~Ada Apa Pada Nama~

bISMILLAHIRRAHMAANIRRAHIIM.. Artikel hari ini simple sahaja.. Hanya nak menekankan cerita di sebalik nama kami adik beradik.. Langkah ini ana pilih kerana ana dapati ramai yang tertanya-tanya mana datang ‘LYDIA’ dari ‘HALIMAH SAADIAH’… Alang-alang nak tahu, meh ana ceritakan kronologinya.. Semoga bermanfaat.. Selamat membaca! (^_^)..

1) Fatimah Zaharah (FARAH)
FARAH berasal dari FAtimah zahaRAH.. Nama Fatimah Az-Zahra memang familiar dalam kalangan orang Islam.. Fatimah Az-Zahra adalah puteri Nabi Muhammad s.a.w.. Dia membesar dalam suasana kesusahan. Bondanya pergi ketika usianya terlalu muda dan masih memerlukan kasih sayang seorang ibu. Sejak itu,dialah yang mengambil alih tugas menguruskan rumahtangga seperti memasak, mencuci, mengemas rumah dan menguruskan keperluan ayahandanya. Di sebalik kesibukan itu, dia juga adalah seorang yang paling kuat beribadah. Keletihan yang ditanggung akibat seharian bekerja menggantikan tugas ibunya yang telah pergi itu, tidak pula menghalang Sayidatina Fatimah daripada bermunajata dan beribadah kepada ALLAH SWT. Malam- malam yang dilalui, diisi dengan tahajud, zikir dan siangnya pula dengan sembahyang, puasa, membaca Al Quran dan lain-lain. Setiap hari,suara halusnya mengalunkan irama Al Quran.. ~SubhanALLAH~ Semoga Kak Farah menjadi insan yang tidak kenal erti putus asa dunia akhirat…

2) Umar Mukhtar (JIHAD)
Nama ni mesti lagi pelik kan..? Sebab nama lain, panggil lain.. Al-kisah.. Umar Mukhtar merupakan seorang pejuang Islam, yang diberi gelaran ‘singa padang pasir’… Umar Mukhtar merupakan wira kebanggaan rakyat yang namanya bersemadi di dalam hati sanubari rakyat Libya. Sejak dari usia yang muda, beliau bangun memperjuangkan kemerdekaan negaranya daripada dibelenggu oleh cengkaman kuasa fasis Itali dan pengakhiran riwayat hidupnya syahid di tali gantung.. Ringkasan cerita, ketika berumur 80 tahun, Umar mukhtar telah beberapa kali jatuh sakit.. Ramai pengikutnya menyuruh beliau meninggalkan perjuangan, namun apa yang dijawab oleh beliau ” Kita mempunyai sunnah Nabi Muhammad s.a.w yang boleeh membimbing kita dalam jihad kita…”, kata-kata beliau menyuntik semangat para pengikutnya.. Sewaktu hendak di tali gantung, jelas kelihatan ketenangan pada raut wajahnya.. Beliau sempat solat sunat sebelum pelaksanaan hukum gantung terhadapnya.. Selepas dihukum gantung, Umar Mukhtar menjadi simbol pembebasan dan JIHAD Libya… ~Dari kisah tersebut, maka terbitlah panggilan ‘JIHAD’ pada abangku, Umar Mukhtar.. alhamdulILLAH~ Semoga Abe Yad menjadi mujahid setia…

3) Halimah Saadiah (LYDIA)
LYDIA = haLImah saaDIAh… Cuma yang ni special, huruf  ’I’ ditukar kepada huruf ‘Y’.. Untuk mencantikkan lagi ejaannya.. Ceritanya.. Halimatus Saadiah merupakan ibu susuan Nabi Muhammad s.a.w.. Beliau merupakan seorang gadis kampung dari Bani Saad, yang tinggal di pedalaman.. Kerjanya mengambil upah menyusu bayi.. Kebiasaannya, mereka akan mencari anak orang-orang kaya kerana  upahnya tinggi.. Unta yang ditunggang oleh Halimatus Saadiah merupakan unta yang tua dan perlahan.. Setibanya beliau di Kota Mekah, tiada lagi bayi orang-orang kaya untuk dijadikan susuannya.. Namun, beliau telah menerima bayi Siti Aminah yakni Nabi Muhammad s.a.w… Walaupun upahnya hanya sedikit, beliau redha  dan bersyukur dengan rezeki tersebut.. Tanpa diduga Halimatus Saadiah rupanya mengambil upah  menyusu seorang lelaki agung pilihan ALLAH swt.. Atas keberkatan baginda Rasulullah saw, unta yang pada asalnya sangat uzur dan berjalan perlahan bertukar menjadi cergas dan pantas.. Air susu Halimatus Saadiah juga bertambah banyak kerana pada asalnya sebelah daripada susu beliau pada asalnya tidak mengeluarkan susu.. Begitu juga hasil tanaman yang diusahakan oleh suaminya juga subur dan memperolehi hasil yang lumayan…Inilah berkatnya kita redha dengan apa yang kita ada… Bersyukur dan redha akan membuahkan keberkatan dalam hidup.. ALLAHUakbar~ Semoga aku tergolong dalam kalangan insan-insan yang bersyukur dan redha…

4) Umar Abdulaziz (ZUHDI)
Seperti yang sedia maklum dalam sejarah, Umar Ibn Abdul Aziz merupakan seorang khalifah Bani Umayyah.. Beliau dilantik menjadi Khalifah selepas kematian Sulaiman bin Abdul Malik tetapi beliau tidak suka kepada pelantikan tersebut.. Lalu beliau memerintahkan supaya memanggil orang ramai untuk mendirikan sembahyang. Selepas itu orang ramai mula berpusu-pusu pergi ke masjid.. Apabila mereka semua telah berkumpul, beliau bangun menyampaikan ucapan.. Lantas beliau mengucapkan puji-pujian kepada ALLAH swt dan berselawat kepada Nabi Muahmmad s.a.w kemudian beliau berkata: “Wahai sekalian umat manusia! Aku telah diuji untuk memegang tugas ini tanpa meminta pandangan daripada aku terlebih dahulu dan bukan juga permintaan daripada aku serta tidak dibincangkan bersama dengan umat Islam… Sekarang aku membatalkan baiah yang kamu berikan kepada aku dan pilihlah seorang Khalifah yang kamu reda”… Tiba-tiba orang ramai serentak berkata: Kami telah memilih kamu wahai Amirul Mukminin dan kami juga reda kepada kamu. Oleh yang demikian perintahlah kami dengan kebaikan dan keberkatan. Lalu beliau berpesan kepada orang ramai supaya bertakwa, ZUHUD kepada kekayaan dunia dan mendorong mereka supaya cintakan akhirat kemudian beliau berkata pula kepada mereka:“Wahai sekalian umat manusia! Sesiapa yang taat kepada Allah, dia wajib ditaati dan sesiapa yang tidak taat kepada Allah, dia tidak wajib ditaati oleh sesiapapun. Wahai sekalian umat manusia! Taatlah kamu kepada aku selagi aku taat kepada Allah di dalam memimpin kamu dan sekiranya aku tidak taat kepada Allah, janganlah sesiapa mentaati aku”. Setelah itu beliau turun dari mimbar… Beliau telah berpesan kepada rakyatnya supaya ZUHUD pada kekayaan dunia.. Kedudukannya sebagai pemimpin sebuah negara tidak digunakannya untuk mencari kekayaan atau kesenangan duniawi.. Membuktikan beliau melaksanakan apa yang beliau pesankan kepada rakyatnya.. ~Maka dari pesanan beliau, terbitlah panggilan ZUHDI.. Semoga akhi soghir menjadi insan sehebat Khalifah Umar Ibn Abdul Aziz… subhanALLAH~

5) Umar Basyir (HARIS)
Nama Umar Basyir @ HARIS diambil daripada nama Jeneral Umar Hassan al-Basyir. Beliau ialah pemerintah Sudan komtemporari, dan dianggap sebagai salah seorang pemain utama menjadikan negara itu lebih dekat kepada pemerintahan Islam. Dalam salah satu ungkapan termasyhur oleh Imam al-Ghazali, beliau menyebut “Ad-deenu ussun was-sultonu HARISUN. Fama la ussalahu fa mahduumun, wa ma la HARISA lahu fa dhoi-un” (maksudnya: Agama itu asas (negara) dan pemerintah/sultan adalah PENGAWAL. Barang yang tiada asas akan runtuh, dan barang yang tiada pengawal akan hilang). So, Umar Basyir selaku pemerintah adalah pengawal atau HARIS… harapnya kepada pemerintahan Islam, insya Allah~Semoga adikku HARIS menjadi penjaga kepada agama, keluarga, sahabat-sahabat dan sebagainya.. alhamdulILLAH~

6) Umar Talimsani (MASRI)
Syaikh Umar Tilmisani adalah salah seorang daripada tokoh-tokoh da’ie dan murabbi.. Nama penuhnya ialah Ustaz Umar Abdul Fattah bin Abdul Qadir Mushthafa Tilmisani.. Beliau pernah menjawat jawatan sebagai Mursyidul Am Ikhwanul Muslimin setelah wafatnya Mursyidul ‘Am kedua, Hasan Al-Hudhaibi ,pada bulan November 1973.. Syaikh Umar Tilmisani merupakan peguam pertama yang bergabung dengan Ikhwan, mewakafkan pemikiran, dan potensi untuk membelanya… Beliau termasuk salah seorang orang kuat Imam Asy-Syahid Hasan Al-Banna… Beliau sering menyertai Al-Banna dalam beberapa lawatan, baik di dalam mahupun di luar Mesir… Bahkan, Al-Banna sering meminta bantuannya dalam menyelesaikan beberapa masalah… Antara nasihat Syaikh Umar Tilmisani ialah berpegang teguh dengan wahyu Allah Ta’ala, berjihad dengan kalimat yang benar, tidak menghiraukan gangguan, menjadikan diri sebagai teladan dalam kepahlawanan, bersikap satria, istiqomah, dan yakin bahwa Allah Ta’ala pasti menguji hamba-bamba-Nya dengan rasa takut, lapar, kekurangan harta, jiwa, dan buah-buahan, agar dapat diketahui siapa yang tulus dan siapa yang munafik… Aspek-aspek inilah yang merupakan faktor-faktor penyebab kemenangan… Beliau merupakan Mursyidul ‘Am Ikhwanul Muslimin yang ketiga.. Beliau dilahirkan di Kota Cairo, Mesir pada 1322H.. ~Kaitan dengan panggilan MASRI.. Al-Masri merupakan perkataan arab yang membawa maksud orang Mesir.. Syaikh Umar Tilmisani merupakan orang Mesir, maka terbitlah panggilan MASRI kepada adik ana yang chubby itu.. Semoga Masri menjadi orang yang hebat berpidato, berdebat untuk menegakkan Islam… ALLAHuakbar~

7) Maryam Jamilah (ILA)
Yang ni adik yang bongsu.. Panggilan ‘Ila’ cukup jelas pada namanya, Maryam JamILAh.. Dikisahkan, Maryam merupakan seorang mu’allaf, iaitu orang yang lahirnya non muslim kemudian revert kepada Muslim.. Nama asalnya ialah Margret Marcus.. Beliau revert kepada Islam pada 1961.. Beliau berasal dari New York dan dari keluarga Yahudi (Jewish).. Maryam melakukan pengkajian tentang semua agama yang ada sebelum beliau menemui Islam.. Maryam berbeza dengan remaja-remaja New York sebayanya.. Gadis ini, mengharamkan bagi dirinya segala sesuatu yang disebut sebagai “sumber kenikmatan hidup”, seperti pergaulan bebas, pesta-pora, minuman keras, merokok, justeru di masa-masa yang sering disebut sebagai “masa-masa yang paling membahagiakan” dalam kehidupan seseorang. Dan sebagai gantinya, ia benamkan dirinya dalam tumpukan buku-buku yang terhitung “berat” bagi kebanyakan manusia, apalagi bagi remaja seumurnya.. Pada tahun 1961 di ulang tahunnya yang ke-27 Margaret masuk Islam.. Ia bersyahadat disaksikan oleh Syekh Daud Ahmad Faisal dan berganti nama menjadi Maryam Jamilah.. Maryam juga mulai menulis banyak artikel untuk akhbar Islam di Amerika… Sebelum berkenalan dengan tokoh-tokoh Islam Maryam selalu menderita. Kalimat perpisahan pada deritanya baru boleh ia ucapkan setelah dikenalnya Sayyid Abul A’la al-Maududi, seorang imam besar umat yang tinggal di Pakistan… Mulai dari surat-menyurat yang mengharukan antara seorang bapa dengan putrinya, antara seorang muslimah intelektual dengan ulama besar yang ternyata sama sekali bersesuaian pendapat ini, akhirnya lahirlah dari gadis ini seorang Maryam Jamilah yang tegar.. ~Semoga Ila menjadi muslimah yang tegar mencari, menemui dan menyebarkan.. subhanALLAH, alhamdulILLAH, ALLAHuakbar!!

P/s: Semoga terjawab persoalan siapa yang wondering mana datang nama panggilan kami… Semua kisah di atas hanya ringkasan sahaja.. Harap para pembaca membaca juga detail kisah tokoh-tokoh di atas.. Semoga ALLAH swt redha.. Buat Baba dan Mama, terima kasih kerana memberi kami nama yang hebat… Doakan kami menjadi insan-insan seperti mereka.. Kami sayang Ba n Ma.. =)

Di copy paste dari : ~a.k.u.D.I.A.k.a.m.u~

The Deen (Religion) is Ease

Notes from Bukhari: Part I

How many times have you heard someone say practising Islam or being a ‘religious’ Muslim is difficult? Reflect on the following. Imam al-Bukhari in his Sahih relates the following hadith(record of the words of the Prophet ﷺ, peace be upon him) in the chapter On The Deen Being Ease.

It is related from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “The deen is ease. Whoever makes the deen too hard for himself will be overpowered, so direct yourselves to what is right, follow a middle course, accept the good news of the reward for right action, and seek help [to reach your goal by being constant in worshipping] in the morning, evening and some of the night.” (Hadith no. 39)
“The deen is ease.”
Word Analysis:
deen = Obedience, a state of abasement and submissiveness.

In the hadith, al-deen is referring to Islam as the means or the vehicle by which one is obedient and in a state of humble submission to Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala (exalted is He). It is synonymous with shari`ah (law) and includes both Islam (i.e. practice) and Iman (faith).
yusr (ease / easy) = ease, facilitation without constriction.

Commentary:
Ibn Abi Jamrah in his commentary of the abridged Sahih of al-Bukhari, Bahjat al-Nufus, highlights a number of ways the statement ‘The deen is ease’ can be understood and demonstrated. Some of them are as follows.

1. Deen here can be understood as both Iman and Islam together. Iman (faith) is ‘easy’ in the sense that it is straightforward without any complexities. This is demonstrated in the hadith where the Prophet ﷺ tests the slave girl to see whether or not she is a Muslim. He was satisfied by her action of simply pointing to the sky to indicate that Allah (swt) is above his creation and by her attesting to the fact that he was the Messenger of Allah. As for the ease in Islam, the practice, this is demonstrated by the famous hadith where a person asks the Prophet ﷺ about the obligations of Islam and the Prophet ﷺ tells him about the five obligatory prayers, the obligatory fast of Ramadan and the obligatoryzakat (charity). Each time the person asked if there was anything more than the obligatory prayer, fasting and zakat the Prophet ﷺ replied that there wasn’t unless he wanted to do something extra voluntarily. While the person was leaving he said to himself, by Allah I will not increase nor decrease from that. The Prophet ﷺ said he has succeeded if he is truthful.
2. The ease here could be referring to what you have been given as a deen compared to the previous nations and the fact that you have only been obligated with that which you have the capacity to do. Allah (swt) has removed the burdens that were in the shari`ah of the previous nations from this ummah (community). For instance, the process of repentance for this ummah is made by regret, giving up the sin and seeking forgiveness whereas for some previous nations repentance was through capital punishment (for some sins). Another example is that unlawful things for us have been made lawful in times of necessity whereas this was not the case for previous nations. Also the fact that Allah (swt) has only burdened us with obligations that we have the physical and intellectual capacity to fulfil, for if he did burden us with something beyond our capacity, it still would have been acceptable as He is all Wise and the Omnipotent whose decisions none can overturn. Therefore it is from His favour and bounty that He has forgiven us and only made us responsible according to our capacity. As He says in the Qur’an: Allah does not burden the soul beyond its capacity (2:286). Therefore the one who is made responsible for that which one had the capacity to bear then that is from ease and not from hardship.
3. The ease here could be that deen is easy for the one who has knowledge of the deen and it is difficult for the one that is ignorant of the deen.
4. The ease referred to here could be the fact that the legal texts that imply an obligation without any room for other interpretations are few in number. The vast majority of legal texts are open to different interpretations (that lead to more than one valid legal option) and therefore this is ease and flexibility from the Master to His servants.
5. The ease referred to here could be to shorten one’s hopes, because shortening one’s hopes is amongst the causes that assist one in the deen so that the deen becomes easy. This is due to the fact that when one’s hopes are shortened covetousness is reduced, zuhd (detachment from unnecessary things) becomes easy and performing good deeds becomes light. This is similar to what the Prophet ﷺ mentioned: “When one of you wakes up in the morning, do not expect (to live) till the evening and when one of you goes to sleep in the evening do not expect (to live) till the morning.”
6. The ease referred to here could be to perform good deeds in reverence to the rights due to Allah (swt) since the deenbelongs completely to Allah. When one does this the deen becomes easy due to the sweetness of obedience, performing deeds become effortless, and in fact, one is nourished by the deeds performed for the sake of Allah (swt).

Source : www.suhaibwebb.com

The Advice of Luqman Hakim to his son 2

Luqman al-Hakim said to his son,

“O my son! Man is composed of three thirds – a third for Allah, a third for himself and a third for the worms. The third that is for Allah is his soul; the third that is for himself is his actions, and the third that is for the worms is his body.”

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The Advice of Luqman al Hakim to his Son

The Holy Qur’an says, “O my son, establish prayer and bid doing good and forbid evil and be patient over whatever befall upon.” (Surah Luqman, verse 17)

This verse shows us the advice a father should give to his children. The words and advice of Luqman were always full of wisdom. Allah Ta’ala took one of his sayings and placed them in the Qur’an. The saying is when he said, “Oh my son, establish prayer and order people to do good.” From this a father should think about his children’s religious matters as well as worldly necessities. We should promise ourselves that we will be punctual in prayer and we will attempt to make our children and our whole family punctual in prayer. May Allah guides us all to be punctual in our prayers. Aameen

Winners Never Quit

One day I decided to quit…I quit my job, my relationship, my Spirituality…I wanted to quit my life.

I went to the woods to have one last talk with God. God, I said. Can you give me one good reason not to quit His answer surprised me…

Look around, God said. Do you see the fern and the bamboo? Yes, I replied.

When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, I took very good care of them. I gave them light. I gave them water. The fern quickly grew from the earth. Its brilliant green covered the floor. Yet nothing came from the bamboo seed.

But I did not quit on the bamboo. In the second year the Fern grew more vibrant and plentiful. And again, nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo.

God said, in the third year there was still nothing from the bamboo seed. But I would not quit. In year four, again, there was nothing from the bamboo seed. I would not quit.

God said, and then in the fifth year a tiny sprout emerged from the earth. Compared to the fern it was seemingly small and insignificant…But just 6 months later the bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall. It had spent the five years growing roots.

Those roots made it strong and gave it what it needed to survive. I would not give any of my creations a challenge it could not handle.

God said to me, did you know, my creation, that all this time you have been struggling, you have actually been growing roots. I would not quit on the bamboo. I will never quit on you.

Don’t compare yourself to others. God said, the bamboo had a different purpose than the fern. Yet they both make the forest beautiful. Your time will come, God said to me. You will rise high.

I left the forest and bring back this story. I hope these words can help you see that God will never give up on you. God will never give up on you!

Moral: In life never lose hope and never give up or quit in life and Success will come to you later in life.

Source  : Inspirational Stories

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“Carpe diem. You only live today once, so don’t waste it. Life is made up of special moments, many of which happen when caution is thrown to the wind and people take action and seize the day.”

RULE 54 : The Essential 55 by Ron Clark

Ahlan-wa-Sahlan 1433!

We date ourselves from the night that the Prophet Muhammad began his journey from Makkah to Madinah, 1432 years ago. This journey is a history in itself and in it is a message for humankind of historical proportions. This journey of the Prophet showed us that it is incumbent upon humankind to pursue the establishment of a Peaceful and Just society. Physical migration and perseverance is an important milestone on the road to establish Peace and Justice. Intellectual migration from the subjugated minds to an awakened spirit is even more important. Prophet Muhammad was commanded and led to continue the struggle of establishing Peace and Justice for entire humanity.

It is inspiring indeed to see the clarity and purpose of his mission in spite of life threatening challenges for himself and his handful of friends at the time of migration. The message of One God is timeless and universal as started by Prophet Adam and continued by Ibrahim (Abraham), Isa (Jesus) and Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon all of them. Although it is needed everyday but specially as we mark the beginning of a new calendar year, it is all the more important, to renew the same call that was made by all of the prophets in their own times. The human society deserves to marvel its scientific achievements but cannot afford to act like an ostrich!. Moral degradation, selective justice, purposeless life, meaningless pursuits are coveted principles of post-modern society. The world today refuses to understand the concept of justice. Within this global system, the poor South had to “pay” the rich North approximate 264 billion in debt servicing in 1998. It is estimated that more than a Million children die across the ‘Developing World’ (a.k.a. Third World) each year because of debt payments. It should also be noted “in 1990 20% of the world’s population who live in the richest countries had 40 times the income of the poorest 20%? And by 1995, 90 times as much income.” What is even more distressing, “the world’s 100 richest people have a combined wealth of over US$2 Trillion, equal to the annual income of the poorest 47% of the world’s people (2.5 billion). The three richest people have assets that exceed the combined GDP of the 48 least developed countries.” Ads by Google: Advertisements not controlled by IslamiCity These statistics are just the tip of the iceberg-and only the economic iceberg at that! If we examine the data on other structures-from resource control and technology information to everything in between it is even more discriminatory. It is shocking that such severe iniquities have been allowed to persist for so long at the global level. The world is crying out (silently) for conscientious people to step up and stop the exploitation of weak and the inequitable distribution of wealth, and the wide chasm that divides North and South. In the migration of Prophet Muhammad , we learn of an amazing blend in the pursuit of establishing Peace and Justice without depriving any one or creating any disparities. Followers of his mission must examine the much too flexible approaches and compromising attitudes being adapted today. The timeless and universal call of One God must continue to be made but not by compromises. Migration of minds and thinking is the need of the day. In fact, intellectual revolution is an essential pre-requisite before the socio-political order in a society can be changed. Some people still carry the intellectual baggage of the colonial era. This has prevented them from understanding the issues clearly and to bring about meaningful change in their societies. The life of the Last Prophet offers an excellent example to follow in plotting the way out of a quagmire of inequities and injustices.

By:  IslamiCity

http://www.islamicity.com/articles/Articles.asp?ref=IC0203-410

A Letter on Preparing for Death

This is  actually a short letter of advice and wisdom on preparing for death translated from Arabic to English. The letter was written by Imam Al Ghazali in a concise and almost simplistic style, though the message imparted was one of great spiritual depths.  May Allah make us among those who experience that state, and who ready and beautify themselves properly for the journey to His Divine Presence, Ameen.

[I begin] with the name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Loving. We rely on Him, and seek help from Him alone. All praise is due to Allah, and may blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah Muhammad, his family, and his companions one and all. Allah the Exalted said, “Is one whose chest Allah has opened to Islam [sharaha Allahu sadrahu] so that he has received light from his Lord (no better than one hard-hearted)?” (Qur’an, 39:22) The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was asked about sharh as-sadr and he said, “It is a light cast into the heart by which the chest is opened and expanded.” He ﷺ was asked, “Is there a way of recognizing one who possesses that light?” He ﷺ responded, “Yes. [Such people can be recognized by their] indifference towards the abode of delusions [i.e., the life of this world], their constant turning towards the abode of eternity [the hereafter], and their preparation for death before it arrives.” He was asked, “How does one prepare for death?” He ﷺ said, “Those of you who remember it the most are the best prepared for it.” — You have asked – may Allah grant you success – about readiness for death, and the conditions and means [of attaining that spiritual state]. When is a servant (of God) ready for death? What should one strive to achieve so that he or she is fully prepared for this path? Know that death is an expression used for the journey from this world to the Divine Presence, for to Allah is the ultimate return. Anyone traveling to a royal court is in need of three things for his journey: a severing of the ties that keep him from advancing; a preparation of provisions for the road; and an acceptable gift for the king, to present to him and by which to attain his pleasure. Similarly, the traveler journeying to the Divine Presence is in need of three things: preparation of his provisions, a cutting of ties, and the offering of a gift. The traveler’s provision refers to a deep consciousness of God (taqwa). Allah says, “…And take a provision with you for the journey, but the best of provisions is taqwa.” (Qur’an, 2:197) The cutting of ties means a severing of the heart from the pleasures of this world. This is what was meant by the Prophet’s ﷺ words, “an indifference towards the abode of delusions”. The gift to be presented to the King is love, the origin of which is in true gnosis (ma’rifah) and faith (iman). We will explain these three essential matters in further detail.

1. Provisions for the Road

There is no provision for the journey to the hereafter except taqwa. Taqwa means obeying the commandments of Allah Most High and avoiding that which He has prohibited to such an extent that one fulfills all of Allah’s commandments and remains far removed from all of His prohibitions. If one has always done so, then this is a type of excellence and inner strength that is without equal. If, however, a person has some deficiencies in this matter, then he or she will not be ready [for the hereafter] except by rectifying them. This can be done by analyzing and reflecting on one’s state from when one first reached the age of legal responsibility (bulugh). The servant must then busy himself with making up for what has passed, and seek to correct those matters in which one had erred.

In regards to the commandments of Allah, the servant should begin with the fundamental pillars of Islam, such as the ritual prayer, the poor-due and the pilgrimage. If one finds a shortcoming in his or her performance of one of these acts, one should seek to remove the burden of responsibility from oneself by making up for them. One should continue doing so until he or she is certain that no obligation remains undone. As for the prohibitions, [they are of two types]. The first type is entirely related to the rights of Allah [and not the rights of other people], such as fornication, drinking alcohol, listening to musical instruments, and engaging in [other] forbidden acts. [Disobeying a prohibition of this type] can be remedied by sincerely repenting, feeling intense regret for the sin, seeking Allah’s forgiveness and pardon, and resolving strongly and with determination to never return to it again. [Know that] sincere repentance is a remedy for every sin, and a penitent person is like one who has not sinned at all. The second type of prohibition is related to the rights of other servants, such as wronging someone in terms of wealth or reputation. [Violating a prohibition of this type] can be rectified by giving the oppressed person back his or her due right. The servant should seek to do this in all of one’s dealings with others, and should scrutinize personal relationships carefully [to make sure that one has not been unjust to others]. One should seek to liberate himself from others’ rights upon him by returning what is in one’s possession of their wealth, compensating for what one may have consumed from it, and making amends for backbiting or speaking ill of others. This type of harmful speech is a great wrong, and a person cannot be freed from it except by [seeking the pardon of] the oppressed. The servant must ask forgiveness from every person he has harmed in his life through backbiting or other hurtful words. If a person who has been wronged refuses, then one should be kind to him so that his heart will eventually lean towards forgiveness. If the oppressed person passes away or becomes otherwise unreachable, the servant should increase in good deeds until he has performed an amount that he believes would be sufficient for the oppressed if it went to him on the Day of Judgment. Know that sufficient provision for this journey is in obeying Allah’s commands, abstaining from His prohibitions, and striving to perform numerous extra good deeds. Good works are a means of elevating one’s spiritual rank. The more good deeds one performs, the more one increases in safety and faith. In conclusion, provision for this journey consists of commission or omission of acts in accordance to Allah’s commands and prohibitions.

2. Severing the Ties that Prevent One from Advancing

A traveler may be tied down by his or her debtors, as if they were holding on to the very tails of his clothing and preventing him from moving towards his destination. In order to advance on his journey, the traveler must [free himself from them] and break all ties with them. Similarly, the attachments that prevent one from journeying towards the hereafter are numerous. Yet all of them are connected to the love of this world, longing for it, and the inclination of the lower self towards it. One who has no beloved in this world is completely ready for death. One who loves someone in this world, but finds that the love for Allah is stronger and more intense in his heart is also ready, though his level is not like that of the former. A sign that a servant has true love for Allah is that he or she does not have any feeling of dislike towards death, no matter when it may come. An aversion to death is a sign that this world and one’s status in it is more beloved to a person [than meeting Allah in the hereafter]. One who dislikes death because he has not yet rectified the wrongs he has committed against others or overcome weaknesses within himself may be excused for his dislike, however, this servant cannot be considered ready [for the journey ahead]. One who is ready would have already exerted himself in these matters, and would not have left any task undone that would distract and busy his heart. Disconnecting one’s heart from the life of this world is not fully achieved unless one also possesses a balanced character and a sound and upright heart. This occurs by purifying the heart from ostentation, envy, hatred, arrogance, and all of the negative qualities that we have mentioned in our work al-Muhlikaat (in the third section of Ihya Ulum ad-Din). These are the ailments of the heart [that must be cured], for an ill person is not one prepared for travel. It is not a requirement that the servant be entirely free of these negative qualities, but that they remain weak inside a person and are not intensified by actions or words that are contrary to the path of God-consciousness. The Prophet ﷺ said: “The child of Adam will never be safe from three things: envy, fearing evil omens, and having bad opinions of others. I will inform you of a means of escaping from them. If you feel envious towards someone, do not seek to attain what he or she has. If you observe an omen said to be evil, continue without any change in your behavior. And if you think ill of someone, do not try to confirm your thoughts [by discussing them with others.]” Thus removing these elements entirely from one’s inner self is not a necessary condition for being saved. It suffices that one does not manifest them by acting in accordance to them. A balanced character is what is really essential, and is what is meant by the expression khuluq al-hasan. One does not attain such character except through struggle, hard work, and recognition of the areas in which one has been self-deluded. All of the [negative] qualities we have mentioned here are produced by love of this world. If a servant realizes that the hereafter is better and everlasting he or she would certainly prefer it over the life of this world. Such a realization is a fruit of this knowledge, and such knowledge is what comprises the branches of faith.

3. Presenting a Gift to Allah Most High

The gift [that a traveler to the hereafter should prepare to present to the Divine] is faith (iman) that engenders love for Allah Most High. We mean here by faith a gnosis (ma’rifa) that overwhelms the servant completely and overtakes his heart entirely, until it is as if the servant actually sees Him. Faith then becomes something vital to the heart, persistent and constant in it, to such an extent that nothing comes to the servant’s mind except Allah, neither in deeply-rooted thoughts nor in fleeting ones. [A constant awareness and focus on Allah, to the extent that not even a fleeting thought enters one's mind] is the highest state [of faith].

The first [and lowest] level of faith is like believing that someone named Zaid is inside a house because one has been told so by a person one trusts. The second level is like believing Zaid is inside because one hears the sound of his voice. The third [and highest level] is like actually seeing him. Each level produces an increased amount of happiness and delight [for the servant, as compared to the one lower than it]. These feelings cannot be precisely described [but can only be experienced with the heart]. Such are the varying degrees of faith. As for the branches of faith, they are numerous, while its roots are three: to have belief in Allah, belief in the Last Day, and belief in the truthfulness of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Complete faith in Allah includes belief in His attributes as they are elucidated in the Quran without being combined with innovations, uncertainty, wavering or doubt. One should believe that He has perfect knowledge and absolute ability, that His will is always realized and effectual [with no exceptions], and one should affirm with certainty whatever one can of His noble attributes. One should believe in regards to the Last Day that one will be recompensed in accordance to one’s actions, rewarded for obedience [to Allah] and punished for disobedience. [If one understands and believes this,] then this suffices for the servant, and it is not obligatory upon him or her to know more details [of the Day of Judgment than this]. One should believe that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was truthful in everything that he taught. If one believes in this, even if one does not know his ﷺ teachings in detail other than what is obligatory, it suffices for the servant. –– This is what it means to prepare for death; and Allah grants success to those who seek to ready themselves [for the journey ahead]. To Allah belongs success and protection. All praise is due to Allah in the beginning and the end, and may peace and blessings be upon the Noble Messenger Muhammad, his family and companions. –-– This letter was completed by Allah’s help and good favor, and may blessings be upon Muhammad and his family.

By the Imam Hujjat al-Islam (The Proof of Islam) Muhammad bin Muhammad Abu Hamid al-Ghazali

Translated by : SHAZIA AHMAD

source  :  www.suhaibwebb.com

From Facebook to God’s Book

Many of us have addictive relationship with Facebook.  We check our accounts compulsively, multiple times a day.  It is sometimes the last thing many of us do before we sleep and the first thing we do when we wake up; time flies when we’re on it, and it is obsessive.

Yet how many of us have an addictive relationship—have any relationship—with the Qur’an? This is the Book that transformed alcoholic, oppressive, baby-girl-burying people into callers for justice, defenders of the oppressed, soft-hearted, humble worshippers of the Lord of All the Worlds. If what is contained in this Book brought eternal peace to the hearts and freedom to the souls who were chained to the whims of their own desires, it undoubtedly can emancipate us from our own problems, heartaches and stresses. However, its ability to powerfully impact us may go a lifetime unrealized if we continue to decide that other relationships are more important.

Some of us want to establish a relationship with the Qur’an, but may find it… boring, difficult to understand, or simply not fast enough. We’re used to status updates, pictures and vivid virtual conversations. We prefer fun captions and vivacious images. We prefer real people, an interchange of words and tangible friendships—or at least, Facebook friendships. A lot of us don’t even really know the people we add as friends.

In reality, what we prefer is what the Qur`an already offers and more; it’s just up to us to experience the paradigm shift, with God’s help. Here are a few ways we can tangibly work to establish our relationships with the Qur’an and in doing so, elevate ourselves in this life and in the Next, by the will of God.

From Facebook to God’s Book

What is it about Facebook or other forms of social or popular media that makes you come back, over and over, sometimes multiple times a day—at a minimum? Is it the novelty of reading ever-changing statuses or finding new pictures? Is it feeling appreciated when others comment on your posts? Is it the fun of having instantaneous connections? Is it just boredom? Whatever it is, identify why you keep going back. Then, tweak your reasons for that connection and apply it to the Qur’an.

When you read stories about Noah, Moses, Jesus, Mary, Lot—when you read about their struggles or the people who they called to the worship of God, recognize those as the Qur’an’s updates. The conversations that God quotes in the Qur’an, the arguments of the people to their Messengers, those are all comments to posts in the Qur’an’s feed.

Mary `alayha assalaam (peace be upon her) says something, then God Almighty responds. Jesus `alayhi assalaam (peace be upon him) tells his disciples something and they all start tweeting him back. Moses (as) posts on Pharaoh’s wall, Pharaoh responds with his henchman and is finally completely deleted from Facebook—and the world—in its entirety. God’s Book is more intense, exciting and novel than anything on Facebook. We just need to add it and tag it as our Best Friend.

Sometimes we find Facebook addicting because of our ability to interact with our friends. So let’s find the Qur`an addicting because of our ability to interact with God. When reading God’s Book and you want to like something, say alhamdulilah (all praise is to God)! You’ll get rewards and be increased in what’s good (Qur`an 14:7).  When you personally want to respond to a status, put up your hands and make du`a’ (supplication)! Instead of aimlessly commenting, you’ll be strengthening your connection with the One Who can hook it up for you, Who can hear you and will answer you! When you read the descriptions of Paradise and Hell, know that Allah Most High is uploading images for you to focus on and be impacted by; when you’re captivated or horrified by the image, comment through your actions! Do the actions which will include you amongst the chillers in Paradise and keep you from being in the excruciating fire. That type of commenting will bring everlasting results in this life and the Next and, God willing, Allah subahanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He) will tag you as His homies in this life and the Hereafter.

Make the Qur`an Our Best Friend

Oftentimes, when we’re sad or lonely, when we’re bursting with joy or excitement, when we’re apathetic or just need some down time, we post it. We let everyone know how we’re feeling, what we’re thinking, something that went down in our day or what we wished didn’t go down. We often treat Facebook as a best friend; checking it and reconnecting frequently. Here’s our opportunity to start shifting that connection; let’s start calling Allah’s Book our BEST FRIEND. With ourselves, let’s start using the term, “Best Friend,” for the Qur’an.

If you have a human best friend, think about the way you run to answer their call when you know they’re about to tell you the outcome of a life-changing decision. Think about the way you laugh when you’re chilling together at the beach or having a conversation over dinner. Think about the way that you dial their number before anyone else’s, knowing almost with certainty that they will pick up the phone and be there for your comfort.

Now, apply that same understanding of your best friend relationship to the Qur’an. If you take the Qur’an as your Best Friend, you’ll run to it when you see it near, knowing it’s calling you, ready to listen to whatever it wants to share for your own benefit, guidance and happiness. When you’re distraught, feeling lonely or at loss, you’ll go to your Best Friend, hold it to your heart, open it and begin reading it, reciting from it, reveling in its mind-blowing empathy, its heart-warming sympathy, it’s perfection of wisdom which relates directly to your situations. When you’re excited beyond measure; ready to jump through the roof because you finally got into that school, got that job, regained your health, going to get married to your dream person or had the blessing of your child, you’re going to pick it up and shed tears of joy or words of elation with it, knowing that in reality, you’re going back to the One Who gave you all that you’re excited about in the first place.

Making the Qur’an your best friend begins with a paradigm shift; this is not simply a Holy Book; it’s the pinnacle of your life, it’s your first supporter, your constant companion, your guide, the keeper of your secrets—it’s your Best Friend.

Building Our Relationship

Having taken the Qur’an as a best friend, we must also make a commitment to building our relationship with it. Best friends don’t happen overnight; we become continuously attached to the person we’ve already connected with because of our consistent ability to reconnect and re-align. So too, with the Qur’an. The Qur’an is always there, waiting to be your closest homie! Why? Because when we establish a relationship with the Qur’an, we are, in reality, establishing a relationship with the One Who created us and knows us best. He tells us, “I am as My servant thinks I am. I am with him when he makes mention of Me. If he makes mention of Me to himself, I make mention of him to Myself; and if he makes mention of Me in an assembly, I make mention of him in an assembly better than it. And if he draws near to Me an arm’s length, I draw near to him a fathom’s length. And if he comes to Me walking, I go to him at speed,” (Hadith Qudsi, Bukhari). When we think about God, when we make an effort to draw nearer to Him, He comes to us with speed. Therefore, let us run to Him through our relationship with the Qur’an!

Set a certain amount of Qur’an that we must read, regardless of the circumstances, every day. Make sure this amount is in a language that we understand. If we can read Arabic and understand some of it, then read the Arabic but also read a translation. Allah (swt) revealed the Qur’an in the language of the Arabs for them to understand it so that they can live by and be transformed by it. Thus, read it in a language that will impact your life, and do it daily. From 20 pages to only 1 verse, do whatever amount you can do consistently and stick with it because the Prophet ﷺ (peace be upon him) taught us that the best actions are those that are small, but consistent (Bukhari). Reading the Qur’an daily, year-round, is better than reading a ton only in Ramadan and then disregarding it. How can a relationship flourish to its fullest if it is only maintained once a year?

Facebook can be a great networking tool, but if used obsessively, we can become addicted to a media which often brings minute tangible benefits to our lives. Allah’s Book is an incredible networking tool which will connect us to the Creator of the Universe, the One through Whom we can gain tangible benefit in this life and the eternal hereafter. Let’s go to Allah’s Book—to our Best Friend—to the Qur`an—because the best “like” is when Allah (swt) likes your life.

“… Allah is pleased with them, and they are pleased with Him – those are the party of Allah . Unquestionably, the party of Allah – they are the successful.” (Qur`an 58:22)

Writer : MARYAM AMIR-EBRAHIMI

Source : Suhaibwebb.com