… I shall love him …

Abu Hurairah, radiyallahu ‘anhu, reported that the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam, said:

Allah the Almighty has said: ‘Whosoever acts with enmity towards a closer servant of Mine (wali), I will indeed declare war against him. Nothing endears My servant to Me than doing of what I have made obligatory upon him to do. And My servant continues to draw nearer to Me with supererogatory (nawafil) prayers so that I shall love him. When I love him, I shall be his hearing with which he shall hear, his sight with which he shall see, his hands with which he shall hold, and his feet with which he shall walk. And if he asks (something) of Me, I shall surely give it to him, and if he takes refuge in Me, I shall certainly grant him it.’

[Al-Bukhari]

Subhan’Allah wa Alhumdulillah wa ShukarAllah for this timely reminder.
Ya Ghufur. Ya Mujib. Ya Wadud. Please encompass us in your Enabling Grace. Allahumma Ameen.

Useful Articles:

• Forty Hadith by Imam Nawawi
• Shariah: The Clear Path by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
• The Most Beautiful Names of Allah

 

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 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.

 

Why SunniPath?

This student has fallen in love with SunniPath. Why? Here is what came straight from ones heart…

… vibrant variety of chocolates being offered… I mean courses ~ ever been put in a situation where you’re given a box of chocolates with each chocolate wrapped in different coloured foil, having to select from the pamphlet, thinking “hmm this one or no, that one, or maybe that one, or should I just have all three?”… seriously, the course catalogue is like a box of chocolates - each course being offered has a treat of it’s own unique kind.

… beautiful Habaib/Shayukh/Ustaadhas (May Allah preserve them all with His Mahabba. Allahumma Ameen) ~ they don’t just teach the knowledge but allow students to think out side the box and find ways to implement the knowledge in order to gain better insight into what is being learnt.

… sophisticated support ~ 24/7* administration shoulders to virtually lean on (*minus prayer times, office cleaning hours, time to sleep, Eid days, and celebratory events) so there’s never a need to think “kya karu?/what should I do?/¿donde esta?”.

… replace “take-out food” with “take-out SunniPath” ~ on the train; in an internet cafe, in a library, at home, at University, at work (cough: during lunch hours for us hospital workers); even if you were in a cave - wherever you are you can learn with SunniPath.

… *unique & extravagant* events ~ The Talib alHabib concert, mawlids, conferences, and Eid events - Subhan’Allah only on SunniPath!

… it’s how my Pakistani mother would say “very mod-ern, you know” ~ video enabling to see the teacher; colourful presentations to understand the material; and audio so we can hear loud and clear. Masha’Allah the software is living and breathing SunniPath.

… brownie points, silver stars and gold ribbon (well kinda) ~ assess your knowledge through quizzes or self study drills; enjoin in the interactive learning where you can ask questions on the forums or weekly live sessions; and if you ever need a one-to-one discussion to go over material then Office Hours with the teacher or teaching assistant are available.

… library of all libraries ~ the Q&A service, the BookStore, and the Library all has relevance to the Academy.

… build yourself a house ~ for the serious (yet smiling) student there are mid-term exams and/or end of term exams to make sure one has grasped the material effectively. This in turn allows the student to progress to a higher level of learning and enrol for the next level of that course. As this pauper says “each course is a brick to add onto your house… keep gaining a brick for every course you do and eventually you’ll find your house - not just an attraction but somewhere you’d be happy to live in.”

…. it ain’t just a path but it’s a familia in the making ~ May Allah reward them all with affiya, increase them in knowledge, make them of His people and not the peoples people, shroud them in His Mahabba and Tawfeeq, and increase them in state for this life and the next. Allahumma Ameen.

See for yourself:

*How Online Courses at SunniPath Academy Work*

*Clip from the SunniPath Academy online course “Attaining Good Character” taught by Habib Umar bin Hafiz and Shaykh Abdul-Kareem Yahya*

*Clip from the SunniPath Academy course “Introduction to Menstruation & Related Issues” taught by Ustadha Hedaya Hartford*

*SunniPath Academy and Nur al-Habib Productions present “In Praise and Gratitude: A live online Eid concert featuring Talib al-Habib.” Here is a clip…*

 

…Registration for the Spring 2008 term is now open…

 

Imam Subki’s Counsel on Seeking Islamic Knowledge - Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

It’s very confusing to know where to start when it comes to seeking Islamic knowledge. We often look at our parents for the answers but sometimes this avenue has no benefit. Thus we turn to seek from those teachers who out of their own search for knowledge have gained true understanding of Islam.

In this video, Shaykh Faraz Rabbani of SunniPath reads and explains the poem of Imam Taqi al-Din Subki in which he counsels his son Muhammad to the proper manners and methodology of seeking knowledge in Islam.

Imam Subki teaches us the importance in understanding a sound traditional Islamic understanding of knowledge; how it is sought; and the methodology of learning and knowledge that Muslims should follow. Furthermore, emphasis is given on the purpose of knowledge; acting upon it; sincerely seeking the pleasure of Allah through it; following the way of the inheritors of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him); and manifesting the fruits of knowledge in ones life, faith, piety, and worship in order to gain excellence of character and conduct.

May Allah reward our Shayukh with affiya, shifaa and His Tawfeeq; may He make them of His people instead of the peoples people; and may He open our hearts to receive knowledge that is beneficial to us. Allahumma Ameen.