Quotes of the Week: 25th May - 31st May

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem

A few quotes etc that I've come across during the past week:

"Tears are prayers too. They travel to Allah when we can't speak".

Abdullah ibn al Harith (ra) said, "I have never seen anyone more in the habit of smiling than the Prophet Muhammad (saw)".

"When you're going through something hard and you're wondering where Allah is, just remember, the Teacher is always quiet during the test".

"Never forget your dialogue with Allah. It is your strength".

"A believer smiles in public and weeps in private".

"Travelers, it is late. Life's sun is going to set. During these brief days that you have strength, be quick and spare no effort of your wings." (Rumi)

"And He is with you, wherever you are" (Al-Quran)

"Life lessons from Umrah - find the calm centre in the midst of chaos".

"Allah provided for you when you weren't even able to speak and move in your mother's womb. Trust Him, He knows exactly what you need and when."

"O Allah, when I lose my hopes and plans, help me remember that Your love for me is greater than my disappointments, and Your plans for me are better than my dreams". 
(Hazrat Ali r.a) 

May Allah grant you a long life as His obedient servant and may He place you in His servitude alone. May Allah guide you to the right path of those who love Him and are loved by Him.
Know, my friends, that real advice should be sought in the Revelation and the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (saw). If you have attained advice from it, what need have you of my advice? And if not, then tell me what you have attained in these past years? 
(Imam Ghazali ra)

Indeed, when the heart dies, a man will never feel the significance or impact of his sins.
(Ibn Qayyim ra)

Faith has two halves. One half is patience and the other is thankfulness.
(Imam Ghazali ra)

Beneficial knowledge is the one whose ray of light expands in the mind and uncovers the veil over the heart.
(Imam Ghazali ra)

Have a blessed week everyone, inshallah.

Wasalaam!

Indeed, Allah is with us

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem

Do not be sad, O Muslims. Indeed, Allah is with us.

During all these days of negative thoughts and actions, I always remember the Prophet Muhammad (saw), and his Sahabah (ra). The torture and humiliation they went through during their time spent in Makkah, in those early days of Islam - that was their test, and this is ours. Allah never abandoned them, and He will not abandon us.

When you reflect on the examples of the greatest people, you see that even their tests didn't last forever. It took only a moment of true firmness, trust, faith, sacrifice, and then they were saved. The fire was cooled for Ibrahim (as), the sea was split for Musa (as), and a lamb descended to replace Ismail (as), as soon as Ibrahim (as) made the right choice.

Just one moment of firmness, trust, faith and sacrifice, and their opening came.

Just one moment of firmness, trust, faith and sacrifice .. and your opening will also come.

A Few Thoughts

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

Bismillahi Rahmanir Raheem

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

A few nights ago, a friend called me and asked me to go over the story of Hazrat Umar (r.a), and how he reverted to Islam. We discussed the story, and went over the part where the first verses of the Quran that he read were the opening lines of Surah Ta-Ha:

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

1. Ta-Ha

2. We did not reveal the Quran to you to make you face hardship.

3. Rather to remind him who has the fear of Allah.

4. It being a revelation from the One Who created the earth, and high heavens.

5. The All Merciful has positioned Himself on the Throne.

6. To Him belongs all that is in the heavens, all that is on the earth and whatever lies between them and whatever lies beneath the soil.

7. If you pronounce the word aloud, then it makes no difference for He certainly knows the secret and what is even more hidden.

8. Such is Allah. There is no god but He. For Him are all the Beautiful Names.

It made me think. The verses that changed the heart of Hazrat Umar are the exact same ones in all copies of the Quran today. The verses that I'm reading in 2013 are the exact same verses that Hazrat Umar (r.a) read all those thousands of years ago in his sisters house, and they changed him in an instant.

It was this Quran that we have with us today and take for granted that changed these amazing men and women.

If you read about the state of the Arabs before the coming of the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w), you'll see that they were idol worshippers and they put all their hopes and prayers to a statue that they made with their own hands. They were adulterers, alcoholics and murderers.

Then, through the same Quran and Sunnah that we have today, they became the people of Allah. Their names are still remembered today and will be remembered until the end of time. 

We have exactly what they had - the same words, verses and chapters. It's up to us to make use of it, and allow it to change our hearts just as it changed theirs. 

May Allah give us all the ability to become like the Sahabah (r.a) and Sahabiyaat (r.a)

Ameen.

Wasalaam!

The Month of Rajab

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

Bismillahir Rahmaanir Raheem 

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

We all know that it's May at the moment. A month famous for being the middle month of spring. But by the looks of the weather, it's not living up to its reputation. May is also the month when the blossom trees are in full bloom, as is the exam season. 

But did you know that the current Islamic month is Rajab which is the seventh month of the Islamic calendar. This month was regarded as one of the Sacred Months (Ashurul Haram), in which battles were not allowed in the days of the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w).

The month of Rajab is one of two months before Ramadan, the second being Sha'baan. When the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) saw the moon of Rajab, he used to pray to Allah in the following words:

"O Allah, make the months of Rajab and Sha'baan blessed for us, and let us reach the month of Ramadan".

Rajab is also the month in which the famous Mi'raaj event took place. The was the time when the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) travelled to Jerusalem, and then onto the Heavens.

The angel Jibraeel (a.s) came to Makkah with an animal called Buraq. He took them to Masjidul Aqsa in Jerusalem.

In Masjidul Aqsa, all the prophets (a.s) since the beginning of time were present. They stood up to pray, and the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) led them in the prayer as their Imam. 

Then, they went up to the Heavens. There, the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) met various prophets (a.s) at each heaven. All the prophets (a.s) welcomed the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w).

The Prophet (s.a.w) was offered drinks of milk, wine, honey and water. He (s.a.w) chose to drink the milk. Had he drank the wine, then the ummah would have strayed from the straight path.

Our beloved Prophet (s.a.w) was given a gift on this blessed night. This was the gift of Salah. Our ummah was first ordered to pray 50 prayers each day. But, when the Prophet Musa (a.s) found out, he told him to ask Allah to decrease it. Bit by bit, the amount of 50 went down to 5. Even then, Prophet Musa (a.s) said this is too much. But our Prophet (s.a.w) was too embarrassed to go back to Allah and ask for another reduction. He (s.a.w) was promised that the Muslims will get the reward of 50 prayers by just praying 5!

During the Mi'raaj journey, the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) saw Jannah and Jahannam. He saw the various different punishments for different sins. 

When the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) returned back to Makkah, and he told everyone about his journey, the non-believers made fun of him and didn't believe  him. 

But, there was one example who stood out, who had strong Imaan and belief in the Prophet Muhammad (s.aw), and this was his closest companion, Abu Bakr Siddiq (r.a.)! It was on this occasion that he recieved the name As-Siddiq which means the most truthful. When he was informed about what the Prophet (s.a.w) was saying from the non-believers, he simply replied, "If Muhammad (s.a.w) has said this, then it is the truth". 

Subhanallah, look at the way he believed what the Prophet (s.a.w) had said without even hearing the story from him. 

I want to end with another incident which shows the love that Abu Bakr (r.a) had for the Prophet (s.a.w). Once he was beaten until he was unconscious by some of the non-believers. When he became conscious  he only wanted to know about the state of the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w). His mother, seeing his great loyalty and love, took him to see the Prophet (s.a.w), and it was there that she became a Muslim. Subahanallah, through his state, his own mother was guided to the beauty of Islam!

So, in this month of Rajab, whilst we start preparing our minds and bodies for Ramadan, let us keep in mind the love and loyalty that Abu Bakr (r.a) had for the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w), and pray to Allah to bring this level of love and loyalty into our lives - Ameen.

Wasalaam!