O Love of our Hearts, Beloved Month Awwal,
You’ve passed so quickly and we didn’t even get to know you,
Now left stranded, we have nothing left to do,
It just feels like yesterday, when we saw your moon.

O Loved Month al’Awwal, we will be left in gloom,
You just came yesterday, why are you leaving so soon?
Reside forever within our hearts, there is plenty of room,
As you revived our purpose, making our lives bloom.

Your days were salawat, and nights were Mawlids,
Every moment in your days, the Herald was calling,
“Praise the Messenger of Allah, upon him be endless peace and blessings”
And rejoiced did the Lovers, and the Earth and Heavens.

O Beautiful Rose, you are being plucked from our lives,
Then please explain to us, how then will we survive,
All packed up, as your ready to take flight,
Now all we can see are your footsteps, leaving us behind…

For those whose hearts perceive, a deep sadness lingers. However, if we are to reflect on this beautiful month then we can truly see how easy it has been to praise the Best of Creation and how it has illuminated our lives, our homes and the lives and houses of others. Therefore, we should continue with all our works. The Life on Earth of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, has just begun in Rabi al Awwal so continue and live the Seerah with him, peace be upon him and make it a personal obligation to learn about him and love him, endless peace and blessings be upon him.

Alongside everything, this month has been a month of witnessing the Love for the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, as well as love for one another. Surely, those who understand the concern of the Beloved Prophet, peace be upon him, will understand that his concern is for every single person in the Ummah. So strengthen the ties of kinship, friendship and community and continue to uphold the Banner of La ila ha ilAllah Muhammadur’Rasul-Allah.

We may not be able to affect everyone through words or even actions, so let us focus on our own character, and emulate the Best of Creation, peace be upon him. Let us lift these impoverished hands and make dua for the Ummah and ourselves and turn to the The Real – Al Haqq. The Most Merciful, The Most Compassionate.

Upon us are the last moments of Rab’i so let us excel in sending abundant salawat to the Beloved Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him.  Also, continue to do so, for the Birth of the Most Beloved to Allah is a celebration that surpasses time and space.

May Allah Most High give you, us and the ummah much tawfiq.
Allahumma Amin. Allahumma Amin. Allahumma Amin.

Jaza ‘Llahu anna Sayyidina Muhammadan sallaAllahu alayhi wasalam ma huwa ahluhu
Jaza ‘Llahu anna Sayyidina Muhammadan sallaAllahu alayhi wasalam ma huwa ahluhu
Jaza ‘Llahu anna Sayyidina Muhammadan sallaAllahu alayhi wasalam ma huwa ahluhu

at your service,
Treasures for the Seeker on behalf of Dar al Aminah

By my own inability to grasp the extent of his glory.

How can one such as I measure an ocean, when the ocean is vast?

And how can one such as I count the stones and the stars?

If all of my limbs were to become tongues, even then –

Even then I could not begin to praise him as I desired.

And if all of creation gathered together in an attempt

To praise him, even then they would stint in his due.

I have altogether ceased trying – awestruck, clinging to courtesy,

Tempered by timidity, glorifying his most exalted rank.

Indeed, sometimes silence holds within it the essence of eloquence,

And often speech merely fodder for the faultfinder

- Ibn Juzzay al-Kalbi

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

Allah said, “Spend (ie. on charity), O son of Adam, and I shall spend on you.” – (Hadith Qudsi)

I’m raising funds for the Felicity House project in Liverpool – a project our dear teachers have been working on for many years now and is near to its completion. Felicity House will hopefully serve as the Headquarters for Greensville Trust. In sha Allah it will consist of a Micro Madrasa Academy for Adult Education, Dawah Drop-In Centre, Children’s Nursery, Prayer Room, Islamic Library, Cafe & Art Gallery, and Garden Area for Reflection. It will be the base from which our teachers, Ustadha Nagheba, Shaykh Ibrahim Osi Efa and Shaykh Haroon Hanif, can continue their outreach programs in various towns and cities throughout the UK.

In order to complete the refurbishment of the Felicity House building a further £200k is needed. Hence The Declaration of Love – in Pursuit of Felicity event in Manchester has been organised. This is an event taking place on the 12th Rabi’ al-Awwal (Saturday 4th February) – so it’ll be a great gathering to come together, share our love for our beloved Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and donate towards a cause that aims to spread the message that he (peace and blessings be upon him) came with.

I intend to raise as much as I can and pledge it all at The Declaration of Love – in Pursuit of Felicity event. In sha Allah on such a blessed day, I shall remember all those who donated and shall mention you by name amongst the gathering of blessed company. I can only start with great intentions and hope Allah raises the station of all those who donate towards such a worthy cause and that our beloved Rasul (peace and blessings be upon him) becomes proud to call us part of his Ummah (nation). Allahumma Ameen.

Please email me on seeker1432@gmail.com or leave a comment below if you would like to donate.

If you are a sister, I have (as it stands on 19th January 2011) a few places on my table so email me or leave a comment below if you would like to bless us with your company.

If you are a brother who would like to attend the event, feel free to email info@greensvilletrust.org

And Success is from Allah.

at your service,

zara nargis

The Greensville Trust is honoured to announce the annual ‘A Declaration of Love – In Pursuit of Felicity’ event in honour and celebration of the great birth of our Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him).

This year the event will take place on the evening of the 12th Rabī al-Awwal, 1432 (Saturday 4th February 2012) – 7.00pm to 10.30pm (doors open 6.00pm) at the prestigious Sheridan Suite, Oldham Road, Manchester M40 8EA.

Featuring:

Please note this is a charity dinner to raise money for the completion of Felicity House to enable Greensville Trust to continue their noble task of spreading Islam in the UK. The ticket price covers bringing top quality acts from the US to Manchester plus a five-course meal so please donate generously on the night.

We pray that through your continued co-operation and effort that this proves to be a fitting culmination to the Felicity House fundraising initiative, insha’ Allah.

The poster for the event is attached to the link above and tickets are now available on request. Please email info@greensvilletrust.org for more details.

In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful and Compassionate

All praise to Allah, Lord of the Worlds. And salutations and greetings upon our master Muhammad and upon his family and companions. I intend to study and teach, take and give a reminder, take and give benefit, take and give advantage, to encourage the holding fast to the book of Allah and the way of his messenger, and calling to guidance and directing towards good hoping for the countenance of Allah and His pleasure, proximity and reward, transcendent is He.

Bilal’s Love

The love of the companions for the Messenger of Allah [salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa alihi wa sallam] was not simply a rational love suspended in their intellects, but rather it was real and experiential.

After the flight of the Messenger of Allah [salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa alihi wa sallam] unto his Lord, our master Bilal (Allah be pleased with him) could not remain in Madinah any longer, because all of his emotions in that city were attached to the Messenger of Allah [salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa alihi wa sallam]. So he himself took flight unto the Levant, which is of the most blessed of lands.

Whilst in the Levant, there was not a single battle that took place, except that Bilal (Allah be pleased with him) was in the midst of it; he had true chivalry and he always desired that Allah (Exalted is He) would ennoble him with martyrdom, so he could meet his beloved [salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa alihi wa sallam]. However, destiny protected him, and he was not martyred.

He thought that by staying away from Madinah, his deep and intense love would be brought into balance. During the time of Abu Bakr’s caliphate, Bilal (Allah be pleased with him) returned to Madinah. Abu Bakr (Allah be pleased with him) asked him to call the adhan once again (as he had done in the time of the Messenger), but Bilal (Allah be pleased with him) said that he had taken an oath only to call the adhan at the command of his beloved [salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa alihi wa sallam]. Due to his continuing deep emotions, Bilal (Allah be pleased with him) returned for a second time to the Levant.

Whilst in Shaam (Syria), the Messenger of Allah [salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa alihi wa sallam] came to Bilal (Allah be pleased with him) in a dream, gently asking: “O Bilal, what is all this distance? Why are you so harsh with me?” And so immediately Bilal (Allah be pleased with him) returned to Madinah, and the companions were ecstatic. They asked him once again to call the adhan, but again Bilal refused. The companions replied, “we once could see the Messenger, and hear the adhan – now that the Messenger has taken flight, do not bar us from hearing the adhan also.” But Bilal (Allah be pleased with him) saw it as too great an affair to call the adhan for someone other than the messenger of Allah [salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa alihi wa sallam] and so he had refused the requests of Abu Bakr and Umar (Allah be pleased with them both).

One day Bilal saw al-Hasan and al-Huseyn, and they said to him: “call the adhan in the same way you used to call the adhan for our grandfather, salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa alihi wa sallam.” To them Bilal replied: “as for you, I could never refuse, for you are the pieces of my beloved, salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa alihi wa sallam.”

So our master Bilal thereby ascended, and began to call the adhan. The people of Madinah gathered, and they began to reminisce of the times of the messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. When he reached “Ash-hadu anna Muhammad ar-rasul Allah” Bilal broke down into tears, and could not complete the adhan.

And so too the people cried; Madinah had not seen as many tears since the very day of the flight of the Messenger of Allah, salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa alihi wa sallam.

Years later, when Bilal was upon his deathbed, his wife being emotionally moved (as people normally would be), would cry out: “woe, woe, how wretched this is!” But Bilal, completely oblivious to her, would call: “how beautiful this is, how ecstatic I am!” Initially his wife accepted what he was saying as something normal, but when he continued to repeat it, she questioned him. He replied, explaining his desire for death: “tomorrow I meet my beloved –Muhammad wa hizbihi (Muhammad and his people)!”

May Allah grant us a portion of the love Bilal had for surely the very soul of this religion is love for Ahmad [salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa alihi wa sallam].

Allahumma Ameen. Allahumma Ameen. Allahumma Ameen.

In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful and Compassionate

All praise to Allah, Lord of the Worlds. And salutations and greetings upon our master Muhammad and upon his family and companions. I intend to study and teach, take and give a reminder, take and give benefit, take and give advantage, to encourage the holding fast to the book of Allah and the way of his messenger, and calling to guidance and directing towards good hoping for the countenance of Allah and His pleasure, proximity and reward, transcendent is He.

Allah opens gateways of intellect so we know how in interact with Him.

The most precious thing in this life is time which passes by.

Our life is short. Time is short. Time that has passed by since the hijra (migration) is 1433 years. Since that time we haven’t completed 1 and a half day of the next world. 1 day in the next world is like a millennium, 1000 years. A day with your Lord (Exalted is He) is like 1000 days of your reckoning.

Ordinarily the day consists of 12 daylight and 12 night hours.

Average age of the Ummah by Abdullah b. Masud in Tirmidhi is 60 to 70 years but as RasulAllah [salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa alihi wa sallam] said, “some live less, some more.”

We have to look at how we organise the time Allah (Exalted is He) has given us. Some are worldly and others are related to Allah’s rights. A person who spends 8 hours sleeping and lives for 60 years has spent a 1/3 of his/her life in sleep. They spend 8 hours working so another 1/3 is spent working. How much time therefore remains? Likewise we excuse childhood as it relates to our age.

At the time of the Prophet [salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa alihi wa sallam], they embraced the guidance that came forth from Prophecy. In four years they performed acts that we can’t perform with immense time, male and female. Great causes which existed in his [salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa alihi wa sallam] time was him [salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa alihi wa sallam]. It had a profound effect on the development of great people and explosion of qualities. They took educationally and gifts would explode inside of people. His [salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa alihi wa sallam] address even to kids, he [salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa alihi wa sallam] spoke as if they were adults. Example: If we look at the conversation he [salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa alihi wa sallam] had with young children. Many adults would find it difficult to comprehend. If someone can understand it, they’ll find deep realities which nurture souls rationally and spiritually. Great leaders were the youth due to this high and great education. At the age of 16/17 they would lead great armies. This is great tarbiyah at that age. Human being is a precious thing. Humans come first. Nurturing true human beings so they benefit themselves and others. This is what we need. In the time of RasulAllah [salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa alihi wa sallam] we see how they benefitted, that they did a great amount in a small amount of time. With a longer period, he [salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa alihi wa sallam] transformed an entire society which lived centuries in a different habitual habit. When he [salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa alihi wa sallam] moved to Madinah it changed.

Our objective in life, when we see it, we begin to take account and see our time organisation. We see what remains and how will we achieve great things?

Other worldly trade is not severed at the time of death. Human being goes through various dimensions if life and each has its own understanding. A child is simple, the youth has more understanding than the child and an adult/elderly person has greater understanding of reality than the child and youth. Likewise about secrets of the soul which opens after death. We want to take ourselves to account to the time we have remaining. All we have in front of us is 60/70/80 years. It can be a blessed time as long as it is used effectively.

Arrange it effectively so our short life-span can become great. It’s affirmed in previous times. Fill your time with obedience and beneficial actions which relate to yourself and others. As long as one does beneficial actions it’ll render a blessed life. As long as one arranges time effectively it’ll render a blessed life.

Some do profound actions that they don’t see that it has been done in an allocated time. It’s from the barakah (blessing) of time. It can happen to a non-Muslim too. Ibn Sharifah at-Tabari wrote different books, he taught, gave legal judgements and after his death they counted and divided his books over his lifespan. He would write 20 pages from the day he was born. No one can write at the time of birth and they even left a few books out.

When somebody is truly sincere, Allah (Exalted is He) blesses their time such that they can do things another can’t. This is due to perfecting time that is alloted. Allah (Exalted is He) ennobles those who are serious.

Imam Nanawi (May Allah be pleased with him) who lived for 40 years. His great works are studied, they remain until this day. Imam Ghazali (May Allah be pleased with him) lived for 44 years, he was raised well and he knew how to reach in a fruitful and beneficial way. At the age of 28, he could debate in any way. At the age of 30 he completed the Ihya. He spent his last 10 years in constant worship of Allah (Exalted is He).

We ask Allah (Exalted is He) to give us tawfiq (success) to glance on our time so we can extend benefit to others and ourselves. Allahumma Ameen.

What’s gone is gone! How do we use the day, the second effectively? In 1 minute someone can do a profound worldly and other worldly action. Every minute is precious for a human being. Somebody can seek forgiveness and one who attains this they can do it more than 100 times in less than a minute. In 1 minute, praise Allah by saying alhamdulilah. We shouldn’t say/think praising Allah is simple. It has a great effect in the next world. In this world, it raises the veils. Veils in this life come due to preoccupation so we can’t see what is bestowed. Some are drowsed in blessings but don’t see that hence they don’t show gratitude. Some only see such blessings when they are taken from them.

Not many of us praise Allah (Exalted is He) for oxygen. If they were strangled, they would understand the blessing of oxygen. Don’t think alhamdulilah (Praise be to Allah) is little. It has a profound effect on the human, its heart, mind and thoughts. When we say Alhamdulilah (Praise be to Allah), Allah (Exalted is He) raises us in blessings which we’re ordinarily oblivious to like the sun. Electricity is a great blessing. By losing it, we see this great blessing. It is easily accessible so we don’t realise it. It’s erroneous!

Spend 1 minute of your time praising Allah (Exalted is He) and watch the effect in the reality of the human. How many horizons will open up to him and different worldly understandings related to shukr (gratitude) will open up? – All related to spending one simple minute.

A true Muslim isn’t happy when he/she wastes time, worldly and other worldly. Sitting like an inanimate object is a loss. Bankruptcy related to humanity and its existence. One should be doing something at all times. For example, listening to sacred knowledge or the Qur’an, contemplating. The sick should contemplate on the blessing of health. One shouldn’t be in a state of idleness. This is negating the effectiveness of your body. Do something even if it is repetitive. Example: rearrange clothes, do something so you’re not accustomed to idleness. Wasting time to do nothing is bankruptcy.

The Prophet [salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa alihi wa sallam] said in the meaning of what was said: “Two things humans are at a loss to, good health and spare time.”

All of the Companions (May Allah be pleased with them) spend time in benefitting the umma, even their spare time and this goes on to the scholars and Tabi’een. Hatim al Assam (May Allah be pleased with him) ate with his family and was eager to take full advantage. He was always preoccupied in dhikr (remembrance of Allah). He told his wife to grind his food. She said, “why?” He said, “As when I drink it, it frees up time so I can glorify Allah.” Isn’t this strange? No, it’s not. Every time you say SubhanAllah (Glory be to Allah) you’re given a jewel from this world. Think seriously. Glorifying Allah is the very sustenance of the soul.

Rejoice in every moment, true happiness comes through dhikr (remembrance of Allah). Why will it be true enjoyment? It doesn’t severe at the time of death. If we don’t leave it, it won’t leave us. Someone who is engrossed in dhikr, it will remain with them even when they are placed in the midst of the earth. This is why RasulAllah [salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa alihi wa sallam] said take advantage of life before death.

RasulAllah [salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa alihi wa sallam] said thereafter, take advantage of your spare time before becoming preoccupied and your health before your sickness. If you’re invited to a lecture/talk, go! Don’t be the one who finds excuses, as long as it is beneficial, do it. RasulAllah [salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa alihi wa sallam] never said no. Due to your gratitude other horizons open due to the gratitude for your blessings.

A Hafiz (someone who has memorised the Qur’an) who was old and at the point of death, he used his time with Qur’an until the last point and due to how much he was connected and accustomed to it, when she slept his tongue moved in Qir’ah (recitation). At the time of death, his daughter entered and was extremely affected. He went to a state of unconsciousness and came out and saw his daughter. He said, “why?” She said, “Why shouldn’t I?” He said, “Don’t cry for your father. Look in the corner and don’t weep for your father as he’s recited 124,000 completions of the Qur’an.” Think about how old he was and how much he recited? 124000 completions. How much did he recite everyday? Some haven’t said Surah Ikhlas 100,000 times in their life or less and likewise with LailahailAllah. In 1 minute you can say more than 100. It revives the heart and grant light and removes veils.

Imam al Haddad (May Allah be pleased with him) was preoccupied in his time, he never allocated wasting time. He said, “from the time he was born until the age of 7, I never prayed so I will make up prayer.” He loved prayer and made up prayer.

We sleep for 8 hours and live for 60 years. We have wasted 20 years in sleep. Someone who sleeps more has lost even more. There are 4 sensitive times related to a Muslim so if somebody guards them through dhikr (remembrance of Allah) they will see all their time become blessed. They will feel that they have done great things though life is short. Use them for acts of khayr (good) and much will return upon your entire life.

1) Prior to Fajr

It is a very “ascentive” and blessed time then. Wake up a minute before fajr and do dhikr. It starts approximately 2 hours before the break of dawn. It’s a sensitive time, people should be in a state of sacrifice. It’s a time to transform your spirit. In a few days of this, you will gain more than you’ve gained in 7 years.

2) After Fajr until sunrise

One shouldn’t pray and then go back to sleep. If you do, then pray later and pray ishraq. Or pray at the earliest and sit. It is important that you have a due portion and stay awake at this time.

3) From Maghrib until Isha

At this time it is hard to be present with Allah.

4) After Asr until Sunset

This is a sensitive time. A person should sit even for 60 seconds remembering Allah or performing a good act.

Blessings of these 4 times will return to a human thereafter.

Timetable your time.

Question and Answer Session

Should you do good in the 4 sensitive times even if your heart isn’t present?

It’s proper for a person’s heart to be present. When we pray but the mind is preoccupied our prayer is like a dead body. Without presence of heart, the act should remain consistent as Allah (Exalted is He) will bestow His Mercy.

Actions have great ranks with Allah (Exalted is He) especially with a presence of heart. We should always maintain good hearts even without presence and we should show gratitude even without presence as He has allowed us to. No one is able to remember Allah (Exalted is He) except that He (Exalted is He) remembers them first. It’s a call from the Divine. Our remembrance doesn’t equate to His remembrance of us. Therein lies goodness which is beyond imagination. When a person maintains dhikr (remembrance of Allah), all problems for both worlds cease and he has a firm connection.

One of the greatest remembrance is shukr. Excellence of small worship is better than lots without presence. 3 rakahs of witr with excellence is better than 5 or 7 with haste.

Worship is from us unto Allah (Exalted is He). Guidance and ennoblement is from Allah (Exalted is He).

We ask Allah (Exalted is He) to render us successful in using our time well.

Allahumma Ameen. Allahumma Ameen. Allahumma Ameen.

Any mistakes, errors or misinterpretations of words are from me. Please correct me when you spot any mistakes.

In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful and Compassionate

All praise to Allah, Lord of the Worlds. And salutations and greetings upon our master Muhammad and upon his family and companions. I intend to study and teach, take and give a reminder, take and give benefit, take and give advantage, to encourage the holding fast to the book of Allah and the way of his messenger, and calling to guidance and directing towards good hoping for the countenance of Allah and His pleasure, proximity and reward, transcendent is He.

The Mother Is The Teacher

Blessings be upon the Prophet [salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa alihi wa sallam] until the day we meet Allah (Exalted is He). The most important stage in one’s development of mind is childhood. How did the Prophet [salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa alihi wa sallam] interact with children around him?

Children can move very swiftly without thinking, the role of the caregiver is vital. Child becomes cognisant of the world through the window of parents. The mother’s primary role is in the house. The most important thing to give them is the  relationship between parents and children. The mother is the first madrasa, she even interprets on behalf of the father. She has more of a responsibility.

The two most important things for children are.

1. Sanctity of the relationship between parent and child
2. Embedding faith in the heart of child, so child is not subject to any doubt when child grows up. It is impossible for faith to be embedded in the child by way of philosophy-that will cause doubt. Affirm faith in the heart of the child, in the beginning this is very simple; you do this by telling them stories of Prophets, and righteous.

Through stories one can attain faith, which will be as strong as a rock, these are specific stories that relate to miracles of the Prophets, and righteous. Children have a very vast imagination; they are able to believe in wondrous things. Child may pose some questions, when stories are told to them; the effect of them is immense. Examples of stories include: The miraculous events that occur in the life of the Prophet [salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa alihi wa sallam] like during his birth, his nurturing, the hijrah. When the child grows up, he begins to feel the effects of the stories, through these narratives; it begins to attach the child to Allah, His existence, and the fact that He is the Bestower.

When the Prophet [salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa alihi wa sallam] was young, his chest split, no injury was seen: this assists in affirming faith in the child. Narratives allow the child not to rely in his/her intellect. Example in the hijrah, where the bounty hunter, who spotted the Prophet [salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa alihi wa sallam] was swallowed by the earth, after it had split open. In the Isra Wal Mi’raj, in a split second, the Prophet [salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa alihi wa sallam] travels to Jerusalem, and then to Paradise.

An adult can hear these narratives, but it has more effect on child. As adults we question things, the child has the ability to embrace the little they know. There are many realities that occur, which are beyond the human intellect, the seerah is rich with these narratives, it’s not limited, and the same is with other Prophets too. Sayyidina Ibrahim (alayhis-salam) was cast in the fire, it did not harm him. Sayyidina Ismail (alayhis-salam) is in the desert, Sayyidah Hajra (May Allah be pleased with her) is experiencing great fear, ZamZam pours forth from beneath the wing of Jibreel (alayhis-salam). How the army of Musa (alayhis-salam) is saved from the army of Pharaoh, they are able to traverse the Red Sea, whilst the army of Pharaoh drowns. We have examples from the life of the sahaba, one day Sayyidina Umar (May Allah be pleased with him) is on the mimbar, he calls out to his companion who is in a distant land, ‘O Sari’aa be careful of the mountain , O Sari’aa be careful of the mountain ..’

These have a very profound effect. When the child grows up, and is confronted with beliefs which sow doubt, these stories will be a barrier. All religions rest upon this affair, when a Prophet engages his people, he presents to them arguments that argue for His existence, when people deny this, and thereby what manifests is the utmost judge, i.e. the miracles, which decipher between the two parties. Those destined to be believers, move into the sphere of faith, those destined otherwise move towards that. The younger generation will be exposed to wondrous things, like the Dajjal, one who is not fortified with true faith prior to this manifestation; they will be taken by the magicians and Dajjal. We should be affirming faith in children, especially for the next generation who will be confronted by these events.

In relation to stories of the awliya, begin with those mentioned in the Qur’an, like Sayyidah Maryam (May Allah be pleased with her), story of Sayyidina Sulaiman (alayhis-salam) and the Queen Bilqees. Then look into the lives of companions, then those of the righteous who live in our time, or just prior to our time, or in our vicinity. This is a great responsibility upon us, as it relates to His affirmation. This is upon the parents in the home, and the teachers in the schools.

Habib Hassan Al-Attass, was most affected in his childhood, his parents would speak of a wali (friend of Allah), who lived in a valley close to Hadhramout. He said when I heard this, faith would be embedded in my heart, and I felt close to Allah (Exalted is He).

Khalid Muhammad Khalid, a contemporary writer, what affected him most was a narrative of someone who lived in Egypt; people would see him where they didn’t expect to see him. Tarbiyah is very important but also very effective.

How does one direct the child with compassion? A child can make mistakes, Imam Ghazali states, one should alert the child with up most kindness and not publically. When a child displays shame, it’s a good sign; it shows the light of intellect is becoming illumined in the child. If the child does something wrong and tries to cover that, then one should show ignorance to the wrong, and tell the child in another way that was incorrect. The mother and father both have different roles. The mother should try to renovate the role of the father; the child will listen to the father more than the mother, especially with boys. Mothers should instil the awe (haibah) of the father, and the mother should maintain this. One should not think that in the absence of the father, a child cannot be reared properly, rather the contrary holds true. Other male figures can take the role of the father. Even in the absence of these male figures, child can still be raised properly. Never forget that the Prophet  was raised as an orphan, Aminah Bint Wahb (May Allah be pleased with her) passed away whilst he [salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa alihi wa sallam] was six. Many great figures were raised without fathers, the parents’ success lies in the role of the mother. Were we to look at those raised by fathers alone, or mothers alone, those successfully raised were those raised under mothers alone.

 Question & Answer

1.    What is the best age to send child to Tarim?

The predecessors would take the child to the pious to receive ijazahs, even though the child was not cognisant of this. This causes an increase in the child’s spiritual development. Child can benefit more in such environments; they don’t have the veils that adults have. This is of benefit regardless of age, but once they reach the age of discernment (buloogh/puberty) they can benefit even more.

2.    What is better home school or Islamic schools?

The most important madrasa is the home; the success of the child at other schools depends on the home. Those children who study at home, cultures can be protected. There is a generation of Hadhramis (those originally from Tarim, Hadramawt) who migrated to Saudi Arabia; they still maintained their beliefs despite they were going to their schools. If we fulfil our role at home, we shouldn’t fear what child faces outside home. When child returns home, the contradictory beliefs can be removed from child.

3.    Single mother bringing up children.

Mother shouldn’t display feelings of absence of father; the loss of the mother is far greater. Mother should not allow child to feel he is missing something. The mother should be convinced that she has a profound effect on a child in the early years, she should take the opportunity to maximise this benefit. Modern studies mention, the absence of the father allows the child to flourish, the father figure in early years can even block out the right nurturing. One should never believe that the father not being present would be a preventative. Often when the father figure is present, mother places her trust in the father, when he is absent, she places her trust solely in Allah (Exalted is He), and at this point Allah (Exalted is He) bestows her and the child with spiritual sustenance. Ordinary people place their trust in Allah when going through difficulties; the pious people do this all the time.

4.    Mothers who work

She should dedicate an hour or two to the child. Allah (Exalted is He) will allow the child to benefit due to the sanctity of the relationship between the parent and child. It’s not enough that the relationship be based on dictates, which is based on commands, that’s not what is encouraged, this must be based on love, respect and profound feelings for the child. Some salaf, would sit in front of the child, as if they were a child themselves, in order to give the child a proper voice. The father and mother would be the best friend of the child. In the Ba’Alawi school, the relationship between the mother and father is well seen, like the example of Habib ‘Alawi ash-Shihaab with Muhammad Shihab and there are lots of other examples. When you have this type of relationship, the child is able to move into a self-corrected mode. Abu Bakr Bin Abdillah al-Aydarus, said, ‘My father never scolded me except when I read a book called, Meccan Openings, I said I understood the book, my father said, I fear your understanding of the book is wrong.’

Habib Abdul Qadir as-Saqqaf mentions, ‘I was only scolded when I told a white lie, once I went to see a football match, I was late for maghrib. So I prayed in another mosque…’ [His father was the Imam of masjid Tahir, he was ill at the time Habib Abdul Qadir thought that he’d pray maghrib at home] His father asked him, ‘where did you pray maghrib?’. He replied, ‘Masjid Tahir.’ His father then asked, ‘Who was the Imam?’, he replied the Mu’allim [a teacher who would lead the prayers, when Habib’s father wouldn’t be able to do so] ‘You say the Mu’allim led the prayer?’ His father then took him to the house of the Mu’allim. Father asked Mu’allim, ‘Who led the salat-tul-maghrib?’ to which he said, ‘You did, O Imam Ahmad.’ Father said to Habib, ‘did you hear that O Abdul Qadir?’ then he took him home. Habib would say, ‘till my father passed away, that affair remained with me.’

These notes are not mine but for any questions please e-mail on seeker1432@gmail.com. All credit should go to the note taker so please keep the note taker in your duas.

All night, a man called “Allah”
Until his lips were bleeding.
Then the Devil said, “Hey! Mr Gullible!
How comes you’ve been calling all night
And never once heard Allah say, “Here, I am”?
You call out so earnestly and, in reply, what?
I’ll tell you what. Nothing!”
The man suddenly felt empty and abandoned.
Depressed, he threw himself on the ground
And fell into a deep sleep.
In a dream, he met Abraham, who asked,
“Why are you regretting praising Allah?”
The man said, “ I called and called
But Allah never replied, “Here I am.”
Abraham explained, “Allah has said,
“Your calling my name is My reply.
Your longing for Me is My message to you.
All your attempts to reach Me
Are in reality My attempts to reach you.
Your fear and love are a noose to catch Me.
In the silence surrounding every call of “Allah”
Waits a thousand replies of “Here I am.”
~ Maulana Rumi (May Allah be pleased with him)

As we enter the year 1433 we are reminded that one thousand four hundred and thirty three years ago the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)took flight from Mecca to Medina in order to establish what was to become the first Islamic state. As our Beloved Messenger (peace be upon him) left Mecca he stood looking at his city of birth and called out ‘ Oh Mecca you are the most beloved of God’s earth to me…’ (Tirmidhi). The hijra was indeed an act of love and immense sacrifice, a migration not only towards Medina but also towards the Divine, the great men and women of this migration left that which they dearly loved in order to flee to their greater love, Allah the Most High.  When the Prophet (peace be upon him) arrived in Medina he built a Mosque, opened a market place and established a brotherhood between the people of the land and the new migrants of Mecca. Through bringing together the spiritual, the communal and economically empowering the new Muslim community the Prophet (peace be upon him) produced a community that was healthy and whole; they lived and breathed Islam in every part of their lives. This flight or the Hijra as it is known as in Arabic represents a great turning point in the lives of the first Muslims; in Medina they thrived, practicing Islam openly gaining the strength to spread this word of truth beyond the Arabian Peninsula.

Ustadha Munirah al-Junayd- a blessed teacher of mine- once told me that Hijra should be part of the spiritual development of every believer upon this path, just as the first community took flight fleeing to Allah so too should we take flight, she would say, ‘Flee from darkness to light, from falsehood to truth, from the temporal to the eternal, from illusion to reality, from the impermissible to the Halal and lawful; flee from responding to the Nafs to solely seeking the pleasure of the Divine…’.whilst reading with her Imam al-Hadad’s  ‘ Manners of the Wayfarer unto God’ she would remind me; ‘ Migration, migration our state should always be in migration’.

As we strive to remind ourselves of the internal hijra the end of the year has arrived bringing with it a reminder of how little our effort to take flight has been.

Today my dear sisters/brothers is a day of self reflection; a day of looking back in order to learn how to move forward, a day of repentance and remorse as well as a day of new resolve and renewed determination for as we have been given the 30th of Dhul Hijja to end the year we have also been give the 1st of Muharam to begin a new year.  How blessed we are to be given another chance to re-align the soul and turn our entire being to He the Most High. As the year 1432 comes to a close let us endeavour to bring a good ending to it in the hope that we are blessed with good deeds being the last of our actions, The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) has said; ‘One of you behaves like the people of The Garden until there is but an arm’s length between him and it, and that which has been written overtakes him, so he behaves like the people of the fire until he enters it. And one of you behaves like the people of The Fire until there is but an arm’s length between him and it, and that which has been written overtakes him, so he behaves like the people of The Garden until he enters it’ (Bukhari)

It is because of this Hadith that our teachers would call out in the gatherings of remembrance Oh Allah bless us with a good ending, a life that ends with good deeds. Habib Muhammad al-Hadar the late Mufti of Bayda (In Northern Yemen) and father of my blessed teacher Hababa Nur bint Muhammad would say to his students ‘Do not just ask for a good ending, but ask for the most excellent of excellent endings, ‘Kamal husnul, khatimah . Let us end the last moments of this year in prayer, fast and charity. Let us raise our hands and call upon our Lord, seeking forgiveness for the sinful states we find ourselves in; for our inability to exact meaningful and continuous change in our lives; for our love of the world and how we have allowed it to consume us. Let us raise our hands and ask a Most Generous, Most Giving, Most Merciful Lord to give us the strength and resolve we need to walk this path unto Him, the path that has been trodden by His beloved prophets and saints (the awliya), the path of love, longing, sacrifice and true surrender. In these last moments of this year let us renew our faith and call out La ilaha ila Allah from the depths of our souls asking the almighty that He makes us courageous enough to live by these words. Let us strive and struggle with all of our strength; with every last breath and with every beat of our hearts to take flight; a Hijra that is true and sincere, fleeing unto Him, a Most Gentle and Loving Lord.

I ask you all to forgive this poor slave for her shortcomings with yourselves and for any pain she may have caused any one of you, we ask Allah that He grants us all the most excellent of excellent endings. Amin Allahumma Amin

Love and peace always, Ustadha Umm Abdullah

Below is a supplication that is traditionally recited at the end of the year as well as the supplication of Imam Ali al- Habashi which he (may Allah preserve him) would recite on the first day of the year may we all benefit from it.

End of year supplication:

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful, and God bless our beloved Messenger Muhammad and his family and companions and grant them peace. O God, whatever actions I have committed this past year which have not pleased You, which I may have forgotten though You do not forget, while You are forbearing with me though fully capable of punishing me, while You called me to relent and atone even after my audaciousness before You — O God, I surely seek Your forgiveness for this, thus forgive me. O God, as for my actions that have pleased You and for which recompense and forgiveness have been promised, please accept them from me. And do not dash my hopes in You, 0 Generous, O Most Merciful of the Merciful. And God, the Exalted, bless our beloved Messenger Muhammad and his family and companions and grant them peace. (3 times)

Beginning of year supplication:

In the Name of Allah the All-Merciful the All-Compassionate All praise is Allah’s, Lord of all creations. O Lord, with all beauteous names (Allahuma),bestow blessings and peace upon our beloved messenger Muhammad, our supreme access to You in the answer to what we supplicate for, the achievement of what we aspire to, and the forgiving of such wrongdoings as we have committed, and upon members of his household and his companions and those who support him. Indeed, elapsed in our span of life is a whole year, You have garlanded us in it with Your bounties for which we are unable to offer gratitude, and You have protected us in it from evils and unpleasant things from which we could not have protected ourselves, and we have put into it works of which You are All-Knowing. Such good deeds which You have enabled us to do in it, may You please accept that from us, and may You record them in Your presence as virtuous works, and may You forgive us the blemishes of ostentation, and self-glory, and self-embellishment, and other things as have interfered with them, and may You make them a means through which we are led to Your good pleasure and drawn near to You, and such evil deeds and errors as we have committed. And actions unpleasing in Your sight. And intentions which are unrighteous [such of these that we may have committed] with our limbs and our hearts we ask You, Allahumma, by virtue of Your essence and Your names and Your attributes and by virtue of the sublime Quran and Your revealed books, and by virtue of our beloved messenger Muhammad, Allah bless him and bestow peace upon him as well as members of his household, and by virtue of whosoever has rank before You amongst all Your created beings, that You will forgive all those wrongdoings and cover all those defects, and that You will favour us from Your ample, magnificent, generosity with all that we aspire to, and that You will exchange our evils actions for good ones, and that You will enable us to attain Your good pleasure at the highest level of our aspirations and the uppermost limit of our wishes. And we, as You know us, have our forelocks in Your hands and our entire affair, in all our states, comes back to You, and whatever good opinion we cherish regarding You, You are well aware of it, and our absolute dependence upon You, and extreme need of You, are not concealed from You, and here are our hands stretched out towards You and our hearts are focused upon You, do not therefore, turn us away empty handed, O, the Hope of all aspirers! And the Refuge of all refuge seekers! Show mercy unto he who calls You when he believes that You are his Lord and comes exclusively to You, when indeed, You are his sufficiency. After the outgoing year a new year has come upon us while we do not know what has been pre-ordained in Your knowledge regarding us. And our hope is that You will open for us in this new year a door of sincere, genuine, repentance from which we shall not renege, and that You will grace us in it with the ability for virtuous works, acceptable to You, that will in turn grace us with Your good pleasure towards us, and that You will employ our limbs in obedience that is well-pleasing in Your sight, and our hearts with love for You, and love for whomsoever You love, and love for whatsoever You love, and that You will expand our hearts and grant them the capacity for Your special knowledge, with which You have ennobled such of Your servants that are possessed of knowledge about You and virtuous saints, and that You will sustain us with taqwa with which You have ennobled servants of Yours who are endowed with taqwa [that You will sustain us] with its essence, its fruit, its main roots and its branches and may You lodge us in the highest stations of rectitude, and raise us to certainty at the highest levels of certainty, and that You may grant us entry to the path of following, in words, deeds, intentions, and works ,Your beloved, the most honoured of created beings in your presence, namely our beloved messenger Muhammad, may Allah bless him and bestow peace upon him, as well as his household, and that You may make ample our share of love for this beloved and of following him in all our states and that You make us, O our Lord, among the happiest of people by virtue of him, and those closest to him, and among those who cherish the greatest lasting love for him, and may You honour us with the vision of his honoured face, Allah bless him and bestow peace upon him and his household whilst he is well pleased with us, in sleep and our wakeful moments, in this world, the world in between and the hereafter, and may You honour us, O our Lord, with complete and copious blessing in our works, our intentions, and our sustenance and in our movements and stillness, and may You make the coming years of our lives rotate around firmness in our religion and dedication to Your service, and may You protect us in all this from the evil of Satan, and his works, and from the evil of the evil-commanding soul, and its work, and from the evil of worldly temptation, and may You protect us from plunging into its gewgaws, and its decorations, and from such tests as derive from it in the area of wealth and dependents and things other than these, and from yielding to ruinous passions, and may You protect us from being overwhelmed in the domain of ephemeral desires, and from evil companions and their companionship, and may You make our renewed spans of life all employed in what is well pleasing to You, and such bounties as You have generously bestowed upon us, may You enable us to offer gratitude for that, and may You make us, O our Lord, among those who hold firm to the firm handhold of sincerity towards You, in all our pursuits, and may You embrace in all these supplications, our children and our parents, and our friends and our brethren in religion, and endow us with an immense strength which will [further] strengthen us in obedience to You, and in the discharge of Your obligation upon us, in the manner that You like, and with which You are well pleased, and may You grant us a plentiful share with which to strive vigorously in Your service, and in the constancy of such works as will earn Your good pleasure, and may You open for us, a manifest opening, in the reflection of the magnificent Quran, and in the access to its secrets, and in the excellent manners at the time of reciting its verses, and when listening to them, and may You grant us, O our Lord, the memorisation of its words and the fulfilling of its obligations, and the response to its call, and the hastening to abide by its commands and the avoidance of its prohibitions, and may You make us amongst a people who are loyally wedded to its rights, and may You appoint it for us, in Your presence, a witness of sincerity through fulfilling what it calls us to, O Most Merciful of the Merciful, [since every merciful one receives the gift of mercy from You], and may Allah bestow blessings on our beloved messenger Muhammad and his household, and upon his companions in their entirety, and the praise is Allah’s, Lord of all universes.

Allahumma Amin. Allahumma Amin. Allahumma Amin.

Please keep me, my family, teachers and the ummah in your prayers.

May Allah accept from us. Allahumma Amin.

In response to the call of the Prophet, peace be upon him, ‘The best of deeds are those that are small but consistent.”

We are a group of brothers from the United Kingdom who are intending to put together a Mughal Script Khulasa that will in sha Allah serve the Muslim communities worldwide. The intention here is to first raise £4200 and then ask a specialist calligrapher in Pakistan to complete the first Mughal Script Khulasa.

Khulasa al-Madad al-Nabawi (The Essence of the Prophetic Support) is a book of duas, adhkar, awrad and qasa’id (spiritual odes) which are used in Tarim, Yemen. It is further read across the world by those who follow the Ba’Alawi tariqa (spiritual path) and by those who have no particular way but nevertheless follow the Prophetic methodology. The book has been compiled by Sayyidi al-Habib Umar b. Muhammad b. Hafiz (may Allah (Exalted is He)  help us to benefit from him). It is a book of Prophetic invocations that is read by Muslims to connect to Allah (Exalted is He) and the Prophet (upon him be peace and blessings) from the beginning to the end of the day.

The idea itself is simple; for a group of us to begin depositing into an account a small amount of money each week/month (as little as £5 a month), each of us would set this up as a standing order making the process efficient and easy to run. From this we can then develop our intentions of creating a Mughal Script Khulasa.

Details of the account are as follows;

Name; Ghafar Sher

Bank; Natwest

Sort code; 56-00-45

Account Number; 21947198

We ask that everybody finds at least three other people to sign up to this. For those who want to donate but not set up a standing order, you’re welcome to do this as well in sha Allah.  In addition, it would be appreciated if you could please contemporaneously submit an email to the following address khulasaproject@hotmail.co.uk and provide your name in full and how much you have kindly donated.

For those who require more information, please read the previous post. Also, feel free to contact us on khulasaproject@hotmail.co.uk

We thank you all for your willingness in wanting to spread good.

JazakAllah Khair

The Khulasa Project