Janaza of brother Sharif Osman Hadi

Our beloved brother, Sharif Osman Hadi passed away last Friday 19th of December 2025 . Inna lillahi wa inna ilaiher rajeuun. We belong to our Lord and to Him is our return. He was shot on his head by criminal thugs last week while he was about to start his political campaign after Fajr Salah in Dhaka. Apparently it was his habit to start work after Fajr in the masjid. The interim government of Dr Yunus sent him to Singapore for treatment but doctors there ( a panel of neurosurgeons)  couldn't operate as he was in a very critical state . His huge funeral was today in Dhaka near the Parliament.  It was heartwarming to see so many people from different parts of Bangladesh travelled to Dhaka, the capital to attend his funeral. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala forgive him and accept him as a Shaheed, ameen! May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala give his family the Himma (strength) and Sabr (resilience) to endure his loss. He has left behind a 7 months old son and his young widow. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala keep them blessed forever, ameen! Our prayers and thoughts are with the family and friends.  

As a nation of believers in Bangladesh, he will be remembered for his tremendous efforts to fight against injustice and cultural fascism . His legacy will carry on In sha Allah. He was a very intelligent man. He was such a young man (born in 1993) but he understood the society and its evil practices very well. He dreamt of a Bangladesh free of corruption and injustice. He was running for election as a MP to fight against all sorts of falsehood institutionalized by the Islamophobic, brutal Awami government and its supporters. He knew very well that it will be a long , arduous journey with lots of challenges. Hadi also predicted his own murder as he knew he had a lot of enemies. As a neighboring country to fascist India, Bangladesh has been struggling with political, economic and cultural hegemony of India for decades. Since its so called independence of 1971 from Pakistan , it has been treated as a province of India . The puppet governments, in particular, Bangladesh Awami League (BAL) have been serving India's interest from day one. 

Bangla Halaqa

Bismillah 

Surah Al Mulk in depth

Bismillahir Rahmaneer Raheem 

In the Name of Allah, The Most Merciful

Alhamdulillah our precious Ustadha Khadija has started the study of Surah Al Mulk in depth on Zoom . She has been running sessions for us since 2020 Covid lockdown through Deen for sisters (DFS). First Surah she started with was Surah Al Mulk. After five years, she has brought us the Surah Mulk again with new notes and new lessons in sha Allah . I look forward to her Sunday sessions at 10:30 AM. I have shared some of my notes here. Any mistakes are from myself (due to lack of my understanding), so please forgive me and anything khair (good) is from my Most Loving and Most Merciful Rabb alhamdulillah and His beloved Rasulullah sallallahu alaihe wa sallam. 

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Alhamdulillah we had four days of eating, drinking and praising/glorifying our Rabb, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala  alhamdulillah. May Allah (swt) accept our efforts during the great days of Dhul Hijjah 1446 , ameen!

There are different kind of hearts, i.e. diseased hearts, dead hearts and sound hearts. Some people have hearts devoid of remembrance of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Those hearts are spiritually dead. The best mode of remembrance is reciting, reading the Qur’an. Let's revive our heart with studying the Suratul Mulk in depth in sha Allah! We are about to start a new Hijri year, Hijri 1447 in sha Allah. Let us make intention to study the Words of our Rabb in depth in sha Allah!

We try to recite Suratul Mulk before going to sleep at night as one of the Sunnah of our beloved Rasulullah sallallahu Alaihe wa sallam. We may think we know about the surah but every time we join a new tafseer/tadabbur class we learn new lessons. So keep on learning, sharing and improving together! Whatever you learn sisters, make notes and share the khair with others. Imagine someone learning something good from you and you receive mountains of good deeds on the Yawmul Qiyamah (The Day of Judgement) waiting for you in sha Allah! Come and join us and let's learn more about this beautiful Surah bi idnillahi ta'ala!

Surah Mulk is a Makki surah i.e. it was revealed during the first 13 years of prophethood in Makkah. It is the 67th Surah of the Qur'an (first Surah in Juz Tabarak).  The followers of Islam in Makkah were new reverts/converts. They didn't know about Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. They didn't have any revelations before the Qur’an. The surahs of Juz Amma (30^th part) and Juz Tabarak (29^th part of the Qur’an)  were revealed for new Muslims . They are the foundation of our faith. The concept of Tawheed (Oneness of Allah swt), Risaalah (prophethood) and Akhira (Life after death) were alien concepts to them. Most of them had no faith. Majority were of people of Shirk (paganism). They knew a bit about the Christians and Jews .

We may have read about the virtues of specific surah or chapters of the Qur’an. We may think about the reasons why virtues are so important. We live at a time when we hardly read, study and recite the Qur'an cover to cover. Sometimes we restrict our exposure to the Qur'an to only handful of surahs based on the virtues mentioned.  Unfortunately people tend to read same surahs like Ar Rahman, Yaseen again and again. But the Qur'an is not supposed to be approached in that way.  Every part of the Qur'an is special. Every ayah has a purpose and meaning. And every verse is connected to each other.

Surah Mulk is known to be a surah which will intercede for its reciter. But the question is whether is it the only surah which can intercede for us? Not at all. Our fasts and recitation of the Qur'an in general will intercede for us. Our recitation of the Qur'an will talk on our behalf saying "I am the one she was busy with (reciting, revising, reading, studying) the whole night. So any surah can have the potential to save us in sha Allah bi idnillahi ta'ala at the hour of our need. Surah Al Baqara and Surah Al Imran will come as clouds to shade us when there will be no shades on the day of Judgment if we build a habit of reciting them frequently and live by the lessons . 

Sahabas (companions) used to call Surah Al Mulk Al Mania, the surah that protects us, shield us from punishment. In the grave, a person will visit from the side of the feet to punish the dead but it will be said that he can't punish him as he used to recite surah Mulk before sleep. We can also recite the surah in our Salah. If the Suratul Mulk is memorised by the person, the different parts of the body will testify for the person. May Allah (swt) enable us to keep the 30 verses of the Surah Al Mulk in our heart, ameen!

What is the relation between Suratul Mulk and punishment of the grave?

Imagine the grave. My grave will be just one grave with no room for others. My grave will be only mine. One compartment. Six feet under. Our graves are already dug while we are going around busy in life, completely oblivious of our imminent departure from this temporary world at any time. 

There are four concepts of grave mentioned through Qur'an and Hadith literature which are darkness in the grave, squeezing of the grave, Fitna (trials) of the grave and punishment (adhaab) of the grave.

The last experience people will have in this dunia (planet earth) is the footsteps that they hear, loved ones burying them and leaving them behind all alone in the grave. They can't hear or know what's happening above them anymore. The only connection dead people have to this world is the sadaqa jaariya (ongoing charity) they have left behind. We can only pray for them and do good deeds through Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, hoping He (swt) accepts from us on their behalf in sha Allah. Imagine I am dead, so no more connection with dunia, no more relation with my loved ones. I become the person of Akhira, the Hereafter, the other world.

There was a female Sahabiya who was the cleaner of the masjid of Rasulullah sallallahu alaihe wa sallam in Madina Munawwara. What a blessed sahabiya (RadiAllahu anha ) she must have been subhanallah! When she passed away, the sahabas buried her at the night and did not want to disturb the beloved Rasulullah (saw). In the morning, he (saw) noticed her absence and asked about her! He was told about her death. He (saw) went to visit her grave and pray for her. He (saw) told the companions that his du’a is a blessing for her. Through this story we can learn the importance of praying for our dead in sha Allah. May Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala enable us to pray for the dead of our Ummah, ameen!

A beneficial supplication that can be said for both the deceased and the living is:

اللَّهمَّ اغْفِرْ لِحَيِّنَا وَمَيِّتِنَا وَشَاهِدِنَا، وَغَائِبِنَا، وَصَغِيْرِنَا وَكَبِيْرِنَا، وَذَكَرِنَا وَأُنْثَانَا. اللَّهمَّ مَنْ أَحْيَيْتَه ُُ مِنَّا فَأَحْيِه ِِ عَلَى         الإِسْلامِ، وَمَنْ تَوَفَّيْتَه ُُ مِنَّا فَتَوَفَّه ُُ عَلَى الإِيْمَانِ، اللَّهمَّ لا تَحْرِمْنَا أَجْرَهُ، وَلا تُضِلَّنَا بَعْدَهُ

Allahumma-ghfir lihayyina wa mayyitina wa shahidina, wa gha'ibina, wa saghirina wa kabirina, wa dhakarina wa unthana. Allahumma man ahyaytahu minna fa ahyihi 'ala al-Islam, wa man tawaffaytahu minna fatawaffahu 'ala al-iman. Allahumma la tahrimna ajrahu, wa la tudillana ba'dahu.

O Allah, forgive our living and our dead, those present and those absent, our young and our old, our males and our females. O Allah, whom among us You keep alive, then let such a life be upon Islam, and whom among us You take unto Yourself, then let such a death be upon faith. O Allah, do not deprive us of his reward and do not let us stray after him (Sunan Ibn Majah, no. 1498).

Graves are very dark so make du'a for them so that it can be full of light. Ya Allah please make the place full of light. Illuminate the dark grave! What will make it illuminous? The Qur'an, the recitation of the Qur'an. We live in the age of screens. Always glued to the blue screens of different gadgets. Our youth are busy playing, browsing, doomscrolling social media in the depth of the night. We adults are guilty too. But the brightness of the screen of this world won’t illuminate our graves! Let us strive for the light for Akhira through attaching our hearts to the Qur'an in sha Allah !

Squeeze of the Qabr Dammatul Qabr 

The graves will squeeze its new arrival just like a mother hugs her child after a long break. The believers will be hugged too. The nonbelievers will be squeezed so hard that it will crush the bones. Allahul musta'an! We seek Allah swt's help!

Saad Ibn Muadh RadiAllahu anhu was one of the greatest companions. When he (ra) died, Rasulullah (saw) told the companions that seventy thousand angels came to take part in his janaza so he (saw) felt so squeezed by their divine presence. He could feel the tightness of the space due to so many angels coming to receive Saad Ibn Muadh (ra)! The heaven’s doors were opened to welcome him! Rasulullah (saw) predicted Saad (ra) may have been saved from the squeeze of the grave.

Fitnatul Qabr The trials of the grave

The Fitna of Qabr will be like Fitnatul Dajjal, the trials of Antichrist. We make dua for protection against four things before completing the Salah. Our beloved Rasulullah (saw) taught us a very comprehensive dua regarding the trials (fitna ) so please learn it, use it and help others to learn it. One of my beloveds Ustadha Uzma Jung taught us this beautiful du'a ages ago and she would urge us to teach to our precious children and youth in general. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala forgive her and bless her with Jannatul ferdous Al A'laa, ameen! 

Sisters, keep learning extra dua for sitting and Ruku position in the prayer, get the Hisnul Muslim (Fortress of the Muslim). Why should we learn more dua? Because dua (supplication) is the essence of worship. Why is the Fitna of grave equivalent to the Fitna of Dajjal, the Antichrist? We may think we may be lucky enough to escape Fitna of Dajjal but every one of us will experience death and the entrance to the grave.  When angels come to the grave for the first time, they will come in a deceiving way, trying to shake us to the core! It is those who are steadfast will be saved from the fitna of the grave.

We can find in the Qur’an about the special people who will be steadfast, having Thabat. The biggest explanation of the Qur'an is the Qur'an itself.

In Surah Ibrahim, Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala says, Allah makes the believers steadfast with the firm word of faith in this worldly life and the hereafter. And Allah leaves the wrongdoers to stray. For Allah does what He wills.  Surah Ibrahim: 14:27 Kalimah Tayyibah (There is no one worthy of worship except Allah )  is the firm word of faith it is referring to. A good word is like a good tree. The testimony that there is no one worthy of worship other than Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is a like a deep-rooted tree. The deeper the Kalimah shahadah rooted in our heart, the richer the quality of life it will be as a believer in sha Allah.  

Surah Mulk is the surah of Tawheed (Oneness of Allah swt). It teaches us the Kalimah Shahadah. Believers will be challenged in this dunya as it is the Darul Imtihan the abode of tests and trials. Dunya is our exam hall. The more we establish the lessons of surah Mulk in our life, the more steadfast we can be in sha Allah. 

The more we study surah Mulk, the more we understand the Rububiyyah of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. He is the creator of everything and everything belongs to Him. Should we not be worshiping the One who created everything? In the Qur’an we are taught to worship our Rabb through Taqwa (Allah consciousness). Sayyidina Ibrahim Alaihes salam was a Haneef, constantly seeker of the truth. He submitted to Islam completely. Given his family and his people were pagans, he never ever accepted Shirk (associating partners with Allah swt). He never compromised his values as a believer.  Ibrahim Alaihes salam asked his people why they worship something which can't hear or see or benefit them! He AS introduces his Rabb in Surah Al Shu’ara. “He is the One who created me and it is He who guides me and He who gives to eat and drink and when I am sick , it is He who heals me and He will cause me to die and then He will bring me to life and who, I hope will forgive me my sins on the Day of judgement. My Rabb! Grant me wisdom and join me with the righteous.” Surah al-Shu’ara:78-83

We must teach ourselves and our children to ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. No one else is worthy to be asked! In Surah Luqman we find the conversation of Luqman (as), a person of wisdom (hikmah) with his beloved son. He taught his son that the worst oppression is Shirk ie associating partners with our Rabb.  

Ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala for everything. When you drink, ask Him and thank Him for the water . He is the source of water. Do we show proper etiquette when we ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala? Whole dominion is in His Hand. Surah Mulk teaches us Tawheed ar Rububiyyah and Tawheed al Uloohiyyah. We as believers direct all our devotion to Him only. Throughout the surah He challenges us with questions on who is in charge. We hope to carry on learning the surah in depth in sha Allah.

May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala enable us to learn deeply and improve our understanding and enable us to live by this beautiful surah, ameen!

I have shared the details about the DFS sessions here. Please spread the link in sha Allah. Jazakallah Khairan Kathiran. 

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Revive Our Hearts

Surah Al-Mulk:67

Don't forget to join our Flagship Tafseer Class with other like minded sisters 10.30 am 

Every Sunday morning  inshaa'Allah

Deen For Sisters Tafseer Class, in English, open to all ladies on Zoom insha'Allah

Read & Reflect

Surah - Al- Mulk:67

Join live on  Zoom 

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/9125927619?pwd=bDVVSTRLUytHeFBlN3h0LzUwMkg5dz09

Meeting ID: 912 592 7619 

Passcode: DFS2020

Please save the Meeting ID and the passcode . Every time same link is used. 

So don't forget to set your alarms dear sisters & share the link .

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Iman revisited

Our precious sister, Nadia is teaching us the meaning of Iman. She has been having lessons with us on pillars of faith Alhamdulillah. Masha Allah tabarakallah her sessions are very lively and a feast to my senses.  I am a visual and kinesthetic learner so her style works for me alhamdulillah. So what is Iman?  It comes from the Arabic root letters aa mi na ( aamina) which means to give security and peace. Iman gives us a framework to think and live with alhamdulillah. 

There are 3 levels of faith... Islam, Iman and Ihsan. In sha Allah our aim is Ihsan, the highest level bi idnillahi ta'ala!

Islam is the outward actions such as the five pillars of Islam- Shahada, Salah, Zakah, Sawm and Hajj.

Imaan is the inward actions which are based on the foundations of the five pillars of Islam .

Ihsan is intensifying our worship to gain closeness to our Rabb. I have added the Hadith which teaches us the three terms in details. It is known as Hadith Jibreel . Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala sent the archangel Sayyidina Jibraeel AS to teach us our beautiful religion. This is one of the core hadith to remember and follow on a daily basis in sha Allah. 

Hadith Jibreel

Umar ibn al-Khattab reported: We were sitting with the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, one day, a man appeared with very white clothes and very black hair. There were no signs of travel on him and we did not recognize him. He sat in front of the Prophet, rested his knees by his knees, and placed his hands on his thighs.

The man said, “O Muhammad, tell me about Islam.”

The Prophet said, “Islam is to testify there is no God but Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, to establish prayer, to give charity, to fast the month of Ramadan, and to perform pilgrimage to the House if a way is possible.”

The man said, “You have spoken truthfully.” We were surprised that he asked him and said he was truthful.

He said, “Tell me about faith.”  (Faith is Imaan in Arabic)

The Prophet said, “Faith is to believe in Allah, His angels, His Books, His Messengers, the Last Day, and to believe in providence, its good and its harm.”

The man said, “You have spoken truthfully. Tell me about excellence (Ihsan).”

The Prophet said, “Ihsan (Excellence ) is to worship Allah as if you see Him, for if you do not see Him, He surely sees you.”

The man said, “Tell me about the final hour.”

The Prophet said, “The one asked does not know more than the one asking.”

The man said, “Tell me about its signs.”

The Prophet said, “The slave-girl will give birth to her mistress and you will see barefoot, naked, and dependent shepherds compete in the construction of tall buildings.”

Then, the man returned and I remained. The Prophet said to me, “O Umar, do you know who he was?” I said, “Allah and His Messenger know best.”

The Prophet said, “Verily, he was Gabriel who came to teach you your religion.”

Source: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 

Conditions of Iman:

1. Belief in the heart

2. Statements of the tongue

3. Actions of the limbs

4. Iman increases with obedience 

As you can see, I cannot say my iman is in my heart and I don't need to pray, fast etc. Sometimes we meet people who claim they have Iman in their heart but they believe they don't need to manifest their Iman through their limbs. Imagine as a mother, I tell my children that I love them but I don't express the love through my action. I neglect them. Is that really love? As believers we love our Rabb, we believe in our heart and we do our best to express the love through worshiping Him the way He wants, with every blessing He has blessed us with bi idnillahi ta'ala. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala enable us to fulfil the conditions of Iman, ameen!

Nadia reminded us the similarity between the elegant Date palm tree and a believer (Mu'min) . This was my favourite part as I am a passionate plant lover ! Alhamdulillah for the awesome nature ! 

Abdullah ibn Umar reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “The parable of the believer is that of a date palm tree. Whatever you take from it will benefit you.”

Source: al-Mu’jam al-Kabīr lil-Ṭabarānī 13514

Grade: Sahih (authentic)

Seeds of Date Palm in Jannah insha Allah

1. Date palm trees are evergreen trees. It doesn't shed leaves. Our submission to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala never stops. Believers worship their Rabb in every season, in good days as well as in challenging days. 

2. The tree provides shade through out the year. Believer supports others in every situation. 

3. Date palms are strong, tall and lofty in nature. Believers are strong in heart and present themselves in a beautiful, lofty manner.

4. Date palms has deep network of roots. Even in stormy weather , the roots help the tree to stay intact. A strong believer doesn't break down during a difficult phase of her life. In fact, challenges make her more resilient and humble . It teaches her to have empathy. 

5. The tree yields sweet dates throughout the year. A believer always share his goodness with others. 

6. The older the date palm , the sweeter the dates. The older the believer, the more the wisdom bi idnillahi ta'ala. So old is gold! May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala enable us all to age gracefully , ameen! 

7. The tree can survive hostile environments. The date palms are native to desert climates especially in the middle eastern countries. Imagine the Ummah struggling in different parts of the world! Their Iman is keeping them firm alhamdulillah. Their faith is unwavering subhanallah! 

8. Even if the tree is uprooted, if the roots are not disconnected , it still can survive and carry on producing dates. Sometimes believers can be unwell but they can still benefit others. 

There are so many fascinating facts about the Date palm tree. I have shared two links here if you are interested to research more in sha Alllah. I cannot thanks Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala for this amazing plant alhamdulillah. So much to be grateful for in sha Allah !

Natural History Museum  Date Palm: The cornerstone of civilization 

Date palm at Kew Garden 

Let us go back to the topic of this post , Iman ! 

Imaan wears off just like our clothes wear off ( paraphrasing a hadith). So how can we renew our imaan ?

1. Seek knowledge 

It is very important to actively seek knowledge . Sometimes as parents we facilitate for our children to seek knowledge but we do not seek it for ourselves! Knowledge of the Deen is crucial for every one of us. I loved Nadia's words, " Sign up and show up!"

May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala increase us in knowledge and enable us to benefit from it, ameen!

2. Make du'a for gaining Iman

We must ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala for Iman. O Allah ! Please revive our Iman, revive our yaqeen (certainty). She mentioned the du'a taught by beloved Rasulullah Salllallahu alaihe wa sallam which should be made after the salah . 

Mu'adh (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) took hold of my hand and said, "O Mu'adh! By Allah I love you, so I advise you to never forget to recite after every prayer: "Allahumma a'inni ala dhikrika, wa shukrika, wa husni 'ibadatika (O Allah, help me remember You, to be grateful to You, and to worship You in an excellent manner)."

[Abu Dawud].

Today's Jumuah Tadabbur class at Fitya

 Bismillah... In the Name of Allah , The Most Merciful

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah dear readers,

I hope this post/reminder finds you in best of health and Imaan in sha Allah .

Today at our Qur'an Tadabbur class (Reflection of the Qur'anic verses) , our precious teacher Umm Anas focused on ayah (verse) 41 to 45 of Surah Maryam (Surah 19 of the Qur'an). I love the sessions and learn a lot from her precious efforts alhamdulillah. The sessions help me to study and reflect more on the Qur'an. I have shared some of the notes here . I hope my Generous , Most Appreciative Rabb accepts my efforts in sha Allah . Enjoy the read! I hope you find it helpful bi idnillahi ta'ala!

19:41 And mention too in the Book ( the Qur'an), the story of  Ibrahim . He was a man of truth, a prophet.   Innahu kaana Siddiqan Nabiyyaa 

Sayyidina Ibrahim Alaihes salam ( Peace be on him) was a person of strong and firm faith. He was a person of SIDQ meaning he always affirmed the truth and lived by it. There was no doubt in his heart. He had the Qalbus Saleem, the sound heart. A heart completely submitted to its Rabb. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala appointed him as a prophet. He was also given the role of a leader ie imama. We Muslims follow his teachings. In fact , our beloved Rasulullah Sallallahu alaihe wa sallam (Peace and blessings be upon him) is the answer to his prayers for the humanity. We follow his Millah. ( Millata Abeena Ibrahima Haneefa...) 

In these verses, we get to see how he invited his father to the truth. His manner was gentle and loving. He used endearing words to address his father ( Yaa Abati... O my beloved father! O my darling dad! I love you so much!) . We can't really translate the Arabic expressions in English. Arabic is a very rich language so the translation of the Qur'an cannot do justice to the divine Book gifted to us. 

Given he was a man of great love and empathy, he approached his father with utmost affection. He wanted his father to think for himself. That's why he said , "O my father! Why do you worship something that can neither hear nor see nor benefit you in any way ?" 19:42 

Through these questions he wanted to encourage his father to think deeply about his action ie the pagan practices he was involved in. He also told his father the reason why he was having the much needed conversation "Father! Knowledge that has not reached you has come to me: I will guide you to an even path." 19:43 

Here we see his humility as a son. He is gently requesting his beloved father to accept the truth and he offered to help him to follow the path of guidance. He did not attribute the knowledge to himself . Every blessing is from Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. He is just conveying the truth to his father. Prophets convey the message to us and help us to follow the straight path but they are not in position to convert/revert us. Guidance is only from Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. That's why we are taught to ask for guidance through reciting Surah Al Fatiha ( The Opening) in our daily prayers ( Salah). Our prayer is not even valid without reading the Surah Al Fatiha. It is called the mother of the Qur'an. 

He carries on... 19:44 "Father! Do not worship Shaitan (Satan) - Shaitan has rebelled against the Lord of Mercy  ( Ar Rahman). 

Here we can learn a very important concept of our core belief (Aqeedah) as Muslims. Life without Tawheed (Belief in Oneness of Allah swt) is in essence a life spent in worshiping Shaitan. Please read it again and let it sink! When we do not obey Allah as our one and only Rabb, we end up obeying the Shaitan, the self-proclaimed enemy ( 'aduu'm mubin). Sayyidina Ibrahim AS is warning his father not to worship Shaitan. He was a pagan, he worshipped idols. By worshipping idols , he was in reality obeying the devil. So what is the consequence of disobedience to our Most Generous Rabb, Ar Rahman ?

19:45 "O my father! I fear that a punishment from the Lord of Mercy may afflict you and that you may become Shaitan's companion (in Hell)". 

The worst sin is to associate partners in worship with our Rabb, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala which is called Shirk. It is the worst form of oppression (zulm). When someone commits Shirk, he/she separates themselves from the mercy of Ar Rahman. And mercy of our Rabb is what we desperately need to enter Jannah . Hell is the permanent address of people who reject the truth and follow anything other than Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. By doing so, they are depriving themselves of the mercy ( Rahma) of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. 

May Allah, Al Haadi (The Guide) guide us to His straight path and bless us with His Jannatul Ferdous al'A'la , ameen ! May Allah , Ar Rahman ( The Lord of Mercy), shower us with His immense mercy in every aspect of our life and reunite us the Ummah in Jannah, ameen! 

Baby season

Alhamdulillah our local park is full of new arrivals. I am really enjoying my walk almost every day of the week . Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has blessed us with so much alhamdulillah. Can't be grateful enough ! 

By time ! We are all in loss ...

Assalamu alaikum dear readers ,

I hope everyone is reflecting on their life given today is the last day of year 2022. How quickly time is flying! I feel sad. I don't understand why some people tend to celebrate the new year . We are essentially getting closer to the end of our life on this earth. So what is the point of celebrating? I have been reflecting on the chapter of the Qur'an, Al Asr, where our Rabb reminds us that we all human beings are in loss ( are losers ) except the blessed, chosen ones who believe ( have faith in Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala), do good deeds on a regular basis, help and support each other through reminders from our beautiful faith to be patient, resilient, truthful, sincere believers for His sake. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala enable us to be among these special people, ameen ! May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala guide us to the straight path, ameen ! I hope and pray that our Most Merciful Rabb will forgive our weaknesses and accept our deeds which was possible only through His immense mercy and grace on us alhamdulillah. 

New teachers in Year 2022

Another year is about to leave us. How quickly time is passing away subhanallah ! My Rabb has blessed me with numerous opportunities to learn about our beautiful faith alhamdulillah.

I met a beautiful teacher at the start of the year, who has taught us quite a lot of seerah alhamdulillah but she had to stop the sessions due to family commitments. 

I was also blessed with Umm Razi (Urdu) who teaches us one page of the Qur'an on a weekly basis alhamdulillah. She tries to explain the Qur'an with the Qur'an which is quite refreshing for me . Her style of teaching is helping me to approach the Qur'an in a different way. For example, at the moment I'm trying to study about the people of 'Ad and Thamud. I'm trying to find all the verses related to these people and try to build a overall picture of them and the lessons we can learn from them. Another technique that she uses is linking the seerah as the context of the verses in the Qur'an. She has just covered the chapter, The Victory ( Al Fath ) and explained the context from the seerah of our beloved Rasulullah sallallahu Alaihe wa sallam. My love and respect for my beloved Rasulullah and his noble companions have increased significantly through this heartwarming Surah of the Qur'an alhamdulillah. The more I am spending time with my beloved teachers, I'm realising how little I know subhanallah! 

Another beautiful blessing I have received this year is meeting a lovely Egyptian teacher, Umm Noha who is helping me with my journey of tadabbur alhamdulillah. I have been blessed to attend sessions of tafseer ( explanation of the Qur'an) for years but I have been looking for a specific class for reflecting deeply on the verses of the Qur'an. Alhamdulillah her sessions are in a Masjid and lots of dedicated sisters take part . She has gone thorough some chapters from the Juz Amma , Surah Al Kahf and Surah Maryam alhamdulillah. It has been a mindblowing experience for me alhamdulillah. I really needed these sessions . Alhamdulillah I feel very content and look forward to our sessions on Fridays in sha Allah. 

May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala accept the effort of my beautiful teachers, my precious sisters in faith and protect them and enable them to keep enlightening us through connecting us to the Noble Words of our Rabb, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, ameen 💞 May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala enable us to seek the knowledge which will benefit us and increase us in knowledge and make us better and stronger believers through the beneficial knowledge He teaches us till we meet Him in Jannatul ferdous near His Throne , ameen 💕

Al 'Aleem

"Exalted are You : we have no knowledge except what You have taught us." 

This was the honourable angels' response when they were asked to name the objects Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala showed them . Adam Alaihes salam was taught the names by Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala Himself and due to His teaching,  he was able to name them correctly. Whatever we know is from His immense Rahma (mercy) and Fadl (grace) on us . We are nothing without Him . He is the source of knowledge, Al 'Aleem . We only know what He taught us. And His knowledge is vast and without limit . This verse also reminds me of the start of Surah Ar Rahman. Allah , the most merciful, reminds us of the most important blessing, the knowledge of the Qur'an. He is the One Who taught us the Qur'an. Can we imagine being on this world without the Qur'an, the one and only , authentic Book of Guidance ? Which favour of our Rabb can we deny! 

A slave on planet Earth 🌏

Pakistan 🇵🇰 is the country where I was blessed to be born in , Bangladesh 🇧🇩 is the country I am blessed to be part of , Iran 🇮🇷 is the country I was blessed to have my childhood in , the UK 🇬🇧 is the country I have been blessed to study, work and build a family alhamdulillah.  In sha Allah future is great . The world 🌎 is our oyster bi idnillahi ta'ala. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is the best of planners.  Alhamdulillah 💖

In pursuit of goals in sha Allah

Everything in life happens for a reason. It gives us the opportunity to rethink and set our goals with new plans . My current health situation has made me slow down a lot and think more about my life alhamdulillah.  May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala enable us to realise our mistakes/shortcomings/weaknesses and set new strategies to achieve the goals,  ameen ! Our Rabb has sent us on this temporary earth with excellent customised planning and amazing inner potential to transform ourselves alhamdulillah. And we must tune in to that inner potential and connect to Him with heart-felt , meaningful dua on a regular basis to enable us to transform ourselves before our mission and time on this earth is over . We have only one chance and we can't afford to miss the once in a lifetime opportunity to prepare ourselves to meet Him on the Day of judgement . I want my Rabb to be pleased with me in sha Allah bi idnillahi ta'ala.  May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala always accompany us and guide us through the challenges of this life till we are blessed to have a good departure from this temporary place,  ameen ! May we all be reunited with our beloved Prophet Muhammad SAW and all the righteous slaves of the Most Merciful,  ameen 🙏 💖 

Being grateful in sha Allah

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah dear readers and fellow bloggers, 

I haven't had the chance to blog for a while.  But it has always been on my mind . Recently I had to go through a challenging time due to my poor health . For a week I couldn't even stand properly . I was really shaken by the severe joint pains (both knees and wrists) and felt quite hopeless. I thought there was no light at the end of the tunnel 😕 and I hated that feeling . Alhamdulillah I have been blessed to have great teachers who always remind me to be grateful and positive through their beautiful reminders from the Qur'an and sunnah of our beloved Rasulullah sallallahu alaihe wa sallam.  But I was struggling given the pain was quite severe and it really restricted my ability to move around. I hate being dependent on anyone . That's one of my biggest fear I have , Allahul musta'an. Alhamdulillah,  Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has enabled me to come out of the dark , gloomy phase and start making dua frequently , begging Him desperately to make me stand and walk again. I was in pain and would feel really exhausted but I kept talking to my Loving Rabb and asking Him to give me the ability to stand up again . I can't thank Him enough as I am able to stand and walk a bit without any help of stick, walking frame alhamdulillah.  I am hoping that my Reactive Arthritis goes away completely in sha Allah and I can be active again . I am hopeful that in sha Allah I will be completely healed and have shifa kamila in sha Allah 🙏. 

My current health situation has made me feel more grateful for every moment of ease I have had so far due to my Rabb's immense mercy and grace on me. Alhamdulillah.  I feel regret for my numerous mistakes and weaknesses.  I pray that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala forgives me and gives me another chance to live the rest of life in gratitude for His endless blessings.  Please be grateful for everything you have and please don't take anything for granted. Every breath matters.

May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala enable us to be grateful for everything and do out best to appreciate His blessings,  ameen ! 

Jazakallah khairan kathiran for reading my post. Please keep me in your precious dua ❤ 

A reminder based on the book 'Ramadan: A dua a day'

 Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah dear readers,

I hope you are in best of Imaan and health. Jazakallah khairan for visiting my humble blog. Last year I was blessed to read and cover an excellent book written by N.S. Ahmad 'Ramadan: A dua a day' during the month of Ramadan alhamdulillah. As we are approaching the sacred month soon in sha Allah bi idnillahi ta'ala, I believe this post with the recording above can help us to start getting ready for Ramadan 2022/1443 in sha Allah. Last year, I have lost several loved ones and have witnessed two dead bodies the same day their precious souls departed to their Rabb . I don't want to forget what I have witnessed as I will be leaving this dunya too one day and I must prepare for that ultimate journey. 

I have shared some of the beautiful supplications from the book. Please do try to get hold of the book for Ramadan in sha Allah. One of my beloved teachers reminds us that we should not start our good deeds in Ramadan, we should start before the month and increase the deeds in Ramadan in sha Allah.

O Allah! I place my need before You, although my understanding is limited and my actions are weak. I am in need of Your mercy, so I ask You, O You Who decides all matters and heals the hearts, as You separate the seas from mixing, in the same way, protect me from the fire of Hell and from the cry for destruction (in order to get rid of the punishment) and from the trial of the graves.

O Allah! Whatever my mind has not been able to conceive and my intention and desire has not reached, of good that You have promised to anyone from Your creation, or any good You are going to give to any of Your slaves, then indeed, I seek it from You and I ask You for it, by Your mercy, O Lord of the Worlds.

O Allah! The Owner of the strong covenant and the Director to the right path, I ask You for security on the Day of Torment; and Paradise on the Day of Eternity along with (Your) close witnesses, those who bow down and prostrate , those who fulfil the covenants. Verily You are Most Merciful and Most Loving. And indeed, You do what You wish.

O Allah! Let us be of those who guide others to the right path and are themselves guided aright; who are neither misguided nor misguide others; who are at peace with Your friends, and at war with Your enemies. We love due to Your love, those who love You, and abhor , due to Your enmity those who oppose You.

O Allah! This is the supplication (from us) and from You is the response, and this the effort ( from us), and upon You is the reliance. [Jami' at-Tirmidhi]

Tajweed notes on Sifaat

 Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah, 

Welcome to another post on the rules of Tajweed.

My beautiful teacher has provided us with videos on Sifaat which I have been eagerly waiting for alhamdulillah. The videos are very good and self explanatory mashAllah tabarakallah. 

I hope you will be able to benefit from the playlist too in sha Allah. Happy learning!

Module 5 : Sifaat  

You can find all the related videos here in sha Allah. Spread the link in sha Allah.

Preparing for Ramadan 2021

In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Generous 

In sha Allah (God willing) in three months time, we will be witnessing the blessed month of Ramadan 1442/2021. It will be around middle of April, depending on the Moon sighting as our Hijri calender is based on Moon. Ya Rabbi, enable us to prepare and witness the sacred month. 

There is a saying that when we fail to plan, we plan to fail. So the question we all must ask ourselves is am I preparing myself for the great month? Are we ready to welcome Ramadan 1442/2021 

Our spiritual ancestors, specially the great companions (of our beloved Rasulullah sallallahu alaihe wa sallam) used to start their preparation six months ahead of the month. They truly understood the significance of this great month. When we embark on a journey, we prepare the provision for the journey. So what can we do to prepare for Ramadan? I have put together a list of activities I am trying to follow on a regular basis in sha Allah. My list is based on lessons with my respected teachers as well as books I have been reading to prepare for Ramadan.

So here are some activities to get us into Ramadan mode in sha Allah bi idnillahi ta'ala: 

1. Sincerity (Ikhlaas) is the key: Every action is judged by its intention. Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala always looks at the state of our heart. He only accepts the deeds which are solely done for His sake, not for any other ulterior motive. So the first priority should be to purify our intention and do the activities only for His pleasure in sha Allah. He is the controler and changer of our hearts so let us supplicate to Him on a regular basis to change our hearts for His sake and purify our intentions. This is an ongoing process so we need to keep renewing our intentions in sha Allah till we meet Him. 

2. Fasting on a regular basis: Our beloved Rasulullah sallallahu alaihe wa sallam used to fast on Mondays and Thursdays. Fasting twice a week is quite doable. We can fast Mondays and Thursdays to get into fasting mode in sha Allah. If it is difficult then we can fast three days a month like our beloved, Rasulullah salllallahu alaihe wa sallam, who used to fast the middle of the months (Hijri calendar). Abu Dharr radiAllahu anha reported: The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alaihe wa sallam said, “If you want to observe Saum on three days in a month, then fast on the thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth of the (lunar) month.” [At-Tirmidhi] Fasting three days out of 30/31 days is very doable. Moreover, the reward for the three fasts is really great alhamdulillah. ‘Abdullah bin ‘Amr bin Al-’As radiAllahu anha reported: The Messenger of Allah subhanahu wa ta’aa, “Observing Saum on three days of every month is equivalent to a full month’s fasting.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim] How generous is our Rabb! So let’s get into fasting mode in sha Allah! 

3. Connecting to the Qur’an (Allah swt's Words): Ramadan is regarded as the month of the Qur’an as the sacred Book was revealed to our beloved Rasulullah salllallahu alaihe wa sallam during the night of power (Lailatul Qadr). The goal of Ramadan is to connect to our Lord through His worship. By reading, reciting, studying, memorizing, reflecting on His Book on a regular basis, we can become more conscious of Allah subhanahau wa ta’ala. Our Ramadan 2021 can feel truly meaningful if we prepare for the month through daily connection to the Qur’an from now on. Let us work for that lofty goal in sha Allah. I am studying the Juz amma (30th part of the Qur’an) and suarh Al-Baqara with my amazing teacher mashAllah. Try to find a good teacher and sit with the teacher on a regular basis in sha Allah. We can also listen to tafseer by Sheikh Akram Nadhwi, Sheikh Yasir Qadhi, Mufti Menk, Ustadh Nouman Ali Khan, Sheikh Omar Suleiman, Imam Suhaib Webb and the list goes on alhamdulillah.

If you cannot find a teacher, try to team up with like-minded friends and sit together to listen to lectures by reliable scholars. Even if we can learn a single verse a day, by the time Ramadan approaches, we can increase our connection to the Qur’an in sha Allah. 

One of my beautiful teachers always remind us that Ramadan is not the month to start our worship of Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala but the month to increase the various forms of worship and perform these worships with presence of heart (mindfulness). 

4. Studying the seerah: Studying the seerah (the biography of our Messenger sallallahu alaihe wa sallam) is also a great way to inspire us to get ready for Ramadan. The more seerah we can delve into, the better in sha Allah. The more we know about our beloved, the more we will be passionate to love him and follow him to please our Rabb. My personal favourite is Martin Lings’s Muhammad. It is quite a short, concise seerah and beautifully written mashAllah. We are reading the book as a family. Children are always excited to know what happens next. This year I am also hoping to complete reading the “Sealed nectar” (Ar-Raheeq Al-Makhtum) by Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri. I am blessed to be part of a seerah bookclub where we are reading the Sealed nectar quite thoroughly alhamdulillah.  Another beautiful seerah book worth reading is Muhammad: As if you can see him by ‘A’id al-Qarni. To prepare specially for the month of Ramadan, a beautiful book to read is The prophet’s Ramadahaan by Mufti Muhammad Khan Qaadri. 

These are just some suggestions I have come up with. Anything you can benefit from is from Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala and anything which is not of benefit is solely due to my own shortcomings. I hope and make dua that by His grace, we can truly understand the significance of this great month like our beloved Rasulullah (saw) and the blessed predecessors and He subhanahu wa ta’ala enable us to prepare for Ramadan and do our best to connect to Him, ameen! I hope to hear from you about how you are preparing for this great month in sha Allah. Please do share your thoughts on this topic. Jazakallah khairan katheeran for reading.

A precious bond

I am surrounded by special sisters. They are always there for me. During my hardship, they help me with their kind words and beautiful dua. I know I can rely on them. I know that they keep me in their precious dua. They are my soul sisters. And the special love they have for me is priceless. I can't buy this love. A love so pure and precious subhanallah! The source of this love is my Rabb. It is Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala who enables us to love each other so sincerely for His sake !

I can't thank my Rabb enough for surrounding me with such kind and gentle souls alhamdulillah. Without my beautiful soul sisters, my life would be so difficult to live. My soul sisters teach me to always be loving and caring to others. They encourage me to be positive and resilient, no matter how difficult the life may seem . They have taught me not to underestimate the power of any good deeds, it can be a kind word, a sincere dua, sending a bouquet of beautiful flowers or homemade cakes and the list goes on. Let's be the soul sister for each other in sha Allah! Let's create a strong and never ending bond of sisterhood in sha Allah! Let's hold each other's hand and enter jannatul ferdous together in sha Allah bi idnilllahi ta'ala!

Some lessons from 2020

I can't believe 2021 is already here! It feels so surreal given 2020 has been such a challenging year for me. At the end of April, just when we were preparing to welcome the blessed month of Ramadan 1441, my beloved dad had tested positive for Covid-19. He was working as a consultant up north near Shrewsbury. He was almost 70. He had to be hospitalised as he was struggling to breathe. He was on the ventilator for more than two months. Several times, hospital staffs called us to inform us of his critical state and to be prepared for the worse. Multiple organ failures, long days and nights of just waiting , fear of the unknown...2020 was definitely a roller coaster of so many mixed emotions for me and my loved ones. But my faith helped me so much during that difficult phase of my life. I don't know how I would have survived without the immense Mercy and Love of my Rabb, my Creator, Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala. I would like to share the lessons I have learnt through my ordeal of 2020 and how I would like to spend year 2021 based on these precious lessons (blessons = blessings+lessons) I have learnt in sha Allah.

Lesson 1 : All I need is the company of Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala) 

Nothing can help us or calm us when we are going through a hardtime. Only running back to our Rabb can give us solace. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala have enabled me to connect to His Magestic Words, the Qur'an during that difficult time. I felt so connected to His Words that I thought I am the subject of the Qur'an. It is talking to me ! My Rabb is doing my much-needed therapy at every stage of my life alhamdulillah. Nothing can replace that peace of mind I had alhamdulillah! Telling me to hang in there. And that's how we should approach the Qur'an, I beleive. It is a message of guidance to every single one of us. It is a much-needed letter to me with so much love and concern for me! Is there any doubt in this Book ? As a believer, we don't have any doubt in the Qur'an. We know that it is indeed the blessed Words of our Lord. He Himself tells us at the begining of the Qur'an that there is no uncertainty in His Book. So why as believers, we don't connect to the Qur'an on a daily basis? Why do I rush back to reciting it, only when I am facing any trouble? Why don't I always have a strong connection to the Words of my Loving Rabb? I felt so ashamed and thought I must change my attitude towards the Qur'an. I hope to build a good and strong relation with the Qur'an bi idnillahi ta'ala. I want the Qur'an to be my daily companion, my best friend . I want to spend more quality time with the Qur'an by reading, reflecting, reciting and most importantly implementing the lessons in my daily life in sha Allah bi'idnillahi ta'ala. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala enable us to be among the people of the Qur'an, ameen! May my precious Rabb make the Qur'an the spring of my heart ❤️! 

Lesson 2 : Be grateful and maintain an attitude of gratitude

No matter what we go through, there is always plenty to be grateful for, alhamdulillah. Gratitude is a very important virtue to have and maintain on a daily basis. It helps me to appreciate every single blessing Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has gifted me. We don't deserve anything. That's why I said gift. Everything is a gift from my Rabb. When we appreciate the countless gifts He has given us, life becomes so beautiful and meaningful for us.When we are gratfeful to Him, He even gives us more ! How Merciful and Giving is my Rabb Subhanallah! During the stressful and painful phase, my loved ones have supported me so much with their constant support and immense kindness alhamdulillah. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala reward them with the best , ameen! I felt like our beloved Prophet Ibrahim AS who was thrown into the fire but he felt peaceful and calm in the midst of the fire! I can't thank Him enough for all the blessings He has surrounded me with during my hardship! I hope to be grateful at every moment of my life in sha Allah. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala enable us to be among His grateful slaves, ameen !

Lesson 3 : Be kind, gentle and helpful to everyone

Never underestimate the value of kindness.What people tend to remember is how we treat them. Am I kind and gentle to people around me? A simple act of kindness can change someone's whole day. Kindness generates more kindness. What sort of legacy would I like to leave behind? Will my loved ones remember me as a gentle and helpful person ? One of my greatest weaknesses is I can become very harsh. I feel so blessed to be surrounded by very kindhearted and gentle souls alhamdulillah. The more I receive their precious kindness the more I feel inspired to reciprocate it in sha Allah. I also hope to be in service of others in sha Allah. Our beloved Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihe wa sallam was always in service of people (khidma). He is sent as a Mercy to the humanity. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala enable us to be among the kind, gentle and very helpful people, ameen!

Lesson 4 : Be always positive and generate positivity 

Among all the negativity, given the current Covid situation, I must be positive. If I have Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala with me, I can't let any negative thought affect me. I need to help others to feel positive too. By being there for others, we can help each other during this difficult time. The more positive we are , the better in sha Allah! Our faith teaches us to inculcate a positive mindset. The Qur'an tells us numerous stories of the prophets to inspire us to be positive and remind each other the power of positivity. Feeling hopeless is acually a sin. Our beloved prophet Muhammad sallallahu alaihe wa sallam's Seerah (Lifestory/biography) teaches us to be always positive and hope for a happy future. He is send as a Mercy to us. When we deeply study his amazing life, we find somany lessons of hope and positivity . One of the greatest blessings in 2020 for me was to join a Seerah bookclub where I met some very passionate sisters who have helped me so much to connect to Seerah in a meaningful way alhamdulillah. The more deeply we can study the seerah, the more positive we can become in sha Allah. 

Lesson 5 : Hold on to precious teachers

My teachers are very precious to me. I can't thank my Rabb enough for enabling me to be a student/seeker of knowledge alhamdulillah. Everything on this earth is cursed apart from the beautiful teachers who remind us of the ultimate truth (Al-Haqq) , the students of knowledge and the circles of knowledge. Our faith is based on knowledge. The true people of knowledge are the most Godconscious people on this earth and they are the most righteous among the humanity. They are also the most helpful and generous to the creations of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala due to their intense love for Him. When someone falls in love with his/her Creator, he/she loves His creations too. My Rabb has enabled me to spend time in their precious company alhamdulillah. They always remind me of my Lord and His beautiful attributes. They help me to connect to His Book, the Qur'an and His beloved Messenger, Rasulullah sallallahu alaihe wa sallam. My ultimate teacher is my Rabb, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala and He is the One Who facilitates for me to learn and strive for His sake alhamdulillah. So all praise belongs to Him, subhanahu wa ta'ala. May Allah reward my precious teachers, accept their efforts, preserve them and reward them with the best , ameen ! May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala enable us to be among the people of learning and the people of striving, ameen! May we honour our teachers and learn from them, ameen!

May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala enable me to remember these 5 lessons and enable me to act accordingly, Ameen! May this year be a year of endless blessings for all of us, ameen! 

Seerah notes from Adil Salahi's Book

Bismillah In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Loving

For the Seerah book club (March 2020), I have chosen Brother Adil Salahi’s Muhammad: Man and Prophet. I hope to jot down some important points as I read through the book insha Allah. I would strongly suggest to buy this excellent seerah book. If you are interested in Sociology and History, this book will be a joy to read and reflect on in sha Allah. 

Amazon UK

The intention behind reading the book:

Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala has sent our beloved Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alaihe wa sallam as a great example to follow if we truly aim to please Allah swt.

When we study his character and his life in details, the Prophet Muhammad saw appears to us as noble, dedicated, human leader who takes good care of his followers. But he is, above all, a model believer to whom we should always turn in order to determine what course to follow and what action to take. He is the walking talking Qur’an as our beloved mother of the believers, lady Ayesha RadiaAllahu Anha mentions. Through living his life according to the Qur’an, he has successfully shown us how we should live on this earth. Only by following his blessed footstep, we can truly achieve success in sha Allah.
I have bought the book from Amazon, link is here where you can also read some sample pages in sha Allah. I have also shared a video where the writer discusses some topics regarding seerah. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala knows best.
Our goal when we read the seerah of our beloved Rasulullah saw is to learn how to be a firm beleiver in sha Allah. 

We should always remember his last reminder to us:

I have left with you what should provide you with sound guidance and immunity from error if you would only adhere to them: Allah’s Book and my example.

A glance back in history

Prophet Ibrahim Alaihes salam was blessed with Ismael through lady Hagar. She was given as a gift to Lady Sarah, prophet Ibrahim’s first wife. As she was childless for a long time, she presented lady Hagar to her husband (AS) saying: “I am now an old woman, well beyond the age of childbearing. I am giving you my bondwoman, Hagar, and hope that Allah may give you a child through her.”

Allah swt ordered Ibrahim AS to leave Hagar and baby Ismael in a barren valley in Makkah.  When Lady Hagar was told to stay there with her baby, she asked Ibrahim AS the reason behind this action. When he said that it was a divine order, she said bravely, "He who has ordered you to do that will not abandon us.” This shows her strong faith in Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. 

After leaving his precious family in a barren land, he AS made a heartfelt prayer: 
“Our Lord, I have settled some of my offspring in a valley where there is no vegetation, close to Your sanctified House, so that, our Lord, they might devote themselves to prayer. Cause You, therefore, people’s hearts to incline towards them and provide them with all sorts of fruit, so that they may have cause to be grateful.” (14:37) With the feeling that Allah swt would not abandon his precious family, Ibrahim AS continued his journey home with a new sense of relief.

Lady Hagar devoted herself to her young child, reassured that Allah swt have a purpose for their arrival in that lifeless desert. But as the days passed her food supply was dwindling and she desperately tried to find water running between the two hills, Safa and Marwa. While on her 7th attempt she heard a voice. Then she saw water gushing forth near her baby Ismail’s feet. With Allah swt’s blessings, she and her baby was gifted with water of Zamzam. The water attracted the birds and that’s how an Arabian tribe, Jurhum, came to meet lady Hajar and Ismail. They settled their with lady Hagar’s permission. Ismail AS grew up with them, learning their language and culture. When he was a young man, he married a Jurhum girl who gave him a number of sons and daughters.

Ismael was in effect one of the Jurhum. He and his children lived in that valley and many generations later our beloved, Muhammad saw, Allah swt’s Messenger and a direct descendant of Ishmael, was born in that very place.

Prophet's dreams are true. Prophet Ibrahim AS saw a dream that he was commanded to sacrifice his son, Ismael, for Allah’s sake. He told his son who was in his teens. Since he was brought up by a mother with firm faith and a father who was a Prophet, faith had been instilled in him ever since he was very young. He said, “Father, do as you are bid. You will find me , God willing, patient and able to face death with fortitude.”(37:102)

Both father and son went out of the city to Mina. Shaitan tried to stop Ibrahim AS from sacrificing his son. Ibrahim AS’s submission to Allah swt’s will, however, showed no sign of weakness whatsoever. He then stoned Satan in three different spots. His action is commemorated by pilgrims when they stone the Jamarah during their pilgrimage. At the moment when Ibrahim AS was about to cut his son’s throat in complete submission to the Divine will, he was told by an angel that Allah swt had accepted his offering and he was told to sacrifice a fully grown sheep instead of Ismail AS.

On another visit, Ibrahim AS was ordered to bulid the House of Allah swt, the Kaba with his son, Ismail AS.  When Ibrahim AS and Ismail AS were raising the foundation of the House, they prayed: “Our Lord, accept You this from us, for You are indeed the One Who hears all and knows all. Our Lord, make us submit ourselves to You and make out of our offspring a community which will submit itself to You and show us our ways of worship and accept our repentance . You are indeed the One Who accepts repentance, the Merciful. Our Lord, raise up in the midst of our offspring a messenger from themselves, who shall convey to them Your revelations and instruct them in the Book and in the wisdom and cause them to grow in purity. You alone are the Almighty, the truly Wise.” (2:127-129)

Our beloved prophet Muahammad saw is the answer to this noble dua. Allah swt taught Ibrahim AS all the rituals of hajj and people started coming to Ka’ba to perform their hajj. The city of Makkah became a sacred city ( Al Haram) where fighting was not allowed. It was also forbidden to hunt and cut the trees.

Naturally, the custody of the Ka’bah belonged to at first to Ismael and his children. It continued in their hand until it was later taken over by the Jurhum tribe. After a long time, due to their gradual corruption, the Khuza’ah tribe took hold of the custody. When Jurhum tribe realized that they were unable to defend their position, they collected all the treasures which were dedicated to the Ka’bah and buried them in the well of Zamzam. They levelled the well and removed all traces of its position. Then they left Makkah. For a long time, the custody belonged to Khuza’ah. After them, it was the Quraish who took over. They enjoyed the noblest lineage in Arabia because they were the direct descendants of Ismael and Ibrahim (peace be upon them both). The man who gained that honour for the Quraish was Qusayy ibn Kilab , the fifth grandfather of our prophet saw.

He was a true leader. He married Hubba, daughter of Hulayl ibn Hubshiyyah, chief of the Khuza’ah and Master of Makkah who held the position of the custodian of the Ka’bah. He chose him as the leader as he recognized his qualities as a leader. When he became the undisputed lead of Makkah, he called all the Quraish tribe to live near the Ka’bah. All the Quraysh were extremely happy with Qusayy’s leadership. They called him the Assembler because he had caused the Quraysh to regroup. He built a big hall close to the mosque to serve as a meeting place for the Quraysh and called it Dar al-Nadwah.

He also initiated the practice which is called Rifadah which facilitated hosting and feeding the pilgrims in Makkah.  Qusayy himself took part in the work and offered the pilgrims whatever the Quraysh prepared for them-bread, meat and various dishes. This increased the Quraysh’s prestige and enhanced Qusayy’s honour. He in effect combined all the symbols of honour and leadership.

Hashim, Qusayy’s grandson, put hostility to pilgrims on an unprecedented level. He was very wealthy and generous. He started the biannual commercial trips which soon became a well-established tradition in the life of the Makkans. In the summer a large commercial went to Syria and a similar one went to Yemen in winter. It was mentioned in Surah Al-Quraysh.

‘Abd al-Muttalib became the chief of Quraysh after the leadership enjoyed by his uncle. He continued the rich tradition of the tribe. He was given the honour of finding the Zamzam water after it was hidden out of vengeance by the tribe of Jurhum before they left Makkah. While facing difficulty digging the zamzam, he made a dua to Allah swt to grant him ten sons to strengthen his leadership and in return he would sacrifice one son to show his gratitude to Him swt.

When he was eventually granted sons ( He had five wives) he drew lots to find who to sacrifice. His youngest son Abdullah’s name came out. Despite the intense opposition, he still wanted to sacrifice Abdullah, his favourite son. But the tribal leaders advised him to resolve the matter through consulting a female fortune-teller of Yathrib who was known to have contacts with the jinn.

She said, “Go back to your town and arrange a draw to be made between your man (‘Abdullah) and ten camels. If the draw comes out against the man, add ten more camels. Continue to do so as long as the draw comes out against him. When the draw shows that the camels are accepted, this means that your God has accepted the offering and spared your man. You slaughter those camels as a ransom for him.” He followed the instruction and he sacrificed 100 camels as a ransom for his beloved son ‘Abdullah. He was very pleased when his son’s life was spared and wanted ‘Abdullah to get settled. He arranged his marriage to lady Aminah, daughter of Wahb ibn ‘Abd Manaf, chief of the clan of Zuhrah. It was a happy marriage.

Abdul Muttalib told ‘Abdullah to join the trade caravan travelling to Syria that summer. Aminah was sad to be separated from her beloved husband but she was aware that Abdul Muttalib did whatever is best for his son as he was being trained to be trader. Before leaving, ‘Abdullah was given the happy news of her pregnancy.

The journey was very difficult for ‘Abdullah. He contracted some sort of disease which sapped his strength, yet he had no choice but to travel with the caravan. As his health got worse, he had to be left behind in Yathrib (later to be known as Madinah) and was looked after by his cousins of the clan of Al-Najjar. Abdul Muttalib was worried when the caravan arrived without ‘Abdullah. He sent his eldest son, al-Harith to help his brother on journey home. By the time Al-Harith reached to Yathrib, he was given the sad new of ‘Abdullah death.

A campaign to destroy Kabah

A major event took place during the year of our beloved prophet’s birth. Abraha, the Abyssinian governor of Yemen, built a luxurious church hoping Arabs will start coming to the church instead of visiting Ka’bah. But to his great disappointment, tribes around Makkah were still was attached to Ka’bah. They believed themselves to be the descendants of Ibrahim and Ismael who built the House. Some even ridiculed Abraha’s effort. One of them went so far as to use the most splendid spot in that church for defecation! When Abraha was told about the incident, he decided to pull down the Ka’bah in order to achieve his objective of turning the Arabs away from it. He therefore marched at the head of a great army with elephants. Some Arab tribes tried to stop him and they failed.

On arrival at al-Mughammas (a valley midway between Ta’if and Makkah) Abrahah dispatched one of his commanders to Makkah where he looted some possessions from the Quraysh and other Arabs, including 200 camels which belonged to Abd al-Muttalib. 

The story continues in sha Allah...but not with so much details as I believe getting your own personal copy is very important. I highlight and annotate a lot. In sha Allah I hope and pray that we can learn a lot and follow our beloved as much as possible in every aspect of our life. Just like as believers, our motto is No Salah (prayer) , No Falah (succcess) Our motto for reading and getting to know of beloved is No Sunnah, No Succcess. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala enable us to truly connect to His beloved and learn from his blessed life, ameen! May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala purify our intention and allow us to meet him oneday, ameen!