Tag: durood

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Poems

Under the Green Dome

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

IMG_8998The city of Hijrah, a city once called Yathrib,
The heart ❤️ of Islam, the resting place of al-Habeeb (SAW),
This is Madinah, whisper softly.
Clouds ☁️ of mercy envelope you in the day, the black starry ⭐️ sky wraps you at night,
Here rests the Lantern of Guidance who spread his white shimmering light,
This is Madinah, whisper softly.
The Sultan of Madinah, the Prince of Arabia, the Jewel of Islam, Imam of the Prophets, Leader of Mankind,
You fulfilled the Amanah, you passed on the message (of Islam), only those rejected who were blind,
This is Madinah, whisper softly.
Light upon light, mercy upon mercy, bounty upon bounty, blessings upon blessings, grace upon grace,
Ya RasoolAllah! Remove the veils and grant us sight of your glorious face.
This is Madinah, whisper softly.
You are a bandage for the wounded,
Your generosity leaves us dumbfounded,
You are the ointment for the sick,
You united your companions, like a building brick by brick,
This is Madinah whisper softly.
AbuBakr RA, Umar RA, Uthman RA, Ali RA,
They were those who after you guided rightly,
All your companions shone like stars ✨ bright,
Through your teachings, they attained great heights.
You called us “your brothers”, but from the right path we have strayed,
O Muhammad! (SAW) forgive us for the brotherhood we have betrayed,
We are indebted to you, not an ounce we have repaid,
Our deeds are shown to you full of sins and vice, mistakes have been made,
We seek your pardon from this day forward we will make up for the deeds that have been delayed,
Reignite your love, quench our thirsty souls, before our Iman fades.
I sit here under the green dome pondering for a while,
How wonderful was your smile,
How beautiful it would be to see you in Salah lead,
Recite the Quran eloquently and read,
To watch your companions weeping and taking heed,
It was here Islam was planted and you sowed the seed.
Oh! How I wish I was a pigeon flying over your dome just to be blessed with your company,
Rather, I deserve to be just a wing or a feather.
Perhaps I could have been a tree to give you shade when you rested,
Nay! A branch or leaf ? would have sufficed.
Let the soil of Madinah be the Surma for my eyes,
These eyes have no purpose if for you they don’t cry.
I have an earnest request to be close to you, to be your beloved friend,
Let the last chapter of my life finish and end,
In this holy city let me spend,
My final breath, my last moments, from here let my soul ascend.
Let my soul be taken in this sanctified place,
Grant me in al-Baqi a shroud and space.
So I may attain his Shafa’ah,
The day I need it most on Qiyamah.
(Final plea) O Allah! If you have to take me to account on Qiyamah,
Please do it away from the gaze of Mustafa SAW.
It was narrated that Anas bin Malik (Allah be pleased with him) said:
“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘None of you truly believes until I am more beloved to him than his child, his father and all the people.'” (Ibn Majah)
Ismail Ibn Nazir Satia, al-Madinatul Munawwarah
23 Ramadhan 1439
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Categories
Personalities

Do You Love Muhammad (PBUH)?

A man from the unbelievers said: “Islam is a religion, if only it had men.”

“Islam is a religion if only it had men!” And by Allah! He did not lie!Love.jpg_595+copy

Today they scorn our Islam and our Qur’an, and ridicule our Prophet (salAllaho alayhi wasallam), and they ask: “Why are you terrorists?” So what do you want us to be surrendered and defeated?

In their law it is forbidden to mock at all religions except Islam. And they say about Islam that it is the religion of people who are morally cheap. They mean by it our Prophet (salaAllahu ‘alayhi wa salam).

So from where will we find the likes of Mu’awwaz RA and Mu’aadh RA? From where will we get the likes of Bin Unais RA and those people?

Listen to this, and let us cry together on ourselves. The author of Durar al-Makinah narrated, in the third book on page no. 202 exactly, that a group of senior Christians gathered to meet a Mongol king who had become Christian.

One of the Christian scholars started mocking our Prophet (salaAllahu ‘alayhi wa salam) and there a hunting dog was tied. The dog started barking loudly and getting violent toward the Christian.

They moved it away from him with great difficulty. A man from them said: “He did this because of your talk on Muhammad,” but the Christian replied: “No, actually this dog is arrogant. He saw me pointing so he though I wanted to beat him.”

Thus, he returned to the mockery of the Prophet (salaAllahu ‘alayhi wa salam) impudently in a fiercer manner. At this the dog broke his bonds and jumped on the neck of the Christian, and tore his throat at the instance. He died immediately and at that 40,000 Mongols accepted Islam.

The dogs envied and were angered. The dogs envied and were angered.

So where is our anger?

The trees and the plants longed for you O Beloved of Allah, so where is our longing?

Al-Hasan al-Basri (rahiimahullah) whenever he heard of the hadith of the crying of the stem of the tree on the parting of the Prophet (sala Allahu ‘Alayhi wa salam), he would cry and say “O Community of Muslims! The trees and the plants were affectionate to the Messenger of Allah. The trees and the plants were affectionate to the Messenger of Allah (sala Allahu ‘Alayhi Wa Salam) do you not feel affection to his memory?”

The Prophet (sala Allahu ‘Alayhi Wa Salam) always used to tell his Companions: “I am longing for my brothers. I am longing for my brothers.”

So they said: “Are we not your brothers?”

He said to them: “You are my Companions. My brothers are those who will have faith in me and will believe in me and follow me without seeing me.”

So what will we tell him when people will gather and reach his pond and he will say to us: “They mocked at me and ridiculed me and hurt me, so what did you do to defend me and my honour?”

An eye-opener!

A friend of mine rang me weeping, I know him well.
He said, ‘An old man saw the Prophet SAW in his dream. This man fears Allah! The Prophet was sad (may my parents be sacrificed for him). He SAW said, “Tell my Ummah and those who follow me… Don’t I have the right that they should sacrifice themselves for my sake?”
Didn’t Allah say: ‘The Prophet is dearer to the believers than themselves’.”
Shaykh Khaled Rashid (Allah hasten his release from Saudi prison)
His name was Muhammad SAW, from the root word ‘hamd’ to praise.
His father’s name was Abdullah RA, from the root word ‘uboodiyyah’ to worship.
His mother’s name was Aminah RA, from the root word ‘Amn’ peace.
His wet-nurse was Halimah RA, from the root word ‘hilm’ forbearance.
His carer was Umm Ayman RA, from the root word ‘yumn’ barakah and blessings.
If these were the people around the Messenger SAW then imagine the honour and dignity of such a noble being.
Categories
Shaykh Saleem Dhorat

Love & Reverence for Rasūlullāh sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam

By Hadrat Mawlānā Muhammad Saleem Dhorat hafizahullāh

Whenever the blessed name of our beloved Nabī sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam is mentioned, the one who is fortunate to utter this name and also the one who is fortunate to hear his name should, with utmost love and reverence, say, ‘sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam’. Nowadays, there is great negligence amongst youth in this regard. Some years ago, with the now older generation, we would see such great love and enthusiasm in reciting salāh ‘alan nabi (durūd); whenever the following verse would be recited in the khutbah, everyone would read some formula of salāh ‘alan nabi:

Truly, Allāh and His angels send salutations upon the prophet; o you who believe, send salutations and abundant greetings upon him (too). (33:56)

This verse contains a command from Allāh ta‘ālā to send salāh ‘alan nabi as this is an action performed by both Allāh ta‘ālā and His angels. However, for the youth nowadays this verse doesn’t bring any response. When it is recited we do not see anyone reading salāh ‘alan nabi audibly or even silently.

The ‘Ulamā have deduced from this verse that it is fard (compulsory) to send salutations and greetings upon the Prophet sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam at least once in a lifetime. Thereafter, whenever one participates in any gathering, be it dars on the Qur’ān or Hadīth, a lecture or even an informal gathering, then the first time the blessed name of the Prophet sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam is mentioned it is wājib (obligatory) to read salāh ‘alan nabi; thereafter, every time, in the same gathering, whenever the blessed name is mentioned it is mustahab (desirable) to read salāh ‘alan nabi each time.

Remember, love and reverence for the Prophet sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam dictates that even if the sharī‘ah had not stipulated that salāh ‘alan nabi be read when his blessed name is mentioned, we would still send salutations and greetings upon him in abundance.

So, whenever we hear the verse above read in a khutbah we should read salāh ‘alan nabi. There are many formulae for salāh ‘alan nabi. The most virtuous is the formula that we read in salāh. The shortest formula is ‘sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam’. This is the formula commonly used by the Muhaddithīn and is probably the most frequently recited form.

Our love for the Prophet sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam should be such that we should not think of it to be a burden; rather, we should be eager to read it whenever we can. If, during a lecture, the scholar is explaining a point and happens not to mention the name of the Prophet sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam for some time, we should feel that something is missing and eagerly await when the blessed name is mentioned so that we can say salāh ‘alan nabi.

Love and reverence for the Prophet sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam also dictates that we do not shorten his name when writing it. Many, instead of writing ‘Muhammad’ in full, suffice with writing ‘Mohd’. We write an article or letter of many pages and the only word that we find that we can shorten is the blessed name of the beloved of Allāh sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam! Similarly, many do not write, for example, ‘sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam’, sufficing with ‘s.a.w’. Again, in the whole letter, article, etc. are these the only words that we can find to shorten? There is a similar trend in the Urdu language where the letters ‘Sād’ or ‘Sād, Lām, ‘Ayn and Mīm’ are used to represent ‘sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam’. Ponder for a while that who is planting these thoughts in your mind about shortening the name and salutation for our beloved Prophetsallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam. What does this show regarding our love and reverence for our beloved Prophet sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam?

I remember when I was a student in Dārul ‘Ulūm, the way we were taught by our elders and the culture in the madrāsah was such that as the blessed name of the Prophet sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam was mentioned again and again, it was very difficult to take down all the notes from the lectures and also write the name of the Prophet sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam with salutations. Therefore, in our notes, wherever we had to write the blessed name of the Prophet sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam and salutations, we would leave out a blank space and after class, in our own time, with our best handwriting we would write the salutations in our note books.

I would also like to bring an important point to the attention of many lecturers, who speak with the most eloquent language and accents, yet, when it comes to salāh ‘alan nabi they quickly mumble the words, void of love and reverence. Is this the level of our love and reverence for our Prophet sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam? 

In reading salāh ‘alan nabi there is nothing but benefit for us:

1. Allāh ta‘ālā sends ten mercies upon a person who recites salāh ‘alan nabi once.

2. Ten sins are forgiven.

3. The person’s rank is raised by ten degrees.

4. Ten rewards are written for him.

5. There is acceptance of du‘ā where salāh ‘alan nabi is recited at the beginning and at the end.

6. The person will be blessed with the intercession of Rasūlullāh sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam.

7. Allāh will forgive his sins.

8. Allāh is pleased with him.

9. The person will be nearer to the Prophet sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam on the Day of Judgement.

10. The person will have all his worries removed in this world and the Hereafter.

The great luminary in the field of tazkiyah and ihsān, Shaykh-ul-Hadīth, Hadrat Mawlānā Muhammad Zakariyyā rahimahullāh would often receive letters regarding different problems and he would reply with appropriate answers. However, one point he would emphasise on in every reply was to be punctual in the recitation of salāh ‘alan nabi.

“There is a solution to every problem in sending salutations upon Muhammad sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam.”

Finally, the great shaykh, Shaykh Rashīd Ahmad Gangohī rahimahullāh would instruct that salāh ‘alan nabi be read a minimum of 300 times daily by every Muslim. In the beginning, we could read the shortest formula of salāh ‘alan nabi mentioned above. After that we should try to recite salāh ‘alan nabi with the most virtuous salāh ‘alan nabi mixed in after every 10-15 of the shortest formula. This figure of 300 should be increased on the day of Friday, as the day of Friday has a special affinity with the Prophet sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam.

May Allāh ta‘ālā enable us to read salāh ‘alan nabi in abundance and have true love and reverence for our beloved Prophet sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam.

© Riyādul Jannah (Vol. 19 No. 9/10, Sep/Oct 2010)

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Shaykh Saleem Dhorat

How to Benefit from Ramadān

By Hadrat Mawlānā Muhammad Saleem Dhorat hafizahullāh

 In order to fully benefit from this blessed month, the following is recommended:

1. Reading from Fadā’il-e-A‘māl of Shaykh-ul-Hadīth, Mawlānā Muhammad Zakariyyā rahimahullāh. We should sit down as a family at a set time, and read and listen to a portion daily. We should study this book before and during Ramadān.

2. Abstain from every disobedience to Allāh ta‘ālā. Safeguard your eyes, ears, tongue and even the mind. As many sins take place as a result of interacting with people we should minimize this.

3. Prepare a timetable and keep yourself occupied at all times. Stay away from every action and speech which has no benefit in this world or the Hereafter.

4. Make an assessment of all the deeds you have carried out daily. Ask yourself two questions:

a) Have I carried out any deed which will attract the Mercy of Allāh ta‘ālā?

b) Have I committed any sin which will deprive me of the Mercy of Allāh ta‘ālā?

5. Spend as much time as possible in reciting the Qur’ān. The Huffāz should set a target of reciting the whole Qur’ān 10 times, and the non-Huffāz at least 5 times.

6. Read salāh ‘alan Nabī sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam, the kalimah tayyibah, the third kalimah, istighfār, etc. in abundance.

7. Engage in du‘ā, asking Allāh ta‘ālā for all the needs of this world and the Hereafter, after the performance of good deeds, before iftār and at the time of Tahajjud.

8. Read in abundance:

    

     Lā ilāha illallāh, astaghfirullāh, as’alukal jannah, wa a’ūdhubika minannār.

     There is no diety except Allāh, I seek forgiveness from Allāh, I ask from You (O Allāh) Jannah, and I seek Your refuge from the fire.  

9. Spend in the Path of Allāh ta‘ālā during the days and nights of Ramadān. Allocate a budget and spend accordingly.

10. Spend the last 10 days in i‘tikāf, for these 10 days are the very cream of Ramadān. Every year Laylat-ul-Qadr (The Night of Power) rotates in these 10 nights.

© Riyādul Jannah 

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Spirituality

Jumu’ah: The Weekly Eid

jumuah

Praise be to Allah.

O Allah! Bestow Your special blessings and peace upon the source of divine providence, the adornment of the Day of Resurrection, the treasure of guidance, the decoration of the outfit, the groom of the kingdom, the tongue of the evidence, the intercessor of the Ummah, the leader of the presence, the prophet of mercy, our master, Muhammad (ﷺ).

Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) once clarified concerning the earth’s history:

God created clay on Saturday, mountains on Sunday, trees on Monday, things entailing labour on Tuesday, and light on Wednesday. He caused animals to spread on Thursday and created Adam after Asr on Friday, the last creation at the last hour [of creation]. (Sahih Muslim, # 1300)

There is no doubt that Friday is an “Eid” or “festival” for the Muslims, as it says in the hadeeth narrated from Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “This is a day of ‘Eid that Allah has ordained for the Muslims, so whoever comes to Jumu‘ah, let him do ghusl, and if he has any perfume let him put some on, and you should use the miswak.” Narrated by Ibn Majah, 1098. Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said, describing the special virtues of Friday: Thirteen: It is a day of ‘Eid that is repeated every week. Zaad al-Ma‘aad, 1/369

Thus the Muslims have three Eids: Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, which come once every year, and Jumu‘ah which is repeated once every week. Rasulullah (ﷺ) said: “Friday is the best of days. It was on this day that  Adam alayhis salaam was created, it was on this day that he was granted entry into jannah, it was on this day that he was removed from Jannah (which became the cause for man’s existence in this universe, and which is a great blessing), and the day of resurrection will also take place on this day.” (Sahih Muslim)

In olden times, the roads and alleys used to be extremely busy in the mornings and at Fajr time. All the people used to go so early to the Jaame musjid and there used to be such a large crowd that it used to look like the days of Eid . Later, when this habit was given up, people began saying that this is the first innovation in Islam. After writing this, Imam Ghazali rahmatullahialayh says: “Aren’t the Muslims ashamed of themselves that the Jews and Christians go so early in the morning to their synagogues and churches on Saturdays and Sundays. Those who are businessmen go so early to the bazaars in order to do their buying and selling. Why don’t the Muslims do the same?” The reality of the situation is that the Muslims have totally reduced the value of this blessed day. They do not even know what day this is, and what a high status it has. How sad it is that the day which was more valuable than eid in the eyes of Muslims of the past, which Rasulullah (ﷺ) was proud of and the day which was not granted to the previous nations has become so dishonoured at the hands of Muslims today and it is such a great ingratitude to the favour of Allah Ta’ala that the consequence of all this can be seen with our very eyes.”

Many Ahadeeth have been narrated from the Prophet (ﷺ) which explain the virtues of Jumu’ah prayer. For example:

1 – Muslim (233) narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “The five daily prayers, and from one Jumu’ah to the next, are an expiation for whatever sins come in between, so long as one does not commit any major sin.” 

It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: “Whoever does ghusl then comes to Jumu’ah, and prays as much as Allah decrees for him, then listens attentively until the khutbah is over, then prays with him (the imam), will be forgiven for (his sins) between that and the next Jumu’ah and three more days.” Narrated by Muslim, 857

Imam Nawawi RH said: The scholars said that what is meant by his being forgiven between the two Jumu’ahs and three more days is that a good deed is worth ten like it, so he will be rewarded with ten Hasanahs (rewards) for each of the good deeds that he did on Friday. Some of our companions said: what is meant by what is between the two Jumu’ahs is from Jumu’ah prayer and the khutbah until the same time on the following Friday, so that it will be seven days, no more and no less, then three days are added making ten in all.

2 – Coming early to Jumu’ah brings a great reward.

Al-Bukhari (814) and Muslim (850) narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “Whoever does ghusl on Friday like ghusl for janabah, then goes to the prayer (in the first hour, i.e., early), it is as if he sacrificed a camel. Whoever goes in the second hour, it is as if he sacrificed a cow; whoever goes in the third hour, it is as if he sacrificed a horned ram; whoever goes in the fourth hour, it is as if he sacrificed a hen; and whoever goes in the fifth hour it is as if he offered an egg. When the imam comes out, the angels come to listen to the khutbah.”

3 – If a person walks to Jumu’ah prayer, for every step he will have the reward of fasting and praying qiyaam for one year.

It was narrated from Aws ibn Aws al-Thaqafi that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “Whoever does ghusl on Friday and causes (his wife) to do ghusl, and sets out early, and comes close to the imam and listens and keeps quiet, for every step he takes he will have the reward of fasting and praying qiyaam for one year.”  Tirmidhi, 496; Tirmidhi, 410

Ibn al-Qayyim RH said in Zaad al-Ma’aad, 1/285: “Causes (his wife) to do ghusl” means has intercourse with his wife. This is how it was interpreted by Wakee’.

Mawlana Aqil Sahib (Hafidhahullah), who has written the commentary of Abu Dawud (alDurrul Mandhood) states, in all of the books of Hadith, from all of the different virtues (fadhaail), I find the above Hadith easiest to perform and greatest in reward. 

Hafidh ibn Hajar (may Allaah have mercy on him) said, after quoting the Ahadeeth which speak of the virtues of Jumu’ah prayer:

What we have quoted, when taken all together, indicates that the expiation of sins from one Friday to the next is subject to all the conditions mentioned above being met, namely doing ghusl, cleaning oneself, putting on perfume, wearing one’s best clothes, walking in a calm and dignified manner, not stepping over people, not pushing between two people, not offending others, praying Nawafil prayers, listening attentively and avoiding idle speech. And Allah knows best.
As Jumu’ah starts after Maghrib on Thursday night, one should take advantage of sending ‏Durood & Salawaat to Rasulullah (SAW) on this night. “On Fridays, send Durood abundantly on me, as it is presented before me.” (Abu Dawud)

Rasulullah (ﷺ) said: “Of all the days, Friday is the most virtuous. It is on this day that the trumpet will be blown. Send abundant durood upon me on Fridays because they are presented to me on that day. ” The Sahabah  radiallahu anhum asked: “O Rasulullah! How will they be presented to you when even your bones will not be present after your death?” Rasulullah (Allah bless him & give him peace) replied: “Allah Ta’ala has made the earth haraam upon the prophets forever . ” (Abu Daud)

Book of Deeds (Nasai and Tibrani) – Imam Mustaghfiri (R.A.) narrates that Rasulullah (ﷺ) said : “Whoever recites 100 times Durood on me daily, 100 of his needs will be fullfilled – 30 worldly needs and 70 pertaining to the Akhirah.”

Tabrani narrates that Rasulullah (ﷺ) said : “My Shafaa’ah ( intercession ) will be for him who recites daily ten times Durood on me during the morning and ten times during the evening.”

Umar Farooq (R.A.) said: “Duas remain suspended between the heaven and the earth. It does not proceed upward as long as Durood on Nabi has not been recited”

FULL ARTICLE ON DUROOD:

The importance of Durood/Salawaat ﷺ

Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “Anyone of you attending the Friday (prayers) should take a bath.” (Bukhari)

It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “Whoever recites Ha-Meem (Surah) al-Dukaan on the night before Friday will be forgiven.” 

It was narrated from Abu Umamah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever recites Ha-Meem (Surah) al-Dukhan on the night before Friday or on Friday, Allah will build for him a house in Paradise.”  al-Tabarani in al-Mu‘jam al-Kabeer (8/264).

 It was narrated by al-Tirmidhi (2889) The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “He who leaves the Friday prayer (continuously) for three Friday on account of slackness, Allah will print a stamp on his heart.” (Abu Dawud).

It was narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar and Abu Hurayrah that they heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say on the minbar: “Let people stop neglecting Jumu’ah, or Allah will place a seal on their hearts, then they will be among those who are neglectful.” Narrated by Muslim, 865.

“Whoever would like to meet Allah tomorrow as a Muslim, let him regularly attend these five (daily) prayers whenever the call for them is given (that in the mosques), for Allah prescribed for His Prophet the ways of guidance, and they (the prayers) are part of those ways of guidance. I do not think that there is anyone among you who does not have a place where he prays in his house. But if you were to pray in your houses and forsake the Masjids, you would be forsaking the Sunnah of your Prophet (ﷺ), and if you were to forsake the Sunnah of your Prophet you would go astray. There is no Muslim slave who performs Wudu and does it well, then walks to the prayer, but Allah will record one Hasanah (good deed) for each step he takes, or raise’ him one level by it or erase one sin from him. I remember how we used to take short steps, and I remember (a time) when no one stayed behind from the prayer except a hypocrite whose hypocrisy was well known. And I have seen a man coming Supported by two others until he would be made to stand in the row.” (al Nisai)

On this day there is a time when a person’s Lord will answer his du’aa’ – by Allah’s leave. It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah mentioned Friday and said: “On this day there is a time when no Muslim stands and prays, asking Allah for something, but Allah will grant him it” – and he gestured with his hands to indicate how short that time is.  Bukhari, 893; Muslim, 852

“Whoever recites Surah kahf on Friday, a Noor will shine for him until the following Friday.” (Nasai, Bayhaqi, Hakim)
This means that Allah will place special light in his/her heart which will guide them towards good throughout the whole week.

Al-Mannaawi RH said: “It is recommended to read it during the day or night of Jumu’ah, as al-Shaafa’i (may Allaah have mercy on him) stated.” (Fayd al-Qadeer, 6/198)

“Whoever recites the opening ten verses of Surah kahf will be protected from the fitnah of Dajjal” (Muslim)

Another Hadith says: “If Dajjal appears before you, recite the last ten verses of Surah kahf, because they will protect you from his fitnah”.

If anyone learns by heart the first ten verses of the Surah al-Kahf, he will be protected from the Dajjal.(Saheeh Muslim)

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “Whoever recites three Ayat from the beginning of Al-Kahf he is protected from the turmoil of the Dajjal.” (Tirmidhi).

“If anyone memorizes ten verses from the beginning of Surat al-Kahf, he will be protected from the trial of Dajjal (Antichrist).” Abu Dawud RH said: In this way Hashim al-dastawa’I RH transmitted it from Qatadah RH, but he said: “If anyone memorizes the closing verses of surat al-Kahf.” Shu’bah RH narrated from Qatadah RH the words “from the end of al-Kahf. (Abu Dawud)

Acts to be done:
1: To have Ghusl (Sunnah bath).
2: To use miswaak.
3: To wear clean clothes (preferably white ).
4: To apply Ittar.
5: To proceed early to the masjid.

The earlier a person goes, the more reward he will receive. Rasulullah (Allah bless him & give him peace) said: “On the day of jumu’ah, the angels stand at the entrance of that musjid in which jumu’ah salaat is to be offered. They write down the name of the person who enters the musjid first, and thereafter the name of the person who follows, and they continue doing this . The person who entered first will receive the reward of sacrificing a camel in the path of Allah, the one who followed him will get the reward of sacrificing a cow, thereafter a chicken, thereafter the reward of giving an egg as charity in the path of Allah. Once the khutbah commences, the angels close the register and begin listening to the khutbah.” (Bukhari and Muslim)

6: To walk to the masjid.
7: To sit near the Imam.
8: Not to walk over the shoulder of people to get to the front.
9: not to indulge in vanities during khutbah.
10: To listen to the khutbah attentively.
11: To recite Durood Shareef abundantly.
12: To recite Surah kahf.
13: To perform Salatul Tasbeeh.
14: To make excessive du’as especially between Asr And Maghrib.

Rasulullah (ﷺ) said: “Friday is the “mother” of all days and the most virtuous in the sight of Allah Ta’ala. In the sight of Allah Ta’ala, it has more greatness than Eid ul-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. ” (Ibn Majah)

Rasulullah (ﷺ) said: “The Muslim who passes away on the night or during the day of Friday, Allah Ta’ala saves him from the punishment of the grave .” (Tirmidhi)

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

1 Jamadul Akhar 1437

Categories
Shaykh Saleem Dhorat

Love and Reverence for the Prophet Sallallāhu ‘Alayhi Wasallam

by Shaykh Mawlānā Muhammad Saleem Dhorat hafizahullāh

Whenever the blessed name of our beloved Prophet sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam is mentioned, the one who is fortunate to utter this name and also the one who is fortunate to hear his name should, with utmost love and reverence, say, ‘sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam.’ Nowadays, there is great negligence amongst youth in this regard. Some years ago, with the now older generation, we would see such great love and enthusiasm in reciting salāh ‘alan nabī (durūd); whenever the following verse would be recited in the khuṭbah, everyone would read some formula of salāh ‘alan nabī:


Truly, Allāh and His angels send blessings upon the Prophet; O you who believe! Send salutations and abundant greetings upon him (too). (33:56)

This verse contains a command from Allāh ta‘ālā to send salāh ‘alan nabī as this is an action performed by both Allāh and His angels. However, for the youth nowadays this verse doesn’t bring any response. When it is recited we do not see anyone reading salāh ‘alan nabī audibly or even silently.

The ‘Ulamā have deduced from this verse that it is fard (compulsory) to send salutations and greetings upon the Prophet sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam at least once in a lifetime. Thereafter, whenever one participates in any gathering, be it a dars (lesson) on the Qur’ān or ahādīth, a lecture or even an informal gathering, then the first time the blessed name of the Prophet sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam is mentioned it is wājib (obligatory) to read salāh ‘alan nabī; thereafter, every time, in the same gathering, whenever the blessed name is mentioned it is mustaḥab (desirable) to read salāh ‘alan nabī each time.

What Love Dictates

Remember, love and reverence for the Prophet sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam dictates that even if the sharī‘ah had not stipulated that salāh ‘alan nabī be read when his blessed name is mentioned, we would still send salutations and greetings upon him in abundance.

So, whenever we hear the verse above read in a khutbah, we should read salāh ‘alan nabī. There are many formulae for salāh ‘alan nabī. The most virtuous is the formula that we read in salāh. The shortest formula is ‘sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam’. This is the formula commonly used by the Muhaddithūn and is probably the most frequently recited form.

Our love for the Prophet sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam should be such that we should not think of it to be a burden; rather, we should be eager to read it whenever we can. If, during a lecture, the scholar is explaining a point and happens not to mention the name of the Prophet sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam for some time, we should feel that something is missing and eagerly await the mentioning of the blessed name so that we can say salāh ‘alan nabī.

Love and reverence for the Prophet sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam also dictates that we do not shorten his name when writing it. Many, instead of writing ‘Muḥammad’ in full, suffice with writing ‘Mohd’. We write an article or letter of many pages and the only word that we find that we can shorten is the blessed name of the beloved of Allāh sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam! Similarly, many do not write, for example, ‘sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam’, sufficing with ‘s.a.w’. Again, in the whole letter, article, etc. are these the only words that we can find to shorten? There is a similar trend in the Urdu language where the letters ‘Sād’ or ‘Sād, Lām, ‘Ayn and Mīm’ are used to represent ‘sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam’. Ponder for a while that who is planting these thoughts in your mind about shortening the name and salutation for our beloved Prophet sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam. What does this show regarding our love and reverence for our beloved Prophet sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam?

Writing the Durūd

I remember when I was a student in Dār-al-‘Ulūm, the way we were taught by our elders and the culture in the Madrāsah was such that as the blessed name of the Prophet Sallallāhu ‘Alayhi Wasallam was mentioned again and again, it was very difficult to take down all the notes from the lectures and also write the name of the Prophet sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam with salutations. Therefore, in our notes, wherever we had to write the blessed name of the Prophet sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam and salutations, we would leave out a blank space and after class, in our own time, with our best handwriting we would write the salutations in our note books.

I would also like to bring an important point to the attention of many lecturers, who speak with the most eloquent language and accents, yet, when it comes to salāh ‘alan nabī they quickly mumble the words, void of love and reverence. Is this the level of our love and reverence for our Prophet sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam?

Nothing but Benefit

In reading salāh ‘alan nabī there is nothing but benefit for us:

1.     Allāh ta‘ālā sends ten mercies upon a person who recites salāh ‘alan nabī once.

2.     Ten sins are forgiven.

3.     The person’s rank is raised by ten degrees.

4.     Ten rewards are written for him.

5.     There is acceptance of du‘ā where salāh ‘alan nabī is recited at the beginning and at the end.

6.     The person will be blessed with the intercession of Rasūlullāh sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam.

7.     Allāh will forgive his sins.

8.     Allāh is pleased with him.

9.     The person will be nearer to the Prophet sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam on the Day of Judgement.

10.   The person will have all his worries removed in this world and the Hereafter.

The great luminary in the field of tazkiyah and ihsān, Shaykh-al-Hadīth, Shaykh, Mawlānā Muhammad Zakariyyā rahimahullāh would often receive letters regarding different problems, and he would reply with appropriate answers. However, one point he would emphasise on in every reply was to be punctual in the recitation of salāh ‘alan nabī.

“There is a solution to every problem in sending salutations upon Muhammad sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam.”

Daily Practice

Finally, the great shaykh, Shaykh Mawlānā Rashīd Aḥmad Gangohī rahimahullāh would instruct that salāh ‘alan nabī be read a minimum of 300 times daily by every Muslim. In the beginning, we could read the shortest formula of salāh ‘alan nabī mentioned above. After that we should try to recite salāh ‘alan nabī with the most virtuous salāh ‘alan nabī mixed in after every 10-15 of the shortest formula. This figure of 300 should be increased on the day of Friday, as the day of Friday has a special affinity with the Prophet sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam.

May Allāh ta‘ālā enable us to read salāh ‘alan nabī in abundance and have true love and reverence for our beloved Prophet sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam.

Categories
Spirituality

The importance of Durood/Salawaat ﷺ

In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Merciful.

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“Verily, Allah and His angels confer blessings on the Prophet. O you who believe! Invoke blessings on him, and greet him with goodly salutations.” (Qur’an 33:56)

** PLEASE RECITE DUROOD ONCE BEFORE READING**

“In the annals of history, never was a man named ‘Muhammad’ before our dearest and beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing be upon him). He was given this name by his grandfather, Abdul Muttalib. The name Muhammad means, ‘One who is praised again and again’.”

Shaykh Muhammed Saleem Dhorat (Hafidhahu Allah), Islamic Da’wah Academy, Leicester, UK.

Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) has given many different commands in the Qur’an, such as prayer (Salah), fasting, pilgrimage (Hajj) etc. 

He has also described and praised many noble Prophets and greatly honoured them.

After creating Sayyiduna Adam (peace & blessings be upon him), He (may He be glorified and exalted) ordered the angels to prostrate to him. However, nowhere has Allah stated in any command or in any act of honouring, that He is also a participant and that the believers should follow suit. 

This honour is solely for the Leader of the creation, the Pride of the world (peace & blessings be upon him), where Allah attributes the act of conferring blessings Himself, and after attributing it towards His angels, finally orders the believers that they too should also invoke blessings upon him.

What virtue could be greater than the believers participating in this act with Allah and His angels? 

Those who understand Arabic know that the verse begins with the particle ‘inna’ which adds great emphasis to its meaning, and the imperfect tense, ‘mudari’ has been used, which indicates continuity. In other words, it is firmly established that Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) and His angels are constantly conferring blessings upon the Noble Prophet (peace & blessings be upon him).

The author of ‘Ruh al-Bayan’ (may Allah have mercy upon him) writes, “Some scholars state that the meaning of Allah conferring His blessings is raising the Noble Prophet (peace & blessings be upon him) to the Praised Station (Al-Maqam al-Mahmood), which is the station of intercession.”

The blessings of (salat) of the angels are to pray for the Noble Prophet’s (peace & blessings be upon him) status to be elevated and to seek forgiveness for the Noble Prophet’s (peace & blessings be upon him) followers.

The meaning of the believers invoking blessings, is to follow the Noble Prophet (peace & blessings be upon him), love him, and to mention and praise his sublime qualities.

Moreover, this honour which Allah granted the Noble Prophet (peace & blessings be upon him) is far greater than the respect shown to Sayiduna Adam (peace & blessings be upon him) by ordering the angels to prostrate before him, because Allah is personally engaged in this act of honouring the Noble Prophet (peace & blessings be upon him), whereas only the angels were ordered to prostrate before Sayyiduna Adam (peace & blessings be upon him).

Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace & blessings be upon him) said,“Whoever invokes one blessing upon me, Allah will confer ten blessings upon him.” [Muslim & Abu Dawood]

One blessing and mercy from Allah is sufficient for the whole creation, let alone ten of Allah’s blessings in return for invoking blessings once!

How fortunate are those pious elders whose daily practice was to invoke blessings and peace 125,000 times! Just as we read regarding some of the pious elders of the family of Shaykhul Hadith Hadhrat Mawlana Muhammad Zakariyya Khandelwi (Allah illuminate his grave).

What virtue for invoking blessings is there which is greater than being granted ten blessings for invoking once? 

It is narrated in ‘Al-Targhib’ on the authority of Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr (Allah be pleased with him) that, ‘Whoever invokes one blessing upon the Noble Prophet (peace & blessings be upon him), Allah and His angels confer 70 blessings upon him.’ 

(N.B. One should understand at this point that if different rewards are mentioned for a certain action, as in this case where ten rewards are promised in one Hadith and seventy in another, some scholars are of the opinion that because Allah’s favours on the Ummah of Muhammad (peace & blessings be upon him) are increased on a daily basis, the narrations which mention greater reward are the latter Hadiths. Thus it is as though Allah initially promised ten rewards and then increased this to 70. Other scholars have interpreted this difference, with respect to different people, times and conditions. Similarly as discussed, on the reward of congregational prayer being multiplied by 25 or 27 times). 

With regards to this matter, another opinion is that of Mulla Ali Qari (Allah illuminate his grave), who writes that the reward of 70 may be particular to invoking blessings on Friday, as in another Hadith it is narrated that the reward for good actions increases seventy fold on a Friday.

Sayyiduna Anas (Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Noble Prophet (peace & blessings be upon him) said, “The person in whose presence I am mentioned should invoke blessing upon me. Whoever invokes one blessing upon me, Allah confers ten blessings upon him.” In another narration, “Whoever invokes one blessing upon me; Allah confers ten blessings upon him, forgives ten of his sins and elevates his status tenfold thereby.” [Ahmad & Nasa’i]

Allamah Mundhiri (Allah illuminate his grave) has also narrated the same hadith in Al-Targhib on the authority of Sayyiduna Bara’ (Allah be pleased with him), with the addition that the invoker receives the reward of freeing ten slaves.

Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace & blessings be upon him) said,“Indeed the closest person to me on the Day of Judgement is he who invokes blessings upon me abundantly.” [Tirmidhi]

Hafidh Ibn Hajar (Allah illuminate his grave) states in the commentary of the above Hadith that whoever recites Durood 300 times daily, will attain the honour of being closest to the Prophet (SAW) on the Day of Judgement.

Allamah Sakhawi (Allah illuminate his grave) narrates the same from Qut al-Qulub. Respected Mawlana Rashid Ahmad Gangohi (Allah sanctify his secret) would instruct his disciples to invoke blessings on the Prophet (SAW) at least 300 times. He, (RH), would say, “The favour of the Noble Messenger of Allah (peace and blessing be upon him) is immense. It is then truly an act of disloyalty that a person be miserly in invoking blessings upon him.”

Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the messenger of Allah (peace & blessings be upon him) said,“Whoever invokes blessings upon me near my grave, I hear his blessings, and whoever invokes blessings upon me from a distance, they are conveyed to me.” [Bayhaqi & Mishkat]

Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq (Allah be pleased with him) used to say, “Invoking blessings on the Prophet (peace & blessings be upon him) extinguishes sins more than cold water extinguishes fire and sending peace on him is better than freeing slaves.” 

Love for Allah’s Messenger (peace & blessings be upon him) is better than the blood which flows in one’s body (as life in this temporary world depends on the blood in one’s body, whereas the eternal life of the Hereafter is doomed if one does not possess love for the Prophet SAW). 

In another narration, love for Allah’s Messenger (peace & blessings be upon him) is better than fighting in Allah’s path.

When Hasan al-Basri (Allah illuminate his grave) used to discuss the crying of the date tree-trunk, he used to cry and say, “O slaves of Allah! A piece of dry wood cries out of longing for Allah’s Messenger (peace & blessings be upon him); you are more worthy of longing to meet him.” [Manifestations of Prophet Muhammad SAW’s beauty]

Shaykh Zakariyra RH had hundreds of disciples across the globe, many of them would write to Shaykh addressing their problems. A common reply he would give:

‘Har Dard Ki Dawa – – – Salle Ala Muhammad’ (Sallallaho Alayhi Wasallam).

The remedy for every problem is in sending salutations upon the Prophet (peace & blessings be upon him).

Sayyiduna Ka’b ibn Ujrah (Allah be pleased with him) says, “The Messenger of Allah (peace & blessings be upon him) once said,‘Come close to the pulpit, and so we came close. When he ascended the first step, he recited, ‘Ameen’. He then ascended the second step and recited, ‘Ameen’. He then ascended the third step and recited, ‘Ameen’. After he came down [after the sermon], we recited, ‘O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessing be upon him), we heard you say something today which we have never heard you say before.’ He SAW said, Jibreel came to me and said, ‘May that person be destroyed who witnesses the month of Ramadhan but is not forgiven.’ I said ‘Ameen’. When I ascended the second step, he said, ‘May that person be destroyed in whose presence you are mentioned but does not invoke blessings upon you’. I said, ‘Ameen’. When I ascended the third step, Jibreel said, ‘May that person be destroyed who finds both or one of his parents in old age, but they do not enter him into Paradise.’ I said, ‘Ameen’.” [Bukhari]

Not much elaboration is needed here – Sayyiduna Jibreel (AS) said three curses and the Noble Prophet (peace & blessings be upon him) said ‘Ameen’ upon all three curses. Firstly, the curse of an angel as great as Sayyiduna Jibreel (AS) was sufficient itself, and the intensity the curse gained through the Noble Prophet’s ﷺ ‘Ameen’ is quite evident. 

Please see below PDF version of forty duroods:

http://www.inter-islam.org/DuroodSalaam/ArabicSalat-Salam.html

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

7 Rabi’ul Thani 1436

O Allah! Have mercy on us and write our death in Medinah – The City of Your Beloved Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam Enable us to travel time and time again to Makkah and Medinah… Ameen Ya Rabb!

*The contents of this article have been condensed from the book “Fadhail Durood” by Shaykh Zakariyya RH – unless otherwise stated.

Categories
Poems

An Ode to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)

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اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلى سَيِّدِنَا وَنَبِيِّنَا وَ شَفِيْعِنَا وَحَبِيْبِنَا وَ سَنَدِنَا وَ مَوْلَانَا  مُحَمَّدٍ وَ بَارِكْ وَ سَلِّم 

May The Choicest Blessings and the Mercy of God Be Upon Muhammad – A Mercy To Mankind.

Year 570 CE you were born in the holy city of Makkah,

Wherein lies the beauty built by Ibraheem (AS) and Ismaeel (AS) – the exalted Ka’bah.

It had been 600 years since the Prophet Eesa (AS), this period is also known in the Qur’an as ‘Fatrah’.

You came at a time when the world was in darkness, people were lost, misguided and swimming in ignorance.

How auspicious that moment was for us all,

When the beloved Aminah (RA) conceived and gave birth to such a blessed soul.

The world was illuminated brightly, and the 1000-year-old fire was extinguished suddenly.

The extravagant castles of Shaam could be seen, Oh, what a time this must have been.

The shadow of your father, the honourable Abdullah (RA), had already left this world.

This was the just the start of your hardships, through which you were tumbled and turned.

It was at the tender age of six, your mother’s gentle touch was no longer felt,

Heart-wrenching. Heartbreaking. Heart left to melt.

Then came along the gallant Abdul Muttalib who took you into his care,

Oh, Muhammad! Such an upbringing of pain and grief is seldom and very rare.

But Allah gives the most difficult of battles to those,

Who are selected by Him and for his mission He chose.

After a year or two Abdul Muttalib met his Lord – ache upon ache.

Such pain left you lonely and full of tears,

But this was part of Allah’s plan; to make you strong and without fears.

Now you stayed with your uncle, an orphan, aged eight,

Abu Talib was his name, he loved you and the affection he showed was great.

You herded sheep and became a shepherd,

You became known for truthfulness and honesty – a man of his word.

You later grew into a fine man and started to trade,

Which attracted the attention of Khadeejah (RA) – whose husband you were later made.

You lived happily and had six children,

Four blessed daughters; two beloved sons who died as infants.

Zaynab, Ruqayyah, Umm Kulthoom, Fatimah (RA),

Little Qasim, and how can we forget Abdullah? (RA)

As time went by, and evil began to spread,

A lot of thoughts started going through your head.

You looked at people, as they worshipped idols carved from their own hands,

And over trivial issues, how a clan would fight with other clans.

The people of Arabia mercilessly buried their baby daughters alive,

And they did not ever fulfil the rights of their children and wives.

People deprived the poor and didn’t give the weak their rights,

Men merrily drank wine and gambled throughout the night,

Shedding blood and killing was prevalent,

The sanctity of human life had become totally irrelevant.

Little did they know how their lives were about to be turned,

As the light of Prophethood shone, glimmering bright, like a lantern you burned.

One day in Mount Hira as you were meditating,

An angel descended and started communicating.

“Read! O Muhammad, Read!” Were the first words said,

You were scared and frightened and quickly rushed ahead.

Upon reaching home, sweating and panicking you screamed,

“O Khadeejah! Wrap me quick”; a large blanket, warm and thick.

Alarmed, petrified and terrified, as any wife would be,

She obeyed instantly, as she was first the believer (in Islam) to be.

(To be cont…)

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

12th Rabiul Awwal 1436 – Written in memory of the Beloved (Sal Allahu Alayhi Wasallam) on the date of His SAW demise.

The eyes weep, the heart bleeds, but our love for you, O Rasool Ullah SAW will never die. In Sha Allah. Muhammad (peace be upon him) is always in our hearts and on our mind. His SAW’s remembrance keeps our tongues moist.

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