67:22

أَفَمَنْ يَمْشِي مُكِبًّا عَلَىٰ وَجْهِهِ أَهْدَىٰ

أَمَّنْ يَمْشِي سَوِيًّا عَلَىٰ صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ

Ever since my respected teacher Moulana Hashim saheb Daamat Barakaatuhum taught this verse more than three weeks ago, it continues to pop in my head. Well, this verse, and another one, but I will only write about this verse because the other verse is scarier. Perhaps I may touch upon the other verse at some later time, Insha Allah.

The translation for the above is:

Is he who walks falling on his face better guided 

or he who walks upright on the straight path?

Moulana saheb gave two explanations for this verse:

1. A person keeps walking and falling, and not just falling, but falling on his face. Another person walks with confidence. Who will one trust more to be on the right path? Who would one chose to follow? The one who is walking assuredly or the one who keeps falling? In this verse, the latter is the believer, whilst the former is the misguided.
2. This is a depiction of the Day of Qiyaamat. Those who keep falling are those who will be dragged on their faces rather than walking with their feet. How will this be able to happen, how can they move on their face? The answer is that Allah Ta'aala, who has made it possible for us to walk on our feet, will make it possible for the wrongdoers to be dragged on their faces.

May Allah Ta'aala keep us safe and on the straight path, Ameen.

Suratul Faatihah

Some facts about Suratul Faatihah

• Faatihah means 'Opening'
• One of Suratul Faatihah's name is 'Ummul Qur'aan' which means 'Mother of the Qur'aan'
• Suratul Faatihah was the first complete surah to be revealed.
• There is no surah like Suratul Faatihah in the Injeel, Torah, Suhuf, or even in the Qur'aan.
• Suratul Faatihah is the Surah of Shifaa (cure).

Love

There are 4 different types of love

1. Love between parents and children

2. Love between husband and wife

3. Love between teacher and student

4. Love for everyone else

However there is one love that trumps all the above 4. It is the everlasting love, the love that never diminishes, the love that is eternal, infinite.

It is the love between Allah and His servant.

"Yes Indeed, A Warner did Come to Us..."

Yesterday was another tafseer lesson. Alhamdu Lillah.

We started Surah Mulk two weeks ago. I actually had not posted anything on it yet because I thought I'd wait until the surah's tafseer was complete.

However, yesterday we did the following three aayaat which are quite profound and I thought to mention.

... Every time a Group is cast therein, its Keepers will ask, "Did no Warner come to you?"

They will say: "Yes indeed; a Warner did come to us, but we rejected him and said, 'Allah never sent down any (Message): ye are nothing but an egregious delusion!'"

They will further say: "Had we but listened or used our intelligence, we should not (now) be among the Companions of the Blazing Fire!" 

(Surah Mulk- aayaah 8-10)

As my teacher explained the aayaat, the thought also came to me that nowadays we do so many things that are not in accordance to shari'ah, and yet we have a clear book sent to us by Allah, and a perfect example in our beloved Rasulullah Salla Allahu Alayhi wa Sallam. Now, if we persist in sinning and disregarding Allah Ta'aala's orders, then is it far that this ayaah is (Na'oozu Billah!) informing what shall happen to us?

We should take into account all that we do, and we should compare it to what Allah Ta'aala has ordained. Inspect our deeds with the critical eye we would use to inspect a new furnishing for the house. And just like a single fault may cause us to reject an otherwise fine furniture, so too should we reject those deeds of ours that have a fault within them... or at least confess to these faults and try our best to rid ourselves of them.

May Allah save us all from the Fire, Ameen.

Allah Ta'aala's Knowledge

My teacher narrated a nice story yesterday during our tafseer lesson.

He mentioned how once Moosa Alayhis Salaam and Khidr Alayhis Salaam were on a ship. They noticed a bird drinking water from the sea. 

Khidr Alayhis Salaam then told Moosa Alayhis Salaam something very true, yet something we do not ponder over enough.

He mentioned that if the knowledge of Moosa Alayhis Salaam and the knowledge of Khidr Alayhis Salaam were put together, it would still not equal even the amount the bird drank from the sea, in comparison to vastness of Allah Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala's knowledge.

It is something to think over, the next time we wonder why so and so thing has happened, or why Allah is not 'accepting' our du'aas, or why we are going through so many trials and tribulations. Trust in Allah Ta'aala's knowledge, because that is our salvation.

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.

*****

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.

Shukr (Gratefulness)

Today in Tafseer class, my teacher Daamat Barakaatuhum taught the tafseer of Surah Al 'Aadiyaat. One of the main themes of this gratefulness/being thankful which is known as Shukr in 'Arabic.

Shukr is of three kinds:

1. Shukr Lisaani- This is when we are thankful to Allah Ta'aala with our tongue. What this means is obvious. Instead of constantly complaining of that which we do not have, talk about those things that Allah Ta'aala has given us. Has He not given me fingers to type with? Has He not given you eyes to read with? Has He not given us a fully working brain that we can understand what I have written?
2. Shukr Qalbi- This is when we are thankful to Allah Ta'alaa with our hearts. What this means is that we should always keep in mind that Allah Ta'aala is the one who blesses us. The means are taken, but Allah Ta'aala is the One who created those means. We must firmly believe that whatever Allah has willed for us to get, we will definitely get it; and that which He has willed that we do not get, we will certainly not get it.
3. Shukr 'Amali- This is when we are thankful to Allah Ta'aala with our actions. How are we thankful to Allah with actions? This is obvious as well: by following Allah Ta'aala's commands, doing that which He has ordered and abstaining from that which He has deemed Haraam.

We most definitely must at all times make shukr to Allah Ta'aala for all that He has given us. May Allah Ta'aala give us the ability to inculcate within ourselves gratefulness for all we have. Ameen!

8 Advices of Hakeem Luqman ('Alayhis Salaam)

This week in our tafseer class, we had Respected Mufti Ebrahim Desai Daamat Barakaatuhum come and conduct the class. Alhamdu Lillah. He mentioned about Hakeem Luqman, who is mentioned in the Qur'aan, in fact a surah is named after him.

He was apparently an Abyssinian slave (he did become free in later life). He was short, with thick lips and cracked heels. Although he was a slave, his master loved him dearly. He was very wise (Hakeem) and many people would listen to his advices. The key to his success was:

1. Guarding his tongue
2. Minding his own business

Mufti saheb Damat Barakaatuhum mentioned 8 advices that Luqman 'Alayhis Salaam considered the best. I will briefly type them out, Insha Allah.

1. Guard your tongue
2. Guard your eyes in other people's houses (This was interesting. The reason for this is twofold, one being there may be non-mahram's around, and the other being that you will be inspecting all the things the other person has, which may lead to you asking them questions about things they don't want to answer, and even envy and jealousy.)
3. Guard your heart while reading salaah. (It shouldn't be your body is reading salaah yet your mind is on a worldwide tour, or even in the kitchen)
4. Guard your stomach while eating
5. Don't speak about your favours upon others
6. Don't speak about the injustice others have done upon you
7. Don't ever forget Allah (This does not simply mean say "Allah, Allah" all the time; it means that along with Zikr, one's every action should be according to Allah's will.)
8. Don't ever forget death