Markaz al Ihsaan Article Archive

Hablullah: Issue #8

2012-02-01T21:07:00.003-04:00

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

The latest issue of Hablullah is out now.

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The Mercy to the Worlds

2012-01-22T20:38:00.003-04:00

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

As we have said on numerous occasions before, the personality of Prophet Muhammad (pboh) is indeed very special. There will never be anyone or anything like him in this universe. Allah created him unique and special for many reasons. One such quality that makes him absolutely unique is recorded in Surah Anbiyaa;

‘We sent thee not (O Muhammad), but as a mercy to the worlds’. (21:107)

Prophet Muhammad (pboh) is the only personality about whom Allah mentions in the Qur’an as Rahmatul Lil Alameen – a mercy to the worlds.

We know that our universe contains many worlds and there are multiple galaxies that contain many planets. What then does Allah mean when He says that Muhammad is a mercy to the worlds? In order to understand this we must first look at the very source of mercy. Allah says about Himself;

Say: “To Allah. He hath inscribed for Himself (the rule of) Mercy”. (6:12)

So it means then that the quality of mercy and compassion is something very special. And if Prophet Muhammad (pboh) was sent to be the recipient and the physical representation of the manifestation of mercy then there must also be something special about him. Of course Allah knows why He sent him, but we can deduce something from events, incidents and matters to demonstrate his greatness.

We know that Allah says that if He was to cause the Qur’an to descend on a mountain top the mountain would be reduced to rubble. So, no creature in this universe was capable of receiving the Qur’an except Prophet (pboh). This was evident when Allah took the Qur’an out of Lawh Mahfuz and caused it to be placed in the heart of Prophet (pboh). His heart was the recipient of this great Book.

Before his physical coming, only Allah knew the Qur’an. Only after it came to Prophet it became known by all; even the angels and jinns. This is possibly why the angels and jinns gather wherever the Qur’an is being recited to listen to it.

So part of Prophet’s (pboh) mission was to receive this great Book. And this is one of the reasons why he is a mercy to the worlds.

Through him all other creatures have access to the Words of Allah; whether they choose to read it or listen. Allah gave previous revelations but not in the context and layout as He has made the Qur’an. It is only when Prophet (pboh) came we gained true knowledge such as the beginning of the universe and the events surrounding the end.

So the coming of Prophet Muhammad (pboh) marked a new era where all the creatures in the universe could become enlighten. And all the while he maintained the perfection and purity of the Qur’an.

Another factor that makes him a mercy to all worlds is the specific area that Allah sent him to; i.e. Makkah. We know that the Kaba is the center of the universe. And directly above the Kaba (in paradise) there situates Baitul-Mamur (The Frequented House); where angles also pray and perform tawaf. Thus the Kaba is like an axis where the universe spins around. And it is from the Holy Kaba that the Divine Mercy spreads throughout the universe. And Prophet (pboh) began his mission from this blessed land.

The beautiful poem entitled Falak Bola highlights the greatness of Prophet Muhammad (pboh). In it the sky and earth argues which of them is greater. After a few exchanges the earth won the argument by saying ‘I am greater because the Greatest creature that has ever been created is on me’.

Prophet Muhammad was sent as a mercy to all the worlds and his personality is such that even today he continuously receives blessing from Allah .

“Verily Allah and His angels send blessings on the Prophet: O ye that believe! Send ye blessings on him, and salute Him with all respect.” (33:56)

Yusallunaa - is a verb in present / future tense. Therefore the blessings being sent are sent constantly and continuously. And he distributes these blessings to those who connect themselves to him via the institution of darood. If you are able to connect to him you will also be connecting to some measure of Divine Mercy.

May Allah makes us amongst those who would connect ourselves to His Habeeb (pboh) and may he enable us to understand the greatness of his personality and the mission that he still engages in today.

Testifying in the Oneness of God

2012-01-17T08:24:00.003-04:00

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

There is no doubt that Allah made Prophet Muhammad (pboh) very special. One allusion to this is uniqueness of the mission that was given to him. And more importantly than that is the personality that Allah gave him.

There are many dimensions in his blessed personality and in his mission and, insha Allah they would all be discussed in a public lecture that will be delivered by Maulana Dr. Waffie Mohammed on the 4th March 2012 at 10:00am at the Markaz Campus.

When we say Ash-hadu it means ‘I bear witness’. How does one bear witness? It can only be done if you have sure knowledge. That is if you’ve seen or experienced that which is being testified to.

With this in mind how then can we truly testify to the statement Ash-hadu anla ilaha illallaah (I testify that there is no god but Allah). We cannot bear witness to this in the true sense of the word because we haven’t reached that stage of seeing or experiencing the Divinity of Allah. Rationally, we know that everything comes from a Creator. But bearing witness is more than that. This is where Prophet Muhammad (pboh) stands out. Allah says in the Qur’an;

There is no god but He: that is the witness of Allah, His angels, and those endued with knowledge, (3:18)

It is possible to testify with sure knowledge that there is no God but Allah because He can make Himself comprehensible to any creature that possesses the capacity. And the greatest of all capacities was contained by Prophet (pboh). This was evident on the night of the Mir’aj when he ascended further than any other creature.

So Prophet Muhammad (pboh) had first hand experience of the Divine Personality of Allah. And because he has this unique experience Allah gave him a special mission. What is this mission? Allah says;

‘O Prophet! Truly We have sent thee as a witness, a bearer of glad tidings, and warner, - and as one who invites to Allah’s (grace) by His leave, and as a Lamp spreading light’. (33:45-46)

This is really the mission of Prophet (pboh). We cannot comprehend the greatest of his blessed personality. Only a few of his Companions were able to comprehend his greatness.

The first thing Allah makes obvious in the ayat above is that Prophet Muhammad (pboh) is that creature who possessed the capacity to witness the Oneness of Allah . ‘O Prophet! Truly We have sent thee as a witness’. Allah sent him for that purpose.

We do not possess the capacity to verify the Oneness of Allah but Prophet (pboh) did. This is why for example when a Muadhin was calling the adhaan and he said the statement Ash-hadu anla ilaha illallaah another person told the Muadhin ‘you’re a liar because you have not truly witnessed this’. The Muadhin simple replied ‘while this is true my Messenger has witnessed this Divine Oneness of Allah and he was one who never told a lie, so I know for a fact that there is no God but Allah .

This is why in every sense of the word Prophet (pboh) was called Abdullah – the servant of Allah. His personality was so refined that he possessed the capacity to ascend in body and soul outside the dimensions of space and time and witness that which Allah wanted him to.

Being a witness is just one of special dimensions of his personality and insha Allah we would continue highlighting various aspects in the coming weeks leading up to the public lecture.

We pray to Allah to help us understand the true status of His Beloved (pboh) and may his blessed personality be a means of guidance and motivation for us all, insha Allah.

Utilizing your capacity

2012-01-12T09:24:00.001-04:00

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

We have started a new year based on Gregorian calendar and I want to wish everyone a peaceful 2012. However, I invite each and everyone to be aware that another year has passed, and that they are now one year closer to their ends.

Allah says in the Holy Qur’an;

‘By (the token of) time (through the ages). Verily man is in loss’. (103:1-2)

We need to understand that each individual has his/her own capacity. We vary in strength, size, aptitude and lifespan. It is imperative for us to utilize our capacity in the given life-span in order to earn a pleasant life in the hereafter.

Prophet Muhammad (saw) is reported to have said; “on the Day of Judgement, the deeds of man will be divided into two groups; that which was done for the world, and that which was done for the hereafter; it is only what was done for the Hereafter will be beneficial then".

With the passage of time, a lot of people waste their capacity, by utilizing it in things that won’t be of benefit for them in the long run. Allah gives each of us what He has allocated; what we need to do is to utilize these blessings in a smart and beneficial way. For example, if two persons were given a large some of money to utilize in any manner they wish; thhe first invests it in a business and the other uses it for purely entertainment purposes. Who do you think would benefit in the long run?

The wise ones will use their blessings to benefit them in this world and in the next. The lackadaisical will follow the creed eat, sleep and be merry. In relation to this Allah says;

‘What is with you must vanish: what is with Allah will endure’. (16:96)

It is recorded in Surah Muddatstsir that the inhabitants of Paradise will question the inhabitants of hell as to what brought them to the hell fire;

“What led you into Hell Fire?” They will say: "We were not of those who prayed; nor were we of those who fed the indigent; but we used to talk vanities with vain talkers; and we used to deny the Day of Judgment,

Utilize the blessings that Allah gave you in a manner that will bring about benefit in both worlds, just as Prophet (saw) did. He spent his days working and taking care of his responsibilities and spent that night worshipping his Lord.

It’s not that Muslims should not enjoy themselves, but it is important for us to prioritize accordingly. Islam teaches us the middle course; we are not supposed to be extreme and or careless. Allah says in Surah Jumu'ah

and when the prayer is finished, then may ye disperse through the land, and seek of the bounty of Allah. and celebrate the praises of Allah often (and without stint): that ye may prosper.

So Allah encourages us to work for this world, however we should not give it priority as our stay here is only for a specified time. Place more emphasis on working for the eternal world that awaits the righteous.

You may not see the results here but on the Day of Judgement you’ll see all your life’s work and the end result that it has brought you.

Work for goodness in both worlds through the Grace and Mercy of Allah . And, as the year begins, seek forgiveness for the mistakes of the past year; and make a resolution not to repeat them in this New Year.

May He continuously guide us so that we may manage whatever He has given us in this world in a way that would give us ‘high return’ in the hereafter. May Allah take care of our affairs, insha Allah.

The importance of the heart

2012-01-12T09:19:00.002-04:00

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

Insha Allah this will be the first in a series of discourses focusing on the importance of the heart.

Firstly, we know that the body can function without some organs / limbs. For example if a person’s leg is amputated he can still lead a relatively normal life. However the same cannot be said of the heart. If a persons heart stops pumping then that persons will inevitably die. This is possibly why Prophet Muhammad (saw) is reported to have said ‘Verily there is in the body a piece of flesh; if it is good the whole body is good and if it corrupted the whole body is corrupted; Lo! It is the heart’.

In order to analyse the importance of the heart let us make reference to the following.

Physically; the heart is the most important organ.
For example if the brain is deprived of oxygen contained in the blood; one will immediately become unconscious. So physical; the heart is the most important organ in the body. Without it the body will decay.

The heart is the abode of faith.
If one has to have faith it must come from the heart. It cannot come from the tongue as it won’t mean anything. In relation to this Allah says in Surah Hujuraat;

‘The desert Arabs say, "We believe." say, "Ye have no faith; but ye (only) say, 'We have submitted Our wills to Allah,' for not yet has Faith entered your hearts. But if ye obey Allah and His Messenger, He will not be little aught of your deeds: for Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful." (49:14)

These Bedouins were not hypocrites rather they declared faith and just left. They didn’t spend the time to learn about Islam. Allah gave them a warning because if you don’t have faith in the heart you can still act on the basis of emotion, temptation, etc.

Again Allah says in Surah Nahl;

“Anyone who, after accepting faith in Allah, utters except under compulsion, his heart remaining firm in faith - but such as open breast to unbelief, on them is wrath from Allah, and theirs will be a dreadful”. (6:106)

Allah judges us on the basis of what is in our heart. Sometimes people are forced to do or say something against their natural way for example in the past a lot of indentured workers in Trinidad had to denounce Islam in order to acquire employment. However they still maintained belief in Allah in their hearts. As such Allah will judge on the basis of what is in the heart. So what is projected physically may be different to that which is in the heart.

In relation to this there is the Hadith Qudsi where Allah says ‘Allah doesn’t look at your physical appearance or wealth but looks at your heart and actions’.

The heart is the recipient of advice.
We’re all familiar with the saying “it passes through one ear and out the next”. If any advice is given to you and it doesn’t sink in your heart it will just be nothing more than words. As Allah says in Surah Anbiyaa;

“Never comes (aught) to them of a renewed Message from their Lord, but they listen to it as in jest,- their hearts toying as with trifles. The wrong-doers conceal their private counsels, (saying), "Is this (one) more than a man like yourselves? Will ye go to witchcraft with your eyes open?" (21:2-3)

When you are inclined to get closer to Allah you will ‘tune in’ your heat to goodly advice. You won’t ignore the inclination that your heart is feeling, as is recorded in Surah Nahl;

‘Your Allah is one Allah. As to those who believe not in the Hereafter, their hearts refuse to know, and They are arrogant’. (16:22)

The heart is the centre form where our intentions comes form.
We’re all aware of the popular hadith ‘actions are judged by intentions’. Our intentions are derived from the heart. This is why Satan whispers to mans heart; in anticipation that he can cause them to drift off Siratul Mustqeem.

‘(the same) who whispers into the hearts of mankind’. (114:5)

The heart is place where secrets are kept.
The heart is the organ that keeps secret. Allah says;

‘for Allah knoweth well the secrets of your hearts’. (5:7)

Only Allah knows the condition of the heart. Some may appear to be to have the best of intentions but in reality they have some sort of hidden agenda. For example the hypocritical Jews at the time of Prophet Muhammad (saw); they openly declared their intention of abiding by the laws that were put in place in Madinah however they were secretly trying to undermine the Muslims.

We see therefore just a few reasons that make the heart a very important organ in our personality. Success in this life and the next depends largely on the condition of the heart. We need to continuously work on purifying it so that it will have a domino effect on the rest of our personality and afford us the privilege of being classed with the righteous.

May Allah grant us the understanding of the importance of the heart and the wisdom to purify it. May He save us from the whisperings of Satan and take care of our affairs in this world and the next.

Important principles

2011-12-07T19:47:00.002-04:00

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

We would like to welcome back to all the Hujjaj from their special and holy trip and pray that Allah accepts all their efforts, insha Allah.

In the Adhaan and Iqamah we recite two important principles. They are;

Ash-hadu anla ilaha illallaah. (I testify that there is no god but Allah)
Ash-hasu anna Muhammadar Rasuulullaah. (I testify that Muhammad is Allah's messenger)

Firstly we know that there is no creator except Allah . We have been given this assurance from Prophet Muhammad (saw) who was known to never tell a lie. Even his enemies testified to his honesty.

The second testimony brings to our mind some important principles. Before the coming of Prophet Muhammad (saw), Allah sent Messengers to all the previous tribes and nations. And a series of these Messengers were sent to the Israelites’. The question arises of which one do you identify yourself with?

The coming of Prophet Muhammad (saw) put an end to this type of understanding because he is the Universal Messenger. He was sent to all tribes and nations; even those tribes and nations that were before his physical coming. He took what Allah gave to all the previous Messengers and perfected it. This is why we say that he is The Messenger. The embodiment of Prophet-hood is contained in him.

So whenever we say Ash-hasu anna Muhammadar Rasuulullaah we are testifying to the complete code that he brought with him.

With this perceptive on our beloved Prophet there is some sort of difficulty in understanding the hadith recorded in Abu Dawood; Every novelty (bid'ah) is an innovation, and every innovation is an error (which leads to the Fire). Today we see so many new things that were not present at the time of Prophet . Are these things innovations? No they are not.

What appears to be ‘new’ to us is in fact not; because if you look back in the Holy Book and the life of Prophet there would have been some kind of references about them.

For example the popular debate surrounding Maulood and Tazeem. Was it done at the time of Prophet (saw)? If you look back you will find situations where many of the blessed Companions recited poems in his praise. So if I recite a beautiful passage about him and call him by lovely names am I committing and innovation?

The question of innovation has to be really understood. Prophet (saw) is the physical be all and end all for all human beings because he has taught us how to benefit from nature, how to live a perfect moral life, how to prepare ourselves to return to Allah and about Allah Himself. He is The Messenger.

However today we have the argument: ‘if I follow Jesus (as) will I go to heaven or not’. Jesus spoke about the existence of One God. If then you follow his teachings you will have some hope of attaining paradise. But how can you be sure that which you are following are his teachings?

These uncertainties exist with the previous Messengers but Prophet Muhammad’s (saw) sunnah is well preserved for all to eternity. When he spoke about nature, for example, he may not have mentioned a specific issue; but would have identified the principle in his teaching.

If we see new things coming into the our life time and are of the view that Islam made no mention of it, it is out of our own ignorance about the Book and the Sunnah of Prophet (saw), for us to think like that, as mention would have been made in some verse of the Book about it.

These two simple principles can unite the whole world as one family. And it is best demonstrated in the Holy Land. We identify Allah and His House and Prophet Muhammad (saw) and His mosque. Two separate entities that form the focus of all our activities and beliefs. And even in our salaat we make mention of these two principles at the beginning and in the end when we recite the Tashahhud

May Allah strengthen our belief, knowledge and understanding in His Glorious Book and the ways of His Habeeb (saw). And as we enter the new Islamic year of 1433A.H may He make this year a prosperous, peaceful and fulfilling one. May He take care of our affairs throughout and continuously guide us, insha Allah.

Kul ’am wa antum bil khair antum bikhair

My this new year be good to you

Sending good for the morrow

2011-11-26T05:55:00.001-04:00

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

Allah says in Surah Hashr;

‘O ye who believe! fear Allah, and let every soul look to what (provision) he has sent forth for the morrow; yea, fear Allah for Allah is well-acquainted with (all) that ye do’. (59:18)

This is a command from Allah to all believers. The first part of the ayat is usually translated to mean ‘fear Allah ’ but it also means for us to develop righteousness. The latter part advises us to take stock of what type of deeds we’re sending for the morrow i.e. the hereafter.

We are recommended to monitor our lives in such a way that we’ll know whether we are sending good or bad ahead. By adopting this practice one can know whether his/her abode will be Paradise or the hell fire. It all depends on:

Intention:- Am I trying to live for the sake of Allah
Allah’s Grace and Mercy: - If I’m living for His sake, insha Allah, He will overlook my shortcomings.

Our intention is the most important thing. Prophet Muhammad (saw) has said the all actions are judged on its intention. And Allah warns us against worshipping Him with ulterior motives;

‘Those who do good deeds only to be seen (of men)’. (107:6)

Only what is done for the sake of Allah will remain with Him. If it’s done for the world it will go to the world.

In order to be certain that what we are sending is acceptable we need to keep three (3) things in mind;

Wisdom to differentiate that which is good from evil.
To keep close watch on our nafs (baser self). It is narrated that there was one Companion of Prophet Muhammad (saw) who had a special gift identifying the hypocrites of his time. Every day Hazrat Omar (ra) would go to him and ask was I a hypocrite today? Hazrat Omar (ra); someone who was guaranteed Paradise while he was still alive in this world use to visit this blessed Companion everyday. What about us who are not guaranteed?
Trying to know what is a blessing and what is a trial from Allah . Sometimes we may mistake a blessing from our Lord and utilize it in an unfortunate way. This is where knowledge becomes important.

One needs to be cautious and keep a constant look over the ego. It is good to be ambitious but be mindful because it can lead us down the wrong path as Allah says in Surah Zukhruf;

‘If anyone withdraws himself from the remembrance of (Allah) Most Gracious, We appoint for him an evil one, to be an intimate companion to him. Such (evil ones) really hinder them from the path, but they think that they are being guided aright!’ (43:36-37)

This is why we pray continuously ‘guide us on the straight path’.

It is only those with a pure and good intentions will go back to Allah . For example it is reported that a prostitute once found a dog that was extremely thirsty. She took her shoe and tied it to her scarf in order to retrieve water from a nearby well. Prophet (saw) narrates that Allah was so pleased with this action that He forgave the woman. In another narration a drunkard was walking the streets when he stumbled across some ayats of the Holy Qur’an lying on the ground. The drunkard took up the page and held it over his head out of reverence and it is reported that Allah forgave him out of the sincerity of his intention.

Always try to adopt two things throughout your life; increase the amount of good that you are sending before you and try to wipe out the blemishes from your Book. It is a simple recipe but it as an everlasting effect.

Keep in mind that there is morrow and all our thoughts and actions will be brought before us. Make sure that when you are presented with your book of deeds it will be one that you will be proud of, insha Allah. May Allah protect us and guide us and may He enable us to send plentiful good ahead of us so that our meeting with our Lord will be a pleasant and beautiful one.

Three ingredients for a successful life

2011-11-26T05:52:00.001-04:00

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

Allah made the human family as one people; from the very beginning of creation. And with this came common beliefs and practices throughout the ages. These beliefs and practices were given to each nation via the Messengers of Allah . Allah says in Surah Anbiyaa;

“and We sent them inspiration to do good deeds, to establish regular prayers, and to practise regular charity; and they constantly served Us (and Us only)”. (21:73)

No human being was exempted from these beliefs and practices. Each Messenger taught total submission to Allah ; and that we are all going back to Him; and in order to successfully meet Him one has to practice that which has been commanded.

And through these practices the bond among mankind is continuously strengthened. For example in the institution of Salaat we meet and interact with our follow brothers and sisters. In the institution of charity we assist and look after those who are in need. So the beliefs and practices that Allah has ordered us to follow reinforces the union amongst mankind.

In this particular Surah, Surah Anbiyaa, Allah mentions the life of many Messengers; and one thing that resonates in each one of them is, that they had complete faith in their Lord. They would also put their problems to Him and beg for His interventions and assistance and He responded to them all. For example, when Prophet Lot (as) complained to Allah that the people of Sodom would not change and they should be destroyed Allah sent upon the disbelievers a terrible punishment.

Why make mention of this? As Muslims we do not feel that we are better than others. We do not walk around announcing that we’re the ‘saved and chosen ones’. We adhere to the principles that we are commanded to follow and in so doing, join with all those who came before. As Allah says;

“Verily, this nation of yours is one nation, and I am your Lord and Cherisher: Therefore serve me (and no other)”. (21:92)

Islam has, in addition to these institutions that make us feel like one family, three additional ‘ingredients’ that will make life pleasant for all. Allah records them in Surah Balad;

“one of those who believed, and recommended one another to perseverance and patience, and (also) recommended one another to pity and compassion”. (90:17)

Help one another to

find out the truth,
to preserve in life with patience and
to show compassion to others.

If these practices are upheld there will be certain elements in society that will contradict with us. For example those who have a materialistic and selfish outlooks on life will not be open to these three components as it is not in accordance with their desires. And as Allah says

But (later generations) cut off their affair (of unity), one from another: (yet) will They all return to us. (21:93)

On the contray, if we apply these three ingredients to our daily lives society as a whole will change for the better. And this type of behaviour will have a direct relation to the attitude of the future generations.

May Allah grant us the ability of inculcating these principles in our daily lives and may He strengthen the unity among the followers if His Deen.

Following the way of Abraham

2011-11-26T05:47:00.002-04:00

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

Allah instructs us to follow the Sunnah of Hazrat Abraham (as). This doesn’t mean that Prophet Muhammad (saw) didn’t perfect his Sunnah while he was here. It is as though Abraham’s way was a tree and Prophet Muhammad was that one that pruned it; nurtured it and made it fruitful and beautiful.

Allah says in Surah Nahl;

‘So We have taught thee the inspired (Message), follow the ways of Abraham the true in faith, and he joined not gods with Allah’. (16:123)

Allah out of His Wisdom connected Islam with Abraham.

Again He says in Surah An'am

‘Say: "Verily, My Lord hath guided me to a way that is straight- a Religion of right- the path (trod) by Abraham the true In Faith, and He (certainly) joined not gods with Allah’.

What is the reason for adhering to the ways of Father Abraham? In order to fully explain this let us look at some of those things that made him special and blessed;

Abraham was neither a Jew nor Christian. Both of these religions started with the advent of his son Isaac.
He is to this day recognised by Judaism, Christianity and Islam as a righteous person. For example in Luke 16:22 it says ‘Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham's bosom’.
Abraham never joined Gods with Allah . History shows where he destroyed idols on more than one occasion in an attempt to show his people that their idols were just mere carvings on stones.
He never had a Sabbath day.
He recognised that everything he had was a gift from Allah
He recognised that the Kaba is the Qibla (direction of worship). When he left his wife and newborn in the barren desert he prayed ‘"O Our Lord! I have made some of my offspring to dwell in a valley without cultivation, by Thy sacred House; in order, O Our Lord, that they may establish regular prayer’.
He is considered the Father of the now known revealed religions.
He was not sent to a particular people or nation. In fact wherever he traversed he gave the message of the monotheistic way.
He invited mankind to believe in only One God.
He united mankind as ‘one family’. For example his first wife was Sarah who was from amongst his people and thereafter he got married to Hajar who was not from amongst them; (uniting two separate tribes).
He physically demonstrated that idols cannot be ‘gods’. For example his father gave him one of the idols he made to clean by the river, instead young Abraham threw it into the water and said if it is God let it save itself.

All of these and more made Abraham such a blessed personality. So much so that even today he is still greatly remembered, especially around this time when millions make their way to Makkah to rehearse some of the activities that Abraham and his family engaged in so many centuries ago.

And even those who are not on route to perform the Hajj, they still remember Father Abraham when they engage in the sacrifice on Eid ul Adha.

Prophet (saw) refined all of this through his blessed personality and left it as a guide for us all. And Allah commands us to go back to this, establish it and strengthen Abraham’s Sunnah. And insha Allah, if we adhere to it, we will be amongst those who will be considered righteous.

In direct relation to this one sensible argument that Maulana Dr. Waffie has employed in the past while conversing with Christians is the following;

Dr. Waffie asked the following questions & The Christian replied

Was Abraham a righteous person? (Yes)
Will he go to heaven because of his righteousness? (Yes)
If I follow Abraham’s teachings will I be considered righteous? (Yes)
Then it’s safe to say that I would also be blessed to go to heaven? (Yes)
Therefore if by following Abraham’s teaching will guarantee me entrance to heaven why do I have to follow Jesus (as) (????)

May Allah bless us with the ability of establishing and strengthening the Sunnah of Hazrat Abraham (as), and may we be steadfast upon it. May He forgive us, have mercy on us and take care of our affairs in this world and the next.

Hablullah - Issue #7

2011-10-21T09:53:00.005-04:00

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

The latest issue of Hablullah - The Quarterly newsletter of the Markaz al Ihsaan.

(Click on the page to enlarge & save)

Front

Back

The Best of Planners

2011-10-20T09:10:00.002-04:00

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

Allah says in His Holy Words;

‘They plot and plan, and Allah too plans; but the best of planners is Allah.’

Unfortunately, some people translate it to mean; ‘they scheme and Allah schemes and Allah is the best of schemers’. This is not proper to say as Allah is not a “schemer”.

Man puts forward a plan and Allah also plans, and His plan will always be the best as He says that He is The Best of Planners. We see this occurring time and again in history. In order to expound on this we reference two examples.

Firstly, whether it is true or not according to the bible Sarah didn’t want the son of Hajar to share in the inheritance of Hazrat Abraham (as) material acquisitions. She said ‘the son of a slave cannot inherit with my son’. But look at what Allah did, He sent Hajar and Ishma’il in the wilderness, out of the dimension of Abraham’s property. Based on the accounts in the bible Sarah’s concern was wealth and property (Allah knows best if this is true or not). So while she was left preoccupied with this concern Hajar and Ishma’il were blossoming and developing with a greater purpose. Allah says of Prophet Ishma’il (as) that he was Haleem (someone willing to forbear with patience).

Look at Allah’s plan. He guided Abraham to leave Hajar and Ishma’il near to the foundation of the Holy Kabaa and a few years later both father and son re-constructed the Holy House of Allah . Allah wanted to preserve the willingness of submission of this blessed family so He created the institution of Hajj which is the re-enacting of some rituals associated Abraham, Hajar and Ishma’il. To this very day millions perform these rituals every year. And look at the condition of the Israelites, there are still obsessed with material acquisitions as they are still fighting of land.

From a very despondent situation Hajar and Ishma’il were in fact fulfilling this great plan of Allah , which at the time would have seem farfetched using reason and logic.

The other example which demonstrates the Wisdom of Allah’s is the story of Prophet Joseph (as). Throughout his life he was faced with hardships and the unfortunate schemes of the people around him but look at the plan Allah had in store for him. And all the difficulties and hardships that people dealt him had wisdom in it as Allah’s plan was slowly being materialised.

Why make mention of this? Understand that when you put your faith and trust in your Lord He will take care of your affairs. He says in Surah Baqarah;

‘Who say, when afflicted with calamity: "To Allah we belong, and to Him is Our return". They are those on whom (Descend) blessings from Allah, and Mercy, and they are the ones that receive guidance’. (156-157)

Whosoever puts their faith and trust in Allah , He will send blessings upon them and continuously guide them.

A beautiful example of this is when Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) received salutations from Allah .

The Holy Prophet Muhammad requested contributions for an expedition, and the Muslims gave whatever they could give, but Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddique (ra) exceeded all by giving all that he had without leaving anything for his own family. He even included the clothing he was wearing. Thereafter he appeared in front of the Holy Prophet wearing a sack held together by date thorns. When the Prophet asked him what he had left for his family, he replied, “Allah and His Messenger are enough for them.” When Allah saw this expression of love of Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) He ordered Jibraeel to wear a sack held together by thorns and to go to the Holy Prophet and say, ‘Allah has sent salutations (salaam) to Abu Bakr via your Holy Personality and asks if he has at least left food at his home and if he is pleased with Allah ’. When Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) heard this he went into a state of ecstasy, began whirling and began crying out repeatedly, ‘I am pleased with my Lord!’ This story which is narrated by Ibn Asakir (ra) is recorded in both Tirmidhi and Abu Daud.

Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra), one of the wealthiest persons gave everything for Allah’s sake and pleasure and when he was left with nothing Allah sent salutations to him.

Those who put their affairs in Allah’s Hands, He will help them to plan properly. No one is as Wise and Knowledgeable as Him. It is only a question of faith and desire to get close to Him. People can do what they want but if you have Allah and His Rasul what else do you need.

There are so many things in this world that can bring about emotional unrest but if you have sincere faith in Allah He will send a way out for you as He says in His Holy Words. And what appeared to be hardship and difficulty may turn into something favourable.

We beg Allah to make us from amongst those who will put out faith and trust in His Hands and may He make us accept His plan and take care of our affairs in both worlds.

Hasten to ask for forgiveness

2011-10-09T16:35:00.002-04:00

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

When Allah appointed Hazrat Adam (as) as Khalifa and made his abode the Garden, He gave him one instruction which was to enjoy everything that was there except a particular tree. Unfortunately for Adam (as) Satan had access to the Garden and he wanted to diminish Adam’s status. So the first thing he did was to create some sort of mischief by tempting and enticing Adam and Eve ever so often to eat from the tree and thereafter when they forgot the command they suffered the consequences.

Keep in mind at all times what Allah says in Surah Yaseen;

“Did I not enjoin on you, O ye Children of Adam, that ye should not worship Satan; for that he is to you an enemy avowed?” (36:60)

Allah can do anything. If He wanted He didn’t have to create Satan, or allowed the situation in the Garden to take place; or simply put Adam (as) on earth after his creation. This is not impossible for Him, as He is All Powerful. But there is wisdom in everything Allah does.

Two things occurred when Adam (as) ate from the ‘unapproachable tree’. Firstly, he disobeyed a command from Allah; and he also brought hardship and difficulty upon himself. Look at his life in the Garden and his life on earth. In the Garden he didn’t have to do anything except follow one command. On earth he had to work and toil for his livelihood and sustenance, etc.

Allah speaks about the dhalimeen – the transgressors’ in many places in the Qur’an. A few of them are;

‘Allah loveth not the transgressors’. (3:57)
‘Allah guides not the transgressors’. (3:86)
‘Thou wilt be among the companions of the fire, and that is the reward of the transgressors.’ (5:29)
‘and those who do not desist are (indeed) doing wrong.’ (49:11)
‘The transgressors will have no Protector or helper’. (42:8)

We see from these ayats the unfortunate circumstances surrounding the transgressors. And the reason for making mention of all of this is for one very important principle.

We know Satan is our enemy and that we must, at all times follow the commandments of Allah . But sometimes we succumb to our weaknesses, knowingly or unknowingly. We are human beings and are sometimes prone to errors and shortfalls. So we will falter at some point in time; but when we do; we should repent to Allah immediately.

Sometimes we may think that we are doing good through our ignorance; but in reality we may be transgressing against the don’ts that Allah has commanded. So at all times we must repent and beg for forgiveness for the wrong that we commit knowingly and unknowingly. Only Allah is All Knowing. We can’t say for certain that every single thing we did in a day was purely good. Only Allah knows.

This is possibly why the Prophet Muhammad (saw) is reported to have said: “By Allah, I seek Allah's forgiveness and repent to Him more than seventy times a day.” (Bukhari)

And this blessed personality was completely sinless and yet he repented so many times for one day. What about us?

Repent and beg Allah as much as you can before it’s too late. Just as the stick of a match grain is useless after the flame has been out so too is our bodies when the soul departs. So while we have our total personality intact use it to get closer and amongst the favourable ones of Allah. Prepare yourself to meet Him.

May Allah save us from being counted amongst the transgressors and may He give us the ability to repent to Him as much as possible so that we would be amongst the fortunate ones on that Day.

Everlasting Pleasure

2011-10-03T09:53:00.002-04:00

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

Naturally, we would all like only the good of this world. Financially, emotionally, socially; we would all prefer a comfortable life, as opposed to one that contains hardships and trials.

In reality however, we all know that the joys of this life are constantly fluctuating. Sometimes we experience great joy and at other times we experience sorrow and difficulties. Remember nothing is constant, except the Word of Allah. In informing us about this Allah says;

“Allah doth enlarge, or grant by (strict) measure, the sustenance (which He giveth) to whomso He pleaseth. (the wordly) rejoice in the life of This world: but the life of This world is but little comfort in the Hereafter”. (13:26)

Everything is from Allah. He gives to whomsoever He wants; and vice versa. However, when measured against the pleasures and comforts of the Hereafter; all the material joys and happiness are rendered incomparable.

Look back at different moments in your life. There were times that you experienced good and there were also times that you had a bit more challenges to face. This is how life is in this material world.

The Holy Qur’an uses two words to describe pleasure and happiness. These are Farh and Suroor. Farh denotes to happiness for a period of time. This means that the state of happiness or pleasure will inevitably come to an end. Suroor on the other hand, denotes to the ‘all embracing joy’. In this state a person will have absolutely no question of regret and emotional unrest. The state of suroor cannot be attained in this material world however, but only in the Hereafter.

The material pleasures and comfort that many people run after are mixed with sorrow, sadness and anxiety. In relation to this our blessed leader, Prophet Muhammad (saw), is reported to have said;

‘The life of the present world compared to the Hereafter is just like when one of you inserts his finger into the ocean, so let him contemplate of how much he will be carrying with him”.

If you dip your finger in the sea how much water will remain on the finger? just a mere drop or two. So Prophet (saw) is informing us that the pleasures and joys of the Hereafter are like the vastness of the ocean and the joy of this material world is just a few drops in comparison. Unfortunately, we see some who would prefer to sacrifice the ocean for a few drops on their fingers.

In another narration it is reported that Prophet Muhammad (saw) was passing by the wayside and saw a shepherd discarding a dead sheep. Upon seeing this Prophet (saw) said ‘the life of this present world is as insignificant to Allah as the dead sheep is to the shepherd’.

Don’t give the joy and comforts of this word too much importance. Yes we need it; as it would make life a bit more comfortable; but utilize the blessing and bounties from Allah to get much more in the Hereafter. Sometimes you may lose your focus, but this is human nature. Beg for forgiveness and continue persevering.

From this short lesson we can conclude that:

It is wrong to judge someone based on their material acquisitions’. Remember that it is Allah Who gives and withholds.
It is wrong to excessively rejoice on the basis of material success. Be thankful to Allah for favouring you but do not make it your goal and be all and end all.
It is wrong to sacrifice the pleasures of the Hereafter (Suroor) for a little material pleasure in this world (Farh).
It is wrong to believe that material acquisitions’ are as a result of your doing and not that blessing and bounties from Allah .

Everything we have and will ever have, is from the Grace and Mercy of our Lord, so be thankful and humble. This is why, believers live in fear and hope. Fearing that Allah can take us to task for our weaknesses; and hoping for His Mercy, Forgiveness and Blessings.

Be mindful of this and always remember that the material happiness is but for a short time and insignificant when compared to what Allah has prepared for His believing servants in the Hereafter.

To this end we should all try to learn these two duas (shown below) as it encompasses our reliance and faith in our Lord.

Dua to be recited in the morning

Asbahnaa wa asbahal mulku lillaahi rabbil Aalameen. Allahumma innii as aluka khaira haazal yawm fath hahu wa nasrahu wa nuurahu wa barakatahu. Wa auuzubika min sharri maa fiihi wa sharri maa ba'dahu

The morning has come to me and the whole universe belongs to Allah, the Lord of the worlds, O Allah, I ask of you the good of the day, it's success and aid and it's nur (celestial light) and barakaat (blessings) and seek hidayah (guidance) and seek refuge from the evil in it (this day) and from the evil of that which is to come later.

Dua to be recited in the evening

Amsainaa wa amsal mulku lillaahi rabbil Aalameen. Allahumma innii as aluka khaira haazihil lailata fath hahaa wa nasrahaa wa nuurahaa wa barakatahaa wa hudaahaa. Wa auuzubika min sharri maa fiihaa wa sharri maa ba'adahaa

The evening has come to me and the whole universe belongs to Allah who is the Lord of the worlds. O Allah, I ask of you the good of the night, it's success and aid and its nur (celestial light) and barakaat (blessings) and seek hidayat (guidance) and refuge from the evil of this night and the evil that is to come later.

The Sunnah of Abraham (as)

2011-09-27T09:07:00.001-04:00

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

Reliance on Allah is something that is easier said that done. We always hear people quoting the Hadith "trust in Allah but tie your camel”. What they usually mean when they say this is to put your trust in Allah but first see if there’s anything that you can do to help yourself. The Sufis’ say that whoever puts their trust in Allah, has tied his camel.

In order to understand the importance of tawakkul (total reliance on Allah ) we must reference the source of the beginning of Islam. The real beginning of Islam started with Prophet Abraham (as). Yes all the previous Messengers and their followers were believers but Prophet Abraham (as) resurrected the focus and direction towards the Kaba. He prayed for the monotheistic theology to spread through his son Ishmael.

Perhaps this is one reason why Allah says to us about Prophet Abraham the following:

Abraham was indeed a model, devoutly obedient to Allah……So We have taught the inspired message: Follow the ways of Abraham; the true in Faith. (16:120-123)

What was the lesson that Abraham (as) left for us? He knew and demonstrated how to rely only on Allah . Firstly, when he was a little boy and he destroyed the idols of his people they gave him an ultimatum; either repent and worship their ‘gods’ or be killed. This young boy opted to be killed by being thrown into the fire they kindled for that purpose.

If you put your faith in Allah He will take care of your affairs. During his life Prophet Abraham (as) acquired a lot of wealth. He had thousands of livestock and acres upon acres of land. So much so that even today the Jews are still trying to reclaim the land they believe he was given. In spite of being the possessor of so much wealth, he gave his wife, Hagar some water and a little food and left her and his newborn son, whom he loved so much, in the wilderness where there was not even a blade of grass growing.

After he prayed for a son for so long, in his old age he finally got Ishmael (as). So much faith and trust he had in His Lord that he knew Allah would take care of them even in this barren land. And while he was departing he prayed as follows:

"O Our Lord! I have made some of my offspring to dwell in a valley without cultivation, by Thy Sacred House; in order, O Our Lord, that they may establish regular prayer: so fill the hearts of some among men with love towards them, and feed them with fruits: so that they may give thanks”

He recognized what he was doing. He was sure that Allah was going to answer his supplication; and just as how Allah fed Moses and his people when they crossed the sea, and how he fed Mary and her son Jesus, He (Allah) would take care of all the needs of Hagar and her son Ishmael.

Allah accepted the supplication of Abraham (as) and the barren valley in which they were put soon became a place filled with the best of waters on the earth, and the hub for worship, etc. He truly demonstrated trust and faith in his Lord.

Abraham demonstrated that when one puts trust and reliance on Allah, He (Allah) takes care of that person's affairs.

Allah says in Surah Ath Thalaaq;

“and He (Allah) provides for him from (sources) he never could imagine. And if any one puts His trust in Allah, sufficient is (Allah) for Him. For Allah will surely accomplish his purpose: verily, for all things has Allah appointed a due proportion”. (65:3)

Allah will never let you down. That is guaranteed. We cannot say how or when we can solve our problems and difficulties. Allah’s knowledge is far greater than ours and He knows what is best for us. Allah preserved the life of Abraham (as) for us to learn and put into practice. We are even commanded to adhere to Abraham’s (as) sunnah; and one of his sunnah was to display wholeheartedly complete faith and trust His Lord.

“Then We revealed to you, (O Muhammad), to follow the way of Abraham,” (16:123)

If Allah doesn’t want you to ‘tie your camel’ you will never be able to. Understand everything comes from Him. He knows why He allows things to happen and withholds things from taking place. What we have to do is to build up our faith so that we will have total reliance in our Lord, just as Prophet Abraham (as) did.

May Allah make us from amongst those who have true tawakkul in Him and may He take care of our affairs in all worlds.

Displaying patience when learning

2011-09-19T10:51:00.000-04:00

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

As believers it is important of us to be aware of the etiquette and attitude that should be displayed in the process of learning. We must acquire a special discipline in this process. One of the etiquettes is demonstrating a lot of patience before speaking, asking questions or responding to others. Don’t just open your mouth. Be mindful and cautious.

Asking questions is not wrong when one sincerely wants to learn. Allah encourages it. He says in Surah Anbiyaa; “ask of those who possess the Message”. But be mindful when asking questions especially to a learned person such as one's Spiritual Teacher because it is possible that at that time you won’t have the capacity to understand. You may not be capable of understanding the real spiritual meaning. For example a lot of people ask the question ‘why stand for Tazeem?’ At this point in time they can’t understand the merit behind it, but Insha Allah through time will come wisdom.

A potent example of this given in the Qur’an is the encounter between Prophet Moses (as) and Hazrat Khdir. Moses (as) wanted to know more about the truth, more than about creation. Theologically Moses (as) was a learned person, but he wanted to acquire that knowledge that is beyond reason and logic. So he set out on a spiritual journey to acquire this knowledge.

Allah guided him to Khdir. Who was Khdir? He is a personality Allah mentioned in the Qur’an. Some say he was a Prophet of Allah , some say he was an angel, some say he was a wise servant of Allah who still functions today. We can’t say because Allah didn’t give any details about this personality. All that is recorded is “so they found one of Our servants whom We had mercy from Ourselves and whom We had taught knowledge from Our Own.”

Throughout their journey Moses (as) demonstrated his limited understanding by questioning Khdir on three separate occasions. At that point in time he couldn’t see the purpose of Khdir’s actions. And Khdir summed it up beautifully by asking Moses (as) the question prior to their journey “How can thou have patience about things which thy understanding is not complete?”

We see from this encounter the wisdom in bearing patience, especially when in the company of the learned. Allah reinforces this in Surah Maa-idah;

“O ye who believe! Ask not questions about things which, if made plain to you, may cause you trouble”. (5:101)

Continuously asking questions may make things a bit harder for you to understand, as was the case with the Jews. When they were commanded to slaughter a cow they kept asking Moses (as) question after question and every time they got an answer the task became a little more difficult for them; until they were made to pay gold that equated the weight of a the cow. This story is recorded in Surah Baqarah, verses 67-73.

Understand something very important; i.e. we do not know Allah’s plan. Our knowledge and understanding is limited. Don’t question Allah . Don’t say why me! when you are faced with trials and tests. Don’t question Allah’s work. We don’t know what He has planned for us. What we do know is that He loves us and He will take care of us.

Unfortunately, we don’t see believers behaving in this manner. Sometimes we try to take matters into our own hands. This lesson is really important especially, when it comes to Spirituality. If you are told to do something especially by a Sheikh you don’t question it. There is wisdom and reason for it.

Those who are trying to get closer to Allah are careful and cautious when it comes to opening their mouths. They remain silent and look on with the outlook that Allah will take care of the affairs of His servants.

Satan was so blessed that he was favoured with entry into paradise amongst the company of Angels, but he questioned Allah and look how far he fell. The angels displayed their reservations when Allah announced to them that He was going to create man. Thereafter when they were questioned they responded;

“Glory to Thee, of knowledge we have none, save what Thou hast taught us: in truth it is Thou Who Art Perfect In Knowledge and Wisdom”. (2:32)

What Allah wants to happen will happen. He knows what is best for us. Our understanding is limited and short-sighted. Put your faith and trust in Allah and He will take care of your affairs.

We beg Allah to make us from amongst those who will never question His Decisions and accept whatever He sends our way. May He make the trials and tests easy and bearable and may He inculcate in us the ability to demonstrate patience when seeking knowledge and spiritual advancement.

The Benefits of Fasting

2011-09-01T21:03:00.001-04:00

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

When one looks back in history, it will be seen that the institution of Fasting was a prescription given to all those who were to receive special religious experiences.

Moses was ordered to fast for forty days and forty nights before he was given the Torah. Jesus, in spite of being special from birth, kept fast on the mountain for forty days, before he was able to overpower Satan. And the previous messengers, all kept fast upon the command of the Lord. Perhaps, this is one of the reasons why Allah says to Muslims in the Holy Qur’an, that fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you.

Allah made fasting easy for Muslims. They do not have to fast for forty days and nights, nor do they have to go on the hilltops to do so. They keep the fast from dawn to dusk in the lunar month of Ramadan, in their homes and may get the same type of religious experience during the Night of Power. Allah says that: He desires ease for us and He does not desire to put us into any type of difficulties. (Qur’an, 2:185)

But why did Allah make fasting in the month of Ramadan a principle of faith for the Muslims?

Fasting in this month benefits the person in two ways, viz. it enables him to ascend closer to his Lord; and it makes him a better unit in society.

During the month of Ramadan the Muslim engages himself in abstinence during the day from dawn to dusk, engages in extra acts of worship, spends more time reading the Holy Qur’an, (the unadulterated Word of Allah); becomes more generous to the poor and the needy; and stays God conscious all the time. As a result he feels that he is living in the presence of the Divine. Allah out of His mercies sends the Angels to visit the believers during the “night of Power” an experience which a lot of people cherish.

Fasting enables a person to develop a better relationship with others in the society, as, one is prohibited from ill-speaking, responding negatively, becoming irritable, or doing anything that will harm others. And when emotionally challenged he is required to say: I am fasting.

A Muslim knows that back-biting, etc will render his fast null and void.
It is because fasting brings out the moral and spiritual good in a person that Allah says: If you fast it is better for you. Because Muslims feel better about themselves regarding their moral, spiritual and social development at the end of Ramadan, Eid becomes a day of celebration and thankfulness to the Lord for His Favours they received during the Blessed month.

A Muslim is supposed to use the experience of Ramadan as a milestone in his moral and spiritual growth. He has to always keep in mind what Prophet Muhammad (pboh) is reported to have said: Faith increases or decreases. As a result, in order to preserve the blessings of Ramadan, he needs to take note that he should not cover Truth with falsehood, as that will spoil his relation with his Maker
Ramadan is therefore designed to strengthen the bond of relation between a person and his Lord on one hand, and between a person and his friends, relatives and neighbours on the other.

May Allah bless all those who kept the fast with good in this world and in the Next.

The month of Ramadhan

2011-07-31T08:15:00.002-04:00

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

Allah has been kind and merciful to us in that He has allowed us to have the weekly Zikir sessions continuously thus far; and now we will give way to the blessed month of Ramadhan and resume thereafter, insha Allah.

Keep in mind that the hall mark of Ramadhan is restraint. We restrain ourselves from food, drink, martial relations etc. Why? Because Allah says that there are two paths;

‘and shown him the two highways?’

One is full of ease and comfort but it leads to your inevitable destruction; the other is a bit steeper and difficult to journey on, but this one will lead to your Lord. Therefore to make sacrifices such as in Ramadhan will insha Allah take us closer to Allah .

He has made this month truly blessed for us in that He has given us a special night where there would be special visitors who bring with them great blessings from their Lord. This month is a gift and not a burden. And even thought there will be trails and tests try your best to do as much good deeds as possible because the blessings are truly immense; as reported in a Hadith Qudsi:

“Allah said - ‘All the deeds of Adam’s sons (people) are for them, except fasting which is for Me, and I will give the reward for it.’

Fasting also necessitates patience and Allah has given great comfort to those who exercise patience;

“Those who patiently persevere will truly receive a reward without measure!’ (39:10)

Let us insha Allah restrain from indulging in evil and use Ramadhan as that milestone where we will strengthen our relationship with our Lord because we are doing it all for His sake. And when Eid-ul-Fitr will come around we will be happy not because Ramadhan has ended but because of the achievement you would have attained, insha Allah.

One of the gems of Ramadhan is to read the Holy Qur’an. Yes we have to work and go about our daily activities but we have to sacrifice a little in order to utilize this great gift.

and it is better for you that ye fast, if ye only knew. (2:184)

The previous Messengers use to fast but what are their followers doing today? We are truly blessed by Allah. None of us are aware of whether we will ever see another Ramadhan so let us utilize whatever Allah has allowed for us.

We beg Him to bless us and to make this Ramadhan a monumental success and may He allow us to benefit from it in this world and use it to send a huge balance in the next. May Allah allow us to rise with the righteous where we will be please and anxious to meet Him and He will be pleasing to meet us, Ameen.

Ramadhan Mubarak!!!

A Goodly Loan

2011-07-25T20:36:00.003-04:00

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

Allah says in Surah Baqarah

“who is he that will lend to Allah a goodly loan so that He may multiply it to him many times? And it is Allah that decreases or increases (your provisions), and unto Him you shall return.” (2:145)

When Islam started the Israelites were already established. They had so many Messengers that came to them, they had their Books and Allah had blessed them in a special way; for example their food came down from the skies. So their outlook was different to that of the Muslims. When Prophet Muhammad (saw) started preaching Allah wanted the Muslims to be a part of the whole human family and as a result they were to interact in some way.

One way of being a part of society was to help others in whatever capacity and to live a selfless life. In this context Allah enjoined us to give charity and help others; Muslims as well as non-Muslims. He refers to this these acts of selflessness as a goodly loan. Why? If you give something in the way of Allah, such as offering charity to those in need of helping out in a different faculty, it is His obligation to return what is better to you. He will multiply the rewards of your charitable deed many times over.

When the Israelites heard this they began mocking and ridiculing the Muslims. They began saying that the God of the Muslims was a poor God and He required a loan from His servants. The Israelites looked at every opportunity where they could embarrass the Believers in an attempt to make them despondent.

After some time Allah revealed the following ayat;

“O mankind! It is you who stand in need of Allah, but Allah is rich (Free of all wants and needs), Worthy of All praise.” (35”15)

Allah is announcing to all of mankind that we are the ones in constant need of Him. Everything we will ever own is a gift from Him. He permits us to act and to seek out our livelihood. Even the insignificant task of simply blinking your eye is a blessing from Allah.

This is why the Allah says in His Holy Words;

“And He gave you of all that you asked for, and if you count the Blessings of Allah, never will you be able to count them” (14:34)

Never will we be able to compute all the bounties that Allah provides. Some of us may only think in terms of financial blessings but what about your health? What about the protection He provides when we travel? Even the ability to thank Allah for His blessings is a great gift from Him.

The wise Muslim understands that Allah has been and will always be Kind and Mercifully. This is why we pray;

‘My Lord inspire and bestow upon me the power and ability that I may be grateful for Your Favours which You have bestowed on me and on my parents, and that I may do righteous good deeds that will please You, and admit me by Your Mercy among Your righteous slaves.’

Even when we receive blessings we are taught to remain humble and grateful not like the fellow Allah mentions in Surah Kalf who was so filled with pride and arrogance that he boasted of the wealth and power he amassed. He was so proud of his garden that he never openly said it will never perish. The next day Allah says that He ‘encircled the crops (with ruin). And the man remained clapping his hands with sorrow”.

Don’t wait to learn the hard way like this fellow did and don’t think like the Israelites. Understand that whatever you have is from the Mercy of Allah. The important task is to use it in a manner that will bring about benefit in this world and great returns in the next.

May Allah inculcate in us the ability to always recognise His blessings; the ones we can see as well as the ones we can’t. And may He always guide us to be thankful to Him, insha Allah.

The Centre of The Personality

2011-07-18T11:59:00.003-04:00

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

Prophet Muhammad (saw) is reported to have said “there is a piece of flesh in the body if it becomes good (reformed) the whole body becomes good but if it gets spoiled, the whole body gets spoiled – and that is the heart” (Bukhari)

Also Hazrat Aisha (ra) reports that “when the Apostle of Allah (pbuh) awake at night, he said: There is no God but Thou, glory be to Thee, O Allah, I ask Thy pardon for my sin and I ask Thee for Thy mercy. O Allah! advance me in knowledge: do not cause my heart to deviate (from guidance) after Thou hast guided me, and grant me mercy from thyself; verily thou art the grantor.” (Bukhari)

Biologically speaking, we know that the heart is the most important organ in our body. If the blood supply is cut from reaching the brain we can suffer a stroke, likewise if the blood fails to reach certain limbs of our body those limbs will start decaying.

What is important to note is that, even in your personality the heart is also the most important organ. It can lead to a person being good morally, emotionally and spiritually. The heart responds faster than the brain hence you find that in human beings, there tends to be firstly, a display of emotional responses rather than logical ones. The reason for this is because the heart has the capacity to control our emotions.

Allah refers to the heart in a special way in Surah Al Mu'min;

“Warn them of the Day that is (ever) drawing near, when the hearts will (come) right up to the throats to choke (them); no intimate friend nor intercessor will the wrong-doers have, who could be listened to”. (40:18)

Allah is not referring to the physical heart but instead all the emotions that are generated from the heart. Man would be one that Day ‘dumb-founded’, in a state of shock, awe and every other possible emotion. All these emotions come from the heart and not the brain as some believe.

Again Allah says in Surah Ar Ra'd

“Those who believe, and whose hearts find satisfaction in the remembrance of Allah; for, without doubt; in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find satisfaction.” (13:28)

Stress, peace, tranquillity; etc. they all come from the heart and Allah is the One Who will put peace and comfort in the heart. And with reference to the ayat quoted above; engaging in His remembrance will lead to ones heart attaining satisfaction.

Allah also makes mention of the different categories of people whose hearts are concealed;

"In their hearts is a disease; and Allah has increased their disease: and grievous is the penalty they (incur), because they are false (to themselves)". (2:10)

It us He who sends down tranquillity in the hearts of men

"It is He who sent down tranquillity into the hearts of the believers, that they may add Faith to their faith; - for to Allah belong the forces of the heavens and the earth; and Allah is full of knowledge and Wisdom" (48:4)

The best thing one can have is a peaceful heart and engaged in non-beneficial things. Through this you will understand the meaning of Surah Naas

from the mischief of the Whisperer (of Evil), who withdraws (after His whisper), (the same) who whispers into the hearts of mankind, among Jinns and among men.

The heart controls out intentions and our emotions. It is a truly important dimension of the personality. This is a vast topic and much more can be said of it. Always remember to fill your heart with peace and love, and insha Allah, Allah will keep any ‘disease’ away from the heart.

We beg Him to guide us and to bless our hearts just as our beloved Messenger (saw) use to pray. And may He keep us far away from those thoughts, actions and emotions that can lead to our hearts becoming hard and concealed.

Mir'aj Lecture by Maulana Dr. Waffie Mohammed - delivered on 01.07.2011

2011-07-05T14:59:00.004-04:00

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

The ascension of Prophet Muhammad (saw) holds great lessons for us. It shows us the importance of his mission, the relationship between him and his Lord and the connection he has with his followers.

Prophet (saw) is reported to have said;
‘When the dwellers of Paradise will enter Paradise, someone will proclaim: ‘O Dwellers of Paradise, God wishes to fulfil what He promised you’. The companions asked: ‘What is that promise? Has He not filled up our Balance? Has He not brightened our faces and admitted us in the Garden? Has He not saved us from hell?’ At that time, the screen will be lifted and they will be gazing at the Glorious Lord. Nothing will be dearer to them at that time than His sight. This is the greatest reward. At that time they will forget every enjoyment and happiness. There is no limit to this happiness and no example.’

The dwellers of Paradise will be in such awe and amazement, more than what was experienced when the women of Jospeh (as) saw him for the first time and unconsciously cut the palms.

Why make mention of this? The understanding is that we will only be blessed with the vision of Allah when we are firstly purified, forgiven all our sins and placed in a special place. Only then will we be qualified to gain access to this great blessing.

On the other hand the Mir’aj showed us that Prophet (saw) had qualified himself here in this material world where he was absolutely pure and clean. So much so that upon the invitation of Allah he was able to visit Him up there and have divine audience with Him. He had no kind of impurities and all he lived for was to show the people how to connect themselves to Allah and how to remove all the material trappings of this world.

We know Allah says in His Holy Words; ‘He moves between a man’s heart and chest’. Why then was it necessary to physically take up Prophet (saw)? On one hand the Mir’aj demonstrated the Greatness of Allah and on the other hand the importance of Prophet Muhammad (saw).

There is a verse in the Qur’an in which Allah says ‘No vision can grasp Him but He sees everything’ (6:103). Again we see when Moses (as) requested to see Allah he was told by His Lord “You cannot see me”. Hazrat Ayesha (ra) is also reported to have said “Anyone who says that he saw Allah is a liar.”

In this dimension of space and time we have some shortcomings. For example when Prophet (saw) saw angel Jibreel for the first time his personality was far greater than the skies, hence wherever in the sky Prophet (saw) looked he saw Jibreel. He was only able to realize the true personality of Jibreel when he was outside this dimension of space and time; which was accomplished on the night of the Mir’aj.

You cannot see Allah with your naked eyes. Instead you have to be in a proper state of purity and only then, as when insha Allah you’ll go to Paradise. But Prophet Muhammad (saw) was in this physical dimension and his personality was so cultivated that matters of the unseen were known to him and also Allah wanted to show the status of Prophet and His Greatness.

Understand that Prophet (saw) is truly special. He is reported to have said “I was a Prophet while Adam was still between water and clay”. The first thing that Allah created was the light of Prophet Muhammad (Nur-i-Muhammad). His soul was from the command of Allah, not a part of Him. And every other soul came from his light. This is the connection we all have with him. In the night of the Mir’aj it was proven that Prophet (saw) has the highest status in creation. He was able to go higher then even angel Jibreel. He even went further then the Lote tree, the pen and tablet; to a point where there was nothing between him and His Lord.

Allah says in Surah Ahzab;
Truly, We did offer AlAmanah (The Trust) to the heavens and the earth, and the mountains, but they declined to bear it and were afraid of it but man bore it. Verily, He was unjust (to himself) and ignorant (of its results). (33:72)

‘The Trust’ is sacred mission entrusted to man. Allah gave man that spark of light which is non-physical, the soul (ruh) to keep it pure, clean and shinning and to spread it throughout the earth. He has however not left us alone. He is connected to all believers, not physically but through the Prophet (saw). He says in His Holy Words;

‘Verily Allah and His angels send blessings on the Prophet: O ye that believe! send ye blessings on him, and salute Him with all respect.”

“He it is who Sends salaat on you, As do His angels, that He may bring you out from the depths of darkness into Light: and He is full of Mercy to the believers.”

Allah wants us to keep our light bright and shinning and He has made His Beloved our model. On one hand He took him up on the night of the Mir’aj and connected the light and sent him back to earth to spread the light; and this is possible why he is called a 'Rahmatul Lil Alameen’ - mercy to the worlds.

This is why we are special. Our mission is to receive the blessings from Allah and demonstrate that we are all ‘Sirajum Munirah’ – a lamp that gives light. We get our connection from Prophet (saw) who is in turn connected to The Source. And when one practices Tassawuf he can gain connection through the Mashaeikhs and Prophet (saw) ; and if Allah wills you can have ‘religious experiences’. And Allah makes mention of these categories of people in His Holy Words; ‘Allah bears witness to the fact that there is no god but He, and the Angels and those who are endued with knowledge, also bear witness to this fact. (3:18)

Prophet Muhammad (saw) was not a ‘postman’ as some believe. He has an important role even up to present time. Allah strengthens this in Surah Baqarah; “and say not of those who are slain in the way of Allah "they are dead." Nay, They are living, though ye perceive (it) not”. He demonstrated this on the night of Mir’aj when all the Messengers gathered in Masjid ul Aqsa to pray behind Prophet Muhammad (saw). To understand these things using scientific reason and logic is impossible.

Our success in life depends on our outcome in the next. If we are blessed to enter Paradise is means our life in this world was a success. On that Day Allah says that ‘their salutation on the Day they meet Him will be "Peace!"; and He has prepared for them a generous reward’ (33:44). The Believers will greet Allah and He will return the greeting.

Just like the greeting between Prophet (saw) and Allah on the night of the Mir’aj. This great occasion has been preserved for us in the form of the Attahiyat in our Salaat.

What we are seeing is that the Mir’aj is more than just a trip. It was an expression of the Greatness of Allah by causing a ‘lump of mud’ to become so refine and spirituality uplifted to the extent where he returned to meet and converse with his Lord; and preserved it for his followers. For example each posture we perform in Salaat Prophet saw angels performing a particular posture in each level of heaven.

Allah has given us a small eye-opener. Understand that life is a process of coming and going; ups and downs. Prophet Muhammad (saw) went through immense hardships before the event of the Mir’aj. He lost people who were close and supportive of him, he was continuously ill treated and finding little success in carrying out his mission.

Always remember if you want to get close to Allah you’ll have to be by yourself. The event of the Mir’aj has shown us that only good will return to Allah. Therefore it’s imperative that we hold fast to what Allah says in Surah An'am; ‘It is those who believe and do not clothe up their beliefs with wrong - that are (truly) in security, for they are on (right) guidance.’

We can create problems for ourselves by clothing up our iman with wrong. The Mir’aj has shown us the status of Prophet Muhammad (saw) by highlighting the achievement attained in this physical life. He has the blessing of physically returning to his Lord. He is our exemplar and out of wisdom his Sunnah was preserved.

As Muslims we are taught to pray;
‘Our Lord! perfect our light for us, and grant us forgiveness: for Thou hast power over all things.’

We are expected to cause the light to spread to every cell of our body and one important way of attaining this is by abstaining from impurities. Every time you indulge in impurity your spark of light is prevented from spreading to other parts of your body.

Prophet Muhammad (saw) has shown that the spark of light can illuminate the body because in is recorded in many narrations that his physical self was much brighter and beautiful than the full moon. How bright are you? Are we making sufficient effort to uphold the Sunnah? Do you think your spark of light is permeating the cells of your body? Mir’aj shows us that the material became so perfect that he was taken right up to his Lord.

Strive to grow your light. It’s not easy it takes a lot of effort, patience and charity. Never forget that you are special in the sight of Allah . He is so desirous of us to get closer to Him that He says if we walk to Him, He runs to us.

May Allah forgive us, enlighten us and cause us to understand more the true status of Prophet (saw). May He encourage us to perfect our light and make the journey back to Him successful, insha Allah.

The audio version of Dr. Waffie’s lecture can be accessed on the Markaz’s website.

Recognizing everything comes from Allah

2011-06-23T09:44:00.002-04:00

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

Prophet Sulaiman (as) was specially blessed by Allah. He possessed control of the winds and had the ability to understand the languages of the animals. So, one can see that he had great power and status in this world.

When Prophet Sulaiman (as) reached the zenith of his knowledge and understanding he made a beautiful dua to Allah, and we should all make an effort to learn this prayer and recite it regularly;

‘My Lord inspire and bestow upon me the power and ability that I may be grateful for Your Favours which You have bestowed on me and on my parents, and that I may do righteous good deeds that will please You, and admit me by Your Mercy among Your righteous slaves.’ (27:19)

Sulaiman (as) recognized that everything he had and achieved was as a result of the blessings from Allah. So he firstly thanks Allah for the blessings that have been bestowed upon him and his parents; who would have assisted in guiding him. Then he begs Allah to enable him to continue engaging in good deeds in order that he may rise with the righteous.

Unfortunately we see some who believe that all their power and acquisitions are as a result of their own doing and they neglect showing gratitude to Allah.

Similarly when Prophet Joseph (as) was reunited with his family in Egypt and he saw the fulfilment of the dream he had as a young boy, he acknowledged that it is Allah who bestows knowledge, power and wisdom; and reiterated his reliance on Him;

‘My Lord! You have indeed bestowed on me of the sovereignty, and taught me the interpretation of dreams; the (only) Creator of the heavens and the earth! You are my Wali (Protector, Helper, Supporter, Guardian) in this world and in the Hereafter, cause me to die as a Muslim (the one submitting to Your Will), and join me with the righteous.’ (12:101)

In stark contrast we see the life of Pharaoh. When he reached the zenith of his power instead of demonstrating humility and submission he said "O Chiefs! no god do I know for you but myself”.

All these lessons are preserved for us to reference especially when we progress in this life. Remember everything comes from Him; utilize it in a manner that will bring about success in this world and the next. Eventually we will have to separate from everything we own and crave for; and when that moment comes make sure you leave with absolutely no regrets.

May Allah enable us to always act in a manner that would pleasing and loving to him insha Allah; and may He cause us to be from among those who constantly display and demonstrate gratitude to Him.

The Trustworthy One

2011-06-14T00:00:00.014-04:00

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

One reason why Prophet (saw) was given the title ‘Al Ameen’ – The Trustworthy One; was because he never broke a promise. One beautiful example of this was the meeting he had with Abdullah bin Hamsa, prior to the commencement of his Divine Mission.

Prophet Muhammad (saw) had negotiated a business transaction with Abdullah after which Abdullah owed the Prophet (saw) some remaining dues, so Abdullah told the Prophet (saw) to wait in that specific spot while he went away to get the what was owed. The matter slipped Abdullah's memory and Muhammad waited for him to arrive for a period of three days. On the third day when Abdullah remembered and finally returned, Muhammad (saw) simply told him “you have subjected me to an inconvience as I have been waiting for you for the past three days”.

Similarly, when he was preparing to preach the message of One God to the Makkans he called all of them together and asked “if I tell you that an army is marching towards you with the intentions to attack us from the other side of this mountain will you believe me?” To this those gathered replied “yes we will as you never told you a lie”.

Now in retrospect Prophet (saw) really did not lie because 10 years later an army, which he led, did in fact march over the hills of Makkah to capture it. Throughout his blessed life he stood to his word.

We are not supposed to make distinction among the Messengers of Allah;

“they say, "We make no distinction between one another of his Messengers” (2:285)

However, Allah gives us examples in the Qur’an, where it is evident that Prophet’s (saw) personality was a bit more refined. For example in Surah Kahf, Allah mentions the story of Hazrat Musa (as) and his encounter with Khidr (as).

Musa (as), in his enthusiasm to learn, accompanied Khidr (as) in his travels under one condition stipulated by Khidr, (as) that was that he doesn’t question his action. To this Musa (as) initially agreed. As the story goes, Khidr (as) did three different actions that Musa (as) didn’t understand and as such he voiced his concern and disapproval, in every instance. For three times Musa (as) went back on his word. And in each case he renewed his promise not to say anything; but could not keep his promise.

Another example of Musa (as) acting on is own will was the time he wished to speak to Allah . He went up the mountain uninvited.

Prophet Muhammad (saw) was different and this is why it is recorded that he never said anything out of his own desires. This is why Allah says that he is the best model and example for us;

‘Indeed in the Messenger of Allah you have a good example to follow for him who hopes in (the meeting with) Allah’. (33:21)

We should therefore try to cultivate our personalities in light of his perfect life. Whenever we are confronted with trying situations always think to yourself ‘what would Prophet Muhammad (saw) do’. Through this, insha Allah, little by little we would be able to refine our personalities.

May Allah always cause us to become enlightened and to follow in the footsteps of his beloved; Prophet Muhammad (saw).

Vision through ones heart

2011-06-06T19:52:00.005-04:00

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

Human beings are blessed by Allah with eyesight which gives us the ability to see. However we are also blessed with another organ that allows us vision and comprehension. This is the heart. Allah says in the Qur'an that there are some that 'have hearts wherewith they understand not, eyes wherewith they see not, and ears wherewith they hear not'.

Allah says in His Holy Words;

"Now have come to you, from your Lord, proofs (to open your eyes): if any will see, it will be for (the good of) his own soul; if any will be blind, it will be to his own (harm): I am not (Here) to watch over your doings." (6:104)

Allah has given us the ability to comprehend. It is up to each individual to make the effort in order to become enlighten. Blindness in this context refers to your heart. You can see with your eyes and yet still be 'blind'; as Allah says: 'eyes wherewith they see not'. How is this possible? Always remember that the Qur'an explains itself. The explanation is found in another ayat in the Qur'an.

'do they not travel through the land, so that their hearts (and minds) may thus learn wisdom and their ears may thus learn to hear? Truly it is not their eyes that are blind, but their hearts which are in their breasts.' (22:46)

You cannot comprehend with your eyes. For example a lot of people say that there is no god except Allah; but it doesn't sink into their hearts. They simple perform lip service.

There are sincere believers all over this world, but in addition to our belief we have to make the effort to increase the alertness of the heart in order to understand some things of Al Ghaib (the unseen), which are not visible through the eyes.

In order to achieve this you need to keep your Qalb pure and clean. If you don't it will become clouded and you wont be able to understand as Allah says in Surah Muthaffifin;

'Nay! but on their hearts is the Ran (covering of sins and evil deeds) which they used to earn.' (83:14)

If your heart is covered you will not be able to comprehend the Greatness of Allah. In connection to this Prophet Muhammad (saw) said 'rust falls on the heart as it falls on iron'. If you have rust on your heart you'll stay blind and Allah says that is your concern not His.

This is why Prophet (saw) told his Companions "I have returned from the small Jihad (Jihad Asghar) to the big Jihad (Jihad Akbar)". The Sahabas enquired "what is the big Jihad?" Prophetsaid "the Jihad al nafs (against the inner desires)."

Your nafs can put stains on your qalb or keep it polished and clean. You need to make the required effort.

We can comprehend Allah's greatness through Zikir and through Fikir. The wise one will use all these avenues to keep the qalb clean. Through this ones vision will grow, insha Allah.

Allah won't send enlightenment from the sky for you; you have to make the effort. For example when the rain falls on a mountain the water simple runs of the stones. However, when it falls on fertile soil it will be of greater benefit.

Prepare yourself to benefit from Allah's blessings. Whenever you make the weekly effort to attend our Zikir sessions you are trying to activate your qalb and through this your comprehension of various things will increase insha Allah.

Don't 'weaken your vision'. Strive to improve upon it through the avenues Allah made available to us. May Allah make it easy for us and may He cause us to become more and more enlightened, insha Allah.

Hablullah Issue #6

2011-05-29T06:58:00.008-04:00

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

The latest issue of the Markaz's quarterly newsletter. (click the page to enlarge)

[Pg 1]

[Pg 2]

Preservation of the human self

2011-05-23T00:00:00.000-04:00

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

One way of preserving the seeds of a plant is by putting them in an airtight container and storing them in a dark place. Thereafter exposure to the right elements such as sunlight, air and water will see the seeds grow into a plant, tree, etc.

This principle is also applicable to human beings when the resurrection period will commence. When a person dies and is buried, Allah preserves the original part of that person in the dark earth, without sunlight and air. This is achieved because Allah causes the original or first cell of a person to stay preserved, free from decay. So when we are placed in the earth for burial our original cell is preserved deep down in the earth just like in an airtight container surrounded by darkness. In relation to this Prophet (saw) is reported to have said;
‘As for every son of Adam, the earth will devour him except that out of which he was created and therein he will be formed on Resurrection Day’.

When the resurrection takes place all those who were “preserved in the earth” will grow out. How is this possible? Through a terrible earthquake which Allah describes in His Holy Words;

When the earth shall be shaken to its depths, and the mountains shall be crumbled to atoms, becoming dust scattered abroad, (56:4-6)

Again He say;

When the earth is shaken to her (utmost) convulsion, and the earth throws up her burdens (from within), and man cries (distressed): 'What is the matter with her?' (99:1-3)

So terrible and different this earthquake will be that everyone will be thrown out of the earth and will grow back into a human being as he or she existed before death. Every single person will be raised back to life. From the time of Adam (as) right to the present time. And the sun will be a few feet over the heads of the resurrected. This will facilitate the ‘growing back’ to man original self.

Everyone will grow back in a uniform way but the difference will be when the ruh re-enters the body. As we have previously stated, if a person took the time to polish and refine the soul (ruh); when it re-renters the body that person will be ‘bright and shinning’; whereas the careless person who paid no heed to the hereafter; his soul will be like putting a depleted battery in a remote; it will have no effect.

Allah gives us a description of the state of man when all this is happening;

They will come forth, - their eyes humbled - from (their) graves, (torpid) like locusts scattered abroad, (54:7)

Everyone will be moving about in a ‘helter skelter’ manner. They would look like drunkards. The question you need to ask yourselves is how would you like to rise? Would you like to be among those who will be worried and regrettable?

Allah is giving us signs. Look at the natural disasters that are taking place in the world; and in some of the affected countries, we see pictures of the Masjids standing, unaffected, in a midst of destruction. The true believers will be protected on that Day. Allah will take care of those whom He loves and those who are close to Him.

So aspire to earn His Love and qualify yourself to be in His “good books” so that when all the chaos and confusion is taking place you will be safe and protected. Use the trials and difficult moments in this world to build your personality and fight to get closer and closer to Allah, and insha Allah, on that Day of Accountability He will protect you and take care of your journey.

May Allah make us from among those who will have ease and comfort on the Day of Resurrection and admit us all in the paradise that He has prepared for His true slaves.

The absence of impurity

2011-05-18T14:34:00.001-04:00

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

Allah mentions in the Quran;

‘So set thou thy face steadily and truly to the faith: (establish) Allah’s handiwork according to the pattern on which He has made mankind: no change (let there be) in the work (wrought) by Allah’. (30:30)

Some scholars are of the view that ‘in the work (wrought) by Allah’ refers to His creation. So if we apply this to the ayat it will translate as ‘the creation of God will not change’.

If we narrow it down to man it will mean that the human species will remain as is. They will not be subject to change just as Adam (as) came and then his progeny came in the same mould and fashion; centuries after Adam (as).

If Allah says that He will not cause change to come on His creation, what then will happen to us on our onward journey. Will we change or evolve into new creatures? No, we will remain as we are and regardless of place or time we will not be subjected to change.

When you are resurrected, you will be resurrected as you were, except that each person will be resurrected with a complete and perfect body. The difference will be the condition in which you are resurrected. For example, just as how physical ailments may have an adverse effect on a person's physical appearance; when the soul re-enters the body on the Day of Judgement; depending on the condition of the soul, the body will either be bright and shinning or dark and ugly. So if a person took the time to polish the soul in this world, it will help brighten his countenance on that Day.

Even after the entry into Paradise, life continues as it was on earth. The main exception is that there will be no impurities. According to some scholars what Adam (as) and Eve (as) consumed from the forbidden tree was in fact wheat; and after they ate it they needed to excrete. And because no impurity is allowed in the Garden they were expelled. The point is that there will be no impurities in paradise. The support of this is found in Surah Baqarah;

Gardens, beneath which rivers flow. Every time they are fed with Fruits there from, they say: ‘Why, this is what we were fed with before’, for they are given things in similitude; and they have therein companions pure (and holy); and they abide therein (for ever). (2:25)

The fruits, milk, honey, etc. will remain the same, except that it will never contain impurities, or become impure. There will be no disturbance around you; only peace and tranquillity. For example, if you have a bunch of mangoes; some are ripe and good for eating and some are a bit spoilt. When you separate the good from bad both groups remain mangoes but one is free form impurity whilst the other contains impurity. Since Allah created all the creatures, their categories remain the same, regardless of time and place. The birds, fishes, fruits all remained the same.

We need to understand that on our onward journey the environment, substance, etc. will remain the same except; it will all be free form impurities. The challenges around us will not be present in the Garden of Bliss. This is the life we are working towards. Who wouldn’t want this?

And rest assured that Satan will try his utmost to corrupt you. We all know a flame can be seen from far; but black mud, from which man was made, cannot be seen on a dark night, like the fire. The problem with Satan’s perception is that this insignificant piece of mud which has the potential to attain such greatness is more advanced than him, even though, according to his reasoning, fire is far superior to mud. So the conflict remains. We have to tolerate it and continue to persevere in order to qualify ourselves to attain the life of purity.

We beg Allah to help us to understand and to resist the attacks from Satan and to enable us to work towards our goal, insha Allah.

The best from among mankind

2011-05-14T00:00:00.000-04:00

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

Allah tells us about ourselves in the Quran,

‘Ye are the best of peoples, evolved for mankind, enjoining what is right, forbidding what is wrong, and believing in Allah’ (3:110)

What a great honour Allah has bestowed upon us.

If you look at history you will see that before the coming of Prophet Muhammad (pboh) Allah was very kind and generous materially, to the tribes and their people. For example, the Israelites received immense material blessings from Allah. Their food and drink came down from the sky. They had next to nothing to do except glorify their Lord but they, instead tried to ‘scheme’ Allah. They wanted Allah to be ‘their servant’. They didn’t understand and were blinded by the fact that they were bringing harm and eventual destruction to themselves.

When the Israelite Messengers came and attempted to give guidance that didn’t suit their desires; they took the necessary measures to get rid of them. For example, Jesus came to them and began preaching; and they got offended. When he invited them to join him in giving da’wah they placed conditions (they wanted food to come to them from the sky). Yet Allah continued to take care of them.

In contrast to the treatment Allah gave to them, look at how different Islam started. The blessed Companions of Prophet silently bore hunger, so much so, that they used to tie stones to their stomach to ease the pangs of hunger. Look at the difference between them and the favoured ones before them. When the Muslims were faced with the boycott and had to retreat to the nearby mountains some of them ate stones. They could have easily denounced Islam and return to luxury, but they didn’t give up. They persevered even when death faced them.

Allah gives us the recipe for being categorised as the ‘best of people’ in the ayat quoted above. Firstly, believe in Allah. As we know this is the ‘password’ to enter Paradise. Then we should enjoin good and forbid evil.

If someone believes in Allah and limits the good and engages in rampant evil it is possible that he can be categorised as a hypocrite. In order to expound this let us look at the attitude of Hazrat Umar . Prophet made a special dua for one of his Companions who thereafter possessed the ability of identifying a hypocrite. So gifted was he that whenever there was a Janaza of a hypocrite he wound not attend and this led Hazrat Umar to scan the crowd to see if this particular Companion was present. If he was not present Umar would refrain from leading the Janaza, because he knew the deceased was a hypocrite. Everyday Umar would visit this blessed companion and ask, “am I a hypocrite?”

Why make mention of this? Sometimes people can do lots of good but they do it with an ulterior motive. So we need to purify our intentions in order to safeguard ourselves from falling into the category of hypocrites.

Maulana Abdul Aleem Sidiquie use to say “examine yourself”. Everyday take a look at yourself and see what condition your faith is in. Prophet (pboh) is reported to have said “faith can increase or decrease”. Today you may feel highly spiritual but always remember tomorrow is a different day. What if you are faced with a trial, how will you react? Guard your faith and strengthen it by adhering to the good Allah has prescribed and forbidding the evil, He has warned us about. If you apply this insha Allah you will be classified among the ‘best of mankind’. Regardless of a person's wealth, power and status the recipe is universal. It is very easy to say, but it requires some effort to put in practice.

We beg Allah to bless us with the determination to infuse this principle in our daily lives so that on that Day we will rise among the best and be among the inhabitants of Janatul Firdus, insha Allah.

Managing your time

2011-05-03T00:00:00.001-04:00

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

One very important aspect of our life in this world is time management. With regards to this concept there are two important dimensions that are mentioned in the Holy Qur’an.

The first one deals with our life span in this world. This termed is called Ajal which translates ‘specified time’. In connection with this Prophet Muhammad (saw) is reported to have said in a lengthy hadith;

‘Then an angel is sent and he breathes the spirit into you and is encharged with four commandments: to write down your provision, your life-span, your actions, and whether you will be wretched or happy.’

Before we are brought into this world our life span is already determined. Therefore it is imperative for us to manage this time properly so that we would benefit in both this world and the next.

The second aspect of time management deals with the question of how to manage our time properly? In relation to this Prophet Muhammad (saw) is reported to have said ‘don’t abuse time; for it is Allah Who is The Time’.

An example of mismanagement of time or abuse of time is when someone can sit for2-3 hours and look at a movie but fail to spare 10 minutes to pray the fard, sunnah and nafil for a particular salaat.

Allah says in His Holy Words;

By time, verily man is in loss, except such as have faith, and do righteous deeds, and (join together) in the mutual teaching of truth, and of patience and constancy.

If you fail to make proper use of the limited time in this world the end result can be an unfortunate one. It is recorded in Surah Muddatstsir that the inhabitants of Paradise will question the inhabitants of hell as to what brought them to the hell fire;

“What led you into Hell Fire?” They will say: "We were not of those who prayed; nor were we of those who fed the indigent; but we used to talk vanities with vain talkers; and we used to deny the Day of Judgment",

They never managed time properly; instead they indulged themselves in activities that reap no reward.

Utilize your time in a manner that will bring about benefit in both worlds just as Prophet (saw) did. He spent his days working and taking care of his responsibilities and spent that night worshipping his Lord.

The economic-capitalist say that time equals money. It is mush more than that for us. We cannot afford to abuse it least we gain plentiful in this world and little in the next.

It’s not that Muslims should not ‘enjoy themselves’, but it is important for us to prioritize accordingly. Islam teaches us the middle course; we are not supposed to be extreme and or lackadaisical. Allah says in Surah Jumu'ah

and when the prayer is finished, then may ye disperse through the land, and seek of the bounty of Allah. and celebrate the praises of Allah often (and without stint): that ye may prosper.

So Allah encourages us to work for this world, however we should not give it priority as our time here is only for a specified time. Place more emphasis on working for the eternal world that awaits the righteous.

You may not see the results here but on the Day of Judgement you’ll see all your life’s work and the end result that it has brought you.

This is why we taught to pray:

"Rabbana aatina fid-dunya hasanah, wa fil-akhirati hasanah, wa qinaa athaban naar"

'Our Lord, grant us good in this world and the world hereafter and protect us from the torment of hell '

Work for goodness in both worlds through the Grace and Mercy of Allah . May He continuously guide us so that we may manage whatever time we have left in this world in a way that would gives us ‘high return’ in the hereafter. May Allah take care of our affairs, Insha Allah.

What makes man special

2011-04-26T00:00:00.002-04:00

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

Human beings are special and different from all the other creatures.

Unlike the other creatures, such as the plants and animals, man was created from clay and not from water. Allah says:

We created man from sounding clay; from mud moulded into shape. (15:26)

Allah put in the personality of man two dimensions; a physical and a non-physical. As such he is charged with the responsibility of looking after and taking care of both. Just as the parent looks after himself and his infant; so too each and every one of us has to look after the nafs (physical dimension) and the ruh (non-physical dimension).

We are commanded to keep the physical dimension pure and clean. This is achieved through tahaarah (wudu, ghusl etc). With regards to the non-physical we have to use the physical dimension to keep it pure and clean through our thoughts, morals, conduct, etc. The other creatures don’t have a soul so man is different in this regard.

The other reason that makes us different from all other created things is that Allah has given humans the power of choice. We can either engage in good or choose to commit evil. The other creatures are not free to choose, they submit to Allah irregardless of conditions and feelings. This is their natural way.

Depending on the choices we makes there is reward or punishment. Allah makes mention of this in His Holy Words;

‘and shown Him the two highways’ (90:10)

One highway is rough and steep. Traversing along this one is a bit challenging and difficult, but it will lead you to a most beautiful and relaxing place. The other highway is smooth and straight; easy and extremely comfortable to traverse on, however this particular highway will lead you to a precipice. Which one will you prefer?

Do you want to endure a little inconvenience while traversing along life in order to qualify yourself to enter the blissful garden? Or do you prefer ease and comfort in this temporary world for an eternity in the hell fire?

We are charged with this great responsibility. The decision is in our hands. On one hand, we have to take care and give due importance to both the physical (nafs) and non-physical (ruh) dimensions of our personality. On the other hand we must make the right decisions that will enable us to be accepted in the Paradise that Allah has prepared for the righteous. It sounds simple and in retrospect it is. However when we are faced with the trials and difficulties of life it becomes a bit difficult.

We need to have complete faith in our Merciful Loving Lord, because He will never let us down. Surely, He will test us at different times and in different ways, but He will never abandon us. Turn solely to Him and know that He will always take care of your affairs because He knows what is best for us.

May Allah, through His Divine Grace and Mercy, guide us to conduct ourselves in a manner that will nurture both aspects of our personalities and may He enable us to make decisions that will earn His Love and Satisfaction; and, insha Allah through this struggle and work we will be among the blessed ones to have beautiful meeting with Him on the Day of Accountability.

THE LAST DAY OF JESUS (AS) ON EARTH

2011-04-23T00:00:00.001-04:00

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

THE LAST DAY OF JESUS (AS) ON EARTH
(taken from Al deen Al Qaiyyimu)

In our last program, we saw where Jesus was preaching moral principles, and while he was popular with the multitude of the Israelites, the Chief priest and the Scribes were not favouring him very much. They considered him to be a problem as he was criticising their behaviour and teachings.

They were violating the laws of Moses, and he was trying to restore them; so they wanted to get rid of him.

Jesus had real problem to get dedicated workers for the cause of Allah, as he preached and taught the people. They listened to him but were not prepared to sacrifice their lives for the cause of Allah. Even his disciples were not very dedicated to his mission.

We saw this in his saying to them that all of them were going to forsake him in that crucial night. This included even Peter. So he said to them, after they had a meal together. All of you shall be offended because of me tonight.

Why did Jesus tell Peter that he (Peter) will forsake Jesus?

Jesus was aware that there was plan to take hold of him and to try to get rid of him. He was also aware of the fact that while his disciples were with him all the time they were not fully dedicated to his mission and did not really learn much from him.

For example, he once told Peter:

Get thee behind me, Satan; thou art an offense unto me; for thou
savorest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men. (Mt.17:23).

But was Peter the only one about whom Jesus was disappointed?

Jesus was not happy with the dedication to his mission from his disciples. Look at what he told them all:

If any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross, and follow me. (Mt.17:24)

Again he said to them:

O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I suffer you? (Mt.17:17)

We see the lack of dedication among the disciples when they were given some major responsibilities to undertake. Take for example while Jesus was praying in the garden.

While Jesus was in the garden worshipping Allah, what were the disciples who were with him doing?

Jesus went to worship the Lord in the garden of Gethsemane. He took with him three of the disciples and with a heavy heart, he ordered them to sit and keep watch while he went a little further and prayed as Muslims pray.

When Jesus made his supplications to the Lord, he came back and found the three of them asleep. He was not happy with them and said to them:

What, could ye not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation. (Mt.26:40-41)

Then he went back again to worship, hoping that his disciples would listen to him and stay alert; but when he was finished and came back; he again found them asleep. He gave up on them and went back and continued to worship Allah. He said to them:

Sleep on now, and take your rest; behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of the sinners. (Mt.26:45)

Was Jesus really betrayed by one of his disciples?

The Qur'an has not mentioned anything about what happened to him, from the time of his preaching, his encounter with the chief priests and scribes, his arrest and trial. All it has mentioned is about the crucifixion.

What we know about the incidents which led to his end or disappearance can be understood from what is contained in the Gospels.

For example, he was identified by Judas, who betrayed him for a fee. Upon his betrayal, he was arrested; one of his disciples resisted his arrest; but Jesus ordered him to put away his sword.

Jesus was disappointed with the way the multitude was behaving against him so he said to them:

Are ye come out as against a thief with swords and staves for to take me? I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on me. (Mt.26:55)

What made the chief priests and scribes angry with Jesus?

Jesus was teaching humility; something the chief priests and scribes did not have. Look at what he taught them:

Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. (Mt.18:3-4)

Another example of how he dealt with them: They came to him and ask him something. Jesus replied as follows:

Ye have made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. Ye hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying: This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoreth me with their lips but their heart is far from me but in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men…..
Then came the disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying?

So Jesus was all the time highlighting their evil and telling the multitude how their leaders were evil, and they did not like that at all.

What happened when he was arrested?

First of all, the disciples forsook him and fled.

Then all the disciples forsook him and fled. (Mt.26:56)

He was taken to the high priest, who was with the scribes and the elders.

And they that had laid hold on Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled. (Mt.26:57)
Peter followed and sat among the people; and the authorities were trying to find false witnesses to accuse him of treason, so that they can kill him. They found two false witnesses and as a result they began to torture him.

What did Peter do when he saw the people humiliating Jesus?

Peter found himself in trouble, as some of the women identified him as being one from among Jesus disciples. But Peter denied ever knowing Jesus and began to curse, as if he was cursing Jesus.

He said: I do not know the man. …Then began he to curse and swear, saying, I know not the man. Mt.26:74)

When he realised that Jesus had predicted that he will forsake his master, he went out and wept for what he did.

Was Jesus tried for whatever he was accused?

The Bible tells us about his trial as follows:

When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death; and when they bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate, the governor. (Mt.27:1-2)

He was taken before the governor; but he did not answer any of the questions that were posed to him. Instead of condemning him the governor was surprised that Jesus was able to hold his peace in spite of all the accusations that were levelled against him by the high priest and his men.

The governor realised that Jesus was a just person and that he was envied. To add to his own conviction, his wife sent a message to him telling him that he should have nothing to do with the condemnation of Jesus.

When the governor questioned the multitude as to who was the one to be released from prison the chief priest and his men urged the multitude to say Barabas, and not Jesus. The multitude did not want to hear anything about justice, etc. they simply said let him be crucified. Pilate washed his hands off the matter

But he was not tried for anything?

No, the high priest and his men just wanted to get rid of Jesus and the way they selected was to crucify him. So they began torturing him and began making preparation for his crucifixion.

They then proceeded to take him to the place where he was to be crucified. But he was unable to carry the cross, so they forced Simon to take the cross and carry it for Jesus. There is no record in the Bible that Jesus took back the cross.

Also, there is no record that he was kept close to Simon. As a matter of fact, he turned around and began speaking to the ladies who were following him. This is recorded in Luke 23:28, as follows:

Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children….

It because of all the turmoil and confusion, no one knows exactly who was put on the cross.

But there were guards and soldiers, and the high priests, etc. how could they have made a mistake and crucify another person?

There are many Christian sects that believe that Jesus was not crucified. Some of these are:

• The Basilidians, in the very beginning of Christianity denied that Christ himself suffered, but asserted that it was Simon who was crucified.
• The Corinthians also are of the same view.
• The Carpocrations also are of this view.

All those who believe that it was not Jesus who was crucified believe that it was one of his disciples, or some other person.

What does the Qur'an say about his crucifixion?

Allah tells us in the Holy Qur'an, the following:

They (Jews) boastfully say: We killed the Messiah, Jesus the son of Mary, the messenger of Allah. But they killed him not, nor crucified him. But so it appeared to them, and those who differ therein are full of doubts, with not certain knowledge; but only conjecture to follow; for a surety they did not kill him. (4:157)

Why were there some doubts as to who was actually put on the cross?

There were some unusual developments at the time of the crucifixion. These are recorded in the Bible as follows:

Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. (Mt.27:45)

Behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose. (Mt.27:51ff.)

But they would have known who was actually crucified, when they would have taken down the body?

The body of the one that was crucified was secretly taken away and buried in a private tomb. We find reference of this in Mathew. It says:

When the even had come, there came a rich man of Arimathea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus disciple. He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered. And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed. (Mt. 27:57-61)

Is it true then that no physical body was put in the tomb which was guarded by the high priests?

No body was put in the tomb in which the crucified person was supposed to be put. What Joseph did was to put a stone in front of it as though some one was put inside it.

Although the chief priest and the guards were there when they opened the tomb there was no one in it. So the guards were bribed to stay quiet about the whole matter. Mathew tells us about this in the following verses:

They gave large money unto the soldiers, saying, Say ye, His disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept. And if this come to the governor's ears, we will persuade him, and secure you. So they took the money, and did as they were taught; and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day. (Mt.28:12-15)

No one could have attested to the fact that it was Jesus who was crucified, as there was no evidence that he was put in the tomb, and when they finally went to open it, they found it opened with no one inside of it.

The Qur'an makes it absolutely clear that they did not harm Jesus although they believe they did; and the truth of this matter will one day come to light. Allah says:

They said: We killed the Messiah, Jesus the son of Mary, the messenger of Allah; but they did not kill him; nor did they crucify him; but so it was made to appear to them. And those who differ therein are full of doubts, with no certain knowledge; but only conjecture to follow. For a surety they did not kill him. Nay, Allah raised him up unto Himself; and Allah is Exalted in Power, Wise. And there is none of the People of the Book but must believe in him before his death. (4:157-159)

For us the important thing to keep in mind is what Jesus taught and what he stood for. This, unfortunately is not taken into consideration by those who claim to believe in him and love him.

Getting closer to Allah (swt)

2011-04-19T00:00:00.000-04:00

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

Within the first revelation that Allah revealed are important lessons for mankind. Usually the first five verses are the ones that are normally referenced; however the latter verses contain a synopsis of the nature of human beings; they types of attitudes you will find amongst mankind; and the recipe for getting close to the Lord. Allah says;

‘Read in the name of Thy Lord and Cherisher, Who created - created man, out of a (mere) clot of congealed blood: Read and Thy Lord is Most Bountiful,- He who taught (the use of) the pen,-taught man that which he knew not.

In this part of the Chapter, Allah informs us that we need to increase our knowledge about ourselves and the universe; if we are to be successful. This is because He tells us in other places that He has made available to us whatever is in the skies and the earth.

Allah then tells us about the misguided ones who never take time to reflect upon how they came into existence, but because of their material success they believe that they are great and important. He says;

Nay, but man doth transgress all bounds, in that he looketh upon himself as self-sufficient. Verily, to Thy Lord is the return (of all).

There are those who do not believe that they need to submit to Allah , and they despise those who may want to do so. Allah says:

Seest thou one who forbids a votary when he (turns) to pray? Seest thou if he is on (the road of) Guidance? - Or enjoins righteousness?

Some people do not give importance to the life that is to come. As a result they just think about this life and forget that one day they will no longer be here; and they should consider the fact that there may be consequences for actions done in this life. Allah tells us about all this in this Chapter. He says:

Seest thou if he denies (Truth) and turns away? Knoweth he not that Allah doth see? Let him beware! If he desist not, We will drag him by the forelock,- a lying, sinful forelock! Then, let him call (for help) to his council (of comrades): We will call on the angels of punishment (to Deal with him)!

Nay, heed Him not: but bow down in adoration, and bring thyself the closer (to Allah!)’

Allah shows us from the very beginning that we are in constant need of Him. We didn’t come into this world by chance. Allah created us from impure fluid and look at how He has allowed us to grow . He then informs us that this tiny insignificant speck has the capacity to become enlightened through esearch.

Although the first five Verses are very important, and contain the embodiment of man's activities in life, and his belief, the remaining verses, when expounded, create a feeling of responsibility in us. Allah references those, who through their status and wealth are of the belief that they are self sufficient.

Allah then makes mention of the different categories of people. There are the misguided ones who pay no heed to the commandments of Allah. Then there are some who try to misguide those who attempt to abstain from evil. Allah warns us that He is all seeing and conscious of what His slaves are engaging in. One day they’ll regret it. All your assets will be left behind. Think, if perchance the angel should come at this instant to take you back to your Lord, how will you feel. Will you think “I wasted my life” or will you be pleased to return to Allah .

On that Day a person will want to trade all his assets for a camel to make the journey to the point of assembly. What then is the real value of the material acquisitions that we run after? Allah references all these points for us in the very first revelation.

And after all these warnings and points of contemplation He gives us two simple words that will lead us getting closer to Him; wasjud waqtarib’ – prostrate, and bring thyself the closer (to Allah!). What else do we have to live for if not to get closer to our Lord? Prophet (saw) is reported to have said ‘the closest a believer is to His Lord is during prostration’.

Judge for yourself; are you close to your Lord in your intentions and actions? Or are you closer to the misguided ones. Get closer to Allah by leaving off everything and submitting whole heartedly to Him. May Allah make it easy for us and keep us far from those who try to prevent those from attaining closeness to Him.

Counting the blessings of Allah (swt)

2011-04-04T00:00:00.001-04:00

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

Allah says in Surah An Nahl;

‘If ye would count up the favours of Allah, never would ye be able to number them: for Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.’ (16:18)

Allah is telling us that it is near impossible to count the number of favours He has bestowed upon us. From a religious point of view we know that the favours from Allah can be of a material nature, spiritual nature and moral nature. The material blessings Allah bestows are given to all of His creatures, out of His Compassion. He connects Himself to His creation on the basis of His Divine Compassion. So, whether people realise the blessings they are receiving or not; whether or not they are thankful to Allah for His blessings, He still bestows out of His Grace and Mercy. Take for example the relatively simple action of breathing which is done tens of thousands of times a day. And this important action is done with relative comfort and at no cost.

Prophet Muhammad (saw) use to pray as follows; ‘O Allah! All praise is due to You, without being able to sufficiently thank You, nor ever wish to be cut off from You, nor ever feeling rich from relying on You our Lord!’

Prophet (saw) acknowledged that he could not have sufficiently thanked Allah for His many favours that He bestows. It is also reported that Prophet Dawud (as) used to say in his supplication; ‘O Lord! How can I ever duly thank You, when my thanking You is also a favour from You to me’. Allah answered him, ‘Now, you have thanked Me sufficiently, O Dawud’.

This teaches us that even the ability to thank Allah is also a favour and blessing that He has afforded us. Allah is the embodiment of wealth and we are all destitute. Allah is the Possessor of everything and we are in dire need of Him; and He is so Generous that whether or not we show gratitude to Him or not He still bestows upon us. And yet still there are the short-sighted people who believe that their blessings are as a result of their ‘hard work’.

As we have mentioned material blessings are bestowed on all, the Muslims as well as the non-Muslims. How then are we, the believers, different? And why then should we be thankful if everyone is being blessed in a similar manner by Allah . Some people use their material acquisitions for good and others for evil. Those who are guided and possess the understanding of using their wealth for good will gain benefit in both words, and they are the ones that are truly blessed. In connection with this Allah says

‘What is with you must vanish: what is with Allah will and we will certainly bestow, on those who patiently persevere, their reward to the best of their actions.’ (16:96)

So whatever little material blessings you have will vanish one day. The wise person will send a bit for “Allah to keep it”. Do not waste what He has blessed you with in this world. If you have this knowledge and act in accordance to it be extremely thankful to your Lord because not only has He blessed you with some material gain but He has also enlightened you in the appropriate manner of how to utilize it to it maximum.

Morally speaking Allah has blessed the Muslims in a special way in that we possess the strength that enables us to follow His Habeeb, Prophet Muhammad (saw). Prophet (saw) came to perfect moral character. The Arabs lived in a very barbaric manner before the advent of Islam. And these uncultured tribesmen began following him because of his moral character. And if you can uphold your morals be thankful to Allah because He has assured us of the just reward for the morally conscious ones.

Spiritually, Muslims are blessed in such a manner that no other nation possessed this unique blessing. When Hazrat Musa (as) and Isa (as) wanted to meet Allah they had to meet certain requirements and then ascend a mountain. We, ordinary slaves of Allah have the unique opportunity of meeting our Lord and Master a minimum of 5 times a day in the discipline of Salaat. As taught by our beloved leader, Allah comes between a Muslim and the Kaba when he/she stands for salaat. And in it we have the blessed opportunity of glorifying and praising Allah . And we can also beg of Him for forgiveness, comfort etc. So we see it is indeed a difficult task to quantify the blessings being bestowed upon us by the Merciful One. And He has also informed us about the blessings we can obtain in the next world if we adhere to His guidance. In Surah An Nisaa'He has mentioned 4 blessings;

‘All who obey Allah and the Apostle are in the company of those on whom is the Grace of Allah,- of the Prophets (Who teach), the sincere (lovers of Truth), the witnesses (Who testify), and the righteous (Who do good): Ah! what a beautiful fellowship! (4:69)

And to this if further strengthened by Prophet (saw) in the hadith; “amongst my followers some will have the status of the Messengers of the Bani Israel.” Can you imagine walking amongst the Messengers of Allah ?

A lot of emphasis is placed on material blessings; and to the true believer this is neither here nor there. What is important is for us to understand the importance of showing gratitude to Allah . Even though we can never count His favours upon us and even though we can never thank Him as He ought to be thanked still demonstrate submission and understanding.

Keep in mind you only have one life to live and we are not sure of what is in store for us tomorrow. So make use of the time as it comes and don’t wait until you’re older to “start following the religion”. Remember we will never have this time again so use it wisely. Make the effort, and leave the rest to Him and you will have no regrets on that Day. Whether or not you see or experience the favours being bestowed always remember that Allah will never let you down.

We beg of Him to forgive us bless us and bestow on us His Divine Grace and Mercy and may He enable us to rise with the righteous.

The Beauty of the Qur’an

2011-03-22T00:00:00.001-04:00

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

There is no doubting the beauty of the Qur’an, and upon close examination of the Messages contained in each verse one will begin to see and understand why its beauty is unmatched.

One of the beauties of the Qur’an is that a person can connect the words in a verse and; with each way the words will be put together a person will get a different shade of meaning; and one of the mysteries of this Book is that one meaning will not contradict with the original meaning. For example, in the first verse in Surah Kahf. Allah says;

‘Praise be to Allah, Who hath sent to His servant the Book, and hath allowed therein no Crookedness’. (18:1)

The first part of the verse is clear, i.e. ‘Praise be to Allah, Who hath sent to His servant the Book’. As we all know Allah is The One Who revealed the Glorious Qur’an to His slave, Prophet Muhammad (saw).

When the latter part of the verse is studied, i.e. 'and hath allowed in it no Crookedness’. ‘La hu’ can mean "he" or "it". It is commonly translated to mean the Holy Qur’an; i.e. "it". So if we take the meaning to mean it, that part of the verse will mean that Allah has sent down the Qur’an and it contains no crookedness, defects, etc.

‘La hu’ in the above verse can also refer to Prophet Muhammad (saw). So if we read the and translate that "hu" to mean the Messenger (saw), it will read like this: Praise be to Allah Who hath sent to His Servant the Book; and you will not find in "him" any crookedness.

How will you know what or who Allah is referring to? Remember ‘the Qur’an explains itself’ so the other places in the Qur’an aid in your understanding. This is why no one is authorised to explain the Qur’an.

With reference to the verse quoted above if you want to find support that Allah is speaking of the Qur’an when He attested that it contained no crookedness we can look at the following verse;

It is the Quran in Arabic, without any crookedness therein; in order that they may guard against evil. (39:28)

If you want take the word La hu to mean the Prophet (saw) we can find support for this in the following verses;

‘And Verily, You (O Muhammad) are on an exalted standard of character’. (68:4)
‘that Allah may forgive you your sins of the past and the future’. (48:2)

Look at this one word when expounded upon has so many dimensions.

It is important to understand the flawlessness of the Qur’an; and just as Allah produced a Book free from all kinds of defects; and the Messenger who brought the Book is also free from every form of defects, we too need to make our book, that we are producing (i.e. our book of deeds) pure and as free from as much defects as possible.

When a person requires a character certificate he needs to go to someone in authority such as a police officer. And in order for the policeman to produce the certificate he will go through the records to see whether there were any ‘defects or crookedness’ in the person’s life. So too, on the Day of Judgement; in order to get into Paradise your book will be brought forward to see whether you have defects or good in it.

Prophet (saw) is our leader and exemplar and he was sinless which means that his book will contain no wrong or reprehensive deeds. We must also aspire to purify our personalities so that on that Day our book will be one that we can feel proud of as a book free from records of crookedness will grant us access to the Garden of bliss.

May Allah enable us to understand more and more of His Glorious Words and may He grant us the ability to cultivate our personalities in accordance with what is permissible, so that our book of deeds will be one that contains neither crookedness nor defects.

Az Zahir – The Manifest One

2011-03-15T00:00:00.000-04:00

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

Prophet Muhammad (saw) is reported to have said ‘There was Allah and nothing existed but Him. He existed from eternity and there was nothing else’.

Allah is Al Zaahir which means The Manifest One. It must also be noted that Allah cannot be encompassed. The universe cannot ‘contain Him’. For example His Divine Throne alone is more vast than the heavens and earth combined.

‘His Throne doth extend over the heavens and the earth,’

If Allah is so Vast and Great how then He can be manifested? How can He become apparent to us? Allah speaks to man about understanding Him materialistically from the point of view of the created things in the universe. He says in Surah Ikhlas;

‘And there is none co-equal or comparable unto Him’

Nothing can be likened to Him, so it is impossible to conceptualize Him. This is why the Prophet (saw), when asked by a Bedouin ‘where is Allah', he pointed upwards because he did not want limit and conceptualise Allah to a particular space and time in the mind of the Bedouin.

It’s difficult to conceive the Personality of The Divine. Our limited sight cannot grasp Him as He says in His Words;

‘No vision can grasp him, but His grasp is over all vision: He is above all comprehension, yet is acquainted with all things.’

We do not posses the capacity to behold His Divine Personality. What then does ‘The Manifest’ mean? If you want to see Allah; firstly, you must understand that you must work hard for it. What does ‘hard work’ necessitate? Prophet (saw) is reported to have said;

‘When the dwellers of Paradise will enter Paradise, someone will proclaim: ‘O Dwellers of Paradise, God wishes to fulfil what He promised you’. The companions asked: ‘What is that promise? Has He not filled up our Balance? Has He not brightened our faces and admitted us in the Garden? Has He not saved us from hell?’ At that time, the screen will be lifted and they will be gazing at the Glorious Lord. Nothing will be dearer to them at that time than His sight. This is the greatest reward. At that time they will forget every enjoyment and happiness. There is no limit to this happiness and no example.’

If you remember the women at the time of Prophet Joseph (as); they were so amazed and intoxicated with the sight of his flawless beauty; that they cut their hands in the process of cutting their meat; while simultaneously looking at Joseph (as). And this was a finite being, what about beholding the beautiful Countenance of Allah.

So, in order to access this blessing you must firstly be among the inhabitants of paradise. It is not mentioned in the Qur’an or the ahadith whether Allah will remove the veils between Himself and His servants during the actual judgement process. It is only mentioned that it would occur at the Celestial stage.

This is indeed the pinnacle of all blessings. The inhabitants of paradise will be lost away in the process of gazing at the grandeur of Allah. Nothing else will be of concern and value to them except the beauty of The Lord.

Look at what the little good you do in this world can bring you. Allah has reserved this special blessing for His righteous slaves. Keep persevering and one day, Insha Allah, we will have this blessed opportunity to witness the Divine Personality. Prepare and work towards being on of the blessed ones. All the trials and tribulations you face in this world; look at the end result it can bring if you act in appropriate manner.

We beg Allah to enable us to conduct ourselves in a manner that would qualify us all to be among the blessed and fortunate ones that will have the inequitable reward of beholding the Divine Countenance of the Most Merciful One.

The Status of Prophet Muhammad (saw) in creation

2011-03-14T00:00:00.000-04:00

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

A recent (Islamic) publication, in its enthusiasm to label the celebration of the Prophet's (pboh) birthday as bida or innovation in religion, asserts that we are to “make no distinction between (sic) any of the Prophets”.

The topic of celebrating the birthday of the Holy Prophet (pboh) has been the subject of debate in this country (Trinidad and Tobago) as early as the 1930's. It was manifested in the public debates between Haji Ruknudeen and Maulana Nazir Ahmad Semab. Today, the matter is still being debated, with both sides believing that they, only are right, and the other side is misguided. Unfortunately this has become an instrument for disunity and division within the Muslim community as a whole, and even within families in the community.

Of particular note, in this most recent context is the relative status of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pboh), and there is need to establish some key points of reference from the Qur'an and Hadith regarding this assertion, which can by some interpretations border on blasphemy.

Firstly it is important to note that Allah has established rank and relative status among the Messengers that were sent to humankind. He says: ‘Those Messengers We endowed (with status) some above others.’ (2:253). In the case of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pboh) Allah has singled him out and presented him as someone truly superior and honored above all of creation. The Qur'an is replete with references to this point, and for example tells us explicitly;

It is those who believe in him and honor him. (7:157)
Verily, Allah and his Angels are sending blessing on the Prophet. O You who believe, send blessings on him and salute him with great respect. (33:56)
And know that among you is the Messenger of Allah. (49:7)
We have exalted thy name (status). (94:4)
Verily you are on an exalted standard of character. (68:4)
And we have not send you (O Muhammad) but as a universal model for mankind. (34:28)
We have not sent thee but as a mercy to the worlds. (21:107)
Verily those who took the oath of allegiance to you, were indeed swearing allegiance to Allah. (48:10)

These references, and many like them, clearly establish the status of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pboh) above all other Prophets and all of creation. It is to be noted that this is unique to the Holy Prophet, and the followers of other Messengers were never ordered to observe such to the Messengers whom they were sent. To honor him with love and devotion is to do what has been ordained by Allah, and is not sinful as has been insinuated.

[This scenario also serves to establish the critical need for scholarship in Islamic Theology (in addition to Functional Literacy) by persons within the Muslim community who are so inclined. We must be mindful of the fact that an opinion is not a truth until it has been verified, and the Qur'an advocates research and inquiry, and our brethren may do well by themselves; and the community as a whole to heed this call.]

May Almighty Allah create in our hearts undying love for His Beloved as the Prophet (pboh) is reported to have said “Those who will love me from among my followers will be the people after me, of whom everyone will like that, he could see me, at the expense of his family and property”. (Sahih Muslim)

Maulana Dr. Waffie Mohammed

Constancy and Patience

2011-03-03T00:00:00.003-04:00

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

Sometimes a person may have a lot of wealth stored away in a bank but he mat not have a cent in his immediate possession. This doesn’t mean that he is poor since there is some sort of savings stored away.

Keeping this in mind; sometimes we may feel a bit despondent when it comes to the spiritual aspect of our lives. We may wonder why we should attend our weekly zikir sessions when it could be easily done at home.

Before we expound on the above let us make a reference to the life of Prophet Moses (as). Moses (as) attained a very high status in the sight of Allah . He earned the title Kalimullah - The one who Allah spoke to. Moses (as) brought the law for the Israelites and the other Messengers that were sent to them were followers / upholders of the law. This was emphasized by Jesus (as) when he said “I came not to oppose the law but to uphold it”.

One day Moses (as) delivered a very inspirational and excellent sermon to his people and one of those present remarked that Moses (as) is possible the most knowledgeable person on the face of the earth. Moses (as) replied in the affirmative and thereafter Allah revealed to him that there was someone far more knowledgeable than Moses (as) and He instructed him to seek out this knowledgeable person called Khidr. During their travels Khidr revealed to Moses (as) that he didn’t possess the capacity to understand / learn from him and this became apparent during the three different situations they encountered (i.e. the boat, the boy and the wall). (Surah Kahf). Moses (as) displayed his impatience and ‘shortsightedness’.

Why mention this? We may feel at times that we know a lot and that we do a lot, and we are yet to see any benefit or results from our efforts. Always bear in mind that Allah is the One Who bestows and withholds. If perchance you achieve too much ‘religious experience’ early on, it can be harmful and detrimental to you. In Islamic Spirituality if you do a lot and see little or no immediate results then this could be a great blessing from Allah .

There are a lot of people who received religious experiences and behaved in an unfortunate manner and as a result they began to deteriorate and suffered. So while you may feel that all your efforts are in vain; always remember the concept of you savings in the bank; you are in fact storing it away, and it will be of immense benefit to you in the latter stages of your life.

Spiritual effort doesn’t warrant immediate beneficial results. Keep striving and Allah will bestow upon you when He sees fit; as He says in His Glorious Words:

‘Allah knoweth, and ye know not’. (16:74)

Prophet (saw) could not experience the true personality of Angel Gabriel when he first came to him at Mount Noor; because the space/time dimension was not able to accommodate the true personality of the angel. Wherever he looked he saw the presence of Gabriel.

It was only when Prophet (saw) was outside the dimension of space and time he as able to see the archangel in his true form. The same principle is applicable to our spiritual struggles. Our personality may not be fully mature to experience the spiritual realm. Tassawuf is one avenue of attaining knowledge of the unseen and we need to possess the capacity to deal with it.

However this doesn’t mean you should stop, keep on persevering with patience, for the love and pleasure of Allah. Ever time you do a little remember you are getting closer to your Lord.

Take for example the moon. The moon does not generate its own light. Instead it reflects the light of the sun and has the capacity of making bright the dark night. So too, we are tying to brighten up our dark spots by connecting to the light of our Prophet .

Just as the medication a person takes needs time to work so too the spiritual exercises we engage in requires patience and discipline; while it will help to improve our personalities. We are aspiring to get closer to Allah but this requires constancy and patience.

Make the effort and let Allah take care of the rest.

Lecture given on the auspicious occasion of Meelad Un Nabi

2011-02-27T00:00:00.001-04:00

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

Text of lecture given by Maulana Dr. Waffie Mohammed
at the Hermitage Masjid
on the auspicious occasion of Meelad Un Nabi (27.02.2011)

Why did Allah send Prophet Muhammad (saw)? Was it to receive the Holy Qur’an on behalf of mankind? If Allah wanted He could have revealed the Book to each one of His servants. Prophet Jesus (as) received a Book, Moses (as), Abraham (as) and so on. So being the recipient of the Glorious Qur’an was not the only purpose of Prophet (saw).

In order for us to understand Muhammad’s mission we must make reference the beautiful Qur’anic ayat;Light upon Light!

This ayat contains a very important message as it highlights the true function of Prophet (saw). Allah is Light (Nur) and He sent Prophet Muhammad (saw) in the dimension of space and time to reflect the Light of Allah to the entire universe. This is possibly why he is called 'Rahmatul Lil Alameen’ – a mercy to the worlds. He is the only creature capable of reflecting the Light of Allah . Allah confirms this in Surah Maidah;

there hath come to you from Allah a (new) light and a perspicuous Book (5:15)

The ‘Light and Book’ mentioned in the above ayat are two separate entities. The Book refers to the Holy Qur’an and the ‘Light’ mentioned refers to the personality of Prophet (saw).

He was able to reflect Allah’s Nur so perfect that his Companions noticed that his personality was bright and shinning. For example Hazrat Jabir (ra) is reported to have said ‘I saw him sitting in a full moon night, he had on a red gown and between the moon and him; his face was the most handsome’.

When is a full moon it’s brightest? When the night is at its darkest and there are little or no clouds present. So to our beloved Messenger was so clean and free from any and all barriers that there was nothing preventing him from reflecting Allah’s light. His personality is like the beautiful full moon, visible from far and wide.

Try your best to remove all the ‘clouds’ from your personality and you will be able to reflect something of the Light of Allah from the physical source that is the personality of Prophet (saw). If we follow him we are suppose to be like the full moon, lighting up the dark spots of the world.

Prophet (saw) is constantly being replenished with the Light of Allah as Allah says;

‘Allah and His angels send blessings on the prophet: O ye that believe! send ye blessings on him, and salute Him with all respect’.

Ask yourself this question; at what stage of the moon would you like to be; the new moon barely visible or the full moon, bright, shinning and admired by all. Build and strengthen your relationship with him to benefit from the blessings being constantly and continuously sent to him. He was able to reflect the Light of his Lord and as such he was able to get closer to Him. If you wish to get closer to Allah then follow His Habeeb (saw).

May Allah make it easy for us and take care of our affairs in both worlds and may He cause our relationship with Prophet Muhammad (saw) to grow and become stronger insha Allah.

The Light of Prophet (saw)

2011-02-22T00:00:00.000-04:00

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

We have recently witnessed the 12th of Rabi ul Awwal, the blessed birth date of our beloved Messenger, Prophet Muhammad (saw). As such there is something very special that we must know. Allah says in His Glorious Words;

‘there hath come to you from Allah a (new) light and a perspicuous Book’. (5:15)

According to the scholars and Masheikhs the ‘light’ that is mentioned in the above ayat is a reference to Prophet (saw). So Allah sent Prophet (saw) along with the Qur’an to mankind.

All Spiritualists believes that Prophet (saw) is nur (light). We see in the Seerah, for example that when the Prophets father, Abdullah (ra)was going to the residence of Amina (ra)to get married Qutaylah, the sister of Waraqah, was standing at the entrance to her house and when she saw Abdullah approaching she noticed that he had a brightened countenance and recounted that it seemed to shine from beyond this world. After a few days had passed she saw Abdullah and remarked to him ‘the light hath left thee that was with thee yesterday’. Later it would be noted that Amina was conscious of a light within her, and one day it shone forth from her so intensely that she could see the castles of Bostra in Syria.

Prophet Muhammad(saw)was existing in the form of light long before Adam (as) was created. Whenever Hazrat Moses (as) conversed with Allah his face remained shinning for a few days. Not so with Prophet(saw). His personality was always bright and shining. Allah confirms this in the beautiful ayat in Surah Noor;

‘Allah is the light of the heavens and the earth. the parable of His light is as if there were a Niche and within it a Lamp: the Lamp enclosed In Glass: the glass as it were a brilliant star: Lit from a Blessed tree, an Olive, neither of the east nor of the west, whose oil is well-nigh luminous, though Fire scarce touched it: light upon Light! Allah doth guide whom He will to His Light: Allah doth set forth parables for men: and Allah doth know all things’. (24:35)

‘Nurun ala nur’ – light upon light. This is what makes our beloved leader different and special. Prophet(saw)is a real reflection of the Light of Allah.

If you can, insha Allah, connect to Prophet(saw)spirituality you will see him as the source of light. Your tiny spark of light that is embedded in your personality can connect to the light of Prophet(saw)and it can grow and permeate all the cells your body.

All the Spiritual Tariqas (orders) goes back to Prophet Muhammad(saw)through their silsila (golden chain). He is the source of light, the direct Light of Allah is reflected on him and he is spreading it to the world;

‘and as one who invites to Allah’s (grace) by His leave, and as a Lamp spreading light’. (33:46)

He is so different and special that no matter how you attach yourself to him you will be blessed with brightness. Connect to him and strengthen your relationship with him and you’ll have no problems because on the Day of Judgement he will look for you, you won’t have to find him.

Make full use of this life because this is the only time you have the opportunity to recite the Words of Allah , worship Him and praise Him. The next stages are where you will reap the rewards for the work done in this world. Don’t destroy the good that you’ve done by backbiting, slandering etc. Build and store enough good for a pleasant journey.

Sheikh Bahauddin Naqshband (ra) has said that if anyone sees Prophet Muhammad(saw), that person will never enter hell. The body has 5 spiritual points and when activated you will begin to see different lights at each point. Each light takes you to a different Messenger. If you concentrate on the 5th point, which is at the top your head, you will see a green light. If you can see the green light you can connect to Prophet(saw).

Pay no heed to those who wish to discourage you. Do it silently and insha Allah you will benefit greatly. Connect to his blessed light. It sounds simple but it takes a lot of time. Those who have done it have no regrets. It’s something that has to be experienced because reason and logic cannot explain it.

May Allah make it easy for us and take care of our affairs in both worlds and may He cause our relationship with Prophet Muhammad(saw)to grow and become stronger insha Allah.

Darood O Salaam

2011-02-12T00:30:00.004-04:00

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّى عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ

O Allah, bless Muhammad (saw)

We are in the blessed month of Rabi ul Awwal, the month in which our beloved leader, Muhammad Mustapha (saw) was born. As such, as true believers we are happy when occasions such as the Eid Milad un Nabi approaches because it allows us to recall something of the beautiful personality of Prophet (saw).

Allah says in Surah Imran;

“Allah did confer a great favour on the believers when He sent among them an apostle from among themselves, rehearsing unto them the Signs of Allah, sanctifying them, and instructing them in Scripture and Wisdom, while, before that, they had been in manifest error.” (Chapter 3, verse 164)

We can see that this verse deals with some of the favours of the coming of Prophet (saw). Firstly, Prophet Muhammad (saw) came to tell the people about Allah. He also told the believers of the Greatness of Allah. He taught them how to purify themselves, outwardly and inwardly. Which other Messenger taught the people self purification? Some unbelievers began saying ‘what kind of Messenger is this, he is even teaching us how to use the toilet’. Prophet (saw) taught the believers how to read and understand the Book. Where in the Gospel can you find Jesus (as) receiving the message and teaching it to his followers? Which other Messenger took the time to teach their followers how to read, how to understand and how to derive benefit from the message? Prophet (saw) taught us how to utilize the message so that we can lead a successful life.

These are just some of the favours Allah mentions in the Qur’an concerning the coming of His Habib on earth. Prophet Muhammad (saw) is indeed a great blessing and favour for mankind.

Allah made Prophet Muhammad (saw) the recipient and the distributor of a very special blessing, which He has allocated for the believers. This unique blessing is that of the Darood. Which other Messenger was given a darood? Allah says in Surah Ahzab;

“Verily Allah and His angels send blessings on the Prophet: O ye that believe! send ye blessings on him, and salute Him with all respect.” (Chapter 33, verse 56)

‘Send blessings’ - is a verb in present / future tense. Therefore the blessings being sent are sent constantly and continuously.

Why is Allah doing this? Does Prophet (saw) need all these blessings? Also, according to the scholars because Allah commands the believers to send blessings on Prophet (saw), one must do it at least once in their lifetime in order to fulfil the command. This command given in the ayat above is different from that of salaat because salaat is associated with time.

Two things can be derived from the ayat mentioned above. Firstly, Allah and His Angels are sending blessings on Prophet Muhammad (saw). Secondly, Allah wants the believers to benefit from the blessings being sent and the way of doing so is to send salaat on Prophet (saw), and this is basically ‘Allahumma Sally Ala Muhammad’. ‘Salaat’ here does not imply worship. By sending salaat on him you are benefiting from the blessings coming from Allah .

Hazrat Anas (ra) narrates that Sayyiduna Rasoolullah said: ‘He who reads a single Durood upon me, Almighty Allah blesses him ten times, ten of his sins are forgiven, and he is increased ten times in stages’.

Why did Allah order to send darood and salaam on Prophet (saw)? Some may argue that he is not physically alive so what good can come from it. Abu Huraira (ra) narrates that Prophet said: ‘If anyone of you greets me, Allah returns my soul to body and I respond to the greeting’.

So if I should say ‘Ya Nabi salaam alaika’ through the Grace of Allah, Prophet’s (saw) soul is reunited with his body in order for him to reply ‘Wa Alaika’. And this happens all the time, whenever we send salaat and salaam on him. So if I should send salaam on him and he responds every single time, then am I not then building a connection and relationship with him.

Sending salaat and salaam on Prophet (saw) is amongst the Sunnah of Allah , because He and His angels are practicing it all the time. Sunnah is what you say, do and allow, so therefore salaat and salaam on Prophet is one of the Sunnah of Allah . Some say that Allah’s is the manifestation of His Divine Attributes, but if He is doing something constantly then it is part of His Sunnah. So if Allah is doing it and you follow Him you are then aligning yourself with your Lord in a special way.

Darood is indeed a great gift and favour from our Lord. Imagine that we are engaging in something that Allah is also doing at the same time. He has made His Habib the ‘distribution centre’ of this special blessing.

Ubai bin Ka’ab (ra) narrates; ‘I said, O Messenger of Allah, I supplicate often, so how much of my supplication should I devote to you? He replied, as you desire. I said, a quarter of it? He said as you desire, but if you were to increase upon this, it would be better for you. I said, half of it? He said, as you desire, but if you were to increase upon this, it would be better for you. I said, two-thirds of it? He said again, as you desire, but if you were to increase upon this, it would be better for you. Finally I said, and if I dedicate my supplication in its entirety to you? He said, then your needs will be satisfied, and your sins forgiven’.

We can see that one can benefit tremendously from sending salaat and salaam on our beloved leader. Not only in this world but also the next because on that Day instead of looking for help, the Messenger (saw) will be searching for you as he will be doing for all his followers. The matter is in your hands.

O Allah, convey blessings and peace always and forever
upon Your Beloved, the best out of all of Creation, Hazrat Muhammad Mustapha (saw)

Persevering with patience

2011-02-04T00:00:00.000-04:00

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

As believers we must always bear in mind that, when dealing with others we must show some level of patience. When Allah gave the command to all present to prostrate before Hazrat Adam (as) Satan refused. At that moment Allah could have taken Satan to task for disobeying, however He gave him an opportunity to explain his defiant action.

When Allah made it known to Satan that he was wrong he made a dua to Allah and he was given respite. Look at the patience Allah showed to this rebellious creature. And He is The Lord and Master of every single thing.

Allah gave us many lessons in the Qur’an about the importance of demonstrating patience. One of the most popular and potent lesson is the life of Joseph (as). From the beginning, both Joseph (as) and Jacob (as) knew what the end could have possibly been and yet still they bore the trials with patience and submitted humbly to Allah .

When Jacob (as) learnt of the loss of his treasured son he said; “Sabrun Jameelun” – “(for me) patience is most fitting: it is Allah (alone) Whose help can be sought.”

It is difficult to restrain oneself at times because, sometimes emotion takes precedent over the action of the brain. There are certain cells located in the heart that are responsible for the emotional reaction humans demonstrate. So, sometimes before you think you may act instead. These actions originate from the heart.

Allah wants us to establish restraint in all situations. This can only be done if one has complete faith and trust in Him. If you know that Allah loves you, and whatever He allows to happen to you is because of a specific reason then you will understand that in the end He will never let you down. It is out of love that He is allowing certain things to happen. Always remember that Allah knows best and our knowledge is limited.

Demonstrating patience is easier said than done. For example if one looks at the life of Hazrat Umar (ra), you’ll see there were times where he reacted out of haste and after regretted it. Try to culture the emotive responses by refraining from acting in haste.

The brothers of Joseph (as) acted in haste; they didn’t show patience and they acted for themselves. They failed to remember that Allah is All Knowing and All Seeing; as He says in Surah Al An'am;

‘and with Him are the keys of the Ghaib (all that is hidden), none knows them but He and He knows whatever there is in (or on) the earth and in the sea; not a leaf falls, but He knows it. There is not a grain in the darkness of the earth nor anything fresh or dry, but is written in a clear Record’. (6:59)

If something is going to happen to you Allah knows about it and He sees how you are responding. So be careful when something causes you to become emotional. Stay silent because per chance you may act in haste and in a displeasing manner.

Prophet Muhammad (saw) is the best of all creation and look at the discipline and patience he demonstrated, to his family, Companions and non-Muslims. Take for the example the hadith narrated by Hadrat Abdullah bin Abil Hammad (ra). He narrated: “before his Prophet hood I bought something from the Holy Prophet (saw). As my money fell short I requested him to wait at the spot and promised to come back in a while. But the matter slipped out of my mind somehow and after three days when I returned to the spot I found the Holy Prophet still waiting there. He only said, “You put me to great trouble. I have been waiting for you here for three days”.

Look at the patience and calmness he demonstrated. This is our leader and exemplar. When you look at his life you can’t help but wonder how refined and perfect he cultured his personality. It’s difficult to fathom.

Patience is something that Allah recommends for us in Surah Luqman;

‘and bear with patient constancy whatever betide thee’. (31:17)

If we, as Muslims, demonstrate patience when dealing with others you will see a huge difference. We know we are the best of people but we have to show this to others, Muslims and non-Muslims alike. And look at what Allah says about those who preserve with patience;

“Surely the patiently enduring will be paid their wages in full without reckoning”. (39:10)

Sabrun Jameelun is easy to translate in English but difficult to infuse it into our actions. It’s something that will take time and effort.

One of the hallmarks of impatience is ignorance and Allah has told us how to deal with such people;

‘and the slaves of the Most Beneficent (Allah) are those who walk on the earth in humility and sedateness, and when the ignorant address them, they say 'Peace'. (25:63)

Put your faith and trust in your Loving, Merciful Lord; especially when the trials come your way. He allows everything to happen, the good and the perceived bad, and there’s reason and wisdom behind it. Make the effort and let Allah take care of the rest.

The Qur’an to Mankind

2011-01-27T00:00:00.000-04:00

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

Is there anything special about the Qur'an?

There are many things special about the Qur'an. Some of these are:

No creature in the universe can produce a book like it; as it contains a record of what happened in the past; predictions of what is to come in the future; it has many unique functions, in addition to the laws of guidance for man to live a successful life in this world as well as in the next. About the nature of the text Allah says:
If the whole of mankind and Jinns were to gather together to produce the like of the Qur'an, they could not have produced something like it; even if they were to back up each other with help and support. (17:88)

It is a complete code of life. Allah says:
And We have sent down unto thee (O Muhammad) a Book explaining all things. (18:69)

As it is a unique Book given only to man; and is the Word of Allah, even the angels and the Jinns come and listen to it, when it is being recited by human beings. About this Allah says:
Say; it has been revealed to me that a company of Jinns listened to the Qur'an; they said: We have really heard a wonderful recital; it gives guidance to the Right. (72:1-2)

Prophet Muhammad (pboh) once explained to a Companion who informed him that one night while he was reading the Qur'an, his horse began stamping and moving around, but when he stopped reading the horse became calm. Then when he started to read again the horse again became restless, and when he stopped the horse again became calm. The Prophet (pboh) told him that it was the angels who used to come to listen to the recitation of the Qur'an.

The Qur'anic words have special vibrations, more powerful than the most powerful of bombs; that is possibly one reason why Allah says:
Had We sent down this Qur'an on a mountain, verily, you would have seen it humble itself and cleave asunder for fear of Allah. (59:21)

The Qur'an has special healing powers, and those who know prescribe and use some of the verses to cure many kinds of ailments. About its healing powers Allah says:
We send down (stage by stage) in the Qur'an, that which is a healing and a mercy to those who believe. (17:82)

The Qur'an is the book of wisdom, and if properly read and studied, it takes away the ignorance of a person and make him wise. Allah says:
These are the Verses of the Book of Wisdom (10:1)

Recitation of this Book forms an invisible protection against becoming a disbeliever, and also from the mischief of the Satan. Allah says:
When you recite the Qur'an, We put between you and those who believe not in the Hereafter an invisible curtain. (17:45)

Allah has issued a challenge to the entire world; i.e.
produce a Chapter like it if you think that you are wise.(2:23)

Muslims are therefore, very blessed to have been the recipient of this divine book. Prophet Muhammad (pboh) is reported to have said:
A reciter of the Qur'an belongs to the family of Allah, and is His sincere servant.

When the Qur'an is being recited the vibrations contained in the words impact on those who recite as well as those who listen to the recitation. It purifies them and polishes their souls. The Noble Messenger is reported to have said:
Rust falls on the heart as it falls on iron. When asked: how can the rust of the heart be removed? He replied: By reciting the Qur'an and remembering death.

Recitation of this Holy Book does not only help us in this life; it will be one of our greatest helper in the Next. The Prophet (pboh) is reported to have said:
Prophets, angels or anybody else cannot be better intercessors in ranks than the Qur'an.

Allah calls the Qur'an, the Book of Wisdom (10:1); Could you give some reasons why Allah says so about it?

The Qur'an tells us all that we need to know about ourselves, the universe and Allah Himself. For example it says about the universe the following:

The universe was created; it did not come into existence by chance. About its creation He says:
It is Allah Who created the skies and the earth and all that is between them. (32:4)

He began the universe as a single cell which later burst open and its fragments formed the skies and the earth. In this connection the Qur'an records the following:
Do not the unbelievers see that the skies and the earth were a closed up mass? Then We opened them out. (21:30)

He created the skies, the earth and the space and put each thing in its proper location with its own function. He says:
With power and skill did We create the skies, for it is He Who creates the vastness of space. And We have spread out the earth; how excellently We spread it out. (51"47-48)

Allah explains in the Qur'an that the earth is subjected to serial time; the cosmos is conditioned by cosmic time. Regarding the cosmos, He says:
It is He Who created the skies and the earth in six cosmic days. (11:7)
Verily, a day in the sight of the Lord, is like a thousand years of your reckoning. (22:47)
The angels and the Spirit ascend unto Him in a Day the measure of which is fifty thousand years. (70:4)

Regarding the serial time which is used to compute months and years of the earth and all that is on it, Allah tells us about this in the Qur'an in the following verses:
It is He Who made the sun to be a shining glory, and the moon to be a light; and measured out stages for it; that you might know the number of years and the count of time. (10:5)
The number of months in the sight of Allah is twelve (in a year); so ordained by Him, the day He created the skies and the earth. (9:36)

So Allah gives us much information in the Qur'an about the origin and working of the universe and nature; did He tell us anything about what will ultimately happen to it in the future?

We know that, right now we are living in an expanding universe; we also know that at some point in time, the universe will begin to contract. About this process, Allah has mentioned much in the Qur'an. For example He says:
When the sky is cleft asunder; when the stars are scattered; when the oceans are suffered to burst forth; and when the graves are turned upside down; then shall each person know what he sent before (him) and what he left behind. (82:1-5)
The day We shall roll up the skies, like a scroll rolled up for books (completed); even as We produced the first creation; We shall produce a new one. This is a promise We have undertaken and We shall fulfil it. (21:104)

About what will happen to the earth, Allah tells us:
One day, the earth will be changed to a different earth; and so will be the skies; and men shall be marshalled forth, before Allah, the One the Irresistible. (14:48)

Did Allah tell mankind anything about his origin and end in the Holy Qur'an?

Yes, Allah tells us in the Holy Qur'an, that He created the human species different from the way He created the rest of the animals. For example, He says that He created all the animals from water. The verse of the Holy Qur'an which tells us about this is as follows:
Allah created every animal from water. Of them are some that creep on their bellies, some that walk on two legs; and some that walk on four. Allah creates what He will; for verily; Allah power over all things. (24:45)

About the creation of man, He says:
He began the creation of man with clay; and his progeny from a quintessence of the nature of fluid despised. (33:7-8)

So Allah began the human species with the creation of Adam and Eve, and from them came the progeny through the process of procreation, as we all know. The Qur'an tells us about conception and the different stages in the development and growth of the foetus. Allah says:
man, if you have doubt about the resurrection, then know that, We created you out of dust; then out of a sperm; then out of a leech-like clot; then out of a morsel of flesh; partly formed and partly unformed; in order that We may manifest our power to you. And We cause whom We will to rest in the wombs for an appointed term; then do We bring you out as babes; then (foster you) that you may reach your age of full strength; and some our are called to die; and some are sent back to the feeblest old age. (22:5)

Allah also tells us that the creation of the entire human species is like the creation of one person. He says;
And your creation and your resurrection, is just like the creation of one individual. (31:28)

We know that every person is just a different combination of the genes and chromosomes contained in a single cell. So that, the creation of the entire human species, is just like the creation of a single cell with the changing combination of the genes and chromosomes resulting in a different person.

About the end of man, Allah tells us that he shall be returned to the earth and then resurrected. He says:
From the earth We created you; and into the earth shall We return you; and from it shall We bring you out again. (20:55)

Allah tells us in the Qur'an, not only about our origin, but what will ultimately happen to us.

You said that the Qur'an has given us the necessary information of everything we ought to know about ourselves, the universe and about God. What did Allah tell us about Himself in this great Book?

Allah tells us about Himself, the following:

No creature is like Him. In other words; the Creator is different from every creature.
No vision can grasp Him; but He sees all things.
All creatures are in need of Him; but He is not in need of any creature.
Everything exists in His knowledge.
He is the greatest; as He functions through all His Divine Attributes at one and the same time to all His creatures.
He connects Himself to His creatures through the Attribute of Compassion.
He is Eternal
He does suffer from the defects that human being experiences
He is closer to us than we can imagine.
We are all returning to Him
Some will be able to meet Him; and some will not.
He is our Sustainer, Protector, etc.
He can do whatever He pleases.

Charging up the soul

2011-01-20T00:00:00.000-04:00

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

There is no doubt that Allah is All Wise and His knowledge encompasses all. Things. Allah has created us out of clay, and there is a reason for it. He knows all the reasons but we can understand one thing. The clay body is the best material selected by our Lord to contain that spark of light that is more powerful than electricity. Had the body been created out of a different substance what would have happened to this special spark of light?

He has created us in such a way that we have a proper vessel that can contain this special bit of energy and it has no adverse effects of any kind on the carrier. One of our purposes of us being in this world is to ‘charge up’ this spark of light just as a power pack is charged up via electricity. Every soul is like a power pack that needs to be fully charged. If this is achieved when the soul is reunited with the body on the Day of Judgement it will be a full source of energy that will enlightened the body. In relation to this Allah says in Surah Imran;

‘On the Day when some faces will be (lit up with) white’. (3:106)

We need to charge up this power pack and keep it bright and shinning to reflect the Light of Allah on earth; and if this is achieved the light of that soul will permeate the cells of the body. When this happens the fire of hell will not be able to burn such a body since the light of the soul is much more intense than hell fire.

If you keep at it and allow the light of the soul to keep the body bright and shinning you will be a special person. As Allah says in His Holy Words ‘on the Day when some faces will be white’. Prophet Muhammad (saw) was able to cultivate his light to such an extent that his personality was constantly bright, so much so that the light of the sun was less in comparison to his light. This is possibly why his body never cast a shadow, because the light that his personality reflected was grater and brighter than any other sources of light such as the sun.

His Companions testified to this on numerous occasions. For example Hazrat Aisha (ra) swore by Allah that his face was brighter than that of a full moon. How fortunate indeed were these Companions, to have a little glimpse of this blessed and unique personality.

It is reported in ahadith that if a person is blessed with a vision of Prophet (saw) that person will not enter Jahanam. Islamic Spirituality teaches us that we can establish a conscious relationship with him. If you develop yourself properly you can have vision of him. But first you have to work hard. You need to activate and develop the spiritual points of the body and thereafter you can make contact with the spiritual personality of Prophet (saw).

Work continuously to build the energy of your soul so that when it re-joins the body you will be amongst the blessed ones to have a brightened countenance, and you will be fit to meet your Lord and enter into the Garden. Work hard to polish your soul so that its light will permeate every cell of the body. Satan's mission is to put the dark spots around the soul to block out the energy / light; so remain focus and committed through the adversities.

Let us make a conscious effort, every single day, to make right the conditions surrounding us that will allow our ruh to grow and spread. We beg Allah to make this exercise easy for us and may He keep us far away from the heedless ones and the ones who understand not. May Allah bless us and protect us.

The end will be better than the present

2011-01-06T00:00:00.001-04:00

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

There is a something in life we need to understand; Allah says in His Holy Words;

‘and verily the Hereafter will be better for thee than the present’. (93:4)

The akirah is usually translated to mean the hereafter. This is a fact, however in this ayat and in others akirah can also mean the end of your life in this world. Why? Everyone will understand that while you’re growing and developing you will face challenges and difficulties, and it will not be easy. What is important for us to understand at this is stage is that Allah identifies in the Qur’an when the difficulties and trials come we should not ‘give up’ and get frustrated but instead know that there is in fact a purpose and reason for it. Allah says;

‘after a difficulty, Allah will soon grant relief.’ (65:7)

And He has emphasises this. We can conclude that in the earlier stages of your life you will face difficulties but if you put your faith and trust in Allah He will make it easy for you and take care of you. This is possibly one reason why Allah has given us the life story of Prophet Joseph (as). Look at all the trials and hardships he underwent, through no fault of his. These were trials that Allah exposed him to. And look at how beautiful the latter part of his life was after he bore the tribulations and demonstrated true submission to his Lord.

Allah says

‘and surely, we shall try you’. (47:31)

You will face trials and hardships’ and Prophet Muhammad (saw) is even reported to have said that when Allah loves you He tries you. Every believer must understand that in the earlier stages of your life it could be challenging and difficult. This is Allah’s way. He even subjected Prophet to trials both in the personal and public life, and he is the Beloved of Allah . And if Allah can try His Beloved what about us?

We want to please our Lord and earn His blessings and favours so when we are tried we must never give up but reside our faith and trust in Him.

Allah says in Surah Muhammad

‘O ye who believe! If ye will aid (the cause of) Allah, He will aid you, and plant your feet firmly’. (47:7)

Some people believe that as soon as you ask Allah for something, such as help, it should be given immediately. Always remember that Allah knows best. He is all Wise. We only see in the short term and Allah sees everything. Only Allah truly knows.

The true believers are taught to say “I put my affairs in Allah ”. Let Allah take care. He wants us to show Him that we are worthy of His love and blessings.

Take for example the creation of gold. In order to acquire this precious metal it has to undergo a series of process where it is heated and beaten in order to achieve the desired shape and quality. If you want to present yourself as a beautiful ornament to your Lord prepare for the “heating and beaten”. And rest assure that Satan will be the one to test your patience and perseverance.

Allah gave Prophet (saw) the consolation in Surah Dhuhaa;

'Thy Guardian-Lord hath not forsaken thee, nor is He displeased. And Verily the Hereafter will be better for thee than the present. And soon will Thy Guardian-Lord give thee (that wherewith) thou shalt be well-pleased. Did He not find thee an orphan and give thee shelter (and care)? And He found thee wandering, and He gave thee guidance. And He found thee in need, and made thee independent'. (93:3-8)

All the trails he went through as such a young boy and when he began his mission it got worse. His job was to deliver the message regardless of the environment, and Allah took care of him and we too must take solace in that Allah will never abandon us.

When the trials and tribulations come always remember that your Lord will never let you down. And He has taught us to supplicate to Him (through dua). Humbly beg Him. Seek repentance, forgiveness and whatever you want from Him. He will never turn down your dua. Only Allah knows when something is best for you, so He may choose to delay your request or simple wait to give you something much better.

Beg your Lord to make the trials easy. Put your faith in Him and He will take care of your affairs. A lot of us have faith in Him but we go to Him last. We try to exhaust all possible means first and when they appear to have fail then we go to Allah . Go to Him first and He will never let you down. That is guaranteed. One hope is that the future will be better than the past. Whether it is the latter part of our life in this world or the hereafter, He will take care of us.

May Allah make the trials and tribulations that He has decreed for us easy and bearable. May He guide us to behave in the same exemplary manner that our leader, Prophet Muhammad (saw), showed when he was faced with hardships during his mission. And may Allah enable us to rise with the righteous servants on the Promised Day, insha Allah.

A brief history of Karbala

2010-12-17T00:00:00.000-04:00

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

Allah in His Infinite Mercy and Wisdom choose to start the year with a particular way, similar to how He ended the year, that is with two great personalities and their legacy which Allah has preserved for all times. At the end of the year we see Father Abraham (as) called upon to sacrifice his worldly love, while in the beginning of the year we see Imam Hosein (ra) being martyred. Many of us might not understand the circumstances surrounding this incident, and even for us who know, let us examine history to see how this event occurred.

After the demise of Rasoolullah (saw) the governance of the Muslim world was done by a system of Khilafat, from which, came the four Great Khalifas. During the reign of the first Khalifa Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra), Yazid had been deputed to conquer Damascus. After its conquest Yazid was made its first governor. Mawiya was with his brother Yazid during the campaign. On the death of Yazid, Muawiya became the governor. He showed such unusual ability and foresight that Hazrat Omar made him the governor of the whole of Syria. During Othman’s caliphate, Muawiya’s power immensely increased. He controlled Northern Iraq and Armenia. While the other governors had to seek permission before implementation, Muawiya could do so on his own, i.e. he was given a free hand in administration. He took advantage of this opportunity and started building up power for himself and the Omayyad’s. He knew that he was going to be fired so he prepared himself for this event by;
(a) Gathering around him a strong band of relatives and close friends
(b) Marrying a lady from the powerful Syrian tribe of Banu Kalb

Thus his strength was increased and he was formidable against anyone who might try and oust him. At the murder of Hazrat Othman (ra), Hazrat Ali (ra) became Khalifa and his first act was to fire all provincial governors including Muawiya. Muawiya’s plan was to retaliate against Ali’s plan because he had a powerful support. It should be noted that Muawiya was no match for Ali in learning, piety, and the art of war.

Muawiya never acknowledged Ali as caliph and posed as legal heir of Othman. He demanded revenge for the death of Othman which gave him the guise of the champion of legal authority. At the death of Ali, his eldest son Imam Hassan was appointed Khalifa. He was an extremely peace loving man and instead of fighting against Muawiya, he succumbed to a compromise, i.e. vacate the Khalifa for Muawiya in return for handsome pensions and estates for himself and his relations.

With Muawiya’s rule, he used public purse to capture and stay in power. He was soon surrounded by power hungry men ready to support him in anything, in return for a share in power. The piety and simplicity of the caliphate was gone. They were replaced by the glory and diplomacy of royalty. Islamic belief is in equal justice for all and makes merit the sole yardstick of a man’s position in society. The first four caliphs faithfully lived up to this. Muawiya dealt a fatal blow to it. I believe that Islam has been unable to recover from that blow up till today.

Muawiya’s eldest son was also named Yazid. He was a dissolute young man given to the soft pleasures of the haram. He grew up in the laps of luxury. The over indulgence of his parents and the flattery of the attendants kept him out of touch with the realities of true life. He inherited none of the great qualities of his father. He developed a strong passion for wine and women and gave himself to a life of ease and merriment. His education did nothing to prepare him for the job his father had in mind for him. True Islam expects a caliph to be the top man in piety and political wisdom. He had neither of these two qualities. He was drunk most times and was surrounded by people of his kind.

With this type of ruler, the Muslims in Qufa could not see the real Islamic way surviving so they invited Imam Hosein (ra) to Qufa. Despite the many warnings not to go, Imam Hosein (ra) started the journey, never forcing anyone to go with him. On the 1st of Muharram he crossed into Iraq and camped at the foot of a hill. Yazid’s troop under the command of Hur and with orders to check Hosein’s advancement camped in front of Hosein. All PRAYED SALAAT BEHIND HOSEIN. After discussions with Hur, Hosein learnt that he could neither go forward nor back home, but it was suggested to him to take a neutral course. He started to go to Nineva where on arrival he set up camp. Ibn Ziad, the minister of defense in the government of Yazid, sent a letter to Hur stating that Imam Hosein (ra) should be allowed to camp where there was no grass or water. The journey continued towards the Euphrates River and Hosein was forced to camp in the plains of Karbala, some distance from the river.

From the onwards negotiations took place up till the 9th Muharram. On the 10th, battle started. Hosein’s army, a mere 72 men, fought an army of 5000. It should be noted that Hur, the general of Yazid’s army defected and joined Imam Hosein (ra). Thus Imam Hosein (ra) was martyred on the 10th day of Muharram. As his body lay on the ground his blood reddened the sands of Karbala (a picture shown to his grandfather Rasoolullah during his lifetime). Shimar the accursed cut off his head and took it to Ibn Ziad, and then to Yazid.

Imam Hosein (ra) lived a life of truth and so to did his family and followers. They lost their lives trying to revive the prestigious days of true Islam. Power is a strange thing that can blind a human to such an extent that he can reject truth and obey falsehood. Allah tells us in Surah Mu'minuun;

“Those who reject truth among the people of the book and among the polytheists will be in the fire to dwell therein forever, they are the worst creatures.”

Again, in Surah Buruuj Allah tells us ;

“Surely, those who persecute the believing men and women then do not repent, shall have the penalty of hell and the penalty of burning fire.”

A good eye opener for us is:
Everyday Karbala presents itself before us when we are faced with decisions of truth and falsehood.
What are the choices we make especially when Shaitan decorates the falsehood.

As a new year has embraced us let us take note of the warning Allah gives us in Surah A'raaf;

‘O you children of Adam! Let not Satan seduce you, in the same manner as he got your parents out of the garden, stripping them of their raiment, to expose their shame : for he and his tribe see you from a position where you cannot see them:we made the satan friends to those without faith.’

Perhaps three salient points coming out of this incident;
1. Illuminating personalities are not appreciated
2. The type of treatment rendered to ‘good leaders’
3. Imam Hosein (ra) preached truth, lived truth and died for truth

May Allah always guide us to truth.

Muharram

2010-12-09T00:00:00.000-04:00

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

The month of Muharram has begun and Allah says in relation to this blessed month in Surah Tawba;

‘Verily, the number of months with Allah is twelve months (in a year), so was it ordained by Allah on the Day when He created the heavens and the earth; of them four are Sacred, (i.e. the 1st, the 7th, the 11th and the 12th months of the Islamic calendar) that is the right religion, so wrong not yourselves therein, and fight against the Mushrikun (polytheists, pagans, idolaters, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah) collectively , as they fight against you collectively but know that Allah is with those who are Al-Muttaqûn.’ (9:36).

We are all aware of the great importance that placed in this scared month. Even at the time of ignorance the Arabs would refrain from fighting and they would also honour this month by fasting on the 10th day of Muharram; the blessed day of Ashura. As such, we as Muslims should also honour and respect this month by increasing in the performance of good and refining our personality to ward off evil thoughts and actions.

The previous nations paid great significance to the day of Ashura. As mentioned earlier the Arabs would observe fast during the period of Jahiliyyah, the Jews would also observe a day of fast and the Christians would make the occasion by observing peace and celebrations.

Allah , through His Grace and Mercy, granted special mercies / favours on the 10th of Muharram. Some include; Hazrat Adam (as) was granted forgiveness, Hazrat Idris (as) was lifted to a high abode, Prophet Noah (as) and his followers was saved from the flood, the fire that was created to kill young Prophet Abraham (as) was extinguish, Prophet Yunus (as) was freed from the belly of the whale, the Israelites’ was saved from Pharaoh due to the parting of the Red sea, Hazrat Isa (as) was taken up to the heavens’, and Allah created the first of creation. These are just a few of the great things Allah bestowed on various persons and nations.

If all these beneficial things happened on the 10th of Muharram then we should honour this day by observing the recommendations lay out by Prophet Muhammad . Mu’awiyah ibn Abu Sufyan (ra) relates: ‘I heard the Messenger of Allah say: "It is the day of ‘Ashura. Allah has not made fasting obligatory for you but I am fasting. He who likes to observe fast among you should do so, and he who likes not to observe it (does not have to) observe it.’

Another point to note is that another year has come and gone which means that our time in this world is diminishing gradually. What have you done to get closer to your Lord during the last year? Remember that one day we will return to Him and insha Allah we would all like the meeting with Him to be pleasant and beautiful. Analyse your own status, do you feel that you can leave this world in a pleasant manner or will there be difficulties.

Make a resolution that this year will be a bit different in that you would strive to get closer to Allah and you would not get districted. May Allah make this New Year a one filled with blessings and prosperity. May He save us from the temptations of Satan and may He forgive us, guide us and allow us to rise with the righteous on the Promised Day.

Preparation

2010-12-02T00:00:00.001-04:00

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

We cannot fathom the Holy Qur’an and Allah bears testament to this in Surah Al Israa;

‘Say: "If the mankind and the jinns were together to produce the like of This Qur'an, they could not produce the like thereof, even if they helped one another.’ (17:88)

One of the beauties of the Qur’an is that it came to take mankind out of darkness into light. One way of achieving this is that Allah has shown man the workings of nature. For example He says in Surah Yaseen;

‘And a sign for them is the night, We withdraw therefrom the day, and behold, they are in darkness. And the sun runs on its fixed course for a term (appointed). That is the decree of the All-Mighty, the All-Knowing. And the moon, we have measured for it mansions (to traverse) till it returns like the old dried curved date stalk. It is not for the sun to overtake the moon, nor does the night outstrip the day. They all float, each in an orbit.’ (36:37-40)

There are many messages that can be derived from these ayats. One of these messages is that everything that has been created is going about their respective missions. We have to benefit from the creations of Allah and use the blessings and favours He has bestowed upon us for our own welfare.

If you happen to die now what will happen? People may miss for some period of time but at the end of the day life goes on. All creatures are fulfilling their purpose; what about you. What are you doing to earn the garden?

Even Muslims will be thrown into the pits of hell and when they have been punished for their wrongs Allah will remove them and place them in paradise; and even then their title will be ‘the dwellers of hell’. Assess your own situation. Which direction are you heading in? Do you feel that you can cross the bridge of pul sirat with ease or will you have problems? Beg your Lord now not then. Beg for forgiveness and for guidance.

When Prophet Sulaiman (ra) was at the peak of his knowledge and understanding he made a beautiful dua to Allah , and we should all make an effort to learn this prayer and recite it regularly;

‘My Lord inspire and bestow upon me the power and ability that I may be grateful for Your Favours which You have bestowed on me and on my parents, and that I may do righteous good deeds that will please You, and admit me by Your Mercy among Your righteous slaves.’ (27:19)

Brothers and sisters the year is coming to an end. Take stock of your own selves. Make amends for the shortfalls that you would have made. No one knows when they will be leaving this world so let each and every day be a day of preparation so that if perchance Allah decides to take us back we will be prepared.

We have to leave this world one day, the only issue is that we are not sure when. Be serious and prepare properly so we’ll have hopes of a beautiful meeting with our Lord.

We are all slaves of Allah. A slave is someone who has no say of his own. Satan was not a true slave, Pharaoh was not a true slave and we see how their end was. Be like the companions of Prophet Muhammad (saw). Whenever they were asked a question, even if they knew the answer, their response was always ‘Allah and His Rasool knows best’.

May Allah forgive us all and bless us and enable us to rise with the righteous on that promised Day and may He allow us to get close to Him, insha Allah.

Greater Israel

2010-11-25T00:00:00.001-04:00

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

Prophet Abraham (as) is considered to be the ‘father’ of all revealed religions, i.e. Judaism, Christianity and Islam. From Isaac came Judaism and Christianity and from Ishmael came Islam. It is the belief of the Jews that God gave them a large portion of land as a ‘gift’ and it is their ‘divine right’ to inherit this land. The Bible confirms this belief of theirs in the following verse:

‘and the Lord appeared unto Abraham and said: unto thy seed will I give this land’ (Gen 12:7)

In the Bible you will find that Sarah had a son, i.e. Isaac, and did not want her ‘step son’, i.e. Ishmael, to be the inheritor along with her son Isaac, of the land promised to the Jews, so she ordered Abraham to take Ishmael and his mother Hajar somewhere else; out of her place and sight. She said:

‘Cast out this bondswoman and her son; for the son of the bondswoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac’. (Gen 21:10)

The extent of the land that the Jews believe is theirs is wherever Abraham traversed. And even today they are working silently to acquire this land that is ‘promised to them’ that they are calling Greater Israel.

Even at the time of Prophet Muhammad (saw) the Jews were the ones that gave him the most trying time, in both Makkah and Madinah. And they retaliated under the reign of Hazrat Uthman (ra) because he couldn’t properly manger the Islamic empire.

Greater Israel was actually predicted by Prophet (saw) and the fitnah they will carry with them will reach the Holy city of Makkah;

Hadhrat Anas (ra) says that Rasulullah said: ‘Dajjal will come and finally reach the outskirts of Madinah’

Ibn Abbas (ra) narrated that the Prophet (saw) said; it is as if I can see him now: he is black and his legs are widely spaced. He will destroy the Ka'ba stone by stone.’ (Ahmad)

Why talk about this? One method that the Jews will adopt to stay in control is to make life difficult for others. All the divisions and diversions that exist in the world today are caused by the hands of the Jews.

Be careful of how you retaliate because one little thing you do can open up the avenue for your destruction. The enemies of Islam will look to find ways of how they can create disharmony. Someone just has to irritate you a bit and it can lead to the end of years of effort and hard work. It will become so overbearing that a ‘good person will take his sheep and flee to the mountains’ in search of peace and tranquillity.

Spirituality demands that you show patience. The Jews demonstrated no patience, humility nor submission. Remember while we are sleeping they are working so we need to remain steadfast and seek protection with our Lord and try not to get caught up in their web of destruction and manipulation.

Prophet Muhammad (saw) taught us to pray as follows;

Duah for the protection from four trials:

“Allahumma inee a‘oodhu bika min ‘adhaabi-l-Qabr,wa min ‘adhaabi-jahannam,wa min fitnatil-mahyaa wal-mamaat,wa min sharri fitnatil-maseeh as-dajjaal”

O Allah! I seek refuge with you from the punishment in the grave and from the punishment in the Hell fire, and from the trials of life and death, and the evil of the trial of Al-Masih Ad-dajjal”

Unconditional submission

2010-11-16T00:00:00.000-04:00

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

We are coming to the end of another year, and Allah has selected to leave with us a very important lesson that centres around the family of Hazrat Abraham (as). Always remember that religious benefits of everything you do will always be dependent on your intention. Prophet Muhammad (saw) is reported to have said “actions are judged on intentions”.

Allah has indicated to us that there are those who misrepresent religion. For example some may pray their salaat for show. Allah says;

‘Just look at him, who belies the religion!’ (107:1)

Some people may appear to do good but their intention is not for the sake of Allah . And this is really an unfortunate thinking. Allah has selected the event of the ritual sacrifice all through the years to teach us about perfect submission. Can you imagine the occasion of the sacrifice that Abraham (as) had to perform? He first thought that the most loved thing he had to sacrifice was his wealth so he sacrificed 300 camels in 3 days. 100 camels per night, but he kept getting the same dream over and over. He then realised that the most loved thing was his son, and he did not hesitate. We can see here that his family was prepared to live and die for Allah . Nothing was too much to give to their Lord. And this should be the attitude we should all strive to attain.

They did it in the spirit of submission; and we should look at this event and judge ourselves. Are we prepared to live and die for our Lord, unconditionally? Remember Allah says;

‘It is not their meat nor their blood that reaches Allah. It is your piety that reaches Him: He has thus made them subject to you, that ye may glorify Allah for His guidance to you and proclaim the good news to all who do right’. (22:37)

Be careful when it comes to your qurbani, because sometimes we see that the intentions of some are not for the sake of Allah . They do it for ulterior reasons. This is not true qurbani. Abraham (as) sacrificed 300 camels and was unconcerned with the outcome of the meat, because at that time Makkah was not largely populated. Don’t jeopardise your qarbani. Don’t look at it as just a ritual. We are doing this to increase our taqwa. We are doing this to earn the pleasure and love of Allah .

In the most serious situation such as the occasion of the qurbani Satan will come to contaminate your mind and your intention just as he tried with Hazrat Ishmael (as). So seek protection against him with Allah , especially during this time.

As we make our sacrifice we should also resolve to love Allah more, to submit to Him more, and be ridgId and firm against Satan. Believers are supposed to be those who are prepared to give everything for the sake of Allah and reject Satan in a way that he will never want to get close to us. Remember that just as the animal is helpless in our hands, we are also helpless in the Hands of Allah . He can do whatever He wants. Allah is As Samad. One of the possible meanings of this is that He is above all physical laws and that no one can question His Authority. We cannot question the Wisdom of Allah . We must also understand that nothing escapes His knowledge or Attention. Every single thing is in His Knowledge and Divine Presence.

May Allah permit us to have a blessed, enjoyable sacrifice and may He accept all our efforts and may He cause us to rise with the righteous, insha Allah.

Managing your time

2010-11-04T00:00:00.000-04:00

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

Allah says in Surah Yaseen;

“If We grant long life to any, We cause him to be reversed in nature: will they not then understand?” (36:68)

From time to time we see young, powerful people diminish in strength as they get older. And Allah is asking in the ayat above if we pay no heed to this. This ayat teaches us that it is imperative that we manage our strength and youth properly because one day it is quite possible that we can revert back to earlier stage of our life, when we were weaker and needed assistance in completing the simplest of task.

Allah makes mention of this in many other places in the Qur’an. For example in Surah Hajj Allah says ‘then do we bring you out as babes, then (foster you) that ye may reach your age of full strength; and some of you are called to die, and some are sent back to the feeblest old age, so that they know nothing after having known (much), and (further)’

We need to understand the importance of managing our time properly. A lot of the inhabitants of hell will be those who didn’t manage their youth and strength. A day will come where there will be much regret. You can have all the time and wealth in your life and still you may not be able to use it to your benefit because of ill health, because of weakness in health etc.

Always remember that one day we will have to leave this world and return to our Lord. What we have to keep in mind and be conscious about if what exactly are we doing in order to earn the Garden. Don’t let the distractions of this world divert you and take you off-course. Allah gives us a beautiful parable of how we should live our lives in this world in Surah Ibrahim;

‘Seest thou not how Allah sets forth a parable? - a goodly word like a goodly tree, whose root is firmly fixed, and its branches (reach) to the heavens,- of its Lord. So Allah sets forth parables for men, in order that they may receive admonition’. (14:24)

Are you a “goodly tree” that is bringing benefit to yourself and others? Or are you going about your life like animal? Only thinking of yourself and causing distress to others. One action that can help us become a goodly tree and will bring about great benefit in both worlds is the servitude of humanity. Helping others sincerely and only for the pleasure of Allah .

And Allah has given a great consolation for the believers. For example Allah says in Surah Nahl;

‘What is with you must vanish: what is with Allah will and We will certainly bestow, on those who patiently persevere, their reward to the best of their actions. Whoever works righteousness, man or woman, and has faith, to him will We give a new life, a life that is good and pure and we will bestow on their reward according to the best of their actions’. (16:96-97)

He will elevate all the good deeds of a believer to the level of the highest / best deed performed. Meaning that if you receive immense reward for one particular deed, all your other good deeds will be upgraded to that level. And as mentioned in the ayat this blessing is applicable to both the believing men and women. How generous is our Lord.

Benefit from this beautiful life because one day you will have to go. Prophet Muhammad (saw) is reported to have said ‘health is wealth’ so we should all manage it and use it wisely. In another narration it is said that on the Day of Judgement a man will be willing to sell an entire field just to get a ride on a camel to the point of assembly. Get distracted you will regret it. Stick to your focus, which is the straight path, because it will eventually bring you to the blessed ones.

Make your vein, your mind and your blood say Allahu. Forget the doubters and you’ll have no regrets. The time to get serious is now; don’t wait when your health diminishes. Live your life only for the pleasure of Allah and you’ll have no regrets. Sometimes you will be frustrated, sometimes you may feel down and out but always remember that Allah loves you and if you have faith and trust in Him, He will take care of you and on that day the meeting with Him will be a most blessed one. We are not getting any younger so manage your time wisely because there will come a time when you may want to act but it may be too late. May Allah give us the understanding of managing our time, our health and our wealth properly and in a manner pleasing to Him, insha Allah.

Is it bid’ah to read the Holy Qur’an and sing Qaseedas in an assembly?

2010-11-03T00:00:00.000-04:00

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

To gather together and read the Holy Qur'an is not a Bid'ah as the Prophet (pboh) is reported to have told his companions that when the Muslims gather together and read the Holy Qur'an, the angels spread their wings over the heads of those who are reading.

To sing Qaseedas is not a bid'ah as it was done in the time of the Prophet (pboh) and was appreciated by him; e.g. Ka'ab composed verses about him and he (the Prophet[saw]) was pleased to hear them. Also when he went to Madinah the young girls gathered and sang a beautiful qaseeda which is sung even today; Tala al badruun alainaa.

Perhaps what some people are objecting to is how the Muslims of Trinidad & Tobago gather in functions to read the Holy Qur'an and sing Qaseedas. However this does not authorise anyone to say that the reading of the Holy Qur'an and singing of qaseedas together in assemblies is bid'ah.

and Allah (swt) knows best

Imported Chicken

2010-10-29T00:00:00.000-04:00

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

السلام عليكم

I have received requests from Prestige Holdings Ltd. (KFC) and many Muslims regarding my opinion as to whether the chicken imported by Prestige Holdings Ltd. is Halaal or not.

Before I decided to give an opinion I contacted the Certifying Organisation (IIIT); and also the producer of the Halaal Chicken. I got the following information from both the Organisations contacted:

Only Muslims are employed to take the name of Allah on each bird at the time of slaughtering.
The IIIT monitors the process of slaughtering on a regular basis.
There is a separate department at the processing plant to supervise the slaughtering; and a Muslim is the Supervisor.
All the birds slaughtered at the plant are processed in the same way.

Because of the fact that all the Theological requirements are fulfilled in the process of slaughtering the chicken at this processing plant, they are all Halaal.

Allah knows best,

Yours sincerely,

Maulana Dr. Waffie Mohammed

Humbling oneself

2010-10-21T00:00:00.002-04:00

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

Last week spoke of the one of favours Allah has granted to the believers, and that is the sending of the Messenger . Another beautiful favour He has bestowed upon us is the ability to individually meet with Him.

Even amongst human beings it is sometimes difficult to meet with them. And there is sometimes so much protocol that follows. But look at how favourable Allah has been to us. He has allocated time for each believer everyday for us to meet with Him. He has given us ‘appointments’ where we can worship Him and let Him know of our complaints. This is the great blessing of salaat. Every believer has an appointed time where we speak face to face to the Creator. And there is no big set of protocol to adhere to, just purify yourself before salaat and that’s it.

Salaat has tremendous benefits, both in this life and the next. Unfortunately there are situation where some pray their salaat but they haven’t gotten the true message of it. Salaat is looked at as a sort of ritual. What Allah wants from His servants is for us to lose our identity in front of Him. To demonstrate total submission to Him. If someone is worshipping sincerely and still possesses some traces of arrogance then something is wrong. He hasn’t gotten the true message of prayer. Salaat teaches you humility. For example in sajdah we take the highest part of our body and rest it on the ground, and we acknowledge that Allah is The Highest; ‘Subhana rabbiyal aala’ - Glorified is my Lord, The Most High.

Allah has given us the example of Satan to teach us about arrogance. Satan refused to prostrate when he was ordered to and he was kicked out of the Garden and was forever cursed. Salaat is meant for us to ‘hammer out’ the unwanted qualities we possess in our personalities, and only then one would have benefitted from salaat. Salaat is a discipline and that is why only Muslims are blessed with this institution. The past nations were given this favour but they demonstrated arrogance. For example Allah speaks of the refusal of the Jews to prostrate in Surah Baqara;

‘and remember We said: "Enter this town, and eat of the plenty therein as ye wish; but enter the gate with humility, in posture and in words, and We shall forgive you your faults and increase (the portion of) those who do good.’ (2:58)

Prophet (saw) use to humble himself for an entire night in front of his Lord. And even when he dealt with the disbelievers he demonstrated humility. For example when he encountered to old woman who was leaving Makkah due to the ‘rumoured’ confusion that Muhammad was causing. Not only did he tolerate the words the woman had to say concerning him but he also helped her carry her bags to and from her destination, demonstrating total humility. This is humility we are lacking in our personalities. At the end of the day each of us is going in the same hole. And we can’t ‘carry over’ our wealth and status in the next world. Learn to humble yourself. Forget the ‘I am this’ attitude.

If you are on the spiritual path you have to lose your identity in front of your Lord. The great Masheikh Hazrat Sheikh Juniad once asked Allah how can a person attain closeness to Him. The answer he got was simple; ‘leave your nafs and come’. Control your desires and eradicate your ego. The Companions was the best in demonstrating this and as a result they prospered. They learnt to say ‘Allah and His rasool ’. Even though they knew the answer to a question posed to them, they always replied ‘Allah and His rasool ’. And one time a few of them demonstrated they materialistic cravings during the battle of Uhud and the Prophet (saw) was placed in great danger so much so that he could have lost his life.

When you think only of yourself you will suffer. Allah shows us this with the selfishness and arrogance of Satan. Discipline yourself. Put your affairs in Allah’s care and you will receive so much blessing. This is why the 5th stage in spirituality is called ‘realization’. When you realize that you are nothing and that Allah is everything, you will understand that your importance is solely because of His Mercies on you, and that your success is because He has been gracious to you. He once told Prophet Musa (as), “O Musa! Ask Me for everything, even the mending of your shoelace”.

Every time you think of yourself say or feel some sort of arrogance building say ‘A'udu billahi min-ashaytan-irrajiim’ - I seek refuge in Allah from Satan, the accursed’. Put your faith and trust in Him and insha Allah He will take care of your affairs in this world and the next.

The great favour from Allah

2010-10-21T00:00:00.001-04:00

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

Muslims are a very special group of people; and one reason that alludes to this is that Allah has given the believers a very special Messenger. Allah makes mention of this in Surah Imran;

“Allah did confer a great favour on the believers when He sent among them an apostle from among themselves, rehearsing unto them the Signs of Allah, sanctifying them, and instructing them in Scripture and Wisdom, while, before that, they had been in manifest error.” (3: 164)

He sent a Messenger who taught us how to purify ourselves; how to recite the His Glorious Words, how to understand the Messages contained in the Book, and the wisdom contained in the Verses of the Book. And he further taught us how to use the Book to our benefit in both worlds.

It is part of our Beliefs that Allah sent revealed Books to some of the past Messengers. But where are those books today? Where are the Books of Jesus, David, Moses and Abraham (may Allah be pleased with them)? Not a single authentic copy of any one of the Books previously revealed is available. So that, the followers of those faiths that were given revealed Books are deprived of the opportunity to read what was actually revealed.

But in the case of Islam, today, so many centuries after, the Qur’an was revealed, it is still preserved. Not a single dot has been added or subtracted. And when Allah sent the Book for mankind He sent the best of all creations to teach it, explain it and to live according to its teachings in order that we may be able to apply its teachings in our daily lives.

The Qur'an was sent to take mankind out of darkness and put them into light, but how can a person utilize it without having an expert to teach and explain it.

Take for example Hazrat Umar (ra). He was someone that had considerable knowledge and wisdom. His foresight was recognised by the Prophet (pboh). As an expression of recognition of Umar's capability the Prophet is reported to have said “if ever there was to be Prophet after me surely it would have been Umar”. And even Hazrat Umar (ra) used to go to Hazrat Zaid (ra) and others for the knowledge of the meaning on certain surahs’ and ayats’.

To further emphasize this great favour; Allah has made it that the Sunnah of Prophet (saw) is recorded in the books of ahadith. His daily life, both day and night, is recorded for all of humanity to learn and take pattern from it. And he is the best model and exemplar for us. And following his Sunnah has great benefit. For Example Joseph (as) and his brother Benjamin followed the sunnah of their father Prophet Jacob (as) and his other brothers deviated from that teaching. In the end when all were reunited Joseph (as) said

‘Allah has indeed been gracious to us (all): Behold, He that is righteous and patient, - never will Allah suffer the reward to be lost, of those who do right’. (12:90)

If you don’t see the benefit here you will in the hereafter. He has taught us the wisdom contained it the Qur’an. For example he has told us the benefits for reciting certain Surahs at certain times; he has taught us the consequences of certain actions. And history records the end of those who sincerely follow and obey the Messenger.

Before Islam the Arabs were a barbaric group. So much so that they used to actually bury their baby girls alive. And look at how refined they became. Some of them even knew their faith in the next world. The Asharatul Mubash-sharah; the 10 companions who received the glad tidings of Jannah while still in this world; how did they achieve this? By following and obeying the Messenger .

Today, sadly we see people argue ‘if you don’t love Prophet(saw)you’ll go to hell’. Others argue that ‘following the Prophet(saw)is simply to follow his sunnah’. And unfortunately they will continue fighting. We cannot ‘talk love’. Cherish this great gift Allah has blessed us with. Establish a close relationship with Prophet(saw)and the rewards will be great in this world and the next.

Remember he has said that on the Day of judgement “amongst my followers some will have the status of the Messengers of the Bani Israel.” Prophet Moses (as) struck the rock and water began flowing. Hazrat Abdul Qadir Jilani (ra) ate a chicken and when he was finished collected the bones and blew over it and the chicken came back to life. So even here we see the manifestation of this hadith.

When Allah says that He has conferred a great favour on the believers, He means, in addition to all that is contained in Religion of Islam, the way a believer has to live; for example, the care taken to stay pure and clean, the knowledge available in the verses of the Holy Book; and the focus and goal of life.

It should therefore be the mission of every true believer to get close to the Lord; and one sure way of achieving this is to attach yourself to the things He loves. Allah loves Prophet(saw); there is no doubt in this. One of his names is ‘Habibullah’ – the beloved of Allah . The more you attach yourself to him the higher you will ascend insha Allah.

Remember the higher you ascend spiritually and morally the clearer will be your understanding of Islam as the one who is on the top of the mountain will be able to see further away from the one who is stuck at the foot of it. And the more enlightened you become the more of the Qur’an you will be able to understand and the more guided you will be, as Allah says of the enlightened; they are ‘men endued with understanding’.

Don’t waste life by getting mixed up with those who argue and fight, and those who constantly deny and criticize. Follow the teachings of our beloved Prophet(saw). His life is recorded for us to take pattern. He was able to ascend right up to meet his Lord in this world and he opened the way for those who wish to do the same. To ‘climb up’ to Allah is never easy but falling into the pits is; as it is easier to fall than to climb. Remember, he is a favour of Allah to us.

Beg Allah to make the journey back to Him easy and bearable and may He enable us to pattern the life of the ‘gift’ He has blessed us with, the best of all creations; Hazrat Muhammad Mustapha (saw) .

The Manifest Victory from Allah

2010-10-07T00:00:00.000-04:00

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

Allah says in Surah Nasr;

‘When comes the help of Allah, and victory, and Thou dost see the people enter Allah’s Religion in crowds, celebrate the praises of Thy Lord, and pray for His forgiveness: for He is Oft-Returning (in Grace and mercy)’ (110)

We normally relate this chapter to the time of Prophet (saw) when his mission was drawing to a close. And mention is made of Hazrat Umar (ra) because when the Muslims started rejoicing of the fact that Islam has been perfected he began weeping and said ‘don’t you know that the Prophet’s (saw) mission has been completed and he will now return to his Lord?’

What does this Surah mean for us though? We know it has some sort of relevance because Allah says the Qur’an is ‘guidance for mankind’. How then does Surah Nasr relate to our mission, our life and our goal? The Qur’an explains itself; we are not authorised to assign any sort of meaning to it. Even when the revelation was sent to the Prophet (saw) , Allah sent the meaning and the wisdom behind each and every letter. And we know that Prophet (saw) never said anything out of his own desire/ego. Everything was on the basis of Divine revelations.

Some may say that Surah Nasr is not applicable to us since Allah is referring to the mission of Prophet (saw) alone. Does it then have any relevance to us today? Yes, because the Qur’an is the message for all times.

Prophet was a messenger before creation. It is recorded in the books of ahadith that Prophet Muhammad (saw) is reported to have said ‘I was a Prophet while Adam was still between water and clay’. Imam Ghazali (ra) writes that Allah created the Light of Muhammad , his soul, first. He created all and everything from the Light of Muhammad (saw) thus all the other souls came from Muhammad’s (saw).

Fath means victory. In the time of Prophet (saw) it related to his mission and when it matured and a lot of people were entering into the fold of Islam. His personality was the most refine and he was created so pure and perfect and was created free from all imperfections. So if Prophet was sinless who then is Allah referring to in the beginning of Surah Fath;

‘Verily we have granted Thee a Manifest Victory: that Allah may forgive Thee Thy faults of the past and those to follow; fulfil His favour to thee; and guide Thee on the straight way; and that Allah may help Thee with powerful help. It is He who sent down tranquillity into the hearts of the believers, that they may add Faith to their faith; - for to Allah belong the forces of the heavens and the earth; and Allah is full of knowledge and Wisdom; - that He may admit the men and women who believe, to Gardens beneath which rivers flow, to dwell therein for Aye, and remove their ills from them; - and that is, in the sight of Allah, the highest achievement (for man)’ (48:1-5)

Who is He referring to? What kind of victory is Allah speaking about? We have already established that Prophet (saw) was sinless, which meant that Allah is speaking to the believers.

Understand that when the heart attains ‘peace and tranquillity’, when this world has no effect on you, when you only seek Allah’s pleasure and forgiveness, He will forgive all the past sins and the ones that are to come. This is one of the goals of a Muslim’s life; to reach a level where your only concern is Allah .

A beautiful example of this can be seen in the conduct of the Great Sheikh, Sheikh Hazrat Abdul Qadi Jilani (ra). Once his ship sank and when he realised what had happened he immediately said ‘Subhanallah’, illustrating that the worries of this material world affected him not.

And Allah makes mention of such an understanding in Surah Hadid;

‘In order that ye may not despair over matters that pass you by, nor exult over favours bestowed upon you. for Allah loveth not any vainglorious boaster’

Keep in mind that when the heart attains peace and tranquillity Allah will bestow his forgiveness on you. Work to achieve this. It is a real jihad because no one can do it for you. It is just you and your Lord. Remember whatever is for you’ you will get it and whatever tests you undergo has already been written for you. Beg Allah to make this life easy for you and attach yourself to Him and insha Allah He will bestow that tranquillity in your hearts.

The Death Penalty - From an Islamic Point of View

2010-10-04T00:00:00.000-04:00

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

Text of lecture delivered by Maulana Dr. Waffie Mohammed

The Death Penalty:
An Islamic Point of View

Praises are for Allah the Creator and Sustainer of the Universe; the Most Compassionate and Most Merciful; the One Who appointed man as His Vicegerent here on earth.

And peace and salutations on our Beloved Messenger, the Last of the divinely appointed Messengers; the physical manifestation of Compassion; and the Chief Intercessor on the Day of Judgment.

Allah perfected the way of life for man with Islam. He says:

This day I have perfected for you your Religion and completed My Favours on you and chosen for you Islam as your Religion (5:3)

There are many reasons why Islam is the best way of life for mankind. Some of these are:

The removal of all forms of the projection of superiority of one person, race or people above the others; all are equal in the sight of Allah. He says:
O mankind; verily, We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female; and made you into tribes and nations; that you may know each other; not that you despise each other. Verily, the most honoured of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous. (49:13)

All human beings are joined to one another through love. Allah says:
Remember with gratitude Allah's favour on you; for you were enemies and He joined your hearts in love; so that by His Grace you became brethren. (3:103)

The creation of a single common focus in the minds of every believer. In this connection Allah tells believers:
To your Lord is your final destination (79:44)

Justice and equity in dealing with every one. Allah says:
O you who believe; be maintainers of your pact with Allah as witnesses to fair dealings; and let not hatred of others to you make you swerve to wrong and depart from justice. Be just, that is nearest to righteousness. (5:8)

Redress when one is unfairly treated. Allah says:
The recompense for an injury is an injury equal thereto (in degrees); but if a person forgives and makes reconciliation; his reward is due from Allah; for (Allah) loves not those who do wrong. But indeed if any do help and defend themselves after a wrong (done) to them; against such there is no blame. (42:40-41)

Islam upholds that in the community, every individual is expected to be supportive to others. The Qur'an directs, on one hand, help and support; and on the other, justice and fair dealings.

At times there can be mishaps in society; some can be accidental and others can be pre-meditated and deliberate. We find mention of both categories in the Qur'an. For example, the injustice done to Joseph by his brothers was pre-meditated; while the death of the Egyptian at the hands of Moses was accidental. Whatever the cause may be Islam gives guidance to every situation; and upon close examination, one finds wisdom in the Islamic laws.

One area in which the Islamic law is definitely more beneficial to all concerned is the Laws pertaining to the prescription of the death penalty.

In the sight of Allah all human beings are equal, and deserve to be treated honourably. It is not right for one person to be outrageous against another, hence the reason why Allah says, that if a person should take the life of another, without a just cause, it is as though he has taken the lives of the whole of humanity. Such a person will have to be punished in the same way as he acted.

Islam differs from other religions regarding its directives on the death penalty. This is because its laws are revealed by Allah and are not subjected to change.

In Buddhism there are differences as to whether not the death penalty should be carried out. Those who oppose it cite the verse of the Dhammapada in Chapter 10. It says:

Everyone fears punishment; everyone fears death, just as you do. Therefore do not kill or cause to kill. Everyone fears punishment; everyone loves life, as you do. Therefore do not kill or cause to kill.

However, in spite of this we find that in most of the countries where Budhhism is the official religion, the authorities have imposed the death penalty.

Judaism approves the death penalty; however the standard of proof required for its application is extremely stringent. It is however not carried out as the judicial body effectively abolished it under the understanding that it is only God alone who can prescribe death to an individual. This is as a result of the teachings of scholars like Maimonides, who wrote in the 12th century the following:

It is better and more satisfactory to acquit a thousand guilty than to put a single innocent one to death.

In Christianity there are the sects that do not oppose such a form of punishment, while in others, e.g. the Anglican Lutheran Churches consider it to be: revenge… and that true healing can only take place through repentance and forgiveness.

According to Shariah ruling in Islam, the death penalty can be prescribed in the following cases:
• Intentional Murder
• Treason; (when one leaves the faith and joins the enemy in fighting against the Muslims
• Terrorism
• Land, sea and air piracy
• Rape
• Adultery
• Homosexual behaviour.
• Drug: in some countries

In every case, before the punishment is actually carried out, one must be properly convicted in an Islamic court of law. And if there is the slightest bit of doubt the person will not be punished.

Islam views life as sacred; and as such, application of the law is the taking of the life of criminals after all the evidences are taken and the matter is established beyond a reason of doubt. Perhaps this is one reason why Allah says:

Take not life, which Allah has made sacred, except by way of justice and law. Thus does He command you, so that you may learn wisdom. (6:151)

Here we see that Islam upholds the laws of Allah, and this is based on being just to everyone.

Allah further says:

If anyone kills a person; unless it be for murder of for spreading mischief in the land; it would be as if he killed all people. And if anyone saves a life; it would be as if he saved the life of all people. (5:32)

When the prescribed punishment is executed in accordance with Islamic Theology, it will definitely serve as a deterrent on one hand and serve as being just to the aggrieved on the other.

The purpose of the law is not to seek revenge, but to promote justice, and to prevent others from committing the same act in the future. Sometimes, justice demands that the Capital punishment be ordered.

One of the areas for which the Capital Punishment is prescribed is murder. According to Islamic Theology murder belongs to 5 categories. These are:
• intentional murder
• what appears to be similar to intentional
• mistake
• similar to mistake
• as a result of a cause

The intentional murder is that which takes place with a weapon or whatever stands for a weapon. It leads to sin and similar punishment, except if the close relatives of the victim should pardon the murderer.

If a group of people together kills a man intentionally, they will all be given the capital punishment. If one single man kills many, and the relatives of the victim claim their right to punish the offender, he alone will be killed for all of his victims.

When the capital punishment has to be inflicted on a convicted person it is usually done in a public place for every one to see. So that it will prevent others from thinking of committing such a heinous crime in the future.

As for adultery, when it is established that the person is guilty of such a crime, both the guilty will be stoned in the public. This will be carried out after every effort is made to ensure that the person committed this act wilfully.

The other acts for which the death penalty is prescribed is crimes committed against the humanity or against the state. Allah says:

The punishment of those who wage war against Allah and His Messenger; and strive with might and main for mischief through the land is: execution, or crucifixion; or the cutting off of hands and feet from opposite sides or exile from the land (5:33)

Crime is often regarded as an individual aggression against the community. Perhaps this is one reason why Allah says in the Holy Qur'an: Do not take the life which Allah made sacred, except by way of justice and the law. (6:151)

Islam never prescribes punishments haphazardly nor does it administer the law without due consideration. The main question is this: before deciding whether or not a criminal should be punished, we must determine the extent of his responsibility for the offence committed.

On studying a crime Islam takes into account two considerations at the same time; the viewpoint of the criminal and that of the community against which aggression took place. In the light of such considerations Islam prescribes the fair punishment which is in accordance with the dictates of sound logic and wise reasoning.

Sometimes, the activities of the leaders of some tribes in certain parts of the east may appear to be Islamic. Take for example, the case where the tribal chiefs ordered that the guilty woman should be raped by so many men in the village. This is not Islamic Law.

Islam imposes preventive punishments, which may appear cruel or coarse if viewed superficially or without proper consideration. But it does not execute such punishments unless it ascertains that the crime was not justifiable or that the criminal was not acting under any obligation; for example, in the time of famine Hazrat Umar did not cut off the hand of anyone who stole foodstuff out of necessity.

Before prescribing punishment, Islam tries in the first place, to wipe out all circumstances and motives that may lead to crime. And even after a crime is committed it tries to waive the execution of punishment if there is any doubt about it.

Islam also upholds the speedy process of carrying out justice, as it is unimaginable that the criminals are kept for years and years before they are being tried, and then many more years before justice is served.

Islam also makes provision in the law where the aggrieved person can have a say in deciding the fate of the convict, if the death penalty has to be ordered; and it allows for compensation to the victims family; something which can be beneficial, especially if the murdered person was the breadwinner of the family.

One thing remains certain, and that is, anyone who wilfully violate the revealed laws of Allah will be responsible for the consequences, and if it necessitates the taking of the life of such a person the law must be upheld and punishment will have to be prescribed.

There are those who may advocate the abolishing of the death penalty; but this is not possible in Islam as the laws were divinely ordained; and according to the principle of the application of Islamic Law—to forbid what is not forbidden is forbidden. As a result it is impossible to make a case for the abolition of the death penalty, which is explicitly endorsed.

Why is it that the Muslims of today seem to be different from the Muslims in the time of the Prophet (pboh)?

2010-10-02T00:00:00.000-04:00

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

Why is it that the Muslims of today seem to be different from the Muslims in the time of the Prophet (pboh)?

This question was asked to His Eminence Sheikh Maulana Dr. Fazlur Rahman Ansari; and this was his reply.

The Muslims of nowadays are not comparable to the Companions of the Prophet (pboh) and other historically pious men because they are not endeavouring to follow in the true footsteps of the Prophet (pboh).

The five obligatory principles of Islam are not the only things which make a person to become a perfect Muslim; although they are the fundamentals of Islam. There are other things which go together with these for the perfection of Faith and one's personality. This we understand by looking at the whole life of the Prophet (pboh).

Some Muslims make the mistake of looking for guidance from the life of the Prophet (pboh) when he began getting revelations. They do not understand that he was the Final Prophet before he even came to this world. As he is reported to have said: I was a Messenger and Adam was still between mud and water.

As an example for us we find that in his infancy the Prophet (pboh) became known to be the Truthful one. Later on in life he established the principle of Trustworthiness and finally; he was the embodiment and symbol of Love for humanity.

All these are lessons for mankind; and especially for the Muslims. If one wants to walk along the path of righteousness, and has hopes of getting close to his Lord; in addition to standing firmly on the five fundamental principles, he will have to perfect his life along the path set by the Messenger (pboh); only then will he be able to feel that he is contributing to the welfare of humanity and is ascending the pathway that is leading to the Lord of the universe.

Engaging in silent zikir

2010-09-30T00:00:00.000-04:00

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

Surah Araaf, translated as The Heights, tells us a lot of how to get closer to Allah . In the 205th ayat Allah says;

‘and remember your Lord within yourself (your nafs), humbly and with fear, without loudness in words in the mornings, and in the afternoons and be not of those who are neglectful’. (7 : 205)

Zikir is usually translated as remembrance of Allah , and in this context Allah is commanding us to remember Him with the nafs. The nafs is basically the energy that is derived from the workings of the physical body. It also denotes the lower self of man.

Hazrath Anas Bin Malik narrated that Hazrath Rasoolallah (SAS) says that he who sits after Fajr prayer remembering Allah till sun rise and says two rakats of prayer will be rewarded like a person who has performed Hajj and Umrah.

Allah is commanding us to make zikir in the mornings and evenings and to do so silently. One technique that is usually taught in the discipline of tassawuf is to cultivate your nafs, i.e. your physical organs to makes zikir. And one discipline teaches the students to cultivate their personalities to resound ‘Allahu’. i.e. you actually hear your heat-beat saying Allahu

If done properly you will actually hear your organs saying Allahu, when they are cultured to do so after perfecting this zikr with your heart. (qalb).

Hazrat Abu Bark reported that the Sahabas used to sit so silently in front of Prophet that the desert crows used to pick their heads. What do you think they used to be listening to? The Ashabus Suffa were those blessed companions who used to learn directly from Prophet and they used to actually live in the masjid and only leave out of necessity. What do you think they used to be doing night and day? They were learning the technique of making zikr.

Those who are true believers will truly understand how close Allah is, and how merciful and Compassionate He is. They will begin to develop a special kind of love for Him and it will continue to grow and grow. Remember Allah says He is our Wali; ‘Allah is the wali of those who have faith’. A wali is a person’s closest, most senior, protecting friend. Part of our mission in this world is to realise how close our Lord is to us. Develop the right concept. Don’t think of Him as a vengeful God who will issue punishment at the first chance; instead know that He is every-ready to help with compassion and love.

By engaging in zikir in this manner we can actually culture the heart to make zikir, even when we are pre-occupied with other things. For example it has been reported by Jabir bin Abdullah (ra) that some angels came to the Prophet while he was asleep. Some of them said, “He is sleeping.” Others said, “His eyes are sleeping but his heart is awake.”

Make your organs resound Allahu. This isn’t impossible for us to achieve. It is based on our effort. No material things can help you achieve this. It is a real Jihad and proof can be found in the narration where Prophet told his Companions “I have returned from the small Jihad (Jihad Asghar) to the big Jihad (Jihad Akbar)”. The Sahabas enquired “what is the big Jihad?” Prophet said “the Jihad al nafs (inner desires).”

Satan will try to divert you but try to take control of yourself. Make proper usage of your time and try to benefit from what is being offered. Forget about the baseless argument of those who will argue that zikir is haram. Take control of the nafs and cultivate it to make the zikir of Allah and insha Allah you would have achieved something of great benefit in this world and the next.

Allah’s Barakat

2010-09-23T00:00:00.000-04:00

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

Always remember that evil cannot go back to Allah . It cannot go beyond the skies. Allah says;

‘We have indeed decked the lower heaven with beauty (in) the stars,- (for beauty) and for guard against all obstinate rebellious evil spirits, (so) they should not strain their ears in the direction of the Exalted assembly but be cast away from every side’ (37:6-8)

Satan had a taste of Paradise and he also had the good experience of attaining closeness to Allah so he knows how beautiful it is. He would therefore have some sort of inclination to go back there. Besides he likes to know what is going on or taking place in the heavens. As such Allah has protected the lower heavens from Satan and his minions.

‘but those who reject Our Signs and treat them with arrogance,- they are companions of the fire, to dwell therein (for ever)’ (7:36)

Allah has given so many indications that He is ‘in charge’. For example in the Qur’an a lot of chapters are named after things of nature, and this is one of the means by which we can understand the Greatness of Allah . He showed so many signs to Pharaoh and his followers but still they took no heed. Pharaoh never thought that Allah was giving them signs. And even today we see that some groups of people feel as though that they don’t need God.

About them Allah says that they will be confined to the earth. When Pharaoh and his followers did not take heed to the message of Moses Allah sent His wrath upon them. Meanwhile the Bani Israel was prospering.

One of the consequences of not submitting humbly to Allah is that such people will be denied of Allah's blessings. He says:

'Verily, those who reject Our Signs and treat them with arrogance, (for them) there will be no opening of the gates of the skies, nor will they (be able) to enter Paradise, until the camel can pass through the eye of a needle'. (7:40)

It will be impossible for the materialistically inclined to penetrate the skies in order to go back to Allah . It is reported in one commentary that when the souls of the inhabitants of hell are being taken up to the heaven the angels will block them from proceeding any further.

In our meditation there are some who can sit and actually experience paradise. This is difficult to explain since it is outside the realm of scientific reason and logic. Ordinary human beings can experience something of paradise.

Worry not of those who argue by saying such a thing is ‘haram, bidah or shirk. These things are difficult to explain because they are outside the realm of reason and logic. It’s something that you have to experience.

If we aspire to do good Allah will open up the skies and bestow His barakat upon us. Allah tells us about this in the following verse:

'If the people of the town had but believed and feared Allah; We should indeed have opened out to them all kinds of blessings from the skies and the earth. But they rejected the truth, and We took them to task for their misdeeds'. (7:96)

It is up to us to make an effort. Remember every day we must ‘hasten to ask for forgiveness from our Lord’. Our life-span in this world is fixed and our mission is to manage it properly in order to attain maximum benefit in both the worlds.

Cover not truth with falsehood

2010-09-16T00:00:00.000-04:00

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

The blessed month of Ramadan has come to an end and, Insha Allah, we would have all had a successful and beneficial one. It means therefore that we would have put into our ‘account’ something of good and it also means that we would have polished our hearts and removed some of the stains and spots that would have been on it.; we should not try to add new stains on it. Instead of doing so we should endeavour to keep on polishing it and keeping it shining.

In order to do so we need to keep reminding ourselves of what Allah says in His Holy Words;

‘and cover not truth with falsehood, nor conceal the truth when ye know’ (2:42)

If we extend this ideology to our own deeds it indicates that we should not nullify the good that was done by reverting to the old, sinful ways. Every time we do, say or think something, be it good or bad, it creates an impression on the ruh. Besides the fact that all our thoughts and actions are being recorded in our book of deeds; they either contribute to the polishing or staining of the ruh. If you commit wrong it is as the ayat says above; you are clothing or covering the good with what is not beneficial here in this life nor in the next.

In contrast to this Allah says in Surah Huud

‘Verily; good remove those that are evil: that is the word of remembrance to those who remember (Their Lord)’ (11:114)

The stains and spots on the ruh can be removed by doing good, and in the same process we are also polishing it. So the choice is ours. We can either clothe it or have it bright and shining. This is our daily challenge; purifying our thoughts, words, and deeds because it impacts on our qalb.

Those things that clothe and conceal may appear beautiful and desirous but always remember that Satan decorates the evil. Take for example the festival of divali. Look at how beautiful the Hindus will make it and in reality what they are doing is committing shirk. So we need to understand that Satan will try to divert our focus by tempting us on a daily basis.

So, as the month of Ramadan is over let us make a strong resolution to keep engaging in all the good and refraining from the evil, so when the next Ramadan comes around our status will keep rising higher and higher.

This has to be an individual effort; no one else can do it for you. Keep in mind the importance of the intention because all actions are judged on intentions. May Allah make it easy for us and may He purify our thoughts and our actions so that we can continue drawing closer and closer

Eid ul Fitr (2010)

2010-09-08T00:00:00.001-04:00

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

EID UL FITR

2010

Allahu Akbar

Allah says in His Holy Words:

Verily, this brotherhood of yours is a single brotherhood; and I am your Lord and Cherisher; therefore submit yourselves (to Me). (21:92)

Islam came to re-establish the principle that mankind is one nation, as all human beings came from one parent, Adam and Eve. One of the ways of demonstrating this fact is that all believers; regardless of race, colour or locality, practice all the fundamentals of the Faith. They all pray, fast, give charity and go for Haj. A good example is the fact that today you are all here as one big family, gathered for the purpose of celebrating Eid.

Allah informs us that when the human family was established on the earth, they were all one people; it is their own selfish desires that caused them to become disunited. He says:

Mankind was one single nation; and Allah sent Messengers with glad tidings and warnings; and with them He sent the Book in truth, to judge between people in matters wherein they differed. But the People of the Book, after clear Signs came to them, did not differ among themselves except through selfish contumacy. Allah, by His Grace, guide the believers to the Truth, concerning that wherein they differed. (2:213)

So Islam came to remove the barriers that keep the people apart, and to again make them live like one big human family. Prophet Muhammad (pboh) is reported to have said:

We Prophets are brothers from different mothers and our Religion is one. (Fath al Bari, 6:550)

All the Believers are brothers and sisters in Faith. But every human being is an individual, with his or own temperament, etc. and may not necessarily agree with one another in every matter. When ever a disagreement comes up, there is no need to fight or quarrel, but one should try to sort it out in a refined way. Allah says:

The Believers are but a single Brotherhood; so make peace and reconciliation between two contending brothers; and fear Allah; that you may receive Mercy. (49:10)

Allah also says:

Be not like those who are divided amongst themselves and fall into disputations; after receiving clear Signs; for them is a dreadful penalty. (3:105)

Every Muslim is like a strand in a rope. All put together make the rope strong. But if the strands begin to get loose the rope will get weak and may burst. Allah says:

Hold fast, all of you tighter, by the Rope, which Allah (stretches out for you) and be not divided amongst yourselves. (3:103)

There is no doubt of the fact that Ramadan brought most of the believers together. Only those who stayed away did not feel the blessing of being like one big happy family.

If, for one reason or another; a person could not have attended the Taraweeh prayers, or even keep the fast, that person should still have hope, as Allah connects Himself to us with the Attribute of Compassion. He says:

My Mercy I extend to all things. (7:156)

Brothers and sisters, as human beings, we are separate units, but we can feel like one people if we develop love in our hearts for each other. About this Allah says, as a reminder to the Arabs who were tribal before Islam, and as an eye-opener to all of us the following:

Keep in mind, with gratitude, Allah's favour on you; for you were enemies and He joined your hearts in love; so that, by His Grace, you became brethren. (3:103)

The heart in the human being is like the pearl in the oyster. No mater what colour, size or shape the oyster may be, the pearl of every one looks alike, and is beautiful if kept bright and polished.

But how can we develop love for one another, when someone may want to destroy his believing brother for some material benefit; or may show envy and hate for things that may not have any value in the next life. Allah gave us the golden principles for establishing loving brotherhood and a good society. He says:

Do not be proud of your wealth, for Allah does not love those who are proud of their riches. But seek, with that which Allah has bestowed on you, the Home of the Hereafter, nor forget your portion of this world. Do good to others, as Allah has been good to you, and do not make mischief in the land; for Allah does not love those who make mischief. (28:77)

Instead of trying to ridicule or belittle others, a Believer is enjoined upon to show compassion. Prophet Muhammad (pboh) is reported to have said:

Be merciful to those on earth, and receive Mercy from Him Who is in the Heaven.

Today, as we have gathered to celebrate, let us resolve that we are going to make the earth a better place in which to live, for our selves and posterity.

O our Lord; forgive us for our faults and mistakes; forgive our brethren who have gone before in faith; forgive those who are to come, and cause us all to rise with the righteous on the Day of Judgment.

Performance of Jummah & Eid salaat on the same day

2010-09-07T00:00:00.000-04:00

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

Question:

Should a person perform the Jumuah Salaat if Eid and Jumuah should fall on the same day, i.e. on a Friday?

According to the Hanafi, Shaafi and Maliki Mazhaib, if Eid and Jumuah should fall on the same day, the two cannot be combined; so the Eid Salaat will have to be performed separately from the Jumuah Salaat.

One of the reasons given is because the Jumuah Salaat is an Obligatory one, and is mentioned in the Holy Qur'an. The Eid Salaat is not mentioned in the Holy Qur'an, and is Waajib. So that preference must be given the Obligatory over the Waajib.

Imam Hanbal is of the view that if both Salaat should coincide; then only the Eid Salaat has to be performed and the Jumuah Salaat may not necessarily be performed, although the Imam must be present at the time of Jumuah in the Masjid.

Imam Hanbal's reason for giving such an opinion is based on a Hadith reported by Abu Huraira in which he reports that the Prophet (pboh) said to the Bedouins on the day of Eid after the Salaat: Whoever wishes he may perform the Jumuah Salaat; and whoever wishes he may return; we shall soon meet again.

According to the Scholars, the Prophet (pboh) was giving permission to all those who came from far off to perform the Eid Salaat, and can be classified as travellers. For them Jumuah was not compulsory, so that they had the option, if they wanted, to remain for the few hours to get Jumuah, or to return back to their homes. When he said that they were to meet again soon, he was referring to the meeting for Jumuah.

The same thing happened in the time of Hazrat Uthman, and he gave the same concession to those who came from far off. However, the people of the city performed Jumuah afterwards.

The conclusion is that if the two Salaat should fall on the same day, the two must be performed separately.

Allah knows best.

A Poem on Ramadhan

2010-08-04T00:00:00.000-04:00

ABOUT RAMADAN

By Maulana Dr. Waffie Mohammed

Anxiously I looked out for the moon,
Hoping that it was not too soon;
May it be visible I pray
On the western horizon today.

Welcome, O Ramadan, I cried,
As I saw the crescent in the sky,
The month destined to make me be
In the Hereafter, a VIP.

Restraint, submission and devotion,
Extra worship and Recitation.
I tried to please the Lord each day
Through fasting and the way I pray.

A little thirst, a bit of hunger,
Sometimes I wonder how much longer,
For the time when I shall break the fast,
Patiently I waited to the last.

I enjoyed the numerous preparations
At the many aftari invitations,
Curry being the main menu
Interchanged at times with tasty stew.

I waited anxiously for the Night of Power
Hoping to be awake at the Special Hour.
When the climax of worship was to be
The feeling of peace and tranquility.

The Sermon of Eid I'll never forget,
As it makes me feel a bit of regret
It says: As you gather today to celebrate Eid
One day you shall gather to know your deeds

O Ramadan, when you are gone,
A lot of people shall mourn
They did not fast, pray or give charity
Making them not fit to be a VIP.

Allahu Akbar

2010-07-31T00:00:00.000-04:00

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

الله أكبر

When we say Allahu Akbar what is it that we really mean? Can we fully understand this expression?

We know, as creatures’, we have limitations. We cannot engage in many activities at one at the same time. Allah has Divine Attributes. We know them as the Asma ul Husna – the 99 Beautiful Names of Allah . One example of His Greatness is that He functions through all these Divine Attributes at one at the same time. For example He can issue mercy and punishment at time same, and to all creatures, not only human beings. He says in Surah An'am;

‘and He knows whatever there is in (or on) the earth and in the sea; not a leaf falls, but He knows it. there is not a grain in the darkness of the earth nor anything fresh or dry, but is written in a clear Record’ (6:59)

This ayat just draws reference to one of Allah’s Divine Attribute; Al Aleem – The All Knowing. And He functions through all His Divine Attributes at one at the same time.

The other point that exemplifies Allah’s Greatness is that He responds to all His creatures also at one at the same time. For example He sustains some of His creatures and provides protection for others at the very same time. All creatures depend on Him and this is a connotation of As-Samad. Even those misguided creatures who claim to be a god, they too are dependent on Allah. Allah is in no need of sustenance. He is Al-Malik – The Absolute Possessor.

So when we say the simple expression Allahu Akbar we are incorporating everything about the Divine Personality of our Lord. We cannot fathom how truly Great Allah is. He says in Surah Luqman;

‘and if all the trees on earth were pens and the ocean (were ink), with seven oceans behind it to add to its (supply), yet would not the words of Allah be exhausted (in the writing): for Allah is Exalted In power, full of wisdom’ (31:27)

By saying this simple expression of Allahu Akbar we immediately recognised that we have limitations and Allah is limitless; we occupy a tiny space and time and Allah is confined to nothing. Even His thrown is difficult for us to conceptualize;

‘His Throne doth extend over the heavens and the earth,’ (2:255)

He cannot be compared and if you have your faith and trust in Him, He will take care of you and will never let you down. Yes we will experience hardships but if you look back at life you’ll see that you experienced many trials.

Our Lord is truly Great, so much that it is impossible for us to fully comprehend. Realise this and worship and serve Him as He ought to.

The Blessed Month of Ramadan

2010-07-30T00:00:00.000-04:00

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

The blessed month of Ramadan is upon us, and Allah says that Ramadan is His month. One reason why Ramadan is special is because Prophet Muhammad (saw)is reported to have said that Shaitan is chained in this month;

In this month (for them) evil-minded Shaytaan is chained so as not to reach unto those evils to which they normally reach during other months besides Ramadan.

This is a very special blessing for those who keep the fast. Why can’t Satan ‘attack’ us? Firstly, in Ramadan we tend to be more God conscious. We don’t pay importance to a few things that engage our time and energy. We therefore have more time to think about Allah and because of this we get closer to Allah and Satan can’t get between.

Satan uses a few things to distract us. He engages our lust, desires for food/drink, and a person’s arrogance. All of these are the handiwork of Satan and we are commanded to stay away from them. We are advised to engage in more Ibadaat and to show more compassion to others. Fasting is meant to bring you closer to Allah and to keep you away from those things that are not beneficial for us, in this life and the next. There are no avenues for Satan to attack you.

Ramadan helps you become a ‘VIP’ in the hereafter. There is a gate in Paradise called Riyan and those who fast shall enter into Paradise through this gate. Look at the status and benefits you could achieve in this blessed month.

Remember if Allah loves you He will try you. If you are aspiring to get closer to Allah He will love you more, and He would also try you more. Even in Ramadan you may get some trials. However you should try to bear them with patience and keep on persevering. Even if someone abuses you in Ramadan we are taught to say “I am fasting”.

Try your best to make full usage of Ramadan. Engage in recitation of Qur’an, plenty of Astagfirullah and send lots of Darood on our Beloved (saw). Make dua to Allah for whatever you desire because He has shown us that He is capable of doing things outside our realm of understanding.

May Allah make this Ramadan peaceful and tranquil for all the believers’. May He make the trials easy and bearable for us and may He remove most of it in this most special month. Let us benefit from it, and whatever you do, do it solely for the sake of Allah.

The blessing of the Qur’an

2010-07-16T00:00:00.000-04:00

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

We continuously emphasize that human beings are truly blessed and are created special. One reason that highlights this fact is that man has the ability of reciting the Glorious Words of Allah . Which other creature has this blessing? True some Jinns has the capability of reciting, but the Qur’an was revealed to man, and the Jinns, after hearing it being recited, were enticed by it.

‘Say: it has been revealed to me that a company of Jinns listened (to the Qur'an). They said, 'We have really heard a wonderful recital! 'It gives guidance to the right, and we have believed therein: we shall not join (in worship) any (gods) with Our Lord.’ (72 : 1-2)

Never feel that recitation of the Holy Qur’an is a burden. It’s a great blessing. We have the opportunity of repeating the words that Allah recites. We should try our best to recite the Qur’an as much as possible, and to recite it sweetly as it is reported that Allah and His angels listens to its recitation.

Imagine this ‘piece of mud’ has the capability of repeating these Glorious Words. This is why when Prophet Muhammad (saw) was delivering his last sermon he repeated 3 times that he was leaving behind ‘The Book’ and thereafter he mentioned his Sunnah.

Thank your Lord for this great blessing and make it a part of your daily routine to recite at least a few ayats. Yes we’re busy with work, family, et cetra but after all that has been said and done recite as often as you can. May Allah bless us and may He keep out hearts tied to His Glorious Book.

The Mir’aj

2010-07-10T00:00:00.001-04:00

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

‘and raised high the esteem (in which) Thou (art held)’

Mir’aj is a very special time and some people may think that it is a sort of ritual celebration, so whenever it comes around it is mandatory that we ‘celebrate’ it. Mir’aj is much more important than just a celebration. In addition of acquiring blessings for associating with Allah’s beloved and trying to understand something of his great mission we are all, insha Allah, gaining some form of enlightenment.

We must understand firstly that Mir’aj is the occasion when Allah placed the seal of prophet hood. After Prophet Muhammad (saw)there was no need for any other Messenger. Mir’aj is also that occasion when the true meaning of the term ‘Imam ul Ambia’ was realised. All the previous Messengers (pbot) predicted Prophet Muhammad (saw)coming. Why was this necessary? The mission was not yet completed.

Allah has placed at mans’ disposal whatever is in the skies and earth. He says in Surah Ibrahim;

‘It is Allah who hath created the heavens and the earth and sendeth down rain from the skies, and with it bringeth out fruits wherewith to feed you; it is He who hath made the ships subject to you, that they may sail through the sea by His command; and the rivers (also) hath He made subject to you’.

So our mission, physically, is to benefit from the things Allah has created in the universe. And the Mir’aj was the occasion when man learned how to access whatever Allah has created from him.

Allah is the embodiment of purity. He is ‘As Sahir’; The One that is Pure. Since Allah has created man as His vicegerent on earth, man is supposed to also be pure and clean. He says in Surah Baqarah;

‘for Allah loves those who turn to Him constantly and He loves those who keep themselves pure and clean’.

Whenever you ‘dirty’ yourself remove the impurity immediately but begging your Lord for forgiveness. It necessary to seek purity because our Lord is our destination and only the pure will be able to meet him. He says;

‘and to Him will ye be all brought back’.

Every so often we hear “Verily to Allah we belong and unto Him is our return”. Each one of us is returning to our Creator; however some may not reach Him. Understand that we are on a journey and that journey is to successfully return to and meet our Lord. The best and surety way of achieving this is to follow the path of Siratul Mustaqeem – the straight path that has no deviations.

Mir’aj is real and it is possible for followers of Prophet Muhammad (saw)to also experience some sort of ‘mir’aj’, if they keep their personality clean and pure. We are all aware of the hadith ‘salaat is the mir’aj of the believer’. And in order to pray our salaat as a prerequisite we must physically purify ourselves. Remember Allah loves purity. This is why the non-believers are banned from entering the holy city of Makkah Mukarramah. So we can see the importance of constantly seeking purity, physically, spirituality and morally. The foundation for making yourself eligible to meet your Lord is purity.

On the Day of Judgement mankind will be categorise into three groups. There will be one group of people who will be blessed with the ability to overtake everyone and reach the destination that is Allah . The second group will be those who will be a bit slower because of the ‘heavy baggage’ they will be carrying and Prophet (saw) will intercede to Allah on behalf of them. The third group will be those who will not be able to move at all regardless of the effort they will put in. They are the unsuccessful ones who will not have a chance to meet Allah and as a result they will be pushed into the abyss of hell. Which group would you like to be in?

Prophet was so pure and clean that it was no problem for him to physically leave this universe and go right up and meet his Lord. This journey consisted of two phases; the journey from Makkah to Jerusalem and from Jerusalem up to the heavens. Using the physics of today we see that it is impossible to travel faster than the speed of light.

Allah says about Prophet ;

‘The Messenger of God is an excellent model’

A lot of people tend to think that this only refers to religious issues. However, it refers to all aspects of life, so whatever scientists’ discover today or in the future, Prophet (saw) was already ahead and advanced in all matters. This is so different from the other religions. For the example the Christians propagated that the world was flat, the Hindus argue that the earth is actually resting upon a horn of a cow. Prophet Muhammad (saw) was able to travel from one city to another in a way in which man is yet to discover. And while travelling he stopped at two places where they were caravans. At the first stop the lead camel of the caravan became agitated and ran off. Prophet (saw) was able to accurately advise the tribesmen where to recover the camel. At the other caravan Prophet (saw) went into the tent where the people were resting, he drank some of their water and continued on his journey. The companions and others, who accused him of being ‘crazy’, because of the difficulty they had in believing him, were able to verify what he told them through these meetings. He was also able to accurately describe Masjid al Aqsa for the doubters. The means of travel was so sophisticated that man is yet to discover how.

After his visit to Al Aqsa where he led all the past Messengers in salaat, he was privileged to go up. We must note that the atmosphere consists of barriers called the electro magnetic barriers. Earth’s atmosphere has 7 electro magnetic barriers and in the Qur’an we find the term ‘samawat’ mentioned. This translates to the 7 layers (skies) in the earth’s atmosphere. Because of the presence of these barriers waves cannot penetrate it. However during the mir’aj Prophet (saw) was able to ‘break through’ these hurdles and go higher and higher even to the point where angel Jibreel couldn’t go. We can’t explain this wonder through scientific reason and logic. It was on this night that the avenues were opened up for man to gain access.

Why could Jibreel go on with Prophet while in the heavens? Possibly because when Allah announced that He was going to create man He gave the angels a little leeway and they questioned His decision. They demonstrated a limit in their capacity and therefore couldn’t go further as Prophet (saw) was able to. Why was he able to go higher and higher? Because it is said about him in the Qur’an;

‘nor does He say (aught) of (his own) desire.’

Every thing he said was on the basis of Divine inspiration and guidance. Because he was most pure and clean he was able to go higher and higher, to the point where he was in the Divine Presence of Allah .

Allah says He is close to us. He mentions in Surah Qaaf;

‘for We are nearer to him than (his) jugular vein’.

If Allah is ‘with us’ why was it then necessary for Him to physically take Prophet (saw) up into the heavens to meet and converse with him? In order to understand this reference must be made to the following;

‘Ashadu an la ilaha illa'llah - I testify that there is no God but Allah ’

Once there was a muezzin who was sounding the adhan and when he said ‘ashadu an la ilaha illa'llah.’ his Sheikh held him by the arm and accused him of lying. Puzzled the muezzin asked how he could make such a statement. The sheikh replied how is it possible to prove there is only One God. The muezzin, an intelligent fellow, replied, “I can’t but my leader and teacher said there is only One God, and he never told a lie so I know there is only One God.’

Even before Prophet hood, Muhammad (saw) was known for his trustworthiness and honesty.

How can you believe in something you have never seen? Because Prophet was sent as a witness to the entire universe and he testified to what he saw and preached. He says;

‘And I am commanded to be the first of those who bow to Allah in Islam’.

When he was in the Divine Presence according to some scholars Allah greeted him and he replied and in this beautiful situation he thought of his ummah and included us all in this beautiful moment. At that point when he was at the highest, greatest point he remembered others. This conversation is repeated daily by Muslims all over the word we they engage in salaat;

Attahiyyaatu Lillahi Was Salawato Wattayyibatu Assalamu Alaika Ayyuhannabi 'o 'Warahmatullahi Wabarka'tuhu Assalamu Alaina Wa'ala'Ibadillahis Sa'liheen, Ash'had'u'un La ilahaillallahu Wa Ash'hadu Anna MuhammadunAbd'uhu Wa Rasooluh'

Greetings, prayers and our good deeds are for Allah. Peace, mercy and blessings of Allah be on you O Prophet. May peace be upon us and on the devout slaves of Allah. I testify that there is no god but Allah and I testify that Muhammad is His slave and messenger.

How can we keep ourselves pure and clean? It starts with your intentions. Remember ‘actions are judged by intentions’. Allah showed His beloved the unseen verities. Some of the companions had a debate as to whether or not Prophet (saw) saw Allah . Hazrat Aisha (ra) was of the view that he didn’t and she further went on to say ‘anyone who says that he saw Allah is a liar’. Perhaps she was referring to physical sight, but think for a moment did Prophet (saw) tell of everything he saw and witnessed?

Lao Tzu, the founder of Taoism, wrote in his final writings ‘those who know don't speak, those who speak don't know’. Why didn’t Prophet disclose everything he experienced? For example when he was asked to describe the Lot tree he said that ‘the leaves were like the ears of elephants’. How can one describe this and generally speaking how can one explain religious experiences?

We all know of the 5 senses that humans poses. But what about the sixth sense, the one that is used to read the book of Moses (as). As scholars put it there are certain degrees of freedom that man has and some may be able to use their higher senses while other may not. So how for example people, using their 10th sense or higher degree of freedom, explain a matter or experience to someone who only operates on their 5th sense? Religious experiences are difficult to explain using scientific reason and logic. Prophet (saw) was privileged to witness the unseen, be it actual or concept. Allah wanted to show His beloved who He is.

‘There is no God but He: that is the witness of Allah, His angels, and those endued with knowledge, standing firm on justice, there is no God but He, the Exalted In power, the wise’.

It is possible for man to travel spirituality and for him to even go upwards into the heavens. This is being done on a regular basis. There are righteous people who have access to the heavens and to the Messengers. How can this be proved? The answer is found in the Qur’an?

‘and say not of those who are slain in the way of Allah. "they are dead". Nay, they are living, though ye perceive (it) not’.

How can you explain this? How can we explain that there are certain righteous believers who have left this world and yet still they are still alive and are functioning? Reason and logic is useless when it comes to understanding this. Unfortunately there are some who argue haram, bidah, shirk. Remember what Allah says in His Glorious Words;

‘They have hearts wherewith they understand not, eyes wherewith they see not, and ears wherewith they Hear not’.

After all of this explanations and descriptions the question sill remains why Mir’aj? Why was it necessary to physically take up Prophet (saw)? In order to answer this, firstly think of how is it possible to get the sun light into a dark room. Logically one could reflect the light using a mirror. There may be some hindrance such as the clouds, dust in the atmosphere, spots on the mirror etc. The Mir’aj is the occasion when Prophet (saw) went up into the heavens and removed all the barriers that existed and got the true and beautiful Light of Allah to reflect on mankind. He was destined to reflect the Light of Allah on earth. Proof of this can be found in the Qur`an in Surah Ma'ida and Surah Nur. In Surah Nur there contains a verse known as Ayat an-Nur. This ayat is renowned for its remarkable beauty;

‘Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The Parable of His Light is as if there were a Niche and within it a Lamp: the Lamp enclosed in Glass: the glass as it were a brilliant star: Lit from a blessed Tree, an Olive, neither of the east nor of the west, whose oil is well-nigh luminous, though fire scarce touched it: Light upon Light! Allah doth guide whom He will to His Light: Allah doth set forth Parables for men: and Allah doth know all things’.

Prophet (saw) is that one who was delegated that mission of reflecting the Light of Allah on the universe. Allah says in Surah Zumar;

‘and the earth will shine with the glory of its Lord’.

No other creature has this capacity. His blessed personality is capable of absorbing the Light of Allah; and further reflect it throughout the universe.

Make this an occasion where we make the firm decision that we are going back to meet our Lord and the meeting will be cordial and beautiful. May Allah help us and bless us and make it possible for the believers to experience their ‘mir’aj’ here in this world. May Allah always bless the believers.

Climbing back to our Lord

2010-07-09T00:00:00.000-04:00

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

Allah has created made man very special. He has given man tremendous capacity such that He did not give any other create, even the highest of angels. He says in Surah Tiin;

‘We have indeed created man in the best of moulds, then do We abase him (to be) the lowest of the low, except those who believe and do righteous deeds:’

Allah has created us as He says ‘in the best of moulds’. However He has placed us at the ‘bottom of the ladder’ here on earth, so our mission is to ‘climb’ back up to Him. In order to achieve this ‘climb’ He says that we must believe in His Oneness and engage in righteousness.

We have been given the capacity and capability of returning to our Lord and according to some scholars we will even have the opportunity of greeting Him and He will respond.

In this context we can see that the Mir’aj of our dear leader is the manifestation of the achievement of mans’ mission. We have this as an example and as a motivator. A physical creature was able to purify his personality to the extent where he had no problem to ascend back where he came from and even higher.

Prophet (saw) went right up and he bears witness to what Allah mentions in the Holy Qur’an. His status is higher than all and his visit to the heavens was a grand occasion.

So man has tremendous capacity. For example everyday 70’000 angels’ descend to earth and roam the land searching for those who send darood on our beloved. And when they return to the heaven they never return and the other day another 70’000 angles descend, and this cycle goes on and on. We have the opportunity of sending darood anytime we wish, so Allah has truly been favourable to us.

It is Satan who manipulates some to an extent that they behave worst than some animals. Believers are not like this. Our leader is different and unique and as such his followers must also be of a higher standard. He is reported to have said in hadith “people become like their leaders”. So we have been blessed with a most beautiful, universal model and we should work hard to live up to this expectation.

Allah wants us to become enlightened. And we can see this from the very first revelation He gave Prophet (saw); read. Prophet (saw) gave us a lot of ahadith of the importance of becoming enlightened. “The ink of the scholar is holier than the blood of the martyr”. “One learned man is harder on the devil than a thousand worshippers”.

The way of enlightenment is to have Mir’aj, and this is not haram, bidah, shirk as the masses unfortunately propagate. If you engage in spirituality properly it is possible for you to actually see Jannah in this life, and many of the Masheikhs have taught this. The next stage in spirituality is ascent. Allah through His grace and mercy makes matters of the unseen known. This is why it is written in the Qur’an that some ‘have hearts wherewith they understand not, eyes wherewith they see not, and ears wherewith they hear not’.

Struggle and strive to achieve the potential Allah has afforded you. The days behind are lost and we may hold some form of regret. However we need to make use of the days ahead. Use the bounties Allah has blessed you with to ‘climb’ back up to Him, and insha Allah the meeting will be a most pleasant one.

Keeping a sound heart

2010-07-02T00:00:00.000-04:00

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

The goal of every pious believer is to stand in the presence of Allah, seeking His Divine Countenance. We see this in the Holy Qur’an and we should try to work towards this every single day. Take for example our Salaat, where we are actually meeting Allah face to face. Before we begin we say;

'Inni -y wajjahtu wajh -e li- 'alladhe fat.ara as- samaawaat wa- al- 'ard hanef (an) wa- maa 'anaa min al-mushriken '

"For me, I have set my face, firmly and truly, towards Him(Who is facing me) Who created the heavens and the earth, and never shall I give partners to Allah."

Islamic sprituality teaches a person to aspire to attain this feeling of being in the Divine Presence. In order to attain this one must purify himself. Allah says in His Holy Words;

‘The Day whereon neither wealth nor sons will avail, but only he (will prosper) that brings to Allah a sound heart’. (26 : 88-89)

Only those who ‘bring to Allah a sound heart’, free from ‘blemishes’ will be among the successful ones. Allah is pure and as such only those whose personality is clean and pure will be able to feel himself standing in the Divine Presence. One example of such a person is Prophet Abraham (as) as Allah mentions in the Qur’an;

‘Verily among those who followed His way was Abraham. Behold! He approached His Lord with a sound heart’. (37 : 83-84)

Abraham (as) was one who purified himself from the impurities of this world, thus Allah refers to him as one who followed the rightous path.

It is important to note that purification from impurities also implies purifying the environment and the company we keep. Allah advises us that we should interact or socialize with the true believers. There was this one time where some Jews came to see Prophet Muhammad (saw) while he was in the company of his Companions. The Jews requested private meeting with him, away from his Companions. As such Allah revealed the following ayat;

‘and keep thy soul content with those who call on Lord morning and evening, seeking His Face; and let not thine eyes pass them, seeking the pomp and glitter of this life; no obey any whose heart have permitted to neglect the remembrance of Us, one who follows his own whose case has gone beyond all bounds’. (18:28)

It is better for us to stay in the company of believers who engages in those activities that leads to seeking the Divine Countenance of Allah. Running after the world and idolizing the wealthy and powerful serves no benefit to you.

Works towards feeling yourself in the Divine Presence of our Lord and Master and through this process Allah will grant you success. Be mindful of what is inside the heart and the company you keep, as Allah is All Seeing and He knows what our true status are. May Allah bless us and take care of our affairs.

Culturing the Ruh

2010-05-26T21:06:00.000-04:00

In order to light a fire you must first have a source of light, for example you must first strike a match; and the conditions for allowing the spark to ignite, must be present, such as the quality of the wood, the amount of moisture and oxygen present. When combined the little spark from the match will be able to ignite, spread and grow.

In every human being Allah has placed a tiny spark, like that which comes from the lighter, in the physical shell of the body. The mission of life is to prepare the conditions in that physical shell, so that the spark can increase in brightness and spread to all parts of the body.

The human personality comprises of a physical dimension and non-physical dimension. The body with the nafs is the physical and the soul or ruh is the non-physical. The ruh is the ‘spark of light’ Allah has put into human beings; and it is expected that every single person will make the conditions right so that it can increase in brightness and spread to every physical cell. The conditions which will permit it to grow and spread are called in the Holy Qur'an maruf. So, by upholding maruf, the soul will become brighter and brighter.

On the other hand, if a person instead of upholding maruf, does what is called munkar i.e. prohibited things, the ruh becomes soiled and will not spread. In reference to this Allah says:

Nay, but that which they have earned is rust on their hearts. (83:14)

Allah gives us the formula for our ‘spark of light’ to spread. He says in Surah Imran;

Enjoin what is right, and forbid what is wrong: (3:104)

Allah gives us a clear understanding of the do’s and don’ts in Islam. If we adhere to the do’s our ‘spark of light’ will be able to grow and spread because the conditions will be present. One of the best of actions which will cause the light of the soul to increase in brightness is the performance of Salaat. The Messenger of Allah (saw) is reported to have said, “Salat is the best of all that has been ordained by Allah.” In Salaat we are standing facing our Lord, in doing so the Light of Allah will have an impact on our light.

He also mentions in Surah Hijr;

“and serve Thy Lord until there come unto Thee the Hour that is Certain.” (Chapter 15, verse 99)

Some scholars are of the opinion that ‘certainty’ means death; others argue that it means ‘religious experiences’. Regardless of the philosophical debates Allah clearly indicates in the first part of the ayat that we must submit to Him, whole heartedly; and throughout our entire lives. When our beloved Prophet (saw) returned from the Mir’aj he still remained submissive and obedient to Allah, although he had the greatest of experiences. So we must continue striving on the right path; even when we believe that we may have had something of certainty in the form of religious experience.

Those who are generally against ‘spirituality’ or tassawuf may do so because of the lack of understanding of what is actually done in any one of the meditation sessions. This is because it is something that one has to experience and not simply read about from a book.

Imam Ghazali (ra) writes “those who choose to travel upon the path of Truth, know that it is essential for you to attach yourself to a Spiritual Guide and Teacher who, through his spiritual instructions, will purify yourself from evil tendencies and replace them with nobility of character. And the definition of this “spiritual instruction” may be likened to that of the husbandman who removes the thorns and plucks out the weeds from the young plantation so that it may grow to perfection.”

Spirituality is something that reason and logic cannot explain because it is outside the realm of space and time. Allah makes mention of those who are blind to the truth;

“Many are the Jinns and men we have made for Hell: they have hearts wherewith they understand not, eyes wherewith they see not, and ears wherewith they hear not. They are like cattle,- nay more misguided: for They are heedless (of warning).” (Chapter 7, verse 179)

In another ayat He says;

“and say not of those who are slain in the way of Allah "they are dead." Nay, They are living, though ye perceive (it) not.” (Chapter 2, verse 154)

How can you explain these things using scientific reason and logic? Or how can you learn about these matters from just picking up a book and reading? You can’t and it is indeed unfortunate that some people fall into the trap of using their limited knowledge to explain matters that can only be experienced through the Mercy and Grace of Allah . And then they argue “haram, bidah, shirk”. It is so unfortunate and we must sympathise with them and ask Allah to open their hearts.

Spirituality is truly a beautiful thing. It allows you to realise every second of the day how close and loving your Lord really is, and how He is always willing to bestow His compassion, mercy and forgiveness upon His devotees.

Let us make a conscious effort, every single day, to make right the conditions surrounding us that will allow our ruh to grow and spread. We beg Allah to make this exercise easy for us and may He keep us far away from the ‘heedless ones’ and the ones who understand not. May Allah bless us and protect us.

Reliance on Allah

2010-05-26T21:05:00.000-04:00

Complete reliance in Allah

We cannot judge whatever happens to us and to others on the basis of reason and logic. We cannot fully comprehend the workings of Allah . He gives examples of man's lack of understanding when it comes to His workings. For example He makes mention of the meeting between Hazrat Musa (as) and Khidr in Surah Kahf. At that particular juncture in Musa’s life he assumed that he was the most knowledgeable person on the face of the earth. When Allah brought to Musa’s attention that there was someone (Khidr) who had more knowledge than him, Musa set out to meet and learn from Khidr. During their journey Khidr did certain actions that appeared to be harmful and ‘senseless’. For example he scuttled a boat that was owned by Masaakin (poor people). Musa (as) using reason and logic was of the opinion that Khidr intended to cause the owners of the boat to drown. However as Khidr would later reveal it was to safe guard their boat from the unjust ruler. The full story of Musa (as) and Khidr is recorded in Surah Kahf, ayats 65 to 82.

So Allah has means and ways that He takes care of His servants. Some of these may be apparent to us and others may not. Remember there is wisdom in whatever Allah allows to take place, even though we may not fathom it. As Allah mentions in His Holy Words;

                     
“but it is possible that ye dislike a thing which is good for you, and that ye love a thing which is bad for you. but Allah knoweth, and ye know not.” (Chapter 2, verse 216)

When Prophet Muhammad was informed by Angel Jibriel that his grandson, Imam Hussain (ra), would have been martyred he didn’t pray to Allah to prevent it even though he was saddened. Prophet knew that he could not alter the plan of Allah .

Allah takes care of us whether we are aware of it or not. Our success is to put our faith in Him and submit humbly and whole heartedly. We need to try to develop this reliance on our Lord. No one will do it for us; as Allah says in Surah Ar Ra'd;
            
“Verily never will Allah change the condition of a people until they change it themselves (with their own souls)”. (Chapter 13, verse 11)

Even the ability to ‘try’ comes from Allah . Whenever something happens that we may not understand just resign yourself to your Lord. This is what faith is. He is the one who protects us, sustains us and guides us. He has made Islam complete and perfect. Once Prophet Muhammad , while walking with his companions saw a mother being most loving to her baby. Upon seeing this he told his companions “Allah loves his servants more than this mother loves her baby.”

If Prophet says that Allah loves you and he is one that never told a lie, do you think Allah will cause you to be destroyed? What we have to do is to try to keep our covenant with Him and insha Allah He will take care of everything else. Remember if you go to Allah walking He will come to you running. So willing He is to help us that He says in Surah Ahzab that He and His angles send salaat on all of us so that we can move out of ‘darkness’ and into ‘light’;

              
“He it is who Sends blessings on you, as do His angels, that He may bring you out from the depths of darkness into Light: and He is full of Mercy to the believers” (Chapter 33, verse 43)

If He is doing all of this for us then all we need to do is to put our faith and trust in Him. Yes we will experience challenges and difficulties but if we have faith in our Lord then He will never let us down.

Total reliance on Allah is something easier said than done, especially when the trials and tribulations come our way, and the ones who we would have expected to help us and ‘be there’ for us reveal their true personalities.

A beautiful example of faith in Allah was when Prophet Abraham (as) was ordered to leave his wife, Hajar and his son, Ishmael in a barren valley. Imagine Abraham (as), after so many years of begging Allah for a son finally got Ishmael, and soon afterwards he was commanded by His Lord to led them and leave them to an uncultivated valley having no fruit, no trees, no food, no water and no sign of life. Imagine how he would have felt. And what did he beg Allah for when he was leaving them? He didn’t ask Allah to provide food or water for them. Instead he made this beautiful plea;

                  ••     •     •                  
“O Our Lord! I have made some of my offspring to dwell in a valley without cultivation, by Thy sacred House; in order, O Our Lord, that they may establish regular prayer: so fill the hearts of some among men with love towards them, and feed them with fruits: so that They may give thanks. O Our Lord! truly Thou dost know what we conceal and what we reveal: for nothing whatever is hidden from Allah, whether on earth or In heaven.” (Chapter 14, verse 37 – 38)

We are all dependant on Allah and He bestows His abundance of Mercy on whomever He wishes. When you understand this your outlook on life will change and you will demonstrate more humility, tolerance and patience. We have to strive and work hard in order to make our ruh shine and, insha Allah, Allah will elevate us in this life and the next.

We all aspire to improve our personalities and one way of achieving this is to have complete reliance on Allah . We are completely dependent on Him. This is why the 5th stage in spirituality is called ‘realization’. When you realize that you are nothing and that Allah is everything, you will understand that your importance is solely because of His Mercies on you, and that your success is because He has been gracious to you.

We beg Allah to increase us in tawakkul and may He, out of His Grace and Mercy, look after our affairs and provide for us a ‘way out’ in times of need.

CAN A WOMAN BE A LEADER

2010-05-11T12:24:00.000-04:00

CAN A WOMAN BE A LEADER?
By
Maulana Dr. Waffie Mohammed

Some Muslims are confused as to what they should do in the up coming General Elections of Trinidad and Tobago. The reason for being uncertain as to whether they should vote or not, is because of the opinion of some scholars that Muslims should not put a woman in a leadership position.

Those who are propagating this belief base their authority on the Hadith of Prophet (pboh) as is reported by Abu Bakrah, and is recorded in Sahih Bukhari, Hadith No. 4425. According to this Hadith, the Prophet (pboh) is reported to have said: A nation which placed its affairs in the hands of a woman shall never prosper.

Those who claim that the leadership of women is un-Islamic rely on this Hadith for so doing. It is interesting to know that there was never unanimity on this matter among the scholars, past and present, regarding the authenticity of this Hadith; as the disenfranchisement of women in politics is suspicious.

Upon close examination of the Hadith, it is found that, even those who rely on it as guidance, are not clear regarding the position of the part of it which says: placing the affairs in the hands of women.

Some scholars prohibit women to hold any public office. However, Imam Abu Hanifa is of the view that a woman can hold any public office including that of a judge on all cases except where fixed penalties (hudud and qisas) are to be prescribed.

There are scholars that permit women to hold any office including that of the head of the State. Hafiz Ibn Hajr indicates in Fathul Bari that Imam Ibn Jarir al Tabari, that not only can a woman be appointed as a judge, but can also be appointed as the Head of the State. A similar view is expressed by Imam Malik and adopted by some of the Maliki Scholars.

From what has been said so far, one can conclude that there is no unanimity regarding the position taken by even the earlier scholars on this matter. It is not true to believe that leadership in politics is a recent western inclusion, as, in the past there were many Muslim women who became the Head of State and they were accepted by all, including the Muslim scholars of the time.

In recent times there were a number of Muslim women voted in power by their respected people either as president or prime minister. All these women had the blessings of even the renowned scholars of their respective countries. Some of these women are:

• Fatima Ali Jinnah: Prime Minister was selected by the Scholars of Pakistan in 1965 to contest the election for President against Ayyub Khan.
• Benazir Bhutto: Prime Minister of Pakistan from 1988-90; 1993-1996
• Tansir Ciller: Prime Minister of Turkey 1993-1996
• Hasina Wajed: Prime Minister of Bangladesh 1996
• Khaleda Zia: Prime Minister 1994 and 1996

Ibn Batuta writes in his book that the Maldives were ruled by queens, for many years, the first being Sultana Khatija. There were similar situations in Indonesia for many years. (Art. Women and Political Leadership in Muslim Thought. Sanusi Lamido Sanusi: Taken from the internet).

The permission to allow women to be leaders in Islam seems to oppose the Hadith reported by Abu Bakrah. Some of the reasons for doing so are as follows:

1. Abu Bakrah was a former slave who accepted Islam because he was promised to be set free.
2. He fought along with Hazrat Ayesha against Hazrat Ali, in the battle of the camel, and did not narrate the Hadith all the time he was fighting under the leadership of Hazrat Ayesha.
3. It was only when she lost the battle that he reported the Hadith to Hazrat Ali.
4. He reported that he heard the Hadith from the Prophet (pboh) many years before but never narrated it to anyone.
5. He was hopeful to be appointed as a Governor of province by Hazrat Ali.
6. Abu Bakrah had a questionable past, as he was ordered to be flogged by Hazrat Umar for false testimony. (The Veil and the Male Elite: Mernissi)
7. Some scholars (Justice Aftab Hussain) are of the view that Abu Bakrah did not really understand the Hadith narrated, otherwise he would not have accepted Hazrat Ayesha as his leader in battle.
8. The particular Hadith was a prediction relating to the Kingdom of Persia and not a general prediction; as the Prophet (pboh) was predicting that the Chosroe's dynasty will not prosper.

Allah endorses the capability of some women to successfully rule their people in the Holy Qur'an. One example given is the Queen of Sheba, the female ruler who was very successful and prosperous. He says:

I found a woman ruling over them and provided with every requisite, and she has a magnificent throne. (27:28-44)

It will be seen from the above presentation that the issue of having a woman as a political leader is acceptable in Islam; and the basis of authority by those who oppose it may have some amount of uncertainty attached to it.

Muslims are required to: Help one another in righteousness and piety; and not to help one another in sin and rancour. (5:2)

Therefore if something appears to be unjust and corrupt it should not be supported.

The Last Days of Jesus on Earth

2010-03-31T07:07:00.000-04:00

THE LAST DAY
OF JESUS ON EARTH
Text of TV Script
Summary:

In our last program, we saw where Jesus was preaching moral principles, and while he was popular with the multitude of the Israelites, the Chief priest and the Scribes were not favouring him very much. They considered him to be a problem as he was criticising their behaviour and teachings.

They were violating the laws of Moses, and he was trying to restore them; so they wanted to get rid of him.

Jesus had real problem to get dedicated workers for the cause of Allah, as he preached and taught the people. They listened to him but were not prepared to sacrifice their lives for the cause of Allah. Even his disciples were not very dedicated to his mission.

We saw this in his saying to them that all of them were going to forsake him in that crucial night. This included even Peter. So he said to them, after they had a meal together. All of you shall be offended because of me tonight.

Why did Jesus tell Peter that he (Peter) will forsake Jesus?

Jesus was aware that there was plan to take hold of him and to try to get rid of him. He was also aware of the fact that while his disciples were with him all the time they were not fully dedicated to his mission and did not really learn much from him.

For example, he once told Peter:

Get thee behind me, Satan; thou art an offense unto me; for thou
savorest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men. (Mt.17:23).

But was Peter the only one about whom Jesus was disappointed?

Jesus was not happy with the dedication to his mission from his disciples. Look at what he told them all:

If any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross, and follow me. (Mt.17:24)

Again he said to them:

O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I suffer you? (Mt.17:17)

We see the lack of dedication among the disciples when they were given some major responsibilities to undertake. Take for example while Jesus was praying in the garden.

While Jesus was in the garden worshipping Allah, what were the disciples who were with him doing?

Jesus went to worship the Lord in the garden of Gethsemane. He took with him three of the disciples and with a heavy heart, he ordered them to sit and keep watch while he went a little further and prayed as Muslims pray.

When Jesus made his supplications to the Lord, he came back and found the three of them asleep. He was not happy with them and said to them:

What, could ye not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation. (Mt.26:40-41)

Then he went back again to worship, hoping that his disciples would listen to him and stay alert; but when he was finished and came back; he again found them asleep. He gave up on them and went back and continued to worship Allah. He said to them:

Sleep on now, and take your rest; behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of the sinners. (Mt.26:45)

Was Jesus really betrayed by one of his disciples?

The Qur'an has not mentioned anything about what happened to him, from the time of his preaching, his encounter with the chief priests and scribes, his arrest and trial. All it has mentioned is about the crucifixion.

What we know about the incidents which led to his end or disappearance can be understood from what is contained in the Gospels.

For example, he was identified by Judas, who betrayed him for a fee. Upon his betrayal, he was arrested; one of his disciples resisted his arrest; but Jesus ordered him to put away his sword.

Jesus was disappointed with the way the multitude was behaving against him so he said to them:

Are ye come out as against a thief with swords and staves for to take me? I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on me. (Mt.26:55)

What made the chief priests and scribes angry with Jesus?

Jesus was teaching humility; something the chief priests and scribes did not have. Look at what he taught them:

Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. (Mt.18:3-4)

Another example of how he dealt with them: They came to him and ask him something. Jesus replied as follows:

Ye have made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. Ye hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying: This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoreth me with their lips but their heart is far from me but in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men…..
Then came the disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying?

So Jesus was all the time highlighting their evil and telling the multitude how their leaders were evil, and they did not like that at all.

What happened when he was arrested?

First of all, the disciples forsook him and fled.

Then all the disciples forsook him and fled. (Mt.26:56)

He was taken to the high priest, who was with the scribes and the elders.

And they that had laid hold on Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled. (Mt.26:57)
Peter followed and sat among the people; and the authorities were trying to find false witnesses to accuse him of treason, so that they can kill him. They found two false witnesses and as a result they began to torture him.

What did Peter do when he saw the people humiliating Jesus?

Peter found himself in trouble, as some of the women identified him as being one from among Jesus disciples. But Peter denied ever knowing Jesus and began to curse, as if he was cursing Jesus.

He said: I do not know the man. …Then began he to curse and swear, saying, I know not the man. Mt.26:74)

When he realised that Jesus had predicted that he will forsake his master, he went out and wept for what he did.

Was Jesus tried for whatever he was accused?

The Bible tells us about his trial as follows:

When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death; and when they bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate, the governor. (Mt.27:1-2)

He was taken before the governor; but he did not answer any of the questions that were posed to him. Instead of condemning him the governor was surprised that Jesus was able to hold his peace in spite of all the accusations that were levelled against him by the high priest and his men.

The governor realised that Jesus was a just person and that he was envied. To add to his own conviction, his wife sent a message to him telling him that he should have nothing to do with the condemnation of Jesus.

When the governor questioned the multitude as to who was the one to be released from prison the chief priest and his men urged the multitude to say Barabas, and not Jesus. The multitude did not want to hear anything about justice, etc. they simply said let him be crucified. Pilate washed his hands off the matter

But he was not tried for anything?

No, the high priest and his men just wanted to get rid of Jesus and the way they selected was to crucify him. So they began torturing him and began making preparation for his crucifixion.

They then proceeded to take him to the place where he was to be crucified. But he was unable to carry the cross, so they forced Simon to take the cross and carry it for Jesus. There is no record in the Bible that Jesus took back the cross.

Also, there is no record that he was kept close to Simon. As a matter of fact, he turned around and began speaking to the ladies who were following him. This is recorded in Luke 23:28, as follows:

Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children….

It because of all the turmoil and confusion, no one knows exactly who was put on the cross.

But there were guards and soldiers, and the high priests, etc. how could they have made a mistake and crucify another person?

There are many Christian sects that believe that Jesus was not crucified. Some of these are:

• The Basilidians, in the very beginning of Christianity denied that Christ himself suffered, but asserted that it was Simon who was crucified.
• The Corinthians also are of the same view.
• The Carpocrations also are of this view.

All those who believe that it was not Jesus who was crucified believe that it was one of his disciples, or some other person.

What does the Qur'an say about his crucifixion?

Allah tells us in the Holy Qur'an, the following:

They (Jews) boastfully say: We killed the Messiah, Jesus the son of Mary, the messenger of Allah. But they killed him not, nor crucified him. But so it appeared to them, and those who differ therein are full of doubts, with not certain knowledge; but only conjecture to follow; for a surety they did not kill him. (4:157)

Why were there some doubts as to who was actually put on the cross?

There were some unusual developments at the time of the crucifixion. These are recorded in the Bible as follows:

Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. (Mt.27:45)

Behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose. (Mt.27:51ff.)
But they would have known who was actually crucified, when they would have taken down the body?

The body of the one that was crucified was secretly taken away and buried in a private tomb. We find reference of this in Mathew. It says:

When the even had come, there came a rich man of Arimathea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus disciple. He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered. And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed. (Mt. 27:57-61)

Is it true then that no physical body was put in the tomb which was guarded by the high priests?

No body was put in the tomb in which the crucified person was supposed to be put. What Joseph did was to put a stone in front of it as though some one was put inside it.

Although the chief priest and the guards were there when they opened the tomb there was no one in it. So the guards were bribed to stay quiet about the whole matter. Mathew tells us about this in the following verses:

They gave large money unto the soldiers, saying, Say ye, His disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept. And if this come to the governor's ears, we will persuade him, and secure you. So they took the money, and did as they were taught; and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day. (Mt.28:12-15)

No one could have attested to the fact that it was Jesus who was crucified, as there was no evidence that he was put in the tomb, and when they finally went to open it, they found it opened with no one inside of it.

The Qur'an makes it absolutely clear that they did not harm Jesus although they believe they did; and the truth of this matter will one day come to light. Allah says:

They said: We killed the Messiah, Jesus the son of Mary, the messenger of Allah; but they did not kill him; nor did they crucify him; but so it was made to appear to them. And those who differ therein are full of doubts, with no certain knowledge; but only conjecture to follow. For a surety they did not kill him. Nay, Allah raised him up unto Himself; and Allah is Exalted in Power, Wise. And there is none of the People of the Book but must believe in him before his death. (4:157-159)

For us the important thing to keep in mind is what Jesus taught and what he stood for. This, unfortunately is not taken into consideration by those who claim to believe in him and love him.

The Mission of Jesus

2010-03-25T02:46:00.000-04:00

THE MISSION OF JESUS

Part of a Series of Program
Presented on IBN TV

About whom was Jesus referring?

Jesus was referring to someone who was not to be from the tribes of Israel, as he said to them:

The kingdom of God shall be taken away from you (O Israelites) and given to a nation bringing forth the fruit thereof. (Mt.21:43)

In another place he told them:

The stone which the builder rejected, the same is become the head of the corner, this is the Lord's doing and it is marvellous in our eyes. (Mt.21:42)
It appears as though Jesus was indicating to the Israelites that they were no longer to be the custodians of the religion which God wanted to establish on earth; can you comment on this?

If we re-examine the prediction that Moses gave to the people about the one that was to come; he said to them:

(God spoke to him and said) I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. Deut.18:18)

The promise of God had to be fulfilled. But what we see in the saying of Jesus was that the expected one was not him and he, that is the expected one, still had to come. And it would not be from among the Israelites. That is why he told them:

The kingdom of God shall be taken away from you.

But the promised one was to come from the progeny of Abraham as everyone regarded Abraham as the father of the revealed religions.

If everyone accepts Abraham, his faith and works, why are there differences between the religions that came from the teachings of him?

First of all, there is a problem about the recognition of Ishmael as a son of Abraham in every sense of the word.

Ishmael was acknowledged as the first son of Abraham. He (Abraham) was the biological father of both Ishmael and Isaac.

Like Isaac, the Lord gave the name Ishmael to the boy that was to be born to Hagar. He told her that the meaning of the name Ishmael was "he shall be blessed". It is recorded in the Bible about the Lord's promise to the boy in the following verse:

As for Ishmael, I have heard thee. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful. (Gen.16:20)

If in the Bible Ishmael is recognized as the blessed son, then why is he not accepted by the Jews and Christians?

In order to project the superiority of the Israelites who came from the second son of Abraham through Sarah, over the Ishmaelites, the upholders teach that he is a biological son but not one through which the promise of God shall be fulfilled. In this connection Paul wrote as follows:

But he (i.e. Ishmael) of the bondwoman was born after the flesh, but he (i.e. Isaac) of the freewoman was by promise…. Nevertheless, what saith the Scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of a bondwoman shall not be the heir with the son of the freewoman. (Gal.4:22)

So the problem does not lie with what God wanted, it is based on what the Church teaches?

Paul does not believe that Ishmael must be considered to be a son in every sense of the word. As a result he says:

Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children. They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God. (Rom.9:7)

The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh, and these are contrary, the one and the other. (Gal.5:17)

Both Ishmael and Isaac are the sons of Abraham, and both were from the prayers of the old man. When he prayed for an offspring, in the beginning, Sarah offered her handmaid Hagar to him so that he can have a offspring, and later on she also became pregnant. Up to that time Ishmael was his only hope for carrying on his mission that is why when he left them in the wilderness upon the insistence of Sarah, he prayed as follows:

O my Lord, I have made some of my offspring to dwell in a valley without cultivation, by Thy Sacred House; in order, O My Lord, that they may establish regular prayer; so fill the hearts of some among men with love towards them. And feed them with fruits, so that they may give thanks. Qur'an 14:37)

Are we to believe that Paul regarded the progeny of Ishmael to be inferior to those from Sarah?

What Paul is saying is that Hagar and her son are not people of God, although God guided them, fed them and protected them in every way, while they were cast away in the wilderness.

Because of his position regarding the second wife of Abraham and his son they are called Gentiles, meaning: pagan and heathen.

But as we know, they were humble and submissive to God, just as Jesus and his mother Mary were humble and submissive to God. On the other hand Sarah had an attitude problem, and looked at things on the basis of reason and logic. That is why when the angel told her that she was going to have a son she laughed at the idea and questioned the rationality of it.

How was Paul able to discourage the Israelites from accepting Ishmael and his progeny?

Paul has misinformed the readers about the true status, in the sight of God, between both the wives and their children. He says:

He that is born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it was now. (Gal.4:29)

This is contrary to what happened then; and is still happening today, between the progeny of Ishmael and Isaac as some of the Israelites are slaughtering the Palestinians who are from Ishmael.

But who really did the torturing?

Hagar was tortured by Sarah while in her home. So severe was it that she ran away in the wilderness in order to escape her mistress's punishment. This is recorded in the Bible as follows:

And when Sarah dealt harshly with her, she fled from her face. ……And he (i.e. the angel of the Lord) said: Hagar, Sarai's maid whence camest thou? And whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai. And the "angel of the Lord said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands. (Gen.16:6-9)

In the beginning, the persecution was because Hagar became pregnant for Abraham and Sarah could not have a child, but later on when Isaac was born, it was no longer envy, rather, Sarah did not want Abraham to give to Ishmael any of the inheritance. As a result she said to him:

Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. (Gal.4:30)

So the issue then, according to the Bible, was inheritance, and not any other matter which caused the separation.

The Israelites were from the progeny of Isaac; what about the progeny of Ishmael. Did not God tell Abraham something about them?

Abraham was righteous person, and is accepted by Jews, Christians and Muslims to be a person of high status in Paradise. In the Bible there is the indication that the righteous shall dwell in the bosom of Abraham. It says:

And it came to pass that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels in the bosom of Abraham. (Lk.16:22)

It means that whatever Abraham did was not evil, and so, his having a son with Hagar was not an evil act. It is because it was a thing ordained by God that He guided the woman and spoke to her and made a promise to Abraham concerning Ishmael.

According to the Bible, God said to Hagar:

And God hears the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar, out of the heavens, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? Fear not, for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is. Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand, for I will make him a great nation. (Gen.21:17-18)

Up to the time of the coming of Jesus that promise of God contained in the Bible was not yet fulfilled. So Jesus came to announce to the Israelites that God was about to fulfil that promise.

What was the promise God made to Abraham concerning Ishmael?

According to the Biblical records, God said to Abraham:

As for Ishmael, I have heard thee; behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation. (Gen.17:20)

So that from Ishmael was to come a great nation; that was not yet fulfilled.

We see that Jesus was telling the Israelites two things; viz.

• The mission for the messengers was not yet complete as some one still had to come.
The kingdom of God shall be taken away from you (O Israelites) and given to a nation bringing forth the fruit thereof (Mt.21:43)

• The stone that was rejected by the Israelites was to become the corner stone. They had rejected the progeny of Ishmael calling them the children of the flesh. But God, in His wisdom was about to transfer the responsibility of upholding the laws which Moses had brought and uniting the entire humanity under one law, as one big happy human family. This is recorded in the Bible in the following verse:
Jesus saith unto them: Did ye never read in the scriptures, the stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner; this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes. (Mt.22:42)

Abu Huraira narrated that Prophet Muhammad (pboh) is reported to have said:

My similitude in comparison with the other prophets before me is that of a man who has built a house nicely and beautifully, except for a place of one brick, in a corner. The people go about it and wonder at its beauty, and say: Would that this brick be put in place. So I am that brick, and I am the last of the prophets. (Bukhari)

The progeny of Ishmael became the Arab people; did the Israelites recognise them at any time at all?

There were some interactions between them. For example, we have in 11 Chron. 9:11, where the kings of Arabia and governors brought gold and silver to Solomon.

Also in 17:11, the Arabians gave to Jehoshaphat flocks of goats and sheep; and he accepted them.

So they had communication, but one thing remained outstanding and that is, they were not entitled to the inheritance of anything that came from the assets of Abraham.

Had they been recognised as legitimate from the progeny of Abraham, then they would have been religiously entitled to inherit something from him.

Jesus was not speaking about inheritance of land and wealth; he was speaking about upholding the law; what was the people's reaction to what he was telling them?

Jesus tried patiently to get the Israelites to believe in God and uphold the law. But all the time they kept disobeying and were only looking for their material benefits. It pained him to see how they were behaving. Look at what he said to them:

If God were your Father you would love me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own; for he is a liar, and the father of it. And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? He that is of God heareth God's words; ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God. (Jn.8:42-47)

So Jesus kept struggling to get the Israelites to listen to him and change their ways, but they never took him on. They were only interested in using him for their own benefit, as they did with all the messengers that came before him.

But did Jesus receive any help from his disciples in propagating his teachings?

Jesus had trouble with his disciples just as he had with the people. Take for example, when he was walking on the water, Peter requested Jesus to allow him to walk with him on the water too. And Jesus said come.

As Peter began walking he got scared and began to sink. Jesus took him by the hand and said to him:

O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? (Mt.14:28-31)

Again Jesus said to the people:

O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you, how long shall I suffer you? (Mt.17:17)

The Israelites knew that he was a special person with special powers, did they heed his teachings?

The Israelites were troubled in their minds whenever Jesus used to condemn them for their wrongs. Take for example, he was telling them of their lack of faith in the message from God, and they decided to throw him out of the temple. This is recorded in Lk. 4:28-29. It says:

And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath. And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built; that they might cast him down headlong.

On another occasion he chased them all out of the temple, as they were using it as a market place and not a place of worship. We find this recorded in the Bible as follows:

And he went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold therein, and them that bought; saying unto them. It is written, My house is the house of prayer; but you had made it a den of thieves. And he taught daily in the temple. But the chief priests and the scribes and the chief of the people sought to destroy him, and could not find what they might do; for all the people were very attentive to hear him. (Lk.19:41-42)

What we are seeing is that the leaders of the Israelites were opposed to the teachings of Jesus, even though the masses were listening to him.

If the leaders of the temple, the chief priests and scribes were all against his teachings, did they try to kill him?
Jesus used to teach the people in the temple during the day and in the night he used to go up in the mountain and pass it with his Lord. This is recorded in Luke 21:37 as follows:

And in the daytime he was teaching in the temple, and at night he went out, and abode in the mount that is called the Mount of Olives. And all the people came early in the morning to him in the temple, for to hear him.

Jesus was becoming more and more popular with the masses; and this was some cause for concern among the leaders of the Israelites.

Did the chief priests and scribes like what was going on; or were they planning against Jesus; surely, they would have become concerned about his growing popularity?

The chief priests and scribes were trying to find ways and means of killing him without the knowledge of the masses. Most of them did not really know who he was but were only hearing about him.

Jesus was becoming too popular for them. Take for example when he was entering Jerusalem, the people lined up along the pathway and a great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strewed them in the way….. And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying: Who is this? And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee. (Mt.21:6-10)

They i.e. the chief priests began putting together a plot to get rid of him.

Is there any record of the plot that they were able to hatch against him?

The fame of Jesus was growing, and he was helping more and more people; he healed their sick, he fed the multitude in the desert with five loaves of bread and two fishes; again he fed the multitude with seven loaves and a few small fishes, and so he was getting the masses of Israelites to believe in what he was preaching and teaching.

Knowing that they would not be able to do him harm in front of the multitude of people the leaders tried to embarrass him by asking him all kinds of questions. For example, they came to him and demanded a sign.

But Jesus was very alert, and knowledgeable and answered them by wisely telling them of the evil that was in them. He said to them: A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonah. (Mt.16:1-5)

But were they satisfied with what he was telling them?

They became more and more confused with the answers that he was giving them to their questions; as his answers were in parables which were very difficult for them to unfold.

Some of these were:

The parable of the lost sheep.
Of a brother who sins
Of the unforgiving servant.

In addition to his answers in parables he also gave advises based on the commands that God had revealed.

For example he told the rich young ruler:
Do not commit murder
Do not commit adultery
Do not steal
Do not bear false witness
Honour thy father and thy mother
Love thy neighbour as thy self
Give your wealth in charity.

Jesus continued to preach the law and the commandments directly and by examples in order that the people may take heed.

Does the Qur'an bear testimony to the preaching and teaching of Jesus?

Allah tells us in the Qur'an that Jesus said to the Israelites:

I have come to you to attest the Law which was before me. And to make lawful to you part of what was before forbidden unto you; I have come to you with a Sign from your Lord. So fear Allah and obey me. It is Allah Who is my Lord and your Lord; then worship Him: this is a Way that is Straight. (3:50-51)

Jesus was very pious and saintly, and did everything possible to get the people to turn to God, for guidance and sustenance; but the detractors were not happy with the impact his message was having on the people and they wanted to put an end to it.

More so as he was not consulting with the chief priests and the rulers, but went about with his mission by himself, and with the few half hearted scribes that followed him.

Was Jesus fearful about the plots that were being hatched to kill him?

Jesus informed his disciples that there was a plan to crucify him. He said to them:
And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said unto his disciples, Ye know that after two days is the feast of the Passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified. (Mt.26:1-2)

Jesus also informed his disciples that they were not really dedicated to the cause for which he was sent; because when the real test will come upon them they will manifest their weakness of faith. For example, he told Peter:

Jesus said unto him (i.e. Peter), Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. (Mt.26:24)

Did Jesus inform the Israelites about the coming of Prophet Muhammad (pboh)?

According to what is revealed in the Holy Qur'an, Jesus said to the Israelites the following:

O Children of Israel, of a truth I am God's Apostle to you to confirm the law which was given before me; and to give Glad Tidings of an apostle that shall come after me, whose name shall be Ahmad (61:6)

So Jesus was telling them that he was upholding the law and connecting himself with Prophet Muhammad (pboh) who was to follow him.

Why did Jesus tell Peter that he (Peter) will forsake Jesus?

Jesus was aware that there was plan to take hold of him and to try to get rid of him. He was also aware of the fact that while his disciples were with him all the time they were not fully dedicated to his mission and did not really learn much from him. So he said to them, after they had a meal together. All of you shall be offended because of me tonight.

Then Jesus went to worship the Lord in the garden of Gethsemane. He took with him three of them and with a heavy heart, he ordered them to sit and keep watch while he went a little further and prayed as Muslims pray.

While Jesus was in the garden worshipping Allah, what were the disciples who were with him doing?

When Jesus made his supplications to the Lord, he came back and found the three of them asleep. He was not happy with them and said to them:

What, could ye not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation. (Mt.26:40-41)

Then he went back again to worship, hoping that his disciples would listen to him and stay alert; but when he was finished and came back he again found them asleep. He gave up on them and went back and continued to worship Allah. He said to them:

Sleep on now, and take your rest; behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of the sinners. (Mt.26:45)

Was Jesus really betrayed by one of his disciples?

The Qur'an has not mention anything about what happened to him, from the time of his preaching, his encounter with the chief priests and scribes, his arrest and trail. All it has mentioned is about the crucifixion.

What we know about the incidents which led to his end or disappearance can be understood from what is contained in the Gospels.

For example, he was identified by Judas, who betrayed him for a fee. Upon his betrayal, he was arrested; one of his disciples resisted his arrest; but Jesus ordered him to put away his sword.

Jesus was disappointed with the way the multitude was behaving against him so he said to them:

Are ye come out as against a thief with swords and staves for to take me? I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on me. (Mt.26:55)

What happened when he was arrested?

First of all, the disciples forsook him and fled. (Mt.26:56)

He was taken to the high priest, who was with the scribes and the elders. (Mt.26:57)

Peter followed and sat among the people; and the authorities were trying to find false witnesses to accuse him of treason, so that they can kill him. They found two false witnesses and as a result they began to torture him.

What did Peter do when he saw the people humiliating Jesus?

Peter found himself in trouble, as some of the women identified him as being one from among Jesus disciples. But Peter denied ever knowing Jesus and began to curse, as if he was cursing Jesus. When he realised that Jesus had predicted that Peter will forsake him, he went out and wept for what he did.

Was Jesus tried for whatever he was accused?

He was taken before the governor; but he did not answer any of the questions that were posed to him. Instead of condemning him the governor was surprised that Jesus was able to hold his peace in spite of all the accusations that were levelled against him by the high priest and his men.

The governor realised that Jesus was just person and that he was envied. To add to his own conviction, his wife sent a message to him telling him that he should have nothing to do with the condemnation of Jesus.

When the governor questioned the multitude as to who was the one to be released from prison the chief priest and his men urged the multitude to say Barabas, and not Jesus. The multitude did not want to hear anything about justice, etc. they simply said let him be crucified. Pilate washed his hands off the matter

But he was not tried for anything?

No, the high priest and his men just wanted to get rid of Jesus and the way they selected was to crucify him. So they began torturing him and began making preparation for his crucifixion.

They then proceeded to take him to the place where he was to be crucified. But he was unable to carry the cross, so they forced Simon to take the cross and carry it for Jesus. There is no record in the Bible that Jesus took back the cross.

Also, there is no record that he was kept close to Simon. As a matter of fact, he turned around and began speaking to the ladies who were following him. This is recorded in Luke 23:28, as follows:

Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children….

It because of all the turmoil and confusion, no one knows exactly who was put on the cross.

But there were guards and soldiers, and the high priests, etc. how could they have made a mistake and crucify another person?

There are many Christian sects that believe that Jesus was not crucified. Some of these are:

• The Basilidians, in the very beginning of Christianity denied that Christ himself suffered, but asserted that it was Simon who was crucified.
• The Corinthians also are of the same view.
• The Carpocrations also are of this view.

All those who believe that it was not Jesus who was crucified believe that it was one of his disciples, or some other person.

What does the Qur'an say about his crucifixion?

Allah tells us in the Holy Qur'an, the following:

They (Jews) boastfully say: We killed the Messiah, Jesus the son of Mary, the messenger of Allah. But they killed him not, nor crucified him. But so it appeared to them, and those who differ therein are full of doubts, with not certain knowledge; but only conjecture to follow; for a surety they did not kill him. (4:157)

But they would have known who was actually crucified, when they would have taken down the body?

The body of the one that was crucified was secretly taken away and buried in a private tomb. We find reference of this in Mathew. It says:

When the even had come, there came a rich man of Arimathea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus disciple. He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered. And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed. (Mt. 27:57-61)

Although the chief priest and the guards were there when they opened the tomb there was no one in it. So the guards were bribed to stay quiet about the whole matter. Mathew tells us about this in the following verses:

They gave large money unto the soldiers, saying, Say ye, His disciples came by night, and sole him away while we slept. And if this come to the governor's ears, we will persuade him, and secure you. So they took the money, and did as they were taught; and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day. (Mt.28:12-15)

No one could have attested to the fact that it was Jesus who was crucified, as there was no evidence that he was put in the tomb, and when they finally went to opened it, they found it opened with no one inside of it.