Category Archives: S. Sunna

Objective of attending the majalis

Shaykh Mansur Ali Khan (Allah preserve him) said,

‘Every week we gather here to listen to religious discussion. It is imperative that we have a clear objective regarding these gatherings.

These are not lectures of formal religious education. These are training sessions (tarbiyeti) for the spiritual aspirants (salikeen).

Their objectives are, to

1. Create and nurture love of Allah and His beloved Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in our hearts.

2. Develop the habit of turning (ruju’) to Allah in all circumstances via supplication (dua).

3. Emulating the Sunna method of doing things in every aspect of life.

4. Becoming cognizant of here-after and accountability for one’s deeds.

It is essential to have these goals in mind. It makes the journey easier by keeping you on the track and retuning to it if you slip.’

Sunday majlis, Jeddah, 3rd July 2010

Bidah

lmam Ghazali has reported from our master Hasan Basri (Allah have mercy on them) a narrative that Satan said:

“I presented sinful deeds in an attactive form to the Muslims, but they nullified my efforts through repentance (istighfar). Then I presented before them vices in the garb of virtues, thus leaving no initiative for repentance.”

Instances of such vices are self-made innovations (bidah) in religious practices.

Vitues of Zikr, page 133

Real Message of Seerah

Sayyid wa sanadi Mawlana Mohammad Taqi Usmani (Allah preserve him) wrote:

“What really is important with regard to the Holy Prophet, (Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him) is,

first to follow his teachings,

and second to make his pious Seerah available to every Muslim,

to preserve it in the hearts of the Muslims from the very childhood,

to educate the family members to run their lives according to it and

to hold it as the most glorious example of the human conduct the universe has ever witnessed.

To do all this with utmost love and reverence, not manifested by some formal activities only, but also through actual behavior of following the Sunnah.

This cannot be done by merely holding processions and illuminating the walls.

This requires constant and consistent efforts and a meaningful program of education and training.”

Islamic Months: Rabiul Awal

The Prophetic advice

 

إذا قمت في صلواتك فصل صلاة مودع 

 ولا تتكلم بكلام تعتذر منه

 واجمع الإياس مما في أيدي الناس

An individual approached Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace) and requested for some concise advice.

The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said,

At the time of offering salat, pray as if this is your last prayer.

And

Do not speak anything for which you will have to apologize later.

And

Do not have any desire for what other people possess.

Ahamd via Jawahar al-Hikam, page 23

Seeker’s affliction

narcissim

Sidi Ahmad Zarruq al-Barnusi al-Fasi (Allah have mercy on him) [1442 – 1493 CE] said,

I have also seen that the seekers of this age are afflicted with five things:

1.The preference of ignorance over knowledge

2. Being deluded by every spiritual impostor

3. The inability to prioritize important matters

4. Using the spiritual path as a means to inflate the selfish soul

5. Attempting to expedite a spiritual opening without fulfilling its prerequisite conditions.

This has resulted in five other afflictions:

1. Preferring innovations as opposed to the tried and true prophetic practice (Sunna)

2. Following the people of claims and conceit as opposed to the truth

3. Acting on capricious desires in all of their affairs, even the most celestial

4. Preferring fantasies to realities

5. The manifestation of claims without sincerity.

Foundations of the Spiritual Path Translated by Shaykh Hamza Yusuf Hanson

The permissible mawlid

muhammad-saw

Hakim al-Umma Mawlana Ashraf Ali Thanawi (Allah ahve mercy on him) said regarding this,

The first type of gathering is that which does not contain any of the prevalent and customary restrictions (quyud). Neither [does it contain] mubah (permissible) restrictions nor makruh (prohibitively disliked) ones, i.e., it is free from all [sorts of] restrictions. For instance, a few people gathered by coincidence, no one had invited them with any extraordinary effort; rather they were gathered for some other permissible event. In this gathering, either by reading from a book or by delivering a lecture, the blessed event of the birth and the characteristics, habits, miracles and virtues of our Radiant Master (Allah bless him and give him peace), the Lord of the Universe, the Source of Pride for the Prophet Adam (may Allah’s peace be upon him), were narrated based on sound sources.

During this narration, if the need was felt to enjoin good actions and discuss religious rulings and one proceeded in doing so without hesitation or this gathering was held to listen to a religious discourse and within it these blessed events and virtues were narrated, then this is the type [of mawlid] that is permissible without any objection. Moreover, it is sunnah and mustahabb (recommended).

The Honorable Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) narrated his personal events and virtues in a similar way and later his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) narrated them, the chain of which continues through the hadith scholars of present with the blessings of Allah Most High and it will continue until the end of time.

Read the rest of article………………………Mawlid, Deoband and Hanafi fiqh

Source: Deoband.org

Vision of the Prophet

اللهم صل على حبيبك خير الخلق كلهم دائما” ابدا

gumbdekhizra

Shaykh Shah Wasiullah (may Allah have mercy on him) said,

“People yearn for vision of the Prophet (Allah’s blessing and peace be upon him) in their dream. However, this is not within our volitional achievements.  Therefore, I am telling you a method by which perpetual spiritual vision of the Prophet (Allah’s blessing and peace be upon him) can be achieved.

That method is, to be vigilant in keeping in mind and putting into action the Sunna of each occasion and activity. By doing so the impression and reflection of Prophet (Allah’s blessing and peace be upon him) will dominate your thoughts. And this is a magnanimous blessing!’

It is easy to say this.

In reality, in spite of being easy, recalling them (at the appropriate time) and acting on them is solely depended on facilitation (tawfiq) from Allah, Most High. In practical life usually we forget and action on Sunna is missed.  Therefore, we should (make it a habit to) supplicate, ‘O Allah! By Your mercy facilitate for us thorough following of the Sunna of your Beloved Prophet (Allah’s blessing and peace be upon him)’. ذالك فضل الله يوتيه من يشاء

alaikumsmall

Tazkira Musleh al-Ummat ra, page 99 – 100

Levels of following Sunna

alaikumsmall

 

Shaykh Sayyid Zawwar Hussain Shah (Allah have mercy on him) said,

‘Shaykh Mujaddid Alif Thani (Allah have mercy on him) has described seven levels of following the Sunna. (It is in his  maktubat, letter number 54, volume 2).

What the general public and scholars of the outward (ashab e zawahir)consider following of the Sunna is the very first level.’

 

Mahnama Tamir e ifkar, eshaet khas bayad Shaykh Syed Zawwar Hussain Shah (Allah have mercy on him), page 608

 

Following Sunna:Fana fi Rasul

maratibefana

Shaykh Fazlur-Rehman Ganjmuradabadi (Allah have mercy on him) replied to a question regarding this,

‘When the following of Sunna beomes an instinct then it is the condition of annihilation in the blessed Prophet (Allah’s blessing and peace be upon him), i.e. fana fi Rasul.’

Mahnama Tamir e ifkar, eshaet khas bayad Shaykh Syed Zawwar Hussain Shah (Allah have mercy on him), page 608

Teaching by example

darwazakhuld

Sayyidi wa sanadiShaykh Mufti Taqi Usmani (Allah preserve him) is in the blessed Medinah these days.

With the Saudi school mid year vacations there is a huge crowd of pilgrims.

Going for the Friday prayers an individual inquired the Shaykh where could he find him in the Haram.  The Shaykh replied that  usually he tries to be in the first row of the mosque.  To do so he left two and half hours before the juma salah time.

This apparently ‘ordinary thing’ is a teaching for all of us who are trying to improve their condition.

The excellence of praying in the first row, coming early for Friday prayers, sitting with the intention of e’itkaf, reading Holy Quran, reciting tasbih & salawat, offering salat at-tasbih, waiting for salah, etc. are things with numerous rewards mentioned in the Prophetic sayings.

Setting our priorities appropriately and useful utilization of time is the key to implementing these things in our practical life.

May Allah facilitate this for us. Amin!

Friday, 12th Feburary 2010, Medinah e munawwarah

The daily wird & Sunna!

tasbih1232

Stepping out of Masjid al-Haram, Makkah sayyidi wa sanadi  Shaykh Mufti Mohammad Taqi Usmani (Allah preserve him) replied to an individual’s question regarding the daily wird,

‘Keep the amount of the daily wird at the level which you can complete easily.  However, if on some day you have extra time and desire then go ahead and do more. ‘

He further instructed,

‘Read the book ‘Uswa e Rasool e Akram’ conscientiously and check which Sunna actions you are missing and then include them in your life.’

After esha, Monday 8 Feb 2010

Bab Abdul-Aziz, Masjid al-Haraam, Makkah e mukarramah

Love of the Prophet: Following his example!

daralmustafamosq

Imam Abdallah ibn Alawi al-Haddad (Allah have mercy on him) (d.1132 Hijri) said,

And know that the loftiest of models, the most noble and the greatest and the most binding to all Muslims is the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and grant him peace: verily he is by unanimous agreement the Greatest Exemplar.

And the obligation due to him is the greatest after that of Allah; and the adab with him the most emphasized of the aadab and obediences.

For whosoever loves him and immensely esteems him, he has indeed loved Allah and whosoever obeys him has indeed obeyed Allah. Says Allah, the Exalted: “Say, if ye do love Allah, follow me: Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. For Allah is the Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful” (âl-‘Imran: 31).

And says the Exalted: “He who obeys the Apostle, obeys Allah” (an-Nisaa: 80).

And says the Exalted: “So take what the Apostle assigns to you, and deny yourselves that which he withholds from you. And fear Allah; for Allah is strict in punishment” (al-Hashr: 7).

And says the Exalted: “Then let those beware who withstand the Apostle’s order, lest some trial befall them, or a grievous Penalty be inflicted on them” (an-Nur: 63).

Ad-dawa-tut-Taammah

Visit Darul Mustafa, Friday,  5th February 2010

Salah with congregation

darulUloom masjid

Sayyidi wa sanadi Shaykh Mawlana Mohammad Taqi Usmani (Allah preserve him) encourages us to read the biographies of our elders (akabir).

One of the benefits of doing this is to get the motivation (hal) for our own reformation (islah).

Following incident has a great lesson for all of us.

‘Shaykh Syed Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi (Allah have mercy on him) [d.1999] was very particular about performing salâh with congregation from a young age together with waking up for the night salâh (tahajjud), reciting the Qur’ân and daily remembrance of Allâh . This continued during his old age and time of weakness as well.

On one occasion (in the forties) he went on foot from Nadwatul ‘Ulamâ’ to his house in Lucknow with this in mind that he will perform the ‘ishâ salâh at the musjid near his house. When he reached there, the salâh was already over. So he went to another musjid and found that the people had completed their salâh there as well. He was most disturbed by this until someone informed him that a third musjid has the ‘ishâ congregation a bit later. He reached this musjid and joined the congregation. He experienced unexplainable joy at this.’

Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi: Al Alimul Murrabi Wa Daiyutul Hakeem