The Islamic Network - www.islaam.net

# posted by abdul raheem syed ( Sufi786) : 8:24 PM  0 Comments

Man sues God in Nebraska

# posted by abdul raheem syed ( Sufi786) : 8:12 PM  0 Comments

Fast way for Jews to meet Muslims

Rosh Hashanah fell on the same night that Ramadan began this year, but it is not the only thing bringing the two faiths together

Jews and Muslims have a lot in common. In fact, a number of organisations in the UK exist specifically to nurture dialogue and understanding between Jews and Muslims, such as Aliph-Aleph UK and the Maimonides Foundation. The University of Cambridge has recently established a centre dedicated to Jewish-Muslim relations.

My Jewish friends always tell me that the people they relate to most easily in the office are their Muslim colleagues, who have similar dietary laws and such like. So when you bring an imam and a rabbi together they have plenty to discuss, and an instinctive understanding of each other. They both lead communities governed by a code of law and ethics (Torah and Koran) and a religious calendar featuring many festivals and holy days.

This year, by coincidence, the Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashanah) fell on the same evening that many Muslims were marking the start of Ramadan. This has given an opportunity for two British faith leaders, a rabbi and an imam, to reflect on the meaning and practice of the coming few weeks. Dr Naftali Brawer is the Rabbi of Borehamwood and Elstree synagogue, in Hertfordshire, and has been the Chief Rabbi’s representative on Jewish-Muslim relations since 2004. Sheikh Ibrahim Mogra is an imam in Leicester and chair of the interfaith relations committee of the Muslim Council of Britain.

This is a sacred and important time for both religions, and while common to both is a sense of spirtual renewal, its expression is unique to the traditions of each belief system. Rabbi Brawer explains: “Judaism teaches that on Rosh Hashanah we are judged by God for our actions of the previous year. The result of God’s judgment determines the type of new year we can expect. As such it is a time of reflection and introspection. Despite the inherent seriousness one would expect on such a day it is tempered by a certain quiet joy. This is because of our firm belief that through prayer, positive resolutions and the sincere desire to improve, one can secure a year of blessing.

“Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is the holiest day of the year and is set aside for repentance. Yom Kippur is a day of fasting and prayer. In a sense it is all about transcendence; elevating oneself from the mundane in pursuit of the spiritual and the holy.”

Ramadan, by contrast, takes place in the ninth month of the Muslim calendar which, like Judaism, follows the lunar cycle. It lasts for 29 or 30 days and is divided into three periods: the theme of the first ten days is God’s special mercy, the middle ten highlight God’s forgiveness and the last ten days emphasise the concept of emancipation.

“On each night, Islamic scripture tells us that God forgives as many people as the number of hairs on the animals of a large tribe of cattle-herders,” says Imam Mogra. “It’s a month where Muslims increase their recitation of the Koran. Many try to complete the whole of the Koran in that month.”

Although a deeply spiritual time for Muslims generally, Ramadan is also the busiest period for imams. “At the mosque I attend there will be 1,000 people for night prayers,” says Mogra, “and hundreds there during the day. At my mosque in Leicester people wake up before dawn for an early breakfast. Many join worshippers in the mosque for the morning prayer. In the last ten nights, some worshippers will retreat within the mosques and devote their time in prayer and worship, and will not be allowed to go outside. They eat, drink, sleep and worship at the mosque.”

Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are among the busiest periods for a rabbi. In addition to his own spiritual quest, Brawer must also inspire his congregants. “I try to deal with this conflict by compartmentalising my thoughts and emotions,” he says. As for synagogue attendance, it is prime time. “At my synagogue we expect about 2,000 people on the first day of Rosh Hashanah alone and similar numbers for Yom Kippur.”

One of the most profound links between the two religions is their attitude to food and fasting. “Much of Judaism is celebrated through food and drink,” says Rabbi Brawer. “This is because Judaism does not deny our physical needs and desires; it instead hopes to elevate them. Yet, despite this there are occasions when Judaism demands a more manifest spirituality. Yom Kippur is one such occasion.

“On a practical note, fasting and praying all day can really affect the way one perceives oneself and the world around. It helps to instil a sense of balance and perspective to life.”

For Imam Mogra, the primary purpose of fasting is to create God-consciousness. “Fasting creates a discipline for the individual. It teaches us to make adjustments. You realise that just as your body needs food and drink, the heart and soul need spiritual nourishment. The pangs of hunger remind you of those who are less blessed.”

Although the occasions are vital to each religion, Imam Mogra and Rabbi Brawer agree they also have wider implications for the multifaith communities that surround them. For Imam Mogra, the change in the pattern of life that Ramadan brings is something that society as a whole could benefit from experiencing. “The break from daily routine would be a wonderful experience for many. We lead more or less robotic lifestyles. We sometimes forget our spiritual needs in the pursuit of physical and material benefit.”

# posted by abdul raheem syed ( Sufi786) : 8:02 PM  1 Comments

THE SPIRITUAL AND HEALTH BENEFITS OF RAMADAN FASTING

By Shahid Athar, M.D.

This year the Islamic month of Ramadan will start on December 20th. Muslims all over the world will start this month with fasting from dawn to dusk daily for 30 days as ordained in Quran.

"O you who believe fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you so that you can learn Taqwa" (Quran 2:183)

The Arabic word Taqwa is translated in many ways including God consciousness, God fearing, piety, and self restraining. Thus we are asked to fast daily for one month from dawn to dusk and avoid food, water, sex and vulgar talk during that period.

But why do we need to fast? It is our experience that temptations and ways of the world tend to spoil our purity and austerity. Thus we indulge in food all of the time, snacking and nibbling the whole day, heading to obesity. We drink too much coffee, or tea, or carbonated drinks. Some sexaholics can not stay away from sex unless they do it at least once or more a day. When we argue, we leave our decency aside and resort to vulgar talk and even physical fighting.

Now when one is fasting, he or she cannot do all of that. When he looks at the mouth watering food, he cannot even taste it and he has to give up snacking and nibbling as well as smoking cigarettes if he does. No constant coffee, tea or Coke drinking either. Sexual passions have to be curtailed and when he is provoked to fight, he says " I am fasting that I cannot respond to your provocation". To achieve God consciousness or God nearness, a better word, we are advised to do additional prayer and read the Quran.

Medical benefits of Ramadan Muslims do not fast because of medical benefits which are of a secondary nature. Fasting has been used by patients for weight management, to rest the digestive tract and for lowering lipids. There are many adverse effects of total fasting as well as of crash diets. Islamic fasting is different from such diet plans because in Ramadan fasting, there is no malnutrition or inadequate calorie intake. The calorie intake of Muslims during Ramadan is at or slightly below the nutritional requirement guidelines. In addition, the fasting in Ramadan is voluntarily taken and is not a prescribed imposition from the physician.

Ramadan is a month of self-regulation and self training, with the hope that this training will last beyond the end of Ramadan. If the lessons learned during Ramadan, whether in terms of dietary intake or righteousness, are carried on after Ramadan, there effects will be long lasting. Moreover, the type of food taken during Ramadan does not have any selective criteria of crash diets such as those which are protein only or fruit only type diets. Everything that is permissible is taken in moderate quantities.

The difference between Ramadan and total fasting is the timing of the food; during Ramadan, we basically miss lunch and take an early breakfast and do not eat until dusk. Abstinence from water for 8 to 10 hours is not necessarily bad for health and in fact, it causes concentration of all fluids within the body, producing slight dehydration. The body has its own water conservation mechanism; in fact, it has been shown that slight dehydration and water conservation, at least in plant life, improve their longevity.

The physiological effect of fasting includes lowering of blood sugar, lowering of cholesterol and lowering of the systolic blood pressure. In fact, Ramadan fasting would be an ideal recommendation for the treatment of mild to moderate, stable, non-insulin diabetes, obesity, and essential hypertension. In 1994 the first International Congress on "Health and Ramadan", held in Casablanca, entered 50 extensive studies on the medical ethics of fasting. While improvement in many medical conditions was noted; however, in no way did fasting worsen any patients' health or their baseline medical condition. On the other hand, patients who are suffering from sever diseases, whether type I diabetes or coronary artery disease, kidney stones, etc., are exempt from fasting and should not be allowed to fast.

There are psychological effects of fasting as well. There is a peace and tranquility for those who fast during the month of Ramadan. Personal hostility is at a minimum, and the crime rate decreases. Muslims take advice from the Prophet who said, "If one slanders you or aggresses against you, say I am fasting." This psychological improvement could be related to better stabilization of blood glucose during fasting as hypoglycemia after eating, aggravates behavior changes. There is a beneficial effect of extra prayer at night. This not only helps with better utilization of food but also helps in energy output. There are 10 extra calories output for each unit of the prayer. Again, we do not do prayers for exercise, but a mild movement of the joints with extra calorie utilization is a better form of exercise. Similarly, recitation of the Quran not only produces a tranquility of heart and mind, but improves the memory.

One of the odd nights in the last 10 days of Ramadan is called the night of power when angels descend down, and take the prayer of worship to God for acceptance.

Fasting is a special act of worship which is only between humans and God since no one else knows for sure if this person is actually fasting. Thus God says in hadith qudsi that "Fasting is for Me and I only will reward it". In another hadith, the Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) has said "If one does not give up falsehoods in words and actions, God has no need of him giving up food and drink".

* Author, Islamic Perspectives in Medicine and Health Concerns for the Believers. Web Page http://www.ISLAM-USA.com. E-mail SATHAR 3624@aol.com

Reprint Requests:

# posted by abdul raheem syed ( Sufi786) : 7:55 PM  0 Comments

Abu Bakr's (May Allaah be pleased with Him) Saying on Arrogance - Your Origins

The Companion of The Emissary of Allaah, (May Allaah's Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him) Abu Bakr (May Allaah Be Pleased With Him), wrote a letter to the leaders of Ar-Rum - (Rome) and part (all) of the letter read;

"How can you be arrongant against Allaah? How can you be arrongant against Allaah, when you came from the place where water flow's twice?"

Meaning -

You have come from where a man emits his sperm to create one of Allah's servant and from where he urinates.

and You have have came from the place where a woman gives birth to Allah's servant and where she urinates.

This, brothers and sisters is where we come from.

To realise

# posted by abdul raheem syed ( Sufi786) : 1:12 AM  0 Comments

Confessions of the Devil

The following is a Hadith from Ibn Abbas, may God be pleased with him, as related by Mu'adh Ibn Jabal and contained in Muhyiddin Ibn 'Arabi's book, 'Shajarat al-Kawn', (The Tree of Being). Also from another Hadith by Anas Ibn Malik, may God be pleased with him.

One day, a congregation was gathered at the home of one of the Ansar around the Prophet, may God bless and grant him peace. (According to Anas Ibn Malik, may God be pleased with him, it was Abu Ayyub). In the middle of a wonderful discourse, an ugly voice from the outside was heard saying, "O Messenger of Allah would you permit me to enter? I have business with you!"

All looked at the Prophet, may God bless and grant him peace, who said to the ones present, "Do you recognize the owner of this voice?" The companions answered, "Allah and His Messenger know best" The Prophet, may God bless and grant him peace, said, "It is Shaytan, the Accursed."

On hearing that, Umar, may God be pleased with him,, who was present, pulling his sword, asked, "O Messenger of Allah, permit me to go and cut off his head. Let me smash his skull and free the people from his trouble"

The Prophet, may God bless and grant him peace, replied, "No, Umar, don't you know that you cannot kill him? He has permission to exist until Doomsday."

Then he added, "Open the door and admit him, as he did not come on his own, but on Allah's orders". Otherwise, he would not come here. Listen to what he says, and try to understand."

Then Rawi, may God be pleased with him, one of the companions, relates the tale. "They opened the door and he appeared in front of us as an old man cross-eyed (or blind in one eye) and scant of beard, with only six or seven long hairs from his chin. He had a very big head, his crossed eyes close to the top of his head, high on his forehead, with big thick hanging lips, like those of a water buffalo. He saluted the Prophet and the Companions, to which the Prophet, may God bless and grant him peace, responded, 'O Accursed, the salaam and salutations belong to Allah Most High. 'Then he said, 'I heard you are here on business. What is it?

"Shaytan said, 'I did not wish to come here, I was forced to. An angel came to me from your Lord, who honors whom He wishes, and said, "Allah Most High orders you to Muhammad, but you will go to him in humility and abasement, and be submissive and tractable. You will tell him how you seduce and mislead humankind. You are going to answer all his questions truthfully, without a single lie." And Allah said that if I lied to you, He would turn me into ashes and blow me away in the wind, and my enemies would laugh at me. I come with such orders, O Muhammad.'

"Then the Prophet, may God bless and grant him peace, asked the Devil, 'Tell me, who in the creation do you hate most?'

The Devil answered, 'You O Muhammad! ("And all the prophets.") There is no one in the whole creation that I hate more than you or another like you.'

"The Messenger of Allah, may God bless and grant him peace, confirmed that the Devil was his (and all the prophets') greatest foe. He asked, Whom else do you detest, besides me?"

"Shaytan said,

• 'The young ones who have given up their pleasures and themselves for Allah's sake;

• the men of knowledge who act upon their knowledge and who decline all that is doubtful; the ones who are clean, so clean that they wash thrice that which they wish to cleanse.

• the patient poor, who neither ask from others the things they need, not complaining.

• the thankful rich, who give alms lawfully.

• the knowledgeable who act on what they know;

• the readers of the Qur'an who pattern themselves on it;

• those who call to prayer on time;

• advisors and reformers;

• abstainers from unlawful food and sex and

• those who place their trust in Allah;

• benefactors of the poor;

• the devout busy in Allah's service.

"Then, the Prophet, may God bless and grant him peace, asked, 'What happens to you, O Accursed One, when my people do their prayers?'

"I shake and tremble as if stricken with malaria, because I see your people raised in blessing and power each time they prostrate."

Q: "'What happens to you, O Accursed, when my people fast?"
A: 'I have my hands and feet tied until they break their fast..'

Q: 'What happens to you when they all meet on the Pilgrimage at the house of their Lord?'
A: 'I lose my wits, I go mad."

Q: 'What happens to you when they recite the Holy Qur'an?'
A: 'I melt, like lead turning to hot liquid in the fire.'

Q: 'And when they pay alms?'
A: I am torn to pieces, as if the generous donors took a saw and sawed me into four pieces, because there are four beatitudes which the donor receives: the blessing of abundance, love and respect from Allah's creatures, a shield from Hell fires, and relief from distress and troubles.'

Q: "Then the Messenger of Allah, may God bless and grant him peace, asked the Devil what he thought of his beloved Companions.
A: About Abu Bakr, may God be pleased with him, he said, 'I hate him. Even before Islam, he refused to obey, nay! even to hear me. How can he now listen to me?'
About Umar Ibn Khattab he said, 'I run away whenever I see him.
And about Ali Ibn Abu Talib he said, 'Oh, if I could just be safe from him, if he would just let me be, I would let him be. But he will not leave me alone!'

"Having heard the answers of the accursed Shaytan, the Prophet, may God bless and grant him peace, thanked Allah said, 'Praised be to Allah, who has blessed my people with such felicity and cursed you with such negativity until that appointed time.

"When the Devil heard that, he said, 'Alas for you, what felicity for your people? How can you feel there is safety for them as long as I exist? I enter their very veins, their very flesh, and they cannot even suspect, let along see or feel me. I swear by Allah Who has given me time until Doomsday, that I will seduce them all, the intelligent and the simpleminded, the learned as well as the ignorant, the devout as well as the sinner. None will be safe from me, except the true servants of Allah.'

Q: 'Who are the true servants of Allah, according to you?'
A: 'You know well, O Muhammad, that whoever loves his money and his property, Allah does not count among His servants. Whenever I see someone who does not say "mine" and me, who does not love either money or flattery, I know he is truly a servant of Allah and I run away from him. As long as one loves money, property, flattery, he obeys me, he is my servant. I need many servants and I have servants. I am not alone. I have 70,000 children, each of them with his assigned duties. Each of my 70,000 children has 70,000 shaytans serving under him, all assigned to different posts. Many are with the young, and the older women, and with the theologians and preachers and shaykhs. There are almost no difference of opinion between your young children. And some of the devout and some of the pious get along very well with my people! My devils lead the imagination of the sincerity of their devotions. Soon, they fight with each other and they don't even know what is happening to them. Then, I whisper to them, "Disbelieve", but when they disbelieve, I say,

"I am free of you. Surely I fear Allah, the Lord of the Worlds." (Sûrah al-Hashir, Ayat 16.)

"Then, the accursed Devil told how he profited from habits of man, which he liked. About lying, he said, 'Do you know, O Muhammad, that lying is from me and that I am the first liar: Whoever lies is my best friend; whoever swears to the truth of Allah and lied to Adam and Eve.

I swore to them both, "Surely I am a sincere advisor to you." (Sûrah al-A`raf, 7:21).

I also detest loving families. If they think of rejecting each other once, the marriage bond in Allah's view is dissolved. The wife will be unlawful to the husband. When they sleep together, they will be adulterers. If they have a child, he will be a bastard. I love that.'

'O Muhammad, let me tell you about my friends who abandon prayers or delay them. When it is time for prayer, I make them imagine that there is still time, that they are busy. They should enjoy what they are doing, they can always pray later! I hope they will die before doing their next prayer. If I don't succeed again, I enter into their prayers. I tell them, "Look to the right, look to the left! Think of the past, plan your future!" And when they do, I caress their cheeks and kiss their foreheads and take the peace from their hearts. You know, O Muhammad, that the prayers of those whose attention is outside of them or who are imagining things which do not belong in the presence of Allah are also rejected and thrown in their faces. And, if I am not successful in that, I order them to do their prayers fast, and they look like hens picking at grain. If I still don't succeed, I follow them to the congregational prayers and put bridles on their heads. I pull, and lift their heads from the prostration before the Imam, and I push their heads down before the Imam touches his head to the ground and I am overjoyed to remember that Allah will turn those unruly heads into donkeys heads on the Last Day of Judgment. If I am still not successful, I try at least to make them crack their fingers while they are making prayers. Then, they will be among those who make my tasbih, instead of Allah's tasbih. Or at least I will blow into their noses and make them yawn and, if they open their mouths, a little devil will enter into them through their mouths and increase their love and ambition of this world. The one who loves and is ambitious for this world becomes my soldiers; he obeys me and does as he is ordered.

'O Muhammad, how can you hope and be serene about your people's salvation and felicity? I have a trap at every corner for them. I go to the poor and tell them, "What has Allah done for you? Why do you pray to Him? Prayer is for those to whom He has given in abundance." Then, I go the ones who are sick and tell them to stop praying, and remind them that even Allah said,

"There is no blame on the sick" (Surah Nur, 24:61)

I hope that they will die having abandoned their prayers, so that Allah will meet them with anger in the Hereafter.

'O Muhammad, if I have told a single lie, may scorpions bite me, and ask from Allah that He turn me into ashes. O Muhammad, do not be sure of your people. I have already converted a sixth of them, who have left their religion.'

Q: 'O Accursed One, with whom do you most like to spend your time?'
A: 'The usurer.

Q: 'And your best friend?'
A: 'The adulterer.'

Q: 'With whom do you share your bed?'
A: 'The drunkard.'

Q: 'Who are your guests?'
A: 'The thieves.'

Q: 'Who are your representatives?'
A: 'The magicians and soothsayers.'

Q: 'What pleases you most?'
A: 'Divorce.'

Q: 'Whom do you love most?'
A: 'Those who abandon their Friday prayers.'

The ten friends of Shaytan are, tyrants and oppressors; the arrogant; servile scholars who hide the truth for the benefit of tyrants; dishonest tradesmen; drinkers of alcohol; dealers in fraud; slanderers; those who stir up trouble among friends.

Q: "What breaks your heart, O Accursed One?
A: 'The determination and the firm footsteps of those who march against the enemies of Allah for Allah's sake.'

Q: 'What gives you pain?'
A: 'The repentance of the penitent.'

Q: 'What makes you grimace?'
A: 'The alms given in secret.'

Q: 'What makes your eyes blind?'
A: 'The tahajjud prayer in the middle of the night.'

Q: 'What makes you bow your head?'
A: 'Prayer done in congregation.'

'Q: 'O Shaytan, according to you, who are the happiest among people?'
A: 'The ones who purposefully abandon their prayers.'

Q: 'And the best among people?'
A: 'The miser.'

Q: 'What prevents you from doing your job?'
A: 'The gathering of men of knowledge and their discourses.'

Q: 'How do you eat your food?'
A: 'With my left hand and the tips of my fingers.'

Q: 'When the sun is hot, where do you seek shade?'
A: 'Under people's dirty fingernails.'

" 'I asked Allah to give me a house, and He gave me the public baths.
I asked Allah to give me a temple, and he gave me the marketplace as my temple.
I asked Allah to give me a book. He gave me the book of poetry as my book.
I asked for a call to prayer, and He gave me the dancing music.
I asked for someone to share my bed, and He gave me the drunkard.
I asked Allah for helpers. Allah gave me those who believe in free will.
I asked Allah to give me brothers and sisters, and Allah gave me the squanders who spend their money on evil things. Allah said,

"surely the squanders are the Devil's brethren" (Surah Bani Isr'ail, Ayat 27).

Then I asked Allah to be able to see the children of Adam while they are unable to see me, and He accorded that to me. I wished that the very veins of the children of Adam be my routes, and it was given to me. So, I flow in their veins as I wish and enter their flesh. All these were given to me, and I am proud of what I have received. And, let me add, O Muhammad, that there are more with me than there are with you.'

" 'Then the Prophet, may God bless and grant him peace, said, 'If you had not proven what you said with the verses of Allah's Book, it would have been hard for me to confirm what you say.'

" 'The Devil continued, 'Do you know, O Muhammad, that I have a son whose name is Atam? He urinates in the ear of the people who go to sleep without performing their night prayers. His urine puts them to sleep, otherwise, no one could have gone to bed without finishing their prayers.

Then, I have a son whose name is Mutaqadi. His duty is to publicize the prayers, the devotions, the good deeds done in secret a hundred fold. When deeds are publicized and receive credit and praise from the creatures of Allah, Allah takes away 99 of the promised one hundred rewards.

Then, I have a son whose name is Kuhayl. His duty is to put kohl on the eyes of those in the presence of wise men or preachers. The ones whose eyes he has touched start falling asleep. They are, thus, prevented from hearing the words of Allah or receiving any benefits from them.

" 'The Devil talked about women. He said, 'Whenever a woman leaves her seat, a Devil sits in her place. On the lap of every woman sits a shaytan who makes her desirable to whoever looks at her. Then, he orders the woman to open and show her arms, her legs, and her breast and with his claws, tears her veil of shame and decency.'

" 'Then the Devil started to complain. He said, 'O Muhammad, inspite of all this, I have no strength to take away the faith of the faithful. I only take away their faith when they throw it away. If I were able, there would be no one on the face of this world who could say: La Ilaha Illallah, Muhammad Rasulullah, "There is no God but Allah, Muhammad is His Messenger." I would not leave a single one to pray or fast. All I can do is to give the children of Adam imaginations, illusions and delusions, make the ugly appear beautiful, the wrong, right; and the bad, good. Neither do you have the power to give faith. You are only a proof of the Truth, because I know that, if you were given the power to give true faith, you would not leave a single non-believer on the face of this world. The fortunate one who is a believer is fortunate in his mother's womb, and the rebellious sinner is a rebel in his mother's womb. As you are the guide of the fortunate, I am only the cause of sin of the ones who are destined to sin. Allah is He who renders one fortunate and another rebellious.' Then he recited from Surah Hud,

"And if thy Lord had pleased He would have made people a single nation, and they cease not to differ, except those upon whom thy Lord has mercy, and for this did He create them. And the word of them altogether" (Surah Hud, Ayat 118-119.)

He recited from Surah Ahzab, Ayat 38: "And the command of Allah is a decree that is made absolute."

Then, the Mercy upon the Universe told the Devil, 'O Father of All Bitterness, I wonder if it is at all possible for you to repent and return to your Lord. I promise I would intercede for you.'

"The Accursed One answered, 'O Messenger of Allah, it is Allah's justice. The ink on the pen which wrote the judgment is dry. What will happen until Doomsday. The One who made the master of all prophets, the speaker for the inhabitants of Paradise, the One who chose you to be the beloved amongst His creation, chose me to be the master of sinners and the speaker of the inhabitants of Hell. He is Allah. O Muhammad, this which I have told you is my last word to you, and I have told nothing but the truth.' "

All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds. Allah says in Qur'an:

Surely Allah and His angels send blessings on the Prophet: O ye that believe: Send ye blessing and salute him with all respect. 33:53

May Allah's blessing be upon Muhammad, the Beloved of Allah, and upon his household and Companions and upon those who love him. Amin.

# posted by abdul raheem syed ( Sufi786) : 1:02 AM  0 Comments

Desire for God

All the hopes, desires, loves, and affections that people have for different things — fathers, mothers, friends, heavens, the earth, gardens, palaces, sciences, works, food, drink — the saint knows that these are desires for God and all those things are veils.

When men leave this world and see the King without these veils, then they will know that all were veils and coverings, that the object of their desire was in reality that One Thing… They will see all things face to face.

Mawlana Jalaluddin Rumi (r)

# posted by abdul raheem syed ( Sufi786) : 12:55 AM  0 Comments

By Yasmeen Khan

"Burgers. I crave burgers. I don't even like burgers normally."

Thirty-one-year-old Sumaya Amra is just one of the billion or so Muslims who takes part in the holy month of Ramadan by fasting in daylight hours, each day for 30 days.

Like many young Muslims, London-based Sumaya works in an office and has to fit the demands of a working day around her fast and her food cravings.

A tired or grumpy Muslim colleague or school child can be found staring at the clock Yasmeen Khan

Though there are some exceptions, fasting during Ramadan is obligatory for every fit and able Muslim over the age of puberty.

As Muslims believe that their good deeds and actions bring greater reward during Ramadan than at any other time of year, most Muslims perform the fast, even if they do not follow their religion closely throughout the rest of the year.

There is also a convivial, community aspect to the month which many find attractive; but for urban, singleton Muslims living away from home the traditional family evening get-together is often replaced by events held by Muslim organisations, or friends gathering to break the fast en masse.

Ramadan is not purely about hunger; it is used as an exercise in self-control where food, drink (including water), smoking, sexual activity and even gossiping are all abstained from during sunlight hours.

RAMADAN Most sacred of the holy months in Islam The Koran was first revealed to the Prophet Muhammad Fasting one of 'five pillars' of Islam Ramadan moves forward by 10 or 11 days each year as Islamic calendar is lunar Exemptions include children below the age of puberty, the sick, elderly, pregnant and mentally ill Celebration of Eid-ul-Fitr marks the end

The month is viewed as one for attaining greater spirituality, performing charitable deeds and spending time in prayer and contemplation.

The spiritual aspect can be the hardest; resisting the desire to lose one's temper despite a thumping caffeine-withdrawal headache and an intrigued non-Muslim colleague asking you what fasting is like while trying to hide their lunchtime sandwich, is somewhat testing.

To answer the two most common questions: no, you really cannot drink water and no, chewing gum is not allowed either.

Unlike their peers in the Middle East who benefit from working hours adapted for Ramadan, Muslims in the West fit Ramadan around the demands of a regular working day.

As well as hunger pangs, Ramadan often means less sleep - those performing the fast are supposed to rise before dawn each morning to eat a meal, known as the suhoor, before beginning their fast.

But Sumaya adapts her fasting ritual: "I often don't get up for suhoor and I know that Islamically this is wrong, but I find the fatigue worse than any hunger I feel. I would rather have a longer sleep and be able to fast and do my work properly."

Willpower

This year Ramadan is due to start on Thursday 13 September and the late summer days mean that the first fast will break at about 1930 BST. Most Brits love the thought of an extra bit of sunshine, but the thought of a late sunset is not welcomed by all.

Khan fasts, but not on fight days

"A few years ago when the fast fell in December, it was a lot easier," says Sumaya. "It was like having a very early breakfast and then skipping lunch before having a good dinner."

Hunger may seem the biggest difficulty to overcome, but fasting for belief seems to induce a willpower that puts food out of the mind. This willpower can drive even the most ardent of smokers to give up cigarettes - at least until after sunset.

While most healthy Muslims are able to perform the fast without any major problems, as the month progresses the combination of lack of food and sleep can take its toll and a tired or grumpy Muslim colleague or school child can be found staring at the clock in the countdown to iftar time, when they can break their fast after sundown.

While missing out on business lunches and the daily mocca-chocca-skinny latte may be difficult, those with more physical jobs have an even more arduous task. Professional boxer Amir Khan fasts even throughout his training.

"Fasting makes you feel weak," he said last year. "You have to wake up at four or five in the morning to eat, but you're knackered and you don't feel like food, you have to force it down. I wouldn't fast on the day of a fight though."

Many big companies have flexible working policies to help during Ramadan but Neil Payne, CEO of cross-cultural communications consultancy Kwintessential, says that not all companies know what Ramadan entails.

"As a convert to Islam myself, I know what it's like to be working in an office surrounded by people who are not fasting. Our clients are always interested in Ramadan, but they're not always very knowledgeable about it. Even some of the big blue-chip companies in London have little awareness of what Ramadan is."

Celebrations mark the end of Ramadan

Owner of the Tiffinbites chain of Indian food restaurants, Jamal Hirani, recognised that breaking the fast and eating the meal afterwards, known as the iftar, was something that Muslim office workers wanted to do away from their desks.

"I worked in the City myself. I know what it's like to fast at work. You miss out on colleagues' birthday lunches, for example, and then you struggle to try and find a quiet spot to break your fast and have something decent and quick to eat.

"My experiences prompted me to have iftar meals at our restaurants. Customers pre-order their food and it's ready and waiting for them when they come to break their fast."

After sunset, Muslims may eat and drink as normal but overindulgence at night is not in the spirit of Ramadan.

"I try not to be a glutton during Ramadan, that's not what it's about," says Sumaya.

"Admittedly sometimes I do seek out those burgers and I don't know why because they're always such as disappointment, and there's nothing worse than soggy chips. Really it's my mum's food that I miss the most."

Fasting during the summer can be so difficult, with us not being able to eat until 7.30pm having been at work all day and then facing a difficult commute home just makes it all extra difficult. But I think as Muslims, we all realise that these difficulties are all just part of Ramadan and the challenges we have to face, makes it all worth while 30 days or so later when life is back to normal. Helping us appreciate food, or even just a glass of water.
Lara, Ealing, London

I have several Muslim friends and during Ramadan, some of them moan from 8.30 in the morning about food, whereas the others make no mention of it - citing the fact they are lucky they can eat in the morning and in the evening, and billions in the world should be so lucky to have that option. I do admire the dedication of the likes of Amir Khan who needs steady and balanced nutrition to maintain his performance levels in training.
Rob, London

Fasting makes one stronger not weaker and there is the realisation that for others around the world fasting is the norm. Bring it on I say. Ramadan Mubarak to all and lets hope it brings peace and unity for all.
Hanif Rehman, Yorkshire, Gods Country

Lunch is for wimps (Gordon Gecko "Wall Street" 1987)
Dave, Warrington, UK

Ramadan Greetings! As a footy fan, I was always wondering how the footy players cope with fasting. There are many Muslim players in the English League, are they allowed to fast? Some players are recently converted to Islam, Anelka is one of them.
Salam E Mohammed, Saudi Arabia

I would just like to wish all my fellow Muslims Ramadhan Kareem.
Manal Ahmed, Essex

# posted by abdul raheem syed ( Sufi786) : 1:11 AM  0 Comments

Praising the Prophet; Allah's peace and blessings be upon him

All Praise is due to Allah, peace and blessing be upon the Chosen One, Muhammad al-Mustafa, upon his pure family and his righteous companions one and all.

Allah, Exalted is He! says in the Glorious Qur’an (Surah 33:56):

"Surely Allah and His angels bless the Prophet; O you who believe call for (Divine) blessings on him and salute him with a (becoming) salutation."

The very name “Muhammad” means “the one who is praised, often praised” and the name of the Prophet (SAW) is also known as “Ahmad” meaning “the one deserving of praise”. Imam Jalaludin as-Suyuti mentions:

His name is Muhammad and Ahmad; his people are the people of praise (hamd)— and his prayer rite and the prayer rite of his people is opened with praise (hamd). In the Preserved Tablet in God’s abode it was written that his Caliphs and his Companions in writing the Sacred Volume, should open it with praise (Surah 1:1). And in his hand on the Resurrection Day will be the banner of praise. And when he then prostrates himself before God in intercession in our behalf and it is accepted he will praise the Lord with a new song that shall then be revealed to him, for his is the Heavenly Station of Praise (al-maqam al-mahmud, Surah 17:79)—and when he rises up in that Station all the assembly shall praise him, Muslims and misbelievers alike, the first and the last, and all meanings and modes of thankful praise shall be gathered up and offered to him.

- And Muhammad is His Messenger, Annemarie Schimmel

# posted by abdul raheem syed ( Sufi786) : 3:26 PM  0 Comments

On the Reward of Loving the Prophet

Anas said that a man came to the Prophet and asked, "When will the Last Hour come, Messenger of Allah?" He said, "What have you prepared for it?" He said, "I have not prepared a lot of prayer or fasting or charity for it, but I love Allah and His Messenger." The Prophet said, "You will be with the one you love." (al-Bukhari)

Safwan ibn Qudama said, " I did hijra to the Prophet and went to him and said, 'Messenger of Allah, I love you.' He said, 'A man is with the one he loves.'" (at-Tirmidhi and an-Nasa'i) 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, Abu Musa al-Ash'ari and Anas related this statement from the Prophet, and Abu Dharr also has something to the same effect.

'Ali said that the Prophet took Hasan and Husayn by the hand and said, "Whoever loves me and loves these two and their father and mother will have the same degree as me on the Day of Rising." (at-Tirmidhi)

It is related that a man came to the Prophet and said, "Messenger of Allah, I love you more than my family and my possessions. I remember you and I cannot wait until I come and look at you. I remember that I will die and you will die and I know that when you enter the Garden, you will be raised up with the Prophets. When I enter it, I will not see you." Allah then revealed, "Whoever obeys Allah and the Messenger, those are with those whom Allah has blessed among the Prophets, the true ones, the martyrs and the right-doers. They are the best of Companions." (4:68) The Prophet called the man and recited the verses to him. (at-Tabarani)

In another hadith we find, "A man was with the Prophet, looking at him without turning away. The Prophet asked, "What is wrong with you?" He replied, "My father and mother be your ransom! I enjoy looking at you. On the Day of Rising, Allah will raise you up because of His high estimation of you!" Allah then sent down the ayat mentioned above.

In the hadith of Anas, the Prophet said, "Whoever loves me will be with me in the Garden." (al-Isfahani)

On what is related from the Salaf and the Imams about their love for the Prophet and their yearning for him

Abu Hurayra said that the Messenger of Allah said, "Those in my community with the strongest love for me are the people who will come after me. Some of them would give their family and wealth to have seen me." (Muslim and al-Bukhari) There is something similar from Abu Dharr.

The hadith of 'Umar, "I love you more than myself,"has already been cited. There are similar things from other Companions.

'Amr ibn al-'As said, "There is no one I love better than the Messenger of Allah."

'Abda bint Khalid ibn Ma'dan said, "Khalid never went to bed without remembering how he yearned for the Messenger of Allah and his Companions among the Muhajirun and Ansar, and he would name them. He said, 'They are my root and branch, and my heart longs for them. I have yearned for them a long time. My Lord, hasten my being taken to You!'"

It is related that Abu Bakr said to the Prophet, "By the One who sent you with the truth, I would be happier if Abu Talib were to become Muslim than if Abu Quhayfa (Abu Bakr's father) were to. That is because the Islam of Abu Talib would delight you more." 'Umar ibn al-Khattab told al-'Abbas, "You becoming a Muslim is dearer to me than al-Khattab becoming a Muslim because it is dearer to the Messenger of Allah."

Ibn Ishaq said that the father, brother and husband of one of the women of the Ansar were killed in the Battle of Uhud fighting for the Messenger of Allah. She asked, "What has happened to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace?" They said, "He is as well as you would like, praise be to Allah!" She said, "Show him to me so I can look at him." When she saw him, she said, "Every affliction is as nothing now that you are safe."

'Ali ibn Abi Talib was asked, "How was your love for the Messenger of Allah?" He replied, "By Allah, we loved him more than our wealth, our sons, our fathers and our mothers, and more than cold water in a time of great thirst."

Zayd ibn Aslam said, 'Umar went out at night to observe the people and saw a lamp in a house where an old woman was teasing some wool, saying:

"The Prayer of the good be upon Muhammad,
may the blessed bless him!
I was standing in tears before dawn. If only I knew,
when death gives us different forms,
Whether the Abode will join me to my beloved?"

She meant the Prophet. 'Umar sat down in tears.

It is related that once 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar's foot went numb. He was told, "Remember the most beloved of people to you and it will go away!" He shouted, "O Muhammad!" and the feeling returned.

When Bilal was near death, his wife called out, "O sorrow!" Bilal said, "What joy! I will meet those I love, Muhammad and his party!"

It is related that a woman said to 'A'isha, "Show me the grave of the Messenger of Allah." She showed it to her and the woman wept until she died.

When the Makkans drove Zayd ibn ad-Dathima out of the Haram to kill him, Abu Sufyan ibn Harb said to him, "I ask you by Allah, Zayd, don't you wish that Muhammad were with us now to take your place so that we could cut off his head, and you were with your family?" Zayd said, "By Allah, I would not wish Muhammad to be now in a place where even a thorn could hurt him if that was the condition for my being with my family!" Abu Sufyan remarked, "I have not seen any people who love anyone the way the Companions of Muhammad love Muhammad."

Ibn 'Abbas said, "When a woman came to the Prophet (i.e. from Makka to Madina), he made her take an oath that she had not left because of her husband's wrath or desire for a new land and that she had only left out of love for Allah and His Messenger."

Ibn 'Umar stood over Ibn az-Zubayr after he had been killed and asked for forgiveness for him and said, "By Allah, according to what I know you were someone who fasted and prayed and loved Allah and His Messenger."

The signs of love of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace

Know that someone who loves a person prefers them and prefers what they like. Otherwise, he is a pretender, insincere in his love.

Someone who has true love of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, will manifest the following signs.

1) The first sign is that he will emulate him, apply his sunna, follow his words and deeds, obey his commands and avoid his prohibitions and take on his adab in ease and hardship, joy and despair. Allah testifies to that, "Say: if you love Allah, then follow me and Allah will love you." (3:31)

2) He will prefer what the Prophet has laid down as law and encouraged, over his own passions and appetites. Allah said, "Those who have made their dwelling in the city and in belief before them, love those who migrate to them and do not find in themselves any need for what they have been given and they prefer others to themselves, even if they are in difficult straits." (59:9)

3) His anger against people will only be for the sake of the pleasure of Allah. Anas ibn Malik said, "The Messenger of Allah said to me, 'My son, if you can be without any grudge in your heart against anyone in the morning and evening, be like that.' Then he added, 'My son, that is part of my sunna. Whoever gives life to my sunna has loved me and whoever loves me is with me in the Garden.'" (at-Tirmidhi)

Anyone who possesses this particular quality has perfect love for Allah and His Messenger. Anyone slightly lacking in it is imperfect in his love while not entirely devoid of it. The proof of this is in what the Prophet said about the man who was given the hadd-punishment for drinking. A man there cursed him and the Prophet said, "Do not curse him. He loves Allah and His Messenger." (al-Bayhaqi)

4) Another of the signs of love for the Prophet is to mention him often. Whoever loves something mentions it a lot.

5) Another is great yearning to meet him. Every lover yearns for their beloved.

When the Ash'arite clan came to Madina, they chanted, "Tomorrow we will meet those we love, Muhammad and his Companions!"

6) One of its signs is that as well as mentioning him often, someone who loves him will exalt and respect him when he mentions him and display humility and abasement when he hears his name. Ishaq at-Tujibi said, "Whenever the Companions of the Prophet heard his name after he died, they were humble, their skins trembled and they wept. It was the same with many of the Followers. Some of them act like that out of love and yearning for him, others out of respect and esteem."

7) Another sign is love for those who love the Prophet and the people of his house and his Companions, both of the Muhajirun and Ansar, for his sake. Such a person will also be hostile to those who hate them and curse them. Whoever loves anyone, loves those he loves.

The Prophet said about al-Hasan and al-Husayn, "O Allah, I love them, so love them." In al-Hasan's variant, "O Allah, I love him, so love the one who loves him." He also said, "Whoever loves them loves me. Whoever loves me loves Allah. Whoever hates them hates me. Whoever hates me hates Allah." (al-Bukhari)

He said, "Allah! Allah! My Companions! Do not make them targets after me! Whoever loves them loves them by loving me. Whoever hates them hates them by hating me. Whoever does something hurtful to them does something hurtful to me. Whoever does something hurtful to me does something hurtful to Allah. Whoever does something hurtful to Allah is about to be seized." (at-Tirmidhi)

He said about Fatima, "She is a part of me. Whoever hates her hates me." (al-Bukhari)

He said to 'A'isha about Usama ibn Zayd, "Love him for I love him." (at-Tirmidhi)

He said, "The sign of true faith is love for the Ansar and the sign of hypocrisy is hatred for them." (al-Bukhari and Muslim)

In the hadith of Ibn 'Umar we find, "Whoever loves the Arabs, loves them because he loves me. Whoever hates them hates them because he hates me." In reality, whoever loves someone loves everything he loves. This was certainly the case with the Salaf, even regarding permitted things and appetites of the self.

Anas once saw the Prophet following the pumpkin around the plate. He said, "I have loved pumpkin from that day."

al-Hasan ibn 'Ali, 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas and Ibn Ja'far came to Salma (servant of the Prophet and mawla of his aunt) and asked her to prepare some food for them which the Messenger of Allah liked. Ibn 'Umar used to wear tanned sandals dyed yellow when he saw the Prophet wearing ones like that.

8) Another sign is hatred for anyone who hates Allah and His Messenger, having enmity towards all who have enmity towards him, avoidance of all those who oppose his sunna and introduce innovations into his deen, and finding every matter contrary to his shari'a burdensome. Allah says, "You will not find any people who believe in Allah and the Last Day who are loving to anyone who opposes Allah and His Messenger." (58:22)

His Companions killed their loved ones and fought their fathers and sons to gain the pleasure of the Prophet. 'Abdullah ibn 'Abdullah ibn Ubayy said to him, "If you wanted, I would have brought you his head (his father's)."

9) Another sign of it is love for the Qur'an which the Prophet brought, by which he guided and was guided, and whose character he took on so that 'A'isha said, "His character was the Qur'an." Part of love for the Qur'an is its recitation and acting by it and understanding it, loving his sunna and keeping within limits.

Sahl ibn 'Abdullah said, "The sign of the love of Allah is love of the Qur'an. The sign of love of the Qur'an is love of the Prophet. The sign of love of the Prophet is love of the Sunna. The sign of love of the Sunna is love of the Next World. The sign of love of the Next World is hatred for this world. The sign of hatred for this world is that you do not store up any of it except for provision and what you need to arrive safely in the Next World."

Ibn Mas'ud said, "No one needs to ask himself about anything except the Qur'an. If he loves the Qur'an, he loves Allah and His Messenger."

10) One of the signs of love for the Prophet is having compassion for his community, giving them good counsel, striving for their best interests and removing what is harmful from them just as the Prophet was "compassionate, merciful to the believers." (9:128)

11) One of the signs of perfect love for is that the one who aspires to it does without in this world and prefers proverty.

The Prophet said to Abu Sa'id al-Khudri, "Poverty for those among you who love me comes quicker than a flood from the top of the mountain to the bottom." (at-Tirmidhi)

In a hadith from 'Abdullah b. Mughaffal, a man said to the Prophet, "O Messenger of Allah, I love you." He said, "Take care what you say!" He said, "By Allah, I love you" three times. He said, "If you love me, then prepare for poverty quickly." There is a similar hadith from Abu Sa'id al-Khudri.

On the meaning and reality of love for the Prophet

People disagree about what constitutes love of Allah and the Prophet. They have many things to say about it, but in reality, they are referring to different states.

Sufyan said, "Love consists of following the Messenger of Allah." It was as if he were thinking of the words of Allah, "Say: if you love Allah, then follow me." (3:31)

One of the scholars said, "Love of the Messenger is to believe in his victory, protect his sunna, obey it and to fear being in opposition to him."

One of the scholars said, "Love is constant remembrance of the beloved."

Another said, "It is preferring the beloved."

Another said, "Love is yearning for the beloved."

One of the scholars said, "Love is the heart following the will of its master, loving what he loves and hating what he hates."

Another said, "Love is the heart's inclination to be in harmony with the beloved."

Most of these statements indicate the fruits of love rather than its reality. The reality of love is to incline to what one finds agreeable and harmonious, either:

1) by the pleasure of its perfection - like love of beautiful forms, melodious sounds, delicious foods and drink to which one naturally inclines because they are agreeable;

2) or by the pleasure in the perfection of its noble inner qualities which is sensed by the intellect and heart - like love for the salihun, the 'ulama' and people of correctness whose marvellous lives and good actions have been related. Man's nature inclines to passionate love for these sorts of things to the point of fanaticism. Such partisanship of one group against another and sectarianism within a nation can result in homelands being abandoned, inviolable things being dishonoured, and lives lost;

3) or someone can love something because he finds it agreeable by reason of gaining benefit and blessing from it. The self is naturally disposed to love that which is good to it.

When you have understood this well, then look at these three causes of love in respect of the Prophet and you will find that all three things which inspire love apply to him.

The beauty of his form and outward appearance and the perfection of his character have already been mentioned, so there is no need to say any more about them.

As regards the benefit and blessing his community gain from him, we have already mentioned the qualities of Allah he possessed - his compassion for them, his mercy for them, his guiding them, his tenderness for them and his striving to save them from the Fire. He is, "merciful, compassionate to the believers," (9:128) and "a mercy to the worlds," (21:107) and, "a bringer of good news, a warner and a caller to Allah by His permission." (33:45-46) "He recites its signs to them and purifies them and teaches them the Book and the Wisdom," (62:2) and "guides them to a straight path." (5:16)

What goodness could be worthier or of greater importance than his goodness to all the believers! What favour could be more universally beneficial and of greater use than his blessing to all Muslims since he is their means to guidance, the one who rescues them from blind error, and the one who summons them to success and honour? He is their means to their Lord and their intercessor. He speaks up on their behalf and bears witness for them and brings them to eternal life and everlasting bliss.

So it should be clear to you that love of the Prophet must be an obligation in the Shari'a because of the sound traditions we have related and the nature of his overflowing goodness and universal beauty we have just mentioned.

If a man can love someone who is generous to him just once or twice in this world, as is well known to be the case, or someone who saves him from destruction or harm even once, when that damage and harm are only of a temporary nature, then the one who gives him undying bliss and protects him from the eternal punishment of al-Jahim should be loved more. A king is loved when his behaviour is good and a ruler is loved for his upright conduct. Someone who lives far away is loved for their knowledge or noble character. Whoever posesses all these qualities in total perfection is more entitled to be loved and more deserving of attachment.

'Ali. describing the Prophet, said, "Whoever saw him suddenly was in awe of him. Whoever mixed with him loved him." We mentioned that one of the Companions could not turn his eyes away because of his love for him.

# posted by abdul raheem syed ( Sufi786) : 3:22 PM  0 Comments

Sayings from Sayyed Ahmad Rifai(r) a great Sufi Saint:

Our way is built on three things: not asking anything, not refusing what is given and not accumulating asset.

Allah wills his servant to have three features:

1. Trust in Allah`s promise

2. To take out everything from heart because of Allah`s destiny

3. To be occupied with knocking the gate of Allah.

Worldly things should come secondarily. There is no way to escape from the other world. It is a distress to deal with things other than the ones for the other world.

Welcome and accept whatever comes from the heaven and the invisible world. Try to help people as much as you can. Have compassion for weak and older people, and who became poor after richness; and give them alms.

The shortest way to Allah is to respect His commands and compassion to his creatures.

Who loves Allah, allows himself to become modest, and does not like anything other than Him. Servitude to Allah is an attribute that who has it does not esteem anything other than Him. The perfection of servitude is freedom, which means salvation from submitting yourself to things other than Allah.

# posted by abdul raheem syed ( Sufi786) : 5:51 AM  0 Comments

On Dhikr( Remeberence of God)

From Miftah al-Falah (The Key to Success)

by Ibn 'Ata'llah al-Iskandari

Dhikr is a fire which does not stay or spread – so if it enters a house saying, "Me and nothing other than me," which is one of the meanings of "la ilaha illa'llah' (There is no god but Allah), and there is firewood in the house, it burns it up and it becomes fire. If there is darkness in the house, it becomes light. If there is light in the house, it becomes 'light upon light'.

Dhikr expels from the body impure substances produced by excess in eating or from the consumption of unlawful food. As for food which is lawful, it does not touch it. So the harmful components are burned up and the good components remain.

Dhikr is heard by every part as if it were blowing on a trumpet. When dhikr first occurs in the head, the sound of trumpets and cymbals is experienced there. Dhikr is a sultan – when it descends in a place, it descends with its trumpets and cymbals because dhikr is opposed to all that is other than the Truth. When it descends in a place, it occupies itself with negating what is contrary to the Truth, as we find in the union of water and fire. After these sounds, different sounds are heard: like the ripple of water, the sound of the wind, the sound of fire when it is kindled, the sounds of galloping of horses, and the sound of leaves of the trees rustling in the wind.

This is because man is a combination of every noble and low substance: dust, water, fire, air and earth, and heaven and earth and what is between them: these sounds issue from every source and element of these substances. Whoever has heard these sounds in dhikr praises Allah and glorifies Him with his entire tongue. This is the result of the dhikr with the tongue with the force of complete absorption. Perhaps the worshipper will reach the state where, if he falls silent from dhikr, the heart will stir in his breast, like the movement of the child in the womb, seeking dhikr.

Some say that he heart is like 'Isa( Jesus) (p), the son of Mary, peace be upon him, and dhikr is its milk. When it grows and becomes strong, longing for the Truth audibly springs from it and pangs of yearning craving for dhikr and the One invoked. The dhikr of the heart is like the sound of the bee, neither a confused high noise nor a very low hidden sound. When the One invoked takes possession of the heart and the dhikr is obliterated and vanishes, and the invoker does not pay attention to the dhikr nor to the heart. If during this, he notices the dhikr or the heart, that is a distracting veil.

This is state is annihilation (fana') – and it is that man is annihilated in respect to his self (nafs), and he feels nothing in his limbs nor things outside of him or things inside of him. If, during that, it occurs to him that he is totally annihilated in respect to himself, that then is a blemish and turbidity. Perfection is that he be annihilated to himself and to annihilation, and the annihilation of annihilation is the goal of annihilation.

Annihilation is the earliest of the Path (Tariq) since it is traveling towards Allah Almighty, and then guidance follows. By guidance I mean the guidance of Allah as the Prophet Ibrahim said, "I am going to my Lord, and He will guide me." (37:99)

This absorption is seldom stable and rarely continues. If the invoker continues, it becomes a fixed habit and a permanent state by which he may ascend to the celestial world. Then the purest real Being emerges and he is imprinted with nature of the invisible world (malakut) and the holiness of Divinity (lahut) is manifested to him.

The first thing manifested to him from that world are the essences of the angels and the spirits of the Prophets and saints in beautiful forms through which some of the realities overflow onto him. That is the beginning. This continues until his degree is higher than forms and he encounters the Truth in everything with clarity.

This is the fruit of the core of dhikr. Its beginning is only the dhikr of the tongue; and then the dhikr of the heart is stimulated. Then the dhikr becomes natural; and then the One invoked takes possession and the invoker is obliterated. This is the inner secret of the words of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace: "Whoever wish to abide in the Garden of Paradise should invoke Allah much" and the secret of his words "Hidden dhikr is seventy times preferable to dhikr which is heard by listeners."

The sign of dhikr moving to the inner conscience (sirr) is the absence of the invoker from dhikr and the One invoked, and the dhikr of the inner conscience is frantic thirst and drowning in it.

Among its signs is that when you ceasing doing dhikr, it does not leave you, and the ascendancy of dhikr in you stirs you from absence to presence.

Among its signs is that dhikr presses against your heads and limbs so that they seem as if they were bound with shackles and chains.

Among its signs is that its fires do not abate and its light does not depart. Rather you always see its lights rising and descending while the fires around you are pure, aflame and brightly burning. When dhikr reaches the inner conscience when the invoker falls silent from dhikr, it is as if needles had been thrust through his tongue or as if his entire face were a tongue invoking, light pouring from it.

Subtle point: Know that every dhikr which you heart feels is heart by listeners, if their awareness match your awareness. There is a secret in it: when your dhikr vanishes from your awareness since you have departed to the One invoked, your dhikr vanishes altogether from the awareness of listeners.

Subtle point: The dhikr of the letters is without the presence of the dhikr of the tongue. The dhikr of the presence in the heart is the dhikr of the heart; and the dhikr of absence from presence with the One Invoked is the dhikr of the inner conscience (sirr), and it is hidden dhikr.

# posted by abdul raheem syed ( Sufi786) : 2:25 PM  0 Comments

On the Necessity of Loving the Prophet

Concerning the necessity of loving him

Allah says, "Say: if your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your wives, your tribe and your possessions you have earned, commerce you fear may slacken, dwellings you love - if these are dearer to you than Allah and His Messenger and to struggle in His way, then wait until Allah brings His command." (9:25)

This is enough encouragement, advice, proof and indication of the necessity of loving him and is sufficient to show that this duty is an immensely important obligation which is the Prophet's right. Allah censures those whose property, families and children are dearer to them than Allah and His Messenger. He threatens them by adding, "Wait until Allah brings His command." At the end of the ayat, He considers such people as having done wrong and informs them they are among those who are astray and not guided by Allah.

Anas(r) reported that the Messenger of Allah(sas) said, "None of you will believe until I am more beloved to him than his children, his father and all people." (al-Bukhari, Muslim and an-Nasa'i) There is something similar from Abu Hurayra.

Anas(r) reported that the Prophet (sas)said, "There are three things which cause anyone who takes refuge in them to experience the sweetness of belief - that Allah and His Messenger are more beloved to him than anything else; that he loves a man only for Allah; and that he dislikes the thought of reverting to disbelief as much as he would dislike being cast nto the Fire." (al-Bukhari and Muslim)

'Umar ibn al-Khattab (r)said to the Prophet(sas),

"I love you more than anything except my soul which is between my two sides." The Prophet(sas) replied. "None of you will believe until I am dearer to him than his own soul." 'Umar(r) said, "By the One who sent down the Book on you, I love you more than my soul which is between my two sides." The Prophet said, "'Umar(r), now you have it!"

(al-Bukhari)

Sahl said, "Whoever does not think that the Messenger is his master in all states or think that he is under the dominion of the Prophet(sas) does not taste the sweetness of his sunna because the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'None of you will believe until I am dearer to him than himself.'"

# posted by abdul raheem syed ( Sufi786) : 8:30 AM  0 Comments

Excerpt: The Holy Ascension of the Prophet(sas) - 7th Heaven

The Holy Prophet(sas) continues his account:

"When I reached the Divine Throne, I wished to remove my sandals, but the Throne spoke to me and said, 'Oh Beloved of Allah, step upon me with your blessed sandal, so that I might rub the dust from it on my face, and take pride in the fact that the dust from the Beloved of Allah has fallen upon me.'

Again I tried to remove my sandals, but this time a call came to me from the Divine Person, saying, 'Oh My Beloved, do not remove your sandals so that My Throne might be honored and blessed with the dust from the soles of your sandals'.

I then entreated my Lord, saying, 'When You called the Prophet Musa( Moses) (p) to come to the mountain of Tur (Sina'i), You ordered him to remove his sandals.

' Again this word came to me from the Divine Person, saying, 'In My view, you are more cherished and honored than he; Musa was My Word (Kalimullah), whereas you are My Beloved (Habibullah). Look ahead and see what you will see!'

I looked and I saw a great sea, so great that there was no end to it, and no shore in sight. On its near side there was a tree, and upon that tree, there was a bird the size of a dove. In its beak this bird bore a piece of clay as big as a lentil. 'Do you know what this is?', I was asked. I answered, 'My Lord knows best'.

And He Almighty told me, 'You are forever entreating me to forgive your nation their sins. This sea is the likeness of the Sea of Mercy. That tree signifies the world, the dove-like bird is the likeness of your nation and that bit of clay is the likeness of their sins. Now you have seen the relation of your nation's sins to the vastness of My Mercy, so let your heart be at rest."

# posted by abdul raheem syed ( Sufi786) : 10:50 PM  0 Comments

Birth of the Blessed Prophet (sas)

It was in the forenoon of a Monday that our Master, the noble Messenger, was born. His migration from Mecca, his arrival in Medina, his final revelation, his ascension ad the conquest of Mecca, all happened on a Monday. It was on a Monday also that he left to honor the world of eternity.

The birth of our Master, the noble Messenger(sas), occurred on the forenoon of Monday, 12^th of Rabī'u-l'Awwal, which coincided with the 20^th or 21^st of April. That is why April rains have always been blessed, refreshing and a cause of prosperity. On the eve of our Master's (sas)birth, the Ka'ba split in two. The Quraysh were terrified by this occurrence and offered many explanations of it. Some of them suggested that it was due to the fact that the venerable Āmina's father had gone to the eternal world that night. For Wahb ibn 'Abd Manāf, the maternal grandfather of the venerable Messenger, was a revered figure among the Arabs. News of his death was spreading in Mecca on the eve of the Prophet's(sas) birth.

While Quraysh were involved in these discussions, they heard a voice from inside the Ka'ba saying: "O tribe of Quraysh, the Ka'ba has not been made the cause of anyone's death. However, Muhammad ibn 'Abdullāh, the light of this world, the glory of the Hereafter, the lamp of Paradise, is about to emerge from his mother's womb. He is a most noble Messenger who will cleanse the Ka'ba, which the polytheists have polluted with their idols, false gods and blasphemous transgressions. Cleansing it of their errors and abuses, he will restore my beauty to its former radiance and fill me with the light of faith. He will make me the direction towards which men turn in prayer and his community will come from distant places to make annual pilgrimages to me, the Ka'ba." Thus, the Ka'ba itself spoke to the Quraysh who heard its voice say: "There is the honor on account of which I split in two."

On the eve of our Master's(sas) birth, Allah gave this command to His angels: "On the Morning when My beloved is born, you are to open all the gates of heaven, make Paradise beautiful, open all levels of Paradise and the gates of its eight gardens!"

That day the sun shone brighter than on other days. Its brilliant radiance lit up the entire world so that all the people on earth might rejoice in the awareness of the noble coming of the Primal Light, the venerable Muhammad Mustafā(sas).

The venerable Āmina says: "I was about to give birth to give birth to my Muhammad(sas). There was no one with me, neither man nor woman. My father-in-law, 'Abd al-Muttalib, had gone to circumambulate the Ka'ba. Something strange and fearful appeared to me. I heard a voice and was afraid, then a white bird appeared and stroked my breast. My fear departed from me. I felt no trace of pain, grief, discomfort or fear. I was given a cup of white sherbet. When I drank that sherbet my heart was filled with a splendid radiance. I had attained a blissful happiness. Then I saw a group of girls, tall willowy and extremely beautiful, who were strangers to Mecca. They were not the daughters of 'Abd Manāf, although they did resemble them. They surrounded me and as I was thinking to myself, 'there was no one in the house, where can these beings have come from,' one of them said to me: 'I am Eve, wife of the venerable Adam'; another smiled as she said: 'I am Sarah, the venerable Abraham's wife'; a third also smiled as she said: 'I am Mary, mother of the venerable Jesus'; a fourth said affectionately, 'I am Pharaoh's wife, Āsiya, who believed in the venerable Moses. The rest are houries of Paradise.' They said: 'We have come to offer our respect and praise to the noble Prophet who is about to appear.' With every moment the noise and commotion became greater and more intense, yet all fear had left me. A white silk curtain was lowered from Heaven to earth. This mighty curtain veiled me from the jinn. Birds came in flocks; their beaks were of green emerald and their wings rubies. They approached me until their beaks and wings touched my breast. It was as if they were kissing me. Then they circled around me. The Exalted One raised the veil from my eyes and showed me the whole universe. I saw the entire world, east and west. They brought three noble banners, planting one of them in the east, one in the west and the third upon the Ka'ba. I saw men in heaven. They moved through space carrying bejeweled bowls and jugs and golden vessels. At that moment, my Muhammad(sas) was easily and painlessly born. [Allah bless our Master Muhammad and Muhammad's family and companions, and give them peace.] I looked and saw that his eyes were anointed with collyrium, that his umbilical cord was cut and that he was already circumcised. Wrapped in a white shawl, he place his blessed head to the ground in prostration, raised his index finger of his blessed right hand and offered a prayer of supplication to God, Glorious and Exalted is He.

"When I bent over and listened, I heard him praying to his Lord and Creator, saying with that tiny mouth, 'I testify that there is no god but Allah and that I am Allah's Messenger. Allah is greater by far and praise is due to Allah in abundance, so Glory be to Allah, morning and evening. O Allah, my Community, my Community.'"

In another account, Safiya bint 'Abd al-Muttalib says: "When I went into the venerable Āmina's room that night, she had not yet given birth, but a light had appeared. It bathed us and the whole room in radiance. I witnessed six signs: first, he prostrated himself the moment he was born; second, he raised his baby head and said quite clearly: "lā ilāha illā-llāh wa-innī rasūlu-llāh"; third, a magnificent radiance was apparent; fourth, when I intended to wash him, a voice said to me: 'O Safiya, do not trouble yourself; we have already washed him clean; fifth, he was born already circumcised and with his umbilical cord already cut; sixth, when I was going to wrap him up, I saw that he was already wrapped in a silk cloth with a seal on his back. Inscribed on the seal were the words: "Tabahbah yā lahyay Muhammad; anta haysūrun shi'ta innaka mansūrun; lā ilāha illā-llāh; Muhammadun rasūlu-llāh" (Open wide, jaws of Muhammad; you are a lion, turn whichever way you will, you are victorious; there is no god but Allah; Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah).

"When he prostrated himself, I saw his lips moving. I held my ear to his blessed mouth and heard him praying to his lord, 'My Community, my Community.'"

# posted by abdul raheem syed ( Sufi786) : 2:13 AM  0 Comments

Birth of the Blessed Prophet (sas)

It was in the forenoon of a Monday that our Master, the noble Messenger, was born. His migration from Mecca, his arrival in Medina, his final revelation, his ascension ad the conquest of Mecca, all happened on a Monday. It was on a Monday also that he left to honor the world of eternity.

The birth of our Master, the noble Messenger(sas), occurred on the forenoon of Monday, 12^th of Rabī'u-l'Awwal, which coincided with the 20^th or 21^st of April. That is why April rains have always been blessed, refreshing and a cause of prosperity. On the eve of our Master's (sas)birth, the Ka'ba split in two. The Quraysh were terrified by this occurrence and offered many explanations of it. Some of them suggested that it was due to the fact that the venerable Āmina's father had gone to the eternal world that night. For Wahb ibn 'Abd Manāf, the maternal grandfather of the venerable Messenger, was a revered figure among the Arabs. News of his death was spreading in Mecca on the eve of the Prophet's(sas) birth.

While Quraysh were involved in these discussions, they heard a voice from inside the Ka'ba saying: "O tribe of Quraysh, the Ka'ba has not been made the cause of anyone's death. However, Muhammad ibn 'Abdullāh, the light of this world, the glory of the Hereafter, the lamp of Paradise, is about to emerge from his mother's womb. He is a most noble Messenger who will cleanse the Ka'ba, which the polytheists have polluted with their idols, false gods and blasphemous transgressions. Cleansing it of their errors and abuses, he will restore my beauty to its former radiance and fill me with the light of faith. He will make me the direction towards which men turn in prayer and his community will come from distant places to make annual pilgrimages to me, the Ka'ba." Thus, the Ka'ba itself spoke to the Quraysh who heard its voice say: "There is the honor on account of which I split in two."

On the eve of our Master's(sas) birth, Allah gave this command to His angels: "On the Morning when My beloved is born, you are to open all the gates of heaven, make Paradise beautiful, open all levels of Paradise and the gates of its eight gardens!"

That day the sun shone brighter than on other days. Its brilliant radiance lit up the entire world so that all the people on earth might rejoice in the awareness of the noble coming of the Primal Light, the venerable Muhammad Mustafā(sas).

The venerable Āmina says: "I was about to give birth to give birth to my Muhammad(sas). There was no one with me, neither man nor woman. My father-in-law, 'Abd al-Muttalib, had gone to circumambulate the Ka'ba. Something strange and fearful appeared to me. I heard a voice and was afraid, then a white bird appeared and stroked my breast. My fear departed from me. I felt no trace of pain, grief, discomfort or fear. I was given a cup of white sherbet. When I drank that sherbet my heart was filled with a splendid radiance. I had attained a blissful happiness. Then I saw a group of girls, tall willowy and extremely beautiful, who were strangers to Mecca. They were not the daughters of 'Abd Manāf, although they did resemble them. They surrounded me and as I was thinking to myself, 'there was no one in the house, where can these beings have come from,' one of them said to me: 'I am Eve, wife of the venerable Adam'; another smiled as she said: 'I am Sarah, the venerable Abraham's wife'; a third also smiled as she said: 'I am Mary, mother of the venerable Jesus'; a fourth said affectionately, 'I am Pharaoh's wife, Āsiya, who believed in the venerable Moses. The rest are houries of Paradise.' They said: 'We have come to offer our respect and praise to the noble Prophet who is about to appear.' With every moment the noise and commotion became greater and more intense, yet all fear had left me. A white silk curtain was lowered from Heaven to earth. This mighty curtain veiled me from the jinn. Birds came in flocks; their beaks were of green emerald and their wings rubies. They approached me until their beaks and wings touched my breast. It was as if they were kissing me. Then they circled around me. The Exalted One raised the veil from my eyes and showed me the whole universe. I saw the entire world, east and west. They brought three noble banners, planting one of them in the east, one in the west and the third upon the Ka'ba. I saw men in heaven. They moved through space carrying bejeweled bowls and jugs and golden vessels. At that moment, my Muhammad(sas) was easily and painlessly born. [Allah bless our Master Muhammad and Muhammad's family and companions, and give them peace.] I looked and saw that his eyes were anointed with collyrium, that his umbilical cord was cut and that he was already circumcised. Wrapped in a white shawl, he place his blessed head to the ground in prostration, raised his index finger of his blessed right hand and offered a prayer of supplication to God, Glorious and Exalted is He.

"When I bent over and listened, I heard him praying to his Lord and Creator, saying with that tiny mouth, 'I testify that there is no god but Allah and that I am Allah's Messenger. Allah is greater by far and praise is due to Allah in abundance, so Glory be to Allah, morning and evening. O Allah, my Community, my Community.'"

In another account, Safiya bint 'Abd al-Muttalib says: "When I went into the venerable Āmina's room that night, she had not yet given birth, but a light had appeared. It bathed us and the whole room in radiance. I witnessed six signs: first, he prostrated himself the moment he was born; second, he raised his baby head and said quite clearly: "lā ilāha illā-llāh wa-innī rasūlu-llāh"; third, a magnificent radiance was apparent; fourth, when I intended to wash him, a voice said to me: 'O Safiya, do not trouble yourself; we have already washed him clean; fifth, he was born already circumcised and with his umbilical cord already cut; sixth, when I was going to wrap him up, I saw that he was already wrapped in a silk cloth with a seal on his back. Inscribed on the seal were the words: "Tabahbah yā lahyay Muhammad; anta haysūrun shi'ta innaka mansūrun; lā ilāha illā-llāh; Muhammadun rasūlu-llāh" (Open wide, jaws of Muhammad; you are a lion, turn whichever way you will, you are victorious; there is no god but Allah; Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah).

"When he prostrated himself, I saw his lips moving. I held my ear to his blessed mouth and heard him praying to his lord, 'My Community, my Community.'"

# posted by abdul raheem syed ( Sufi786) : 2:10 AM  0 Comments

Desire for God

All the hopes, desires, loves, and affections that people have for different things — fathers, mothers, friends, heavens, the earth, gardens, palaces, sciences, works, food, drink — the saint knows that these are desires for God and all those things are veils. When men leave this world and see the King without these veils, then they will know that all were veils and coverings, that the object of their desire was in reality that One Thing… They will see all things face to face.

Mawlana Jalaluddin Rumi

# posted by abdul raheem syed ( Sufi786) : 3:06 PM  0 Comments

I wonder how a person can be happy, who is certain of death.

I wonder at a person who is certain of reckoning (the day of judgment), but still accumulates wealth.

I wonder at a person who is certain of going into the grave, but still smiles without concern.

I wonder at a person who is certain of this world?s doom, but still has tranquility in loving this world.

I wonder at a person who is certain of the hereafter and its bounties but he still rests.

I wonder at a person who is knowledgeable in his speech, and ignorant in his heart.

I wonder at a person who cleans him/herself with water, but does not cleanse his heart.

I wonder at people who look for bad points in others, but is unaware of the same in themselves.

I wonder at a person who knows that almighty Allah is aware of his actions, but still commits sins.

I wonder at a person who preaches to the people, but does not preach to his own soul.

I wonder at a person who knows that he/she will die alone, go into the grave alone, give accounts alone, but is still totally engrossed with people who will not be able to help him/her.

Allah says: there is no god but me. thus Muhammed (saw) is my servant and my messenger.

# posted by abdul raheem syed ( Sufi786) : 4:48 AM  0 Comments

I wonder how a person can be happy, who is certain of death.

I wonder at a person who is certain of reckoning (the day of judgment), but still accumulates wealth.

I wonder at a person who is certain of going into the grave, but still smiles without concern.

I wonder at a person who is certain of this world?s doom, but still has tranquility in loving this world.

I wonder at a person who is certain of the hereafter and its bounties but he still rests.

I wonder at a person who is knowledgeable in his speech, and ignorant in his heart.

I wonder at a person who cleans him/herself with water, but does not cleanse his heart.

I wonder at people who look for bad points in others, but is unaware of the same in themselves.

I wonder at a person who knows that almighty Allah is aware of his actions, but still commits sins.

I wonder at a person who preaches to the people, but does not preach to his own soul.

I wonder at a person who knows that he/she will die alone, go into the grave alone, give accounts alone, but is still totally engrossed with people who will not be able to help him/her.

Allah says: there is no god but me. thus Muhammed (saw) is my servant and my messenger.

# posted by abdul raheem syed ( Sufi786) : 4:45 AM  0 Comments

My essence witnesses my being that there is no God but me alone, without any partner and muhammad (saw) is my servant and messenger.

a person who is not happy with my orders, not patient with my afflictions, not thankful for my bounties, not content with my gifts, then he should look for another lord other than me and he should get out of my universe.

a person who does not get what he wants in this world and becomes sad by it, is as if he is angry with me.

a person who complains to another of calamities which has befallen upon him is as if he has complained about me.

a person who goes to a rich person and humiliates himself because of his wealth, one-third of his faith is lost.

a person who hits himself in front of a dead body is as if he has taken a sword to fight with me and he has ruined ka?ba with his hands.

a person who does not care about what he eats (whether halal or haram), i will not care from which door i will make him enter hell.

a person who is not trying to improve faith (by doing good deeds) is in loss. the one who is in loss; death is better for him.

# posted by abdul raheem syed ( Sufi786) : 4:41 AM  0 Comments

Why we worship Allah ?

Friday Khutbah (5th March 2005) delivered by Shaykh Muhammad Taher

Today’s khutba is about why we worship Allah. The Sheikh mentioned five points:

• The Impact upon Allah of our worship or failure to worship Him
• The Effect of worshiping Allah on our hearts and souls
• How worship is an Investment for the life to come
• The Logical right of a Creator to merit worship by His Creation
• The Return upon fulfilling Allah’s right to be worshiped
  

To proceed, …

A question which may cross the mind of any Muslim, is ‘why do we worship Allah (swt)? Why has Allah made worshiping and obeying Him obligatory upon us, when He is utterly exalted above needing our prayers, our Zakat, and all of our actions? What is the aim in obliging us to worship Him? Does any benefit return to Him from our worshiping Him, or from our piety before Him, or from our submitting to His orders and prohibitions?

Or does the benefit return to us? If so, what is the reality of this benefit? Or is the aim simply that Allah commands and our obligation is to obey Him?

The answer to all of these questions is that Allah does not benefit from the worship of he who worships Him, nor is Allah injured by the deviation of he who turns away from the way of Allah and His obedience, and follows his own wants. And this is the first point – that there is no impact upon Allah if we do or do not worship Him.

The Holy Qur’an alerted us when it mentioned Prophet Suleiman, who said:

“This is by the Grace of my Lord, to test if I am grateful or ungrateful! And whosoever is grateful, it is only for the good of his own self, and whosoever is ungrateful, indeed Allah is All-Sufficient, and Bountiful”. (Surah Al-Naml, 40)

Allah the Exalted says: “O mankind! It is you who stand in need of Allah. As for Allah, He is All-Sufficient, and Glorious”.

In a Hadith Qudsi, Allah says:

‘O my servants, you could never attain my harm and so harm me, nor attain gain my benefit and so benefit me. O my servants, if the first and last of mankind and the jinn were as pious as the most pious of you, it would not increase my Kingdom anything. O my servants, if the first and the last of mankind and the jinn were as evil as the most evil of you, it would not decrease my Kingdom anything. O my servants, if the first and last of mankind and the jinn stood together in one place and asked of me, and I were to give to each of you his desire, it would not decrease what I have, any more than the sea is decreased when a needle is dipped into it. O my servants, it is nothing but your needs that I reckon for you and recompense you for, so let he who finds good praise Allah, and he who finds other than it, he has no one to blame but himself.’ (Narrated by Muslim).

2. Effect of worshipping Allah on our hearts and souls

So why, with this All-Sufficiency, did Allah the Exalted charge us with His worship and obedience?

O Muslim!

If you knew the effect of worship upon you, and the benefit for you in this, you would be certain that you are the sole beneficiary. If your heart could know the taste of worship, and your soul savour its aroma, you would know that you take a joyous blessing that nothing of the life of this world could surpass. Unfortunately there are few in this day and age that do appreciate the effect that their obedience and worship of Allah has on their hearts and souls! Few who savour the sweetness of intimacy and nearness to Allah the Exalted!

This is because people are busy with the life of this world, and their hearts are filled with the love of this world and its comforts and pleasures!

So how can these wonderful meanings and effects - that the pious Believers who came before us knew - find their way to our hearts and souls?

O Muslim! Worship is sustenance for your soul! For a human being is not only a body searching for the fruits of the earth. Your reality is that you have been honored above the rest of the earth by the soul that Allah the Exalted breathed into your body. This soul finds its life and its purity by Allah’s deliverance, the Mighty, the Sublime; by the worship of Allah. For worship is what gives the soul its sustenance and growth. For you are composed of interlinked traits: instincts and wants, intellect and desire, body and soul.

If your heart were to become covered by the effects of heedlessness, and the corrosion of rebellion and doubt, and then you were to be afflicted by trials and hardships, you would cleanse this corrosion, and renew the true meaning of your worship. You would see your heart calling out ‘O Allah! My Lord!’ So swiftly can a person return to their Lord, and implore Him, and prostrate before Him. “Misguidance is that which you call upon besides Him.” “Call upon Allah, sincere to Him in worship.”

3. Investment for the life to come

O Muslim!

The life which you lead, whether it is short or long, is not the goal, nor with this life is your end. It is nothing but a stage of a journey to another world, to the life that is without end. We were created for eternity, and we are only traveling from one world to another, from the transitory world to the world of permanence.

‘And life is nothing but a journey, which leads us From the abode of the temporal to the abode of the unending.’

Allah says ‘’Indeed, the home of the Hereafter, that is the True Life, if only they knew.’ (Surah Al-‘Ankabut)

Nothing will aid you in the next life except your worship and obedience to Allah in this life. You are working to earn for tomorrow, sowing your seed that you may reap it tomorrow, and all that you do now you will be recompensed for it tomorrow. So take from your worldly life for your hereafter.

4. Logical right of a Creator to merit worship by His Creation

O Muslim! Above all of the previously mentioned points concerning why we worship Allah is that worship is the right of Allah over His bondsmen. For it is related from Mu’adh bin Jabal:

‘I was following the Prophet (SAW) on a donkey, and he said to me ‘Ya Mu’adh, do you know Allah’s right over His bondsmen?’ I said ‘Allah and His Messenger know best.’ He said, ‘Allah’s right upon His bondsmen is that they worship Him and not associate any partner with Him.’

O mankind, you were once non-existent, and then you were created. Out of the darkness of oblivion you entered the light of being. You were created as a human being, honoured and in the best of forms, shaped in the best of images. He taught you speech, gave you intellect, the power to choose and subdued the remainder of creation for you so that you could work and live in it. And the earth was made for you a bedspread out. And the sky a firm ceiling. And the sun a lamp, spreading out light and heat. And the moon a light. And the seas, for ships to run with your provisions, and the pure water which falls from the sky for you to drink, water your plants and livestock……

Do you see who has done all of this for you? As for us, we have not created ourselves or even created an atom of what is around us. So who is the possessor of omnipotent knowledge, and extensive wisdom, and supreme power, and unshakable will? Who was it who meticulously designed the universe and arranged it with wisdom and excellence? The one who created the human and beautified his creation, and subdued for him all that is in the heavens and the earth, and showered blessings upon him, outwardly and inwardly.

It was Allah - our natural inclinations bear witness to His Lordship, and the enlightened intellects have testified to His Existence, Perfection, and Oneness.

So it is not strange that this Gracious Creator ‘who perfected every thing in His creation’ should merit our worship, our supplication, our standing before Him in humility and submission, and that He deserves to be remembered and thanked. It is not unusual that Allah should have over us the right of worship solely for His sake; rather it would be unusual and blameworthy if the matter were any other way. If we were to worship other than Allah, and deliver a right to other than its rightful recipient, or that we should imagine ourselves free and independent of Allah and so forsake His worship: this would be truly reprehensible.

5. The Return upon fulfilling Allah’s right to be worshipped

O Muslims!

And so what is our right over Allah, the Exalted if we worship Him and undertake our obligations to Him? The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said to Mu’adh:

‘And do you know the right of Allah’s bondsmen over [Allah] if they do (worship Him and refrain from associating partners with Him)? Mu’adh said ‘Allah and His Messenger know best.’ He replied: ‘Not to punish them’. Narrated by Bukhari and Muslim, and in another narration ‘to enter them into Paradise).

O Allah, we ask for Your Pleasure and Your Paradise, and we seek refuge with you from your Anger and the Fire…

‘O mankind! Worship your Lord, Who created you and those before you so that you might be of the pious, Who has made the earth a resting place for you, and the sky as a canopy, and sent down water from the sky and brought forth therewith fruits as a provision for you.’ (Surah Al-Baqarah, 21-22)

O Muslims!

Let us renew the meaning of our worship for Allah, every time we prostrate and bow, every time we stand in prayer. Let us realise the magnitude of Allah’s favour upon us, upon our bodies and our families and our children, and in our lives and all that is around us. And know that you are in need of Allah, and Allah is All Sufficient, and Glorified. Allah says:

‘And I did not create the Jinn, nor Mankind except that they should worship Me. I require neither provision from them nor do I wish that they should nourish Me. Verily, Allah is the Provider, the Possessor of Power, the Mighty.’ (adh-Dhariyat 51:56-58)

O Muslims!

Teach these meanings to your sons and your daughters, let them know the blessings of Allah upon them, teach them the Love of Allah the Exalted; For He Alone is the Creator, the Provider, He alone deserves worship… Help them to worship Allah willingly, out of Love for Him.

And May the Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon His Noble Prophet, the Prophet Muhammad.

And let our last call be ‘All Praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds.’

# posted by abdul raheem syed ( Sufi786) : 7:41 AM  0 Comments

THE CREATION OF ANGELS
BY
Ala’Hazrat Azeemul-Barkat Mujaddid
Imam Ahmad Raza Khan
(Alaihe Rahma Wal Ridhwan)
Translated By:
Abu Muhammad
Abdul Haadi Al Qadri

# posted by abdul raheem syed ( Sufi786) : 6:46 AM  0 Comments