Bismillah, alhamdulillah, wa salat wa salam ala Rasulullah

“Oh Allah. May You be found by all who seek You tonight. Ameen.”

Allahumma salli ala Muhammad wa ala alihi wa sahbihi wa sallim.
Alhamdulillahi rabbil Alameen. Ameen.
–
From Nader Khan

Bismillah, alhamdulillah, wa salat wa salam ala rasulullah

I’m no financial expert but from what I’ve noticed in the community is whenever there are fundraisers, tax receipts are offered. Some people turn down the tax receipt by saying, “No I am only donating for the sake of God.”

But what they don’t realize is the money they would get back from the government is money they could re-give in charity! Its totally bogus to ignore that tax receipt, when you could get back 50% of what you donated from the government, and then give it in charity again- thereby, increasing the amount you give in charity without doing anything!

So take those tax receipts!!

Subhana kallahumma wa bihamdika ash-haduana la illaha illa anta astaghfiruka wa atubu ilayk, Ameen.

Bismillah, alhamdulillah, wa salat wa salam ala rasulullah

Disclaimer: This post is a historical-sociological Islamic discussion and does not condone violence or actions of extremists. Nothing in this post is of encouraging militant actions or violent actions of any kind.

I have come across this word and concept before but not in great detail. I’m going to explore it here because I think this is the key to what makes Awliya and Imams- the real peoples of distinction. Furthermore, its amazing how a few hadith and verses of the Quran were applied so boldly and successfully.

As for Murabatah, it is to endure in acts of worship and perseverance.

Applications

It also means to await prayer after prayer, as Ibn `Abbas, Sahl bin Hanif and Muhammad bin Ka`b Al-Qurazi stated. Ibn Abi Hatim collected a Hadith that was also collected by Muslim and An-Nasa’i from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet said,

«أَلَا أُخْبِرُكُمْ بِمَا يَمْحُو اللهُ بِهِ الْخَطَايَا، وَيَرْفَعُ بِهِ الدَّرَجَاتِ؟ إِسْباغُ الوُضُوءِ عَلَى الْمَكَارِهِ، وَكَثْرَةُ الْخُطَا إِلَى الْمَسَاجِدِ، وَانْتِظَارُ الصَّلَاةِ بَعْدَ الصَّلَاةِ، فَذلِكُمُ الرِّبَاطُ، فَذلِكُمُ الرِّبَاطُ، فَذلِكُمُ الرِّبَاط»

(Should I tell you about actions with which Allah forgives sins and raises the grade Performing perfect ablution in unfavorable conditions, the many steps one takes to the Masajid, and awaiting prayer after the prayer, for this is the Ribat, this is the Ribat, this is the Ribat.)

They also say that the Murabatah in the above Ayah refers to battles against the enemy, and manning Muslim outposts to protect them from enemy incursions inside Muslim territory.

Rewards

There are several Hadiths that encourage Murabatah and mention its rewards. Al-Bukhari recorded that Sahl bin Sa`d As-Sa`idi said that the Messenger of Allah said,

«رِبَاطُ يَوْمٍ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ خَيْرٌ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا وَمَا عَلَيْهَا»

(A Day of Ribat in the cause of Allah is better than this life and all that is in it.)

Muslim recorded that Salman Al-Farisi said that the Messenger of Allah said,

«رِبَاطُ يَوْمٍ وَلَيْلَةٍ خَيْرٌ مِنْ صِيَامِ شَهْرٍ وَقِيامِهِ، وَإِنْ مَاتَ جَرَى عَلَيْهِ عَمَلُهُ الَّذِي كَانَ يَعْمَـــــــلُهُ، وَأُجْرِيَ عَلَيْهِ رِزْقُــــهُ، وَأَمِنَ الْفَتَّان»

(Ribat for a day and a night is better than fasting the days of a month and its Qiyam (voluntary prayer at night). If one dies in Ribat, his regular righteous deeds that he used to perform will keep being added to his account, and he will receive his provision, and will be saved from the trials of the grave.)

Abu Dawud related it. Ibn ‘Abbas said, “I heard the Messenger of Allah say, “There are two eyes which the Fire will not touch: an eye which weeps out of fear of Allah and an eye that keeps watch in the way of Allah.”

Ribat- Mujahideen Monasteries

Ribat is mentioned in the Quran- “Arm yourselves against them with all the firepower and cavalry (ribat) you can muster.” (8:60)

Ribat in Montasir, Tunisia

As Muslims grew territorially they would establish these locations on the outskirts of Muslim territory, for the security of Muslim lands, also called Ribat, based on this ayah and the concept in the Hadith. Often, they would be buildings or fortified structures for defense. Now, the other meaning which relates to prayer and perseverance, meant these structures would also be used for religious and spiritual training, especially among the Sufis. Therefore, these building were also centers of learning and spiritual growth, yet also defense- passive in that they were outposts for observing and guarding, and active in that they could involve combat near the frontiers of Islam. The Murabitun, would usually stay their for brief stints of time (since “monks” aren’t permitted in Islam) and then go back home to spread what they learned. But being in the position of the borders of Islam, meant they were also ambassadors of Islam- and would also assist in protecting neighboring territory, whether it was Muslim or not. But if in defense an expedition resulted in territorial expansion, the ribat would take on the role of dawah- spreading and teaching Islam to converts. So its easy to see how the ribat would have to be places of learning but also combined with jihad- great piety. And this makes sense because even in the hadith piety has associations with fortresses, just think of “Hisnul Muslim” and where that name comes from. And in lieu of the hadith mentioned above, this service was also considered a guaranteed entrance to Jannah and salvation from Hellfire. These buildings were common throughout the Muslim lands, and even coastal areas, and played an immense role in the well-being of the Muslim Ummah. Eventually, some of these buildings would be turned into government outposts or zawiyyas would take over the role of spiritual development. I am uncertain as to how widespread this was, but it was common in Morroco and parts of North Africa and the Arab world where Sufism is still strong today. In the East, there were similar practices in how Sufis prayed for the well-being of communities and moved to certain communities so that Islam would be spread there and by the mere presence of the Sufi, someone who was beloved to Allah, He would spare those towns from destruction.

The Significance of the Ribat Today

I originally started writing this with a focus on murabatah, but when I realized how this concept had been employed and applied to Muslim social life, I was really amazed. There is so much to learn from that I’m surprised I’ve never heard Muslims talk about this. I’ll try to tun through the main points:

1) The Ribat meant that spiritual growth of Muslims would be translated into a geographical and physical spread of Islam. This is quite literally the message our teachers give us today, that if we bettered ourselves we would not be humiliated in the world and here we have a historical example. This happened both via the spread of more ribat and also the spread of Islam through jihad and dawah work that occurred on these ribat. In moving outwards onto the frontiers of Islam- what one could perhaps call ruralization as opposed to what we know of today as ubranization. If you go back further in our history- we realize that Mecca and Jerusalem were uninhabited, inhospitable places to live in yet Allah willed a movement to these areas for spiritual growth. Perhaps Muslims could resurrect this practice of moving to rural areas whereever they live?

2) Today we find Islam to be very fragmented. In the past Sufism was connected directly into mainstream Islam- it was not seen as separate or specialized. Today we have a greater disconnect between Sufism and mainstream Islam- and in some respects Sufis have helped perpetuate this gap- and this disconnect has naturally lead to criticisms of the Sufi community. Also one can consider how Jihad was also part and parcel with all of this, and how now there is no such thing as passive jihad. Above all, consider in this historical example how Islam was central to the design of society- sufism, jihad, architecture were intimately inter-related and how this could also mean a great deal of unity to their communities, with few differences.

4) One can also note the absence of political interests. I wonder how true this is but from what I’ve read, its clear there was a high degree of “societal sincerity (ikhlas).” Perhaps this came from the growth of these ribat? Or from the social works of the Sufis (these ribat also served as shelters for refugees and travelers)? In any case, today we find political ambition to be at the center- not Islamic ambition.

5) Stability seems to be a great benefit from all of this. Today we have many different groups- from Islamists to extremists- and so it is difficult to create a unity among Muslims. It is harder to control the fringe elements in Islam and with this are the aspects of fragmentation among Muslims but also fragmentation in Islam- since globalization has skewed the understanding of Islam geographical proximity created.

Many of the points have mentioned are common to other historical examples of Mujahideen such as Emir Abdul Qadir al-Jazairi, Imam Shamyl and Omar Muktar. Sufism was connected with jihad and the dominant form of Islam, and there was also a connection to them living/fighting in inhospitable conditions (desert, mountains). This connection of Sufism to Jihad is also common today with Yemen, which is known mainly for Sufis and Mujahideen. Spiritual training does require an almost military-like attitude. Perhaps jihad served as a counter-balance to the excesses of sufism. The constant reminder of an on-coming death (martyrdom) meant the murid had to take the spiritual development seriously, and also meant greater demands and therefore, maintenance of higher standards from the Sufi shaykh who had to be all the more scrupulous due to the pressured nature of his position- he had both life and death in his hands. So this may have ensured the shaykhs would be bonafide, less likely to indulge in personality cults and the murids, more successful.

This is by no means, a complete discussion and I’m quite sure I’ve made some mistakes or missed some things. But I think Muslims need to re-visit this history and see how we could Islamicize the “design” of our societies and communities. I think among the religious community we need to understand how Muslims understood Islam and how they applied it to their everyday.

–

Sources and More Reading:

-Islamic references above from Tafsir Ibn Kathir Online: Surah Ale Imran.

-Castles of God: http://books.google.ca/books?id=g6PqNavNEdgC&pg=PA218&lpg=PA218&dq=ribat+islam&source=bl&ots=EZovE2kVDd&sig=K_8YIAOa3FEMR0kWtMOEzYqbM5o&hl=en&ei=JjDzSuOxDYScswPMleUY&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CBcQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=ribat%20islam&f=false

-The Ribats in Morocco and their influence in the spread of knowledge and tasawwuf: http://74.125.155.132/search?q=cache:4Xe4yV25frAJ:bewley.virtualave.net/ribat.html+ribat+islam&cd=3&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=ca&client=firefox-a

Subhana kallahumma wa bihamdika ash-haduana la illaha illa ant astaghfiruka wa atubu ilayk, ameen.

Bismillah, alhamdulillah, wa salat wa salam ala Rasulullah.

If there was one issue all Muslims would agree on it is that we need better and more leaders. People have approached this issue in a number of ways- by studying modern self-help books, stories of the scholars and Sahabas of the past, and studying the Seerah. But they all lack something in their approach and that is the pragmatism and the down-to-earth approach: how can we make these stories…today’s realities?

There are a number of reasons for our lack of leadership and a number of overlooked pre-requisites for real leadership.

The Making of Leaders

The leaders of this ummah should (not always) be from noble families. And nobility consists of four things:

1) Noble family, lineage and family history

2) Nobility in language, manners, and understanding

3) Nobility in initiative and responsibility

4) Nobility in Islamic tradition, especially important for scholars

One finds that many of the Prophets came from noble families and had Prophets in their family heritage and in our ummah, that many of the great scholars were of noble lineage stemming back to Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wasalam or the Sahabas. If they are not from the heritage of Ahlul Bayt or from the Sahabas, then they need to be from a noble family of it’s own.

The virtues of this are many. Firstly, they are reared and taught manners, have no obstacles in gaining an Islamic education, embody chivalry, honor, dignity, generosity and made to be mature in thought and action. They would rather die than make an infraction on their dignity. Often they are wealthy and well-dressed and this is why some great scholars of the past would dress with the best of clothes- not for themselves, but to give dignity and respect to Islam. A tell-tale sign of a noble Muslim family is that they are well-versed in poetry, especially that relating to Islam and the sociology/psychology of Muslim life. Secondly, their standards are higher than the common folk. Therefore, their goals are loftier, their language and manner of speaking is such that it gives respect to people and they do not aim to satisfy their ego by putting others down. Thirdly, their family will instill in them a sense of responsibility- this is especially true if they hold lofty goals, they will not settle for less or be amazed at achievements- but will know what is needed and make no shortcomings when it comes to the needs of the country. They have a family history of great achievements, so that standard can never be lowered or else it is a disgrace. Lastly, the families are able to pass on this tradition down the generations and not necessarily stemming from one or two generations.

Leadership Examples

This nobility has an effect on the people- they are the reason common people rise to the upper classes, because of their influences and the striving for an example of someone better than they. Today, we have few of these noble families, especially in the West- and this is one reason why you see no one rising, because they do not know what to rise up to become. The upper class are the reason the middle class grow. The nobility only associate with those who they deem worthy of their company, people who speak their language and can relate to- and often these people are intellectuals or talented individuals of other classes. They support them and mix with them and therefore become better than the rest of society- this is how the first three generations of Islam were the best, because they associated with the best of creation, Habibullah salallahu alayhi wasalam.

Studying the history of the world it becomes adamantly clear that societies remained stable and rose to greatness whenever the nobility were preserved. Europe remained stable up until World War I, which was called the last of the “chivalric wars”– where enemies in POW camps were treated like guests, drinking wine and notably having soldiers of high rank mixing as friends, even if they were enemies. Courtesy to the enemy was necessary for them, especially among the noble, respectable family names, because they understood that “civil-ization needed to survive war.”

False Leadership

What we have today, especially because of the rise of democracy is a melting pot effect. Three factors intermixing have served to catalyze our decline ever faster: more Muslims than ever before, more freedom in our time due to spread of democracy, and ease of access to religious information.

The places where Islam can be preached openly, as it should be preached, is in the West. And quite often, it is done in the prisons. And so we have many devout Muslims coming out of these places, often becoming dawah workers, or shaykhs or “leaders.” Yet they have a troubled past and may not have the nobility mentioned earlier nor they do have a history of Islam that immigrant Muslims are more likely to possess. This can pose a problem despite the best of intentions.

Anyone can preach whatever they want as Islam and they have the freedom for no one to stop them. After all, they are spreading the truth right? Anyone can convert to Islam, put on a beard and preach Islam- who knows if they have true understanding, if they have mental problems, or if they have the hikmah that comes from nobility. This is why we have terrorists and extremists whose understanding of Islam is more akin to a “thug life” than it is to what the Prophets of Bani Israel practiced. And so Islamic civilization, of the Ottomans, Abassids, whatever Islamic dynasty, or even that of the Prophetic days, has not been able to survive. With the leadership of some of these converts, we may come closer to Islam, but it will always fall short of what the shaykhs of the past or the Khalifahs were able to do. More Muslims means a greater demand than ever before for leadership. And so no one stops or restricts the leaders we have, saying it’s better than nothing. And the problem gets compounded ever more. This is not to say converts are bad leaders, but its hard to imagine the first generation becoming the leaders, but easier to imagine the second or third generation becoming leaders. I would also make the same contention for immigrant Muslims who have just gotten into the deen- often they too haven’t sorted out their issues either and therefore lack that same nobility.

These sorts of leaders have fallen short today because, they get caught in traps and pitfalls, that a tradition would have protected them from had they belonged to one- whether scholarly or that of a noble family. They will get emotional and angry in their talks, not having a real example to follow. They have had obstacles to overcome, and although all leaders have obstacles to overcome, these obstacles have been to the extent of limiting how much they can contribute to Islam (ex: being converts, or ex-rappers, etc.) and often they bring the attitudes of their ugly past into their Islamic work. On one occasion I have heard a speaker (accidentally) refer to hadith as “shit,” which was his way of saying “stuff.” What is necessary here is accountability, and that is not always present- usually these men will not have ijazas, or even shaykhs as teachers or other shaykhs praising them without excess. And therefore, these men will not always be relevant to the needs of the community- they may preach whatever they learned, without the use of hikmah and understanding. It becomes clear that they are misfit leaders when they talk about issues that are irrelevant, or meant only for students of knowledge, and one comes to realize that they lack direction in their teaching and are more or less, haphazard. The structure of a curriculum that comes out of scholarly traditions is lost and so somewhere along the line, they are left vulnerable.

Is it a question of Social Class or Mentality?

Politically speaking, someone of a lower class can be elected and rise to power, and he/she may not have the pre-requisites mentioned above…and inevitably becomes a dictator, whether it is done democratically or with military might. Examples of this are far and many throughout the Muslim world. Pakistan was created by Muhammad Ali Jinnah, who although may not have been the most practicing Muslim, was a respected leader of his country. The leaders of Pakistan now, are nothing short of uneducated, corrupt and individuals who are commoners and therefore govern for the short-term, not for the long-term–whether the long-term gains be for their own preservation or for their countries, they have no care whatsoever. The dictators in the Middle East, are an example of people who although may be kings, lack leadership because they are not kings in the true sense, but rather people who serve the USA. They lack the self-respect that is a hallmark of true leaders and nobility. The stories of their excesses are well-known and this is because they have no self-restraint, trying to satisfy their nafs. Restraint is an important trait that the nobility inherit from their families- knowing when excesses can cause more harm than pleasure or good.

When we have true leaders our problems become easier to manage. Common people do not know what to do in major emergencies- they do not know how to lead, because they have always been followers. Instead of dealing with their problems, the Saudis will call the Pakistani or American military to deal with their problems.

In the Western context, if we look at situations apart from religion and just Muslim community leaders in general a few things become clear. Due to the freedom, democracy and opportunity, many Muslims can become wealthy and rich. Often, they will be drug-dealers who will make a great deal of money and they will be identifiable by the fancy clothes they wear, but the ugliness of their speech and way of acting. They are fakes and suffer from an inferiority complex, striving to be the “big” man, whom everybody respects, but not understanding what it truly means.

True, noble community leaders are important because they are respected all around. They do not vie for fame. Due to their respect, the community gathers around them. But because we have so many Muslims, so many (ex-thug) shaykhs, and converts with big beards, they all compete and the true scholars become obscured. These men, whether it is out of sincerity or out of pride, become a distraction. The capable leaders are ignored and these “flashy” men of Islam are followed instead. Democracy gives the ignorant the ability to pose as shaykhs. The community on a whole can suffer- because there is no agreed leader to go to. There is no Mufti of Canada or Mufti of the USA. Among the Righteous Caliphs there was respect for one another, they did not vie against each other, but practiced restraint so that the allegiance of the Muslims was upon one Amir. But in our day in age, we are divided because our hearts are divided into nations of popularity cults, just like how our lands are divided around one dictator. Whether they be shaykhs or political leaders, they do not strive to change themselves, but remain the same. The sahabas were worse than many people today before Islam, but when Islam came they kept improving themselves. This is absent and so when the leaders don’t improve, the followers will neither.

Leadership in the Seerah

The point of strong leadership becomes clear in the Seerah of Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wasalam. He was a man who was hated, but his dignity, nobility and honor, chivalry and manners were the reasons his enemies would respect him- and also the reason why Muslims would not challenge this leader and cause disarray. These men were barbarians but they still respected him. This is key because this is the fruit of all of this and is how one can bring Islam to those who resist it. The idea in the Muslim world today is to “destroy” it’s enemies but this is not how the Prophet salallahu alayhi wasalam did it, he would turn his enemies into his friends because his character would penetrate them and cast a strong impression upon them, one that they could not forget. And Islam would enter their hearts. We Muslims, complaining about Islamophobia or arguing and demanding our rights from non-Muslims, will not inspire change in them or make them come to Islam because our behavior is showing them that there is nothing special about being Muslim, except for being hated. Rather, if we were to embody the Sunnah of the Prophet salallahu alayhi wasalam of being magnanimous with everyone, Muslims and non-Muslims.

It is related by Hudaifah that the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa salam) said: “Do not be of those who do to others as the others do to them, and say that we will do them a favor if they do us a favor, and if they will be mean and unjust to us then we, too, will be mean and unjust to them. On the contrary, resolve that you will do good to them if they do good to you, and if they do a wrong and act unjustly, even then you will not be unfair to them.” (Tirmidhi)

We need to understand this nobility comes when we do not let our emotions control us, and do not let them blind us, but commit to higher values, then we’ve reached nobility. This is important because often we forget that when a non-Muslim becomes Muslim, that they will be forgotten and mistreated no differently than how Muslims already mistreat each other, bickering and arguing. We need leaders that embody the nobility and honor of the Sunnah and from them we can find the honor and nobility of the Prophet Muhammad salallahu alayhi wasalam- the nobility that brought non-Muslims to Islam.

In other words, there isn’t anything special for us to offer the non-Muslims if we cannot embody the nobility of the Sunnah, because if we are not privileged enough to be like what I have described here, then we should remember the words of Umar radiallahu anhu, that: “We are the people whom Allah honored through Islam, so whenever we seek honor other than it, Allah will disgrace us.”

May Allah grant us dignity, grace, honor, chivalry and nobility as befitting His Majesty and His Religion. Ameen.

Subhana kallahumma wa bihamdika ash-haduan la illaha illa ant astaghfiruka wa atubu ilayk, Ameen.

Bismillah, alhamdulillah, wa salat wa salam ala Rasulullah

The following is a serious guide to self-rectification (tazkiya) and is meant to be taken seriously. It may look simple enough but is a flexible model that can be applied to any aspect of spiritual life provided one’s own creativity. It requires one to be dead-serious and stubbornly and unwaveringly relentless in the battle against oneself.  This is the methodology of all the great Sufis and reformers, it is a powerful path.

As for Musharatah, it is to set a condition or a goal or choose an act of worship you wish to perfect you want to achieve until its a regular habit and helps you transform yourself. One may take an oath for this but it is not necessary. As for Murabatah, it is to endure in that act of worship and perseverance.

The two components of this seem to be: perseverance, consistency and going above and beyond. I would liken it to a marathons- running long distance and pushing the human spirit. I think the driving spirit for this is ikhlas (sincerity) and a sense of adventure. We want to journey to new places in our soul using what we have already. I can imagine how Muslims would pray 100 rakah a night or fast the fast of Prophet Dawud (alayhi salam), every other day or increasing the amount of dhikr you do.

Tama ar-ribat arba’una yawman- Ribat is completed in 40 days (khurooj) -weak Hadith

Inna jalna ma al’al-ardhi zinatulaha linabluwahum ayuhum ahsanu amala

Verily! We have made that which is on earth as an adornment for it, in order that We may test them (mankind) as to which of them are BEST in deeds. (Quran, Surah al-Kahf 18:7)

As for Muhasabah it is to take your self to account. If you succeeded you will give thanks to God- give to the poor or sadaqa to those who are needy. If you failed in what you aimed to do, you will move to Muaqaba, which is punishing yourself for those shortcomings by means of a penalty. You may have to make it more realistic or harder if you want to improve even more, or change it to something that is meaningful to you if it hasn’t worked so far.

One then continues to apply this model to other aspects of oneself, its a life-long struggle. But its better than looking at yourself 4-6 years ago and realize you are no better- you are still missing your prayers or faltering on the same sins and problems. You want to be better than that. All of us do. But It requires a serious attitude, and naturally it isn’t easy. Above all, one must focus on the aspect of Murabatah, being consistent and putting in one’s utmost.

Stories and Examples

Ibn Umar (radiallahu anhu) came across a Christian monk who had 2 bags of white stones and black stones and he was taking himself to account (Muhasabah) for the day to see which he had done more.

Ibn Wahb, a Maliki Muhadith, (rahimullah) trained himself to control his tongue by making an oath to fast a day for every instance of backbiting he committed, until he reached a point when he was fasting all the time. Since fasting was easy for him, he changed the muaqaba to paying a dinar, and his love of money eliminiated his backbiting.

Shehu Uthman dan Fuduye (rahimullah) was a scholar of West Africa. We know of him today as the founder of the Sokoto Caliphate, but his story is a unique one. He decided to make salawat to Nabi salallahu alayhi wasalam endlessly and continuously for one year, no matter what state he was in or what he was doing until Allah bestowed upon him a great spiritual opening and great spiritual strength, which he was able to revolutionise East Africa with.

The scholars of the past would compete as to how many hadith they could memorize with numbers reaching thousands to ten thousands. Imam Bukhari had memorized into the hundred thousands, but we must also consider he was a savant and more likely than not, had photographic memory. Many others would go through the entire hadith volumes over and over, hundreds of times because reciting hadith is also a dhikr.

Above all this requires and builds sincerity (ikhlas), and one begins to truly see what sincerity is in oneself and how doing greater and bigger deeds affects sincerity so slightly and so gradually, its like physically growing- you feel the same, but there is no denying you have changed for the better.

All the best.

Subhana kallahumma wa bihamdika ash-haduana la illaha illa ant astaghfiruka wa atubu ilayk, ameen.

Bismillah, alhamdulillah, wa salat wa salam ala rasulullah

I just finished this book and its one of my first goes at reading Islam from the social science perspectives. I’ve only glanced at a few books sparingly but I went through this one in its entirety.

A few things I learned that I shall share:

-It is disappointing there exists very little research on Muslims as far as anthropology and sociology are concerned, even now, despite 9/11 there seems to be less work being done than their should be. ‘Zone’s of theorizing’ exist in discussing Islam- the study of anthropological Islam being tainted and biased by ideological and political interests in theory-making.

-Marranci focuses inexhaustibly on the question as to exactly what a Muslim is? This at first seemed an easy question to me, but I realized why this is such a difficult topic- since shahadah isn’t enough to shape identity, there has to be a “Muslimness,” he finally arrives at a definition I feel compromises a little bit: it is to “feel Muslim” and the Muslim experience (key focus being the emotional experience) is likened to a map (of discourses)  for a territory analogy- loose,changing and approximate(consider how Qadianis or non-heterosexual Muslims or alcoholic Muslims will never answer ‘no’ to the question of “Are you Muslim?”). There are a number of questions regarding the schizophrenic nature of being Muslim in the West- juggling multicultural, religious influences with personal ambition- and unfortunately, this aspect of our social life has been characterized by writers as more pathological, perhaps to avoid the fact it is a product of pluralism? Also, there is the struggle with essentialist ideas of Islam and Muslims- reductionist thinking making Muslims into ‘ideal types’ which usually, don’t exist, anywhere. I find this difficulty to grasp Muslims and Islam intriguing because their is an intensity of the Muslim experience and it is very hard for academics to take it apart and get intimate with it, whether they are Muslim or not, because it is such a vast experience. It encourages me to think about the richness and unique aspects of our experience and how it has shaped me.

-Marranci discusses a number of ethnographic experiences in studying Muslims and how it has become difficult for anthropologists to see how Muslims live their daily lives and explore Muslim behavior, because of Muslim fear in the wake of 9/11. Nonetheless, its encouraging to read about how there exist interviews and studies on many aspects of Muslim life- from village life, to living in the West, to the experience of Muslim women, in shelters, non-heterosexual Muslims, to mosque conflicts. I would like to mention when Marranci attended a talk in North Ireland by a Sufi speaker. In the weeks following the talk, the Sufi would continue to teach her and others via dreams. Another writer, K.P. Ewing mentioned a similar experience after having baraka transfered to her by a Sufi shaykh. Both of these anthropologist were non-Muslim, yet had this unique experience, which shows us what Islam can tell us about ourselves as human beings, the most rudimentary aspects of the human condition, the soul and the human psyche.

-A discussion on the ummah was probably necessary. Its interesting how Marranci keeps coming back to a mental definition for much of what is described- “feel to be Muslim” and how ummah is more of a mental construct uniting Muslims, despite the contradictions of racism and sectarian strife. Personally, I think this contradiction is characteristic of Muslims- we tolerate contradictions and pardon our shortcomings for greater solidarity with each other and being associated with the glory of Islam- one can just recall the story of the Muslim ruler who launched a war because a Muslim woman’s honor was violated, he believing only he had the right to oppress his population. Marranci somewhat accounts for this aspect by mentioning though there are no charismatic leaders for the entire ummah- charisma and”special-ness” (think baraka) is dispersed throughout the ummah (perhaps as a sort of bonding force?).

-Gender and Islam is a topic I was expecting would be discussed, but it was great to see some ignored criticism- how western feministic models will just replace patriarchy, being no better and strip away the Islam of Muslim women. Its very true how Westerners view Muslim women as mysterious, exotic and/or erotic objects of the Other- even among converted Muslims, or even born and raised Muslims, there is this attitude of the veil being both oppressive and yet seductive. In light of this fact, it was refreshing also to see a discussion on masculinity in Islam- although it wasn’t too developed, it was a start considering there isn’t much written on this topic.

I would recommend this book and I would also recommend readers to visit the author’s blog and website.

Subhana kallahumma wa bihamdika ash-haduana la illaha illa anta astaghfiruka wa atubu ilayk, ameen.

http://marranci.wordpress.com/

Bismillah

I’ve just gotten into Twitter lately and masha Allah, its a really nice tool. You can add me here.

I’m still new to it, but its a good way to stay in touch with a lot of people whom I used to be in touch with via Facebook. There is also a Twitter widget on the right panel of this blog- near the very bottom. Hopefully, this way, readers can get an idea as to the projects that are going on here.

Baraka Allahu feek.

Subhana kallahumma wa bihamdika ash-haduana la illaha illa ant astaghfiruka wa atubu ilayk, Ameen.

Bismillah, alhamdulillah, wa salat wa salam ala Rasulullah

This is a very important piece because in the West there is a big imperative on Muslims taking Sufi shaykhs. And its very much indoctrinated among the Sufi people I have come across, which is something I question. I think many question this as well and wonder but can’t find someone to explain this to them. So this is why its very important.

I’ve never taken a shaykh and I was glad to come across Shaykh Hamza talking about this controversial topic since this is a big criticism of Sufism that is very valid. I’ve transcribed it below as best as I could, listened to it like 3-4 times to make sure I didn’t put my own interpretation in it.

Question: How necessarily important is it to commit to one shaykh to develop your spirituality?

Answer:
You’ll get different opinions depending on who you ask. There’s a nice translation of Ibn Abbad’s letter on whether its obligatory to take a shaykh. There’s a saying, “Whoever doesn’t have a shaykh, Shaytan is his shaykh.” Generally, first and foremost it means you have to have a teacher for the Shariah. You have to have someone who teaches you the religion. When we visit Sh. Mimmar (spelling?) the other day, what did he keep saying? “Get teachers even if you have to pay them. Have teachers. You need teachers to guide you. You need to have sources of knowledge.” In terms of spiritual advancement, if people are having spiritual experiences its good to have people who know what they are doing. Suhba (companionship) is also good. Many of the shuyukh of this period, like Shaykh Ahmad Mashur al-Haddad, who I studied with, Dr. Umar studied with, Sidi Abdul Hakim Winters studied with- he was of the opinion that the idea of taslim was over, the surrendering yourselves to a shaykh completely was over, this wasn’t its time. And there are a lot of dysfunctional aspect in a lot of relationships that happen, so there are problems in all these systems. And surrendering your sovereignty, you have to be very careful with that, who you surrender your sovereignty to, some people demand a lot. There’s a poem by Robert Frost, “They say the truth will make you free, my truth will make you slave to me.” So you just have to be careful, there’s a lot of manipulation out there. People from Pakistan know very well about the peer sahibs, and what happens there. I’m not making this up, am I? A lot of these people are flat-out charlatons, there’s charlatans all over West Africa, you know ‘Sufi shaykh, come and be a murid.’ The danger of Sufism that bothers me, is there are a lot of principles in Tasawwuf that are very easily manipulated into certain cultic control mechanisms and they become very dangerous. I think for those of us in the West, we come from a tradition of individual sovereignty and independence of self. And I personally believe those are very high Islamic characteristics and qualities. I think a lot of the problems in the East is all this slavishness, and devotion and obsequiousness to the grand Master Pu-Ba whoever. I mean, if you want my personal opinion, I do believe that. That does not mean I don’t show the utmost respect to my teachers. Sh. Abdullah bin Bayyah is my teacher and what I love about him is he’s somebody who respects my opinion, listens to my opinion, he’s never been despotic in any way. Habib Ahmad Mashur al-Haddad was not despotic at all, he didn’t get angry at people, he didn’t abuse people. Sifadur Harawi was like that. You just have to look to people and observe them. You just have to be careful. And then there are some people who are just deluded or they are trying to keep something alive and they have their limitations. Sidi Ahmad Zarruq said that there weren’t any complete teachers by his time, the 9th century, the completed masters were gone and to just find people that could do the best that they could do and recognize their shortcomings and don’t have greater expectations that they can do that. Wallahu Ta’ala Alaam. Allah knows best.

–Taken from Shaykh Hamza Yusuf’s CD set on Tasfiyah al-Qublub, (Refinement of the Heart) by Imam Ibn Juzayy al-Kalbi, CD 12, Track 3 and 4 (copyright)

I think this is something for brothers and sisters who are into the Sufi scene to ponder over deeply, especially considering its from Shaykh Hamza Yusuf, and for people who criticize Sufism to realize these concerns aren’t marginal at all.

Subhana kallahumma wa bihamdika ash-haduana la illaha illa ant astaghfiruka wa atubu ilayk, ameen.

Bismillah…

An interesting event happening soon in Toronto hosted by Qurba Academy…

—

Without it…

prayer is just exercise,

fasting is hunger,

life has no direction.

Welcome to Belief: Securing Faith.

Whoever believes through mere following

Their faith is not safe from creeping doubts

[Ibrahim al-Laqani, Jawharat al-Tawhid]

Is your faith safe?

Life is full of ideas, events, and people that test your beliefs. Sometimes, even shake them. In our culture of scientism and skepticism, religion is seen as foolish, irrational, and outdated. This leaves Muslims with the responsibility to know and articulate their beliefs – or be outsmarted.

Know your Aqida

This course gives you the tools to navigate through philosophical clutter and learn the sources of Islamic theology. Through a highly organized and uncomplicated curriculum, you’ll discover what you need to have sound belief.

You Will Learn…

• The orthodox tenets of Islamic belief and their sources
• The relationship between knowledge, faith, and action
• To have complete trust in Islamic theology, so that you can live your life with confidence, purpose, and clarity

Who Should Attend?

• Any Muslim who wishes to know, with complete confidence, the articles of their faith and the tenets of their beliefs
• Anyone who desires to love God, but wants to first know Him better
• Any Muslim who wants to follow the Prophetic example by truly understanding his message of tawhid

Topics Covered in this Course

1. Tenets of Faith
2. Threshold of Valid Belief
3. Epistemology (The Ways of Knowing)
4. The Sources
5. Realizing One’s Faith
6. The Relation Between Knowledge, Faith and Action
7. Increasing One’s Faith

Program: Essentials Certificate Program

Course: BEL1101 – Belief: Securing Faith

Teacher: Shaykh Ramzy Ajem

Course Format: In-class

Date & Time: November 21-22, 2009

Location: Ryerson University

Price: $99 CAD $89 before Nov 1

Register Now!

Seats are Limited

Shaykh Ramzy Ajem

Shaykh Abu Shamsudin Ramzy ibn Mahmoud Ajem is of Tunisian descent and was born and raised in Toronto, Canada. In 1995, he left Canada to begin his Islamic studies in Damascus, Syria. He completed the two year pre-college program with honors at Abu-Nur Islamic Institute of Syria. While in Damascus, he had the honor to meet and study with a number of scholars including Sh. Ramadan al-Bouti, Sh. Muhammad al-Yaqoubi, Sh. Abd al-Rahman Kharsa, Sh. Nur al-din Ittir, Sh. Adib Kallas, Sh. Farid al-Jazairi, Sh. Abdul Mu`iz al-Nafti, Sh. Muhammad Kaylash, Sh. Mu’min Al-Annan, and Sh. Jihad Hashim Brown.

In pursuit of the classical Islamic education, Shaykh Ramzy traveled to west Africa, where he was amongst the first westerners to be accepted by the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Endowments of Morocco to study at the Ancient Madrasah of Tanalat in the Atlas Mountains of Southern Morocco (Madrassat al-Hajj Muhammad al-Habib). As a full-time student at the school, he studied some of the known texts of the various Islamic sciences under its current director and teacher, Sidi Sheikh al-Haj Muhammad al-Ghali, who is one of the foremost students of its very founder: the famous Shaykh, al-Zahid, al-Wali, and Mujahid Sidi Muhammad al-Habib al-Susi (Allah have mercy on him). After completing basic texts in Grammar, Morphology, Aqida, and Fiqh, he received permission from his teacher Sidi Shaykh al-Haj Muhammad al-Ghali to teach in these fundamental fields of sacred knowledge.

Now back in Toronto, he is continuing his studies with Shaykh Ahmad Talal Ahdab, may Allah protect them all and benefit us by their baraka and knowledge. Shaykh Ramzy founded, directs, and teaches at Dar al-Marifa, an institution that offers homeschooled children weekday classes in Arabic and Islamic studies. He also is a part-time teacher at Kitab Academy, where he directs its Arabic and Islamic curriculum. In addition, he has volunteered at a Toronto Deen Intensive, Camp Nur, the Muslim Student Association in Toronto and Montreal, and the local mosque Imdad al-Islam. Shaykh Ramzy currently lives in Toronto with his wife and four children.

I really liked this video…it truly captures the human struggles of Gaza and Palestine in general. Spread it around.

Bismillah, alhamdulillah, wa salat wa salam ala Rasulullah.

I had a realization the other day. I have always tried to help people in my everyday experiences, holding the door open for others or picking up things they have dropped. But one characteristic of our time, is we are always in a hurry. So often, I will help someone, but I will help them in a hurry. This has the curious effect of them thanking me for a ‘deficient’ good deed.

A lady drops some paper towels from her groceries. I pick it up and give it to her and hurry on my way. But I forget the fact she is carrying a number of items in her hand and placing the paper towels back onto her trolley will also inconvenience her. I could possibly have put it back on her trolley for her. In this way, my good deed turns into “half a good deed” for which she may say ‘thank you,’ but I have not done my best in trying to help. Another example: I will hold the door open for someone coming behind me, they’ll say ‘thank you’ and then I will hold open the next set of doors for them, for which they will say ‘thank you’ again, but then they will jog a little, to quickly go through the doors so as to not inconvenience me nor waste my time in trying to help them. The fact I am holding open those second set of doors means, they are now obliged to enter those doors while at the same time, not make me wait for them. I can imagine this creates a feeling of resentment in them for me (for being forced, by my philanthropic intentions) and my resentment for them, if I am indeed truly in a hurry. And on top of that, they must say ‘thank you.’ Islam demands ihsan (excellence) in all our actions and deeds, and its not hard to see how haste makes us lacking in that excellence.

Our culture of speed causes a number of issues in our society. I did a great deal of reading, thinking and writing on the topic of a speed culture, dromology and what social philosophers and thinkers have said about it. But its even more fascinating to read about what Islam says about speed and how that relates to what these writers have said about it. There is a saying of the Prophet salallahu alayhi wasalam, “Deliberation (or slowness or calmness) is from Allah and haste is from Shaytan.” Its interesting to note the wisdom in this saying, especially in light of the incidents I have mentioned above. I intend to write more on how acceleration and the culture of speed have captivated our society and how it dilutes the Muslim way of life, in sha Allah.

So from now on, its important to be very slow in helping others, so as to be truly considerate of them!

Subhana kallahumma wa bihamdika ash-haduana la illaha illa ant astaghfiruka wa atubu ilayk, ameen.

Yusuf, brother of Omar Mullick, requested I spread the word about this awesome photo exhibit happening later this week.

The exhibit is on Thursday October 8th from 6pm to 9pm, at 16 West 23rd Street in New York City.

See here for a map

Gallery Website

Facebook Event

If you can’t make it check out some of the artwork at his website. Also there is a short interview with Omar Mullick here.

Its important we support our artists- they are the sources of inspiration. They are the ones who safeguard the secrets on how to love our community and appreciate the hidden beauties in Islam. This is all the more important because there is so much hatred in our communities. I don’t say that because I’m also becoming a bit of an artist (ok, maybe a little) but because I do really believe that. I am really touched by this photo exhibit, because I am always in awe of watching our brothers and sisters pray. Just that alone- still amazes me and that is no exaggeration.

I don’t live in NYC, but if I did I would definitely check this out. I encourage you check it out, 100-200 years from now these photos will really mean something!

Subhana kallahumma wa bihamdika ash-haduana la illaha illa ant astaghfiruka wa atubu ilayk, ameen.

Bismillah, alhamdulillah, wa salat wa salam ala Rasulullah

I thought rather than jumping around…I would contnue and show you the son of Umar bin al-Khattab so you can see for yourself what sort of father and how his piety affected his family.

May Allah make us pious parents and pious children and grant us and our progeny the same, ameen.

Abdullah ibn Umar bin al-Khattab (radiallahu anhuma)

Nafi narrated that Abdulah ibn Umar (radiallahu anhuma) said: “The truth is that I have never once ate my fill since I became Muslim.”

Abdullah, son of Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal, narrated that Abu Bakr ibn Haf said: “Abdullah ibn Umar (radiallahu anhuma) never sat to eat a meal unless an orphan had a share in it.”

Salim bin Asim narrated that Abdullah ibn Umar (radiallahu anhuma), never turned away a beggar unsatisfied, and that he sometimes ate with a leper from the same plate, and at times the leper’s hand may have been plasmatic.

Abu Hamed bin Jabla narrated that Maimun bin Mihran said: “I visited the house of Abdullah ibn Umar and I noticed that the value of its combined contents did not equal the price of a shawl.”

Abdullah bin Muhammad narrated that Abdullah ibn Umar (radiallahu anhuma) said: “One does not become a truly knowledgeable alim except: 1) If he is not met with the jealousy of those higher in rank; 2) if he is not belittled by those who are less knowledgeable than he; and 3) as long as he does not take advantage of his knowledge for monetary gain.

Salem bin Abi’l Ja’ad narrated that Abdullah ibn Umar said (radiallahu anhuma): “A man does not attain the station of true faith (iman) unless he regards others as incapable of understanding the reasons behind his immoderate religious exertions.”

Muhammad bin Hayyan narrated that someone said to Abdullah ibn Umar (radiallahu anhuma): “O Abu Abdu-Rahman, Zaid bin Haritha al-Ansari has just died.” Abdullah replied: “May the mercy of Allah encompass him.” The man continued: “O Abu Abdu-Rahman, he left one hundred thousand Dirhams behind him!” Abdullah ibn Umar replied: “Yet they did not leave him.”

Nafi narrated that Abdulah ibn Umar (radiallahu anhuma) said: “The best thing a man must cleanse is his tongue.”

Malik bin Anas Narrated that Ubaidullah, son of Abdullah bin Utba said: “Ikhlas (sincerity) was easily recognizable in Umar bin al-Khattab and in his son Abdullah ibn Umar and anyone could clearly recognize their birr (trueness to their Lord) in the way they spoke and in their actions.”

Adam bin Ali narrated that Abdullah ibn Umar (radiallahu anhuma) said: “On the Day of Judgment, a group of people will be called the ‘Deficient Ones.’ Someone asked: What does the ‘deficient ones’ mean?” Abdullah replied: “Such are the ones whose ablutions and prayers are inadequate through lack of concentration and hastiness.”

Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal narrated that Mujahid said: “I was walking with Abdullah ibn Umar and we passed by a ruin. Abdullah said to me, “Say, ‘O ruin, tell me, what did your people do?’” I turned to the ruin and said, ‘O ruin, tell me, what did your people do?’ A moment of silence passed, then Abdullah ibn Umar said, “They have gone, and these are the effect which they have left behind them!”

Mujahid narrated that Abdullah ibn Umar (radiallahu anhuma) said: “Today loyalty (mwalat) to people is centered exclusively around selfish wordly interests,a nd such politically motivated endorsements bring its people nothing but havoc.”

Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal narrated that Nafi said: “One time, Abdullah ibn Umar fell sick and I bought him a cluster of grapes for one dirham. As soon as I placed the grapes before him, a beggar knocked at the door, and Abdullah said to me: ‘Take these grapes and give them to that man.’ I said, ‘First take some of them!’ He replied, ‘No, give all of them to him.’ So I did, but I also went out after the beggar, I bought grapes back from him for one dirham, and I brought them back to Abdullah. The beggar who took the one dirham went away for a few moments, but shortly after that, he returned to the door and asked for something in charity. Again Abdullah ibn Umar said to me, ‘Give these grapes to the man at the door,’ and again I said, ‘Eat some at leaste, taste them!’ He insisted, “No. Give all of them to that man,’ and I did as he told me. Like that, for the third time–or perhaps the fourth time– I handed the grapes to the same beggar, and I further went after him and bought them back for one dirham, and everytime he took the money, he went away for a moment before he returned to the door and asked for something in charity. After the third or fourth time, I became upset, and I went after the beggar and I said to him, ‘Aren’t you ashamed of your actions?’ Finally, I bought the cluster of grapes from him for another dirham, and he agreed to leave, and at last, I brought the grapes to Abdullah ibn Umar who ate some.”
Mujahid narrated regarding Abdullah ibn Umar (radiallahu anhuma) that a young man stood up and asked God’s Messenger (salallahu alayhi wasalam): “O Messenger of Allah, who is the most diligent of believers?” He replied: “The one that remembers death most, and who is best prepared for it, such are the most diligent ones.”

(From Hilayah al-Awliya)

There are many more narrations on his generosity. Today we hesitate to give to the people on the street and so its amazing to see how stubborn and consistent Abdullah ibn Umar (radiallahu anhuma) was in his giving charity- more stubborn than even a beggar would be in asking for charity !!

Subhana kallahumma wa bihamdika ash-haduana la illaha illa ant astaghfiruka wa atubu ilayk, Ameen.

Something my main man, Hasan from QuranJam.com put together a while back. I was meaning to do a post on this…

—-
Do you know the feeling? Are you content to simply complain, or do you want to help me do something about it?

“Yes! Finally!” you might be thinking, “Grab your torches, everybody! Down with the uncles!“

Wrong.

I’ve noticed that a lot of the uncles giving khutbahs have amazing, amazing potential. All they need to do is refine their technique of delivery a little and they’ll be giving some super awesome khutbahs, in sha Allah.

So instead of tearing down the uncles, we’re going to help them become better. All it’s going to take is a printer and a designated brother sitting in the first row during every jumuah at your masjid.

Bismi Allah,
Step 1: Print out the attached Word document. It’s a letter that will teach the khateeb how to give awesome khutbahs.
Step 2: Fold it (or put it in an envelope) and stash it in your pocket.
Step 3: Sit in the first row during the jumuah khutbah (if you’re a sister, you can give it to your brother/husband/father and have him sit in the front row).
Step 4: If you think the khateeb can benefit from the document, pull it out from your pocket and hand it to him after the prayer.
Step 5: Make dua that he benefits from your naseehah.

So who’s going to help me in this? If you’re down with, in sha Allah, printing out the document and using it at your next jumuah (and every jumuah thereafter, if you like), post here with a special dua for this success of this project.

Jazaakum Allahu khaira!

Download HERE

Taken from AlMaghrib Forums thread

Some other helpful links

Subhana kallahumma wa bihamdika ash-haduana la illaha illa ant astaghfiruka wa atubu ilayk, ameen.

Bismillah, alhamdulillah, wa salat wa salam ala Rasulullah

I had a discussion with a local hafiz after taraweeh about recitations of the Quran in prayer and also the adhaan. At first he thought I was referring to the psychological effect of the qirat on the listener, but I clarified- what I am looking at here is what the recitation suggests about the reciter.

What mood are they in? Are they mechanically reciting? Are they reciting with their whole soul and heart? Are they emotional? Why aren’t they emotional?

Especially in adhans, you hear desperation, depression, some adhans you hear a low self-confidence, and in the rare adhan you hear the majesty of Islam. I try hard to recall and memorize the adhans/recitations that provoke feelings of spiritual grandeur and glory- but they are so rare, I have heard maybe one or three in the past 3 years.

Is this a reflection of our state? Is the melancholy you hear in their voice from the inferiority complex among the believers? Or is it just the style and how they were taught?

Comparing it to the chants you hear from Christian monks that sound really grandiose, the adhan and qirat I think are over-emphasized among Muslims (everyone wants to be like Alafasy!) but they aren’t emphasized in the sense of conveying your heart and spiritual state in the recitation, if that makes any sense. I often wonder if perhaps, the recitation has a negative effect on the imaan of the Muslims. Yes, of course we know it can really boost our imaan, but if its in a very dreary voice, even if its with perfect tajwid, it can really drag some people down rather than inspire iman. Its an interesting notion so I wonder…

Subhana kallahumma wa bihamdika ash-haduana la illaha illa ant astaghfiruka wa atubu ilayk, ameen.

An email I got from the folks at Qurba…
—

Qurba Academy Presents…

Quran and Sunna: Knowing the Sources

This course unravels the meticulous history of Islam’s primary texts. Students will learn how the blood, sweat, and sacrifice of great scholars preserved this religion. By the end of this class, students will have the clarity to filter out fictitious claims and the confidence to live the Sunna with excellence.

You Will Learn…

• About the phenomenal and methodical task of compiling, transmitting, and preserving the Quran and Sunna
• How to have a living relationship with the most important book you’ll ever read
• The essence of the connection between the Quran and Sunna and how they form the bases for all of the Islamic sciences
• About the incredible men and women in history who struggled and laboured to preserve the sources of this religion accurately and authentically

Who Should Attend…

• Anyone who desires to be close to Allah Most High
• Anyone who aspires to follow the Prophetic example, peace and blessings upon him
• Anyone who intends to further study Islam and needs a solid foundation of the Islamic sciences
• Anyone who wants to have confidence and clarity about the most important texts in Islam

Topics Covered in this Course

1. Revelation
2. Compilation and Preservation of the Quran
3. The Quranic Message
4. Compilation and Preservation of the Sunna
5. The Message of the Sunna
6. The Relationship Between the Quran and Sunna
7. The Relation of the Primary Sources to the Islamic Science

Register Now! Limited Seats

Program: Essentials Certificate Program

Course: PRN1101 – Quran and Sunna – Knowing the Sources

Teacher: Shaykh Talal Ahdab

Course Format: In-class with supplementary online material

Date & Time: Saturday October 10 – 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Sunday October 11 – 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Location: Ryerson University
Price: $89 until Eid, $99 thereafter

Bismillah, alhamdulillah, wa salat wa salam ala Rasulullah

I thought I would share this adkhar written by Imam an-Nawawi (rahimullah). Its made largely of adkhar from the Sunnah you can find in Hadith, some Quran, and some duas of Imam an-Nawawi’s writing. For those who don’t know Imam an-Nawawi (rahimullah) is the author of Riyadus Saliheen (ahadith which discusses the various moral and spiritual virtues in Islam) and the compiler of the 40 Hadith Nawawi (ahadith which discuss the core beliefs in Islam). He was a sage and a savant and the only similar work to this Wird is his book Al-Adkhaar (a compilation of the various dhikrs, duas, spiritual exercises he compiled) which has yet to be made accessible to  the English language.

You can download the image files here:

Page 1

Page 2

Page 3

The last 10 nights of Ramadan are coming to a close so they should find you making lots of tahajjud, reciting lots of Quran, dhikr and duas. I am uploading this Wird now, because its a nice dhikr to do at night, especially when you get tired of doing your istighars, tahlils and run out of ideas as to what else to recite. Its beauty should get you moving again.

This video is a recitation of this Wird by Shaykh Abdullah al-Kadi

Subhana kallahumma wa bihamdika ash-haduana la illaha illa ant astaghfiruka wa atubu ilayk, Ameen.

Bismillah, alhamdulillah, wa salat wa salam ala Rasulullah

I will be posting some excerpts from this legendary book. You can find a few narrations from this awesome book online, here and there was a blog that posted some stuff, that I can’t find at the moment…will edit this when I find it.

They are very beneficial and inspirational- a little different because these are the accounts of the Salaf and other righteous people, so alhamdulillah, the benefit is, they serve as a bridge to the Sunnah- we see how those who came before us understood and implemented the Prophetic wisdom and can learn from that perspective. Its really amazing how differently they’re minds worked. I think learning from our pious predecessors is really overlooked and one reason why our communities struggle with tarbiya.

Umar bin al-Khattab (radiallahu anhu)

Ali bin Abi Talib (radiallahu anhu) once said: “We used to say that there is an angel that speaks with Umar’s (radiallahu anhu) tongue.” (Hilayah al-Awliya 3/64)

Al-Hassan (radiallahu anhu) narrated that Umar (radiallahu anhu) was once walking along with some of his companions when they passed by a trash dump. Umar stood there for a moment pondering, and his act disturbed his fellows. When he noticed that they were offended by the stench, he commented: “This is the world you care so much to hoard, and this is the outcome of what you trust most and rely upon for your needs!” (Hilayah al-Awliya 3/72)

Khalaf bin Hawshab (radiallahu anhu) narrated that Umar (radiallahu anhu) once said: “I pondered upon this subject and realized that if I desired comfort in this world, I would harm my lasting comfort in the hereafter, and if I desired the hereafter, I must renounce the comfort of this world, and hence, I decided to give up the ephemeral. Therefore, if you find the same, then it is surely better for you to endure a little discomfort in this life.” (Hilayah al-Awliya 3/79)

Sa’id bin Abu Burda (radiallahu anhu) narrated that Umar (radiallahu anhu) once worte a letter to his deputy in the North, Abu Musa al-Ashari (radiallahu anhu), and in closing, Umar (radiallahu anhu) said: “….Therefore, the happiest of governors (on the Day of Judgment) is one whose subjects were happy with him (in this world), and on that day, the most wretched of governors is one whose subjects have suffered under him in this world. Beware never to procrastinate or fail to serve the people. Otherwise, your deeds will fritter away and you will be like a cow, once it sees green pasture, it hastens to chomp on it to grow fatter, not realizing that once it becomes fat, it will be fit to slaughter.” (Hilayah al-Awliya 3/80)

Mujahid (radiallahu anhu) narrated that Umar (radiallahu anhu) said: “Patience is the healthiest ingredient of our life.” (Hilayah al-Awliya 3/82)

Hisham ibn al-Hassan (radiallahu anhu) said: “When Umar (radiallahu anhu) read a Quranic verse admonishing the people, he would suppress his emotions and gasp for breath, and he often erupted sobbing until he was nearly choked by his own tears, and sometimes, he even fell unconscious. When Umar (radiallahu anhu) recouped, he would constrain himself to the confines of his house for some days. People would think that he was ill, and they would go to visit with him and inquire about his death.”
(Hilayah al-Awliya 3/91)

Thabit bin al-Hajjaj (radiallahu anhu) narrated that he heard Umar (radiallahu anhu) admonishing the people in a sermon saying: “Weigh your actions before they are weighed, and reckon yourselves before you are reckoned, this will make it easier for you tomorrow. Adorn yourselves for the grand exhibition: ‘On that Day, you will be displayed for judgment, and all your secrets will be brought to light’ (Quran 69:18).
(Hilayah al-Awliya 3/98)

After reading all that…consider this…

After Umar’s (radiallahu anhu) passing away, al-Abbas bin Abdul Mutalib (radiallahu anhu) once said: “I was a neighbor of Umar bin al-Khattab (radiallahu anhu), I highly valued such a privilege, and I never thought that there is anyone better than him. His nights were spent in prayers, and during his days he fasted and served the people. After Umar’s (radiallahu anhu) death, I prayed to Allah to allow me to see him in a dream, and last night, I saw him in a dream, walking the marketplace of Madina, and he was wearing a very nice shawl. I bid him peace and he reciprocated. I then asked him, “How are you doing?” He replied, “Well.” I asked, “What did you find?” Umar (radiallahu anhu) replied, “My reckoning was just concluded. During its consideration, my stance was just about to be rent asunder had I not met a Merciful Lord.” (Hilayah al-Awliya 3/106)

What then is our situation…?

Subhana kallahumma wa bihamdika ash-haduana la illaha illa ant astaghfiruka wa atubu ilayk, Ameen.

I haven’t updated regularly, and missed the last Soul Art post. I’ve been busy traveling, new experiences and meeting new people, making new contacts in the field of Islamic work, so not much has happened on here. Its Ramadan now so expect a slowdown because of lack of energy and because school is right around the corner.

I bought a pile of Islamic books this summer, have a few really great posts being written in my mind, and am considering becoming more professional, doing Islamic research, looking into getting published or wherever it goes. I am slowly shutting down my Dawud Israel Facebook account and shifting to my regular Facebook, (no more mystery I guess) so if you want to contact me, this blog or email is best- Facebook is more private now.

I request your duas because I think I really need them now with so much going on.

Bismillah, alhamdulillah, wa salat wa salam ala rasulullah

And here is this weeks SOUL Art. More art will be posted weekly on Fridays.

Remember to email your art submissions to muslimology[@]gmail[dot]com. Just take a quick photo of it and send it out.

Subhana kallahumma wa bihamdika ash-haduana la illaha illa ant astaghfiruka wa atubu ilayk, ameen.

Bismillah, alhamdulillah, wa salat wa salam ala rasulullah

This is my new method for making dhikr. Its easier than using a complex counting system or tasbih (rosary beads) for lengthy dhikrs.

a modest hand counter for enumerating the endless blessings of Allah (i.e. dhikr!)

It might not be easy to find, but alhamdulillah, I found mine at an Islamic clothing store. It can be a little loud but you can muffle the sound. Often, no one notices even in public. My beads break all the time, so I figured a ‘modern’ (gasp!) solution need be in order. Alhamdulillah, hope everyone benefits.

Subhana kallahumma wa bihamdika ash-haduana la illaha illa ant astaghfiruka wa atubu ilayk, ameen.

Bismillah, alhamdulillah, wa salat wa salam ala rasulullah

You hear these following ayahs during Jumah and they are important.
Read more for details, but the meaning of these ayahs, as explained by Sh. Husain Abdul-Sattar, is if one is honest, truthful and clear in speech- Allah SWT will reform their deeds (straighten their deeds in another translation) and forgive them and grant them success. Essentially, what this means is if one is honest, Allah SWT will change a person so they no longer commit sins and their deeds are of a better nature. In other words, through the blessedness of the speaking truthful words, Allah SWT Himself will make you into a better human being, which is what the goal of tasawwuf and all the dhikr and ibadah we perform is!!

Therefore, it is important to always speak the truth, especially when it is hard to do so, and in doing so, Allah SWT will help us in our tazkya and spiritual development. This represents a CORE teaching in our religion!

Every jumu’ah we hear the khateeb read the verse:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَقُولُوا قَوْلًا سَدِيدًا

Believers! Have conciousness of Allah and say ‘qawlan sadeeda‘ (33:70)

What is qawlan sadeeda?

سَدِيدًاis from Sadd: seen-daal-daal (س د د), which literally means wall, that has no space in it, or gaps or holes.

Qawlan Sadeeda is speech that has no ambiguity, it is clear, it is straight–like the wall, having no holes or gaps. ‘Tasdeedus Sahm‘ is a phrase which means to throw the arrow straight on the mark, when it reaches the bulls-eye; the arrow doesn’t go right or left. So sadeed refers to a speech that is to the point, clear, doesn’t go right or left–not mixed with exaggeration.
Qawlan Sadeeda gives a vast meaning:
1- a statement that is true
2- a statement that is proper and appropriate. It is possible you may say a 100% true statement but it’s not appropriate.

Say that which is in accordance to reality, it is not reduced, increased and it is accurate.

What is the benefit of having taqwa and saying qawlan sadeeda? The next verse says:

يُصْلِحْ لَكُمْ أَعْمَالَكُمْ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ ۗ وَمَنْ يُطِعِ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ فَقَدْ فَازَ فَوْزًا عَظِيمًا

يُصْلِحْ لَكُمْ أَعْمَالَكُمْ He will reform your deeds. What does this mean? It means that Allah azza wa jal will accept  your deeds.

وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ And He will forgive your sins; Allah will cover and forgive your past sins, your future sins and those you do due to forgetfulness.

وَمَنْ يُطِعِ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ And whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger:

فَقَدْ فَازَ فَوْزًا عَظِيمًا Then indeed he has attained the greatest success. Meaning he has attained his ultimate goal.

May Allah azza wa jal make us among those who say qawlan sadeeda and those who acheive the greatest success, Ameen.

Taken from Tayyibat Blog

Here are different ways to understand honesty, truthfulness and what qawlan sadeeda implies.

-honesty in thinking to bring about good thinking
-honesty in advice with sincerity
-honesty with your soul with islamic beliefs
-honesty with others in not being a hypocrite
-honesty in questions means good answers
-honesty in honoring a contract or covenant
-truthfulness in reciting the book of Allah- the truest words of all
-truthfulness in using the book of Allah for dawah and not using your own words
-truthfulness in saying dhikr, because dhikr is the most true thing
-truthfulness in saying kalimah which takes you to Jannah, just as all truthful words lead to somewhere, while lies are a dead-end
-truthfulness in your lifestyle and how you live to be true to the truth as a testimony to the veracity of the truth you live upon
-truthfulness being related to words of wisdom, Sunnah and Quran with accuracy
-truthfulness as being worried about your truthfulness as a sign of your being true to the truth
-truthfulness in being true not just to the words you are about to say, but the whether those words are true and fitting to the time, place, appropriateness, and to whom you are saying (think of ‘nasiha’- giving spiritual counsel advice)
-truthfulness in saying what is always best
-lying as a harm to others
-lying as a confusion
-lying as a distortion
-lying as a fib, inaccuracy, blurring
-lying as an equivocation
-lying as not speaking a truth earlier
-straightforward speech in being direct and clear
-straightforward speech in people understanding what you meant

-honesty is therefore a “process of being” because this has not just to do with the tongue but the mental tongue as well, the language is of supreme importance in all the social sciences and this is because it is tied to cognition and thinking and more importantly to all types of “transformational change”

-when one hears a foreign language, it is like seeing the outside architecture of a building, the sharpness and the softness, the speed and narrowness, the perceived intent, all from a lack of understanding of the nature of the language, but yet it tells us something, but when a person speaks that language it is as if they have entered that building and their familiarity with the inner design (etymology, word choice, patterns, ) is governed by their intellectual honesty- hence from here, they may see the sun setting when in fact it is rising because they have convinced themselves…language is like the needle of a compass while honesty is the field telling you which way is north.

And Allah is the Haqq- the TRUTH. What more needs to be said?

Subhana kallahumma wa bihamdika ash-haduana la illaha illa ant astaghfiruka wa atubu ilayk, ameen.

Bismillah, alhamdulillah, wa salat wa salam ala rasulullah

And here is this weeks SOUL Art. More art will be posted weekly on Fridays, its just this week I am traveling so got lagging behind!

Remember to email your art submissions to muslimology[@]gmail[dot]com. Just take a quick photo of it and send it out.

Subhana kallahumma wa bihamdika ash-haduana la illaha illa ant astaghfiruk wa atubu ilayk, ameen.

Just about any person is tied down to this rule of give and take, where you scratch my back and I scratch yours. Its a very basic idea and unless you are outright arrogant, you won’t reject it- even the simplest Muslim will accept this notion- and its how we are being suckered into losing our Islam.

Muslims are eternally in debt to the USA for keeping refugees and immigrants and they thus feel entitled to do as they please in your Muslim country- each immigrant thus is like a new satellite state (reverse of my initial ideas of America having to govern according to will of its immigrant’s countries in an absolute true democracy). “This person affects us so we can affect his country in return,” is what the reasoning of the American is, and the thinking is not, America deals with its international relations with the help of immigrants and their representation (which would be truer to the spirit of democracy).

This is like a daughter who leaves her love not marrying the person she loves, because of the wishes of her parents who gave her so much (raised her, took care of her, etc) and, the American Muslim can’t go against the USA which has given them so much, and by extension Muslim countries who are in debt to the USA for aid and arms and expertise, who have virtually never gone against the USA. Our very presence and enjoyment of the life in America means, we will never go against it, even if we know its hurting our Islam.

Example: Yahood in USA have re-payed this Favor by funding campaigns for certain senators and thus Israel feels it controls the USA, more so because America should have helped the Jews and saved them earlier in the Holocaust, but they didn’t.
Example: Hindus resent Muslims because Muslims historically have done more for India and made it glorious (Taj Mahal, the Mughals, etc) and thus the BJP (an Indian anti-Muslim political party) is a result of this resentful feeling of inferiority and disloyalty to not fulfilling the potential of this country.
Example: I’ve met Iraqis and other refugees who came to Canada only after they changed their religion from Islam to Christianity. Only after they gave up their religion were they allowed to flee their war-torn countries. Even more than that, when Muslim refugees arrive to Canada, they try to learn English and often the English teachers they run into end up being missionaries who try to convert them to Christianity.

Through this, by their (USA) mercies they tie you (Muslims) down- their helping you, means you can’t follow Islam, because in the view of the Americans: what has Islam done for you compared what the USA has done for you? They gave you food, money, shelter, status. Every American Muslim is almost no different than the dictators (puppets) of the Muslim world, who are powerless and have to give back to the Americans in one way or another. Now, unless you are very arrogant- you will be bound by this. If you are always taking from the Western life, then how will you be able to do anything that might appear to hurt the West (but really it doesn’t, because Islam is a mercy to all)? In this way, its how we have joined partners with Allah in our age.

Now, imagine a dinner guest who is given the best treatment and thinks its because of his own merit- because he is special, but in reality, it isn’t, he thus has to repay this by offering meals in his own place- no matter how poor he is and so you eat an American cheeseburger and must repay with your oil!

Obama is the living metaphor of this…USA brought a Muslim to Office, but Islam couldn’t maintain his faith and so he is a Christian, thus the message is clear: Allegiance to the USA is better than allegiance to Islam, and so it is fitting to serve the USA.

America is haughty as to its greatness and so is the American Muslim. Our Islamic projects in the West, imitate more the Western ideas thinking they’re distinctness with the American way gives them virtue over other Muslims, when in fact their is no reason for them to be treated any better than Muslims back home. You can think about our councils, the democracy of the mosques, etc. The only reason American Muslims and those in other Western countries, feel privileged is because they have in a sense made a bargain with the devil- only we didn’t realize when we came here, we are going to have to give up our Islam, bit by bit, generation by generation, until we lose it all. But we have to somehow re-pay the favor, and we will feel more obliged to repay it (dress, speak, think like them) unless we have no take in this lifestyle and willfully revoke the pleasures they have given us. Its like Musa alayhi salam, leaving the luxuries of living in Firawn’s palace, only to come and uproot the Egyptians- its not easy to have that much courage, and even then Musa needs Harun’s help (alayhim salam).

Conclusion

The system is set up to reach these inevitable moral conclusions, so even if you are pious and religious, you cannot go against the system as it is–it thus paralyzes any notion of rebellion or Islamic renewal and so we are left powerless, except to appeal to the democratic mechanisms such as voting or protest.

We have to repay this favor/debt and in doing so may disappear or we could make this place our own (like Habasha- Islamic Abyssinia) OR else all of us leave so they have no right or feel no entitlement to attack our lands and even if we weren’t here in the West, then they would hate on Muslims regardless.

In a sense, we have already payed this deb, by having Muslim men and women, fight for Canadian, or American, or British armies, now and in the past. Perhaps, if we demand some respect for this sacrifice our communities have made for their home countries, we will receive our fair share of rights and respect.

We can see this today with Pakistan today- they want USA’s help in waging the USA’s war but want sovereignty as well, yet sooner or later the USA will dictate entirely what to do to Pakistan, and then to other Muslim countries, to an even greater degree.

Subhana kallahumma wa bihamdika ash-haduana la illaha illa ant astaghfiruka wa atubu ilayk, ameen.

Bismillah, alhamdulillah wa salat wa salam ala rasulullah

And here is this weeks SOUL Art. I meant to post earlier, so my apologies. More art will be posted weekly on Fridays.

Remember to email your art submissions to muslimology[@]gmail[dot]com. Just take a quick photo of it and send it out.

From my main man Sajid.

A cool piece from Ali Hasnain. Remember this whenever people argue about these things.

That’s all for this week folks. Feel free to spread the love…

Subhana kallahumma wa bihamdika ash-haduana la illaha illa ant astaghfiruk wa atubu ilayk, ameen.