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

Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye!

I am sure at some point in your life, you have met a person who you felt was a well wisher; only to have your trust in them obliterated. Perhaps you have been ‘that person’ in the past who betrayed the trusts of people who trusted you most. Maybe you still are that person, from whose tongue every person is wary.

Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wasallam said in one hadith related in Al Adabul Mufrad, "The worst person is someone who is two-faced. He is the person who comes to one group of people with one face and another group of people with another face."

This hadith highlights the situation of a person who transforms and changes his colours like a chameleon. An example of this could be of a person whom you consider to be your friend; he constantly says well to you and does good to you and as soon as he has left your company, he tells other people things which you would not like them to hear whether it be abuse, secrets, lies etc.

Such people are transformers! There is more to them than meets the eye. A person should remain vigilant as to who these people are in his life. And as soon as he finds out who they are, he should keep his distance from them. This is not to say that he totally breaks off connection from him but rather that he remains prudent in relation to himself i.e. he does not go and tell that ‘transformer’ all of his secrets and have a deep, heart warming conversations with him.

Every person knows the state of their own Iman. A person may appear pious or sinful in front of the people but only Allah Ta’ala and that individual knows the state of his belief. We may be able to deceive the people and at times we may even be able to deceive ourselves in relation to piety but we can never deceive Allah Ta’ala.

It is thus important to peer into one’s own life and try finding instances where he has ‘transformed’ into a two faced person and has spread lies to cause hurt and disunity. Malik Ibn Dinar rahimahullah would say, “When you see that your heart has become hard, your body has become weak and that your sustenance has become Haram; know that you have spoken in regards to those matters which did not concern you!”

Likewise, Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wasallam has mentioned a great caution for that person who likes to push his foul speech around like an Asda trolley! Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wasallam has mentioned, "The person who has two faces in this world will have two tongues of the Fire on the Day of Rising.”

Thus there are many things we can do to save ourselves from falling into this category:

1. Stop betraying trusts

2. Stop spreading rumours

3. Stop spreading lies

4. Stop causing disunity/fights between two people

5. Staying away from such situations

6. Ponder over our speech

7. Apologise to those people whom we have hurt

8. Try to fix relations we have broken

9. Fix a penalty of some sadaqah every time we happen to slip up

10. Seek forgiveness from Allah Ta’ala.

Just don’t be that person who causes hurt wherever he goes; who disunites people by the weight of his tongue; who lies to satisfy his itching and devours the respect of people in the manner a serpent savages its prey. You are not that person; so don’t be. Be free from hate and cooled by patience, calm in disposition and aware of speech; be forgiving and shine with humility. All you need to do is put a full stop on your last evil speech and place a line under it. Now begin a new chapter and fill it with goodness.

May Allah Ta’ala protect us and give us the ability to use our tongues correctly. Ameen.

The Sinister...'Far Away, Distant' Feeling

That ‘far away, distant' feeling is something that comes to us all every now and then. This is that feeling, where everything feels blurred and everything seems distant. It seems that everybody is getting on with something or the other and you seem to be standing still; it just feels that you are stuck in a time and place from which you can’t get out of! An example of this to a lower degree can be seen in a student who is sitting in an exam hall; he sees everybody around him doing something but his brain feels to blunt to think of something and his stomach begins to churn as he sees his time is running out.

The reality of this all is that different incidents in a person’s life can trigger of this feeling. Sometimes, an abundance of work and pressure could be the cause; at other stages panic and anxiety could be a reason. Sometimes desperation could settle into oneself and many times, all these factors come together to hit insaan for a six! He then becomes like that cricket ball which has been hit out of the stadium and is sitting outside in the car park all by itself, waiting for somebody to pick it up and bring it back to its rightful place (i.e. the pitch). Similarly, when life is moving so fast around us and we feel completely dazed, we too need someone to take us by the hand and put our hearts’ at ease.

This feeling is an emotion that comes to us regularly and perhaps more so as we grow up and less so as we reach an elderly age. As a person grows, his responsibilities increase and he finds himself juggling between those actions which he must do (whether he likes it or not) and those actions which he likes to do (as a hobby). During his life, he will find himself constantly balancing between the two. When a person starts taking too much on, he finds himself bewildered at the sheer pace of life. There seems to be too many things happening and too little time to analyse them all.

In some instances, an issue of great magnitude such as a person’s death is placed in front of us which totally sweeps our feet from beneath us. Another example could be of a person who is planning to get married; he may be preparing for months on end but as the time to tie the knot approaches, he begins to feel that there are many things which he hasn’t dealt with! In both situations, a person is left befuddled and perplexed.

And in some instances, a person can want to feel far away from everything! When a person constantly sees ‘snakes’ from amongst his dear ones and dark evil in his surroundings, one naturally wants to curl up into a ball and stay in one corner. Sometimes sadness comes to us in abundance and the only reprieve seems to be in the darkness of a silent room. Thus, the far away feeling occurs because a person doesn’t want to feel close to the action.

Finally, you have others who experience the far away feeling because they are quite simply potty! This is when a person is just to foolish to do what is good for himself and continues doing stupid things which prove to be a hindrance to his existence! An example I hear you say? Take the example of a person who wastes his life in a shisha cafe; everyday he wakes up, he does the same thing. He brushes his teeth, wears his jacket, takes money from his parents and follows his friends (who may also be potty) into a shisha cafe. He thereafter wastes pound after pound in buying drinks, coals, snacks etc. The most bizarre thing of all is that this very same person has a career defining exam the following day and he should be revising! As a result, he sits in the exam hall the next day and all he can do is squirm in his chair when he sees his classmates around him pencilling in their exam papers at speed.

So how can a person stop this feeling or get out of it? There are a variety of things he can do. Below are just a few:

• Stop feeling sorry for yourself – sometimes a person needs to slap himself (not literally) and pull his socks up. For how long will a person feel sorry about himself and watch the people around him be successful and not be a part of that success himself? A person must produce unyielding efforts to break away from the vicious cycle of self pity and sorrow.

• Grab hold of a good friend to help you – sometimes we can’t see how deep we are in a situation. At times we exaggerate our problems and at other times, we play matters which are of huge relevance down. When we have the ‘far away feeling’ we should confide this matter in a close, loving, knowledgeable friend. We should explain to him, “I need you to help me pick myself up and make use of my time.” This feeling can bring much sadness to a person which in turn brings a fatigued, lazy ethos. We need to tell our close friend, “When you see me wasting my life away, pull me together and slap me (literally)!”

• Get up and go – have some ‘get up and go’ about yourself. You may find that nobody can help you; that should not send you into a murky abyss. Rather, fortify your intentions and make something of yourself.

• Take the advices from the Qur’an and the Hadith - While the Qur’an cheers up a saddened soul, it also has great advices to push a person in the right direction. Similarly, the words of our Nabi salallahu alayhi wasallam have great blessings; he himself would say, ‘I am a source of peace for my companions’. Thus, if we engross ourselves by becoming his companions (i.e. by studying his words), his invigorating shadow will extend over us also.

• Make lots of dua – only Allah Ta’ala is the One who can take us out of the darkness we see before us. Allah Ta’ala says in the Qur’an, “When My servants ask you about Me, then (tell them that) I am near. I respond to the call of one when he prays to Me; so they should respond to Me, and have faith in Me, so that they may be on the right path.” The court of Allah Ta’ala isn’t like a shop which has opening and closing hours; it is open all hours. The court of Allah Ta’ala is like that shop which has everything a person could need and more; he just needs to pre-order through his dua and Allah Ta’ala will send him what he requires. The postage, packaging and delivery depends on that person’s sincerity in his dua but when does eventually receives it, five star customer satisfaction is guaranteed!

May Allah Ta’ala grant us all aafiyat and make our hardships easy for us. Ameen, ya Rabbal ‘Aalameen.

Glad Tidings For The One Who Is Ill

Illness is something which we quite simply have no control over. Depending on the severity of the illness, a person can range from being merely annoyed to utterly distraught. However, let there be glad tidings for that slave who falls ill as Allah Ta’ala uses this illness as an excuse so as to expiate the sins of His slave.

How amazing is it that Allah Ta’ala has given us something positive in something which we dislike. There are many such examples in our Deen where Allah Ta’ala has exalted our status through something which is normally perceived as being disliked and petty. For example, if a person was to prostrate to another man, this would be a complete and utter disgrace. It would show the weakness, frailty and feebleness in a person that he is taking his forehead and placing it at the feet of another person. This idea of lowering one’s head for another can seem quite disgraceful however we prostrate towards Allah Ta’ala by taking the most honoured place of our body (i.e. our forehead from where we thinks and understand) and we place it on the floor by which Allah Ta’ala honours us with Jannah. Allah Ta’ala has made honour for us in something which people would normally perceive as being wrong. In the same way, Allah Ta’ala has favoured us and honoured us even when we are ill. Being ill is something that we obviously do not like but even whilst being ill, our sins are wiped away and our rewards are increased.

Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wasallam said, “A Muslim does not encounter fatigue, tiredness, concern, sorrow, injury or grief, or even a thorn which pricks him without Allah expiating his errors for him by that." Subhanallah! Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wasallam has mentioned several odd problems that could befall a Muslim and in every single one of them there is forgiveness from sins. The general idea here is that anything which displeases a Muslim is a source of mercy for him. Likewise, Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wasallam also said, “Affliction will continue to trouble the believers, men and women, in their bodies, their families and their property until they meet Allah Ta’ala purified of every wrong action."

Furthermore, illness is a sign of a person’s belief in Allah Ta’ala. Once, Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wasallam was discussing illness when a person asked, “What is illness? For I swear by Allah, I have never been ill!” Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wasallam said, “Leave us! For indeed you are not one of us!” This is said because Allah Ta’ala gives illness to a person in order to wipe away his sin. In a narration mentioned in Abu Dawud, it is indicated that when a slave does not have the ability to do good deeds which will enter him into Jannah, Allah Ta’ala afflicts him with some temporary sadness or illness through which his sins will be erased and his good deeds increased. As a result, he is entered into Jannah. Again, Allah Ta’ala is looking excuse to forgive us. Thus, if a person falls ill, he should praise Allah Ta’ala in his heart and be happy that he has some sign of Iman within him.

One a Bedouin came into the company of Rasulullah salalallahu alayhi wasallam; Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wasallam asked, “'Has Umm Mildam (fever) got hold of you?” The Bedouin replied, “What is Umm Mildam?” Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wasallam said, “It is the heat between the skin and the flesh.' The Bedouin said, “No.” Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wasallam said, “Have you got a headache?” “What is headache?” the Bedouin asked. Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wasallam replied, “It is wind which gets into the head and beats the veins.” The Bedouin replied, “No (I have not experienced this). When he stood up, Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wasallam said, “Whoever wants to look at a man who is one of the people of the Fire (i.e. let them look at that man.)”

In fact, on a side note, one hadith related in Tabrani, “Never does a Muslim get a headache except that Allah Ta’ala expiates his sin, writes for him rewards and elevates his rank.”

The bottom line here is that we should always ask Allah Ta’ala for security in our life. We should always make the dua, “O Allah, I ask you for forgiveness and security, in my religion, worldly life and hereafter.” Likewise, “O Allah, I ask you for to safe-keep my ears, my eyes and my body.” We should not hope for illness, rather we should take its coming as a sign of forgiveness from Allah Ta’ala.

Finally, my eyes fell over a nice piece on visiting the sick person written by Sheikh Fadhl ullahi Al-Jeelaani in his commentary Fadhl Allahi As-Samad fi Towdeehi Al-Adab Al Mufrad. If we visit a sick person, we should try to adhere to the following 10 points:

1. He does not face the door directly when asking for permission to enter. (i.e. he is not trying to be nosy and see what is going on inside).

2. He opens and closes the door softly. (i.e. He doesn’t start banging doors and disturbing people.)

3. He does not try to remain anonymous. (i.e. When a person is asked, “Who is it?” he doesn’t respond by saying, “Me!”. This brings no clarity and is a source of annoyance to the sick person as well as those around him).

4. He should not come at an inappropriate time. (i.e. he should not come when it is obvious the sick person needs feeding etc).

5. He should not sit for too long except when it pleases the sick person. (i.e. sometimes, people overstay their visit and this over burdens the sick person but he may feel too shy to say anything. He may need some rest in order to preserve his energy but sometimes, useless chatter diminishes this. However, the case of a person who pleases the heart is different. Generally, when the beloved is near, the heart forgets all of it's sorrows. On a side note, I remember one brief story of Layla & Majnoo. Majnoo was so infatuated on Layla that news of this came to the Qadhi (judge) who immediately stipulated 100 lashes (whipping, pitai) for Majnoo. As a result, Majnoo was hit 100 times but to the amazement of the people, he did not let out a single yell. It was as if he was in a trance; however, when he was hit with the last lash, he let out an almighty yell! The people were amazed and thus asked him, "You received 99 lashes and did not utter even whimper but on the 100th lash, you screamed so loud?! Why is this?!" He replied, "My beloved Layla was watching me from her balcony and I was looking at her. Whilst she was there, I was lost in her and so I did not feel any pain; on the 99th whip, she turned and left as the punishment was to end. When she left, I came back to reality." Thus, it is always nice to have the beloved visit when one is sick.)

6. He should lower his gaze from the sick person (i.e. if the person has some apparent illness on the body, the visitor should not fix his eyes upon it as if to show some shock. :-| <-- like that)

7. He should not question the sick person excessively. (i.e. this can become tiresome).

8. He should show sympathy. (i.e. sympathy shows softness and care).

9. He should make sincere dua.

10. He should give him some words of encouragement so it strengthens the ill person’s resolve. (i.e. many people go and visit the sick people and instead of giving them encouragement, they say, “Oh dear! You look terrible!” This doesn’t do any good to the moral of the ill person; rather it convinces him that he is in a truly poor state. This in effect gives a huge psychological blow to the ill person and at times can break his resolve. Thus we should give words of encouragement to build the resolve of the sick person).

May Allah Ta’ala give us all good health. Ameen.

Being Gentle...like a butterfly

The idea of being a stoned face, mysterious individual with a sense of firmness sounds appealing to some; when this type of character exudes from a person, a sense of dominance can emanate from within the heart. This eventually leads one to become ill mannered and arrogant which in turn changes a person into a prideful being. As a result, this firmness which seemed to be awe inspiring has now taken a person to the banks of Jahannam. It is for this reason that Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wasallam said, "Harshness does not exist in something except that it makes it repulsive. Indeed Allah is compassionate and He love compassion.”


Unfortunately, we live in very rough society; such an environment has almost nurtured us to be hostile naturally. I understood this perfectly when I recently went to Madinah. I had left the hotel to go to the Prophet’s salallahu alayhi wasallam Mosque for Iftar when a brother suddenly grabbed my arm 20 meters away from the mosque. I instantly took him to be a trouble maker but I soon realised he was actually calling me to sit and break my fast with him. I watched him and found his courteous behaviour to be ever so pleasant. I then began to question myself as to why I had been so firm with him. I realised that it was the society that I had come from which told me to be defensive and sceptical as opposed to being gentle and friendly.

The sunnah or Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wasallam teaches us differently. It teaches us to be gentle and soft to every living and lifeless thing. During the battle of Uhud, Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wasallam commanded the archers to remain on a hill close to the battle until the war was won. Due to a misunderstanding, they left their positions which resulted in the death of 70 companions. However, Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wasallam was not harsh to them, nor was he aggressive. Rather, he was understanding and sympathetic; he accepted their reasons and pardoned them. He himself states in one hadith, “Forgive right-acting people for their mistakes.” Such behaviour brought about the pleasure of Allah Ta’ala and He notably mentions in the Qur’an,

“It was a mercy of Allah that you were soft and gentle with them. If you were rude, harsh, hard hearted, then they would have fled away from you. Pardon them, seek forgiveness from Allah for them and in future, consult them in the matter”

Softness is truly a characteristic which we must inculcate into our life. However, this does not mean that we become naive. If we live in such a place where there is much trickery and deceit, then it is not an act of piety to be forbearing. On the other hand, this is foolishness as a person is asking to be hoaxed.

Being gentle should be within us naturally. When a person is gentle, it beautifies him as a person and also wins the heart of people. Rasulullah salalallahu alayhi wasallam said, “Softness does not exist in anything except that it beautifies it.” However, in order to bring this characteristic within ourselves, we must aim to become tolerant. A person can only learn to forgive and be soft to others once he has subdued his nafs to such an extent that he does not become angry at petty things. When a person is able to blow away his annoyance, signs of compassion may then prevail in him.

Showing kindness to animals is enough for Allah Ta’ala to forgive a person. Imam Bukhari rahimahullah relates a narration in which a person fed a thirsty, ailing dog water which cured him. As a result, Allah Ta’ala forgave his sins. On the other hand, the hadith that Imam Bukhari rahimahullah brings thereafter shows the state of a woman who treated her pet so poorly that it was completely malnourished. As a result of her hard heartedness, Allah Ta’ala entered her into the fire. If this is the case with regards to animals, then what can be said for humans and especially our Muslim brothers and sisters?

There are some misinformed people who try to use Hadhrat Umar radiallahu anhu as their justification to being harsh. Such people quite simply do not know who Hadhrat Umar radiallahu anhu was. He was a soft, loving, caring man who shed tears for the sake of this Ummah. Such people who claim that he was harsh and stern know very little of him. His firmness was to those who had disobeyed Allah Ta’ala and caused pain to the Muslimeen but besides that, he was merciful to the believers as well as the non believers. Many narrations can be put forth of his softness. Let it be remembered, that he was a person about whom people used to say prior to his acceptance of Islam, “There is more chance of Umar’s donkey accepting Islam!” However, his heart was thereafter nurtured by the one who has been titled as the Mercy to Mankind; surely then, such characteristics would have been found in him also. Finally, I conclude with the hadith:

"Whoever has been given his portion of compassion has been given his portion of good. Whoever is denied being given his portion of compassion has been denied his portion of good. Good character will be the weightiest thing in the believer's balance on the Day of Rising. Allah hates a coarse, foul-mouthed person."

May Allah Ta'ala bless us with such characteristics. Ameen.

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...

Read A Book On Your Travels

Today I sat on the train and observed something quite amazing. I noticed that the majority of the people on the train were reading some form of literature. Some were reading huge novels, others were reading fashion magazines and some were reading newspapers. I then thought of how wonderful it would be if Muslims began to pick up Islamic literature and then take it along with them on travels etc.

How many times have we found ourselves twiddling around with our thumbs while we are sitting on the bus or train with nothing to do. Strangely enough, when we are at home in the warmth of our house, it is very hard to pick up a book and read it from cover to cover simply because of the temptation to sleep or indulge in other things. However, when we are in trains, buses or waiting rooms, we instantly become interested in reading something or the other. It is for this reason that we should keep an interesting Islamic book in our bags that we take a long especially for our travels. By doing this, we will be benefitting enormously in our knowledge of Islam and we will also be getting reward for seeking knowledge.

Then when it is time to get off the train, you can put your book back into your bag only to continue another day. Slowly but surely, a person will be able to get through many books. It is thus important for us to go to our local Islamic shops and pick out a nice book that will be an interesting read, thereafter, it is up to us individually to make an effort in reading them.

So next time the person on your left is reading a Metro and the person on your right is reading the Twilight series, you can take out a nice Islamic book and fit right in.

The following are some books in English that I have found extremely beneficial to read and are easy to understand for the common person also:

1. Shamail Tirmizi by Imam Tirmizi rahimahullah - This is an excellent book for everybody who wants to know about the characteristics of Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam. It has his a description of how he looked, smiled, sat, ate, walked etc. It is available in English with a commentary written by Hazrat Sheikh Zakariyya rahimahullah to help you understand better.
2. The Sealed Nectar by Sheikh Saifur Rahman Mubarakpuri - This is a great biography of Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam. It highlights all the important occurrences that took place in the blessed life of Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam right upto his passing away.
3. The Islamic Conquest of Syria by Imam Waqidi rahimahullah and this is has been translated into English by Maulana Sulayman al Kindi sahib.This book is exceptional! It tells of how life continued for the Muslims after the passing away of Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam. It shows how the Islamic empire grew and tells stories of effort, struggle, courage, bravery, love, compassion and much more. It truly is a great read.
4. Hayaatus Sahaba by Maulana Yusuf Khandalwi rahimahulah - This book is three volumes and relates various stories in relation to the sahaba radiallahu ahum. It is highly recommended for people who are looking to see the beautiful nature of the companions of Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam.
5. Manners in Islam by Imam Bukhari rahimahullah - This is a book of hadith on manners which has been compiled by Imam Bukhari rahimahullah.
6. Ashraf's Blessings of Marriage - this is perhaps one of the best books on the topic. It deals beautifully in regards to a topic which concerns many people. A very important book in general.
7. Ahsan al Qasas by Sheikh Abdur Raheem sahib - This is a tafseer of Surah Yusuf which is written in a very attractive way. It deals in depth with regards to the story of Yusuf alayhis salam whilst diverting the reader's attention towards various lessons which can be learnt.
8. Chosen Souls by Sheikh Irfan Sidyot sahib - This book provides short one-page-biographies on many splendid Islamic personalities who have passed. It highlights their efforts and love for Islam.
9. The Ideal Muslim(ah) by Muhammad Ali al Hashimi - This book helps a person to realise how he/she should be. It has various chapters which pertain to the different aspects of a Muslim's life and how he/she should deal with them.
10. The Wisdom Behind The Commands of Islam by Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi rahimahullah - this book is a great piece of work which explains all those niggling questions that a person has. It explains all those commands that we have been given as Muslims which do not seem to conform with our logic. It answers many of the 'Why?' questions and removes many misconceptions.
    
    May Allah Ta'ala give us all the ability to benefit from the correct literature and give us beneficial knowledge. Ameen.

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.

Split Personality

Sometimes a person can perhaps have a split personality. A person can have an appearance which reflects piety but inside his heart, he may be as rotten as a banana. On the other hand, a person may appear to be very sinful but perhaps he keeps within his heart certain principles that render him to be pious. The examples on this particular matter are vast. The underlying theme is that we know what our minds conjure behind words of piety and we most assuredly know what our limbs commit behind closed doors. A person has two personalities; a pious one and a sinful one.

It is for this reason that Allah Ta’ala mentions in Surah Baqarah, “Did I not tell you, verily I know what is hidden between the Heavens and the Earth. And I know what you make apparent and what you may conceal.” Allah Ta’ala has mentioned the two sides of a person. A person’s internal appearance and his external appearance. The aim for a Muslim is to make both of these sides submit to Allah Ta’ala. It is almost as if we have two lives and the objective of both is to please Allah rabbul ’izzah. Only once both the external and internal sides conform to Allah’s Ta’ala rulings and commands, we attain this submission and balance.

In order to attain this spiritual excellence, a person must always be aware of his deeds. Thus the split personality of a person can be seen in different ways :

1. Some people are such that in their regular day to day business they live with a split personality. A classic example would be of that person who sees a beautiful, young lady crossing the road. In his appearance he is lowering his gaze which suggests that he is pious but in his mind he is conjuring immoral thoughts. Similar is the case of a sister who may appear to be God-fearing by her firm words and persona but in her heart she may be conceal intense love for a boy whom it is not permissible for her to love. Thus there is a double life being led simultaneously.

2. The second example is of that person who splits when the opportunity presents itself and discards his pious side and turns to his sinful nature. An example of this person may perhaps be of that person who is a pious and maintains great righteousness; however, if he goes to a person’s house where music is being played and movies are being watched, his demeanour will change rapidly and he will joyfully partake in such actions. Similarly, a sister may be pious but if she is sitting with a group of girls who are gossiping and backbiting; she too will ‘split’ as the opportunity presents itself and begin backbiting and gossiping. It is seen in these examples that a person becomes taken over by this sinful personality inside, once the sin he has partaken in is over, he returns to his normal state.

3. The third type of person is that Muslim who momentarily looses control of himself and shows his sinful nature. This is typically seen in all Muslims in the state of anger when it is unnecessary. For example, a person is of a pious nature and very rarely gets angry. However, one day he comes home one day after a long days work and he is hoping for a nice, hot, dish of daal, chawal and subzi. However, when he gets home, he finds his wife has been sitting on the phone all day long and as a result, he implodes and lets out ‘maa ben’ swearwords. However, after a few minutes he calms down and realises he is wrong and goes back to his own self. Similarly, there is a sister who may have a sibling who happens to be a bit mischievous. One day the sibling may perhaps take the GHD hair straightener and as a result, the elder sister becomes extremely angry. Once again, after a few seconds, she realises that such argument is petty and best avoided; thus she returns to her usual self.

4. The final example is of that person who remains at a pious level all the time and when the thought of rebelling comes into his mind, he suppresses himself or he teaches himself not to be agitated by trivial things. For example, a brother is a really pious sufi saab. He does not get into sins and is constantly in the remembrance of Allah Ta’ala internally and externally. However, one day he is extremely tired and he sees that prayer time is departing without him having prayed. He struggles internally because his nafs does not want to pray and he struggles externally because he is tired. He has pressure from both sides.The thought passes his mind to read Qaza later on however, his constant level of piety prevails and his regular practices come to his aid. Thus he is easily able to ignore the wrong and continue to live righteously.

How does a person get to this stage? The answer is in the Jibril Hadith, “Worship Allah as if you can see him and if you cannot, then truly He sees you.” A person has to continually work his mind to a state where he knows that Allah Ta’ala is watching him and that he must refrain from wrong. It is like the situation of a parent and a child. A child will be instructed from a tender age not to use swear words otherwise he will get beaten with a cricket bat. Then, due to this firm warning, he will not swear due to remembering the words of his parents subconsciously. As a result, even when a person grows into a man, he will never swear in front of his parents. In the same way, we must grow a consciousness over the commands of Allah Ta’ala. If we continually keep them in our mind, we will be able to suppress our other side. To do this, we must sit and analyse our sins and recognise where we lapse the most. Then, we must continually drill it into ourselves that it is wrong. At first we may continue to sin, however gradually we will recognise the wrong we are doing and be able to diverge from it. A person should never feel down, things like this do not happen over night (sometimes they do but this is Allah's fazl, He gives it to whom He wants). We must remember that Rome was not built over night. Or in Islamic terms, the extension of Masjidul Haram in Makkah wasn't built over night!

May Allah Ta’ala give us the ability to rectify ourselves in order to conform with His commands. Ameen ya Rabbal aalameen.

The Origins of Evil Thoughts & How To Defend Oneself

Evil thoughts are natural to mankind. Before every intentional sin is carried out, a person has the scope to sit down and think about it. Many people keep questioning themselves as to why they keep on committing various sins but fail to find a reason. This is because they are looking at the sin itself along with its magnitude and not at the manner in which it materialised. For example, when we look at successful footballers, we look directly towards their success and fancy skills; we do not look at the hardship and sacrifice which they perhaps endured to reach that level and as a result, the struggles that they tolerated prior to their success is forgotten. In the same manner, we commit great sins but we are so distracted by the magnitude of the sin that we forget the initial stages that led up to it. Hence, it is important to know the routes of these thoughts.

Ibn Allaan Siddiqi mentions in ‘Riyadus Saliheen li Tareeq Daleel al Faliheen',

واعلم أن ما يقع في النفس من قصد المعصية على خمس مراتب: الأولى: الهاجس وهو ما يلقى فيها. ثم جريانه فيها وهو الخاطر. ثم حديث النفس وهو ما يقع فيها من التردد هل يفعل أو لا. ثم الهمّ وهو قصد ترجيح الفعل. ثم العزم وهو قوة ذلك القصد والجزم به

“Know that the intention to sin which is felt by the inner self is of five stages:

The first is a mere uncertainty (haajis) which is placed there in.

Then comes the passing of this uncertainty (into a proper idea) and that is known as katir (risk).

Then it is the conversation of the inner self (hadeethun nafs) and its hesitation in whether deciding to do the sin or not.

Then is the intention (hum) and that is an intention which is inclined to the deed.

And the final step is determination (azm) and that is a firm resolution to carry out the intention and assertiveness upon it.”

It is important to recognise the thought during the early stages. It is important to remove these thoughts while the intention and attraction of the sin is weak. During the first two stages, the thoughts should be ignored and cast away. A person at this stage should seek refuge in Allah Ta’ala by ‘a’udhu billahi min ash shaytaanir rajeem’ and then should ignore the deed.

When it gets to the third stage, a person should try to move away from the place which may be a means of him committing sin. For example, if a person is hesitant as to whether or not he should flirt with a girl he is attracted to, he should move away from that place so the choice of doing the sin is no longer the there. Whenever we are presented with a 50/50 choice in doing something sinful, we should try our utmost to remove this choice and push the possibility of sin out of the way.

At this juncture, it is useful to mention that Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam said, “Allah has forgiven my Ummah of the whisperings of their souls so long as they do not talk about it or act accordingly.”

The first three stages are forgiven and there is no accountability with regards to them. Now remains the last two stages.

The stage of inclination towards the deed is a very difficult one. This is that time when a person’s mind and heart is taken over with a strong desire to do the sin but there is still an inkling of wanting to ignore it. For example, a person may be so angry with another that he wants to hit them and he cannot get on with his life until he says or does something to cause pain. However, in his heart there is an understanding that it would be incorrect to carry out the deed but this is overpowered by the desire of committing the sin. Quite simply, this could be described as when the inner self is inclined 80/20 in doing the sin. This state will only become sinful when a person take is to the final stage which will soon be discussed.

Due to the need of our times, it is important to note that the shamelessly fantasizing and conjuring illicit thoughts of the other sex also falls into this category and a person will be at sin if he/she continues to dwell on such lustful thoughts. Though this is a thought, it is still deemed sinful due to the haram desires which are fulfilled by it. It is important to keep the mind clean and this can be done by making zikr.

In general, when a person gets to this 80/20 stage, he should try do perform wudhu and make constant zikr. It is a necessity for him to move away from the sin and he should beseech Allah Ta’ala to protect him by the way of dua or by calling out to Allah Ta'ala through his heart. By making wudhu, a person can sometimes snap himself out of the hypnotic trance which may be dominant over him. This will bring him to reality and understand the scale of the sin he is about to commit.

Finally is the stage where a person becomes determined to commit the sin. This is a stage where we should try our best to not even reach. We should try stopping our thoughts before they get to this stage. It is like a person who is tip toeing around the banks of destruction, sooner or later he wil fall in. It is the hardest stage to stop. The strength of wanting to succumb to our evil thoughts becomes so strong that a person is no longer able to stop it from happening. He is as good as committing the sin. Mankind will not be held culpable until he reaches this final stage.

A person should constantly make dua’a to Allah Ta’ala to keep him steadfast and strong, especially in defending himself from sin. The heart is unpredictable, sometimes it will make a person feel as if he is as firm as the likes of Umar radiallahu anhu and at other times, the heart will tear his spirituality into pieces until he is left shattered like broken glass. The reality of this is that the heart fluctuates in accordance to the deeds that we do. Whilst our heart is clean and adorned with the worship of Allah Ta’ala, it will feel light and jolly. When sins becomes dominant and our heart constantly acquiesces and surrenders to evil, then our spirituality will be sent plummeting and we will feel the burden of sadness and low esteem. Due to the unpredictable nature of the heart, Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam taught his Ummah supplications in order to keep them aright. For example,

يَا مُقَلِّبَ القُلُوْبِ ثَبِّتْ قَلْبِيْ عَلى دِيْنِك
“O Turner of the hearts, make my heart firm on Your religion.”

We should make dua in abundance, Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam has mentioned that the dua is the weapon of a believer. Evil thoughts bring harm and problems to a believer so it would make complete sense that in order to fight these thoughts, one should make constant dua to Allah Ta’ala to strengthen his/her resolve.

May Allah Ta’ala give me the ability to act upon what I have said and may He give us all the ability to refrain from surrendering to our evil thoughts. Ameen.

Backbiting and Slandering

In the name of Allah, the most gracious, the most merciful

Backbiting, what do we know about backbiting? We may feel that backbiting are just mere words – but they are words that bring upon the one who utters them shame and dishonour and consign him to the Fire. Such a person has given in to his vain desires and succumbed to his destructive wants.

Subhanallah, it’s a common disease in our society, people backbites a lot knowingly and unknowingly. Backbiting is very dangerous. We should avoid talking about people behind their back completely. If we see someone talking evil about someone we should remind them that backbiting is a very severe sin and it will lead to a severe punishment. Sometime unknowingly we end up talking bad about someone; we should immediately repent to Allah Ta'ala and also ask for forgiveness from that person. But we see people nowadays they love backbiting about other people for fun, we should look at our own shortcomings and try to correct them instead of talking about the bad that other people are doing.

Backbiting can be defined as the utterance of words whereby one mentions his fellow Muslim in a bad way or mentions him in a manner that he would be displeased with. It is called backbiting because a person generally berates another person in that person’s absence.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) defines backbiting in the following way, and his definition is preferred over any other: He said: “Do you know what backbiting is? They said: “Allah and His Messenger know best.” He said: “It is to mention about your brother something that he would dislike having mentioned about him.” [Sahîh Muslim (2589)

The Prophet (peace be upon him) goes on in the same hadith to explain the difference between backbiting and slander. He said: “It is to mention about your brother something that he would dislike having mentioned about him.”

Someone enquired: “O Messenger of Allah! How do you see it if what I said about him is true?” He replied: “If what you said about him is true, then you have backbitten him. If what you said about him is false, then you have slandered him.” [Sahîh Muslim (2589)]

Slander is a false statement of enormous sinfulness deserving of severe punishment. Allah says: “And those who malign believing men and women undeservedly bear upon themselves the guilt of slander and a manifest sin.” [Sûrah al-Ahzâb: 58]

My brothers and sisters we should avoid backbiting and slandering all together, before looking at other people faults, we should look at our own short comings . We should realise that everyone will be accountable for their own actions. My brothers and sisters, if you see someone doing something wrong, or they have a quality that is not liked in Islam then the best way to try and correct that person is by going to that person directly (in private) and telling them in a nice way about the shortcomings that they have. This is masha Allah the best way to help someone, and by doing this Allah Ta'ala will be more pleased with us.


How to rid ourselves of this ignoble trait?

1. We can protect ourselves from speaking ill of others by cultivating our fear of Allah and our sense of shame before of our Lord. This can be achieved by reflecting often upon the verses of the Qur’ân and the hadîth of our Prophet (peace be upon him) that speak about Allah’s punishment, that encourage us to repent, and that warn us against evil deeds.

Allah says: “Or do they think that We do not hear their secrets and their private counsels? Indeed we do and our messengers are by them to record.” [Sûrah al-Zukhruf: 80]

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Feel shame before Allah as you ought to feel shame before Him. So guard the head and what it contains, guard the stomach and what you put in it, and think upon death and returning to dust.” [Sunan al-Tirmidhî (2458)]

2. We can reflect upon just how much we lose every time we utter some bad words about another person.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) once asked his Companions: “Do you know who is bankrupt?”
They replied: “The person among us who is bankrupt is the one who possesses neither money nor provision.”

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “The one who is bankrupt from among my followers is he who comes on the Day of Resurrection with prayer, charity, and fasting to his credit. However, he had insulted this person, struck that person, and seized the wealth of another, on account of which his good deeds will be taken from him. Then, if his good deeds are exhausted, the sins of those whom he wronged will be taken from them and foisted upon him and then he will be cast into the Fire.” [Sahîh Muslim (2581)]

3. A beneficial remedy that can help us to rid ourselves of this evil habit is to reflect upon our own shortcomings and work to improve ourselves. If we preoccupy ourselves with our own faults, we will not find time to worry about the faults of others. We should fear that if we speak about someone else’s shortcomings, that Allah might punish us by afflicting us with the same.

Al-Hasan al-Basrî said: “We used to remind one another that whoever faults his brother on account of a sin and he had repented for it will be punished by Allah by falling into it himself.”

Abû Hurayrah said: “One of you sees the dust in his brother’s eye but fails to see the crud in his own.”

4. Keeping to the company of righteous people and avoiding bad company helps us to avoid backbiting.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “The likeness of a good companion and a bad companion is that of a person carrying musk and another who works the bellows. The person carrying musk might give you some of it or at the very least you will enjoy the pleasant scent. The person with the bellows will either singe your clothing or at least make you suffer from the bad smell.” [Sahîh al-Bukhârî (2101) and Sahîh Muslim (2628) and the wording is that of Muslim]

Al-Nawawî rahimahullah writes, commenting on this hadîth: “It discusses the virtues of keeping the company of the righteous and people who carry out good works and possess good manners… It prohibits us from the company of people who engage in bad deeds and innovations, those who backbite others, and those who are habitually sinful and idle.”

5. A person who has a habit of backbiting others needs to make a firm and determined resolution to stop.


We can look at the example of Rasûl ibn Wahb who said: “I swore an oath that for every time I backbite someone, I would fast a day. This just wore me out, since I would backbite and fast. Then I resolved that for every time I backbite someone, I would spend one silver coin in charity. Then, for the love of money, I gave up backbiting.”

I make dua that Allah protect myself first and everyone else from backbiting and slandering, may Allah forgive our shortcomings, and may Allah grant us Jannah through mercy.

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.

Lesson from Hadith #4

يا ايها النّاس ، قولو قولكم ، فإنّما تشقيق الكلام من الشّيطان
“O people! Say what you have to say! Because speaking excessively is from Shaytan.” [1]

This is quite straightforward to understand. The Prophet salallahu alayhi wa salam is advising a person to be precise and succinct in what he says. By speaking continuously, a person is at risk of being manipulated by Shaytan. The more a person speaks, the bigger the risk is of him making mistakes in his speech. This is due to the whisperings of Shaytan who would encourage the person to continue speaking. Consequently, the person will begin to talk about useless matters and futile things. It is for this reason a poet once said, “If speaking is silver than remaining silent is gold.” It is for this reason Shigni ibn Maati’ al-Asbahi rahimahullah said, “Whoever’s speech increased, his mistakes (also) increased.” A person should be precise in what he wants to say and should not ‘beat around the bush’. Of course, sometimes a person is required to be softer in his words and lengthen them so that he does not cause offence or hurt. It would be totally incorrect for a person to merely tell another, “Your father has died.” And then leave him in this state. Rather, he should explain to him in a sympathetic and caring manner give him a lengthy yet precise account of the matter at hand.

[1] Adabul Mufrad: Hadith #875

Lesson from Hadith #3

اني لم ابعث لعّانا ،و لكن بعث رحمة
“Certainly, I have not been sent to curse anyone but rather, I have been sent as a mercy.”[1]

The Prophet salallahu alayhi wa salam was once asked, “Ya Rasulullah! Invoke a curse upon the polytheists.” It was upon this request that he exclaimed, “Certainly, I have not been sent to curse anyone but rather, I have been sent as a mercy.”

The Prophet salallahu alayhi wa salam was sent with the hardest mission in a time which people were delved into the darkness of ignorance. It was important for him to gather support and this was done largely by his beautiful characteristics and merciful nature towards people. Once the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa salam was displeased but rather than hollering and cursing he showed compassion and forgiveness. It is about this Allah Ta'ala says in the Qur’an, “It was a mercy of Allah that you were soft and gentle with them. If you were rude, harsh, hard hearted, then they would have fled away from you.” (3:159)

This hadith indicates that we should not invoke curses on anyone, rather we should be tolerant. In our day and age, we are unfortunately pressurised that we must accommodate people who enjoying calling other Muslims 'kaafir' and 'munafiqs', it is important for these people to take a step back and recognise exactly what type of person Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam was.

The tongue tends to move very quickly but we should try our best not to wish bad upon anyone, even in states of deep anger and displeasure. Tolerance is truly a great characteristic; whomsoever has the ability to develop it within himself should do so.

This hadith also indicates that the impression given off from a Muslim should be one of compassion, towards Muslims and non Muslims.

[1] Adabul Mufrad: Hadith #332

Lesson from Hadith #2

ليس المؤمن بالطّعان و لا اللّعّان و لا الفاحش و لا الباذيّ

“A believer is not one who taunts, nor one who curses, nor one who is immoral nor one who indulges in shameless talk ”[1]

By the term believer, a complete Muslim is insinuated. For only a complete Muslim can stay away from the temptations of the mouth. There are many people who have a bad habit of taunting people and causing them hurt. This is not from the characteristics of a believer or from a well mannered human being. To joke and taunt about someone in jest is a great sin and must be abstained from. Further, many have the habit of cursing straight away. If something does not go to plan, they instantly curse the object or the person that was the cause of it. This too is a very habit.

Finally, the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa salam mentions that a Muslim is not an immoral person. Immorality and rudeness are very bad characteristics as they bring pride into a person. A person who is immoral is at a stage where he feels he can do or say anything as he has ripped the veil of shyness from himself. The Prophet salallahu alayhi wa salam has mentioned taunting first in this hadith. Often, when a person taunts in abundance, he is paving the way towards the next sin mentioned in this hadith which is cursing. It almost feels natural for a person to continue into this new field. Thereafter, when a person’s mouth becomes so foul that he is abusive and full of curses, he loses the fear of being considered immoral as his pride makes him feel that he is superior. Thus this takes him into immorality and when a person reaches this juncture, he delves into shameless speech as has no consciousness of his deeds.

[1] Adabul Mufrad: Hadith #332 pg 262

Lesson from Hadith #1

لا يشكر الله من لا يشكر النّاس

“He who is not thankful to people is not thankful to Allah.” (Al Adabul Mufrad)

In order to thank people, one must use his mouth and show full gratitude. A person can show his gratefulness to people through actions by giving gifts etc but for a person to really show his thankfulness and gratefulness he must show it by the way of speech. It is speech which makes man different to an animal. If a person gave a monkey a banana, the monkey wouldn’t be able to say, “Cheers!” this is because Allah has not honoured the monkey with speech. However, Allah has honoured mankind with speech so that he can use his tongue to show his gratitude to his Creator. Part of showing this gratitude to Allah is by being thankful to people. When a person says “Thank you, May Allah reward you with something better” he is bringing pleasure to the person who helped him. If a person does not have the capability to show this thanks, then what is the difference between him and a monkey?

Reading Too Hard Inbetween Lines

This is a topic that I have been wishing to write for a while. There is an illness that many people have and that is reading too hard in to a situation or as the proverb is, “reading too hard inbetween the lines”. This proverb quite simply means that a person looks into a matter so thoroughly that his own minds concocts an entire ‘conspiracy’ against himself. They read so hard into things that they place negative ideas into words that were never meant to be offensive! Let me give you an example:

Balqees has got a new blue hijab. A sister by the name of Bulbuli who knows her sees this hijab and merely exclaims “It is a nice hijab but I would not wear it.” Balqees immediately sends her mind into overdrive and thinks of all possibilities as to why this comment has been made. She will now go through all scenarios and will draw up a conclusion that will immediately put Bulbuli in the wrong. Poor Bulbuli was only saying this because she does not like the colour blue but now Balqees will keep thinking this is because Bulbuli has something against her style and clothing. Like this, she will hold some resentment in her heart.

This is a very bad ailment that is in the Muslim ummat today. Many people aren’t allowed to breathe because there are people in the community who will instantly state on every given occasion, “it seems that you are hinting something”. However, some people are of an extremely pious nature and their humility is such that whenever a word of caution is said with regards to deen, they immediately feel that it is to do with them. These people are not mischief makers, they are people who have reached such a high level of spirituality that people like myself could only wish for. The example of these people is like the following example:

Balqees and Bulbuli walk past a group of people who are dropping litter, “It is very bad when people drop litter.” Bulbuli has so much fear of Allah Ta’ala that she immediately thinks about whether she has dropped anything that day. Though this comment was not targeted for her, she instantly reacts to it because of her worry and fear of Allah Ta’ala.

This is an excellent trait to have. Then there are other people who perhaps may be guilty and whenever something is mentioned, they feel that it is instantly applicable to them and that people are having a dig at them and as a result, they become extremely rude and defensive. These are people who think the world revolves around them and this is a very bad trait to have. It leads one to arrogance and thinking that he is superior and that his mere existence is on the minds of others when in reality he is a mere dot. The example of this person is as follows:

Balqees and Bulbuli are sitting with their friend Shelpi. Shelpi had recently smoked a ciggie but this was in secret and nobody knew. Balqees and Bulbuli are having a nice Islamic discussion with regards to how foul smoking is. Shelpi hears this and instantly feels that her two friends are ganging up on her and found out somehow. She begins to think about all the possible avenues for them finding out. She retraces her steps to where she had smoked and is now analysing whether it was possible for anyone to see her. She then thinks some more and comes to the conclusion that while she had gone into the toilet, Balqees and Bulbuli searched her bag to find these cigarettes. As a result of this, she gets angry and begins to resent her two friends immensely. Her heart becomes a vessel of hatred and whenever she thinks about those two, her stomach boils with feelings of betrayal. Of course, Shelpi is quite simply off her rocker!

The remedy is quite simple, a person must stop thinking that the world revolves around them. A level of maturity and self reflection should be left in a person that he can distinguish between a normal statement and a malicious statement. Otherwise his company and companionship will be a means of pain and stress for his friend. He will feel that his companions every utterance is something to scrutinise. Sooner or later, his friends will become sick and tired of him and would rather not know him or be with him. This is quite simply the result of jumping the barrel.

The advice to people who have friends such as this is straight forward. You must exercise tolerance and constantly lower the wings of humility. Remember this lifelong lesson, when confronted by a complete plank... just nod and smile...nod and smile. And make duaa that Allah Haqq Tabaraka wa Ta’ala helps them to change and us all.

May Allah Ta’ala give us the ability to be tolerant and know our true ranks among the people. Ameen.

True Success - Nothing Comes Easy

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

What is real success? How do you define real success? When the prophet Muhammad (PEACE BE UPON HIM) started his work of dawaah, his first message was, "Say there is no god but ALLAH and you shall succeed." My brothers and sisters this life is only for a few days and we must realise this fact as soon as possible. Why? Because ALLAH says in the Quran ,"Every soul shall taste death". We don't know when we will breathe our last breath,we are getting so invloved in the wordly matters that we are forgetting about our death, we hear people nowadays saying, "We have one life only so lets enjoy it!" but we should know the real purpose of this life which is to worship our lord ALLAH. If we want to be amongst those who will get the glad tidings of Jannah then the change has to come now. Obey your Lord and follow His commandss. Of course we can have our inspiration of being a doctor , lawyer etc but the real goal is to worship ALLAH.

On the day of Qiyamah when ALLAH will ask us, "I gave you this life, what did you do with it?" "hat will be our answer? Well my brothers and sisters if we lived our life obeying ALLAH's rules and we followed the sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) then by ALLAH's mercy on us we will be given the glad tidings of Jannah, this is the real success - attaining Jannah. But unfortunatetly we see nowadays that we are forgetting where the real success lies and the beauty of this world has made us blind. In reality this world is nothing to compare to the beauty of the Paradise.

We should fight our nafs and fight shaytaan! We should know that nothing comes easy, we can't expect to get rewarded by just sitting down, we should work hard , go through trials in order to attain succes. We can see from the story of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) and the Sahabas (May ALLAH be pleased with them) they went through a lot of trials. We can see from the story of the family of Yassir (May ALLAH be pleased with them) that they went through a lot and when the Prophet (Peace be upon him) saw the persecution that the family of Yassir (May ALLAH be pleased with them.)was going through he said to them" Be patient O family of Yassir! For you have an appointment in Jannah." The wife of Yassir , Summaiya(May ALLAH be please with her) was the first woman to die for the cause of ISLAM. People gave their life for this deen , they knew that this life is nothing compare to the life of the hereafter, they understood, that true success lies in the obedience of ALLAH and following the sunnah of the Prophet(Peace be upon him). Today we see that there are lot of facilities to learn about this beautiful deen of Islam, we should grab these opportunities and learn about Islam. Islam has come to us on a plate, we didnt have to shed blood for this deen.

My brothers and sisters know that one day we will meet our Lord, we need to prepare for our meeting with ALLAH. This life is a test, if we pass this test then Inshallah by ALLAH's mercy on us we will get the best reward which is Jannah. Indeed we will have to face trials in order to enter Jannah and by having full trust in ALLAH in times of difficulties and knowing that only ALLAH can help us is a great method to succeed. ALLAH says in the QURAN,"And surely Paradise- it is the goal" (an-Naziat 79:41 ), "Indeed the next abode-it is truly the life"(al-Ankabut 29:64). We see from the two verses that our goal should be attaining Jannah and that the real life is the life of the hereafter. ALLAH also testifies in Surah Asr,"By the time, Verily! Man is in loss, Except for those who believe(Islamic monotheism) and do righteous deeds, and recomend one another to the truth and recomend one another to patience".

My brother and sister we should realise that true success lies in the obedience of ALLAH and following the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him). We should grab every small opportunity we get to do good deeds. Why? Because on the Day of Qiyamah only your good deeds will be able to help you, your family, your wealth and your status amongst mankind won't come to avail on this day - the day when there is no shelter and good deeds are your only helper. We need to ask ALLAH to guide on the path of Imaan and make us realise as soon as possible where true success lies .


May ALLAH guide all of us along the straight path and make us amongst the dwellers of Jannah.

AMEEN

Remember me in your duas

Good Night, Sleep Tight, Don't Let The Bed Bugs Bite...

Sleeping is very important! Many people young and old feel very tired and fatigued in their day to day activities and this is because they have not given their body enough sleep. The Prophet salallahu alayhi wa salam has said, “Your body has a right upon you.” There is a huge amount of people who leave their houses in the morning feeling extremely frail and tired. Whenever they get to lean their head on an object, they visit the land of... nod.

There are many reasons for a lack of sleeping. Sometimes, people lie down but they toss and turn for hours and when they look at their phone, 3 hours have elapsed and they haven’t slept properly at all. Others can’t sleep at night because they are glued to their computers speaking to friends on MSN Messenger or Facebook. Some people are really busy with work from university or madressa and others are poor souls that suffer from insomnia unfortunately. However, there is a way to conquer all! Here are some tips to help you gain that beauty sleep.

Tips for normal people:

• It is important that when you get into bed, you switch of your phone and all distractions that will take the tiredness away and make you active again.
• Have a comfy bed with a nice pillows. It always helps when you get that sinking feeling.
• Begin to read some zikr. Here are some ahadith about the sleeping of Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam:

“Every night before Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam slept on his bed, he put together his hands (as in the dua’a) and blew on it and recited (the surahs of) Surah Ikhlas (Qul huwallahu ahad), Surah Falaq (Qul a'udhu birabbil falaq), and Surah Naas (Qui a'udhu birabbin naas) and wiped those parts of the body that he could (wherever the hand could reach). He began with the head, then the face and then the front part of his body. This was done thrice". (Shamail Tirmidhi)

"When Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam lay down on a bed, he recited, O Allah! In Your name do I live and die'.”(Shamail)

“Whomsoever recites Ayatul Kursi in the night before sleeping, Allah Ta’ala will protect him, his house and the neighbouring houses.” (Tafseer Mazhari)

• Just to sum up. A person should recite the Four Qul’s, Ayat ul Kursi, the last 2 verses of Surah Baqarah, recite the last three verses of Surah Hashr and whichever nice masnoon dua’as they can find in books such as Fortress of the Muslim, Aap ki pyaari duayein etc. They should recite this till sleep over comes them.
• The recital of Tasbeeh Fatimah 34 Allahu Akbar, 33 Subhan Allah, 33 Alhamdulillah prevents a person from awakening in a tired state.
• A person should place his right hand under his cheek and turn to his right side, facing Qiblah and should sleep.
• A person should keep his mind blank and not occupy himself with constant thoughts of what he may experience the coming day. He must keep his excitement in a jam jar!
• Like this a person should fall asleep with Allah’s Ta’ala names on his tongue and then should awaken in this manner.
• It is important to sleep early, the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa salam would retire to his house immediately after Ishah and would not loiter around the streets. Many of us have a problem of returning to our houses. Some like to have a chat with the lads outside of the Masjid and then many of us tend to go for ‘walkies’ on the way home. This is not from the sunnat, we should go straight home and sleep to wake up fresh for Fajr.
• Switch of the computer and ignore friends.

Here are some tips specially for the people who find themselves stuck on MSN Messenger and Facebook at 4am:

• Delete your Facebook.
• Delete your MSN.
• If the above aren’t possible, then discipline yourself by giving yourself a time limit. Drill it into your own mind that you will be in bed by a certain time. Once this target has been made, stick to it.
• Occupy yourself with other things such as night time reading. Buy books like ‘The Sublime Conduct of Nabi salallahu alayhi wa salam’ or ‘Shamail Tirmidhi’ (which are both in English) and educate yourself about the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa salams blessed features.

Here are some tips for brothers and sisters who are busy with work from uni and madressa:

• Our respected Hazrat Maulana Ismail Sahib (DB) says, “Allah Ta’ala states in the Qur’an Himself that He has made the night a veil for people to sleep and the day a light for people to work in. If you switch the two around, you have gone against the cycle Allah Ta’ala has put in place and you will therefore suffer.” Thus a person should work in special allocated times during the day.
• Time management is very important. Make sure you are in bed early so that you can wake up early. There is a lot of barkat in the morning time after Fajr.

Here are some advices for those people who sleep till Zohar in the afternoon and then wake up with messy hair and feel really rubbish:

• Sleeping during the day is bad for health and causes humid ailments makes the colour pale, ails the spleen, softens the nerves, causes laziness and weakens desire except during in the summer time around noon. The worst type of sleep occurs in the early hours of the day and in the afternoon. Abdullah ibn Abbas radiallahu anhu once saw his son sleeping in the early hours of the morning and said to him, “Wake up! Do you sleep at the hour during which sustenance is being divided?!” (Tibb un Nabawi)

And finally, here is some advice for our beloved brothers and sisters who unfortunately suffer from insomnia. May Allah Ta’ala cure you all. Ameen:

• Those who suffer from insomnia should make dua’a that Allah Ta’ala removes this illness from them. Sometimes it can get very depressing and lonely but a person must utilise this time to do good if he really can’t sleep.
• Keep a happy persona. If a person considers himself as a lonely, depressed person; he will soon fall into sorrow and feel really upset when he is the only one awake in the house.
• Some affective methods of curing insomnia is by reciting Durud Sharif in abundance and picturing Madina in one’s mind.
• Tasbeeh and Zikr are very nice good.
• Sometimes thinking about those people who are close to the heart helps once lose anxiousness and feel at ease.
• Sometimes, reading a book tires one’s eyes out and helps putting one to sleep.
• Hot milk (without caffeine added in) warms the body. Also, a nice hot shower before sleep.
• Total darkness in the room is always nice and helps the eyes relax.
• Think of nothing! Look for the Jam Jar masala which has been narrated above.
• One should keep speaking to a companion whose company is nice and helps one feel relaxed. Thereafter, the eyes will get tired and want to depart to bed.
• Routine is very important! You must force yourself into bed by a set time every day. When a person who suffers from insomnia messes up his routine for just one day, it has lasting effects. Try getting members of your family or best friend to help you go to sleep.
• If problems persist, go to a good doctor.

One final tip for all:

• Good night, sleep tight but not so tight that you miss Fajr!

May Allah Ta’ala give us the ability to fulfil the rights of our body. 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.