A Muslim Convert Once More

John 16:12-14

2012-01-23T09:56:00.000+08:00

‎ بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth. For he shall not speak of himself: but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

John 16:12-14

The ‘Spirit of Truth’ is the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.). In fact, one of his titles was 'The Prophet of truth'. He was known as ‘al-Amin’, 'The Trustworthy One' before he was proclaimed as a prophet.

The Truth is the submission to one God, the One God of Abraham (a.s.) and Ishmael (a.s.), their forefather. Islam is known as ad-Din ul-Haq, the Religion of Truth.

He did not speak of himself but only what was Revealed; that Revelation being the Qur'an. And he did prophesise many things including tall buildings, aircraft, the End of Days and the coming of the Messiah (a.s.). Some have come to pass. Some have yet to occur. Did he not receive from God of God and reveal it to the world?

And so it was that Waraqah ibn Nawfal (r.a.) was a Christian and a man of letters. And he knew these Scriptures. And that is why he waited for the coming of the one who would Glorify God. And his name is Muhammad (s.a.w.) - from the Arabic word 'hamd', which means 'praise'. And is it not true that Muhammad (s.a.w.) did constantly praise God and by his actions glorify Him?

That Prophesy has come to pass. And it by this, that Christians who know their religion have become Muslim. Islam is not a new faith but a return to what was. It is the belief in One God, and of His Prophets, of the religion of Noah (a.s.), and Abraham (a.s.), and Isaac (a.s.), and Ishmael (a.s.), and Moses (a.s.), and Jacob (a.s.) and Joseph (a.s.), and Mary (a.s.) and Jesus (a.s.).

Beyond the Veil

2012-01-21T05:06:00.000+08:00

‎ بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

"If any one were to say to the embryo in the womb:

'Outside is a world well-ordered,

A pleasant earth, broad and long,

Wherein are a thousand delights

And many things to eat.

Mountains and seas and plains, fragrant orchards,

Gardens and sown fields.

A sky very lofty and full of light, sunshine

And moonbeams and innumerable stars.

Its wonders are beyond description:

Why do you stay, drinking blood,

In this dungeon of filth and pain?'

The embryo, being what it is,

Would turn away in utter disbelief,

For the blind have no imagination.

So when the saints tell of a world without smell or colour,

None of the vulgar hearkens to them:

Sensual desire is a barrier huge and stout –

Even as the embryo’s craving for the blood that nourishes it in its low abodes

Debarred it from the perception of the external world,

Since it knows no food but blood."

Mawlana Jalaluddin ar-Rumi (q.s.)

The Fruit of the Old Man

2012-01-21T04:42:00.000+08:00

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

Whenever the Companions of Rasulullah (s.a.w.) reaped their first harvest, they brought early, fresh fruits to him. He would then distribute them among those who sat around him. One morning, a poor man brought one fruit from his small farm and gave it to the Prophet (s.a.w.).

The Prophet (s.a.w.) accepted the gift, tasted it and then went on eating it alone while the Companions watched. One of those present meekly said, "Ya Rasulullah, have you overlooked the right of those who watch while you eat?"

Our Prophet (s.a.w.) smiled and waited until the man who had brought the fruit had left. Then he said, "I tasted the fruit and it was not yet ripe. Had I allowed any of you to have some of it, someone would have definitely shown his distaste, thus disappointing the poor man who brought this gift. Rather than make him feel bitter, I accepted the bitterness."

Guard the hearts of those who come and those whom you meet. Each and every one of them is a Reflection of Allah (s.w.t.). Whatever is Given, receive it with love. The bitterness of the fruits of this world is for but a moment. But the sweetness of the Hereafter is forever.

Heaven was...

2012-01-21T04:15:00.001+08:00

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

Heaven was a park bench on a long beach,

On a cloudy night, with forever in reach.

And the world moved yet time stood still.

I drank it all in but I never had my fill.

Perhaps the multitudes did create much ado.

Yet I could see nothing but You. You. Just You.

Heaven was that Close Embrace we Had.

Every moment of Aching Thirst to Drive me mad.

Every moment of me in You until ‘I’ was ‘You’.

Every vision of possibilities and impossibilities so new.

Of that aching Love so beautifully intense.

You were Present, the Presence of my Absence.

Take away the world and leave me that bench.

Take away ‘me’ and leave no heart to wrench.

Take away the other and the between in between.

Remove the Veil of the Unveiled until it is Seen

The Reality of You is Me and the Me in You.

No more You or I; only what is True.

Terence Nunis

The Secret of the Lover

2012-01-16T18:20:00.002+08:00

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

The Sulthan of Lovers, Jalaludin ar-Rumi (r.a.) said:

Love has nothing to do with

the five senses and the six directions:

its Goal is only to Experience

the Attraction exerted by the Beloved.

Afterwards, perhaps, Permission

will come from God:

the Secrets that ought to be told with be told

with an Eloquence nearer to the Understanding

that these Subtle Confusing Allusions.

The Secret is Partner with none

but the Knower of the Secret:

In the Skeptic's Ear

the Secret is no Secret at all.

Mathnawi III, 1417-1424

I am dead, then alive.

Weeping, then laughing.

The power of love came into me,

And I became fierce like a lion,

Then tender like the evening star.

Hassan Askari, A Hero Amongst Us

2012-01-16T18:14:00.000+08:00

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

Riding the Q train into Brooklyn one Friday night, Muslim Hassan Askari noticed ten thugs hassling a young couple for replying ‘Happy Chanukah’ when greeted with ‘Merry Christmas’. Fearing for the woman’s safety, he pushed one thug away, and the gang pounced on the 5’ 7”, 140 lb. hero. This gave the two victims time to pull the subway’s emergency brake and summon help.

Hassan received two black eyes and a sore nose for his efforts, but never went to a doctor because he worked two jobs and could not afford medical care. Victim Walter Adler (who received a broken nose and required four stitches for a split lip) was shocked that “a random Muslim kid helped some Jewish kids, (and) that’s what’s positive about New York”.

Sufficient is Allah (s.w.t.) for Me

2012-01-16T18:06:00.000+08:00

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

“God is enough for me in my religion. God is enough for me in my mundane life. God, the Generous, is enough for me in what distresses me. God, the Affectionate, is enough for me against him who oppresses me. God, the Stern, is enough for me against him who hurts me by evil. God, the Compassionate, is enough for me at death. God, the Merciful, is enough for me at the Inquisition in the Grave. God, the Generous, is enough for me at the Reckoning. God, the Beneficent, is enough for me at the Scales. God, the Powerful, is enough for me at the crossing of the Traverse.”

سُوۡرَةُ التّوبَة

فَإِن تَوَلَّوۡاْ فَقُلۡ حَسۡبِىَ ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ‌ۖ عَلَيۡهِ تَوَڪَّلۡتُ‌ۖ وَهُوَ رَبُّ ٱلۡعَرۡشِ ٱلۡعَظِيمِ (١٢٩)

But if they turn away, Say: "Allah sufficeth me: There is not god but He; On Him is my trust - He the Lord of the Throne (of Glory) Supreme! (Surah at-Tawba:129)

Imam al-Ghazali (r.a.), The Revival of the Religious Sciences, Invocations & Supplications)

The Prophet (s.a.w.) & the Emperor

2012-01-16T02:50:00.001+08:00

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

Here is a remarkable poem written by the first Ming Emperor of China, Zhu Yuanzhang (born 1328), celebrating the life and mission of the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.). Ming means ‘light’. It was called the dynasty of Light (Nur). For political reasons, he did not announce that he was a Muslim. However, most of his generals were Muslim. His bodyguards were Muslim. And Zheng He, the noted Muslim admiral’s, voyage was in the time of his dynasty but after his lifetime.

Since Creation of universe

Heaven has already Appointed,

Faith preaching giant saint,

From West He was born,

To receive Holy Scripture,

With thirty-part book,

To guide all creations,

King of all kings,

Leader of holy ones,

With Support from Divine,

To Protect his nation,

With five daily prayers,

Silently hope for peace,

With heart toward Allah,

Empower the poor ones,

Save them from calamity,

See through the unseen,

Pulling souls and spirits,

Away from all wrongdoings,

Mercy to the World,

Walking ancient crowned path,

Evil vanquished to One,

Religion pure and true,

Muhammad,

The Noble High One.

Swalah to Avert Bala' for Safar

2012-01-16T02:42:00.001+08:00

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

The following is from a note by Shaykh Fakhrudin Owaisi. Many great awliya have mentioned that an immense number of bala (calamities) descend on Mankind on the last Wednesday of this month of Safar. Khatim al-Awliya, Mawlana Ahmad bin Muhammad at-Tijani al-Hassani al-Maghribi (r.a.) has confirmed this.

There is also a special swalah that Mawlana Ahmad at-Tijani (r.a.) would perform on this Wednesday to ward off these calamities as mentioned by Sidi Sukayrij (r.a.) in the Jinayat al-Muntasib). This swalah has been practiced by the Mawlana Ahmad at-Tijani’s (r.a.) descendants and by the special ones in his thariqa’ for generations.

Shaykh al-Islam, Sahib al-Faydah al-Hajj Ibrahim Niasse (r.a.) has given permission to all his disciples to perform this prayer on the last Wednesday of Safar as mentioned by Shaykh Abu Bakr Atiq in Miftah al-Akhlaq. Mawlana Shaykh al-Imam Hassan Cisse (r.a.) had also advised his murid to perform this swalah. Note that non-Tijani saints have also performed this swalah, but did not know about reciting the blessed Jawharat al-Kamal in the end.

The swalah is performed with the intention of seeking Allah's (s.w.t.) Mercy in warding off the 360 (or 360,000) calamities that land on this day. The swalah should be done on the morning of the last Wednesday of Safar, before Dzuhr.

This is how it is done:

a. Perform a 4 raka’ah swalah. In each raka’at, you recite:

1 al-Fatihah, 17 al-Kawthar, 5 al-Ikhlas, 1 al-Falaq and 1 an-Naas.

B After finishing the swalah, recite Surah Yusuf:21, 360 times.

سُوۡرَةُ یُوسُف

... وَٱللَّهُ غَالِبٌ عَلَىٰٓ أَمۡرِهِۦ وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَڪۡثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا يَعۡلَمُونَ (٢١)

…And Allah Hath Full Power and Control over His Affairs; but most among mankind know it not. (Surah Yusuf:21)

"Wallahu ghalibun ‘ala amrihi walakinna akhthar an-nasi la ya'lamun"

Read it 60 times first, then 300 times

c. Thereafter, recite the Jawharat al-Kamal 3 times, ending it the way we end the wazifah:

سُوۡرَةُ الاٴحزَاب

إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ وَمَلَـٰٓٮِٕڪَتَهُ ۥ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى ٱلنَّبِىِّۚ يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ صَلُّواْ عَلَيۡهِ وَسَلِّمُواْ تَسۡلِيمًا (٥٦)

Allah and His angels, send Blessings on the Prophet: O ye that believe! send ye blessings on him and salute him, with all respect. (Surah al-Ahzab:56)

d. Make du’a for yourself and everyone.

Do note that the Prophet (s.a.w.) was very ill in the month of Safar and he (s.a.w.) passed away from that illness. Therefore, the month of Safar is a very difficult one for all believers, as we all carry his inheritance. After it is the month of blessings for Mankind, Rabi’ al-Awwal. However, the night is the darkest before dawn. Also note that the above-mentioned swalah is only practiced by the Sufis and those who believe in the Divinely-inspired sciences of the Sufis.

It is not something obligatory on all Muslims. For those of the Path, their shaykh is their Guide and they seek the Divine Presence. And for the rest of the Ummah, the Qur’an is their Guide and Allah (s.w.t.) will Reward them with Jannah. May Allah (s.w.t.) Protect us from all Calamities.

Swalah to Avert Bala' for Safar

2012-01-16T02:36:00.000+08:00

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

The following is from a note by Shaykh Fakhrudin Owaisi. Many great awliya have mentioned that an immense number of bala (calamities) descend on Mankind on the last Wednesday of this month of Safar. Khatim al-Awliya, Mawlana Ahmad ibn Muhammad at-Tijani al-Hassani al-Maghribi (r.a.) has also confirmed this.

This is how it is done:

a. Perform a 4 raka’ah swalah. In each raka’at, you recite:

1 al-Fatihah, 17 al-Kawthar, 5 al-Ikhlas, 1 al-Falaq and 1 an-Naas.

B After finishing the swalah, recite Surah Yusuf:21, 360 times.

سُوۡرَةُ یُوسُف

... وَٱللَّهُ غَالِبٌ عَلَىٰٓ أَمۡرِهِۦ وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَڪۡثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا يَعۡلَمُونَ (٢١)

…And Allah Hath Full Power and Control over His Affairs; but most among mankind know it not. (Surah Yusuf:21)

"Wallahu ghalibun ‘ala amrihi walakinna akhthar an-nasi la ya'lamun"

Read it 60 times first, then 300 times

c. Thereafter, recite the Jawharat al-Kamal 3 times, ending it the way we end the wazifah:

سُوۡرَةُ الاٴحزَاب

Allah and His angels, send Blessings on the Prophet: O ye that believe! send ye blessings on him and salute him, with all respect. (Surah al-Ahzab:56)

d. Make du’a for yourself and everyone.

Sorrows are a Divine Grace

2012-01-16T01:04:00.001+08:00

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

Sorrows are a Divine Grace. As long as people feel good, they forget about the Creator. But in times of sorrow and pain, they think of him. When the sorrow comes, the Veil of Forgetfulness is torn apart and the sufferer accepts God and wails, “O God, O You Who are Merciful!” He is being Cured, but soon the Veil of Forgetfulness falls down again, and he says, “Where is God? I cannot find Him. I do not see Him. What shall I look for?”

Why were you able to find Him when you suffered but cannot find Him now? So now, you see that as you suffer, God Makes you think of Him, Sending you sorrow and pain.

To consume worries means to empty oneself. After such an emptying joy appears, a kind of joy that knows no sorrow - a rose without thorns, a wine that does not bring headaches.

It is the sorrow that guides us. As long as there is no sorrow, no passion, or no yearning, love in a work; we will not strive for it. Without sorrow, it remains out of our reach.

Mawlana Jalaluddin ar-Rumi (q.s.)

The Love of Allah (s.w.t.)

2012-01-16T00:59:00.001+08:00

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

Once at the time of Hajj, there was a gathering in Makkah of some friends of Allah (s.w.t.), the youngest among whom was Shaykh Junayd al-Baghdadi (q.s.). In that gathering, there was a discussion on the subject of the love for Allah(s.w.t.) and as to who is the lover of Allah (s.w.t.). Many of them expressed their views on the subject, but Shaykh Junayd (q.s.) kept quiet. He was pressed to say something.

With his head bowed down and tears in his eyes, he said, "The lover of Allah (s.w.t.) is he who forgets his own self, remains engaged in Allah's (s.w.t.) remembrance with due regard to all its requirements; sees Allah (s.w.t.) with the eyes of his heart, which is Burnt by the Heat of Allah's (s.w.t.) fear; Allah's (s.w.t.) remembrance affects him like a cup of wine, he speaks the Words of Allah (s.w.t.) as if Allah (s.w.t.) Speaks through his mouth; if he moves, he does so under the Command of Allah (s.w.t.), he gets peace of mind only through the obedience of Allah (s.w.t.) and when such a stage is reached, his eating, drinking, sleeping, awakening and, in short, all his actions are for the Pleasure of Allah (s.w.t.), he neither pays heed to the worldly customs, nor does he attach any importance to unfriendly criticism by people."

Umar bin Abdul Aziz (r.a.) on Sin

2012-01-16T00:52:00.000+08:00

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

Sayyidina Umar bin Abdul Aziz (r.a.) wrote a letter to a military commander and said:

Sin is even more dangerous than the ruses of the enemy. ‘Amir ul-Mu'minin bids upon Mansur that instead of taking fright of his enemy, he should fear transgressing the limits of Allah Ta’ala. We overcome our enemies in the battlefield only because of their vices and sins, for, had it not been so, we would not have had the courage to face them. We can not deploy troops in the same numbers as our enemies can do, nor do we possess the equipments they have got. Thus, if we equate ourselves with our enemies in misdeeds and transgressions, they would undoubtedly gain a victory over us by virtue of their numerical superiority and strength.

This Time

2012-01-16T00:47:00.001+08:00

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

This is a time, when brothers,

O Man, are not brothers.

When brothers all are unjust -

They have two tongues and two faces.

He meets you with a smiling face, but in his heart,

There is a disease which he secretly hides,

Until you are out if his sight –

Then he throws after you falsehood and lies.

Such are the people of this time -

There are not two are true in love.

O Man, live then your life alone.

Do not seek the company of other men.

Live side by side with people, but keep

Yourself safe within house and walls.

Sayyidina ‘Ali ibn Abi Thalib (k.w.)

The Story of David & Michael

2012-01-16T00:35:00.000+08:00

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

Two Guys were lost in the Sahara desert. One is David, the other is Michael. They were dying of hunger and thirst when they suddenly came upon an oasis, with what looked like a mosque in the middle.

David said to Michael, "Look, let's pretend we are Muslims, otherwise we'll not get any food or drink. I am going to call myself ‘Mohammed.’"

Michael refused to change his name , he said, " My name is Michael, and I will not pretend to be other than but what I am - Michael."

The imam of the mosque received both well and asked about their names. David said, "My name is Mohammed."

Michael said, "My name is Michael. "

The imam turned to the helpers of the mosque and said, "Please bring some food and water for Michael only." Then he turned to the other and said, "Assalamu’Alaikum Mohammed. Ramadhan Mubarak."

The Ship Sunk in Love

2012-01-16T00:29:00.000+08:00

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

Should Love's heart rejoice unless I burn?

For my heart is Love's dwelling.

If You Will Burn Your House, Burn it, Love!

Who will say, 'It's not allowed'?

Burn this house thoroughly!

The lover's house improves with fire.

From now on I will make Burning my aim,

For I am like the candle: burning only makes me brighter.

Abandon sleep tonight; traverse for one night

The region of the sleepless.

Look upon these lovers who have become distraught

And like moths have died in Union with the One Beloved.

Look upon this ship of God's Creatures

And see how it is sunk in Love.

Mathnawi VI, 617 - 623, Jalaluddin ar-Rumi (q.s.)

The Rumi Collection, Edited by Kabir Helminski

The Ones Who Serve are Served

2012-01-16T00:20:00.000+08:00

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

One day in the courtyard of the mosque, Tayfur Abu Yazid al-Bistami (q.s.), a great Sufi shaykh and the Qutb al-‘Arifin, the central pillar of knowledge, was making his ablutions in preparation for prayer. Across the courtyard, he saw a very old man. In the old days they used heavy clay pitchers for water, and if you were strong enough, you picked one up and washed yourself. Often, the person next to you would help you pour the water, and in turn you did the same for him.

What Abu Yazid al-Bistami (q.s.) saw was that no one was helping the old man. He walked over to the old man and said, “Old man, what could you have done in your long life that you do not have one friend, no one has come to help you?”

The old man looked at him and said, “The ones who serve are served. And if I had not served Allah and His Creation, how would the Qutb al-‘Arifin, the man of the highest knowledge, come now to serve me?”

From “When You Hear Hoof Beats Think of a Zebra” by Shems Friedlander

The King & the Poor Man

2012-01-16T00:06:00.000+08:00

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

There was a king who decided to take a tour of his country. As he passed by different places, everyone rushed to see him. However, while passing by a certain place, he noticed a poor old man who did not pay any attention to the king's arrival and remained engaged in his own activities.

The king went up to this poor man and asked why he did not join the people to see him. The poor man replied, "Before you, there was another king who once passed by this place. Everyone gathered to see him as well. But, few days later he died and was buried in a place nearby. A poor man also died during that time and was buried near the king's grave. After some time, a strong flood passed through that area causing those graves to overturn. As a result, the bones of the poor man became mixed up with those of the king's. We could not differentiate between them any longer. After seeing this, it does not matter to me anymore as to who is a king and who is a beggar. In the end, our home is the same."

Imam Muhammad Bagher (q.s.) said: “To recognize the world as insignificant is the highest stage of certainty in faith.”

The Annihilation of 'Ali (k.w.)

2012-01-16T00:02:00.000+08:00

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

Speaking of the station of extinction, Sayyidina 'Ali ibn Abi Thalib (k.w.) said in verse:

I saw my Lord with the eye of my heart.

I said: No doubt it is You! It is You!

You are the One Who Encompassed every "where".

So there is no "where," except You are there.

"Where" has no "where," in regards to You.

For "where" to know where You are

Nor can imagination, imagine You.

For imagination to know where You are

Your Knowledge Encompasses everything

So that everything I see is You.

And in my annihilation, is the Annihilation of my annihilation.

and in my annihilation, I found You.

From the Commentary of al-Hikam of ibn Ata’illah as-Sakandari (q.s.) by ibn Ajiba (q.s.).

Joy & Sorrow, Chapter VIII

2012-01-15T23:58:00.000+08:00

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

Then a woman said, "Speak to us of Joy and Sorrow."

And he answered: “Your joy is your sorrow unmasked. And the selfsame well from which your laughter rises was oftentimes filled with your tears. And how else can it be? The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain. Is not the cup that hold your wine the very cup that was burned in the potter's oven? And is not the lute that soothes your spirit, the very wood that was hollowed with knives? When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy. When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.

Some of you say, ‘Joy is greater than sorrow,’ and others say, ‘Nay, sorrow is the greater.’ But I say unto you, they are inseparable. Together they come, and when one sits alone with you at your board, remember that the other is asleep upon your bed. Verily you are suspended like scales between your sorrow and your joy. Only when you are empty are you at standstill and balanced. When the treasure-keeper lifts you to weigh his gold and his silver, needs must your joy or your sorrow rise or fall.

Joy & Sorrow, Chapter VIII - Khalil Gibran

The Adab of Shuyukh

2012-01-14T21:45:00.001+08:00

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

There is a special adab, proper spiritual behaviour, between shuyukh of dervish orders. A man wanted to be a dervish. He went to see Sultan Veled (q.s.), the son of Jalaluddin ar-Rumi (q.s.), in Konya, who was then the head of the Mevlevi Order. Sultan Veled (q.s.) said, "Alhamdulillah, all praise is for Allah. Come, bring a sheep, and we will make a feast." The man left, and the next Thursday he was supposed to bring a sheep. He was a thief. That was his job, so he stole a sheep. He threw the sheep over his shoulders and walked up to the door of the tekke. Sultan Veled (q.s.) stopped him and said, "Wait! That sheep cannot be cooked in our pots. You cannot be a dervish with our Order."

The man was upset. He wandered the streets of Konya, until he met a friend, who, seeing his state, asked, "What is the matter?"

"Oh" he said, "I was going to be a dervish. Then I stole a sheep. How did he know I stole this sheep? I mean, he told me that a stolen sheep could not be cooked in their pots. But how did he know? I did not tell him. He knew. Now I cannot be a dervish."

His friend said, "Don't worry. Go to the next town. No problem. There is a shaykh there, and he will accept you as his dervish."

Again, he stole a sheep, flung it over his shoulders, and went to the next town. The shaykh there was named Haji Bayram Veli (q.s.). He went to see the shaykh, who said, "Come. Come to my tekke. We cook everything in our tekke.”

He also knew that this was a stolen sheep. But he accepted it. He invited him into the tekke. They had a big feast, and the thief was made a dervish.

Soon the man getting a little smug and began thinking I will go back to Konya and see Sultan Veled (q.s.), and show him that this great shaykh, Haji Bayram (q.s.), accepted me when he would not.

He went to the door of the Mevlevi tekke, and said, "Do you remember me?"

Sultan Veled (q.s.) said, “Yes.”

"You wouldn't make me a dervish," he said, "but Haji Bayram Veli, the great shaykh; he made me his dervish."

And Sultan Veled (q.s.) said, "Haji Bayram Veli is like a huge ocean, and one drop of dirt in the ocean can't be seen."

When he went back and saw Haji Bayrom Veli (q.s.) again, he said to him, "You accepted me. Why you accept me when Sultan Veled didn't."

"Ah, well," Haji Bayrom Veli (q.s.) said, "You see, Sultan Veled is so pure that even one speck of dirt can spoil his purity."

By Shems Friedlander, ‘When You Hear Hoof Beats, Think of a Zebra

The Stations of Tasawwuf

2012-01-14T21:04:00.000+08:00

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

Once a student of Mawlana Rumi (q.s.) asked him about the four stations of tasawwuf. Mawlana (q.s.) told him to go the room next door and asked him to slap each of the four students that were there.

So the student slapped each of the four students in the room. The first one got up and slapped him back. The second one got up and just as he was about to slap him, he stopped half way. The third one just glanced at his face. The fourth one just continued to do his work. The student came back to Mawlana (q.s.) who explained to him:

“The first one was at the level of Shari’ah, so he dealt with you at the level you dealt with him. The second one was at the level of Thariqa’, so he (remembered) and dealt with you, how his Shaykh reminded him to deal with you. The third one had the knowledge that it was all the doings of the Divine (Ma'rifah), but he was curious to know whom Allah (s.w.t.) had sent to carry out the attack. The fourth one was in Divine Annhilation and had already reached to Haqiqa’, so he had no concern whatsoever.”

Become That Which You Yearn

2012-01-04T14:43:00.000+08:00

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

Love is when you become that which you yearn

When the Self is absent though the heart would burn

It is the prelude to the Divine.

It is beyond 'yours' or 'mine'.

It is the Key to the Garden.

Beyond the Veil of the Ardent.

It is the Shadowless Presence.

It is the Ocean of the Absent.

True Love is the Moments of Eternity

Spent in the Oceans of Unity.

Terence Nunis

Live as Long as You Want...

2012-01-03T14:28:00.001+08:00

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

"Live as long as you want,

But you must die;

Love whatever you want,

But you will become separated from it;

And do what you want,

But you will be repaid for"

Imam al-Ghazzali (r.a.)

Love's Apocalypse, Love's Glory

2011-12-26T17:30:00.000+08:00

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

Water and Clay, when fed on the breath of Jesus,

spread wings, became a bird and flew

Your praise of God is a Breath

from Your body of water and clay.

Make it a Bird of Paradise

by breathing into it your Heart's sincerity.

Mawlana Rumi (q.s.), Mathnawi I, 866-867

(Translated by Shaykh Kabir Helminski & Camille Helminski)

Thanking God

2011-12-26T17:26:00.000+08:00

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

'If my thanking God for His Blessings is a Blessing,

Then I must thank Him in the same measure again.

How can one thank Him save by His Grace,

As time goes on, and life goes by?

If a good thing comes, I rejoice heartily,

If a bad one comes, I receive a reward.

In both cases He gives me a Gift too large

For the minds of men, and the land and sea.'

From Imam al-Bayhaqi (r.a.), 'The Seventy-Seven Branches of Faith'

Do not be Arrogant in Faith

2011-12-26T14:40:00.000+08:00

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

Hakim ibn Hizam (r.a.) was a relative of Khadija (r.a.), the wife of the Prophet (s.a.w.) was renowned for his mercy and generosity. Before the rise of Islam, he used to buy the daughters of those families who wanted to bury them alive and graciously assumed the responsibility of taking care of them. Hakim ibn Hizam (r.a.) asked the Prophet (s.a.w.) about these good deeds which he had done prior to his declaration of faith in Islam.

The Prophet saw replied: “These good deeds are but the reasons that brought you the honour of being blessed with Islam.”

Extracts from The Garden of the Mathnawi - Rumi Selections

To be a Muslim is an Honour that Allah (s.w.t.) has Dressed you with. It is not you accepting Him. Never take that Divine Dress for granted. And do not be arrogant in the faith. Be kind to all and respect their beliefs. Remember that Azazil was once foremost in worship. Until he became arrogant in faith and refused the Divine Command to prostrate before Adam (a.s.). As such, he was repudiated and that Divine Dress was torn away. He became Iblis.

Never look down on the non-Muslims. And never deride their faith, their festivals and their beliefs. It is not what you see. It is what Allah (s.w.t.) Sees. Remember: every Muslim is a da’i, an ambassador of Islam and a representative of Muhammad (s.a.w.). Do not start a fitnah against Allah (s.w.t.) and do not disgrace your Prophet (s.a.w.).

سُوۡرَةُ بنیٓ اسرآئیل / الإسرَاء

۞ وَلَقَدۡ كَرَّمۡنَا بَنِىٓ ءَادَمَ ...(٧٠)

We have honoured the sons of Adam…(Surah Al-Isra:70)

What Allah (s.w.t.) has Honoured, is not for man to dishonour. Each soul is given a Divine Secret. That Divine Secret is Veiled from you. You do not know the fates and the ending of any person. You do not know their hearts. And you do not know who is a believer. You may think you are a Muslim and you may call yourself a Mu’min. In that, is presumption and arrogance.

The pagan bowing before the idol at the temple, perhaps he sees the Majesty of Allah (s.w.t.). And when he leave the temple, he has left his idol behind. And for that moment of clarity, perhaps Allah (s.w.t.) will Dress him in His Divine Dress and the pagan becomes the best of Muslims. But the one who thinks himself a good Muslim, perhaps he worships his ego. He carries the idol of the Self everywhere he goes. He talks about ‘aqidah and tawhid and shari’ah. But there is no reality to his Islam until he sees Allah (s.w.t.) in everything and reflects the Divine Attributes he worships in himself.

The Pearl of the Heart

2011-12-25T23:48:00.000+08:00

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

When your heart becomes the grave of your secret,

that desire of yours will be gained more quickly.

The Prophet (s.a.w.) said that anyone

who keeps secret his inmost thought

will soon attain the object of his desire.

When seeds are buried in the earth,

their inward secrets become the flourishing garden.

Mawlana Rumi (q.s.)

Mathnawi I, 175-177

(Translated by Kabir Helminski & Camille Helminski)

Tayfur Bayazid al-Bistami (q.s.) & The Cardinal

2011-12-25T22:07:00.000+08:00

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

The story above was told to us my shaykh by his shaykh. The details above are abridged. In the actual story, Shaykh Tayfur Bayazid (Abu Yazid) al-Bistami (q.s.) had a dream where he was dressed as a Christian. He was disturbed and went back to sleep whereupon he had the same dream. This time, he awoke and said that if this is what Allah (s.w.t.) Willed then so be it.

He went to the monastery, which was having a conclave of bishops. And there, he sat. When the cardinal (not the Pope) said, there is a Muhammadan amongst us, he was initially identified. When the cardinal mentioned the name of Muhammad (s.a.w.), Bayazid said loudly, “Swalllahu ‘alayhi wassalam,” and was discovered.

He was then questioned. If he could answer them, he was free to leave. Otherwise, they would kill him. The actual story had 40 questions. Much more than this retelling. At the end, the 5,000 converted to Islam. And Shaykh Bayazid al-Bistami (q.s.) prostrated and acknowledged that it is Allah’s (s.w.t.) prerogative to do with His awliya as He Wills. And such is His Love for us that He would sacrifice one of His wali for others to find the Truth.

Shaykh ‘Abdul Hamid Kishk was a renowned Egyptian scholar and preacher. He passed away on the 6th December 1996 at the age of 63. He was a renowned preacher and acclaimed scholar who was a staunch opponent of corruption and a fierce critic of the Arab regimes of his day. Tens of thousands used to attend his sermons and not all of them were Muslims. May Allah (s.w.t.) Raise him on the Day of Standing in the Shade of the ‘Arsh, in the First Saff behind His Beloved Prophet (s.a.w.). May (s.w.t.) Be Pleased with him.

1,001 Inventions & The Library of Secrets

2011-12-25T21:06:00.001+08:00

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

Three school children visit a dusty library to research the story of 'The Dark Ages'. What they find changes their world view dramatically as ingenious inventors and pioneers of science and culture are vividly brought to life.

Starring Oscar-winning legend Sir Ben Kingsley in the role of The Librarian, this astounding movie provides an eye-opening introduction to the 1001 Inventions initiative and is the centrepiece for the global touring exhibition.

The 1001 Inventions exhibition opened at London's Science Museum on January 21^st 2010. Since that time it became one of the most popular exhibition's that this prestigious venue has ever hosted.

An average of 3,000 visitors a day visited the exhibition, and the feedback from the audience has been overwhelmingly positive.

********

1001 Inventions is a global educational initiative that promotes awareness of the scientific and cultural achievements of Muslim civilisation, during the thousand year period from the 7^th Century onwards, and how those contributions helped build the foundations of our modern world.

Working with the world's leading academics, 1001 Inventions engages with the public through educational media and interactive global exhibitions, in order to highlight the shared cultural and technological inheritance of humanity.

Since it launched in March 2006, 1001 Inventions has successfully educated more than a million people, promoted cross-cultural understanding and strengthened social cohesion.

1001 Inventions was created by the academic Foundation for Science, Technology and Civilisation (FSTC) with support from the British Government.

Quotes from Shaykh Muhammad Nazim Adil al-Haqqani

2011-12-25T19:15:00.000+08:00

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

I do not change anyone, I do not add to anyone. I only pass on Divine Knowledge. I give from you to you, from within yourself. I make Connections.

If you refuse all and accept the One, You are not proud. If you accept all and refuse the One, You are proud.

We are holders of the Attributes of God, not His Partners.

The difference between you and your Master is that you are proud.

What shall I say about myself? I am like the moon. When the sun goes, the light of the moon goes. If the light of My Master leaves me, I am in Darkness. I am nothing. Whoever sees me as this one or that one sees me through the Light of my Master.

You are burning. And what burns you is Love or it is Fire.

Whoever refuses to feed his soul is cruel. Our soul nourishes itself through Obedience to Its Lord. If you take away its nourishment, you shorten your life.

They say, “He died.” What does this mean? It means, “He was taken away. The Divine Spark was taken from Him.” Then, He is Nothing.

The Oneness of God is the basis of all prophetic religions. It is the Criterion with which to distinguish a false prophet from a true one. He who calls people to the Oneness of God calls them to the True Way and is a True Emissary of God Almighty. He who does not call them to this Way, but who calls them to another or to others, does not follow a Heavenly Way but runs after his ego.

I do not say, “Follow me”, for I know who will follow.

We claim existence, and we cling to this existence. Maybe the price for it is high, very high. “It does not Matter”, We keep saying. “We will Pay.”

Yes, I know all languages. I understand them all. There is also a kind of speaking without speaking, and I know what will be said before it is said. I understand.

The love of the believers, of the saints, of the prophets, comes from the Love of God. At first, God Loves them, then His Servants Love them. When does this Love comes to us? When we begin to obey. When you dig, you find the water. It is the same with obedience; it is like digging in the Heart.

Even if You are photographed in 20,000 poses, You are still one. Great wisdom lies in this. To reach your one essence, you must die to yourself while you are still alive. Die before you die', means to be in connection with the original.

It is impossible to understand yourself. At least, you must look into a mirror. No one recognises the imperfections in himself.

What comes first, the pearl or the shell?

Doubt comes from pride. You doubt when you are not humble enough to believe.

Pride is the greatest obstacle standing between us and our Destination.

All things except God are like shadows in a mirror.

Anger is a big tree in our heart. It is difficult to uproot it.

Knowledge is not as important as Transmission from Heart to Heart.

One of the Friends of God said, 'When I see someone from behind, I know how he thinks. When I see his Face, I read his Book of Life.'

All praise, whatever its source, goes to Allah. When I praise you, I praise your Creator. For there is nothing praiseworthy about you, unless it comes from your Creator.

We ask to be no one and nothing. For, as long as we are someone, we are not complete.

An 'Amal to Get Married

2011-12-25T04:31:00.000+08:00

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

There was once a student of the Path who underwent a difficult trial. It was a moment of great distress and surely he would have turned from it. But such is the Planner that there was a visiting shaykh in town. As was the adab, he went to see the shaykh to pay respects.

He arrived late and the place was crowded. But the shaykh saw him and ushered him into the room. This was the first time they had ever met. And this is an abridged version of the conversation. Mind you, they have never met and no one knew his situation. They were not yet introduced and the shaykh was just in Singapore for less than a day.

Shaykh: You were Christian and then you were Muslim. You were a priest (missionary) and Allah Took you from them and made you an ustadz.

Student: I am not an ustadz anymore.

Shaykh: If you had married her, she would have cheated on you in two years. Just like the last time. Allah has Saved you from something worse.

Student: So why did it happen?

Shaykh: Ah. So you will be immune. A big wali must have big test.

Student: I am no wali.

Shaykh: Allah has a special one for you. A big one. A waliah and an ustadzah.

_______________________________________

Some time later, as was his habit, he was at Maqam Habib Nuh (q.s.). On that day, he spent the entire afternoon there. And by the time he finished all his ‘amal, it was time for maghrib. He was going for a majlis and it so happened, that Habib was also going to that same majlis. So he they went together. He sat in Habib’s car.

Along the way, as they drove along the expressway, Habib suddenly said: “In my time at the Maqam, I’ve met so many people. They come with all sorts of situations. Once, a lady came and said she was worried that her two daughters are unmarried. But she was told to recite Surah Taha:125. Alhamdulillah, within a month, both her daughters, someone had asked for their hand.”

They drove along. It was quiet for a while. And then the student asked: “Are you suggesting I recite it?”

Habib turned to him and said with emphasis, “I strongly recommend it.”

_______________________________________

سُوۡرَةُ طٰه

قَالَ رَبِّ لِمَ حَشَرۡتَنِىٓ أَعۡمَىٰ وَقَدۡ كُنتُ بَصِيرً۬ا (١٢٥)

He will say: "O my Lord! Why hast Thou, Raised me up blind, while I had sight (before)?" (Surah Ta-Ha:125)

In any case, the student was not simply going to do an ‘amal without knowing the reason. But like all things, he had to wait. Consider this, when Adam (a.s.) was in the Garden, he was in the Presence. When Allah (s.w.t.) Created Eve, she was Given half the beauty of all women. It is by that beauty that for a moment, even in the Presence, he forgot. And they went near the tree and they ate the fruit. But of course, it was always the Plan. Adam (a.s.) was supposed to be Khalifa fil Ardh.

In any case, he read the ‘amal. It is always good to do an ‘amal you have been given at least once. And thought nothing further of it. After all, marriage may be a sunnah, but the love of the wrong person is a truly wretched thing. It blinds you to Allah (s.w.t.).

The student had a dream. It was a long, vivid dream but it is greatly abbreviated here. In this dream, a man came to him and gave him a watch. It was gold and it was heavy. He simply put it in the breast pocket and left. When the student took out the watch to wear after taking his wudhu, he found that there were three watches. One was for a gentleman and it fit perfectly. The other two were ladies’ watches. One had the exact same time as the gentleman’s watch. And the other was five minutes off. He asked the shaykh and the meaning was affirmed.

Whatever it is, Allah (s.w.t.) Does as He Wills and we do what we have to do. And whatever is meant to be will be. Surely it is not our place to dictate. Let God be God.

How to Drink Zamzam

2011-12-24T06:58:00.002+08:00

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

http://spa.qibla.com/issue_view.asp?HD=1&ID=4908&CATE=30

What is the fiqh of zamzam? Should one drink it standing or sitting, facing the qiblah or any other direction? Should one drink it all at once or not? Do the scholars differ about any of the above questions?

Answer:

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful,

Praise be to Allah (s.w.t.). May the peace and blessings of Allah (s.w.t.) shower upon our Beloved Messenger, his family, companions, and those who follow them.

The fiqh of zamzam comes from the sunnah of the Noble Messenger, upon whom be peace.

According to Imam Nawawi (r.a.) in the Majmu', "The Shafi'is and others recommend drinking from the water of zamzam as much as possible, taking one's fill of it, and drinking it for the affairs of this world and the hereafter. So if one wishes to drink it for forgiveness or recovery from an illness and the like, he faces the qiblah, mentioning the name of Allah (s.w.t.), then says, 'O Allah, it has reached me that your Messenger, peace be upon him, said: The water of Zamzam is for that which it was drunk for. O Allah, I drink it so that you may forgive me. O Allah, forgive me. Or [one says], O Allah I drink it seeking healing from illness; O Allah, heal me.'

It is recommended that one drink it in three breaths like with any other beverage, and when done, to praise Allah. There are numerous hadith on this issue. [These include] From Abu Dharr (r.a.), may Allah be pleased with him: The Messenger of Allah, upon whom be peace, said of zamzam, 'It is blessed. It is nourishing food, and a healing for sickness.'

Uthman ibn al-Aswad (r.a.) reported that he talked to someone who had sat with Ibn Abbas (r.a.). This person told him [Uthman], 'Ibn Abbas asked me where I was coming from. I told him I had just finished drinking from zamzam. Ibn Abbas then asked me if I had drunk like I was supposed to. I asked him, how should I drink? He said, 'When you drink [zamzam], face the qiblah, then mention Allah's name, then drink it in three breaths, and drink as much as you can. When you are done, praise Allah because the Prophet, peace be upon him, used to say, 'A major difference between us and the hypocrites is that they do not drink their fill of the water of zamzam.'"

To sum up, the etiquettes of drinking zamzam are:

1. To face the qiblah.

2. To mention Allah's (s.w.t.) name.

3. To sip it in three breaths.

4. To drink one's fill.

5. To look at the Ka'bah every time you sip [if you're in Mecca].

6. To sprinkle a little water on your head, face, and chest.

7. To say increased supplication.

8. To drink it for whatever you need of this world or the hereafter.

9. To say 'O Allah, it has reached me that your Messenger, peace be upon him, said: The water of zamzam is for that which it was drunk for. O Allah, I drink it for such and such.' Then name what you want from this world or the hereafter. Then say, 'O Allah, please do this out of your bounty.'

10. To say the du'a of Ibn Abbas (r.a.), 'O Allah! Grant me beneficial knowledge, bountiful provision, and a healing from every disease.'

11. To praise Allah (s.w.t.) when finished.

Additionally, scholars have said that the benefits of zamzam are not limited to the drinker, meaning that if someone drinks zamzam for their child or brother for example, the benefits can reach this person if the drinker has sincere intentions.

Scholars have differed over whether one should drink zamzam seated or standing. Some have said that it is sunnah to sit, and have said that the hadith of Ibn Abbas (r.a.) where he gave zamzam to the Prophet (s.a.w.) while the Prophet (s.a.w.) was standing was just to show the permissibility of standing. They quote the hadith of Ibn Majah (r.a.) from Asim (r.a.) where ‘Ikrimah (r.a.) swore that the Prophet (s.a.w.) could not have drunk zamzam while standing because he was riding [his mount] at the time.

For more information, see: What is special about Zamzam?

And Allah (s.w.t.) Knows best.

Umm Salah

Answered by Ustadzah Zaynab Ansari, SunniPath Academy Teacher

The Story of Mu'adh ibn Jabal (r.a.)

2011-12-20T03:06:00.000+08:00

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

The Prophet (s.a.w.) said, "Ya Mu’adh."

And Mu’adh (r.a.) said, "Yes, O my Prophet."

They rode on and the Prophet (s.a.w.) said. "Ya Mu’adh."

"Yes, my Prophet."

Again the Prophet (s.a.w.) did not say anything, indicating that what he was about to say was extremely important. Again the Prophet (s.a.w.) said, "Ya Mu’adh."

And again Mu’adh (r.a.) said, "Yes, yes, my Prophet, at your service."

The Prophet (s.a.w.) said, "Know this. For anyone who says ‘La ilaha il Allah’, There is no god except Allah; ‘Muhammadur Rasulullah”, and Muhammad is His Messenger, there will be no Punishment, and all will be Forgiven."

Mu’adh (r.a.) quite excitedly said, "Is this something I can tell everyone?"

The Prophet (s.a.w.) said, "No, don't tell it, because they will ease off on their work, and they will ease off on their prayer."

Mu’adh (r.a.) remained silent until, on his deathbed, he repeated what he had heard. Then it became a hadith, a tradition, something actually heard from the mouth of the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.).

The Forest, the Book & the Journey

2011-12-19T15:45:00.000+08:00

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

“There was once where we were in a state so we spent much of the nights in prayer. There was a fever and for three consecutive days, there were very vivid dreams.

The First Day

On the first day, I saw a forest with very tall trees. There was a path through the forest made of paved stones. At some parts, there were shallow drains near the stones. Everywhere, there were beautiful, coloured snakes of all sizes. Some wee smaller. Some were as big as pythons. I knew they were deadly and poisonous.

As I walked, some snakes I carefully avoided. Others, I carefully used the staff I carried to push them away from the path. And then there were those I leaned on my staff and crushed their heads.

Behind me were a multitude of people. I kept calling them to stay on the path. Not only were they running all over the grassy forest, some of them were actually picking up these snakes, saying they were beautiful. I saw someone I knew pick up a snake and I took it from his hand and cut it to pieces.

I awoke at that point frustrated.

The Second Day

I saw a book in front of me. It was a huge book that blocked my line of sight but it was not too thick. But I knew that there were many people sitting in front, all listening. It was a book I had written.

I was reading from a page and expounding. There are three types of people in the world. The first are those who know only of one door and that is the door of dunya. And then there are those who know that there is another door. And that is the door of akhirah. And sometimes, they even touch it but have yet to go through. The third are those who have volunteered. And they have walked through the door. They are the ones who are flying in the Divine Presence.

I was speaking of states that I knew not. Of places and things I could not possibly know. My had felt like a cup and oceans of knowledge were being poured inside. It was astounding, it was beautiful and it was the loss of the Self. I was spewing Divine Secrets like giving candies to eager children.

When I woke up, I was still talking but I felt the knowledge fade away and I was grabbing at it but it was like holding smoke.

The Third Day

It was in the desert after dawn. A man came up to me and told me to follow him. It was Sayyidina ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (r.a.). We came to a man sitting on the dune. He was dressed in white. And he had a cloth that covered his face so I could not see the eyes. But I remember that he had the most beautiful beard I had ever seen. The hair was straight and neat and it was greying but still had black. That was Rasulullah (s.a.w.). Such as it was, the hearts immediately recognise. Except a heart occluded. Wallahu ‘Alam.

I was to the side. To the left of Sayyidina ‘Umar (r.a.) and to the right of Rasulullah (s.a.w.). They were speaking and either Sayyidina ‘Umar (r.a.) asked or Rasulullah (s.a.w.) ordered since that part was not clear to me: “Fetch Salman!” And they were speaking of Sayyidina Salman al-Farisi (r.a.).

Sayyidina ‘Umar (r.a.) told me to follow him. He was not like the Sayyidina ‘Umar (r.a.) I had read of in the books. He was like a child skipping away. When I asked my shaykh, he said, “In the Presence of Rasulullah (s.a.w.), aren’t we all children?” Sayyidina ‘Umar (r.a.) turned to me an said excitedly, “Salman is a great fighter.”

When we went to Sayyidina Salman (r.a.), he was packing his belongings and he had so little. Only a sajadah to wrap it all in, perhaps an extra set of sandals, some dates, other small things I do not remember and a sword. I had the impression we were going for war.

The next part of the dream was of a long journey. There were thousands of men and camels and horses. The Sahaba of Rasulullah (s.a.w.). They were all there. I saw Sayyidina ‘Umar (r.a.) and Sayyidina Salman (r.a.) was the expedition leader. I knew them all and they knew me. It was the most wonderful feeling to amongst them. We were going to al-Mada’in and Sayyidina Salman (r.a.) was going to be the governor and to get married.

In some parts of the dream, I was myself and in some parts I saw my elf in the third person and I was Sayyidina Salman (r.a.). In the last part, we were outside al-Mada’in. I was Sayyidina Salman (r.a.) and I was holding his sajadah. It is then that I noticed it was woven from reeds.”

D' Apprentice: You Don't Have to Be an Ustadz to Do Da'wah

2011-12-15T18:34:00.003+08:00

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

On Saturday, 10^th and 11^th December 2011, Da’wah Division of Darul Arqam Singapore held an event called D' Apprentice - An Exceptional Youth Da'wah Workshop by Darul Arqam. It was held at the Marina Barrage's Courtyard Room

Have you ever wanted to share the beauty of Islam with your friends but were unsure of how to go about doing it? Is it because of your lack of knowledge, or is it because of your lack of confidence?

D'Apprentice believes that YOU don't have to be an Ustadz to do Da’wah.

Da’wah in its simplest essence is understanding the other person - the potential Muslim.

"Convey from me, even if one verse." [Prophet Muhammad s.a.w]

I was one of the presenters for Session 1: “Intention of performing Da’wah” along with Shaykh Amin Teo. The title of my presentation was The Concept of Da’wah - Marketing a System of Belief. This was a summary of many of my previous posts in this blog. The following is a short summary. The actual presentation had some stories to illustrates various points and much time was devoted to the Q&A.

We believe that Islam is the best religion; it is indeed, more than that. It is the complete way of life, here and beyond. It is a system of belief and we are ambassadors of faith.

What is da’wah? Da’wah basically means an invitation. In this case, it is an invitation to the Ultimate Truth. It is a call to return to the Path and the Caravan of Hope that is Islam. It is akin to missionary activity but different. As a matter of fact, what the Christians do is also based on the Sunnah of the Prophet (s.a.w.) although they may not realise.

Da’wah is to shine the Light of the Prophet (s.a.w.), to be a lamp in the deserts of spiritual darkness. It has little relations to what is said as opposed to what is done. It is the wisdom of applying the living faith of Islam to events that may occur as they occur.

People have to realise that the Prophet (s.a.w.) took 13 years to educate the Sahabah on the nature of Allah (s.w.t.) and to build their relationship with Him. Too many Muslims talk about Shari’ah and what the Qur’an says or what the hadith say. They forget that the Shari’ah does not apply to non-Muslims and the Qur’an and hadith have no relevance if they do not believe in Allah (s.w.t.) and His Prophet. They have to know God before there is subscription. And there has to be subscription before there is submission.

Da’wah is not conversion. Conversion is a process and never an event. It continues from the moment the heart is inclined to long after the shahadah is actually said. Da’wah is the introduction to the process of inclining the heart. But it is done with the humble understanding that we are only Instruments of Allah’s (s.w.t.) Will. No man has ever converted or reverted another person to Islam. Man may move mountains, but it is Allah (s.w.t.) that Moves the hearts. The heart is and has always been His Domain and it is in the heart of the Believer that He Resides.

Is comparative religion necessary for da’wah? Not only is it unnecessary, it may also be a hindrance. Spirituality is a continuous Path to Enlightenment by all vehicles. You do not slap people and ask them presents. We are speaking of God and His Truth. We are not concerned with the vehicles they have to come, be it Christian, Buddhist, Jew or any other. Too many people who engage in debate do nothing but feed the ego, engaging in meaningless discourse to show what they know without realizing that they are only showing what they have failed to realise.

Likewise, do you have to be an ustadz to do da’wah? If the asatidzah were so successful in conveying the religion, the world would be overwhelmingly Muslim. Too many times, the learned come with their knowledge without understand that we are speaking the language of the heart. Religion is of the heart. They may be conversant with the letter of the law but ignorant of the spirit of the law. They have come to the non-Muslim with the idol of the Self. They speak of worshipping God, but they are already worshipping their ego and their knowledge.

Someone who wants to engage in da’wah must not have two things. He must not have an inferiority complex, for the danger is that he will lose his religion. And he must not have a superiority complex for he is in danger of making others lose their religion. He must be confident enough to speak. And humble enough to listen. We are people of the Middle Path. We are wearing the shoes of a Prophet (s.a.w.) so Beloved by Allah (s.w.t.) that all Creation was for him.

Insha’Allah, the idea is to have more similar workshops for other demographics and tie it in with our other programmes at Da’wah for the new financial year. May Allah (s.w.t.) Grant us success in our endeavours.

D'apprentice session recap (final)

View more presentations from dapprentice1

Merchants of Hope

2011-11-22T14:45:00.000+08:00

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

"People come to us for a prayer, or for inspiration. Perhaps a comforting word. Sometimes, they only want to talk and need someone to listen and care enough to ask a few questions. But what do we actually do? We are merchants of hope.

We try to give their life meaning. And tell them for every disappointment, the Generosity of God is so immense that there is never any loss. We speak to the broken-hearted because they know us as one of them. And who is more broken-hearted than the friends of God? When Moses asked God where He was, God Replied: “I am with the broken-hearted.”

We know loss and pain and sorrow. Just as our Prophet (s.a.w.) did. We know what it is to wake up each day so hurt with hearts bleeding. Yet we still pray and fast and ask from Him without ceasing. That is hope. No matter the loss and the pain.

And that is love. People hope for love. But they forgot that it takes love to hope. Because if there is no love, there is only despair. And the hottest manifestation of it is anger. And who is more angry and more despairing than Iblis? Even the people of Hell will still ask God for Forgiveness. Iblis has despaired of even that.

So are you still angry with God for what He has done to you? Of what He has Given or what He has Denied? Of what you think He has cheated you of? Never let the whispers influence you no matter the disappointment. You do not know His Plan. The only thing you know is that He is the Best of Planners

If God's Plan were anything but perfect in even the minutest detail, verily the heavens would be torn asunder, the stars would fail and the planets would collide. Your body would cease to function and all Creation would cease to exist. He is the Best of Planners. And the Best of Plans cannot be anything but just with all aspects of Creation. And all that is because of Love. For you."

Love (Ibn al-‘Arabi in Futuhat al-Makkiya)

2011-11-22T14:37:00.000+08:00

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

Ibn al-‘Arabi (q.s.) has dedicated a complete chapter of his Futuhat al-Makkiya to love, which has been translated by Maurice Gloton as ‘Traité de L’Amour’ (ISBN 2-226-02715-7). He describes 3 types of love (pp. 67-127):

1. Divine love

2. Spiritual love

3. Natural love.

“Know that Love is according to three degrees. (Firstly) there is natural love, which is the love of ordinary people, whose aim is unification in the animal spirit… It ends in the act of physical union, in which the passion of love spreads through the whole body like water permeating wool, or rather, like the permeation of colour in the coloured.

(Secondly) there is spiritual love of the soul, whose aim is becoming like the Beloved, accomplishing what is the Beloved’s due and knowing His decree.

(Thirdly) there is Divine Love, which is the Love of God for the servant and the love of the servant for God, as in His word: “He loves them and they love Him”. Its greatest degree occurs in two ways:

(According to the first way) the servant sees that he is a place of manifestation for God, while it is God Who is the Manifest. This is like the spirit is for the body, its interior, in which it is always invisible and never seen. So he only sees Him as a lover.

(On the other hand) God may become a place of manifestation for the servant, so that He is qualified by whatever qualities the servant is qualified by, in terms of limitation, scope and non-essential characteristics, and the servant sees this. Then he becomes the beloved of God.

As things are as we have said, there is no limit to love, by which it could really be known. It can be limited in speaking or writing, though not otherwise”.

Lest We are Heedless

2011-11-22T14:27:00.000+08:00

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

"It is best to see someone as a Wali of Allah and in reality they are a hypocrite, rather than seeing someone as a hypocrite but in reality they are a Wali of Allah" - Shaykh Hasan Cisse (q.s.)

The former does not affect the inner condition of the believer but the latter will ruin the iman. Unless Allah has made it clear. Even the awliya are tested and fall. And this is the month of that fall and Elevation. This is the month of the Saint of Rajab, Wali Abbas (q.s.) and His Elevation. For the rewards of Turning to Him, even from the lowest of states is beyond the knowledge of Creation.

We learn that the Fall of Awliya is not just their Test. It is the Test of the Ummah, especially of those around. People of God have fallen to such levels that they have denounced Allah (s.w.t.) in their pain. But Allah (s.w.t.) is the Mot Loving of the Loving. By that denouncement is acknowledgement. An example is Rabiah (q.s.). And the Wali mentioned by Shaykh al-Jerrahi (r.a.). They may be temporarily distressed, but they are never heedless. The Remembrance of the Master is always in their hearts. When you know Allah (s.w.t.), there is no other god to turn to.

A man who thinks of Allah (s.w.t.) in a state of anger is superior to one who is heedless of His Gifts. For Allah (s.w.t.) can turn that anger to remorse and that remorse to Love. But one who is in love with the world is chasing another god.

Hypocrisy is a step from heedlessness. A sign of it is when someone is heedless of Him in times of plenty, nay, they are arrogant of it when a crisis is over but turn to him when a crisis strikes. Allah is not a 'Friend’ you take as a form of convenience. Do not ‘use' Him. When you are having a good time you disobey Him and you forget Him. And when you are having a hard time you run to Him begging Him to Help you. Would you like people to use you like that? Stop doing that to Allah or He will eventually Send people like you to you.

سُوۡرَةُ النّحل

وَٱللَّهُ جَعَلَ لَكُم مِّمَّا خَلَقَ ظِلَـٰلاً۬ وَجَعَلَ لَكُم مِّنَ ٱلۡجِبَالِ أَڪۡنَـٰنً۬ا وَجَعَلَ لَكُمۡ سَرَٲبِيلَ تَقِيڪُمُ ٱلۡحَرَّ وَسَرَٲبِيلَ تَقِيكُم بَأۡسَڪُمۡ‌ۚ كَذَٲلِكَ يُتِمُّ نِعۡمَتَهُ ۥ عَلَيۡڪُمۡ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تُسۡلِمُونَ (٨١) فَإِن تَوَلَّوۡاْ فَإِنَّمَا عَلَيۡكَ ٱلۡبَلَـٰغُ ٱلۡمُبِينُ (٨٢) يَعۡرِفُونَ نِعۡمَتَ ٱللَّهِ ثُمَّ يُنڪِرُونَہَا وَأَڪۡثَرُهُمُ ٱلۡكَـٰفِرُونَ (٨٣)

It is Allah who Made out of the things He Created, some things to give you shade; of the hills He made some for your shelter; He made you garments to protect you from heat, and coats of mail to protect you from your (mutual) violence. Thus does He complete his favours on you, that ye may surrender to His will (in Islam). (81) But if they turn away, thy duty is only to preach the Clear Message. (82) They recognise the favours of Allah; then they deny them; and most of them are (creatures) ungrateful. (An-Nahl:81 - 83)

Surely in the changing of states, the outer reality will eventually match the inner reality. Those who send time with the perfumers will eventually smell of perfume and those who spend time with the blacksmiths will smell of coal. The people around you will change to match your reality. So look around you. And if those who are closest are people of the world, then perhaps we should be afraid.

سُوۡرَةُ بنیٓ اسرآئیل / الإسرَاء

وَإِذَا مَسَّكُمُ ٱلضُّرُّ فِى ٱلۡبَحۡرِ ضَلَّ مَن تَدۡعُونَ إِلَّآ إِيَّاهُ‌ۖ فَلَمَّا نَجَّٮٰكُمۡ إِلَى ٱلۡبَرِّ أَعۡرَضۡتُمۡ‌ۚ وَكَانَ ٱلۡإِنسَـٰنُ كَفُورًا (٦٧) أَفَأَمِنتُمۡ أَن يَخۡسِفَ بِكُمۡ جَانِبَ ٱلۡبَرِّ أَوۡ يُرۡسِلَ عَلَيۡڪُمۡ حَاصِبً۬ا ثُمَّ لَا تَجِدُواْ لَكُمۡ وَڪِيلاً (٦٨)

When distress seizes you at sea, those that ye call upon - besides Himself leave you in the lurch! but when He Brings you back safe to land, ye turn away (from Him). Most ungrateful is man! Do ye then feel secure that He will not cause you to be swallowed up beneath the earth when ye are on land, or that He will not send against you a violent tornado (with showers of stones) so that ye shall find no one to carry out your affairs for you? (Al-Isra’:67 - 68)

How arrogant are they who ask from Allah (s.w.t.) and deny His Help. And deny His Helpers. Surely if those around were able to help, they would not have called upon others. It is Allah (s.w.t.) Who Sends the Trials by way of Admonishment and Reminder. And relief is given from the deepest darkness. But to turn away thereafter and deny what was is the depth of ungratefulness and the height of heedlessness.

Know this then, by Allah (s.w.t.), the first trial was perhaps a minor squall and yet your ship was shaken. But that which will come is a hurricane of Divine Wrath for those who have entered covenant and yet are arrogant in their heedlessness. If you refuse to take the lesson of the tribes and the people Destroyed for such arrogance, then surely you are in a State of Destruction. All that you love of this world will avail you not. Even Shaythan will run from your side.

سُوۡرَةُ آل عِمرَان

وَمَڪَرُواْ وَمَڪَرَ ٱللَّهُ‌ۖ وَٱللَّهُ خَيۡرُ ٱلۡمَـٰكِرِينَ (٥٤)

And (then unbelievers) plotted and planned, and Allah too planned, and the best of planners is Allah. (‘Ali Imran:54)

This is the line of the Qur’an said by those distressed. By it, whatever fitnah is given to the Friend of God is returned seven times. It is the du’a of last resort, when there is no turning back. It is the calling of Divine Wrath. Just as ‘Abdul Mutallib said to Abraha, “The Ka’bah is His House; He Will Protect it”. The awliya are His Servants; He Will Defend them.

And Allah Knows Best.

My Qur'an is Torn

2011-11-22T13:59:00.002+08:00

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

The Wali and the Swineherd is an intense story with many meanings. (http://amuslimconvertoncemore.blogspot.com/2009/11/the-wali-swineherd.html). But one of the lessons is that faith does not belong to us. It belongs to Allah (s.w.t.). He Gives it and He Takes it.

The Greatest Force in the Universe, in All Creation is Love. We are Created by Allah’s Love. It is Love that makes the Universe function. It was for Love that Muhammad (s.a.w.) was Sent. And it by Love of him, that we exist. At the most accessible level is love for each other. The love between a man and a woman.

It was for love of a woman or a man that awliya have fallen. And it is by that love they have been Elevated. The wali in the story above loved a woman so intensely; he burned the Qur’an, drank wine, ate pork and became a swineherd. And yet, Allah (s.w.t.) Called Him back and Elevated Him. Rabiah Adawiyah (q.s.) was so broken in love that she cursed Allah (s.w.t.), cursed the majlis, cursed the awliya. And yet Allah (s.w.t.) Brought her back and changed that love into Love for Allah (s.w.t.). She realised that Allah (s.w.t.) Alone Never disappoints.

The Greatest Love Story of such in the Qur’an is Surah Yusuf. And what is more unattainable to love than one who is the Beloved of the Beloved? And yet Allah (s.w.t.) in His Mercy Shared that Love. And Zulaikha married Yusuf (a.s.). And once it was attained, that Love became an intense love for Allah (s.w.t.).

So what is the greatest Elevation of the awliya? It is love. And what is the greatest test? It is love. Man may be tested by any means but it is love that will break him. If you have never experienced such an intense love for someone, perhaps it is difficult to know the intense Love of Allah (s.w.t.). And if you have never been tested by losing in such love, then perhaps, you will never understand the intense Yearning of Rasulullah (s.a.w.) as he seeks to save his Ummah. And his Ummah is all Mankind.

Faith does not belong to us. It is a Gift. It may be Given, it may be withheld. But it is always Inherent once the Divine is Present. We have known such love and felt it to an intense degree. Such a love erases the Self. You could pray a thousand raka’at for it and do thousands of salawat for Hope. That love is a Gift. But in such quantities that it seems an affliction. It is a hal and a state of madness. It is the affliction of those who are Chosen by He Who is Best to Choose.

Such a love will often end with loss. All Creation is lost. All Creation is in a State of Loss. Knowledge of God, Vision of the Ghayb will avail you not for the loss of such love is so intense; it is a state of madness.

I woke up on Rajab with emptiness. But it was Filled. I woke up alone. But I was not bereft. I woke up as I, but the 'I' has been effaced. Last night, was Laylatul Ragha’ib. And we sat and read the Names of Rasulullah (s.a.w.) in a state of such lamentation and yearning, the tears flowed. And the regret was so intense. We remembered our shuyukh, and those who came before. And we kissed the hair of the Prophet (s.a.w.) and looked upon the remembrance and all that love ever felt for a creation left. What love is that when there is Allah (s.w.t.)?

For a decade, I loved a woman so intensely though I could see no reason. And then it was buried only to come back like an affliction at times with such intensity that all that was within was broken. I tore the Qur’an, I denounced my faith, I was in a state of Rebellion that put me in the company of Iblis. And then it came to me to say:

سُوۡرَةُ القَصَص

...رَبِّ إِنِّى لِمَآ أَنزَلۡتَ إِلَىَّ مِنۡ خَيۡرٍ۬ فَقِيرٌ۬ (٢٤)

"O my Lord! Truly am I in (desperate) need of any good that thou dost send me!"… (al-Qasas:24)

Truly, We are in the well that Yusuf (a.s.) was, betrayed and alone, looking at the stars beyond reach. And then a caravan comes to pick us up. We were slaves to desire and now we were purchased by a new Master.

I met a visiting Shaykh for surely Allah (s.w.t.) is the Best of Planners. He looked at me and said all that was and a little of what would be. But we had never met before. And I asked why this happened to me. And he said that this was my Test so that I would be immune. I asked for it to be lifted and he said it was over.

I have with me, a torn Qur’an. The same one I received when I converted. It is the most precious thing in the world to me and yet it is torn. Just as my heart was torn. And my faith was torn. I looked at her Facebook page and saw what she wrote. And I heard from her mother and I heard what was said. I see the comments of those who do not know and do not know us. But the only thing that matters to me is my torn Qur’an.

The heart is fixed for it is the domain of Allah (s.w.t.). But my Qur’an is still torn. Perhaps I could regret what was said and what was done. But nothing belongs to me. Perhaps I should be disappointed and angry. But I am only sad I have failed my Prophet (s.a.w.) and my God. And my Qur’an is still torn.

I know who we are. And I understand what we are supposed to do. The journey may be long, the Path may be difficult. In all likelihood, she will never walk that Path with me. They mock what they do not know. But even Rasulullah (s.a.w.) was mocked at Ta’if. Perhaps I may be humiliated and contemptuous in her eyes. But it is His Plan. Perhaps I may be faqir and powerless. But it is His Elevation. Perhaps I do not go to the places that glitter. But it is His Garden that Draws me.

I seek refuge in Allah (s.w.t.) from the trails of dunya and from the humiliation of the ghafilun. May Allah forgive them for they know not. And May He Bring them to the Garden that they may see what we see. And may Allah (s.w.t.) Protect them from the bala’ of mocking the beloved of the Beloved. Surely they are of the Ummah of Muhammad (s.a.w.), my Master. And surely, there is hope for them.

"O Allah! I complain to You of my weakness, my scarcity of resources and my humiliation before the people. O Most Merciful of those who are merciful. O Lord of the weak and my Lord too. To whom have you Entrusted me? To a distant person who receives me with hostility? Or to an enemy to whom you have Granted authority over my affair? So long as You are not angry with me, I do not care. Your Favour is of more Abundance to me. I seek refuge in the Light of Your Face by which all darkness is dispelled and every affair of this world and the next is set right, lest Your anger or Your displeasure descend upon me. I desire Your Pleasure and Satisfaction until You are Pleased. There is no Power and no Might except by You." - Muhammad (s.a.w.) at Ta’if

Shaykh Faraz Rabbani' Five Lessons from Imam al-Ghazali

2011-09-19T00:33:00.000+08:00

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

Shaykh Faraz Fareed Rabbani was born in Karachi, Pakistan and raised in Toronto, Canada. He entered the University of Toronto with a full scholarship and completed his Bachelor's in Economics & Commerce in May 1997. He learnt from many scholars including Shaykh Ahmad Talal al-Ahdab, Shaykh Faisal Hamid 'Abdur-Razzak, and Shaykh Muhammad Zahid Abu Ghudda.

After graduation, Shaykh Faraz traveled with his family to Damascus, Syria, to formally seek Islamic knowledge. In Damascus, he studied Arabic, ‘Aqidah, Mantiq, Hanafi Fiqh, Shafi'i Fiqh,’Usul al-Fiqh, and Hadith with a number of scholars including Shaykh Haytham Idilbi, Shaykh ‘Abd al-Rahman Kharsa, Shaykh ‘Abd al-Haleem Abu Sha`r, Shaykh ‘Umar al-Sabbagh, Shaykh Jihad Brown, Shaykh Mu'min al-Annan, Shaykh Hassan al-Hindi, Sayyidi Shaykh Adib Kallas, Shaykh Muhammad Jumu'ah, Shaykh ‘Abd al-Razzaq al-Halabi, Shaykh Haytham, Shaykh ‘Abd al-Haleem Abu Sha`r, and Ustadz Mahmud al-Bayruti.

In the summer of 2000, he moved to Amman, Jordan, where his teachers advised him to focus on teaching of what he had covered. In 2007, he spent some time in Karachi, Pakistan, learning from the scholars there. In the summer of 2007, he returned to Toronto, where he settled with his wife and three children. In Toronto, he is teaching through Seekers’ Guidance, both online and on-the-ground. He also travels frequently to give lectures at different conferences and universities.

Faraz Rabbani is Educational Director and Instructor at Seekers’ Guidance (www.SeekersGuidance.org). He has two published books: Sufism & Good Character and Absolute Essentials of Islam: Faith, Prayer, & the Path of Salvation According to the Hanafi School. (White Thread Press, 2004.) He also runs the blog, Seeker's Digest and has a regular column in Islamica Magazine.

Shaykh Faraz Rabbani - Five Lessons from Imam al-Ghazali (r.a.)

The Real 13th Warrior

2011-04-29T13:27:00.000+08:00

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

Ahmad ibn Fadlan was sent from Baghdad in 921 C.E. to serve as the secretary to an ambassador from the Abbasid Caliph, al-Muqtadir to the Iltabar (vassal-king under the Khazars) of the Volga Bulgaria, Almış. He was not the ambassador.

The embassy's objective was to have the king of the Bolğars pay homage to Caliph al-Muqtadir in return for money to pay for the construction of a fortress. Although they managed to reach Bolgar, the mission failed because they were unable to collect the money intended for the king. Annoyed at not receiving the promised sum, the king refused to switch from the Maliki math’hab then practised to the Hanafi math’hab practised in Baghdad.

The embassy left Baghdad on 21st June, 921 C.E. (11th Safar, 309 A.H.). It reached the Bulgars after much hardship on 12th May, 922 C.E. (12th Muharram, 310 A.H.). This day is an official religious holiday in modern Tatarstan. The journey took ibn Fadlan from Baghdad to Bukhara and Khwarizm, south of the Aral Sea. Although promised safe passage by the Oghuz warlord, Kudarkin, they were waylaid by Oghuz bandits. They were able to bribe their attackers. They spent the winter in Gorgan, Iran before travelling north across the Ural River until they reached the towns of the Bulgars at the three lakes of the Volga, north of the Samara bend.

A substantial portion of ibn Fadlan's accounts are dedicated to the description of a people he called the ‘ar-Rus’ or ‘ar-Rusiyyah’. Most scholars identify them with the Rus or Varangians, which would make ibn Fadlan's account one of the earliest portrayals of Vikings. The Rus were major figures in the history of early Russia, founding Kyiv and Muscovy. They gave their name to the country whose monarchs were descended from them - Russia. According to the accounts of ibn Fadlan, several of them converted to Islam.

The Rus appear as traders who set up shop on the river banks nearby the Bolgar camp. They are described as having bodies tall as date palms, with blond hair and ruddy skin. They were tattooed from "fingernails to neck" with dark blue or dark green "tree patterns" and other "figures" and that all men are armed with an axe and a long knife.

ibn Fadlan describes the Rus as "perfect physical specimens" but the hygiene of the Rusiyyah as disgusting. He noted with some astonishment that they comb their hair every day. He considered them vulgar and unsophisticated. In that, his impressions contrast those of the Persian traveler ibn Rustah. He also described in great detail the funeral of one of their chieftains, a ship burial involving human sacrifice. This was amongst the earliest descriptions of such.

Elements of ibn Fadlan's account were used in the Michael Crichton novel ‘Eaters of the Dead’. It was adapted to film as ‘The 13^th Warrior’. The movie starred Antonio Banderas as ibn Fadlan. Like many Hollywood scripts, they never let the facts get in the way of a good story.

Story Summary

The 13^th Warrior is a 1999 fantasy action film starring Antonio Banderas as Ahmad ibn Fadlan. In the movie, Ahmed ibn Fadlan is a court poet to the Caliph of Baghdad - until his amorous encounter with the wife of an influential noble gets him exiled as an "ambassador" to "Northern barbarians." Travelling with Melchisidek, a family friend, his caravan is saved from Mongol Tatar raiders by the appearance of Norsemen. This is despite the fact that the Tartars were already Muslim at that time. In reality, the Arab of that time were as fierce a warrior as the Tartars and renowned horsemen in their own right.

It is interesting to note that Mechisidek (Melchizedek) is the name of a person mentioned in the Book of Genesis and Psalms. This Melchizedek is claimed to be immortal by some traditions. He is synonymous with ageless wisdom. Some Muslim commentators liken him to Khidr (a.s.). And Allah (s.w.t.) Knows Best.

The Muslim caravan take refuge at the Viking settlement on the Volga. Communications are established through Melchisidek and Herger, a Norseman who speaks Vulgate Latin. Ahmed and Melchisidek are in time to witness the fight which establishes Buliwyf as heir apparent, followed by the Viking funeral of their dead king, cremated together with a young woman who agreed to 'accompany' him to Valhalla. This Buliwyf could be the legendary Beowulf of Norse mythology.

A youth enters the camp requesting Buliwyf's aid: his father's kingdom in the far north is under attack from an ancient evil so frightening, the bravest warriors dare not name it. The "angel of death," an oracle, determines the mission will be successful if thirteen warriors go to face this danger - but the thirteenth must not be a Norseman. Ahmed is recruited against his will.

Ahmed learns Norse during their journey by listening intently to their conversations. He is looked down upon by the huge Norsemen, who mock his physical weakness and his small Arabian horse, but earns a measure of respect by his fast learning of their language, his horsemanship, ingenuity and ability to write.

Reaching King Hrothgar's kingdom, they confirm their foe is indeed the ancient 'Wendol', fiends who come with the mist to kill and eat human flesh. In a string of clashes Buliwyf's band establishes that the Wendol are humanoid cannibals who appear as, live like and identify with bears. Their numbers dwindling and their position all but indefensible, an ancient wise woman of the village tells them to track the Wendol to their lair and destroy their leaders, the "Mother of the Vendol" and the war leader who wears "the horns of power."

Buliwyf and the remaining warriors infiltrate the Wendol cave-complex and kill the Mother, but Buliwyf is poisoned by her. As the last remaining warriors return to the village and prepare for a final battle they do not expect to survive, the Wendol attack. Buliwyf succeeds in killing the Wendol war leader, causing their defeat, before succumbing to the poison. Ahmad ibn Fadlan witnesses Buliwyf's royal funeral before returning to his homeland, grateful to the Norsemen for helping him to "become a man, and a useful servant of God".

(Adapted from Wikipedia)

Dude, You have No Qur'an

2011-04-24T21:39:00.000+08:00

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

There was a man in a park. He’d doused the Qur'an with gasoline. He was going to barbeque it. There were Muslims there. They just watched, they protested. It's his 'freedom of speech'

Along comes this boy. He's not even a Muslim. He grabbed the Qur'an from the guy and ran away shouting: "Dude, you have no Qur'an."

You see, once, long ago, a man was drunk. One the way home from the brothel. A Muslim who did not pray. And he found a scrap of parchment on the road with the name of Allah (s.w.t.). He picked it up and rubbed some attar on it and put it in his pocket and forgot all about it.

Allah (s.w.t.) does not forget. And made him a wali. "You have cleansed My Name. So I have Cleansed you and Raised you." And the details of the story are in Annals of the Awliya.

What more someone that saved an entire book of Revelation? Even in his ignorance, that he did not know the Treasure that it was. Do you not think that this boy is a wali? For saving His Book from the Fire, insha'Allah, Allah has made the Fire haram to him.

That is God's Love

Jacob Isom

Shaykh Ahmed Tijani ben Omar: No Reason to Hate

2010-10-14T11:42:00.003+08:00

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

Shaykh Ahmed Tijani Ben Omar is American citizen originally born in Ghana, West Africa. He is based in the United Kingdom for the moment. He is a renowned ‘alim who is synonymous with da’wah. He studied and memorized the Holy Qur’an at the age of 15 and the Holy Bible by the age of 20.

Shaykh Tijani is a renowned world peace activist. He has consistently advocated spiritual and interfaith interactions from a global perspective. This unique approach includes socio-political, historical and anthropological aspects as well as religious dispensations. Shaykh Tijani, has traveled to over a hundred countries worldwide giving numerous lectures and presentations at conferences, universities, mosques, churches, synagogues and public gatherings. He is considered one of the best spiritual singers and reciters of the Holy Qur'an in the world. Shaykh Tijani has recorded and released 15 albums of nasyid.

Summary of Suhbah - First It is Hardened, Then It is Locked by Mawlana Shaykh Nazim

2010-10-03T18:29:00.002+08:00

25^th April 2010

Compiled by Muhammad Abdul Sattar Khan on Tuesday, 09^th April 2010 at 21:17

Assalamu’Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh

A'uzubillahi minash shaytan nir-rajeem

Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim

Mawlana said that Allah (s.w.t.) Sends Heavenly Messages to His chosen servants and these servants then dispense these teachings to attendees, each according to his own level of understanding. Mawlana recited A'uzubillahi minasy syaitan nirrajeem, reminding us that in each sanctified gathering, Shaytan hovers around to throw his filth into it. Man is a creature who is honoured because of his understanding that is precisely why Shaytan throws his dirtiness into such associations. This dirtiness is to tarnish the clear understanding that comes from such suhbah, and to make that understanding murky and cloudy. So many gatherings end with fighting between its members (due to Shaytan stirring up trouble by contaminating the proceedings), whereas such learning sessions are supposed to rouse us to fight our egos, not each other. So maintain the bombardment of Shaytan's fortresses by constant recitation of A'uzubillah.

He then recited Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim, which is a Divine Sword against enemies of faith, a Divine Weapon in our battle against our egos, and a Divine Key to unlock all that is locked. It is an honour for Man to have been given this Key, so have it with you always. Anything that you want to unlock, the Key is Bismillah. Without it, all Divine treasures, remain locked.

When the Prophet (s.a.w.) was preaching to the Bani Isra’il, the people of the Book, they said:

وَقَالُواْ قُلُوبُنَا غُلۡفُۢۚ بَل لَّعَنَہُمُ ٱللَّهُ بِكُفۡرِهِمۡ فَقَلِيلاً۬ مَّا يُؤۡمِنُونَ

And they say, "Our hearts are wrapped (do not hear or understand Allâh's Word)." Nay, Allâh has cursed them for their disbelief, so little is that which they believe. (al-Baqarah:88)

The Bani Isra’il told Rasulullah (s.a.w.) that their hearts were locked, that they were unable to accept his preaching. They said, “Do not insist on us listening to you, our hearts cannot accept what you are saying.” Mawlana asks if anyone had the right to speak like that to the Prophet (s.a.w.).

How could they say to him, that their hearts were locked, for nothing can be locked, except by Allah's (s.w.t.) Permission. Mawlana says that nothing can afflict us, except with Allah's (s.w.t.) Permission. He gave the example of the recent pig flu outbreak in Saudi Arabia that left many in fear. Only by Allah's (s.w.t.) Permission can the virus infect you, and only by His permission can it take your life. Life and death is in Allah's (s.w.t.) hands, not in the virus' hand, the virus is powerless if not empowered by Allah (s.w.t.)! Mawlana was surprised that the Saudi authorities responded by calling for vaccinations against the outbreak, and by limiting the number of visitors to the Holy Land. One should never stop people from visiting the House of the Lord, have they no faith and belief in Allah's (s.w.t.) Power, that they tremble before a miniscule virus? Have they no understanding? If they sat for an examination that tested the trueness of their faith, they would all fail, says Mawlana! That is why we must spread true advice, as such advice destroys disbelief, stops the spread of evil acts, and incapacitates Shaytan's helpers.

Mawlana then posed deep, important questions for us all to ponder about: How do we unlock hearts that have been locked? Who locked their hearts? What had their hearts been locked by? Why had they not resisted the one who came to lock their hearts? Who held them back from resisting the one who came to lock their hearts? After all, there was a time, when their hearts were not locked, so something must have happened that caused them to become locked! So what is the key? Did they lock their own hearts, or did they listen to someone who told them to do so?

Let us explore the different possibilities, says Mawlana. Were their hearts locked before the time of Moses (a.s.)? Did Moses (a.s.) lock their hearts? Did Moses (a.s.) ever command that the Bani Isra’il were not to follow any other prophet (a.s.), after him? No! Such a command is not found in the Torah, that Moses (a.s.), or any prophet (a.s.) or any angel (a.s.), came to lock their hearts against accepting the teaching of the prophets (a.s.) that were to come. The Bani Isra’il rejected so many prophets (a.s.) that came after Moses (a.s.), despite this not being part of the teachings of the Torah, hence inviting Divine Wrath upon themselves.

The Bani Isra’il have been punished by Allah (s.w.t.), in that they do not have a piece of land to call their home until today. Even the current land (that they term Israel) that they had wrested forcefully from the Arabs, is still in dispute and they do not live peacefully there, unlike many other countries in the world. Where are the massive dominant kingdoms of Solomon (a.s.) and David (a.s.) that the Jews once had? These were magnificent kingdoms, the like of which, no other nation has achieved since then, with Solomon (a.s.) commanding even the jinn and devils! Such an immense and dominant kingdom on earth! Where are these extensive lands where the Jews had undisputed ownership? It is a Divine Punishment that the Jews are unable to unite and to have an undisputed territory to call their own since then. Despite the Torah being a Divine Mirror reflecting the shining guidance of the Lord until the end of times, the Bani Isra’il turned their backs on the Torah and ended up losing their glorious sultanates, leaving them with locked hearts. So once again, Mawlana asked, what caused their hearts to be locked?

In the Holy Qur'an, Allah described the Bani Israel, as people who had hearts of stone:

ثُمَّ قَسَتۡ قُلُوۡبُكُمۡ مِّنۡۢ بَعۡدِ ذٰلِكَ فَهِىَ كَالۡحِجَارَةِ اَوۡ اَشَدُّ قَسۡوَةً

Then, after that, your hearts were hardened and became as stones or even worse in hardness. (al-Baqarah:74)

They questioned Moses (a.s.) at Mount Tursina, demanding to see Allah (s.w.t.) before they trusted what Moses (a.s.) brought. They accused their prophet (a.s.) of using black magic on them to delude them, so they wanted proof that Moses (a.s.) was indeed bringing a Divine message. Yet, the blessings that had descended on Mount Tursina was unimaginable, says Mawlana, even the mountain shook in awe at the revelations, yet the Bani Isra’il were unconvinced. They doubted and falsely accused their Guide, they fought him and disbelieved his message. In doing so, they fell away from Allah's (s.w.t.) Mercy, and Shaytan was able to lock their hearts, right in the presence of Moses (a.s.)! It is because they had strayed from the Protection brought by their Guide (by opposing him), that their hearts could be locked, and Shaytan hovered nearby to keep it locked thereafter. Not only did they oppose Moses (a.s.) and doubt him, they did that to subsequent prophets (a.s.), they even tried to kill Jesus (a.s.).

Jesus (a.s.) was one of the greatest messengers, how is it that people claim that he came with a message to worship him, instead of his Lord? Today, Jews, Christians and Muslims fight, each upholding their own ideology, and Shaytan sits in their midst, watching gleefully as tensions rise, animosity grows, hatred takes root and finally, blood spills between people of these three faiths. Humans do not realize how Shaytan has done his worst for them, how he has pitted them against one another, how he has led them to their destruction. We no longer realize who we really are, we should not be fighting one another, we should be fighting our egos, for the Prophet (s.a.w.) said, “The biggest jihad, is to fight your own ego!” Those who do not do so, shall certainly fall into Hell.

al-Fatihah.

Asking Aid from the Prophets, Saints & Scholars

2010-10-03T17:28:00.002+08:00

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

http://www.marifah.net/articles/istighatha-shamsuddinramli.pdf

A student asked Imam Shihab ad-Din ar-Ramli (r.a.): Regarding what occurs amongst the awwam who when in distress say “Ya Shaykh Fulan” and “Ya Rasulullah” and things like this from seeking aid (istighatha) with the prophets (a.s.) and the awliya (q.s.), the ‘ulama (r.a.) and the righteous, is this permitted or not? And do the messengers (a.s.), prophets (a.s.), awliya (q.s.), the righteous, and the mashaykh (q.s.) possess the ability to assist others after their deaths, and what strengthens that view?

He replied: Istighatha (seeking aid) with the prophets (a.s.) and messengers (a.s.), the awliya (q.s.), the ‘ulama (r.a.) and the righteous is permitted. The messengers (a.s.), prophets (a.s.) and the awliya (q.s.) have [the ability to] assist after their death because the miracles of the prophets (a.s.) and awliya (q.s.) are not severed following their death. As for the prophets (a.s.), then they are alive in their graves praying and doing hajj as it has come in the reports. So assistance from them will be a miracle on their behalf; and the martyrs are also alive, and have been seen, openly killing the kuffar.

And as for the awliya (q.s.), then it is a karama from them. The people of the truth believe that this occurs from the awliya (q.s.) both with intention, and without intention-things that sever the customary manner of phenomenal reality (khariqa lil ‘adah), that Allah the Exalted Brings forth through them. The proof for these things is that they are matters that are (intellectually) possible and the permissibility of their occurrence does not necessitate anything that is impossible. So everything that is in this realm, then it is possible to occur.

(An example) of its occurrence is the story of Maryam (a.s.) and how the provision came to her from Allah (s.w.t.) - as stated in the revelation, and the story of Abu Bakr (r.a.) and his guests as appears in the sahih, and the gushing (flowing forth) of the Nile river due to the letter of ‘Umar (r.a.), and him seeing, while on the minbar in Madina, the army (being approached for a sneak attack), until he said to the ‘amir of the army: “O Sariya, the mountain!”, warning him of the enemy behind the mountain. And Sariya (r.a.) heard his speech even though there was a great distance between them - the distance of two months journey. Khalid ibn Walid (r.a.) drank poison without it harming him.

Khawariq (matters that customarily go against the rules of phenomenal reality) have occurred by the hands of the companions, the followers, and those after them. It is not possible to deny this due to the fact that taken as a whole; they are at the level of tawatur. So, in general, what is possible to be a miracle (mu’jiza) for a prophet (a.s.), is possible to be a karama for a wali (q.s.). There is no distinction between them except in the area of provocation³.

³ This means that there is no difference except that the mu’jiza was in response to a tahaddi, a challenge from the mushrikun saying that he was a liar.

The Basis of Dzikr in All Sufi Orders

2010-10-03T17:11:00.004+08:00

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

The following is based on an excerpt from Mifta ash-Shudur. Concerning the individual bai'ah, it had been narrated by Shaykh Yusuf al-Kurani (q.s.) and His Friends in a valid sanad that Sayyidina Ali (k.w.) had ever asked the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.), “Ya Rasulullah, show me the shortest path to Allah which is also the easiest and the most meritorious in the Sight of Allah to pass through by His Servants!”

Rasulullah (s.a.w.) answered, “That you perform the permanent dzikrullah (dzikr dawam) and the most holy and weighty utterance so far made by myself and the Prophets before me; that is 'La Ilaha Il Allah.' If you put all the things in the skies and earth on one side of the weighing scale and kalmia 'La ilaha il Allah' on the other, you will find the side with the kalmia 'La Ilaha Il Allah' weighing heavier.”

Then he said, “O ‘Ali, Doomsday shall not appear if on this Earth, there are still people who pronounce 'La ilaha il Allah.'”

Sayyidina ‘Ali (k.w.) asked, “Show me the proper method to do the dzikr, O Rasulullah.”

Rasulullah (s.a.w.) answered, “Close both your eyes and listen to me pronouncing it three times. After that, you utter it three times and I will listen.”

Then, Rasulullah (s.a.w.) uttered, “La ilaha il Allah” three times, with both his eyes closed in a loud voice while ‘Ali (k.w.) listened. After that, ‘Ali (k.w.) pronounced it in the same way while Rasulullah (s.a.w.) listened.

This is the method of the talqin dzikr as explained by Sayyidina ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (k.w.). It is further explained that the talqin dzikr of the heart, which is esoteric in nature, is performed with the isbat (positive declaration), not with the nafi (negation of the fancy of existence of other than God).

This pronouncement of the Ism uz-Zath is decreed by Allah (s.w.t.) in the Qur'an:

سُوۡرَةُ الاٴنعَام

...‌ۖ قُلِ ٱللَّهُ‌ۖ ثُمَّ ذَرۡهُمۡ فِى خَوۡضِہِمۡ يَلۡعَبُونَ (٩١)

…Say: "Allah (sent it down)": then leave them to plunge in vain discourse and trifling. (Surah Al-An’am:91)

Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) taught Sayyidina ‘Ali (k.w.) as such, “O ‘Ali, close both your eyes, shut your lips and fold your tongue, then pronounce, ‘Allah, Allah.'”

This is the method that was taught and given to Sayyidina Abu Bakr (r.a.) in secrecy (to strengthen his feelings) by the Prophet (s.a.w.) and this is the dzikr that can be implanted firmly into the heart.

For this, Prophet (s.a.w.) praised Sayyidina Abu Bakr (r.a.), not because of his diligence in praying and fasting but because of that something which had been firmly implanted into his heart.

Says Allah (s.w.t.) in the Qur'an:

سُوۡرَةُ الرّعد

ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَتَطۡمَٮِٕنُّ قُلُوبُهُم بِذِكۡرِ ٱللَّهِ‌ۗ أَلَا بِذِڪۡرِ ٱللَّهِ تَطۡمَٮِٕنُّ ٱلۡقُلُوبُ (٢٨)

"Those who believe, and whose hearts find satisfaction in the remembrance of Allah: for without doubt in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find satisfaction. (Surah Al-Rad:28)

The way of thariqa’ of these two dzikr, the dzikr jahar and dzikr khafi, is the essence of all thariqa’, then it is circulated in greater details, with Allah's (s.w.t.) Grace.

Summary of Suhbah - Even If You Owned All of Dunya, It is Meaningless by Mawlana Shaykh Nazim

2010-10-03T15:11:00.002+08:00

25^th February 2010

Compiled by Muhammad Abdul Sattar Khan on Tuesday, 12^th March 2010 at 16:36

Assalamu’Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh

A'uzubillahi minash shaytan nir-rajeem

Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim

Mawlana welcomed all students, who were gathered to hear and to understand something which they had never understood before. That was a Gift of Allah (s.w.t.) for attendees, that they be Blessed with an understanding that didn't fade away.

Allah (s.w.t.) is Sending Gifts on His servants, day and night, without fail, though more of such gifts arrive at night, as compared to the daytime. Some saints teach of a Special Blessing of Allah (s.w.t.) which descends at night.

Each night, Allah (s.w.t.) Creates a group of special Angels, for a special task, only for that night. And He Creates a different group of angels each night for this same task. Each night is different, each Creation is different, even our selves are not the same today, as compared to how we were yesterday.

In the last third of every night, this group of angels descends to the earth; they search from east to west and from north to south, for a selected group of people. Who are these people? Allah (s.w.t.) commands these Angels, “Go to My Servants in dunya. look how many of My Servants are standing up and praying and glorifying Me and asking from Me for My Pleasure?"

Mawlana says Allah (s.w.t.) did not ask, “Who seeks my Paradise?” Paradise is secondary, the most important goal that all saints seek to attain, more than anything else, is Allah's (s.w.t.) Pleasure. That means their only target is to make Allah Pleased with them and for them to also be pleased with what Allah (s.w.t.) has set for them. The most important thing for you to achieve in this worldly life, is the Pleasure of your Lord!

They are not asking for any gifts from the entire creation - not even for Paradise! Compare that to our prayers, which are always for worldly treasures. Awliya aren't in the least interested in the treasures of dunya, they aren't even interested in the treasures of akhirah; they only want Allah (s.w.t.) to be Pleased with them.

So this group of newly created, special angels are Instructed by Allah (s.w.t.) to seek out and look after these chosen servants of His, servants who desire His Pleasure only. These Angels roam the four corners of the globe, seeking out every one of Bani Adam who stands in worship, seeking to please Allah (s.w.t.) as his only goal. They record down and confirm the names of these pious servants of Allah (s.w.t.), and they rise through the heavens to their special maqam, to present these names to Allah Almighty. These angels are special, says Mawlana, as not every angel gets to be addressed directly from the Divine Presence, but these chosen few have that single task on that single night, and they remain in their maqam, with the list of names, after completing their task. These angels will never come down to earth, ever again.

After these names are shown to Allah Almighty, He then creates a second group of special angels, and these angels are laden with gifts - hidayah - Guidance and Heavenly Grants, and they descend to earth bearing these Gifts. They seek out the servants whose names were on the list, and they place these Gifts in front of these pious servants of Allah (s.w.t.). When this occurs, these servants' hearts are filled with Heavenly Pleasure and Satisfaction, which radiates from their faces, so that a special halo is seen around the faces of these sincere ones.

So in every last third of the night, angels seek out those who are standing and crying and begging their Lord, that they be accepted in the Divine Presence, and grant them their Gifts. Hence, the saints say, that those who seek Allah's (s.w.t.) Pleasure will be granted it. And this is a never-ending process, to be repeated nightly, in the last third of each night. Everyone listed in that Special List nightly will receive Allah's (s.w.t.) Grants and Gifts.

This is the prayer of these Saints each night, "Oh our Lord, we are asking for Your Pleasure, we are asking to Please You, that is our jannah, that is our Paradise. We are asking You to be Pleased with us and to make that our Paradise!” That is the ultimate destination for a believer.

Those who are in this group can be identified by the contented glow emitting from their faces, for, every action has a reaction, every good deed has a reward.

هَلۡ جَزَآءُ ٱلۡإِحۡسَـٰنِ إِلَّا ٱلۡإِحۡسَـٰنُ

Is there any Reward for Good other than Good? (ar-Rahman:60)

Those who seek to please Allah (s.w.t.), Allah (s.w.t.) Rewards them by Pleasing their hearts, and making this life pleasurable for them too, each one according to his level and station, no two servants receive identical gifts of Pleasure from Allah (s.w.t.) - similar perhaps, but not identical - and each gift is tailored to suit its recipient perfectly. Seek to please your Lord, seek His Pleasure, and be pleased with Him, and He Will Fill your heart and life with immeasurable Pleasure.

Oh believers, do not seek the pleasures of dunya, do not chase this worldly life, the Prophet (s.a.w.) said that this dunya is a carcass. What is the benefit of having the entire treasures of dunya in your hand? Or for that matter, the treasures of the whole universe in your hand? No Prophet (a.s.) came to call his ummah to dunya. None. You were not created for the purpose of chasing this temporary life, the imitation ruby. Do not waste your life chasing this worldly existence, anything associated with this dunya, is worthless. Mawlana lamented that it is so sad, that billions are chasing dunya today, and he prayed, “Oh Allah, give us understanding, that we love the eternal life, save us from being cheated by the imitated treasures of this life. Oh Allah, give us from Your treasures, that we may be in Your Divine Presence.”

The summary of the teachings of all Prophets (a.s.) and of all Holy Books is this: That Man must live in this dunya, to seek his Lord's Pleasure, and to be pleased with Him. That is his sole purpose, his ultimate goal in life.

Mawlana then addressed some of the disgruntled scholars, who have borne the brunt of his hard-hitting criticism in past suhbah. He told them, to be fair to themselves, and not to brush off every advice from Mawlana, just because they feel offended by his advice in the past. Instead, Mawlana says that they should weigh each advice carefully, and if they feel that a particular advice is beneficial, they should accept it and practise it. A blanket rejection of all Mawlana's advice is not advisable, as they may miss out on some pearls (like today's lesson), which they can practise and benefit from. Mawlana gave an example of ruby miners in Ceylon. When they dig in the mines, they will turn up both gravel and rubies, of which they discard the gravel and gratefully pocket the ruby. So everyone should listen to the advice dished out, if they feel it is merely gravel, feel free to walk away from the lesson, but if it is a ruby, surely they should treasure it close to their hearts.

al-Fatiha

Deputy of Allah (s.w.t.) through Shah Al-Faiz Osmanli Naqshbandi

2010-10-02T07:33:00.002+08:00

Friday, 01^st October 2010 at 16:00

How is Honour given to mankind. Yes! Mankind has been given Honour. Even the Angels were asking for the Honour that Allah Almighty gave to Adam (a.s.).

There are certain things in Creation that are impossible to be seen with the naked eye. They are atoms, zarra. We cannot see them even through an electronic microscope. The Light (Nur) in our eyes cannot see them. There are large objects like the sun, moon and the stars which in their entirety cannot also be seen through the light of the naked eye. This is because of their immense size.

Yes! There are also very small atoms which cannot even be cut into two pieces. If the cutting takes place and the parts are separated they shall cease to be. Who brings these into existence, the small and the large? It is Allah Almighty who Brings them into existence. Yes! The thing that was brought into existence must know who brought it into existence. Everything from the tiniest particle to the largest should have knowledge of itself and recognition of its Creator. They are not dead they are living.

Everything in existence is living and each of them has a different kind of light. The highest level of light through the entirety of creation is for mankind, thereafter the animals, then the plants and then what we call inanimate things, such as rocks, earth etc.

Those who do not know say that inanimate things do not have life. I ask them, if the earth has no life, how do plants receive life from them. The earth feeds the plants with life, because without the earth there can be no life for plants. The earth looks to the Commands of its Creator, when its Creator Sends rain on it. Allah Almighty Sends the Secret of Life through water to the earth and the combination of the earth and water give life to the plants.

Even the smallest particle belonging to the earth must know its Creator and must glorify Him. This means everything in existence has knowledge. The Knowledge that Allah Almighty Gave the earth is not the same as that which He Gave to the plants. The knowledge Given to the plants is inferior to the knowledge that is Given to the animals. Animals have not been Given the knowledge that has been Given to mankind. Even the angels have not been Given the type of knowledge that has been Given to mankind.

The angels have been Given a lot of knowledge, but Adam (a.s.) was Given much more knowledge and is Honoured thereby. This is why Allah Almighty has Appointed Sayyidina Adam (a.s.) and his children to be His Deputies. The word ‘Deputy’ means to be able to control the whole world. Without knowledge however the world cannot be controlled. Therefore it follows that if they are to control they must be given knowledge.

Through knowledge comes authority; if there is no knowledge there can be no authority. The knowledge that was needed to control the world was first granted to Sayyidina Adam (a.s.), for Allah Almighty Says that He Taught Adam (a.s.) everything. When Allah Almighty used the word ‘everything’, it meant that Adam (a.s.) was to know everything throughout Creation. With this knowledge also was given the Secret Power to be able to control everything in the universe.

Allah Almighty has endless universes. When the potential Deputy or the candidate becomes a real Deputy, Allah Almighty shall give him a universe to control. When such knowledge and control is given to a Deputy of Allah Almighty, he has only to say? ‘Be’ and the universe is ready and comes into existence. He shall be like the sun to the earth. If there is no sun there shall be no life on earth. These deputies give life to the universe like the sun gives light to the earth. This is done through their Secret Spiritual Power. They are given the capacity to control the universe when they are able to control their egos.

If a person is able to control himself he is Granted by Allah Almighty to be a real Deputy of Allah Almighty, and he shall be Invited to the Divine Holy Presence of Holy Prophet Muhammad Rasulullah, on whom be peace. Then the Prophet (s.a.w.) shall dress him with the Crown of the real Deputy. He shall then be like the sun to the universe. He shall give from the Divine Lights that has been Granted to him to the universe.

Even the sun shines through the Divine Lights of the one who is His Deputy. This Secret Power goes from his heart to the sun and the sun is made to shine. If this Deputy is not in control, then this sun shall not shine. This is because of the fact that the value and importance of His Deputy is more valuable in the Divine Presence than the Universe.

Who is he who can control himself? No one is able to control himself without being Given authority. He must for this purpose join up with an Authority. It is only then that he will be able to control himself. If a person wants to become a doctor, lawyer or an architect he must be under and learn from a doctor, lawyer or an architect. In similar fashion the one who is seeking to become a Deputy of Allah Almighty should be trained at the hands of an Authority or Deputy of Allah Almighty. This is how he would be able to control himself and thereafter to be able to control the Universe.

Shah Bahauddeen Naqshaband (q.s.), the Imam of the Naqshbandi Tariqa’ gives authority and prepares his followers through his associations to reach to their real Deputy stations. This is why tariqa’ are necessary as they are the chain of authority. Tariqa’ therefore take people to their real Deputy positions. The ignorant ones do not however understand this. They teach that tariqa’ are for the collecting of dunya.

If a real Authority from a tariqa’ looks at this dunya he would be thrown away and this Secret would be Taken away from him. Therefore their looking is not like our looking. Their Secret Power shall with their looking give to the earth, to the flowers, to the plants, to the animals or to man according to their needs. This is given through their Secret Light.

This is why the Prophet, on whom be peace, said that the looking of a mu’min must be for wisdom. This is why the whole World is under the control of them and they are also able to be in so many places at the same time. They also have many eyes among people and also among nature. They do this with authority, and this authority is from tariqa’. Bringing people to their real Deputy positions is the way of real tariqa’.

We do not come here to eat, drink and enjoy ourselves. Even animals do that. We come here as the Prophets (a.s.) came. Every Prophet (a.s.) was asked to show their nations, ‘Alam ul-Kubra, the Oceans of Power, the Oceans of Worlds. To show them these Oceans and to carry them to these Oceans. They showed to the people extraordinary miracles through their Power Oceans. The people wondered and marveled at these miracles. The saints too, show people miracles (karamat) through their extraordinary Power Oceans. What is the reason for them to show people miracles. This is to make people realise the power that has been Given to the real deputies of Allah Almighty, and to make them become interested in the real Deputy positions that have been given to them.

The people are at wonderment at the miraculous feats of these real deputies of Allah Almighty. They should not think that the deputies of Allah Almighty are controlling the universes with their physical powers. Physical powers are nothing and it is weaker than the ants when compared to the Deputy Power which is huge and gigantic. Therefore the saints are huge and gigantic with the Secret Knowledge given to them by the Prophet, on whom be peace.

It is said that when a weak servant is adorned by the crown of the Deputy of Allah Almighty the light that comes from him shall make the light of the sun and stars be like candles in comparison to the sun when the sun is shining. Even if one were to put a million candles in the sunlight the light of the sun shall make these candles disappear. Such is the light of the sun and the stars compared to the light of the Deputy of Allah Almighty. Yes! It is a huge power that is to be granted to us through our hearts. We are in need for an opening of our hearts.

It is not possible for us to reach to that Opening if we are not going in the way of tariqa’. If we do not follow this private way and the private training of the Holy Qur’an, we shall never reach to that Opening. We should then be of the common people and not of them. For example, it is like the sky with the sun and the stars which are the deputies and the millions and billions of lightless things going around space who are the common people.

The common people are the unenlightened ones. They have no Nur and no Opening. We are tariqa’ people and we are trying for an Opening. Allah Almighty will ask us. “Why are you coming to me without an Opening. What did you do for so many years, and I gave you everything for your Opening. Why didn’t you open up your hearts? And. why is it that you did not reach to the level of real beings?”

May Allah Almighty Give us good understanding so as to make us follow a person who will take us towards this direction, where there are the treasures of our Lord. When you follow such a person you may move towards it. Yes! If you know and believe you must go in this direction but if you do not know and if you do not believe even if the whole world calls you, you will not go in this direction.

Therefore we are asking for good understanding from Allah Almighty. We are asking Him to let us know about ourselves and as to what we should do and as to how we should do it. We ask Allah Almighty to Grant to our hearts a desire for such treasures. This association is only to make your hearts to desire these treasures and openings. If that desire comes into existence it is going to be so easy for you. Therefore you must ask to follow and you must reach. May Allah Almighty grant you success.