A Muslim Convert Once Before

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ The following was translated by Ustadz Adnan Adrian Wood-Smith from an Arabic article by Shaykh Hadi ibn Muhammad al-Mukhtar an-Nahwi.   Shaykh Ibrahim ibn ‘Abdullah Niyas al-Kawlakhi ( q.s. ) was born on Thursday, 15 th Rajab 1320 AH, October 1902, in Tayba, which is a small village near Kaolack, in Senegal.   He grew up in the care of his father, the great scholar and warrior Shaykh ‘Abdullahi ibn Muhammad ibn Madimba ( r.a. ).   He recited the Qur’an with him until he had memorised it fluently in the recitation of Warsh , and then went on to learn different sacred sciences.   His high aspiration and consistent, wholehearted engagement in seeking knowledge propelled him to become deeply versed in all branches of the sacred sciences, manifest and hidden.   His father was his only teacher.   His superiority became clear while he was still young.   As a youth, he gained distinction in his knowledge of comme...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ During the night of the Mi’raj , the Prophet ( s.a.w. ), accompanied by Jibril ( a.s. ), travelled until they reached the city of the Hallowed House, and he entered it by its southern gate.   He dismounted the Buraq, and tied it at the gate of the mosque, using the ring by which the prophets tied it before him.   One narration states that Jibril ( a.s. ) came to the Rock and placed his fingers in it, piercing it, then he tied the Buraq using the spot he had hollowed out.   The Prophet ( s.a.w. ) entered the mosque from a gate through which the Sun and the Moon could be seen when they set.   He prayed two cycles of prayer and did not tarry long before a large throng of people had gathered.   The Prophet ( s.a.w. ) recognised all the prophets, some standing in prayer, some bowing, some prostrating.   Then, a caller called out to the prayer and the final call to prayer was made.   They rose and stood in lines, wai...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ During the night of the Mi’raj , the Prophet ( s.a.w. ), accompanied by Jibril ( a.s. ), travelled to a place where the Prophet ( s.a.w. ) noticed a fragrant wind and asked, “O Jibril, what is this sweet scent?”   He replied, “This is the scent of the lady who combed the hair of Pharaoh’s daughter and that of her children.   As she combed the hair of Pharaoh’s daughter, the comb fell, and she said, ‘In the Name of Allah, may Pharaoh perish!’   Whereupon, Pharaoh’s daughter asked, ‘Do you have a Lord other than my father?’   She said ‘Yes.’   Pharaoh’s daughter said, ‘Shall I tell my father?’   She said ‘Yes.’   She told him, and he summoned her and asked, ‘Do you have a Lord other than me?’   She replied, ‘Yes, my Lord and your Lord is Allah.’   This woman had two sons and a husband.   Pharaoh summoned them, and he began to entice the woman and her husband to renege on their religion,...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ During the Mi’raj , the Prophet ( s.a.w. ) met Ibrahim (a.s.).   He said, “I stepped forth and greeted him, whereupon he honoured me, and received me well.   Then he spoke to me, saying, ‘Welcome to you, O virtuous son and righteous Prophet.   Tonight, you are to be honoured in that you will witness the splendour of the Lord of the Universe, and you will be admitted to behold all manner of sacred displays.   As for your nation, it is the last of all nations, and it will be a very weak nation, so do not neglect to intercede with your Lord on their behalf.’   And he continued, ‘O Muhammad, give salam to your nation from me and convey to them my advice: the world is of a passing nature and rapid in its decline.   In the eyes of the Eternal Lord, it is but base and contemptible matter.   He attributes to it not even the value of a fly’s wing.   Tell them not to waste their lives in the pursuit of its vain bea...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ During the Mi’raj , the Prophet ( s.a.w. ) recalled, “After this, I came upon a person all drowned in Light.   He was seated upon a throne in an attitude of awesome dignity, and before him were a multitude of little children.   I asked Jibril who was this person of such light, majesty and awe, and who all the children with him were.   The angel answered me, ‘This is your great-grandfather, Ibrahim.   He loves you and the entire nation that believes in you.   He once prayed to the Lord of the Worlds that he might be of service to your nation, and the Lord Heard his supplication.   He Gave him all these little children who are the little boys and girls from your nation who die before reaching adulthood.   Allah Almighty has Entrusted Ibrahim with their upbringing and education.   Until the Day of Judgement, he will be instructing them in proper behaviour and training their minds in the useful sciences. ...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ During the night of the Mi’raj , the Prophet ( s.a.w. ), accompanied by Jibril ( a.s. ), travelled to a place where he was met by some of Allah’s ( s.w.t. ) creatures who said, “Peace be upon you, O First One!   Peace upon you, O Last One!   Peace be upon you, O Gatherer!”   Jibril ( a.s. ) said to him, “Return their greeting,” and he did.   Then he saw them another time and they said the same thing.   Then he saw them a third time, and again they greeted him.   He asked, “Who are they, O Jibril?”   He replied, “Ibrahim, Musa, and ‘Isa.”   The Prophet ( s.a.w. ) then passed by Musa ( a.s. ) again as he was praying in his grave at a place of red sand hills.   He was tall, with long hair and brown complexion, similar to one of the shanu’a , the Yemeni men of pure lineage and manly virtue.   He was saying with a loud voice, “You have Honoured him and Preferred him!”   Then the Prophet (...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ During the night of the Mi’raj , the Prophet ( s.a.w. ), accompanied by Jibril ( a.s. ), travelled to a place until they came to a valley in which the Prophet ( s.a.w. ) breathed a sweet, cool breeze fragrant with musk and he heard a voice.   He asked, “What is this, O Jibril?”   He replied, “This is the voice of Paradise saying, ‘O my Lord, Bring me what You have Promised me for too abundant are my rooms, my gold-laced garments, my silk, my brocades, my carpets, my pearls, my coral, my silver, my gold, my goblets, my bowls, my pitchers, my couches, my honey, my water, my milk, my wine!’   And He Says, ‘You will have every single muslimin and muslimat , every mu’minin and mu’minat , and everyone who has believed in Me and My Messengers and did excellent deeds without associating a partner to Me nor taking helpers without Me.   Anyone who fears Me will be safe, and whoever asks of Me, I shall Give him, and whoever lends Me...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ During the night of the Mi’raj , the Prophet ( s.a.w. ), accompanied by Jibril ( a.s. ), travelled to a place where the Prophet (s.a.w.) heard someone calling him from his right, “O Muhammad, look at me; I want to ask you something!”   But the Prophet ( s.a.w. ) did not respond.   Then he asked, “Who was that, O Jibril?”   He replied, “That is the herald of the Jews.   If you had answered him, your ummah would have followed Judaism.”   The Prophet ( s.a.w. ) continued travelling, and he heard someone calling him from his left, “O Muhammad, look at me; I want to ask you something!”   But the Prophet ( s.a.w. ) did not respond.   Then he asked,  “ Who was that, O Jibril? ” He replied, “That is the herald of the Christians.   If you had answered him, your ummah would have followed Christianity.”   The Prophet ( s.a.w. ) continued travelling and then passed by a woman with bare arms, deck...