Respected Readers,

Allah has blessed us by allowing us to witness the days we are in now.  It is sufficient to say that Allah has taken an oath by the coming nights in the Qur’an.  The Prophet (Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wa Sallam) indicated that each night equates to Laylat-ul-Qadr in reward.

Time is of the essence.  Our mashaaikh said, “O man!  You are nothing but a few days.”  Those people that Allah has invited to His Blessed House have left or are leaving.  Those of us who are less fortunate can at least reap the reward of these nights and resemble the people gone for Hajj.

Many articles by great scholars have been written regarding the meritorious nature of these nights.  I do not wish to make this into some academic or scholastic work.  I simply want to put a simple message forward.

My Beloved Allah has sworn by these nights.  That tells me that these nights are beloved to Allah.  Anything beloved to my Beloved should also be beloved to me.  It also shows me that Allah values these nights.  So anything that Allah values, I should also value it.

Us humans are opportunists and intelligent when it comes to the world and its affairs. Unfortunately, when it comes to matters pertaining to our hereafter, we become fools.  It is high time we wise up, wake up, and come to the banquet of reward that Allah has planned out for us in the following nine days and nights.

I pray to Allah that He grant us all the ability to benefit abundantly from these days and nights.  I pray that He allows us to not only reap much reward but also to safeguard whatever we acquire, and ultimately make us from His accepted and righteous servants.

Aameen!

by Arif Billah, Hazrat Mawlana Shah Hakim Muhammad Akhtar Saheb (damat barakatuhum)

Hazrat (damat barakatuhum) says, “The question often arises: does one attain true satisfaction and contentment by fulfilling the demands of one’s base desires?

Hazrat Hakimul Ummah Thanwi (rahimahullah) says in answer to this, ‘If a person casts lustful glances at all the beautiful women of the world except for one. And then someone was to tell him whether he wants to see that one also, then he would definitely say yes.’

From this is it is understood that the example of trying to acquire fulfillment through committing sins is like hoping to extinguish a fire by adding more fuel to it.

And the example of hoping to gain satisfaction through committing sins is like the hope of trying to gain purity by washing away feces with urine.

Likewise, by closely observing the lives of people who worship their lust and are addicted to casting evil glances, one will discover a life of worries, depression, dissatisfaction and sleepless nights.

On the other hand, those people who are occupied with the remembrance of Allah Ta`ala and accompany the Ahlullah, their lives are filled with peace of mind, contentment of heart and comfort.

Through the blessings of Allah’s remembrance, a person actually enters the “lap” of Allah’s mercy.  Allah Ta`ala takes the people of His remembrance into the loving embrace of His mercy.

Hazrat Hakimul-Ummah Thanwi (rahimahullah) says, ‘By continuously being involved in a tug of war with the lower self by fighting the temptations of the nafs, one actually attains more of a closeness to Allah Ta`ala, even though apparently the heart may become restless and disturbed by this.

On the other hand, by committing sin and falling into the trap of temptation, the temporary enjoyment and short-term satisfaction wherein the nafs finds gratification is actually the moment wherein the wrath of Allah Ta`ala descends.

[In other words, when a person fulfills his impermissible, base desires for the sake of coming out of the restlessness and inner agitation to gain “peace of mind”, this state is actually a cursed state, even though one may feel satisfied. This is because of the fact that this “satisfaction” has been acquired by Allah’s disobedience.]

And the continuous feeling of restlessness and non-fulfillment of desires was through taqwa and fear of Allah. [Therefore this will become a means of closeness to Allah and elevation of one’s ranks.]

A short while after committing the sin, that temporary satisfaction one was feeling will also be snatched away. After this stage, such an intense desire for sin will overtake the person that was never experienced previously.

This is because the nafs has now become strengthened by having received its vile sustenance of sin and the spirituality has become weakened. Now the onslaught of nafsani desires and temptations will be doubled.”

May Allah Ta`ala bestow us the ability to please Him and to abstain from those things which invite His displeasure. Ameen

(Kashkol-e-Ma`rifat; 367-68)

Just today I was informed that the grandmother of my friends, Mawlana Abdul Wahab Sahib (DB), Mufti Nawaz Sahib (DB), and Mawlana Abdul Rashid Sahib (DB) has passed away.  Innaa Lillaahi Wa Innaa Ilayhi Raaji’oon.

To all those that have ta’alluq with our silsilah, I advise each of us, myself included to make Isaal-uth-Thawab for her and make dua’ for her.  Preferably by Reciting Salawat, then Surah Fatihah, then Surah Ikhlaas three times, then Salawat again.  Then pray to Allah and ask Allah to grant her the reward of this and to make her grave a garden of paradise.

To those who read the blog, I request you all to do the same.

For those who are wondering who these people are, Mufti Nawaz Sahib (DB) is a khalifah of Hazrat Mawlana Fazlur Rahman Sahib (DB), the Shaykh-ul-Hadith of Darul Uloom Azaadville, South Africa.  These are scholars of our silsilah and for me, their grandmother is my own grandmother.

We also pray to Allah that He grants the family sabr jameel.  Aameen.

“It is a clear proof that those who have not achieved reformation despite being in the company of the Ahlullah have not fought off the urges of their nafs and continue to sin in secrecy.”  – Hazratwala (DB)

Asking questions to the speaker after a lecture has become an expected routine. This practice is encouraged without any discretion.  Islamically, there is a lot to be learned in this matter. I would like to remind readers to ponder over some important points before they pose their questions.

Firstly, how well do you know this speaker, and what is their area of expertise? Can you trust them with your Deen? Have they been invited to this gathering because they speak well or are a good fundraiser, or, a true scholar of Deen who has studied the Qur’an, Hadeeth, Fiqh, and science of Usool under the supervision of learned scholars? Imam Ibn-Sireen, advising us about whom we ask and learn from, has a narration collected by Imam Tirmidhi in his Shamaa’il, “This Deen is a very important matter so be cautious as to whom you take it (religious knowledge) from.” (Shamaa’il of Imam Tirmizi)

Of course, this is not to say that speakers or fundraisers should not be invited. Certainly they have their place; however, Islamic questions should be reserved for the experts of Deen, the ‘Ulamaa.

Secondly, what is the purpose behind asking him the question? Is it only to test the speaker’s knowledge and try to challenge or confuse them, or is it to see how liberal or conservative they are? Sometimes, questions are asked only to demonstrate the incompetence of this speaker and that they do not deserve to be re-invited.

Lastly, some people ask questions only in hopes of getting an answer that is appealing to them or one that they feel is correct. Then the “great and very learned scholar” will be the one who gives the answers we like to hear. The same questions are repeatedly asked until someone is found who (out of ignorance or just to please us) gives us our desired answer. In other words, it’s shopping for what we want and not what is in the Qur’an and hadeeth.

During the time of Rasulullah (saw), the Jews would often send people to Rasulullah (saw) to ask questions about Islam. They would train them to ask particular questions and would say to them, “If that Prophet responds to your question in this manner, then say we follow him in that. And if he says otherwise, then tell him that we don’t want to follow what you say.” And so, these predisposed insincere seekers would frequently bombard Rasulullah (saw) with questions. We should all carefully ponder the following verse (regarding these incidents) in which Allah (swt) sternly reprimands them,  “They say “if you are given this, take it, but if you are not given this, then beware!” and whoever Allah (swt) wants to put in Fitnah (error); you can do nothing for him. They are the ones whose hearts Allah (swt) does not want to purify; and for them there is a disgrace in this world and in Hereafter a great torment.” (5:41)

We pray that Allah grant us the ability to remain sincere in our quest for knowledge.  Aameen.