A Muslim Convert Once More

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Shaykh Bishr ibn Harits ( q.s. ) is better known as “Bishr al-Hafi”, “Bishr the Barefoot.”  He was a wali born near Merv, in 767 CE.  He was converted from a life of iniquity and studied hadits under Shaykh Abu ‘Ali Fudhayl ibn ‘lyadh ( q.s. ), himself a great wali who had repented from banditry. Shaykh Bishr ( q.s. ) then devoted his life to Allah ( s.w.t. ) and became famous as one of the greatest saints in the area.   Shaykh Bishr ( q.s. ) settled at Baghdad.  The story of his conversion was narrated by Shaykh Farid ad-Din ‘Aththar Abu Hamid ibn Abu Bakr Ibrahim ( q.s. ) in Tadzkirat al-Awliya’ .  Shaykh ‘Aththar ( q.s. ) narrated that Shaykh Bishr ( q.s. ) had lived a life of dissipation.  One of his neighbours was a pious man who did not think very much of Shaykh Bishr ( q.s. ) and his lifestyle.  One day, as he was staggering home drunk, he found a piece of paper on which was written, “ Bismillah ar-Rah...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ The following is adapted from a swuhbah from Shaykh Muhammad Nazhim Adil al-Haqqani ( q.s. ) on the 09 th October 2010.   Shaykh Nazhim ( q.s. ) advised us to put aside some time daily to attend the swuhbah as it contains news of our akhirah .   Just as we spend time daily keeping abreast of worldly news, we must also make time for the news of the hereafter.   Shaykh Nazhim ( q.s. ) tackled the issue of narrow-minded Wahhabi scholars who were constantly on the lookout for, what they viewed as transgressions in religion.   For example, at funerals, they would forbid crying, the reading of the talqin and the placing of any sort of tombstone on the grave.   They liked to control people and impose their literal and shallow interpretation of Qur’an and the ahadits on people.   The Wahhabis want graves to remain unmarked, unnoticed and unvisited.   Rasulullah ( s.a.w. ) said death was the best reminder for...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Shaykh Najm ad-Din Abu al-Jannab Ahmad ibn ‘Umar al-Kubra’, ( q.s. ) was a 13 th century Persian Sufi from Khwarizm.   Shaykh Najm ad-Din al-Kubra ( q.s. ) was known as the “Pillar of the Age” and one of the greatest Sufis of all time.   He was the founder of the Kubrawiyyah Sufi Order which was influential in the Ilkhanid and Timurid dynasties.   His methodology is considered exemplary of a golden age of Sufi metaphysics.   It was related to the Illuminism of Shaykh Shahab ad-Din Yahya ibn Habash as-Suhrawardi al-Ishraq ( q.s. ) the founder of Suhrawardi Order.   His close associates included Shaykh Abu Muhammad Sa’adi Muswlih ad-Din ibn ‘Abdullah ash-Shirazi ( q.s. ) as well as Shaykh Shams ad-Din Muhammad at-Tabriz ( q.s. ).   Born in 540 AH / 1145 CE, Shaykh Najm ad-Din ( q.s. ) began his career as a scholar of ahadits and kalam .   His interest in Sufism began in Egypt, where he became a murid of Shayk...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Sayyidina Bilal ibn Rabah al-Habashi ( r.a. ) moved to Damascus upon the demise of Rasulullah ( s.a.w. ).  He dreamed of the Prophet ( s.a.w. ) who asked him, “Why did you run away from me, O Bilal?”   Sayyidina Bilal ( r.a. ) quickly returned to Madina.  He went to visit the Prophet’s ( s.a.w. ) maqam , crying.  On his way back, he met Sayyidina Abu Bakr ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Utsman asw-Swiddiq ( r.a. ) who said to him, “O Bilal, I wish you would perform adzan as before.”   Sayyidina Bilal ( r.a. ) replied, “No, I cannot bring myself to do it since the passing of the Prophet ( s.a.w. ).”   Sayyidina Bilal ( r.a. ) continued walking and met Sayyidina Abu Hafsw ‘Umar ibn al-Khaththab al-Faruq ( r.a. ).  He, too, asked Sayyidina Bilal ( r.a. ) to perform the adzan .  Sayyidina Bilal ( r.a. ) replied, “I cannot. I am afraid I will not be able to say the Prophet’s ( s.a.w. ) name.”   Sayyidina Bilal ( r.a....

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ The following is from ‘Umdat an-Nazir ‘ala al-Ashbah wa an-Nazha’ir by Imam Zayn ad-Din ibn Ibrahim ibn Nujaym al-Miswri ( r.a. ).  The lesson here is about not jumping to conclusions and thinking the best of people.   Imam Abu Hanifah Nu’man ibn Tsabit ( r.a. ) was told by a man in the presence of his students, “I do not hope for Paradise.  I do not fear Hell.  I do not fear Allah ( s.w.t. ).  I have eaten the dead.  I have prayed without recitation, bowing, or prostration.  I testify to that which I do not see, and I love tribulation.”   Imam Abu Hanifah’s ( r.a. ) students were unanimous in their opinion: “This man has a problem.”   Imam Abu Hanifah ( r.a. ) said, “This man hopes in Allah ( s.w.t. ), not in Paradise.  He fears Allah ( s.w.t. ), not the Fire.  He does not fear oppression from Allah ( s.w.t. ) in His Punishment.  He has eaten fish and grasshoppers.  He prays...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ It is related that the Sufi Master, Imam Abu al-Qasim al-Junayd ibn Muhammad al-Baghdadi ( q.s. ), once went for a walk outside of Baghdad, his disciples following him.  The Shaykh ( q.s. ) then asked them how Bahlul was.  They answered, “He is a crazy person, what do you need from him?”   “Bring me to him because I have a need for him,” he said.   The students searched for Bahlul, whose reputation was that of a mad mystic, and found him in the desert.  They took Imam Junayd ( q.s. ) to him.  When Imam Junayd ( q.s. ) went near Bahlul, he saw Bahlul lying in a state of agitation, with a brick under his head for a pillow.   Imam Junayd ( q.s. ) greeted him with the salutation of peace.   Bahlul replied thus, and then asked, “Who are you?”   “I am Junayd al-Baghdadi.”   Bahlul asked, “Are you Abu al-Qasim?”   “Yes.” replied Imam Junayd ( q.s. ).   “Are you the same Shaykh al-...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   The following is from Mawlana Jalal ad-Din Muhammad ar-Rumi’s ( q.s. ) Divan-e Shams .   It was translated by Dr. Alan A. Godlas.   “In the path of Your Love, We are prisoners of misfortunes. Poor lovers, we are unlike anyone You have seen. Throw Your Glance this way, For we are strangers in this town. Be Generous with us, For we are beggars in this town. No piety to sit in solitude of prayer. No joy to run around the tavern. Neither temperate nor drunkards. Not here nor there. Who are we, where from? Like Hallaj; we are not afraid of death; We are crazy lovers of God. If our fear was the fear of misfortune, What should we fear now? When we are in the midst of misfortune? We have a secret with You, No soul can ever share, Even if we lose our heads. Our lips are sealed; We do not worry about hell, Nor care about heaven. Unveil Yourself for we are eager to see Your Face O Shams, have...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ The following is adapted from “Are There Female Prophets in Islam?”   Why is Maryam ( a.s. ) not counted as a prophet by most Muslims when she is clearly Mentioned in the Qur’an in the list of prophets in Surah al-Anbiya’?   In the Arabic, there is plural mix for both masculine and feminine; the masculine form of the word is applied thus in Surah al-Anbiya’ indicating a mix of prophets from both genders.   Maryam ( a.s. ) is mentioned with “ wa ”, that means “and”, before her name, as are all the other prophets in that surah .   سُوۡرَةُ الاٴنبیَاء وَٱلَّتِىٓ أَحۡصَنَتۡ فَرۡجَهَا فَنَفَخۡنَا فِيهَا مِن رُّوحِنَا وَجَعَلۡنَـٰهَا وَٱبۡنَهَآ ءَايَةً۬ لِّلۡعَـٰلَمِينَ (٩١)   And (remember) her who guarded her chastity: We Breathed into her of Our Spirit, and We Made her and her son a Sign for all peoples. (Surah al-Anbiya’:91)   Some scholars say that there were never any female prophets, and their reason is tha...