The Secret of Dhikr

The secret of dhikr is to glorify Allah by reflecting on His Perfect Names, Attributes and Actions and pondering over His blessings and His creation.

Ibn al-Jawzī (raḥimahullāh) explains,

The heedless one says سُبْحَانَ الله out of habit. As for the conscious one, he is constantly thinking about the wonders of creation, or the awesome nature of the Creator, and this thinking drives him to say سُبْحَانَ الله. Thus, this tasbīḥ is the fruit of these thoughts, and this is the tasbīḥ of the conscious…

Allah is WITH you!

Allah ta’ala says in Surah Baqarah, verse 153,   إِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ الصَّابِرِينَ – He is with those who are patient

This is a very heart-warming verse as  مَعَ means “With” so Allah ta’ala is not just helping people who do Sabr but,

He is with them

Knowing Allah ta’ala is with us and knowing He knows of what we’re going through is in itself heart-warming, comforting and empowering.

Liberate yourself by Forgiving

Surah Shuraa verse 43

وَلَمَنْ صَبَرَ وَغَفَرَ إِنَّ ذَٰلِكَ لَمِنْ عَزْمِ الْأُمُورِ

And if one observes patience and forgives, it is, of course, one of the courageous conducts.

Allah says that if one exercises patience and forgives, this is among the most courageous conducts. A person who always forgives is regarded as weak however, Allah ta’ala says different. It takes courage to remain patient and to forgive.

غَفَرَ is to cover the consequences so a person forgives the aggressor so as not see them punished in this world or in the Aakhirah.

By forgiving one actually liberates one’s self from the hurt, anger, and all negative feelings which weighs a person down.

It is reported from the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam that Musa AS once asked Allah who is most honourable in His sight. Allah replied, “The person who pardons despite possessing the ability to retaliate.” [Mishkat]

Exclusive Submission

Surah Zumar, verse 2

إِنَّا أَنْزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ بِالْحَقِّ فَاعْبُدِ اللَّهَ مُخْلِصًا لَهُ الدِّينَ

Surely We have revealed the Book to you with truth; so worship Allah making your submission exclusive for Him

Allah ta’ala says,

1) it is He Who has revealed the Book, and

2) it is revealed to the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam with truth

The purpose of revealing this Book? Is it just to be read or to be left on the shelf so it brings good luck?

No. Allah ta’ala commands the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam,

So worship Allah making your submission exclusive for Him

Thereafter Allah ta’ala says in verse 3,

أَلَا لِلَّهِ الدِّينُ الْخَالِصُ

Remember, Allah alone deserves the exclusive submission

The form of Dust

Allah’s Noble Prophet Adam AS was created of clay, a mixture of dust and water. Iblees/Satan was a Jinn, created of fire. In the Holy Qur’an, Allah ta’ala says:

      ”We created man from an extraction of clay” (23: 12) 

And in the Holy Qur’an we learnt of when Iblees, the accursed one said:

“I am better than he [Adam]: You created me of fire as You created him of clay (38:76)”  Here, Iblees concluded that fire is better than clay; but this was/is an erroneous conclusion!!

In his work, Sheikh Rashid al-din Maybudi explains that dust (clay) is superior to fire on his commentary on the verse that tells people how to make ablution if water is not available:

”If you find no water, have recourse to goodly dust” (5:6) Allah ta’ala connected purification to water or, at the time of necessity, to dust, and not to anything else.

Dust is better than fire. Fire shows defects, and dust conceals them.  Fire’s nature is arrogance, so it seeks to be higher. Dust’s nature is humility, so it seeks to be lower. Iblees brought haughtiness with his words:-  ‘‘I am better…” (38:76) Adam brought lowliness and humility with his words: ”Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves” (7:23)

So, let us not look at the form of dust. Look at the secret of the nature thereof. When you give a grain to dust, it gives back many times over. Whatever you give to fire, it burns it away. Plant your grains (seeds) into the dust (ground), and it will nurture it after a short time, and she would give it back as a produce many times over…”in every ear a hundred grains” (2:261)

For further reading, see Sheikh  Rashid al-Din Maybudi’s ‘Kashf al-asrar wa ‘Uddat al-abrar (Unveiling of the Mysteries)’ (taken and adapted from here)

Is Allah not sufficient for His slave?

Iqbal the poet said,

This one prostration which you deem too exacting liberates you from a thousand prostrations

If a person gives his/her full obedience to Allah, it will protect the person from a thousand different pulls from the creation.

أَلَيْسَ اللَّهُ بِكَافٍ عَبْدَهُ  – Is Allah not sufficient for His slave? [Surah Zumar verse 36]

We would pass by this verse thinking that it is talking about a particular event that relates to the threats of disbelievers to the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam for propagating the Oneness of Allah however there is guidance in it for us in our age. When people try to stop someone from doing the right thing according to the Deen by causing fear of loss of job, status, etc. then the person should remember, Is Allah not sufficient for His slave?

Aalimah S. Ahmed (Zaynab Institute)

The Purpose for the Creation of Man

The purpose for Allah ta‘ala creating man in this world is so that he acquires the recognition of Allah ta‘ala, and the purpose of all other creations is so that they may serve man.

As a Persian poet says:

ابر وباد ومہ وخورشيد وفلک درکارند      تا تو نانے بکف آري وبغفلت نخوري

ہمہ از بہر تو سرگشتہ وفرماں بردار     شرط انصاف نہ باشد کہ تو فرماں نبري

The clouds, the winds, the moon, the sun and the sky, all are constantly at work, so that you earn your living and do not eat in forgetfulness.

The whole creation is involved in working for you and in your obedience. The law of justice will not be fulfilled by you if you fail to obey (Allah ta‘ala)

In essence, the clouds, the winds, the moon, the sun, the sky and the earth – every creation is engaged in work for your sake so that you may fulfil all your needs through them. Man should ponder and reflect over how obedient and punctual these different creations are in serving him and fulfilling his needs.

Sometimes, Allah ta‘ala causes temporary changes in the functions of these creations as a warning for man. Hence, the rains and winds are withheld and similar changes are witnessed in the moon and the sun through their eclipses. In essence, everything is subject to some change for admonishing those who neglect their duty to their Creator.

How astonishing indeed that all these things be made subservient to fulfil man’s needs, yet their obedience does not lead man to realizing that he should be obedient to his Creator.

Shaikh Mawlana Muhammad Zakariyya (rahimahullah)

The Fluctuating Heart

It is inhuman and impossible to retain a high level of spirituality, imaan and awareness of Allah سبحانه وتعالى and these things will naturally fluctuate in a person. The reason the heart is called ‘qalb‘ in Arabic is because qalb means ‘to flip and change’ and the condition of the heart is constantly flipping and changing. Even the Companions felt like this on occasions as is illustrated by an incident reported by Imam Muslim.

Once Sayyiduna Hanzalah رضى الله عنه was in the company of Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم, but when he left and returned home he became preoccupied with his family. He thought he had become a hypocrite so he went to complain of his condition to Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم. On the way he was shouting ”Hanzalah has become a munafiq (hypocrite), Hanzalah has become a munafiq.” He met Sayyiduna Abu Bakr رضى الله عنه to whom he related  that when he was with Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم it was as though Jannat and Jahannam were before him, but the moment he returned home he became preoccupied with his family, thus he feared hypocrisy for himself. Sayyiduna Abu Bakr رضى الله عنه replied that he also felt the same way so they both approached Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم who comforted and informed them that such levels of imaan and spirituality are momentary and they do not last and that if they were to last the angels would have descended from the heavens and met them.

This incident illustrates that imaan constantly fluctuates in a person. When a low level of imaan is experienced or one feels an attack on one’s spirituality and faith by shaytaan and other influences  a person shouldn’t withdraw, but rather seek the remedy by adopting  good company or entering into a pious environment where mention is made of Allah سبحانه وتعالى and His Rasul صلى الله عليه وسلم.

Even if this is not possible one can listen to a talk at home. As a consequence, due to the blessings, one’s heart and faith will be strengthened, insha’Allah. Even Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم would constantly pray, “O Transformer of the hearts,make my heart steadfast upon Your deen” [Reported by Tirmidhi].

[This short excerpt is based on a brothers’ majlis (gathering for spiritual training) held by Shaykh Abu Yusuf Riyadh ul Haq on 18th April 1998]

Fear & Hope

There should be a healthy balance between fear and hope. Ibn Al-Qayyim (Rahimahullah) explains this balance using the  metaphor of the bird on its journey to Allah.

The heart on its journey towards Allah the Exalted is like that of a bird. Love is its head, and fear and hope are its two wings. When the head is healthy, then the two wings will fly well. When the head is cut off, the bird will die. When either of two wings is damaged, the bird becomes vulnerable to every hunter and predator

Shukr of Dawood AS

It has been reported from Fudayl that following the revelation of the command to Dawood AS of showing gratitude (Surah Sabaa’: verse 13), he submitted before Allah ta’ala, “O my Lord, how could I show my gratitude to You fully and sufficiently while my gratitude too, be it oral or practical, is nothing but a blessing bestowed by You? On this too, a separate gratitude becomes due.”  

Allah ta’ala said, “Now, O Dawood, you did thank Me”

The reason was that he had realized his inability to thank Him as was His due, and had made a confession to that effect. This was deep, intense gratitude.

 

Ma’ariful Qur’an