A Muslim Convert Once Before

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Sayyidina ‘Ali ibn Abu Thalib ( k.w. ) said, “Be more concerned about the acceptance of an action than you are of the action itself.   No action is small which is done with God-consciousness.   How shall an action which is Accepted be small?”  

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Sayyidina ‘Ali ibn Abu Thalib ( k.w. ) came to Baswra, and entered a mosque.   He found storytellers telling stories.   He made them get up until he came to Shaykh Abu Sa’id ibn Abu al-Hasan Yasar al-Baswri ( q.s. ).   He said, “Lad, I will ask you about something, If you answer it, I will let you stay.   Otherwise I will remove you as I removed your companions.”   He saw that he possessed proper behaviour and guidance.   Shaykh al-Hasan al-Baswri ( q.s. ) replied, “Ask whatever you wish.”   Sayyidina ‘Ali ( k.w. ) asked, “What is the basic foundation of the diyn ?”   “Scrupulousness,” he replied.   He asked, “What is the corruption of the diyn ?”   “Greed,” he replied.   Sayyidina ‘Ali ( k.w. ) said, “Sit.   Someone like you can speak to people.”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Sister Inga Härmälä asked, on The Sharing Group, on the 24 th October 2017, “Can polygamy be considered a sunnah ?   The Prophet ( s.a.w. ) himself set an example of monogamy and later an example of a type of polygamy which is prohibited for normal Muslims more than 4 wives.   So we cannot see his type of polygamy as a sunnah for us to follow, right?   On the other hand, the marriage contracts he negotiated for his daughters, at least in the case of Sayyidatina Zaynab ( r.a. ) and Sayyidatina Fathimah az-Zahrah ( r.a. ) were strictly monogamous.   So which of these sunan can we follow?”   Brother Terence Helikaon Nunis: The Prophet ( s.a.w. ) married widows, single mothers and women considered ugly, poor, old, sickly or otherwise undesirable.   Who can live up to that?   It is an easier sunnah to marry one wife and fulfill one’s obligations, than to marry many and disappoint them all.   More than one ...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Imam Mahmud ibn ‘Ali al-Qashani ( q.s. ) wrote, in Miswbah al-Hidayah wa Miftah al-Kifayah , “The Lamp of Right Guidance & the Key to What is Sufficient,” that the murid should recognise the right moment to speak.   In case the murid would like to discuss important religious or worldly things, then he should first ascertain whether the shaykh is willing to use his own time in such a way, is willing to listen to him or not.   We should not be in a hurry to talk to our shaykh .   We begin by concentrating on the Almighty and asking Him for His Grace and Help from His Divine Glory, so that we may not make any mistakes in regard to the proper rules of behaviour.   It is also proper, when coming thus near to Allah ( s.w.t. ), to give something away in charity.   This is just like what the companions of the Messenger of Allah ( s.a.w. ) had to do if they wanted to speak with him, as is Said by Allah ( s.w.t. ) th...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Shaykh Bayazid Thayfur ibn ‘Isa al-Bisthami ( q.s. ) asked, “My Rabb, how do I know you?”   And he was Told, “Leave yourself and come.”   In the same vein, we are also told, that Sayyidina ‘Ali ibn Abu Thalib ( k.w. ) said, “He who knows himself, knows his Rabb.”   It is also written, in the Tao Te Ching, “No one can see their reflection in running water; it is only in still water that we can see.”   These two positions are not contradictory, but two parts of a process.   In the first part, it is to recognise the self, and the nafs , the Divine spark that Allah ( s.w.t. ) Blew into Adam ( a.s. ), and by extension, all humanity; the part of us that is Called Home and wants to Return.   And that is why a child cries when it is born.   It recognises where it is from before he forgets, and that is why Man is an-naas , “he who forgets.”   However, deep down, we all know, and we all yearn.   So...