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THE RAJAB LETTER

THE RAJAB LETTER
by Amjad Tarsin

This is an excerpt from the book Kanz Al-Najah wa As-Suroor ("The Treasures of Success and Happiness"), a book highlighting the special qualities of each month. As the blessed and holy month of Rajab approaches, hopefully this information will be of use in allowing us all to appreciate it and benefit from it:

*So, my dear friend, put forth a great effort in the month of Rajab, may Allah have mercy on you. It is the season of great profits, so take advantage of your time! Whoever is spiritually sick due to their sins - know that the medicine has come.

*Know that Rajab is a virtuous month in which worship is gloriously rewarded - especially fasting and seeking repentance (istighfar).

*Also, making du'a during the eve of the first of Rajab is highly recommended. The Prophet, peace and mercy be upon him, said, "There are five nights in which du'a (supplication) is not rejected: the eve of Rajab, the 15th night of Sha'aban, the eve of Friday, on the eve of Eid Al-Fitr, and on the eve of Eid Al-Adha." [Al-Suyuti in his Al-Jami'].

*On the 27th night of Rajab, the Prophet, peace and mercy be upon him, was taken on the Isra wa Mi'raj (The Night Journey and Ascension to the Heavens). This was a great and glorious night, as is known to most Muslims, in which the Prophet, peace and mercy be upon him, met his Lord and was given the commandment to perform the 5 daily prayers.

*Rajab is one of the four sacred months mentioned in the Quran (the four months are : Rajab, Dhul Qi'da, Dhul Hijjah, and Muharram):

إن عدة الشهور عند الله اثنا عشر شهرا في كتاب الله يوم خلق السموت والارض منها اربعة حرم

{The number of months is twelve according to God, in the decree of God, on the day God created the heavens and the earth; and four of them are sacred} (9:36)

*Rajab is Allah's month in which He pours His Mercy upon the penitent and He accepts the actions that people have done for His sake. The Prophet, peace and mercy be upon him, said, "Rajab is the month of Allah, and Sha'aban is my month, and Ramadan is the month of my Ummah." (Imam Al-Suyuti in Al-Jami).

*Scholars say: Rajab is the month of repentance (istighfar), and Sha'aban is the month of sending peace and mercy (salawat/durood shareef) upon the Prophet, and Ramadan is the month of Qur'an.

*One highly recommended act to do is say 70 times after the Fajr and 'Isha prayers every morning and night of Rajab:

"اللهم اغفر لي وارحمني وتب عليَّ"

Transliteration: "Allahumma ighfir li wa Arhamni wa tub 'alayya."

Translation: Oh Allah forgive me, have mercy upon me, and grant me repentance.

*Sayyidna 'Ali, may Allah be well pleased with him, used to allocate extra amounts of time for worship on four nights - the first night of Rajab, the nights before the two Eids, and the 15th night of Sha'aban.

*It is also highly recommended to say the following Prophetic prayer (known as Sayyid Al-Istighfar or the Master of Repentance) 3 times every morning and every evening in Rajab:

اللهم أنت ربي، لا اله الا أنت خلقتني وأنا عبدك، وأنا على عهدك ووعدك ما استطعت، أعوذ بك من شر ما صنعت، أبوء لك بنعمتك عليَّ وأبوء يذنبي فاغفر لي فإنه لا يغفر الذنوب الا أنت

Transliteration: Allahuma anta rabbi la ilaha illa ant, khalaqtani wa ana 'abduk, wa ana 'ala 'ahdika wa wa'adika ma astata'at, 'authu bika min shar ma san'at, abu'u laka bi ni'matika 'allaya wa abu'u bi dhanbi, faghfir li fa'innahu la yaghfir al-dhunub ila anta.

Translation: O Allah, you are my Lord, and there is no god but you. You created me and I am your servant, and I am upon the convenant to the best of my ability. I seek refuge in you from the evil I have brought upon myself. I admit all the blessings you have given me and I admit my sins, so forgive me, for no one can forgive sins save You.

And success is from Allah

A servant is never free of either blunders or shortcomings or lassitude. Therefore never be neglectful of repentance, and never turn away from the act of returning to God the Exalted, and never neglect acts that bring you closer to God the Exalted.(Ahmad al Zarruq)

» posted by on 23rd June 2009 on Mahd-ul-Huda's blog - 0 comments

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Dr 'Abdul Hayy 'Aarifi

SHAYKH DR MUHAMMAD ‘ABDUL HAYY ‘AARIFI ra

Khalifah of Hakeemul Ummat, Shaykh Ashraf ‘Ali Thanwi ra

Dr ‘Abdul Hayy ‘Aarifi was a homeopathic doctor who helped people with physical ailments, however according to Mufti Taqi Uthmaani Sahib (Khalifah of Dr ‘Abdul Hayy ‘Aarifi), “In reality the spiritual ailments that plague hearts and souls were cured in that surgery of his”! The following are some examples of his beautiful character and wisdom.

His wife of 60 years says that in all their time together, her husband did not once command her to do something for him and she used to happily serve him of her own free will. Generally, husbands consider it their right and have their wives perform various tasks for them. Not so this amazing friend of Allah who did not even ask her for a glass of water! They had spent approximately 60 years together and let alone an expression of anger, he did not even change his tone while addressing his wife!

Is that not the example of one who adhered to the Hadith of our beloved Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam,

“The best among you are those who are best to their wives
and I am the best to my wives among you”?

*****

Once while travelling to a remote area in a horse drawn cart the driver of the cart suddenly stopped in a wide stretch of wilderness and instructed the travellers to get off and take shelter from a violent storm for which the area was well known. In this storm even heavy objects were known to be lifted and dropped elsewhere.

Dr Sahib relates that I was about to take shelter by the side of a tree when the driver screamed at us saying that in such a storm massive trees are known to drop and it was extremely dangerous. His advice was to lie down on the ground, face down. We acted on this and lay down while the storm raged around us uprooting trees and hillocks. Throughout the raging storm we lay without a single hair of ours moving out of place. When the storm ended there was serenity and we continued with our journey.

Dr Sahib says that there was a great lesson in the incident, “Safety from the storms of time does not lie in seeking out heights, but lies rather in adopting humility and servitude in the form of placing one’s forehead on the ground”.

*****

“Only they will get Him who have a thirst
Only they will find Him who seek Him”

*****

A person once belittled his own act of prostration saying, “What is the reality of our sajdah? It is nothing more than a joke. The heart and mind are filled with filthy thoughts. What will be achieved by placing the forehead on the ground in such a state?”

Dr ‘Abdul Hayy’s reply was “Can this sajdah, impure and filthy though it may be, ever be made before me?” On a negative reply he continued, “If this sajdah is so impure and filthy and without any importance, why can it not be made before a being as filthy and impure as myself? Since this forehead can prostrate to none besides Allah, then your prostration was actually for none besides Allah. So firstly express gratitude for the fact that Allah has given you the tawfeeq for even such a sajdah because there are many souls who are deprived of this. Thereafter seek forgiveness for whatever shortcomings you discover within yourself in this regard. Beware of ever considering prostration before Allah as useless and wasted”.

He then recited a couplet which meant:

“If by prostrating the forehead nothing is attained….then “nothing” is fine.
How can anyone ever leave the threshold of the Beloved?”

*****

He said he made a concerted effort for years to develop correct intention of obedience to the Sunnah. For instance if delicious food was placed in front of him and even though he was extremely hungry, he would control his desire and withhold from eating until he spent a few moments to ponder on the bounty and gift from Allah and then he would say to himself that it was the practice of Allah’s beloved Messenger sallallaahu ‘aayhi wasallam to express gratitude on the bounties of Allah. Dr Sahib would then say to himself that I will now eat in keeping with the Sunnah.

In the same way on coming home his gaze would lovingly settle on his child and his heart’s desire was to take the child lovingly on his lap. He would pause and meditate for a few moments that Allah’s beloved Messenger sallallaahu ‘aayhi wasallam used to love children and in keeping with this Sunnah he would then allow himself to pick up the child and play with him.

Even in intense thirst when a glass of cold water was placed in front of him and he desired to gulp it down and quench his thirst, he says he would not allow himself to do this until he ponders over the fact that cold water was extremely beloved to Allah’s Messenger sallallaahu ‘aayhi wasallam and it will be in keeping with this Sunnah that I will drink this water.

In short, for a lengthy period of time he practised this form of meditation to make an intention to act upon every Sunnah from morning till night. The result was reaching a stage where an intention automatically came to mind.

He used to say that Deen is in reality the changing of one’s point of view. Acts which we consider worldly remain the same but they are converted to acts of worship and essential parts of Deen.

*****

» posted by on 21st June 2009 on ummi taalib's blog - 0 comments

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Nothing Happens without the will of Allah Almighty

Throughout the awe inspiring story of the Sahaabah’s Radhiyallaahu ‘anhum advance into as-Shaam in Imam al-Waaqidee’s “Conquest of Syria”, their absolute and total reliance on Allah Almighty was something in which there is a great lesson. Throughout the book one could almost hear their shouts of “Laa hawla walaa quwwata illaabillaahil ‘aliyyil ‘atheem” at every step, whether it was the joy of victory, the fear of being outnumbered or the cry of grief at the loss of a beloved friend or family member.

When translated into English the above thikr is usually read,
“There is no power and no might except with Allah, the Most High, the Most Great”.

The translator of the book has however given it its full meaning and I hope readers will find it beneficial to recite the thikr with the full meaning in mind. As said by our pious elders (the English translation of which I’m not going to attempt),

“meri talab bhi kisi ke karam kaa sadaqah hein,
Yeh qadam uth-te nahin, uthaa-e jaate hein”

» posted by on 19th June 2009 on ummi taalib's blog - 0 comments

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