Happiness is prevented and obstructed when a person is attached and makes the object of adoration something that by its nature is fleeing and imperfect; And, unable to cope with hardship and loss, falling into despair and depression.
Kad aflahal Mu’minoon.
The station of a mu’min is greater than the station of muslim.
Mu’min is one whose heart is completely filled with La illah illa Allah
-the path to happiness
-wretched is the slave of dinar and dirham
How is this achieved? Outward and inward obedience of Allah (swt) and the Messenger of Allah.
-dhikr Allah [Indeed in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find tranquility]
-We hear and we obey (samana wa ata’na).
Mu’min is one who has complete trust [tawakkul] in Allah (swt).
-Never despair
-The heart sees loss as a way of coming closer to Allah
-Inna lillahi wa inna illahee rajioon
Thursday, February 07, 2008
Migration of Mind. Body, and Soul
Those who believe, and migrate, and struggle in the cause of God with their possessions and their beings have the highest rank in the sight of God, and it is they, they who will achieve success. (Tauba 9:20).
Story of Suhayb al Rumi
-from slavery to riches to the great sacrifice
-Prophet said, “You have indeed made an excellent transaction, O Suhayb!”
-And there is a type of man who gives everything to earn the pleasure of Allah. And Allah is full of kindness to His devotees. 2:207.
Hijra today: Mind, Soul, and Body
-Migrating one’s focus and attention from worldly concerns and pleasures, to Godly concerns.
-Migrating to higher stations in the soul, reaching for the highest station which is muhabah, a station of love. Migrating from a station of ingratitude to a station of gratitude, a station of impatience to a station of patience, a station of disobedience to obedience. Migrating from outward obedience, to inward and outward, to a complete devotee.
-Migrating from one place to another, to forsake the domain of evil for the domain of good and virtue.
“Behold those who the angels gather in death while they are still sinning against themselves, will be asked, ‘What is wrong with you?’ They will answer, ‘We were too weak on earth.’ [The angels] will reply: “Was, then, God’s earth not wide enough for you to migrate [or forsake the domain of evil]?”
Story of Suhayb al Rumi
-from slavery to riches to the great sacrifice
-Prophet said, “You have indeed made an excellent transaction, O Suhayb!”
-And there is a type of man who gives everything to earn the pleasure of Allah. And Allah is full of kindness to His devotees. 2:207.
Hijra today: Mind, Soul, and Body
-Migrating one’s focus and attention from worldly concerns and pleasures, to Godly concerns.
-Migrating to higher stations in the soul, reaching for the highest station which is muhabah, a station of love. Migrating from a station of ingratitude to a station of gratitude, a station of impatience to a station of patience, a station of disobedience to obedience. Migrating from outward obedience, to inward and outward, to a complete devotee.
-Migrating from one place to another, to forsake the domain of evil for the domain of good and virtue.
“Behold those who the angels gather in death while they are still sinning against themselves, will be asked, ‘What is wrong with you?’ They will answer, ‘We were too weak on earth.’ [The angels] will reply: “Was, then, God’s earth not wide enough for you to migrate [or forsake the domain of evil]?”
Seek Knowledge!
My dear brothers and sisters, the ability to comprehend and disseminate knowledge is one of the greatest blessings and trusts that we as human beings have been endowed with from our Creator and Sustainer, Allah (swt).
We are reminded of this in the very first revelation that was given to Prophet Muhammad in the Qur’an from Allah (swt) in the first five verses of surah Iqra:
“Read, in the name of your Guardian-Lord, who created: created man of clotted blood. Read, for your Lord is most generous, the one who taught the use of the pen, taught man what he did not know.”
Despite our lowly origins as a clot of blood, we have been raised to a station of honor and dignity over the rest of creation because of our God-given ability to process and retain information with our intellects, perceive with our hearts, and articulate with our pens and tongues. Knowledge is such a blessing that the Prophet (s) constantly emphasized its importance:
“Seeking knowledge is incumbent upon every Muslim,” he once said.
“Seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave.”
“Seek knowledge even if it is in China.”
“Wisdom is the lost treasure of the believer: he seeks it wherever he may find it.”
These and other sayings of the Prophet, not only encourage, but obligate Muslims to pursue knowledge. And, this pursuit must not only be undertaken by young affluent men; But, also by women, by the old, and by the poor—everyone who has the ability and capability. Furthermore, if we look at the words of the Qur’an and of the Prophet, we see that this knowledge is not only “religious” knowledge, but also any knowledge that may be beneficial for the world.
Indeed, our scholars have distinguished knowledge into two main branches: Knowledge that is fard ‘ayn (obligatory on all individuals) and knowledge that is fard kifayyah (obligatory for some to posses in a community). Fard ‘ayn is knowledge, for the sake of Allah, on such matters as how to worship Allah (swt), the basic rules of fasting, almsgiving, and so on. Fard kifayyah is knowledge, for the sake of Allah, which is beneficial and necessary for the flourishing of human society, such as medicine, engineering, history, philosophy, and all other such sciences.
And, ‘for the sake of Allah’ is no vague, general term. It is defined, at its core, as striving for justice, peace, excellence, and goodness in all its forms. It is working to uplift the condition of the poor, oppressed, and down trodden in society. It is striving to elevate good ethics and morals in our world.
And, in doing so, we must seek excellence in whatever it is that we do. If our field is medicine, then let us not be content with simply becoming a rich doctor, but let us seek something greater than that, for example building a free clinic in a part of the world that needs such assistance. If our field is economics or business, let us not be content with simply making a buck for some corporation, but rather striving to develop sound economic models that will help bring people out of poverty. If our field is teaching, let us not be content with just becoming another teacher, but actually developing theories that make education better and more accessible for everyone. And, the examples continue in whatever field we find ourselves in.
Therefore, my brothers and sisters, as we begin this new semester at Trinity College, let us begin the pursuit of knowledge in all fields of science for the sake of Allah (swt) and in order to fulfill a fard kifayyah on behalf of our communities and societies. And if we do so, then every time we stay up late at night to study, every time we turn another page in our text books, every time we put ink to paper, every time we stand up to make a presentation, we will be devoting ourselves to Allah (swt) in a most beautiful manner, and the reward in return shall also be beautiful, as Allah (swt) says in the Qur’an, “What can the outcome of good be, other than good.”
May Allah (swt) increase us in good and wholesome knowledge that will be beneficial for us in this world and in the life to come.
Raabiee zhidnaa ‘ilman wa al hiknaa bi saliheen
We are reminded of this in the very first revelation that was given to Prophet Muhammad in the Qur’an from Allah (swt) in the first five verses of surah Iqra:
“Read, in the name of your Guardian-Lord, who created: created man of clotted blood. Read, for your Lord is most generous, the one who taught the use of the pen, taught man what he did not know.”
Despite our lowly origins as a clot of blood, we have been raised to a station of honor and dignity over the rest of creation because of our God-given ability to process and retain information with our intellects, perceive with our hearts, and articulate with our pens and tongues. Knowledge is such a blessing that the Prophet (s) constantly emphasized its importance:
“Seeking knowledge is incumbent upon every Muslim,” he once said.
“Seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave.”
“Seek knowledge even if it is in China.”
“Wisdom is the lost treasure of the believer: he seeks it wherever he may find it.”
These and other sayings of the Prophet, not only encourage, but obligate Muslims to pursue knowledge. And, this pursuit must not only be undertaken by young affluent men; But, also by women, by the old, and by the poor—everyone who has the ability and capability. Furthermore, if we look at the words of the Qur’an and of the Prophet, we see that this knowledge is not only “religious” knowledge, but also any knowledge that may be beneficial for the world.
Indeed, our scholars have distinguished knowledge into two main branches: Knowledge that is fard ‘ayn (obligatory on all individuals) and knowledge that is fard kifayyah (obligatory for some to posses in a community). Fard ‘ayn is knowledge, for the sake of Allah, on such matters as how to worship Allah (swt), the basic rules of fasting, almsgiving, and so on. Fard kifayyah is knowledge, for the sake of Allah, which is beneficial and necessary for the flourishing of human society, such as medicine, engineering, history, philosophy, and all other such sciences.
And, ‘for the sake of Allah’ is no vague, general term. It is defined, at its core, as striving for justice, peace, excellence, and goodness in all its forms. It is working to uplift the condition of the poor, oppressed, and down trodden in society. It is striving to elevate good ethics and morals in our world.
And, in doing so, we must seek excellence in whatever it is that we do. If our field is medicine, then let us not be content with simply becoming a rich doctor, but let us seek something greater than that, for example building a free clinic in a part of the world that needs such assistance. If our field is economics or business, let us not be content with simply making a buck for some corporation, but rather striving to develop sound economic models that will help bring people out of poverty. If our field is teaching, let us not be content with just becoming another teacher, but actually developing theories that make education better and more accessible for everyone. And, the examples continue in whatever field we find ourselves in.
Therefore, my brothers and sisters, as we begin this new semester at Trinity College, let us begin the pursuit of knowledge in all fields of science for the sake of Allah (swt) and in order to fulfill a fard kifayyah on behalf of our communities and societies. And if we do so, then every time we stay up late at night to study, every time we turn another page in our text books, every time we put ink to paper, every time we stand up to make a presentation, we will be devoting ourselves to Allah (swt) in a most beautiful manner, and the reward in return shall also be beautiful, as Allah (swt) says in the Qur’an, “What can the outcome of good be, other than good.”
May Allah (swt) increase us in good and wholesome knowledge that will be beneficial for us in this world and in the life to come.
Raabiee zhidnaa ‘ilman wa al hiknaa bi saliheen
Caregiving
* Introduction:
-It is an honor to be here
-You’re in the process of living Islam
-Reminder of the beautiful sayings of Allah and the Messenger of Allah on care
*Sometimes it becomes difficult to maintain high level of compassion and mercy, what is known as compassion fatigue or the like.
The remedies:
-Remind yourself that it is really you who are gaining by comforting the sick
-Remind yourself of the immense reward in giving care
-Remind yourself of the direct correlation between your treatment of Allah’s creation, and Allah’s treatment of you
Saying of the Qur’an
“Worship God, associate nothing with Him, behave with excellence toward parents, near relatives, orphans, the poor, the neighbor who is of kin, and the neighbor who is not.”
Sayings of Prophet Muhammad
“God is only Merciful to those of His servants who are merciful; those who show no mercy are shown no mercy.”
“A believer is friendly and easy to approach; there is no good in anyone who is neither friendly nor easy to approach.”
“God shall grant ease to him who eases the hardship of another, and shall conceal in this world and the hereafter, the sins of him who conceals the disgrace of a believer; and He shall relieve from him one of the hardships of the Day of Rising the one who relieves a Muslim from one of the hardships of this world; He shall fulfill the need of the man who fulfills his brother’s needs. He assists His servant for as long as he assists his brother.”
Saying of Imam Al-Haddad
“Comfort the broken-hearted, be gentle to the weak and the needy, console the poor, be lenient with the one in debt, and lend to those who ask you…Console those who are stricken by adversity, for the Prophet has said, may blessings and peace be upon him, “The one who consoles a man stricken by adversity, that is, helps him endure patiently, has a reward similar to his.”
-It is an honor to be here
-You’re in the process of living Islam
-Reminder of the beautiful sayings of Allah and the Messenger of Allah on care
*Sometimes it becomes difficult to maintain high level of compassion and mercy, what is known as compassion fatigue or the like.
The remedies:
-Remind yourself that it is really you who are gaining by comforting the sick
-Remind yourself of the immense reward in giving care
-Remind yourself of the direct correlation between your treatment of Allah’s creation, and Allah’s treatment of you
Saying of the Qur’an
“Worship God, associate nothing with Him, behave with excellence toward parents, near relatives, orphans, the poor, the neighbor who is of kin, and the neighbor who is not.”
Sayings of Prophet Muhammad
“God is only Merciful to those of His servants who are merciful; those who show no mercy are shown no mercy.”
“A believer is friendly and easy to approach; there is no good in anyone who is neither friendly nor easy to approach.”
“God shall grant ease to him who eases the hardship of another, and shall conceal in this world and the hereafter, the sins of him who conceals the disgrace of a believer; and He shall relieve from him one of the hardships of the Day of Rising the one who relieves a Muslim from one of the hardships of this world; He shall fulfill the need of the man who fulfills his brother’s needs. He assists His servant for as long as he assists his brother.”
Saying of Imam Al-Haddad
“Comfort the broken-hearted, be gentle to the weak and the needy, console the poor, be lenient with the one in debt, and lend to those who ask you…Console those who are stricken by adversity, for the Prophet has said, may blessings and peace be upon him, “The one who consoles a man stricken by adversity, that is, helps him endure patiently, has a reward similar to his.”
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Islam in Conversation Week 2007! @ Wesleyan Uni. (Nov 5-9th)
Wesleyan University | Middletown, CT
2nd Annual Islam in Conversation Week Presents
Islam & the Contemporary World November 5-9th, 2007
Monday Nov 5th, 7 pm, Public Affairs Center 001
Jihad, Terrorism, and Modern Violence
Dr. Sherman Jackson, University of Michigan
Tuesday Nov 6th, 5 pm, Russell House
Gender, Society, and Change: Ethics of Reform in Islamic Law
Dr. Ingrid Mattson, Hartford Seminary
Tuesday Nov 6th, 7:30 pm, Russell House
Imagining and Stereotyping Islam: Heresy, Sex, Violence
Dr. John Woods, University of Chicago
Wednesday Nov 7th, 4pm, Downey 113
Film & Discussion on Modern Muslim Society (Clay Bird)
Thursday Nov 8th, 7 pm, Usdan 108
Dialogue on Faith, Reason, and Revelation
Shaykh Yasir Qadhi of Yale & Imam Rumee Ahmed of Brown University
Friday Nov 9th, 5 pm, Usdan Daniel Family Commons and Lounge (3rd fl.)
Celebrating the Diversity of Islam
Turkish Sufi Music Concert
Sponsored by Office of Religious and Spiritual Life, Muslim Students Association
Wesleyan University, Middletown CT 06459 | snsultan@wesleyan.edu
Website:
www.wesleyan.edu/chaplains/muslim/icw2007.html
Directions:
http://www.wesleyan.edu/virtualtour/
Parking:
http://www.wesleyan.edu/eventscheduling/offman/parking.htm
~~~~ Any questions: contact snsultan@wesleyan.edu ~~~~
2nd Annual Islam in Conversation Week Presents
Islam & the Contemporary World November 5-9th, 2007
Monday Nov 5th, 7 pm, Public Affairs Center 001
Jihad, Terrorism, and Modern Violence
Dr. Sherman Jackson, University of Michigan
Tuesday Nov 6th, 5 pm, Russell House
Gender, Society, and Change: Ethics of Reform in Islamic Law
Dr. Ingrid Mattson, Hartford Seminary
Tuesday Nov 6th, 7:30 pm, Russell House
Imagining and Stereotyping Islam: Heresy, Sex, Violence
Dr. John Woods, University of Chicago
Wednesday Nov 7th, 4pm, Downey 113
Film & Discussion on Modern Muslim Society (Clay Bird)
Thursday Nov 8th, 7 pm, Usdan 108
Dialogue on Faith, Reason, and Revelation
Shaykh Yasir Qadhi of Yale & Imam Rumee Ahmed of Brown University
Friday Nov 9th, 5 pm, Usdan Daniel Family Commons and Lounge (3rd fl.)
Celebrating the Diversity of Islam
Turkish Sufi Music Concert
Sponsored by Office of Religious and Spiritual Life, Muslim Students Association
Wesleyan University, Middletown CT 06459 | snsultan@wesleyan.edu
Website:
www.wesleyan.edu/chaplains/muslim/icw2007.html
Directions:
http://www.wesleyan.edu/virtualtour/
Parking:
http://www.wesleyan.edu/eventscheduling/offman/parking.htm
~~~~ Any questions: contact snsultan@wesleyan.edu ~~~~
Friday, October 12, 2007
Eid Mubarak!
As-salaamu 'alaikum,
Eid Mubarak! Eid Saeed wa kulla 'aam wa antum bi khair.
(May you be well with every coming year! )
We would like to wish you and your family a happy Eid with lots of joy for the coming year.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
message to sender 'herb'
I accidentally deleted an email from 'herb' re: an islam and democracy article i had written on islamonline.com. Since the email subject line was left blank, i thought it was spam, and therefore deleted it without reading.
So if you are the sender (herb), please re-send the email, and accept my apologies.
So if you are the sender (herb), please re-send the email, and accept my apologies.
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