#Abu al-Hasan al-Shadhili

[ataykiri]

Abu al-Hasan al-Shadhili رحمه الله said,

Make piety (taqwa) your abode, and the delight of your selfish soul will do you no harm so long as it is discontent with its faults and does not persist in acts of disobedience nor abandons the awareness of Allah in solitude.

I say that being content with the self, persisting in disobedient acts, and abandoning awareness of Allah are the foundations of all illnesses, tribulations, and pitfalls.

[spartanxhunterx]

Homework Buddies AU:

Marinette: Why do you have a Tikki brand coffee?

Lila: According to a legend, Tikki is the name of the angel that taught the scholar Abu al-Hasan al-Shadhili to ground and boil coffee beans. Another says that Tikki was a jinni and taught the recipe to Abu's disciple Omar while he was imprisoned in a cave. And another says that Tikki was an angel but taught how to make coffee to Muhammad so that the Muslims would be able to replace the now forbidden wine. All three tales agree that Tikki had a favored blend, and the one branded with their name is either that or the closest approximation humans can make.

-

Marinette: So how much of that is true?

Tikki: I may or may not have done that, I can’t remember. I think I was curious about what could be done with coffee beans.

Marinette: … well, I suppose I should thank you.

[rest-in-being]

"O My servant, make Me your supreme concern and I will guard you from that which causes you concern. O My servant, so long as you belong to yourself, you are in a place of remoteness, but so long as you live through Me, you are in a place of nearness. So choose yourself." –– A divine address to Abu-l Hasan al-Shadhili.

[basicsofislam]

BASICS OF ISLAM : Salah ( Ritual Prayer in Islam ) :His Prayers and Supplications.

Part2

In addition to these supplications for specific cases, the Prophet also left behind comprehensive supplications of various lengths. We present some of them here:

God, I ask You for all good, including what is at hand and what is deferred, what I already know and what I don’t know. I take refuge in You from every evil, including what is at hand and what is deferred, what I already know and what I don’t know.

God, nothing hinders what You grant, nor is anything granted that You hinder. No wealthy one can do us good, as wealth belongs to You.

God, I have not told anything, taken an oath, made a vow, or done anything that You did not previously will. Whatever You willed is, and whatever You didn’t will is not. There is no strength or power save with You, and You are indeed All-Powerful over everything.

God, whatever prayer I have said, let it be for whomever You have mercy, and whatever curse I have called down, let it be for whomever You have cursed. Surely You are my Guardian in this world and the Hereafter. Make me die as a Muslim, and include me among the righteous.

God, I ask You for contentment after misfortune, a peaceful life after death, the pleasure of observing Your Face, and a desire to meet You. I take refuge in You from wronging others and from being wronged, from showing animosity and being subject to animosity, and from erring or committing unforgivable sins. If You leave me to myself, you leave me in weakness, need, sinfulness and error. I depend only on Your Mercy, so forgive all my sins, for only You can do so. Accept my repentance, for You are the Oft-Relenting, All-Compassionate.

God, You deserve most to be mentioned, and none but You deserve to be worshipped. You are more helpful than anyone whose help may be sought, more affectionate than every ruler, more generous than anyone who may be asked for something, and more generous than anyone who gives. You are the Monarch without partners, and the Unique One without like. Everything is perishable except You. You are never obeyed but by Your permission, and never disobeyed but within Your knowledge. When somebody obeys You, You reward them; when someone disobeys You, You forgive them. You witness everything, being nearer to it than any other witness; and protect everything, being nearer to it than any other protector. You ordained the acts of all people and determined their time of death. You know what is in every mind, and all secrets are manifest to You. The lawful is what You have made lawful; the forbidden is what You have forbidden. Religion is what You have laid down; the commandment is what You have decreed. The creation is Your creation, and the servants are Your servants. You are God, the All-Clement, All-Compassionate. I ask You, for the sake of the light of Your Face, by which the Heavens and Earth were illuminated, for the sake of every right belonging to You, and for the sake of those who ask of You, to forgive me just in this morning and just in this evening, and to protect me, by Your Power, from Hellfire.

God, I seek refuge in You from all knowledge that gives no benefit, from a heart that does not fear You, from an unsatisfied soul, and from prayer that cannot be answered.

God, I ask You for steadfastness in my affairs, resolution in guidance, gratitude for Your bounties and acceptable service to You, and a truthful tongue and a sound heart. I seek refuge in You from the evil of what You know. I ask You for the good of what You know, and Your forgiveness for what You already know. Surely You are the Knower of the Unseen.

God, I ask You to enable me to do good, to refrain from vice, to love the poor, and to forgive me and have mercy on me. When You will people’s deviation and dissension and disorder in public life, make me die before taking part in that disorder. I ask You for Your love and for the love of whom You love, and the love of the acts that will make me nearer to Your love.

God, I ask You for the good in the beginning and in the end, in its most comprehensive form with its beginning and result, its manifest and secret kinds, and for the highest rank in Paradise.

God, help me remember and mention You, thank You, and worship You most properly.

God, I ask You for guidance, fear of You, chastity, and independence of others.

God, bring all of our affairs to a good conclusion, protect us from disgrace and ignominy in the world, and from being tormented in the Hereafter.

God, we ask You for all of the good for which Your Prophet Muhammad asked You, and seek refuge in You from every evil from which Your Prophet Muhammad sought refuge in You.

Prayer was a fundamental part of the Prophet’s life. All the supplications quoted, together with many, have become keys in the hands of such great saints as Abu Hasan al-Shadhili, Ahmad al-Badawi, Ahmad al-Rifa’i, and ‘Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani, who used them to knock on the door of God’s Mercy.

[nobertsales]

National Coffee Day! There are competing legends from Yemen and Ethiopia about the discovery of coffee. According to one, in the ninth century A.D., a goat herder named Kaldi discovered coffee berries in the forests of Ethiopia, where he observed his goats become energetic and sleepless after eating the trees' fruit. He took the berries to a local monastery, where the abbot intuitively roasted and dissolved their ground husks in hot water, and voilà — the first cup of coffee. An alternate version tells of a Sufi mystic named Ghothul Akbar Nooruddin Abu al-Hasan al-Shadhili, who noticed some hyperenergetic birds flying over his village in Yemen, then tasted the (presumably predigested) berries they left in their wake. Yet another alleges that mystic's disciple, a sheikh and hermetic medicine man named Omar, discovered the berries, then tried chewing and roasting them before boiling them in water. #NationalCoffeeDay #Coffee ☕️ #Food #FoodSolutions #FoodService #FoodServiceSolutions #FoodSales #WeKnowFood #FoodConsultant #FoodDude #FoodOfTheDay #DrinkOfTheDay #NobertSales @NobertSales (at Germantown, Tennessee) https://www.instagram.com/p/CUaZbgPFRME/?utm_medium=tumblr

[wisdomrays]

THE HORIZON OF HOPE

With strong conviction and high hope, poised to move forward; with firm resolve, our will ready as a taut bow-string is ready; in sweet imagination of paradise-like scenes of tomorrow, whose beauty we experience in spirit – we speak of the future once more, alert to its being near. It is as if the dark clouds – clouds that have been covering our foundations built of a deep spirituality, and our shining past built of ivory and pearl, crystal and coral, and our culture woven with threads of satin and silk, and gold and silver – the dark clouds are moving away and an attractive, enchanting world is gliding across the horizon. The scenes appearing to us, as yet afar, produce such thrills of pleasure in our souls that we feel as if the happy, promised time had all but arrived.

Realities mixed with imagining, we feel we are half-way to the peaceful union of the modern with the traditional, the scientific with the religious and spiritual, the reason with the heart, the experienced with the revealed, and the military power with sense, justice and right. We are travelling toward this goal and feel as if we heard lyrical melodies that harmonized the past and the future. With the hope that the day will certainly come when souls conceive of nothing but goodness and fairness, when feelings overflow with love and compassion and eyes become more generous than clouds in pouring tears of mercy, when the soil fully awakens to life and the earth becomes as safe and comfortable as a nest, when human beings compete with spiritual beings in goodness and virtue – we try to meet in cheerful faith all the requirements of travelling to those horizons where we shall taste life once again as it should be.

We are hopeful because all the preparations made, the efforts exerted, and the hardships endured, are like melodies of the happy future world in whose warmth the past and the future will be embraced and the present time will unburden itself to its faithful, blessed friends, and we will sing joyful songs of the lost paradise regained.

We are hopeful because things begin to voice the wise purpose in their creation; the sun, the moon and stars begin to discourse about the past; worlds far beyond our own send smiles ahead to those expected happy days, and the preparations of a coming celebration are observed everywhere. Hoping to God that an adverse wind does not rise up to pull everything down; that space, this island of time, where souls, deeper in spirit than their actions, whose beliefs and actions are louder than their words, whose hearts and minds are set upon eternity, alight and depart, will be the island where mankind have been longing to dwell since the beginning of their worldly existence, the island which will transport them to eternity from its harbours and quays and platforms.

It is truly so. If we stir up things around us just a little, they will, as a part of history, begin to speak and sing the praises of the future. We may liken our moment in time to a clock waiting to be wound up. In appearance quite still or 'out of order' it is ready to work with the slight effort of winding. This moment of time too is about to move, like an athlete at the starting-pistol. Indeed, may we not say that it has already started – to be united with its roots in the past and search for new horizons in the future? Its movement is a rhythmical one directed by wisdom and promising springtimes, one after another; from it are heard sounds of profound resonance and music sublime.

The basic dynamics of this movement are belief and hope, while its future lies in Prophetic resolve to persevere without leaving room for any kind of deficiencies in reasoning or understanding or feeling. It is God, and only He, Who will produce the result, and it is an offence to Him to strike attitudes that imply that our hands determine and produce the result. If we reflect upon the present situation and the unimaginable effects of the dynamics we have from yesterday to the present, we could not help but be amazed by seeing how great rewards are given for the least of efforts. Ponder the fact that, although the values belonging to us have been unjustly chewed up between the teeth of time, still they have been able to reach the coastlines of our century and we can re-achieve them as the indispensable elements of our civilization and culture. We find them still as fresh as the first day and use them as either keys with which to open the long-locked doors of hearts, or the doors of castles on the way to conveying civilization to all parts of the world, or as torches of learning with which to illuminate the world. They are still so powerful and enchanting that while some of them introduce us into the world of Ibn Khaldun or Biruni or Zahrawi or Shafi'i, Abu Hanifa, Malik and Ibn Hanbal, some others bring us roses from the gardens of spiritual masters like Ibrahim ibn Adham, 'Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani, Shah Naqshband, Ahmad Badawi and Abu'l-Hasan al-Shadhili, and still others take us to the evergreen summits of Iqbal, Baqi, Fuduli, Sa'di, Nizami, Nawa'i and Rumi.

With its natural environment unpolluted and in good order and harmony, its lovely towns and villages re-planned and re-designed, and its population equipped with such human values and virtues as belief, love, knowledge, mutual loyalty and high morals, this world would be a place fit for joyful, sincere-hearted people to dwell in; a place where rivers of love and other sublime feelings flow; where works of the finest artistry appear side by side with those of the sciences into which religion has breathed a new life; a place where families dwell whose members are attached to one another with love, respect and compassion. Those destined to live in this world will find it a paradise-like place cleansed of all kinds of impurity and foulness, and purified of all kinds of misery and dissipation, where angelic souls fly around and all are for each and each is for all.

This world will convey meanings from the other world, and plains and mountains will radiate peace and contentment. Emotions will be much deeper and fed by eternity. In this world whose material is woven of belief, morals, knowledge and love, life will be more beneficial and nothing wasted.

We are now on the way to this world of love, peace and vitality. Our final destination is He, the One to Whom we have devoted our hearts. We are walking toward Him along the way He has established. With our trust placed in Him and relying on His favours, our struggle is to reach Him. He will produce the result, Who never breaks His word and always fulfils His promise. So why be hopeless? Why speak of thorns in the garden of roses?

We are servants chained at His doorway. He always makes us understand our servanthood. Our aim is to be able to perform the duty of thanksgiving for His making Himself known to us. We always seek refuge in His Court. He will surely admit those who, after long journeying, knock at the door of His Court. He will surely admit them to the final union.

[personalblendesl]

The first man is believed to have originated in theeastern

A land of firsts, Ethiopia has giventhe world its most important inhabitant and one of its most important beverages--Homo sapiens and coffee. The first man is believed to have originated in theeastern African land 400,000 years ago, while historians point to the same landas the place where coffee beans were first discovered.Coffee plants were first found inthe Kaffa region of Ethiopia. The similarity of the region's name where coffeetrees were first discovered, Kaffa, and the English name of the drink, coffee,has led a good number of etymologists to conclude that the two are relatedetymologically. Not all word experts, however, agree.

This is because theplant, including its fruit, is called bunn or bunna in the Kaffa area."Kahve", a Turkish word, is often presented as an alternativeetymology of "coffee". It is said to have passed to Italian as"caffe" and later to English as "coffee". Kahve, in turn,ultimately comes from the Arabic qaha, which means "to have noappetite", since personal blenders coffee was thought to suppress appetite.Legends abound about the origin ofcoffee. One claims that the Ethiopian goatherd Kaldi is the first to learnabout coffee, while another mentions the Yemenite Sufi mystic named GhothulAkbar Nooruddin Abu al-Hasan al-Shadhili. A third story comes from Yemen.Kaldi's story appeared in print in1671 CE. It is said that he was a 9th Century goatherd belonging to the Oromopeople who observed that his goats became hyperactive, dancing and frolicking,every time they ate the red berries of bunn plant. Curious, he tried theberries himself and found that he too became bouncy and spirited.Kaldi was a religious man. Wantingto consult with the Muslim imams about his discovery, he gathered more berriesand presented them to the holy men.

The first imam he met, however, convincedthat the berries were the devil's trap, threw them into the fire, but soonnoticed an appealing aroma filling the air. He, along with the other imams, putout the fire, gathered the roasted berries and ground them. Water was pouredover the grounds, thus creating the world's first cup of coffee.A second legend proclaims a YemeniSufi mystic who was travelling in Ethiopia. Noticing birds that were verylively and vigorous, he followed them and discovered that they regularly ate ofthe bunn plant berries. Like Kaldi, he tried the mysterious berry andexperienced the same vigor and vitality.Another story, narrated in theAbd-Al-Kadir manuscript, puts coffee's origin in Yemen with Omar given theprivilege of its discovery.

[farhanjamil89]

Imam Sharani said: "I heard Sidi Ali al Khawwas say: 'A servant does not achieve perfection in the station of mystical knowledge-(irfan) until he experiences communion with RasoolAllahﷺ in a state of wakefulness and oral conversation. The following are included among those righteous predessors who have seen him in a state of wakefulness: Shaykh Abu Madyan al Maghribi, The Shaykh of the Sufi community, Shaykh Abd Rahim al Qinawi, Shaykh Musa az Zawawi, Shaykh Abul Hasan ash Shadhili, Shaykh Abu Abass al Mursi, Shaykh Abu Sa'ud ibn Abi Masha'ir, Sidi Ibrahim al Matbuli, and Shaykh Jalal ad Din as Suyuti.'

[binbinsak]

Inilah Fakta Unik Kopi yang Belum Banyak Diketahui

Halo sobat selamat datang di artikel kali ini yang akan membahas tentang kopi manakah kopi terbaik di indonesia yang cocok untuk para pecinta kopi. Tidak hanya yang terbaik dari segi rasa, tapi juga cara pengolahan dan mungkin kepadatan budidayanya. Selain itu kopi yang akan menjadi referensi ini juga merupakan biji kopi pilihan sobat. Jadi tidak perlu diragukan lagi kualitasnya. Sangat bermanfaat dan sangat enak.

Seperti yang mimin katakan diatas, mimin pada artikel kali ini akan membahas tentang kopi terbaik di indonesia. Artinya kopi terbaik adalah yang terbaik dari semua aspek, misalnya rasa, aroma budaya dan juga tingkat ketersediaannya, harus berkualitas tinggi. Kopi adalah salah satu bahan minuman paling populer. Cara meminumnya yang variatif jadi keunikan tersendiri saat hangat dan ketika dingin tinggal dipanaskan lagi pakai alat pemanas kopi.

Oleh karena itu mimin akan membahas dan mengulasnya melalui artikel ini. Pembahasan kali ini seru banget karena mimin suka banget ngopi. Selain itu pembahasan kali ini juga akan memberikan beberapa referensi menarik yang seru banget. Oleh karena itu, yuk kita simak bersama, sobat.

Kopi juga merupakan komoditas yang memiliki jutaan kegunaan, tentunya bisa bermanfaat bagi manusia. Oleh karena itu kopi merupakan komoditas yang juga sangat bermanfaat. Sebenarnya kopi ini juga tersebar di berbagai belahan dunia.

Di negara lain juga terdapat jenis kopi yang berbeda dengan jenis kopi yang ada di Indonesia. Namun perbedaan tersebut terkadang menghasilkan ciri khas kopi di suatu daerah. Seperti kopi arabika, kopi dampit, kopi gayo, kopi alas dan kopi lain yang sangat menarik.

Penggunaan kopi sendiri juga bervariasi. Mulai dari digunakan sebagai cara membuat roti boy, resep roti kasur dengan rasa kopi, puding kopi, hingga roti kopi yang sangat spesial.

Fakta  Unik Kopi

1. Kopi mungkin ditemukan oleh 'penggembala kambing yang bersemangat'

Legenda mengatakan bahwa Kaldi, penggembala kambing yang kesepian di Ethiopia abad kesembilan, menemukan efek kopi yang memberi energi dan menyegarkan ketika dia melihat kambingnya menjadi bersemangat setelah makan beberapa buah beri dari pohon.

Kaldi memberi tahu kepala biara setempat tentang hal ini dan kepala biara itu mendapatkan ide untuk mengeringkan dan merebus buah beri untuk membuat minuman. Dia melemparkan buah beri ke dalam api, dari mana aroma yang tidak salah lagi dari apa yang sekarang kita kenal sebagai kopi melayang di udara malam.

Biji yang sekarang dipanggang diambil dari bara api, digiling dan dilarutkan dalam air panas: sehingga dijadikan secangkir kopi pertama di dunia.

Kepala biara dan para bhikkhu menemukan bahwa minuman tersebut membuat mereka terjaga selama berjam-jam - hal yang cocok untuk para pria yang mengabdikan diri pada doa yang panjang. Berita menyebar, dan begitu pula minuman panasnya, bahkan sampai ke semenanjung Arab.

Seorang mistikus sufi Yaman bernama Ghothul Akbar Nooruddin Abu al-Hasan al-Shadhili juga memiliki klaim atas penemuan kopi: dia dikatakan telah melihat burung pemakan berry terbang di atas desanya dengan sangat energik. Saat mencicipi beberapa beri yang dibuang, dia juga mendapati dirinya sangat waspada.

2. Diseduh oleh seorang suci dari Mocha

Sebuah cerita alternatif membuat kita percaya bahwa kopi pertama kali ditemukan oleh seorang syekh bernama Omar, murid mistikus sufi yang dikutip di atas. Saat berada di pengasingan dari Mocha (Suatu tempat yang sekarang berada di Yaman), Omar, yang terkenal karena kemampuannya menyembuhkan orang sakit melalui doa, tinggal di gua gurun dekat Ousab.

Agak lapar, suatu hari Omar mengunyah beberapa buah beri hanya untuk mendapatkan rasa pahit. Dia memanggangnya tetapi ini hanya membuat mereka keras; akhirnya dia mencoba merebusnya, menghasilkan cairan coklat yang harum yang, dalam sekejap, memberinya energi yang tidak wajar dan luar biasa dan membuatnya tetap terjaga selama berhari-hari.

'Penemuan mukjizat' nya diadakan dengan sangat kagum sehingga dia diizinkan untuk kembali ke rumah ke Mocha dan diangkat ke kesucian sementara kopi meresap ke seluruh dunia Arab.

Pada abad ke-16, kopi adalah minuman pilihan di Persia, Mesir, Suriah dan Turki, reputasinya sebagai 'anggur Araby' tidak pernah berhenti oleh ribuan peziarah mengunjungi kota suci Mekah setiap tahun dari seluruh Muslim. dunia. Pedagang Yaman membawa pulang kopi dari Ethiopia dan mulai menanamnya sendiri.

Minuman itu dihargai oleh para sufi di Yaman yang menggunakan minuman itu untuk membantu konsentrasi dan sebagai minuman keras spiritual. Mereka juga menggunakannya untuk menjaga diri mereka tetap waspada selama renungan malam hari.

Dari Timur Tengah popularitas kopi segera menyebar ke seluruh Balkan, Italia dan ke seluruh Eropa, timur ke Indonesia dan kemudian ke barat ke Amerika, sebagian besar melalui Belanda.

3. Kopi menempa revolusi sosial

Kopi adalah kekuatan yang begitu kuat sehingga menempa revolusi sosial. Kopi diminum di rumah sebagai minuman domestik tetapi, yang lebih penting, kopi juga diminum di kedai kopi umum yang ada di mana-mana  yang bermunculan di desa-desa, kota kecil dan kota besar di Timur Tengah dan Afrika timur.

Kedai kopi ini segera menjadi populer dan menjadi tempat bersosialisasi. Minum kopi dan percakapan dilengkapi dengan semua jenis hiburan: pertunjukan musik, menari, permainan catur dan, yang paling penting, bergosip, berdebat, dan mendiskusikan berita siang (atau malam). Kedai kopi ini segera dikenal sebagai 'sekolah orang bijak', tempat yang Anda kunjungi jika ingin tahu apa yang sedang terjadi di dunia Anda. Hubungan antara kopi dan kehidupan intelektual telah terjalin.

4. Diyakini bahwa kopi itu 'berdosa'

Kopi, seperti alkohol, memiliki sejarah panjang pelarangan, menarik ketakutan dan kecurigaan serta keresahan dan kemunafikan dalam agama. Seandainya para kaum radikalisme (dari semua agama) berhasil, maka tidak akan ada banyak kedai kopi yang buka hari ini.

Minum kopi dilarang oleh para ahli hukum dan pertemuan ulama di Mekah pada tahun 1511. Penentangan dipimpin oleh gubernur Mekkah Khair Beg, yang takut bahwa kopi akan mendorong penentangan terhadap pemerintahannya dengan mempertemukan orang-orang dan membiarkan mereka mendiskusikan kegagalan pemerintahannya.

Lahirlah asosiasi kopi dengan hasutan dan revolusi. Itu dinyatakan berdosa (haram), tetapi kontroversi mengenai apakah itu memabukkan atau tidak berkecamuk selama 13 tahun berikutnya sampai larangan itu akhirnya dibatalkan pada tahun 1524 atas perintah Sultan Turki Utsmani Selim I, dengan Mufti Besar Mehmet Ebussuud el -Imadi mengeluarkan fatwa yang memperbolehkan kopi untuk diminum lagi.'

Beg dieksekusi karena masalahnya atas perintah Sultan sendiri, yang selanjutnya menyatakan kopi untuk menjadi suci. Di Kairo ada larangan serupa pada tahun 1532; Kedai kopi dan gudang kopi di sana digeledah.

5. Kopi awalnya dikenal sebagai 'cangkir setan'

Tidak butuh waktu lama bagi kopi untuk menempuh jarak dekat ke daratan Eropa di mana ia mendarat pertama kali di Venesia di belakang perdagangan menguntungkan yang dinikmati kota dengan tetangga Mediterania-nya. Jadi kopi sendiri sudah mengalami banyak sekali perubahan dan perjalanan sejarah panjang yang menarik sob.

Namun pada awalnya, kopi bertemu dengan kecurigaan dan prasangka agama yang diderita di Timur Tengah dan Turki. Kata di jalan, menyaring kembali dari para pelancong Eropa yang pemberani ke negeri misterius dan mistis di timur, adalah minuman keras yang sama misterius, eksotis, dan memabukkan.

Bagi umat Katolik itu adalah 'penemuan pahit Setan', membawa bau Islam, dan itu tampak mencurigakan seperti pengganti anggur seperti yang digunakan dalam Ekaristi; dalam hal apapun, itu dilarang.

Paus Klemens VIII harus campur tangan sedemikian ketakutan: dia mencicipi kopi untuk dirinya sendiri dan menyatakan bahwa itu memang minuman Kristen dan juga Muslim. Saat mencicipinya, dia dengan cerdik menyatakan: "Minuman iblis ini sangat enak ... kita harus menipu iblis dengan membaptisnya!"

Baiklah sobat itu merupakan beberapa fakta unik sejarah dari kopi. semoga bisa bermanfaat untuk sobat sekalian ya. Terima kasih sudah membaca artikel ini.

[margiehasson]

10 Du'as to Sustain You in Times of Change and Calamities

By N.A. Mansour

Of the great literary and intellectual traditions we inherit as Muslims, one of the most accessible, yet highly charged, is du’a. As generations of Muslims spoke to and beseeched Allah (S) in the past to address specific needs, we speak to Allah (S) now, sometimes using those du'as from the past and sometimes praying from our hearts.

The du’as we utter during this particular time will take on some of the meaning of the COVID-19 pandemic and what we feel as we experience it; this gives it another layer of meaning as you speak to Allah (S) to pray for yourself, your loved ones and the ummah. Many of the du'as we’ve gathered here for you respond to times of need as well as to confront the harsh reality of everyday life in the dunya.

We hope this collection of 10 du’as to read during times of calamity and change reminds you of the du’as you’ve loved over the years. And, maybe you’ll even be introduced to a few new ones.

Image source: rawpixel

1. Allah, let me enjoy my hearing and my sight until they are relieved of me, maintain my faith and my body, let me be victorious over those who have wronged me. I submit myself to you, my lord. From the Hizb of Imam al-Nabulsi

A famed 18th century scholar from Damascus, Shaykh Abd al-Ghani al-Nabulsi wrote across many genres – travelogues, poems, handbooks on tasawwuf (the process of becoming a Sufi) – and he also wrote hizbs and wirds, different types of long-form invocations. This excerpt from a hizb of his has a little bit of everything we need right now – a call for physical health, mental health and social justice.

2. Allah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity. It will have [the consequence of] what [good] it has gained, and it will bear [the consequence of] what [evil] it has earned. "Our Lord, do not impose blame upon us if we have forgotten or erred. Our Lord, and lay not upon us a burden like that which You laid upon those before us. Our Lord, and burden us not with that which we have no ability to bear. And pardon us; and forgive us; and have mercy upon us. You are our protector, so give us victory over the disbelieving people." (Quran 2:286; Sahih International translation)

لَا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا ۚ لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَعَلَيْهَا مَا اكْتَسَبَتْ ۗ رَبَّنَا لَا تُؤَاخِذْنَا إِن نَّسِينَا أَوْ أَخْطَأْنَا ۚ رَبَّنَا وَلَا تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْنَا إِصْرًا كَمَا حَمَلْتَهُ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِنَا ۚ رَبَّنَا وَلَا تُحَمِّلْنَا مَا لَا طَاقَةَ لَنَا بِهِ ۖ وَاعْفُ عَنَّا وَاغْفِرْ لَنَا وَارْحَمْنَا ۚ أَنتَ مَوْلَانَا فَانصُرْنَا عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْكَافِرِينَ

These verses from the Quran make frequent appearances in prescribed wirds because they are so packed with reminders we need to hear daily as well as a call for Allah (S) to forgive anything we might, despite all good intentions, forget.

3. Allah! I seek refuge in You from the evil of that which I have done and the evil of that which I have not done. Sunnah: Muslim

The pandemic has put pressure on all of us and despite our best intentions, we might not always behave in ways that are in compliance with the adab of our religion. This du’a, from the sunnah, can help remind us of the importance of good behavior while also directly asking Allah (S) for it.

4. Allah, strengthen the cause of the Prophet Muhammad, may peace be upon him, make shine the message he has brought to us and make shine his character. From Dala’il al-Khayrat.

Praying for the Prophet Muhammad (saw) is prescribed to us as Muslims in both the Quran and the sunnah. This snippet from Dala’il al-Khayrat, one of the most popular books of devotions in our tradition dedicated to the Prophet, reminds us of both his greater cause and his character, both of which serve as inspirations.

5. Allah, give us the hope that we ask for, give us hope beyond even that. From Hizb al-Nasr by Shaykh Abu Hasan al-Shadhili

Part of the larger collection of hizbs left to us by Shaykh Abu Hasan al-Shadhili, the founder of the Shadhili tariqa (one of the largest of Sufi orders), the rest of the hizb is traditionally prescribed for times of oppression and fear as well as sickness. There are also multiple recitations of the Shadhili hizbs that you can listen to, such as this one.

6. Lord, lift up my heart and ease my task for me. (Quran 20:25-26; Abdul Haleem translation)

رب اشرح لي صدري ويسر لي أمري

The Prophet Musa (ra) said these words to Allah before going to confront Firaun. I was taught to recite it as a child before any major challenges I anticipated: My father taught it to me for school exams. Prophet Musa’s bravery, no matter the challenge, is an example for us all.

7. Smooth out strife and strain. Ease the hardship and the pain. In your name we pray, Allah. Grant good health and long life! Please guide us aright! Bless us with success, Allah. From al-Sindid (The Valiant One) by Shaykh Mbacke, adapted from the translation by Rudolph Ware)

This selection is from a longer praise poem by Shaykh Mbacke, a 19th century shaykh of the Muridiyya tariqa (another Sufi order), and was written after the death of his mother, whom he mentions in the poem. I recommend eventually reading the poem in its entirety as well as his other work: al-Sindad is multi-faceted and includes personal invocations and the mentions of other Prophets.

8. O You to Whose mercy one flees! You in Whom the one in need and distress seeks refuge! We seek Your help, O You who help the weak! You are enough for us, O Lord! From Du’a al-Nasiryya, adapted from the translation by Shaykh Hamza Yusuf.

These lines – part of a larger poem – were written explicitly during times of foreign aggression and was allegedly so popular that the French banned it. They can sooth our feelings of hopelessness but also remind us of the systemic injustice that is making the global pandemic even more horrific for many populations.

9. Allah, I praise you for this body when it is capable of motion and I thank you for this ailment that arises in my flesh. ... for one is a delight ... and one is a test. Paraphrased from al-Sahifa al-Sajjadiya by al-Imam Ali Zain al-Abideen (ra).

We have different examples of Allah (S) testing those He loves dearly throughout our history; this du’a is a reminder to always be thankful, no matter if what we have most delighted in has passed from our lives.

10. Speak from your heart.

No matter what, no matter how many du’as you read from the Quran, sunnah, or the vast collection of Muslim literary tradition, always make time to just directly speak to Allah from your heart with respect, gratitude and hope. Get creative and write down what you come up with for use in the future. And when you cannot find the words, let your heart just reach towards Allah (S).

N.A. Mansour is a historian and a PhD candidate at Princeton University’s Department of Near Eastern Studies, where she is writing a dissertation on the transition between manuscript and print in Arabic-contexts. She produces podcasts for the Middle East Studies Channel on the New Books Network, for the Maydan and co-edits Hazine.info, an archives blog.

10 Du'as to Sustain You in Times of Change and Calamities published first on https://lenacharms.tumblr.com/

[ataykiri]

Abu al-Hasan al-Shadhili رحمه الله said,

My beloved counseled me not to put my feet anywhere except where I hoped for Allah’s reward, not to sit anywhere except where I was safe from disobedience to Allah, not to accompany anyone except someone in whom I could find support in obedience to Allah, and not to select anyone for myself other than those who increased my certainty, and how rare they are to find!

[zatocentz]

Shaykh Ibnu Atha’illah al-Iskandari masih sangat muda ketika ia terkenal sebagai salah seorang pakar fikih mazhab maliki dan menentang ajaran tasawuf. .

.

.Namun, semua berubah setelah pertemuannya dengan Shaykh Abu Abbas al-Mursi , seorang ulama sufi sekaligus Wali Qutub pada zamannya dan murid kepada Wali Qutub Imam Abul Hasan Ash Shadhili. .

.

.Karena rasa kagumnya yang begitu besar, Ibnu Atha’illah pun akhirnya berhijrah ke kediaman Abu Abbas al-Mursi di Kairo, Mesir, dan mempelajari ilmu tasawuf kepadanya selama 12 tahun lamanya. .

"Menunda amal karena menunggu waktu yang luang termasuk tanda kebodohan" .

.

.- Ibnu Atha'illah al-Iskandari

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[degner]

A member of the Burhaniya order participates in evening dhikr, group chants about God, at the Moulid Abu al-Hasan ash-Shadhili. To Sufis, dhikr is seen as a way to gain spiritual enlightenment and achieve union or be consumed by God. #ModernMiracles #Egypt Toned by @10bphotography The complete project is posted at the link in my profile. via Instagram http://ift.tt/2xpuXHj more photos at www.DavidDegner.com

[basicsofislam]

ISLAM 101: REVERED PROPHETS: PROPHET MUHAMMAD’S ACHIEVEMENTS (Part 2)

• Just as the Prophets’ consensus on the other pillars of belief is a very strong proof of their truth, it also is a firm testimony of the truthfulness and Messengership of Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings. History confirms that all sacred attributes, miracles, and functions indicating the truthfulness and Messengership of Prophets, are found in Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, to the highest degree. Prophets predicted his coming by giving good tidings of him in the Torah, the Gospels, the Psalms, and other Scriptures (known as “Pages” in the Qur’an).14 Through their missions and miracles, they affirmed and “sealed” the mission of Muhammad, the foremost and most perfect Prophet.

People usually consider their own occupations as more important, necessary, beneficial to social life, and more challenging than others. However, although every occupation has some degree of difficulty and social use, educating people is by far the most difficult and necessary for a healthy social life.

Raising really educated people requires true educators who have clear goals. But if such people are to succeed, they must embody what they teach and advise their students; they must intimately know their students’ character and potential, as well as their desires and ambitions, shortcomings and strengths, and level of learning and understanding; they must know how to treat them in all circumstances, approach their problems, and persuade them to replace their bad qualities with good ones.

People may not live according to their asserted “strong” beliefs, have only superficial good moral qualities, or have weak spots (e.g., open to bribery, insensitivity, hoarding). How should we view educators who transform their students by completely replacing their bad qualities with good ones, and then proceed to establish a community to serve as a model for future generations; who transform the base rock, copper, iron, and coal in their hands into silver, gold, precious stones, and diamonds? Would such an educator not be considered extraordinary? What Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, achieved in his twenty-three years as the educator of his people is far more than what such educators do.

Not using force is another important dimension of a good education. Penal sanctions, coercion, and military and police forces can only succeed in “guiding” people for a short while. If a transformation is to be permanent, people must undertake it willingly, meaning that they must be convinced of its truth. No one has ever known people so comprehensively as Prophet Muhammad, nor has managed to transform such a pitiless, crude, war-mongering, ignorant, and unyielding people into a community that provides a perfect and complete life and moral example for all future generations.

His Family and Companions, whose insight, wisdom, and spiritual accomplishment make them the most renowned, respected, celebrated, pious, and intelligent people after the Prophets, declared that he was the most truthful, elevated, and honest person. This was their conclusion after having examined and scrutinized all of his thoughts and states, whether hidden or open, with the utmost attention to detail.

Thousands of God’s beloved friends attained truth and perfection, performed wonders, gained insight into the reality of things, and made spiritual discoveries by following the Prophet’s example. All of them assert the Prophet’s truthfulness and Messengership, and his Message. Thousands of exacting scholars of purity, meticulous scholars of truthfulness, and believing sages have reached the highest station of learning through the sacred truths brought by this unlettered man. Many invincible commanders and most eminent statesmen of human history have appeared in his footsteps. I list only a few of countless such people: such saints and purified, meticulous scholars as Abu Hanifa, Shafi‘i, Imam Malik, Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Imam al-Bukhari, Imam Muslim, Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, Jalaluddin as-Suyuti, Bayazid al-Bistami, ‘Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani, Shah Naqshband, Hasan al-Shadhili, Imam al-Ghazzali, Imam Rabbani, and Bediüzzaman Said Nursi; innumerable scientists such as al-Biruni, az-Zahrawi, Ibn Sina (Avicenna), and Ibn Haytham; and hundreds of thousands of literary geniuses, commanders, statesmen, and other stars of humanity. All of them followed in the Prophet’s footsteps.

In addition, such Western intellectuals and statesmen as Lamartine, William Muir, Edward Gibbon, John Davenport, L. A. Sedillot, Goethe, P. Bayle, Stanley Lane-Poole, A. J. Arberry, Thomas Carlyle, Rosenthal, Elisee Reclus, Andrew Miller, Bismarck, Leopold Weis, Marmaduke Pickthall, Martin Lings, and Roger Garaudy have admitted that he is the greatest person ever to have lived. Some of them even embraced Islam. This is another proof of his Prophethood. Sir William Muir, no friend of Islam, admits:

The first peculiarity, then, which attracts our attention is the subdivision of the Arabs into innumerable bodies … each independent of the others: restless and often at war amongst themselves; and even when united by blood or by interest, ever ready on some significant cause to separate and give way to an implacable hostility. Thus at the era of Islam the retrospect of Arabian history exhibits, as in the kaleidoscope, an ever-varying state of combination and repulsion, such as had hitherto rendered abortive any attempt at a general union … The problem had yet to be solved, by what force these tribes could be subdued or drawn to one common center; and it was solved by Muhammad.

[wisdomrays]

Love, Courage and Strategic Thinking

QUESTION: What are the dynamics needed to solve huge, seemingly unsolvable problems?

ANSWER: For people whose hearts are dead, in a religious sense—who have lost their enthusiasm and are going through the motions—it is unthinkable that they may overcome big problems. For this reason, there needs to be love and enthusiasm to solve the big problems that appear before us. A person must fix on the target with unceasing love and enthusiasm, be determined to strive on in the face of pressure and oppression, and show the resolve to stand up and continue no matter how often they’ve faced failure. If they have these traits, they can surmount seemingly impossible hills and turn possible defeats into victories.

The united point of trueness and love

Prophet Adam is a very good example on this issue. God Almighty loaded into his genes what is considered an “err” according to the pure ones nearest to Him, and Adam committed a “lapse” (dhalla) in terms of his relationship with his Lord. As the Qur’an puts is,

“…he (Adam) acted forgetfully...” (Ta-Ha 20: 115).

However, what matters is being able to say, “O God please do not make me repeat this mistake again,” without giving in to despair after making a mistake or forgetting. This was what Prophet Adam, peace be upon him, did. Although it is not included in the sound sources of hadith, it is narrated in fairly reliable sources that owing to the err he committed, he implored God ashamedly for some forty years, without even raising his face to the sky. It is very important for a person who erred to bow with shame, and accept his mistake by saying, “although I know God, and I’m from Him with everything I have, how can I commit such a mistake against Him?” and then beg forgiveness at the door of the True One to be worshiped.

If the fire of love is kindled in a person’s heart and love has seized his being, then he will never think of leaving the door of his Beloved One in spite of the various trials and tribulations he faces. Love is the title for a person’s relationship with God; it is a constant connection of the heart with Him; it is the yearning for reunion a person feels deep inside. When a love is crowned with trueness, even if a person burns with desire for the reunion, he will step back, obeying orders by saying, “I am not demanding to come now since You have not called me yet. I wish to fulfill my responsibilities toward You on Your path.” Such a horizon is the intersection of truth and love.

How to save a victory from a defeat

Courage expresses a different dimension, or consequence, of love, and is another important factor in terms of surmounting seemingly insurmountable problems. The blessed Companion Mus’ab ibn Umayr presented a dizzying example of courage at the Battle of Uhud. When his arm was cut off, he said, “I have one more arm, it suffices me!” And when he lost the second one too, he said, “My neck is still here, now I use it as a shield,” and this even made the bitter face of death smile. There is no problem such a paragon of courage cannot solve. The face of death is a bitter one of course; but if you smile at it, it smiles at you, too; so much so that God Almighty Himself takes back the soul He entrusted to the person, without even giving a role to the intermediaries. Personages like Abdulqadr al-Jilani and Abu’l-Hasan ash- Shadhili made the wish, “My God, take my life with Your own hand please!”

One of the most important virtues of the noble Prophet was his righteous courage and bravery. For example, although the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, did not make any mistakes of strategy, the early Muslims experienced a temporary defeat at Uhud. The blessed Prophet commanded a defensive battle, and though his tactics were sound, it is understood from the Divine statement,

“Satan made them slip because of some of the errors they themselves had done” (Al Imran 3: 155),

the distinguished group of the Prophet’s Companions were mistaken in their ijtihad—or their critical interpretation of the situation. The fact that the original wording of the Divine verse does not say they “committed” (iktisab) but “did” (kasb) indicates that theirs was a judgmental mistake of ijtihad. The Companions had failed to fully obey their orders and the consequence was a temporary defeat. However, the Messenger of God turned that temporary defeat into a victory. Note that right after the Battle of Uhud, Abu Sufyan gathered his army and set on the road towards Mecca. At a certain point, they weighed the idea of striking back to Medina to exterminate Muslims. In the meantime, however, the Messenger of God started to chase the army of polytheists with his Companions. On seeing the marching Muslims, most of whom were actually battle-struck, Abu Sufyan preferred not getting into trouble by turning back, but went home to rejoice with the people of Mecca over the partial victory they had gained—without showing the courage to confront the Muslims again.

What happened in Hunayn was no different. The Thaqif and Hawazin tribes, who were very skillful archers, caught the advance guard of the Muslim forces in an ambush and the rear forces fell into confusion under a shower of enemy arrows. Even at such a moment, the Pride of Humanity spurred his horse on toward the enemy lines, and cried, “I am the Prophet; that is no lie. I am the descendant of Abdulmuttalib; that is no lie!” His uncle Abbas expressed that at that moment, he stopped the Prophet’s horse with difficulty. Later, on the orders of the Prophet, Abbas called out at the top of his strong voice to the retreating Companions to return by saying, “O Companions who pledged allegiance under the samura tree, where are you?”

All the Companions who heard the call of the Prophet gathered near him and marched on the enemy. As a result, they reversed the defeat and gained a victory.

In this respect, it is important for a believer to never grow despondent in the face of problems, but to grapple with them courageously. A believer must be spiritually vigil in a way that will enable him to say, “If the Divine will is manifested, with God’s permission and help, I can even change the orbit of the earth.” Given that one relies on God’s power and strength, there is no problem a believer whose heart is filled with courage cannot surmount.

Love and courage must be under the assurance of common sense

Although feelings as love, enthusiasm, and courage are very important when tackling gigantic problems, these sublime feelings need to be based on a firm strategy and well founded logic; they need to be employed properly and ascribed to a sound project. With your warm and sincere breath coming from the bottom of your heart, you may possess a vigilance that could melt mountains of ice. But on its own, this factor does not suffice to solve problems. You also need to know your adversaries well, take into consideration the power and means they possess, and come up with projects accordingly. Otherwise, all of your mind and heart’s labors will be wasted.

This is especially true if you are surrounded by people thundering with hostility; if you are facing an entire circle of antagonists. And if that circle of enmity has very serious plots of their own, then you need to be much more cautious and act vigilantly. The colluded circles of antagonism, formed in a united line, can slam unexpectedly upon you like a sledgehammer.

In this respect, love, enthusiasm, spiritual vitality, and courage must definitely be safeguarded by common sense. You may compare it to the structure of a building. If you do not rest it on a sound foundation, the building will collapse at the slightest tremor, and you will be crushed under the debris of what you have built.

In order to not let all of these efforts go to waste, you need to safeguard your enthusiasm and dynamism by appealing to logic and judgment; but more importantly, you must appeal to collective reasoning. Rather than having two, three, or four geniuses who have the potential to change the world’s geography, it is much better to have people who consult with some five or ten others.

To put it once more, if God Almighty conditioned His graces to form a collective of consultation, it is beyond your power to change that. Remember that the noble Prophet stated that a person who consults with others will not experience regret. In addition, there is almost no incident in which he did not use consultation. When some scandal-mongers slandered his pure wife, Aisha, who is more excellent than angels in heavens with respect to purity and chastity, the noble Prophet, who never panicked, even in his dreams, consulted with some of his Companions – even on this issue! Even concerning a private matter about his wife, he consulted with Umar ibn al-Khattab, Uthman ibn al-Affan, Ali ibn Abi Talib, and others, may God be pleased with them. Every one of them stated their good opinion about our mother Aisha, may God be pleased with her, who was a paragon of chastity and innocence, and their testimonies supported the pure considerations in the noble Prophet’s mind.

Actually, as a person who had the support of Divine revelation, the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, was in no need to consult with others about any minor or major matter. A Muslim considering otherwise would be disrespect toward him, and this would be a sign of lacking insight into what “revelation” means. God Almighty never let the blessed Prophet experience a void during his life. God never let him fall into a situation comparable to—I reluctantly say—a “fiasco,” but always supported him. As it can be taken from the verse relating his words during the Hijra—

“Do not grieve. God is surely with us” (at-Tawbah 9:40)

—the Messenger of God spent his life in a constant atmosphere of assurance, may our lives be sacrificed to that blessed life. Despite having no such need, he solved even the slightest issues through consultation, and thereby guided his followers on how they should act.

In this respect, we say that particularly on issues of general concern, finding a solution by means of collective reasoning is far more important than being a genius.

You must do everything you can to prepare and solve problems. Even in the face of a single problem, you develop alternative plans from A to Z. However, despite all these precautions, problems you did not consider might come up and cause confusion. One must never fall to despair in such a situation. Presently, in many Muslim countries, there are unfortunately fault lines that might give way to cracks at any time. These owe to intolerance and jealousy. In this respect, no matter how well you plan, you may still meet some unexpected negatives. One must never let this paralyze their willpower such by saying things like, “There is nothing further to do anymore. We are finished now!”

To sum up, some people with twisted minds might wish to prevent your most innocent services for the sake of God, and try to sabotage your efforts. However, even if some fifty different conspiracies arise, one must never despair. With God’s permission and grace, you will not be shaken, and will always stand upright. It is necessary to seek ways of turning any situation, such as those at in Uhud and Hunayn, into a victory; and to walk towards the heart of belief, which may let people embrace faith in throngs.

One must never be discouraged by the conspiracies faced. In the face of obstacles and blocked roads, it is necessary to make a fresh start in the name of God and seek new alternative solutions. Even if a person is on the righteous path and sincere in his demand, he may not be granted each wish right away. We cannot know the wisdom behind the sufferings experienced. But who knows? Maybe as a result of these sufferings God Almighty will bestow more abundant blessings to the noble people than those He previously did. Tomorrow is another day, which will be born from the fertile womb of the night; let us wait in proactive patience and see!

[basicsofislam]

ISLAM 101: REVERED PROPHETS: PROPHET MUHAMMAD’S ACHIEVEMENTS: Part 2

Just as the Prophets’ consensus on the other pillars of belief is a very strong proof of their truth, it also is a firm testimony of the truthfulness and Messengership of Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings. History confirms that all sacred attributes, miracles, and functions indicating the truthfulness and Messengership of Prophets, are found in Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, to the highest degree. Prophets predicted his coming by giving good tidings of him in the Torah, the Gospels, the Psalms, and other Scriptures (known as “Pages” in the Qur’an).

Through their missions and miracles, they affirmed and “sealed” the mission of Muhammad, the foremost and most perfect Prophet.

People usually consider their own occupations as more important, necessary, beneficial to social life, and more challenging than others. However, although every occupation has some degree of difficulty and social use, educating people is by far the most difficult and necessary for a healthy social life.

Raising really educated people requires true educators who have clear goals. But if such people are to succeed, they must embody what they teach and advise their students; they must intimately know their students’ character and potential, as well as their desires and ambitions, shortcomings and strengths, and level of learning and understanding; they must know how to treat them in all circumstances, approach their problems, and persuade them to replace their bad qualities with good ones.

People may not live according to their asserted “strong” beliefs, have only superficial good moral qualities, or have weak spots (e.g., open to bribery, insensitivity, hoarding). How should we view educators who transform their students by completely replacing their bad qualities with good ones, and then proceed to establish a community to serve as a model for future generations; who transform the base rock, copper, iron, and coal in their hands into silver, gold, precious stones, and diamonds? Would such an educator not be considered extraordinary? What Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, achieved in his twenty-three years as the educator of his people is far more than what such educators do.

Not using force is another important dimension of a good education. Penal sanctions, coercion, and military and police forces can only succeed in “guiding” people for a short while. If a transformation is to be permanent, people must undertake it willingly, meaning that they must be convinced of its truth. No one has ever known people so comprehensively as Prophet Muhammad, nor has managed to transform such a pitiless, crude, war-mongering, ignorant, and unyielding people into a community that provides a perfect and complete life and moral example for all future generations.

His Family and Companions, whose insight, wisdom, and spiritual accomplishment make them the most renowned, respected, celebrated, pious, and intelligent people after the Prophets, declared that he was the most truthful, elevated, and honest person. This was their conclusion after having examined and scrutinized all of his thoughts and states, whether hidden or open, with the utmost attention to detail.

Thousands of God’s beloved friends attained truth and perfection, performed wonders, gained insight into the reality of things, and made spiritual discoveries by following the Prophet’s example. All of them assert the Prophet’s truthfulness and Messengership, and his Message. Thousands of exacting scholars of purity, meticulous scholars of truthfulness, and believing sages have reached the highest station of learning through the sacred truths brought by this unlettered man. Many invincible commanders and most eminent statesmen of human history have appeared in his footsteps. I list only a few of countless such people: such saints and purified, meticulous scholars as Abu Hanifa, Shafi‘i, Imam Malik, Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Imam al-Bukhari, Imam Muslim, Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, Jalaluddin as-Suyuti, Bayazid al-Bistami, ‘Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani, Shah Naqshband, Hasan al-Shadhili, Imam al-Ghazzali, Imam Rabbani, and Bediüzzaman Said Nursi; innumerable scientists such as al-Biruni, az-Zahrawi, Ibn Sina (Avicenna), and Ibn Haytham; and hundreds of thousands of literary geniuses, commanders, statesmen, and other stars of humanity. All of them followed in the Prophet’s footsteps.

In addition, such Western intellectuals and statesmen as Lamartine, William Muir, Edward Gibbon, John Davenport, L. A. Sedillot, Goethe, P. Bayle, Stanley Lane-Poole, A. J. Arberry, Thomas Carlyle, Rosenthal, Elisee Reclus, Andrew Miller, Bismarck, Leopold Weis, Marmaduke Pickthall, Martin Lings, and Roger Garaudy have admitted that he is the greatest person ever to have lived. Some of them even embraced Islam. This is another proof of his Prophethood. Sir William Muir, no friend of Islam, admits:

The first peculiarity, then, which attracts our attention is the subdivision of the Arabs into innumerable bodies … each independent of the others: restless and often at war amongst themselves; and even when united by blood or by interest, ever ready on some significant cause to separate and give way to an implacable hostility. Thus at the era of Islam the retrospect of Arabian history exhibits, as in the kaleidoscope, an ever-varying state of combination and repulsion, such as had hitherto rendered abortive any attempt at a general union … The problem had yet to be solved, by what force these tribes could be subdued or drawn to one common center; and it was solved by Muhammad.