Remembering Allah with a clear mind

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

Last week we spoke about the remembrance of Allah.  Today insha Allah we will look at the stages ones goes through in the process of becoming God conscious.  It cannot happen overnight.  It takes time and discipline.

As human beings we cannot have two separate entities in our mind at one and the same time.  For example we cannot remember Allah and think of the worldly acquisitions at the same time.  Allah says in Surah Ahzab;

Allah has not made for any man two hearts in his (one) body: (33:4)

So human beings cannot engage into two contrasting entitles at one and the same time.  How then do we achieve pure God consciousness?  It is possible through discipline and culturing of the personality.  In relation to this Allah says;

But keep in remembrance the name of Thy Lord and devote thyself to Him whole-heartedly.  (73:8)

Prophet Muhammad is reported to have said “Satan puts three knots at the back of the head of any of you if he is asleep.  On every knot he reads and exhales the following words, ‘The night is long, so stay asleep’.  When one wakes up and remembers Allah, one knot is undone; and when one performs ablution, the second knot is undone, and when one prays the third knot is undone and one gets up energetic with a good heart in the morning; otherwise one gets up lazy and with a mischievous heart." (Bukhari)

Through the remembrance of Allah you can put to rest the scheme of Satan.

The best time to remember Allah is when you have finished all your worldly commitments, and any other distractions that are on your mind.  When you are free of all emotional preoccupation you can communicate properly to your Lord.

Allah makes mention of this in Surah Alam Nasyrah;

Therefore, when thou art free (from thine immediate task), still labour hard, and to Thy Lord turn (all) thy attention.  (94:7-8)

Prophet Muhammad emphasizes the importance of having a clear mind in the following ahadith:

§  “If the Iqama for prayer is proclaimed and supper is served, take your supper first”.

§  One of the three acts which are not allowed is for a person to offer prayer while needing to answer the call of nature”.

We can see the practicality of Islam.  Devote yourself to your Lord when your mind is clear and free from any preoccupations.  Nothing should distract you when you are attempting to gain closeness to Allah.  Satan is smart and he will use your emotional unrest to divert your focus away from Allah, so all you will really be achieving is the mechanical aspect of prayer.

 

Imam Ali (as) says: “Allah doesn't answer the prayer of a person whose prayer doesn't come from his heart”.  Therefore, one should pray from the depths of his heart and should have a conviction that Allah is watching and listening to him.

One of the best times to engage in the remembrance of Allah is during the night prayer (Tahajjud).  When everyone else is asleep and there is relative tranquillity.  At night there are less distractions, thus a person would be able to concentrate and focus more.  Allah says;

Truly the rising by night is most potent for governing (the soul), and most suitable for (framing) the word (of prayer and Praise).  (73:6)

Islam doesn’t want you to stay away from the world.  Instead maintain an appropriate balance.  Take time out of your daily routine to gain nearness to Allah.  Don’t keep on procrastinating and put off God consciousness.  Every day that passes means one day less in this world.  Get closer to your Lord and insha Allah He will look after all your affairs in this world and the next.

May Allah always bless the believers and enable us to gain nearness to Him and maintain it throughout our lives.

Remembering Allah

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

 

Allah says in Surah Baqarah;

Then do ye remember Me; I will remember you.  Be grateful to me, and reject not Faith.  (2:152)

We are all living in the Divine Presence of Allah.  We know that He sees and hears everything, so then why is He telling us about His remembrance in the ayat quoted above?

It is recorded in Hadith Qudsi that Allah the Most High says, “I am with my slave when he thinks of Me and I am with him when he mentions Me.  For if he mentions Me to himself, I mention him to Myself; and if he mentions Me in a gathering, I mention him in superior gathering.  If he approaches Me by a hand's width, I approach him by an arm's length, I approach him by two arms length.  And if he comes to me walking, I hasten to him swiftly".  (Bukhari)

Whenever we engage in the remembrance of Allah by ways of praising Him and glorifying Him we are getting closer and closer to Him.

What we can gather is that Allah wants us to get close to Him.  In retrospect this is easier said than done so He actually meets you along your path to Him.  Look at how merciful He is.  If you make the smallest of efforts to attain closeness to your Creator He comes down to you.  And He further says that He sends a light by which to guide you along the straight path. 

Understand that in regular remembrance of Allah, He will guide you, forgive you and reward you.  If you keep God conscious even if you make a mistake He will forgive you.  Allah wants you to thank Him and appreciate His favours.  And He promises more blessings to those who show gratefulness to Him.

One sage told his people that that he actually knows when Allah is remembering him.  Obviously curious his people asked as to when to which the sage replied whenever I am remembering Him.

So when we engage in any act of remembrance Allah focuses something of His Divine Attention on us. 

Satan on the other hand wants to continuously divert your focus away from your Lord.  Allah says;

Satan's plan is (but) to excite enmity and hatred between you, with intoxicants and gambling, and hinder you from the remembrance of Allah, and from prayer: will ye not then abstain?  (5:91)

Remember if you put your faith and trust in Allah He will attend to you.  This is what true faith is about; trusting Allah especially when you are faced with difficulties.  Some people say that they maintain faith in Allah but you have to tie your camel.  The Sufis say that once you put your faith in Allah your ‘camel has been tied’.

We cannot question nor understand the working of Allah.  He knows that which we don’t.  What we do know is that by constantly remembering Him He remembers us and insh Allah will take care of our affairs.

May Allah enable us to demonstrate throughout our lives true reliance and trust in Him and may He guide us and protect us from situations that divert our focus away from Him.

Hablullah: Issue #9

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

The latest issue of Hablullah is out.  Click on the image to enlarge and save.



Hablullah Issue #9_page 1 of 2



Hablullah Issue #9_page 2 of 2

Total Submission

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

 

Allah says in Surah Luqman;

Whoever submits his whole self to Allah, and is a doer of good, has grasped indeed the Most Trustworthy Hand-Hold: and with Allah rests the end and decision of (all) affairs.  (31:22)

What is total submission and how can one submit totality?  One way that total submission can be materialised is during Salaat.  In salaat when we stand we are supposed to cut-off ourselves from the world and know that Allah is in front of us.  We are supposed to pray with our heart and body; our total personality.

In connection with this Prophet Muhammad (pboh) is reported to have said “the Lord doth not regard a prayer in which heart doth not accompany the body”.  Are you putting you entire personality in front of your Lord? 

 
Allah records for our understanding two Messengers who expressed total submission.  Prophet Abraham (as) and our beloved leader Muhammad (pboh).
 
Allah records Abraham (as) as saying

Say: "Truly, my prayer and my service of sacrifice, my life and my death, are (all) for Allah, the Cherisher of the Worlds.  (6:162)
 
He recognised that he had no say of his own.  Everything is for Allah.  His submission was so remarkable that even after he got the son he craved so much for and the command came to leave him in the wilderness he obliged even though he may have had emotional discomfort. 
 

The same is evident in the seerah of Prophet Muhammad (pboh).  Allah says;

 
‘Nor does he say (aught) of (his own) desire’.  (53:3)

Prophet (pboh)  never said anything of his own desire.  Everything was on the basis of Divine Command.  He always waited on a command/revelation from Allah and never took it on his own to give an opinion.
 
Before Islam came we never saw this sort of dedication to Allah.  The Israelites who were so blessed by Allah never submitted to Him.  They chose instead to send and rely on their Messengers.  The Christians stand before Jesus (as) not God Almighty.

This is why when Jibraeel asked Prophet Muhammad (pboh)  in the presence of his Companions “Tell me about Ihsaan”.  To which Prophet (pboh) replied “That you worship Allah as if you see Him, for if you don't see Him then truly He sees you”.
 

If you put yourself in Allah’s care you would have submitted to the best of your ability.  Those who practice this would surely have grasped the Most Trustworthy Hand-Hold that would never break.

 
If someone is drowning naturally they will grab on to something that is strong that won’t break.  Therefore get your hand held onto by Allah.
 

Everything boils down on your intention.  And this is what Satan works on because he himself showed his true self intention when his test came.  Allah knows all of our intentions and one day it will come out.  Therefore live your life with good intention and insha Allah you will be from amongst thoe who would have held on to the Trustworthy Hand-Hold.

 
It is not easy and can be very challenging, but whoever does so will be given their just reward. 

Is it recorded in Bukhari and Muslim that Allah will say, “Send forth those who are destined for hell!  Adam (as) will say “Who are those”?  Allah will say “Out of every 1000, 999 go to hell and 1 to paradise”.

Strive to be that one regardless of the society and situation.  
 

May Allah make it easy for us all.  May He enable us to continuously work on purifying our intentions and may He allow us to grasp that Hand-Hold that will save us from His punishment and lead us to eternal bliss.

The Bee

 

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

We all know that Allah is The Greatest, and He has demonstrated His Greatness through His creation and in our individual bodies. 

Today we will look at just one of the creatures of Allah that demonstrates His Greatness.  This creature is the bee, which is also the name of one of the chapters in the Holy Qur’an. 

The bee is a very starterling creature with regards to its organisation and management of its recourses.  They are so well organised that each one has a duty that contributes to the overall sustenance of the hive.  Allah says in Surah Nahl;

And thy Lord taught the bee to build its hives in hills, on trees, and in (men's) habitations.  (16:68)

The bees structure and divide their labour to such a remarkable extent that, for example, when they find another source of nectar in another tree, they return to their hive and fly in a particular vector to announce to the others where the alternative source of nectar is. Each member of the hive has its own duty and responsibility, and one bee does not aspire to take over management responsibilites from the others.

And through their organisation and work they produce one of the best and natural drinks available, which illustrate the greatness of Allah.  The bees digest nectar and regurgitate it to produce honey.  Such a sweet and sort after drink is produced in such a mind boggling manner.

Even though, they are such tiny creatures we can take pattern from them with regard to their management structure, unity and specialization.  Because of their unity look at what they can produce.  If we are united and work for the greater good what we can achieve.  And this is what Islam came to do; unite mankind to work together on the path of Siratul Mustaqeem. 

This is possibly one reason why Allah gave us the story of the bees.  We are to take on the responsibilities of working for this world and the next; and manage our time and resources properly and correctly in order to succeed. 

May Allah enable us to adopt the organisational and unification methods practiced by His creatures and may continuously grant us the ability to reflect and ponder over His Greatness and recognise it in our everyday lives.

Keeping your focus

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

Before we begin to pray any Salaat we recite something very important.

“For me, I have set my face, firmly and truly, towards Him who created the heavens and the earth, and never shall I give partners to Allah”. (6:79)

Some do not understand the implication of this. We are actually standing in front of Allah and He is able to see the true condition of our hearts. You cannot hide anything from Him.

In meditation, when you sit in front of your Sheikh he is actually looking at your heart and when your heart wavers he will be able to tell you. If your Sheikh can see your heart, what about Allah and His Rasool (pboh)?

This is why we think of sitting in front of Prophet Muhammad (pboh) through our Sheikh. He looks at your hearts as long as you can keep your focus.

Beside those good and honourable people who can look at your hearts, Satan can also look. And this is one reason why emphasis is placed on wudu as a measure is to keep him out. If he gets a single opportunity he can divert your focus. He doesn’t want you to gain closeness to the Allah and His Rasool .

Something to remember: Before Adam (as) was sent on earth who used to pray more than Satan? He worshiped more than even the angels. But look at what happened to him in the end. His intention was not for Allah but for status and promotion. And he achieved it all until the test came and he showed his true self.

The same principle is found in spirituality. You can be progressing along well, until you get a test and Satan will use it as an opportunity to divert you. For example when you are in a bad mood how will you generally respond to others?

This is possibly why Prophet Muhammad (pboh) said “the eyes of Allah's Apostle sleep but his heart does not sleep”. Satan cannot whisper to his heart and divert him.

We are also trying to do the same. When we’re in meditation we are supposed to think that our Sheikh is in front of us, because he can help. So long as you sit and connect your heart, Allah through His Grace and the status He gave Prophet (pboh) will properly direct you. If your thought wavers Prophet and your Sheikh will know.

Our goal is to get closer to Prophet Muhammad (pboh), so blank your mind from all others things. It’s not easy. It takes patience and peace of the mind and heart.

Pay no heed to all those who talk about spirituality being haram, bida and shirk. Make dua for them because only you will know of the experience.

If you are doing it for the sake of Allah He will strengthen you and guide you. Through zikirullah your personality will become bright and shinning.

May Allah enable us to continue striving along the spiritual path and may He protect us from those who wish to divert our focus, insha Allah.

Important eye openers

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

The Holy Qur’an, as we know, contains important lessons for mankind. Insha Allah today we will look at a couple of these eye-openers’ mentioned in the last ten (10) chapters of the Holy Qur’an.

Firstly Allah says about Abu Lahab;

‘No profit to Him from all his wealth, and all his gains!’ (111:2)

Before Abu Lahab left this world he was an extremely wealthy and influential person. However, in his final days before he died and even when he died he became so repugnant that no one wanted to bury him. The people at that time dug a huge hole and forced an African slave to push Abu Lahab’s body in the hole. What was the value of his wealth and power? A man of such power was reduced to filth. Allah is showing us that all your material acquisitions’ have absolutely no value to Him. Everyone will be judged on what was sent before and whatever Sadaqah Jariyah was left behind. Material wealth can either harm you or help you. Don’t end up like Abu Lahab. Use the blessings of Allah to earn His Paradise.


Secondly, Allah says about the Quraish;

‘For the Covenants (of security and safeguard enjoyed) by the Quraish, their Covenants (covering) journeys by winter and summer, - let them adore the Lord of This house, Who provides them with food against hunger, and with security against fear (of danger)’. (106)

The Quraish were the most elite tribe in Makkah. They were so respected that they were not troubled or harassed by others. Allah mentions that He is The One Who protected them even when they went outsides the borders of Makkah for trade. So don’t ever let your position or status cloud your judgement and divert you from Allah. He is the one that takes care of our affairs. Sometimes we may have the mentality that ‘I’. Allah preserved the body of Pharaoh to teach us a lesson. Power and status is no guarantee that you will be saved from the Hell Fire. Worship and submit humble to Allah and know that whatever you have achieved in this world is on account of the blessings and mercy of Allah. And He can take it all away in a matter of seconds so submit to Him and let Him take care of your affairs.


Thirdly Allah says in Surah Nashr

‘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)

Know your cut of point. Don’t keep running after the world and keep on procrastinating. Our time here is short and you can’t afford to keep putting off Islam for a next day. Allah is advising us that when you’ve achieve enough and your responsibilities have lessened a bit, spend more time working for the hereafter instead for this world. Unfortunately we see many who keep on ‘grabbing after the world’, not knowing when enough is truly enough. Do exhaust your life by solely seeking the pleasures of this world. Balance your time in a way that you can work for this world and also for the hereafter.


All these teaching and so much more are preserved in the Holy Qur’an for us. How often do we ponder and contemplate on them? Understand that Allah loves you and He wants us to be counted amongst the fortunate ones, so take heed of the advice He has conserved for us.

May Allah enable us to instill the advice He has given us. May He take care of our affairs in this world and the next and may He bless us with the ability to properly balance of time.

Helping Allah

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

There may be some of you who when hearing/reading our weekly zikir lessons will be learning many new things for the very first time. But take note that it can be verified because it is taken solely from the Qur’an. Anyone who doesn’t understand or doubts anything that is said in this weekly presentation can clarify it with Dr. Waffie via his email: mwl@tstt.net.tt


Today, insha Allah, we will be looking at ayat 7 of Surah Muhammad. As with all the other chapters of the Holy Qur’an, Surah Muhammad contains important messages for us and it is very direct and straight to the point. Allah says;

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

Firstly we must understand that Allah does not need us. It is we who need Him. So what then does He mean when He says if ye will aid Allah?

In order to understand this let us reference the Israelites. As mentioned in the Qur’an the Israelites were given vast blessings. They didn’t have to do anything. And yet they did not help Allah. And sadly even today they are still fighting for material acquisitions. Allah did not set their feet firmly because they did not aid Him.

On the other hand Prophet Muhammad (pboh) grew up as an orphan. When he was a young man He had to take small jobs in order to take care of himself. One of the differences with him is that He helped Allah and Allah firmly planted his feet firmly and his mission started to grow and spread. Even today his mission is spreading all over the world. And his status, which is second to none, also grew astronomically.

The question is how can we help Allah? One means is by assisting in spreading His Word. Prophet Muhammad (pboh) is reported to have said ‘The best amongst you are those who have learnt the Qur’an and teaches it to others.’ This is because you are helping to spread the Word of Allah. And if you help Allah He will never desert you. This is why dawah is so important and incumbent on all Muslims.

The second means of helping Allah is by spreading His Light. Moses (as) wanted to see Allah and was told that he couldn’t. Why, because Moses wanted to see Allah with his physical eyes. Can you look directly at the sun at midday? And that’s the sun what about the Light of Allah. How then can we spread His Light? By polishing and keeping your heart clean.

For example if I want to brighten a dark room with the sunlight all I need to do is to take a clean mirror and angle it to reflect the sunlight into the room. So too our hearts are like mirrors. If we can keep it clean and pure it can reflect the Light of Allah as He says in Surah Ma’ida ‘Light upon Light! Allah doth guide whom He will to His Light’.

Prophet Muhammad (pboh) is the best example of this. His entire personality was like a mirror. Many Companions reported that there were times when they looked at him and he was much brighter that the full moon. If we keep our heart clean we can also reflect something of the Light of Allah.

The third means by which we can aid Allah is by

‘Enjoining what is right, and forbidding what is wrong’. (3:104)

Allah loves purity and by engaging in the halal and abstaining from the haram you will be getting closer and closer to your Lord. This is evident on the night of the Mir’aj. Prophet Muhammad (pboh) aided Allah so much that He was physically returned to Allah in this world.

We thank Allah for blessing us with His pure and unadulterated Words. We are truly blessed because we alone have it. We must therefore get close to it and try to inculcate the three points mentioned above. By helping Allah you would have attained success in both worlds and insha Allah, Allah will take care of your affairs.

A few pointers about our Beloved Prophet (pboh)

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

Today we’ll look at a few points pertaining to the personality of Prophet Muhammad (pboh) that are mentioned in the Holy Qur’an. These pointers allude to his uniqueness and greatness.

Firstly Allah says in Surah Israa';

Say (O Muhammad): “Glorified (and Exalted) be my Lord above all that evil they (polytheists) associate with him! Am I anything but a man, sent as a Messenger". (17:93)

The people during the time of Prophet Muhammad (pboh) were intrigued about the Prophet-hood of Muhammad (pboh). They were not expecting a Messenger to be so ‘ordinary’. They assumed that a Prophet would be ushered in some miraculous manner like Prophet Jesus (as). They were surprised to see Prophet Muhammad (pboh) functioning just like they would. Their concept was that someone who was different would be a Messenger of God.

Allah says in Surah Hashr;

“So take what the Messenger assigns to you, and deny yourselves that which he withholds from you. And fear Allah for Allah is strict in punishment”. (59:7)

Prophet Muhammad (pboh) never said anything out of his own desire. Everything thing was on the basis of Divine Guidance. Allah encourages us to listen and hold on to Prophet’s (pboh) teachings as he knows the way of successfully returning to Allah. He returned to Allah in his physical lifetime so he knows what he’s talking about and teaching us.

Allah says in Surah Saba';

“We have not sent thee but as a universal (Messenger) to men.” (34:28)

Prophet Muhammad (pboh) is the universal model for all times. Anyone who connects and holds on to him will be upon the path of Siraatal Mustaqem. And Prophet (pboh) does not discriminate. Allah demonstrated this with the encounter Prophet had with the blind man.

(The Prophet) frowned and turned away, because there came to him the blind man (Abdullah bin Umm-Maktum, who came to the Prophet while he was preaching to one or some of the Quraish chiefs). But what could tell you that per chance he might become pure (from sins)? Or that he might receive admonition, and that the admonition might profit him? (80:1-4)

Allah wanted to demonstrate that Prophet Muhammad (pboh) was the Messenger for all, a Universal Messenger.

Prophet Muhammad possesses a different capacity from all the pervious Messengers. He has the capability of brightening your soul.

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

“There has come to you from Allah a light (Prophet Muhammad)”. (5:15)

This is where Spirituality comes in. Through our meditation we are connecting to Prophet’s (pboh) light via our Teachers and Masha-ikhs. Some people may argue that this was only valid when Prophet (pboh) was alive but the Qur’an is applicable for all times. Even those who were not present in his physical time can still establish a connection with him.

Prophet (pboh) was special and was given a special mission. We are happy that Allah has sent a Messenger who still maintains a connection to us. What we need to do is build a relationship with him and continue strengthening it. May Allah make it easy for us and take care of our affairs.

The manifestation of Kauthar

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

Allah gave Jesus (as) unusual blessings. For example Jesus (as) was able to bring back to life some birds by blowing on its remnants. He once cured someone who had leprosy. Allah gave Moses (as) some unusual blessings in that when he threw the staff it turned into a serpent and swallowed the ones produced by the magicians. Allah fed his followers for 40 years. Moses (as) was able to cross the Red Sea. Allah allowed Jonah (as) to live in the whale’s belly for 3 days and when he came out and he was able to function as usual. So Allah gave all His Messengers (pbot) unique blessings. What did He give Prophet Muhammad (pboh)?

The first thing that might come to mind is the Holy Qur’an. True the Qur’an is indeed a great blessing and miracle but what other blessing was he given. The answer is Kauthar. Kauthar is normally translated as a fountain in Paradise which the inhabitants of Paradise will be given to drink from. But will the believers only get this blessing in the hereafter? Kauthar is more than just a fountain.

Allah gave Prophet (pboh) Kauthar. This means that generosity constantly flows from his blessed personality. And Kauthar is not just reserved for the hereafter. This generosity started the day Prophet came on the earth. And Allah demonstrates this in his seerah.

His journey in this world began with an extremely the poor woman who was given charge to take care of him as an infant. And immediately blessings began flowing from his personality. On the journey back Halima was able to produce enough milk to suckle both her baby and Muhammad (pboh). Something that she was unable to do previously. Her lame camel also started producing milk. Back at her home her pastures were the most fertile. So immediately Kauthar began flowing from his personality to those who were connected to him.

Even today the generosity flows from his blessed personality continues. For example if you were to visit Madinah you would see the physical manifestation of his generosity. Every week accommodations are made for those who keep the optional fast to break their fast in Masjid Nabawi. Hundreds of thousands of believers benefit on a weekly basis.

And we who are thousands of miles away from his resting place can benefit from his generosity if we can connect to him. How can this be done? Through the institution of Darood. The popular Qaseeda har dard a ki dawaa hai emphasizes this point.

Har dard a ki dawaa hai sallay allaa Muhammad
Taweez a har balaa hai salay alla Mugammad

Darood is a positive cure for all aliments. Peace and blessings be on Muhammad

On what authority was this poet able to write that? We find the answer in the ahadith;

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’.

If you were to say ‘O Allah bless Muhammad ’ all your difficulties can become easy through the permission of Allah . This is what Kauthar is. By connecting to the personality of Prophet you are sharing in the generosity and blessings that Allah was given him.

Allah is constantly sending blessing to mankind though the personality of Prophet Muhammad (pboh). And if you avail yourself won’t you share in this blessing?

Some of you may be apprehensive and my advice to you is to simply try it. Allah will try you, that is guaranteed. But if you recite darood Allah will provide a way out of your hardships. Perhaps this is why Allah says;

‘Allah did confer a great favour on the believers when He sent among them an apostle from among themselves’. (3:164)

Which has more blessings; a fountain situated in Paradise or the personality of Prophet Muhammad (pboh). Strengthen your relationship with him and you will never regret it. Especially as we are in this blessed month of Rabi ul Awwal, where Allah manifested something of His Generosity by sending the greatest creature ever created with Kautar. The love that Allah has allocated for Prophet Muhammad (pboh) is unbelievable and if you connect to him you will also be able to share in the blessings that are being constantly sent upon him. Silently program yourself to engage in as much darood as possibly and put your faith and trust in Allah .

We thank Allah immensely that we are in the companionship of Prophet Muhammad (pboh) and we beg Him to grant us the ability and desire to send abundant salutations on His Beloved .

Text of lecture given by Dr. Waffie at the Penal Rock Road Masjid On the auspicious occasion of Meelad Un Nabi (04.02.2012)

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

با سمه يا الله
اللهم صل علي محمد النبي الامي

My dear brothers and sisters; congratulation on you all for recognizing the greatness of Prophet Muhammad (pboh) by your assembling here tonight. I pray that Allah blesses us all immensely for associating ourselves with the personality of Prophet Muhammad (pboh) and may He cause us all to rise with the righteous on the Day of Accountability.

Brothers and sisters Allah surprised the angels when He informed them that He made man His representative on earth. Why, because this representative was a small piece of clay. The Greatness of Allah is not known to anyone. He is so Great and Mighty. His Capacity is limitless so how can a tiny piece of clay represent Him? Allah then gave the angels a little consolation by permitting Adam to demonstrate things that they couldn’t do.

We are all gathered here to celebrate the coming of Prophet Muhammad (pboh). In so many qaseedas the poets write so many beautiful things concerning him. Before we proceed I want to advise you not to get involved with those who constantly argue ‘haram, bi’dah, shirk’. Allah knows your intention. We worship Allah and also aim to get close to Prophet (pboh) and if you keep this in mind don’t worry about what the detractors say, because it is only Allah who can judge your intention.

With the coming of Prophet Muhammad (pboh) the term ‘Sunnah’ became popularized. What is the Sunnah of Prophet (pboh)? It encompasses his sayings, his actions and those things he gave consent to. The term Sunnah was not coined by him though, but by Allah. The Sunnah of Allah is those things that He engages in such as rewarding the His obedient servants. And Allah will never change his Sunnah.

Allah sent 124,000 Messengers on earth. So many generation of mankind came and went. But none of them had the capacity to manifest the Sunnah of Allah except Prophet Muhammad (pboh). Allah gave him unimaginable capabilities.

One of Allah’s Sunnah which we uphold is to send salaam on Prophet Muhammad (pboh). Allah says
“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)

By sending salaam you are connecting yourself to the special blessing that Allah is sending upon Prophet Muhammad (pboh). And Allah out of His love for us allows us to benefit from the blessing being sent to Prophet (pboh) through the institution of Darood.

There is no doubt that Allah loves each and every one of you. Prophet Muhammad (pboh) once saw a mother being most loving to her baby. Upon seeing this Prophet Muhammad (pboh) told his companions “Allah loves his servants more than this mother loves her baby.”

Today unfortunately Satan is using the institution of sending salaams on Prophet Muhammad (pboh) to cause division amongst the Muslims. There are those who argue against respectively standing to honour Prophet (pboh). Let me ask you all a question; when Allah says that He and His angels are sending salutations upon Muhammad (pboh) are they standing or sitting?

We don’t know so please don’t make this an issue. If you want to stand and sing the praises of Prophet (pboh) do so and pay no heed to those who argue about it. Send as much salutations upon your beloved Messenger (pboh). That will serve you better in the long run rather than arguing.

The other Sunnah of Allah that we are fortunate to engage in is the recitation of His Glorious Words. Hazrat Imam Ghazali (ra) wrote;
‘Fifty thousand years before creation, Allah use to recite Surah Thaahaa and Surah Yaasiin’.

If Allah recited parts of the Qur’an then and we recite it are we not following the Sunnah of Allah? He has blessed us with this great blessing; something which no other creature possesses. This piece of clay has the capacity to recite Allah’s Words. The same Words that if it was to be revealed upon a mountain will cause it to crumble to dust.

As Allah says if He wants anything to be done, regardless of the magnitude, all He has to say is Qun - Be. The sheer power of Qun and it is mentioned so many times in the Qur’an. And the heart of Prophet Muhammad (pboh) was able to able to receive this great Book. When the Qur’an was taken out of Lawh Mahfuth it was impressed in the heart of Prophet (pboh). There was no interference or tampering with it. You may ask if the Qur’an was in Prophet’s (pboh) heart why didn’t he tell the people. Why did he have to wait on angel Gabriel? The reason of this was that Prophet (pboh) never said anything out of his own desire. Everything he said was on the basis of Divine ordination. So dedicated and submissive he was. Can you imagine his personality? This is why Allah says

“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)

My brothers and sisters when you leave this world as a believer you will go to Paradise insha Allah and leave all your troubles and difficulties behind. So believers shouldn’t be downhearted about death. To me however I’ve come to realized that when I die I wouldn’t have the opportunity to recite the Worlds of Allah in total mind, body and soul. I only possess the capability of reciting the Holy Qur’an in total personality in this world.

We are here for a special purpose; to thank our Lord for sending this great Messenger (pboh). If we can get close to him the better it would be for us. And the only way we can get close to him is by loving him. And in connection to this he says

He is not a true believer until he loves me more than his father, his children and mankind at large.

On this auspicious occasion of Meelad Un Nabi ask yourself how much of the Sunnah of Allah am I upholding and how close am I to Prophet Muhammad (pboh). Just now you will die and one of the questions you will be asked in the grave is “Who is that man”? Ask yourself now how will I be able to recognize the Messenger of Allah (pboh) if I’m not close to him.

Try your best in this world to see him. He is reported to have said ‘whosoever sees me in a dream has really seen me as Satan cannot copy my form’. And there is another narration from the Masheikhs that whoever sees Muhammad (saw) will not go to hell.

Thank Allah for this opportunity to assemble and honour the Beloved of Allah (pboh). But remember one day we will leave this world and our bodies will become food for worms. Make amends now and strengthen your relationship with Allah and His Messenger (pboh).


O Allah, convey blessings and peace always and forever
upon Your Beloved (pboh), the best out of all of Creation.

Loving that which Allah Loves

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

Allah says in His Holy Words;

‘Those of faith are overflowing in their love for Allah’. (2:165)

Who could be more of a true believer than Prophet Muhammad (pboh)? He is that one who ascended above all creation and was alone with his Lord.

Allah is Al Ghani- The Most Generous. He is reported to have said in a Hadith Qudsi,

“And if he draws near to Me an arm's length, I draw near to him a fathom's length. And if he comes to Me walking, I go to him at speed”.

Allah out of His Love can bestow on anyone more than that person can possibly imagine. And if Allah says that those who posses’ true faith are overflowing in their love for Him you can imagine the relationship that He has with and Prophet .

The Words of Allah was preserved in Lawh Mahfuth. Thereafter it was taken out and was impressed in the heart of Prophet (pboh). There was no interference or tampering with it. Some people argue that if the Qur’an was in Prophet’s (pboh) heart why didn’t he tell the people? Why did he have to wait on angel Gabriel? The reason of this was that Prophet (pboh) never said anything out of his own desire. Even when he knew what was being revealed.

So dedicated and submissive he was that he is referred to as the slave of Allah . A slave is someone who doesn’t have the authority to say ‘I’. He doesn’t own his personality. Look at the status he has achieved because of the overflowing love he has for Allah . And this is what we need to develop; how to love Allah and how to dedicate ourselves to Him. And the only way to truly learn this is to get close to Prophet’s (pboh) personality. The closer you get the more chance you have to elevate yourself to your Lord.

In fact Prophet Muhammad is Sirat al Mustaqim. He is that one who can take you to Allah . He is the embodiment of physical love and if we should follow him, insha Allah, we will get closer to Allah . As Allah says in His Holy Words;

Say O Muhammad: “If ye do love Allah, follow me: Allah will love you and forgive you your sins: for Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful”. (3:31)

Unfortunately there are some who discourage others of getting close to Prophet (pboh). Don’t pay any heed to them, as arguments surrounding the personality of Prophet Muhammad (pboh) have been around for centuries and your input won’t lead to anything productive. Ignore them and silently carry on.

Demonstrate love for Allah by loving that which Allah loves. And there is no doubt that Allah loves His Messenger (pboh). And if Allah loves him so much what about us?

Keep in mind that our mission is to love Prophet Muhammad (pboh) and if we love him and follow him we would be on the right part. Make this resolution in this blessed month of Rabi ul Awwal and you won’t be left unrewarded. Anything you do for Prophet Muhammad (pboh) will bring always being reward.

May Allah enable us to recognize the greatness of Prophet (pboh) and allow us to get as close to him as humanly possible.

Honouring Prophet Muhammad

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

We are in the blessed month of Rabi-ul-Awwal and we pray that Allah’s blessings be upon all the believers and upon those who are aspiring to get close to Prophet Muhammad (pboh).

We are required as Muslims to honour and praise Prophet (pboh). Some people say we should only praise Allah. However whenever we praise Prophet Muhammad (pboh)we don’t do it in the same manner that we praise Allah . We praise Prophet (pboh) for the good that he has done and for the status that Allah has given him.

We have to show the greatest amount of love and respect for Prophet (pboh). The only being that we are to love and respect more is Allah, but Prophet Muhammad (pboh) is that material personality that we are to love. Love him, honour him and try to attach yourself to him. The closer you get to him the better it will be for you.

We can express love through our words, deeds and our attitude (i.e. following his Sunnah). A lot of people emphasise on the latter. But honouring him is more than just following his Sunnah. Even Allah expresses fondness of Prophet Muhammad (pboh) by calling him beautiful names in the Qur’an. For example a lot of scholars and even in some English translations of the Qur’an you will see that the words Ya-seen and Ta-Ha are pet names that Allah uses to address Prophet Muhammad (pboh).

Allah also warns us about our attitude towards His Habeed .

‘O ye who believe! raise not your voices above the voice of the Prophet, nor speak aloud to him in talk, as ye may speak aloud to one another, lest your deeds become vain and ye perceive not’. (49:2)

One little form of disrespect towards him can cause all your deeds to become null and void. So our attitude towards him is unique.

We even remember him in our salaat. Whenever we are worshipping Allah we do not ‘sidestep’ Prophet Muhammad (pboh). For example in salaat after we praise and glorify Allah we send salutations upon Prophet (pboh). Why do we do this? We are keeping in mind that if it wasn’t for him we would not be in this honourable position.

Nowadays we hear a lot talk of ‘haram, bid’ah, shirk’; criticizing and condemning those who chose to honour Prophet by holding gatherings and singing his praises. Firstly, those who hold gatherings misrepresent it by calling it Prophet’s (pboh) birthday celebrations. We remember and honour him throughout the year and not specifically in Rabi-ul-Awwal, so calling it his birthday celebration may not be a true representation.

Some people ‘celebrate’ his birthday ritually. This is wrong as their intention may not be to learn about him and get closer to him; but rather, to show others who hold a different theological view that ‘this is what we were taught and are accustomed to doing’.

Singing poems or qaseedas, as it is known in these parts, is something that is also condemned. This isn’t wrong as we see from his Seerah there were Companions who composed beautiful poems about him. From the very beginning of his mission in Madinah, the young girls of the Ansars stood up and sang for him. Kab recited a beautiful poem when he accepted Islam. No one objected, and there are numerous other examples too lengthy to mention here.

The principle of reciting poems isn’t a bid’ah. But to gather only for events like these and no other time is what those who disagree with it have some reservations.

Tazeem is another controversial issue. Those against it argue that standing and praising the Prophet (pboh) is equivalent to worshipping him. When Allah says that He and His angels are sending salaams on Prophet(pboh) are they standing or sitting? No one knows, so why make it an issue and divide the Muslim community. Tazeem is a form of darood and Hazrat Umar (ra) narrated ‘Verily, the Dua remains suspended between the skies and the earth, and does not help in any way until Darood is sent to the Prophet (pboh). (Tirmizi)

The reason for mentioning and clarifying all these age old issues is that in this particular month you will find a lot of Masjids holding their Melad un Nabi functions. If you choose to attend there is no problem because you will in no way bring any sin on yourselves. And you will be hearing sermons expounding on the greatness of Prophet Muhammad (pboh). These functions are means by which you can attain closeness to Prophet and also interact with your fellow Muslims.

It is indeed unfortunate that those who criticize and condemn our functions has never come up with an alternative. So where do they expect Muslims, especially the youths, to interact in a halal environment? This is why we see unfortunately, so many youths getting mixed up in un-Islamic environments.

Develop love for Prophet (pboh) and show your love for him by following his teachings. Do not get involve in of the arguments that are out there. These arguments have been going on for decades and sadly it appears that it would continue.

The past scholars demonstrated great love and admiration for Prophet (pboh). And they were scholars of the highest order. Do you think that they would have misled the people of their time?

If you want to attain success in this world and the next, cultivate love for Prophet Muhammad (pboh). Learn to love him and insha Allah you will better off.

Hablullah: Issue #8

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

The latest issue of Hablullah is out now.

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