Struggle's Blessing | A Poem

It's just forceful contentment when you see his outside, Just like that time life flashed before his eyes. He was higher than the clouds, lower than Satans pit, He reflected on the Day he's going to need to submit. But, you know, as a kid they'd push him around and beat and batter, What he felt inside certainly never did matter, At times when he gave no damn bout himself or any fellows, Then they'd come and ask him whats wrong, acting all mellow, He'd say, "hey, condemnation is a way to motivate me", And they took the challenge, continued and waited to see, But challenges grew in character, academics, his general defects, Yet never aided to enhance his tampered mental reflex, He thought it was them, but it was actually himself, It was just his experiences and the problems he dealt, He realized it was a symptom of a much deeper disease, That these problems he faced, he just couldn't seize. Never did he reflect on any gifted privilege, First influence was learning about lineage, How would the noble ancestors feel about his deviance? Not about themselves, but about being morally disobedient, He heard in himself, "You're going to die, your soul will fly, and return to your Lord! If you're lucky, you'll understand now what'd be for you in store!" Every struggle led to another, until he had enough, The doors opened for a spiritual journey that's certainly tough, Take heed, however, this journey will never end, Strive even passed the point God refers to you as "Friend".

Impractical Thinking Or What? - A Personal Dilemma

Man, for many years I've been told so many things about how I should feel. "Grow up and be a man." "You'll get over your feelings of remorse and sadness about that one thing, you're a man now." "Money comes and goes, don't be attached to money, it doesn't do anything for you." "You should want to be loved by people." "Don't be such a wimp." "Only little bratty, spoiled girls have enough feelings to cry."

Like, what does it mean to be a man? Does it mean to pull fine girls by wearing those douchy muscle tees and driving your dads Mercedes to school? By being a disgrace and embarrassing yourself - by your lack of morals - publicly and expect respect for doing so? I don't want to be a wannabe rebek with no cause, but if this is what our modern Western world is promoting by the media, what will our future generations be like? Human decency has been lost. More importantly, the exclusive gender roles have been down played. Manhood and chivalry is threatened as much is the honor of women. The difference is that men must help women and women must help men to regain what has been lost in their roles. Only by pushing them further to fulfill their role through their passions.

Don't have feelings? One must be extremely dumb or naive to think that men, who are humans, do not have emotional feelings. The Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him was the epitome of what a real man is, and even he had feelings and would cry at times. If you do not have any type of emotional feelings than please learn to soften your heart. If you think you can see people get shot and killed in the streets, whether it be in Gaza,  Columbia, or Detroit, without having any emotions running through you, then there is something wrong with you. The only flaw of our sensitive and soft feelings is when they hold us back, when they are actually there to advance you further.

What does it mean to be loved by people? Why should I be loved by people? Yes, I understand that we should have healthy relations with family and friends to share things with each other and to benefit from each others company, but I certainly am blinded from the meaning or feeling of being loved by others. As a child, the only people I felt loved by were one of my parents, my grand parents and 2 friends. The rest of the people seemed like pretentious douchebags that would 1. Take advantage of me, or 2. for the sake of innocence being present. Or so they thought. They would talk to me and call me an impractical person for my dreams and ambitions.

Wait a minute.... Were they really impractical? Not at all. I had people control me a lot as a kid, trying to copy/paste their pathways for me which didn't work. Meaning, as I grew up, I would have certainly learned the need to seek advice from the elders- considering my parents are both immigrants that are conservative liberals (Does that make sense?). But as kids, we need time in life to forge our own way, then we realize the help and support we need in order to proceed in our journey. If we do not ever feel content, except by force when violating the Law and Order of our Creator, then how do we make ourselves attain a higher understanding? It's a complicated notion that we must learn to recognize.

Them right now: "Bro, stop complaining to the rest of the world. We all have problems."

Well here's your chance, bro. Teach me your oh so humble and graceful manner of overcoming scars that continue to haunt you.

I must be heedful, however! No one said it was going to be easy (except those few uncles that meant well to cheer you up at times of desperation).

- Peace and Prayers

10 Years Ago

Bismillah.

This day 10 years ago, my paternal grandfather, Dhāfer bin Zayn al-Ābidīn Mohiuddīn, grandson of Sayyiduna Al-‘Abbās, returned to his Lord. He passed away at 90 years of age. He faced real difficulties his entire life which are incomparable to those I've seen in the Western world, even when I was living in Southfield. He lived a life of severe impoverishment during his younger age, being dirt poor and not eating for a matter of days at times. He worked so hard throughout his years and became one of the most successful engineers of the company he worked for in Hyderabad, India. I heard breathtaking stories of his life that I still have not completely absorbed yet. All of his siblings died or were killed at a young age - my paternal grandmother, his second wife, was in the same exact situation. He is an inspiration to me because regardless of his extremely psychologically damaging experiences, he was always a patient, well mannered, loving man to all people - even those who would yell at him. My struggles are almost nothing compared to his. Subhān Allāh. To me, he was a scholar of struggle, just as I see some of my uncles. And this struggle impacted his entire family and I still sense it in the presence of his children. May his adab and akhlāq be an intercessor for the needed matters of dīn he fell short of. May Allah lighten and fragrance his grave, forgive him for all his sins, and give him the highest level of Paradise with the Prophet peace be upon him.

Al-Fātiha!

Habib Ali al-Jifri on legislating a minimum legal age for marriage

Dr Mu'taz: I want to ask regarding a fatwa (religious edict) that was issued by a scholar in which he rejected the idea that there be a minimum legal age for marriage.

Habib Ali: First, I want to state that someone invested with the authority to create law in a land, and that may be the ruler or a legislature or legislative assembly or of the like, is given the right by sacred law (sharia) to make laws that permit (and prohibit) something which the sharia has not made obligatory nor prohibitory as long as it is verified that doing so will serve the best interests of the citizenry.

For example, sharia does not state that it is forbidden to disregard traffic lights. In fact, the sharia considers the act of travelling as merely ‘allowed’ (mubah). However, a head of state has the right to issue a law that makes it an offence to disregard the instructions of traffic lights because there is a benefit in doing that. Likewise, there may be some people who think that it is 'mubah' for a female to be married off at a young age even if it the law of the land stipulates a minimum age. Why do they accept the head of state to pass a law which forbids disregard of traffic lights but reject him from passing a law on a minimum marriageable age?

We have crises on our hands with what is happening to our young daughters. Young girls are being enslaved. Young girls are being sold as though they are objects. In Yemen a man who was over 80 years old married a girl who was 8 years old. She died on the first night. Examples like these are replete.

This is why I have called upon all Muslim countries to make laws which determine a minimum marriageable age for females. This is no longer an secondary issue. In the sharia we have a principle known as “Blocking of the Means to Harm” (Sadd al-Dhara’i) which has been used by certain jurists and scholars to prohibit an exaggerated number of things. This principle was used to prohibit women from driving and used to prohibit many other things - except the marriage of young girls. Do they not see that this is a harm that must be blocked as well? People in states of extreme poverty are selling their daughters to relieve their conditions but what we hear from some representatives of the religious discourse is that the reasons for their poverty must be addressed and rectified first! Yes, it must, but the issue of young girls being married off is a reality occurring before our very eyes and it must be treated.

(From the show "Bil-Ikhtisar" on Egyptian Channel Al-Mihwar, 25 March 2014)

HOW TO WIN AN ISLAMIC ARGUMENT/DEBATE...

PRACTICAL STEPS FOR THE SEEKERS AND COMMONERS ON HOW TO REFUTE DEVIANT MUSLIMS ON TOPICS OF ATTRIBUTES IN AQIDAH, FOLLOWING THE MADH'HABS, MAWLID, TAWASSUL, TABARRUK, BID'AH, THE USUAL STUFF, BLAH BLAH ETC.. WHEN YOU CAN BE DOING 8000 BETTER THINGS WITH YOUR TIME AND MIND.

These 5 steps I came up with are currently helping me a lot when debating with people in peson AND online and I'm sure it'll help you too! I am currently trying to reach my full potential to continue living by these amazing, useful tips which I cannot yet master because I am not a Mufti saab or a scholar.

1. Reflect. Why are you doing this? To be closer to Allah... oh, and to please your ego... (right?) After all, you'll only feel good about yourself after attempting to "teach" others.

WRONG

2. Read the following quotes BEFORE arguing if you want to please Allah:

"Argumentation is MAKRUH for the Ulama for it causing of animosity, and HARAM for the common people (seekers included.)" - Imam Raghib Isfahani

"Disputation and argumentation concerning knowledge takes away the light of knowledge." - Imam Malik ibn Anas

“Disputation concerning knowledge hardens the heart.” - Imam Malik ibn Anas

"Argumenation is not part of our din." - Imam Malik ibn Anas

ALSO, WE MAY BECOME HYPOCRITES BY ARGUING...

“Verily, the hypocrites will be in the lowest depth (grade) of the Fire; no helper will you find for them” al-Nisaa’ 4:145

If you know somebody is ignorant and wrong, remember that the Prophet peace be upon him said, 

"I guarantee a house in Jannah for one who gives up arguing, even if he is in the right; and I guarantee a home in the middle of Jannah for one who abandons lying even for the sake of fun; and I guarantee a house in the highest part of Jannah for one who has good manners.'' (Abu Dawud)

Arguing is not worth it, espeically if the opponent is narrow minded. Gently advise the obvious, and move on with life.

Now reassess your intentions and prepare to get a life.

3. Learn a Sunni creed (Ash'ari, Maturidi, Athari) and one of the four madh'habs (Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i, Hanbali) and stick to it. It is highly preferable to study these things from Ulama with an unbroken chain of transmission on the text, or ask your local Imam saab of your masjid to help you understand things. Also, study and/or read a book on Tazkiyya, a good book for everybody regardless of their level in experience is "Agenda to Change Our Condition" by Imam Zaid Shakir and Shaykh Hamza Yusuf. Establish firm conviction in your faith. If you freely argue with no shame, you are tarnishing the name of your parents, your teachers, and most imporantly, the Prophet peace be upon him.

A few reasons why I stopped arguing with people online are because:

a. Argumentation is a waste of time with zero benefit. Most of the internet is already enough of a waste of time, might as well use our time on good things.

b. People who attack from behind their screens wouldn't say half the things they say online, in person, and I don't want to be like them.

And the servants of the Most Gracious are those who walk on the earth in humility, and when the ignorant address them (harshly), they say, "Peace!" - The Criterian;63

4. Make a niyyah with Allah and do your thing correctly. If you have sufficient knowledge of something, you can KINDLY advise a CLOSE companion, friend, or acquaintance. However, do not go out of your way to "correct" people.

The Most High says: It is He who has sent down to you, (O Muhammad), the Book; in it are verses (that are) precise - they are the foundation of the Book - and others unspecific. As for those in whose hearts is deviation, they will follow that of it which is unspecific, seeking discord and seeking an interpretation (suitable to them). And no one knows its (true) interpretation except Allah. But those firm in knowledge say, "We believe in it. All is from our Lord." And no one will be reminded except those of understanding.

5. Say no to drugs, say no to debates. Stay above the influence.

SAY NO TO DRUGS, SAY NO TO DEBATES.

That's my way.

Did Ibn Taymiyyah die an Ash'ari?

Translated from Ibn Hajar al-`Asqalani's biography of Ibn Taymiyya in al-durar al-kaamina fi a`yaan al-mi'at al-thaamina [The Hidden Pearls Concerning the Famous People of the Eighth Century] Hyderabad: Daa'irat al-ma`aarif al-`uthmaaniyya, 1384 H, vol. 1:144-160. 

An inquiry [of his position] was conducted with several scholars [in Cairo] and a written statement was written against him, in which he said: "I am Ash`ari," and his handwriting is found with what he wrote verbatim, namely: "I believe that the Qur'an is a meaning which exists in Allah's Essence (mi`na qaa'imun bi dhaat Allaah), and it is an Attribute from the pre-eternal Attributes of His Essence (wa huwa Sifatun min Sifaati dhaatihi al-qadeema), and that it is uncreated (wa huwa ghayru makhlooq), and that it does not consist in the letter nor the voice (wa laysa bi Harfin wa la Sawt), and that His saying: "The Merciful established Himself over the Throne" is not taken according to its external meaning (laysa `ala zaahirihi), and I don't know in what consists its meaning, nay only Allah knows it, and one speaks of His "descent" in the same way as one speaks of His "establishment" (wa al-qawlu fi al-nuzooli kal-qawli fi al-istiwaa')." 

It was written by Ahmad ibn Taymiyya and they witnessed over him that he had repented of his own free will from all that contravened the above. This took place on the 25th of Rabee` al-awwal of the year 707 and it was witnessed by a huge array of scholars and others. [p. 46 and 47] 

You See, MY Opinion on this Islamic Issue is that...

My opinion on holding opinions concerning Islamic Law and theology is that they are not sound unless you're a scholar with chain of transmission back to the Prophet Muhammad Salla Allahu Alayhi wa Sallam or if your opinion was agreed by a rightly guided scholar with a chain of transmission but if your opinion was not, the most you can do with them is to share them in small crowds. Other than that, your "opinion" has no value.


PSYCH!


Paradox.

The Rank of Imām al-Ghazāli and his book, Ihyā Ulūm ad-Dīn

Imām Abū al-Hasan Ash-Shādhili, may Allah be well pleased with him, had a dream that he went into Jerusalem and he saw the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him sitting on an elevated chair while there were other Prophets. He heard Sayyīdina Musā Alayhīs Salām ask the Prophet, "You say the scholars of your nation are like the prophets of the Israelites." The Prophet peace be upon him responded, "Yes. Would you like to see one of them?" Sayyidīna Musā Alayhis Salām said, "Yes." The Prophet turned and said, "Where is Abū Hamid (Al-Ghazālī)?"

Allahu Akbar. Imām al-Haddād said that this was proof that he surpassed all other scholars in his writings.

This can be found in history books and is mentioned by Imām Nawawi and Imām al-Haddād.

Hamza Yūsuf - Weak Hadīth in Ihya Ulūm ad-Dīn

Defense of the Ihyā by Imām al-Ghazāli - Mufti Abdur Rahmān ibn Yūsuf

Scholars appraisal of Imām al-Ghazāli by Shaykh Muhammad al-Yaqoubi

Advice on Social Media | Shaykh Amjad Tarsin - Muslim Chaplain of the University of Toronto

Reminder to Self (and all those I love): 

Social media really invites us to be part of extremely nuanced and complex conversations that would often require hours upon hours of research and sincere face-to-face discussion. If you feel like you're being sucked into such a conversation—whether it's about politics, religion, etc—take a moment to reflect before proceeding. 

At the end of the day, when in doubt, it's always safer to say, "I don't know." 

Much love to everyone!

- Amjad Tarsin

Shaykh Hamza Yūsuf's Commentary on Wird al-Latīf by Imām al-Haddād

Bismillah

The following video is of Shaykh Hamza Yūsuf's commentary on the compilation of Prophetic invocations, derived from authenticated hadīth, which was compiled by the recognized mujjadid of the 11th century AH, Imām 'Abdullāh ibn Alawī al-Haddād, the Shafi'ī - Ash'arī scholar of the blessed city of Tarīm in Ḥadramawt, Yemen. Imām al-Haddād labeled this compilation, "Al-Wird Al-Latīf." It is encouraged to be read at least once a day during the time of the morning prayer (Fajr) or the evening prayer prayer (Maghrib), but highly recommended to be read twice a day, once during the time of both. Traditionally, since the compilation of these prayers, the students of Imām al-Haddād for generations have recited al-Wird al-Latīf during the morning prayers and another well known compilation of authentic invocations - also compiled by Imām al-Haddād - called Rātib al-Haddād, during the evening prayers since certain prayers are prescribed for only specific timings. Nonetheless, there is no harm is reciting al-Wird al-Latīf during both timings or even Rātib al-Haddād.

If you do not have either of these books, click which one you want you'll be directed to a PDF that you can save.

Al-Wird Al-Latīf

Rātib al-Haddād

A beautiful excerpt from the talk...

"People are in need of the Prophetic du’ā’s now, more than ever, because there are shayateen everywhere. If we could see the unseen world, I’m telling you, we would all pass out. Because there are demons all over the place. What you’re doing whilst reciting invocations and litanies is creating a space around you, that if the Jinn and shaytaan see it, they have to back away. If you are consistent with this (Wird al Latif), I guarantee you will see a difference in your life. And if you miss it out you’ll feel horrible during the day – it’ll feel like going outside without brushing your teeth. Put yourself in the protection of Allāh through daily du’ā."

— Shaykh Hamza Yūsuf

http://www.alzawiyah.org/wird-al-latif-shaykh-hamza-yusuf/


May Allah bless and reward the brother who published this, the brother who shared the PDF, Imām al-Haddād for compiling it, and of course, the Prophet Muhammad Salla Allahu Alayhi wa Sallam for teaching it to us.

All praises due to Allah. Al-Fatiha.