Abu Hafsat

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!!

As-Salaam alaikum, The Noble Prophet, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, said: "Death is a blessing, sin is catastrophe, dependency (poverty) is tranquility, richness is a torment, intelligence is an Allah given gift, ignorance is misleading, tyranny is regrettable, obedience is coolness to the eyes, weeping in the pleasure of Allah is salvation, whilst laughing is (cause for) destruction, and one who (sincerely) repents from his sins is like one who has no sins." Source: "Expanding the Chest in Analysing the Condition of the Deceased and the Graves", by Imam Jalaaluddin Suyuti.

As-Salaam alaikum, Anas Ibn Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, said: I heard the Messenger of Allah, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, saying:-- "O People! Don't you see those who are taken by surprise and are disturbed while most secure, those who lived in error and followed their lust, until the messenger of their Lord came to them. So they could not accomplish (in their life) what they hoped for, nor could they return to what they lost. Rather they came to what they committed and they regretted what they left behind. However, regret did not help them since everything has been recorded. May Allah bestow His Mercy on a person who committed good deeds, spent his wealth moderately, spoke the truth, controlled his desires and did not let them control him, and disobeyed the urges of his false self so he did not perish." SOURCE: "Sermons of the Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W), by Abu Nasr Muhammad Ibn Wad'an.

As-Salaam alaikum, The other day, I found a wonderful piece of soothing entry in a book titled: 'The Drowned Book'--Ecstatic and Earthly Reflections of Bah'uddin, father of the celebrated, Poet, Jalaluddin Rumi. That is where he said/wrote:-- "This is how Allah talked to the Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam), saying, "We have given you victory" (48:1) "We have sent down to you a Book" (4:105) "Have We not expanded your heart" (94:1) They spoke like friends. Has anyone else had such an experience? And since the Divine Mystery is part of everything and everyone, must there not be such nearness inside everyone? An answer came to this wondering argument. There are ways unique to each soul. One gets handed pain, another love, another lust. One must go through terrible punishments, another extensive comforting... but the way of Allah with Prophets is on another level, where miracles, grace and visions of the unseen world come. Aspire to that plane, otherwise you will continue to speak with Allah about heat and cold, food, livelihood, sleep, waking and the various human theories about mystery. My prayer is...when I am alone with You, let me feel the pleasure of a surrendered Love. Give me the oneness as I sit by myself beyond the satisfaction of any desire".

As-Salaam alaikum, Allahu Tabaraka Wa Ta'ala says in the Holy Qur'an:-- "Say (O Muhammad): If you love Allah, then follow me. Allah will love you and forgive you your sins." (3:31) "Whatever the Messenger gives you [then] take it and whatsoever he prohibits you from [then] refrain from it." (59:7) As observed by Imam al-Dhahabi in his Siyar A'lam al-Nubala (Beirut: Mu'assasah al-Risala, 1998) in order not to be "empty, hollow, a mere shell without substance, we must each have a serious regime of spiritual practices where prayer, fasting, Zikr and other religious practices are internalized; where true sincerity is cultivated and where the ego is tamed and trained." Further to this, the Imam advised that as Muslims conscious of being on a journey towards meeting Allah Ta'ala on the Day of Judgement, we must be circumspect in our food and speech, guard our tongue, make Zikr continuously, not socialising with people too much and be weeping over our sins. We should, also, be reciting the Holy Qur'an calmly, distinctly and ponder over it, detest our ego (nafs) and rebuke it for Allah's sake, engage in voluntary fasts, pray Tahajjud regularly; be humble with people; maintain ties of kinship; be tolerant and largehearted; smile a lot, spend on relatives and dependants, speak the truth even if bitter, mildly and without haste or frustration; eating only what is lawful at all times and seeking forgiveness of Allah (Istighfar) abundantly in private. Such are the characteristics of the Awliya, and the qualities of the Muhammadans... may Allah Ta'ala grant us the ability to adopt these qualities and keep us in them up to our last breathe...ameen. Best Regards.

As-Salaam alaikum, A contemporary of Sayyadi Hassan Basri, Shaykh Maalik Ibn Dinaar, may Allah be Merciful to them both, once rented a room next to the home of a Jew. His room was adjacent to the entrance of the Jew's home. The Jew spitefully always deposited garbage and filth in Maalik's entrance. Even his musalla would at times be soiled. This continued for a long period, but Maalik Ibn Naadir never complained. One day the Jew came and said: "Does the garbage I deposit in front of your room not distress you?" Maalik: "It does distress me, but I wash and clean the place." Jew: "Why do you tolerate so much distress?" Maalik: "Allah has promised substantial reward for those who contain their anger and forgive people". Jew: "Truly, your Deen is beautiful. It commands toleration of even hardships presented by enemies." The Jew was so affected by the beautiful conduct of Maalik Ibn Dinaar that he embraced Islam. For further details on this, see: "SCATTERED PEARLS-SELECTED SAYINGS AND ANECDOTES OF ILLUSTRIOUS AULIYA", by Mujlisul Ulama of South-Africa.

As-Salaam alaikum, Find below some highly inspiring quotes from some fine minds of the Ummah:--- "Allah Ta'ala also has Paradise and Hell on earth. Paradise is safety and Hell is unsafety. Paradise is to assign all affairs to Allah. Hell is to assign all affairs to the Nafs-e-Ammaarah".- Sayyadi Abu Muhammad Ja'far Saadiq "Safety is in solitude. True solitude is that there is no room in the heart for thinking of others [besides Allah]. Solitude in which the mind is occupied with the thoughts of others is defective." - Sayyadi Uwais Qarni Once, Sayyadi Ibrahim Ibn Adham, may Allah be Merciful to him, asked a man: "Do you wish to enter the assembly of the Awliyaa of Allah? Have no care for either this world or the next. Become absorbed in Allah. Consume halal food even if you do not spend the night in prayer and the day in fasting." "No one has attained Sainthood by [only] Sallat, Hajj and Jihad. But he who knows what he is eating, attains Sainthood.." - Ibrahim Ibn Adham (We should be mindful of the food and drink we consume...avoiding haraam food and beverages) Culled from: "Scattered Perals-Selected Sayings and Anecdotes of Illustrious Auliya", by Mujlis Ulama of South Africa.

As-Salaam alaikum, If a man is not looking after himself and becomes ill and then says: What can I do, it is Allah's will- he is wrong. You can protect yourself. If one is taking care of the body and then becoming ill anyway, then Allah is sending the illness. A man who leaves his cows on the mountain to be eaten by wolves can't say afterwards:- 'It was Allah's will that my cows die' He must protect them and put them into pens', then if they die it is Allah's will. You have something to do with your willpower. It is not a general will, but it is enough for you, like the headlights of a car are not lighting up every place, but light enough for driving. We have such a will to arrange for our life. You may plow and plant the seeds, but you cannot rain, you cannot make the grains to sprout. Allah Ta'ala completes the plant. In order to go on Hajj one must get his passport in order, prepare with things connected with such trip/travel and then put the responsibility on Allah. We have a choice, and when we have choice, we have responsibility. One saying that he/she is not responsible is out of order; he is a sinner. When completing all the things you can do, then give it over to your Lord. The authority for this is in the Hadith wherein it was reported that a man once came to the Prophet, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, and when asked what he had done with his camel, he replied that he left it to the trust of Allah. The Prophet, alaihi salaat was-salaam, told him "Aqil wa tawakkil...tie it, then trust in Allah". This gives a perfect arrangement for our lives-- if you are not trying then it is not true to say: I am trusting in Allah. When you know what you can do, you must do that. Do not neglect your responsibility. Adapted from: 'Mercy Oceans Book 2", Teachings of Sheikh Abdullah ed-Dagistani.

As-Salaam alaikum, Ayat 47 of Surat Anbiya of the Holy Qur'an reads:-- "We shall set up just scales on the Day of Resurrection..." (21:47) We should note that it is not flour or bread that will be weighed in these scales, but our words uttered with the tongue, what we touch, what we do with our hands and where we go using our feet... our stomach(s).. our genitals. Did we guard them? We must guard our bodily parts/limbs, so that we are not hindered from maintaining fidelity to Allah Almighty. And we can only apply proper discipline to our canal soul and the body by diligently observing the Islamic religious Law/Shari'a and Prophetic Sunnah.

As-Salaam alaikum, We traditionally say ameen or amin, when the last ayat/verse of Surat al-Fatiha is recited [Nor the path of those who go astray] during the canonical prayer, or as part of other prayers or invocations when one person make a Du'a (supplication) on behalf of and in the presence of others, it is likewise customary for the congregation to say ameen. As noted by Imam Sahl Ibn Abdullah al-Tustari, may Allah be Merciful to him, in his Tafsir al-Tustari, Muhammad Ibn Sawwar related from Ibn Uyayna from 'Amr Ibn Dinar on the authority of Jabir Ibn Abdullah, may Allah be pleased with him, who related that the Messenger of Allah, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, said:-- "Keep to the straight path [though] you will not be able to encompass [all good actions]. Know that the best of your actions is prayer, and [indeed] only a believer observes ablution carefully. Whenever the Imam says Nor [the path] of those who go astray [1:7], you should say ameen, for Allah is pleased with the one who says it, and He accepts his prayer and responds to his supplication." In another wording, on the authority of Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, Al-Zuhri related from Ibn al-Musayyab that the Prophet, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, said:-- "When the Imam says, Nor [the path] of those who go astray, say Ameen, for truly the angels say Ameen, and the one whose pronouncement of 'Ameen' is simultaneous with that of the angels will be forgiven for all his previous sins."

As-Salaam alaikum, Thank you for the rather elaborate explanatory notes/post above on the Ahlul-Bayt... Members of the Household of the Noble Messenger of Allah, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, may Allah be pleased with them all. Sidi Muhiyidden Ibn Arabi, may Allah be Merciful to him, in his Futuhat Makkiyyah, observed tha "the Prophet's house has 2 doorways: the lower house (baytihi al-adna)- his biological family and his higher house (baytihi al-a'la)- Muhammad's spiritual family". In this regards, Ibn Arabi differentiates between the terms al and ahl: while ahl- points to the biological family of the Prophet (as in the expression ahl al-bayt), al designates his closest and most unique companions (Khassa)- the righteous ones, those who possess knowledge of Allah, the believers (al-Salihuna al-ulama bi-llah al-mu'minuna)- the mystics, who enjoy general prophecy (nubuwa amma)... to be distinguished from legislative Prophecy (nubuwa al-tashri). It may also happen, nevertheless, as in the case of Hassan, Hussein, Jafar al-Sadiq and others, that certain members of ahl al-bayt are also the al of Muhammad, that is, righteous believers who possess Divine Knowledge.

As-Salaam alaikum, The Noble Messenger of Allah, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, said:-- "The thing which has obscenity will be spoilt by it and the thing which has modesty will be beautified by it." (Tirmidhi) This hadith informs us of the secret of appearing truly beautiful. We especially need to be reminded of this hadith in current times, when modesty is attacked as lack of confidence and vulgarity is praised as boldness. Subhanallah!! truly, values are inverted as the Day of Judgement approaches.

As-Salaam alaikum, In ayat 41 of Surat Ahzab of the Holy Qur'an, Allah Ta'ala says:-- "O you who believe! Celebrate the Praises of Allah, and do this often." (33:41) ..do this often.. what is meant by abundant Zikr? At all times a person is either lying down, sitting or on his feet. Abundant zikr refers to remembering Allah Ta'ala at all times in these states. A little zikr does us no good.. no benefit. "Little do they hold Allah in remembrance" (4:142)....as a result, "(They are) distracted in mind even in the midst of it, being (sincerely) for neither one group nor for another whom Allah leaves straying, never will you find for him the way" (4:143) A person whose Zikr is insufficient becomes a victim of doubt. You see him not treading the path with confidence... his feet falter and he constantly changes direction. On the other hand, abundance of Zikr eliminates the darkness of the heart... the filth of thought (fikr) is only removed by the abundance of remembrance of Allah (dhikr).. Jallah-Jalalahu. We must strive to remember Him, Tabaraka Wa Ta'ala, lying down, sitting and whenever we are on our feet. Our hearts should be connected with our Lord in every situation until traces of sinfulness are erased from our veins and muscles.

As-Salaam alaikum, Welcome to the Muslim Believers drug store. It is very well stocked with what you need! Pill No. 1-- Say: "La ilaha illa Allah, Muhammad-r-Rasulullah" [ I testify that there is no God besides Allah; He is alone, He has no partner, and I (further) testify that Muhammad is indeed His Messenger]. Directions:-- Say it with belief and conviction. Effect:-- It will open for you the door of Power and Mercy. ...................... Pill No. 2-- Say: "La Haula Wala Quwata illa Billah" [There is no strength nor power save in Allah, the Exalted, the Magnificent]. Directions:-- Say it with belief and submission. Effect:- Your weakness will become strength, and if you are despaired, Light will fill your heart with hope and faith, as a result of this pill. ...................... Pill No. 3-- Say, "Alhamdu Lillah" [ie Praise be to Allah, Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala]. Directions:-- Say it from your heart with a smile on your face in whatever situation you have. Effect:- The Creator will be pleased with you, and if so what else do you need? ....................... pill No. 4-- Say: "Inna Lillahi Wa inna Ilaihi Raji'oon" [ie Surely, we are Allah's and to Him shall we return] Directions: Say it with belief, submission and contentment. Effect:- The Almighty promises that He will shower you with His blessing and bounty. And He will bring His mercy over you and He will guide you. ............ Pill No. 5- Say: "Hasbia Laahu Wa Ni'emal Wakeeel" [ie Allah is sufficient for us and He is the Best Guardian] Directions: If a situation arises which you cannot handle, be patient and say the above with complete submission. Effect: The Creator, Allahu Tabaraka Wa Ta'ala, promises that He will be there for you and will take care of you. What else do you/we need? ALHAMDU-LILLAHI RABBIL ALAMEEN.