Dzikr « Seeking His Pleasure Through Patience

More than ourselves

June 4, 2009 at 21:24 | In Dzikr, General Musings | Leave a Comment
Tags: allah, dzikrullah, hadith, islam, muhammad, nabi, Prophet, rasulallah, Rasulullah, reflections, sunnah, zikrullah

Assalaamu’alaikum everyone!

I’ve decided to take a break from posting at my personal blog and sharing stuff on Facebook. And MSN as well. =) I can’t, unfortunately, take a break from e-mail as I have to use it to fulfil several responsibilities. But I think I’ll still be sharing my thoughts and knowledge here. =)

I sensed a subtle but growing addiction to Facebook and MSN, which pretty much screwed up my intentions and practically depleted my remembrance of Allah swt and my love for Rasulullah s.a.w. It may not seem like a major sin, but to me it’s practically a death sentence. Yeah, I’m a little bit on the extreme side when it comes to this =)

Anyway, what triggered this action was a video interview of Shaykh Hamza Yusuf in which he spoke about The Essence of Mawlid, from Ustaz Noor Deros’ videos. When I saw how emotional he got when he was describing the Sahabah’s love for Rasulullah s.a.w., I realised mine was at, what, 5%?

I knew then, it was time to detach myself from the online dunya for a while. =)

Anyway, I found this while I was trying to find a hadith that Shaykh Hamza mentioned in the video that reduced me to tears.

May this benefit all of us Insya’Allah =)

Fi Amanillah

DEVELOPING TRUE LOVE FOR ALLAH’S MESSENGER (SAAW):

Having the proper love for Allah’s Messenger (SAAW) is a must for any Muslim who is striving to please his/her Lord and who seeks his/her Lord’s Forgiveness. Learning how to properly apply this love for the last Nabee (SAAW) is to properly implement the testimony: wa ash hadu ana Muhammadan rusulu Allah (SAAW).

Indeed, one cannot just say he/she loves the Prophet (SAAW) while his/her actions and ‘Aqeedah are fundamentaly against what the Prophet (SAAW) brought (i.e. the Qur’an and the authentic Sunnah). Hence, the first step in the process of developing this love is to acknowledge that the Prophet (SAAW) has a claim over the believers.

Allah has said in the Qur’an (what means): “The Prophet (SAAW) is closer to the believers than their ownselves…” [Al-Ahzab: 6].

Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyyah (Rahimullah), one of the great scholars of this Ummah, relates that this Ayah means the Prophet (SAAW) has a “higher claim” on the believers than they have on themselves. This claim involves two important matters:

1. WE CONSIDER ALLAH’S MESSENGER (SAAW) TO BE DEARER THAN OUR OWN SELVES.

This is so because this claim is based on love. One has the most claim to oneself for one loves oneself more than anything. Thus, a person knows what types of foods, clothing, etc. he/she likes to eat, drink, etc. more than all others. However, when it comes to Islam, we know that Allah knows us better than we know ourselves; thus, we submit to Him and His Orders. We it comes to the Prophet (SAAW), we are to love him more than our own selves; thus, we too put his commandments above our own opinions, logic, etc.

Once this true love is established, compliance, obedience, satisfication with his (SAAW) jugdements, and other matters related to true love will follow. This is confirmed in the following authentic Haadith found in Sahih Al-Bukhari:

Narrated ‘Abd Allah bin Hisham: ‘We were with the Prophet (SAAW) and he was holding the hand of ‘Umar ibnu Al-Khattab (RAA). ‘Umar said to him, “O Allah’s Messenger (SAAW)! You are dearer to me than everything except my ownself.” Allah’s Messenger (SAAW) said: “No, by Him in Whose Hand my soul is, (you will not have complete Faith) untill I am dearer to you than your ownself.” Then ‘Umar (RAA) said: “However, now, by Allah, you are dearer to me than my ownself.” He (SAAW) then said: “Now, O ‘Umar, (now you are a believer).”

LESSONS FROM THIS HADITH:

A. The Negation and Affirmation:

The Prophet (SAAW) negates (i.e. rejects, denies) that a person can have complete Imaan with his statement, “No, by Him in Whose Hand my soul is…”. Thus, the affirmation, or condition of having complete Imaan, follows: “…until I am dearer to you than your ownself…”. Therefore, the Muslim will never attain true Imaan unless he/she considers the Prophet (SAAW) to be dearer to him/her than everything including one’s ownself.

B. Character of the Sahabah:

Upon hearing that true Imaan can only be achieved through loving the Messenger (SAAW) more than everything, including one’s self, ‘Umar (RAA) quickly complied with the commandment of the Prophet (SAAW). The Sahabah wasted no time in doing those acts which were pleasing to Allah and His Messeger (SAAW).

Read the rest of the article here: http://www.zawaj.com/knowledge/hadith/love_proph.html

Love for this world

May 29, 2009 at 23:12 | In Dzikr, General Musings | Leave a Comment
Tags: al-ghazzali, alchemy of happiness, allah, dzikrullah, islam, Rasulullah, reflections, spirtuality, tasawwuf

Assalaamu’alaikum =)

The past few weeks have been quite a trial for me personally. I could literally feel a growing, almost rapidly intensifying attachment to this dunya that we currently reside in. Numerous commitments due to the amanah Allah swt Has Entrusted to me for the past two and a half years have really made me far too attached to this world.

Not to mention to continuously be around friends who have little remembrance of Allah swt. No offence, but when I start forgetting about Allah swt, my emotions would overtake my senses. Be it by being too happy or too sad or too angry. Astaghfirullahaladzhim…

May Allah swt strengthen our Iman…

I thank Allah swt for Blessing me with this book that I bought during a SimplyIslam event. It’s been a wonderful reminder for me not to be attached to this world. I’ll be sharing a fair bit of it here, and may it benefit us all Insya’Allah.

Fi Amanillah =)

Imam Al-Ghazzali On the Treatment of Love for This World from the Alchemy of Happiness

Translated by Muhammad Nur Abdus Salam

(Extract)

2. The True Nature of the Baseness of This World

Know that we have discussed this subject in the Topic: The Gnosis of This World. In this place this much must be learned, that the Messenger (s.a.w.) has said: “The world is accursed by all that is in it, except that part of it which is according to God Most High.”

Consequently, one must know that which is for God Most High, as it is not accursed, and that which is outside of it is accursed and the love for it is the beginning of all sins. Therefore, know that all that there is in the world is of three kinds:

(1) The first is that the exterior and the interior of which is of the world and cannot be for the sake of God. That is all sin, for the intention and objective is not for God Most High. Enjoying the permitted comforts of life are included as they are merely for the world and seeds of pride and heedlessness and the leaven of all sins.

(2) The second kind is that which is apparently for God, but it is possible that by intention be part of the world. These are three: thought, remembrance (of God), and opposition to lust. These three, if they are the sake of the Hereafter and the love of God Most High, even though they concern the world, are for the God Most High.

If the motive for thought is seeking knowledge in order to obtain acceptance and rank, if the motive for remembrance is that people will consider him pious, and if the motive for self-restraint from the world is that he be considered an ascetic, they are worldly, censurable, and accursed, even though in appearance they appear to be for the sake of God.

(3) The third kind is that it appears to be for one’s self-pleasure, but it may become possible that the aim and intention be for God and not for the world, such as eating food when the objective is strength for worship, or marrying when the objective is producing children, or going after some small wealth in order to have the leisure to worship and to be self-sufficient from others.

…

Therefore, know that whatever of all of this is for the Hereafter is also of the Hereafter, and enjoyment and an excess of sustenance is not for the Hereafter. Indeed the world is divided into three degrees:

1) the amount absolutely necessary for food, clothing, and shelter

2) beyond that, the amount for the satisfaction (of needs)

3) and beyond that, the amount for adornment and an increase of luxury, for which there is no end.

Whover contents himself with the necessary is saved. Whoever has reached the level of luxury has fallen into a chasm which has not bottom. Whoever contents himself according to his satisfaction is not free of danger, for satisfaction has two aspects: one that is closer to necessity, and the other which is closer to enjoyment.

It may be that an excess which is not required may be considered a requirement (for satisfaction) and one may be in danger of being called to account (at the Resurrection). The saints and the resolute contented themselves with the amount absolutely necessary.

May Allah swt Protect us all from our own greed and lust.

Undescribable.

May 7, 2009 at 18:55 | In Dzikr, Islamic videos | Leave a Comment
Tags: allah, islam, muhammad, Prophet, Rasulullah, dzikrullah, rasulallah, qur'an, zaytuna institute, burdah, hamza yusuf

Allah Has Sent down the Best Statement, a Book (this Qur’an), its parts resembling each other (in goodness and truth) (and) oft-repeated.

The skins of those who fear their Lord shiver from it (when they recite it or hear it). Then their skin and their heart soften to the remembrance of Allah.

That is the Guidance of Allah. He Guides therewith whom He Wills; and whomever Allah sends astray, for him there is no guide.

Surah Az-Zumar| Chapter 39|Verse 23

Surah Ar-Rahman

April 15, 2009 at 00:08 | In Dzikr, qur'an | 2 Comments
Tags: allah, ar-rahman, dzikrullah, islam, koran, qur'an, reflections, zikrullah

Assalaamu’alaikum everyone!

I hope you’re all doing fine, Insya’Allah. Yours truly? Haha, I’m having a wee bit of a cough right now. No worries, though, it’s just due to a week full of camps and abrupt temperature changes =)

Oh yes, and Thank You Ya Rabbi for Blessing me with the strengths that I prayed for. Truly, You Are The Most Merciful.

Today, I’d like to share with you a wonderful Surah that was presented in a camp I attended in late March. Masya’Allah what a wonderful reminder it was and still is.

Yes, it’s none other than Surah Ar-Rahman. It made me realise just how much Allah swt Loves us… and how ungrateful we always are.

I think the translation is pretty clear about the message the Surah intends to convey, so I’m not going to decipher it. I’m not even qualified to do so! =)

So with that I shall leave you with a recitation (with English translation) of the Surah.

There is just one ayaah that struck me. That really really struck me.

Perhaps that is why Allah swt Has Chosen to repeat it after every two or three ayaahs =)

Wallahu’alam