Fools are Wiser

Love

2007-01-20T12:44:00.000-08:00

Praise be to Allaah.

Islam came to close the doors that lead to evil and sin, and is keen to block all the means that may lead to corruption of hearts and minds. Love and infatuation between the sexes are among the worst of problems.

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Majmoo' al-Fataawa (10/129):

Love is a psychological sickness, and if it grows strong it affects the body, and becomes a physical sickness, either as diseases of the brain, which are said to be diseases caused by waswaas, or diseases of the body such as weakness, emaciation and so on. End quote.

And he (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Majmoo' al-Fataawa (10/132):

Loving a non-mahram woman leads to many negative consequences, the full extent of which is known only to the Lord of people. It is a sickness that affects the religious commitment of the sufferer, then it may also affect his mind and body. End quote.

It is sufficient to note that one of the effects of love of a member of the opposite sex is enslavement of the heart which is held captive to the loved one. So love is a door that leads to humiliation and servility. That is sufficient to put one off this sickness.

Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Majmoo' al-Fataawa (10/185):

If a man is in love with a woman, even if she is permissible for him, his heart remains enslaved to her, and she can control him as she wishes, even though outwardly he appears to be her master, because he is her husband; but in fact he is her prisoner and slave, especially if she is aware of his need and love for her. In that case, she will control him like a harsh and oppressive master controls his abject slave who cannot free himself from him. Rather he is worse off than that, because enslavement of the heart is worse than enslavement of the body. End quote.

Attachment to the opposite sex will not happen to a heart that is filled with love of Allaah; it only affects a heart that is empty and weak, so it is able to gain control of it, then when it becomes strong and powerful it is able to defeat the love of Allaah and lead the person into shirk. Hence it is said: Love is the action of an empty heart.

If the heart is devoid of the love and remembrance of the Most Merciful, and is a stranger to speaking to Him, it will be filled with love of women, images and listening to music.

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Majmoo' al-Fataawa (10/135):

If the heart loves Allaah alone and is sincerely devoted to Him, it will not even think of loving anyone else in the first place, let alone falling in love. When a heart falls in love, that is due to the lack of love for Allaah alone. Hence because Yoosuf loved Allaah and was sincerely devoted to Him, he did not fall into the trap of love, rather Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"Thus it was, that We might turn away from him evil and illegal sexual intercourse. Surely, he was one of Our chosen, (guided) slaves"

[Yoosuf 12:24]

As for the wife of al-'Azeez, she was a mushrik as were her people, hence she fell into this trap. End quote.

The Muslim must save himself from this fate and not fall short in guarding against it and ridding himself of it. If he falls short in that regard and follows the path of love, by continuing to steal haraam glances or listening to haraam things, and being careless in the way he speaks to the opposite sex, etc, then he is affected by love as a result, then he is sinning and will be subject to punishment for his actions.

How many people have been careless at the beginning of this problem, and thought that they were able to rid themselves of it whenever they wanted, or that they could stop at a certain limit and not go any further, until the sickness took a strong hold and no doctor or remedy could help?

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Rawdat al-Muhibbeen (147):

If the cause happens by his choice, he has no excuse for the consequences that are beyond his control, but if the reason is haraam, the drunkard had no excuse. Undoubtedly following one glance with another and allowing oneself to keep thinking about the person is like drinking intoxicants: he is to be blamed for the cause. End quote.

If a person strives to keep away from the things that lead to this serious sickness, by lowering his gaze and not looking at haraam things, not listening to haraam things, and averting the passing thoughts that the shaytaan casts into his mind, then after that something of the evils of this sickness befalls him because of a passing glance or a transaction that is basically permissible, and his heart becomes attached to a woman, there is no sin on him for that in sha Allaah, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"Allaah burdens not a person beyond his scope"

[al-Baqarah 2:286]

Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Majmoo' al-Fataawa (11/10):

If that does not result from carelessness or transgression on his part, then there is no sin on him for what befalls him. End quote.

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Rawdat al-Muhibbeen (147):

If love occurs for a reason that is not haraam, the person is not to be blamed, such as one who loved his wife or slave woman, then he separated from her but the love remained and did not leave him. He is not to be blamed for that. Similarly if there was a sudden glance then he averted his gaze, but love took hold of his heart without him meaning it to, he must, however, ward it off and resist it. End quote.

But he must treat his heart by putting a stop to the effects of this love, and by filling his heart with love of Allaah and seeking His help in that. He should not feel too shy to consult intelligent and trustworthy people for advice or consult some doctors and psychologists, because he may find some remedy with them. In doing that he must be patient, seek reward, remain chaste and keep quiet, and Allaah will decree reward for him in sha Allaah.

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Majmoo' al-Fataawa (10/133):

If he is tested with love but he remains chaste and is patient, then he will be rewarded for fearing Allaah. It is known from shar'i evidence that if a person remains chaste and avoids haraam things in looking, word and deeds, and he keeps quiet about it and does not speak of it, so that there will be haraam talk about that, whether by complaining to another person or committing evil openly, or pursuing the beloved one in any way, and he is patient in obeying Allaah and avoiding sin, despite the pain of love that he feels in his heart, just as one who is afflicted with a calamity bears the pain of it with patience, then he will be one of those who fear Allaah and are patient, "Verily, he who fears Allaah with obedience to Him (by abstaining from sins and evil deeds, and by performing righteous good deeds), and is patient, then surely, Allaah makes not the reward of the Muhsinoon (good‑doers) to be lost" [Yoosuf 12:90]. End quote.

And Allaah knows best.

http://www.islamqa.com/index.php?ref=82941&ln=eng

LOVE EVEN THOSE WHO REVILE YOU

2006-10-31T22:10:00.000-08:00

Interview with Shaykh Hamza Yusuf

Q: The convenient response to those who revile your religion is to return the favor. The more virtuous position however is to forgive. Forgiveness as you know, while less in virtue when compared to love, nevertheless, can result in love. Love, by definition, does not require forgiveness. What many Muslims today seem to forget is that ours is a religion of love and our Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings, was the Habib, the Beloved. How did love, the defining virtue of our community, come to be replaced by an urge to redress wrongs, to punish instead of to forgive?

Shaykh Hamza Yusuf: It is the result of Muslims seeing themselves as victims. Victimization is a defeatist mentality. It's the mentality of the powerless. The word victim is from the Latin “victima” which carries with it the idea of the one who suffers injury, loss, or death due to a voluntary undertaking. In other words, victims of one’s own actions. Muslims never really had a mentality of victimization. From a metaphysical perspective, which is always the first and primary perspective of a Muslim, there can be no victims. We believe that all suffering has a redemptive value.

Q: If the tendency among Muslims is to view themselves as victims which appears to me as a fall from grace, what virtue must we then cultivate to dispense with this mental and physical state that we now find ourselves in?

Shaykh Hamza Yusuf: The virtue of patience is missing. Patience is the first virtue after tawba or repentance. Early Muslim scholars considered patience as the first maqam or station in the realm of virtues that a person entered into. Patience in Islam means patience in the midst of adversity. A person should be patient in what has harmed or afflicted him. Patience means that you don’t lose your comportment or your composure. If you look at the life of the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, you will never ever find him losing his composure. Patience was a hallmark of his character. He was ‘the unperturbed one’ which is one of the meanings of halim: wa kaana ahlaman-naas. He was the most unperturbed of humanity. Nothing phased him either inwardly or outwardly because he was with Allah in all his states.

Read More Here

Focused on a Distraction

2006-04-24T09:51:00.000-07:00

"Hast thou ever heard of a creature at once present and absent?
I am in the midst of society but my heart is elsewhere"

(Sa'di s.f. , p. 554).

Literalism is Illiteracy II

2006-04-06T13:55:00.000-07:00

As he gave an addres from the pulpit, 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, God be pleased with him, was interrupted by a number of Kharijites, or dissenters, who said, "There is no rule but the rule of God." 'Ali, may God be pleased with him, responded: "A truth, misinterpreted to support a falsehood. There are three things we owe you: not to keep you from mentioning the name of the Lord in the Lord's mosques, not to initiate a war against you, and not to deprive you of your share of fay' so long as you stick with us."

"Your call is now met . . ."

2006-04-06T13:45:00.000-07:00

This thread is dedicated to the battles of the Sahabah (ra).

The Prophet (saw) consented to let his closest relatives, the Hashimites and Muttalibites, answer the challenges to single combat on the day of Badr, albeit grudgingly and with the utmost concern for their safety. In fact, he fought Ubayy in person at Uhud, and granted permission to 'Ali, may God grant him peace, to fight 'Amr ibn Wudd in the battle of the Trench even though the danger was more serious, and his concern, may God bless him and grant him peace, for 'Ali was greater. Thus, upon making the challenge on the first day and getting no answer, and on the second day with the same reuslt, then watching the men avoid and recoil from him as he repeated it for the third day, 'Amr said: "O, Muhammad, don't you claim your own killed would live and thrive in heaven in the company of their God, while ours would be tortured in hell? Why, then, doesn't any of your men seem to care to speed up his reward from God, or to offer an enemy to hellfire?" extemporising the following lines (in the kamil metre):

[i]And here am I upon their battalions to fight;
Won't anyone come forward?
Here stand I, as the mighty flinch, ready to do battle,
As ever eager to face heavy odds.
For all of the firtues he could have
Courage and generosity a young man best adorn.[/i]

At which point 'Ali, may God approve of him, got up and asked the Prophet's permission to fight the duel. The Prophet granted it, saying, "Go, 'Ali, protected and shielded by God's grace," and the latter came forth extemporising (in the kamil metre):

[b][i]Rejoice; your call is now met
By one who in trouble never falters,
One with a will and vision armed
Wishing to be a winner tommorow.
O, how I wish to dispatch you to the mourners
Who will furnish your funeral celebrate,
With a mighty blow
Enchanting to recall when the going is rough.[/b][/i]

[b]-Al Ahkam as Sultanniyyah by Imam Mawardi p 42-43-[/b]

Literalism is Illiteracy

2006-04-05T11:39:00.000-07:00

A blind scholar was teaching a halaqa where he mentioned that the Qur'an and Hadith have to taken literally.

One of his students inquired about the verse "If you are blind in this life you will be blind in the next life."

The blind scholar was silent and didn't know how to respond.

The Truth

2006-04-05T08:42:00.000-07:00

"At the time when the last of this Umma curses the first of this Umma, whoever hides knowledge from people, it is as if he hides what Allah has revealed to me."

"From every succeeding generation its upright folk shall carry this knowledge in turn. They shall repeal from it the distortions of the extremists (tahrif al-ghalin), the misinterpretations of the ignorant (ta'wil al-jahilin), and the pretenses of the liars (intihal al-mubtilin)."

What the Fiqh?

2006-03-20T10:01:00.000-08:00

Fiqh is not merely a question of picking up rulings recorded in old texts and throwing them down on new realities. Rather, the application of fiqh, especially on more sophisticated matters, requires a sophisticated understanding of the texts of the fuqaha, as well as the primary sources, the general foundational principles and goals of the Shariah, and, very importantly, the time, place, and people the fiqh will affect. This is why fuqaha such as Imam al-Haskafi stated that, “Whoever does not understand the people of his times is ignorant.” (Durr al-Mukhtar, 1: 47)

-Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

We Live in an Age . . .

2006-03-17T09:18:00.000-08:00

"You are living in an age in which scholars of jurisprudence are numerous, while those who recite [and memorize] the Qur'an are few, an age in which the limits set by the Qur'an are preserved in people's memories though its specific words may be lost. It is an age in which those who ask are few, while those who have answers to give are many, in which they prolong the prayer while keeping their sermons brief, and in which people show preference for [virtuous] action over whims and desires. However, an age is coming in which scholars of jurisprudence will be few, while those who recite and memorize the Qur'an will be many. The words of the Qur'an will be committed to memory while the limits it sets will be lost. Many will be those who ask, but few will be those who have answers to give. Their sermons will be lengthy and their prayers brief, while they show preference for their whims and desires over the virtuous actions they might perform."
-Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (ra) -

Modesty is the Essence of Faith

2006-03-16T19:58:00.000-08:00

When You Feel No Shame, Then Do As You Wish; What Does This Mean?
Answered by Shaykh Abdurrahman ibn Yusuf Mangera

Uqbah bin Amr Al-Ansari narrated that the Messenger of Allah said:

Assalamu alaykum

In the name of Allah, the Inspirer of truth.

'When you feel no shame, then do as you please.'

This hadith is not to be taken literally as if granting permission for one to do as he pleases. It is instead a warning that losing one's modesty will lead one to obeying the base and lowly desires of the self, which will lead one to commit sinful and immoral acts. See also hadith below

'Modesty is a branch of faith.' (Bukhari and Muslim from Abu Hurayra)

Hadith narrations mention that there are more than seventy branches of faith. Of these hayaâ [modesty, bashfulness, shyness] is specifically mentioned, affirming it as one of the most important branches. Hayaâ is an important means of restraining oneself from sin, and restraint from sin is one of the most important obligations of faith.

The type of hayaâ referred to in this hadith is the modesty that comes from faith and not the natural shyness in a person. It has been explained by the saying, 'For your Lord not to find you where He has prohibited you to be,' 'which is also part of ihsan or perfection of faith.'

'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud relates that one day the Messenger of Allah (upon him be peace) said, 'Be shy of Allah Most High as much as is His due. We said, 'All praise to Allah, we are shy of Him.' The Messenger (upon him be peace) said, 'That is not the point. Whoever is shy of Allah as much as is His due then he should protect his head and that which it comprises [i.e. mind, mouth, ears, etc.], his stomach and that which is adjoining it [i.e. preserve it from unlawful wealth and protect the private parts from the unlawful], and he should remember death and that which is to come after it, and whoever intends the hereafter should abandon the adornments of this world. Whoever fulfills these duties has been shy of Allah as much as is His due' (Musnad Ahmad).

[From Provisions for the seekers www.whitethreadpress.com]

Wassalam

Abdurrahman ibn Yusuf

Hidden Truths

2005-12-16T01:02:00.000-08:00

"How could the hidden truths of this immaterial world (malakut) manifest themselves to a people whose god (ilah) is their undisciplined passions (hawa), whose object of worship (ma'bud) is their leaders, whose direction of prayers (qibla) is the dinar, whose religious law is their own frivolty, whose will (irada) is the promotion of reputation and carnal pleasures, whose worship ('ibada) is the service they render the rich among them, whose remembrance (of God) ist he devilish whisperings of their souls, whose most cherished possession is their (relationship with their) political leaders, and whose every thought is preoccupied with extracting legal dodges (hiyal/ sg. hila) to accommodate the dictates of their (would-be) sense of shame?"
- Imam Ghazzali, "On the Boundaries of Theological Tolerance in Islam" by 88 -

"Do not get angry."

2005-09-30T08:30:00.000-07:00

Is Anger Sinful?

In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful and Compassionate

May Allah’s peace and blessings be upon His Messenger Muhammad, his folk, companions, and followers

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah,

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said repeatedly to the one who asked him for advice,

“Do not get angry.” [Bukhari, from Abu Hurayra (Allah be pleased with him)]

In his commentary on Imam Malik’s Muwatta’, Imam Suyuti quotes Imam Baji as saying,

“The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) gathered all good for this man in one short _expression, because anger causes great harm to both religion and worldly life as a result of what one says or does when angry.

“‘Do not get angry’ means: do not act in accordance with what your anger makes you incline towards, and restrain yourself. As for anger itself, a human can’t prevent it; rather, what they can prevent is acting in according to what anger calls one to do….” [Suyuti, Tanwir al-Hawalik, 1.212]

Imam Ayni said in his commentary on Sahih al-Bukhari that,

“The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, ‘Do not get angry,’ because he had direct knowledge (kashf) of the states of people and would thus command them to do what was best in their state. It may well have been that this person was given to anger, so he (Allah bless him and give him peace) counseled him to leave it.

Baydawi said, ‘It may well be because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) saw that all harm that occurs to a human only occurs because of their passions and anger…. Thus, if one controls one’s anger, one has overcome one’s strongest enemy—and this is why the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) counseled him to control it.’

Khattabi said, ‘The meaning of ‘Do not get angry’ is: don’t fall into those matters that cause anger and those matters that stir one’s anger—because anger itself is an intrinsic human trait and one can’t get rid of it…’” [Ayni, Umdat al-Qari Sharh Sahih al-Bukhari, 22.164]

Imam Ibn Rajab said that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)’s words, “Do not get angry,” can mean one of two things:

“First, that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was calling to the means of acquiring good character, such as benevolence, generosity, forbearance, modesty, humility, bearing the harm of others, not harming others, overlooking, forgiving, restraining one’s anger, cheerfulness, smiling, and the like of these beautiful traits. This is because if one characterizes themselves with these traits and they become one’s habit, then this results in warding off anger when its causes are found.

Second, that the meaning is not to act according to what anger entails… Rather, that one strive against one’s lower self by not acting on one’s inclinations call to….” [Ibn Rajab, Jami` al-Ulum wa’l Hikam, 1.145]

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Forbearance (hilm) is the best of traits.” Forbearance is for one not to be moved by one’s anger and emotions; rather, one acts in accordance with the dictates of Revelation and reason.

And Allah alone gives success.

Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Uthman Dan Fodio on the Ashari aqeedah

2005-09-20T16:59:00.000-07:00

The purpose of this thread is to refute the claims of a certain group that the Ashari (and Maturidi) aqeedah is an aqeedah based on innovation. The rational proofs utilized in these two schools of thought are based on ayat of the Quran and Hadeeth.

The following is an excerpt from Chapter Four of "The Revival of the Sunnah and the Destruction of Satanic Innovation". This chapter is entitled "On the Explanation of the Path of the Muhammadan Sunna concerning Iman and an Explanation of What hte People have Invented in it of Satanic Innovation."

Divinity ('ilahiyyaat):

Allah ta'ala has established the creation of the universe by his words, "Allah is the Creator of everything". He has established that His existence is necessary (waajib 'l-wujuud) by His words, "Is there any doubt that Allah is the Originator of the heavens and the earth?" He has established that His existence is pre-existent before time (qadeem) by His words, "He is the first." He has established that His existence is eternally continuous after time (baaqi) by His words, "And rely upon the Living who will never die." He has established that His existence is unlike in-time creation (mukhaalif li'l -khalqih) by His words, "There is nothing like Him." He has established that His existence is independent (ghaniy) by His words, "Allah is the independently rich." He has established that His existence is One (waahid) by His words, "Say: He Allah is one." He has established that His existence is omnipotent (qaadir) by His words, "Verily Allah has power over all things." He has established that He is willing (mureed) by His words, "He does whatever He wills." He has established that he knowing ('Aalim) by His words "Verily Allah has knowledge of all things." He has established that He is living (hayy) by His words, "He is the Living." He has established that He is hearing (sami'u) and seeing (baseer) by His words, "I hear and see." He has established that He is speaking (mutakallam) by His words, "Allah spoke directly to Musa." He has established that He has complete choice (mukhtaar) in doing a thing and leaving it undone by His words, "And your Lord creates what He wills and He chooses."

1. This proves that the universe did not come into existence by itself or by anything other than Allah ta'ala.
2. This proves that non-existence ('adam) is impossible to Him.
3. This proves that coming forth in time (huduuth) is impossible to Him.
4. This proves that extinction (fanaa') is impossible to Him.
5. This proves that resemblance to creation (mamaathala) is impossible to Him.
6. This proves that being in need (iftiqaar) is impossible to Him.
7. This proves that plurality (ta'addad) is impossible to Him.
8. This proves that incapacity ('ajz) is impossible to Him.
9. This proves that being compelled (mukrah) is impossible to Him.
10. This proves that ignorance (jahl) is imposible to Him.
11. This proves that death (mawt) is impossible to Him.
12. This proves that deafness (samam) and blindness ('amaa) is impossible to Him.
13. This proves that dumbness (bakam) is impossible to Him.
14. This proves that being obligated (muujib) is impossible to Him.

Early Scholars on Sufism (Tasawwuf)

2005-08-10T22:18:00.000-07:00

(From Mujahideen Ryder's blog: http://www.mujahideenryder.net)

The following quotations of the scholars of Shariah regarding the precedence of the knowledge and science of Tasawwuf (Purification of the Self).

Imam Abu Hanifa (85 H. - 150 H)
"If it were not for two years, I would have perished." He said, "for two years I accompanied Sayyidina Ja'far as-Sadiq and I acquired the spiritual knowledge that made me a gnostic in the Way."
[Ad-Durr al-Mukhtar, vol 1. p. 43]

Imam Malik (95 H. - 179 H.)
"whoever studies Jurisprudence [tafaqaha] and didn't study Sufism [tasawwaf] will be corrupted; and whoever studied Sufism and didn't study Jurisprudence will become a heretic; and whoever combined both will reach the Truth."
['Ali al-Adawi , vol. 2, p 195.]

Imam Shafi'i (150 - 205 AH.)
"I accompanied the Sufi people and I received from them three knowledges: ...how to speak; how to treat people with leniency and a soft heart... and they... guided me in the ways of Sufism."
[Kashf al-Khafa, 'Ajluni, vol. 1, p 341.]

Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal (164 - 241 AH.)
"O my son, you have to sit with the People of Sufism, because they are like a fountain of knowledge and they keep the Remembrance of Allah in their hearts. they are the ascetics and they have the most spiritual power."
[Tanwir al-Qulub p. 405]

Imam Ghazzali (450 - 505 AH.)
"I knew verily that Sufis are the seekers in Allah's Way, and their conduct is the best conduct, and their way is the best way, and their manners are the most sanctified. They have cleaned their hearts from other than Allah and they have made them as pathways for rivers to run receiving knowledge of the Divine Presence."
[al-Munqidh, p. 131].

Fakhr ad-Din ar-Razi (544 - 606 AH)
"The way of Sufis for seeking Knowledge, is to disconnect themselves from this worldly life, and they keep themselves constantly busy with Dhikrullah, in all their actions and behaviors."
['Itiqadaat Furaq al-Muslimeen, p. 72, 73]

Imam Nawawi (620 - 676 AH.)
"The specifications of the Way of the Sufis are ... to keep the Presence of Allah in your heart in public and in private; to follow the Sunnah of the Prophet (s) ... to be happy with what Allah gave you..."
[in his Letters, (Maqasid at-tawhid), p. 20]

Ibn Taymiyya (661 - 728 AH)
"Tasawwuf has realities and states of experience which they talk about in their science. Some of it is that the Sufi is that one who purifies himself from anything which distracts him from the remembrance of Allah and who will be so filled up with knowledge of the heart and knowledge of the mind to the point that the value of gold and stones will be the same to him. And Tasawwuf is safeguarding the precious meanings and leaving behind the call to fame and vanity in order to reach the state of Truthfulness, because the best of humans after the prophets are the Siddiqeen, as Allah mentioned them in the verse:
"(And all who obey Allah and the Apostle) are in the company of those on whom is the grace of Allah: of the prophets, the sincere lovers of truth, the martyrs and the righteous; Ah! what a beautiful fellowship." (an-Nisa', 69,70)

"...some people criticised Sufiyya and Tasawwuf and they said they were innovators, out of the Sunnah, but the truth is they are striving in Allah's obedience [mujtahidin fi ta'at-illahi], as others of Allah's People strove in Allah's obedience. So from them you will find the Foremost in Nearness by virtue of his striving [as-saabiq ul-muqarrab bi hasab ijtihadihi]. And some of them are from the People of the Right hand [Ahl al-Yameen mentioned in Qur'an in Sura Waqi'ah], but slower in their progress.... And this is the origin of Tasawwuf. And after that origin, it has been spread and [tasha'abat wa tanawa'at] has its main line and its branches.
[Majmu'a Fatawa Ibn Taymiyya al-Kubra, Vol. 11, Book of Tasawwuf, p. 497].

"The miracles of saints are absolutely true and correct, by the acceptance of all Muslim scholars. And the Qur'an has pointed to it in different places, and the Hadith of the Prophet (s) has mentioned it, and whoever denies the miraculous power of saints are only people who are innovators and their followers." [al-Mukhtasar al-Fatawa, page 603]. Ibn Taymiyya says, "what is considered as a miracle for a saint is that sometimes the saint might hear something that others do not hear and they might see something that others do not see, while not in a sleeping state, but in a wakened state of vision. And he can know something that others cannot know, through revelation or inspiration."
[Majmu'a Fatawi Ibn Taymiyya, Vol. 11, p. 314].

Ibn Khaldun (733 - 808 AH.)
"The way of the Sufis is the way of the Salaf, the preceding Scholars between the Sahaba and Tabi'een of those who followed good guidance..."
[Muqaddimat ibn al-Khaldun, p. 328]

Tajuddin as-Subki (727 - 771 AH.)
"May Allah praise them [the Sufis] and greet them and may Allah cause us to be with them in Paradise. Too many things havebeen said about them and too many ignorant people have said things which are not related to them. And the truth is that those people left the world and were busy with worship. ...They are the People of Allah, whose supplications and prayer Allah accepts and by means of whom Allah supports human beings"
[Mu'eed an-Na'am p. 190, the chapter entitled Tasawwuf]

Jalaluddin as-Suyuti (849 - 911 AH.)
"At-Tasawwuf in itself is the best and most honorable knowledge. It explains how to follow the Sunnah of the Prophet (s) and to put aside innovation."
[Ta'yid al-Haqiqat al-'Aliyya,p 57]

Ibn Qayyim (691 - 751 AH.)
"We can witness the greatness of the People of Sufism, in the eyes of the earliest generations of Muslims by what has been mentioned by Sufyan ath-Thawri (d. 161 AH), one of the greatest imams of the second century and one of the foremost legal scholars. He said, "If it had not been for Abu Hisham as-Sufi (d. 115) I would never have perceived the action of the subtlest forms of hypocrisy in the self... Among the best of people is the Sufi learned in jurisprudence."
[Manazil as-Sa'ireen.]

Abdullah ibn Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab (1115 - 1201 AH.)
"My father Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab and I do not deny or criticize the science of Sufism, but on the contrary we support it, because it purifies the external and the internal of the hidden sins, which are related to the heart and to the outward form. Even though the individual might externally be on the right way, internally he might be on the wrong way. Sufism is necessary to correct it."
[ad-Dia'at mukathaffa did ash-shaykh ibn Abdul Wahhab, p. 85]

Ibn 'Abidin (1198 - 1252 AH.)
"The Seekers in this Sufi Way don't hear except from the Divine Presence and they don't love any but Him. If they remember Him they cry, and if they thank Him they are happy; ... May Allah bless them."
[Risa'il Ibn 'Abidin p. 172 & 173]

Muhammad 'Abduh (1265 - 1323 AH.)
"Tasawwuf appeared in the first century of Islam and it received a tremendous honor. It purified the self and straightened the conduct and gave knowledge to people from the Wisdom and Secrets of the Divine Presence."
[Majallat al-Muslim, 6th ed. 1378 H, p. 24].

Maulana Abul Hasan 'Ali an-Nadawi (1331 AH b.)
"These Sufis were initiating people on Oneness and sincerity in following the Sunnah of the Prophet (s) and to repent from their sins and to be away from every disobedience of Allah 'Azza wa Jall. Their guides were encouraging them to move in the way of perfect Love to Allah 'Azza wa Jall.
"...In Calcutta India, everyday more than 1000 people were taking initiation into Sufism. "...by the influence of these Sufi people, thousands and thousands and hundreds of thousands in India found their Lord and reached a state of Perfection through the Islamic religion."
[Muslims in India, p. 140-146]

Maulana Abul 'Ala Maudoodi (1321 - 1399 AH.)
"Sufism is a reality whose signs are the love of Allah and the love of the Prophet (saw), where one absents oneself for their sake, and one is annihilated from anything other than them, and it is to know how to follow the footsteps of the Prophet (s). ..Tasawwuf searched for the sincerity in the heart and the purity in the intention and the trustworthiness in obedience in an individual's actions."
"The Divine Law and Sufism: "Sufism and Shariah: what is the similitude of the two? They are like the body and the soul. The body is the external knowledge, the Divine Law, and the spirit is the internal knowledge."
[Mabadi' al-Islam, p. 17]

Nuh (as)

2005-07-19T09:22:00.000-07:00

The second session of the summer camp's theme is "Nuh (as) and the Ark".

So Shaykh Irfan related the incident of Nuh (as) and taught us a few points:

1. Nuh (as) gave dawah for 950 years and a little under 100 people followed him. The first point to remember is patience. He also corrected the erroneous notion that Nuh (as) lived only 950 years. He stated that Nuh (as) recieved the prophethood at the age of 40 and then gave dawah for 950 years and then lived an addition 60 years after the flood, so that gives a total of 1050 years.

2. The second lesson to be learned is to obey your Prophet. Nuh (as) gave dawah for such a long time, but very few people heeded his call, so in the end, he made dua to Allah (swt) to destroy these people and Allah granted him. We should obey the Prophets because if we don't, then similar calamaties may befall us. May Allah (swt) guide us to the straight path.

Imam Nawawi and Sufism

2005-05-31T11:55:00.000-07:00

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"The Rules of the Sufi Way"

7.1 The basic rules of the way of Sufism (def: 8.11) are five: 1. having godfearingness privately and publicly, 2. living according to the sunna in word and deed, 3. indifferences to whether others accept or reject one, 4. satisfaction with Allah Most High in scarcity and plenty, and 5. turning to Allah in happiness or affliction.

1. Godfearingness is attained by scrupulousness and uprightness;
2. Following the sunna is attained through caution and good character;
3. Indifference to other's acceptance or rejection is attained through patience and trust in Allah;
4. Satisfaction with Allah is attained through contentment with what one has and submission to the will of Allah;
5. Turning to Allah Most High is attained by gratitude to Him in happiness and taking refuge in Him in affliction.

The Foundations of the Rules
7.2 The foundatiosn of all of thse consists of five things 1. high aspiration, 2. keeping Allah's reverence, 3. giving the best of service, 4. keeping one's spiritual resolves, and 5. esteeming Allah's blessings.

1. Whoever's aspiration is high, his rank rises;
2. Whoever reveres Allah, Allah maintains his respect;
3. Whoever's service is goodly is necesarily shown generosity;
4. Whoever keeps his spiritual resolves continues to have guidance;
5. Whoever esteems Allah's blessings will be grateful for them, and whoever is grateful for them will necessarily see them increased.

The Signs of Sufism
7.3 The principles of Sufism' ssigns on a person are also five: 1. seeking Sacred Knowledge in order to perform Allah's command; 2. Keeping the company of sheikhs and fellow disciplines in order to see with insight; 3. forgoing both dispensatiosn from religious obligations and figurative interpretations of scripture, for the sake of cautiousness; 4. organizing one's time with spiritual works to maintain presence of heart; and 5. suspecting the self in all matters, in order to free oneself from caprice and be safe from destruction.

1. Seeking Sacred Knowledge is vitiated by keeping the company of juveniles, whether in age, mentality, or religion, who do nto refer from guidance to a firm principal or rule;

2. Keeping the company of sheikhs and disciples is vitiated by self-deception and concern with the unimportant.

3. Leaving dispensations and figurative interpretations is vitiated by leniency toward the self;

4. Organizing one's time with spiritual works is vitiated yb looking for more and more supererogatory worship.

5. Suspecing the self is vitiated by satisfaction at its goodliness and uprightness.

Curing the ego.
7.4 The principles of curing the ego are also five: 1 lightening the stomach by diminishin one's food and drink; 2. taking refuge in Allah Most High from the unforeseen when it befalls; 3. shunning situations involving what one fears to fall victim to; 4. continually asking Allah's forgiveness (istighfar) and His blessings upon the Prophet (saw) night and day with full presence of mind; and 5. keeping the company of him who guides one to Allah."

p 95 - 97 of "Al Maqasid"

Shaykh Uthman Dan Fodio

2005-05-25T20:56:00.000-07:00

He was a mujaddid in Western Africa.

He was a great scholar from the Maliki madhab in fiqh and the Ashari madhab in aqeedah and he was a Qadiri Sufi (???).

He gave dawah in a time of jahilliyah.

He performed hegira.

He established a Khalifa.

He engaged in Jihad.

The following is an excerpt from Dawa'u 'L-Waswas or "The Cure for Satanic Whispering"

"Section 1
On the Explanation of the Favors of Allah for Those Who Make Strenuous Effort of Avoiding Heedlessness in the Prayer"

Realize, that Allah has made the obligation of prayer the most important obligationa fter belief (al-imaan). It has reaches us in a Prophet tradition, "The first thing which will be examined on the Day of Standing from the deeds of a person, will be the prayer. If he did it the way he was commanded, it will be accepted from him and the remainder will be accepted as well. If not, then it will be rejected and the remainder of his actiosn will be rejeted."

It must be noted that whenever Allah mentiosn the prayer, He always mentions the prerequisite of establishing it. This includes performing the prayers during its proper times along with all the other prerequisites of the prayer. Among the most important prerequisites of the prayer is the presence of the heart with Allah where the heart is not preoccupied with anything of the affairs of this world. Whoever takes his prayer as a mere custom, performing the outward aspects only, without the presence of the heart will not obtain the rewards and blessings of the prayer.

The Prophet (saw) said, "The prayer is to the deen like the head is to the body. Whoever has no head has no subsistence. Likewise, whoever has no prayer has no deen." One of the wise men once said, "Whoever prayes whil being heedless of his prayer is like someone who gave a dead slave girl as a gift to the king."

Among the excellence of prayer is that it is included among the principles of Islam. These principles include those, which are obligatory only once, in a lifetime: like the pronounciation of the shahaadatyan and the performance of pilgrimage. There are also those, which are obligatory to perform once a year: like the fast of Ramadan and the giving of the obligatory alms. On the other hand, the prayer is an obligation, which must be performed five times throughout each night and day.

Among the excellence of prayer is that Allah has gathered in it every variety of worship for our benefit. Included within the prayer are the following: 1. the remembrance of Allah (dhikrullah); 2. recitation of the Book of Allah; 3. supplication to Allah; 4. glorification of Allah; 5. praising Allah; 6. extolling Allah; 7. magnifiying Allah's greatness; 8. avoidance of speech devoid of the remembrance of Allah; 9. intimacy with Allah; 10. rejection of all besides Allah; and 11. struggling against Satan. In addition to these are 12. avoiding eating and drinking during the prayer, making ti equivalent to fastin. 13. facing the direction of the sacred House of Allah making it equivalent to the pilgrimage. 14 Making supplication for the Muslims in the prayer making it equivalent to giving alms. All these distinctions that Allah has gathered in the prayer are in addition to the fear and humility which are essential during every bowing, prostration, standing, sitting, and intimate conversation with Allah.

10 Types of Disbelievers Who Think They Are Believers

2005-04-22T09:50:00.001-07:00

Rasulullah (saw) said,

"Ten [types of people] from this ummah are disbelievers (kuffar) in Allah the Great and who think they are believers - the killer without a right, the one who practices magic, the withholder of zakat, the drinker of alcohol, the one upon whom hajj becomes obligatory but did not perform it, the spread of sedition and trouble (fitna), the seller of weapons to the enemy, the one who has anal intercourse with a woman, the one who commits adultery with a close female relative (mahram) whom he is legally forbidden to marry - if they deem what they have done permissible (halal) then they have apostatised."

7 People Allah Will ot Look at Nor Purify and will make them enter Hellfire

2005-04-22T09:50:00.000-07:00

The Prophet (saw) said,

"There are seven people whom the Creator will neither look at on the Day of Judgement nor will He purify them, and He will make them enter the Hellfire - the homosexual and his partner; the one who masturbates; the one who engages in bestiality; the one who has anal intercourse with a woman; a man who marries both a woman and her daughter; the one who fornicates with his neighbor's wife; and the one who hurts his neighbour to such a degree that he curses him."

Six Types of Fear

2005-04-22T09:49:00.000-07:00

Uthman (ra) said, "The believer is in six types of fear - the first is that Allah the Exalted will take away his iman (faith); the second is that the angels will write down things that will expose him on the Day of Judgement; the third is that Satan will render his actions void; the fourth is that the Angel of Death will take his soul when he is in a state of heedlessness; the fifth is that the dunya will delude him and make him work for other than the Hereafter; and the sixth is that his family and children will preoccupy him such that he neglects the remembrance of Allah the Exalted."

Giving Good Counsel to Fellow Muslims

2005-04-22T09:48:00.001-07:00

Giving Good Counsel to Fellow Muslims:

by Imam al-Haddad
Condensed from The Book of Assistance

You must be of good counsel to all Muslims. The highest point of this is that you conceal nothing from them which if made known would result in good or preserve from something evil. The prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) has said, "Religion is good counsel" Part of this is to support a Muslim in his absence as you would in his presence, and not to give him more verbal signs of affection than you have for him in your heart. It is also part of this that when a muslim asks you for advice, and you know that the correct course does not lie in that which he is inclined to do, you should tell him so.

The absence of good counsel is indicated by the presence of envy of the favors God has given other Muslims. The origin of such envy is that you find it intolerable that God has granted one of His servants a good thing whether of the religion, or of the world. The utmost limit is to wish that he be deprived of it. It has been handed down that "envy consumes good deeds just as fire consumes dry wood". The envious man is objecting to God's management of His dominion, as if to say "O Lord! You have put your favours where they do not belong."

It is permitted to be envious without rancour whereby when you see a favor being bestowed on one of His servants, you ask Him to grant you the like.

When someone praises you, you must feel dislike for his praises within your heart. If he has praised you for something you truly possess, say: "praise belongs to God who has revealed the good things and hidden the ugly things." And if he praises you for something you do not possess, say "O God! Do not call me to account for what they say, forgive me what they do not know, and make me better than they think."

In your case, do not praise anyone unneccesarily.

When you wish to give advice to someone regarding any behaviour of his that you have come to know about, be gentle, talk to him in private and do not express explicitly what may be conveyed implicitly. Should he ask you to tell him who told you that which you know, do not tell him lest it stir up enmity. If he accepts your advice, praise God, and thank Him. If he should refuse, blame yourself.

If you are given something as a trust guard it better than if it was yours. Return that which was entrusted to you, and beware of betraying trust. The prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said:

"He who cannot keep a trust has no faith" and "Three things are attached to the Throne of God: Benefaction which says "O God! I am by you, therefore let me not be denied!" Kinship, which says "O God! I am by you, thus let me not be severed!" and Trust, which says "O God! I am by you, so let me not be betrayed!".

Speak truthfully and honor commitments and your promises, for breaching them are signs of hypocrisy.

"The signs of a hypocrite are three: when he speaks he lies, when he promises he breaks his promise, and when he is trusted, he betrays that trust."

Beware of arguments and wrangling, for they cast rancour into the breasts of men, alienate hearts and lead to enmity and hatred. If anyone argues against you and has right on his side, accept what he says for truth must always be followed. If on the other hand he is wrong, leave him, for he is ignorant, and God has said

"And turn away from the ignorant." [vii :199]

Renounce all joking, if very occasionally you do joke to assuage a Muslim's heart, then speak only the truth. The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) has said:

"Neither argue with your brother nor quarrel, and do not make him a promise and then break it."

Respect all Muslims, especially those deserving of merit, such as the scholars, the righteous, the elderly.

Never frighten or alarm a Muslim, never mock or ridicule them, or despise them.

Be humble for humility is the attribute of believers. Beware of pride for God does not like the proud. Those who humble themselves are raised up by God, and those who are proud are abased by Him.

There are signs that distinguish the humble from the proud:

"that God may separate the vile from the good" [VIII:37].

Signs of humility include a liking for obscurity, dislike of fame, acceptance of truth whether it be from a lowly or noble person, to love the poor, associate with them, to fulfill the rights people have upon you as completely as you can, thank those who fulfill their duties to you, and excuse those who are remiss. Signs of pride include a liking for positions of most dignity when in company, praising oneself, speaking proudly, open haughtiness, arrogance, strutting, and neglecting the rights of others upon you while demanding your rights from them.

How Are You?

2005-04-22T09:48:00.000-07:00

When one of the sages was asked, "How are you?" He replied, "I am with my Lord in compliance, with the nafs in opposition, with creatures [in giving and taking] advice, and with the dunya only in necessity."

On Reflection (Fikr)

2005-04-22T09:46:00.000-07:00

On Reflection (FIKR)

Chapter 9 from Risaalatu'l Mu'awanah (The Book of Assistance)

You should have a wird of reflection in every twenty-four hours, for which you should set aside one or more hours. The best time for reflection is the one in which are the least pre-occupations, worries, and more potential for the heart to be present, such as the depths of the night. Know that the state of one's religious and worldly affairs depend upon soundness of one's reflection. Anyone who has a share of it has an abundant share of everything good. It has been said : 'An hour's reflection is better than a year's worship.' 'Ali, may God ennoble his face, has said: 'There is no worship like reflection.' And one of the gnostics; may God have mercy on them all, said: 'Reflection is the lamp of the heart; if it departs the heart will have no light.'

The ways of reflection are many. One, which is the most noble of them, is to reflect on the wonders of God's dazzling creation, the inward and outward signs of His Ability, and the signs He has scattered abroad in the Realm of the earth and the heavens. This kind of reflection increases your knowledge of the Essence, Attributes, and Names of God. He has encouraged it by saying: Say: Look at what is in the heavens and the earth! (10:101)

Reflect on the wondrous creations He has made, and on yourself. He has said: In the earth are signs for those who have certainty, and in yourselves; can you not see? (51:20-21)

Know that you must reflect on the favors of God, and His bounties which He caused to reach you.

Remember the favors of God, that you may succeed. (7:69)

Should you (attempt to) number the favors of God, you would not be able to do so. (16:18)

All good things that you possess are from God. (16:53)

This kind of reflection results in the heart filling with the love of God, and continuously rendering thanks to Him, inwardly and outwardly, in a manner that pleases and satisfies Him.

Know that you should reflect on God's complete awareness of you, and His seeing and knowing all about you.

We have created man, and We know what his soul whispers to him; and We are nearer to him than his jugular vein. (50:16)

And He is with you wherever you are, and God sees what you do. (57:4)

Have you not seen that God knows what is in the heavens and the earth, and no three (persons) converse but that He is their fourth?(58:7)

This kind of reflection results in your feeling ashamed before God should He see you where He has forbidden you to be, or miss you where He has commanded you to be. Know that you must reflect on your shortcomings in worshipping your Lord, and your exposing yourself to His wrath should you do what He has forbidden you.

I created jinn and men only to worship Me. (51:56)

Do you think We created you in vain, and that to Us you will not be returned? (23:115)

O man! What is it that has deceived you concerning your Generous Lord? (82:6)

This kind of reflection increases your fear of God, encourages you to blame and reproach yourself, to avoid remissness and persevere in your zeal.

Know that you must reflect on this worldly life, its numerous preoccupations, hazards, and the swiftness with which it perishes, and upon the hereafter, and its felicity and permanence.

Thus does God render the signs clear to you, that you may reflect on this world and the hereafter. (2:119-220)

But you may prefer the life of this world, when the hereafter is better and more abiding. (87:16-17)

The life of the world is but distraction and play; while the Last Abode is indeed the Life, if but they knew. (29:64)

This kind of reflection results in losing all desire for the world, and in wishing for the hereafter.

Know that you should reflect on the imminence of death and the regret and remorse which occur when it is too late.

Say: The death that you flee will indeed meet you, and you will then be returned to the Knower of the unseen and the seen, and He will inform you of that which you had been doing.(62:8)

Until, when death comes to one of them he says: 'My Lord! Send me back that I may do good in that which I have left!' No! It is but a word he says. (23:99-100)

O you who believe! Let not your wealth or your children distract you from the remembrance of God! up to: But God will not reprieve a soul whose time has come. (63:9-11)

The benefit of this kind of reflection is that hopes become short, behavior better, and provision is gathered for the Appointed Day.

Know that you should reflect on those attributes and acts by which God has described His friends and His enemies, and on the immediate and delayed rewards which He has prepared for each group.

The righteous are in felicity, and the depraved are in hell.(82:13-14)

Is the one who is a believer like the one who is corrupt? They are not equal. (32:18)

As for the one who gave, had taqwa, and believed in goodness, We shall ease him into ease, (92:5-7)up to the end of the sura.

The believers are those who, when God is mentioned, their hearts tremble, up to: they will have degrees with their Lord, and forgiveness, and generous provision. (8:2-4)

God has promised those among you who have believed and done good works that He will make them rulers over the earth as He made those before them rulers. (24:55)

Each we took for their sin; on some we sent a hurricane, some were taken by the Cry, some We caused the earth to swallow, and some We drowned. It was not for God to wrong them, but they wronged themselves. (29:40)

Hypocrite men and hypocrite women proceed one from another; they enjoin evil and forbid good, up to: God curses them, and theirs is a lasting torment.(9:67- 68)

Believing men and believing women are helping friends to each other; they enjoin good and forbid evil. up to: and good pleasure from God which is greater; that is the supreme gain. (9:71-72)

Those who do not expect to meet Us, are content with the life of the world and feel secure therein, up to: and the end of their prayer is, Praised be God, the Lord of the Worlds! (10:7-10)

The result of this kind of reflection is that you come to love the fortunate, habituate yourself to emulating their behavior and taking on their qualities, and detest the wretched, and habituate yourself to avoiding their behavior and traits of character.

Were we to allow ourselves to pursue the various channels of reflection we would have to forgo the brevity which we intended. That which we have mentioned should suffice the man of reason.

You should with each kind of reflection, bring to mind those verses, hadiths and other narratives relating to it. We have given an example of this by quoting some of the verses related to each kind of reflection.

Beware of reflecting on the Essence of God and His Attributes in the wish to understand their nature and how they exist. No one ever became enamoured of this without falling into the abysses of negation (ta'til) or the traps of anthropomorphism (tashbih). The Messenger of God, may blessings and peace be upon him, has said: 'Reflect on the signs of God, and do not reflect on His Essence, for you will never be able to give Him His due.'

Source: Imam 'Abdallah Ibn 'Alawi al-Haddad, Risaalatu'l Mu'awanah(The Book of Assistance), translated by Dr. Mostafa al-Badawi, The Quilliam Press, UK, 1989, p31-34.

Seizures

2005-04-22T09:45:00.001-07:00

A wise man said, "The son of Adam will face four seizures - the Angel of Death will seize his soul, his heirs will seize his wealth, the worms will seize his body, and his adversaries [the people he had wronged or backbited] will seize his honour, meaning his good deeds, on the Day of Judgement."

The One who Mocks Scholars

2005-04-22T09:45:00.000-07:00

Rasulullah (saw) was reported to have siad, "The one who mocks five will lose five - the one who mocks scholars will lose his Religion (din); the one who mocks rulers will lose this life (dunya); the one who mocks his neighbours will lose their assistance; the one who mocks the strong and mighty will lose their compassion; and the one who mocks his family will lose the joy of living."

Knowledge is a Proof of Action

2005-04-22T09:44:00.002-07:00

Yahya ibn Mu'adh al-Razi said, "Knowledge is the proof of action, comprehension is the vessel of knowledge, the intellect is the leader to goodness, desire is the mount of sins, wealth is the garment of the arrogant, and this world is the market for the next world."

Six Things are Strangers in Six Situations

2005-04-22T09:44:00.001-07:00

The Prophet (saw) said, "Six things are strangers in six situations - the mosque is a stranger amongst people who do not pray; the Quran is a stranger in a household where it is not read; the memorized Quran is a stranger in the heart of an open sinner (fasiq); a righteous Muslim woman is a stranger in the hands of an evil wife of bad character; and a scholar is a stranger amongst a group of people who do not listen to him."

Then he said, "Verily Allah the Exalted will not look at them on the Day of Judgement in a merciful manner."

The Corruption of Hearts

2005-04-22T09:44:00.000-07:00

Al-Hasan al-Basri said, "The corruption of people's hearts is in six things - the first is that they sin with the hope of repentance; they seek knowledge but do not act upon it; if they do act upon it they are insincere in doing so; they eat the sustenance Allah has provided them but do not show gratitude for it; they are not content with the allotment (qisma) of Allah; and they bury their dead but do not take heed."

Safety

2005-04-22T09:43:00.001-07:00

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"The one who does not fear Allah will not be safe from the lapses of the tongue; the

heart of one who does not fear meeting Allah will be safe neither from unlawful (haram) things,

nor from things over the permissibility of which there is doubt; the one who does not break off

dependence on creatures will not be safe from greed; the one who does not safeguard (the

sincerity of) his actions will not be safe from showing-off; the one who does not seek the help of

Allah in guarding his heart will not be safe from jealousy; the and the one who does not look to

those who are better than him in knowledge and worship will not be safe from pride."

-saying of a wise man-

Time is Perplexing

2005-04-22T09:43:00.000-07:00

A poet said:

"It is an obligation upon people to repent.
But leaving sins is even more of an obligaton.

Patience in the midst of hardships is difficult to bear.
But losing the opportunity for reward is more difficult to bear.

Time is indeed perplexing in the way it passes.
Yet people's heedlessness is even more perplexing.

Everything that is due to arrive is indeed close,
Yet death is closer than everything else."

The Four Most Difficult Actions

2005-04-22T09:41:00.000-07:00

Ali (r) said, "The most difficult of actions are four - forgiving when in a state of anger, contentment in times of hardship, chastity in seclusion, and speaking the truth in front of someone whom one fears or from whom one hopes for largesse."

The True Believer

2005-04-09T17:32:00.000-07:00

The true believer likes to remain unknown and hidden, and dislikes prominence and fame. He does not talk of what does not concern him, and his heart is saddened by his short comings. He accepts no compromise in religious matters and does not please people by displeasing the Lord of the Worlds.

He is engaged in acts of goodness or acquiring knowledge. He is a person from whom people expect goodness and do not fear evil. He does not repay harm with harm, and does not shun those who shun him. he is like a palm tree, throwing tender dates at the one who throws stones at it, like soil on which filth is thrown, but out of which grow beautiful things.

The light of his truthfulness shows outwardly, and what is shown on his face indicates what is hidden inwardly. He strives and aspires to please his Lord, and is eager and careful to follow His Messenger. [Mutual Reminding--Good Manners]

10 Reasons for the Death of our Hearts

2005-04-09T17:28:00.000-07:00

It is said that Abu Ishaq Ibrahim was once passing through a bazaar in Basra when he was asked, "O Abu Ishaq! Verily Allah has declared, 'Ask Me and I will grant you your request. Ask Me, make du'a' and I will give you what you wish.' Why is it that when we ask, He does not grant?' Then Abu Ishaq replied, 'It is because of your heart. Your heart has become dead, and it is due to ten reasons." Then he gave those ten reasons:

1 You have known who is Allah and yet you have not fulfilled your duties to Him.

2 You have read the Qur'an, but you have not practised it.

3 You have proclaimed love of the Messenger of Allah, but you haven't followed his way.

4 You have declared that Shaytan is your enemy, but you have stood with him.

5 You have declared your desire for Paradise, but you have done nothing to achieve it.

6 You have declared your fear of Jahannam, but you have done nothing to escape from it.

7 You have proclaimed that there is no escape from death, yet you don't prepare for it.

8 You have indulged in searching out the faults of others, yet you have not looked at your own faults.

9 You have enjoyed all the blessings and bounties, yet you do not give Him due praise.

10 You have buried your dead, but you have taken no lesson from it.

Weeping

2005-03-19T11:53:00.000-08:00

Due to the sorrow of my sins, I wept during the salah at jumaah.

Then I committed a sin which was then my other sins: I developed pride that I wept and my nafs began praising me and my mind started imagining that I was the only one who was weeping out of hundreds.

And then I heard someone who was weeping much louder than I . . . a little baby who was crying at the top of his lungs . . .

My Ego was humiliated for it was put to shame by a newborn . . .

RasulAllah (saw) said: He who has a mustard seed of pride will not enter jannah.

Desires

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Flee from your desires like Yusuf (as) fled from Zulaikha.

When you see yourself submitting to your desires, strike down hard upon your nafs. Do not open the gate of fitnah, but keep it shut with all of your might as if wolves were attacking you. After all, one's nafs is more vicious and destructive than a pack of wild dogs.

"Allah (swt) will give shade to seven, on the Day when there will be no shade but His. (These seven persons are). . . . . . .a man who refuses the call of a charming woman of noble birth for illegal sexual intercourse with her and says: I am afraid of Allah! . . . . "
(Sahih Bukhari)

RasulAllah (saw) said: "None of you (truly) believes until his desire or inclination is in accordance with what I have brought or subservient to what I came with."

If we have true faith, then obedience will follow.

Thus, when it comes to disobeying Allah, one should run.
Thus, when it comes to obeying Allah, one should remain firm.

On the path, we are all expected to make mistakes and slip and fall. We should try our best to pick ourselves up again.

Know that one cannot fulfill aspirations except by the Mercy and Guidance of Allah (swt) so make sincere du'a to him.

The Path

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On the Path, aspire to be a runner, a walker, a crawler, but not one who stands still.

Run, walk, or crawl in order to please your Lord, but whatever you do, don't stop.

The Essence of Knowledge

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Imam Abu Hamid al Ghazali says:

The essence of knowledge is to know what obedience and worship are.
"Dear Beloved Son"

What type of nafs do you have?

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Read the following descriptions of the different types of nafs and ask yourself "what type of Nafs do I have?" If it is the first one, make dua to Allah (swt) to guide you to the Haqq.

*****
1. Nafs al-Ammara Bissu' (The Soul which Commands):This is the Nafs that brings punishment itself. By its very nature it directs its owner towards every wrong action. No one can get rid of its evil without the help from Allah. As Allah refers to this Nafs in the story of the wife of al-Aziz (Zulaikha) and Prophet Yusuf (s):
"The (human) soul is certainly prone to evil" (12:53).

Allah also says:

"And had it not been for the grace of Allah and His Mercy on you, not one of you would ever have been pure; but Allah purifies whomever He wishes, and Allah is Hearing, Knowing." (24:21)

This Nafs resides in the world of the senses and is dominated by earthly desires (Shahwat) and passions….

Evil lies hidden in the Nafs and it is this that leads it on to do wrong. If Allah were to leave the servant alone with his self, the servant would be destroyed between its evil and the evil that it craves; but if Allah grants him success and help, then he will survive. We seek refuge in Allah the Almighty, both from the evil in ourselves and from the evil of our actions.

***

2. Nafs al-Lawwama (the Soul that Blames):
Allah refers to this Nafs,

"And I do call to witness the Nafs that blames" (75:2).

This Nafs is conscious of its own imperfections.

Hasan al-Basri said, "You always see the believer blaming himself and saying things like 'Did I want this? Why did I do that? Was this better than that?"….

***

3. Nafs al-Mutma`inna (the Soul at Peace):
Allah refers to this Nafs,

"O Self, in complete rest and satisfaction!" (89:27).

This Nafs is tranquil as it rests on the certitude of Allah.

Ibn Abbas (r) said, "It is the tranquil and believing soul".

Al-Qatadah (r) said, "It is the soul of the believer, made calm by what Allah has promised. Its owner is at rest and content with his knowledge of Allah's Names and Attributes, and with what He has said about Himself and His Messenger , and with what He has said about what awaits the soul after death: about the departure of the soul, the life in the Barzakh, and the events of the Day of Qiyamah which will follow. So much so that a believer such as this can almost see them with his own eyes. So he submits to the will of Allah and surrenders to Him contentedly, never dissatisfied or complaining, and with his faith never wavering. He does not rejoice at his gains, nor do his afflictions make him despair - for he knows that they were decreed long before they happened to him, even before he was created…."….

(Al-Tabari: Jami' al-Bayan fi Tafsir al-Qur'an, vol. 13, Bulaq 1323)

Imam Baghawi says,

"The Nafs al-Mutma`inna has an angel to help it, who assists and guides it. The angel casts good into the Nafs so that it desires what is good and is aware of the excellence of good actions. The angel also keeps the self away from wrong action and shows it the ugliness of bad deeds. All in all, whatever is for Allah and by him, always comes from the Soul which is at Peace.

The Nafs al-Ammara Bissu' has Shaytan as its ally. He promises it great rewards and gains, but casts falsehood into it. He invites it and entices the soul to do evil. He leads it on with hope after hope and presents falsehood to the soul in a form that it will accept and admire."

Ibn al-Qayyim also mentioned the states of Nafs:

"The Nafs is a single entity, although its state may change: from the Nafs al-Ammara, to the Nafs al-Lawwama, to the Nafs al-Mutma`inna, which is the final aim of perfection….

It has been said that the Nafs al-Lawwama is the one, which cannot rest in any one state. It often changes, remembers and forgets, submits and evades, loves and hates, rejoices and become sad, accepts and rejects, obeys and rebels.

Nafs al-Lawwama is also the Nafs of the believer….It has also been mentioned that the Nafs blames itself on the Day of Qiyamah - for every one blames himself for his actions, either his bad deeds, if he was one who had many wrong actions, or for his shortcomings, if he was one who did good deeds. All of this is accurate.

(Madarij as-Salikin fi Manazili Iyyaka Na'budu wa Iyyaka Nasta'in, vol. 1 pg. 308)

http://www.livingislam.org/nafs.html

Distractions

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"There are two kinds of distraction: those which come through the senses, including the hearing and vision, which are dispelled through seculsion, and, secondly, those which arise from the whisperings of the ego [nafs], which distract the heart with various insinuations and passing thoughts, which are dispelled by ignoring them and keeping the heart occupied, either by echoing in the heart the same word that the mouth is uttering, whether it be Qur'an or invocation, or by listening to and hearing what proceeds from the mouth."
pg 21 of "Gifts for the Seekers" by Imam al-Haddad

May Allah (swt) rid our bodies and hearts of distractions.

"Verily, in the Remembrance of Allah do hearts find tranquility."

"La Ilaha Il Allah"

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Some say that our Ummah is dying.

Every night our TV screens show us images of the dead and dying.

But there is something worse than death: a dead soul.

There are masajid that are dead . . .

There are homes that are dead . . .

There are hearts that are dead . . .

The dead heart is the one that is devoid of the remembrance of Allah (swt).

Do you have a dead heart, one that is full of darkness?

Or do you have a live heart, one that is full of light?

If your heart is dead, the question is what are you going to do about it?

You can do three things:
1. Do nothing at all and allow yourself to degenerate.
2. Procrastinate.
3. Do something NOW.

If you chose one, may Allah (swt) guide you.

If you chose two, then ponder over the words of Imam Shafi'i (ra) "The world is but a moment, so make it a moment of obedience."

If you do not ponder NOW over your own salvation, then when will you? For how long will you continue to oppress your own soul? Until you are thrown in the Fire? No. You can stop right now and do something about it.

Make Salah 5 times on time.

Read the Quran.

Seek knowledge.

Make sincere dua.

Grab a Tasbeeh. . . .

"Those who believe, and their hearts find satisfaction in the rememberance of Allah: By remembering Allah, truly satisfaction comes to the heart"
(13:28).

"Those men and women who engage much in Allah's praise. For them has Allah prepared forgiveness and a great reward." (3:191, 33:35)

Remember Me, and I shall remember you" (2:152).

Abu Hurayra reported that the Prophet said: "When a servant of Allah utters the words la ilaha illallah (there is no god except Allah) sincerely, the doors of heaven open up for these words until they reach the Throne of Allah, so long as its utterer keeps away from the major sins." (Narrated by Tirmidhi, who says it is hasan gharib. al-Mundhiri included in al-Targhib 2:414)

Al Bayhaqi relates from ibn Umar (radiallahu 'anhu) that Allah's Messenger said: "For everything there is a polish, and the polish for the hearts is the dhikr (remembrance) of Allah. There is nothing more potent in saving a person from the punishment of Allah than the dhikr of Allah." It was said: Not even Jihad in the path of Allah. So he replied: "Not even if you were to continue striking with your sword until it breaks."
There is no doubt that hearts becomes rusty just as copper and silver coins become rusty. The polish for [this rust] is the dhikr of Allah. This is because [dhikr] is like a polish [which polishes the heart] like a shiny mirror. When dhikr is left, the rust returns. But when dhikr resumes, then the heart is [again] polished. And hearts become rusty due to two things:-

[i] neglecting remembering Allah, and
[ii] committing sins.
The polish for these two things is:-
[i] seeking Allah's forgiveness and
[ii] dhikr.

Iman, Islam, and Ihsan: "Do not be deficient in your deen for deficiency leads to the hellfire."

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Iman:
Linguistically – ‘amaana’ – ‘having safety’ or ‘accepting and confirming a certain manner.’
Shariah – ‘accepting and confirming everything that the Prophet (saw) came with of that which is necessarily known to be part of the religion.’ Not limited to just the basics of beliefs but everything that comes in the religion that everybody knows about.

Islam:
Linguistically – ‘al inqiyaadh’ – ‘submitting to something’
Shariah – ‘one submits to everything that the Prophet (saw) came with of that which is necessarily known about the religion.

***

Many of us, if asked "do you believe in God?", would answer in the affirmative. Some of us might try and give some proofs. For example, we might cite nature (the trees, the clouds, the mountains, etc) as a proof or go about using other methods to prove the existence of the creator.

These proofs in and of themselves are of no benefit if they do not lead to submission to that Creator. In other words, if we do not implement the Rules that the Creator has laid down, then we are not truly believing in His existence because if we believe in His existence and everything that entails than we would realize that this world is an Illusion and there is nothing real about it.

We would realize that the time we spend on this earth is very short and after this life, we will either have eternal joy or eternal damnation.

Reflect on the Quran, brothers and sisters, where Allah (swt) says that the people when resurrected will think that they spent only a day, or an evening, or a few hours on Earth.

The Hereafter is ETERNAL.

That is something that cannot be explained in words, one can only experience it.

Imagine the most pain and torment you've felt in you're life. Now imagine increasing that pain to a level of infinity in both duration and depth.

Imagine the most pleasurable thing you've enjoyed in you're life. Now imagine increasing that pleasure to a level of infinity in both duration and depth.

The former is a description of hellfire and the latter is a description of paradise.

How does one attain jannah?

It is not only through Iman (affirming and confirming the religion) and Islam (submitting to the religion) but also Ihsan (attaining perfection in the religion).

How does one attain Ihsan?
1. Stop committing major sins and seek repentance for the one's you've done.
2. Keep firm to your prayers.
3. Establish a relationship with the Quran. At least one juz a day.
4. Do dhikr of Allah (swt) constantly.
5. Seek knowledge from trustworthy people.
6. Keep the company of the righteous.

The last point is the most important. A person is with whom He loves on the Day of judgement. If you keep the company of murderers in this life, they will be your company in the hereafter. If you keep the company of fornicators in this life, they will be your company in the hereafter. If you keep the company of people of the dunya who follow their desires, they will be your company in the hereafter.

If you keep the company of the people who seem to be headed towards hellfire, then that is a good estaimate of what your destination will be as well.

Instead of allowing yourself to slowly slip into utter destruction by refusing to do absolutely nothing and causing yourself to stagnate, grab ahold the Rope of Allah (swt)!

The path of spiritual ascension begins with making sincere dua.

If you are a sinner, then make sincere d'ua to Allah (swt) and invoke his name "Al Rahman" or "Al-Raheem" and beg for His Mercy and vow never to do it again.

If you think that you are not a sinner, then you are deluded.

Allah (swt) is closer to you than your jugular vein. He is aware of when you sin, so that should stop you from sinning. However, should you slip into sin, recall His proximity and be quick to make istighfar and do a good deed for a good deed wipes away a bad deed.

What is ihsan? "To worship Allah as though you see Him and if you cannot, then know he sees you."

If you do not worship Allah in this manner, then you may have iman and islam, but you do not have ihsan and therefore, you are deficient.

Do not be deficient in your deen for deficiency leads to the hellfire.

Iman Begins with Disobedience

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Iman begins with disobedience for in order to obey Allah (swt) one must disobey all else.

Tempations and Hardship

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We should reflect upon the nature of the human being.

The human being is either in a state of progress or of degeneration.

Either a man is moving towards Allah (swt) or he is moving away from Him. (may Allah (swt) aid us in the former and save us from the latter! ameen!).

Thus, there is no moment for relaxation.

In our lives, there are moments when we sincerely seek the guidance of Allah (swt) and we realize the hardship involved in coming close to him. At other moments we realize that we have closeness to Allah (swt) but we choose to go the lesser route and fall into weaknesses.

The human being is thus constantly bombarded by tempatation and hardships.

Temptation is easy to succumb to and hard to resist.

Hardships (developing closeness to Allah (swt)) is difficult to attain and even more difficult to maintain.

But brothers and sisters, when we are in moments of weakness and we seek to engage in the hardships to become closer to Allah (swt) or if we are in moments of strength and are tempted to relax for a moment and enjoy the worldly pleasure, we should ponder over this:

Where do tempations lead one and where does bearing hardships lead one?

The former leads to the hellfire while the latter leads to jannah.

RasulAllah (saw) said "The hellfire is surrounded by tempations and the paradise is surrounded by hardships."

So when we are stuck in a moment where we desire laxity in the implementation of our religion, we should ask ourselves whether this moment is a moment of succumbing to temptation or of bearing hardship.

If it is tempation, avoid it.
If it is hardship, embrace it.

Excerpts from Wisdom for the Seekers

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"knowledge knocks on the door of action: it enters if the door is opened, but leaves if it does not recieve a reply. He who fails to act upon knowledge that he has gained is forever deprived of the ecstasy of supplications."
pg 12-13 "Wisdom for the Seeker: Volume 1" By Shaykh Zulfiqar Ahmad

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"There was a time when wealth was spent to acquire knowledge. Today, knowledge is spent and squandered to acquire wealth."
p 13 'ibid'.

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"Abstinence means leaving anything that may produce a negative effect on one's relationship with Allah (swt). Our elders have said taht abstinence is perfected when nothing shameful would be revealed should the heart's desires be openly displayed in the marketplace."

p 31 "Wisdom For the Seeker" By Shaykh Zulfiqar Ahmad

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To conquer the desire is to acquire the characteristics of the angels, and to be conquered is to fall to the characteristics of animals."

pg 50 "Wisdom for the Seeker" By Shaykh Zulfiqar Ahmad

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". . . remember taht staying away from sin is equivalent to prevention, and prevention is better than a cure."

pg 50 "Wisdom for the Seeker" By Shaykh Zulfiqar Ahmad

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"Just like stagnant, standing water becomes a breeding ground for filth, an empty and carefree mind becomes a hive for useless and scorned thoughts."

p 82 "Wisdom for the Seekers" by Shaykh Zulfiqar Ahmad

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"it is sadly amazing that man only realizes the value of life when more than half of it has expired."

p 83 "Wisdom for the Seekers" by Shaykh Zulfiqar Ahmad.

Lowering the Gaze

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Lowering one's gaze leads to elevation of one's spirit.

The Futility of Pursuing Material Goods

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Wealth is temporary and will perish - good deeds and the resulting rewards are eternal. Love of wealth is an unhealthy burden, whereas love for good deeds is healthy. Wealth can buy glasses, but not sight; wealth can buy books, but not knowledge; wealth can buy medicine, but not health.

pg 73 "Wisdom of the Seeker: Volume 1" by Shaykh Zulfiqar Ahmad Naqshbandi

Prevention

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Remember that staying away from sin is equivalent to prevention, and prevention is better than a cure.

On Dhikr

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The Prophet said: "If your hearts were always in the state that they are in during dhikr, the angels would come to see you to the point that they would greet you in the middle of the road." Muslim narrated it. Imam Nawawi in his Sharh sahih muslim commented on this hadith saying: "This kind of sight is shown to someone who persists in meditation (muraqaba), reflection (fikr), and anticipation (iqbal) of the next world."

Sincerity

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We must declare jihad on our nafs. The one who relaxes his vigilance against shaytan and his nafs and his desires, will relax himself into hellfire.

Actions are judged by intentions.

So let us begin with the proper intention.

May Allah (swt), by His Mercy, forgive us of our sins and eliminate the darkness within our hearts and replace it with the Light of His love and enter all of us into Paradise.

ameen.

*****

Ibn Ata’illah said: Actions are merely propped-up shapes. Their life-breath is the presence of the secret of sincerity in them.

Ibn Ajiba explained:

Actions refer to physical movements or movements of the heart. The shapes are the qualities which the mind fixes. The life-breath (ruh) and the secret are lodged in living creatures. Here it refers to that by which perfection is achieved in actions. Sincerity is when the heart is devoted to the worship of the Lord as well as its secret and core. That is the truthfulness designated by being free of strength and might since it is only complete by it, even if it is sound without it since sincerity negates showing-off and hidden shirk. Its secret negates pride. Self-regard and showing off detract from the soundness of the action, while pride detracts only from its perfection.

All actions are forms and bodies. Their life-breath is the existence of sincerity in them. As forms can only abide with spirits since otherwise they are dead and fallen-down, so actions of the body and heart only abide by the existence of sincerity in them. Otherwise they are propped-up shapes and empty forms of no consideration Allah Almighty says, "They were only ordered to worship Allah, making their deen sincerely His, as people of pure natural faith," (98:5) and "Worship Allah, making your deen sincerely His." (39:2) The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, reported that Allah says, "I am the furthest removed from what is associated with Me." The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "That which I most fear for my community is hidden shirk. It is showing off." In one version, "Fear this hidden shirk, It creeps like an ant." They asked, "What is hidden shirk?" "Showing off," he replied.

In a hadith, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was asked about sincerity and said, "Not until I ask Jibril." When he asked him, he said, "Not until I ask the Lord of Might." When he asked Him, he told him, "It is one of My secrets which I have entrusted in the hearts of those of My slaves who loves Me. No angel sees it so that he records it and no shaytan sees it so that he can corrupt it" One of them said, "This is station of ihsan: that you worship Allah as if you were seeing Him."

Sincerity has three levels: the level of the common, the level of the elite, and the level of the elite of the elite. The sincerity of the common is to remove creation from dealings with Allah while seeking the portions of this world and the Next, like preservation of the body, money, expanded provision, castles and houris. The sincerity of the elite is to seek the portions of the Next world rather than this world. The sincerity of the elite of the elite to seek to remove all portions. So their worship is to fully realise slavedom and to undertake the requirements of the Lord, or love and yearning for His vision, as Ibn al-Farid said:

My request is not for bliss of the Garden. I only desire to see You.

Another said:

All of them worship out of fear of the Fire and see salvation as a generous portion,

Or seek to dwell in the Garden and to relax in meadows and drink of Salsabil.

I have no opinion of Gardens or Fire. I do not seek any recompense for my love.

Shaykh Abu Talib said, "Sincerity with the sincere is to remove creatures from one's dealings with the Real. The first of creatures is the self. Sincerity among the lovers is not to do an action for the sake of the self. Otherwise it is affected by looking for recompense or inclining to the portion of the self. For the unifiers, sincerity is to remove creatures from dealings with of the Real by not seeing them in actions and not relying and relaxing with them in states."

One of the shaykhs said, "Make your actions sound with sincerity and make your sincerity sound by being free from strength and power." One of the gnostics said, "Sincerity is not achieved until people do not see and until he fails to think of people." That is why another said, "Whenever you fall in people's eyes, you become great in Allah's eyes. Whenever you become great in the eyes of people, you fall in Allah's eye." This is when you take note of them and are watchful of them.

I heard our shaykh say, "As long as the slave continues to watch people and have awe of them, his sincerity will never be fully realised." He also said, "Your watching Allah will never be combined with watching creation because it is impossible that you see Him and see other-than-Him with Him." The upshot is that it is not possible to ever leave the self and to be purified of subtle showing-off without a Shaykh. Allah knows best.

So obscurity is part of sincerity. Indeed, it is usually only achieved by it since the self has no portion in it.