A Muslim Convert Once More

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   The following is text from a lecture on self-purification by Mawlana Wafi’ Muhammad.   Every person should concentrate on the removal of undesirable growths and impurities from the personality.   It involves the self-imposition of efforts for eradicating those tendencies that are obstacles in the path of moral development.   In this way, it puts an end to the conflict of good and evil that rages in the human breast.   Theologically, the process for do doing is called tazkiyyah .   To abide by the requirements of attaining self purification is one of the most important ingredients for success in both the worlds physically and spiritually.   When practiced, it brings spiritual health, morality, love for Allah ( s.w.t. ), love for the Prophet ( s.a.w. ) and engaging in dzikr , to be God-conscious at all times.   When this is done, one becomes a model of compassion, piety and truthfulness.   This is one...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Shaykh Muhammad Nazhim Adil al-Haqqani ( q.s. ) said, “Years ago, as I was walking with my Grand Shaykh in Damascus, a football that some boys were playing with hit me on the head and knocked my turban off.  I got very angry and turned around, shouting, “O you miserable brat!’   Grand Shaykh said, ‘Oh Nazhim Effendi, you have just lost your faith.  How can you claim to believe that everything comes from Allah ( s.w.t. ) when you are ready to blame someone for something that hits you on the head?  Do you not know that Allah ( s.w.t. ) is the Original Cause of that event?  So why are you blinded by secondary causes?  When that ball hit you why did you look to see which one threw it in order to quarrel with him?  Do you not know that it is from Allah ( s.w.t. )?’  Then I recited the confession of faith to renew my faith.   The level of faith that our Grand Shaykh referred to is the level of prophets ...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ The following is adapted from a swuhbah from Shaykh Muhammad Nazhim Adil al-Haqqani ( q.s. ) on the 14 th October 2010.   In it, we are told to return to Allah ( s.w.t. ) as a servant, and He will Honour us like a king.   Prophet Solomon ( a.s. ) began his letter to the Queen Balqis ( r.a. ) of Sheba as follows:   سُوۡرَةُ النَّمل إِنَّهُ ۥ مِن سُلَيۡمَـٰنَ وَإِنَّهُ ۥ بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ (٣٠)   “It is from Solomon, and is (as follows): ‘In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful …’” (Surah an-Naml:30)   We are all weak.   We all wish to be more powerful and more honoured in faith.   We wish to be Forgiven by Allah ( s.w.t. ) and to be amongst the best in His Eyes.   If that is the desire, then recite Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim at least 100 times daily.   At any time we feel threatened by a situation or by ta problem in this, the answer is to recite B...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   There was once a baker in a small village who had a neighbour who owed him some money.   One day, the baker decided to ask for his money back and went to the neighbour’s shop at the market.   The neighbour gave excuses which made the baker very angry and he snarled loudly to the neighbour, “Watch out!   I will teach you a lesson!”   When he reached home, the baker’s wife tried to pacify him when he told her what happened at the market.   Everything went back to normal.   They both retired to bed for the night.   The next morning, when the baker stepped out of his house, he tripped.   Looking down at the steps of his door, the baker saw the dead body of his neighbour.   The baker panicked and remembered that he had threatened his neighbour in public the day before.   He thought the villagers would definitely accuse him of murder.   Without hesitation, the baker ran into his room and ...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ The following is adapted from a swuhbah from Shaykh Muhammad Nazhim Adil al-Haqqani ( q.s. ) on the 27 th March 2010.   It is important for us to spare some time daily for our spiritual development.   We must focus on this aspect of our lives, and try to attain an understanding of Divine Knowledge and gain Divine Support.   We must constantly seek refuge from Shaythan for he represents all that is filthy, ugly and evil.   Every single evil and every unacceptable trait of the worst possible behaviour exists within him.   These are dangerous weapons in his arsenal, each capable of causing great harm to us.   We must always be wary of him.   A single poisoned arrow from Shaythan is sufficient to destroy us.   Everything within Shaythan and emerging from him is poisonous.   These warnings must be repeated as Allah ( s.w.t. ) Commanded Rasulullah ( s.a.w. ):   سُوۡرَةُ الذّاریَات وَذَكِّرۡ فَ...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   The following article was taken from “Islam in the Caribbean and South America in Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries.”   The terms “Caribbean and South American” refer to aggregations of countries, not to specific areas within legally defined boundaries.   Thirty-one countries form the Caribbean, which is divided into English, French, Spanish, and Dutch linguistic regions.   The majority of the countries are English-speaking.   The total Muslim population by country varies from 4 to 15 percent.   The largest Muslim populations are in English-speaking countries such as Guyana and Trinidad & Tobago.   There are small communities made up of Muslims of African descent, but the greatest number of Muslims are descendents of immigrants from India and Indonesia who came as indentured servants.   In French-speaking countries, such as Guadeloupe, Guyana Françoise, Haiti, and Martinique, the Muslim community is...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Shaykh Taj ad-Din Abu al-Fadhl Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Atha’illah as-Sakandari ( q.s. ) said, “People praise you for what they imagine you are, so be sure that you blame yourself for what you know you are.”   Imam Abu ‘Abdullah Muhammad ibn Abu Ishaq Ibrahim ibn ‘Abbad ar-Rundi ( q.s. ) commented. “For a servant to blame himself and look at himself with disgust for the faults and defects that he knows he possesses is something that is sought from him because it helps him avoid having delusions about himself, which, in turn, allows him to improve his good deeds and his spiritual states.   If he does not look at himself in this manner, people’s praise will cause his deeds and states to wither away.”   The awliya’ have said that whoever rejoices when others praise him has allowed Shaythan to come into him.   If someone tells you what a wonderful person you are and you love this more than for them to tell you what an a...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ The following is adapted from a swuhbah from Shaykh Muhammad Nazhim Adil al-Haqqani ( q.s. ) on the 08 th October 2010.   All over the world, there is hatred and wickedness.   Man is plotting to do his worst to his neighbour, to hurt one another and to disregard the rights of others.   Humans have lost their humanity, they have become like wild beasts; they slay, maim and devour each other, there is not a shred of pity left in the hearts of many.   Allah ( s.w.t. ) Created Mankind to be Dressed in robes of honour.   Instead, Mankind has followed Iblis, and he has been dressed in Iblis’ ruinous traits.   Instead of blossoming into a receptacle of Divine Love, he has become a pit of putrid hatred.   We have read so many stories in the Holy Qur’an of former ummah who incurred the Lord’s wrath, and who were then destroyed by Divine Anger.   Each one of these umam were reduced to dust.   None of the ...