Sunday, February 23, 2014

Guidance


AlhamdulilLah bi ni’matilLah! Allah SWT really works in miraculous ways - I was struggling in my reflection of QS At-Tariq 86:3, and truth be told, Allah SWT sends a beautiful soul to share this video with me, to aid in my husul and wusul, (so timely) subhaan-Allah! An-najmuth-thaqib! (the piercing star!). Hamzah Yusuf beautifully expounds on the haqiqah (reality) of the mercy of Allah SWT. May we be guided by the stars, aamiin Allahumma aamiin!

Afterthought: It reminded of the time when I was in Australia, gazing at the stars at night - how big and bright they were that you could almost touch them with your hands! (something you can't experience in cosmopolitan Sg) and it dawned on me that my knowledge of the stars (astronomy) is very limited! I recall how our Muslim forefathers in the past would make great sacrifices to travel by land and sea to invite others to Islam (and how they are great navigators of the sea due to their knowledge of astronomy). May we be amongst them who support the Da'wah movement, directly or indirectly, aamiin Allahumma aamiin!

Sunday, February 16, 2014

Raja'



On Raja’ (hope), the adab is to reject shirk in the hope that RasululLah SAAW will intercede for Muwahideen in Mahsyar. Also, to avoid the Iblisic trait of Ablasa (despair); instead we are to constantly seek forgiveness and repentance, renewal of our Tauheed since we are not maksum for Allah’s mercy prevails over His wrath (Hadith Qudsi).

Subhaan-Allah! Allah SWT is the object of our love (maqsud), yet we fear His ability to punish us and distance us from Him (our fear predominates in order to repel the inclinations towards sin). Yet we cannot fear him to such an extent that we turn to despair, forgetting His mercy; rather we must balance it with sufficient hope! May we be amongst the shakur who feel blessed for the bestowal of these quwwah in us and may we strive to put them in their proper place, aamiin ya Rabb!

Time


AlhamdulilLah bi ni'matilLah! Beautiful reminder on who is not a failure in the eyes of Allah SWT. Time - may Allah SWT bestow the barakah of time to all of us such that we be amongst those who bring much benefit to the Deen, our family and the Ummah and may we be amongst those who are successful, aamiin Allahumma aamiin!

Sunday, February 09, 2014

DzikrulLah


Dzikrullah (remembrance of Allah SWT) is about manifesting the adab of the tongue-mind-heart. Subhaan-Allah! The whole teaching of Islam enables dzikrulLah! For example, our gratitude for Allah’s prescription of swolah for us - His remedy for us to avoid forgetfulness and heedlessness (QS Taha 20:14) and avoid having an evil one (Qoreen) appointed for us (QS Zukhruf 43:36-37). Other acts of dzikrulLah include tasbih, tahmid, tahlil, takbir, hasbiyallah, hauqalah, du’a, solawat, swolat nafilah, reciting Qur’an, Ta-‘ah (deeds of obedience), partaking in majlis ‘ilm/wird/aurad (Khil-Qudz-Dzikr), etc. The key to dzikr is istiqomah (consistency) even if it is little. 

Verily in dzikrulLah do hearts find their rest (QS Ar-Rad 13:27-28). Hadith reported by Tabrany came to mind – Iiman is preserved by one constantly in dzikrulLah (a remedy for those whose Iiman wavers. I’m reminded of the wise words of the elders – those who are in constant state of worry, confusion, who have unmet needs or unfulfilled dreams are usually those who lack dzikrulLah as the spiritual self is distracted with other than Allah SWT. May we strive to be amongst those consistent in dzikrulLah, aamiin ya Rabb!