Category Archives: Scholars

…when a servant knows his Lord…

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thuluth-intro-copy

Madinah May 2013a

…today after Asr…the crowds exiting from Masjid Nabawi become a congested mass in the narrow walk ways between the hotels…pilgrims are present in large numbers Alhumdulillah, but the vendors spreading their mats and wheeling trolleys add to the crush…it is impossible to escape the markets and lure of Shaytan the minute one leaves the courtyard…this is disturbing…we as humans are already weak and come with so much ;baggage’ without this distraction immediately after Salat…maintaining a clear focus to Allah Ta’ala seems to dissolve…how does this impact on us as an Ummah?

Madinah May 2013b

…but I digress…looking at this diverse collection from the Ummah the wonder is: who from these thousands is free of problems or not carrying issues whether they be psychological, behavioural, emotional, financial, or some ‘disorder’ that seems to be rife in our troubled times…or various combinations of all of these plus more? Probably not one. And this would be the same all over the world…we all are running programs, some more deep and disturbing than others, that inhibit our true potential and block our way to Allah Ta’ala and His Nusrah and the way to being more intimate with our Blessed Propeht SallAllahu alaihi wasallam……

…books fill our home space…a rustic array of wooden boxes and cantilevered pieces of recycled wood and old drawers standing on the side constitute the shelving…arranged in a very haphazard way…bits added as this bibliophile’s addiction acquires more books…but I digress again…

…some one I love very dearly is facing a big life hurdle…as is often the reaction to hearing details a ‘stroll’ around the higgely piggley library ensures with no intention to find any particular book…but asking for guidance to words that may assist…going to Haram today the mind was occupied with wondering about the amazing states we as humans can be in…then upon returning and vaguely glazing over the library the following book not only jumped out, but the page flipped open to this wonderful advice…such beautiful, calming spiritual instruction to bring peace and solace to whatever trouble may be testing us…

…may we all benefit from reading this and then Insha’Allah try to implement the essence of these golden words…so we as servants may come to know our Lord…Ameen…

When the servant knows his Lord, all creatures acknowledge him and all things obey him. But God knows more.

The illustrious Shaykh our Master (may God be well pleased with him) used to say: “When your heart is emptied of beings it becomes filled with Being and from that moment love is born between you and other beings. If you act purely towards your Creator, all creatures will manifest goodwill toward you.” Nd we will add: when you are sincere in contemplation of your Lord, He will try you by manifesting Himself to you in all His aspects and if you continue to recognize Him and do not ignore Him, then the universe and all it contains will recognize you; it will love you and behave toward you with veneration and generosity; it will rally to your side, obey you and want you; it will rejoice in remembering you, show concern for you, be glorified in you, flock toward you, call you; all this you will see with your own eyes. But if you fail to know God when He manifests Himself to you, you also will be unrecognized by all things, denied by all things, humiliated, despised, diminished, made more despicable, worse, heavier, more remote; everything will insult you, shun you, be against you and overwhelm you.

You who are “poor”, if you wish that your wind may prevail over all winds and all adversaries, then be constant in contemplating your Lord while He is trying you, for He will change your ignorance into knowledge, your weakness into strength, your helplessness into power, your poverty into wealth, your lowliness into glory, your loneliness into intimacy, your remoteness into nearness—or, in a word, God be He exalted, will cover over your qualities with His qualities, for He is generous and bestows immeasurable graces.

Source: Letters of a Sufi Master The Shaykh ad-Darqawi.

 

All good is from Allah Ta’ala whereas mistakes are from this humble speck. May Allah Ta’ala Bless all readers, bringing you all closer to Him and His Rasul SallAllahu alaihi wasallam.  May He accept our humble efforts and grant us the capacity to be good and do good. Ameen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

…hardships…contentment…

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…intercession is guaranteed for those who endure hardships in this City of Radiance (read the Hadith from Malik’s Muwatta)…SubhanAllah…

…passing this brother on returning from Haram the heart recalled a similar ‘cardboard’ abode from a few years ago… (photos below, click for the context)…

…choosing to live in what many consider extreme conditions may astound the passer by…

…an old vehicle covered with cardboard during the hot afternoon sun…all of one’s possessions cramped inside and on the roof…and a meagre living made from selling dates from the ‘tailgate shop’…see how close to Masjid Nabawi he is parked…SubhanAllah…

…Allahu ‘alum…Allah Ta’ala knows best…maybe these are Wali who have been blessed with the deep understanding that hardships open the doors to Rahmah…maybe their hearts and souls follow previous greats who have left us with sayings and teachings to assist us on our journey through the hardship obstacle course of valleys and ravines…see profound sayings shared here…

Sayyid Abu Bakr ibn Ali Ibrahim al-Bayti asked Imam al-Haddad about the saying of Shaykh Yahya ibn Mu’ath al-Razi:  “Abandon all the world and you will find all the world. To take it is to abandon it and to abandon it is to take it.”

He answered: The words are clear and show not the least obscurity. They mean that whoever abandons the whole world in renunciation, God will compensate him with repose both in his heart due to giving up avidity and preoccupation, and in his body due to giving up striving and seeking. Reasonable men only wish for repose in the world, for this do people strive and aspire outwardly and inwardly, but they miss the way to it which is only found by the renunciates. This is indicated by the saying of the Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam: “Renouncing the world rests the heart and body, while the wish for it increases worry and sadness.” A sage was once asked: “To whom does the world belong?” He said: “To those who abandon it.” And: “To whom does the hereafter belong?” He said: “To those who pursue it.”

From Imam al-Haddad, The Sublime Treasures 

…what of the unseen trials many residents face in the Enlightened City of our Noble Nabi SallAllahu alaihi wasallam?

…the past few months have seen raids on workplaces and in the streets checking the legality of people…matching their residency permits with the jobs they are doing…checking if their workplace corresponds to their ‘sponsor’…snatching those without visas…photos of people rounded up in trucks for deportation are being circulated…what of the hundreds…ney…thousands who have followed the dictates of the law in obtaining work only to be left without work or money or the means to return to their home country…for months…sometimes years on end…too many employers owe employees months and months of back pay…the push for ‘Saudization’ sees the tightening of the screws but few and slow resources to address the vast problem…may all affected take heed and remember…

No disaster strikes except by permission of Allah. And whoever believes in Allah, He will guide his heart. And Allah is knowing of all things. (64:11)


…whatever the hardship…and wherever you may be…may all that Allah Ta’ala promises those who remain steadfast and follow His commands and the Sunnah be successful with the understanding that all will disappear with no recollection the second one enters the Garden…Insha’Allah…

…and avail yourself of the wisdom being shared by Qibla Outreach with The Islamic Art of Problem Solving this Sunday 28th April…

You ask ….. Allah gives.

You cry ……. Allah listens.

You call …… Allah runs.

You sin ……. Allah forgives.

You knock ….. Allah opens.

You attend ….. Allah welcomes.

You request …. Allah accepts.

You question …… Allah solves.

You plea ………. Allah resolves.

You take ………. Allah provides.

You insist ……. Allah grants.

Everything you do is about you and
everything Allah does, is about you. So..


Which of the favours of your Lord will you deny? (55: 13)

How amazing is the case of the believer; there is good for him in everything, and this is only so for the believer. If he experiences something pleasant, he is thankful, and that is good for him; and if he comes across adversity, he is patient, and that is good for him.” [Muslim]

Is not Allah sufficient for His servant?  (39:36)

All good is from Allah Ta’ala whereas mistakes are from this humble speck. May Allah Ta’ala Bless all readers, bringing you all closer to Him and His Rasul SallAllahu alaihi wasallam.  May He accept our humble efforts and grant us the capacity to be good and do good. Ameen.

…draw closer…

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…much inspiration, along with small steps of drawing closer, has been glittering the heart with reading the MABDA publication On Invoking the Divine Name, available as a pdf downlaod, MashaAllah. The volume includes a Treatise by the esteemed Shaykh Ahmad ibn Mustafa al-Alawi Rahmatullahi alaihi, two sections by Shaykh ibn Ata Allah al-Iskandari Rahmatullahi alaihi and a short extract from Iman Abu Hamid al-Ghazali Rahmatullahi alaihi. These sections focus on the practice of invoking the name ‘Allah‘ expounding upon the grammatical, legal, logical, and metaphysical, with copious references to Qur’an, Ahadith and moving stories from the noble Salaf. The following excerpt is from the chapter The Pure Goal Concerning the Knowledge of the Unique Name by Shaykh ibn Ata Allah al-Iskandari, translated by erudite Khalid Williams, whose translations (see below) are providing English readers with such rich and lucid works. May Allah Ta’ala continue to bless his pen, Ameen.

One special distinction of the Name is that it is perfect in its letters, complete in its meaning, unique in its mysteries and singular in its quality. Originally it is Allah; if the initial alif is removed, it leaves lam-lam-ha, which spells lillah, ‘to God.’ If the first lam is then removed, this leaves lam-ha, which spells lahu, ‘to Him.’ Finally, if the second lam is removed, this leaves the letter ha, which signifies the third person pronoun hu, ‘He,’ Thus every letter of the name has a complete meaning and a perfect distinction, and its meaning does not change. When the letters are separated, no benefit is lost, nor any wisdom removed, and each successive word has a strange and marvellous meaning of its own.

continuing:

We have spoken about this Name according to the light of what has been taught about it, and the understanding God has inspired of it. Now you should know that the point of all this is to encourage that this Name be invoked, and invoked more often than anything else, because of the love God has for it, and its tremendous standing in His sight, and the special virtue and nobility He has assigned to its invocation above all others. The purpose of this is to provoke meditation on its mysteries, so that its resplendent lights are shone upon the heart and the body, and so that the gnosis and love of the one who invokes it is strengthened, and he is drawn ever closer to God. The sign of love is the frequent invocation of the Beloved; the sign of increase is the frequent offering of thanks to Him; the sign of grace is obedience to His commands and prohibitions; and the sign of contentment is the offering of worship to Him at the appropriate times, and the preference of good to evil.

…and while being captivated by the brilliance of Shaykh ibn Ata Allah’s wisdom…here is more to ponder anabling us to draw closer…

Hikma 23

Do not look forward to being free of alterities (al-aghyar)* for that is indeed what cuts you off from vigilant attention (al-muraqaba) to Him in that very state He has assigned to you. *The word ‘alterities’ implies multiplicity, which is characteristic of the world. It refers to all that which preoccupies the heart and prevents it from being exclusively attentive towards the Divine Presence. The word being multiple by its very nature, there is no point in looking forward to freedom from its attractive pull; rather one should be vigilantly attentive now to the Presence in the heart, for that is what really counts.

Hikma 24

So long as you are in this world, be not surprised at the existence of sorrows. For, truly, it manifests nothing but what is in keeping with its character or its inevitable nature. Note: This Hikma is related to no.23, for it spells out the nature of the world, which is not God. Not being, on its own plane, the Divinity, it is necessarily compounded of joys and sorrows, for God alone is pure bliss. Useless, is it then, to wish an absolute perfection for the world: not being God, it cannot be but be imperfect. If it were perfect, it would be God, which is an impossibility, for there are not two ‘Gods,’

Source: Ibn Ata Allah al-Iskandari’s Kitab al-Hikam (or from Book Depository offering free world wide shipping )

…and must have on the bookshelf, Sidi Khalid Williams translations:

Muhammad: The Perfect Man

Our Master Muhammad two volumes.

O you who believe, remember Allah with much remembrance (33:41)

JUMA’AH MUBARAK!

 …apologies for not knowing the source of the image…but sincere appreciation to the photographer…

All good is from Allah Ta’ala whereas mistakes are from this humble speck. May Allah Ta’ala Bless all readers, bringing you all closer to Him and His Rasul SallAllahu alaihi wasallam.  May He accept our humble efforts and grant us the capacity to be good and do good. Ameen.

…when the diamond came to the world…

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…such a magnificent blessing from our Rabb Subhanahu wa Ta’ala…gifting the world with the most illustrious of gems, SallAllahu alaihi wassalam…

As a prism that opens light’s essence

and voids it on the sea of manifestation,

beautifying all that it shines on.

…allow this radiance to permeate your being with the following excerpt…

 

If worship is the purpose of creation, then the Founder is the purpose of creation

The baby cries for its mother because it knows that without her it would not exist. Everything in the universe cries likewise, brokenhearted when she is out of sight, exhilarated when she is present. This is the heart of ‘praise’. The Qur’an reminds us that ‘God if the light of the heavens and the earth,’ and shortly after adds this:

Have you not seen that all that is in the heavens and the earth glorifies God? The birds as they spread their wings? Every creature knows its prayer and its praise, and God knows what they are doing. (24:41)

In several famous Hadith the Holy Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wassalam picks up some pebbles and allows the Companions to hear them praising God in his hand. Imam al-Suyuti explains that tasbih al-hasa, the praise of the pebbles, is not in itself classified as a ‘norm-breaking’ miracle, since pebbles, like all else in God’s world, are constantly praising Him:

There is not a single thing that is not chanting His praise, it is just that you do not understand their praise (17:44)

Instead, the miracle comprises the Companion’s ability to hear it.

This is confirmed by the following description of the Prophet David Alaihis Salam:

We subjected the mountains with him, which would glorify God by evening and morning (21:79)

The phrasing of this, according to the commentaries, indicates that he could hear them; and this was his miracle.

Praise and worship, being an entity’s highest testimony to its own nature, compromise the real function of the world, and display each entity in its truest, that is, most beautiful state. But because each entity represents a different degree of interaction among the Divine names, some entities praise their Source more ‘beautifully’ than others, Where the interaction reflects the greatest degree of plenitude, the praise is most beautiful, and hence the Holy Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wassalam is the ‘man of praise’, as his names Muhammad and Ahmad indicate. In himself he shows why things exist.

Before the making of stars and oceans,

Reality created a light from Its Light,

a perfect mirror of Eternal Beauty,

a pearl of never-breaking whiteness.

From it all colours arise,

As a prism that opens light’s essence

and voids it on the sea of manifestation,

beautifying all that it shines on.

And when the diamond came to the world,

the most perfect creation in human form

gathered in himself the beauty of the whole universe,

the fullest mercy of the All-Merciful.

His names comprehend but one point of his essence:

The Beloved of God, he who always forgives,

The Torch of the path, the Praised one.

He where everything gathers.

It’s impossible to understand any virtue

but through his perfect example;

in him the most beautiful qualities

were completed in their purity.

(Emilio Alzueta)

…from Commentary on the Eleventh Contentions by Abdal Hakim Murad

…more contentions from the genius mind of Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad here, and an insightful article via from Seekers Guidance here.

…celebrate your love for the diamond that was sent to the world to illuminate hearts, by contributing to  Imam Zaid’s initiative of sending a billion salawat on our Beloved Messeneger SallAllahu alaihi wassalam…

JUMA’AH MUBARAK!

 [click images for source]

 

All good is from Allah Ta’ala whereas mistakes are from this humble speck. May Allah Ta’ala Bless all readers, bringing you all closer to Him and His Rasul SallAllahu alaihi wasallam.  May He accept our humble efforts and grant us the capacity to be good and do good. Ameen.

…Hadramawt connections…

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…sitting here with blessed visitors the conversation was constantly glittered with SubhanAllah superlatives…the heart and soul tugging strings that were  anchoring us to how we were perceiving what was around us…however allowing these strings to be released one is able to descend beyond the real and to be free to be transported back in time…imagine…even  a thousand years before our Beloved Rasul SallAllahu alaihi wasallam a letter being stored in the area approximately corresponding to the right edge of this photo…the place marking where the house of Abu Ayyub Ansari RadhiAllahu anhu’s house was…imagine even then, of some one realizing the sacredness of the Mubarak dust of this Enlightened City (link to a moving five minute clip with Shaykh Ibrahim Osi-Efa…a MUST watch!)….imagine a love so intense for one who was a thousand years away from entering this world, and yet believing in him and seeking his intercession…read of the incredible story of a Yemeni King who sent a letter to our Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam a thousand years before his birth, seeking his intercession! And Allah the Almighty knows best of the authenticity of this account…

They took the soil of Medina and smelled it…they wished to live in Medina and stated that if they were fortunate, one day they would meet the Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam. But if they didn’t, the dust from the Holy Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam’s sandals would land on their graves. This at least, they thought, would bring blessings and be their salvation.

~*~

…imagine hearing the Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam saying: ‘I can smell the beauty of my friend from the land of Yemen’…and ‘I feel a sweet, peaceful breeze (naseem-e-rehmat) from Yemen’…while referring to the esteemed Owais al-Qarni who never sighted our Beloved Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam, but whose love was so intense and would invoke Allah Ta’ala:

“O Allah, You created me when I was not worthy of mention;
And You provided for me when I had nothing;
And I wronged my soul and sinned, and I confess my guilt.
If You forgive me, that will in no way diminish Your sovereignty;
And if You punish me, that will in no way augment Your authority.
You can find others to punish besides me,
But I can find no one to forgive me but You.
Truly, You are the most merciful of those who show mercy.”

~*~

…imagine the immense blessings and honour that Allah the Most High has bestowed upon the lands of Yemen and giving it a unique status that no other place, besides the two sacred cities of Makkah and Madinah, enjoys…read about these from the serene and tranquil Tarim, where the family of our Beloved Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam continue with teaching and living his  noble Sunnah… whose gems and treasures can be found in these pages: Habib ‘Umar, Habib Ali, Habib Kadhim al-Saqqaf…may Allah Ta’ala preserve and sanctify their secrets, Ameen…

…so vicariously sit right now…give freedom to the heart and soul to journey back in time and space and imbibe in Hadramawti love and belief…and then access the wealth of knowledge that continues to flow from this Mubarak land via the noble lineage of our Beloved Rasul SallAllahu alaihi wasallam…and Insha’Allah make Du’a for them and for all students sacrificing for the Deen as they study there, Ameen…

JUMA’AH MUBARAK!

 

…an archival photo…

All good is from Allah Ta’ala whereas mistakes are from this humble speck. May Allah Ta’ala Bless all readers, bringing you all closer to Him and His Rasul SallAllahu alaihi wasallam.  May He accept our humble efforts and grant us the capacity to be good and do good. Ameen.

…preparation…

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…so the Scared Month of Rajab is nigh…the month of preparation that leads to Ramadhan…time to exert effort on the heart…weeding out all that distances us from Allah Ta’ala…it is said Rajab is Allah Ta’ala’s month…

Rajab is Allah’s month in which He pours His Mercy upon the penitent and He accepts the actions that people have done for His sake. The Prophet, peace and mercy be upon him, said, “Rajab is the month of Allah, and Sha’aban is my month, and Ramadan is the month of my Ummah.” (Imam Al-Suyuti in Al-Jami )

…Mercy POURED on the repentant…who doesn’t want Mercy poured on them and actions accepted?…purposeful actions that earn favours and reward and not chastisement…make the intention to prepare for a month of excessive Istighfar, fasting, polishing the heart…

…and Imam Abu Bakr al-Warraq said: “in the month of Rajab you sow the seeds, in Sha`ban you irrigate them and in Ramadan you reap the harvest.” He also said: “Rajab is like a wind, Sha`ban is like a cloud and Ramadan is like rain.”

…so what preparations are we willing to make…we prepare for so many events, occasions, celebrations that are of the Dunya kind…can we extend the concept of preparation to embrace all that will benefit our Akhirah?

…what is the distance between our tongue being motivated by our heart to be uttering copious Istighfar and the actualization of this during this month of forgiveness…

…this is the month when our Noble Nabi SallAllahu alaihi wasallam and his Sahabah RadhiAllahu anhum travelled the enormous distance to Tabuk, it was the last battle Rasulullah SallAllahu alaihi wasallam participated in…what distances do we travel for the cause of our Deen…what is the distance between us knowing what the Sunnah is and actually practicing it…

…the distance is but a few moments before Ramadhan…what distance lies between us and our readiness for this joyous visitor…the month of the Qur’an…the month of purifying…what distance have we stepped in preparation…

…the shortest distance between a problem and it’s solution is the distance between your knees and the floor… the one who kneels to Allah Ta’ala can stand up to anything…how much are we prepared to kneel this month?

…and what is the distance between the drop as it becomes the ocean…what distance are you experiencing right now??

…and recall it was during this month of Rajab that our Beloved Rasul SallAllahu alaihi wasallam was conceived and when he rode the Buraq to meet His Rabb Subhanahu wa Ta’ala…a distance we can only barely imagine…and yet Rasulullah SallAllahu alaihi wasallam

was at a distance of two bows’ length or (even) nearer.
(53:9)

…Insha’Allah, may the distance between us all, and all that brings a nearness to Allah Ta’ala and His Rasul SallAllahu alaihi wasallam be forever decreasing, and may our Jannah be where there is no distance between us and our Rabb and our Blessed Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam, Ameen.

…from this previous post…

 …other entries for Rajab, 1,2,3, and practical reminders, advice and wisdom for welcoming the first of the sacred months at the Interpreter’s Path…and Habib ‘Umar’s (may Allah Ta’ala preserve and sanctify him and his) latest advice in Returning to Allah in Repentance in Rajab delivered in Tarim on 18th May…Masha’Allah!

All good is from Allah Ta’ala whereas mistakes are from this humble speck. May Allah Ta’ala Bless all readers, bringing you all closer to Him and His Rasul SallAllahu alaihi wasallam.  May He accept our humble efforts and grant us the capacity to be good and do good. Ameen.

…AL HAKIM…

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…studying the 99 Beautiful Names of Allah with Shaykh Yahya Rhodus through Seekers Guidance has been incredibly enlightening, Masha’Allah…the course has been based on Imam Ghazali’s text, The Ninety-Nine Beautiful Names of God…there is a final intensive session later this evening, 8pm Madinah time, Insha’Allah…Allahu ‘Alum, I think it is open for all to log in…

…Imam Ghazali’s notes on the Beautiful Name AL HAKIM included the following which washed over the heart as soft silk fluttering in a perfumed breeze…

AL HAKIM…the Wise…is the one who possesses wisdom. Wisdom is equivalent to knowledge of superior things through the highest modes of knowing. But the most sublime thing of all is God…may He be praised. And we have seen that no-one other than He can truly know Him. He is the truly wise because He knows the most sublime things by the most sublime modes of knowing.

…he then offers counsel for this Name:

Whoever knows all things without knowing God, great and glorious, is not worthy to be called wise, because he does not know the most sublime and highest of things.

and then Imam Ghazali shares the following from our Beloved Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam:

‘the beginning of wisdom is the fear of God’
‘The shrewd man is one who judges his soul and works for whatever comes after death, while the incompetent subordinates his soul to its passions and hopes in God’
‘That which is little yet sufficient is better than a great deal which distracts.’
‘For one who becomes healthy in his body, safe in his surroundings with his daily food, it is as thought the world in its totality belongs to him.’
‘Be godfearing (wari) and you will be the most worshipful of people; be content and you will be the most grateful of people.’

‘speech is responsible for misfortune.’
‘Part of the attractiveness of man’s Islam is to leave alone that which does not concern him.’
‘The happy man is one who is instructed by [the fate of] another.’
‘Silence is wisdom, but few accomplish it.’
‘Contentment is a wealth that will not be consumed.’
‘Perseverance is half of faith; certainty is the whole of faith.’

These expressions and their like are termed wisdom, and whoever is adept at them is called wise.

…Insha’Allah may we all gain a closeness to our Rabb Subhanahu wa Ta’ala by pondering on His Attributes through His most Beautiful Names…let us draw nearer and nearer to Him by reciting His Name and His Attributes so that we begin to feel that we not only know the Name, but also the Named,  Ameen…

…click on these stunning art works for source…

…increase your bank of knowledge and Insha’Allah your wisdom by being a student enrolling with Seekers Guidance courses…where they promote Knowledge without Boundaries by offering all course free…with donations gladly received…SubhanAllah…

All good is from Allah Ta’ala whereas mistakes are from this humble speck. May Allah Ta’ala Bless all readers, bringing you all closer to Him and His Rasul SallAllahu alaihi wasallam.  May He accept our humble efforts and grant us the capacity to be good and do good. Ameen.