Counsel Sidi Ahmad Zarrooq (d. 1492 C.E.) (Part 1) By Shaykh Hamza Yusuf

Know (may Allah give you and us success, and rectify our worldly and other worldly lives and grant us adherence to way of the truth in our journeys and in our sojourns) that: Repentance is a key. And taqwaa (awareness of Allah subhanahu wa t'ala) is vast and uprightness is the source of rectification. Furthermore a servant is never free of either blunders, or shortcomings, or lassitude. Therefore never be neglectful of tawbah (repentance), and never turn away from the act of returning to Allah subhanahu wa t'ala and never neglect acts that bring you closer to Allah subhanahu wa t'ala. Indeed, every time one of these three occurs, repent and return. Every time that you make a mistake, listen and obey. Any time you display shortcoming or lack of enthusiasm, don't desist in your efforts. Let your main concern be to remove from your outer state anything that is displeasing, and then maintain its outward state from continuous counsel. Continue doing this until you find that your fleeing from anything outwardly displeasing is second nature, and your avoidance of the boundaries of prohibited things is as if it acts like a protective net that is placed before you. At this point, it is time to turn inward, toward your heart's presence, and to its reality with both reflection and remembrance. Don't hasten the end result before you have completed the beginning. But likewise, don't begin without looking toward the end result. This is so because the one who seeks the outset at the end loses providential care; and the one who seeks the end at the outset loses providential guidance. Via-Sacred Text Series

Two matters are necessary for a persons success

Imam al-Haddad (Allah sanctify his secret) said in hisHikam: 84- Two matters are necessary for a person in order to attain success in the next world: First: Guidance(hidayah)andtawfiqfrom Allah, which is like the rain which falls on the earth Second: Striving towards Allah upon the path of uprightness, which is like cultivating the earth and taking care of what it needs from seeds, weeding, protection and warding off that which would harm it etc. Thus cultivating the earth without watering it is stubborness and effort without result, and watering it without cultivating it is a waste. Tawfiq from Allah is like the rain, the servant has no say in it, and this is the reality (haqiqah). The striving and effort which is like the cultivating of the earth and looking after it is for the servant, which is his action regarding which he will be questioned and compensated. And this is the shariah. *** Shaykh Muhammad Hayat al-Sindi (Allah have mercy on him) in his commentary said (commentary in italics below) 84- Two matters are necessary for a person in order to attain success in the next world: First: Guidance (hidayah) -to the path of goodness- and tawfiq -to perform good actions and leave sins are- from Allah,-in whose Hand lies guidance and tawfiq- which is like the rain which falls on the earth –and gives life to it after its death… Second: Striving towards Allah –Who ordered His servants to strive towards Him- upon the path of uprightness,-which is the Muhammadan way, without any shortcomings and deviation in the principles (usul) and branches (furu)- which is like cultivating the earth –which grows crops by the mere falling of rain upon it- and taking care of what it needs from seeds,-which is the material source of cultivation- weeding, protection –from that which harms– and warding off that which would harm it-which will not facilitate growth- etc.-which are required for cultivation. Thus cultivating the earth without it being watered is stubborness and effort without result,-as the earth does not grow crops without water- and watering it without cultivating it is a waste.-as it does not grow without being cultivated. Tawfiq from Allah is like the rain, the servant has no say in it,-rather it is the Generosity of Allah which He grants whom He wills- and this is the reality (haqiqah).-For in reality all matters in the Hand of Allah and the servant has no say.- The striving and effort which is like the cultivating of the earth and looking after it is for the servant, which is his action -The upshot of this is that Allah (Taala) has placed in the heart the power to choose good and adopt the correct belief, and the power to not choose evil and not adopt false beliefs and knowledge.  Likewise He has placed in his body the power to do good and avoid evil and made him responsible for that that which in in his ability to do. Thus he who utilises his power by the guidance and tawfiq of Allah in that which pleases Him issuccessful, and the one unable to do this is blamed.- regarding which he will be questioned –on the day of judgement-and compensated. And this is the shariah.-whose limits and rulings must be observed, thus every haqiqah which conflicts with the shariah is falseâ

Etiquettes For Reading The Burda

A number of conditions are necessary in order for it to be read in the correct manner, and also in order for it to be effective in that which it is recited for. The first of them is to performwudu. Second is to face the direction of prayer (qibla). Third is precision in the correct pronunciation of the words and theirirab. Fourth is that the one reciting is knowledgeable of its meanings, because supplications are not effective if the reciter is not knowledgeable of their meanings, as was indicated to by Ali al-Qari in the introduction to hisHizb al-Azam… Fifth is its recitation is poetic form because it was authored as a poem not prose. Sixth is memorizing it. Seventh is that the reciter has permission to recite it from its people. Eighth is that it is recited with thesalatupon the Prophet (Upon him be peace), but it is necessary that it be with thesalat which was recited by Imam al-Busiri which is: Mawla Ya Salei Wa Sallim DaaeMan Abadan Alaa Habeebika Khayril Khalqe Kullehemi Not other than it, for if not then it will not effective as is reported by Imam al-Ghaznawi, that he would recite this qasidah every night in order to see the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) in his sleep. He was not fortunate enough to see this vision, so he complained of this to a complete Shaykh (Shaykh Kamil), and questioned him about its secret. The Shaykh replied that perhaps you do not pay close attention to its conditions. He replied that Ofcourse I pay close attention to them, so the Shaykh contemplated and thereafter said, I have found its secret, and it is that you do not sendsalatwith thesalatwhich was written by Imam al-Busiri, for he would sendsalatupon him (upon him be peace) with his words:

Pearls from Tafsir al-Mazhari from Surah al-Nur

Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The similitude of His light is as a niche wherein is a lamp. The lamp is in a glass. The glass is as it were a shining star. (This lamp is) kindled from a blessed tree, an olive neither of the East nor of the West, whose oil would almost glow forth (of itself) though no fire touched it. Light upon light. Allah guides unto His light whom He will. And Allah speaks to mankind in parables, for Allah is Knower of all things. Qadi Thanaullah in his detailed discussion of this verse “ in the course of citing a number of different commentaries- said the following (6/525 onwards): Al-Baghawi said: The people of knowledge have differed over the meaning of this similitude. Some of them said this similitude is of the light of Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace). Ibn Abbas said to Kab al-Ahbar, Tell me about His (Most Highs) words The similitude of His light is as a niche. Kab replied that this likeness was struck by Allah of His Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace). The niche (Mishkat) is his chest, the lamp is his heart and the glass in it is Prophethood. The light and matter of Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace) would almost become manifest to people, even if he did not articulate that he was a Prophet, just as the oil would glow even if it was not touched by light. Light upon light. How wonderful is that which Kab said: Then Qadi Thanaullah after detailing some of the Prophetic miracles returned back to this interpretation of this verse and said the following: Salim related from Ibn Umar regarding this verse: The niche is the inner self of Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace), the glass is his heart and the lamp is the light which Allah placed in him. Neither East nor West meaning neither Christian nor Jewish. Lit from a blessed tree meaning Ibrahim (Upon whom be peace). Light upon light the light of Ibrahim upon the light of the heart of Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace). Muhammad bin Kab al-Qurazi said: The niche is Ibrahim, the glass is Ismail and the lamp is Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace). Allah named him a lamp (Misbah) just as he named him Siraj al-Munir. Lit from a blessed tree which is Ibrahim (Upon him be peace). He was named blessed (mubarak) because the majority of the Prophets are from him. Neither Eastern nor Western meaning Ibrahim was neither Jewish nor Christian, but rather was a an upright (Hanif) Muslim Whose oil would almost glow forth (of itself) though no fire touched it The excellent qualities of Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace) would almost become apparent to people before he was given revelation. Light upon light A prophet from the offspring of a Prophet, the light of Muhammad upon the light of Ibrahim (Blessings and peace be upon them both).

Salawat: The Means of Spiritual Ascent

Indeed, Allah and His angels send prayers upon the Prophet. O you who believe! Send prayers and abundant salutations upon him. (Surah Ahzab, 33:56) You should realize that prayer upon the Prophet ﷺ is a ladder and means of [spiritual] ascent to arrive unto Allah. That is because sending prayers upon him ﷺ frequently engenders the Prophet’s love, and the Prophet’s love engenders Allah’s love, and Allah’s love for the servant attracts the servant to the Divine Presence—with or without an intermediary. In addition, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ is the vizier brought nigh, and whoever seeks an audience with the King must serve the vizier and draw near to him so he can grant him an audience before the King. The Messenger of Allah, therefore, is Allah’s Supreme Sentinel [al-hijab al-a'zam] and noblest door. Whoever seeks to enter through a door other than his will be expelled and cast out. To that end, Ibn al-Wafa says: You are the door of Allah; whoever attempts to enter [the Divine Presence] From a door other than yours shall not enter it Sheikh al-Jazuli inDalail al-Khayrat says, “Sending prayers upon the Prophet ﷺ is of the utmost importance for the one who desires to draw close to the Lord of lords.” [1]The commentator onDalail al-Khayratexplains this: There are several reasons why it is so important [to send prayers upon the Prophet ﷺ] ...One reason is that it contains a means of approach to Allah Most High through the station of His Beloved and Chosen One ﷺ. The Most High says, “And seek a means of approach unto Him.” [2]There is no means of approach to Allah that is closer or greater than His noblest Messenger ﷺ. Another reason is that Allah Most High, out of His honor, ennobling, and preference to the Prophet’s lofty stature ﷺ, has commanded and encouraged prayers upon him ﷺ, and promised a good return and bountiful reward for those who say them. It is one of the most favorable of deeds, heaviest of statements, purest of states, most prosperous of works that draw nigh, and most encompassing of blessings. Sending prayers upon the Prophet ﷺ is a means of arriving at the good-pleasure of the All-Merciful and attaining felicity and the greatest satisfaction [ridwan]. Through it, a person’s supplications are answered and he ascends to the highest spiritual degrees. Allah Most High revealed to Musa (peace be upon him), “O Musa! Do you desire that I become closer to you than your words upon your tongue, your whispers upon your heart, your soul in your body, and the light of your vision in your eyes?” Musa replied, “Yes, O Lord!” Allah said, “Then send frequent prayers upon Muhammad ﷺ.” Another reason is that the Prophet ﷺ is the Beloved of Allah Most High and he possesses an immense rank with Him. Both Allah and His angels send prayers upon him ﷺ, so it is incumbent to love the Beloved and draw close to Allah Most High through love of him, reverence of him, fulfillment of his rights, prayers upon him, and emulation of the prayers of Allah and the angels upon him ﷺ. This honoring is greater and more consummate than the honor conferred upon Adam (peace be upon him) when Allah ordered the angels to prostrate to him. That is because it is impermissible that Allah could have been with the angels in the conferring of honor to Adam, so the honoring that comes from both Allah and His angels is more intense than the honoring that came only from the angels. Another reason relates to the virtues that are transmitted about the sending prayers upon him, as well as the promise of immense reward, high rank, and the promise that the one who sends prayers upon him will win unto Allah’s good-pleasure and have his worldly and after-worldly needs fulfilled. Another reason is that the sending of prayers upon the Prophet ﷺ entails showing gratitude to the one who is the intermediate [wasita] in Allah’s graces upon us and to whom we are ordered to be thankful. There is not a single grace of Allah upon us—whether it has passed or is to come, and whether it is the grace of existence [ijad] or the grace of sustenance [imdad], in this life or the next—save that the Prophet ﷺis the means for it reaching us and circulating among us. It is obligatory upon us to fulfill the rights he ﷺ has upon us, and when we show gratitude for his bounties we must not become fatigued from sending prayers upon him ﷺ at every inhalation and exhalation. Another reason is that the sending of prayers upon the Prophet ﷺ entails a fulfillment of slavehood by carrying out what is ostensibly negated by the very basis of slavehood itself. This is a stronger form of compliance and is the reason why the merits of prayers upon the Prophet ﷺ are superior to other actions. That which is ostensibly negated by the basis of slavehood is for the servant to draw close to Allah by occupying himself with other than Him. When we say for example, “O Allah! Send prayers upon Muhammad,” we are occupying ourselves with the right of Muhammad ﷺ, whereas the basis for all acts of devotion is that we only seek nearness to Allah by carrying out His rights. However, since the sending of prayers upon Muhammad ﷺ comes from a permission from Allah Most High, it is a stronger form of compliance to the divine command. It may be likened to Allah’s command that the angels prostrate to Adam. The angels’ honor was in their compliance with Allah’s command, and Satan’s disgrace was in his contravention of Allah’s command. Another reason lies in the tried and true effects of sending prayers upon him ﷺ and the benefits of their resultant mystical illuminations and elevations of spiritual resolve (himma). It is even said—according to what Sheikh al-SanusÏ, Sheikh [Ahmad] Zarruq, and others relate—that prayers upon the Prophet ﷺ suffice one in the absence of a sheikh in the spiritual path and they stand in his place. Another reason lies in the fact that the sending of prayers upon the Prophet ﷺ brings about equilibrium in the spiritual path: one that combines the servant’s perfections and completes him, for in the prayers upon the Prophet ﷺ there is mention of Allah and His Messenger, but this is not the case for other formulas of remembrance. This is why perseverance and constancy with the [other] formulas of remembrance can bring about a state of disequilibrium and luminosity that burns away the character traits, and give rise to incandescence and heat in the constitution. On the other hand, because it is like cool water, the sending of prayers upon the Prophet ﷺ removes this heat in the constitution and strengthens the souls... [1]Allah is the Lord of lords (Rabb al-arbab), and all other expressions of lordship for other than Him are figurative when compared to His absolute Lordship (Ruboobiya).—Tr [2]Quran 5:35.Shared by Abdul Aziz Suraqah on Almadina institute website

Profiling Syed Bulbul Shah rahimahumullah

The preacher among the preachers of Islam in Kashmir is believed to be Hazrat Syed Sharaf-ud- DIN Abdul Rahman (RA), popularly known as Syed Bulbul Shah (RA). He is believed to have touched the threshold of Kashmir during the reign of Suhadeva (1301-20). He was an extensively travelled preacher. He had deeply impressed the people of Kashmir by his manner of preaching and persuasion at a time when people were passing through a period of political instability, heavy taxation and crushing burdens of feudalism. All the historians are united upon the fact that Hazrat Bulbul Shah (RA) was the first saint who sowed the seeds of Islam in Kashmir. The historians have been reserved over the pedigree of the saint and some believe that he had come from Samarqand and some state that he was from Bukhara. But the majority of them believe that he was from Turkistan. They believe that Hazrat Sharaf- ud- Din (RA) was neither a king nor a soldier, nor a businessman but he was only a virtuous and great saint who possessed spiritual prowess and holiness. He came to Kashmir with the instructive power of Prophet (SAW) and enlightened the whole milieu. Different beliefs about the actual birth of Hazrat Abdul Rahman or Sharaf –ud- Din (RA) alias Hazrat Bulbul Shah (RA) have been promulgated. Some schools of thought believe that he belonged to Samarqand and some believe that he was a saintly celeb from Bukhara. There are also others who believe that he belonged to Turkistani or Central Asia. But the majority of people are united on the idea that he emerged from Turkistan and that is why the suffix of ‘Turkistani’ is found with the name of the great saint. Hazrat Bulbul Shah (RA) has been given several names and titles by the Kashmiri authors. Jonaraja, the historian, is reserved about the name of the saint. The author of the “Baharistan-i- Shahi “ states that on asking the name by the King or others, the holy saint introduced his name as Bulbul Qalandar and uttered that he was a Muslim. Muhammad Azam in his “Tarikh-i- Kashmir” has introduced him as Baba Bulbul Shah (RA). Another author Rafi-ud- Din in his “Nawadir-ul- Akhbar” calls him as Sayed Sharaf-ud- Din. Baba Dawood Mishkati in his “Asrar-ul- Abrar” mentions him as Hazrat Baba Bilal. Peer Ghulam Hassan Khuihami in his “Tarikh-i- Kashmir” claims that his real name was Hazrat Sayed Sharaf-ud- Din (RA). Some other writers mention him as Sayed Sharaf-ud- Din Abdur Rahman Turkistani. In the land of Kashmir he became much popular as Bulbul Shah (RA) because it is believed by different writers and spiritual scholars particularly by Baba Ali Raina of Tujar Sharief, the brother and special disciple of Sheikh Hamza Makhdom (RA), who writes in his book Tazkarat- ul- Aarifeen that “One day Hazrat Syed Sharaf- ud- Din (RA) was about to make ablution on the bank of a stream or canal. All of sudden he sighted a Bulbul (Bird) on the branch of a tree singing beautifully and impressively and then suddenly the bird flew towards the sky. Hazrat Bulbul Shah also flew after the bird and caught hold of the bird and flew down into his cottage and then the bird got was vanished in his august hands. One acquaintance present at the time, asked the saint about the whole episode and the saint replied that the bird was not a bird but it was his soul which was flying towards the sky and he followed it and caught hold of his own soul.” This episode with the saint got publicized and therefore, he came to be known as Hazrat Bulbul Shah (RA). After the King Rinchena embraced Islam as his religion, his mentor and guide entitled him as Shaha and he became prominent as Sultan Rinchena Shah, the first Muslim King of Kashmir. Since the King was influenced by the spiritual powers of the saint Hazrat Bulbul Shah (RA), he got constructed a Khankah or a cloister for his convertor near his palace in Srinagar. In order to keep other followers or Dervishes at ease, the King constructed quarters, where the food was served to them. The place at which the Khankah of Bulbul Shah (RA) was built came to be known as Bulbul Lankar during the rule of Chak dynasty, which endowed the spiritual followers and other disciples with free ration and other necessary items. The Sultan Rinchena Shah also constructed a mosque for the great saint and would present himself on Fridays before him for moral and spiritual salvation. It is important to mention that due to the much conversions among the Hindus, there grew a terrible animosity against the King Rinchena Shah. A conspiracy was hatched against him under the command of Udayanadeva in the royal palace. Fortunately, the Ladakhi security guards of the Sultan repulsed their attack on the King and made them to flee. Some of the conspirators were killed and some were imprisoned and punished. In 1323, Sultan Rinchena Shah fell ill and passed away after ruling for more than three years. Hazrat Bulbul Shah (RA) took the heavenly flight from this world in 727 AH e.g, in 1327 AD.The saint is remembered as one of the most prominent saints of Kashmir, who marshaled an Islamic revolution in Kashmir.

Powerful Duas and Salawats-(durood): Benefits of Salawat Taj -Invocation of the Crown

Powerful Duas and Salawats-(durood): Benefits of Salawat Taj -Invocation of the Crown: Sweet reciting of Salawat Taj - (Durood taj Shareef) Invocation of the Crown Salawat Taj by Habib Abi Bakr bin Salim al-'Alawi and ...