Wednesday, December 26, 2007

What is music in Islam?


What is music in Islam? It is haram, forbidden to listen to music that is arousing to the ego. How can you tell? If the heart goes to haram ,it is haram!

Some people, on the other had, when they listen to music are changing, looking at their incompleteness. This is a funny happening, and with it comes a strong desire to complete one's self, to save one's self from incompleteness. This is divine music, special music. We may say it is 'sunnah'.

There is also another class of people, those who must listen to music. The music of Mawlana Jalaluddin Rumi q.s. , for instance, was the opening Divine knowledge. From it one could take a power to protect the nation of Muhammad s.a.w. This is 'wajib' music.

Originally, no action was prohibited. Prohibition came only after that action started leading away from Allah Almighty, and towards our nafs, our egos. This is a general law. As our Grandshaykh says, "I'm giving you a balance and a base. You may now go anywhere, east or west, and not lose your way. In every action, you may find 'wajib', 'sunnah' and 'haram'. One man goes to saloon to drink; it is haram. Another goes to take knowledge; it is sunnah.

Mawlana Shaykh Nazim Adil Haqqani
taken from The teachings of Grandshaykh Abdullah Faiz Daghestani

Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Quranic Recitations by Shaykh Jamhuri bin Ramli al Hafiz

Alhamdulilah, We have released a Quranic Recitations by Shaykh Jamhuri bin Ramli al Hafiz. Originally, it was on cassette but due to advance technology in other parts of the world today, I have decided to make it into CD at reasonable price $10.00

Biography:
Shaykh Jamhuri is one of the imam of Baitur Rahman Mosque, Aceh. He is a Hafiz Quran. He is also a university graduate in Jakarta. He is the murid of Mawlana Shaykh Nazim Adil Haqqani and Mawlana Shaykh Hisham Kabbani. Today, he is spreading the beautiful teachings of our Beloved Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. from city to another with peace, love and tolerance. He is also leading the Khatm Khawajan (zikir) of Naqshbandi Haqqani in Aceh.

The contents of this CD:
Surah As Sajdah
Surah Yasin
Surah Al Waqi'ah
Surah Al Mulk
Surah An Naba
Surah An Nazi'at

*If you are keen to purchase this amazing Quranic cd, please email me for your order. Thanks

Sunday, December 23, 2007

Music is defined by Rumi in the following couplet:

“Music is the nutrition of the souls of the Servants of the Lord, since in music, there is the hope of reaching God.” Therefore, music, when combined with mediation and contemplation, is seen as being a faster way to reach God.

The fountain magazine
pic: Shaykh Abd Wahid whirling at Cinere Zawiyah, Jakarta, Indonesia

Saturday, December 15, 2007

Seeking Provisions

It is crucial for us to understand that trusting in God's provision for us should never prevent us from working to earn a living. The Prophet himself implied this when he said, “So stay warily conscious of God and beautify the way you beseech and request.” He implied that it is acceptable to request material support and to seek to earn a living in the world. If relying on God negated the need to request, search and earn, then the Prophet would never have declared it acceptable and admonished us to beautify the way we go about it. The Prophet never said, “Don't request,” but rather said, “Beautify the way you beseech and request.” It is as if he were telling us, “When you seek provision and request it, beautify the way that you seek it. Be polite, courteous and humble in presenting your needs, always turning over final say in every matter to God alone.” With this advice, the Prophet has allowed us to request provision through intermediate means (al-talab min al-ashab). Intermediate means could be supplicating God or working in the world. The Prophet had previously pronounced, “It is allowable for people to live off their rightful earning (kasb al-yamin).” This is just one instance among many when the Prophet showed that working and earning money is allowable as an intermediate means by which we receive our provision. Indeed the Prophet encouraged us to work and struggle to earn and improve our lot.

There are many benefits to engaging the world through hard work. The true One knows the weakness of human hearts, acknowledges our inability to clearly see what is apportioned for us, and compensates for our frailty by guaranteeing that we will receive our provision. In divine wisdom, God has allowed us to option of working and relying on intermediate means for earning, as a way of receiving this provision. Through divine benevolence, God has granted this to us as a support for our feeble hearts and repose for our forgetful souls.

Working for your living protects you from lowering your dignity by having to beg for support from others. It preserves the luster of faith from the tarnish of having to ask from other people. Whatever God gives to you by means of your work does not come as a gift from others, necessitating some subsequent obligations upon you. If someone hires you for a job or pays you for some service rendered, your boss cannot count it as a gift or charity, for your work helps to further the boss' own goals. You take your livelihood as earnings from the boss, not as charity. You take it as a right and not as a request.

As you work to earn a living, you are distracted from sinful pursuits. You are saved from the curse of idle time, which gives you the opportunity to act against God's commands. Just observe how negligent people, when they have vacation from work or periods of unemployment, dispose of their time in sinful pursuits! For such people, working for a living is a form of compassion from God; it keeps them from temptation, trouble and inevitable negative consequences. Further, earning a living allows you to be compassionate with those who do not work. The profits you earn are a means of providing the gift of livelihood to those who dedicate themselves to worship or keep their time unencumbered for meditation. If not for those who work and give their earnings, how could anyone spend time in isolated prayer or dedicated service to God? Indeed God had made earnings a from of service for others who dedicate their lives entirely to God.

From another perspective, God desires believers to grow close to each other in relationship of mutual interdependence. This is reflected in Divine Speech, Surely the believers are siblings (ihwa). Earning a living through work causes people of different backgrounds to come together, to get acquainted, to cooperate, and to learn to love each other. For this reason, only a stubbornly ignorant or foolishly heedless person would deny the efficacy of working to earn a livelihood. We have no report of the Prophet Muhammad commanding people to stop working an earning as he called them to live in accord with God. Rather, in calling his followers to divine guidance, he urged them to engage in the kinds of work that are pleasing in the sight of God. The Qur'an and the Prophet's teachings are full of exhortations to work. The poet excelled who exclaimed:

God commanded May, in her starvation
“Shake the palm tree in your desparation
And gather the dates that fall as it leans!”
The dates could have fallen, if God had willed,
And without a shake her needs could be filled
But nothing occurs without intermediate means.

How clearly the poet points out the meaning of Divine Speech [as it tells the story of Mary when she was pregnant with Jesus and living in isolation]: Shake the trunk of the date palm so that the dates fall into your gathering arms. Once the Prophet stopped at someone's house and was offered a meal of cucumbers and fresh dates. He pronounced, “This offsets the damage of that,” meaning that the cucumber require hard labor to cultivate while dates come almost freely. However, this is an exaggeration [since cultivating dates, too, takes labor].

When the Prophet said to be like and “wake up hungry in the morning and take rest well-fed in the evening,” he was teaching that working for a livelihood was the established norm in this religious community. The birds, as they wake then rest, are analogous to us in our work. We wake in the morning to earn and acquire; in the evening we return home to rest and enjoy what we earn. There is a maxim that explains this point: working with intermediate means is necessary for rectifying your material being, just as withdrawing from intermediate means is necessary for clarifying your spiritual seeing. God established intermediate means through divine wisdom's subtlety, but do not rely on them fully to acknowledge God's absolute singularity.
The Book of Illumination (Kitab al-Tanwir fi Isqat al-Tadbir)

Sunday, December 9, 2007

Love is the key


Love must not be by tongue. It must be by heart, by body, every cell of your body must say, “I love Muhammad (s)!” That is not shirk, that is love. There are people when “Muhammad (s)” is mentioned tears come to their eyes.

Do you think love is only by means of the tongue? If you are in love with a woman and she doesn’t respond to letters or to calls, you are crying ,you don’t sleep.

There are awliya who cannot enjoy themselves except through tears of love to Muhammad (s). Their joy is in their tears. That is why the greatness of Sayyidina Muhammad (s) cannot be understood.

Mawlana Shaykh Hisham Kabbani
taken from Love is the key suhbah

Friday, December 7, 2007

Audio titles of Sufi Masters

Salaam bro and sis,
I hope and pray you are in the state of good health in this blessed month. I have some of the audio and vcd of our beloved Mawlana Shaykh Nazim, Shaykh Hisham Kabbani and the late Shaykha Hajjah Aminah Adil, may Allah bless them all. Each of the cd or vcd cost S$10.00. Below are the titles. If you are keen to purchase any of the titles, you may email or sms me. thanks

Vcd
The Beloved Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. and his Sahaba
by Shaykha Hajjah Amina Adil q.s.

Cd (Audio)
Khatm Khawjan & Suhbah :The Purpose of Creations
by Mawlana Shaykh Nazim Adil Haqqani

Zikir & Hadrah
by Mawlana Shaykh Nazim Adil Haqqani

*These are suhbah by Mawlana Shaykh Hisham after his seclusion in 2005.

Ibn Arabi (Edited version)
by Mawlana Shaykh Hisham Kabbani

Destruction of the Idols in the heart
by Mawlana Shaykh Hisham Kabbani

Manifestation of the Lordly heart
by Mawlana Shaykh Hisham Kabbani

Backbiting not allowed
by Mawlana Shaykh Hisham Kabbani

Hide your asceticism
by Mawlana Shaykh Hisham Kabbani

Center of gravity
by Mawlana Shaykh Hisham Kabbani

Awrad Fajr of Naqshbandi Haqqani
by Imam Abdul Rahman

p/s: Please take note the cost of the cd doesnt include postage.

Thursday, December 6, 2007

Habib Syech Assegaf cd at Malaysia

For those who are interested to buy the Habib Syech Assegaf cd "The Best of Qasidah" vol 01, you may order from Bro Afifudin at alfialfuddin@yahoo.com or 012 26408778

Thursday, November 8, 2007

Update on the sales of Habib Syech Assegaf cd


Alhamdulilah, the sales of Habib Syech bin Abd Kader Assegaf cd "The best of Qasidah vol 01" had recieved tremendous support from you. Hence, we have many cd shops selling this amazing cds. For those who are keen, you may get from the shops listed below. You may contact me for any enquiries +65 90687106. Insha'Allah, we are having more shops and retailers distributing and selling this wonderful yet unique cd. Thanks for the support, May Allah bless you.
  • Wardah books
  • http://www.wardahbooks.com/
  • 58 Bussorah Street, Singapore 199474
  • Hj Hashim Bookstore
  • 134 Arab Street, near Sultan Mosque and Bugis Mrt Station
  • Fragrance of Makkah Trading
  • 9 jalan Pisang, near Sultan Mosque
  • Makkah International Pte ltd
  • 390 Victoria Street #01-59, Golden Landmark Shopping Centre
  • Al Khidmah
  • http://www.alkhidmah.com/
  • (Usually the will be selling Habib Syech cd during the haul, like the Haul of Syadatina Khadijah at Maqam Habib Noh 10 nov after Ishak)
  • Muzika Record
  • http://muzika.com.sg/
  • Joo Chiat Complex Blk 1 #01-1031 Joo Chiat Road, Joo Chiat Complex
  • Prophetic Medical Centre
  • Geylang Malay Village, near Mussollah
  • Darul Arqam English Bookshop
  • Galaxy centre, opposite Malay Village
  • Mustika Bonda
  • Blk 139, Tampines st 11, #01-62, tel: 67837764
  • Saffron
  • Blk 201D, Tampines st 21

Wednesday, November 7, 2007

Loving in imagination

Everyone who falls in love with something only falls in love with it after actualizing it in his imagination, setting up an image (mithâl) for it in his imaginal faculty (wahm), and making his beloved coincide (tatbîq) with his image. If this were not the situation, then once the person separated from his connection to his beloved in terms of sight of hearing or other sense faculty, he would also separate from his connection to her person. But we do not find this to be the case. This shows that the beloved exists with the lover in the image of a form ('alâ mithâl sûra) and that he has brought her forth in his imagination. Hence he clings to contemplating his beloved, his ecstasy (wajd) doubles, and his love continues to increase. The image which he formed provokes its former (musawwir) to seek her on whose form he formed it. The root [i.e., his beloved] is the spirit of the image, making it subsist and preserving it. The love of the lover intensifies only toward his own making (san'a) and act (fi'l), for he himself had made the form with which he has fallen in love in his imagination. So he loves nothing but that which goes back to himself; he attaches himself (ta'alluq) to himself, and he praises his own act.

- Ibn al-'Arabi, The Meccan Revelations (Volume I)

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

HAFLAH DZIKIR, MAULIDURRASUL SAW & HAUL AKBAR Shaykh Abdul Qadir al Jelani q.s 2007M

Assalamu'alaikum wr wbt,To each & all my Muslim brethren,With this e-mail, let us invoke the highest of praises to Allah SWT, Alhamdulillah, wassyukrulillah, whereby till this very breath by Allah SWT, we are still blessed with the ni'mat of Islam and Iman, may our Islam & Iman be preserved in our hearts till we are granted husnul khotimah & not forgetting salutations of Sholawats & Salams toRasulullah SAW, his Ahlul Bayt, Sahabah,'Alim Ulama', Masyaikh, Masters of the Way (Ahli Turuq), & those who follow them till the end of time,as a true feeling of gratitude & joy that by His grace, we enjoined our living hearts.
By the blessings of the abovementioned, may our future seven descendants to come till Yaumil Qiyyamah, be showered with rahmah, marghfiroh,barokah, & attain the saintly karomah & qurba, nearness to Allah SWT, in our 'ibadah & dzikir & in our quest for the red sulphur.
Herein, with utmost appreciation of your presence in the auspicious congregation of Haflah Dzikir, Maulidur Rasul S.A.W & Haul Akbar 2007@An-Nur Mosque, No. 6 Admiralty RoadSunday, 08:00am28 October 2007 / 16 Syawal 1428H
Istighotsah, Surah Yaasin, Manaqib of Sulthonul Awliya' Sayyidina AsySyeikh Abdul Qodir Al-Jiilani RA, Tahlil, Qosidah, Maulid Ad-Daibai', Mau'idzo Hasanah, Heartfelt Supplications in the fashion of SalafunasSholeh will all be Expounded in the blessed majlis....For your priceless attentionJazakumullah Khoiron Katsiro Wafiron Marghfuro Fiddarain, Amin....
Jointly organized by An-Nur Mosque Management Board & Jama'ah AL KHIDMAH
For enquiries, plse call Muhd Husayn (96693965) www.alkhidmah. com

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

sincerity

"The key to sincerity is Qiyaamul-Layl, because only the sincere wake and stand when others are lying asleep."

Imam Abdullah al-Haddad

Sunday, October 14, 2007

On the Hadith "The `Ulama are the heirs of the Prophets "


Sayyid Muhammad ibn Alawi al Maliki


From a radio interview, South Africa, 1997.

What this hadith means is that the Prohets of Allah did not leave behind wealth or possessions, but they left behind Knowledge. Just like the person who dies leave heirs, i.e. sons, daughters, wives, etc. As for the Prophets, their heirs are the Ahlil `Ilm - the people of Knowledge. And their shares are in accordance with their following of the teachings of the Prophets. As is the case with the heirs of a deceased person - those who stand in closer relation to such person inherit a greater share.

Similar is the case with the `Ulama : those who follows more stringently and loves the Prophet more dearly will earn a greater share of the inheritance. In other hadiths it is clarified that this inheritance does not refer to possessions but rather to Knowledge - the Quran, the Sunna and Akhlaaq. It includes everything that is part of the Shariah.

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), known as the 'hafidh of the Sahabah', narrated that he once visited the market-place where he found people engaged in the usual trading. He then told them, "You are here trading while people are distributing the inheritance of the Prophet (peace be upon him ). " Where is this happening," they asked excitedly as they were eager to acquire a relic of the Prophet (peace be upon him) for themselves. "In the masjid," Abu Hurayrah (r.a.) replied. So all of them rushed to the masjid but found none of the Prophet's (s) possessions there. They asked the companion, " Why do you say the inheritance is being distributed when none is to be found ?"

" What did you find there?" Abu Hurayrah (r) asked." We found people in circles studying Quran and Hadith." " That is the inheritance," Abu Hurayrah (r) replied.

Saturday, October 13, 2007

Don't fear hell but our bad actions...

'Our Grandshaykh Abdullah Daghestani says 'I am always surprised to hear peple say, when told about hell, "O My Lord! Protect us from Hell." They asked the wrong thing. They should say "O My Lord! Protect us from bad actions and reasons that would lead us to hell!" Don't fear hell, but fear your bad actions!'

Maulana Shaykh Nazim Adil Al Haqqani

The inner soul....

“It is a seizure that God grants to the heart of his servant and that distracts him from everything save Him, so that you see the soul inclining to obey Him, the intellect fortified by mystical knowledge of Him, the spirit rapt in His Presence, the inner soul overwhelmed in contemplation of Him.”
Shaykh Abu al-Hasan ash-Shādhilī
may God be well pleased with him

Saturday, September 29, 2007

Material world

(It is the) biggest mistake of people to think that: “Everything (is) depending on material or (on the) material world and everything (is) going to be through (the) material world. And we can be able to put our full control on material and we are able to order that instrument (and say): Do this, do that!” But He (Almighty) may do that you can forget that and you should be (confused, asking yourself:) “What was it?” if Allah Almighty (is) taking (away) that authority that you have been granted now, (what He has granted from authority) to (the) Children of Adam to do.

Mawlana Shaykh Nazim Adil al Haqqani
taken from Who is Weak Must Ask for Heavenly Support!

The Passing to the World of Divine Beauty of the Venerable Fatima, the "Best of Women"

After our Master had honored the world of the Hereafter, Fatima would neither eat nor drink and she forgot all laughter and joy. She had an apartment built for her in which she stayed by night and day, weeping her heart out for her beloved father.

She passed the time sobbing and sighing and nothing could take away her grief. As soon as she had done her household chores and taken care of her husband, 'Ali, and their lambs, Hasan and Husayn, she would continue weeping: "O my beloved daddy! To whom have you left your Fatima?"

Six months went by in this fashion till Fatima got so thin that there was nothing left of her but skin and bones. One night she was weeping as usual when she heard a voice outside calling: "O beloved daughter of the Messenger of Allah! O daughter of the Messenger!" Peering out, she realized that the voice she had heard calling her was that of a camel named 'Abda', which once belonged to our Master but had fled from Medina after his death. Our Master's departure had been more than this camel could endure and, in its bewilderment, it had fled to the mountains and desert. Some days it would come to Medina and stare through the gate of the Prophet's mosque at the prayer-niche of the Messenger, but when it failed to see our Master, it would bellow, rub its face on the ground, then shed tears as it ran off again into the desert.

Now, this camel had come to the door of the venerable Fatima and was saying in articulate language: "O daughter of the Messenger of Allah! May the peace of Allah be upon you. Since your father left this world, I have been forbidden to eat or drink. My yearning for the Messenger has grown even stronger. I have decided to go soon to the other world, to the side of the Messenger of Allah. Have you any orders?" Weeping copiously, Fatima embraced the camel's neck and kissed its eyes as she said: "O 'Abda', salute my father. His Fatima, the light of his eye, can no longer bear this separation. I want you to tell him to take me to his side!" Replying: "Welcome, on my head be it!" 'Abda' nuzzled Fatima's feet then left her and went to the Prophet's mosque. It looked at the Prophet's prayer-niche, then gave a bellow and dashed its head against the rocks.

The following night Fatima saw our Master in the world of dreams, where he greeted her with: "O Fatima, light of my eyes! I long to see you; I am yearning for you. Tomorrow you shall come to me!" In the morning she stood happily in the presence of the Almighty to perform her prayer, then she washed and combed the honored Imam Hasan and the martyr-to-be Imam Husayn, and dressed them in new clothes. She cleaned the house of 'Ali the Elect. When Imam 'Ali came home he was astonished to see how happy his wife was. He asked her the reason for her joy, but Fatima gave no reply. She made a meal and they ate together, "O Fatima," said 'Ali the Elect, "Speak to me for the sake of Allah! Never have I seen you so happy since the departure of the Messenger. What is it; what is going on?" Fatima now replied: "O Water-bearer of Kawthar and Victor of Khaybar! O my husband, we shall meet again at the resurrection. I dreamt of a journey; last night I saw my beloved father. He called me to his side and today I am taking leave of you. I ask you to discharge me of my obligations and I commit my Hasan and my Husayn to the care, first of Allah, then of you. Look after them well! Treat them kindly! Do not tell them that I am no longer there! O 'Ali, I am twice an orphan, having lost my mother and then my beloved father. Remember me, and offer a prayer for me when you look upon the lonely and the orphans of this world." On hearing these words from the venerable Batul, Imam 'Ali could not hold back his tears. He wept: "O beloved of the Messenger of Allah, please do not complain of me to your father. I have failed to treat you as you deserved. I was poor and could not make you happy. Do not hold it against me!" Then he embraced her with tender longing and they both wept. The noble Hasan and Husayn joined in this tearful parting. After the noon prayer, Fatima fell sick. Calling the Chosen Imam to her side, she gave her final instructions: "O 'Ali," she said, "fetch me that chest over there…" The venerable 'Ali did as she asked. Then the venerable daughter of the Messenger opened the chest and took from its wrapping a green satin edict, the writing on which was of light. "O 'Ali," she said, "Put this edict in with my shroud. Do you know what it is? When I was to be given to you in marriage, I did not accept the dower of four hundred dirhams. I prayed that my dower might be an intercession on the coming Day of Resurrection for the sinners of this community, and this was accepted by the Exalted Lord. This divine edict is the proof of my having received the right of intercession on behalf of the sinners of this Community. Place it in my shroud, so that I may later produce it in the presence of the Almighty." Then she continued her instructions: "You are to take me to my father's tomb, saying: 'O Messenger of Allah, we bring you your dear Fatima, the light of your eyes.' You are then to act upon whatever response you may receive." A moment later, the triumphant soul of the venerable Fatima had soared to the World of High, in compliance with the divine command: "Return!" [irji'i].

The people of the Prophet's household were plunged in a sea of pain and sorrow; their sighing and sobbing made the angels in heaven weep. The whole of Medina was shedding tears of blood. She, whom the King of Messengers had called a part of himself, was leaving the transitory world to honor the world of perpetuity, leaving the entire Community motherless. The only person happy at this parting was Fatima herself, who was joining her beloved father.Imam 'Ali personally washed and enshrouded her body, putting the divine edict in with her shroud. He carried out the funeral ceremonies in accordance with the instructions of the venerable Batul. The washing and enshrouding of his wife was the prerogative of Imam 'Ali alone.

After performing the funeral prayer, the venerable 'Ali came to the tomb of the Messenger. He set down the bier of the venerable Fatima at the gate of the tomb and called inside: "O Messenger of Allah, I bring you your beloved daughter Fatima!" It is related that when he spoke these words the Prophet's tomb split open, two blessed hands emerged from within and a voice was heard to reply: "Bring her to me, my Fatima, the light of my eye, the joy of my heart!" Then those hands embraced the venerable Fatima and drew her within. She was returned a moment later and they buried her in the cemetery known as the Garden of the Grove [jannat al-baqi]. There she lies to this day. May Allah grant us the lawful means to visit or revisit her tomb.

-Sheikh Muzaffer Ozak al-Jerrahi, Irshad (Wisdom of a Sufi Master)

Saturday, September 22, 2007

Between Mullahs and Mystics

ISLAMABAD - I forget the name of that gentleman I met three years ago in Islamabad on the evening of a Pakistan-India parliamentary conference. Nothing important in his personality, except for one astonishing fact: despite being a Hindu hailing from a traditional Indian society, he believed strongly in Muslim saints and mystics. It was this belief, and the concomitant faith in miracles and the magnanimity of god, that led this busy man to travel to Ajmair Sharif in India every year to offer food to the visitors of the shrine of Khawaja Moinuddin Ajmairi.

The story of his life, which he related to some Pakistani journalists, explained his unusual beliefs. According to him, he had lost his job around 1974 and had not been able to find another until mid-1975. Some of his Muslim friends advised him to visit the shrine of Khuaja Moinuddin Ajmairi in Ajmair Sharif, advice which he accepted out of desperation. When he visited the shrine, he emptied his pockets with a commitment that if he would get a job he would visit the shrine every year and offer food for visitors according to his capacity. That done, he was worrying about getting a ride back to his home in Bombay, when suddenly a friend appeared and offered him a lift. By the time he reached his home, he discovered a large amount of money in his pocket and an appointment letter from the BBC.

Great power to this dayIndeed the saints, mystics and spiritual leaders of Islam today hold great power over a large part of the human race. It is a power that has existed for almost a millennium, and it is due largely to the faith's tradition of equal treatment to all people no matter what their religion, caste or creed.

Contrary to the mystics and the Sufis, there were those Islamic religious leaders - usually called "mullahs" - who behaved in a very different way. Their treatment of peoples from the other religions and other the sects of Islam is very harsh and insulting. "Murdering a Shi'ite is a sacred and virtuous deed" was a common saying of Maulana Haq Nawaz Jhangvi (murdered in the early 1980s), chief of the sectarian Muslim group Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan. And to this day, the Sipah and its splinter groups Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and Akram Lahori repeat that profanity.

This is not the real Islam. "Islam is democratic in spirit. It advocates the right to vote and educate yourself and pursue a profession," says Dr Anees Ahmed, director-general of the Dawah Academy and an Islamic scholar attached to the International Islamic University. In fact, hardliners who portray Islam as a religion of violence and tolerance go against the Koran itself, says Ahmed. The Koran, on which Islamic law is based, enjoins Muslims to govern themselves by discussion and consensus and not by the sword and murder of people from other religions and sects.

Historically, the mystics and the Sufis were the religious leaders, not the mullahs. In early ages of Islam after the Prophet Mohammed, all four caliphs were scholars and not mullahs. Their attitude toward religious minorities was very kindhearted and supportive. They assured full protection and religious independence and autonomy for keeping religious activities and performing worships, says Dr Manzoor Ahmed, well-known researcher and scholar. Not only were the four first caliphs and the following Muslim rulers not mullahs, they did not allow theocracy in their respective governments.

Early Indian mystics and monarchsAccording to historian and researcher Dr Mubarak Ali, it was the early Indian Muslim monarchs who injected and encouraged theocracy in the relatively backward societies of the time; before them, however, it was the mystics who served as the real face of the Islamic world.

Historic events are quite supportive to his arguments. Famous mystics, poets and teachers such as the Shaikh Ismail Bukhari of Lahore (11th century AD); Sayed Ali Hajveri, alias Daata Ganj Buksh Ali Jaheri (11th century); Baba Fareed Ganj Shakar, who wrote the first recorded Urdu poetry (13th century); Khwaja Fareed of Pakpattan (13th century); Usman Marwandi, alias Lal Shahbaz Qalander, one of the great saints of Sindh (13th century); Bahauddin Zakaria Multani, who represented the Suhrawardi school of Sufism (13th century); Shaikh Ahmed Sarhandi, alias Hazrat Mujadded Alf Sani, who revived interest in Islam and the hadiths (sayings and teachings) of the prophet Mohammed during the reign of the Mughal emperor Akbar (16th century); and Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai of Singh (18th century).

These Sufi saints were only a few of the many icons of early Muslim Indian mysticism. None of them were reported to have issued decrees of murder - either of Muslims or non-Muslims under allegations of blasphemy or under any other charges.

A jubilant blessing"I received my first son because of Daata Ganj Buksh," said a jubilant Karamat Masih, a local uneducated Christian during a recent visit to the shrine of Shrine of Sayed Ali Hajveri (alias Daata Ganj Buksh Ali Jaheri) in Lahore. "He is my benefactor; I will keep visiting his shrine."

The shrine of Sayed Ali Hajveri is by no means the only one in Pakistan. Almost all of the mystic shrines - especially those dedicated to Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai and Lal Shahbaz Qalander - are very popular among non-Muslims in Sindh. And not only among Muslims. "I am a regular visitor of the shrines of Lal Shahbaz and Shah Bhitai. They are in my heart and soul, and I cannot keep myself away from them," said Ram Perkash, a well-educated Hindu.

"Not only myself, but most Hindus living in Pakistan think the same way. They are also regular visitors of these and certain other shrines and living mystics." Few mullahs (except the four imams of Islam) can match the spirit, status and religious character of the Sufi mystics, said journalist and historian Qazi Javed. From the Imam Abu Hanifa to the Imam Shaafi, each and every imam resisted the cruelties and inhuman attitudes of certain Ottoman caliphs, Javed says. Often the imams stood against the caliphs for the democratic rights of the masses. By contrast, many present-day mullahs are an integral part of the military establishment. Today our mullahs stand behind dictators to grab the basic rights of the people.

Theocracy in the Indian subcontinent was a gift of the Mughal monarchs, beginning with King Aurangzeb Alamgir, who ruled from 1658 to 1707. Alamgir charged his blood brother Dara Shikoh with an allegation of blasphemy in a stratagem to gain the crown. He not only hanged Shikoh but also made his father blind to secure his rule. Even before the Mughals, monarchs had used mullahs to tighten their grip on the masses. They got decrees against religious minorities and political opponents to hang them in the name of Islam.

Yet it was not the sword or the role of the theocrats which spread Islam in South Asia, says Dr Mubarak Ali. Mystics and saints like Amir Khusroo, a court musician in the early 14th century and a reported expert in 16 contemporary languages, including Arabic, Sanskrit (the mother of the Hindi and Urdu languages), English and Bengali; Maulana Roomi, a great poet and mystic of Iran; Sayed Ali Hajveri; Bahauddin Zakaria Multani; Khawaja Moinuddin Ajmairi; and others preached brotherhood and humanity. They influenced millions of people and converted them to Islam because of their teachings and preaching of peace.

Sayed Ali Hajveri and Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai especially were against any discrimination against Hindus or other religions. They opposed the Mughal rulers' atrocities against infidels, and efforts to convert Hindus and other religious communities to Islam under threat of death.

In the 18th century, Shah Wali Ullah wrote a letter to Shaikh Ahmed Sarhandi, alias Hazrat Mujadded Alf Sani, and the Mughal monarch, suggesting and advising Hindus to either embrace Islam or be ready for execution, said Dr Mubarak Ali. Shah Wali Ullah also invited Nadir Shah of Iran and Ahmad Shah Abdali of Afghanistan to invade India when the Mughal monarchy became weak after Aurangzeb. Shah Abdul Azizi and Shah Ismail, both sons of Shah Wali Ullah, were hardliners. Ismail and Shah Ahmed Badhshah started an armed struggle against the then non-Muslim ruler and refused to join with Hindus and other religious communities. Maulana Abdul Hai was another pioneer of jihad in central India. Haji Shariat Ullah also supported jihadi activities in Bengal and did not include non-Muslims in his struggle. The mullahs in Pakistan have largely followed the footsteps of theocracy in history, arming themselves with the ammunition of violence, hatred and sectarianism, says Momin Khan, a left-wing political activist.

They frequently issued decrees against their enemies and opponents. They not only spread hatred but portrayed Islam as a religion that may not bear others and Allah as a force ready to condemn people to hell for even minor mistakes. This mindset was spread in mosques, as there is no particular priestly hierarchy among this strain of mullahs. With Islam, each individual is responsible for the condition of her or his own soul. Everyone stands equal before God," said Dr Anees Ahmed of the Dawah Academy. He adds that the theocrats, for their own political and other interests, managed to keep paish imams (those who lead prayers at mosques) and muezzin employed. On the other hand, anybody who fulfills the religious requirements of Islam can lead namaz and other religious ceremonies, Anees says; Islam has no priesthood.

Their political activities and their preachings of power to typically uneducated mindsets has helped them to influence large sections of Pakistani society, creating sectarian groups and fomenting intolerance and violence among the youth. This is seriously damaging Pakistan's image as a pleasant, religiously tolerant and peaceful society, says Qazi Javed.

The real Islam is something different. Its true face is linked with the mystics and with love. Islam prohibits cruelties, guarantees human rights, protects other religious communities and encourages love and humanity. But the increasing influence of the religious parties my turn Pakistan into another Iraq or Iran, and it was this fear that was expressed by President General Pervez Musharraf in a recent speech. This is exactly what he is trying to prevent for Pakistan.
-Aijazz Ahmed

Thursday, September 20, 2007

Medication on our Souls and Spirits

Medical sciences today or researchers they understand about the body but they cannot understand about the spiritual and the soul how it works. If all these medical universities around the world, graduating millions of graduates every year only to give you hope for your body in your life, do we not need spiritual medical doctors that can give us medications for our souls and our spirits. It is more difficult as it is hidden. "Cannot be seen". But you feel it through sixth senses that Allah gave us. You know it is there, the hearing is there, the vision is there, the sense is there. You feel that.

Mawlana Shaykh Hisham Kabbani
28 June 2007
Haqqani Priory, London

Monday, September 17, 2007

The Best of Qasidah Vol 01 by Habib Syech Assegaf



















The cover is design by Firdaus Rahmat





This cd is available :

Wardah Books
www.wardahbooks.com
58 Bussorah Street, Singapore 199474

Muzika Records
http://muzika.com.sg/
Joo Chiat Complex Blk 1 #01-1031 Joo Chiat Road Joo Chiat Complex Singapore 420001

Prophetic Medical Centre
(Malay Village, near Musollah, Geylang Serai, Singapore)

Insha'Allah there will be more outlets selling this amazing cd. At the moment, we are trying our best to upload one of the songs on this blog.For those who are interested in buying or distributing this cd, you may either email me or call +65 90687106

The Wisdom of Saying Salawat

He who has reached the end of his time and wishes to redeem that which he has lost must remember and do dhikr that is all-inclusive. If he does so, even the little remnant of his life will become a very lengthy one.

The Wisdom of Saying Salawāt
Imām Ibn `Atā'Allāh al-Sakandarī
taken from marifah.net

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Special doa

Salaam everyone,

I hope and doa you are in the state of good health in this blessed month. I would like to share with you a note written by a friend of mine from one of the Mawlana Shaykh Hisham Kabbani talk in Singapore at Masjid Abdul Aleem Siddique. Mawlana Shaykh Hisham gave us one special doa towards the end of the talk. The information was kindly given to me by Firdaus Poon (May Allah bless him for his kindness)

Notes:
Lastly, Shaykh Hisham (may Allah bless him), when asked to make du'a at Masjid Abd Aleem Siddique, mentioned one particular du'a. I think it was based on thefollowing hadith:

From Abu Umamah r.a., he said: We heard Rasulullah s.a.w make manysupplications but we don't memorize any of them. So, we went to see him and said, "Ya Rasulullah! You have made all kinds of supplications, but we have not memorized any." Rasulullah s.a.w answered, "Would you likeme to show you how you can combine all of them into one? You should say:
Allahumma inni as'aluka min khairi ma sa'alaka minhu nabiyyukaMuhammadun sallallahu `alaihi wa sallam. Wa `a`udhu bika min sharrimas-ta`adha minhu nabiyyuka Muhammadun sallallahu `alaihi wa sallam. Wa Antal-Musta`anu, wa `alaikal-balaghu, wa la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah


"O Allah, I ask You the good which Your Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. asked of You; and I seek refuge in You from the evil where from Your Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. sought refuge. You are the One from Whom help is sought and from You comes Help. There is no power or strength except with Allah the Exalted, the Great.'''

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

The Divine Voice: Habib Syech Assegaf

The long awaited Habib Syech Assegaf "The Best Qasidah vol 01" cd is finally out under Sout Ilaahi rec. It consists of 8 Qasidah singing with the music blending between tradtional and contemporary music. Its unique and yet beautiful. The Qasidah range from the Diwan of Imam Abdullah al Haddad and Diwan of Habib Ali al Habsyi and few more popular Qasidah. Insha'Allah it will be available at few outlet soon.




If you are keen in getting this cd pls call me
at +65 90687106 or email: khalid_ajmain@yahoo.com.sg

Thursday, August 23, 2007

Shaykh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani Series of public lecture

Assalamu'alaikum Warahmatullahi WabarakatuhMasjid Abdul Aleem Siddique (Singapore) will Insha'Allah be organising a lecture series by the eminent scholar, Shaykh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani.

About Shaykh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani
Born into an eminent religious family in Lebanon, Shaykh Hisham Kabbani is a world-renowned Muslim scholar, author, and lecturer. Educated in Shari'ah in Damascus, he also studied Islamic spirituality under renowned spiritual guides like Shaykh Abdullah al-Fa'iz ad-Daghestani and Shaykh Nazim Adil al-Haqqani. Shaykh Hisham Kabbani also studied medicine in Lowain, Belgium.
Shaykh Hisham Kabbani is Chairman of the Islamic Supreme Council of America (ISCA), a non-profit religious organization based in Washington DC. ISCA has spearheaded a number of peace initiatives, hosted notable conferences, actively engages in inter-religious dialogue, and promotes traditional, moderate Islamic views. Shaykh Hisham has addressed numerous world bodies such as the U.N. and continues to advise the U.S. Department of State on issues regarding Islam and religious tolerance.
Shaykh Hisham Kabbani has written numerous books on Islam such as " Encyclopedia of Islamic Doctrine", "Liberating the Soul - A Guide for Spiritual Growth", "Muhammad The Messenger of Allah - His Life and Prophecy ", "Angels Unveiled" and many more.
Details of the lecture series by Shaykh Hisham Kabbani are as follows:
Lecture 1 (Short Talk)
The Saints of Allah Date:
Wednesday 5 September 2007
Time: 12.45 p.m.
Venue: Masjid Hj Muhd SallehMaqam Habib Nuh
37 Palmer Road
Lecture 2
Glimpses of Light - The Blessed Ramadhan
Date: Wednesday 5 September 2007
Time: 7.30 p.m.
Venue: Masjid Abdul Aleem Siddique 90 Lorong K Telok Kurau
Programme begins with Maulid recitation
Lecture 3 (Public Lecture)
Save the Earth - Nature's Plea to Mankind
Date: Friday 7 September 2007
Time: 7.45 p.m.
Venue: Singapore Post AuditoriumLevel 5, Singapore Post Centre 10 Eunos Road 8Next to Paya Lebar MRT .
Admission is FREE for all lectures. All are Welcome. No registration is required. For enquiries, please call Mohamed Nassir at Tel 63460153 or email nassir@aleemsiddique.org.sg

Dede Korkut and the Angel of Death

A prideful warrior learns the lesson of sacrifice.
By Shaykh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani
Excerpt from 'Angels Unveiled' by Shaykh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani, published by KAZI. Reprinted with permission from Naqshbandi Sufi Order Library.

Dede Korkut was the bravest warrior of his time. His exploits reached a point where he considered himself invincible in the land, and challenged all creation to defeat him and his brave young men in combat. God heard his words and was displeased with his pride. So he sent him the Angel of Death to take his soul. Azra'il came to him as he was feasting in his palace and stood before him without saying a word. Dede Korkut said: "I did not see you come in; who are you?" The angel replied: "I am not one to ask permission from the likes of you, and I came to teach you a lesson." The young man immediately rose to his feet and ordered that the visitor be caught, but he changed himself into a bird and flew out through the chimney.

Dede Korkut ordered his horse saddled and everyone rushed in hot pursuit of the strange bird. Soon he found himself lost in the middle of the forest, and the angel suddenly appeared again in front of him. "I got you now!" exclaimed Dede Korkut. "No," said the angel, "I got you," and he brought him down from his horse and stood on his chest, pinning him to the ground. Dede Korkut began to cry and said: "I feel weaker than I ever felt before. What did you do to me?" Azra'il said: "I am the Angel of Death, so prepare yourself to leave this life." He replied: "I beseech you to give me more time and I apologize to you if my boasting offended you." Azra'il said: "Do not apologize to me and do not beseech me. I am a creature like you, and I only follow orders from the Almighty." Dede Korkut said: "Then get out of my way, and stop wasting my time!" And he began to pray to God: "Forgive my boasting, O my God! and give me another chance, as I apologize for offending you. You are the Almighty over your creation."

God liked Dede's words and instructed Azra'il to give him a respite. Azra'il said: "God has decided to let you live on the condition that you find someone else to die in your place." Dede Korkut thought: "I will ask my father, he is old and will not refuse me." He went to him and told him his story, but he replied: "O my son! I slaved my lifelong in order to relish my old age. I am sorry, but I am not ready to die in your place." Dede Korkut thought: "Surely my mother will not refuse me." He went to her but she said: "O my son! I gave my life to you many times already, when I bore you, fed you, raised you and took care of you. Now the rest of my life belongs at your father's side, as company for his old age."

The young man was crestfallen and he went home, resigned to die. When his young wife saw his sadness, she asked what troubled him and he said: "O my beloved wife! the Angel of Death is about to come and take my life unless I find someone else willing to die in my place, and my own father and mother have refused me, so who can I find now?" His wife answered, "O my beloved husband! why didn't you ask me? I am happy to give you what even your father and mother cannot give you. Take my life so that yours can be spared." When Dede Korkut, the Fierce Warrior heard these words, his heart melted and tears came to his eyes. He turned to God and said: "O my Lord! forgive me, take my life and spare my wife, for she is worthier and braver than me." God was again pleased to hear those words, and he decided to spare both Dede Korkut and his wife. Instead, he sent Azra'il to take the life of his parents as they had been blessed with a long and happy life.

God wrote on the palms of the Angel of Death in letters of light: "In the Name of God, Most Merciful, Most Beneficent." He ordered the angel, whenever he had to take the soul of a Knower of God, to show him those letters of light which cause the soul of the Knower to come out of is body like an element attracted to a magnet, or like light returning to its source

Friday, August 17, 2007

Sufi-Salafi Violence in West Africa

As-Salam Alaykum,

Read the following news report, to see the sad state of affairs of our Ummah, due to internal division and hatred caused by narrow-minded people.

The article demonstrates how traditional Sufi and newcomer Wahhabi Muslims in Ghana (West Africa) are at each other's throats.

Ghana: clashes between Sufis and radical MuslimsMoshe Terdman - PRISM6 Aug 2007On 8 April 2007, members of the Wahhabi-oriented Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah and members of the Tijaniyyah Sufi order clashed at Ejura, in the Ashanti region of Ghana, over doctrinal differences.

Demonstration in Accra, Ghana - © 2006 Peeter Viisimaa (via iStockPhotos) .
The Tijaniyyah accused Ahl al-Sunnah of preaching against them. Soon after, they attacked the Ahl al-Sunnah members and inflicted various degrees of injury on ten of them, four of whom were in a critical condition. [1] This clash has been only one in a series of recent ongoing bloody clashes between missionary-minded Muslim groups inspired by Wahhabism, and the majority of traditional Ghanaian Muslim groups.
Ghana has an estimated population of 18 million people, comprising about 64 different language and ethnic groups. Christianity, traditional religions and Islam are the three dominant religions. According to the latest survey, conducted in 1993, Christians comprise approximately 62 per cent of the population, traditional religious practitioners comprise approximately 20 per cent, and Muslims comprise about 16-17 per cent of the population. These figures are highly criticized by Ghanaian Muslims, who place their version of this figure at closer to 30 per cent, and in some extremes, as high as 45 per cent. Broadly speaking, the Muslim population is more concentrated in the Northern region and in the Upper East and Upper West, while Christians are predominant in the southern regions. [2]
Amongst the Muslim population of Ghana there are various Islamic orientations, with different influences emanating from several sources. Sufism is the dominant form of Islam prevalent in Ghana, especially the Qadiriyyah and Tijaniyyah orders, which are prominent in the north and in the major cities of the south. Sufism was spread from other parts of West Africa, principally from northern Nigeria by the Hausa and from the Mali-Mauritania and Niger region by the Wangarawa, Mandi and Dyula. Hausa and Dyula cultures have especially influenced Islamic practices in Ghana. The Hausa influence is manifested in Islamic education, which is conducted in the Hausa language. Therefore, Hausa is the lingua franca of most Ghanaian Muslim communities. Zongos - the name by which satellite communities throughout Ghana, originally established by migrants from other parts of West Africa, are known - sustain some of the links to Muslims in other parts of the region, even though most inhabitants of these Zongos have now been in Ghana for two, three or more generations. [3]
The Qadyani faction of the Ahmadiyyah Movement is also very active in Ghana. The movement was invited into Ghana in 1921 by a section of coastal (Fanti) Muslim converts. Membership and leadership of the sect remains in the hands of the Fanti and Asante ethnic groups. Thus, this faction has come to be known locally as 'Fanti or Asante Islam', in contradiction to Sunni or mainstream Islam, which is dominated by northern Ghanaians and other West African nationals. The movement is known for its anti-Christian as well as for its anti-mainstream Muslim polemics in its public preaching. [4]
Since independence, however, the most significant focus on Islam in Ghana has been the strengthening of links with the Middle East. This came primarily with the opening of embassies in Ghana by Egypt in 1957, Saudi Arabia in 1962 and Iran in 1982. Thus, in the last three decades, there has been a significant increase in Islamist and Wahhabist activity in Ghana, resulting in a spread of radical Islamic organizations. Several organizations were established during the 1970s and 1980s to champion the cause of Wahhabism and Islamism. First and foremost among them was a Muslim missionary organization known as the Islamic Reformation and Research Center, which was founded in Accra in 1971. Activists of the centre refer to it as a Wahhabi-influenced missionary organization. It is financed by the Dar al-Iftaa of Saudi Arabia, and has since its founding produced hundreds of students who have studied at Arab universities. This and numerous other Muslim groups and organizations, such as the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs and the Islamic Charity Center for Women Orientation, carry out missionary activities. They undertake to establish schools and other social services, and carry out public preaching within the urban centres in order to propagate Islam. In 1997, the Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah was established as an umbrella organization for all Wahhabi organizations active in Ghana. [5]
Parallel to the increase in the activity of the Wahhabi-oriented organizations in Ghana was a similar increase in the number of Muslim non-governmental organizations (NGOs) active there. Muslim NGOs that have been involved in social and economic development have emerged in Ghana since the 1970s. The Islamic Council for Development and Humanitarian Services was founded in 1982 and is tied mainly to the Kuwaiti Zakat Fund. The Centre for the Distribution of Islamic Books was founded in 1988 and is the Ghanaian representative of the World Assembly of Muslim Youth, a Saudi-based organization, as well as the International Islamic Federation of Student Organizations in Kuwait, and the Islamic Development Bank Scholarship Scheme. The African Muslim Agency (AMA) was also established in Ghana in 1988, and is an offshoot of Direct Aid International with its headquarters in Kuwait. [6] The Imam Husayn Foundation was founded in 1988, and comprises a branch of an international organization based in Iran. In 1992, the Kuwaiti government established the Revival of Islamic Heritage Society. Other international Muslim charitable organizations active in Ghana are the Saudi-funded and UK-based Muntada Islamic Trust, also known as al-Muntada al-Islami or al-Muntada Educational Trust, as well as the Saudi- and Kuwaiti-financed Al-Huda Islamic Society. [7]
The global dimension of Islam in Ghana is perhaps best manifested by the arrival in 1996 of the American Nation of Islam in Ghana. The movement was invited into the country in the early 1990s by the then Provisional National Defence Council military junta. In October 1996 the movement, which, however, has little following by way of membership in Ghana, organized a national convention. [8]
In light of the diverse Islamic orientations and influences mentioned above, there have been many cases of tension and violent clashes between different Muslim groups in Ghana, especially between Ahmadis and mainstream Muslims in the 1930s. These bloody clashes have largely given way to mutual suspicion, contempt and non-cooperation. Another level of tension is prevalent between indigenous Ghanaian Muslims and other West African nationals over leadership. The latter see themselves as the rightful custodians of the Islamic tradition and resent taking subordinate roles to indigenous Ghanaian Muslims. This has resulted in a number of violent clashes during Friday prayers, and the closure of mosques by the authorities. Another level of tension, which sometimes even becomes violent, is prevalent between Muslims with Tijaniyyah inclinations and those of the Qadiriyyah persuasion. In 1999 numerous public appeals from government officials, traditional rulers and leading Muslims have helped in reducing the tension between Muslim groups in the country. [9]
More recently, there have been a number of bloody confrontations between missionary-minded Muslim groups, comprising graduates from Arab universities, and the majority traditional Ghanaian Muslim groups. The most notorious of these groups is what is locally known as the Ahl al-Sunnah, a Saudi-trained Wahhabi-inspired group. Its members attack and publicly condemn traditional Muslim practices like production of charms and wearing of amulets as un-Islamic. The brand of Islam they see as 'pure' or 'orthodox' is Wahhabism or Salafism, to which they were exposed to in Saudi Arabia or other parts of the Arab Muslim world. [10]
In this context, it should be noted that despite all the abovementioned clashes and confrontations between the various Muslim groups, they comprise only a minority in Ghana, and their political impact is marginal. Another reason for this is the fact that the majority of Muslims live in the northern parts of the country. Northern Ghana has been functioning as a labour reservoir for the south and has remained an economic backwater since the colonial period. Islam has, on the other hand, had some impact at the cultural level. Islamic features like Muslim offices, festivals, calendar and certain ceremonies - especially those relating to naming, marriage and death - were added to the traditional system. Thus, in the north, some of the chiefs have become at least nominal Muslims and some of the ceremonies associated with the chiefs themselves were modified along Islamic lines. However, although a chief might recite the Muslim prayers, neither the chiefs nor any other member of the ruling estate would attend the Friday sermon in the mosque. Most chiefs have their own ritual practices, which are unacceptable to Islam, and they rule over Muslims and non-Muslims alike. [11]
Against this background, there has been a steady process of Islamization in contemporary northern Ghana, especially since the 1983 famine. Muslim countries poured aid into northern Ghana at that time, and thus strengthened the Muslim's position and organizations there. Muslim NGOs have since then established social and educational institutions, almost all of which have been financed through aid from foreign Muslim countries and organizations. As a result of their intensive welfare work, the word circulated in 1985 around the north that all Dagbambas, Gonjas, Mamprungus and Nanumbas who wished to succeed in politics and business had to convert to Islam. As a result, the Northern Region, and especially Dagbon, has since become known as a Muslim region. [12]
To sum up, the disunity of the Muslims in Ghana has been further stressed and enhanced through the entrance of various Islamist and Wahhabi-oriented groups, especially Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah, into the north and other areas inhabited by Muslims in Ghana since the 1970s. It has further fuelled anti-Christian, anti-minority (stateless people) and militantly pro-Islamic feelings, as well as conflicts among the various Muslim sects, especially between the Sufis and Wahhabis. In the short run, it seems that disunity trends within the Muslims in Ghana are much stronger than unifying trends. That is why it is quite improbable that the Muslims in Ghana will be able to unite under one leadership in order to care for their own common interests. This applies even in circumstances where it is necessary for representatives from all the Muslim sects to unite for a particular Islamic purpose, as happens nowadays with the heated debate over the issue of who will be in charge of organizing the Hajj from Ghana this year. Last year, the National Hajj Council failed to organize the Hajj, and a new body, called the Ghana Pilgrimage Organization, was established by Ghana's chief imam to handle this issue more successfully this year. [13]

Sunday, August 12, 2007

Never blame Decree (Qadr) when you sin

Be cautious that when you commit a sin, never ever should you blame it on the decree (qadar) of Allah which causes you to sin, and say that it all happens because it was written as such for yourself, in which you have no control over it. The above-mentioned is considered an invalid excuse that would not benefit you. On the contrary, such an action could endanger yourself and causes you to distant yourself from Allah Most High, that the effect would be you being condemned by Allah and being distant from His mercy.

Affirm that believing in the decree, the good of it or bad of it, is obligatory upon the basis of belief (aqidah) and protesting toward Allah Most High is not permissible. In actual fact, it is considered among acts that greatly endangers oneself and a major sin. As long as man could choose within his control, then there is no basis for him to abandon any of the commands of Allah or to commit any of that which He prohibited. Thus, it is obsolete to say: O, this has already been decreed by God to happen unto me! Or, this has already been written upon me! In fact, from which source is it that he knows all that?!

It is true that the topic of decree is indeed very difficult to be understood in totality, being a very complicated concept, that it is difficult to know the branches of it (even) by the elites of the scholars, what then for the masses.

- Translated from the Malay translation (by Syed Ahmad Semait) of al-Imam al-Habib ‘Abdullah al-Haddad’s Ad-Da’wah At-Tammah

Etiquettes of Fasting

Every fasting person should abide to its etiquettes, as the fast is not whole without them.

Among the etiquettes, the one with utmost importance, is to safeguard the tongue from lying, cursing and swearing people, interfere with the personal lives of others, safeguard the eyes and ears from seeing and hearing things of unlawful nature, and that of which has nothing to do with himself.

Following that, it is necessary to protect the stomach from eating forbidden food, or those of syubhat nature, especially during the breaking of fasts; it is required of him to strive and look for that of which is halal as supplements for breaking the fast.

Some of the salaf said: If you are fasting, be mindful of the thing you break your fast with, and whose place you are breaking it. This matter encourages us to be mindful and be concerned towards the food for our breaking of fast.
Furthermore, every fasting person should protect all his organs from committing sins, and repel from every matter that does not involve him. With that, then only will his fast be whole and pure. How many people, who fast, tiring their body because of hunger and thirst then lets his organs sin. It spoils his fast and the tiredness would be in vain, like that explained by the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him: “How many people who fast, (but) does not get anything from his fast but hunger and thirst.”

Abandoning the prohibited has been an obligation at all times upon peoples either fasting or not. But for those who are fasting, it is more enforced to protect themselves, as to him it is very much encouraged and promoted.
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Fasting is a fortress, and if one of you is fasting, it is required that he not speak dirty, not act unpleasant, and not transgress a ruling; if people curse him, or tempt an argument, he must say: Verily I am fasting.”

Among the other etiquettes of fasting are; it is essential that a fasting person not sleep too much during the day, and eat too much during the night. It is encouraged to be average in the two matters mentioned above, so that he feels the agony of hunger and thirst, then with it that his self could be disciplined, his lusts could be diminished and his heart would be enlightened. Here is where the secrets and intentions of fasting really are.

In addition, it is required that he abandon every wealth in every sense, and make it a habit to have food and drinks that builds appetites and that are delicious, as that which we had explained earlier. The least is that he does not exceed in spending for food in the month of Ramadhan, or even match that of his normal spending in other months. That is the least that he is to do. Otherwise, in disciplining the self by refraining from every desire would leave a positive mark in forming the light of enlightenment to the heart, and this could only be accomplished only in the month of Ramadhan.

For those who treat Ramadhan as a tradition and habit for feasting and fulfill every desire and accomplishing every lust that was never attended to in other months, then they have been deceived by syaitan that has always bear grudge against humanity, up to the point that every blessings of fasting has been lost, and thus not leaving any effects of the fast in enlightenment and unveiling, humbleness towards Allah Most High and modesty in His presence, enjoying requesting to Him and reading His words in His Book and remembering Him at all times.

When living Ramadhan, the salaf rahmatullahi-‘alaihim makes it a habit to minimize their daily (worldly) practice, suppressing the yearning of their desires and craving of their lusts. In addition to that, they constantly increase their devotional practices specifically in the month of Ramadhan, when they are already well-known for their devotions at all times.

Among the other etiquettes are that one should not get too involved in the worldly matters in the month of Ramadhan. On the contrary, he should concentrate in devotion towards Allah as much as possible, and making remembrance of Allah at every opportunity he has. Not to exert into worldly matters save that for his own needs and the needs of his dependents; like his wife and child etc. This is for the reason that Ramadhan when compared to other months, is like that Friday is compared to other days. Thus it is only proper that every believers single out Friday and the month of Ramadhan for his preparations of the Last Day.

Among that which is supererogatory for those who are fasting is to hasten the breaking of the fast (when it is time). It is highly recommended that it is commenced with dates, if not available, with water. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, breaks his fast prior to performing his Maghrib prayers. He said: “My community would always be in goodness, when they haste in breaking their fast and delaying in eating sahur (supper prior to fasting).”
It is clear from this tradition that delaying the supper meal of those who fasts is also a recommended act.

It is advised for fasting people to make it a habit to eat a small amount, not eating too much, so that the effect of fasting could be experienced upon him, then would he receive the secrets and intentions of fasting; i.e. disciplining the self and diminishing the desires and lust. It is because that hunger and the emptying of the stomach leaves positive marks to enlighten the heart and providing strength to the limbs of the body to perform devotional practices. On the contrary, a full-stomach (satiety) is the cause for all heedlessness and unmindful heart, and causing the laziness to perform devotional practices.
The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, had said: “There is no other container that is filled by the children of Adam worse than that of his stomach. Sufficient is for the children of Adam a few feedings to sustain his life. If this is not enough, then let a third (of the capacity of his stomach) be for his food, a third for his drink and a third for his breathing.”

It is said by some philosophers: When the stomach it full, then hungry is the rest of the limbs. And when the stomach is hungry, then full (energized) are the rest of the limbs.

I say: If the limbs feel hungry, then it implies that it would request and give priority to fulfilling desires and lusts. During which, the tongue wants to speak, the eyes wants to see and the ears want to hear, and likewise to the rest of the limbs, each wanting to fulfill their desires and lusts when the stomach is full. But when the stomach is empty, the limbs would be at peace, as which was linked to the fullness of the limbs earlier. Events like these are constantly happening and thus are self-evident enough. And God know best!

Among that which is highly recommended is to invite others (who are fasting) for the breaking of fast, even with just a few dates or some water.

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, had said: “Whoever invites fasting person to break their fast, then for him the rewards of a fasting person; not less than the reward even a little.”

That is: A person who invites another to break the fast would receive rewards equivalent to the fasting person invited. And the reward is only for the person who invites to break the fast only, even with a glass of water. As for those who invite after the breaking of fast at other times, then he is not entitled to the enormous reward mentioned above. He would only receive the rewards for inviting to a meal only, and the rewards for which is also huge. The rewards of feeding a fasting person, with whatever food, until the fasting person overcomes his hunger; there is a huge and numerous rewards.

-Translated from the Malay Translation by al-Ustadz Ahmad bin Semait of An-Nashaaih Ad-Diniyah Wal-Washaaya Al-Imaaniyah by Imam ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Alwi al-Haddad

Habib Esa al Haddad

Habib Esa was born in 1870 and returned to Tarim in 1874 for his studies. After completing his studies at Rubaat Tarim, he came to Indonesia to settle the affairs of his father, henceafter returned to Tarim. He then traveled to Singapore and set-up an office at 13 Armenian Street. He represented his father in establishing another trust in Singapore for Rubaat Tarim with the Alsree and Aljunied. Because of his honesty and religious practices, the Arabs and traders trusted him. They hand over their financial affairs and properties to him either for management or to wakaf fisabilillah.

Habib Esa bin Abdulkader Alhadad traveled to the two kharamains, Mecca and Medina for ibadah and ziarah. In one of his visits to Medina he met the young Sheikh Umar bin Abdullah Alkhatib whose family he knew very well. Sheikh Umar had left Tarim to avoid being appointed as Qahdi. Habib Esa invited Sheikh Umar Alkhatib to follow him to Singapore. Together with Habib Abdulkader bin Abdulrahman Aljunied, they traveled to Batavia (today’s Jakarta) then to Singapore.

He was meticulous in all transactions; this was well recorded. In his will, he directed the transactions to be returned to their rightful owners. Habib Esa returned to Tarim in 1925 with his sons Alwi (age 7), Muhammad (5) and Ali (3). They all attended school at Rubaat Tarim. Habib Esa passed away in Hawi on Sunday 29th Rejab 1354 or 27th October 1935. He was buried on that very day at the Zanbal burial ground at Tarim. Habib Esa devotion to Imam Al-Haddad was reflected by the ‘niat’ of his wakaf.
Amongst them are to:

1st) provide the maintenance for the three mosques of Imam Abdullah Al-Haddad at Hawi, Masjid Al Awabin and Masjid Hajirah.
2nd) provide for the Poor in Hawi, Tarim,
3rd) look after Habib Abdullah Alhadad’s maqam at Assageefah
4th) support of Rubaat Tarim and its students.
In the Salsila of the Habaib, he was called the “Alalamah Dunia wa Din”, meaning the learned of this life and the religion.

Monday, July 30, 2007

Haul Habib Isa al Haddad

Salaam everyone,

I pray you are in the state of good health in this blessed month of Rejab. I would like to inform there will be Haul of Habib Isa al Haddad and Habib Ali al Haddad on this coming saturday 4th August after solat Asar at Masjid Abdul Razak (Jalan Ismail, Singapore). All are welcome.

Habib Salim al Shatri and Habib Munzir will be the honour guests for this blessing event.

Sunday, July 29, 2007

Habib Salim Bin Abdullah Bin Umar As-Shatiri

Assalamu'alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh

Alhamdulillah, Singapore will soon be blessed by the visit of a renowned Islamic scholar, the eminent Habib Salim Bin Abdullah Bin Umar As-Shatiri. He is the Principal of Rubat, an Islamic learning institute that is over 100 years old, based in Tarim, Hadhramaut, Yemen.

Insha'Allah Habib Salim As-Shatiri will be delivering several lectures in Arabic, with consecutive translation in Malay.

The following are the details:

Thursday 2 August 2007
Kuliah Zuhr "Importance of Knowledge"
Time: Zuhr
Venue: Masjid Hj Muhd Salleh (Maqam Habib Nuh, Palmer Road)

Reading of Ratib Al-Attas with Habib Salim As-Shatiri Time:
Maghrib Prayer
Venue: Masjid Ba'alwie (5 Lewis Road)

Friday 3 August 2007
Khutbah Jumaat
Masa: Jumaat Prayer
Venue: Masjid Sultan (3 Muscat Street)

Public Lecture: "Traditional Islamic Values in a Modern World"
Time: Maghrib Prayer
Venue: Masjid Abdul Aleem Siddique (90 Lorong K Telok Kurau)
The Majlis will begin with Maulid recitation

Saturday 4 August 2007
Haul of Habib Esa al Haddad and Habib Ali al Haddad
Time: 'Asr Prayer
Venue: Masjid Al Abdul Razak (Jalan Ismail)

The above programmes are organised by Masjid Abdul Aleem Siddique, in collaboration with Masjid Ba'alwie, Masjid Sultan, Masjid Hj Muhd Salleh and Masjid Al Abdul Razak.

suffers for Love

He who suffers for Love
does not suffer
for all suffering is Forgot

Meister Eckhart

Friday, July 27, 2007

The knowledge sublime I acquired from one

The following four lines in Malay form Shaykh Hamzah Fansuri as given in Syed Naguib al-Attas' Some Aspects of Sufism as Understood and Practiced Among the Malays, p 22

Hamzah nin asalnya Fansuri
Mendapat wujud ditanah Shahar Nawi
Beroleh Khilafat ilmu yang ali
Daripada Abdul Qadir Sayyid Jilani

I Hamzah who am of Fansur a son
At Shahar Nawi my being have won
The knowledge sublime I acquired from one
Called Abdul Qadir Sayyid of Jilan.

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Masjid "Agung" Demak : A Monument of Faith and Love


This is the Masjid "Agung" Demak or Grand Mosque built by the famous " Wali Songo", Java. It symbolize peace, love and tolerance. I was there to witness this monument of faith and a beauty of humanity that makes your heart in the state of tranquility each time urs eye gaze its minaret.The reason why you will feel so ease when you are this mosque is because of those who had build this mosque believe in love and faith and the effect of the baraqa remain till today. There are thousand stories untold on the history of this mosque.However, as modern life took control, we find it difficult to believe and understand behind each wisdom and stories that happened within this mosque.The only thing we learnt from this mosque is the importance of love within society which is building the solidarity on humanity.

Unlike today, Islam is in the hands of extremism which dehumanize millions of lives. Let us study and visit the history of those whom have embarked on the journey to God. They sacrificed their lives for us. Through them, millions embrace Islam without a single bloodshed. Have we ever wonder how we lost the value and secret of love? Today this mosque remain as a form of history to most of us but nevertheless remind ourselves each time when we hear a news of muslim extremism, take a look at the picture of this mosque and ask ourselves did these Walis did the same thing? No, they didnt. They were the inheritance of our beloved Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. so they spread love not hatred, giving flowers not sword.
(entrance of masjid Agung)