“During the time of burial it is common practice to place a sheet over the Kafan (the burial shroud). As the Kafan is tied closely to the body the sheet helps conceal the contours of the body. However, sometimes the shape of the body can still be seen, even with a sheet placed on top.
When Fatima radiallahu anha became acutely ill and feared that she may soon pass away she asked Asma bint Umais radiallahu anha to suggest a method of burial through which modesty would be conserved the most.
Asma radiallahu anha said that in Habasah, the practice was to cover the body in the Kafan, then to place date palm branches over the Kafan, and then to drape a sheet over the branches.
She thus advised Fatima radiallahu anha to adopt this approach for she felt that through this method the body shape would be totally concealed and covered. Thus Fatima radiallahu anha requested those around her to adopt this strategy at her burial.
From this episode we learn how much modesty the Sahaabiyaat had and how much emphasis they placed on the observance of hijaab.”
(Source: www.shaykh.org)
Monday, 31 March 2008
Tuesday, 25 March 2008
Concrete Dreams..
I’ve just come to realise that it’s all just a mirage,
Everything I aspire for isn’t real.
That’s it, it’s just not real.
Don’t you ever wonder why everything you hope for just doesn’t work out?
Get the great job, the wonderful wife, the awesome car.
It probably won’t happen.
I’m not saying you don’t ever get what you hope for or aspire to be.
Say you do get it, it isn’t everything you thought it would be, is it?
How long does the joy last?
Not every long, eh?
That’s my point.
All that glistens is not gold.
All that you see is not real.
It’s fake.
Ephemeral.
Fleeting.
An illusion.
Listen.
Come closer.
Dream.
That’s an imperative.
Dreams can be real.
Dream of Gardens beneath which rivers flow.
Rivers of sweet honey and pure milk,
The like of which you have never tasted.
A place where sleep will not overcome you, nor grief.
Food will not be an issue, whatever your heart desires is yours.
No tears, no sadness and most importantly.. no death.
Eternal bliss.
Serenity.
Insert any other nice words you can think of here >>
What can be more real than eternity?
Sweeter than honey?
Whatever you want, whenever you want.
This, mon ami, is a concrete dream.
Everything I aspire for isn’t real.
That’s it, it’s just not real.
Don’t you ever wonder why everything you hope for just doesn’t work out?
Get the great job, the wonderful wife, the awesome car.
It probably won’t happen.
I’m not saying you don’t ever get what you hope for or aspire to be.
Say you do get it, it isn’t everything you thought it would be, is it?
How long does the joy last?
Not every long, eh?
That’s my point.
All that glistens is not gold.
All that you see is not real.
It’s fake.
Ephemeral.
Fleeting.
An illusion.
Listen.
Come closer.
Dream.
That’s an imperative.
Dreams can be real.
Dream of Gardens beneath which rivers flow.
Rivers of sweet honey and pure milk,
The like of which you have never tasted.
A place where sleep will not overcome you, nor grief.
Food will not be an issue, whatever your heart desires is yours.
No tears, no sadness and most importantly.. no death.
Eternal bliss.
Serenity.
Insert any other nice words you can think of here >>
What can be more real than eternity?
Sweeter than honey?
Whatever you want, whenever you want.
This, mon ami, is a concrete dream.
Monday, 10 March 2008
Two Jannahs..
During the time of ‘Umar RA, there was a boy who used to frequent the masjid and used to return home at times to visit his father.
One day, as he went to visit his father, he came across a girl who, in due course, tempted him into her house. His nafs gave in and he approached the house with the intention of commiting zina. As he was about to enter the house, a verse of the Qur’an came to mind and he collapsed.
By the time he came round it was the early hours of the morning and he went to his father’s house. His father asked him what verse it was that caused him to faint. Before he could recite it again, once more he fell to the ground, never to get up again.
When ‘Umar RA found out about the boy’s story, he recited a verse from Surah Ar-Rahman stating he would receive two jannahs for dying in the fear of Allah.
(٤٥) وَلِمَنۡ خَافَ مَقَامَ رَبِّهِۦ جَنَّتَانِ
(45) But for him who feareth the standing before his Lord there are two gardens.
A voice came from the grave, “Ya ‘Umar, you speak of this reward being due to me and I’m telling you that verily I have that reward now.”
(Taken from a bayaan by Shaykh Sulayman Mulla, March 7th 2008, London)
One day, as he went to visit his father, he came across a girl who, in due course, tempted him into her house. His nafs gave in and he approached the house with the intention of commiting zina. As he was about to enter the house, a verse of the Qur’an came to mind and he collapsed.
By the time he came round it was the early hours of the morning and he went to his father’s house. His father asked him what verse it was that caused him to faint. Before he could recite it again, once more he fell to the ground, never to get up again.
When ‘Umar RA found out about the boy’s story, he recited a verse from Surah Ar-Rahman stating he would receive two jannahs for dying in the fear of Allah.
(٤٥) وَلِمَنۡ خَافَ مَقَامَ رَبِّهِۦ جَنَّتَانِ
(45) But for him who feareth the standing before his Lord there are two gardens.
A voice came from the grave, “Ya ‘Umar, you speak of this reward being due to me and I’m telling you that verily I have that reward now.”
(Taken from a bayaan by Shaykh Sulayman Mulla, March 7th 2008, London)
Sunday, 24 February 2008
Sunday, 6 January 2008
Mujahadah an Nafs...
A few words of wisdom gained from my Shaykh last night regarding tasawuf (Spirituality) and tazkiyah (Spiritual cleansing):
Mujahida of the nafs (striving to control it) is not refusing yourself a cold drink on a summer’s day or sleeping on the floor when you have a bed available to you. Instead, mujahida is, for example when you force yourself to look down when a non-mahram is passing by, someone you shouldn’t be looking at.
Restraining your nafs from doing all the permissible things will eventually cause it to rebel against you in such a way that it overcomes you and forces you into haraam. Therefore treat you nafs like a child and force it when necessary but also reward it with the halal things that it enjoys.
On another note, we must be careful with overindulging in halal. This meaning that we should not go round looking for things that are halal and pleasurable to our nafs and then just keep doing it. The result of this will be that our nafs will eventually get bored of all these halal activities that it has overindulged in and then its only desire will be to experience haraam pleasure as that is all that will be left! Therefore we should ensure that we engage in maximum 75% of the halal things that we enjoy and in that way we will have at least a 25% barrier between us and haraam.
May Allah allow us to act upon these beautiful teachings and becoming perfect muslims. Ameen.
Mujahida of the nafs (striving to control it) is not refusing yourself a cold drink on a summer’s day or sleeping on the floor when you have a bed available to you. Instead, mujahida is, for example when you force yourself to look down when a non-mahram is passing by, someone you shouldn’t be looking at.
Restraining your nafs from doing all the permissible things will eventually cause it to rebel against you in such a way that it overcomes you and forces you into haraam. Therefore treat you nafs like a child and force it when necessary but also reward it with the halal things that it enjoys.
On another note, we must be careful with overindulging in halal. This meaning that we should not go round looking for things that are halal and pleasurable to our nafs and then just keep doing it. The result of this will be that our nafs will eventually get bored of all these halal activities that it has overindulged in and then its only desire will be to experience haraam pleasure as that is all that will be left! Therefore we should ensure that we engage in maximum 75% of the halal things that we enjoy and in that way we will have at least a 25% barrier between us and haraam.
May Allah allow us to act upon these beautiful teachings and becoming perfect muslims. Ameen.
Thursday, 3 January 2008
Be Allah’s, He Will Be Yours...
Once the Prophet Musa (aliyhe asslaam) was tending to his sheep when he started to feel very sleepy. He tried vey much to stay awake, because he feared that if he fell asleep the wolves may harm his sheep. However, he could not control himself and he fell asleep. As soon as he awoke he very worriedly looked around to see what had become of his sheep. To his amazement he seen that the wolves themselves were guarding his sheep. Very astonished, he asked Allah as to what was happening. Allah sent reveleation to him,
"O Musa! You behave in the manner which I desire, so I am repaying you by dealing with you in the manner"
"O Musa! You behave in the manner which I desire, so I am repaying you by dealing with you in the manner"
Thursday, 20 December 2007
Honouring the Name...
“The great Shaykh and Muhadith Bishr e Haifi rahmatullahi alayh was a great sinner in the initial phase of his life. He had a profound love for alcohol and he would regularly meet with friends and drink the night away.
After one night of heavy drinking Bishr e Haifi was stumbling home drunk when he noticed a piece of paper lying in the gutter. He picked it up and noticed that written on the paper was the name of Allah ta’ala.
Bishr e Haifi took the paper home, cleaned it, placed it in a beautiful cloth and then put it with utmost respect on a shelf in his house. He then went to sleep.
That night Bishr e Haifi dreamt that someone was saying to him:
"O Bishr! You have honoured My name. Thus I will make you honourable in this world and the hereafter"
And it was after this that the drunkard Bishr e Hafi changed and became the great Shaykh Bishr e Haifi rahmatullahi alayh.”
After one night of heavy drinking Bishr e Haifi was stumbling home drunk when he noticed a piece of paper lying in the gutter. He picked it up and noticed that written on the paper was the name of Allah ta’ala.
Bishr e Haifi took the paper home, cleaned it, placed it in a beautiful cloth and then put it with utmost respect on a shelf in his house. He then went to sleep.
That night Bishr e Haifi dreamt that someone was saying to him:
"O Bishr! You have honoured My name. Thus I will make you honourable in this world and the hereafter"
And it was after this that the drunkard Bishr e Hafi changed and became the great Shaykh Bishr e Haifi rahmatullahi alayh.”
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