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We live in a world of import and export, a world in which most goods and commodities are available in most countries for most of the year. However, despite the year-round availability, there are many goods that enjoy a ‘peak season’. Astute businessmen are those who identify this period and utilize it to their advantage. A Golden Opportunity The season presents a golden opportunity for one to secure tremendous profits in a minimal period of time. Hence, during the month of December, even if the rest of the world is on vacation, it is practically unimaginable for one to find the serious businessman on holiday. He understands the pivotal role that the season plays in his success; if he remains focused and committed, he will reap the profits, and if he allows himself to become distracted or while away his time, he alone will suffer the consequences. The Season of Taqwa Just as other things have a special season; taqwa also has a special season – the month of Ramadaan. From fasting during the day to performing Taraaweeh during the night, the entire month has been specially designed to assist a believer in harvesting a bumper crop of fruit, from the tree of taqwa, which he will continue to enjoy long after the blessed month has expired. However, just as with other seasons, this will only be possible if one avails himself for this blessed month and expends all his energies in striving to secure the bargains it has on offer. More than Money If the shop owner arrives at work two hours late, he will regret the business that he lost and lament the money that he could have made. For every minute of the two hours, he could have been serving customers and turning the numbers. We often hear the adage ‘time is money’. However, contrary to popular belief, time is NOT money — it is far more valuable than money. Whereas money can always be later recovered if lost, time can never be recovered — and it is for this reason that time is our single greatest asset. In the race to secure the rewards of Ramadaan, it is those who are particular regarding their time that profit the most. Destructive Distractions In this regard, along with the ready-made opportunities to benefit are a host of ready-made distractions. After - Taraaweeh braais, meeting friends for a chat, an ‘Eid bargain-hunting’ excursion – these are all seemingly innocent activities. However, when thoroughly scrutinized, we realize that the braai ‘burnt’ two or three hours of our time, whereas a normal supper would have been concluded in a maximum of thirty minutes. The excursion to purchase ‘Eid-goods at the best prices may have saved us a few valuable rands but undoubtedly cost us invaluable hours and minutes. Media ‘Mania’ In the opinion of many, the uncrowned yet undisputed champion of ‘killing time’ is social media in all its various guises and forms. Whether in the masjid, while attending a program for spiritual upliftment, or at the time of sehri when du‘aas are accepted – instead of maximizing and benefiting from these opportunities, there are many who become Media ‘Maniacs’ and wile away the irrecoverable moments on their smart phones. For this purpose, just as we fast by shunning food and drink from dawn to sunset, let us make a resolution to ‘fast’ from all forms of media for all the 24 hours of every day in the Month of Ramadhan. We should initiate a complete ’fast’ from all these time-consumers during this blessed period and afterwards as well. Thus let us make this Ramadaan very profitable by correctly investing the capital of time that we have been blessed with. Insha-Allah we will reap the rewards in this world and the Hereafter. alhaadi.org.za

By Mohammad Rafique Etesame When the holy Prophet Mohammad PBUH began to invite the infidels to accept Islam in Mecca, then those who accepted it and became Muslims, to whom the infidels used to say, “please back again to your previous religion and quite Islam, and in case if you would be questioned about it at the Day or Resurrection, then name ourselves before Allah, we would bear your burden.” So the holy Qur’an reveals,” Yet most certainly will they have to bear their own burdens, and other burdens besides their own; and most certainly will they be called to account on Resurrection Day for all their false assertions!” Al-'Ankabut (The Spider) 29:13 These verses make it clear that those who deviate other people from the straight path of Islam, will bear their burden along with their own burden. The question is: what does mean the ‘burden’ here, whether it is the same burden like that of animal bear? The holy Qur’an makes mention about it,” God does not burden any human being with more than he is well able to bear: in his favour shall be whatever good he does, and against him whatever evil he does” (Al-Baqara (The Cow) 2:286). ‘Burden’ means here to accept the religion of Islam and to act upon its commands. This burden is, in fact a duty imposed by Allah Almighty on His bondsmen as the real way of worship. And those who accept to bear this and pays their duty, then they are the successful ones. And those who adopt anther religion rather than Islam or they are atheists, then it means that they deny to bear this, so they will be cast into hell fir due to their bad actions and this is the real meanings of ‘burden’. According to the commentators, whatever man commits good deeds or sins, these convert into various shapes having weight into them and these would be measured or weighed into a special scale at the Day of Resurrection. The holy Qur’an reveals,” The weighing on that day is the true (weighing). As for those whose scale is heavy, they are the successful. ﴾8﴿ And as for those whose scale is light: those are they who lose their souls because they used to wrong Our revelations.” Al-A'raf (The Heights) 7:8 These verses reveal that: the actions that will be done according to the teachings of Islam, their scale will be heavy and this man will be successful one and will be entered the Paradise. while the actions done according to another religion, will become light and these will be the losers and will be cast into hell fire. The holy Qur’an reveals,” They indeed are losers who deny their meeting with Allah until, when the Hour cometh on them suddenly, they cry: Alas for us, that we neglected it! They bear upon their backs their burdens. Ah, evil is that which they bear!” (Al-An'am (The Cattle) 6:31) So, it is necessary for man that he should do such type of actions that will become heavy while they will be weighed in the scale at the Day of Resurrection and he might be successful. And the only way for it is: man should bear his own burden (by accepting Islam) in this world, so that he would be protected from the hell fire and may be entered the Paradise.

Ramadan (& Fasting) – Life With Allah

Jazaakallaah. His statements on ethnically cleansing Gaza has put Gaza in a precarious position! Its green light to the evil oppressor of israhell whose disgusting grin while trump made his disgusting statements was unbearable

Beautiful summation from Ahadeeth of Rasul-ullah ﷺ Men are instructed to place the right hand above the left hand below the Navel in the Hanafi Madhab Men are instructed to place the right hand above the left hand below the Navel in the Hanbali Madhab The wording of placing the hands "upon the Chest" does not mean on the actual chest (by the rib cage) as it is contrary to Khusho and Makrooh but it actually means "above the Navel" as explained by Shaykul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (RA) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIqaOEu9pHQ Thus the 3 positions for placing the hands according to Ahlus-Sunnah Wal-Jamaah: Placing the right hand over the left hand below the Navel Placing the right hand over the left hand upon the Navel Placing the right hand over the left hand above the Navel

As-Salaam alaikum, Abu Huraira, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Messenger of Allah, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam told me:- "O Abu Huraira, be scrupulous and you will be the most devoted of people, be content and you will be the most grateful of people, love for people what you love for yourself and you will be a believer, be a good companion to those in your company and you will be a Muslim, and decrease laughter, for truly, a lot of laughter kills the heart. "(Ibn Majah).

As-Salaam alaikum, "I DID NOT CREATE THE JINN AND MANKIND EXCEPT TO WORSHIP ME" (51:56) The final purpose of the world is nothing but Divine Worship. Devotion or worship, ultimately, is in 3 stages:- (1) Devotion of ordinary people: obedience to God's Commands. (2) Devotion of the elect on the mystical path: Increasing of intention and will and cultivation of sincerity. (3) Devotion of the elect of the elect (akhassu l-khassa) : Serving God with love. In all these 3 forms/stages, Devotion should/must be seen as the presence of the heart, whereby one gets immersed in the ocean of love and connecting to the Divine in his/her acts of worship.

As-Salaam alaikum, In addressing him, the Holy Qur'an says about Prophet Muhammad, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam:- "Truly, though art of an exalted (azim) character" (68:4) And it was lost on no one that the Qur'an uses the same adjective to refer to itself - 'the Mighty (azim) Qur'an' (15:87). The Exaltedness of the Prophet's character derives precisely from the fact that he had assimilated the Qur'an into his very being. This is how Sufis have understood the saying of the Prophet's wife Sayyada A'isha, may Allah be pleased with her, when she was asked about his character after his death. She replied : "Have you not read the Qur'an? His character was the Qur'an". (Sunan Ahmad 10, No. 25,240). Indeed, among all of Allah's servants, the one who had the most exalted character was/is Muhammad, literally 'the praised one', also called Ahmad, 'the most praiseworthy' (61:6). The Qur'an speaks of Allah as "the Praiseworthy" (al-Hamid), the implication being that no one else is truly worthy of praise. If the Qur'an calls the Prophet both "Muhammad" and "Ahmad", that is because his character conforms to Allah's "character", which is to say that "his character was the Qur'an", Allah's Speech and Self-Expression.

Bye Mohammed Rafiq ke Ete Same وَعَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: (أَلَا أَدُلُّكُمْ عَلَى مَا يَمْحُو اللَّهُ بِهِ الْخَطَايَا وَيَرْفَعُ بِهِ الدَّرَجَاتِ؟ " قَالُوا بَلَى يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ: «إِسْبَاغُ الْوُضُوءِ عَلَى الْمَكَارِهِ وَكَثْرَةُ الْخُطَى إِلَى الْمَسَاجِدِ وَانْتِظَارُ الصَّلَاةِ بَعْدَ الصَّلَاة فذلكم الرِّبَاط» Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, “Shall I not guide you to something for which God blots out sins and raises men's ranks?” then , he said, “Performing complete ablution although circumstances make it difficult, travelling far to mosques, and looking expectantly to the next time of prayer after prayers have been said. That is the defence of the frontier.”* The tradition of Malik b. Anas has, “That is the defence of the frontier; that is the defence of the frontier. He repeated it twice.” Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, “Shall I not guide you to something for which God blots out sins and raises men's ranks?” them , he said, “Performing complete ablution although circumstances make it difficult, travelling far to mosques, and looking expectantly to the next time of prayer after prayers have been said. That is the defence of the frontier.”* The tradition of Malik b. Anas has, “That is the defence of the frontier; that is the defence of the frontier. He repeated it twice.” The purpose of this Hadith is that a believer should complete his ablution at a time when he is having difficulty, i.e. the weather is cold or hot or he is in some discomfort, but he should still complete his ablution correctly. Then he should go to the mosque that is far from his home to offer the prayer, or if the mosque is close, he should go with short steps so that his steps are counted more. Then the should sit down to offer one prayer, then after offering one prayer, he should wait for the next prayer. The purpose is that whatever work he does, So his attention should be on prayer. Then the Holy Prophet PBUH said, "This is jihad. Its purpose is that a soldier who stands on alert to protect his country, lest the enemy attack him. This is the example of a believer who performs ablution properly and goes to prayer, that is, he stands on alert lest Satan attack him. This is jihad. We pray to Allah Almighty to grant us the ability to act on this noble hadith.

There was once a teacher who asked the students, “What do you want to be in life?” The children gave varying replies, typically ranging from ‘doctor’, to ‘lawyer’, to ‘accountant’ etc. However, from all the answers given, there was one answer that really stood out, an answer that the teacher had never heard before. The child spontaneously replied, “I want to be a Sahaabi”. Obviously, nobody can become a Sahaabi, but what this ‘career choice’ said about the child is that he aspired to be LIKE the illustrious Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum). While the other children were impressed with the lifestyle and wealth of doctors and lawyers, he identified with the beautiful qualities of the Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum), such as their piety, generosity, love for Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam), disinterest in the world, loyalty to Islam, etc. and he wished to follow in their footsteps. How proud his parents must have been to hear that he gave this amazing answer! Now, the question is, “What was it in the life of this child that moulded his mindset and prompted him to give this response?” The answer … It was the effort of his parents at home. As parents, we chart the course of our children’s lives, give them direction, instill values in them and place them on the paths that they will follow. Let us ask ourselves, “What course are we charting for them, and what values are we instilling in them?” Generally, from the tender age of six, the child is already enrolled into a school, and his schooling career lasts for a whole twelve years. At 190 school days a year, and seven hours a day, that equates to almost 16 000 hours spent in school! All this time spent in school is for one purpose – to one day enjoy a successful career and earn a lot of money. Now, let us compare that to the amount of time dedicated to a child’s Deeni education. If the madrasah year is also 190 days, and the maktab session lasts for two hours, and the average child attends the maktab for five years (if he even attends punctually for the full period), this equates to a paltry 1 900 hours in comparison. Worryingly, it is in this meagre amount of time that the child is expected to learn the entire Deen on which his eternal success depends. This disparity is obviously a major problem… This problem is compounded when the parents, directly or indirectly, ‘teach’ the children that Deen and Deeni education is unimportant and insignificant. For example, most parents will seldom allow their children to ‘bunk’ (remain absent from) school, yet frequently allow them to bunk madrasah. Likewise, many children miss madrasah due to studying for school exams, yet a child has perhaps never missed school due to studying for madrasah exams. In some cases, the parents themselves encourage the children to remain absent from madrasah, in favour of some extracurricular activity such as sport or tuition. How lamentable that even kicking a ball is given preference to learning the Word of Allah Ta‘ala! In essence, the child is taught that Deen is absolutely unimportant, as making money and living luxuriously is the goal in life. If our children are acquiring a school education, there must be an accompanying effort, from the parents, for the Imaan and Deeni education and security of the children. In order to achieve this, due importance must be shown to the Maktab Madrasah, and there must be a strong environment of Deen in the home (through making ta’leem, reciting the Sunnah Duas, teaching good manners and respect, performing all Salaah, etc.). If this is done correctly, then throughout the child’s life, whenever there is a clash between his material interest and Deeni interest, he will make the correct choice and remain loyal to Allah Ta‘ala – safeguarding his entry into Jannah. Remember, a child can be born a Muslim, but not born a Jannati, as Jannah has to be earned. Just as we prepare our children to earn a living, let us ensure that we prepare them to earn Jannah. UswatulMuslimah

"This world is the prison, and we are the prisoners: dig a hole in the prison and let yourself out! What is this world? To be forgetful of God, it is not merchandise and silver and weighing scales and women. As regards the wealth that you carry for religious sake, "How good is righteous wealth (for the righteous man)"! as the Prophet recited. Since he cast out from his heart (the desire for) wealth and possessions, on that account Soloman did not call himself (by any name) but "poor". Although the whole of this world is his Kingdom, in the eye of his heart the Kingdom is nothing. " After Jalaluddin Rumi in his 'Mathnawi, Trans. by Prof R. A Nicholson.

As-Salaam alaikum, "Wherever you turn, there is the face of God" (2:115) Such knowledge comes by way of Zikr, which is al-hudur ma'al-mazkur.. "presence of the One Remembered". We should see the world for what it is - - a reminder of God, a mention of God, a remembrance of God. And the place where God becomes truly present and man becomes truly blessed, is the heart. Says Sheikh al-Akbar, or the Greatest Master, Sheikh Muhiyiddin Ibn Arabi:- "The greatest sin is what brings about the death of the heart. It dies only by not knowing God. This is what is named " ignoramce". For the heart is the house that God has chosen for Himself in this human configuration. But such a person has misappropriated the house, coming between it and its Owner ". (Futuhat Makkiyyah, 179:6), Cairo, 1911.

As-Salaam alaikum, Sayyadi Ali ibn Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him, quotes the Prophet, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, as having said: "There is none whose final abode is not known to Allah from beforehand - whether it is going to be Hell or Heaven". The audience said, "Should we not then hang on to the scroll of destiny and suspend action?". The Prophet, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, said:- "No, do your part for what is pre-ordained for one has been made easy for him. If he is fortunate, the path of goodness has been smoothened for him but if he is doomed, evil deeds are equally facile to him". He then recited the ayat/verse, "But as for him who gives (in charity) and fears (Allah), and accepts whatever is good, We surely will smoothen the path of happiness". (Bukhari and Muslim).

As-Salaam alaikum, The most revolutionary statement on earth, LA ILAHA ILLALLAHU, MUHAMMADUR-RASULULLAH, discerns between the Real and the Unreal, or between the Absolute and the Relative, or between ALLAH and everything other than Allah, which is the universe. The Kalimat-Shahada is divided into 2 halves, the negation (LA-ILAHA) and the affirmation (ILLALLAHU). The first half denies the inherent reality of the world and the self, while the second half affirms the ultimacy of the Divine Reality. The Shahada means there is no creator but Allah, none Merciful but Allah, none Knowing but Allah. In sum, it means that there is no reality but Allah Ta'ala... and that all the so-called realities of our experience are secondary and derivative. Says the Holy Qur'an: "Everything is perishing but His face" (28:88). Here, Allah Ta'ala did not say, "will perish", for He wanted it known that the existence of all things is pershing in His Being today. Only those veiled from the reality of things post pone the observance of this until tomorrow. Allah's Reality is such that nothing can stand up to it, His Unique possession of all that is real and all that provides reality to others means that the others are in fact non existent. This is how our teachers interprete the saying of the Messenger of Allah, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, "Allah was, and nothing was with Him". And by saying/affirming "MUHAMMAD RASULULLAH"... we say and believe that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah... he is a clear, designated manifestation of the One Real. In other words, he represents Allah Ta'ala more directly than other creatures. He and the Qur'an for which he is the vehicle are guiding lights in the darkness of unreal things.

الْبَاقِي Translation الْبَاقِي is translated as The Everlasting and The Ever-Present. Definition Imam Ghazali (Rahimahullah) says it is The One Whose existence is necessary in itself. In the Arabic language there are different types of “Forever”: • Baqaa – is understood to be related to the future • Qadeem – is pre eternal i.e. from the past • Abad – is eternal i.e. in the future (always will be) • Azal – always was الْبَاقِي embraces both “Abad” and “Azal.” His existence is both Abadi and Azali. It is that Being Who never goes through an end (never has a Khaatimah). It is that Being Who is Awwal (The First without a beginning) and Aakhir (The Last without an end.) In the Qur’an الْبَاقِي is not used in the Quran in this form but is used in a verbal form in different ways. كُلُّ مَنْ عَلَيْهَا فَانٍ - “Every being on earth is bound to perish” وَيَبْقَىٰ وَجْهُ رَبِّكَ ذُو الْجَلَالِ وَالْإِكْرَامِ There remaineth but the countenance of thy Lord of Might and Glory. [Surah Ar-Rahmaan:26-27] فَان means something that is temporary and will end and يَبْقَىٰ is infinite, something that is always there. The word وَجْه meaning face/countenance, is not literal. It means the Dhaat of Allah ta’ala is Baaqee. The terms “Fanaa’ - Faanee” and “Baqaa - Baaqee” are found in our Deen and in the Qur’an. In spiritual terminology it refers to people going through different stages in their spiritual development. Allah ta’ala is capable of having something terminated/ annihilated i.e. taken out of existence. So something that was non-existent then came into existence and then its existence can be terminated. The question arises that in the Aakhirah people will go to Jannah or Jahannam and stay there forever in their state so isn’t that Baqaa? The answer scholars give is that people are still Faanee (temporary) as there still remains the possibility of them being non-existent because Allah ta’ala has that power to make them non-existent and they were also at one time non-existent (before their existence). Therefore Faanee is something that is temporary and will end and only Allah ta’ala is Baaqee. That which is with Allah is Eternal Allah ta’ala says in the Quran, مَا عِنْدَكُمْ يَنْفَدُ ۖ وَمَا عِنْدَ اللَّهِ بَاقٍ Whatever is with you is transitory and what is with Allah is everlasting. [Surah Nahl: 96] Scholars say that whatever is with Allah ta’ala i.e. whatever is connected with Allah ta’ala like the deeds done for Allah ta’ala, wealth spent for Allah ta’ala, emotional states of sadness and happiness which one bears for Allah ta’ala etc. are included in مَا عِنْدَ اللَّهِ – “what is with Allah” and are eternalized. Therefore Allah ta’ala Himself is Baaqee and whatever we do for the sake of Allah ta’ala (With Ikhlaas) is connected to Allah ta’ala and so becomes Baaqee as well. We are Faanee but the deeds done for Allah ta’ala are Baaqee. It is mentioned in a Hadith that a sheep had been slaughtered and the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam instructed ‘Aisha RA to distribute the meat. When he returned he asked her what was left and she said, “Nothing remains of it except its shoulder.” The Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam said, “All of it remains except its shoulder” meaning what was distributed is Baaqee and not what’s left. We usually feel what we gave away is lost and what we saved, we have however it’s the other way round. In another Hadith the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam said, “A servant says, My wealth. my wealth, but out of his wealth three things are only his: whatever he eats and makes use of or by means of which he dresses himself and it wears out or he gives as charity, and this is what he stored for himself (as a reward for the Hereafter), and what is beyond this (it is of no use to you) because you are to depart and leave it for other people.” [Muslim] Therefore whatever is with us is wasted and whatever is with Allah ta’ala is eternal and the مَا of مَا عِنْدَاللَّهِ includes everything done for the sake of Allah ta’ala. The World is Temporary Another verse of the Qur’an mentions the concept of the world being temporary, وَلَا تَدْعُ مَعَ اللَّهِ إِلَٰهًا آخَرَ ۘ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۚ كُلُّ شَيْءٍ هَالِكٌ إِلَّا وَجْهَهُ ۚ لَهُ الْحُكْمُ وَإِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ Invoke no other God besides Allah. There is no God but Him. Everything is perishable except Him. To Him belongs the judgement and to Him will you all be returned. [Surah Qasas: 88] Everything will be destroyed except the countenance of Allah ta’ala meaning His Being. The Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam was not a poet but he said, “The truest words (ever) uttered by a poet is the saying of Labid: ‘Behold! Everything besides Allah is vain” [Abu Dawood] In Arabic: “Alaa kullu shai-in maa illallaahu baatil” Counsel When facing loss of someone or something beloved or when facing disloyalty from someone close, remind yourself that only Allah ta’ala is Baaqee and everything and everyone else is temporary. Those who are close to Allah ta’ala have the reality of this concept in their hearts that Allah ta’ala is Baaqee and everything else is Faanee and they do not get attached to anything. Therefore to realise that everything is temporary and only Allah ta’ala is forever. He always was and always will be. This realisation will lead to the heart being detached from the world. We search for friends who will be forever however only Allah ta’ala is forever and it is His friendship we should seek. Story Mufti Shafi’ relates a story of a man who lived in India. He was a simple man who worked hard. He built a big home, planted a mango tree and began to live there. The mangoes had just begun to ripen when the partition occurred and he had to leave India. He went to Pakistan and said afterwards that from the moment he left the house he never thought about it. This shows that he must have been so detached from it even though he had worked hard for it. Often things happen suddenly for which one is not prepared and if the person is attached to something it will become a very difficult test. To realise that Allah ta’ala is Baaqee and everything else is Faanee, helps in grief and strife. Even the loved ones who die are forgotten after some time. Du’a “Allahumma wa maa zawaitanee ‘annee mimmaa uhibbu faj ‘alhu faraaghallee fee maa tuhibbu” O Allah, free my heart from those things of my liking that You have withheld from me, that I may turn towards those things that are to Your liking *~~*~~*

As-Salaam alaikum, Just as when a piece of iron when exposed and immersed in tremendous heat of fire annihilated its own identity and become lost in the color and quality of fire, similarly the Messenger of Allah, Prophet Muhammad, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, lost his own self-hood in the fire of Divine love, and attained to his highest degree of Khilafat. And thus through him, the Attributes of Allah Ta'ala were/are made manifest. The Prophet's seeing, hearing, doing and speaking are that of the Divine's. That is why Allah says about the Prophet:- "You did not slay them, but Allah slayed them, and in no way did you throw when you threw, but Allah threw" (8:17) "The Prophet doesn't speak out of his own volition, his speech is but revelation (Allah's Speech)" /53:3 Through the Prophet, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, Allah's Beautiful Names and Attributes were manifested fully, that is why following the Prophet is made equivalent of following Allah, where the Qur'an declares:- " He who obeys the Messenger has obeyed Allah" (4:80) And,also, by the bestowel of Almighty Allah, the Prophet Muhammad, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, had within himself manifest the Divine Attributes which are supernatural from ordinary human standard... for example, he said :- "Allah has folded the entire earth in front of me. So I can simultaneously observe everything from its east to its west" (Sahih Muslim) and "Allah has placed this worldly manifestation in such a mysterious way in front of my eyes that whatever will be created until the Day of Judgement, I can see them as if they are right on top of my palm" (Tabrani). From this, we deduce that from the subtlety of his haqiqat, space and time boundaries are made null and void... everything is made present simultaneously Allah's mystical manifestation (Tajalli) to his Prophet was in his power of hearing and seeing. That is why he said : "I can see what you cannot see, I can hear what you cannot hear". (Ahmad and Tirmidhi).

The true and everlasting success is to escape from the fire of hell and enter paradise, So the question is, what is the easiest way to go paradise? The holy Quran revals," Every human being is bound to taste death: but only on the Day of Resurrection will you be requited in full [for whatever you have done] - whereupon he that shall be drawn away from the fire and brought into paradise will indeed have gained a triumph: for the life of this world is nothing but an enjoyment of self-delusion (The Family of Imran) 3:185 حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ أَبِي أُوَيْسٍ قَالَ‏:‏ حَدَّثَنِي أَخِي، عَنْ سُلَيْمَانَ بْنِ بِلاَلٍ، عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ أَبِي أُسَيْدٍ، عَنْ جَدِّهِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ‏:‏ وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ، لاَ تَدْخُلُوا الْجَنَّةَ حَتَّى تُسْلِمُوا، وَلاَ تُسْلِمُوا حَتَّى تَحَابُّوا، وَأَفْشُوا السَّلاَمَ تَحَابُّوا، وَإِيَّاكُمْ وَالْبُغْضَةَ، فَإِنَّهَا هِيَ الْحَالِقَةُ، لاَ أَقُولُ لَكُمْ‏:‏ تَحْلِقُ الشَّعْرَ، وَلَكِنْ تَحْلِقُ الدِّينَ‏.‏ Abu Hurayra reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "By the One in Whose Hand my soul is, you will not enter Paradise until you submit to Islam. And, you will not submit to Islam until you love one another. Extend the greeting to one another and you will love one another. Beware of hatred, for it is the razor. I do not tell you that it shaves the hair, but it shaves away the deen." It is clear from the blessed saying of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) that greeting each other is necessary to enter Paradise, meaning that whenever two Muslims are in front of each other, one should say, "Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatu And then he said that one should avoid harboring hatred, enmity, in one's hearts because by doing so, good deeds are lost, meaning that this thing harms a person's religion Because hatred, enmity, and hostility erase good deeds and virtues just as a blade erases hair. Therefore, in order to enter Paradise, it is necessary to keep one's hearts pure, to have love, and to avoid hatred, enmity, only then is it possible to enter Paradise. -

As-Salaam alaikum, "And seek forgiveness of God. Indeed God is Forgiving and Merciful." (73:29) "Surely, God loves those people who constantly repent to Him" (2:222) Note that in this ayat, God did not say "God loves the 'Taa' ibeen' (those who repent), but He said, 'Tawwabeen', which means those who constantly... over and over repent to God. As humans, sometimes we tend to stray off the path for a while. What should we do when we erred? How do we ensure that our repentance is sincere, constant and successful? There are 3 main steps one must take in order to sincerely repent :- (1) Deeply regret with a sincere heart for the sin we committed. (2) Return to God for forgiveness. (3) Make a strong intention never to return to that same sin again.

As-Salaam alaikum, The strange thing is that if the cause is Pharaoh, the result is Sayyadina Musa, alaihi Salaam. This is the concept that the people of Zahiriyah cannot understand. Where the science of cause and effect ends, the boundary of Salawaat and destiny begins. And Salawaat ala Nabiy is just that - - Divine Will. It can grant success to hard work, or it can bestow success without any effort. A person without faith only believes in causes, while a person with faith believes in the Cause of causes. A faithless person seeks strength from the people, but a believer knows that the source of all power and strength is none other than Allah. The game of causes and effects is subject to Divine will and decree. Do not let your deeds be deprived of the support of the abundant recitation of Salawaat ala Nabiy, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam and his family.

As-Salaam alaikum, Busr ibn Sa'ed, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Messenger of Allah, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, said: "If the person who passes in front of another person in prayer, knew the magnitude of his sin, he would prefer to wait for 40 days rather than pass in front of him". (Bukhari, 510)

As-Salaam alaikum, In chapter 91, verses 7-10 of the Holy Qur'an, Surat Shams, we read it where Allah Ta'ala says:- "By the soul, and that which proportioned it, and inspired its depravity and godwariness (its wrong and its right). Prosperous is he who purifies it, and failed has he who (corrupts) buries it." It is clear that the prosperity achieved through purifying the soul pertains to the next world. In relation to that prosperity, the prosperity of this world is (in the modern, secular understanding of being prosperous) is irrelevant. Those who fail to purify their souls and instead "bury" their souls will not be prosperous. Instead, they will be miserable when they reach the next world, whether or not they are prosperous here. We must, therefore, cultivate our souls by following God's instructions and achieve the everlasting wholeness and well-being of the self. Let us not be among those who bury their souls in ignorance and forgetfulness. Best Wishes.

"In God, there is no sorrow or suffering or affliction. If you want to be free of all affliction and suffering, hold fast to God, and turn wholly to Him, and to no one else. Indeed, all your suffering comes from this : that you do not turn toward God and no one else. " -- Imam Abu Hamid al-Ghazali.

As-Salaam alaikum, "Whatsoever the Messenger gives (ordered) you (then) take it and whatsoever he prohibits you from, (then) refrain from it" (Hashar, 59:7). Islam is all about obedience and worship: to obey what the Prophet, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, ordered us and to worship Allah Ta'ala. The Prophet gave us Islam with its 5 pillars, namely :- (1) The Shahada (2) As-Sallah (5 times daily) (3) Zakkat (4) Ramadan Fasting (5) Hajj. What is common among these 5 pillars is that they are all physical activity. With Shahada, you recite it and say, 'Ash-hadu an Laa ilaha illallah, Wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadu - r-Rasulullah'. With Sallah, there is what you can see: Iqaamu's-salaat, which is a physical activity that you have to do.. the ruku'u, the Sujud.. With Zakkat, you are to give a donation to the needy. You have to work to make money and then you part some of it to the poor, and that is a physical activity. Then sawmu Ramadan, that is to fast... another physical activity. Here, we prohibit ourselves from eating and drinking from dawn to sunset, you get tired and exhausted. Your body is not like when you are eating and drinking - - you feel less power. So it is an action of physical activity. Then Hajj, in which you go to the Ka'aba in Makkah and make Tawaaf, make Sa'ayee between Safa and Marwa, the stay at Mina, and the plains of Arafat.. physical activities. For us to reach maqaamul (station of) Ihsaan, the Station of worshipping Allah as if we see Him, the above activities are significant steps but not enough. For this, in addition to Islam as defined in the above 5 pillars, we also need to have and/or inculcate Imaan (faith) in our life. Imaan.. Faith is largely/mainly about belief in the unseen... that is to say we must believe in :- (1).Allah Ta'ala (2) His Angels (3) His Books (4) His Prophets (5) The Last Day of Judgement (6) In Destiny, its good and its bad, from Allah Ta'ala. We cannot see Allah, the Creator, but we can see His creation and from that we know He is there! That is maqaamul Tawheed.. We see His Oneness in everything. When Islam's physical activities and Imaan, as subtle part of the religion, connect or combine together, they produce something called IHSAAN: Included in the station of Ihsaan are: (a) Muraqabah : Observation/meditation and (b) Mushahada : Witnessing/Vision. Where (a) and (b) above synchronize, you will then be able to comtemplate on the creation of Heavens and Earth. When you remember Allah, Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala, you remember Him in your Islam, in your obedience, in your praying to Him, you remember Him in your state of Ihsaan... In other words, be of "those who remember Allah (always, and in prayers) standing, sitting and lying on their sides, and comtemplating the creation of the Heavens and Earth, (saying), 'Our Lord! You have not created (all) this without purpose! Glory to You! Give us salvation from the torment of the Fire"(Aali Imran, 3:190/191). After Sheikh Hisham Kabbani. Ramadan Series Lectures, 2014, 1st July, 2014.Fenton Zawiya, Michigan.

In the universal religion of Islam, there are 3 dimensions that encompass the outward and inward expressions of the belief system. These 3 dimensions are :- (1) Islam :- This is based on Tawheed (belief in the Oneness and Uniqueness of Allah), five daily prayers offering of zakkat (almsgiving), fasting in the holy month of Ramadan, and performing pilgrimage to Makkah. These are known as the 5 pillars of Islam... the building blocks of the domain of knowledge, which later came to be called Islamic Jurisprudence or Shari'ah. (2) The second dimension is that of Imaan (faith). This is an expression of a specific conviction in the belief in Allah (God), His Messengers, His Angels, the Last Day of Judgement, His Books and the good and evil fate as Ordained by Allah. These form the core of Islamic Theology, which was elaborated by theologians. These 2 dimensions above (Islam and Imaan) both teach us that religious practice and belief system are interrelated and are incomplete without each other. (3) The third dimension is Ihsan, which in the words of Prophet Muhammad, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, means to:- "Worship Allah as if you see Him, for if you see Him not, yet He sees you". Ihsan reminds us, Muslims, that we are always in the presence of Allah and that one should consider this presence in all his thoughts and actions. Thus Ihsan adds spirituality to the religion.