Let us celebrate the prophet of Mercy

It is an inborn instinct of a human being to be happy for receiving precious gifts. Obviously Messengers of Allah are great gifts for the humanity.  The final messenger, Our beloved prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is declared by the Almighty as a gift of mercy for the whole universe where the humanity is a tiny world. (وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلا رَحْمَةً لِّلْعَالَمِينَ – we have not sent you except as a mercy to all the worlds 21 -107). Moreover He commands the human beings to be jubilant at this great Mercy. (قُلْ بِفَضْلِ اللَّـهِ وَبِرَحْمَتِهِ فَبِذَٰلِكَ فَلْيَفْرَحُوا هُوَ خَيْرٌ مِّمَّا يَجْمَعُونَ  Say: In the bounty of Allah and in His mercy: therein they should rejoice. It is better than all what they accumulate 10-58.)

The month in which the beloved prophet was born inspires his lovers to celebrate that blessed event. We feel sympathy with those who cannot entertain this time.  Celebration initially springs up from the heart of a lover and it comes out in the form of words and deeds.  There is no meaning in arguing with people who cannot digest it since they lack the basic aspect of love.

Twitter

Last year I posted a map (Click to view) portraying the popularity and universality of Meelad celebrations. One of the few countries where the birthday is not a holiday is the kingdom of Saudi Arabia.   Interestingly I found one twitter message from Shaikh Adil Kalbani former Imam at Masjid al Haram asking to call the birthday an official holiday.

Natives of the Blessed land of Makkah and Madina do celebrate this occasion. Here, You can see famous scholar of Makkah and a former lecture at Masjid al Haram Muhammad Alawi Maliki participating in an official ceremony of Meelad celebration in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

Fatwa

In Qatar, despite official patronage, people do celebrate it. Yousuf Al Qardawi , a well-known Qatari scholar issued fatwa in support of it.

Let me quote from the earlier post:  “It is a time to listen to and to speak of the marvelous personality of the holy Prophet as well as to renew the commitment to follow His way of life; A time to come closer to His great self and to His Lord, the Almighty Allah. Youngsters get introduced and elders get reminded of the humanity’s obligation towards its Savior. We need to set up personal relationship with him and to be close to him all the time.

May Allah bless us with his sweet and glorious companionship! Aameen.”

Gulf News : Al Azhar initiative deserves praise

Its Bill of Rights upholding freedom of expression and belief comes at right time
The recent position of Al Azhar on rights and freedom is welcomed. This is being said given that Egypt cannot afford divisions — religious, political, or ethnic. And it is here where authoritative religious entities and leaders play a pivotal role in keeping the community together and ensuring unity under the umbrella of the nation state.

The head of Al Azhar has put forward a Bill of Rights upholding freedom of expression and belief ahead of the beginning of the process of drafting a new constitution.
The bill comes as an attempt by Al Azhar to show its neutrality and objective standing when it comes to rights and freedom as well as standing as an example of moderate Islam. This recent step is one in a series which have been taken as adaptive measures to the changing political environment in Egypt.
Within this context, Al Azhar’s move is encouraging as it has to deal with the changing landscape with adaptability and flexibility.
In addition, the latest step is important as all religious entities have to keep away from any political alliance or favouritism. The role of such entities, after all, is to bring communities together and strengthen the fabric of society.
gulfnews : Al Azhar initiative deserves praise.

Watch “Imam Ghazzali and the fly | Habib Ali Jifri” on YouTube

Conference on Sufism: Sheikh Aboobacker Ahmad Speaks

Here is the remarkable speech by Sheikh Aboobacker Ahmad, A veteran Islamic scholar from India. He is the General Secretary of the organization of Ahlussunna scholars in India and the patron of Jamia Markaz Saqafathi Sunniyya at Kozhikkode. His stands on various social, religious issues are widely discussed in Indian media and even in political circles as his mass support makes them anxious. Here we see him talking to world Muslim scholars and dignitaries in the Conference on Sufism in Cairo.

In the Name of Allah – the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds. Peace and Blessings be upon the leader of Prophets and upon his family and companions as well.
Respected dignitaries and audience, Even though I brought here detailed essays on the subject, i.e. Sufism: an authentic way of personal and social reform I would like to summarize it as I am late to attend this conference. As I am also coming from India, representing Jamia Markaz Saqafathi Sunniyya al Islamiyya where some twenty thousand male and female students get their education. I don’t want to elaborate on Indian state of affairs since you heard it from our brother a short while ago.
Dear brothers and respected scholars, these days we are astonished to hear some people lashing out at Sufism and insulting Sufi scholars. They say “He is a Sufi” scornfully as if he were a heretic or a polytheistic. By God, We cannot understand how they can reject Sufism. If they do so because of some pseudo Sufis, likewise, Musailama, the Liar has falsely claimed prophet hood, can they reject our prophet because of that? There are genuine and counterfeit in everything, we take the original and throw the fake away. The same is true to Sufism also. This great way of life, Sufism, that we are talking about is the path where the great pious pioneers have stepped in. Imam abul Qasim al Junaidi, Supreme leader of the Sufis once answered to a question on Sufism (Tasawuf). He said it is the purification of heart. All Sufi scholars described Sufism in the same terms. Tasawuf we follow is what Our Messenger has pointed to by the word ‘Ihsan’and described it as to worship Allah as if you see Him, although you don’t see Him, He does see you.
So purification of mind from all bad characters such as Polytheism, heresy, arrogance, greed for fame and Hypocrisy is called Taswuf (Sufism) Almighty Allah indicated this in the holy Quran as He says: “Indeed Allah conferred a great favour on the believers when He sent among them a Messenger from among themselves, reciting unto them His Verses, and purifying them, ….
Look at the verses of almighty Allah. Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) supplicated Allah to teach the people first and then to purify. “Our Lord! Send amongst them a Messenger of their own who shall recite unto them Your Verses and instruct them the Book and the Wisdom and purify them.” In these verses and other verses as well, Almighty Allah emphasizes Purification of Heart because the main purpose of sending prophets and messengers is to cleanse and sanctify people from all bad characters. Allah mentioned this in many verses and so the prophet (PBUH) in many hadiths
Dear scholars, We need to differentiate between the truth and the falsehood. We cannot accept a way that contradicts religious principles. See what Shaikh Abdul Khadir al Jeelani has said. He said in his Book Futuh Al Ghaib , Chapter One The Essentials of a Believer – Accept Allah’s Orders and Content with His judgments: He sets obeying religious Do’s and Don’ts as a precondition for entering into the Sufi Order. Shaikh Zainuddin Makhdum al Malaibari said in his book that all Sufi orders require complete compliance with the Quran and Sunnah.
The real Sufi Tariqah is stemmed from the Holy Quran and Sunnah so it can never contradict any Sharia rule. If somebody claims affiliation with Sufism, at the same time acts against Sharia rules and permits what is prohibited like alcohol, he has nothing to do with the Sufism. Sufism that we follow is what our Messenger (PBUH) has taught us. All though the term Sufism was formed many years later like all other technical terms, it has been firmly rooted in Quran and Hadith. The real Sufi, I don’t say Islamic Sufi, is the one who follows the footprint of the Prophetic way by Practicing all what is ordered and avoiding all that is forbidden. Moreover, he cleanses his heart form all rusts and dusts. Quran says: “No. In fact what they have been doing has rusted on their hearts.” Human hearts get rusted and become dirty so that we need to clean them and keep them stainless.
We seek help from Allah and all praise is due to Him.

Salafists run away from channel discussion

Extremist Salafists in Egypt unanimously decided to refuse talks with Habib Ali Al jifri in CBC Channel discussion. The discussion program with Habib Ali Jifri (amant.tv) was anchored by Khairy Ramadan and hosted leaders of various sections of the society belonging to different walks of life in a move to spread the message of religious tolerance, mutual cooperation and social harmony. After receiving formal invitation from the channel, Salfists leaders met together and settle on a total refusal.

Since long time ago, Habib Ali Al Jifri has been calling so called Salfists for serious dialogue especially after the release of a notorious audio of forged debate named “Peaceful Debate With Jifri=حوار هادئ مع الجفري “ made up of cropped clips from Habib Ali Jifri’s speech attaching their hapless replies to them.  see (al7war .net )Once they have got an opportunity to talk directly and expose the reality they have simply withdrawn!

I have had personal experiences of this kind of people running away from scholars as they have neither answers to the questions nor proofs for their claims.

Tears as Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) relic brought to Chechnya

Just to Share this News from AFP
By Maria Antonova (AFP) – 5 days ago

MOSCOW — Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov broke into floods of tears as he unveiled a purported relic of the Prophet Mohammed in a bizarre ceremony involving a Rolls Royce motorcade, reports said Thursday.

The government of the majority Muslim Russian Northern Caucasus region, recovering after two separatist wars and still battling Islamic insurgents, boasted that the cup was 1,400 years old and had belonged to the Prophet.

The cup had earlier been flown into the Chechen capital Grozny from London where it was kept by unnamed descendants of Mohammed’s cousin Ali.

Kadyrov, clad in a bright purple shirt and trousers and a black Muslim skullcap, triumphantly carried the boxed relic straight off the plane at the airport at the ceremony on Wednesday.

He then sped through Grozny in a Rolls-Royce cabriolet surrounded by a motorcade of dozens of luxury cars, the first Russian television pictures of the event showed Thursday.

The flag-waving delegation then arrived to Grozny’s central mosque greeted by a crowd of singing and clapping people.

The Chechen leader proceeded to take the jade-coloured bowl out of bubble wrapping, and broke down in uncontrollable tears after kissing the object, covering his reddening face and shaking violently.

Chechen television aired a 18-minute long special on the event posted on the websiteChechnyatoday.com that shows Kadyrov’s car covered in traditional rugs gliding along a major street in slow motion to the sounds of a Chechen song with English-language lyrics “You came to me… when I was so lost.”

Footage showed a crowd of several hundred assembled near the mosque to listen to impassioned speeches in Chechen and shout “Allahu Akbar!” before the cup was shown to the public. Several took a sip from the cup and prayed.

The Chechen government said in a statement on its website that “the cup was used by Prophet Mohammed, passing to his cousin Ali ibn Abi Talib the fourth Caliph.” Further details on its authenticity were not immediately available. 

Anyone will be able to drink water from it on the day of Mohammed’s birthday, the Chechen government said.

“Nobody can say anything else about the origin of the cup,” a Chechen government spokesman told AFP. “The negotiations were led by the famous businessman Ruslan Baisarov and it was announced by Ramzan Kadyrov,” he said.

Baisarov owns major stakes in Russia’s top copper and coal companies and has promised to finance the development of a ski resort in Chechnya planned by the Chechen President.

Kadyrov, who has ruled the war-torn region since 2007 and was reappointed in the post earlier this year, has overseen several grandiose projects and events in Grozny aimed at boosting his political clout.

He has also encouraged the revival of Islam in the region, inaugurating in 2008 the “Heart of Chechnya” mosque, said to be the biggest in Europe.

But rights groups have long accused him of presiding over a personal militia that they say has carried out serial rights violations, torture and even murder.

Copyright © 2011 AFP. All rights reserved

 

Glittering Lines around the Blessed Chamber

Visitors of the Holy Prophet (Peace and Blessing be Upon Him) cannot miss the inscriptions on the wall of his blessed Chamber. Reading those lines, one would be amazed to feel the emotion of that great soul whose expressions got inscribed there with golden letters.
On the other hand visitors are embarrassed to see the tampering of these inscriptions as well.  Many lines have been painted in a way that it makes them literally unreadable.  The ridiculous excuse was they did not suit to the new version of Monotheism. In other words those lines convey polytheism!. God Forbid!!!
What is more astonishing after all that those lines are still kept elevated to sanctum sanatorium and it is not a problem ! This very fact is more than enough to expose the hypocrisy of the so-called proponents of pseudo monotheism and the inconsistency of their arguments. If they really think of these lines speaking polytheistic what a disgrace  to keep them on the wall!!  If they don’t, what is the substance of covering up those beautiful and wonderful piece of an heartfelt expression?

In my recent visit to the blessed site, I snapped some pictures of the wall along with the door of the chamber where one of the most famous lines from Qaseeda Burda has been engraved.

It reads: هو الحبيب الذي ترجى شفاعته لكل هول من الاهوال مقتحم [He is (Allah’s) most beloved, whose intercession is hoped for every fear that comes at once]

Here is the poem in full and   its English translation by G.F Haddad along with his introduction.

Poem of Tawassul and Praise
by Sh. G. F. Haddad

Sultan `Abd al-Hamid’s poem in praise of the Prophet upon him blessings and peace was engraved in the year 1191 (1777 C.E.) on the walls of the Prophet’s hujra in his mosque in Madina. The possessors of specious adab with the Prophet upon him blessings and peace covered up several of the verses with paint so that they could not be read, sparing what suited them, but the poem has been preserved in other ways. It can be found in the book of our late teacher Shaykh al-Islam fil-Balad al-Haram al-Sharif al-Shaykh Muhammad ibn `Alawi al-Maliki titled Shifa’ al-Fu’ad bi-Ziyarati Khayr al-`Ibad (Healing the heart with the visitation of the best of Allah’s servants) (Dubai: Da’irat al-awqaf, n.d.) p. 203. Here is the text in full, with an asterisk indicating each verse that was painted over.

1*	يا سيدي يا رسول الله خذ بيدي مالي سواك ولا ألوي على أحد
	O my master, O Messenger of Allah, take my hand: I have none besides you, nor will I pause to rely on anyone but you.
2*	فأنت نور الهدى في كل كائنة وأنت سر الندى يا خير معتمد
	For you are the light of guidance in everything that exists and you are the secret of munificence and the best reliance.
3*	وأنت حقا غياث الخلق أجمعهم وأنت هادي الورى لله ذي السدد
	And you are in truth the helper of all creation, and you are the guide of mortals to Allah, Owner of help.
4	يا من يقوم مقام الحمد منفردا للواحد الفرد لم يولد ولم يلد
	O you who stand on the Station of Praise, singled out by the One Who is Single, Who is not begotten and does not beget.
5	يا من تفجرت الأنهار نابعة من أصبعيه فروى الجيش بالمدد
	O you from whose fingers rivers burst forth so that he quenched the thirst of the numerous army.
6*	إني إذا سامني ضيم يروعني أقول يا سيد السادات يا سندي
	Verily, if I am faced with harm and fearful injustice I say: O Master of masters, O my support!
7*	كن لي شفيعا من الرحمن من زلل وأمنن علي بما لا كان في خلدي
	Be my intercessor with the Merciful regarding my mistakes and grace me with what eludes my heart.
8*	وانظر بعين الرضا لي دائما أبدا واستر بفضلك تقصيري إلى الأمد
	And look upon me always and ever with kind eyes, and cover with your favor my shortcomings all my life.
9*	واعطف علي بعفو منك يشملني فإنني عنك يا مولاي لم أحد
	Kindly bestow on me encompassing forgiveness for from you, O my master, I was never separated.
10*	إني توسلت بالمختار أفضل من رقَّى السموات سر الواحد الأحد
	I have sought as my means the elect one, the noblest of any that ascended the heavens, the secret of the Unique One.
11	رب الجمال تعالى الله خالقه فمثله في جميع الخلق لم أجد
	O Lord of beauty! Exalted is Allah Who created him, for such as him in all creation I have never seen.
12	خير الخلائق أعلى المرسلين ذرى ذخر الأنام وهاديهم إلى الرشد
	The best of creatures, the apex of Messengers, the treasure of humankind and their guide to integrity!
13*	به التجأت لعل الله يغفر لي هذا الذي هو في ظني ومعتقدي
	In him I have taken refuge: perhaps Allah will forgive me. This is what I count on and firmly believe.
14	فمدحه لم يزل دأبي مدى عمري وحبه عند رب العرش مستندي
	Therefore his tireless praise shall never cease to be my task and love of him sustains me in the presence of the Lord of the Throne.
15	عليه أزكى صلاة لم تزل أبدا مع السلام بلا حصر ولا عدد
	Upon him the purest of endless blessings without cease together with greetings that cannot be stemmed nor counted
16	والآل والصحب أهل المجد قاطبة وتابعيهم بإحسان إلى الأبد
	And upon his Family and Companions, a glorious folk all, The ocean of forgiveness, the people of generosity and aid!

You can download it in PDF Format prepared by Taqwa.sg from this link  Qasseeda Tawassul PDF

Eid Greetings!

On the day of Eid , Companions of the Beloved Messenger were used to say each other :

“May Allah Accept from us and from you”

ذكر ابن التركماني في الجوهر النقي حاشية البيهقي ( 3/ 320 – 321 )حديث محمد بن زياد ، قال : كنت مع أبي أمامة الباهلي وغيره من أصحاب النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم ، فكانوا إذا رجعوا يقول بعضهم لبعض : ( تقبل الله منا ومنكم ) ، قال : أحمد بن حنبل : إسناده جيد . اهـ .

وجاء في الفتح ( 2/446) : وروينا في المحامليات بإسناد حسن عن جبير بن نفير قال : كان أصحاب رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم إذا التقوا يوم العيد يقول بعضهم لبعضتقبل الله منا ومنكم .

 

Welcoming the Holy month of Ramadan

Scholars say that what you think of Ramadan is exactly what you can expect from it. If you think it would be tiresome and dull so it would be for you. On the other hand, if you want it to be a season of great enlightenment and spiritual ecstasy it would be so. Likewise, if you are happy to see and welcome it, it would be happy and kind to you and vice versa. To get out looking for the crescent of Ramadan is considered to be a sign of pleasure of receiving it. Moreover it is an act of Sunnah as it was done by the Holy prophet (PBUH) in His lifetime.
The 30th Night of Shaaban 1432 falls on 30th of July, 2011 and the moon is expected to be sighted immediately after sunset. Despite astronomers claim of not being sighted we need to uphold the great tradition our religion of looking at the sky for the crescent and not at mere speculative calculations.
Last year I wrote :

Almighty Allah wants us to see his wonderful  products on display. How many times he asked us to watch his marvelous creations? He asked us to look at the sky, the camel, the hills etc.. ,but we were busy with making money and wasting it. If you put your comment on it, you will get extra rewards! How can we put comments on his extremely stunning creations? And what we can put on them? Don’t worry! He himself mentioned the most appropriate comments in His Holy Quran

سبحانك ما خلقت هذا باطلا وقنا عذاب النار

(Our Lord! not for naught Hast Thou created (all) this! Glory to Thee! Give us salvation from the penalty of the Fire. (3-191)

Regarding Moon sighting there are special comments and prayers to be chanted while looking at the crescent. Imam Nawawi (May Allah Bless him) reports  the following  hadiths  in his famous Book, Al Adkar :

1. اللهم أهله علينا باليمن والإيمان والسلامة والإسلام ربي وربك الله
2. ” الله أكبر ، اللهم أهله علينا بالأمن والإيمان والسلامة والإسلام ، والتوفيق لما تحب وترضى ، ربنا وربك الله
3. هلال خير ورشد ، هلال خير ورشد ، هلال خير ورشد ، آمنت بالله الذي خلقك ، آمنت بالله الذي خلقك, آمنت بالله الذي خلقك - ” الحمد لله الذي ذهب بشهر كذا وجاء بشهر كذا

Let us show our Lord Almighty Allah that we are prepared to welcome His Guest and eagerly waiting to accept His blessings by coming out of our home and to look for the crescent.  While some people are fearful about Ramadan and want to see it leaving, we need to express our longing to join our forefathers who started preparing for Ramadan before months!

Once Again , friends, DON’T MISS IT ! It would be an auspicious opening of a booming season of your life.

Wish you a happy and blessed month of Ramadan !

Grand Mufti Dr. Ali Goma on Celebrating 15th of Sha’aban

Egypt’s Dar al-Ifta – Celebrating the night of mid-Sha’ban and other religious occasions.

First, the night of mid-Sha`ban is a blessed night. There are numerous hadiths which strengthen one another (and are, thus, elevated to the degree of being fair and strong) and which establish the merits of this night. Therefore, commemorating this night is, undoubtedly, lawful regardless of the fact that these hadiths may be weak or fabricated.

Hadiths on the virtue of the night of mid-Sha`ban:

1. `A`ishah, the Mother of Believers (may Allah be pleased with her), said:”One night, I did not find the Prophet in his bed, so I went out searching for him and found him at Al-Baqi` cemetery with his head raised towards the sky. He said:‘O ‘A`ishah! Were you afraid that Allah and His Messenger would treat you unfairly?‘ I said, ‘No, I thought you had gone to spend the night with one of your (other) wives’. He said: ‘Allah Almighty descends to the lowest heaven on the night of mid-Sha`ban and forgives more people than the number of hairs on the hides of the sheep of Bani Kalb.” (At-Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, and Ahmad)
2. Mu`adh Ibn Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “On the night of mid-Sha`ban, Allah looks at His creation and forgives all of them except for the polytheist and the quarrelsome.” (At-Tabarani and Ibn Hibban who declared it authentic)
3. `Ali Ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Perform the night vigil prayers on the night of mid-Sha`ban and fast its day (i.e., the day preceding it) for Allah descends to the lowest heaven at sunset of that night and says: ‘Is there any one asking for forgiveness that I may forgive him? Is there any one asking for sustenance that I may grant him sustenance? Is there any one under trial that I may relieve him? Is there any such-and-such…, is there any such-and-such?’ And so forth until the beak of dawn.” (Ibn Majah)

There is no objection to audibly recite surat Ya-Sin three times after the Maghrib Prayer in congregation because this is considered part of commemorating this night. As for the making dhikr (remembrance of Allah), the matter is open; it is permissible to designate certain places and times to regularly perform good deeds as long as this is not considered obligatory and thus a sin to neglect them.

`Abdullah Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: “Every Saturday, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to go to Qiba’ Mosque either on foot or riding” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

In Fath Al-Bari, Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar stated:

In spite of having different chains of transmissions, this hadith proves the permissibility of designating specific days to regularly perform certain good deeds.

In Lata’if al-Ma’`rif Al-Hafiz Ibn Rajab said: “The scholars of Ash-Sham differed over the manner of celebrating this night:

• The first opinion is that it is commendable to celebrate this night by assembling in mosques. Khalid Ibn Ma`dan, Luqman Ibn `Amir, and others used to wear their finest clothes, use incense, and line their eyes with kohl to celebrate this night in the mosque. Ishaq Ibn Rahawiyah approved of this.

Concerning commemorating this night in congregation in the mosque, he said, “This is not an innovation.” Al-Karmani cited this opinion in his Masa’il.

• The second opinion is that it is offensive to gather in mosques on this night to perform (special) prayers, narrate moral stories, and make supplications. It is not offensive for one to pray individually on this night. This is the opinion of Al-Awza`i, the imam, jurist, and scholar of the people of Ash-Sham.

Based on this, it is permissible to celebrate the night of mid-Sha`ban in the aforementioned manner; it is neither an innovation nor is it offensive provided that it is not deemed an obligation. However, if it is considered obligatory to the extent of obligating others to observe it and accusing those who do not participate in its commemoration of committing a sin, it is then an innovation because they obligate what neither Allah nor His Messenger have made obligatory.

This is why there were some people among the predecessors who maintained the offensiveness of commemorating this night in congregation. Therefore, if this obligation is non-existent, then there is no offensiveness attached to it.

Second, it is commendable to celebrate different religious occasions provided they do not include anything unlawful. The command to remind people to observe ‘the days of Allah‘ has been mentioned in the Shari`ah, (…and remind them of the Days of Allah…) (Ibrahim 14: 5)

It is also included in the magnanimous Sunnah— it has been reported in the Sahih of Muslim that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to fast every Monday. He said: “I was born on this day.”

Likewise, Ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrated: “When Allah’s Messenger came to Madinah, he found the Jews fasting on the day of `Ashura’. So he asked, ‘What is (the significance) this day you are fasting?‘ They replied, ‘It is a day of great significance. On this day Allah delivered Musa and his people (from their enemy) and drowned Pharaoh and his army — so Musa fasted this day out of gratitude to Allah. Therefore, we, also, fast on this day.’ The Messenger of Allah then said: ‘We have more right to Musa than you.‘ So the Messenger of Allah fasted on this day and commanded (Muslims) to fast it.” (Bukhari and Muslim)

Based on this, it is lawful to celebrate religious occasions in the aforementioned manner — it is neither offensive nor an innovation.

Rather, such celebrations are by way of honoring the rites of Allah Almighty, (…and whoever respects the signs of Allah, this surely is (the outcome) of the piety of hearts…) (Al-Hajj 22: 32)

Allah Almighty knows best.

Excerpted with slight editorial modification from, www.dar-alifta.org

Celebration of the Ascension

What do you think of an appointment with the President? How is it if you were the only candidate selected from billions to meet His Excellency? Of course you can’t help celebrating the day.

It is really a different case! The holy prophet is being invited by Almighty Allah, the Creator and Sustainer of Everything. Nobody ever got this opportunity in the past and nobody can expect it in the future; unique for the Beloved messenger. It was a great day for the holy Prophet (PBUH) and is so for all those who love him.

Moreover, it seems that the Almighty Allah wanted to give an entertainment to the prophet and to show His love and care. While he was shrouded with a cloud of tribulations, in the Sad Year, the holy prophet was taken to a world tour exploring all worlds leading to the extreme experience of seeing the Divine. Thus lovers of the prophet have every reason to be excited and to celebrate this event. To mark the occasion fasting also is recommended by some scholars. (. ويستحب صوم يوم المعراج http://islamport.com/d/2/shf/1/2/185.html)

Provocative!

The incident was a provocation for disbelievers and a solid proof for believers. Today, it provokes modern science on many terms and proves the authenticity of the Holy Prophet’s Message. The most significant aspect of this eventful journey is the “The Relativity of Time” as it took only a few seconds to complete its all episodes. The Holy Quran has made it clear that the time we count is different from the time elsewhere.

Another significant aspect of the journey is its speed and its connection with the Light. The special vehicle is called Buraq a term derived from the root Light. Traditional sources say that its Leap during the Night Journey (ISRAA) was so far as its eye could reach, which is a clear reference to the speed of light.  Thanks to the advancement of modern science, now we all know that the process of seeing is a light driven mechanism

According to Dr. Zaghloul El-Naggar, based on the root form of the word, even the name Miaraj (Ascension) is a reference to the bended path of light rays. The Quran mentions the traffic of the angels who are created from light with the same term. (تعرج الملئكة والروح فيها) see his article in Arabic here. http://www.eajaz.org/arabic/?option=com_content&view=article&id=663&catid=79:21

Thus the ascension of the Beloved messenger gave a boost to the faithful of that time. Similarly its celebration will boost up the faith and conviction of the believers of all times.

May Allah Increase our faith and join us with the faithful Aameen .

Imam Shafiee (RA) on Friendship

This morning I have tried to translate one of the wonderful poems of the great scholar Al Imam Al Shafiee (May Allah Bless him). Imam was a great miracle in the history as revealed through his works, writings and legends.I like to post a bit details on this great personality sometimes later. His poems convey a great deal of unmatched wisdom and eternal moral values. Please check this out!

If the person is not caring, but disturbing rather	اذا المرء لا يرعاك الا تكلفا
Just Leave him, and don’t be sad about it ever	فدعه ولا تكثر عليه التاسفا
There are substitutes in the people, it is relief to avoid	ففي الناس ابدال وفي الترك راحة
despite his rudeness have patience for the loved	وفي القلب صبر للحبيب ولو جفا
All you love deeply do not love you back truly	فما كل من تهواه يهواك قلبه
And not all you prefer most prefer you reciprocally	ولا كل من صافيته لك قد صفا
If the essence of love is not pretty natural	اذا لم يكن صفو الوداد طبيعة
No good in an affection which is artificial	فلا خير في ود يجيء تكلفا
There is no good in a friend who is deceiving	ولا خير في خل يخون خليله
And treats harshly just after being loving	ويلقاه من بعد المودة بالجفا
Who denies too the life previously accepted	وينكر عيشا قد تقادم عهده
Disclosing secrets kept yesterday enclosed	ويظهر سرا كان بالامس قد خفا
Good bye to the world, if there is no one	سلام على الدنيا إذا لم يكن بها
As a true good friend who is just and open	صديق صدوق صادق الوعد منصفا

On the Month of Rajab

It has been mentioned by Abu’ Nu’aim in ‘Hilya’ from Anas Ibn Malik (Allah be pleased with him) he said, that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) used to make the following dua, when the month of Rajab came in: ‘Allahuma Barik lana fi Rajaba wa Sha’bana wa ballighna Ramadhan’ (O Allah Bless us in Rajab and Sha’ban and Bring us Ramadhan) It has bee mentioned by Abu’l Fath ibn Abi’l-Fawaris in his ‘Amali’ (dictations and tra … Read More

Mentioning the Beloved By Alhabib Mohammad Alsaqqaf

Alhabib Mohammad Alsaqqaf in this episode of his “Raboeyat” reminds us of the impact of the name of the beloved peace be upon him on the muslims in the past and how they glorified him so much. Salla Allah Aleih Wassalam.

On Madeena Once Again

I would like to share yet another beautiful poetic expression on the city of the beloved Messenger.

لطيبة عرج إن بين قبابها
حبيب لأدواء القلوب طبيبُ
إذا لم تطب في طيبة عند طيبٍ
به طابت الدنيا فأين تطيبُ
إذا لم يجب في حيه ربنا الدعاء
ففي أي حي للدعاء يجيبُ
فيا ساكني أطراف طيبة كلكم
إلى القلب من أجل الحبيب حبيبُ
اللهم صل وسلم و بارك عليه وعلى اله واصحابه

Settle in Taybah for beneath its domes resides
The dearest, the healer of all sufferings of the minds.
If you weren’t pleased in the sweet city near the sweetie
By whom the world is pleasant, anywhere you could be?
At his neighbourhood, in case, calls are not answered,
Where does He answer the call, My Lord?
O’ the residents of Taybah, on each piece of its land,
You are dearly loved because of that Greatly Beloved.

Taybah, The Sweet City of The Messenger

Ever since I returned from Madina Al Munawara two weeks ago , I’ve  tried to post on that sweet city. Despite plenty of pleasant memoirs and experiences, I feel really hard to express them! Madeena is a sensation and it triggers a great inflow of overwhelming emotions. What I can say simply now is that it is the sweetest of all the cities on the planet. I express my obligation to the great geniuses of the past who eternalized their evergreen expressions of prophetic love to be lip-synched by the less privileged lovers in the future.

Previously I have written in my post on Qaseedah Burdah of Imam Al Busiri: “Can we pen down a single line, worthier or dearer than those sacred lines, even if we spend all of our life span?? Never! O’ Imam Al Busiri!!, May Allah reward you with the best of rewards. May Allah join us with our Beloved Master. Ameen”

Here is one of the most famous songs on Madina recently presented by renowned Quran reciter and popular Kuwaiti Singer Mashary Al Afasy followed by Its lyrics and translation.

يـــا طيبـــــة	O Tayba,
يا طيبة يا طيبة يا دوا العيانا اشتقنالك والهوى نادانا والهوى نادانا	O Tayba, O Tayba, O cure of the helpless we missed you, and the passion has called us
لما سار المركب نسانى ساروا والدمع ما جفانى أخذوا قلبى مع جنانى يا طيبة ياتيم الولهانا بااتيم الولهانا	As the ship departed, it forgot me they sailed away and my tears never dried up they took my heart and my soul with them O Tayba, you’re love of the bewildered you’re love of the bewildered
قبلتى بيت الله صابر علنى يوما لك زائر ياترى هل ترانى ناظر للكعبة وتغمرنى بأمانا تغمرنى بأمانا	My direction of prayer is the house of Allah, I’m patient perhaps a day will come to visit you I wonder, Will I be looking upon Kaaba and being overwhelmed with its safety..
نبينا أغلى أمنياتى أزورك لو مرة بحياتى وبجوارك صلى صلاتى واذكر ربى واتلو القرآنا واتلو القرآنا	Our prophet, the dearest of my ambitions is to visit u,At least once in my life and next to you, to perform my prayers to praise my Lord, and to recite Qur’an and to recite Qur’an
بشراك .. المدينة بشراك بقدوم الهادي يا بشراك فهل لى مأوى فى حماك أتمنى .. فالنور سبانا نوركم سبانا	O Madina, How lucky you are for the coming of the Guiding Star May I take a refuge in your shelter I wish, the light has enchanted us your light has enchanted us

Some extremists Like so called “Salafi” Mufti Obaid al Jabiri raised voice against this extremely popular song saying it is polytheistic to call O Tybah and to seek cure from it. In fact it is a reference for Love. Also they cannot digest the poet’s “dearest” ambition to visit the Prophet as well as  to pray and recite Quran beside His sacred tomb. All these stand against the so called Salafist ideology which is abandoned by the mainstream, the lion share of, Islamic scholars.

Terror turns up in Egypt , Pakistan Continues to suffer

Security forces in EGYPT have arrested two Salafis suspected of demolishing the shrines of revered Sufi figures in the Delta city of Qualiub. A group of Salafis on Wednesday demolished five shrines in the city, claiming that visiting shrines was an act of apostasy and against Islam. They also clashed with residents of the city who rushed to protect the shrines. The Islamic Research Academy on Thursday denounced the Salafis for demolishing the shrines and called the destruction a “criminal” act. http://www.almasryalyoum.com/en/node/381918
In Cairo, Abdel Hadi al-Qassabi, head of the Supreme Council for Sufi Orders, announced the fact-finding committee, while at the Hussein mosque hundreds of people surrounded the shrine inside, promising to lay their lives down to protect it.

Grand Mufti Ali Gomaa

Gomaa, meanwhile, praised a fatwa by the Islamic Research Complex which criminalized the destruction of shrines, saying such behavior destroys the unity of Muslims. http://www.almasryalyoum.com/en/node/383562

Youssef al-Qardavi too!!

The prominent Islamic scholar Youssef al-Qaradawi leveled severe criticism at Egypt’s Salafi movement, describing its thinking as both stagnant and extreme.
Al-Qaradawi added that the Salafi movement opposed the 25 January revolution and accused the revolutionary youth of deviating from Islam by disobeying authority. “Strangely enough, they now present themselves as the heroes of the revolution and its defenders,” he added. http://www.almasryalyoum.com/en/node/386155

Pakistan

In Pakistan Taliban continues to destroy Sufi shrines and slaughter innocent pilgrims with human bombs. They sanctify suicide, which is a deadly sin in Islam, as well as killings of hundreds and thousands of innocent civilians.
See BBC report:
Suicide attackers have killed at least 41 people and wounded many more at a shrine in Pakistan,  The explosions struck near the Sakhi Sarwar shrine in Punjab, as Sufi Muslim devotees gathered for an annual three-day festival. Sufis, a minority Muslim group who follow mystical beliefs, are regarded as heretical by hardliners. A Taliban fighter told reporters his group carried out the attack, the third on Sufi shrines in a year!!!!

Interestingly it continues:
“Sufism has been widely practised in Pakistan for hundreds of years – analysts saying it has a much bigger following than the hard-line Taliban version of Islam. Devotees perform singing and dancing and pray to saints (sic)who are honoured with numerous shrines. Their beliefs are considered un-Islamic by hardliners, who have targeted their shrines several times. Last October, a suicide bombing at a shrine in Punjab province left six people dead. And earlier in the year a suicide attack on a Lahore shrine killed at least 42 people, making it the most deadly such attack on record.    For decades, the government has also sought to suppress Sufism, and has put it under strict control.”

There were  blasts on a shrines one  in Punjab on 25/10/2010 and another in Lahore on 2/7/2010 as BBC reports.

Religion of Peace

It has been posted elsewhere in this blog on the terrorist version of Islam that stems from the deviated ideology of Wahabism. The term itself has been defined as an outfit promoting and practicing violent attack against all non-Wahabis, Muslim or non-Muslim.  The outfit unleashed, in its very beginning, bloody violent attacks on Traditional Muslims of Mecca and Medina and destroyed all historical and traditional structures in their Kingdom. Now No More is needed to be convinced of its terrorist nature with extreme deviation from the Religion Peace and the Messenger of Mercy.
Also see: a)“To My Fundamentalist Friend” b) Islam Vs Terrorism c) Suicide and Bombing

May Allah Save us All !

S. Hamza Yusuf on Libya

I would like to share excerptions from the “thoughts and recollections” posted by well-known  American traditional Islamic scholar Mr. Hamza Yusuf on the current turmoil in Libya. He says,

Ghaddafi reminds me of Shakespeare’s tyrant, Richard III: conniving, mutant, dark, and absolutely cruel, with no concern for his family, friends, or companions, let alone the people he rules over. He kills to get to power and maintain it, but as power diminishes before his eyes, he unleashes his fury and decimates his own army, only to end up alone, condemned to die a traitor to his country and people.

I hope Ghaddafi’s reign comes to an end soon for the sake of Libya’s beautiful people. They deserve much better and, in sha Allah, they will get better. In each of our daily prayers, we should all pray for their succor and divine aid. God answers prayers, and there is no barrier between the oppressed and God.

I have visited Libya once, which was in 1979 and was quite a bizarre experience. Ghaddafi had been in power for just a decade, seizing control through a military coup in 1969 while King Idris was out of the country for medical treatment.

While in Libya, I visited the home of a delightful and cultured Libyan named Sidi Abdal Hamid Ben Halim, now deceased, may God have mercy on his soul. He had been a student at al-Azhar University before becoming a politician and went on to become an ambassador to Italy for Libya. At that time, his was the single most important Libyan diplomatic post. His brother, Mustafa, had been the prime minister under King Idris, who ruled Libya in the post-colonial period until the 1969 coup. From his close and personal knowledge of King Idris, Sidi Abdal Hamid recounted that not only was King Idris a just ruler, he was also a pious and erudite Muslim who dreamed of building Islamic schools and colleges throughout Africa with the newly acquired oil revenue.

In a classic example of his feigned madness, Ghaddafi actually stated that “democracy” was a hybrid Arabic word from dema and karasi, and hence that “democracy” really means “the thrones continue.

In my experience, Libyans are some of the most wonderful, loyal, and deeply religious Muslims that I have met. In my youth, my dream was to end up in Misurata, where Sidi Ahmad Zarruq’s school is and where he is buried. I used to talk with my Libyan friends about getting a plot of land there. Sidi Ahmad Zarruq loved the Libyans, and despite being a widely celebrated scholar and highly desirable resident anywhere in the Muslim world, he chose to live among the Libyans.

Dua. MP3

The recording of the Du’a al-Nasiri recited by the Fes Singers is posted here on the Sandala website. (The text of the prayer along with my translation will also soon be posted.) I advise people to recite it with the intention of succor for our brothers and sisters in Libya. This prayer is noted for its power and the effects it has on removing troubles due to the sincerity of its author. It was used by Moroccans as a means to ask God to expel the French during the colonial period and was proscribed by law under French authority.

Source: http://www.sandalaproductions.com/Blog.aspx

Welcome to the Spring of Soul

طلع البدر علينا من ثنيات الوداع  - وجب الشكر علينا ما دعا لله داع
أيها المبعوث فينا جئت بالأمر المطاع - جئت شرفت المدينة مرحبا يا خير داع

With his charming touch famous singer Mr. Yusuf Islam renders these lines as below:
O’ the White Moon rose over us,
from the valley of Wada’
and we owe it to show gratefulness
where the call is to Allah.
O you who were raised amongst us
coming with a work to be obeyed
You have brought to this city nobleness
Welcome, best caller to God’s way
Title: Ta’ala al Badru Alayna ,Album: The Life of the Last Prophet ,Artist: Yusuf Islam

Since the outset of Rabeeu the Muslim world prepares to celebrate the birth of its beloved Messenger, The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Some ill-fated fellows have been deprived off the glory of this Season. But they are terribly few.  Compare the maps below to see the popularity and wide acceptance of the Celebration across the globe.

Click to see interactive map

It is noteworthy that many non-Islāmic countries like India and Philippines join with Islamic countries marking Meelad Day as Holiday. Other than some new central Asian republics of old USSR, the only visible exception on this map is kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Qatar where, as in other secular countries celebrations are in full swing but without Governmental promotion. You can easily follow it with a simple search on internet. What happened in KSA after the bloody and violent invasion of Najdians in Hejaz is well-known. For centuries, Hejaz was in the forefront of celebration and in particular, the special event was held at the Prophet’s Birth Place on Meelad Day- See Mawlid at The Birth Place

It is a time to listen to and to speak of the marvellous personality of the holy Prophet as well as to renew the commitment to follow His way of life. A time to come closer to His great self and to His Lord, the Almighty Allah. Youngsters get introduced and elders get reminded of the humanity’s obligation towards its Saviour. We need to set up personal relationship with him and to be close to him all the time.
May Allah bless us with his sweetest and glorified companionship! Aameen

Video: Shaikh AbuBaker Recieves the Holy Hair

Just to share the video of the event that I mentioned in the previous post. The Original video that belongs to Badar Publication, Kozhikkode, India  has been edited and I have added English subtitles. Thanks for watching!

The Most Prestigious Custody

It was really amazing. Millions stood witnessing it and a great number of people watched it live. One of the greatest moments of our time! Shaikh Ahmad Al Khazraji , son of former Minister of Islamic Affairs and Religious Endowments in the United Arab Emirates Shaikh Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Khazraji declaring that he would hand over the most honoured custodianship of one of the Holy Hairs of the Beloved Messenger to Shaikh Aboobacker Ahmad Musliar – A charismatic leader and renowned scholar from India . Al-Khazraji’ s assistant read out the entire lineage of that honour since it was first received by the companion of the Beloved Messenger. As we all know that the khazrajee is one of the two tribes of Ansar (Supporters) who had invited the Holy Prophet to Medina and undertaken His afety and support before migration .  They have been holding this prestigious custody for centuries.

An incredible moment it was. I’ve watched it breathtakingly, wondering why Shaikh Al Khazraji wants to do it. The answer came instantly from the dais that it was at the behest of the Holy Prophet (Peace and Blessing be upon Him). Oh’ God! We saw tears bursting out and ecstatic chanting from the spectators. “Allahu Akbar!!!”. All were overwhelmed to see the greatness of Shaik Aboobacker Ahmad (May Allah Prolong His Life).

The auspicious event  was at Calicut, a historic city of southern India, on the occasion of the 15th convocation and 33rd anniversary of  Markaz  Saqaafath Sunniyya.  (Website Link) It was inaugurated by Dr. Ali Jumua , The Grand Mufti of Egypt in the Presence of Dr. Omar Abdulla Kamil from KSA and other national and international dignitaries. It was announced that on Monday 7th February  2011 the public will get access to see the sacred hair.
May Almighty Allah join us all In His Haven in the company of Our Beloved Messenger, The Prophet Muhammad (SAWS).
You can Click here to read an earlier post on the most blessed hair. and Here to watch the video of  the event

Happy New Year!

First of all, I would like to wish you a very happy and prosperous new year. May Allah pour upon all of us His blessings and bounties and forgive all of our wrongdoings and misconduct. Aameen

The Holy Quran describes the Sun and the Moon as means of reckoning for human being. Although Islam advises to use lunar calendar for all its religious applications, it also endorses the solar method in the calculation of the fourth dimension. For instance, the Holy Quran used both solar and lunar calendar to describe a historical episode. According to that account the Hibernation of The Seven Sleepers’ in the Cave lasted 300 solar years that is 309 years in the lunar calendar.

“They did stay in their Cave for three hundred years and add nine.” (Surat al-Kahf, 25)
We see here wonderful description of the Holy Qur’an as it does not directly state 309 years but 300 plus 9!

A solar year consists 365.242217 days while a lunar year 354.36768 days, having a difference of 10.874537 days. Thus 100 solar years is equivalent to 103 lunar years. So to determine the equivalent of 300 solar years in terms of lunar years, we need to add on 9 more years - just as in the verse!!!The precision in the description of difference between these two methods can be cited as a clear proof for its authenticity and a miracle of the beloved messenger (PBUH).

Here, you can see my previous post on the importance of lunar calendar http://baqavi.wordpress.com/2010/08/02/moon-sighting-and-lunar-calendar/

Special Prayers

Shikh Abdul Hameed Muhammed Ali Al Quds , a famous Shafi Scholar and Formerly  Teacher at the Holy Mosque ,Makkah,  mentions in his book ‘ Kanz Najhi wa Suroor’ special prayers at the beginning of a new year.  It reads as follows:

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم ، الحمد لله رب العالمين ،( اللهم) صل على سيدنا محمد صلاة تملأ خزائن الله نورا ، وتكون لنا وللمؤمنين فرجا وفرحا وسرورا ، وعلى آله وصحبه وسلم تسليما كثير ،( اللهم) أنت الأبدي القديم الأول ، وعلى فضلك العظيم وكريم جودك العميم المعوّل ، وهذا عام جديد قد أقبل أسألك العصمة فيه من الشيطان وأوليائه والعون على هذه النفس الأمارة بالسوء ، والاشتغال بما يقربني إليك زلفى يا ذا الجلال والإكرام ، وصلى الله تعالى على سيدنا محمد وعلى آله وصحبه وسلم ) يقرؤه ثلاثا.

May Allah protect all of us from Satan and his assistants and help all of us against the evil inspiring selves.  May Allah make each day of the year closer to Him than the day before and join us with His closest servants. Aameen

A Beautiful Song in Praising the Beloved Messenger

Just to share with you this beautiful Yemeni song in praising the beloved messenger. To add  to your enjoyment, see the lyric and its translation at the end.

الف صلى الله على قمر الكمال
May Allah Bless the Moon of Perfection, a thousand times

من سكن طيبة ونال ذرى المعالي
Who lived  in the Sweet City and reached the peak of Excellence

باعث الآمال فى ليل الحيارى
Who inspired Hope in the night of the lost

نوره جلى رهيبات الليالي
His  light clears  up the terrors of the night

سيدي ماكان ينطق عن هواه
My Master would  not pronounce out of caprice, a word

قوله أوحى به رب الجلال
His word was revealed  to him by His Majesty, the Lord

ذاك من أهدى محاسنه الزمان
It is he who presented to the Time, his lovely gifts

وهدى الناس الى قيم الجمال
And guided the people towards  beautiful values

حبه فرض وما الحب ادعاء
Must is to love him  and Love is not claiming

إنما نهج اتباع والتزام
But a way towards commitment and following .

بلغ المختار يا زائر سلامي
oh visitor,  give my salutation to the Chosen

الصلاة والسلام عليك يا سيدي يا رسول الله
Peace and Blessings upon You, My Master and Allah’s Messenger!

Heretics’ Tampering With Traditional Texts

Extinction of honesty counts one of the signs of the Last Day as The Holy Prophet (PBUH) precisely predicted. We can see all of His prophecies being realized and this is one of them. How sad to see people who are visibly pious and religious deceiving their followers and that is too in the name of Religion!?

Deviant sects are being caught tampering classic traditional books of great scholars because these texts reject their made-up ideologies. They have tried to destroy the history as their new innovations cannot stand up in the presence of those historical evidences. The worst example is that occurred in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia during Wahabi onslaught.

Recently I have been asked about Imam Nawawis (R) stand on constructing and maintaining structures upon the graves of prophets and saints. I went through his famous book Rawdha Talibeen through an e-library called Makthbah Shamilah which offers thousands of classic books and is widely used by students.  I was shocked to see the sentence has been tampered with. I went online to get the correct version, but to be shocked again to see it distorted. Praise to Almighty Allah as I continued my search until I found the exact text.

What is striking is the divine dignity of Imam Nawawi (R). Those deceivers could not erase the sentence altogether but left behind crystal clear traces to inform the reader of a mischievous deletion! Subhan Allah. See the links and compare with the image below:

1. http://www.al-eman.com/Islamlib/viewchp.asp?BID=162&CID=62#s3
2. http://islamport.com/d/2/shf/1/26/1782.html?zoom_highlightsub=%DE%C8%E6%D1+%C7%E1%CA%C8%D1%DF+%C8%E5%C7+%DD%D1%DA+%ED%CC%E6%D2+%E1%E6%D5%ED (2/339)

 But it was very upsetting and shocking for me to be convinced of the widening deception  and distortion in religious texts. My simple search yielded horrible results.  Many books of Imam Nawawi (R)  has been attacked including Al Adhkar where he asks to seek prophet’s intercession upon visiting His Rawdha in Madina . (See the image below that contains the confession from Wahabi scholars of altering and deleting Imam Nawawis (R) Texts!)

Click

Great works of other scholars’ like Bin Abideen Al Hanfi, Abu Hayyan Nahwi and Imam Allama Swavi(R) have also been played with. It is in additional to the misinterpretations, mistranslations and badly informed notes on hundreds of traditional religious texts.

It is interesting to know that these people have tampered with the texts of even Ibnu Thaimiyya when he comes against their extremist views; it is done in case they failed to keep them in the hideouts as they have done with some other books. His well-known fatwa of Mardin which is used by terrorists to kill innocent people is considered to be a tampered text otherwise a writing error. See http://www.mardin-fatwa.com
So I just want my friends to be well aware of this danger not to be fooled by those heretical fanatics. May Almighty Allah save us all!

Related  links:  1. Wikipedia 2. N.Keller 3.Maktoobblob

Is Arabic Language Under Threat?

Publishers worry Arabic is under threat  – Gulf News
A debate in Sharjah dealt with the threat that Arabic faces today as a mother tongue.

It is meaningless to be stubborn about the language. Although it is quite natural to love ones’ mother tongue, it needs to be reasonable and restrained. Language should not cause riot but rapport among people. In Islamic perspective all languages are gifts from the God as Adam(PBUH), the first man on earth, was taught all the languages by the Almighty Allah. No language will die as long as it avails for easy and effective communication and it should die otherwise. Survival of the Fittest!
As for Arabic language, it has stood the test of time and will last until a single Muslim remains on earth. Islam uses Arabic as its language for rites and rituals and Friday sermons all over the world are delivered in Arabic since the prophet’s days except a few isolated instances of recent times . The only exception was in Turkey at the time of Turkish nationalization by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. Traditionally Muslims consider Arabic as an integral part of their religion and that is why she remains active and alive today unlike her good old sisters.

On the other hand, the beloved messenger (PBUH)has already prophesied that the last day will not come untill a single man can correctly utter the word ‘Allah!’ An international conspiracy is very much suspected to eradicate this language with support from some anti-Islamic media corporations. Muslims who support these movements out of their own erratic conclusions like who call for performing rituals in local languages should eventually stand guilty for their negligence. Some people in the Arab world went to the extreme to prefer English and other foreign languages for Friday sermons saying that they follow sermons delivered in these languages better. It calls for reviewing and renewing their  loyalty to the religion of Islam.
We Hope the recent campaigns across the Arab world will boost the language and will help it maintain its esteemed historical status among world languages.

Revival of the Religious Sciences by Imam Abu Hamid Al Ghazali (R)

There is much more to know about that miraculous Book ihya’ `ulum al-din and it’s great author Abu Hamid Muhammed al-Ghazali, the most applauded Muslim scholar simultaneously in the secular world and in the Muslim world.  Wikipedia says: “Ghazali has sometimes been acclaimed by secular historians such as William Montgomery Watt to be the greatest Muslim after Muhammad (PBUH) (traditionally among Sunni Muslims, the greatest Muslim after the Prophet, is Abu Bakr (RA)” His works has been transported – not merely translated – to the western world to an extent that modern publishers cite western libraries and sources to prove their authenticity.

Today we are so lucky to have many of his works easily accessible on line. Live classes by Habeeb Husain Saqaaf on Imam Ghazali’s famous book “Dear Son!” (Ayyuhal Walad) are expected on each Friday via www.hemmah.net. There is a dedicated site namely www.ghazali.org  with considerable collection of resources.

Here is the opening session of a series of lectures by Yahya Rhodus on Disciplining the Soul , an excerpt from Ihya Uloom al Deen. This has been  recently uploaded by Zaytuna college of California, USA.

According to Sheikh Abdullah Al Aidaroos each reading of Ihya gives fresh ideas, increases knowledge and uncovers new secrets. Nobody would be astonished to hear a scholar like Imam Al Nawawi say: “Ihya is close to be the Quran!” (كاد الاحياء ان يكون قرانا)Another scholar said: If you did not read Ihya you are not amongst Ahya (living beings)!! A Yemeni scholar Sheikh Isamaeel Bin Faqeeh has been quoted; “Muhammed Bin Abdillah (PBUH) is the Greatest Messenger, Muhammad Bin Idrees Al Shafiee is the greatest schlolar and Muhamed Bin Muhammed Al Ghazali is the greatest author. It can be added that Imam Muhammed al Busairi is arguably the greatest poet.

Let me quote from www.ghazali.org about the great genius and his wonderful work

“Because of him the lame walked briskly,
And the songless through him burst into melody.(Muthanabbi)”

Abu Hamid al-Ghazali is one of the great Muslim jurist, theologian and mystics of the Muslim world. He lived in the 12th Century. He was a polymath who wrote on a wide range of topics including jurisprudence, theology, mysticism and philosophy. In the west he is famous for his devastating attack on philosophy specifically metaphysics in his tahfut al-falasifa, Incoherence of the philosophers. He is also the author of the famed ihya’ `ulum al-din (Revival of Religious Sciences) a book that combined mysticism with practical everyday life actions by emphasizing the underlying psychology of daily life practices and its ramification on life in this world and the hereafter. AKA: al-Ghazzali , Algazel (450-505 AH/1058-1111 AD)

The Revival of the Religious Sciences is widely regarded as the greatest work of Muslim spirituality, and is perhaps the most read work in the Muslim world, after the Qurān.
it is divided into four parts, each containing ten chapters. Part one deals with knowledge and the requirements of faith—ritual purity, prayer, charity, fasting, pilgrimage, recitation of the Qurān, and so forth; part two concentrates on people and society—the manners related to eating, marriage, earning a living, and friendship; parts three and four are dedicated to the inner life of the soul and discuss first the vices that people must overcome in themselves and then the virtues that they must strive to achieve….

Finally I cannot but express my pity and pathos towards some ‘modern-Muslims’ who cannot conceive the greatness of these pioneers of the religion and bring new versions of their own which is really unknown to the Muslims of our good old days.
May Allah guide us all to the Truth. Aameen

Back(!) To School and Dar Al Mustafa

Educational institutions in the UAE are once again in full swing. Traditional Islamic Institutions generally re-open after Ramadan and other institutions also followed suit this year after an extended summer vacation.

Shopping malls and street ads celebrate the beginning of the new academic year. Thousands of lovely little feet lead to the sanctum sanatorium of Knowledge frowning at the slogan back? to school! They can’t help crying to feel humble in front of the immensity and greatness of the Knowledge that we adults are often unaware of. We have much to learn from the kids as William Wordsworth said “Child is the Teacher of Man!!

The season proclaims the importance of Knowledge. Cutthroat Competition of the modern world seeks shortcuts to richness and the whole Education arena is hijacked. Knowledge is sought for the sake of money and the education is reduced to a profit motive business .

But there are rays of hope! Educational institutes that uphold the real value of Knowledge are the light houses for the whole world. They produce torchbearers of Knowledge as it is the Light from the Almighty Allah!

Dar ul Mustafa in Tarim, Yemen is one of such institutions. Here you see some conditions for admission into the Institution. It may look odd to some but draws the difference among its counterparts as so-called centers of education.

• The Intention to be purely for the sake of God Almighty, his satisfaction and being close to him. Give up targeting worldly possessions and looking for others belongings.

• To be humble to learn from the beginning – in terms of his level – to learn from every teacher and to be benefited from  small and big disregarding  wealth, superiority  and status in people’s hearts.

• Courtesy and good conduct with the teachers, students and others. Overlooking their flaws but looking at their Goodness.  Whoever works on others’ faults will lose and fail.

• To be so devoted to his ambition that he does not pay any attention to a company or a friend which is not helpful in achieving his targets in education and purification

• To be tolerant, to overcome anger and at the time of angriness to get himself disciplined and poised .

• To hold the intention to engage after graduation in the service of Islam and Muslims , to call to The God and in educating people.

Check out these reports by CNN and  Al Jazeera about Dar Al Mustafa

http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2010/09/16/yemens-many-shades-of-islam/

Habeeb Ali Jifri Speaks on Niqab (Face Veil)

“Sister asks about the face veil for Muslim women. Should they cover their face or not? This question has been frequently asked and people have gone to the two extreme sides.

One Party claimed it is not Islamic at all, it is bigotry and it is only a native custom of a few countries. This is one extreme and it disregards many statements about the ladies of Ansar that  after the revelation of the verses of Hijab they couldn’t be recognized whether they are coming in or going away due to the thickness of their veil

The other party says the scholars who say it is permissible to unveil are materialistic and scholars of the Court who wants to deceive and to get complements. It is another baseless and extremist view because there are texts establishing the permissibility provided that certain conditions are met.

The Middle Way that suits to the greatness of our religion is the consensus among scholars that; if a woman has concerns over her safety due to her beautification on the face or being exceedingly beautiful or being in a bad location she should cover her face so that she would not endanger herself and others. In other cases, without any safety concerns, or in a case where the veil itself poses concerns, she can unveil her face while there is no beautification.

After this provision, we know out of pragmatism,  in a country where covering face is a customary, unveiling exposes her to troubles as people are not accustomed to see women’s faces in public. If a woman shows her face off, even without  beautification, she draws people’s gazes towards her. But in countries where ladies are used to unveil their faces, if she opts to cover her face  it is the ideal option in following the Beloved Prophet (SAWS), However,  It is also permissible for her to reveal her face if there is no beautification on her face that draws people’s attention. Meanwhile Modesty is an integral part of Believing. Allaah knows best.”

الاخت تسأل ايضا عن الحجاب بالنسبة للمرأة المؤمنة المسلمة هل يجب تغطية الوجه ام لا .كثر السؤال عن هذا الامر وتطرف الناس فيه الى طرفين .طرف اشمأز من الامر وادعى انها ليس من الاسلام وان هذا من التعصب وان هذا من العادات التي تتميز بها بلدان غير بلدان هذا تطرف فيه نوع من  التجاهل لكثير من النصوص الصريحة التي جاءت في اخبار نساء الانصار انهن من بعد نزول آيات الحجاب كن لا يعلمن امقبلات هن  ام مدبرات من شدة غطائهن الذي عليهن .وطرف اخر قال: العلماء الذين افتوا للمرأة  بجواز كشف وجهها هولاء علماء الدنيا وعلماء سلطان وارادوا ان ينافقوا وان يجاملوا وهذا تطرف باطل لان ايضا من النصوص ما يثبت جواز كشف الوجه لكن بضوابط معينة. المسلك الوسط التي تتناسب مع عظمة الدين الذي ننتمي اليه  ان المراة مجمع على انها ان خشيت الفتنة بسبب زينة اظهرتها في وجهها او وضعتها في وجهها او من شدة جمالها او بسبب سوء المكان الذي هي فيه فيجب ان تغطي وجهها حتى لا تفتن نفسها و غيرها .وهناك فيما دون ذلك او بعدم خشية الفتنة او خشية الفتنة بعكس ذلك فعندها لها ان تكشف وجهها بدون ان يكون في الوجه شيء من الزينة. وبعد هذا الحكم من فقه المعاملة ان نعرف ان بلدا  اشتهر فيها غطاء الوجه ان كشف الوجه فيها نوع من  التعرض للفتنة لان الناس لم تألف في هذه البلاد رؤية وجوه النساء فمن كشفت وجهها وان لم يكن متزينة عرضت نفسها للفت الانظار اليها . وبلدا عهدت واعتادت كشف الوجه واذا غطت الوجه وهو من كمال الاتباع للنبي صلى الله عليه واله وصحبه وسلم وان لم تغط الوجه ولم تكن على وجهها زينة تلفت النظر اليها فيجوز لها ان تكشف وجهها والحياء شعبة من شعب الايمان . والله تعالى اعلم

French ban on face veil

It is really undemocratic to curb on one’s freedom to cover one’s body. In a country of around 62 million, struggling with serious economic and racial issues, the rulers are worried about some ‘country’ girls who are too shy to show their face in “public” places that includes “private businesses and entertainment venues.”!!!

It is strange that the president Mr. Nicola Sarkozy feels offended to see a girl not ready to show off her skin. An obvious instance of damned intolerance widely growing at the cost of much celebrated values of Liberté, égalité and fraternité.  One of those 1900 girls has this to say to the regime:

“You look at me and call me oppressed,
Simply because of the way I’m dressed,

You know me not for what’s inside,
You judge the clothing I wear with pride,

Man doesn’t tell me to dress this way,
It’s the law from God that I obey,

Oppressed is something I’m truly NOT,
For liberation is what I’ve got”

Islam doesn’t ask women to cover their face when it is needed to be uncovered.  However, it recommends the veil over security concerns.

Eid Greetings!

On the day of Eid , Companions of the Beloved Messenger were used to say each other :
“May Allah Accept from us and from you”

ذكر ابن التركماني في الجوهر النقي حاشية البيهقي ( 3/ 320 – 321 )حديث محمد بن زياد ، قال : كنت مع أبي أمامة الباهلي وغيره من أصحاب النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم ، فكانوا إذا رجعوا يقول بعضهم لبعض : ( تقبل الله منا ومنكم ) ، قال : أحمد بن حنبل : إسناده جيد . اهـ .

وجاء في الفتح ( 2/446) : وروينا في المحامليات بإسناد حسن عن جبير بن نفير قال : كان أصحاب رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم إذا التقوا يوم العيد يقول بعضهم لبعضتقبل الله منا ومنكم .

Recent Letters to the Gulf News, Dubai

I am pleased to share with you my two letters to the Gulf News Daily published from Dubai, UAE. They are abridged versions of two earlier posts in this blog.

The way to unity

The biggest threat to Islam is neither secularism nor Christianity but preachers like Dr Zakir Naik, who argue without knowing the basic principles of the religion (“Secularism a threat to Islam, Naik says”, Gulf News, August 23). According to him, “if you know just one word” you preach and no further qualification is needed. Strangely enough he suggests the sole solution for Muslim unity is to go directly to the Quran and the Hadith. The way to unity is to follow the rich traditions of Islam. The Quran and Sunnah need sound and profound scholarship to understand and interpret correctly. It is shocking to hear him say: “Every Muslim should be a terrorist to the anti-Muslim racist.” It is not Islamic at all and goes against the teachings of the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH). None should be terrified to see a Muslim. But everyone should be captivated and attracted by their noble character. Islam has spread across the world by the sublime qualities of its followers and not by hateful words or dreadful swords. http://gulfnews.com/opinions/letters/letters-august-28-2010-1.673945

No compromise
Do we Muslims need a mosque at Ground Zero (“Obama at the centre of cultural clash over Ground Zero mosque”, Gulf News, August 15)? I personally don’t think so, especially if people out there are not comfortable with the concept. We can build mosques anywhere but without compromising the feelings of our neighbours! We need peace and tranquillity for all. That is what this great religion is all about. What Muslims would like to erect at ground zero is a suitable memorial in honour of the innocent victims of the September 11 attack. A 13-storey building named Cordoba House is said to have public facilities for athletics, arts, performances, lectures series, forums and weddings, as well as a prayer space, which makes opponents frown at! It has got support from New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the US President Barack Obama. With all its political and moral support, we need to maintain that it should not irk the people of the land and we hold high the fact that there should be no compromise on peace.http://gulfnews.com/opinions/letters/latters-august-22-2010-1.671273

Terrorism and Dr. Zakir Naik

Dr. Zakir Naik has been quoted saying that secularism is a big threat to Islam. http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/general/secularism-a-threat-to-islam-naik-says-1.671819

The Real threat to Islam is, neither secularism nor Christianity but the preachers like Dr. Naik , who argues to “argue with people’ without knowing the basic principle of the religion. According to him, “if you know just one word” you can go for preaching Islam and no further qualification is needed and it is the order from the God!

Strangely enough he suggests as sole solution for Muslim unity is to go directly to Quran and ‘Hadith Saheeh’ which is the central argument of Islamic (sic) terrorists. For them the widely accepted four schools of thought (Madhab) and overwhelming majority of Islamic scholars who followed these schools are ‘on the wrong track’.

The very hadith he intended to cite for his argument says that the one who goes to heaven is the one who follows the ‘way of the  prophet and his companions’ (Ma Ana Alaihi wa Ashabee) Not the Holy Quran and Hadeeth Saheeh as he says! It is a factual mistake if not a deliberate misleading. What else we can expect from a speaker who stands on someone else’s PhDs in his organization.

The way to the unity is to follow the rich tradition of Islam. The Holy Quran and Sunnah need sound and profound scholarship to understand and interpret correctly. To reject the accepted interpretations and to go directly into them is the great danger of the modern times that gave birth to Muslim terrorists in the contemporary world.

It is so shocking to hear him saying “I said that a terrorist is a person who causes terror. Whenever a criminal sees a policeman he is terrified. So for the criminal a policeman is a terrorist. In this context, every Muslim should be a terrorist to the anti-Muslim racist,”

It is wild logic. It is not Islamic at all and goes straightly against the teaching of the holy prophet – ‘Mercy to All Worlds’ as described by the Holy Quran – who was always appealing and never appalling. None should be terrified to see a Muslim. But everyone should be captivated and attracted by his noble character. Islam has spread across the world by sublime qualities of its followers , neither by hateful words nor by dreadful swords.

Ramadan Message from The Beloved Messenger

On the Eve of Ramadan, the beloved messenger delivered an extremely significant and concise speech to His Companions. It provides instructional models to Muslims to be followed and to be practiced in their daily lives; especially during the month of Ramadan. Here is the hadith followed by its translation:

عن سلمان قال خطبنا رسول الله -صلى الله عليه وسلم- في آخر يوم من شعبان فقال أيها الناس قد أظلكم شهر عظيم شهر مبارك شهر فيه ليلة خير من ألف شهر جعل الله صيامه فريضة وقيام ليله تطوعا من تقرب فيه بخصلة من الخير كان كمن أدى فريضة فيما سواه ومن أدى فيه فريضة كان كمن أدى سبعين فريضة فيما سواه وهو شهر الصبر والصبر ثوابه الجنة وشهر المواساة وشهر يزداد فيه رزق المؤمن من فطر فيه صائما كان مغفرة لذنوبه وعتق رقبته من النار وكان له مثل أجره من غير ان ينتقص من أجره شيء قالوا ليس كلنا نجد ما يفطر الصائم فقال يعطي الله هذا الثواب من فطر صائما على تمرة أو شربة ماء أو مذقة لبن وهو شهر أوله رحمة وأوسطه مغفرة وآخره عتق من النار من خفف عن مملوكه غفر الله له واعتقه من النار واستكثروا فيه من أربع خصال خصلتين ترضون بهما ربكم وخصلتين لا غنى بكم عنهما فأما الخصلتان اللتان ترضون بهما ربكم فشهادة أن لا إله إلا الله وتستغفرونه وأما اللتان لاغنى بكم عنها فتسألون الله الجنة وتعوذون به من النار ومن أشبع فيه صائما سقاه الله من حوضي شربة لا يظمأ حتى يدخل الجنة

O you people! A great and a blessed month has arrived for you. A month therein a night which is better than one thousand months. The fasting during this month is an obligation (Fareedah), and the extra prayers during its nights are voluntary. Anyone who comes closer to Allah through a good deed during this month is as if he performed an obligatory duty (Fareedah) during times other than Ramadan, and he who fulfils an obligatory duty in it will be like one who fulfils seventy obligatory duties in another month. It is the month of patience, and, the reward of patience is Paradise. It is the month of visiting the poor, the sick and the needy so as to share their sorrows. It is the month where the nourishment, the sustenance and the income of the believing Muslim increase and they are blessed.”

“Anyone who invites others to break their fast at Iftar will be provided with forgiveness of his sins and be saved from hell, and will receive reward equal to the fasting person without reducing his own reward in any respect.”

Some of the followers of the Prophet (S) said: “Not all of us may find food to share with one so that he could break his fast.” The Prophet (S) said: “Allah will reward you even if you help the fasting Muslim to break his fast with a date, a sip of water, or a drink of milk . . . it is a month: its beginning is Mercy (Rahmah), and its middle part is Forgiveness (Maghfirah) and its last part is freedom from hellfire. Anyone who helps a slave to be freed, Allah will forgive him and free him from Hell. Increase in yourselves four things: two by which you will please your Lord, and two others by which you cannot live without.

The first two qualities to please Allah are to bear witness that there is no one worthy of worship except Allah, and to ask forgiveness from Allah. However, the other two things that you cannot live without are: to ask Allah for Paradise, and to ask Him to protect you from Hellfire.

Anyone who feeds a Muslim at Iftar to his satisfaction, Allah will give him water during the Day of Judgment from My fountain which will make him not feel thirsty until he enters Paradise.”

Moon sighting and Lunar Calendar

Our fathers were getting out watching the sky for the declaration of the New Moon. But today things are all overturned. People are rushing home to see the New Moon on the screen! A lot of people amongst us haven’t seen the sky for months! Let alone the Moon. Do you remember How long since you watched the Moon lately?

Here the spirit of the religion gets ignored. Islam is the religion of the Nature. Our calendar is purely lunar because it is the Nature’s Monthly calendar. The effects of the lunar cycle and its phases are evident in numerous life forms, including fish, insects, mammals (including humans), and plants as well as in waters. The menstrual period can be cited as an obvious example. Effects of new moon and full moon in the human body are experimentally and scientifically proved to uphold the recommendation of the beloved prophet for fasting on these days!!

Stunningly enough, it is the simple graphic representation of the Date, enabling even a nomadic person to find out the dates easily. Moreover, Religious events are distributed evenly through the seasons while following the purely lunar calendar. That is, for example, Ramdan, the month of fasting comes in Winter as well as in Summer.

Sadly, we see some people advocating for cesarean birth for the new moon to make a universal lunar calendar which goes straightly against the teaching of the beloved prophet and against the Nature itself. Every region of the planet has its own moon rise which applies to its flora and fauna. To alter these timings to a makeup average is merely artificial and nothing natural about it. It is just like a man starting his day at 6’0 Clock losing six hours in the dark! Muslims in many countries prefer the alternative natural clock that starts the day from the beginning rather than from the middle!

Don’t miss it !!!

So let’s watch the birth of new moon of Ramadan in the sky. The event falls on Tuesday 29^th of Shaaban 1431, ie. 10^th of august, 2010, approximately at 6:50 in the UAE.  It is  absolutely free of cost, and instead, we would be paid for it! The Almighty Allah wants us to see his wonderful  products on display. How many times he asked us to watch his marvelous creations? He asked us to look at the sky, the camel, the hills etc.. ,but we were busy with making money and wasting it. If you put your comment on it, you will get extra rewards! How can we put comments on his extremely stunning creations? And what we can put on them? Don’t worry! He himself mentioned the most appropriate comments in His Holy Quran

سبحانك ما خلقت هذا باطلا وقنا عذاب النار

(Our Lord! not for naught Hast Thou created (all) this! Glory to Thee! Give us salvation from the penalty of the Fire. (3-191)

Regarding Moon sighting there are special comments and prayers to be chanted while looking at the crescent. Imam Nawawi (May Allah Bless him) reports  the following  hadiths  in his famous Book, Al Adkar :

1. اللهم أهله علينا باليمن والإيمان والسلامة والإسلام ربي وربك الله
2. ” الله أكبر ، اللهم أهله علينا بالأمن والإيمان والسلامة والإسلام ، والتوفيق لما تحب وترضى ، ربنا وربك الله
3. هلال خير ورشد ، هلال خير ورشد ، هلال خير ورشد ، آمنت بالله الذي خلقك ، آمنت بالله الذي خلقك, آمنت بالله الذي خلقك - ” الحمد لله الذي ذهب بشهر كذا وجاء بشهر كذا

Let us show our Lord Almighty Allah that we are prepared to welcome His Guest and eagerly waiting to accept His blessings by coming out of our home and to look for the crescent.  While some people are fearful about Ramadan and want to see it leaving, we need to express our longing to join our forefathers who started preparing for Ramadan before months!

Once Again , friends, DON’T MISS IT ! It would be an auspicious opening of a booming season of your life.

Wish you a happy and blessed month of Ramadan !

A Mosque at Ground Zero?

Major two broadcasters in the US i.e. CBS and NBC refused to air the notorious hate ad which is based on zero ground against the so called ‘mosque at ground zero’!

Do we Muslims need a mosque at Ground Zero? I personally feel No, if the people out there are not comfortable with it. We can build mosque anywhere but without compromising the feelings of our neighbors! We need peace and tranquility for all. That is what this great religion is all about.

At the time of  Hudaibiyya treaty the Beloved Messenger set a sublime model for dealing with the people who are not aligned with our ideology. Almost every article of the pact prima facie went against Muslims and they had to suffer greatly to cope with. The prophet and His followers showed unmatched tolerance for the sake of Peace.

Islamic History portraits the Great Caliph Umar (May Allah Bless him) declining to perform his prayers inside the church despite his Christian counterpart’s insistence just because that public might take it wrongly and cost peace sometime in the future!

But what Muslims would like to erect there at ground zero is a suitable memorial in honor of 3000 innocent victims of 9/11 attack. 13 story building named as Cordoba House is said to be having public facilities for athletics, arts, performances, lectures series, forums and weddings, as well as a prayer space which makes opponents frown at! It is said that “The Islamic center is supported by most politicians in Manhattan and by religious leaders of many faiths. It has the support of New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, now the state’s Democratic gubernatorial candidate”. See here what the Mayor has said on the issue. http://sify.com/news/new-york-mayor-defends-proposed-ground-zero-mosque-news-international-kf4u4ddaiic.html

With all its political and moral support, we need to maintain that it should not cause any irk to the people of the area and we hold high that No Compromise on Comprehensive Peace. Peace be upon You!

Water abuse in Ablution(Wudu)

Yesterday Gulf News Reported(Link Here) from Dubai the shocking details of water abuse in the Mosques. The Report Says: Hidden cameras placed at three Dubai mosques have revealed the extent to which water is wasted from fast-flowing taps in wudu or ablution areas…… in 1997, the UAE’s per capita water consumption was pegged at about 500 liters per person per day. In 2010, this figure has risen to 550 liters per person per day. At the mosque, Patel was often met with a shrug and a stare when he tried to explain to the men around him performing ablutions that it would be wise to turn off the tap when not in use”

I bowed myself shamefully reading the story to see how far the modern Muslims deviated from the teachings of the beloved Messenger. Tradition shows us what a little amount of water He spent to make ablution and bathing. He also strictly warned against any excess usage of water even if we use water from a flowing river. Many traditions narrate that he used only a handful of water for ablution. This report exposes us how careless we are in following our great Messenger and his companions. Our predecessors were so cautious and god-fearing while making ablution as they were in prayers. Traditional Scholars says that if you seek concentration and piety while praying you need to be so while making ablution!

Friends! Where we are from those our fellow-Muslims? We have lost our restraint. We can no more control our own actions and we depend on mad machinery to control ourselves!

But what is striking here is the clear prediction by the beloved Messenger that there will be people in the society who do excess in ablution and prayers!(Ahmad,ABu Dawud,Ibnu Majah(RA)

وعن عبد الله بن مغفل ، قال سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول :” إنه سيكون في هذه الأمة قوم يعتدون في الطهور والدعاء ”   رواه أحمد وأبو داود وابن ماجه بسند صحيح

O’ My Prophet, You have told the truth and we are the Witnesses. Peace and Blessing upon You , Your Family , Your Companions and upon us Your humbled subordinates.

On the Month of Rajab

It has been mentioned by Abu’ Nu’aim in ‘Hilya’ from Anas Ibn Malik (Allah be pleased with him) he said, that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) used to make the following dua, when the month of Rajab came in:

‘Allahuma Barik lana fi Rajaba wa Sha’bana wa ballighna Ramadhan’ (O Allah Bless us in Rajab and Sha’ban and Bring us Ramadhan)

It has bee mentioned by Abu’l Fath ibn Abi’l-Fawaris in his ‘Amali’ (dictations and transmissions) and Allama Suyuti has also mentioned in his Jami Saghir from Hasan Basri that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said,

“Rajab is the month of Allah. Shaban is my month. Ramadhan is the month of my ummah (followers).”

From the above hadith, it shows that it is preferable to make dua, to remain in the coming and following months, in order to perform good actions in them, because a true believer increases in his age with goodness. The best of people is the one who lives long and performs good actions.

The pious predecessors used to prefer dying after performing good actions, like the fast of Ramadhan or returning from Haj. And it was said by them, ‘whoever dies in this way, is forgiven.’

There is no doubt that the month of Rajab is the key to the opening of the months of goodness and blessing.

Abu Bakr Warraq (May Allah be pleased with him) said,

‘Rajab is a month of cultivation, Shaban is month of irrigating the fields, and the month of Ramadhan is a month of reaping and harvesting.’

The summary is, that the month of Rajab is a sacred month and the first, virtuous and noble of them all. So it is appropriate to celebrate it ENTIRELY and to give attention to it by performing good acts, and refraining oneself from sins and offensive things, because it is the month of Allah.

It has been mentioned that Allah said,‘Fasting is for me and I will recompense for it.’

Fasting in the month of Rajab prevents one from sins, let alone refraining one from killing and having enmity towards the enemy (which this month was made sacred for), like it was practised by the people in the ignorant (jahili) period.

(Imam Abdul’Gani al-Nablusi, Fadha’il al-Shu’hur wa’l-Ayyam (Virtues of Months and Days) pg 27, 32)

Sunnipath.com

Virtues of Forgiveness: Imam al Ghazzali & Habib Omar b. Hafiz

The real Islam and Islam in the media render the great irony of the modern world. Islam conveys the warmest message of universal love, compassion, tolerance, mercy etc…, and warns against any form of aggression, terror, rudeness and insult. But what we see in the media is just a portrait of negative photography!!
Here is an example of what the traditional Islamic school teaches Muslim believers.
Excerpts from “The Ray of Clear Light from the Revival of the Religious Sciences” (Habib Omar b. Hafiz’s abridgment and commentary on Imam al-Ghazalli’s “Revival of the Religious Sciences”)
http://www.tabahfoundation.org/seminars/RaysofLight.pdf
On the virtues of forgiveness
Forgiveness is when a person has a right to demand justice and chooses to forgo that right
God reveals:
“Keep to forgiveness and enjoin kindness, and turn away from the ignorant”.

---

The Messenger of God  said to the idolaters of Mecca (who had once forced him to quit his dear home) after his conquest of Mecca: “you are free”, so they came out as if they had been resurrected from their graves and entered Islam

He said: “By the One in Whose Hand is my soul, Three things if I were to swear I would swear by,wealth is not diminished by charity, No one forgives a wrong for the sake of God except that God will increase him in honor on the day of Judgment, No person opens the door of asking others except that God opens for him a door of poverty”,
Also the Messenger said:

1. O `Aisha’ God loves gentleness in all things
2. when God loves a household he allows gentleness to enter it
3. whoever is deprived of gentleness is deprived of all good
4. Be gentle for gentleness does not come into anything except that it adorns it, and is not stripped from anything except that it leaves it tarnished”.

---

Ibrahim  al-Timi said: a person wrongs me and I show them compassion. This is an example of benevolence which goes beyond forgiveness.

It is narrated that a thief broke into the hiding place of `Ammar bin Yassir during the battle of Siffin, and he was told: “cut him down he is one of our enemies, so he said: no I am going to cover what he did perchance God will cover us5 on the day of judgment.

Ibn Mas`ud wasat the market place buying food, when he bought something and looked for his money which was hidden in his turban he found the turban had been undone (the money was gone), the people present began making supplications against the thief, and Abdullah ibn Mas`ud supplicated saying: O God if he was pushed to take it because of his need, then make it blessed for him, if he was forced to take it because of his being emboldened to sin then make this the last time he commits a sin”.

Prisoners of war from Ibn al-Ash`ath were brought to the presence of Abdullah bin Marwan and he said to Raja’ bin Hiwa: “what do you think? He said: God the exalted has given you the victory you loved, so show God what He would love of forgiveness”, so he forgave them.

It is narrated that Ziad captured a member of the Khawarij who then escaped so he captured the same man’s brother, and said: “bring your brother or I will end your life”, so the man said: “if I bring you a letter of pardon for me for the Commander of the Faithful will you let me free?” He replied: “yes” he said: “I can bring you a book from God and the testimony of two witnesses the Prophets Abraham  and Moses ”, he then recited the words: Nay, is he not acquainted with what is in the Books of Moses  And of Abraham who fulfilled his covenants  Namely, that no bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another, the captor said: “let him go, he has made his case”.

“YOU & I-To my `Fundamentalist’ Friends

Wonderful contrast between  traditional Sufis  and Muslim extremists
- A  poetic perception.

You want to speak of War
I want to speak of Peace.

You say Punish
I say Forgive

You speak of God’s Wrath
I speak of His Mercy

Your Quran is a Weapon
My Quran is a Gift

You speak of the Muslim brotherhood
I speak of the brotherhood of Man

You like to Warn others
I like to Welcome them

You like to speak of Hell
I like to speak of Heaven.

You talk of Lamentation
I talk of Celebration.

You worship the Law
I worship the Divine.

You want Silence
I want Music*

You want Death
I want Life

You speak of Power
I speak of Love.

You search out Evil
I warm to the Good

You dream of the Sword
I sing of the Rose petal

You say the world is a Desert
I say the world is a Garden

You prefer the Plain
I prefer the Adorned

You want to Destroy
I want to Build

You want to go Back
I want to move Forward

You are busy Denying
I am busy Affirming

Yet there might be one thing
on which we see eye to eye

You want Justice
So do I.

Mahmood Jamal

* See this Comment

Burdah (The Cloak): World’s Most Popular Single Poem

I personally feel overwhelmingly obliged to the Great Lover Imam Sharafudheen Muhammed Al Busiri for providing me his marvelous words in praising our Beloved Messenger (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). I can never pay off his charity of that single day when I was  reading those piercing lines of sublime love in the vicinity of the most sacred place in the universe, i.e. in front of our Master, the Messenger Of Allah(Peace and Blessings be upon Him). Can we pen down a single line, worthier or dearer than those sacred lines, even if we spend all of our life span?? Never! O’ Great Imam Al Busiri!!, May Allah reward you with the best of rewards. May Allah join us with our Beloved Master. Ameen

I would like here to quote  a famous western Islamic scholar Mr. Timothy J. Winter (Abdal Hakim Murad),Cambridge University, UK , as he says “what we are dealing with is very probably the most influential and the most popular single poem in the history of any language. There simply is no other text from ancient or recent times that has been done in so many languages, not just for some rarefied literary elite but for the people…”

It has been recited all over the Muslim world for centuries and get carved on mosques even in the Holy Mosque of the Prophet(Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) in Medina.
Here is an introduction for “The Burda” Sung by Fez Singers of Morocco and released  by Sandala Filims in the United States, with the translation of  noted American scholar Sheikh  Hamza Yusuf ; A documentary really   worthy to watch !

Another passage on the poem reads “Qasida Burdah as a poem has had a unique history. Even in the poet’s lifetime it was already regarded as sacred. Over 90 commentaries have been written on this poem by many of the foremost scholars and imams of Islam, including Ibn Hajar, Mulla Ali al-Qari, Ibn Allan, Bajuri, and others. It has been translated into Persian, Urdu, Turkish, Berber, Punjabi, English, French, German, Sindhi, Dutch and other languages. The poem is memorized and recited in congregations, and its verses decorate the walls of public buildings and mosques. From coasts of Senegal to the Philippines, from Russia to South Africa, everywhere Qasida Burdah is recited as a token of love for the Prophet and to ask for blessings.”

Mean while we see people who cannot enjoy the beauty of the poem dare labeling it UnIslamic. What a Pity! We can’t but feel sympathy and pray for them to recover from their hapless state.

Benefits of Tribulation

انا لله وانا اليه راجعون (To Allah We belong, and to Him is our return)
The previous day we heard the sad story of Mangalore disaster. I have been in Dubai with some of the bereaved family members who lost their dearest relatives in the plane crash including my three students who lost their dearest, their Everything, The Mother. Indeed this is a time of great tribulation and we say what our beloved Messenger said on the demise of His beloved son. Imam Bukhari reports:
إن العين تدمع والقلب يحزن ولا نقول إلا ما يرضى ربنا وانا لفراقك يا ابراهيم لمحزونون – بخاري
“The Eyes shed tears, the Heart is grieved and we won’t say except what pleases our Lord, O! Ibrahim Indeed we are grieved by your separation”

Here I feel quiet timely to introduce the excellent booklet written By ‘Sultan of Scholars’ Imam Izz Bin Abdul Salam about the benefits of tribulation we face in the worldly life.
الفتن والبلايا والمحن والرزايا
أو فوائد البلوى والمحن
لعزالدين بن عبدالسلام
رحمه الله رحمة واسعة

Tribulation -
1. Helps to realize the Almighty’s strength and power
وَهُوَ الْقَاهِرُ فَوْقَ عِبَادِهِ ۚ وَهُوَ الْحَكِيمُ الْخَبِيرُ
And He is the Supreme, above His servants; and He is the Wise, the Aware.6-18
2. Helps To realize human weakness and state of resignation
الَّذِينَ إِذَا أَصَابَتْهُم مُّصِيبَةٌ قَالُوا إِنَّا لِلَّـهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ
Who say, when afflicted with calamity: “To Allah We belong, and to Him is our return”: 2-156
3. Helps to be sincere to almighty Allah as one understands that all help is only from Allah
وَإِن يَمْسَسْكَ اللَّـهُ بِضُرٍّ فَلَا كَاشِفَ لَهُ إِلَّا هُوَ
If Allah do touch thee with hurt, there is none can remove it but He:10-107
4. Helps to be humble and to pray solemnly.
وَإِذَا مَسَّ الْإِنسَانَ الضُّرُّ دَعَانَا لِجَنبِهِ أَوْ قَاعِدًا أَوْ قَائِمًا
When trouble toucheth a man, He crieth unto Us (in all postures)- lying down on his side, or sitting, or standing.10-12
5. Helps to purify self and sins to be forgiven.
:« ولا يصيب المؤمن وصب ولا نصب حتى الهم يهمه والشوكة يشاكها إلا كفر به عن سيئاته » رواه مسلم
No trouble comes to a believer even if it is the pricking of a thorn that it becomes (the means) whereby his sins are effaced or his sins are obliterated Muslim Book32-640
6. Leads to ease and well-off sate in the near future.
فَإِنَّ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا إِنَّ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا
So, verily, with every difficulty, there is ease: Verily, with every difficulty there is ease. (94-5-6)
7. Hope for Hidden benefits.
فَعَسَىٰ أَن تَكْرَهُوا شَيْئًا وَيَجْعَلَ اللَّـهُ فِيهِ خَيْرًا كَثِيرًا
it may be that you dislike a thing while Allah has placed abundant good in it. (4-19)

Tribulation also erases pride and arrogance from the human mind and reminds the blessings of the past and leads to gratitude. Moreover they fetches for the patient Almighty’s affection and Pleasure until he become one of his best servants. The Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم said reported by Imam Tirmidhi رحمه الله
أَشَدُّ النَّاسِ بَلاءً الأَنْبِيَاءُ، ثُمَّ الأَمْثَلُ فالأَمْثَلُ – الترمذي
The people who are tested the most severely are the Prophets, then the next best and the next best.

It is really significant to mention here that it doesn’t mean we need to yearn for tribulation but wellness only because it is more rewarding to thank for Allah’s blessings than to be patient upon his testing. Beloved messenger said:
‏ قال صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ ‏لا تتمنوا لقاء العدو وسلوا الله العافية – البخاري
Do not wish to face the enemy, but ask Allah for wellbeing and protection. (Aaafiya) Reported by Imam Bukhari

اللهم انا نسئلك العفو والعافية والمعافاة الدائمة آمين
Oh Allah we beg you for forgiveness, well being and all time protection-Aameen

Signs of the End Times – War and Terror

If you go through the Chapter of ‘Afflictions’ (الفتن)in the Sahih al Bukhari you would see astonishing prophecies that the beloved Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم had made on the contemporary world! Actually the beloved was speaking about the signs of the last day. Please see some of them here.

1. ‏قال النبي ‏ ‏صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ ‏إن بين يدي الساعة لأياما ينزل فيها الجهل ويرفع فيها العلم ويكثر فيها الهرج والهرج القتل ‏

The Prophet said, “Near the establishment of the Hour there will be days during which (religious) knowledge will be taken away (vanish) and general ignorance will spread, and there will be Al-Harj in abundance, and Al-Harj means killing.”

2.‏‏عن النبي ‏ ‏صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ ‏قال ‏ ‏يتقارب الزمان وينقص العمل ويلقى ‏ ‏الشح ‏ ‏وتظهر الفتن ويكثر الهرج قالوا يا رسول الله ‏ ‏أيم هو قال القتل القتل

The Prophet said, “Time will pass rapidly, good deeds will decrease, miserliness will be thrown (in the hearts of the people) afflictions will appear and there will be much ‘Al-Harj.” They said, “O Allah’s Apostle! What is “Al-Harj?” He said, “Killing! Killing!”

What is really amazing is that the special word used by the messenger which was hitherto unknown to His companions, obviously to stress the graveness of the large scale killings occurring on those days. we can easily see the drastic increase in the casualties of wars and other atrocities in recent times. Due to the damned weapons of mass destruction that some countries possess in addition to the atrocities of the armed terrorist, the world is no longer a better place to live in. This very fact too is already mentioned by the holy prophet in another hadith in Sahih Bukhari !. The Prophet said:

(لا تقوم الساعة حتى يمر الرجل بقبر الرجل فيقول يا ليتني مكانه” (رواه البخاري).

The Hour will not be established till a man when passing by a grave of someone will say, ‘Would that I were in his place!”

Another major sign that the Beloved prophet mentions is the widespread ignorance of the Religion. Now we see the ignorance reached to a position where the same religion is used to kill innocent people and to destroy cities. Things the prophet has strictly warned about. Also We hear those people ordering to give up authentic scholarly schools and to follow ignorant pretenders who distinct themselves from the blessed tradition of Islamic scholarship.

May Allah Save us from all afflictions! Please say Aameen!

On Hijab – Islamic Dress Code for Women

Here is a beautiful poem on Hijab

You look at me and call me oppressed,
Simply because of the way I’m dressed,

You know me not for what’s inside,
You judge the clothing I wear with pride,

My body is not for your eyes to hold,
You must speak to my mind, not my mould,

I’m an individual, I’m no mans slave,
It’s Allah’s pleasure that I only crave,

I have a voice so I will be heard,
For in my heart I carry His word,

“O ye women, wrap close your cloak,
so you won’t be bothered by ignorant folk”,

Man doesn’t tell me to dress this way,
It’s a law from God that I obey,

Oppressed is something I’m truly NOT,
For liberation is what I’ve got,

It was given to me many years ago,
With the right to prosper, the right to grow,

I can climb mountains or cross the seas,
Expand my mind in all degrees,

For God Himself gave us LIB-ER-TY,
When He sent Islam,To You and Me!

Ratib -al- Haddad and The Author

Ratib inscription inside the dome - Haddad Mosque,Tarim- Yemen

The author of the Ratib al-Haddadal-Sayyid Abdullah bin Alawi al-Haddad  was the 30th generation decendant of the Prophet S.A.W. He was born on 5 Safar 1044 H, in the outskirts of town called Tarim Subair.  He was a tall, barrel-chested, white and authoritative-looking. His speech reflects a beauty to one’s ear, filled with pearls of knowledge and valuable advice.

Al-Haddad was already well-known in Islamic societies of Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, India, Pakistan and other Islamic countries in the Middle East. He was known for his writings, wirid and dzikr which were complied about four centuries ago, and still being practiced by the Islamic community at large.

When Habib Abdullah was 4-year-old, he was stricken with smallpox that was so severe which resulted to blind of his both eyes. But he managed to memorised the al-Qur’an and master the science of religion when he was still a child. Apparently Allah wanted to replace his outer sight with the inner sight.

He did not like fame nor glory, and do not like to be praised. He said, “Many people make poetry to compliment me, actually I wanted to prevent them, but I’m afraid that I might not be sincere in doing so, so I just ignore. In this case I prefer to imitate the Messenger of Allah, because he did not prohibits his companions when they read poems of praise to him.”

Aside of his religious activities and preaching, he also owns and maintains a plantation and chickens, and from earnings of the plantation and the chickens he used it to help the poor, orphans, widows, student of knowledge, and people who cant afford. Habib Abdullah also learn about agricultural science, and he often even sat with the farmers to teach agricultural sciences.

Ratib al-Haddad. Click Here to See the Ratib with English Translation

This ratib he compiled on one of the night in the month of Ramadan in 1071H to meet the demands of one of his student whose name was `Amir from the family of Banu Sa’ad that live in the city of Shibam (one of the city in the province of Hadhramaut). The purpose of `Amir was that they can defend and save themselves from the heresy teachings. After al-Habib Abdullah bin Alawi al-Haddad left for pilgrimage, ratib al-Haddad began to be read in Mecca and Medina. Al-Habib Ahmad bin Zain al-Habshi said, “Anyone who read ratib al-Haddad with conviction and sincerity, He will get something out of his expectation.”

Finally on Tuesday evening, 7 Dzulqa’dah 1132H, he returned to the Almighty, leaving many students, his works and his fragrance name in this world. And within the city, he was buried in Zanbal cemetery. May Allah SWT uplift his position to the high noble status and gives us lots of benefits from his knowledge. 

Top Muslim Scholars Condemn Moscow Attack

“We condemn the recent criminal terrorist attacks, perpetrated against brothers and sisters in Islam and in Humanity, in Iraq, Moscow, and Dagestan. Islam absolutely upholds the sanctity of human life, and no grievances, even when legitimate, can ever be used to justify or legitimate such murderous and evil acts. Our hearts go out to the victims and their families, and our condolences to the Iraqi and Russian peoples and their religious and political leaderships.”

Signatories (25)
1.Sheikh Abu Bakr Ahmad Al-Milibari, Secretary General of the Ahl Al-Sunna Association, India
2.Dr. Ahmad Badr Al-Din Hassoun, Grand Mufti of Syria
3.Dr. Ahmad Abd Al-Aziz Al-Haddad, Mufti of Dubai, UAE

Click below to read more:
Reuters Report :
Al Habib Ali Al Jifri Website:

Oh Allah , Just a Look! Imam Abdullah Bin Alawi Al Haddad (R)

ألا يا الله بنظرة من العين الرحيمة
O Allah! Just a Look from Your Gaze of Mercy

تداوي كل ما بي من أمراض سقيمة
that will cure all the sicknesses in me

ألا ياصاح ياصاح لا تجزع وتضجر
Oh my friend! my friend! Dont be anxious and burdened

وسلم للمقادير كي تُحمد وتُؤجر
Leave things to the Destiny and you will be praised and rewarded

وكن صابر وشاكر
Be of those who are patient and grateful

تكن فائز وظافر
You will become successful and victorious

ومن اهل السرائر
And be amongst The People of Secrets

الله رجال الله من كل ذي قلب منوَّر
That is, the men of Allah are those who have enlightened hearts

مصفى من جميع الدنس طيِّب مُطهر
Pure from filth; Gracious and refined

وذي دنيا دنيـه حوادثها كثيره
This world is dejected, its mishaps are many

وعيشتها حقيره ومدتها قصيره
And the life of this world is insignificant, and the span is short

تفكر في فناها
Reflect that this world does not last

وفي كثرة عناها
And has plenty of sorrows

وفي قلة غِنــاها
And little riches

فطـــــوبى ثم طـــوبي لمن منها تحذّر
Hence, blessed is he, blessed is he who is cautious of this world

وطلقــــــــها وفي طاعة الرحمن شمَّر
And distances himself from it, and prepares himself to obey Allah

More:

Suicide and Bombing – Two Heinous Crimes in Islam

Today we read the sad story of explosions in Russia. This carnage has been already linked to the “terrorist groups related to the North Caucasus” which includes the troubled nation of Chechnya. Muslims are once again on defense. BBC today published another story on preventing extremism with photo of a prostrating Muslim! http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8593862.stm

Here we need to reiterate our position. It has nothing to do with our great religion Islam which advocates but Peace. Suicide is a serious crime and bombing against innocent civilians is another much more condemnable one. None of these justifies  the other at all.

I feel it is quite timely to read again what Sayyid Habeeb Ali Jifri told to Washington Post in its interview. The Question was:

What is Jihad? Under what circumstances does Islam sanction the use of violence? What would you tell would be suicide bombers who would invoke Islam to justify their actions?

“….The Islamic tradition forbids suicide; it forbids any form of harm to innocent people. The Islamic tradition advocates the rule of law in the strongest terms…..”

Read More

Follow Madhab for Muslim Unity

The following is an excerpt from the speech delivered by Dr. Abdul Hakeem Murad of Cambridge University on the Significance of Following one of the Four Madhabs of Islam.

“The first condition for, I would say really the, in order to build Muslim unity today, to take us back to the theme of the conference: the first condition has to be to reestablish a coherent system of interpretation in the Divine, of the Divine Lawgiver’s messages to us along these lines.  Unless we do so, we will have not four madhhabs in their usual, traditional condition of harmony.  We will be going to have as many madhhabs as we have Muslim egos. For those wild and desperate Muslims who reject taqlid  and reinterpret the religion in terms of their own time-bound preferences, and their own frustrations and resentments, are going to become so numerous and so aggressive that that principle, that precious thing called Muslim unity, is going to be lost forever, and the religion will slip ever more disastrously into the extreme and violent direction that the followers of the anti-madhhabist tendency have charted for it.

Islam, and this has always been my experience as a newcomer to Islam who knew for many years the alternative, Islam is a gift. This is how we have to see it.  It is our most precious possession.  It is through Islam that we strive for peace and justice and harmony in the world and it is through Islam that we strive also for eternal joy and serenity in the presence of our Creator.

See Full transcript here!

Time Management – Habeeb Husein Al Saqaf

Your time can be divided into four :

1. The time you Do not benefit neither here nor in the hereafter.
2. The time you benefit for your life Here more than in the hereafter.
3. The time you benefit from it in the Hereafter more than in the life here.
4. The time you benefit from it in life Both Here and in the hereafter.

And look at your times ,business, and needs.

1. That you don’t benefit from neither in life here nor in the hereafter Stop it.
2. That you benefit from in life here more than in the hereafter Reduce it.
3. That you benefit from it in the hereafter more than in life here Increase it.
4. That you benefit from it in the life here and in the hereafter Keep it.

How do I know if I gained benefit from my time?

Know that the benefit of time is in 2 things.

1. Getting More knowledge
2. Getting Closer to ALLAH.

Note that more money is not included in the benefit of knowledge or benefit of time.What’s the use of having more money and getting more ignorant?.

The day that its sun rises and sets and you didn’t gain more knowledge is a bad day to you.

Oh Allah! Make Every Day of Our Life Getting More Knowledge and Getting Closer to You, Aameen!

Click Here to Watch the lecture completely

Beloved Prophet as a Loving Husband

Sayyida Aisha (RA) says:
I was cutting meat.
Trying hard to cut a piece of meat and I couldn’t.
The messenger of ALLAH came.
He grabbed one side and the other is in my hand.
He said: Cut Aisha…
He is supposed to cut,
But he wanted to prove for her that she is capable!
She could cut it easily and she was very happy!
***
She cooked that piece and gave it to the messenger.
She said: eat O’ messenger of ALLAH
He said: you eat; he said: You eat.
You’re the messenger of ALLAH, you’re my husband, you are my prophet.
He said: You eat!
He preferred her to himself.
Although he’s the lord of prophets and messengers,
Although he’s the husband, he said: You eat first…
She took a small bite from the meat and then gave it to him.
He took it happily, and ate from the same place that Sayyida Aisha ate from.
From the same place!
Messenger of ALLAH is tracking the place I ate from!
Sayyida Aisha was extremely rejoiced.
***
This is the messenger of ALLAH…This is our prophet.
May Allah grant him His Peace and Blessings
May Allah guide us to follow Him closely here in this world and in the other world as well. Aameen