The candle of Knowledge

Knowledge is like a candle

that burns so bright.

It eliminates darkness

and guides towards the light.

One to Ten Letters

The most selfish one-letter word "I" .... Avoid it!
The most satisfying two-letter word "WE" .... Use it!
The most poisonous three-letter word "EGO" .... Kill it!
The most used four-letter word "LOVE IT" .... Value it!
The most pleasing five-letter word "SMILE" .... Keep it!
The fastest spreading six-letter word "RUMOUR" .... Ignore it!
The hardest working seven-letter word "SUCCESS" .... Achieve it!
The most enviable eight letter word "JEALOUSY" .... Distance it!
The most powerful nine-letter word "KNOWLEDGE" .... Acquire it!
The most essential ten-letter word "CONFIDENCE" .... Trust it!
Taken from Riyadul Jannah Magazine volume 15 Issue/10/11 2006

Three friends

Knowledge, wealth and honour were friends.
One day the time of their separation had come. 
Knowledge said,"I can be found in places of learning."
Wealth said, "You can look for me in the palaces of the rich and the rulers."
Honour however kept quiet. Knowledge and Wealth wanted know why Honour remained silent. Honour heaved a sigh and said, "Once I part form someone there is no way to get me back."
Taken from Scattered Pearls(pg 134)

مسلمان

م  موت کو یاد کرنے والا

س  سلام میں پہل کرنے والا

ل  لا یعنی باتوں سے بچنے والا

م  مؤمن, یعنی ایمان پر چلنے والا

ا  الله کی وفا کو جاننے والا

 ن  نبی کی اتباع کرنے والا

Remedy

Sinning is the disease

Repentance is the medicine

Abstaining is the cure

When silence is golden...

Imām al-Shāfi'ī in Diwān al-Shāfi'ī :

When silence is golden

If a fool speaks to you than don’t respond
For silence for him is a response best
If you speak to him you relieve his burden
And if ignored he dies of constricted chest

Molana Hussain Ahmad Madni's poetry

Molana Hussain Ahmad Madni  famously read the following couplets when he presented himself at the blessed resting place of our Prophet Muhammad ...

چمکتا رہے تیرے روضے کا منطر
 سلامت رہے تیرے روضے کی جالی

ہم کو بھی عطا ہو شوقِ ابوذر
 ہم کو بھی عطا ہو جذبہ بلالی

'Chamakta rehe tere rozey ka manzar....Salaamat reher tere rozey ki jaali

hum ko bhi atta ho woh showk-e-abu zar...hum ko bi atta ho jazba e billali'

May the sight of your resting place shineth infinitely
May the grill of your resting place stay infinitely
May we be blessed with the zeal of Abu Dhar too,
May we be blessed with the ferver of Bilaal too.

                                    

وأحسن منك لم تر قط عيني

وأحسن منك لم تر قط عيني 
وأجمل منك لم تلد النساء
خلقت مبرا من كل عيب
 كأنك قد خلقت كما تشاء
Wa a7sanu minka lam taraqatu 3ayni
Wa ajmalu minka lam talidin nisaa
Khuliqta mubarr'am min kulli 3aybin
Ka'annaka qad khuliqta kamaa tashaa

My eyes have not seen more beautiful person than you
No women has given birth to a more handsome person than you
You have been created without any weakness and blemish
As if you have been created as you wished to be created

حسان بن ثابت  Hassan bin Thabit

Jalsa part 2

Continuing from part 1
Peer sahib Moulana Talhah Khandalwi  was briefly intoduced:
Moulana Sahib is the son of Shaykh Moulana Muhammad Zakariyah  , the founder of the Madrassah I attended .


Moulana Sahib attained the title of 'Peer Sahib' at a very young age. The story behind it is one of awe and humour.

All young children spend parts of their childhood playing. Moulana Talhah was no different. Most children know-a-days play 'princess', spend time on the internet or gaming on their psp, however the play of Moulana Talhah was a unique play. A type of game one rarely sees or hears children playing.
Young Moulana Talhah played the shaykh/peer sahib and his circle of friends played the mureeds. They all playfully took bay'at at the hands of young Moulana Talhah.
Whilst all this was going on Moulana Hussain Ahmad Madni , came to visit Moulana Zakariyyah, and he saw the children happily playing. Moulana joined in with the children and took bay'at at the hands of Young Moulana Talhah. After this Moulana Hussain Madni would call Moulana Talhah peer sahib.
Moulana Hussain Madni was very committed to this title to such an extent that at dinner times, if Moulana Talhah was not present, Moulana Hussain Madni would say 'where is peer sahib?' Moulana Hussain Madni would not eat unless his little peer sahib would start first. And hence Moulana Talhah was known by the name 'peer sahib'.

I was very touched after hearing this story.
We seldom hear of adults joining in with children and taking children seriously...

As mentioned in the previous post, Moulana arrived approx 15 minutes after Moulana Sayfur Rehman.
Moulana Talhah gave a short speech on how we females must learn and acquire as many new skills as possible, be it cooking, sewing, cleaning, etc
By accumulating these skills one's value will increase.It will help you to be occupied and not leave you idle.
Which reminds me of the saying, "An idle mind is a devils work shop"
Moulana did dua and then left.

All in all, this event was refreshing for the heart and an excellent reminder. We females spend time most of hour time at home cooking, cleaning and other household chores. Of course, we may pray Salah and pray qur'aan but in my humble opinion we always need to listen to a  talk or two to remind us and guide us.

Jalsah part 1

Yesterday, Allah granted me the opportunity to attend the Khatme Bukhari Jalsa of Madrasatul Imam Muhammad Zakariyyah . Spiritually, the event  was refreshing and rejuvenating. 

The Jalsa had many thought provoking speeches covering a wide range of topics; 'the reason for man's creation', 'death', 'taqleed', 'poor people' etc. The harmonious nasheeds contained wisdom-filled words, reminders and not to to forget they were very pleasant to the ears. 

, the attendees where great in number, such that a second hall had to be opened to accommodate the great numbers of sisters.

The 18 graduates had prepared well and presented themselves with confidence and full commitment. 

This is not all, but the pinnacle of the event was the arrival of two respected persons; Moulana Sayfur rahman  and Peer sahib Molana Talha Khandalwi .

Before the arrival of the Shaykhaan, an Aapa (teacher) gave a brief introduction.

 Moulana Sayfur rahman  is the Shaykul Hadith of Madrasah Saulatiyyah (Makkah) and has been for the last 40 yrs. Prior to teaching in Makkah, under the order of Shaykh Moulana Muhammad Zakariyyah , Moulana taught in  Darul Uloom Al-Arabiyyah Al-Islamiyyah (Bury) for 2 years. 

Moulana arrived and completed the Bukhari for the graduates, with a brief commentary on the final hadith.

 حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ فُضَيْلٍ ، حَدَّثَنَا عُمَارَةُ بْنُ الْقَعْقَاعِ ، عَنْ أَبِي زُرْعَةَ ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ، قَالَ : قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ :  كَلِمَتَانِ خَفِيفَتَانِ عَلَى اللِّسَانِ ، ثَقِيلَتَانِ فِي الْمِيزَانِ ، حَبِيبَتَانِ إِلَى الرَّحْمَنِ : سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ وَبِحَمْدِهِ ، سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ الْعَظِيمِ 

Narrated Abu Huraira:

The Prophet said, "(There are) two words which are dear to the Beneficent (Allah) and very light (easy) for the tongue (to say), but very heavy in weight in the balance. They are: 'Subhan Allah wa-bi hamdihi' and 'Subhan Allah Al-'Azim."[Sahih Bukhari]

 In the commentary he mentioned regarding the name of Allah,الرَّحْمَنِ.  That this name is a very special name of Allah. If Allah did not posses this name, الرَّحْمَنِ, then he would not even give the disbelievers a drop of water to drink. SubhanAllah! 

Moulana recited the 99 names of Allah mentioned in a hadith, he did dua and then left. 

Approximately 15 minutes later Moulana Talhah arrived. 

This post is getting a bit lengthy so i shall continue in the next post. 

Part 2

Allah

 I tried to find Him on the Christian cross, but He
was not there; I went to the Temple of the
Hindus and to the old pagodas, but I could not
find a trace of Him anywhere.

I searched on the mountains and in the valleys
but neither in the heights nor in the depths was I
able to find Him. I went to the Ka'bah in Mecca,
but He was not there either.

I questioned the scholars and philosophers but
He was beyond their understanding.

I then looked into my heart and it was there
where He dwelled that I saw Him; He was
nowhere else to be found.

 Jalauddin Rumi 

Advance notice!

Shaykh Mufti Taqee Uthmani damat barakatuhum relates from his father Shaykh Mufti Muhammad Shafee  

'Once a person met Malakul Maut (the Angel of Death) and complained, 

"You behave very differently! Whenever anybody is summoned by a worldly authority, some form of notice is always served. This allows one to prepare for the meeting.However, your behaviour is very strange, whenever you wish, without any prior notification, you arrive to capture the ruh(soul)...what kind of behaviour is this?"

Malakul Maut replied,

"O brother, I forward so many notices that nobody in dunya (world) sends such a large number...But what to do?You pay no heed to my notices! Whenever you suffer some illness, this is one of my notices! When your hair begin to turn grey, this is one of my notices! When your grandchildren are born, this is one of my notices! I send so many notices, yet you fail to take lesson."'

My Greatest Need is You

Your hope in my heart is the rarest treasure
Your Name on my tongue is the sweetest word
My choicest hours
Are the hours I spend with You --
O Allah, I can't live in this world
Without remembering You--
How can I endure the next world
Without seeing Your face?
I am a stranger in Your country
And lonely among Your worshippers:
This is the substance of my complaint.

Rabi'ah al Adawiyya

Wisdom of Allah

Shaykh Ashraf Ali Thanwi (RA) relates,

In a certain country, two people were on their deathbeds: one a Muslim, the other a non-muslim. The desire arose in the non-muslim's heart to eat fish...and despit having a pond in his garden; there were no fish present. A thought also arose in the Muslim's heart...to eat fresh ripe olives that were hanging upon a tree in his garden.

Allah commanded one of his angels,"In so-and-so town, a non-muslim is about to die and his heart desires to eat fish.Go and place a fish in his pond so that his wish is fulfilled."
To another angel, He commanded,
"In so-and-so town a Muslim is about to die and his heart desires to eat ripe olives which are in his garden. Go and destroy these olives thereby preventing fulfillment of his wish."

Accordingly, both angels enacted their respected missions. Upon returning, they began to question each other's task; puzzled they began to fathom a reason. Unable to understand they asked Allah,
"O Allah! Whilst we have carried out Your Command, we fail to comprehend why a Muslim, who obeys Your ahkams (laws and rulings) and who had olives in his ownership was deprived from eating them? Moreover, the non-muslim, who disobeys and disbelieves in You and who did not even have a fish, his wish was fulfilled, why?"


Allah replied,
"You are unaware of the Hikmat (Wisdom) behind Our Commands, the reality is Our aatitude towards the kuffar and Muslims is very different. Since the kuffar(non-muslims) too perform good deeds in this world, for example, they give Sadaqah (charity) to some needy cause, but, because these amals(actions) are not acceptable to Us in the Akhirah (Hereafter), therefore we reward them fully in the dunya. Now when he appears before Us in the Akhirah, any good deeds will already have been rewarded; We will own him nothing. Our behaviour towards the Muslims is different. We desire that any penalisation for sins he had committed takes place in the Dunya (World); thereby when he arrives to meet Us, he is pure and clean from sins!
Accordingly, whatever good this kafir had performed, We had rewarded him in the Dunya... except for one deed. Now, he was about to return to us, and when this desire arose in his heart to eat fish, We decided to fulfill his wish thereby settling his 'account'. With regards to the Muslim, during the time of his illness all his sins were forgiven...except one! Had he left the Dunya in this state, that one sin would have remained in his Book of Deeds. This is why We decided to destroy his olives and place a sorrow upon his heart by preventing him from eating...thus forgiving him his sin. He now returns to us pure and clean!"

None from the creation is able to fully understand the Hikmat (Wisdom) of Allah, our small finite intellect is unable to comprehend reasons behind the modus operandi(mode of operating) of this universe.
Taken from: Ashraf's advice upon death

The noor of Taqwa

Hadhrat Sittul Mulook (rahmatullahi alayha) was a famous Waliah (a saintly lady) who lived in Arabia. During her time, all the Auliyaa and Ulama would greatly honour her. Once she was in Baitil Maqdis. At that time there was a buzrug by the name of Ali Bin Albas Yamaani (rahmatullahi alayh). He narrates:

“I was inside the Musjid when I saw a slender pillar of noor extending from the dome of the Musjid right into the heaven. I went to investigate.”

When he came within the vicinity, he saw that under the dome, Hadhrat Sittul Mulook (rahmatullahi alayha) was engrossed in Salaat and the pillar of noor was emanating from her.

Hadhrat Hakimul Ummat Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi (rahmatullahi alayh) commented: “This pillar of noor was the noor of Taqwa which is in the hearts of all Muttaqeen. Sometimes Allah Ta`ala makes it manifest to show others. But the actual abode of this noor is the heart. Be firm in righteousness and abstain from transgression.”

Taken from Orchards of love

Iman (faith) in the unseen- Bahlool and Harun Rashid‏

This is from one of my favourite stories.

Let the days...

Let the Days 
Let the days do as they please
And be optimistic when destiny decrees
Do not despair due to the events of nights past
For the events of this world were not meant to last

And be a man who, in the face of fear is strong
With loyalty and forbearance adorned
And if your mistakes are many amongst the folk
And you wish to have for those mistakes a cloak

Then conceal them with generosity as hence
Every fault is covered as –is said- by benevolence
And do not show weakness to an enemy
For dispersion of foes is a calamity

Generosity cannot be hoped from the miserly
For no water exists in the Fire for the thirsty
And your rizq will not decrease though late it may arrive
And it will not increase though one may slave and strive

No sadness lasts forever, nor any felicity
Nor any state of poverty or one of luxury
If you are the owner of a heart that is content
Then you and the owner of the world are equivalent

And for him upon whose horizon death descends,
No earth can offer him protection, nor any sky defend
The earth of Allah is certainly vast and infinite
But if decree descends, then all the sky constricts

Let the days betray every once in a while
For there is no medicine that will protect from death

Poem by Imam Shafi (rahmatullahi alayhi) 

The reality of life...

Once the Prophet Muhammad sketched a diagram to illustrate the reality of this worldly existence: 





Thereafter, the Prophet(SAW) explained, 
"The middle line is man; the four surrounding lines (the square) is death which encapsulates him and from which there is no escape; the protruding line is his hopes which extend far beyond his life. The small cross-lines on both sides are illnesses and events which transpire around him. Each short line is a trial...should he escape from one; another awaits...moreover, death surrounds him from all four sides, however his hopes (the protruding line) still extend far beyond death!" 


(Bukhari Book 76, Number 426) 
(p393, Fadha'il Sadaqat)
Extracted from Ashraf's advice upon Death

Poem on Jannah

Close your eyes and imagine this
Eternal bliss,
your every wish,
at your finger tips
and more...

Perched on a throne, near a stream
So serene, and exquisite a scene
You've never seen
Yet you still dream
of more...

Gone is pain, gone is fear
Gone is grief, gone are tears
Idle speech you shall never hear
And the Prophets make up your social sphere
and more...

The martyrs, righteous and truthful too
You are from them, and they from you
They held tightly to what they knew was true
and To join them, you did too
theres more...

Maidens, chaste, who restrain their gaze
Lost in a glance for days and days
Fun and frolic, as a child plays
Where the breath that leaves your lips is praise
of the One who gave you more

Imagine you and your father, with ages the same
Imagine showing off your book with no shame
Imagine nights with the sahabah, with their stories to entertain
Imagine Muhammad (Sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) knowing your name
What could be there more..

Gardens underneath which rivers flow
A goal so far, and yet so close
A journey worth taking, for those who know
Tell me Do you not wish to go..
for more?

For all the bounties, all the grace
All the sights and the smells and the tastes
Will be forgotten, without a trace
as if frozen in time and space
When you see His Face

What an excellent Master, of a miserable slave
You forgot and He forgave
He gave you guidance, and you still strayed
You asked for mercy, that He gave
and more...and more..and more

This poem was written by Ammar Alshukry and produced by Belal Khan in the form of Kinetic Typography.

This poem was originally inspired by this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bL2uRLsEud8

To enter me into Paradise ... ان تدخلني ربي الجنة

An arabic nasheed which i absolutely fell in love with.         

The nasheed is a dua (supplication) for Jannah (paradise).

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ان تدخلني ربي الجنة ... هذا اقصى ما اتمنا
وتَهبني الدرجات العُليا ... يا ذا المِنة يا رب 
To enter me into Paradise my Lord ... This is my greatest wish 
And to grant me the highest level ... Oh Kind-One, Oh Lord 


لا حول ولا قوة الا... بِكَ يا ذا القُوة يا اعلى 
فأعن واصرف عني الجهل ... يا ذا المِنة يا رب There's no power and might ... except with you, Oh Powerful-One, Oh Great-One 
So aid me and keep me away from ignorance ... Oh Kind-One, Oh Lord 


ان تدخلني ربي الجنة ... هذا اقصى ما اتمنا
وتَهبني الدرجات العُليا ... يا ذا المِنة يا رب To enter me into Paradise my Lord ... This is my greatest wish 
And to grant me the highest level ... Oh Kind-One, Oh Lord 


وإذا مِت إلهي اجعل لي ... في قبري نورا واغفر لي 
واحشُرني مع خَيْرَ الرٌسلِ ... يا ذا المِنة يا رب And when I die my Lord please give me ... noor in my grave and forgive me 
And unite me with the best of the Messengers ... Oh Kind-One, Oh Lord 


ان تدخلني ربي الجنة ... هذا اقصى ما اتمنا 
وتَهبني الدرجات العُليا ... يا ذا المِنة يا رب To enter me into Paradise my Lord ... This is my greatest wish 
And to grant me the highest level ... Oh Kind-One, Oh Lord 


يا لا هنائي حين أُلاقي ... في الجَنْةِ صحبي ورفاقي 
فرحين بنعم الخلاقي ... يا ذا المِنة يا رب Oh how happy will I be when I meet ... in heaven, my friends and my companions 
Satisfied and happy with my Creators blessings ... Oh Kind-One, Oh Lord 


ان تدخلني ربي الجنة ...هذا أقصى ما اتمنا 
وتَهبني الدرجات العُليا ... يا ذا المِنة يا رب To enter me into Paradise my Lord ... This is my greatest wish 
And to grant me the highest level ... Oh Kind-One, Oh Lord 


يا مولايا انا مُنَايَا ... توفيقك في كل خُطايا 
ثبت لي رشدا و هدايا ... يا ذا المِنة يا رب Oh my Lord all my hopes are that you ... help me with all my sins 
Keep me steadfast on the right path ... Oh Kind-One, Oh Lord 

ان تدخلني ربي الجنة ... هذا اقصى ما اتمنا 
وتَهبني الدرجات العُليا ... يا ذا المِنة يا رب 
To enter me into Paradise my Lord ... This is my greatest wish 
And to grant me the highest level ... Oh Kind-One, Oh Lord
May Allah make us die as muslims.May Allah grant us direct entry into Paradise. aameen