Hazrat Ali’s Sermon on Eid ul-Fitr

Salaam and Greetings of Peace:

The blessed month of Ramadan will be over in a few days, and so it is fitting to repost this from last year.  On the day of Eid-ul-Fitr, Hazrat Ali (A.S.) delivered a sermon in which he said:

“O people! Verily this day of yours is the day when the righteous are awarded and the wretched are losers. It is a day which is similar to the one on which you shall be standing (before your Lord). Therefore, when you come out of your homes to go to places of your prayer, remind yourselves about the day when you (your souls) shall come out of your bodies to go to your Lord. When you stand on places of your prayer, remind yourselves of your standing in the presence of your Lord (on the day of Judgment). And when you return to your homes (after prayer), remind yourselves about your returning to your homes in Paradise. O Servants of Allah! Verily the minimum reward for those men and women who fasted (during Ramadan), is an Angel, who calls out to them on the last day of the month of Ramadan (saying): O SERVANTS OF ALLAH! REJOICE THE GLAD TIDING THAT ALL YOUR PREVIOUS SINS HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN…”

- From the Nahjul-Balaghah.

Eid-ul-Fitr is a unique festival. It has no connection with any historical event nor is it related to the changes of seasons or cycles of agriculture. It is not a festival related in any way to worldly affairs. Its significance is purely spiritual. It is the day when Muslims thank God for having given them the will, the strength and the endurance to observe the fast and obey His commandments during the holy month of Ramadan.

Alhamdulillah! May Allah bless us all, and grant that we use this Eid as a lens to focus the sun of good works, which have shone so brightly during Ramadan, to light the way through this coming year until the next Ramadan. Amin! Amin!

Eid Mubarak!

Ya Haqq!

A Special Ramadan Du’a (Prayer)

Salaam and Greetings of Peace:

Ramadan Mubarak!

The following is a du’a that is constantly read in Tarim, a town in the Wadi Hadhramawt, Yemen, throughout the blessed month of Ramadan. This beneficial du’a has been translated and made available through Sidi Amin Buxton (Allah preserve and increase him):

Sayyiduna Salman narrates that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) spoke to the Companions on the last day of Sha`ban. He informed them that they were about to enter a great and blessed month, a month in which there is a night better than a thousand nights. He mentioned some of the merits of the month of Ramadan. Then he said: “Do four things in abundance: two things with which you please your Lord, and two things which you cannot do without. As for the two things with which you please your Lord: your testification that there is nothing worthy of worship other than Allah and your seeking His forgiveness. As for the two things which you cannot do without: your asking Allah for Paradise and seeking refuge in Him from the Fire.”¹

The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) taught al-Sayyida `A’isha to say on Laylat al-Qadr:

“O Allah, truly You are all-Pardoning, You love to pardon so pardon us.”²

On the basis of these two hadiths the scholars and people of Tarim repeat the following du`a throughout the month of Ramadan:

أشْهَدُ أن لا إلهَ إلا الله نَسْتَغْفِرُ الله نسأَلُكَ الجنَّةَ ونَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ النَّار (3)

Ashadu alla ilaha illallah, nastaghfirullah, nas’aluk’l-jannata wa na`audhu bika min an-nar

“I testify that there is nothing worthy of worship other than Allah and we seek the forgiveness of Allah. We ask You for Paradise and take refuge in You from the Fire.” (3 times)

اللهمَّ انَّكَ عَفُوٌ تُحبُّ العفْوَ فَاعْفُ عَنَّا (3) يا كريم

Allahumma innaka `afuwun tuhibbu-l’`afwa f`afwa `anna

“O Allah, truly You are all-Pardoning, You love to pardon so pardon us” (3 times). On the third time say “O Most Generous” (Ya Karim).

1 Narrated by Ibn Khuzayma

2 Narrated by Ahmad, Ibn Majah and Tirmidhi with a sahih chain of transmission.

-  from Abdul Karim’s blog, Interpreter’s Path.

Note: Wadi Hadhramawt is a 220-mile wadi (seasonal river valley) which has a collection of 31 small sultanates with Aden in the middle. Hadhramawt is the biggest wadi in the Arabian Peninsula and runs for 99 miles through a stony desert. This area has been settled since at least the 3rd century AD and brilliant green fields ran alongside the wadi.

Ya Haqq!

Parable of the Old Man and the Sock

Salaam and Greetings of Peace:

A wise and saintly rich man, sensing his approaching death, called his son to his side and gave him these instructions:

‘My son, I shall be leaving you very shortly. On the day when I die, and they have washed my body and come to wrap it in the shroud, I want you to put one of my socks on my foot. This is my final request of you.’

Soon after this, the old man did indeed die, leaving behind his goods and property, his children and his dependents. Family, friends, acquaintances and neighbors attended his funeral. The body had been washed and was almost completely wrapped in the shroud, when the son remembered his father’s wish. Finding one of his old socks, he handed it to the washer of the dead, saying, ‘In accordance with my father’s last request, please put this sock on his foot.’

‘That is quite impossible:’ Said the man. ‘Such a thing is utterly impermissible in Islam. I cannot act against the Shariah.’ Despite this valid objection, the son insisted, ‘That was my father’s final request; it must certainly be carried out.’

The washer of the dead was unmoved. ‘If you won’t take my word for it,’ he said, ‘go and ask the Mufti. He will confirm what I tell you, that it is not permissible. ‘Holding up the funeral, they consulted the Mufti, and also preachers and scholars, all of whom declared that this was not permissible in Islam. Just then, an aged friend of the deceased interrupted the debate with these words to the son: ‘My boy, your late father entrusted me with a letter which I was to hand over to you after his departure. Here, this letter belongs to you.’ So saying, he gave him an envelope. Taken by surprise, the boy opened the envelope and read out the contents of his father’s letter.

‘My son, consider all this wealth and property I have left to you. Now you see, at the last moment they won’t even let you give me an old sock to wear. When you yourself come one day to be in my condition they will also refuse to let you keep anything but your shroud. Eight yards of shroud are all you will be able to carry over from this fleeting world into the Hereafter. So pull yourself together and be prepared. Spend the fortune I have left you not for the satisfaction of vain desires, but in ways pleasing to Allah, that you may achieve honor in both worlds.’

The parable of those who spend their property in the way of Allah is as the parable of a grain growing seven ears (with) a hundred grains in every ear; and Allah multiplies for whom He pleases; and Allah is Ample-giving, Knowing. – (Surah Baqarah: 261)

O Allah! Grant us the love of giving. O Allah we are misers, so help us to be generous. O Allah, You are to be called upon, and we are calling upon You. O Allah, answer our call!

Ameen!

Ya Haqq!

The Blessed Month of Sha’ban

Salaam and Greetings of Peace:

The Sha‘bān Letter

- compiled and translated by Sidi Amjad Tarsin

All praises are due to Allah the Exalted who has blessed us to be on the doorstep of Ramadan. Many of the pious predecessors used to spend months preparing for the efforts they were going to exert in the holy month of Ramadān. These are excerpts from the book, “Kanz An-Najāḥ wa As-Surūr” (The Treasuries of Success and Happiness) regarding the greatness of Sha‘bān and some of the recommended things to do during this month.

Repentance & Fasting:

It is highly recommended to repent frequently (tawbah) and increase in acts of worship, especially fasting. Whosoever prepares themselves with acts of worship and repentance in Sha‘bān will reap the benefits of those acts in Ramadān.

Usama ibn Zayd, may Allah be pleased with him, asked the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, “I have never seen you offer fast in a month as you do in Sha‘bān.” The Prophet said, “It is a month people disregard that is between Rajab and Ramadān. In that month deeds are presented to the Lord of the Worlds, so I like my deeds to be presented while I am fasting.” [Nasa'i].

Salutations Upon the Prophet (peace be upon him):

Sha‘bān is the month of the Prophet peace and mercy of Allah be upon him, for he said, “Sha‘bān is my month.”

It was in this month that the famous verse regarding sending blessing and peace on the Prophet was revealed:
{ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ وَمَلاَئِكَـتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى ٱلنَّبِيِّ يٰأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ صَلُّواْ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُواْ تَسْلِيماً}
{ Allah and His Angels send their blessings upon the Prophet, O you who believe send blessings upon him and salutations of peace} (33:56)

Therefore, it is highly encouraged to increase in sending one’s salutations upon the Prophet, peace and mercy of Allah be upon him. Scholars have said, “Rajab is the month of repentance, Sha‘bān is the month of sending salutations upon the Prophet, peace and mercy of Allah be upon him, and Ramadān is the month of the Qur’an.”

The 15th Night of Sha‘bān:

On the relation of ‘Atā’ ibn Yasār, may Allah be well pleased with him, who said, “On the 15th night of Sha‘bān the Angel of Death, peace be upon him, copies down the names of all those who will die from that Sha‘bān to the next Sha‘bān…and there is no night after Laylat Al-Qadr better than the 15th night of Sha‘bān.”

Other hadiths also describe the 15th night as being the night in which Allah decrees everyone’s provisions, even after-worldly provisions (Paradise, Hell), therefore it is important to bring that night to life through Prayer, reading Qur’an, and repentance.

Related by Ibn ‘Umar, may Allah be well pleased with him and his father, that the Prophet, peace and mercy of Allah be upon him, said, “There are five nights on which du‘ā’ is not turned back: Friday eve, on the eve of Rajab, the 15th night of Sha‘bān, Laylat Al-Qadr, and on the eve of the two ‘Eids.”

It is also recommended to say the du‘ā’:

اللّهُمَ إنَّكَ عفوٌ كريمٌ تُحِبَّ العَفْوَ فَاعْفُ عَني، اللّهُمَّ إنّي أسْألُكَ العَفْوَ والعَافية والمُعَافَاةَ الدَّائِمة في الدِّين والدُّنيا والأخِرَة

Allahumma innaka ‘Afūwun Karīmun tuḥib ul ‘afwa fa‘afu ‘annī, Allahumma innī as’aluka al-‘afū, wa al-‘āfīyah wa al-mu‘āfāt ad-da’imah fī ad-dīni wa ad-dunyā wa al-ākhirah.

O Allah, You are Pardoning and Generous and You love to pardon, so pardon me. O Allah, I ask You for pardoning, good health [in body], and to be [spiritually] health always in my religion, and in this life, and in the hereafter.

It is also highly recommended to read Surah Yā-Sīn 3 times that night, each time with a specific intention:

1. The first time with the intention of Allah increasing the length of your life in worship and good deeds.

2. The second time with the intention of Allah protecting you from tribulations.

3. Lastly, with the intention of Allah not making you reliant on other people.

Clarification: “Giving life to the night” is said to be staying up most of the night in worship, although other scholars have said just one hour. Others have said just be determined to pray ‘Ishā in congregation and Fajr in congregation and that will fulfill “giving life to the night.”

May Allah bless us and the entire Ummah throughout this month, and bless us even more in Ramadan. Amin.

Ya Haqq!

Note: Reposted from the most excellent Interpreter’s Path blog of AbdulKarim Yahya

The Shortest Distance

Salaam and Greetings of Peace:

“…the shortest distance between a problem and it’s solution is the distance between your knees and the floor… the one who kneels to Allah Ta’ala can stand up to anything…”

- from the Almiskeenah blog and a lovely post  entitled Distance, a good reminder in this sacred month of Rajab.

Ya Haqq!

“I saw a man from among my Ummah”

Salaam and Greetings of Peace:

Bismillah!

“The Messenger of Allah (saw) came out to us one day. He stood before us and said:

‘Last night I saw something amazing. I saw a man from among my Ummah to whom the Angel of death came to seize his soul, but his honoring of his parents came and kept the Angel of death away from him.

‘I saw a man whose torment of the grave was about to come upon him, and his wudu (ablution before prayers) came and saved him from that.

‘I saw a man from my Ummah whom the devils had seized, but his remembrance of Allah came and banished the devils from him.

‘I saw a man from my Ummah whom the Angels of torment had seized, but his prayer came and saved him from them.

‘I saw a man from my Ummah tormented by thirst. Every time he approached the cistern, he was pushed back, then his Ramadan fasting came and gave him to drink and quenched his thirst.

‘I saw a man from my Ummah, and I saw the Prophets sitting in circles.
Every time he approached a circle he was repulsed, then his doing ghusl (full ablution) to cleanse himself from janaabah (impurity) came, took him by the hand and brought him to sit beside me.

‘I saw a man from my Ummah in front of whom was darkness, behind him was darkness, to his right was darkness,to his left was darkness and above and beneath him was darkness. He was stumbling in darkness; then his Hajj and Umrah came and brought him out from that darkness into the light.

‘I saw a man from among my Ummah trying to protect himself with his hands from the flames and sparks of Fire, then his sadaqah (giving in charity) came and formed a barrier between him and the fire and shielded him.

‘I saw a man from my Ummah speaking to believers but they did not speak to him. Then his upholding of family ties came and said: “O Muslims he used to uphold ties of kinship so speak to him.” then the believers spoke to him and shook hands with him and he with them.

‘I saw a man from among my Ummah whom the guards of Hell had seized, then his enjoining of what was good and forbidding of what was evil came and seized him from them, and brought him to be with the Angels of mercy.

‘I saw man from among my Ummah kneeling down, with a screen between him and Allah. Then his good manners and attitude (adab) came and took him by the hand and brought him before Allah.

‘I saw a man from among my Ummah teetering at the edge of Hell, but his hope in Allah came and saved him from that and he moved on.

‘I saw a man from among my Ummah who had reached the gates of Paradise but the gates were locked and he was shut out. Then his testimony (Shahadah) that there is no God except Allah came and opened the gates for him and admitted him to Paradise.’”

- A hadith (saying) of the Prophet (pbuh) narrated by Abdur Rahmaan ibn Samurah.
Ya Haqq!

Noble Character of the Prophet (pbuh)

Salaam and Greetings of Peace:

The noble character of the Prophet (pbuh) has been best explained by his cousin, Jaffar Ibn Abu Talib, when he was asked by the King of Abbysinia to explain his religion. Jaffar replied:

“ We were a people lost in ignorance. We worshipped idols, we back-stabbed one another in gossip, we committed sins without shame, we severed the bonds of mercy among us, and we were unkind neighbors. The strong among us devoured the weak. Thus we were until Allah sent to us a messenger from among ourselves, well-known to us in his nobility, honesty, trustworthiness, and tenderness. He called us to unity and to devoting our worship to Allah alone and to removing the idols from our hearts. He commanded us to be truthful when we spoke, and to fulfill our trust, and to preserve the bonds of mercy among us, and to be kind neighbors, and to desist from violating what is sacred. He called us to turn back from our sins, and from falsehood, and from devouring the wealth of orphans, and from defaming honorable women. So we believed in him and in his message and we followed what he received from his Lord. ”

- from Love in Islam, a khutbah, or sermon, by Mahmoud Mostafa.

Ya Haqq!

Acquire Knowledge!

Salaam and Greetings of Peace:

To acquire knowledge is binding upon all Muslims, whether male or female.

He who travels in the search of knowledge, to him God shows the way of Paradise.

Acquire knowledge, because he who acquires it in the way of the Lord performs an act of piety; who speaks of it praises the Lord; who seeks it, adores God, who dispenses instruction in it, bestows alms; and who imparts it to its fitting objects performs an act of devotion to God.

Knowledge enables its possessor to distinguish what is forbidden from what is not; lights the way to Heaven; it is our friend in the desert, our companion in solitude, our companion when bereft of friends; it guides us to happiness; it sustains us in misery; it is our ornament in the company of friends; it serves as an armor against our enemies. With knowledge the creatures of Allah rises to the heights of goodness and to noble position, associates with the sovereigns in this world and attains the perfection of happiness in the next.

- Sayings (hadiths) of the Prophet (pbuh)

Note:  See also this older post, Benefits of Acquiring Knowledge.

Ya Haqq!

Milad Un-Nabi – Birthday of the Prophet (pbuh)

Salaam and Greetings of Peace:

“You have indeed in the Messenger of God a beautiful pattern of conduct for anyone whose hope is God and the Final Day.” (Al-Ahzab 33:21).

Alhamdulillah! The moon is full, a reminder that this is Rabi a-Awwal, by the Lunar calendar the month of the blessed birthday (Milad Un-Nabi) of the Prophet Muhammad (the peace and blessing of Allah be upon him and his family).

According to Sunni scholars, the Prophet’s birthday is observed on 12th Rabi al-Awwal, which falls on February 26, 2010, and 17th Rabi al-Awwal (March 3rd this year) according to Shia scholars.

There is a difference of opinion about whether the Milad Un-Nabi should be a time of celebration. There is evidence that the Prophet (pbuh), his Companions, and the early followers after them did not celebrate or otherwise observe his birthday. On the contrary, he was careful to warn his people not to imitate other faiths, whose followers elevated their prophets and added to the religion what was not in the original teachings.

Those who disagree see it as a time to read the Qur’an, fast, pray, and remember the life, teachings, and example of the Prophet (pbuh).

When praising the Prophet (pbuh), we are also warned not to exaggerate in his praise. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Do not overpraise me as Christians overpraised Jesus, son of Mary. Say [when referring to me], ‘Servant of Allah and His messenger.’”

Servant of Allah and His messenger!

Surely that is a title that needs no embellishment. And so, what will you do to celebrate the Prophet’s (pbuh) birthday? Will you be fasting and praying? Having a celebration and giving gifts to family and friends? Giving to charity, visiting the sick, going to the mosque, helping a neighbor?

“Remember Me and I will remember you!” (Qur’an, 2:152)

May Allah bless you all, gentle readers, and guide you on the straight path of love, compassion, mercy, generosity and kindness.  Ameen.

Ya Haqq!

“Everything is Love!”

Salaam and Greetings of Peace:

I read of a Christian woman years ago who went on a forty day meditation retreat in a monastic cell. When she finally came out, all she could say is: “Everything is love!”

Surely those who open to faith and do beautiful wholesome works, for them the One Who is the Most Gracious will appoint Love.  -  Qur’an 19:96

A man once came to the Prophet (puh) and asked him about the hereafter. The Prophet asked him, “And what have you prepared for that time?” The man replied, “Nothing, except that I love Allah and I love you.” The Prophet (puh) answered him, “You are with the ones you love.”

I profess the religion of love,

Love is my religion and my faith.

My mother is love

My father is love

My prophet is love

My God is love

I am a child of love

I have come only to speak of love

- Jalaluddin Rumi

“…the guidance of Islam is the guidance of love. The innate, natural and ancient religion that is Islam is the religion of love. The Prophet (pbuh) came to guide us to love and to make clear the love that is at the core of all religion. Our purpose as human beings is to consciously manifest Allah’s love in our lives.”

- from Love in Islam, a Khutbah (Sermon) by Mahmoud Mostafa

Ya Haqq!