ummtaalib

Part Two Title: The title of Hazrat ‘Uthmaan (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) was ‘Zun-Noorain’ (the possessor of the two lights). ‘Two lights’ referred to the two blessed daughters of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam), Hazrat Ruqayyah (radhiyallahu ‘anha) and Hazrat Ummu Kulthoom (radhiyallahu ‘anha). Hazrat Hasan Basri (rahimahullah) has explained that Hazrat ‘Uthmaan (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) was given this title as he was the only person who had married two daughters of a Nabi (Hazrat ‘Uthmaan (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) married Hazrat Ummu Kulthoom (radhiyallahu ‘anha) after the demise of Hazrat Ruqayyah (radhiyallahu ‘anha)). (Siyar A’laam min Nubalaa 2/566/568) Hazrat Nazaal bin Sabrah (rahimahullah) narrates, “We asked Hazrat ‘Ali (radhiyallahu ‘anhu), ‘Tell us something regarding Hazrat ‘Uthmaan (radhiyallahu ‘anhu).’ Hazrat ‘Ali (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) responded, ‘He was a man who would be referred to by the title ‘Zun-Noorain’ in the Mala’-ul-A’laa (assembly of angels).’” (Isaabah 4/378) Family Relationship with Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam): The lineage of Hazrat ‘Uthmaan (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) meets the lineage of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) at ‘Abd Manaaf. (Usdul Ghaabah 3/215) The maternal grandmother of Hazrat ‘Uthmaan (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) was Baydhaa’, the daughter of ‘Abdul Muttalib. Hence, the maternal grandmother of Hazrat ‘Uthmaan (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) was the paternal aunt of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam). (Isaabah 4/377)

Hazrat Uthmaan (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) – Part One Name: Hazrat ‘Uthmaan bin ‘Affaan (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) Birth: Hazrat ‘Uthmaan (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) was born six years after ‘Aam-ul-Feel (the Year of the Elephants i.e. the year in which Abrahah tried to destroy the Ka‘bah Shareef with elephants). (Isaabah 4/377) Kunyah (Filial Title): Hazrat ‘Uthmaan (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) was first given the kunyah “Abu ‘Abdillah” on account of his son, Hazrat Abdullah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu). Thereafter, Hazrat ‘Abdullah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) passed away. The next son of Hazrat ‘Uthmaan (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) was Hazrat ‘Amr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu). Hence, Hazrat ‘Uthmaan (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) was next given the kunyah “Abu ‘Amr” by which he was famously known until the end of his life. (Istee‘aab 3/155) Mother: The respected mother of Hazrat ‘Uthmaan (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) was Hazrat Arwaa bint Kuraiz (radhiyallahu ‘anha). (Siyar A’laam min Nubalaa 2/566) Demise of Hazrat ‘Abdullah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu): Hazrat ‘Abdullah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu), the son of Hazrat ‘Uthmaan (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) from Hazrat Ruqayyah (radhiyallahu ‘anha), passed away in the year 4 A.H. at the age of six. (Usdul Ghaabah 3/216) A rooster had pecked Hazrat ‘Abdullah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) in his eyes, causing him injury. It was on account of this injury that he fell ill and passed away. Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) performed his janaazah salaah after which Hazrat ‘Uthmaan (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) descended into the grave to bury him. This was in the month of Jumaadaa-Oolaa of the year 4 A.H. (Tabaqaat Ibn Sa’d 3/39) Source: Whatisislam.co.za

Water Conservation in Wudhu Wudhu is a great Ibaadah (act of worship). Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam is reported to have said that when a person performs wudhu in the proper manner, all the (minor) sins that were committed are washed off by means of the wudhu. However, certain acts spoil this great Ibaadah and deprive one of the full benefits and virtues of wudhu. Among these acts is the wasting of water. The Sunnah Amount of Water It has been conservatively estimated that on average most people use more than six litres of water to perform one wudhu. This is in stark contrast to the amount of water that Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam used for his wudhu. Sayyidatuna Aisha Radhiyallahu Anha reports that Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam used one mudd of water for wudhu and one saa for ghusal. (Abu Dawood) One mudd amounts to approximately 1 litre and one saa is approximately 4 litres. In other words, we generally use more water for wudhu than Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam used for ghusal. Once Sayyiduna Jaabir Radhiyallahu Anhu narrated the saying of Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam that one mudd of water suffices for wudhu and one saa for ghusal. A person sitting there remarked: “It does not suffice for me.” Jaabir Radhiyallahu Anhu silenced him by saying, “It sufficed for him (Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam) who was better than you and who even had more hair than you.” (hence he would require more water than you to wash the head during ghusal). (Ibn Majah) Israaf (Wastage) To use more than necessary is termed israaf. Regarding israaf, Allah Ta'ala declares, "Verily Allah Ta'ala does not love the wasters.” On one occasion Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam asked a person performing wudhu: “Why are you wasting water?” The person enquired: “Is there israaf even in wudhu?” Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam replied, "Yes indeed, (do not waste) even if you are at the bank of a river." (Ibn Majah) Hence it is necessary to become conscious of this important aspect and refrain from wasting water during wudhu. How to Save Water A few ways by which we can save water whilst making wudhu: Make wudhu using a jug rather than the tap. If you are using the tap, do not open it “full blast”. Rather open it until the flow is just sufficient for you to make wudhu. Close the tap while using the miswaak, making masah, khilaal, etc. Only re-open it when the water is again needed. Avoid taking a shower. Use a bucket instead. If the shower is used, open the water to just a little more than a trickle and finish off very quickly. Jamiatul Ulama (KZN) Council of Muslim Theologians

Part 7 One should assist the bereaved by sending food to their home. Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) has taught the Sahaabah (Radhiyallahu Anhum) to express sympathies with the bereaved and assist them at the time of their grief and sorrow. Nabi (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) encouraged the Sahaabah (Radhiyallahu Anhum) to prepare food and send it for the family, as they have been struck with a tragedy and would not be able to see to their own needs. عن عبد الله بن جعفر رضي الله عنه قال لما جاء نعي جعفر قال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم إصنعوا لأهل جعفر طعاما فإنه قد جاءهم ما يشغلهم (جامع الترمذي رقم 998) Hazrat Abdullah bin Ja’far (Radhiyallahu Anhu) narrates, “When the news of the demise of Hazrat Ja’far (Radhiyallahu Anhu) arrived, Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) (said to the Sahaabah), ‘Prepare food for the family of Hazrat Ja’far (Radhiyallahu Anhu), as a tragedy has befallen them that has preoccupied them (from seeing to their needs)’”.

Everyone Stealing From Just About Everyone By Maulana Khalid Dhorat Morality, religion and values have not only flown out of the window, but it seems that the ceiling has cracked wide open and all traces of shame, decency and Allah-consciousness has simply evaporated into thin air. We are indeed witnessing the time wherein Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) predicted that trustworthy people will be so rare that they will be counted on one’s fingers. The level of theft, fraud and dishonesty has reached such epidemic proportions that seemingly everyone is busy stealing from anyone, even from their own kind. It’s already nearing the end of February, but every second businessman is moaning that he cannot supply stock because people who took goods in November last didn’t pay yet, yet they enjoyed a luxurious 5 star holiday in Dubai. If retrenchment is a disappointment, crippling a struggling honest businessman is a double disaster because not only his independence is lost, but his progress and productivity in the economy too. But who cares anyway!! In fact, there are so many thieves nowadays and so little victims left that the thieves are beginning to eat each other up! Let’s see just how commonplace stealing has become: 1) Municipalities are stealing from consumers by over billing, and consumers are doing likewise by means of illegal connections. 2) Governments are stealing from its citizens by means of unjust taxation, and the citizenry is doing likewise by means of tax evasion and fraudulent returns. 3) Employers routinely steal from their employees by means of unlawful deductions and paltry wages, and employees do the same by stealing time, through petty theft and unfaithfulness. 4) Car dealers turn back the odometer and give bribes to car dealerships for providing them with trade-ins, and consumers hide crucial faults in a vehicle when putting them up for sale. 5) Manufacturers decrease the weight of items and reduce their quality and still demand the same price, and retailers never pass on the benefit of cost-cutting measures to the consumer. 6) Zakaat and charitable institutions defraud their donors by using a great percentage of the money for personal needs, and givers cheat Allah by giving less, or by giving dubiously earned money. 7) Contractors steal from their contracting companies by submitting ghost invoices, and parent companies often dishonour their contracts, don’t pay at all, or pay way less than originally agreed. 8) Landlords often charge exorbitant rentals, and do not repair their properties for their tenant’s comfort, but tenants too illegally sublet, destroy the property, evacuate without notice and dodge their rental payments. 9) Auditors, accountants and lawyers routinely lie and burn the evidence in order to keep dishonest clients on their books, and clients use their status and crooked earnings to patronise them and continue in their fraud. 10) Mechanics, carpenters, plumbers and electricians always find unnecessary items to repair and steal new parts, whilst clients nearly always never pay them their due or delay them for years on end. 11) Medical aids regularly increase their premiums, and clients abuse the fund by purchasing cosmetics or for trivial medical conditions like a knee scrape or a gassy stomach. 12) Doctors conduct dozens of unnecessary tests and run up a bill of thousands before telling the patient they can’t find the cause of his sickness, and clients often do not settle their bills and are handed over to collection agencies. 13) Transport and logistic companies often overburden their drivers with many stops, and delivery vehicles often offload extra stock at discounted prices during the night. 14) One of the more shocking examples of dishonesty is heirs depriving their own siblings of their legitimate share, and the deceased who also treated his family unfairly by favouring one over the other. 15) Banks, financial institutions, investment schemes, and retirement funds seems to be taking the lead in mishandling and losing the funds in their care, leaving many saddened hopefuls who thought they could retire in peace and who also couldn’t guarantee their funds was 100% legitimate. 16) Then you have religious fraud by people who claim there are 200 zakaatable students in their Madrassah, whereas there is only five, but it suits the donor fine as he can launder his undeclared wealth via their books. 17) Building contractors always mislead their clients on pricing and building material quality, and their clients always give them ridiculous deadlines and penalty clauses. 18) By far, the favourite Muslim scams happen at the time of Hajj and Qurbani, but clients also look for impossible deals due to selfishness. There is hardly any facet in our life that is not riddled with corruption, and many more examples can thus be cited. But many cases of theft are one-sided too. You have online shopping scams with no fault of the customer at all, small industries, home industries, and catering firms who are not paid for months because they cannot afford the legal route. O Ummah, have we forgotten that Allah Ta’ala is Well Aware of whatever we do. None can escape His Grasp. One day we will be made to stand, trembling and perspiring, before Allah, and we will repay our debts in a ghastly fashion. Flesh nourished with ill-gotten wealth is not fit for paradise, so you will pay with burning flesh, anguished tears, oozing wounds. This is a friendly timeous warning; if you are reading this message and you have dues on your head, repent immediately and settle your dues. MAY ALLAH TA’ALA GRANT US ALL THE ABILITY TO REPENT, SETTLE OUR AFFAIRS, AND MEET ALLAH WITH A CLEAN SLATE ON THE DAY OF QIYAAMAH. AMEEN. Jamiatul Ulama (KZN) Council of Muslim Theologians

Asking for Aafiyah between Azaan and Iqaamah عن أنس بن مالك رضي الله عنه قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: الدعاء لا يرد بين الأذان والإقامة قالوا: فماذا نقول يا رسول الله؟ قال: سلوا الله العافية في الدنيا والآخرة (ترمذي رقم 3594) Hazrat Anas (Radhiyallahu Anhu) reports that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said: “The duaa made between azaan and iqaamah is not rejected.” The Sahaabah asked: “O Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam), so what duaa should we make?” Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) replied: “Ask Allah Ta’ala for aafiyah in this world and the Hereafter.” ihyauddeen.co.za

Assigning to Allah Ta‘ala after Adopting the Means Hazrat Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Daamat Barakaatuhu) mentioned: A great lesson that we learn from the lives of the pious of the past was that they would adopt the necessary means for their work and thereafter they would assign their affair to Allah Ta‘ala. On the other hand, we adopt all the procedures and try to go the extra mile, but in the process we do not entrust our affair to Allah Ta‘ala. In doing so, Allah Ta‘ala then places the entire burden on the individual and this is the beginning to all problems and agony. Eventually, this leads to depression, for one has placed all his trust on the means and procedures, and not on Allah Ta‘ala.

Various other Articles A letter to the Youth of the Ummah Youth Dilemmas Youth - On Culture, Religion and Generation Gap The Perfume of Piety Challenges facing the Youth O My Beloved Son Responsibilities of Youths in a Muslim Society

A narration about hospitality Question Can you please confirm if the following is a Hadith and what its source is. A woman came to Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam) and complained to him about her husband that he invites too many guests and she has become weary from preparing food for them and hosting them. Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam) did not answer and the woman left. Sometime later Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam) called the woman’s husband and said, “I am your guest today.” The man was so happy he went home and told his wife “Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam) is our guest today.” His wife was ecstatic and spent time and effort and used every bit of food to prepare for the arrival of the Most Honored Guest, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam). After the amazing joy of hosting Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam) generously Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam) told the man, ‘tell your wife to watch the door from which I leave your home.” So the wife watched the door from which Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam) left her home and saw all kinds of creatures, scorpions and other harmful creatures leaving the house behind Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam) upon which she fainted due to the immense manifestation and greatness of what she had witnessed. When she came to Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam), he said to her, “this is what happens when the guest leaves your home, with him all kinds of harm, trials and tribulations and harmful creatures depart from your home, and that is the wisdom behind being generous to one’s guest and becoming weary doing so.” Answer I have not seen such a narration in the popular primary Hadith sources. One should be cautious about spreading unverified narrations, as there are severe warnings in the Hadith against this habit. Unfortunately nowadays, people are extremely negligent of these warnings! And Allah Ta’ala Knows best, Answered by: Moulana Muhammad Abasoomar hadithanswers

Shaykh Binnory’s (rahimahullah) dislike for fame Hazrat Shaykh, Moulana Muhammad Yusuf Binnory (rahimahullah) had an intense dislike for fame. He closed every door and avenue that could lead to fame to the extent that the madrasah in Karachi never even held a graduation ceremony (Jalsah). During the issue of the Khatm Nubuwwat and the Qadiyanis (the Qadiyanis do not accept Nabi -sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam- as the final Messenger) Moulana (rahimahullah) gave a full 100 days of sacrifice [to combat this evil sect]. Here too, Moulana (rahimahullah) had the same fevor of sacrificing only for Allah Ta’ala and not to do anything for show. (Khususi Number, pg. 451) Dr Abdur Razzaq Iskandar (hafizahullah) writes: Shaykh Binnory (rahimahullah) laid the foundation for Madrasah Islamia (in Karachi) himself [i.e, He was the founder] and it is due to him that the institute reached this level. However, out of humility, Hazrat Binnory (rahimahullah) disliked having the title of Principle next to his name. (Jamale Yusuf, pg.143-144) May Allah Ta’ala bless us all with these sublime qualities. Amin.

Part 6 1. Nabi (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) comforted the bereaved in the following manner: إِنَّ لِلَّهِ مَا أَخَذَ وَلَهُ مَا أَعْطَى وَكُلٌّ إِلَى أَجَلٍ مُسَمًّى فَلْتَصْبِرْ وَلْتَحْتَسِبْ To Allah Ta’ala alone belongs that which He takes, and to Him alone belongs that which He gives. Everything is until an appointed time (after which it will be taken from this world). Therefore, adopt patience and hope for reward from Allah Ta’ala. 2. It is not permissible for one to go to the home of a kaafir who has passed away for ta’ziyat while the funeral proceedings are underway. However, on meeting his kaafir neighbour or any other kaafir who has lost a family member e.g. a child, he may console him in the following words: أَخْلَفَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْكَ خَيْرًا منه وَأَصْلَحَكَ May Allah Ta’ala grant you something better (bless you with the taufeeq of accepting Islam) in exchange of the person you have lost, and May Allah Ta’ala improve your condition.

Suicide Committing Suicide (as we are all aware) is strictly forbidden in Islam and can never be justified. No matter how miserable and depressed one becomes, one must not kill oneself. A person, who commits suicide, does so believing it an escape from his crisis so he ends his life willing to bear a moment of pain and may throw himself of a cliff or drink a poisonous substance. However is that an answer to the problems? Suicide is not the Answer

Haraam Fantacizing Haraam fantasizing is the spiritual disease of almost every person. It is abuse of the great, wonderful and amazing gift of imagination. Advices and prescription for cure here...

Haraam Substances Addictions come in many forms. Some of the most common addictions involve smoking, drugs, alcohol, pornography, gambling, video gaming, food, shopping, and even work. What is addiction? Addiction is a condition that results when a person ingests a substance (e.g., alcohol, cocaine, nicotine) or engages in an activity (e.g., gambling, sex, shopping) that can be pleasurable but the continued use/act of which becomes compulsive and interferes with ordinary life responsibilities, such as work, relationships, or health. Users may not be aware that their behavior is out of control and causing problems for themselves and others. Drugs & Alcohol Abuse - Information and advices

Internet Using Social media - a responsibility

Parents “We enjoined man to treat his parents kindly. His mother bore him with hardship and delivered him with hardship and his bearing and weaning are in thirty months…” (Qur’an 46:15) Abu Huraira reported: A man asked the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, “Who is most deserving of my good company?” The Prophet said, “Your mother.” The man asked, “Then who?” The Prophet said “Your mother.” The man asked again, “Then who?” The Prophet said, “Your mother.” The man asked again, “Then who?” The Prophet said, “Your father.” (Bukhārī, Muslim) Appreciating efforts of Parents Cling to the feet of your mother

Youth in Early Islam I have been sent with the pure and natural religion, to the youth (who) had backed me while the old had opposed me", Shaykh Al-Kandahlawi in his book, "Lives of the Sahaba", relates that the Prophet used to have twenty young men from the Ansar with him at all times, whom he would send to various missions and for various purposes to attend to his affairs. Youth during early Islam Mus'ab ibn Umair RA Abdullah ibn Mas'ood RA Ghaseel-ul-Malaika - Hanzalah RA

Love & Romance Love comes after marriage. Before marriage, it is infatuation which results in pain, disappointment, disaster, and regret. The person who knows that you could be tempted to fall for him before marriage, will not trust you to be faithful to him. If you could disobey Allah Ta’ala, he will figure that you are likely to disobey him also. However, if he knows that you are loyal and faithful to your Creator, he will undoubtedly have full conviction that you will be loyal to him and won’t ever betray him. Dealing with Teenage Crushes Romance in Islam The romantic Prophet - How to be romantic with your spouse Advice to those getting married Love before Marriage When desire takes over - Advice for college and university students

3 Pieces of Advice From Imam al-Ghazali’s “O My Beloved Son” [These are rough notes of a talk delivered by Shaykh Kamaluddin Ahmed (db) on October 28, 2010] وَذَكِّرۡ فَإِنَّ ٱلذِّكۡرَىٰ تَنفَعُ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ And keep reminding, because reminding benefits the believers. [51:55] * The script within square brackets are Shaykh Kamaluddin Ahmed [db]’s personal comments on the text of the letter. Imam Al-Ghazali (rh) wrote a letter to one of his students and this student was a graduate from the Madrassa (Islamic Institution of Learning) that Imam Al-Ghazali was teaching at. The Student actually wrote Imam Al-Ghazali a letter asking him for some final words of advice, which he promised in his letter, that he would bind close to his heart and do his utmost effort to practice upon throughout his life. Imam Al-Ghazali wrote him a very long letter which has been printed in the Arab world as a small Risala or an epistle. Imam Al-Ghazali (rh) begins this letter to his student, whom he affectionately calls walad (=Son), by saying Ya ayyuhal walad al-mehboobi i.e. O my beloved Son. And, in the course of this long letter, one of the things that Imam Al-Ghazali (rh) mentions are: 8 particular pieces of advice which are taken from a very famous story of a Shaykh of the Muslim Ummah by the name of Shaykh Shaqiq al-balkhi (rh): Shaykh Shaqiq-al-balki (rh) had a student named Hatim al-Asam (rh). Hatim al-Asam was once in the company of his Shaykh, when Shaykh Shaqiq asked him: You have had my company for thirty years, what have you learnt in the 30 years that you have been with me? [This also gives us an insight into the way people in the early Islamic period organized their relationship – it was a long term commitment. One could only imagine what it would be like to associate with a Shaykh, a wali of Allah swt, somebody like Shaykh Shaqiq rah for 30 years!] So, after 30 years of having the student, the Shaykh asked him what have you learnt or got out from these 30 years, Hatim rah responded that: Shaykh, there are 8 useful lessons that I have learnt from you and I hope that they will be enough for me, and they will be sufficient to bring about my nija’at, my forgiveness and salvation, on the Day of Judgement. So the Shaykh asked him, what are they? [And this is how he replied. Imam al-Ghazali included this story in his letter so as to counsel his student.] First Lesson I learnt that to be human is to Love. So, Instead of loving the temporary things (like other human beings do), I fell in love with aimal as-saleh (righteous actions). When I was in your company, what I learnt from your company is how to observe humanity. [All of the lessons have this common feature: it shows that one of the things he learnt from his Shaykh was how to understand humanity. It is interesting how even in the West and all over the world in general, Humanities is a major area of study. The secular tradition was to study philosophy, history, literature, liberal arts, fine arts etc. in order to understand what the human experience was. However, in our Deen, or the Sacred Sciences, it means to drown yourself in Qur’an, in the Seerah (Life of Nabi-e-karim saw), in the Sunnah Ahadith, Teachings and Kaifiat (States) of Nabi-e-karim saw to look at the path of the Siddiqin (The Righteous), the Shuhada (The Martyrs), and Saliheen. And, the basis of all these sources is to understand Humanity. Hatim al-Asam begins every lesson with that: I learnt from you, what to learn from humanity itself and from human beings.] So, he says that I observed humanity and I saw that it is the very part of human nature that every single human being is in love with something or someone or some idea. [He reflected on the human experience that: to be human is to love.] When I looked at the people around me, I realized that all of them had different objects of love. But, I noticed what was common to all of them, was that whatever they chose to love- whatever they chose to give their heart to – they could only take it up to the grave. But when they entered their grave, none of their beloveds could enter with them – none of their beloveds could take the next step in the journey with them. So, Hatim says that I learnt how to understand humanity from you and when I saw this about humanity that: Every human being loves something The objects that people love don’t go past their grave …I realized that what I should do, since I am also human, and I will also inevitably love something, I should love what is best i.e. that which would enter ones grave and be a friend to one in the grave, and be a companion to a person on the next stage of the journey. When I reflected on what that was, I realized that nothing could lay claim to that except: aimal as-saleh (Righteous Actions, Ibadat/worship etc) And so, I fell in love with aimal as-Saleh. I gave my love, my muhabbah to aimal as-saleh. [ Now, if we just take this one lesson: It shows how much one learns when they associate themselves for a long period of time with the Ullema and Mashaikh Now, one thing is to say that I want to do amaal-e-salih, one thing would be to say that I want to be regular and consistent in amaal-e-salihaat ; Here, he is saying that I fell in love with amaal-e-salih! That person whose human state is such that the greatest object of their love (in terms of things) are those things that are pleasing to Allah swt; those actions that are righteous and pious – then imagine what type of life that person would lead! This is something that we have to learn, but we can learn it gradually – like a piece-meal: We should start with some amal-e-salih and try to fall in love with them. For most of us, there would be no better amal to start with than our Salah. Now, the question is: How can I fall in love with Salah? That is going to be when you enjoy Salah.How to enjoy Salah? A person will be able to enjoy Salah, when they feel Allah swt in their prayer.How can we feel Allah swt in our Prayer? That is called dhikr; by feeling Allah swt outside our prayer. The more and more a person remembers Allah swt outside their Salah, the more they will be able to remember Him inside their Salah –> When they remember Allah Ta’ala inside their Salah –> they will start enjoying their Salah –> once they start enjoying their Salah, they will be passionate about their Salah; they will love their Salah. And, that is how our pious elders were and that is what they were trying to train people to become like – and it is one of the major aspects of Tazkiya and Tasawwuf – to take a person who is cold, dispassionate and habitual about his/her amaal and to make her/him passionate and loving about their amaal and their ibadaat towards Allah swt. One way in which we could begin to learn and practice this advice is: Try to think in terms of love; that I have to love these amaal. That is why there are so many adaab in our Deen for all of the acts of worship, so that the acts become more enjoyable and we perform them with love. For example, Adaab of Salah include: praying at a clean place, making wudhu externally and trying to purify ourselves of all types of worldly thoughts and distractions before we pray, to dress in good clothing, to apply perfume etc. Why? To make it a more pleasurable experience, and to make it an act of love! Just like we see in this world, when people do an act of love, they try to gift wrap it, give out an invitation, make sure the table is clean, prepare the meal nicely, put up candles, flowers for decoration etc i.e. these little etiquettes not only manifest love but are actually creating and amplifying the feeling of love. So, if we want to make our Salah an act of love, we need to start focusing on the adaab of Salah. As opposed to praying like most of us do it: hastily, rapidly, praying as an obligation only – Imam An-nawwawi calls it the prayer of Ibaad and he means it in a negative sense like the concept of enslaved humans is that they are forced to do what their masters tell them. We don’t want our salah to be like that, instead we should focus on beautifying it; making it an act of love. The first way, then, for us, is to try to do amal on this advice that we need to focus on our salah. Second Lesson I learnt that to be human is to desire. So I kept my nafs away from unlawful desires. And I kept making this mujahida until my nafs was pleased with only that which Allah swt was pleased with. The second lesson that Shaykh Hatim (rh) says that he learnt from his Shaykh – Shaykh Shaqiq (rh) – is that again he said that I saw humanity, I reflected upon the human condition and I saw that to be human is to desire. I thought that every human being is also guided by their desires, their pleasures, by what their nafs desires. And he says that I specifically thought of this ayah in the Qur’an: وَأَمَّا مَنۡ خَافَ مَقَامَ رَبِّهِۦ وَنَهَى ٱلنَّفۡسَ عَنِ ٱلۡهَوَىٰ فَإِنَّ ٱلۡجَنَّةَ هِىَ ٱلۡمَأۡوَىٰ Whereas for the one who feared to stand before his Lord, and restrained his self from the (evil) desire, the Paradise will be the abode. That indeed for that person who fears the status and the exalted rank of their Rabb – of Allah swt – and due to that fear and awe and reverence of Allah swt’s Might and Majesty – wa nahaya nafsa anil hawa – they prevent and they keep their nafs from following its vain and idle pleasures; from following its whims and fancies; fa innal jannata hiya al-ma’wa – that indeed Jannah will be that person’s eternal abode. [Here he is looking at this human condition and he is getting hidayah from the Qur’an al-Kareem.] Then he thinks that I need to stop; I’m also a human being, I also have a nafs, my human nafs is also going to have pleasures and desires, what is Allah swt telling me in the Qur’an; that you should stop, forbid, and keep your nafs back from following its unlawful desires and pleasures. So what I learnt from you, Shaykh, was that I have to keep my nafs away from my unlawful desires and pleasures. And he says that he kept making this mujahida (effort) until his nafs was pleased with only that which Allah swt was pleased with. [It means that: Ultimately in our deen, watch this carefully, ultimately in our deen we do refer back to doing what we please. And the most ultimate stage of life in which we do that is akhirah. Allah swt actually will endow us with a purity that we will do anything and everything that pleases us, but now we are so pure that whatever is pleasing us is exactly what’s pleasing to Him. This second nature and attribute of humanity, or aspect of human nature, is something that’s going to be with us for an eternity. That is why Allah swt uses these different phrases in constructs, over and over again in Qur’an; la tashtari anfusa hum – the ahl al-Jannah will do in Jannah what their nafs desires. So nafs having desires, and human beings wanting to do what their nafs desires, this is actually the aspect and attribute of Jannah. Allah swt wants in this world for us to do our tazkiyah, and to purify that nafs so much that it becomes nafs al-mutma’inah (purified soul), that it is radhiya tam mardhiyyah (pleasing and well pleased with Him) – it is pleased with Allah swt, its pleasure lies with which Allah swt is pleased. That nafs also desires. It doesn’t mean that nafs al-mutma’inah does not feel desire. It feels desire. But the difference between this and nafs al-ammarah (the commanding nafs) is that the nafs al-mutma’innah desires those things that Allah swt desires. That is why it’s in a state of ‘itminan, in a state of tranquillity.] So what he does is that he says that I realized that I’m a human, I have a nafs, to be human is to have a nafs, to have a nafs means to have desires, so: 1. I have to prevent my nafs from desiring. [Part of the reason we end up back in sin is because we haven’t tried to prevent our nafs from desiring that sin. What we are trying to do is wage a very difficult battle, and that is to let our nafs keep desiring it, and we only try to prevent our nafs from acting on the desires – and that’s a very difficult thing to do. Sooner or later the nafs is going to overcome us. What we really need to do is prevent our nafs from having those desires. That’s what Allah swt is saying that nahaya nafsa anil hawa – that the person prevents the nafs from having desires. If we can prevent the nafs itself from having unlawful desires, then the question of us acting on those desires, or thinking along those lines, or yearning for those things is completely gone. This is something that the mashaikh of tasawwuf understood so well that how deeply we have to purify ourselves.] 2. I worked on my nafs to make it have good desires. This is another battle that we are trying to wage and that is our nafs does not desire to pray. Despite my nafs not desiring it, I’m still going to try to do it. Sooner or later we are going to slip. We have to go deeper and make our nafs desire those things. We want to take our nafs away from desiring things we don’t want to do and for the things that we want to do, we have to go deeper and try to make our nafs desire them. When our nafs desires them itself, then doing those things becomes very easy. We can here see the depth of these people, and their understanding of deen, one can see how deeply they were able to engage themselves in this ibadat and dhikr of Allah swt, and how intensely they were able to train their students to do that. Third Lesson I learnt that to be human is to acquire. I looked around and saw that everybody was trying to acquire things of the world. And I realized that the things of the world are necessarily bound to fade away, so I started giving away my extraneous wealth and possessions (to get the eternal rewards of the akhirah). Third thing that Shaykh Hatim (rh) mentions which he learnt from keeping the company of his shaykh, that I saw humanity has another thing to them and that is that they all strive for something. They are always striving, yearning, seeking, acquiring something. To be human is to strive, to be human is to acquire, to be human is to achieve, to be human is to attain. Then I looked around and I said that let me see what is it that all these people are acquiring, what is the object of their acquisition? He saw that basically almost everybody was trying to acquire things of the dunya. He reflected on another ayah of the Qur’an al-Kareem: مَا عِندَكُمۡ يَنفَدُ‌ۖ وَمَا عِندَ ٱللَّهِ بَاقٍ۬‌ۗ What is with you shall perish and what is with Allah shall last. [16:96] That that which is with you, that which is in your possession, that which you can acquire in this world, is fading, is ephemeral; it dwindles away, passes away. And, wa ma indallah – that which lies with Allah swt, that which is in the possession and dominion of Allah swt is eternal, it is subsisting, it is never ending. He said that once I realized this, that the things that I can acquire in this world aren’t going to be everlasting, are bound to, necessarily, fade away then what I’m going to do is that I’m going to distribute them. And what he did was that he gave away all of his extraneous money and possessions. He did not give away everything. But he gave away what we call zayed an al-zarurah – that was beyond his needs, as he perceived them to be, he gave them away. [This is one of the early teachings of tasawwuf that a lot of people in contemporary times have a difficulty with. They say that why do you have to give things away, why can’t we enjoy this world? Why can’t we be of this world and why can’t we seek this world? Certainly, the later tradition of tasawwuf is a bit more soft on this, and even in the early tradition of tasawwuf you do have mashaikh who, in terms of their own lives and in their teachings, were quite well off. Some Sahaba karam (ra) like Syedna Uthman al-Ghani (ra) were very well-off. He gave a lot of money and goods in charity. But both in the lifetime of Nabi e Kareem (sws) and after the Beloved Messenger (sws) passed away from this world, even after giving away so much in charity, he remained well-off. So here you have two different possibilities of tasawwuf. The way that I think we can do amal on this is that we don’t have to give away everything absolutely that is beyond our need, but we should have a habit of giving. It is very important to have that. I think a lot of us were so settled and content in our worldly lifestyles. We were very convinced and quite certain that we don’t have to give away everything, that we don’t need to have zuhd anymore, we don’t have to renounce the world. We use that as an excuse to give away nothing. What I have heard from our mashaikh, ulema and elders, and which Prophet sws himself says in a hadith is that you should try to give from that which you love. It can also mean that to to give charity from that which you are attached to, that which you are fond of. In other words, for this type of tazkiyah, for this type of purification, we have to give something that we don’t want to give. Sometimes somebody does some fund raising for some cause. You are sitting there, and you are moved by it. In your heart you feel that I only want to give $10 or $20. And, if you think about it, you don’t want to give $30. That’s an opportunity for you to go and give the $30. It’s an opportunity to do that 3rd lesson which Shaykh Hatim (rh) has mentioned i.e. to give away what we are attached to. A lot of us give away those things that we are not attached to. We give away things that we don’t have muhabbat for. That type of giving is easy for us. This means that the whole notion of inda kum – that which you possess, that which is attached to you and you are attached to it, that is about which Allah swt is saying that all of that is going to be nothing. This whole world, every single thing that people have, is going to come to nothing when they pass away, and certainly when the world ends itself. So it means to give away from those things that we always thought of keeping with us. Not just to give away the extra money, not just to give something that we view as extra. Rather to give away something that we though that indeed that was mine, and we never imagined that it could ever be other than mine, to give something like that away. That is what Hatim (rh) is saying which had a big impact on him and that played a very big role in his tazkiyah.] We have mentioned 3 of those 8 lessons that Imam al-Ghazali (rh) wrote to his student in his letter. And we make du’a to Allah swt that may He enable us as well to make aimal as-Saleh the passion of our heart, to make it the object of our love, and to help us first and foremost do that in our salah, and to do that by bringing us to the adaab, the ettiquetes of ibadat and dhikr that befits Allah swt’s status. And then secondly, may Allah swt help us to not just avoid the bad desires, but to actually go deeper and take out those bad desires and bad pleasures. And also not just to outwardly do good acts, but to try to go deeper and try to make our nafs desire the good acts. And thirdly, may He enable us to be among those people who give away some things, even just a few things, that we viewed always to be ours, may He enable us to give a part of that away in His name and for His sake, for the khidmat and benefit of His deen, for the people of His deen, so that we will also be able to feel and respond to the ayah – that everything that is with us is actually going to fade away. And may Allah swt enable us to benefit from the advice of Shaykh Shaqiq (rh), Shaykh Hatim and Imam al-Ghazali (rh). Source

Distributing dates after nikaah Q: Is there any narration in regards to throwing kajoor in a nikaah? A: At the time of nikaah, distributing dates by giving it to people or by throwing it towards people is permissible and established in the Hadith of Sunanul Kubra of Imaam Bayhaqi. However, in the case where one throws the dates towards the people, one should ensure that the respect of the musjid is not compromised and one does not hurt anyone. And Allah Ta'ala (الله تعالى) knows best. عن عائشة رضى الله عنها أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم تزوج بعض نسائه فنثر عليه التمر (سنن الكبرى للبيهقي #15078) قال الشامي : مطلب له الأخذ من نثار السكر في العرس ويقرره أن مجرد الإلقاء من غير كلام يفيد هذا الحكم كمن ينثر السكر والدراهم في العرس وغيره فمن أخذ شيئا ملكه لأن الحال دليل على الإذن وعلى هذا لو وضع الماء والجمد على بابه يباح الشرب منه لمن مر به من غني أو فقير وكذا إذا غرس شجرة في موضع لا ملك فيه لأحد وأباح للناس ثمارها وكل ذلك مأخوذ من الحديث اه ملخصا من شرح السير الكبير (رد المحتار 4/285) Answered by: Mufti Zakaria Makada Checked & Approved: Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)

Duaa for Protection from Knowledge that Does Not Benefit عن زيد بن أرقم رضي الله عنه أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم كان يقول اللهم إني أعوذ بك من علم لا ينفع ومن قلب لا يخشع ومن نفس لا تشبع ومن دعوة لا يستجاب لها رواه مسلم والترمذي والنسائي وهو قطعة من حديث (الترغيب والترهيب 1/167) Hazrat Zaid bin Arqam (Radhiyallahu Anhu) reports that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) used to make the following Duaa: “O Allah, I seek Your protection from such knowledge that does not benefit; and from a heart that does not have khushoo’ (at the time of carrying out ibaadat); and from a nafs that does not get satiated (and content, but rather always desires more of the world); and (I seek protection) from a duaa that is not answered.” ihyaauddeen.co.za

By Khalid Baig 27 Safar 1424, 17 April 2004 If the life of this world is an illusion, the period of greatest illusion occurs during youth. It is a period of high energy and great enthusiasm, coupled with an air of invincibility and perpetuity. Like the driver of a fast car, one may also develop a disdain for the slower cars on the highway of life. It is difficult to imagine that the car will run out of fuel and that one day the engine will wear out. For the moment though the car is fast and it can go places! For this reason there are special warnings for the youth and glad tidings for the person who uses this energy wisely. A famous hadith tells us that on the Day of Judgment no man will be able to move from his place until he answers five questions. "How did he spend his life? How did he utilize his youth? How did he earn his wealth? How did he spend it? And, how did he practice what he learnt?" [Sunan al-Tirmidhi]. While the first question asks generally about one's life pattern, the second especially focuses on the period of youth. On the other hand, the person who devoted his youth to the worship of Allah will be among the selected seven kinds of people: "There are seven people for whom Allah will provide His shade on the day when there will be no shade except His shade: 1. A just ruler. 2. A youth who grew up in the worship of Allah. 3. A man whose heart is attached to the mosque. 4. Two men who love each other for Allah's sake; they meet for the sake of Allah and part company for His sake. 5. A man who is invited by a woman of beauty and position [to sin], but he refuses saying: 'I fear Allah.' 6. A man who gives in charity secretly such that his left hand does not know what his right hand gives. 7. A man whose eyes shed tears as he remembers Allah in private." [Bukhari, Muslim]. Hence the profound advice in another famous hadith to value five things: "Youth before old age, health before sickness, wealth before poverty, free time before preoccupation, and life before death." A fast car is dangerous if it does not have strong controls. And that is where Shaitan targets the vulnerable --- by loosening the controls. It has been his time-tested trick to work through temptations and make desires look irresistible. The path of deviation looks good. It is cool. It is fun. It is endlessly entertaining. The only problem is, it leads to assured disaster. This is the path of MTV and pop culture; of music and hip-hop; of rebellion and generation gap. 'Generation gap' is a clever term that aims at giving scientific respectability to rudeness and rebellion. The idea is to create a wedge between generations and make it look acceptable for a young person to be indifferent to any wise counsel from one's close and well-wishing elders. Which reminds us of the special challenge faced by the youth today. While temptations have always been strong in young age, today the problem is magnified by mega efforts targeting the youth, especially the Muslim youth in the Western world, at all levels including intellectual and philosophical. A favorite theme of these campaigns is to separate Islam from its culture. When in France, follow the French culture not the Muslim Algerian one, so the argument goes. This argument needs to be carefully deconstructed. Like all clever arguments this one also begins with a bit of truth. It is true that Islam is a universal religion and not restricted to a particular region. It is also true that many Muslim lands, during their period of decline, developed or adopted some cultural practices that were not based in Islam and need to be pruned. Certainly, not everything that has become accepted social practice in every Muslim country is Islamic. But it is a very long jump from there to conclude that everything being done in the Muslim world is un-Islamic and must be jettisoned. And it is even more bizarre to suggest that the replacement of all that with the pop-culture is just fine. When Islam reached the lands that today form the Muslim world, it influenced the life style and cultural practices there without forcing a monoculture. For example the wedding practices vary as you move from region to region in the Muslim world. (The picture is complicated by the introduction of many non-Islamic practices there as well.) Yet they also retain common features traceable to Islamic teachings. These include: 1. Marriage is a sacred act and an important religious obligation and not just a means of fulfilling physical needs. 2. While the ultimate decision to marry each other remains with the bride and groom, parental help, guidance, and support in arranging it is a blessing for them. The propaganda machine presents this common core of Islamic culture as a great burden, but one only needs to look at the unfortunate millions who are left on their own in the name of freedom, to ascertain the truth. Is it not true that if one were to draw a family-and-home-life-disaster map of the world, it will coincide with a map of the Western world? The distinctly safe area will be the Muslim world, with a gray area within it coinciding with the areas of Westernization. The safeguards and the disaster are built into the underlying cultural values and one cannot do a wholesale exchange of cultural practices without buying into the underlying values and facing the consequences. Does it mean that all Muslims can aim at is to make mini Pakistans in England or mini Algerias in France? Not at all. Islam allows for growth and adaptation and early Muslims have left great examples of it. Theirs was an example of a natural adjustment that was fully informed by Islamic teachings; it did not damage the underlying values. And it tremendously enriched the new societies. The same healthy adaptation can happen today, with benefits for everyone. The great task of Muslim youth will be to bring the life-giving message of Islam to wherever they live. With love, dedication, wisdom, and insight. But if you give up all you have, how can you give anything to anyone? Article taken (with Thanks) from Albalagh.net

Challenges facing the Youth A much needed discussion of one of the main challenges that young Muslims, both male and females, face in today's society: How to remain steadfast on the Deen and keep ones natural desires in balance. The challenge living in this society being such that its prevalent message is to stimulate and empower the sexual desires, a society in which sexual activity and promiscuity are seen as the norm. No doubt these things have only led to an increase of moral and social disruption and corruption. The speaker discusses all these challenges and gives a holistic view as to help understand where these desires come from and gives practical pointers (both spiritual, psychologically and social) for the concerned individual to help tackle this issue, to keep first and foremost their faith secure as well maintain a healthy, pure, productive lifestyle. Developing Immunity in a Hyper Sexualised Society - Mufti Abdul Rahman ibn Yusuf Mangera https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcQ2wTN0b-M&feature=youtu.be

Music & Musical Instruments Hadhrat Abu Maalik Ash'ari (radhiyallahu anhu) says that he heard Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) say: "Most certainly, there will be in my Ummah people who will make lawful fornication, silk, liquor and musical instruments." Bukhari In another version of this narration, Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said: "Most certainly, people from my Ummah will consume liquor which they will describe with some other name. Over their heads will be playing musical instruments and singing girls. Allah will cause the earth to swallow them, and from among them He will transform into apes and pigs." Ibn Maajah The truth about music Evils of music Ahaadith - music Music and singing - a detailed article Instrument free music Concerts and nasheeds Q/A is it permitted to listen to music Disposing of musical instruments Dancing

Friendship Keeping the right friends Friends who bring us closer to Allah should be sought The effects of company