at june 2016

At - Taqwā June 2016

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Knowledge is Power By Mawlãnã Emran Ahmed

From ancient times, humans have been keenly desirous

of attaining power. At the same time, it is apparent from

the dawn of civilization until today that all the

development and progress in the world is largely down

to the expansion of experience and knowledge. An

important factor for this is the human intellect, humans

continuously use it to understand the benefits and harms

of things and accordingly, use and refrain from them.

For a Muslim, the faculty of the mind is a gift from Allãh

S given only to human beings so that it can be used to

benefit them in this world and the hereafter. This God

gifted intellect has taught humanity how to tame the

wild, fly to the moon, fight diseases and cure illnesses.

So, this leaves no doubt in the fact that the power which

humans have over the other creations of Allãh S is due

to knowledge.

However, it is unfortunate that the Muslim Ummah do

not use this gift to recognise and learn the teachings of

the one who has gifted each soul this great blessing,

whereas every Muslim can use this incredible faculty to

understand the real concept and purpose of creation.

Despite the first revelation in the Qur‟ãn teaching its

readers to read, learn and study, how many fail to follow

this command of Allãh S?

In truth, every Muslim uses the bestowed power of the

brain to acquire information related to the physical world

and not for real knowledge; the knowledge of Islãm

which will benefit every believer in this world and the

hereafter; the knowledge of the Qur‟ãn and Hadĩth.

Unfortunately, the Ummah has given importance and

priority to other avenues of life instead of learning their

faith and religion. The Prophet s says,

“The acquisition of knowledge is compulsory for every

Muslim, whether male or female.” (Ibn Mãjah)

“Whoever treads the path in the acquisition of

knowledge is in the path of Allah until he

returns.” (Tirmidhĩ)

“The best amongst you is the one who learns the Quran

and teaches it.” (Bukhãrĩ)

“Whoever follows a path in the pursuit of knowledge

Allah will make a path to Jannah easy for him.” (Abũ

Dãwũd)

Sufyãn Ath-Thawrĩ rahimahullãh once mentioned, “We

do not know of anything better than seeking knowledge

with a sincere intention for the sake of Allãh S.”

Despite so many Ahãdĩth available in regards to the

importance and virtue of Islãmic education, people fall

victim to different groups in pursuit of knowledge; one

group entirely neglects to learn dĩn, another faction

educates itself but through incorrect sources and

methods, whilst another group acquires deen from

authentic sources and through reliable methods but not

in the required amount.

The first group who are not acquiring knowledge at all

will naturally fall behind and remain unsuccessful in the

hereafter. However, the second group, who are acquiring

knowledge but through unreliable sources and methods,

are no better than the first category. Allãmah Ibn Sĩrĩn

says, “Knowledge is dĩn, so be careful with regards to

who you take your deen from.”

If a Muslim takes the understanding of Dĩn from

unreliable individuals, they will corrupt his dĩn; the faulty

information will pollute his actions; hence, all his

worship will be void of reward. In fact, it can also affect

his belief/Imãn. The reason for many deviated sects

which existed in the past or exist now, is that they based

their opinions on erroneous information and incorrect

interpretations of the Qur‟ãn and Ahãdĩth. It is this

corrupt knowledge which has taken them away from the

straight path.

Shaykh Mawlãnã Muhammad Saleem Dhorat hafizahullãh

mentions, “Ilm and the people of ilm, (together,) is the

backbone of Dĩn. The greatest success of a believer is to

have correct ilm, the proper understanding of Dĩn and

after that, the tawfĩq (ability) to follow this ilm and

understanding of knowledge.”

(Continued on page 5)

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Sacrifice and struggle. These are two words which every

single individual will be able to relate to their personal

lives. They will be with a person throughout their entire

lives. All sorts of decisions, be they trivial, day to day

matters or major life defining ones, are made with

sacrifice having a direct impact on them. The young boy

understands that he will have to sacrifice spending his

weekly pocket money to save up for the video game that

will be released in two months‟ time. A school student

desires to sleep in after 9am, but he sacrifices his desire

and gets to school on time in aspiration of a bright

future. The father sacrifices precious family time; leaving

home early in the morning and returning very late at

night, solely in the hope of securing a prosperous and

happy life for his wife and children. And rising above all,

the mother sacrifices her every comfort in upbringing

her beloved children, hoping that they turn into positive

individuals of society. Sacrifice and struggle; two bitter

pills that everyone swallows in the hope of better times

and happier days.

Our beloved Prophet s highlighted these very same

aspects; rather, He praised this quality when used in

concern for the life hereafter,

“Intelligent is he who restrains his desires and works for that which

will come after death.” (Tirmidhĩ)

A believer understands that this temporary life of the

world is not the only life. The faith of a Muslim tells him

of a world after this life, wherein either eternal bliss or

eternal doom awaits,

“And the Ãkhirah (life after death) is better and

everlasting.” (87:17)

Thus, for a Muslim, sacrifice and struggle continue until

death. That servant of Allãh S, who devoted and

struggled, until the last moment in pleasing his Lord, will

experience joy and happiness that knows no bounds,

right from before his eye‟s close.

“Verily, those who said "our Lord is Allãh" and after that

had stayed steadfast, Angels will descend upon them saying

"Do not fear and do not grieve and receive glad tidings of

that Jannah, which you were promised. We are your

guardians in this world and the Ãkhirah...” (41:30)

Our beloved Prophet s, through His words and His

actions, set the example of sacrifice for His followers to

emulate. Mentally, He prepared the Ummah by saying;

“Jannah has been veiled by hardships.” (Bukhãrĩ)

While simultaneously He practically became the

embodiment of sacrifice. He s sacrificed His family ties

with the Quraish when calling to the Tawhĩd of Allãh

S. He sacrificed his beloved home of Makkah. He

sacrificed sleep at night for Tahajjud salãh. He sacrificed

his food; often going days on end with nothing except

dates and water.

One companion came to the Prophet s and declared his

love for the Prophet s. Take heed the advice the

Prophet s gave in response;

“Prepare provisions for poverty, for verily; poverty afflicts the person

who loves me faster than how a flood reaches its end.” (rTirmidhĩ

Rãbiah ibn Ka‟b al Aslamĩ t would serve the Prophet s

by preparing His water for wudhu at night. Once, in

return for his service, the Prophet s said to Rãbiah t.

“Ask for something,” Rãbiah t said “Your

companionship in Jannah”. Upon this the Prophet s

advised

“Help me against your nafs by performing an abundance of

salãh.” (Muslim)

In one narration, seeing Jannah veiled with hardships

and dificulties, Jibrãĩl alayhis salãm exclaimed;

“Oh my lord! By your honour, I fear that no one will be able to

enter it (Jannah)” (Tirmidhĩ)

Allãmah Tĩbĩ rahimahullãh comments “(They will not be

able to enter) because of difficulties in the form of

opposing the Nafs and breaking the desires.”

Sacrifice can be translated into Arabic as „Mujãhadah'.

Mujãhadah is of two types.

(Continued on page 5)

Sacrifice for Success By Mawlãnã Zayd Gajia

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Weather Change By Mawlãnã Muaz Patel

Sharing a social media post or advice is simple. Deriving the subtle points which relate to one's life or work is not.

How many articles do you read which make you think about your progress? How many social media posts appear

and make you ponder over its relevance to your personal life? Did any of them open up a different perspective to

reflect upon life?

Let us identify something first:

At this moment in time, Muslims and especially the leaders of the community need to recognize change and progress,

from moral and spiritual development to community leadership and health. The question remains, how can we all

achieve this? The Approach of the Qur'ãn and Hadĩth say: “Simple: Take every piece of information that you receive

and read it with two questions in mind: 1) How it can change me? 2) How can it change those around me? ”

Take an example of a simple weather report. Yes, a weather report can change you! The weather is a constant

reminder of the power of the Almighty, especially to those living in the British Isles!

So you receive a WhatsApp message from a family member to warn you of a harsh storm approaching the United

Kingdom. The measurement of speed on the screen makes your hair stand up, your heart starts beating slightly

faster, natural reflexes of fear. Nevertheless, this fear does not produce a change in your sinful lifestyle; it creates the

sinking feeling of possibly facing death, losing all the pleasures and desires of this world!

What is the right way to approach it?

Start with yourself. Remember the leader of mankind? Yes, the prophet of Allah s, Muhammad, son of Abdullah s,

who we all accept as the authority for our beliefs and ideals. Now when our Beloved s, would look up at the sky

with his beautiful eyes, he could forecast rainstorm by the sign of the dark, wet and grey nimbus clouds hanging with

the might of Allãh S. Suddenly his whole body language would change; it was the storm of Taqwã (God

consciousness) which was racing in our beloved's body. And then “He would pace to and fro” His honourable Lady,

the mother of the believers A‟isha t would say to her students. “He would leave and enter repetitively and anxiety

would hide away the handsome charm of his face” she would say. (Bukhãrĩ)

Duã (Prayer) would be equipped to shield his Ummah from the disaster. Countless prayers are reliably narrated from

his faithful companions in this regard. In fact not only would he, s, ask for protection from the possible punishment

he would request beneficial rainfall from his Sustainer Allãh S, considering the climate and food economy of the hot

desert lands! Do you even think how Allãh S brings food to our table?! When will you start equipping ourselves with

these prayers for ourselves and others?

This is the first mindful thought which should rain down on our hearts and minds. A consciousness of worry for our

deeds, accountability for our actions; is Allãh S sending these warnings for sinners like me?! This should remind

ourselves of previous nations who were swept away by natural disasters simply because of disobedience and complete

disregard of the teachings given to them. The Qur'ãn powerfully reminds us,

“...And Nũh's people, when they denied the messengers, we submerged them in the great flood and made them a sign for

people” (25:37)

Let‟s change our fate by looking at the fate of others!

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(Continued from page 2)

Without a doubt, every Muslims success lies in that Dĩn

which is considered deen in the eyes of Allãh S and his

Messenger s. For this reason, the pious predecessors

and Ulamã of the Ummah have gone to great extents to

preserve the original, pristine and authentic dĩn

throughout time. This continuous chain is why learning

the authentic Islãm and acquiring the correct dĩn is a

pressing need for every believer. It is a must for every

Muslim that he equips himself with authentic and reliable

knowledge.

But remember! Mere knowledge is not enough. Every

believer should acquire knowledge with a firm intention

of practicing upon it. An Arab poet has said, “Mere

knowledge without practising upon it is like a tree which

does not bear fruit.”

Sufyãn Ath-Thawrĩ rahimahullãh mentions, “Knowledge

knocks on the door of action. If it receives a reply, it

stays. Otherwise, it departs.”

Imãm Shãfi‟ĩ rahimahullãh has said, “Knowledge is not

that which is memorised, knowledge is that which

benefits.” (I.e. what you practise upon and what reward

you reap in the hereafter.)

Hakĩmul Ummah Hadhrat Mawlãnã Ashraf Alĩ Thãnwĩ

mentions, “All the virtues described in the Qur‟ãn and

Ahãdĩth regarding knowledge is for that person who

practices upon his knowledge.”

In conclusion, Allãh S has granted the human faculty of

intellect, the ability to acquire knowledge. He has made

this the reason of superiority over all his other creations.

However, it is the responsibility of the Muslim that he

utilises this ability and proves his superiority over others.

The way forward is to make effort in acquiring the

knowledge of deen and practising upon it. If the Muslim

Ummah follows these two steps, then Allãh S will grant

every follower such power and progress which nobody

else and nothing else can match.

(Continued from page 3)

Compulsory mujãhadah and optional mujãhadah.

Compulsory mujãhadah is carrying out all the Farãidh,

Wãjibaat and Sunan Muakkadah and refraining from all

the Harãm and Makrũhãt e Tahrĩmĩ. In a Hadĩth e

Qudsĩ, Allãh S says;

“And my servant does not draw near to me with amything more

beloved to me than those acts which I have made compulsory upon

him.” (Bukhãrĩ)

Today the Muslim ummah as a whole have left

Mujãhadah for the ãkhirah. Mujãhadah for the world and

its joys and comforts have increased. But, mujãhadah in

carrying out the do's and refraining from the don‟ts is

nearly non-existent. The „bitterness' that comes with

mujãhdah in regards to the ãkhirah is unbearable. Let us

take heed from the words of Hadhrat Khwãjah Azĩzul

Hassan Majzoob rahimahullãh, “This fight (with nafs and

shaytãn) will be lifelong; sometimes he will overpower,

and sometimes you will.”

The reality is that our struggle and mujãhadah will last till

our last moments, something which was apparant in the

life of our beloved Prophet s and all the intelligent men

and women of the ãkhirah. We should not lose out in

joining their ranks but rather take this struggle in our and

stride and look to the reassurance which Allãh S gives

us,

“And those who make mujaahadah for our sake; We will

most definitely guide them to our paths.” (29:69)

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Ramadhãn: The Month of Patience

All praise is due to Allãh S who revealed the glorious

Qur‟ãn in a night better than a thousand months and

may His choicest salutations descend upon our master

and leader who was the personification of the Qur‟ãn.

Allãh S says,

“O you who believe! Fasting has been ordained for you as it

was ordained on those before you, so that you learn

taqwa” (2:183)

Ibn Umar t narrates that Nabĩ s said,

“Indeed your period of existence in relation to those before you is

like the time between Asr and Maghrib salãh. Your example and

the example of the Jews and Christians is like a man who

employed labourers saying: “Who will work for me till midday in

lieu of a qirãt (a specific measure)?” The Jews worked (from

sunrise) till midday for a qirãt. The man then said: “Who will

work for me from midday till Asr for a qirãt?” The Christians

worked from midday till Asr for a qirãt. The man thereafter said:

“Who will work for me from Asr salâh till sunset for two qirãts?”

You are the ones who work from Asr till sunset and you will have

the reward of two qirãts, indeed your reward is

multiplied…” (Bukhãrĩ)

This Ummah has a relatively short lifespan compared to

the lifespan of the previous Ummahs. Allãh S has

however blessed us with certain practices and occasions

through which we are able to achieve multiplied rewards

so that we could earn what otherwise took hundreds of

years to achieve. Ramadãn is one such occasion wherein

every act of obedience is multiplied in reward, where the

reward for fasting has no quantifiable measure, where a

Sunnah is compensated with the reward of a fardh,

whilst the reward of a fardh is multiplied seventy fold.

Ramadãn is a bonus month that offers us an opportunity

to earn in thirty days what previous nations earned in a

lifetime. It is a month that offers us the opportunity to

reap rewards, draw closer to Allah and elevate our ranks

in the hereafter.

“Every action that the son of Ãdam does, (its‟ reward)

will be multiplied. A good deed will be increased tenfold.

Allãh Mighty and Magnificent says, “Except for the fast,

for that is for Me and I will reward him for he left his

desires and food for My sake.'” (Muslim)

Nabĩ s has called Ramadãn the month of sabr

[patience]. Sabr is made up of three levels of endurance:

• Persistence in acts of obedience: As humans we tend

to be inconsistent, we become lethargic, weary and lazy.

Our challenge is to persist and subdue the tendency to be

inconsistent and irregular in our ibãdah. Ramadãn gives

us the spirit and resilience to persist in our ibãdah. If we

cannot be consistent in our ibãdah during the month of

Ramadãn, it is hardly possible to do so outside Ramadãn.

The minimum requirement is to discharge all our farã‟id

obligations.

• Abstention from acts of disobedience: Ramadãn is a

month that helps us to control our desires and

passions. Fasting gives us the ability to resist the

enslaving urge to do wrong. It is a

“…protective shield, so when one of you is fasting, let him not

behave or speak indecently; if someone tries to abuse him or fight

him, let him say, „I am fasting‟….” (Bukhãrĩ and Muslim)

Every limb of our body must fast from indecency and

vice. Both men and women should be conscious of their

attire… tight fitting jeans that accentuate the contours of

their bodies, revealing tops, etc. goes against the grain

and spirit of fasting. If we cannot learn modesty in our

conduct and attire in the month of Ramadãn, chances are

that we never will!

• Perseverance in times of difficulty: The third

component of sabr is the ability to persevere in the face

of difficulties. No difficulty, no pain, no hardship is in

vain, they have a meaning which often times is beyond

our understanding. The life of a believer revolves

between gratitude and patience. It is during times of

difficulty that our faith is tested, are we going to lose

hope and become despairing? We must view the

difficulties attached with fasting, tarãwĩh and sehrĩ as a

test of our faith, and a means of securing the pleasure of

7


Lectures of Shaykh Mawlānā Muhammad Saleem Dhorat hafizahullāh to listen out for at:

www.at-tazkiyah.com

1) Urdu: Gunāh se har Hāl me(n) Bacho (29/04/16)

2) English: Only Taqwã and good deeds will be helpful in the hereafter (19/04/2016)

Duā For Ramadhān

The Prophet s has mentioned four things that we must do in the month of Ramadhān, two for the pleasure of Allāh

S and two items we cannot do without.

1. Recite in abundance the Kalimah ُلَا إِلها إِلَا الله .

2. Seek His forgiveness through Istighfār.

3. Ask for His Jannah.

4. Ask His refuge from the Fire of Jahannam.

(Sahīh Ibn Khuzaimah)

The honourable Shaykh Mawlānā Muhammad Saleem Dhorat hafizahullāh mentions “My late father, Hāfidh Ibrahim

Dhorat v taught me a prayer during my childhood which I suppose he instructed it to me keeping in mind the aforementioned hadīth of

the Prophet s. He taught me to recite abundantly during the month of Ramadhān:”

لُكا الْاْناةا وا أاعُوْذُ بِكا مِنا الناارِ غْفِرُ اللها أاسْئ ا لَا إِلها إِلَا اللهُ أاسْت ا

Allãh S. If we fail to persevere in Ramadãn, we harm

none except ourselves; we certainly do not harm Allãh

S!

The following verse describes the spiritual state of a true

believer; our challenge is to use Ramadãn to infuse these

qualities in our lives,

“ Those who turn in repentance (whenever they have sinned)

those who worship Him (with adoration) those who praise

Him ( out of unending gratitude) those who fast( seeking

His pleasure) those who make rukũ and sujũd, and enjoin

the doing of right and forbid the doing of what is wrong, and

keep to the limits set by Allãh. And give (O‟ Prophet of

Allãh) glad tidings to all believers” (9:112)

We only find the need to repent if we feel hurt and

remorse at disobeying Allãh S, we only feel compelled

to praise and glorify Him if we are grateful and

appreciative of all the blessings we enjoy, we will only

worship Him and be ever mindful of our salãh if we

acknowledge His greatness and believe that we are going

to stand in His court to give an account of our actions.

The hallmark of this Ummah is to enjoin good and

forbid vice. Do we ever encourage our friends, our

children or our relatives to do good? Do we with

wisdom prevent them from doing wrong? True believers

will never look the „other way‟ when wrong is done in

their presence! Allãh S has set limits; He has clearly

defined right from wrong and good from bad.

Our challenge is to steer clear from these limits lest we

transgress them. All the decisions we make, all the

choices we make, the friends we associate with or the

places we frequent has to be well within these limits.

Ramadãn gives us the opportunity to keep within the

limits set by Allãh S. If we guard against what is disliked

we would steer clear from what is forbidden. If we

discharge what is optional we will naturally fulfil what is

compulsory. Ramadãn is therefore the month of sabr,

the month wherein we shun everything that may be

disliked by Allãh S and discharge what is otherwise

optional.

May Allãh S give us the ability to secure His forgiveness

and pleasure during this month.

(Courtesy of Jamiatul Ulama, South Africa)

http://www.at-tazkiyah.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1150:gunah-se-har-hal-me-n-bacho-29-04-16&catid=90:friday-spiritual-gatherings&Itemid=21

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“Oh, Abdullãh ibn Masũd! I have read the Qur'ãn from

cover to cover. So from which verse have you derived

the impermissibility of women tattooing or binding hair,”

a woman asked the great companion. Ibn Masũd t

Replied: “Have you not read the ayah,

And whatever the Messenger gives you, take it, and

whatever he forbids you from, abstain (from it).” (7:59)

She replied “Yes”. Ibn Masũd t then answered her

objection, "In this verse lies your answer as I have heard

the Prophet s also prohibiting the above." (Bukhãrĩ)

The verse which the great companion of the Prophet s,

quoted from the Holy Qur'ãn contains a clear message

from Allãh S: Study the Sĩrah! Moreover, the objection

from the woman to Ibn Masũd t should indeed leave us

questioning ourselves, are we also guilty of being

ignorant of the Prophet s„s life and teachings?

Unfortunately, Many Muslims limit the incredible

knowledge regarding our Prophet s to what they learnt

in their childhood during the evening madrassahs. Even,

the knowledgeable are often inattentive and neglectful

towards the great sĩrah. On the contrary, we find Abdur

Rahman ibn Mahdi rahimahullãh highlighting the status of

sĩrah, “After the knowledge of the Qur‟ãn, I am unaware

of knowledge more beautiful than the sĩrah of the

Prophet s.”

What is Sĩrah?

Sĩrah refers to the biography of the Prophet s.

Linguistically; sĩrah translates as a person‟s way of life

and comes from the Arabic verb to travel. The

connection between the two is that by reading the sĩrah

(biography), the reader retraces the footsteps and travels

through the life of the biographee.

Benefits of Sĩrah

Allãh S says in the Qur‟ãn,

“If you really love Allah, then follow me, and Allah will

love you” (31:3)

Explaining this verse my teacher of Tafsĩr, Mufti

Suleman Lasania dãmat barakãtuhum words it beautifully,

“Allãh S is saying to us, if you want to become my

beloved, emulate my beloved s and I will see the

resemblance of my beloved in you, and you will also

become my beloved.”

Dr Abdul Hayy Ãrifĩ rahimahullãh mentions under this

ayah, ‏ “When we replicate the life of the Prophet s, it

will always be incomplete. Allãh S however, is complete

in his being and his qualities. How merciful is Allãh S

that despite our incomplete emulation of the Prophet s,

he shows us complete and perfect love.”

To copy someone, we need to be acquainted with the

person being emulated. So for us to follow the Prophet

s in totality, the familiarity of his biography and way of

life will serve as a prerequisite without which one will not

become the beloved of Allãh S. This is because every

action the Prophet s performed (in whatever way he

performed it) and every quality he possessed, internal or

external, was beloved to Allãh S. Moreover, these

actions and qualities was present in the Prophet s in the

best possible combination and proportion, as these

actions and qualities along with its combination and

proportion were all handpicked directly by Allãh S so

that Allãh S can refer to him as mankind's role model,

had these qualities and actions along with its proportion

been slightly off mark or against Allãh S 's criteria of an

ideal role model for mankind, Allãh S would never had

said in the Qur‟ãn regarding the Prophet s,

“There is indeed a good model for you in the

Messenger of Allãh.” (33:21)

Another benefit

In his forward to the masterpiece “Life of the Chosen

one s” by Allãmah Idrĩs Al-Khãndelvi rahimahullãh,

Shaykh Mawlãnã Ashraf Alĩ Thãnwĩ rahimahullãh writes,

“The best advantage in reading the sĩrah is familiarity

with our master, Rasũlullãh s. This familiarity will

naturally produce love for the Prophet s and this love,

SIrah, Our Salvation By Mawlãnã Hamza Adam

9


as promised, guarantees the company of Rasũlullãh s in

Jannah. And who can doubt this being an immense

fortune?” It is the promise of the Prophet s, “Man will

be resurrected with who he loves.” (Bukhãrĩ)

Seldom can you love the one you do not know.

Therefore, if a Muslim chooses not to make an effort in

familiarizing himself with the Prophet s, his connection

with the Prophet s will be limited which may possibly

jeopardize the chances of his companionship in the

hereafter.

Preservation of sĩrah

The particularity of the Sahãba and the Tãbi'ũn in

preserving the sĩrah is truly breathtaking. Although

initially the sĩrah like the Qur‟ãn and hadĩth was

predominantly an oral tradition, the Tãbi'ũn like Alĩ and

Zayn Al-Ãbidĩn ibn Husain rahimahullãh would say, “We

would learn the sĩrah of the Prophet s like we would

learn a surah from the Qur‟ãn”.

Ismãĩl ibn Muhammad would recall his father‟s advice,

“My father would teach us sĩrah and sternly warn “This

is the legacy of your forefathers, do not slack in

preserving it.”

Study, Practice and Propogate!

Benefits of studying the sĩrah for a Muslim are

innumerable. Therefore, we need to take a step further

and propagate to our non-Muslim friends, firstly with

our words and then by following up with our actions.

Remember, righteousness can never be propagated

through a hypocritical medium! We have to practice what

we preach! The result being; it will open the deluded

hearts of harsh critics and allow the correct image of

Islãm to unfold and sweep away any misconceptions.

It is amazing how some people coincidently walked into

the life of the Prophet s as staunch enemies yet were

left astonished and impressed only because they were

given a chance to observe the Prophet s.

Thumãmah t was a staunch enemy of the Prophet s.

On the occasion when he was captured and held captive

in Masjid An-Nabawĩ for three days, he observed the

Prophet s„s life at a close distance. Conversation was

minimal but his observation had such an immense effect

on his soul that he immediately accepted Islãm after

which he uttered the famous statements, “Before I met

you, there was not a person I hated more than you and

after I met you there was not a person who I loved more

than you.” (Bukhãrĩ)

If a few moments from the sĩrah of the Prophet s can

transform a non-Muslim from a staunch hater into a

strong believer, then imagine how effectively the sĩrah

should strengthen the faith of those who are already

blessed with Imãn.

When Tufail Ad-Dawsĩ t, also known as Dhul

Qutnatayn (The possessor of two cotton wool pieces),

arrived at Makkah he was approached by heavy

propaganda from the Quraish. “He has split our families!

He has broken our unity! His words resemble magic! Do

not listen to him less you are afflicted with the same!”

They continued in this way until a convinced Tufail Ad-

Dawsĩ t eventually resorted to filling his ears with wool

for protection from the Prophet s. However, after

noticing the Prophet s in the masjid, he lamented

himself, “I am capable enough to judge the Prophet s

for myself.” Upon interaction and observation in person,

he dismissed the negativity.

Conclusion

So, if the non-Muslims were to read the sĩrah, it would

remove doubts and misunderstandings and provide

solutions to all spheres of life .

If the Muslims were to read sĩrah it would provide

solutions for this world and their afterlife. This is why

Muhammad ibn Muslim rahimahullãh says, “In the

knowledge of sĩrah lies the goodness of this world and

the hereafter.”

After relating incidents from the sĩrah of previous

Prophets to our Prophet s, Allãh S points out in the

Qur‟ãn,

“We narrate to you all such stories from the events of the

Messengers (before you) by which we strengthen your

heart.” (ref)

If the sĩrah of previous Prophets would spiritually

strengthen the heart of our Prophet s, whose faith was

by far the strongest of all, can we imagine the effect and

advantage in reading the sĩrah of the greatest prophet

would have on weak hearts like ours?

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ATAT--TaqwaTaqwa

Before the time of our beloved Prophet Muhammad s the non-Muslims of Makkah used to kill their daughters when they were born as they used to believe it was a disgrace to have a daughter but a honour to have a son.

Our prophet Muhammad s taught us that such beliefs were wrong and indeed a grave sin. He had four daughters whom he loved very much; Zainab, Ruqayyah, Umme Kulthũm and Fãtimah (RA). Fãtimah Az-zahra, as she was known, was in fact honoured with a great status of being the leader

of the women in Jannah. Our Prophet Muhammad s praised her by saying, "The best of the women of the world are four: Maryam Bint Imrãn, Ãsiyah Bint Muzahim, Khadijah Bint Khowailid, and Fãtima Bint Muhammad." Her lifestyle is a great example of what young girls should try to be like and follow as she was one of the best role models. She lived a very simple life and was married to the fourth Khalĩfah (leader) of Islãm, Hadhrat Alĩ

t. They had two sons called Hasan and Husain t whom the Prophet s loved deeply. If he was leading salãh and was in sajdah (resting his forehead on the ground) both children, very often, climbed onto his neck and back. He preferred to prolong the sajdah rather than to disturb them, and rose from sajdah only when they came off his neck or back voluntarily. If he went out of his home or the Masjid, he made them ride on his shoulders. The Prophet’s love for children was not only restricted to his own children and grandchildren, rather his mercy and affection embraced all children. The following hadith narrated by Usãmah

ibn Zaid t shows this of the Prophet s’s personality,

“Allah’s Messenger s used to put me on (one of) his thighs and put Al-Hasan ibn `Ali on his other thigh, and then embrace us and say, “O Allah! Please be merciful to them, just as I am merciful to them.” Whenever he would pass by children he would give them attention and convey Salãm to them.

Lesson to be learnt

SubhãnAllãh!! Wow!! Aren't we so lucky to be a part of a religion where even small children are given great importance?!

A Mercy to Mankind

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NOTICE BOARD

Activities initiated in

2015/16:

Full time Aalim class

& Bi monthly youth

programmes

Events to commence soon:

Quarterly sisters

programme

We are currently

enrolling for the

Aalim Course

(Academic year

2016/17)

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at june 2016

Documents