Imam Shamail Al-Daghistani

Arabic cartoon not sure about subtitles

The Disputations

Part sixteen

1. Why do have to scream when we preach Islam? Does not the speaker know he has a microphone before him?

2. قال شعار لا أختار دموعا دموع تختارني the poet said, I did not tears they chose me.

3. Every era has events that uniquely define it

4. If you are never happy with your current state then you'll never be happy.

5. Be like a snowball ornament when it is shaken its beauty comes out.

6. Why are people who listen to lectures about love so full of hate???

7. We have yet to learn to lessons of Ihya Ulum Al-Deen.

8. How can we blame the youth for going astray? When we had the opportunity to teach them but failed! So those parents who kill their daughters because she is doing something that they do not like; should look no further and blame themselves.

9. Good weather means nothing unless you have someone to enjoy it with.

10. Even though you have lost one blessing you have many others to be grateful for.

11. The pen is nothing without paper and paper is nothing without the pen. Its only the combination of both these things can something beautiful come forth.

12. The most misleading emotion is love. How can you say you love someone and hurt them?

13. Its only by suffering do you realise the value of something.

14. Allah tested you when he gave you something of the Dunya and blessed you when he prevented you from something of the dunya.

15. Don’t say yes or no unless you know what you are saying yes or no to.

16. Expect to be disrespected and you'll never be disappointed!

17. نوم الظالمين عبادة The sleep of oppressors is worship – Syrian saying.

18. Servants whose service is for Allah, are not concerned about being seen. Servants who want to be seen are looking for positions and they service their own egos when they feed others.

19. When you lose something in this world know its loss means nothing compared to losing Allah. So keep faith in Allah and leave the world because there is always a replacement for what is lost in the world but no replacement for Allah.

20. The oppression of the oppressors always comes home...

Khalid Blankinship

Dialogue Between Civilizations: Muslims and the West

Sheikh Saad Al-Attas

Ways To Protect Yourself With Your Tongue from Imam Al-Ghazali

Imam Zaid Shakir

Seek the means of nearness

Sheikh Sayyid Muhammad Awali Al-Makki

Life in Barzakh

Sheikh Sayyid Muhammad Alawi al-Maliki

Visiting the blessed grave

Habib Muhammad Al-Saqqaf

Assia

Maryum

Fatimah

Sheikh Hamza giving salam

Aftab Malik informs us what happened at ISNA - A few years back...

 

"Shaykh Hamza and I were wading through the bazaar checking out the books on offer. One particular book caught his eye and he rushed to pick it up and his face lit up as he studiously studied the contents and flicked through the pages. 

 As he was reading the book, a small, old gentleman came on by and offered his salams to shaykh Hamza. "As-salam 'alaykum Shaykh Hamza," the man said in a humble, trembling voice against the buzz of some ten thousand bargain hunters. 

 The man stood there, waiting for a reply and I stood there thinking should I tap shaykh Hamza on his shoulder? I stood and the man stood but there was no response. The old man simply walked away. 

 Suddenly, Shaykh Hamza jolted his head out from the tome. "Did someone just say salam to me?" he asked me, as if he'd just snapped out of a daze. "Err ... yes. There was this old genetlemen who said salam to you, but ..." I didn't finish off my sentence. "We have *got* to find him," shaykh Hamza said as he placed the book back onto the shelf and literally darted across the bazaar stall area of ISNA. 

Now, for those who know ISNA, the bazaar is the most populated area. As we tried to navigate the tsunami of people present, I could barely keep up with shaykh Hamza, all the while thinking, how on earth are we going to find this one man amongst all these people. "Is that him?" Shaykh Hamza asked as we encountered each and every older gentleman present. "No." I replied. 

We ran and searched the whole bazaar, all the while fending off well-wishers and soon ended up outside the bazaar and into the lobby. I had no idea where we were going, but shaykh Hamza continued to run around looking for this gentlemen. 

Finally, we reached the outer area of the hall ... and ... we found the old man. He was with his son and his grandchildren. "That's him!" I excitedly shouted and shaykh Hamza slammed on his brakes and tapped the man on his shoulder. "As-salam 'alaykum," he said out of breathe, "I am so sorry that I didn't return your salam. I sometimes get lost in books and loose sense of where I am, " he said. "Shaykh, it's no problem," the gentleman said, "You needn't had bothered yourself." "No, no. I should have responded to your salam, it's your right."

 

Taken from Aftabs fb page

The Disputations

Part seventeen

1. Timing is important.

2. Instead of condemning people for their sins maybe you should try praying for them...

3. Why should you be hopeful of forgiveness? Because no matter how great your sin is the forgiveness of Allah is greater.

4. The era for heroes has ended so do not try to be a hero because people will walk all over you.

5. If you insult someone that you are trying to refute they will never listen to you; even if you are right.

6. If you are in a storm now as long as you keep walking you’ll get through it.

7. The lion will be slain at the gates justifying the fallen...

Top of Form

8. Its really strange how we live in a time where the average person talks about deep scholarly issues yet does not even know the basics of his wudhu!

9. Sooner or later you'll realise that you can only rely on Allah and everyone else will let you down.

10. Its not in your interest to be involved in interest...

11. Difference of opinion is only accepted from those with knowledge...

12. Belief in the divine decree is realisation that you are powerless.

13. When they say that the doors of ijtihad are closed they are lying. As this is an orientalist argument to say that Islam is backward. Ijtihad is ongoing and has not stopped.

14. قال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلام (إذا فسد أهل الشام فلا خير فيكم،) حسن صحيح: الترمذي 2192

The Prophet (may Allah bestow peace and blessing upon him) said, “If the people of Syria are corrupt then there is no good in you. ” At-Tirmidhi.

15. Fear of the 'other' leads to injustice.

16. A man said to Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), 'Fear Allah O Umar!' One of those present said, 'Do you say this to the leader of the believers?' But Umar scolded him for these words and said, 'There is no good in you if you do not say this and no good in you if you do not hear it.'

17. Finding pleasure in anything worldly veils one from Allah (the Exalted).

18. Only when someone is pure outwardly can someone pray and only when the heart is pure can it prostrate.

19. Allah is free from need and for you to be a wali your heart should be free from anything but Allah.

20. Large amounts of wealth do not help on the day of judgement but large amounts of faith do. So why are we so bothered about gathering wealth and so avid about neglecting our faith?

Sheikh Sayyid Muhammad Alawi al-Maliki

Life of the Prophets in their graves (upon them peace)

Sheikh Sayyid Muhammad Alawi Al-Maliki

The life of the Prophet (may Allah bestow peace and blessings upon him) in the grave

Sheikh Ibrahim Osi Efa

Essence of Repentance

Martin Lings

Circling the house of God

Sheikh Hamza Yusuf

The Critical Importance of Al-Ghazali in Our Times

Hamza Yusuf - "The Critical Importance of Al-Ghazali in Our Times" (Fons Vitae Press) from Fons Vitae Press on Vimeo.

Habib Umar ibn Hafiz

Futuwwa

Habib Kazim al-Saqqaf

The Blessings of time



Habib Kazim al-Saqqaf: The Blessings of Time. Part One from Ribat Films on Vimeo.




Habib Kazim al-Saqqaf: The Blessings of Time. Part Two from Ribat Films on Vimeo.

Karbala: What they do not want you to know

In the month of Muharram the tragic events of Karbala are re-enacted. This is not normal for the majority of Sunni communities but this is specific for some communities of the indo-paks and the Turks. Yet none go into the detail that the paks do, as others mention it briefly, and not in the agonising detail that is vividly painted for us.

To actually understand the events that transpired takes a lot of time and a lot of study. It is a gut wrenching and heart rendering event which fills even the most sternest Muslim heart with grief. The question that the heart begs to be answered is why? Why did they kill the grandson of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bestow peace and blessings upon him) Al-Hussain (may Allah be pleased with him)? This is something we hope to address.

Precursor

To understand the events that occurred we must look back before we look at the event. After the murder of Ali (may Allah ennoble his face) his son Al-Hassan (may Allah be pleased with him) was given authority, caliphate.

During this time of tribulation he sensed that the same forces that had caused the death of both his predecessors might consume the fledgling Muslim community and cause civil war. So he gave up his right to the caliphate to bring peace. This was already predicted by the Prophet (may Allah bestow peace and blessings upon him) said, “My child is a master. Allah shall reconcile two parties from a great sedition by him.” (Imam Ahmed 5/44), this occurred now. 

Al-Hassan (may Allah be pleased with him) handed over his right to the caliphate to Mu’awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him). This was something that pacified the disputing factions and meant that one side lost their rallying cry. Mu’awiyah had been keen to find the killers of his cousin Uthman ibn Affan (may Allah be pleased with him). The first sect of Islam, the Khawarij, were causing much sedition and tribulation.

So when Mu’awiyah passed away Al-Hussain (Al-Hassan’s brother) (may Allah be pleased with him) was keen to assert his right to the caliphate. Yazid (Mu’awiyah’s son) instead asserted his own authority which was dissimilar to the manner that the previous caliphates were declared. As others were voted for by a group of the righteous. So Imam Al-Hussain (may Allah be pleased with him) had a rightful claim. Also due to the fact that Yazid was known to be unrighteous and all previous leaders were righteous. This was something synonymous in the early period of leadership. So this fact alone means that Yazid had no valid claim to leadership.

Karbala

The residents of Kuffans kept writing to Al-Hussain (may Allah be pleased with him) to affirm his right and that they would pledge their allegiance to him. So after sending one of his cousins to oversee the situation in Kufa, he himself went with a small group and members of his family.

When news of this reached Yazid he sent Ibn Ziyad to quell this ‘revolt’ which was quelled in the most brutal manner possible. He was sent to either take the oath of leadership from Al-Hussain (may Allah be pleased with him) or to finish his 'rebellion.' What followed would fill every believer’s heart with sorrow for many years to come. Al-Hussain (may Allah be pleased with him), his party and all the males of his offspring were martyred with the exception of Zayn Al-Abideen (may Allah be pleased with him). Zayn stayed behind in Medinah because of illness.

Now this is where the story ends for most of the ‘historians’ who re-trace these events on a yearly basis. But the story does not end here.  The date of his death is the tenth of Muharram 680.

Events that followed

Al-Mukhtar Ibn Abu Ubayd Al-Thaqafi was in prison and when news reached him. He raised an army to avenge Al-Hussain (may Allah be pleased with him).

When he would kill one of those involved in the murder, he would send the proof to the martyrs son. The severed heads of the killers of Al-Hussain (may Allah be pleased with him) were sent to Zayn Al-Abideen (may Allah be pleased with him) and then were placed on poles. Snakes would arrive and prod the heads until eventually entering the head by the nostril. This was a fitting end to those who had committed such a heinous crime as kill a grandson of the Prophet (may Allah bestow peace and blessings upon him).

Yazid would die a few years later in 683. One of the most regrettable practices of the Ummayyad caliphs was the cursing of Al-Hussain (may Allah be pleased with him) which continued until this practice was ceased by the pious caliph Umar ibn ‘Abdul-Aziz (d.720) (may Allah be pleased with him).

You have to understand that leaders commit heinous crimes, just to remain in power and this was no different. The Ummayyads saw his claim as invalid and would continue their revenge with curses.

So all the killers who were involved were killed but was this end of the punishment that the tribe of Ummayyad?  Yazid died a horrible death but the punishment was still due. In this time much talk of rebellion was banded about and this occurred when the Abbasid Empire came into power in 750.

They enacted the final revenge upon the tribe of Ummayyad. They killed every single member of the family of the Ummayyad tribe and the only one to escape was Abdurrahman Al-Dakhil (d.788). He was known to be pious and extremely generous and he was the only person to survive the slaughter. He would flee to Al-Andulus (Spain) and make a new home there.

The Ahl Al-Bayt were persecuted under the Ummayyads and the Abbassids. The change of leadership had not achieved anything.  

In context

Now, that we have taken the events in context and looked at the entire picture we see a sad event but it was not without its consequences. This is something forgotten when we arrive at the month of Muharram. Ponder these facts closely and you will see that Al-Hussain (may Allah be pleased with him) was avenged in such a manner that left little doubt to who did it.

Harming the offspring of the Prophet (may Allah bestow peace and blessings upon him) has dire consequences and this was a total revenge. These points that we have explained you will not find mentioned by any of the speakers during this month. Instead you’ll find two types of speakers about this event. One that considered Al-Hussain (may Allah be pleased with him) as a rebel and another that considers him as a hero. The group that consider him a rebel have yet to understand that he was making a stand for justice and Islam. Yazid never had any rightful claim to leadership, ever. Nor was he (Yazid) a valid leader at the time. Imam Al-Hussain (may Allah be pleased with him) had more right to lead than anyone else.

Reasons of exploitation

This event caused what would become the group known as the Shia – the party of Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) to break off from the Sunni’s and form their own sect. At this point they were a political party and in favour of Ali ibn Abu Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) and his offspring. This event would lead them to more radical and extreme tendencies.

In the indo-pak communities this event is brought out each year in some misguided love towards Ahl Al-Bayt which basically translates as the shouting of old men in Masjids around the country. This is what some consider as a sign of love towards them and the Messenger (may Allah bestow peace and blessings upon him). This is something that looks ugly and its causes some people to make takfir (declaring a disbeliever) of Yazid. The soundest position of takfir of Yazid is not to involve yourself out of caution. (See Dohw Al-Maali p,133). The reason for this is based on two things. Did Yazid gave the command to kill Hussain or to take bayah alone? This does leave some doubt and for this reason many scholars have refrained from cursing him but you will find prominent scholars who curse him. There is no doubt that Yazid was an open sinner (because he was known to drink excessively) and had no right to rule. That is putting it mildly!

Yet this event is manipulated by the speakers during this period. The massacre at Karbala is one of the most shocking tales in Islamic history and it leaves a person cold. It is almost impossible to comprehend. How could they do it? Why did they do it? Are just some of the questions that are banded about. It is not something that I would like to re-live every year as reading it once a lifetime was extremely difficult. I do think that this event should not be used in such a visceral and agonising way, by week long television shows dedicated to this subject.
 

This is exactly what made me put pen to paper because one of my friends commentated on how I had explained something to him in five minutes what he had not got in a week’s worth of television programs on this subject. That was more than a shock but perhaps to be expected. As its a sign of manipulation not respect.

Re-living trauma is not good for you and not good for children. Explain to them briefly but not in detail. Childhood trauma can lead to greater harm in the future. The Habaib - the Ahl Al-Bayt scholars of Yemen are also not comfortable with people using this issue to illicit emotions and manipulate people. This is done by none more so that the Shia and some Sunni's.

Final remarks

We find this story difficult to comprehend at times and sometimes find it difficult to think about. We would like to see this event commemorated but in a rational and normal manner like the rest of the Muslim world. We do not mean to offend people but we really need to look how we manipulate people’s emotions because this is plainly wrong. If we really want to practice love towards the Ahl al-bayt them we should honour them instead of using the murder of one of forefathers as an event that we rally around them once a year and spend the rest of the year opposing them.

Imam Al-Hussain (may Allah be pleased with him) shall forever be remembered as someone who was uncompromising in his stand for justice. This stand for justice is one of the reasons why Imam Al-Hussain  (may Allah be pleased with him) is one of the masters of paradise.

Yet, how sad is that this martyrdom is manipulated in an inappropriate manner that increases grief and sadness. These are not part of the events and neither should they be. His killers were killed and they did not escape punishment nor would they. The main point of this event is that real Sunni's should support Ahl Al-Bayt and when they go against them then they join Yazid's army. There are many adherents to Yazid's army in this time. They go to Muharram gatherings weep during it and attack, slander and oppose Ahl Al-Bayt the very next day. There is no respect for Ahl Al-Bayt left because there is no respect for Muslims left. I am talking about corrupt 'sunni's' here.

The Shia have of course gone to the extreme of bodily harm during the commemoration of this event. One of my friends father once said they should not harm their shoulders and backs; they should slit their throats instead! You see that would be more effective than what they are doing or so he claimed. Even within the Shia they disagree about self harm and of course Sunni Islam totally rejects self harm in any circumstances as unlawful/haram.

We need a balanced mind and we do not go to extremes because the extremists are not just those who murder innocents they are those who see only one valid interpretation of events.

Imam Hussain and Imam Hassan (may Allah be pleased with them) never cursed or even slandered those who were responsible for their own fathers martyrdom but those who claim to follow them curse people? Its just another lie, if you love someone then follow them. Their way was truth and justice. Not excess harm towards yourself or others and certainly not cursing others.

We hope that this a balanced re-telling of the events that allows people to look at the entire event in the light of history without being boxed into one part of the story and wondering about its ending.

May Allah bless our master Muhammad, his family, his companions; an endless blessing and endless salutations.

Sheikh Yusuf Al-Nabahani (may Allah show him mercy) is one of the greatest scholars of Islam and we drew heavily from his work on Endless nobility of  Ahl Al Bayt click here to purchase a new version or email me on here.

Sheikh Muhammad Al-Yaqoubi

Yearning for the Beloved (may Allah bestow peace and blessings upon him)

Ibn Al-Nafis

Ibn Al-Arabi

Al-Jazeera Doc

Sheikh Saad Al-Attas

Dangers of the Tongue

How to use leather Socks/Khuffs

How to use leather socks

The Sunnah alternative to washing feet is to wear leather socks and wipe over them. This was something that was mass transmitted by the companions of the Prophet (may Allah bestow peace and blessings upon him).  It is a rarely practiced Sunnah that needs to be revived.

Quotes about Leather socks Khuffayan

Ali Ibn Abu Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (may Allah bestow peace and blessings upon him) said, “A traveller wipes for three days and night, and a resident wipes for a day and night.” (Muslim 286).

In Shammail At-Tirmidhi he reports a Hadith that Najashi sent a pair of leather socks to the Prophet (may Allah bestow peace and blessings upon him) who accepted and wore them. It proves the permissibility of wearing leather socks that are made from animals not slaughtered Islamically.

Hassan Al-Basri (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “Seventy men of the companions of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bestow peace and blessings upon him) saw him wipe over leather socks.” (Imam Al-Musuli’s Al-Ikhtiyar lia’lil Al-Mukhar p.28  Vol.1).

Here is an easy guide:

1.       We put them on in a state of Wudhu.

2.       The wiping time is twenty four hours for a resident and seventy two for a traveller.

3.       The time starts when he breaks wudhu and ends in twenty four hours if resident and seventy two hours if travelling.

4.       The method of wiping is by taking their wet hand and wiping the sock from the tips to the top of the sock.

5.       He wipes a minimum of the area of three fingers on the sock.

6.       Both socks are wiped, right first.

7.       The area that he wipes is the front or sides but not the bottom of the sock.

8.       Every time one breaks wudhu the socks are wiped. The normal circumstances that cause wudhu to be repeated cause the wiping to be repeated.

Other issues

1.       If he takes one or both socks off he washes the feet.

2.       If he comes into a state of major impurity, after marital relations, then takes the socks off and has a bath, then begins again.

3.       If there are holes in the sock as long as there are no more the size of three toes then it is permissible to wipe over them.

4.       Normal socks cannot be wiped over. They have to be leather socks or other socks that are similar like seal skin socks.

5.       Bare feet cannot be wiped over.
6. Can Waterproof socks be used? The khuff/leather sock is mostly waterproof except for the zip area. So getting a waterproof sock is a valid substitution because it does the same thing. To test if a waterproof sock is valid to use, simply apply a wet hand onto the sock three times and see if the water goes through. If it does then it cannot be used but if does not, then it can be used. Three wipes is considered washing so if is still water resistant after that then its is suitable to use. Search for sealskinz socks. 

Imam Zaid Shakir

Why Muhammad (may Allah bestow peace and blessings upon him) is great

Ibn Khaldoon

Al-Jazeera Doc (Arabic only)

The Disputations

Part fifteen

1. There are two things stopping someone from reaching their goal; persistence and effort.

2. Its only too late when the time has gone.

3. Partisanship does not teach it indoctrinates.

4. You are the language you speak.

5. A parent can make a child reach heights that they cannot on their own.

6. The war on terrorism main victims are innocent people with vital natural resources who are demonised so they can be slaughtered; all under the smokescreen of preventative war. The real terrorists are those who invade lands that do not belong to them, massacre the inhabitants then suck the oil out of the country like a vampire sucks blood out of his victim.

7. The morning always starts early!

8. Even if you have something does not mean you possess it.

9. Unrequited love is desire of the impossible.

10. “Its difficult to free fools from chains they revere,” Voltaire.

11. Children need parents to them the way.

12. It does not surprise me when I hear dogs bark!

13. Never desire anything more than Allah.

14. Intentions come out when actions fail.......

15. The outward of the prayer means nothing if the inward does not move...

16. All the good you receive is a blessing from Allah, so can you dare to boast about what you have when 

its not your doing!

17. One of the most hardest things that you have to do in this life is move on.

18. Once someone is labelled they lose their identity.

19. The doors are open I am ready to help you.

20. You can be happy if all you have to do is hope.

Collected works of Sheikhy notes Volume One

These are the collected articles that have been posted on Sheikhy Notes from 2008 to 2010 in one handy package! Enjoy and if you like we might make another compilation for next year.
 The Collected Articles of Sheikhy Notes

Imam Zaid Shakir

Aspire to Excellence

Imam Zaid Shakir

Eid Khutba 2012

Sheikh Atabek Shukurov

Prophetic Medicine
Prophetic Medicine - Intro Seminar 1A from Afiyah on Vimeo.

Prophetic Medicine - Intro Seminar 1B from Afiyah on Vimeo.

Sheikh Yahya Rhodus

Imam Yayha Rhodus from ADAMS Qurtuba on Vimeo.

The Disputations

Part fourteen

1. Village Islam is open to everyone except women.

2. The reason why others are so effective is because Sunni Islam is ineffective.

3. Ignorance is the knowledge of the masses.

4. The first information you receive is the hardest to get rid of.

5. Change always comes from the periphery.

6. Village Islam is open to everyone who is from my family.

7. Truth means nothing to the brainwashed.

8. Eyes do not help someone whose heart is blind.

9. Only those who are beautiful can appreciate beauty.

10. Sometimes the best thing about your life is also the worst.

11. Written on a banner in a Syrian city was the following, "Either we change Syria into Paradise or we go to Paradise."

12. Aqida: nobody studies it and everyone argues over it!

13. Home is the place you are welcome and a house is place you live.

14. Aquida: if you studied it correctly you have no reason to argue...

15. Only the ignorant argue and debate. As for those with knowledge they do not need to argue.

16. You ruin your present by worrying about the future and crying over the past.

17. If you read history then you'll realise that the ending of all oppressors is nothing but horrific. 

18. Sometimes all you can do is wait.

19. Forgetting who you are means you are lost.

20. It's hard to change things especially when they are wrong.

21. Fighting alone means you can get tired quickly!

Sheikh Abdul Hakim Murad

The Essence of Islamic Education - parts one to three

Hajj - discovered

There are some mistakes in this but on the whole its pretty good

Sheikh Hamza Yusuf

Start Practicing

Sheikh Hamza Yusuf

Jummah
Hamza Yusuf - Jummah Prayer from ADAMS Qurtuba on Vimeo.

Run Fatty Run!

We live at in the fast line and are constantly in motion. So because of this when we are hungry we grab the nearest thing to eat and invariably it is unhealthy, burgers, chips, kebabs etc.

Chips are the worst because they are almost pure fat and I know they taste good but when you realise that it takes a long time for your body to process that fat they don’t look that good anymore.

About a year and a half ago something very strange happened to me. I was sharing a takeaway with friends and during consumption of this delightfully fatty food I felt my body slow down. It was a strange sensation and it was extremely unwelcome and unexpected.

Thinking none of it a few weeks later I had the same feeling again, upon the consumption of takeaway food, but this time I had not had takeaway food for about two weeks. It was time to give up the fat!

There were a few steps that I followed to try to get myself into a better shape.

1. No more takeaway food of any type

2. Refrain from snacking

3. Eat at regular times – don’t miss breakfast.

4. Get some exercise

5. Switch to more whole foods.

Regular exercise is something that needed some effort as the other five were quite easy. So what I used was mike chang’s six pack short cuts (search youtube for six pack short cuts disclaimer nudity) because he uses a method of intense exercise. It was a great help in getting me started. So a few times a week I use some of his exercises. Some are as short as ten minutes and we are not talking about long periods of exercise I only do around twenty minutes. The important thing about exercise is sweating because that is when your body is burning fat. Also know that you have to change the exercises that you do and not stick to the same routine all the time.

Snacking is the enemy! People in the west are always snacking instead try drinking some herbal tea that also help start you up. Having meals at the wrong times might mean that you eat double the amount that you would normally so be aware of that.

Takeaway is the worst type of food for your body. It is full of fat and full of harmful things that stay in your body for a long time. Watch the video 'supersize me' and how Morgan Spurlock looked into the unhealthiness of takeaway food. He also showed a video in which all the different types of food rotted away except for the chips. They did not rot even after months! Instead of grabbing a burger grab a sandwich or even a pot noodle. Do not tell me that they taste like pants you are not cooking them correctly! Just add that water to just below the fill level and wait about seven minutes then eat away.

Eating meat all the time is not good for your digestion and consider eating cereals with plenty of fibre in them to get the bowels moving.

Do not forget that our master Muhammad (may Allah bestow peace and blessings upon him) had a perfect body without any unnecessary weight. So this should help drive you on.

Disclaimer this is only advice I am not expert in this field and you should consult experts in this field before you do anything. Everyone's body is different and whats right for you might not be right for others.

Sheikh Atabek Shukurov

Aquida Tahawiyyah
Aqida Tahawiyya - class 1 from Mohammed Shafiq on Vimeo.

Aqida Tahawiyya - Class 2 from Mohammed Shafiq on Vimeo.

Dr Umar Farooq Abdullah

Reflections on Surat Al-Quraysh - Loving the Companions and the House of the Prophet (PBUH)
Reflections on Surat Al-Quraysh - Loving the Companions and the House of the Prophet (PBUH) and the Sunnah of Bringing Muslim He from QARS - The Gambia on Vimeo.

Sheikh Muhammad Al-Yaqoubi

The Adab of Dhikr






Intro

Habib Muhammad Abdur Rahman Al-Saqqaf

Righteous Work as Means of Salvation

Imam Zaid Shakir

Islam, Marriage and family Part five

Imam Zaid Shakir

Getting back to basics

Imam Zaid Shakir

Islam, Marriage and Family part six

Dr Umar Farooq Abdullah

African Muslim Roots in Ancient America: Historical Vestiges of the Great Sea Journey of Mansa Kankan Abu Bakr II (ca. 712 H/131AD)

African Muslim Roots in Ancient America: Historical Vestiges of the Great Sea Journey of Mansa Kankan Abu Bakr II (ca. 712 H/131 from QARS - The Gambia on Vimeo.

Dr Umar Farooq Abdullah

Shaykh ‘Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani’s Reform of the Religion’s Scholars of His Time & the Appearance of Salah al-Din

Shaykh ‘Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani’s (RAA) Reform of the Religion’s Scholars of His Time & the Appearance of Salah al-Din from QARS - The Gambia on Vimeo.

Imam Zaid Shakir

Islam, Marriage and family Part four

Imam Zaid Shakir

Islam, Marriage and Family Part three

Dr Umar Farooq Abdullah

Islamic culture

Imam Zaid Shakir

Islam, Marriage and family Part two

Imam Zaid Shakir

Islam Marriage and the Family Part one

Imam Zaid Shakir

Living the Quran Part seven

Imam Zaid Shakir

Living the Quran part six

Its Time For Action

Once again Islam is attacked and this time slander is directed upon our beloved Prophet (may Allah bestow peace and blessings upon him). This is becoming more and more frequent by certain sectors of the world that hate Islam and want to scare the people away from it. So instead of letting them get all the publicity is not time that we use it in a positive way?


Know the way of the Sunnah is to repel evil with good not evil with evil. They claim Muslims are violent so what do we do? We riot against them. Is not this falling into their hands? We cannot be like someone who have big chip on his shoulder because then those who hate us will know exactly what to do to provoke us. They do know and they are doing it well. "Those who fight monsters should take care that they never become one." ~ Frederich Nietsche

So take this event as an opportunity to speak to non-Muslims about the Master of the Messenger (may Allah bestow peace and blessings upon him). This event could be a great opening in which we can approach those who do not know who he is; to explain who he is (may Allah bestow peace and blessings be upon him).
It is very easy to curse them and attack them or we can do what I am trying to outline here. Then their plan backfires badly even worse then they would know.

Those who are reading this and are in a position to do something then do something; hold stalls, have lectures, invite scholars, explain Islam to non-Muslims. Do what you can because this event can be positive opening for you and those in your area. It is time the whole found out who this man is (may Allah bestow peace and blessings upon him).

Know we cannot allow extremists to dictate the discourse they must be stopped and that starts with you. If we all do our bit then it’ll add up to a lot. Its over to you.

Imam Zaid Shakir

Living the Qurna part five

Dr Umar Farooq Abdullah

Living Islam with purpose

Living Islam with a Purpose by Dr. Umar Faruq Abd-Allah (Part 1/4) from UH MSA on Vimeo.

Living Islam with a Purpose by Dr. Umar Faruq Abd-Allah (part 2/4) from UH MSA on Vimeo.

Living Islam with a Purpose by Dr. Umar Faruq Abd-Allah (part 3/4) from UH MSA on Vimeo.

Living Islam with a Purpose by Dr. Umar Faruq Abd-Allah (part 4/4) from UH MSA on Vimeo.

Sheikh Yahya Rhodus

Sura Hujjarat

Imam Zaid Shakir

Living the Quran part four

Imam Zaid Shakir

Living the Quran part three

Imam Zaid Shakir

What does Islam say about domestic violence

Sheikh Samir Al-Nass

Pearls from the Infinite Sea (Tafsir) - Part ten

Imam Zaid Shakir

Living the Quran part two

Imam Zaid Shakir

Eid Al-Fitr 2012

Imam Zaid Shakir

Living the Quran Part one

Sheikh Abdul Hakim Murad

Hijab: logic and wisdom

Sheikh Sayyid Muhammad Alawi al-Maliki

The Special characteristics of the Prophet (may Allah bestow peace and blessings upon him)

Sheikh Samir Al-Nass

Pearls from the Infinite Sea (Tafsir) - Part nine

Sheikh Muhammad Al-Yaqoubi

Establishing Risalah

Establishing the Risaalat - Shaykh Yaqoubi Part 02 from Zaahid Asmal on Vimeo.

Sheikh Samir Al-Nass

Pearls from the Infinite Sea (Tafsir) - Part Eight

Sheikh Samir Al-Nass

Pearls from the Infinite Sea (Tafsir) -Part Seven

Sheikh Samir Al-Nass

Pearls from the Infinite Sea (Tafsir) - Part Six

Sheikh Samir Al-Nass

Pearls from the Infinite Sea Part five

Sheikh Samir Al-Nass

Pearls from the Infinite Sea (Tafsir) Part Four

Sheikh Samir Al-Nass

Pearls from the Infinite Sea (Tafsir) Part three

The Disputations

Part thirteen

1. Harshness is not part of the Sunnah.

2. Lying is not part of the Sunnah.

3. Backbiting is not part of the Sunnah.

4. Slander is not part of the Sunnah.

5. Pushing someone of the way is not part of the Sunnah.

6. Being judgemental is not part of Sunnah.

7. Rudeness is not part of the Sunnah.

8. Argumentation is not part of the Sunnah.

9. Sharpness is not part of the Sunnah.

10. Cheating is not part of the Sunnah.

11. Stealing is not part of Sunnah.

12. Putting someone down, for no lawful reason, is not part of the Sunnah.

13. Tale bearing is not part of the Sunnah.

14. Putting someone off Islam is not part of the Sunnah.

15. Nationalism not part of the Sunnah.

16. Partisanship is not of the Sunnah.

17. Ignorance is not part of the Sunnah.

18. Hating people is not part of the Sunnah.

19. Plagiarism is not part of the Sunnah.

20. Believing that a Muslim can only wear a certain dress is not part of the Sunnah.

Sheikh Samir Al-Nass

Pearls from the Infinite Sea (Tafsir) Part two

Abu Jahl is in the masjid

You might be shocked by the title but let me explain what I mean. We see events occur that are not only shocking but are outrageous. One such thing is the stopping of religious activity in the Masjids across the country. This is an unfortunate phenomenon occurs too regularly in our local masjids. Someone be it a committee member or even the Imam do not like Islamic knowledge to be taught. So they block or put obstacles in the way so that Islamic knowledge cannot be taught. 

Yes, this does happen and you’ll be shocked at what happens behind closed doors. Majority of the time its because a local ‘mufti/Imam/committee member’ feels slighted that people are studying so he fabricates lies and believes them once he has told everyone. Why? Because he does not want anyone to study Islam and neither do some of the committee members. So they allow people in their communities to be bereft of any knowledge. Even though they are not teaching they do not want anyone else to. Especially not someone who teaches in the English language because all they can do is teach in Urdu. But nobody wants to listen to them and nobody cares about them.

How does this fit with Abu Jahl then? Well the answer is simple Abu Jahl was the main opposition to Islam in the Mekkan period. He stopped people praying at the Kaaba. This is vividly portrayed in the Quranic passage known as Al-Alaq/the Clot (Sura 96),

أرأيت الذي ينهى عبداً إذا صلى

“Do you not see him who prevents a servant from prayer?” (96:9-10)

Abu Jahl stopped people from reciting Quran in the vicinity of the Kaaba as well as praying. So he was stopping anything Islamic taking place in the holy sanctuary. So the spirit of Abu Jahl is alive and well in the voices and actions of those who stop religious activity in our Masjids.

Some might say that they have a reason and that reason is valid. I have only come across one such occasion and that was from someone who was actually causing problems but he was let straight into the masjid!

If we are really concerned about causing fitna then we should eject those who are displaying the behaviour of Abu Jahl. But we do not, we hold those who act like Abu Jahl in high esteem and they sit on the highest places of the masjids. Is it not any wonder that our regions are in such a mess despite the masjids present in our areas. These people do not fear Allah (the Exalted) and will arrive on the day of judgement with more sins than good actions.

أَلَمْ يَعْلَم بِأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَرَىٰ 

“Does he not know Allah can see him?” (Alaq 96:13).

If you are on a masjid committee then you have a big responsibility and there is a price to be paid for your failure. As you are responsible for the spread of Islamic knowledge in the masjid and this goes double for the mufti or imam. Ponder the hadith in which amongst the first of people who will be thrown into the fire is a scholar. Why? Because he was not sincere and all he wanted was for people to call him a scholar. So its your choice to either keep Islamic knowledge alive or keep the spirit of Abu Jahl alive. If what I am saying does not make sense then read the following links and ponder your situation. 

The responsibilities of the masjid:

http://sheikhynotes.blogspot.co.uk/2010/04/role-that-masjidsmosques-committees.html


Importance of Knowledge

http://sheikhynotes.blogspot.co.uk/2009/06/importance-and-search-for-knowledge.html

Sheikh Samir Al-Nass

Pearls from the Infinite Sea (Tafsir) Part one

Plea of a woman

Below is a video of Habib Ali's reaction to hearing that a pregnant muslim woman was thrown out of her house.



The way that people treat each other really saddens me. This is no exception.

I would like to see two things occur in every city and town. Centers opened to deal with martial problems as well refuges for Muslim women who have been forced out of their homes. Instead of building large masjids everywhere take the money and make separate housing to deal with this problem. We need to clean our houses without the audiences of the world looking.

We also need Muslim orphanages to care of children. There needs to be at least one of these in every major city no matter how small. If you are reading this and can do something, do it. The time has gone when we can could sit on our hands. This is the time for action and help those in dire need.

Treatment of women
http://sheikhynotes.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/treatment-of-women.html

Sheikh Samir Al-Nass

Ayyuh Al-Walad Arabic part five

Sheikh Samir Al-Nass

Ayyuh Al-Walad Arabic part three

Sheikh Samir Al-Nass

Confidence in Allah (the Exalted) Parts one to three

Confidence in Allah Part 1 from Masjid Muhammad AC NJ on Vimeo.



Shaykh Samir An-Nass Confidence in Allah Part 2 from Masjid Muhammad AC NJ on Vimeo.



Shaykh Samir An-Nass  Confidence in Allah Part 3 from Masjid Muhammad AC NJ on Vimeo.

Sheikh Samir Al-Nass

Ayyuh Al-Walad arabic part six

Sheikh Samir Al-Nass

Ayyuh Al-Walad Arabic part four

Repentance/Tawba

The other day I read something in the Quran that scared me. Allah (the Exalted) spelt out the meaning of false repentance and true repentance. It really made me think about the lives that we are leading.

Many of us think it is okay to live a life full of sin and delay repentance until we get old and then we will be ready to put all our desires behind us. Because by that time we shall be so old that we will not be able to commit any sins! So how can someone be sincere in their repentance when they cannot do it now! True repentance is when you can commit sins but turn away for the sake of Allah (the Exalted).

What is the point knowing that we are sinful but not doing something about it? If we were truly intelligent then we would do something and repent in an appropriate manner.

Let us ponder the Quranic passage:

إِنَّمَا ٱلتَّوْبَةُ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ لِلَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ ٱلسُّوۤءَ بِجَهَالَةٍ ثُمَّ يَتُوبُونَ مِن قَرِيبٍ فَأُوْلَـٰئِكَ يَتُوبُ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ عَلِيماً حَكِيماً

“Repentance from Allah is for those who commit evil in ignorance then repent from it shortly; those are have (true) repentance; as Allah is all knowing and all wise.”

Quran: Women 4-17

This passage clearly spells out to us the reality of repentance which is when someone does something out of ignorance, realises their mistake and repents. Now if we go back to our previous comments by reflecting on the following verse (4:18).

وَلَيْسَتِ ٱلتَّوْبَةُ لِلَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ ٱلسَّيِّئَاتِ حَتَّىٰ إِذَا حَضَرَ أَحَدَهُمُ ٱلْمَوْتُ قَالَ إِنِّي تُبْتُ ٱلآنَ وَلاَ ٱلَّذِينَ يَمُوتُونَ وَهُمْ كُفَّارٌ أُوْلَـٰئِكَ أَعْتَدْنَا لَهُمْ عَذَاباً أَلِيماً

“Repentance is not for those who commit evil until death appears to them and say, “Now I repent!” no for those who are dying they are disbelievers and upon them we have prepared an awful punishment.”

That is as clear as it can be. You cannot repent when the soul is being taken out. Up to that moment repentance is valid but when it’s being taken out, the time for repentance has gone. So do not delay your repentance. Start now, stop reading this and repent. Turn back to Allah (the Exalted) make a solemn oath to turn away from sin. Do not procrastinate do it now. The word procrastinate is also interesting as it means putting something off until tomorrow. Who knows where you are going to be tomorrow? There is no time like the present.

A doctor once told me how a non Muslim died. Just before he died he saw the angel of death, sat up in his bed and said what the hell! He was so heavily sedated that this was not medically possible!

Repentance is not when someone does wrong actions and when death is manifest then they say I repent now! Because now I have no choice! Yet how can we think that we are going to survive until we are old and reach our death beds? Many of us are dying now because of health reasons.

Two people, my age, have had heart attacks, one has died. Were they waiting until they were old until they repented? What was the point in that then? Did he die without repentance? How many other people will die because of car accidents and so on? The reality of our situation is that we do not know when we are going to die. So why are we delaying something that would benefit us immensely? Even if you repent a million times a day you’ll find Allah (the Exalted) ready to accept it. Just view the first Quranic verse and it’s as plain as day.

The Quran passage is added to by this hadith:

روى الترمذي عن ابن عمر عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال إن الله يقبل توبة العبد ما لم يُغَرْغِر

Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) reports that the Prophet (may Allah bestow peace and blessings upon him) said, “Allah accepts the repentance of his servant until the gurgle.” (At-Tirmidhi)

The gurgle is the death rattle or the time in which the soul is being pulled out. So the presence of the angel means the time for repentance is over and there is no more acceptance of repentance. This is when the soul is taken out and the door of repentance is closed forever. As are the actions that they could have done except knowledge that benefits people, charity etc.

If a person dies without repentance then the matter is up to Allah (the Exalted) whether they are forgiven or not. 

Word/definition

The first station of the spiritual path is repentance. When you take an oath of allegiance with a spiritual master you put your previous life behind you.

Imam Al-Ghazali (may Allah show him mercy) fourth section of his magnum opus Ihya Al-Ulum Al-deen/Revival of the Religious sciences with the chapter of repentance. The second passage the Imam put this so beautifully, “Repentance from sins is returning to the veiler of shortcomings and knower of the unseen.” (Ihya p.3 Vol4).

Conditions

Repentance has four conditions

1. Remorse over what occurred

2. Leave the sin immediately

3. Determination not to return to the sin

4. If it involves the right of another then it has to be fulfilled. (Risala Qushariyyah p.127) If money or a right has been taken then it needs to be returned.

The greatest sign of repentance is regret as the hadith states; the Prophet (may Allah bestow peace and blessings upon him) said,   

  الندم توبة 

  
"Repentance is regret.”
(Imam Ahmed and Ibn Majah).

Hopelessness and importance of moments

We live in time where tribulations are being poured upon us from every direction. So when we see people deep in sin. We should not be self-righteous and look down at them rather you should look at them with the eye of mercy because you could be in their position.

If you think that you are better than them you lose what this religion is based upon, mercy. You need the mercy of Allah as much as they do and you cannot guarantee that you’ll stay religious or even die Muslim. No one has a guarantee of this because you could slip up and be that alcoholic or drug addict lying in the gutter. If you come across a person in a dire situation then try to help them give them a chance to repent.

There was a drunk person who came to us and asked us some questions. We answered his questions and tried to help him. He is not drinking all the time now and has a job.

Maybe none of this could have happened if we had not helped them. And I could not have helped him if I thought that I was better than him. I looked at him as if I was the drunken man and he was sober. Then I asked myself the question, how would I like to be treated? He still suffers from the drink problem but now he is better than he was. This is a blessing of Allah (the Exalted) and nothing to do with me.

So do you see how important your role is? You can meet people at critical moments in their lives and this can either be a help or be a hindrance to them. And the affect of these moments can change lives forever. Not just the person who are coming into contact with but the lives of those around him. So do not make people lose hope in Allah (the Exalted) or forgiveness because it’s not up to you who gets forgiven.

Never lose hope

So never lose hope that you will never change your ways and that you cannot change your sinful path. You can change your ways and you can become that person that you hope to be. You can become the person of prophetic practice that you could never dream of.

The acceptance of repentance is down to the unbound mercy of Allah (the Exalted) and not up to the things that we think we know about someone. We are not sinless and only the Prophets are perfect and we 'normal' people are prone to trip up sooner or later but when we do, we repent and return. We do not become despondent or hopeless, we move on and continue.

It does not matter how great your sin, the forgiveness of Allah (the Exalted) is greater. Don't ever forget that, ever.

The Prophet (may Allah bestow peace and blessings upon him) said,

  أتبع السيئة الحسنة تمحها

“Follow wrong actions with good actions, erases them.” (At-Tirmidhi).

This is also another way out for those in situations where they need to do something to relieve their guilt. Do something good!

Consider these Quranic passages:

وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِي يَقْبَلُ ٱلتَّوْبَةَ عَنْ عِبَادِهِ وَيَعْفُواْ عَنِ ٱلسَّيِّئَاتِ 

“He (Allah) who accepts the repentance of his slave and pardons wrong actions.” (Ashura 42:25)

أَلَمْ يَعْلَمُوۤاْ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ يَقْبَلُ ٱلتَّوْبَةَ عَنْ عِبَادِهِ 

“Do you not know that Allah accepts the repentance of his servants?” (Repentance 9:104)

Allah (the Exalted) has given his creation the door of repentance to enter and it is one of the doors of paradise. These passages do not abrogate the first ones because that was talking specifically about death and these are talking about it generally.

There is always hope and nothing is lost until our time runs out. Make the most of the time that you have left and repent then make progress in your journey towards the afterlife.

As for the repentance of the elite, Dhu Noon Al-Misri (may Allah be pleased with him) said,

توبة العوام من الذنوب وتوبة الخواص من الغفلة

“The repentance of the average people is from sins and the repentance of the elite is from heedlessness.” So 'religious' people should not consider them free from the need of repentance we all need to repent, no matter where we are in this religion.

And if you have time then make a supplication for the author who needs to repent more than you do. Be hopeful of forgiveness and never be hopeless. There is always recourse to every problem. Seek repentance from the sins you know, the sins you do not, the open and the secret sins. 

May Allah (the Exalted) forgive and accept repentance from us all.