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Ali and the World

Sayyiduna Ḍirār ibn Ḍamra describing Sayyiduna 'Alī ibn Abi Ṭālib (may Allah be pleased with them both): "He was, may God be pleased with him, farsighted and of mighty strength. His words were decisive, and his judgment just. He liked coarse food and short clothes, felt estranged from the world and its beauty, and was intimate with night and its darkness. I bear witness that I saw him once when night had fallen, and the stars had risen, wakeful in his prayer-niche, like a man that had been stung, restless as though wounded, weeping sorrowfully, holding his beard, and saying, 'O world! Deceive other than myself! Is it for me that you beautify yourself? Is it to me that you manifest yourself? I have divorced you thrice; there can be no return, for your span is short, your worth insignificant, and your danger great! Ah! The scarcity of provision, the length of the way, and the estrangement of traveling!'" From "Knowledge and Wisdom" by Imām 'Abdullāh Al-Ḥaddād

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Realities of Remembrance

"He who would delight in tasting some of the secrets of the path and having some of its realities unveiled before him, let him be intent on remembering God, the Exalted, with a heart that is present, courtesy that is abundant, attention that is sincere, and concentration that is piercing. Whenever these are combined in a person, to him is revealed the highest Malakūt, his spirit beholds the realities of the World of Utmost Purity, and the eye of his secret witnesses the Highest and Holiest Beauty."

—Imām 'Abdullah Al-Ḥaddād, "Good Manners."

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The Muslim Chaplaincy at the University of Toronto presents: "On the Verge: What is Islamic Chaplaincy?" which discusses the Prophetic method of pastoral care and the roots of Islamic Chaplaincy within the Prophetic Way.

Embrace. Engage. Empower.

Please support the Muslim Chaplaincy at the University of Toronto: http://mcuoft.com/donate

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Whoever tastes, knows; whoever knows, drinks deep.

Muslim Wisdom

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Muslim youth need accessible Islamic leadership. They need someone to empower their Muslim identity, someone to turn to for answers, someone to aid their spiritual development. This is why we are starting Canada’s first full-time Muslim Chaplaincy organization. We need your support. Share the campaign & donate today! mcuoft.com/donate

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Ramadan Letter (Part 2): The Last 10 Nights

All praise is due to Allah, and may endless blessings be upon His Beloved Messenger Muhammad, his Kin, and his Companions. 

Once again, these are excerpts taken from the book Kanz Al-Najāḥ wa As-Surūr (The Treasures of Success and Felicity) regarding the benefits and special qualities of each month. Now that we have reached the last 10 days of Ramadan, we will focus mostly on the benefits of these blessed days.

Allah showers His mercy upon the Muslims especially during these last 10 nights. In them, du‘ā’ is answered particularly quickly, and especially after one finishes a complete reading (khatm) of the Qur’ān (the best time to complete the last suras in the Qur’ān is either right after Fajr or right after Maghrib, and since the nights are so significant, it would be better in to finish it right after Maghrib during the last 10). Also, Allah forgives many, many people and frees them from the Hellfire - so it is recommended to repeatedly ask Allah for forgiveness with a heart that is present and focused on Him, Exalted is He! Also, O Believer, these are the days which the Beloved Prophet, peace and mercy be upon him, described as the days when Allah frees people from the Fire. So be alert and make use of these days in worship and repentance.

Probably the greatest blessing within these last 10 nights is that Laylat Al-Qadr [The Night of Great Value] is hidden somewhere within its odd nights. It is related by Imām Aḥmad (a sound hadith) that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Laylat Al-Qadr is within the 10 remaining days. Whosoever stays up [in prayer/worship]... Allah, most Exalted, will forgive all his [or her] past and future sins. And it is on an odd night, the 9th, or the 7th, or the 5th, or the 3rd, or the last night.”

It is particularly important throughout these nights to attempt to pray both ‘Ishā’ and Fajr in congregation. On the authority of Sayyiduna Anas, may Allah be well pleased with him, the Prophet, peace and mercy be upon him, said, “Whosoever prays duringLaylat Al-Qadr [both] ‘Ishā’ and Fajr in congregation (jamā‘ah) then they have taken from Laylat Al-Qadr the greatest portion.”

  Du‘ā’ for the Last 10 Nights

Our mother, the Lady ‘Aisha, may Allah be well pleased with her, asked the Prophet, peace be upon him, “O Messenger of God, if it is Laylat Al-Qadr, then what [prayer] should I supplicate with?”

He replied with the famous du‘ā’:

اللهم إنّكَ عَفُوٌ كريمٌ، تُحِبُّ العَفْوَ فاعْفُ عنا

 “Allahumma, innaka ‘Afūwwun Karīmun, tuḥibbu al-‘afwa  fa‘afu ‘annā”

 “O God, indeed You are Pardoning and Generous; You love to pardon, so pardon us.”

  Some scholars have recommended that one add at the end of the previous du‘ā’ anotherdu‘ā’ of the Prophet’s, peace and mercy of Allah be upon him:

 اللهم إنّي أسْألُكَ العَفو وَالعَافِية والمُعَافاة الدَّائِمة في الدِّينِ والدُّنْيا والأخِرَةّ

 “Allahumma inni asa’aluka al-‘afū, wa al-‘āfīyah, wa al-mu‘āfāt al-dā’imah fī ad-dīn, wa ad-dunyā, wa al-ākhirah."

 “O God, I ask You for pardoning, good health, and constant well-being in my religion, worldly affairs, and afterlife.”

May Allah put tremendous blessing in these last days for you all, your families, and the rest of the Muslims.  Please remember the whole Ummah in your du‘ā’. May Allah reward you all.

NOTE: In order to be concise, the exact strength of certain hadiths have not been mentioned. It is agreed upon by the vast majority of scholars to use weaker hadiths to encourage people to do extra acts of worship and goodness.

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Quran

(C) Capturing Light Photography 2012

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حسبي الله لا إله إلا هو عليه توكلت وهو رب العرش العظيم

Ḥasbiy Allāh lā ilāha illā hua ‘alaihi tawakkaltu wahua rabbu l-’arshi l-’aẓhīm

“Sufficient for me is Allah; there is no deity except Him. On Him I have relied, and He is the Lord of the Great Throne.” (9:129)

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The Prophet ﷺ drew up his army, and he passed in front of each man to give them good heart and to straighten the ranks, carrying an arrow in his hand. “Stand in line, O Sawād,” he said to one of the Helpers who was a little too far forward, and gave him a slight prick in the belly with his...

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The Ramaḍān Letter (Part 1)

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم الحمد لله رب العالمين حمداً يوافي نعمه ويكافيء مزيده اللهم صل على سيدنا محمد وآله وصحبه وسلم

All praise is due to Allāh, and may endless blessings be upon His Beloved Messenger Muḥammad, his Kin, and his Companions.

The Prophet Muḥammad s made the du‘ā’, “O Allāh bless us in Rajab and Sha‘bān, and let us reach Ramaḍān.”  We thank Allāh the Mighty, Majestic, and Exalted for blessing and honoring us to reach this blessed and noble month.

The Companions and the pious predecessors throughout this Ummah’s long and luminous history have always given this month their all. These are some excerpts taken from the book “Kanz Al-Najāḥ wa Al-Surūr” (“The Treasures of Success and Felicity”) as well as from the book by Al-Ḥabīb Muḥammad Al-Haddār, may Allah have mercy on him, titled “Al-Nafaḥāt Al-Ramaḍāniyyah” (“The Spiritual Breezes of Ramaḍān”) that encourages certain beneficial acts to maximize one’s benefit in Ramaḍān. 

Below is a long ḥadīth in which the Prophet s said at the end of Sha‘bān, right before the start of Ramaḍān. It is on the authority of Sayyidunā Salmān Al-Farisī g:

“O people, a great and blessed month has cast its shade over you! A month in which there is a night that is better than one-thousand months! Allāh has made fasting in it obligatory, and rising in prayer [at night] a great act of obedience. Whosoever performs a small act of good in it, it is as if he has performed an obligatory act, and whosoever performs an obligatory act, it like he has performed 70 obligatory acts in any other month. It is the month of patience, and the reward for patience is Paradise. It is the month of consolation. It is a month in which a believer’s provision increases for him. Whosoever feeds someone fasting, that [act] will cause forgiveness from his sins, he will be freed from the Fire, and he will have the same reward as the one who fasted without taking any reward away [from the one who fasted].”

The Companions said, “O Messenger of Allāh, not all of us have enough to feed someone fasting.”

He, peace and mercy of Allāh be upon him, replied, “Allāh gives this reward to someone who gives a fasting person a date, or a drink of water, or even a sip of milk. It is a month which its beginning is mercy, its middle is forgiveness, and its end is salvation from the Fire. And whosoever lightens the load upon his slaves, Allāh will forgive him and save him from the Fire.

“In this month, make excess of 4 things: two of which you please your Lord with; two of which you will always need. The two things with which you will please your Lord are pronouncing the testimony of Lā ilāha illā Allāh and asking Allāh for forgiveness (istighfār). As for the two things of which you will always need to do - they are asking Him for Paradise and seeking refuge in Him from the Fire. And whosoever quenches the thirst of a fasting person, Allāh with quench him [with water] from my basin [on the Day of Judgment] - a drink after which he will never be thirsty.”

Many people incorporate the four recommended acts mentioned by the Beloved, peace and mercy be upon him, into one long dhikr/du‘ā’:

أَشْهَدُ أنْ لا إله إلّا الله، أسْتَغْفِرُ الله، أَسْألُكَ الجنةَ وأع��ذُ بِكَ مِنْ النار.

Transliteration:

“Ashhadu an lā ilāha illa Allāh, astaghfirullāh, as’aluka al-Jennata wa ‘aūdhu bika min al-nār.”

Translation: 

“I testify there is no god but Allāh, I seek Allāh’s forgiveness. I ask You for Paradise, and I seek refuge in You from the Fire.”

There are 3 things which the scholars urge during this month:

1. Fasting

As all Muslims know, it is obligatory to fast in the month of Ramaḍān. This means to refrain from the outward, bodily limitations related to fasting such as eating, drinking, etc. In addition, this also means to avoid sins related to the inward. The Prophet Muḥammad, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Five things break one's fast (i.e. make it void of the promised reward): lying, backbiting, calumny, falsely swearing (i.e., saying,“wallāhi” and lying), and to look at someone (who is not one’s husband/wife) with passionate desire.”

2. Qiyām Al-Layl (Night Prayer) 

Broadly, this means to give life to the night through different types of good works. One can rise in the night and pray extra prayers, read Qur’ān, attend gatherings in which Allāh is remembered, or attend gatherings in which sacred knowledge is being taught. Whoever prays ‘Ishā’ in congregation and then Fajr in congregation, that person has received a large portion of Qiyām during Ramaḍān, and this is especially important during the last ten nights in order to reap the benefits of Laylat Al-Qadr. The Prophet Muḥammad s said, “Who prays ‘Ishā’ in congregation it is as if he prayed half the night; who [then] prays Fajr in congregation it is as if he prayed the entire night.”

3. Preparing Yourself to be Freed from Hellfire

Whosoever fulfills the preceding two acts of worship and avoids being disobedient to their parents, cutting of ties with their relatives, arguing, and drinking alcohol will be freed from Hellfire. In a ḥadīth, the Angel Gabriel e made a du‘ā’, telling the Prophet to say “Āmīn.” The du‘ā’ was, “Whosoever reaches Ramaḍān and does not [succeed in] having his sins forgiven, may Allāh distance him! Say ‘Āmīn!’” The Prophet, peace and mercy be upon him, then said, “Āmīn.”

Finally: As many of us know, this is the Month of the Qur’ān, so we should all attempt to become intimate with the Book of Allāh - read it, reflect on it, allow the glory and beauty of Allāh’s words to reach your heart. If there is any time to try and connect with the Qur’ān, this is the month. 

Insha’Allāh, another email will be sent out in the following days focusing particularly on the recommended acts and du‘ā’s to perform. May Allāh put tremendous blessing in these days for you all, your families, and the rest of the Muslims. Please remember the whole Ummah in your prayers. Jazākum Allāh khayr. 

والحمد لله رب العالمين

NOTE: In order to be concise, the exact strength of certain ḥadīths have not been mentioned. It is agreed upon by the vast majority of scholars to use weaker ḥadīths to encourage people to do extra acts of worship and goodness.

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A beautiful traditional Arabic poem describing the journey and experience of someone setting out on the path of love for God. This rendition is more recent and catchy. For those who speak Arabic, pay attention to the words - they will inspire you!

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This gets me in the right state of mind for Jum'ah.

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are you not a witness to all the suffering in the world; as if the world will overflow with sorrow? indeed, you are a witness. then make love. create love. generate love. make love like it is your Divine right. no, make love like it is your Divine responsibility. make love like it can cure the...

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NOBILITY

The Sharīf Mowlāy Ḥasan of Morocco. He was a student of the great scholar and sage, Shaykh Muḥammad ibn Al-Ḥabīb (may Allah be well pleased with him). He is one of the most luminous, kind, gentle, loving, and awe-inspiring human beings I have had the honor of meeting. May Allah preserve and bless him.

(Copyright Amjad Tarsin 2012)

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