Jumu‘a Mubaraka!

What greater gift than to know my self?  

Ramadan is a month of my deepest, richest, self discovery. 

How? A hadith teaches that the Shayatin are chained in this month. With the usual suspects in jail, there’s only one culprit: me.

Ramadan is my truest mirror.  What I think, feel and want during this month tells me a lot about who I truly am.  

If the reflection in the mirror is less than flattering, then what? Gloom? No. 

The texts speak of so many gifts: The doors to Paradise (and good) are wide open; the doors to Hell (and evil) are shut. The du’a of the fasting person is always accepted.  To give a fasting person something for iftar is rewarded with Sayyiduna Jibril (‘alayhi al-salam) shaking my hand and softening my heart (to change it).

If I seek the best version of me, what better opportunity than Ramadan?

Let’s not forget to recite Surat al-Kahf today and send abundant salawat on Rasūlillah ﷺ.

BarakAllahu Fikum!

Jumu‘a Mubaraka!

Ramadan requires a plan. 

For a sample: https://shaykhmokhtar.com/writings/commentaries/articles/ten-tombstones-of-ramadans-past

Next, I must incorporate some essential self-help principles into my plan.  Without them, my plan will falter.  

At the very least, I need to self-talk daily: bind my self to practicing my plan (musharata), be vigilant as I practice it (muraqaba), and hold my self to account for mis-steps (muhasaba).

All the principles involve a dialogue with my nafs — the major obstacle to my success. 

I can customize these principles:  a checklist; a day-plan; pair up with a spiritual buddy; or any other system. 

I am not incapable. Allah has placed tremendous potential within me. I must reach for it.  

If I come to Him walking, He comes to me running. 

And those who strive seeking Us, We will certainly guide them to Our ways. And indeed, Allah is with those who exert to do good. (29:69)

BarakAllahu Fikum!

Jumu‘a Mubaraka!

The following hadith is narrated in multiple sources.  When Rasulullah ﷺ was victorious in the battle of Hunayn, he set aside the spoils of war – valued today as tens of millions of dollars – hoping to return them to their owners. However, those who fought him remained defiant.  The text reads:

When Rasulullah ﷺ distributed the spoils of war to the Quraysh and other Arab tribes, and when he did not apportion any to the Ansar, a group of the Ansar felt some discomfort.  People among them began to speak.  One of them said: “Rasulullah ﷺ has been reunited with his people.”

Sa‘d ibn ‘Ubadah (radiallaho ‘anho) came to Rasulullah ﷺ. He said: “O Rasulullah ﷺ, this group of the Ansar is discomforted by your distribution of the spoils.  You distributed it amongst your people and gave a large share to the Arab tribes. And this group of the Ansar did not receive any.”

Rasulullah ﷺ said: “Where do you stand in this matter, O Sa‘d?”  Sa‘d (radiallaho ‘anho) said: “O Rasulullah ﷺ, I am but a man of my people.”

He ﷺ said: “Gather your people for me in the enclosure.” Sa‘d (radiallaho ‘anho) gathered the Ansar.  Some Muhajirun came and were allowed to enter; others came but were not allowed. Once they were all gathered, Sa‘d (radiallaho ‘anho) went to Rasulullah ﷺ and said: “This group of the Ansar has been gathered.” Rasulullah ﷺ went to them. After praising and thanking Allah, he said:

“O Ansar, what is this news that reached me – that you felt unease regarding the decision I made?”

“Did I not come to you while you were astray, and Allah guided you? Did I not come to you while you were destitute, and Allah enriched you? Did I not come to you while you were mutual enemies, and Allah reconciled your hearts?”

The Ansar said: “Most certainly. To Allah and His Rasul belongs all grace and goodness.”

He ﷺ said: “Why do you not make your case to me, O Ansar?”

They said: “How would we respond to you, O Rasulullah. To Allah and His Rasul belongs all grace and goodness.”

He ﷺ said: “If you wished you could say the following, and you would be truthful and you would be believed.  You could say: You came to us belied and we believed in you; you came to us abandoned and we assisted you; you came to us expelled and we granted you sanctuary; and you came to us deprived and we consoled you.” 

“O Ansar, have you found unease against me regarding the residues of this world that I gave to a people to reconcile their hearts in order they accept faith? While I left you to the strength of your faith?  Are you not pleased, O Ansar, that some people would return with livestock and camels, and you would return back with Rasulullah as your share?”

“By the One in Whose hand is Muhammad, the Ansar are inner garments and people are outer-wear. Were it were not for the hijra, I would be a man of the Ansar.  If all people took a path through a particular valley, I would take a path through the valley of the Ansar. O Allah, have loving-mercy on the Ansar, the children of the Ansar, and the children of the children of the Ansar.”

Everyone cried until their beards were soaked with tears. They said: “We are pleased with Rasulullah ﷺ as our allotment and share.”  [End of text]. 

What value – of anything, of everything – is comparable to having him ﷺ as our allotment and share?  

Let us not forget to read Surat al-Kahf today and send abundant salawat upon him ﷺ.

BarakAllahu Fikum!

Jumu‘a Mubaraka!

As we climbed up towards Yoros Castle, we passed a woman hanging her sewn and stitched wares on a fence.

Two hours later, we passed her again. 

She was reciting the Qur’an with otherworldly serenity.

Shaykh Mokhtar was deeply affected.  He asked us to please purchase some of her goods.  Most of us did.  

As we continued, he asked: “Did you see which sura she was reading? Ya sin.” 

“Do you know, among many things, what it is read for? Provision.” 

“Contemplate the meaning of what just happened:  Du‘a’ is also work; reading your daily portion of remembrance is work; reliance on Allah with your heart is work.”

With her heart in a different world of work, provision came to her through foreigners from North, South, East and West.

My wird is work. May Allah open my heart through the wonders of His work. Amin.

Let’s not forget to read Surat al-Kahf today and send abundant salawat on the Beloved ﷺ.

Jumu‘a Mubaraka!

The path to Allah is a never-ending struggle of sidq, or truthfulness, in words, deeds and inner states until we meet our Lord. 

Who better to learn sidq from than al-Sadiq al-Amin ﷺ — the Truthful, the Trustworthy?  

How? Our salawat, or prayers upon him ﷺ, are a type of suhba with him ﷺ.  Our salawat are conveyed to him ﷺ, and he ﷺ responds with a prayer of peace for us.  

What a powerful means to build a living relationship –  spiritually, emotionally and intellectually – with the Beloved ﷺ!

The day of Jumu‘a is a chance for my heart to be in jam’, to become spiritually gathered, on Allah.  Of the most virtuous actions on the day of Jumu‘a is to send abundant salawat on the Messenger ﷺ.  Coincidence?

Let’s hasten to gain the suhba of his sidq ﷺ. And let’s show sidq in seeking his suhba by plentiful salawat upon him ﷺ. 

Let us also not forget to recite Surat al-Kahf today. 

Jumu‘a Mubaraka!

We have entered the sacred month of Rajab, a blessed lead-in to the month of Ramadan.

Everything is connected:

What are the spiritual seeds I should plant in the month of Rajab, water in Sha’ban, harvest in Ramadan?

Am I using the principles that I have been learning in the tazkiya and usul module to till my soil?

And what spiritual seeds am I planting with my wird? 

Let us not forget to read Surat al-Kahf today and send much salawat on the Beloved ﷺ.

Jumu‘a Mubaraka!

Rasūlullah ﷺ teaches in a hadith: “al-Sadaqa burhan” — charity is a proof. 

The word sadaqa has the root s-d-q, the same as sidq, or sincerity.  Burhan is a proof that rests on a dalil, or evidence.  

Charity is proof of sincerity. 

Without the sadaqa of the tangible, how can I graduate to sadaqa of the equal, if not more important, intangible resources? Time. Service. Emotions. Values of akhlaq.

Without sadaqa, I will never melt my ‘me’ by the many.

Inspired by the Qur’an and Sunna, our scholar-saints made it a part of their litany of Divine remembrance to give daily sadaqa, even if a little.  Let me follow their beautiful example.

And may the proofs of my sidq mount, by His grace, to be my closing argument on the day I am destined to stand, alone, in His court. Amin.

Let’s not forget to read Surat al-Kahf and send much salawat on Rasūlillah ﷺ today. 

Jumu‘a Mubaraka!

After searching for a masjid that turned out to be a street instead (Masjid avenue), then another that was locked between salah, then another, right under my nose that I missed, only to have it pointed out to me by a young man dressed in a white thawb…

…after what felt like an hour of walking…

I prayed, looked up, and saw this beautiful calligraphy on the mihrab-side wall facing me:

“Truly, the only religion with Allah is Islam.”

To me, in that moment, it said: Surrender is the only way with Allah. 

May Allah make us true Muslims, like everything in existence. Amin. 

Let us not forget to read at least the first or last ten verses of Surat al-Kahf today and send abundant salawat on Allah’s Beloved ﷺ.