Ramadan Kareem…

Ramadan kareem everyone!

“O People ! Indeed ahead of you is the blessed month of Allah. A month of blessing, mercy and forgiveness. A month which with Allah is the best of months. Its days, the best of days, its nights, the best of nights, and its hours, the best of hours. It is the month which invites you to be the guests of Allah and invites you to be one of those near to Him. Each breath you take glorifies him; your sleep is worship, your deeds are accepted and your supplications are answered. So, ask Allah, your Lord; to give you a sound body and an enlightened heart so you may be able to fast and recite his book, for only he is unhappy who is devoid of Allah’s forgiveness during this great month.” – Prophet Muhammad s.a.w

2:183

ياأيها الذين آمنو كتب عليكم الصيام كما كتب على الذين من قبلكم لعلكم تتقون

O you who believe! fasting is prescribed for you, as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may attain Taqwa.

Ya Allah! Help us attain Taqwa this blessed month, and make us of those who are always in a state of Taqwa! Ya Rabb!

“Fasting is like a shield, and he who fasts has two joys: a joy when he breaks his fast and a joy when he meets his Lord. ” – Prophet Muhammad s.a.w

 

Allah will say on the Day of Judgment, ‘O son of Adam, I was sick and you did not visit Me.’ He will say, ‘O my Lord, how could I visit You, when you are the Lord of the Worlds.’ Allah will say, ‘Did you not know that My servant so and so was sick and you did not visit him? Did you not know that if you had visited him, you would have found Me there?’

Allah will say, ‘O son of Adam, I asked you for food and you fed Me not.’ He shall say, ‘O my Lord, how could I feed you when you are the Lord of the Worlds?’ And Allah will say, ‘Did you not know that My servant so and so was looking for food and you did not feed him? Did you not know that if you had fed him, you would have found that to have been for Me?’

‘O son of Adam, I asked you for water and you did not give Me to drink.’ The man shall say, ‘O my Lord, how could I give You water, when You are the Lord of the Worlds?’ Allah will say, ‘My servant so and so asked you for water and you did not give him to drink water. Did you not know that if you had given him to drink, you would have found that to have been for Me.’ [Muslim]

Abu Hurairah r.a narrated that Rasulullah s.a.w said,

“Allah said, ‘All the deeds of the son of Adam are for him: the good deeds will be multiplied ten times to seven hundred time, except fasting, which is for Me and I will reward for it accordingly. He abandons his (sexual) desire, food and drink for Me.’ Verily, there are two joyous and pleasurable moments for the fasting person: one at the time of breaking his fast, and the other is when he will meet his Lord (in the Hereafter). Verily, the unpleasant odor emanating from the mouth of the fasting person is better in the sight of Allah than the scent of musk.”
[Al-Bukhari & Muslim].

This world is a trap, and desire is its bait…

This World is Worthless in Comparison to the Hereafter

 

Then Allah says,

 

[بَلْ تُؤْثِرُونَ الْحَيَوةَ الدُّنْيَا ]

 

(Rather you prefer the life of this world.) meaning, `you give it precedence over the matter of the Hereafter, and you prefer it because of what it contains of usefulness and benefit for you in livelihood, and your returns (i.e., income, profitable gain).’

 

[وَالاٌّخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ وَأَبْقَى ]

 

(Although the Hereafter is better and more lasting.) meaning, the reward of the final abode is better than the worldly life, and it is more lasting. For indeed, this worldly life is lowly and temporal, whereas the Hereafter is noble and eternal. Thus, how can an intelligent person prefer that which is short-lived over that which is eternal. How can he give importance to that which will soon pass away from him, while ignoring the importance of the abode of eternity and infinity. Imam Ahmad recorded from Abu Musa Al-Ash`ari that the Messenger of Allah said,

 

«مَنْ أَحَبَّ دُنْيَاهُ أَضَرَّ بِآخِرَتِهِ، وَمَنْ أَحَبَّ آخِرَتَهُ أَضَرَّ بِدُنْيَاهُ، فَآثِرُوا مَا يَبْقَى عَلَى مَا يَفْنَى»

 

(Whoever loves his worldly life, will suffer in his Hereafter, and whoever loves his worldly life, will suffer in his Hereafter, and whoever loves his Hereafter, will suffer in his worldly life. Therefore, chose that which is everlasting over that which is temporal.) Ahmad was alone in recording this Hadith.

 

He made the Hereafter an abode to reward His believing servants only because this world cannot contain what He wishes to bestow upon them; and because He deemed their worth too high to reward them in a world without permanence.  – Ibn Atho’illah

 

 

On Fasting…

There’s hidden sweetness in the stomach’s emptiness.We are lutes, no more, no less.If the soundboxes stuffed full of anything, no music.If the brain and belly are burning clean with fasting,every moment a new song comes out of the fire.The fog clears, and new energy makes you runup the steps in front of you.Be emptier and cry like reed instruments cry.Emptier, write secrets with the reed pen.When you’re full of food and drink,Satan sits where your spirit should,an ugly metal statue in place of the Kaaba.When you fast, good habits gatherlike friends who want to help.Fasting is Solomon’s ring.Don’t give into some illusion and lose your power,but even if you have, if you’ve lost all will and control,they come back when you fast,like soldiers appearing out of the ground,pennants flying above them.A table descends to your tents, Jesus’ table.Expect to see it, when you fast,this tablespread with other food,better than the broth of cabbages.

-Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi

 

 

 

We’ll meet in the end…

I liked the version by Lisa Loeb but could’nt find the video.This is the original version by Ozzy Osbourne.

Goodbye to romance

Yeasterday has been and gone
Tomorrow will I find the sun or will it rain
Everybody’s having fun except me I’m the lonely one
I live in shame

I said goodbye to romance, yeah
Goodbye to friends… I tell you
Goodbye to all the past
I guess that we’ll meet, we’ll meet in the end

I’ve been the king, I’ve been the clown
No broken wings can’t hold me down
I’m free again
The jester with a broken crown
It won’t be me this time around to love in vain

I said goodbye to romance, yeah
Goodbye to friends… I tell you
Goodbye to all the past
I guess that we’ll meet, we’ll meet in the end

And I feel the time is right although I know
That you just might say to me
What ya gonna do
What ya gonna do
But I have to take this chance
Goodbye to friends and true romance
And to all of you
And to all of you

Come on now…

I said goodbye to romance, yeah
Goodbye to friends… I tell you
Goodbye to all the past
I guess that we’ll meet, we’ll meet in the end

And the weather’s lookin fine and I think the sun will shine again
And I feel I’ve cleared my mind all the past is left behind again

I said goodbye to romance, yeah
Goodbye to friends… I tell you
Goodbye to all the past
I guess that we’ll meet, we’ll meet in the end

Iqra…

This is the malay translated book of Syakh Syed Muhammad Ibn Alawi Abbas Al Maliki Al Hasani originally written in arabic called Sharf al-Ummah al-Muhammadiyyah.Got it from my trip to Seremban Negeri Sembilan while attending the haul Of almarhum Sidi Syakh Ahmad Ibn almarhum Sidi Syakh Muhammad Said,the first mufti of Negeri Sembilan.This book is among the many books produced by the Mufti Office of Negeri Sembilan during the Maal Hijrah celebration few years back.It tells the various advantages of being the ummah of Nabi Alaihi Solatuwassalam.Advantages of ablution,of answering the prayer call,of prayers and sadaqah and fasting etc.

On performing the wudhu,
And whoever performs the ablution and does it well then all his sins will exit from his body and out through all his fingernails. [Imam Muslim]

On Answering call of prayer,
From Abu Hurairah r.a : One day while with Rasulullah s.a.w Bilal rose and made the call of Adhan and at the end Rasulullah s.a.w said whoever has answered the call made by Bilal(meaning repeating the call of Adhan after each one made by Bilal)then he will enter Jannah. [An Nasa'i]

All this are some of the many advantages given by Allah to the ummah of Muhammad s.a.w not given to the other ummah before.Even Prophet Musa a.s after being told by Allah the advantages of being the ummah of Muhammad s.a.w,asked that he too be one.Are’nt we glad to be of the ummah of Muhammad s.a.w. The last of Ummah and the first to enter jannah EnshaAllah. Ya Kamalin Nabi!

A little about Almarhum Syakh Syed Muhammad Ibn Syed Alawi Al Maliki Al Hasani

The Sayyid is a descendent of the prophet Muhammad (Blessings and Salutations of peace upon Him) through Imam Hasan, a grand-son of the prophet. He is a contemporary Saudi Arabian scholar of Tafseer (interpretation of the Qur’an), Hadith (the sayings of the Prophet), Fiqh (Islamic law), `Aqeedah (tenets of faith) and Seerah (Prophetic biography). He is the most highly acclaimed and respected scholar (Shaykh) in Makkah (Mecca). He was born to a family of traditional Maliki scholars of ancestral residence in the Holy City. His grandfather was the Qadi (Chief Judge) of Makkah and an Imam of the Holy Mosque, the site of the Ka’bah.

His father Sayyid Alawi taught and lectured in the precints of the Holy Mosque for 30 years until he passed away in 1971, his funeral being the biggest one in the area in the present era. Sayyid Muhammad was educated by his eminent father from childhood and was authorised to teach every book he studied with him. He also learnt at the feet of prominent scholars of Makkah such as Shaykh Say-yid Ameen Kutbi, Shaykh Hassan Masshat, Shaykh Muhammad Nur Sayf, Shaykh Saeed Yamani and many others.

At the age of 25 he received his Phd from from the esteemed Al Azhar university of Egypt. His thesis – on Hadith (the sayings of the Prophet) – was rated excellent and highly praised by the ‘ulama (learned elders) there at the time such as Imam Abu Zahra. During his never-ending quest for knowledge he has travelled extensively to north Africa, Egypt, Syria, Turkey, Yemen and the Indo-Pak sub-continent to gather Hadith, collect manuscripts, visit scholars, saints and benefit from their wisdom.

Apart from the ‘ulama of the Hijaz (Arabian Peninsula) he has got “Sanad” or “‘Ijazah” (lineage of authority to teach and guide) in the theological and spiritual sciences from eminent savants all over the Islamic world. The great Da’ee (spreader of the religion) and Imam of Yemen, Imam Habib Ahmad Mashur al-Haddad , Shaykh Hasnayn Makhluf the great Mufti of Egypt, Shaykh al Ghimari of Morrocco , Shaykh Diauddin Qadiri of Madinah and numerous others have given him their ‘ijazah.

In 1970 he was appointed professor of Islamic studies at the Umm-ul-Qurra university in Makkah. In 1971, after his father’s death, the scholars of Makkah asked him to accept his father’s position as a teacher in the Holy Mosque, which he did. Hundreds of students have learnt at his feet and have become savants of Islamic knowledge and spirituality in their countries, particularly Indonesia, Malaysia, Egypt, Yemen and Dubai. Since 1983 he has concentrated on research and teaching . He also gives classes at his home and mosque on al Maliki street in the Rusayfa district of Makkah. He is highly respected by the Saudi government and was nominated head judge at the international Qira’at (Qur’anic reading) competition in Makkah three times. He is also the author of close to one hundred books.He passed away at the age of 56, in Mecca, on Friday, 15 Ramadan 1425 / 29 October 2004.

Assolatu khoirum minan naum…

The lover who slept

A lover, tired out by the tears he wept,
Lay in exhaustion on the earth and slept;
When his beloved came and saw him there,
Sunk fast in sleep, at peace, without a care,
She took a pen and in an instant wrote,
Then fastened to his sleeve, a little note.
When he awoke and read her words his pain
(Increased a thousandfold) returned again -
“If you sell silver in the town,” he read,
“The market’s opened, rouse your sleepy head;
If faith is your concern, pray through the night -
Prostrate yourself until the dawning light;
But if you are a lover, blush with shame;
Sleep is unworthy of the lover’s name!
He watches with the wind throughout the day;
He sees the moon rise up and fade away -
But you do neither, though you weep and sigh;
Your love for me looks like an empty lie.
A man who sleeps before death’s sleep I call
A lover of himself, and that is all!
You’ve no idea of love, and may your sleep
Be like your ignorance – prolonged and deep!”
-Syaikh Fariduddin ‘Attar

Hitch…

How many beautiful romance movies have you watched?Just can’t get enough of em’ Just gives you that nice warm feeling inside.Add all that beautiful love stories together,none can come close to the love of Him.I mean love itself is a beautiful thing.God enjoins love among all creatures but ultimately the love of God is the everlasting eternal love that cannot be compared with all the other love.

Hadith:
Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, “By Him in Whose Hand my soul is! You will not enter Jannah until you believe, and you shall not believe until you love one another. May I inform you of something, if you do, you love each other. Promote greeting amongst you (by saying As-salamu `alaikum to one another)”.
[Muslim].

Commentary: In this Hadith, Islam has been regarded as the medium of mutual love. This is the reason Muslims have been enjoined to greet each other regardless of acquaintance. It does not, however, mean that a Muslim will be a true believer or entitled to Jannah, by mere greeting. What it really means is that his Faith will become meaningful only when it is supported by actions. Greeting is an Islamic custom and a practical form and demonstration of it. The combination of Faith and its practice will take a Muslim to Jannah.

Hadith:
Mu`adh (bin Jabal) (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, “Allah, the Exalted, has said: `For those who love one another for the sake of My Glory, there will be seats of light (on the Day of Resurrection), and they will be envied by the Prophets and martyrs”.
[At-Tirmidhi].

This Hadith tells us that Allah will grant an exalted position to such people who love one another for His sake. “They will be envied by the Prophets and martyrs” does not mean that they will be granted a place higher than even the Prophets because the highest position will be granted to the Prophets, as these are the best of Allah’s creation. These words simply draw our attention to the superiority and the exalted position those who love one another for Allah’s sake will have on the Day of Resurrection.

Uhibbuki Fillahi…

Blessings…

Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Apostle (saw) as saying Allah has mobile (squads) of angels, who have no other work (to attend to but) to follow the assemblies of Dhikr and when they find such assemblies in which there is Dhikr (of Allah) they sit in them and some of them surround the others with their wings till the space between them and the sky of the world is fully covered, and when they disperse (after the assembly of Dhikr is adjourned) they go upward to the heaven and Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, asks them although He is best informed about them: Where have you come from? They say: We come from Thine servants upon the earth who had been glorifying Thee (reciting Subhan Allah), uttering Thine Greatness (saying Allah o-Akbar) and uttering Thine Oneness (La ilaha ill Allah) and praising Thee (uttering al-Hamdu Lillah) and begging of Thee. He would say: What do they beg of Me? They would say: They beg of Thee the Paradise of Thine. He (God) would say: Have they seen My Paradise? They said: No, our Lord. He would say: (What it would be then) if they were to see Mine Paradise? They (the angels) said: They seek Thine protection. He (the Lord) would say: Against what do they seek protection of Mine? They (the angels) would say: Our Lord, from the Hell-Fire. He (the Lord) would say: Have they seen My Fire? They would say: No. He (the Lord) would say: What it would be if they were to see My Fire? They would say: They beg of Thee forgiveness. He would say: I grant pardon to them, and confer upon them what they ask for and grant them protection against which they seek protection. They (the angels) would again say: Our Lord, there is one amongst them such and such simple servant who happened to pass by (that assembly) and sat there along with them (who had been participating in that assembly). He (the Lord) would say: I also grant him pardon, for they are a people the seat-fellows of whom are in no way unfortunate.

[Imam Muslim]

I am when you are…

The Carpenters – Can’t smile without you

You know I can’t smile without you.
I can’t smile without you.
I cant’ laugh and I can’t walk,
finding it hard even to talk.

And I feel sad when you’re sad.
I feel glad when your glad.
And you must know what I’m going through,
I just can’t smile without you.

You came along just like a song
you brightened my days.
Who’d believe you were part of a dream
that always seemed light years away.

And you know I can’t smile without you.
I can’t smile without you.
And you must know what I’m going through,
I just can’t smile without you.

Some people say
the happiness way
is something that hard to find.
Into the new, leaving the old behind me.

And I feel sad when you’re sad.
I feel glad when your glad.
And you must know what I’m going through,
I just can’t smile without you.

Into the new, leaving the old behind me.

And I feel sad when you’re sad.
I feel glad when your glad.
And you must know what I’m going through,
I just can’t smile without you.

Look for no other…

Tupac

 

“Only God can judge me”

“Let the Lord judge the criminals”

“Everybody’s at war with different things…I’m at war with my own heart sometimes”

“They got money for wars but they can’t feed the poor”

“The only thing that comes to a sleeping man is dreams”

“I believe that everything you do bad comes back to you.

So everything that I do that’s bad, I’m going to suffer for it.But in my heart, I believe what I’m doing… is right. So I feel like I ‘m going to heaven. I think heaven is just when you sleep, you sleep with a good conscience, you don’t have nightmares. Hell is when you sleep, the last thing you see is all the f*cked up things you did in your life and you just see it over and over again, cause you don’t burn. If that’s the case, it’s hell on earth cause bullets burn”

“My mama used to tell me if u can’t find somethin to live for, you best find somethin to die for”

“If we really are saying that rap is an art form, then we got to be more responsible for our lyrics. If you see everybody dying because of what you’re saying, it don’t matter that you didn’t make them die, it just matters that you didn’t save them”

“During your life, never stop dreaming. No one can take away your dreams”

“Why am I fighting to live, if I’m just living to fight

Why am I trying to see, when there aint nothing in sight

Why am I trying to give, when no one gives me a try

Why am I dying to live, if I’m just living to die?

Someone tell me why?”

“I’d rather die like a man, than live like a coward”

“When I was alone, and had nothing

I asked for a friend to help me bear the pain

No one came, except God

When I needed a breath to rise, from my sleep

No one could help me.. except God

When all I saw was sadness, and I needed answers

No one heard me, except God

So when I’m asked.. who I give my unconditional love to?

I look for no other name, except God”

-Tupac