Abu Hafsat

As-Salaam alaikum, Says 'Ayn al-Qudat Hamadani (d. 1131), the Iranian philosopher, theologian and judge:-- "So long as your heart is not cleansed of attachments, it will not be full of knowledge, light and gnosis." This goes to show that we have to rid ourselves of the things that keep us busy and attached to the world at the expense of being attached to Allah, Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala. If these attachments are not severed from the soul and from a person's psyche, purity of heart and true knowledge will not come about. Another way 'Ayn al-Qudat speaks of purifying the heart of all alterity is by drawing attention to what it is and where it is to be found: 'The heart of the believer is at once Allah's intimate, His lover and the locus of His mysteries'. And then he quotes the hadith: "The heart of the believer is the throne of the All-Merciful." Indeed, the heart is the object of Divine gaze and is worthy of this, just as was/is testified in the hadith: "Verily Allah does not look at your appearances and your wealth, He looks at your hearts and your deeds." (Muslim) For further reading, see: 'Ayn al-Qudat, 'Tamhidat, ed. Afif Osayran (Tehran: Asatir, 1988).

"-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 religion's 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." (Jalaluddin Rumi in his Mathnawi, Vol 1, Book 1, Trans. R.A Nicholson). In itself, worldly wealth is good, the worldliness from which we have to seek deliverance is in desiring riches and becoming attached to them.... because more often than not, love of wealth enters the heart and destroys its purity. According to Qisasu-l-ambiya (Tha'alabi), the humility of Prophet Suleiman, peace be upon him, was so great that he would often consort with the lowly, saying, "A lowly man sits beside one who is lowly." A believer whose heart is closed against worldly desires can never sink and perish; his spiritual poverty enables him to surmount every temptation and live in perfect peace with God, scorning the kingdom of this world which belongs to him as God's vicegerent.

As-Salaam alaykum, "Choice is the salt of worship- the spheres turn, but not because they want to. Their turning is neither rewarded nor punished, for, at the time of reckoning, choice bestows excellence." Jalaluddin Rumi in his Mathnawi (Nicholson edition), Book 3. In Islam, it is a common notion that the Divine motivation for creating the Universe is love. What makes human beings special, among all God's creatures, is that they have the capacity to worship and love God Almighty freely in response to His love for them. All other things simply serve God as they were created to serve Him, with no free choice on their parts. Theologically, this distinction is seen in God's 2 Commands: He issues the command 'KUN' (Be!) to all things, and they can do nothing but obey; this is the creative command...the engendering command-- al-amr takwini. To us human beings and jinn, He also issues the Command, 'Do this and don't do that', and they accept or reject it on the basis of their own free choice... this is the prescriptive command-- al-amr taklifi. Only those who choose freely to love and worship God (Allah Ta'ala) can love Him with worthy love. If love were to be coerced, it would not be love. This is one reason why the Holy Qur'an states: "THERE IS NO COMPULSION IN THE RELIGION" (2:256)

As-Salaam alaikum, Someone asked Sayyadi Ibraahim Ibn Adham, may Allah be Merciful to him: "How do you spend your time"? He replied:-- "I have 3 vehicles. When I acquired Ni'mat (bounty), I ride the vehicle of Shukr and go to Him. When I worship, I ride the vehicle of Ikhlas to Him. When I commit a sin, I ride the vehicle of Istighfar and go to Him [Allah Ta'ala]". Sayyadi Fuzail Ibn Iyaaz, may Allah be Merciful to him, said:-- "All things fear a man who fears Allah, and a man who does not fear Allah fears all things." He also said:- "A man's zuhud on earth is proportionate to his love for the Aakhirah." (The greater his love for Aakhirah, the more will he abstain from the world and its pleasures). SOURCE: 'SCATTERED PEARLS-SAYINGS AND ANECTODES OF THE ILLUSTRIOUS AWLIYAA', by Mujlisu Ulama of South Africa.

As-Salaam alaikum, Man's limbs are subservient to his tongue. On this, the Noble Prophet, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, mentioned that:-- "Every morning the limbs in one's body plead to the tongue, 'O servant of Allah! Fear Allah for our sake, for we are with you. If you are straight, then we will also be straight and if you are crooked then we will also be crooked." (Mishkaat Shareef, pg. 413 vol.2 with reference to Tirmidhi). Negligence of the Tongue is dangerous. The Prophet, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, said:-- "At times man utters a statement that invites the wrath of Allah Ta'ala without him even realising it and this will eventually be a cause for him being placed in the very depth of Jahannum." (Mishkaat Shareef, vol. 2 pg. 411 with reference to Bukhari). From these 2 ahadeeth, we learn that safeguarding the tongue is of extreme importance. Not paying heed to the manner of its usage is a cause of great loss. We must take note accordingly. Best Regards.

As-Salaam alaikum, "There is security in solitude, freedom in the absence of desire, friendship in lack of envy, joy in patience. There is no glory for the greedy person, nor is there humiliation for the person who is content. The freeman becomes a slave because of his immoderate desires, and the slave is freed through contentment." (Shams Tabriz).

As-Salaam alaikum, Abu Huraira, may Allah be pleased with him, reported Allah's Messenger, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, as saying :-- "A strong believer is more lovable to Allah than a weak believer, and there is good in everyone, (but) cherish that which gives you benefit (in the Hereafter) and seek help from Allah and do not lose heart, and if anything (in the form of trouble) comes to you, don't say: if I had done that, it would not have happened so and so, but say: Allah did that what He had ordained to do and your "if" opens the (gate) for Satan." (Sahih Muslim).

As-Salaam alaikum, "The person who reaches the spiritual station of Islam (outward submission) never tires from performing good actions, while the person who reaches the spiritual station of Imaan (inner surrender) no longer sees his actions, and the person who reaches the spiritual station of Ihsan (beauty of soul) no longer sees himself. " - - Sheikh Ahmad Ibn Ajiba, in his 'The Divine Openings - al-Futuhat al-ilahiyyah'.

As-Salaam alaikum, Give some deep reflection and you will come to realize that whatever becomes to manifest in our soul and its locus of manifestation [mazahar], which is the body, is nothing but the traces of Almighty Allah's Divine Names... nothing but Allah's Names working/showing their effects on us. Just consider it: our body's movements and stillness, the words and deeds, the guises and states and all the attributes-- all are traces of the Divine Names included in the name Allah. For example, our hering is the trace of the Name Sami'un (Hearing); the soul's seeing is the trace of the Name Seeing (Baseer), its smelling is the trace of the Name Finder (Wajiid); its tasting is the trace of the Name Provider, the soul's touching is the trace of the Name Alive; its eating and drinking are the trace of the Name Nourisher; its sleep is the trace of the Name Death-Giver (Mumeet); its waking, moving and striving are traces of the Name Upraise (ba'ithu)..etc.. Note this well, not a moment do we pass through outside Allah's close watch and assistance... Allahu Akbar..Wa Lillahil Hamd...

As-Salaam alaikum, Abu Ayub, may Allah be pleased with him, narrates that the Prophet, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, said:-- "FOUR THINGS ARE AMONGST THE PRACTICES OF THE AMBIYAA-- CIRCUMCISION, APPLICATION OF PERFUME, ,MISWAAK AND MARRIAGE." (Ahmad and Tirmidhi).

As-Salaam alaikum, Imam al-Qushayri recounted the following story in his book, 'Epistle On Sufism' , where he said that Ibn al-Maliki related that Abu Hamza al-Khurasani said:-- "One year I went on the pilgrimage (to Makka on Hajj). As I was walking along the road, I fell into a well. My soul prompted me to cry for help. However, I said to myself: 'No, by Allah I will never cry for help! Before I could finish with this thought, 2 men passed by the mouth of the well. One of them said to the other: 'Come on let us cover the mouth of this well lest someone falls into it.' They brought some reed and mats and blocked off the mouth of the well. I wanted to cry out, then said to myself: 'I will cry to the One who is nearer to me than they! So I did not say a word. After a while, something came by, opened the mouth of the well, and lowered its leg into the pit, as if it wanted to tell me in a growl: 'Hold on to me'! When I realized that this [invitation] came from Him, I grabbed hold of it and it pulled me out. And lo! It turned out to be a lion. Then it went away. Suddenly [I heard] a voice, saying: 'Abu Hamza, isn't this better!? I have saved you from one peril with another one.!"

As-Salaam alaikum, Have you ever considered the acquisition of the sweetness of faith (Imaan) and that immense enjoyment in the worship (Ibaadah) we do? The pleasure a person finds in his Sallaah 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, 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.