A Muslim Convert Once More

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ “ Laa hawla wa laa quwwata illa billah ”, “There is no power and no strength except Allah”, is the refrain of the oppressed, and the comfort of the distressed.  It is the Promise, as Mawlay Abu ‘Abdullah Muhammad al-‘Arabi ibn Ahmad ad-Darqawi ( q.s. ) said, that whatever we lose can be replaced with something better, but if we lose Allah ( s.w.t. ), then nothing can replace Him.  He is Omniscient and Omnipotent.  He has Power over all things.  There is no better recourse than Allah ( s.w.t. ).   Imam ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Alawi al-Haddad ( q.s. ), in “Gifts for the Seeker”, wrote, “It is reported that ‘ Laa hawla wa laa quwwata illa billah ’ is a remedy for 99 ailments, the least of which is sorrow.  It is a remedy for sorrow because grief mostly occurs when one misses something one loves, or when a distressful thing occurs; and whenever either of these things occurs people perceive their helplessness and inability to achi...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ The following is adapted from “Celebrating ‘Iyd al-Milad an-Nabi ”, by Imam Abu al-Fadhl ‘Abd ar-Rahman ibn Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad Jalal ad-Din as-Suyuthi ( q.s. ).   The question under consideration is the verdict of the shari’ah on celebrating the birthday of the Prophet ( s.a.w. ) in the month of Rabi’ al-Awwal.   From the point of view of the shari’ah , is this a praiseworthy action or a blameworthy one?   And do those who arrange such a celebration receive blessings or not?   The reply to this question is that the Milad , celebration of the birthday of the Prophet ( s.a.w. ), is, in fact, such an occasion of happiness on which people assemble and recite the Qur’an to the extent that is easy.   Then they relate the prophecies concerning the appearance of the Prophet ( s.a.w. ) that have been transmitted in ahadits and atsar , and the miraculous events and signs that took place on his birth.   Then food is se...

‎ بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ This is  Shaykh Taqi’ ad-Din Ahmad ibn ‘Abd al-Halim ibn Taymiyyah ’s ( r.a. ) opinion about Mawlid from Majma’ Fatawi ibn Taymiyyah : “To celebrate and to honour the birth of the Prophet ( s.a.w. ), and to take it as an honoured season, as some of the people are doing, is good and in it there is a great reward, because of their good intentions in honouring the Prophet ( s.a.w. ).”   Imam Shams ad-Din Abu ‘Abdullah Muhammad ibn Abu Bakr ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah ( r.a. ), the most renowned student of Shaykh ibn Taymiyyah ( r.a. ), wrote, in Madarij as-Salikin , “Listening to a good voice celebrating the birthday of the Prophet ( s.a.w. ) or celebrating any of the holy days in our history gives peace to the heart, and gives the listener light from the Prophet ( s.a.w. ) to his heart, and he will drink more from the Muhammadan spring.”   One of the more renowned scholars is Hafizh ‘Imad ad-Din  Abu al-Fida’   Isma’il...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Every year in Rabi’ al-Awwal,  Habib ‘Umar ibn Muhammad ibn al-Hafizh  ( q.s. ) gives a prayer upon the Prophet ( s.a.w. ) to be read by anyone who wishes.   This year he has given us the following prayer to be read 7,000 times if possible, in this blessed month:   اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّا نَدْعُوكَ بِأَسْمَائِكَ الحُسْنى وكَلِمَاتِكَ التَّامَّاتِ أَنْ تُصَلَّيَ وتُسَلِّمَ على شَرِيفِ الذَّات، كَريمِ الصِّفات، عَبْدِكَ وَحَبِيبِكَ سَيِّدِنا مُحَمِّدٍ وعلى آلِهِ وصَحْبِهِ القادَات، وإِخْوَانِهِ مِنْ النَّبِيِّينَ وآلِهِم . وصَحْبِهِمْ والتَّابِعِين وأَنْ تُغِيثَ المُسْلِمين، وتَلْطُفَ بِهِم فِيما تَجْري بِهِ المَقادِير، يا نِعْمَ المَوْلى و نِعْمَ النَّصِير، وأَنْ تُفَرِّجَ كُرُوبَهُم، وتَكْشِفَ السُّوءَ والضُرَّ عَنْهُمْ يا قادِرُ يا قَوِيُّ يا مَتِينُ يا أَرْحَمَ الرَّاحِمين آمين   Allaahumma innā nad’uuka bi asmaa’ik’al-husnaa wa kalimaatik at-taammaati an tuswalliya wa tusallima ‘alaa shariif adz-dzaat kariim asw-swifaa...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Mawlana Wafi’ Muhammad wrote:   “From the barren lands of Arabia, A beautiful tree appeared, Providing shade for the travelers, And fruits on which they fed.   Sincere, truthful and trustworthy, Polite, loving and kind. Everyone loved him dearly, He was courteous and kind.   A special person from God was he, A mercy to the worlds. Elevated is his personality, His coming was foretold.   A mirror of true reflection, The lamp that gives us light, The best of all creation, The full moon in the night.   The last of all Messengers, The perfect guide, is he, For Arabs and foreigners, Peace on him and his family.”