How to Deliver a Good Bayaan (Islamic lecture)–10 Tips

Many brothers and sisters who are more religiously inclined than others are always held in high regard in university/college Islamic societies etc. As a result, they are relied upon to give Islamic talks/lecture/advice etc. And so it should be! However, to stand in front of one hundred people is incredibly scary! Sometimes, a person has good knowledge but as soon as he stands up in front of a group of people, the legs begin to become like jelly! At other times, a person repeats his talk 100x to himself in private but when he stands in front of the audience, he goes completely blank! Whatever the case may be, the following is mere advice on how to deliver a good talk:

1) Be Sincere – this particular point is repeated all the time! Many people become sick of hearing it again and again but it is of the utmost importance. Many people are such that they look forward to giving a talk so that people will say, “Vah vah! Shaabaash! (Well done!” and that they will be labelled with the glorious title of being, ‘knowledgeable’. This is not something that we should want, our main objective should be the happiness of Allah Ta’ala. In one Qudsi Hadith, Allah Ta’ala says, “That person who joins Me with someone else (in his intention) when doing any action, then I separate myself from that person as well as the work he is doing. I accept only those actions which are done solely for Me.” When a person performs an act for only Allah Ta’ala, then Allah Ta’ala will fill that act with blessings and He will make that person a beacon of hope and knowledge for others. When a person performs an act in the hope of then Allah Ta’ala leaves his speech void of blessings and that person is disgraced. Hazrat Fudhail ibn Iyaadh rahimahullah mentions, “If you can get by without being known, then do so. What does it bother you that people will not praise you, and what does it bother you that you may be blameworthy in the sight of people if in the Sight of Allah you are praiseworthy?” Likewise, Bishr ibn al-Harith rahimahullah would say, “I do not know 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.” Much more could be said about this topic but it is enough to simply say, a person will go as far as his intention. If his intention was strong, he will sore and reach the heights of the stars and if his intentions was corrupt, he will crumble at the first hurdle.

2) Prepare well – it is highly important to prepare well when giving talks! When a person prepares well, confidence exuberates through his speech and body gestures. There is no stemmer in his speech but rather, there is a sense of solidity and cleverness. Many people feel that they have learnt enough and they can simply sit on the chair and waffle away. This isn’t correct, a person might sit on a chair and be able to waffle away but there will be mistakes in what he is saying as it has not been revised over. When dealing with Qur’an and Hadith, a person has to be very careful! A person who relates from these sources incorrectly with a muddled translation and explanation will be treading along the banks of Jahannam. Thus, when preparing a talk the following must be done:

3) Prepare your opening Arabic khutba correctly. This can be very embarrassing when you don’t know the meaning of the Arabic but are just saying it for the sake of it and there is a person in the audience who catches your mistakes! This can happen to anyone but mistakes help a person become better. The manner in which the Arabic should be is as follows: Praise of Allah Ta’ala, Durood on Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wasallam, Qur’anic verses pertaining to your topic, Ahadith pertaining to your topic.

4) Practise all the Arabic Qur’anic verses and Ahadith you will be using before hand so your tongue becomes use to it.

5) Try to reference all your work as much as you can as we live in a time where people want proof as soon as possible.

4) Have a proper structure – an introduction where you introduce the topic, a main body where you discuss the possible harms etc and always try to provide a remedy. Many people are good at saying, “This is haraam! And that is too!” but that is of no benefit to a person who is addicted to cannabis! Provide some good advice on how a person can be remedied. Finish with a piercing message.

5) Make abundance of dua – a person who is speaking to a group of people must make dua for their guidance! The dua of a sincere person can at times be more affective than his speech. Before and after you have delivered the talk, make dua to Allah Ta’ala that He accepts your efforts, helps your speech, guides your tongue and makes you a means of guidance for the people. This is incredibly important!

6) Be confident and charming – a person should not be hesitant and ‘stuttery’. This makes it seem as if the speaker doesn’t really know what he’s talking about. A person should be confident and firm upon what he is saying. Sometimes, the audience can seem bored but liven it up with some nice, funny and halal comments. Try to bring smiles on the face of the people and not to scream too much. I know of one person who was screaming in his bayaan and the people said to him, “bhaisaab! We are not deaf!” Also, it should not be so jokey that it becomes stand up comedy. Keeping a balanced approach is imperative. Smile at times and be serious at times.

7) How to deal with a mistake – if you make a mistake, immediately correct it. Don’t ever feel that people will think you are stupid. If you do not correct yourself when you know you are wrong out of pride and arrogance, you will be considered stupid by your Lord! However, always be mindful of making a mistake but at the same time, don’t worry about making mistakes. This is to say, don’t be so nervous that you force yourself into making mistakes. Sometimes if you have not prepared properly, it is good to read 2 raka’ah nafl salaah before your talk and then beseech Allah Ta’ala for His help and guidance.

8) Use a paper & Don't be nervous – there is no shame in using a paper. If you feel that there is much to say then use a script. This is not shameful, all the big politicians and people of the world today read from a script. Never feel nervous! If you do, then take a few deep breaths and speak slowly at first. If you speak to fast at first, you will confuse yourself. Be calm and in control of what you say. Always look to Allah Ta'ala as the provider of your strength. Keep Him in your heart always and use Him as a means of spurring you on. When you speak then imagine the room is empty and that only Allah Ta'ala is there with you, listening to you and being proud of you.

9) Look at your audience – Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wasallam would advise people to speak to others in accordance to their intellect. If you are speaking to a group of young people, then speak to them in ways they can relate to you. Thrown in a few slang words here and there. Don’t try to sound too eloquent and flowery to the extent that the only person in the room that understands you is yourself. Similarly, when speaking to an elderly audience, speak to them with respect and humility. No slang words should be used! It is really embarrassing coming out with statements such as, “You mans gotta be propa on salaah get me?!” when there is a seventy year old chacha with a white beard sitting right in front of you.

10) Choose the right topic – choose a topic which is appropriate for the time. If you have been invited to a marriage to deliver a talk, then deliver a talk on the benefits of marriage etc. Do not talk about the coming of death and how to perform a Janazah!

May Allah Ta'ala give us all the ability to speak what is true for His sake and make us a means of guidance for others. Ameen.

Poetry: It will all be alright in the end

It will all be alright in the end,
Your tears will begin to dry.
You’re life will be on the mend,
There will be no need to cry.

How many times have you been in pain,
To notice that sympathy seems to sound the same.
The clouds always seems to drizzle with rain,
Yet there is nobody to withstand the burden of blame.

The heart begins to cry, searching for someone to implore,
In every direction you walk, there seems to be a locked door.
The eyes begin to burn, a river of desperation wanting to trickle,
When loneliness becomes a companion, the mind becomes fickle.

Lift up your hands and use them as a key,
Cry, beseech, request – you will be showered in mercy.
Your Lord knows very well of your immense sadness,
If you do not ask of Him, it is your own madness.

How many a time before, have you lost all hope,
With feelings of despair, more than you can cope?
Yet He helped you then, and He helps you now,
By ways and means which left you asking how.

Use not your hands for sins but raise them to converse,
When you reveal the contents of your heart, you need not rehearse.
He hears what you ask for and sees what you make apparent,
You cannot hide your feelings, your heart becomes transparent.

Your tears will being to dry, when His light illuminates your life,
You will find an escape, you can bid farewell to your strife.
But first, recognise Him; let not your intelligence rot,
He was always caring for you, you were never forgot.

"Whoever fears Allah, He brings forth a way out for him, and provides him (with what he needs) from where he does not even imagine. And whoever places his trust in Allah, He is sufficient for him. Surely Allah is to accomplish His purpose. Allah has set a measure for everything." [Surah Talaq 65:2,3]

Dhikr of Allah Ta'ala

Do not abandon Dhikr on account of lack of concentration. Abandoning Dhikr is worse than lack of concentration while making Dhikr. It is not far fetched to say that Allah Ta'ala may develop your Dhikr devoid of concentration to Dhikr with alertness and your Dhikr with alertness to Dhikr in the divine presence and from this Dhikr to the most lofty state of Dhikr in which everything besides Allah Ta'ala (the true object of remembrance) is annihilated. Nothing is difficult for Allah Ta'ala.


Source: Ikhmaalush Shiyam
The 7th chapter on Dhikr of Allah

Salaat ut Tasbeeh - The Prayer of Forgiveness

From among the statements of the ulama, this prayer has different names. Some call it Salaatut Taubah (repentance), others call it Salaat ut Tasbeeh (praise) and others call it Salaatul Gufraan (the prayer of forgiveness). Whatever the name, one thing which is established is that this prayer is extremely effective in removing the sins of a person. Sheikh Adnan Ali Uroor comments on this prayer by saying, "It is a cleansing for whomsoeever wants to be cleansed and success for whomsoever seeks salvation."

The Ulama of the past also used to hold this prayer with high regards. Hadhrat Abdul Azeez al Azdi rahimahullah would state, "Whoever desires paradise should perform Salaat ut Tasbeeh." and likewise, Abu Uthman Sa'eed ibn Isma'eel an Naysaapoori has stated, "I have not seen anything which is removes calamaties and afflictions like the way Salaat ut Tasbeeh does."

With regards to its authenticity, Ibn Aabideen has stated, "The hadith which in relation to it are reliable because of its many chains and those who consider it to be weak, then it is mere proposition which is unproved. It contains in it a reward which shoul not be left and thus, based on this, some of the Ulama say, 'No-one hears of blessing and leaves it except that he is negligent in regards to his religion."

Thereafter, the great commentator of hadith, Ibn Hajar rahimahullah has stated that the likes of Abdullah ibn Mubarak rahimahullah would pray this prayer and that it has been passed down from the elders.

Abdullah ibn Abbas radiallahu anhu has narrated that he was once informed by Rasulullah, "O Abbas, Should I not present to you? Should I not confer to you? should I not inform you of such an act, which if you practice, Allah will forgive all your sins, whether old or new, intentional or unintentional, minor or major, open or secret. (After describing the method of performing this salaah) Nabi salallahu alayhi wa salam stated, ”If possible, you should offer this salaah once everyday, and if you cannot perform it daily, then offer it on every Friday (weekly), or once a month, or once a year or at least once in your lifetime.” (Abu Dawud Sharif)

The Method

After reciting thanaa and before reciting Surah Fatihah repeat these words (the third Kalimah)

‘Subhanallahi Walhamdulillahi wa laa ilaa ha illallahu wallaahu akbar’ (Glory be to Allah, all praise is to Allah and there is no god but Allah and Allah is the Greatest).

fifteen times.

Then read Surah Fatihah and another surah, these words (above mentioned) should be repeated ten times before the ruku, ten times during the ruku, ten times after standing up from the ruku, ten times in each sajdah and ten times while sitting between the two sajdahs. All four rakaats should be performed in this manner, thus completing seventy five times (tasbeehs) in each rakaat and 300 times (tasbeehs) in four rakaats.

I have made a little picture chart showing the steps on how to pray this prayer. Please take a look if you get confused. Finally, it should be understood that it is not permissible to count the tasbeehaat with one's fingers! Rather it is permissible according the Ulama to use your fingers to press lightly against your body in order to keep count of your tasbeeh.

The Greatness of Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam

Note: The following is a transcript of a bayaan given by one of our authors when a group of misinformed people began to draw sketches of Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam on Facebook etc.

In recent times, we have seen many people attempt to ridicule Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam in many ways. The recent attempts that we have seen in relation to Facebook is only another endeavour to tarnish the blessed name of Muhammad salallahu alayhi wa salam. A name which can never be tarnished for as long as the tongues of mankind continue to sound and the pens of mankind continue to etch his praise.

The reason that these efforts have been made is due to a lack of understanding with regards to whom Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam is. This ignorance is not just prominent within the non Muslims but it has seeped its way into the Muslims today. Many of our hearts today are still asleep in relation to the conduct and character of Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam. The reason that his love has not penetrated our hearts is due to our negligence in learning about him. The more we learn about Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam, the more our hearts will be filled with admiration, awe, love and affection for him. The abuse that has been targeted to him in recent times is not something new but rather this is something old and ancient. Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam was made to suffer abuse much worse than what we see today. The people of his time would label him as being insane and this was so disliked in the eyes of Allah Ta’ala that Allah Ta’ala made radd and refuted these people and their like till the day of Qiyamah, He says in the Qur’an

نٓ‌ۚ وَٱلۡقَلَمِ وَمَا يَسۡطُرُونَ مَآ أَنتَ بِنِعۡمَةِ رَبِّكَ بِمَجۡنُونٍ۬ وَإِنَّ لَكَ لَأَجۡرًا غَيۡرَ مَمۡنُونٍ۬ وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَىٰ خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٍ۬
“Nūn. By the pen and what people note down. By the favours of your Lord, You are not a mad man or insane as (people claim). Surely you will get your reward that will never cease, (your rewards is endless which has no limits). Surely, you are of sublime character.”

People will come and they have been coming from the beginning of Rasulullah’s salallahu alayhi wa salam prophethood and these people will continue to come. They will slander and speak falsely about Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam but their words will be like the ashes in the wind. When the wind blows, there words too will be blown and nobody will remember what they had to say. But the Qur’an is the Book of Allah Ta’ala and this means that it is the Word of Allah Ta’ala. And this Word will remain and continue to exist right up to the final hour and until then the statement will remain for the entirety of mankind that

وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَىٰ خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٍ۬
Surely, you are of sublime character.

When it came towards caring and loving those people who were around him, then no person can match Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam with regards to the care and love he showed his ashaab radiallahu anhum. He once said in a hadith,

وأنا أمنة لأصحابى
I am a source of safety for my companions.

The attention and care he would show these blessed souls was unimaginable. He would give time and love to everybody and would not make anybody feel out of place. Hazrat Amr ibn al Aas radiallahu anhu narrates,

كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلّم يُقبِلُ بوجهِهِ و حديثهِ على اشرِّ القوم
Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wasalam gave attention, spoke and showed love to the worst person of a nation. So that, the person may feel he is being given special attention.

The love he would give to people in general would be unimaginable. Today, we cannot even give time to our family members or to our spouses and Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam was such a man, that whomsoever would meet him would feel accepted straight away. Today, we only like to speak to those people whom we feel are on the same wavelength as us or on the same level of piety. This is incorrect, Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam was such that in the hadith it comes,

و يجيب دعوة مملوك
“He would accept the inivitation of a slave.”

A servant or slave would have only had a few pennies and so if he invited people for food, what would he cook? But Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam would not refuse, he would go and accept the invitation of a slave aswell and like his, he would care for everyone.

When it came to bringing an aura of happiness and cheerfulness to the people. He would always be smiling and would be cheerful. Abdullah ibn Haarith says,

ما رايت احدا اكثر تبسُّماً من رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلّم
“I did not see anyone smile more than Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam.”

Hazrat Aishah radiallahu anha says,

لم يكن رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلّم فاحشا و لا متفحّشا و لا صخّابا فى الاسواق و لا يجزى بالسيئة السيّئة و لكن يعفو و يصفح ،
“Rasulullah was not foul mouthed, nor would he pretend to be foul mouthed, nor would he shout loudly in the market, nor would he repay evil with evil, however, he would pardon and overlook”

Today, we are the opposite. Our tongues have become so foul that every sentence we utter contians swear words. We use our tongues to break of relations and be so rude to people who are not deserved of it. Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam would never shout loudly in the market. In those regards, he would never shout out and cause attention to come his way unecessarily. There are some people who have loud tendencies, whenever you see them they are shouting and hollering.

He would never shout loudly, nor would he rebuke people, he would never be rude or vulgar. He would always forgive people and would always overlook their mistakes. Today we catch people on their every fault and mistake. Sometimes we hold bitter rivalries with people because of the most silliest reasons. Over secrets which have been kept and over small things.

He always showed extreme modesty, he would never stretch his legs facing someone in a gathering. When he would arrive in a gathering, he would sit wherever there was an empty space. He would not look for the best spot nor would he make someone get up from their place in order to take theirs. Today we are the opposite, whenever we come into a gathering, we want to make sure people stand up for us and that they give us their seat!

He would look down most of the time and would never stare at the skies. He was cheerful, always smiling, even though he might be hiding many agonies. The muhaditheen mention that he would be in a constant state of worry out of fear of what will happen to his ummah in the akhirah but he would always put on a smile in order to bring comfort to the people around him. Sometimes people need to be optimistic and happy in order to keep the people around them in the same manner.

He had a beautiful fragrance that would emit naturally from his body. Sayyidina Abu Ya’laa radiyallahu anhu and others relate that in whichever alley Sayyidina Rasulullah sallallahu alaihe wasallam passed, others who passed later knew immediately that Sayyidina Rasulullah sallallahu alaihe wasallam had just passed there. Once Sayyidina Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wasalam blew (made damm) on his palm and wiped it over the back and stomach of Sayyidina Uqbah radiyallahu anhu. It became so fragrant, and as he had four wives, every one of them put on so much itr, to equal that fragrance, but it could not overcome the fragrance Uqbah radiyallahu anhu had.

When it came to his humility, it is recognised that there is nobody more humble than he is. When he would walk, he would swiftly walk from one place to another. The sahabah radiallahu anhum relate how they sometimes would find it difficult to keep pace with him. He would be in once place at one time and then move very quickly. And during this walk, he would always maintain humility. He would never walk in a manner which showed boasting. Allah Ta’ala says in the Qur’an,

وَلَا تَمۡشِ فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ مَرَحًا‌ۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ كُلَّ مُخۡتَالٍ۬ فَخُورٍ
Do not walk on the earth with conceit, verily Allah does not love any self conceited boaster.

His humility was such that he would not be bothered with the material wealth of the world, he would be satisfied with what he had and would not try and force the issue of wealth. From amongst his dua’s would be,

اللهم قنعني بما رزقتني
O Allah, make me content on what you have provided for me.

His behaviour was such that once, Umar radiallahu anhu entered the house of Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam. And he saw that Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam was sleeping on the floor upon a mat made out of reed. Try it out some day, you will find a mat of this nature will scar your body and cause you pain... Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam is lying on this mat... Umar radiallahu anhu sees the state of Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam and

فبكى عمر
Umar began to cry

ما يبكيك يا عمر؟
What makes you cry O Umar?

والله! ما ابكى الاّ اكون اعلم أنّك أكرم على الله من كسرى و قيصر ، و هما يعيشان في الدنيا فيما يعشان فيه ، و انت يا رسول الله فى المكان الذي أرى!
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 at ease in the world and you, O Rasulullah are in this state that I am seeing you in.

What was the response of Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam?

ما لي و للدنيا؟
What is with me and the world?...

Today we find that people are running around after this world. I am not saying abandon it, that is incorrect. Take what you need and live but it is completely absurd that a person would want to spend £600 on a pair of jeans or £500 for his police man goggles. Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam was extremely simple in the manner he lived.

When it came to his relationship with Allah Ta’ala. His fear, reliance, trust in Allah Ta’ala was unparalleled. As for his fear of Allah Ta’ala, he would say “O Allah! Make Your love the most beloved of all things to me, and make Your fear and reverence the most fearful thing in my mind.” Sometimes during his night prayers, he would weep so bitterly that his chest would sound like a boiling kettle.

Today, we cannot even cry, our hearts have become so hard that we find it hard to cry.
As for his reliance, we recall the episode of Ta’if... The situation was such that he had been calling the people of Makkah to Islam but only some would listen. When it seemed that they would not listen anymore, Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam went to Ta’if where again he called people towards Islam.

For ten days he stayed there delivering his message to several people, one after another, but all to no purpose. The people of the Taif did not like this message, the people rushed him through the alley-ways, pelted him with stones and forced him to flee from the city pursued by a relentless mob all hurting him. Blood flowed down both his legs; his slippers were stuck to his Mubarak feet...such was the pain he had to suffer. The mob did not desist until they had chased him two or three miles across the sandy plains to the foot of the surrounding hills. There, wearied and exhausted, he took refuge in one of the numerous orchards, and rested against the wall of a vineyard.

At a time when the whole world seemed to have turned against him, Muhammad salallahu alayhi wa salam. He salallahu alayhi wa salam turned to his Lord and beseeched him. He is the messenger of Allah and he would have been justified if he had asked Allah Ta’ala to destroy these people yet look at the dua’a he prays...

“O Allah! To You do I relate the weakness of my strength, and lack of my planning and my low status in the eyes of people, O the Most Merciful from amongst those who are merciful! You are the Lord of those who are weakened, You are my Lord - to whom do You hand me over? To someone distant? One who will attack me? Or to some enemy in whose hands You have put my affairs? But if Your wrath does not fall on me, there is nothing for me to worry about., however, Your ‘aafiyat (security) is more encompassing for me. I seek refuge of the nur of Thy countenance with which all darkness lightens up, and upon which depends the matters of the world and the Hereafter. May it never be that I should incur Your wrath, or that You should be wrathful to me. It is Your right that forgiveness is sought from You until You are pleased. There is neither power to turn away from evil nor any strength to do good except with Your tawfiq.”

The effect of this powerful dua’a was such that Allah Ta’ala immediately sent an angel to the mountains which surrounded Taif. The angel asked Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam for permission to crush Taif between these two mountains but even then, Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam said,

بل ارجو أن يخرجَ من اصلابهم يعبدُاللهَ وحدَه لا يُشرِكُ به شئا
“No, rather I hope that such people will come from their offspring who worship Allah and do not associate partners to him.”

It is for this reason Allah Ta’ala has said in the Qur’an

لَّقَدۡ كَانَ لَكُمۡ فِى رَسُولِ ٱللَّهِ أُسۡوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ۬ لِّمَن كَانَ يَرۡجُواْ ٱللَّهَ وَٱلۡيَوۡمَ ٱلۡأَخِرَ وَذَكَرَ ٱللَّهَ كَثِيرً۬ا
“There is indeed a good model for you in the Messenger of Allah - for the one who has hope in Allah and the Last Day, and remembers Allah profusely.”

If we were to adapt to his lifestyle, and inculcate the same qualities within us, we would also become beloved to Allah . It is important for us to hold on to the outward and inward characteristics of Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam. If we do not follow his sunnah in following him and changing our appearance to look like him, who will?

Cheering Up A Sinful, Sorrowful Heart

Being conscious of the sins that we commit is a great ni’mat and bounty of Allah Ta’ala. We all commit sins on a regular basis and we all see these sins in different ways. However, recognition of a sin is a great characteristic a Muslim should have within himself. By being able to recognise one's disobedience, a person builds up a desire inside of himself to correct things. One of the worst feelings a Muslim can feel is the sorrow of a heart which has disobeyed the commands of Allah Ta’ala. Thus, a concious Muslim will always want to cheer his heart up.

Our hearts have a deep connection with Allah Ta’ala. It is a connection which is deeper and stronger than anything else. Our bodies have been created and fashioned by Allah Ta’ala and naturally there is a connection between the two. The body consciously or subconsciously immediately recognises Allah Ta’ala. For example, a person can be the biggest sinner in the world but when he hears the Qur’an, his heart will immediately be impacted in some way. This impact can be of different degrees. Some people will hear the recital and be wonderstruck; others may hear the Qur’an and may pause for a few seconds before continuing with their day to day matters. The basic point made here is that the body which was created by Allah Ta’ala will always recognise Allah Ta’ala whether we like it or not.

Our every limb has a connection with its Creator and at different times they begin to recognise this. When we are running away from something frightening and come to a dead end, our legs then turn to run towards the safety of Allah Ta’ala. When tears are pouring out of our eyes due to helplessness, we immediately raise these eyes towards the heavens in order to attract the mercy of Allah Ta’ala. When our hands are failing to provide us with good food, we cup our hands in order to supplicate to Allah Ta’ala. When our hearts are in panic and are restless due to various difficulties, we let our hearts be fed with the remembrance of Allah Ta’ala by which it then finds tranquillity. The reality is, deep down inside, our body knows only Allah azza wa jal and our intellect only comprehends this when we are in times of need.

The greatest organ in the body which recognises Allah Ta’ala is the heart. It feels sorrow when we disobey Allah Ta’ala and it feels great joy when we obey Him. In the same manner, Allah Ta’ala has a connection with our hearts. When we do good deeds, He sends mercy down upon it and when we disobey Him, He stains it with a dark dot as mentioned in Surah Mutafiffeen, “But on their hearts is the stain of the (ill) which they do!” When we commit many sins, our hearts become heavy and tainted. This is the reason to the sorrow that we feel. This staining that Allah Ta'ala has given itself is a ni'mat from him. When we see a person doing something wrong, we may tap him on the shoulder by which he understands his actions are incorrect. In the same way, Allah Ta'ala taps us on our heart by which we feel and recognise our actions are wrong.

This sorrow is one of the worst feelings a person can feel. It is such a feeling which can drive a person into depression if he does not understand how to fight it away with good deeds. In turn, this depression leads a person into a state of hopelessness. Allah Ta’ala is so close to His slaves that He comforts the believers in the Qur’an and consoles them so that they do not fall into despair. He says, “Say to those believers of Mine who have transgressed against themselves, despair not the mercy of Allah. Verily, Allah forgives all sins.” In this verse, Allah Ta’ala has indicated that the cause of hopelessness is transgression and disobedience of Allah Ta’ala. And the remedy of this hopelessness is in the forgiveness of Allah Ta’ala. Therefore, if a person would like to wipe away the sorrow of his heart, he must make sincere repentance to Allah Ta’ala and in this way, his heart will begin to polish away the darkness which it accommodates.

Other ways to cheer the heart up:

• Read Qur'an regularly.
• Pray on time and avoid missing prayers intentionally.
• Do not spend too much time watching th TV.
• Make use of time by reading good Islamic books.
• Spend time in the Masjid, go regularly for prayers and build a connection with the Masjid.
• Make dua to Allah Ta'ala, pouring out the contents of your heart.
• Make constant zikr. Zikr gives the heart peaces as mentioned in the Qur'an and cleans up any filth therein.
• Most importantly, ask Allah Ta'ala for forgiveness.

May Allah Ta'ala grant us all the ability to rectify ourselves and may He grant our hearts eternal happiness. Ameen.

Valentines Day

With the name of Allah, the All Merciful, the Very Merciful

On the 14th of February, you may see a lot of people wearing red colour clothes and many couples or lovers will be meeting with each other to exchange gifts and to pass time with one another. The reality behind this all is that it's totally Haram to celebrate Valentines Day! We see a lot of Muslims getting involved in this ignorant act. The Prophet Muhammad salallahu alayhi wa salam said in an authentic hadith that whomsoever follows a group of people, he will be from amongst them; by celebrating Valentines Day, you are following the way of the disbelievers and so a person must ask himself, "Do you want to be raised up amongst the disbelievers on the day where there will be no shelter??" If the answer is 'No!' then you should not celebrate this day.

It is very unfortunate that a lot of Muslims will indulge themselves in this Haram act, and as a result will go waste money on gifts, waste time with a person who is not mahram! Instead of wasting money on gifts, why don't you give that money in charity and why don't you spend time in the rememberance of the Almighty Allah and get reward for it rather than being punished? Whenever a male and a female is alone the third will be shaytaan and so when a person meets there partner, there is a threat that they may kiss, touch and this then may lead to something much worse. The Prophet salallahu alayhi wa salam said it is better that a nail goes through your head than touching the palm of someone that is haraam for you. Stop. Now think about this.

My brothers and sisters we should realise that Valentines Day is not from the Sunnah of our Prophet Muhammad salallahu alayhi wa salam. If you want to be raised up amongst the Succesful Ones then follow the Sunnah of the beloved of Allah. The Prophet salallahu alayhi wa salam said that Nikkah is from my sunnah, so naturally if you follow Allah and His Nabi salallahu alayhi wa salam and you shall be amongst the Succesful Ones insha Allah. We should realise that haram love are for those who doesn't love Allah enough. Allah says in the Quran, "Do not approach aldultery..." this verse has a deep meaning, we should realise that Shaytaan is very clever, he will do anything to lead us to Hell. If we think about Valentines Day, many boys and girls may commit adultery on that day. It all starts with a touch, from a touch it becomes a hug, from a hug it becomes a kiss and from a kiss it will lead to adultery. If we think about it, on Valentines Day, people will be exchanging gifts, and out of happiness they will kiss each other and this will lead to something much more Haram, so it's better that we avoid getting involved in celebrating this day.

Recently I was talking to a very nice brother mashallah, he used to be involved in this haram act but Alhamdullilah he has realised that by commiting this haraam acts it will lead him to the punishment of Allah. He told me how he felt when he was with the opposite sex, the sweetness of commiting the act was for a short period of time only and after he had done it, he would feel guilty and nothing would feel good for him.This shows us that the sweetness of commiting a Haraam act is only for a few moments and it will lead to the punishment of Allah.

However, my brothers and sisters Allah says in the Quran ,"Do not despair upon my mercy..." if we have made the mistake of celebrating Valentines Day and being in haraam relationships, then we should ask for forgiveness because Allah is Very Merciful. Valentines Day is not for Muslims so don't get involved in this ignorant act of celebrating that day.

I leave you with this quote, "One should not confuse true love with the feelings felt for members of the opposite sex. Such love, although sometimes transformed into true love, is deficient ,temporary and has no inherent value".

MAY ALLAH GUIDES ALL OF US ON THE STRAIGHT PATH AND MAY ALLAH GIVE US WIFE/HUSBAND THAT ARE PIOUS

AMEEEN

TRUST and FAITH in ALLAH

With the name of ALLAH the All Merciful, the Very Mericful...

Having trust and faith in ALLAH at all times is very important. We can see from the stories of the Prophet peace be upon and the Sahabas (May ALLAH be pleased with them) that they had full trust in ALLAH, that is why ALLAH rewarded them with victories on the battle field. In the Battle of Badr, the Muslims were only 313 in numbers and they were poorly equipped; they were facing an army of 1000 men fully equipped but ALLAH rewarded the Muslims with victory. Why? Because the Muslims had full trust in ALLAH , they had the fear of onlyALLAH in their hearts and they had full trust that ALLAH would give them victory. This is because having trust in ALLAH is a SIGN OF IMAAN, which they undoubtedly had.

A true believer must always know that only ALLAH can help him, in times of distress we should seek ALLAH. Why? Because ALLAH is the Creator of this world and He has control over everything but we human beings would rather put trust in the creations rather that the Creator. ALLAH says in Surah Talaaq."And whosoever put his trust in ALLAH , then He will suffice him. Verily ALLAH will accomplish His purpose.Indeed ALLAH has set a measure for all things."

My brothers and sisters, we can see from this verse of the Quran that ALLAH is enough for us. We just need to put our trust in ALLAH. By doing this, we are showing that we have Imaan(faith). Thereafter, ALLAH is giving us the guarantee that He will suffice us, so why not put ur trust in your Creator and let him deal with your matters? Having trust in ALLAH is also an act of worship and what is our purpose in this life? ALLAH says in the Quran "I have created mankind and jinns only to worship Me". We see nowadays in the modern societiy that people are facing a lot of hardhsips but few of us are turning to the solver of all problems - ALLAH.

We should realise that our money, our contacts, our connections will not solve our problems or avail us, only the Creator of the heaven and earth will solves our problems. We see nowadays people say, ""e make dua but our dua are not getting accepted.", but my brothers and sisters ALLAH does not have problems accepting our duas, its the way we ask. When we ask dua we should have full trust and conviction that ALLAH will accept our duas.

There are various verses in the Quran where ALLAH tell us how close He is to his servants. Whenever the servants ask for Him, He (ALLAH) is willing to accept our duas, so why don't we ask ALLAH for help? We can see from the above verse of the Quran that ALLAH will suffice you. We need to understand that ALLAH is the solver of all of our problems, we need to work on our Imaan, we need to get closer to ALLAH! Indeed there are a lot of distractions going on nowadays but know my brothers and sisters that this life is only for a few days. We wish to be among the successful ones and who are the succesful ones? They are those people who have full faith and trust in ALLAH ,and they follow the rules of ALLAH. We need to turn back to ALLAH, and realise that true succes lies in the obedience of ALLAH.

May ALLAH give us all the ability to keep faith and trust in Him alone. AMEEN

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

A strange story of Hazrat Nuh Alayhis Salam

When the nation of Hazrat Nuh alayhis salam was afflicted by a storm, they all were destroyed as a result. So after this, Allah Ta’ala gave Hazrat Nuh alayhis salam the command through wahi (revelation) that you are now to make some plates out of mud. And so, in accordance with Allah Ta’alas command, Hazrat Nuh alayhis salam began making the plates and he would be engrossed in this work day and night. After a few days had passed and the number of plates had increased in bulk, the command came from Allah Ta’ala,

“Break all the plates, one by one.”

Hazrat Nuh alayhis salam pleaded with Allah Ta’ala,

“O Allah! I had made these plates with so much effort at Your command and now You are giving me the command to break it?”

Allah Ta’ala replied,

“Our command still remains that you break them.”

And so Hazrat Nuh alayhis salam broke them but it broke his heart to do this because he had made the plates with so much effort and then he had to destroy them. At this Allah Ta’ala said,

“O Nuh! You had made these plates with your hands at My command. You had so much love for these plates that when I had given you the command to break it, you were not willing to do so. Your heart was telling you, ‘These are plates that I had made with my own hands through much effort! I have to save them somehow.’ You had this feeling because you fell in love with these plates. But you did not look towards the fact that the entirety of humanity is My creation and at one point you made the dua’a:

رَّبِّ لَا تَذَرۡ عَلَى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ مِنَ ٱلۡكَـٰفِرِينَ دَيَّارًا

‘My Lord, do not leave on earth even a single inhabitant (surviving) out of the disbelievers.’

At this one utterance of yours, I had destroyed my creation! You had made these plates not on your own accordance, rather you had made it because of My instructions to you. Even then, you fell in love with them so if this is your case, would not I fall in love with My creation? So if I have love for them, then you must love them to if you have love for Me.”

Translated from the book 'Allah Ta'ala bando sai kitni muhabbat karte hai' by Hazrat Maulana Shah Hakeem Akhtar sahib. This is a book I recommend all to buy.

For more on Hazrat Nuh alayhis salam, click here

Ramadhan Mubarak to you all. May Allah give us all the ability to fulfill the rights of this month. May He make it a means of all of us to attain His pleasure and Jannah. Ameen.

Do remember me for a few seconds in your dua'as closer to iftar time. Iftar mai yaad.

Love, Lust & The Heart

In recent time it appears as though the entire concept of cherishing someone has been eradicated from the religion of Muhammad salalallahu alayhi wa salam. Many people consider the concept of ‘Love’ and ‘Lust’ as something that Islam forbids in its entirety, whether it be felt inside or outside of wedlock. As Muslims have begun to adopt non Muslim customs in their weddings and marriage, we find a great loss in the etiquette of treasuring a partner as if he or she were the most prized possession in the world. However, there are narrations of the Prophet salalallahu alayhi wa salam showing an intimate and compassionate side to his wives for a reason. These narrations could have been left hidden by Allah Ta’ala but in the Prophet salalallahu alayhi wa salam there is a man of exalted examples and in the various transmissions that are slightly private, we discover the most perfect morals and etiquettes to treat our partners with.

The feeling of love and lust is not one that is unknown to Islam. Allah Ta’ala says in the Qur’an,

وَمِنۡ ءَايَـٰتِهِۦۤ أَنۡ خَلَقَ لَكُم مِّنۡ أَنفُسِكُمۡ أَزۡوَٲجً۬ا لِّتَسۡكُنُوٓاْ إِلَيۡهَا وَجَعَلَ بَيۡنَڪُم مَّوَدَّةً۬ وَرَحۡمَةً‌ۚ إِنَّ فِى ذَٲلِكَ لَأَيَـٰتٍ۬ لِّقَوۡمٍ۬ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ

“And it is among His signs that He has created for you wives from among yourselves, so that you may find tranquillity in them, and He has created love and kindness between you. Surely in this there are signs for a people who reflect.”

Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Shafi rahimahullah mentions in his commentary to this verse mentions:

“The wisdom behind the creation of this particular sex (women) is said to be لِّتَسۡكُنُوٓاْ إِلَيۡهَا (so that you may find tranquillity in them). If one ponders, it becomes evident that all the requirements of men from women end up in drawing peace of mind, tranquillity and comfort.”

In this verse of the Qur’an, Allah refers to the relationship which emits from the relationship of marriage as something that brings love and tranquillity. On the contrary, a person who leaves the Shariah aspect of love and opts for lust finds his heart very heavy and tainted. By living like animals may provide some minor pleasure for a short period of time but it will not provide the solace and harmony created through marriage. The very foundation of fruitful love rests on a lawful marriage and without the bond of marriage; one will surely find life to be free from serenity. Cherry Norton writes as the Social Affairs Editor of ‘The Independent’ newspaper in 2000,

“Feeling guilty about indulging in life's pleasures can damage your health - so if you want to stay in peak condition you should adopt a more hedonistic approach, psychologists said yesterday.Research presented at the British Psychological Society's annual conference in Winchester showed that those who feel guilty about eating, drinking, smoking, watching television or having sex - suffered from a poorer immune system, making them more vulnerable to colds and flu. The findings also suggested that women felt more guilty about their indulgences and were more likely to fall ill than men."

Islam does not negate the feelings of the heart, rather it negates the feelings which lead one into rebellion and that which causes huge problems. There is no ban on having fun as long as it coincides with the restrictions placed by the Shariat. It is perfectly fine for a person to play football with his friends or go to the gym. However this becomes problematic when Prayer is missed for the sake of a football match. Likewise, to love somebody from deep within your heart is emphasised on as long as the two lovers are permitted to love each other (i.e. through matrimony).

The heart itself is a very important part of the Muslim’s body. From this heart emits the feelings of love, anger, joy and many other emotions. However these feelings are determined Halal or Haraam by the actions that emanate from them. For example, a person can be angry but in his anger he has hit his Muslim brother, thus his actions have rendered his anger Haraam. If he had suppressed his anger and recited Tawwuz he would be from among those people whom Allah Ta’ala loves. In the same way, love is not wrong if it is for Allah or for family etc. But this love becomes Haraam when it targeted at a boyfriend or girlfriend, a partner outside wedlock, a ‘fling’ with no repercussions. This is why the Prophet salalallahu alayhi wa salam has mentioned,

“Surely, in the body there is a lump of flesh which when it is sound the whole body is sound and when it is corrupt the whole body is corrupt. Truly, it is the heart.”

Similarly it is mentioned in the Musnad of Imam Ahmad on the authority of Anas radiallahu anhu that the Prophet salalallahu alayhi wa salam said,

“The belief of a slave will not be straight until his heart is straight.”

What is meant here is that the bodily actions will not be in accordance with Islam until the heart is. For whatever becomes a bodily action is the output of the heart. Therefore, if the heart is in accordance with Islam, ones belief and bodily actions will be too and a core which is filled with affection for Allah Ta’ala will always want to obey Him and never disobey Him.

Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal rahimahullah mentions,

“If his heart is sound and there is nothing in it but love of Allah Ta’ala and love of what Allah loves and fear of Allah Ta’ala and fear of falling into that which He dislikes, then all of the actions of the limbs will be right, and there will arise from that his avoidance of all forbidden things and his guarding himself against ambiguities in case he should fall into things which are forbidden. If the heart is corrupt and it is overcome by following desires and his seeking what he loves even if Allah Ta’ala dislikes it, then all of the limbs; movements will be corrupt and will give rise to every act of disobedience and (engagement in every) ambiguous matter according to the extent of his following the hearts’ desire... For this reason it is said that the heart is the king of the limbs and organs and the other limbs and organs are its troops.”

It is for this reason the Prophet salalallahu alayhi wa salam would say in his supplication,

“O Allah, I ask You for a sound heart.”

This is why it is imperative for us as Muslims to fight our desires in the various societies we enter. Many of us in the Western world are working in places which are of mixed genders and we find that we have to interact with the other sex on regular basis. This is not just for people who work but this also applies to students who go to colleges and universities. Society has advocated that we find ourselves partners to become intimate with, every popular soap encourages having companions in order to celebrate the theme of love. This type of ideology has found its way into the lives of young and old Muslims alike and now we find many Muslims engaged in relationships from young ages. Recent culture has subconsciously given people an incentive to imitate the sweet, romantic relationships that they see on their televisions in their own lives. Through this influence, the lives of many Muslims are being corrupted.

It is imperative that we protect ourselves and our children from the huge rush to gather boyfriends and girlfriends. Many of these relationships happen in secret to prevent parents from finding out but at the same time there is guilt which settles in the heart and after a few months, a God conscious Muslim will realise that it is time to give up the Haram and will do it despite the sadness and the ‘emotional rollercoaster’.