Read this on a Cold Day!

I know there's a heat wave going on the other side of the equater... but not so down south. It's winter here, and today it feels like winter in Canada.

I think it's appropriate to post this du'aa on this extremely cold and wet day. It was sent in email from Darul Iftaa Mahmudiyyah on the 5th of this month.

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The following duaa should be recited on cold days:

لا ِاله ِالا الله ُمَا أشَدَّ بَرْدَ هذا الْيَوْمْ ، اَللّهُمَّ أجِرْنِيْ مِنْ زَمْهَريْرِجَهَنَّمْ.

 ( رواه ابن السني  - 307 - )

Laa ilaaha illallahu ma ashadda barda hazhal yawm , allahumma ajirni min zamhareeri jahannam.

Trans. "There is no deity but Allah, How severe is the cold of today!

O Allah! Protect me from the severe cold of Jahannam"

Rasulullah صل الله عليه و سلم is reported to have said: " When a person recites this supplication, Almighty Allah says to Jahannam : "Verily a servant of mine has sought refuge in me from  you, bear testimony that I have granted him salvation from you"

( Ibnu Sunni # 307 )

The Apple Orchard

Here's a story I heard two times last week, once in tafseer class by Mufti Ebrahim Desai saheb, and once last night in a talk by Shaykh Zulfiqar Ahmad Naqshbandi saheb Daamat Barakaatuhum. So decided to share it.

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Once upon a time, a king asked his servant to go into his apple orchard to pick the best fruits he could find. There was, however, one condition. Once the slave passed through one garden in the orchard, he was not to return to it. Once he passed one garden, the only way to go was forward, not back.

So the servant took his basket and off the the orchard he went. He entered the first garden. There the fruit did not look nice at all, they were unripe. Not wanting to fill his basket with such, he entered the second garden.

The apples in the second garden were a bit better than the first garden, but still not the kind the servant wanted to present to his king. So on he moved once more to the third garden.

In the third garden, the servant was happy to see that the fruit were ripe and beautiful. However, a thought came to him. As he passed the previous gardens, he noticed that the quality of the fruits were becoming better! So why not skip this third garden and go to the fourth?

In the fourth garden his thoughts were not disappointed; the apples were at their prime, bigger and  more beautiful than even the apples in the third garden. Again the thought came to him, if the fruit here is so nice, then the fifth garden must be even better! So enter the fifth one he did...

Only to find it completely devoid of fruits. And the dismayed servant could do nothing but exit the orchard from the fifth garden with an empty basket, as he was not allowed to return to the previous gardens.

Imam Ghazaali Rahmatullahi 'Alayhi explains that the King symbolizes Allah, and the servant symbolizes the slaves of Allah, ie us. The orchard symbolizes our life, and the apples sybolize our virtuous deeds. The gardens are our passing days.

The moral of this story is that Allah has ordered us to obey Him, so  that our basket will be filled with good deeds. We pass through the days of life, each day thinking, tomorrow I will make tawba, tomorrow I will do so and so good deed, tomorrow I will stop comitting such and such sin.

However little do we realize that one day, there will be no tomorrow left. On that day, what should happen if our basket is empty of good deeds just like the servant's basket was empty of apples?  We will not be allowed to turn around and go back in time, just like the servant was not allowed to go back into the previous gardens. The fact is, every day we have to fill our baskets with good deeds and make tawbah and leave sins, no matter how small and insignificant they are, because that is what will fill our baskets Insha Allah so that we do not end up empty handed before Allah the Almighty.

"...Saying Allah..." A Quote from Moulana Naeem Motala saheb Daamat Barakaatuhum

 

"And let us close our eyes and ponder

That as we are saying the name Allah,

Then entire world is saying Allah.

The sun is saying Allah.

The moon is saying Allah.

Every star is saying Allah.

Every leaf on every tree is saying Allah

It’s swaying and saying Allah… Allah… Allah.

Every sand particle is saying Allah.

The oceans are saying Allah.

The creatures are saying Allah.

Insaan is saying Allah.

The jinnat are saying Allah.

The birds are saying Allah.

The animals are saying Allah.

The angels are saying Allah.

Allah Jalla Jalaaluhu wa Ta'aala Sha'nuhu…"

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taken from Zikr Majlis, Thursday July 21st, 2011 at Musjid Nur, Asherville.

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"We Cannot Point..." - A Quote from Hazrat Moulana Yunus Patel saheb Rahmatullahi 'Alayh

'Nowadays we cannot point to anybody and say that “You’ve got nifaq or hypocrisy in your aqeedah”, that “You’re pretending to be a Muslim”, unless of course if there are very clear signs.

Sometimes a person comes and says, “I want to accept Islam”. So we explain to the person what Islam is, and he reads the kalimah, gives the shahada, and thereafter he says, “Now I want to make nikah to that certain Muslim woman”.

So, straight away we come to the conclusion that this person accepted Islam because he wanted to marry a certain Muslim woman. Now, we have no right to conclude like that. We don’t know what is his niyyat, we haven’t sliced his heart and seen*…

So we will see what are his actions after that. After the nikah, then we will see whether he goes to church, he goes to temple, he makes namaz (salah) or what does he do; what are his actions, what are his beliefs; does he still hold on to those cultural and religious practices of his past religion? Those are the things we are going to look at, before declaring whether he is a Muslim or not a Muslim.

But at the time that he is accepting, we are going to believe in him, because we can’t slice his heart.*'

*This means we cannot open his heart and see what his true intentions were. So, we will judge a person on the outside and leave the inside to Allah.  For example, as Hazrat mentions ahead, if a person wears a cross, pray in a church etc, then we will see him as a Christian.

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taken from Informal Majlis, Saturday December 4th, 2010 at Musjid Nur, Asherville.

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Radha-bil-Qadha - An Extract from Tafweez by Hazrat Moulana Yunus Patel saheb Rahmatullahi 'Alayh

The quality of Radha-bil-Qadha has also been cultivated within the person who has this sweetness of Imaan and is implemented under all conditions.

Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi (Rahmatullah ‘alaih) once asked Hazrat Maulana Abdul Ghani Phulpoori (Rahmatullah ‘alaih) : “Is there any stage higher than Ikhlaas (sincerity) ?”

Hazrat Maulana Abdul Ghani (Rahmatullah ‘alaih) replied : “Ikhlaas is a very high stage; I cannot think of anything higher than that.”

Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi (Rahmatullah ‘alaih) then said : “Higher than even Ikhlaas, is Radha-bil-Qadha - that you be satisfied with whatever Allah Ta’ala gives to you.”

This does not mean that a person can do the wrong thing and expect Allah Ta’ala to decide in his favour. We must not blame Taqdeer for our own mistakes. If a person takes a knife and slashes his throat, this is not ‘Taqdeer’. But if someone else slashed this person’s throat, then yes, this is Taqdeer.

One person gave his very young daughter in marriage to a very old man. For some wealth and property, the father pressurized his daughter and so, even though unwilling and unhappy, she was left no choice. As would be expected, plenty of problems surfaced. When the matter was brought before Hazrat Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi (Rahmatullah ‘alaih), he asked the father as to where his intelligence had disappeared for him to have arranged such an unsuitable match for his daughter. The father replied : “Taqdeer.”

Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi (Rahmatullah ‘alaih) got very angry, saying: “You made the mistake and now blame Taqdeer.”

We should not deliberately do the wrong thing and then blame Taqdeer for the end result. Using the means which are available, the correct effort should be made; thereafter accept whatever transpires.

Handing all matters to Allah Ta’ala, resigning oneself to the decisions of Allah Ta’ala and believing that there is great wisdom in His decisions, creates peace in one’s life.

Allah Ta’ala has mentioned in a Hadith-e-Qudsi : “... Some of My slaves are keen to offer special type of (optional) prayers, but I do not let them do so, for it may lead to vanity; some of them are such, who can have sound faith only when in good health, if I destine sickness for them, they are adversely affected; there are others who can maintain their faith only in sickness, if I order health for them, they may go astray. I give orders befitting the affairs of My slaves, because I know all that which is in their minds.”

Thus, to protect the Imaan of His servants, Allah Ta’ala, out of His Infinite Kindness, grants some people favourable conditions and blesses them with plenty of wealth and prosperity and keeps them happy; for if He inflicts them with poverty and difficult conditions they may commit Kufr.

To some people Allah Ta’ala gives them poverty and less material wealth, because He knows fully well that if He were to give them plenty of wealth, then instead of coming to Him, making Ibaadah and Shukr, they will expend and squander this money in Haraam avenues e.g. gambling, prostitutes, etc. So Allah Ta’ala deprives these people of wealth so that their Imaan remains intact... such is the wisdom Allah Ta’ala has in everything which He does.

Due to the deficiency in our understanding we do not accept, acknowledge and appreciate Allah Ta’ala’s benevolence, loving-kindness and favours upon us as we should. Yet Allah Ta’ala informs us in the Qur’aan Sharief :

“Many a time you dislike a thing while (in fact) it is good for you, and many a time you love a thing while it is evil for you. And Allah knows while you do not know.”
[Surah Baqarah 2 : 16]

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Taken from this link

The Rose

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Dedicated to Hazrat Moulana Yunus Patel Saheb Rahmatullahi 'Alayh.

May Allah Ta'aala grant him Jannatul Firdaws.

Ameen

 

Taqdeer & Failure - An Extract from Tafweez by Hazrat Moulana Yunus Patel saheb Daamat Barakaatuhum

A person had in mind that when a certain property or building comes onto the market, or comes under his control then, because of the ideal location, etc., business will thrive and he will be successful. The person bids but someone else is successful and the property is gone.

If this person has Tafweez then he will think : I did what was in my capacity to do but it was not in my Taqdeer. It was written in the Taqdeer of the other person, thus he got it. I must search for something else. Allah Ta’ala does not provide rizq (sustenance) through one business house in the world. It is not that I would have succeeded and received my sustenance and livelihood through only that.

The effort, which needs to be made, must then be made. What transpires thereafter is Taqdeer.

Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) has said : “Strive to acquire what is beneficial for you; seek the aid of Allah; do not lose courage and if a setback overtakes you, do not say : ‘If I had done this then it would have happened like this (i.e. not what had happened).’ Instead say : ‘Allah has ordained this. Whatever He has willed, has happened.’”

If a person fails after having made the correct effort, there is no need to resort to alcohol, drugs and suicide.

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Many students succumb to such drastic measures. Some students work and study extremely hard but fail. Due to failure, they sink into such depression that they feel they have to take or inject themselves with drugs, tranquilizers, etc. for sleep. Why ? …Because they failed. 

If a person did not make Tadbeer, i.e. did not make a serious and concerted effort and thereafter fails, then he must blame himself. However, generally, we do make a reasonable effort but sometimes still meet with failure. For example : A person is fit and healthy when he started something but later becomes sick and is unable to complete what he undertook.

Tafweez is placing our matters before Allah Ta’ala, handing them over to Him, and trusting completely in Him, believing that there is goodness in whatever Allah Ta’ala has decided. Outwardly, it may appear as if there is some problem that we are faced with, but great wisdom lies in the decisions of Allah.

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Taken from this link

That Fragrance...

That frangrance is not found in the rose gardens

Which is present in the perspiration of the Prophet صل الله عليه و سلم

Move with Times? Absurd. - From the Malfoozat of Hazrat Moulana Ashraf 'Ali Thanwi saheb Rahmatullahi 'Alayh

Here's an interesting something I read today in the Malfooz of Hazrat Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi saheb Rahmatullahi 'Alayhi. It reminded me of something Moulana Yunus Patel saheb mentions a lot in his bayans:

1. Mahawl par parho 'La Hawal'! (Read La Hawl upon environment!)
2. Zamana hum ko badal sake ye zamana mein dum naheen; zamana hum se hain, hum zanana se naheen! ((That) Times have the power to change us, this power times do not have; times are from us, (it is) not that we are from times!)

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"Judge Akbar Hussain, who was a very wise man, made a wonderful statement.

He said, 'The statement "We should move with the times" is absurd. The times refer to our collective actions which are under our control.

'How then should we become subservient to these?' "

Taken from Malfoozat (Statements and Anecdotes), page 52

Compiled by Mujlisul Ulama of South Africa

Nabi-e-Akram

Moulana saheb from SF kindly typed Nabi-e-Akram by Qari Tayyib saheb Rahmatullahi 'Alayh.*  Jazakumullahu Khairan to Moulana saheb. I decided to post it here. 

It is very beautiful, Masha Allah. It brings out the innermost feelings of that person who is going against the flow, no matter what comes in their way. What is even more amazing is that this was written by Qari saheb to be read before Rawda Mubaarak, although he never had the chance to do so. After he passed away, they found this under his pillow.

Here is a link to where Hazrat Moulana Yunus Patel saheb beautifully recites and explains this tear jerking poetry. May Allah Ta'aala allow us all to persevere and continue striving in His path no matter what tries to stop us. Ameen. 

*There was a little typo so I fixed it.

Incentives - An Extract from Feeling Spiritually Low? by Hazrat Moulana Yunus Patel saheb Daamat Barakaatuhum

I say yet again, do not become an aashiq of kaifiyyaat. Make shukr over the kaifiyyaat, but consider them the toffees we give to children as incentives to continue with their good work and good behaviour.

If the child learns his sabak, then the mother or father gives him a toffee as an incentive. Similarly, Allah Ta’ala also gives us toffees.…It doesn’t matter, if you learnt only a little, but since you made the effort, there’s a toffee for you too. If the person learns a little more sabak, and he also read the best, he may even get a big chocolate as a reward.

Depending on the person’s performance, attendance and efforts, he will be duly rewarded on the Awards day. Kaifiyyaat too will remain, according to the person’s performance. If he was doing what was in his ability to do and he performed well, then he gets a bigger and better award.

There are even those institutions or organizations  that present a certificate, and then add a book prize and sometimes even a cash prize, and sometimes even more “plus” factors are given. In these days, we even hear and read of the first prize being Umrah or Haj; it all depends of the performance.

In a similar way, Allah Ta’ala gives some, small toffees, some, chocolates, and others much more. Allah Ta’ala takes them to a level we cannot understand. Outwardly they appear the same to us…there’s no difference : they’re human beings, just as we are. …In this gathering, does anyone look different to others in  respect to the physical body ? Alhamdulillah, we all have two hands, two eyes, two ears, etc.

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"..Toffee.." - An Extract from Aashiq-e-Sawdiq vol 2 by Hazrat Moulana Yunus Patel saheb Daamat Barakaatuhum

A little child was brought to my Sheikh, Hazrat Maulana Hakeem Muhammad Akhtar Saheb (Daamat Barakaatuhum). When Hazrat offered this child a toffee, the child turned and looked at the father, questioningly. The father said : “Take it.” - so the child took the toffee.

To us this is common behaviour of children, well trained by their parents. But take heed of the lesson derived by Hazrat.

Hazrat then said : “What a beautiful lesson…. These children are trained by their parents not to accept gifts and sweets from strangers. This is exactly what a Believer should be doing. There are many black, white and brown ‘toffees’ (ghair mahareem) to be found on the streets. The nafs says : “Take a lustful glance.”

The one who has recognized Allah Ta’ala, the one who knows that he has to stand before Allah Ta’ala and render an account for the bounties of his sight, hearing, etc. will turn to his ‘Rabba’ (Allah Ta’ala) – “Must I accept this ‘toffee’ or not?”

The child will turn to ‘Abba’ but this person now turns to his ‘Rabba’ and  asks : “What is Your instruction ?”, “Do I accept it or not ?”

The one who is an Aashiq of Allah will not fall for such temptations because he looks to the instructions of Allah, be it in trade, on the streets, at home, marriage, walima – in fact in every circumstance.”

His concern is : Is my Allah pleased with this or not ? If Allah is not pleased, then the whole world can express their pleasure and approval but it will accrue to nothing but misfortune and disaster, in this world and the next.

Taken from this link

Best Place to Live? Easy One...

Where is the best place to live?

Well that is an easy one indeed.

Even if the houses may be smaller, or the pay may be less,

There really is just one place I would even think of moving to now. 

Tamanna hai ke gulzar-e-Madeenah ab Watan hota!

My wish is that the rose gardens of Madeenah were my country!

Which place could be better than Madeenah? Even its dust promises serenity.

And why not, when the most beloved of Allah, Rasulullah Salla Allahu Alayhi wa Sallam, is there?

Which land can ever even compare?

Insha Allah, one day I shall meet you Madeenah. And I make du'aa that Allah Ta'aala makes it such that you will embrace me and not let me go. 

Waheen jeeta, Waheen marta, Waheen gor-o-kafan hota!

That I live there, that I die there, that my burial and shroud be there!

Our Journey...

 

Through the twisted paths I traverse

Assuming that I have none other than He

That only the light of my guide was there

Allowing my eyes to understand what I see

Surprised I am when between the shadows

A forlorn traveller is what my eyes see

 And suddenly a warmth fills my heart

As gentle as the light now guiding me

Pushing passed the obstacles I go forth

Eagerly I offer him my cold hand

“I know who you are,” is what I say

“You are the one who will understand”

“Oh traveller, our journey is the same

And I know of this fact full well

For if it was not then why are you

Alone in this place, do tell?"

My hand is grasped along with a smile

And once he stands I realize

Though he may need my support

I am in need of his wise eyes

For were we both not shown the light

That we had for a long time sought?

And have we both not traversed and seen

Hardships that the other may have not?

The traveler smiles and nods his head

“Let us continue our journey together, my friend

Our guide will surely show us the path

And together we shall reach our desired end.”

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Dedicated to those who are friends for the sake of Allah Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala.