The Days of Fitnah and Hope for the Believers, Shaykh Riyadh al Haq

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• ***The Bukhari Dars is now available via Weekly Podcast***

Debating with Proof

by Muhammad Abdullah

An intricate point explained in an easy to understand manner by our respected Shaykh [Saleem Dhorat]:

“A principle of debating that we learn from the Qur’aan is that we should inform the opposing party to bring their proofs and say to them that if we find their proofs acceptable then we are willing to accept their view. Those who have a fair mindset will thus look for the evidence and through their research will become aware of the falsehood that they are peddling.

When they won’t find the evidence then they will accept what we have to say. And because the argument will now be undertaken on the basis of proofs they will show a greater inclination to listen to what we are putting forth.”

(Courtesy of In Shaykh’s Company)

Fix a Budget

by Abu Abdullah Ibne Ismail

A simple but effective strategy aimed at increasing our profit in the hereafter:

“If we ponder upon how we spend in the path of Allah we will come to the conclusion that the majority of the time we only spend when someone asks us for a donation. If no-one was to come to collect donations from us we would probably not spend even a single penny.

The way to counter this is to seek out reliable avenues in which to spend and fix a certain percentage of our earnings to utilise as Lillah. By fixing a percentage we will make sure that we have a regular budget which we spend to acquire the pleasure of Allah.”

(Courtesy of In Shaykh’s Company)

Eradicating Racism

by Abu Abdullah Ibne Ismail

As highlighted by Shaykh [Saleem Dhorat] Islam is a blessing for one and all:

“The teachings of the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam are so comprehensive and effective that they have served to tear the barriers of racism and prejudice which unfortunately affect many societies. For example Bilal radiallahu anhu, who was a slave from Abyssinia, was granted such a lofty status after the advent of Islam that he remained the Mu’adhin of the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam throughout the Prophet’s sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam lifetime.

And it was this same Bilal who was chosen to give the Adhaan from on top of the Ka’bah on the historic occasion of the conquest of Makkah.”

(Courtesy of In Shaykh’s Company)

The Counsel of Haji Imdadullah Muhajir Makki

 

Sheikh Haji Imdadullah Muhajir was a great ascetic and scrupulous scholar. He
was a descendant of Umar (Allah be well pleased with him). Born in North
India, he migrated to Makkah after the Indian Mutiny in 1857. His counsel is
re-produced hereunder in English to benefit one and all.

Allah alone gives success.

A translation by: Sheikh Shazad Khan, As-Suffa Institute, Birmingham

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Words of Wisdom

Praise a man for a job well done, and he’ll do the next one even better.

The art of conversation lies in the ability to disagree without being disagreeable.

Of all the things you wear, your expression is the most important.

Never get mad at one who knows more than you do. It’s not his fault, but yours.

Failure is not falling down; it is remaining there when you have fallen.

 

(Courtesy of At-Talib)

Observe Purdah

by Abu Abdullah Ibne Ismail

“Brothers-in- law and sisters-in-law are non-mahram and it is necessary to observe purdah from them. Many people are neglectful of this.”

(Courtesy of In Shaykh’s Company)

See also:

• Regarding the Purdah

 

Benefit from all people

Benefit from all you come into contact with. From the good, learn what to do and from the bad, what not to do.

(Courtesy of At-Talib)

Disobedience Devastates Blessings, Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah

The illustrious scholar Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah (751 AH) authored an incredible work, al-Da’ wa al-Dawa’ (The Disease and the Cure), in which he detailed with remarkable insight the hideous consequences of sinning and disobeying Allah ta’ala. In this article a tiny segment of his discussion is presented, where he turns to the topic of blessings and how one is deprived of them as a result of acts of disobedience. The following is what he wrote:

It uproots the blessings of one’s life, sustenance, knowledge, deeds and obedience. In short, it eradicates the blessings of religion and world. You will not find the least blessing in the life, religion or world of one who disobeys Allah. It is none other than the disobedience of creation that effaces blessings from the Earth. Allah says, ‘And if the people of the towns had believed and had taqwa [piety], certainly, We would have opened for them blessings from the Heaven and the Earth’.

Allah ta’ala also says, ‘If they had adopted the right way, We would have bestowed on them water in abundance, that We might try them thereby’ [In a hadith], ‘Indeed a servant is deprived of sustenance as a result of a sin he embarks upon.’ In another hadith, ‘The Holy Spirit [i.e., Jibra’il] released into my soul, that a soul will not die until it replenishes it’s sustenance; so fear Allah and be moderate in your supplications; what is with Allah can only be attained through obedience to Him. Indeed, Allah has decreed refreshment and joy in contentment and certainty and He has decreed anxiety and grief in doubt and discontent.’ The narration mentioned by Ahmad in the chapter on ascetism [zuhd] [in his book al-Musnad] has already been cited, ‘I am Allah. If I am pleased I bestow blessings and My blessings have no limit. If I am angry I curse and my curse extends to the seventh generation.’

The expanse of sustenance and deeds is not calculated by its multitude and nor is the length of one’s age determined by the number of months and years, but the expanse of sustenance is measured by the blessing within it. It has already preceded that the age of the slave is the span of his life and that there is no life for the one who turns away from Allah and preoccupies himself with other than Him; the lives of beasts are better than his life. The life of a person is determined by the life of his heart and soul and his heart will have no life unless it knows its Maker; loves Him; worships Him alone; turns to Him in repentance; finds tranquillity in His remembrance and endearment by being near to Him. Whoever forfeits this life has lost out on all good even if he compensates it with something of the world. In fact, the world in its entirety cannot compensate for such a life. Everything the slave loses out on has a substitute but if he loses out on Allah, nothing at all can ever substitute Him. How can something that is inherently in need compensate for the One who is inherently rich; that is inherently incapable compensate for the One who is inherently able?; the dead compensate for the Ever-living who will never die?; the creation compensate for the Creator, or one who intrinsically has no existence and possessions at all compensate for One whose richness, life, perfection, generosity and mercy are essential qualities of His essence? How can one who does not own even the weight of an atom compensate for the One who possesses the dominions of the Heavens and the Earth?

The reason that disobedience of Allah eradicates the blessing of one’s sustenance and age lies in the charge of Satan with disobedience and its perpetrators. His authority is over them and he refers back to this office, its people and associates. The blessing of anything that connects and unites with Satan becomes obliterated; the mentioning of Allah’s [ta’ala] name was prescribed at times of eating, drinking, dressing, mounting and sexual relations because of the blessing associated to the name of Allah. The mention of His name expels Satan and cause blessings to materialise; nothing can challenge the name of Allah.

Anything that is not for Allah will have its blessing removed as it is the Lord alone who blesses and all blessings emanate from Him. Everything that is attributed to Him is blessed: His speech is blessed; His Messenger is blessed; His believing servant who benefits creation is blessed; His sacred house is blessed and His quiver on earth – which is Sham – is a land of blessing, Allah describes it as being blessed in six verses of His Book.

So none but He alone can bless and nothing besides what is attributed to Him is blessed, i.e., attributed to His servitude, love and pleasure since the whole universe is otherwise ascribed to His lordship and is His creation. Everything He distances from Himself be it an essence, statement or deed, does not contain any blessing or good. The closer something is to Allah determines it blessings, in direct proportion to its nearness to Him.

The direct opposite of being blessed is being cursed. The land, the person or action that Allah has cursed will be the most remote from any good or blessing. Anything that is associated and linked to it or is a route to it will contain no blessing whatsoever. Allah cursed His enemy, Iblis, and made him the furthest creation from Himself; everything that emanates from his side will hold the curse of Allah in proportion to its proximity and attachment to him. It is from this perspective that disobedience has the severest effect on effacing the blessings of one’s age, sustenance, knowledge and actions. Any period of time in which Allah is disobeyed, any wealth, body, status, knowledge and action Allah is disobeyed with, will count against the doer and not for him. The only life, wealth, strength, status, knowledge and action he really possesses is that with which Allah is obeyed.

This is why there are among people, those who live in this abode for a hundred years or so but their real age does not reach twenty or so.

Likewise, one may own a tremendous amount of gold and silver but his actual wealth does not extend to a thousand dirham’s or so. The case is the same for knowledge and status. It is related in At-Tirmidhi from the Prophet, ‘The world is cursed; everything in it is cursed except the remembrance of Allah and whatever ensues from it or a scholar and a student.’ In another narration, ‘The world is cursed; everything in it is cursed except that which is for Allah.’ This is what contains blessing specifically and Allah is the One Who is sought for help and upon Him we rely. (End of passage)

al-Da’ wa al-Dawa’ (The Disease and the Cure) , Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah

Ibn al-Qayyim and scholars of his calibre possessed the grace and favour of Allah to clearly see the effects of sins as they really are; we should ask Allah to condition ourselves to attain this clarity of sight and insight to see things for what they truly are. When we do not achieve the results we work for or miss out on the blessings we hope for, our first point of call should be to examine our own shortcomings and sins and to make amends.

Farid Haibatan

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Notes:

1. Al-A’raf 7:96
2. Al-Jinn 72:16-17

(Courtesy of islam21c.com)

Hijab and Niqab, Shaykh Haytham al Haddad

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

See also:

• Regarding the Purdah

• Hijab and Modesty

• Muslim women wearing headscarfs–Give me a break! (contains some explicit language)

• Hijaab! Hijaab! Hijaab!