Sheikh Yahya Rhodus

The Virtues of the Prophet Muhammad (may Allah bestow peace and blessings upon him)

Habib Kadhim Al-Saqqaf

Dua is the weapon of the believer

Habib Kadhim Al-Saqqaf

Towards Unity and brotherhood

Habib Kadhim Al-Saqqaf

Khutbah

Your Next Step

Yesterday, Sheikh (may Allah preserve him) spoke about adab/etiquette and the importance of being vigilant against the slightest slip ups, in all things. As it these were one of the ways that satan used to attack the believer.

He continued to speak about how his murids should be in public: dressed well, pressed clothes, clean, if in a group not shouting, like and angel walking on the earth. Then he said something that has made me ponder over since he said it. He said that a sufi should only be concerned with the place his next step is going to be.

I found a great amount of meaning in these few words. He told us that we should not be concerned about what does not concern us; instead we should be concerned with what concerns us; which is where the next place the foot will be. This reminded me of the hadith, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “From the perfection of one’s Islam; is to leave that which does not concern him.” At-Tirmidhi

Most of the things we pass by on the streets and in our lives, do not concern us and they do not affect us. So why are we adding our commentary to it? We are talking about what is around us but neglecting the most important thing, where our next step will be. We could be stepping into some filth or we could fall over or walk into something.

Someone I know told me that he was leaving the train station today and he was looking at someone who was meeting his wife at the train station. He thought to himself when his time would come (to have a family) then he noticed that there was filth on the floor and narrowly avoided it. Then he remembered what Sheikh said then he laughed and went on his way. He was concerned about big issues that may or may not happen to him but he was neglecting what his immediate concern was. The place in which his next foot step would be.

Sheikh Ibrahim Osi Efa

The Virtues of the Prophet Muhammad (may Allah bestow peace and blessings upon him)

In honour of Shaykh Al-Arabi Al-Darqawi (may Allah be pleased with him)

by arfan shah


In search of a master

Sixty times did he complete the mushaf

In search of a guide

In the jungle of the soul

Finally he came to the man mountain

The camel of gnosis

Refused and then accepted

He journeyed swiftly

Where many failed

Taking the wird

Taking the means

Taking the path

Two parts of the Hassani tree

Converged and renewed

Then gave birth to another light

Sent to guide his people
Enlightening the tribe Bani zarwal

40,000 guides made at hands

To spread the path across the maghrib

Explaining sincerity to the insincere

They came without shoe to visit

Letters like leaders

Urging you on

To maintain the path to Allah

He showed others the way

The light of the poles

He took the intoxicating drink of gnosis

Then the cup was passed on

Until it reached Ismail, Alawi and Hashim

Whose children intoxicated the world

Sincerity the secret of the men of Allah

Men of Allah (the Exalted)

Men of the Prophet (may Allah bestow and blessings upon him)

Came to guide the world

All you have to do is take their hand

Follow their lead into paradise

Sheikh Hamza Yusuf

The Middle Path

Habib Khadhim Al-Saqqaf

How can we become closer to Allah (the Exalted)?

The Disputations

Twenty five

1.       Relief is forthcoming.

2.       If you don’t have the guts to say something to my face then you are a coward.

3.       No one says what they mean.

4.       Expect lies to come from peoples mouths.

5 .       The Mahdi will come in our darkest hour - therefore there must be widespread corruption. This is one of his signs...

6.       Abu Madyan (may Allah be pleased with him) said, 'He who knows himself is not fooled by the peoples praise of him.'

7.       We are the largest ummah so we should have the largest amount of martyrs, right?

8.       My silence is a fitna for our friendship.

9.       Don't be comfortable in the world because you are going to leave it soon...

10.   Part of our belief in the day of judgement is that the oppressed will be avenged on that day. So do be aggrieved when you do not see it now. Man's ability for justice is limited and the justice of Allah is absolute.

11.   “Surely, those who persecuted the believing men and the believing women, then did not repent, for them there is the torment of Hell, and for them there is the torment of burning.”
Sura Baruj 85:10

12.   When something does not work out have the guts to admit your failure and step back.

13.   Emotions know no bounds.

14.   Keep moving on.

15.   You have no choice.

16.   What makes you weep when it was not meant for you?

17.   I am contemplating the end of everything.

18.   Your intention means more at the beginning than the end.

19.   Your nafs needs to be shined by good works and dhikr until its a joy to behold.

20.   Just because you are not sinful does not mean that you do not have to repent.

Habib Khadhim As-Saqqaf

A Prophetic Estate

Sheikh Ibrahim Osi Efa

Virtues Luton 2013

Sidi Yahya Rhodus

Virtues Luton 2013

Habib Umar ibn Hafiz

Dua

The Disputations

Twenty six

1. Praise means nothing.

2. True sincerity is that one performs an action for Allah, not for anything or anyone and not for recognition even if it works out or it does not. That's sincerity.

3. People praise you because of what they suppose is in you but you should blame yourself for what you know is in you. Ibn Ata Allah

4. Your weakness is your reliance on anything other than Allah

5. The person who walks into the king’s court with a high head should be careful, he will get his head chopped off. As for the person who enters the kings court in submission, in humility will remain in the safety and pleasure of the king.

6. When you rely on something other than Allah get ready for what you have to be taken away.

7. Rely on Allah in ease and not just in duress.

8. Some people are tried by having something and others are tried by not having it...

9. May Allah bring the loin who murders to justice.

10. Film making is the art of convincing you that something is happening when actually it is not. Its an art of deception that manipulates and stimulates your emotions into feeling something that does not actually exist. None of it is real but yet we are obsessed about them.

11. Being judgmental is displaying the evil of yourself and not of others

12. “Our nation was born in genocide when it embraced the doctrine that the original American, the Indian, was an inferior race. Even before there were large numbers of Negroes on our shore, the scar of racial hatred had already disfigured colonial society. From the sixteenth century forward, blood flowed in battles over racial supremacy. We are perhaps the only nation which tried as a matter of national policy to wipe out its indigenous population. Moreover, we elevated that tragic experience into a noble crusade. Indeed, even today we have not permitted ourselves to reject or feel remorse for this shameful episode. Our literature, our films, our drama, our folklore all exalt it. Our children are still taught to respect the violence which reduced a red-skinned people of an earlier culture into a few fragmented groups herded into impoverished reservations.”

― John F. Kennedy

13. Every rose has thorns.

14. Sacrifice for the people on the spiritual path is continuous. Not just once a lifetime but every day, every hour, every minute.

15. Repetition helps.

16. What could’ve been was never meant to be.

17. The ears and the eyes are self cleaning but do you keep them clean by using them in the right manner? The gratitude of them is to use them for acts of worship. So be careful that you do not dirty them up.

18. Part of the believers training in the world is that everything has causes. As when they are in paradise there are no causes. When you wish for something you have it.

19. When you make an intention to be with someone, you are with them.

20. Sometimes I wonder about those people we feel sorry for now because of the suffering they go through. Will they feel sorry for us of the day of judgement when they see what rewards are awaiting them and what rewards are awaiting us?

Brainwashing, the Media, Looking forward and back

Several moons ago I was talking to a friend about an issue. He claimed to be backing the war on terrorism. He was extremely adamant and I made a statement which he could not reply to. I said, “A brainwashed person does not complain about being brainwashed!” Why because he does not know he is brainwashed.

How does one get brainwashed? Look around you and you see the same thing being presented to you continually and constantly.

We will save you

If you look at every movie about any major disaster and you’ll be given one message. The west is going to save the world. Armageddon, Deep Impact, 2012, Outbreak, Independence day, some superhero movies and so forth. This is not about good film making it’s about re-enforcing the ideas that the west is the best. The west is going to save you. Only the west can save you.

So whenever there is problem in the world we expect western governments to get involved. But do we ask the question if they are already involved? Who is funding these rebels with guns? 

For the last twelve years killing Muslims is seen as killing terrorists. So now when we look at the problems in Sham. Why would anyone get involved? They will fund two sides and watch them kill each other as they count the profits made. This is what happened during the Iran and Iraq war of the eighties. The bad press that is aimed at Muslims fuels the fire for war because they claim we are evil and need to eradicated. 

Media

The media is but a tool to spread propaganda of war. Very few media outlets carry credible information. Most are tools in spreading hatred and racism to the brainwashed masses who do not ask nor question the methods of those who act in their names. Through the media is permission sought for military intervention.

The greatest massacres occur in print before innocents pay with their lives. The media have a role to impartial role to play yet they are biased and told what to print.

Help ourselves

The main point that I am trying to make is that the Muslims should help each other. We do not have a caliph and in its absence Muslim presidents should help each other. The Arab and Muslim leagues have proven to be ineffective. Their ineffectiveness was exposed when they sent observers to Syria who seemed to have their eyes closed during the killings. 

Why are we looking to others to clean up our mess? We need to take some responsibility and work together to support each other’s economies and as well as other types of assistance. 

When things are going wrong in a country then we must come together forward a resolution for the greater good of those involved. Instead of looking on in silence as people are killed we should do something for the greater good.

The state of the Muslims could be changed overnight if we chose to come together and work together. I am not talking about unity rubbish rather I am talking about working together, that’s what we need. The trade of oil to the west strengths their oppression upon the countries that they have invaded. So we do not have anyone to blame but ourselves. 

Look in the books of fiqh and it’s unlawful to trade in any items that strengthen those against the Muslims. The greatest supporter of us to the west is Saudi Arabia. This is sufficient proof that the regime does not regard a Muslim life as sacred. Of course the normal person cannot do much but he can make others aware that we will not stand for our leaders to be corrupt.

Guess again

We have to apply fresh thinking and that does not include putting ourselves or others into danger. We need to be able to sort our own problems out and not allow countries to invade our lands.

I would like to see leaders who have guts to look into our glittering past and take from the lessons of the four rightly guided caliphs and lead like them. But who will stand? When most of them are flat on their faces fast asleep whilst the common folk struggle to make ends meat. 

If we can't trust politicians to tell the truth about their expenses; how can we expect them to tell the trust about international affairs!??! It’s easy to speak in public as all you need is confidence. You do not even need any knowledge.

Our main problem is that we cannot see past the media and their brainwashing. We are programmed during the evenings and speak about it the next day. Why don’t we make our media sources with trust worthy reports instead we rely on unsound information. How do we know any of it is true? We cannot be sure because are supposed to confirm the information that comes from someone unrighteous, so what would it be about someone with no faith who detests yours!

Look beyond what you are seeing. There is another story being told that you can see the outlines for but not see the whole picture, so use other sources of information that your television news. Free your mind and think. Or are you not concerned that things are so wrong but you do not care. The system is there to control manipulate your soul so be aware of this. Look at who benefits from a terrible event then you find red hands covered in blood. Historically many false flags have lead countries to war when the true reason is natural resources. Big companies who supply military products make money hand over fist as some brown person who they have never met dies in a drone operation.

The best means to alleviate the suffering of Muslims is by sending money to those in need and of course supplication, especially for the leaders.

Muslims could change our situation overnight if we had some guts. The west has not overpowered Muslim countires, it the Muslim countires who have empowered the west over us. And we have the audacity to blame others for our state. As long as we do that nothing will ever be solved.

Yet we are not concerning with anything except building empty buildings and wasting valuable resources. So if none of this bothers then you are brainwashed.  So what am I calling you to? I am calling you to break the boundaries of thinking that have been placed upon you by the media. When you do this then you'll understand exactly why things happen and what your response should be.


Cheaters

 If we cannot trust politicians to tell the truth about their expenses then how can we expect them to tell the truth about foreign affairs?

The politicians and the evil people of the world have set the world on fire and who pays the price? The normal people peace loving people of the world. Who want to do nothing more than get on with their lives and live in peace.  I refuse to buy into hatred so you can keep it and tell it to yourself. I don't listen to hatred from any fool. Its time the good people speak and silence the dissident voices of war. 

Or do you chose to remain brainwashed? Like cattle consuming and not thinking at all. 



O Allah please help the Muslim Ummah. May Allah forgive us all.