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)

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

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

The Best of Qasidah Vol 01 by Habib Syech Assegaf

The cover is design by Firdaus Rahmat





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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

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.'''