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A few days in Spain (Part II)

Post author By Ismail ibn Nazir Satia
Post date 22 May 2016
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Slaves

Generally, after a few years a slave would be freed, especially if he was a Muslim. The slaves saw how the Muslims treated them and it was far better than the Christians.

There was a rule in Spain, a non-Muslim could not keep a Muslim as a slave.

Abu Dharr (Allah be pleased with him) had a slave, he dressed just like Abu Dharr and ate the same food. Someone asked him why he did this. He narrated a Hadith:

Salam ibn ‘Amr reported from one of the Companions of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “Your slaves are your brothers, so treat him well. Ask for their help in what is too much for you and help them in what is too much for them.” (alAdab alMufrad)

When Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) addressed to Bilal (Allah be pleased with him) with, “You son of a black woman!” and Bilal (Allah be pleased with him) got insulted, he went to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).

He told the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) “O Messenger of Allah, this is what Abu Dharr has said to me.”

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) called Abu Dharr and said, “O Abu Dharr you are a man who still has the traits of ignorance in him! I am equally the son of a black woman, as I am the son of a white woman.” (This is because He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was breastfed by a black woman).

In another narration, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “You are a man who calls to Jahiliyyah, whoever calls to the call of Jahiliyyah, he will be in the fire of Jahannam!” And the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) asked, “What if he prays and fasts?” He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Even if he prays and he fasts.”

Hatim Tai (Allah be pleased with them) had a son Adiy ibn Hatim (may Allah be pleased with them), Adiy was a prince. He once went to Medinah, he was walking in the streets of Medinah when an African girl came and said to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), “My master is harsh on me.” The Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) answered, “Do not worry, I will speak to him.” He then smiled and said, “Hold my hand and take me anywhere.”

Adiy (Allah be pleased with them) says, “When I saw this I knew the man (the Prophet) was not a prince, as you could not walk with a prince like this. But, I also knew he was not an ordinary man.”

Inside Cordoba Mosque – The largest in Spain (now a Cathedral)

Cordoba

Cordoba fell to the Muslims in 711 A.D. The Muslims marched north, finally reaching Cordoba. Magheeth Rumi exploiting a weak defence managed to enter Cordoba and conquer it. Tariq (Allah have mercy on him) conquered many cities, until the Christians flocked to him. Finally, his men became tired of fighting. Then he began to send small armies to different places, each army had only 700 men. Tariq (Allah be pleased with him) penetrated deep into Spain until men were exhausted of fighting. Then he returned to Cordoba and settled there. Musa (Allah have mercy on him) had instructed Tariq (Allah have mercy on him) to only fight with Roderick. He was annoyed with Tariq’s disregard for his command. Musa left with a large of 18,000 in 712 to Spain. It is reported that Tariq (Allah have mercy on him) was imprisoned for disobeying direct commands. He was later released and reinstated. The Muslims showed a tolerance never experienced before. The majority of the population embraced Islam. They took all of Andalus, besides the Northwest area, from where the Christians regrouped. The leader of this group was, Pelayo. Musa made roads into France, he wanted to take the entire Europe and finally reaching Damascus through Constantinople, but he was called back to Damascus before fulfilling his dreams.

Musa ibn Nusayr (Allah be pleased with them) stayed in Spain for three years. He was now 75 years old. The Caliph – Waleed ibn Abdul Malik (Allah have mercy on him) called him back to Baghdad. The actual reason we are unaware of, but possible reasons

He was powerful and had conquered the whole of North Africa, so Waleed thought he is getting to much authority.
Waleed became insecure, about himself and his relationship with Musa.

So, Tariq ibn Ziyad (Allah have mercy on him) and Musa ibn Nusayr (Allah have mercy on him) went to Waleed (Allah have mercy on him). By the time they reached the Caliph, he was dying. Whenever Musa (Allah have mercy on him) conquered a land, he would send the treasures and booty to the Caliph. On his journey back from Spain he brought all the treasures back but someone advised him not to give the treasures. Musa said he wanted to bring them back. This led to slight tension between Musa (Allah have mercy on him) and Sulayman ibn Abdul Malik, who was the brother of Waleed (Allah have mercy on him), as Sulayman wanted the wealth from Spain. Musa meets the Caliph and shortly afterwards, the Caliph dies in 94h.

When Sulayman took over the throne he despised Musa (Allah have mercy on him), so he tortured him. A 75 years old man was made to stand in the heat of the blazing sun, he already had asthma. Umar ibn AbdulAziz (Allah have mercy on him) was an Umayyid, he was around at that time. He says, “No day was worse for me than seeing the old man, an old mujahid, indebted on the Ummah, the conqueror of North Africa being tortured like this.”

Umar (Allah have mercy on him) went to the caliph and said, “I do not pledge allegiance to a king who tortures old men like this!”

Sulayman uplifted the torture, but paced heavy fines on Musa (Allah have mercy on him).

Some scholars say, they were both at peace with each other later. Others write, they went Hajj together.

He died either of poverty or illness.

Imam Shafi’ee (Allah have mercy on him) said, “Some people die and their evils remains on. Others die and their goodness remains on.”

We all remember the Khayr Musa ibn Nusayr (Allah have mercy on him) left behind. Just like When Hussayn (Allah be pleased with him) was martyred, Yazid was rejoicing. But, in the eyes of Allah Hussayn (Allah be pleased with him) was accepted. Also, Hamza (Allah be pleased with him) – the uncle of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had his liver chewed and his body mutilated. But, later was known as ‘Asadullah’, The Lion of Allah.

Ibn Mulhim (Allah have mercy on him) says, “It was amazing that Musa (Allah have mercy on him) even went to Waleed (Allah have mercy on him) when he was called. Because he already had Spain and parts of France under his rule.” This shows the sincerity of Musa (Allah have mercy on him). The same happened with Khalid ibn Waleed (Allah be pleased with him), the last four years of his life he did not fight. This was because Umar (Allah be pleased with him) demoted him. The last year of his life, was called the ‘Year of Women’, as he could not fight.

But the story of Musa (Allah have mercy on him) did not end there, they assassinated his son Abdul Aziz (Allah have mercy on him). He was reading Surah Waqiah at the time. All out of spite and hatred. And Abdullah, the other son was also martyred! Inna Lillah…

The head of Abdul Aziz (Allah have mercy on him) was bought to Musa (Allah have mercy on him) whilst he was alive. Sulayman asked Musa (Allah have mercy on him), “Do you know who he is?” Musa said, “This was a pious man who conquered Portugal and the Ummah is indebted to him.”

The reason for killing AbduAziz (Allah have mercy on him) was, he married Roderick’s wife to create ties between the Christians and Muslims. Sulayman thought he would be a sell-out.

Sulayman died in 99h.

“Dominance is only for Allah!” Written on many of the palaces.

Over the next 40 years Spain had 21 or 22 governors, there was absolute mayhem. Muslims had a lot of loss, they were demoralised and lost motivation. There was 100 tonnes i.e. 100 opinions about everything. It was like what happened in Uhud, 50 archers and Saeed ibn Jubayr (Allah be pleased with them).

For this, we say, that the more the Dunya opens up before the people, and they end up concerning themselves with it, they will lose as much of the Akhira as they have gained from the Dunya. The Prophet (peace ad blessings be upon him) said: “By Allah, I am not afraid of your poverty,” meaning I am not afraid of poverty for you, for the Dunya will open up before you, “but I am afraid that you will lead a life of luxury as past nations did, whereupon you will compete with each other for it, as they competed for it, and it will destroy you as it destroyed them.” [Bukhari & Muslim].

The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) spoke the truth. This is what has destroyed the people today. What has destroyed the people today, is their competing with one another for the Dunya, and them being as if they were only created for it, and not it created for them. So they have preoccupied themselves with what was created for them over what they were created for. This is backwardness. We ask Allah for protection.

Amongst the famous rulers were:

Samh ibn Khawlani (Allah have mercy on him), the fourth viceroy. He was the viceroy in the time of Umar ibn AbdulAziz (Allah have mercy on him). He was martyred at the siege of Toulouse in 721 A.D. In 1030/721 a man called Bulai, with some renegade Christian took to the mountains to start a guerrilla against the Muslims. Anbasa, moved quite deep along the Rhone River. In 725 A.D. Anbasa was ambushed and killed.

The most successful and tragic expedition as that of Abdul Rehman Ghafiqi (Allah have mercy upon him). Eudes tried to stop but to no avail and called up Charles, who was later known as Martell (Hammer). The Battle of Poiters (Battle of Tours) is regarded as one of the most defining battles in the history of the West. The Muslim army was considerably smaller, Muslims were all infantry and Christians all cavalry. The battle began and raged doe an entire week from 25^th to 31^st October 732 A.D.

The most disturbing aspect of the history of Spain is the amount of internal strife amongst the Muslims. Arabs against Arabs, Berbers against Arabs, new Muslims against the ruling elite. There are three types of Arabs:

Al-Ba’idah – They existed but no longer do e.g. the people of ‘Aad and Thamud.

Al-Aaribah – The original Arabs i.e. The Yemenis aka Kelbites.

Al-Musta’ribah – Those who became Arabs later. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was from this category, as Ibrahim (peace and blessings be upon him) travelled to Makkah, Hajar (Allah be pleased with her) did not even speak Arabic. They were also known as Qaisites.

Two later rulers who ignited the wars of racism in Spain were Hudhayfah (728-730) and Haitham (729-730).

Then the Berbers revolted, this led from the inequities between the Arabs and the Berbers. The Berbers were looked down on before Islam, could now equal the Arabs on all fronts. The next to cause great mischief was a man called Shomal (the grandson of Shimr, the man who beheaded Hussain RA at Karbala).

The two armies met at the bank of the Guadelate in 745 A.D. Ibn Khattar’s army was routed.

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Abdul Rahman (The Hawk of Quraysh/Falcon of Andalus)

The largest opposition to the Umayyads was the Abbasids; their leader at the time was Abbas, the grandson of Abbas (Allah be pleased with him). Abdul Rahman (Allah have mercy on him) had to flee to save his life. He finally reached the Berber tribe of his mother, Nazfa, situated in Naqur, four years after fleeing. The time was right for Abdul Rahman to make his appearance. Andalus was in a state of chaos due to the internal feuding. He wrote a letter to the Syrians and Ummayads living in Andalus. This iletter was taken by Badr in June 754. Abdul Rahman (Allah have mercy on him) had to wait an entire year in suspense for the response. On August 14^th 755 A.D. he arrived in Spain and had mass defection in his favour. He took Seville peacefully. With his victory at Cordoba on 15^th May 756, he sealed his name in history. He defeated Yusuf and Shomal. He was crowned the ‘Ameer of the Muslims.’ Mansur often praised his foe and it was him who give him the title, “The Falcon of the Quraysh.”

Abdul Rahman (Allah have mercy on him) did not like to wage war unless there was no other option, hence he would always start with the option of peace. Others were children who were bought from Europe, but they were brought up in Islam and were fundamental to the army and state. He was always ready to help his subjects.

Inside Cordoba Mosque

The gateway to Cordoba [al-Qil’ul Hurriya]

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

15 Sha’ban 1437

Current Affairs articles

The Fall of Andalus

Looking into the Court Yard, Alhambra

Listen brothers, listen sisters, listen carefully to a story of sorrow and pain,

This is the story of the fall of Andalus, known as Muslim Spain.

Long, long ago a man called Tariq RH, with the order of Musa Bin Nusayr RH,

Conquered the beautiful land and all of its terrain.

Allah SWT gave them glory because of their pure hearts and what they did contain,

They travelled from North Africa up to the Mediterranean.

Fiercely they fought, unafraid, strong soldiers, waging warriors, like lions – the whole country did they gain,

The glad tidings had already been received from the Messenger of Allah SAW and his companions RA.

The young boy, Tariq RH was made to be the captain,

A fleet of ships arrived with men who didn’t look back as they planned to remain.

Powerful and courageous, bold and brave,

The enemies were confused – are these people from Earth or descended from Heaven?

Tariq RH was spiritual, a holy boy, who sincerely worshipped Allah and from all evil did he abstain,

Recognised by a mole on his face, he stood like a commander, devout and honest, free from name and fame.

In the books of history, he is recorded and illuminated will be his name,

He understood the purpose of life and that life is not a game.

At this time Islam was flourishing like the speed of a train,

City after city, town after town, one after the other like a long chain.

Let us not forget, this was the country that contained a Masjid – largest in the world, ‘Masjid Qurtuba’, larger than Haramayn (at that time),

They had palaces and castles, trees and gardens, overlooked by mountains.

Fruit was plentiful, vegetation was abundant, fields green and plain,

Allah’s SWT mercy descended generously by blessing them with rain.

But the tides became heavy and waves were uncertain,

When people forgot Allah SWT, Lord of the heavens, Rabbul Mashriqayn Wa Rabbul Maghribayn.

The rulers became unjust and acted like villains,

Many spent the night drinking wine and champagne.

Women were used to dance, used for lust and only to entertain,

The Masajid were empty and the pulpits (mimbar) began to cry and complain.

Evil was widespread, corruption was rife, the difference between right and wrong they could not ascertain,

All of a sudden, Allah’s SWT help disappeared as though it was uplifted by a crane.

The rulers were busy marrying maidens; hair of blonde; eyes of blue; that looked like Hoor Ayn,

For centuries the land was ruled by the pious, but now they also did not remain.

Their scholars were knowledgeable and they had rulers which were of piety, with Iman as high as a plane,

But they didn’t educate their sons & their daughters to relay the Deen, nor were they trained.

The minarets cry now for someone to call Allah’s SWT glorious name,

The rows for Salah are seen bare and very plain.

No sign of an Imam or even a chaplain,

Muslims were too busy fighting each other, their own brother had they slain.

They thought blood was cheap like a bargain,

Eventually the Muslims were expelled, or given a choice to be Christian.

Many were tortured, their actions were barbaric and inhumane,

Dear friends, think carefully upon the lessons from Muslim Spain.

Ponder with your intellect and think deeply with your brain,

Let the message sink in, let it ingrain.

For what lasted 800 years, we could not maintain,

Will the Ummah rise to the challenge ever again?

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

[Written 1st Shaban 1436, after returning from the asSuffa Andalus tour]

Current Affairs articles

End of Days (2)

In the Name of Allah the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

All praise is due to Allah, the all-knowing, the all-seeing and we beseech Allah to send His noblest blessings on the Seal of the Prophets, Our Master and Prophet Muhammad (Sallallaho Alayhi Wasallam).

Shaykh Sulaiman Moola (Lecturer/Ustadh of Hadeeth in Johannesburg, South Africa)

It is no secret the planet has been gripped, rocked and played by turmoil, turbulence, mayhem and anarchy. Doom and gloom has covered our horizons. The vessel of humanity is nagging against one iceberg or another. Political, social, economical, religious and otherwise. Every sane person with no exception, regardless of his paper denomination is appalled by the timings and brutality that is going on in the world. As Muslims we are equally appalled. Our Prophet (peace be upon him) foretold us of this 14 centuries ago. He (peace be upon him) told us, “The glory of this Ummah will be in the early days” (Bukhari)

Hudhayfah (Allah be pleased with him) mentions the environment was so pure and pristine that I could enter into a transaction with someone, and if he were a believer his faith would not let him tell a lie and if he were a disbeliever society would not allow him to tell a lie.

Abu Sufyan (Allah be pleased with him) was summoned by Hiraql – Abu Sufyan (Allah be pleased with him) had not accepted Islam yet. And he was about to be interviewed about the Prophet (peace be upon him), he categorically, emphatically, systematically and explicitly said, “I had an agenda, I wanted to be biased and prejudiced and I wanted to tarnish the reputation of the best of Allah’s creation. I was not in harmony, we couldn’t see eye to eye. But, now I was at a crossroad, either I speak ill of Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the emperor would not be impressed but I could not live with the stigma of a liar for the rest of my life. So, I kept the interview as candid as possible.”

There will be fitnah in the latter of the Ummah. To the extent a man will sell his religion for little worldly gain. Imam Hakim (Allah have mercy on him) reports, the Prophet (peace be upon him) recited Surah Nasr: ‘When the victory of Allah has come and the conquest, And you see the people entering into the religion of Allah in multitudes, Then exalt [Him] with praise of your Lord and ask forgiveness of Him. Indeed, He is ever Accepting of repentance.’ Thereafter He (peace be upon him) mentioned, “When people start flocking towards Islam and groups upon groups become Muslim, likewise many will leave Islam in large groups.” Another Hadith metaphorically states that the fitnah will be blind, deaf and dumb. What this means is that they will leave the ‘people’ blind, deaf and dumb! In Fathul Bari, volume 15, page 52, Ibn Uyaynah (Allah have mercy on him) on the strength of Khalaf ibn Hawshab (Allah have mercy on him) narrates a poem (translation), “Fitnah are like battles, initially battles are young and attractive, but when you go deep into it you get swallowed and realise it is not as pretty, black and white mixed, you dislike her complexion, you will not want to spend a moment with her in seclusion.” To quote another Hadith, “Every subsequent era would be more wicked than the previous era.” If we look at the era of Hajjaj RH it was full of dhulm (oppression), then it was followed by an era of peace and justice ruled by Umar Ibn AbdulAziz (Allah have mercy on him). Shah Wailullah Dehlawi (Allah have mercy on him), reports, there will be many types of fitnah, the first type of fitnah will be in a man’s personal capacity, so much so that his heart will become hard. We see the carnage that is happening in the world, hearts have become hard. Secondly, in a man’s family structure. There will be mayhem in his social structure. Imam Bayhaqi (Allah have mercy on him) on the strength of Abullah Ibn Mas’ood (Allah be pleased with him) and Abu Hurayrah (Allah be pleased with him), the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “A time will come, when a man will lose his strength and Imaan because of his wife and children.” The companions (Allah be pleased with them all) were astounded, “But they are beloved to us!” The Prophet (peace be upon him), “How many a man, his family put such financial burden upon him that they make him stand beyond his economic muscle?” … Either you stay in this house, make or break, do or die?!

Imam Bukhari (Allah have mercy on him) and Muslim (Allah have mercy on him) have recorded from Hudhayfah (Allah be pleased with him), “We were once sat with Umar (Allah be pleased with him) and a group of Sahabah (Allah be pleased with them). Umar (Allah be pleased with him) asked, which one of you remembers the Hadith of the Prophet in which he mentioned the fitnah. Hudhayfah (Allah be pleased with him) said, “I do.” Umar (Allah be pleased with him) said, “Go ahead, you seem like the brave one!!” Hudhayfah (Allah be pleased with him), said a man would be gripped by fitnah through his family, his children, his neighbour, his wealth, the only expiation and atonement he will find are; praying Salah, observing fast, inviting towards good and forbidding evil .” Umar (Allah be pleased with him) said, “No! You did not understand me! I am referring to those fitnah that will rock the planet!!! Those that will grip and seize the entire earth!! So Hudhayfah (Allah be pleased with him) replied, “But Umar what have you got to do with that – between you and those fitnah there is a door.” He asked, “Is that door open or closed?” “Unfortunately, it is broken.” To which Umar (Allah have mercy on him) said, “I doubt it will ever be repaired.” Shaqeeq (Allah have mercy on him) says, “We asked Hudhayfah does Umar know who the door is?” Hudhayfah (Allah be pleased with him) said, “Just as Umar knows day is preceded by night- with that equal condition he know who is the door.” But to be sure we requested Masrooq (Allah have mercy on him) to ask Hudhayfah who was the door, says Shaqeeq (Allah have mercy on him). Hudhayfah (Allah have mercy on him) informed them, “It is Umar himself!”

A sign of Qiyamah is people will be greedy for leadership and authority (Caliph).

Shah Waliullah (Allah have mercy on him) further states another fitnah will be one that strips mankind of human instinct. He will reduce himself to animalistic behaviour. Do we hear of incest? Rape? Juvenile murders? Beastiality? “There will be people who commit heinous crimes such as sleeping with their biological mothers” (Hadith). Shah Waliullah finishes by saying, “then will come the tornadoes, the tsunamis, the earthquakes.” How quickly will the events of Qiyamah befall? “Two men will be in a transaction,a piece of cloth will be put on the counter, they will be debating the price and Qiyamah will have happened!” (Hadith)

Another sign is that transparency, honest and trust will be extinct. When will this happen? When undeserving people will aspire for position and they will be given that position. We see so much nepotism in our institutions and circles. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “You will see exploitation, discrimination, unfairness and injustices – all blatant and brazen.” The companions (Allah have mercy on them) queried, “What do you advise?” He (peace be upon him) answered, “Whoever you owe your due to, discharge your due to him and what is owed to you, ask it from Allah.”

Allah says, “And We have made some of you [people] as trial for others – will you have patience? And ever is your Lord, Seeing.” (25:20) In the footnotes of Tafsir Uthmani, Allah is telling the Prophet (peace be upon him), the disbelievers are there to test your perseverance and you are there to test their submission.

A fitnah will also be those without knowledge who like to comment on the Qur’an. “And of the people is he who disputes about Allah without knowledge and follows every rebellious devil.” (22:3) “And no one knows its [true] interpretation except Allah .” (3:7) The reason Allah sent the Qur’an was to see our compliance and whether we believe. Nobody truly knows what it means except Allah. But we love to have our views and opinions in deen and comment by ‘googling’ answers. And to prove that we have a story, Imam Hakim (Allah have mercy on him) in Mustadrak narrates that someone came to the Giant of Tafseer, Abdullah Ibn Abbas (Allah have mercy on him) and said, “There are two verses of the Qur’an and I can see a clear contradiction please help me reconcile, “then it will ascend to Him in a Day, the extent of which is a thousand years of those which you count.” (32:5) The second verse, “The angels and the Spirit will ascend to Him during a Day the extent of which is fifty thousand years.” Abdullah Ibn Abbas (Allah have mercy on him) said, “these are two verses which Allah has categorically stated, how can i blurt something about which I know nothing.”

…How easy is it to say, “I don’t know.”

Mawlana Abdur Raheem Limbada Saheb, (Ustadh of Bury Darul Uloom)

The Court of Justice

We all have to stand before Allah on the Day of Qiyamat – hisaab, kitaab, mizaan, pul siraat…these are all things that we will all have to face.

We will come out of our graves just as we came out of the womb.

We will be raised back to life just as we are now; to the very fingertip.

The first person to be raised back to life will be Nabi (SAW), followed by the Khulafaa Rashidun, followed by those of Jannatul Baaqi, followed by those of Jannatul Ma’laa.

The maydaan (plain) of Hashr will either be Arafat or in Baytul Maqdis (there are differing opinions on this and Allah knows best). The maydaan will be stretched, there will be no seas as they will all have perished.

We will be drowning in sweat according to our sins. Things will be out of the norm on that day. Some people, (the chosen and blessed ones) will be under the shade of the Arsh (Throne of Allah SWT). They will include the just ruler, the person who spent his youth in the path of deen, the one whose heart is attached to the Masjid, the one who rejected zinaa (fornication), two people who met and parted for Allah’s SWT sake, the one who gave in charity and the one who remembered Allah SWT and cried out of fear of Him. With regards to the last category, Shaykh mentioned that the one who cries even a single tear in this state will be granted this lofty status. We pray that the Almighty Allah SWT grants us the status of these people and grants us the shade of His Arsh on the day when there will be no shade. Shaykh also mentioned that two other categories have also been mentioned, though they are not as well known. They include the one who has istihzar (awareness/consciousness) of Allah SWT at all times and those who are kind to their spouses and parents.

Shaykh mentioned a description of the day when we shall be standing before Allah – how often to we think about this? Have we ever thought about this? We will be standing before our Creator, just you and Him. Before the commencement of hisaab kitaab, the people will be waiting for judgement to commence, everyone of us will be in a state of sheer panic and fear. People will start asking each other questions such as, ‘How long are we going to wait?’ (due to their anxiety), however as we will be weak, we will not have the guts to go straight to Allah SWT to ask Him, instead, we will look for an intercessor. (There is a difference of opinion as to whether all of the people will approach the Ambiya (AS) one by one or whether it will only be those amongst the pious). Each Prophet (AS) when approached, will say, ‘My Rabb is extremely angry today due to the sins of man, I made a mistake once; nafsi, nafsi’

Nabi (SAW), when approached will accept our request and will travel with Jibraeel (AS) on the buraaq. He (SAW), will be taken somewhere and will praise Allah SWT in a manner that will be inspired by Allah SWT Himself, he (SAW), will praise Allah SWT in a manner that Allah SWT has never been praised before. Allah SWT will ask him (Nabi SAW) to raise his head and ask; he (SAW) will ask for our intercession and he (SAW) will also make dua for hisaab kitaab to commence. This will be granted. The heavens and the earth will split asunder and the angels in the first heaven will be heard. There will be such a nur (heavenly/divine light) emanating from the first heaven that the people will ask if it is Allah SWT Himself. The people will be told that it is just the angels, who will come down onto maydaan-e-hashr and will surround the people. This will happen for each and every of the seven heavens, then finally, the Arsh of Allah SWT will be brought down by eight strong angels.

Every nation will be told to follow whoever they followed, be this idols, people of false deities.

Our books will be presented to us so that we can read them (see verse: ‘Iqra’ kitataabaq…’) and they will given to us in either our right or left hands according to our deeds.

This will be the time when we will have a direct conversation with Allah SWT. A screen will be placed around a believer as Allah SWT is As-Sattaar. Therefore we are reminded that if Allah SWT conceals our sins, why do we, ourselves, not? If we commit sins, do not boast about them or make them public knowledge (through social media etc), rather our first steps should be those towards repentance.

At this stage, the mutakabireen (oppressors) will be cast aside and they will not even be granted Allah SWT’s presence.

Every person will be asked four questions, and their feet will not move until they answer them fully, what are these questions? They are:

1) How did you spend your life?

2) How did you spend your youth (the best portion of your life)?

3) How did you spend your wealth and how did you earn it? (every single penny will need to be accounted for, thus why the poor will reach Jannah before the rich).

4) How much ilm (knowledge) did you acquire, and how did you acquire it?

After this accountability has taken place, every good deed and every bad deed will be placed on the scale.

There are three groups that will be ‘fast-tracked’ to their destination, they will be:

1) The Ambiya (AS) and other such people who will have no hisaab to give as they are not sinners.

2) The Kuffaar who will have no hisaab to give as they are sinners.

3) Those who are in-between the two (Al-A’raaf) – their good deeds and their bad deeds will be equal in weight and one good deed will make all the difference (however this will a day in which no-one will be willing to part with anything, not a single deed, as they will only be concerned about their own fate; nafsi, nafsi).

The events at the Pul Siraat and the knocking on the doors of Jannah by Nabi (SAW) will occur (wherein Ridhwaan will only open the door to Nabi (SAW)).

Everyone will go their own Jannah, just as we know which house is our house in this world, we will know which house is our house in Jannah as we will have been shown it during our time in the barzaq. On a side note Shaykhul Hadeeth mentioned that we hear a lot of people use the phrase, ‘Only Allah will judge me’ etc. Shaykhul Hadeeth advised us not to use this phrase due to the flippant nature of it; considering what has been covered, we need to take in to account the enormity of the words we are saying: Allah Will Judge Us. It should strike absolute fear in to our hearts – Allah SWT is going to judge us for every single deed one day very soon; what if on that day Allah SWT is angry with us? What if we have done something that has angered Allah SWT and attracted His wrath? All of the hasaanat (good deeds) that we have acquired could be wiped out due to one sin, one sin.

We must remember that on that day, all of creation will be given true and absolute justice, for our Rabb is Al-Adl (The Most Just), so much so that on that day, an animal who only had one horn will be given justice for not having two horns, SubhanAllah.

Shaykh Ahmed Ali (al-Mahad al-Islami, Bradford)

Let me take you back to July 1999, the 16th Century false Prophet was on the lips of every person, the news the media, it was none other than Nostradamus. He made many a prediction, despite many of those predictons were not true and proven false people still believed that the world was going to end. There were a group of people sat with their belongings in the centre of Leeds, waiting for the world to end. And many others believed the same. But did the world come to an end? Are you in doubt? Lol. Then it was the millennium – the world was meant to end. But it is August 2014, we are still here. Now, the talk of the town is still the world will come to an end!

We are sat here today to talk about the End of the World – Qiyamah. You don’t normally see a Masjid so full with thousands of people listening lecture upon lecture. Only in Ramadhan you may see this. On Jumuah you will see this but we pray 2 rak’ah and then leave. Our Masajid are crying, they are empty. We do not pray as we need to pray. We do to bow down as we need to bow down. We do not prostrate as we need to prostrate. We do not fast as we need to fast. Have we forgotten a time will come, when we will need to face our Lord, the Lord of the Arsh and Kursiyy (throne). There will be no veil or wall between you and Allah Almighty. Picture this in your mind’s eyes, this is no joke. Allah will be angry like never before. He will punish like nobody has ever punished before. Allah will hold you account for every word, for every minute, every word you uttered, every sin you committed, now tell me brothers is this what excites you about the world ending and about the Akhirah. Allah is swearing, “I will fill Jahannam with the humankind and the jinnkind!”

The fire of hell is not yellow or red like that of the fire in this world, it is absolutely black! The fire of Hell will be brought on Qiyamah it will have 70,000 reins and on every rein there will be 70,000 angels pulling and bringing Jahannam. Jahannam will be angry because Allah Almighty will be angry. It will be brought on the plain of Qiyamah, believe me kid! You will be there, you will be the actor in this film, you’re the producer and the director. Trust me, or you can hold my neck on the day of Qiyamah and call me a liar. Imagine the heat, billions of people on one open plain, every man from Adam (peace be upon him) till the last man Allah creates. You will be standing so close together you will be on top of one another. The Prophet (peace be upon him) described this as, “Feet on the day of Qiyamah will be like arrows in a pouch.” You will not be able to put your feet on the ground.

The sun is currently 90,000,000 miles away, on that day it will be brought close. Our Prophet informed us it will only be a mile away. ‘Meel’ in arabic is termed as a mile or some Ulama have taken another meaning which is the needle one uses to put surmah on. Man next to beast, beast next to jinn, jinn next to shaytan and it will be totally hectic. You will sweat, either up to your ankles, or up to your knees, or up to your waist and some will be completely drowning in sweat due to their sins. How is this possible that one person can be sweating up to his ankles and next to you someone is sweating up to his waist? it will happen brothers and sisters do not ponder on this too much by using your Aql (intellect). As everything does not make sense in our Aql. For example when we do masah on our socks for wudhu, do we do it on the top or the bottom of our socks? On the top, whereas it is the bottom that gets dirty. The reason for this is our religion is based on Naql (Qur’an/Hadith) not on Aql (intellect).

Now, the doors of Hell will be open, and the fire will be black as Allah will have been fuelling it for many years. When you light a fire and keep it burning it gets hotter and hotter, the fire of Jahannam has been burning for thousands and thousands of years. The doors of Hell will be thrown open and the hot air will blow on the faces of some and not on others. “The smell of Hell on the plain of resurrection will be worse than rotten corpses.” (Hadith) We cannot bear the stench of a dead mouse under the floorboards in our house, what will be the smell on that day. The gravity of this day will be so hard for us, a man will say, “O Allah! Just send me to Hell, I cannot bear this anymore, please send me to Hell, I will stay in Hell, anything but this!!” This is just the start, this is nothing, just the beginning. The punishment of Hell is far, far worse. For those who disbelieved in this world they will burn in Hell forever and ever, no coming out, no rest, no peace and respite.

Shaykh Hashim Ahmad (USA) – Prepare today for tomorrow

(Shaykh Hashim presented his topic with the aid of a PPT presentation thus it is difficult to translate without the slides for reference)

The two questions one needs to ask are these:

1) Why am I here?

2) What is the purpose of my life?

With regards to the first question, man has travelled far into space and into the depth of the oceans yet he still hasn’t figured out the purpose of his own creation, of his own existence – ajeeb!

With regards to the second question:

‘And I created not the jinn and mankind except for (My continuous) ubudiyyah (worship/servitude).

On a sidenote, Shaykh Hashim mentioned that the English translation(s) given for the term ‘ubudiyyah’ are rather lacking, for they do not even come close to defining or capturing the essence of what the term in Arabic means and tries to convey.

(The root of the word ‘ubudiyyah’ is abd, which means ‘slave’; a slave does nothing except that which the Master commands)

A few questions that we need to look at in order to understand the essence of Islam:

1) What is Islam?

Islam isn’t an ‘ism’; Judaism, Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism etc, rather, it is a state of being. It is an absolute submission to Allah SWT, a submission borne out of love, awe and reverence of the Master

2) Who is a Muslim?

A Muslim is one who submits (to his Lord, to the commands of his Lord).

3) What is Deen?

It is a total system of submission to Allah.

Run to Allah, not from Him!

Ubudiyyah (servitude) isn’t just ibaadah (worship) – it (ubudiyyah) is obedience and servitude to Allah out of love and reverence of Him – whereas acts of ibaadah, like the five pillars of Islam are the ahkaamaat (commandments); they just also happen to be forms of ibaadah. Shaykh Hashim used a visual metaphor and described how ubudiyyah is like the trunk of a tree, with da’wah, taleem and tarbiyah being it’s roots (they are the basis upon which ubudiyyah is founded, and without which, ubudiyyah cannot exist, be understood or nurtured). Acts of ibaadah such as salaah, sawm, zakaah and hajj amongst others are the branches of this tree.

Shaykh Hashim finished off the talk by discussing the seven aqabaat outlined by Imaam Ghazali in his ‘On the path to ubudiyyah’:

1) Tanabbuh (Awakening)

Recognition of being a Muslim and what this involves.

2) Ilm and Tawbah

3) Awaa’iq (Hinderences)

Awaa’iq: The Dunya

The remedy: Tajarrud – Abstain from the dunya, learn not to love it

Awaa’iq: Society

The remedy: Taffarud – Choose solitude instead of excessive socialising

Awaa’iq: Shaytan

The remedy: Muharabah – Battle him

Awaa’iq: Nafs

The remedy: Mukhalafa – Oppose it

4) Awaarid (Obstacles)

Awaarid: Rizq (sustenance)

The remedy: Learn tawaqqul (reliance on Allah)

Awaarid: Akhtar (dangers)

The remedy: Tafweedh (plan, then leave the matter to Allah SWT)

Awaarid: Masa’ib (calamities)

The remedy: Sabr

Awaarid: Qadr (destiny)

The remedy: Ridaa bil qadha

5) Bawaa’ith (motivators)

Raja (hope) and Khawf (fear) – these are both revivers.

6) Qawadhih (destructors)

Riya (pride/showing off) and Ujb (conceit)

7) And if/when you have worked your way through this process, turn to Hamd (praising Allah) and express your Shukr (gratitude).

Suggestions for an action plan to attain true ubudiyyah:

1) Niyyah (intention)

2) Azm (Determination)

3) Sabr (Patience

4) Connected with ‘the connected’ (the ulema)

Ismail Ibn Nazir Satia (In dire need of Allah’s forgiveness, mercy and pleasure).

10th Dhul Qa’dah 1435

Tags ahmed ali, asuffa, birmingham, end of days, shaykh zahir, sulaiman moola

Current Affairs articles

The End of Days

In the Name of Allah the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

Assalamu Alaykum WaRahmatullahi WaBarakatuhu,

Dear Respected Brothers and Sisters,

After having attended ‘The End of Days’ conference at the Birmingham Central Mosque which was kindly organised by as-Suffa institute (Allah reward them), I thought to help me recap and recollect my thoughts, as well as sharing the Khayr with my brothers and sisters around the UK and elsewhere, I would put my notes to use for once! I shall try to keep my points short but succinct, so please bear with me. Bearing in mind my notes are not going to be precise I shall try to reference what I can and the rest will just have the scholars name as reference. If you do come across an error or something you wish to add, please do not hesitate to comment below – Jazak Allah. IS.

Mufti Liyaqut Saheb (Teacher at as-Suffa)

Mufti Saheb very eloquently mentioned how we should think about what we are and where we have come from. Man starts from a drop of sperm, forms into a foetus and thereafter enters into the world as a baby; young and feeble not able to help himself and crawling on all fours. Later, he develops through childhood into adulthood and just when he starts to think he is no longer in need of anyone and can stand for himself, he looks at himself with pride through his youthful eyes. Allah reminds him of who he actually is and what ‘man’ is capable of doing on his own – nothing! Man is now in his old age, in a state of helplessness and weakness, back in a position where he started: dependent on others. The lesson we learn from this very real eye-opener is that nothing remains: not our youth, our strength nor our beauty is everlasting. Everything will come to an end and the world will eventually crumble with all our precious passions and desires left behind.

Mufti Saheb further elucidated on the minor signs of Qiyamah and focused in detail on the disappearing of knowledge before Qiyamah. He quoted, “The destruction of society because of the lack of knowledge, is worse than the destruction of society because of natural disasters.” Hadeeth (Prophetic Tradition) teaches us that Ilm (religious knowledge)will disappear not by Allah removing it from the hearts, rather through the death of Ulama (religious scholars). But who are the true, religious scholars? Someone once asked Hasan Basri RH, “What is an Aalim?” He replied, “A seeker of knowledge in our times could be spotted through a few signs that, in essence, were the effects of this religious ilm.” He listed them as:

1. His humbleness

2. Abstinence from materialistic gain

3. Tongue (safeguarding it)

4. His gaze (focused on the Hereafter).

The world ‘Ilm’ comes from ‘Alam’ in Arabic which means ‘a sign’ or ‘to print’. So, we could say, knowledge is there to be imprinted in the mind. And this is how Islamic knowledge was passed on, directly from heart to heart and by sitting at the feet of scholars. Unfortunately, today we have people who copy and paste from screen to screen, sending fatwas by e-mail or text through a few misunderstood forwards put together and as a result, believe themselves to be ‘learned’. We can only truly understand knowledge by thinking and pondering on each, minute verse or word deeply. Allah cannot be worshipped without true knowledge. Our deen (religion) cannot be learnt at the tips of your fingers, ‘googling’ away whilst eating a packet of crisps. Unfortunately, we quote Hadeeth without even thinking and verifying whether it is correct or not. The students of Abdullah ibn Mas’ood (R.A.) once said, “Abdullah bin Mas’ood wouldn’t quote hadith as he pleased or whenever he wished. For one year we didn’t hear him say, ‘The Prophet (peace be upon him) said’. After a year he said it, but started sweating immediately and then said, ‘No! No! I am not sure. I think he (peace be upon him) said it…”

Allah save us.

Mufti Abdul Rehman Mangera (ZamZam Academy, London)

Mufti Saheb began explaining there are different signs of Qiyamah: minor and major. He explained how many of the prophecies of Our Beloved Nabi (peace be upon him) have come true. The word ‘Nabi’ means Prophet, the root word of which is ‘Naba’a’ in Arabic which means ‘to inform’. So quite simply put, the Prophets informed us of future events. He further explained about how people think the end of times are near because of the current climate and turmoil. When we had an Islamic Caliphate in Baghdad under the Abassid rule (Family of Abbas R.A.), one of the Khawarij attacked an envoy of Tartars. To retaliate, the Tartars starting killing Muslims, wiping cities like Bukhara and Samarqand. They then arrived at the centre of the Darul Khilafah, Baghdad. Here they killed 800,000 Muslims (almost 1 million).

Unfortunately, we are in a downfall today but what we need to ask ourselves is, are WE contributing to the downfall? We should not be contributing nor should we be despondent by thinking it is the end of times and we will now wait for Mahdi (Allah be pleased with him). Presently, we see Muslims being killed and butchered but this is not something new, it happened before and, sadly enough, it will continue to happen. But history shows we must do something positive, not be negative and sit back. In the time of Imam Suyooti RH, the 10th century (he died 911 hijri) people were also being killed and there was widespread fitnah (corruption) people in those times said they wouldn’t last till 1000 hijri, but they did and we are here today, Alhumdu Lillah. So brothers and sisters, let us remember before Mahdi (Allah be pleased with him) or Eesa (peace be upon him) or Dajjal that our own death lies closer. Let us prepare for that by praying regularly, being honest and fulfilling ties. Let us together avoid greed, avarice and enmity. Life is short. It is easy to sit online and listen to talks by scholars and professors who say Dajjal has already come out, or the Tartars were Yajooj and Majooj (Gog and Magog) etc. Rather, let us move forward and make positive changes in our lives and maybe those around us too.

Moving forward, Mufti Saheb elaborated on some of the minor sins starting with the death of Ulama and knowledge being taken away. The Ulama of today are not like the Ulama of the past. The great giants of Hadeeth like Imam Bukhari had 4,000 – 5,000 teachers. How? Because he travelled for knowledge. People were thirsty for knowledge and they had a zeal, a passion, a thirst. In Basrah or Baghdad a large masjid, bigger than this Masjid (Birmingham Central) would have had an Alim at every pillar giving Dars (lesson) on various topics; Seerah, Tafsir or Hikam. But this is not the case today and true knowledge is disappearing with the death of pious Ulama.

Another minor sign is that time will pass quickly because our lives will be devoid of Barakah (blessings). He narrated how when he travelled to Saharanpur, India he had a long day and managed to do a lot in a day. Then he served as an Imam in USA and he had no time for anything – 24 hours were not enough! But here, in the UK he sees a balance with the time.He asked one of his teachers regarding this, to which the reply he got, “Remember Allah abundantly and you will get Barakah.” If you make time for Allah, then Allah will make time for you.

Another on the list of minor signs, music, singing and dancing will be rife. Disobedience of parents is also a minor sign, which we see everywhere. Using the term, “My old man!” This is very disrespectful for one’s father. Also, murder and killing will be seen globally and it will be taken lightly.There were many other examples of foretold prophecies given by the Prophet (peace be upon him), one of which was, “The first fitnah will be killing, the killing of Uthman and the last of which will be Dajjal.” Also, let us look in the Hadith which mention about the greatest fitnah for men are women. And we men understand how hard it is to lower your gaze and protect yourself, imagine how great the fitnah of Dajjal will be. Trial and tribulations will come like waves of an ocean and waves do not stop or relax!

From the major signs the first sign will be the appearing of the Mahdi (Allah be pleased with him). Seven of the greatest Ulama (not most famous) will be going for Hajj every year, that year there will be many problems especially in Mina, to the extent blood will be shed on the Jamaraat. These Ulama will recognise Imam Mahdi (Allah be pleased with him). But he will escape them and go to Medinah, when the Ulama go to Medinah he will return and so will they. This will happen three times. Finally, they will get hold of him in Makkah and compel him to take reponsibility. (Recorded by Zarooji)

Times will be so hard a man will have to protect his women from going out because of fear of them being corrupted.

Another major sign is the returning of Eesa (peace be upon him). He will descend on the eastern white minaret of the mosque in Damascus. We should bear in mind, when the Prophet (peace be upon him) told his companions (Allah be pleased with them) the masjid was not built (whereas now it is). The minaret is near the Christian quarters. Eesa (peace be upon him) will break the cross and abolish the pigs and the Christians will follow him. However the Jews will split in two groups. Eesa (peace be upon him) will go to Jerusalem and Dajjal will be there. He will be telling the people, “Come! Time for Salah!” Eesa (peace be upon him) will kill Dajjal at a place called ‘Ludd’. Just a note here, currently in this place, Ludd, there is a Tablighi Markaz. After this, Yajooj and Majooj will appear but Eesa (peace be upon him) will not have as much power over them like he did over Dajjal.

Shaykh Zahir (Founder of as-Suffah)

Shaykh Zahir started with ‘Hadeeth Jibraeel’ in which, as a summary, it explains Islam: the five pillars, Imaan, the articles of faith, ihsaan, to worship Allah as though you see him. The Hadeeth ends with the signs of Qiyamah – that the slave-girl will give birth to her mistress, that you will see the barefooted ones, the naked, the destitute, the herdsmen of the sheep (competing with each other) in raising lofty buildings. Shaykh went on to say how the Mushrikeen (polytheists) could never digest the matter of Qiyamah and the world ending.

Adiyy ibn Hatim (Allah be pleased with him) says I came to Medinah and I was with the Prophet (peace be upon him) when an African woman came to complain to the Prophet (peace be upon him) about her master, so the Prophet (peace be upon him) dealt with her affair. He (peace be upon him) then said to me, “Take my hand and go wherever you want in Medinah.” Adiyy (Allah be pleased with him) says that I knew this man was no king or ruler because you cannot do this with them.

According to a Hadeeth, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Whoever dies his Qiyamah has started” (Musnadul Firdaws- Daylami). When the angel of death will approach man, he will say, “Why have you come so early? You should have sent me a postcard!” The angel of death will say, “I did send you a postcard! Didn’t you see babies dying? Natural disasters? Cities being wiped away? Your grey hair? Wrinkles on your face?”

Allah says: “The Hour has come near, and the moon has split [in two]” (54:1). Here, one may question the past tense as Qiyamah has not yet occurred. The explanation to that is understood in the language style of the Arabs who, in order to mention something of great importance would use the past tense. Allah is showing us the gravity of Qiyamah and the events post Qiyamah so man can take heed. But what do we see in the Dunya (worldly life)? The more Allah gives a man the more arrogant, the more agnostic, the more atheist he becomes. He can reach the depths of the seas, the peaks of the mountains, travel from one side of the world to the other but Allah is still above him and in control of him. If he forgets Allah, Allah will remind him as the verse explains, “The example of [this] worldly life is but like rain which We have sent down from the sky that the plants of the earth absorb – [those] from which men and livestock eat – until, when the earth has taken on its adornment and is beautified and its people suppose that they have capability over it, there comes to it Our command by night or by day, and We make it as a harvest, as if it had not flourished yesterday. Thus do We explain in detail the signs for a people who give thought” (10:24).

The final hour and death are two things which only Allah Almighty knows. When the Prophet (peace be upon him) would talk about Qiyamah he would get passionate, his cheeks would get red and talk as though he was warning about an enemy. When all the minor signs will finish and the major signs finish a wind will blow and take the souls of all the Muslims. Then then Ka’bah will be broken and Israfeel will be given the order to blow the horn. Since Israfeel has been given the trumpet his eyes have not moved from the Arsh because he does not want to delay the blowing of the trumpet for even the blink of an eye. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “How can I rest, how can I rest when Israfeel is waiting to blow the trumpet.” The Sahabah (Allah be pleased with them) were very worried as they were worried about their Akhirah (hereafter) so they went to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and He (peace be upon him) said,”Say: Allah is enough for us and upon Him do we rely.”

And the Horn will be blown, and whoever is in the heavens and whoever is on the earth will fall dead except whom Allah wills. Then it will be blown again, and at once they will be standing, looking on. (39:68)

Imagine the scene when the trumpet will be blown, everything will stop and drop dead! How will be the sound of that horn? Today they are researching how to kill people without shotting bullets, they have sonic weapons and bullets whereby they do not need to shoot. They can break your eyeballs through the noise it makes. Let us look how Allah killed the people of Thamud, he killed them through noise, “And the shriek (sayhah) seized those who had wronged, and they became within their homes [corpses] fallen prone.” (11:67) “But they were insolent toward the command of their Lord, so the thunderbolt (saa’iqah) seized them while they were looking on.” (51:44). So what is the difference between ‘Sayhah’ and ‘Saa’iqah’? Sayhah has the ability to kill and Saa’iqah has the ability to kill and burn.

120 decibels your ears will hurt

140 decibels your eardrums will pop

150 decibels your ribs will hurt and pain

200 decibles livers and lungs punch

So, it could start of as Sayhah and end up as Saa’iqah. This is why in America they are making electricity from soundwaves. Scientists prove if the noise is intense enough it can crush somebody. If the noise is above 200 decibels it can have an impact on a person’s body

Mufti Muhammad Ibn Adam Al-Kawthari (Daruliftaa.com, Leicester)

One thing everyone agrees on is death. But nobody knows their date of death neither the location. Death is such a reality but nobody wants to talk about it, because it is distasteful. But more important than the end of time, end of days or Qiyamah itself is our own end – our death. Let us not dwell too much on Qiyamah and the events beforehand. The Prophet (peace be upon him) emphasised this many times in Hadith, we should remember death often so that the love of the world leaves our hearts. Once a piece of soft cloth came in front of the Sahabah (Allah be pleased with them) and they were amazed by the softness. When the Prophet (peace be upon him) saw this he said, “Are you amazed by the softness of this cloth? The towel/cloth in Jannah of Saad ibn Muaadh is much softer than this.” He (peace be upon him) was taking the love of materialistic things out of their hearts and instilling the love of the hereafter. Brothers and sisters we do not have long in this world. The average life span in this country is 60! “An intelligent man is the one who controls his Nafs (desires) and prepares for the Hereafter, (whereas) the foolish one is he who follows his desires and keeps (false) hopes in Allah.” Hadith

So time is short and time is flying by. A week goes like a day and a month goes like a week. But we are so engrossed in this worldly life and in pursuit of materialistic gain we have forgotten the Akhirah (hereafter). All we want to do is follow celebrities and football stars and pop stars. Allah has described this worldly life as a ‘game’ in the Qur’an. Meaning in comparison to the hereafter it is a game – the real deal is the hereafter. Let our focus be there In Sha Allah.

Man goes through different stages, his youth is spent in driving fast cars, eating nice food and dining out, chasing girls and having the latest gadgets. Then he grows up, now he gets married has pride over his wife and children. He boasts over his wealth, his properties in the UK and Dubai etc. He must be better than everyone around, his friends and family members. He forgets death and is unaware of the Hereafter. Hadith actually tells us to remember the destroyer of pleasures: death! We should also visit the cemetery frequently and remember people close to us who have left the world in young age and old age. When you leave this world you will take nothing with you. Your name is forgotten, you are referred to as ‘the body’ when you die.

Dunya in arabic means ‘something that is going to go’. Umar (Allah be pleased with him) said, “Every day it is announced fulaan ibn fulaan has died. A day will surely come and it will be announced Umar ibn Khattab has died and left the world.”

When a good man is put in his grave a voice will whisper to him, “Sleep as a newly wedded wife sleeps.” This is why Hadith mentions, “The grave is either a garden from the gardens of Jannah. Or it is a ditch from the ditches of Jahannam.” Mufti Shafi (Allah have mercy on him) of Pakistan said, “the grave and life of Barzakh is like a waiting room.” His son Mufti Taqi Uthmani says, “Every person thinks a lot and has a lot of thoughts about the world; work, family, shopping, car, property or marriage. But we need to change our thoughts to the hereafter, death, the grave, Qiyamah, the scales, pul sirat (bridge over Hell) and Jannah/Jahannam.”

Death is a gift for the believer – Hadith.

Ismail Ibn Nazir Satia (In dire need of Allah’s mercy, forgiveness and pleasure).

1st Dhul Qa’dah

Tags asuffa, birmingham, qiyamah, shaykh zahir, the end of days