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Monday, December 21, 2009

Advice to women from Habib Kadzim As-Saqqaf

Bismillah

- A woman can complete half of good character by adornment of faith.
- Three foundations of good trait
1. character of faith
2. how we conduct ourselves with God
3. how we conduct ourselves with creations including ourselves
- Do not struck anyone on their faces as Allah created Adam min wajhihi (His face).
- A demon always desire to severe one’s outer form and inner form. The inside is faith.
- Imam Rifa’I (rahmatuLlahu ‘alayh) has a very good character. Once, a person slandered him and he wrote a nice letter to the man. He said that if what you are saying is true, may Allah forgive me and if what you are saying is not true then may Allah increase you.
- In a madrasa, a syeikh heard of a rumour about dispute between his students. Some of the students planned to beat another student at night time. The syeikh covered himself with a blanket in the student’s bed and he was jumped upon and beaten badly. When the syeikh came out, he said to the students that they can’t handle a problem unless the problems get out from them. He cured their problems and tasted sweetness in the tribulation.
- Rasul Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa alihi Wassalam has good character and everyone bore witness of his good character Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa alihi Wassalam.

- Good character:
1. pardon those who did wrong to you.
2. maintain ties with those who severed it.
3. give to those who withhold from you.
- If a child is cold towards his mother (jafa’), husband to wife, if someone is cold to you, be warm with them.
- If you have insincere intentions, make repentance to Allah.
- How many times you can try to maintain ties? Keep on trying until everything become natural to you.
- Protect your heart from being affected by
1. dealing with people who mistreated you like he is a child.
2. flip their words.

- Some good traits can only be found in women. That is why Rasul Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa alihi Wassalam held class for women only one day in a week.
1. Attribute of patience
2. fearful of God
- Women need lots of patience and she will gain the love of Allah.
Sayidatina Asma’ Binti Abu Bakar, wife of Sayidina Zubayr Ibnu Awwam (Radhiya Allahu ‘anhuma) used to get datestones from great distance (farsakh). She put it on her head and walked back, grind them and fed the camel with it. On the way, she met Rasul Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa alihi Wassalam and some companions. Rasul Sallallahu ‘alayhi Wassalam asked her to go on the back of his camel. There were some men near Rasul Sallallahu ‘alayhi Wassalam with sheeps. When Sayidatina Asma radhiyaAllahu ‘anha returned home, Zubayr came home later and she told him, Rasul motioned her to ride on the camel. Zubayr RadhiyaAllahu ‘anh said, ‘you carrying deadstones on your head is more difficult for me to bear.’ She is a very patient woman.
- Sayidatina Fatimah radhiyaAllahu ‘anha was related by imam Ahmad bin Hanbal Rahmatullahu ‘alayh, the one who make her happy make me happy and whenever he sallallahu ‘alayhi Wassalam saw Fatimah, he will stands up and kiss her forehead. Sayidatina Fatima used to grind datestones until she had blisters on her blessed hands. The reasons why we are hearing the hadith is because of Sayidatina Fatima ‘alayhi salam (33x subhanAllah..) has strength and vigour in remembering Allah.
- The life in Rasul sallallahu ‘alayhi wassalam’s time was not an easy life. It demands patience and great amount of faith in the heart.
- Rasul Sallallahu ‘alayhi Wassalam will pray when he saw a great woman and he will say I love you and he will pray for them.
- We need to have a society of knowledge and piety, and we can see they are modest. ‘wa iza zahabal eeman, zahabal haya’
- Modesty was found in abundant in prophets and women surrounding the prophets.

- Sayidatina ‘Aisyah radhiyaAllahu ‘anha remembers God much and used to fast continuously.
- Once Sayidina Bilal RadhiyaAllahu ‘anhu went through the crowd until he was surrounded by women. Rasul Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa alihi Wassalam was addressing them. ‘O women! Give in charity. Give in charity. And I saw in jahannam, lots of woman.’ A woman stood up and asked Rasul sallallahu ‘alayhi wa alihi Wassalam why is the women majority in naar? ‘They did not fulfil the rights of husbands have over them.’
Never argue with your husbands even when you are right!
Rasul sallallahu ‘alayhi Wassalam used the word Kufr ie ungrateful towards husbands.
And at the time of Rasul sallallahu ‘alayhi wa alihi Wassalam, women did not earn wages but he still said to give in charity. Even giving something small is really a great thing.

- Every woman has a portion of mercy in them. 1) patience 2) modesty 3) zikrulLah : light for this world and the next.

- 1) We need to revive prayers before fajr, even 3 minutes before fajar.
2) Remembrance of God
3) Good character and practising the religion ( sometime practising the religion can illuminate our heart more than zikr).

- Regarding backbiting: it will result in harm for the backbiter. We have to control our tongue and seek help. We have to deal with the issues and not harming ourselves by doing backbiting.

-“Whoever sends Salawat (salutations) on me ten times in the morning and ten times in the evening, he will get my syafa’ah (intercession)".
-Whoever read Salawat 100 times after maghrib and 100 times after fajar prayer, Allah will grant him 100 of what he needs: 70 in the next world and 30 from this world.

Allahumma Salli ‘ala Sayidina wa habibina Rasulillah Sallahu ‘alayhi wa alihi Wassalam ‘adada kulli zarrah alfa marrah.

Thursday, December 03, 2009

Why Do Women Have To?

Woman’s Reflection on Leading Prayer
© 2005 Yasmin Mogahed

—–

On March 18, 2005, Amina Wadud led the first female-led Jumuah (Friday) prayer. On that day women took a huge step towards being more like men. But, did we come closer to actualizing our God-given liberation?

I don’t think so.

What we so often forget is that God has honored the woman by giving her value in relation to God—not in relation to men. But as western feminism erases God from the scene, there is no standard left—but men. As a result the western feminist is forced to find her value in relation to a man. And in so doing she has accepted a faulty assumption. She has accepted that man is the standard, and thus a woman can never be a full human being until she becomes just like a man—the standard.

When a man cut his hair short, she wanted to cut her hair short. When a man joined the army, she wanted to join the army. She wanted these things for no other reason than because the “standard” had it.

What she didn’t recognize was that God dignifies both men and women in their distinctiveness–not their sameness.
And on March 18, Muslim women made the very same mistake.

For 1400 years there has been a consensus of the scholars that men are to lead prayer. As a Muslim woman, why does this matter? The one who leads prayer is not spiritually superior in any way. Something is not better just because a man does it. And leading prayer is not better, just because it’s leading. Had it been the role of women or had it been more divine, why wouldn’t the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa alihi wa salam) have asked Ayesha or Khadija, or Fatima (radi Allahu anhum)—the greatest women of all time—to lead? These women were promised heaven—and yet they never lead prayer.

But now for the first time in 1400 years, we look at a man leading prayer and we think, "That’s not fair." We think so although God has given no special privilege to the one who leads. The imam is no higher in the eyes of God than the one who prays behind.

On the other hand, only a woman can be a mother. And God has given special privilege to a mother. The Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa alihi wa salam) taught us that heaven lies at the feet of mothers. But no matter what a man does he can never be a mother. So why is that not unfair?

When asked who is most deserving of our kind treatment? The Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa alihi wa salam) replied 'your mother' three times before saying 'your father' only once. Isn’t that sexist? No matter what a man does he will never be able to have the status of a mother.

And yet even when God honors us with something uniquely feminine, we are too busy trying to find our worth in reference to men, to value it—or even notice. We too have accepted men as the standard; so anything uniquely feminine is, by definition, inferior. Being sensitive is an insult, becoming a mother—a degradation. In the battle between stoic rationality (considered masculine) and self-less compassion (considered feminine), rationality reigns supreme.

As soon as we accept that everything a man has and does is better, all that follows is just a knee jerk reaction: if men have it—we want it too. If men pray in the front rows, we assume this is better, so we want to pray in the front rows too. If men lead prayer, we assume the imam is closer to God, so we want to lead prayer too. Somewhere along the line we’ve accepted the notion that having a position of worldly leadership is some indication of one’s position with God.

A Muslim woman does not need to degrade herself in this way. She has God's word as a standard. She has God to give her value; she doesn’t need a man.



In fact, in our crusade to follow men, we, as women, never even stopped to examine the possibility that what we have is better for us. In some cases we even gave up what was higher only to be like men.

Fifty years ago, society told us that men were superior because they left the home to work in factories. We were mothers. And yet, we were told that it was women’s liberation to abandon the raising of another human being in order to work on a machine. We accepted that working in a factory was superior to raising the foundation of society—just because a man did it.

Then after working, we were expected to be superhuman—the perfect mother, the perfect wife, the perfect homemaker—and have the perfect career. And while there is nothing wrong, by definition, with a woman having a career, we soon came to realize what we had sacrificed by blindly mimicking men. We watched as our children became strangers and soon recognized the privilege we’d given up.

And so only now—given the choice—women in the West are choosing to stay home to raise their children. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, only 31 percent of mothers with babies, and 18 percent of mothers with two or more children, are working full-time. And of those working mothers, a survey conducted by Parenting Magazine in 2000, found that 93% of them say they would rather be home with their kids, but are compelled to work due to ‘financial obligations.’ These ‘obligations’ are imposed on women by the gender sameness of the modern West, and removed from women by the gender distinctiveness of Islam.

It took women in the West almost a century of experimentation to realize a privilege given to Muslim women 1400 years ago.

Given my privilege as a woman, I only degrade myself by trying to be something I’m not–and in all honesty–don’t want to be: a man. As women, we will never reach true liberation until we stop trying to mimic men, and value the beauty in our own God-given distinctiveness.

If given a choice between stoic justice and compassion, I choose compassion. And if given a choice between worldly leadership and heaven at my feet—I choose heaven.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Zulhijjah

BismilLah




AlhamdulilLah we're approaching Zulhijjah. This is tahleel that can be read during the first ten days of Zulhijjah from the book 'Kanzul najah wassooroor' by Syeikh Abdul Hamid bin Syeikh Muhammad Ali Qudus (RahmatuLlah 'Alayhim).




Friday, November 13, 2009

Zulhijjah

BismilLah

Someone told me that the tahlil for zulhijjah is unclear. So, this was scanned again and hope it's a bit clearer.. May it benefit..

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Mukhtar Al-Hadith

Mukhtār al-Hadith al-Sharif (Selection of Noble Prophetic Traditions) Al-Habib ‘Umar b. Hafiż

Hadith two:
قال رسول الله , ‘ أبغض الرجال ٳلى الله الألدالخصيم) .رواه البخاري ومسلم(

The Messenger of God Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa alihi Wassalam said, ‘The most abhorrent of men in God’s sight is an obstinate quarreller.’ (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)


Aladdul khasim: Distant from Allah. If we don’t have the habit of quarreling, then we will be nearer to Allah. No one can taste the true faith until he leaves jadal (arguing).
If we leave arguing while we are in the wrong side, a house will be built for us in the periphery of jannah. Imagine what we will get if we did not argue while we are right.
(“I guarantee a house in Jannah (Paradise) for one who gives up arguing, even if he is in the right; and I guarantee a house in the middle of Jannah for one who abandons lying even when joking / for the sake of fun; and I guarantee a house in the highest part of Jannah for one who has good manners.” [Prophet Muhammad (صلي الله عليه وسلم) - reported by Imam Abu Dawud]
Sa’eed bin Musayyeb says: Once the Prophet was sitting with his Companions, and one person used insulting words against Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), causing him pain. But Abu Bakr remained silent. The person again used bitter words against Abu Bakr, and still Abu Bakr did not respond. The third time when this ignorant person hurt Abu Bakr with his tongue, Abu Bakr tried answering back.
At this point the Prophet got up. Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) asked him, “Are you displeased with me, O Messenger of Allah?” The Prophet replied, “No, but (when you remained silent) an angel came down from the heaven responding to this man’s talk. But the moment you started replying to that man, the angel went away and the devil sat down. And I cannot sit where the devil is sitting.” Abu Dawood 041 4878. (Copied and thanks to http://muslimology.wordpress.com/2008/12/16/arguing-manners-in-islam/)

Abghada is a superlative word meaning the most distant.
There are three types of argumentation:
1) Mira’ : owes fault in other person. We have to always remember that outward is not an indication to the inward). Mira’ is when one looked lowly on the other person. People of Quraisy used to looked down on Rasulullahi Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa alihi Wassalam when he did Adamic lifestyle eg walking in marketplace. Mira’ prevents one from accepting and learning from the other person.
2) Mujadalah : debating. Imam Ghazali RahmatuLlahu ‘alayh mentioned there are 2 forms of mujadalah and both came from kibriya’ (arrogance)
a. Wanting an upper hand in debate
b. Finding faults in the other person's discourse
3) Al-Khusuma : arguing for rights that belongs to you. Habib Ibrahim bin Aqil in Yemen owned a piece of land. Another person claimed for that land in a masjid. Habib Syatri walked in at that time and said, ‘As for the matter of deen, do so but in the matter of dunya, you will be in khusuma.

Arguing can become a habit.

Problems that arises from arguing:
- start having enmity towards others.
- have satisfaction when something bad happen to other and dissatisfied when good things happen to him
- preoccupied with argumentation especially in prayers.
- It is hard to find positive things arising from argumentation.
- Missing the reward of ‘waqooloo lilnnasi husnan’ 2:83 : and speak fair to the people
- And missing the reward of ‘Yuthabbitu Allahu allatheena amanoo bialqawli alththabiti’ 14:27 : Allah will establish in strength those who believe, with the word that stands firm

Rasul Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa alihi Wassalam is also known for jawa’mi’ool kalam ie his words encompass meanings.

Sayidina Isa ‘alayhi salam walked with hawwariyoon (his companions) and they passed by a dead dog. The hawariyoon is making negative remarks on the carcass but Sayidina Isa ‘alayhi salam noticed that the dog’s teeth were well-spaced. (We always have to think good of a situation).

Once, Habib Abdul Qadir As-Saqqaf (Hafizullah) was sitting and teaching students in his gathering. A person came in and started insulting al-habib. He did not reply to the man and the next day the same person came back and apologised. He became al-Habib’s student from then on.



Hadith three:
قال رسول الله‘, اتق الله حيثما كنت, واتبع اڷسيئۃ الحسنۃ تمحھا وخالق الناس بخلق حسن ) . ’ حديث حسن رواه الترمذي(.

The Messenger of God Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa alihi wassalam said, ‘Fear God wherever you may be, and follow a bad deed with a virtuous deed, thus effacing it. And be disposed to people with beautiful character.’ (Hadith Hassan al-Tirmidhì)


Tuqya: to separate.
Taqwa is built from knowledge.
There are four levels taqwa:
1) taqwa al-kufr
2) taqwa al-muharamat : According to Syeikh Yahya, most people are in this area).
3) Taqwa al-makruhaat
4) Taqwa al-mubahat

Thursday, October 01, 2009

Post Ramadhan advice

1st Oct- Post Ramadan Advice, Gratitude and Reflection

Notes from Sheikh Ibrahim Osi-Efa's kalima at the Mawlid- 1st October 2009, Liverpool.
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Alhamdulilah for the bounties that Allah swt continuously extends upon us- Alhamdulilah we are of those that embrace and receive them, in sha Allah with hearts that are grateful to Allah.

Our hearts need to show some sort of gratitude so we may be of those that are “few”- We ask Allah to make us from the few. "Very few of my servants are truly grateful" - And we ask Allah to not take us from this temporal abode except that we are of those who show eternal and perpetual gratitude to Allah, swt for His blessings-

Amongst them we heard about Ramadan- and why did Allah single out this ummah and single out each and every one of us to be members of his ummah- and allowed us to have Ramadan- which communities before us did not have the privilege to enjoy. Allah allowed us to enjoy the great fruits of this blessed month-

Sahih hadith- in response to the great prayer of the great Archangel Gabriel "The one who reaches Ramadan and exits the month is not forgiven therein- may Allah render him distant" – the Prophet (sallahu alayhi wa alih wa salam) said: Ameen..

In Ramadan Allah swt continuously extends towards us His mercy and grace, such that we may enter into the sphere of His forgiveness, and move to His grace in the world to have- [...]

Allah chose each and every one of us, and if we were to stop and ponder- and Allah summons each and every one of us to contemplate and ponder- and if we were to ponder the great signs around us, the signs that are in the web- and the spider is a great creature- it is a creature of the Quran- the spider is great because it came pre-eternally on the “tongue” of Allah sub7an wa ta3ala. From the speech of Allah- that Allah should mention such a creature-

But likewise, the things that Allah extends to us- are also from the greater signs of Allah – and Allah wants each and every one of us to ponder- From the signs that Allah forgives in Ramadan is the blessed month of Shawwal – because the sign for any sign of acceptance- Qabool- of an act by Allah- is that we become people of thabat- we become firm upon the act and we increase in it thereafter.

So when we look at the blessed month of Ramadan- and we tie the 29/30 days to the 6 days of Shawwal- and among the signs of acceptance is that a person moves into Shawwal looking forward to the continuation of the great deeds and nafa7at that Allah gave them in Ramadan. They fasted in Ramadan so likewise they fast in Shawwal. They stood in night prayer in Ramadan – their sides left their beds in the night of Ramadan- so likewise they yearn to experience the nights in Shawwal and the months that come after Shawwal- They were of those who gave charity to needy people in Ramadan and they continue and allow this to overflow into the month of Shawwal..such that Allah will allow His great bounty to overflow unto each and every one of us.

That is the purpose of Ramadan because Allah does not give us gifts in order to abase us - though He is the one who abases/ lowers - but "I am in the opinion of My servant so let him perceive me as He wants”- so therefore we see Allah in a beautiful manner and He extends Ramadan to us in order to raise us - May Allah render us in the sphere of His ennoblement- Ameen

So we ask ourselves- how are we with Allah- because it’s so easy- because of the great deeds we do in Ramadan- to rely upon our deeds- Allah will then show the one who relies upon his deeds in Ramadan, what life is like when we are not receiving this type of sustenance from the divine- when we move into Shawwal we are not of those who fast- when we move into Shawwal we are not of those who frequent the mosque- when we move into Shawwal we are not of the ones who stand by night and tears fall from their eyes- when we move into Shawwal we are not of those who seek forgiveness- when we move into Shawwal the right hand is not above the left hand (the left hand is aware of what the right gives)- When we move into Shawwal we develop a Religious amnesia and forget the great things Allah bestows upon us in this blessed month-

We must become people who are more loftier than that- we must become people who do not just sit around the camp fire and sing the praises of the Messenger of Allah- but we should be like those great companions, who did not necessarily have to sing the praises often because they lived the praises of the Messenger of Allah- and every single one of us has been given examples in Sayedina Abubakr al Siddique, given examples in Sayedina Umar bin al Khattab, given examples in Uthman bin Affan- Dhun-Nooaryn- and given examples in the great Ali bin Abi talib- and the great Ayesha al Siddiqa, or Khadija al Kubra- the great men and women who walked in the presence of that great and lofty being sallallahu alayh wa ala aalih- and we should take them as guides unto Allah – because no one reaches the Prophet except through those blessed people- and no one reaches Allah except through whom- through the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa ala alaih.

Things to ponder- when Allah extends gifts He also extends many things to each and every one of us to ponder- each and every one of us should ponder 'afiya- when we sit here in wellbeing- wellbeing in terms of Allah bringing us to a blessed gathering- wellbeing in terms of health- we all see, we all hear- if we ask people to speak, they can speak- look at what Allah gave us, but when last did we thank Allah for speech? Thank Allah for sight? Thank Allah for ‘afiya? The Prophet sallalahu alayhi wasalam told his uncle Abbas- “When you ask Allah for anything, ask for ‘afiya”- wellbeing inwardly and outwardly.

We raise our hands to Allah for one of our dear sisters, sister Sobia- [...]
How temporal and flimsy this life is, and life in and of itself is fragile- and Allah wants us to ponder this- and when we ponder this we ponder the creator of that fragility, and that life and hearts, and intellect to ponder those things-
So a sister who was like each and every one of us- who would frequent these gatherings- blessed gatherings- and nafa7at that Allah sends and extends to us- Now she is under Grace of Allah and the subtlety of Allah- as she recovers in sha Allah with the dua’ of each and every one of us- in hospital – This could be any of us, it can happen to us-

And stepping behind the veil is inevitable- and yet why are we people who prefer this world over that which is to come- that which is temporary over that which will remain forever- were we to ponder the trees, we would understand that the trees glorify Allah- were we to ponder the vast oceans we would understand that the oceans in their vastness glorify Allah, the mountains glorify Allah- were we to move beyond the veil this thick dense existence we would see creatures that glorify Allah- so why then is it that we glorify this world? And many of us glorify with the tongue, or ponder with the mind, and yet were we to gaze at our hearts they are turned to the Qibla of this world – so when are we going to the Prophet as an example where he says to Syedatina Aisha- “If you want Allah and dar al aakhira, you must give up this world”-
Why don’t we listen to the words of Sayedina Umar bin al Khattab- “if Allah was to give anyone the dunya and the aakhira he would give it to me because I joined between harshness and gentleness- but Allah does not give the dunya and aakhira to anybody”- So which one of us is going to be of those who will prefer the other?
And Allah is the ultimate other- which one of those will be of those who prefers the Other- as what we have been given is lofty-

We see the Prophet, when he saw a man strike another in the face, said: "Don't strike him in the face as Allah created Adam in His ‘form’" – and the ‘form’ is in terms of meaning – Allah gave to Adam life, and He gave to each and every one of us life- when did we thank Allah for hayaa, for the fact that we live? Allah gave Sayedina Adam knowledge – when did we thank Allah for the knowledge He has given us? Many of us sit in this room as university students- Allah could have given you a sheep’s brain and allowed you to sit in exams and make an utter fool of yourself- but Allah gave you an intellect- but ponder, why? He gave you an intellect to become a pharmascist? A doctor? An engineer? A computer programmer? He gave you an intellect to become an 'abd- a slave to Allah – so when are we going to become slaves to Allah- When we pray we take the intellect and place it on the floor and we say “Allahu Akbar!” That’s why Allah gave us an intellect and that is from the signs of the divine- Allah who has the attributes of Knowledge and Perception. Allah gave us the ability to will and to want- Allah gave us eyes so we could see, ears so we could hear, tongues so we could speak-

Were we to ponder creation without life- in the real sense- or knowledge- like trees- they have no sight, or hearing, or intellect and yet they still ponder and glorify! We were in Spain recently with one of our teachers, Dr. Umar Abdullah- and we walked outside the mosque at 3am, pitch black, no artificial light- and we hear something like an ocean- like a roaring ocean- and he asked “What’s that sound?” and I said, “That’s the wind..” and he said “Its not ordinary wind- its wind Allah sends to the pine trees- the vocal sounds of the pine trees- and that sound is the sound of the pine trees glorifying Allah”- That’s pine trees! What about us?!

Let us become new people after Ramadan, because Ramadan is about tajdid, bringing ourselves back to life- and by Allah we need to be living creatures- Allah did not give us life in order for us to be dead. And we see the Prophet said “human beings are asleep, [and sleep is synonymous of death]- and when they die, they wake up”-

Wednesday, September 09, 2009

Tafseer Al-Baqara

وَإِذْ فَرَقْنَا بِكُمُ الْبَحْرَ فَأَنجَيْنَاكُمْ وَأَغْرَقْنَا آلَ فِرْعَوْنَ وَأَنتُمْ تَنظُرُونَ (2:50)


Faraqa = split open; split right and wrong-doers
Yawmul Badar is also known as Yawmul Furqan; on the day of Furqan Rasulullah Sallahu ‘alayhi Wassalam showed Abu Jahal to Amar bin Yasar and said ‘this is the day of furqan’. Amar bin Yasar’s family was tortured badly by him in the beginning of Islam.
According to Ar-Razi, the night of 17th of Ramadan is laylatul qadar because the angels were send down (amongst them Jibrael, Izrael) to the battlefield to split right from falsehood.
Sayidina Umar was know as Al-Farooq; he was the first to do tawaf publicly as a muslim.
For the Bani Israel, the furqaan is the opening of the Red Sea.

Bahar means sea and it also means army (something that is close and overpowering).

وَإِذْ وَاعَدْنَا مُوسَى أَرْبَعِينَ لَيْلَةً ثُمَّ اتَّخَذْتُمُ الْعِجْلَ مِن بَعْدِهِ وَأَنتُمْ ظَالِمُونَ (2:51)

Wa’ada – the third form; to promise.
Wa’aada – interactive (kataba = to write, kaataba = correspond)
Maw’eed – time of appointment

Sign: from the night we pulled the day, in Islam it’s night before day
Laylatul qadar: light from darkness when Qur’an was revealed.

Furqaan was promised after 40 nights: 30 days in Zulqaeda and 10 days of Zulhijja ie 40 days before Yawmul ‘Arafa.
We have little ‘eid after Ramadan because this month is divided into 3 parts: 1) Rahma 2) Maghfira and 3) Free from fire. In this month, it is the second most important time people were freed from fire in a year. In Yawmul ‘Arafa, more people were freed from fire than any other day. Hence, ‘eidul adha is the big ‘eid.

Sayidina Musa ‘alayhi salam went to Jabal Musa in Sinai to receive the Book. When one month passed, the next moon phase begins some people became impatient. They were patience for 30 days and the next 10 days were full of fitna. Samirii (a name / tribe) introduce syirik of worshiping calf.
One story (unverified) in the tafaseer said that when angle came to call Moses to take him to the mountain, he arrived in a beast called Haya’. A munafiq from Bani Israel (he worshipped cow secretly) put a golden cow on the footsteps of where the beast stood. The cow was put for 30 days and get power from this. He deceived lots of people in Banu Israel. This story is not authenticated story.

‘Ajala means calf and it also means to be hasty. Allah promised them the Book but they were impatience and were astray.
‘Ajila also stands for Dunya., everything pass quickly (in haste)

ثُمَّ عَفَوْنَا عَنكُمِ مِّن بَعْدِ ذَلِكَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ (2:52)

‘Afwa means forgiveness before, after or even without something wrong. Maghfira is forgiveness after something was wrong.
From the word, the wind has wipe out all traces.
No matter what we did it will be as bad as worshipping calf, Allah can wipe it out when we asked for ‘afwa.
The du’a for laylatul Qadar: Allahumma Innaka ‘afuwun kareem tuhibbul ‘afwa fa’fu ‘anna.

Saturday, August 22, 2009

Habib Umar's (hafizuLlah) ramadhan advice

Habib Umars Ramadan Advice -
Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may Allah bless His chosen trustworthy servant, our liege-lord Muhammad; the one who brought to us guidance and the religion of clear truth. May Allah bless him, his pure family, his noble and blessed companions and those who follow in their footstep till the Day of recompense.
To proceed:
To our brothers (and sisters), and our beloved for the sake of Allah Most High, the people of Laa ilaaha iIlla Allah Muhammadur Rasulullah, the Muslims of Australia: Assalamu Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu.
O Brothers and loved ones for the sake of Allah, transcendent in His Highness, those who believe in Him and His messenger, peace and blessings be upon him his family and his companions;
we congratulate you on the coming of the forgiveness and mercy and release from the fire; the arrival of the month of Ramadan. The noble month in which Allah began to send down the Quran; He the Exalted and Esteemed said, “The month of Ramadan is the one in which the Quran was sent down as guidance to mankind, with clear signs containing clear signs and discrimination.”
The coming of this month is highly significant for you, O believers. Indeed your chosen Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him his family and his companions, would endeavour and strive in Ramadan like no other month and he would strive in the last ten days of it like he would not in the rest of the days of Ramadan.
He, peace and blessings be upon him his family and his companions, was the most generous of people and he was most generous in Ramadan. When Jibreel Alayhissalam met him in Ramadan, he was more generous than a cool breeze.
It is duty upon you to welcome the month with happiness and thankfulness to Allah most high. Indeed His caller announces in the nights of Ramadan, “O seeker of good come forward, and O seeker of evil fail and fall short.” On the first night of this month the doors to heaven are opened so that not a door of them is closed for the duration of this month, and the doors to the fire are closed so that not a door is opened for the duration of this month; and the rebellious shayateen are chained.
O believers in the first night of the month Allah looks upon His creation and whoever Allah looks upon, He will never punish.
O believers, indeed it is a month of generosity and blessings from Allah most high. He made it obligatory upon us to fast the month, and the Messenger of Allah established the Sunnah of reviving its nights in prayer, thus whosoever fasts the month and revives its nights out of faith and anticipation of reward from Allah, comes out of his sins like the day his mother gave birth to him. Whosoever fasts the month, his past sins are forgiven; whosoever stands its nights in worship his past sins are forgiven.
O believers, in welcoming this month expand your intentions, Rise to your Lord, Transcendent Most High, by following his chosen servant Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, his family and his companions. Show those who surround you a reality from the beauty of this Deen, it is the month of generosity, be generous to your neighbors both Muslim and non Muslims. Give them what you can, offer what you can. Present to them a meaning of excellence, whereby a reality of your great Deen and the noble way of Alllah will be made clear to them, thereby following in the footsteps of your Prophet who was most generous in Ramadan.
Be people of generosity by displaying noble character traits.
Be people of generosity by giving and spending according to your ability, and by being of benefit to those around you both Muslim and non Muslim. Show them the greatness of this religion and its generous nature (samaha). Show them the noble character traits it contains, and the uprightness of its path.
Meet the month with reverence and humility because in this month are divine manifestations and superabundant blessings and goodness; He increases in it the reward of a nafl recommended to the reward of a fardh and the reward of a fardh is multiplied by 70 times. Moreover some narrations have stated that the reward is multiplied to 1000 times. This is the favour of Allah that he grants to whom he wishes; seize the opportunity of the honourable month.
Take advantage of the fasting in it. Indeed Allah is training us with this fasting so that we may ascend in the meanings of adherence to the commandments, and to ascend in the meanings of our aspirations and resolutions.
The abstaining from the necessities of life during the day, namely eating, drinking and marital relations and everything else that nullifies the fast is a declaration that we are a people of determination, we are not imprisoned nor are we enslaved by our lower selves or desires.
For the sake of Allah we leave our desires and for His sake we leave all that He has made forbidden for us, therefore we observe Adab (etiquette) in our fast for Him by being careful with speech so that we do not utter any lie, backbiting nor any harm to anyone of His servants.
O believers!
It is a blessing, to arrive at this noble month when in it is a night better than a thousand months; no one is denied its blessing save the deprived one.
O believers!
It is most becoming for us to revise our relationship with the Quran in this month. That which we have already memorized we repeat and contemplate its meanings; if we don’t understand the meaning in Arabic then a translation of these meanings in a language that we know and understand.
O believers!
It is the month of benevolence, the month of patience and the reward for patience is paradise. It is the month of maintaining family relations, it is the month of looking out for ones neighbours’.
O believers!
The month of seeking forgiveness and asking Allah for Jannah, seeking refuge in Him from the fire, and renewing the pledge with the two testimonies of faith. Our Prophet said, “Perform 4 actions abundantly in Ramadan, 2 actions are pleasing unto your Lord and 2 you cannot do without. As for those that are pleasing unto your Lord; to testify that there is no God other than Allah and seek His forgiveness (istighfaar). As for the 2 actions that you cannot do without, ask Him for Jannah and seek refuge from the fire. Therefore it is most becoming of a believer to repeat in this month “Ash-hadu an laailaha illah Allah nastaghfirullah nas alukal jannah wa nauthu bika mina annar.”
O believer!
Break your fast on Halal and delay the suhoor so long as you don’t fall in doubt. Do not delay the Iftar as soon as you are sure of sunset. Uphold the taraweeh prayer every night, it is best 20 raka’as, surely the one who upholds it will have revived the nights of Ramadan in prayer and you have heard the authentic hadith, “Whosoever stands the nights of Ramadan in worship out of faith and anticipation of reward from Allah all his past sins are forgiven.”
Allah forgives in this month and its last night everyone who does not associate partners with Allah, all the Muslims; except one who breaks family ties, the disobedient to his parents, the one who consumes intoxicants and the one who holds grudges in his heart against Muslims. So cleanse yourself and your house from that which denies you this mercy.
Be truthful to your Lord and be joyous at the flowing generosity from the presence of the All Merciful, Loving, Kind, Most High.
May Allah take by my hand and yours, O believer, may He assist you and guide you to integrity in conduct and assist you with His enabling grace to properly take advantage of the nights and days of the month so that you may attain His vast blessing and generosity, Most high.
O Allah! Bless for us Ramadan. O Allah! Make us from the emancipated, released and protected by You from the fire, in Ramadan.
O Allah! Make us from amongst those who are granted the maximum portion of its goodness. Indeed it has come to us that Your prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, his family and his companions, that You emancipate in every night of the month 600,000 people from the fire, and the last night You emancipate as many You emancipated in the whole month.
O Allah! Emancipate our necks from the fire and safeguard us from the humiliation of this dunya and the punishment of the Hereafter. Bless for us the nights of Ramadan and its days and make us from those who maximise their benefit from the month and grant us felicity through the recitation of the Qur’an; upholding the fast on the basis of Taqwa on the basis of Adab, scrupulousness, and an increase in faith and fear of You, love for You and Your Messenger Muhammad sallaAllahhu alaihi wa sallam and love for his family and his companions and all of the righteous of his nation and for all the people of La ilaha illaAllah. Grant us Your love and the love of everyone who is a means to achieve Your love and love of a deed that will draw us near to Your love.
O Allah! Deliver us to Ramadan and safeguard Ramadan for us and take it back from us having been accepted.
May Allah send his blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon his family and his companions and all who follow in his path, and praise be to Allah the Lord of the worlds.

Advice for the Blessed month of Ramadhan

Advice for the Blessed month of Ramadhan
~
Al- Habib Kazim Ja‘far Muhammad al-Saqqaf


 Make due preparation for the first night of the month of Ramadhan as this is the night that Allah t’ala gazes upon his slaves. Whoever Allah t’ala gazes upon, he’ll never be punished.

o Read Surah Fath on this night
o Have a ghusl (male and female)
o Intend to fast for the entire month

Some people are cognisant of the Divine gaze and are affected by it whereas others remain unaware and unaffected…

 Complete the obligation of fasting but also other works to draw nearer to Allah t’ala such as strengthening the ties of sisterhood.

o The devil always attempts to cheat a human being and render him in a state of ingratitude
o A small amount of shukr will make one ascend in degrees
o We should make a firm intention to act in accordance with what we have learnt, even if it is a little.
o Consistent small works and a little thankfulness is better than a lot of inconsistent acts.
o The mercy that Allah t’ala shows you is in proportion to the mercy you show to others.
o Our Beloved said: when 2 Muslims meet 100 mercies descend – 90 are for the one with the best character and higher countenance (by the mercy of Allah t’ala 10 mercies go to the other).

 Recite the noble Quran by day and by night

o To recite it by day will ensure that the Quran will bear witness for you on the day of judgement
o To recite it by night (especially in the last third of the night) will ensure that the Quran is actually embodied and will physically act as an intercessor for you on the day of judgement.

 Pray 20 rakat - Salaatul-Tarawih

 Breaking the fast:

o With dates – 3, 5 or 7 – this prepares you to embrace the odd night of Laylatul Qadr as you have taken on “oddities” in your acts.
o Pray to Allah t’ala as every day a dua will be accepted from you:
 1st night – a good ending
 2nd night – emancipation from the hell-fire
 3rd night – well-being here and in the hereafter
 4th night – companionship of our Beloved
 Rest of the nights (26 in total) = choice of your own prayer

 Make an intention for each fast on the night preceding the fast.

 During the daylight hours control the tongue and don’t speak out of anger, lying, backbiting – the fast can be rendered void if you do so.

 In the last 10 nights of Ramadhan say abundantly the dua of our Beloved

Allahumma innaka afuwwun tuhibbul afwa fa-fu anni.

O Allah! You are the Most forgiving, You love forgiveness, so forgive me.

 There are blessings in suhoor – even if you are not hungry, observe eating even if it’s a small amount.

 Don’t argue/dispute with anybody – especially in the last 10 nights.

 If Jummah falls on an odd night in the last 10 days – bring it to life as this is likely to be Laylatul Qadr.

 If you go to the Masjid make intention for itikaaf for the duration of time that you spend in there – to increase your rewards.

 If you go to the Masjid for itikaaf or salaatul-tarawih – when you enter the Masjid say that you are making an oath to Allah t’ala upon yourself – to pray 20 rakat or to sit itikaaf – as it then becomes wajib for you to complete the oath. Therefore the reward is x70 more for performing a wajib.



Habib Khazim said if we do all of the above we have good hope that we will bring to life all of the blessings of this sacred month inshallah…

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Ramadhan Advice by Shaykh Syed Muhammad AnNinowy

12 August
The Holy month of Ramadan‏ (Message From Shaykh Ninowy, Ramadan 2004)
Bismillah,
My dear respected brothers and sisters,
Assalamu Alaykum,

I hope and pray that all of you are in the best of iman and health.

The holy month of Ramadan has come, and it is a special occasion to all, but especially to the People of Tasawuff. This is the time where body, heart and mind purification occurs. But only if you expose yourself to it, with your presistant efforts, extra worship, and re-shaping yourself and your commitments.

Two things I would like you to to increase in this Holy month:
1- the numer of times you send your Salams to our Beloved Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa sallam ( with the specific form you were given lately, it has tremendous secrets, benefits and enlightments)
2- The number of Ayahs of the Qu'ran you recite daily. As this is the month of Qur'an.

Remember, that some think this is the month to eat, when infact, this is the month not to eat a lot.

Remember that you do not only obstain from eating and drinking from sunrise to sunset during this month, but to go to a higher level by:
1- Commanding your organs and limbs ( including tongue, eyes, ears, hands) to obstain from all that's not good.
This is extremely important.
2- Commanding your thoughts that cross your mind to obstain from all that's not good. This comes with training, and perseverance, so please start.


Khutbah (Sermon) of the Holy Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa sallam) about Ramadan

'O you who believe, prescribed for you is the Fast, even as it was prescribed for those before you, that haply you will have taqwa.' Qur`an 2:183
'A great month, a blessed month, a month containing a night which is better than a thousand months has approached you people. Allah has appointed the observance of fasting during it as an obligatory duty, and the passing of its nights in prayer as a voluntary practice. If someone draws near to Allah during it with some good act he will be like one who fulfills an obligatory duty in another month, and he who fulfills an obligatory duty in it will be like one who fulfills seventy obligatory duties in some other month. It is the month of endurance, and the reward of endurance is paradise. It is the month of sharing with others, and a month in which the believer's provision is increased. If someone gives one who has been fasting something with which to break his fast it will provide forgiveness of his wrong actions and save him from the Fire, and he will have a reward equal to the fasting man's reward without his reward being diminished in any way... Allah gives this reward to anyone who gives one who has been fasting some milk mixed with water, or a date, or a drink of water with which to break his fast, and anyone who gives a full meal to one who has been fasting will be given a drink by Allah and will not thirst until he enters Paradise. It is a month whose beginning is mercy, whose middle is forgiveness, and whose end is freedom from the Fire. If anyone makes things easy for his slave during it, Allah will forgive him and free him from the Fire.'

From a khutba (sermon) given by the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, on the last day of Shaban.
Reported by Salman al-Farsi (Mishkat al Masabih).
Some Hadiths About Ramadan

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger as saying: 'Ramadan, a blessed month, has cometo you during which Allah has made it obligatory for you to fast. In it the gates of the Garden are opened, the gates of the Fire are locked, and the rebellious Shaytan is chained. In it Allah has a night which is better than a thousand months. He who is deprived of its good indeed suffered deprivation.'Ahmad and Nasa'i transmitted it.

Every good deed will be rewarded from ten to seven hundred fold except fasting which is endured for My sake and which I shall reward.'Hadith Qudsi, Sahih al-Bukhari

'By Him Who holds my life in His hand the breath of the fasting man's mouth is more fragrant before God and better pleasing to Him than redolent musk.'Sahih Muslim

'Paradise has a gate which is called al-Rayyan through which not one shall enter except those who have observed the fast.'Sahih al-Bukhari

'Two joys are prepared for him who observes the fast, the joy of breaking the fast and that of meeting his Lord.'Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim

Excerpts from the Book of the Mysteries of Fasting from the
Ihya Ulum al-Deen of Imam al-Ghazali
'Praise be to Allah who has shown great favor to His servants, Who has frustrated the hopes and plans of Shaytan by making fasting a bulwark and a shield for His friends.'
The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, 'The reward of the fasting man will be generous beyond imagination or estimate.' And so it should be because fasting belongs to Allah and by virtue of this relationship it has been rendered noble. The fast belongs to Allah in two respects. First because it is a form of desisting and relinquishing, in its very nature concealed from human sight, whereas all the other acts of worship are apparent and exposed to it. And secondly because it is a means of vanquishing the enemy of Allah, Shaytan, who works through the appetites and desires. These appetites and desires are increased by eating and drinking. For this reason the Prophet said, 'Shaytan affects the son of Adam by pervading his blood. Let him therefore make this difficult for Shaytan by means of hunger.' For the same reason he told A'isha, 'Persist in knocking on the door of Paradise.' When she asked what she should knock with he replied, 'With hunger.'
The excellence of fasting established, what follows is a basic description of the outward and inward conditions for fasting.

Outward conditions for fasting
The first outward duty is to watch the beginning of the month of Ramadan and announce it at the observation of the new moon (al-hilal). If clouds make the observation of the new moon impossible then the length of Shaban should be extended to thirty days. By observation we mean actual sighting of the new moon. Anyone who hears a trustworthy witness say that he has seen the new moon and believes him, fasting then becomes incumbent on him.
The second outward duty is intention (niyyah). Every night before the dawn of the following day one should specifically and deliberately entertain the intention of fasting. If he should entertain the intention to fast the month of Ramadan but fails to renew his intention every night his fast would not be valid...
The third duty is that, as long as he remembers that he is fasting, the individual should abstain from intentionally allowing any material substance such as food, drink, snuff and enema, to enter his body... Whatever enters the body unintentionally, such as dust, or water, during the rinsing of the mouth will not invalidate the fast...
The fourth duty is abstinence from sexual intercourse...
The fifth duty is abstinence from deliberate seminal emission.
The sixth outward duty is abstinence from vomiting. If one cannot help it however, his fast remains intact and valid.
Practices connected with the Fast
Delaying the time of suhur (until near the time of daybreak).
Speeding the breaking of the fast by eating dates or drinking water before performing the prayer.
Generous giving throughout the month.
Special study of the Our' an.
Retreat (i'tikaf) into the mosque, especially during the last ten days of Ramadan (in which the Night of Power, laylat ul-Qadr, falls).
Inward conditions of fasting
Fasting is of three grades:
The fasting of the general public (sawm al-umun)
The fasting of the select few (sawm al-khusus)
The fasting of the elite among the select few (sawm kusus al-khusus)
The fasting of the general public involves refraining from satisfying the appetites of the stomach and the appetites of sex and is described in the section on Outward conditions.
The fasting of the select few is to keep the ears, the eyes, the tongue, and hands, the feet and other senses free from wrong actions. It consists of:
Refraining from looking at anything disapproved, or anything which occupies the person and distracts him from remembering Allah.
Keeping the tongue free from raving, lying, backbiting, tale-bearing, obscenity, abusive speech, wrangling and hypocrisy.
Closing the ears to every reprehensible thing because everything which is unlawful to utter is also unlawful to hear.
Restraining the limbs from wrong actions as well as avoiding questionable foods at the breaking of the fast.
Not overeating when breaking the fast.
Remaining in a state of suspense between fear and hope after breaking the fast as to whether or not the fast has been accepted by Allah.
The fast of the elite among the select few is the fast of the heart from mean thoughts and worldly worries and its complete unconcern with anything but Allah and the Last Day, as well as by concern over this world, except insofar as it promotes the deen (life-transaction), which belongs to the hereafter.
Every act of worship is possessed of an outward form and an inner secret, an external husk and internal path. The husks are of different grades and each grade has different layers. It is for you to choose whether to be content with the husk or join the company of the wise and learned.
Breaking the Fast
'A human being has not filled any vessel which is worse than a belly. Enough for the son of Adam are some mouthfuls which keep his back straight, but if there is not escape he should fill it a third with food, a third with drink, and leave a third empty.'
Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah
'Many a one who fasts gets nothing from his fasting but thirst and many a one who prays during the night gets nothing from his night prayers but sleeplessness.'
Tirmidhi
The mercy of the fast of Ramadan penetrates all dimensions of man's existence, providing a holistic cure for all that ails him, rejuvenating the body as well as the spirit of man. Breaking the fast by overeating renders both these beneficial effects useless. And breaking the fast with the wrong foods in any amount will debilitate the one who fasts and make his spiritual efforts more difficult.
Allah exhorts us in the Our' an to eat of the purest foods and the practitioners of modern medicine are just beginning to realize the essential wisdom of this command along with the wisdom of the fast itself. The therapeutic effect of fasting is well documented by actual clinical experience both in Europe and in the United States, leading to general acceptance of the principal that fasting is man's oldest and best healing method. And the kind and amount of food with which one breaks the fast to a large extent determines whether the fast is useful or a waste of time.
The main rule in breaking the fast is to remember why you are fasting and what you hope to obtain by it. There are several du'a [supplications] for breaking the fast which call one back to this reality, one of which is:
In the Name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate,
O Allah, for You I have fasted and I have believed in You,
And have broken my fast on Your bounty and so forgive me
my past and present wrong actions.
O Lord of the Worlds.

Bismillahi Rahmani Raheem
Allahumma laka sumtu wa bika aamantu
Wa 'alaa rizqika aftartu faghfirlee
Maa addamtu wa maa akhartu
Ya rabbil aalamen.
One of the sunnas [practices] of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and give him peace, is to break the fast as soon as the Adhan [call to prayer] is heard before performing the Maghrib prayer, with a date and some water. Ramadan Food Guideline
The rule of thumb of the amount of food to be consumed at the evening meal which follows is that it should be no more than is usually eaten at that time. In fact, if it is, the fast is technically invalid. Again one has to review what one's goal in Ramadan is -- to bury his head deep into a nose-bag full of food every evening after sunset and snore his nights away or to eat a light but nutritious evening meal and use the precious nights of Ramadan for dhikr [remembrance] and fikr [reflection].

The following is a guideline to the types of food which will enhance the natural purifying effect which the fast already has on the body and which will increase the one who incorporates them into his diet in energy, clarity and awareness:
Use as much as possible pure and organic foods, uncontaminated by artificial flavorings, colors, and preservatives.
Avoid eating too much meat too frequently. The Prophet, Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa sallam, ate meat only twice a week. Needless to say it should be halal, but it is also recommended to find a source of free-range animals and to have as close a control as possible over the actual killing.
Include lots of vegetables and raw fruits in your diet.
Avoid overdoses of starches, particularly excessive amounts of polished white rice -- use whole grains when possible and then not too much of them.
Avoid too much sugar and substances containing caffeine -- they will unbalance the delicate endocrine system of the body.
Pay attention to the order in which you eat different foods and the combinations of foods which you eat. The medicine of the Prophet recommends limiting the number of different types of food eaten at one time as much as possible, and latest research has revealed that the reason for this is the stomach's ability to produce

And finally, please do not forget me in your daily Du'a,
May Allah bless you and make this month a success for all,
wassalam,
Muhammad bin Yahya

Thursday, August 06, 2009

Gardens of Enlightments: The House Of Saydatina Fatimah and Sayyidina Ali Radhi Allahu Anhum Ajmain

Gardens of Enlightments: The House Of Saydatina Fatimah and Sayyidina Ali Radhi Allahu Anhum Ajmain

The House Of Saydatina Fatimah and Sayyidina Ali Radhi Allahu Anhum Ajmain


Shaykh Syed Muhammad bin Yahya Alhusainy Anninowy

Seerah of Sayyidina Ali and Saydatina Fatimah Alaihi Salam
Birmingham 2009 (17th rejab 1430)

Shaykh started the talk with asking us to increase solah and salam on the Prophet Sallalahu alayhi wa aalihi wa salam and smile.

We were to open our souls so that Shaykh talked to our souls and then to open our hearts as we are talking about the dearest and the nearest and the Purified, the continuation of the Best of Creation Sallalahu alayhi wa aalihi wa salam
Rough meaning as translated by the Shaykh;

………………Allah wishes only to remove any impurities from you, O members of the family (of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم), and to purify you indeed .
( سورة الأحزاب , Al-Ahzab, Chapter #33, Verse #33)
Hadith as narrated by Ahmad tabarani with authentic isnad
From Umar , Radhi Allahu anhu , son of Ummu Salamah (Umar was raised by the Prophet Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa salam. “When this ayat was revealed at baiti Ummu Salamah Radhi Allahu Anha, Umar says that Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa salam called Fatimah , Alhasan and Alhusayn. He covered them with a sheet. Saydina Ali Karamallahu wajhah stood behind his bacl and he covered him with the sheet.
“Oh Allah these are the ahlul bayti, purify them and remove any impurities” Ummu Salamah asked can I come and be covered? “You stay where you are and you are deemed to be good”.

Alshaykh found it difficult to talk about Saydatina Fatimah Alaihi salam although this was the request as Saydina Ali Karamallahu wajhah was much discussed by the speaker before this.

A description by a poet
“When her Nur appear, you cannot compare to the sun and the moon
AzZahra from her Nur the entire universe illuminated
She combined all the Qualities of The Prophet Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa salam
If not because of her (?didnt get this word) , she is a copy of the Prophet Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa salam “

Fatimah the shining star, kauthar Fayyad
Ongoing source of light
Batul/Zakiyah/ Alhawrah Fatimahtuz Zahra
Who has been described as “ Allah displeasured at her anger and Allah is pleasured at the pleasure”

Hadith from Bukhari and Muslim:
“Whoever displeases Fatimah has displeased me “ Hadith Bukhari
(know that whoever displeases the Prophet Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa salam qualifies for the wrath from Allah)
This is only a glimpse of her greatness
Her greatness is made with Nurani essence willed from eternity by Allah
She is the Master Lady of Jannah

Hadith Sahih (1) hakim narration (2) Tabarani narration
(1) The best of women of ahli Jannah
(2) The best of women of alamin
And hadith continues Khadijah binti Khuwailid, Fatimah binti Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa salam) . Asiyah and Maryam binti Imran
Allah gave her such a beauty!
Shaykh Ninowy divides her (alaihi salam’s) life into 3 phases
1. From birth to upbringing in the house of her father until she married Amirul mu’minin Ali
2. Living in the house of Amirul Mu’minin Ali till the passing away of Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa salam
3. From the passing away of Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa salam until her own death
Life of Azzahra with so many characteristics, alShaykh is obliged to go through even before she was born
Saydatina Khadijah Radhi Allahu anha, broke the rule and she was boycotted by the society
She was a wealthy billionaire who married someone of “low cast” i. e different social standing, orphan and poor, thus she broke ties with her own “posh” community of Quraisy.
The women of high society boycotted her
They stopped visiting her
And for a women, the neediest time is when she is pregnant, with the hormonal change /physiological/psychological change
She had no one next to her, thus ulama’ mentioned that what she used to do when she was pregnant was to talk to Saydatina Fatimah while she was in the womb. When people boycotted, Allah made provisions, to be boycotted by the creation is better than the opposite.
Narrations about her birth mentioned either 5 years before announcement of the message or 5 years after or 1 year after that. Alshaykh is inclined to the 5 years before the announcement as it is more right based on sequence of events)
Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa salam named her Fatimah
Fatimah means to distance/separate something from something
There are many meaning of Fatimah and perhaps another time alShaykh will be discussing this. Her name implies that she is separated from the rest of the women of her time BUT also mankind, by being the superior!
The best of Annisa AlAlamin is Fatimah binti Muhammad (alaihi salam)

She was nicknamed UMMU ABIHA by the Prophet Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa salam.
What kind of name is that, the mother of your father- ummu in essence is source not the branch
For example in Alquran Allah uses Ummul Qura for Makkatul Mukaramah and for Luh mahfuz, allah refers as Ummul Kitab
(to be continued)

Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa salam had 2 sons from Saydatina Khadijah Alaihi Salam , Tahir and qasim , both who died young and from saydatina Mariah Qibtiyah Radhi Allahu anh
When his sons died, Quraisy found the opportunity to hurt Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa salam.
When Ibrahim died, Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa salam said the eyes water over you and the heart is saddened… Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi roji’un
The honourable heart of Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa salam that carries concerns of people, pain with each plant and animal… this was the heart that the Quraisy wanted to hurt and make it bleed.
Asr bin Wayl, not a muslim , walked to Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa salam and said , “You are abtar” which means cut off i.e. no offspring. Meaning you are sealed off, you have nothing left. In Arabic tradition, only males were considered offspring. That means your zikr will die when you die. No one carry name after you’d gone.
AlQuran: بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
إِنَّا أَعْطَيْنَاكَ الْكَوْثَرَ
فَصَلِّ لِرَبِّكَ وَانْحَرْ
إِنَّ شَانِئَكَ هُوَ الْأَبْتَرُ
1. We have given you al kauthar, a lot, abundance, a lot of offspring, children

2 Therefore to thy Lord turn in Prayer and Sacrifice.
3 For he who is trying to shame you thee, he will be cut off (from Future Hope, offspring)

Now there are many men and women who claims offspring of the Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa salam. Al Kauthar, whatever it entails…. Allah will give you Ya Rasulullah until you are pleased.

Jabir, the narrator of Hadith, who is trustworthy, narrated
“ Every offspring of man, their name and allegiance is to the man except of Fatimah. I am their father and source and essence” This emphasis the meaning, supplementing the AlQuranic verse

Saydina Hasan and Husayn alaihi salam, Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa salam calls them my sons. All the hadith that Shaykh Ninowy has access to, Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa salam never refers them as his grandson, but as sons.
Hadith Bukhari…. Narrated Abu Bakra: I heard the Prophet talking at the pulpit while Al-hasan was sitting beside him, and he (i.e. the Prophet ) was once looking at the people and at another time Al-hasan, and saying, "This son of mine is a Saiyid (i.e. chief)….

Hadith Shababi:
“My sons, the Sayyidina of youth of ahlul Jannah and their father is better than them”.

Saydatina Fatimah Alaihi Salam is the source of all children… hence the title Ummu Abiha. Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa salam’s offspring is limited to the offspring of Saydatina Fatimah Alaihi salam.

Jahili Society , man would bury their female children. A Jahili poet had said “ Death is the best gift for female offspring, ineed an honourable thing to do”
That was the kind of society that was thriving then, that mentality.
If any man has a daughter at teen age, he would be in shame and humiliation.

Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa salam honoured his daughter alaihi salam to break such taboo. Female like Saydatina Fatimah alaihi salam equals the WHOLE
WORLD. Remember, the most honourable amongst you is the one with most taqwa.

From collection of Sunan abudawud
Narrated Aisha, Ummul Mu'minin: I never saw anyone more like the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) in respect of gravity, calm deportment, pleasant disposition - according to al-Hasan's version: in respect of talk and speech. Al-Hasan did not mention gravity, calm deportment, pleasant disposition - than fatimah, may Allah honour her face. When she came to visit him (the Prophet) he got up to (welcome) her, took her by the hand, kissed her and made her sit where he was sitting; and when he went to visit her, she got up to (welcome) him, took him by the hand, kissed him, and made him sit where she was sitting. (Book #41, Hadith #5198)

This is the rank of Saydatina Fatimah Alaihi salam.
The due maqam of Saydatina Fatimah alaihi salam… she lived where the malaikah/angels land, where Jibrail alaihi salam revealed wahi, where Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi salam lived, her ears wake up to the wahi, her nights was filled with tartil of Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi salam , where Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi salam’s voice was reading the alQuran. This is the household that Fatimah AzZahra was born and lived in, she grew up until puberty.

The great sahabi radhi Allahu anhum ajmain came to ask for her hand in marriage, Abu Bakar wa Umar wa Abdur Rahman
Each time Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi salam refused softly.

According to Albazaar, Saydina Abu Bakar Radhi allahu anh said to Saydatina Aishah radhi Allahu anha “ when Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi salam is pleased with you, say I mention Fatimah” (SubhanAllah look at the adab of Saydina Abu Bakar).
“ So imentioned to him, Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi salam refuse until Allah decree”

Saydina Ali came and asked , his head down not able to see Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi salam. “ Why so long Ali” “ I don’t have anything”
The status of Saydina Ali… fakir in duniya yet Ghani akhirah!
Our helpline is our deed, the amal soleh.
Anything that came to him , he would give away.
Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi salam asked “where is the shield I gave you”
This was the dowry/ mahar

Ya akhi, you daughter’s future isn’t guaranteed by money/car/position, but guaranteed by taqwa- if you have taqwa, that secures the future
No taqwa, not secure
We need to recalibrate our compass.

After the wedding Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi salam brought his daughter to the house of Saydina ali, only 1 room, 1 pillow
Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi salam reads doa for the couple to bless them
Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi salam gave her with comfort that he has done his job, as she was in the hands of someone who fears Allah
Someone who loves Allah and his rasul and Allah and Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi salam love him!

People had asked Saydatina Fatimah “ You could have been married to someone rich but he (Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi salam) married you to someone poor like Ali

Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi salam said “ ya Fatimah, By Allah I married you to someone with most knowledge, with much patience and the first to come to Islam.”

At this point we need to realize Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi salam is drawing line to Fatimah and us all to look for iman not money
Taqwa, not looks
Ahlaq and decency
If you put your daughter in the wrong bed, you may loose Allah.

Remember her father is Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi salam whose eyes are filled with Nur

Hadith Bukhari
“ You to me Ali is like Harun is to Musa”

Seerah before battle of Khaibar
“ I will give the flag tomorrow to someone who love Allah and His Rasul and Allah and His Rasul love him”

Hadith
“ Whoever Ali is his Mawla, I am his mawla”

Life for Saydatina Fatimah is beautiful like no one can describe
Beauty in simplicity
But there was hardship in her life
Saydatina Fatimah was somone much strength, lived by the way of AlQuran realized that Sayyidina Ali was involved in daawah.
She was to him like Saydatina Khadijah Alaihi salam was to Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa salam
Remember how Saydatina Khadijah Alaihi salam used to be a source of comfort to Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa salam, when Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa salam returned after the first revelation and she said, “By Allah, Allah will never put you down…..”

One day Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa salam went to Saydatina Fatimah’s house looking for Saydina Hasan and Saydina Husayn, “ Where are my two sons?”
Saydatina Fatimah replied that when they woke up, there was nothing to eat. SubhanAllah, nothing at all.
“So Ali told me , let me take the childen with me as I am afraid they will cry out of hunger and went to the Jewish men to work for them”

Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa salam went to look for Saydina Ali who was working for a Jew. “ Don’t you take care of my two sons , in the heat of this desert?”
“Would you sit here until I finish my shift to get dates to bring to Fatimah?”

So while Saydina Ali collected buckets of dates, and for each bucket-full, he was paid one date. Saydina Ali collected for Saydatina Fatimah the dates and put in his clothes to bring home.
This is an average occurrence in this blessed household.

Please note that if we resource back to previous books, the title Alaihi Salam is a sign of sunnah and to be given to this blessed household.

In Sahih Bukhari, Saydatina Fatimah alaihi salam use to cursh wheat with her own hands until she had coarse hands from grinding. She heard Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa salam had maids to give to people and went over. She met Saydatina Aishah Radhi Allahu Anh while Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa salam wasn’t in and left a message of her need for a maid. Upon Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa salam’s return, Saydatina Aishah Radhi Alllahu Anh informed of the message.

Hadith: While me and Fatimah were sleeping, Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa salam came and sat between us , so much until I felt the coolness of his honourable feet between us.

Hadith Bukhari:

Narrated 'Ali bin Abi Talib: Fatima came to the Prophet asking for a servant. He said, "May I inform you of something better than that? When you go to bed, recite "Subhan Allah' thirty three times, 'Alhamdulillah' thirty three times, and 'Allahu Akbar' thirty four times. 'All added, 'I have never failed to recite it ever since." Somebody asked, "Even on the night of the battle of siffin?" He said, "No, even on the night of the battle of siffin." (Book #64, Hadith #275)

When Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa salam had to leave, the last home he would stop is the house of Saydatina Fatimah
When Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa salam returned, the first house he would visit is her house too!

Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa salam sees through her face, the face of Saydatina Khadijah , full of iman and smell of Jannah.


When Sayyidina Ali enter the house he would say salam

These are amongst lessons: You have to honour your wife.

Wa alaykum salam Ya Abal Hasan
Again: Lesson: Honour due from wife to husband
Not tit for tat

Remember the better one amongst you is the one who forgives.
Acknowledge your spouse, with smelling nice, dress up for him/her

Ibn Abbas: “I dress up for my wife”
(She is someone I want to look good for just like you want her to look good for you!)

One day Sayyidina Ali commented “ What is that good smell like the smell of Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa salam”

Lesson: When you marry, you want to honour and respect her/his family

Sayyidina Ali had said: “ By Allah I have never upset her and I have never forced her to do anything. She has never upset me nor has she disobeyed me”
“When I use to look at her, all my worries and sadness go away immediately when I lay my eyes on her”.

Imam Hassan had narrated that “ I saw my mother on the night of Jumaah making ruku and sujud until Fajr. And she is making doa to the mu’minin/mu’minat- who she remembers by name one by one and not for herself. I told her mother , you make doa for all you know and not for yourself”
Look at the akhlaq and care!

Saydatina Fatimah Alaihi salam use to go to bed little, she was up in tahajjud most nights in worship
The home of Saydatina Fatimah , there were prayers all night and in the day

Sayyidina Hassan and Husayn used to say “ This world does not know any worshipper like Fatimah . She would pray at night until her ankle swelled”.

These people in their homes made zikr to Allah duniya akhirah
Make your home a masjid where Allah is mentioned duniya akhirah

Adopt the Fatimi Approach:
In ibadah/ in the love of Allah and Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa salam
In sacrifice to the Deen
In meeting the daily challenges
Yet GLORY THAT COMES WITH NUR!

AlQuran AlAhzab, 33:33

And stay in your houses, and do not display yourselves like that of the times of ignorance, and perform As-Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat), and give Zakat and obey Allah and His Messenger. Allah wishes only to remove Ar-Rijs (evil deeds and sins) from you, O members of the family (of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم), and to purify you with a thorough purification.
( سورة الأحزاب , Al-Ahzab, Chapter #33, Verse #33)





Sahih Muslim
'A'isha reported that Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) went out one morning wearing a striped cloak of the black camel's hair that there came Hasan b. 'Ali. He wrapped him under it, then came Husain and he wrapped him under it along with the other one (Hasan). Then came Fatima and he took her under it, then came 'Ali and he also took him under it and then said: Allah only desires to take away any uncleanliness from you, O people of the household, and purify you (thorough purifying) (Book #031, Hadith #5955)

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Abu Bakar As-Siddiq RadhyiaAllahu 'anh

Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim

These are our notes from dars by Syeikh Abdul Aziz Ahmed for FOSIS held in Edinburgh alhamdulillah wa syukrililLah.

- Sayidina Abu Bakar was the complete among Sahabah.
- he is the father of bikr (purity, newness). Bikr: a newly married girl.
- His nickname is 'atiq. (itqihi minan naar)
- itaqa: exceedingly beautiful; in a conversation his face gives the impression of welcoming and warmth.
- it also means one who has good lineage and no fault.
- his parents had two children before him who passed away and when they had Sayidina Abu Bakar, his mother make the du'a 'o Allah! Make this one freedom from death'
- He was the son of Ibnu Abu Quhafa ( a muslim) and his grandson was the first person to be born in Islam (Abdullah ibnu Zubayr, son of Asma binti Abu Bakar) RadhiyaAllahu 'anhum
- He has sidqul eeman (belief totally in RasululLahi salalLahu 'alayhi wassalam), he was a sidqul friend and he's sadiq in giving his monew away (he was a rich man but when he became khalifah he was very poor).
- He lived exactly 63 years (he was born 2 years after RasuluLlahi SallaLlahi 'alayhi wassalam was born and passed away 2 years after rasululLahi SallaLlahi 'alayhi wassalam passed away) and Sayidina Umar passed away when he was 63 years old as well.
- He was very good at interpretation of dreams. Sayidina Khalid bin Said dreams he was being dragged to fire and he was very scared. his father, Said ibnul 'As pushed him and Rasul SalaLlahi 'alayhi wassalam said 'I will save you'.
In the same time Sayidina Uthman RadhiyaAllahu 'anh had a dream of someone saying 'bu'ithta ahmed'. both of them came to Sayidina Abu Bakar to understand the meaning of their dreams.
- Sayidina Abu Bakar RadhiyaAllah 'anh never drink nor recite poetry before and after Islam. When being asked why he never drank, he said he wanted to protect his honour.
- In the early period of Islam, when the believers still hid their Islam from everyone, Sayidina Abu Bakar went to Masjidil haram and announced he is a muslim from every corner of the masjid. He was the first person to be beaten because of islam.
- Sayidina Abu Bakar taught only when it is necessary for example when people arguing about where to bury RasullulLahi salalLahi 'alayhi wassalam, he relayed the hadith that prophets were buried in the place where they passed away.
- sayidina Ali KaramaLlahu wajha was very good at judging character and he said amongst the sahaba the bravest was sayidina Abu bakar RadhiyaAllahu 'anhum.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Tafseer Al-Baqara

يَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ اذْكُرُواْ نِعْمَتِيَ الَّتِي أَنْعَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَأَوْفُواْ بِعَهْدِي أُوفِ بِعَهْدِكُمْ وَإِيَّايَ فَارْهَبُونِ (2:40)
• 2:40 (Asad) O CHILDREN of Israel! Remember those blessings of Mine with which I graced you, and fulfil your promise unto Me, [whereupon] I shall fulfil My promise unto you; and of Me, of Me stand in awe! -
وَآمِنُواْ بِمَا أَنزَلْتُ مُصَدِّقاً لِّمَا مَعَكُمْ وَلاَ تَكُونُواْ أَوَّلَ كَافِرٍ بِهِ وَلاَ تَشْتَرُواْ بِآيَاتِي ثَمَناً قَلِيلاً وَإِيَّايَ فَاتَّقُونِ (2:41)
• 2:41 (Asad) Believe in that which I have [now] bestowed from on high, confirming the truth already in your possession, and be not foremost among those who deny its truth; and do not barter away My messages for a trifling gain; and of Me, of Me be conscious -

وَلاَ تَلْبِسُواْ الْحَقَّ بِالْبَاطِلِ وَتَكْتُمُواْ الْحَقَّ وَأَنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ (2:42)
• 2:42 (Asad) And do not overlay the truth with falsehood, and do not knowingly suppress the truth;

وَأَقِيمُواْ الصَّلاَةَ وَآتُواْ الزَّكَاةَ وَارْكَعُواْ مَعَ الرَّاكِعِينَ (2:43)
• 2:43 (Asad) and be constant in prayer, and spend in charity, and bow down in prayer with all who thus bow down. -

أَتَأْمُرُونَ النَّاسَ بِالْبِرِّ وَتَنسَوْنَ أَنفُسَكُمْ وَأَنتُمْ تَتْلُونَ الْكِتَابَ أَفَلاَ تَعْقِلُونَ (2:44)
• 2:44 (Asad) Do you bid other people to be pious, the while you forget your own selves -and yet you recite the divine writ? Will you not, then, use your reason? ; -

وَاسْتَعِينُواْ بِالصَّبْرِ وَالصَّلاَةِ وَإِنَّهَا لَكَبِيرَةٌ إِلاَّ عَلَى الْخَاشِعِينَ (2:45)
• 2:45 (Asad) And seek aid in steadfast patience and prayer: and this, indeed, is a hard thing for all but the humble in spirit, -



- Israel is the name of Prophet Ishaq the son of Ya’qoub ('alayhima assalam).
- Bani means the children of
Because this is from the qur’an, the verse addresses all humankind and in specific the people of Madina. The Prophet, sallalahu ‘alaihi wassalam, said:
‘Whoever performs ablution at home, then comes to the Quba mosque to perform prayer therein, will get the reward of Umrah.’ (Al Tirmidhi)
The Banu Nadir tribe in Madinah knew the truth about Rasul Salallahu ‘alayhi wa alihi Wassalam.
- Ka’ab bin Asyraf, a leader of Banu Nadir tribe in Madinah said to the jewish tribe ‘typical of you, not making any decision.’
- Banu Nadir has a pact with Banu Ghatafan who lived in Najd before Islam. ‘Uyaynah bin Husayn, the leader of Banu Ghatafan used to come to Banu Nadir and listened to them saying about the prophet.
- Hasan bin Thabit RadhiyaAllahu ‘anhu lived with Banu Nadir. One night he saw them crying and said that this is the night, tonight is the night in which the star of Ahmad rose.

‘chosen’ = to worship Allah. If we don’t take care of worshipping Allah, it can be taken away from us.
Said Nursi said that you will see that Islam will be taken away from Ottoman and it will be given to the European. The Arab world will be pregnant with the west and the west was pregnant with the Arab world.

‘Remember the blessings’ ~ amongst the blessings to the jewish people: (Kitab) Books, prophets, Zara’a (vegetation), olives and parting of the ocean.

‘Sell your religion with thamanan qaleela (trifling gain)’ ~ For adultery, the original punishment is stoning. They decided to be lenient with richer people who paid the scholars and as a result they just painted an adulterer's face black.
No clergy should sell Islam for money.
Mullah Ali Qari RahmatulLahu ‘alayh is a very big teacher. He used to sell one qur’an that he wrote with calligraphy in a year and he used the money to support himself.
Habib Umar bin Semait HafidzulLah used to buy and sell some oranges and with the profits he travel.

May Allah make us amongst the steadfast and gain His pleasure

Monday, May 04, 2009

Habib Umar reviving the love for Allah and His meesenger

On the last Monday in Rabi Al-Awwal, a special mawlid was held in Dar Al-Mustafa in Tarim, Yemen. We were blessed to have Sidi Amjad Tarsin share with us the link to the live broadcast as well as his live translation of Habib Umar’s speech. All praises to Allah for allowing us to gather the pearls of wisdom, advice and knowledge from Habib Umar. We would like to share with you the notes we took. All mistakes are entirely from us, we are incapable of fully translating the tremendous wisdom of Habib Umar. Please be aware that these notes are for reference only. If you are plan on posting this elsewhere, kindly include the link to this post.

The first noble scholar to speak was Habib Mashhur, Habib Umar bin Hafidh’s oldest brother. Habib Mashhur is also the mufti of Tarim. The next to speak was Habib Abdullah bin Shihab. Soon after, Habib Salim Al-Shatiry, the Sultan of Scholars, began his speech. Habib Salim said that all these majalis (gatherings) were from the barakah of the martyrdom of Habib Umar’s beloved father.

After this, Habib Umar began by speaking about the blessings of these gatherings.

Praise is due to Allah with thanks, for the blessings that come down in succession. We praise Him in secret and openly, and in the mornings and evenings (part of an Imam Al-Haddad poem).

He sent upon the clouds of His mercy and made us of the Community of the best of His creation. And He allowed us to enjoy life - those who remember, remember and they turn to the Most Merciful, Mighty and Majestic is He. And He prepared for us those who remind us, and those who make us pay attention, and those who warns us, and those who guide us.

In this month of Rabi Al-Awwal, Prophet Muhammad sal Allahu alayhi wasalam was born, and he came into existence. Alhamdulilah for this blessing.

And how many people have attended this gathering? From all over the world, from within Hadramawt and from outside Hadramawt. All trying to implement the methodology our Prophet taught us, peace be upon him.

We came from different tribes, different places. Coming together to remember Allah. [On the day of judgment) there will be people on pedestals of light. The prophets and martyrs will have ghibt (halal jealousy) for these people on the pedestals of light. And the prophets and martyrs will ask: Who are these people? [They will be told:] they are the ones who love one another for the sake of Allah. May Allah make us from them!

We have heard the description of the Prophet peace and mercy be upon him. And remember the responsibilities upon us, [knowing and working for]:

* the realities of islam
* the realities of iman
* the realities of ihsan

And these realities will not manifest within someone except that they are connected to this Prophet, peace and mercy be upon him. [Therefore,] follow this Prophet!

You have heard about the martyrdom of our father, Habib Muhammad Bin Salim Bin Hafidh Bin Shaykh Abu Bakr Bin Salim. And all the good that came from him [and his sacrifice]. His [courage and selflessness] could not have come except through the connection to the Prophet and [through] the Prophet’s teachings, peace and mercy be upon him.

We saw how the pious predecessors were concerned with Da’awah and their extreme level of mercy towards creation. As we just heard about the life of Habib Umar bin Abdullah Al Shatiry and how he was merciful to the young and old. Likewise with Habib Muhammad bin Shihab; how people used to weep in his gatherings.

All of these blessed occurrences was due to their connection to the Prophet and the mercy of the Prophet; [for he is] the door to God’s mercy. Our righteous predecessors saw before them the faces of those who manifested these realities, those who had the secrets of this message. Such as Habib Ali Al-Habshi and many others. These are the realities of the jewels of this valley (Hadramawt). The jewels of the Muslims in the East and West.

All of this was attainable through the connection to Al-Amin, peace be upon him. How many blessings have occurred through these moments of purity [with Allah]? In which the pious predecessors turned to their Lord and the light [He gave them] was spread to others through their sincerity.

And how many groups of people became Muslim, without a sword, without wars, but through the sincerity of these men. The people of Allah worship Allah through dhikr (remembrance), through ritual prayer, and through salawat upon the Prophet. And there is no way to draw closer to Allah through one of his creation than through remembering the Prophet Muhammad, sala Allahu alayhi wasalam. There is no invoking blessings upon anyone like invoking blessings upon the Prophet Muhammad, sal Allahu alayhi wasalam! May Allah build up our hearts through remembering this Prophet. As our beloved Prophet told us: “None of you truly believes until I become more beloved than his parents and his children and all people.”

If we remember his birth, his migration, the wars he fought in, and the tears he wept… O you whose eyes rarely weep out of love and out of fear of Allah! How many a tear did your Prophet shed? We ask Allah that He shows mercy to us.

Whose Ummah is this? He is this Ummah’s example, he is this Ummah’s light. He is the one who will show them mercy [when interceding for them before Allah] and he is the one who has the most right to their love. Before anyone [in rank], before any human or jinn, there is Muhammad, sal Allahu alayhi wasalam. The Sahaba always used to think of him in their seclusion and they used to cry remembering him.

Habib Jafar bin Muhammad Al-Aydarus wrote: “My young heart has become torn asunder out of love for the best of creation.”

We have to revive these meanings [and realities]! We have to have Allah and His Messenger be more beloved to us than anything. May Allah revive all the good qualities that were in the gatherings of the pious predecessors. You would see their gatherings full of tranquility. And of fear of Allah. If anyone came in [to their gatherings] with a heart full of worldly worries, they would leave them with their heart freed of those worries. If they came in in darkness, they would leave illuminated. He is the One who your heart is in His hands. He is the One whose hand lies your husn al khatima (a good ending). He is the Hayy Al-Qayyum (the Living, the Self-Sustaining)! May Allah bring back upon us what our righteous predecessors had of His grace. And may Allah increase us from His grace, rectify this valley, rectify all the Muslims, rectify them from the barriers that veil them from Your Greatness. And allow us to taste the sweetness of faith. wa Alhamdulilah rabb al alameen.

Translated by Amjad Tarsin.
Compiled by Mikael Pittam and Amjad Tarsin.

To hear the full lecture, please visit Habib Umar’s website: http://www.alhabibomar.com/Lecture.aspx?SectionID=8&RefID=738
Click on the “Play” button on the right column of the page.

(reproduced from IslamCrunch)

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Khasais Kubra

Al-Khasâis al-Kubra by al-Imâm Jalâludîn al-Suyûti RahmatulLahu ‘alayh.

- When did Rasulullah Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa alihi wassalam use his ring? When he wrote letters to Persians and Romans as a seal ~ he modified the method he relay the message Sallahu ‘alayhi wa alhi wassalam.

- Mutawatir is when it originates from different sources but have the same narration eg. the attack of elephants in the Year of Elephant. It came from two different sources and Allah relayed in the Al-Qur’an in Surah Al-Feel.

- Definition of hadith sahih: rigorously authenticated; one which has a continuous isnad, made up of reporters of trustworthy memory from similar authorities, and which is found to be free from any irregularities (i.e. in the text) or defects (i.e. in the isnad)
Definition of hadith hasan: a hadith which is not Shadhdh (no irregularities), nor contains a disparage reporter in its isnad, and which is reported through more than one route of narration.

- Muntajasima are anthropomorphist and they attributed human character to Allah (Exalted is He).

- Abu Na’im Al-Isfahani was from Persia (Isfahan). His name is Ahmad bin Abdullah and he was a syafi’e and asy’ari. He lived for 94 years (336 AH – 430 AH). His first teacher was his own grandfather and his father was a muhadith who travelled widely to collect ahadith (He was obsessed with collecting ahadith and was called hufadz (100 hadith, biography, chain, rawayatain memorized)). Abu Na’im became a scholar and al-hafidz when he was just 10 years old. He received ijazah on hadith even as far as Uzbekistan and had the shortest chain of hadith unknown to people at that time. Abu Bakar Al-Khatib (rahmatulLahu ‘alayh) said only two person can have the title of hufadz and he is one of them. Ibnu Taymiyah said that he is the greatest of hufadzul hadith.

- Al-Hakim narrated on the authority of Salman Al-Farisi, it was relayed from Abdul Mutalib on one of his journey to Syria (rihlatal syita’, rihalatal sayf was to Yemen in wintertime) that they stayed with some jewish scholars. One of the people of Zabur (psalms of David) said to him who is this man?
He is from Quraisy.
From which quraisy?
From Hisyam.
Would you allow me to see his body?
Of course, as long as it’s not my awrah.
He looked into my nostril and he can see kingship. He looked into the other and he can see something of Bani Zuhrah.
Do you have a wife from Banu Zuhrah?
At that moment, he was not married to the lady from Bani Zuhrah yet.

- The story of Abrahah: http://www.bogvaerker.dk/Elephant.html

- Hassan bin Thabit RadhiyaAllahu ‘anhu became muslim when he was 60 years old. He passed away when he was 120 years old. He was only a child when Rasul Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa alihi wassallam was born. A particular tribe of jews gathered and cried as they can see that the star of Ahmad had risen. It was on the 12th of Rabi’ul Awwal in the Year of Elephant.

- Related by Imam Bayhaqi, Tabrani and Muslim that light was emanating from Sayidatina Aminah (this was before he was born). She could see the palace of Bosra.

- When he was born, he bowed down his head, and Syifa’ (mother of Abdul Rahman ibnu ‘auf RadhiyaAllahu ‘anhum) held him Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa alihi wassallam and she saw the light. She said she is the first believer.

- The Ka’bah shook and idols fell on their faces (narrated by Abu Nu’aym).

- On the night, the sorcerer and magicians had veil and they could not talk to jinns.

- Sayidatina Amina did not have pain during childbirth.

- Further reading: Dalail Al-Nubuwa Imam Bayhaqi.

Monday, March 02, 2009

Al-Habib Ahmad bin Zayn Al-Habshi

AL-HABIB AHMAD BIN ZAYN AL-HABSHI
By : ash-Shaykh al-Habib Ahmad Mash-hur bin Taha al-Haddad
Translated by: Shaykh Muhammad Mlamali Adam

In the name of Allah, the Infinitely Merciful, the Compassionate. The Laud is Allah's the Laud of the grateful, the Laud that is equal to His bounty and sufficing to His increment thereto. And blessings and peace be upon the Lord of Prophets and the Beloved of the Creator and Sustainer and Nourisher of the worlds, and may Allah be pleased with his kinsmen and companions and successors… Says the said as-Sayyid Ahmad:

As for the author of an-Nafahat as-Sirriyyah (that is the Commentary on al-Ayniyya), he is the all round Imam, a deep ocean, who dispenses graced wisdom both comprehensively and in detail, assembles diverse gnoses and who is an heir to Masters of sactified secrets al-Habib Ahmad bin Zayn al-Habshy of the town of Ghurfa in the Valley of Hadhramawt.

He was born in the year 1069 Hijriyya and grew up in the best 'Alawiyya surroundings, and traces his line to al-Mustafa -- the Prophet, upon whom be blessings and peace of Allah.

He worked hard in searching for 'ilm from his very youth; learnt the Qur'an by heart and acquired various kinds of 'ilm from the 'ulamaa of his home area, except that he did not find everything he wanted in his town of al-Ghurfa. He travelled to Seyun and Tarim. Dates were his only provision. He used to frequent the 'ulamaa and attend their darsas and pick up their priceless pearls. He attached himself to al-'Arif Billahi 'Abdalla bin Ahmad Balfaqih and studied under him many titles of Sacred Law and Gnosis. He also studied under as-Sayyid al-Imam Ahmad bin 'Umar al-Hinduwan who gave him magnificent predictions about the future at the mountain path of the tomb of Prophet Hud, upon whom be peace. He had contacts with many of the 'Ulamaa of Hadhramawt and Yaman and al-Haramayn (the Sacred Sanctuaries of Makka and al-Madina). He exhausted all the 'ulum they had. And the last to whom he attached himself exclusively at the end was Qutb al-Irshad al-Habib 'Abdalla bin 'Alawi al-Haddad. He befriended him for about 40 years and received his infinite 'ulum and gnoses, and he never ceased studying under him. In fact he died when al-Habib Ahmad was reading to him al-Muwatta of Imam Malik and Sharh as-Sunnah --- the Commentary on the Sunnah -- of al-Imam al-Baghwy. And he used to revere and venerate him and urge people to study under him.

As for veneration for his Shaykh, that was beyond words. Indeed he took him as proof for everything. He used to say : "What we believe and dedicate ourselves to Allah upon, is that our Shaykh al-Haddad has inherited the states of all saints, predecessors and the successors alike. We have seen that both with our physical eyes and through revealed knowledge." And for this reason he surrendered himself totally to him. Indeed, he quotes his Shaykh, namely al-Haddad as saying : We do not say anything other than what Abul-Hasan ash-Shadhili said: "Whosoever finds a source of water sweeter that this one should accordingly quench his thirst there." For this reason he stopped at his Shaykh's water source and drank and drank, and consequently became The Shaykh of the People, and caravans headed for him.

His Knowledge
He devoted his whole time acquiring both inner and outer 'ulum. Therefore he said: After I was 70 years of age I had no other desire except 'ilm. Indeed, he looked at about 100 books around him and said: "Were all these books to be destroyed , I would reproduce them from my heart." He studied most of the highly regarded books of ash-Shafi'i and others on the subject of exegesis and the Hadith and instrumental subjects and recitations and medicine and mathematics and engineering, the 'ulum of the Folk and Subleties as you may well observe in his all-comprehensive Safinah which runs to 25 volumes.

Exposition
He was given the gift of brevity and the facility of easy exposition understood by the brilliant of mind and slow of wit, the near and the far. He had a grip on the hearts of listeners and the ability to move them to the manifest truth. And when he expounded on the hidden gnoses and ma'arif, he had the ocean at the tip of his tongue. And when he ventured into fine subtleties, it was as if he was picking roses. There he was among the guiding inviters to Allah, reaching the ears and removing rust from hearts.

His Writings
He had well-rounded titles on intelligible and received subjects, and they all point to his vast and deep scholarship, the first and the most deserving of mention being Sharh al-'Ayniyya which is called: An-Nafahatu as-Sirriyah wa-n-Nafahat al-Amiriyyah, and al-Mawaridi al-Haniyyah: Sharh al-Qasida al-Baiyya whose openings lines are : Here is my counsel O man of distinction and becoming deportment -- composed by al-Imam al-Haddad, and Sabil ar-Rushd wal-Hidaya -- the Sharh of Qasida an-Nuniyyah whose opening is: Be counselled to adhere to Taqwa both in private and in public, and al-Jadhabat ash-Shawqiyyah and ar-Rawdh an-Nadhir -- and they are all commentaries on the Qasaid of al-Imam al-Haddad. Also among his works are: al-Maqasid as-Swaliha, and Turyaq al-Asrar, and al-Qawl ar-Raiq and al-Maslak as-Sawiyy and Fat-hu al-Hayyi al-Qayyum and al-Isharat as-Suffiyah and ar-Risalat al-Jami'ah on the theme of 'Ibadah and an opuscule in explanation of the Tariqa of the Sadat Abi 'Alawi. He also has beautiful poetry which is highly regarded, and this huge as-Safinah al-Jami'ah which runs to over 20 volumes in which he amassed the sciences of exegesis of the Qur'an and Hadith and other Sufi 'ulum and astronomy as stated when discussing his scholarship. The sum of things is that he was a veritable unfathomed ocean. And what a Safinah his book is : full of divine adab and prophetic wisdoms.

His acts of worship and strivings
He was, may Allah show him mercy, all oriented to his Lord. His pre-occupations did not stop him from writing on 'ilm diffusing it among seekers; he had many 'Ibadat, hardly an hour passed which did not find him engaged in act of obedience to his Lord. He was ardently anxious in adhering to the model of his grandfather, upon whom be blessings and peace of Allah, the Qur'an being constantly in front of him and acting as his leader. He was frequent of invocation of the Word of at-Tawhid, invoking it 70,000 times on each occasion and dedicated on congregational prayers and enduring difficulties in the pursuit of the Rida of his Lord. Acts which please Allah and the love of Allah overpowered him as indeed he said in one of his qasidas :

What aspiration have I
What desire
Except seeking nearness to the Lord
That He may look at me with mercy
That day when I meet Him
Well pleasing to Him
Also He with me
Well-pleased

His zuhud in the world and the wordly
He was a zahid -- renouncer of the world -- avoiding it as a matter of choice, lifting up his aspirations away from it and its people. And he used to say : "The people of Allah did not descend upon it." His student, namely, al-Habib Muhammad Zayn bin Sumayt said: "We sat with him for many years but I never heard him mentioning the world nor incline to its people. He used to look at its people with lack of appreciation, and to the renouncers of the world and people of contentment which high regard and veneration. In addition, he used to undertake enormous religious activities like renewing sacred sites, zawiyas, constructing mosques in different parts of the country, mosques which are still there now; and they are in active use with congregational prayers and darsas and invocations of the Name of Allah -- dhikr. He used to spend large amounts of money on them, seeking thereby to be near Allah and upholding the Word of the Exalted: "By no means shall ye attain righteousness unless ye give freely of that which ye love" ('Aal-i 'Imran: 92).

His adabs and nature
None except those who witnessed him and sat with him can adequately describe them: There he was among his friends and his students, a veritable kindly father and a beautiful garden full of fruits, liberal of nature to close intimates as well as strangers, extremely humble and compassionate, patient, forgiving, modest and awe-inspiring. He covered people with his 'ilm and his good nature and enveloped them with his generosity and loving kindness. Full of acknowledgement that he has not discharged the divine obligations, all the time in a state of indigence to his Lord. These are the distinctions which mark him out and with them he ascended to lofty position, and his benefits include both the town and desert. He soared to the station of as-Siddiqiyyah on the testimony of his Shaykh al-Haddad. And he became a place of homage, the destination of students and visitors to his protected town of al-Hawtah until he died in the year 1145 Hijriyyah. He was succeeded in his station by his son, the very learned Ja'afar bin Ahmad, then his sons who came after -- all committed to the 'Alawi Path until our own day. May Allah infuse all of us with his imdadat via their intercession, - Amin.

Al-hikam 24, 25, 26

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