Bismillah.AsSalamu'alaykum wa Rahmatullah wa Barakatuhu,The past three weeks we have been blessed in Toronto with the luminous company of our noble teacher, Shaykh Abdallah al-Haddad of Fez. Prior to his arrival, a dear sister of mine said "get ready to fall in love!" Shaykh came and enveloped us with his love and mercy, and a man we little knew before his arrival has become over the course of a few weeks the most beloved to our hearts. Indeed, we fell in love with his loving smile, his sweet words, his care and concern. Seeing one of our elders, a wali of Allah, a descendant of the Noblest Messenger Sayyidina Muhammad (salla Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam), a Shaykh, a manfull of humility, give of his time and self completely to the fuqara',has been inspirational.As he parts us to make hajj before returning home to his family in Fez, we thank Allah for having blessed us with his company and we pray that Allah bless his every moment, make easy his hajj and travels, return him safely to his family, grant him ease, and unite us once more.Below are some notes I took at the Sunday night dars with Shaykh, where he spoke of the signs of Allah's love upon one.May Allah love and bless you all. Please pray for Shaykh and those left saddened by his departure.Wassalam,SalikahSigns of the love of Allah upon one:
Hadith:"I declare war upon anyone who shows enmity towards My friends.... My servant continues to draw close to Me through supererogatory works until I love him. And when I love him, I am his hearing through which he hears, his eyes through which he sees, and his foot upon which he walks."Three things have been hidden in three:1) Allah's dispeasure is hidden in disobedience of Him.
- Therefore, do not underestimate even what you deem to be the smallest sin because it could be that Allah takes your life at a moment in which you die in a state of sin. It is said in a hadith that a man may do the actions of the people of Paradise unti there remains between him and Paradise an arm-span. Then the decree will catch up with him and he will do the actions of the people of Hell and will be placed therein. Likewise a man may do the actions of the people of Hell unti there remains between him and Hell an arm-span. Then the decree will catch up with him and he will do the actions of the people of Paradise and will be placed therein.
- Do not underestimate small sins because a large bonfire starts as asmall flame.
2) Allah's pleasure is hidden in obedience of Him.- Therefore do not belittle any religious act, even the removal of a banana peel from the road, for that could save somebody else a lot of hardship (i.e., if the peel were not removed, they could fall, get hurt, etc.)
- Superogatory works are never equal to obligatory works. Both are a means of drawing closer to Allah. Also, we often leave an easy means of benefit for an action which requires much work and no benefit at all. For instance, commiting adultery and drinking alcohol are mandatory to avoid and you are rewarded simply by not doing anything, whereas doing them requires time, effort, and money.
- Rewards/punishments are eternal except for the one who sincerely repents.
3) Allah's awliya' are hidden amongst the people.
- A hadith speaks of dishevelled one whose du'as are accepted because he is hidden and goes unnoticed. Allah loves the pure and pious whose name nobody knows when they walk in and whom nobody misses when they are not present. Therefore, never disdain any of the creation because you don't know who the awliya' are. You cannot create something better, so do not despise the creation of Allah, lest Allah declares war upon you.
- Do not mock, backbite, or speak ill of anyone.
- Do not wink and laugh with your friends at others because Allah says in the Qur'an that the disbelievers do this to the believers when they see them pass by.
Nafilah (superogatory) works of the limbs:
- Eyes lowered, heart cleansed of ailments, ears from bad language/sounds, lead to external and inner purity. When this happens, a person's system changes and Allah becomes, as the hadith says, the eyes with which they see, the hearing with which they hear, the foot upon which they walk. In such a state, resulting from leaving what has been forbidden, such a person becomes as if controlled by a satellite: he can communicate with Allah as he likes, and He with him.
- When Allah loves a person He tells Jibril, "I love so and so, so love him." Jibril then tells the angels, "Allah loves so and so, so love him" until he is loved by the people.
*Be persistent in du'a and prayers of the heart.
