The Reflection Thread

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Hadhrat Umar (R.A) has said that the children of shaitaan are many from which nine are prominent : Zaleetoon, Watheen, Laqoos, Ra'waan, Haffaaf, Murrah, Mussawwit, Daasim, Walhaan. Each of their occupations and methods of leading people astray are different.

1) Zaleetoon's occupation is to sit in the streets and at shops with his fellow companions, spreading mischief and evil, leading Allah's people astray so that in the hereafter they may be used as fuel for the fire of hell.

2) Watheen's work is to influence people in such a way that his own actions lead him to calamities, thus, driving him away from the Lord.

3) Laqoos' task is to make the actions of fire-worshippers appear more decorative and to prevent them from discontinuing this form of worship, so that due to fire worshipping they themselves will become the prey of the fire of hell.

4) Ra'waan's victims are people who possess power and money. His aim is to induce them towards insolence and evil so that they make decisions without consulting Allah's guidance. Thus, in this way they themselves will fulfill Ra'awaan's needs and accomplish his tasks, whilst this cursed sits back calmly. This reality can be witnessed today in the world where decisions are made merely by strength and leadership.

5) Haffaaf has been allocated the job of creating mischief by tempting people towards the drinking of wine and spirits.

6) Murrah's responsibility is to attract people towards musical instruments due to which they will become negligent of their compulsions of life,and that no-one is saved from this wicked sin is his constant worry.

7)Al-Mussawit spread's false and dangerous rumours amongst people which creates arguments and evil.

8)Daasim enters homes especially when the head of the house enters without uttering salaam and remembering the Almighty.He causes conflict between man, his wife and the family. On occasions it leads to violence and divorce between a couple.

9)Walhaan's duty is to distract man when carrying out ablution and wavers his intent when performing salaah, consequently corrupting salaah.

JAMEA PUBLICATION NO:L 4

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A person once got angry when he saw people worshipping a tree. He grabbed hold of an axe and intended to cut it down. On the way, he met Shaytaan. He told Shaytaan that he intended to cut the tree down. The Shaytaan told him to leave it and let the tree worshippers face the consequences. Due to this disagreement, the pair wrestled twice. Shaytaan being beaten each time.

As Shaytaan soon realized this person is strong in his belief, he began to change his approach by saying that if you leave this tree, you will find 4 dirhams under your pillow. The person hesitated for a while and thereafter agreed.

The person returned home and found 4 dirhams daily under his pillow every morning. Once, for two consecutive days, he never found the dirhams that were meant to be under his pillow. He proceeded again to the tree in a fit of anger. On the way, he met Shaytaan. Shaytaan asked, “Where are you going?” He replied, “To cut the tree down.”

Iblees (Shaytaan) then told him to return back as he was not going to allow him to proceed. Iblees said, “On the first occasion, you wanted to cut down the tree for Allah, I couldn't have stopped you but this time you are going due to the 4 dirhams i.e for yourself, I will stop you.”

The moral to this story is that the actions which are done for Allah are difficult for Shaytaan to obstruct. When actions are done for yourself i.e. worldly things, then Shaytaan can win easily.

The Prophet
(pbuh) said:

'..Actions are according to intentions'

May Allah grant us the ability to maintain good intentions. Ameen

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Contents

Knowledge from Madinah to Iraq: A travelogue
Knowledge in India
Hadhrat Shaikh Moulana Muhammad Zakariyyah (rahimahullah)
A task assigned and a goal attained: A tale of trust and accomplishment

see also: The Value of Knowledge
The Importance of Makatib (Maktabs - Primary Islamic Institutes)
‘Al-Jami’ Al-Sahih’ : A Review of Kitaabul Bukhari

Knowledge is an ocean without an ocean bed. The deeper one dives into the ocean of knowledge the more mysteries of knowledge open up for him, exploring its reefs and corals, the fruits of the Heavenly Ocean.

If you were to look into the history of Knowledge it would take you from the cool streets of Madinah, across the golden dunes of the Arabian Desert, to the distant shores of Kufa.

During the Caliphate of Hadhrat Umar Farook (Radhiallahu anhu), after Hadhrat Saad Ibn Abi Waqqas (Radhiallahu anhu) conquered Madain, Hadhrat Umar Farook (Radhiallahu anhu) gave Hadhrat Salman Farsi and Hadhrat Huzaifah (Radhiallahu anhuma) the duty of finding a land close to the sea as the climate of Madain did not agree with Hadhrat Saad Ibn Abi Waqqas’ (Radhiallahu anhu) fellow countrymen. They chose a spot in Iraq, which was about a mile and a half from the river Euphrates, a land covered with sandy gravel, which they named Kufa. The city of Kufa advanced so rapidly, that Hadhrat Umar (Radhiallahu anhu) took to calling it the Head of Islam. Kufa became the capital of Excellence and Knowledge.

In the sixth century of Hijrah a great disaster befell the Muslim World. Genghis Khan swept down into Iraq, burning, looting and ravaging the country. It has been recorded that the streets of Baghdad flowed with rivers of blood and the rivers turned blue with ink. 600 years of Knowledge was washed away into the oceans of the world, lost forever to mankind. The long burning torch of Kufa guttered and was extinguished and the doors of Knowledge were slammed shut.

Back

Through the Grace and Mercy of Allah, Knowledge resumed its odyssey and wondered the wide expanse of the Muslim Empire, and finally came to rest in the green fields of Al-Hind (India). In 1283 A.H, 21st of May 1866 A.D, Hadhrat Maulana Qasim Nanotwi (Rahmatullahi alaihi) and his companions laid down the foundations to Darul Uloom Deoband. Knowledge had found a new home.

The foundation of Darul Uloom Deoband was laid down beneath a pomegranate tree under the advice of the Prophet of Allah, Muhammad Mustafa (Sallallahu alaihi wasallam), advice given to Hadhrat Maulana Qasim Nanotwi (Rahmatullahi alaihi) through a dream. A rose blossomed at the foot of a pomegranate tree in the village of Deoband, the new centre of knowledge and excellence, giving birth to intellectuals, Imams and Mujtahids. Deoband flooded the Indian Sub-continent with books on Tafseer, books on Hadith, Qur’aans, commentaries on Hadith and books on history. It brought back to life the Islamic culture and traditions.

The rich scent of Deoband spread throughout the Indian Sub-continent bringing to life other great Madaris, the likes of Saharanpur, Lukknow, Ilahabad, and Dabhel. Eminent Scholars, Muballighs, Mufassirs and Muhadiths began filing out from the Madaris.

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One great scholar worthy of mention is, Kutubal Aktaab Hadhrat Sheikhul Hadith Maulana Muhammad Zakariya Sahib Muhaajir Madni (Rahmatullahi alaihi).

To get a better insight of the status of Hadhrat Sheikh (Rahmatullahi alaihi) a few Stories relating to Hadhrat Sheikh (Rahmatullahi alaihi) are presented from Subulas Salaam (Volume 2 Edition 11 & 12), compiled by Hadhrat Maulana Yusuf Motala Sahib (Damat Barakatuhum).

1. The early days in life are normally spent in ignorance and playing pursuits whereas the fate of the future lies solely on the upbringing of the childhood. Hadhrat Sheikh (Rahmatullahi alaihi) had spent this part of his life in Saharanpur with such solitude and loneliness for seeking knowledge that he says, "In those days my stay with my father was in Madrasah Qadeem. Once my shoes were lost or stolen but for six months there was no need for new ones, because for lavatory use there were always old shoes that were left behind, and for six months I had no need to go outside the doors of Madrasah Qadeem."

It must be borne in mind that Madrasah Qadeem is not the name of such a large building but only consists of one small Masjid, a library and five or six rooms.

2. During the final year of studying Hadith Hadhrat's age was about seventeen to eighteen years Even at that age Hadhrat's respect towards Hadith was to such an extent that Hadhrat Sheik had arranged with one of his colleagues that they will not read any Hadith without wudhu, and that they will read all the Ahadith in front of the Ustaz (teacher). But to show this piety in front of the Ustaz was contrary to the Qur'aanic verse, 'Therefore ascribe not purity unto yourselves'. Therefore, if any of the two wanted to go to make ablution the other one, who would be present in the lesson, would question the Ustaz about the lesson or make an objection of some kind regarding the lesson until the fellow colleague would return, and then the lesson would proceed.

3. Hadhrat's state of reciting Qur'aan and offering salaah was such that in the holy month of Ramadhan, during his later years, he would spend two hours in tahajjud, three hours in chasht, one hour in awwabeen in other words he used to spend six hours in optional salaah. He used to recite Qur'aan during the months other than Ramadhan to such an extent that he had made a habit of reciting ten parahs (chapters) of the Holy Qur'aan daily inspite of all the religious and domestic duties which he had to carry out. Every third day it would be written in the daily diary, "Completed one Qur'aan," and sometimes he would write, "Completed it on behalf of so and so."

Once Hadhrat (Rahmatullahi alaihi) exclaimed, "We three collegues once pondered about Hadhrat Imam Abu Hanifah that he used to complete one Qur'aan during the day and one during the night in the holy month of Ramadhan. So we thought that we should spend one Ramadhan like this also. Hence, one colleague completed the Qur'aan fifty six times in the holy month of Ramadhan." Most probably the colleague would be refering to Hadhrat (Rahmatullahi alaihi) himself.

4. The first time Hadhrat (Rahmatullahi alaihi) came to Britain he travelled by the British Airways aircraft which used to take about six hours non-stop from Jeddah to London. Hadhrat, as usual, had not eaten before the flight, so that the chance of going to the lavatory would not occur during the flight, but within three hours he needed to go so he asked, "How many hours are left to reach London?"

Someone answered, "Three hours."

Hadhrat (Rahmatullahi alaihi) was afraid of getting dizzy by going to the lavatory during the flight, and we were also worried about it.

At that moment the captain made an announcement.

Hadhrat (Rahmatullahi alaihi) asked, "What did he say?"

We said, "An announcement is being made that the flight was scheduled to reach London without any stops but there has been a message from an airport in Italy to pick up the travellers who are at the airport because of a strike, therefore we are having to make a constraint landing."

Hearing this Hadhrat (Rahmatullahi alaihi) smiled. After the landing he went to the lavatory and only when he came back did the aircraft resume to its destination.

5. Similarly when Hadhrat (Rahmatullahi alaihi) travelled to Britain for the second time, the plane was supposed to travel direct from Zambia to London, leaving Zambia at eight in the evening and arriving at London at seven in the morning.

Hearing the schedule Hadhrat (Rahmatullahi alaihi) had already said that it will be hard to keep wudhu continuously in the plane for so many hours, especially as it is at night and to perform istinja and ablution in the plane will not be easy.

At four 0' clock Hadhrat (Rahmatullahi alaihi) asked, "Is it Subah Sadiq yet?"

We replied, "It will be soon."

Hadhrat (Rahmatullahi alaihi) asked, "What will become of ablution and offering salaah?" While we were still engaged in our talks, an announcement was made that because the air traffic is at an extreme at London Airport, we will have to circle around London for some time, and we have only taken enough fuel to reach London. In order to circle above London we are in need of refuelling, therefore we are landing at an airport in Tunisia."

Hadhrat (Rahmatullahi alaihi) asked, "What did he say?" A detailed explanation regarding the announcement was given. Hearing this, Hadhrat (Rahmatullahi alaihi) said with a smile, "Alhamdu lillah, Allah has made an arrangement for our salaah. Hence, after the plane landed, Hadhrat (Rahmatullahi alaihi) was helped to perform istinja and ablution, and then he offered salaah. The rest of the group also offered their salaah in congregation.

6. At Hadhrat Sheikh's (Rahmatullahi alaihi) gatherings, there were always these words being uttered from the lips of every person present, "0' Allah keep my faults concealed," because whenever any of the assistants would approach Hadhrat (Rahmatullahi alaihi) with his mind elsewhere, Hadhrat (Rahmatullahi alaihi) would say these couplets in a melodic way,".................0' Naseem! Tell me. You' ve joint your eyes with mine, but where is your heart."

7. The most wondrous thing about our noble scholars was their following of the customs of our Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wasallam). Hadhrat's (Rahmatullahi alaihi) part of life in this field was so vast that thousands of pages could be written on it. Sufi Muhammad Iqbal Sahib had started writing about Hadhrat Shiekh (Rahmatullahi alaihi) during Hadhrat's lifetime and named it ‘Hadhrat Sheikh and his following of the sunnah’.

8. Hadhrat's obedience to the Qur'aanic verse, 'Therefore ascribe not purity unto yourselves. He is best aware of him who wardeth off (evil),' was to such an extent that during his stay at Darul Uloom the annual jalsah was taking place, speeches were being made and it could be heard till Hadhrat's room that someone said, "All this is the outcome of Hadhrat's duas and his inclination."

Hearing this Hadhrat (Rahmatullahi alaihi) started crying and said, "Have you not read in the hadith that Allah Most High aids this religion (of Islam) even through a sinful person."

Whenever Hadhrat (Rahmatullahi alaihi) would see a dog barking at Saharanpur he would say, "0' bhai (brother), go away. Your bhai (myself) is enough here."

9. After the burial of Hadhrat Sheikh (Rahmatullahi alaihi) in the graveyard of Jannatul Baqi, we returned to Madrasah-e-Shar'iyyah where we were staying. Hadhrat Maulana Zakariya's (Rahmatullahi alaihi) disciple and son Hadhrat Maulana Talha Sahib was with the devotees and the mourners. His clothes were covered with soil, which remained on his clothes and body after descending into the grave to lay Hadhrat Sheikh (Rahmatullahi alaihi). There was an extraordinary scent in the room. We thought that some visitor may have applied some sort of fragrance before entering the house, but we were all astonished when Maulana Talha Sahib left the room to change his clothes and at the same time the fragrance faded away.

When Maulana Talha Sahib went upstairs to meet his mother and the rest of the family, this fragrance was also perceived there and when the traces of soil on Hadhrat Maulana Talha's clothes were smelt, it became apparent that it was emitting this scent. So this pair of clothes was preserved with the soil as relics.

A few days later I went to my friend Ustaz Muhammad Yakub Dehlawi's house and the previous event came into discussion. Hearing this he got up quickly and brought his brother Abdullah Dehlawi's thawb (Arabian garment) and requested me to smell it, I noticed the same fragrance as the one in the clothes of Hadhrat Maulana Talha Sahib.

At that time Hadhrat Muhammad Yakub Sahib said, "At the time of the burial of Hadhrat Sheikh (Rahmatullahi alaihi) my brother was in the company of Hadhrat Maulana Talha Sahib. After the burial, when he reached home, the house was scented with a sweet smell. Everyone was curious of this smell. After an investigation we discovered that this smell was being emitted from the soil which had set in this cloth. Thereafter, this cloth was kept as a relic and till today that very fragrance is still in it.

(P.S. The same is told about the grave of Imam Bukhari (Rahmatullahi alaihi) that after his burial a Sweet smell would come from his grave. People started taking the soil. Gradually a ditch was formed. Therefore, more soil was put into the grave but the same happened. The grave was filled with soil again and the same happened. Hence, after the third time a saint made dua at the grave after which the fragrance faded away.)

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Hadhrat Sheikh (Rahmatullahi alaihi) taught Hadith for about half a century. Many Scholars Studied Hadith from Hadhrat Sheikh (Rahmatullahi alaihi). From amoungst these Scholars, one great Scholar who shines out in knowledge, wisdom, intellect, a man of great principals, the one towards whom Hadhrat Sheikh's (Rahmatullahi alaihi) love was incomparable, was Hadhrat Maulana Yusuf Motala Sahib (Damat barakatuhum).

Hadhrat Sheikh (Rahmatullahi alaihi) gave this young Maulana a task which at that time was unimaginable, and was thought of as being impossible. He was sent to a far land; a land of darkness. He was sent to England to light the candle of Islam, to bring the torch of knowledge to life in Britain.

Who could have thought that a person so young could complete such a big task? Who could have thought that a person not knowing English could carry out such an assignment? Who could have thought that a person with little or no means and help could complete this mission? The mission of opening a centre of knowledge in the core of darkness, to open an Islamic university, to open a Madrasah.

Hadhrat Maulana Yusuf Motala Sahib (Damat barakatuhum) laid down the foundation of Darul-Uloom Al-Arabiyah Al-Islamiyah on a hill top, in the village of Holcombe Brook. This was to be the centre from which light was to emit to all four corners of the world. The centre which was to produce English speaking Scholars. Scholars with a great understanding of Islam. Scholars whose firmness could never be broken. Scholars who will win the hearts of the people through honest, through justice, through Islam. Scholars who will be able to protect Islam from all those who try to distort it, bringing and preserving Islam in its purest form. This was to be the Ummul Madaris, the mother of all the Madarasahs in Europe. This Madrasah gave birth to many Madrasahs all over Europe, not only Madrasahs for boys, but also for girls.

The view of many Muslims in Europe was changed. A new objective was created. A new target had to be reached. The thirst of wealth was driven away. The love of the world was washed out. They saw their real goal; our goal, to gain the pleasure of Almighty Allah by holding steadfast to his chosen religion - AL-ISLAM.

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Behind enamel blocks, therein it lies,
It moves in all directions clock and anti-clockwise
If used correctly, it can cause ranks to rise
But shooting without aiming could lead to your demise.

A small piece of flesh without a bone in sight,
It can cure friendship and also incite fights,
Then cowardly behind your teeth, safely it sits tight
And YOU get a jab and a hook from the right.

It bears witness about Allah and His Prophets
The hereafter is where you’ll see the real profits
It remembers Allah plentiful, but think nothing of it
It recites the Quran wonderful, so start and you’ll love it.

It also has a bitter side
If it boasts and talks with pride,
You’ve backbitten if you speak but hide
It’s called slander if you lied,
Abusive language leaves eyes wide
Make an effort, make truth your bride.

“He who keeps quite, gains salvation”
“Backbiting is worse than fornication”
That’s our Prophet’s declaration
Please take into consideration
Take time out for contempletion
About Allah, Lord of all creation.

It recites Quran to gain reward,
Use it for speeches, make it your sword.
Anything that will please the Lord,
To waste precious time, that we can’t afford.

With Allah's name begin your day
Remember Him while you work or play
Keep evil doings out of your way
On the straight path you will stay.

If it sings, change it to nasheeds
Pick up an Islamic book to read
Most important repeat your creed
For the Hereafter sow your seed
For that day you’l need every good deed.


Use it to supplicate, use it to repent
At the All-Mighty’s doorstep, drop and lament
Solely for worship is why we were sent
Let not Satan be an impediment
And keep Allah’s remembrance immanent.

Keep Muslims safe from its attack
Be they red or be they black
Disunity is the biggest drawback
So keep the unity free from slack
Oh Allah! Keep us on the straight track.

Its correct usage whoso guarantees
And of that between his knees
The Prophet will make certain he sees
Our entry into Paradise with ease.

A humble effort, not a song
An attempt to pass a message on
It can do good, it can do wrong
This poem was about the tongue.

[hugga12]

KNOWLEDGE

From the first moments after birth, a child begins to learn. Some children speak at the age of two and some; well before. But how does a baby learn when it doesn't know the difference between right and wrong?

Knowledge is not only gained by mentally assigning yourself, it is also gained through features given by Allah Taa'la, i.e. the eyes and the ears etc. The correct use of these bounties that Allah Taa'la has bestowed upon us is another way of thanking Allah Taa'la for them.

Many people question the importance of knowledge. In a Hadith it states:

“It is compulsory on every Muslim to seek knowledge.”

This Hadith clarifies that to seek and obtain knowledge is compulsory for every Muslim, but what knowledge is regarded here?

Each human who can afford to study, complete their studies finishing with PhDs and Masters in particular subjects, the Hadith states, “On every Muslim.” What will be the difference between a Muslim and a non-Muslim if we all acquire the same knowledge? The emphasis on, “On every Muslim” in this Hadith indicates knowledge specific to a Muslim, which infers the Deen (Religion) of Allah.

MONEY/WEALTH

Every human needs food, requires shelter, clothing etc. Each person must earn in order to fulfil their necessities.

It is clear that humans need to earn for their necessities, but what is the difference between a Muslims earnings and a non-Muslims earnings? Muslims know that they have to earn money the ‘Halaal Way', i.e. that they have to work rightly for their living, they must not steal, deceive or work in such a manner wherein the rules of Islam are broken, i.e. in Pubs, nightclubs, or by gambling money etc.

Once the earner has earned enough money to match the requirements of Zakaah – the conditions for which are covered specifically elewhere – then he must pay his Zakaah, which is also compulsory if the conditions are met.

THE DIFFERENCE

The differences – listed below – are mentioned by our pious predecessors and generally explain the difference between those who run after money and neglect the Deen (Religion) of Allah Taa'la and those who spend their lives in the path of Allah Taa'la, just for His pleasure.

Once a person came to Hadhrat Ali Radhiallaho Anhu and questioned him, “What shall I gain; knowledge or wealth?” Hadhrat Ali Radhiallaho Anhu answered “Gain knowledge because it is more beneficial then gaining wealth”. The person then asked for some benefits of gaining Knowledge over wealth, Hadhrat Ali Radhiallaho Anhu replied:

• Knowledge is the inheritance of the Prophets (alayhisalaam), and wealth is the inheritance of Fir'awn (Pharaoh) and Qaroon,

• The more knowledge you gain, the more beloved you become in the eyes of people and the more wealth you gain, the more people hate you out of jealousy…

• As time passes, the value of money decreases and the value of knowledge increases,

• Wealth needs to be looked after, whereas knowledge protects you,

• You will always fear the theft of money, but knowledge cannot be stolen from the heart,

• On the Day of Judgement, Allah Taa'la will ask you two questions regarding your wealth; how it was earned and how it was spent. These are two separate questions regarding Wealth whereas one question regarding knowledge will be asked: How much you acted upon it,

• Knowledge helps you gain money but money cannot buy you knowledge,

• Excess money brings pride.

Once Hadhrat Mohammad Shafee questioned his students, “What is the meaning of knowledge?” One of them replied, “It is to know,” Another said, “It is ‘to recognise'.” Like this the other students said the different things they thought knowledge meant. Hadhrat Mohammad Shafee remained in disappointment to the answers he received from his students. After some time, a student asked Hadhrat Mohammad Shafee, what he recalled the meaning of knowledge in which Hadhrat replied, “Knowledge is that light, which once it is gained; you cannot resist acting upon it, and until you don't act upon it; you are not content. This is the meaning of knowledge, or else knowledge is a burden.”

The difference between people who run after money and those who go into the path of Allah Taa'la and gain his knowledge is briefly explained above.

The moral of this topic is not so that one stops earning so that he may gain knowledge, as to earn for one's family is equally as important. The main point is to recognise that excess money could ruin you in this world, and in the next. Also, if you can take some time out and study the Deen (Religion) of Allah Taa'la, Inshallah it will be of great benefit in both worlds.

What will we do with all that excess money earned? After we die, it is going to be inherited by others and the State in the form of Inheritance Tax. How will this benefit us and help us in the Hereafter? Whereas the knowledge we earn will help us to pass this life peacefully and help us in our afterlife whilst answering the Angels etc. Those who earn money can make their Hereafter good, by spending it in the correct manner; by helping the poor and giving it whereever it is needed most in the world through reputable Islamic Charities. You are part of the Ummah and people are in need.

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In a day and age when the world is gripped with dispute; and disagreement is at its peak, there remains one fact that is undisputed, moreover is accepted by each and everyone: Death. No matter what religion, group or sect one may be attached to, the fact of dying is not refuted.

This is why in the Holy Qur'an, we see that Allah Taa'la has described death and says that there remains no doubt in the matter of death.

So after having realising that death is inevitable, one has to turn his attention to the eternal life which awaits him after his death. But sadly, we see today that instead of preparing for the hereafter, we have turned our attention to this futile and worthless world which too will one day come to an end.

Explaining this, Imam Ghazali Rahmatullahi Alayhi says that if the entire world was to be filled with sesame seeds and after every 1000 years, a bird was to come and eat one seed and then go back and return after a thousand years, even then this world would one day come to an end but this is not the case of the hereafter which will remain for eternity.

So now dear reader, tell me which life is worth our efforts. Allah Himself says in the Qur'an in Surah Aa'la:

“You give preference to the worldly life whereas the life of the hereafter is better and eternal.”

After establishing death is inevitable and life which succeeds is better and everlasting then we have to live a life which pleases our Lord till the day we die. All praise is for the Almighty who gave us the perfect example to gaining his everlasting bounties by sending to us the best of mankind: Muhammad . If we mould our lives around the life of the Holy Prophet , then we can look forward to death and meeting our Lord. Otherwise, death will find us when we will be trying to avoid it but Allah Taa'la states:

“Wherever you may be, death will reach you even though you may be in fortresses built up high and strong.” (Surah Nisaa)

It is through the infinite blessings of Allah that he has made us believers and not from amongst the disbelievers; and Inshallah through the blessing of this faith, we will one day enter paradise in contrast to the disbelievers who will never enter paradise.

One may raise an objection here as to why the foundation of the eternal life lies on a mere 60-70 years. The answer is quite simple because death merely underlines the intention of a believer or a disbeliever to remain as he or she would if they were to remain forever.

After having been given the blessing of being from amongst the believers, we have to spend our lives in obeying Allah which means doing all those good deeds which are a means of His pleasure and avoid all those deeds which incur His wrath and displeasure.

As we look into the lives of our pious predecessors, we see many of them were lying in wait for death.

Hazrat Bilal radhiyallahu anhu, the Muazzin of the Holy Prophet was on his death bed and his wife was crying. He says to his wife, “Why are you crying? Tomorrow I am going to meet the Holy Prophet and his companions.”

A pious saint, Sheikh Fatah bin Shakhrof never lifted his gaze towards the sky for a period of thirty years. Once he lifted his gaze and prayed that I long to meet you and it has intensified so please call me towards you. After this prayer, he did not remain on this earth for more than a week.

Why shouldn't every Muslim be lying in wait for death as this is the bridge to meeting his or her creator? – This yearning however doesn't come without effort as with everything in life. We have to lead our lives in such a way that when death comes, we receive it with open arms.

Death is inevitable, there is no hiding and the life that succeeds it is eternal, so why not give up the temporary pleasures of this world for the eternal bounties of the hereafter?

The method of this is that just as the Prophet of Allah did; increase the remembrance of death as this will make one turn their intentions towards the hereafter.

We pray to Allah Taa'la that he gives us the ability to remember death abundantly and do those actions which will make death easy upon us and make the day that we meet Him the happiest day ever. Ameen

[hugga12]

All praise is for Allah and peace and blessings be upon the Prophet Muhammed .

After Allah and his Messenger , the most beloved and respected person to a Muslim should be his MOTHER! Allah has given the mother such status that He says,

“ Paradise lies under the feet of mothers.”

Obedience and respect towards your mother is a very important duty in Islam and is similar to performing Salaah and keeping fast. To hurt your mother in any way is the second biggest sin and those who commit this evil sin will be harshly punished by Allah in the hereafter or maybe even in this world!

Your mother is not a Prophet, nor is she an angel; she’s just a human like you and I, so why has Allah ordered you to be obedient towards your mother and why does your mother have such a high status in Islam?

Allah loves and cares for us more than anybody else, and he especially loves those people who love and care for others. Similarly, he becomes very angry with those people who hurt other people in any way. Allah the All-Knowing, knows that in this world nobody is more loving and caring towards another person than the way that a mother is towards her child. Only Allah and his Messenger love you more than your mother!

Only Allah knows what your mother does for you, He sees your mother feeling pain whilst she tries to give you whatever you want. He sees your mother’s love and kindness. Pleased by your mother’s actions, Allah has given her a very high status and many virtues and rewards.

Allah also sees that many of us are not thankful to our mothers. He sees many of us being disobedient towards them. Therefore, Allah has ordered us to be good towards our mothers; he has not advised us but ordered us; we have no choice; therefore we have to be good towards our mothers! To encourage us to do this, Allah Taa’la has promised paradise for those of us who are obedient towards our mothers. At the same time, Allah has threatened to severely punish those of us who do not listen to our mothers or hurt them in any way.

But what does your Mother do for you? She only cooks and cleans! So why do you need to be thankful to your Mother?

Apart from Allah, nobody knows what our Mother really does for us.

TEN REASONS FOR BEING THANKFUL TO YOUR MOTHER:

1. YOUR MOTHER CARRIED YOU IN HER STOMACH FOR 9 MONTHS BEARING PAIN UPON PAIN!

2. DURING THIS TIME, SHE COULD NOT EAT BECAUSE OF YOU! SHE COULD NOT SLEEP BECAUSE OF YOU!

3. WHEN YOU WERE A BABY; SHE SPENT EVERY MINUTE OF HER LIFE LOOKING AFTER YOU!

4. SHE ONLY SLEPT WHEN YOU SLEPT! SHE ONLY ATE AFTER YOU HAD EATEN!

5. SHE WAS PATIENT AND LOVED YOU EVEN WHEN YOU CRIED ALL NIGHT, AND WHEN YOU CRIED ALL DAY!

6. SHE TAUGHT YOU HOW TO WALK, HOW TO SPEAK, HOW TO EAT, SHE TAUGHT YOU HOW TO LIVE!

7. WHEN YOU FALL ILL, SHE LOOKS AFTER YOU!

8. SHE ALWAYS COOKS AND PREPARES FOOD FOR YOU!

9. SHE BUYS YOU WHATEVER YOU ASK FOR!

10. SHE WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU, NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO!

These are just a few things that our Mothers do for us; they do so much more of which we do not know about. However, one thing that your Mother does for you, that nobody else in the world does, is that she worries about you from the bottom of her Heart.

SO WHAT IS IT SHE WORRIES ABOUT?

SHE WORRIES ABOUT YOUR FOOD!

SHE WORRIES ABOUT YOUR CLOTHES!

SHE WORRIES ABOUT YOUR HEALTH!

SHE WORRIES ABOUT YOUR EDUCATION!

SHE WORRIES ABOUT YOUR FUTURE!

SHE WORRIES ABOUT YOUR WHOLE LIFE!

Allah has ordered us, in various places of the Holy Qur’an, to be good to our mothers. He has told us to look after them even more when they are old and weak. He has taught us to be gentle to our mothers and speak to them in a nice manner. He has also told us to supplicate to Him for our Mothers with this prayer,

“RABBIR-HAMHUMA KAMA RABBAYANI SAGHEERAH.”

(MY LORD HAVE MERCY UPON MY PARENTS; THE WAY THEY HAD MERCY UPON ME WHEN I WAS YOUNG).

The Prophet has also ordered us to be good to our mothers. He has told us about the great rewards for that person who is good to his mother. He has described the mother as being a ‘door of paradise.’ He has also warned us of severe punishments for that person who is disobedient to his mother.

TEN EASY WAYS TO ENTER PARADISE

1. LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER

2. HELP YOUR MOTHER

3. SMILE AT YOUR MOTHER

4. BE THANKFUL TO YOUR MOTHER FOR WHATEVER SHE DOES FOR YOU

5. SPEND TIME WITH YOUR MOTHER

6. ALWAYS ASK YOUR MOTHER IF YOU CAN HELP HER WITH ANYTHING

7. BUY YOUR MOTHER GIFTS

8. BE GOOD TO YOUR MOTHER’S FAMILY AND FRIENDS

9. STUDY HARD AND LEAD A GOOD LIFE SO THAT YOUR MOTHER IS HAPPY

10. ALWAYS PRAY FOR YOUR MOTHER, ESPECIALLY AFTER EVERY SALAAH.

WARNING: THOSE WHO ARE DISOBEDIENT TO THEIR MOTHER WILL BURN IN THE FIRE OF HELL!

However hard we try, we can never repay our mothers for what they have done for us, but we can at least try, and also ask Allah to repay them for us. Our mothers are indeed a great blessing from Allah. We should appreciate and value this blessing as much as we can. Whilst our mothers are alive, we have a golden opportunity to guarantee ourselves paradise and also success in this world.

REMINDER: We will only truly realise the value of our mothers when they are no longer with us – when they have passed away, but then it will be too late!

[Ahmed]

an ustaad from a great darul uloom told us this true story

a maid was in the market shopping ,she saw a beggar woman and went to give her some charity
the beggar woman turned out to be the mother of a previous king

she asked her how she ..as the mother of a king ended up begging

the kings mother replied..my son gave me 400 maids and still i moaned at him for only 400..i always did naa shukri of my sons khidmah ,hence allah removed all my nemahs

a mother is not immune to punishment of allah if she disregards the rights of children
a very common one as told by molana adam leicester is the withholding of inheritance upon husbands death
and manipulating the children into giving in ..always by using the MAA fatwa

CHILDREN..no matter how old have rights too..the first is the FATHERS inheritance

[hugga12]

Hadhrat Anas Radhiallaho Anhu narrates that Rasullullah said:

“Whoever has in him three things, will experience the sweetness of Imaan.”

These three things are:

1) His Love for Allah and his Rasul is more than this world and everything it contains.

2) His love for another person is motivated only by the love of Allah (i.e His love and friendship with people are not for worldly motives. He associates with people that are pious.

3) A man who, after having being saved by Allah from Kufr, abhors returning to Kufr as much as he abhors falling into the fire.

Hadhrat Anas Radhiallaho Anhu also narrates that Rasullullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam said:

“You cannot have complete Imaan until you do not love me more than your father, children and all people.”

The love the Sahabah Radhiallaho Anhum had for the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam was more than the value of their own lives. The Sahaba would happily sacrifice their own lives just for the pleasure of Allah and His Rasul Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam; even if a choice had to be made between one's own life and the dignity and honour of Rasullullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam.

A Sahabi once went to the toilet. On coming out he accidentally came out with his left foot. When he realised this, he fainted. Subhanallah! People came to his rescue, once he regained consciousness, people began to ask as to why he had fainted. He replied, ‘I came out with my left foot and forgot to follow the Sunnah of the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam.

Dear Readers, Just look at the love! He came out with his left foot instead of his right foot and when he realised this he fainted. This, dear reader, is the true love for our Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam.

Another story related to a person named Bishre Hafi Rahmatullahi Alayhi. He used to spend a lot of time in drinking and he also used to commit various other sins. One day as he was walking, he found a piece of paper with Allah's name written on it. He picked it up and kissed it and then put it in his pocket. When he reached home, he applied perfume (Itr) on it and then placed it on a high place out of respect. Due to this, Allah Taa'la granted him a high status in the world and this person also went on to become a great saint of his time.

Moral – People say they love Allah and his Rasul Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam, yet they go completely against the teachings shown by the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam as well as going against the Shariah. The true lovers are those who obey Allah and His Messenger Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam.

ay Allah make us from amongst those who follow the straight path. Ameen

[hugga12]

Time bears witness to the advent of thousands of Prophets (upon them be peace and blessings), each being sent with the message of Allah’s oneness and divinity. These guides were sent to rear the lost sheep of mankind aided by Allah in their task with miracles as a sign of their authority.

These miracles would be in line with the expertise of that specific nation. The Prophet Musa Alayhis Salaam was in a period when magic and sorcery was prevalent. Thus one of his miracles was a staff that turned into a serpent. Likewise, Esa Alayhis Salaam was able to cure the blind and heal the sick with Allah’s permission at a time when medicine was common. However these miracles only lasted during the lifetime of that Prophet and would be lifted when that Prophet passed away.

Time once again bears witness that during the finest of eras, the highest of angels brought down onto the greatest of Prophets the best of words for the best of nations. This ultimate of miracles is the Holy Qur’an.

Such a miracle that it has remained even after the passing away of the Prophet whom it was revealed to, time will also witness this great book maintain its presence in the world till Qiyahmah! Revealed in such an era when eloquence of speech and literature and poetry was widespread. It followed the above pattern that a literary miracle be revealed in accordance with the people’s interests.

Such a time when satirical lyrics were used to cause wounds that were deeper and more painful than the external injuries inflicted during battle. At a time when the Arabs would pride themselves over their command of such a language and they would hold competitions. The best piece of work would have the honour of being hung on the wall of the Holy Kaa’ba for that year for all to see. This miracle came down and left these show pieces of speech and literature dumbstruck!

The eloquence was unsurpassable and its composition was of a standard unreachable. Its verses had deep meanings and underlying messages when it was recited, its raw power would entrance the people. Many a time, the hearing of a single verse would be the cause for someone to enter the fold of Islam. We are also informed of many cases even in our own time when people who do not understand the meaning of the Qur’an are overcome by a mesmerising sensation upon listening to the words of Allah being recited so much so that it causes them to submit themselves and accept Islam!

People knew that Prophet Muhammed was illiterate and that he could have not have produced such a masterpiece, and so it had to be from a divine entity, as all other possibilities were exhausted. As for those who out of stubbornness and arrogance still denied it to be Allah’s word and insisted that it must be man-made, the Qur’an set them a challenge of producing a chapter like that in the Qur’an, or at least ten verses. It then simplified the challenge from ten verses to at least a single verse. This challenge is still standing today, such a miracle that has been standing for over 1400 years. This challenge has remained unmet. It is also a miracle of the Qur’an, that compared to the other previous revelations, it has remained unchanged in its originate condition and is free of alterations. This is because Allah Taa’la himself has taken the responsibility of preserving the Qur’an and has done so in various ways. It is the most widely read book around the world as well as the most widely sold!

(Amazaon.com reports record sales where they actually sold out of copies of the English translation!).

Allah Taa’la has preserved its verses through the Huffaz, the millions of Hafiz who specialize in memorising the whole Quran of and checking its recital. Allah Taa’la has preserved its meaning through the Mufasireen, the people who specialize in writing the commentary of the verses. The correct recitation of the Qur’an is maintained through the ‘Qurraa’ who teach its correct pronunciation. We must bear in mind that the true Arabic recitation is an obligation and the Qur’an must be recited in the manner that it was revealed. Just as teaching the Qur’an, preaching words of wisdom and cleansing the hearts of the people were prophetic objectives, the Qur’an tells us that the primary duty of Prophethood is to recite the Qur’an in the manner it was acquired, any other way is not called the Kalaam (words) of Allah.

Prononciation is paramount because without it listeners would hear different words and thus different messages. An english example would be the words Quill and Kill, if the letter Q is pronounced like the letter K then the meaning is very different. Likewise the words Coat and Quote. Some simple arabic examples, the word ‘Qaala’ which means ‘he said’, if the ‘Qaaf’ was not pronounced properly and were to be read ‘Kaala’, the meaning would totally change and translate as ‘he weighed’. If someone were to mispronounce the word ‘Qul’ and say ‘Kul’, it would change the command of ‘Say’ into ‘Eat’. Mistakes like these can nullify a person’s prayer. Another example is the word ‘Allahu-Akbar’ which means ‘Allah is the Greatest’. However, if the first letter were to be prolonged into ‘Aallahu’, it would not remain a statement but becomes a question, i.e. ‘Is Allah the greatest?’ May Allah protect us from such mistakes.

Great attention has to be paid to the correct recital because this type of distortion is unacceptable. As was mentioned before, Allah Taa’la has also preserved the very script it was written in at the time of revelation. The script of ‘Bismillah’ is as it was written in the copy of the Qur’an of Hazrat Uthman .

Arabic grammar requires a ‘hamza’ to be after the letter ‘Baa’ but because the letter ‘Baa’ was joined to the letter ‘Seen’ in the Qur’an of Hazrat Uthman, this script has been preserved till now. But, the main form of preservation, a miracle in itself, is that for over 1400 years, Allah Taa’la has kept it preserved and protected it in the hearts of his servants.

From the very young to the very old, men, women, and children, have memorised all 30 chapters of the Quran (i.e. all 114 Surahs). They have committed to memory a grand total of 6236 Ayah (verses) in Arabic which is not necessarily their native language. Indeed a huge proportion of Huffaz recite like natives-speakers but are not fluent basic Arabic (i.e. they pronounce the words correctly but do not speak/converse in Arabic). The same cannot be said about any other book in the world. This is the Miracle that was seen at the time of the Holy Prophet , and every day since; for there has always been Huffaz of the Quran since its revelation. The numbers of Huffaz have increased so that today you can count millions walking about the Earth protecting the whole Quran in their hearts and publicly reciting in Arabic the entire Quran in Tarweeh prayers in the month of Ramadhan. In this public manner the recital is reviewed by all present and memorisation and protection of the Quran is maintained. In private Huffaz routinely review their memorisation by iterating its recital in front of dedicated listners.

Allah Almighty has protected the Qur’an and will therefore protect a person who recites it and memorizes it. The Holy Prophet has stated in a Hadith that if the Qur’an is placed in a skin and then put in the fire, it will not get burnt. The Muhaditheen (the scholars of Hadith) have interpreted this Prophetic saying in two ways. One is where the words ‘skin’ and ‘fire’ are taken in the literal sense where it is referring to a miracle that had taken place at the time of Prophet .

The second interpretation takes the word ‘skin’ to mean human skin and ‘fire’ to mean the fire of hell. This is a general application which means that a Hafiz of the Qur’an will not be affected by the fire of hell were he to be thrown in due to any crime on his part. This is also backed up by another Hadith which sates,

“Learn the Qur’an by heart, because Almighty Allah does not punish the heart which contains the Qur’an.”

This merit is enough to prompt us to memorize and dedicate our lives for the Qur’an. The Qur’an is not a poetry book, nor does it contain prose, rather it has a style of its own, a certain style that is unmatched. Its challenge is still unanswered and will remain so. The Qur’an is not a storybook, yet it contains historic events and incidents of nations that existed in the past. Some of these places have recently been discovered for example the city of ‘Iram’ which was found in the 1970’s.

These stories are not there to entertain, but to contemplate over and derive lessons from. The Holy Qur’an is not a science book, yet so many of its simple statements are confirmed in our age by scientific discoveries or rather confirmations. (Such information which could not have been attainable 1400 years ago)

It made statements which referred to things that could not have been known then, but the miracle is that these have stood the test of time and have not been wrong as their truth are now being unfolded.

Amongst other subjects, the Qur’an talks about embryology, water, the weather, cosmology, geology etc. A very interesting aspect of the miraculous nature of the Qur’an is its finely balanced structure where we discover some of its mathematical miracles.

Allah states in Surah Ale-Imran,

“The similitude of Esa Alayhis Salaam before Allah is as that of Adam Alayhis Salaam.” ( 3:59)

On one level, this means that Esa Alayhis Salaam was no more than a man and a Prophet as was Adam Alayhis Salaam (opposing the managed conception of the Christians). However if this is taken to represent an equation i.e Esa = Adam. We find that both names occur exactly 25 times in the Qur’an!

We also find various words having the same or opposite meaning to occur the same number of times. For example, ‘life’ and ‘death’ both occur 140 times and ‘man’ and ‘woman’ appear 24 times each. Furthermore, the word for ‘month’ occurs 12 times!

May Allah Almighty grant us the ability to fulfil its rights. This article is concluded with a description of the Qur’an, and no description can surpass its own description:

“Alif Laam Raa. A book which we have revealed unto you, in order that you might lead mankind out of the depths of darkness in light by the leave of their Lord – to the way of the Exalted in power, Worthy of all praise.”