Ayyaamum-ma'doodaat

Bismillah hir Rahman nir Raheem...
Allahumma salli 'alaa sayyidinaa Muhammad, wa 'alaa aali sayyidina Muhammad, wa baarik wa sallim.
As-salaamu 'alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu...

Alhamdulillahi Rabbil 'aalameen Allah subhaanahu wa ta 'aala in His Infinite Kindness and Mercy has brought yet another Ramadan into our unworthy cluches. If we hold fast to every second that ticks hastily by and strive to make each one shine, we will see the nur of each moment burning beautifully on the Day of Judgment, if Allah jalla jalaaluh in His Infinite Generosity wills it. Each neglected moment of this sweet month will make us weep a deep lament on that Day, drowning us in other-worldly sorrow.

Brothers and sisters in the nation of Ahmad salAllahu 'alayhi wasallam- take careful advantage of every second of this month... ensure that your every sigh breathes in accordance with the Qur'an and the sunnah of RasulAllah salAllahu 'alayhi wasallam. Fill your heart with remembrance of Allah 'azza wa jal, and empty it of anything other than Him. Make tawbah sincerely. "Tears flowing from the eyes purify the heart." Soothe your throbbing heart with dhikrullah... cloak your inner self with the perfectly beautiful qualities of the Beloved of Allah salAllahu 'alayhi wasallam... adorn your outer self with his sunnah. Run away from the smallest sin as though it is a burning, sighing, raging fire chasing diligently after you...

Submit. By the leave of Allah, it can be done. Now is the time to do it.

I ask that you please keep me in your du'as...
Was-salaam ma'al ikraam,
Zareen

A Garden of Jannah

Bismillah hir Rahman nir Raheem....

SubhaanAllah

Tazkiya

Bismillah hir Rahman nir Raheem
As-salaamu 'alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu : )

Hope you're all in the best of health and imaan, and increasing with each day.....

I was listening to Shaykh Kamal's (db) talk on Ramadan (a beautiful and beneficial talk, Masha'Allah... may Allah preserve and increase him) and he kept making the point that Ramadan is closely tied to tazkiya, which means purification of the heart... spiritual cleansing... essentially tasawwuf. He'd mention one aspect of Ramadan and then tie that point into tazkiya, so we could see how one of the main points of Ramadan is to help us purify our hearts so that we can be better slaves of Allah subhanaahu wa ta 'aala, and by His Mercy earn His Pleasure. So for example, he was saying how when you fast, you're willingly giving up that which is lawful for the sake of attaining the Pleasure of Allah 'azza wa jal. Therefore, it's even easier to leave that which is unlawful. So in Ramadan we should be careful to avoid any and every kind of sin... sins of the limbs (eyes, ears, tongue, stomach, hands, feet and privates), sins of the mind (sinful thoughts and recollections) and sins of the heart (sinful desires.) This is essentially one of the goals of tazkiya as well... or rather, one of the steps to attaining a pure heart... leaving any and every form of sin.

So anyway, he gives a few examples of how Ramadan is closely tied to tazkiya. The above was a sneak peak at what he says.. so that you'll want to go and hear the talk on your own, if you haven't already : ) Well, the point of my saying all this was that I stumbled upon this little article-type thing on tazkiya from another sister's blog (may Allah reward her) and I thought it was sooo beautiful Masha'Allah, so I thought I'd post it here. It's really quite short, so do take a glance at it. In fact, no- read it properly.... coz if you've read everything up until this properly and I'm a complete nobody, then for sure you should be reading this teeny little article by an amazing shaykh.

Enjoy : )


TAZKIYAH

Tazkiyah is the synonym of Tasawwuf. The literal meaning of Tazkiyah is purification, but in the terminology of the seekers (the Salekin those on the path to spiritual reformation) it means to purify ones soul from all sort of spiritual diseases and maladies, which can lead to displeasure of Allah Subhanahu Wata aala

Tazkiyah is extremely important for those who are in search for the love of Allah Subhanahu Wata aala. The main objective of Tazkiyah and Tasawwuf is to purify the heart before the true love of Allah Taala can penetrates in ones heart, similar to that when one begins to pray one has to purify his body.

Allah the Almighty says in the Holy Qur'an:

Indeed Allah loves those who repent and those who are clean"

For people to clean their physical bodies they need water, whether it is from a tap, well or river. In the same way for a person to clean his inner self (Nafs) he needs the water to flow from his eyes and his heart. The heart plays a great role here. Why? Because for true repentance and spiritual cleansing the tears have to flow from the heart before the tears flow from the eyes.

There is no tap that one can just turn on and expect to find clean water within the heart. Its source lies beneath the rocks of pride, jealousy, hatred, greed, ambition, doubt and so forth. Before the water comes bursting through the rocks, one has to begin the process of slowly but surely lifting away each rock, so that the water can flow through and the rays of the sun can enter those places, which were once covered in darkness by these rocks. If these rocks are removed then there is true spiritual reformation.

Allah the Almighty says in the Holy Qur'an

Indeed he is successful who purifies himself. (Surah as-Shams: 9)

It is only after cleansing the heart and the soul from spiritual diseases one is able to truly become aware of the presence of his Lord.

The Holy Qur'an and Ahadith are filled with warnings regarding specific diseases and their injurious and detrimental effects. Therefore it is essential to diagnose these diseases and find an effective cure in order to find serenity and peace in the hearts.

Allah Ta'ala says in the holy Qur'an:

Indeed whosoever purifies himself shall achieve success
(Surah al-Ghashiyah: 14)

http://www.khanqah.co.uk/Tasawwuf_article.htm

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Please take a moment to make du'a for all the 'ulema and awilyaa of today and of days gone by, those we know of and those awliyaa who spent their lives in silent worship of Allah subhaanahu wa ta 'aala and were never known.

Was-salaam ma'al ikraam,
Zareen

Talk by Hazrat Zulfiqar (db) for Sisters

Bismillah hir Rahman nir Raheem.
As-salaamu 'alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu : )

Masha'Allah Hazrat Zulfiqar Ahmad (db) recently did a talk for sisters and they already posted it online. It's not very long... I think it's about half an hour long, maybe less. It's in English : ) So those of us who need to struggle to understand an Urdu lecture can sit back and enjoy this one, alhamdulillah.

I highly, highly, highly recommend all sisters (and brothers, for that matter) hear this talk... you have the time alhamdulillah, why not tap into the barakah? SubhaanAllah, this man... his very cells beat in accordance with sunnah and love for Allah subhaanahu wa ta 'aala, and this is entirely evident in every word uttered from his lips.

One thing, though- don't let his accent deter you. We second-generation immigrants (and others as well) have this deep-rooted, preconceived notion regarding "molvi sahibs" with thick, desi accents and as soon as we hear their voices they become as background noise, to merely be tuned out... and I include myself in this category. But, subhaanAllah, after having met Hazrat Zulfiqar I've realized why shaytaan had to work so hard to get me (and many others) to blindly reject any and all subcontinental scholarship. If we open ourselves to this river of barakah and nur, with desire to draw near to Allah subhaanahu wa ta 'aala, we'll benefit more than we can imagine.

So anyway, insha'Allah definitely listen to this lecture with an open heart, desiring sunnah and seeking Allah... it can only benefit you.

Was-salaam ma'al ikraam,
Zareen

Hazratji's talk for sisters

Two Beautiful Narrations

Bismillah hir Rahman nir Raheem.
As-salaamu 'alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu : )

Below I have quoted two narrations, the beauty of which can not be expressed in words, only shed in tears. The purpose of my quoting these is to remind myself and others about the blessing of being given Islam. Without doubt the biggest blessing upon each and every Muslim is not his health, nor his wealth, nor his family, but the Prophet salAllahu 'alayhi wasallim and the message he brought mankind, which a select few were chosen to embrace. Within these narrations are also deep and pertinent lessons for us to reflect upon and inculcate. May Allah subhaanahu wa ta 'aala grant us the tawfiq to allow these words to reach past our eyes into our hearts. Ameen.

The following are quoted from Imam 'Abdallah ibn 'Alawi al-Haddad rahmatullahi 'alayhi in his book The Lives of Man translated by the well-known translator, Mostafa al-Badawi, may Allah subhaanahu wa ta 'aala preserve and increase him. The full title of the book is actually, The Way to Remember and Learn from the Lives of Man that Wane and Perish, and I highly recommend you buy this book and read it least once a month. It's short, but its message and reminder is of utmost importance. You can purchase the book from its publisher, Fons Vitae.


Wahb ibn Munabbih, may God show him His Mercy, said: When Moses, upon whom be peace, read the Tablets, he found mentioned in them the merits of the nation of Muhammad, may blessings and peace be upon him, and he said: "O Lord! Which is this mercy-given nation that I find in the Tablets?" God answered: "It is the nation of Ahmad, whose people are content with whatever little provision I give them, and I am content with whatever little good works they do. I make each one of them enter the Garden by his testimony that laa ilaaha ilAllah."

And then Moses said: "I find in the Tablets a nation of people who shall be resurrected and assembled on the Day of Rising with their faces like full moons. Let them be my nation!" But God replied: "They are the nation of Ahmad; I shall gather them resurrected on the Day of Rising, when their foreheads and limbs shall be blazing white from the effect of their wudu-ablutions and their prostrations."

Moses said: "O Lord! I find in the Tablets a nation of people whose clothes are on their backs and whose swords are on their shoulders, people of certitude and dependence [tawakkal]; they glorify God from minaret-tops, and they continue to seek to fight for every righteous cause, until they do battle against the Dajjal. Let them be my nation!" But He replied: "They are the nation of Ahmad."

Moses said: "O Lord! I find in the Tablets a nation for whom the [whole] earth is a place of worship and ritually pure, and for whom booty is lawful; let them be my nation!" But He replied: "They are the nation of Ahmad."

Moses said: "O Lord! I find in the Tablets a nation of people who fast the month of Ramadan for You, and whom You then forgive all they had done before; let them be my nation!" But He replied: "They are the nation of Ahmad."

Moses said: "O Lord! I find in the Tablets a nation of people who go on pilgrimage to the Invioble House for Your sake, whose longing for it is never exhausted, whose weeping is loud and tumultuous, whose talbiya is clamorous; let them be my nation!" But He said: "They are the nation of Ahmad."

Moses said: "What will you give them for that?" And God said: "I shall grant them more forgiveness, and shall allow them to intercede for those who come after them."

Moses said: "O Lord! I find the the Tablets a nation of people who ask forgiveness for their sins; when they raise their food to their mouths it does not reach their stomachs before they are forgiven; they start [eating] with Your name and end with Your praise; let them be my nation!" But He said: "They are the nation of Ahmad."

Moses said: "O Lord! I find the the Tablets a nation whose members will be the foremost on the Day of Rising, but are the last to be created; let them be my nation!" But He replied: "They are the nation of Ahmad."

Moses said: "O Lord! I find in the Tablets a nation of people whose gospels are held within their breasts and they recite them; let them be my nation!" But He answered: "They are the nation of Ahmad."

Moses said: "O Lord! I find in the Tablets a nation of people among whom when one of them intends a good deed but does not perform it, it is written as one good deed for him, while if he does perform it, it is written as ten to seven hundred times its worth; let them be my nation!" But God said: "They are the nation of Ahmad."

Moses said: "O Lord! I find in the Tablets a nation among whom, when one of them intends a sin but does not commit it, it is not written against him, while if he does commit it, it is written as a single sin; let them by my nation!" But He replied: "They are the nation of Ahmad."

Moses said: "O Lord! I find in the Tablets a nation who are the best of people, who exort to good and forbid evil; let them be my nation!" But He said: "They are the nation of Ahmad."

Moses said: "O Lord! I find in the Tablets a nation of people who will be resurrected and brought on the Day of Rising as three groups. One group shall enter the Garden without reckoning, another's reckoning will be easy and another will be rigorously judged, then made to enter the Garden; let them be my nation!" But He said: "They are the nation of Ahmad."

Moses said: "O Lord! You have spread out all this good for Ahmad and his nation; let me be a member of his nation!" But God told him: "O Moses! I have chosen and preferred you over other people with My Message and My Speech; take what I have given you and be one of the thankful."

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Ibn 'Abbas, God be pleased with him, said: 'The Messenger of God, may blessings and peace be upon him, said one day to his Companions: "What do you say of this verse: And you were not beside the Mountain when We called? [28:46] They said: "God and His messenger know best." And he told them, "When God spoke to Moses, upon whom be peace, he asked Him: 'O Lord! Have you created any creature dearer to You than myself? For You have chosen and preferred me over mankind, and did speak to me on Mount Sinai.' And God answered him saying: 'O Moses! Did you not know that Muhammad is dearer to Me than the rest of My creation? And that I looked into the hearts of My slaves, and, finding no heart humbler than yours, therefore chose and preferred you, with My Message and My Speech, over other men. Make sure, therefore, that you die in tawhid and the love of Muhammad!'

'Moses asked again: 'O Lord! Is there any nation dearer to You than mine? For You have shaded them with the cloud, and sent down to them honeydew [manna] and quails.' [2:57] And God replied: 'O Moses! Did you not know that the eminence of the nation of Muhammad over other nations is like My eminence over the whole of My creation?'

Moses asked: 'O Lord! Will I see them?' And He replied: 'You will not see them, but if you wish, you can hear their speech.' Moses said: 'I do so wish.'

And thus God the Exalted called: 'O nation of Muhammad!' And they all answered with one voice, from within the loins of their ancestors: 'Labbayk Allahumma Labbayk! [Here we are, O God! Here we are!]' And God the Exalted said: 'My blessings and peace are upon you; My Mercy has outsripped My Wrath; My Forgiveness has outstripped My Punishment; I forgave you before you even asked for My forgiveness; I answered you before you called upon Me; I gave to you before you asked of Me! Those of you who will meet me bearing witness that there is no god save God and that Muhammad is the Messenger of God, I will forgive them their sins.'"

'And the Prophet, upon whom be blessings and peace, continued and said: "And God wished to favour me with this, so He said (Exalted is He!): And you were not beside the Mountain when We called; i.e. [when We called] your nation to let Moses hear them speak."'

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Allahumma salli 'alaa sayyidinaa Muhammad...