Category Archives: Ya Rabb

…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.

…Muharram 1434…

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Resplendent beneath flaming skies

a pastiche of swirls and spirals

Your brushstrokes of vibrancy and hope

paint the most neglectful soul

Swirls and spirals surround your abode,

 as swirls of salutations spiral from around the globe

chants from hearts passionately drunk with your pristine light

an eminence no barriers can conceal.

A fragrance impossible to suppress

as multitudinous angel wings

sprinkle the earth and heavens

with impregnated dust

more precious than the entire creation

gathered from their never ceasing visits.

Ya Rabb! Caress the Taj of mankind, crowned by the qubba green.

Ya Rabb! Bless the flag bearer of righteousness whose name You inscribed on Your Arsh.

Ya Rabb! Shower Your favours on Your treasure whose name accompanies Yours in Salat, in the Adhan, in the Kalimah.

Ya Rabb! Bestow Your choicest praises on the one You have honoured in Your Sacred Speech,

Ya Rabb! Adorn Your Beloved, the first to ever be blessed by Your first ever blessing.

Ya Rabb! Raise Your Habib to a station far beyond the leaves of the tress in Your Garden that bear his name.

Ya Rabb! Glorify Your messenger, the spirit of justice, the bringer of peace, wisdom and truth, the paragon of all virtues.

Ya Rabb! As a Muharram gift unlock the shackles that hinder our closeness to Your shining star.

Our Lord! We believe in what You have Revealed and we follow the Messenger, so write us down among those who bear witness.  (3:53)

Ya Rabb! Etch the name of Your illustrious one in our hearts just as he has Your name embellished on his.

Ya Rabb! Bless us with an intimate nearness.

Bless Bless Bless this new year

 By painting hearts with fiery flames of infatuation

Ameen, Ameen, Ameen.

Allahumma Salli ‘alaa Sayyidina wa Maulana Muhammadin ‘adada maa fee ‘ilmillahi Salaatan daa’imatan bi dawaami mulk illah. 

JazaLlahu anna Sayyidina Muhammadun salaAllahu alayhi wasalama maa huwa ahluhu.

 MUHARRAM 1434 MUBARAK!

JUMA’AH MUBARAK!

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…see the edited ‘mega plans’ post for updates…

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.

…ending…waiting…

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Divine Blessings continue to shower upon us…Mercy rains pouring right now from heavy grey skies…the earth saturated leaving a squelchy ground and creation covered in  glistening sparkle…winter Down Under…a stark contrast from our Beloved Madinatun Nabi that is missed so much…the Shayateen still chained and bound but only for a few more blinks…the Heavens being decorated…and children’s excitedly bubbling with the expectation of the Night of Rewards and Eid…and rightly so for the dear little ones I am spending these last few days of our guest we anticipate all year…and which flies by far too quickly…

…how the heart rejoiced seeing their creative and innovative methods of recording their fasting days and their Taraweh Rak’ats…

…a honeyed reminder of this sweet-sweeter-sweetest post…

…may your memories be sprinkled with the sweetest of blessings…your Night of Rewards overflowing with the sweetest of surprises awaiting to be collected in the Garden of Bliss and your Eid the sweetest of celebrations…

…may these final Mubarak moments be spent continuing, and reflecting upon  the self purification process…begging efforts to be accepted…hopes high for exiting this Ramadhan with hearts purer than from when we entered…seeking forgiveness until the very end…imploring Allah Ta’ala to uplift our spiritual status…open doors of nearness never experienced before…crying for guidance, unity and peace for the entire Ummah…Ya Rabb, Ya Lateef…keep me awake to lament for my sins…keep my heart aflame with Your remembrance…with Your Book…with love for Your Habib SallAllahu alaihi wasallam…I am weak…You are strong…I am in need…You satiate the needy…I am mortal…You are Everlasting…

JUMA’AH MUBARAK!

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.

…sonance…

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…The sound system in Masjid al Haram Makkah is the biggest and the most robust sound system on planet earth. Nothing comes close to it at all. The second biggest being the one of Masjid Nabawi…this is the Imam’s Mihrab in Masjid Nabawi…

[detail of where microphones are placed for Ruku and Sajdah]

…SubhanAllah! The technology Allah Ta’ala has blessed the Ummah with so that Adhan and Salat can be heard by millions…not only those present in the Haramain, but for every Adhan and every Salat performed in both of our sacred mosques recordings are available for a billion plus across the entire planet, as well as live televised streams…SubhanAllah! Such is Allah Ta’ala’s mercy and generosity to His creation…

…the entire population of Madinah al Munawwarah would cry when they heard Bilal RadhiAllahu anhu call Adhan…who cries upon hearing this Mubarak call now?? Allah Ta’ala’s mercy is unlimited…it’s our hearts that need fine tuning, Insha’Allah…

…Adhan moves across the globe in never ending waves…rippling hearts from high mountain tops to the deepest of valleys, from elaborate mosques to humble shacks, from desert dwellings to bustling cities, from sophisticated sound systems to crackly recordings…

nevertheless…

…how wondrous it would have been…

…to hear Ibn Umar RadhiAllahu anhu narrate the following from our Noble Nabi SallAllahu alaihi wasallam:
“When the Muslims arrived at Medina, they used to assemble for the prayer, and used to guess the time for it. During those days, the practice of Adhan for the prayers had not been introduced yet. Once they discussed this problem regarding the call for prayer. Some people suggested the use of a bell like the Christians, others proposed a trumpet like the horn used by the Jews, but ‘Umar RadhiAllahu anhu was the first to suggest that a man should call the people for the prayer; so Allah’s Apostle ordered Bilal RadhiAllahu anhu to get up and pronounce the Adhan for prayers.”

[photo from the Mukabbarya platform, located where Bilal RadhiAllahu anhu would call Adhan for Juma'ah. Looking down onto Rowdha Shareef ]

…or to have heard Abu Hurairah RadhiAllahu anhu’s voice as he narrated what he had heard our Blessed Rasul SallAllahu alaihi wasallam say:

“When the Adhan is pronounced Satan takes to his heels and passes wind with noise during his flight in order not to hear the Adhan. When the Adhan is completed he comes back and again takes to his heels when the Iqama is pronounced and after its completion he returns again till he whispers into the heart of the person (to
divert his attention from his prayer) and makes him remember things which he does not recall to his mind before the prayer and that causes him to forget how much he has prayed.”

…or…”Any person who takes a bath on Friday like the bath of Janaba and then goes for the prayer in the first hour, it is as if he had sacrificed a camel in Allah’s cause; and whoever goes in the second hour it is as if he had sacrificed a cow; and whoever goes in the third hour, then it is as if he had sacrificed a horned ram; and if one goes in the fourth hour, then it is as if he had sacrificed a hen; and whoever goes in the fifth hour then it is as if he had offered an egg. When the Imam comes out to begin the Khutba, the angels present themselves to listen to the Khutba.”

…or to have heard the voice of Salman al Farisi RadhiAllahu anhu narrate that he heard our Beloved Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam say:

“Whoever takes a bath on Friday, purifies himself as much as he can, then uses hair oil or perfumes himself with the scent of his house, then proceeds for the Jumua prayer and does not separate two persons sitting together in the mosque, then prays as much as Allah has written for him and then remains silent while the Imam is delivering the Khutba, his sins in-between the present and the last Friday would be forgiven.”

…but surely a most awesome sound would be to hear our Beloved Al Mustafa SallAllahu alaihi wasallam saying:

“The person who recites Surah Kahf on Fridays, a Nur will appear for him from below the Arsh as high as the skies. This light will help him in the darkness of the day of resurrection . And all the sins which he may have committed from the last Friday till this Friday will be forgiven.”
…and…”Of all the days, Friday is the most virtuous. It is on this day that the trumpet will be blown. Send abundant salawaat upon me on Fridays because they are presented to me on that day.” The Sahabah  RadiAllahu anhum asked: “O Rasulullah! How will they be presented to you when even your bones will not be present after your death?” Rasulullah SallAllahu alaihi wasallam replied: “Allah Ta’ala has made the earth haraam upon the prophets forever.”

~*~

…O Lord, please send prayers upon Your comprehensive mercy, and Your complete blessing, and please send prayers upon the mercy to all wolds, O God of all worlds; prayers that keep on counting, and surround everything; and provide us from his blessings. And please open our hearts’ locks with keys from our love for him, and beautify (put “kohl” on) our insights’ eyes with his light, and purify our consciences’ secrets by his vision and closeness, so that we see nothing in existence save You through him, and from the slumber of our inattention we are alerted...

…O Lord, please send prayers upon the one who stood up and completed Your religion, and conveyed Your message, and clarified Your path, and delivered Your endowment, and set the proof for Your Solitariness, and affixed in hearts Your Oneness. He is Your secret preserved by Your Status and Majesty, crowned by the lights of Your secrets and beauty. O Lord, send prayers upon him as much as You cherish him...

Source

~*~

…an inspiring list of virtues for Yaumul Juma’ah here…

JUMA’AH MUBARAK!

…JazakumuLLahu khaira to Brother NK for sharing the sound system link, click for technical details and more photos…

…a previous sound post…and a previous Adhan post…

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.

…a symphony…

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Maghrib Symphony in Taqwa Major!

Cymbals crash,

a thundery pulse booms from the percussion instruments

orchestrated to accompany the falling sins as thousands wash, wipe, gargle and snuff

in preparation for meeting the One and Only to Whom we lower our lowly heads.

the strings hit notes of sublime majesty, coalescing with the celestial sounds of Angels’ wings

as they caress the Green Dome, dispatching Salam in numbers matching ocean bubbles,

to glide away with multifarious replies glittering as a concoction

of every shimmering dewdrop created, with the sparkle and twinkle

of the mass sum of constellations and the Milky Way.

thus is the lure of the Maghrib Symphony, played in Taqwa Major!

the lyrical grace notes suddenly slide into drums beating a marching, striding purposeful rhythm, mesmerizing and mobilizing feet of the devout.

wrinkled feet, white, black, brown feet. old, bare, painted, and stocking feet,

feet propelled;  dusty feet, cracked  feet, soft baby feet.

a maelstrom of patter, running, sauntering, shuffling magnetized momentum,

cymbals, timpani and tubular bells synchronize in surround sound.

the most blessed of earth records the identity of every present soul, witnessing.

every tiny pebble, every mote of dust, stretches of shiny marble, worn reflective concrete mirrors,

witnessing intentions of the reflective mirror of hearts protected in cages of ribs

as they beat on cue to an expected crescendo.

souls dance in anticipation of the ultimate bow of humility,

the bow to the unfurling of all veils

accompanied by a human chorus exalting …submitting.

a massed praising; a choral refrain of hushed mumbled glorifications

interspersed with delicate clicks of wood, stone, seeds and plastic.

the climax is imminent as sunlight weaves into twilight

sun slipping off stage behind a dusk curtain.

The Conductors baton is raised,

the giant tuning forks vibrate

the Universe vibrates……..

ALLAAHU AKBAR   A -L -L –A-A–H- U    A -K –B- A- R     A -L -L –A-A –H- U    A -K –B- A- R.

as-salatu wa salamu alaika Ya Sayyidy Ya Rasulullah

~*~

…YA RABB…Please answer all of the Du’as almiskeenah is making for all the very needy requests that have come her way these days….YA RABB PLEASE answer them favourably for all the ones asking and firmly plant Sakeenah in all hearts and lives. And for whatever outcomes You deem the best, through Your Wisdom, to be embraced with loving grace and submission …Ameen

~*~

…photos taken yesterday after Asr…words from a post way back when…

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 MUQSIT…

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…AL MUQSIT…Allah Ta’ala is the One who acts and distributes in justice and fairness…the Equitable…

He gives riches to some and poverty to others. He gives power to some, weakness to others, valour to some, fear to others. He gives what He gives to the right ones…

Allah Ta’ala treats His servants equitably. Not a single good goes unnoticed. Each receives a reward. Mistakes, errors, injustices are corrected. When people tryannize each other, He takes from the tyrant and gives to the tyrannized one.

Its perfection lies in linking the satisfaction of the wrongdoer [resulting from the crime] to the satisfaction of the one wronged, for that is the ultimate in justice and equity, yet none is capable of it but God, may He be praised and exalted.

An example of this may be found in what is related of the Prophet, may God’s blessing and peace be upon him, that once while he was seated he laughed so that his teeth showed, and ‘Umar, may God be pleased with him, said” ‘My father and my mother be your ransom, O Messenger of God: what is it that made you laugh?’ He said: ‘Two men from my community fell on their knees before the Lord of Power, and one of them said: “O Lord, let this one make restitution to me for the way he has wronged me.” And God, great and glorious , said: “Make restitution to your brother fro the wrong you did to him.” And he said: “O Lord, I have no good deeds left.” Sp He said, the great and glorious One, to the petitioner: “How will you manage with your brother since he has no good deeds left?” And that one said: “O Lord, let him relieve me of some of my burden of sin.” Then the Messenger of God began to weep, may God’s blessing and peace be upon him, and said: ‘What a mighty day that will be, when people will need others to relieve them of their burdens!’ He went on to say: ‘So God, great and glorious, said to the one who had been wronged: “Lift your eyes and look into Paradise.”

…a compilation from Imam Ghazali and Shaykh Tosun Bayrak‘s writings on the Glorious 99 Names, May Allah Ta’ala’s mercy shower them both…

…Shaykh Yahya Rhodus at this point in the lesson said (paraphrased) that to make another Muslim feel bad is worse than if you were to tear the Ka’abah apart stone by stone! And that true chivalry is to make Du’a for the one who has harmed you to enter Jannah, not, due to revenge, to make Du’a for them to enter Jahannam!

…Insha’Allah let us ponder upon the attributes of AL MUQSIT in relation to our state right now…

JUMA’AH MUBARAK!

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.