Recent Blog Entries

Aug

2019

If someone falls in a pit, would you take him out or leave him there?

posted by ummi taalib on 25th August 2019 - 0 comments

When in Damascus, Abu Darda RA was passing by a group of people gathered around a man, beating him and insulting him. He went to them and asked what it was all about. They said the man had committed an enormous sin.

Adu Darda RA replied,
If he had fallen in a pit, wouldn’t you have taken him out?

“Yes” they all replied. Abu Darda RA then said,

"Don’t insult him and don’t beat him; it would be better for you to advise him and make him see the consequences of his actions, then thank Allah Who kept you from committing the same sin."

Taken from the Sahabah Series by Noura Durkee

Jun

2018

Travelling the Thorny Path

posted by ummi taalib on 25th June 2018 - 1 comment

Umar ibn Khattab RA once asked Ibn Kaab RA the definition of taqwa. In reply Ibn Kaab RA asked, Have you ever had to traverse a thorny path? Umar RA replied in the affirmative and Kaab RA continued, How do you do so? Umar RA said that he would carefully walk through after first having collected all loose and flowing clothing in his hands so nothing gets caught in the thorns hence injuring him. Kaab RA said, This is the definition of taqwa, to protect oneself from sin through lifes dangerous journey so that one can successfully complete the journey unscathed by sin.

This mortal world of ours is a bed of thorns, full of the thorns of sins, therefore, one should live in this world in a way that one does
not get entangled in the thorns of sin. The name of this attitude to life is Taqwa

Feb

2018

Swimming in the Sea of Reason & Intellect

posted by ummi taalib on 25th February 2018 - 0 comments

Maulana Rumi (R.A.) says: "It is completely useless to swim about in the sea of Reason and intellect. There is need for the ship of Nabi Nooh (A.S.) - i.e. The help of the friends of Allah. Look how Nabi Nooh's (A.S.) son - Kan'aan depended on Reason alone saying: "The high mountains shall save me from this storm". He considered the ark of Nabi Nooh (A.S.) as being despicable. The result was that the ship was saved during the deluge and reached the high mountain while Kan'aan was drowned. Maulana Rumi (R.A.) says: "When you do not look with proper sight, then you look upon the love and company of the saintly ones and their obedience i.e. their ship as despicable, and you look upon your imitation of the people of Europe as the high mountains of Intellect and Reason. But, beware, do not look upon this ship as being of no value and a thing to be despised.It is true that the Ah-Iullah, the saints are usually dressed in old and tattered clothes and live simple lives, but do not look at the simplicity of their lives and consider them lowly and despicable. Instead look at the Grace of Allah that is with them. Look at the splendour of the one who arrives through the ship and do not look at the heights of the mountains of Reason. The power of Allah is such that with one wave, He can turn the ship upside down. But the ship which travels in the shadow of Allah's Mercy, in spite of its outward weakness and the evil intention of Shaytaan, it will pass through all the trials in safety. If one is not going to follow this advise, then in the end one will have to admit the shortcomings of the intellect.Hence, if a person needs to find safety from faults and sins, he will have to become closely connected in love with the saints of Allah. Then he will not suffer losses. People who wish to travel on the path of deen with only reason are breakers of their 'tobah'.

Dec

2017

The Wash of Tawbah

posted by ummi taalib on 23rd December 2017 - 1 comment

It is in the nature of humankind to constantly slip and fall, to constantly err and sin. But it is the quality of the true Muslim that whenever he sins he makes Tawbah and tries to reform himself.

[color=#1e84cc]Consider a person whose occupation is working within a coal mine digging out coal through sweat and hard labour. At the end of every day, his body is blackened with soot from head to toe. Does he tell himself at the end of the day that I will be blackened again tomorrow so I dont have to
wash off todays dirt and grime? No, he does not. Every evening, he bathes and cleans himself.
[/font]
It is the same for us when we sin. The Believer cannot tolerate allowing the soot of sin to remain on his heart. So he washes it off with Tawbah.Allahs door of forgiveness is always upon to us and Allah loves His servants who turn to Him in repentance.Sayyiduna Anas [i]Radhiyallahu Anhu said, I heard the Messenger of Allah sallallaahu alayhi wasallam saying, Allah, the Exalted, has said:

[/font][i]O son of Adam! I shall go on forgiving you so long as you pray to Me and aspire for My forgiveness whatever may be your sins. O son of Adam! I do not care even if your sins should pile up to the sky and should you beg pardon of Me, I would forgive you. O son of Adam! If you come to Me with sins as great as the earth and meet Me, not associating anything with Me in worship, I will certainly meet you with forgiveness as great as it. (At-Tirmidhi)[/font]
[i]Adapted from a Q/A on Jamiat.org[/font]

Dec

2013

We, the Fortunate Ummah!

posted by ummi taalib on 5th December 2013 - 0 comments

We, the ummat of Prophet Muhammad sallallaahu alayhi wasallam, are without doubt the most fortunate. May Allah Taaalaa grant us the tawfeeq to appreciate this fact, aameen. I have heard Shaykh Muhammad Saleem Dhorat (Hafizahullah) relate a hadith whereby Rasoolullaah sallallaahu alayhi wasallam compares his ummat with other ummats with the following example. A man hires a group of workers to work for him from morning till Dhuhr, followed by another group who work from Dhuhr till 'Asr. He pays the workers of both groups the going rate of one keraat each (take these two groups as the Yahood - Jews, and the Nasaaraa - Christians). Then a third group work for him from 'Asr till Maghrib, however each worker from this group is paid two keraats even though they worked fewer hours (i.e. us, the fortunate ummah). On hearing this, the workers from the first two groups complained of injustice. They were told that no injustice had taken place since the rate they were paid for their work was correct and if he decided to pay the third group more by his own will, then that was his choice.

Sep

2013

Be a Traveller in Life

posted by ummi taalib on 13th September 2013 - 1 comment

A traveller does not fuss about his surroundings when he stops at a hotel where he may like some things and dislike others. At home however, he will make sure everything is to his taste.

This world is like a hotel and we are travellers travelling from the time of our birth, living our lives up to our death followed by the time in the grave and the Hereafter until we reach our final abode. Hence our time in this world should be like that of the traveller.

The real life is that of the Aakhirah (Hereafter) and this was the message of the Ambiyaa (Prophets). Even a king's life is not worthy of being called a life as his life too will cease regardless of how luxurious it is. A life is no life as death will bring an end to it. This life is a chance to work and prepare for the life of the Hereafter, the true life
(Hayaate Haqeeqee).

May

2013

Connection of Love

posted by ummi taalib on 30th May 2013 - 0 comments

We need to acknowledge our sins to Allah ta'ala Who is so Merciful, so Forgiving, so Kind. He is waiting, giving us opportunities after opportunities like special days, special nights and the whole month of Ramadhaan. "O My servants, irrespective of how far you have distanced yourself from Me, I am your Allah! I am Most Forgiving, Most Merciful. Come, come and take a dive in the ocean of Tawbah!" "Jo naa kaam hotaa rahe 'umr bhar bhi, baharhaal koshish to aashiq na chodhe. Ye rishtaa muhabbat kaa kaa-im hi rakh-khe, jo so baar tute to so baar jhode" Even if the connection of love has broken a hundred times, do not give up hope. He is ready to accept no matter how much filth we have seen with our eyes or heard with our ears or how much haraam we've spoken with our tongues or how many haraam places we have walked to with our feet, yet Allah ta'ala is prepared to accept us. Even if the sins are committed again and again so repent again and again. Many people ask what the benefit is of repenting when one is bound to commit sins again and again. This is a ploy of Shaytaan to mislead us. Isn't it better for a person to have one charge against him rather than thousands? If thousands of charges are dropped with Tawbah and Istighfaar and with the shame and remorse which is expressed and only one charge remains, then isn't that of great benefit?

May

2013

At The Waterfalls Of Mercy

posted by ummi taalib on 9th May 2013 - 0 comments

Our Sheikh, Hazrat Maulana Shah Hakim Muhammad Akhtar Saheb (Daamat Barakaatuhum) has taught us that one of the ways to make one's Ziyarat of Nabi (Sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) more valuable, is to meditate that Allah (Jalla Jalaaluhu)'s mercy is pouring down upon Rasulullah (Sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam). Meditating on this, make Dua: O Allah, let a few drops fall on me as well. In fact, this is one of the meanings of Allah (Jalla Jalaaluhu) sending Durood on Nabi (Sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam).

Apr

2013

The Blockage Of Sins

posted by ummi taalib on 11th April 2013 - 0 comments

Hazrat Maulana Abdul Hamid Is`haq Saheb (Daamat Barakaatuhum) Sometimes a car engine does not seem to get enough fuel or any fuel. The problem can be due to different reasons: a blocked fuel line or fuel filter or some fault with the fuel pump or carburettor. We know that the fuel lines control and regulate the flow of fuel. If it is clogged or blocked, there is difficulty to start the car since fuel does not make its way to the engine. The engine generally does not restart until the blockage is removed. A blocked fuel line also results in smoke since the fuel overflows. If there is some leak and contact with an ignition source, such as the engine, then this results in smoke and can be dangerous, even causing a fire. In the light of this example, we can draw parallels to the consequences of our indulgence in sins. Sometimes a sin, for which there was no repentance, creates a blockage at the time of death. Due to commission of sins, persistence in sins, and not making sincere Taubah, the spiritual heart becomes clogged and blocked. This creates great difficulty at the time of death.There is no free flow for the Kalima Tayyibah to be recited and for the soul to leave the body with ease.

Apr

2013

The Final Countdown

posted by ummi taalib on 7th April 2013 - 0 comments

In a boxing or wrestling match it is not the winner of each round, but the outcome of the final round which determines the winner. A fighter may be winning every round but if his opponent causes him to fall whereby he cannot stand up before the count will make him the loser. The winner is he who wins the final round. Similarly the winners i.e. the successful ones, will be those who succeed in the Hereafter regardless of whether they were regarded as successful or unsuccessful by worldly standards (as success has different definitions according to different people) and success of this world and the Hereafter (On an individual and collective basis) lies in practicing the complete Deen. The Deen also has different definitions. To some fulfilling the five daily Prayer is Deen while to others the Prayers, Hajj, Zakat and Fasting is Deen. Know that Deen comprises of five branches, Aqaid (Correct Beliefs) being the foundation. Thereafter there is: *Ibaadaat (Worship) *Akhlaaq (Noble Character developing good qualities and eliminating bad ones)

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