After Ramadhan

"Imagine a plain, like a vast empty field and rain is pouring down upon this field. After a few days the soil will dry and it will seem as though it never rained at all. After a few weeks or months you will start to see plants grow on that same land due to the rain that fell. The field is us, the Muslims. The rain is Ramadhan. Our bodies soaked up the water of Ramadhan and just because the blessed month is over do not think that there is no change or benefit in our condition. The fruits and vegetables which we planted in the month of Ramadhan will be harvested in Jannah and that is when you will see the rewards for your efforts in this month." (Shaykh Maseehullah Khan)

The month of Ramadhan went as quickly as it came. Whether we will be alive for the next Ramadhan we don't know but do not think that any of your ibadat or duas that you made in this blessed month were not accepted or counted. Some people tend to go back to how they were before this month started and then they lose hope in Allah Ta'ala and think that Allah Ta'ala hates them or is angry with them and because of that their condition didn't change and that their whole month of fasting went to waste along with all their tarawih and other acts of ibadat that they did, but this is not correct. Ramadhan wasn't just for the pious people to benefit from, it was there for everyone to benefit from. No matter how small your ibadat was you will see the reward of it in the hereafter.

A muslim should always keep good thoughts of his Creator. In our minds and hearts we should say, "Allah Ta'ala is happy with me, Rasullulah sallalahu alayhi wasalam is happy with me, my parents are happy with me, the ulama are happy with me, my ustaadhs and teachers are happy with me and the mashaaikh are happy with me." Why? because if a person keeps good thoughts like these flowing in his mind it will create a desire to keep on progressing in his Deen and Islam no matter what. If you keep commit a certain sin, then make taubah, some sort of repentance and istighfar and have hope that Allah the Most Merciful has accepted your repentance each time. Even if you think you don't know how to do taubah properly then just still do your taubah whatever way possible and explain to Allah Ta'ala that you don't know how to do taubah properly and to accept your efforts. Allah Ta'ala is The Most Patient and Most Forgiving. If you have still been given time to live after commiting a sin then you have also been given the time to make taubah and stay away from that which Allah Ta'ala dislikes.

If a person commits a sin and thinks that Allah Ta'ala is angry with him and won't forgive him then he will lose hope and to him it won't make a difference if he misses his salaah or doesn't pay his zakaat because to him he will think that it won't make a difference and that Allah Ta'ala won't accept whatever he does anyway. So eventually he will lose any interest in doing good deeds of any sort because to himself he will view his bad deeds as soo great that to himself he will think, "How can Allah forgive me after all that which I have done? What difference will it make if I miss another salaah when I missed my fajr this morning?". If you actually think about it really and truly we shouldn't even be alive at this moment of time because of the amount of sins we commit on a day to day basis are soo great in number that we deserve to be destroyed or punished straight away. But no, by the Mercy and Patience of Allah we are still alive and breathing so by His Mercy we will also be forgiven. Therefore, we should try and make use of whatever time we have left and seek forgiveness from Allah Ta'ala for whatever mistakes we commited and also give thanks to Allah Ta'ala by doing good deeds for giving us the time to live and the chance to make taubah about the things which we may have done.

May Allah Ta'ala grant us all steadfastness and taufeeq to do good deeds. Ameen.

To end this post I will write a qoute that crossed my mind whilst writing this peice.

"...It is only by the Mercy of Allah that you are alive and well today,
...and it will only be by the Mercy of Allah that you will enter Jannah tommorow..."

Hazrat Allamah Anwar Shah Kashmiri rahmatullahi alayh

The Childhood of Hazrat Allamah Anwar Shah Kashmiri rahmatullahi alayh

Birth:

The lineage of Hazrat Allamah Muhammad Anwar Shah Sahib Muhaddith Kashmiri rahmatullahi alayh meets with Hazrat Shaykh Mas'ud Narwari Kashmiri whose real lineage goes to Baghdad. He then came to Multan, then Lahore and then chose to stay in Kashmir.

His Childhood:

At the age of four and a half Hazrat Allamah Anwar Shah sahib began to learn the Qur'an from his respected father, Hazrat Maulana Muhammad Mu'azam Shah. Besides the Qur'an, at the age of six, Hazrat had finished several books in Farsi. He then began to further his studies in Arabic and Farsi through Maulana Ghulam sahib.

When the father of Hazrat Allamah Anwar Shah sahib began to teach him Mukhtasar al Qudoori (a great book of Hanafi Jurisprudence) he narrates, “He would ask me some rulings that would be impossible to answer without having revised over more detailed books prior. I had to constantly stop him from asking me such questions. In the end, his strength in knowledge and thinking became such that I became distressed! I then had to send him to another scholar. That scholar too became distressed and sent him back!” And so, Hazrat’s father, Hazrat and his elder brother (Yasin Shah) then went to the mountains of Kashmir to do I’tikaf with one very pious person who was known to be a Aarif billah. When the Aarif billah saw the young Hazrat Allamah Shah sahib, he asked his father (Maulana Muhammad Mu’azam), “Is this your son? He is going to be an extremely strong, capable scholar in the future.”

Once, Hazrat was revising over a few books of Mantiq and Nahw, coincidentally, A big scholar had passed by him and picked up the books to see what Hazrat was studying. When he looked at the books, he saw that Hazrat had written his own hawaashi (notes in the margins) on the page and he was only a mere child. At that spectacle, sharp nature, great understanding the scholar said without being prompted by anyone, “This child will become the Razi and Ghazali of his time! (meaning he will surpass the other Ulama and be recognised by all for his immense knowledge and piety.)”

He had the treasures of having a peaceful nature, beautiful manners and righteous actions from the start. By seeing the state of his piety, the people of Kashmir became in doubt and question as to whether Hazrat Allamah Anwari Shah sahib was the Mahdi or not. This got to the extent that the noble father and respected family members of Hazrat Allamah Anwar Shah would have to reject this misunderstanding.

At one point, Hazrat Anwar Shah Kashmiri himself relates, “At the age of twelve, I gave my first Fatwa and at the age of nine, I had finished the revision of Nahw and Fiqh. (Then recited the verse) ‘This is Allah’s grace, He gives it to whom He wishes.’”

At the age of three, Hazrat had been in the service of thousands of countless Ulama and pious people and had sought knowledge from them. And after a while, when he understood that the thirst of knowledge had been quenched from the various knowledge and skills he had learnt, he enrolled in the Daraluloom Deoband at the age of sixteen after hearing learning of its celebrated rank in India. In Deoband, Hazrat had stayed there for four years benefitting from the most senior and famous scholars of that era in knowledge and spirituality. At the age of twenty, he received a most respected and distinguished sanad (authorization). From his prominent teachers, some are listed below:

Hazrat Maulana Mahmud Hassan Sahib, Hazrat Maulana Khalil Ahmad Saharanpuri, Hazrat Maulana Muhammad Ishaaq Sahib, Hazrat Maulana Ghulam Rasul Sahib Hazaarwi. May Allah have mercy on them all. Ameen.

This is the childhood of Hazrat Allamah Anwar Shah Kashmiri translate from the book, "Baro Ka Bachpan".

Health Benefits of Fasting

After speaking to a non-muslim about fasting, I wanted to see what the benefits of fasting are. Just by looking at non-muslim sources I found that fasting has great effects on the body. Just an interesting read which can help in dawah...

1. Fasting initiates rapid weight loss with little or no hunger. Most people are surprised at how little desire for food they have while fasting.

2. Fasting promotes detoxification. As the body breaks down its fat reserves, it mobilizes and eliminates stored toxins.

3. Fasting gives the digestive system a much-needed rest. After fasting, both digestion and elimination are invigorated.

4. Fasting promotes the resolution of inflammatory processes, such as in rheumatoid arthritis.

5. Fasting quiets allergic reactions, including asthma and hay fever.

6. Fasting promotes the drying up of abnormal fluid accumulations, such as edema in the ankles and legs and swelling in the abdomen.

7. Fasting corrects high blood pressure without drugs. Fasting will normalize blood pressure in the vast majority of cases, the blood pressure will remain low after the fast, if the person follows a health-supporting diet and lifestyle.

8. Fasting makes it easy to overcome bad habits and addictions. Many people have overcome tobacco and alcohol addictions by fasting, and even drug addictions. Fasting rapidly dissipates the craving for nicotine, alcohol, caffeine and other drugs.

9. Fasting clears the skin and whitens the eyes. It is common to see skin eruptions clear while fasting, and the whites of the eyes never look so clear and bright as they do after fasting.

10. Fasting restores taste appreciation for wholesome natural foods. People say that their taste buds come alive after fasting and that food never tasted so good.

11. Fasting is the perfect gateway to a healthful diet and lifestyle. Going on a fast gives you the motivation and enthusiasm to make a fresh start.

Taken from Fasting Facts

Brief Stories and Haalaat of Seeking Knowledge and the Akaabireen

Imam Abu Yusuf debating about a juristic issue at the time of his death.

Imam Abu Yusuf Qadhi (Ya’qub ibn Ibrahim ibn al Ansari al Kufiyi and then Bagdhadi) rahimahullah

Born: 113 AH
Death: 182 AH

He was the student and propagator of Imam Abu Hanifah’s rahimahullah knowledge and mazhab. And he was the Qadhi (judge) of the Abbasid caliph, al Mahdi al Hadi Rasheed. He would say for Imam Abu Yusuf rahimahullah is the judge of the judges in this world.
He was taking in his last stages of life with a loss of blood when he was debating with another man in a juristic issue with the hope that it would bring benefit to the one who seeks benefit or to the learner.

His student Qadhi Ibrahim ibn Jarrah al Kufiyi mentions that Imam Abu Yusuf was ill so I had gone to him to find him unconscious. When he woke up, he said to me: O Ibrahim! What do you say in this (juristic) matter? I said: You are asking me this in such a state?! He said: No worries with regards to this state (of mine). I will teach you, perhaps you will attain salvation as a result of it. Then he said: O Ibrahim, what is more virtuous in the ritual of Hajj in relation to the stoning of the jamaraat (click here to see) ? Should the stoning be done walking or should a person be a passenger (i.e. whilst riding on something)? I said: As a passenger. He said: You have made a mistake. I said: Walking. He said You have made a mistake: I said: You tell me about this, may Allah be pleased with you. He said: If the person is staying there because he wants to make dua, than it is more virtuous that he does the stoning as a walker. And if he does not intend to stay there, it is more virtuous that he does it as a messenger. I then stood by his side and (prepared to leave). I reached the door of his house when I heard a cry, it was then he had passed away. May Allah Ta’ala have mercy on him.

This was the way of the Ulama and Mashaaikh. They would say: Seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave. (طلب العلم من المهد الي اللحد)

So much so that Shuja’ah ibn Mukhlad says that I heard Abu Yusuf saying: My son had died. I was not able to attend his funeral preparations or his burial and I left him with my neighbours and my close ones. Fear had set upon me that I may miss something from the duroos (lessons) of Imam Abu Hanifah rahimahullah so I did not go.

Muhammad ibn Hassan rahimahullah – He didn’t sleep at night except very little.

Muhammad ibn Hassan ash Shaybani

Born: 132 AH
Death: 189 AH

He was an Imam, Faqeeh, Mujtahid and Muhadith; the student of Imam Abu Hanifah. Allamah Tashkubri mentions: He did not sleep at night but very little and would place a book beside him. When he would get tired from this, he would look the other way and would get rid of it with water. He would say: Without doubt, sleep is from fever! (illness)

‘Isaam al Balkhi rahimahullah buys a pen for a dinar so that he can write whatever he hears.

‘Isaam ibn Yusuf al Balkhi

Death: 215 AH

Allamah Taashkubri relates: He was a Hanafi jurist and Muhadith of Balkh. He would purchase a pen for a dinar so he could write whatever (ilm) he hears in every state. His life was short but his knowledge was vast. Students should not miss out on timing and hours, they should take the night as a retreat (i.e. to study) and should go to the scholars and benefit from them. You will not realise what you have let slip.

Translated from the book: Qeematuz Zamn 'indal Ulama

Qur'anic Advices - Proper Hijab

I begin with the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the All Merciful.

وَقُل لِّلۡمُؤۡمِنَـٰتِ يَغۡضُضۡنَ مِنۡ أَبۡصَـٰرِهِنَّ وَيَحۡفَظۡنَ فُرُوجَهُنَّ وَلَا يُبۡدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنۡهَا‌ۖ وَلۡيَضۡرِبۡنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَىٰ جُيُوبِہِنَّ‌ۖ
"And say to the believing women that they must lower their gazes and guard their private parts, and must not expose their adornment, except that which appears thereof, and must wrap their bosoms with their shawls."(Surah An-Nur, Ayah 31)

The concept of Hijab is often misunderstood among some of the young sisters today. The common idea of hijab is that the girl is supposed to ensure that only her head is covered. However, Hijab holds much deeper meaning than just a piece of cloth. Hijab is a concept of manners, humility, and modesty. Lowering our gaze in order to avoid fitnah and acting with humility around men is Hijab. Guarding our private parts is Hijab. Behaving with good manners is Hijab, etc. Thus, every believing woman should realize that Hijab is a woman's guard, it is her reminder to do good and abstain from bad and she should always try to wear it in its correct form, and act according to the teachings of her Hijab. And of course, once we understand the beauty of hijab and awknowledge the reasons we wear it, we will begin to wear it correctly and with full reward, InshaAllah.

That being said, there are a total of seven conditions for proper hijab:

1). The clothes a Muslimah wears must cover her entire body with leeway given with regards to the hands and face.

2). The clothing must not be revealing, in other words thin and see-through.

3). In order to conceal the shape of the body, the clothing must be loose-fitting.

4). The woman's clothing shouldn't resemble that of a man's in anyway.

5). Style in clothing shouldn't look like the clothes of the disbelievers. Supported by the Hadith: "It is reported that the Prophet Muhammad (salla Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said: من تشبه بقوم فهو منهم "Whoever imitates a nation, then he is one of them." (Recorded by Abu Dawud and Ahmad).

6). The clothing shouldn't attract attention. Meaning that the designs should not be excessive or bold.

7). Last, and I think this is extremely important: Hijab should be worn for the right reason. Wear it for your Creator, never for the sake of His Creation.

Wasalaamu Alaykum