Abu Habiba

As-Salaam alaikum, Says the Noble Prophet, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam:-- "Contemplate those who have less than you and not those who have more than you, lest you belittle the favors of Allah conferred upon you.'' (Bukhari and Muslim).

As-Salaam alaikum, It is my pleasure to share with you a copy of the attached document/paper, titled: 'Defense of the Sunnah- An analysis of the Theory and Practice of Tasawwuf (Sufism)', by Sheikh Ibrahim Muhammad Hakim. It educates the reader about some of the beliefs of Sufis and their Practices.. and demonstrated how they are in full accordance with the Shari'a. The document further shows that Tasawwuf is not a sect, nor is it a cult or a heretical invention or ideology. Rather, it is a science concerning the reality of Allah, His Messenger and the self. It is so educative. Open it and see for yourself. You will be glad you did. Many Regards. Defense of The Sunnah.pdf

As-Salaam alaikum, In the universal religion of Islam, there are 3 dimensions that encompass the outward and inward expressions of the belief system. These 3 dimensions are:-- (1) Islam:-- This is based on Tawheed (belief in the Oneness and Uniqueness of Allah); five daily prayers, offering of Zakkat (almsgiving), fasting in the Holy month of Ramadan, and performing pilgrimage to Makkah. These are known as the 5 pillars of Islam.... the building blocks of the domain of knowledge, which later came to be called Islamic Jurisprudence or Shari'ah. (2) Imaan (faith):--- is the second dimension. This is an expression of a specific conviction in the belief in Allah (God), His Messengers, His angels, the Last Day of Judgement, His Books and the good and evil fate as Ordained by Allah. These form the core of Islamic Theology, which was elaborated by theologians. The 2 dimensions above (Islam and Imaan) both teach us that religious practice and belief system are interrelated and are incomplete without each other. (3) The third dimension is Ihsan, which in the words of Prophet Muhammad, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, means to:-- "Worship Allah as if you see Him, for if you see Him not, yet He sees you.'' Ihsan reminds us, Muslims, that we are always in the Presence of Allah and that one should consider this Presence in all his/her thoughts and actions. Thus Ihsan adds spirituality to the religion.

As-Salaam alaikum, Receiving spiritual teaching from a distance came to be called the Uwaisi Transmission of Knowledge, [so named] after the contemporary of the Prophet Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, Uwais al-Qarni (r.a) whom Allah would teach the Prophet's Sunnah from a distance; He would show him the event unfolding in the Prophet's life [in Madinah] even though he lived in Yemen. Teaching someone spiritually can be done by an Angel, a Prophet or a Wali, all of which reside in the same unseen world, Barzakh. The Prophet, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, confirmed the reality of receiving knowledge spiritually, not simply for himself but for others when he said: "While I was sleeping, I was given a bowl full of milk (in a dream), and I drank of it to my fill until I noticed its wetness coming out of my nails, and then I gave the rest of it to Umar. They (his companions) asked, 'What have you interpreted (about the dream)? O Allah's Apostle?' He said, Knowledge." (Bukhari) Umar Ibn al-Khattab (r.a) was another to receive knowledge spiritually like Uwais al-Qarni, Umar was given true inspiration. The Prophet, alaihi salaat was-salaam, said:-- "In the Nations long before you were people who were spoken to [by angels] although they were not Prophets. if there is anyone of them in my Community, truely it is Umar Ibn al-Khattab." He, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, also said:- "Allah has engraved truth on the tongue of Umar and his heart." Imam Tirmidhi said that according to Ibn Uyayna, "Spoken to" means "made to understand", while in his narration, Imam Muslim added: "Ibn Wahb explained 'Spoken to' as "Inspired'' This is the majority's opinion according to Imam Ibn Hajjar who said: 'Spoken to' means 'By the angels'. And still on 'spoken to', Bukhari said: "Truth comes from their tongues". This Hadith contains a confirmation of the miracles of the Awliya.

As-Salaam alaikum, It was narrated by Ahmad and others on the authority of Abu Talha al-Ansari, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, came one day with a smile on his face. So we said: "O Messenger of Allah, we see a smile on your face! He said, "An angel approached me and told me, 'O Muhammad, will it please you [to know] that Allah says that nobody sends prayers upon you from your community except that I send 10 prayers upon him. Neither does anybody from your community send blessings upon you except that I send 10 blessings upon him'? So the Prophet Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, said: 'Indeed', meaning 'It pleases me'. Thus each prayer and blessing sent upon him, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, is reciprocated with 10 [prayers and blessings] from Allah Ta'ala. The prayers of Allah upon a person is a momentous affair with tremendous benefit. As Allah demonstrated this to His believing servant s in this ayat:-- "O you who believe, remember Allah with much remembrance. And exalt Him morning and evening. It is He who sends prayers upon you, and His angels [ask Him to do so] that He may bring you out from darkness into the light. And to the believers is He ever Merciful" (33:41/43) Thus Allah's Prayers upon a servant brings him or her out of darkness into light. What is intended here is not the darkness of disbelief, because the ayat is addressing the believers. Rather, the darkness that they are coming out of through sending prayers upon the Messenger, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, is darkness of the hearts that evolves through the accumulation of sins, hardships and tribulations... the darkness of the intellect as a result of doubt, suspicion and whispers of Satan, as well as darkness of the heart caused by its constriction ans sullying. Thus through sending prayers upon him (Salawaat ala Nabiy), Allah takes one out of darkness and brings him into the light of worship, Obedience and varieties of spiritual manifestations. If the darkness of the soul is withdrawn and the light of the Sacred is manifested, one attains closeness to Allah and enters the sanctuary of intimacy and love for Him as mentioned in the Hadith, "My servant does not cease to attain nearness to Me until I love him....."

As-Salaam alaikum, The ritual prayer, as-Sallah, is the most central ritual of Islam. The Holy Qur'an shows us that Sallah forms the foundation of all worship, and it si by means of Sallah (prayer) that man responds to the Divine Summoning:-- " there is no god but I So serve Me (only), And establish regular prayer for celebrating My Praises" (20:14) Thus prayer enables man to realize the meaning of his existence:-- "And I did not create the jinn and mankind except that they may worship Me." (51:56) Required 5 times a day, the prayer sanctifies the daily rhythm of the believer. It allows him to constantly renew the link with the 3 founding realities of Islamic life: Allah (and His Speech, the Qur'an), the prophet and the community (al-ummah). As an act of worship prescribed on a regular basis, it is through prayer that man directs his inner face (wajh) and center of his being to Allah, to glorify and declare His Praise, to abase himself as a submissive servant to Him, for addressing his request for clemency and guidance and, above all, to realize the recollection (Zikr) of Allah. "Turn your face towards the Sacred Mosque, and where ever you are, turn your face towards it". (17:44) Indeed, prayer is ac act of gratitude expressing the recognition of Divine benefactions and in this way it distinguishes the believer from the disbeliever (kafir) who refuses to recognize his dependency on Allah and to express gratitude for Divine bounty. The various dispositions of prayer engage all the human faculties, in particular the consciousness by intention (niyyah), the speech by recitation and the limbs by the various movements and the positions. Prayer thus incorporates all modes of worship and actualizes in a ritual framework the relationship between man and Allah, between creature and Creator. Says the Prophet, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, in a certain hadith:-- "The first matter that the servant will be brought to account for on the Day of Judgement is the prayer. If it is sound, then the rest of his deeds will be sound. And if it is bad, then the rest of his deeds will be bad." (At-Tirmidhi).

As-Salaam alaikum, The Reality of Allah Tabaraka Wa Ta'ala is His Existence which is really His Dhat. The Absolute Existence has no form, no shape, no limitation, neither beginning nor end; and in spite of this, He has manifested Himself in different shapes without any change in His Dhat. It is like a person surrounded by mirrors of different sizes, makes and colours appearing in the mirrors, without any change in his own personality. Al'aan Kama Kana- 'He is as he was' Allah Ta'ala is unknown and unknowable. His Attributes alone are known... but any attempt to understand His Reality...the Reality of His Essence is forbidden: "Wa Yuhazziru-Kumullahu Nafsahu.. And He makes you cautious of Himself" (3:50)

As-Salaam alaikum, "And remember your Lord by your tongue and within yourself, humbly and in tearful submission, without loud voice, in the mornings and evenings; and be not among the neglectful." (7:205) As we sit to remember our Creator, the Lord of the Cosmos, sometimes we silently chant His Name, Allah, Allah, Allah.. sometimes 'Subhanallah' (Praised be Allah)..sometimes 'Alhamdulillah (All thanks be to Allah)... other times..'Astaghfirullah.... La-ilaha illallah... This Zikr... this remembrance entombs the body to rest, but creates enough sonic subtleties to move the resting body to gesture back and forth. There appears to be some kind of music, which provides enough balance to prod an uncanny space for the soul to reside in beauty... at a point when we are intimate with Allah-- a kind of intimacy which abolishes all loneliness. Indeed, to mouth the Praise for Allah Ta'ala quitely, is to preserve the forgetfulness of everything in the bright remembrance of Allahu..Jalla-Jalalahu.

As-Salaam alaikum, The Sufi way is firmly built upon 2 foundations: Islam or Submission to Allah (the practice of the Shari'a) and Imaan (assent in the heart to the basic Islamic teachings concerning Allah, Prophecy and the Last Day). Once a person has gained sufficient ground in these 2 dimensions, then Sincerity, love and spiritual protection can develop. Briefly, the Sufi path is the attempt to achieve Ihsan or spiritual perfection. It is to try "to try to worship Allah as if you see Him." Eventually, sincerity and love may take the seeker to the place where the "as if" ceases to apply. In otherwords, the seeker of Allah will worship Him while seeing Him, in the mode of one of the supreme models of Sufi life, Sayyadi Ali Ibn Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him, who said: "I would not worship a Lord whom I do not see". Of course this happens when the heart beholds/sees by the light of certainty that which is hidden in the unseen world. An important exercise, when it comes to Ibada (worship) in this way is the Dhikr...Remembrance of Allah, which the Qur'an commands the faithful (believers) to do in several verses. In the Qur'an and in Islamic usage in general, the command to remember Allah also means to mention Allah, so the actual means of remembering Him is the mention of His Name(s), which is considered inseparable from the object named. Through a gradual process of transformation, the revealed name fills up the mind and consciousness, leaving no room for individual self hood. The content of our consciousness determines our own nature. As Jalaluddin Rumi put it in his famous lines:-- ''You are your thought, brother, the rest of you is bones and fibre. If you think of roses, you are a rosegarden, but if you think of thorns, you are fire's fuel." (Rumi 1925-40, Book 2).

As-Salaam alaikum, The Sufi way is firmly built upon 2 foundations: Islam or Submission to Allah (the practice of the Shari'a) and Imaan (assent in the heart to the basic Islamic teachings concerning Allah, Prophecy and the Last Day). Once a person has gained sufficient ground in these 2 dimensions, then Sincerity, love and spiritual protection can develop. Briefly, the Sufi path is the attempt to achieve Ihsan or spiritual perfection. It is to try "to try to worship Allah as if you see Him." Eventually, sincerity and love may take the seeker to the place where the "as if" ceases to apply. In otherwords, the seeker of Allah will worship Him while seeing Him, in the mode of one of the supreme models of Sufi life, Sayyadi Ali Ibn Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him, who said: "I would not worship a Lord whom I do not see". Of course this happens when the heart beholds/sees by the light of certainty that which is hidden in the unseen world.

As-Salaam alaikum, The attached booklet titled 'BRIDGE TO ETERNITY', by the late Sheikh Nazim Adil Haqqani, may Allah be Merciful to him, is a collection of the Sheikh's Sohbets or association Lectures held in different places during his life on the planet earth. These are talks from the heart which inspire spiritual radiation, insight and help us peep into the Secrets of Divinity. Do examine the booklet, you will be glad you did. Many Regards. Bridge to Eternity..pdf

As-Salaam alaikum, Ayat 80 of Surat Nisa'i of the Holy Qur'an reads:-- "WHOSO OBEYS THE MESSENGER, OBEYS ALLAH." (4:80)... and the Prophet, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, himself said:-- "I HAVE LEFT 2 THINGS AMONGST YOU. AS LONG AS YOU KEEP THEM GRASPED FIRMLY, YOU WILL NOT GO ASTRY. [They are] ALLAH'S BOOK AND MY SUNNAH". (Jami'ul Bayan) In view of all this, it is my pleasure to invite your attention to the attached brief but important booklet by Sheikh Yusuf Motola titled: 'OBEDIENCE TO THE MESSENGER, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam'. It takes us through what it means to OBEY and how to go about OBEYING the Noble Messenger of Allah, alaihi salaat was-salaam. Find time to examine it. You will be glad you did. Related to this, is Sheikh Yunus Patel Saheb booklet titled: 'HIS CHARACTER WAS THE QUR'AN'... referring to that excellent character of our Prophet Muhammad, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam.... on which our Lord and Creator said in ayat 4 of Surat Qalam of the Holy Qur'an:-- "AND YOU ARE SURELY ON AN EXCELLENT STANDARD OF CHARACTER" (68:4).. This booklet expatiates on this noble ayat... open it and see... and learn from the Prophet's Ocean of Noble Character. Best Wishes. ObedienceToTheMessengersallallahuAlaihiWasallam-Itaat-ur-RasulsallallahuAlaihiWasallamByShaykhYusufMotala.pdf HisCharacter.pdf

As-Salaam alaikum, Allah's creation, says Sayyadi Ibn al-Arabi, may Allah be Merciful to him, is the 'Breath of the All-Merciful' because the All-Merciful designates the godhead as overflowing goodness, manifestation and creativity. Breath is the stuff of speech, so Allah, like us, speaks by articulating His breath. Our spoken words are nothing but our breath, and our breath is nothing but ourselves. So also the All-Merciful's words are nothing but His Breath, and His Breath is himself. Without his Breath, Tabaraka Wa Ta'ala, there would be no words, no creatures. The Universe is simply the sum total of words articulated by the All-Merciful. When we speak, our words immediately dissipate and disappear, never achieving independent reality. When Allah Ta'la speaks, He says 'Kun'...Be-- a word that Ibn al-Arabi calls 'the word of the Divine Presence.' This utterance is Eternal, which is to say that it is always and forever voiced by Allah. It is the creative Logos that articulates all words, all worlds, all beings-- everything other than Allah.

As-Salaam alaikum, We have read it in Surat Ahzab of the Holy Qur'an, where Allah Ta'ala says:-- "Verily, Allah and His Angels send blessings upon the Prophet; O you who believe! Send blessings and peace upon him abundantly." (33:56) It was narrated by Ahmad and others on the authority of Abu Talha al-Ansari, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, came one day with a smile on his noble face. So we said, "O Messenger of Allah, we see a smile on your face! He said, ''An angel approached me and told me, 'O Muhammad, will it please you [to know] that Allah says that nobody sends prayers upon you from your community except that I send 10 prayers upon him. Neither does anybody from your community send blessings upon you except that I send 10 blessings upon him?' So the Prophet, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, said, 'Indeed, meaning it pleases me.' Thus each prayer and blessing sent upon him, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, is reciprocated with 10 [prayers and blessings] from Allah Ta'ala. The prayers of Allah upon a person is a momentous affair with tremendous benefit. As Allah demonstrated this to His believing servants in this ayat:-- "O you who believe, remember Allah with much remembrance. And exalt Him morning and evening. It is He who sends prayers upon you, and His angels [ask Him to do so] that He may bring you out from darkness into the light. And to the believers is He ever Merciful.'' (33:41/43) Thus Allah's prayers upon a servant brings him or her out of darkness into light. What is intended here is not the darkness of disbelief, because the ayat is addressing the believers. Rather, the darkness that they are coming out of through sending prayers upon the Messenger, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, is darkness of the hearts that evolves through the accumulation of sins, hardships and tribulations... the darkness of the intellect as a result of doubt, suspicion and whispers of Satan, as well as darkness of the heart caused by its constriction and sullying. Thus through sending prayers upon him, Allah takes one out of darkness and brings him into the light of worship, Obedience and varieties of Spiritual and manifestations (anwa'al- tajalliyat). If the darkness of the soul is withdrawn and the light of the sacred is manifested, one attains closeness to Allah and enters the sanctuary of intimacy and love for Him as mentioned in the Hadith, "My Servant does not cease to attain nearness to Me until I love him....."

As-Salaam alaikum, Reciting Surat Ikhlas (chapter 112 of the Holy Qur'an) is compared to complete recitation of one-third of the entire Qur'an. Reciting it is a means of blessings for the reciter. Note that Allah Ta'ala sent the Qur'an in 3 parts, namely:-- (1) A third of it comprises of Legal Rulings. (2) A third comprises of exhortations of promises and warnings. (3) A third comprises of discussing Allah's Names and Attributes... and Surat Ikhlas brings together within it those Noble Names and Attributes. The Surat mentions 2 Names of Allah which together indicate all the attributes of perfection. They are not mentioned in any other ayat/verse: ''al-Ahad'' and ''al-Samad''. These 2 Names indicate the Oneness of the Sacred Being who possesses all the attributes of perfection. Allah is Ahad- His Singularity of Existence cannot be shared by another entity. Allah is Samad- His Dignity and Sovereignty reaches the extent where all other things in existence depend on for all their needs... Allahu Tabaraka Wa Ta'ala...

As-Salaam alaikum, We have it in the Hadith that the Prophet Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam once observed that 'Qalb al-Mumin Bayt Ar-Rabb... The Heart of the Believer is the House of the Lord'. And in a Hadith Qudsi, we have it where Allah Ta'ala says:-- "Neither Earth nor Heavens contained Me, but the heart of the believer contained Me." This is when the believer's heart is free of any impurities and all that is other than Allah Ta'ala... the heart becomes Allah's Mansion... Allah's House when it becomes a place of His Self-Manifestation, a place to contemplate Him and keep His Secret, the right place to receive the responsibility of Allah's Trust, as the means to know Allah with Allah, as He says in the Holy Tradition (hadith qudsi):-- "I have built inside the heart of the son of Adam, a palace (qasr); in the chest there is a heart (qalb); in the heart, there is the inner heart (fu'ad); and in the inner heart, there is an innermost heart (shaghaf); and in the shaghaf, there is the kernel (lubb); and in the kernel, there is secret (sirr); in the sirr/secret, there is Me; that is the secret refers to the place for My manifestation and the place to know Me." We get to understand this more, when we another Hadith Qudsi where Allah Ta'ala says:-- "Man is My Secret and I am his secret."... meaning that Allah Ta'ala placed His secret or Illuminative knowledge (ma'arifah) in man-- with which man hears and sees Allah in all he does... nay, he exists only by Allah's Existence.

As-Salaam alaikum, Thanks for the reminder on/about this all-important second pillar of Islam... Sallah. Indeed, Sallah, the ritual prayer, is the pillow of the Islamic Religion, and is the basis of Imaan (faith). Concerning Sallah, the Noble Prophet, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, said:-- "Everything has a symbol and the symbol of faith is the Sallah. The ritual prayer [Sallah] is the light of my eyes." "If a person does not perform the prayer, it is as if he has not adopted any religion."

As-Salaam alaikum, Sheikh 'Ayn al-Qudat, may Allah be Merciful to him, sees the Noble Prophet Muhammad, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, as a means by which Allha's creatures may reach Him:- "O Muhammad, We taught you what you did not know: He taught thee what you knew not; Allah's bounty toward you is indeed tremendous" (4:13) "Whoever obeys the Messenger obeys Allah" (4:80) "He teaches you what you knew not" (2:51) With these verses (ayats), it is as if Allah Ta'ala is saying O Muhammad! take on Our character traits, and from the bounties and character traits We have given you, pour a handful upon the helpless one so that whoever sees you, sees Us... and whoever obeys you, obeys Us. At the same time, the Prophet also 'travelled' to Allah. Yet this wayfaring was done for him which again distinguishes him from the rest of creation, including such Prophets as Musa alaihis-salaam:- Came (7:143)- "he came"- was said about Musa: He carried (17:1)- "We brought him"- was said about Mustapha. Having come is not like having been brought. The Prophets swore by the names and attributes of Allah. But Allah has sworn by the soul, head, hair and face of Mustapha: By the morning brightness and by the night when still (93:1-2) To Musa it was said: "Look upon the mountain" (7:143) To Mustafa it saw said: "We are looking at you- you too look at Us entirely". Hast thou not considered thy Lord, how He spread out the shade?" (25:45) And you may also wish to consider some ayats of the Holy Qur'an as follows:- "And We sent you not, except as a Mercy to the worlds" (21:107) "Truly it is the same for the unbelievers whether you warn them or warn them not- they do not believe."(2:6) Why did some people accept the Prophet while others did not? As a Mercy to all creation, the Prophet merely brings out what is already within people. Those whose soul are pure and ready [ to receive Imaan ] are able to receive him, and from such beautiful souls beauty shall emerge. But those whose soul are impure and unprepared will reject him, thereby bringing about their own inner ugliness. Have you not seen that the sun shine is a comfort for the entire world, and that it is a Mercy to all beings? But, if the sun shines on a pit of garbage, repulsive scents will emerge from it. These defects do not come from the sun. Rather, these defects and disparities come from the roots and contours of those things. Thus, the one whose soul has become a ''bed of roses'' puts himself within the ambit of the Prophet's guidance and mercy. When such an individual attains his own perfection by following the Prophet and travelling the spiritual path, at the end of the road he will find the Prophet waiting for him, taking him by the hand and leading him to the Threshold of the Divine Court. For further reading on this, see Mohammed Rustom: 'Inrushes of the Spirit; the Mystical Theology of 'Ayn al-Qudat and Tamhidat of 'Ann al-Qudat'.

As-Salaam alaikum, In ayat 28 of Surat Ra'ad of the Holy Qur'an (13:28), Allah Ta'ala says:-- "Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest/satisfaction". And in the Hadith, we have read it where the Noble Prophet, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, said:- "There is a piece of flesh in the body, if it becomes good (reformed), the whole body becomes good but if it gets spoiled, the whole body gets spoiled and that is the heart." Sheikh Abu Abdullah at-Tirmidhi Hakeem, may Allah be Merciful to him, said that "Zikr [remembrance of Allah Ta'ala] moistens the heart and cultivates tenderness in it. When the heart is bereft of Zikrullah, the heat of the nafs overtakes it; the fire of lust reaches it and it becomes barren and hard." Indeed, the life of the heart (qalb) is related to Allah's Remembrance. Man has only to to implant Allah's Name firmly in his heart, what follows is amazing. So, be engaged in Zikr always... or most of the time. With that, you find out that even though our hands cannot feel Allah Ta'ala, the mind cannot grasp Him, but the heart would vividly recognize Him. With regular, constant Zikr, the heart can discern Allah Ta'ala... hear Him, entreat, obey and act according to Allah's Will... Tabaraka Wa Ta'ala.

As-Salaam alaikum, In a Hadith Qudsi, Allah Ta'ala says:-- "I am as My Servant thinks I am, I am with him whenever he remembers Me; If he thinks of Me, I think of him; if he mentions Me in a gathering, I mention him in a gathering even better than it. If he draws near Me to a hand's span, I draw near to him in an arm's length; If he he draws to Me an arm's length, I draw closer to him by 2 arms length; and if he comes to Me walking, I go to him running." (Bukhari and Muslim) This Noble Hadith tells us the speed at which Allah Ta'ala changes a person's reality as He remembers him. Because Allah has no need of travel, He does not have a body and isn't in creation, when He says: ''I go to him running'', this refers to shaping man's perception of Allah, meaning ' I shape his reality quickly'... the more a person comes to Allah by remembering Him, the faster Allah changes his perception towards good. Did you not hear the Prophet, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, said:- IHSAN (human perfection) is to worship Allah as if you see Him, which is the highest form of worship. And in the Qu'ran, we have read it:- "He is with you, wherever you are" (57:4) and "And We are nearer to him than his jagular vein" (50:16) Thus we find His nearness in us already, Jallah-Jalalahu.

As-Salaam alaikum, From whatever perspective you look at it, we can only find peace in our heart(s) in the love of Allah Ta'ala and the reflection of that is in Sallah... the Sallah we offer 5 times daily as Muslims who believe in Allah and the Last Day. Nowadays some focus on offering Sallah like some physical exercise to get reward in paradise; they are unaware of its spiritual reality. Sallah is in fact, the presence of heart and soul before Allah.... when a person gets annihilated in Allah completely, only then would his Sallah become Mi'eraj. Allah created us of His Ishq and for His Ishq.... we are sent to planet earth to prove our love to Him, Tabaraka Wa Ta'ala. If any of our acts are without the love of Allah, then it is useless because He does not need such prayers. Afterall, He has lots of angels for this purpose. Actually, when a Muslim bows before Allah Ta'ala, it means he has given up everything... he is like a slave before Him and considers Allah the One and Only Entity (the Best) and himself as the worst. In his 'Risala al-Ghausia' Sheikh Abdul Qadir al-Jilani, may Allah be pleased with him, says: I said, 'O Lord, which Sallah is closet to you?' It was replied: ''The Sallah in which there is no one except Me, even the person offering the Sallah is esoterically absent from it."

As-Salaam alaikum, During his lifetime on the planet earth, Sayyadi (Sheikh) Abulqadir al-Jilani, one of the illustrious members of the Ahl-Bait, and a Notable Wali, may Allah be pleased with him, had the chance to call on to servants of Allah Ta'ala at his school in the city of Baghdad through what one may term public lectures...meant to call people towards Allahu Tabaraka Wa Ta'ala. It is my pleasure to invite your attention to the attached 45 Discourses of the Sheikh that he delivered at that time. Find time to examine/read these discourses and see how he drew people nearer to Allah and urged them to live a life of dedication to al-Haqq. Indeed, these discourses are still relevant even today.... they will help us live a life of dedication and commitment to Allah and the Day of Judgement... the Last Day. May Allah Help us in that regard... ameen. Best Wishes. purification-of-the-mind-jila-al-khatir.pdf

As-Salaam alaikum, Sayyadi Abu bakr Waasiti, may Allah be Merciful to him, mentioned that a good action is like fine glass. Just a little heedlessness will cause it to shatter, where-after it will be irreparable. In the same way, good actions are shattered by ostentation and boastfulness, thus it will not accrue any reward. When a person senses any show and/or ostentation in a work/deed he or she does, he should try his level best to eradicate it. If it cannot be eradicated, he should not abandon the action/deed, but seek forgiveness from Allah Ta'ala, who could grant him the ability to be sincere.... here, we may cite an incident where a servant of Allah doubted his sincerity after building an inn for travellers. Someone told him in a dream that even if his action was insincere, the du'as of the travellers who will benefit from this noble action will surely be sincere and accepted in your favour. He became pleased and satisfied with this statement.

As-Salaam alaikum, You are aware that in many places of the Holy Qur'an, Allah, Jallah-Jalalahu, praised and showed His Pleasure for the Sahaba (companions) of the Noble Prophet Muhammad, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam. Such areas in the Qur'an include Ayats 100 of Surat Tauba (9:100) and Ayat 110 of Surat Ali-Imran (3:110). The behavior and actions of the Sahaba were always in accordance with the Shari'a and exemplary. We should emulate them in our actions today and always. In that regards, I wish to invite your attention to the attached file containing a compilation of 51 stories of life and times of the Sahaba, taken from: 'Companions of The Prophet', by Abdul Wahid Hamid, for your perusal and use.... and for the obvious lessons to be drawn therefrom. Companions of the Prophet.pdf

As-Salaam alaikum, It was once said to Abu Bakr Siddiq, the first Caliph, may Allah be pleased with him, (during an illness), "Shall we call a physician for you"? to which he replied: "He has already seen me". It was then said to him, "What did He say to you?" He replied: "...Verily, I do as I please". And Uthman, may Allah be pleased with him, asked Abdullahi Ibn Mas'ud in his sickness, "What is your complaint?" He replied: "The Mercy of Allah". It was then said to him, "Shall we not call a physician for you?" to which he replied: "the physician is the one who made me sick." All this is explained in the Light of Ayat 119 of Surat Ma'eda of the Holy Qur'an: "Allah is pleasured with them and they are pleased with Him". (5:119) Thus when we are contented, satisfied with Allah Tabaraka Wa Ta'ala, we relinquish all choices and should anticipate Decrees of Allah Almighty with joy... especially noting that He is the Arranger of all affairs (mudabbir amr). One must never respond to Allah's bitter Decrees with either stoic indifference or dejectedness and despair. We must realize that the choice of Allah Ta'ala is better than our choice for ourselves, since there are consequences for events which we do not anticipate in our short-sightedness.