People Are To Be Loved...

"People are to be loved and things are to be used. The problem arises when things are loved and people are used."

Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya - PART 1

Introduction:

Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya represents in many ways the pinnacle of the Chishti Order (Silsila).

His spiritual guide, Hazrat Baba Fareed, said to him on appointing him as his successor, "Be like a big tree so that Allah's creation, the human beings in their vast multitudes, may find rest and solace under your shadow."

This partly explains why he admitted so many men into the Chishti order as his disciples. Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya sent his well-versed and caring disciples to far-flung areas of Uttar Pradesh, Rajastan, Gujarat, Bihar, and Bengal amongst other places to spread the word of truth.

With regard to the Sufi path, Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya taught the following:

“For a dervish, three things are necessary. They all begin with an 'ain' (an Arabic letter): Ishq (love), Aql (intelligence) and Ilm (knowledge).”

Let us discuss these three qualities one by one:

Love: Sufism is, in its essence, the way of love. Love is considered to be a spiritual treasure through which the baser qualities of a human being are transformed into higher ones. In this respect, it suffices to say that Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya is known as Mehboob-e-Elahi, the beloved of Allah. Of course, the spiritual status of a beloved is much higher than that of a lover.

Intelligence: Intelligence changed in the hands of Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya into wisdom. His wisdom manifested itself in the shape of service to humanity. About him it has been said: "He was not a miracle-monger of the ordinary sort. He never flew in the air or walked on water with dry and motionless feet. His greatness was the greatness of a loving heart; his miracles were the miracles of a deeply sympathetic soul. He could read a man's inner heart by a glance at his face and spoke the words that brought consolation to a tortured heart."

Knowledge: About knowledge, it can be said that Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya was one of the greatest scholars of his day. He wished to become a Qazi (Islamic judge) but gave it all up in his pursuit of inner knowledge.

After becoming a Mureed (spiritual disciple) of Hazrat Baba Fareed, he lived in extremely poor circumstances. Seeing him, a former friend expressed great surprise as he remembered Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya as one who had began a very promising career as a scholar. When Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya told all of this to Hazrat Baba Fareed, his Murshid(spiritual guide) suggested that he should recite the following couplet to his friend:

“You are not my fellow traveller.

Tread your own path

May you be affluent.

And I downtrodden.”

Then Hazrat Baba Fareed ordered him to take a tray of food from the kitchen and carry it on his head to his friend. After doing so, Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya recited the verse above which deeply moved his friend.

One day, someone told a story of a certain saint who passed away while slowly repeating the name of Allah. The eyes of Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya, who was listening to this story, filled with tears and he recited this verse:

“I have come running to the end of Your street,

Tears are washing my face,

What else do I seek other than meeting You?

I repeat Your name as I surrender my soul to You.”

source 

RAMADHAN KAREEM - PT 9 (JUMA'ATUL WADAH)‏ (KISWAHILI)

Assalaamu alaikum,

Natumai hamjambo na mnaendelea na ibada ya swaum pamoja na ibada zingine. Mwezi mtukufu ndyo inatukimbia kwa kasi sana kwani leo ni Ijumaa ya mwisho ya Mfungo kwa mwaka huu!!

Baada ya Kumshukuru Allah na kumtakia Rehma Mtume Muhammad Swallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, imesomwa aya za Quran Sura Juma’a inayozungumzia fadhila ya Ijumaa.

Fadhila za ijumaa kwa kuwa leo ni Ijumaa ya mwisho ya mwezi wa Ramadhani mwaka huu. Tafsiri ya aya:

Enyi mloamini, ikinadiwa (ikiadhiniwa) kwa ajili ya sala ya Ijumaa, nendeni kwa ajili ya dhikri ya Allah (sala ya Ijumaa), na acheni manunuzi (kazi/ biashara) zenu, hii ni bora kwenu ikiwa mnafahamu.

Ijumaa ilivyoanzishwa. Mtume Swallallahu Alaihi Wasallam alipohama Makkah kwenda Madina, alipumzika kwenye kitongoji cha Quba kwa siku 4 na kuweka jiwe la msingi wa Masjid Quba. Mwenye kusali rakaa 2 sunnah humo hupata thawabu ya umra 1. Siku ya Ijumaa asubuhi Mtume Swallallahu Alaihi Wasallam alianza safari ya kuelekea Madina. Alipofika kitongoji cha Bani Saalim, ilikuwa wakati wa adhuhuri na hapo ndipo Mtume Swallallahu Alaihi Wasallam alisalisha Ijumaa ya mwanzo. Baada ya hapo ndipo alipokelewa kwa shangwe kubwa alipowasili Madina.

Hadithi: Mtume Swallallahu Alaihi Wasallam amesema kuwa mwenye kuoga vizuri siku ya Ijumaa, akapiga mswaki, akavaa nguo nzuri kama si mpya, akapaka manukato, akaenda Msikitini na bora kwa kutembea kama si mbali, akawahi na kukaa nafasi ya mbele au pale anapopata nafasi ila tu asiwabughudhi watu (riwaya nyingine inasema mwenye kuwa wa mwanzo atapata thawabu ya kuchinja ngamia katika njia ya Allah, wa pili atapa thawabu ya kuchinja ngo’mbe, wa tatu thawabu ya kuchinja mbuzi, wa nne thawabu ya kuchinja kuku, wa tano thawabu ya kutoa yai, nk), kisha akasikiliza khutba kwa makini bila ya kujishughulisha na jambo lolote, basi mtu huyo kwa kila hatua 1 atapata thawabu ya sala za mwaka mzima na hatua ya 2 atapata thawabu ya kukesha mwaka mzima.

Riwaya nyingine inasema kuwa mtu huyo anafutiwa madhambi kutoka Ijumaa moja hadi nyingine.

Pia tulizungumza mwanzoni kuwa mwezi huu thawabu ya faradhi 1 ni sawa na 70, Ijumaa 1 ni sawa na Ijumaa 70 za miezi ya kawaida.

Fadhila nyingine ya Ijumaa ni kuwa siku hiyo Mtume Adam Alaihissalaam aliumbwa, siku ya Ijumaa aliingizwa Peponi na siku ya Ijumaa aliletwa duniani, kiyama nayo itakuwa siku ya Ijumaa. Ndiyo maana kila siku ya Ijumaa wanyama, ndege na Malaika wanatetemeka kwa hofu kuwa isije ikawa kiyama leo. Ijumaa ni siku ambamo dua hukubalika. Mtume Swallallahu Alaihi Wasallam amesema nisalieni kwa wingi sana siku ya Ijumaa. Ndiyo maana Misikiti ya Ahlil Sunnah wal jamaa duniani kote husimama qiyam ya kumsalia Mtume Swallallahu Alaihi Wasallam.

Allah atukubalie ibada zetu, amin.

Maswali / maoni yanakaribishwa.

JazakAllah, 

Muhammad KHATRI 

Recite - Surah Al-Qadr...

Ameer al-Mu'mineen, Sayyiduna Mawla Ali [may Allah be pleased with him and ennoble his face] said:

"Whoever recites Surah Al-Qadr seven times in Laylat al-Qadr, Allah Almighty would protect him from every calamity and seventy thousand angels would pray that he enters Heaven.

Further, whoever recites it three times on Friday (any Friday of the year) before Salat al-Jumu'ah, Allah Almighty would write as many good deeds for him as the number of people offering Salah that day." 

[Nuzhat al-Majaalis, Volume 1, Page 223]

The True Essence of Eid-ul-Fitr al-Mubarak

In this day and age, many Muslims eagerly await the end of Ramadaan and the coming of Eid-ul-Fitr to gain their ‘freedom’ in order to go back to committing sin and disobeying Almighty Allah [May ALLAH Forbid]. Many people start on the day of Eid itself and engage in shameful and reprehensible behaviour in the name of celebration. We should remember that celebration does not mean committing sin, but rather it involves remembering Allah Ta’ala and being grateful to Allah Ta’ala for showering His Mercy and Bounties upon us. Let us look at the true essence and significance of Eid-ul-Fitr, and the way in which those pious servants close to Almighty Allah celebrated Eid.

Eid is a day of celebration for Muslims, a day of happiness. On this day, Muslims perform two rakaats of prayer, meet one another, shake hands and embrace and give charity to the poor and needy. Islam teaches protecting the poor, helping the helpless, and easing the pain and sufferings of orphans and the meek at every turn, and they should not be forgotten, especially on the day of Eid. That is why Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) ordered us to pay the Sadqa-e-Fitr before performing the Eid Salaah so that Muslims remember their poor brothers on this occasion and include them in their happiness.

It is reported on the authority of Hadrat Anas (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) that when Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) came to Madina Shareef, the people of Madina would celebrate two festivals. They were asked what these days were and they replied, “We used to celebrate on these days in the days of ignorance.” Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said, “Allah Ta’ala has granted you two better days than these days; Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Adha.” [Abu Dawood]

Regarding Eid-ul-Fitr, Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) once said, “When the month of Ramadaan is over, and the night of Eid-ul-Fitr has arrived, that night is called the Night of Prize. Then, in the early morning of Eid-ul-Fitr Allah Ta’ala will send His angels forth to visit all the towns and cities on the earth below. Once they have made their descent, they will position themselves at the entrances to all the streets and alleys. There, in a voice that is audible to every being created by Allah Ta’ala, apart from the jinn and humankind, they will issue a proclamation saying, “O Community of Muhammad (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam), come forth into the presence of a Noble and Generous Lord, who will grant you gifts in abundance and forgive your terrible sin!” Then when the believers have emerged and presented themselves at their place of prayer, Allah Ta’ala will say to His angels, “O My angels, what is the recompense of the hired labourer, once he has done his job?” The angels will reply, “Our Lord and our Master, You will pay him his wages in full!” So Allah Ta’ala will say, “I now call upon you to bear witness, O My angels, that I have conferred My acceptance and My forgiveness as the reward for their fasting and night vigil during the month of Ramadaan.” Allah Ta’ala will then say, “O My servants put your requests to Me now, for this I swear by My Might and My Majesty, you will not ask Me this day, in this gathering of yours for anything connected with your life hereafter, without My granting it to you; nor for anything connected with your life in this lower world, without My attending to your need. By My Might and My Majesty, I will not put you to shame, nor will I expose you to disgrace amongst those who are faithfully committed to observing the laws (of Shariah). Now you may depart, knowing that you have been forgiven. You have won My approval, and I am well pleased with you.”” [Ghunyalit Taalibi Tareeqal Haq, Vol. 3]

Subhaanallah! How Merciful is our Rabb, even though we are such wretched sinners.

Before the advent of Eid-ul-Fitr we need to ask ourselves, “Have we reflected on whether we have respected and honoured the month of Ramadaan as it should be respected and honoured? Have we worshipped in it as we should have?” The final night of Ramadaan is the night for collecting the rewards for all the goodness that was done throughout the month. If we are neglectful of Allah Ta’ala on this night, then our efforts of the whole month might be ruined and will go to waste. Therefore, read the following Hadith and try to spend the last night of Ramadaan remembering Allah Ta’ala and evaluating the deeds that have been performed during the month.

The excellence of remembering Allah Ta’ala on this night is reported in a Hadith in which Hadrat Abu Amamah (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) narrates that Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said, “The hearts of the people who stand in prayers on the night of Eid will not die on the day when all hearts will die.” In another narration, Hazrat Mu’az bin Jabal (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) reports that Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) has stated, “Paradise is compulsory (Wajib) for one who stays up and worships on five nights – the nights of the 8th, 9th and 10th of Zul Hijjah, the night of Eid-ul-Fitr, and the 15th night of Shabaan.” We can therefore understand the significance of the night of Eid from these Ahadith and we should try as much as possible to busy ourselves in the remembrance of Allah Ta’ala, even if it is for a portion of the night.

If we study the lives of the Companions and our pious predecessors we will see that even though they used to worship extensively in the month of Ramadaan, they would still feel regret and sorrow on the day of Eid. They were constantly worried about the fact of whether or not they had fulfilled the rights of Ramadaan, just as it is reported about Hazrat Umar (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) that on the day of Eid, he sat in a corner and cried so much that his blessed beard became soaked. When people asked the reason for this, he replied, “How can a person who does not know if his fasts have been accepted celebrate Eid?” That Hazrat Umar (Radiallahu Ta’ala ‘Anh) about whom Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said that his good deeds are equivalent to the number of stars in the sky, is crying upon reflecting as to whether his fasts have been accepted or not, whether he has obeyed the orders of Almighty Allah properly and if Allah Ta’ala is pleased with them. Allahu Akbar! And yet sinners like us are absolutely carefree and cannot wait to engage ourselves into sin again!

It was on the day of Eid-ul-Fitr that a man once entered the presence of Hadrat Ali (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) and found him eating coarse brown bread. “Today is the day of Eid, yet here you are, eating coarse brown bread!” the man exclaimed. So Hadrat Ali (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) replied to the visitor, saying, “Today is the day of Eid for someone whose fast has been accepted, whose effort has been deemed worthy, and whose sin has been forgiven. Today is Eid for us, and tomorrow is Eid for us. Every day in which we do not disobey Allah Ta’ala is an Eid for us.”

Commenting on this incident, Sayyiduna Ghawth al-Aa'zam Hazrat Shaykh Sayyid Abdul Qadir Jilani (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) says that it is therefore important for every intelligent person to stop focusing on the external aspect, and not to let it capture his attention. His perspective on the day of Eid should be from the standpoint of contemplation and reflection.

Eid-ul-Fitr is not all about dressing up in fine new clothes, eating delicious treats and pursuing carnal pleasures and delights. In its outward celebration Eid-ul-Fitr is actually meant to symbolize the acceptance of acts of worshipful obedience; the remission of sins and mistakes; the conversion of bad deeds into good deeds; the glad tidings of promotion to higher spiritual degrees and the conferring of robes of honor, gifts and gracious favors. Eid should be celebrated, but together with celebrating it, Allah Ta’ala should also be remembered. Whether there is happiness or sadness, He should never be forgotten; just as Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) has said, “The people who will be called towards Paradise first on the Day of Judgment are those who praised Allah Ta’ala during happiness and sadness.”

The Blessed Sunnah to be Followed on Eid Day:

Lastly, on this joyous occasion we should try as much as possible to follow the beautiful Sunnah of our Beloved Rasool (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). Some of the Sunnahs are listed below, and what better way could we spend our day of Eid, than following in the footsteps of our Beloved Aaqa (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam):

• Cut the hair
• Trim the nails
• Have a bath (Ghusl)
• Use a Miswaak
• Wear nice clothes - if you have new clothes then wear new, otherwise nice clean clothes.
• Wear an Amaama
• Put on Itr (perfume without Alcohol)
• Put Surma (Kohl)
• Perform the morning prayer in the local Masjid
• Go to the Eid Gah early
• Pay the Sadqa-e-Fitr before the Eid Salaah
• Walk to the Eid Gah and take a different route on the way back home.
• Eat some dates before leaving home for the Eid Salaah (3, 5 or any amount that is an odd number). If there are no dates available, then you should eat anything sweet.
• Express happiness, give lots of charity, go to the Eid Gah calmly, relaxed and dignified, with the gaze lowered.

May Allah Ta’ala grant us the Taufeeq and Hidayat to celebrate Eid the way His pious servants celebrated it, and the Taufeeq to always stay away from sins, but especially during this Mubarak Day… Aameen!!