Author: Ismail ibn Nazir Satia

I'm for the truth no matter who tells it. I'm for justice no matter who it is for or against. I'm a human being first and foremost and for whoever benefits humanity...

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Shaykh Saleem Dhorat

The Legacy of the Madrasah

By Shaykh-ul-Hadīth, Hadrat Mawlānā Muhammad Saleem Dhorat hafizahullāh

Our children attend madrasahs every evening, yet we as their parents do not attach much significance to them, regarding them merely as places that look after the ummah’s infants. We hold them on a par with nurseries, as places of elementary learning. We should realise though, that as long as we fail to attach importance to them, we will remain ignorant of our children’s development and progress.

The Madrasah’s Legacy

The madrasah is not an insignificant institute. The flame of Īmān (faith) is first kindled in the madrasah. The light of Īmān first permeates the heart of a Muslim child in this environment. It teaches our young children moral values.

It is in the madrasah where we learned that to lie is a very great evil and that we should always speak the truth. It warned us against the use of bad language and that stealing, cheating and oppressing people are wrong. The madrasah taught us not to be a thorn in the side of our parents and to care for the elderly, orphans and widows. It was in the madrasah that we learned that we should be kind to our neighbours, be they Muslim or non-Muslim.

The madrasah even taught us things that we do as adults without paying attention to them, like the simple yet rewarding act of removing an obstacle from a path. The good morals and character we take credit for as adults were acquired through the madrasah. All the teachings we are familiar with and today practice in our lives spring from there. By taking stock of every good deed we are performing and every evil that we detest and avoid, we will be witnessing the legacy of the period of our lives between the age of four or five up to thirteen or fourteen: the years spent in the madrasah.

Madāris Benefit the Nation

The madrasah not only brings our children benefits in relation to the hereafter, it also provides them goodness in this world. Parents too, receive worldly gain: a child that spent its time well at madrasah will become a means of comfort and joy for its parents. The madrasah is a boon for the country as well because it produces good citizens, regardless of whether it operates in an Islamic country or a secular state. At madrasah, children are taught to respect the rights of all people and are warned against involvement in drugs, alcohol, theft, vandalism and all types of antisocial behaviour. It contributes towards a socially cohesive society and is a great blessing for humanity as a whole.   

Prophet Muhammad sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam came into this world as a mercy and all his teachings are full of mercy. What is taught in the madrasah is what the Prophet Muhammad sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam taught. His life, his character, his dealings – they all form the basis of what our children learn. Every child who attends a madrasah becomes familiar with these Prophetic teachings and is equipped to go on to embody them and serve humanity and work for its betterment.

Parents’ Responsibilities Towards their Children

In order for a child to get the most out of his/her madrasah education, parents need to work in partnership with the madrasah. Parents should not hand over their children to the madrasah and feel that they have fulfilled their share of educational responsibility. Some parents are content with just enrolling their children in any madrasah, but even those that take the time to find one that offers the best ta‘līm (education) and tarbiyah (upbringing) should not feel that after enrolling their child their duty has ended.

It is the parents who will be questioned by Allāh ta‘ālā about their children’s education. If the teachers, principal or the management committee failed in fulfilling their responsibilities, they will also be held accountable for their actions, but the parents will be questioned and held primarily responsible for any negligence regarding their children.

Allāh ta‘ālā will demand the answers to two questions from every parent concerning their child: what ‘ilm (sacred knowledge) did they give him and what ādāb (good manners/social etiquettes) did they teach him? Each mother and father will have to answer for each one of their children. And at that moment, no parent will be able to blame the child’s teacher or madrasah chairman.

It is the parents’ duty to give the correct ta‘līm and tarbiyah to their children. They cannot exonerate themselves from it. In light of this, the parents have to keep a close watch on the performance of their children. In the case of a madrasah not fulfilling its responsibility of educating and nurturing their children, parents should voice their concerns. And if the parents’ concerns are not addressed adequately then they should remove their child and enrol him or her in another madrasah. It is just like when a child becomes sick and we take him to a doctor; we check the progress of the child and if we feel he is not receiving adequate treatment, we talk to the doctor. If, after a couple of such discussions, the condition persists and it seems pointless talking to the doctor any further, we look for a better doctor. Just as the parents are responsible for their child’s physical treatment, they must shoulder the responsibility of their religious upbringing and education too.

Partnership Between Parents and the Madrasah

Parents should also cooperate with the madrasah and try to understand its aims and objectives. If a madrasah emphasises punctuality and regular attendance, with few breaks in between, parents should cooperate. For instance, if the board of scholars or committee of a particular madrasah consider it necessary to decrease holidays to allow enough hours to complete the curriculum, parents should ensure the attendance of their child. The people responsible are aware that if they allow longer holidays, the end result will be academic, religious and social underachievement. Therefore parents should cooperate with the madrasah; a vast amount of time and effort is spent in deciding what is best for our children.

Being involved with both the madrasah and dārul ‘ulūm educational systems, I am of the opinion that it is the madrasah more than the dārul ‘ulūm that is of crucial importance to the Muslim community, since ninety percent of Muslim children will pass through it. Not every Muslim child will participate in tablīgh jamā‘ah, associate himself to a shaykh for spiritual guidance, sit in the company of the ‘ulamā or pursue studies at a dārul ‘ulūm. However, nearly every child will study at a madrasah. This fact is enough for us to understand the primary importance of the madrasah system in educating our children to become good Muslims who will serve as role models for our society.

Therefore we all must work together: the principal, the teachers and the parents. Cooperation will enable us to build a secure future for our coming generations, in which the masājid will continue to be attended, the Dīnī environment we take for granted now will be maintained and society at large will continue to benefit from good citizens. Our children are the future. May Allāh ta‘ālā assist, bless and guide us in this noble task. Āmīn.

Taken from Riyādul Jannah, Vol. 15 No. 12, Dec 2006

© Islāmic Da’wah Academy

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Marriage

This Could Save Your Marriage:

7 important factors that men need to know and understand about women & female psychology in order to ensure a successful relationship. Also, 7 important factors that women need to know. Refer to the link below for a detailed PDF book In Sha Allah.

http://www.mediafire.com/view/q34821ccyn6fydl/Like+A+Garment.pdf

What WOMEN need to know about men…

What MEN need to know about women…

For further videos & advice:

http://www.likeagarment.com/

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Current Affairs articles

“Only God Can Judge Me!”

Dear Friends,

I’ve never liked this statement, nor do I agree with it. It is wrong and flawed in so many ways.
Firstly, if someone commits a crime in a country which goes against the law of the country, will they not face trial and prosecution? Will evidence and witnesses not be presented to ‘judge’ them? Will they not go to a courtroom and face a ‘judge’ and a jury, which will eventually sentence a punishment?

Secondly, if you don’t commit a crime, but rather a sin or an act of indecency, people can and will ‘judge’ you. To say at the point ‘only God can judge me is stupendously funny. It does not say in any law book or holy book people cannot judge you… Rather I have always believed, people will judge you and CAN judge you by your words and actions. If you judge someone on what you see there is absoTOTALutely nothing wrong with that. Being “judgemental” is when there is no evidence present and you accuse someone of a crime/sin. Even though that is common sense!

judge
My point being if you really don’t want people to judge you, don’t behave immorally. Behave sensibly and show your maturity and intelligence.

I take it those who say it really and truly believe in God/Allah? Whether you’re a Muslim like me or follow another religion, please quit using this statement. Don’t stop because I say so! Rather remember, when God does finally judge you, you will not have a leg to stand by. It doesn’t matter if you are the Pope or Her Majesty, the Queen. In front of God, we are nothing. So please stop being foolish and acting proud. God is Great, the Greatest, the Supreme.

I do believe this is a plot of Shaytan, to stop us from preventing evil. As Muslims, we have an obligation to command good and forbid evil. If you see evil, you stop it. It is not judgemental.

Finally dear friends, remember that the world will always judge your outer appearance no matter what your intention is. It is not sufficient to say God knows my intention. . . Simply because we (the people of the world) are not God! How can you expect someone to know what your intention is?

Yours Truly,

Ismail Ibn Nazir Satia (One who is in dire need of Allah’s Forgiveness, Mercy and Pleasure).

20 Rabiul Akhar 1437

Categories
Shaykh Saleem Dhorat

Ta‘ziyah:

The Sunnah method of consoling the bereaved

 By Shaykh-ul-Hadīth, Hadrat Mawlānā Muhammad Saleem Dhorat hafizahullāh

Islām is a way of life, which guides and assists mankind through every situation. For dealing with moments of grief too, Allāh ta‘ālā has conveyed instructions through His Messenger sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam. There can be few instances that cause greater grief than the death of a loved one. Following the instructions brought by Rasūlullāhsallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam will help lessen the grief and sorrow of the bereaved immensely, and make those who console them worthy of great reward. This is done through the Sunnah of ta‘ziyah.

What is Ta‘ziyah?

Ta‘ziyah means to console, comfort and give solace to someone who is suffering grief. The Islāmic concept of ta‘ziyah at the time of someone’s death is one of consoling the bereaved with such words or actions as will remove or lessen their grief. The aim of ta‘ziyah is to strengthen the broken-hearted and give them hope at a time when their hope may be waning; it is to lighten the load of the bereaved. To say or do things that augment or reawaken grief is not ta‘ziyah, it is taklīf (giving hardship to others).

Virtues of Ta‘ziyah

There are great rewards for ta‘ziyah. Rasūlullāh sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam said:

A Muslim who consoles his brother will be clothed with garments of honour by Allāh on the Day of Qiyāmah. (Al-Bayhaqī)

Whoever consoles a bereaved mother will be dressed with a (special) garment in Paradise. (At-Tirmidhī)

Whoever consoles an afflicted person will receive the same reward [as the sufferer will upon his sabr]. (At-Tirmidhī)

When a Muslim is afflicted with a difficulty of any sort, be it the loss of a loved one or any other hardship, and he bears it patiently then Allāh ta‘ālā rewards him for his patience. From this hadīth we learn that one who consoles an afflicted person receives the same reward that the afflicted person receives due to his patience. The patience exercised by a bereaved person, and consequently the reward, is obviously great, therefore the reward of someone who consoles the bereaved through the sunnah of ta‘ziyah is also great.

How to Carry Out Ta‘ziyah

There are no set words for ta‘ziyah. One should visit the bereaved and console them, bearing in mind the following points: (Ta‘ziyah can also be performed over the phone if necessary or by letter.)

a) Encourage patience, reminding the bereaved of the virtues of patience.

b) Make du‘ā for the bereaved, asking Allāh ta‘ālā to grant them reward in return for their loss. A du‘ā that can be read is: 

A‘dhamallāhu ajrak, wa ahsana ‘azā’ak, wa ghafara li mayyitik.

Translation: May Allāh ta‘ālā increase your reward, and grant you good consolation, and forgive your deceased.

Note: In cases where the deceased is a minor, not yet bāligh, the last part of the du‘ā (wa ghafara li mayyitik) is omitted, as the question of forgiveness for a minor does not arise. The parents should also be reminded that Rasūlullāh sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallamsaid that when a child passes away he intercedes for his parents before Allāh ta‘ālāand takes them into Jannah.

c) Make du‘ā for the deceased, an act that will bring cheer to the hearts of the bereaved.

d) Mention the positive aspects of the situation for both the bereaved and the deceased. Ibn ‘Abbās radhiyallāhu ‘anhu says that at the time of his father’s death, a bedouin was able to console him as no one else had been able to. The bedouin recited a poem, the last part of which was: ‘Better for you than ‘Abbās is the reward you will receive after him, and Allāh is better than you for ‘Abbās.’

Through these words the grieving son was reminded that although he had suffered a loss, the gain brought by patience is superior to the loss. He was then reminded that his father may have lost the company of his son, but he had gone to meet his Creator. What is better for ‘Abbās radhiyallāhu ‘anhu, being with his son or being with Allāhta‘ālā?

e) The meaning of the verse ‘to Allāh we belong, and to Him we will return’ should be explained. We all belong to Allāh ta‘ālā, so when he takes one of us away we should not complain. And although we become separated from a loved one, it is only a temporary separation, for we will soon be returning to them. At the demise of his grandson, Rasūlullāh sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam consoled his daughter with the words:

Inna lillāhi mā akhadha wa lahū mā a‘tā, wa kullun ‘indahū bi ‘ajalim-musammā, faltasbir waltahtasib.

Translation: Whatever Allāh takes is His, and whatever He gives is His, and everything has an appointed time. So be patient and seek rewards. (Al-Bukhārī)

For the deceased, it is simply a case of their appointed time having arrived; as for those left behind, it is a time to be patient and acquire great reward as a result.

f) Inform the bereaved that you intend to do some optional good deeds and send the reward to the deceased. This will please and comfort the bereaved.

g) When going for ta‘ziyah do not enquire into details of the illness or circumstances that preceded the death.

The Time for Ta‘ziyah

According to the Sharī‘ah, there are only three days for ta‘ziyah, i.e. it should only be carried out within the first three days after the death has occurred. There is an exception for people who live far away, or are out of the country or sick and so are unable to attend within the first three days: they may come for ta‘ziyah even after three days. The intent of the Sharī‘ah is to allow people to forget their grief, not have them sitting around nursing it indefinitely. For this reason, it is sunnah for an individual to go only once for ta‘ziyah.

The fuqahā have written that as soon as the burial has been completed, the bereaved should get back into the normal routine of their lives, one of its benefits being that it prevents the prolonged coming and going of visitors, which only serves to keep the grief alive when it should be forgotten.

It is sunnah for neighbours or friends to prepare food for the immediate family of the deceased during their moment of grief. This should be done for one day, though it is also permissible to do so for the full three days. The objective is to lighten the burden of the bereaved and ensure that food is available for them at a time when they may be too distraught to keep track of mealtimes.

Sending Reward for the Deceased

Another important point to remember during the time of bereavement is īsāl-ath-thawāb. This means to perform some optional good deed, e.g. tilāwah of the Qur’ān, tasbīh, sadaqah or nafl salāh, and then to ask Allāh ta‘ālā to send its reward to the deceased. When hearing of someone’s demise, along with ta‘ziyah, one’s time is best spent in īsāl-ath-thawāb. The fuqahā have written that sadaqah (giving in charity) is the best way of doing īsāl-ath-thawāb, one reason being that by spending on something that will be of lasting benefit to people, the deceased will earn a perpetual reward. 

These points cover the sunnah method of ta‘ziyah. It is a simple and effective way of helping those suffering loss. Any other practices or customs that may be carried out in the name of ta‘ziyah are baseless.

© Islāmic Da’wah Academy

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Spirituality

He Who Has No-One Has Allah!

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Poems

Hey Mr?! Don’t step the line…

fine lne

There is a fine line between being nosy and trying to help out,

There is a fine line between being arrogant and being confident.

There is a fine line between being obnoxious and being bold or brave,

There is a fine line between being argumentative and speaking up (haqq).

There is a fine line between being immature and cracking a joke,

There is a fine line between being passive or apathetic and being merciful.

There is a fine line between flirting and being polite,

There is a fine line between being two-faced and trying to compromise between two parties.

There is a fine line between treating your religion as a buffet (pick and choose) and having true spirituality and religiosity,

There is a fine line between acting hypocritical by being sweet with someone (on their face) and offering Salam and a handshake.

There is a fine line between being racist and having banter (racist jokes are just as wrong),

There is a fine line between simply being a coward (afraid to say the truth) and using Hikmah (to avoid a worse situation).

There is a fine line between bribing someone and being generous,

There is a fine line between complaining, moaning or whinging and constructively criticising.

There is a fine line between being negative and being a realist (perhaps the reality is negative),

There is a fine line between free speech and free hate; one encourages debate whilst the other incites hatred and violence.

There is a fine line between showing off (Riyaa) and showing your deeds to encourage or motivate others.

And finally, (lol) …There is a fine line between putting make-up on and looking as though you had a fight with Crayola!

Ismail Ibn Nazir Satia

(One who is in dire need of Allah’s forgiveness, mercy and pleasure).

8 Rabiul Thani 1437

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Shaykh Saleem Dhorat

Spending to Success

by Hadhrat Mawlānā Muhammad Saleem Dhorat hafizahullāh

Rasūlullāh sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam said:

Sadaqah does not decrease wealth. (Muslim)

We learn from this hadīth that no one will ever suffer financial loss due to spending in the path of Allāh ta’ālā. This principle is absolute. Financial experts and economists may not agree, but the words of Rasūlullāh sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam can never be wrong. The intellect says that spending, whether in sadaqah or for worldly matters, decreases one’s wealth. It calculates that someone with £1,000 who spends £100 on helping an orphan or widow, or on building a masjid, will be left with £900, so spending decreases wealth. However, sadaqah does not decrease wealth, and the thought that it does comes from Shaytān, and is in direct contradiction to the teachings of Rasūlullāh sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam.

Shaytān’s Promise

This ploy of Shaytān has been described in the Qur’ān:

 

Shaytān promises you poverty, and commands you to indecency… (2:268)

When dealing with people who are not particularly religious, Shaytān scares them with the threat of poverty and tries to persuade them not to spend in the path of Allāh ta’ālā at all. The approach he takes with religious people is to persuade them to spend only what is obligatory, arguing that anything beyond that would lead to poverty. He asserts that zakāh, which is fard, is already a drain on resources, so giving voluntary sadaqah will only incur a further decrease in wealth. Furthermore, he reminds them of their other religious financial obligations, like spending on their families etc. in an attempt to discourage them from spending voluntarily in the path of Allāh ta’ālā.

Shaytān will exert his energies to stop a person spending a mere £5 towards the construction of a masjid, scaring him with thoughts of poverty, yet he will allow the same individual to happily squander £50 in the marketplace, as he has no interest in preventing him from doing so. He stops believers spending in ways that bring the pleasure of Allāh ta’ālā, and encourages them to indulge in isrāf – being extravagant and wasteful with money – as it brings the displeasure of Allāh ta’ālā.

It is therefore essential that we do muhāsabah (self assessment) at every step in case our approach to spending is actually lowering our value in the eyes of Allāh ta’ālā, curbing our spiritual and religious progress and pleasing Shaytān.

Allāh ta’ālā’s Promise

…And Allāh promises you forgiveness from Himself and Abundance; and Allāh is All-Embracing, All-Knowing. (2:268)

While Shaytān promises only one thing, poverty, Allāh ta’ālā promises two: forgiveness and an increase in wealth. The first of these is a blessing that secures success in the hereafter, and the second brings ease in the world.

If £1 is spent in the path of Allāh ta’ālā, the minimum He will give in return to the giver is £10, a tenfold increase. Thereafter, Allāh ta’ālā increases the return by whatever multiple he wishes, up to seven hundred times and beyond, depending on the level of sincerity with which sadaqah is given and the difficulties borne by the giver. Someone who only has £100 and gives £1 makes a bigger sacrifice than someone who has £1,000 and spends £1; if the latter is rewarded tenfold with £10, the former will be rewarded with even more.

The Return on Sadaqah

In fact, Allāh ta’ālā has appointed an angel who supplicates night and day:

O Allāh, bestow a [good] return on the spender. (Al-Bukhārī)

The manner in which Allāh ta’ālā, through His wisdom, gives this return can take a number of forms:

  1. Allāh ta’ālā rewards the giver with an actual increase in wealth, either straight away or after some time.
  2. When someone who is well-off spends in sadaqah, Allāh ta’ālā may not give the return to him, but instead He may give it to a needy member of his offspring in the future.
  3. By giving sadaqah Allāh ta’ālā protects the giver’s remaining wealth from future loss, and this is a return in itself. For example, a person was going to suffer a loss of £1,000, but by giving £200 sadaqah he is protected from that loss. He has, in effect, been given £800.

Become a Skilled Spender

Moreover, Allāh ta’ālā will reward the person in the hereafter too and will multiply his reward according to the same principles mentioned above, i.e. if a person spends £1 , Allāh ta’ālā will reward him for spending at least £10, and thereafter more according the level of sincerity and sacrifice.

Allāh ta’ālā uses a beautiful example to illustrate how He multiplies the reward for spending in His path:

The example of those who spend in the way of Allāh is just like a grain that produced seven ears, each ear having a hundred grains; and Allāh multiplies [the reward further] for whom He wills. Allāh is All-Embracing, All-Knowing. (2:261)

Allāh ta’ālā compares the reward of spending in His path to planting a single grain, which produces a plant bearing seven hundred grains. Allāh ta’ālā repays a person who spends with sincerity in His path and patiently bears any difficulties involved, by giving a reward in the hereafter equal to having spent seven hundred times the amount that was actually spent. Further, at a time of His choosing He rewards the giver with seven hundred times the original amount in this very world. And that is not all: Allāh ta’ālā gives even more when He wills.

Allāh ta’ālā’s use of a similitude in this verse, instead of just saying that He will give a seven-hundred-fold reward, provides us with a number of important lessons related to spending in the path of Allāh ta’ālā:

  1. A seed will only germinate and grow if the ground it is sown in is fertile. Similarly, sadaqah will only produce reward and an increase in wealth if it is spent on a proper and deserving cause.
  2. The seed must not be rotten but must be healthy and sound. Similarly, the wealth given in sadaqah must not be harām, but must have been acquired by halāl means.
  3. The person sowing the seed must be proficient in planting. He must know how to plough the ground, how deep to sow the seed, how to water it etc. Similarly, the person giving sadaqah must be proficient in the masā’il related to spending.

So sadaqah will only produce a seven-hundred-fold harvest when the ‘ground’ and the ‘seed’ are sound and the giver is a competent ‘farmer’. And it is only then that sadaqah will be a true investment for the future.

May Allāh ta’ālā grant us all the ability to spend in His path and earn the vast rewards He has promised in both worlds. Āmīn.

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Personalities

The Black Prince of Islam – X

http://www.biography.com/people/malcolm-x-9396195#synopsis

Early Life

Malcolm X was born Malcolm Little on May 19, 1925, in Omaha, Nebraska. Malcolm was the fourth of eight children born to Louise, a homemaker, and Earl Little, a preacher who was also an active member of the local chapter of the Universal Negro Improvement Association and avid supporter of black nationalist leader Marcus Garvey. Due to Earl Little’s civil rights activism, the family faced frequent harassment from white supremacist groups such as the Ku Klux Klan and one of its splinter factions, the Black Legion. In fact, Malcolm X had his first encounter with racism before he was even born.

“When my mother was pregnant with me, she told me later, ‘a party of hooded Ku Klux Klan riders galloped up to our home,'” Malcolm later remembered. “Brandishing their shotguns and rifles, they shouted for my father to come out.” The harassment continued; when Malcolm X was four years old, local Klan members smashed all of the family’s windows, causing Earl Little to decide to move the family from Omaha to East Lansing, Michigan.

However, the racism the family encountered in East Lansing proved even greater than in Omaha. Shortly after the Littles moved in, in 1929, a racist mob set their house on fire, and the town’s all-white emergency responders refused to do anything. “The white police and firemen came and stood around watching as the house burned to the ground,” Malcolm X later remembered.

Two years later, in 1931, things got much, much worse. Earl Little’s dead body was discovered laid out on the municipal streetcar tracks. Although Malcolm X’s father was very likely murdered by white supremacists, from whom he had received frequent death threats, the police officially ruled his death a suicide, thereby voiding the large life insurance policy he had purchased in order to provide for his family in the event of his death. Malcolm X’s mother never recovered from the shock and grief of her husband’s death. In 1937, she was committed to a mental institution and Malcolm X left home to live with family friends.

 

Troubled Youth
Malcolm X attended West Junior High School, where he was the school’s only black student. He excelled academically and was well liked by his classmates, who elected him class president. However, he later said that he felt that his classmates treated him more like the class pet than a human being. The turning point in Malcolm X’s childhood came in 1939, when his English teacher asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up and he answered that he wanted to be a lawyer. His teacher responded, “One of life’s first needs is for us to be realistic … you need to think of something you can be … why don’t you plan on carpentry?” Having thus been told in no uncertain terms that there was no point in a black child pursuing education, Malcolm X dropped out of school the following year, at the age of 15.After quitting school, Malcolm X moved to Boston to live with his older half-sister, Ella, about whom he later recalled, “She was the first really proud black woman I had ever seen in my life. She was plainly proud of her very dark skin. This was unheard of among Negroes in those days.” Ella landed Malcolm a job shining shoes at the Roseland Ballroom. However, out on his own on the streets of Boston, Malcolm X became acquainted with the city’s criminal underground, soon turning to selling drugs. He got another job as kitchen help on the Yankee Clipper train between New York and Boston and fell further into a life of drugs and crime. Sporting flamboyant pinstriped zoot suits, he frequented nightclubs and dance halls and turned more fully to crime to finance his lavish lifestyle. This phase of Malcolm X’s life came to a screeching halt in 1946, when he was arrested on charges of larceny and sentenced to ten years in jail.To pass the time during his incarceration, Malcolm X read constantly, devouring books from the prison library in an attempt make up for the years of education he had missed by dropping out of high school. Also while in prison, he was visited by several siblings who had joined to the Nation of Islam, a small sect of black Muslims who embraced the ideology of black nationalism—the idea that in order to secure freedom, justice and equality, black Americans needed to establish their own state entirely separate from white Americans. Malcolm X converted to the Nation of Islam while in prison, and upon his release in 1952 he abandoned his surname “Little,” which he considered a relic of slavery, in favor of the surname “X”—a tribute to the unknown name of his African ancestors.
Nation of Islam

Now a free man, Malcolm X traveled to Detroit, Michigan, where he worked with the leader of the Nation of Islam, Elijah Muhammad, to expand the movement’s following among black Americans nationwide. Malcolm X became the minister of Temple No. 7 in Harlem and Temple No. 11 in Boston, while also founding new temples in Harford and Philadelphia. In 1960, he established a national newspaper, Muhammad Speaks, in order to further promote the message of the Nation of Islam.

Articulate, passionate and a naturally gifted and inspirational orator, Malcolm X exhorted blacks to cast off the shackles of racism “by any means necessary,” including violence. “You don’t have a peaceful revolution,” he said. “You don’t have a turn-the-cheek revolution. There’s no such thing as a nonviolent revolution.” Such militant proposals—a violent revolution to establish an independent black nation—won Malcolm X large numbers of followers as well as many fierce critics. Due primarily to the efforts of Malcolm X, the Nation of Islam grew from a mere 400 members at the time he was released from prison in 1952, to 40,000 members by 1960.

By the early 1960s, Malcolm X had emerged as a leading voice of a radicalized wing of the Civil Rights Movement, presenting an alternative to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s vision of a racially integrated society achieved by peaceful means. Dr. King was highly critical of what he viewed as Malcolm X’s destructive demagoguery. “I feel that Malcolm has done himself and our people a great disservice,” King once said.

 

Break with Elijah Muhammad
Philosophical differences with King were one thing; a rupture with Elijah Muhammad proved much more traumatic. In 1963, Malcolm X became deeply disillusioned when he learned that his hero and mentor had violated many of his own teachings, most flagrantly by carrying on many extramarital affairs; Muhammad had, in fact, fathered several children out of wedlock. Malcolm’s feelings of betrayal, combined with Muhammad’s anger over Malcolm’s insensitive comments regarding the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, led Malcolm X to leave the Nation of Islam in 1964.That same year, Malcolm X embarked on an extended trip through North Africa and the Middle East. The journey proved to be both a political and spiritual turning point in his life. He learned to place the American Civil Rights Movement within the context of a global anti-colonial struggle, embracing socialism and pan-Africanism. Malcolm X also made the Hajj, the traditional Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, during which he converted to traditional Islam and again changed his name, this time to El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz.After his epiphany at Mecca, Malcolm X returned to the United States less angry and more optimistic about the prospects for peaceful resolution to America’s race problems. “The true brotherhood I had seen had influenced me to recognize that anger can blind human vision,” he said. “America is the first country … that can actually have a bloodless revolution.” Tragically, just as Malcolm X appeared to be embarking on an ideological transformation with the potential to dramatically alter the course of the Civil Rights Movement, he was assassinated. 
Death and Legacy
On the evening of February 21, 1965, at the Audubon Ballroom in Manhattan, where Malcolm X was about to deliver a speech, three gunmen rushed the stage and shot him 15 times at point blank range. Malcolm X was pronounced dead on arrival at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital shortly thereafter. He was 39 years old. The three men convicted of the assassination of Malcolm X were all members of the Nation of Islam: Talmadge Hayer, Norman 3X Butler and Thomas 15X Johnson.In the immediate aftermath of Malcolm X’s death, commentators largely ignored his recent spiritual and political transformation and criticized him as a violent rabble-rouser. However, Malcolm X’s legacy as a civil rights hero was cemented by the posthumous publication in 1965 of The Autobiography of Malcolm X: As Told to Alex Haley. At once a harrowing chronicle of American racism, an unsparing self-criticism and an inspiring spiritual journey, the book, transcribed by the acclaimed author of Roots, instantly recast Malcolm X as one of the great political and spiritual leaders of modern times. Named byTIME magazine one of 10 “required reading” non-fiction books of all-time,The Autobiography of Malcolm X has truly enshrined Malcolm X as a hero to subsequent generations of radicals and activists.Perhaps Malcolm X’s greatest contribution to society was underscoring the value of a truly free populace by demonstrating the great lengths to which human beings will go to secure their freedom. “Power in defense of freedom is greater than power in behalf of tyranny and oppression,” he stated. “Because power, real power, comes from our conviction which produces action, uncompromising action.”
Personal Life

In 1958, Malcolm X married Betty Sanders, a fellow member of the Nation of Islam. The couple had six children together, all daughters: Attallah (b. 1958), Qubilah (b. 1960), Ilyasah (b. 1963), Gamilah (b. 1964) and twins Malaak and Malikah (b. 1965). Sanders later became known as Betty Shabazz, and she became a prominent civil rights and human rights activist in her own right in the aftermath of her husband’s death.

In May 2013, Malcolm X’s grandson, Malcolm Shabazz—son of the civil rights leader’s second daughter with wife Betty Shabazz, Qubilah Shabazz—was beaten to death in Mexico City, near the Plaza Garibaldi. He was 28 years old. According to a report by the Los Angeles Times, police believe Malcolm Shabazz’s death was the result of a “robbery gone wrong.”

QUOTES:
“Power in defense of freedom is greater than power in behalf of tyranny and oppression because power, real power, comes from our conviction which produces action, uncompromising action.”
“Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.”
“America is the first country … that can actually have a bloodless revolution.”
“You don’t have a peaceful revolution. You don’t have a turn-the-cheek revolution. There’s no such thing as a nonviolent revolution.”
“You don’t have a peaceful revolution. You don’t have a turn-the-cheek revolution. There’s no such thing as a nonviolent revolution.”
“If you are not willing to pay the price for freedom, you don’t deserve freedom.”
“While we did not always see eye to eye on methods to solve the race problem, I always had a deep affection for Malcolm and felt that he had the great ability to put his finger on the existence and root of the problem.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RK80Z11dXO8&feature=youtu.be
Categories
Muslim men Muslim women Spirituality

Do you talk to yourself?

self-reflection
‘Abdullahi Ibn ‘Abdan RH said:

حدثنا عبد الله أن رجلاً كان يتّبع سفيان الثوري فيجده أبداً يُخرج من لبنة – أي: طوب – رقعة ينظر فيها، فأحب أن يعلم ما فيها، فوقعت الرقعة في يده فإذا مكتوب فيها: سفيان ! اذكر وقوفك بين يدي الله عز وجل

“Abdullah told us that there was a man who used to follow Sufyan Ath-Thawri RH. He noticed that time and time again, Sufyan would take out a piece of paper from a small box which he had and gaze into it. This man became curious as per what was on the paper. It so happened that this paper fell into his hand and on it was written:

“Sufyan! Remember that you shall stand before Allah.”

What you just read was in fact common practice of our predecessors.

Many Muslims validate their lack of Islamic commitment by arguing that ‘my environment is full of haram’ or ‘no one is advising me’ This category of people won’t snap out of their sins till a third party comes along and advises them. The earlier generations didn’t wait for other people’s advice, but they would actively speak to themselves.

The companion, Anas Ibn Malik RA says:

سمعت عمر بن الخطاب يومًا، وخرجت معه، حتى دخل حائطًا، فسمعته يقول، وبيني وبينه حائط، وهو في جوف الحائط: “عمر بن الخطاب.. أمير المؤمنين.. بخ بخ، والله لتتقين الله يا ابن الخطاب، أو ليعذبنك!”

“I was once walking with ‘Umar Ibn Khattab till a walk separated us. I heard him saying to himself from the other side of the wall, “Umar Ibn Khattab?! Leader of the believers?! Well, you will either fear Allah, O ‘Umar or He will punish you!!”

It may be something which you hang up in front of your desk, or it may be Islamic lectures which you keep your ears plugged in with on the way to and back from work/school, or righteous friends whom you regularly ask for advice or it may even be a piece of paper which you keep with you, similar to Sufyan Ath-Thawri’s RH piece of paper.

Also, in recent times Muhammad Ali – the famous boxer used to say, “I don’t smoke but I keep a match box in my pocket. When my heart slips towards a sin, I burn a matchstick and heat my palm. Then I say to myself:‘Ali You can’t bear even this heat, how would you bear the unbearable heat of Hell?’

 

Allah grant us his awareness and consciousness. Ameen Ya Rabb!

Anonymous.
Categories
Du'aas

A Great Wadhifah

IMG_20150823_161511
_______________________Hadhrat Mawlana Hakim Mohammad Akhtar (رحمة الله عليه ) explained in his lecture :

If you wish that:

1) Any of your work must not stop

2) Or to be saved from the oppression of the oppressor

3 )Or your mountain of debt be paid

4) Or you win in a court case

5) Or any work which you think is impossible to do.

Then do the following :

Read Durood Shareef 1 x,
Then read these 4 Mubarak names of Allah 7 x:

يا سُبُّوْحُ
يَا قُدُّوْسُ
يَا غَفُوْرُ
يَا وَدُوْدُ
Durood shareef 1 x.
Then make dua.This is such a tried and tested wadhifah that it will amaze you the very first time you pray it, in sha Allah.

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صدقة جارية

Ismail Ibn Nazir Satia (One who is in dire need of Allah’s Mercy, Forgiveness and Pleasure).
1 Rabiul Akhar 1437