unjaniRANI's Xanga

Tuesday, February 05, 2008

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 16:03:08 GMT

Ties That Bind

I know of a bond that connects soul to soul, in a way much deeper than familiarity or blood.

Forged by Divine decree. Duly registered as apportioned Rizq.

The Teacher and the Student meet somewhere before time, and they are eternally connected.

A teacher of religion opens whole worlds to his pupil: the secrets of this life, the spiritual realm, the Divine and the self. Perfection and imperfection.

He is visionary, he is powerful. He is the guide, and you are the lost traveler.

If he is true, he will lead you to Paradise, step by careful step.

‘Empty your cup.’

Come blank, empty, open, so that you can receive.

You must take humility as your cloak.

But what of ties that strangle?

You believe that if you submit to him and his Way, you are guided.

You will no longer be lost.

The path to Allah is clear. It is at his feet.

He will take you by the hand to safe shores.

His love for you is overwhelming. So he will shape you, mind and soul, and purge you of your evils.

Soul, did you not think, when you laid your whole being in his gentle hands: What if he missteps?

Is he not formed by his experiences, by the ties that bind him?

This deen is wide. Why do you narrow it?

You must craft your cup from the firm clay of knowledge, and bake it to solidity in the heat of courage, deep thinking, and dependence on Allah alone.

And engrave on its side, in a delicate script, the following words:

Beauty lies in intelligent, mindful devotion.

Every love has an adab.

Even dervishes must have ijaaza before they spin.

I am no feather in the wind, nor an unmoulded being.

I am an empty cup, with a solid base and a structured rim,

Firm against passion. Shaped for sacred words.

I fill with good, whatever its source, and pour out wrong.

—

Sidi Ahmed Zarruq (of the 9th century Hijri) said: There are no more perfect teachers. We benefit from the good in people, and we leave the rest.

18 ANSWERS OF THE HOLY PROPHET - MUST READ AND FORWARD*

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 13:35:10 GMT

18 ANSWERS OF THE HOLY PROPHET - MUST READ AND FORWARD*

A traveler once came to the masjid to see the Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) after greeting the prophet, he was asked where he was from. The traveler replied that he came from very far just to get a few questions answered.

Following is the dialogue between the traveler and the Prophet.

Traveller : I do not want adha?b (punishments) to be written in my account.

*Prophet : Behave well with your parents *

Traveller : I want to be known amongst people as an inteligent person.

*Prophet : Fear Allah (Jalla Jala?l), always. *

Traveller : I want to be counted amongst Allah's favourites.

*Prophet : Recite Quran every morning and evening. *

Traveller : I want my heart to always be enlightened. ( Munawer )

*Prophet : Never forget death. *

Traveller : I never want to be away from Allah's blessing.

*Prophet : Always treat fellow creatures well. *

Traveller : I never want to be harmed by my enemies.

*Prophet : Always have faith in only Allah. *

Traveller : I never want to be humiliated.

*Prophet : Be careful of your actions. *

Traveller : I wish to live long.

*Prophet : Always do sile rahm. (Goodness towards blood Relations) *

Traveller : I want my sustenance to increase.

*Prophet : Always be in wudhoo. *

Traveller : I wish to stay free of adha?b in the grave.

*Prophet : Always wear pure (paak) clothes. *

Traveller : I never want to be burned in hell.

*Prophet : Control your eyes and tongue. *

Traveller : How do I get my sins forgiven?

*Prophet : Always ask forgiveness from Allah with a lot of humility.

Traveller : I want people to respect me always.

*Prophet : Never extend your hands of need at people. *

Traveller : I want to always be honoured.

*Prophet : Never humiliate or put down anyone. *

Traveller : I don't want to be squeezed by fishare qabr.(Squeezing in the grave)

*Prophet : Recite Surat Al Mulk (The Dominion) often. *

Traveller : I want my wealth to increase.

*Prophet : Recite surat el Waqiah (The Inevitable) every night. *

Traveller : I want to be safe and at peace on Day of Judgment.

*Prophet : Do zikr (Praises) of Allah from dusk to night. *

Traveller : I want to be in full attention & concentration during prayers.

*Prophet : Always do wudhoo with concentration and attention. *

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Tue, 24 Apr 2007 20:14:38 GMT

'Ilm - Gotta Have It
by Muhammad Alshareef

Seeking Knowledge
It is a phenomenon in our community that we have a desire to learn about Islam, to learn about this deen. If we ask the question “Who wants to memorize the entire Qur’an?” almost everybody will raise their hands. “Who wants to learn the Arabic language?” “Who wants to learn the fiqh of the deen?” Everybody will raise their hands. And with that raising of the hand, good news will happen. You’ll say, “Oh, there is an Arabic class coming up, you’ll be able to fulfill your dreams!” But those same people who raised their hands will say, “Sorry, but I’m a little bit busy you know,” and the hands come down. “And there’s a Qur’an class!” and they say, “Oh, you know, I have my exams coming up, I can’t really do it right now,” and the hands fall down.

If there is this thirst for knowledge and learning the deen, then why are we not coming forward with the opportunity?” The table is set, and the invitation is sent out, and nobody comes to it. So if you come, you may see two or three brothers studying. Come to another halaqa, you may see six or seven brothers studying. There will be studying here and there, but they are very few in comparison to how big our community is.

Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala says, and indeed this is a very powerful statement:

Say: Believe in it or do not believe…

It doesn’t matter; it is all for you. Many times you will see a celebrity become Muslim and it is as if we are so proud that they became Muslim. No, the pride is for that person who became Muslim. It is them who will benefit from their eman.

Allah then says:

…indeed, those who were given knowledge before it - when it is recited to them, they fall upon their faces in prostration. / And they say, "Exalted is our Lord! Indeed, the promise of our Lord has been fulfilled." / And they fall upon their faces weeping, and Allah increases them in humble submission (Al-Isra’ 17/107-109).

At the end of our classes we take questions, and many times the questions are, “Are marshmallows haram?” or “What about the moon-sighting issue?” or “Are mortgages—” and so on and so forth. But an interesting person would raise his hand to ask the question, “What is the ruling on seeking knowledge on the deen?” The Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said about it:

“To seek knowledge of the deen is fard on every single Muslim.”

Let it sink in, that it is fard. No one is giving you the different rulings. The Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) is telling us that it is fard to seek knowledge of this deen.

Is everything of this entire deen fard? No, because no one will be able to encompass all of that knowledge. But the scholars have said that there are certain portions of the deen of which the person will not be left alone or not be forgiven if they didn’t know these things. Of those things everyone must know are the things that they are directly involved with in their ibaadah. For example, a person has to make wudu for salah. A person cannot be Muslim, live his entire life as a Muslim, and say,“Oh, I just never learned to do wudu for salah.” It is fard on him to learn how to make wudu, and he will actually be taken to account for not seeking how to make wudu.

The same goes for salah. A person cannot say, “Oh, I’ve never learned Al-Fatiha, it’s been ten years and I never learned it, so I just recite it in English.” A person will not be excused for this.

Al-Hasan Al-Basree said about the one who learns and acts upon his knowledge: “He is beloved by Allah, a friend of Allah, the cream of Allah's creation. Out of the inhabitants of the earth, he is the most precious to Allah. He answered Allah's call and invited others day and night to answer Allah's call and then did good. And he announces to the world, 'I am a Muslim'. This is the khalifah of Allah on earth.”

Ibn Al-Jawzee radi Allahu anhu in his book Miftaah Daar As-Sa'aadah explains those aspects of knowledge which are fard for a person to learn. He mentions four:

Firstly, a person has to know usool al-eman al-khamsah. He has to know the principles and the pinnacles of our belief that are encompassed in the statement, “Aamantu billahi wa malaaikatihi, wa kutubihi wa rusoolihi, wal yawm al-akhir.” A person has to know those principles.

Secondly, a person must have knowledge of the law of Islam. There is the fard of that which a person must perform like salah and the zakah, but similarly, if a person is dealing in business, it is fard for him to know what is Islamically correct and incorrect in his business transactions.

‘Umar radi Allahu anhu would take a stick in his hand and ask the merchants questions, and hit them if they didn’t know the proper ahkaam, rulings. And he would hit them in the marketplace if they didn’t know them. He said, “Whoever doesn’t know these rulings, he will eat riba’, whether he likes it or not; because of his ignorance, he will fall into it.”

Thirdly, there are certain things that are haram which all the prophets came with. Ibn Al-Jawzee rahimahullah said this is mentioned in the verse of Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala:

Say: the things that my Lord has indeed forbidden are shameful deeds, whether open or secret; sins and trespasses against truth or reason; assigning partners to Allah, for which He has given no authority; and saying things about Allah of which you have no knowledge.

It is fard for a person to know this.

Finally, those interactions of a person when he deals with his family. He has to know what is fard upon him in regards to taking care of his wife and children. If a person doesn’t do this, those children and that wife can take this man to the Muslim judge and he can force him and take this away from him, because it is fard that he know that this is the law of Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala upon him.

Many times we will go to a workshop, seminar, or conference and come back satisfied that we got a little bit of knowledge. But this idea of being satisfied with what we have learned is not a characteristic of the people that came before us. Their satisfaction would never reach its fullest. They would always want to satisfy themselves more and more to get this knowledge.

Ibn Al-Jawzee said, "Let me tell you about my own situation. I am never content, saying to myself that I have read enough books. If I find a book which I haven't seen before,” notice he says seen, not read, “it is as if I have stumbled upon a pot of gold." For him, finding a book that he had never seen before was like finding a treasure chest.

We should contemplate over why we do not see this sort of drive towards knowledge. It could be the sins of our very community that are holding us back and putting a wall between us from moving forward and studying this deen, learning it, and acting upon it.

Ibn Mas'ood rahimahullah said, “I think that a person could forget the knowledge that he has learned because of his sins.”

It is mentioned in Tabaqaat Al-Hanafiyyah 2/487, that when Abu Haneefah had a question that he could not figure out, he would say to his students, "This forgetfulness is due to nothing other then a sin I have committed." So when he had a mental block in his halaqa he would say “Astaghfir Allah.” He would ask Allah ta'aala for forgiveness, or he would get up in the middle of a halaqa, leave the students, and go pray, hoping that Allah would forgive him. Then, when the issue would become clear to him, he would become happy and say, "It is my good news that perhaps Allah has forgiven me."

This was told to Al-Fudayl ibn Iyaad, and when he heard this he began to weep and commented, "This is because of the upright life that he lives. As for others, they would not realize this." Abu Haneefah understood that the mental block comes from our sins, but few others do.

The people before us would spend their money in seeking this knowledge. Often, a number of classes are free and you would think that the people would come to the halaqa more, but that is not the case. You would think that if there is a charge on the class they would say, “I’m going to pay money to learn about Islam?” and the numbers would lessen. But this is not the case. In the past they would spend their wealth in this cause.

The scholar Ali ibn Aasim said, “(When I was young) My father gave me 100,000 dirhams and he said, ‘Take this money and go. I don’t want to see your face until you replace this 100,000 dirhams with 100,000 ahadith. Until then, we don’t know you and you don’t know us.’”

From Al-Bidaayah wan-Nihaayah we learn about Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn Ahmad An-Nasafee, that he lived in such poverty (as did many scholars) that his son asked, “When are we going to relax in this poverty that we are in?” So he went to sleep one night in sadness and depression due to the poverty and need and the debts that he owed. As he sat there in his sadness, suddenly his mind went on a tangent, and an issue of fiqh, which had caught him, came to his mind and suddenly he knew the solution to it. So he jumped up in the middle of the darkness cheering and shouting. He said, "Ayn Al-Mulook!" which is akin to saying, “Who’s the man!” in our times. His wife thought he must have had one of these million-dollar-schemes to get all the money, so she asked him, “What happened?” He said, “Don’t you realize that I have just figured out the solution to this fiqh issue?” And she was shocked at all this happiness. Even though they were in the state they were in he was happy because Allah opened up this issue for him.

It took Abu Ubaid Qaasim ibn Salaam 40 years to write his book Ghareeb Al-Hadeeth. In explaining the days when he was writing the book, he said, “Perhaps while listening to some scholars I may benefit one point, a gem, from what they said, and then hurry home to write it in the proper chapter of the book. After that I would spend the entire night with a grin on my face. I would sleep with a smile in utter happiness because of that point I just benefited.”

We have all heard of Nawawee and others’ books that are so long that if we ever opened them, we would never finish them. Where did they get the time to learn the knowledge and write it? We could never read it cover to cover, forget even writing it! Imam Nawawee rahimahullah didn't go to the library and just have the knowledge evaporate into his head. He said he used to make du’a for the knowledge. And this is true – you should make du’a for knowledge but follow it up with actions, and in sha Allah, Allah will bless you.

In his schooling days, Imam Nawawee used to attend 12 halaqas or classes every day, from morning to evening. And they weren’t really the type of feel-good-halaqas where the people would go back without having really written anything. You can see the knowledge that he gained from every single class.

I remember in Madinah University there was a student who used to sleep in class. He didn’t pay; he got scholarships so he would just sleep in class. We had 25 classes a week and he slept for all 25 every single week of the entire year. In the final class before the final exam, there is always a designated person to ask the teacher to make the exam easy. Our tawheed teacher came in and this guy woke up and said, “Khaffaf, yaa shaykh,” “Make it easy for us, yaa shaykh.” So the shaykh didn’t really know who this guy was and he felt kind of shy as he was put on the spot, and he was trying to make excuses saying, “You know, it is not in our hands, the universities make us make it hard,” and so on. But this person, and this was the only time he was ever awake, went back to sleep after making that statements. So the shaykh begins lecturing and it turns out that guy is asleep, so the teacher started knocking on the table. He said, “No sleeping, oh he who is looking for an easy exam. Wake up.” It was a valuable lesson. If you want your exams to be easy, then you have to wake up.

A poet once related the story of a woman who used to get mad at her husband for spending all his money on books and spending everything in his right hand to buy these books. One day he said, “Just leave me alone. Perhaps in these books I will find a book that will help me to take my book in my right hand on the Day of Judgment.”

Lazyboy
When you see someone wanting to buy a sofa, they say, “I want the American sofa, it’s called Lazyboy.” This is an icon of American lifestyle, so everyone likes the sofa. They don’t even feel insulted by the name, and of course, overseas they are trying to copy this tradition.

They have what is called in Arabic nadee at-farfeeh, which is an amusement park. In this amusement park, someone had put up on the third floor whatever games they could think of, and they called it Nadee at-Tarfeeh. This should have been translated as ‘Amusement Park,’ but whoever they got to do the translation did a very good job, for he translated it as ‘Distraction Club.’ He hit the nail right on the head. It was the exact meaning of what these places are.

What will our excuse be in front of Allah subhaanahu wa ta'aala when this knowledge that is fard upon us to learn is not acted upon because we are following a certain soap opera that we cannot miss? Or we may have season tickets, which means that we are going to go to eighty games in a year and we’re so happy to get these tickets? Or we may make the television our life? We make these games and amusements our life. This is a harb, a battle with Shaytan who is our #1 enemy and the leader of his army of enemies.

Allah subhaanahu wa ta'aala says:

Indeed the Shaytan is your enemy, so treat him like your enemy (Al-Fatir 35/6).

Do not treat him like a best friend. You always see in these cartoons that Shaytan is always the good one, the one who takes them to have fun. They go up to Paradise and it is just someone playing the harps, but in Hellfire, they are having a party. This is the tazeen. They make all the people think that it is so beautiful to go to Hellfire and to live this life.

In the Qur’an Allah subhaanahu wa ta'aala says:

Iblees said, "By your might, I will surely mislead them all / Except, among them, those servants of yours who are sincere.

Take a look at two of the weapons Shaytaan will use against you.

One: in the fight against Shaytan, the sofa. The name of this in English actually has a meaning in Arabic. In Arabic, ‘sofa’ means ‘to procrastinate.’ In Arabic, when a person says, “I want you to study for your exam,” he will say in Arabic, “Sofa.” It’s called ‘tasweef.’ If you ask the teacher to define it: “What is tasweef?” He will say, “Sofa, sofa, sofa, sofa.” It means, “I’ll do it tomorrow.”

Or someone will say, “The halaqa is on Saturdays, let me just get through this semester and then I’ll start to come to the halaqa. Let me finish the university, and then I’ll start learning the deen. Let me pay off these debts that have accumulated, after I finish the debts, then I’ll come to the halaqa.” He finishes the debts, halfway through he gets married, and now he says, “You know, let me get my house, let me get my nice car, let me have ten children, and then I’ll come to the halaqa.” If you have ten children, when are you going to come to the halaqa? You have to take care of those kids.

This is how Shaytan leads them until finally the person is really saying that after he’s dead, that is when he’ll really come to the halaqa. And when he gets to that stage right before his death, he will say, “I wish I had done it differently.”

Two: a person might not lead an upright life so when they hear of a halaqa they say, “I can’t come to this halaqa because I’m not at their level.” This is the wrong attitude, because it is in the sequence of knowledge that the person will come closer to Allah subhaanahu wa ta'aala. By not learning about the deen, the person will go further away from Allah subhaanahu wa ta'aala.

If someone is sincere and feels like that, he should know that the tawbah is there in those halaqas. When a person comes forward and takes a step toward Allah subhaanahu wa ta'aala, then He will come closer to them.

The Rewards of Seeking Knowledge
First, if you study the deen then know that there is paramount reward from Allah subhaanahu wa ta'aala for those who seek knowledge sincerely for His sake and pass it on to others.

Second, if you pass it on to others, not only will you see the reward yourself, but you also see and get the continual reward of those following it. To teach someone something is a sadaqah jaariyah (continusou sadaqah). For example, if a person learned how to pray from Imam Abu Hanifah, and it is correct, then Imam Abu Hanifah gets continual reward because he learned it from him. Similarly, if that person teaches someone else how to pray based on Abu Hanifah’s teachings, Abu Hanifah and that person both will get the continual rewards for the person following them. So the teacher will continue to get the reward for the knowledge he/she passes on.

Third, know that this knowledge is the inheritance from the prophets. The prophets never left any money behind for anyone, but they left behind knowledge.

Finally, know that when you seek this knowledge, and alleviate yourself of this ignorance, you will be walking in happiness. It is only those people who have knowledge of the deen that are the ones who truly fear Allah subhaanahu wa ta'aala.

Thursday, April 19, 2007

Thu, 19 Apr 2007 10:11:02 GMT

Assalaam-u-Alaikum Wa-Rahmatullahi Wa-Rabakatuhu

Six-Remembrance of Allah & Recitation of the Qur'an

Bismillaahir-RaHmaanir-RaHeem

Ibn Taimiyaa wrote, "Remembrance of Allah is to the heart what water is to fish. What happens to a fish when it is taken out of water?" Imam Shams ad-Din ibn al-Qayyim wrote about nearly eighty benefits that come with dhikru'llah in his book al-Wabil al-Sayyib. We shall quote some of them here, although we recommend the reader to refer to this book itself because of its great value.

Remembrance of Allah is sustenance for both the heart and the spirit. If the servant is deprived of it he becomes like a body which has been deprived of food.

Remembrance of Allah also drives away shaytan, suppressing him and breaking him; it is pleasing to the Merciful, Might and Exalted is He, dispels worry and melancholy from the heart, adorns it with delight and joy, fills the heart and face with light, and cloaks the one who remembers Allah with dignity, gentleness and freshness. It instils love for Allah, fear of Him, and relating all matters to Him. It also enhances Allah's remembrance of His servant, for as Allah says:

--< So remember Me-I will remember you. (2:152)-->

Even if this were the only reward for the remembrance of Allah, it would be mercy and honour enough, for such a heart is always aware and free from wrong actions.

Although remembrance is one of the easiest forms of worship, the mercy and honour that it brings cannot be acheived by any other means. Abu Huraira reported that the Prophet *saaws* said, "Whoever recites the words, "There is no god but Allah, the One, having no partner with Him. Sovereignty belongs to Him and All praise is due to Him, and He is Powerful over everything', one hundred times every day, there is a reward equal to freeing ten slaves for him, and a hundred good actions are recorded for him, and a hundred wrong actions are removed from his record. That is a safeguard for him against shaytan on that day until evening, and no one brings anything more excellent than this, except the one who has done more than this (that is, who recites these words more than one hundred times)."1

Jabir reported that the Prophet *saaws* said, "Whoever recites the words, "Glory be to Allah and His is the praise', will have a palm tree planted for him in the Garden."2

Ibn Mas'ud, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "To Praise Allah, may He be Exalted, is more dear to me than spending the same number of dinars (as the number of times I praise Him) in the way of Allah."

Remembrance of Allah is a remedy for hard hearts. A man once told al-Hassan, "O Abu Sa'id, I complain to you about the hardness of my heart." He said, "Soften it with the remembrance of Allah." Makhul said, "Remembrance of Allah is (a sign of) health, while remembrance of people is like a disease." A man once asked Salman, "Which deeds are the best?" He said, "Haven't you read in the Qur'an:

--<* And the remembrance of Allah is greatest. (29:45)<*-:

Abu Musa once related that the Prophet *saaws* said, "The difference between the one who remembers his Lord and the one who does not is like the difference between the living and the dead."3

Abdullah ibn Busr related that a man once told the Prophet *saaws*, "The roads to good are many and I am unable to take all of them, so please tell me something to which I can hold fast, but do not overburden me lest I forget it." He said, "Make sure that your tongue is moist and supple with the remembrance of Allah, the Exalted."4

Continual remembrance of Allah increases a servant's good witnesses on the Day of Resurrection. It is a means which prevents him from talking in the wrong way, such as backbiting and spreading tales and their like. Either the tongue is mentioning Allah and remembering Him, or it is talking incorrectly.

Whoever has the gates of remembrance opened to him has an opening to his Lord, Mighty and Glorious is He, through which he will find what he seeks. If he finds Allah, he has found everything. If he misses the opportunity, he has missed everything.

There are several types of remembrance. The remembrance of the Names of Allah, Mighty and Glorious is He, the remembrance of His Attributes, and praising Him and thanking Him. All of these can take the form of saying, for example, 'Glory be to Allah', 'Praise be to Allah', 'There is no god but Allah'. A servant can also remember Allah by referring to His Names and Attributes, such as by saying, for example, "Allah, Mighty and Glorious is He, Hears all that his servants say and do"; or by mentioning what He has commanded and what He has forbidden, such as saying, "Allah, the Mighty and Glorious, commands such and such, or forbids such and such."

A servant can also remember Allah by talking about His blessings, while the best type of remembrance is the recitation of the Qur'an, because this contains remedies to cure the heart from all illnesses. Allah, the Exalted, says:

--<*O mankind, there has come to you a protection from your Lord and a healing for what is in your hearts, and for those who believe, a guidance and a mercy. (10:57)-->

And also::

--<* We send down in the Qur'an that which is a healing and a mercy for those who believe. (17:82)>--*

All the illnesses of the heart result from desires and doubt, and the Qur'an is a cure for both. It has enough clear signs and proofs to distinguish between truth and falsehood, and thus it cures the diseases of doubt which ruin knowledge, understanding and perception, by enabling a person to see things as they really are.

Whoever studies the Qur'an, and allows it to be absorbed by his heart, will recognise truth and falsehood and will be able to distinguish between them, just as he is able to distinguish between night and day.

As for curing the diseases that arise from desires, it is because it contains wisdom and good counsel. This recommends avoiding worldly gains and inspires a yearning for the akhira.

The Prophet *saaws* once said, "Whoever wants to love Allah and His Messenger should read the Qur'an."5

The Qur'an is also the best means for bringing the servant nearer to his Lord, Glorious and Exalted is He. Khabab ibn al-Arat said to a man, "Draw closer to Allah as much as you can, and remember that you can do so by no means more pleasing to Him than using His own words."

Ibn Mas'ud said, "Whoever loves the Qur'an loves Allah and His Messenger," and sayyedina Uthman ibn Affan, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "If your hearts were really pure, they would never have enough of reciting Allah's words."

All in all, the most benefical thing for the servant is to remember Allah, Mighty and Glorious is He, constantly:

--<* Surely in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest. ( 13:28)*>-

**The Best kind of remembrance is to recite the Book of Allah, the Glorious and Exalted.*

Monday, April 16, 2007

Mon, 16 Apr 2007 15:05:03 GMT

What Is the Shari`ah?* - By Khurram Murad

Man-God Relationship

To understand the essence of the Shari`ah, one must understand the relationship between man and God that Islam lays down. There is no god but One God; Muhammad is the Prophet of God: This simple sentence is the bedrock of the Islamic creed. God is the Creator; to Him alone, therefore, belongs the kingdom and He is the only Sovereign.

[Surely Your only Lord is God who has created the heaven and the earth... verily to Him belong the creation and the sovereignty] (Al-A`raf 7:54).

And

[He has created the heavens and the earth with a purpose. He wraps night about day and He wraps day about night... He has created you from one being... That then is God, your only Lord; His is the kingdom. There is no god but He] (Al-Zumar 39:5-6).

God is the Creator. To Him alone, therefore, as his only Lord and Master, man must submit his entire being:

[Your God is One God, so only to Him submit] (Al-Hajj 22:34).

[That then is God, your only Lord; there is no god but He, the Creator of everything. So Him alone serve] (Al-An`am 6:102).

God is the only true Provider. It is He Who has bestowed on man such faculties and capabilities as seeing, hearing, thinking, and articulating— attributes which man cannot live without, but which he cannot create for himself. It is He Who has made available the resources of the external world which man may discover, exploit, and develop but again, cannot create.

Yet surely man’s greatest need is to know how to live his life so as to fulfill successfully the purpose of his creation; how to relate himself to his Creator, to his own self, to his fellow human beings, and to everything around him. To Him alone he must therefore turn to seek guidance. For there is no one apart from or beside Him who can truly provide answers to man’s eternal questions or is capable of guiding him. All else can only be speculation and conjecture. And why should the One Who has provided even for man’s most trivial material needs, not also have provided for his more important moral and spiritual needs?

The Qur’an says

[Say: Is there any of those you associate (with God) who guides to the Truth? Say: only God guides to the Truth. Does then, He who guides to the Truth deserve more to be followed or he who can guide not unless he be guided? What ails you? How judge you? And most of them follow naught but speculation, and speculation can never take the place of truth] (Yunus 10:35-6).

And further

[Or, do they (claim to) have associates who have laid down for them the Way for which God gave not leave] (Al-Shura 42:21).

It was to provide for this greatest human need that God sent His prophets from amongst men in all ages and to all nations, bringing them the light of the divine guidance revealed to them. Among them were Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus. And Muhammad was the last of them, in no way different or new. May God bless all of them.

[He has laid down for you the Way that He entrusted to Noah, and that We have revealed to you, and that We entrusted to Abraham, Moses and Jesus. Establish fully the Way and follow not different ways] (Ash-Shura 42:13).

Man’s relationship to God is expressed by the very word Islam—submitting to Him by following His will and guidance as brought by His prophets. But this submission must be total and all embracing. A Muslim submits his entire person to his Creator as his only Lord and Master. No part of his life can be exempt from the need of divine guidance or from the writ of divine sovereignty. God and His lordship and sovereignty are indivisible; and so is man’s life in its submission to Him.

It would indeed be an imperfect God Who could only be experienced or related to in the realm of the spirit or the provision of material needs like one’s daily bread—a God unconcerned, uncaring, or incompetent to help man in the more arduous and complex task of living his life. Him he worships; Him he invokes; Him he depends upon; Him he trusts; Him he seeks; and, equally important, Him he obeys. Man has been given the freedom to reject God; but, once having accepted Him, he must follow His guidance. He is not free to follow one part of it and ignore another, nor to seek guidance from sources other than God. Denial of part is denial of the whole.

[What, believe you in part of the Book and deny part thereof? And what is the reward of those who do so except ignominy in the present life, and on the Day of Resurrection to be returned unto most grievous punishment.] (Al-Baqarah 2:85)

[What, do they seek another way other than God’s Way; whereas unto Him submits whoso is in the heavens and the earth, willingly or unwillingly.] (Aal `Imran 3:83)

[And who seeks a way other than Islam, it shall not be accepted from him.] (Aal `Imran 3:85)

In its fullest sense, the Shari`ah is therefore virtually synonymous, and can be used interchangeably, with the word deen, which can only inadequately be translated as “religion.” Deen literally means “way of life,” “submission,” “following,” or the “way.” Though the word Shari`ah in its various derivative forms is found in five places in the Qur’an, its extensive use only came into vogue much later, for the words Islam and deen were more commonly employed to express the same meaning in the early days of Islam.

The Shari`ah includes both faith and practice. It embraces worship, individual attitude and conduct, as well as social norms and laws, whether political, economic, familial, criminal, or civil. It may also sometimes be used to imply, in a more restricted sense, do’s and don’ts—the rules and regulations for conduct and behavior. Lastly, it is also used as the equivalent of the Islamic laws.

The Shari`ah is thus nothing less than the divinely ordained way of life for man. To realize the divine will, man must follow the Shari`ah. To live in Islam is to live according to the Shari`ah. To give up the Shari`ah or any part of it knowingly, willfully, or deliberately is to give up Islam. A Muslim must therefore do his utmost to observe and to implement the whole of it, wherever and in whatever situation he finds himself. Hence the Muslim insistence, persistence, commitment, and passion for it.

Human Freedom and Dignity

The act of total submission to God in accordance with the Shari`ah given by Him in no way diminishes human dignity, freedom, and responsibility. The act of submission is the highest act of human volition and freedom, for it implies freedom to disobey God. Indeed, in submitting to God, all the chains and shackles of every form of serfdom, servility, and bondage are broken, whether they be to other men, to ideas, to nature, to man-made objects, or to institutions. For before the affirmation of One God must come the forsaking of every false god.

More importantly, total submission to God elevates man to the state of khilafah, (viceregency) , whereby he is accorded the highest place on earth by being endowed with reason, articulation, volition, freedom, and responsibility. The responsibility to follow the Shari`ah according to the Qur’an (Al-Ahzab 33:72), is the fulfillment of amanah, the trust which even the heavens, the earth, and the mountains dare not bear.

The Sources

How do we know the Shari`ah is the will of God? There are four sources:

1. The Qur’an

2. The Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)

3. ijma`

4. ijtihad

1. The Qur’an

The principal source of the Shari`ah can only be the word of God revealed to the Prophet Muhammad. These revelations are compiled in the Qur’an which, and nobody disputes this, has come down to us word for word as it was conveyed by the Prophet.

Both the meaning and the words of the Qur’an are God’s, as it clearly states in different ways in various places. It extensively uses the word “sending down” in preference to any other word to describe the process of revelation. The very first revelation was “Read.” The Prophet always clearly indicated when he was using his own words and when he was using words he had received.

The Qur’an’s main emphasis is unquestionably on faith and the moral conduct of men and nations, but it does lay down, both explicitly and implicitly, though with brevity, the principles, broad outlines, and necessary rules and regulations which are essential for the formation of the community of Islam. For one cannot be realized without the other. The trust of the Shari`ah cannot be fulfilled without the presence of moral fiber of the highest quality.

The argument that because the prime concern of the Qur’an is moral, its legislative element cannot be meant to be literally eternal, can only hold good if the Qur’an itself says so. But it does not. Nor does it in any way even suggest a different status for one part against the other. There is absolutely no Qur’anic argument or injunction that “to pray” is an eternal imperative, while “to cut off the hand of a thief” or the permission for polygamy are valid only at certain times and under certain circumstances. One can only say in the language of the Qur’an:

[Have you a Book wherein you have read (this)] (Al-Qalam 68:37)

If so, then

[Bring me any Book (revealed) before this, or evidence from knowledge.] (Al-Ahqaf 46:4)

2. The Sunnah

The Prophet himself was not a mere postman who delivered the Book of God and then disappeared. Acting under divine guidance, he not only delivered the message, but launched a movement. He changed men and society, founded a community, established a state, and spent every moment of his prophethood in guiding, directing, and leading his followers. His live example of living by God’s guidance, consisting of whatever he did or said or approved, is the Sunnah, the second basic source of the Shari`ah. The authority of the Sunnah is firmly rooted in the Qur’an and in the historically continuous consensus of the Muslim Ummah.

The explicit statements in the Qur’an in this respect are many. Every prophet was sent to be obeyed (An-Nisaa’ 4:64). The Prophet Muhammad is the last and perfect model (Al-Ahzab 33:21, 40). To obey him is to obey God (An-Nisaa’ 4:80). God and the Prophet are frequently coupled together, especially where obedience is enjoined, but the imperative “obey” is also used separately for God and for His Prophet (An-Nisaa’ 4:59). To follow and obey the Prophet is the only way one can love his God and be loved by Him and have one’s sins forgiven (Aal `Imran 3:31-32).

All matters which cause differences or disputes are to be referred to God and His Prophet as the final authority (An-Nisaa’ 4:59). No one can be truly a believer unless he accepts the Prophet as the final arbiter in all affairs and submits to his decisions, willingly and free from all misgivings (An-Nisaa’ 4:65). The Prophet has the authority to permit and prohibit (Al-A`raf 7:157). And, finally, whatever the Prophet gives, must be taken; whatever he forbids, must be eschewed (Al-Hashr 59:7).

The historically continuous consensus and practice of the Ummah dates back to the moment when Abu Bakr, the first caliph, assumed office and, in his inaugural address, explicitly accepted “God and (the example of) His Prophet as deserving obedience and binding upon him.” There is also ample evidence that the first community of Islam invariably looked to the Sunnah for guidance in every sphere of life. Indeed, ever since that time, the entire Ummah has almost always been agreed on the Sunnah as the second source of the Shari`ah. The very few isolated voices that have been raised in disagreement from time to time have never enjoyed support.

The Sunnah is mostly recorded in books of Hadith (sayings or traditions). Initially, mainly because people were concerned that the reports of what the Prophet said or did or approved would get confused with the actual text of the Qur’an, they were not recorded on a large scale. Many compilations were, however, written down privately by individuals, of which authentic evidence exists. As those who had known the Prophet began to die, the need to compile his life example became pressing, and tremendous efforts were made to do so. By the middle of the third century, the first comprehensive source books, those now in use, were completed by Al-Bukhari (d. AH 256/870 CE) and Muslim (d. AH 261/875 CE). More followed and are still extant. Al-Bukhari lists 2,762 traditions and Muslim 4,000 traditions, without taking into account repetitions.

That some reports were forged by various political and theological factions was inevitable: The authority of the Sunnah was so widely accepted that to fabricate their own traditions was the only course open to the unscrupulous to project their own opinions.

But first, fabrication itself constitutes strong evidence that the Sunnah was accepted as binding from the very earliest times; why otherwise bother to fabricate it? Second, the existence of historical records of forgery also proves that the problem was recognized and tackled as soon as it arose. Finally, and most importantly, to argue, as some have argued, that all the scholars of the Ummah for the first two hundred years of Islam were engaged in a carefully coordinated plot to do nothing but fabricate Hadith and put into the mouth of the Prophet their own opinions, is untenable.

Such fabrication would have required a stupendous, superbly organized effort of a scope beyond even perhaps the most sophisticated means of communication available today. It is too difficult to believe that a single individual like Shafi`i, two centuries after the Prophet, when Muslims had spread far and wide, could force all the scholars and the entire Ummah against their will to accept the Sunnah as the source of the Shari`ah.

3. Ijma` (Consensus)

The consensus of the Ummah in understanding, interpreting, and applying the teachings of the Qur’an and the Sunnah forms the third basic source of the Shari`ah. This can be the only natural, feasible, and wise course to determine the Shari`ah.

Any consensus which has a historical continuity from the days of the four caliphs and the Companions of the Prophet is accepted to be binding. Any other consensus serves as a strong precedent, but one which is nonetheless replaceable by another consensus.

Ijma` (within the limits set by the Qur’an and the Sunnah) provides a mechanism for the Ummah to undertake legislation collectively on issues and problems it may face in an ever changing world, and even venture fresh thinking on past interpretations.

The Shi`as would prefer to look to imams and mujtahids to meet this need. But the acceptance of any particular imam or mujtahid will finally also depend on the acceptance and consensus of the followers. There are no divine signs to support any particular person; and the differences have been many among the Shi`as as to who really was the imam.

4. Ijtihad (Personal Reasoning)

The exercise of reason and judgment to determine the Shari`ah is called ijtihad. It subsumes various categories of endeavor such as opinion (ra’y), analogy (qiyas), equity (istihsan), public good (istislah) and so on. Ijtihad is a precursor to ijma` and has to be exercised within the framework provided by the Qur’an and the Sunnah. It is a key element in ensuring the dynamism of the Shari`ah, but it is often misunderstood, misrepresented, and even misused. We shall have more to say about it later.

*Based on the book Shari`ah: The Way to God, Published by The Islamic Foundation (1981), here excerpted with some modifications from:http:// www.witness- pioneer.org/ vil/Books/ KM_shariah/ index.htm

Sunday, April 15, 2007

Sun, 15 Apr 2007 11:17:33 GMT

MISGUIDED CeHARACTER: TYPES OF SELF-DELUSION

By Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali (D.505 AH)

Self-delusion is not peculiar to non-believers; it happens to believers as well. The following is a sincere look and discussion of self-delusion, its subtleties and how it could possibly happen to believers of varying degrees of faith, be they worshippers, men of learning, men of wealth, etc.

Among the self-deluded are those who are extremely fastidious about certain things like wudhu for example. They obsess about typically unnecessary and minute details of making wudhu-as regards the purity of the water for instance, so much so that that scrupulousness sometimes leads them to delay obligatory salahs beyond their prescribed times, or to ignore authentic legal evidences on how wudhu should be performed. Yet, when it comes to matters of higher urgency like earning money and provision, those very same people tend to be lax and licentious, ignoring legal restraints in this regard and employing all sorts of ploys and artifices.

Were they to display this meticulousness in matters of wealth and finance, they would advance a step closer to the behavior and attitude of the Companions of the Prophet Muhammad, (PBUH). It was narrated that on one occasion Umar, (RAA) performed wudhu from a water pitcher belonging to a Christian woman; he did that despite the apparent likelihood that that water might be impure. However, it is reported that this very same Umar used to abstain from partaking of some legal gains when he feared they might lure him unto illegal ones.

Self-delusion also afflicts some of those who are good at reciting the Quran, which they do a great deal of that they sometimes finish reciting the whole Quran in a single day! But those people seldom ponder over the meanings inherent in the verses they are busy reciting, nor attempt to bring their life and conduct in line with their spirit. Anyone who does not heed the divine commands and prohibitions stated in the Quran, his or her recitation will not carry much weight in the eyes of Allah nor will it bring him any closer to His mercy, no matter how many times or how beautifully he or she recites the Quran.

Of the self-deluded are some of those who have taken to fasting – in addition to mandatory fasts, they accumulate have little bearing on their conduct-they do not, for example, rein in their tongues from backbiting or hurting others, rid their minds of evil thoughts or abstain from haram provisions. Theirs is certainly a grand self-delusion. For they heed the recommended acts and disregard the mandatory ones and yet entertain a false belief that they are treading the path of the righteous! How far, how far is that which they are deceiving themselves unto getting!

And there are those who appropriate the undertaking of enjoining good and forbidding evil. They go around breathing down people’s necks and engaging in intense preaching. But they do not really practice what they preach. Rather, their eyes are on the spotlight, leadership and prestige; and if criticized or corrected, pride in the sin takes hold of them, show resentment and tell their critics to shut up. They harbor this bogus feeling that their standing as enjoiners of good and forbidders of evil places them above criticism and correction when the truth of the matter is that they are just showing off and are in fact after certain personal ambitions.

Self-delusion also misleads some into thinking that frequenting the sacred sites in Makkah and Madinah is the utmost act of devotion. They boast of frequent visits to and sojourns in those shrines. But if you vet their attitude, you will find them unobservant of the rights and limits of Allah and His Prophet (PBUH) whom they claim to esteem. Those are truly deluded ones who think journeying to those sanctoriums will guarantee them salvation. How far, how far that which they seek. And how could such people achieve salvation when they are incapable of a righteous deed as tiny as feeding a hungry soul.

From among the self-deluded are the ones who attach great importance to the voluntary acts of worship and devotion while neglecting or giving little attention to the obligatory acts. For instance, they find pleasure and fulfillment in performing Salatul-Dhuha (midday salah), tahajjud (night salah), etc., but only little delight or satisfaction do they find in doing obligatory salahs. This attitude of their runs counter to a great Prohetic teaching that “nothing brings the servant closer to Allah than his observing of the things Allah has made obligatory on him.” (Bukhari).

Disregarding the principle of prioritization of devotional acts relative to the importance, rank and urgency of each one of them is a kind of self-delusion. For at times a person may encounter two obligatory acts, with one of them being more urgent than the other, and if he can’t decide which act to give precedence to and which act to sacrifice, he is sure doomed to commit egregious blunders. Examples of such tricky situations that call for fiqh and knowledge are endless. Moreover, acts of disobedience or sins are normally distinct and can easily be detected, but the same doesn’t hold for acts of obedience which tend to be mixed up at times, and only those conversant with fiqh, particularly the fiqh of prioritization, are capable of sorting them out.

Self-delusion is also noticeable among those who believe that they can achieve true asceticism just by renouncing material comforts and bodily pleasures, while their hearts are still gripped by love of prestige and celebrity. The problem with those pseudo-ascetics is that they attach unduly importance to the ostensive trappings or righteousness while giving no or little thought to the far more significant act of ridding the heart of spiritual maladies like conceit, showing-off and pride, to name but some. Those folks fail to understand that an atom weight of conduct of a truly God-fearing person outweighs tons of apparently good deeds done by someone whose inner soul is not yet touched by the light of faith.

Thursday, April 12, 2007

Thu, 12 Apr 2007 11:52:09 GMT

Subhanallah i found this valuale post and i thought of it to share with you!
7 Reasons to Read the Glorious Quran

(1) Inimitable

It dares you to disprove it. How? It says that humans can not write
a book like this even if they pooled all their resources together and
got help also from the spirits. The Quran said this fourteen
hundreds years ago and yet no one has been able to disprove it. Billions of
books have been written - but not another one like the Quran.

(2) Incorruptible:

It is the only religious sacred writing which has been in
circulation for such a long time and yet remains as pure as it was in the
beginning. The Quran was kept intact. Nothing was added to it;
nothing was changed in it; and nothing was taken away from it ever
since it was completely revealed 1400 years ago.

(3) Unsurpassable:

The Quran is God's final revelation to humankind. God revealed the
Torah to Moses, the Psalms to David, the Gospel to Jesus, and
finally the Quran to Muhammad. Peace be upon all of them. No other book will
come from God to surpass his final revelation.

(4) Indisputable:

The Quran withstands the test of time and scrutiny. No one can
dispute the truth of this book. It speaks about past history and
turns out right. It speaks about the future in prophecies and it
turns out right. It mentions details of physical phenomena which
were not known to people at the time; yet later scientific discoveries
confirm that the Quran was right all along. Every other book needs
to be revised to accord with modern knowledge. The Quran alone is never
contradicted by a modern discovery.

(5) Your Roadmap for Life and Afterlife:

The Quran is the best guidebook on how to structure your life. No
other book presents such a comprehensive system involving all
aspects of human life and endeavor. The Quran also points out the way to
secure everlasting happiness in the afterlife. It is your roadmap
showing how to get to paradise.

(6) God's Gift of Guidance:

God has not left you alone. You were made for a reason. God tells
you why he made you, what he demands from you, and what he has in store
for you. If you operate a machine contrary to it's manufacture
specification you will ruin that machine. What about you? Do you
have an owner's manual for you? The Quran is from your function for
success lest you fail to function. It is a healing mercy from God.
It satisfies the soul, and cleans the heart. It removes doubts and
brings peace.

(7) Your Calling Card to Communicate with God:

Humans are social creatures. We love to communicate with other
intelligent life. The Quran tells us how to communicate with the
source of all intelligence and the source of all life- the One God.
The Quran tells us who God is, by what name we should address God,
and the way in which to communicate with God. Are these not seven
sufficient reasons for reading the Quran?

7 Tips for Improving your Relationship with the Quran
Are you one of those people who rarely touches the Qur'an? Or do you read daily, but don't find it is having the impact on you that it should? Whatever the case may be, these are some simple tips that can help you connect with the Qur'an.

1. Before you touch it, check your heart

The key to really benefiting from the Qur'an is to check your heart first, before you even touch Allah's book. Ask yourself, honestly, why you are reading it. Is it to just get some information and to let it drift away from you later? Remember that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was described by his wife as a "walking Qur'an": in other words, he didn't just read and recite the Qur'an, he lived it.

2. Do your Wudu (ablution)

Doing your Wudu is good physical and mental preparation to remind you you're not reading just another book. You are about to interact with God, so being clean should be a priority when communicating with Him.

3. Start off with reading only 5 minutes everyday

Too often, we think we should read Qur'an for at least one whole hour. If you aren't in the habit of reading regularly, this is too much. Start off with just five minutes daily. If you took care of step one, Insha Allah (God willing), you will notice that those five minutes will become ten, then half an hour, then an hour, and maybe even more!

4. Make sure you understand what you've read

Five minutes of reading the Qur'an in Arabic is good, but you need to understand what you're reading. Make sure you have a good translation of the Qur'an in the language you understand best. Always try to read the translation of what you've read that day.

5. Remember, the Qur'an is more interactive than a CD

In an age of "interactive" CD-Roms and computer programs, a number of people think books are passive and boring. But the Qur'an is not like that. Remember that when you read Qur'an, you are interacting with Allah. He is talking to you, so pay attention.

6. Don't just read, listen too

There are now many audio cassettes and CDs of the Qur'an, a number of them with translations as well. This is great to put on your walkman or your car's CD or stereo as you drive to and from work. Use this in addition to your daily Qur'an reading, not as a replacement for it.

7. Make Dua (supplication)

Ask Allah to guide you when you read the Qur'an. Your aim is to sincerely, for the love of Allah, interact with Him by reading, understanding and applying His blessed words. Making Dua to Allah for help and guidance will be your best tool for doing this.

-------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------

True love seeks sacrifice and I’ve given it all.
This, this is true love in it’s purest form.
I turn my face towards You now.
The Lord of my world and the Heavens above.
I am Yours and Yours, alone.
My prayer, my sacrifice are only for You.
My life and death are Yours to take.
A promise I make.
To lay my life for You.
An oath that I worship.
No-one but You.

Allah says in the Holy Qura'n: "Remember Me and I shall remember you. Be grateful unto Me and deny Me not." [Al-Baqara 2:152]

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Wed, 11 Apr 2007 11:37:25 GMT

Prophet Muhammad`s (PBUH) Farewell Sermon
This sermon was delivered by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) on the Ninth Day of Dhul Hijjah 10 A.H. in the 'Uranah valley of Mount Arafat' (in Mecca).
IslamiCity* -

After praising, and thanking Allah he said:

"O People, lend me an attentive ear, for I know not whether after this year, I shall ever be amongst you again. Therefore listen to what I am saying to you very carefully and TAKE THESE WORDS TO THOSE WHO COULD NOT BE PRESENT HERE TODAY.

O People, just as you regard this month, this day, this city as Sacred, so regard the life and property of every Muslim as a sacred trust. Return the goods entrusted to you to their rightful owners. Hurt no one so that no one may hurt you. Remember that you will indeed meet your Lord, and that He will indeed reckon your deeds. ALLAH has forbidden you to take usury (interest), therefore all interest obligation shall henceforth be waived. Your capital, however, is yours to keep. You will neither inflict nor suffer any inequity. Allah has Judged that there shall be no interest and that all the interest due to Abbas ibn 'Abd'al Muttalib (Prophet's uncle) shall henceforth be waived...

Beware of Satan, for the safety of your religion. He has lost all hope that he will ever be able to lead you astray in big things, so beware of following him in small things.

O People, it is true that you have certain rights with regard to your women, but they also have rights over you. Remember that you have taken them as your wives only under Allah's trust and with His permission. If they abide by your right then to them belongs the right to be fed and clothed in kindness. Do treat your women well and be kind to them for they are your partners and committed helpers. And it is your right that they do not make friends with any one of whom you do not approve, as well as never to be unchaste.

O People, listen to me in earnest, worship Allah, say your five daily prayers (Salah), fast during the month of Ramadan, and give your wealth in Zakat. Perform Hajj if you can afford to.

All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over black nor a black has any superiority over white except by piety and good action. Learn that every Muslim is a brother to every Muslim and that the Muslims constitute one brotherhood. Nothing shall be legitimate to a Muslim which belongs to a fellow Muslim unless it was given freely and willingly. Do not, therefore, do injustice to yourselves.

Remember, one day you will appear before Allah and answer your deeds. So beware, do not stray from the path of righteousness after I am gone.

O People, no prophet or apostle will come after me and no new faith will be born. Reason well, therefore, O People, and understand words which I convey to you. I leave behind me two things, the QURAN and my example, the SUNNAH and if you follow these you will never go astray.

All those who listen to me shall pass on my words to others and those to others again; and may the last ones understand my words better than those who listen to me directly. Be my witness, O Allah, that I have conveyed your message to your people".

Saturday, April 07, 2007

Sat, 07 Apr 2007 19:49:05 GMT

ALLAH IS IN EVERY BREATH

When things are down, and you are out of your mind, just remember, Allah (swt) is the All-Kind.

When your life is in darkness, and nothing is right, just remember, through the darkness, Allah (swt) is the Light.

When nothing makes sense, and your heading for demise, just remember, it doesn't make sense but, Allah (swt) is the All-Wise.

When times are troubled, and no one seems to care, just remember, Allah (swt) won't hurt you, He is Just.

When your heart is breaking, and your pain makes you fall, just remember, Allah (swt) sees all.

When you are weak, and the road seems long, just remember; seek strength from the All-Strong.

When life is a burden, and everything is unstable, just remember, Allah (swt) is Able to do all.

When the way is cloudy, and there is no one by your side, just remember, Allah (swt) is the Only Guide.

When no one wants to listen, or is willing to lend an ear, just remember, Allah (swt) is the All-Hearing.

When you are poor and penniless, and you are stuck in a niche, just remember, Allah (swt) is the Rich.

When you are down in your misery, and there is no where to run, just remember, you can always run to the One.

When you?l alone, and your pain has no end, just remember, Allah (swt) is the only one you can depend on.

And when your scars are hurting, and your heart is in fear, just remember, Allah (swt) is with those who are patient.