Sending Blessings upon the Prophet (Riyad al-Salihin)

Selections from Imam al-Nawawi's Riyad al-Salihin
The Book of Sending Blessings upon the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)

Allah (may He be exalted!) says,
"Verily Allah and His Angels send blessings upon the Prophet; O you who believe, send blessings upon him and grant him a greeting of peace." (33:56)

Hadith # 1397:
'Abd Allah b. 'Amr b. al-'As (may Allah be pleased with the both of them) reported that he heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) say, "Whoever sends a blessing upon me, Allah sends ten blessings upon him thereby."

Hadith # 1397
Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, "The people closest to me on the Day of Resurrection will be those who used to send blessings upon me abundantly."

Hadith # 1400
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, 'May the nose of a man in front of whom I am mentioned but who does not send blessings upon me be smeared with dust.'"

Hadith # 1403
'Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, 'The miser is the one before whom I am mentioned, but who does not send blessings upon me.'"

More RIS Pictures!

More RIS Conference Pictures!

Speakers, the bazaar, the concert, the halls!

RIS Pictures (Zaytuna)

Saturday, December 24th, 2005 - Toronto, Canada

Reviving the Islamic Spirit Convention: Shaykh Hamza addresses the topic, "Reviving the Spirit of al-Andalus."















Saturday, December 24th, 2005 - Toronto, Canada

(Right to left) Student is reunited with teacher.















Saturday, December 24th, 2005 - Toronto, Canada

Reviving the Islamic Spirit Convention: Shaykh Abdallah bin Bayyah discusses "Muslims: Caught between ignorance and extremism."
















Sunday, December 25th, 2005 - Toronto, Canada

Reviving the Islamic Spirit Convention: Evening session with Imam Zaid Shakir on "Reviving The Islamic Civilization Model."
















Monday, December 26th, 2005 - Toronto, Canada

Reviving the Islamic Spirit Knowledge Retreat: Shaykh Hamza Yusuf translates for Shaykh Abdallah bin Bayyah.

The Company One Keeps (Knowledge & Wisdom)

The Company One Keeps

Imam ‘Abdallah ibn ‘Alawi al-Haddad-may Allah bless his soul-mentioned in his kitab, al-Fusul al-’Ilmiyya wa’l-Usul al-Hikamiyya (Knowledge and Wisdom):

The company one keeps has major effects. It may lead either to benefit and improvement or to harm and corruption, depending on whether the company is that of pure and eminent people or people who are depraved and evil. This effect does not appear suddenly, but is a gradual process that unfolds with time. The Messenger of God, may blessings and peace be upon him, said, “A man will be with his companions.” And, “A man’s religion is that of his intimates, so let each of you consider who he becomes intimate with.” He also said:

A virtuous companion is like the merchant of musk. Either he will offer you some, you will buy it from him, or you will find him pleasant to smell. But an evil companion is like the bellows-blower, either he will scorch your clothes or you will receive a rotten smell from him.

If you wish to know whether those you mix and sit with increase or diminish your faith, religion, and actions, compare your state with regard to good character, praiseworthy intentions, resolution in performing acts of obedience, and goodness before and after their companionship. If you find that these acts have become stronger and more firmly established and that you have become more desirous of and interested in them, then know that this particular company is of benefit to your religion and your heart, and that if you continue with it you will gain even greater benefits and acquire many more good things, God willing. If, on the other hand, you find that your religion has grown weaker and shakier, know that this company is harmful, that its harm to your religion and your heart is evident, and that if you continue with it it will lead to even greater harm and evil, may God protect us! You should also compare the bad points you had before and after keeping that company. This is the way to evaluate one’s position vis-a-vis those with whom one mixes and takes for one’s companions. The decisive factor here is whether good or evil is more powerful and predominant. When goodness in that company is more powerful and predominant, then a wicked man who mixes with them may become attracted to goodness and its people; whereas when wickedness prevails and dominates, then it is to be feared that the good people who keep such company may become attracted to wickedness and its people.

These are subtle concepts known to people possessed of discernment and who have experience in such matters. [The Prophet] said, may blessings and peace be upon him, ” A good companion is better that solitude, and solitude is better than a wicked companion.” [The Prophet], may blessings and peace be upon him, was given a comprehensiveness of expression that no other man, whether of ancient or of recent times, was ever given.

The Lion and the Fly (Spiritual Tendencies)

The Lion and the Fly

Shaykh Ibn Atā’allāh al-Iskandarī—may Allāh bless his soul—said:

The person who pays too much attention to the life of this world while neglecting to prepare for the life to come is like a man being attacked by a lion. Imagine that the lion is poised to pounce upon him when a fly suddenly lands on his nose. If the man stopped to swat the fly instead of fending off the lion, wouldn’t he be an idiot? He must have lost his sense of reason! If he had a grain of reasoning power, he would certainly pay attention to the imminent onslaught of the lion with its deadly pounce while ignoring the disturbance of a mere fly. If people grow preoccupied with their lives in this world and neglect to prepare for the life to come, it proves that they, too, are idiots. If they had any understanding, insight and reasoning power, they would get ready for the upcoming life after death. That is their ultimate responsibility. For this they will each be held accountable. They should hardly be preoccupied with matters of material provision. Concern for material goods in comparison to concern for spiritual health is like the taking care of the annoying fly instead of the impending pounce of the deadly lion. Idiot!

A Parable: The Straying Servant (Heart of Water)

A Parable: The Straying Servant

...The following is from Ibn' Ata' Allah Al-Iskandari's Kitab al-Tanwir fi Isqat al-Tadbir; known in the English language as The Book of Illumination....Open your hearts and read:

The Straying Servant

A person who is concerned for himself is like a servant whose master has dispatched him on a mission. The master has sent him to some land that the master owns in order to procure some cloth there for him. When the servant arrives in that place, he begins to say to himself, "Where will I reside? Whom will I marry?" He gets preoccupied with these questions, expending all his energy on anxiety about these concerns until he is delinquent in executing the commands for which his master had sent him. When his master calls on him, his reward from the master will be that the master cuts him off and seperates himself from the servant, since he was totally preoccupied by his own affairs rather than observing the perogatives and rights of his master.

So it is with you my fellow believer. The true One has dispatched you to this world and commanded you to serve in it faithfully, and has undertaken to support and sustain your existence contingent on your service. If you beome engrossed in worrying about your own concerns for yourself and neglect the rights held over you by your master, then you have turned aside from the path of right guidance and slid down the low road to ruin.

Allah Bless Him & Grant Him Peace

Tha'labi writes,

"He brought his community from darkness to light, and afforded shadow for them when the sun was burning bright; Muhammad, God's messenger and closest friend, His prime choice among His creatures, the best one ever created by God and His proof on His earth; he, guiding to His truth and alerting to His wisdom and calling to His guidance; he, whose birth was blessed and whose arrival was fortunate; radiant is his morning light and glowing his lamp at night; he, whose wars are victorious and whose sermons glorious, ..."

- Taken from page 181 of Annemarie Schimmel's And Muhammad is His Messenger: The Veneration of the Prophet in Islamic Piety

Al-Haqq: The Truth

Al-Haqq: The Truth

"And they shall know that Allah is the manifest Truth." (Qur'an 24:25)

Allah is the only Reality, so manifest, so high and so great. "He is the Truth, and what they invoke apart from Him--that is the false." (Qur'an 31:30)

He is the only True God and thus has every right to be worshipped. All other beings set up as deities are but shadows. "That then is Allah, your Lord, the True; what is there, after truth, but error? How then can you turn away from Him?" (Qur'an 10:32).

All His doings testify to this attribute: "It is He who created the heavens and the earth in truth" (Qur'an 6:73). We see in what true and perfect proportions all creation is held together.

He helps us find the truth. "Say: 'Allah--He guides to the truth,'" (Qur'an 10:35) and "Allah has sent down the Book with the truth." (Qur'an 2:176)

If people were to have a say in the running of the universe, its whole order would collapse. "Had the truth followed their caprices, the heavens and the earth and whoever dwelt therein would surely have been corrupted." (Qur'an 10:71)

The Prophet, peace be upon him, used to glorify his Lord, saying: "You are the Truth, Your saying is the truth, Your promise is the truth, Paradise is true, Fire is true, the Hour is true, the Prophets are true, and Muhammad is true." (Al-Bukhari)

Honest partners have a third partner in Allah.

- Taken from The Most Beautiful Names of Allah

The Content of Character - Shaykh Hamza Yusuf

The Content of Character - Translated by Shaykh Hamza Yusuf

The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Islam is clean, so cleanse yourselves, for only the cleansed shall enter Paradise." At-Tabarani

The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "The characteristics of a hypocrite are three: when he speaks, he lies; when he gives his word, he breaks it; and when he is given a trust, he is unfaithful." Al-Bukhari and Muslim

The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Consideration is from God, and haste is from the devil." Al-Bayhaqi

The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Keep God in mind wherever you are; follow a wrong with a right that offsets it; and treat people courteously." At-Tirmidhi

These are the first 4 sayings of 130. The book also includes a useful note by Shaykh Hamza Yusuf about hadith and a section dedicated to biographies of the narrators. I picked this book up at the RIS Conference this weekend...it's beautiful...I can't put it down...I *highly* recommend it!

Links & Blogs Updated

Assalamu'alaykum wa Rahmatullah,

Just updated my Links and Blogs...check them out :)

Wassalam,
Salikah

Mulla Nasruddin on a Husband & Wife from Heaven

Mulla Nasruddin on a husband and wife from heaven

One day, Mulla Nasruddin looked at his wife and said, “Do you know that both you and I are from the people of Paradise?”

His wife was confused by this sudden statement and asked, “How come?”

Mulla Nasruddin replied, “Well, when I look at you and how ugly Allah has made you, I’m patient… and the patient are people of Paradise.

“Likewise, when you look at me and how handsome Allah has made me, you’re thankful… and the thankful are people of Paradise…”

[from a short (serious) work by Mufti Rafi Usmani]

- Found via Seeker's Digest -- Shaykh Faraz, keep the Mulla Nasruddin posts coming, please...!

Lying

The Noble Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) was asked: "Can a believer be a coward?" The Prophet said: "Yes." He was then asked: "Can a believer be a miser?" He replied: "Yes." And finally, he was asked: 'Can a believer be a liar?" The Prophet said: "No." (Al-Muwatta, Volume 56, Hadith 19)

He (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Maintain truthfulness, for truthfulness leads to righteousness, and righteousness leads to Heaven. A man continues to maintain truthfulness until he is recorded in Allah’s book as truthful. Refrain from lying, because lying leads to blatant evil, and evil leads to the fire. A man continues to lie until he is recorded in Allah’s book as a liar" (Related by Al-Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawood and Al-Tirmithi).

The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) also said, "Honesty descended from the Heavens and settled in the roots of the hearts of men (faithful believers), and then the Quran was revealed and the people read the Quran, (and learnt it from it) and also learnt it from the Sunna." (See Hadith No. 208)

and “Lying is not good, whether in seriousness or joking.” (Related by al-Bayhaqiyy.)

and, he also said, “Do not ever lie, because lying leads to very abhorrent sins, and those in turn lead to Hellfire. One keeps on lying and seeks to do that until one is recorded as a liar in some books of Allah.” (Narrated by Ibn Majah.)

Temptation...

O people! What evil temptation lured you away from your Lord, who created you, proportioned you, and endowed you with an upright form? He molded you into whatever form He willed; yet you deny the Day of Judgment. Behold, there are watchers guarding over you, noble guardians, who record all that you say and are aware of all that you do. Verily the righteous shall dwell in delight, the wicked burn in Hell. (Qur'an 18: 6-14)

Once a powerful man of Basra detected the beautiful wife of the gardener as he strolled in the courtyard. Overcome by lust, he sent the gardener on an errand and ordered his wife to lock all the gates.
"I already have," she replied, "but one gate I cannot."
"And which one is that?" he asked furiously.
"The gate which lies between the two of us and Allah." Shaken by the answer, the man instantly pleaded with God for mercy.

- Al-Hujwiri, The Kashf al-Mahjub, p. 13
(Found in The Bounty of Allah, p. 367)

How Did You Spend Your Life...?

What did you accomplish in your life? How did you consume your sustenance and strength? Where did you lose the luster of your eyes? Where did you lose all the five senses? I gave you bounty. Where is your gratitude? I gave you capital. Come show me the interest.

Rumi, Mathnawi, 3:2150-51, 2164-65
(Found in The Bounty of Allah, p. 366)

One's Name...

Good name in man and woman, dear my lord,
Is the immediate jewel of their souls:
Who steals my purse steals trash; 'tis something, nothing;
'Twas mine, 'tis his, and has been slave to thousands;
But he that filches from me my good name
Robs me of that which not enriches him
And makes me poor indeed.

Iago to Othello in Shakespeare's Othello (Act III, scene iii, 156-162)

O Allah, I Seek Your Forgiveness...

O Allah, I seek Your forgiveness for every sin that diverted me from the way to which You had guided me; or from doing what you had commanded me and avoiding what You had forbidden me; or from doing anything to which You had directed me, in which there would have been for me prosperity and attainment of Your pleasure, Your love, and Your nearness. [Amin.]

Du'a #11 from Prayers for Forgiveness by Hasan al-Basri, translated by Sh. Abdur-Rahman ibn Yusuf

The Basis of Inner Peace or Peace of Heart

The Basis of Inner Peace or Peace of Heart (SunniPath)

Taken from Qur'anic Psychiatry By Shaykh Syed Mubarak Ali al-Jilani al-Qadiri

"Know that in the thikr of Allah (also following the guidance in the Holy Qur'an) lies the peace of quloob (heart)."

In this ayaat the Creator of the physical and non-physical bodies, Allah Ta'ala, has declared the very basis of the immutable law governing a person's health.

Therefore, the very structure of spiritual health rests on "peace of heart." If this does not exist many psychological disorders, such as nervousness leading to neurosis, and other similar disorders will develop...[read more...]

Mozilla Search Plugin for SunniPath

Mozilla Search Plugin for SunniPath

I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve quickly wanted to find what SunniPath has to say on a certain topic, so I made a Mozilla search plugin for SunniPath (also available on Mycroft). Now you have no excuse not to look up that question that’s been bugging you. Oh, and please let me know if it stops working (it seems the SunniPath site is always changing).

Relevant Firefox Hotkeys:

• To focus the search bar: Ctrl+K
• To navigate search plugins once focused: Ctrl+Up and Ctrl+Down.

Found via Seeker's Digest

Desert Roads (Guidance Media)

Desert Roads
By Mustafa Shaheed Davis

We stopped at a street side store to buy milk, vegetables and some dried meat. I swore the meat was alive until I realized that it was just the flies that had occupied its entire surface. I was definitely no longer in California. To the right was a young boy, I’d say he was about 7 years old with a lesion on his head and a blood saturated dirty bandage that was barely fixed to his wound. Flies crawled in and out of his nose and mouth and he made no attempt to wipe them away. He just sat there, almost lifeless and stared at me with his head hung low. His gaze pierced my very soul. The boy kept his eyes fixed on me as we drove away, never blinking once and never changing his expression. I can remember his face as if it was yesterday, and when I experience any type of tribulation, I remember him… the little boy who taught me a lifetime of lessons with just one glance. [Read More...]

Excellent Resources: Readers on the Deen

Some Excellent Resources from SunniPath

A Reader on Islamic Spirituality (Sufism)

A Reader on the Fiqh of Hajj

The Fiqh of Fasting...Hanafi FAQ

A Reader on Traditional Islam (looking for the original link!)

An Exposition of the Signs of Good Character (Traditionalist)

An Exposition of the Signs of Good Character (Traditionalist)

Know that every man is [at first] ignorant of the faults which lie in his soul. When he comes to struggle with it, even in the least degree, until he has abandoned the grosser transgressions, he may think to himself that he has refined his soul and made good his character, and may now dispense with any further struggle. It is therefore essential to explain what are the signs of good character, since good character is equivalent to faith, and bad character to hypocrisy, God (Exalted is He!) has in His Book made mention of the traits which characterise believers and hypocrites, which are all the fruits of good or bad character. We shall now set forth some of the texts so that you may come to know the sign by which good character is to be recognised… [read more]

Originally from Red Sulphur

Looking for the Perfect Woman… a Mulla Nasruddin Tale (Seeker's Digest)

Looking for the Perfect Woman… a Mulla Nasruddin Tale

One afternoon, Nasruddin and his friend were sitting in a cafe, drinking tea and talking about life and love. His friend asked: “How come you never married?”

“Well,” said Nasruddin, “to tell you the truth, I spent my youth looking for the perfect woman. In Cairo I met a beautiful and intelligent woman, but she was unkind. Then in Baghdad, I met a woman who was a wonderful and generous soul, but we had no common interests. One woman after another would seem just right, but there would always be something missing. Then, one day, I met her. Beautiful, intelligent, generous and kind. We had very much in common. In fact, she was perfect!”

“What happened?” asked Nasruddin’s friend, “Why didn’t you marry her?”

Nasruddin sipped his tea reflectively. “Well,” he replied, “it’s really the sad story of my life…. It seemed she was looking for the perfect man…

Source: Arabesque Rhapsody

A poem by Mother Theresa

A poem by Mother Theresa

This poem was written by Mother Teresa and is engraved on the wall of her home for children in Calcutta.

People are often unreasonable, illogical, & self-centered; Forgive them
anyway.

If you are kind, People may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives; Be
kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true
enemies; Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you; Be honest and frank
anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight: Build
anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous; Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow; Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough; Give the world
the best you've got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God; It was never
between you and them anyway.

Source unknown and unverified.

It's been a year...

Assalamu'alaykum wa Rahmatullah wa Barakatuhu,
May God's Peace, Mercy, and Blessings be upon you,

In the hustle and bustle of life in this world, I totally forgot that December 1st was the one year anniversary of my blog. So...

Happy Anniversary!

May Allah bless all those who have dropped by since I begun this humble endeavour at sharing things I have found to be of benefit to me as I travel the path to Allah Most High.

Please pray for me, that Allah grant me tawfiq (success) in being a true servant to Him, that I never do anything that displeases Him, that He forever guide me and protect me from disbelief, sin, and all reprehensible things. Pray that He ease my difficulties, put barakah (blessings) in my time and work, bless my family and loved ones, accept our efforts and supplications, and grant us all good.

And may He grant you the same.

Wassalam,
Salikah

Reviving the Islamic Spirit 2005

Reviving the Islamic Spirit (website)

And that is the secret to this world. If you remove love of dunya from your heart, the dunya is yours for the taking.You can have the dunya because it's in your hand, and not in your heart.
- Shaykh Hamza Yusuf, RIS 2004

RIS 2005 Trailer

Check out the SunniPath table in the Grand Souk while you're there.

The Sun and the Wind (Heart of Water)

A new blog from one the reader's here seems to be off on a good foot, masha'Allah. Brother Liam posted the following parable from Shaykh Nuh Keller -- I have also heard him tell it in so many words...enjoy:

The Sun and the Wind

The following was a story told by Sheikh Nuh during one of his darses in America. I'm not sure where it originated and I'm using my own words in telling it. So please bear with me if my wording isn't all that great:

Long ago, the wind and the sun decided to have a challenge to see who was more powerful. So they looked to the earth and saw a man wrapped in a cloak walking along a path and felt that this man would make a good example as to who was the more powerful of the two. They decided to see who could get the man to remove his cloak first.

The wind decided to go first and tried to blow the man's cloak off of him. When it wouldn't come off, he blew harder and harder with all his might and could not get the cloak off the man. In fact, the man only drew the cloak tighter and tighter to his body. When the wind exhausted all of his might, there the man sat with his claok wrapped tightly around him still.

So the sun took it's turn and just shined on the man with no effort...just a nice warm glow. After time, the man began to loosen his grip on the cloak. Then after a while longer, he began to sweat. And finally after some waiting and some patience from the sun, the man finally removed his cloak thus declaring the sun the winner.

The moral here is that when dealing with people (in dawah or otherwise), approaching them with harshness will only cause them to draw furthur away from you and make them more tight-lipped. The key is to have sabr and give the charity that all can give whether rich or poor...a smile. Then people will be more open with you and share what is in their hearts, thus causing you to be able to know the real; the only thing worth truly knowing in any of us.

May Allah guide us all.

Traditionalist

Assalamu'alaykum wa Rahmatullah,

Shaykh Faraz Rabbani has a new alternative Blog called "Traditionalist: Traditional Islamic Answers and Guidance".

Check it out.

Wassalam,
Salikah

Make a Prayer (Sami Yusuf)

Make A Prayer - Sami Yusuf

O people
In a hut made of tin and clay
A small boy dreams away
Of clean water and a meal a day
And not to fear mines as he plays each day

O people
Somewhere dark and out of the way
Aids has found yet another prey
To save his life he just couldn’t pay
Tell me what we’re going to do

For our brothers in Durban
For our sisters in Darfur
Show me what we’re going to do
Are we just going to sit there?
Nice and cosy on our armchairs
Will we not even make a prayer?

You might ask yourself
Why should I help these people?
They’ll tell you why
We’re not so different from you
We have dreams just like you
But they were buried with the
bodies of our loved ones

O people
Are we deaf, dumb, and blind?
What is going through our minds?
Don’t we care for the rest of mankind?

O people
We claim to love peace and justice
Why do we preach what we don’t practice?
Let’s help them out of this darkness

Tell me what we’re going to do
For our brothers in Ethiopia
For our sisters in Rwanda
Show me what we’re going to do
Are we just going to sit there?
Nice and cosy on our armchairs
Will we not even make a prayer?

lyrics: Sami Yusuf & Bara Kherigi
composition: Sami Yusuf
© 2005 Awakening

Rumi: Love

THE SHIP SUNK IN LOVE
Mawlana Rumi

Should Love's heart rejoice unless I burn?
For my heart is Love's dwelling.
If You will burn Your house, burn it, Love!
Who will say, 'It's not allowed'?
Burn this house thoroughly!
The lover's house improves with fire.
From now on I will make burning my aim,
From now on I will make burning my aim,
for I am like the candle: burning only makes me brighter.
Abandon sleep tonight; traverse fro one night
the region of the sleepless.
Look upon these lovers who have become distraught
and like moths have died in union with the One Beloved.
Look upon this ship of God's creatures
and see how it is sunk in Love.

Mathnawi VI, 617-623
The Rumi Collection, Edited by Kabir Helminski

Love is the Water of Life
Mawlana Rumi

A lifetime without Love is of no account
Love is the Water of Life
Drink it down with heart and soul!

Divan-i-Shams 11909

(found via SunniPath)

Mawlana also said that "all love, but His Love, are pain".

Al-Wakil: The Trustee

Al-Wakil: The Trustee

"Allah suffices as a Disposer [of affairs]." (Qur'an 4:81)

Allah is All-good and All-powerful; all our affairs are best entrusted in His care, for He is the best Guardian of all interests; He is free of all the shortcomings that render human beings untrustworthy. "In Allah let the believers put all their trust." (Qur'an 3:160)

Putting one's trust in Allah means that one should take all possible precautions and then leave the results in the hands of Allah, who knows the working of events better than any human mind can conceive of. "When you are resolved, put your trust in Allah; surely Allah loves those who put their trust in Him" (Qur'an 3:159).

A true believer, like the Prophets, realizes that the fruition of his efforts comes only from Allah; therefore He turns to no one else for that.

With such a Disposer of affairs to take care of him and of his well-being, the servant of Allah leads a life free of the burden of anxiety. "Allah is sufficient for us; He is an excellent Disposer [of affairs]." (Qur'an 3:173)

The Prophet, peace be upon him, recommended this prayer before sleeping: "Allahuma! I surrender myself to You; I turn my face to You; I commit my affairs to You; I rely on You, in hope and in fear of You; there is no shelter, no escape from You, except in You. I believe in Your Book that You revealed, and Your Prophet whom You sent." (Al-Bukari, Muslim).

"I desire only to set things right, so far as I am able. My succour is only with Allah; in Him I have put my trust, and to Him I turn, in repentance." (Qur'an 11:88)

- Taken from The Most Beautiful Names of Allah

Couple Relationships - Part 2 (Islamica)

Couple Relationships (Part 2) By Dr. Ibrahim Kreps

There is little doubt about it. Marriage,and couple relationships in general, are in crisis. The chance of a first marriage ending in divorce over a 40-year period is 67%. Greater than twothirds. As to second marriages, the chances go up another 10% to three-quarters. And “cohabiting”couples, an increasingly popular option in the West, are even less successful.What’s going wrong? In this second of a two-part article, Dr.Ibrahim Kreps analyzes the psychological nature of the problem and explores the Qur’anic ways of resolving relationship issues.

(Click the title to read the full text of this excellent article)

Hope in People (Spiritual Tendencies)

In a letter to his student, Shaykh Muhammad ‘Uthman al-Mirghani, Shaykh Ahmad Ibn Idris—may Allah bless their souls—wrote:

“Understand my son, that although your contemporaries appear to be flattering you, their hearts are filled with feeble intentions, which will bring no profit from God. That which God, may He be Praised and Exalted, commanded the Prophet (S) was that he should be patient only with. ‘Those who call upon their Lord at morning and evening desiring His countenance (Qur’an 6:52)’. The company of mean people who desire not the company of God and His Messenger is a deadly poison which instantly kills faith, save only that God prevents it. So try your utmost to stay away from your contemporaries since their affection (for you) is not sincerely directed towards God. May God protect you from such people.

Beware, beware. and above all beware of the conceit (al-ightirar) which may arise from the attention the people pay you and their exaltation of you, for that is a temptation and a trial. To watch their attention to you is a deadly poison and a barren lightning accompanying torrential rain. Do not be preoccupied with them and do not place your hopes in them, but turn towards your Lord with your whole self, body and soul. Indeed, there is nothing more harmful to a true faqir than his hope in people, for hope in people is a sword which cuts from God.”

Time by Zain Bhika ("Our World")

Time by Zain Bhika ("Our World")

Driving past, walking fast
To the field of dreams, hear the children screams
Every corner represents, a different image in my mind
A momentary emotion, space banked in time
In time
Memories fade like a dusty window pain
And you can't see your past no more
The only thing that remains is that feeling of warmth
In your heart that will always be there… be there
An immortal smile, stays only for a while
But down the line, it strengthens us inside
We all live the illusion of many days to come
Not realizing that tomorrow lies with Allah
The only One,
The Only One
Time goes by on the wings of a butterfly
And what goes with it is all that you have
So take the best of every moment, take the best of every man
Then move on and don't ever look back.. Don’t look back

Verily in the remembrance of Allah, do hearts find tranquility

Verily in the remembrance of Allah, do hearts find tranquility

Someone mentioned that the margins on my blog seem skewed and the posts are far down the page. I looked into this...the site's been optimized for FireFox because I'm on FireFox and quite dislike Internet Explorer since mine was hijacked by SpyWare. So if you're having the problem too (and even if you aren't), I suggest you GET FIREFOX! :)

And no, this is not paid advertisement!

I have servants among my servants who love me....

Verily, I have servants among my servants who love Me, and I love them, and they long for Me, and I long for them, and they look at Me and I look at them... And their signs are that they preserve the shade at daytime as compassionately as a herdsman preserves his sheep, and they long for sunset as the birds longs for his nest at dusk, and when the night comes and shadows become mixed and the beds are spread out and the bedsteads are put up and every lover is alone with his beloved, then they will stand on their feet and put their faces on the ground and will call Me with My word and will praise Me with My graces, half crying and half weeping, half bewildered and half complaining, sometimes standing, sometimes sitting, sometimes kneeling sometimes prostrating, and I see what they bear for My sake and I hear what they complain for My love. [Hadith Qudsi]

- Text from Thoughts and Readings
- Image from Spiritual Tendencies (Kun Ma'a Allah - Be with Allah)

The Prophet's Last Sermon

The Prophet's Last Sermon - A Reminder to us all, insha'Allah. Peace and Blessings be upon the best of creation, his family, companions, and all those who seek to follow him, until the Last Day.

O People
Lend me an attentive ear, for I know not whether after this year, I shall ever be amongst you again. Therefor listen to what I am saying to you very carefully and take these words to those who could not be present here today.

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

Allah has Judged that there shall be no interest and that all interest due to Abbas Ibn ‘Abd al Muttalib (the Prophet's uncle) shall henceforth be waived.

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

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

O People
Listen to me in earnest, worship Allah, say your five daily prayers (Salah), fast during the month of Ramadan, and give your wealth in Zakat.

Perform Hajj if you can afford to.

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

Remember one day you will appear before Allah and answer for your deeds. So beware, do not stray from the path of righteousness after I am gone. People, no prophet or apostle will come after me and no new faith will be born. Reason well therefore, O people, and understand words which I convey to you. I leave behind me two things, the Quran and the Sunnah (Hadith), and if you follow these you will never go astray. All those who listen to me shall pass on my words to others and those to others again; and may the last ones understand my words better than those who listened to me directly. Be my witness, O Allah, that I have conveyed your message to your people."

It is better to blush in this world than in the hereafter

Sister Fareena Alam from Q-News, Allah bless her, posted the following on DeenPort:

When the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him abundant peace) was dying and came for the last time to the mosque in Madinah he said to the assembled people: “If there is anyone among you whom I have caused to be flogged unjustly, here is my back. Strike in your turn. If I have damaged the reputation of any among you, let him do the same to mine. To any I may have injured, here is my purse… It is better to blush in this world than in the hereafter”. A man claimed a small debt and was promptly paid.

New Look!

In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful and Compassionate

Assalamu'alaykum wa Rahmatullah,

Alhamdulillah, the blog has a new look (it's all in the details, folks!). Brother Shaik Abdul Khafid from Spiritual Tendencies kindly offered to split my Links/Blogs up on the sidebar, and went further and changed some headers and added a beautiful still background of brown Arabic calligraphy of the Qur'anic verse "Verily in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find tranquility"...and there's a new "Islamized Blog" button.

May Allah reward him for his sincerity in helping out. Please visit his blog, use his banners, and make du'a that Allah facilitate the path for him and grant him all good. Amin.

Hope you like it as much as I do!

Wassalam,
Salikah

Red-Sulphur ...The Mega Blog

Red-Sulphur

It's arrived. The mega-blog. Three of my favourite blogs all on one site. Congratulations to Brothers Mubarak, Shaik Abdul Khafid,and Riadi on what has turned out to be a beautifully designed domain.

(Now I really must update my links section...)

On Unenlightened Feminism and Praying for Show (Mere Islam)

Mere Islam with yet another excellent post, masha'Allah. Please do check out:

On Unenlightened Feminism and Praying for Show

Advice from Shaykh Nuh Keller and Shaykh Hamza Yusuf

Advice from Shaykh Nuh Keller and Shaykh Hamza Yusuf can now be downloaded. Check it out!

Eid Mubarak!

Al-Hikam Al-'ata'iyya: The Book of Wisdom (Islamica)

Islamic Magazime continues with its "Al-Hikam Al-'ata'iyya: The Book of Wisdom" section by Shaykh Nuh Keller.

This issue deals with his explanation of:

APHORISM 4: Relieve yourself of planning: what Another has already done for you do not do yourself.

and

APHORISM 5: Your striving for what is ensured to you and neglect of what is sought from you show the blindness of your spiritual insight.

Praying for the Deceased (SunniPath)

In light of my last post, the following excerpt seems fitting:

Who can pray for the deceased? - SunniPath

Imam Ghazali mentions the following story: “Said Bashshar ibn Ghalib al-Najrani, ‘I once saw Rabi`a al-`Adawiya, the worshipper [al-`abida] in my sleep, it having been my custom to pray for her abundantly. ‘Oh Bashshar ibn Ghalib,’ she told me. ‘Your gifts come to me covered with silken cloths upon salvers of light.’ ‘How should that be?’ I asked, and she replied, ‘Thus are the prayers of the living believers: when they offer a prayer for the deceased and are granted a response, that prayer is set upon salvers of light and covered with silken cloths, after which it is brought to the one who has died with the words, ‘This is So-and-so’s gift to you.’’”

Imam Ghazali continues, ‘The Emissary of God (May God bless him and grant him peace) said, ‘The dead man in his grave is like a drowning man shouting for help, as he waits for a prayer to come to him from his father, his brother or his friend. When it comes it is more beloved to him than the world and all it contains. Indeed, the gifts of the living to the dead are prayer and the petitioning of God for His forgiveness.’ This should serve to remind us of two things. Firstly, that while we are alive and thus not as a drowning man depending on the prayers of another, we should embrace Islam in every facet of life, for in our graves we will be alone with nothing but our deeds. Secondly, we should remember to pray for our deceased ancestors, teachers, friends, martyrs, and all Muslims and pray that the same is done for us one day.

Rabi`a once said, “You are but a set of numbered days. When one day goes, a part of you goes as well. And with the disappearance of the parts, the whole is nearly lost as well.”

See the link for other related links...


Wassalam.

Dedicated to the Memory of Brother Daulat Shah, a Recital of the 30th Juz by Shaykh Ali Hani (SunniPath)

In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful and Compassionate.

We are Allah's and to Him we return.

This recording of the 30^th Part of the Qur'an, recited by Shaykh Ali Hani, is dedicated to the memory of Brother Daulat Shah, the husband of Sister Huma Shah, a key member of the SunniPath Team.

May Allah Most High grant Brother Daulat the highest of Paradise, and grant his family and loved one's patience and strength in dealing with this loss.

And Allah alone gives success, and to Him belongs all praise.

AHM: Spiritual Life in Ottoman Turkey and Contentions 9 (Mas'ud Khan)

Sidi Mas'ud Khan has put up two new articles by Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad (May Allah preserve him and continue to benefit by him):

Spiritual Life in Ottoman Turkey and

Contentions 9

Some especially beautiful contentions of this new set:

• Our patience is the awaiting of delights for us. His patience is the awaiting of delights for us.
• Be a good Muslim and you won't want to lie. Be a very good Muslim and you won't need to lie.
• We have not grown out of the Shari‘a, we have shrunk out of it.
• Religion desires to change the age. The age desires to change religion.
• The reading of Scripture is sufficient; but we are not sufficient readers.
• Incarnation: the finite can contain the Infinite.
• To know the saint is to know the age.
• They are not the solution; God is the solution.
• Each gender was created only that the other might give thanks.
• We can curse, or we can be discursive.
• A man who would marry a feminist is not worth obeying.
• Praying through someone is not praying to someone. Praying because someone is praying is praying to someone.
• Your property belongs to you if you belong to God. If you belong to Satan you belong to your property.
• Hear, O Israel, the Lord thy God is not Israel.
• The cause of modern panic is non-referentiality.
• ‘Progress and catastrophe are two sides of the same coin'. (Hannah Arendt)
• Fun is serious.
• The Alone wishes to save us from loneliness. ‘Come to the prayer!'
• Those that are wedded to the science of this generation may be orphaned in the next.
• Islam liberates because it is rooted in our natures.
• Which is the bigger prison: Islam in the eyes of modernity, or modernity in the eyes of Islam?

Subhan'Allah, Shaykh Murad is so awesome! Masha'Allah. May Allah fill his year long sabbatical in Turkey with much, much barakah and tawfiq. Amin.

Depend on Allah

Whoever remains observant of Allah shall find Allah creating for him a way out from every difficulty and providing for him from sources unimaginable. Anyone who depends on Allah shall find the Lord to be sufficient for him; for Allah's decrees decidedly come to pass. Allah has set a measure for all things. - Qur'an 65:3

He does not refuse sustenance to the one who speaks ill of Him. How then could He refuse sustenance to the one whose soul is overflowing with love for Him? - Rabi'a al-Adawiyya

Seek Forgiveness

Your Mercy, O Lord!

My people! Seek forgiveness of your Lord, and turn to Him repentant. He will cause the sky to rain abundance on you and will add to your strength. Do not go back to transgression! - Qur'an 11:52

A man went back to transgressing after he had sincerely asked forgiveness of God and swore never to sin again. "How will God forgive me this time?" he asked in despair.

A heavenly voice responded, "You obeyed Me and I made amends for you, then you abandoned Me and I indulged you, and now that you returned to Me I shall receive you." - Al-Hujwiri, Kashf al-Mahjub

Contraction and Expansion (Spiritual Tendencies)

Contraction and Expansion

Seldom is the servant free from these two states that come on us alternately as the succession of night and day, and God requires of you an attitude of servitude with respect to both....

[Click on the link to read it all]

Hanafi and Maliki Fiqh of Ramadan

I might be a little late on this, but those who don't already know, Zaytuna Institute has put up Hanafi and Maliki Fiqh of Ramadan.

Maliki Fiqh of Ramadan with Sidi Rami Nsour: Part 1 and Part 2

Hanafi Fiqh of Ramadan with Imam Tahir Anwar: Part 1 and Part 2

Shaykh Nuh Live This Saturday

On Saturday October 15th, 2005, tune into www.radioawaz.com or 107.2fm (if you're in Glasgow) between 10pm-12am (That's 5pm-7pm EST). You should be able to listen to Shaykh Nuh Ha Mim Keller's naseeha, recording LIVE in Glasgow.

Also, Sidi Mustafa Shaheed Davis from the Emirates will give an in depth look what guidance media is about.

Others shaykhs that could be on this Saturday is Imam Zaid Shakir (TBC)
and Sidi Usama Canon (outreach worker at zaytuna)(TBC).

Future Speakers Include:
Shaykh Hamza Yusuf,
Shaykh Muhammad Ninowy,
Shaykh Ahmad Ba bikir
Azhur Usman
Muhammad Shareef
Shaykh Abdullah al Kadi
and many more....

Kalam and Islam - Shaykh Nuh Keller (Islamica)

Kalam and Islam - Shaykh Nuh Keller (Islamica)

Most of us have met dedicated and otherwise intelligent Muslims who have made themselves “‘aqida police” to confront the rest of us with their issues in tenets of faith. We are told that this group, or that group, or most Muslims, or we ourselves are kafirs or “non-Muslims” on grounds that are less than familiar, but found in some manual of Islamic creed. Before going to hell on a trick question, or sending someone else there, many Muslims today would do well to cast a glance at the history of traditional Islamic theology (kalam), and the real creedal reasons that make one a Muslim or non-Muslim. Nuh Keller examines them in the following address given at the Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought in Amman, Jordan

Found via Seeker's Digest