Victory! Birmingham Metropolitan College reverses decision to ban Muslim students from wearing veils

SubhanAllah – just received the following email from NUS Black Students’ Campaign:

Good news! We are delighted to announce that Birmingham Metropolitan College has decided to reverse its decision to ban Muslim students from wearing the veil!

This is a massive victory for all those who believe in religious and cultural freedoms and a woman’s right to choose.

Thanks to you, this campaign has received widespread media coverage, across national newspapers, television, radio and has become a national talking point.

This victory would not be possible without the leadership of all the Muslim women who launched it in Birmingham, the near 10,000 people who signed the petition, and all those who took the time to speak out against this injustice.

We can’t be complacent though as Prime Minister David Cameron signalled that he supported the College’s decision to ban students from wearing veils.

That is why we must always be ready to unite together to defend our fundamental human rights to freedom of thought, conscience, religion and cultural expression.

In unity, 
Aaron Kiely 
NUS Black Students’ Officer

“Tabligh” by Shaykh Ali Umar Yaqoub Abbasi (Imam of Al Aqsa)

Shaykh Ali Umar Yaqoub Abbasi, the head Imam and Khateeb of Bait ul-Muqaddas [Masjid al-Aqsa, Palestine] is recently reported to have said,

“Deen has spread throughout the world through Dawah and Tabligh. Because of it, we are Muslims today. Deen will prevail till Tabligh prevails and will go away if Tabligh is stopped. That is why we have to participate in the effort of Tabligh.”

He said these in front of a huge audience at the Naya Sharak Masjid of the city (Sylhet) after Fajr salah.

The Shaykh further said,

“The Prophet (Peace be upon him) turned the Sahabah (May Allah be pleased with them) into golden people through Dawah and Tabligh. Compared to Arab, more Aulia, Abdals and Scholars emerged outside Arabia because of the effort of Dawah and Tabligh by the Sahabah (May Allah be pleased with them). Imam Bukhari (May Allah have mercy on him) was not from the Arab, rather from Russia. Imam Abu Hanifa (May Allah have mercy on him) was not from Saudi Arabia, rather from Iraq. There are many such examples.”

He mentioned that he himself came to Nizamuddin, New Delhi, India in 1998 and spent 4 months in the effort of Dawah.

“I have come to Tongi Ijtema (Bangladesh) and have spent time in Pakistan”, he added. “You may ask what have I got (in this) being the Imam of Masjid al Aqsa. I have obtained the highest degree in Arabic, yet, I would say that my knowledge has increased, my Amal [Actually practicing upon the commands of Allah] has increased, my character has improved through chilla.”

He said to the audience, “I am not telling you to go for 4 months at this very moment, rather I would advise you to join the effort of Dawah that goes on at every Masjid: The Gusht, Mashwara and Ta’lim.  Your heart will soften, the light of Iman will enter (into your heart), your fate will change (inshaAllah).”

#UK #Syria Intervention

Ashamed to be British tonight. 

O Syria – we have failed you..

The Issue of Palestine : #AlHaajMalikElShabbaz

Eid Mubarak

“Method of Istikhara and it’s misconceptions” by Shaykh Mawlānā Muhammad Saleem Dhorat حفظه الله

Istikhārah means to turn to Allāh ta‘ālā and seek goodness from Him. This is because Allāh ta‘ālā knows what we do not know. As Allāh ta‘ālā is fully aware of the end result and consequence of every matter and we merely speculate, we should ask Allāh ta‘ālā to guide us towards goodness in our endeavours or tasks that we are about to embark on. It should be understood that istikhārah is simply a du‘ā like any other du‘ā. However, it has more chance of acceptance in the Court of Allāh ta‘ālā as it has been specifically taught by Rasūlullāh sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam to his Ummah. It is a prayer offered to Allāh ta‘ālā before embarking on a particular course of action or choosing from a number of options, asking Him to guide us towards goodness and the correct and better choice, and to save us from that course of action or choice if goodness lies elsewhere. 

A point of great importance in istikhārah is to free one’s mind of all thoughts and inclinations before performing it. What would you expect from a person’s istikhārah when he has already resolved to do something! 

Method

The method of istikhārah is to perform two rak‘āt at any time of the day, other than the times when nafl salāh is forbidden. It is preferable to recite Sūrah Al-Kāfirūn in the first rak‘ah and Sūrah Al-Ikhlās in the second. Thereafter one should praise Allāh ta‘ālā, send salāh upon the Prophet sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam and then recite the following du‘ā 

O Allāh! I seek goodness from You, through Your Knowledge, and I seek strength through Your Power and ask for Your great Bounty, for You are able to do things while I am not, and You know while I do not; and You are the Knower of the Unseen. O Allāh, if You know that this matter [name your matter] is good for me, in respect to my Dīn, my worldly life and the consequence of my affairs, then decree it for me and make it easy for me, and then grant me barakah in it. And if You know that this matter [name your matter] is bad for me in respect to my Dīn, my worldly life and the consequence of my affairs, then turn it away from me and turn me away from it, and decree for me what is good, wherever it may be, and make me be pleased with it. (Al-Bukhārī)

If after the initial istikhārah you remain unsure about something, then perform istikhārah for 3, 5, or 7 days. Inshā’allāh within seven days the heart will feel at ease. 

There is also another method of istikhārah in the form of a short du‘ā. If a decision needs to be taken and there is no opportunity to perform two rak‘āt and do istikhārah in the aforementioned way, the following du‘ā should be recited: 

O Allāh, grant me goodness, and choose for me. (At-Tirmidhī)

As mentioned earlier, istikhārah is a du‘ā and Allāh ta‘ālā will accept it and grant you goodness, as long as there are no factors that prevent its acceptance. Obstacles to Allāh ta‘ālā accepting prayers include disobedience to Allāh ta‘ālā, harām earnings, and praying without the conviction that Allāh ta‘ālā will definitely accept the prayer. If there are such obstacles present in one’s life, he should do tawbah in earnest, and then make istikhārah. 

Results of Istikhārah

If, as a result of doing istikhārah, a person feels positive, he should proceed accordingly. If his du‘ā has been accepted, he will acquire goodness and success. However, many people feel positive after istikhārah and proceed accordingly, but do not see success. This can be explained by the following: 

1. In the du‘ā of istikhārah, a person first asks Allāh ta‘ālā for goodness in one’s Dīn which is the main objective of a believer, and thereafter he asks for the goodness of the world. Therefore, if after istikhārah one finds apparent worldly loss, but his Dīn remains safe, one should believe that through the barakah of istikhārah Allāh ta‘ālā has granted him a minute loss of this world and saved him from a greater loss of the Hereafter. 

2. Many times, the du‘ā as a result of istikhārah is accepted and Allāh ta‘ālā grants him goodness, but that goodness takes two forms: one form is that the choice he has made is one hundred percent good, without an iota of harm in it; the other is that he is guided towards the better of two possible outcomes. To understand this, take the example of a person who purchased a house as a result of a positive feeling after istikhārah. After six months, a new neighbour moved in next door and started harassing him. This person needs to understand in this situation that it is through the barakah of istikhārah that he has been saved from a bigger calamity, i.e. if he had chosen another house, the neighbour there would have harassed him even more. 

3. Sometimes, a person feels positive after istikhārah despite his du‘ā not being accepted due to the aforementioned obstacles. In this case the positive feeling he was experiencing in his heart was not from Allāh ta‘ālā. It was either a condition that existed before the istikhārah or it was a feeling from Shaytān. Sometimes a young man is deeply in love with a girl and after doing istikhārah he feels very comfortable. What can be expected from such an istikhārah? Are his positive feelings a result of the istikhārah or was that condition present before? 

Some Misconceptions

There are a number of common misconceptions about the sunnah practice of istikhārah: 

1. One of the main points of confusion is the assumption that if, as a result of doing istikhārah, a positive feeling about a particular course of action results, then it is a guarantee from Allāh ta‘ālā that it will be one hundred percent successful. People incorrectly believe that istikhārah is Divine Revelation. If after istikhārah a person of knowledge and experience was to advise an alternative, their opinion is discarded by saying, ‘I have performed istikhārah and now there can be no change.’ As a consequence, people proceed according to their feelings (e.g. they choose a marriage partner) and then, if some time later things do not work out, they begin to have doubts and negative thoughts about the sayings of Rasūlullāh sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam regarding istikhārah. May Allāh ta‘ālā protect us all from such a condition. 

2. Likewise, people only do istikhārah nowadays when they are unsure about something. They perceive it to be a remedy for confusion; a way to request Allāh ta‘ālā to fix something for them. Istikhārah should not be limited to occasions when a person has doubts about doing something, or when a person is indecisive about something! Istikhārah is to be performed for all mubāh actions, even if you are 100 % sure about the course of action. For example, you may want to enrol your child in a particular school and have no doubts about it being the right one; even then you should perform two rak‘āt and read the du‘ā of istikhārah so that you are granted goodness and saved from a wrong decision. 

3. Nowadays, istikhārah is more or less confined to finding a marriage partner. 

4. Many believe it is necessary to perform istikhārah during the night before going to sleep, and compulsory not to talk to anyone after performing the two rak‘āt of istikhārah. 

5. Similarly, some believe it to be totally necessary to sleep on the right hand side facing the qiblah. 

6. Many expect and desire to see a dream in which one is clearly told that this is the path for you. Seeing a dream guiding towards a particular choice is not necessary in istikhārah. One needs to pay attention to the inclination of the heart whether one sees a dream or not. In all circumstances, the decisive factor is the inclination of one’s heart. 

7. Another common misconception is to ask others to perform istikhārah on one’s behalf. Many feel that we are sinful, so what good will our istikhārah do? Thus they search for a pious god-fearing person and ask him to perform istikhārah for them. Rasūlullāh sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam did not state any condition that a sinful person cannot perform istikhārah, and moreover, leaving sin and repenting is not an act of difficulty. One should leave sin, repent and perform istikhārah himself. This practice of asking others to perform istikhārah is not in accordance to the sunnah. Yes, when making istikhārah for a marriage partner, it is permissible for the parents of the boy/girl to perform istikhārah. This is because this is a need of the parents too, as it is their responsibility to marry their children into suitable families. 

Finally, with istikhārah, istishārah (consultation) is very important too. One should, before, during, and after performing istikhārah, seek consultation from those well-wishers who are learned and experienced in the relevant matter. The Prophet sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam said,“The one who does istikhārah will not be unsuccessful, and the one who consults will not see regret.” (At-Tabrānī) 

A very inspiring story…

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

(Before i start, i just want to say I don’t really know the authenticity of this story but it is pretty inspiring.)

One day a teacher asked his young student, “Who is the final Prophet of Allah?”
The little boy was quiet and did not respond.
The teacher asked again. The boy remained quiet and did not utter a word.
The teacher asked one more time, getting very irritated but again, the little boy stayed silent. 

The teacher lost his temper and began beating the boy but still he did not respond.

Then the bell rang and the teacher warned the little boy that he would ask him the same question after the break and that he better have an answer.

Once the break had ended and the students gathered in the classroom, the teacher again asked the little boy “Who is the final Prophet of Allah?”

The little boy replied confidently,

“The last and final Prophet of Allah is Muhammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم”

The teacher was surprised and asked the little boy why he didn’t respond the first time when he actually knew the answer.

The little boy explained that since he could remember, his father had taught him that he was not to say the name of Our Beloved Muhammad Mustafa  صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم unless he was in the state of wudhu, therefore at break-time he went to perform wudhu and came back to tell the teacher the correct answer.

This little boy grew up to be none other than Shaykh Zulfiqar Ahmed Naqshbandi (DB). Subhanallah!

#Ramadhan Dua

26 Days Left #Ramadhan

Adh Dhaakiraat: The Characteristics of the Women who remember their Lord in Abundance

Notes from lecture by Shaykh Kamaluddin (http://www.islamicspirituality.org)

1. Wudhu is her shield

Wudhu is our shield against Shaytaan and is so vital to our spiritual well-being that Allah SWT commanded us to be in Wudhu for Salaah, whilst reciting the Qur’aan and during Tawaaf of the Ka’aba.

When in wudhu, the ability to do Dhikr is increased. Without wudhu, this ability decreases.

Since Dhikr increases the weight of each act of worship (Giving Sadaqah with Dhikr, doing Khidmah with Dhikr, etc) Wudhu is indispensable as it shields us from Shaytaan and increases the likelihood that we will be in the remembrance  of Allah, thus increasing the amount and weight of our Aamaal e saalih (Good deeds).

We must realize the Barakah (Blessings) of Wudhu, it may be a source of peace in the home, noor in the food that we prepare, ease in the relationships that we have.

Being in wudhu enables us to offer our Salaah on time, increasing the time that we receive the barakah of that Salaah. For instance, if you offer Dhuhr at its fixed time, and Asr is six hours later, you become a recipient of the Barakah of Dhuhr Salaah for six hours, up to the time that you offer Asr at its fixed time; as opposed to offering Dhuhr an hour before you are due to offer Asr.The Dhaakira is always in a state of Wudhu, as soon as her Wudhu becomes nullified, she renews it. She is protected from Shaytaan, shielded by Wudhu and is always in a state of physical purity, which leads to purification of her Qalb, her thoughts, her actions, her speech and her sight.

2. She recites the Masnoon (Sunnah) Duaas

If you don’t know the Masnoon Duaas off by heart, read them out of a book, but don’t miss out on practising the Sunnah ! Allah loves when we call out to Him with the same words as His Nabi SAW! So these Duaas are a means of becoming a friend of Allah!

Recitation of these Duaas increases the Barakah of our time.

3. Shukr – She Acknowledges the bounties of Allah and is grateful for them  

Gives thanks to Allah in every situation.

A dhaakira Is always conscious of the reasons that she should thank Allah SWT, His bounties are innumerable. She is conscious of them and gives thanks for them.

Allah SWT will grant you more if you show thanks for what He Has already given you.

The best way of showing thanks to Allah SWT is to use His Ni’mah (blessings) in His Obedience. Look at what makes Allah happy – read the Qur’aan, listen to what makes Allah happy – listen to the Ahadith etc. When we use the Ni’mah of Allah against Him, this is a grave show of ingratitude for the bounties that Allah Has Blessed us with and Allah becomes displeased with us.

4. She is Patient

She turns to Allah in every difficulty.

The more Shukr you do, the more Sabr you will have.

Be-shukr –> be-sabr. Ingratitude leads to impatienceThe dhaakira knows that Allah will make everything better. She trusts Him, she has a connection with Him, she Turns to Him and she cries to Him.

5. She’s Calm and doesn’t react when provoked

When provoked/tried, don’t react, don’t say anything in retaliation, don’t become frustrated, angry or anxious

Practice the Sunnah of Hilm, Zarf and tolerance

Despite being constantly abused, the Prophet SAW did not react to the woman who was responsible for his discomfort, to the extent that He SAW did not even react by using another route to avoid her path. In fact Prophet SAW asked regarding the woman when she didn’t harm him one day.

When put in this position, perform Wudhu, offer two rakaat Nafl Salaah, make Dua, and ask Allah to inspire you with the right course of action. Ask Allah what to do, then do it.

Only fix something in the state of Dhikr, with Allah’s help, after having waited, after having sought Allah’s help.

More Dhikr, more barakah. How much barakah do you want?

Everything in the Deen (Religion) must be learnt. Just as tafseer, tajweed and Hadith need to be learnt, so we should learn Dhikr from the Mashaaikh.

Learn Dhikr from the Mashaaikh to become of the Dhaakiraat. Become of the Dhaakiraat and feel the Barakah of that Dhikr

 

The Five Aamaal of our Mashaa’ikh

1 Recite Qur’aan

Dhikr of Qur’aan is tilaawah, recited in Arabic. This is separate from ilm of Qur’aan which is tafseer and tarjuma.

Read the letters of your Beloved untiringly, every single day. Not a single day should be empty of tilawah

 2. Istighfaar

We make many mistakes and the lover always asks forgiveness from her Beloved so make up with Allah everyday.

Whilst you beg for forgiveness, feel feelings of shame and guilt but with hope of Mercy

Ask for forgiveness of all your sins due to which you cannot worship Allah as He Should be worshipped

3. Durood

Feel that you are an ummatiyyah (an Ummati of the Beloved Prophet Muhammad SAW). Feel that Nabi SAW is your Messenger and you are his ummati.

Say that you are from the family of Nabi SAW, do not invite me to sin, I cannot go towards any sin because i am the spiritual daughter of Maryam AS, Aasiya RA, Aa’isha RA, Faatima RA…

Because of this, the Dhaakira interacts, behaves in a certain way, a way which shows that she is from the Ummah of Imaam ul Ambiya (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon Him)

4. Wuqoof e Qalbi

Remind your heart to remember Allah. Every few minutes through the day, check your heart to see if you are remembering Allah.

Feel that Allah is near you, feel love for Him, feel fear for Him, feel Awe for Him, always be connected to Allah in some way.

5. Muraaqaba

“And remember of the Name of your Lord”

Isolate yourself mentally and physically from the world, make niyyah (intention) to forget the whole world including your own thoughts, worries and fears.
Remember Allah humbly, silently, secretly in the heart of your rooh (inner being).
Feel your Qalb (Heart) calling ALLAH ALLAH ALLAH.
This will help you in all your ibaadah (worship) outside muraqaba.