What is there other than the heart, good manners, and mutual consultation?
I have been reading The Muslim Mind on Trial by Abdessalam Yassine and Wallahi I recommend this book to each and every Muslim with a brain. It raises some questions that are essential for us to answer as we move forward in our movements and as the world progresses.
We think that all these problems around us and all this strife, toil and trouble that the Muslim world is going through right now is independant from our own internal state when this chaos is merely an extension of the chaos going on within us.
The key to success is purification, and the goal of purification is perfection of manners, and the results of perfect manners is brotherhood and dawah, and the benefit of brotherhood and dawah is a pure community of justice and ihsan, whose benefit will be shone throughout the world.
Our benefit to mankind is that of being advanced in our manners and justice, as well as our grounding in the sciences of this world.
To try and establish an 'Islamic state' by merely enacting the rules and regulations of the deen, and then setting up the punishment systems for those who break these rules, is like establishing a hollow pillar. This pillar will look strong and will seem to be able to withstand a great amount of weight upon it, but the minute it feels some weight it will crumble and its hollow center will be made evident.
Who are we and what is our purpose?
Is our purpose to establish Allah swt's law in the land? Is that our ultimate goal?
The establishment of the law of Allah on the land should be an extention of the establishment of the love of Allah in our hearts, and the ihsaan in our worship should be reflected with ihsaan in our conduct with our muslim bretheren as well as the non muslim.
The level of Ihsaan in our worship is a high level which takes time, effort and struggle. Unfortunately something ive noticed is that some people have taken this level of Ihsaan and turned it into a worldly pleasure worthy of being sought in order to achieve some 'spiritual high' which will be extacy on earth.
How can we take such a beautiful thing such as closeness to Allah swt and belittle it to just merely a worldly pleasure?
Our intention should be to get so close to Allah swt that He swt turns our selves into His Tools, and of course this maqam will return a feeling too overwhelming to even describe.
But then there are people who are taking means outside of the sharia in order to gain this pleasure, and this is why I think this science has gotten such a horrible stigma attached to it.
May Allah make us among those whom He loves.
Its Official: Summer time has begun...
A summer has not truely begun until the first dive into the swimming pool, and I must say that the water was miiiiiiiiiiighty cold.
Summer Break Zindabaad!!!
Newest Desktop Pic...
Maryam AKA Yams AKA Mallo Ali Khan AKA Ultee Monster AKA MallayMallay AKA Poopadoop AKA Thugg Jr givin the camera the peace sign. Im so proud.
Summer Reading...
So I went to Islamic Bookstore (
www.islamicbookstore.com) and picked up my reads for the summer. I usually get books that deal with hard concepts that I hear about all the time, but this time I figured id get books I would normally get plus others about stuff that I know little about so that I can broaden my horizons and gain knowledge bout stuff from the source instead of hearing about it from others.
The Divine Names and Attributes - al Bayhaqi
The Muslim Mind on Trial: Divine Revelation vs Secular Rationalism - Abdessalam Yassine
Return of the Pharaoh: Memoir in Nasir's Prison - Zainab al Ghazzali
Medicine of the Prophet - as Suyuti
Wisdom for the Seeker - Zulfiqar Ahmad
Deliverance from Error - Imam al Ghazzali
The Clear Criterion for Distinguishing between Islam and Godlessness - al Ghazzali *
The Infamies of the Batinies and the Virtues of the Mustazhirites - al Ghazzali *
The Correct Balance - al Ghazzali *
The Noblest of Aims in the Explanation of God's Fairest Names - al Ghazzali *
The Book of the Marvels of the Heart - al Ghazzali *
Necklaces of Gems: Biography of Abdul Qadir al Jilani - Muhammed ibn Yahya
* Came packaged with Deliverance from Error
I also picked up another dear beloved son by Imam Ghazzali to give to someone as a gift.
I hope I get these joints finished this summer cuz I most certainly got a gangsta deal on em.
Deficiencies...
So alhumdulillah the semester has finally come to an end.
This has to be the slackerest of slacker semesters in the history of slackerdom. I mean, I did nothing at all. I could have taken like 3 more classes and still had time to do homework and stuff cuz I didnt do anything until the last second. I can not allow myself to have another semester like this, cuz I cant afford to anymore.
So now that the semester is over, I finally have enough time to rant about what has been eating me up inside for the past month.
I need to develop thicker skin.
I have this OCD type of behavior when it comes to my being liked by anyone and everyone I come in contact with. I want everyone to love me and this is the only way I will feel comfortable. If someone has a problem with me, I tend to do anything I can to try and fix myself so that the person does not have any ill feeling towards me.
This was evident when we first made Gandaghee and premiered it at ISNA 2 summers ago.
After showing it, these two brothers walked up to the table where we were selling the DVDs outside the main hall, and made a scene. I was just walking by and my boy was selling the movies, and I saw the brothers pick up a copy and throw it down on the table.
"You all are worse than the kuffar!!! You are taking Islam and making fun of it! You need to burn all of these!!!"
I was utterly shocked.
I could not believe that my intentions would be questioned to such a degree that I would be grouped in a category worse than those who dont even believe in Allah. My boy who was selling the DVDs started to get a bit annoyed and started saying stuff back to them, but I just asked to guys to step aside and talk to me. I implored them to have a discussion with me about what they saw as problematic to such a degree, yet they refused and walked off.
Now you would think that me asking them to talk to me would have consoled me a bit, but it didnt. I then asked another brother to go find those brothers and find out who they are and to talk to em, and the brother did and came back to me saying that they had a convo with him and they almost retracted their statement. This was good enough to make me feel a bit better.
So what now?
I was playin basketball at the local masjid and I was guarding this young lookin kid who I didnt know. During the game its my habit to make ta'aaruf (getting to know?) with the peeps and I started a convo with the kid. Come to find out that he goes to my uni! Im in shock so I ask em if he comes to any MSA events cuz I never see him. He responds in the negative, and when I ask why not, he responds: Because the MSA is a bit fundi[mentalist].
"Fundi? Dude...Im the freakin president!"
Upon hearing this revelation the brother kinda looked embarrassed and the game continued. I didnt pay his comment any mind at the time, but then I began thinking about it.
"Do people think I am an extremist? Do I come off as an arrogant fundementalist who looks so intolerant to others who may be at different levels of Iman that people dont even wanna come around?"
I put that thought on the back burner and continued through the semester until, this time in a few less words, I was again implicated to be intolerant, unyielding and rigid in my interpretation of this deen and our practice of it in the daily life.
This really hurt me.
I try so hard to look at my heart in the mirror and to find my faults, and I try and rectify them, and Wallahi I have alot of faults and I am extremely hard on myself about them as to trying to straighten them all out. So when someone tells me something that I need to work on, then I take the naseehah with gratefulness cuz I indeed was looking at the same deficiency that had just been pointed out and I was in the process of fixing it.
But when I get blindsided by an accusation of sorts, a blanket label and characterization which I deed not foresee, then it hits me like a ton of bricks.
I really take to heart any criticizm that I recieve which I did not see coming, and this time was no different. I began doing some soul searching and 3rd person-ish investigations if you will, where I was analyzing my interaction with others in my life.
I know that the Prophet PBUH did not go around waving a stick at the Sahabah ra, beating them over the head with it to adjust them and redirect them onto the straight path, and this was the Prophet PBUH!! The one person who would have the right to be harsh, yet he was but a mercy to mankind and he proved it with his humble behavior PBUH.
Some may feel that now that they are into the deen, and are trying to straighten themselves out, that they now have the duty of pulling out the nahee the munkar police badge being the mutawwa' of the household and of the MSA and of the workplace. This is not dawah! This takes people away from the deen most of the time, ESPECIALLY with the household.
How could you possibly think you will 'discipline' your wife through harshness and supervision of all of her actions? Muhammed PBUH told us for a reason that women are delicate creatures which require gentleness, mildness and tenderness, and that a riteous wife is the greatest of all provision in this world. How could we treat such a gift with harshness? You must become the closest companion of your spouse and the greatest comfort for your spouse and the greatest confidant of your spouse if you want to develop a relationship of mutual growth and development of iman. You cant expect to force it upon her, that is just not going to work.
So since I was concerned with my own actions being not what they seemed to me, and because it was concievable to me that I had created a bubble around myself where I didnt really know how I was acting, I went to work and I asked em if I was forceful in my dawah or harsh to them in any way.
Then I asked my MSA friends who are around me most of the day and they also responded with the negatory response like my coworkers.
Finally I asked the one person I am around all the time and the one who is the beneficiary of anything Islamic that I know: My sis, and she responded with such a beautiful response.
She first laughed and gave me a kiss followed by an awww since I was really blown at being seen as something that I hope that im not. Then she told me that it should not matter what someone else thinks, especially someone who doesnt really know me. I should just pay it no attention, and that I shouldnt try and validate myself by trying to please everyone who may have a problem with me.
Cuz its obvious that if I was intolerant and rigid of things, then surely I wouldnt live in my home under my current conditions, I wouldnt have retained my old friends despite our differences in what we consider 'fun', and I would have been told my those close to me of my forceful nature before someone who doesnt even know me would assess me as indignant.
So what I have I learned?
1) I have alot of diseases in my heart
2) I need to develop thicker skin when it comes to criticizm from outsiders because I can not expect to be liked by everyone.
3) My sister is whom I can ask if I need to know what my deficiencies are. She knows me better than anyone
I want to also make clear that in no way am I bragging or anything like that. I have serious issues that I deal with day in and day out. I dealt with rigidness in the deen and some brothers who set for me the perfect example of balance of ikhlaaq and dawah showed me how to properly act. But what im saying is that you need to be a self accusing soul who constantly asks itself what its doing, where its going, and how its acting. This will result in knowing yourself in depth, and knowing your weaknesses and identifying them. My weaknesses are a plenty and I pray that Allah swt cleanses me of the diseases which occupy my heart. Just because this particular thing is not an issue that I have iA, does not mean that I dont have other really detrimental issues that I need to resolve if I wish to be in the Grace of ar Raheem.
Chapter 57 - The Iron...
Do follow along with the meaning as you listen to the recitation as to not take this as entertainment, but as the word of Allah swt which is meant to guide us and to fix our deficiencies. I have put time markers on the ayahs that move me the most and I pray that they do the same for you as well...
1. Whatever is in the heavens and on earth,- let it declare the Praises and Glory of Allah. for He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise.
2. To Him belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth: It is He Who gives Life and Death; and He has Power over all things.
3. He is the First and the Last, the Evident and the Immanent: and He has full knowledge of all things.
4. He it is Who created the heavens and the earth in Six Days, and is moreover firmly established on the Throne (of Authority). He knows what enters within the earth and what comes forth out of it, what comes down from heaven and what mounts up to it. And He is with you wheresoever ye may be. And Allah sees well all that ye do.
5. To Him belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth: and all affairs are referred back to Allah.
6. He merges Night into Day, and He merges Day into Night; and He has full knowledge of the secrets of (all) hearts.
7. Believe in Allah and His apostle, and spend (in charity) out of the (substance) whereof He has made you heirs. For, those of you who believe and spend (in charity),- for them is a great Reward.
8. What cause have ye why ye should not believe in Allah.- and the Messenger invites you to believe in your Lord, and has indeed taken your Covenant, if ye are men of Faith.
9. He is the One Who sends to His Servant Manifest Signs, that He may lead you from the depths of Darkness into the Light and verily Allah is to you most kind and Merciful.
10.(2min 11sec)
And what cause have ye why ye should not spend in the cause of Allah.- For to Allah belongs the heritage of the heavens and the earth. Not equal among you are those who spent (freely) and fought, before the Victory, (with those who did so later). Those are higher in rank than those who spent (freely) and fought afterwards. But to all has Allah promised a goodly (reward). And Allah is well acquainted with all that ye do.
11. Who is he that will Loan to Allah a beautiful loan? for ((Allah)) will increase it manifold to his credit, and he will have (besides) a liberal Reward.
12. (3min 11 sec) One Day shalt thou see the believing men and the believing women- how their Light runs forward before them and by their right hands: (their greeting will be): "Good News for you this Day! Gardens beneath which flow rivers! to dwell therein for aye! This is indeed the highest Achievement!"
13. One Day will the Hypocrites- men and women - say to the Believers: "Wait for us! Let us borrow (a Light) from your Light!" It will be said: "Turn ye back to your rear! then seek a Light (where ye can)!(4 min 5 sec) So a wall will be put up betwixt them, with a gate therein. Within it will be Mercy throughout, and without it, all alongside, will be (Wrath and) Punishment!
14. (Those without) will call out, "Were we not with you?" (The others) will reply, (5 min 5 sec) "True! but ye led yourselves into temptation; ye looked forward (to our ruin); ye doubted ((Allah)'s Promise); and (your false) desires deceived you; until there issued the Command of Allah. And the Deceiver deceived you in respect of Allah.
15. "( 5 min 30 sec)This Day shall no ransom be accepted of you, nor of those who rejected Allah." Your abode is the Fire: that is the proper place to claim you: and an evil refuge it is!"
16. (6 min) Has not the Time arrived for the Believers that their hearts in all humility should engage in the remembrance of Allah and of the Truth which has been revealed (to them), and that they should not become like those to whom was given Revelation aforetime, but long ages passed over them and their hearts grew hard? For many among them are rebellious transgressors.
17. Know ye (all) that Allah giveth life to the earth after its death! already have We shown the Signs plainly to you, that ye may learn wisdom.
18. For those who give in Charity, men and women, and loan to Allah a Beautiful Loan, it shall be increased manifold (to their credit), and they shall have (besides) a liberal reward.
19.(7 min 40 sec) And those who believe in Allah and His apostles- they are the Sincere (lovers of Truth), and the witnesses (who testify), in the eyes of their Lord: They shall have their Reward and their Light. But those who reject Allah and deny Our Signs,- they are the Companions of Hell-Fire.
20. (8 min 28 sec) Know ye (all), that the life of this world is but play and amusement, pomp and mutual boasting and multiplying, (in rivalry) among yourselves, riches and children. Here is a similitude: How rain and the growth which it brings forth, delight (the hearts of) the tillers; soon it withers; thou wilt see it grow yellow; then it becomes dry and crumbles away. But in the Hereafter is a Penalty severe (for the devotees of wrong). And Forgiveness from Allah and (His) Good Pleasure (for the devotees of Allah.. And what is the life of this world, but goods and chattels of deception?
21. (9 min 20 sec) Be ye foremost (in seeking) Forgiveness from your Lord, and a Garden (of Bliss), the width whereof is as the width of heaven and earth, prepared for those who believe in Allah and His apostles: that is the Grace of Allah, which He bestows on whom he pleases: and Allah is the Lord of Grace abounding.
22. No misfortune can happen on earth or in your souls but is recorded in a decree before We bring it into existence: That is truly easy for Allah.
23. In order that ye may not despair over matters that pass you by, nor exult over favours bestowed upon you. For Allah loveth not any vainglorious boaster,-
24. Such persons as are covetous and commend covetousness to men. And if any turn back (from Allah.s Way), verily Allah is Free of all Needs, Worthy of all Praise.
25. We sent aforetime our apostles with Clear Signs and sent down with them the Book and the Balance (of Right and Wrong), that men may stand forth in justice; and We sent down Iron, in which is (material for) mighty war, as well as many benefits for mankind, that Allah may test who it is that will help, Unseen, Him and His apostles: For Allah is Full of Strength, Exalted in Might (and able to enforce His Will).
26. And We sent Noah and Abraham, and established in their line Prophethood and Revelation: and some of them were on right guidance. But many of them became rebellious transgressors.
27. Then, in their wake, We followed them up with (others of) Our apostles: We sent after them Jesus the son of Mary, and bestowed on him the Gospel; and We ordained in the hearts of those who followed him Compassion and Mercy. But the Monasticism which they invented for themselves, We did not prescribe for them: (We commanded) only the seeking for the Good Pleasure of Allah. but that they did not foster as they should have done. Yet We bestowed, on those among them who believed, their (due) reward, but many of them are rebellious transgressors.
28. (12 min 23 sec)O ye that believe! Fear Allah, and believe in His Messenger, and He will bestow on you a double portion of His Mercy: He will provide for you a Light by which ye shall walk (straight in your path), and He will forgive you (your past): for Allah is Oft- Forgiving, Most Merciful.
29. That the People of the Book may know that they have no power whatever over the Grace of Allah, that (His) Grace is (entirely) in His Hand, to bestow it on whomsoever He wills. For Allah is the Lord of Grace abounding.
Recap while I have a minute...
So while I have a bit of time between finals (next one is thursday so make dua!) I figured Id rewind this past weekend.
So I had a computer science project due on Sunday by Midnight, a statistics project due Monday Morning, and a genetics final Monday as well. So you obviously know what I did this weekend huh?
Guess again.
I decided that instead of studying, I would go up to Philly with my homies for one of my homeboy's wedding, and guess what?
It was totally worth it.
We left here late so when we finally got to the venue we had missed the nikaah by 10 minutes. I was a bit blown at first, but the feeling subsided with each one of my homies I saw and hugged.
Some of these guys I hadnt seen in a couple of years and subhan Allah they completely humbled me when I met em.
I found that many of them were on the same path as me but just a few miles ahead. They had devoted their focus on their internal realm, and were taking defined steps to purify their hearts and maintain a close relationship with Allah swt. I swear by Allah that these brothers seemed like shining lamps and when I inquired about what these guys had been doing, i find out that indeed they had been focusing on their hearts.
The wedding itself was exactly the kind of wedding I want: Simple, at a masjid, snacks, pics, ruksatti and im out.
We were at my boy's house afterwards and his mom was just like 'It was a simple wedding for a simple couple' and subhan Allah, to be simple in this case is most definitely a compliment.
Weddings should be a time of enjoyment and celebration, not a time of stress and bankruptcy.
On a side note: How amazing is it when you make an intention to do something that you wont be able to do, and then Allah swt makes it happen in another way?
We race for adhan sometimes and we dont get it, and then we just show up with an intention to make adhan and Allah swt blesses you with the opportunity to gain the reward, even though you're at a masjid out of state, with a jamaa' full of people who go to the masjid, and a muadh'dhin standing at the mic.
innallaha bi kulli shay'in qadeer
Shaykh Riyadh ul Haqq - Fitna in the Ummah
So obviously I am very busy seeing how Finals are here, but I also have been doing some research on my own soul and what exactly I want to target for reform with regards to my qalb and its many weaknesses. These thoughts have been a bit too personal and interreflective to post as they would leave me rather vulnerable with regards to my personal struggles being exposed.
So instead I decided that it was time that you guys got a chance to read the notes of the Shaykh Riyadh ul Haqq lecture that was given here last month. It was an amazing lecture, and I didnt complete typing my notes up before I noticed that sister Sana (
http://www.sanurii.blogspot.com) being the thug that she is, posted a really beautifully detailed account of the evening on her blog. So with her permission I would like to share the url with you.
I will be back by the end of the week insha Allah!
Make dua!
http://sanurii.blogspot.com/2006/04/sheikh-abu-yusuf-riyadh-ul-haq-notes.html
Wait...
My heart found another
Weaknesses
Manifested themselves
In the other as strengths
How rusty I am?
Yet how pure how white how bright you are!
Praise Allah!
How I long for the company of thee
How I long for the comfort
Of the One which you seek
Only one first impression
Oh no, don’t go!
I know I am rusty
I wish not my rust upon you!
I don’t wish to change you
But I wish to change me
I don’t wish to raise you
Nor you to raise me
Cant you see?!
I only want
To grow
Growth part II
Its ironic to me how we can get into the deen and become 'religious' and we automatically assume that we have somehow earned Allah swt's hidaaya and that we have to now by default be upon the right path.
Sincerity is step one, and then step two is seeking the knowledge.
Even Musa PBUH wasnt just granted a sea which was split that he could just walk right through. He even had to take the means that he had which was the stick which he had to hit the sea with for it to part. Even the Anbiyaa' were not just granted success, they had to strive hard to achieve it.
I got into an 'interesting' discussion just now with an old friend of mine who was studying overseas and we got to the topic of taqleed. The discussion turned into almost a 'this what you have to do to be on the right path' talk and subhan Allah, I marvelled at the scene.
I dont believe anything just so that I can associate with a particular group and then subscribe to their magazine and hang their flag in front of my door. I believe anything that I believe because I really reflected on it, I came to a fork in the road and assessed the evidence I had to find the road best travelled, and most importantly: I implored Allah swt to guide me to that which is true.
So I have no problem discussion why I am treading the path I am treading because I feel as though it is the most sound and will be able to explain it, but dont attack me and my beliefs trying to imply that your way is the only way. I take conversations like this extremely personal because it makes me think that you are calling me insincere and are telling me that my imploring Allah swt for guidance and my seeking the truth has lead me into a deviant direction.
I dont think I even realized how much ive changed over the past 3 to 4 years. I was digging through my archives of email and I came across an email that a brother (may Allah reward him) had sent me through a message board that I used to post on (even before Islamica). I had made a post about exactly the same moment when I began doubting traditional scholarship which I mentioned in an earlier post, and this brother took the time to express to me his concern about the path I was headed down. This particular email is a reply that the brother sent to an email I had sent him, so my words are going to be in a red color and I will leave his black.
Subhan Allah, I read the email and it brings tears to my eyes to think that this brother cared enough to take the time out of his life to address my misconceptions with the utmost manners. Notice my writing style and my 3s for Ains. LOL, what a poser I was.
Check it out...
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January 31st 2002
From what i have studied, which as i admit once again, is very little, is that the different types of worship and rituals that the Sufis have been known for are not from the Quran and Sunnah.Maybe then what is required is further study, and lessconcern regarding the judgement of others, what do youthink my dear Brother? Of what use will this avail youas currency in the hereafter? Better you do a morethorough investigation, and one which is from lessbiased sources, and proceed more impartially. For onewho admits to having studied little you are alreadyprematurely coming to judgements on such issues.
Furthermore, you should know that the usuliyyun didnot consider the Qur'an & Sunnah as the only usul,that you say "Quran and Sunnah" as if these are theonly two sources. Yes, they are the primary sources,but from them other sources were derived. Such usullike ijma', qiyas, and others which there is somedisagreement upon, like istihsan, istishab, saddal-dhara'i, etc.
Im sure everything that is related to Sufi rhetoric is not Bid'3a, but people like Ibn Arabi have said things that clearly contradict the Quran and Sunnah.And you know this by yourself, or by your reliance onwhat others have told you? If it is by what othershave told you, then that precludes your own capacityto judge, for if you could do so yourself you'd haveno need for recourse to others. By virtue of thishandicap, it is better for your akhira that you leavejudgement in the absence of citing authorities, untilsuch time as you yourself can *verify* what is beingsaid about such Shuyukh. The flesh of scholars ispoison, and if it isn't necessary for you to delveinto that which is obviously beyond you, then don't.Many of us lack the humility to be able to back off.For you to be able to even consider judging Shaykh Ibnal-'Arabi [raheemullah], you'd need to be proficientin his thought and works, and not just quote whatothers have said having read a few articles, or hearda few tapes/talks. Are you able to be independent inyour analysis, or are you confined to the explanationsof what others have told you? If I were to ask you toexplain to me those concepts of his [raheemullah]which are contended by some of those you take youropinion from, could you explain it *without* referringto what such people have told you? If not, then youhave no business casting judgement on one whose affairlies with Allah ta'ala. Such preoccupations blind usto our own miserable condition.
ibn Arabi claims that he wrote a book and distributed it to people by permission of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) which was given to him in a dream which he claims to have seen?I cannot comment on this, but are you willing totestify that he [raheemullah] was lying? Given that hewas most definitely a thiqa, are you willing to put*your* neck on the line concerning - at the least - aScholar, and say he was lying? You seek to increaseyour burden of accountability before Allah ta'ala so?Is it worth it akhi?How much have you read of what the *Classical* Ulemasaid about him? And a word of advice. *Don't* rely onthe opinion of those Scholars about who themselves arethe subject of much disagreement and debate. Rather,try and rely on those Scholars upon whom there is ageneral consensus, and the khubool [acceptance] of theUmmah. Because of you rely only on those Ulema whothemselves have debate surrounding them - even if youyourself disagree with the contentions concerning them- then you will never be able to proceed with yourcontentons, because others will disagree with yourciting of that Scholar as a source.
Most of this book contradicts what Allaah revealed in His Books and is opposed to what His Prophets said. And this was a prominent Sufi shaikh.No scholar is without his critics. Imam Ibn Taymiyyah[raheemullah] was not without his critics too. So,should the *mere* PRESENCE of criticism be taken as aproof of someone's deviance? If the presence ofcriticism of Shaykh ibn al-'Arabi is a proof againsthim [raheemullah] then let us be consistent and agreethat the presence of criticism of Imam Ibn Taymiyyah[raheemullah] is also a proof against him. But no,regarding one, you would rush to defend him, yetregarding the other the same level of judiciousness isnot exercised. And Allah ta'ala is aware of suchinjustice, and the recompense will be as it wasearned, wallahu a'lam.
Then not to mention such Sufi rituals like deep reflections in cemeteries communing with the dead, the theory of anthropomorphism, sufi healing, etc all have no basis in the Quran and Sunnah and are therefore Bida.The Sahabah [radhiallah ta'ala ajmaeen] are reportedto have made taffakur in cemeteries, wallahu a'lam. Asfor communing with the dead, please bring forth someproof, for an allegation in its absence is ghiba, andonly the foolish would even entertain ghiba without aqat'i [definite] proof.
Regarding anthropomorphism, then it is unusual youattribute this to sufis, when it is well known to be ahallmark of some of their critics, wallahu a'lam.Again, some evidence would be of use. What is sufi healing?
My Aqidah inshaALLAH is to follow the Quran and the SUnnah.So, you're a sufi too. ;)
If Sufis believe that one should hear and obey the Quran and Sunnah without any innovations, then they have the same aqidah as me. WaALLAhuA3lim.Except that you probably reject what many manyscholars - including Imam ash-Shafi'i [raheemullah] -define bid'ah as.
I think i have changed my view and now do agree as far as the certain rituals being condemned. But The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever innovates something in this matter of ours [i.e., Islam] that is not a part of it, will have it rejected.”Hadith is dangerous to quote without sharh, so bewareof your implication, lest it depart form the intendingmeaning of Al-Shaari'.
Some unseen was granted by ALLAH subhannah wa ta3la for Muhammed PBUH to know and convey to us, but only ALLAH knows the Ghaib THE All knower all Wise.Which is a u-turn from your original statement.
SubhanALLAH, this is why I wanted to know the Sufi Aqeedah. I want to know if they feel they can achieve explaining the unexplanable or re-explain the already explained.How well do you know your own aqidah, before youenquire about the aqidah of others? Is that not ofmore importance my dear Brother?Your above point is oxymoronic too. How can oneexplain the unexplainable? What you mean is, can oneexplain that which is *considered by some* to beinexplicable, right? Give me an example of somethingyou mean.
Secondly, can you cite me an *authoritative* source which states that this is what sufis believe please? I want to learn aq, i want to know if this is what they believe.Well, if by this you are admitting you have noexample, then again I caution you of your ghiba, forsuch an allegation without evidence/proof istantamount to ghiba, wallahu a'lam. Akhi, this is nolight matter. If you have backbitten *all* sufis, youmay have closed a door to jannah for yourself, forthat is a right Allah ta'ala will not intervene in,and yet, how will you ever obtain the forgiveness ofevery sufi??! You won't, so why not instead *not* putyourself in such an insurmountable position in thefirst place.
Akhi I hope you arent trying to put me down as I am trying to learn and am on that quest daily through ALLAH's mercy.Then don't cut off the means to that Rahma by engagingin what could constitute ghiba.
If you want that Rahmaso much, then tread much more carefully akhi.And know the difference between being put down, andbeing put in your place. One of the hardest lessons tobe learnt is to distance oneself from kibr[arrogance], mukaabarah [obstinacy], and pride. I haveyet to achieve this.
I am trying to follow the examples of> the companions as when they heard a new revelation, they made sure they had implemented it in their lives before moving on.Yet you seem to be hasty in judging that which youhave yet to fully grasp. Why? Why can you not witholdjudgement until you have obtained the knowledge?
I constantly learn and act, learn and act, ONLY by ALLAH's mercy.The mercy you show to other Muslims - including theSufis - is the mercy you will be entitled to on theDay of Judgement, wallahu a'lam, so be wary of how youare towards those whom you frown at. For all yourcriticism, many of them may have had more ikhlas in asingle prayer of theirs, than you have ever managed tomuster in all of yours. Allah ta'ala knows what lieswithin.
Know also that it was/is a classic trait of the Ahlal-Firaq [Peopl of Sects] to be preoccupied in judgingothers more, and the self less. It is one of shaytaanstricks to veil them from their own faults, wallahua'lam.Ameen, and may ALLAH reward you for helping out a miskin brother like myself get the fruits of knowledge which i am starving for. AmeenAstaghfirullah, I am not any kind of vehicle forknowledge, plase don't make the mistake of thinkingthat akhi, for to do so will only land you in hotwater. :) Plus, personally, I think this issue you'reasking about is of much less importance to you thanmany other kinds of knowledge you should be seeking.One of which would most definitely be some knowledgeof fiqh and usul, as exemplified in another of yourposts, in the Madrasatul Ilm of Madinat al-Muslimeen,which you posted on 25/01/02 at 23:04:02, and entitled'What do you do when your local Imam says there is noneed for a daleel?' You wrote:
At the Masajid tonight the Imam was explaining the artof Wudu according to the Hanafi school of thought. Iwas one of the older guys there as there were manyother young children. He said some things associatedwith Wudu which raised my eyebrows along with a coupleother brothers who were near me. After the halaqa oneof the brothers asked the Imam if he could kindly givehim the sources for the prescribed methods which hewas illustrating. The Imam then asked him and I tocome with him into his office. He then went to hisbookshelf and started picking up book after booksaying that he has read and studied these books andknows what hes talking about. He said that there is nosuch thing as daleel in the UK (where he is fromoriginally) and that this is something very new tohim. He said that we should trust him and that hewouldnt teach us anything wrong. WHAT SHOULD WE DO Ifelt very baffled as I have never heard this before?May ALLAH guide us all...
There exist a number of problematic concepts in thatpost which you need to comprehend.May Allah (awj) judge you - and me - according to His(awj) Rahma, and not His (awj) Justice
Newest desktop pic...
I think the thing that i cherish most in my life right now is when Maryam is crying, and I approach her and say 'hey Maryam! Its Chachu!' and she opens her eyes, looks at me, and stops crying.
<------ I Love this Girl!! ------>
Tears...
Why is it that some people recite the Quran, the very Quran that we all recite, yet they are overcome with emotion and break down and cry?
What is different between them and us?
I reflect on the fact that Allah swt's words can be recited and and one person could hear them and become overcome with emotion and it increase them in faith, and another person could be standing next to that person and this very same recitation can increase them in disbelief and become that which defines them as a person of the hellfire wa nauthubillah.
Allah swt tells us in surah Israa':
whenever thou recitest the Qur'an, We place an invisible barrier between thee and those who will not believe in the life to come:There is no power nor might except Allah swt.
I think that we do not focus on our hearts as we should, and we do not give proper time to purifying it and that is why when we hear the Quran we are not moved as we should.
Imagine this: Allah swt tells us in the Quran "wa low anzalna hadhal Qurana 'alaa jabalil lara'aytahoo khashi'am mutasaddi'am min khasya tillaah".
That surely if Allah swt would have revealed this Quran upon a mountain then the mountain would be crushed to dust out of fear of Allah.
Yet Allah says in another part of the Quran:
For, Believers are those who, when Allah is mentioned, feel a tremor in their hearts, and when they hear His signs rehearsed, find their faith strengthened, and put (all) their trust in their Lord.
This is extremely deep to me because the mountain is crushed and torn asunder, yet our hearts feel a tremor.
Subhanallahi wa bihamdi!
Its as if the mountain, being a creation which does not have choice in its actions, when given such a heavy burden it can do nothing more than crumble due to the responsibility contained within the Quran. Yet the heart, the word Qalb comes from the root word which means to turn and flip, and this Quran causes it to tremor, and then to have ease. Allah swt has fashioned us in a certain way that even as we get farther and farther into our spiritual path and develop an even closer connection with Allah swt, He swt has still given our hearts the ability to have ease still.
If we would not be fashioned in such a perfect way then surely we wouldnt be able to hold this responsibility.
I feel as though the importance of knowing what the Quran means is paramount because there can still be some feeling of the tremor when the Quran is recited and we dont understand what it means, but when you know what Allah swt is telling you, when it was revealed and under what circumstances, and what the scholars have explained the verse as meaning, then surely you will be moved by the Words of Allah swt.
Take as an example the surah I have playing right now. At the 6 minute mark you will notice that the recitor begins repeating the ayah and getting extremely emotional. What is this ayah talking about? What does it mean?
Has not the Time arrived for the Believers that their hearts in all humility should engage in the remembrance of Allah and of the Truth which has been revealed (to them), and that they should not become like those to whom was given Revelation aforetime, but long ages passed over them and their hearts grew hard? For many among them are rebellious transgressors.How relevent a verse?
I remember at our annual Villanova Camp Retreat that the local MD masajid used to go on, a couple years back my boy came up with this activity one night. It was going to be dealing with death and how it can come and find us at any time, any place. We had a soundtrack made of different sound effects, had the lights dimmed to a point where we could barely see, and a few of us brothers created a scene where we acted as if we were in a car accident, and one of us died. We then acted as if we were looking at the casket of the deceased and we began describing them.
"Man, I never thought they would die this eary. I was just with him the other day."
Then we turned to the bros and sisters and revealed that the deceased was actually them. They were the one who had passed away so suddenly.
A brother then began going in depth about death, and reflecting upon it, and he had asked me to recite a few ayahs about the day of judgement from surah ma'aarij.
6. They see the (Day) indeed as a far-off (event):
7. But We see it (quite) near.
8. The Day that the sky will be like molten brass,
9. And the mountains will be like wool,
10. And no friend will ask after a friend,
11. Though they will be put in sight of each other,- the sinner's desire will be: Would that he could redeem himself from the Penalty of that Day by (sacrificing) his children,
12. His wife and his brother,
13. His kindred who sheltered him,
14. And all, all that is on earth,- so it could deliver him:
15. By no means! for it would be the Fire of Hell!-
16. Plucking out (his being) right to the skull!Everyone in the room began bawling. Everyone felt the ayahs in their hearts, and everyone felt the tremor, and everyone's eyes began to leak as they understood the depth of these verses through context.
Muhammed PBUH used to seek refuge in dua 'min 'aynil la tadhma', from the eye which does not shed a tear.
May Allah make us among those who, when His words are recited, our eyes well up with tears, our hearts tremble, and our limbs commit to actions corresponding with sincerity for worshipping Allah swt the way He is to be worshipped, and obeying the commands which He has given us...ameen
