Yearning For Allah

If you'er new to this blog cheak out my new one.... I've been there for over a year! http://yearningforallah.wordpress.com/

Keep on movin' movin'! - click on me!

DODin'!

Assalamu alaykum

.

Alhamdulilah I had an Al Kauthar charged day over the weekend! Wow what a week its been!

.

Mashallah we had a brilliant Al Kauthar day! House packed, sisters fired up, knowledge flowing, we were all in gear for a day of Al Kauthar experience! Inviting some old Al Kauthar students and bringing them to meet other sisters who haven't been to the course (yet!) was a brilliant way to get personal experience from sisters together and to get them to give their own personal twist to what they found most beneficial. Not to mention the side issue of chocolate fountain and food galore, that went down well (but no mango lassi! :( ) Mashallah I cant wait to have another one!

.

It left everyone on a knowledge high!

.

During the DOD course we went through 7 hadith in great detail, some of the topics that the hadith touch upon are simply amazing, we went through Intentions, Hadith Jibraeel alahisalam (levels of Islam, Emaan and Ehsaan), deviant groups, signs of the hour, applications of fiqh, Pillars of Islam, 7 conditions of Shahada, Pillars of Emaan, importance of Salah, predestination and its pillars, example of the pious and impious predecessors, Bidah, and public speaking. Subhnallah it was one weekend which change all our lives.

.

In the Al Kauthar day we had sisters talking about what they benefited most from. The sister who started, Mashallah a great sister from Revert2Reality. She began with what she wanted out of the weekend seminar, she didn't just want a temporary emaan bosst which normally occurs after a small talk or lecture, sh wanted something that would change her life forever. By the grace and mercy of Allah that is exactly what happened, we all were affected. She continued to talk about what affected her the most, Qadr.

.

The fourth hadith we covered was and still is the most important hadith, one of which holds dear to the one who is truthful.

.

Abu 'Abd al-Rahman 'Abdullah bin Mas'ud, radiyallahu 'anhu, reported: The Messenger of Allah, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, the most truthful, the most trusted, told us:

.

"Verily the creation of any one of you takes place when he is assembled in his mother's womb; for forty days he is as a drop of fluid, then it becomes a clot for a similar period. Thereafter, it is a lump looking like it has been chewed for a similar period. Then an angel is sent to him, who breathes the ruh (spirit) into him. This Angel is commanded to write Four decrees: that he writes down his provision (rizq), his life span, his deeds, and whether he will be among the wretched or the blessed.

.

I swear by Allah - there is no God but He - one of you may perform the deeds of the people of Paradise till there is naught but an arm's length between him and it, when that which has been written will outstrip him so that he performs the deeds of the people of the Hell Fire; one of you may perform the deeds of the people of the Hell Fire, till there is naught but an arm's length between him and it, when that which has been written will overtake him so that he performs the deeds of the people of Paradise and enters therein."

.

[Al-Bukhari & Muslim]

.

The last part of the hadith explains when Qadr overtakes a person, no matter what. There are reminders for us all here, that none of us has a guarantee, we have no guarantee, no one amongst us is guaranteed. Do you know if you are headed for Jannah or Jahanum? This is something we should contemplate upon daily, hourly, something which should be on our minds constantly, we are not guaranteed! Allah has said in the Quran, that some of us are headed for the fire! In one narration when Umar Radiatalaunhu heard this hadith he actually fainted, what impact this one hadith has, see its importance.

.

Sufyan at Thawri said: Has the knowledge of Allah about you ever made you cry?

.

Think about that for a moment, Allah has knowledge over everything, He knows you, He knows your actions, They is closer to you then your jugular vein! In this big wide world, we are but a speck but we are an important speck (as the beautiful sister said in her reminder) although we are a small speck upon this Earth our importance is shown in the mere fact that Allah has knowledge about us, He knows where we came fro0m, what we are doing what we have done and most importantly where we are headed!

.

Has the fact that Allah already knows if we r headed for Jannah or jahanum, has that fact ever made you cry, the uncertainly of it?

.

The question about the future, something we should constantly ask ourselves, which group are we from, the group for Paradise or the group for Hell!

.

The hadiths are the sources of our iman (faith), knowledge, and guidance as we are taught by the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam. Studying and understanding the Hadiths will activate our insight (basirah), enlighten our hearts, and uplift our souls. This will by the help of Allah, lead us and keep us on the right path to the end, inshaAllah.

.

Subhnallah what a course, Al Kauthar truly does enrich lives through knowledge! Miss the next one at your own peril!

.

Wassalam

Route of all EVIL?

Assalamu alaykum

.

Time spent with sisters who have yet to see the full extent of the world and those who inhabit it, is often spent discussing the lack of 'pious brothers' on the other hand many boys trying to be men discuss the fact that there are no sisters out there who will be right for them. More often then not these discussions lead to belittleing and often misrepresenting those of the opposite sex.

.

Now of course I am limited in what I can speak about due to some lack of ecperience, however what I do know is this.. people who have high expections are often in for disappointment. Now more then ever people are looking for what people can do for them rather then what they can do for others. This is a symptoms that as indiviuals we are guilty of in our own communities, its appling and disheartening. Somthings I have heard, Subhnalah just makes me want to scream... Women are not the route of all evil you know!!

.

I am just fed up of the critisinging and degrading that happend on more often daily and more frequenty then i would have hoped.

.

We, both Men and Women are equal in the sight of Allah, we are slaves just like each other, we have emotions, we have an intellect a voice a mind, we have strengths and weaknesses, we are human, we are not the route of all evil, if this was true, well then so are men because women were created from the rib of a man.

.

We are just so demanding! Men and women both are always striving to get what they need, in reality it is usually something that we want! The most prominate example of this is I need to get married or I need a husband with this that and the other, usually giving a hundred and one vital qualities. In reality our egos trick us to think that we need many things that the nafs wants. Expecting the best is natuaral (I use the term very lightly), who wants to settle for anything less, but think about the pressures that we see facing ourselves as women, as muslims, as daugters and as wives. We are very quick to say that "oh but why are others being picky" and "why cant they just see that we are human". Well then, wouldnt that apply to others, and not just ourselves. Do not let our nafs delude us in anyway. We want, we are demanding in things that we can and should not be dewling too much on.

.

When we falls into the traps of our nafs we undermine the respect of Allah's commandments and submission. We must humble ourselves infront of our Rabb. In salah we humble that most high part of our body, and we humble it to the heart, in sajood it becomes the highest part. We remember Allah using the heart, limbs, and tongue in total devotion. If we turn our hearts and tongue to Allah, Allah will turn to us and lift the veil bewteen man and his Rabb in order for us to converse with The Creator the Most High.

.

“Pay attention to Allaah and He will pay attention to you.”

.

This is the purpsose of man's creation.

.

In prayer Allah has placed the most perfect degree of servenship (al-ubudiyya) And seek help in patience and prayer [al-Baqarah 2:45]

.

The one who seeks to see the Face of Allah, Shaytaan will come to him through his desires, the ego, and make man neglegent of his worship. Shaytaan knows the part of man and plays on an individual's desires, taking the nafs wants as the primary focus. The Salaf always used to keep a little bit of hunger, why is this? So that the nafs will be preocupied with fulfilling the need of hunger, once this need is fulfilled the nafs would turn to other desires to be fulfilled, and may start wanted haram.

.

Eat and drink, but waste not by extravagance [al-A’raaf 7:31]

.

So better to keep the nafs busy with halal rather then to tempt haram.If the nafs is preocupied then the person can direct his other attention to good, for the search for knowledge, to give sadakah and in worship of Allah.

.

And take a provision (with you) for the journey, but the best provision is al-taqwa (piety, righteousness) [al-Baqarah 2:197]

.

By no means shall you attain al-birr (righteousness) until you spend (in Allaah’s cause) of that which you love [Aal ‘Imraan 3:92]

.

When the soul commands towards evil, Allah puts the soul at peace, when the sould is tempted with evil, Allah restrains man from it, when the soul restrians man from good, Allah commands us to do it.

.

And yet, I am not trying to absolve myself: for, verily, man's inner self does incite [him] to evil, and saved are only they upon whom my Sustainer bestows His grace. Behold, my Sustainer is much forgiving, a dispenser of grace!" Surah Yusuf:53

.

Ibn al-Qayyim said: “Jihaad is of four stages: jihaad al-nafs (striving against the self), jihaad al-shayaateen (striving against the shayaateen or devils), jihaad al-kuffaar (striving against the disbelievers) and jihaad al-munaafiqeen (striving against the hypocrites).

.

Jihaad al-nafs means striving to make oneself learn true guidance, and to follow it after coming to know it, calling others to it, and bearing with patience the difficulties of calling others to Allaah. Jihaad al-Shaytaan means striving against him and warding off the doubts and desires that he throws at a person, and the doubts that undermine faith, and striving against the corrupt desires that he tries to inspire in a person. Jihaad against the kuffaar and munaafiqeen is done in the heart and on the tongue, with one’s wealth and oneself. Jihaad against the kuffaar mostly takes the form of physical action, and jihaad against the munaafiqeen mostly takes the form of words… The most perfect of people are those who have completed all the stages of jihaad. People vary in their status before Allaah according to their status in jihaad.”(Zaad al-Ma’aad 3/9-12)

.

Subhnallah if i remember correctly someone described it so beutifully.... People think that they want a husband but that void in their hearts can olny be filled by Allah and in His rememberence.

.

I know so many people who are in love... and the funny thing is there is no one in their lives, in fact they are in love with being in love! It sounds sooo silly beacuse it is! Like a very knowlegdeble sisters said, we waste so much time waiting to get married, we think too much about something that has alreday been written. "The pen has lifted and the ink has dried" so why make yourself crazy about what will happen when its alreday in motion and will happen, by the will of Allah, its His Qadr.

.

We look into our desires and our base nafs so much that we forget the perpose of creation in ibadat of Allah! How can we forget The One who created us!

remember...

Woman was made from the rib of man,

She was not created from his head to top him,

Nor form his feet to be stepped upon,

She was made from his side to be close to him,

From beneath his arm to be protected by him,

Near his heart to be loved by him.

.

And Allaah knows best.

My companion

Those who have left. Those to come.

Our paths crossed once before. Yet to cross again.

By (the Token of) Time (through the ages), Verily Man is in loss, Except such as have

Faith, and do righteous deeds, and (join together) in the

mutual teaching of Truth, and of Patience and

Constancy. Those righteousness of my glory

days. Gone, but merely memories

thinking of you my dear sis.

In that cage which is

only too small to

hold your

grace.

IOG book review (short)

Assalamu alaykum,

.

This is well overdue, I did a book review for a site so I thought I'd put it up here as well, I have some notes to add to it, but I have yet to finish writting them up, so it'll be on here when it is. Inshallah

.

Summary:

.

The invocation of God is a translation of al- Wabil al sayyib. The author says, ‘ We have mentioned (in it) nearly one hundred benefits of remembrance of God (dhikr), and the secrets of remembrance. This is a book of great usefulness.’

.

Written in the fourteenth century by the renowned theologies Ibn Qayyim al Jawziyya rahiamullah, this treatise movingly details the many blessings of the remembrance of God. Through discussions of the ego, the nature of the body, the ephemerality of the world, the degrees of prayer, fasting, charity and the purification of the heart. This truly is a contribution to the Muslim’s spirituality.

.

Opinion:

I began reading this book with obvious great expectations due to whom it was written by. As with all Ibn Qayyims writings rahiamullah, the set tone and language used is eloquent and simple. Although this was translation of the book he wrote, the underlying personality of this great scholar is still vibrant and lifts the words off the page and enters your heart.

.

The actual book is divided into four parts; The Paths to Happiness; A commentary on the Hadith of al-Harith al-Ashari; The many benefits of Remembrance and The Kinds of Remembrance.

.

Part One sets the tone for the rest of the book, describing what is going to be discussed within the book, Ibn Qayyim Rahiamullah affirms the reasons why it is a must for all to be in constant remembrance of our Rabb.

.

Part two furthers this by discussing the importance of prayer, the three types of hearts and how to obtain the best of heart by cleansing the heart of tarnishes.

.

Part Three is the one that I liked the most this is because it was the part that I felt I could benefit the most and the one that I could understand the best. This part is further divided into a section that describes the various different benefits that can be obtained by the remembrance of Allah.

.

In part four the Sheikh describes the two types of remembrance. A short explanations which only lasts a couple of pages but it truly will change the view you have on the worship of Allah.

.

This book may be best studied with a student of knowledge as sme of the concepts may be hard to grasp at first, but its absoultly mind blowing once you understand it Subhnallah! If you truly wish to change the direction your heart is going towards then read the Invocation of God, by Ibn Qayyim al Jawziyya, Rahimmaullah.

Dua, to remember

Assalamu alaykum wa rahmatuallah

.

Beautiful Dua Video by Mishari Rashid Al-Efasy, taken from 21st Century Crusaders (Green 72 Media).