DeenPort MP3: "Wa Rafa`na Laka Dhikrak" - Muhammad Owais Qadri - Passionate Praise of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace)...

DeenPort MP3: "Wa Rafa`na Laka Dhikrak" - Muhammad Owais Qadri - Passionate Praise of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace)...

As I've said before...no song is quite as sweet to my ears as Urdu...and among them...this is near the top of the list...

...linked via Seeker's Digest because I haven't quite learned the secret to linking to specific parts of the excellent site that is DeenPort.

:)

Lovers Are Made Aware - Sufistic: Thoughts & Readings

Lovers Are Made Aware

You make a hundred resolutions to journey somewhere,
but He draws you somewhere else.
He turns the horse's bridle in every direction
so that the untrained horse may know there is a rider.

The clever horse is well paced
because it knows a rider is mounted upon it.
He fixed your heart on a hundred passionate desires,
dissapointed you, and then broke your heart.

Since He broke the wings of your first intention,
how do you doubt the existence of the Wing-breaker?

Since His ordainment snapped the cord of your contrivance,
how can you remain blind to His Command?

Your resolutions and aims now and then are fulfilled
so that through hope your heart
might form another intention
which He might once again destroy.

For if He were to keep you completely from success,
you would despair:
how would the seed of expectation be sown?

If your heart did not sow that seed,
and then encounter barrenness,
how would it recognize its submission to Divine will?
By their failures lovers are made aware of their Lord.

Lack of success is the guide to Paradise:
Pay attention to the tradition,
"Paradise is encompassed with pain."

Mathnawi III, 4456-67
- Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi, The Pocket Rumi Reader (edited by Kabir Helminski)

...via Sufistic: Thoughts & Readings

Urdu Hamd & Naats - nazmay.com

If no nasheed is quite as sweet to your ears as urdu hamd and naats, then this is for you (and me!)...

Urdu Hamd & Naats

My personal favourites:

• Allah Ho Allah Ho
• Eshq Kay Raang
• Mohammad Jo Ro Kar Dua

Alhamdulillah. May peace and blessings be upon the best of creation, our Master, the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace), his family, companions, and those who follow him.

Nourishing Traditions - Eating Well

Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook That Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats

Comes highly recommended from some of the healthiest/wisest people I know.

Being of Service to Others - The Honored Position - Alexandalus

Alexandalus: Shaykh Hussain Abdul Sattar on "Being of Service to Others - The Honored Position"

What should be a guiding principle in our lives, insha'Allah...

Allah's Love - SunniPath

Allah Almighty says, "Say: 'If you love Allah, then follow me and Allah will love you and forgive you for your wrong actions, Allah is Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful." (3:31)

On the signs of Allah's love for His slave...

- courtesy of SunniPath.com

Seeker's Digest - Madad Ya Rasul Allah

Seeker's Digest: Madad Ya Rasul Allah (Your Assistance, O Messenger of Allah!) - Khalid Belrhouzi

Sweetness to the ear...May Allah bless him and give him abundant peace. Amin.

The Food of Hearts

"The food of hearts is wisdom, knowledge of Allah, and love of Him. The heart's turning away from its natural disposition is the result of illnesses that afflict it, as when an illness afflicts a person's stomach, causing him not to desire food or drink though they are a means for his survival. Accordingly, every heart that inclines to love of other than Allah has a sickness to extent of its inclination. The only exception is if it loved that thing as a means to the love of Allah and His religion. This is subtle, however, and only know by those of spiritual insight. The opinion of the one afflicted is of little consequence in this, unless confirmed by his spiritual guide."

- Taken from Sufism and Good Character by Imam Zafar ‘Uthmani, translated by Faraz F. Rabbani (p.29.)

Natural Health & The Islamic Tradition

The "Natural Health & The Islamic Tradition" seminar with Sidi Hakim Archuletta held at George Washington University in March 2005 is now available through MeccaCentric!

Masha'Allah, Sidi Hakim is a Muslim healer in the true sense of the word, may Allah preserve him and continue to benefit us through him.

The Three Ultimate Realities

Someone asked me to post something of what we were recently reminded of. The following, insha'Allah, is something of the spirit of what we walked away with.

An understanding of the three ultimate realities, the awareness of which should guide your every action:

• You
• Your Grave
• Allah Most High
  

The basis of the spiritual path is struggle, not laziness. The one lazy in the path is the one who does not wish to break his habits -- nothing will become of him. He needs to get up.

The words of Rabia al-Adawiyya alone at night, as she spoke to her Lord are indicative of one who truly loved her Creator:

"O my Lord, the stars are shining and the eyes of men are closed, and kings have shut their doors, and every lover is alone with his beloved, and here I am alone with Thee."

If you ask for the Greatest and you sleep all night, you're wasting your time. How rude is the one who asks for Jannah without any spiritual works -- how cheap.

The upshot is that it is necessary to change.

Dua for Protection Against Laziness (SunniPath.com)

How to Increase Iman (SunniPath.com)

A Reader on Islamic Spirituality: Sufism (SunniPath.com)

And success is from Allah Alone.

Those Who Walk Gently on Earth

Alhamdulillah, after being blessed to see Shaykh Nuh Keller and his wife Ustadha Umm Sahl, the following ayah has repeatedly echoed in my heart.

"And the servants of the All-Merciful are those who walk gently on earth and when the ignorant address them, they say, "Peace!"; " (Qur'an 25:63)

وَعِبَادُ الرَّحْمَنِ الَّذِينَ يَمْشُونَ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ هَوْنًا وَإِذَا خَاطَبَهُمُ الْجَاهِلُونَ قَالُوا سَلَامًا

May Allah make us of those who walk gently on earth.

*Also, keep your eye out for Sh. Nuh's breathtakingly beautiful edition of the Dala'il al-Khayrat, Imam al-Juzuli's famous manual of Blessings on the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace). It is by far the most beautifully designed book I own. Masha'Allah.

SunniPath - New Offers!

From SunniPath:

At SunniPath, we are constantly improving. This semester, we are adding 2-way audio communication which will enable students to express their questions, as text questions can easily be misunderstood.

Register Today. Regular Registration ends May 27th.

New Courses

Sahih al-Bukhari Abridged - taught by Shaykh Walead Muhammad

Essentials of Worship (Hanafi Fiqh): Part 2 - taught by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

The Spirit of the Sunna in Life - taught by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

SunniPath offers to New Muslims

Anyone who is Muslims for less than 3 years will now be able to take LA100-1H and SP110-1 for FREE. You will also be able to get 50% reduction from all courses under Law department. (Just use the coupon code: NEWMUSLIM)

SunniPath offers for MSA

If you are a MSA president, you are eligible to one free courses per year with SunniPath. All other MSA executive receives 25% reduction from all courses. Please contact us to receive this offer.

visit us: http://www.SunniPath.com

One student said:

Masha Allah, I've been distance learning since my first year of college (I did an associates degree, bachelors degree, and graduate certificate that way) and this is the best distance learning course I have taken yet. and the courses I'm comparing to are online degree level courses up to graduate level at accredited universities and colleges. Masha Allah, I'm really proud of you guys for bringing online Islamic knowledge up to a higher standard than online secular knowledge (which has a lot more people working on it than SunniPath). May Allah reward you, accept your works, and grant you forgiveness and blessings in this life and the next, ameen.

The Master - Shaykh Ahmed al-Alawi

The great Shadhili Shaykh, a real beacon of light, Shaykh Ahmed al-Alawi (Qaddasa Allahu Ruhahu), wrote,

The Master

If a summoner call unto guidance, alluding

To his attainment of the Truth, and the Supreme Station,

Of remissness beware, and examine well his words.

Question him of Union; see if he reflect It.

If he say It be far, 'tis because he is far,

But if he say It be near, count him most worthy.

He will make plain to thee the path unto the Truth

Whereby thou mayest seek the face of God.

He will take thee at once, even at thy first meeting,

And set thy foot on its way unto the Lord.

Keep in thy mind's eye the Name's letters

Through his grace thou wilt come to see them shine

Clear on the horizons, though they shine but in thy Heart,

And when the Name is thine, all forgetfulness will vanish.

Magnify then the Letters to as large as thou canst;

Trace them on all things, both high and low.

Through keeping the Name in thine eye, thou wilt rise

By Its Light to where the worlds vanish into nothingness.

But at the Shaikh's order, not at thine, do they vanish.

He is the Finger with which God pointeth.

Trust him then to take thee out of the cramp of prisons

To Freedom, to the First, who all beginnings doth precede,

And thou seest the whole world nothing in His Essence,

Less than nothing in the Infinity of the Lord.

When the Infinite doth appear thereat thou vanishest,

For 'thou' hast never been, from first until last.

Thou seest not who thou art, for thou art, yet art not 'thou'.

Thou endurest, yet not as thyself; no strength is there but God's.

After thine extinction to Eternity thou wilt rise,

Endlessly in Eternity of Eternity art affirmed,

Crown of all Altitude; for is it not Face

To Face with the Truth that our riders dismount?

Feeling very lonely and depressed, and far from Divine Mercy - Imam Suhaib Webb

Feeling very lonely and depressed, and far from Divine Mercy

Answered by Imam Suhaib Webb, SunniPath.com

The Keys to Success

Nearly a year ago, I found the following advice through Sidi Faraz Rabbani of Seeker's Digest and posted it on the inside of my binder:

"Remember the Four Keys to Success: Trueness of Intent, Goal, Means, and Ways"

Excellent advice to pay heed to.

Alhamdulillah. Success is truly from Allah Alone.

Sunni Sister - You Don't Know What You've Got Till It's Gone...!

Sunni Sister posted an entry entitled "Speak Up".

"There used to be this really horrific heavy metal ballad in the 80’s called “Don’t Know What You’ve Got (Till It’s Gone)” by a hair band named after a fairy tale princess. Well, I dunno about the clothes or the hair or anything else, but on the sentiment, they’ve got it right."

I never knew who sang it, or what they looked like (alhamdulillah!)...but like Umm Zaid, I do think the message is right on.

We don't appreciate our youth, until we're growing old. We don't appreciate out parents until it's almost time to leave their warm, comforting arms. We don't appreciate our health until we lose it. We don't appreciate friends, until we're shown what life is like in their absence.

Thank Allah for every breath He gives you and the uncountable blessings in your life.

Alhamdulillah 'ala kulli haal.

Studying Islam in Mauritania

A detailed article on Studying Islam in Mauritania by Sidi Rami Nsour, a brother of real taqwa and piety who I first heard speak at the ISNA Canada conference last year. May Allah increase him in knowledge and make him a pillar of guidance to the ummah of the beloved of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace).

The Purpose of Knowledge - by Imam Suhaib Webb

The Purpose of Knowledge

---

A living scholar in Cairo

Written by Imam Suhaib Webb

There is a brother living next to me in Cairo. Mashallah, he is a great student of knowledge, inshallah, and studies very hard. I decided to take him to meet one of our Azhari Sheikhs here and I knew, inshallah, that we would learn more from him than just today's lesson.

But I could have never imagined the lessons we took tonight. We arrived at the masjid just after the first Tasleem. The Masjid was beautiful with its tall minarets and lighted court yard. The weather was nice the wind was sweet and pleasant. We entered the Masjid, prayed and waited for the Sheikh. Suddenly the Sheikh arrived with a bag and we greeted him. I informed the Sheikh about our guest and the Sheikh's face lit like the morning sun and a smile spread across his face. Then it was my turn to introduce the sheikh to the brother. The hard part is that this sheikh has me between a rock and a hard place.

He does, seriously, not like to be called sheikh or even ustadh! So, I was like, "This is is is is is is ...................is .........sheeeek....he looked at me like, "Boy if you do it!".....is is is is uh is, then he interrupted me, "I'm your brother ++++++ (if I write his name it would be going against his wishes). I turned, looked at the brother who was with me and saw an awe in his face. A short time later the Imam of the Masjid, recognizing the Sheikh, came and begged him to lead the prayer. The Sheikh said to him, "Please excuse me. I can't" The brother was shocked. After our lesson the sheikh demanded that he walk us home (We live around 20 minutes from the Masjid) . We begged him and begged him, however, to no avail. As we were walking I decided to buy the Sheikh some sweets. I asked him and the other student with us to please excuse me as I needed to get something. The Sheikh began to follow me and I told him, "Sheikh the brother has some questions for you." Thus, seeing an opportunity to spread the elm, the sheikh stopped in his tracks and turned to the wide eyed American. I dashed into the store and purchased some sweets for the Sheikh on behalf of us. When I exited the store the Sheikh was taken aback and said, "What is this?" I said, "This is a gift from us to you." He said no and politely said he couldn't accept it. I stated to him, "Please sheikh accepting a gift is from the Sunna." I continued, "Please Sheikh! Please! It will make us happy!" He grabbed me and said (in Ammiyah Masriyaah so the student wouldn't understand him), "Suhaib, I don't have a refrigerator. I eat what I buy and store nothing!"

Enough said. May Allah bless Al-Azhar, protect the Ulema there and increase its bounties.

Suhaib

Oh! and by the way that sack that the Sheikh was carrying were sweets he brought for us to eat.

Taken from the Hanafi Fiqh List - www.SunniPath.com

Images from the Uniting for the Prophet Mawlid

Pictures from the UK Uniting for the Prophet Mawlid

Jazakum Allahu Khayr to Sister Fareena Alam for posting these. If people know of other pictures from the mawlid, please share.

Guidance Media - An Evening of Recitation and Praise

Scroll down to the bottom of this page of the Guidance Media Site, and view the short video clip entitled "An Evening of Recitation and Praise". Masha'Allah, the brother reciting Qur'an truly moves hearts towards Allah and the beloved of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace).

"An evening of Qur'an, dhikr, and a recitation of the Burdah of Imam al-Busairi. This beautiful gathering of mercy and remembrance took place during the 2003 U.S. Tour of Habib Ali al-Jifri. The gathering was hosted by the respected Zaytuna Institute in Hayward, California."

Barak Allahu fi kum to the one who recently brought this to our attention.

Islam: What Catholics Should Know

The article "Islam: What Catholics Should Know" is written by a Catholic woman for a widely distributed Catholic newsletter.

Jazak Allah Khayr to the brother that recently posted this on a listserve.

Muslim Nursery Rhymes

Muslim Nursery Rhymes by Mustafa Yusuf McDermont - The Islamic Foundation

Cute :)

The Content of Character - Shaykh Hamza Yusuf

Shaykh Hamza Yusuf (may Allah preserve him and continue to benefit through him), has released a new book: The Content of Character

Translations & Introduction by Shaykh Hamza, Collected by Shaykh Al-Amin Mazrui, and Forward by Ali Mazrui

From the Alhambra Productions Website: "Hamza Yusuf's new book! 10% off! As a scholar, Shaykh Al-Amin Mazrui attempted to be a bridge between Islam and modernity. He argued that while Christianity became the vanguard of progress when it became more secular and less Christian, Islam was the vanguard of progress when it was more Islamic and less secular. According to Shaykh Al-Amin, progress among Muslims required not the abandonment of Islam but the recovery of the original spirit of Islamic enlightenment. Shaykh Al-Amin's choice of these favored sayings of the Prophet (pbuh) in The Content of Character--translated and introduced here by the well-known American scholar Hamza Yusuf--was influenced by his effort to be a bridge--builder, especially between the values of tradition and the norms of modernity, between the wisdom of religion and the compassion of humanity."

Uniting for the Prophet Webcast - Cancelled

Due to unforseen circumstances, we regret to announce that SunniPath will not be able to WebCast the May 2nd Uniting for the Prophet event as originally planned. We apologize to all those who subscribed to watch the event. We will be in touch with you shortly to update you on future programs and initiatives. JazakAllah khair for your support.

May Allah reward the brothers and sisters at SunniPath for their good intentions, and may He make SunniPath.com a source of much good and guidance for the Ummah of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace). Amin.

Zaytuna - Spring's Gift - A Poem by Shaykh Hamza

Masha'Allah, what can't Shaykh Hamza do? May Allah increase him in all good, give him tawfiq, and grant him the company of the blessed Rasul (Allah bless him and give him peace) in Jannah...ameen.

Spring's Gift - A Poem by Shaykh Hamza Yusuf

I envy the sand that met his feet

I’m jealous of honey he tasted sweet

Of birds that hovered above his head

Of spiders who spun their sacred web

To save him from his enemies

I envy clouds formed from the seas

That gave him cover from the heat

Of a sun whose light could not compete

With his, whose face did shine so bright

That all was clear in pitch-black night

I envy sightless trees that gazed

Upon his form completely dazed

Not knowing if the sun had rose

Or if the sky was one with those

Who knelt, who prayed, and fasted too

Simply because he told them to

With truth and kindness, charity

From God who gave such clarity

His mercy comes in one He sent

To mold our hearts more heaven bent

I envy all there at his side

Who watched the turning of the tide

As truth prevailed and falsehood fled

And hope restored life to the dead

And men and women found their place

With aspirations for God’s Face

I envy the cup that gave him drink

His thoughts that helped us all to think

To be one thought that passed his mind

Inspiring him to act so kind

For me this world is not one jot

If I could simple be a thought

From him to God throughout the ages

As revelation came in stages

I pity all who think it odd

To hear him say there is one God

Or he was sent by God to men

To hone their spirits’ acumen

It’s pride that blinds us from the sight

That helps good men to see his light

He taught us all to be God’s slaves

And he will be the one who saves

Humanity from sinful pride

Muhammad has God on his side

So on this day be blessed and sing

For he was born to grace our Spring

With lilies, flowers, life’s rebirth

In a dome of green like his on earth

- Sh. Hamza Yusuf

Thursday, April 21st, 2005

Uniting for the Prophet - LIVE BROADCAST!

[when I use caps, you know it's a big deal]

For those of us who were down and sad about not living the UK ever since we heard about the Uniting for the Prophet Event ... the next best thing is now available...

SunniPath will be webcasting the event live on May 2, 2005 and then replaying it on May 7, 2005. Sign up now and watch the event for free on www.SunniPath.com

s p e a k e r s
Shaykh Habib Ali al-Jifri | Shaykh Hamza Yusuf | Shaykh Mohammed Yaqubi | Shaykh Nuh Keller | Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad | Shaykh Mohammed Bashu’aib | Shaykh Ahmed Babikir | Shaykh Jihad Brown | Shaykh Muhammad Imdad Hussain Pirzada

p e r f o r m e r s
Ahbab al-Mustafa | Shaam | Harmonia Alcorani, Qari Hafeez ur-Rahman
And performers from the Balkans, Horn of Africa and Middle East

Organised by Mahabba Unlimited. Sponsored by HSBC Amanah Finance; Metropolitan Police; Islamic Relief; British Muslim Forum; Muslim Hands. Supported by British Muslim Forum, Q-News, Islamica, Muslim Hands, Shukr, Sunnipath, and Qasid Institute.

May Allah bless the brothers and sisters at SunniPath, and those organizing the event in the UK (please organize one in Canada next year!)

May Allah bless our Master, the Messenger of Allah, Muhammad salAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam, His family, companions, and all those who follow in his luminous footsteps, ameen.

Seeker's Digest - Free Qur'an Software to Download

Over the years, I've come to believe that Sidi Faraz Rabbani's suggested downloads are a must if one wishes to benefit and make their life easier.

WordWeb, Copernic, jet Audio, FireFox....and now...

Free Qur'an Software to Download - Holy Qur'an text, commentary, Islamic glossary, subjects, index of topics and full search facility [and translations from a wide variety of languages!]

Just awesome. Jazakum Allahu khayr.

SunniPath - Lonliness & Depression

Feeling very lonely and depressed, and far from Divine Mercy
Answered by Imam Suhaib Webb

See also:

Depression: "Truly, it is by the Remembrance of Allah that hearts find rest." Answered by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

and

Salat al-Tibbiyya

www.SunniPath.com

SunniPath - The Balancing Act: Why are we fighting each other?

A timely question...

Part One of Two:
The Balancing Act: Why are we fighting each other? Answered by Imam Suhaib Webb

- SunniPath.com

DeenPort - Islamic Haiku!

DeenPort annoucement from Sidi Omar Tufail...

"It's here! My beloved Islamic Haiku! is now a section in it's own right here at DeenPort. Many thanks to Sidi Abdal Hayy for making this happen!

The man,
he,
be.

(Where is this new section? See above, just under the sub-sections menu, also click the [?] link [to the right in the Islamic Haiku! bar] for a nice intro from Sidi (Sensei?) Abdal Hayy Moore on this new addition to DeenPort)"

Alhamdulillah...I really can't wait to see this section grow! :)