Qur'an - The Book That Shook The World

 The following is a rough transcript of the bayaan given at Noor ul Islam Masjid on 6th May 2012. The topic was, 'Qur'an - The book that shook the world'.

Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wasallam has said in a hadith which has been recorded by Imam Muslim, “Trials and tribulations will come upon the heart like a straw mat, one straw after the other. Whichever heart accepts these fitnahs into his heart, it will become tainted with a black dot. And whichever heart rejects these fitn will have his heart marked with a shining, white spot. Until the hearts become one of either two types; the one who rejected these fitn will have his heart white, like shining marble, nothing will be able to give this heart harm for as long as the heavens and the earth remain. The state of the second heart is such, that it will become incredibly black, coal like. It will be a dark, empty vessel which has no nur inside. It does not recognise good and nor does it reject evil, it just follows its desires.”

Having understood this, I put before you a second narration; Abdullah ibn Abbas radiallahu anhu mentions that Jibreel alayhis salaam once came to Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wasallam informed him that many fitnahs will appear. Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wasallam said, “What will the way out from it, O Jibreel?” He said, “The Book of Allah”.

Many of us today are impacted by many troubles, trials and tribulations which surround us on a regular basis. Some people may be living messed up lives, completely free from the remembrance of Allah Ta’ala. And this may even be the case for those of you who appear to be religious with a beard, juba, hijab, abaya etc. The reality is, that when fitn is hitting us left, right and centre, it effects our hearts tremendously. There are many, whose hearts have become tainted... blemished... murdered by an abundance of sinning. The hearts have become, dark, full of malice but such darkness will only remain if you let it remain there. When the Qur’an was first revealed upon Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wasallam, it did not just shake the world but it shook the hearts of those who heard it. It was such, that the very Qur’an, which we read today, about which Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wasallam said, “"Certainly, there is always a thing in which people take pride. And that which is glory and pride for my Ummat is the Holy Qur'an." 

This very same Qur’an has the ability to shake our hearts and take the spots of darkness out and recuperate it and make it like a twinkling star.

It is about this effect that Allah Ta’ala mentions,

إِنَّمَا ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَ ٱلَّذِينَ إِذَا ذُكِرَ ٱللَّهُ وَجِلَتۡ قُلُوبُہُمۡ وَإِذَا تُلِيَتۡ عَلَيۡہِمۡ ءَايَـٰتُهُ ۥ زَادَتۡہُمۡ إِيمَـٰنً۬ا وَعَلَىٰ رَبِّهِمۡ يَتَوَكَّلُونَ

“Certainly, the believers are those whose hearts are filled with awe when (the name of) Allah is mentioned; and when His verses are recited to them, it makes them more developed in faith; and in their Lord they place their trust.”

ٱللَّهُ نَزَّلَ أَحۡسَنَ ٱلۡحَدِيثِ كِتَـٰبً۬ا مُّتَشَـٰبِهً۬ا مَّثَانِىَ تَقۡشَعِرُّ مِنۡهُ جُلُودُ ٱلَّذِينَ يَخۡشَوۡنَ رَبَّہُمۡ ثُمَّ تَلِينُ جُلُودُهُمۡ وَقُلُوبُهُمۡ إِلَىٰ ذِكۡرِ ٱللَّهِ‌ۚ ذَٲلِكَ هُدَى ٱللَّهِ يَہۡدِى بِهِۦ مَن يَشَآءُ‌ۚ وَمَن يُضۡلِلِ ٱللَّهُ فَمَا لَهُ ۥ مِنۡ هَادٍ

“Allah has sent down the best discourse, a book containing subjects resembling each other, mentioned again and again, shivered from which are the skins of those who have awe of their Lord. Then, their skins and their hearts become soft enough to tend to the remembrance of Allah. This is the Guidance of Allah with which He brings to the right path whomsoever He wills. As for the one whom Allah lets go astray, for him there is no one to guide.”

Once the Qur’an has penetrated the heart, then a person is directed towards that which is correct. Allah Ta’ala says,

إِنَّ هَـٰذَا ٱلۡقُرۡءَانَ يَہۡدِى لِلَّتِى هِىَ أَقۡوَمُ

“Indeed, this Qur’an guides towards that which is upright...”

My respected brothers and sisters, the reality is that we could speak about the power, the majestic nature and the virtues of the Qur’an for hours on end. Everybody sitting in this room understands that the Qur’an is something which is good, venerated, respected and loved. Everybody in this room understands that the Qur’an should not be disrespected. The problem is, we all understand the amazing nature of the Qur’an but we still don’t read it! That is the problem and for this we need some remedies.

I began to think about how we could bring ourselves to read the Qur’an? An I thought of perhaps six-seven points which we could use to perhaps bring the Qur’an into our life:

1. Learn the Qur’an properly with Tajweed. Do not delay or be shy – You must try your utmost best to learn the Qur’an. The hadith states that it is either a proof for you or against you. It will be a proof for you if you learnt it in the correct manner and then recited it beautifully. If you don’t even bother to learn tajweed, the Qur’an will curse you! The very same Qur’an that could be a means for you to enter into Jannah will be a source of you going into the fire of hell! Don’t be shy either, Aishah radiallahu anha says, “The best of women are the women of the Ansaar for they do not let shyness top them from seeking knowledge.” Be like the women of the Ansaar! Take lessons from them! How can you be shy? Will you live the remainder of your life distant from the Qur’an?

2. Maintain Wudhu – half the battle is done. Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wasallam said, “Only a believer looks after his wudhu.” When you have your wudhu, you will have a better chance of reading the Qur’an. Otherwise, when you want to read Qur’an, you’ll gets frustrated and put off by the fact that you have to use cold, cold water. If you already have wudhu, it will be easier inshallah.

3. Fix yourself an amount to read every day at a set time when you will not be busy. And don’t overdo it! – Fix it in your mind that you will do pray some amount of Qur’an everyday and establish it in your life. Find a time when you are free and your thoughts are free; then utilise it in reading the Qur’an. Maybe a page before you sleep! Those people who don’t read Qur’an at all, start by reading half a page or a page and then build it up. Those who are more proficient, try to read more but don’t overdo it! If you overdo it then you will get bored. So do little but be efficient and then progress like this.

4. Try to learn the meanings of the Qur’an, go to some good tafseer classes – You don’t need to learn Arabic, if you do that is good! But try to go and listen to the tafseer of the scholars. You will only abide by the Qur’an when you realise what it is telling you. Learn the stories and lessons in the Qur’an, they will give you solutions to things that you see in your life. Find suitable scholars and listen to their tafseer, you can’t understand the Qur’an by simply looking at a translation. There are many reasons and stories behind many of the verses.

5. Learn some Surahs of the Qur’an or some parts, it will come in benefit for you when you are in a time of need – Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wasallam said, “That person in whom there is no part of the Qur’an is like a house which is barren and desolate.” Try memorising some of the Surah of the Qur’an. They will help you in your day to day life. Surah Fatiha is a cure for every disease, a person who reads Surah Kahf has a light emanating from beneath his feet to his heavens, Surah Mulk saves one from the punishment of the grave! Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wasallam said, “For every single thing there is a heart and the heart of the Qur’an is Surah Yasin. Whomsoever read it, it is as if he has read the Qur’an 10 times.” In fact, even the Sahabah radiallahu anhum would train their children to memorise parts of the Qur’an. Abdullah ibn Mas’ud radiallahu anhu was close to passing away and he was leaving many daughters behind. Uthman radiallahu anhu insisted on giving Abdullah ibn Mas’ud radiallahu anhu some money so that the daughters have some wealth to use after his passing as they were unmarried. Abdullah ibn Mas’ud radiallahu anhu said, “I have heard Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wasallam saying, ‘Whomsoever reads Surah Waqi’ah every night, poverty will not afflict him’ and I have taught every single daughter of mine this Surah!” This shows us that we must memorise parts of the Qur’an and help our children memorise it also.

6. Live by the Qur’an, act upon it, don’t just think ‘Oh I can read the Qur’an’ that’s enough - Aishah radiallahu anha was asked about the characteristics of Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wasallam and she said, “His mannerisms were the Qur’an.” i.e. whatever the Qur’an commanded, he adhered and whatever it forbade, he stayed away from it.

7. Have a proper niyya (intention), don’t try impressing people with Quran.

8. Keep the Qur’an in your pocket on the train or on your iPhone – keep it with you so that you can read it on the tube and bus on your way to work or university. Make sure you have your wudhu if you touch the screen, this is the fatwa given by my beloved teacher, Hazrat Maulana Abdur Rahim sahib (DB).

9. Listen to it – If you can’t read it properly, then listen to it! This will help you. All this filth that we listen and enjoy on a day to day basis corrupts our mind and heart. So listen to the Qur’an, this will inshallah cleanse your mind and give peace to your soul. You will also begin to pick up recognise and memorise bits and pieces here and there.

10. Don’t doubt – When the Qur’an says, “This is the book in which there is no doubt” you should have full belief in this statement. It is not possible for the Qur’an to have doubt, Allah Ta’ala has stated this from the beginning. Thereafter, there is no scope for contradictions and false allegations which some people like to propagate. Allah Ta’ala has said, “Indeed, We have sent down this Remembrance (i.e. Qur’an) and We are its Protectors.” Once Allah Ta’ala has said this, it is the end of all doubts. If you still have doubts placed in your mind by mischievous people or by the way of your own conjecture, then go to a proper scholar and ask him in regards to it. He will give you a proper answer. Don’t look for it on the internet otherwise you will become confused even more!

The Qur’an begins with Baa and finishes with Seen – meaning BAS! So we shall end over here!

May Allah Ta’ala give me first the ability to act upon what I have said and give me the ability to fulfil the rights of the Qur’an. Thereafter, may Allah Ta’ala give you all the ability to act upon what has been said and fulfil the rights of the Qur’an. Ameen, ya Rabbal ‘Aalameen.

Snooze!

The term, “You snooze, you lose!” is incredibly true! The greatest thing a person can lose by his snoozing is the reward of his Fajr salaah. An issue that I want to discuss is that of our alarm clocks; many of us happily keep the adhan as our alarm sound for the morning or perhaps a nice nasheed and there is no problem with that but when the time comes for “qumoo lillahi qaaniteen (and stand before Allah in total devotion)” our finger, slowly runs up the side of our bed, stealthily squeezes under the pillow, tickles along the bedsheet and trigger happily fires the ‘snooze’ button! *dushoom*
 

Indeed, Fajr can become incredibly hard to pray if a person is not in the habit of it. Sometimes, a person can be in the habit of reading Fajr for months without end but one day, he misses it due to some occurrence and as a result, his performance of Fajr in the coming few months is nonexistent!

To be short and sweet, we must not always rely on one plan to wake us up. Shaytaan khabees has billions of ploys which he has trialled and tested on believers from the beginning of time! It doesn’t make sense to rely on one plan which is fatally flawed (with a snooze button). Rather, one should match fire with fire! If shaytaan has a number of ploys then you should prepare to meet them. Move your phone from your bed or get others in the household to wake you up. Ponder over your Fajr like an army general who sits over a map, pinpointing his every move.

Think about why you can’t wake up for Fajr; the core reason as to why you find yourself waking up two hours after fatigued and upset. Is it because you sleep late? Is it because you are a movie addict? Is it because you are speaking to friends online? Find out what the reason is and put a snooze on it!

May Allah Ta’ala give us all the ability to be punctual on our Salaah and may He, out of His kindness, make us an example of the verse, “and stand before Allah in total devotion...”. Ameen Ya Rabbal Aalameen.

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.

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.

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

How to Keep a Low Profile & Keeping Away Unwanted Attention

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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?

Being Down To Earth & Knowing One's Worth

Hazrat Maulana Zakariyya sahib would often say, “Know your worth.” In today’s society, that basically translates to “be down to earth”. Different people have different things to boast about. Some people take pride in worldly gains, cars, money etc and then others take pride in religious gains such as knowledge, worship etc. When a person begins to accumulate things which he considers to be extra ordinary, he convinces himself that he is in fact, extra ordinary. When such thoughts and ideas flow through the veins of a person, he begins to feel that every act he does is pioneering. Such a person is in need of becoming down to earth. His ideas in regards to himself has made his two feet leave the ground and he no longer lives on the same planet as everybody else. He feels that different rules apply to him due to his superiority and as a result of these nasty characteristics, people will look at him as being arrogant, haughty and conceited. The reality is, that is precisely what he has become. Once a person becomes known as arrogant and haughty, it is extremely hard for him break this image and become known as a humble person. On the contrary, a person who is ‘down to earth’, who understands ‘his worth’ and meets with people in such a manner that they see him as equal to themselves despite his superiority in worldly/religious gains; he becomes loved by all.

The great Imam Malik rahimahullah was once questioned by a person who had travelled at great lengths to meet him. Imam Malik rahimahullah responded to his question with the answer, “I do not know the answer to your question.” The man was in shock exclaimed, “What will I tell my people?!” and Imam Malik rahimaullah merely finished the conversation with, “Tell them that Malik has admitted to his ignorance.”

This is the humility of a man who was the Imam of Madinatul Munawwara! Despite his vast array of knowledge and his incredible intellect, he still claimed that he didn’t know anything! This was because he learnt knowledge and that knowledge taught him to become humble. There are others who learn knowledge and then use that knowledge to become arrogant. Just look at Shaytan khabees, he learned knowledge with regards to the elements and with regards to fire and clay; he then used that arrogantly and he became mal’oon (one who is cursed).

Be down to earth and a person will be walking on the footsteps of the pious predecessors of this nation like Imam Malik and on the other side, a person can convince himself that he is something and as a result he will be walking on the same path as Shaytan towards the fire.

May Allah Ta’ala give us all the ability to know our worth and give us the ability to become down to earth. Ameen.

Two South Africans pedal their way to Hajj

Taken from Arab News

Two young South Africans have pedaled their way to Saudi Arabia to perform this year’s Haj. Nathim Cairncross, 28, and Imtiyaz Ahmad Haron, 25, both from Cape Town, said on arrival at the Saudi border before reaching Tabuk that they felt happy they were fulfilling their dream of performing Haj. “Pedaling our way to the Kingdom from Cape Town was a grueling experience. We wanted to travel this way so that we are prepared to experience the rigors of performing the pilgrimage,” Cairncross, a town planner by profession, told Arab News over the telephone on Monday night.

Both set out on their journey for the annual pilgrimage on Feb. 7 on their bicycles. They pedaled through Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya, Turkey, Syria and Jordan before reaching the Saudi border. “This is our first Haj. We could have come for Haj by plane, but it was our cherished desire to travel differently, so we chose to use our bicycles, as cycling is what we both love the most,” Cairncross said.

Both pedaled 80 to 100 km daily and took rest in mosques or tents after dusk and set out again after dawn. “People have been very cooperative and courteous. At every place that we passed through, they welcomed us and were happy to know that we were going for Haj. Food was never a problem as people took delight in offering us the choicest dishes. Of course, it was tiresome to pedal throughout the journey, especially when negotiating mountainous regions,” Cairncross added.

Language was a big problem for both of them. “Once we entered the Arab countries, we decided to pick up Arabic, especially while traveling through Syria and Jordan. This suited us well when we reached the Saudi border where the security officials were very friendly and welcomed and greeted us. They were also happy to know that we have undertaken this arduous journey to fulfill our Haj dream,” Cairncross said. “We came with a very small budget and we found to our delight there were people readily prepared to offer us the local cash and meet our needs.”

Both did not encounter any serious problem on their way through nine countries in the course of their nine-month journey. “All we did was to change tires and tubes, and fix the pedal chain from time to time.

Asked why they chose to ride bicycles, Cairncross said: “This gives us a lot of opportunity to meet and interact with different people in different countries. Additionally, we continued with our Dawa work wherever we stopped for our overnight stays.”

Both Cairncross and Haron are students of Islamic law and have studied Shariah. “I joined a university and completed a course in town planning and am working in the field of construction,” Cairncross said.

Both of them are single and love sports. While Cairncross is interested in wind surfing along beaches and seas, Haron, an economics graduate, excels in kickboxing and mountain climbing.

After the pilgrimage, both propose to return home via West Africa.

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.

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

Free Time

Alhamdulillah, after stressing for the first part of the semester, we have finally come to the Easter holidays. So this basically means, we've got about 14 days left to go and see as many movies, smoke as many shisha flavours and cram in as much fun as we possibly can. However, is this the intellect we should be keping as Muslims?

Having a fun time is good, enjoying yourself is fantastic aslong as it is within the boundaries set by Allah Ta'ala and His Messenger صلي الله عليه وسلم. For example, its good to play football and keep yourself healthy because it is the Huqooq (right) of your body that you maintain it thus in this there is reward for a person. Then you get some brothers and sisters who play football so much that when it comes to praying, they are too tired and then miss it. This concept is wrong and in it their is sin, we just need to learn to distinguish between good and bad rather then thinking 'Being Muslim means no fun!' This is incorrect, have fun but with moderation.

Likewise we find alot of people moan because they claim that they are too busy to remember Allah; That work, college, uni or individual courses and extra curricular activities get in the way of sincere worship. Yet when the free time inevitably comes our way, we occupy ourselves with Facebook and MSN for hours on end. People will be stuck on MSN Messenger and forums till early in the morning speaking about trivial matters when this time is the best to pray, make Du'a to Allah Ta'ala and beg Him for His forgiveness.

In a hadith narrated by Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him), the Prophet صلي الله عليه وسلم says,

"Our Lord descends to the lowest heaven during the last third of the night, inquiring: 'Who will call on Me so that I may respond to him? Who is asking something of Me so I may give it to him? Who is asking for My forgiveness so I may forgive him?"

Allah Ta'ala is literally looking for excuses to forgive us...

So lets not waste our holidays with trivial matters and day to day 'gupshup' about who is dating who. Do no let these days pass with regret overshadowing our hearts due to the deficiency in our worship. I am not saying, "Don't have fun!" I am saying, "Have fun but with moderation." If you go to the gym you will know that after a few exercises one has to rest his body otherwise it will get strained. In the same way when havin fun, one has to stop and remember Allah Ta'ala or his heart will become strained and rusty.

A beautiful parable that comes to my mind...

Ali (May Allah be pleased with him), stood with one of his companions near a grave one day and asked him,

"If he could come back to this Dunya, what do you think he would do?"

His companion replied,

"He would do nothing but good deeds."

Thereupon Ali (May Allah be pleased with him) remarked,

"If it is not going to be him, then let it be you!"

Takabbur (Arrogance) - A common Disease

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

The Prophet Muhammad(Peace be upon him) said in an authentic hadith,"Whosoever has an atoms weight of arrogance in his heart will not enter Jannah." One of the signs of arrogance is denying the truth. Denying the oneness of Allah is amongst the biggest signs of arrogance. Nowadays, many are so blinded by this world that they think that this world is everything but the thing that they don't realise is that a day will surely come where we will stand in front of the One who created us and we will be asked as to our actions. Allah says in Surah Yaseen,"Does not man see that We have created him from Nutfah (mixed male and female discharge semen drops).Yet behold! He (stand forth) as an open opponent."

The problem in society is that every one thinks they are better than every one else but in reality, this is far from the truth. We can never claim to be better than anyone else as we do not know our position infront of Allah. Allah will not at how 'good-looking' we are or how strong we are or how rich we are and surely, Allah doesn't look at your status amongst your fellow human being but Allah looks at your piety and good deeds. We see that nowadays it's a common problem that affects the youth mostly. Some people think that because we are driving the best cars, we naturally are better than anyone else. Stop! Think about it, will your car be able to outrun death or the punishment of Allah? Will your car save you on the Day of Qiyamah? Some people think, "I have big biceps, Iam better than everyone else!" But know my brother and sister, the prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said in a hadith,"The strong man is not the one is who is good at wrestling but strong man is he who controls himself in a fit of rage". It easier to knock some one out than to forgive someone, surely forgiveness is a very good attribute to have. You might be pushing 100kg in the gym but when it comes to Fajr prayer, are you able to lift that blanket that weighs less that 1kg off you? If you can't then that says everything. A strong person must have the abilty to fight his Nafs, he must be able to fight shaytaan, and he will only be able to do all this by seeking the help of Allah. We need to realise that we need Allah in everything. So why do we have to be arrogant when we are entirely dependent on Allah?

We can see from the examples of the Sahabas (may Allah be pleased with them) that they were the strongest men that walked upon the face of this world but yet they were always humble.We see some brothers and sometimes sisters too, they walk around as if they are mountains! Allah says in the Qur'an, "Do not walk on the earth in haughty style. You can neither tear the earth apart, nor can you match the mountains in height." So if a person cannot match this, how dare he walk with such arrogance? My brother and sisters arrogance is a sign of ignorance, because Allah looks not at how strong you are or how beautiful you are, or how rich you are; rather Allah looks at what is in your heart, Allah looks at your good deeds and your piety.

Arrogance is a disease my brothers and sisters, do we want Jannah or not? If yes then get rid of arrongance from your heart because a good Muslim is always humble no matter how strong, or how rich he is. He is always humble because he realises that his wealth, his strenghth will not help him when he will be in his grave, when the angels will ask him, "Who is your Lord? What is your religion? Who is the Prophet?" We think that these answers are easy now but know my brothers and sisters that if you didn't live your life in the obedience of Allah, you will not be able to answers these three questions. We must make dua that Allah protects us from this disease, because for sure it will destroy our herefafter. If we have one atoms weight of arrogance in our heart, we will not enter Jannah, a true believer realises that he is nothing but a creation that has been created from a drop of semen... is this really something to boast about?

I make dua that Allah makes these few words a means of guidance for all of us and I make dua that Allah protects us from arrongance. 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

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

"When one of you loves his brother, he should tell him so..."

The following is an extract from the Jumm'ah Bayaan at London Metropolitan University:

And so we begin today. What I want to talk about today is love for one another because sometimes I see friction in the prayer room. Maybe this is because we think, “He doesn’t look like me, he isn’t doing things that I follow. Why does he do this? Why not like this?” And then these very same people may perhaps show bad characteristics towards one another. This truly creates really bad feelings towards one another. The Prophet salallahu alayhi wa salam said,

“When one of you loves his brother, he should tell him so.”

He should tell him! He should not keep it inside that, “I am a big man! I am hard! I don’t want to tell anybody I love them as it may decrease from my manhood! I want to be macho! I don’t want to show any softness inside of me, this must be only directed towards my wife.” No, this is completely wrong! Bringing an aura of love is from the characteristics of the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa salam! When he would see the Sahabah radiallahu anhum, he would show them huge amounts of compassion. Today my brothers and sisters, we have gone far away from this. We feel love is only dependant on those people whom we can share intimacy with and not those people who we are brothers with, and this is why the Muslim Ummat is suffering right now because we don’t understand that we should love one another.

Now how should we love one another? By smiling at one another, by passing the salaam to one another, by meeting one another with an embrace and by this love will increase as you will always remember a person who shows these characteristics towards you! Maybe a person continually sees another Muslim and he continually passes salaam, maybe one day they will actually sit and talk and create a great friendship with each other. This has happened in the past. And if we are to act upon the hadith we are discussing right now, then we should tell each other, “I love you for the sake of Allah Ta’ala.” This is also hugely beneficial and we really disregard it. Just by saying this statement, it can remove a lot of bitterness which we direct to other people.

Mujahid rahimahullah who was a very big scholar mentions that he met some of the companions of Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam. And one sahabi tapped him from behind on his shoulder and said, “I love you for the sake of Allah Ta’ala!” and Mujahid said, “May the One for whom you love me, love you too.” And this Sahabi said, “Had I not heard the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa salam say, “when you love your brother you should tell him so” I would not have told you this.” And because of this Mujahid rahimahullah became happy and he too showed izhaar of his gratitude.

Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam said, “No two people love each other but the better of those people is the one who is more in his love for his friend.” For example, I love our brother Ilyas for the sake of Allah Ta’ala but he might love me more, this means he is better than me. This is what the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa salam showed to the people, a lot of love and mercy. It is mentioned by Hazrat Anas radiallahu anhu,

“The Prophet salallahu alayhi wa salam was the most beautiful of the people, the most generous of the people, the most courageous of the people.”

And there is a reason to this, once in Madina late at night the people heard a big sound. They got scared as they thought the enemies of Islam were preparing a surprise attack at night while they were not prepared. In a state of huge terror, they made their way to the sound to see what had happened. But when they arrived, they had found that Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam was already there on his horse with a sword in his hand! Subhanallah! What a sight this was to behold. He was prepared to take an entire army with by himself for his people! And he ushered them back to their homes telling them not to worry as he had checked the area! Allahu Akbar! How many of us have this type of aura around us that we give comfort to those people whom we socialise with? My brothers, rather than dispelling the worries of our brothers, we like to instil fear into them. The Prophet salallahu alayhi wa salam was a person who called everyone towards him, he did not push anyone away. Hazrat Amr ibn al-Aas radiallahu anhu relates,

“The Prophet salallahu alayhi wa salam 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. He used to give me such attentions and spoke to me also in a manner that I began to feel that I was the best among the community.”

One hadith that I will speak of very quickly,

“When a person loves his brother for the sake of Allah Ta’ala and he says, “I love you for the sake of Allah Ta’ala.” Then Allah Ta’ala enters both of them into Jannah. The person who loves his brother for the sake of Allah Ta’ala, Allah Ta’ala elevates that persons rank.”

So you should tell your brothers that you love them for the sake of Allah Ta’ala. I’ll be the first to open up and drop the macho look! I love you all for the sake of Allah Ta’ala!