Categories
Poems

O Companions of the Prophet ﷺ!

IMG_9149O Companions (R) of the Prophet ﷺ!

To him, you were so beloved

How did it feel to address my Nabi (S) directly?

And listen to him answering so calmly?

O Companions (R) of the Prophet ﷺ!

To him, you were so beloved

How did it feel to take the Shahadah for the very first time?

After the message was revealed and Hira he did climb?

O Companions (R) of the Prophet ﷺ!

To him, you were so beloved

How was it to proclaim, “I bear witness that there is no God but Allah and YOU are his slave and Messenger?”

You were the first believers and your Imaan was so strong despite you being fewer

O Companions (R) of the Prophet ﷺ!

To him, you were so beloved

How did it feel to steal a glance at his shining face?

What did you feel when reached for an embrace?

O Companions (R) of the Prophet ﷺ!

To him, you were so beloved

When Jibreel descended, did you see his blessed forehead perspire?

With words from above, which then did us inspire

O Companions (R) of the Prophet ﷺ!

To him, you were so beloved

How was my Nabi’s ﷺ smile when he was pleased with you?

Did you see his eyes glow? Did his teeth show?

O Companions (R) of the Prophet ﷺ!

To him, you were so beloved

How was his beloved face when he didn’t approve?

Did his eyes show his displeasure? Did his face redden?

O Companions (R) of the Prophet ﷺ!

To him, you were so beloved

Where were you when you heard the tragic news?

Did you fall to your knees? Did you think it was true?

O Companions (R) of the Prophet ﷺ!

To him, you were so beloved

How was Madinah after his death?

When you lay him in his grave to rest?

O Companions (R) of the Prophet ﷺ!

To him, you were so beloved

He spent his days and nights praying for us all

We pray to be united with him in the Hereafter

Zainab Bint Husain

Categories
Personalities

Asim Ibn Thabit (Allah be pleased with him)

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

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Asim ibn Thabit (Allah be pleased with him) Arabic: عاصم بن ثابت‎‎) was one of the Ansar, a person belonging to one of the first generations of Muslims and who helped Muhammad after his migration to Medina.
Asim ibn Thabit (Allah be pleased with him) in the Battle of Badr. Rasulullah ﷺ’s forces included Sayidina Abu Bakr (Allah be pleased with him) , Sayidina Umar Ibn Al Khattab (Allah be pleased with him) Sayidina Ali Ibn Abi Talib (Allah be pleased with him), Sayidina Hamzah Ibn Abdul Muttalib (Allah be pleased with him), Sayidina Mus`ab ibn `Umair (Allah be pleased with him), Sayidina Az-Zubair bin Al-‘Awam (Allah be pleased with him), Sayidina Ammar ibn Yasir (Allah be pleased with him) and Sayidina Abu Dhār al-Ghifari (Allah be pleased with him).
The Muslims also brought seventy camels and two horses, meaning that they either had to walk or fit three to four men per camel. However, many early Muslim sources indicate that no serious fighting was expected, and the future Saiyidina Othman Ibn Affan (Allah be pleased with him) stayed behind to care for his sick wife Ruqayyah (Allah be pleased with her) the daughter of Rasulullah ﷺ. Salman Al Farisi (Allah be pleased with him) could not join the battle, as he was still not a free man.
Asim ibn Thabit (Allah be pleased with him) also participated in the Invasion of Hamra al-Assad, after staying at Hamra al-Assad for three days, Rasulullah ﷺ returned to Madinah. Asim ibn Thabit (Allah be pleased with him) Abu Azzah al-Jumahi as prisoner. Abu Azzah had previously been one of the prisoners of Badr. Abu Azzah Amr bin Abd Allah al-Jumahi had been treated kindly by Rasulullah ﷺ after the Battle of Badr, being a poor man with daughters, he had no means to pay ransom, he was released after Battle of Badr, on the condition that he would not take up arms against Muslims again. But he had broken his promise and participated in Battle of Uhud. Abu Azzah al-Jumahi pleaded for mercy again, but Rasulullah ﷺ ordered him to be killed. Az-Zubair (Allah be pleased with him) him, and in another version, Asim ibn Thabit(Allah be pleased with him).
The father of one of Umar’s wives, Umm Kulthum bint Asim (Allah be pleased with her) was Asim ibn Thabit (Allah be pleased with him) is not clear if that person is the same person as the subject of this article is with regards to Saiyidina Asim ibn Thabit (Allah be pleased with him).
Hadith about Asim Ibn Thabit (Allah be pleased with him) narrated by Abu Hurairah (Allah be pleased with him)…
A narration attributed to Abu Hurayrah (Allah be pleased with him) :
Rasulullah ﷺ sent out ten men on a scouting expedition and put ‘Asim ibn Thabit al-Ansari RA in command of them. They proceeded until they reached Had ‘a, which is between ‘Usfan and Makkah.
This during the Expedition of Al Raji. In 625 some men requested that Rasulullah ﷺ send instructors to teach them Islam, but the men were bribed by the two tribes of Khuzaymah who wanted revenge for the assassination of Khalid bin Sufian by Rasulullah ﷺ’s followers and they killed the Muslims.
Their presence was reported to a branch of Hudhayl called the Banu Lihyan. About a hundred men, who were all archers, set out after them. They followed their tracks. When Asim Ibn Thabit (Allah be pleased with him) and his companions perceived them, they took cover. The people surrounded them and said, ‘Come down and give your selves up! You have protection and assurance that we will not kill any of you!’
Asim ibn Thabit RA said, ‘O people! As for me, I will not come down into the protection of an unbeliever! O Allah, inform Your Prophet about us!’ They shot at them with arrows and killed Asim Ibn Thabit RA. A group of three came down, accepting the offer of protection and security. They included Khubayb al-Ansari (Allah be pleased with him), Zayd ibn Dathina (Allah be pleased with him) and another man,
Rasulullah ﷺ informed his Companions about them on the day they fell. When they were informed that Asim ibn Thabit RA had been killed, some of the unbelievers of Quraish were sent to bring part of him that could be recognized. He had killed one of their great men on the Day of Badr. After killing Asim ibn Thabit RA, Hudhayl wanted to sell his head.
Allah SWT sent over Asim ibn Thabit RA a swarm of bees like a cloud and it protected him from their messengers and they could not cut off any part of him.”
A brief story on why the hatred and revengefulness of the unbelievers to Saiyidina Asim Ibn Thabit RA, and this took place after the “Battle of Uhud”
Ever despaired in your Du’as?
Ever thought that they are not answered or that Allah Azza Wa Jal doesn’t respond?
Then, let me narrate to you of another the story of ‘Asim Ibn Thabit RA.
During the Battle of Uhud, when the Muslims purportedly faced defeat though not reliably authenticated of the fact, the Quraish celebrated with their revenge but this was not enough for the ladies of their tribes. Hind, the woman who slaughtered the body of Saiyidina Hamzah RA, together with other women started to go out on the battlefield and started to dance and desecrate the dead bodies of the Mujahideen. Astagfirullah!
Narrations say that in the passionate desire for revenge, these women slit up the belies of the Mujahideen, gouged out their eyes and cut off their noses and their ears. One woman among them shaped an anklet of the nose of a Mujahideen and put it on her feet and started dancing joyfully amidst the dead bodies.
Astagfirullah!
But then came out Salafah Bint Sa’ad, who was very different from the other women, she was anxious about her family, so she started to look for them, she search high and low until she found the body of her husband soaked in his own blood, and near him were her sons, Mustafa, Kalab and Jalas who was breathing his last
On this Salafah asked who killed them, and Jalas said it was ‘Asim Ibn Thabit (Allah be pleased with him).Hearing this Salafah started to scream and swore by the false gods ‘Uzza and Lat that her rage could not die down until she had taken revenge on ‘Asim ibn Thabit (Allah be pleased with him) and drank wine from his skull.
After this, she indeed proclaimed that she would give any amount for the person who can bring her the head of ‘Asim ibn Thabit, and this spread like fire amongst the Quraish. So one by one they started to search for ‘Asim ibn Thabit.
After the Battle of Uhud, Rasulullah ﷺ sent  the Sahabah RA  on a special mission with ‘Asim Ibn Thabit (Allah be pleased with him) its  leader.
They were a few distance from Makkah when a group of Banu Hudhayl pursued them and ambushed them. The people tried to bribe the Sahabah (Allah be pleased with them) told them that they won’t be killed as long as they lay down their weapons.
Asim Ibn Thabit (Allah be pleased with him) all his courage said “I will not lay down my weapons before the Mushrikeen!”
Then, he remembered the swearing of Salafah and he prayed:
“O Allah! I protect and defend your faith and, have Mercy on me and protect my flesh and my bones; please do not allow them to fall into the hands of the enemy.”
After this Asim Ibn Thabit (Allah be pleased with him) the enemy with two of his companions, they fought fiercely until they were martyred one by one. The three other surrendered and were killed, one committed suicide and the other 2 killed by the Banu Hudhayl.
Now, this is where the power of du’a comes. After few hours of the martyrdom of Asim Ibn Thabit RA, the Quraish learnt of the where about of his body which was lying in the area inhabited by the Banu Hudhayl..
So, with the hungry bellies of the Quraish for money, they started to give a lot of money to their messengers so that they could succeed in getting the head of Asim Ibn Thabit RA.
When they succeeded, some men of the Banu Hudhayl went to the place where the body Asim Ibn Thabit (Allah be pleased with him) lying; when they were near it to cut off his head they found a whole lot of bees, wasps and hornets surrounding the body and head of Asim Ibn Thabit (Allah be pleased with him).Whenever they attempted to cut it these bees and wasps would attack them so they couldn’t do anything but give up and wait for the nightfall.
The sun had not yet set when suddenly dark dense of clouds appeared on the sky, the very air seemed to tremble with the thunder and heavy rains had fallen.
Soon the streets and roads took on the appearance of streams, low-lying areas were filled, and there was water everywhere. It rained heavily the whole night and the Banu Hudhayl went back to their homes.
Next morning they came out to get the head of Asim Ibn Thabit (Allah be pleased with him) as they went towards the field the body was nowhere to be found. The flood washed it away to some unknown place; they searched high and low but the body of Asim Ibn Thabit (Allah be pleased with him) disappeared like dust in the wind.
Subhan’Allah. Look how Allah Azza Wa Jall responded to the du’a of His faithful servant Asim Ibn Thabit (Allah be pleased with him). Allah SWT sent down wasps and bees to cover his body as protection to these people who had the intention to use his limbs and whatever is left of him into devilish and sinful act of drinking wine. Allah SWT  sent down heavy rain so that his body won’t be found and away from the Mushrikeen.
Allah Azza Wa Jal will never allow the Mushrikeen to triumph over the Mu’mineen and this is how he protects His faithful servants. Similarly in Palestine, the Kuffar may plan anything against the Mu’mineen, but the Divine Plan overcomes all other plans.
Indeed, the story of Asim Ibn Thabit truly reminds us of the one of the famous “Ayat of the Qur’an” where Allah Azza Wa Jall says:
“Call upon me and I will respond to you.” 40:60
So never despair of His Mercy and never underestimate the power of your du’a. Remember Allah Azza Wa Jall knows what you are about to ask Him even if you haven’t uttered them, He is within You, Your heart itself, calls upon Allah Azza Wa Jall with every beat.
“Rabb. Rabb. Rabb. La Hawla wala Quwwata illa billah.”
May you all benefit from the story of Asim Ibn Thabit (Allah be pleased with him)
Amin Ya Rabb
Categories
Spirituality

The Story of Abu Dujanah RA

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

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Abu Dajanah (Allah be pleased with him) always used to pray behind the Prophet (Sallalahu Alayhi Wasallam).
But as soon as he finishes his prayer, he comes out of the Masjid quickly.
This caught the eyes of the Prophet (Sallalahu Alayhi Wasallam) and one day he stopped him and asked him:
“O Abu Dajanah, don’t you need anything from Allah?”
Abu Dajanah (Allah be pleased with him) said:
“O Messenger of Allah, Yes I do. I can’t live without Allah even with a blink of an eye.”
The Prophet (Sallalahu Alayhi Wasallam) said:
“So why don’t you stay with us after prayers and ask Allah what you need?”
Abu Dajana (Allah be pleased with him) said:
“The reason is that I have a Jewish neighbor who has a date palm tree, and its branches are in the courtyard of my house.
 So when the wind blows at night, the dates fall into my courtyard.
 That is why you see me coming out of the Masjid quickly, so as I can go and collect the dates and return them to the owner, before my kids wake up. Because once they wake up, they will eat them as they are hungry.
 I swear to you, O Messenger of Allah, that one day I saw one of my children chewing the date, and I put my finger in his throat and took it out before he could swallow it.
 When my son cried, I said to him:
‘Aren’t you ashamed of standing in front of Allah as a thief?”
When Abubakr (Allah be pleased with him) heard what Abu Dajanah (Allah be pleased with him) said, he went to the Jewish and bought the date palm tree, and gave it to Abu Dajanah (Allah be pleased with him) and his children.
When the Jewish learned the truth of the matter, he quickly collected his children and his family and went to the Prophet (Sallalahu Alayhi Wasallam). and announcing their entry into Islam.
This is how they made people enter Islam because of their stand and their actions.
They were advocates of their deep-rooted faith, and their actions is a reflection of their faith.
(Nuzhatul Majalis, pg. 247-248)
Share please, JzkAllah
Categories
Current Affairs articles

Keeping Warm in Winter

Sulaym ibn Aamir RH narrates that when winter would come, Sayyiduna Umar ibn al-Khattab (Radhiallahu Anhu) would be extra mindful of them and write to them, advising: “Winter, which is an enemy, has come, so prepare for it with wool, leathers socks, and socks. Use wool as your under-clothing and outer-clothing, because the cold is an enemy that enters quickly but leaves slowly.”
winter
Ibn al-Rajab al-Hanbal (Rahimahullah) comments that Sayyiduna Umar (Radhiallahu Anhu) would write this advice to the people of Shaam when it was conquered in his era, as he was worried that the Companions RA and others who had not previously experienced such cold would be harmed by the cold of Shaam. This was out of his complete well-wishing, graceful vigilance, compassion and safeguarding of his subjects. May Allah be pleased with him. (Lataa’if al-Ma’aarif).
Following in the footsteps of Sayyiduna Umar (Radhiallahu Rnhu), the following is some important advice on what we can do to protect ourselves against the cold and stay warm this winter:
Wear warm clothes
The best way to protect against cold and stay warm is to wear warm clothes, especially when going outdoors into the cold.
Allah mentions warm clothing amongst His many favours: “And the grazing livestock He has created for you; in them is warmth [i.e., warm clothes] and [numerous] benefits” (Qur’an, 16:5). He also said, “And from their wool, fur and hair is furnishing and enjoyment for a time” (Qur’an, 16:80).
Wearing a number of thin layers, especially clothes made of cotton, wool and fleecy fibre, helps to keep the body warm. Keeping the feet warm and dry is particularly important, not forgetting footwear with good grips during icy/snowy periods.
Even if you are going out into the cold for a few minutes, to put the bins out perhaps or to get something out of the car, wrap up warm; a few moments of being exposed to the cold is enough to make a person ill.
Keeping your head warm with a scarf or hat is important, as a lot of body heat is lost through the head.
Eating Properly
Good nutrition is vital to keep the body warm. Hot meals (soups in particular) and hot drinks will help you stay warm throughout the day. Wholegrain, legumes (lentils, peas, chickpeas, beans) root vegetables (potatoes, carrots, turnips etc.), vegetables in general, citrus fruits, spices (in moderation!) and herbs (especially ginger), almonds, walnuts, pistachio and other nuts, dried fruits (especially dates and figs) are excellent choices to boost our health during winter.
Keep the House Warm
Cold and damp houses negatively affect our health, so keeping the house warm is a must for staying healthy during winter. We sometimes overlook the most obvious things which make our houses cold, such as unnecessarily opening windows and not attending to draughts under doors, so think about ways to minimise heat escaping from the house; this will also help to reduce heating costs.
Taking Care of Others
As Muslims, it is our duty to be concerned about the welfare of others and not just be concerned about ourselves. Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said, “None of you truly believes until he loves for others what he loves for himself.” (Bukhari, Muslim).
We should be checking on relatives, elderly neighbours or anyone who is more vulnerable during the cold, ensuring they have what they need to stay warm and safe, especially during the night. If we can save an elderly person the trouble of going out in the cold and do their shopping for them, or run other errands for them, we should do so and earn immense reward from Allah.
And let us not forgot the spirit of Sayyiduna Umar ibn al-Khattab (Radhiallahu Anhu) towards the people of Shaam, who are currently enduring extreme hardship and struggle, with many of them battling against the bitterness of winter without ample clothing, food and shelter.
There are a number of reliable charities that are providing much-needed provisions to our brothers and sisters in Shaam, and other parts of the world. Each Muslim home should aim to provide for at least one family this winter and help alleviate the suffering Allah, out of His Mercy, has saved us from.
May Allah keep us all in His protection, and make us all a means of blessings, comfort, guidance and happiness for others.
Ameen Ya Rabb!
29 Safar 1439
Categories
Personalities

The War on Error

War on Error
What if I told you there were soldiers outside who despised who you and I,
Ready to take us dead or alive, with guns pointed at your pride,
And you had the option to just lie and denounce what you hold inside,
Would you go run and hide, or would you get ready to die,
See the problem with you and I, is we would say anything to stay alive
Multiplied by the drive that we have to survive
Most would rather compromise, than be chastised
So we don’t even try, but I dare to ask why
Homeland security, is only trying to secure me
In these tiny little rooms, where I could barely breathe
Maybe it’s the way that I’m dressed in the land of the free
No khamis, I should have just wore jeans and a T
And I know it’s hard to believe, but I aint a refugee,
Actually, I was born in a hospital right down the street
So tell me what’s the beef; is it the beard or attire?
Or is it my last name; you could just call me Michael
Are you comfortable, am I moderate enough for your liking
I don’t wanna any trouble, I’ll be good, man I promise
I’m honest, only liars need to preach to a choir
Holding onto this deen is like holding onto fire,
But I still smile, aint sure if this is still worth your while
You say you wanna believe than you will be put on trial
Tested, but blessed are those who remain steadfast and pray
Because what are we but slaves, just looking for a raise
Anyways, everyday’s another chance at being saved
Cause even a broken clock is right two times a day
But I’d be lying if I didn’t say,
We look like lions without manes
Trying to impress these creatures who just came from mud and clay
Why don’t you beautify your grave, Iqra, proclaim
Who will testify for you when your Lord calls your name?
Work for your spot in the shade on the day when their will only be his shade
The things you love today, they will all fade away
Remember the story of the cave, even though they were afraid
The youth knew the truth so they still remained brave
The same goes today, cause even rain goes away
And after the clouds the sun comes out to play
So expect brighter days, and declare all praise
To the one with no son, in need of no aid
Isn’t it strange how the strangers are starting to feel strange?
I guess sometimes Guantanamo bay is just the price you gotta pay,
Allah does not place a burden on a soul more than it can handle
And the bruises from sujood will light your way just like a candle
And we follow the example of the best of examples
I don’t stand for flags and or bow to your bourgeois
I pledge allegiance to La elhalla il allah
Say it now, Say it loud, be proud of your Muslim names
Uthman, Umar, Ali, Khadija, Aisha, Summayah
If only you knew the sacrifice these people made
So tell airport security, I’m sorry if we all look the same
But there’s a reason why Muhammed is the world’s most popular name
And you can call us funny names, and draw cartoons in his name
But there will come a day when your Lord will decide who goes and who stays
So go ahead and tease, after hardship comes ease,
And gardens with rivers that flow underneath
This poem is for every hijabie who got made fun of in school
Or the brothers too scared to rock a beard, cause facial hair isn’t cool
If Allah didn’t love you, then he wouldn’t test you
So prepare for victory, coming to a soul near you

Heroes

My heroes never wore tights or appeared on carton channels
They had long beards and kept clothes above the ankles
No combing the streets, like beasts at night looking for thieves
My heroes fought their egos, and narrated ahadith
And some of my heroes were once bag guys too
Baby killers and highway robbers, if you only knew what they knew
Cause you gotta know a lie in order to recognize the truth
And what the point of knowing truth if you can’t back it up with proof
And to prove my heroes were united by a single point of view
Why else would they choose to go against what their fathers used to do?
Unless they knew, that paradise was worth being abused
The best of views, if only you could walk a mile in their shoes,
Oh what I wouldn’t do to kick it with Abduallah Ibn Musuud,
Listen to him recite the Quran, sad to go into ruku
Yeah that would be cool, but me and Hamza, we would kick it old school
Joke about the Jahilliya, silly things they used to do
If I could pick my own crew, Salman Al Farsi would have to be in it,
An honest seeker of truth, may Allah bless his spirit,
Have Tea with Julilibib, Coffee with Anas Ibn Malik
Anything to pick their brains and gain a better understanding
Could you imagine taking a class with Abduallah Ibn Abbas
A scholar by the age of 10, just a boy amongst the men
And if I had one friend, it would be Abu Baker as Saddique,
Someone to hold you down and to really represent,
When Sumayya held her chin to her killers, did she think?
We would name our little girls after her to teach them strength
And who cares about these rappers, we got Hassan Ibn Thabit,
Dude was sick with the flow, can’t believe you didn’t know,
That Zaid was a slave who became one of praise
Lived the American dream, when America was Cree
Umar Bin Khattab was G, held it down for this deen
A real superman, made the devils cross the street
And if I ever had beef, I would call up Khalid Bin Walid
He was a ride or die homie, amongst the Salaf as Saliheen,
And if I close my eyes, man, I could almost see
Bilal amongst the cold morning breeze, Allahu Akbar
Cause surely salah is much better than sleep
Like Abu Sufyan after he embraced the deen
On this earth Talha, was a walking shaheed
And Jafar gave his life for our Ummahs victory
May Allah be pleased and grant them all the highest levels of heaven
Like Uthman ibn Affan, who even the angles were shy in front of
Aisha was a genius, ever word was like a thesis
Mother to all believers, pure like that of Isa’s
Khadija held the fetus of Fatima, who was the teacher
Of Hassan and Hussein, sons of Ali who were slain
Man you gotta know these names, cause these people paved the way
It’s a shame, we know more about them monkeys on BET
This is our history, all the sacrifices that they made for me
Gave to me, a legacy that I could be proud to keep
Said: Be! It was decreed, that at Badr we were only 300 deep
But with the angels on our side, who could even compete?
Although he was a man of peace who preached speech before the sword
He raged a war against error, the worship of fake Lords
Came to restore the deen that Ibrahim laid before
Extreme in his need to feed miskeen and the poor
Yeah, he was hardcore with his face to the floor
Off praying so long that his feet became sore
Uhhhh, yeah he got down like that
And told all the rich they should pay the zakat
And make the salah, and spread the salaam
And declare Ashdu-la-ilah, Ha-il-allah,
Muhammed a rasooul Allah, Sallau alahe wsalaam,
Was the difference between Jannah and Jahennim,
Like the mailman just delivering a message
Who else do you know with a swagger that’s blessed?
The best and perfected, corrected the method
Madina state of mind, coming from the hood of Mecca
Champion companions, homeboys were go-getters
Did it bigger and better, had followers before twitter
The leader of leaders, amir to believers
Enjoined all the good and forbade all the evil
My hero taught people that we were all equal
The best of examples outlined what is legal
Forever I’m grateful for all that he came for
May blessings and peace always reach to my mentor
My teacher, my brother, my hero, my prophet
Muhammed, Sallau alahe wsalaam
And that’s how it goes, so tell everyone you know
That this party don’t stop till the son of Mary come home
I am pleased with my Lord and Islam as my deen,
May we die on these words, Allahuma, ameen

Categories
Miscellaneous

Feeling Quotatious!

dont

Time is a Precious Commodity

نِعْمَتَانِ مَغبونٌ فيهما كَثيرٌ مِنَ النَّاسِ  الصِّحَّةُ ، وَالفَرَاغُ

The two most undervalued assets by people are good health and leisure time.

The Prophet Muḥammad (peace and blessings be upon him)

[Bukhārī 5933, Tirmidhī 2226, Ibn Mājah 4160, Aḥmad 2224, 3038, Dārimī 2591, Riyad al-Saliheen #97]

                  ———————————

attitude

The Fault is in Us, Not in Time

نَعِيبُ زَمَانَنَا وَ العَيبُ فِينَا

وَ مَا لِزَمَانِنَا عَيبٌ سِوَانَا

“We blame time and the fault is in us,

There is no fault in time except us.”

— Imām al-Shāfi‘ī RH [d. 204H/820CE]

(Read on pg 39, Dr. Gohar Mushtaq, The Intelligent Heart, The Pure Heart. Ta-Ha Publishers. London: 2006.)

————————————————-

“Losing time is worse than death, as losing time keeps you away from Allah and the Hereafter, while death keeps you away from the worldly life and people.”

– Ibn al-Qayyim RHyou are

Today is All You Have

إن بلاءنا أننا نعجز عن حاضرنا و نشتغل بماضينا ،  نهمل قصورنا الجميلة ، و نندب الأطلال البالية . . . الريح تتجه إلى الأمام ، و الماء ينحدر إلى الأمام ، و القافلة تسير إلى الأمام ، فلا تخالف سنة الحياة

Our tragedy is that we are incapable of dealing with the present. Neglecting our beautiful castles, we wail over dilapidated buildings. Everything on earth marches forward, preparing for a new season—and so should you.

—‘Āiḍ al-Qarnī, Don’t Be Sad. International Islamic Publishing House. 2002hela

Beware of Three

Beware of Allah’s anger with regards to three:

  1. Beware that you fall into shortcomings concerning what He has commanded you.
  2. Beware that He sees you while you are feeling discontent concerning the provision He has granted you.
  3. Beware of feeling dismay at your Lord if you seek a provision of this life, but cannot acquire it.

—’Sufyān al-Thawrī RH [161H/778CE]

(Read on pg 24, Abdul-Malik bin Muhammad ibn Abdul Rahman Al-Qasim, Life is a Fading Shadow. Darussalam Publishers. Riyadh:1999.)ismailsatia

Remedy for the Heart

There are two main things you have to do. The first is to move your heart from dwelling on the things of this world and move it to dwell on the Hereafter, then focus all your heart on the Qur’an and ponder its meanings and why it was revealed. Try to understand something from every aayah and apply it to the disease of your heart. These aayaat were revealed (to treat) the disease of the heart, so you will be healed, by the permission of Allah.

—Ibn al-Qayyim RH [d. 751H/1350CE] on curing one’s heart

(Read on pg 57, Shaikh Muhammad Salih al-Munajjid, Weakness of Iman. Dar us-Sunnah Publisher. Birmingham:2003.)

koran

Satan’s 3 Wishes

Iblis (satan) said, “If I win three things from the son of Adam, I will have earned what I wanted from him: if he forgets his sins, thinks high of his actions, and becomes fond of his opinion.”

—Dirar b. Murrah RH

Sifatus-Safwah vol. 3, p. 116

(Read on pg 39, Abdul-Malik bin Muhammad ibn Abdul Rahman Al-Qasim, Life is a Fading Shadow. Darussalam Publishers. Riyadh:1999.)

lessons

Its not the land that make anyone Holy . . .

The Companion Abu’l-Dardā’ RA who was living in the land of al-Shām (present day Syria/Palestine) once invited his colleague Salmān al-Farsī RA to come and live with him in the Holy Land. Salmān RA wrote back to him:

إِنَّ الأَرْضَ لا تُقَدِّسُ أَحَدًا ، وَإِنَّمَا يُقَدِّسُ الإِنْسَانَ عَمَلُهُ

It is not the land that makes anyone holy, but one’s deeds.

—Salmān al-Farsī RA [d. 35/644]

[Muwaṭṭa’ Mālik]

patirn

You Are Everything Today but MUSLIM!

Lament that in the world, Muslims are descending

We say this in reply that you are condescending

With alien ways and culture you are not transcending

Are you Muslim still, what message are you sending

You are Syed, you are Mirza, Afghan in origin

Everything you are, but ARE YOU MUSLIM in religion?

—The timeless poet Muḥammad Iqbāl RH [d 1357/1938]

[from Rhymed Translations of Selected Ghazals by Khwaja Tariq Mahmood]

 

أفضل الأعمال ما أكرهت عليه النفوس

Imam Abu Bakr ibn Abid Dunya (rahimahullah) has recorded this as the statement of ‘Umar ibn ‘Abdil ‘Aziz (rahimahullah). (Muhasabatun Nafs, Hadith: 113)

Translation

“The best actions are those which the nafs is forced to carry out/dislikes doing.”

Categories
Shaykh Saleem Dhorat

The New Year


 The New Year
by Shaykh Mawlānā Muhammad Saleem Dhorat hafizahullāh

Having just completed the year, the ‘New Year’ is seen and heard all around us. However, the question remains as to what should be a Muslim’s take on these events.

Upon the passing of a year, the common trend is to celebrate; people have birthday parties, wedding anniversaries etc. However, in certain spheres this is not the case; take the example of a businessman who at the end of the (financial) year will first take stock of the past year. He will meticulously go through the accounts of the past year taking into account every single penny. He will check to see if he made a profit, and if so then how can he make more in the coming year. He will check his expenses: where did he spend his money? Can he make further savings? All of this is done so that he can make the coming year more profitable than the one that has passed.
This should be the case at the end of the year in every Muslim’s life for we too have been sent to this world as businessmen with the commodity of time; which is life. We will have to one day give account for every second in the Court of Allāh ta‘ālā, when our books of deeds shall be presented.

We will bring forth a book for him that he will find wide open, (and We will say to him) ‘Read your book. Enough are you today to take your own account.’ (17:13-14)

‘Umar radhiyallāhu ‘anhu, emphasising the same, says:

Take stock of your own lives before Allāh ta‘ālā reckons you. And assess yourself before you are assessed by Allāh. And prepare yourselves for the great summoning.

It is our belief that on the Day of Judgement Allāh ta‘ālā will reckon us for everything that we did in the world.

On the day when everybody shall find present before him whatever good he did and whatever evil he did, he will wish there would have been a wide space between him and that (day). (3:30)

No matter how minute or trivial an act we did, we will find that it is present in our book of deeds.

So, whoever does any good act (even) to the weight of a particle will see it. And whoever does evil (even) to the weight of a particle will see it. (99:7-8)

This will be to the extent that in awe people will say:

‘Woe to us! What a book is this! It has missed nothing, minor or major, but has taken it into account.’ Thus they will find whatever they did present before them, and your Lord will not wrong anyone. (18:49)

We need to keep this reality in mind and spend our lives with regular reflection on our actions with Murāqabah and Muhāsabah. Murāqabah means to supervise and oversee oneself to ensure that he/she stays away from disobediences of Allāh ta‘ālā and spends every moment seeking the Pleasure of Allāh ta‘ālā. Muhāsabah means taking account of one’s activities at the end of the day, week and year; and thanking Allāh ta‘ālā for the ability to have performed any good actions and seeking forgiveness for any sins one may have committed. Inshā’allāh, if this is adhered to, then we will see a great change in our lives. We will find ourselves spending every second of our lives with great care.

The end of a year is a time to reflect and say to yourself, ‘Another year from my precious life has passed. Who knows how many more years, if any, I have remaining?’ Let us spend them in those avenues that bring the pleasure of Allāh ta‘ālā and stay away from those things that bring His displeasure, so that we can meet Allāh ta‘ālā in a state that He is pleased with us.

© Riyādul Jannah