Alhamduli’Llah

Alhamduli’Llah! I have an unusual set of cooking pots which I bought years ago in a city far from where I now live.  It’s a small set with only three pots which fit inside each other – one small, one medium and the third, a little larger one.  On the Day of Arafat, which this year is also Thanksgiving Day, we’re fasting and preparing a turkey dinner with all the trimmings. Early in the morning, while the butter was melting in the smallest pot, our “chief chef”, who is an out of town visitor to the home, was called to the phone.  In a few minutes the unmistakable smell of burnt butter filled the home. “No problem” she said, “I’ll melt more in the other small pot” and she reached into the cupboard and pulled out an exact duplicate pot. Believe me! There was never an exact duplicate second small pot in my home.  Allah is Great and Able to do all things.  There is no power save The Power of Allah.

 

Good Advice

If we’re among the more Blessed people, we often hear the words: “Don’t get caught up in this world” or “Don’t be deceived by this world”. This is true and good advice which we profess to understand and follow to the best of our ability, we think.  Recently it’s been Shown to me I’ve certainly been neglectful in heeding this advice.  With every word we say, other than “Allah”, we are in this world and with other than The One Who Cherishes and Maintains us and if we’re fortunate enough to know Him, we’re lying with every word other than “Allah”.

Our conversations, other than those specifically relating to Allah, RasoolAllah Peace and Blessings on him, and His Perfected Religion are useless and vain.  Some of us constantly speak and, without realizing it, we’re encouraging others to do the same.  It’s like a contagious disease.

Prophet Jesus, son of Mary, Blessings on them, warned us in the most graphic way when he said: ““If man knew what manner the soul is transformed by vain talking he would sooner cut off his tongue with his teeth than talk.” 

To this day all Spiritual Guides advise us to “speak less” and we would be wise to at least try it for a day or so and inshaAllah, we shall see the immense benefit.   Instead of constantly talking to people, which gains us nothing and often gets us in trouble, we will find ourselves communicating with The Most Glorious Friend. 

 

Thanksgiving Day

There is a distinction between a “Holy Day” and a “holiday”.   A “holiday” is a practical observance in which people get pleasure and joy. An example is the American President’s birthdays – the joy comes from having the day off from work or benefitting by the outrageous sales offered to lure shoppers into spending money.  A “Holy Day” is delivered by Allah, Most Kind Most Merciful.  It is a day of Remembrance; it is Spiritual, it is Mystical.

In my opinion, Thanksgiving Day can be a Holy Day.  It fits the criteria.  It is a day of Remembrance and Thanksgiving for those who Remember and give Thanks to The Provider of all things. So, have a Blessed Thanksgiving Day.

 

Correction

A Spiritually Blessed person introduced me to the verses in the Holy Quran that instruct us to “enjoin what’s right and forbid what’s wrong”.  He told me those verses are speaking to each of us personally and the instruction meant to “enjoin what’s right and forbid what’s wrong” in our selves – Alhamduli’Llah! There is Wisdom in the Words, of course,  and there was Wisdom in explaining them that way.

The first and most important person to correct is the person who’s doing the correcting.  That’s right.  We must correct ourselves before we correct anyone else.

Read: 2; 44 and 4; 104

 

Everything We Have

         All that we have is from Allah, Glorious and Great.  Obviously that’s our life, our breathe, our knowledge, our faces, our shapes, our sicknesses and health, our cholesterol and sugar levels, our minds, our families, our portions, everything! 

Read Sura Al Nisa – chapter 4 Ayat 166

Everything is a Gift from Him.  Don’t you recognize it? What is there that is not a Thank You?

Sura Al Rahman chapter 55

Correction of The Report of A Statement

It’s been written that the Friend of Allah, Nizamuddin Aulia said:

“So long as is possible, give relief to your heart, because the heart of a good Muslim is the palace of the manifestations of Allah.”

InshaAllah, I would like to correct the report of that statement.  Nizamuddin Aulia, may his soul be Bessed,  was an articulate speaker and to say, “good Muslim” is redundant.  Only Allah, Azawajal, Knows who the Muslims are and to be truly a Muslim, one must be good. There can never truly be a bad Muslim.

Visit The Sick, Elderly, Sad

Allah, Glorious and Great, said to Prophet Moses (may his soul be Blessed), “I filled you with Divine Light. I am Allah. Only you have heard My Voice.  Yet when I got sick, you didn’t visit Me.”

The Prophet said: “Magnificent One, I don’t understand. Please enlighten me.”

Allah, Azawajal repeated:  “When I was sick you didn’t come.”

“Perfect One, You have no imperfections. I don’t understand” said the Prophet.

“One of My servants was sick and you ignored him.”  

 

Broken Hearted and in Despair?

 

Prophet Moses, may his soul be Blessed, once asked Allah,

            “Oh Lord Where shall I find You?”

Allah answered:

          ” Among those whose hearts are broken.”

Prophet Moses said: “Oh Lord, no heart is more broken and despairing than mine.”

Allah answered: “Then I am where you are!”

Muhammad, Just The Facts, Please

It’s time we asked – and did our own research for the facts – what is Islam?  Who are the Muslims? What’s all the violence about and where is it coming from?

         Muhammad, Peace and Blessings be upon him, taught many important principles and morals, and even set forth rules for combat setting the precedent and still exceeding the rules of war set forth by the Geneva Convention.

       Consider the following:

     All innocent life was sacred and as such none could be harmed, except those who were engaged against them in active combat. Saving one life was as if one had saved the entire world, while taking an innocent life was as if one had taken the lives of the entire world.

     There was to be no genocide of any tribes including those who had committed genocide against some Muslims. He offered mutual protection and forgiveness to all, even after certain ones continuously broke their covenants with him.  He did not allow them to be attacked until it was clearly proven they were traitors during time of war and were trying to bring down the Prophet, Peace and Blessings be upon him, and the Muslims.  Retaliation was only to those Jews who had turned traitor.

      Slaves were common in those days for all nations and tribes. It was Islam that encouraged freeing of the slaves and the great reward from Allah for those who did so. The Prophet, Peace and Blessings be upon him, gave the example of this by freeing slaves and encouraging all of his followers to do the same. Examples include his own servant (who was actually considered like a son to him) Zaid ibn Al Haritha and Bilal the slave who was bought by Abu Bakr only for the purpose of freeing him.

     While there were many attempts of assassination made on Muhammad, Peace and Blessings be upon him, (most famous was the night that Ali took his place in bed while he and Abu Bakr escaped to Madinah), he did not allow his companions to slaughter any of those who had been involved in these attempts. Proof for this is when they entered Makkah triumphantly and his first words were to command his followers not to harm such and such tribes and so and so families. This was one of the most famous acts of  his forgiveness and humility.

     Military combat was forbidden for the first thirteen years of Prophethood. The desert Arabs did not need anyone to tell them how to fight or do combat. They were experts in this area and held feuds amongst tribes that lasted for decades. It was not until the proper method of warfare was instituted by Allah in the Quran, with proper rights and limitations according His Commandments, that any retaliation or combat was sanctioned. Orders from Allah made it clear who was to be attacked, how and when and to what extent fighting could take place. Destruction of infrastructures is absolutely forbidden except when it is ordained by Allah in certain instances and then only according to His Commands.

     Cursing and invoking evil actually came to the Prophet, Peace and Blessings be upon him, from his enemies, while he would be praying for the guidance of his persecutors.   A classic example is that of his journey to At-Taif where the leaders would not even hear him out nor offer so much as the normal courtesy called for and instead they set the children of the street against him, throwing rocks and stones at him until his body was bleeding so much, blood filled his sandals. He was offered revenge by the angel Gabriel. If he would give the command, Allah would cause the surrounding mountains to fall down upon them destroying them all. Instead of cursing them or asking for their destruction, he prayed for them to be guided to worship their Lord alone, without any partners.

      Prophet Muhammad, Peace and Blessings be upon him, taught us every person  is born in a state of ISLAM (submission to God on His Terms in Peace), as a Muslim (MU-Islam means; “one who does ISLAM” i.e.; submits to God’s Will and obeys His Commandments). He further stated, God has created each person in the image that is according to His plan, and their spirit is His. Then as a person grows older they begin to distort their faith according to the influence of the prevailing society and their own prejudices. 

     Muhammad, Peace and Blessings be upon him, taught his followers to believe in the God of Adam, Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Moses, David, Solomon and Jesus, Peace be upon them all, and to believe in them as true Prophets, messengers and servants of Almighty Allah. He insisted on ranking all the Prophets up at the highest level without any distinction between them, and ordered his followers to say the words, “Peace and Blessings be upon him” after mentioning their names. He also taught the Torah (Old Testament), Zabur (Psalms) and Enjil (Gospel or New Testament) were originally from the very same source as the Quran;  from Allah to the angel Gabriel. He asked the Jews to judge according to their own Book, and they tried to cover up some of it to hide the correct judgment, knowing he, Peace and Blessings be upon him, could not read.

     The Prophet Muhammad, Peace and Blessings on him,  prophesied, predicted and foretold of events to come and they happened just as he had said they would.  He mentioned so many things that people of his time could not have known, yet we have seen the evidences manifest over and over throughout the centuries in science, medicine, biology, embryology, psychology, metrology, geology and many other disciplines and even space travel and wireless communications, all of which we take for granted today.   A Revelation in The Holy Quran states Pharaoh was drowned in the Red Sea while chasing after Moses and Allah said He would preserve Pharaoh as a sign for the future.  Dr. Maurice Bucaille in his book, “Bible, Quran and Science” makes it clear this has happened and the very person of Pharaoh has been discovered in Egypt and is now on display for all to see. This event took place thousands of years before Muhammad, Peace and Blessings be upon him, and it came true in the last few decades, many centuries after his death. 

     Muhammad, Peace and Blessings be upon him, and his followers never claimed that he was a son of God or the God-incarnate or a man with divinity.  He   is and always has been  considered  a Messenger chosen by God.  He insisted people only praise Almighty God, alone and not to celebrate him or his companions in any way.  While most people do not hesitate to raise to divinity and even make ‘gods’ out of other individuals whose lives and missions have been lost in legend. Historically speaking, none of these legends achieved even a fraction of what Muhammad, Peace and Blessings be upon him, accomplished.

       The Prophet Muhammad’s, Peace and Blessings on him, main goal was uniting mankind for the purpose of worshipping the One God of Adam and all the other Prophets, Peace be upon them all.  His strived to have everyone understand and follow the codes of moral excellence set forth by Allah in His Revelations.

     Today after a lapse of fourteen centuries, the Holy Quran is free of alterations, abregations and innovations and the life and teachings of Muhammad, Peace and Blessings be upon him, have survived and continue to guide millions. 

 

 

Allah Azawajal

     Every once in a while it’s healthy to step aside – take a deep breathe and go back to the basics.  In my case that means to “eat less, sleep less, speak less and socialize less” and I’ve added “write less”.  If you can’t do it on your own, then pray to Allah Almighty to do it for you and at the very best time, inshaAllah, He Will. Sometimes this Gift comes in ways we don’t like or we think of as “bad” or “untimely” or “scary” or “unfortunate” events, but with patience, inshaAllah, in time we’ll see His Wisdom and Love.

     Not that your prayer will bring anything which was not already in your destiny because the decree of Fate is not averted or brought about except by that prayer that was already decreed that it would bring about or avert such a decree.  

     In other words, there is no power except the Power of Allah and in His Hands is all Good.

     To pray for anything is putting a thing in its proper order- Allah Azawajal First and Last. 

Timeless Words

         I think this is the perfect place to interject Shaikh Rumi’s timeless words. Read them and tell me if you agree.

          “Since the beginning of your existence The Changer has not abandoned you to one permanent state of being, but has evolved you through a hundred thousand forms – each one better than the last.   All change is a Gift from The Changer. (Al Bari – The Evolver) “