Abu Hafsat

As-Salaam alaikum, Says the Noble Prophet, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam:-- "Surely Allah has chosen 4 sentences from all speech- (1) Subhanallah (2) Alhamdulillah (3) La-ilaha il-Lallah (4) Allahu Akbar So whoever says 'Subhanallah' 20 good deeds are written for him (her) and 20 bad deeds are omitted from his account. And likewise for 'Allahu Akbar' and La-ilaha il-lallah.' And whoever sincerely says 'Alhamdulillahi Rabbil Alameen' 30 good deeds are written for him and 30 bad deeds are omitted from his account.'' (Reported in Musnad Imam Ahmad).

As-Salaam alaikum, As we learnt in the Hadith, the Prophet Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam was asked :"Who of men suffers the most"? He replied, "The Prophets, then the righteous, then the like and the like." (Ibn Majah, Fitnan chap. 23,2) Every man is afflicted according to his religion. If his faith is strong, his affliction is made more severe, but if his faith is weak, his affliction is lightened. In his MUSNAD'L-FIRDAUS, ad-Daylami narrated on the authority of Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, said :-- "The best weapon of the believer is patient perseverance and supplication". Imam Ghazali said in his 'IHYA ULUM' D-DEEN': "Among the key benefits of supplication is it causes the heart to be genuinely present with Allah azza wa jalla, which is the entire goal of worship. For, it is supplication which causes the heart to resort to Allah... with earnest pleading and submissiveness. It is for this reason that affliction is contingent with the Prophets, may Allah bless them and grant them peace, then with the Awliya, because affliction causes their hearts to resort to Allah 'azza wa jalla in need, and it prevents forgetfulness of Him".

There may be an Urdu translation of the book, but I saw and read an English translation of same book by Prof. William C. Chittick, titled:- "The Unveiling of the Mysteries and the Provision of the Pious", by Rashid al-Din Maybudi.

As-Salaam alaikum, Allah's Noble Prophet Adam, alaihi Salaam, was created of clay, a mixture of dust and water. Iblis/Satan was a Jinn, created of fire. In the Holy Qur'an, Allah Ta'ala says:-- ''We created man from an extraction of clay'' (23: 12) In other words he was extracted from ever region- sweet and brainy, soft and hard. Iven Adam's clay were salty and sweet, coarse and soft- so the mixture of his children have become diverse. And in the Holy Qur'an we learnt of when Iblis, the accursed one said:- "I am better than he [Adam]: You created me of fire as You created him of clay (38:76)'' Here, Iblis concluded that fire is better than clay; but this was/is an erroneous conclusion!! In his work, Sheikh Rashid al-din Maybudi expains that dust (clay) is superior to fire,on his commentary on the verse/ayat that tells people how to make ablution if water is not available:-- ''If you find no water, have recourse to goodly dust'' (5:6) Allah Ta'ala connected purification to water or, at the time of necessity, to dust, and not to anyting else. Dust is better than fire. Fire shows defects, and dust conceals them. Fire's nature is arrogance, so it seeks to be higher. Dust's nature is humility, so it seeks to be lower. Iblis brought higherness with his words:- ''I am better...'' (38:76) Adam brought lowerness, humility with his words: ''Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves'' (7:23) So, let us not look at the form of dust. Look at the secret of the nature thereof. When you give a grain to dust, it gives back many times over. Whatever you give to fire, it burns it away. Plant your grains (seeds) into the dust (ground), and it will nurture it after a short time, and she would give it back as a produce many times over...''in every ear a hundred grains'' (2:261) For further reading, see Sheikh Rashid al-Din Maybudi's 'Kashf al-asrar wa 'Uddat al-abrar (Unveiling of the Mysteries)'

As-Salaam alaikum, In ayat 163 of chapter 2 (Surat Baqra) of the Holy Qur'an, Allah Ta'ala says:-- ''And your God is One God: There is no god but He, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.'' On this ayat, in his 'Kashf al-asrar wa uddat al-abrar (The unveiling of the secrets and the provisions of the pious)' Sheikh Rashid al-Din Maybudi, may Allah be Merciful to him, said:- ''Other than He (Allah) there is no Lord, and other than He there is none worthy of worship, for no one caresses and bestows bounty like Him. He is the All-Merciful who gives when we ask Him, and He is the Ever-Merciful who becomes angry when we do not ask- A report in hadith has come, ''When someone does not ask from Allah, Allah becomes wrathful toward him.'' Allah is the All-Merciful who accepts the servants' obedience, even if it is little; and He is Ever-Merciful who forgives their disobedient acts even if they are great.''

As-Salaam alaikum, All that we can grasp of Allahu Tabaraka Wa Ta'ala are His Holy Names and Attributes. For this reason, we may picture invocation or Du'a as words which resemble a grappling hook that man flings from our world to the Higher World, hoping to attach it so that he can climb up. According to Sayyadi Ibn Arabi, may Allah be Merciful to him, in his book, 'Futuhat al-Makkiyya', ''Du'a [Invocation] is ritual verbal/worship, not tied to time, place or state, and if man applies himself to it, it produces knowledge and vision in him and enables him to create through the word. Invocation carries or includes every simple or composite word which contains the Name of Allah, either explicitly or implicitly.'' Whoever/Whenever we/you say such words, has the intention of invoking the named one, that is Allah, and being with Him, with or without a specific reason.. is engaged in Du'a. Therefore, invocation/du'a also encompasses specific invocations, all our worship such as the words of prayer like takbir, tahmid, tahlil, praise..tasbih and other recitations...all the glorifications and awrad.. Since invocation is not tied to time, place or state, it is therefore the only worship permanently required of man at every instant. Note this well.

As-Salaam alaikum, In his wok of spiritual discourses titled the FUTUH AL-GHAYB (Openings of the Unseen), Sheikh Abdulqadir al-Jilani, may Allah Ta'ala be Merciful to him, observed that ''three things are required of every believer in all circumstances: A Command to be obeyed, a prohibition to be avoided and a Divine Decree to be accepted with good cheer. In even the most trivial circumstance, one of these 3 is bound to apply. The believer must therefore, at all times, keep his heart focused upon them, and physically carry out what they demand of him.'' This essentialises the true life of a Muslim who is actively seeking the Divine Presence: Loving surrender to Allah through fulfilling the obligations (fara'id), shunning the forbidden (muharramat) and nurturing an inward state of rida bi'l-qada (contentment with the Divine Decree). Our entire religious life revolve around these three pillars; therefore a seeker's life is about how best to root such pillars in one's life with an eye to actualising them inwardly, otwardly and in every circumstance. Indeed, fulfilling the obligations and shunning whatever is forbidden is the essence of Taqwa- God consciuosness and/or godliness. In one hadith-qudsi, we learn that Allah Ta'ala said: ''My servant does not draw closer to Me with anything more beloved to Me than the obligations I have enjoined upon him...'' (Bukhari, No. 6502) Our outward state, therefore, must be one that is in conformity with what Allah Commands of forbids, in respect to what we do with our eyes, ears, tongue, stomach, private parts, hands and feet. This requires knowing what is obligatory. Thus this basic knowledge is an oblgation upon every Muslim to learn and to know; no other learning ranks higher than it except, of course, for learning basic Tawhid and Beliefs. As for the inward virtue of Contentment with Allah's Decree (rida bi'l-qada), it is the key to living the religious life as Allah wants. It is all about knowing that despite the onset of calamities, tragedies or personal loss, all is still in Allah's Hand; under His able control, unfolding according to His wisdom. As such, in the depth of our very being, even if saddened by grief or loss, we at peace with Allah and do not resent His Decree, but continue to do what is required. Rida is the heart's tranquility amidst tribulations. When a Muslim Believer is blessed with inner contentment, life is soothed, anxieties are lifted, the heart is satisfied with what is and stops hankering after what isn't. The Prophet, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, stated:-- ''He has tasted the sweetness of faith who is content with Allah as Lord, Islam as religion and with Muhammad as Prophet." (Muslim, No. 34)

As-Salaam alaikum, To spend money and reources more than the demands of neccessity in those areas in which spending is permissible is termed ISRAAF. In the Holy Qur'an, Allah Ta'ala says:-- "Eat and drink but do not waste'' (7:31) Eating and drinking are neccessities of life and to spend in them is permissible, but spending extra in/on them is called Israaf. To spend in those areas wherein spending is not permissibe is called TABZEER. Allah Ta'ala says in the Holy Qur'an:-- "Those who are extravagant are the brothers of Shaytan'' (17:27) because one assists Shaytan by spending in/on impermissible areas. So, let us take note of this accordingly. Best Regards.

As-Salaam alaikum, ''If you want to get the benefits of medicine, first purge your bowels and clear it from congested stools. Similarly, clear your soul first from passion and greed and then take the medicine of Zikr. When Zikr enteres such a heart which is free from thoughts other than Allah, the devil flees away from it, as disease goes away if medicine falls in a stomach free from food''. -- Imam Abu Hamid al-Ghazali.

As-Salaam alaikum, Prophetic Traditions which speak about the guarantee of sustenance for every creature are many. For example:-- (1) In a hadith narrated by Abu Sa'id al-Khudri, may Allah be pleased with him, the Prophet, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, said: ''If anyone of you were to flee from his sustenance it would pursue him just as death pursues him.'' (Haythami, Maj'jama'al-Zawa'id; Tabarani, al-Mu'jam al-awsat). (2) The Prophet, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, (also) said, speaking on behalf of our Lord:-- ''O Son of Adam, disengage yourself for My worship and I will fill your heart with wealth and relieve you of poverty. If you do not, your work will be the death of you.'' (Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah and Ahmad) (3) The Prophet, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, also said:-- ''Whoever is concerned with the Hereafter, Allah will cause him to feel rich, He will aid him and will subjugate the world for his use. Whoever is concerned with this life, Allah will lead him to believe poverty is inescapable; He will not give him anything of this world except what he has been apportioned.'' (Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah). At this juncture, it will be appropriate to quote Sayyadi Harith Ibn Asad al-Muhasibi (165 A.H-243 A.H), may Allah be Merciful to him, who asked his master how doubt finds its way into people's mind/hearts when Allah has guaranteed us our sustenance. He responded:-- ''It is for two reasons: from having too little spiritual knowledge and from not having a good opinion of the Lord.'' I asked him if there is anything else. He said: ''Yes, Allah has promised people their sustenance and has guaranteed it for them. However, He has not disclosed the times when it comes, in order to test the people of intelligence. If this was not so, all the believers would enjoy the spiritual states of contentment, patience and reliance... and this is why servants are at different stations of spirituality. Some are at peace, some are in constant motion, some are angry and some are anxious. The level of certainty (yaqin) they achieve is congruent with the degree of spiritual knowledge (ma'arifah) they attain.'' Culled from: Selections From Ibn Ajiba's ''Al-Bahr al-Madid Fi Tafsir al-Qur'an aal-Majid''.

As-Salaam alaikum, Says Allah, the Most High and the Merciful, in the Holy Qur'an:-- ''Verily, Satan is an enemy to you: so treat him as an enemy. He only invites his adherents, that they may become companions of the blazing fire.'' ( Fatir- 35:6) In this Noble ayat we learn that Iblis is our avowed enemy, we should fight him, avoid and treat him as such... that is, as a first class enemy. We can do this with the help of Allah Ta'ala, the Lord of the Universe. It will aid us in this fight if we know Iblis well enough, so that in fighting him we adopt the right tactics and/or strategy. So, I hereby bring you the following important information, as indicated by Brother Wahid Abdussalam Bali, in his book titled: ''Man's Protection Against Jinn and Satan'', about our enemy Iblis, may Allah curse him:-- Name: Iblis Town: The hearts empty of Allah's Zikr (Remembrance) Tribe: The Trangressors Permanent Residence: The Hellfire Rank: A first class Disobedient Province: Places where Allah's Name is not mentioned Capital: False hopes Place of gathering: The Markets Logo: Hypocrisy is the best manner His likes: People who are heedless about mentioning Allah His bothers: That someone asks Allah, Most High, for Forgiveness His home: The toilets and bathrooms His services: Enjoining the evil and adorning it Religion: Kufr (Disbelieving) His traps: Women His hobbies: Misguiding and seduction Goal: To lead all people astray His main enemies: The Muslims Best of deeds according to him: Homosexuality and Lesbiannism What makes him cry: Lots of Sujud (Prostration) to Allah Ta'ala Destination: Hellfire.

As-Salaam alaikum, ''And whosoever puts his trust in Allah, He shall suffice him.'' (Talaq 65:3) ''And in Allah let the believers put all their trust''. (Ibrahim 14:11) In the Hadith also, it is related that the Prophet, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, said:- ''There shall enter Paradise of my community 70,000 without reckoning: those are they who that neither make auguries, nor brand themselves, nor use spells, but trust their Lord.'' (Bukhari) In his book titled: 'Kitab Sidq--The Book of Trithfulness' Imam Abu Sa'id al-Kharraz told us that ''Trust in itself and its manifestation in the heart, is this: to believe in Allah and to rely on Him, taking rest and assurance in Him as regards all that He has guaranteed; to expel from the heart all anxiety over the affairs of this world, and the means of sustenance, and every matter of which Allah has Himself taken charge; and to know that of every matter of which man stands in need, be it of this world or the next, Allah is the ruler and provider, for none but Allah can bring it to him, and none but Allah can withhold it from him. In trust, all desire and trepidation must depart from the heart, with all fear, if these be connected with other than Allah: for a man must have confidence in Him, and a full knowledge and firm conviction that Allah's hand is outreached towards him, to provide him with all that he seeks-- for no good shall befall him save by Allah's Command and no evil shall overtake him save with His leave.''

As-Salaam alaikum, In Islam, all said and done, one would certainly come to the conclusion that the following are some of the Signs of Sincere Muslims in this world:-- (1) They speak the truth at all times (2) They are good listeners (3) They hardly take offense (4) They are quick to forgive (5) They are reliable (6) They are supportive (7) They have appetite for prayer and fasting (8) They rely on the Word of Allah, the Holy Qur'an (9) The more Allah lifts them up, the more humble they become (10) They hardly defend themselves (11) They are quick to repent (12) They seek peace and pursue it (13) They love people and they are compassionate (14) They have a lot of patience and they are not short tempered (15) They fear Allah Ta'ala. Let us ask ourselves, are we sincere Muslims? I pray that Almighty Allah gives us the Grace to identify and work on our weak areas, ameen. Best Wishes.

As-Salaam alaikum, In a way, death means to be invisible in this world; to disappear from it and reappear in the Heavens. This is the meaning of death to the Awliya. Remembrance of that gives us more spiritual power. When your spirit leaves your body, it will immediately be in its Heavenly Station. Our soul is waiting, like a bird in a cage, to be free. When a man knows the truth of death he no longer fears it, but waits for it. This knowledge gives us love to reach our Heavenly home and also a way. We read it in the Hadith where the Prophet, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, said that the way to meet your Lord is death. If you don't like death, you don't want to meet your Lord.! All real believers must, therefore, like death-- for it is the way to the Heavens. Thinking of death gives more power to our faith. The love of Allah is the power of our faith, the spirit of our faith. If you haven't any love for Allah Ta'ala, then you cannot have any faith. It is impossible.

As-Salaam alaikum, The Holy Qur'an was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, in the lunar month of Ramadan on the mysterious Night of Power..Laylatul Qadr, said to be ''greater than a thousand months'' (97:3) To celebrate the miracle of the Qur'an, Muslims spend the entire month of Ramadan in a state of self-purification, abstaining from food, drinking, smoking and sex from dawn until sundown. Fasting is not about losing body weight, but more about losing weight of our sins and learning to detach from the ego that weighs us down.... as in Ramadan we are called upon to use the polish of prayer, the chisel of fasting and the cleanser of charity to break the veils of separation between us and Allahu Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala, through a practice of physical, emotional and spiritual detoxification, as hinted in ayat 183 of Surat Baqra: ''Fasting is prescribed for you as was prescribed for those before you, that you might remain God-Conscious'' (2:183) As we fast in this month of Ramadan, let us ponder that just as we empty our stomachs of food for several hours during the day, we also are called to empty all of our senses from everything that does not bring us closer to Allah Ta'ala, because when we witness Allah in everything, every action becomes prayer, every moment becomes worship and every person, place, and every points back to Allah, Jallah-Jalalahu. The Noble Prophet, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, said:-- ''In each night of Ramadan, Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala, exempts 600,000 people from Hell and when the last night of Ramadan comes, He exempts as many people from Hell as He has exempted in the entire month up till that night.'' (At-Targheeb wa At-Tarheeb) Allahu Akbar!! What a Flood of Forgiveness!! May we be among those to be so forgiven in this Holy month of Ramadan, ameen. Best Wishes.

As-Salaam alaikum, ''Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest/satisfaction'' (Ra'ad 13:28) And in the Hadith, we learnt of where the Noble Messenger of Allah, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, was quoted as having said that: ''There is a piece of flesh in the body, if it becomes good (reformed), the whole body becomes good but if it gets spoiled, the whole body gets spoiled and that is the heart.'' Imam Abu Abdullah at-Tirmidhi Hakeem says that:-- ''The Zikr [remembrance] of Allah moistens the heart and cultivates tenderness in it. When the heart is bereft of Zikrullah, the heat of the nafs overtakes it; the fire of lust reaches it and it becomes barren and hard.'' The lie of qalb (the heart) is related to Allah's Remembrance. Man has only to implant Allah's Name firmly in his heart, what follows is amazing. So, be engaged in Zikr always... With that you find out that even though our hands cannot feel Allah Ta'ala, the mind cannot grasp Him but the heart would vividly recognize Him. With regular, constant Zikr, the heart can discern Allah Ta'ala, hear Him, entreat Him, Obey and act according to His Will.

As-Salaam alaikum, It is my pleasure to share with you some of the sayings of Shaykh al-arifin, Master of Knowers, Imam Sahl al-Tustari (d. 283 A.H/896 C.E) as follows:-- 1. '' We have 6 principles: Holding fast to the Qur'an; taking the Sunnah as a guide; eating what is licit; quitting from harm and avoiding sin; Repentance; Fulfillment of obligations.'' 2. '' Among the manners of the most truthful and trustful Saints (al-Siddiqin) is that they never swear by Allah, nor commit backbiting, nor does backbiting take place around them, nor do they eat to satiation. If they promise, they are true to their word, and they never speak in jest.'' 3. ''Allah does not open the heart of a servant if it still contains 3 things: Loving to remain [in the world]; love of wealth; and concern about tomorrow.'' 4. '' When the servant abides in a specific sin, all his good deeds are admixed with his egotism (hawa). His good deeds are not purified as long as he abides in a single sin. He will not deliver himself from his egotism until he outs from himself all that he knows to be abhorred by Allah.'' Culled from: 'Sahl Al-Tustari, may Allah be Merciful to him', by G.F Haddad

As-Salaam alaikum, ''...Seek the Forgiveness of your Lord, and turn to Him in repentance, that He may grant you good enjoyment, for a term appointed.'' (Surat Hud 11:3) The commonly accepted English translation of Tawba derives from a Latin root (Paenitare) which emphasizes not the act of turning away from the sin but the emotional experience of regret or remorse (nadam) which follows its wake. Both connotations are acceptable: as the Prophet, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, said: ''Penitence is the act of returning 9al-nadm al-tawba)'' Here, we discern 3 things involved in Tawba:-- remorse for disobedience; abandonment of sin and determination not to sin again. Tawba is an essential and inescapable requirement for anyone who surrenders to Allah Ta'ala. Nor is repentance meant only for individual sins, but must, instead, be an all-embracing process of self-purification... for a fuller and more complete religious life... May Allah Ta'ala Help us.

''Once, Sheikh Muhiyiddin Ibn Arabi was traveling by ship on a stormy sea. He wrote on a slip of paper: 'Oh Sea, you must be quite because a great sea is on you'. Then he dropped it into the sea, and immediately it became quite. But afterwards one big fish appeared and said: 'Oh Muhiyiddin, I have a question: If a woman's husband suddenly turned into stone, would she wait 3 months (the period of divorce) , or 4 months and 10 days (the period for death)'? Sayyadi Muhiyiddin did not answer but understood that this question was coming because he had spoken a big word, calling himself a great sea. Quickly he made Sajda and asked for forgiveness. That was not an ordinary fish, but an Angel sent by Allah to teach him that for every level of knowledge there is a level higher than it, endlessly. You can't find a limit for knowledge. For every boasting there must come something to show you your weakness. Allah Almighty is able to give to anyone more than you have. He degraded and destroyed Nimrod by a lame mosquito. The Prophet, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, says: Perhaps some rugged and dusty person whom no-one likes, if he is asking anything from Allah, he will give it to him. This teaches us to be humble people with our Lord. Humble people are always in safety here and hereafter.'' Culled from: 'MERCY OCEANS-BOOK 2- The Teachings of Maulana Sheikh Abdullah Ad-Daghistani An-Naqshbandi''.

As-Salaam alaikum, The Noble Messenger of Allah, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, said:-- "What is little but sufficient is better than that which is abundant but causes heedlessness.'' (Ibn Hibban)

As-Salaam alaikum, The Noble Messenger of Allah, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, said:-- ''Contemplate those who have less than you and not those who have more than you, lest you belittle the favors of Allah conferred upon you''. (Bukari and Muslim)

As-Salaam alaikum, In his book titled 'Al-Futuhat al-Makkiyya..The Meccan Openings', Sheikh Muhyi al-Din Muhammad ibn Ali al-Arabi (A.H 560-638/ A.D 1165-1240) tells of an anecdote in order to cite a hadith that is gharib or unattested by other lines of transmission, but conveys an indisputable spiritual teaching. In this case, the Sheikh makes the point that the believing Jinn were better than people at listening to the Qur'an when the Prophet, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, recited it:-- "I have recounted a gharib hadith from one of the community of the Jinn. It was narrated to me by the blind man, Ibrahim ibn Sulayman in my home in Aleppo. He was from Dayr al-Rumman, one of the districts Khabur. He had it from a trustworthy man, a woodcutter, who had killed a serpent. He was the abducted by the Jinn, who brought him before a very old Sheikh, the leader of the people. They said, 'This man has killed our uncle's son.'' The woodcutter replied, 'I do not know what you are saying.. I am a woodcutter, and a serpent interfered with me, so I killed it.' The group said, ''That was our uncle's son.'' Then the Sheikh- Allah be pleased with him said, ''Let the man go and take him back to his place. You can do nothing against him, for I heard the Messenger of Allah, while he was speaking to us, 'He who assumes a form other than his own and is slain, had no intellect, and there is no retaliation.' The son of your uncle assumed the form of a serpent, which is one of the enemies of human beings.'' The woodcutter said, ''I said to him, 'Sir I see you saying that you heard the Messenger of Allah. Did you meet him?'' He said, 'Yes. I was one of the Jinn of Nasibin who went before the Messenger of Allah. So we heard from him. But I am the only of that group left. I judge among my companions according to what I heard from the Messenger of Allah.'' '' But the narrator did not mention the name of this great man- the Sheikh of the Jinn, nor did I ask from him.''

As-Salaam alaikum, A Saint states: "Once I was making a circuit of the Holy Ka'aba when I happened to see a girl who carrying a very small child on her shoulder. She was exclaiming: 'O Munificent Lord! Munificent Lord! the past! ( that is how gracious was the Lord to her in the blessed past). I asked her 'What was it that passed between you and the Almighty Allah'. She said: "Once I was traveling on a boat in the company of a group of merchants. A windstorm blew with such intensity that the boat sank and everybody was annihilated. I and this child were stranded on a board; while a negro lay stranded on another board. No one except the three of us had survived. At the first light of dawn and rowing the water with his hands he approached my plank. When his board adjoined mine he came over to my board and tried to seduce me. I remonstrated with him, "Fear the Lord! Dost thou not know in what peril we are! It seems impossible to escape this calamity even with fervent prayers to the Lord; on the contrary you wish that we should commit sin under such circumstances." He said: 'Never mind, I swear by Allah I shall commit this act with you.' Now this child was sleeping in my lap. I quietly pinched the child, as a result of which the child instantly began to cry. I said to the negro, ''Alright, wait till I put the child to sleep. Then whatever the fate ordains for me will come to pass." The negro grabbed the child and flung him into the sea. I entreated the Mighty Lord, 'O Thou Who art Mighty and intervenes even between a man, and his heart's desires, Please save me from this negro with all Your Divine Might and Authority. Lord, You are without doubt Omnipotent.' By my Lord, I had hardly finished saying this prayer when a mammoth animal with open jaws raised its head from the sea and having devoured the negro went under water. The Magnificent Lord saved me from the negro by His Divine Power and Authority; he indeed is Omnipotent; He is Pure; He is Magnificent. Afterwards the sea-waves lashed at me till the board was washed to the shore of an island, I landed there and thought to myself that I would eat grass and drink water till the Magnificent ;Lord afforded me some succour, because it is through Him alone that better conditions may prevail. I lived on this island for four days. On the fifth day I espied a boat going to the sea. I mounted a hillock and made signs in the direction of this boat. I waved my covering cloth briskly. Three men from the boat came to me on a small barge.. I boarded the barge and went to the boat with them. And lo! one of the men on the boat was holding this child of mine whom the negro had flung into the sea. Upon seeing the child I fell over him and kissed and hugged him. I told them, 'This is my child, my darling.' The boatmen said, ''You are out of your mind, you are mad.'' I said: ''I am not mad nor have I lost my senses. My tale (story) is a strange one.'' Then I narrated to them all that had happened to me. After hearing my story all of them hung their heads in amazement and said: ''You have told us a stunning tale and now it is our turn to tell you a similar story which will astonish you. We were travelling merilly on this boat. The air was favourable. Presently an animal swam to the surface; it was carrying this child on its back. The moment this animal appeared on the surface we heard a super-natural voice: ''If you did not pick up this child from the back of the animal and keep him with you, your boat would be sunk.'' One of us rose and picked up the child from the back of the animal. The animal then went under the water. Your tale and ours, both are very strange, and all of us take a vow that henceforth the Magnificent Lord shall not find us sinning. Later they all offered penitence. How Magnificent is the Pure Lord! How Considerate! The Most Benificent! And the Pure One who comes to the aid of the afflicted at the time of distress. SOURCE: ''The Spectacle of Death, Inclding Glimpses of Life Beyond the Grave", by Khawaja Muhammad Islam (April, 1976).

As-Salaam alaikum, The Noble Prophet, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, asked Malakul Maut, "Do you not have an envoy (messenger) whom you may send before you present yourself [to a person], so that the people may be forewarned?" So the angel of death said: "By Allah, I have many such envoys, such as causes, sickness, old-age and deficiency in hearing and seeing. Now when people do not pay attention to all of this, then my envoys will not go on coming. Now, I come personally and after me no envoy will come". Related to this, the Prophet, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, said: "IF a person reaches the age of sixty, Allah has left him no excuse [for wrong actions in life]." Source: ''Expanding the Chest in Analyzing the Condition of the Deceased and the Graves", by Imam Jalaaluddin Suyuti.

As-Salaam alaikum, After the Holy Qur'an, Hadith-Nabiy, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, is the second most important source of Law and Guidance in Islam. The universally acclaimed and accepted sources of Hadith are:-- 1. Sahih of Muhammad Ibn Isma'il al-Bukhari (d.870) 2. Sahih of Muslim Ibn al-Hajj (d.875) 3. Abu Dawud al-Sijjistani (d.889) 4. Abu Isa al-Tirmidhi (d.892) 5. Ahmad Ibn Shu'ayb al-Nisa'i (d.915) Even after these, Hadith compilation continued for over a century; for example, Abu Bakr al-Bayhaqi (d.1066), Imam al-Nawawi (Gardens of the Righteous) and Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani (d.1449) among others. It is not only the 3,000 or 4,000 ahadith that Imam Bukhari, may Allah be Merciful to him, mentioned/related and the other 5 authentic reporters that are known and/or accepted as the only ahadith of the Prophet, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam. Bukhari, Ahmad, Nisa'i and others only picked those ahadith they considered as most important and acceptable in their view-point. This does not, however, mean that we throw away all what the Prophet, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, has said in his earthly life, consisting of hundreds/thousands of ahadeeth. There are over 40 different kinds of hadith. You cannot take one kind and and say, 'That is it'. For example, Muslim scholars do not base their fatwa only on Imam Bukhari's collection, but on hundreds of thousands ahadeeth. Aftre 23 years of the Prophet's Mission of delivering his Lord's Message, do you/we think he (Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam), mentioned (said) only 4,000 ahadeeth only? He sat with his companions at least 15-16 hours daily, guiding them, if you examine at an average hadith, it consists of 3, 4, 5 or may be 6 lines, some longer than that. Is that all that the Prophet taught all his life, 4,000 ahadeeth or 200 or even less per year? No, that simply is not possible,as the Prophet, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam said/mentioned hundreds of thousands of ahadeeth. One of the 4 illustrious Imams of the Ummah, Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, may Allah be Merciful to him, memorized more than 300,000 ahadeeth!!