A masterful article by one of the luminaries of Muslim scholarship in the modern age. Please do read.
Category: Talks on Islam
Chess and Divine Decree
Assalamu alaikum (peace be with you)
My dear readers, I am not sure I’ve talked about it before, but those who know me know I am an avid chess player. I’ve loved the game since a dear uncle taught it to me before he passed away (Allah irhamu ‘may God bless and cherish his soul’. I was eight at the time I think…I still have the chess board he taught me on). It is very relaxing believe it or not, as it focuses the mind and gives clarity to the thought. I used to play tournament level in high school and then at a rather mediocre college level but sadly have not had much opportunity to play since, except now online with a global chess community (you have to love the internet!).
So imagine then my absolute delight at finding this article on ‘chess and divine decree’. I always knew there was some deeper truth the game lead one to or hinted at…there must be, if it has the ability to draw people in so. It is a beautiful game, very profound. Quite surprising a game can be so.
But enough from me, please enjoy the article. One last parting thought on reading it, happy sighs to know our ‘Ummah’ (community or nation, a word Muslims use to talk about the followers of Muhammed, peace be upon them. The real and true followers, not charlatans and abusers of his pure and blessed name) had scholars of this caliber at one time, who could think and write so. May we once more have this level of scholarship in our community and in the world. I do believe peace comes with sound knowledge.
God bless you all!
striving to worship God as though we see Him
Assalamu alaikum (peace be with you)
This is a friday sermon (jumuah khutbah) delivered by one of our foremost scholars today. Sh. Mokhtar has an interesting background, having a PhD in engineering and physics in addition to his religious scholarly training. It is a beautiful sermon, relevant to everyone of us and so I am posting it here. For those who do not know, on Fridays (Muslims have no sabbat per se, but Friday is considered a small ‘eid’ = festival day. Friday is called ‘jumuah’ in arabic as it comes from the root ‘jama’ah’ meaning ‘gathering’ as it is the day we gather for the communal noon prayer) the noon prayer takes the form of a sermon and a shortened communal prayer. The noon prayer which usually consists of 4 ‘units’ or cycles of worship, is shortened to 2 cycles and the other 2 are replaced by the ‘khutbah’ or sermon, which can be delivered by anyone qualified. This means for instance in the hospital where I work, we take turns delivering the sermon as there is no ‘ordained priesthood’ in Islam. It is better of course to have a trained imam deliver it! Because of this replacing of the 2 raka’at with the sermon, the sermon is divided in to 2 segments and the speaker, the ‘khateeb’ takes a break in between.
If you cannot listen to the whole, please listen to a few minutes about the 25 min mark. MashaAllah (by God’s grace) very profound.
Alhamdulillah (all thanks and praise to God) now that I am learning arabic I can understand the gist of the supplication or ‘du’a’ made at the end. This is what most non-Muslims will call a ‘prayer’ when the Imam leads the congregation in asking God for His blessings. It is also customary to begin the sermon with a short ‘du’a’ or words from the prophet (peace be upon him) always in Arabic. Unfortunately my Arabic is not good enough to translate it, but if any of you can email me a translation or post it below, I’d be very grateful.
Jazakum Allah khairan (God grant good upon you all)
‘This religion is a religion of good etiquette (or manners)’
Assalamu alaikum warahmatullah, peace be upon you and the mercy of God
This short talk ( ~ 8 mins) is beautiful, it reminds us of the purpose of our worship and the measure by which we know our worship is doing what it is meant to. Namely, to bring us closer to our Creator and elevate us in our knowledge of Him, the Most High, the Great, the One.
The above quote is from the talk, that this religion is a religion of good etiquette and it should increase us in the good etiquette we have towards our Lord, and towards all of Creation.
Hope you get to listen. It is from Shaykh Habib Ali Al Jifri, a great scholar with impeccable lineage in his learning and a very short isnad (chain of transmission) to our Master Muhammed (peace and blessing be upon him). To explain, in classical Islamic scholarship, knowledge is passed on from teacher to student, often one-to-one and often by the student living with and imbibing the manners of the teacher as well. Once a student has reached a certain level, he or she is given ‘ijaza’ = license, to transmit the knowledge to others. The isnad, or chain of transmission therefore when short, shows that the knowledge is least diluted from the source. This shaykh who we are blessed to have amongst us is also notable for the number of female scholars in his chain. He can as well trace his lineage to the family of our beloved prophet (peace be upon him). More info on his bio is here. N.B. – I would always recommending learning the bio of someone you chose to study from. May Allah grant him increase and increase his reach.
A gift for the 27th night – reblogged from SuhaibWebb.com
Assalamu alaikum warahmatullah, peace be upon you and the love of Allah
All praise and thanks to Allah, the most high, the most great, the most loving, the most generous! We have entered the last ten blessed days of Ramadan. The days that will see ‘laylat-ul-qadr’ the night of power, when the Quran was first revealed. This is a night considered to be like a thousand months, blessed and exalted. Many special prayers are made on this night. We all try to not miss it (i.e., waste it by sleeping when we could be seeking Allah’s blessed face in prayer, meditation and contemplation).
On SuhaibWebb.com, a beautiful du’a (supplication) by Sheikh Muhammed Jibril was posted. I wanted to copy it below. The arabic recitation is beautiful and can be found at the link above.
Allah bless and protect you all and grant us the blessing of meeting laylat-ul-qadr
Indeed, Allah speaks the truth. Indeed Allah speaks the truth, the One who is unique in His majesty by the perfection of His beauty, glorified and exalted.
He who sent down the clear Criterion (the Qur’an) to His servant ﷺ (peace be upon him) in order to make him a warner to the worlds; He who sent His noble messenger to the two mighty races of jinn and mankind to give glad tidings and to warn; and we are to this (truth) from among those who bear witness.
O Allah, guide us along with those whom You have guided aright; and grant us well-being along with those whom You have granted well-being; and protect us with those whom You have protected. Bless for us all that You have given us; and save us and keep away from us any evil that You have decreed. O Allah, save us and keep away from us any evil that You have decreed. O Allah, save us and keep away from us any evil that You have decreed, for verily You decree in truth, and none can decree over You. And none is abased whom You befriend, and none is honored whom You oppose. Blessed are You, our Lord, Exalted. To You, O Allah, all praise is due for what You have decreed, and to You, O Allah, is due all thanks for Your blessings and bounty. We seek forgiveness from (You) Allah, and we repent to You. We seek forgiveness from Allah, and we repent to You.
We seek forgiveness from You, O Allah, for every sin and every misstep (we have taken), and we turn to You in repentance. We believe in You and rely on You. You are the Rich, the Self-Sufficient and Free of Needs (al-Ghaniyy), and we are poor and bereft before You. You are the Strong (al-Qawiyy), and we are weak and vulnerable before You.
You are the Rich (al-Ghaniyy), and we are poor and bereft before You. You are the Strong (al-Qawiyy), and we are weak and vulnerable before You.
You are the Rich (al-Ghaniyy), and we are poor and bereft before You. You are the Strong (al-Qawiyy), and we are weak and vulnerable before You.
O Allah – You who connects with those who are cut off (from hope) – connect us to You.
O Allah, gift us with righteous action from You that will bring us closer to You.
O Allah, conceal (our faults) and protect us while we are on Earth, and when we are beneath the Earth, and on the Day when our deeds are presented to You. [Repeated three times]
O Allah, beautify our standing before You.
O Allah, do not disappoint us on the Day we are presented before You to be judged. [Repeated three times]
O Allah, accept our prayers, our fasting, our standing in worship, our bowing and our prostration.
O Allah, accept our prayers. O Allah, accept our fasting. O Allah, accept our standing in worship. O Allah, accept our bowing. O Allah, accept our prostration. [Repeated three times]
O Allah, make us among those who are freed from the Fire this Ramadan. [Repeated three times]
O Allah, save us from the Fire. O Allah, save us from the Fire. O Allah, save us from the Fire. O Allah, protect us from the shame and disgrace of the Fire. O Allah, protect us from any deed that draws us closer to the Fire. O Allah, enter us into Paradise with the righteous, by Your mercy, O You Who is Most Noble (al-`Azeez), Oft-Forgiving (al-Ghaffar).
O Allah, make us, our Lord, in this month of ours, on this day of ours, on this very night, from those who are freed from the Fire, and make us from those who are accepted by You, the successful.
… By Your mercy, O Most Merciful of those who show mercy…
By Your mercy, O Most Merciful of those who show mercy…
By Your mercy, O Allah…
O Master and King (al-Malik), O Allah… O You Who is Sanctified and Pure (al-Quddus), O Allah… O Source and Giver of Peace (as-Salaam), O Allah… O Inspirer of Faith (al-Mu’min), O Allah… O Guardian of All Things (al-Muhaymin), O Allah… O Honorable and Mighty (al-`Azeez), O Allah…O You Who Compels His Servants and Mends the Broken (al-Jabbar), O Allah… O Grand and Majestic (al-Mutakabbir), O Allah… O Creator of All (al-Khaliq), O Allah… O Creator of All, O Allah…
O Maker of Order (al-Baari’), O Allah… O Shaper of Forms (al-Musawwir), O Allah… O Oft-Forgiving (al-Ghaffar), O Allah… O You Who Subdues His Servants (al-Qahhar), O Allah… O Giver of All (al-Wahhab), O Allah… O Sustainer (ar-Razzaq), O Allah… O Opener (al-Fattah), O Allah…
O All-Knowing One (al-`Aleem), O Allah… O You Who Restricts (al-Qaabidh), O Allah… O You Who Expands and Relieves (al-Baasit), O Allah… O You Who Abases (al-Khaafidh), O Allah… O You Who Exalts (ar-Raafi`), O Allah… O Bestower of Honor (al-Mu`izz), O Allah… O You Who Lowers (al-Mudhill), O Allah… O You Who Hears All (as-Sami`), O Allah… O You Who Sees All (al-Baseer), O Allah…
O You Who is the Absolute Judge (al-Hakam), O Allah… O You Who is Absolutely Just (al-‘Adl), O Allah… O Gentle and Subtly Kind (al-Lateef), O Allah… O All-Aware (al-Khabeer), O Allah… O Most Forbearing (al-Haleem), O Allah… O Magnificent (al-`Adheem), O Allah…
O You Who Forgives and Conceals (al-Ghafur), O Allah… O You Who Appreciates and Rewards Thankfulness (al-Shakur), O Allah… O Knower of All Things (al-‘Aleem), O Allah… O Great One (al-Kabeer), O Allah… O Preserver (al-Hafeedh), O Allah… O Nourisher of All Things (al-Muqeet), O Allah… O You Who Calls to Account (al-Haseeb) O Allah…
O Mighty and Majestic (al-Jaleel), O Allah… O Most Generous (al-Kareem), O Allah… O Most Generous, O Allah… O Ever-Watchful (al-Raqeeb), O Allah… O You Who Responds and Answers (al- Mujeeb), O Allah…
O Vast and Omnipotent One (al-Wasi`), O Allah… O Glorious One (al-Majeed), O Allah… O You Who Perceives and Finds (al-Waajid), O Allah… O Unique One (al-Waahid), O Allah… O You Who is Self-Sufficient and Free of Want (as-Samad), O Allah… O You Who is Capable and Strong (al-Qadir), O Allah…
O Creator of All Power (al-Muqtadir), O Allah… O You Who Brings Forward (al-Muqaddim), O Allah… O You Who Delays (al-Mu’akhir), O Allah… O You Who is the First (al-Awwal), O Allah… O You Who is the First, O Allah… O You Who is the Last (al-Aakhir), O Allah… O You Who is Manifest (adh-Dhahir), O Allah… O You Who is Hidden (al-Batin), O Allah… O Close Protecting Guardian (al-Waaliy), O Allah… O Most High (al-Muta`aliy), O Allah… O Living, Eternal One (al-Hayy), O Allah… O Self-Subsisting One (al-Qayyum), O Allah… O Self-Subsisting One, O Allah… O Nourisher (al-Muqeet), O Allah… O You Who Gives Death (al-Mumeet), O Allah…
O Most Gentle and Gracious Bestower (al-Barr), O Allah… O Ever-Relenting One (at-Tawwab), O Allah… O Avenger (al-Muntaqim), O Allah… O Avenger, O Allah… O You Who Pardons (al-`Affuw), O Allah… O Most Kind (ar-Ra’uf), O Allah… O Most Kind, O Allah…
O Owner of All Sovereignty (Maliku’l Mulk), Lord of Majesty and Honor (Dhu’l Jalali wa’likram), O Allah… O Just and Equitable One (al-Muqsit), O Allah… O Gatherer (al-Jaami`), O Allah… O You Who is Rich and Free of Needs (al-Ghaniy), O Allah… O Enricher (al-Mughni), O Allah… O Witholder (al-Mani`), O Allah… O Distressor (ad-Daar), O Allah… O Guide (al-Haadi), O Allah… O Light (of the heavens and the Earth) (al-Nur), O Allah…
O Originator of All Things (al-Badi`), O Allah… O Infinite and Everlasting (al-Baaqi), O Allah… O Inheritor of All (al-Waarith), O Allah… O Guide to the Right Path (ar-Rasheed), O Allah… O Most Patient (as-Sabur), O Allah…
O Allah… O Allah… O Allah…
O You Whom there is nothing like – the Hearing (al-Sami`), the Seeing (al-Baseer), O Allah.
O You who are the best of protectors and the best of those who give help. Glory be to You. We cannot account for the praises that are due to You; You are as You praise Yourself. Sublime is Your Countenance; Exalted is Your position. You do as You will by Your Power and Ability, and You decree as You want by Your Honor. O Living, Self-Subsisting One (al-Hayy al-Qayum); Originator of the heavens and the Earth; Possessor of Majesty and Honor (Dhu’l-Jalali wa’l-Ikram).
O Allah, beautify us with the beauty of the Qur’an. O Allah, enter us into Paradise by the intercession of the Qur’an. O Allah, ennoble us by the nobility of the Qur’an. O Allah, dress us with the honorable mantle (khil`ah) of the Qur’an. O Allah, dress us with the honorable mantle of the Qur’an. O Allah, honor us with the honor of the Qur’an.
O Allah, have mercy on the entire community of Muhammad ﷺ, by the sanctity of the Qur’an, O Most Merciful (al-Raheem), Loving One (al-Rahman).
O Allah, guide us and lead us to the truth and to the straight path, by the blessings of the magnificent Qur’an; and by the sanctity of the one You have sent as a mercy to all the worlds ﷺ. And forgive us, O Most Generous (al-Kareem), and grant us well being, O Most Merciful (al-Raheem).
O Allah, make the Qu’ran the blossoming spring of our hearts, and the light of our chests, and the dispeller of our sadness and grief. O Allah, make the Qur’an a proof for us, and not a proof against us.
O Allah, make us those who read the Qur’an and become elevated… and do not make us those who read it and become wretched and humiliated.
O Allah, bestow on us, by every letter of the Qur’an (that we have read) a sweetness, and by every word (from its pages) magnanimity and generosity, and by every verse happiness and joy, and by every chapter peace and security, and by every section reward.
O Allah, bless us with contentment, and make beloved to us prayer in congregation, and help us to remember death, Our Lord, in every moment (of our lives).
O Allah… Resurrect us, Our Lord, with the Prophet ﷺ, the Chosen (al-Mustafa), the one to whom you have granted the right of intercession.
O Allah, we seek refuge in You from knowledge that does not benefit; and from a heart that is not humbled in devotion to You; and from an eye that does not weep (out of love and awe of You); from an eye that does not weep; from an eye that does not weep; and from an ego that is never satisfied; and from a supplication that is not heard.
O Allah, we seek refuge in You from knowledge that does not benefit; and from a heart that is not humbled in devotion to You; and from an eye that does not weep (out of love and awe of You); and from an ego that is never satisfied; and from a supplication that is not heard.
O Allah, we seek refuge in You from knowledge that does not benefit; and from action that is not elevated (to the heavens and accepted); and from an eye that does not weep (out of love and awe of You); and from an ego that is never satisfied; and from a supplication that is not heard.
O Allah, we ask you for knowledge that benefits; and for a heart that is humbled in devotion to You; and for a tongue busy with remembering You and expressing gratitude to You; and for actions that are righteous and accepted by You; and for a certainty (in You) that is genuine and true.
O Allah, we seek refuge in You from death and its agonies; and the grave and its distress; and the Sirat and its perils; and the Day of Rising and its terrors. [Repeated three times]
O Allah, make us fearful and conscious of You as if we see You; and grant us happiness through reverence of You (taqwa); and grant us the pleasure of seeing You (in Paradise); and gather us in the company of Your Prophet and Chosen One ﷺ (al-Mustafa). [Repeated three times]
O Allah, grant victory to Islam and honor the Muslims. O Allah raise high, with Your Grace, the two words of truth and religion. O Allah, destroy the disbelievers who show hostile enmity to You and Your religion.
O Allah, bring the Muslims back to Your religion in a beautiful return (in repentance). [Repeated three times]
O Allah, grant success and victory to those striving in Your cause, wherever they may be. [Repeated three times]
O Allah, grant us success and victory over (the weaknesses of) of our own selves. [Repeated three times]
O Allah, respond to our du`a’, and heal our sick, and have mercy on our dead, and defeat our enemies. Do not disappoint us in our hope (in You); and let the last of our deeds be the best of them.
O Allah, fulfill from our hopes whichever please You; grant authority over our affairs to those who are the best of us, and not to those who are the worst of us.
O Allah, lift Your displeasure and anger from us. O Allah, lift Your displeasure and anger from us. O Allah, lift Your displeasure and anger from us, and do not call us to account for what we have done; and do not hold us accountable for what the foolish among us do; and do not place upon us, due to our sins, an authority who does not fear or revere You and who will not have mercy on us.
O Allah, purify our hearts; divest us of our faults; relieve our worries and troubles; protect us in the best way; and gather for us the best of the hereafter and the best of this life.
O Allah, rectify our condition. O Allah, join together and unite our hearts.
O Allah, allow our end to be concluded with righteous deeds.
O Allah, encompass us in the vastness of Your mercy.
O Allah, avert the harms and evils that concern and trouble us.
O Allah, allow us to pass away with sound faith, (faithful to) the Book and the Sunnah, and in a state in which You are pleased with us, O You Who is the Most Generous (al-Kareem).
O Allah, allow the Qur’an to be our close companion in this life; and in our graves a comforting friend; and a light on the Sirat; and an intercession at the time of resurrection; and our companion in Paradise; and make it a protection and barricade between us and the Hellfire; and a guide and leader to all good works, by Your Grace, O Most Generous of those who show generosity.
O Allah, distance us from our mistakes as You have distanced the East from the West. O Allah, purge our sins from us the way a white cloth is purified from filth; O Allah cleanse us from our sins with the (purity of) water, snow, and hail.
O Allah, You are the Forgiving (al-`Affuw), and You love to forgive, so please forgive us. O Allah, You are the Forgiving (al-`Affuw), and You love to forgive, so please forgive us. O Allah, You are the Forgiving (al-`Affuw), the Generous (al-Kareem), the Forbearing (al-Haleem), the Great (al-`Adheem), and You love to forgive, so please forgive us.
O Allah, grant us well being and safety; pardon us; accept our deeds; accept us; accept our repentance, and excuse us, by Your loving Grace, O Most Merciful of those who show mercy.
Our Lord, accept from us (our deeds), You are the All-Hearing (as-Sami`), the All-Knowing (al-`Aleem). Accept our repentance, Our Lord, You are the Oft-relenting (at-Tawwab), The Merciful (ar-Raheem). Forgive us and have mercy upon us, Our Lord, You are the Forgiving (al-Ghafur), the Merciful (ar-Raheem). Save us from sorrow and worry and the greatest distress (of punishment in the Hereafter). Save us from sorrow and worry and the greatest distress (of punishment in the Hereafter).
O Allah, bestow on us the gift of seeing Your Noble Countenance. [Repeated three times]
O Allah, make us from among those who have running beneath them the rivers of Paradise… “Their prayer therein will be, “Glory be to You, O Allah”; and their greeting (to one another) therein is, “Peace.” And the conclusion of their prayer will be, “Praise be to Allah, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the worlds.” (Qur’an, 10:10)
“Our Lord, condemn us not if we forget or fall into error. Our Lord, lay not on us a burden like that which you laid on those before us. Our Lord, lay not on us a burden greater than we have strength to bear. Pardon us, and grant us forgiveness, and have mercy on us. You are our Protector. Help us against those who stand against faith.” (Qur’an, 2:286)
“Our Lord, let not our hearts deviate after You have guided us, and grant us mercy from You; for You art the Grantor of bounties without measure. Our Lord, surely it is You Who will gather mankind together on the Day about which there is no doubt, for verily, Allah never fails in His promise.” (Qur’an, 3:8-9)
“Our Lord, forgive us our sins and anything we may have done that transgressed our duty. Establish our feet firmly, and help us against those that resist Faith.” (Qur’an, 3:147)
“Our Lord, indeed whoever You admit to the Fire – You have disgraced him, and for the unjust wrongdoers there are no helpers. Our Lord, indeed we have heard a caller calling to faith, [saying], ‘Believe in your Lord,’ and we have believed. Our Lord, so forgive us our sins and remove from us our misdeeds and cause us to die with the righteous. Our Lord, and grant us what You promised us through Your messengers and do not disgrace us on the Day of Resurrection. Indeed, You do not fail in [Your] promise.” (Qur’an, 3:192-194)
“In Allah do we put out trust. Our Lord, make us not a trial for those who practice oppression; and save us, by Your mercy, from those who reject You.” (Qur’an, 10:8-9)
“Our Lord, In You (Alone) we put our trust, and to You (Alone) we turn in repentance, and to You (Alone) is (our) final return. Our Lord, make us not a test and a trial for the disbelievers, but forgive us, our Lord, for You are the Exalted in might, the Wise.” (Qur’an, 60:4-5)
“Our Lord, forgive us and our brethren who came before us into the faith, and leave not, in our hearts, ill feeling against those who have believed. Our Lord, You are indeed full of kindness, most merciful.” (Qur’an, 59:10)
O Allah, to You we lovingly submit; and in You we believe; and upon You do we rely. To You we turn (in repentance), and by You we argue (and advocate). Forgive us for what we have sent forth (in deeds) and for what we have held back; for what we have made known, and for what we have hidden; and for (our deeds) which You have more knowledge of than we ourselves.
O Allah, be compassionate with us, for You are the One who shows us mercy. Do not punish us for our sins, for You are the Powerful over us. Be gracious and kind to us, Our Lord, for what has come to pass in our time and place; and (we ask You, O Allah) to conclude our lives for us with a beautiful and joyful ending.
“Exalted is Your Lord, the Lord of Might and Honor, above what they describe; and peace be on the messengers (of God); and all praise is due to Allah, the Lord and Cherisher of the worlds.” (Qur’an, 37:180-182)
Send peace and blessings, O Allah, on our master Muhammad, and upon his blessed family and noble companions. Ameen.
Muslims in America – a useful conversation
Assalaamu alaikum (peace be upon you)
I came across this on youtube and wanted to share it. It is refreshing to see an honest open conversation held in this way, where people are able to ask what is on their mind and in turn hear everyday Muslims answer.
Having said and shared, wanted also to share that I am currently blessed to be in the middle of the Canadian rockies, in Banff, Alberta. It is a dream come true for me. I have always wanted to visit the rockies since I was a little girl growing up in a tropical island halfway around the world, for some odd reason, hooked on to John Denver’s timeless music (lyrics mostly 🙂 )
God has indeed blessed me in ways I could never have imagined and my being here is testament to that. Alhamdulillah (all thanks and praise be to God)
InshaAllah (God willing) more from this trip later.
Below is the clip, hope you get to listen.
‘What the world needs now is Love, sweet Love’
Assalamu alaikum warahmatullah (peace be on you and the loving compassion of God)
The talk I want to share here is by a great luminary in our tradition, a direct descendant of our beloved prophet;s (peace be upon him) couzin, Ali (Allah be pleased with him), Sh. Habib Ali Jiffry comes from a long line of scholars and can trace his ‘isnad’ (chain), I believe it’s called, a very long way..I think all the way to Muhammed (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). You see in traditional or classical Muslim scholarship, a scholar ‘graduates’ to be able to teach by obtaining ‘ijaza’ which is basically a ‘license’ to teach, from his teacher. And traditional Muslim scholarship is taught one-to-one, with often the student living with his teacher to observe the teacher’s characteristics, behaviours, manners etc. which together we use the arabic term ‘adab’ to denote. So really good Muslim scholars can trace their scholarly chain of transmission back a very long way and the more luminaries one recognizes in the ‘isnad’ the more one realizes the worth or the caliber of that particular scholar. You can read more about Sheikh Habib Ali Jiffry here (well worth clicking on this link, it will give you a taste for what authentic Muslim scholars are about). One thing I want to point out from Sh. Habib’s isnad is his noted taking of knowledge from female scholars, something apparently quite common in our tradition before but for some reason not understood in the mainstream today. In fact, one of the greatest scholars of all time in the Muslim tradition, is Ayesha, our beloved mother, the prophet’s wife (may Allah be pleased with her). She taught many men and women for years from all over the Muslim world and she is a source of much of our scholarly material.
Having said all the above, the talk itself was delivered at RIS last year. RIS stands for ‘Reviving the Islamic Spirit’, it is a twice annual conference held in Toronto and California, and it brings together amazing scholars, artists, etc. Truly living up to its name. You must have all heard of the ‘tedtalks’, well RIS, has now launched ‘ristalks‘, where you can listen to some great talks given at RIS. Do check out the website
Here is the talk, the title speaks for itself, everything in faith is really about love. Remove love from faith and what you are left with is something vacuous and even dangerous. So my fellow Muslim brothers and sisters, let’s realize the place of love in our faith. Peace to all and please keep me in your prayers
NB – I apologize, Sh. Habib is a descendent of Ali (ral) not Muhammed (sal). I have corrected the sentence above so it is accurate. Also wanted to mention to those who don’t understand arabic, that while the brother translation is doing a great job, not all the beauty and depth of the arabic comes across. This is often the case with translating arabic, so much can be said with so few words that it very rarely can be translated well.
Omar (may Allah be pleased with him) series on youtube
Assalamu alaikum (Peace be unto you!)
I wanted to draw your attention to this series produced during the month of Ramadan of this year,1433 by the Islamic calendar. Unlike the Gregorian, the Islamic calendar begins its count with the ‘hijra’ or migration of the prophet (peace and blessing of God be upon him) and his small band of loyal followers, who are called the ‘sahaba’ meaning ‘companions’, from Mecca to Medina. It was a great thing to do, and I am sure even nowadays with skype, and phones and airplanes and what have you, when it is so easy to stay in touch, even now to migrate or immigrate is a big deal for people. It is a rebirth in a sense, a rejuvenation, a process that forces one to examine all one’s beliefs, mannerisms, culture and way of life whether one wants to or not. So the prophet may God elevate his beautiful soul, left his beloved hometown, the city that had persecuted and mocked himself, his message and his small number of followers for 13 years…where he had endured great torture and the first Martyr of Islam was made as well as its first follower; both women mind you (the former is Sumayya, freed African slave woman and the later Khadija the great, the prophet’s beloved wife and mentor, may God be pleased with them both), yet where his heart always would call home. He left to go to Medina and there welcomed with open arms, a nation-state was born. One of the first things he did when he settled in to Medina was to draw up a constitution for the governing of the city, remarkable. But I am digressing. So this was produced in 1433 hijri or 2012 by the gregorian calendar(!), a few short months ago, and with thanks to the producers that it is already up on youtube with English subtitles.
The series is about Umar, one of the prophet’s (peace be upon him) closest companions who at one time, wanted to kill him! He outlived the prophet (peace be upon him) by many years, and he lead the Muslim nation for much of that time. He died as he wished to die, martyred… it was also the first of many assassinations of the state’s head, the Muslim nation was to face. It is in 30 parts and I will post the first one below. You can youtube them all. It is a vast period in history to cover in 30 episodes and there is much to be commented on. But I don’t personally prefer to critique what is obviously a massive amount of work, except to say thanks for taking it on, thanks for the effort to make it as best as possible, and thanks for sharing it. So while there may be much to be improved upon, and much that has been left out or needs working on, it is a remarkable production and one of the most accurate ones out there in my amateur opinion.
I don’t want to go on too long. By watching it you will learn much about what this message is all about. It is actually nothing new. Only a renewal of messages before and a pointing toward a deeper examination of the meaning of existence, where we came from and where we are going. I learned about the importance of integrity, of being ‘upright watching it, and it reminded me of the hadith;
There is an important hadith (narration). A sound and authentic narration in which when the prophet was asked to say something only he could understand about Islam he said the below
On the authority of Abu ’Amr — and he is also called Abu ’Amrah — Sufyan bin Abdullah ath- Thaqafee(ra) who said:
I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, tell me something about al-Islam which I can ask of no one but you.‘He (peace and blessing of God be upon him) said,
Say I believe in Allah — and then be Steadfast (the arabic word is Mustaqim, translated as being upright, righteous, a person of integrity and sound morality and patient etc.)[Bukhari]
I wonder why we Muslims complicate things so much. We are so worried about the external we have forgotten all about what this way of life is meant to teach and refine. It is meant to build character, keep us honest, people of truthfulness (yes, even if to our own detriment as the famous verse in the Quran enjoins) and self-awareness, people of joy and balance. All our ibadaath (acts of worship) are meant to train the soul, but we mask our soul from ourselves in all the clutter and noise. We cannot hear the voice of God, we are too busy trying to find the best way to listen! So watching this series was educational, for it reminded what it was all about, just being true to what one believes in, standing up for justice and for peace. For my non-Muslim brothers and sisters who stumble upon here or visit, I think it will be educational as well, for at least it will help to dispel all this nonsense myths circulating about Islam and Muslims (and by no means am I denying the Muslim nation has its share of rotten apples, as do all groups of people, but indeed the disgusting ones among the Muslims or so called Muslims do seem particularly evil. To clarify, those comments are as my mind goes to the Taliban when writing this, so no one misunderstands me. What is interesting is this same type so called ‘muslims’ existed even in the time of Ali, the great caliph! Some day I must blog about that episode. Human history has much to teach indeed).
To end, Muslims have given Umar the title of ‘Farook’ roughly meaning the one able to rightly judge, the one upon a true criterion. He was a strict and strong man. A lover of poetry. There is much to learn from his amazing life.
Enjoy the series. In keeping with Muslim etiquette, no image or voice from the prophet or his closest family is shown.
And to my Muslim brothers and sisters, Eid-ul-Adha Mubarak!
And to all, I leave you with the farewell of peace
Assalamu alaikum
BTW to watch the entire series, just youtube ‘MBC1 Omarseries English Subtitles’
Faith equals no despair and eternal hope
Assalamu alaikum warahmatullah (peace be unto you and the mercy and cherishing protection of God)
All thanks and praise be to God for the beautiful spring days that have unfolded these past days and for the blessing of life in health and security through them. Praise and thanks to God for the knowledge gained and the gift of the Messengers, peace be upon them all. For the beauty in Creation and resonance in this soul of mine that can recognize beauty. Truly, there is profound depth in this integral Muslim belief; ‘God is beautiful and God loves beauty’. They say we find faces that are symetrical more beautiful, and symetry is a manifestation of equation, the balanced formula, a highlight of mathematics. Mathematics, that language of truth, able to explain what the mind cannot concieve…the vehicle to know God. Truly, God is beautiful and God loves beauty. I am therefore a grateful slave, a wellspring of joy welling up inside me, recognizing this timeless beauty in all that is around. The mathematics of form and shape and dimension that abounds in the flowering trees, the growing grass, the towering mountains, the flowing water, the bright moon and star light that just now journeyed to my eye..and it began it’s travel eons ago. Subhhana wa ta’ala (Glory be to God the most High!!)
But I began this post wanting to share a beautiful talk by Sheikh Abdul Hakim Murad, or as he is also known, Tim Winter. A great luminary among modern day scholars of Islam and a lecturer at Cambridge. You can listen to a BBC inteview with him here (it is part one of a two part series, the second part is here). He must have given this talk some time ago…however it is still very topical, dealing with the condition of Muslims today, it puts things in to perspective and helps alleviate the despair and sadness that many Muslims can easily feel overwhelmed by, contemplating the state of the Muslim ‘ummah’ (a word commonly used among Muslims, meaning ‘Nation’ as the Native Americans use the word ‘Nation’, rather than the more modern Western rendering of that beautiful term). So here is sharing it and I hope you benefit by it inshaAllah. I also wanted to share it with those not too familiar with the Muslim faith or nation, as embedded in the talk, are some very insightful aspects of the Muslim faith and worldview that I hope are educational.
God bless all who stumble across here or visit. Please keep me in your prayers and may Allah bless all our deeds with good and protect us from that which is harmful to us and that which we may cause others harm by.
Peace be upon you all!
‘A kind word is a charity’ – Prophet Muhammed (peace and salutations of God upon him)
Peace be with you all,
I came across this beautiful short talk by Habib Al-Jifri, a great scholar and one of very noble birth, both his parents are descendents of Ali (Allah be pleased with him), the prophet’s couzin. You can read more of his bio here and I have copy-pasted an excerpt from that site below. This talk and the manner in which it is delivered is a beautiful light and a reminder of what a mercy to mankind we were given in our beloved prophet Muhammed. May you benefit from it as I did and may we all come to know more about and love this great man, this light to the worlds.
Bio excerpt of Habib Ali Al-Jifri- ‘He began taking knowledge from his early childhood from his first teacher, his mother’s great-aunt the scholar and knower of God Safiah daughter of Alawi son of Hassan al-Jifri, she had an immense influence on him and the direction he took in the pursuit of knowledge and spirituality.
As a continuation of the authentic methodology of receiving Sacred Knowledge, and wayfaring on the spiritual path, through an unbroken chain of masters, all the way back to the Messenger of God may God Bless him & his family and give them peace, a methodology the preservation and maintenance of which, the valley of Hadramaut and the city of Tarim are renowned, this work was continued in the intellectual Milieu of the Hejaz which became a meeting point for the Scholars of the School of Hadramaut when they were exiled from the South of Yemen during Communist Rule; he received his education in the Sacred Sciences and the Science of Spiritual Wayfaring at the hands of Scholars and Spiritual Educators’
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