The real tavern

Three meditations of Khwaja Mo’inoddin Chishti

The real wine in a clear heart is the sign and symbol of moving about in Allah and refers to the virtues and qualities, and to the way of life to be moulded according to the attributes of Allah.

The pure and purifying wine is this, that the divine grace may descend upon the heart of the faithful witness of the truth.

The real tavern is the heart. But without the guidance of the perfect spiritual guide the absorbed traveller on the way cannot understand it.

As you will remember I have promised to show some pieces of the English translation of Mo’in ul Arwah - a book written by Nawab Gudri Shah Baba – dealing with the life and teachings of Khwaja Mo’inuddin Chishti. I’ll try to give attention to different types of teachings; different as to the level of complexity. The following is the summary of teachings as coming from the second chapter of ‘Kashf ul-Asrar’ (Unveiling of Secrets) a book of Khwaja Mo’inuddin Chishti. He tells us how the creation of the universe took place and that there are similarities between the universe (macrocosm) and man (microcosm):

God gave to all that was non-existing such existence, that He created from the four elements four existences, likewise He created four beings and when God desired to see Himself and to see Himself and to manifest His own Self, then God, the Almighty created these four spheres which were like four pillars.

(Then a drawing is given in the midst whereof is a small circle which is surrounded by four rectangles which enclose each other).

After separating these from God they had a tripod shape and four elements, that is to say

- fire, which is related to love
- air, which is related to spirit
- water, which is related to action
- earth, which is related to ego.

This is similar (and can be compared) to the four friends of Muhammad (s.a.w.) and the four archangels near God.

(Then Mo’inuddin Chishti discusses the self (nafs) in 3 stages of development:)

1. An-nafs al-ammara (the self inciting to evil; the ego). This nafs comes from fire.
2. An-nafs al-molhama (the inspired self). This nafs comes from water.
3. An-nafs al-motma’inna (the quiescent soul). This nafs comes from earth.

In the same way as there are four seasons in the created world, there are in the existence of man childhood which is like the sowing of seed, youth which is like Spring, the age of decline which is like the beginning of Autumn and old age which is like Autumn.

- From the heart the tongue takes water, which is sweet,
- From the lungs the nose takes water, which is sour,
- From the gall the ear takes water, which is bitter,
- From the liver the eye takes water, which is saltish.

Intellect is from the brain, modesty is in the eyes, understanding is in the ear, knowledge is in the breast and thought is in the heart.

God has created four spheres, the first is fire, the second air, the third water and the fourth is earth. In heaven is the height of mystery and under this mystery is the seat of mystery itself, under the height fire is like air, under the heigth air is like water and under the height water is like earth and these are the downfalls and the rises. From the height of the earth is the vegetable kingdom and from the height of the vegetable kingdom is the animal kingdom and from the height of the animal kingdom is the human kingdom, and the purification of man is Nur Muhammadi (the light of Muhammad) and this is the whole and sole reason of the truth. The details of this are many, but what is indispensable for the seeker has been described here.

In Mo’in ul Arwah the following deals with the khirqa (the frock of the dervishes):

With respect to the khirqa of the dervishes, all those who have inner knowledge are unanimous. In the “Kashf al-Mahjub” (The Revelation of the Veiled, the oldest treatise in the Persian language about Sufism) it says that the persons worthy of these robes are only those belonging to two groups, one are the extinct ones and the other the ardent longers for God. And among the great mashaykh the tradition is, that when some morid in connection with renunciation is drawn to them, then admonition is given to him (please also read: she) in three matters:

- the first is service to mankind
- the second is service to God
- the third is meditation in the heart.

Hence for the sake of service to mankind he should make sure that he considers himself the servant of all, that he regards all people as his masters, that without distinction he considers them all better than himself and that he considers it reasonable that they are above him.

And in the service to God it is necessary that he should renounce the pleasures of this world and the next world and that he should perform special prayers to God.

And for meditation it is necessary that his mind should remain collected and all distractions be discarded from the heart.

When those three conditions have been obtained and the morid has become accomplished in those three matters, then he is considered to be worthy of the path of religious observance and it is befitting for him that he be clothed with the khirqa.

It has been explained that a person may receive the khirqa (the frock of the dervishes) for three reasons: the first is service to mankind, the second is service to God and the third is meditation in the heart. The author of ‘Mo’in ul Arwah’ continues thus:

That person deserves to be clothed with the khirqa who is steadfast in God. According to the traditions Saifuddin, the author of the ‘Qusus-ul-Adab’, the origin of the khirqa is the black sheet which the prophet gave to ‘Ali. He writes that shaykh Najmuddin Kubra has copied from the ‘Akhbar-e-Sahih’ that the real khirqa is the cloak which the prophet bestowed on ‘Ali and by him it was bestowed on the great mashaykh and by them it was bestowed on several persons. He said that the truth about the khirqa is this that God on account of spiritual purity bestowed the khirqa. In short the prophet made the khirqa the bestower of the secret truths of the prophet and invested ‘Ali with the khirqa. In the ‘Rahat-ul-Qulub’ and ‘Siyar-ul-Auliya’ and various other books of the great ones on the path it is written that the dervish mantle was bestowed by God on the prophet in the night of the me’raj (his heavenly journey). That khirqa was a black garment.

But this tradition is not proved according to the authentic hadith. On the contrary the authors of these traditions have explained this as untrue and void… But as to the khirqa in reality its benefit is that it used to be the garment of the prophet and this is unquestionable and clear that the tradition of the khirqa, as has been described above, was that the pure sufis who existed from the earliest times, used to bestow this khirqa and initiation after intimate friendship, learning and discipline. This being a test of the refining of the qualities of the ego. This custom of the khirqa was made known in the time of shaykh Junayd of Baghdad and after him this custom of initiation arose.

In Mo’in ul Arwah attention is given to the poems of Khwaja Mo’inuddin Chishti. This is one of them:

Cast away from your face the mask of selfishness
And watch the spiritual beauty in all forms.
Ay! That You shine at every moment in a different manifestation
In the Sinai of the heart.
And there is every time another Moses wishing for Your appearance.
How can I explain that I cannot tell anything
And that in the matters of the heart all reasoning has failed.
Last night my heart expressed too many things,
And I heard too many things that I have never told before
Neither heard before.

::: The 23rd way of ma’refat (gnosis)

The members of the Chishtiyya order have adopted fifteen principal stages and have made them their customary line of action:

The first stage is that of helpers, which refers to Adam.
The second is the stage of abstainers, which is the stage of Idries (Enoch).
The third stage is that of the devotees, which refers to Moses.
The fourth stage is that of the patient ones, which refers to Job.
The fifth stage is that of those resigned to the will of God, which refers to Jesus.
The sixth stage is that of the contented ones, which refers to the great Jacob.
The seventh stage is that of the defenders of the faith, which refers to Jonah.
The eighth stage is that of the thinkers, which refers to Joseph.
The ninth stage is that of the afflicted, which refers to Shu’aib (Jethro).
The tenth stage is that of the morsheds, which refers to Seth.
The eleventh stage is that of the righteous ones, which refers to Noah.
The twelfth stage is that of the sincere ones, which refers to David.
The thirteenth stage is that of the illuminated ones, which refers to Khidr.
The fourteenth stage is that of the grateful ones, which refers to Abraham.
The fifteenth stage is that of the lovers, which refers to Mohammed Mustafa.

If a dervish with the help of the teaching of the morsheds is not aware of the above mentioned stages he is only a beginner

::: Persuasion to serve your morshed

Turning towards Hazrat Qutub al-Aqtab he said: “When I joined the Shaykh al-Islam Sultan al-Mashaykh Hazrat Khwaja Uthman Haruni (on whose grave is the light of God) and when the honour of bayat (initiation) bestowed on me was received with absolute sincerity, then for eight years I did not give myself a single moment of rest in the service of my morshed. Wherever he travelled this humble servant, carrying his bedding and luggage on his head, remained in his company.

Pir-o-morshed, after seeing such service and devotion from me, gave me such a gift as is beyond limits. Then he said: ‘Whoever received, received through service and devotion’. It is incumbent upon the morid not even slightly to diverge from the order of the morshed. Whatever the morshed has ordered in the way of prayer and wazifa give full attention to it do according to it so that you reach that stage where the pir is the beautifier of the morid. When a pir suggests to his morid to do something, it is for the sake of attainment of perfection for the morid”.

Outward infidelity is this that on account of numerous deeds, customs and habits one be desirous of fame and praise among the people; that is to say that one considers the people, without the intermediary of God, as the source of the fulfilment of desires and may have the hope of success from them. As this fact is ungodly, therefore such considerations in the heart are idols. The sincere people of the inner path call this outward infidelity.

Someone asked shaykh Sa’di what is initiation and what is being a pir and what is being a morid. He said: ‘Initiation is this that you grasp the hand of the pir and act according to his guidance. The refraining from habits is called initiation, that is to say, keeping aloof from former habits and accepting the pir’s advice and always remembering God. Being a morid is this, that you always, in presence and in absence, are in obedience and respect for the morshed and that you are always with heart and soul present in the company of the pir, that you abstain from treacherous deeds, that you remain in permanent union night and day in remembering God according to the order of the morshed…’.

‘Abdullah Ansari has said: ‘To bestow initiation, to cut the hair on the head of the morid, to make a morid, to guide and to help the morid to reach God is a great task. Without the training of a perfect morshed the beginning morid cannot attain the nearness of God’.

Khwaja Shibli has written that spiritual exercises are of two kinds, real and outward. Outward religious exercises consist of eating little, speaking little and remaining away from the world, but the real spiritual exercise is to polish the mirror of the heart through the secret remembrance.

The memorisation of the Qur’an is of two kinds, one unreal and one real. To memorise the Qur’an without understanding its meaning is unreal memorisation and the real memorisation is that of reciting the Qur’an in the heart.

Unity is also of two kinds, one unreal and one real. The unreal union is this, that in the world of jabarut and lahut, through the secret remembrance, the true seeker with the service of remembrance in his heart will with heart and soul attain the intoxicating effect of love. Only after achieving perfection in the unreal union can one reach the real union. The real union consists in this, that the real seeker, leaving aside self-seeking, self-seeing and his own existence, reaches the state of union with God. As long as the seeker looks at himself he will not see God. When the seeker does not see himself in between, he will reach the perfect union with God

::: The eighteenth way of ma’refat

Shaykh Sultan Ibrahim Adham said: “I have for years together remained in prayer, idle deeds, the practice of the customs, recitation, the use of the rosary and I spent my whole life in the company of the learned ones, the ascetics and the saliks who are not majzub. However I did not attain even the perfume of the knowledge of God, but when I stayed in the company of Hazrat Khwaja Fuzayl Ayaz I reached the perfect goal.

It is said that mawlana Jalaluddin Rumi was the leader of the scholars of Islam. He had in his library 2954 books and he had 976 pupils. He used to hold discussions with these scholars, he was involved in self-love and arrogance and he considered himself as having reached union with God. But when he got attached to the qutb (the pole) of the awliya (friends of God), Shams Tabrizi, he left books, paper and lectures and through the company and the spiritual training of the shaykh, he, after acquiring nearness to God attained unity in God.

For knowing God there are fourteen famous kinds of knowledge:
1. The knowledge of the shariat, that is to say the explanation of the words of God.
2. Religious knowledge, that is to say knowing the glory of visions.
3. The higher knowledge, that is to say knowledge of the meaning of poetry.
4. The knowledge of philosophy, that is to say the works of the old philosophers.
5. The knowledge of faith, that is to say knowing the names of the qualities of God.
6. The knowledge of calligraphy.
7. The knowledge of astronomy, that is to say counting of stars and planets.
8. The knowledge of dialectics.
9. The knowledge of music.
10. The knowledge of medicine, that is to say the knowledge of the healing of the body.
11. The knowledge of the unity of God.
12. The knowledge of the tariqat, that is to say knowledge of the world of malakut.
13. The knowledge of haqiqat, that is to say the knowledge of the world of jabarut.
14. The knowledge of inspiration, that is to say love and affection.

The following is taken from the twenty-fifth way of ma’refat:

One day shaykh Abdullah Ansari asked God: ‘O, God! What is the first thing and what is its end, that is to say, what is its result?’
The answer came: ‘The first task is fana (annihilation) and its end is wafa (fidelity) and the result is baqa (permanent existence)’.

Then he asked: ‘What is annihilation, fidelity and permanent existence?’
The answer came: ‘Annihilation is being free from egoism, self-adoration and (separate) existence. Fidelity is keeping a bond with the Friend with heart and soul. Permanent existence is keeping the heart busy with truthfulness in all conditions’.

As I am unconscious and intoxicated by the wine of Your love,
In everything I look into, I see Your beauty.

Khwaja Mo’inuddin Chishti said: “For the seekers the first way is the shariat (Islamic laws). When the seekers on the way are devoted followers of the shariat and carry out the commands of the shariat and do not even diverse to the amount of a particle of dust from the way, then they reach tariqat (the path of Sufism). When they are consistent in that degree and follow the way of the people who have done this before them and do not for a moment transgress, then they reach the degree of ma’refat (gnosis, inner knowledge of God) and when they recognise and understand the importance of this place then light will be generated in them. If they are consistent in this degree then they go over to the fourth degree, that is the degree of haqiqat (the realisation of the Truth). After having reached this degree, whatever they ask they will receive it”.

Knowledge of self

Knowledge of self is the key to the knowledge of God, according to the saying: "He who knows himself knows God," and, as it is Written in the Koran,

"We will show them Our signs in the world and in themselves, that the truth may be manifest to them."

-Imam Ghazali (may Allah bless him)

"The first step to self-knowledge is to know that thou art composed of an outward shape, called the body, and an inward entity called the heart, or soul. By "heart" I do not mean the piece of flesh situated in the left of our bodies, but that which uses all the other faculties as its instruments and servants. In truth it does not belong to the visible world, but to the invisible, and has come into this world as a traveler visits a foreign country for the sake of merchandise, and will presently return to its native land. It is the knowledge of this entity and its attributes which is the key to the knowledge of God.

Some idea of the reality of the heart, or spirit, may be obtained by a man closing his eyes and forgetting everything around except his individuality. He will thus also obtain a glimpse of the unending nature of that individuality. "

-Imam Ghazali (may Allah bless him)

A soul which allows its lower faculties to dominate the higher is as one who should hand over an angel to the power of a dog or a Mussalman to the tyranny of an unbeliever.The cultivation of demonic, animal, or angelic qualities results in the production of corresponding characters, which in the Day of Judgment will be manifested in visible shapes, the sensual appearing as swine, the cruel as dogs and wolves, and the pure as angels. The aim of moral discipline is to purify the heart from the rust of passion and resentment , till, like a clear mirror, it reflects the light of God.

"The Alchemy Of Happiness" by Imam Ghazali R.A

Some one may object, "But if man has been created with animal and demonic qualities as well as angelic, how are we to know that the latter constitute his real essence, while the former are merely accidental and transitory?" To this I answer that the essence of each creature is to be sought in that which is highest in it and unique to it. Thus the horse and the ass are both burden-bearing animals, but the superiority of the horse to the ass consists in its being adapted for use in battle. If it fails in this, it becomes degraded to the rank of burden-bearing animals.

"The Alchemy Of Happiness" by Imam Ghazali R.A

We Are In His Hands In Anger And In Peace

Mathnawi I: 1510-1513

1510 If we come to (a state of) ignorance, that is His prison. And if
we come to (a state of) knowledge, that is His (lofty) balcony.

If we come to (a state of) sleep, we are His drowsy-drunken ones.
And if we come to (a state of) wakeful alertness, we are in His
Hands.

If we come to (a state of) weeping, we are His cloud full of
glistening (raindrops).1 And if we come to (a state of) laughing,2
we are His lightning in that moment.

1513 If we come to (a state of) anger and battle, it is the reflection
of His Wrath.3 And if we come to (a state of) peace and pardon, it
is the reflection of His Love.4

--From "The Mathnawî-yé Ma`nawî" [Rhymed Couplets of Deep Spiritual Meaning] of Jalaluddin Rumi. Translated from the Persian by Ibrahim Gamard (with gratitude for R. A. Nicholson's 1926 British translation) © Ibrahim Gamard (translation, footnotes, & transliteration) (4/27/02)

Notes on the text, with line number:

1(1512) we are His (raining) cloud full of glistening (raindrops): The rhyme ("zarq" with "barq") suggests the idiom "zarq-o barq," which means "gleaming and flashing," "dark-blue and glittering (with lightning)," as well as "magnificence and grandeur." Nicholson later changed his translation to, "we are His cloud shedding rain-drops abundantly" (from, "we are a cloud laden with the bounty dispensed by Him"). And he explained: "i.e. full of the rain of Divine Mercy. GH [= the two earliest manuscripts of the Mathnawi] read 'zarq,' 'brightness', 'splendour'. . . In that case there would be a comparison of glistening tears to rain-drops." (Commentary)

2(1512) laughing: refers to the flashing gleam of smiling or
laughing teeth, which is compared to the flashing quality of
lightning.

3(1513) it is the reflection of His Wrath: "If we are full of anger and
are quarrelsome, that anger of ours is the reflection and the effect
of the Wrath of God [qahr-é khodâ]. In other words, the qualities
of anger and rage which manifest in us are the reflection and effect
of the qualities of Divine Punishment and Wrath which have
manifested in us. Because human existence is the mirror and place
of manifestation of the Divine Attributes." (Anqaravi, the 17th
century Turkish commentator, translated here into English from a
Persian translation)

4(1513) it is the reflection of His Love: "And, likewise, if we are
inclined to peace and gentle kindness [SulH wa luTf], those are
also the effects of the Love and Gentle Kindness of God which
have appeared in us. In sum, whether (it is) anger or kindness, both
qualities (derive) from Divine Being, become overflowing in the
servant (of God) [= the human being] and mankind is never the
source of any attribute." (Anqaravi, Commentary)


1510 gar ba-jahl ây-êm, ân zendân-é ô-st
w-ar ba-`ilm ây-êm, ân aywân-é ô-st

wa-r be-g'riy-ém abr-é por-zarq-é way-êm
w-ar ba-khand-êm ân zamân barq-é way-êm

1513 w-ar ba-khashm-o jang `aks-é qahr-é ô-st
w-ar ba SulH-o `aZr `aks-é mehr-é ô-st

Allah (Exalted is He) says in a hadith qudsi

"Those who wish to draw near to Me can do so through nothing better than that which I have made obligatory upon them. A man will then continue to approach Me with supererogatory devotions until I love him. And when I love him, I become his hearing with which he hears, his sight with which he sees, his foot on which he walks, and his hand with which he strikes. If he makes a request of Me I shall certainly grant it, and if he seeks My protection, I shall certainly protect him"

(Bukhari)

A believer is not he who maligns, curses, or is obscene or vulgar. [Tirmidhi]

Beware of being delighted with acts of worship, for they are a deadly poison. [Al Wasiti]

Suspicion is very wrong as a basis for action. Sufyan al Thawri says there are two kinds of suspicion. One is a sin: that is when you pass judgment against someone based upon your suspicion. The other is not a sin: that is when you suspect someone of having done something wrong, but refrain from judging or condemning him.

The opposite of suspicion is to think well of everybody. Even if there are signs to make you doubt the innocence of someone, it is still best to think of that person as innocent. To think badly and continue to be suspicious of someone who has been proven innocent is a sin. Thus it is best for you to have good will toward one and all. Above all, you should think well of your Lord. [The Path of Muhammad]

There comes a Sound,
from neither within nor without,
From neither right nor left,
from neither behind nor in front,
From neither below nor above,
from neither East nor West,
Nor is it of the element:
water, air, fire, earth, and the like;

From where then?

It is from that place thou art in search of:
Turn ye toward the place wherefrom the Lord makes His appearance.
From where a restless fish out of water gets water to live in,
From the place where the prophet Moses saw the divine Light,
From the place where the fruits get their ripening influence,
From the place where the stones get transmuted to gems,
From the place to which even in infidel turns in distress,
From the place to which all men turn when they find this world a vale of tears.
It is not given to us to describe such a blessed place:
It is a place where even the heretics would leave off their heresies.

-Hazrat Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi (r.a) (1207-1273 AD) Divan i Shamsi Tabriz

Humbleness -The Muslim Creed

Humbleness
----------------------
The Muslim Creed

Humbleness is the opposite of arrogance, and is an attitude and behavior that Allah and His Messenger have commanded us to have. It is also a great tool used to spread Islam to others.

The best way to achieve humbleness in the heart is contained in the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah ,who prescribed many methods to teach his companions how to be humble. We ask Allah to help us all become humble and stay firm on that path. Following are some of the methods and ways of achieving humbleness:

1. Extending As-Salam (saying As-Salamu Alaykum, peace be unto you).
Abdullah ibn ‘Amer said that a man asked the Messenger of Allah “Which part of Islam is the best?” He said, “To feed the food (to the poor), and to extend As Salam to those whom you know and whom you do not know. ”
[Al-Bukhari & Muslim]

Therefore, extending As-Salam to the old, young, rich, poor, noble, common folk, stranger and relative, will open one’s heart to achieve humbleness and will shut the door closed for arrogance and tyranny.

The excellence of the month of Ramadan

Allahomma salliala Muhammadin wa'ala li Muhammadin kamaa sallaita ala Ibrahima wa'ala li Ibrahima innaka hamidum majeed.
Allahomma barik ala Muhammadin wa'ala li Muhammadin kama barakta ala Ibrahima wa'ala li Ibrahima innaka hamidum majeed

The virtue of fasting

Abu Hurairah(RA) narrated that the Messenger of Allah(SAWS) said: "Allah the Exalted and Glorious said: 'All acts of worship a man does, belong to him, except fasting which is for Me, and I will reward for it.' Fasting is a shield. When anyone of you is fasting, he should not engage in sexual activities not raise the voice; or if anyone reviles him or quarrels with him, he should say: 'I am fasting.' By Him, in Whose Hand is the life of Muhammad; the breath of a fasting person is sweeter to Allah on the Day of Resurrection than the fragrance of musk. The one who fasts has two occassions of joy, one when he breaks the fast, he is glad with breaking of fast, and one when he meets his Rubb, he is glad with his fast."
(Sahih Al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim)


The excellence of the month of Ramadan

Abu Hurairah(RA) narrated that the Messenger of Allah(SAWS) said: "When the month of Ramadan comes, the gates of Jannah are opened and the gates of Hell are closed, and the satans are chained."
(Sahih Al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim)

One should not fast a day or two days ahead of Ramadan

Abu Hurairah(RA) narrated that the Messenger of Allah(SAWS) said: "Do not fast a day or two days ahead of Ramadan except for a person who is in the habit of observing a particular day's fast , he may fast."
(Sahih Al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim)

Fasting upon sighting the new moon

Abu Hurairah(RA) narrated that the Messenger of Allah(SAWS) made a mention of the new moon and said: "Observe fast when you see it, and break fast when you see it (moon of Shawwal), but when it is obscured from you, then complete it as thirty days."
(Sahih Al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim)

The month consists of twenty-nine days

Ibn Umar(RA) narrated that the Messenger of Allah(SAWS) said: "We are unlettered people who can neither write nor count. The month is thus and thus and thus(folding his thumb at the third time) (meaning twenty-nine days). And the month is thus and thus and thus." It means that the month consists of thirty days.
(Sahih Al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim)

Allah makes it clear to be seen

Abul-Bakhtari (RA) reported: We went out to perform 'Umrah and when we encamped in the valley of Nakhlah, we tried to see the new moon. Some said that it was three nights old, and others said it was two nights old. We then met Ibn Abbas and told him that we had seen the new moon, but some of the people said that it was three nights old and others said that it was two nights old. He asked on which night we had seen it, and when we told him that we had seen it on such and such night, he said that the Prophet of Allah(SAWS) said: "Verily, Allah makes it clear at the time it is seen, so it is to be reckoned from the night you saw it."
(Sahih Al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim)

Moon sighting for every area

Kuraib said: Umm Fadl bint Al-Harith sent him (Fadl, i.e., her son) to Mu'awiyah(RA) in Syria. He arrived in Syria, and fulfilled her need. While I was there, the month of Ramadan commenced. He said: "I saw the new moon of Ramadan on Friday." I then came back to Al-Madinah at the end of the month. 'Abdullah bin Abbas asked me about the new moon of Ramadan: "When did you see it?" I said: "We saw it on Friday night." He said: "Did you see it yourself?" I said: "Yes, and the people also saw it so they observed fast and Mu'awiyah also observed fast." Thereupon he said: "But we saw it on Saturday night. So we shall continue to observe the fast until we complete thirty days fasts or we see the new moon of Shawwal." I said: "Is the sighting of the moon by Mu'awiyah not valid for you?" He said:"No; this is how Messenger of Allah(SAWS) commanded us."
(Sahih Al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim)

A piece of Jannah is up for sale...................

A piece of Jannah is up for sale! Are there any buyers??

By Asma bint Shameem

Subhaan Allaah! The beautiful month of Ramadaan is flying by! Its blessed days and fragrant nights are soon about to leave. And it breaks our hearts to let it go.

Yet, O Muslim, Rejoice! For there is good news for you!

A great opportunity is about to dawn upon you......A once-in -a -lifetime chance!
It's an offer that you cannot pass by!

Allah Subhaanahu wa Ta'ala, in his Infinite Mercy, has bestowed upon you a Great and Noble night.....

Its the Night of Power…. the Night of Divine Decree.

A Night in which angels descend and send salutations to the believers…

A Night of innumerable blessings…..full of PEACE and tranquility….

A Night…… in which, Ibadah is better than a thousand months.

"The Night of Al-Qadr is better than a thousand months." (Surah al-Qadr:3)

A thousand months! Subhaan Allaah!

That is equal to 30,000 nights or 83 years and 4 months!

Could there be a better chance for you than this??!!

Could there be a more Merciful Lord than this??!!

Subhaan Allaah wal Hamdulillaah!

Here is your chance to repent….to come back to the Most Merciful….to change your life for the better.

This is your chance to have ALL your previous sins forgiven!

"Whoever established prayers on the night of Qadr out of sincere faith and hoping for a reward from Allah, then all his previous sins will be forgiven" (Bukhaari)

This is a perfect opportunity to earn Allaah's pleasure…..being saved from Hellfire and entering Jannah. A time when your dua will surely be accepted.

What to do on Laylatul Qadr?

1) Search for this night in the LAST TEN nights of Ramadaan (not just the 27th)
Don't just single out one night for Ibadaat. Make sure to do it ALL TEN NIGHTS, because the EXACT date for Lailatul Qadr is hidden from us.

What if Lailatul Qadr is some other night and not on the 27th?? Have you ever thought about that? Then you would have no one to blame but yourself if you miss this great Night….this perfect opportunity of goodness and blessings.

"Seek Laylat al-Qadr among the odd numbered nights of the last ten nights of Ramadaan." (Bukhaari, Muslim)

2) Strive HARD in your search, worshiping Allaah sincerely and diligently
This your chance to earn Jannah. So give it ALL you got…. everything you have.

"The Prophet (pbuh)used to used to strive hard in worship during the last ten days of Ramadaan as he never did at any other time." (Muslim, Ahmad)

3) Prepare for it mentally and physically

Take off work, if you can and go for Umrah or make I'tikaaf in the Masjid.
Don't overtire yourself during the day, such that you don't have any energy left to worship the Almighty.

Plan out your worship schedule for the night,

Take a nap during the day, if possible and remember…do not overeat!

4) Shun worldly pleasures

Don't waste A SINGLE MOMENT of your time, such as spending this precious time in the mall, shopping for Eid or in extravagant 'Iftaar-cum-fashion show' parties.
Stay away from anything and everything that might distract you from remembering Allaah (TV, movies, music, unnecessary phone calls, gossip, etc.)

"When the last ten days of Ramadaan began, the Prophet (pbuh) would tighten his waist-wrapper (meaning he would stay away from marital relations), spend his nights in prayer, and wake his family." (Muslim)

5) Spend these nights in prayer, reciting Qur'aan, making dua, doing istighfaar.

Stand LONG in Qiyaam….hands folded obediently…your head low, in shame…humbly
Eyes downcast….hearts trembling…tears rolling…..

Tears of regret and sorrow…..tears of repentance and shame,

Spread out your hands….like a beggar, begging for his life….

Ask Allaah to forgive you and He will forgive you.

Beg for his Mercy and He will give it to you.

Beseech Him to guide you and save you from the torments of Hell.

Be determined that you will rectify your mistakes and improve your shortcomings,

Resolve to be steadfast in your Commitment and be firm in your Deen.

Read Quraan, do much Tasbeeh, glorify Allaah, praise Him and thank Him.

Make lots of dua for yourself, your family, your friends and the Muslim Ummah.

6) DON'T BE THE ONE WHO SLEEPS and misses out on immeasurable goodness
One who misses this blessed night has indeed missed much goodness, for no one misses it except for the one from whom it is withheld.

" In it (i e. Ramadaan) is a night better than a thousand months, whoever loses the benefit of it has lost something irreplaceable." (Ahmad, an-Nasaa'i)

There are many chances to sleep, but a chance like this is rare to come by ….only once a year. And that also if you are lucky to be alive next year.

Are you going to miss a golden chance like this one…..sleeping??

Or are you going to be like the one who maybe just prays a few rakaat and thinks he's done enough and is eager to go back to sleep??

Think about it......Isn't there plenty of time to sleep??

Haven't we been sleeping all this while, anyway?? Haven't we "SLEPT" enough, O Muslim??!!

Actually…….ISN'T IT ABOUT TIME WE WOKE UP???!!

Life is about opportunities. They say the wise man is the one who makes the most of his opportunities. Here is an opportunity to buy a piece of Jannah.

A piece of Jannah is up for sale! Are there any buyers??

The dua to make on Lailatul Qadr

Note: There is nothing that is narrated in the Quraan or Sunnah regarding Ibaadat such as prayer , duas, etc. that is to be specifically read on Lailatul Qadr EXCEPT just one hadeeth from Aisha (RA) when she asked the Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alayhi wa Sallam):

"I said, 'O Messenger of Allaah, if I know which night is Laylat al-Qadr, what should I say on that night?' He said, 'Say:

Allaahumma innaka 'afuwwun tuhibb al-'afwa fa'affu 'anni (O Allaah, You are forgiving and You love forgiveness, so forgive me)." (Tirmidhi)

All the other duas and formulas for prayers that you see in some books and papers that are to be read a certain number of times or to be read in a specific order, or to be read in Salaah in a specific way, are ALL bidah. There is NO PROOF in the Qur'aan or Sunnah for their validity. Stay away from that.

Remember, Allaah will accept your Ibaadah only and only if it is:

a) done sincerely for Him alone

b) if it is done according to what the Prophet (sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam) himself did or said or approved of.

Otherwise it will be thrown back on the person who did it, without being accepted, no matter what it is.

He (sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam) said: "Every action that is not in accordance with this matter of ours [i.e. Islam] will be rejected." (Muslim)

May Allaah save us from that. Ameen.

Certitude

Islam encourages its believers to trust each other and to assume that the intentions of others are good. It is important to think positively about others unless proven otherwise because such feelings of certitude give individuals inner peace. On the other hand, harboring pessimism tend to breed contempt in society. Imam Ali, the successor after the Prophet, instructed, ''Expect good from your brothers, unless something happens that makes you rule otherwise; and do not assume a word of his is evil when there is still the possibility of it being good.''

Consequently, how we view others often reflects upon our own thoughts and feelings. A case in point can be narrated from the life of the Prophet.

When the Holy Prophet entered Medina for the first time after migrating from Mecca a man came to him and said, ''O' Messenger of God, the people of this town are men of goodness, they are kind; you have done the right thing in coming here. The Prophet told the man, ''You speak the truth.'' Another man them came to the Prophet and said, Prophet of God, the people of this town are evil it would have been better if you did not migrate here. Prophet Muhammad said, ''You speak the truth.'' When the people heard both of the replies to both of the men, they questioned the Prophet. The Holy Messenger answered, ''Each of them spoke what was in his mind; therefore, both of them spoke the truth.''

It can be surmised that thoughts evoke either positive or negative reactions. False accusations or verbal hearsay is not adequate enough to break loyalty or trust in any relationship. These are lessons taught by the divine leaders of Islam. A man asked Imam Hasan, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad and the second successor after him, ''What is the distance between truth and falsehood?'' Imam Hasan answered, ''The distance between truth and falsehood is four fingers (diagonally measured from an eye to an ear). That is to say, that which is seen by the eyes is truth, that which is heard by the ears is often falsehood.''

Helen Keller had said, ''Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.''

A positive outlook and confidence in ourselves and others are the ingredients toward success and happiness. Truly having an optimistic view of others can bring about a prosperous society. The preaching of hate and fear will in turn create disunity and malice.