WALID ZAFAR ALLAH HO AALAH H LYRICS

WALID ZAFAR ALLAH HO AALAH H LYRICS

As sub hu bada min talati hii W- al- laylu dajaa minv wafrati hee
Hai noor-e-sahar chehre say tere Aur shab ki raunak Zulfoon say.
Allahu Allahu Allahu Allah Allahu Allahu Allahu Allah.
Kanz-ul-karami mowl-an-ni amii Haad-il-umami li shariati hii.
Nimat Ka khazina hain Mawla Ganjina-yi rehmat ke hai Aqaa Hadi hai tammam-i ummat ke Aur rahnuma hai shariat kay.
Allahu Allahu Allahu Allah Allahu Allahu Allahu Allah
Saat-ish-shajaruu nataq-al-hajaruu Shaqq-al-qamaruu bi ishaaratihii
Ungli ke ishare pair (trees) chale Eijaz se pathar bol uthe Aur chand huwa hai dhoo tukre Angusht ke aik ishare se.
Allahu Allahu Allahu Allah Allahu Allahu Allahu Allah
Jibrilu ataa laylata asraa W-ar-rabbu daaa fii hadrati hii
Jibril-i Amin paigham-i khuda Lekar aye thay shab-i asra Allah hane Arsh pay bulvayaa Kurbat ka sharaf unko bakhsha.
Allahu Allahu Allahu Allah Allahu Allahu Allahu Allah
Fa Muhammaduna huwa Sayiduna Fal iszulana li ijaabetihi
So Mohammad hai apne aqaa Isi naam se apni izzo baqaa.
Allahu Allahu Allahu Allah Allahu Allahu Allahu Allah
As Subhu badaa min talati hii W- al- laylu dajaa minv wafrati hee
Hai noor e- sahar chehre se teray Aur shab ki raunak Zulfoon se.
Allahu Allahu Allahu Allah Allahu Allahu Allahu Allah (x2)

Look Forward...Look Ahead.

Closed Doors and the Illusions That Blind Us

In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Beneficial

Yesterday my 22 month old sought to exercise his independence. After climbing out of his car seat, he wanted to shut the car door like a big boy, so I stood there watching over him. Realizing that if I left him to shut the door, his little head would have gotten slammed in the process, I lifted him away, and shut the door myself. This devastated him, and he broke down in tears. How could I prevent him from doing what he so badly wanted to do?

Watching the incident, a strange thought crossed my mind. I was reminded of all the times this had happens to us in life—when we want something so badly, but Allah does not allow us to have it. I was reminded of all the times we as adults felt this same frustration when things just wouldn’t work out the way we so desperately wanted them to. And then suddenly, it was so clear. I had only taken my son away from the door to protect him. But he had no idea. In the midst of his mourning, he had no idea that I had actually saved him. And just as my son wept in his naivety and innocence, so often we too bemoan events that have actually saved us.

When we miss a plane, lose a job, or find ourselves unable to marry the person we want, have we ever stopped to consider the possibility that it may have been for our own good? Allah tells us in the Quran: “…But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you. And Allah Knows, while you know not.” (2:216)

Yet it is so difficult to look beyond the surface of things. It takes great strength to see beyond the illusions, to a deeper truth—which we may or may not understand. Just as my son could not understand how my depriving him of what he most wanted at that moment was in fact my looking out for him, we are often just as blind.

As a result, we end up staring indefinitely at the closed doors of our lives, and forget to notice the ones that have opened. When we can’t marry the person we had in mind, our inability to look beyond may even blind sight us from someone who is in fact better for us. When we don’t get hired, or we lose something dear to us, it’s hard to take a step back and notice the bigger picture. Often Allah takes things away from us, only to replace them with something greater.

Even tragedy may happen in this way. One can imagine few calamities more painful than the loss of a child. And yet, even this loss could happen to save us and give us something greater. The Prophet said:

If the child of a servant (of Allah) dies, Allah says to His Angels: ‘Have you taken the child of My servant?’

The Angels reply: ‘Yes.’
Allah says to them: ‘Have you taken the fruit of his heart?’
They reply: ‘Yes.’
Then Allah says to them: ‘What did my servant say?’
The Angels reply: ‘He praised Allah and said: ‘To Allah do we return.’
Allah tells them: ‘Build a home for my servant in Paradise and call it Baytul Hamd (the House of Praise).’ [Tirmidhi]

When Allah takes something as beloved from us as a child, it may be that He has taken it in order to give us something greater. It may be because of that loss, that we are admitted into paradise—an eternal life with our child. And unlike our life here, it is an everlasting life where our child will have no pain, fear, or sickness.

But in this life, even our own sicknesses may not be what they seem. Through them Allah may be in fact purifying us of our sins. When the Prophet was suffering from a high fever, he said: “No Muslim is afflicted with any harm, even if it were the prick of a thorn, but that Allah expiates his sins because of that, as a tree sheds its leaves.” [Bukhari]

In another hadith the Prophet explains that this applies even to sadness and worry. He says: “Whenever a Muslim is afflicted with a hardship, sickness, sadness, worry, harm, or depression – even a thorn’s prick, Allah expiates his sins because of it.”[Bukhari]

Or consider the example of poverty. Most people without wealth would never consider that a possible blessing. But for the people around Qarun, it was. Qarun was a man who lived at the time of Prophet Musa who Allah had endowed with such great wealth, that even the keys to his wealth was itself wealth. The Qur’an says: “So he came out before his people in his adornment. Those who desired the worldly life said, ‘Oh, would that we had like what was given to Qarun. Indeed, he is one of great fortune.’” (28:79)

But Qarun’s wealth had made him arrogant, ungrateful, and rebellious against Allah. Allah says: “And We caused the earth to swallow him and his home. And there was for him no company to aid him other than Allah, nor was he of those who [could] defend themselves. And those who had wished for his position the previous day began to say, ‘Oh, how Allah extends provision to whom He wills of His servants and restricts it! If not that Allah had conferred favor on us, He would have caused it to swallow us. Oh, how the disbelievers do not succeed!’” (Qur’an, 28:81-82) After seeing the fate of Qarun, the same people became grateful that they had been saved from his wealth.

But perhaps there is no better example of this lesson, than in the story of Musa and Al-Khidr that we are told about in Surat Al-Kahf. When Prophet Musa was traveling with Al-Khidr (who commentators say was an angel in the form of a man), he learned that things are often not what they seem, and that the wisdom of Allah cannot always be understood from the surface. Al-Khidr and Prophet Musa came upon a town whereupon Al-Khidr began to damage the boats of the people.

On the surface, this action would seem to have been harmful to the poor owners of the boats. However, Al-Khidr later explains that he was in fact protecting the people, and saving the boats for them. Allah tells us in the Qur’an:“[Al-Khidhr] said, ‘This is parting between me and you. I will inform you of the interpretation of that about which you could not have patience. As for the ship, it belonged to poor people working at sea. So I intended to cause defect in it as there was after them a king who seized every [good] ship by force.’” (18:78-79)

In damaging the boats, Al-Khidr was actually protecting the people by making the boats undesirable to the king who had been seizing them by force. And sometimes in life, that’s exactly what happens. In order to save us, something is taken away from us, or given to us in a way we don’t want. And yet to us—as it did to a 22 month old boy—it looks only like a closed door.

How to attain Sharah-e-Sadr

These are rough notes of a lecture on How to Attain Sharah-e-Sadr delivered by Shaykh Kamaluddin Ahmed on 28 January 2011 prepared by a friend of mine.

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Laqad kaana lakum fi rasulillahi uswatun hasanah …

a faman sharaha sadrahu lil islami ...

uswah: model etc

hasanah: perfect etc

pinnacle of beauty.

Rasulullah (saw) lived a 'balanced life'. This is an important point. He lived a balanced life being a prophet – husband, grandfather, father etc.

Stories of rasulullah (saw) playing with his daughters, grandchildren! Spending time with the ummahatul mu'mineen. Where does he get this time? How is it possible along with the responsibility of nubuwwah, with the greatest responsibility! Most responsibility of ALL of creation. He found time for the 'ordinary sahabah'. He gave time to everyone, not just elites and khulafa. Time to any and all their queries. Teaching them the basics

Today's management science teach you to delegate authority; train a few leaders and teach them the basics! But sayyiduna rasul saw taught everyone everything and found time. What a complete, perfect and yet so balanced; so much burden and responsibility yet so balanced!

I'm amazed that those ulama that made so much effort to translate the Seearah (/other works) from arabic to urdu; and those from urdu to english; they will be amazed at how little of the english//urdu community read their translations of seerah. But this verse says that each and every one of you 'lakum' is a uswatun hasanah. I would say, and may seem harsh thing to say, but if a person has no basic grounding/thorough grounding of economics not a economist (likewise physicist); then why shouldn't I say that if someone doesn't have a thorough understanding of seerah is not worthy of being called an ummati!. We don't take him (saw) as an uswah.

Those people who have gatherings (in this month of rabi'ul awwal), love to talk about two things depending on their mizaj. One group, always talk about his miracles mu'jizaat – day and night they talk about this; this is imbalance. Another group, all they like to talk about his akhlaaq – this is also imbalance; to reduce his entire prophethood to akhlaaq is also imbalance! In akhlaaq they may talk about leadership, many things.

Greatest sunnah of Rasulullah (saw) is what is known wilaayat! First and foremost sent in this world as a prophet to show the path to humans to become awliyaa of Allah, lovers of Allah. He came to take this insignificant creation, to show this insignificant trifling of a creature called a human to become a lover and beloved of Allah

His own wilayat: alam nashrah laka sadrak! Known as sharah sadr in islamic sciences. Allah say in Quran for this ummah: afaman sharaha sadrahu lil-islam fa huwa 'alaa noorin min rabbihi!!!!! That noor transcends anything in this world. That noor is the greatest thing to enter into a persons heart. The noor of iman, hidayah, rahmah! He was sent (saw) to bring a person into Noor. This noor is the greatest sunnah ! What does this Noor mean?

When the sahabah first heard this ayah “afaman....” sahabah asked: how is it that breast is expanded? Response: “when Allah sends noor into spiritual heart of the believer, then it is expanded and opened”. Allahu akbar! This is what Allah swt wants to give us, far more greater than islamic morality (akhlaq) is islamic spirituality (sharah sadar). Sahabah: “what is the sign of this (that noor enters)?” response: “all of this persons attraction and yearning will be towards the darul khulood (aakhirah) and will completely loose their attraction to daarul ghuroor (dunya) [not in terms of achievement and accomplishment, but in yearning]; and they will be prepared for death before death comes” ready to go. They don't view shariah as insignificant – yes, this is also part of sharah sadar! They understand Deen; they get ma'rifah of Deen of the intricate realities.

How do we get Sharah Sadar? How to get this wilayah of Rasulullah (Saw)? Yes this is task of Mu'min to become the same type of wali as Nabi (saw). We cannot become a Nabi. But our number 1 goal and vision is to become a wali in the same way nabi (saw) was a wali!! With the balance – of morality etc (i.e. all parts of the Sunnah) but spirituality is the missing ingredient. Where did the sahabah start their journey? They began from spirituality. The noor was so strong that it (then – after spiritual training) brought them to every morality, accomplishment etc. Ghazali (ra) defined iman: to believe in your heart every single thing that has been transmitted to us from Rasulullah (saw) (Quran, sunnah seera etc) from the bottom of our heart, that is iman. So iman is to suffice with what he (saw) was sent with. We may not rationally comprehend everything. But this is iman! Many things out of reach; but what we do have in our reach is the 'aql to do tasdeeq of what Rasulullah (saw) came with – what he came with is True, he was sent by The Truth.

In this sense, Ghazali (ra) further says: the person is either mu'min or kaafir. (faminhum mu'min wa minhum kaafir). Some accept everything, others deny and doubt the teachings. So, this is our choice. Whoever accepts iman, then Allah becomes his wali. Imagine a CEO telling a janitor “I am your wali”; king in medieval times goes to a peasant and says I am your wali! Shaykh says to student I am your wali. In all cases, your heart will melt; but Allah says “Allah waliyulladhina amanu” and heart is dead. Allah only says to bring 'alladhina amanu' and He promises wilayat. Further, “wa huwa yatawallas salihin” - super wali “mutawalli” - if you become Salihin, then Allah becomes super Wali. The problem is we don't value this noor (of Iman).

You can't extinguish noor of iman, alhamdulillah. We can veil it, hide it, cover it etc. but can't extinguish. Mashayikh give example of what Shaykh Sa'di (ra) recorded in his Gulistaan (he recounts tale): When I was a child mother gave me a gold ring. And I went to market and thug saw it. He said to me “suck your ring” then he gave me candy and said “suck this candy”; they swapped the gold ring for candy!

He (Shaykh Sa'di (ra)) is saying your iman is the ring; all the media, society culture is the marketing to make you choose the candy! Hadith: haya is iman. But we trade this golden ring of haya for pleasures of dunya.

Sahabah: “First he (the Prophet SAW) taught us iman, then he taught us Quran”; Quran is guidance for muttaqeen! hudan lil muttaqeen. 3 reasons why a person loses iman:

1. don't actively consciously do shukr of iman – take it for granted. We should do most shukr for the greatest blessing – Iman. Youth nowadays ask “why was I given this gift and someone else not, did I get this iman with free will”. The very act of the gift is now a means of being doubtful and sceptical!!!

2. we are not afraid of losing iman. When you not afraid of losing money, then definitely you will lose it.

3. By hurting the hearts of the people of iman. When you hurt the heart of a fellow believer means you didn't value the iman they had in their heart. People say 'we are batch-mates, housemates, flatmates, pir-bhais” but greatest relationship is “ikhwah” - brotherhood of the noor of iman in hearts!

Some people say 'my iman is weak'. It's strange, like they are speaking out of ma'rifah (i.e. they have spoken the exact truth)! They know that the weakness is in iman. One easy way to boost it, is to do shukr of whatever spark you have of iman, then Allah will increase - “wa la'in shakartum la azidannakum”.

How to get sharah sadr (8 ways):

1. do shukr of iman

2. ilm – learn knowledge of deen. “al-'ilmu noor”.

Two Hadith on types of seekers being forgiven

a) three types forgiven when seeker of food. First earner of wealth, second cooker of food and third feeder of food

b) four people forgiven when seeker of knowledge: first seeker, second teacher who answers, three the majlis of ilm (audience, listener!!), fourth any one who made intizam for the majlis

3. to return to Allah and to wholeheartedly, fully completely with your FULL HEART's yearning love Allah! Maa ja'alallahu li rajulin min qalbayni fi jawfih. Ibn qayyim (ra): “there's nothing more effective in sharah sadar than love for Allah, it has a wondrous effect; but to have love for ghayrulllah is the most destructive in achieving sharh sadr”.

4. Zikr katheer – always remember Allah swt at ALL times. Let me put it to you this way (in explaining the effect of Zikr of Allah) “ la hawla wa laa quwwata illa billah” I have no might power or ability in me to leave sin, nor might power or ability to do good except with the leave of Allah. Nobody can say I am lower than this – nobody is lower than zero ability to stop from sin and zero ability to do good. But, see zikr can take you from lowest point, and pick you up. Three types of zikr: qalbi, lisani and amali. Imam Rabbani (ra) says “anything a person does can be zikr”

5. ihsaan ilal khalq – to treat creation well. Treat people well and you will get noor of Allah. This is real power of akhlaaq; that's why you can't have morality without spirituality! This is the reason to have good character – you get Sharah Sadr when you have good akhlaaq with others, Allah sends Noor. Akhlaaq of Rasulullah (saw) with his own, with those other than his own. People who tried to murder him, and his companions. Oppressed and fought and opposed him.

6. Ash-shujaa'. Courage, to be steadfast (himmah). This is such a powerful topic. Istiqlaal fit taba'. Stregnth, sabr, motivation, drive, bravery, courage, resilience. (A person) who is strong willed on their deen! Enduring on their deen! Steadfast, persevering on Deen! Show himmah! Himmat on Deen to get this Noor!!

Two ways to understand this shuja'ah/himmah

a. “was-bir nafsaka ma'alladhina …wa laa ta'du aynaka 'anhum”. Allah giving you command to bind yourself to those men who call Him day and night and don't for a second move your gaze from them. (So get himmah by spending time in suhbat of ahluLlah)

b. Balance. I give you one line. You master this, you get balance. Just one line. One line: “master your night, you will have balance”. You want to have wilayah (every other thing you will get in the day) master your night, otherwise you will be imbalanced. How to master? A “one-size fits all”: your night is 10 hours: 6-8 hrs sleep, 2-4 hrs to Allah.

Students nowadays can't sleep until clock says 'am' and can't wake until it says 'pm'. Just wake up for Fajr and just give 2 hours solid for Allah (swt). Student package: 12am – 10am (you can sleep at 'am'!! but just give 2 hrs to Allah) People working/married and kids: If you take the package 10pm-8am, then 8am-10pm will run fine; you just need to pray salah and go about your day. Sunnah: during day pray salah and do day-to-day work, but night was time of wilayah

Alhamdulillah we have had such an opportunity to spend time with ulama who follow sunnah. During day, they pray salah and return (home or work for the day etc.), but night is for Allah!

Master your night, you will accomplish everything in your day.

7. Remove veils which are repressing the Noor. So this is tawbah, tazkiyah. Remove the veils, remove darkness, and let your unfettered iman shine through. Basically leave/remove sin. Without doing extra ibadah etc and remove sin/bad traits then inherent noor of iman will simply shine out

8. tark e fudhool – leave the wasteful, fruitless, superfluous of

a. gaze: not just physical gaze (although it does include physical gaze), but includes awareness – news media, your nazar on so many things why news article on what happening in Brazil? This is Fudhool! Whether Sri Lanka beat India on cricket!? You have been thieved, why look at a cricketer, go find 11 children 11 orphans, 11 widows, 11 underprivileged”. For some people it (i.e. nazar on fudhool) applies to micro-managing their home. Just leave it, it's fudhool; so caught up in fudhool that's why you don't have time when you say “too busy for Allah” then you have half-lied – you spend your time in fudhool that's why you have no time! Look at student, businessman, politician in their critical season, then no way you can involve them in fudhool. Wa hum 'anil-laghwi mu'ridhoon

b. kalaam: idle idle idle wasteful talk. Most accomplished people of this world speak less – people of little words. In PK you have 'baatooni' – this used to be a sifat of women, but even I can tell you of baatooni men! They talk so much! It's stopping Noor from coming, it's interfering with the signal of Noor. If you have fudhool airwaves, then Allah swt is sending his Noor but it is causing interference! Min husni islamil mar'i tarkuhu ma laa ya'neehi.

c. Interaction: extraneous intermingling. I know not everyone is ready for that level; not saying to become a hermit. But a reasonable controlled level of interaction with non-family members is acceptable but now it has become superfluous.

d. eating (leave superfluous eating)

e. sleeping (leave superfluous sleeping) (A verse:) Innal abraara lafi na'eem: the people of Birr are in na'eem (bliss, everlasting bliss, joy felicity happiness) wa innal fujjaara lafi jaheem: the people of fujoor (“fujoor” ranges from sin all the way to sloth, laziness, idleness which causes a person to lose and miss out on this Noor and eventually lead someone to disobedience of Allah swt) are in Jaheem (terrible, joyless, every sadness, every depression, every hasrat).

In all the things we have mentioned Rasulullah (saw) was perfect in all these things. He was perfect in all these things. This is the REAL meaning of waseelah!!!! (← ALLAHU AKBAR!!!!!!!!!) Waseelah doesn't mean you pray to Rasulullah (SAW). It means you use Sunnah of Nabi (SAW) to reach Allah! His Sunnah is YOUR WASEELAH. Just GRASP THIS ONE WASEELAH and you will need no other Waseelah. Grab this Sunnah of Sharah Sadar, of wilayah of Nabi (saw). It is his greatest legacy, his greatest Sunnah, and our greatest need and our greatest loss if we leave this world without getting at least a shadow, shade or even at least being on the path of this Wilayah.

May Allah make us loyal devout follower of Sunnah, and the inhertior of the Sunnah and Wilayah of Nabi (Saw), ameen; wa aakhiru da'waana anil hamdu lillahi rabbil aalamin

The Power of Good Words

The Power of Good Words

Feb 2nd, 2012

by Ahmed.

A group of frogs were travelling through the woods, and two of them fell into a deep pit.

All the other frogs gathered around the pit. When they saw how deep the pit was, they told the unfortunate frogs they would never get out. The two frogs ignored the comments and tried to jump up out of the pit.

The other frogs kept telling them to stop, that they were as good as dead. Finally, one of the frogs took heed to what the other frogs were saying and simply gave up. He fell down and died.

The other frog continued to jump as hard as he could. Once again, the crowd of frogs yelled at him to stop the pain and suffering and just die. He jumped even harder and finally made it out. When he got out, the other frogs asked him, “Why did you continue jumping. Didn’t you hear us?”

The frog explained to them that he was deaf. He thought they were encouraging him the entire time.

This story holds two lessons:

1. There is power of life and death in the tongue. An encouraging word to someone who is down can lift them up and help them make it through the day.

2. A destructive word to someone who is down can be what it takes to kill them.Be careful of what you say. Speak life to those who cross your path.

The power of words… it is sometimes hard to understand that an encouraging word can go such a long way. Anyone can speak words that tend to rob another of the spirit to continue in difficult times.

Special is the individual who will take the time to encourage another.

May Allah Tallah make this relationship blessed for you and everyone related to it. Prayers with my sis

Prayers for a special friend :D

IslamiCity.com - How to attain Humility in Prayers

IslamiCity.com - How to attain Humility in Prayers

another one from igotitcovered.org

Things aren’t always as they seem. Umm Musa was told to throw her son in the river, Yusuf was left for dead in a well, Maryam delivered a child alone, Yunus was swallowed by a whale, Ibrahim was thrown in the fire and Umm Salamah thought no one could be better than Abu Salamah. Yet look at how it turned out for them… in the end. So don’t worry, Allah has a plan for you. — AmatuAllah

...

like the water gushes over a stone,
and moulds it over time by its flow
and the sun shines down on the little rock
and makes the coarse thing glow
my heart has been cold, hard and dry too
and envies that stone that has changed too
a dead heart inside me is silent forever
but the ruh is sighing and pushing it to and fro.
in search of its life, in search of its salvation
and then finds a little corner somewhere in the fitrah,
a speck of light penetrates through,
the rock inside my chest is pushed once again to do.
what it's supposed to,

Allah, Allah, Allah

meri shaan.

"The shortest distance between a problem and a successful solution is the distance between your head and the floor (sujood). The one who bows down to Allah can stand up to anything."

-Unknown

Read at http://www.igotitcovered.org

subhanAllah... beautiful words....

 Dua jo nikli thi dil say aakhir, palat kay maqbool ho kay aayi
Woh jazba jis main tarap thi sachi, woh jazba aakhir ko kaam aaya.

ufff/...

Top Ten Things Every Student of Knowledge Should Know

Copy pasted from an email my friend had sent. JazauLLAH lihaa!

Top Ten Things Every Student of Knowledge Should Know

Many times young Muslims decide they want to become scholars and embark on the path of knowledge with little knowledge of what to expect. I was such a youngster who signed up for an “‘alim” course with no idea what an ‘alim is or where it would lead me.

In order to help my fellow Muslims prepare themselves psychologically and not repeat the mistakes I made, I present to you ten things I feel every student of knowledge must know (in no particular order):

1.  A few years of study does not make one a scholar:

Too often, young Muslims study a few books or for a few years and then develop a “scholar” complex. They begin to force their opinions on others as if they can’t be wrong. They become intolerant to other views, and they write anybody off who disagrees with them as deviant.

We need to realize, before we even begin our journey of knowledge, that the sciences of Islam are many and deep; the variety of opinions in fiqh are multiple, and the chances of always being right are slim. I advise all of my fellow young Muslims to tread carefully, keep egos in check, approach differences with the possibility of being wrong, and never forget to say “Allah knows best”.

2. Manners come first:

In the past, most scholars would train their students in good manners before teaching them Islamic knowledge. Parents, too, would encourage their children to learn manners before the Islamic sciences.

Sadly, today many institutes do not teach good manners to their students, expecting them to automatically gain them through their study of Islam. This leads to Islamic teachers with bad manners, which in turn chases people away from Islam.

In this regard, anybody who is studying or teaching Islam must learn the proper manners of dealing with people, mercy, tolerance, and being non-judgmental and must possess a personality that attracts people; otherwise, we might do more harm than good.

3. Studying Islam does not make one immune to sin:

Some people have the misconception that if they study Islam, they will reach a level of piety from which they can’t slip. The reality is that Shaytan tries even harder to lead people of knowledge astray as it has a more detrimental effect on the community as a whole.

So instead of temptations growing less, they are more likely to increase and intensify as Shaytan tries to use every means at his disposal to lead us astray. We need to realize this, prepare for it, and never let our guard down as the Shayateen try very hard to make a knowledgeable Muslim fall astray.

4. People will judge you:

While we should not be judgmental to people as Islamic teachers, the reality is that people will still judge you. Many people are intimidated by practicing Muslims. When they see a practicing Muslim, they see their own flaws and deficiencies and so they search for fault in that individual. We should not be surprised if people judge our clothing, mannerisms or weaknesses; it is their way to try and console themselves or justify their sins. We need to always keep this in mind and be able to respond appropriately.

5. You represent your Faith:

When a person chooses to study Islam, especially once they earn a title, they automatically become a representation of the deen. When people see an Imam or a Shaykh, they expect to see a living example of Islam. If people see such a person sinning, they will either lose respect for him and become disillusioned about Islam, or they will take it as proof that it can’t be that big a sin. Either way, for an Islamic teacher, our lives represent ourdeen, so we should always be careful not to give a wrong impression of Islam.

6. You will be tested:

Undoubtedly, life is a test and every human is being tested all the time in different ways. However, one should not think that because one is studying Islam and teaching it, Allah will grant a life of ease and comfort. Rather, history proves that those closest to Allah are the most severely tested. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “The most severely tested people are the prophets, then those closest to them in piety then those closest to them.”

Be prepared to be tested and take it as a sign that Allah loves you and wants to test your love for Him. Remember that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Whoever embarks on a path to study Islam has embarked on the path towards Paradise.” It is not the information alone that takes a person to Paradise; it is his fulfillment of its rights by understanding, practicing and preaching it to others and dealing with all the problems that go along with this that ultimately leads to Paradise.

7. Studying should not be an end; rather it should be a step to a higher goal:

I have met many Moulanas, Imams and Shaykhs with no goals or aspirations. Despite the ummah having so many issues that need dealing with, these men don’t seem to care. Upon further analysis, I realized that they set out to study with one of the following goals:  to please their parents, to get a title, or to get the knowledge. Once they obtained the knowledge, they did not know or care about what to do next, so they carried along with their lives like donkeys carrying books.

Any person who studies Islam should be introspective and find a good motivation to study. Perhaps you would like to become a da’ee and a means of guidance for non-Muslims. Perhaps you would like to establish an Islamic centre in an area that needs one. Perhaps you would like become a mujtahid in a field that is lacking many quality scholars. Whatever you decide, it should be something noble that you wish to do for the sake of Allah after completing your studies. In short, studying should not be a goal but a means to help accomplish higher goals.

8. You can’t change everyone:

In life, we do not always get what we want. Similarly, in Islamic work things don’t always go our way. Remember that not everybody you meet will agree with you, listen to you or accept your message. Rather, there will always be people who will disagree with you or flat out reject you. This is reality and we have to be prepared for this by realizing guidance is only in Allah’s Hands, and we are only responsible for conveying the message.

9.  You will make mistakes:

Many of us study Islam to make up for the sins of our past. Yet, being humans, we are never free from sins and mistakes and so some people become depressed and give up Islamic work when they realize that they are now knowledgeable but still occasionally fall into sin.

The truth is that the Shaytan wants us to quit and by doing so we are just playing into his hands, but Allah is Most Forgiving to those who repent. Every time you fall down and make a mistake, pick yourself back up, turn to Allah in repentance and try again to be a good Muslim, and never EVER allow your sins or mistakes stop you from doing Islamic work. Rather, it should motivate us to do more Islamic work so that our good deeds outweigh our sins on the Last Day.

10. The reward for studying and teaching Islam is worth it:

While most of the above make it seem like Islamic Work is a difficult field, that is not the purpose of this article. The purpose was solely to prepare for the many challenges and responsibilities we face while trying to serve Allah.

The reality is that the reward of dealing with all of the above is truly worth it, whether it is the rewards in this world or in the akhirah. As far as the akhirah goes, we know that the path of knowledge leads to Paradise but additional to that is the fact that insha’Allah you will get the rewards for the good deeds of those you teach or inspire to do good.

In this sense, it is one of the only good deeds we can do where the reward keeps multiplying. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “When a person dies, all their deeds end except three: charity which continues to benefit, knowledge he left behind which people benefit from, and righteous children who pray for him.”

As far as this world goes, the greatest reward an Islamic worker can receive in this world is seeing the fruits of his efforts. When a person tells you they changed and became a better Muslim because of your influence or when a person takes their shahadah at your hands, there is no feeling equal to it, and any sacrifice you have being through for the deen feels worth it.

So, my beloved brothers and sisters, let us study Islam, seeking its rewards yet knowing the responsibilities and trials that go along with it. I wrote this firstly as a reminder to myself as well as to anybody else involved in the field of Islamic Studies. May Allah keep us all steadfast on His deen.  Ameen.

Reality Check - Israel.

http://www.emel.com/article?id=92&a_id=2532

Five months after losing his wife to cancer, Izzeldin Abuelaish’s daughters were blown up by Israeli shells.

The Israeli Army assault on Gaza started in December of 2008 after dissident Gazans affiliated with Hamas launched makeshift rockets into Israeli settlements. Israel’s aggressive and disproportionate response came after a period of intense political turmoil when Hamas were democratically elected to government by Palestinians exasperated by the inertia of Fatah and desiring to break the political deadlock. These tumultuous times coincided with a period of intense hardship in my personal life. My wife lost her battle with leukaemia in the summer of 2008, and not long after that my home, along with every other home in Gaza, became the target of heavy artillery fire and shelling at the hands of the Israeli Army bent on war and destruction. Before the war, the consequences of which were to permanently alter the course of my life, I had been considering taking up an academic post in either the US or Canada. As a Palestinian doctor working in Israel, I spent a great deal of time crossing checkpoints from Gaza into Israel. After my wife passed away, this way of life was simply unsustainable because my children needed me to be with them.

My family were excited about our trip and together we were planning where to go. Everything was in place when the chaos started. As I sat with my children inside our family home, bombing, shelling, firing and shooting came from everywhere. We were trapped and deprived of every vital need—we had no electricity and no water and my only comfort came from being with my children. We did not want to sleep in the same room for fear of being bombed in our sleep, so we divided into groups of three, sleeping on mattresses on the floor in the middle of the house, as we did not dare to approach the windows. For the most part we were unable to sleep. The constant bombing and shelling felt like an erupting volcano. The house shook with every bomb, and when we did sleep it was against a non-stop symphony of firing. Then, at 4.45pm on 16th January 2009, just five months after the death of my wife and several weeks after the first rocket had been launched, the unthinkable happened. Seconds after I had left my daughters’ room with my son Abdullah, the sound of an explosion came from behind me. When I saw the dust and the smoke, my first thought was that it might have come from outside, but I quickly understood it was my house and my daughters’ room that had been hit. Part of me did not want to face the desperate scene and on my way to find Bessan, Mayar, Ayah and my niece Noor, I heard the chilling sound of screaming as if the girls were taking their last breaths. I opened the door to find they had become parts—fragmented, decapitated and stained with their own blood. What I saw was beyond anyone’s worst nightmare.

Read More

Allah Doesn't Love...continued

Shaykh Kamaluddin Ahmed's talk on
Traits that Allah Ta'ala Doesn't Love [continued]
on Channel Islam International
dated 8th December 2011

Kindly download from the link below:
(right click and save)

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/10399817/CII%20-%2008.12.2011%20-%20Traits%20Allah%20SWT%20Doesn%27t%20Love%20cont.wma

 

Musa & Safurah a.s.

taken from suhaibwebb.com

Musa & Safurah: a Courtship, a Romance

Guest Authors | June 24, 2010 10:59 am

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by Hena Zuberi

 

I am from Generation X. Raised on ‘Pretty in Pink’ and Sweet Dreams romance novels, some of my friends read Mills and Boons, others raved about the unattainable love in the Thorn birds; but I preferred the grand passion of Wuthering Heights. That was my idea of a romance – filling each other completely, a religion of love.

It also came from Indian movies; rich girl falls for poor guy, they dance around trees in the rain, then drama ensues from the family, enter Prem Chopra character, the guy runs off with girl, the end. Sometimes, he would dash in with a monologue and take her away while she was getting married to someone else. How many girls are still waiting for their Sir Salman/Saif/Shahrukh Khan to take them away on a white horse in a red lehnga?

When in love, according to Freud, “against all the evidence of  her/his senses, a wo/man who is in love declares ‘I’ and ‘you’ are one, and is prepared to behave as if it were a fact.” This love is so destructive, so impossible; based on these notions, I have nursed many a heartbroken friend. I remember being in ER after she burnt herself with a cigarette because she wasn’t allowed to see him; another time helping to hide another’s bruises under makeup, where he punched her for talking to his buddy. My own quest was less for the pain, more for the eternal flutter in my heart. What were we thinking? Allah made us; He put these feelings in our heart, so why didn’t we ever think of turning to His book to see how ‘boy meets girl’ really works? It’s all in there.

I read of a great courtship, a love story that is so romantic it’s divine. The setting – Madyan, the land of frankincense, I can almost smell it lingering in the air. Historian Abdulla Al-Wohaibi writes that Madyan was “a flourishing ancient town with numerous wells and permanently flowing springs whose water had good taste. There were farms, gardens and groves of palm trees.”

Here we meet Safurah, the daughter of Shuyab `alayhi assalam (peace be upon him) at the side of a gushing spring, ‘keeping back, stopping her sheep from drinking with the sheep of the shepherds.’ And Musa (as), a fugitive on the run for eight days, crossing the burning desert sands from Egypt, feeding off nothing but tree leaves.

Their meeting is a beautiful example of chivalry; a perfect model of what it means to be a man and a woman. This was her daily routine and she waited out of her sense of modesty. She and her sister were strong women, after all herding their father’s flock wasn’t easy work. They were surrounded by rowdy men, reminding me of scenes from Liberty market in Lahore, Cairo’s Khan Khaleeli or the Westfield mall in Generic town, U.S.A. where rowdy boys hang out – men yelling, pushing, with little dignity or sense of composure. He, however, was a gentleman amongst the uncouth.

She didn’t need his help, she could have waited until all of the other men were done and then watered her flock, but that’s what makes it so special – that he still stood up to help her. Musa (as) was thirsty too but his sense of doing the right thing was stronger than his fatigue or his hunger. He was honorable – he could have ignored the sisters, could have said “I’m too tired, too important.” He had no relationship with these women. He didn’t know what family or religion they were from. All he saw was someone was being treated unfairly and for the sake of Allah, he was ready to help.

Sisters, a man like that will get you far in life. He will be just with your children, your parents and his parents. He will help you in your faith, your home and your life. As for the ones pushing each other to get the water from the well, they are the same brothers who will keep fighting for the dunya. They will keep working away for the next promotion and you will be left on the side like the two sisters from Madyan.

When Musa (as) approached the water, he saw that the shepherds had placed an immense rock, that could only be moved by ten men, over the mouth of the spring. ‘Musa embraced the rock and lifted it out of the spring’s mouth, the veins of his neck and hands standing out as he did so.’ He let their sheep drink and then put the rock back in its place.

After Musa (as) did this kind act, he went back in the shade of the tree and made du`a’. Unlike some MSA brothers who like to walk the sisters to their apartments and then ask them if they have food in the fridge, he didn’t ask the girls “Hey! I did you a favor, can you help me out now?”

No, he lies down on Allah’s green earth and makes this beautiful du`a’:

“So he watered (their flocks) for them, then he turned back to shade, and said: ‘My Lord! I am truly in need of whatever good that You bestow on me!’” (Qur’an, 28:24)

`Ata’ bin As-Sa’ib said in Tafsir ibn Kathir: “When Musa made that du`a’ the women heard him.”  What a beautiful du`a’ to make for all of us who are looking for a good partner or bliss in our married lives. This one du`a’ to Allah gave Musa (as) a job, a house and a family all at once. When you have nothing left except Allah, than you find that Allah is always enough for you.

The two sisters came home with the well-fed sheep, surprising their father Shuyab (as). He asked them what had happened and they told him what Musa (as) had done. So he sent one of them to call him to meet her father.

She said: “My father is inviting you so that he may reward you for watering our sheep.” In Tafsir ibn Kathir it states: there came to him one of them, walking shyly, meaning she was walking like a free woman. Narrates `Umar ibn-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him: “She was covering herself from them (Musa) with the folds of her garment.”

Safurah is intelligent and intuitive. Abdullah bin Masud praised three people’s intuition: Abu Bakr Siddiq (ra) about `Umar ibn-Khattab, Yousuf ‘s (as) companion, and Safurah’s when she asked her father to hire Musa (as). “Verily, the best of men for you to hire is the strong, the trustworthy.” Her father said to her, ”What do you know about that?” She said to him, “He lifted a rock which could only be lifted by ten men, and when I came back with him, I walked ahead of him, but he said to me, walk behind me, and if I get confused about the route, throw a pebble so that I will know which way to go.”

He didn’t follow her, looking at her from behind – subhan’Allah. Imagine the scenario: he was a prince who must have had women throwing themselves at him but he ‘lowers his gaze’, which is the hukum for all Muslim men, but how many really adhere to that? Here Musa (as) is not Safurah’s husband yet, so he asks her to walk behind him, knowing very well that he doesn’t know the way but she does. It wasn’t a matter of ego or superiority; he was concerned about her honor as she was alone, without her sister; this way he was protecting her. Look at their society too – if all the men were such boors, could you put it past those people to gossip about her walking with him?

I often wonder how Musa (as) grew up to be this way? He came from such privilege, so much corruption existed in the court of Pharoah; he could have had any woman he wanted. But he learnt how to honor women from his pious foster mother, `Aasiya (ra); and continued this respect even hundreds of miles from his mother’s eyes. Mothers can be shields for their sons – even if the fathers are Pharoah.

Back to our courtship: Musa (as) takes Safurah’s ‘lead’ by making her throw stones to direct the route. Brothers, there’s a lesson for you here: it’s ok to ask for directions and consulting with a woman. Such a man’s bravado would be insulted today; he would be considered crazy or sexist for asking a woman to walk in his shadow and then make her do all the work! Armed with our liberal arts education, we often undervalue a man’s masculinity. Such hoopla is made over where the husband walks, in front, side by side, behind you. My husband is a foot and some taller than me, so big deal if he sometimes walks faster than me, he’s got longer legs. Other times he walks behind me especially in crowds and he is often there by my side. It doesn’t define us. Shouldn’t it matter more whether he is ahead, behind or by my side spiritually?

Safurah then hired Musa (as) and chooses to marry him under her father’s guidance. There was no long engagement and no endless conversations – no promises of unending love. How many times do we pass up great partners because we haven’t clicked? What did she like about him in those short meetings? First of all, she sees he is not a wimp, he stood up for her when they were strangers, imagine what he would do for her when she becomes his wife.

He complements her life; she needs a man in her household, to help her run her business (we see the same theme in the blessed union of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and our mother, Khadijah (ra). This story reinforces in me the reason why my husband is always going to be the leader of my family. He leads well so that I may willingly follow.

Musa (as) agrees to the terms Safurah’s family sets for their marriage. She admires his trust in Allah, his ability to problem solve, his strength and his manners. If women looked for his four characteristics in a man, instead of the countless other things we focus on, will we not find our own beautiful Musa?

Further, if we are consumed by the love we have for our spouse, will there be space in our hearts for Allah? Heathcliff and Catherine of Wuthering Heights had replaced God for each other. They needed to fuse their identities and thought they had attained heaven. Bronte’s mysticism notwithstanding, love like theirs is asocial, amoral and irresponsible. After reading Musa and Safurah’s love story though, I learned to love my husband for the right reasons: for his support, his strengths, and his sense of responsibility for the sake of Allah. After ten years, he still makes my heart flutter; but he doesn’t need to complete me. It’s enough that he complements me. And it is this evolving courtship that will inshaAllah knock the tunes out of every Indian movie.

References:

Abdulla Al-Wohabi, The Northern Hijaz In The Writings of The Arab Geographers 800-1150 B.C., p. 142

Emily Bronte, Imelani. Religion, Metaphysics and Mysticism.