Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Our Krabi trip

I was in Krabi with my spouse from 21 March to 24 March 2009. Finally, we went on our short honeymoon trip(just the two of us this time)

The 'Land of all Smiles' truly lived up to its name. We met really friendly and nice people when we were in Phuket and Krabi.

The moment we stepped out of the Phuket airport, the taxi driver who drove us to our hotel was a Muslim. Alhamdulillah. And we had the privilege of having him again, to drive us to Krabi. Alhamdulillah.

Insya allah, the pictures will do the talking. I will upload them soon.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Reflections on Marriage(part 1)

A hadith states: ‘Marriage completes half of your iman (faith).’

“When the servant of Allah marries, he has fulfilled half the responsibilities laid on him by the faith (Islam), let him (therefore) observe Taqwa (the consciousness and fear of Allah) on matters concerning the remaining half.”

And you can always find this in books like Tranquil Hearts & Muslim Marriage Guidance; and most teachers or friends would say to you when they want to encourage you to get married if you are still ‘available’.

But how is that? How does marriage accomplish that?

After reading up on materials related to marriage, it didn’t state that if you do this… or do that….or any of the following, would complete half of your iman.

Faith, is something intangible right?

I’m almost entering my 2nd year of marriage. And strangely, somehow I never felt any boost-up of my iman level. Instead, I felt down or low-spirited at certain times of my life. I felt like I was worse than the time I was single. When I stayed with my parents, the trials and tribulations came from the ‘clash of interests’. Now, I find myself in a state of trials and tribulation with my spouse. When I’m not in my state of ‘taqwa’, I find myself going against what a wife should observe. But when I’m conscious of Allah swt, I can do what a wife is supposed to observe. Of course, the problem doesn’t lie with him. I know it’s me, and I’m really trying to fix it. Just that, in the midst of fixing it, I entangled myself with the question I mentioned earlier.

I hope Allah swt will send someone to enlighten me on this topic of maintaining a marriage with love and tranquility.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Nur of Muhammad s.a.w

A friend sent me this video. I am not sure if it was intentionally made to 'light' up. Wa'allahu alam.

This happened when the azan in Masjid Nabawi, Medina was going on. Turn on your speakers and look at it carefully.

Monday, March 09, 2009

12th Rabiuawal

Today marks the birth of our Master, Prophet of all Prophets, Muhammad s.a.w

The entire month of Rabiu'awal will be occupied with Maulids celebration everywhere... and the smell of briyani in every mosque... Hmmm

As much as I would love to visit more mosques to attend to their maulid sessions, I'm actually not quite familiar with other Maulid 'versions' except the Daiba'i (Al-Hafiz Shaikh Abdul Rahman bin Ali ad Daba'i). And so far, only the Nasqbandi tariqat group, which i'm more closely inclined towards that I have attended so far.

Usually, only the men will be involved in the reading of the Maulid. So women will usually follow and sing softly when there are 'choruses' (dzikir, salutations etc).

Since I can't read very well, I have always loved to read the translation of the arabic text available in the Daiba'i version. Here is an excerpt from the book:

In the name of God, most Gracious, Most Merciful

1)Verily We granted Thee a manifest victory(by the treaty of Meccan Quraysh), the door was opened for the spread of Islam throughout the world


2)That Allah may forgive you for your sins of the past and those to follow; fulfill His Favour to you and guide you on the straight path.


3)And that Allah may help you with a powerful(effective) help.


4)Now has come to you a Messenger from amongst you, it grieves him that you should perish (rush headlong to ruin); ardently anxious he watches over you: (and whenever any of you show signs of Faith) his (prophet's) kindness and mercy surround him and rejoice over him.


5)But if they turn away, Say: Allah sufficeth me: There is no god but He: in Him I trust - He is the Lord of the Throne, of Glory Supreme!


6)Verily Allah and His Angels (honour and) send blessings on the Prophet: "O ye who believe! Send your blessings and salutations on him with all respect.


O Allah, bestow blessings, grant peace and favour upon him and his family


In the name of God, most Gracious, most Merciful


1)All praise belong to Allah, who is Strong and Dominant


2)He demands His rights over His servants


3)He is the Resurrector and Inheritor(after all is gone), the Giver(of blessings) and Remover of our bereavement


4)He is the Knower of all beings be they in the current, transient or passed events


5)All the stars, those on the incline, those ascending and those withering say praises to Him


6)The articulate, the silent, the solid and the liquid are professing in the Unity of Allah


7)By His Justness, He moved the static and with His will, stopped the moving.


8){There is no god but Allah} the Wise, who showed His Wisdom through the wonders of His creations and miracles


9)In the orderly arrangement and assembly of His creations.


10)(He) created the brain, the pieces of bone, the upper arms, the veins, the flesh, the skin, the hair and the blood in petry and harmoniously overhapping


11)From the water that flows out and excretes separately from the spinal column (of the man) and chest (of the woman into the womb)


12){There is no god but Allah} the Generous One, who spreads over His creations a carpet of generosity and worldly talent and provisions


13)Descending every night to the lower heaven and calling out:"Is there anyone asking for forgiveness? Is there anyone seeking repentance?" (We seek repentance to Allah)


14)"Is there anyone seeking a favour; so that his request may be granted?"


15)Would it not be good if you see those who seve standing and crying in front(of your Lord)?


16)And (they) are standing in the state between remorse and repentance


17)And (they) fear for themselves and thus they reprimand themselves


18)And (they) run from their sins towards God


19)For (they) are the ones who continuously seek forgiveness till the light of dawn.

20)And they returned successfully having achieved their aims with the blessings of Allah, the Beloved, till not one man amongst them returned in despair.

21){There is no God but Allah} Glory to Allah, Exalted is He, who created the Light (Nur) of his Prophet Muhammad SAW from His Light (Nur) before He created Adam from clay.

22)Then God laid out His supreme creation in front of all the rest and said, "This is the leader amongst all the prophets, the most respectful of all chosen people and the most respectful amonst those loved."

O Allah, bestow blessings, grant peace and favour upon him and his family.

Friday, March 06, 2009

Random

I had been thinking of the Sacred Ka'bah since last year. I hope that Allah swt will invite me to his House for Hajj this year, 1430H.

I spent lesser on clothings and food, hoping to save more for my trip to the Sacred House. I kept convincing my husband to make his trip as well since we don't have any kids at the moment. But he was pretty reluctant. (if he doesn't want to go, i can't go). So i'm a bit sad about it. And to rub salt into the wound, i got to know from the
Muis Hajj registration page that Hajj is only available in 1433H, which is 2012!!!

I am not sure when my time is up, and i think it is necessary to do the right things while i'm still alive. I want to perform Hajj!


Same goes for the deeds that i carry out during my lifetime. Are they considered good enough to guarantee my safety across the 'bridge(sirahtul mustaqim)' in the akirah? Am I doing it for the sake of Allah swt, or for the sake of 'showing off'?

What is the purpose of our life here, if we do not make use of our life to accumulate our good deeds for the assurance of Paradise in the Hereafter?

"It is He who has created death and life that He may test which of you is best in deed. "
(Surah al-Mulk 67:2)

Start, then, to prepare for the Akirah today! Why waste your time and energy on what will perish when you can use the same to earn the delights and pleasures of the life to come? Everything you have must be put forward as an investment for that life, but you must keep in mind that the investment is not the objective. All that Allah swt has bestowed on you - body, mind, faculties and property - are valuables for investment, but the real objective is to earn the pleasure of Allah and the rewards of Jannah (Paradise).

Remember that your personal destiny and, therefore, the end of all your life's pursuits, lie in the Akirah, but the road to that destiny lies in Dunya, in this world. Indeed the achievements made during the time of the Prophet were the results of full participation in this world - neither withdrawing nor retiring from it - for the sake of the Life to come. The Prophet s.a.w and his Companions planned for this world as though they were going to stay here forever but equally they sought the rewards of the Hereafter as though death was close at hand. It is this delicate balance that you must strive to achieve in your approach to life.

Prophet Muhammad s.a.w said: This Din or way of life is easy. But if anyone overdoes it, it gets the better of him. So keep to the right course, approximate to perfection, rejoice and ask for help in the mornings, the evenings and some of the later part of the night. (Bukhari)


"When death comes to one of them, he says, 'My Lord, let me return, let me return to life, so that I may act righteously in whatever i have left behind.' Nay, it is but a meaningless word he utters; for, behind them now is the barrier of death until the day they shall be raised up. Then, when the Trumpet will be blown, no ties of kinship will remain between them that day, neither would anyone be able to take care of another. Then, they whose weight of good deeds is heavy in the balance will attain salvation. But, they whose weight is light in the balance, will have squandered their own lives. In Hell will they abide forever.
(Surah al-Muminun 23: 99-103)

Tuesday, March 03, 2009

Dala'il al Khayrat - How it began

Dala'il Al-Khayrat: The Story of a Text - By Adam Larson

“God and his angels bless the Prophet.O believers bless him and pray him peace as well”— Qur’an 33:56

The eminent scholar and mystic of fifteenth century Egypt, Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti, tells the story of an early mystic:
One night I fulfilled a number of blessings on the Prophet and I fell asleep. I was dwelling in a room, and lo, the Prophet came to me through the door, and the whole room was lit up. Then he moved towards me and said: “Give me the mouth that has blessed me so often that I may kiss it.” And my modesty would not let him kiss my mouth; so I turned away my face, and he kissed my cheek. Then I woke trembling from sleep and my wife who was by my side awoke, and lo, the house was fragrant with his scent, and the scent of musk from his kiss remained on my cheek about eight days. My wife noticed the scent every day.

This story beautifully illustrates the centrality of the Prophet Muhammad (God bless him and give him peace) to Islamic piety.

For hundreds of years Muslims have meditated on and lucidly expressed their deep love for the Chosen Prophet (God bless him and give him peace); they have collected and compiled every available account concerning him, produced immense commentaries detailing his every feature, from the length of his hair and the color of his complexion, to the way he walked, slept, and laughed, and have composed lyrical poetry giving voice to their immense longing for him. The Prophet (God bless him and give him peace) said, “The person nearest to me is the one who asks for blessings upon me the most.”

Throughout history Muslims have sought continual presence with the Prophet (God bless him and give him peace), manifesting their love for him by adhering to God’s command: “bless him and pray for peace upon him” (The Qur’an, Sura al-Ahzab . In the spirit of this command, Muslim scholars have produced prayer manuals of the utmost beauty and eloquence. These manuals most frequently consist of collections of prayers, supplications, and praise from the Qur’an and hadith, as well as original compositions. Of these prayer manuals, perhaps none have been more successful and widespread than Muhammad b. Sulayman al-Jazuli’s masterwork Dala’il al- Khayrat wa Shawariq al-Anwar fi Dhikr al-Salat ‘ala al- Nabi al-Mukhtar (The Guide to Blessings and the Advent of Light in Blessing the Chosen Prophet). Composed in Morocco in the fifteenth century, Dala’il al-Khayrat quickly spread throughout the Muslim world, from Turkey, to East Africa, to Sumatra.

Who was al-Jazuli? Why was Dala’il al-Khayrat so popular? How have Muslims interacted with and experienced the text, both as a performative act and as a physical object? By exploring these questions, it is hoped that the reader may gain a fuller understanding and greater appreciation of this extraordinary text, its author, and its inspiration.

The Context and Formation of Dala’il al-Khayrat: The Life of Muhammad b. Sulayman al-Jazuli

At the dawn of the fifteenth century, the Marinid dynasty had ruled Morocco for over one hundred and fifty years. The early Marinid period was marked by military campaigns and vigorous architectural activity. They built a variety of structures: new urban centers, zawiyas, fortresses, and mosques. However, their most marvelous architectural contributions were madrasas: four at Fez and one at Salé. In the oldest of these madrasas, Madrasat al-Saffarin in Fez, young Muhammad b. Sulayman al-Jazuli received instruction in the religious sciences. By the mid-fifteenth century, Moroccan society was in chaos. Corruption and immorality were rampant in both the cities and the countryside. Port cities along the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts fell to the crusading Portuguese. Due to internal strife and foreign military pressure, the Marinid state began to fragment. Morocco was in need of religious reform and reorientation. It was precisely at this trying time that al-Jazuli introduced his remarkable work Dala’il al- Khayrat.

Abu ‘Abdullah Muhammad b. ‘Abd al-Rahman b. Abi Bakr b. Sulayman al-Jazuli al-Samlali was born to a sharif [a descendent of the Prophet Muhammad] family in the southern Moroccan village of Tankarat in the early fifteenth century. He belonged to the Simlala, an important subtribe of the Sanhaja Berbers that lived on the Sus River plain between the High Atlas and Anti-Atlas Mountains. Little detail is known about his life. However, his biographer, Muhammad al-Mahdi al-Fasi (d.), mentions in his work Mumti’ al-Asma’ a number of anecdotes and pithy expressions, giving a glimpse into the religious world of early modern Morocco. As a young scholar al-Jazuli left his homeland of Jazula because inter-tribal conflicts made serious study impossible. He traveled to Fez and enrolled at Madrasat al-Saffarin, where his room is still shown to visitors. In Fez he memorized works of usul al-fiqh and Maliki law, such as Ibn al-Hajib’s Mukhtasr al-Far’i and Sahnun’s Al-Mudawwana al-Kubra. He also met the famous jurist and mystic Sheikh Ahmad Zarruq. As a youth he became known for his piety. Al-Fasi relates a stunning example of al-Jazuli’s detachment from worldly concerns: While he was attending the madrasa, he secluded himself in a house and no one else would enter. This news reached his father who thought the youth’s persistence in barring others from entering was because he was hiding wealth, so he set out to visit his son. He requested permission to enter his son’s house and was given leave. When he entered he saw written all over the walls: “Death, Death, Death ...” He understood what his son was up to. He reproached himself, saying, “Look where he is and look where we are!” Then he left his son and returned home.

Several accounts detail al-Jazuli’s inspiration in writing Dala’il al-Khayrat. According to al-Fasi, he collected Dala’il al-Khayrat from books in the Qarwiyyin library in Fez after witnessing a woman perform miracles (kharq al-’ada). When he inquired as to how she had attained this ability, she replied, “By sending blessings on the Prophet, may God bless him and give him peace.” Thenceforth al- Jazuli devoted himself to sending blessings on the Prophet (God bless him and give him peace).

Al-Manfaluti, Maliki mufti of nineteenth-century Medina, provides a different account in his work Manaqib Sidi al-Shaykh al-Jazuli: The reason for al-Jazuli’s writing Dala’il al-Khayrat … was that one day he was late for his prayers, even though it was his custom to seek the approval of God the Exalted by not delaying a prayer beyond the earliest possible time for its performance. When he arose to make his ablutions, however, he was unable to find anything with which to take water out of the well. This preoccupied him greatly and he was very annoyed. While he was in this state a young girl caught sight of him from a high place and said, “Who are you, uncle?” The sheikh then told her about himself, hoping that she would give him a bucket and thus ease his cares and worries. Instead the girl exclaimed, “You are the one whom people praise greatly, yet you are unable to take water from a well in order to purify yourself !” Then she came down from that high place and spat into the well while reciting the Name of the Lord of Creation. No sooner had she done so than water tasting as sweet as the sweetest sugar poured forth from the well until it spilled over the face of the earth as a miracle from the One who rolls up the scroll of time. The sheikh made his ablution and marveled at this splendid miracle. When he finished, he swore by God Almighty that the girl should reveal to him how she had acquired this great rank. “By making constant prayers on the Best of Creation (may God bless and preserve him) to the number of breaths and heartbeats (bi-’adad al-anfas wa al-daqa’iq),” she replied.

So al-Jazuli resolved at that moment to write a book about the excellence of prayers on behalf of the Chosen Prophet and to include in it many transmitted texts from the mine of prophecy and from those who have drowned in the sea of the effusion of God’s abundant generosity. All of this (which was due to what he perceived in this great miracle) would not have been possible had it not been for this girl, who was devoted to reciting prayers on the Adornment of the Last Day (zayn al-qiyama).

Al-Jazuli took the Shadhili tariqa from Abu ‘Abdullah Muhammad Amghar al-Saghir (d.) of Ribat Tit-n- Fitr. After taking part in the resistance to the Portuguese at Tangier in , he went into seclusion (khalwa). Some historians claim that he worshiped in isolation for fourteen years; while others maintain that he traveled east for sometime, reciting Dala’il al-Khayrat twice each morning to the Prophet (God bless him and give him peace) in Medina.Upon his reemergence in , al-Jazuli established a zawiya at the Atlantic port city of Asafi. Al-Jazuli was “frequent in reciting litanies (awrad), observant of God most High in all his states, not exceeding the boundaries God established, and exerting himself in following the Book of God and the example of his Messenger (God bless him and give him peace).”

He founded the Shadhiliyya Jazuliyya order, with Dala’il al-Khayrat at its core, and over ,disciples received spiritual training (tarbiya) at his hands. Later writers describe the nature of al-Jazuli’s relationship with the Prophet (God bless him and give him peace): there mixed, in his person, “the two loves”—the love one feels for the Prophet due to religion, and the love one feels for one’s kinsfolk (mahabba al-diniyya wa al-tiniyya).

Al-Jazuli died in while prostrating during the morning prayer, the victim of poisoning. He was later buried at Riyadh al-’Arus in Marrakesh. Known in the local dialect as “Sidi Ben Sliman,” he is one of the seven patron saints of Marrakesh. He left Dala’il al-Khayrat as a testament to his immense love and longing for the Prophet (God bless him and give him peace): O God, I believed in Muhammad but did not see him; do not deprive me in the Gardens of his vision. Bestow his company upon me and cause me to die in his religion. Let me drink from his pool a quenching, pleasant, delightful drink after which we shall never thirst again. You are powerful over everything. O God, convey to the soul of Muhammad my greetings and peace. O God, as I believed in Muhammad but did not see him, do not deprive me in the Gardens of his vision.

From source:
http://sufi.forumup.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=281&mforum=sufi