A Muslim Convert Once More

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Shaykh ‘Ala ad-Din Abu ‘Abdullah Muhammad ibn ‘Abd ar-Rahman al-Bukhari ( q.s. )   said, “To visit saints, is a sunnah wajibah , a duty on every seeker, at least every day, or every other day, while keeping the limits and respect between you and your shaykh .   If the distance is great between you and your shaykh , visit him at least every one or two months.   Do not rely only on your connection with their heart, lest you become disconnected.”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Shaykh ‘Ala ad-Din Abu ‘Abdullah Muhammad ibn ‘Abd ar-Rahman al-Bukhari ( q.s. ) said, “To be near the graves of pious people has a good influence, although to direct yourself to their souls is better and carries with it a higher spiritual influence.   The Prophet ( s.a.w. ) said, ‘Send prayers for me wherever you are.’   This indicates that you can reach the Prophet ( s.a.w. ) wherever you are, and it applies to His saints as well, because they take their power from the Prophet ( s.a.w. ).”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ On this day of ‘Ashura , we remember the prominent personalities of Bani Hashim and the Ahl al-Bayt martyred at Karbala.   Historians have recorded the names of the following shuhadah :   1. Hadhrat Muhammad ibn Abu Sa’id ibn ‘Aqil ibn Abu Thalib ( r.a. ); 2. Hadhrat ‘Abdullah ibn Muslim ibn ‘Aqil ibn Abu Thalib ( r.a. ); 3. Hadhrat ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Aqil ibn Abu Thalib ( r.a. ); 4. Hadhrat ‘Abd ar-Rahman ibn ‘Aqil ibn Abu Thalib ( r.a. ); 5. Hadhrat Ja’far ibn ‘Aqil ibn Abu Thalib ( r.a. ); 6. Hadhrat Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah ibn Ja’far ibn Abu Thalib ( r.a. ); 7. Hadhrat ‘Abbas ibn ‘Ali ibn Abu Thalib ( r.a. ); 8. Hadhrat ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Ali ibn Abu Thalib ( r.a. ); 9. Hadhrat ‘Utsman ibn ‘Ali ibn Abu Thalib ( r.a. ); 10. Hadhrat Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibn Abu Thalib ( r.a. ); 11. Hadhrat Abu Bakr ibn ‘Ali ibn Abu Thalib ( r.a. ); 12. Hadhrat Abu Bakr ibn al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali ibn Abu Thalib ( r.a. ); 13. Hadhrat ‘Abdullah ...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Shaykh Muhyi ad-Din Abu ‘Abdullah Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibn ‘Arabi ( q.s. ) said: “God does not pass judgement over things except through them – this is the essence of the mystery of qadr , for the one who has a heart”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ It is written in the I Ching in the 19 th Hexagram on Lin , the receptive earth over the joyous lake, “The superior man is inexhaustible in his will to teach, and without limits in his tolerance and protection of the people.”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Shaykh Muhyi ad-Din Abu ‘Abdullah Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibn ‘Arabi ( q.s. ) said, “Hearts are the fields of mysteries.   Cultivate them with spiritual practice and refinement of character, and do not leave them as mere grazing for flocks and herds.”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ The following is my answer to a Quora question: “ What do Sunni Muslims think of the Day of ‘Ashura? ”   In Sunni Islam, ‘Ashura has a spiritual meaning.   Each prophet experienced a significant event on that day.   All those prophets, except Prophet Muhammad ( s.a.w. ), had a positive development on that day.   Adam ( a.s. ) was Forgiven by Allah ( s.w.t. ); Noah ( a.s. ) was Saved from the flood and the ark came to rest; Moses ( a.s. ) was Saved from Pharaoh with the Israelites and received the Commandments; Abraham ( a.s. ) was Saved from the fire of Nimrod and received his title, ‘al-Khalil’ and Jesus ( a.s. ) was Raised up to Heaven.   Additionally, this was also the Day, Enoch ( a.s. ) was Raised to the Heavens; Job ( a.s. ) was Relieved from his trial; Jonah ( a.s. ) was saved from the three layers of darkness; David ( a.s. ) was Forgiven; Solomon ( a.s. ) Received his kingdom and was Restored to it.   As f...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Shaykh ‘Ala ad-Din Abu ‘Abdullah Muhammad ibn ‘Abd ar-Rahman al-Bukhari ( q.s. ) said, referring to his shaykh, Shah Baha’ ad-Din Muhammad an-Naqshband ( q.s. ), “When Shah Naqshband got new clothes, he would give them to someone else to wear.   After they were used, he would borrow them back.”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Shaykh ‘Ala ad-Din Abu ‘Abdullah Muhammad ibn ‘Abd ar-Rahman al-Bukhari ( q.s. ) , “When Allah ( s.w.t. ) Makes you forget both worldly power and the Heavenly Kingdom, this is Absolute Annihilation.   And if He Makes you forget Absolute Annihilation, it is the Essence of Absolute Annihilation.”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Imam Abu al-Qasim ‘Abd al-Karim ibn Huzan al-Qushayri ( q.s. ) put it, for example, “The heart and the spirit are the repositories of praiseworthy characteristics, whereas the soul is the repository of blameworthy ones.”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Imam Abu ‘Abdullah Muhammad ibn Sa’id al-Buswiri ash-Shadzili ( q.s. ) wrote, in his Qaswidah al-Burdah , “It is from remembering past neighbours at Dzu Salam, that you mingle with blood tears shed from your eyes?”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Shaykh Farid ad-Din ‘Aththar Abu Hamid ibn Abu Bakr Ibrahim ( q.s. ) wrote:   “O Lord of the Worlds, I have foundered, Drowned in tears of blood, My ship driven ashore.”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ I posted this, on The Sharing Group, on the 16 th October 2016: How is it possible for Allah ( s.w.t. ) to Forgive sins without a human-deity sacrifice, but the Christian God cannot forgive sins without it?   Brother Colin Turner: This is one of the most difficult sticking points when Muslims and Christians discuss salvation. Thanks for this.   Brother Terence Kenneth John Nunis: I concur that it is the most difficult.. I believe the reasons stem from their different understanding of Salvation.   Often, different groups use the same words and assume that they all mean the same thing.   Brother Alen Deomic: If you really believe that Jesus ( a.s. ) took your sins on the cross, then there is no need to repent for your sins anymore, right?   Brother Terence Kenneth John Nunis: Actually, that is a misconception.   As I have explained, theologically, there are two aspects of Salvation from a Christian perspectiv...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ The following is my answer to a Quora question: “ How is it possible for Allah ( s.w.t. ) to Forgive sins without a human-deity sacrifice, but the Christian God cannot forgive sins without a human-deity sacrifice? ”   Essentially, you are asking about the difference between Salvation in Christianity and Islam. This is a profound theological subject since it impacts on our understanding of what constitutes the Divine Nature. Salvation in Scriptural language has the general meaning of liberation from sin, taint and other evils, and of a migration into a state of spiritual freedom and security.   Since sin is the root and source of all evil, Scripture uses the word “salvation” mainly in the sense of liberation of the humanity or of the individual from sin and its consequences.   Christianity as a whole does not dwell much upon the possibility of the Salvation of mankind by God by pardoning sins without having recourse to the Incarn...