A Muslim Convert Once More

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   The following is extracted from “The Purification of the Soul”, compiled from the works of Imam Zayn ad-Din Abu al-Faraj ‘Abd ar-Rahman ibn Ahmad ibn Rajab al-Hanbali ( r.a. ), Imam Shams ad-Din Abu ‘Abdullah Muhammad ibn Abu Bakr ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah ( r.a. ), and Imam Abu Hamid Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Ghazali ( r.a. ).   We should know that all acts of disobedience are poison to the heart and cause its sickness and ruin.   They result in its will running off course, against that of Allah ( s.w.t. ), and so its sickness festers and increases.   Imam Abu ‘Abd ar-Rahman ‘Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak ( r.a. ) said, “I have seen wrong actions killing hearts.   And their degradation may lead to their becoming addicted to them.   Turning away from wrong actions gives life to the hearts, and opposing your self is best for it.”   Whoever is concerned with the health and life of his heart, must rid it of the effe...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   The following is a transcript of a talk by Mawlana Wafi’ Muhammad.   Islam, the last of the Revealed religions, gave to the world a concept of a family, which was either not known or practiced before.  It informs us that the family began with the entry of the human species on earth, as Allah ( s.w.t. ) Created Eve out of Adam ( a.s. ) and from both of them, He Caused the entire human family to grow.  He Tells us:   سُوۡرَةُ النِّسَاء بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلنَّاسُ ٱتَّقُواْ رَبَّكُمُ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَكُم مِّن نَّفۡسٍ۬ وَٲحِدَةٍ۬ وَخَلَقَ مِنۡہَا زَوۡجَهَا وَبَثَّ مِنۡہُمَا رِجَالاً۬ كَثِيرً۬ا وَنِسَآءً۬‌ۚ … (١)   In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful O mankind!  Reverence your Guardian-Lord Who Created you from a single person, Created, of like nature, his mate and from them twain scattered (like seeds) countless men and women ... (Surah an-Nisa’:1)   ...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   The following is a biography of Shaykh Abu al-‘Abbas Ahmad ibn al-Iyyashi as-Sukayrij ( q.s. ) by Ustadz Fakhr ad-Din Uwaysi al-Madani and Ustadz Zakariya Valentine Wright.   Shaykh Abu al-‘Abbas Ahmad ibn al-Iyyashi as-Sukayrij ( q.s. ), who lived from 1878 to 1944, was born in Fas, and educated in the Islamic sciences at the prestigious Qarawiyyin University.  He was a prolific author and a renowned scholar throughout North Africa.  His expertise in Islamic law earned him appointments from the Moroccan government as supervisor of waqf property in Fas, qadhi of Wajdah, qadhi of al-Jadidah, and qadhi of Siththat.  On account of such broad scholarly expertise, the Egyptian ahadits scholar and Tijani shaykh , Shaykh Muhammad al-Hafizh ibn ‘Abd al-Lathif al-Miswri ( r.a. ), in the introduction of his work on Shaykh ‘Umar ibn Sa’id al-Futi Thal ( q.s. ), referred to Shaykh Sukayrij ( q.s. ) as “the most knowledgeable...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيم   The following is extracted from Imam Abu Hamid Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Ghazali’s ( r.a. ) Ihya’ Ulum ad-Din .   The Amir al-Mu’minin , Sayyidina Abu Hafsw ‘Umar ibn al-Khaththab al-Faruq ( r.a. ) delivered this sermon to the people after taking charge of khilafat .  “O people, let the inhabitants of Iraq stand up, and let others sit down.”   A party of men stood up.  Then he said, “Let the Inhabitants of Kufa’ stand up, and let the others sit down.”   When it was done, he said, “Let the people of the Murad clan remain standing, and let the others sit down.”   After that, he said, “Let the inhabitants of Qarn remain standing, and let others sit down.”   Except for one man, all others sat down.  Then, Sayyidina ‘Umar ( r.a. ) asked him, Do you know Uways al-Qarni?”   The man replied, “I know, O Commander of the Faithful.  Why do you ask about him?  By Allah, there is none more...