The Poor and the Pot

Sheikh Muhyi ad-Din Ibn Arabi (RA) said: "We were once invited by some of the poor to a meal in Ziqaq al-Qanadil in Cairo, where a number of shaykhs gathered. There was so much food that the vessels in which it was served could hardly hold it all. Among these was a new glass pot which had been acquired for use as a urinal but which had not yet been put to use. The host was dipping the food out of it, and as the group ate, it said, "Now that Allah has honoured me by allowing such noble souls to eat from me, never will I allow myself to be a place of offense," whereupon it broke in two. 

"Did you hear what the pot said?" I asked them.

"Yes, we did," they repied.

"What did you hear?" I asked.

In reply, they repeated the words above.

"It [also] said something else," I told them.

"What is that?" they queried.

I replied, "It said, 'So it is with your hearts: Now that Allah has honoured them with faith, never again allow them to be the site of the impurity of disobedience and love of the world. Allah has given you and us understanding from Him and the ability to receive His disclosures thanks to His grace and bounty." (From "Subtle blessings" book by Ibn Ata Allah)

Fear and Hope- Habib Umar

"Allah is most worthy of your fear and hope. So, if you find yourself fearing anything in existence, [know] that Allah is more deserving of your fear; if you find yourself placing your hope in anything in existence, [know] that Allah is more deserving of your hope."

(Habib Umar)

Hijab ban and hearts?

Some people think the hijab is oppressive or some Muslims want to remove the hijab or have removed it. Although it is fardh (obligatory) to wear hijab, let these same people look at the hijab (veil) that covers their hearts. This veil is soo thick that it blocks the Divine Lights from penetrating the heart, and so there are many diseases in the hearts of many people.
Remove the veils of greed, arrogance, pride, ignorance and so on from your heart. Gain Islamic knowledge and become more humble and obey Allah Most High.
And these veils over hearts apply to men and women, boys and girls.
Who is more oppressed than one who is caged by her desires and ignorance, such that the person does not worship Allah swt?

Beauty and looks?

"If people put as much effort in purifying their hearts and character as they put in beautifying their external appearances, they would walk on water"

How many people look in the mirror daily and get sad or unhappy over their looks, or check how they look, and change their clothes, or see if their clothes are okay? Yet how many look at their hearts and characters to see if that's okay and if its ugly or beautiful and how they should improve?

If you say you can't see the diseases of the heart, then just count how many times a day you swear, shout/get angry, lie, show pride, look down upon others, backbite, insult others, become jealous of others etc.

These are things to reflect on, since Allah swt said:  [On] a day in which neither wealth nor children will be of benefit, except one who comes to God with a sound heart. (Qur'an 26:88-89) .

‎"The world is a vehicle for you. If you drive it, it will deliver you to your destination. If it drives you, you will be destroyed." Hasan al-Basri (Rahimullah)

Abu Abdallah al-Antaki said: “When even the smallest [particle of] certainty enters one’s heart, it fills the heart with light and expels whatever doubt there is in it. Consequently, the heart becomes filled with gratitude to and fear of God Most High.”

The Subtle Blessings in the Saintly Lives of Al-Mursi and Abul-Hassan- Book Review

Many people easily get into the trap of saying “there’s no good men/women out there”, but we should avoid falling into that mode of thinking, because often we attract the type of people that we are ourselves, or think of, like a self-fulfilling prophecy.

The “Subtle Blessings” is a book that reminds readers of the blessings that God has bestowed upon humanity by the continued prevalence of excellent people on this Earth, who though rare, nevertheless exist and serve to guide people towards their higher potentials, and in achieving tranquillity in Allah Most High. This is in contrast to most celebrities these days who pull people to their lower selves.

The Prophet described 3 integral parts of Islam, the legal side, the intellectual side, and the spiritual side. The book focuses primarily on the latter (without diminishing the other aspects), since it improves people and makes a person’s Iman (religious conviction) and its sweetness grow. It contains the teachings of two spiritual masters called “Abul Hasan ash-Shadhili” and “Abul Abbas al-Mursi”. Both strove to embody the outward and inward character traits and practices of the Prophet Muhammed (Peace of Allah be upon him), practically reforming the lives of many.  It explains how they went about it in their own lives, and in the lives of others, and how people can adopt such characteristics in their daily lives and make the world a much better place through humility, preference for others, honesty etc.

The book is split to an introduction to the spiritual and intellectual side of Islam, and then the teachings of the shaykhs based upon the Qur’an, Hadiths, sayings, poetry, and explanations of spiritual and religious matters, thus catering to all types of Muslims.

The author, Ibn Ata, a leading legal scholar of his age, at the start had a strongly negative view of them, but when he actually met them, he was blown away, and started keeping their company.  Abbas was instrumental in removing the doubts of Ibn Ata, and helped to increase his certainty in the Divine. With wisdom in relation to solving peoples’ problems, giving sincere advice, giving profound commentaries on the Qur’an, Hadiths (Prophetic sayings) and poetry, the two shaykhs gained large followings amongst both the higher and lower echelons of society.  It goes to show that if one sincerely searches for great people, he will find them to exceed expectations.

Their influence was also extended by the numerous miracles that the author witnessed through those scholars, such as the ability to see into the hearts of people and cure them. These show the benefits of achieving closeness to Allah Most High, the paltriness of attaching ourselves to the lower world, and the need to avoid modern ideologies of scientism and materialism.

 Abbas’ teachings are summarised by his saying: “When I was a young boy, there was a shadow play being put on beside our house, so I went to see it. When I went the next morning to see the teacher at the Qur’anic school, who was a friend of Allah, he uttered the following lines of poetry when he saw me:

“You who behold shadow images in wonderment,
You yourself are the shadow if only you could perceive it!”

If you put that story in modern terms, where people watch movies and theatres, it gives us the lesson "why are you watching all that, when what is more amazing is the real movie that you are in, where Allah swt is controlling and directing everything, and everything, including you are "actors" and are playing the intended script. Look around and learn from the movie you are in, and change things, don't just waste away in front of the tv."

At the end of the day, it is to Allah that we turn; so do aim to be of the best people. If we have sincere intentions and take the proper procedures, the experiences and wisdom discussed in this book are not beyond our reach. 

The Advice- by Imam al Haddad

Just came across the poem that was one of most practical I came across:

1. My advice to you, o distinguished and respectful one,
If you wish to attain high stations

2. And if you wish to surpass others and reach the highest levels
With ease and attain your goal and desire..

3.  Then have taqwa of Allah, whose mercy is hoped for,
The One, the Unique, the Reliever of difficulties

4.  Adhere to His obligations and avoid His prohibitions
And fill your nights and days with righteous works

5.  Bring to your heart a fear which does not part from it,
A fear of its Lord and with it a similar feeling of hope

6.  And strive to adorn the heart with sincerity
And know that ostentation  will lead to your destruction

7.  And purify your heart from all vices and do not
Follow the paths of the corrupt and questionable people

8.  And prevent your tongue from harming any one
Of Allah’s servants and from talebearing and lying

9.  Be dignified and humbled (in front of Allah) and be not absorbed
In distractions, joking, merriment and play

10. And free your heart from deceit and envy
And avoid arrogance, o poor soul, and vanity

11. And be content with humility because truly it is the character-trait
Of the righteous so follow them and you will be saved from the heart’s sicknesses

12. And beware! Beware of the ignorant one’s saying “I” 
And “You are below me in merit and degree.”

13. For people have failed and did not seek to obtain
Noble character and (instead) were content with saying “my father was so-and-so”

14. Go against your lower self and recognise it as an enemy
Ignore its whims and what it wants and you will succeed

15. And if it calls you to what it wants through its desire
Clarify to it that punishment and humiliation will be the outcome

16. Renounce with your heart an abode which has deceived
Many people, who saw it as the ultimate goal

17. They competed over it and gave it their bodies
And souls – O Allah! How amazing that it is!

18. Given that it is worthless and does not weigh
With Allah the wing (of a gnat),  so foolish is the one who covets it!

19. Take only what you need from this dunya and use it
While earnestly striving to reach your Lord and seek His reward

20. Know that the one who buys his earthly life
At the price of an afterlife of everlasting bliss will be deprived

21. And if you have more than enough then give to the needy
And your Lord will pour His provision upon you, so answer His call

22. And if you are tested with poverty be content and sufficed
With Allah your Lord, hope for His bounty and wait patiently

23. And if you are removed from worldly means then act with certainty
And (act) with knowledge if your state is involvement with these means

24. Recite the Qur’an with a present and fearful heart
Continuously and do not become distracted or allow your mind to wander

25. Because in it are both guidance and knowledge
And light and openings, by which I mean the lifting of veils

26. Constantly remember your Lord and never leave His remembrance
Because remembrance is the Sultan of righteous works

27. And rise when the heedless are sleeping and strive
And eat moderately and do not neglect adab 

28. Your parents have rights which are fulfilled by
Those who fear Allah, and likewise your relatives

29. And your neighbours and Companions - do not forget their rights
And choose only the company of the righteous

30. Interact with people with noble character and do not
Rebuke anyone and do not find fault with them

31. Fulfill their rights and do not demand yours from them and give them sincere advice 
And constantly call them to fulfill the rights of Allah

32. Beware of the company of evil and foolish people
And the envious and those who cause trouble

33. In all situations be steadfast  and know that at first
It is bitter but later it becomes sweet like honey

34. O Lord! You are my utmost desire and my reliance,
You are my hope in this life and the next

35. So forgive and pardon a poor slave who has no deeds
That are righteous and has only gathered sins

36. He is, however, repentant of what he has done
And has come to You acknowledging his sins, fearing Your wrath.

37. If You forgive him it is from Your grace O Eternally Besought 
So be generous to me my Lord and remove my fear

38. And then send prayers on the Guide Muhammad and his descendants
As long as rain falls from the clouds

39. And as long as the dove sings on its branch
And as long as the branches sway on the dunes.

The above is the “Advice” of Imam al-Haddad or al-Ba’iyya

As the title suggests, the “Advice” of Imam al-Haddad is a poem containing advice for the spiritual wayfarer seeking to reach Allah.  It is one of a number of similar poems of advice which Imam al-Haddad wrote and is also called al-Ba’iyya, as each verse ends with the Arabic letter ba’. Al-Habib Ahmad ibn Zayn al-Habashi, author of the commentary on the poem to which we will refer, described it as being amongst the best, most beneficial and most comprehensive of the Imam’s advices.


The Author 

Imam al-Habib Abdullah ibn `Alawi al-Haddad “the Pillar of Guidance” was born in Subayr near the city of Tarim in the Hadramawt Valley in the year 1044 Hijri. He went blind when he was still young but Allah blessed him with the light of inner sight. He sought knowledge from an early age from amongst other Shaykhs al-Habib `Umar ibn `Adburrahman al-`Attas and by the time he was about thirty years of age he was widely regarded as being the foremost scholar and saint of his time, and subsequently as the renewer of the 12th Islamic Century. His da’wa, his teachings in the form of poetry and prose, and his invocations spread far and wide during his lifetime and continue to spread to this day.  He died in 1132 and was buried in the Zanbal Graveyard in Tarim.   

It is a rough translation of the poem. The emphasis has been placed more on conveying the meaning than on linguistic accuracy

Working with "big firms" and spirituality

Peace be upon you!

I write this as something to enlighten me and you, and all those in need of light in this darkened age, this "advanced age", where there has been a never ending increase in anxieties.

I know its hard to be the only one who is the odd one in society. The pressures are hard to go to gatherings that aren't exactly halal, but we should understand our principles and that we should stick to them and be ambassadors of Islam. Do we want popularity in front of Allah Most High and His Angels (which fill the whole universe!), or popularity in front of the disobedient, who are neither able to benefit nor harm us? When our Lord asked us "Am I not your Lord", we all responded "Yea! We do testify!". So remember that, and don't be hypocritical, such that we say the Kalima by our tongue, yet our limbs say "O bank, you are my lord!" 

Such gatherings of haram where alcohol is a major thing or people drink is a place that Allah detests. They are gatherings where darkness abounds and if our eyesight was opened up, we would see that and flee with terror. From each action, darkness emanates, and the soul is affected negatively and starts to darken. And there are other gatherings that we should visit, where Nur/light emanates, barakah/blessings and Angels are present and Allah looks upon favourable. The good deeds send out light that reaches to the heavens. And the believers' light increases and he becomes closer to Allah. And the closer one becomes to Allah Most High, the more the inner vision of the believer increases, and his du'as become more powerful. In blessed gatherings, the heart finds tremendous tranquility, whilst in cursed gatherings, the heart feels perturbed. If we were truly pious, we would see such things ourselves, see the light and the darkness emanating from people, as some people see! So we should set our priorities.

It is not compulsory to attend gatherings of the haram, but if one thinks that they have to, then they have re-evaluate their purpose in life.

Remember also that when it is just a few who stick to principles in front of the large pressures of society, the reward from Allah Most High is even greater! And the virtue of the believer increases. Do you not see, that the less the supply of gold, the higher is its value?

How many are the Muslims that succumb to the haram? And how priceless are those who stick to Allah's commands? Are our souls really worth so little that we'll give them away for the £1000s that such firms offer us? This is though such firms will lay it off whenever they want?

Who chose us to be in this job, out of all others that applied? Who gave this job to us, and all that we have? Of course none other than Allah. Then to whom do we have allegience first and foremost? Of course it is Allah.

If the bank or company has hard financial times, it will often make us redundant. Or if it needs to cut costs, and it is more efficient to, it will make us redundant. So we, as employees, are not as important as the company propaganda makes it out to be. 


So then why do we prefer companies to Allah Most High? Allah Most High never turns down, nor neglects His servants that call upon Him. He constantly gives us life, food, drink, clothing, a family and so on. 

Consider the example of a person who gives you £1 million and asks you to invest it in ethical investments and not to invest in alcoholic firms. Then you can keep the £1 million and all its returns. But then you go about investing the money in alcoholic firms and ignore the person's instructions, thinking that you can get a higher return in alcoholic firms. Do you think that that is a just use of the donor's money?

We should be grateful that Allah favoured us to work in the "number 1 investment bank", so we think that we've achieved the "peak". But far from it we are! We should also strive to be the best amongst all the people alive today, aim to be of the Friends/Awliya of Allah. Those about whom the Qur'an says "they shall have no fear, nor shall they grieve". Ah, look at the stress and worries of today's society, especially in the "big firms"! How desirable is such a reward, that much of today's society would leave everything to achieve it!

And being amongst the Awliya leads to changing people's lives for the better, drawing them closer to Allah, not just performing miracles (though they often happen, even in today's times). What other thing can a person hope to achieve that is better for society? How many are the flawed experiments to "improve society", and how many are the ignorant that claim that "greed is ingrained in humans and cannot be removed"? They only say the latter because they have not recognised or seen the Awliya.

Thus we must ask, what is it that gave Sheikh Abdul Rahman ash-Shaghouri this personality:

"Twenty-two years ago... I watched for a moment as he stopped to buy some apples from a cart in front of the mosque. He took the plastic bag from the seller and filled it with the worst apples he could find nicked, bruised, and worm-holed which he chose as carefully as most people choose good ones, then paid for and with a smile shook hands with the man before we went up the hill to the sheikh s home...When I reflected on his strange shopping, I realized that it had been to save the apple man from having to throw any out. The incident summed up the sheikh s personality and life, which was based on futuwwa or putting others ahead of oneself" (http://shadhilitariqa.com/site/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2&Itemid=99999999&limit=1&limitstart=0)

What allowed them to behave like that is the company they kept with the Friends of Allah, as the Prophet (Sallalahu alaihi wa sallam) said “A person is upon the religion of his close friend, so beware whom you befriend.” In this day and age of confusion and bad manners, how badly we all are in need of good company, and don't think that the station of the Awliya is beyond us, since even the majorly sinful can become the Awliya if they repent and turn to Allah Most High sincerely. See the example of Habib al Ajami, or the robbers that repented at the hands of Sheikh Abdul Qadir al Jilani!

As Imam Ibn Ata Allah said:

"If someone's state does not lift you up,  

and his words do not lead you to Allah

- then do not keep his company!

It may well be that you are in a bad state -

but to keep company with someone worse than you

would allow you to see good in yourself."

and:

"Do not travel from phenomenal being to phenomenal being.

You will be like the donkey going around at the mill.

It travels to what it set out from.

Travel from phenomenal beings

to the Maker of Being.

"And the final end is to your Lord."

I really recommend the following talk, one of the best I've heard:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgRJtaTIHsU&feature=related

May Allah Most High allow me and you to implement what has been written here in the way of advices, and make our hearts reflect the Divine Lights, and open our hearts to the overflowing of Divine Grace!

Walaikum us salam

the one in need of your du'as!