Poetry of Sheikh Jalaluddin Rumi rahimahullah

The follow is poetry of Sheikh Jalaluddin Rumi rahimahullah that I came across. I found it very nice; 

You stepped on the ground on the earth,
Pregnant with joy, gave birth to infinite blossoms.
The cheering spread up to heaven,
The moon glanced... amazed at the stars.
You came suddenly and stole three things from me:
The patience of my heart,
The colour of my face,
And the sleep from my eyes.
Oh I bless the hand that no mind can conceive.
Everyone has someone: a friend, a love, some skill or work.
But I am alone with the dream of my beloved hidden in the corner of my heart.
The back of hope is bent by separation,
The hands of longing tied by cruelty,
But the lover never despairs.
For a committed heart, everything is possible.
The treasure I hold in my heart is the envy of all...
I swear to God none could be more joyous than me!
I hear about sorrow but it means nothing to me.
To live without you, is to be robbed of love...
And what is life without it?
To live without you is death to me, my love... but some call it life...

Imam Ahmed ibn Hanbal’s advice to his son on his wedding day

From: Tafseer Raheemi

Imam Ahmed ibn Hanbal’s advice to his son on his wedding day:

Dear son, you will not attain good fortune in your home except by 10 characteristics which you show to your wife, so remember them and be enthusiastic in acting upon them.

As for the first two; women like attention and they like to be told clearly that they are loved. So don’t be stingy in expressing your love for your wife. If you become limited in expressing your love, you will create a barrier of harshness between you and her, and there will be a decrease in affection.

3. Ladies hate a strict, overcautious man, yet they seek to use the soft vulnerable one. So use each quality appropriately. This will be more appealing for love and it will bring you peace of mind.

4. Ladies like from their husbands what their husbands like from them, i.e. kind words, good looks, clean clothes and a pleasant odour. Therefore, always remain in that state.

5, Indeed, the house is under the sovereignty of the woman. While she remains therein, she feels that she is sitting upon her throne, and that she is the chief of the house . Stay clear of destroying this kingdom of hers and do not ever attempt to dethrone her, otherwise you will be trying to snatch her sovereignty. A king gets most angry at he who tries to strip him of his authority, even if he portrays to show something else.

6. A woman wants to love her husband, but at the same time she does not want to lose her family. So do not put yourself and her family in the same scale, because then her choice will be down to either you or her family. And even if she does choose you over her family, she will remain in anxiety, which will then turn into hatred towards you in your daily life.

7. Surely woman has been created from a curved rib, and this is the secret of her beauty, and the secret of the attraction towards her. And this is no defect in her, because ‘the eyebrows look beautiful due to them being curved’. So if she errs, do not rebuke her in a manner in which there is no gentleness, attempting to straighten her; otherwise you will simply break her and her breaking, is her divorce. At the same time do not let her off upon that mistake, otherwise her crookedness will increase and she will become arrogant with her ego. Thereafter, she will never soften for you and she won’t listen to you, so stay in between the two.

8. It is in the women’s nature to be ungrateful towards their husbands and to deny favours. If you were to be nice to her for her whole life but you grieved her once, she will say, “I have never seen any good from you”. So don’t let this attitude of her make you dislike her or to run away from her. If you dislike this feature of hers, you will be pleased with some other good habits within her, so create a balance.

9. Surely there are times when a woman goes through some conditions of bodily weakness and fatigue of the mind. Such that Allah has relieved her of some of her compulsory worships during that period; Allah has totally pardoned her from praying, and has postponed the days of fasting for her within this break to a later date until she regains her health and becomes normal in her temperament once more. Thus, during these days, treat her in a godly manner. Just as Allah has relieved her of the duties, you should also lessen your demands and instructions from her during those days.

10. Last but not least, know that a woman is like a captive with you. Therefore, have mercy upon her.

Translated by Hazrat Maulana Abdul Rahim
Edited by Abdus Subhan

How should one behave towards one who criticizes others?

I have translated the following from Malfoozat Hazrat Sheikh rahimahullah. The following is some advice given by Hazrat Maulana Zakariyya rahimahullah during I'tikaf in the Ramadhan of 1395:

How should one behave towards one who criticizes others?

He said: "O, my dear ones, I would like to put a point forward in relation to those criticisms which have been heard about me. Please, do inform me about them. In reality, those who criticize are well-wishers for a man (because they divert his attention towards his own mistakes). After hearing criticisms, a man should ponder over the objections which he hears (about himself). How truthful is this. When criticisms are made with sincerity, then it feels good, in such an instance one should make a rectification of this fault. And if this criticism is incorrect, then he should make shukr (thanks) to Allāh Ta'ala (that it is Allāh's favor upon him that this fault is not within him). The point of discussion here is that one should not get angry upon criticism. In fact, I become happy at that person who criticizes me, because I do not have any good deeds and this poor soul is passing over his good actions to me as a result of his incorrect criticisms and backbiting. This will come in benefit for me on that day when I will be empty-handed.

I have said to this Muftī ṣaḥib (Maulānā Muftī Maḥmūd Ḥasan Gangohī is meant here, who was Maulānā Zakariyyā’s distinguished caliph, the most distinguished Mufti in Hindustan.  He was an 'ālim and a muḥadith (may Allāh benefit us through him)) many times that whatever is said about me incorrectly, immediately check it, but he has not accepted this statement of mine. 

Bidayatul Hidayah: Chapter on Staying Away from Sins - Part 1

I have translated the following from 'Bidayatul Hidayah' of Imam Abu Hamid al Ghazali rahimahullah. It is a very nice book, I think it has published in English recently aswell. Here is a chapter on staying away from sins. I will divide it into two posts due to its length.

Know that religion has two conditions:

1) To leave that which is forbidden
2) To do actions of obedience

The leaving of that which is forbidden is harder to do. This is because obedience is carried out by everyone (to some extent) but only the pious leave their desires. This is why Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wasallam, “The Muhajir (one who migrates) is he who migrates from evil and the Mujaahid (warrior) is he who fights against his desires.”

Know! That you will only disobey Allah Ta’ala with your limbs and your limbs are only a bounty from Allah Ta’ala upon you! They are a trust given to you so seek help in the bounties of Allah Ta’ala against His disobedience which is the utmost snub. To behave treacherously with a trust that Allah Ta’ala has given you is an extreme form of haughtiness (arrogance)!

Your limbs will look after you make sure you look after them. It comes in a hadith, “You all are guardians and you all will be questioned over those things that you looked after.”

Know that your limbs will bare testimony against you in a presentation given by a eloquent tongue on the day of Qiyamah. You will be led by it at the forefront of all the creations. Allah Ta’ala says in the Qur’an, “On that day, their tongues, hands and feet will bare testimony against them as to what they used to do.” (Surah Nur) and He further states, “On the day there will a seal on their mouth and their hands and legs will testify against them as to what they used to earn.”

Therefore look after your body and especially look after 7 parts of your body; for Jahannam has seven doors and for every door there is a part categorised. And these doors are not specified for any person except that person who disobeys Allah Ta’ala with these seven body parts. They are:
1. The eyes
2. The ears
3. The stomach
4. The tongue
5. The private parts
6. The hand
7. The legs/feet

Inshallah we will continue with this in the next post...

Royal Characteristics After Marriage

Due to the Royal Wedding which has occured, I felt it ideal to post something in relation to wedlock. Once a person is married, he will have to adapt his ways in order to get along with his partner. It is for this reason that I have translated a few chapters from Tuhfatuz Zawjayn by Hazrat Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi rahimahullah. He mentions some really nice and beautiful points. The last part is a brief account of Hazrat Maulana Thanwi's own behaviour inside his household.

Speaking to your wife and keeping her happy is also her right

Some people are such that they are referred to as respected elders or obedient followers of a respected elder. They are fully engiaged in prayer, fasting, zikr etc and it is as if they are purchasing their place in Jannah through their worship. However, these people are such that they remain ignorant of the rights of their wife.

Remember! It is also the right of your wife that you fix a time for her in which you can speak to her in order to listen to her problems and her joys. It is also her right that you have heart to heart with her so that she remains happy but it is unfortunate that many religious and less religious people remain ignorant with regards to this and thus do not fulfil this right of the spouse. These people are such that they think the only thing that they have to do is provide food and clothing for their wife!

Buying gifts for your wife without reason and feeding her with your hands

If a person purchases something for his wife without any reason to do so then that will not be considered to be extravagance. This is because making the heart of your wife happy is what is needed. However, there is also the condition that a person doesn’t incur a debt upon himself greater than he can satisfy.

And to feed the wife some food is also good, Allah Ta’ala places reward in this.

Hazrat Thanwi and his beautiful conduct with the women of his house

“It is not something which should be mentioned but out of necessity I will tell you as to how I run my household and how I take assistance from the people of my house.

Alhamdulillah, I am not suppressed and nor do I suppress anyone in my household and still, I live the life of a king. My habit is this that when I go home, I check if there is fresh chapatti; if it hasn’t been made, I eat the stale chapatti. Many a times I see that my wife is busy with something so I take the chapatti with my own hands and I take some water with me also. I then take a plate and poor curry into the plate and sit down to eat. If she is making chapatti, I ask her if she needs anything as sometimes, water is needed. If this is the case, I go to the sink or well and fill a bucket of water for her. Sometimes, if she is free, I ask her to bring me the food and that poor girl brings it for me (i.e. Hazrat Thanwi is showing his compassion for his wife that she assists him without making any complaint). It is important for a person to see whether she is busy or not as a person does not remain in the same state all the time.

I tend to get less sleep at night and so after observing my wife for a while, I get up and make thanks to Allah Ta’ala that at least He gave her sleep. Otherwise two sadness’s would be joined together (i.e. one sadness for me not being able to sleep and one sadness for her not being able to sleep).

Then when I am leaving my house, I ask her if there is anything she would like me to do for her. If she says that there is nothing for me to do, I go about my business and if she tells me that there is some work that needs taking care of, I do it. For example, if she wants me to write a letter, I will finish this job and then leave.

Nowadays, many people in our society say that having a wife means a life of friendship! O naive people! Do you even fulfil any rights of friendship or do you just use this term as a (flowery) word? It is only shown by your actions whether or not you have taken that poor girl to be your friend."

May Allah Ta'ala give us the ability to inculcate within ourselves beautiful characteristics which perfume the houses we live in and bring joy to the people we spend time with. May He give us the ability to cherish one another. Ameen, ya Rabbal 'Aalameen.

Hazrat Sheikh's rahimahullah advice on a simple marriage

The following is an extract taken from the autobiography (Aap Beti) of Hazrat Maulana Muhammad Zakariyya rahimahullah:

Nikkah is a form of worship but people have made it into a museebat (calamity). The Ulama say, “There are two worships which started with Nabi Adam alayhis salam and will remain till the day of Qiyamat; the first is Iman and the second is marriage. Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam considred marriage as one of his sunnats and said, “Nikkah is of my sunnat, so whoever turns away from my sunnat is not from me.”

But what have we done? We have added so many nonsensical things to it and made it into a great burden and calamity upon ourselves! During the time of Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam and the Sahabah radiallahu anhum after hi, it had the label of sunnat thoroughly attached to it. These nonsensical customary things which we had attached to it were not even thought of in those days.

The love which the Sahabah radiallahu anhum had for Rasulullah salallahu alyhi wa salam was such that nobody can deny it. A few examples of this have been quoted in the book ‘Stories of the Sahabah’.

Hazrat Abdur Rahman ibn Owf radiallahu anhu was a very well known sahabi, and is one of the ten who were promised entry into Jannah. He was a very faithful follower of Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam but in spite of all that, not only did he not invite Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam to his wedding but also did not even inform him thereof. When Rasulullah salallahu alyhi wa salam saw some yellow mark on his clothing which denoted a kind of scent used at weddings, he asked him, “What is this, O Abdur Rahman? Did you get married?” He replied that he had indeed married a girl from among the Ansaris.

Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam also said, “That nikkah has more blessings in it, in which least expenditure is incurred.” It is a pity that we have through our customs made it the most difficult thing. No one knows how many salaahs are left unperformed because of it. Sometimes a greater museebat (calamity) is that the bride’s party is sent of just at a time when salaah is to be performed, as a result of which the bride, bridegroom and the whole party miss the salaah. When that is the beginning of the union, is it any wonder that the end of it is arguments, disputes and corruption?

Ulama have written that the child that is conceived out of conjugal relations at a time of salaah (which is not performed) will tend to be disobedient to parents and troublesome to them. May Allah guide us and set us aright!

A worse museebat is this that as a result of our customs, girls remain unmarried till late in life, the reason being that financial arrangements cannot be made. Even worse that this – often, money has to be borrowed on interest, about which the Qur’an has passed a verdict that it is tantamount to a declaration of war from Allah and His Rasul salallahu alayhi wa salam.

Who is there that can survive a battle against Allah and His Rasul salallahu alayhi wa salam? Often the excuse is brought that if all these things are not done, then our honour and dignity will be lost. I have seen many Elders have their marriages and the marriages of their loved ones performed according to the sunnat in utmost simplicity, without all this nonsensical rigmarole but without any dishonour at all!

How to Keep a Low Profile & Keeping Away Unwanted Attention

Many people want to keep a low profile with regards to themselves but they simply do not know how to. Some people make sincere intentions that they will keep themselves unknown only to reappear a few months later and become well-known once more. A person can get attention for a variety of reasons; sometimes a person could have done something amazingly praiseworthy which attracts the admiration of his peers and the jealousy of others. Sometimes a person could have done something shockingly inappropriate which attracts the attention of everybody around him. Similarly, a person who wears trendy and stylish clothes is immediately recognised and likewise, a person who smells and dresses up badly also gains some recognition for the wrong reasons. The basic point made here is that attention comes through various ways and finds its way to the door of a person sooner or later.

How can a person maintain a low profile? Different things apply to the two genders. Below is a list of ways a person can keep himself ‘off the radar’ so as to speak.

- Make a strong intention that you want to keep yourself to yourself and not be known among the people. The stronger your intention is, the more Allah Ta’ala will help you attain your goal.

- Get rid of your Facebook! As soon as a person signs up to Facebook, he instantly brings himself attention. It is amazing how people are willing to share there every action with people whom they may not even know properly. How is it possible that a person announces to the entire world ‘Fulan is now going to the toilet’?! And then not expect attention? It is shameful for a person to write acts about his every action! It is needless telling people all these things. If a person is going to share his life with the entire world, what remains for himself and his loved ones? Some people who have these applications on their phones then send messages from the most inappropriate of places! Is it really appropriate to write a Facebook status whilst attending somebody’s Janazah? It is for this reason one of my friends tends to call this type of behaviour ‘Shamebook’. Facebook may have benefits but its negatives are far greater. For some, closing their Facebook may be a bit extreme but for those whose hearts have been opened by guidance from Allah Ta’ala, they will immediately recognise their Facebook to be a waste of time. Note: Once it is closed, keep it that way. It can be tempting to return to it and see the latest gossip but a person must have self discipline. Constantly remind yourself what your aim is. Also, there is no need to announce on Facebook that you are leaving. Some people forget that their aim is to keep attention away from them and before deactivating their account they write a big message saying, “Fulan is now leaving Facebook! Goodbye all, it was nice knowing you!” There is no need for an announcement! This will cause a person to delay and wait to see what people have to say. When people become alerted, they will rush to send a message. The basis of all this is unwanted attention that could have been avoided. If deleting Facebook is totally out of the equation then at least limit those with whom you speak to through it. If you are using it to keep in touch with a few special friends then keep it that way. There is no need to keep 277 friends when you speak to only a handful.

- Limit your use of MSN Messenger. Sometimes, people genuinely need to use MSN to speak to family members or loved ones who may be in different countries and this is fine. However, it is important to limit the contacts who are available. Sometimes people have 200 contacts but only speak to 10. If this is the case then only keep 10. If we just sat back and had a look at our MSN Messenger contacts list, we will notice that the majority of those who we have on our account are barely spoken to anyway. If this is the case, then get rid of the excess.

- Keep your voice down when you are around others. Sometimes people are loud by tendency but caution should be taken with this. Some people on the other hand are loud because they want to be heard. How many times have we walked down a road or sat on a bus only to hear the conversation of another person without even wanting to? A person should try their utmost to socialise in a modest and humble manner. Aishah radiallahu anha would mention that Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam was not rude or vulgar and he didn’t pretend to be immoral either; neither did he shout in market places. This is a great example for us, we walk up and down the road screaming and hollering but respect is when a person is quiet. The louder a person is, the more he is considered to be bizarre by the people around him.

- The above point is especially useful for women. There are many women who tend to be loud and bubbly and as a result, they cause a lot of unneeded attention towards themselves. There was once a time where the tongues of women were eloquent and free from swearing and vulgarity. It is unfortunate to see young Muslim women openly screaming all sorts of abuse in colleges and universities. That is not to say all women are like that, there are still women today who are role models for even men because of their beautiful characteristics. A woman is most attractive when her words are of a soft and sweet nature. It does not befit a rose that it gives of stench so then how is it possible for a woman that she spits out abuse?

- Avoid going into places which will cause recognition. Many people like to go to Shisha cafes and specific clubs but what this can bring unwanted attention. Many people who go to places like these are determined to mingle with others. These places are best left alone.

- Keep a small amount of pious friends. Many people like to mix with different groups of friends during different days of the week. This is incorrect as his name becomes famed. It is better to keep a small group of friends who will come to a person’s aid. A person who is married should especially limit his friends. His best friend should be his wife. In a prior post (Click Here) we spoke of the husband being the mureed of his wife; and rightly so, it is better to be the mureed of lifelong friend than a whole host of friends. Also, when a person keeps friends who are idiots, they tend to spill his secrets and make him well known.

- Limit your time out of the house. Some people go out and loiter around shopping malls and parks just to see what is going on. This again is unnecessary and should be avoided.

- Don’t wear dazzling clothes. As a Muslim we are encouraged to dress well and wear nice clothes if we are able to do so. Allah is beautiful and He loves beauty. However, there is a huge difference between elegance and show-stopping glitz! We should be elegant in our clothing but not glamorous. Many people want to be seen as they cross the road so they will wear a shocking blue t-shirt or more jewellery then people keep in the shops! This again is incorrect. Beauty is in simplicity and we see this in the life of Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam. His attire was elegant but it was simple at the same time. It was not heavily designed but rather it was kept plain and clean. Many people will now say that they didn’t have fashionable and heavily designed material in those times but this is totally incorrect. The merchants of Arabia would constantly trade with the Romans and Persians in order to bring beautiful clothing to Arabia but this would never tempt Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam. Once Umar radiallahu anhu saw Rasulullah’s salallahu alahyhi wa salam state and began to weep. When asked as to why he cries he said, “I swear by Allah! I do not cry except that because I know that you are more exalted in the sight of Allah then the emperor of Persia and the Caesar of Rome. And they are both are enjoying in the pleasures of the world, whilst you, O Rasulullah are in this state that I am seeing you in.” Upon this Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam said, “What is with me and this world? (i.e. what do I care about this world?)”

- Sisters are also encouraged to not wear clothes which can bring attention to their beauty. Men are naturally rugged and sometimes, a person needs to look for a long time to see any beauty. On the other hand, women are naturally created with attractive features and can instantly catch eyes if attention is brought to them. This is not to say that women should not dress up and remain in a filthy state. Rather, a women should dress up well but should not make herself alluring by wearing colours which make her more luminous than the lollipop lady.

- Conceal your good deeds like the way you would conceal your bad deeds.

Our pious predecessors and elders disliked fame and glory. They were very simple people; there aim was to live a simple life on this planet and then return to Allah Ta’ala. There walking, talking and living in general was very basic and they did not have any desire to be known and celebrated. Hazrat Bishr ibn al Harith rahimahullah would say, “I do not know of a single man who loves fame except that he loses his religion and becomes disgraced. No-one who has fear of Allah, loves to be known amongst the people.” Let us ponder carefully over this statement. When a person begins to love fame and popularity, he thrives on serving the people in all affairs. When he speaks, he speaks for their praise; when he prays, he hopes for the approval; when he does any good, it is for their admiration. It is better to keep low profile and remain unknown. The more fame a person gets, the more opposition he gets. Every person would like to make the person beside him think in a similar way but this is not possible.

There are many more ways to keep low profile but the post is already long as it is. Inshallah if time permits, I will continue with this at another time.

May Allah Ta’ala give us the ability to become sincere servants of His. Ameen.

A Wife's Certificate

Taken from: Ashrafiya

'Arif billah Dr. Abdul Hayy ‘Arifi (Allah have mercy on him) said;

“Brethren! If you want to get a certification and approval for your knowledge obtain it from a Darululoom (maderassa) but for the achievements in tareeqat (i.e. getting rid of blame worthy moral traits like anger, pride, show off etc. & acquisition of praiseworthy moral traits like sincerity, humility, patience, etc.) get it from your wife, because she really knows you (inside out).”

Malfoozat-e-Arifi page 216

Respect for Islamic Books

Many of us have Islamic books in our houses and rooms. We find that as we get more interested in Islam, the literature we purchase also increases. However, many of us lack the correct etiquettes on how to behave witch such books and sadly we see them lying around the house, next to the toaster in the kitchen or used as a coaster in the living room.

The reality is that these books are of great importance and deserved of enormous respect due to the writings within them. Often we will find the blessed name of Allah ‘azza wa jal and Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam written inside. Many books have Qur’anic verses and ahadith and thus are books of a venerated nature. The more respect we show these books, the more we will be able to benefit from them. The more disrespect we show them, the less we will gain from them. It does not befit a book of such a stature that it be left next to the toaster in the kitchen, rather it should deserve a place on a accessible, clean shelf. Such books should be handled with care.

The books which are studied in classical madressas usually have the main text in the center of the page and the commentary/footnotes are carefully etched all around the sides of the page. These annotations are sometimes upside down and at angles which are hard to read. Allamah Anwar Shah Kashmiri rahimahullah would have such respect for his books that in order to read these annotations, he would never move the book that was in front of him but rather he would move himself around the book if he wanted to read something which was written upside down. Such respect for his books contributed highly into making him one of the greatest scholars to have ever emanated from the sub continent.

Similar is the case of the king Bahadur Shah Zafar. After his death, somebody saw him in a dream and asked him, “O King! How did you fare in front of Allah Ta’ala?” He said, “Allah Ta’ala forgave me and he was very kind to me.” The person asked, “Is the reason because you were a very just king and ruler?” The king replied, “No, it was because of one incident that Allah Ta’ala liked so much. I was on a journey and I came to a resting place and we stopped there and when I was about to sleep on my bed, I noticed that on the shelf there was a Qur’an and I couldn’t spread my legs towards the Qur’an. I immediately stood up and sat straight. Now I thought that I would move the Qur’an from there and put it somewhere else but I thought no, I should not do that for the sake of my own rest. So, I tried to turn around and slept the other way but I couldn’t sleep. Sometimes I was sitting down; sometimes I was in some other posture until I spent the whole night in a sleepless state because of the respect of the Qur’an. I did not move the Qur’an for my own sake and I couldn’t sleep on the other side. So Allah Ta’ala said to me, “O Zafar! I liked this deed of yours so much that because of that, I am forgiving you.”

Today we consider such things such a trivial matter but when we look at our elders, we see an intense and burning love for books which are of a deeni nature. It is very important to become humble in front of such books. Many of us out of ignorance and disrespect sleep with our feet pointing towards Islamic books. There was a time where sleep in this manner would be unbearable but today, we are happy to place our feet towards deeni books and then sleep like a grizzly bear with full on snoring.

Similar is the case of sleeping in a high position whilst the books are lower than the feet of a person. It should not be the case that a person sleeps on such a high bedding that there are books on his shelf/desktop etc which are lower than his feet. If possible, he should lower his bed so that he is closer towards the floor and if he cannot do this, then he should look to sleep in another room. If that is really hard then he should ensure that the books are kept in another place where they will not be disrespected.

The following bullet points will inshallah be of benefit:

• Keep your Islamic books in high, dust-free shelves.
• Keep them nicely arranged starting with Qur'anic related books, Hadith related books then Fiqh related books and so on.
• Keep them in good condition.
• Do not use them for any other purpose other than what they are meant for. No 'coaster-ing!'
• Do not keep them in places which denote disgrace, i.e. below the feet.
• Do not point your feet towards Islamic books when you sleep.
• Hold the Islamic books with your right hand as this is the hand of respect.
• Try to maintain wudhu when reading such books. Although it is not necessary, it will be better and respectful. (Note: it is compulsory for one to have wudhu before physically handling the Qur'an)
• When you are carrying a book, carry it above your waist.
• Use nice bags when carrying Islamic books, not just a ripped Tesco bag!
• If one has many books and shelves in proportion to them, then make sure the room in which they are kept is clean and fragranced well.

Finally, I finish on a statement that our teachers would tell us, "Whomsoever acquired anything in this world did so by respect (adab). And whomsoever lost something in this world did so because of (a lack of) respect."

May Allah Ta'ala give us the ability to revere everything which is deserved of respect. Ameen.

Hazrat Thanwi's Love For His Wife & The Glitzy Achkan!

A strange incident with regards to Hazrat Thanwi
(This article has been translated from Islahi Khutbaat)

Hazrat Mufti Taqi Usmani Sahib (DB) mentions,

“I remember a very strange story which I heard from my respected father (Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Shafi rahimahullah). It is a story which gives a great lesson.

Hazrat Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi rahmatullahi alayh had two wives. One was elderly and one was young. Both had a great relationship with Hazrat. However the elderly wife was would always be thinking about how she could bring some rest to Hazrat.

Once, Eid was approaching and she really desired from her heart to make a Achkan (a long jacket type of thing click for image). There was a special type of cloth that would be used in that time for this and its name was “ankh kaa nasha” (the intoxication of the eyes). It was a very bright type of cloth also.

She began to sew Hazrat wala a Achkan without asking him prior to making it. She entertained the thought of seeing Hazrat’s happiness and thus did not tell him about it in order to surprise him. She spent the entirety of Ramadhan making this garment for Hazrat; this was because they did not have machines in those days so clothing had to be sewn and stitched by hand.

Thus she finished making the garment and she gifted it to Hazrat on the night before Eid. She said to him, “I have made this Achkan for you... my heart wishes that you wear this to the Eidgah and lead the prayer in it (the prayer would consist of thousands of people).”

Now, Hazrat’s persona was something else and this dazzling Achkan was something else (i.e. Hazrat was a very simple person and did not wear anything flamboyant). Hazrat’s persona was completely the opposite of this dazzling Achkan! However Hazrat mentions, “Had I refused to wear this garment, her heart would have been broken. She had spent the entire month of Ramadhan making this garment with so much effort and love.” Thereafter, just to make the heart of his wife happy, he said, “Masha Allah!!! You have made a beautiful Achkan!”

He then wore this Achkan to Eidgah and lead the prayer. When he finished the prayer, a person came to Hazrat and said, “Hazrat! You know this Achkan you are wearing, it does not give you any beauty because it is of a very dazzling nature.”

Hazrat replied, “Yes bhai! You are correct!” He then took this Achkan off and gave it to this man as a Eid gift and told him to wear it.

After this, Hazrat Thanwi related this whole incident to my father (Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Shafi rahimahullah) and he said, “Don’t ask me as to how much my heart was being torn apart inside as I was walking towards the Eidgah. This is because I have never in my entire life worn a dress as glitzy as this but in my heart I made the intention that ‘this Allah ki bandi (slave of Allah) has spent her entire month making this garment for me... let me make her heart happy. After wearing this, I even got joked about. People joked about me when they saw me and would say, ‘What has he come to this place wearing?!’ But I did all this just to make the heart of my wife happy.” [Islahi Khutbaat]

Allah hu Akbar! What is amazing here is the beautiful relationship Hazrat had with his wife. On one side there is a wife who loves her husband so much that she spent the entirety of Ramadhan making him a garment and on the other side, we have a man who loves his wife so much that despite him not liking the garment himself, he still put a front on to make his wife happy. How many of us can today say that 1) We would spend such time in thought of our beloved and 2) We would happily work towards keeping the hearts of our beloved happy despite being joked and jeered about?

May Allah Ta’ala give us strength and taufiq by which everything is then possible. May He out of His infinite love and mercy give us the ability to love in the correct manner. Ameen

Humility When Praised

Observing humility in all walks of life is a necessity. Our respected asatiza always mention, “The more humility there is in a person, the more his progress will be.” This progress is not just in examinations but in life as a whole. A person who understands his reality will always be loved by Allah Ta’ala and those whom he associates with.

There are many things that we can show humility in today but to achieve this humbleness, a person needs to be down to earth about who he really is. As a person grows more religious, people will tend to call him Hazrat, Maulana, Hafiz Saab, Molvisaab and the list is endless. These titles may hold no such reality but people will still use it in order to perhaps exaggerate a person’s status. The reality is that it should not be said in the first place.

Once a man was exaggerating his praise for another person and when Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam heard this, he said, “You have broken the man’s back.” This is not to be taken in its literal but rather, Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam is emphasising upon the fact of how destructive such praise can be. The post beneath this one shows how self delusional man can be and how he excites himself with ideas of self righteousness. Thus, if a person says to another, “Hazrat!” he may become deluded and consider himself to be pious.

This is not to say we should not use titles such as “Hazrat”. This is totally fine if the person who this title is being attributed to does not feel any pride and is deserved of it.

Moving on. Humility is a trait which is important to create within ourselves. Despite the fact that others may call a person by elevated names, a person should always have the ability within himself to look down towards his heart and understand the contents which are within there. Every person knows how filthy his heart is and how in need of purification he is. Allah Ta’ala says, “Allah does not love those who are proud.” In another verse, Allah Ta’ala reveals to mankind what their reality is, He says, “Does man not consider that We created him from a mere drop of sperm then at once he became an open challenger?”

Allah Ta’ala here is highlighting the reality of man that he was created from a filthy drop of semen yet he feels proud over himself. When the happiness of being praised enters our hearts, we should immediately turn our attention towards this verse.

Once the governor of Basra passed by Hazrat Malik ibn Dinar rahmatullahi alayh. The governor’s appearance was that of a proud person; his garments were below his ankles and he was walking arrogantly. Hazrat Malik said, “Do not walk in this manner!” The governor’s attendants were enraged but he replied, “Leave him! Perhaps he does not recognise who I am.” Hazrat Malik replied, “Who can be more recognising of you than me?! As for your beginning, you were a dirty drop! As for your end, it is a dirty corpse! And in between these two stages, you carry filth within you.” The governor lowered his head and walked away. This is the reality of man.

Once, Hazrat Huzayfa radiallahu anhu led the people in prayer. After the prayer, he said, “Pray behind another Imam because a thought occurred in my mind that there is nobody in my people better than me!”

A person should always think about his origin and from what he was created. Humility should be present in our speech, walking and social conduct. It should not be the case that we want to wear the brightest glowing hijab so that people can notice us and deem us pious; and it should not be the case that we want to wear the flashiest juba in order to turn heads for the same reason. Rather we should be humble with our eyes lowered and our body submissive towards Allah Ta’ala. When a person beautifies our characteristics by excessive praise, then we should remind ourselves of our sins which are not known by the people. The titles of Hazrat, Maulana etc are for those who are obedient and obedience is only shown by the deeds of a true believer. Therefore if a person is not obedient, he should look towards his disobedience in a way which reminds him of his true significance. In realising this, humility will insha Allah enter his heart.

May Allah Ta’ala adorn me with humility, a trait which is much needed and may He give it to all those who suffer from this ailment as I do. Ameen.

"Maulvi's are the mureed of their wives..."

By Hazrat Hakeemul Ummat, Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi rahmatullahi alayh
Translate from Tohfae Zowjayn (excellent book, must buy).

Those people who are religious have much gratitude for the many efforts of their wives. Maulana Muhammad Mazar rahmatullahi alayh was such that his wife had become quite elderly but Maulana shared such a bond with her that whenever she would become even a little sick, he would immediately take leave from Madressa (where he would teach) and he would do her khidmat (service) with his own hands.

Today, some people hate having elderly wives where in reality, they are the people that made them a bhudi (elderly) but Maulana Muhammad’s rahmatullahi alayh was such that he did not employ maids or butlers to do his wife’s looking after but rather he did it himself and take leave from Madressa in the process.

It is for this reason that some people say in jest that: “The scholars are the mureed of their wives!” but Jee ha! Yes, indeed! It is better for them to be their mureed then be their peer like you people! And that too, a bogus peer!

The reality is this that Maulvi’s are not the mureed of their wives but they have the fear of Allah Ta’ala set in their hearts with regards to fulfilling the rights of other people and the rights of their wives. Their eyes have passed over the Qur’an and Hadith and they have read the social conduct of Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam through the narrations of Hadith. They have seen how he showed such softness and compassion to his wives in order to put them at ease.

The reality is that whatever Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam presented to his wives through his beautiful behaviour can never be done by any Maulana today and if he did make an effort to portray this behaviour (tit for tat) then the people would jest him by calling him more than a mureed of his wife.

In the Hadith it comes that Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam would race with his wife Hazrat Aisha radiallahu anha. It is for this reason Maulvi’s do more for the sake of their wives because they have social conduct of Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam in their eyes. Then by doing things for the happiness of their wives, there is a big benefit in the world. The People of Allah are not the mureed of their wives, rather they understand their significance.

Stories of Hazrat Allamah Anwar Shah Kashmiri rahmatullahi alayh

This article has been translated from Tarashe, the wording in the brackets is my own in order to help the understanding.

Hazrat and The Padre

Once Hazrat Allamah Shah sahib rahmatullahi alayh was waiting at the bus stop when a Padre (Christian chaplain) approached him and said, “I can tell from your face that you are a big scholar of your religion.” Hazrat replied, “No, I am merely a student of knowledge.” The Padre said, “Do you have knowledge with regards to Islam?” Hazrat replied, “A bit.” Then Hazrat stated with regards to the cross the Padre was wearing, “This is incorrect, this is not the reality.” Then he stated forty proofs of the Prophetsalallahu alayhi wa salam & his prophethood. Ten from the Qur’an, ten from the Torah, ten from the Bible and ten using common sense.

Hazrat and The Qadiyanis

Hazrat Maulana Muhammad Anwari Sahib Lailpuri rahmatullahi alayh who is the student of Hazrat Allamah Anwar Shah Kashmiri rahmatullahi alayh relates that there was a famous debate in Bahaawalpur with the Qadiyanis. In this debate, a Qadiyani asked Hazrat Allamah Anwar Shah Kashmiri rahmatullahi alayh, “You have stated that your religion has been transmitted to you by the way of an unbroken transmission (i.e. there is an unbroken link all the way to the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa salam). And you also believe that if anybody rejects this then they have become a disbeliever. Well now you should put the fatwa of disbelief on Imam Raazi (who is a very big scholar from the past and is known for his Tafsir al Kabir)! Because in Fawatih Ar Rahmat Sharh Muslim Ath Thaboot, Allamah Bahr al Ulum has stated that Imam Raazi has rejected this principle.”

Maulana Anwari rahmatullahi alayh states that coincidentally, we did not have that book with us at that time (so that we could check it for ourselves) but Hazrat Allamah Shah sahib replied at the exact moment,

“Judge Sahib! Note that it has been 32 years since I last read this book and now I no longer have it. But Imam Raazi states that in the hadith where it is stated, “My nation will not gather upon a misguidance.” That this hadith is not on the level of the meaning of tawatur (unbroken transmission). He has rejected the unbroken transmission of this particular hadith, he has not rejected the argument of tawatur! This man has presented this case with trickery. Now tell him to read the actual text from the book otherwise I will take the book from him and read the text out (to you all) myself.”

Consequently, the Qadiyani representative began reading the text from the book. It was precisely that text (word for word) which Hazrat Allamah Shah sahib had dictated to us through his memory. The judge became overtaken with happiness. Hazrat Shah sahib then stated,

“Judge Sahib! This man wanted to leave us without an answer but it is because I am a student of knowledge I have read a few books here and there so that this does not occur.”

Keeping Oneself Focus & Concentrated

It is important to keep oneself concentrated on a particular thing. When a person starts something, he can only achieve his goal by dedicating his mind and thought to it. This statement could serve as a definition for what concentration is. This type of mentality is what Allah Ta’ala has advised the Believers to hold. He says straight away in Surah Fatihah,

“Guide us on the straight path.”

These words are a supplication and if a person makes this statement then he has consequently asked Allah Ta’ala for guidance and help in achieving the ultimate goal – Allah’s pleasure which results in Jannah. Mustaqeem (the straight path) is the road from the womb of the mother to the delightful pastures of Jannah and a Muslim constantly keeps himself motivated in prayer by these thoughts of the happiness of Allah Ta’ala and Jannah.

Thereafter, it is very important to keep oneself motivated in doing this. A person who is adamant on achieving a goal will continually spur himself on to get to the end. He will say sometimes in his mind or even out aloud, “Come on! You can do this!”... a funny incident has just come to my mind which is similar to this. Once, my respected Ustaadh had called me to help with some work. I had a feeling the work would take a long time to finish so I ate biryani, salads etc all to my stomachs fill and then came into his service. Being the compassionate and caring person he is, I came into his service only to find pizza, chips and drinks laid out on the table. Due to my intense love for him and his happiness, I could not say, “Ustaad, I have just eaten.” So I sat and began to eat on a full stomach and I kept telling myself, “One more slice! You can do it! Who’s the man? You are!” Alhamdulillah, I finished whatever was given to me and Maulana was pleased that I had eaten well too. All’s well that ends well. Had I not encouraged myself, I would have hurt Maulana’s feelings and would have shown disrespect to his kindness, generosity and courtesy. A student who hurts his teachers will always find himself neglected of attaining true knowledge.

Similarly, a Muslim motivates himself during the day but he does not realise it. We recite Surah Fatihah in every unit of every obligatory prayer and as a result of this, we recite “Guide us on the straight path” twenty times each day (excluding sunnat/nawaafil). Though we are not conscious of it, this is constant motivator for the soul and nafs (desires). When we are so punctual on our prayer, our nafs understands this ‘motivational talk’ of “Guide us on the straight path” even better. So in accordance with this statement, the nafs becomes inspired and spurred on to do greater works in helping a Muslim attain his Jannah.

For a person who is neglectful of his prayer; he is in essence neglecting himself of this impetus which is found in Surah Fatihah. As a result, his motivational talk becomes the whisperings of Shaytaan khabees and the whims of his desires. These constant inner murmurings will then spur him onto do Haram and the result of constantly doing Haram is Jahannam.

It is therefore important that we keep our mind focused on our goal. If the satisfaction we get from completing coursework and worldly hardships is such then what will be the type of satisfaction we will get from entering Jannah?

When the inhabitants of Jannah enter Jannah, Allah Ta’ala wil say to them, “Do you wish Me to give you anything more?” They will say, “Have you not made our faces bright? Have you not brought us into Jannah and saved us from the Hell?” And Allah Ta’ala will remove the Veil. The (dwellers of Jannah) will feel that they have not been awarded anything dearer to them than looking at their Lord.”

May Allah Ta'ala keep us focused on our beneficial goals and make us from the dwellers of Jannah. Ameen

Brief Stories and Haalaat of Seeking Knowledge and the Akaabireen #2

The following I have translated from "Zafrul Muhasileen Bi Ahwaalil Musanifeen". It is an excellent book for students of knowledge to read and extremely beneficial.

Imam Raazi rahmatullahi alayh would become extremely sorrowful at the time of eating as he would no longer be engaged in attaining Islamic knowledge. So much so that he would say, “I swear by Allah! At the time of eating I feel so sorrowful from being disengaged from knowledge. Without doubt, (the utilisation of) time is magnificent.”

The madressa Sheikh Abu Ishaaq used to study in had 10 flights of stairs. On every staircase, Sheikh Abu Ishaaq would read his sabak 100 times. By the time he got to the top, he had read his sabak 1,000 times. Now, where is this effort today? The state of the common folk became such that when Sheikh Abu Ishaaq travelled to Kharaasaan, whichever big or small district he went to, people came out in their masses to meet him and every working person would place their prized possessions in the transport Sheikh was using.

Hafiz Abul Qasim Sulayman ibn Ahmad Tabraani rahmatullahi alayh passed away 360AH. He spent 33 years travelling around and sought knowledge from 1,000 scholars. Despite this, his thirst for knowledge remained till his death.

Hafiz ibn Taahir Muqqadasi rahamatullahi alayh would never ever use any form of transport when travelling for hadith. He would take the job of transport and conveyance upon himself alone. At times of difficulty, his urine would be blood (due to his situation and lack of food).

Ibn al Maqri rahmatullahi alayh relates: I travelled to 70 destinations to acquire a document (written) by ibn Fuzala. The external appearance of this document was such that even a baker would not exchange one chapatti for it. (i.e. to some it may look so poor but he still went for it.)

Qadhi Thanaullah Panipati rahmatullahi alayhwould spend his bedtime in the obedience, worship and prayer of Allah Ta’ala. He would read 100 rak’at every day and would have the habit of finishing one Qur’an per day in his tahajjud prayer.

Imam e Adab, Sebuwee rahmatullahi alayh started his search for knowledge in fiqh and hadith. At this point, he did not have much of a connection with Nahw (syntax). During this period, Sheikh Hammad ibn Salamah would narrate hadith. One day, Hammad used the words, “laysa AbAAd Darda radiallahu anhu” and Imam e Adab had written down, “laysa AbUUd Darda radiallahu anhu”. Thereafter, he (Sebuwiya) recited this hadith to other listeners. Sheikh Hammad instantly spotted his mistake and said, “Do not recite the hadith incorrectly! It is ‘laysa AbAAd Darda radiallahu anhu!'" At this, Hazrat Sebuwee felt so sad and made a firm intention in his heart that he will learn that topic (Nahw) that will prevent him from making many mistakes. As a result of that, he began to seek knowledge upon Nahw and he studied with such firmness and determination that many students came after him would refer to him as Imam e Adab Sebuwee Nahwee.

May Allah Ta'ala give us the ability to tread in the footsteps of our Akaabireen. Ameen.

One Umrah Everyday in Ramadhan

The following has been translated from our most dear, Hazrat Maulana Yusuf Motala's (damat barakatuhum) Ita'at e Rasul salallahu alayhi wa salam. It is Hazrat's account of his time spent with his respected sheikh, Hazrat Maulana Muhammad Zakariyya rahmatullahi alayh.

The Umrah’s that were performed in Ramadhan Mubarak

To perform Umrah in Ramadhan has been emphasised by the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa salam. Huzoor e Aqdas salallahu alayhi wa salam has stated,

“To do Umrah in Ramadhan is the equivalent of doing Hajj with me.”

Whenever Hazrat Sheikh Muhammad Zakariyya rahmatullahi alayh would acquire Ramadhan in Makkah Mukkaramah, he would perform one Umrah everyday in order to act upon this Sunnat and to acquire its virtue. When he was in his youth, Hazrat Sheikh rahmatullahi alayh himself relates,

“After Tarawih, we would remove our clothes, tie our Ihram and rush to Tan’eem (which is a Meeqat) and then we would rush back. After we finished doing Tawaaf and Sa’ee etc we would eat our Sehri and then go to sleep. During the whole of Ramadhan, this was our daily practice.”

In the third year of his stay in Makkah Mukkaramah, everyday visitors would come to meet him and when he would be free from them, Hazrat Sheikh rahmatullahi alayh would tie his Ihram and then would proceed to Tan’eem in the car of Malak Sahib. There would be approximately 30 to 40 people with Hazrat and there would be three cars too.

When Hazrat would go to Masjid e Aishah (radiallahu anha) where the Ihram is tied, he would go to a sandy turf situated behind the masjid. He would then say, “This is the place where Hazrat Aishah’s radiallahu anha camel sat!” and he would begin to pray nafl prayers on this sand without having laid a prayer mat beforehand.

And just like this, Hazrat Sheikh rahmatullahi alayh came to the sandy turf again the next day and as he was about to begin his nafl prayer, a person (from amongst them) requested a prayer mat to pray on. When the voice of this man had reached Hazrat’s ears, Hazrat said angrily, “Who is it that wants a cloth?! Lift me up! We will go inside the masjid to pray our nafl!” After this, Hazrat Sheikh rahmatullahi alayh would perform his prayers inside the masjid. Thereafter, the opportunity to pray on the sandy turf never came.

This is what is known as the complete following of the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa salam and the Sahabah radiallahu anhu. May Allah, exalted be He, give us a portion of this too. Ameen.

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".

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

Jealousy

Jealousy can be defined as a state of anger, grief and misery upon witnessing the successes of another person, accompanied by hope and desire for the person’s failure. This is haram and condemned strongly in Islam. Jealousy implies displeasure at the decree and distribution of Allah Rabbul-Izzat and questioning His wisdom and authority of granting whom He desires and how He desires. If this feeling is experienced without desiring the failure of the other person but hoping that the blessing remains with the envied one and granted to the envier also, then such a feeling is termed as “Ghibtah” which is permissible.

The religious harm of jealousy is the destruction of righteous deeds; its worldly harm is the perpetual state of grief, sorrow and heartache experienced by the jealous one.
“Jealousy devours good deeds just as fire devours dry wood.” (Hadith)

A Wonderful Remedy

Hazrat Moulana Thanwi Rahimahullah prescribed the following remedy (to be acted upon for 3 weeks at least) to a person who complained of suffering this destructive spiritual malady:

1. Dua to be made on behalf of the object of jealousy at least once daily
2. Praising him verbally amongst one’s associates
3. To occasionally invite him home for a meal
4. Occasionally to bless him with a gift
5. Meeting him before departing on a journey and bringing him a gift upon the return.

After three weeks of applying this remedy, he wrote back stating that half of his illness had disappeared. He was asked to continue for another three weeks. This time his reply was that all feelings of hared and malice had changed to love and compassion. Undoubtedly, he remedy is bitter, but the peace of mind and happiness that is acquired through meticulous application of this bitter remedy is unsurpassable and incomparable to the continuous heartache and destruction that was experienced hitherto.

Hafiz Saab and the Big, Bad Jinn

My respected Sheikh, Hazrat Maulana Abdur Rahim Sahib (DB) mentioned to me a very funny story about the virtues of Surah Baqarah. The story can also be found in Ibn Batutta's 'Safarana'.

There was once a Hafiz Saab who had gone to the Maldives to do the work of Da'wat and calling people to Islam. As he was progressing through the land, he went in to a house to meet a family who were in deep sorrow and anguish. He asked them,

"What is the matter?! Why are you crying so much?"

They told Hafiz Saab that there is a river that flows in the village and every month it stops. On the night of its stoppage, the people of the village summon beautiful, young, virgin girls and embellish them with jewellery and make up and then place them in this river. They all leave and come back in the morning to find the girl dead. And so, the river continues to flow until the next month. The family informed Hafiz Saab of this and told him,

"We are sad because today is the day our daughter is put in to the river."

When Hafiz Saab was informed of all of this, he instantly knew that there was some 'ghar bhar' (something dodgy) about this. Putting his full trust in Allah Ta'ala, Hafiz Saab consoled the family and told them,

"No need to worry. Tonight, dress me up as your daughter and cover me. I will go in to this river and see what the problem is!"

Hafiz Saab had to trick the people of the village into making them think that he was a woman but at the same time he could not wear make up etc. So he covered his face with a burkah and was taken to the river by the menfolk. Hafiz Saab sat in the middle of this river and was left in the darkness of the night by the people who returned home in sadness at the prospect of another death.

Hafiz Saab was on red alert! His eyes kept scanning the area to spot anything dodgy. After a while, a huge, evil Jinn was approaching him from the distance. He realised that this Jinn would rape and then murder the young women and leave, then, when his desires had been worked up, he would stop the waterflow to the town until they placed for him another young woman to savage! So this big, bad Jinn began to approach what he thought was a young, beautiful woman and began to call her saying,

"Come to me woman!"

Hafiz Saab ripped his burkah off and shouted,

"I'm not no woman!

ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلۡحَىُّ ٱلۡقَيُّومُ‌ۚ "

He then began to read Ayyatul Khursi and verses from Surah Baqarah! The Jinn, despite his power could not come near Hafiz Saab! He tried coming from all sides but was unable to due to the sheer power of the Qur'an. Eventually, out of fear and hurt, the Jinn ran away with the water flowing naturally. In the morning, the people of the village came to see what had happened. They saw Hafiz Saab who informed them of his doings last night. They became elated and dumbstruck at the power of the Qur'an. They then all accepted Islam on account of this amazing scene and from then on, the Jinn never returned.