Qualities of a Believer

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

Praises only due to the God the Most Highest. I managed to establish my relation with the mosque again after thinking on where to stop by as there were many traumas which makes me exhausted when thinking about them. It is quite tough for someone who is not stable in term of life like others to stay in a proper place. As for me now, I regard myself as a traveler who is in a journey to return to Him. I am just staying at the house of my parents because of their mercy-compassionate to provide me with shelter to continue this chaotic life and I own nothing. 

I always tell my sisters that I don't care about possessions because I do not regard my father property as mine. That possession came from his own effort and I have no right to claim the credit from his sweat and tears. The same thing also to my grandfathers possessions. We own no rights but only the rights to accept the Divine Path of our ancestral lineage. I am fortunate enough that our parents raised us up and we do not die due to famine though there might be some loopholes such as the lack of love due to the pressure of surviving in the city since the 90s until now. Parents are human-being and we must accept the fact that human are not perfect just like us. Only the God the Highest is Perfect. 

I do not know whether my sisters understood me but I really wish they understood me. I try to tell them about Him and to return together to Him with me. I also try to do so with my parents and preventing them from taking part in "public" sustenance as they do not know. I am aware about that and I checked everything again until the root, so I tried to prevent our selves from further defilement. I wish them to understand me but as always I am also labeled like what those Tabligh kids talked with me. I am also facing the same thing though I am not a member of that particular movement. I cried alone before Him and it is more painful when we are called names and misunderstood by our own family members.

Importance to be Grateful

I will continue with other notes once I record this note as I did not bring any pen or note book to the mosque this evening. I only brought with me a part of Quran which is the surats that I try to put into my heart through His permission. The lecture about Divine Path occurs in the mosque in the time that we expect the least about it. It will be a regret for me if I forgot these valuable teachings. Weirdly, I found that the ustad told the same thing which I am currently practicing. He mentioned about the importance of appreciating the grace of the God. The greatest grace of His graces is the grace of Islam and faith. This is greater than the grace of sustenance or luxuries of this illusory world. 

This question always struck me when I am applying for the job when I am annoyed with the pressures such as housing bills, loan payment, taxes, how to survive in this period or when people asking me what am I doing right now while I am jobless. I have nothing to brag to others and I am forbidden to accept the zakat by ancestral inheritance... Even if I try to do so, there would be many problems hitting my application. I checked my account and it scares me too but I try to convince myself that I can go through this time with His support. 

Perhaps my faith is not as great as the companions of prophet Muhammad s.a.w among the people of Medina as I am just a lowly follower among followers. I am envious to them as some of them were willing to die for the faith. There is a story about one of them which is an anonymous figure had met the prophet Muhammad s.a.w in order to pray for them for the cure of cholera infection. The prophet s.a.w said that he can pray for them and they will be cured once the God the Highest accept his prayers but if they hold on patiently, the reward is greater than they could imagine. The guy who heard this thinking for a moment and later return home without being prayed upon by the prophet s.a.w as he wishes to receive forgiveness for his sin. He later died because of cholera together with his family as unknown martyrs.

I wish I know his name and each of his family name, they would be those saints that I will specifically include in my humble prayers. I am so ashamed of myself as I almost cried in the mosque while listening to the sermon. The ansars or the people of Medina were well-beloved by prophet Muhammad s.a.w and they were the people who have preserved the traditions as transmitted again through prophet Muhammad s.a.w. I am bursting in tears while typing this. Anyway, nobody could see how ugly I am now or thinking that I am a nut because I am not living a "normal beautiful life" like them... haha...

Qualities of the Believer

In the surat al-Mu'minoon 23:1-18... The God the Highest has mentioned to us about the qualities of the people who are well beloved and enjoying the sweetness joy of faith. It is the highest quality in our Path and looks quite easy but actually requires us concentration and focus especially this period is the dark period of the universe. Being a Muslim is one thing but being a believer Muslim is another different thing. It is about being a Muslim by heart and not only by physical. 

A believer who submits himself to his Lord will be a successful person whether in this present life or in the other life. The word in the beginning of the surat actually denotes that the God is promising us something and His promises are all the truths and facts of the life. Maybe many other sites had also talked about this or perhaps I had posted about this too but I will put them always as reminders. It is important for us to repeat things not because we wanted to be boring but to stay in awareness. The highlights to us eight points for a person to be a believer although he is already a Muslim:

1. A person who is full of concentration in his salat services is a believer person. The first step to be a consistent and a focus person is to prepare early for the salat services. The key word that I have is preparation to see Him as salat services also means that we are in contact with the Creator.

2. A believer is a person who keeps himself or herself away from worthless words and acting in vanity. This is a trait of a dweller of the paradise and we can see it while we are in this world. 

3. A believer keeps his property and possession in purified condition through the prescribed zakat as what I had put in place in the introduction treatise. If we are not a fortunate person, it is enough to donate whatever that we have or sharing it with others who are unfortunate. 

As for myself, I just could just share these posts for the time-being. Say if we have RM1, so perhaps we just donate 10 cents to the donation box as it means one tenth from 100 cents. This is my personal logic based from the hadith narrated by Jabir bin 'Abdullah r.a. where prophet Muhammad s.a.w says that the crops watered by the rain and river water, the tithe would be one tenth of it and those by the camel; the tithe is one twentieth - Muslim. Since I cannot pay the proper zakat, so I am doing as this hadith proposes me because I might also had tyrannized others. It does not have to be strictly like the hadith but the principle matters. I received the support from my father and sisters while studying as undergraduate translation and interpretation student but I did not use them wholly for myself. Some, I donated to unfortunate brothers and to non-Muslim friends as a way to introduce my Path to them without having to to tell them anything or offend them with unwise attitude. They will come and ask me themselves why am I donating them with those things while I eat nothing from them. I managed to explain them about some principles of the Path and we became friends. This is also a practice of Orthodox Indian Brahmins and the Brahmins among Buddhist monks.

4. A believer must keep his or her genitals away from whatever is illegal to them. He or she must only stay in legal marriage condition as it is holy for them. The verse also mentions about genitals are only permitted for one's owned slave servants but nowadays the war principles are not the same as previous days. Nobody is the slave or serving others without any payment or binding contracts of employer and employees. One possess his mind to think and ponder on what is suitable with the principles around through the guide of Quran and Sunnah so use it wisely.

5. A believer must keep himself or herself away from committing adultery and other acts caused by the flesh desires. When we mention flesh desires here, it means that they are things that contradict the spirit. Those who are finding the ways as according to his or her evil desires are those who exceed the limit as a civilized human-being. Our Path is the Middle Path, we must be within the track and not outside of the track.

6. A believer is a person who is committed to his or her promises and trusts. Among the promises and trusts are the promises to be within the commandments and to hold higher the Covenant of the Lord. In our daily services, we actually make promises with Him so if we wanted to live for eternity, this is among the way that the God highlighted in the scripture for our convenience. The same thing also goes to other businesses, trusts and contracts that he or she holds. A believer also acts with this attitude.

7. A believer is a person who keeps his salat services and always learning about how to perform it nicely only for the pleasure of the God the Highest. This also refer to the litanies and remembrance that we chant for e.g the highest sentence which refers to the "there is no gods except the God; only Him with no partners to be worshiped;only for Him the Kingdom and Praises; He raises the soul into life and He put the soul into the death;and He is all-Powerful!".

I do not really like to put it here because I personally think that it is enough for a person to perform the basic things mentioned in the pillars of Islam. But I cannot hide this too. This has to do with our practices and also mentioned by the ustad. I guess he is from traditional circle because the reference books he use for the sermon and lecture is the books written by people of traditional circles. It takes times for one to perform this and I was also asked by a freshman undergraduate student while chanting this alone. I do not like people asking me this question because I do not like people relating this practice with mysticism. This is not a magical chanting word!

I am not so much traditional in approaches because we can conduct practices whether in private or in congregation. We emphasize on the Quran, the Sunnah and the wisdom of Ahl Bayt. Some traditional people say that we need to perform chantings of the highest sentence with teacher everyday and alone. It is up to people, the religion is very flexible. I chant without any teachers too while walking, while laying down or while I have no friends for conversation. I am communicating with the God, souls around and angels. Maybe next time I will share what I recite everyday. It is just the same with other people and I also perform tahlel for souls of faithful martyrs. Please some people do not mistook those chantings as magical.  

8. Once a person fulfills these integrated qualities, he or she will reach the Eternal Kingdom as promised by the Lord. One who sells everything that he posses which also includes his soul for His cause and the Lord is paying him with an extremely high price. I am not sure whether I have these qualities. I pray to him may everyone including myself acquire these traits. Please help me to pray together, amin!

 

Judging Faith 

So, these are the parameter of our Faith for Him. No need to see it in other people but try to put a mirror in front of ourselves and ask ourselves whether we hold these qualities? This is better than we label others as kafeer or with other unpleasant names. It should be imprinted in our heart...

After the 'Isha' prayer service, I just went to the nearby 99 Mart and I could see that I have some papers left in my wallet. I just used those papers to buy some vegetables like the lady's fingers and eggplants. I wanted to fast tomorrow and see if I will die because of hunger. No meat and no beautiful food, just enough with simple food to survive as fasting is a training for spiritual enlightenment. Not to demand the God the Highest to grant us any material reward. Just enough to receive His Merciful Love.

Next morning I would have to purify myself with turmeric as people at home began to take forbidden things like seafood and shrimp paste in the kitchen. I have told them many times a wara' person will never touch those matters. I am not a wara' person myself but I am trying to hold the codes as fast as I can and promoting them to everyone other than to myself. This is some influence that we have to encounter when we are melting in the receiving society...

It is up to them or anyone to take it or to leave it. I will stick to whatever I believe and I believe those subject matters will slow my effort to grab the Quran while it is for everyone benefits. It is a very painful process especially to maintain awareness about Him and not to fall again into darkness.... I am apologizing to everyone which also includes my parents. I am such a burden and a useless son. I am also a useless friend and could provide nothing for friends as offerings. I wish that I could do something as a favor for everyone... Ya Allah....

Sealed with prayers for mercy, peace and love, amin!

What is the Purpose of Qiyaamullail?

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

I read this in our musalla just after Ishaa' service where they had pasted it at the board of current issue. I think the reminder is quite nice and I would like to share it with brothers and sisters world wide who unintentionally hit this humble site may Allah bless all of you. 

Introduction to Qiyaamullail

First of all I would like to explain what is Qiyaamullail. It is Arabic compound words which means wake up in the night. This term means we sleep early at night maybe around 22:00-23:00 at night and wake up again at maybe 3:45 or 4:00 at the morning. About an hour or half an hour before obligatory Fajr prayer service. For a traditional person, he might be walking to masjid after the Qiyaamullail according to the prayer time. For me usually, I will take bath and finding my hygienic stuffs first before Qiyaamullail so if brothers and sisters could not bear cold water use hot water if you wanted to take bath. If you don't smell like rotten socks then it is ok to talk with Him without shower or bath, lol.

This thing is also founded in other traditions such as the Brahmin traditions as to make it easier to understood by non-Muslims or non-religious Muslims. They have several what I could say as quite harsh rites which should be followed by Brahmins as part of customs. I don't call it as Hinduism but only Brahmanism because not all Hindus perform this as this is only the duty for Brahmins and I am not going to talk in detail about it but in Islam it could be practiced by everyone who feels it as a necessity for them. I think Christians for example Roman rites also have this and they call it with few terms such as the three nocturns during special religious festivals. Orthodox churches as well and they also have terms in Syriac and in Christian nations' languages who adhere to Orthodox faith. I went to several churches and asking here and there to priests just after prayer services in churches. Avoid speculating if we never ask anything from the right person. We would be outraged too if people speculate something which does not really represent us right? 

Qiyaamullail is a discipline which helps human-being to develop their spiritual strength and it protects us from diseases because our weak inner selves will harm our physical selves. Psychological problem is about spiritual. I read psychological journals too about Sigmund Freud and others but I am not as fanatic as people who are obsessed to certain things. I rely also on researches when talking about things and this is what we are. We believe in holistic approaches and it is also approaches used in several fields such as in nursing in the United Kingdom for example since I helped my sister with her assignments and I read all of the journals for her thesis and assignments. I hate people who love to boast such as those who claim themselves as proving this and that as false, comparing this and that trying to show to people who is better who is not. I believe that they have no life, ugly attention whores and I bet their life must be boring and pathetic as hell, hahaha. This is addressed equally for Muslims, Christians, Atheists, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, Wiccans, Satanic religion followers and etc, hahaha. We hate all of you boastful people!!  

For Muslims, we have Qiyaamullail during Ramadan and also Qiyaamullail in everyday if we had already make our selves familiar with it. It is wrong and sinful to stop from Qiyaamullail when one has chosen to perform it everyday and already familiar with it.

Qiyaamullail as a Sunnah

Noble prophet Muhammad s.a.w mentions that: "Wake up in the night to pray and remember the Lord at that time as it is the common acts of pious people before you. It helps you to be close to the Lord and prevents you from committing sinful acts. It blows away your past sins and evil around you besides prevents you from diseases" (Hadith narrated by Imam Ahmad, at-Tirmidzie, Hakim and Baihaqi).

Goals of Qiyaamullail as a Discipline

Now let us see the purpose of Qiyaamullail and the article pasted at the musalla stated there are 10 goals for it.

1. Merit will be granted without obstacles to His servant who wake up to remember Him (Surah Ali-Imraan 113-115).

2. His Grace in the paradise descends on those who remember Him in the early hours (Surah Ali-Imran 15-17).

3. A person who wakes up early at nights only for His Lord are assured noble and appraised position in His view (Surah al-Israa' verses 78-79)

4. When a person performs Qiyaamullail, the Lord will grant him with a sacred heart and noble manner. He is respectful to people and environment around. This is the sign of a person who remembers His Lord in contrast to boastful people who writes nonsense things like in answering Islam or answering whatever it is (Surah al-Furqan verses 63-64). When I read those things I just laugh at the writers and I think that they are just clowns. The same thing also about scientific proving of the scriptures and etc. Scriptures are beyond scientific research. It is metaphysical, beyond physical boundaries. I read physics and chemistry books though I was from Shariah streams, not a talented student in academic and I don't know why people love to look at us as stupid than them just because we are humble. Sometimes these people confuse me and make me think should I also show off to make them realize that their attitude is so annoying? I don't like to make people crying and I made one of our colleague crying simply because he showed off to me and my friend, Amir ahahaha. I am so sorry for being bad ass person but sometimes we can't bear these kind of people.

5. A person who performs Qiyaamullail is hardly a boastful and hardly a show off person (Surah as-Sajjadah 15-17). It is because boastful and show off are some kinds of mental illnesses.

6. When performing Qiyaamullails, a person will receive profits and benefits through His Mercy (Surah az-Zumar verse 9). If one is conducting say business, his business will receive blessings from the Lord and though we can't see the blessings but we can feel it. If we are on some affairs, the Lord will bless us and make everything goes smooth though we do not notice it. So, we have to be very careful with environment as we don't know where is his blessings and mercy and how they look like.

7. Qiyaamullail teaches a person to be patient and it is a very good discipline for a person who can't control patience (Surah Qaaf verses 39-40). Try perform this for few nights and feel it your selves. You don't have to be a Muslim to perform this. If you are a Christian, then perform this according to your rites. If you are a Buddhist or Hindu, try perform it according to your responsibility of birth. If you are a Muslim, then perform it according to Sunnah and prophetic traditions. Who says that when we are different from each other and trying to return to the faith, we have to chop everyone's head? This is the act of a pea-brain sized person not the act of civilized people. We can see this kind of people in all community, society, and faiths. Their mind is dirty their heart is filthy thus their mouth instigate evil things for people to scratch each others' faces.

8. It will lead a person who performs it to feel wrong if they do not sacrifice themselves to help the poor, the unfortunate and the tyrannized people (Surah az-Zaariyat verses 15-19). A person who always remember his Lord alone in the darkness of the night will try to take part in social works in the daylight.

9. The Lord will grant a person who performs Qiyaamullail with perseverance to wait the decree of the Lord (Surah at-Tuur verses 48-49). Whatever decree of Lord will be the things which is uncertain in the future or anything which had already happened. This discipline teaches us to accept everything that will happen or that had happened as it helps us to get rid anxiety.  

10. Waking up in the darkness of night alone to worship makes us more focus to Him and it is more effective rather than when we pray optional prayers in front of people because we might get distracted (Surah al-Muzammil verses 1-6). We will recite things and ponder the meanings of the recitation. It will make us think deeper as we contemplate the messages of the Lord in His divine revelation. We also can cry and confess everything to the Lord without being known by others because many people are sleeping so they can't see or even hear us, lol!

Respected brothers and sisters in faith, please check the meaning and messages of the surahs for yourselves. A person who performs Qiyaamullail usually possesses wisdom and he is always blessed by the Lord though people look at him as no less than a tiny dust. Qiyaamullail is an additional worship act apart of the obligatory prayer services performed by orthodox sunnah Muslims. It helps us to get His Mercy and Love while we are still in this harsh world. In Qiyaamullail, a person will perform the salaat tahajjud, recites supplication or wazifas in devotion to the Lord and begging His Divine intervention to solve daily problems. 

So, brothers and sisters, I would like to advise myself and those who share the faith with me to stop talking about my Wahhabi movement is better, my Barelwi movement is better, my Deobandi movement is above all, my Tabligh movement is better, my Sunnah madzhab is correct, my Shi'ah madzhab is more honorable. Stop talking about who is wrong or who is correct. Let us together open up our scripture (Quran) and open up our Sunnah (prophetic traditions). We won't scratch each other faces when we are uniformly guided by these two primary sources of our Sacred Path. Stop fanaticism, stop being obsessed with our selves. The first creature/being who is obsessed with his self is the Devil the father of genies and the leader of evil genies, animals and human-being. Are we going to be one of his followers? Na'udzubillahu min dzaalik (may Allah helps us to be away from evil traits) may Allah makes us only as His followers and not others'!

Sealed with prayers for mercy, peace and love, amin!

Useful Ways of Leading a Happy Life: Chapter 2

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

 Diary

Chapter two of this book deals with how to ward off anxieties and worries. I am experiencing all of these. I am sure dearly brothers and sisters are also experiencing this because we are all not perfect. Only Allah is Perfect. I had woke up late for night services for Him. I feel very sad, disappointed with myself, disgusted to look at my own face in the mirror and tortured because I had forgotten my position as His lowly slave. 

It happens because I lost the grip over my time since I am in an empty space and I am only depending on Allah without any brother (teacher) to guide me. After all, I also heard that my dad is driving to the north while he is not well because he feels bored and dull at home. Who says if we are married and having family we could be peaceful? I had seen many sorrows, physically and mentally tortured since I am a young child. I am sure others also experienced this but they don't share their stories widely to people because their situation might varies. Anything that other people do or experience does not apply to all people. Human also need friends and dad have lost all of his friends. When he was young, he used to mingle with his friends chatting and doing activities together. We can't easily develop friendship and friendship could easily end. 

Ya Allah... Your angels and other faithful brothers in my room are also witnessing me. I renew my declaration that You are the only True Friend of mine... You had befriend our patriarch Abraham a.s while he was alone and You also accompanied our beloved prophet Muhammad s.a.w while he was alone. I love You Lord, please forgive me I wake up late please don't leave alone, amin! 

I don't want to experience what my dad experienced. I feel so sad for him especially I can't accompany him to help guide him to see You in Your houses. Last few semesters I faced with few sorrows in the same time too which also includes my dad was affected by strokes until he's half paralyzed during Ramadan. I was so worried that I can't eat anything or drink anything. I threw out everything once I put something in my mouth. That's why I can't have my meals in front of brothers in my hostel. I don't want people to be affected and burdened because an unworthy creature like me :'( 

Chapter Two

It says among the means to wipe off anxieties due to nervousness and the preoccupation of the heart on sorrowful things is to keep ourselves busy with one activity that we like or another one is to seek knowledge. Why we keep ourselves busy? Because we want to distract our heart away from dwelling in anxieties. Activities like seeking the knowledge and knowing Allah will make us forget our grief and worry. As the result we will experience happiness and become cheerful again. This is actually something that we share with people of other faiths.

What makes us different from people of other faiths. A faithful Muslim will make intention to seek knowledge solely because to get Allah's pleasure. Whatever he does such as worldly acts which have good intention because of seeking the strength to worship Allah are due to his faith and sincerity only for Allah. This actually has an additional effect which wards off grief, worries, and anxieties through the Divine intervention. 

So many people today afflicted with permanent anxieties and sorrows. It comes the extent which makes him feeling very ill. The only cure is to forget the cause of sorrows and miseries. A person must make himself busy with normal activities. The activities which keep him busy should be something pleasing to himself. This will bring the person into his desired goal and all of knowledge only with Allah.

Among things to ward off worry and anxiety

1. Concentrate one's attention and concern only with present affairs.

2. Stop being anxious about future or grieving over the past.

3. Praying to Allah to protect one self from anxiety and grief (Bukhari n Muslim).

4. Anxiety and grief usually is a fear and concern over what will happen in the future. 

 A person should be the son of the moment.

5. Concentrate his energy and attention only for the betterment of the existing events and present moments.

6. Concentrate only the affairs of the moment is a necessary cause which leads to its accomplishment. 

Hope, Dependence to Allah and Working Hard

Prophet Muhammad s.a.w when he asks something from Allah, or when he guides the community at that time to ask specific things from Allah, he is advising them that prayers and supplication to Allah must be followed with hope in His favor. The same time, work hard and earnestly to achieve accomplishment of what had been asked or the removal of what had been asked to be removed from them.

The du'a to Allah should go side by side with action. A slave strives for what will benefit him in his Path and his worldly life. He asks his Lord to make him accomplish his need, and he seeks His help and intervention in that. 

Noble prophet Muhammad s.a.w said: "Strive for what will benefit you. Seek the help of Allah. Don't get incapacitated. If something afflicts you, don't say "if I had done such and such would have happened." But say: "This is the Decree of Allah. He does what He Wills". This is because "if" opens the act of the Devil". (Reported by Muslim) 

Our noble prophet Muhammad s.a.w advised us through this speech for us to join between two things:

I. Strive for useful things in all situations. 

Strive for the benefits of all situations. Seeking help of Allah and never surrender to incapacity as it is a harmful negligence.

II. Surrender to Allah the past events that have passed.

Witness in them the decree of Allah and His pre-destination.

Noble prophet Muhammad s.a.w has highlighted two categories of affairs: 

1. That a slave has ability to accomplish totally or partially, or those that can be completely avoided or at least lighten their burden. The slave should give his utmost effort and seek help of the Lord.

2. The affairs which the slave has no power over them. For this, the faithful slave must keep calm. Accept whatever come to him and surrender to Allah. This is a principle which complies with a definite mean to remove worry and grief beside achieving happiness.

Allah knows well... Finish this part and I had cried in front of the lappy until my chest get wet... Useless, hehehe.... :')

Sealed with prayers for mercy, peace, and love, amin! 

The Virtue of Fajr Prayer Service in Congregation

In the Name of the God the Most Merciful the Most Compassionate

فضل صلاة الفجر فى جماعة 

عن أبى هريرة (ر) قال : سمعتُ رسول الله (ص) يقول : تفضُلُ صلاة الجميعِ صلاةَ أحدِكم وحدهُ بخمسٍ وعشرينَ جزاءً .وتجمعُ ملائكةُ الليلِ وملائكةُ النهارِفى صلاة الفجر .ثم قال أبو هريرة : فاقرأو وإنْ شِئْتم : إنْ قرآنٌ الفجرِ كان مشهودًا

阿布胡來拉就是報告來： 我聽過安拉的報信者說： 

晨禮最好的做跟斬馬特。比一個人在家裡的禮拜功德

能到二十五的部分。夜日天仙在晨礼集合。然後阿布胡來拉繼續說：

如果你們想讀古蘭經也是好因為你們的念讀被安拉和天仙目睹的。

Narrated by Abu Hurairah r.a, he said: I listened to the messenger of the God s.a.w says: The virtue of the obligatory prayer services in congregation above the prayer service performed alone is 25 part of merits. And assembled the angels who are in charge for the night and the angels who are in charge for the day at the time of dawn (during fajr service). Then, Abu Hurairah further narrated: After the prayer service, if you have something better to do, recite the Quran as it is witnessed by those servants (angels) of the God in the dawn. (Sahih Bukhari)    

Sealed with prayers for mercy, peace and love, amin!

 

Lecture : What Happens in the Mahshar?

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

Introduction

This topic is related to the fifth article of faith which is the faith in the Resurrection. The word al-Qiyamah of Arabic means Resurrection. It was mentioned by prophet Muhammad s.a.w during his discourse with an unknown man who was actually Archangel Gabriel a.s when the prophet sitting together with his companion in the masjid. I had a goosebumps when reading this hadith and suddenly I felt like something wrong in my heart that slowly turns me to be this Abdullah. What does Mahshar means? It means the place where all of the people will be together before the Judgement by the Holy Lord. It is the time for Justice. 

Description of Mahshar according to Sunnah

To describe the Mahshar, everything will be gathered in a place. Human, animal, genies and other creatures are all gathered together in the huge place. They will all be judged because of their deeds during their life before the universe being destroyed by His Will for the Judgement to come. Tirmidzi, Muslim, and Imam Ahmad mentioned that every cruelty of creatures will be judged. Animals or creatures crawling on the earth, flying above the sky, swimming in the sea and river will be judged just like you humans! In the Guarded Tablet, nothing will be left behind. Everything has been discreetly created and everything will also be assembled in the Mahshar and nobody could ever escape.

Hadith about animals will also being judged by the Lord, says Muhammad s.a.w: "An animal which has been tyrannized by its species will be compensated." Narrated by Abu Hurairah, Muhammad s.a.w says: "The rights of those who were tyrannized will be returned after the Resurrection. A goat with its broken horn caused by other goat will receive its compensation during the Resurrection and it will receive Justice." Although animals have no merits nor sins but they will still receive the Justice of the Lord in the hereafter and during the Resurrection.     

As human-being, we should also think zillion of times before we tyrannize others by hijacking others' rights or when thinking to commit evil deeds. The Lord orders everyone to make sure that a trust to be exercised on others who supposedly to receive it. For e.g, if we are a department manager in an organization, we should honestly protecting and monitoring our subordinates. The Lord will judge and ask us again during the Judgement after the Resurrection since He is the Fairest and the Most Just. Everybody will be brought together to the Mahshar and will be investigated on the deeds. Everything including our body parts will be talking to tell the truth and our voice will be muted. Deeds will be discreetly measured and calculated. There will be the Book of Deeds which is our personal file handed to us. Our deeds since little to our death bed are all recorded in the Book of Deeds.

The Glorious Quran mentions about Shahaadatul Jawareh which means that body parts will be witnesses to our own deeds. We have the faith in it since it is mentioned by the God in Surah al-Ghaashiyah verse 25 and 26.

Indeed, to Us they will be returned 25 Then it depends to Us on how to calculate their deeds (to judge them) 26

All of fussy things in our daily life are indeed being recorded by His servants as evidence during the Resurrection. We may look at them as fussy, but the Lord view them as crucial and important. Luqman al-Hakim who is a member of wisdom had advised his son: "Dear son, even though the things that you're doing is in the measurement of a mustard seed (if it is the smallest measurement that we have or even smallest), either good or evil, obedience or vices, in the cave, in the heavens or in the earth, remember always that your Lord will hand to you those deeds readily calculated. The God is very very discreet in His calculation and the Most Wise over everything." This is how a dad reminds his son or child for him not to look at his daily deeds as a fussy thing but being very sensitive and paying attention to it. 

In Surah al-Hijir verse 92-93, the God began the verse from verse 92 with the "swear" word. Says the God: "For your Lord will ask (investigate) you everything and one by one (after the Resurrection) 92 On what they had done (during their lifetime) 93" 

The Lord will ask from where does those grace came from?! How did you benefit and use those grace???! Where did you use those benefits???! The ustad mentions also about the evil traits in one self such as showing off, arrogance, feeling one self as so great over others will spoil every good deeds performed. 

The ustad ends this lecture with these words of wisdom: "All of human-being will perish but save the 'ailom (scholars). All of the 'ailom will perish but save those who are practicing with their scholarship. Those who are practicing will also perish but save those who are sincere! 

Adapted from lecture source : Ustad Sheikh Fadzil Hajji Awang

May I myself benefit from this and quickly repent to Allah A.W.J, inshaAllah. Sealed with prayers of mercy, peace, and love, amin!    

Vanquishing Arrogance through Faith

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

The God says in Surah Faathir verse 43: "(Due to) arrogance in the earth and plotting of evil; but the evil plot does not encompass except its own people. Then do they await except the way of the former peoples? But you will never find in the way of the God any change, and you will never find in the way of the God any alteration."

The God talks about some of those idolater Quraish Arab noblemen in Meccan period in which a messenger wasn't sent yet to them. They had loudly shouting in front of people, swearing in His Name that if a messenger was sent to them, they would immediately profess their faith to Him through the messenger and becoming the most obedient follower of the teachings transmitted by the messenger more than those earlier nations. 

But when Muhammad s.a.w was raised to them and decreed as a prophet and messenger of the God, with His Revelation descends upon him, they refused to accept him and his teaching. They refused to witness his prophethood and arrogantly rejecting the teachings and the Revelation which are His Mercy upon them. It is not enough with them who rejected the messenger, they plotted many evil things and tricks to prevent others from the faith toward Him and His messengers (in which Muhammad s.a.w is their seal).   

Their evil plot and doings will only return to them as they were waiting for the Sunnatullah or the way of the God  to happen. It was witnessed by previous nations before them where His torments and bad news will descend upon them. Arrogance is also the characteristic of the people who ridiculed others or demonizing them simply because they are Muslims in Europe and elsewhere while most of the people actually never harm them nor doing anything to them. They just read made-up news and listening to things exaggerated by medias and later judging others like they are the God. 

As the conclusion, arrogance, showing off, and excessively being proud of oneself are all disgraceful characteristics of creatures and they are evil. The God has grant everyone with the faculty of mind to think on good things and not on evil deeds and plotting evil things for example demonizing others to gain material comfort and praises from medias. This is to all human-being regardless faith, ideologies and beliefs. I also mean this to fellow brothers and sisters (Muslims).    

Sealed with prayers for mercy, love, and peace, amin!

Interpretation of Faith

Assalamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah!

source pic: beautifulfoolishness.com

This is the interpretation of faith or iman in the view of Ahlus-Sunnah wal Jama'ah of Syafi'ie tradition that I listened through Radio Malaysia Kedah at 14:00 today just after Dzuhr prayer service. Although the ustad is a bit proud with his Syafi'ie tradition line of Yemen but it is still a beneficial knowledge for everyone. I am familiar with it anyway. It is our ancestral tradition. As long as we do not condemn each other without sound knowledge and understanding, I will be in agreement with it and I guess it is not a sin.

There are four interpretations of faith which are:

i. faith according to the prophetic tradition which is mentioned in the hadith

ii. faith through keeping practices

iii. faith through morality

iv. the sweetness of faith

First Interpretation

The first one is the faith of the people who keep the prophetic traditions in which we call them as sunni or sunnah. It is the faith which is mentioned in the six pillars of faith.

Second Interpretation

The second which is the faith related to the practices. The practices are prescribed in the scripture and the hadiths regarding the five basic pillars of the law of life. About the characteristics of faith, it is mentioned in the glorious Quran verse 14th of surah al-Hujurat where the Bedouins said: "We have the faith!" and the God cast His words in noble prophet Muhammad s.a.w tongue: "Say (to them), you are not faithfuls but say to them (that they should say), "we already submit ourselves to the path," since the faith is not yet in in your heart. And if you obey the God and His messenger, He will never decrease even a little merit for your deeds. Indeed, the God is All-Forgiver, the Most Merciful. 

I hope that nutty bigots who never tired of stupid enmity and calling themselves as previous Muslims like people care, displaying the distorted verse from surah at-Tawbah about the order to kill everything could also spread this verse to everyone, hahaha... Through this verse, it is expounded that although we had already submitted ourselves to the path, we are not yet faithful since the faith could be somewhere out of the heart. So, this revelation descends into the heart of the noble prophet Muhammad s.a.w through the statement of the Bedouins who called themselves as the faithfuls, and the God revealed to the prophet s.a.w to correct their statement.

So, in the second interpretation or opinion about the faith by the people who follow prophetic tradition, it is important for every Muslim to keep their practices in consistency. When we go through the first part which is the faith with heart, proclaim it with tongue, we then will keep practices in our life with our body parts. Said the prophet Muhammad s.a.w recorded in the hadith: "When we see a person who always going to the mosque, be his witness that he is a faithful person. The place to prostrate (masjid) is prospered with the faithful people."

In the surah as-Sajjadah verse 15th, the God said: "Indeed, those who have faith in our verses (proofs) when reminded by the verses will fall down into prostration and exalt (the God) with praises of their Lord and they are not arrogant." 

The verse implies that those who are faithful will be:

1. Falling down into prostration when listening to His verses. It implies the act of awe and worship to Him with body parts

2. Exalting in praises to the God. This implies the exalting is with tongue since our tongue articulating exaltation and praises to Him.

3. A person who is not arrogant. He or she accepts whatever truth coming to his or her, humbling themselves and never looking down to others though a person who told him or her the truth is not of a great position in society, without any possession and others.

The Devil is the first creature of the God who is arrogant. He refused to obey the God to prostrate and humbling himself down in respect to fellow creature who is Adam. Thus, he becomes a subject who lose hope to His Mercy and Guidance and his envious self swear to Him to destroy man's soul into condemnation. Human-being could also be like this, thus we must be so careful. We had seen this around and even in human history.

Third Interpretation

Many law of life scholars also holding this interpretation of faith where a person needs to have his faith according to the six pillars of the faith according to prophetic tradition, keeping the act of worship in daily life as a daily practice, and honoring high morality. Why those in Afghanistan behead others' head? Why those in Somalia and Africa killing each other? Why the people in the Mid East keep chopping each others' head? Everyone should ask themselves why... The answer is within ourselves.

Last night I had a conversation with Mid East congregation after I ask them the book on Three Fundamental Principles by the Reformer Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab. I already have copies of that book either in Arabic or in Malay. I just want the explanation book but perhaps they think that I am a beginner since I am a "Malay" and do not speak in Arabic. I don't like people asking me my ethnicity, anyone could just talk in any language they prefer and I would respond if I understand them. It is just offensive for me as I prefer to be known as a Muslim and Malaysian so that I feel close to my compatriots and brethren in faith.

What I can't agree is that they contradict in words. They wanted non-Muslim for example Jews or Christians to embrace the seal of prophethood but they keep repeating offensive words to these people in generalization. I made friend with few priests and shammas (deacons) from Middle East Orthodox Churches and also those from Orthodox Churches in India. Many of them do not offend me so I feel free to contact them and getting information needed and they answer my questions without offending me and my religion. If I have people of the book friends who embrace Islam insulting their family members who do not embrace Islam, I myself would slap his or her face as they are takabbur of themselves. It is a mazmumah (disgusting) characteristics for creatures. We must first understand that Guidance is not in our hand!!! Allah 'Azza wa Jalla is the One with authority in this matter. If we receive Guidance, we must be thankful and grateful to Allah 'Azza wa Jalla and not to look down on others. Our responsibility is only to tell others the good news and not to chop off others' head if they do not accept. Unless if they threaten us with their swords or M-16, then it would be foolishness to let our head being beheaded or kena tembak bocor.

My personal opinion, if we want to spread His Mercy to others, just leave offensive words behind and talk only about Him, sharing whatever we have in our limited knowledge and practices. Let others insult or say anything they want. The angels are behind those people who insult others turning the words back to them. Know first what are their philosophies and creed. It is not as easy as reading books written by few people like Ahmad Deedat, may Allah be Merciful to his soul and others like Zakir Naik. We need to go to the base just like these people did and mingle with the people we wanted to talk with. Human are of different level of knowledge and background just like us as Muslims. We condemn people in distance but we never bother to be among them, talk with them, and never bother to ask what are they doing... So, what do we expect? We expect people to listen to us? People treat us just like we treat them. My second sister now began to read these kind of books too and sometimes she might quarrel with me since she could not understand when I do not agree with the offensive parts for the people of the books or any other non-Muslims. When we do not agree with something, try to find other alternatives which could make everyone understand what we are up to. For now, I don't talk with people if I know their level of understanding though they might 'appear' to be pious. It will just complicate matters because people have different understanding and worldview. Even in the same house.    

Said the noble prophet Muhammad s.a.w in a hadith: "The highest faith is the proclamation with tongue and the confidence in heart that there is no gods but only the God. The lowest one is when a person casts away obstacles in the road, helping to repair the road as to avoid others from falling into accidents, being merciful to animals and fellow human, and others." These are the signs of faith in a person. There are about 63 to 73 branches of faith, one of it is feeling shy.

Fourth Interpretation

The person who feels the sweetness of faith is a person who knows his or her God which is called as ma'arifatullah. This faith can be seen in a supplication which we recite three times in morning and evening which is: "I am pleased that Allah (the God) is my Lord, and I am pleased with Islam as the law which leads my life to Him, and I am pleased with Muhammad s.a.w as my prophet and the messenger of the God to me."

This interpretation is equated to a hobby, for example someone who loves to watch movies, he or she can stand sitting on the sofa for 10 hours watching movies without feeling bored. Or someone who loves to fish, he or she could sit on the bridge or spending few hours at the bank of the river trying to get some fish for his or her satisfaction. In our history, there are many scholars and sages who are devoted to the God, they pray hundreds units of prayers just because they love the God and it is their hobby in their free time. Some of them chanting holy verses everywhere without stop like a scholar in Yemen where his mouth could not stop chanting holy verses until he has to put a stone into his mouth to prevent it from reciting holy verses in toilet. 

We are suggested by scholars and people who follow prophetic traditions to recite the supplication to the God الَّلهُمَّ ارْزُقْنا حُبَّكَ وحُبُّ رُسُلِكَ وحب مَنْ اَحَبَّكَ وحب ما اَقْرَبِ إليكَ which means dear our Lord, sustain us with the love to You, and love to Your messenger, and love to those who love You and love on what brings us closer to You. We are suggested to supplicate may the God grants us with love toward all of those mentioned in the supplication. 

In this interpretation, through faith, a person will get to know the God. He or she will only agrees with the God and not others. The prophet Muhammad s.a.w traditions and sayings will be his or her model to perform daily life. And the interpretation is also a kind of level of faith that someone is going through step by step. In order to reach the stages above, a person needs stairs and the stairs are ulamas with efforts, scholars and sages. 

Summary of the Lesson

The first interpretation of faith is related to the six pillars of faith, a person must know it together with the learning of the obligatory characteristics and impossible characteristics of the God, sciences of the Quran, creed according to prophetic traditions, companions of the prophet Muhammad s.a.w, the Asha'ari and Maturidi. As for Asha'ari, the ustad said that he had a dream meeting with the noble prophet Muhammad s.a.w and in his dream, he was advised to keep the creed. Imam Syafi'ie also memorized the Quran since he was seven years old. According to the narration of Imam Hanbal, Imam Syafi'ie had narrated about his dream where he met the prophet Muhammad s.a.w in his dream. The prophet s.a.w asked him where he came from (his house)? He said that he came from the house of Quraisy. Thus the prophet s.a.w asked him to come closer to him and he put his saliva into the mouth of the child. This is in his dream and vision. After that, he never wrong in reciting holy verses and narrating hadiths.

In surah Yunus, it is mentioned that those who are close to the God never feel scared or sad as for them is fear to the God and faith in Him. The God promise them with good news in their worldly life where noble people will love them. The God will call His archangel, Gabriel a.s and telling him that this person is the person which I love. Go and tell everyone that I love this person. The archangel Gabriel will go to heavens and telling everyone to love the particular person. It will also reach the heart of other faithful servants in the earth. How could we detect this kind of person? The ustad said... Look at how the person brings himself or herself in the society. With whom they mingle with? If they mingle with people who do vices, they would pray for them may the God be Merciful for those people. 

The God knows whatever happens. Every deeds and everything we talked in our heart will pass Him first. The noble messenger, prophet Muhammad s.a.w also being notified by the God on what happens in his nation. If his nation is in good condition striving in charity, he will praise the God. If he sees that his nation is in bad condition, he will pray to the God for salvation and forgiveness.  

People who are loved by the God

1. Are promised with good news

2. Having good dreams and visions, such people are the Imam Syafi'ie, the Imam al-Ghazali, and other ulamas and they have also stated in their books about their dream and vision for record. The ustad said, ulama from Syafi'ie school always look at Quranic verses with their heart. I agree, and other ulamas are also the same. They deserve equal respect. Not like us who only look at everything with our physical eyes.

3. People who holds tasawwuf in which the beginning of tasawwuf began sciences of religion and the law of life. Then it will continuously be supported with the practice of the sciences and knowledge. And from that, they will receive the Love of the God where the God will teach them knowledge which they themselves never know. This could not be sought in school or university. Because it is in His authority as what has been mentioned in surah al-Qalam, He teaches human on what he does not know. It begins with collections of basic knowledge and sciences and basic practices. The knowledge where the God teaches people He loves is called as the knowledge which is granted upon or 'ilmul-wahbi. 

Everything that the God grant to us in this world is something which is borrowed. It is not permanent. It includes knowledge and sciences. It also includes sons and daughters. Everything belongs to Him. As for children, as they are not ours but the God, we must teach them sciences of religion, the law of life with love and never neglect them. Teach our children with revelation, prayers, fasting, and everything in the basic pillars of religion. Teach them how to pray when they are seven years old, make it interesting and fun for them to pray obligatory salat service. Don't let them do it alone. Teach them fasting in Ramadan, teach them step by step. Don't ask them to fast like adults until they reach 10 years old. Teach them with creed as what has been prescribed in Quran and Sunnah. Children are not something to take as easy. They are responsibility. And they are not ours as everything is not permanent. Even if we have friends, our friends is only borrowed by the God to us. They are not ours. They will go different directions from us when certain period in our life come. Ibn Hatim had said: "Since friends, lovers, and everything will eventually leave us, I make faith and practice as my lover and my friend." Such a nice words of wisdom, I love this philosophy. 

Said the prophet s.a.w in a hadith: "Indeed Constantinople will be opened to His light again by a good chief amongst human-being, and his soldiers are amongst good soldiers amongst soldiers." It appears to be from the prophecy of the prophet Muhammad s.a.w that sultan Muhammad al-Fateh was the one who opened the city. He is actually a person who performs tasawwuf and always praying salat nawafil apart of other obligatory salaat services. May Allah be Merciful to his soul, amin. 

The faith may increase or decrease. It depends on environment. If we are in good environment, good deeds will arise more while evil will sunken a bit. Even if a person who knows religious sciences would still fall into evil as their environment would influence them to reject whatever being taught to them. Sometimes it might be due to non-halal sustenance (such as from bribery, cheating, and etc). When the food that we get not in proper manner and morally bad, our prayers and supplication will be rejected by the God. It is not only about avoiding pork, hog, monitor lizard, snake, dog, birds like eagle, bear and other animals prescribed in the Quran and Sunnah which should be avoided as food. Or only about alcohol consumption. It is more than that.

This is some essence of the half an hour lecture delivered by ustad Aminuddin Abdul Rahim at the Zakat Tower aired in the Radio Malaysia Kedah. The producer of the program is madame Hasmah Bahari. I wish it is not only beneficial for my self but also to those who passing by this humble site of a faqir, insyaallah.
    

Sealed with salawat, prayers for peace, mercy and love for brethren, amin!   

Introducing Islam to Others

Assalaamu'alaikum wa Rahmatullah!

What we have tonight for a short tadzkirah (reminders) session after Taraweekh sunnah service? Let us check up our Quran translation and exegesis for a moment. Open up surah al-An'am in our glorious Quran as these two verses are from the same surah...

So whoever by the God's wills to guide, He opens his chest to Islam and whoever He wills to send astray, He makes his chest closed and constricted as he is climbing up to the sky. That is how the God puts His wrath on those who have no faith 125

Among crucial part in the law of life is the faith to Him and His messengers. Our task is to introduce the Path to others, but the guidance is not in our hands. It is His will as it is only through His decree that anyone who listens the verses would silently having a deep thought. 

Those who have no faith are actually in His wrath without they realize it. These people receive not His mercy... how sorry they are... That is why, it would be hard for them to understand nor having a deep thought on His words over simple matters. No matter how hard we try to talk about His Existence, His Greatness, or His Grace, those who have no faith would never come to believe as it is difficult for them just like they are climbing up to the sky. The obstacles such as egoism or attachment to worldly matters (idolatries) that prohibits them from coming close though it is just a simple thing : )

Another notion for this simply is that, guidance is His right. It is not our right although we are obliged to orally or verbally introduce His noble Path to our friends and brothers in humanity through wisdom and proposed manner.

And this Path of your Lord the straight one. Indeed We had explained our verses (proves) for those who take heed (reciting the verses) 126

This verse further explains that our task is to bring together people who take heed and already recited with deep thought the verses of glorious Quran and benefit from it with practices of noble life. People who recite and practice His teachings will be granted the abode of peace.

What is abode of peace dear brethren? It is the jannah (paradise) promised by the Lord of Mercy. It is granted to His servants because of the noble conduct, good deeds, charity, chastity and great faith toward the God the Most Highest. - Brother Syeikh Abu Khalid, Medina al-Munawwarah; 12 Ramadan 1432 H; USM Mosque, Penang Island 

Sealed with prayers for peace, mercy, and love for brethren in faith and humanity, amin!

Consoling the Heart

Assalaamu'alaikum wa Rahmatullah!

The world is the plantation for the hereafter. As far as one’s ability permits, engage yourself in earning good and reaping the fruits of the hereafter. With your intellect, tongue, pen and paper, wealth and all that it needs to make the hearts of others happy, comfort people but do not hurt or offend anyone. Consider this an act of great importance.

The deficiencies and difficulties of this worldly life are innumerable. However, this world has also been created as a fertile ground for the hereafter.

A saint was once asked, “How many avenues are there to reach Allah Ta’ala?” The saint replied, “The pathways leading to Allah Ta’ala are as many as the atoms that exist, however there is no path more beneficial and rewarding than keeping a person’s heart happy and consoling him. I have found Allah Ta’ala through this path and I advise others to do likewise. Consoling and bringing joy to a broken heart full of sorrow is far weightier than spending an entire night in Worship.”

Generally a broken or damaged article is worthless and futile but the heart is such that the more it is broken, the more it is filled with sorrow, the more its value increases.

(Ta’meer Hayat – Sept 2002)

Sealed with prayers for peace, mercy and love for dearly brothers and sisters in faith...