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Bint e Aisha

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  1. Qalb-e-Saleem (A Sound Heart) 20 Jan 2020 Qalb-e-Saleem (A Sound Heart) When a person undertakes a long journey, he ensures his mode of transport is safe. If he is traveling by motor vehicle, he will have it serviced. The oil will be replaced with new oil. The plugs will be changed. The lifespan of the brake pads and discs will be assessed. These are some of the very few things that need to be checked in a service of a motor vehicle. If a person does not service his motor vehicle, in all probability he will have a break down and suffer the consequences of his negligence. We all are travelling to the hereafter. This is a long and arduous journey. The mode of our journey in the hereafter is Qalb-e-Saleem. Ibrahim Alayhis Salaam made Du`ā to Allāh Ta`ālā as follows: وَلَا تُخْزِنِي يَوْمَ يُبْعَثُونَ، يَوْمَ لَا يَنْفَعُ مَالٌ وَلَا بَنُونَ، إِلَّا مَنْ أَتَى اللَّهَ بِقَلْبٍ سَلِيمٍ And do not disgrace me on the Day they are [all] resurrected. The Day whereon neither wealth nor sons will avail, except him who comes to Allāh with a sound heart. [Al-Shu`arā’, 26: 87-89] . . . Qalb-e-Saleem is inculcated by servicing the heart with the following five qualities : الذي لا يكون في قلبه عقائد باطلة 1. Remove incorrect beliefs and adopt correct beliefs. الذي لا يكون في قلبه غلبة الشهوات 2. Control the overpowering of carnal desires الذي ينفق ماله الي البر 3. Spend one’s wealth in places of virtue. الذي يرشد بنيه الي الحق 4. Guide one’s children towards Haq الذي لا يكون في قلبه غير الله 5. Remove everything else from the heart besides Allāh. Just as a car has to be serviced for a smooth and safe journey, the heart has to be serviced for a smooth and safe journey to the hereafter. If we are stranded in our worldly journey, we could seek help through our worldly means: wealth, children, friends, AA, credit card, etc. All these means will not be available in the journey to the hereafter. Everyone will have to fend for himself/herself. The only security is to create a sound heart in this world for the journey to the hereafter. To service one’s car, one will refer to a mechanic. To service one’s heart, refer to the Ahlullāh and spiritual guides. – Mufti Ebrahim Desai Saheb
  2. Coronavirus, Islam and Quarantine Posted bymuslimadentist 31st Jan 2020 CORONAVIRUS The illness was first reported in late December 2019 in Wuhan, a major city in central China, and has been rapidly spreading. The name of coronavirus comes from its shape, which resembles a crown or solar corona when imaged using an electron microscope. Coronavirus is in the same family of viruses as the well-known severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), which have killed hundreds of people in the last 17 years. Coronaviruses are zoonotic, meaning they are transmitted between animals and people. Detailed investigations found that SARS-CoV was transmitted from civet cats to humans and MERS-CoV from dromedary camels to humans. Several known coronaviruses are circulating in animals that have not yet infected humans. Common signs of infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death. Standard recommendations to prevent infection spread include regular hand washing, covering mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, thoroughly cooking meat and eggs. Avoid close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness such as coughing and sneezing. WHAT DOES ISLAM SAY ABOUT QUARANTINE? Abu Salamah reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, Al-Nawawi said, “As for the statement ‘do not mix the sick with the healthy,’ it guides to avoidance of what results in harm, as per the consistent action of Allah and his decree.” Source: Sharḥ al-Nawawī ‘alá Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2220 Narrated Saud: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, EXAMPLE FROM THE LIFE OF UMAR BIN AL-KHATTAB RA Narrated `Abdullah bin `Abbas:`Umar bin Al-Khattab departed for Sham and when he reached Sargh, the commanders of the (Muslim) army, Abu ‘Ubaida bin Al-Jarrah and his companions met him and told him that an epidemic had broken out in Sham. `Umar said, “Call for me the early emigrants.” So `Umar called them, consulted them and informed them that an epidemic had broken out in Sham. Those people differed in their opinions. Some of them said, “We have come out for a purpose and we do not think that it is proper to give it up,” while others said (to `Umar), “You have along with you. other people and the companions of Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) so do not advise that we take them to this epidemic.” `Umar said to them, “Leave me now.” Then he said, “Call the Ansar for me.” I called them and he consulted them and they followed the way of the emigrants and differed as they did. He then said to them, Leave me now,” and added, “Call for me the old people of Quraish who emigrated in the year of the Conquest of Mecca.” I called them and they gave a unanimous opinion saying, “We advise that you should return with the people and do not take them to that (place) of epidemic.” So `Umar made an announcement, “I will ride back to Medina in the morning, so you should do the same.” Abu ‘Ubaida bin Al-Jarrah said (to `Umar), “Are you running away from what Allah had ordained?” `Umar said, “Would that someone else had said such a thing, O Abu ‘Ubaida! Yes, we are running from what Allah had ordained to what Allah has ordained. Don’t you agree that if you had camels that went down a valley having two places, one green and the other dry, you would graze them on the green one only if Allah had ordained that, and you would graze them on the dry one only if Allah had ordained that?” At that time `Abdur-Rahman bin `Auf, who had been absent because of some job, came and said, “I have some knowledge about this. I have heard Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) saying, ‘If you hear about it (an outbreak of plague) in a land, do not go to it; but if plague breaks out in a country where you are staying, do not run away from it.’ ” `Umar thanked Allah and returned to Medina. Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 5729 https://ilmseeker98.wordpress.com/2020/01/31/coronavirus-islam-and-quarantine/
  3. الْوَدُودُ Translation الْوَدُودُ is translated as The Loving-Kindness and The Most Affectionate. It has the meaning of both, the one who is loved and the beloved, so the Muhibb (lover) and Mahboob (Beloved). It comes from the root word وُدُّ which means pure love therefore وَدُود has purity in it. Allah ta’ala loves His friends and the pious and the people who do good deeds. Allah ta’ala is The One Who deserves to be loved the most because of His abundant blessings on us. Both, Allah ta’ala being Beloved and His loving us are found in this name. It is very similar to Al-Habeeb so some Scholars say they are both the same. In the Qur’an It is mentioned twice in the Quran. Love & Mercy Surah Hood: 90 وَاسْتَغْفِرُوا رَبَّكُمْ ثُمَّ تُوبُوا إِلَيْهِ ۚ إِنَّ رَبِّي رَحِيمٌ وَدُودٌ Seek forgiveness of your Rabb and turn to Him in repentance; for my Rabb is indeed Merciful, Affectionate. Mercy and love go together i.e. when you love someone, you will feel merciful towards them. Surah Room:21 وَمِنْ آيَاتِهِ أَنْ خَلَقَ لَكُمْ مِنْ أَنْفُسِكُمْ أَزْوَاجًا لِتَسْكُنُوا إِلَيْهَا وَجَعَلَ بَيْنَكُمْ مَوَدَّةً وَرَحْمَةً ۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ And of His signs, another one is that He created for you mates from among yourselves that you may find comfort with them, and He planted love and kindness in your hearts; surely there are signs in this for those who think about it. مَوَدَّةً comes from the same root word and here both words are used together. When people are young their emotions are intense i.e. passion, and a person will do things out of love and they are moved by feelings of the heart much more. When people are older, the emotions are not so intense and then there is رَحْمَةً and a person will do things out of mercy. So Allah ta’ala has put both مَوَدَّةً and رَحْمَةً in a relationship between husband and wife, and both are needed to make a relationship last. In the same way Allah ta’ala is describing Himself in the verse of Surah Hood, that He is رَحِيمٌ and وَدُودٌ – Merciful and Loving. Love & Forgiveness Surah Burooj: 14 وَهُوَ الْغَفُورُ الْوَدُودُ - He is the Forgiving, the Loving, This verse shows that when we love someone we are forgiving towards them and we see this when some women say they still love their husband and will forgive them even after the husbands have done terrible things to them. Also children mistreat parents but due to the parents’ love for the children they forgive them. Therefore these two Sifaat of being merciful and forgiving are especially connected to love. The more a person loves someone, the more mercy and forgiveness they will show the loved one and it is the same with Allah ta’ala. Developing Love for Allah ta’ala Imam Qurtubi (Rahimahullah) said a person needs to have certainty (Yaqeen) that Allah ta’ala loves His creation without any need. His love for us is pure. He does not need us and he does not get anything if we love Him back but it is for our benefit that we love Him. Allah ta’ala does not need our love and He does not need to love us either. Love is a powerful force and one of our main emotions. It can lead to the greatest happiness or extreme sadness in life. Connection to Allah ta’ala This is something we all want and it is the result of two things: • Obedience to Allah ta’ala • Love for Allah ta’ala These two things are the key factors to the connection with Allah ta’ala. We see people over one edge or another. There are those people who are just obedient in terms of prayers and focused on attaining Jannah and safety from Jahannam which is fine but the concept of the Love for Allah ta’ala is side lined. Then there are those who are so focused on the love of Allah ta’ala that they do not care about the commands of Allah ta’ala i.e. I love Allah ta’ala but I just cannot cover my head. While being obedient we do make mistakes but that is different to intentionally not following commands again and again without any remorse or effort to rectification. True obedience shows true love. When a person loves someone they do what the beloved wants. Love for the Sake of Allah ta’ala The Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam said: رَجُلًا زَارَ أَخًا لَهُ فِي قَرْيَةٍ أُخْرَى فَأَرْصَدَ اللَّهُ لَهُ عَلَى مَدْرَجَتِهِ مَلَكًا فَلَمَّا أَتَى عَلَيْهِ قَالَ أَيْنَ تُرِيدُ قَالَ أُرِيدُ أَخًا لِي فِي هَذِهِ الْقَرْيَةِ قَالَ هَلْ لَكَ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ نِعْمَةٍ تَرُبُّهَا قَالَ لَا غَيْرَ أَنِّي أَحْبَبْتُهُ فِي اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ قَالَ فَإِنِّي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ إِلَيْكَ بِأَنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ أَحَبَّكَ كَمَا أَحْبَبْتَهُ فِيهِ A man set out to visit his brother from another town and Allah sent an angel to him. When the man met the angel, he was asked: Where are you going? The man said: I am visiting my brother in this town. The angel said: Are you returning a favor? He said: No, only that I love him for the sake of Allah the Exalted. The angel said: I am a messenger from Allah to tell you that Allah loves you as you love him. [Muslim] Therefore loving the right people for the right reason is a way to attain Allah ta’ala’s love. Allah ta’ala loves His creation, even animals because our Deen teaches us not to hurt or abuse animals and even the slaughtering of an animal should be humane. Ways of increasing love for Allah ta’ala: • Tilaawat of the Qur’an with understanding and depth • Nawaafil Salaah • Dhikr • Sacrificing our beloved things for Allah ta’ala • Understanding the Asmaaul Husnaa • Tahajjud Salaah and Du’a in the night Therefore A’amaal are required to attain the love of Allah ta’ala. A person who has true love for Allah ta’ala will also make Du’a for his enemy. The Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam made Du’a for Hidaayah even for those who hurt and injured him. Therefore when we have love for Allah ta’ala, we will have love for His Makhlooq as well even if they are disbelievers. Du’a The Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam has taught us the following Du’a: اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ حُبَّكَ وَحُبَّ مَنْ يُحِبُّكَ وَالْعَمَلَ الَّذِي يُبَلِّغُنِي حُبَّكَ O Allah! I ask You for Your Love, the love of those who love You, and deeds which will cause me to attain Your Love. *~~*~~*
  4. الْحَكِيمُ الْحَكِيمُ is translated as The Perfectly Wise and The Most Judicious. It comes from حِكْمة which means wisdom. Definition It is that Being Who has solid planning and strategizing with no obstacles in the way. Ibn Katheer (Rahimahullah) says it is The One Who has حِكْمة in all of His acts and words. Everything is placed correctly according to His ‘Ilm, Himah and Justice. It means there is wisdom behind everything He does and commands. It is The One Who always does the right thing and in this respect, only Allah ta’ala can be الْحَكِيمُ. In the Qur’an It is mentioned 91 times in the Qur’an and never on its own. It is paired 47 times with العزیز, 32 times with العلیم, 4 times with الخبیر and a couple of times with الحمید، الواسع التواب. وَهُوَ الْقَاهِرُ فَوْقَ عِبَادِهِ ۚ وَهُوَ الْحَكِيمُ الْخَبِيرُ He is the Supreme Authority over His servants; and He is the Wise, the Aware. [Surah An’aam: 18] وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ - and He is the All-Mighty, the All-Wise. [Surah Hashr: 24] حِكْمة in His creation The commentary discusses the universe and nature saying there is wisdom behind everything Allah ta’ala created. Be it the body or the system of the universe or nature, we see that there is a function and a purpose and benefit in everything even though we cannot see it. It is easy when we see some purpose or benefit in something however the hard part is when we do not see it. For example, if we did not have lizards then there would be an over population of flies and mosquitoes. Problems are created when people meddle with the natural order of Allah ta’ala’s system. Therefore even if we do not see the wisdom behind things we should realise that Allah ta’ala is الْحَكِيمُ and there is wisdom and purpose behind everything and we may see it later or not see it at all. This point is demonstrated in the following anecdotes. Anecdote - The fly on the King’s Nose A fly came and sat on the nose of a king with pomp and royalty status. He waved it away but the fly kept returning. Annoyed at this he said he didn’t understand the purpose of the creation of flies and someone replied, “Maybe Allah ta’ala made this fly so people like you will realise there are certain things they cannot control despite their might and power and therefore keep your arrogance in check.” Anecdote – The Muslim Fisherman A story is related by Imam Ahmed bin Hambal (Rahimahullah) regarding two fishermen, one a Muslim and the other, a non-believer. As they put their fishing rods out at sea the Muslim would recite “Bismillah” however he did not catch any fish while his partner caught many. When he finally did catch one, it slipped away and he lost it. He was down about it as he felt he was taking the name of Allah ta’ala and he did not catch any fish while the non-believer was catching so many and he did not even believe in Allah ta’ala. One of the angels on his shoulder asked Allah ta’ala regarding this and Allah ta’ala showed the angel the beautiful house which the Muslim would get in the Aakhirah and the place of punishment of the non-believer. How much would not catching fish in the Dunya hurt the Muslim when he saw his abode in the Aakhirah? Therefore when these thoughts come in our minds, we should know that Allah ta’ala will reward us with a better return in the Aakhirah. Anecdote – The Scorpion and the Tortoise Imam Raazi rahmatullahi alayhi has written a story narrated by a pious person. The person narrated, “One evening I was walking along the riverbank, suddenly my eyes fell upon a scorpion walking in front of me. A thought occurred to me that this is also the Creation of Allah ta’ala and Allah ta’ala has created it out of some wisdom and reason. I did not know where it was coming from and where it was going to, or where its home was. I thought in my heart that I have got time; I have come out for a walk, so I will follow this scorpion. Therefore, I followed it. The scorpion stopped at one point on the riverbank and I stood near it. After a short while I saw a tortoise swimming towards the scorpion. To my surprise, the scorpion jumped on to the back of the tortoise and mounted itself on it. As this was an extraordinary occurrence, I was determined to see where the scorpion would go. I also tagged along to see what happens. The scorpion jumped off the tortoise's back at the other side of the riverbank and hurried along in a certain direction. Further on I saw a man sleeping under a tree. I thought to myself that the scorpion might bite the man; therefore, I should quickly awaken him. Just as I reached him, I saw a poisonous snake with its mouth wide-open standing by the head of the man. Suddenly the scorpion confronted the snake and stung it so decisively, that the snake fell onto the ground helpless. As this amazing incident unfolded before me, I thought to myself that this must be a very pious man. I approached him to request for duaas but was astonished to find him in a state of drunkenness. Just then the man woke up, and I narrated to him the incident that had just taken place. The man was very touched by what he heard and immediately repented. Allah's Mercy is always directed towards His bondsmen, only if we were to turn towards him.” (Riyadul Jannah – December 2002) – Ending slightly different to what Sobia Aapa mentioned – Aapa did not mention regarding sleeping man being a drunkard. Looking at the anecdote symbolically, we see that sometimes something appears bad and we get angry and upset however it is actually saving us from something else, something bigger or worse. That is why some Scholars say nothing is bad. We learn from the anecdote that everything has a purpose. Even Shaytaan has a purpose because the more we fight him the more reward we are getting. Therefore Allah ta’ala being الحکیم is behind things we may think are bad. Anecdote – The King and the Wazeer A king had a Wazeer (Minister) who, under all circumstances would say, “My king, do not be worry, because Allah ta’ala has put Khayr in it.” One day the king cut his finger and was his habit, the Wazeer said, “My king, do not be worry, because Allah ta’ala has put Khayr in it.” Enraged, the king had him arrested and jailed and again the Wazeer said the same thing. Later, the king left for a hunting trip and got separated from the party and tired decided to rest under a tree. As he was resting an animal appeared and would have attacked him had the animal not turned away from the smell of the blood from the King’s wound. Eventually the king found his party and on returning he ordered the release of the Wazeer and happily related to him what had happened and said that he had been right. The King said to the Wazeer that he did not understand why the Wazeer was put in jail as he had not been in any danger. The Wazeer replied that had he been with the king then he would have been devoured by the animal as there as he did not have any wound so Allah ta’ala had put Khayr in everything. Counsel To be a person of Hikmah is something we are all trying to be. It is not something anyone is born with. It is experience so we should make Du’a to be a person of Hikmah. In Surah Baqarah (Verse 269), Allah ta’ala says, يُؤْتِي الْحِكْمَةَ مَنْ يَشَاءُ ۚ وَمَنْ يُؤْتَ الْحِكْمَةَ فَقَدْ أُوتِيَ خَيْرًا كَثِيرًا ۗ وَمَا يَذَّكَّرُ إِلَّا أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِ He grants wisdom to whom He pleases; and whoever is granted wisdom is indeed given a great wealth, yet none except people of understanding learn a lesson from it. Having Hikmah is a “great wealth.” Luqman AS was famous as Luqmaan-al-Hakeem. Allah ta’ala granted him Hikmah to do Shukr therefore a person with Hikmah will have the wisdom to do Shukr, Sabr, Tawakkul etc. and so Hikmah is a Majmu’ah (Collection) of many characteristics. In any situation, in any worst case scenario, like the Wazeer in the story, we should think there must be Hikmah of Allah ta’ala in it even if we cannot see it. If we truly believe Allah ta’ala is الْحَكِيمُ then we will know there is wisdom behind every situation and that we will see it later or be rewarded in the Aakhirah. This will bring tranquillity in the heart. *~~*~~*
  5. الْوَاسِعُ Translation الْوَاسِعُ is translated as The All-Embracing and The All-Pervading. It comes from the root word وُسْعَتْ which means to be expansive, vast. Allah ta’ala is vast in His Dhaat and Sifaat.In the Qur’an it is always linked with other names i.e. knowledge, generosity etc. It means it is an expansiveness that extends as far as possible. Definition What does it mean to be وَاسِعُ? Some Scholars have looked at it in terms of generosity that He is that Being Who is so generous that His generosity is enough for His dependant slaves. His provisions are so all-encompassing that they are enough for all of creation. الْوَاسِعُ is also that Being in Whose possession is all power and all knowledge of everything and His Rahmah covers everything. In the Qur’an there is a famous verse, وَرَحْمَتِي وَسِعَتْ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ - yet My mercy encompasses everything [Surah A’raaf:156] Therefore, Allah ta’ala’s mercy envelopes, encompasses, covers everything, all of humanity and all of creation. Some Scholars say Allah ta’ala’s Rahmah is the most vast and comprehensive Sifat, and some say this verse is of the Mutashaabihaat i.e. not understood by the intellect similar to when Allah ta’ala says about the Arsh encompassing everything so His Rahmah is surrounding, enveloping, encompassing the circumference of the whole universe and is وَاسِع and in this name Allah ta’ala Himself is being regarded as الْوَاسِعُ. Poets and Spiritual people like Mawlana Rumi (Rahimahullah) have written poetry regarding this. It comes in Surah Luqman, verse 27, وَلَوْ أَنَّمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ مِنْ شَجَرَةٍ أَقْلَامٌ وَالْبَحْرُ يَمُدُّهُ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ سَبْعَةُ أَبْحُرٍ مَا نَفِدَتْ كَلِمَاتُ اللَّهِ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ If all the trees on earth were pens, and the ocean were ink, replenished by seven more oceans, the writing of Allah's Words (His wonderful signs and creations) would not be exhausted; surely Allah is Mighty Wise. Therefore Allah ta’ala is وَاسِع in terms of His knowledge, generosity, Rizq etc. and His vastness is also in His praise which never ends and the bounties He gives humanity are limitless and inexhaustible. Everything in the world and even the Angles who are described as huge, have limits. Every creation has limits but Allah ta’ala has no limits. In the Qur’an It is used 9 times in the Qur’an and always paired with another name. It comes 7 times with الْعَلِيمُ and once with الْحَكِيمُ and once with مَغْفِرَة. وَلِلَّهِ الْمَشْرِقُ وَالْمَغْرِبُ ۚ فَأَيْنَمَا تُوَلُّوا فَثَمَّ وَجْهُ اللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ To Allah belong the East and the West; whichever direction you turn your face there is the presence of Allah. Surely Allah is All-Embracing and All-Knowing. [Surah Baqarah: 115] وَكَانَ اللَّهُ وَاسِعًا حَكِيمًا - other out of His own limitless resources, Allah is Amplegiving, Wise. [Surah Nisaa’: 130] إِنَّ رَبَّكَ وَاسِعُ الْمَغْفِرَةِ - surely for them your Rabb will have abundant forgiveness [Surah Najm:32] Regarding وُسْعَتْ The commentary in one of the books mentions science and the universe a lot. The oceans are regarded as vast and deep and people are still exploring them. It is said that we know more about the moon than the bottom of the oceans in some places. They are vast and a mystery. The space is vast and still being explored. It is said to be expanding all the time and Allah ta’ala is الْوَاسِعُ, vaster than the oceans and space. In answer to people who do not understand God and why He does certain things, how can He be fully understood when His creation like the space, oceans, black holes etc., cannot be understood? Allah ta’ala is الْوَاسِعُ – it means to make something vast or expand. One of the ways to feel it is to look at the stars and the ocean in darkness and one will realize that out there is a huge universe and Allah ta’ala pervades all of it and He is beyond space and time. The theological and philosophical point that comes out is that Allah ta’ala is so vast in so many of His characteristics that it is beyond our understanding even though He is so close to us.. Du’a The Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam taught two Du’a for وُسْعَتْ, one for وُسْعَتْ in Akhlaaq (Internal) and one for the home (External.) Du’a for an expansive character O Allah! Forgive my sins, give expansion to my character, make lawful my earnings, give me contentment in whatever You provided me and do not make me quest something which You turned away from me. (taken from Munaajat-e-Maqbool). What does it mean to have Wasi’ Akhlaaq? It means that a person in terms of his character and deeds is open-hearted. He gives, helps and shares with others. Everyone is nice to friends. The test is to have Wasi’ Akhlaaq with someone we do not like or there is no expectation of anything from them. We should ask Allah ta’ala to make our character expansive so that we can imbibe and take part in this name. Du’a for expansion in the home Allaahummagh fir lee Dhambi wa wassi’ lee fee daari wa baarik lee fee rizqee O Allah! Forgive my sins and give expansion in my home and grant blessings in my Rizq. Mufti Taqi Uthmani Sahib explains that there are two ways to understand وُسْعَتْ in the home, • It refers to space i.e. a home big enough for the people to live in so that it is not too small or claustrophobic. • It has a metaphorical meaning. We are asking Allah ta’ala to make the people of the house have وُسْعَتْ in their hearts so that it is a place of peace and not a place where hearts feel constricted and where there is conflict. *~~*~~*
  6. Connecting with Allah through Exams JANUARY 13, 2019BY SIBLINGS OF ILM Exam periods for nearly every student is that time of year which they dread. No matter what the exam is, whether they are school/college exams, madrassah exams, your driving test, regardless of what exam it is, without a doubt it is one of the most stressful times for a student. Having to cram everything in which you have been taught in the past few months, in the past year(s) even, for an exam can be very nerve wracking and difficult for any individual. To pass an exam one must always prepare well. Revising thoroughly, understanding and memorising everything you have been taught. Many students try to cram everything in the last minute and others also have sleepless nights. Many people have different revision methods some work for some and not for others. Everyone has their own way and technique. How many students have you come across who haven’t been attending lessons, let alone paying attention in lesson yet they still manage to achieve the best of marks? Whereas, those who have been revising constantly and putting in their effort just about scrape the pass mark. Tawakkul [توكل] It all depends on tawakkul. Do whatever you can in your power, but know that ultimately, your brain cannot do anything for you, your memory power cannot do anything for you, your skills of writing/speaking cannot do anything for you. Nothing can help you without Allāh wanting to help you. Nothing will make you pass if Allāh has not written for you to pass. In essence, the main thing you need in order to pass your exam(s) is tawakkul, trust in your Lord, Allāh Taʿālā. Humble yourselves before Allāh. Nothing is because of you. You do not pass your exams because of your efforts. It is Allāh who have given you the ability to do all the preparations for your exams in the first place. It is all from Allāh. So, humble yourself, turn to Allāh and place your utmost trust in Allāh. يَقُولُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى أَنَا عِنْدَ ظَنِّ عَبْدِي بِي، وَأَنَا مَعَهُ إِذَا ذَكَرَنِي It has been narrated by the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ that Allāh has said, “I am just as My servants thinks of Me and I am with him whenever he thinks of Me…”[1] Tawakkul is not in the means (i.e pens, books, brains etc). Allāh has granted us the means, use all the means you may but place all your trust in Allāh. A Ṣaḥābi رضى الله عنه had asked the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ, “O Messenger of Allāh ﷺ! Shall I tie it (the camel) and rely (upon Allāh), or leave it loose and rely (upon Allāh)?” The Messenger of Allāh ﷺ said, “Tie it and rely (upon Allāh).”[2] قَالَ رَجُلٌ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ أَعْقِلُهَا وَأَتَوَكَّلُ أَوْ أُطْلِقُهَا وَأَتَوَكَّلُ قَالَ اعْقِلْهَا وَتَوَكَّل Which proves to us that we may use the means given to us, but in the end, Allāh is the One in total control. Allāh Taʿālā states in the Qur’ān, الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَتَطْمَئِنُّ قُلُوبُهُمْ بِذِكْرِاللهِ أَلَا بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُوبُ Those who have believed and whose hearts have rest in the remembrance of Allāh. Verily in the remembrance of Allāh do hearts find rest.[3] Duʿā is a form of remembrance [دعاء] Duʿā is a form of remembrance of Allāh and a duʿā is a very powerful tool of a Muslim. Allāh loves a slave who turns to Him. Imām Nawawī رحمه الله mentioned a ḥadīth in his Arbaʿīn that the Beloved of Allāh ﷺ mentioned, تَعَرَّفْ إلَى اللهِ فِي الرَّخَاءِ يَعْرِفُك فِي الشِّدَّةِ Recognise and acknowledge Allāh in times of ease and prosperity, and Allāh will remember you in times of adversity. Call out to Allāh with the name that suits best your situation For example, if you are having a mental block and fail to remember information, two of Allāh’s 99 names are Al-Fatāh [الفتاح] and Al-Ḥafīẓ [ألحفيظ]. Allāḥ is Al-Fattāḥ, The Opener, Allāh will open your mind and heart for you to make it easier for you to understand and memorise. Allāh is Al-Ḥafīẓ, The Protector, Allāh is the One who will help you protect the knowledge which Allāh has allowed to enter your brain and heart. So, call out to Allāh in abundance by using these names: Yā Fattāḥ, Yā Ḥafīẓ. Many Scholars have advised that if one wishes to achieve a task it is encouraged to read Sūrah Fatḥ (sūrah number 48) every morning and inshāAllāh you will achieve your goals. Reciting Durūd Sharīf in abundance In an exam, if you manage to forget anything, sincerely send durūd upon the Nabī of Allāh ﷺ and Allāh will inshāAllāh remind you of what you have forgotten as when you send ṣalawāt upon Nabī ﷺ, the Angels present it to Nabī ﷺ straight away and in return Allāh grants you 10 mercies as the ḥadīth mentions: مَنْ صَلَّى عَلَىَّ صَلاَةً صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ بِهَا عَشْرًا Whoever invokes one blessing upon me, will receive ten blessings from Allāh.[4] Dhikr – Remembrance of Allāh [ذكر الله] Dhikr in general sharpens one’s memory so constantly be in the state of dhikr. Dhikr is one form of worship which you can do anywhere and in any state. رَبِّ اشْرَحْ لِي صَدْرِي وَيَسِّرْ لِي أَمْرِي وَاحْلُلْ عُقْدَةً مِّن لِّسَانِي يَفْقَهُوا قَوْلِي My Lord! Open for me my chest and ease my task for me and make loose the knot from my tongue so that they understand my speech.[5] In this duʿā you are asking Allāh to open for you your chest so you are able to understand and maintain the information which you deem valuable. In addition, you are asking Allāh to ease your task [in this case your exam] for you. رَّبِّ زِدْنِى عِلْمًا O my Lord! Increase me in knowledge.[6] This should be read in abundance whilst studying/revising and generally everyday, to every lesson asking Allāh to grant you more knowledge, as the more knowledge you understand and memorise, the easier your exam will be for you, inshāAllāh. اللَّهُمَّ لا سَهْلَ إِلا مَا جَعَلْتَهُ سَهْلا، وَأَنْتَ إِنْ شِئْتَ جَعَلْتَ الْحَزَنَ سَهْلا Oh Allāh! Nothing is easy except what You have made easy. If You wish, You can make the difficult easy.[7] This duʿā can and should be read when one is worrying and stressed. Alongside you are asking Allāh to make the exam easy for you. رَّبِّ أَدْخِلْنِي مُدْخَلَ صِدْقٍ وَأَخْرِجْنِي مُخْرَجَ صِدْقٍ وَاجْعَل لِّي مِنْ لَدُنْكَ سُلْطَانًا نَصِيرًا My Lord! Let my entry be good, and let my exit (also) be good. And grant me from You an authority to help me.[8] Although this duʿā was made by the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ, pleading to Allāh to make the exit from Makkah and the arrival in Madīnah both good and smooth, the wording of this duʿā can be read in many other situations too. Supplicating to Allāh using the words of the Qur’ān and the words of Nabī ﷺ grants us a much bigger chance of our duʿās being accepted. Shaykh Mawlānā Bilāl Ṣāḥib (a senior Ḥadīth teacher at Dārul ʿUlūm Bury) has advised that on receiving your exam paper, turn it over without looking at it and recite the following: Durūd sharīf – [3 times] سُبْحَانَكَ لَا عِلْمَ لَنَا إِلَّا مَا عَلَّمْتَنَا ۖ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ الْعَلِيمُ الْحَكِيمُ [11 times] يَا فَتَّاحُ [11 times] فَصَبْرٌ جَمِيلٌ واللهُ الْمُسْتَعَانُ عَلَى مَا تَصِفُون [7 times] Durūd sharīf – [3 times] and inshāAllāh the help of Allāh will be with you. These specific methods (of reciting a particular number of times) are not strictly found in the Qur’ān nor the Sunnah, rather they are prescribed based on the experience of many individuals. These are just a few of the duʿās that students can make during the exam period, however there are many more duʿās which one may make including during the time of Tahajjud, praying nafl ṣalāḥs asking Allāh for help [ḥājāt] and so on. Whilst making duʿās for yourself, remember to make duʿā for all those around the world who may also have exams too as in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim there is a ḥadīth which states that there is no believing servant who supplicates for his brother behind his back (in his absence) except that the Angels say, “The same be for you too”. There is another ḥadīth in Abū Dāwūd which mentions that the supplication which is answered the quickest is the one done in the absence of another Muslim – [as the Angels say “may the same be for you.”]. Do Not Despair Exam results bring about mix feelings within a student. For some, it is an answered prayer, for others it may not be. It is important that it does not result in you questioning Allāh or His Will. Although you may not see your duʿā being accepted as you would have liked to, it has been accepted through other means. As the following Ḥadīth explains: The Messenger of Allāh (ﷺ) said, “There is not a Muslim upon the earth who calls upon Allāh with any supplication, except that Allāh grants it to him, or he turns away from him the like of it in evil; as long as he does not supplicate for something sinful, or the severing of the ties of kinship.” So a man from the people said, “What if we should increase (in duʿā)” He (ﷺ) said, “(With) Allāh is more.”[9] Your duʿā has not gone to waste, as Allāh has used it to turn away something evil which was to occur. How wonderful is that? Remain positive, and work harder. May Allāh Taʿālā grants us all success in this world and the Hereafter and may Allāh allow us to pass the real test in the hereafter with flying colours. Āmīn. Written by MusingSoul [1] Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī (7505), Ṣaḥīḥ al-Muslim (2675) [2] Jāmiʿ Tirmidhī (2707) [3] Qur’ān, Sūrah Rʿad (13) verse 18 [4] Sunan Abī Dāwūd (523) [5] Qur’ān, Sūrah Ṭā-Ḥā (20), verse 25-28 [6] Qur’ān, Sūrah Ṭā-Ḥā (20), verse 114 [7] Ibn Ḥibbān in his Ṣaḥīḥ [8] Qur’ān, Sūrah Banī Isrā’īl (20), verse 80 [9] Jāmiʿ Tirmidhī (3573)
  7. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCEWO8P12oE سورة ص شيخ ياسر الدوسري
  8. About lowering the gaze Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: Looking generates thoughts, then thoughts generate ideas, then ideas generate desire, then desires generate will, then the will grows strong and resolves to do the deed, and then the deed will inevitably take place unless there is something to prevent it. Concerning this it was said that patience in lowering the gaze is easier than patience in bearing the pain that comes afterwards. End quote. Al-Jawaab al-Kaafi (p. 106).
  9. الْمُجِيبُ Translation الْمُجِيبُ is translated as The Fulfiller of Prayers and The Responsive. Definition الْمُجِيبُ is The One Who responds to requests of those who ask by assisting them. It is The One Who fulfills the needs of the needy one. He blesses before the request and grants favours before the entreaty and this belongs to Allah ta’ala alone as He knows the needs of the needy one. Imam Ghazali says, He knows the needs of the needy before they [even] ask; indeed He already knew them in eternity, so He arranged the sources sufficient to their needs by creating food and nourishment, and by facilitating both the causes and the means of fulfilling all these needs. Allah ta’ala is the best of responders. In Surah Saaffaat, verse 37 Allah ta’ala says, وَلَقَدْ نَادَانَا نُوحٌ فَلَنِعْمَ الْمُجِيبُونَ - Nuh prayed to Us; see how excellent was Our response to his prayer. Allah ta’ala is praising Himself saying He is the best Responder. He responds to the Du’a of the مُضْطَر أَمَّنْ يُجِيبُ الْمُضْطَرَّ إِذَا دَعَاهُ وَيَكْشِفُ السُّوءَ وَيَجْعَلُكُمْ خُلَفَاءَ الْأَرْضِ ۗ أَإِلَٰهٌ مَعَ اللَّهِ ۚ قَلِيلًا مَا تَذَكَّرُونَ Just think who answers the oppressed person when he cries out to Him and relieves his affliction, and makes you, O mankind, inheritors of the earth? Is there another god besides Allah? How little do you reflect! [Surah Naml:62] A مُضْطَر is one who is in a hard pressed situation who can find no way out and has become despondent due to losing hope. Here Allah ta’ala asks Who is it Who listens to a مُضْطَر? Why does Allah ta’ala specifically mention a person who is despondent? It is because this person has lost hope in the world and does not have any integral energy to continue. He has hit rock bottom and now sees only Allah ta’ala and he calls on Allah ta’ala with Ikhlaas and Allah ta’ala listens to his call and gives him vice regency on the land. The reason why Allah ta’ala listens to this Du’a is the person’s sincerity. The person does not even have to be a good person but the sincerity is what gets him heard. A person can even be an atheist and as the saying goes, “There are no atheists in potholes.” People who hide in these dug up potholes during war will pray to be saved even if do not believe in God. The sincerity comes out in desperate situations and this is what Allah ta’ala loves. In the Qur’an فَاسْتَغْفِرُوهُ ثُمَّ تُوبُوا إِلَيْهِ ۚ إِنَّ رَبِّي قَرِيبٌ مُجِيبٌ So seek His forgiveness and turn to Him in repentance. Surely my Lord is Ever Near, All-Responsive ˹to prayers˺.” [Surah Hood: 61] Du’a are accepted by الْمُجِيبُ Therefore call your Lord. He knows even before the words leave your tongue. All that is required is Ikhlaas. The Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam said, “Three supplications are answered without a doubt: the supplication of an oppressed person, the supplication of a traveler, and the supplication of a parent for his child.” [Ibn Majah] The version narrated by Imam Ahmad says: “the prayer of a father against his child.” The question that comes up is, why are these people specifically mentioned? They are all in despondency. They have lost hope. They are in distress. The oppressed person has no one to help them, the traveller is without rest and needs and is stressed and the parent is hurt by his own child. Our Du’a are always Accepted Sometimes we think, our Du’a are not being answered however Allah ta’ala does answer Du’a. The Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam said, “There is no Muslim who supplicates to Allah without sin or cutting family ties in it but that Allah will give him one of three answers: he will hasten fulfillment of his supplication, he will store it for him in the Hereafter, or he will divert an evil from him similar to it.” They said, “In that case we will ask for more.” The Prophet said, “Allah has even more.” [Musnad Aḥmad] “Nothing can change the Divine Decree except Dua’.” [Tirmidhi] Ask only from Allah ta’ala Du’a is only made to Allah ta’ala and no one else, not even a Prophet. Allah ta’ala says in the Qur’an, وَمَنْ أَضَلُّ مِمَّنْ يَدْعُو مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ مَنْ لَا يَسْتَجِيبُ لَهُ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ وَهُمْ عَنْ دُعَائِهِمْ غَافِلُونَ And who could be more astray than the one who invokes those deities besides Allah who cannot answer him till the Day of Resurrection - which, in fact, are not even aware that they are being invoked? [Surah Ahqaaf: 5] Anyone who asks from other than Allah ta’ala is negligent. Du’a is an ‘Ibaadah Du’a and Dhikr are means of attaining proximity to Allah ta’ala. The Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam said, الدعاء مخ العبادة - “Du’a is the essence of worship”[ Tirmidhi] Counsel Therefore we should make Du’a from the heart and not just from memory, with hope and know that Allah ta’ala is listening. Recite Durood before and after and do not show lack of respect. When a person says my Du’a are not accepted or it is taking so long then that is lack of respect which affects the acceptance of Du’a. Sins and Haraam food or lifestyle affects the acceptability of Du’a as does leaving enjoining good and forbidding evil. The Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam said, “Allah the Almighty is good and accepts only that which is good. And verily Allah has commanded the believers to do that which He has commanded the Messengers. So the Almighty has said: “O (you) Messengers! Eat of the tayyibat (good things), and perform righteous deeds” [23:51] and the Almighty has said: “O you who believe! Eat of the lawful things that We have provided you” [2:172]. Then he (peace be upon him) mentioned a man who, having journeyed far, is dishevelled and dusty, and who spreads out his hands to the sky saying, “O Lord! O Lord!” while his food is haram, his drink is haram, his clothing is haram, and he has been nourished with haram, so how can [his supplication] be answered?” [Muslim] “By Him in Whose Hand my life is, you either enjoin good and forbid evil, or Allah will certainly soon send His punishment to you. Then you will make supplication and it will not be accepted”. [Hadeeth No. 193, Riyadhus Saliheen, Chapter 23] Allah ta’ala wants us to make Du’a and becomes angry when we don’t. The Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam said, “The person who does not ask from Allah (supplicates); Allah Ta’ala becomes angry with him” [Tirmidhi] Imam Ghazali (Rahimahullah) says, “Man needs to be responsive first of all to his Lord, in whatever He commands or forbids him to do, and whatever He assigns to him or summons him to do. Then to His servants, in whatever God has bestowed on him by way of enabling him to do it; and in assisting every beggar in whatever they ask him, if he is able to do it; or with a kind response if he is unable to do so.” *~~*~~*
  10. الرَّقِيبُ Translation الرَّقِيبُ is translated as The Watchful One and The All-Observing. Definition It is that Being Who is protecting and always with us. He is observant of everything external and internal i.e. feelings, passing thoughts. We may pretend about something though we know what we are doing and why, but Allah ta’ala is watchful and observing. Imam Ghazali (Rahimahullah) says, “For whoever cares for something to the point of never forgetting it, and observes it with a constant and persistent gaze — so that if one to whom it was forbidden knew about the surveillance he would not approach it: such a one is called observant. It is as though this name refers to knowledge and protection together, but with regard to its being constant and persistent, in addition to there being something forbidden and protected from access. In the Qur’an It is mentioned three times in the Qur’an. مَا قُلْتُ لَهُمْ إِلَّا مَا أَمَرْتَنِي بِهِ أَنِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ رَبِّي وَرَبَّكُمْ ۚ وَكُنْتُ عَلَيْهِمْ شَهِيدًا مَا دُمْتُ فِيهِمْ ۖ فَلَمَّا تَوَفَّيْتَنِي كُنْتَ أَنْتَ الرَّقِيبَ عَلَيْهِمْ ۚ وَأَنْتَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ شَهِيدٌ I never said anything other than what You commanded me to say, that is to worship Allah, Who is my Rabb and your Rabb. I was a witness over them as long as I remained among them; but when You called me off, You were the Watcher over them and You are a Witness to everything [Surah Maa’idah:117] This is the episode of ‘Isaa AS when Allah ta’ala asked him if he had told the people to worship him (i.e. ‘Isaa AS) and ‘Isaa AS replied saying he had told them what Allah ta’ala had commanded him to say. In Surah Ahqaaf, Allah ta’ala says He is watchful over everything. Counsel We should know and feel that Allah ta’ala is الرَّقِيبُ and Scholars say the best way to do that is to make Dhikr and reflect (Muraaqabah). A man came to the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam and said, “Messenger of Allah, the laws of Islam have become too many for us, so [give us] a means of access to which we can cling which is comprehensive.” He, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam said, “Let not your tongue cease to be moist with the remembrance of Allah.” The feeling that Allah ta’ala is watching me should always be present. This is similar to being aware of security cameras being there in a shopping mall which prevents a person from doing anything wrong. So to know that Allah ta’ala is ever watchful. Be watchful over your own heart and its intentions. Ask yourself why you did a certain act or said certain words and in this way be watchful over your Nafs and Shaytaan’s tricks. By being Raqeeb over our own hearts in this way we can work on our own selves in a productive way. Imam Ghazali (Rahimahullah) says, the attribute of watchfulness is only praiseworthy in man if his watchfulness is directed to his Lord and his heart. And that will be the case when he knows that God the most high observes him and sees him in every situation, as well as knowing that his own soul is an enemy to him, and that Satan is his enemy; and that both of them take the opportunity to prompt him to forgetfulness and disobedience. So he becomes wary with regard to both of them by noticing their abode, their deceptions, and the occasions of their eruption, so that he can block both of them from using the entrances and the exits to his heart — that is his watchfulness. *~~*~~*
  11. الْكَرِيمُ Translation الْكَرِيمُ is translated as The Most Generous and The Bountiful. Ibn Arabi (Rahimahullah) has mentioned sixteen different meanings of this name. Definition It is The One Who forgives and fulfills promises even though He is so powerful. His generosity overlooks shortcomings. His generosity exceeds the limits one could hope for when he gives. الْكَرِيمُ gives more than a person hopes for, giving without asking, happy when giving and angry when it is asked for from someone else. Only Allah ta’ala can be The True كَرِيم. The utmost level of “Karam” – generosity, is with Allah ta’ala. There is another Sifat called being “Sakhee” which means being generous and giving however it may not be out of good character and the generosity may be out of affectation. In the Qur’an يَا أَيُّهَا الْإِنْسَانُ مَا غَرَّكَ بِرَبِّكَ الْكَرِيمِ O man! What has lured you away from your gracious Rabb [Surah Infitaar: 6] The weakness of man is that he has no sense of loyalty and is not faithful to Allah. Despite the innumerable bounties that Allah ta’ala bestows on man, man is still ungrateful and disobeys Him. This is self-delusion. Man thinks he has everything due to his effort and forgets the generosity of Allah ta’ala. وَمَنْ كَفَرَ فَإِنَّ رَبِّي غَنِيٌّ كَرِيمٌ But whoever is ungrateful, surely my Lord is Self-Sufficient, Most Generous.” [Suarh Naml: 40] Even though people are ungrateful, Allah ta’ala does not decrease in His generosity. فَتَعَالَى اللَّهُ الْمَلِكُ الْحَقُّ ۖ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْكَرِيمِ Now Allah be exalted, the True King! There is no God save Him, the Lord of the Throne of Grace. [Surah Mu’minoon:116] Despite being The Soveriegn and The Lord of the Throne He is still Kareem. Kareem used for Honour Kareem is high level beautific adjective for Allah ta’ala, Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam, and other noble things like the Qur’an (Qur’an Kareem) and a noble reward (Arjun kareem) and a noble provision (Rizqun kareem) etc. Thus honourable things are mentioned with the word Kareem. Allah ta’ala says in the Qur’an, وَمَنْ يُهِنِ اللَّهُ فَمَا لَهُ مِنْ مُكْرِمٍ ۚ He who is humbled by Allah has none who can raise him to honor [Surah Hajj:18] Allah ta’ala is generous in not just materialistic, tangible things but also the intangible. Counsel Imam Ghazali (Rahimahullah) says, “Man may endeavour to acquire these qualities, but only in some things and with a sort of affectation. In this way he may be characterized as generous, yet he remains deficient by comparison with the absolutely generous. How can he not be so characterized when the messenger of God — may God's mercy and peace be upon him — said: ‘Do not call the grapevine generous; it is the Muslim who is generous’ Now it is said that the grapevine is described as generous because it is a compliant shrub, with delicious fruit that is easy to pick, within reach, and free from thorns and other causes of harm — unlike the date palm. *~~*~~*
  12. الْجَلِيلُ Translation الْجَلِيلُ is translated as The Majestic and The Glorious. It has the meaning of being powerful and mighty. The traits of Allah ta’ala are divided into two: • Sifaat-e-Jalaali – The traits to do with domination, anger, strength, and there are only a few of these. • Sifaat-e-Jamaali – The traits that are to do with beauty, mercy etc. and there are more of these. Some Scholars say الْجَلِيلُ has both – similar to this is الْكَبِيرُ. Allah ta’ala is Majestic in His Dhaat (Essence) and it refers to Allah ta’ala being perfect and The Greatest in terms of His Dhaat. Another is الْعَظِيمُ and this is understood as Allah ta’ala being perfect in His Dhaat and Sifaat but perceived by intellectual insight. الْجَلِيلُ means perfection of the attributes of Allah ta’ala meaning Allah ta’ala is majestic in His attributes. In the Qur’an Allah ta’ala says, لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْءٌ – There is nothing like Him. Therefore He is Majestic and above and beyond everything in His Dhaat and Sifaat. Mulla Ali Qari (Rahimahullah) said when you try to understand this Sifat of Allah ta’ala everything in the universe becomes the manifestation of Allah ta’ala’s greatness i.e. certain amazing facts about the sun which Aalimah S. Ahmed mentioned are a manifestation of His greatness. This is when you ponder on the Sifaat of Jalaal and look at the world around you, then your love and fear of Allah ta’ala increases and thereafter respect for His Book will increase and then respect for the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam will develop. Counsel To connect to this name we should ponder on the Jalaal of Allah ta’ala when we look at nature. To have mercy on those who seem weaker or lower than you. To Allah ta’ala the most educated and the richest are equal to those who are poor and least educated so we cannot regard anyone lower to us. In front of Allah ta’ala’s Jalaal we are small. The feeling should develop in the heart that we are so small and insignificant and that true Adhmat (Greatness) belongs only to Allah ta’ala. *~~*~~*
  13. الْحَسِيبُ Translation الْحَسِيبُ is translated as The Reckoner and The Accounter. It comes from حَسِبَ – to reckon / judge. Muhaasabah is to take accountability. It also means to be enough so The One Who is enough is al-Haseeb. Definition It is understood in different ways. Shaykh Sa’di (Rahimahullah) said it is that Being Who knows His servants very well, in totality. It is that Being Who is enough for those who trust Him i.e. Tawakkul. وَمَنْ يَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ فَهُوَ حَسْبُهُ - for Allah is all sufficient for the person who puts his trust in Him. [Surah Talaaq: 3] Allah ta’ala is Haseeb for the person who trusts Him and knows Allah ta’ala is enough for him and if a person puts his trust in someone else then, Scholars write that that person is lost. We see this when people run after this or that person or think, “If I do this, I’ll be the happiest person in the world” and they put all their hopes and expectations in a person or thing or system. Then when the breakdown happens (which sooner or later will happen) then they are totally lost. Imam Ghazali (Rahimahullah) writes, whoever becomes Allah ta’ala’s, Allah ta’ala is enough for him i.e. if a person gives himself wholeheartedly to Allah ta’ala then He will be enough for him and when Allah ta’ala is enough for a person (Materially or spiritually) then the person does not need anyone else. Obviously we live in the world and need to have people around us but that is different. You do not need someone to the extent that you cannot live without them. We have this problem of wanting to be appreciated but some people do not have that need as the more Tawakkul a person has in Allah ta’ala, the less they have the need to be appreciated and praised and though it is nice to get it, the need is not there. There is a story of someone who was abused verbally and he said, “If what you say is true then Allah forgive me and if I go to Jannah and Allah is pleased with me then none of what you say matters.” This person had the feeling that Allah ta’ala was enough for him and it did not matter that he was abused and not praised. No one can share in this trait. Tawakkul فَقُلْ حَسْبِيَ اللَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۖ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ ۖ وَهُوَ رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمِ Allah is all-sufficient for me. There is no God but Him. In Him I have put my trust. He is the Rabb of the Mighty Throne [Surah Tawbah: 129] People of Tawakkul place their trust in Allah ta’ala. It becomes manifest in a situation where it is you verses the world, when you know something is the right thing to do according to Deen and everyone is against you. In the Qur’an It is mentioned in different ways in the Qur’an. Surah Nisaa’: 6 - وَكَفَىٰ بِاللَّهِ حَسِيبًا Allah sufficeth as a Reckoner. Surah Naba: 36 - جَزَاءً مِنْ رَبِّكَ عَطَاءً حِسَابًا A recompense from your Rabb and a gift beyond their account. The second meaning of الْحَسِيبُ is to estimate/ account. الشَّمْسُ وَالْقَمَرُ بِحُسْبَانٍ - The sun and the moon move along their computed courses [Surah Ar-Rahmaan: 5] The sun and the moon move in an estimated measure i.e. they do not collide with each other. Muhaasabah From the same word comes the word, Muhaasabah. – to evaluate one’s self. We should try to take an account of ourselves before the Day of Judgment. Counsel We should do Muhaasabah in this world. It is mentioned in Hadith that we should evaluate ourselves before we are evaluated. Though we may be weak and we need other people, we should know that in our strength and in our intentions, Allah ta’ala is enough. He is الْحَسِيبُ. To live in this world we do have to depend and trust people otherwise we would not even go to a doctor. We have to trust family and friends but we should know that perfect trust and dependency is on Allah ta’ala and not people, not even your parents or husband. Poem: “When Allah is with you, what are you scared of? When Allah is not with you, nothing will help you” Imam Shafi’ee (Rahimahullah) on his deathbed said, “You are enough for me. In my heart I have good Ghumaan (Regard) for You and this Hasab for You is enough for me. When my love for You is true, then I do not care of the path of difficulty.” And that is one the secrets of this word. If Allah ta’ala is enough for us then difficulty will not seem difficult. Knowing Allah ta’ala is watching over us and will reward us. We should ask to be of those who rely on Him and He is enough for them. Following Du’a taken from Munaajaati Maqbool: O Allah, make me from those who put their trust in You and You became sufficient for them, who sought guidance from You and You guided them, and who sought help from You and You helped them . Du’a We should ask Allah ta’ala for an easy reckoning: اللهم حاسبني حسابا يسيرا – Allaahumma haasibnee hisaabay yaseeraa O Allah! Grant me an easy reckoning. *~~*~~*
  14. الْمُقِيتُ Translation الْمُقِيتُ is translated as The Nourisher and The Sustainer. It comes from Quwwat which means power or energy. It is an Ism Faa'il. Definition It is translated as The Nourisher and The Sustainer because it is The One Who gives Quwwat in something that keeps the body standing and alive. Arabic is such an encompassing and comprehensive language that English often does not do justice. الْمُقِيتُ is understood as The One Who creates and delivers / distributes nourishment and this can be in terms of food for a person’s body and knowledge for a person’s heart. Therefore it is not just physical nourishment but also spiritual nourishment as the body, mind, heart and soul all need nourishment. This is for everyone regardless of whether they are Believers or non-believers, good or bad. It is similar to الرَّزَّاقُ i.e. The Provider of provision but this has more the meaning of the provider and الْمُقِيتُ is more specific to not just providing but to providing enough to be sustained and get energy from i.e. how it is distributed / how it come to you, how it is processed, how you eat it (Chewing, digesting etc.) and how then energy is derived by the body. For example a glass of milk is healthy for a person however for a sick person or one who has lactose intolerance, it will be harmful. Therefore it is also how Allah ta’ala takes out the nourishment from the food for the body. Some Scholars say Muqeet can also mean One Who is Powerful i.e. Qaadir so it can also mean Protector, Overseer. In the Qur’an It is mentioned once in Surah Nisaa’ (verse 85) وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ مُقِيتًا - Allah has control over everything. Allah ta’ala is the Nourisher and Sustainer of all things. He has created a whole system where a person can get nourishment. He has created this earth and it is like a huge storehouse which has fed so many people, animals, micro-organisms etc. from the beginning of time and this is Allah ta’ala distributing and giving nourishment to all creatures living on the earth. Comes from Muqaddar Some Scholars say Muqeet comes from Muqaddar – something that is divided or distributed. In Surah Fussilaat (Haa-meem, verse 10) Allah ta’ala says, وَجَعَلَ فِيهَا رَوَاسِيَ مِنْ فَوْقِهَا وَبَارَكَ فِيهَا وَقَدَّرَ فِيهَا أَقْوَاتَهَا فِي أَرْبَعَةِ أَيَّامٍ سَوَاءً لِلسَّائِلِينَ He set upon it mountains towering high above its surface, He bestowed blessings upon it and in four periods provided it with sustenance according to the needs of all those who live in and ask for it. Allah ta’ala being الْمُقِيتُ commanded different parts of the earth to make various amounts and types of food and He has designated and distributed sustenance to all the creatures on earth. We see that every part of the world has its specialities where tropical countries have mangoes and other exotic fruits while cold countries have apples and pears etc. Allah ta’ala has made some parts of the earth exclusive for certain foods, fruits, vegetation and animals according to the requirements i.e. a certain place will have a certain animal and people will utilize its milk, meat, hide, bones etc. Camels are custom made for the desert. When man messes up the system then it creates problems as in the case of wild camels in Australia. In the olden days the camels were imported to Australia because they were needed for transport in the desert area however they bred and had no natural predators to control them so they went out of control. Therefore through being الْمُقِيتُ Allah ta’ala has made a system where everyone benefits. There is a mutual inter-dependency in the world and one of the hidden reasons for it is trade so no one is self-sufficient. That is why when people put trade sanctions on a country it causes the people a lot of problems. Counsel Scholars say it is our duty to take as much as we need for ourselves and families and not to be greedy. In our Deen hoarding in times of famine is wrong. To know that Rizq is written for everyone and Allah ta’ala has taught human beings how to attain that Rizq i.e. Allah ta’ala has provided us with tools, strategies, minds etc. to learn in order to benefit from the nourishment and sustenance Allah ta’ala has provided in the world. A story is related by ibn Katheer (rahimahullah) about four Muhadditheen in Egypt who worked together and did not really care about worldly matters. Once they were so involved in their academic work that they did not realise one or two days had passed by and they needed something to eat. One of them was assigned to go out and seek some work and find the means to get provisions. This Scholar performed two Rakat Salaah and made Du’a. Allah ta’ala is الْمُقِيتُ and He will provide in some form but it requires effort and the Salaah and Du’a was the Scholar’s effort. The governor of Egypt was sleeping at that time of the afternoon and he dreamt that the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam came and told him to enquire about the Scholars as they had nothing to eat. Upon awakening he made enquiries and thereafter sent 1,000 Dinars to them and told them to carry on their work. The Scholars used the money to build a Masjid and it became a place of study. Allah ta’ala provides in ways we cannot fathom. Therefore counsel is to use Salaat and Du’a for all our problems and not just for sustenance. Quwwat from Allah ta’ala while Fasting The Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam fasted for days continuously; the people also did the same but it was difficult for them. So the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam forbade them (to fast continuously for more than one day). They said, “But you fast without break (no food was taken in the evening or in the morning).” The Prophet replied, “I am not like you, for I am provided with food and drink (by Allah).” From this we see that in the spiritual realms there are ways some people get Quwwat (Energy / nourishment). Allah ta’ala grants strength in unseen ways and we see this Ramadhaan that some people show so much energy even when fasting in long days and this is what the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam is referring to in the Hadith that food is not the only way to get sustenance. Not to waste food To use the nourishment and energy we get for doing good deeds. There is a saying, “The world is made for Insaan and Insaan is made for Allah.” Allah ta’ala gave us the whole world to nourish and sustain us and the reason is not just to enjoy this time in the world but to find Him and become closer to Him. We should make Du’a for that energy for the body and soul and to use it in doing good deeds, ‘Ibaadah, dhikr etc. We are all often tired with work, children etc. and knowing Allah ta’ala gives the energy has an effect psychologically. Another counsel is that Allah ta’ala is absolutely الْمُقِيتُ but we should give sustenance, energy, strength etc. to the needy and vulnerable. Material help is easy but giving words of encouragement and advice can make a difference to a person who has hit rock bottom and lost hope in humanity. Sometimes love is more important than something materialistic so we should be Muqeet to people in a physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual way. We should ask Allah ta’ala for strength in all aspects and to be a means of it to others and the beautiful thing is if we become the source of strength for others, Allah ta’ala gives us strength too because we also feel weak. If we help others then Allah ta’ala will help us and keep our feet firm. *~~*~~*
  15. "Intelligent is the one who avoids sins, even if he is not knowledgeable. Ignorant is the one who commits sins, even if he is knowledgeable." – Shaykh Dawood Seedat حفظه اللّٰه
  16. "Intelligent is the one who avoids sins, even if he is not knowledgeable. Ignorant is the one who commits sins, even if he is knowledgeable." – Shaykh Dawood Seedat حفظه اللّٰه
  17. Below is an article taken from www.islaahiadvices.com. It is an extract from Hazrat's dhikr majlis on 6/3/2017. Life is full of tests and challenges. There are times when it will upset us or it will not go our way. Look at Nabi ﷺ, when Allah asked him to stand on Mount Safa to give dawah for the first time in his life. He must have put so much thought and effort into preparing his first speech, but the people dispersed and ignored his call. Was this the reaction Nabi ﷺ was hoping for, or was it the total opposite? He tried so hard yet it did not go according to plan, the people refused to listen. At another stage in his life, He invited His whole family over for a meal and before they left, he invited them to Islam. He asked them that who will help me? No-one responded except Hazrat Ali رضي الله عنه. Yet again, His efforts did not go according to plan. In Taaif He was stoned by the street urchins until He bled. He experienced boycotts against Him, moments when there was no food at home, loved ones passing away including His own children whom He buried with his own hands. A time came when He even got upset with His wives and separated from them for a month! The point that I am trying to make is that the conditions of life will not be favourable at all times. However, as Muslims, our character is expected to be favourable at all times. We must be patient with the trials of life. Some days life will go well, other days it will not. When you return home, some days your favourite meal will be ready on the table, other days you may return hungry or in a hurry, but the food is still getting cooked. Regardless of the situation, we are expected to rise above and display good manners. And who expects this from us? Allah himself. And how do we manage to act favourably during a difficult moment? How is it possible? By being in love with Allah. One who is in love remains unaffected because he is on cloud nine. He is so immersed in his own happiness that nothing can phase him. When we have deep hearted love for Allah, he will rectify our hearts. Then in Salah, tilaawat and dhikr, we will feel peaceful and tranquil. This tranquillity immunizes the heart against all the adversities taking place. Now, though adversities will continue to occur, he will be able to manage due to the peace emanating from his heart. However, when we remove religion from our lives, all of sudden, everything and anything becomes a cause of sadness for us. These adversities were happening all along but now we are feeling it because we forgot to take our immunization. If we neglect deen, our spiritual arteries become clogged, our hearts suffer, we no longer experience peace inside and therefore everything begins to irritate, upset or hurt us. But when our relationship with Allah is strong, our spiritual arteries become unblocked and the noor of ibadah will light up our lives. When one is in a game park where predators are roaming freely, then one will not be seen strolling casually. However, in a zoo where the predators are caged, notice how people stroll through relaxed, calm and happy with an ice cream in their hands and a smile upon their faces. Because in this zoo, he knows that there are walls and cages. Therefore, although he is in the midst of predators he remains peaceful because he knows that they cannot affect him. Likewise is the case of a believer. We all face adversities which prey on our weaknesses, but those who are immunized are unaffected. They stroll cheerfully down the thorniest of paths because the thorns cannot affect him. Whereas those who neglect deen neglect their own souls until every trail causes restlessness and worry. Allah gave us dhikr and Salah for our own benefit and spiritual nourishment, they have great worldly benefits too. Nabi ﷺ said that the coolness of my eyes is Salah. That is a property of Salah, provided the Salah is performed properly. When one wakes up for Fajr and speaks to Allah, makes dua and reads the Quran, by the time morning comes he is mentally ready to face the jungle (i.e. work). Slowly he loses his stamina and by the time Zuhr Salah comes in, he cannot take it anymore. Now he needs to reset, he needs a detox to refresh himself and get his sanity back. So he goes to pray Zuhr. Now he returns to the jungle again, mentally equipped and ready to work. But again he loses himself, so he returns to the Masjid for Asr. In the evenings at home, the day-to-day pressure of family life can be difficult to bear but rather than losing himself by displaying anger and bad character, yet again he returns to Allah for Maghrib and Ishaa. A lady’s situation is similar. Every day brings with it a series of challenges, but praying Salah in the way it should be prayed will enable us to cope. Rather than losing it she also turns to Allah, her first love. She turns to Allah, He turns to Allah and Allah sees both, He sees that they are both turning towards him. So now Allah cements their hearts together. This is deen: a soothing balm for hearts blistered with sins, an oasis for travellers of the spiritual world, ever-ready to quench our thirst for peace, ever-ready to calm our worries, silence our fears and eliminate our stresses, but we lack the sight to see it, the ability to recognise it and the motivation to act upon it. May Allah enable us to return to Him and to realise the reality of life, Aameen. — Hazrat Maulana Dawood Seedat حفظه الله Source
  18. الْحَفِيظُ Translation الْحَفِيظُ is translated as The Preserver and The Protector. It is mentioned only three times in the Qur’an but there is a lot of commentary on it. Sometimes it is understood as Haafidh – that being Who saves His slaves from all Deeni and worldly affairs that lead to destruction (Physical or spiritual) therefore it has the concept of saving. It can also mean Amaanah in terms of watching over someone or supervising a trust i.e. in Surah Yusuf it is used in terms of supervising the treasures where Yusuf AS mentions his qualifications. قَالَ اجْعَلْنِي عَلَىٰ خَزَائِنِ الْأَرْضِ ۖ إِنِّي حَفِيظٌ عَلِيمٌ Yusuf said: "Place me over all the resources of the land. Certainly I know how to manage; I have the necessary knowledge." [Surah Yusuf:55] حَفِيظٌ - trustworthy / supervising عَلِيم - he had knowledge i.e. of dreams Sometimes the word is used in terms of preserving something or memorising like the person who has memorized the Qur’an is called a Haafidh. In the Qur’an It is mentioned 3 times in the Qur’an. Surah Hood (verse 57) إِنَّ رَبِّي عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ حَفِيظٌ - Indeed my Rabb is watching over everything. Surah Saba (verse 21) وَرَبُّكَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ حَفِيظٌ - Your Rabb is watching over all things. Surah Shura (verse 6) وَالَّذِينَ اتَّخَذُوا مِنْ دُونِهِ أَوْلِيَاءَ اللَّهُ حَفِيظٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَمَا أَنْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ بِوَكِيلٍ Those who take others as their guardians besides Him, Allah Himself is watching them; and O Prophet, you are not the disposer of their affairs. Therefore with different nuances depending on how it is used. Among the different way it is used in the Qur’an, Allah ta’ala mentions safeguarding our prayer. In Surah Mu’minoon (verse 9) Allah ta’ala says, وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَوَاتِهِمْ يُحَافِظُونَ - and who are diligent about their Salah (prayers). i.e. those who preserve their prayers meaning on time and fulfilling all its requirements. Allah ta’ala is الْحَفِيظُ Allah ta’ala is الْحَفِيظُ in many ways and one of the greatest miracle of Allah ta’ala being الْحَفِيظُ is as Allah ta’ala mentions in the Qur’an Himself in Surah Hijr (verse 9), إِنَّا نَحْنُ نَزَّلْنَا الذِّكْرَ وَإِنَّا لَهُ لَحَافِظُونَ Surely We have revealed this reminder (The Qur'an); and We will surely preserve it Ourself. He protects the Qur’an from any change. Allah ta’ala has taken this responsibility of the preservation of the Qur’an and this from this trait of being الْحَفِيظُ. Another point is the protection of His signs and the Ka’bah is one the biggest signs. Allah ta’ala made it in such a place where there was no water or habitation and He gave it a rank and He put love for it in people’s hearts. Allah ta’ala protected it from Abraha who wanted to destroy it and also throughout the time of the Mushrikeen. It was protected physically and spiritually and this is through Allah ta’ala being الْحَفِيظُ Allah ta’ala protects the deeds of His servants and does not waste them unless the person does Shirk or Gheebat. In Fiqh the rule mentioned for a person who makes certain mistakes in Salaah, is that the Sajdah Sahw (Prostration of rectification) can be done and the Salaah is not wasted (though in certain situations the Salaah would have to be repeated). When we do not perform Salaah properly, the right of Allah ta’ala is that He demands we repeat it however Allah ta’ala does not want even the low quality actions to be wasted. In Surah Mujaadilah (verse 6), Allah ta’ala says, يَوْمَ يَبْعَثُهُمُ اللَّهُ جَمِيعًا فَيُنَبِّئُهُمْ بِمَا عَمِلُوا ۚ أَحْصَاهُ اللَّهُ وَنَسُوهُ ۚ وَاللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ شَهِيدٌ On the Day of Judgement Allah will raise them all back to life, then inform them about what they have done. Allah has kept full record of their deeds even though they may have forgotten, for Allah is a witness over all things. Therefore even if people have forgotten what they did, it is all recorded in the book of deeds. In Surah Naba’ it is used in the context of counting. Means of Protection In the world we take measures and use means i.e. guards, security systems etc. for protection but we should realise that Allah ta’ala is The One Who is protecting us. The important people of the world take so many precautions but despite that they can get hurt because it is Allah ta’ala Who decides whether the means will work or not. He is الْحَفِيظُ. When a child is being born or a seedling is planted, it is Allah ta’ala Who is protecting it, nurturing it so that it thrives and grows. Allah ta’ala is protecting and watching over small animals in the jungle, the fish in the sea and all creatures. He protects people in strange and wondrous ways. ‘Umar RA had intended to kill the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam. On the way there he met someone who diverted his attention to his sister who had converted along with her husband. ‘Umar RA decided to see to his sister first but after listening to the words of the Quran, he accepted Islam himself. Therefore Allah ta’ala protected the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam and created the means for ‘Umar RA to accept Islam. Khaleed bin Waleed RA was a great warrior and he hoped to attain martyrdom however Allah ta’ala protected him even though he fought in many battles and was often injured and he died in his home. On his deathbed he said he was dying like an old woman but Scholars have said that the reason was that he was given the title of Saifullah (Sword of Allah) by the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhiw asallam and Allah ta’ala being الْحَفِيظُ protected him as he could not have been defeated. Ibraheem AS left his homeland with his wife Sara and they were travelling through the territory of a tyrant. Someone said to the tyrant that Ibraheem AS was accompanied by a very charming lady. So he sent for Ibraheem AS and asked him about Sarah. Ibraheem AS said she was his sister. Ibraheem AS went to Sarah and said, “O Sarah! There are no believers on the surface of the earth except you and I. This man asked me about you and I have told him that you are my sister, so don't contradict my statement.” The tyrant then called Sarah and when she went to him, he tried to take hold of her with his hand, but (his hand got stiff and) he was confounded. He asked Sarah to pray to Allah for him, so Sarah asked Allah to cure him and he got cured. He tried to take hold of her for the second time, but (his hand got as stiff as or stiffer than before and) was more confounded. He again requested Sarah, “Pray to Allah for me, and I will not harm you.” Sarah asked Allah again and he was cured. He then called one of his guards and said, “You have not brought me a human being but have brought me a devil.” The tyrant then gave Hajar as a girl-servant to Sarah. Sarah came back to Ibraheem AS while he was praying. Ibrahim AS asked, “What has happened?” She replied, “Allah has spoiled the evil plot of the infidel (or immoral person) and gave me Hajar for service.” Therefore Allah ta’ala works in wondrous ways. Counsel We should protect our prayers as mentioned in Surah Mu’minoon verse 9. We should protect the oaths we take as in Surah Maidah (verse 89) Allah ta’ala says, وَاحْفَظُوا أَيْمَانَكُمْ - Therefore, be mindful of your oaths. We should protect ourselves, our bodies and our actions and also our family relations by using the means but realizing that Allah ta’ala is الْحَفِيظُ. Therefore Allah ta’ala has given us the ability to share in this trait. *~~*~~*
  19. الْعَلِيُّ Translation الْعَلِيُّ is translated as The Most High and The Exalted. It comes from A’alaa and literally means what is in the translation. Definition It is that Being Who is the highest of all ranking and everything is below Him. Another explanation is that it is The Highest Being, that Being Who is higher than His Makhlooq so Allah ta’ala is Khaaliq and is higher in all aspects and all forms and traits than the creation. Some translate الْعَلِيُّ as The High and Dominant . In the Qur’an It is used in the Qur’an in different ways and paired with other names i.e. فَالْحُكْمُ لِلَّهِ الْعَلِيِّ الْكَبِيرِ But all judgment rests with God, the Exalted, the Great [Surah Mu’min: 12] وَهُوَ الْعَلِيُّ الْعَظِيمُ - He is the Exalted, the Supreme. (Aayatul Kursi) Though there is not much commentary on this name, it is an important name. It is very comprehensive and includes many things. Mentioned in the Skies When the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam went on the Mi’raaj, he heard this name being mentioned in the sky where Allah ta’ala’s greatness and exaltedness is mentioned. سبحان العلي الاعلى، سبحانه وتعالى Subhaanal ‘Aliyyul a’alaa Subhaanahu wata’ala Mentioned in Du’a The Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam often began Du’a by mentioning the greatness of Allah ta’ala. Salamah ibn Al Akwa’ RA reports: “Whenever I heard Nabi sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam start Du’a, he would say, سبحان ربي العلي الاعلى الوهاب - Allah my Rabb is Exalted and Pure and the Bestower ‘Subhana Rabbiyal ‘Aliyyil A’ala Al Wahhab [Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah, Musnad Ahmad, Mustadrak Hakim] Generally when making Du’a we should praise Allah ta’ala first and one of the way is using His names. Counsel Allah is Most High and we should keep His exaltedness in our thoughts and hearts. When a person does that then he will view Makhlooq in a different way knowing that Allah ta’ala is the source of ease and comfort. The person will not be disappointed when it is not found from Makhlooq and that is the reason why people get hopeless and depressed as they put their hopes, trust and expectations in people. It is very effective in Du’a. In one Du’a four names are used together to call out to Allah ta’ala: یا عَظِيمُ یا حَلِيمُ يا عَلِيمُ يا عَلِيُّ Scholars say this name relieves difficulty. The connection here is that Allah ta’ala is the Most High and Exalted and He is The One Who can relieve and give ease from difficulty. We should have firm belief in our heart regarding this trait that He is The One Who can do anything. *~~*~~*
  20. الشَّكُورُ Translation الشَّكُورُ is translated as The Most Grateful and The Most Appreciative. It comes from Shukr, to be grateful or appreciative. It is strange why Allah ta’ala is called الشَّكُورُ when He wants people to show gratitude. It is because He is appreciative what human beings do for His sake. Definition It is that Being Who in return for a little obedience, gives multifold and for deeds of a meager lifetime, He gives unlimited and multiple levels of Ni’mah in this world as well as eternal Ni’mah i.e. Jannah. So He gives more reward than what we deserve and overlooks deficiency in quality and also sins. No Good deed is too Small We do not know what level of reward Allah ta’ala will grant us for a seemingly small good deed done with sincerity. The Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam said, “Do not regard any good deed as insignificant, even meeting your brother with a cheerful face.” [Muslim] In another Hadith the story of a woman of bad character is narrated, “A prostitute had once been forgiven. She passed by a dog panting near a well. Thirst had nearly killed him, so she took off her sock, tied it to her veil, and drew up some water. Allah forgave her for that.” [Bukhari & Muslim] Allah ta’ala appreciated her gesture i.e. He was الشَّكُورُ when He forgave her sins and gave her Jannah. Shukr (Gratitude) There are different levels/stations (Maqaam) in our spiritual journey which a person should reach and become firm on. Of these Maqaam, one is of Sabr (Patience) and one of Shukr (Gratitude). They go together and both are Waajib (Necessary). There are three elements in Shukr: 1. Iqraar (admission) – to realise and acknowledge that everything Allah ta’ala has granted you is through His grace and bounty. 2. To have love for Allah ta’ala when we make Iqraar. 3. Then when that loves comes, it leads to obedience. When these three emotions become deeply embedded in the heart then in the terminology of the Ulama, that person has obtained Maqaami Shukr and the base of it is Iqraar – to realise and acknowledge. Without the base the other two steps will not develop in the heart. Iqraar can only come from one’s own self as one can look at situations in a positive way or a negative way. When something bad happens, to look at all the good in one’s life and say, “Alhamdulillah” is positive i.e. to think that Allah ta’ala is Kind even when one is going through difficulty when Shukr is hard to do and it is painful. For example when losing a loved one, to say Alhmdulillah for the opportunity to know, live and love that person. When we see things in this positive way and we make Iqraar then the other two steps become easy i.e. love and obedience to Allah ta’ala will get stronger. Tarbiyat of Children Children often question things like asking why we need to pray. The answer is that Allah ta’ala has given us everything we have and all He wants from us is to pray a little bit during the day. This will lead them to understand and obey Allah ta’ala. True Shukr The way of obedience is to use all the blessings Allah ta’ala has granted us for His pleasure and not to misuse them in disobedience. Quotes “True Shukr of a Ni’mah is to look at The Giver and not at what is given.” – So to be grateful and not become infatuated with the Niʼmah. Junaid Baghdaadi (rahimahullah) said, “Shukr is when you don’t regard yourself worthy of the Ni’mah” Abdullah bin Mas’ood RA said, “Shukr is half of Imaan.” In the Qur’an Allah ta’ala says, لَئِنْ شَكَرْتُمْ لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ - If you are grateful, I will bestow abundance upon you [Surah Ibraheem: 7] Therefore if we show gratitude for the Imaan (or whatever other Ni’mah) Allah ta’ala granted us then Allah ta’ala will increase that Ni’mah. Shukr is not just a passive activity. It is a very active thing mentally and emotionally when you live a life of Shukr. In the USA there is something called “The attitude of gratitude” i.e. developing an attitude of gratitude in people so that they are better people. To be people of Shukr is embedded in our Deen. This is a trait all the Prophets 'Alaihimus Salam had. In Surah Bani Isra’eel, Allah ta’ala says regarding Nooh AS, إِنَّهُ كَانَ عَبْدًا شَكُورًا - and he was indeed a grateful devotee. [Surah Israa: 3] Showing gratitude is part of wisdom. In Surah Luqmaan (verse 12) Allah ta’ala says, وَلَقَدْ آتَيْنَا لُقْمَانَ الْحِكْمَةَ أَنِ اشْكُرْ لِلَّهِ ۚ وَمَنْ يَشْكُرْ فَإِنَّمَا يَشْكُرُ لِنَفْسِهِ ۖ وَمَنْ كَفَرَ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ غَنِيٌّ حَمِيدٌ We gave wisdom to Luqman so that he may be grateful to Allah. The one who pay thanks, does so for his own good; and the one who denies His favors, should know that Allah is certainly free of all wants, worthy of all praise Shukr in Difficult times – Story of Urwah bin Zubayr RA ‘Urwah bin Zubair (rahimahullah) was the brother of ‘Abdullah bin Zubair (radhiyallahu ‘anhuma) and among the leading Taabi‘een and ‘Ulama of Madeenah Munawwarah. He would recite one quarter of the Quraan Majeed every day while looking into the mushaf. He would then repeat that same quarter by reciting it in tahajjud salaah during the night. ‘Urwah bin Zubair (rahimahullah) was once on a journey to meet Waleed bin ‘Abdul Malik when a sore developed on his leg. After some time, the sore spread, leading to his leg becoming infected. When ‘Urwah (rahimahullah) eventually reached Waleed, he asked him to have his infected leg amputated. Waleed thus summoned the doctor who instructed ‘Urwah (rahimahullah) to take a sedative so that he would be able to amputate the leg while ‘Urwah (rahimahullah) was asleep. ‘Urwah (rahimahullah), however, refused to take the sedative saying, “Go ahead and amputate. I cannot imagine how a person can ever consume something which will cause him to be negligent and unaware of Allah Ta‘ala.” The doctor therefore placed the blade on his left knee and began to amputate. Such was the patience and tolerance of ‘Urwah (rahimahullah) that those who were around him at the time later mentioned that he did not utter even one remark of complaint! Rather, the most they heard from him was an occasional hiss of pain. During the course of the same journey, the son of ‘Urwah (rahimahullah), Muhammad, fell from the roof of a home and was trampled to death by animals. After undergoing all this difficulty, ‘Urwah (rahimahullah) addressed Allah Ta‘ala and thanked Him saying, “O Allah! I had seven sons. You took only one and left me with six! O Allah! I had four limbs. You took only one and left me with three! I take an oath in Your name! If You take something away from a person, You also leave with him (that which will suffice him), and if You test a person, You also grant him comfort.” Furthermore, some narrations have mentioned that ‘Urwah (rahimahullah), despite undergoing the amputation, did not leave out his recitation of one quarter of the Quraan Majeed in tahajjud salaah that night! However, other narrations have mentioned that on account of the pain, this was the first night in which he ever left out his recitation of the Quraan Majeed. Nevertheless, he ensured that he compensated for missing it by reciting that portion the following night. (Reference: Tahzeebul Kamaal vol. 20 pg. 19-21 and Taareekhul Islam pg. 427) Taken from uswatulmuslimah.co.za This is the true spirit of Shukr, not to look at what you have lost but to look at what you still have. The true test of Shukr is in an extremely difficult time when a person still does Shukr. Shukr to Parents Shukr to parents is mentioned in the Qur’an, أَنِ اشْكُرْ لِي وَلِوَالِدَيْكَ إِلَيَّ الْمَصِيرُ Give thanks to Me and to your parents, and keep in mind that, to Me is your final goal. [Surah Luqmaan; 14] Allah ta’ala is commanding us to do Shukr of Allah ta’ala for all the Ni’mat and to show gratitude to parents. The Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam said, “He has not thanked Allah who has not thanked people.” [Abu Dawood] Therefore both are important. Another point made in the commentary is that Tawheed is the biggest Shukr of Allah ta’ala because we regard Allah ta’ala as the owner of everything and we do ‘Ibaadah only for Him and we make Du’a only to Him so this is the biggest way of showing Shukr. Consequences of Ingratitude The story of the people of Saba’ mentioned in Surah Saba’ (verse 15-19) illustrates how people can lose all the blessings given to them by Allah ta’ala when they turn away from Him. They had everything in abundance and lived in peace with no fear. Then they became ungrateful and disobedient and Allah ta’ala changed their condition. Allah ta’ala says, ذَٰلِكَ جَزَيْنَاهُمْ بِمَا كَفَرُوا ۖ وَهَلْ نُجَازِي إِلَّا الْكَفُورَ Thus did We requite them for their disbelief; and never do We punish any but the ungrateful! [Surah Saba: 17] كَفَرُوا - can mean lack of gratitude and disbelief Kufr literally means to cover something up so when a person does Kufr, they hide the belief in Allah ta’ala, the Ni’mat of Allah ta’ala. Therefore ingratitude can lead to punishment of being deprived of the Ni’mah. In the Qur’an It is used 4 times in the Qur’an in different ways. Paired with غَفُور the connection is that when a person shows Shukr, Allah ta’ala is forgiving. لِيُوَفِّيَهُمْ أُجُورَهُمْ وَيَزِيدَهُمْ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ ۚ إِنَّهُ غَفُورٌ شَكُورٌ That He may pay them back their full reward and give them even more out of His grace; surely He is Forgiving and Appreciative of His devotees. [Surah Faatir: 30] Du’a for Istiqaamat, Dhikr and Shukr The Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhiw asallam told Mu’adh bin Jabal RA “O Mu’aadh, by Allah indeed I love you, and I advise you, O Mu’aadh, do not forget at the end of every prayer to say: اللهم أعني على ذكرك، وشكرك، وحسن عبادتك‏ Allaahumma a’inni ‘ala dhikrika wa shukrika wa husni ‘ibaaditika O Allah, help me to remember You, give thanks to You and worship You in the best way.” In this Du’a we are asking to be people of Shukr. Shukr can also be made many times during the day through reciting the Masnoon Du’a i.e. when awakening, after eating etc. In Jannah there will be no ‘Ibaadah except Shukr It is mentioned in a Hadith that Shukr will flow from the mouths of the people of Jannah continuously. Like in this world breathing takes place without being conscious of it, in a like manner will the people of Jannah be praising Allah (continuously and without being mindful of it) so only Shukr will be ‘Ibaadah. A True Shaakir A person who habitually sins cannot be a true Shaakir because Shukr is being obedient to Allah ta’ala. People of Shukr deal with Difficulties better When a person does not have Maqaami Shukr then they will be very sensitive to even small difficulties which everyone goes through. They forget all the blessings and focus on the difficulty. People who show gratitude deal with problems better. They focus on the blessings and say Alhamdulillah even in difficulty. There is a story regarding Raabi’ah Basriyyah where she saw a young man who had a cloth tied on his head. She asked him about it and he said he had never had a headache in his life and now he had the worst headache ever. She said to him that in all the years when he did not have a headache he did not tie something on his head to announce that he was well and now that Allah ta’ala gave one headache, he was making an announcement and complaining about it. To be a person of Shukr one has to actively work on it. One cannot be passive and say this is the way I am. Benefits of showing Shukr • Allah ta’ala increases the blessing (Surah Ibraheem: verse 7 mentioned previously) • Glad tidings of attaining Allah ta’ala’s love and closeness. Shaykh Ashraf Ali Thanwi (Rahimahullah) says through Shukr love for Allah ta’ala increases and you say, “Allah love me” and you love Him back. The result is that you attain His Qurb. • Allah ta’ala protects from punishment. Surah Nisaa’: verse 147 مَا يَفْعَلُ اللَّهُ بِعَذَابِكُمْ إِنْ شَكَرْتُمْ وَآمَنْتُمْ ۚ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ شَاكِرًا عَلِيمًا Why should Allah punish you if you are grateful and a true believer? Allah knows the grateful. • Allah ta’ala forgives (Surah Faatir: 30 mentioned previously) Psychological research shows gratitude is a trait of happy and successful people and increases motivation. *~~*~~*
  21. الْعَظِيمُ Translation الْعَظِيمُ is translated as The Magnificent, The Supreme Glory and The Most Grand. We should try to understand the Haqeeqat of this name as we say سُبْحانَ رَبِّيّ الْعَظِيْم in every Ruku’ of every Rakat in every Salaah. It comes from ‘Adhmat (greatness). Kabeer is “Big” and Adheem is “Big / Immense” but in terms of greatness, respect, magnitude, glory etc. Definition It is that Being Who is higher than the limit / parameter of the mind i.e. beyond our Aql, and the reality of His Adhmat is impossible to imagine. We are left realising our own weakness in understanding His Adhmat even though we know He is عَظِيم however we try to understand as was discussed in the introduction to get a weak understanding which is better than no understanding. Allah ta’ala in His Dhaat and Sifaat is عَظِيم and nothing can compare to it. He is عَظِيم in all His names – His hearing, seeing, knowledge etc. and that is why we see this trait paired with many other traits. Therefore His being الْعَلِيمُ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ has a level of Adhmat. The word عَظِيم is an adjective for all the Sifaat of Allah ta’ala. His Adhmat never fades. In the world we see the rank and greatness of people ending but the greatness of Allah ta’ala never ends and will never end. He is عَظِيم whether people believe in Him or not and whether people view Him as great or not. He does not need people to regard Him as great unlike important people in the world who need other people in order to be great. We cannot understand His Adhmat because we use the standard and parameter of Makhlooq i.e. if we saw a great teacher in the Masjid who has people carrying his things for him, we think he is being treated like a king and so we are comparing one thing of the Dunya with another and there is no standard for Allah ta’ala. His standard is so great that it surpasses the standard and parameter s defined by human beings. In Surah Nooh (verse 13) Allah ta’ala says, مَا لَكُمْ لَا تَرْجُونَ لِلَّهِ وَقَارًا - What is the matter with you that you do not regard the greatness of Allah. Nooh AS is talking to his people and this is for all humanity. We can never understand the greatness of Allah as it should be understood. Etiquette of الْعَظِيمُ It is against the Adhmat of Allah ta’ala to equate someone or something to the level of Allah ta’ala i.e. saying to someone, “Only you and Allah know” or you tell something to someone and say, “You are the only one who knows except Allah” even though technically we are not putting the person on the level of Allah ta’ala. We do not think it in our hearts and we should not say it in words either. It shows lack of Adab to the Adhmat of Allah ta’ala. In the Quran It is mentioned 9 times in the Qur’an. One is in Aayatul Kursi at the end - وَهُوَ الْعَلِيُّ الْعَظِيمُ فَسَبِّحْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الْعَظِيمِ - So exalt the name of your Lord, the Most Great. [Surah Waaqiya:96] اللَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمِ - Allah! There is no god but Him. He is the Lord of the Mighty Throne. [Surah Naml: 26] – sometimes the Arsh is also called عَظِيم. Creation - a Sign of Allah ta’ala’s Adhmat All of creation and the whole universe are the evidence of the Adhmat of Allah ta’ala. We cannot directly know it but know it through His creation when we reflect on certain Sifaat of Allah ta’ala. The movements of the planets, the millions of stars, the earth revolving around the sun at the speed of 1,670 kilometers per hour all shows the Adhmat of Allah ta’ala. It is hard to understand atheists. How can one not believe there is a God after looking at the universe? Allah ta’ala says in Surah Mulk (Verses 3-4), الَّذِي خَلَقَ سَبْعَ سَمَاوَاتٍ طِبَاقًا ۖ مَا تَرَىٰ فِي خَلْقِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ مِنْ تَفَاوُتٍ ۖ فَارْجِعِ الْبَصَرَ هَلْ تَرَىٰ مِنْ فُطُورٍ The One Who created the seven heavens, one above another, you will not see any flaw in the creation of the Compassionate. Look once again, do you see any flaw? ثُمَّ ارْجِعِ الْبَصَرَ كَرَّتَيْنِ يَنْقَلِبْ إِلَيْكَ الْبَصَرُ خَاسِئًا وَهُوَ حَسِيرٌ Then look still another time, yet again your sight will come back bewildered, and feel exhausted. The whole universe is so complex yet so well connected and complete that people can look and study and become exhausted and realise there is still so much more and not understand it and this is all pointing towards the Adhmat of Allah ta’ala and if we cannot understand the creation of Allah ta’ala how can we understand Allah ta’ala Himself? Then there is the human body regarding which Allah ta’ala mentions in places in the Qur’an telling us to look at our own bodies in which we will find signs i.e. the growth of the child in the mother’s womb. Both these sciences of astronomy and biology can become the means of finding the Adhmat of Allah ta’ala however His Adhmat is not restricted to any one field and a person does not need to know Arabic or study Qur’an and Hadith (though this helps). With a good intention and with the heart and eyes open, everything leads to the Adhmat of Allah ta’ala and the Dunya becomes low / humiliated. We see people who are very close to Allah ta’ala (Aarif-billaah), in their eyes the things of the Dunya have no value even though they utilize it. There is a story mentioned about a Scholar (or writer) who met a Zaahid (Hermit) living on the outskirts of the town. He asked the Zaahid why, when people know the Adhmat of Allah ta’ala, still do not draw close to Him. The Zaahid replied that it is because they have a broken relationship with Allah ta’ala, meaning they have weak Imaan or do not pray or are involved in sin. Therefore even though people know the Adhmat of Allah ta’ala it does not translate into a close relationship with Him because they love the Dunya. It is mentioned in Hadith that love of the Dunya is the ruin of all things. Everything can be traced back to Hubb-Dunya i.e. desire for prestige, status, wealth, etc. The Dunya is the home of sin. A person who is truly intelligent (not IQ intelligent but spiritually intelligent) will take the love of the Dunya out of his heart and this does not happen overnight. It takes effort and thereafter the person will pay attention to the Adhmat of Allah ta’ala and do those things which build their relationship and closeness with Allah ta’ala. We should know with certainty that Allah ta’ala is الْعَظِيم. Even though we know it and believe in it, we look towards the Dunya. We say سُبْحانَ رَبِّيّ الْعَظِيْم in Ruku’ however it is not in our hearts. We are overwhelmed and have feeling of Adhmat when we look at mansions, nice cars, wealthy lifestyle etc. because we think they are عَظِيم however we should view it all as Hakeer (lowly) even though it is hard to do so when we are surrounded by it. We often do not realize the glitter and glamour of the Dunya is seeping into the heart. How did people of the past attain the Adhmat of Allah ta’ala in the heart? There is story about a religious man whose habit when he saw a big building to say, “This was dirt and now it is standing dirt (i.e. the building) and it will once again become dirt.” This is so true, as it started out as dirt and then became a fancy building but will end up once again as dirt and that is the reality. It is temporary. When we think like this then the feeling of being impressed or overwhelmed will disappear. Tarbiyat of Children Children especially become impressed and overwhelmed with the Dunya i.e. places of entertainment, malls etc. We should be verbal regarding this with our children as people of the past were. There was a king in India known to be strong and intimidating. During his rule there was a famous Scholar known as Shaykh Kutubuddeen who had a son called Nooruddeen. The son narrates that once the sultan was passing through the area where they lived and though people came out to see the royal procession, the Shaykh did not do so. When it came to the attention of the sultan, he summoned the Shaykh to his court. Both father and son arrived and Nooruddeen, being young, was overwhelmed by the beauty and aura. His father noticed his son being affected and said in a strong, firm way, “Al ‘Adhmatu lillaah” (All greatness is with Allah.) It had an immediate effect on Nooruddeen and the feeling of awe vanished and the people of the court who had seemed so important and impressive, became to him like a herd of goats. All Greatness belongs to Allah ta’ala Therefore the Adhmat of Allah ta’ala is very empowering as all the names of Allah ta’ala are, and the people do not have any power over us whether the power is physical, emotional or psychological. Some people have this strategy of making other people feel weak and powerless but all power and greatness belongs to Allah ta’ala. We should know this with certainty as especially in this day and age we fear what people say and think and we get overwhelmed by wealth, technology and power. All greatness belongs to Allah ta’ala. It is not with any person or system and we should have this realisation that people are just humans and acting like something they are not and Allah ta’ala says in the Qur’an, اعْلَمُوا أَنَّمَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا لَعِبٌ وَلَهْوٌ وَزِينَةٌ وَتَفَاخُرٌ بَيْنَكُمْ وَتَكَاثُرٌ فِي الْأَمْوَالِ وَالْأَوْلَادِ You should know that the life of this world is only play and amusement, a show and boasting among yourselves, a quest for greater riches and more children. [Surah Hadeed: 20] Counsel • Not to have Adhmat for Ghayrullah (anything other than Allah ta’ala) and one of the aspects of having the Adhmat of Allah ta’ala is following His commands. The more Adhmat of Allah ta’ala one has, the more likely the person is to follow all the commands of Allah ta’ala’s. • Using the Adhmat of Allah ta’ala in Du’a. The Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhiw asallam used to say in times of fear, anxiety, sadness or difficulty the following (Known as Dua-e-Karb), لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ الْعَظِيمُ الْحَلِيمُ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمِ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ رَبُّ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَرَبُّ الأَرْضِ وَرَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْكَرِيمِ In this Du’a عَظِيم is used once for Allah ta’ala and once for the Arsh. We should also use this name in Du’a especially in times of fear, humiliation etc. • We should keep in mind the meaning when we say the name in Ruku’. *~~*~~*
  22. New research finds that brushing the teeth three or more times a day significantly reduces the risk of atrial fibrillation and heart failure. The bacteria in our mouths may hold the key to many facets of our health. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/amp/327208
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