Noor Fusion

The Lion no longer wishes to slumber.....

2011-12-07T08:05:00.002Z

It is the gentleness within your eyes that pierces my soul;
Curiosity transcends as to the greatness of your being;
Maybe an optical illusion my eyes are perceiving;
In what language will our hearts speak the secrets left untold?
I am eager to seek why your beauty preceeds you;
A face so symbolic of your predatory disposition;
Yet in your strength do I find a strange exhibition;
Of humility lined with a regal virtue.
You stand so resolute against your enemy;
Fear itself is left lost and blind;
Passionately drawn closer by an emotional culmination of a strange kind;
Do I stare at the essence of my own destiny?
A darkness prevails over erratic thoughts;
Are we two souls in two distinct body's or a reflection of our inner self?
You leap through this painting with precision and stealth;
Heart racing and confused, is this the reality I sought?
The warmth of your mane penetrates my essence;
Breaths now fragmented and interrupted by yours;
Apprehension that momentarily lingered is extinguised by your echoing roar;
Uplifting energy establishes its presence.
No longer a fragment of my imagination, no longer an opitcal illusion;
You are indeed my love defined,
In the form of a beast of a magnanimous kind;
Clarity regulates, for no longer are you an object of my confusion.
Once long ago was I secluded;
No more shall it be for you live within me;
The world labels you as the king of all beasts;
But they fail to see that within us all is the lair in which you slumber.

2011-12-07T07:25:00.003Z

Painting by Rashed Ahmed Husain Yusuf Al Araifi: A young artist from Bahrain, son of Ahmed Al Araifi, a pioneer interior designer and nephew of Rashed Al Araifi (senior) who is a master of fine arts.

Each stroke draws in eyes filled with excitement eager to unfold the story that yet remains untold. The vibrant passion within you is partially unveiled through the colours so effortlessly arranged into a form that stirs great curiosity within the souls of those who gaze upon this great beast.

The harmony between the colours gives rise to a beautiful symphony, this is not simply a Lion it is a representation of defiant strength contained within each and every one of us.

The painting is almost sacrosanct, alluding towards an epiphany drawing the soul in to the deeper hidden meaning.

One becomes mesmerised by the sheer force with which the piercing yellow eyes causes the soul to drown, to become satiated, fulfilled, yet at that climactic point the culmination of colours at the periphery steal one’s gaze. Momentarily one feels lost and just as dismay begins to envelop, the warmth of the canvas has a strangely magnetic effect.

This goes beyond a fatal attraction, for it has become deeply embedded within the heart, each brush stroke endeavours to ingrain its name upon the soul of the one who truly appreciates this piece. Could it be that this is an artistic representation of love itself?

Imprisoned.....

2011-11-11T23:58:00.003Z

Delight do these lips feel as they kiss the dust upon which this once lifeless body did fall;
So why does your sweetness lure me towards an unpredictable fate?
Like a pendulum does this heart swing, once occupying the one who stood so tall;
Sometimes volatile, raging like a wild fire it does not hesitate;
To creep within your skin, to embrace your soul;
Yet when alone, it remains harnessed, reigned, thus is the state of the ego without you;
A time when the heart rests with the silence from whence it grew;
Beating peacefully as it becomes interwoven with the passion that awoke it from its slumber;
Do you shackle me or free me? I am left with haphazard thoughts as this mind erratically does wonder;
You seep into my veins, flowing rapidly, are you polluting me or sustaining me?
Am I restrained or am I free?
Release me from the turbulence that has made me a prisoner within you.

Will it ever end?

2011-10-02T00:20:00.001+01:00

A student of knowledge that I am yet I still stumble and fall;

As deception is disguised as a lucrative deal;

Hesitantly this soul succumbs to its beckon call;

Will I drown deeper so that it can steal;

My dignity, my sanity and all that I hold pure and real?

Hands raised to the One above to rescue this poor slave;

It longs to once again seclude far from the corruption incited toward;

To dwell only in that delightful cave;

In remembrance and devotion to it’s Lord;

Thoughts spiral out of control;

This journey is one of an arduous kind;

Enchantment is beginning to take its toll;

Superfluous once whispered words raid this mind;

As the eloquence of that once echoed envelope this soul;

Veiled by the shadow cast over this heart;

Yet light fights violently to penetrate the cracks within the silence fallen;

This is not the way in which this soul shall part;

From this body, nor will my being let this soul be stolen;

By the insinuating whispers of the accursed;

An enemy to my very existence;

Every breath will surely be stirred;

By words that will give comfort and counsel to this soul that seeks from deception a resistance;

Not will it again by deceived by those perpetual lies and false promises of worldly pleasure;

Will this waging battle ever end?

Out of Sight: Sheikh Yahya Ibrahim

2011-09-25T06:57:00.001+01:00

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The Declining Day......

2011-06-18T15:14:00.007+01:00

Al Asr: The Declining Day: Surah 103:

Below is a very concise meaning taken from the Jumu’ah Khutbah on Friday June 17th at Dar ul Isra Mosque, Cadiff, Wales:

It is one of the shortest surah’s of the Quran, yet is one of the most comprehensive as the essence of our deen is contained within it.

The words are very simple, someone need only spend very little time learning the basics of Arabic grammar and would be able to understand this surah from its source without having to refer to any translation.

Imam Shafi’i said about this surah, ‘If mankind were to ponder over this surah it would be enough for them.’

He also said, ‘If there was nothing else revealed in the Quran apart from this surah it would be enough.’

Allah has summerised in sixteen words such a profound message that it has taken scholars volumes to explain.

Wa Al Asr:

‘Wa’ signifies an oath in this context. Allah takes an oath by something that is significant to mankind, i.e. referring to time.

Inna al insaan la fi khusr:

‘inna’ linguistically and literally is defined as ‘indeed.’ By this Allah is implying that something is coming that is very important, that is certain to befall all of us.

‘al insaan’: translated as ‘mankind’ and it is referring to the whole of mankind; encompassing all humans from Adam until the last man, thus indicating there is no one that is exempt from this rule.

‘La Fi Khusr’:

‘La’ in this instance is used for emphasis on the statement to follow.

‘Fi Khusr’: ‘in loss’; referring to a loss that one cannot recover; it is complete and utter loss.

Thus, ‘inna al insaan la fi khusr’: is translated as ‘indeed the whole of humanity most certainly is in loss’.

This implies that the general rule is that humanity is in destruction and in a state of loss.

Allah continues and gives the exception to this rule with the next verse in the surah:

‘Ill alladheena amanu wa ‘amilu al-salihati wa tawasaw bi’lhaqi wa tawasaw bi’sabr.’

‘Except for those who have believed and done righteous deeds and advised each other to truth and advised each other to patience.’

‘Wa’ is defined as ‘and’. Each statement and condition within this verse is connected by ‘and’. It implies that in order to save oneself from the reality and eventuality of this sure loss one must have faith and do righteous deeds and enjoin good upon one another and have patience. It does not imply that one can choose from amongst these four criteria in order to succeed, one cannot achieve success by leaving out any of the aforementioned conditions. It is not enough to selectively do that from the list that our whims and desires succumb to, that will not guarantee our safety, the ‘wa’ indicates that all must be achieved in order to save ourselves from the reality of the akhira i.e. jahannam. This also implies that by achieving all four aims one does not have the key to attain the high ranks of Jannah only that one is able to save oneself from Hellfire.

The Quran has been sent for hidayah, the purpose of hidayah is to save our selves from the eventuality of jahannam, therefore salvation is the main purpose of the Quran and this surah gives the four fundamental criteria to attain that salvation.

Asr refers to ‘time’ it is referring to time that is fleeting. A time that does not wait for anyone, and we only deceive ourselves if we think that it is long, we must remember this same time was a witness to the creation of Adam, a witness to the flood of Nuh, a witness to Ibraham entering the fire that was made cool, a witness to Musa and a witness to the birth of the Prophet (saw) and bore witness to his death and it bore witness to our birth and will bare witness to our death. It is signifying that one should take lessons from history and realize that time is not at a stand still; the prime lesson is that mankind is at loss. Civilisations built such greatness that is now left to ruins. For a few years one boasts and is in power but ultimately one is going towards one own loss, time is passes by without pausing for a single second.

The most valuable thing one has is time; it is the greatest equalizer: Allah has given every one 24 hours whether one is a king or a poor man, the only difference is that no one knows how any 24 hours they are given. It is what one does with that time that differentiates the foolish from the wise.

What preoccupies us? Time is far more precious that any monetary value placed against it because it is our life. What are we struggling for? Everyone will depart from the same door, whether one is rich or one is poor, yet we are fighting for the pleasures of this dunya. We only deceive ourselves by wasting the most precious commodity we have. Thus to say one is ‘killing time’ is in reality like saying one is killing oneself, and we must not be deceived that it holds no worth.

Should we then stop struggling in the dunya? No, we should continue in our daily lives and chores, but we should not make that the purpose of our lives. If we make the pleasures of this dunya the essence of our life we will never achieve contentment. Everyone invests in time, but some invest it in those things that are frivolous and others invest in that which is of benefit.

The sahabah would remind one another of this surah before departing from one another. The world is cunning and deceptive because we become fooled in believing that success is ONLY that of the dunya, however we should struggle and invest our time in that which Allah has told us we will achieve success.

Time can make people arrogant, believing that one will live forever, thus forgetting that this time will bare witness to the acts of injustice.

Everyone struggles, but what we ultimately struggle for differentiates us.

Who Am I?

2011-05-24T23:09:00.002+01:00

Looking in a mirror,

I am nothing but a flaw,
Imperfections over take my physical form.
I am nothing but a blemish,
My face, a permanent mark,
That fails to change despite the mask I wear.
Deteriorating with time.
In conflict with my own self.
You say the heart is all that matters.
But a perfect image you present me with,
That increases my insecurity.
I desire to be a rose,
As elegant as a swan,
I am nothing compared to those with 'true beauty',
who attract humans,
as flowers attract insects with their pollen.
But even insects move on,
Short lived is attraction.
This I repeat to myself,
In order to remove this weakness,
that lies beneath the surface of my mind,
I wish to cover my defects with a blanket of gratefulness,
And change this negativity.
Cosmetics nor a knife can change what I perceive,
After all, this is nothing but an error in my mentality.

Written by my brother's beautiful wife, Sbeen Tahir Ali

Contemplate over these words....

2011-05-20T23:24:00.002+01:00

'Its funny that even in times that you perceive as complete perfection, there's still a burden in your heart or a worry. I think that's because Allah does not want us to forget Him. The imperfections in life are what work towards perfection in our Hereafter, surely Allah is Al Rahman, Most merciful upon us.'

(This was part of a message sent to me today by my brother's wife)

King Of Kings

2011-05-19T23:05:00.002+01:00

And to Allah belong the beautiful names, so worship Him through them" (The Qur'an 7:180)

The Names & Attributes Of Allah

by Sheikh Tawfique Chowdhury

Birmingham: Sat 25th - Sun 26th June 2011

An amazing course on the rules that pertain to the Names & Attributes of Allah, and an amazing history of the sects to clarify it all in one amazing weekend!

ENROL HERE NOW!

A Pertinent Lesson…..

2011-05-12T21:07:00.002+01:00

In the recent days amongst the rather hectic and haphazard revision for the AlKauthar Students Guild exams I have learnt quite an important lesson from a rather noble individual. It can be summarised eloquently by the following statement:

‘Opportunities are found by those who look for them. The bee has a sting but honey too; so look at every negative and make a positive out of it.’

‘Life’s problems wouldn’t be called ‘hurdles’ if there wasn’t a way to get over them.’

For sometime now there has been a certain situation that remains unresolved in my life, and recent events have unfolded such that it has made me realise that the barrier to success and achieving what I desire has been put there by me. It is this realisation that has finally allowed me to relax a little and be free; up until now I had erected a fortress around myself due to my own fears, with the walls slowly being removed…its becoming easier to breathe again, alhumdolillah.

Searching......Forever......

2011-05-09T10:50:00.006+01:00

Overwhelming calmness incites me,

Simple wonders of life amaze me.

Endless blessings surround the one who ponders,

Glad tidings are hidden in the calamaties of life's meanders.

Wings soaring high above the sky free me,

Words in the books of scholars release me.

Winds carry the sweet musk of knowledge to those who seek it,

Who were once lost to their ignorance they could not reap it.

Oceans engulf me,

Streams carress me.

The language preserves the message once delivered,

To hearts that had time had greatly shrivelled.

Immense is the sea in which I swim,

My Lord has truly caused me to relive from within.

A Sociology Lesson From Surah Yusuf

2011-03-17T00:27:00.001Z

You can enrol HERE

Ahmed: The Repenter

2011-03-11T07:27:00.000Z

A few days ago a very sincere person shared with me an audio I would urge everyone to listen, especially the story of a brother named Ahmed. I will relate the story below; it is a story that has penetrated deep within my soul and I would like it to reach out to as many people as possible inshAllah. The story is related by a Sheikh from Riyadh:

“I was once out on business in one the neighbouring countries. The business required me only to remain there for a day; and the following morning I would have to return back to my homeland.

I completed my duty, and at night I went looking for a hotel to sleep in, so I entered one of the hotels and all of a sudden in front of me I found women and men upon one another with alcohol, laughter and shaytaan everywhere. When one of the muslim people saw me he said, ‘Ya Sheikh! What are you doing in such a place? This is not a place for you, go somewhere else.’

I said to him, ‘where am I to go? The night is coming and I don’t have anywhere to sleep.’

He said, ‘go! For you are not allowed to be here, it is not a place for you, I will not allow you to come in here.’

So I went and found a park and slept on one of the benches. When Fajr time came I went to the airport’s prayer room to pray my Fajr. After prayer I went to sleep because I was extremely tired.

After a few hours I woke up to a crying noise and in front of me I saw a man who was above the twenties and below the thirties (i.e. a young man) crying so deeply and heavily in his prayer like a mother who has just lost her child. So I said to myself that maybe this is one of those people who is full of eemaan and praying to Allah, so let him pray, and went back to sleep.

Just close to Dhur time somebody woke me up. I awoke to find that same man who was praying before; he started to wake me up saying strange words to me. His eyes were red and his face was pale as though he had not eaten or slept for days. He said to me words like this:

‘Ya Akhi, are you actually able to sleep? Are you actually able to sleep? As for me, I can not sleep even for a minute and there have been many days I have not been able to taste any food properly, I am in misery.’

I said, ‘Ya Akhi Aziz, let us pay, then InshAllah we will talk about your issue.’

(They then prayed and sat together for about half an hour)

The young man then said;

‘I am a many from Riyadh, and I come from a very wealthy and well known family, I am married and have children. Everything we ever needed has always been provided for us and because of this day to day routine and luxury I became bored and wanted to try something new, to have happiness, to have some entertainment. I could not have entertainment in my home land because I was known by everyone so I decided to go on a journey to a neighbouring country where I could be a stranger. So I came to this country that you and I are in and wallahi I did not intend to do anything haram, but rather just to enjoy myself with something new. So then I became acquainted to a group of people and day by day they began to take me to their entertainment until finally one day I came to know that one of them was a pimp who had women working for him. He introduced me to one of those women until days and nights passed and I found myself indulging in pure entertainment. All of a sudden my eemaan became weaker and weaker, because when i knew this woman, her sweet tongue, her sweet mouth, her sweet appearance, her lovely body, all began to lure me away and my nafs began to take over and my temptations began to play their role. Finally one day came when this woman grabbed my hand and she took me into a hotel and lured me into one of the rooms and we spent time in the room until finally I forgot my eemaan completely and fell upon her and committed zina with her, and when I went inside of her all of a sudden I felt a regret and a pain in my head. A voice said, ‘What have I done? I have committed zina, this is the first time I have committed zina, and penetrated the boundary of Allah, what am I supposed to do?’ I began to cry and got off the woman crying saying:

‘I have committed zina, and how I have committed it, what will I say to Allah? What will I say to Allah?’

I opened the door and ran outside and as I was about to exit the hotel, I met that pimp in front of my face and in his hand was a bottle of wine and he said; ‘why are you crying my friend?’

And I said to him, ‘I have committed zina, do you know what zina is?’

And he said, ‘The matter is simple, take a bottle of this wine and you will forget all your matters, take a bottle of this wine and become drunk and you will be released from that misery.’

I said, even after you have prevented me from the women of jannah, now you want to prevent me the wine of jannah?’

The pimp said, ‘Indeed, Allah is forgiving and merciful, don’t worry.’

And he had forgotten that Allah is also severe in His punishment.

I pushed the pimp aside and ran away, and I did not know what to do, and the only place I could think of was this prayer room that you and I are in, and to pray to Allah.

I wish they would have taken my wealth, I wish they could have taken everything I had and stole it rather than make me loose my eemaan. What am I to do now?’

I looked at him and did not know what to do and said, ‘Ya Akhi, all I know is one particular verse in the Quran and that it gives you hope, and I recited:

‘Say, to My servants who regret, ‘Do not loose hope in the Mercy of Allah, He forgives all sins and He is the Greatest Forgiver and the Most Merciful.’

The young man looked up and said, ‘Yes Allah is the Most Merciful and He forgives all sins, but as for me, Allah will forgive everyone else but he will not forgive me.’

The announcement then came for the plane to leave, so I took his number and said to him, ‘Let us meet later one inshAllah.’ I departed from him thinking that he will only be regretful like this for a few days or so and then he will start calming down and return back to his normal self.

A few days after reaching Riyadh, my friend called me an said, ‘I need to meet you immediately at the masjid.’ So I went to meet him and he said, ‘I have not come to meet you to say hello, I have come to meet you to say farewell.’ I said to him, ‘where are you going?’ and the young man said, ‘I come to bid you farewell and maybe if Allah SWT’s mercy reaches me I will meet you in jannah one day.’ So I said, ‘what are you thinking of? Are you a lunatic?’ So then he said, ‘No, I want to give myself in to the government so I may be stoned to death.’ So I grabbed hold of him tightly, afraid that he might leave, and I said, ‘My brother, are you crazy? You have a family, children, keep yourself unexposed, there is another way, Allah is Most Merciful, Most Forgiving.’ He said, ‘my wife and my children and wealth and all of that can not prevent me from hellfire, and I want to be safe from hellfire.’ I looked at him and did not know what else to say, so I grabbed his hand and said, ‘My brother, please I must ask you one request, but you must promise me that you will serve me with that request.’ The young man said, ‘Ask me anything you like, but do not ask me to give myself up.’ So I said, ‘OK, but you must shake my hand on it, and we shall go to the most learned Sheikh that you and I know in this country and we shall ask him about your situation and if he says give yourself in then I will personally take you there, but if he says no then you have to only obey.’ The young man agreed.

So we went to this eminent Sheikh and the eminent Sheikh told him not to give himself in and told him there is another way, Allah is forgiving and merciful. After a while this the young man began to call this eminent Sheikh day and night and began to annoy and disturb him with his telephone calls, and would say, ‘Ya Sheikh, fear Allah, I will be held upon your neck on the Day of Judgement, and I will say, ‘O my Lord! Indeed I wanted to give myself in, but this Sheikh is the one who prevented me, so punish him today.’ The Sheikh would repeatedly say to him that he has not given him this verdict except out of knowledge and out of evidence and proof. Finally the young man gave up on the Sheikh.

He called me asking to meet me again, and said that he came to farewell me one more time, I asked him where he was going this time and he replied that he was going to Hajj. I asked him to come with our group and he declined. So we went to hajj, on the first day of stoning when people gather the most, I looked around and all of a sudden I saw the young man in front of me and I called out, ‘Ya Ahmed, Ya Ahmed!’ with excitement, Ahmed looked at me and ran away from me and I wondered what changed his heart upon me, I called him and he ran away from me.

So then I came back from hajj and I called my friend Ahmed and I asked him why he ran away from me, I asked him whether I had done something wrong to him. He reassured me that I had not, and said that he was too busy asking Allah to forgive him, then he said,

‘You are pure people and I am an impure man, do you want me to be amongst you so that I can impurify your pure gathering? Is this what you wanted from me? My dear brother, what gave me hope whilst being in hajj was when I was looking at all the people, and I would say, ‘Ya Rabb, maybe you will forgive me because of the purity of all the millions of people I see in front of me.’ And sometimes I would say, ‘Ya Rabb, I fear that you may not accept the hajj of all these people because I am amongst them.’

Days and months passed and Ahmed memorised the entire Quran and started to fast on alternate days and he began to pray all his prayers in congregation in the masjid and never missed out on a single takbir of the muadhin. This was his state, devoting himself to Allah and praying day and night for Allah to forgive him and never was he the same again.

One day a glorious, eminent Sheikh was visiting my city and gave the most glorious and magnificent speech. So I went to this Sheikh and mentioned the story of Ahmed that maybe he has a solution for me. This Sheikh said a verse from the Quran which I could not believe I had missed, in it was the solution and the key:

‘Those who do not call partners upon Allah, And those who do not kill anther soul except in right, and those who never commit zina, and whoever does any of these things they will surely meet a terrible wrath on the Day of Judgement and they will have surely sinned, and he will be entered into hellfire deep, except he who repents, and then believes, and then follows it up with good deeds, for those Allah will exchange their bad deeds for good deeds and Allah is oft forgiving, most merciful.’

I could not wait to go to Ahmed and I found him leaning against the mimbar reciting the Quran, I opened the door and told him about the beautiful news I have for him and began to recite that same verse for him in a beautiful. melodious voice. As soon as I finished this verse, Ahmed jumped up and hugged me so tightly and he kissed me on my forehead and cried and said, ‘Wallahi, akhi you have opened the greatest door for me today, I have recited the whole Quran and it is as if I have heard this for the first time in my life.’

That night the imam of the masjid was away and Ahmed was to lead the prayer, and he recited this verse until he got to ‘…….except he who repents….’ and could not complete the verse and began to cry and tried again but still could not complete it, so he went into sujud and stood for the second rakah and again tried to complete the verse but could not do so and completed the maghrib prayer.

Then some time passed and I did not hear from Ahmed for a while, when one day I received a very strange phone call which was from the father of Ahmed. He told me that he had some important news for me. So I went to his house and knocked on the door and the father opened the door. As soon as he saw me he burst into tears and started to hug me, I held onto him and told him to calm down and be patient and tell me what the matter was. The old man said that Ahmed had left the world and has gone to Allah, he said, ‘the reason I have called you is as he was dying he was mentioning your name, and he was saying to me, ‘give my salam to the sheikh, give my salam to the sheikh.’

I didn’t know what to do, to cry along with the father or to try to calm him down, so I became nervous and cried with him. So I entered the house and entered the bedroom (where Ahmed’s body was) and the room was smelling with fragrance, I took the sheet of his face and as soon as I looked at his face I did not see a dead face, I did not see a face that was miserable, I did not see a face I was used to before, I saw a face that was filled with noor and he had a partial smile on his face, so I kissed his cheek and my tears fell on his cheek and i said, ‘Ya Ahmed, now die in peace, glorious is what you have done, O Allah, forgive Ahmed.’

I went back into the other room and sat with his father and his father said,

‘last night it was maghrib prayer, we prayed together in the masjid, and we were fasting together and I said to Ahmed after the prayer come and break your fast with us (i.e. eat with us), Ahmed said he did not want to leave the masjid as he felt a wonderfully peculiar feeling in his heart. So we came back home and waited for our son Ahmed. An hour passed by and Ahmed didn’t come home and a strange pain struck me in my heart so I asked Ahmed’s younger (ten year old) brother to go and call Ahmed. So he went, but as soon as he went to the masjid he returned back crying saying ‘my father, my father, Ahmed is not talking to me.’ So I raced to the masjid and as i entered inside I found Ahmed reclining on the steps of the mimbar as he usually does, and he was breathing heavily. I placed his head on my lap and he was reciting the Quran and on his face was a beautiful smile and tears and he began to say some words so I came close to him to understand what he was saying, as his soul was departing he was mentioning your name, ‘Sheikh Ahmed, Sheikh Ahmed, give my salam to him, give my salam to him.’ Whilst he was in my arms all of a sudden his voice changed completely into the most melodious voice I have ever heard from him and his voice became to say some words that made me shiver and made me cry even more, and he began to recite:

When he completed this ayah, his soul escaped his body, and it escaped to Allah subhanahu wa’tala.

When my son went on his journey after that he was never the same, can you please tell me what was the issue?’

I said that I had promised him not to tell anyone, I said, ‘On his journey he lost a very close companion to him, he lost his eemaan, like Yusuf (alayhis salam) the darkness of the dungeons became more beloved to him.’ “

http://www.kalamullah.com/bilal-assad.html

If you go to this site the second talk down entitled "Ahmad The Repenter" is the one related here, below the short summary of this talk is the word "download" if one were to right click and 'save as' this will enable them to download this gem.

The End……..

2011-03-07T18:59:00.000Z

Effortlessly it indulges,

Passionately it submerges;

Longingly it caresses,

Invitingly it suppresses;

Desires it destroys,

One lost in the world it annoys;

Silently it arrives,

Souls cease to drive;

Towards untamed lusts,

As the plans it interrupts;

Legacies are left,

Only by those who have kept,

Aloft of fantasies sublime,

To pass through time;

Greatness awaits,

For hearts that participate;

In deeds of goodness,

The souls that do harness;

An undeniable end,

To all does it send.

As Time Passes By……

2011-03-06T16:52:00.000Z

It has been a rather long time since I have put in a worthwhile entry…..So much has happened over the many months that have passed, so much has changed since last year.

From a world perspective there seems to be a huge surge of change in the Middle East, indeed may Allah azza wa jal increase the unity in the Ummah and may He bring much needed peace to humanity, ameen.

It seems that the shackles of dictatorship are finally coming to an end and people are uniting and standing up against regimes unfit to govern.

On a personal front….well….still searching for someone who is willing to share a loving and caring home with my son and I. I often go through moments of highs and lows, the road sometimes feels never-ending and steep, I pray that Allah gives me the patience I need to persevere and continue in my search. Sometimes it feels like it will never happen, and then a small glimmer of hope through a kind word from a friend or the actions of others. Occasionally there is an empty feeling, not from a spiritual sense, but rather due to being without a companion to share life's ups and downs with.

And in amongst the emotional whirlwind I have a son who is growing up much too quickly for me to keep up (I say this with a smile on my face and a giggle); My studies as an AlKauthar Student Guild member…and currently the lack of pledges for the all important Mercy Mission iBelieve campaign…..

Grey hairs are appearing far quicker than I dare to think…may now be time that I think about colouring it…..seems like the aging process is finally setting in….yet I feel as if life itself has only just started! Indeed soon enough this life too will end….so I wonder…what sort of legacy will I be leaving behind, surely something we all need to ponder over.

An Epic Journey

2011-03-05T16:33:00.001Z

Enrol HERE

Time Out

2011-03-05T16:24:00.001Z

Firstly apologies for the HUGE break in blogging….I have been rather busy and have been caught up in a whirlwind like schedule recently…but now that I have found my feet InshAllah I will start writing again.

In the mean time please log on to www.ibelieve.mercymissionworld.com and help us to help others inshAllah….

Will write more about iBelieve very soon….

Manhaj As-Saalikeen: FREE Online Seminar

2010-07-13T23:00:00.001+01:00

Knowledge International University
Presents:

A Comprehensive explanation of the "Book of Worship" from Imam As-Sa'di's "Manhaj As-Saalikeen".

An excellent FREE and essential online course open to all.

The University is pleased to announce that this course will be made freely available to all participants.

Furthermore, all registering students will be provided with translated course material and the opportunity to sit a series of examinations. Successful students will receive a KIU course certification. Registration is also free of charge.

Taught by the esteemed Sheikh, Dr Sa'ad Ash-Shithry, founder of the KIU and former member of Saudi Arabia's Council of Senior Scholars.
Translated live into English by brother Abu 'Abdillah, Sajid Ahmed 'Umar, graduate from the Faculty of Shari'ah, Imam Muhammad bin Sa'ud Islamic University, Riyadh.

Read more HERE

Purification Of The Soul

2010-06-04T00:44:00.000+01:00

Let Us Contemplate………

2010-06-01T01:53:00.000+01:00

مَنْ عَمِلَ صَالِحًا مِّن ذَكَرٍ أَوْ أُنثَى وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ فَلَنُحْيِيَنَّهُ حَيَاةً طَيِّبَةً

وَلَنَجْزِيَنَّهُمْ أَجْرَهُم بِأَحْسَنِ مَا كَانُواْ يَعْمَلُونَ

Surah Al Nahl: 97: Whoever does righteousness, whether male or female, while he is a believer - We will surely cause him to live a good life, and We will surely give them their reward [in the Hereafter] according to the best of what they used to do.

Surah Al Nahl is a Meccan Surah. Within it are numerous discussions of Allah's bounties and blessings upon man. As humans we too often show ingratitude towards Allah's creation because we have taken them for granted. Let us take the time to at least show respect that is due to His creation, to at least acknowledge that the gratitude should be towards Him for bestowing upon us these numerous favours that we often forget yet totally rely on for our own progression through life.

Men and Women although very different, in regards to doing any deed are equal, ya'ani if a woman does a good deed she will be rewarded no differently from a man, and likewise if a sin is committed then regardless of the gender the punishment delivered will also be equal.

The only difference is regards to men and women in this respect will come about through our actions. We will only exceed one another by our level of piety, and this is also true when within the same gender. It is only our level of piety that will differentiate us from others.

Indeed why not compete with one another to please Allah? Surely we should grasp this limited life with both hands to do all that we can according to the Book of Allah and the way of His Prophet (saw) in order to seek the pleasure of our Creator. We should endeavour to make all our daily actions to please Him, our time on earth is so limited, yet we all waste so much precious time wondering about in life not taking heed of its purpose.

We should strive and struggle to emulate (by imitating & implementing) the Sunnah of the Prophet (saw); after all his actions are the complete definition and detailed description of how to achieve contentment and happiness of the soul, not just in this world but also in the akhira.

Knowing that the Quran & Sunnah is the key to success surely should be enough motivation to seek knowledge, and more importantly to implement the little we do learn every day.

And within the definition of a believer is that which is aforementioned; The one who wholeheartedly believes in tawhid in all its aspects (al rububiyaah, in al asmaa' was sifaat and al ibadaah) & accepts that the prophet Muhammad (saw) was the last and final messenger sent by Allah to mankind. Thus it is this believer who will have true tranquility within his short worldy life and true everlasting pleasure in the akhira.

a few POW from the verse... [By Sheikh Sajid Ahmed Umar]

This verse is indeed criteria for one and all, as we are all looking for the 'goodly life'.

There is nobody within this forum or in the world that actually spends their lives searching for misery and depression.

However, the sad reality is that depression is an aspect not foreign to many of us...

Just look at the percentages of people that used the famous drug called PROZAC! and other similar products out there...

Allah Almighty in this verse teaches us that the 'goodly life' lives (not exists) in doing GOOD DEEDS!

...not in financial standing or material well-being...but GOOD DEEDS.
Fortunately- we are all looking for a life of ecstasy and resilience, but unfortunately, have gone wrong with the manners we use to achieve these phenomenons.

Dear reader...if you thought that happiness was in wealth, then understand that our beloved Prophet (SAW) was not known for his wealth- but he was the most happiest and content!!

I have been fortunate enough to travel into remote parts of Africa, and witness people of poverty enjoying the most deepest of sleeps- and have met with people of wealth in the middle east suffering from their inability to sleep...

The lesson...Wealth never brought happiness- It may have helped in achieving a portion of happiness, but never made anyone achieve happiness as a whole!

Allah Almighty has taught us in this verse, that happiness and the 'goodly life' is not for a select few in society...but for every believer, as the cost of having a content life is something accessible to us all- and that is in doing good deeds.

Allahumma lakal hamd!

May Allah Almighty grant us this understanding...
We also learn from the verse the presence of equality between the genders in the realm off doing good deeds...
Yet another point is shared that the condition for having a good life is IMAAN! So glad tidings upon the believers...
And last but not least- we learn that treasure of doing good deeds is not specific to this world! but the hereafter too!

Allahu Akbar!

These points should make us glorify Allah Almighty, and understand further how merciful He is upon His creation!
So take heed O people of understanding...and do good deeds!
Until my next post, May Allah love you all always, and grant us all the understanding,
And Allah knows best.

[see AlKauthar Forums]

See What I See………

2010-05-31T01:43:00.000+01:00

You feel lost, desperately seeking;

The pain, the anguish a wound deepening;

The sadness fills you, surrounds you, is destroying you;

Why don’t you feel what I feel? What I see is true;

See from my eyes like I see from yours;

Release your wings so that above the sky you may soar;

The key is within your heart, your soul;

Why don’t you feel what I feel? What I see is freedom;

Crying silently, yet you fail to fathom;

Liberation is within life's delicate embrasures;

Your world is crushed by the violent waves;

Why don’t you feel what I feel? What I see is mercy;

Learn to struggle, learn to walk again my friend;

The Mercy from above He will send;

Intricacies are part of your tale;

Why don’t you feel what I feel? What I see is not frail;

The past haunts you, let go, be free;

Your Creator will heal your wounds you shall see;

Don’t run away, run towards instead;

Why don’t you feel what I feel? What I see is a beautiful patience ahead;

Why don’t you feel what I feel? What I see is what you fear to see;

Why don’t you feel what I feel? What I see is what you will see.

Contemplation………..

2010-05-30T02:11:00.001+01:00

Imam Ahmad b. Hanbal said, “Zuhd is of three levels. The first is abstaining from the unlawful, and this is the zuhd of the common folk. The second is to abstain from the lawful things that are beyond one’s need, and this is the zuhd of the elite. The third is to abstain from that which distracts one from Allāh, and this is the zuhd of the sages.” [Madarij al-Salikin]

[Taken from Purely Islam!]

For The Wounded Hearts……..

2010-05-30T01:13:00.000+01:00

مَآ أَصَابَ مِن مُّصِيبَةٍ فِى الاٌّرْضِ وَلاَ فِى أَنفُسِكُم إِلاَّ فِى كِتَـبٍ مِّن قَبْلِ أَن نَّبْرَأَهَآ

No calamity occurs on the earth nor in yourselves, but it is inscribed in the Book of Decrees before We bring it into existence. [Surah Al Hadid: 22-23]

[This post is firstly a reminder to myself and then to those who are dear to me, those who are close to my heart who are being tried and tested in the most difficult way. Remember my dear brothers and sisters Allah tests those whom He loves dearly. Let these words console your wounded hearts.]

How true this is can not be expressed except by the words of Allah Azza Wa Jal. Why certain things happen is beyond our comprehension, we can not even fathom why certain good fortune or misfortune befalls us; our knowledge is very limited, we are finite beings, and Allahs knowledge is incomparable, unrestricted and beyond imaginable, we can not encompass it or explain it by any language we know because it is beyond human comprehension. It is for this reason we so often become easily frustrated and annoyed when things don't work out according to our own plan, and we too often forget that although we plan, Allah also plans and that He is the best of planners. What is decreed will be and to accept that with a smile and say alhumdolillah is more befitting of the pious and righteous slave of Allah.

I am beginning to believe that it is our lack of understanding of what Allah has sent in His revelations to mankind that often leads us to becoming 'stressed' I think if we could remember just this verse the stress would disappear faster than it arrived. Stress has more negative effects than positive, it is more often than not associated with those aspects of life that do not develop according to our own whims, desires and worldly goals and plans; and soon we feel apprehension, nervousness, feelings of unease; we start to wonder about the 'what if's' and whether we should have done 'xyz' in order to make our failing plan successful, we start to wonder what we could do to execute that which we have planned for so long....

All these thoughts start to consume us until we forget to step back and think and pause for a moment that maybe what has happened is the BEST for us, and that what has happened has been decreed by the One who has created us, who cares far more about our well being than we do ourselves......

Month Of Mercy: Coming: MID 2010

2010-05-21T00:14:00.000+01:00

Journey Of The Hearts: COMING: 2010

2010-04-02T00:11:00.000+01:00

An Epic Journey

2010-03-20T20:13:00.001Z

Joseph said to his father, 'Father, I dreamed of eleven stars and the sun and the moon: I saw them all bow down before me....' (Surah Yusuf:4)

From Palestine to Egypt; From slavery to governance; From a lost boy to a man reunited:

Travel back in time and trace the footsteps of the Prophet Yusuf (alayhis salam)

Don't miss Sheikh Sajid Ahmed Umar's debut AlKauthar course in Manchester this coming April

ENROL HERE

An Epic Journey……

2010-03-18T22:42:00.001Z

Chronicles Of The Shariah

2010-03-08T23:02:00.000Z

To enrol click HERE

Let Us Raise Our Hands And Supplicate:

2010-03-07T22:50:00.000Z

‘O Allah, i seek refuge in you from associating partners with you knowingly, and seek forgiveness from you if i have done it unknowingly’

Let Us Purify Our Intentions For Seeking Knowledge:

2010-03-06T22:48:00.000Z

Rejection Of Righteous Deeds

2010-03-05T22:43:00.000Z

Dreading the Rejection of Righteous Actions
Written by Farid Haibatan
Monday, 22 February 2010

This article is part of a free translation of al-Iftqar ila Allah, Lubb al-'Ubudiyyah by Ahmad al-Suwayan. Following on from a previous article, the apprehension we should have of our actions being accepted by Allah.

All the while a believer strives to be obedient and continually draw closer to Allāh through the many acts of devotion, he still fears greatly for himself; apprehensive of not being accepted. ‘Ᾱ’ishah, may Allāh be pleased with her, said, ‘I questioned Allāh’s Messenger about the āyah, “And they who give what they give while their hearts are fearful...” [1] Are they the ones who consume wine and steal? He replied, ‘No O’ daughter of al-Ṣiddīq, but they are the ones who fast, pray and give in charity all the while they fear their actions will not be accepted; they are the ones who compete with one another to perform good deeds.’[2] The accomplishment of these remarkable acts of worship does not permit them to rely on their efforts or boast of it before their Lord. On the contrary, their acts of devotion improve and they express an utter need for the merciful clemency of their Lord; their hearts are filled with dread and consternation, worrying (Allah forbid) that their actions will be cast back unto them. These servants raise their palms in supplication and turn to Allāh asking Him to accept their endeavours.

Consider the incident when ‘Abdullāh Ibn ‘Abbas came to ‘Ᾱ’ishah on her deathbed, may Allāh be pleased with her, and sat beside her telling her to be joyful. He said, ‘The only matter preventing you from meeting Muhammad and beloved ones is for your soul to leave your body; you were the most beloved woman of all to the Messenger of Allāh and Allāh’s Messenger only use to love that which was good.’ He reminded her of her many virtues including the fact that when she was slandered, she was exonerated with the very words of the Qur’an and that this would be recited in every mosque day and night. How did ‘Ā’ishah respond to this praise, which was after all true and fitting? Did she rely upon her deeds and remain content with her state? Not at all, for when ‘Abdullāh Ibn al-Zubayr visited her later on, she said to him, ‘Ibn ‘Abbas came earlier and praised me, I wish I were something forgotten and unmentioned!’[3]

Al-Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Ḥajar observed, ‘This plea is the norm of pious persons because of the grave trepidation they feel for themselves.’[4] The reality of fearing the rejection of one’s actions is grasped and put into practice through observing the following four matters:

1.To fully realise that Allāh has no need for the righteous deeds of His slaves;
2.To realise that actions are accepted by Allāh’s bounty and mercy;
3.To recognise that any achievement is the result of Allāh’s favour anyway;
4.To never be complacent and feel protected from trial and tribulation.

Allah the Most High has need neither for His slaves nor their devotion or obedience; Allāh says, ‘...And whoever is grateful is grateful for (the benefit of) himself. And whoever denies (His favour) – then indeed, Allāh is rich (free of need), praiseworthy’[5],

‘If you disbelieve – indeed, Allāh is free from need of you. And He does not approve for His servants disbelief...’[6],

‘And Moses said, ‘If you should disbelieve, you and whoever is on the earth entirely – indeed, Allāh is rich (free of need), praiseworthy”.’[7]

Allāh the Most High also says (as found in the Qudsī ḥadīth), ‘...O My servants, you will not attain harming Me so as to harm Me, and you will not attain benefiting Me so as to benefit Me. O My servants, were the first of you and the last of you, the human of you and the jinn of you to be as pious as the most pious heart of any one man of you, that would not increase My kingdom in anything. O My servants, were the first of you and the last of you, the human of you and the jinn of you to be as wicked as the most wicked heart of any one man of you, that would not decrease My kingdom in anything. O My servants, were the first of you and the last of you, the human of you and the jinn of you to rise up in one place and make a request of Me, and were I to give everyone what he requested, that would not decrease what I have, any more than a needle decreases the sea if put into it...’[8]

Qatādah and others have mentioned that Allāh the Most High neither obligated His slaves out of any need nor did He prohibit them from other matters out of miserliness, but He enjoined upon them matters that would constitute their betterment and forbade them from what would cause their ruin.[9]

The fact that it is only through Allāh’s bounty and mercy that one’s actions are accepted is borne by the Prophet’s heartfelt admission, ‘By Allāh, I do not know even though I am Allāh’s Messenger as to what will be my end nor all of yours.’[10]

If this is the fate of the finest being of humanity, may Allāh praise him and send peace and blessings upon him, what of the rest of us? The reality of our weakness and inability is further cemented when reading the Prophet’s words, ‘No one of you will be saved by his actions.’ They asked, ‘Not even you O Messenger of Allāh?’ He replied, ‘Not even me, unless Allāh encompasses me with His mercy.’[11] This magnifies one’s need for Allāh and strengthens the case for the need to implore Him fervently, and it puts a stop to being presumptuous and amazed at one’s efforts and deeds. Ibn Al-Qayyim said, ‘The more you witness the reality of lordship and servitude, knowing Allāh and your own self, and realise that what you have to offer is not befitting for the True King even if you were to produce the efforts of all of humankind and the jinn, you will dread the outcome before Him. He accepts deeds only because of His magnanimity, generosity and grace, and likewise, He rewards you for them only because of His magnanimity, generosity and grace.’[12] As the servant continues to develop this awareness, the greatness of His Lord will become paramount to him and at the same time he will succumb and recognise his own worthlessness.

The Prophet nurtured his Companions, may Allah be pleased with him, in this manner; we find their most noble and greatest in rank, Abu Bakr al-Ṣiddīq, asking the Prophet, ‘Teach me a supplication I can plead with in my prayer’. The Prophet knew his companion the most and nonetheless he taught him to beg,

‘O Allāh, I have indeed oppressed my soul excessively and none can forgive sin except You, so forgive me a forgiveness from Yourself and have mercy upon me. Surely, You are The Most-Forgiving, The Most-Merciful.’[13]

This is a divine nurturing that restricts the transcending of the slave and instead keeps him in the constant need of his Lord and forever in a lowly state before Him. If this is the counsel of the Prophet to Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, who holds such a position in leadership; nobility; jihād and support for His religion; and defence of His Prophet, what is our situation considering that we are the sinners and those who squander (may Allāh afford us safety and security)? Is it not amazing that ‘Umar Ibn al-Khaṭṭāb, may Allah be pleased with him, would fear being a hypocrite though he was given the epithet, al-Fārūq (the one who distinguished truth from falsehood), as well as having received glad tidings of paradise? The reason for this is that the more a person expresses servitude and need for his Lord, the more will be his disdain for his self, the greater the fear for it, and greater the attachment of the heart to its Lord. Al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī said, ‘It, i.e. hypocrisy, is only feared by a believer and only a hypocrite feels secure from it.’[14] Al-Ja‘d Abū ‘Uthmān asked Abū Rajā’ al-‘Aṭāridī, ‘Of the Companions of Allāh’s Messenger you met, did any of them fear hypocrisy?’ He replied, ‘Yes, I met by the praise of Allāh a good number of them, yes, severely, yes, severely.’[15] Ibn Abī Malīkah said, ‘I met thirty Companions of Allāh’s Messenger, all of them were fearing hypocrisy of the self; not a single one of them would contend that he had the faith of Jibrīl and Mīkā’īl.’[16] Ibn Ḥajar mentioned, ‘Some of the exalted Companions Ibn Abī Malīkah met were ‘Ᾱ’ishah, her sister, Asmā’, the four ‘Abdullāhs,[17] Abū Hurayrah, ‘Uqbah Ibn al-Ḥārith, al-Miswar Ibn Makhramah...and he stated that they used to fear hypocrisy in their deeds and nothing different to this has been related on other Companions so it is as if this a consensus (of their state)...’ Ibn Rajab al-Ḥanbalī said, ‘The Companions and those after them from amongst the pious predecessors used to fear hypocrisy and they would fret and be very anxious about this; the believer fears minor hypocrisy and he fears that this would overcome him near his end which would take him into major hypocrisy, similar to what has been aforementioned – that the subtle scheming nature of iniquity results in an evil end.’[18]

Notes:
[1] Sūrah al-Mu’minūn 23:60
[2] Aḥmad, 42/156, 456, (no. 25263, 25705), al-Tirmidhī, 5/327, (no. 3175) and Ibn Mājah, 2/1404, (no. 4198)
[3] Aḥmad, 4/298, (no. 2496) and al-Bukhārī, 8/482-483, (no. 4753)
[4] Fatḥ al-Bāri’, 8/484.
[5] Sūrah Luqmān 31:12
[6] Sūrah al-Zumar 39:12
[7] Sūrah Ibrāhīm 14:8
[8] Muslim, 4/1955, (no.2577)
[9] Qā‘idah fī al-Maḥabbah, pg. 255
[10] Al-Bukhārī, 3/114, (no. 1243) and 12/410, (no. 7018)
[11] Al-Bukhārī, 11/294, (no. 6463) and Muslim, 4/2169, (no. 2816)
[12] Madārij al-Sālikīn, 1/172
[13] Al-Bukhārī, 2/317, (no. 834) and Muslim, 2/2078, (no. 2075)
[14] Al-Bukhārī, 1/109
[15] Ḥilyah al-Awliyā’, 2/307
[16] Al-Bukhārī, 1/109
[17] They are the four Companions: ‘Abdullāh Ibn ‘Abbās, ‘Abdullāh Ibn al-Zubayr, ‘Abdullāh Ibn ‘Amr Ibn al-‘Ᾱs and ‘Abdullāh Ibn ‘Umar Ibn al-Khaṭṭāb, may Allah be pleased with them all.
[18] Jami‘ al-‘Ulūm wa al-Ḥikam, 1/117

What Happens To The Body When The Soul Departs:

2010-03-04T22:25:00.000Z

Please note- This video is not showing the soul leaving the body, as the soul is something that is not seen. However it shows what happens to your body temperature, as the soul leaves, proving that the soul starts being removed from our feet, as taught to us in the Sunnah, And Allah knows best.

تصوير بالأشعة يوضح نزع روح إنسان ( فيديو نادر )

يظهر في هذا المقطع لحظة نزع روح انسان ..

Below is a recording at the moment the spirit leaves the body ..

حيث تم التصوير باستخدام الأشعة ..

It was filmed using x-rays..

و الأشعة تبين أماكن الحرارة و البرودة ..

It shows the change in temperature of heat and cold ..

إذ أن جسم الإنسان يبرد بعد نزع الروح ..

showing the human body cools after removing the soul ..

فاللهم إنّا نسألك حسن الخاتمة ..

رابط المشاهدة

video link

http://www.mashahd.net/video/63426

For The Student Of Knowledge: Part 14

2010-03-03T22:20:00.001Z

Put into effect Patience

Seeking knowledge requires time, sacrifice and effort! Allah says in Soorah Hood, Verse 49:

‘This is the news of the unseen we reveal to you Oh Muhammed (SAW); neither you nor your people knew it before this. So be patient. Surely a good end awaits the pious’

Patience also necessitates restraining oneself from passing out one’s views regarding the commands of Allah (SWT), and passing Islamic rulings with haste. How common is this nowadays!? May Allah save us all. Ameen.

Allah says in Soorah Taa-Haa, Verse 114:

’Then high above all be Allah, the true King. And be not in haste with the Qur’an before its revelation is completed to you Oh Muhammed (SAW), and say: “My Lord! Increase me in knowledge.”

Respect for our Ulamaa'...

Reverence of the Ulamaa' is essential as they were integral to Islamic knowledge being passed on from past generations. Engaging in paltry conversations regarding them is deeply disrespectful and becomes an obstacle to one’s own progress in gaining knowledge.
Give the Ulamaa their due. Never ask a question to test them! And when they speak, listen attentively. Avoid calling them by their names, but instead call out saying ‘our teacher’ as this is more polite.

Nonetheless, whilst it’s relevant to give them their due; it is also important not to over do! It should be understood that none of us are free from making mistakes! The only human being free of that was our beloved Prophet (SAW), the other Messengers of Allah (SAW) and the Angels. Rasoolullah (SAW) said:

‘All the children of Adam make mistakes, and the best of those who make mistakes are the ones who repent’
(at-Tirmithi)- (Weakness regarding this Hadith’s chain of narrators is apparent, however some of the Muhaqqiqoon (correctors and revisers) have ruled the hadith to be HASAN (good and acceptable), and Allah knows best).

It should be noted though, that any questioning of one’s teachers in the event they do err; must be done with utmost respect and humbleness, and with a pure intention of learning. If our teacher does make a mistake; it is disrespectful for us to spread this mistake.

May Allah Almighty allow us to understand the importance of our Ulamaa', and bless us with the ability to inculcate this grand attribute within our children. Ameen

Written By Sheikh Sajid Ahmed Umar: AlKauthar Forum

The Messenger Was Born

2010-02-27T05:00:00.000Z

A beautiful post by AE Niamatullah of the UK....

His prose reminds us all of some realities we seem to have forgotten..

The Messenger Was Born: Posted by Abu Eesa

At a time when many Muslims will be debating the definitions of bid‘ah and the condemnation of people based upon whether they don’t celebrate the ‘Eed Milād’l-Nabi or do, where some will find excuse to mix and party and others will find reason to have a quiet reflective moment, perhaps it would be pertinent to remind ourselves exactly what this debate is all really about.

The blessed Prophet and Messenger Sayyidina Muhammad (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was understood to have been born in the early half of the current month Rabī’l-Awwal in the year 570 or 571 CE. There is not a single piece of evidence that categorically establishes the exact date of birth and indeed this was never an issue for the early scholars due to their lack of celebrating the particular birthday of the Prophet (‘alayhi-salātullāh). As one of my teachers used to say, “Why do people find this strange? I was born in the 20th Century and my family still have no idea when I was born, not even the year!”

What is known for sure though is that the Prophet (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was born on a Monday and is indeed perhaps one of the reasons he fasted on a Monday as he (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) stated and as collected in Sahīh Muslim. We likewise fast on Mondays in celebration of his Sunnah.

Yet within the discussion surrounding the birth of the Prophet, many people don’t get further than either the fact that we simply fast on a Monday as a result of it or on the other side, hold celebratory functions in which devotional songs are recited. Perhaps both parties would do well to not miss the wood for the trees and reflect upon an individual who simply cannot be reduced to a Mawlid gathering or a chain email warning of deathly innovation.Thus let us start and look at who then was born that great day!

The Description of the Prophet (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam)

Physically speaking, the Prophet Muhammad (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was the most handsome of people. He was of medium height, not too tall and not too short, of medium build, of white going slightly red-brown skin colour, with a completely full head of shiny black slightly curly hair that would reach to his shoulders at its longest, hair which was sometimes dyed slightly red and/or yellow, a taut neck, an extended black thick beard with a few white hairs, firm un-raised cheeks, a fine slender nose, wide white eyes with a slight reddish tinge with strikingly black pupils, a flat chest and stomach, well-statured, thick heavy hands with slightly long fingers, very soft palms, smooth large feet, no excess fat or flesh on the heels, and a gait of one leaning slightly forward when he walked. May Allah jalla wa ‘alā bless and bestow peace upon him.

He had a large back, broad shoulders, in between which slightly to the left one could see the Seal of Prophethood – a slightly raised piece of skin with a small grouping of hair. May Allah jalla wa ‘alā bless and bestow peace upon him.

When he met people, he would turn his whole body to meet them. He was the first to greet people, having a wide smile, with a face that was immersed in blessed light that shone and radiated like a bright moon. He had a firm handshake which he would not let go of until the other person let go yet at the same time was so gentle that if a small girl was to take his hand and lead him around the town, he would follow in tow. It was difficult for people to compose themselves in his presence due to the sheer awe of his countenance and the shock of how handsome he was. His gravitas and presence was such that despite his medium height, he seemed taller than those surrounding him. May Allah jalla wa ‘alā bless and bestow peace upon him.

He would love to wear cotton shirts, some similar to a thawb, short and long but never below the ankles, sometimes short-sleeved so that one could see his white clean arm-pits and sometimes long to his wrists. He disliked woollen garments except for the occasional use of a woollen over-garment, mostly white yet sometimes colourful garments particularly striped, sometimes red-striped, but never wore anything saffron in colour. He would wear a turban, sometimes a two-piece outfit with a sarong type lower garment, and would accept and wear the clothes of foreigners given to him as a gift. May Allah jalla wa ‘alā bless and bestow peace upon him.

The Demeanour of the Prophet (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam)

He was always cheerful, of mild temperament and easy going, yet at the same time reflective and would spend much of his time looking down at the ground in contemplation. When he spoke, those sitting around him were so still that it seemed that birds were perched on their heads. When he fell silent, they talked but never argued in his presence. May Allah jalla wa ‘alā bless and bestow peace upon him.

He was neither rude nor coarse and did not shout or utter obscenities. His did not find fault with others nor lavishly praise them. He did not interrupt another’s speech. He would interact with those who sat with him in the best of ways: he would never frown at them, treat them harshly or turn away from them, he would not point out slips of the tongue nor reprimand one for any coarseness in speech or the likes, and he would make excuses for them as much as possible. Whoever mixed with him would think that he was the most beloved person to him due to the attention he received, his kindness and the sincere advice he was given. May Allah jalla wa ‘alā bless and bestow peace upon him.

He would honour the leader of every people and put them in charge of their affairs. He would show respect to the people of nobility and excellence and he would divide his time amongst them in accordance to their religiosity, yet there wasn’t a soul who felt they were not able to approach him due to his humility and welcoming nature. He gave everyone who sat with him his due share such that none thought that another was more honoured than he. If any person sat with him or near him to ask of him, he was tolerant and remained so until that person himself turned away. When someone asked him for something he needed, he either departed with it or with some consoling words. He had the kindest and best behaviour of all people, being like a father to them. May Allah jalla wa ‘alā bless and bestow peace upon him.

He was easy going, soft, close to people, he answered the calls of those who called him, judged those who required judgment, fulfilled the need of those who asked of him – never preventing them from asking him and never letting them go disappointed or empty handed. When his Companions desired a matter from him, he would agree with them and follow them; if he determined to do something, he would consult them. He would accept their good from them and overlook their mistakes. May Allah jalla wa ‘alā bless and bestow peace upon him.

He was the most truthful of people, the most honourable. The people of the earth fought him, employing all means at their disposal yet none of them ever accused him of lying. His friends and foes alike would not describe him except as the most gentle, generous and empowering individual to walk the face of the Earth. May Allah jalla wa ‘alā bless and bestow peace upon him.

His generosity did not come about through effort, neither was it hard upon him, rather it naturally arose due to the purity of his soul and gentleness of spirit. He had the most giving of hearts by virtue of the righteousness of his spirit and the great good contained therein. Kindness would pour out of his heart for it was enveloped in every beautiful moral and in every excellence.

It is sufficient to end with the fact that the very greatest and noblest of people would all say about the Prophet Muhammad, “I have never seen anyone, before him or after him, who was comparable to him.” May Allah jalla wa ‘alā bless and bestow peace upon him.

The Right of the Prophet (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam)

Allah jalla wa ‘alā sent him as a Prophet and a Messenger to the entirety of the worlds of Jinn and Man. He was sent as nothing but a Mercy to these worlds, one blessed with wisdom and guidance, with a criterion to establish right from wrong, truth from falsehood, and to bring the people from darkness into light.

He was sent as a favour to mankind, and was sent to be followed. He was sent to be emulated and loved, to become more beloved to us than our parents and our children, even more than our own souls. It is in his cause that we are asked to sacrifice throughout our life for, and it is through his praise that we will attain the true success in this world and the Hereafter, by ultimately achieving the love of the Divine Himself.

It is his Sunnah that we study, revise, memorise and implement. We then internalise it, promote it, then teach it, defend it, protect it and die for it. At this moment then, let us revive his Sunnah by not indulging in actions contrary to it, but by reflecting on the magnificence of the one who came with it and his attempts to keep the people straight upon its path. Let us reflect upon the actions of those supreme Companions whom Allah Himself is Happy with, and the way that acted upon this Sunnah and the way they remembered their guide and master and celebrated his coming.

The Messenger was born and the world became illuminated as a result of that birth. Let us celebrate, not on the 8th, not on the 12th, not this month, and not even this year, but rather every single living moment of our lives as we now start to realise that we have been blessed beyond our wildest imagination to have even known of this great man: our master and leader, Sayyidina Muhammad. May Allah jalla wa ‘alā bless and bestow peace upon him.

* All of the above is based upon authentic narrations. Please see the “Commentary to the Shamā’il al-Muhammadiyyah”, Refi Shafi, Sunnah Publications, exp. release end of 2010 insha’Allāh for further information

I Live Once Again…..

2010-02-27T01:45:00.001Z

It surrounds me

It submerses me

It engulfs me

It holds me

It revives me

It cradles me

It strengthens me

It eases me

It makes me

It soars inside me

It frees me

It enevelops me

It guides me

It defines me

To the Truth it takes me

It is my essence, from it I take my lessons:

My reason for being

My reason for seeing

That It is my harmony

Present in the beating of Qalbi

It is my beginning and my end

To the gates of paradise it will send

The one struggling in its path it can be truly seen

It is my DEEN

My Hijab

2010-02-26T10:37:00.002Z

Assalamualaikum, below I paste a translated scholarly article regarding the Hijaab. Unfortunately today many sisters feel 'HIJAAB' to be the covering of one's hair in a fashionable manner, whilst probably wearing a pair of jeans from next, and a matching fitting top from probably......H&M's or maybe Debenhams?? Sound familiar?? It is important that we as muslims realise that the yardstick in deciding that which is acceptable and that which is not- is the instruction found in our religious sources. After all: Islam does mean submitting to the will of Allah.

I don't mean to upset any of our precious sisters, but a Muslim was never an individual that swept matters underneath hoping to appease the masses, rather, he/she was someone that spoke that which was right, even if a select few did not approve of it for an interim....I hope not to sound apologetic, but i would love for my dear sisters to use this article as a stepping stone to atleast considering the reality of Hijaab. Atleast then, even if we are unable to implement it; we are still able to teach and explain it.I love you all for the sake of Allah.

May Allah guide us all.Sajid ibn Ahmed Umar

Praise be to Allaah. Shaykh al-Albaani (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

The conditions of hijaab:

Firstly:It should cover all the body apart from whatever has been exempted:

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks (veils) all over their bodies (i.e. screen themselves completely except the eyes or one eye to see the way). That will be better, that they should be known (as free respectable women) so as not to be annoyed. And Allaah is Ever Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”

This aayah clearly states that it is obligatory to cover all of a woman’s beauty and adornments and not to display any part of that before non-mahram men (“strangers”) except for whatever appears unintentionally, in which case there will be no sin on them if they hasten to cover it up.

Al-Haafiz ibn Katheer said in his Tafseer:

This means that they should not display any part of their adornment to non-mahrams, apart from that which it is impossible to conceal. Ibn Mas’ood said: such as the cloak and robe, i.e., what the women of the Arabs used to wear, an outer garment which covered whatever the woman was wearing, except for whatever appeared from beneath the outer garment. There is no sin on a woman with regard to this because it is impossible to conceal it.

Secondly: it should not be an adornment in and of itself:

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “… and not to show off their adornment…” [al-Noor 24:31].

The general meaning of this phrase includes the outer garment, because if it is decorated it will attract men’s attention to her.

This is supported by the aayah in Soorat al-Ahzaab (interpretation of the meaning): “And stay in your houses, and do not display yourselves like that of the times of ignorance” [al-Ahzaab 33:33].

It is also supported by the hadeeth in which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:

“There are three, do not ask me about them: a man who leaves the jamaa’ah, disobeys his leader and dies disobedient; a female or male slave who runs away then dies; and a woman whose husband is absent and left her with everything she needs, and after he left she made a wanton display of herself. Do not ask about them.” (Narrated by al-Haakim, 1/119; Ahmad, 6/19; from the hadeeth of Faddaalah bint ‘Ubayd. Its isnaad is saheeh and it is in al-Adab al-Mufrad).

Thirdly: It should be thick and not transparent or “see-through'':

Because it cannot cover properly otherwise. Transparent or see-through clothing makes a woman more tempting and beautiful.

Concerning this the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “During the last days of my ummah there will be women who are clothed but naked, with something on their heads like the humps of camels. Curse them, for they are cursed.”

Another hadeeth adds: “They will not enter Paradise or even smell its fragrance, although its fragrance can be detected from such and such a distance.”(Narrated by Muslim from the report of Abu Hurayrah).

Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr said: what the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) meant was women who wear clothes made of light fabric which describes and does not cover. They are clothed in name but naked in reality.Transmitted by al-Suyooti in Tanweer al-Hawaalik, 3/103.

Fourthly: It should be loose, not tight so that it describes any part of the body:

The purpose of clothing is to prevent fitnah (temptation), and this can only be achieved if clothes are wide and loose. Tight clothes, even if they conceal the colour of the skin, still describe the size and shape of the body or part of it, and create a vivid image in the minds of men. The corruption or invitation to corruption that is inherent in that is quite obvious. So the clothes must be wide.

Usaamah ibn Zayd said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) gave me a thick Egyptian garment that was one of the gifts given to him by Duhyat al-Kalbi, and I gave it to my wife to wear. He said, ‘Why do I not see you wearing that Egyptian garment?’ I said, ‘I gave it to my wife to wear.’ He said, ‘Tell her to wear a gown underneath it, for I am afraid that it may describe the size of her bones.’” (Narrated by al-Diyaa’ al-Maqdisi in al-Ahaadeeth al-Mukhtaarah, 1/442, and by Ahmad and al-Bayhaqi, with a hasan isnaad).

Fifthly: It should not be perfumed with bakhoor or fragrance:

There are many ahaadeeth which forbid women to wear perfume when they go out of their houses.

We will quote here some of those which have saheeh isnaads:

Abu Moosa al-Ash’ari said: the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Any woman who puts on perfume then passes by people so that they can smell her fragrance, is an adulteress.”

Zaynab al-Thaqafiyyah reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If any one of you (women) goes out to the mosque, let her not touch any perfume.”

Abu Hurayrah said: the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Any woman who has scented herself with bakhoor (incense), let her not attend ‘Ishaa’ prayers with us.”

Moosa ibn Yassaar said that a woman passed by Abu Hurayrah and her scent was overpowering. He said, “O female slave of al-Jabbaar, are you going to the mosque?” She said, “Yes,” He said, “And have you put on perfume because of that?” She said, “Yes.” He said, “Go back and wash yourself, for I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: ‘If a woman comes out to the mosque and her fragrance is overpowering, Allaah will not accept any prayer from her until she goes home and washes herself.’”

These ahaadeeth are general in implication. Just as the prohibition covers perfume applied to the body, it also covers perfume applied to the clothes, especially in the third hadeeth, where bakhoor (incense) is mentioned, because incense is used specifically to perfume the clothes.

The reason for this prohibition is quite clear, which is that women’s fragrance may cause undue provocation of desires. The scholars also included other things under this heading of things to be avoided by women who want to go to the mosque, such as beautiful clothes, jewellery that can be seen, excessive adornments and mingling with men. (See Fath al-Baari, 2/279).

Ibn Daqeeq al-‘Eed said:This indicates that it is forbidden for a woman who wants to go to the mosque to wear perfume, because this causes provocation of men’s desires. This was reported by al-Manaawi in Fayd al-Qadeer, in the commentary on the first hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah quoted above.

Sixthly: It should not resemble the clothing of men:

It was reported in the saheeh ahaadeeth that a woman who imitates men in dress or in other ways is cursed. There follow some of the ahaadeeth that we know:

Abu Hurayrah said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) cursed the man who wears women’s clothes, and the woman who wears men’s clothes.”‘

Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Amr said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: ‘They are not part of us, the women who imitate men and the men who imitate women.’”

Ibn ‘Abbaas said: “The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) cursed effeminate men and masculine women. He said, ‘Throw them out of your houses.’” He said: “The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) expelled So and so, and ‘Umar expelled So and so.” According to another version: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) cursed men who imitate women and women who imitate men.”

‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Amr said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘There are three who will not enter Paradise and Allaah will not even look at them on the Day of Resurrection: one who disobeys his parents, a woman who imitates men, and the duyooth (cuckold, weak man who feels no jealousy over his womenfolk).”

Ibn Abi Maleekah – whose name was ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Ubayd-Allaah – said: “It was said to ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her), ‘What if a woman wears (men’s) sandals?’ She said: ‘The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) cursed women who act like men.’”

These ahaadeeth clearly indicate that it is forbidden for women to imitate men and vice versa, This usually includes dress and other matters, apart from the first hadeeth quoted above, which refers to dress only.

Abu Dawood said, in Masaa’il al-Imaam Ahmad (p. 261): “I heard Ahmad being asked about a man who dresses his slave woman in a tunic. He said, ‘Do not clothe her in men’s garments, do not make her look like a man.” Abu Dawood said: “I said to Ahmad, Can he give her bachelor sandals to wear? He said, No, unless she wears them to do wudoo’. I said, What about for beauty? He said, No. I said, Can he cut her hair short? He said, No.”

Seventhly: It should not resemble the dress of kaafir women:

It is stated in sharee’ah that Muslims, men and women alike, should not resemble or imitate the kuffaar with regard to worship, festivals or clothing that is specific to them. This is an important Islamic principle which nowadays, unfortunately, is neglected by many Muslims, even those who care about religion and calling others to Islam. This is due either to ignorance of their religion, or because they are following their own whims and desires, or because of deviation, combined with modern customs and imitation of kaafir Europe. This was one of the causes of the Muslims’ decline and weakness, which enabled the foreigners to overwhelm and colonize them.

“…Verily, Allaah will not change the condition of a people as long as they do not change their state themselves …” [al-Ra’d 13:11 – interpretation of the meaning].

If only they knew. It should be known that there is a great deal of saheeh evidence for these important rules in the Qur’aan and Sunnah, and that the evidence in the Qur’aan is elaborated upon in the Sunnah, as is always the case.

Eighthly:

It should not be a garment of fame and vanity: Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘Whoever wears a garment of fame and vanity in this world, Allaah will clothe him in a garment of humiliation on the Day of Resurrection, then He will cause Fire to flame up around him.’”(Hijaab al-Mar’ah al-Muslimah, p. 54-67).

And Allaah knows best.

Taken from Sheikh Sajid's Blog: www.sajidahmedumar.blogspot.com

A Personal Reminder…..

2010-02-26T06:41:00.000Z

NO ONE IS PERFECT, BUT SOME OF US ARE CLOSER TO IT THAN OTHERS....BUT ALL OF US ARE TRYING TO GET THERE.... BUT NONE OF US WILL......EXCEPT THE ONE MAN WHO WAS CREATED FOR PERFECTION ...AS TO WHO IS CLOSER ....THEN ALLAAH KNOWS BEST...BUT ALL OF US MUST CONTINUE TRYING ...THAT IS OUR TEST AND TRIAL....AS ONLY WHEN OUR BOOKS ARE HANDED TO US WILL WE TRULY KNOW...

MAY ALLAH HAVE MERCY UPON OUR SOULS AND FORGIVE US OUR SINS, SHORTCOMINGS, MISTAKES AND WEAKNESSES AND ALL OUR MUSLIM BRETHREN...AMEEN AMEEN AMEEN

(From an email sent to me by a sweet sister)

Backbiting

2010-02-25T22:55:00.001Z

By Shaykhul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah

There are found amongst the people those that will backbite in accordance to his gathering and his companions and his associates. Whilst his knowing that the one being backbitten is free of what it is they say – or of some of what they say. However; he sees that if he were to forbid them then the sitting will cease and the people of the sitting would become sullen with him just as they would become estranged from him. So he sees compliance with them through good social relations as well as good companionship; so when they become angered then he likewise becomes angry due to their being angered – so he takes it up with them.

Then there are those that take backbiting out into many forms. So at times it would be in the form of Religion and rectification, so he will say: ‘I am not in the habit of mentioning anyone except in good; and I neither like backbiting nor lies. However I shall inform you of his affairs.’ So He will say: ‘By Allaah – he is Miskeen (weak/pitied) – or he is a good man; however he has in him such and such.’ Or he may say: ‘let us leave off him; may Allaah forgive him and us.’ Whilst his intent is to belittle him as well as causing a wrong to his flank. Thus taking the backbiting out from the form of rectification and Religion. They seek to deceive Allaah with that just as they deceive the creation. For we have seen this and its like from them in many varying colours.

Then there are those that will elevate other than himself out of showing off – and then raise himself. So he will say: ‘If I had supplicated for so and so last night in my prayer; then there would have reached me from him such and such.’ So as to raise himself whilst putting him down with the one that may have faith in him. Or he may say: ‘so and so is dull in intelligence and has little understanding.’ So his intent is the praise of himself and establishing his awareness of him – and that he is better than him.
Likewise from them are those that are carried by envy upon backbiting; and so will gather between two ugly affairs: backbiting as well as envy. So when an individual is praised, then he will try to remove that from him through showing his deficiencies in the form of Religion and rectification – or in the form of envy and immorality and dispraise – in order to remove that from him.

Then there are those that take backbiting out into the form of mockery and play; in order to bring laughter to other than himself through his joking and his mimicry and his belittling of the one he is joking about.

Then there are those that take backbiting out into the form of amazement; so he will say: ‘I am amazed at so and so at how he does not do such and such?! And from so and so as to how he fell into such and such; and how he did such and such.’ Thus pronouncing his name during the course of his amazement.

There are those from them that show sorrow; so he will say: ‘so and so is weak/pitied, it has caused me sorrow for what has happened to him and what the outcome was for him.’ So he who hears him thinks that he has sorrow for him and that he is regretful and that his heart is covered in the attainment of recovery for him; and if it were possible then he would add to that which was with him. He may also mention him in front of his enemies so that they may profit from it. So this; and other than it is from amongst the greatest of the sicknesses of the heart as well as deceitfulness to Allaah and His creation.

From them are those that make apparent backbiting through the form of anger and disapproving something abominable. So there becomes manifest in this aspect certain things from the adornment of speech which contains fallacies. Whilst his intent was other than what he made apparent. And Allaah’s aid is sought.

An Epic Journey

2010-02-25T06:19:00.001Z

London AK experienced two recent sell out courses Coolness of The Eyes & Home Sweet Home: Over 600+ students… And the Manchester team is known as 'The Real Deal' So don’t delay Click HERE to enrol today

Remember AlKauthar is an INTERNATIONAL institute that deliver single weekend university level islamic courses over 5 continents, covering 6 countries and 13 cities!

A Personal Reminder: Patience

2010-02-24T23:46:00.000Z

At a time when it seemed that the entire world was against Muhammad (saw) after his (saw) forced flee from Al Ta’if in Shawwal of the tenth year of Prophethood; He (saw) turned to his Creator and prayed:

‘O Allah! To You alone I complain of my weakness, my insufficient ability and my insignificance before the people. You are the Most Merciful of the mercifuls. You are the Lord of the helpless and the weak. O Lord of mine! Into whose hands would you abandon me: into the hands of an unsympathetic distant relative who would angrily frown at me, or to an enemy who has been given control over my affairs? But if Your wrath does not fall on me, there is nothing for me to worry about.

Your pardon is ample for enough for me. I seek protection in the light of Your Face, which illuminates the darkness, fixing the affairs of this world as well as in the Hereafter. May it never be that I should incur Your wrath, or that You should be wrathful to me. And there is no power nor resource, but Yours alone.’ [1]

Do we even come close to practising this level of patience in the face of all our troubles, trials & afflictions? No, rather we complain to all around us, often entering the realm of slandering an back biting, with the false hope that we will relieve ourselves of the burden upon us of the pain we feel through such calamities. We forget that the greatest calamity was when the Prophet Muhammad (saw) passed away.

Many will say it is very easy to say this but in reality it is harder to practice. Of course, it is extremely difficult to execute patience when the pain one feels in one’s heart is excessive to the point that it feels like one is dying inside. But, surely if we could even remember even for a moment through our trials to raise our hands in supplication to our Lord before sending that email full of hate and resentment or picking up the phone to let off steam, then InshAllah some of our troubles will ease.

This is firstly a reminder to myself before anyone else, as lately lack of sabr has been a great barrier for me and has been stirring an ocean of emotions within me. May Allah forgive us all for our shortcomings and bestow upon us His Tawfique and Mercy so we are amongst those who are rightly guided. Ameen.

[1] Taken from Al Raheeq Al Mukhtum (The Sealed Nectar) by Safiur Rahman Al Mubarakpuri

Wanting To Return…….

2010-02-24T23:08:00.000Z

This photograph was taken from the roof of Masjid Al Haram, Hajj 2007, thus apologies for lack of clarity. It was taken just before leaving to return back to London…..I very tearful moment for us all…I hope inshAllah one day soon I am able to return.

The Covenant With God

2010-02-24T00:10:00.000Z

Surah Al A’raaf: 172-173:

‘When Allah drew forth from the loins of the children of Adam, their descendents, and made them testify to that concerning themselves, ‘Am I not your Lord?’ They said: ‘Yes, we testify to it.’ In case on the Day of Judgement you say that ‘We were unaware’, or in case you say: ‘It was our ancestors who made partners and we were only their descendents. Will You then destroy us for the lies they told?’

Bearing witness to God’s unity in this life is only a confirmation of the primordial declaration made in the spiritual state. The key aspect to Tawhid is the unification of man’s outer actions with the nature in which Allah created his inner being. This covenant is only fulfilled by choice, by implementing the principles of Islam, and it is man’s Fitrah that is the basis of this Islam. [1]

It is authentically narrated by Abu Hurairah (RA) (collected by Al Tirmidhi) that the Prophet (saw) said:

‘Allah then placed between the two eyes of each human a flash of light showing their eemaan and showed them all to Adam. Adam was in awe of all the beings with the flashes of light between their eyes, so He asked Allah: ‘ O Lord, who are they?’ Allah told him that they were all his descendents. Adam then began looking closely at the one whose flash of light amazed him, then he asked who he was and Allah said: ‘He is Dawud, from the last of nations among your descendents’. Adam then asked how old he was, and when Allah informed him that he was sixty he said: ‘O Lord increase his age by taking forty years from my age.’ But when Adam’s life span reached its end and the angel of death came, he said: ‘Is there not forty more years of my still remaining?’ The Angel replied: ‘Did you not give them to your descendent Dawud?’ Adam denied that he had done so and his descendents denied their promise to Allah. Adam later forgot his covenant to Allah and so did his descendents and they all fell into error.’

[1] Adapted from The Fundamentals of Tawhid: Dr. Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips

A Lovely Abaya......

2010-02-23T14:08:00.004Z

Well.....have not done an abaya set for a while, and seeing that both my brother's are due to get married soon inshAllah (all being well) thought I would post the abaya I have just recently purchased from http://www.tahura.com/

(Abaya: £70: http://www.tahura.com/; Bag: £50: http://www.faith.co.uk/; Sandals: £55: http://www.faith.co.uk/; Ring: £15: http://www.monsoon.co.uk/; Scarf: £19: http://www.yesstyle.com/; Bando's: £6/each: http://www.monsoon.co.uk/.)

For The Student Of Knowledge

2010-02-23T05:45:00.001Z

The focused student

Cast down your eyes
And banish fears
The time will come
And you will see

That storm that brews
Inside of you
Will find release
Will be set free

Till then look not
To far off lands
Nor mountains high
Nor clouds above

And fix your gaze
To pastures near
His pleasure seek
And Knowledge love

Your spirit tame
And mind restrained
Shall be released
The time draws near

Till then my friend
Reign back the steed
And cast your gaze
Firmly down.
FB

Written By Fatima Barakatullah: Read more from her blog: Muslim Motherhood Muslim Womanhood

A Reminder…….

2010-02-22T22:46:00.000Z

A much needed reminder:

'Please always remember, your cup is half full, and never lose hope'

We All Need Reminding Of Our Reality: DEATH

2010-02-22T07:48:00.001Z

2010-02-21T09:00:00.000Z

An incredible spring awaits us!

March: Birmingham: World Of The Unseen: Ustadh Yahya Ibrahim

April: Manchester: An Epic Journey: Tafsir of Surah Yusuf: Sheikh Sajid Ahmed Umar

April: London: Chronicles Of The Shariah: Sheikh Imtiyaz Damiel

May: Cardiff: Coolness Of The Eyes: Fiqh Of Salah: Sheikh Bilal Ismail (sponsored by justgodoit.net)

Want to taste the sweetness of emaan?

Enrol HERE NOW!

1001 Inventions Exhibition: The Golden Age Of Islam

2010-02-20T20:44:00.003Z

1001 Inventions Exhibition, Science Museum, London
Dates: January 21st-April 25th (closed February 25th-March 12th)
Times: 10am-6pm: FREE ENTRY
Location: South Kensington

Discover the Muslim heritage in our world, which traces the forgotten story of a thousand years from the Muslim world from the 7th century onwards. This exhibition looks at the social, scientific and technical achievements that are accredited to the Muslim world.

The Exhibition has been produced in association with the Jameel Foundation.

An interactive exhibition from design, through to engineering and medicine from the Golden Ages of Islam.

A (Personal) Reminder

2010-02-20T07:07:00.002Z

'Good is for those who do good, and Allah's earth is spacious. Only those who are patient will have their rewards in full without reckoning.'
(Surah Al Zumar:10)

'It was not you who threw when you threw, but it was Allah who threw, that He may test the believers by a fair trial from Him.' (Surah Al Anfal:17)

Chronicles Of The Shariah

2010-02-20T00:11:00.000Z

Want to know how the Shariah developed into a complex set of principles and rulings?

How did FIQH evolve?

What MADHAB to follow? Should I follow a madhab?

Take an epic journey back in time to find out the history of the evolution of fiqh and a look into the lives of the four imams: Abu Hanifah, Ahmed, Shafi'i, Malik: great jurists of the past

Lets travel back into time together: where & when?

London: April 10th & 11th

Click HERE to enrol now!

Longing..........

2010-02-18T23:50:00.003Z

Soft whispers in the wind as it caresses my soul;

A caller calls to me, words resonating within me.

Like an ocean; A vast darkness, wave upon wave does it roll;

Parched lips, the thirst for the veins to be wetted by its honey.

Intertwined are its branches with the air I breathe;

Its verses envelop me without apprehension.

It carries me into a world in which I am free;

The riches it holds are beyond comprehension.

Tears flow freely as its letters devour the spirit longing;

Its touch is temptation to the soul irresistible.

It opens the heart and soul to Its Creator;

It is the Quran; The Noor from which this soul is inseparable.

For The Student Of Knowledge: Part 13

2010-01-29T22:07:00.000Z

Wisdom

The endowment of wisdom is a great bequest upon a student of knowledge.

Allah (SWT) says in Soorah al-Baqarah, Verse 269
{{He (Allah) grants wisdom to whom he pleases, and he, to whom wisdom is granted, is indeed granted abundant good}}

And Allah (SWT) says in Soorah an-Nahl, Verse 125:
{{Invite to the way of your lord (Oh Muhammed SAW) with wisdom}}

A wise person is an entity that uses all at his disposal in a manner that is suitable and rational.

Every person and circumstance has a unique method in its handling. A successful student of knowledge determines the correct handling of every subject and executes his approach accordingly.

Examples of this are many in the life of Rasoolullah (SAW). The incident of the Bedouin that urinated in the Masjid is a famous one. The Sahaabah (May Allah be pleased with them) were enraged as a result of this derogatory act! But Rasoolullah (SAW) prevented them from harming the Bedouin, and in fact allowed him to complete his urination!! Then when the Bedouin finished, Rasoolullah (SAW) called him and said something to this effect:
(It is not appropriate to urinate or relieve yourself in the Masjid, Indeed this is a place where the remembrance of Allah takes place, and the performance of Salaah, and the recitation of the Qur’an) (Muslim)

Another instance is when the Sahaabah (May Allah be pleased with them) were performing Salaah and a man sneezed. Upon his sneeze, Mu’aawiyah bin al-Hakm as-Sulami recited the dua said to the one who sneezes, whilst in Salaah. As a result all the Sahaabah starred at him strangely. So he said, “What is wrong with you all that you look intently at me like that?” So the Sahaabah (May Allah be pleased with them) began patting their thighs as way to silence him, as they were all in Salaah. So he remained silent and after the Salaah was completed, Rasoolullah (SAW) said to something to this effect to him:
(Indeed this Salaah does not cater for the speech of man, for indeed it is Tasbeeh and Takbeer, and the recitation of Qur’an) (Muslim)
Mu’aawiyah says: “I never saw a teacher after him that was better than him.”

From this we learn the importance of inviting towards Allah with WISDOM.

May Allah Almighty grant us this rare but valuable ability. Ameen.
And Allah knows best.

WRITTEN BY SHEIKH SAJID AHMED UMAR: ALKAUTHAR

For The Student Of Knowledge: Part 12

2010-01-20T07:32:00.000Z

Contemplate

Be a person that thinks before he acts or speaks. Revise mentally the outcome of your speech and activities before acting. Conduct yourself appropriately to support your endeavours and if you need to ask, sort your questioning in a manner that provides the one asked with the correct understanding of your question so as to benefit from an appropriate answer.

Practice what you learn!

Practicing what one learns and preaches is an absolute prerequisite.

Rasoolullah (SAW) is reported to have said:

'The Qur’an is either an assistant for you, or against you' (muslim)

It will be an aid if one practices upon its teachings.

Allah SWT says in Soorah al-Ahzaab, Verse 36:

{{It is not for a believer, man or women, when Allah and his Messenger have decreed a matter that they should have any option in their decision, and whoever disobeys Allah and his messenger, has indeed strayed into a plain error}}

Rasoolullah (SAW) taught the Sahaabah (May Allah be pleased with them) teachings, which for them might have been strange, but believed wholeheartedly without question. Allah (SWT) gives cognisance to this in Soorah al-Baqarah, Verse 285:

{{The Messenger believes in what has been sent down to him from his lord, and so do the believers}}

May Allah Almighty grant us the true understanding. Ameen.

WRITTEN BY SHEIKH SAJID AHMED UMAR: ALKAUTHAR

For The Student Of Knowledge: Part 11

2010-01-19T07:32:00.000Z

Be gentle

Adopt a moderate approach in your dealings with others in both your actions and speech. Severity in forms of scolding, reprimanding, shouting, sternness, seriousness and firmness in situations not suited is a predetermined recipe for disaster.

Allah (SWT) says in Soorah al-Baqarah, Verse 195:

{{And do good, for indeed Allah loves those who do good}}

And Allah (SWT) says to Moosa and Haroon (May Allah shower his blessings upon them) when sending them to Fir’own:

{{And speak to him mildly}} (Soorah Taa-Haa, Verse: 44)

This was the advice given when being sent to a person who denied Allah! So what about when dealing with those who have declared the one-ness of Allah (SWT) and accepted the prophecy of his Prophet (SAW)!?

It’s every worshipper’s prerogative that they receive their advice and warning from students of knowledge in a beautiful manner with wisdom.

Allah (SWT) says in Soorah an-Nahl, Verse 125:

{{Invite to the way of your lord (Oh Muhammed SAW) with wisdom, and good preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better}}

And Allah says in Soorah Aal-Imraan, Verse 159:

{{And by the mercy of Allah, you dealt with them gently. And had you been severe and harsh-hearted, they would have broken away from around you.}}

So exercise restraint, blessed propagator and student of Islamic knowledge, and enjoy superior results from a soft hearted approach!

WRITTEN BY SHEIKH SAJID AHMED UMAR: ALKAUTHAR

For The Student Of Knowledge: Part 10

2010-01-18T07:32:00.000Z

Endow yourself with the tools of leadership and learning

Refrain from ineffectual playfulness and joking whilst in public. Laughing aloud, arguing for no purpose and speaking frivolously are highly deplorable acts! Without doubt this diminishes our self-respect.

Be VALIANT!

Being brave and stern on that which is right (Haq) is essential. Never be an individual that thrives on sitting on the fence with the hope of appeasing the masses. Consequently, beware of qualities that don’t represent a MAN, such as cowardice, impatience, and bad manners, for undeniably they dwindle our ability to succeed in our quest of divine knowledge.

Refrain from gatherings which result in sin

TIME is precious! Trivial play is not our domain! Whilst balance is necessary in life, activities which result in the disobedience of Allah must be shunned at all cost. Presence in mixed gatherings, ‘hukka’ assemblies, aimless‘cruising’ are all detrimental to our ability to acquire knowledge.On the contrary associate with a dynamic friend circle that constantly remembers the hereafter and seeks closeness to Allah (SWT).

Allah (SWT) says in Soorah at-Taubah, Verse 119:

{{Oh you who believe! Be afraid and God conscious of Allah, and be with those who are truthful (in words and deeds)}}

May Allah grant us all the understanding! Ameen.

WRITTEN BY SHEIKH SAJID AHMED UMAR: ALKAUTHAR

For The Student Of Knowledge: Part 9

2010-01-17T07:31:00.000Z

Be Humble and distance yourself from Arrogance

Staying away from arrogance and self-righteousness are absolute prerequisites for success in the path of knowledge.

Be Contented and Satisfied

Be contented with Allah’s decree and beware of falling into the blameworthy hole of chasing after the extravagance of this temporary world. Hold tight onto that which is permissible, and refrain from going anywhere near all that which is impermissible, and that which may contain elements of doubt. May Allah (SWT) make us from amongst those who are content.

Allah (SWT) says in Soorah ar-R’ad, Verse 28:

{{Those who believed, and whose hearts find rest in the remembrance of Allah: verily, in the remembrance of Allah do the hearts find rest.}}

May Allah Almighty make us fromamogst those that remember Him constantly,and are content. Ameen.

WRITTEN BY SHEIKH SAJID AHMED UMAR: ALKAUTHAR

For The Student Of Knowledge: Part 8

2010-01-16T16:31:00.000Z

Know that Allah (SWT) is watching you.

Understand Allah (SWT) sees our every move. It is imperative that this is understood, as this understanding is a result of the knowledge attained in such a blessed journey. Sustained information in the field of a student of knowledge, with no understanding that Allah (SWT) is watching him, is an unambiguous paradox.

WRITTEN BY SHEIKH SAJID AHMED UMAR: ALKAUTHAR

For The Student Of Knowledge: Part 7

2010-01-15T07:31:00.001Z

Emulating our Pious Predecessors

Take a page out of the lives of our pious predecessors and emulate their ways.

Leave all speech of no benefit such as arguing, shouting and useless talks!

As an alternative, seek poise, refinement, politeness, self-control and good character.

Allah (SWT) says in Soorah al-Baqarah Verse 83:

{{and speak good to people}}

and in Soorah al-Qalam, Verse 4, Allah (SWT) says about Muhammed (SAW):

{{And verily (Oh Muhammed), you are on an exalted standard of character}}

and in Soorah al-Israa’, Verse 53, Allah says:

{{And say to my slaves that they should say the best of words}}

In many a place does Allah (SWT) give reference to good characterThe Sunnah epitomises the best possible example of social conduct.

Anas (RA) narrates that he served Rasoolullah (SAW) for ten years, and He (SAW) never said to him Uff (a minor harsh word denoting impatience) and never blamed him by saying “why did you do so?” and “why didn’t you do so?” (Bukhari)

And Aboo Huraira (RA) narrates that Rasoolullah (SAW) said:

'The most complete of the believers in Imaan, is the one who has the best of character'
atTirmithi (Authentic)

May Allah Almighty grant us this rare ability. Ameen.

WRITTEN BY SHEIKH SAJID AHMED UMAR: ALKAUTHAR

For The Student Of Knowledge: Part 6

2010-01-14T16:30:00.003Z

Seek closeness to Allah

It is highly desirable to seek closeness to Allah through performing acts of worship that has not been made obligatory, such as nafl Salaah, charity, acts of kindness etc.

These actions induce increased love from Allah upon us! Aboo Huraira (RA) narrates that the Prophet (SAW) said:

“Allah (SWT) said: ‘I will declare war against him who shows hostility to a pious worshipper of Mine. And the most beloved thing with which my slave comes nearer to Me, is what I have enjoined upon him, and my slave keeps coming closer to me, through performing Nawaafil (praying or doing extra deeds besides that which is obligatory) till I love him. Then I become his sense of hearing with which he hears, and his sense of sight with which he sees, and his hand with which he grips, and his leg with which he walks; and if he asks Me, I will give him, and if he asks My protection, I will protect him, and I do not hesitate to do anything as I hesitate to take the soul of the believer, for he hates death, and I hate to disappoint him.’”) (Bukhari)

May Allah make us from amongst those that worship Him constantly. Ameen.And Allah knows best.

WRITTEN BY SHEIKH SAJID AHMED UMAR: ALKAUTHAR

What Is Love For Allah & His Rasool (SAW)?

2010-01-08T08:10:00.000Z

This is the question I asked Sheikh Sajid after reading his article posted on the Alkauthar forum
I think although for many it may be a very simple and basic concept to understand, it is important to know so that one can learn to differentiate between the love one has for one's family and friends and the love one should have for Allah & His Messenger (saw)............

Love For Allah & His Messenger (saw):

The Ulama, after thorough research (Istiqraa’ wa atTatabbu’) have categorised ‘LOVE’ from an Islamic viewpoint- into the following categories:

1. Mahabbah khaassah (specific love).
2. Mahabbah mushtarakah (general love).

1. Specific ‘love’

Includes one’s love for Allah and love for His messenger (SAW). The perfection of this ‘love’ constitutes the perfection of one’s faith. In my 6th post within the forum (for the student of knowledge, on the alKauthar forums website) – I mentioned a verse that offers cognisance to this.

Allah Almighty said:
“. . . But those who believe, love Allah more (than anything else) . . .” [al-Baqarah 2:165]

Is the love for Allah characterised by doing those deeds beloved to Him & keeping away from those acts He dislikes & has forbidden??

The answer is: YES! Love for Allah Almighty does include all this, as it would include the aspect of loving someone or something for the sake of Allah, and hating all that which Allah Almighty hates.

In fact, Allah Almighty said:
{{Say, if you love Allah, then follow me (Muhammed), so Allah will love you and forgive your sins}} [al-Imran, Verse 31]

Our beloved Prophet (SAW) taught us all that is beloved to Allah, through commanding and teaching us that which Allah loves, and warned us against all that Allah Almighty dislikes.. In the above verse, Allah Almighty informs us that true love for Him cannot be attained except through following Rasoolullah (SAW), thus, doing those deeds beloved to Allah & keeping away from those acts He dislikes constitutes one’s ‘love’ for Allah Almighty.

“Also is it represented by following the sunnah??”

The above proves that the answer is YES.

N.B. it is important to note however, that it is not permissible for this kind of ‘love’ to be channelled to any other entity, otherwise it constitutes shirk, and falls under the category of forbidden love.

As a base point we can say- No one should love other than Allah Almighty as much as their love Allah, as total allegiance is only towards Allah, and those that Allah has commanded allegiance towards. If someone does this however; then this love represents the presence of shirk.

2. GENERAL 'love'

This category is an infinite playing field that includes several types of love’, other than the aforementioned. Included within this category, is one’s love for their parents, siblings, spouses, friends, poor etc. These types of love exist as entities specific to their areas of application. And All this proves the greatness of Allah Almighty! Thus, one can love an array of individuals, but the characteristic of each love is special to that of itself.

As to how one can increase this love (specific) and make it more defined:

That can be done through perfecting one’s belief.

Allah said as I mentioned earlier: “. . . But those who BELIEVE, LOVE Allah more (than anything else) . . .” [al-Baqarah 2:165]

And our beloved Prophet (SAW) said:

‘None of you truly BELIEVES until I am more BELOVED to him than his child, his father and all the people.” (Muslim).

(Please take note of the words in bold capitals)

So Allah Almighty commands us to follow His Prophet (SAW) if we truly LOVE Him,-and His prophet (SAW) has said that none has BELIEVED, unless we LOVE him more than one’s father, mother and all people-
Thus- perfecting one’s faith increases one’s love for his/her creator, and makes it more pronounced.

May Allah Almighty perfect our faith and increase our love for Him and His messenger (SAW). Ameen

And Allah knows best..

WRITTEN BY SHEIKH SAJID AHMED UMAR: ALKAUTHAR FORUM

For The Student Of Knowledge: Part 5: Love For Allah & His Prophet (SAW)

2010-01-07T08:02:00.000Z

Love for Allah (SWT) and Love for His Prophet (SAW)

It is incumbent upon us to love Muhammed (SAW) for he invited us towards Allah (SWT), and taught us the way of Allah (SWT). So all goodness that reaches us today, is because of the sacrifice of Rasoolullah (SAW).

Allah (SWT) says in Soorah al-Baqarah,Verse 165:

{{But those who believe, love Allah more than anything else}}

And Allah (SWT) says in Soorah al-Imran, Verse 31:

{{Say, if you love Allah, then follow me (Muhammed), so Allah will love you and forgive your sins}}

Rasoolullah (SAW) is reported to have mentioned the following:

(There are three things that if a person possesses them; the sweetness of Imaan will be found: For Allah (SWT) and his Prophet (SAW) to be the most beloved to him, more than anything else, and for a person not to love another except for the sake of Allah, and for him to hate going back to disbelelief after Allah (SWT) saved him from it as he dislikes being thrown into hell-fire.)

Bukhari and Muslim

And Rasoolullah (SAW) said:

(None of you believe until I become the most beloved to him, more (beloved) than his children, his parents and all of mankind)

Bukhari and Muslim

So Love Allah and His Prophet so as to learn with sincerity and benefit yourself and others, and express that love in conforming to all that Allah (SWT) has granted you from the knowledge of his revelation.

WRITTEN BY SHEIKH SAJID AHMED UMAR: ALKAUTHAR FORUM

For The Student Of Knowledge: Characteristics Of A Student Of Knowledge: Part 4

2010-01-06T07:58:00.001Z

Characteristics Of A Student Of Sacred Knowledge: Continued.....

At-Taqwa

The recipe to constant advancement as a student of knowledge is atTaqwa (God Conciousness and fear of Allah)!

AlHaafith ibn Hajar, in Fath alBaaree, describes atTaqwa as the placing of a barrier between oneself and the punishment of Allah Almighty. This is achieved by conforming to all of Allah's commands, and refraining from all that which He has warned against.

At-Taqwa was the advise to those before us and is the advise for us and those to come after us.

Allah (SWT) says in Soorah an-Nisaa, Verse 131:

{{And we have instructed those who were given the scripture before you and yourselves to fear Allah}}

And Allah (SWT) says in Soorah al-Baqarah, end of Verse 282:

{{And fear Allah, and Allah teaches you}}

At-Taqwa was also the advice of Rasoolullah (SAW) to his Ummah. Aboo Umaamah (May Allah be pleased with him) reports that heard Rasoolullah (SAW) say:

(Fear your Lord, pray your Five (Salaah). Fast in your month (Ramadan), pay your Zakah, obey those of Islamic authority over you; and you will enter the Paradise of your Lord)
(At-Tirmithi (Authentic)

Allah (SWT) advises us to at-Taqwa in various places in his book. It’s the formula of success in this world and the next.

It was the practice of Rasoolullah (SAW) to invite towards
at-Taqwa, and after him his pious predecessors continued this noble habit.

So dear seeker of Islamic Knowledge! Adorn yourself with this quality by being exemplary constantly, as after all, you are a ROLE-MODEL to everyone around you..

May Allah make us from ‘al-muttaqoon’ (Those who are conscious of him and fear him) Ameen.

WRITTEN BY SHEIKH SAJID AHMED UMAR: ALKAUTHAR FORUM

For The Student Of Knowledge: Part 3: Characteristics Of A Student of Knowledge

2010-01-05T07:54:00.000Z

The Characteristics of a Student of Knowledge

The seeker of Islamic Knowledge, must aspire to develop a noble character based on a calm temperament, excellent morals and noteworthy conduct.

Bearing this in mind, here are some of the most important qualities needed for one to be truly successful as a Student of Knowledge

Sincerity in Intention.

The first and foremost characteristic required is sincerity. Everything that is done must be done truly for the sake of Allah.

Allah (SWT) says in Soorah Muhammed, Verse 19:

((So know, that there is no Diety except Allah))

Praise of the Ulamaa in the Qur’an is well known, and if Allah (SWT) praises something that he has commanded; it becomes worship, and all worship requires sincerity.

Allah (SWT) says in Soorah al- Bayyinah, Verse 5:

((And they were not commanded except to worship Allah, being sincere to him in religion))

And Umar (May Allah be pleased with him) reports Rasoolullah (SAW) as saying:

(Indeed all actions are judged by their intentions)

(Bukhari and Muslim)

The reason why special mention is made to Sincerity is because everything has a foundation, and the strength or weakness of that foundation determines the success of its result.

Sincerity is the foundation of being a student of knowledge!

Having an intention of lifting ignorance off ones self and others:

The student of knowledge has to understand that throughout his journey, he will be making steps towards lifting himself and those around out of ignorance.

Mankind in their original state are ignorant. Reference to this is found in Soorah an-Nahl, Verse 78, Allah (SWT) says:

{{And Allah extracted you from the wombs of yours mothers not knowing a thing}}

So when you intend to learn for the purpose of extracting from yourself ignorance, you begin your steps towards being from amongst those termed to be al-Ulamaa (The people of knowledge and understanding).

And Allah says regarding them in Soorah Faatir, Verse 28:

{{Only those of knowledge and understanding truly fear Allah}}

Rasoolullah (SAW) said:

(Teach something from me, even if it is a verse)

(Bukhari)

May Allah (SAW) make us from amongst the sincere and those who are of constant benefit to others. Ameen.

WRITTEN BY SHEIKH SAJID AHMED UMAR: ALKAUTHAR FORUM

For The Student Of Knowledge: Part 2

2010-01-03T07:30:00.004Z

The Benefits of seeking Islamic Knowledge

The Qur’an and Sunnah praise those seeking the knowledge of revelation and those who strive to possess it, for indeed it is one of the best forms of worship. The individual that excels regarding his knowledge of Allah’s (SWT) revelation worships Allah (SWT) in the most excellent manner.

Allah (SWT) says in Soorah az-Zumar, Verse 9:

((Say, are those who KNOW equal to those who don’t know?))

Just as those alive, and those who are dead can’t be equal, and those who see, and those who are blind can’t be equal; the one who understands his religion, has knowledge of their creator, and is capable of worshipping Allah in a manner others can’t-can never be equal.

Islamic knowledge removes one and all from the avenues of darkness, and places them in the boulevard of light. Allah (SWT) by it raises those chosen to tread this praiseworthy path above the rest by multiple degrees!

Allah (SWT) says in Soorah al- Mujaadalah, Verse 11:

((Allah will raise those who have believed among you and those who were given knowledge by degrees))

That is why we find praise mentioned in regards to the Ulamaa. They are raised in rank by Allah (SWT) in this world and the Aakhirah,

Indeed the true worshipper is he who honors his Creator with true service based on true insight and knowledge, as opposed to based on his own whims and fancies.

Allah (SWT) says in Soorah Yusuf, Verse 108:

((Say, “This is my way; I invite to Allah with insight, I as well as those who follow who follow me.))

May Allah (SWT) place us in the same assembly as those who serve Him with true wisdom. Ameen.

ARTICLE WRITTEN BY SHEIKH SAJID AHMED UMAR: ALKAUTHAR FORUM

For The Student Of Knowledge.....

2010-01-02T07:31:00.004Z

Shiekh Sajid Ahmed Umar is an Alkauthar instructor who is currently posting on the Alkauthar forums regarding the student of knowledge. The posts so far have been extremely interesting and beneficial. He has given me permission to put them on my blog so I hope inshAllah that many people will be able to benefit from his advice.

Part 1

Definition of Knowledge

In the English language ‘Knowledge’ is the psychological result of perception and learning and reasoning (Princeton University)

The Arabic equivalent for the word ‘knowledge’ is ILM.

‘ILM’ in the context of Islamic studies is divided into two categories:

1. The opposite of IGNORANCE

2. Knowledge of what Allah (S.W.T) revealed to his Prophet (SAW).

Allah praises the individual that chooses to acquire it.

The Shari’ah and Islamic texts explain in various places the importance and magnitude of seeking Islamic knowledge, and that indeed the one that sacrifices to learn all pertaining to Allah’s revelation is praised and honoured.

The Prophet (SAW) says in a Hadith found in both the authentic compilations that:

(If Allah wants goodness upon someone, he grants him the understanding of ‘Deen’)

(Bukhari and Muslim)

In another Hadith Rasoolullah (SAW) explains that Islamic Knowledge is from the inheritance of the prophets.

In At-Tirmithi and other books of hadith, a narration states that:

(Indeed, the Prophets never left behind dirhams and dinars they left behind as inheritance; knowledge)

(At-Tirmithi. (Authentic)

However, an understanding should not be taken from this that knowledge in regards to other fields, such as those found in the secular world are irrelevant.

In fact some Ulamaa have made becoming a doctor or an engineer Faradh Kifaaya due to their importance to our communities. (This means that if some individuals from society undertake this journey, the compulsion of becoming a doctor, engineer etc. is lifted from the rest of society)

In summary, the Students of Islamic Knowledge have great responsibility placed upon their shoulders. Nothing can be more important than being the vessels of relaying the traditions of the muslim ummah to the next generation.

May Allah accept our efforts and grant us all a true understanding. Ameen.

Alkauthar: 2010

2009-12-23T09:46:00.004Z

There have been a few gaps in posting new articles...apologies for that dear readers! I have been a little busy, but inshAllah will post lots on one of the most important pillars of islam:

SALAH

This weekend gone I was at an amazing and totally soul uplifting course on the fiqh of salah: THE COOLNESS OF THE EYES 101 which I blogged about earlier urging people to enrol. MashAllah there were over 600 people that attended and almost 200 that had to be turned away due to venue regulations of not being able to accommodate them.......For those that did miss out I will inshAllah be posting lots about it on the blog and inshAllah will also try to hold a teaching session soon...so watch this space!

I would urge you all to have a look on the Alkauthar website for the up and coming courses in 2010, they too may also be a complete sell out so book your places early to avoid disappointment.

London will see the return of THE CHRONICLES OF THE SHARIAH in APRIL and a new course: HOME SWEET HOME by Sheikh Alaa El Sayyid: he was present at COTE this weekend and was very humorous and yet so knowledgeable mashAllah, I personally think that his course (which is going to be in February 2010) may well be a sell out.....

MediMentor 2 Day Conference: Birmingham

2009-12-11T08:47:00.004Z

Assalamalaikum Warahmatullah

Insha'Allah you’re really well.

I am emailing you about an exciting seminar, which is soon to arrive in Birmingham 30Dec 09 to 1 Jan 2009- ‘Medical Ethics from an Islamic Perspective’.

As a community we are well over represented in the medical field, but also in the patient population, and therefore the Islamic ethics of Medicine in our time have become very important issues for our community.

You may yourself have had to deal with questions like:

- Can we turn off the life support machine on someone who is ‘brain dead’?
- Are there any circumstances in which we can consider a sister having an abortion or being the clinician that authorises one?
- Can we donate our organs to save another life?

With this reality in mind, and the Shari’ah of Allah in one hand and knowledge of contemporary medicine in the other, a seminar has been developed to aid clinicians and stakeholders in Medicine to navigate some of these key questions.

This seminar will take delegates on a journey through Medical ethics, fusing Islamic jurisprudence with the modern medical environment and support delegates in the decision making process that should surround a significant element of modern working practice.

Ultimately we are all touched by health, however if your involved in the health sector this is genuinely a seminar you cannot miss. Register online at http://www.medimentor.org/

With best wishes to see you succeed at the highest level

Dr Tawfique Chowdhury *

* Email I received from Sheikh Abu Yusuf Tawfique Chowdhury

Muslim Matters.....

2009-12-03T09:09:00.003Z

'Following the release of Shaykh Tantawi’s personal reflection of the incident, in which a much more benign version of the story is stated, where the Shaykh asks the girl why she is so strict and eventually tells a teacher to remove her niqab, and in which he expressly denies telling her that she was unattractive, we will accept his rendering at face value. Allah knows what happened, and there is no need to get involved in judging which of the two versions is correct (the other version, upon which this article was written, was narrated by eyewitness journalists, and links to their videos can be found in the comments).

We leave his affair to Allah; the information that this article was written on was based on credible sources (even the Shaykh’s office released a statement the next day that affirmed something along the lines of the story occurred, and the Shaykh’s silence since the incident, especially in light of world reaction to it, seemed outwardly to affirm the veracity of the story). No matter how credible the sources, I will give the Shaykh the benefit of the doubt since he clearly stated his version. I would also hope that the Shaykh corrects some of the damage done because of this incident (regardless of which version is correct).

I ask Allah’s forgiveness if I stepped beyond bounds......'

Read more HERE

Taken from www.muslimmatters.org/ have a read of Sheikh Yasir Qadhi's articles: you can find him under the list of authors on the left hand side of the page as you scroll down. You can also find lots of other equally amazing authors.....like Alkauthar's very own director: Sheikh Tawfique Chowdhury......

Top Ten Extreme Characters

2009-12-01T09:43:00.003Z

I took the following from the Alkauthar Forum: It is written by Abu Muawiyah Ismail Kamdar; It can also be found on his blog: www.caller2islam.blogspot.com

Top Ten Extreme Characters

The following are a list of extremist characters I have met during my search for the true understanding of Islam, some of them you might know, some you might not. I have written it in dialog form, but note that not every one of these dialogs actually happened, most of them I just thought up the reply but was too polite to say it.

If you fall into any of these categories, do not take offense, rather take it as an opportunity for introspection:

1. The Extreme Hater
EH: As Muslims we should hate all Kuffar, Deviants and Sinners
Me: Thats all of humanity
EH: Anybody who loves a Kaafir becomes a Kaafir
Me: The Quran says that the prophet (peace be upon him)loved Abu Talib who died a Kaafir, does that mean you beleive.....

2. The Extreme Chauvinist
EC: Women are not allowed to drive
Me: The female companions drove camels
EC: Well women are not allowed to study anything except Islam
Me: Then how did Ayesha (RA) master medicine?
EC: Well a woman is not allowed to go to the Masjid
Me: That's not what the prophet said

3. The Extreme Urdu Waalaa
EUW: Nasheeds are only Halal in Urdu or Arabic
Me: How is Urdu different from English?
EUW: Urdu is the language of our forefathers
Me: So? Dawud Wharnsby and Yusuf Islam's forefathers spoke English
EUW: English is the language of the Kuffar
Me: Wonder what language the Hindus in India speak

4. The Extreme Blind Follower:
EBF: If my Shaykh tells me this green plate is blue, I will believe that it is blue! (Someone actually said that to me)
Me: Well then I can't help you, you need a psychiatrist (never really say that, just thought it)

5. The Extreme Free Thinker:
EFT: There is no such thing as Hijab, its a pagan custom
Me: I'll tell that to all the companions and scholars since they are unanimous that Hijab is part of Islam, but I'm sure you know better than every single companion and the pious scholars of the past and the ummah has being wrong for 1400 years.

6. The Extreme Hanafi: (Real Conversation)
EH: Astagfirullah! How can you raise your hands before and after Rukhu! Thats Wrong!
Me: Didn't the prophet (peace be upon him) do it?
EH: Yes....
Me: So will I go to Hell for trying to follow this Sunnah?
EH: No, but it's against our Madhab
Me: YOUR madhab, not our

7. The Extreme Salafi:
Me: So-and-so passed this fatwa
ES: He is not a Salafi because he said Sufis are Muslims
Me: But so-and-so also said the same
ES: He is not a Salafi because he believes drums are Halal
Me: So-and-so also said the same
ES: You are not quoting any Salafis
Me: Who is a Salafi then?
ES: (Starts listing his teachers, apparently you have to be his teacher or one of his teacher's students and agree with their every opinion to fit their definition of a Salafi)

8. The Extreme Haraam Police:
EHP: Video Games, Nasheeds, Videos, etc are all Haraam!
Me: What is Halal then?
EHP: Zikr, Salah, fasting
Me: I mean in terms of having fun
EHP: Astagfirullah! There is no place for entertainment in Islam! We were created to worship only!
Me: I know that, but Allah revealed a balanced religion and remind me to give you a copy of my upcoming book "Entertainment in Islam" when it is published.

9. The Extreme Jihadi:
EJ: We must take over world, we can not live under Kaafir rule, it is Haraam to live here, all Muslims must migrate and make Jihad
Me: Then why are you still here?
EJ: Because I got a job interview with the Tax Department tomorrow and I need the money to support my family

10. The Extremely confused individual:
ECI: You can't watch Islam Channel! TV is haraam!
Me: Then why are you watching WWE?
ECI: You can't listen to Zain Bhikha, its haraam!
Me: Then why are you listening to Britney Spears?
ECI: You can't trim your beard and neaten it, it's haraam!
Me: Then why are you clean-shaven?

One more true conversation to end it off:Extremist eating at restaurant:
It's Haraam to eat here because this restaurant banks with First National Bank!
My Nany: Who do you bank with?
Extremist grumbles: First national Bank
My Nany nods her head and smiles victoriously

Repentance......

2009-11-25T09:20:00.004Z

Amongst the best acts of worship we can do on Yawm Al Arafaah is to turn to Allah in repentance. To supplicate to our Lord in the way that befits His Majesty, to call on Him, the One who is Al-Rahim, Al-Rahman and Al-Ghafur. Allah forgives the sins of the one who sincerely turns to Him acknowledging his faults and transgression and seeking tawbah.

'....your Lord has written Mercy for Himself, so that, if any of you does evil in ignorance, and thereafter repents and does righteous good deeds (by obeying Allah), then surely, He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.' [6:54]

There are certain conditions for sincere repentance, the first of which is to acknowledge that one has transgressed and sinned and to leave behind that sin. Associated with this is the second condition which is to feel remorse in ones heart for having transgressed: this is the essence of tawbah; it is not just a matter of words spoken by the tongue. Thirdly one must make a solemn vow not to return to that sin. So by fulfilling all these conditions Allah will forgive His servant and the slate will be wiped clean of the sin he/she repented for; such that it will even remain hidden on Yawm Al Qiyamah.

'Allaah accepts only the repentance of those who do evil in ignorance and foolishness and repent soon afterwards; it is they whom Allaah will forgive and Allaah is Ever All-Knower, All-Wise. And of no effect is the repentance of those who continue to do evil deeds until death faces one of them and he says: ‘Now I repent;’ nor of those who die while they are disbelievers. For them We have prepared a painful torment' [4:17-18]

'Truly, Allaah loves those who turn unto Him in repentance and loves those who purify themselves' [2:222]

'Say: O ‘Ibaadi (My slaves) who have transgressed against themselves (by committing evil deeds and sins)! Despair not of the Mercy of Allaah, verily, Allaah forgives all sins. Truly, He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful' [39:53]

Man is weak and is vulnerable to making mistakes and even transgressing which is why he/she should then turn to the Most Merciful and Most Forgiving seeking His Forgiveness. Allah loves that His servants turn to Him in repentance and supplicate to Him asking Him from His Mercy to forgive them. Even if one's sins were great yet one turned to Allah, having tawakal in Him and seeking His forgiveness, Allah would still forgive.

'Allaah wishes to accept your repentance, but those who follow their lusts, wish that you (believers) should deviate tremendously away' (from the Right Path) [4:27]

'And whoever does evil or wrongs himself but afterwards seeks Allaah’s forgiveness, he will find Allaah Oft Forgiving, Most Merciful' [4:110]

Allaah loves the repentance of His slaves, and accept it. Indeed, He rejoices over it, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “When a person repents, Allaah rejoices more than one of you who found his camel after he lost it in the desert.”

(Agreed upon. Bukhaari, 6309)

(Modified from islam-qa.com)

Virtues Of The Day Of Arafaah

2009-11-24T13:43:00.008Z

It is the day on which the religion was perfected and Allaah’s Favour was completed.
In Al-Saheehayn it was reported from ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allaah be pleased with him) that a Jewish man said to him:

“O Ameer al-Mu’mineen, there is an aayah in your Book which you recite; if it had come to us Jews, we would have taken that day as an ‘Eid (festival).” ‘Umar said, “Which aayah?” He said: “This day I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion.” [al-Maa’idah 5:3 – interpretation of the meaning]. ‘Umar said, “We know on which day and in which place that was revealed to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). It was when he was standing in ‘Arafaah on a Friday.”

Fasting on this day is an expiation for two years.
It was reported from Abu Qutaadah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was asked about fasting on the Day of ‘Arafaah. He said:

“It expiates for the sins of the previous year and of the coming year.” Narrated by Muslim.

This (fasting) is mustahabb for those who are not on Hajj. In the case of the one who is on Hajj,

it is not Sunnah for him to fast on the Day of ‘Arafaah, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not fast on this day in ‘Arafaah. It was narrated that he forbade fasting on the Day of ‘Arafaah in ‘Arafaah.

It is the day on which Allaah took the covenant from the progeny of Adam.
It was reported that Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:

'Allaah took the covenant from the loins of Adam in Na’maan, i.e., ‘Arafaah. He brought forth from his loins all his offspring and spread them before Him, then He addressed them, and said: ‘Am I not your Lord? They said, ‘Yes, we testify,’ lest you should say on the Day of Resurrection: ‘Verily, we have been unaware of this.’ Or lest you should say: ‘It was only our fathers aforetime who took others as partners in worship along with Allaah, and we were (merely their) descendents after them; will You then destroy us because of the deeds of men who practised Al-Baatil (i.e., ploytheism and committing crimes and sins, invoking and worshipping others besides Allaah)?’ [al-A’raaf 7:172-173 – interpretation of the meaning].” Narrated by Ahmad and classed as saheeh by al-Albaani.

And there is no greater day than this and no greater covenant than this.

It is the day of forgiveness of sins, freedom from the Fire and pride in the people who are there:
In Saheeh Muslim it was narrated from ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:

“There is no day on which Allaah frees more people from the Fire than the Day of ‘Arafaah. He comes close and expresses His pride to the angels, saying, ‘What do these people want?’”

It was reported from Ibn ‘Umar that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:

“Allaah expresses His pride to His angels at the time of ‘Ishaa’ on the Day of ‘Arafaah, about the people of ‘Arafaah. He says, ‘Look at My slaves who have come unkempt and dusty.’” Narrated by Ahmad and classed as saheeh by al-Albaani.

(Taken from islam-qa.com)

Fiqh of Salah

2009-11-19T14:06:00.003Z

A BIG Announcement
Asalamualykum Everyone

It gives me great pleasure to announce that the venue for The Coolness Of The Eyes - Fiqh of Salah will now be taking place at the Ibis Hotel, Earls Court in the Enterprise Suite on the 19th/20th December.

SubhanAllah we have had an amazing uptake of enrolments for this course so it has demanded a larger venue to accommodate the students! We have over 400 already enrolled, but that is not enough as we can take another 200 inshaAllah.

To update you all. AlKauthar are looking to launch an amazing nationwide salah campaign through Mercy Mission. I don't want to give too much away as it's extremely exciting and more importantly extremely beneficial to make a change in our Ummah today.
We need every single one of you and your family and friends involved! No excuses guys, the Amanah is on us all.

To add, there is also another surprise (or two!) in store for all of those who attend the course, again my lips are sealed for the moment.

Here's what I want each group to do:

Those who have not yet enrolled:

My sincere advice to all of you, whether in London, Cardiff, Birmingham, Manchester or the other corners of the UK and abroad,

DON'T MISS THIS COURSE!

Why? Well because not only is it about the greatest act of ibadah and the second Pillar of Islam, but because the course promises to be the pinnacle of the AlKauthar 2009 Calendar where all the students will be united with Sheikh Tawfique Chowdhury. We are sure to have a Fiqh-tastic time!

Also, how could you not be there to witness this major project get started and for you to personally be a part of it and gain the pleasure of Allah and fulfil our duty to Him. How can you sit by and watch others take all the reward? Don't you want a share of it?

This project is a serious step towards changing the very fabric of our communities as we know it inshaAllah towards a galvanised and more confident Ummah of righteous people. These reasons are more than enough and there are plenty more.

Those of you who have already enrolled:

Alhamdulillah you have some BIG TIME rewards ready for you inshaAllah! But why stop there? Seriously, the world is you oyster.

Here is my challenge to you all. I want you all to at least bring one friend/family member along with you to this Salah course. Explain the importance of Salah to them and also your AMAZING experiences of AlKauthar Courses. Share with them your love for the courses, teachers, methods, notes, student portal, learning facilities, hospitality and countless other offerings at AlKauthar alhamdulillah.

Just tell them that you want them to go to just one AK course, and that's all it should take inshaAllah to get them hooked. Isn't that right guys? Once you've tasted the AK difference you will want more! Remember one is the minimum but why stop there. Also don't risk your place if you have not already paid…So come on everyone let's spread the word.

We have 4 weeks to double our rewards, 4 weeks to get London and the rest of the country buzzing through the Salah, yearning to learn about the salah and yearning to

ESTABLISH THE SALAH!

(Written By London AK Amir: Br. Anam Hoque:Taken from Alkauthar Forum)

The Best Days Are Approaching.......

2009-11-17T13:39:00.003Z

Praise be to Allah Who has created Time and has made some times better than others, some months and days and nights better than others, when rewards are multiplied many times, as a mercy towards His slaves. Among the special times of worship (for the pilgrims and those who stay behind) are the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah, which Allah has preferred over all the other days of the year.

This season of worship brings many benefits, such as the opportunity to correct one’s faults and make up for any shortcomings or anything that one might have missed. Every one of these special occasions involves some kind of worship through which the slaves may draw closer to Allaah, and some kind of blessing though which Allaah bestows His favour and mercy upon whomsoever He will. The happy person is the one who makes the most of these special months, days and hours and draws nearer to his Lord during these times through acts of worship; he will most likely be touched by the blessing of Allaah and will feel the joy of knowing that he is safe from the flames of Hell. (Ibn Rajab, al-Lataa’if, p.8)

The Muslim must understand the value of his life, increase his worship of Allaah and persist in doing good deeds until the moment of death. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"And worship your Lord until there comes unto you the certainty." [al-Hijr 15:99] (The

mufassireen (commentators) said: "‘The certainty’ means death.)

Ibn`Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "There are no days in which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allah than these ten days." The people asked, "Not even Jihad for the sake of Allah?" He said, "Not even Jihad for the sake of Allah, except in the case of aman who went out to fight, giving himself and his wealth up for the cause, and came back with nothing." (Reported by Al-Bukhari)

The virtue of these ten days is based on many things:

Allaah swears an oath by them, and swearing an oath by something is indicative of its importance and great benefit. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"By the dawn; by the ten nights" [al-Fajr 89:1-2].

Ibn ‘Abbaas, Ibn al-Zubayr, Mujaahid and others of the earlier and later generations said that this refers to the first ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah. Ibn Katheer said: "This is the correct opinion." (Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 8/413).

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) testified that these are the best days of this world, as we have already quoted above from saheeh ahaadeeth. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) encouraged people to do righteous deeds because of the virtue of this season for people throughout the world, and also because of the virtue of the place - for the Hujjaaj (pilgrims) to the Sacred House of Allaah.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded us to recite a lot of Tasbeeh ("Subhan-Allaah"), Tahmeed ("Al-hamdu Lillaah") and Takbeer ("Allaahu akbar") during this time. ‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him and his father) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:

"There are no days greater in the sight of Allaah and in which righteous deeds are more beloved to Him than these ten days, so during this time recite a great deal of Tahleel ("La ilaaha ill-Allaah"), Takbeer and Tahmeed." (Reported by Ahmad, 7/224; Ahmad Shaakir stated that it is saheeh).

These ten days include Yawm ‘Arafaah (the Day of ‘Arafaah), on which Allaah perfected His Religion. Fasting on this day will expiate for the sins of two years. These days also include Yawm al-Nahar (the Day of Sacrifice), the greatest day of the entire year and the greatest day of Hajj, which combines acts of worship in a way unlike any other day.These ten days include the days of sacrifice and of Hajj. *

So what sort of extra good deeds can we all do?

1. Fasting these 10 days

2. Giving more charity during these 10 days

3. Say the "Eid" Takbeers loudly wherever you go. (Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar. Laa ilaaha illa Allah. Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar. Walillaahil hamd.)

4. Try to pray more prayers in the Masjid

5. Increase ties of kinship (visit family, say kind words to them, etc.)

6. Perform more voluntary prayers at home

7. Read more Quran, contemplating the meanings

8. Do more Dhikr

9. Ask for forgiveness more frequently

* Taken from islam-qa.com

I'll Be Back Soon InshAllah....

2009-11-07T07:16:00.002Z

Unfortunately I was not able to attend the Journey of the Hearts seminar, but having paid for my ticket, I am able to get access to the audio and lecture notes........So inshAllah once I have studied them I will be posting some bits on Hajj soon inshAllah. In the mean time please do check out the Alkauthar website as November & December look to be full of eman boosting lectures in the UK.

Establish The Salah!

2009-11-06T16:07:00.004Z

Dear beautiful sisters & brothers in islam.......let us enjoy an ilm packed weekend on the 19th & 20th December inshAllah.

Let us learn how we can bring tranquility to our hearts by perfecting an action we do every day

Let us perfect one the the greatest pillars of islam: The Salah

ENROL HERE

Journey Of The Hearts

2009-10-23T10:15:00.004+01:00

InshAllah I will be attending the seminar about Hajj & Umrah tomorrow (Saturday 24th) and will post all of the interesting things I learn from the course on the blog soon......

SO WATH THIS SPACE!

40 Ahadith by Imam Al Nawawi

2009-10-23T08:58:00.004+01:00

Listen to the 40 Ahadith by Imam Al Nawawi, recited by Sa'ad Al Ghamadi on youtube

(Click on '40 ahadith by Al Nawawi in the right hand column then you can click to listen to any one of these ahadith)

An Imaan packed December!

2009-10-22T07:00:00.001+01:00

This December is going to be packed with Alkauthar lectures: The Coolness of the Eyes: Fiqh of Salah; The Final Rites: Fiqh of Janazah, Burial & Inheritance; Preserving the Pearls: Evolution of the Sunnah.......Could it get any better!!

The Final Rites: Sheikh Bilal Ismail: 5th & 6th December: Birmingham

Want to know what to do when a family member falls ill?

Their final moments in this world? How to wash & shroud the dead?

The procedure of burial?

How to distribute inheritance?

What about dispelling the common misconceptions concerning the rites of burial??

You can find out all of this and much much more......some come & join us at Alkauthar for a mind blowing experience and imaan boosting course!

Enrol Now!

Preserving The Pearls: Sheikh Tariq Appleby: 12th & 13th December: Manchester

"And whatever the Messenger has given you take it, and what he has forbidden you refrain from it." [Al-Hashr:7]

Lets learn about the importance of Sunnah, its basis in Islamic Law, the virtues of adhering to it, the meticulous care undertaken by the scholars of hadith in collecting. memorising & documenting hadith, clear arguments for those who reject the sunnah.

Lets look at how the sunnah has evolved to where it is now

Enrol Now!

The Fiqh Of Salah

2009-10-21T09:20:00.000+01:00

Salah is one of the pillars of Islam, the most ordered in the Quran, it will be the first to be questioned about on Yawm Al Qiyamah.....so lets make sure that we take this opportunity to perfect our salah: Attend the single weekend lecture by Sheikh Tawfique Chowdhury on 19th & 20th of December in London

Want to find out about how to gain khushu in salah? Preconditions of prayer? What nullifies the salah? The pillars of salah, the obligations and recommendations? And lots more??

Enrol here now

Journey Of The Hearts

2009-10-20T08:40:00.004+01:00

Hajj, one of the pillars of Islam, is the largest annual gathering in the world, come and learn more about the rules, regulations, requirements, prohibitions and practical tips on how to make your hajj the journey of a lifetime. Enrol with Alkauthar to listen to Sheikh Bilal Ismail & Sheikh Ismail Davids as they take you through this journey of the heart.

Watch the clip on youtube!

School Run.....

2009-10-15T13:32:00.004+01:00

Well here's something for a wet, autumn school run! Oh, and of course without the trench & shoes so comfortable to lounge around at home in.......

(Checked dresses: £15 each: www.uniqlo.co.uk; Jeans: £25: www.uniqlo.co.uk; Scarves: Grey & Black: £12 each, Turquoise: £15: www.dorothyperkins.co.uk; Alma Trench: £142: www.lagarconne.com; Long Trench: £741: www.luisaviaroma.com; Grey Trench: £129: www.johnlewis.com; Converse Trainers: £38: www.tillys.com; Umbrella: £31: www.wejetset.com)

Abayas......

2009-10-13T12:33:00.002+01:00

Check out these beautiful abayas from 2hijab.....i especially like the butterfly style.....have a look at these and more of there designs here

The Woman: a parable

2009-10-09T15:19:00.002+01:00

Written by Shaikh Nuh Ha Mim Keller

A man was walking through the marketplace one afternoon when, just as the muezzin began the call to prayer, his eye fell on a woman’s back. She was strangely attractive, though dressed in fulsome black, a veil over head and face, and she now turned to him as if somehow conscious of his over-lingering regard, and gave him a slight but meaningful nod before she rounded the corner into the lane of silk sellers. As if struck by a bolt from heaven, the man was at once drawn, his heart a prisoner of that look, forever. In vain he struggled with his heart, offering it one sound reason after another to go his way—wasn’t it time to pray?—but it was finished: there was nothing but to follow.

He hastened after her, turning into the market of silks, breathing from the exertion of catching up with the woman, who had unexpectedly outpaced him and even now lingered for an instant at the far end of the market, many shops ahead. She turned toward him, and he thought he could see a flash of a mischievious smile from beneath the black muslin of her veil, as she—was it his imagination?—beckoned to him again.

The poor man was beside himself. Who was she? The daughter of a wealthy family? What did she want? He requickened his steps and turned into the lane where she had disappeared. And so she led him, always beyond reach, always tantalizingly ahead, now through the weapons market, now the oil merchants’, now the leather sellers’; farther and farther from where they began. The feeling within him grew rather than decreased. Was she mad? On and on she led, to the very edge of town.

The sun declined and set, and there she was, before him as ever. Now they were come, of all places, to the City of Tombs. Had he been in his normal senses, he would have been afraid, but indeed, he now reflected, stranger places than this had seen a lovers’ tryst.

There were scarcely twenty cubits between them when he saw her look back, and, giving a little start, she skipped down the steps and through the great bronze door of what seemed to be a very old sepulcher. A soberer moment might have seen the man pause, but in his present state, there was no turning back, and he went down the steps and slid in after her.

Inside, as his eyes saw after a moment, there were two flights of steps that led down to a second door, from whence a light shone, and which he equally passed through. He found himself in a large room, somehow unsuspected by the outside world, lit with candles upon its walls. There sat the woman, opposite the door on a pallet of rich stuff in her full black dress, still veiled, reclining on a pillow against the far wall. To the right of the pallet, the man noticed a well set in the floor.

“Lock the door behind you,” she said in a low, husky voice that was almost a whisper, “and bring the key.”

He did as he was told. She gestured carelessly at the well. “Throw it in.”

A ray of sense seemed to penetrate for a moment the clouds over his understanding, and a bystander, had there been one, might have detected the slightest of pauses.

“Go on,” she said laughingly, “You didn’t hesitate to miss the prayer as you followed me here, did you?” He said nothing.

“The time for sunset prayer has almost finished as well,” she said with gentle mockery. “Why worry? Go on, throw it in. You want to please me, don’t you?”

He extended his hand over the mouth of the well, and watched as he let the key drop. An uncanny feeling rose from the pit of his stomach as moments passed but no sound came. He felt wonder, then horror, then comprehension.

“It is time to see me,” she said, and she lifted her veil to reveal not the face of a fresh young girl, but of a hideous old crone, all darkness and vice, not a particle of light anywhere in its eldritch lines.

“See me well,” she said. “My name is Dunya, This World. I am your beloved. You spent your time running after me, and now you have caught up with me. In your grave. Welcome, welcome.”

At this she laughed and laughed, until she shook herself into a small mound of fine dust, whose fitful shadows, as the candles went out, returned to the darkness one by one.

Sunnah Style

2009-10-06T11:32:00.000+01:00

These are some bisht abayaat from Sunnah Style, I personally have not one a bisht abaya, but do adore the style......inshAllah I will try one on and see how I feel...but it does look very comfortable and would definitely be extremely modest.....and seems very airy....ideal for the hot summer days! There abayaat are priced from approximately £22 - £41 so they are reasonably priced......check out their website for more designs (I personally like the one with the silver embroidery)

Oral Hygiene: Part 1

2009-10-05T12:02:00.000+01:00

Being in the dental profession one of the most common question I inevitably get is 'Could you have a look at this tooth for me........' I suppose that's part and parcel of the profession, just like any speciality field...when someone knows exactly what you do they automatically assume that one must be a walking encyclopedia of facts!! So it does feel a little disappointing when one can not deal with the problem at hand and has to send off for a referral.

The topic of discussion is one about which I have been asked many times.....common questions that come up are 'my gums bleed', 'I think I have bad breath', 'my gums are a little sore and puffy'. Unfortunately what a lot of people do think is that dental health professionals can provide miracle cures to alleviate the problem, but looking after the health of the oral cavity is a COMBINED effort of both the clinician and the patient. Having the teeth scaled and polished won't get rid of the underlying cause of the problem which is most commonly poor oral hygiene through lack of education on the subject (in some patients there can be a genetic predisposition to certain types of periodontal/gum problems). It is a tedious daily chore, but if done correctly with a few minutes at the start and end of the day can lead to a more fresh and healthier mouth. Dental health care professionals can help to remove those stubborn stains and calculus (tartar) that can not be removed by brushing and flossing......but long term maintenance has to be a joint effort.

The Ahadith regarding cleaning of the mouth are numerous, some of which are as follows:

'Siwak cleanses the mouth and earns one the Lord's pleasure' [1]

'Where it not for the fact that I did not want to make things too hard for my ummah, I would have commanded them to use siwak at every time of salah' [2]

'Whenever he entered his house the first thing he used to do was to use the siwak' [3]

We know that in islam purification is of great esteem to the extent that the Prophet (saw) regarded cleanliness as half of faith. The emphasis on keeping the body and mouth clean as well as the clothing, home and streets is because it is a prerequisite to the salah. One's salah will not be accepted if one has not purified oneself, ones clothing and one's place of salah. (InshAlah I will write a piece on the siwak versus the tooth brush at a later date)

So it has been established that maintaining a good level of oral hygiene is imperative and an integral part of cleanliness of our own selves. We are all aware and indeed it is also part of our ritual habit to use a toothbrush to clean our teeth, but does one buy the latest brand of tooth brush or the cheapest on the supermarket shelf?

There are two types: manual and mechanical; Electric toothbrushes have shown to give a superior cleaning performance than manual toothbrushes. However, one does not need to buy the most expensive electric tooth brush available, just a very basic rechargeable brush will give the same results as the one with the fancy gadgets! I would strongly emphasis rechargeable because with the battery operated brushes, often when the battery starts to run low the performance of the brush head also reduces (less rotations). If buying a manual toothbrush then one should look for a small headed toothbrush, unfortunately they are not that widely available in the supermarket and local chemists, the only one i have come across is the Oral-B advantage 30/35. One of the most ideal manual toothbrush is the Sensodyne Search 3.5, which should be available from any dental clinic or http://www.cts-dental.com/ (for those that live in London do try John Bell & Croydon on Wigmore Street).

With both the electric and manual toothbrush, the positioning of the brush should be such that it is held at 45 degrees to the gum margin when brushing the inside surfaces of the molar and premolar teeth. For the front of the mouth the brush would be held almost at 90 degrees with the exception of the manual tooth brush when brushing the inside surfaces of the front teeth where the brush would have to be held vertically to effectively clean this area.

The Electric toothbrush is not to be used as a manual toothbrush such that one should not move the brush, instead hold the brush against each tooth surface for a few seconds before moving along to the next tooth. With the manual toothbrush use short back and forth movements as opposed to a scrubbing technique; This will help to remove the plaque without being abrasive on the enamel and the gums.

InshAllah I will discuss interdental aids such as flossing and the use of interdental brushes and other such aids in part 2.

[1]: Bukhari

[2]: Bukhari

[3]: Muslim

Tahura Abayaat......

2009-10-04T09:52:00.000+01:00

These are some of the abayaat available from www.tahura.com I especially adore the sleeves on the last one....and the embroidery on all of them is very beautiful indeed! Prices range from £28-£125; Abayaat available are plain, hooded, embroidered and the 'Malika' range.

Beautiful Dresses.......

2009-10-03T15:47:00.000+01:00

Well...with talks of possibly two family weddings to come soon inshAllah I thought it would be a good idea to start putting together some outfits......I would not be able to afford the gorgeous gowns above, but the colours are beautiful and both would be something I would wear. The dresses are both designed by fashion designer Malik Moestaram who displayed his designs at the Islamic Fashion Festival in Jakarta this year.

Aishah Bint Abi Bakr.....A Short Biography

2009-10-02T09:12:00.000+01:00

The life of Aishah is proof that a woman can be far more learned than men and that she can be the teacher of scholars and experts. Her life is also proof that a woman can exert influence over men and women and provide them with inspiration and leadership. Her life is also proof that the same woman can be totally feminine and be a source of pleasure, joy and comfort to her husband.
She did not graduate from any university there were no universities as such in her day. But still her utterances are studied in faculties of literature, her legal pronouncements are studied in colleges of law and her life and works are studied and researched by students and teachers of Muslim history as they have been for over a thousand years.

The bulk of her vast treasure of knowledge was obtained while she was still quite young. In her early childhood she was brought up by her father who was greatly liked and respected for he was a man of wide knowledge, gentle manners and an agreeable presence. Moreover he was the closest friend of the noble Prophet who was a frequent visitor to their home since the very early days of his mission.

In her youth, already known for her striking beauty and her formidable memory, she came under the loving care and attention of the Prophet himself. As his wife and close companion she acquired from him knowledge and insight such as no woman has ever acquired.

Aishah became the Prophet's wife in Makkah when she was most likely in the tenth year of her life but her wedding did not take place until the second year after the Hijrah when she was about fourteen or fifteen years old. Before and after her wedding she maintained a natural jollity and innocence and did not seem at all overawed by the thought of being wedded to him who was the Messenger of God whom all his companions, including her own mother and father, treated with such love and reverence as they gave to no one else.

About her wedding, she related that shortly before she was to leave her parent's house, she slipped out into the courtyard to play with a passing friend:

"I was playing on a see-saw and my long streaming hair was dishevelled," she said. "They came and took me from my play and made me ready."

They dressed her in a wedding-dress made from fine red-striped cloth from Bahrain and then her mother took her to the newly-built house where some women of the Ansar were waiting outside the door. They greeted her with the words "For good and for happiness may all be well!" Then, in the presence of the smiling Prophet, a bowl of milk was brought. The Prophet drank from it himself and offered it to Aishah. She shyly declined it but when he insisted she did so and then offered the bowl to her sister Asma who was sitting beside her. Others also drank of it and that was as much as there was of the simple and solemn occasion of their wedding. There was no wedding feast.

Marriage to the Prophet did not change her playful ways. Her young friends came regularly to visit her in her own apartment.

"I would be playing with my dolls," she said, "with the girls who were my friends, and the Prophet would come in and they would slip out of the house and he would go out after them and bring them back, for he was pleased for my sake to have them there." Sometimes he would say "Stay where you are" before they had time to leave, and would also join in their games. Aishah said: "One day, the Prophet came in when I was playing with the dolls and he said: 'O Aishah, whatever game is this?' 'It is Solomon's horses,' I said and he laughed." Sometimes as he came in he would screen himself with his cloak so as not to disturb Aishah and her friends.

Aishah's early life in Madinah also had its more serious and anxious times. Once her father and two companions who were staying with him fell ill with a dangerous fever which was common in Madinah at certain seasons. One morning Aishah went to visit him and was dismayed to find the three men lying completely weak and exhausted. She asked her father how he was and he answered her in verse but she did not understand what he was saying. The two others also answered her with lines of poetry which seemed to her to be nothing but unintelligible babbling. She was deeply troubled and went home to the Prophet saying:

"They are raving, out of their minds, through the heat of the fever." The Prophet asked what they had said and was somewhat reassured when she repeated almost word for word the lines they had uttered and which made sense although she did not fully understand them then. This was a demonstration of the great retentive power of her memory which as the years went by were to preserve so many of the priceless sayings of the Prophet.

Of the Prophet's wives in Madinah, it was clear that it was Aishah that he loved most. From time to time, one or the other of his companions would ask:

"O Messenger of God, whom do you love most in the world?" He did not always give the same answer to this question for he felt great love for many for his daughters and their children, for Abu Bakr, for Ali, for Zayd and his son Usamah. But of his wives the only one he named in this connection was Aishah. She too loved him greatly in return and often would seek reassurance from him that he loved her. Once she asked him: "How is your love for me?"

"Like the rope's knot," he replied meaning that it was strong and secure. And time after time thereafter, she would ask him: "How is the knot?" and he would reply: "”Ala haaliha” in the same condition."

As she loved the Prophet so was her love a jealous love and she could not bear the thought that the Prophet's attentions should be given to others more than seemed enough to her. She asked him:

"O Messenger of God, tell me of yourself. If you were between the two slopes of a valley, one of which had not been grazed whereas the other had been grazed, on which would you pasture your flocks?"

"On that which had not been grazed," replied the Prophet. "Even so," she said, "and I am not as any other of your wives. "Everyone of them had a husband before you, except myself." The Prophet smiled and said nothing. Of her jealousy, Aishah would say in later years:

"I was not, jealous of any other wife of the Prophet as I was jealous of Khadijah, because of his constant mentioning of her and because God had commanded him to give her good tidings of a mansion in Paradise of precious stones. And whenever he sacrificed a sheep he would send a fair portion of it to those who had been her intimate friends. Many a time I said to him: "It is as if there had never been any other woman in the world except Khadijah."

Once, when Aishah complained and asked why he spoke so highly of "an old Quraysh woman", the Prophet was hurt and said: "She was the wife who believed in me when others rejected me. When people gave me the lie, she affirmed my truthfulness. When I stood forsaken, she spent her wealth to lighten the burden of my sorrow..."

Despite her feelings of jealousy which nonetheless were not of a destructive kind, Aishah was really a generous soul and a patient one. She bore with the rest of the Prophet's household poverty and hunger which often lasted for long periods. For days on end no fire would be lit in the sparsely furnished house of the Prophet for cooking or baking bread and they would live merely on dates and water. Poverty did not cause her distress or humiliation; self-sufficiency when it did come did not corrupt her style of life.

Once the Prophet stayed away from his wives for a month because they had distressed him by asking of him that which he did not have. This was after the Khaybar expedition when an increase of riches whetted the appetite for presents. Returning from his self-imposed retreat, he went first to Aishah's apartment. She was delighted to see him but he said he had received Revelation which required him to put two options before her. He then recited the verses:

"O Prophet! Say to your wives: If you desire the life of this world and its adornments, then come and I will bestow its goods upon you, and I will release you with a fair release. But if you desire God and His Messenger and the abode of the Hereafter, then verily God has laid in store for you an immense reward for such as you who do good."

Aishah's reply was:

"Indeed I desire God and His Messenger and the abode of the Hereafter," and her response was followed by all the others.

She stuck to her choice both during the lifetime of the Prophet and afterwards. Later when the Muslims were favored with enormous riches, she was given a gift of one hundred thousand dirhams. She was fasting when she received the money and she distributed the entire amount to the poor and the needy even though she had no provisions in her house. Shortly after, a maidservant said to her: "Could you buy meat for a dirham with which to break your fast?"

"If I had remembered, I would have done so," she said. The Prophet's affection for Aishah remained to the last. During his final illness, it was to Aishah's apartment that he went at the suggestion of his wives. For much of the time he lay there on a couch with his head resting on her lap. She it was who took a toothstick from her brother, chewed upon it to soften it and gave it to the Prophet. Despite his weakness, he rubbed his teeth with it vigorously. Not long afterwards, he lost consciousness and Aishah thought it was the onset of death, but after an hour he opened his eyes.

Aishah it is who has preserved for us these dying moments of the most honoured of God's creation, His beloved Messenger may He shower His choicest blessings on him.

When he opened his eyes again, Aishah remembered Iris having said to her: "No Prophet is taken by death until he has been shown his place in Paradise and then offered the choice, to live or die."

"He will not now choose us," she said to herself. Then she heard him murmur: "With the supreme communion in Paradise, with those upon whom God has showered His favor, the Prophets, the martyrs and the righteous..." Again she heard him murmur: "O Lord, with the supreme communion," and these were the last words she heard him speak. Gradually his head grew heavier upon her breast, until others in the room began to lament, and Aishah laid his head on a pillow and joined them in lamentation.

In the floor of Aishah's room near the couch where he was lying, a grave was dug in which was buried the Seal of the Prophets amid much bewilderment and great sorrow.

Aishah lived on almost fifty years after the passing away of the Prophet. She had been his wife for a decade. Much of this time was spent in learning and acquiring knowledge of the two most important sources of God's guidance, the Qur’an and the Sunnah of His Prophet. Aishah was one of three wives (the other two being Hafsah and Umm Salamah) who memorized the Revelation. Like Hafsah, she had her own script of the Qur’an written after the Prophet had died.

So far as the Ahadith or sayings of the Prophet is concerned, Aishah is one of four persons (the others being Abu Hurayrah, Abdullah ibn Umar, and Anas ibn Malik) who transmitted more than two thousand sayings. Many of these pertain to some of the most intimate aspects of personal behavior which only someone in Aishah's position could have learnt. What is most important is that her knowledge of hadith was passed on in written form by at least three persons including her nephew Urwah who became one of the greatest scholars among the generation after the Companions.

Many of the learned companions of the Prophet and their followers benefitted from Aishah's knowledge. Abu Musa al-Ashari once said: "If we companions of the Messenger of God had any difficulty on a matter, we asked Aishah about it."

Her nephew Urwah asserts that she was proficient not only in fiqh but also in medicine (tibb) and poetry. Many of the senior companions of the Prophet came to her to ask for advice concerning questions of inheritance which required a highly skilled mathematical mind. Scholars regard her as one of the earliest fuqaha (jurist) of Islam along with persons like Umar ibn al-Khattab, Ali and Abdullah ibn Abbas. The Prophet referring to her extensive knowledge of Islam is reported to have said: "Learn a portion of your religion (din) from this red colored lady." "Humayra" meaning "Red-coloured" was an epithet given to Aishah by the Prophet.

Aishah not only possessed great knowledge but took an active part in education and social reform. As a teacher she had a clear and persuasive manner of speech and her power of oratory has been described in superlative terms by al-Ahnaf who said: "I have heard speeches of Abu Bakr and Umar, Uthman and Ali and the Caliphs up to this day, but I have not heard speech more persuasive and more beautiful from the mouth of any person than from the mouth of Aishah."

Men and women came from far and wide to benefit from her knowledge. The number of women is said to have been greater than that of men. Besides answering enquiries, she took boys and girls, some of them orphans, into her custody and trained them under her care and guidance. This was in addition to her relatives who received instruction from her. Her house thus became a school and an academy.

Some of her students were outstanding. We have already mentioned her nephew Urwah as a distinguished reporter of hadith. Among her women pupils is the name of Umrah bint Abdur Rahman. She is regarded by scholars as one of the trustworthy narrators of hadith and is said to have acted as Aishah's secretary receiving and replying to letters addressed to her. The example of Aishah in promoting education and in particular the education of Muslim women in the laws and teachings of Islam is one which needs to be followed.

After Khadijah and Fatimah, Aishah as-Siddiqah (the one who affirms the Truth) is regarded as the best woman in Islam. Because of the strength of her personality, she was a leader in every field in knowledge, in society, in politics and in war. She often regretted her involvement in war but lived long enough to regain position as the most respected woman of her time. She died in the year 58 AH in the month of Ramadan and as she instructed, was buried in the Graveyard of al-Baqi in the City of Light, beside other companions of the Prophet.

Article taken from www.informationislam.com

Preservation Of Religion.....

2009-10-01T10:28:00.000+01:00

Preservation of Religion

In the name of Allāh, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful. The advent of modern technology has provided an unprecedented platform for individuals and groups to manufacture and spread false information about Islam at a large scale. This phenomenon is carried out by both, people who are members of the faith and others who are open adversaries of Islam. Whilst the latter group is less successful in its attempts to penetrate and circulate false teachings among Muslims, the first group for a long time, has had almost total success with very little opposition.

Though there is a small but growing circle of Muslims ever cautious and vigilant, aware of the dangers of false teachings and always demanding verification and proof, the vast majority of Muslims are completely oblivious to this predicament. Throughout the years, I have personally witnessed Imams of mosques, students at universities and the average Muslim at home or work, all inadvertently and naively involved in tampering with the pristine teachings of Islam. Commentaries are given of the Qur’ān with the aid of strange and fictitious Israelite traditions, aĥādīth are quoted, unanimously agreed by the scholars as fabrications, irrational statements are dressed up and put into the mouth of early Muslim scholars to gain legitimacy, and ridiculous rumours are spread without anyone questioning its authenticity or asking for a reference. Emails in particular are used as a vehicle to spread false information from person to person with astonishing rapidity by encouraging recipients to forward messages, to everyone they know.

It is now quite normal to find our emails inundated with supposed miracles; like the “shahadah in German trees”, or famous conversion stories like, Neil Armstrong becoming a Muslim after hearing the adhān on the moon, or warnings on the birth of dajjāl with the help of doctored photographs or worst still fabricated ahādīth on the merits of different actions.

Of course, this phenomenon is nothing new. Preachers, zealots, heretics, pamphleteers, story tellers and ignorant ascetics of every age give currency to legendary narratives and furnish it with a few of their own “pious inventions”. Conscious of this problem, in the early centuries of Islam, a group of Muslims scholars took on the challenge and dedicated their lives to preserve the authentic statements of the Prophet (ŝallallāhu ‘alayhī wasallam) and to purge out later additions. They travelled long arduous journeys, leaving their families and children and sacrificing the luxuries of food and comfort, deciphering hundreds of manuscripts, interrogating a multitude of men and writing volumes of books all with the intent of protecting and preserving this religion and eliminating fabrications.

Yet, the task is not over. Even today, the circulation of fables and fictitious legends continues via the pulpit, books, television and most recently the internet. If this trend continues unchecked it will lead to disastrous results.

It is only when we as Muslims work together, that we will be able to eradicate this problem. We must show a high level of caution and vigilance and avoid forwarding emails without verification. We must not quote or cite ahādīth whose authenticity is unknown or doubtful. We should not feel inhibited or shy to ask someone for a reference or source.

In conclusion I would like to leave you with a few sayings of the Prophet (ŝallallāhu ‘alayhī wasallam) and the early Muslim scholars on the dangers of falsely attributing a statement to the Prophet (ŝallallāhu ‘alayhī wasallam) and the importance of verifying information before it is passed on to others.

The Seriousness of telling lies about the Prophet (sallallāhu ‘alayhī wasallam)

On the authority of ‘Alī (raďīyallāhu anhu), the Messenger of Allāh (ŝallallāhu ‘alayhī wasallam) said: “Do not tell lies about me, for whoever tell lies about me will enter the Fire.” (Reported by Imām al-Bukhārī and Muslim)

It was narrated that Anas b. Mālik (raďīyallāhu anhu) said: “What prevents me from narrating many aĥādīth to you is the fact that the Messenger of Allāh (ŝallallāhu ‘alayhī wasallam) said: “Whoever tells a lie about me deliberately, let him take his seat in the Fire.” (Reported by Imām al-Bukhārī and Muslim)

The prohibition of passing on any or every information that reaches you without verification.

It was narrated by Abū Hurayrah (raďīyallāhu anhu) that the Messenger of Allāh (ŝallallāhu ‘alayhī wasallam) said: “It is a sufficient lie for a man to speak of everything that he hears.” (Reported by Imām Muslim in the Introduction to his ŝaĥīĥ)

Imām Mālik said: “You should know that no man who speaks of everything that he hears will be free of faults, and he will never be an Imām who speaks of everything that he hears.”

He further states “A person will not become an Imām in knowledge if he relates everything that he hears, and he will not be an Imām if he narrates from every single person and narrates odd (weak) reports.” (Reported by Imām Muslim in the Introduction to his ŝaĥīĥ)

The Prophet (sallallāhu ‘alayhī wasallam) warning us of people fabricating stories and aĥadīth.

It was narrated by Abū Hurayrah (raďīyallāhu anhu) that the Messenger of Allāh (ŝallallāhu ‘alayhī wasallam) said: “During the end times of my ummah there will be imposters and liars who will narrate to you aĥādīth that neither you nor your forefathers ever heard. Beware of them and stay away from them, and do not let them mislead you or confuse you.” (Reported by Imām Muslim in the Introduction to his ŝaĥīĥ)

The importance of isnād and taking knowledge only from recognized authorities.

Imām Muĥammad b. Sīrīn said: “This knowledge (ĥadīth) is the foundation of religion, so watch from whom you learn your religion.” (Reported by Imām Muslim in the Introduction to his ŝaĥīĥ)

Ibn Abu Zinād narrated that his father said: “In al-Madīnah, I met one hundred men, all of whom were reliable, but no one accepted aĥādīth from them. It was said: “He is not one of its people.” (Reported by Imām Muslim in the Introduction to his ŝaĥīĥ)

Imām ‘Abd Allāh b. Mubārak said: “The chain of narration (isnād) is part of religion, were it not for the chain, anyone could say whatever he wanted.” (Reported by Imām Muslim in the Introduction to his ŝaĥīĥ)

Imām Sufyān ath-Thawrī said: “The isnād is the weapon of the Believer. So if he does not have a weapon with him, what will he fight with?” [Sharaf Ashābāl Hadīth (1/15)]

Even people who appear righteous could fabricate aĥādīth unintentionally.

Imām Yaĥyā b. Sa’īd al-Qattān narrated from his father: “You will not see in good people anything worse than in telling lies about aĥādīth.

Imam Muslim commented: “This means, lies would flow from their tongues but they do not lie deliberately. (Reported by Imām Muslim in the Introduction to his ŝaĥīĥ)

Some statements from the early scholars.

Imām ‘Abd’l-Rahmān b. Mahdi said: “it is not permissible for a man to be an Imam until he knows what is authentic (in hadīth) from what is not authentic.”

Imām Sufyān ath-Thawrī said: “Increase in (the knowledge of) Ĥadīth as it is a weapon (for you).”

Imām Sufyān al-Thawri said: “The angels are guardians of the sky, and the scholars of Ĥadīth are the guardians on Earth.”

Imām Yazīd b. Zarī’ said: “For every religion there are knights, and the knights of this religion are the scholars of Ĥadīth.”

‘Imām Abd Allāh b. Mubārak said: “The example of the one who studies his Religion without an isnād is like the one who attempts to ascend a roof without a ladder.” [Sharaf Ashābul Hadīth (1/15)]

Abū Mansūr b. Sallām al-Faqīh said: “There is nothing heavier upon the people of heresy and more hated by them than listening to the Hadīth and its narration with its isnād.” [Sharaf Ashābul Hadīth (2/36)]

An example of the efforts that were taken by the scholars to ascertain the authenticity of a ĥadīth

Al-Mu’mal ibn Ismā’īl was once informed of a ĥadīth on the authority of Ubāy b. K’āb (raďhīyallāhu ‘anhu) detailing the virtue of every sūrah in the Qur’ān. Al-Mu’mal inquired of his teacher: “Who narrated (this ĥadīth to you)?” The teacher replied: “A man in Madāin, and he is still alive.” Al-Mu’mal continues: “So I traveled to meet this man in person. Once I met him, I asked him who had narrated the ĥadīth to him. He replied: “A Shaykh in Wāsiť and he is still alive.” So I traveled to Wāsiť and asked the man who narrated the ĥadīth to him. He replied: “A Shaykh in Basra”. So I traveled to Basra and asked the Shaykh the same question. He replied that he was informed by a Shaykh in ‘Abādān. So I traveled to ‘Abādān and asked the Shaykh who had narrated the ĥadīth to him. The Shaykh got hold of my hand and took me to a house where some Sufis had gathered and among them was a Shaykh. “This Shaykh reported the ĥadīth to me” said the man holding my hand. So I asked: “O Shaykh, who reported this ĥadīth to you?” The man replied: “No one reported the ĥadīth to me, but when I saw the people turning away from the Qur’ān, I fabricated this ĥadīth to bring the people back to the Qur’ān.” (ash-Shadhā al-Fayāĥ 1/228)

Imām ash-Shawkānī describing the efforts of the early ĥadīth scholars writes:

“The scholars went to great extents to inform the people of fabricated aĥādīth, and they exposed the fairytales of liars, and removed from the aĥādīth of the Prophet (ŝallallāhu ‘alayhī wasallam) the false attributions of the fabricators, the distortions of the transgressors, and the erroneous explanations of the ignorant…” [al-Fawā'id al-Majmū'ah: 3]

May Allāh make us from the sincere Muslims in this life and raise us with the prophets, scholars and martyrs on the Day of Judgment. Amīn.

Written by Abu Abd Allah I. Damiel: Alkauthar Instructor: http://forums.alkauthar.org/showthread.php?p=36278#post36278

Shukr Sale......

2009-10-01T09:18:00.000+01:00

Shukr have an after Eid sale on now with up to 60% off on some products. Have a browse here

The Two Wings Of Islam.......

2009-09-30T09:48:00.000+01:00

The Prophet Muhammad said: 'Hold on to my sunnah and the sunnah of the rightly guided caliphs' (Abu Dawud)

AlKAUTHAR is presenting yet another mind blowing and awe inspiring course on the lives of the two great giants of islam: Abu Bakr & Umar (RA). Lets join them and travel through the golden era of islam and see how they supported Rasulullah and aided him in every way. This is an opportunity to learn about their lives from beginning to end. Lets travel back in time together!

For more information and how to enrol please click here

If Faith Is lost All Is Lost

2009-09-29T13:34:00.000+01:00

A short while back I received a wonderful email from one of my most beloved friend, and thought I'd share it with you all:

Almost every major religion in the world whether you are a Muslim,Christian, Jew, Hindu or a Buddhist, believe in the concept of the Hereafter. This concept isn't new; it's been around from the beginning of time to the present day and will be until the end of time.

We have several examples; we know that the Egyptians were buried in pyramids together with their wealth and worldly possessions ready for the life in the next world. The First Emperor was buried in his burial chamber with his wealth, concubines and his terracotta army to protect him from the evil spirits. Muslims also believe in the Hereafter, the Day of Judgement and in Heaven and Hell and since this life is a test for the hereafter, depending on our deeds, we either go to Heaven or we go to Hell. Muslims believe that every human being is born innocent and free of any sin, unlike the Christians, who believe that man is born in sin and Jesus (pbuh) died for their sins. Since there are no intermediaries in Islam, we ask Allah (swt) to forgive us and as long as we ask Allah (swt) and no one else and we repent sincerely then surely Allah (swt) will forgive us but the final judgment will be on the Day of Judgement, Yawm ul Hisab (Day of Account).

Muslims believe that from the time we are born to the time we die, Allah (swt) gives us a chance to believe in him, to believe in the oneness of Allah without associating any partners with him and Everyone has the same chance. Allah (swt) tells us in the Qur'an

"Say: He is Allah, the One and Only; Allah, the Eternal, the Absolute; He begets not, nor is He begotten; And there is nothing like Him" Qur'an [Surah Al-Iklas112:1-4]"

"Certainly you (disbelievers) and that which you are worshipping now besides Allâh, are (but) fuel for Hell! (Surely), you will enter it. Had these (idols) been âlihah (gods), they would not have entered there (Hell), and all of them will abide therein". [Surah Al-Anbiya21: 98-99]

Allah (swt) warns us of the fire:

"Fear the Fire, which has been prepared for the unbelievers" [Surah Al-Imran 3:131]

In Islam we believe that some people will go directly to Jannah(Paradise). The criteria for going to Jannah is given in the Qur'an in Surah Al-Asr 103: 1-3

"By (the Token of) Time, Verily Man is in loss, Except those who believe and do righteous good deeds, and enjoin on each other truth [i.e. order one another to perform all kinds of good deeds (Al-Ma'ruf) which Allâh has ordained, and abstain from all kinds of sins and evil deeds (Al-Munkar which Allâh has forbidden], and enjoin on each other patience and perseverance"

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) also said that whoever does their Salah on time everyday, 5 times a day and their Salah is good and acceptable, they don't have to worry about the day of judgement they will go straight into Paradise. Those whose Salah aren't in order, then the angels will look at their extra prayers and if they find enough from there, that are acceptable, they will still go to Jannah. But what about those who have too many bad deeds and just don't have enough good deeds to get into Jannah? Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said that some people will be taken out of the fire and put into Jannah (Paradise). First the people, who are in the fire up to their ankles, they will get to come out first, then some people who are up to their knees, some who are up to their necks and then finally those people who had no good deeds but still believed in the Oneness of Allah. In other words, He will punish us for a while but He will still forgive us as long as we believe in him without associating partners with him. So if we are a believer, we cant loose, eventually we will be in Paradise, but the goal is, let's get there as quickly as possible.

There are many people who already worship Allah (call Him God, Bhagwan or Adonai; Adonay; Eloheinu; Elohim; Ha-Shem; El) but they worship something with Him. All the messengers came with one message, worship Allah alone, to give your love to Allah, give your devotion to Allah and not to anybody or not to anything else. There is a saying, which goes something like this

"If money is lost, nothing is lost. If health is lost, something is lost but if the faith is lost, all is lost"

The Qur'an tells us "yā ulil al-bāb" (O you who have brains) "laallakum ta'qilūn" (that you may reason), "la allakum tattfakkarūn"(that you may reflect) and I hope inshaAllah, you will study, see reason and you will reflect.

A Short Poem For Reflection.......

2009-09-29T12:31:00.000+01:00

One is not rich or poor through the wealth one may store;
Rather wealth is the knowledge through which the soul is nourished
When the wisdom is permitted to flourish;
Let the river of ilm flow through the numerous vessels
So the heart may too taste the sweetness it nestles;
Let the limbs acquire the bounty of the knowledge that is acted upon
So the Angels may lower their wings when they decend upon;
Let the Most Merciful, the Most High bestow His blessings upon the one who ponders
Through the forest of knowledge as the mind is set to wonder;
How sublime, how beautiful is the mind He created
Which resides inside the soul of the humble scholar anticipated.

Aab Abayas

2009-09-29T10:46:00.000+01:00

Aab are a stylish and contemporary abaya brand based in the UK. I have ordered many abayaat from them, and generally the quality is very good. They currently have a sale on which you can have a look at here

Al Motahajiba

2009-09-27T07:28:00.001+01:00

Motahajiba is a an abaya brand based in the Gulf that design some quite glamorous and simply quite chic abayaat, below is a little about their vision

'The “Al-Motahajiba”, Arabic Women’s wear garments have more elements to their Vision & Mission Statement. Our entire collection is, designed by experienced designers having a good sense of the Arabic fashion market and its specific requirements. Showcasing creativity and imagination, our entire collection is topping the style charts with their novel designs.....' Read more here

Something For A Summer Wedding.........

2009-09-26T09:10:00.000+01:00

Well wouldn't this be a nice dress to wear to a wedding, it can be found on the artizara website, and comes with the matching wrap.

(Dress: www.artizara.com: £183; Shoes: www.faith.co.uk: £70; Eyeshadow: www.urbandecay.com: £9.79-£12.00; Fiorelli Bag: www.johnlewis.com: £35; Burberry Perfume: £30; Wrap Gem Ring: www.monsoon.co.uk: £15; Swarovski Rings: www.swarovski.com: £208 & £582)

Love In Islam......

2009-09-25T13:50:00.000+01:00

Coming from a Western or European background, we often equate love with the stereotypical images that we see in all forms of media. The pouting woman waiting breathlessly at home for husband to appear to “love her,” alternatively the career woman who throws off the shackles of the workforce to return breathlessly home to her waiting husband. Sex sells, and the print and visual media take advantage of this fact. Sex sells, and businesses in all corners of the world will do anything to make an extra dollar. Sex is not love, and the word ‘love’ has, unfortunately, lost much of its true meaning.

We drive to work past the giant billboards selling cars and clothes and laundry detergent. The billboards all have one thing in common a pouting woman who says with smoldering eyes “drive this car and attract women like me”; “wear this brand of clothes and women will want you more then the clothes.” We open the newspaper to see advertisements for exotic destinations; the people appear to be happy and “in love.” The television and movie screens tell us that if you consume this product you will be desirable, your husband or wife will “love you.” Drink brand X and fall in love, wear brand Y and have all fall in love with you.

This is not love, this is an advertising ploy. Marriages fall by the wayside because husbands and wives find that they cannot live up to the expectations that they impose on themselves and each other. The images are impossible to emulate simply because they are not real; they come from the minds of advertising executives, not from the natural order of our lives. Our senses are assaulted almost every waking moment by images of what the media feeds to us as a normal lifestyle. These images are not normal, and the lifestyles that they portray are in no way a reflection of how men and woman should live together in a normal, healthy relationship.

Islam, on the other hand, being the natural way for human beings to live, employs no trickery or gimmicks. Love in Islam brings men and woman together with strong bonds that tie couples together with the rope of Islam.

'And hold fast all of you together, to the rope of Allah (i.e. this Qur’an), and be not divided among your selves, and remember Allahs favour on you' (Al `Imran 3:103).

A marriage based firmly and soundly on the Qur’an and the Sunnah should suffer none of the pangs of insecurity and subterfuge that abound in marriages whose role models are the pouting woman and muscle bound man found in all forms of media. Marriage in Islam is a contract between two people, a man and a woman, by which they agree to enter into a [halal] relationship for the sake of Allah Most High.

It is a relationship that binds them to each other through all the tests and trials of this life, through hardship and ease.

'Verily along with every hardship is relief' (Ash-Sharh 94:6).

It should be a relationship whose sole purpose is to worship, praise, and thank Allah Most High. If love—the tender blissful feeling of being in love—is present in this relationship, then it is an extra blessing from Allah.

Marriage in Islam is not based on whether we find our partner desirable or whether he or she contributes a great deal of money to the family. Marriage in Islam is a partnership. Two people, working as one unit. One unit striving for Jannah, longing to secure themselves a place in the shade of Allah. Love in Islam is a [halal] marriage secure in the knowledge that the wealth and adornments of this world are but illusions and that it is in the Hereafter that our real lives will begin.

'And the life of this world is nothing but play and amusement. But far better is the house in the hereafter for those that are al-muttaqun (the pious). Will you not then understand?' (Al-An`Am 6:32)

If we examine our thoughts on love and marriage and endeavor to renew our intentions to have a marriage for the sake of Allah Most High, we will, in sha’ Allah, find that we are no longer blinded by the subtle advertising that invades our lives and eats away at our iman. Shaytan (Satan) works in devious and treacherous ways and loves nothing more then to put enmity between a husband and wife. His work is made easier by the fact that we are so easily deceived. Before we realize what is happening, the seeds of destruction have grown into an evil tree.
We begin to think and worry because our marriages are not what we see on the television or read about in the latest release novels. Our minds are invaded with thoughts that are contrary to the natural order of Islam and the universe, and our insecurities lead us to long for unattainable and unnecessary ideals in our lives and marriages. We have grown complacent in our commitment to our marriages and to our Islam, where as Shaytan is ever watchful and eager to guide us to the path that leads to nowhere but eternal Hellfire.

A marriage in Islam is about more than ‘love’; love in Islam is about more than tender feelings and smoldering sexual desires. Through our commitment to Islam we should be able to return to an era where love and marriage are synonymous. Where a marriage is a partnership, a bonding of two people that, like ripples on water, moves ever steadily outwards to encompass the ideals of an Islamic community. The bonds of marriage should tie us to each other, to our families and children, to our brothers and sisters in Islam, to the worldwide Ummah. If we put our love for Allah first and our own desires last, then we should find ourselves in a relationship that no longer falls prey to the subterfuge of Shaytan. We should cling tightly to the rope of Islam and recognize the fact that life is not always sunshine and roses but that this dunya is a place of testing and tribulations.

'Do people think they will be left alone because they say: “We believe,” and will not be tested' (Al-`Ankabut 29:2).

We should bear our tests with patience and gratitude, take refuge with Allah, and take comfort in the arms of our spouses.

'And We will most certainly try you with somewhat of fear and hunger and loss of property and lives and fruits; and give good news to the patient, Who, when a misfortune befalls them, say: Surely we are Allah's and to Him we shall surely return. Those are they on whom are blessings and mercy from their Lord, and those are the followers of the right course.' (Al-Baqarah 2:155–157)

Aisha Tahira Stacey writes for Qatar daily publications the Times and The Penninsula. The author is currently working on a series of stories based on the lives of the Sahabas and a series of historical stories for children.

Love is an emotion which is naturally within our fitnah, and as beautifully described in the above article we can see that love between the two genders of all creation is a wonderful thing, but to obtain this love as prescribed by islam is lawfully through marriage, and then indeed one will truly taste its enduring sweetness, and will learn to appreciate the true essence and meaning of love itself. Marriage itself is a vessel, a cooking pot that allows this love to be nurtured, and gently it simmers forever.

An interesting comment on love I found whilst searching is this quote:

'In Arabic, 'hubb' means 'love'. It consists of two letters: 'ha & 'ba'; 'ha' is at the bottom of the makhraj and no letter is deeper than that and 'ba' is at the top and no letter is lighter than that. You need every single letter in between them to describe this feeling.'

M&A Abayas

2009-09-24T16:38:00.000+01:00

M&A are an abaya brand in the UAE that have lots of beautiful abayas, check out the designs above and be sure to look at their website!

Alkauthar: The Future

2009-09-19T09:13:00.000+01:00

The Meaning of AlKauthar

On the day of Judgement, mankind and jinn will have waited thousands of years for the judgement to begin. When the people will have waited for so long in the intense heat of the sun, the most welcoming and refreshing sight to them, like an oasis in the desert, will be the pond of AlKauthar, the pond of Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wa sallam. We learn from the authentic ahadith that AlKauthar is square in shape, with two pipes feeding into it from Jannah. Its length is like the distance of travel between Medina and Sanaa in Yemen. Its water is whiter than ice, sweeter than honey and more aromatic than musk. It has cups like hollowed out pearls and they number as many as the number of stars in the sky. The one who drinks from it will never be thirsty again and when people drink more, it will only be out of pure pleasure. At the pond of AlKauthar, the people of the truth will be separated from the people of falsehood.

Such is the vision of AlKauthar Institute. AlKauthar endeavours to undertake a sweet, aromatic, refreshing and professional approach to the understanding and application of Islamic knowledge to enrich the lives of individuals and communities. Like AlKauthar, we envisage to separate the truth from the falsehood and firmly establish the Ummah on the Qur’an and the Sunnah of Rasullah sallallahu alaihi wa sallam.

Linguistically, AlKauthar means abundant good. AlKauthar Institute aims to be that source of abundant good for all Muslims, leaving a lasting legacy for the future. Just like the cups of AlKauthar are numerous in number, we sincerely believe that so too will be our students. Finally, like the white, sweet and aromatic water which AlKauthar carries, we believe that students graduating from AlKauthar will be able to appreciate the beauty of this religion, experience the sweetness of faith, and, like the cups carrying the beautiful water, be able to carry the magnificence of this religion to the rest of the world. Read more here

(taken from Alkauthar website)

Why Do We Fear Talking About Death?

2009-09-19T09:01:00.000+01:00

I was listening to an interesting topic on death by Sheikh Tawfique Chowdhury available to listen here and a very important point as a reminder for us all is the following narration from Ibrahim Ibn Adham (rahimahullah) related by Ibn Rajab (rahimahullah):

'Why do we dislike talking about the hereafter? Because you know Allah yet you do not obey Him; You recite quran yet you don't act according to it; You know shaytan, but you continue agreeing with him; You claim to love paradise, yet you do not work for it; You claim to fear the fire, yet you do not stop sinning; You say indeed death is true, but you have not prepared for it; You busy yourselves with the faults of others, yet do not look at your own faults; You eat the sustenance that Allah has provided yet you are not grateful to Him; You bury the dead, yet you do not take its lesson'

Rasululah (saw), the most beloved of creations to Allah (azza wa jal) could not escape death so how can we possibly ever imagine or contemplate that the angel of death will not come to us and that death will escape us!

In Surah Al Ambiyah: Verse 34:

'We have not given any person before you, Oh Muhammad eternal life so if you were to die do they think they will live forever? Verily, every soul shall indeed taste death.'

Also in Surah Al Zumar: Verse 30 & 31:

'Verily you (Muhammad) will die and verily they (too) will die. Then, on the Day of Resurrection, you will be disputing before your Lord.'

Death will find us wherever we are even if that may be in a high fortified castle, surely we are fools to think that we will escape it, even if we were to live a long life, death is waiting and will come when it is due on all of us.