Sheikh Atabek Shukurov

Disbelief/Kufr





“Allah is not satisfied with disbelief for his servants.” (Sura Az-Zumar 39:7)




“Surely, Allah does not forgive that a partner is ascribed to Him, and He forgives anything short of that for whomsoever He wills. Whoever ascribes a partner to Allah commits a terrible sin.” (Sura the women 4.48)








We need to know about disbelief to protect ourselves from it and not to accuse others of it.
In the Arabic language Kufr means to cover up or hide. A farmer is known as a kafir because he covers seeds in the ground.








In the sacred law kufr/disbelief is to deny anything that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) brought, with the condition that it is definite and two to deny or refuse something that is definite


This is either something well known about the religion to the Ashari’s or something that is just definite to the Maturidi’s.


Others say it is to deny something that is well-known by Islam, for example to deny fasting during Ramadan








Something definite is something that is in the Quran or widely transmitted hadith.




The Ashari’s and the Maturidi’s are two groups of Sunni theological belief and the main groups of this time





There is major and minor disbelief:




Major is disbelief as described above




Minor is when someone is an ingrate about blessings





The conditions for disbelief/kufr are:




1. Sanity: a person has to be sane, an insane persons is not taken to task




2. Awake: if they say it in their sleep, it does not count




3. Forced: if someone is forced then it does not count





The definition of faith/Imam is acceptance of the heart with affirmation on the tongue
With the conditions:



1. Not to do an action of disbelief.



2. And not to jest about it. (jest about religious matters)





The levels of disbelief/kufr are:
1. Kufr Inkari/ Denial disbelief: denies belief
2. Kufr ‘Inadi/ beliefs inside but rejects on his tongue like Abu Jahl
3. Kufr juhudu/ungrateful disbelief: knows the beliefs and rejects
4. Kufr Nifaq/hypocrisy disbelief: no belief but he says he is a believer





Action does not take one out of Islam as action is not included in faith according to the Maturdi’s.








To disbelief in Allah someone has to give him human attributes








Disbelief in the Prophets (upon them peace) is to deny their prophethoods which have been accepted by consensus. Examples which are not accepted by consensus are Dhulqarnan, Dhulqifal, Luqman and Khidr.








Disbelief about religion is to say something is halal/permissible when it is prohibited/haram. For example to say fornication is halal without marriage








Disbelief about the companions is say that a companion is going to hell when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said they are going to paradise, like the ten promised paradise and the Bayat ul-Ridwan/the oath of acceptance. Cursing the companions does not constitute to disbelief but denying that Abu Bakr as a companion does, because he mentioned in the Quran during the migration to Medina. Also to say that the Angel Gabriel made a mistake and should have gone to Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) instead.








Disbelief about scholars is when someone hates a scholar without valid reason. Also to make fun of the circles of knowledge or to say something else is better than Islamic knowledge.


Black magic is a major wrong action but is not disbelief unless you think that it has a power on its own.








A person can fall into disbelief but disbelief does not fall onto a person








A word of disbelief does not mean that the person leaves Islam and the only person who judge this is a Judge/Qadi. The Qadi has to know one school correctly, some information of other schools and he has to be close to someone who can derive his own rulings a mujtahid.








It is not permissible for an average person to call another Muslim a disbeliever because the hadith prevents us. “If a man calls his brother a disbeliever then one of them deserves the description.” (Key to Paradise page 78 hadith from Bukhari 6045, 6103 and Muslim 60, 61)

The prophetic narration, "The difference between a man and disbelief; is leaving prayer." (Muslim) Ibn Abbas was asked about this and he said this was about kufr an-Na'ma/ingratitide of blessings; minor not major disbelief.

No one can guarantee that they will die on Islam

A person who has pronounced the words of disbelief must:

1. Repent to Allah

2. Repeat testification of faith: “There is no deity except Allah...”

3. Reject previous position

4. Re-marry if necessary

5. Repeat necessary actions like Hajj – disbelieve will destroy all their previous actions

To protect ourselves from disbelief you can say the following:

اللهم إني أعوذُ بِك ان أُشركَ بِك شيئٌ وأنا أعلمُ وأستغفرُكَ لِما لا أعلم وأنتَ علام الغيوب







O’Allah I seek refuge with you; if I have associated with you anything; and I know; and I seek forgiveness to what I do not know; and you know the unseen.







Allahumma inni aa'du bik an urshrika bik shayyan wa ana a'lamu wa astaghfiruka lima la a'lamu wa anta 'alam al-ghayub

Sheikh Muhammad Al-Yaqoubi

This is a link to a lecture called "The Final hour" it deals with death.
http://www.sacredknowledge.co.uk/audio/sayyid-shaykh-muhammad-al-yaqoubi-the-final-hour-1.html

Sheikh Abdullah Al-Firansi

This is a video in Arabic about a French Muslim who studyed there

The Sheikh is currently teaching in Paris, may Allah (mighty and majestic) support him and assist him in his efforts.

Sheikh Atabek Shukurov

Wudhu/Ablution parts one to six

Sheikh Abdul Hakim Murad

Supersession and intercession in Mawlid Parts one to five

Sheikh Atabek Shurkurov

Knowledge: prohibited, recommended, what to study etc...


(This is the first in a series of notes on classes that Sheikh Atabek gave last year. You will be able to find all the notes under the Halal and Haram label.)


To read/memorise a chapter about wudhu/ablution is better than one thousand units of prayer


“The sleep of a scholar is better than the worship of the ignorant.”


The first person who is thrown into hell is a scholar who did not benefit from his knowledge



Seeking knowledge is Haram/prohibited when:


1. It is done for other than Allah (mighty and majestic)


2. For a bad intention like gathering wealth


3. Seeking knowledge so you can argue


4. To seek fame



The obligatory knowledge/Fard ‘ayn (is an obligation upon every Muslim must learn) upon every Muslim is:


1. ‘Ilm al-Hal/ knowledge for your condition: Basic fiqh (jurisprudence), tajweed (how to recite the Quran correctly), sales if you are involved in buying and selling – whatever you need for yourself


2. Basic doctrine/aqida (Abu Hanifa said if someone has a question about doctrine then it is wajib/necessary to find a scholar and ask a question.)


3. Some spirituality/etiquette or suluk



A prohibited knowledge is Black magic which is major sin if done and can lead to disbelief, if a person believes that black magic has a power independently. The reality of black magic is that some people can control non muslims jinns (ghost like creatures made from smokeless fire) but the jinns cannot make you do anything. If you eat seven dates it protects you from poison and black magic.



Fard khifayah (communal obligation) this is an obligation on a community of Muslims, if performed by one person the sin falls from the remainder. We need Muftis, doctors, Quran memorisers etc



Other types of forbidden knowledge are:


1. Zodiac/astrology


2. Tea leaf reading


3. Palm reading


4. Deep theology in order to debate (for the layman)

Sheikh Hamza Yusuf

Lives of a Human being parts one to sixteen

Ibn Ata 'llah (may Allah show him mercy)

A friend sent me this...


Ikhmaalush Shiyam (Shaykh Ibn 'Ata'llah al-Iskandari)

Quote: 'Whoever respects and honours you, has in reality neither respected nor honoured you, but he has respected and honoured the act of Divine Concealment (i.e. Allah's act of concealing your defects).

Commentary: When someone respects and honours you with praise or gifts, do not become proud. Do not gain the impression that you have in you some excellence. In reality, the person has not praised you. He has praised Allah's attribute of Sattaariyat (Concealing the sins and defects of people). If Allah Ta'ala had not concealed your inner evils, people would not even spit on you. (Ikhmaalush Shiyam (perfection of morals). Ibn Ata'llah al-Iskandiri. pg.197)

Sheikh Hamza Yusuf

Removing the Silence on Domestic Violence

Sheikh Muhammad ibn Yahya An-Ninowi

Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) parts one to

Sheikh Hamza Yusuf

Science of the Shariah parts one to nine

Sheikh Hamza Yusuf

How to talk to people of different faiths parts 1 to 6

Sheikh Atabek Shukurov

When you are studying something make intention that you are going to study a subject once and once only. Do not think that you are going to study the subject again and that you have time.

Sheikh Ahmed Kuftaro

Seekers of knowledge - the Legacy of the Sheikh parts one to nine

Imam Siraj Wahhaj

Sheikh Naeem Abdulwali

Lectures on hijab


Why Hijab



http://www.naeemabdulwali.com/?p=74




How Hijab part one


http://www.naeemabdulwali.com/?p=77







How Hijab part two



http://www.naeemabdulwali.com/?p=79





Modernism

Article

http://www.naeemabdulwali.com/?p=21

Sheikh Hamza Yusuf

Reviving the Spirit of Islamic spain

Ibrahim ibn Adham

Ibrahim ibn Adham was one of the righteous predecessors. He was known for his piety and acts of worship.



He was once asked, "Have you ever felt happy in the world?"



He replied, "Yes, twice.



The first time, one day, I was sitting and a someone came to me and relieved himself upon me.



The second time, I was seated and someone came and slapped me."







Risalah Qusharyyri p. 277

Sheikh Hamza Yusuf/ Sheikh Abdullah bin Bayyah

Miracles of the Quran part one to six

Sheikh Ibrahim Osi-Efa

Modesty in Islam parts one to three
(Thanks Javed!)

Death

The Islamic Perspective of Death

I have been thinking about death for a number of months, almost daily. I keep receiving reminders almost everywhere I go.

In the space of a few days, I saw many situations that were abnormal. Maybe these situations or things were always there and my eyes were not open, maybe, it wasn't my eyes and it was my heart that needed to be open? I am grateful for being able to see the truth and this lead to this article on Death.

Here is a list of some of things that I experienced: I was thinking about a friend who had passed away some time ago, I saw a picture of a graveyard, I saw a man clean mud from his shoes, even though I did not ask him where the mud came from, he said he had just come from the graveyard, then I passed by a gathering of people preparing for a funeral prayer. This was all in a space of week, it really had an impact on me. We are constantly surrounded by remembrance of death and like a bad joke we shrug if off and turn away. Is it that simple? We shrug and turn away and see this as not a problem but why is this so common? However this does not work ...

This is the true certainty, that we will face in life, that one day we will die, full stop. This life that we enjoy so much will come to an end then the real tests will come, that is when it's too late.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, "Remember often, the ender of pleasures."

Is this not death? The end? One brother once advised me to pray as if I was dead. It did not make sense to me at that time but later, after some reflection, it made sense. When you are dead then you will realise what the prayer meant to you and what it will mean.


Last trip

Imagine that, one day, the angel of death will visit you and it will not come for anyone else, he is coming for you; To take your soul back to were it came. Are you ready now? We don't know, do we, when it could be anytime now and we would be none the wiser. How much time have we wasted, watching television, on the Internet, chatting with friends and failed to commit to what actually benefits us? You cannot argue in the grave because that's when it's too late, you have your chance and you squirmed your way out of the issue. I was sent a video about a football player who died on the football field; It was almost as if his soul was being ripped out of his body.

Bara reported: the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) sat at the edge of a grave and shed tears until the Earth in front of him was wet. He said, "O' brothers, prepare yourselves for a day like this when your time comes." (Ibn Majah)

Two people

What do you think of two people, who are living on a fault line, where an Earthquake could hit at anytime; one is fortifying his home for it and the other is doing nothing. He says, "Why should I prepare for it, when it is going to happen anyway?" Allowing his logic to run away with him and the other says, "When you are ready for the Earthquake then it will not come as a shock!" An Earthquake hits, whose house would you rather be in? The man who had a house of straw or the man who prepared his house well with bricks? Either way we are going to die. But in reality the man who build the strong house was building, was working his house for the afterlife and his work will not go in vain; rather all his effort will be recompensed by Allah (Mighty and Majestic). As for the man who had the house of straw, how much reward can he hope for? Well lets see, he did little so he will receive little. Yet, we know Allah (mighty and Majestic) repays us for the smallest amount of good. But who would you rather be?

How many us business people do not trade with Allah (mighty and Majestic)? Why don't we supplicate asking for good works, pray, fast, read the Quran, there are so many things that we could be doing.

Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: Someone came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and asked for advice. He said, "Stop wanting and hoping for things that are in the possession of others. Stop being ambitious. Wanting what others have is certainly the worst of poverty. Make each of your prayers as if it will be your last prayer. Prevent yourself from doing things for which you will be later, be sorry." (Imam Bayhaqi)


Words

The word mortal is interesting, the Oxford dictionary definition is something leading to death, this comes from a Latin word "mort" which means death. This, to me at least, seems quite similar to the Arabic word "Mata" death. The "Encompassing dictionary" gives the definition of death as the opposite of life.

That's quite final isn't it?



Is it the End?

We do know that we will die one day but that is not the end, that is the beginning of the afterlife, the first station of the next world. If you are a believer then this will be easy for you, if you aren't then it will be worse than you could possibly imagine, much worse.

We know that what follows the grave is the resurrection, the traverse, the standing, the reckoning, the final path and then to Paradise or Hell. Death is by no means and end, it is the beginning of the next life. The place we can look forward to reaping the rewards of afterlife. There is a saying, "The world is a plantation of the afterlife," some attribute it to Sheikh Abdul Qadir Al-Gilani (may Allah show him mercy).


It is scary to know that the actions that we do here will last forever and if they are good we will be happy about them but if they are bad we will abhor to see the ugliness of the works. So if an action will last forever do you want a good action forever or a bad one forever? Works will be given forms on the Day of Judgement, would you like something ugly to come near you?



Anas ibn Malik (may Allah show him mercy) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, "Remember death often: it will prevent you from sinning and help you to repent from your sins." (Ibn Abu Dunya).




Death in modern culture


Death is ridiculed, ignored, mocked and many people find it difficult to speak about, hence the number names for it are many. Kicking the bucket is one of many. Yet even the hardest atheist will not be able to deny that his death is coming one day, this is a certainty that no one can deny except the foolish.

Family of Imran 3:143

"And verily you used to wish for death before you met it (in the field). Now you have seen it with your eyes!"

Here are some interesting proverbs on death:

"Death is a remedy for all ills."

"Nothing is certain but death and taxes."

"One funeral makes many orphans."

"Shrouds have no pockets."

(Geddes and Grosset English dictonary and Thesaurus p.1022)

"No matter how we put it, death is hard to think and talk about." "It is much more difficult, however, to comprehend what it is or might be to no longer be alive." The Psychology of death by Robert Kastenbaum p.197.




Final note



Death is inescapable and it is something we have certainty with so we must prepare for that last moment which come when we least expect it. We may be busy with something and we will not be able to complete it, we may be at home or outside. Wherever we are when the time comes, the time it will not be put off, the time is now and it will happen now. Do not be a person who is in loss at this time because he failed to the good works that he should have. The time is over and now all he has is regret. We have no time to waste because if we waste time then we are losing reward.



Imam Ghazali (may Allah show him mercy) said, in Inner dimensions of Islamic worship, that, "When you hear the call to prayer given by the caller, let yourself feel the terror of the summons on the Resurrection day." If we can internalise this then we will hear five calls for death, five calls for resurrection, everyday.





The gathering 62:8

"Say (unto them, O Muhammad): Lo! the death from which you shrink will surely meet you, and afterward you will be returned unto the Knower of the Invisible and the Visible, and He will tell you what you used to do."




It is not easy to think about death, its very difficult. Death is also a means to another life so it's a door out of this one which leads to a permanent abode...

Recently, my grandmother passed away. It was something that was expected as she was ill, frequently. I was shocked at some of my relatives responses to her passing. Death is decreed and there is nothing that we can do to prevent it or delay it.

Nor is it any kind of injustice, this life is not the end of everything nor is it everything. This is place of action that will determine our final abode and how foolish we are if we do not prepare for that abode.

Allah (the exalted) owns us and has given everything to us, he has warned us about death, so where is the injustice? The real injustice is what we have done to ourselves, where we have lived lives without boundaries and we did not care. We are unjust to ourselves, there is no injustice upon ourselves.

Ponder the following verse from the Quran, the Dominion (67:1-2):

"Blessed is He in Whose hand is the Sovereignty, and, He is Able to do all things.Who hath created life and death that He may try you which of you is best in conduct; He is the Mighty, the Forgiving."

Please supplicate for her and if you want an explanation about tribulations see previous work on this subject by clicking on the 17 benefits of tribulation label.

Sheikh Hamza Yusuf

Imam Zaid Shakir

When brothers fall out...

Simple Daily Supplications

Simple Daily Supplications by Arfan Shah

The errors of the teacher

This is a tricky one, you may have a teacher who mocks you or makes fun of you or teases you. If this occurs, overlook it, whilst you are studying with him. Do not let yourself dislike your teacher, concentrate on your subject and do not waver. If it is a subject that doesn't make a difference to your daily needs, in terms of knowledge, you may think about finding another teacher.

Or you could simply finish the text with that scholar and then find another teacher. To find another teacher may be more difficult than it may seem.

The best advice is to study with him and ignore his manners, unless it reaches a limit that it becomes common knowledge. So that he may be condemned by the average person.

Study hard and keep your work up, do not allow yourself to be distracted by anyone.

Knowledge is too precious to be distracted from by something small.

It is also important to note that the teacher may not think he is mocking you when he does. He may think it is funny and that you too are taking it as a joke as well.

Only consider leaving the teacher if you know he commits major wrong actions publicly and he doesn't repent openly. Also please note, you may have a teacher who is gossiped about, so check the stories you hear and don't take the persons word for it.

You may have students that are jealous of you and don't want you to study with that scholar, so beware of that as well.

Politics: the Art of blame

The Gaza Crisis

I am loathed to comment on politics or even discuss it for longer than a few minutes, but the current circumstances have forced my tongue and now my “cyber” pen.


Recent events in Palestine are not something new; unfortunately, it is something old, very old. That area of the world has soil full of the blood of martyrs from ages and epochs gone by. Today, new blood is being split and this war, like all others, is over land.


The right and possession of land has caused more wars than people care to remember. I do not like to forget the things that I have read; Some events in history scar your soul. One such event is the sacking of Jerusalem during the first crusade in 1099. Every living thing was killed, when the Christian crusaders entered and began a massacre of unforgettable horror. They picked the right time to attack as the Muslims did not suspect that such a force would come to their shores and cause such havoc. What was the response of the Muslims? Above all else they kept faith and did not waver. They pressed onward and kept doing what they had done before they kept faith, honoured agreements etc. During the two hundred year period that the Crusaders occupied the lands of the Muslims, they broke treaty after treaty (Richard the first of England also known as lionheart promised not to kill non-combatants when he overcame the city of Acre but then proceeded to massacre its entire inhabitants. Esposito Islam: The Straight Path. Oxford University Press: New York, 2005. pg. 59) Even despite the horror of the events of this terrible massacre, Muslims did not retaliate in the same manner. They did not say that they did this to us and we should do the same to them. They did not lose hope which is what many of us do now. This is no more vividly portrayed by the treatment of Salahudeen gave to the Christians after he defeated the Crusader forces, he let them remain or leave unharmed. The question that I want to pose is, what would we do now? If that were to happen to us?


We face these events and despite just watching the news, we cannot take it. It is too much. We keep asking questions, why doesn’t someone do something, where is the UN and most shocking of all for me, why doesn’t America do something. Why should they! Is this what the Muslim world has come to asking people instead of asking the only one that can help! Have we abandoned our falling brothers and sisters? No, ask Allah! Make supplication and keep doing it. As Muslims we already know that we have won just by being Muslim, we are already winners. So these tribulations are not something new and the situation now is not as bad as it was in the past.


The Past


Just go back one hundred years and you will find just about every Muslim country under some type of foreign occupation. From Morocco, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Parts of Africa, Parts of Arabia, India, Uzbekistan and the provinces of the Ottomans. As bad as things were then, we did not lower our high morals by using the underhand actions of our occupiers. If anything, we began to mimic them, the most shocking example is in the late Ottoman rule when traditional clothing is thrown out and new western style clothing became the norm. Even now you can visit any Muslim country and you see can Western modes of dress.


The point that I want to make is that the state of affairs, at the moment, is bad but it is not as bad as it could be or has been. If you read about the final years of the Ottoman rule and the nationalists uprising; it will make you weep. I have read books about the events that I will not speak about because they lay too heavy on my heart.


As Muslims we need to know that if we are not tested in the world, then where else will we be tested? It is part of being in the world! We should not be surprised when we read media bias about us. Really, it does not surprise me at all. The Ottoman Empire was known in the West as the “Sick man of Europe” and most shockingly “the terror of the east.” If someone owns the mass media sources and has a vested interest in degrading a set of people, for their political ends; then do not be shocked or surprised, believers in God have always had bad press from those that oppose them. Some things are not meant to change. To stay in touch with news events, I choose other methods and other sources than the condescending manner television news is delivered.


Blame


We do blame our leaders and their collective failure to address the needs of other Muslims. This is down to many reasons, some of the governments still have their strings pulled by foreign forces and like any good puppet they sing to tune of their masters. It is really easy to blame them but it is even more difficult to try to enter the political arena and try to change things. Anyone who is has the ability to put some pressure on them, please do in the most gentle manner possible. Otherwise this will cause more problems than it will solve.


The recent event of the teacher who called a teddy bear by the name of our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was a strange event but even stranger was that some Muslims who are involved in political circles made every effort, on this side of the Europe, to try to free the teacher from prison. So the question now is, if they can mobilise themselves for a non Muslim teacher, what are they doing for a whole country of oppressed Muslims? They may be doing something that I do not know about, so inform me please.


A few years ago, when the war mongers were baying for the blood of Saddam, I went on a march with a few brothers. After a day of huffing, grunting and screaming, we got back onto the coach and then I realised something. I had wasted the entire day! Nothing had been achieved and nothing was gained. Maybe, someone could argue that that it slowed the “War Machine” down (contradiction). Protesting is like asking the people who have hurt you, killed you and beat you, not to hurt you so hard. Is there any point? So please do not ask me to protest, the global protests for Iraq was doomed to failure. This to me also proves that the democratic system does not work, when people outside the political spectrum can influence all our lives. The cold hard fact is that there were no bombs killing innocent people, until after the invasion.


History


After the fall of the Ottoman Khaliphate, European powers divided its lands like a hungry man takes a cake, taking the juicy parts for himself. The juiciest part was Palestine and Transjordan taken without conquest, taken over a table. The Treaty of Sevres splintered the once mighty kingdom into many parts. This is, more or less, what we see today in terms of countries. Britain had its famous mandate for Palestine pushed through by the “league of nations” or what we now call the United Nations. So do you now see the irony when we call on the UN to “do” something when it was the fault of that organisation! The mandate lasted from 1920 to 1948 and the aftermath of the British departure from Palestine saw the beginning of “Eretz Yisrael” or as we know it now Israel. It was just prior to the British mandate that Jewish Migration began, not after the Second World War. Land was sold to them by the Ottomans because of their dedts.
A look at the United nations website brings forth more irony. Israel has been a member state 11 May 1949 and according to the UNs own charter, "Membership in the United Nations is open to all other peace-loving states which accept the obligations contained in the present Charter and, in the judgment of the Organization, are able and willing to carry out these obligations." (http://www.un.org/members/) The signs of a hypocrite are there for you to know one.



Protesting


The next ironic item, in this post, is that we are protesting trying to make the British put pressure on the Israeli government to stop. Rashid Khalidi stated in his book “Palestine Reborn” that Israel was dependent on foreign funding to keep its economy going and more people were leaving Israel than migrating into it. There are only so many lifelines one can receive after that, well who knows?


I dislike nationalism in all its forms; it is nationalism that contributed to the weakening of the Ottoman Empire. It also is one of the most wretched characteristic of a person, leading to racism and other repulsive behaviors. I will not wear any flag of any country and I have stuck by this for many years. I do support the people but I cannot be a party to nationalism, in any way. I remember witnessing a Christian missionary wearing a Palestinian scarf, just so he could try to infiltrate the Muslims.


The whole point of this article is that the reason, the cause, for the overcoming of all of what history threw at us, was that Islam was strong in our hearts. Our Islamic way of life was not threatened, we carried on and we drew strength from it. Now, we draw weakness (because that is what is) from all manner of ideologies and slogans without going back and putting Islam into practice. This is where our strength is based and this is where we will be renewed. No other way of adhering to any specific group calling themselves the “saved sect” will help. So until we learn this lesson, we will suffer defeat after defeat.


The most important thing that any Muslim can do in this time is boycott their goods, give charity and make much supplication. Know, that what we are going through is nothing to what other Muslims have suffered in the past. It is difficult when most of the ink is against us but the reward for patience is unbound. In the Hanifa and Maliki (not sure about others) it is prohibited to sell anything that will make the forces against Islam stronger. This does not mean a complete trade embargo but for us to sell them certain things and not others.


If I have upset anyone with this post please, please forgive me. That was not my intention, I wanted to try to explain some issues and settle the hearts of the Muslims somewhat. Also for us all to reflect on our position in the world and what our next move should be.


It is prohibited to lose hope, in Islam, please, please do not delve into politics, as it is man at his worst and do not lose hope. In the aftermath of the Battle of Uhud, the pagans cried out about how they had defeated the Muslims. The Muslim response was, “Our dead are in Paradise and your dead are in the fire.” Muslims will be the largest of all the nations of believers, on the day of judgement, so shouldn’t we have the greatest number of martyrs?

Sheikh Abdul Hakim Murad

Is Islam compatible with the West parts one to eight














A song!

Sheikh Al-'Arabi

A man came to the Scholar of our Scholars, Sheikh Mawlaa Al-'Arabi, may Allah be pleased with him, and began to praise him to his face.

So he said to him,


"Do not mislead me with your words.


I know myself, when I am the most virtuous of beings


and when I am the least of beings.


The time in which I remember my Lord;


I am the most virtuous of beings


and the time when I do not remember Allah in,


I am the least of beings."



Or words to that effect.




Iyqad Al-Himam fi Sharh Al-Hikam Ibn Ajiba page 291-2

Sheikh Hamza Yusuf

Lessons of Medina (may peace and blessings be on its inhabitant)

Sira reviews

Recently, Sira or the life story of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) has become a subject of interest for me; all praise belongs to Allah the Exalted. So this is a quick review of the few books that I have read on this subject.

Messenger of God : Muhammad by M.Fathullah Gulen

This is an excellent book; it is aimed at the sceptical Western mind. The author goes into such chapters: as proofs of prophet, importance of Prophethood and various points in Sira. I found the book made several interesting points and it something that should be placed with Martin Lings Sira text; Yes, I recommend that highly!

You may find some difficulty attaining a copy, it took my three months to get mine but it was worth the effort. The book is also published under the title "The Infinite light" in two parts.



The Path of Muhammad: A Book on Islamic Morals and Ethics By Imam Birgivi

Rather than a book on Sira, this is book about morals and characteristics. It gives an explanation of a certain characteristics or moral. Even though it is not a book on Sira, it is worth reading, for the depth of the understanding of the Imam. This is a book that I had seen frequently and never had the chance to read it. When I finally read it I wish I had read it a lot sooner.


And Muhammad Is His Messenger: The Veneration of the Prophet in Islamic Piety By Annemarie Schimmel

This is a wonderful book which describes this different ways of the different nations and races of the Muslims venerate the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). The German Muslim is fluent in several languages and this adds so much to the vast material that she presents in her book. It's a real joy to read and I would recommend this to be read with the all of the above books.


Fiqh us-sira by Muhammad al-Ghazali

This is an interesting text by the recently deceased Egyptian scholar. At first the scholar praises a scholar who I would not; this did cause me a problem, as it went on for several pages.

Although, patience paid off because he makes some important points but at the same time it is in a "modernist" tone. So people opposed to this should be aware of this. The book is only for seasoned readers of Sira, as he often refutes a position and then goes onto to explain the event that he is refuting; so this can be confusing!


The Battles of the Prophet of Allah by Gulzar Ahmed

This is a text written by a retired Pakistani brigadier who is not a scholar but is a military expert. So he does make some points that are not correct, so be aware of that. He makes some amazing points about warfare and what other leaders did in the battlefield. One point that goes almost unnoticed by some writers about the life story of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) that after the migration of the Muslims to Medina; the pagan Quresh declared war against the Muslims.

"You have given protection to our man. We swear by God that if do not kill him or expel him from Medina we will attack you and take your women as captives." (p.94)

They wrote in a letter to him. Muslims attacked the trade caravans of Abu Sufyan who had sold the empty houses of the Muslims in Mecca. No one knew when the pagans were going to attack them, so they had to be ready. This is far removed from the fanatical fantasies of the Orientalists who must read only parts of the story and not the whole picture. This needs to be explained in the correct manner which I do not feel that it is. There are two parts to this book and the first part is better than the second. It was a little disappointing to be honest because the first book made some interesting points. The second part had too many errors for it to be as good as the first.

This is book is for the seasoned reader of Sira and not for the beginner but it is a valuable book for the collection.

Sheikh Hamza Yusuf

Clip speaking in dubai

Sheikh Abdullah bin Bayyah/Sheikh Hamza Yusuf

Rihla episode 24

Umm Ma’bud’s description of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)

This was a text taught to us by Sheikh Atabek Shukurov.

The event occured during the Migration/Hijra from Mecca to Medina.

Translated by Arfan Shah.

It was narrated that the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), his servant, a guide and Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) left Mecca, passing a tent of an elderly lady called Umm Ma’bud. She would sit close to the tent and would give food and drink to travellers. So they asked her if they could buy some meat or dates from her but she could not find anything. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) looked towards a sheep next to the tent. They had run out of provisions and where hungry. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) asked Umm Ma’bud, “What is wrong with this sheep, dear Umm Ma’bud?”

She replied, “The sheep is fatigued and is weaker than the other sheep.”

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Does it milk?”

She replied, “I swear by your mother and father, if I saw milk from it then I would milk it.” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) called the sheep and moved his hand over its udder; he pronounced the name of Allah and praised him. Then he called Umm Ma’bud when the sheep steadied its feet and its udder filled. He asked for a large container and milked it until it was filled. The lady drank until full, his companions (meaning satisfied) drank until full, then the others drank. Then it was milked for a second time until the container was full and they left her and continued on their journey.

After a short while, the partner of the lady (Abu Ma’bud) returned from herding goats that were swaying from weakness. He saw the milk and said to his wife, “Where did you get this milk from, dear Umm Ma’bad. The sheep is single and there is no milk in the house!”

She replied, “I swear by God, a blessed man passed by, in the following manner...”


Abu Ma’bud said, “Describe him to me.”

She said, “I saw a man externally bright; fair of face (beautiful face). His form was not blemished (The slimness of his body); he was not afflicted by extreme leanness (he was not thin), he was not plump but beautifully proportioned (He radiated beauty); his eyes were deep set (they were black); his eyelids were bushy (he had long eyelashes); his voice was melody (throaty and beautiful); his neck was prominent (long); his beard was dense (ample hair); curved furrows (long arched eyebrows). If silent, he possessed dignity, when he spoke, its elevation and loftiness was beautiful. He is the most beautiful person, beautiful from afar and stunning when close. Delightful speech with pauses, without jest or nonsense (speech between a little and a lot). His speech is like the beads of a necklace cut (he would not speak excessively or moderately). His height does not harm and the eye is not taken over by him, a branch between two branches, he is more radiant than them and he is most respected.

His colleagues would surround him, if he said something they would listen attentively, if he ordered then they would hasten to perform it, his entourage (He had some companions with him who would obey him), without frowning or refusing (without frowning on the face and speech free from dislike)."

Abu Ma’bud said, “I swear to God, he is the one Quresh mentioned to us about his affair in Mecca. I am determined to accompany him; if I could go that way.”


It was mentioned that Asma the daughter of Abu Bakr, and who was with her, fearful of what had happened to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon). They did not know where they went until a man of the jinn came whose voice was heard but could not be seen. Came into the city whilst the people were following and composed the following;

“May Allah recompense the protector of people with the best reward,

The friends who came into the tent of Umm Ma’bud,

They came in goodness then left ,

Prosperous is who is the follower of Muhammad,

May the tribe of Ka’b be blessed in their youth,

She intended to wait for the believers,

How embarrassed are you, from what Allah has taken,

With the action with reward or leadership,

Ask your sister about her sheep and her container,

Even if you ask the sheep it will testify,

Call the barren sheep and which gave milk,

The udder of the sheep gave cream,

He left her and gifted her with a sheep giving milk,

He returned her to her place and then to his destination.”


Sources: Ibn Hisham, Imam Ahmed, Al-Hikam Hasan qawi agreed upon by Ad-Dhahbi, Tabarni in Mujam Al-Kabir 3/57, Ibn Kathir “The beginning and the end” 2/190, Haytami 6/57, Proofs of Prophethood by Al-Bayhaqi 2/493, Tabarani in the Major compilation 4/57, in the “Grades” of Ibn Saad 1/230

Sheikh Hamza Yusuf

Muslim Youth and Family

Mountains - The Habaib of Yemen

Imam Abu L'Hassan As-Shadhali

Sheikh Abu L'Hassan As-Shadhali was asked,

"Advise me, my beloved."


He said,


"Do not move your feet, except to where you hope for Allah's reward;


do not sit, where you believe that you could become overcome, by disobeying Allah;


and not align yourself, except to he who increases your certainty.


And how few in number they are."




Iyqad al-Himam fi Sharh Al-Hikam by Ibn Ajiba page 114

Sheikh Hamza Yusuf

From his recent visit to Morrocco - sorry guys its an Arabic lesson on Purification and its importance delivered in Ramadan.

This was removed before and has been added by someone else.

Annemarie Schimmel

Talks about Sufism parts one and two

Annemarie Schimmel

History of Prophet Muhammad (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) Part one and two

Lost history - book review

This is a review of the book called "Lost History: The Enduring Legacy of Muslim Scientists, Thinkers and Artists" By Michael Hamilton Morgan.


When I saw the title of this book, I was intrigued and I wanted to see what information the book contains. The book reads like a historical narrative, which was something that I did not expect. It trys to explain the current situation or state Muslims find themselves into and then goes back in time to a different age. This did get annoying, after he had done this several times.

Some of the information is new to me, most information is! It's a well written book with one major draw back, there is very little is the way of original sourcing. So it is difficult to quote from a text which cannot back itself up by an original source. Of course, this book does focus on some parts of history and not others. There is a section of the text describing the defeat of the Abdurrahman al-Ghafiqi in France against Charles Martel. He also looks at the loss of Muslim Spain and the final losses of the Ottoman Empire.

There are many personalities mentioned, for example Ibn Firnas, Ahmed Celabi (both poineers in flying), Ibn Sina (his text Al-Qanun used as a medical text for over 900 years), Al-Nafis (builds on Ibn Sinas work and finds how blood cirulates), Zakaria Al-Razi (writes a text on smallpox) and many others.

Here is an interesting quote (which is also unsourced) from David King:

"Virtually all innovations in [astronomical] instrumentation in Europe up to ca. 1550 were either directly or indirectly Islamic in origin or had been conceived previously by some Muslim astronomer somewhere."

The book is worth reading for those interested in the subject and anyone new to the subject.

Sheikh Hamza Yusuf

Eid al-Adha Sermon 2008

Students attire

The student should try to wear the best clothes that are available to him. Not that he should have the latest fashion rather he should try to wear clothes that are in good condition.

He should be clean and not wear anything that causes discomfort to anyone. This includes wearing designer labels that are clearly visable or any kind of shirt that could distract others from the lesson.

The clothes need to cover the body as appropriate for each gender.

The student needs to consider the average dress of others. If they are all coming in one type of dress and you choose a different type of dress then you will stand out. This is not a good idea either.

Mobile phone must remain off or on silent unless their is a need for it; like life or death.

Do not show up the teacher by wearing clothes that are the same as them; This is not good manners.

Miracles of the Men of Allah

Sheikh Atabek Shukurov delievered the following Arabic text on Miracles of the Men of Allah and the following is a translation.


Sheikh Ahmed Raf’i

Imam Izzudeen Al-Farooqi states in his book, “Conduct of the Muslims;” “I was informed by Abu Al-Hafiz Muhyiudeen Abu Ishaq related from my father Sheikh Umar Al-Farooqi that he said, “I was with our master, our Sheikh Ahmed Al-Kabir Ar-Raf’i Al-Hussaini (may Allah be pleased with him) during the pilgrimage; this was the year five hundred and fifty five. We had entered Medina on the day the caravans entered it; caravans from Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Morocco, the Levitate, the lands of the non-Arabs and this was more than nine thousand people. So when we arrived at the enlightened masjid, we dismounted our mount, we walked barefooted into the sacred Muhammadan prescient until we stopped at the aromatic room of Prophethood.



He said, “Peace be upon you dear grandfather.” The Messenger of God (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) replied, “And upon you peace my dear child.” Everyone present in the sacred Masjid heard his blessed words. Their presence for this great gift was a great blessing. He yearned; he whimpered; he wept and then knelt to his knees and said,


“When afar, I would send my soul,
To kiss the Earth for me as my deputy.
This is the realm of souls come to,
So extent to me your hand, to grace my lips.”


The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) extended his illumined, blessed hand from his bright grave, so he kissed it whilst the people looked on.



There was thousands present in the sacred precinct, when his pure hand was extended. Major scholars of the time were present; Hayat ibn Qais Al-Harni, Sheikh Adi ibn Musafir, Sheikh A’qeel ibn Al-Mubaji. They grabbed his clothes and in that time they refused to follow a spiritual teacher. There was Sheikh Ahmed Al-Azhari Al-Ansari, Sheikh Sharifudeen ibn Abdussmai’i Al-Hashami Al-Abbasi present. All of creation was blessed and honoured by vision of the Muhammadan hand (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). They all swore allegiance to him, as did every scholar present, and may Allah mercy on those who did.








Sheikh Hakim At-Tirmidhi


Sheikh Yusuf Al-Nabahani relates, in the biography of Muhammad ibn Ali At-Tirmidhi, from Al-Manwi that one of his miracles was when he presented his contemporaries with all the books he wrote, they called him a disbeliever; so he threw them all into the sea. A fish swallowed them then spat then out after a few years and even now people benefit from them. He said, “Do not deny the miracles of the men of Allah, those who do not Love other than Allah (the exalted), as it is only a manifestation of truth.”


As-Sharani states in “the Answers of the ill” that Sheikh Abu Abdullah Al-Hakim At-Tirmidhi came out of one the valleys of Balkh with two books, one was the seal of the men of Allah. They denied him because of these books. They said to him, “You claim people prefer the men of Allah over the Prophets,” they were harsh because of these words. He gathered his books and put them into a chest and threw it into the Tigris. During the pangs of death, he brought out his hands from the water and brought out the chest. He said, “The owner of the sea told me that they have preserved my books until the hour. As the sacred law was revived and by teaching it.”


Imam Ghazali


One of the miracles of Muhammad ibn Muhammad At-Tusi, Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali, which was narrated by Al-Yafa’i from Ibn Al-Milqa from Al-Arshi from Al-Mursi, from As-Shadhali that Sheikh Ibn Hazim came to his companions with a book.

“Do you know it?” He said.
They said, “This is the Revival.” (Revival of religious sciences)

The Sheikh, mentioned, would curse Al-Ghazali and forbid reading this book. He uncovered his body and it showed signs of lashing. He said, “Al-Ghazali came to me in a dream and called me to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). When we stopped directly in front of him, he said, “O’ Messenger of Allah, he claims that I said about you, that what I did not say.” I was ordered to be beaten and I was beaten.”

Teachers pet

Everyone wants to have the teacher think that they are the best student and that they are the most important student in the lesson. I would even go so far as say even outside the lesson. You may also wish to distingush yourself in your teachers lessons. You want the teacher to look at you and you alone; You want to answer all the questions; You want to get all the answers right; you want to be the focus of the class.

This is an obsticle to your learning and you have to be careful because this can cause real harm. You see now you are searching for the pleasure of the teacher not the pleasure of Allah subhanu wa ta'ala. There is nothing wrong with trying to earn the teachers respect and supplications but the whole point of learning is to do it soley for Allah (Mighty and Majestic) and not so your teacher thinks he is a good student. If you are after this aim then you are going astray and your intention has to be renewed.

Distance yourself from this and do not let your heart accept this. Whenever you get an answer right do not think that you are a good student because you may not get next question right!

We are not saying disrespect your teacher no, we are saying have your intention clear and try not to let yourself be distracted. As this is a major distraction for any student, the line is very fine and it is necessary to be careful.

Focus on the lesson and ignore the fact that you may be the teachers pet or you may not be. Sometimes a student will want the teacher to look at him - avoid this. Do not move excessively or use any other way to attract the teachers attention. Just study in the lesson and do not let this effect you.

Do not even think about becoming the teachers pet - focus on the lesson and do not let anything distract you from understanding the lesson.