Taken from Ashrafiya
Sayyidi wa sanadi Shaikh Mufti Mohammad Taqi Usmani (Allah preserve him) said,
‘My respected father (Mufti Mohammad Shafi’,Allah have mercy on him) used to say in context of the Quranic verse:
[O you who believe, fear Allah, and be in the company of the truthful.]
In his tafsir Imam Razi (Allah have mercy on him) said that there is a prophecy in it for the future generation to come until the Day of Judgment.
The explanation is that it is our fundamental belief that the injunctions of Quran are to be followed in all environments and circumstances till the very last day. Then how is it possible that the Quran will order us to do something that is not possible. If the pious ceased to exist then how their company can be achieved. This proves that the truthful and pious (sadiqeen) will always exist so their company is available to achieve taqwa.
He further added that it may be possible that they are less in number and difficult to discover. However, this does not negate their existence. Just take the every day examples. These days corruption and contamination of food is rampant. It is difficult to find unadulterated common day items such as sugar and flour. In spite of this none of us have abandoned their use and settled for substandard alternatives. We actively search for places from where good quality stuff can be purchased.
Similarly, search actively for pious and inshaAllah you will find them.
However, do not set your standards very high. For people of our caliber pious individuals like Shaikh Junaid Baghdadi or Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani or Shaikh Moin ud Deen Chishti (Allah have mercy on them) are not essential. Our islah (spiritual reformation) can be effectively done by the pious present in our era.
Waaz, Ramadan 1432
Friday, 30 December 2011
Monday, 19 December 2011
The Sinister...'Far Away, Distant' Feeling
That ‘far away, distant' feeling is something that comes to us all every now and then. This is that feeling, where everything feels blurred and everything seems distant. It seems that everybody is getting on with something or the other and you seem to be standing still; it just feels that you are stuck in a time and place from which you can’t get out of! An example of this to a lower degree can be seen in a student who is sitting in an exam hall; he sees everybody around him doing something but his brain feels to blunt to think of something and his stomach begins to churn as he sees his time is running out.
The reality of this all is that different incidents in a person’s life can trigger of this feeling. Sometimes, an abundance of work and pressure could be the cause; at other stages panic and anxiety could be a reason. Sometimes desperation could settle into oneself and many times, all these factors come together to hit insaan for a six! He then becomes like that cricket ball which has been hit out of the stadium and is sitting outside in the car park all by itself, waiting for somebody to pick it up and bring it back to its rightful place (i.e. the pitch). Similarly, when life is moving so fast around us and we feel completely dazed, we too need someone to take us by the hand and put our hearts’ at ease.
This feeling is an emotion that comes to us regularly and perhaps more so as we grow up and less so as we reach an elderly age. As a person grows, his responsibilities increase and he finds himself juggling between those actions which he must do (whether he likes it or not) and those actions which he likes to do (as a hobby). During his life, he will find himself constantly balancing between the two. When a person starts taking too much on, he finds himself bewildered at the sheer pace of life. There seems to be too many things happening and too little time to analyse them all.
In some instances, an issue of great magnitude such as a person’s death is placed in front of us which totally sweeps our feet from beneath us. Another example could be of a person who is planning to get married; he may be preparing for months on end but as the time to tie the knot approaches, he begins to feel that there are many things which he hasn’t dealt with! In both situations, a person is left befuddled and perplexed.
And in some instances, a person can want to feel far away from everything! When a person constantly sees ‘snakes’ from amongst his dear ones and dark evil in his surroundings, one naturally wants to curl up into a ball and stay in one corner. Sometimes sadness comes to us in abundance and the only reprieve seems to be in the darkness of a silent room. Thus, the far away feeling occurs because a person doesn’t want to feel close to the action.
Finally, you have others who experience the far away feeling because they are quite simply potty! This is when a person is just to foolish to do what is good for himself and continues doing stupid things which prove to be a hindrance to his existence! An example I hear you say? Take the example of a person who wastes his life in a shisha cafe; everyday he wakes up, he does the same thing. He brushes his teeth, wears his jacket, takes money from his parents and follows his friends (who may also be potty) into a shisha cafe. He thereafter wastes pound after pound in buying drinks, coals, snacks etc. The most bizarre thing of all is that this very same person has a career defining exam the following day and he should be revising! As a result, he sits in the exam hall the next day and all he can do is squirm in his chair when he sees his classmates around him pencilling in their exam papers at speed.
So how can a person stop this feeling or get out of it? There are a variety of things he can do. Below are just a few:
May Allah Ta’ala grant us all aafiyat and make our hardships easy for us. Ameen, ya Rabbal ‘Aalameen.
The reality of this all is that different incidents in a person’s life can trigger of this feeling. Sometimes, an abundance of work and pressure could be the cause; at other stages panic and anxiety could be a reason. Sometimes desperation could settle into oneself and many times, all these factors come together to hit insaan for a six! He then becomes like that cricket ball which has been hit out of the stadium and is sitting outside in the car park all by itself, waiting for somebody to pick it up and bring it back to its rightful place (i.e. the pitch). Similarly, when life is moving so fast around us and we feel completely dazed, we too need someone to take us by the hand and put our hearts’ at ease.
This feeling is an emotion that comes to us regularly and perhaps more so as we grow up and less so as we reach an elderly age. As a person grows, his responsibilities increase and he finds himself juggling between those actions which he must do (whether he likes it or not) and those actions which he likes to do (as a hobby). During his life, he will find himself constantly balancing between the two. When a person starts taking too much on, he finds himself bewildered at the sheer pace of life. There seems to be too many things happening and too little time to analyse them all.
In some instances, an issue of great magnitude such as a person’s death is placed in front of us which totally sweeps our feet from beneath us. Another example could be of a person who is planning to get married; he may be preparing for months on end but as the time to tie the knot approaches, he begins to feel that there are many things which he hasn’t dealt with! In both situations, a person is left befuddled and perplexed.
And in some instances, a person can want to feel far away from everything! When a person constantly sees ‘snakes’ from amongst his dear ones and dark evil in his surroundings, one naturally wants to curl up into a ball and stay in one corner. Sometimes sadness comes to us in abundance and the only reprieve seems to be in the darkness of a silent room. Thus, the far away feeling occurs because a person doesn’t want to feel close to the action.
Finally, you have others who experience the far away feeling because they are quite simply potty! This is when a person is just to foolish to do what is good for himself and continues doing stupid things which prove to be a hindrance to his existence! An example I hear you say? Take the example of a person who wastes his life in a shisha cafe; everyday he wakes up, he does the same thing. He brushes his teeth, wears his jacket, takes money from his parents and follows his friends (who may also be potty) into a shisha cafe. He thereafter wastes pound after pound in buying drinks, coals, snacks etc. The most bizarre thing of all is that this very same person has a career defining exam the following day and he should be revising! As a result, he sits in the exam hall the next day and all he can do is squirm in his chair when he sees his classmates around him pencilling in their exam papers at speed.
So how can a person stop this feeling or get out of it? There are a variety of things he can do. Below are just a few:
- Stop feeling sorry for yourself – sometimes a person needs to slap himself (not literally) and pull his socks up. For how long will a person feel sorry about himself and watch the people around him be successful and not be a part of that success himself? A person must produce unyielding efforts to break away from the vicious cycle of self pity and sorrow.
- Grab hold of a good friend to help you – sometimes we can’t see how deep we are in a situation. At times we exaggerate our problems and at other times, we play matters which are of huge relevance down. When we have the ‘far away feeling’ we should confide this matter in a close, loving, knowledgeable friend. We should explain to him, “I need you to help me pick myself up and make use of my time.” This feeling can bring much sadness to a person which in turn brings a fatigued, lazy ethos. We need to tell our close friend, “When you see me wasting my life away, pull me together and slap me (literally)!”
- Get up and go – have some ‘get up and go’ about yourself. You may find that nobody can help you; that should not send you into a murky abyss. Rather, fortify your intentions and make something of yourself.
- Take the advices from the Qur’an and the Hadith - While the Qur’an cheers up a saddened soul, it also has great advices to push a person in the right direction. Similarly, the words of our Nabi salallahu alayhi wasallam have great blessings; he himself would say, ‘I am a source of peace for my companions’. Thus, if we engross ourselves by becoming his companions (i.e. by studying his words), his invigorating shadow will extend over us also.
- Make lots of dua – only Allah Ta’ala is the One who can take us out of the darkness we see before us. Allah Ta’ala says in the Qur’an, “When My servants ask you about Me, then (tell them that) I am near. I respond to the call of one when he prays to Me; so they should respond to Me, and have faith in Me, so that they may be on the right path.” The court of Allah Ta’ala isn’t like a shop which has opening and closing hours; it is open all hours. The court of Allah Ta’ala is like that shop which has everything a person could need and more; he just needs to pre-order through his dua and Allah Ta’ala will send him what he requires. The postage, packaging and delivery depends on that person’s sincerity in his dua but when does eventually receives it, five star customer satisfaction is guaranteed!
May Allah Ta’ala grant us all aafiyat and make our hardships easy for us. Ameen, ya Rabbal ‘Aalameen.
Sunday, 11 December 2011
Lessons from Hadith #7 - Speaking The Truth
انّي لا اقول إلاّ حقّا
“I do not say anything except the truth.” (Al Adab Al Mufrad)
“I do not say anything except the truth.” (Al Adab Al Mufrad)
Once the Prophet salallahu alayhi wasallam joked with the Companions radiallahu anhum. They were amazed that the Prophet salallahu alayhi wasallam was joking with him due to his lofty status so they enquired, “Ya Rasulullah! You make jokes with us?” It was then he replied, “I do not say anything except the truth.”
This hadith indicates towards speaking the truth even in joking. Many people engage themselves in joking which is not true just to make the other person laugh. This is a lie and should be abstained from; rather jokes can be funny as long as they are of a truthful nature. Some wish to be the joker among a group of people but while he is causing others pleasure by laughing, he is causing the displeasure of Allah to descend upon him.
From this hadith we also see the soft and playful nature of the Prophet salallahu alayhi wasallam. Many people feel that a practising person cannot be of a funny and joyful nature. Many people who are of a religious nature dislike to be of a jubilant nature and feel that they should always have a rigid, serious outlook about themselves. This could not be further away from the Sunnat of Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wasallam. It is mentioned in Shamail Tirmidhi on the authority of Abdullah ibn Haarith (may Allah be pleased with him), “I did not see anyone who smiled more than Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wasallam.”
Wednesday, 30 November 2011
When Desire Takes Over
When Desire Takes Over
Available at Azhar Academy & all good book shops!
Introductory offer: 15% off retail price. (£2.55) original price (£3.00)
An engaging book covering the pressing issue of illicit relationships, that are growing popular amongst Muslim youth. The author succesfully explores the deadly cocktail of sins that are prevalant in colleges and universities. He provides useful, practical solutions, enabling them firstly, to recognise what is harmful to them as students and more so as Muslims, and secondly, to courageously say 'no' to partaking from the cocktail's poisoned chalice.
Issues convered include love, lust, secret lovers and marriages, loneliness, infatuation etc.
"This book can be described as the "need of the times" as it highlights the harms of moral decadence. It provides a rare insight into the nature of the various forms of relationships and the disastrous consequences which then follow. It gives guidance to help a person abandon a life of sin and become a pious Muslim." - Sheikhul Hadith Maulana Abdur Rahim Sahib
Extract from Book: "....Many people are of a beautiful nature, great conduct and of religious insight, yet still they fall into the snares of Shayṭān. This is not because they are evil people or that they have bad hearts. It is quite simply down to the fact that they are lonely! As mentioned before, a person constantly needs a hand to hold, a pair of eyes to look into, and quite simply, a person to love. Many people can live without this partner until a certain age but as soon as they reach the limit, the mind becomes infatuated on having a partner.
Sunday, 27 November 2011
Surat Yusuf Tafseer
UCLU ISLAMIC SOCIETY PRESENTS
ONE DAY INTENSIVE - TAFSEER OF SURAH YUSUF
SATURDAY 10TH DECEMBER 2011
10AM-5PM
Shaykh Abdus-Subhan Dalvi (Graduate of Jamia Sirajul Uloom)
OR ALTERNATIVELY,
REGISTER TICKETS BY E-MAILING UCLU ISLAMIC SOCIETY: mail@uclisoc.com or d.sassa1@gmail.com
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