Sheikh Hamza Yusuf

Contributions of Islam to humanity parts one to four

Sheikh Hamza Yusuf

Religion, Violence and Modern World parts one to ten

Khowla bint Al-Azwar

Khowla daughter of Al-Azwar became a heroine when her brother Dirar was taken prisoner by the Romans. She disguised herself as a horseman then took a position in the rows of the fighters in the battle of Ajnadien. (in Palestine in the fourteenth year after migration).


During the most intense fighting the Muslims saw a veiled horseman, who they could only see his eyes, riding a large horse with a spear in hand; attacking the Roman infantry like a raging fire. Thus causing the cavalry to displace and killing the soldiers. She caused such havoc that the people thought it was Khalid ibn Walid (may Allah show him mercy).


Suddenly, the people saw Khalid and their astonishment grew. Then they asked him who the veiled horseman was. He replied, “I am more astonished than you about the bravery of this horseman.”


Then Khalid cried out to the army, “O’ soldiers attack with the veiled horseman.” Then they attacked with them; broke the ranks of the enemy and gained victory.


When the veiled horseman came out at the end of the battle he was surrounded by the Muslim soldiers and asked, “Who could you be, O’ brave soldier?” but their perplexity increased when the veiled horseman turned away without answering. Then Khalid came and asked, “Who are you, O’ veiled hero? Reveal yourself to us. You have moved the hearts of the people and my heart through your actions. Who are you?”


When Khalid insisted, the horseman answered saying, “I do not wish to display myself to you O’ leader except out of my shyness towards you. I am Khowla daughter of Al-Azwar, Darar’s sister who was captured by the polytheists."


Khalid shouted, “Bless you O’ daughter of Al-Azwar. No army will be defeated with the like of you in it!”





Later she and the Muslims freed her brother from the Romans. More information can be found out about her in Famous Muslim Women Cd set by Dr Umar Abdullah Farooq.



Source page 76-77 Silsila ta’lim Al-loghat Al-Arabiyya, Al-Musawa Al-Thalitha, Kitab Al-Qiraat

Translation by arfan shah

Advice for the Seekers of Knowledge

This is a post that comprises all the previous notes of the Student files label. Please click on a link to read the post (s). Five more posts will be published in due course in sha Allah. This is as far as we have got.





Chapter one -Your knowledge is pointless


http://sheikhynotes.blogspot.com/2007/09/your-knowledge-is-pointless.html





Chapter two - Intention of the learner


http://sheikhynotes.blogspot.com/2006/11/intention-of-learner.html





Chapter three - How to ask a scholar a question


http://sheikhynotes.blogspot.com/2006/11/advice-on-how-to-ask-scholar-question.html





Chapter four - Sitting in lectures


http://sheikhynotes.blogspot.com/2006/11/sitting-in-lectures.html





Chapter five - Choice of teacher


http://sheikhynotes.blogspot.com/2006/11/choice-of-teacher.html


Chapter six - The right that learnt knowledge has over you

http://sheikhynotes.blogspot.com/2006/11/right-that-learnt-knowledge-has-over.html



Chapter seven - Waiting for the Scholar

http://sheikhynotes.blogspot.com/2008/06/waiting-for-scholar.html



Chapter eight - Studying

http://sheikhynotes.blogspot.com/2008/09/studying.html



Chapter nine - Teacher's pet

http://sheikhynotes.blogspot.com/2008/12/teachers-pet.html



Chapter ten - Students attaire

http://sheikhynotes.blogspot.com/2008/12/students-attire.html



Chapter Eleven - Errors of the Teachers

http://sheikhynotes.blogspot.com/2009/01/errors-of-teacher.html



Chapter Twelve - Sins of Students

http://sheikhynotes.blogspot.com/2007/10/sins-of-student.html

Sheikh Abdul-Aziz Fredricks

Subha 2005 clip

Sidi Hamza Andreas Tzortzis

Debate about Islam and secularism

Sheikh Hamza Yusuf

The Islamic Road Map:Pathways to Excellence parts one to five

Sheikh Atabek Shukurov

Lying, false testimony, false accusation

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was asked, “Can a Muslim be a coward?” He replied, “Yes.”
“Can a Muslim be miserly?”
“Yes.”
“Can a Muslim lie?”
“No.”
Imam Malik in Al-Muwatta

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “A Muslim can have any kind of characteristic except cheating and stealing.” (Ibn Abi Dunya)

The importance of learning about lying is to avoid it

There are three types of characteristics that makes someone a hypocrite/Munafiq as described in hadith
1. If he speaks he lies
2. He cannot be trusted
3. Breaks his promises.

There is can be two further types:
1.Nifaq ‘Alami/hypocrisy in action; this is when someone refuses to do something
2. Nifaq ‘Aqali/Rational hypocrisy; this is to know something and to refuse it

Lying is defined as purposely and intentionally not telling the truth

The worst lie types of lies (in order of greatness) are:
1. Someone lies about Allah (Mighty and Majestic) when they something is halal/permissible and haram/prohibited in the shariah/sacred law
2. Lying about the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) fabricating prophetic narrations/hadith
3. False testimony
4.Lying about dreams: on the day of Judgement he will ordered to do the impossible

Only number one constitutes as an Act of disbelief the others are major sins but do not cause disbelief.

Excuses that make lying permissible:
1. To bring to parties or brothers together
2. During war
3. Sometimes a man can lie to his wife, if he knows that the truth can hurt her. For example someone can say that they are looking for another job because he lost his job. It is permissible to lie as long as it does not hurt someone.
Yes it’s better not to lie

Tawriah is to say that you have done something when the other person will understand something else. This is only permissible sometimes not all the time.

How to remove lies from ourselves:
1. Keep a pen and paper handy – when you lie – write it down
2. At night review it and ask for forgiveness for every lie
3. Pray the forgiveness prayer (two units/Rakats) and cry. Then tear up the paper, do this for forty days then see if you can go without lying for ten days. When you lie again repeat the process.

Sheikh Muhammad Al-Yaqoubi

The Second Lesson Of Shammil
http://www.sacredknowledge.co.uk/sacred-learning/lesson-2-the-created-form-of-the-messenger-of-allah.html

Imam Zaid Shakir

Rihla 06 clips

Sheikh Hamza Yusuf

Rihla 06 clips

4 years old today!!

It was four years ago, to the day, that Sheikhy notes began. It has been a very interesting journey, full of ups and downs.





I have seen many changes from the early days and we feel that we have grown with the blog. I hope that the readers have grown as well. The blogs main function is to spread knowledge and we hope to continue in this endeavour.





I would like to thank all those people who have supported Sheikhy notes over the years. And I hope that they continue to support the blog. I would also like to thank all the readers. There is a lot more to come from Sheikhy notes, in sha Allah, and more to enjoy.

The child stumbles into the new world surrounded by things to explore and understand!

Erm, sorry about that. I was going over the top a bit...Keep visiting!

Sheikh Hamza Yusuf

Traditional Education parts one to fourteen

Habib Ali Al-Jifri and Sheikh Idris Watts

Trodden path: Good manners ( session one)


Bradford 2008

Introduction by Sheikh Idris Watts


Abu Madyan came to morocco then to Fez and spent many years studying in the Qarawiyyin. He noticed that the knowledge from the scholars was having no effect on the students. It was having no effect on his heart and he wanted to find someone to effect his heart. Until he met Sidi Ali Hirzihim. Abu Madyan said that every word this man said had an effect on him heart so after the gathering and asked, “Why is it that I have sat with the other scholars of the Qarawiyyin but their words have no effect on me. But when I sit in your presence every word you say changes me.” He replied, “My boy, every word I say I desire of Allah and our master Muhammad.”


Pure knowledge entered the hearts of the pure


The people you should sit with are those who words change you


Meeting the beloved refreshes the faith of someone





Habib Ali Al-Jifri


We shall read the book Adab Al-Murid of Imam Haddad


Knowledge calls for action; if it does not find it will depart


Imam Haddad lost his sight aged four but Allah opened his insight


At the age of seven he would pass a masjid on his way to study; pray one hundred units there and continue on his way


He was Al-Ghazali of his age


He used to express his desires for Allah in his works


He tried to make things accessible to everyone


He died whilst he was teaching Al-Muwatta


(He mentioned the chain of narration of the book to the writer)


Know that every word i say that I narrate that comes from an unbroken chain back to the

Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)


This book was a dictation


The man who asked his to compose this work did not reach Allah (mighty and majestic) but many others did


We need to examine our intention


Haste is worldly desires


He mentioned that the station of the teacher is the same is up to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)


This is a gathering of knowledge that you are sat in


The purist of the worldly items has lead us to the state of the world


Use something of this world to get to the next world but do not immerse yourself in its pleasure
Abu Bakr ibn Salam said, “The world is the daughter of the afterlife.” Whoever marries the daughter he cannot marry the mother with or without having a martial relationship. Whoever marries the mother cannot marry the daughter, as long as he has not had a relationship with the mother. It is known that he can marry the daughter if he has no martial relationship with the mother. If the man annuls the marriage before the wedding night then he can marry the daughter


The striving is rewarded by action


The one who has knowledge of the hereafter and does not strive for it is astray


What should our intention be? Imam Haddad famous supplication of intention


The good intention leads to good action and vice versa


He can make a good intention but he made an error and he will be reminded


The one who makes good intentions blames himself for his mistakes


The self is constantly commanding evil as in the Quran


The expressions of blessings that a book begins with would indicate to the contents of the book


A person’s desire indicate to their actions


There was man from a previous community supplicated for rain and when it did not come. He thought that because of the worship of seventy years. Then he reflected and reproached himself for every mistake that he did during that worship. Then the Prophet of that time came and said that to him that Allah had accepted his repentance and that those moments reproaching himself for those acts of worship were better than the seventy years



Session two


A migration is from sins to obedience


This is an example of a hijrah


A person can receive from the men of God


There is a yearning for paradise but the higher yearning is for Allah


This is the highest level


There was a time that the people who fight and then gain an opening from a companion, then a successor then the follower of the successor


Turn your hearts towards Allah


There are three things that will strength you: reflection, remembrance and company of the people of Allah


Keep away from those who are veiled


Seek nearness to Allah


When the chance is given; he should go and not delay


He should not make excuses


Which will allow satan in


The true seeker thinks he is not worthy of walking on the path to Allah


Do not think that the sin cannot be forgiven that implies that the sin is too large to be forgiven


Go to Allah with brokenness


The first station of the seeker is to repent for all his sins


Someone should feel sincere remorse for sins


Some report the Hadith, “Repentance is remorse.”


You cannot repent the sin and desire to repeat it in your heart


Repentance has three conditions


It is the first step to take after a fall
1. Remorse
2. Leaving the sin –straight away
3. Never to return to it
4. If it is do with someone’s rights then return them – either ask their forgiveness or return their stuff


Imam Al-Ghazali states if it would cause more problem to ask for forgiveness because it could cause harm in honour then prayer for the person. (if backbiting has not reached them)

Sheikh Hamza Yusuf

Our Family parts one to six

Sheikh Atabek Shukurov

Innovation/ Bid’a




The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Whoever innovates a new action will have it rejected.” Bukhari


Also


“All innovations are misguidance and every misguidance is in the fire.” Nisa’i



In the Arabic language Bid’a means innovation, something is done with previous presidence



Innovation/Bid’a is the scared law has to meet two conditions


1) A new action has not been done by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)


2) Which has no roots in Islam
To meet one condition is not enough it has to meet both to be innovation



The Wahabi/Selafi scholars only accept the first condition



A different description of innovation/bid’a is to fabricate an action about religion that did not occur during the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)



It has to be about Islamic law not lifestyle and it has to oppose Islamic law, a law that is currently present



Bid’a/Innovation can be good/Hassana or acceptable


1. The hadith, “The one who innovates a good innovation has the reward of it and those who follow.”


2. Tarawiah (Prayers after the night prayer in the month of Ramadan) was done individually at the same time in the masjid, during Umar ibn Khattab’s khaliphate he ordered and them to follow one Imam; when Umar came into the masjid and saw the unity of the Muslims he said, “What a blessed innovation.”


3. Uthman ibn Affan (may Allah be pleased with him) made two calls to prayer/Adhans for Friday/Jumma congregational prayer. One when the Imam comes out and the second one at the khutba/speech (after the bayan).



Bid’a Hassana/good innovation is of two kinds


1. Wajib/necessary: the rules of Arabic grammar which are sourced from Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) when he said, “Words are: nouns, verbs and particles.”


2. Mustahab/desired: write number of ayats/verses, to build a place away from the masjid to teach –madrasa or university



A rule that illustrates this is, “Something you need to perform a necessary action; is itself necessary.”



Izzudeen ibn Abdussalam (may Allah show him mercy) said, “Check if the innovation supports Islam; if it does then it’s okay.”



Bid’a Sayyiah/ sinful innovation is two kinds


1. Haram/Prohibited: to make creation equal to creator, Quran has 40 parts and calling Muslims disbelievers


2. Makruh/highly disliked: to over decorate a masjid



As long as the innovation has root in Islam (it has a traceable act) then it is Bid’a Hassana



Some scholars of the Sunna namely Imam Malik, Imam Bayhaqi and Imam Ibn Rajab say there is only one bid’a; they mean bid’a haram not bid’a hassana



Imam Ghazali (may Allah show him mercy) said, “One of the biggest sins is to call someone a disbeliever, innovator or a hypocrite.” From his book Minhaj Al-‘Abideen


Imam Shaf'i states in Kitab al-Umm, "There are two kinds of innovation; praiseworthy innovation and blameworthy innovation. Whatever agrees with Prophetic practice is praiseworthy and what is against it is blameworthy."


If someone has called anyone any of the above; then he must seek that persons forgiveness.

Sheikh Jihad Brown

Sacred Law parts one to eight

Sheikh Muhammad Al-Yaqoubi

The first lesson of the Shamail At-Tirmidhi is up please see link

http://www.sacredknowledge.co.uk/sacred-learning/lesson-1-introduction-to-shama-il-al-tirmidhi.html

Sheikh Hamza Yusuf

The Key to Unity parts one to six