Monthly Archives: August 2011

Eidul Fitr Mubarak 1432…and…and…and

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EID SAEED!
EID MUBARAK!
EID KAREEM!

One Eid the Abbasid Caliph Harun al-Rashid donned his splendid imperial robes, mounted his horse and rode into the street. The soldiers cleared the Sultan’s path, while the people gave him an ovation, gazing admiringly at his beautifully embroidered robes. At that moment Bahlul the Wise Fool barred the Sultan’s progress, reciting some stanzas containing guidance for Harun and, through him, for us. The gist of them was as follows:

The Festival is not a matter of dressing up in

fine new clothes.

The Festival is celebrated by serving Allah

and being aware of your Lord.

To celebrate the Festival is to be Sultan of the

heart, not Sultan of the realm.

Sultans of the realm pass into oblivion, but the

Sultan of the heart is never forgotten.

To celebrate the Festival is to be delivered from the

divine punishment at the Resurrection.

The Festival is not a matter of wearing perfumes, but

of being sorry for one’s sins,

repenting and not committing them again.

The Festival is not about riding on horseback, but about

giving up faults.

The Festival is not about sitting on the imperial throne,

but about crossing the dreadful Bridge,

to sit on the thrones of Paradise.

The Festival is celebrated not by boasting of palaces

and power, but by bringing the light

to the darkness of the tomb and equipping

it through good works.

This brought Harun al-Rashid to tears.

~*~

…moonsighting…

So the natural question is – is there some problem in the Saudi announcement?

…from an article on issues with Saudi moonsighting…or rather lack thereof…and from here…

Astronomical data is very clear that there is no Hilal sighting possible in Saudi Arabia on that day, but as the day of Eid has already been fixed, that is the announcement we will hear.

~*~

…more demolition/construction planned for Masjid al-Haram…more years of jack hammering and dust…do visit these sites for frequent and informative updates…a new thread just for the Mataf expansion project…and the Holy Mosque Expansion thread …where there are clips of the King receiving details of the Mataf proposal (Arabic)…

~*~

… and is this the answer to the overcrowding?…very doubtful…pilgrims come to be in Masjid Al-Haram…not ‘vast’ mosques away from the Ka’abah…and until the chaotic traffic woes are alleviated then the push to continually increase the number of pilgrims in both Makkah and Madinah is inexpedient…

A former Makkah mayor has proposed the construction of seven vast mosques in prime locations within the Haram area in order to avoid the overcrowding of pilgrims and worshippers at the Grand Mosque.

~*~

…and…huge JazakiLlahu khairan katheerans for sweet Bint A for sharing her joyous Eid Mubarak artwork! Masha’Allah for the creativity of our little ones of the Ummah, may Allah Ta’ala always bless and guide them on the Straight Path, and intensify their love for Him SubhanAllah Wa Ta’ala and His Habib SallAllahu alaihi wasallam, Ameen.

~*~

…and…this humble speck will be ‘away’ for a short time…

~*~

…and…a few days left before nominations for the annual Brass Crescent awards close…

~*~

…and now may intentions turn to the Mubarak six fasts of Shawwal, Insha’Allah!

~*~

Kul ‘Aam wa Antum BiKhair

Taqabal Allahu Minna wa Minkum

~*~

So Insha’Allah celebrate by serving Allah and being aware of your Lord.

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 garden in blossom

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This body is a dwelling of the true Lord, and my heart like a garden in blossom.

Within it are fountains, within it are prayer grounds, within it places to bow down in prayer.

Within it is the Ka’ba, within it the qibla, within it the cries of “Only Allah!”

I found the Perfect Guide, Bahu, He alone will take care of me.

Death Before Dying, The Sufi Poems of Sultan Bahu. And here for a Bahu Ramadhan story of The Cave and the Deer.

…check if the blossoms in the garden of your heart, during these last moments of our cherished guest, are bursting with Sakeenah, Taqwa, good deeds. Or with the sweet scent of words crying to Allah Ta’ala asking for Hidayah across the world, for Tawfiq in all our affairs, for Iman that is forever on the increase.

…or do the fountains splash with the coolness of repentance and whispers of ‘Ya Rabb, assist us to please You until You are pleased with us, Ya Rabb, make us of those who are rightly guided.’

…Insha’Allah peek in all the nooks and crannies of your inner garden where you will find the Perfect Guide in full bloom…

Laylatul Qadr in Masjid al-Haram from Arab News, where millions, appeared in unison as one giant unfolding blossom…

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-’AFUW and LAYLATUL QADR

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“What do you recommend for me if I find Laylatul Qadr?” is what our Noble Lady Aishah RadhiAllahu anha asked of our Beloved Rasul SallAllahu alaihi wasallam, whereupon he said:

Allahumma Innaka ‘Affuwan Tuhibbul ‘Afwa Fa’Fu Anni

O Allah, You are the One Who forgives and loves to forgive, so forgive me.

Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala is the Forgiver, the Eliminator of sins.

Al-’Afuw is the opposite of al-Muntaqim, the Avenger. Its meaning is close to that of al-Ghafur, the All-Forgiving One, only it is more intensive. The root for Ghafur means to overlook sins, while the root of the word ‘Afuw means to destroy, eliminate sins. In the first instance the overlooked sins still exist; in the second, the eliminated sins disappear.

Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala loves to forgive, to erase sins. He does not often punish the ones who deny, the ones who revolt. He accepts their recognition of their sins as repentance. He erases their sins.  Instead of punishment, He bestows His bounties upon them.

There is a secret in His delaying punishment and forgiving sins. In teaching us that Hellfire is there, He is teaching us that there are ways to salvation. It is like an announcement by a rich, generous, compassionate being, declaring: Our doors are open, our tables set. The one who accepts this invitation is welcome, and we do not reproach those who do not come to feast.

Allah Ta’ala’s bounties in this world, which are temporal, are nothing in comparison to those promised in Paradise. The forgiving of sins is an encouragement to the deniers to change their ways, to come to the Straight Path, to Paradise. Allah Ta’ala’s infinite mercy is certainly more than the sins of His servants. His doors are always open to the ones who choose to enter.

But those who are blind and deaf to the warning that is the compassion, mercy and forgiveness of Allah Ta’ala, who persist in their infidelity and denial, who find justification for their denial in their repeatedly being forgiven, who are spoiled, who take pleasure in sinning, who try to lead others astray-they will finally be punished in this world by drowning in the gold they have accumulated, and in the Hereafter by the Hellfire. That punishment does not negate the attributes of the Forgiving One, the Eliminator of sins, but it is a manifestation of His beautiful name, the Just. Good and Bad are not the same. If it were made to appear so, it might cause confusion in the mind of the good servant.

Source


Allah Ta’ala in His Divine Speech:

Those Angels who carry the ‘Arsh and this who surround it celebrate the praise if their Lord and have faith in Him. They beg forgiveness for the believers: ‘Our Lord, You embrace all things in mercy and knowledge, so forgive those who turn to you and follow Your path...(40:7)

SubhanAllah…Angels begging for our forgiveness…so all the more we should be begging AL-’AFUW, the the Forgiver, the Eliminator of sins to completely eradicate our sins during this

Night of Glory is better than a thousand months (97:3)

Laylatul Qadr is moments away…do we want our sins eliminated, to be totally wiped away? or merely covered up? The excessive repetition of the Du’a our Blessed Nabi SallAllahu alaihi wasallam taught Ummul Mu’mineeen, Aishah RadhiAllah anha during these final nights of this Mubarak month, Insha’Allah will lead to the distribution of priceless prizes.

Laylatul Qadr…better than a thousand months of worshipping Allah Ta’ala! One night from dusk to dawn equivalent to 83 years and four months recorded as worship!

Insha’Allah invest seven minutes watching Ustadh Sulayman Muhammad, from Qibla, give a succinct lesson from Juz 24, illuminating forgiveness and the importance of Laylatul Qadr.

The Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam taught people to seek forgiveness on this sacred and blessed occasion. In explaining the wisdom in this Prophetic teaching the Muhaditheen have stated that all through Ramadhan and in particular the last Ashara and Laylatul Qadr, the servants have strived and endeavoured greatly in worship and there was real danger that they may begin to rely on their actions (and believe these were enough) and turn their hope away for Allah Ta’ala’s mercy and grace. However in reality who can undertake deeds worthy of His Court and thank Him for for even one of His blessings? Therefore when the human cannot count all the blessings of Allah Ta’ala how can he show gratitude for them all! The lesson here is that those who have lots of sins should seek Allah Ta’ala’s forgiveness rather than His pleasure.

Source

SubhanAllah…how Allah Ta’ala LOVES to listen to us begging His forgiveness…

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.

…throbbing nucleus…

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…may all hearts throb with the LIGHT and LOVE of Allah Ta’ala just as BaituLlah is during these most auspicious nights…Ameen

Source

…these last two photos are pre-Ramadhan shots, but are also symbolic of the central spiritual nucleus BaituLlah is in our lives…click for the source, along with a comprehensive gallery of other photos, old and new, of Masjid al-Haram…

…oh that the whole year were Ramadhan, as our Beloved Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam said we would wish for, if only we knew it’s importance…SubhanAllah! how the heart throbs like no other time…

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.

…more Ramadhan Makkah…

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…the police, civil defense and commando presence this year was exemplary…effective strategies for crowd control are being adopted with positive improvements…Insha’Allah these efforts continue to be implemented…the police would form a human ‘wall’ by holding hands, creating barriers that people could not penetrate…as seen in the photo above and below…

…they were also far more diligent with maintaining corridors inside the Masjid…

…here the crowd is pouring out from the Malikul Fahd door…but there were times prior to Salat, when a ‘wall’ was made with shoulder to shoulder police blocking any trying to enter as the red lights indicating the area had reached capacity were on, as seen above…

…whatever one opines…it is imposing…with more in progress…

…see the open balcony on the top of this protruding darker marble central facade? That’s where this speck stayed with the entire expanse of that balcony at our disposal!! SubhanAllah! The prayer hall for brothers is on the floor above and the sister’s prayer another floor above that. A Fatwa has been made saying Salat behind the Imam is acceptable from these prayer halls…

…first decorative feature appearing on the new expansion…

…seen lit here from the opposite direction…maybe this was featured for the laying of the official foundation stone by the King on Juma’ah…see article here which includes a model of the completed expansion…

…taken after ten Rak’ats of Taraweh to show how the central area of the Zamzam tower becomes an extension of the Masjid…sisters were in a large group behind the brothers…

Statistics show that the number of people performing Umrah during the Ramadan season has reached 4 million during the first half of the holy month. They also show estimates of pilgrims spending more than SR4 billion on gifts and souvenirs.

…it is so obvious being there that the official designated area for worship is totally inadequate, and even when the vast extension is ready, with the anticipated projected numbers in the future, streets and shopping complexes may still be overflowing…Allahu ‘alum…

…at random times during the night the glass bulb section above the clock face sparkled like a huge diamond and different beams of light circled the sky…

…Tawaf was dense 24/7, Masha’Allah…

…and even though the last ten day Itikaf had not begun, the floor was a carpet of bodies throughout the Masjid…

…a blurry image from the very cool basement…this vast expanse was fully occupied…

…the attention to cleanliness was immaculate…

…the Hole Qur’an in Braille…Alhumdulillah!

As the hour of union gets closer

the fire of desire burns fiercer

(Ishatul Lumaat)

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.

…drowned in a sea of forgiveness…

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…throngs seeking forgiveness during the middle ten days poured into Makkah Mukarramah…

…immediately after Asr Salat sufrahs would be placed and the faithful would begin to patiently wait for the traditional firing of the canon from a nearby mountain, and Adhan…farewelling another day of abstinence…

…the gradual filling of spaces was an unfolding emotional scene…

…day after day…it is no less than a miracle…

…hundreds of nationalities, oblivious to heat, distance, extreme traffic jams gather solely  seeking Allah Ta’ala’s favours, following His commands and rejoicing in the recitation of His Divine Words…

…view the gradual build up over the space of more than two hours…

…captured from this private balcony on the eighth floor of the central tower of the Abraj al-Bait…

…this Sufrah was on the main walkway leading to the entrance of the Abraj al-Bait…with the courtyard not being sufficient for the crowds, worshippers spread far into the adjoining streets, and the main shopping hall…all becoming an extension of Masjid al-Haram…

…the density by the time for Taraweh…

…Alf alf alf alf, a zillion times alf ShukriLlah for the unexpected blessing of being invited…three plans were aborted in the effort to be in Makkah for an Umrah during Ramadhan…on the third cancelled possibility a very teary Du’a was made at Iftar begging Allah Ta’ala to see the intention in my heart to be called…no sooner had I finished this Du’a and dried the tears when a friend called saying they had an apartment overlooking Haram and extending the invitation to be with them, SubhanAllah…even begging that I remain there until Eid…but being back in the City of Light, with our Beloved Rasulullah SallAllahu alaihi wasallam had the greater pull…

…when going for Iftar today, seeing these two young lads struggling with a laden trolley, the heart was bursting with such bliss…

~*~

…Alhumdulillah we are now in the last ten days…Insha’Allah we are ALL granted freedom form the Fire…Qiyamul Layl begins in the Haramain, along with Itikaf…and the search for Laylatul Qadr…SubhanAllah…profound gifts to be distributed…may devotions increase and all promises be granted to you and all your near and dear, Ameen…

~*~

…apart from some more photos from this humble specks blessed time in Makkah Mukarramah, this space may be on hold until our Mubarak guest has left for another year…

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.

Hajj with Rasulullah SallAllahu alaihi wasallam

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Ibn `Abbâs relates that Allah’s Messenger SallAllahu alaihi wasallam asked a woman from Madinah: “What prevented you from embarking on the Hajj pilgrimage with us?”
She replied: “We had two camels. My husband and child took one and left the other for the rest of us to ride on.”
The Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam then told her: “When the month of Ramadan arrives, go for ‘Umrah, because `Umrah in Ramadan is like accompanying me on Hajj.” [Sahih al-Bukhari]

Alhumdulillah this speck has been beckoned to accompany the Beloved Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallamon Hajj, SubhanAllah…along with the millions who have been in Makkah and who will be there in the second half of this Mubarak month…Insha’Allah performing Umrah as though we are with Al-Mustafa SallAllahu alaihi wasallam…the heart soars…the emotions are giddy…the praises never enough…

The above is a screen grab from part five of Expansion of the Two Holy Mosques in Mecca and Madina. Such a contrast to the throng of faithful now…

…from the Makkah Live Stream…

…these are also from the same video clip…

…this was Sa’i…in the open…

…with markets running parallel to it…so not much has changed regarding the close proximity of markets to Haram…

Links to the other parts in the series…there is am emphasis on the engineering and technical aspects but all are fascinating…1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7.

Insha’Allah there will be more added to the expansion series covering the current King Abdullah project…it is said the King will be officially laying the foundations stone in the coming days.

This is how some will be spending their Ramadhan days: luxury hotels.

While the suffering across the world is heart wrenching…Brother/Doctor Ikramuddin has long been a follower of this space. Today I received this message from him:

I pray this reaches you all in the highest state of Iman and the best of health. By the Mercy of Allah Ta’ala I was able to travel into Mogadishu, Somalia to help provide medical aid at some of the IDP camps housing the nearly 1 million people who have poured into the city desperately seeking food and water.

I’ve witnessed things I’ve never before seen, the heartbreaking suffering of the children is beyond imagine… and thus this message to you all. I know that people are always asking for donations and financial aid, but when seeing 2 yr old children weighing 3kg (the weight of a newborn child) or children who haven’t even the strength to stand on their own two legs, the least I can do is remind people of the reality of the situation.

Please pray for these people and secondly please donate. I am volunteering with Islamic Relief and can vouch for the tremendous work being done.

www.islamicreliefcanada.org

If anybody is interested in the specific medical projects we are involved in, please feel free to ask.

So Insha’Allah, wherever we are, may a major part of our Du’a be for all facing severe hardships…may our individual efforts of self reformation and purification during the fast disappearing time of Ramadhan be transformational, so that Allah Ta’ala sees the change in our dead hearts and thus changes the conditions around us.

And be heedful of our Beloved Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam’s words: ‘The best charity is that given in Ramadhan’, (At-Tirmithi) so Insha’Allah, reach depths of generosity never tapped before.

We have been blessed with reaching  half way…so whatever deeds we may have accumulated this far, may they be multiplied manifold times, as we turn our hearts, thoughts and our wealth to all who are facing dire circumstances, Ameen.

Raise your hands now, as this speck will be focusing on at BaituLlah

DU’A DU’A DU’A

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.