mind then pray two supererogatory rak'as with the intention of making the right choice [Istikhara] and say afterwards the well-known prayer.60 The Prophet has said, may blessings and peace be upon him: 'The one who does istikhara never fails, and the one who consults [others]
never regrets it.'

If you ever make a vow [nadhr] to Allah, whether it takes the form of prayers, charity, or anything else, hasten to fulfill it and do not get used to making frequent vows, for Satan may lure you into this to induce you to default.

If you swear to do something, and then find it better not to do it, or vice versa, then do whatever is best and expiate for your oath. Beware of swearing or testifying on the basis of conjecture, even if you are almost certain, let alone when it is illusory or dubious.

If your oath ever leads you to take another Muslim's money [wrongly], your duty is to return what you have taken and expiate for your oath. This consists in either feeding ten indigent people with a measure of food for each, or clothing them, or setting free a slave. If you can do none of these things then fast three days.

Never swear falsely, for this destroys homes and plunges the one who does it in the fire of Hell.

Beware greatly of false testimony, for it is one of the greatest sins, and the Prophet, may blessings and peace be upon him, has associated it with idolatry. If to abstain from testifying [when able to] is a great sin, what then must be the case with deliberate falsification?

We ask Allah for safety before the advent of regret.

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Counsels on Patience (Sabr) -- Imam Al-Haddad (Book of Assistance)

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

Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Counsels on Patience

You must show patience [sabr]¹, for it is [one of] this matter's foundations and is inescapable as long as you are in this abode. It is a noble trait and a great virtue. Allah the Exalted has said: O you who believe! Seek help in patience and prayer; for indeed Allah is with those who have patience. [Qur'an, Al-Baqarah 2:153] And: And We made them leaders guiding by Our command when they had patience. [Qur'an, As-Sajdah 32:24] And: Indeed those who have patience will be paid their wages without stint. [Qur'an, Az-Zumar 39:10]

The Messenger of Allah, many blessings and peace be upon him, has said: 'Patience is the commander of the believer's soldiers.' And: 'There is much good in the patient endurance of that which one finds unpleasant.' And in his advice to Ibn 'Abbas: 'Know that victory comes with patience, relief with hardship, and that with each difficulty comes ease.'Know that happiness depends on the occurrence of nearness to Allah, which in turn depends on always following the truth and avoiding falsehood. The soul is by its very nature inclined to detest truth and lean towards falsehood. The determination of the seeker of felicity is thus always in need of patience, sometimes to force the soul to follow the truth and sometimes to force it to avoid falsehood.

Patience is of four kinds:

Firstly, patiently enduring one's perseverance in acts of obedience. This is realized inwardly through sincerity and presence of the heart, and outwardly through holding constantly to them, showing zeal, and performing them in the correct and lawful way. This kind of patience is helped by remembering Allah's promised rewards, both immediate and to come, for obedience. The man who keeps to this kind of fortitude reaches the station of nearness where he will find indescribable sweetness, pleasure, and intimacy in acts of obedience. The one to whom this happens must not rely on it in preference to Allah.

Secondly, patient endurance in renouncing sins. This is realized outwardly by avoiding them and by keeping away from the places where they might be committed, and by preventing the soul from discoursing upon them and from inclining to them, for the very beginning of a sin is a thought. As for remembering previous sins, if this results in fear or remorse it is good, if not then refraining from it is better. This kind of patience is helped by remembering Allah's threats of punishment in this world and the next for disobedience. The one who keeps to this kind of patience will be honored by Allah with finding all disobedience so repugnant that entering the Fire would be easier for him to bear than the committal of the smallest sin.

Thirdly, patient endurance of unpleasant things. These are of two kinds:

The first comprises those which come from Allah without an intermediary, as for example illness, infirmity, loss of wealth, or the death of dear relatives or friends. [This kind of patience] is realized inwardly by forsaking restlessness, which is to become annoyed and irritated, and outwardly by not complaining to any creature. This is not incompatible with describing an illness to a physician, or with one's eyes overflowing with tears at a time of loss; but it is, however, incompatible with slapping one's cheeks, rending one's clothes, wailing, and such like. This kind of patience is helped by the knowledge that impatience is painful in itself, in addition to its leading to punishment and the loss of reward. Complaining to one who can neither benefit nor protect his own self is foolish, and such are all creatures.

Furthermore, to complain is evidence of not finding one's sufficiency in Allah, in Whose Hand is the Dominion [Malakut] of all things, [Qur'an, Yaa-sin 36:83] and also of omitting to remember those verses which relate to the worth of patient endurance of losses, infirmities, and afflictions, and that Allah the Exalted knows better than a man that which is of most benefit to him. He has said, Exalted is He: We shall try you with something of fear, hunger, and diminution of wealth, lives, and fruits. And give good tidings to those who have patience, who when stricken by hardship say 'We belong to Allah, and to Him we shall return!' Allah will send blessings and mercy on them, those are they who are guided. [Qur'an, Al-Baqarah 2:155-157] Allah will give the one who perseveres in this kind of patience to taste the sweetness of surrender and find rest in the serenity of contentment [rida]. We will mention contentment, Allah willing, in due course.

The second kind of unpleasant things comprises those which are caused by other men, whether by way of offenses to oneself and one's honor, or of some act of withholding. Complete patience in this regard means preventing oneself from hating the offender, if he is a Muslim, or wishing him to come to harm, preventing one's tongue from praying to Allah against him, and not reproaching him at all, which thing should be accomplished either by forbearance and fortitude, through one's reliance on Allah's assistance, or by reconciliation, in the wish for His reward. This kind of patience is helped by knowledge of that which has been handed down regarding the merit which is in suppressing one's anger, enduring injuries, and forgiving others. Allah the Exalted has said: The wage of the one who is forgiving and reconciling falls on Allah, He does not love the unjust. And whoso defends himself after he has suffered wrong, for such there is no way [of blame] against them. The way [of blame] is only against those who oppress men, and transgress in the earth without right, for such there is a painful torment. But those who endure patiently and forgive, indeed that is the great thing. [Qur'an, Ash-Shura 42:40-43]

The Prophet, may blessings and peace be upon him, has said: 'Allah fills the heart of the one who suppresses his anger when able to carry out its demands with serenity and faith.' And: 'A herald will call on the Day of Rising: "Let those whose reward must be granted by Allah arise!" and there shall arise those men who were forgiving of others.'The one who perseveres in this kind of patience will be honored by Allah with a goodly character, which is the source of all virtues and the foundation of all perfections.

The Prophet has said, may blessings and peace be upon him: 'Nothing shall weigh more heavily in the Balance than a goodly character; a servant may attain through his goodly character the rank of the one who [frequently] prays and fasts.' And: 'The ones I shall love most who will sit the closest to me on the Day of Rising are those among you who are the best in character.' Ibn al-Mubarak, may Allah have mercy on him, said: 'Good character is to have an engaging face, to be generous with good works, and to refrain from doing harm.' And the imam al-Ghazali, may Allah spread his benefit, has said: 'Good character is a disposition deeply ingrained in the soul from which beautiful acts spring easily.'

Fourthly, patient renunciation of desires, which are all those boastfully worldly things to which the soul inclines. Perfect patient denial is attained by inwardly stopping the soul from thinking and leaning towards them, and outwardly restraining it from seeking or coming close to them. This kind of patience is helped by knowledge of the distraction from Allah and His worship which comes from seeking and fulfilling desires, the risks of falling into the suspect and prohibited things and the arousal of greed for the world and the wish to remain therein so as to be able to enjoy its pleasures. Abu Sulayman al-Darani has said: 'To abandon a single desire is of more benefit to the heart than a year's worship.' Allah will honor the one who grows accustomed to denying himself his desires by removing the love of these things from his heart until he attains the state described by a certain gnostic, who said: 'My desire is that I should not desire, so that I may abandon that which I do not desire, and thus not be deprived of that which I desire.'²

And providential success is from Allah

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

¹ Sabr may mean fortitude, patience, equanimity, or patient endurance, according to the context.

² 'My desire is that I should not desire anything of the world, so that I may be given to detach myself from it and thus become worthy of that nearness to Allah which is my most profound desire.

Counsel on Acquiring Knowledge -- Imam Al-Haddad (Book of Assistance)

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

Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Counsel on Acquiring Knowledge

You should have a wird of reading useful knowledge, which is that which increases your knowledge of the Essence of Allah, His Attributes, Acts and favors, makes you aware of His commands and prohibitions, leads you to renounce the things of this world and wish only for the hereafter, and brings your faults, the defects in your acts and the plots of your enemy to your notice. This knowledge is present in the Book, the Sunnah, and the writings of the leaders [imams]. It was collected by the imam al-Ghazali in his highly valuable books. Those who have religious perspicacity, are well steeped in knowledge and have complete certitude have great esteem for his books. If you wish to travel the path and arrive at the levels of Realization you must make it a habit to read them. The Ghazali books are unique among the writings of correct sufis in that they are comprehensive, explicit and greatly effective within a short time.

You must read extensively in books of hadith and tafsir [Qur'anic commentary] and those of the ‘People’¹ in general, for this is where a comprehensive opening and perfect traveling are to be found, as a gnostic once said. However, you must be wary of whatever their treatises include by way of obscure matters and bare Realities. These are present in most of the writings of Shaykh Muhyi al-Din ibn Arabi, and a few of the Imam al-Ghazali treatises such as al-Mi'raj (The Ascent)" and al-Madnun bihi (The Withheld). Shaykh Zarruq gave in his Ta'sis al-Qawaid (The Rules) a warning about such books (read it if you wish), but did not mention the writings of Shaykh 'Abd al-Karim al-Jili, for he was a latecomer; however, all of his writings should, for the sake of safety, be voided. Should it be said: 'There is no harm in reading such hooks, for I take that which I understand and leave alone that which I do not,' I would say: 'You speak fairly; however, what we fear for you is that that which you [think you] understand, you understand incorrectly and 'thereby diverge from the Straight Path', as has happened to some who were assiduous readers of those books, and ended up in heresy and unbelief, and talked about incarnation [hulul] and union [ittihad].' There is neither ability nor power save by Allah the High, the Formidable.

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

¹ The 'People' (Al-Qawm) is an expression used to designate the Sufis, particularly the masters among them. It was originally taken from a hadith qudsi where the descent of angels to gatherings of dhikr is described, with Allah's forgiveness embracing all present, including those who just happened to be there for incidental worldly reasons, because the people of dhikr are 'the people whose companions never subtler wretchedness.

On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who said:

“Allah (glorified and exalted be He) has supernumerary angels who rove about seeking out gatherings in which Allah’s name is being invoked: they sit with them and fold their wings round each other, filling in that which is between them and between the lowest heaven. When [the people in the gathering] depart, [the angels] ascend and rise up to heaven.” He (the Prophet - peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Then Allah (mighty and sublime be He) asks them - [though] He is most knowing about them: ‘From where have you come?’ And they say: ‘We have come from some servants of Yours on Earth: they were glorifying You (Subhana llah), exalting you (Allahu akbar), witnessing that there is no god but You (La ilaha illa llah), praising You (Al-Hamdu lillah), and asking [favours] of You.’ He says: ‘And what do they ask of Me?’ They say: ‘They ask of You Your Paradise.’ He says: ‘And have they seen My Paradise?’ They say: ‘No, O Lord.’ He says: ‘And how would it be were they to have seen My Paradise!’ They say: ‘And they ask protection of You.’ He says: ‘From what do they ask protection of Me?’ They say: ‘From Your Hell-fire, O Lord.’ He says: ‘And have they seen My Hell-fire?’ They say: ‘No.’ He says: ‘And how would it be were they to have seen My Hell-fire!’ They say: ‘And they ask for Your forgiveness.’” He (the Prophet - peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Then He says: ‘I have forgiven them and I have bestowed upon them what they have asked for, and I have granted them sanctuary from that from which they asked protection.’” He (the Prophet - peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “They say: ‘O Lord, among then is So-and-so, a much sinning servant, who was merely passing by and sat down with them.’” He (the Prophet - peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “And He says: ‘And to him [too] I have given forgiveness: he who sits with such people shall not suffer.’”

It was related by Muslim (also by al-Bukhari, at-Tirmidhi, and an-Nasa’i).

Let's Read Surah Kahf Today (Friday) -- Finding the Balance in Our Lives

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

Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Many of us, after having children, we only live for our children. Most parents, all they did with their lives, is working and saving money for their children -- save money to pay towards buying a house and then bigger house to give their children comfort, towards buying them a car, towards buying them this and that, towards taking them vacation here and there, towards their college, towards putting them in best schools, then towards getting them get married and having a big wedding. They work, work, work, save, save, save. Their lives amount to giving something to their children but unfortunately one thing they were not able to give their children is Islam. This is very tragic.

Often when the children have their own careers, they pretty much abandon their parents -- they don't call, don't visit. Why? Because there was no real relationship with their parents because their parents work, work, work -- for them. Many kids today find it easier to have a conversation with their non-Muslim friends than with their own parents.

The biggest problem in the world today is the destruction of the family unit. It is not political nor ideological. It is parents who don't know how to raise children anymore and we are raised in a nation of corrupt human beings.

We have to serve our Deen but part of our Deen is to take care of our children and families.

When Allah gives you a child, Allah wants to see if you will raise your child to serve His Deen. Some people are willing to spend money for the masjid, to go to hajj/umrah many times, or donate to help victims of war or natural disasters, but they save their children for themselves -- perhaps for their old age, perhaps to show off.

We should think of our children and our families as a devotion to Allah. Husband and wife should remind each other that they are to devote themselves to Allah. Husband and wife together have to remind their children that they are to devote their lives to Allah, and they have to work towards that, that they can be doctors, lawyers or engineers, but don't forget that we are here to serve the Deen.

Allah does not give us money so we can be successful. Allah does not give us children so they become our trophies. Allah gives us money and children so we can spend more for His Deen. And your creativity, enthusiasm, and energy that Allah bless you with, you must spend them for the sake of Allah.

ءَامِنُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ وَرَ‌سُولِهِۦ وَأَنفِقُوا۟ مِمَّا جَعَلَكُم مُّسْتَخْلَفِينَ فِيهِ ۖ فَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ مِنكُمْ وَأَنفَقُوا۟ لَهُمْ أَجْرٌ‌ۭ كَبِيرٌ‌ۭ ﴿٧

Believe in Allah and His Messenger and spend out of that in which He has made you successors. For those who have believed among you and spent, there will be a great reward. (7)

[Qur'an, Al-Hadid 57:7]

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تُلْهِكُمْ أَمْوَ‌ٰلُكُمْ وَلَآ أَوْلَـٰدُكُمْ عَن ذِكْرِ‌ ٱللَّهِ ۚ وَمَن يَفْعَلْ ذَ‌ٰلِكَ فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْخَـٰسِرُ‌ونَ ﴿٩
وَأَنفِقُوا۟ مِن مَّا رَ‌زَقْنَـٰكُم مِّن قَبْلِ أَن يَأْتِىَ أَحَدَكُمُ ٱلْمَوْتُ فَيَقُولَ رَ‌بِّ لَوْلَآ أَخَّرْ‌تَنِىٓ إِلَىٰٓ أَجَلٍ قَرِ‌يبٍ فَأَصَّدَّقَ وَأَكُن مِّنَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ ﴿١٠

O you who have believed, let not your wealth and your children divert you from remembrance of Allah. And whoever does that - then those are the losers. (9)And spend [in the way of Allah] from what We have provided you before death approaches one of you and he says, "My Lord, if only You would delay me for a brief term so I would give charity and be among the righteous." (10)

[Qur'an, Al-Munafiqun 63:9-10]

There are causes beyond our own families, we make time for that, but not at the expense of the rights of our families. However, if you are so obsessed with your families and no time for the Deen, then there is a huge problem. Why? Because we were sent on this earth to serve Allah's Deen and part of that is to take care of our families, but there are other parts too. We have to learn to find the balance. It is extremely hard to find that balance but you have to try your very best. If you can find a way to organize your week, you've got a good life. In it, you give time to yourself (including do a little bit of exercise), family, learning, worship, parents, relatives, career, da'wah, etc. Often times we are good at something and not good at something else, and so we focus on the ones we are good at and we let everything else go on the wayside. This create an imbalance and we can be completely bankrupt on one end or another. We have to watch this.

Remember, when we go into our graves, nothing will go with us except our deeds. Our money and our children will not go with us.

ٱلْمَالُ وَٱلْبَنُونَ زِينَةُ ٱلْحَيَو‌ٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا ۖ وَٱلْبَـٰقِيَـٰتُ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتُ خَيْرٌ‌ عِندَ رَ‌بِّكَ ثَوَابًا وَخَيْرٌ‌ أَمَلًا ﴿٤٦

Wealth and children are [but] adornment of the worldly life. But the enduring good deeds are better to your Lord for reward and better for [one's] hope. (46)

[Qur'an, Al-Kahf 18:46]

رَ‌بَّنَآ ءَاتِنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَ‌حْمَةً وَهَيِّئْ لَنَا مِنْ أَمْرِ‌نَا رَ‌شَدًا

Our Lord, grant us from Yourself mercy and prepare for us from our affair right guidance. Ameen.

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Counsels on Reciting the Qur'an -- Imam Al-Haddad (Book of Assistance)

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

Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Counsels on Reciting the Qur'an

You must have a wird of recitation of the Mighty Book to be read every day. The least you should do is read one juz' [one thirtieth of the Qur'an] so that you complete it once a month, and the most is to complete it every three days.

Know that great merit attaches to reciting the Qur'an, and an influence in illuminating the heart. The Messenger of Allah, may blessings and peace be upon him, has said: 'The best of my nation's devotions is the recitation of the Qur'an.' And 'Ali, may Allah ennoble his face, has said: 'The one who recites the Qur'an while standing in prayer receives one hundred rewards for each letter; the one who recites it outside the prayer but in a state of ritual purity receives twenty-five rewards for each letter; and the one who recites it without ritual purity receives ten rewards for each letter.'

Beware of concentrating, while reciting, on reciting a large amount to the exclusion of reflection and correct recitation. You must reflect and comprehend while you recite; slow, melodious recitation will assist you in this. Feel in your heart the Magnitude of the Speaker (Transcendent and Exalted is He!) and that you are before Him, reciting His Book to Him, in which He addresses His commands, prohibitions, counsels and exhortations to you. When reading verses on unification and glorification be full of reverence and awe, when reading verses of promises and threats be full of hopeful expectation and apprehension, and when reading the commands and prohibitions be thankful, acknowledge your shortcomings, ask for forgiveness and determine to show ardour. Know that the Qur'an is the ocean wherefrom the jewels of knowledge and the treasures of understanding are extracted. Any believer who is granted the way to understand it, his Opening [fath] becomes permanent, his light complete, his knowledge vast, and he never tires of reading it night and day, for he has found therein his goal and his purpose. This is the quality of the sincere seeker.

Shaykh Abu Madyan, may Allah be pleased with him, has said: 'A seeker is not a seeker until he is able to find in the Qur'an everything that he desires. 'Be careful to read those Surahs and verses which are recommended in the Sunnah at particular times; for example al-Sajda [32], al-Mulk [67], al-Waqi'ah [56] and the last two verses of al-Baqarah [2:285-286], every night before going to sleep. Al-Dukhan [44] on Sunday Thursday evenings, and al-Kahf [18] on Thursday nights and Fridays. Read, if you can, the Seven Saving Ones (Surahs al-Sajda, Yaa-Sin [36], al-Dukhan, al-Waqi'ah, al-Hashr [59], al-Mulk, al-Insaan [76]) every night, for their merits are great. Also mornings and evenings the first few verses of Surah al-Hadid [57], the last few verses of Surah al-Hashr [59], Surah al-Ikhlas [112] three times and the two refuge-taking Surahs three times each; similarly, al-Ikhlas and the last two Surahs [al-Falaq 113, An-Naas 114] together with Ayatul-Kursi verse [2:255] and Surah al-Kafirun [109] immediately before going to sleep, making these the last thing that you utter.

And Allah says the truth, and He guides to the way.

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Counsels on Regular Devotions -- Imam Al-Haddad (Book of Assistance)

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Counsels on Regular Devotions

You must fill up your time with acts of worship so that no period of time elapses, whether by night or by day, without being used in some act of goodness. This is how the barakah (Divine blessings) within time is made manifest, the purpose of life fulfilled, and the approach to Allah the Exalted made constant.

You should allocate specific periods of time for your habitual activities such as eating, drinking, and working for a livelihood.

Know that no state can be sound in the presence of neglect, and no wealth useful in the presence of heedlessness.

The Proof of Islam, may Allah spread his benefit, said: 'You should structure your time, arrange your regular devotions [awrad], and assign to each function a set period of time during which it is given first priority but which it does not overstep. For if you abandon yourself to neglect and purposelessness, as the cattle do, and just do anything that may occur to you at any time it happens to occur to you, most of your time will be wasted. Your time is your life, and your life is your capital; it is the basis of your transactions [with Allah], and the means to attain to everlasting felicity, in the proximity of Allah the Exalted. Each of your breaths is a priceless (because irreplaceable) jewel, and when it passes away it never returns.'

You should not occupy all your time with only one wird, even if it be the best, for you would then miss the barakah of multiplying and varying your awrad. Each wird has a particular effect on the heart, a light, a flow of assistance [madad], and a rank with Allah. Furthermore, when you move from one wird to another you escape becoming bored, indolent, impatient, or weary. Ibn 'Ata'illah alShadhili, may Allah have mercy on him, has said: 'Because the Real knew of the presence of boredom in you, He created a variety of acts of obedience.'

Know that awrad have a great effect in illuminating the heart and controlling the senses, but these only appear and become established with perseverance and repetition, and their performance at specifically allocated times.

If you are not one of those who fill all their night and daytime hours with devotional activities, then assign to yourself some awrad to persevere with at specific times that you make up for if missed, so that your soul becomes accustomed to keeping to them; when your soul despairs of your abandoning them altogether when you miss them, it will hasten to perform them in time. My master, Shaykh 'Abd alRahman alSaqqaf, may Allah be pleased with him, has said: 'Whoever has no wird is a qird [monkey]!' Another gnostic has said: 'The arrival of blessings depends on the awrad; therefore, the man who outwardly has no wird has no inward aspect [of any consequence].'

Be moderate and keep to the middle way in everything. Choose those acts which you are capable of persevering in. The Messenger of Allah, may blessings and peace be upon him, has said: 'The acts most pleasing to Allah are the most constant, even if few.' And: 'Choose the acts of which you are capable, for Allah will not grow weary before you.'

It is Satan's way to entice the seeker [murid] at the beginning of his quest to be excessive in his devotional activities, the purpose being to make him retreat, either by giving up acts of goodness altogether, or performing them incorrectly, and the accursed one does not care with which of these two he afflicts a man.

Awrad usually take the form of supererogatory prayers, Qur'an recitations, the acquisition of knowledge, invocation [dhikr] or reflection [fikr]. We shall now mention some of the proprieties with which these religious activities need to be performed. You must have a wird of supererogatory prayers, in addition to the textually established ones, and should assign a definite time for it and a definite number which you can constantly sustain. Some of our virtuous predecessors, may Allah have mercy on them, had a wird of one thousand rak'as each day and night. Such, for instance, was 'Ali, son of alHusayn, may Allah be pleased with them both; others had a wird of five hundred, three hundred, and so on.

Know that the ritual prayer has an outer form and an inner reality. You will not have established the prayer and its outward proprieties, such as correct standing, prostration, tasbih, recitation, bowing, and so forth until you have established both its outer aspect and its reality. As for its outer aspect, this constitutes those obligatory conditions set for it by Allah, while its reality is that one be present with Allah, sincerely intend it to he purely for His sake, approach Him with complete resolution, and collect one's heart so that one's thought is restricted on the prayer and nothing else, and maintain the courtesies necessary for communing with Allah. The Prophet has said, may blessings and peace be upon him: 'The man in prayer is communing with his Lord.' And: 'When the servant rises to his prayer Allah turns His Face toward him.'

You should not occupy yourself with unspecified supererogatory prayers at a time designated for a sunna which the Messenger of Allah either did or spoke about until you have completed the maximum designated number.

An example of this is the rak'as laid down before and after the obligatory prayers. These are sufficiently well known as to need no further comment.

Another example is the witr prayer which is a well established and certain prayer. Some scholars have been of the opinion that it is obligatory. And the Prophet has said, may blessings and peace be upon him: 'Allah is witr [not an even number] and He likes what is witr. Therefore observe the witr.' And: 'Witr is truth.' Its maximum is eleven rak'as and its appropriate minimum three. For those who have an established habit of rising for prayer during the latter part of the night it is better to perform it then. The Prophet has said, may blessings and peace be upon him: 'Make your night prayer the witr.' But those who have no such habit would do better to perform it after the night ['isha'] prayer.

A further example is the mid-morning [duha] prayer which is a very useful and blessed prayer. Its maximum is eight rak'as, though some have said twelve, and its minimum two. The best time for it is when the sun is high and about a quarter of the day has gone by.

The Messenger of Allah, may blessings and peace be upon him, said: 'Morning comes and on each of your fingers a charity is due. Each tasbiha [glorification] is a charity, each tahmida [praise] a charity, each tahlila [unification of Allah (Ibn 'Ata' Illah, said: Your reaching Allah is reaching the knowledge of Him, for other than that, Our Lord is too exalted for anything to be joined with Him or for Him to be joined with anything)] a charity, each takbira [magnification] a charity, and enjoining good and forbidding evil is charity.

Two rak'as performed in the mid-morning would supply for all that.' If this sound hadith had been the only one transmitted concerning the merit of this prayer it would have been sufficient.

Yet another example is the prayer between the sunset [maghrib] and night ['isha'] prayers. Its maximum is twenty rak'as and its average six. The Messenger of Allah, may blessings and peace be upon him, has said: 'Allah erects a palace in the Garden for the one who prays twenty rak'as between the two night prayers.' And he has said, may blessings and peace be upon him: 'The one who prays six rak'as after the sunset prayer and does not speak ill in between will have them equal the worship of twelve years.'

It is a sunna to give life to the period between the two night prayers with devotions. Many hadiths and other traditions have been transmitted regarding its merit. It should be enough to know that when Ahmad ibn Abul-Hawari asked his Shaykh, Abu Sulayman, may Allah have mercy on them, whether he should fast by day or give life to the period between the two night prayers, he advised him to do both, to which he said: 'I cannot, for if I fast I become occupied with breaking my fast at that time.' He replied: 'If you cannot do both, then leave daytime fasting and give life to the time between the night prayers.' 'A'isha, may Allah be pleased with her, has said: 'The Messenger of Allah, may blessings and peace be upon him, never entered my house after the late night prayer [Isha] without praying four or six rak'as.' And he said, may blessings and peace be upon him, 'Four rak'as after the night prayer equal the same on the Night of Destiny [laylatul-qadr].'

Pray at night, for he has said, may blessings and peace be upon him: 'The best prayer after the prescribed ones is the night time prayer.' And: 'The superiority of nighttime over daytime prayers is like the superiority of concealed over public charity.' (And it has been related that concealed charity is seventy times better than public charity.) He has said, may blessings and peace be upon him: 'Keep rising in prayer at night, for it was the way of the virtuous who came before you, it draws you nearer to your Lord, atones for your sins, forbids you from evil, and protects the body from sickness.'

Know that the one who prays after the night prayer has risen at night. Some of our predecessors used to pray their wird early in the night; however, rising after some sleep constitutes a defeat for the devil, an opposition to the ego, and contains a wondrous secret. This is the tahajjud which Allah commanded His Messenger to do in His saying: Perform tahajjud by night, as an act of supererogation for you. [Qur'an, Al-Isra' 17:19]

It has been related that Allah wonders at a servant who rises from his bed, from his wife's side, to pray. He takes pride in him before His angels and turns His noble Face towards him. Know that it is an ugly thing in the seeker of the hereafter not to rise in the night; how [can he not] when a seeker should always be asking for more and exposing himself to His gifts at all times. For he has said, may blessings and peace be upon him: 'There is in the night a time that no Muslim servant [of Allah] encounters and in which he asks Allah for some good of the world or of the hereafter but that He grants it him. This happens every night.' (Tradition related by Muslim]

In one of Allah's revealed scriptures it is said: 'He has lied who claims to love Me but who when night falls sleeps [and leaves] Me. Does not every lover love to be alone with his beloved?'

Shaykh Isma'il ibn Ibrahim alJabarti, may Allah have mercy on him, has said: 'Allah has gathered every goodness into the night, and no sainthood was ever determined [i.e. formally granted] to a saint except by night.' My master al 'Aydarus 'Abd Allah ibn Abu Bakr 'Alawi has said: 'The one who wishes for the Lordly Purity should break himself in the depths of the night.' The Messenger of Allah, may blessings and peace be upon him, has said: 'Allah descends every night to the Terrestrial Heaven when only the last third of the night remains, and says: "Is anyone praying, that I may answer him? Is anyone seeking forgiveness, that I may forgive him? Is anyone asking, that I may give to him?" until the break of day.' Had this been the only hadith exhorting to night vigils it would have sufficed, so how must it be when both the Book and the sunna are full of encouragements and exhortations to it? The gnostics have in their night vigils noble unveilings and subtle experiences which they receive in their hearts, of the felicity of nearness to Allah, the pleasures of intimacy with Him and of communing and conversing with Him (Exalted is He!). One of them has said: 'If the people of the Garden are in a state similar to ours, they are indeed living pleasantly!' Another has said: 'The people of the night during their nights are as the people of pleasures in their pleasures.' And another has said: 'For the last forty years nothing aggrieved me but the break of day.' This felicity occurs only after enduring the bitterness and hardships which are in vigils, as 'Utba al-Ghulam said: 'I endured the night for twenty years, then enjoyed it for twenty more.'Should you ask: 'What should I recite during the night prayers, and how many rak'as should I pray?' then know that the Messenger of Allah, may blessings and peace be upon him, had no set recitation in his tahajjud. It is good to recite the Qur'an, one part after another, so that you complete it in a month, or less or more according to your energy. As for the number of rak'as, the maximum that has been related of the Messenger of Allah, may blessings and peace be upon him, is thirteen; seven and nine are also reported, but the most frequent figure is eleven.

The total purport of all the relevant hadiths is that it is encouraged and recommended, when you wake up, for you to rub sleep off your face with your hands and say: 'Praised and thanked be Allah, Who gave us life after causing us to die, and unto Whom is the resurrection.' And recite the last verses of surat Al-'Imran (The Family of 'Imran.) Then brush your teeth with the siwak, perform a full ablution [wudu], pray two short rak'as, then add to them eight long ones. You can pray them in units of two, or four, or even do the full eight with only one salutation [salaam], for all these have been reported. If you then find that you still have energy, pray any additional prayers that you may wish, then pray three rak'as as witr, either with one salutation or two. Recite in the first rak'a surat al-A'la (The Most High)[Qur'an, 87], in the second al-Kafirun (The Disbelievers) [Qur'an,109], and in the third al-Ikhlas (Sincerity) [Qur'an, 112], and the last two suras
[Al-Falaq 113 and An-Naas 114].

Do not think that the witr which is eleven rak'as is one thing and the rak'as we have just mentioned another. Only that which we have mentioned is reported of the Messenger of Allah's night prayers. Know this! Allah is Vast and Knowing!

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

The Proof of Islam (Hujjat ul-Islam) is the Imam Abu Hamid al-Ghazali. Born in Tus in Khorasan in 450 H, he wrote about two hundred books and treatises, the most important and best known of which is Ihya 'Uliim ai-Din [The Revival of the Religious Sciences]. He died in 505 H.