The Trodden Path - Sacred Retreat

Subhan’Allah we’re fortunate enough to have the Habaib visit us again this year. There’s so much to learn from our teachers and this is one of those opportunities every person should strive to attend, unless Allah pulls them back for another reason.

Insha’Allah clicking on the poster will direct you to more details about the retreat and the registration form…

There’s a possibility that this student may not be able to go to this excellent retreat of knowledge but we hope that others can benefit and will think of this pauper in their duas. Please spread the word and take up the opportunity to learn, if you can do so.

 

Back to Basics (Hadith Jibril)…

Today, in The Essentials of Islam (Hanafi) course, we were taught the relevance of observing the Hadith Jibril. Though we were fortunate to learn this when we were a child it’s always beneficial to go back to the basics and recap what has been learnt, what needs to be learnt, and what requires more understanding:

Islam is “to testify that there is no deity worthy of worship but Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, to perform prayers, to give zakaah, to fast in Ramadhaan, and to make the pilgrimage to the House if you are able to do so.” The science of Fiqh (correct understanding of ones worship) helps us to implement Islam to the best of our ability.

Iman is “to believe in Allah, His Angels, His Books, His Messengers, and the Last Day, and to believe in Divine Destiny (qadr), both the good and the evil of it.” The science of Aqeeda has come to help us truly testify to our Iman.

Ihsaan is “to worship Allaah as though you see Him, and if you do not see Him, then (knowing that) truly He sees you.” The science of Tassawuf provides us the ability to gain spiritual excellence, to help purify our heart, and it also deters us from our nafs.

May Allah Provide knowledge that is good for us, a memory to retain the knowledge He Gifts us with, and the ability to implement that knowledge such that it becomes strengthened within us. Allahumma Ameen.

 

The Noble Companions - Shaykh AbdulAziz Ahmed

“My companions are like stars,
you will be guided by whichever one you follow“
[Musnad of Imam Abu Hanifa, Al-Baihaqi and Al-Daylami]

The Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, described his Noble Companions as the ‘Best Generation’. The lives of the men and women who lived around the Messenger (peace be upon him) provides us with a rich source of knowledge, spiritual and practical guidance and inspiration as Muslims living in the West. It is essential we know the individual personalities, contributions and achievements of this remarkable group of men and women as they helped lay the foundation of our Ummah.

This one day course with Shaykh Abdul Aziz Ahmed is an invitation to come on a journey into the past to meet some of the inspirational companions in order to learn the spiritual and practical lessons from their extraordinary lives.

For more information: www.utrujj.com

… Insha’Allah see all you bright sparks there!

 

The Response: “Allah”

This lame student recently asked a Yemeni Shaykh a question and informed him of a dilemma we were afflicted with. All he replied back with was “Allah” . A bit perplexed with the answer we asked for clarification only to gain the same response - “Allah” - and then we left one another in His Tawfeeq.

For any other student they probably would find the answer a tad bit frustrating but personally, for this student, being left alone to just ponder and patiently take in the realities of the teaching is far more beneficial than to be spoon fed an answer. So we reflected but out of tiredness didn’t reflect for too long.

Two days went by, trying to reflect on what Shaykh really meant, and then Subhan’Allah our eyesight was brought to the following Hadith in Imam alNawawi’s compilation of Forty Hadith:

Abu al’Abbas ‘Abdullah bin ‘Abbas (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:

One day I was behind the Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him), and he said to me:

O young man, I shall teach you some words [of advice]: Be mindful of Allah, and Allah will protect you. Be mindful of Allah, and you will find Him in front of you. If you (have need to) ask, ask of Allah; and if you seek help, seek help from Allah. Know that even if the Nation (or the whole community) were to gather together to benefit you with something, they would not benefit you with anything except that which Allah has already recorded for you, and that if they gather together to harm you with something, they would not be able to harm you with anything except that which Allah has already recorded against you. The pens have been lifted and the pages have dried.

[Al-Tirmidhi]

… Alhumdulillah this student gets it now… that’s what Shaykh meant by the response: “Allah” .

Please make dua for the Shayukh who put up with this lame student; and also for this lost student who has a long way to go in her learning. Allahumma Ameen.

 

I am as My servant thinks I am

On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

Allah the Almighty says: I am as My servant thinks I am. I am with him when he makes mention of Me. If he makes mention of Me to himself, I make mention of him to Myself; and if he makes mention of Me in an assembly, I make mention of him in an assembly better than it. And if draws near to Me a hand’s span, I draw near to him an arm’s length; and if he draws near to Me an arm’s length, I draw near to him a fathom’s length. And if he comes to Me walking, I go to him at speed.

[Related by alBukhari, Muslim, at-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah]

By The Ultimate Grace of Allah, we were fortunate enough to sit in on a live class with Habib Hussein as-Saqqaaf, whilst he taught from Imam alHaddad’s “The Treatise of Mutual Reminding” in Dubai. The class was broadcasted online via their website: http://www.hemmah.net/

Habib Hussein taught the benefits of undertaking wudhu (ritual ablution) as well as the six compulsory components of it, according to the Shafi’i madhab. Subha’Allah, due to the nature of the first component (the niyaat - intention) being so vast we never got round to the other 5 components but instead learnt about the importance of making intentions to every act, the reasons why our intentions count, and how to draw closer to Allah via our intentions.

This student would love to write down everything that Habib Hussein said but a) we would ideally like to seek ijazat before doing so and b) we’re a firm believer that people who may not have attended the class may fail to get the full jist of what the teacher was saying and thus this student would do a great injustice in relaying the message being taught (unless ones notes were reviewed and ijazat was given). Nonetheless from our small sittings with Shayukh, I’m sure that mentioning the deepest moment of reflection for this student would be permitted…

Habib Hussein (may Allah preserve him with Birr and His Tawfeeq. Allahumma Ameen) mentioned:

When the angels come to us in our grave and ask the first question: ‘Who is your Lord?’ Then we will reply according to what our relationship is with Allah. Thus if you are righteous and are in love with Allah you may start reciting all of His Names (Asmaa ulHusna) out of your deep compassion and love for Him.

As Habib Hussein mentioned this all we could do was pray that we are of the righteous ones who in our graves recite His Beautiful 99 Names, not just for light to enter our graves and ease the process, but more out of knowing that by calling out to Him in devotion we are expressing our love for Him. A love that Allah Knows and reciprocates to a far greater extent than our own imagination. No other love can really compare to The Love of Allah. Subhan’Allah what a reflection.

So, how then do we make our relationship strong with Allah such that we receive these gifts? The answer is in the Hadith Qudsi mentioned in the beginning of this post “I am as My servant thinks I am…“

Through the Remembrance of Him in our heart, tongue and mind; and making sure that when we carry out an everyday task we look at it as a form of ibadat, a means to gain closer to Allah, and a way of showing gratitude to Him, The All Merciful, The All Encompassing, we can truly gain closeness to Him and make ourselves open to receiving His Rahma and His Love. And verily He is The All Loving, The All Forgiving, The All Compassionate, The All Wise.

May Allah bless the one who sent a text message our way to inform us of the class. May Allah shroud him with His Tawfeeq and Mahabba, and grant him a good fruitful life in this world and the next. Allahumma Ameen.

Insha’Allah Next Class:

• Title: “How to call people to Islam” by Habib Hussein
• Date: Friday 18th April 2008 at 7pmDubai Time (4pmUK Time)
• Link: http://www.hemmah.net/ (in Arabic and translated in English)