Reflections on 'Rinsing' Guys and Glamour Models

Bismillahir rahmanir raheem.

A few days ago, news reached me of a TV programme that was broadcasted in relation to a few supermodels who have used their appearances and sex appeal to draw some benefits and gifts from the opposite gender. At first, I didn't pay that much attention to it but over the last few days, I have noticed that it has sparked such uproar, that many people have written about it. In fact, such was the uproar, that it sparked a Twitter storm causing 50,000 tweets.  After reading through some of these articles (which contained tweets and public comments), I viewed a couple of short clips of the episode and it truly upset me and made a deep impact upon my heart.

After reading much feedback and trying to grasp many of the new concepts, there were three areas I recognised as being important to address; 1. Women and their role models 2. Men and how lowly they can become 3. Hayaa (modesty)

In brief, let me just summarise the issue; the theme of this documentary highlights the lives of various glamour models who are apparently extremely successful but they do not have any such profession. As a result, they use their beauty to entice rich (or reasonably rich) men who then in turn give them money and buy them extremely expensive gifts. This is not to say that the problem in its entirety lies with the women, men who welcome the idea of spending thousands on women who do not even care for them deserve to be hit with the harsh clap of reality; but more on that later.

My first area of worry was in relation to our own respected and dear sisters in Islam. Despite many women (whom I applaud) condemning the models in the documentary,  I noticed how some women were writing messages of support after watching these models rake money in. Many went to the extent of saying that such action was justified and quite beneficial. As a Muslim, let alone a Muslima, such actions are quite simply far from our religion. How can it bring a person happiness, to hoard wealth in a fashion which is against morality and free from any ethics? It does not even need a Muslim to highlight that such behaviour is wrong, many non Muslims are correctly condemning such doings on social networking websites. 

Thus, it's necessary to disregard such glamour models and looks for some role models for all that glitters is not gold. When you take away the glitz and the thrill of what these women are doing and you lay their purpose out, it is quite simply abhorrent.  How can it be acceptable, to not work for the money you gain but to take it from the hand of a person who is vulnerable due to his desires? Alhamdulillah, our deen has taught us from the very beginning to be people of pioneering nature who are not reliant on the money of others. Such people who exert their limbs in noble work, utilise their capacity in all fields and be dignified in their search for wealth. This was taught to us by our beloved Prophet Muhammad salallahu alayhi wasallam. In a narration related by Abu Dawud, a man came to Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wasallam and he had nothing in his possession except a piece of cloth (half of which was to be worn and the other half was to be used as a spread) and a bowl. Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wasallam told him to bring both possessions to him; consequently, they were brought and the Prophet Muhammad salallahu alayhi wasallam auctioned them off for 2 dirhams (silver coins). He gave the man the two coins and told him to spend one upon the sustenance of his family and the other coin should be used to purchase an axe. In fact, the axe was brought to Muhammad salallahu alayhi wasallam and he fixed the handle; he then commanded the man that he should go and gather firewood (by utilising the axe) and should not return until 2 weeks later. When the man returned, he had accumulated 10 silver coins. It was at this juncture that the Prophet Muhammad salallahu alayhi wasallam said, “This is better for you than the (act of) begging should come as a blemish on your face on the Day of Judgment. Begging is right only for three people: one who is in grinding poverty, one who is seriously in debt, or one who is responsible for compensation and finds it difficult to pay. (i.e. extremely dire circumstances)”.

Having understood this hadith, it is important to highlight the work ethic that Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wasallam would inculcate within the Companions. Respect for a person is when that person acquires sustenance in a respectable and dignified manner. What respect is there in a person who hoards money by using their sexual prowess as a means of asking men for gifts? A person may achieve their goal and gain quite a bit from lustful men but where is the taste of prosperity in their wealth? It is free from any blessing, free from any satisfaction, free from any dignity.

Thus it is important to urge our sisters to be such women, who study hard throughout their youth and become women who are intellectually astute, morally sound and highly modest. When such characteristics are found within a woman, she is not in need of stooping to such lows.

The second advice is in relation to my dear Muslim brothers; we have become too weak in relation to our desire for the opposite gender. There are many who are all too willing to give time, wealth and affection to women who are not even halal for them. Many Muslim men are spending their money on women whom they have never met; their only source of interaction with these glamour models etc has been through adult entertainment sources. In an attempt to win the admiration of these women, many men are emptying out their wallets in buying gifts which would be more rewarding for them had they spent their wealth on their family members instead. Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wasallam said, "When a Muslim spends on his family in anticipation of a reward, it is sadaqa for him." (Al Adabul Mufrad) I.e. when a man spends on his family members, he is rewarded immensely. Furthermore, in this documentary, men were spending thousands on these women; Allahu Akbar! There are people in this world who are in extreme need, they are literally walking on the banks of destruction and they have no person to feed them. Yet, we would rather give money to women who are quite simply ‘users’ (matlab parast) as opposed to the millions who are dying of hunger. 

Our priorities in life must be sorted out. On the Day of Qiyamah, the feet of a person will not move until he has answered 5 questions; two of which are: Where did you acquire your wealth? Where did you spend your wealth? Every single person will have to answer for every single penny he spent, what will be the state of that person who did not care for his zakah but was enthusiastic upon spending his wealth in shameful places? What answer will he give to Allah? Thus, it is important for us to build this fear within us.

Lastly, in relation to a man, we need to stop being ‘suckers’ for everything that tickles our fancy. We have to build up our defences, it shouldn’t be the case that a pretty woman batters her eyelashes and we feel the need to rescue the damsel in distress. There is a need to become prudent in such matters and ignore that which is of no benefit. When a person becomes desperate in regards to the other gender, he loses his respect in the eyes of people.

Finally, I wanted to mention the topic of modesty. Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wasallam has said that Hayaa (modesty) is a branch of faith. In another place he has said, “Every nation has a trait and the trait of my nation is modesty” (Muwatta). He has also said, “Vulgarity does not exist in something except that it makes it repulsive and modesty does not exist in something except that it beautifies it.”  In fact, even men are given the example of Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wasallam who was described as being more bashful than a veiled virgin within her quarters.

Modesty is quite simply that thing which prevents a person from doing anything hideous. He is constantly shy and is afraid what people might think. Moreover, he is most shy of Allah Ta’ala. As a result, he shies away; take the example of a pious person, when all of his friends are going to a club, he rejects because his modesty stops him from entering such places. Thus, the more we increase in our modesty, the greater we become in distinguishing immoral activities from moral deeds. This is a characteristic which should be in us all (men and women) but it seems extremely distant from such women who are involved in ‘rinsing’ activities. The likes of Asmaa bint Abi Bakr radiallahu anhumaa was such that one day she was carrying a huge weight of harvest on her shoulders towards her house which was at a distance. The Prophet Muhammad salallahu alayhi wasallam passed by with a group of men; the Prophet Muhammad salallahu alayhi wasallam was her brother in law and offered to take her home by sitting her on his horse but she refused the offer and said, “I am shy that I travel amongst the men”. Such women are models, the great role models to have ever walked the earth.

May Allah Ta’ala give us all the ability to recognise that which is the Haqq as Haqq and then bless us with the ability to follow it. And may He give us the ability to recognise that which is false as false and bless us with the ability to stay away from it. May He, out of His kindness, endow us with the characteristics of our beloved Muhammad salallahu alayhi wasallam, and beautify us with the characteristic of modesty. Ameen.

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.

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.

"When the inhabitants of Jannah enter Jannah..." Part 2

Hazrat Suhayb radiallahu anhu reported: The Messenger of Allah salallahu alayhi wa salam said, "When the inhabitants of Jannah enter Jannah, Allah, the Glorious Exalted, will say to them: "Do you wish Me to give you anything more?" They will reply: "Have You not made our faces bright? Have You not brought us into Jannah and delivered us from the Hell?" And Allah will remove the veil. The (dwellers of Jannah) will feel that they have not been awarded anything dearer to them than looking at their Lord."

Continuing from the last post which was written over a year ago... (click here)

Allah, the Glorious Exalted, will say to them, “Do you wish Me to give you anything more?”

The situation of the people of Jannah at this juncture will be thus. Allah Ta’ala will bring ‘death’ which will be presented as a sheep. This sheep will then be lifted up in such a way that the people of Jannah and Jahannam are both looking at it. It will then be slaughtered and ‘death’ will cease to exist. When the people of Jannah see this, they will become so happy that if happiness could kill a person, they would die. They will have unbound happiness to be blunt. On the contrary, the people of Jahannam will be so sorrowful that they will be depressed over not dying. Their punishment will be so severe that they feel the only way of escape would be death. And so when they see ‘death’ being slaughtered, they will feel their only means of escape has been cut off. It is then Allah Ta’ala will say to the people of Jahannam, “Never speak to be again.” And they will let out a terrifying shriek unlike ever before. It is at this point it will hit them that they are in for a world of ‘pitai’ so as to speak. We make dua’a to Allah Ta’ala that He protects us from the Fire.

So this is the situation. Everybody has been fitted into their rightful place. The people of Jannah have now entered Jannah.

It is at this point that Allah Ta’ala will say, “Do you wish Me to give you anything more?”
To understand this phrase, we must take a look at the bounties of Jannah which will be mentioned here.

Imam Qurtubi rahmatullahi alayh relates a hadith in his Mukhtasar at Tazkira that Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam said, “Is there not anybody hastening towards the Garden? Because in the Garden there are unimaginable blessings.”

Allah Ta’ala mentions in the Qur’an that for the people of Jannah there is a “Great Kingdom”. Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam said, “One brick is of gold and one brick of silver, its mortar is strongly scented musk, its stones are pearls and emeralds and its soil is saffron...” (Tirmizi)

Similarly, “In Jannah, there is a tent of pearls, whose width is sixty miles, in each corner of which the believer will have a wife whom the others will not see.” (Bukhari Sharif)

The people of Jannah will have lots of possessions. Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam said, “The one with the lowest rank from among the inhabitants of the Garden will be that person who will be able to see his gardens, wives, luxuries, servants and things of enjoyment to the distance of one thousand years. (Tirmizi)

With regards to the jewellery, Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam said, “Those who dwell in the Jannah (Garden of Eternity) will wear crowns encrusted with pearls, the radiance of the smallest of which will illuminate the space separating the east from the west!” (Tirmizi)

In Jannah there will also be cities, Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam said, “There is a river known as ‘Rayyan’ in Jannah. A city of coral has been built upon it. It has 70,000 gates of gold and silver.” And also, “In Jannah there is a gold pillar with cities of beryl (a bright, green precious stone resembling emerald) on it, and these shine like stars in the Garden.”

Allah Ta’ala mentions in Surah Zumar, “Those who have fear of their Lord will have high ceilinged Halls, and more such Halls built one above the other, and rivers flowing under them. That is Allah’s promise. Allah does not break His promise.”

In regards to these Halls or palaces mentioned in this verse, Imam Ghazali rahimahullah mentions in his Ihya Ulum ad Deen a hadith, “In Jannah, there are palaces built of emeralds and jewels and in each building there will be 70 rooms of red colour and in each room 70 sub-rooms of green colour and in each sub-room there will be on throne... there will be 70 dining cloths in each room and 70 kinds of food on each dining cloth. There will be seven servants in each room.”

There will also be markets in Jannah, not like our Walthamstow ‘Pound a Banana!’ market! The mention of the markets of Jannah have been mentioned, “We will come to a market surrounded by angels in which there is that which eyes have never seen the likes of, the ears have never heard and which has never passed through human hearts. That which we desire will be carried to us and nothing will be sold in it or brought. In that market, the people of the Garden will meet each other, so that a man of high rank will come forward and meet those who are lesser than himself (and none of them will be low people) and the clothes he has on will amaze and delight him. Before he ceases speaking, an even finer garment will come upon him. That is because it is not fitting for anyone to sorrow in it. (Tirmizi)

“It is certain that there are such markets in the Garden in which no goods are exchanged. When the inmates of the Garden arrive there, they will recline on fresh and bright pearly earth of musk. They will meet with each other as they did in this world. They will talk of how they were in this world and how they worshipped our Lord, of how they enlivened the nights in prayer, of how they fasted during the day, of the wealth and poverty of the world, of earth and of how they are the people of Jannah.” (Mukhtasar at Tazkira)

There is much more to speak off but I fear that maybe the post is long and then won’t be concentrated on. Perhaps inshallah I will write another post just pertaining to the part of hadith that is currently being discussed. Thereafter we will continue inshallah till we finish the hadith in its entirety... there is still the topic of Hoor ul Ayn also..which is a whole topic of its own.

May Allah Ta’ala grant us Jannah without hisaab and any azaab. Ameen.

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

Keeping Oneself Focus & Concentrated

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

“Guide us on the straight path.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"When the inhabitants of Jannah enter Jannah..."

Hazrat Suhayb radiallahu anhu reported: The Messenger of Allah salallahu alayhi wa salam said, "When the inhabitants of Jannah enter Jannah, Allah, the Glorious Exalted, will say to them: "Do you wish Me to give you anything more?" They will reply: "Have You not made our faces bright? Have You not brought us into Jannah and delivered us from the Hell?" And Allah will remove the veil. The (dwellers of Jannah) will feel that they have not been awarded anything dearer to them than looking at their Lord."

"When the inhabitants of Jannah enter Jannah"

Whenever a group of people start a race, there will always be one who comes last, it is inevitable. When the people of Jahannam have served their time in the fire and have been cleansed from their sins, Allah Ta'ala will then enter them into Jannah - all apart from the last one. This last person will be the biggest criminal from the Muslimeen but the manner in which Allah Ta'ala deals with this criminal is adorable. If Allah Ta'ala deals with this criminal with so much love, then just imagine how Allah Ta'ala will speak to those fortunate souls who will enter Jannah from before.

After many years of dwelling in Jahannam, Allah Ta'ala will inspire this man to speak and he will pray to Allah Ta'ala and say,

"O Allah! Just take me out of Jahannam, take me out from Jahannam and put me on the bank of Jahannam. Just on the outside because I am being punished in Jahannam, it is very hot, very filthy... I am not asking for anything else just take me out for Jahannam."

So Allah Ta'ala will say,

"If I take you out of Jahannam, you will ask for more. I know you."

This is the way Allah Ta'ala will play sweetly with this greatest criminal and so the man will say,

"No Allah, please just take me out and put me outside and I will not ask for anything."

So Allah Ta'ala will take him out from Jahannam and Allah will grant him the ability to remain quiet for aslong as He wishes and then will soon inspire him to speak so that he says,

"O Allah, there is one request. Can you turn my face away from Jahannam towards the other direction because its very hot, very filthy, very smelly. You have been very kind to me by taking me out of Jahannam but can you please do this..."

Allah Ta'ala will say,

"You have broken your promise... and I know if I accept this wish of yours you are not going to stop there.. you are going to carry on."

He will say,

"No Allah, this is my final wish, just turn my face so I can take the heat of Jahannam with my back."

So Allah Ta'ala will turn his face into the other direction and Allah Ta'ala will put before his sight Jannah and he will be able to see all the levels of Jannah but he will be made to stay quiet for aslong as Allah Ta'ala will wish and thereafter Allah Ta'ala will inspire him to speak. The biggest criminal from the Muslimeen will then turn to Allah Ta'ala and say

"O Allah, you have taken me out of Jahannam and I am seeing this beautiful Jannah... I am not asking you to grant me into Jannah... how can I? I am so filthy, I am so evil but can you just take me closer to Jannah so that I am able to see Jannah better?"

Again, Allah Ta'ala will say,

"I knew you were going to do this! (i.e.break his promise)"

And then he will get closer and then finally he will turn to Allah Ta'ala once more and say,

"O Allah... You have brought me this close... grant me entry into Jannah."

Allah Ta'ala will then grant him entry and Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam says that Allah Ta'ala will say,

"Go, enter Jannah. Your Jannah is ten times bigger than the world you were living in. "

The Prophet salallahu alayhi wa salam said, that when this man is brought nearer to Jannah and asks Allah Ta'ala to grant him entry into Jannah, Allah Ta'ala will smile. And the Sahaabah e Kiram radiallahu anhum mention that when the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa salam was narrating this story, he too was smiling to the extent that they could see his teeth.

This is the love and compassion Allah Ta'ala will bestow upon the lowest from the Muslimeen, can one imagine the courtesy Allah Ta'ala will show those who enter before?

May Allah Ta'ala grant us entry to Jannah without any hisaab or kitaab. May He treat us with immense love and compassion on the Day when we will need Him more than ever. Ameen.

I will continue to discuss the rest of this hadith at a later date.

The Current Weather

Snow has been falling in abundance in the UK and the road looks as if it has been embellished with white carpet. I was at a dawat (invitation) earlier today when I peered out of the window. I thought straight away of those verses that pertain to Allah's Ta'ala sovereignty and producing abilities that are noted all over the Qur'an. For example, in Surah Baqarah

"Surely, in the creation of heavens and earth, and the alternation of night and day, and the ships that sail in the sea, carrying that which benefits men, and in the water Allah sent down from the sky, then revived with it the earth after it was dead, and in every creature He has scattered on it, and in turning of winds, and in the clouds employed to serve between heaven and earth, there are signs for those who have sense."

As I continued to lose myself in wonderment, I looked at a non Muslim graveyard and froze like a snowman. Every grave was completely covered in snow and suddenly a thought passed my mind. I quickly turned around to tell those present before I forgot it.

We all know ice is a very cold substance but I swear by Allah Ta'ala, no amount of snow can cool the punishment taking place inside those graves.

Thus the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa salam said,

"The grave is either a garden from the gardens of Paradise, or a pit from the pits of Hell."

May Allah Ta'ala make our graves a garden from the garden of Jannah. Ameen.

Renew your Iman

By applying ‘Itr, the body of a person will begin to smell fragrant but after a while, he will realise that the fragrance will die down and may be mixed in with ‘smelly’ substances such as sweat and body odour. Naturally, if he wants to smell nice again then he must reapply his perfume.

In the same way, we will find our Iman the subject of fluctuation. We will leave the house very high in Iman and some days we will come back feeling extremely low, lonely and lost. This is why we have to constantly renew and reapply the Iman in our hearts so that the ‘smelly’ sins won’t take over our life. Thus the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa salam said,

“Keep on renewing your Iman.”

The Sahaabah radiallahu anhum enquired,

“O Messenger of Allah (salallahu alayhi wa salam)! How should we renew our Iman?”

The Messenger of Allah salallahu alayhi wa salam then stated,

“Recite لا إله إلا الله (there is no god but Allah) very often.”

A Description of Jannah (Qasidah Nuniyyah) - Ibn al-Qayyim Rahimahullah

Ibn al-Qayyim rahimahulllah said, in regards to the description of the Paradise and the delights that it contains:

And if you ask about its ground and its soil, then it is of musk and saffron.

And if you ask about its roof, then it is the Throne of the Most Merciful.

And if you ask about its rocks, then they are pearls and jewels.

And if you ask about its buildings, then they are made of bricks of gold and silver.

And if you ask about its trees, then it does not contain a single tree except that its trunk is made of gold and silver.

And if you ask about its fruits, then they are softer than butter and sweeter than honey.

And if you ask about its leaves, then they are softer than the softest cloth.

And if you ask about its rivers, then there are rivers of milk who's taste does not change, and rivers of wine that is delicious to those who drink it, and rivers of honey that is pure, and rivers of water that is fresh.

And if you ask about their food, then it is fruits from whatever they will choose, and the meat of whatever birds they desire.And if you ask about their drink, then it is Tasneem, ginger, and Kaafoor.

And if you ask about their drinking cups, then they are crystal-clear and made of gold and silver.

And if you ask about its shade, then a fast rider would ride in the shade of one of its trees for a hundred years and not escape it.

And if you ask about its vastness, then the lowest of its people would have within his kingdom and walls and palaces and gardens the distance that would be travelled in a thousand years.

And if you ask about its tents and encampments, then one tent is like a concealed pearl that is sixty miles long.

And if you ask about its towers, then they are rooms above rooms in buildings that have rivers running underneath them.

And if you ask about how far it reaches into the sky, then look at the shining star that is visible, as well as those that are far in the heavens that the eyesight cannot possibly reach.

And if you ask about the clothing of its inhabitants, then they are of silk and gold.

And if you ask about its beds, then its blankets are of the finest silk laid out in the highest of its levels.

And if you ask about the faces of its inhabitants and their beauty, then they are like the image of the Moon.And if you ask about their age, then they are young ones of 33 years in the image of Adam, the father of humanity.

And if you ask about what they will be hearing, then it is the singing of their wives from among the Hoor al-'Ayn, and better than that are the voices of the Angels and the Prophets, and better than that is the Speech of the Lord of the Worlds.

And if you ask about their servants, then they are young boys of everlasting youth who resemble scattered pearls.

And if you ask about their brides and wives, then they are young and full-breasted and have had the liquid of youth flow through their limbs; the Sun runs along the beauty of her face if she shows it, light shines from between her teeth if she smiles; if you meet her love, then say whatever you want regarding the joining of two lights; he sees his face in the roundness of her cheek as if he is looking into a polished mirror, and he sees the brightness from behind her muscles and bones; if she were to be unleashed upon the World, she would fill what is between the Heavens and the Earth with a beautiful wind, and the mouths of the creation would glorifiy, praise, and exclaim greatness, and everything between the East and the West would be adorned for her, and every eye would be shut from everthing but her, and the light of the Sun would be outshone just as the light of the Sun outshines the light of the stars, and everyone on the face of the Earth would believe in the Ever-Living, the One who Sustains and Protects all the exists.

And the covering on her head is better than the World and all that is in it, and she does not increase with age except in beauty; free from an umbilical cord, childbirth and menses, and pure of mucous, saliva, urine and other filthy things; her youth never fades, her clothing is never worn out, no garment can be created that matches her beauty, and no one who is with her can ever become bored; her attention is restricted to her husband, so she desires none but him, just as his attention is restricted to her so she is the sole object of his desire, and he is with her in utmost safety and security, as none has touched her before of either humans or Jinn.

And if you ask about the Day of Increase (in reward) and the visit of the all-Mighty, all-Wise, and the sight of His Face - free from any resemblance or likeness to anything - as you see the Sun in the middle of the day and the full Moon on a cloudless night, then listen on the day that the caller will call:

'O People of Paradise! Your Lord - Blessed and Exalted - requests you to visit Him, so come to visit Him!'

So they will say:

'We hear and obey!'

Until, when they finally reach the wide valley where they will all meet - and none of them will turn down the request of the caller - the Lord - Blessed and Exalted - will order His Chair to be brought there.

Then, pulpits of light will emerge, as well as pulpits of pearls, gemstone, gold, and silver.

The lowest of them in rank will sit on sheets of musk, and will not see what those who are on the chairs above them are given. When they are comfortable where they are sitting and are secure in their places, and the caller calls:

'O People of Paradise! You have an appointment with Allah in which He wishes to reward you!'

So they will say:

'And what is that reward? Has He not already made our faces bright, made our scales heavy, entered us into Paradise, and pushed us away from the Fire?'

And when they are like that, all of a sudden a light shines that encompasses all of Paradise. So, they raise their heads, and, behold: the Compeller - Exalted is He, and Holy are His Names - has come to them from above them and majestified them and said:

'O People of Paradise! Peace be upon you!'

So, this greeting will not be responded to with anything better than:

'O Allah! You are Peace, and from You is Peace! Blessed are You, O possessor of Majesty and Honor!'

So the Lord - Blessed and Exalted - will laugh to them and say:

'O People of Paradise! Where are those who used to obey Me without having ever seen Me? This is the Day of Increase!'

So, they will all give the same response:

'We are pleased, so be pleased with us!'

So, He will say:

'O People of Paradise! If I were not pleased with you, I would not have made you inhabitants of My Paradise! So, ask of Me!'

So, they will all give the same response:

'Show us your Face so that we may look at it!'

So, the Lord - Mighty and Majestic - will remove his covering and will majestify them and will cover them with His Light, which, if Allah - the Exalted - had not Willed not to burn them, would have burned them.And there will not remain a single person in this gathering except that his Lord - the Exalted - will speak to him and say:

'Do you remember the day that you did this and that?'

and He will remind him of some of his bad deeds in the Worldy life, so he will say:

'O Lord! Will you not forgive me?'

So, He will say:

'Of course! You have not reached this position of yours (in Paradise) except by My forgiveness.'

So, how sweet is this speech to the ears, and how cooled are the righteous eyes by the glance at His Noble Face in the Afterlife...

"Some faces that Day will be shining and radiant, looking at their Lord..." (Surah Qiyamah:22-3)