Let's Read Surah Kahf Today (Friday) -- Keep Righteous Company and Don't Follow The Heedless

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

Assalaamu alaykum

The first verses of Surah Kahf reveal the story of a few young men striving in the disbelieving town in order to sustain their faith. They took refuge in cave and were rewarded by Allah’s mercy with the entire town converted into believers.

The moral of this story is trial of faith. The youth were tested and succeeded. We too are being tested. How to survive? Keep righteous company and don't follow the heedless. Allah Most High tells us,

وَاصْبِرْ‌ نَفْسَكَ مَعَ الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ رَ‌بَّهُم بِالْغَدَاةِ وَالْعَشِيِّ يُرِ‌يدُونَ وَجْهَهُ ۖ وَلَا تَعْدُ عَيْنَاكَ عَنْهُمْ تُرِ‌يدُ زِينَةَ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا ۖ وَلَا تُطِعْ مَنْ أَغْفَلْنَا قَلْبَهُ عَن ذِكْرِ‌نَا وَاتَّبَعَ هَوَاهُ وَكَانَ أَمْرُ‌هُ فُرُ‌طًا ﴿٢٨

And keep yourself patient [by being] with those who call upon their Lord in the morning and the evening, seeking His countenance. And let not your eyes pass beyond them, desiring adornments of the worldly life, and do not obey one whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance and who follows his desire and whose affair is ever [in] neglect. (28)

[Qur'an, Al-Kahf 18:28]

The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) was reportedly asked: “Which of our companions are best?” He replied: “One whose appearance reminds you of Allah, and whose speech increases you in knowledge, and whose actions remind you of the hereafter.” [Al-Musahibi]

Who do we spend the most time with? Chances are for many of us, they are our friends. If you are married, then your spouse and his/her family/friends are a big part of the circle. Friends are the people we share things with, talk to regularly, and experience a large part of our life with. This is why the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: “A person is on the religion of his companions. Therefore let every one of you carefully consider the company he keeps.” [Tirmidhi] That is why it is critical to choose a good and righteous spouse because he/she and his/her family, relatives and friends will automatically enter your circle of companions, albeit positively or negatively.

An integral part to gaining tranquility of the heart is to be mindful of our surroundings and the people we spend most of our time with. Is it any wonder that we find our hearts perturbed, when it was reported that the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: “Do not speak much without mentioning Allah, for too much speech without mentioning Allah hardens the heart, and the hardhearted are the farthest of all people from Allah Most High.” [Tirmidhi]

We need to be mindful of this because part of the reason for our lack of khushoo’ (devotion) in salah (prayer) is precisely because the time spent between prayers is spent in heedlessness. While wudhu' (ablution) and prayer wash away our minor sins, at times our hardened hearts prevent us from truly tasting the sweetness of prayer, due to the fact that we hardly remember Allah, Exalted is He, outside of prayer.

The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) reminds us of the importance of good company in this hadith (record of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam: “A good companion and a bad companion are like a perfume-seller and a blacksmith: The perfume-seller might give you some perfume as a gift, or you might buy some from him, or at least you might smell its fragrance. As for the blacksmith, he might singe your clothes, and at the very least you will breathe in the fumes of the furnace.” [Bukhari, Muslim]

Most of us know this hadith, but we rarely see it from the perspective of gaining tranquility of the heart. We may have amazing friends whom we have shared much with, yet we have not developed spiritually with them. When things go wrong in our life, we turn to people for advice but we are not reminded of the ultimate Source of Peace—as-Salaam [Allah]. Thus we need to try to create an environment. We can start with something simple, such as waking each other up for Tahajjud and Fajr (the pre-dawn prayer), or starting a book club by reading something about the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) and share the information we read.

If we start here, we could be of the people who are under the shade of Allah on the Day of Judgment, as the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) told us that one of the seven categories of people promised the shade of Allah are two persons who loved each other for the sake of Allah Most High, got together, and departed on this basis. [Bukhari, Muslim]

Good companions who prioritize their relationship with Allah will help us on the spiritual path. It is easier to pray and to do our everyday acts of worship because we have company to help us. Even when we face difficulties, these friends will support us; ultimately they will remind us of Allah during these tests and help us to rely on Him. No one is perfect, and this is why it is important to be around people who want to improve themselves, and in the process will help you to improve yourself too. Ibn Hazm stated: “Anyone who cares about your friendship is willing to criticize you, while those who make light of your faults show they do not care.” Allah Most High reminds us of this in Surah Al-Kahf, when He says:

"And keep yourself patient [by being] with those who call upon their Lord in the morning and the evening, seeking His countenance..." [Qur’an, Al-Kahf 18:28]

When we are faced with a problem, wouldn't we want such friends? But due to circumstances outside our control, we don’t have that tight-knit group of people that help us on our path to Allah. Does that mean we will never be able to achieve tranquility of the heart? No, because Allah does not test us with more than we can bear, and truly we get what we intend. The first thing we should try to do is be that friend to others. If we find that we do not have religious people around us, then we should try to influence our environment. This does not mean being over-bearing; rather, we should try to make our existing friendships more meaningful. The Lebanese poet, Khalil Gibran, said, “Let there be no purpose in friendship save the deepening of the spirit.” And the harder it is, the more our effort is appreciated by Allah.

Secondly, we should constantly seek avenues where we will meet such people. Whether it’s at a local masjid, or driving for an hour to attend a talk, this effort on our part shows that we are serious in trying to follow the advice and guidance of the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace).

Thirdly, du`a is key. We should never forget that when we recite, “You alone do we worship, and You alone do we seek for help,” [Qur’an, Al-Baqarah 1:5] we are essentially reminding ourselves that we cannot do anything except through seeking the help of Allah. So if you truly desire good companion and friends who remind you of your Creator and the purpose He created you, you should ask the One who possesses the hearts to bring you closer to hearts that remember Him often.

May Allah grant us righteous companions. Ameen.

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

And Allah knows best and is Most Wise, and He alone grants success, and to Him is the final return of all.

Wassalaam

Living in Comfort

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

Assalaamu alaykum

If we realize that Allah is Al-Qayyum (All Sustaining), we have no delusion that we are in control of results. That is the source of much stress. You can't control your life. The believer tires himself out in taking the means with excellence but their hearts is at rest. Why? Because we are not in control. The believer strives their utmost with complete consciousness of who is sustaining all matters. Imam Kushairi said, this is how you live in comfort. You live in comfort, even if you are in tribulations and hardships. Everything is in hands of Allah. So the sunnah is this beautiful balance -- complete striving and complete consigning of matters to Allah.

Jabir (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:

I went in an expedition along with the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) in the direction of Najd. When Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) returned, I also returned with him. Then the mid-day sleep overtook us in a valley full of prickly shrubs. Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) got down and the people scattered around seeking shade under the trees. Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) hang up his sword on the branch of a tree. We were enjoying a sleep when Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) called us, and lo! There was a desert Arab bedouin near him. He (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, "This man brandished my sword over me while I was asleep. I woke up and saw it in his hand unsheathed. He asked: `Who will protect you from me?' I replied: 'Allah' - thrice". He did not punish him and sat down.

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

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

And Allah knows best and is Most Wise, and He alone grants success, and to Him is the final return of all.

Wassalaam

Me, Myself and I vs. Humility

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

Assalaamu alaykum

In our daily business of our lives, the greatest thing in our consciousness and concern is ME, MYSELF and I. Many of us are in that state of personal trinity...ME, MYSELF and I. That is the zikr of the heedless. But for the true monotheist, the zikr of their state is Allah, Allah, Allah. Anything comes to them, Allah would be greater in their consciousness and concern.

If you realize that Allah is the absolute great, firstly you will leave all sense of greatness of your own self, whether to regard you are all that, which you are not, Allah is all that, nor to regard any other as great.

If you realize Divine Oneness, it entails you truly realizing only Allah is great, only Allah has true consequence, has true worth, has true regard.

Allah is Al-Kabir, the Most Great. He possesses the absolute greatness. It is an expression of perfection in entity, attributes and actions. Allah Most High is perfect in His entity because His existence is perfect because His existence is necessary. Whereas everything else it's existence is merely possible. It is only actual because it was brought into existence by Allah. Allah's existence is independent and unconditional. Whereas the existence of anything besides Him is contingent and dependent. Allah is the One who possesses the greatest perfection. He is the One before whose greatness, everything else is considered paltry. Allah's kabir is not comparative. He alone is great. He is the Great. We affirm the greatness of Allah as one of the central statements of our religion. We say Allahu Akbar. Allahu Akbar is not a comparative. You can only relatively translate Allahu Akbar as Allah is Most Great--there are many things that have greatness but Allah is far greater. It is in the comparative sense to affirm absoluteness. When comparative is used with respect to Allah, it is to affirm absoluteness.

True Divine Oneness will not manifest to you until you leave, through Him, yourself. So you are by Him and not by yourself. You are not self motivated, you are Divinely motivated, you are not self concerned, you are Divinely concerned, you are not self centered, you are Allah centric. And if this were true that you will leave sense of greatness of self, you will make no claim regarding your attributes or your actions. And the way to safeguarding this realization is, as the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam said, "Whoever finds good, let him praise Allah." It is Allah who created you and all that you do. Even if you appear great, who inspired you? Allah. You have your choice but what is your choice in comparison to Will and Power of Allah? So you don't make claims. This is humilty (tawadhu')

If you want true humility uphold the sunnah (ways and traditions) of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam. He ate with his hands because that is closer to humility. He sat on the ground. They had chairs at that time but he sat on the ground. He didn't show attitude to people.

Drawing closer to Allah is to turn to Him in every action and response. What do I do for Him? It is to make your concern for Allah absolutely great and no concern for your self. This is the sign of people who know Allah. The sign of someone who has tasted the reality of faith is that they don't defend themselves. You don't use that to judge other people. These kind of things you judge yourself with.

"Never look down on anybody unless you're helping them up." Jesse Jackson

"Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it's thinking of yourself less." -C. S. Lewis

"Selflessness is humility. Humility and freedom go hand in hand. Only a humble person can be free." -Jeff Wilson

"Have more humility. Remember you don't know the limits of your own abilities. Successful or not, if you keep pushing beyond yourself, you will enrich your own life--and maybe even please a few strangers."--A.L. Kennedy

May Allah grant us humility and help us reach our own potential and not leave us alone even for a blinking of an eye. Ameen.

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

And Allah knows best and is Most Wise, and He alone grants success, and to Him is the final return of all.

Wassalaam

Rush To The Most Virtuous Actions

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

Assalaamu alaykum

The Companions of the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) always on the look for ways to please Allah and His Messenger sallallahu alayhi wasallam. One day, 'Uqba ibn 'Aamir (may Allah be pleased with him) saw the Prophet was walking and he rushed to him, grabbing him by his hands, and said, "O Messenger of Allah, inform me of the very most virtuous of actions."

Usually, people would ask about good actions, but 'Uqba asked about the very most virtuous of actions. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam then said, "O 'Uqba, maintain ties with those who cut ties with you, give to those who deny you, and turn away from those who wrong you, for you fulfill their rights for the Exalted purpose."

1. Maintain ties with those who cut ties with you. The reason you maintain ties will not change, i.e. for Allah, the Exalted.

2. Give to those who deny you. You didn't give to people for their sake as Allah describes the sincere believers in the Quran,

إِنَّمَا نُطْعِمُكُمْ لِوَجْهِ ٱللَّهِ لَا نُرِيدُ مِنكُمْ جَزَآءً وَلَا شُكُورًا ﴿٩

[Saying], "We feed you only for the countenance of Allah. We wish not from you reward or gratitude. (9) [Quran, Al-Insaan 76:9]

3. Turn away from those who wrong you. You don't respond to the wrong with wrong rather follow the wrong with the good and it will wipe it out. Turning away from those who wrong you may entail defending your rights but you don't defend your rights to react against their wrong. You don't reciprocate their wrong nor do you respond by self, "they wrong me therefore I will do this to them." That is exaltation of self. Rather, you turn away from revenge and retribution. You turn away from self and defending of self. Instead, you exalt your aspiration to that respond that will be pleasing to Allah. That's the Prophetic respond. That was how he entered Makkah, victorious. He exalted his aspiration from worldly gloating. He entered, bowed in prostration on his camel so much so his noble forehead was almost touching the neck of the camel, worshiping Allah not celebrating heedlessly. When he entered he did not seek revenge, and said to them, "Today I say to you like Yusuf said to his brethren," and he forgave everybody. The only people he didn't forgive is for their sake.

قَالَ لَا تَثْرِيبَ عَلَيْكُمُ ٱلْيَوْمَ ۖ يَغْفِرُ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمْ ۖ وَهُوَ أَرْحَمُ ٱلرَّ‌ٰحِمِينَ ﴿٩٢

He (Yusuf) said, "No blame will there be upon you today. Allah will forgive you; and He is the most merciful of the merciful." (92) [Quran, Yusuf 12:92]

May Allah enable us to act upon these virtuous actions and all those actions that are pleasing to Allah. Ameen.

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

And Allah knows best and is Most Wise, and He alone grants success, and to Him is the final return of all.

Wassalaam

Making Your Choices For Allah

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

Assalaamu alaykum

Allah is high above intellect, exalted beyond comprehension. He is beyond all limits that the mind can affirm. The mind works through analogy but all the cognitive fields of the mind are created and Allah is above all of them. Allah is the most high in His entity. He is the most high in His attributes. He is the most high in His actions.

If you realize that Allah is exalted above all else, absolutely, then you would raise your concern and aspiration to Him. Because there is none who has worth like the worth of Allah, none has perfection like the perfection of Allah, none gives or takes, benefits or harms like Allah, none raises or debases like Him, none has true power, true will, true knowledge but Him. So you would raise your aspiration to Him and not hang your concern and aspiration on the lowly and dependent. Because everything besides Him only has highness to the extent that it is connected to the Most High.

Allah Most High says,

...فَمَن كَانَ يَرْجُوا۟ لِقَآءَ رَبِّهِۦ فَلْيَعْمَلْ عَمَلًا صَـٰلِحًا وَلَا يُشْرِكْ بِعِبَادَةِ رَبِّهِۦٓ أَحَدًۢا ﴿١١٠

...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) [Quran, Al-Kahf 18:110]

To raise your yearning, aspiration and concern to Allah, is to make your purpose in life, Allah. Where does this manifest? It does not manifest in empty claims. It manifests in the choices you make, meaning you choose Allah when tested. When you make difficult decisions you don't decide on lowly concern, but you choose on the basis of what will be acceptable to Allah, pleasing and beloved to Allah. You may make the same choice as another, but he did it out of fear or hoping for some thing of this world, but you did it seeking Allah. When you choose your career, when you make ethical choices, you don't make your choices out of fleeting advantage or disadvantage but to a much higher standard--what is for Allah.

May Allah bring us closer to Him and guide us in all our affairs. Ameen.

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

And Allah knows best and is Most Wise, and He alone grants success, and to Him is the final return of all.

Wassalaam

99 Names of Allah and Paradise

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

Assalaamu alaykum

Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala tells us in the Quran,

وَلِلَّهِ ٱلْأَسْمَآءُ ٱلْحُسْنَىٰ فَٱدْعُوهُ بِهَا ۖ وَذَرُوا۟ ٱلَّذِينَ يُلْحِدُونَ فِىٓ أَسْمَـٰٓئِهِۦ ۚ سَيُجْزَوْنَ مَا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ ﴿١٨٠

And to Allah belong the best names, so invoke Him by them. And leave [the company of] those who practice deviation concerning His names. They will be recompensed for what they have been doing. (180) [Quran, Al-A'raf 7:180)

Calling upon Allah (Du'a) means both to mention Him, to ask from Him, to seek Him, to affirm His Oneness, and other meanings. Du'a conveys a number of meanings. Du'a has a sense of invoking someone, calling upon them, asking them, seeking them, and seeking from them.

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

“Indeed, Allah has ninety-nine Names, one hundred less one, whoever encompasses them shall enter Paradise...." [At-Tirmidhi]

This should inspire us to seek understanding of Allah's beautiful Names and to strive our utmost to understand their meanings. Allah Most High has 99 Names, whoever encompasses them, enters Paradise. What does it means to encompass these 99 Names? By learning them, understanding them, mentioning them, realizing their meanings, memorizing them, characterizing ourselves by their qualities, by drawing closer to Allah through them.

What is a name? A name points to the one named. The descriptive names of Allah affirms qualities and attributes that Allah Most High possesses. They bring out different aspect of the perfection, majesty and beauty of Allah Most High.

May Allah grant us the tawfiq to learn His beautiful Names and bring us closer to Him. Ameen.

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

And Allah knows best and is Most Wise, and He alone grants success, and to Him is the final return of all.

Wassalaam

A Wise Person

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

The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, "The wise statement is the lost property of the believer, so wherever he finds it, then he is more worthy of it."

You need to be a person of belief, that you need to understand who is your Lord and what your Lord seeks from you. The believer does not shy from benefit. But they have a standard by which they can judge. Some things are of clear benefit, so they embrace it, some things are not, so they don't.

Whoever knows all things but yet doesn't know Allah can't really be called wise. Because such a person is ignorant of the most noble of matters and of the highest of realities. Imam Ghazali

One of the great righteous said, "O Allah, how can one be ignorant if they know You even if they don't know much else, and how can one be of knowledge, if they are ignorant of You even if they know much else."

That is part of being aware. It applies in our lives. So many of us may think I know this and that and I have achieved this and that in my life but when it comes to the greatest of knowledge, we are ignorant. We have acquired great knowledge of material matters, matters of our worldly advantage, but we are ignorant of Allah and the ways of seeking Allah and attaining Allah's pleasure. How is that intelligence? How is that wisdom?

The whole life of the Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and grant him peace) is an embodiment of wisdom in all his dealings. A wise person is the one who acts in accordance to the Sunnah of the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace), not just in form but in reality. Part of this is to learn how the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him page) conducted himself outwardly but also to appreciate the Prophetic way.

The sunnah is a certain attitude and approach to life. Our attitude to life is how to lead a Godcentric life, how to seek Allah in all that you do. The sunnah grants you the capacity to seek Allah, to be pleasing to Allah, and to be beloved to Allah in every state and every conduct.

May Allah grant us wisdom and the knowledge of Him and enable us to follow the footsteps of His beloved Messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace). Ameen.

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

And Allah knows best and is Most Wise, and He alone grants success, and to Him is the final return of all.

Wassalaam

Let's Read Surah Kahf Today (Firday) -- Acquiring Beneficial Knowledge

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

Assalaamu alaykum

Islam is a treasure chest of wisdom totally relevant to our daily life. It is amazingly beautiful that Allah makes seeking knowledge an obligation upon every Muslim.

The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: “The seeking of knowledge is obligatory for every Muslim.” [At-Tirmidhi] What is meant by knowledge here is knowledge of shari’ah (Islamic knowledge). It is the knowledge of how a servant should behave with respect to his Lord. Al-Thawri said: “It is the knowledge for which no person has any excuse for not knowing.”

The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: Allah, His angels and all those in Heavens and on Earth, even ants in their hills and fish in the water, call down blessings on those who instruct others in beneficial knowledge. [At-Tirmidhi]

This shows us the great excellence of the seekers of knowledge. For whoever sets right his intention in seeking knowledge and desires only Allah's pleasure, is on a road to salvation and happiness.

The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, "Whoever goes down a path searching for knowledge, Allah will make it easy for him the road to Paradise." [Muslim]

If seeking knowledge is easy, then so many people would be doing it. The fact is that those who are on the path of knowledge are blessed but you need patience to keep going. So many people fell by the wayside because they don't have patience.

The story of Musa and Al-Khidr (peace be upon them) in Surah Kahf is teaching us patience in seeking knowledge. Thus, we are being reminded about this every week for those who follow the Sunnah of reading Surah Kahf every Friday and reflecting on the verses.

Musa (peace upon him) has a distinct position in the comity of prophets. This has been mentioned explicitly in the Qur'an, and Sunnah. The special distinction of having conversed with Allah is his hallmark. Allah had blessed Musa (peace be upon him) with an intense desire to seek knowledge. As soon as he smell the scent of knowledge elsewhere too, knowledge that he did not have, he was all set to go for it traveling like an ardent student and it was Allah Himself that he turned to for the address of that servant of His, al-Khidr.

وَإِذْ قَالَ مُوسَىٰ لِفَتَاهُ لَا أَبْرَ‌حُ حَتَّىٰ أَبْلُغَ مَجْمَعَ الْبَحْرَ‌يْنِ أَوْ أَمْضِيَ حُقُبًا ﴿٦٠

And [mention] when Musa to his servant, "I will not cease [traveling] until I reach the junction of the two seas or continue for a long period." (60)

[Quran, Al-Kahf 18:60]

Had it been the will of Allah that Musa should meet al-Khidr at that spot, He could have arranged that easily. Or, if Musa himself was Divinely destined to travel, he could have been given a clear address to help him reach it without any bother. But, what happened here was different. The address given to him was far from being precise - 'when you reach the place where the dead fish stirs and disappears, that will be the place you will find Our servant.

The address of al-Khidr was left imprecise in a manner that it would not remain easy to pinpoint it. Obviously, this too was nothing but a trial and test for Musa. As though this was not enough, when they had reached the exact spot but then they forgot the fish. This was yet another test. After having reached the projected destination, the fish came alive and disappeared into the sea. The reality had unfolded and the place was pinpointed. But, that was not the end. The seeker of knowledge had to undergo yet another test -- hunger and fatigue, and there is no food. When Musa finally saw Al-Khidr and followed him so he could learn from him, this was when he faced the most difficult test.

We should be constantly be seeking and acquiring knowledge. Knowledge is that reality whereby the unknown becomes known within us and it is knowledge and worship for which the reason Allah created the heavens and the earth. If this is the reason, every single one of us should have a great portion of it.

First, we should all understand what knowledge is. Second, we strive to seek it, and third, we should strive even further to make it a reality within ourselves. Knowledge is something great. If you give it all of yourself it will give you part of it. If you give part of yourself, it won’t give you anything. This is the general principle. This is the Sunnah of Allah relating to knowledge. Seeking knowledge is not easy. You have to make sacrifices, which means you have to get out of your norm in order to attain knowledge. We all have gone through this to some degree. When test time, we stop everything, get sleep deprivation, we eat whatever it is quickly so we can get back to study. Knowledge require a lot of exertion and effort to acquire it.

All of that effort we put in to achieve knowledge, any type of knowledge especially religious knowledge, putting that knowledge into practice in a religious sense, making that knowledge a reality within ourselves, is even more difficult. Even though we learn, review and teach, there isn’t a sense of a special relationship to that knowledge. Knowledge doesn’t fully become a reality within us and we don’t really have true possession until we are living by it. So when we spend our time in learning we should also spend just as much time putting the knowledge we have into practice,constantly seeking forgiveness from Allah for falling short in them.

Not only do we need to seek knowledge, implement the knowledge that we seek, there is also the element of being save from our knowledge. So it is a struggle to seek knowledge, but a greater struggle is to implement that knowledge and a much greater struggle is to be save from our knowledge.

Beneficial knowledge is going to open the door for us to be save us from our knowledge. In order to do that we have to have a sound heart (qalb salim), free from all blemishes, free from all diseases whereby we might either become impress of ourselves, lead to ostentation or arrogance, or other disease of the heart that might appear as a result of our knowledge.

So we should have a wird of reading useful (beneficial) knowledge.

A sign of a life community or city is that there are numerous of gatherings of knowledge and remembrance of Allah. If there is no gatherings of knowledge and remembrance, it is a sign of that place is dead.

Knowledge relates to sacred law and other than sacred law. All religious knowledge are praiseworthy except to the extent that some people who misunderstand certain aspects of religious knowledge and use them for some other purpose. When that happens, the way it is used becomes blameworthy.

As for knowledge that is not related to sacred law, they either be praiseworthy, blameworthy or permissible.Praiseworthy knowledge is knowledge that we need in order for us to establish benefits in this world, e.g. mathematics, medicine, agriculture, hijama. Knowledge that is blameworthy in of itself is like magic. Permissible knowledge is like poetry and history. All knowledge which related to sacred law is in of itself praiseworthy.

Beneficial knowledge will remove from you the love of this fleeting world and will lead you to the love of the next world, which is permanent. The more that you love the next world, the less that you love this world. It will lead you to zuhd (to renounce, to turn away, to abstain from the various things in the world and a desire for the akhirah) and give you knowledge and insights into your faults. Most people don't want to confront their faults, their dark aspects of their ego. If we want to take the path seriously, we have to have courage to confront our faults. Remember, shaytan is an apparent enemy and he is trying to lead us astray and making our bad actions and sins look good. So we have to learn about his tricks and plots.

Knowledge of tauhid, fiqh, spiritual excellence and correct practice, is the essence of what is considered beneficial knowledge. Beneficial knowledge is not mental gymnastics. Beneficial knowledge is knowledge that is accompanied and followed by righteous actions and it is cast into the heart. By this definition, in the age of information today, much of what people are learning today, in reality, is not considered to be knowledge.

May Allah purify our intentions for seeking knowledge, help us be steadfast and productive seekers of knowledge, and increase us in beneficial knowledge and keep us away from blameworthy knowledge.

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 wasallam.

And Allah knows best and is Most Wise, and He alone grants success, and to Him is the final return of all.

Wassalaam

Tawfiq and Success

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

Assalaamu alaykum

Tawfiq is success or the ability to attain what truly benefits you in this life and the next.  Tawfiq is precious and rare as it is not mentioned in the Qur'an except once:

وَمَا تَوْفِيقِىٓ إِلَّا بِٱللَّـهِ ۚ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَإِلَيْهِ أُنِيبُ ﴿٨٨ ...

... And my success is not but through Allah. In Him alone I have placed my trust and to Him alone I turn in humbleness. (88)

[Qur'an, Hud 11:88]

How do we climb the ladder of success?

First, we have to know that tawfiq comes only from Allah, not from you or anyone else. As mentioned in the Qur'an, Prophet Shu'aib (alayhissalaam) said,

إِنْ أُرِيدُ إِلَّا ٱلْإِصْلَـٰحَ مَا ٱسْتَطَعْتُ ۚ وَمَا تَوْفِيقِىٓ إِلَّا بِٱللَّـهِ ۚ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَإِلَيْهِ أُنِيبُ ﴿٨٨

... I only intend reform as much as I am able. And my success is not but through Allah. In Him alone I have placed my trust and to Him alone I turn in humbleness. (88)

[Qur'an, Hud 11:88]

The best of guidance is when Allah grants you tawfiq. When Allah gives you tawfiq, your affairs are gathered together and you are able to achieve your goals. However, it is extremely important that you take the first step and put in your best effort.

In order for Allah to choose you for this specific form of guidance, you need to actively seek tawfiq from Him in all your affairs, big or small, for this world or the Hereafter.

Some Causes of Tawfiq

Having sincere intention

It is very important to have sincere intention in all your undertakings. Your intention must be correct--you are doing it to seek the pleasure of Allah Almighty. When your intention is sincere and when you wish for that which is good and correct, then Allah will grant you tawfiq. That is why the scholars mentioned sincerity to be from the biggest of causes of tawfiq. So wish for the truth and for yourself to attain goodness and correctness in your affairs and keep reminding yourself about the importance of a sincere intention in all you do for Allah.

Having certainty, trust in Allah and turn to Allah

Another cause for being granted tawfiq is to have yaqeen (certainty) that this tawfiq can only come from Allah and, very importantly, to rely on Him and turn to Him in repentance. How many times do people attribute success in their career or having done good deeds to themselves, without even thinking it was only by the tawfiq of Allah? So have true belief that tawfiq only comes from Allah, put your trust in Him and repent.

Desiring Paradise and asking for it

The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam said:

Whoever makes the Hereafter his preoccupation, then Allah places freedom from want in his heart, gathers his affairs, and dunya (worldly life) comes to him despite being reluctant to do so. And whoever makes dunya his preoccupation, then Allah places his poverty in front of his eyes, make his affairs scattered, and nothing of the dunya comes to him except that which has been decreed for him.

[At-Tirmidhi]

Allah gives tawfiq for the slave when he asks for Paradise, so ask for it.

A bedouin came to the Messenger of Allah whilst he was travelling and he took hold of his camel’s halter or reigns and said: O Messenger of Allah! Tell me of something that will draw me closer to Paradise and distance me away from the Hellfire. He said, the Prophet turned and looked to his companions and said: Indeed he has been granted tawfiq. Indeed he has been granted tawfiq. Then he said: What did you say? So he (the bedouin) repeated and the Prophet said: That you should worship Allah and associate none with Him, that you establish prayers, pay the zakah and join ties (kindred). Let go of the camel. [Muslim]

The bedouin’s will to attain Paradise is an example of tawfiq.

May Allah grant us the highest Paradise without reckoning. Ameen.

Praying the istikharah prayer

Praying this sunnah prayer when proceeding with decisions in your life means you seek tawfiq. Praying this prayer with the du'a for istkharah included in it is a cause for being granted tawfiq.

Asking for a good end

Realize the importance of being granted tawfiq in the last moments of your life. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam said:

If Allah wishes good for a slave, he utilizes him. It was said: How does He utilizes him, O Messenger of Allah? He said: He grants him tawfiq to perform righteous deeds before death.

[At-Tirmidhi]

May Allah make us of those He utilized and grant us an excellent ending. Ameen.

Reflecting on your friendships

The righteous predecessors used to say: If a person of the sunnah is granted tawfiq, then the biggest blessing that Allah bestows on him is to give him tawfiq in finding (another) companion of the sunnah who takes him by the hand and leads him to the truth.

A beautiful example is Khaythamah ibn Abi Sabra who said: I came to Madinah and I asked Allah to facilitate for me in finding a righteous companion, so He facilitated for me Abu Hurayrah. I sat with him and said: Indeed I asked Allah to facilitate for me righteous companionship so I was granted tawfiq. He said to me: Where are you from? . . . (until the end of the narration). [At-Tirmidhi]

This is how those who were true to Allah in their intentions were granted tawfiq in meeting those from the Companion.

So ask Allah for tawfiq in friendships. May Allah grant us righteous companions. Ameen.

Being grateful whenever you are given tawfiq

Whenever Allah enabled you to carry out that good deed you wanted to do, thank Allah. And whoever is grateful, Allah will give him more.

وَإِذْ تَأَذَّنَ رَبُّكُمْ لَئِن شَكَرْتُمْ لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ ۖ وَلَئِن كَفَرْتُمْ إِنَّ عَذَابِى لَشَدِيدٌۭ

And [remember] when your Lord proclaimed, 'If you are grateful, I will surely increase you [in favor]; but if you deny, indeed, My punishment is severe.' " (7)

[Qur'an Ibrahim 14:7]

So be grateful for any tawfiq and He will give you more. May Allah make us of those who are grateful. Ameen.

May Allah make us of those who always ask for tawfiq, recognize tawfiq is from Him only and put our trust in Him.

May Allah grant us tawfiq in all that is good, utilize us on His path and distance us from the Fire and all deeds that lead to it. Ameen.

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

And Allah knows best and is Most Wise, and He alone grants success, and to Him is the final return of all.

Wassalaam

Let's Read Surah Kahf Today (Friday) -- The Righteous Attracts Allah's Help and Support

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

Assalaamu alaykum

Allah Almighty says in Surah Kahf,

وَٱصْبِرْ نَفْسَكَ مَعَ ٱلَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ رَبَّهُم بِٱلْغَدَوٰةِ وَٱلْعَشِىِّ يُرِيدُونَ وَجْهَهُۥ ۖ وَلَا تَعْدُ عَيْنَاكَ عَنْهُمْ تُرِيدُ زِينَةَ ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا ۖ وَلَا تُطِعْ مَنْ أَغْفَلْنَا قَلْبَهُۥ عَن ذِكْرِنَا وَٱتَّبَعَ هَوَىٰهُ وَكَانَ أَمْرُهُۥ فُرُطًا ﴿٢٨

And keep yourself patient [by being] with those who call upon their Lord in the morning and the evening, seeking His countenance. And let not your eyes pass beyond them, desiring adornments of the worldly life, and do not obey one whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance and who follows his desire and whose affair is ever [in] neglect. (28)

[Qur'an, Al-Kahf 18:28]

The Messenger of Allah sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam was being addressed in this ayah, showing us that our company does affect each and every one of us. If the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam is being instructed with the company he should keep, what then of us?

Keeping righteous company is mentioned after the story of Ashaabul Kahf is of significance. Ashaabul Kahf chose to be amongst the group who remember Allah and not of those who seek the dunya (world). Indeed, our next life depends on our company. If we chose righteous companions, we will be amongst them in the hereafter.

Allah Almighty is giving us a direction in this verse: He, the Exalted, is guiding us to what is best for us and instructing us about what to avoid. The righteous attracts Allah's help and support in this life and the next, and in the hereafter -- "you will be with those you love." So if you love the righteous, then you will be in their company on that Day when a man would flee from his brother and his mother and his father and his wife and his children - (Qur'an, Abasa 80:34-35].

إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ إِنَّا لَا نُضِيعُ أَجْرَ مَنْ أَحْسَنَ عَمَلًا ﴿٣٠

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)

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

In this verse, Allah tells us whose company we should keep: مَعَ ٱلَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ رَبَّهُم بِٱلْغَدَوٰةِ وَٱلْعَشِىِّ يُرِيدُونَ وَجْهَهُۥ - with those who call upon their Lord in the morning and the evening, seeking His countenance. This is an exclusive quality of the righteous - they remember Allah under all conditions and what they do is exclusively for the good pleasure of Allah. All these conditions around them are conditions that attract the help and support of Allah. Such are the people to whom comes the help of Allah.

Allah Almighty alerts us in the beginning of the verse, وَاصْبِرْ نَفْسَكَ , and be patient with yourself, hold yourself. Sabr (patience) is not only when a difficulty or calamity occurs, but keeping with righteous company and continuing with the remembrance of Allah requires sabr.

Allah Almighty says, وَلَا تَعْدُ عَيْنَاكَ عَنْهُمْ تُرِيدُ زِينَةَ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا - [and do not let your eyes pass beyond them, desiring adornments of the worldly life.] The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam did not desire the dunya, but this part of the ayah is a reminder to not be impressed by the nobility and wealth of those of high status but to remain with those who remember Allah.

Allah Almighty compares those who call upon Him (they make du'a) and those who seek the glamor of this worldly life, because no one can have both at the same time – you are either from those who remember Allah, or of those who seek the dunya.

It is not enough for us to be with good company, but we must leave the bad company as well. Allah Almighty instructs us to avoid those people who do not have any interest in the remembrance of Allah and follow their desires. Following one’s desires leads to their affairs being fruitless because there is no purpose or goal. And being in gatherings where there is no mention of Allah -- like musical concerts, theaters, ball games, hookah-shisha places, arcades, etc -- decreases one’s Iman (Faith), because a heart without His remembrance is like a fish out of water and those who remember other than Allah in their gatherings are prone to sinning – such as indulging in backbiting and slander -- and worldly because our nafs (lower self) naturally incline to the adornment of this life. The chiefs of Makkah were heedless of the remembrance of Allah; everything they did was subservient to their physical desires, and these conditions guaranteed that they stood alienated far from the mercy and support of Allah.

The righteous lives a conscious life, they are not heedless, from morning to night they are conscious of what they are doing and they have their goal and purpose. Ashaabul Kahf had a goal in their life, to seek Allah’s pleasure, and they acted upon this goal and Allah granted them success.

May Allah protect us from bad company and heedlessness and grant us righteous company and steadfastness and make righteous deeds beloved to us and grant us victory over the disbelieving people. Ameen.

Ameen

Have a blessed Friday.

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

And Allah knows best and is Most Wise, and He alone grants success, and to Him is the final return of all.

Wassalaam