Abu Hafsat

As-Salaam alaikum, The thought may occur in some minds that what would they need Du'a (supplication) for, when everything is destined to happen the way Allah Azzah Wa Jallah has ordained!. No, that is a wrong perception... Du'a /prayer /supplication includes averting affliction. It is a means of turning aside tribulation and drawing the Divine Mercy, just as a shield is a means of deflecting arrows, and water a means of bringing forth herbage from the earth. Just as a shield turns aside arrows and they offset each other, so too supplication /Du'a and affliction compensate each other. It is not a condition for believing in the Destiny of Allah Most High that one go unarmed, for Allah has said : "TAKE DUE PRECAUTION" (4:71) or that one should not water land after seeding, saying : 'If previously destined the crop will grow, and if not previously destined it will not'. Rather, the conjoining of causes and effects is the premordial destiny that was accomplished "in the twinkling of an eye or even faster" (16:77) So,stick to Du'a always, regularly as the Prophet, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, said: "Du'a is worship"... he also said : "Whoever does not ask Allah He becomes angry with him."

As-Salaam alaikum, "Do not drink alcohol for it is the key to all evil" (Ibn Majah) "The beauty of one's Islam requires his leaving all things that do not concern him" (Ibn Hibban) "Livelihood seeks a person out in the same way that his death seeks him out" (Ibn Hibban) "Feed the hungry, visit the sick and free captives" (Bukhari) "The key to Paradise is Sallah and the key to Sallah is Wudu" (Tirmidhi).

As-Salaam alaikum, Imam Darani (d. 830) was expelled from Syria for declaring he had a vision of the angels in which he was also spoken to by them. Abu Yazid al-Bistami (d. 874) was driven out of his hometown for claiming to have undergone a heavenly ascent (mi'eraj) similar in kind to that of the Prophet of Islam. As noted by Abu Hamid al-Ghazali, the Prophet, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, possessed 2 kinds of knowledge : one which he gave freely to the common lot of believers, and the other which he revealed only to select group of companions. The implication, of course, is that the latter was mystical or esoteric in nature. This was why Abu Huraira, may Allah be pleased with him, was quoted saying : "I have preserved from the Messenger of Allah, alaihi Salaat Wassalaam, 2 vessels (of knowledge), one from which I have freely given you, but were I to disseminate (what is in) the other, this throat would be cut off (laquti'a hazal-hulqum)".. And also Sayyadi Hudhayfa ibn al-Yamani was another companion to whom the Prophet, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, revealed not only the identities of the hypocrites, but more importantly, " the mysteries of knowledge (sara'iral ilm), subtleties of understanding (daqa'iq al-fah), and secrets of certainty (khafaya l-yaqin)". After Abu Hamid al-Ghazali, in his: 'Ihya Ulumiddin', to which you may refer for further reading.

As-Salaam alaikum, The acquisition of the sweetness of faith (Imaan) brings immense enjoyment in the worship (Ibadah) we do. The pleasure a person finds in his Sallah, impels him to delay his sajdas. His Zikr of Allah Ta'ala emanates from the deep recesses of his heart...intoxicating him. The requirement for this intoxication and ecstasy is not wine or worldly love, the requirement for this 'high' is neither heroine nor cocaine, it is the Remembrance of his beloved Lord (Allahu). When he recites the Holy Qur'an it is as if he is conversing with his Rabb. The Speech of Allah Ta'ala, which he recites, deeply impresses upon his heart and establishes a profound and strong Imaan within him. With a deep hearted enjoyment, he believes that his Lord (Allah) is listening to His own Kalaam (Speech) from the tongue of His sinful servant. Allahu Akbar! Wa Lillahil Hamd!!

As-Salaam alaikum, In Hadith, the Prophet, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, said :- "Verily, Allah does not look at your appearances and your wealth, but He looks at your hearts and your deeds". (Muslim). Allah Ta'ala does not look at your outer forms or apparel, but looks at your inside, which must be clean from : gossiping, holding grudges, lying, killing, harming others, spreading fitna.. Afterall, in the grave we have no clothes, no turban, no hat, no perfume.. we only have our inside: our soul, amal, manners.

As-Salaam alaikum, We have it in Surat Saba' of the Holy Qur'an, where Allah Ta'ala said :- "... only a few of My worshippers are thankful" (34:13). Allah says 'very few of My servants are thankful.' Qaleel means very few... compared to millions or billions it means nothing. We should be among those few who are thankful.. then Allah will not put us down, but will raise us up. But we need faith (Imaan), as without it neither patience nor thankfulness comes. Faith brings everything.

As-Salaam alaikum, Sayyadi Abdulkadir Jilani, Rahimahullah, advised us keep our heart (always) in such a position that it is always remembering Allah... To make Zikr in your heart, to read the Holy Qur'an and Holy Hadith, to remember Allah's Name, to visit the sick or homeless is all Zikrullah... any good 'amal is Zikrullah. The more you engage in Zikr, the more Allah Ta'ala opens the means for you to know about Him... not to actually know Allah, but to know about Him. Through the Name "ALLAH", you/we know the descriptions of the Ninety - Nine Beautiful Names and Attributes of Allah. What is behind that Name no one knows. All we know is that Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala, described one of His Names, the main Name, 'Allah, through the 99 Beautiful Names and Attributes and many others, but more than that no one knows. Allah said:- "Qul huwa Allahu Ahad.. Say: He is Allah, the Unique One" (112:1) "Huwa" is the complete unknown, no one knows the Reality of the Essence of what Allah describes, only Allah knows.

As-Salaam alaikum, In ayat 157 of Surat A'araf (7:157), the Holy Qur'an referred to the sobriquet of Prophet Muhammad, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, as the "Unlettered Prophet". He did not attend any school for formal education... to learn how to read and/or write. The Prophet's knowledge came only from Allah, not from reflection and consideration. At the time of the creation of the Prophet's light, Allah Ta'ala gave him the Universal Intellect, called the Total Intellect as well as the Pen and the Guarded Tablet. He endowed him with the whole of His eternal Wisdom, bacause our blessed Master, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, is the source of light, which Allah drew directly from His own Essence. Consequently, the Prophet's personality contains all of Allah's Truth, which enabled him to see and understand everything... Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam.

As-Salaam alaikum, The Noble Prophet Muhammad, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, mentioned that "the most beloved words to Allah are four:- SUBHANALLAH, ALHAMDULILLAH, LA-ILAHA ILLALLAH and ALLAHU AKBAR. It makes no difference with which one you begin" (reciting) /Sahih Muslim. And very much related to this is the Prophet's saying : "To say 'Subhanallah and Alhamdulillah and LA ilaha illallah and Allahu Akbar' is more beloved to me than that from which the sun rises". (Muslim) In other words, reciting these phrases/words is more valuable than all this dunya and this universe. Indeed, this dunya does NOT weigh more than a wing of a mosquito in Allah's eyes as we learnt in the Hadith where the Prophet, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, said : "If the value of this dunya weighed the wing of a mosquito, Allah would never give a cup of water for the unbelievers to drink". (Tirmidhi) So, let us be constantly reciting those words as part of our daily Zikr. Many Regards.

As-Salaam alaikum, In ayat 41/42 of Surat Ahzab of the Holy Qur'an, Allah Ta'ala said:- "O you who believe, Remember Allah with much remembrance and Glorify Him early and late." (33:41/42). Note that He didn't say 'izkurullah zikraa' but He said 'Izkurullah Zikran katheera'... too much.. persistently or consistently. Why did He say too much or consistent Zikr? We can make Zikr one time... La ilaha illallah.. Yaa Allahu.. Yaa Rahman... through His Beatiful Names and Attributes. But He said katheeran because He loves us and He wants to always give us a cause that will dress us from His Mercy and His Beauty, Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala.

Thank you for such a splendid reminder on the merits of reciting the 'Hawlaqa' everyday... ie the wonderful phrase of 'LA-HAULA WALA QUWATA ILLA BILLAHI ALIYAL AZEEM'.. In fact, when we recite/say it with belief and submission, our weakness will become strength, and if we/you are despaired, light will fill your heart with faith and hope. So, let us include reciting it at least 100 times in our daily Zikr, when we sit to remember our Lord, Allahu, Tabaraka Wa Ta'ala. Best Wishes.

As-Salaam alaikum, Bukhari reported on the authority of Ubada ibn al-Samiti that the Prophet, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, said :- "Whoever loves to meet Allah, Allah will love to meet him. And whoever dislikes meeting Allah, Allah will dislike to meet him". A'isha, may Allah be pleased with her, or perhaps another one of his wives, said: "We do hate death". The Prophet replied: "This is not what I mean. But, upon death, a believer will get glad tidings from Allah that He is pleased with him and there upon he will love to meet Allah, and Allah will love to meet him. And as for the unbeliever, when he is dying, he gets news of the punishment of Allah and thus hates what he hears about and hates meeting Allah, so Allah hates meeting him." (Hadith Sahih).

As-Salaam alaikum, "THERE IS FOR YOU IN THE ENVOY OF ALLAH AN EXCELLENT EXAMPLE (Uswa)".. (33:21) This ayat/verse in Surat Ahzab of the Holy Qur'an forms the basis of the very first Muslims setting their heart on finding out about the behavior of the Prophet, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam. They made efforts to find out from him or those close to him, to acquaint themselves with even the minutest details of his tastes, his preferences, and his ways of reacting in any given circumstance. Deprived of the physical presence of the Messenger of Allah, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, the succeeding generations of Muslims down to our time today, did everything possible to conserve the memory of his Sunnah, his custom, by collecting together the hadiths. These are testimonies going back as far back as the first generation of Muslims, which rescued the sayings and actions of the Prophet or of his companions, and they were gathered into a vast corpus of which six books are reputed to be canonical. These are :- (1) Sahih Bukhari, compiled by Muhammad ibn Isma'ila (Al-Bukhari d. 875) (2) Sahih Muslim, compiled by Muslim ibn al-Hajj (d. 875) (3) Sunan Abu Dawud, compiled by Abu Dawud al-Sijjistani (d.889) (4) Ibn Majah (d. 887) (5) Sunan Tirmidhi, compiled by Abu Isa al-Tirmidhi (d. 892)and (6) Al-Nisa'i, compiled by Ibn Shu'ayb Al-Nisa'i (d. 915) Subject and issues covered in the above 6 authenticated books of hadith include actual rituals (the Ibaadat), social behavior (the mu'amalat) and everyday actions - - eating, drinking, sleeping etc This way, the Prophetic Sunnah is preserved for Muslims to observe it today in accordance with the above qouted ayat (33:21) and in compliance with ayat 31 in Surat Al-i-Imran : "Say: if you love Allah, follow me (ittabi'uni), Allah will love you" . (3:31).. as following the Prophet, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam is the only means of access to the highest spiritual realisation.

As-Salaam alaikum, Mu'awiyah, may Allah be pleased with him, narrates that the Prophet, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, once came forth to meet a group of the Sahaba, may Allah be pleased with them. He said, "What has caused you to congragate here?". They replied : "We have congragated here to remember Allah Ta'ala and to praise Him for guiding us to Islam and blessing us with it. He said : By Allah! Is this the only reason for your gathering? They replied : By Allah! This is the only reason for our gathering. He said : I had not made you swear an oath because I disbelieve you but Jibril came to me and informed me that Allah Ta'ala is boasting about you before the angels. "(Muslim, Tirmidhi, Nisa'i and Ahmad). Mulla Ali Qari, may Allah be Merciful to him, explains that Allah boasts about these people despite having worldly engagements, natural desires, temptations and the Shaytan trying to mislead them, they do not neglect and turn away from Allah's Remembrance... on the other hand angels who are also always engaged in Zikr, are not faced with any of these obstacles.

Imam Jafar Saqed, may Allah be pleased with him, said:- "Allah kept 3 things secret in 3 things: His Pleasure in Divine services, so don't neglect anything of the Divine service.. perhaps there lies His pleasure therein. (2) His wrath in sins,so don't neglect a trifling thing, as there may be His wrath therein. (3) His friendship among His servants. So don't disregard any of them, as he may be Wali.. a friend of Allah. He added another thing - His hidden answer in invocation. So don't give up invocation (Du'a).. often a reply may come therein. " And Abu Hassan Shadhili, may Allah be pleased with him, also says: " Zikr, the basis of which is righteous works, and the fruit of which is illumination is one of the ways to be on course toward Allah Ta'ala... (so) is Love, as the Sheikh observes.. as love is the basis of which is dislike of the world and its people, and the fruit of which is Union with the Beloved. " And Abu Najib-Suhrawardi, may Allah Merciful to him, says that :" Silence is praiseworthy because it is a cover for the ignorant and adornment for the intelligent ".

As-Salaam alaikum, It is related that Jabir Ibn Abdullahi, may Allah be pleased with him, said to the Prophet, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam:- "O Messenger of Allah, may my father and mother be sacrificed for you, tell me of the first thing Allah created before all things. He said," O Jabir, the first thing Allah created was the light of your Prophet, from His light, and that light remained (literally turned) in the midst of His power for as long as He wished, and there was not, at that time, a Tablet or a Pen or an earth. And when Allah wished to create creation, He divided that Light into 4 parts and from the first made the Pen, from the second the Tablet, from the third the Throne, (and from the fourth everything else). " (Alusi: 'Ruh al-Ma' Ani 8:71). Interpretation on this Hadith may vary among scholars, but whatever the variation, we agreed that the Prophet, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, being a Mercy to all, is linked to the fact that he is the intermediary of the Divine outpouring over all contingencies - ie all created things without exception. Ibn al-Hajj al-Abdari (d. 736) cites Jabir Hadith in his book 'Al-Madkhal'.. citing it from Muhammad ibn Layth's book "Shifa al-Sudur' where he says: " The first thing Allah created is the light of Muhammad, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, and that light came and prostrated before Allah. Allah divided it into 4 parts and created from the first the Throne, from the second the Pen, from the third the Tablet and then similarly He divided the fourth into parts and created the rest of the creation... "

As-Salaam alaikum, The Noble Messenger of Allah, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, said:- "THERE MAY BE A DISHEVELED, DUSTY PERSON WHO, IF HE SWEARS AN OATH BY ALLAH, ALLAH WILL FULFILL IT." (Sahih Muslim). Someone from a forest or desert may be smelly, dusty with greasy hair, and you look at such a person and think he is homeless, but the Prophet, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam said : 'There could be someone like that, but if he asks Allah Ta'ala for anything, He will immediately respond to his prayer'. His Du'a is accepted like lightening! So, don't look at anyone with disgust... he might be coming to check you. Islam is purity, discipline and goodness. You may dress as beautifully as you want, but is your character good? Even where we may be good, we still need to improve..

As-Salaam alaikum, The 'Ulama tell us that fasting and sleeplessness are 2 ways through which one can tame and train himself/herself on the spiritual path. The first generation ascetics have often been described as qa'im al-lail, wa sa'im ad-dahr..' spending their nights upright in prayer and maintaing a perpetual fast by day.' The old Sufi saying that the 3 elements of Sufi conduct are "little food, little sleep, little talk (to which often loneliness, keeping way from men, was added) is still as valid as it was a thousand years ago. The ascetic who spends his nights at prayers, as recommended in the Qur'an, will have the time to enjoy blessed conversation with his Lord through prayers. And eating little is even more important than to avoid sleep. The Sufis would fast frequently if not constantly. Early Sufis praise hunger, which they see as something stored up in Treasure-houses with Allah Ta'ala, and He gives it to none but whom He particularly loves, as observed by Abu Nasr as-Sarraj. And as Jalaluddin Rumi says, just as the host "brings better food when the guest eats little, God brings better, ie, spiritual, food to those who fast." Just as recollection or Zikr is food of the gnostics, so is hunger food of the ascetics.

As-Salaam alaikum, In verse/ayat 28 of the 34th chapter of the Holy Qur'an, we have it stated where Allah Ta'ala says :- "AND WE HAVE NOT SENT YOU, BUT AS A UNIVERSAL (Messenger) TO ALL MEN (mankind) - GIVING THEM GLAD TIDINGS, AND WARNING THEM (against sin)" (34:28) This does not imply that all men.. all mankind should see him, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, for just as in the time of his physical presence, he sent Ali and Mu'adh to Yemen to transmit his call, likewise, he sent the Prophets and Messengers to their respective communities when he was a Prophet and Adam "was between water and clay". He therefore called all men to Allah. The Prophet, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, in a certain hadith said : "I will be the master of men on the Day of Resurrection.".. he did not say 'master of my (historical) community'... all the sons of Adam are the community of the Prophet and the Messengers of God are, from the first to the last, his substitutes and lieutenants... Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam.

As-Salaam alaikum, The first chapter of the Holy Qur'an, Surat Al-Fatiha is known as the mother of the Book, Ummul Kitab, among its several names. It contains everything that is in the Holy Qur'an in condensed form. The great Sufi Master, al-Hassan al - Basri, may Allah be pleased with him, in explaining the Ummul Kitab, has said Allah Most High has revealed 104 Heavenly Books for the guidance of the creations. Among them were four-- the Torah, the Injeel (New Testament), the Psalms of David and the Criterion.. the Criterion is also one of the names of the Holy Qur'an. Allah Ta'ala condensed all of the knowledge of the details into the opening chapter of the Holy Qur'an, the Fatiha. Anyone who knows the interpretations thereof will be like the one who has knowledge of all the Divine Books that have been revealed to humanity. Whoever reads Al-Fatiha (Ummul Kitab), it is like he has read the Torah, the New Testament, the Psalms of Dawud and the Criterion. With regards to the fact that Al Fatiha contains everything in the Holy Qur'an, the Ulama explained it this way :- (1) Regarding Divinity, it is the saying of Allah : "BISMILLAHI RAHMANI RAHEEM ALHAMDU LILLAHI RABBIL ALAMEEN- In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate, All Praise be to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds." This explains Divinity. (2) With respect to the Hereafter, it is in the saying of Allah :" MALIKI YAUMIDDEN-Master of the Day of Judgement ". (3) Regarding all the exoteric spiritual practices (the Law), this is in the saying of Allah :" IYAKA NA'ABUDU - it is You alone that we worship" and the inward of the self (the esoteric) is contained in "WA IYAKA NAS'TAIN- And it is You alone that we rely upon". (4) Regarding all the prophecies and guidance, it is in "IHDINA SIRADAL MUSTAQEEM." You have to know the way of the Prophets and Messengers. (5) As for the narratives and history and news of those who have gone before us, those who enter a state of bliss and those who have missed the way, it is : "SIRADAL LAZINA AN'AMTA ALAIHIM, GAIRUL MAGRUBI ALAIHIM, WALA LAALEEN- The path of those on whom You have bestowed Your grace, not the path of those who earn Your anger nor those who go astray."

As-Salaam alaikum, Al-Tirmidhi transmitted from Abu Huraira, may Allah be pleased with him: "Someone asked the Prophet, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, 'When did you become the Prophet?" The Prophet said:- "I was a Prophet while Adam was still in the state between spirit and body." All Prophets became prophets after they were told they were to be a Prophet.. except for the Holy Prophet Muhammad, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, who was always a Prophet. With the Prophets that came before him, it took a long time to prepare them for their Prophethood in this life. The Prophets of Allah are pre-ordained from eternity, and they are the best of creations. The covenant of the Prophets was taken from them in the Heavenly realm. 124,00 Prophets and Messengers all took this covenant as the warners of Allah and to inform the people of the coming of Muhammad :- "Behold! Allah took the covenant of the Prophets, saying : I give you a Book and Wisdom, then comes to you a Messenger, confirming what is with you, do you believe in him and render him help'. Allah said: Do you agree and take this My Covenant as binding on you? ' They said :' We agree '. He said:' Then bear witness, and I am with you among the witnesses. "(3:81)

As-Salaam alaikum, In all intents and purposes, explication of Divine Intention of Revelation was among the functions of the Holy Qur'an assigned to the Noble Prophet Muhammad, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam. He, alaihi Salaat Wassalaam, functioned as the projection of the Divine Message embodied in the Qur'an. The Prophet Muhammad, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, was/is the living commentary of the Holy Qur'an, inextricably related to the revelatory text. Without the Prophet the Qur'an was incomprehensible, just as without the Qur'an the Prophet was no Prophet at all... Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam.

As-Salaam alaikum, "INNA RAHMATALLAHI QARIBUN MINAL-MUHSININ.. Truly, the Mercy of Allah is near those who do good" (7:56) Here, qaribun is not put in the feminine (qaribatun) although 'rahma' is feminine, because in reality that rahma is the Prophet, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam... as explained in the ayat "WAMA ARSALNAKA ILLA RAHMATAN LIL-ALAMIN.. And We did not send you (O Muhammad) except as a Mercy to the world's" (21:107) "Say: In the bounty of Allah and in His Mercy : therein (alone) let them rejoice. It is better than what they hoard" (10:58) As Sayyadina Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "The bounty of Allah is knowledge of Tawheed, and His Mercy is the Prophet, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam.

As-Salaam alaikum, The Noble Prophet Muhammad, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, said : "That which is lawful is clear, and that which is forbidden is clear, and between them are doubtful matters about which many of the people have no knowledge. So whoever avoids doubtful matters saves his religion and his honor, and whoever falls into doubtful matters falls into what is forbidden. " (Sahih Bukhari) Note this well. Best Wishes.

As-Salaam alaikum, Sayyadina Abdullahi ibn Mas'ud, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Messenger of Allah, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, said : "I am the city of knowledge, Abu Bakr is its foundation, Umar is its wall, Usman is its roof and Ali is its portal (gate)". (Musnad - ul-Firdau, vol. 1 hadith No 105).