Naqshbandiya Foundation for Islamic Education

The Naqshbandiya Foundation for Islamic Education (NFIE) is a non-profit, tax exempt, religious and educational organization dedicated to serve Islam with a special focus on Tasawwuf(Sufism),

Wednesday, December 30, 2020

Almarashli Ensemble & Abdurrahman Duzcan -Arabic / Turkish Nasheed- " Muhammad Nur al Qalbi"

Almarashli Ensemble & Abdurrahman Duzcan -Arabic / Turkish Nasheed- " Muhammad Nur al Qalbi"

https://youtu.be/sTHNveCLCJ4


الكلمات: 00:00 مالي من عين إن لم تَنظرك مالي من قلب إن لم يُحْبِبك مالي روح إن لم تَشهدك يا رسول الله سلام عليك مالي من وِرد إن لم أذكرك مالي من نورٍ إن لم أعرفك مالي من وصلٍ إن لم أطلُبك يا رسول الله سلام عليك مالي من فوزٍ إن لم أتْبَـعك مالي من نصرٍ إن لم أنصُرك مالي من مجدٍ إن لم أَنْشُدك يا رسول الله سلام عليك أسباب نجاتي كلُّها منك أفراح حياتي تأتيني عنّك والله هداني لأصلّي عليك يا رسول الله سلام عليك 04:13 محمد نور القلب ضياهُ يا أنيس الوِجدان بك الإله أتمَّ هُداهُ ياسفير الرحمن Âh Nice bir uyursun uyanmaz mısın Göçdü kervân kaldık dağlar başında ذكرك يجلو الدنيا صفاءاً ويُزيلُ الأحزان هديُكَ بابُ الفوزِ خلوداً بنعيمٍ ٍ وجِنان يا بحر علم يا شمس فهمٍ يا منبعَ العرفان صلى عليك الباري صلاةً تزهو بها الاكوان 07:14 زكى الله سمعَهُ زكى الله لسانه زكى الله فؤاده وزكى منه البصرْ Mest ü hayrânım, zâr u giryânım Her dem lisânım hû demek ister شرح الله صدره وأعلا مقامهُ رفع الله ذكره فوق الخلْق والبشر أحمد يا حبيب الله والهادي بنور الله أنت أمين وحيِ الله والنورُ بك انتشر صلي إلهي وسلِّمْ على خير مُعلِّمْ والآل بهم أَكرِم والصحبِ ومن حَضر 09:03 ياسيدي يارسول ُخذ بيدي مالي سواكَ ولا ألوي على أحدِ فأنت نورُ الهدى في كلِّ كائنةٍ وأنّت سرُّ الندى ياخيرَ مُعتمدي 11:18 Yâ Rasûlâllah firâkın yaktı, ben soldum bugün Âh nasıl etsem tahammül, dertliyim doldum bugün, Sîne sûzân, dîde giryân, dil perîşân, kıl medet, Bîkesim, bir çâre lutfet. çâresiz kaldım bugün. 13:41 فاح نسيم طِيبهِ في ذكرى ميلاده فاضَ حنينُ شوقِه واحتفل الورى به أحمد يا منبع الجمال أنت حبيبي رسولُ الله مدحُك يا كامل الخصال أبتغي فيهِ رضاءَ الله الله الله الله الله حق لا اله الا الله محمد رسول الله هلَّ هلالُ المولدِ هيمي يا روحي غردي أحييْ بذكرى سيدي حبّاً لدى عشاقه أحمد يا منبع الجمال أنت حبيبي رسولُ الله مدحُك يا كامل الخصال أبتغي فيهِ رضاءَ الله الله الله الله الله حق لا اله الا الله محمد رسول الله يامن رأى وجه الحبيب في المنام فكان قريب بشرى لعينِيك لا تغيب عنها صفاتُ جَماله أحمد يا منبع الجمال أنت حبيبي رسولُ الله مدحُك يا كامل الخصال أبتغي فيهِ رضاءَ الله الله الله الله الله حق لا اله الا الله محمد رسول الله

Monday, December 28, 2020

al-Qasidatu-l- Fiyashiyya - Sidi Uthman ibn Yahya Cherki (RA) - Arabic Lyrics with English Translation

Qasīda Fiyashiyya

YouTube Video - Al- Fiyashiyya with Arabic Lyrics & English Translation - Cure of Hearts 1/18/2019




القَصِيدَةُ الْفِيْأَشِيَّة
al-Qasīdatu-l-Fiyyashiyya
Written by Sidi Uthman ibn Yahya “Bahloul” Cherki (May Allāh be Pleased with Him)

أَنَا عَبْدُ رَبِّي لَهُ قُدْرَةٌ
يَهُونُ بِهَا كُلُّ أَمْرٍ عَسِيرْ
فَإِنْ كَنْتُ عَبْدً ضَعِيفَ الْقُوَّى
فَرَبِّي عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرْ
Ana ‘abdu Rabbī lahū qudratun
Yahūnu bihā kullu ’amrin ‘asīr
Fa-’in kuntu ‘abdan ḍa‘īfa-lquwā
Fa-Rabbī ‘alā kulli shay’in qadīr
A humble slave am I of an almighty Lord
No work is too hard for that One who’s adored
But though I’m a beggar who cannot afford
To claim any strength, sure and strong is my Lord

مِنِّي اَشَ عْلَيَّا
وَنَا عَبْدٌ مَمْلُوكْ
Minnī asha’ layyā
Wa nā ‘abadun mamlūk
I’m but a humble slave,
What should I worry about?

وَالْأَشْيَا مَقْضِيَّا
مَا فِى التَّحْقِيقْ شُكُوكْ
Wa-l-’ashyā’ maqḍīya
Mā fi t-taḥqīq shukūk
All affairs are ordained,
Of this there is no doubt

رَبِّي نَاظَرْ فِيَّا
وَنَا نَظْرِي مَتْرُوكْ
Rabbī nāẓir fiyā
Wa ana naẓarī matrūk
My Lord sees everything,
While my sight leaves much out

فِي الْأَرْحَمْ وَالْحَاشَا
مِنْ نُّطْفَا صَوَّرْنِي
Fi l-’arḥām wa l-’aḥshā’
Min nuṭfa ṣawwaranī
In the womb
He formed me from a drop

أَنَا مَالِي فِيَاشْ
اَشَ عْلَيَّا مِنِّي
Ana mā lī fiyāsh
Asha‘ layyā minnī
I haven’t got the force,
No strength between my sides

نَقْلَقْ مِنْ رِّزٔقِي لَاشْ
وَالْخَالِقْ يَرْزَقْنِي
Naqlaq mir-rizqī lāsh
Wa-lKhāliq yarzuqnī
Why feel such remorse
When the Maker provides?

اللّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى الْمُصْطَفَى
حَبِيبْنَا مُحَمَّدْ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام
Allāhumma ṣalli ‘ala l-Muṣṭafā
Ḥabībnā Muḥammad ‘alayhi s-salām
O Allah, send your blessings on The Chosen One,
Our Beloved Muhammad, Peace be upon Him

يَقُولُ لِمَا شَاءَ كُنْ فَيَكُونْ
وَيُبْدِءُ سُبْحَانَهُ وَيُعِيدْ
وَيَحْكُمُ فِي خَلْقِهِ مَا يَشَاء
وَيَفْعَلُ فِي مُلْكِهِ مَا يَرِيدْ
Yaqūlu limā shā-a kun fayakūn
Wa yubdi-u subhānahu wa yu’īd
Wa yahkumu fī khalqihi mā yashā’
Wa yaf’alu fī mulkihi mā yarīd

فِي ظُلْمَةِ الْأَرْحَامْ
صَوَّرْنِي مِنْ نُّطْفَ
Fī zulmati-l-arhām
Sawwarnī min-nutfa

وَبْدَانِي بِا الْإِنْعَامْ
نِعْمَةْ مِنْ كُلْ صَنْفَا
Wabdānī bi-l-in’ām
Ni’mat min kul sanfā

وَخْلَقْ لِي مَا وَطْعَامْ
وَنْعَايَمْ مَخْتَلْفَا
Wakhlaq lī mā wat’ām
Wan’āyam makhtalfā

وَازْدَتْ مِنْ غَيرْ قَمَاشْ
غَطَّانِي وَسْتَرْنِي
Wazdat min ghayr qamāsh
Ghattānī wastarnī

أَنَا مَالِي فِيَاشْ
اَشَ عْلَيَّا مِنِّي
Ana mā lī fiyāsh
Asha‘ layyā minnī
I haven’t got the force,
No strength between my sides

نَقْلَقْ مِنْ رِّزٔقِي لَاشْ
وَالْخَالِقْ يَرْزَقْنِي
Naqlaq mir-rizqī lāsh
Wa-lKhāliq yarzuqnī
Why feel such remorse
When the Maker provides?

اللّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى الْمُصْطَفَى
حَبِيبْنَا مُحَمَّدْ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام
Allāhumma ṣalli ‘ala l-Muṣṭafā
Ḥabībnā Muḥammad ‘alayhi s-salām
O Allah, send your blessings on The Chosen One,
Our Beloved Muhammad, Peace be upon Him

Sami Yusuf's Video Live- https://youtu.be/JTWhNSzaYNc

Watch Sami Yusuf’s live performance at the 2017 Mawazine Festival, Rabat, MOROCCO.


DESCRIPTION

Maqām: ‘Ajam
Commentary: Also from Sami Yusuf’s 2016 ‘Barakah’ album, this song was written by the Moroccan poet Sidi Othman ibn Yahya Cherki (known as “Sidi Bahloul Cherki”) in the 17th century. The qasidah (ode) “Fiyyashiyya” became a standard classic of the Maghrebi genre of malhoun— a genre of Sufi music popular amongst tradesmen in the urban centres of what is today Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia.
This qasidah continues to be one of the best-known and loved traditional songs amongst Moroccans from all walks of life. The inclusion of tanbour and daf gives this new arrangement a Persian or ‘Khorasani’ touch. Sami Yusuf has also added English lyrics to the song.

LYRICS

A humble slave I am of an almighty Lord
No work is too hard for that One who’s adored

But though I’m a beggar who cannot afford
To claim any strength, sure and strong is my Lord

He says, where He wills, when He wishes a thing,
just “Be”, and it is, by the might of a King

The ruler whose edicts and wise rulings bring
All blessings and grace by the might of a King

I haven’t got the force,
No strength between my sides
Why feel such remorse
when the Maker provides?

[Arabic:]
I’m but a humble slave, what should I worry about?
All affairs are ordained, of this there is no doubt

My Lord sees everything, while my sight leaves much out
In the womb, He formed me from a drop

O Allah, send your blessings on The Chosen One
Our beloved Muhammad, Peace be upon him

[English:]
I’m safe in the shade of his all-knowing height
And no strength have I — His all power and might.

So glory to God, his bounty shining bright,
All gratitude and praise are His due and His right.

Thursday, December 24, 2020

Islamic Perspective on the Crucifixion of Christ : Dr.Umar Faruq Abd-Allah

YouTube Video Link : https://youtu.be/hI2zkJeZOuE

This Khutbah was delivered by Dr. Umar Faruq Abd'Allah, scholar in residence at the Nawawi Foundation in Chicago. It was delivered at the compound of the Muslim Youth Organization (MYO) in Georgetown, Guyana, on April 2. Given that it was 'Good Friday' Dr. Umar decided to address the topic of the Islamic perspective of the Christian doctrine of the Crucifixion of Christ. The Khutbah was given at the request of the Central Islamic Organization of Guyana (CIOG) and the executive of Queenstown Jama Masjid. Because the Masjid is being reconstructed MYO is the temporary home for its Jumu'ah Khutbah.


Seekers Guidance Link to the Text of Khutbah  https://seekersguidance.org/articles/knowledge/seekersnotes-crucifixion-of-christ-by-dr-umar-faruq-abd-allah/

This khutba was given by Dr Umar in Georgetown, Guyana.

Given that it was ‘Good Friday’ he delivered a powerful sermon detailing the Islamic perspective on the Crucifixion of Christ.
[Islamic Perspective on the Crucifixion of Christ]


The Muslim belief about Jesus (may peace be upon him) is the authentic belief of the earliest Christians. It is a teaching that was first there and was displaced, then replaced, then was largely forgotten.
The Quranic revelation corrected the beliefs of people who came before, and clarified what they were disagreeing about. This is the case regarding the apparent crucifixion of the Messiah Jesus (may peace be upon him). Part of a sermon given by Dr Umar Abd-Allah in Georgetown, Guyana.
[Early Opinions on the Crucifixion]
God, Exalted is He, tells us in the Quran: “That they said (in boast), ‘We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the Messenger of God.’ – but they killed him not, nor crucified him. Only a likeness of that was shown to them. And those who differ therein are full of doubts, with no (certain) knowledge, but only conjecture to follow, for of a surety they killed him not.” (Quran, 4:157)
Historically, the very first item of faith that Christians disagreed about was this issue. Was the man who was crucified, Jesus, or was it not Jesus?
St Jerome, a Church father who believed in the Crucifixion, wrote over 1700 years ago: “The blood of Christ had not dried on the earth of Judaea.” (ie. the earth of Jerusalem) The man who was crucified was still bleeding, and his blood was falling on the soil while he was on the cross. People said “It’s not him, but its one who looks like him”.
In earliest Christianity many Christians were docetic. The word is taken from the Greek word Docaeen, meaning Shubbiha (in Arabic): to appear. Docetics were those early Christians who believed that the man crucified was not Jesus but it was one who looked like him, who was made to appear like him.
In the Quranic Tafsir we have a number of accounts. One of them is that when the Jews condemned Jesus to be crucified and sent the Romans to get Jesus, when they came to him when he was with his disciples, God as a miracle put the face and the upper body of Jesus upon all of his disciples so that every one of them looked like him.
Then when the Romans came they didn’t know which one was Jesus, although they had all seen Jesus, but everyone looked like Jesus!
So they said, “Either Jesus turns himself over to us, or we will crucify you all.” According to this account, one of the disciples decided to be a shaheed, a martyr. He said “I am Jesus” and he had permission to say that.
Why?
Because in the belief of the People of the Book, the Messiah must be delivered; the Messiah cannot be crucified. They believed that if he is crucified he is not the Messiah.
That’s why in the Quran Allah, the Exalted, tells us of the Jews who would mock Jesus and say “We crucified the Messiah the son of Mary”
Because the Messiah cannot be crucified, the Messiah cannot be harmed. The Messiah must be delivered, the Messiah is a conqueror, the Messiah is a king, the Messiah is a ruler, the Messiah is a deliverer.
This is the belief of the People of the Book.
If you look in the Gospels, Satan comes to Jesus to tempt him, saying “Go up on the temple and throw yourself down.”
Why?
Because (the Satan effectively said, if you really are the Messiah then) no harm will come to you, because the angels will pick you up. Because it is written, the Messiah will not even stumble on a stone but the angels will take him.
[What the Apocrypha Books of the New Testament Say]
The Bible that we have today is made up of the Canonical Books.

The Canonical Books are the books that the Church accepted. It was a Church that was already Trinitarian and already believed in the Crucifixion. That church says ‘these’ books are acceptable and others are not.
The books that are not acceptable are known as Apocrypha – hidden books. In the apocrypha we have acts of the apostles that are not in the Bible. They are called “the Apocryphal Acts.” Among them was the docetic teaching – that the crucifixion of Christ was only that of appearance.
Jesus had around him disciples, and some were very close to him – Peter, James, John and Andrew. They were like the four great Sahabah who were around the Beloved Prophet (may peace and blessings be upon him); Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and Ali (may God be pleased with them).
In the Apocryphal Acts of John it says “John was on the Mt of Olives, and he was crying because there was the crucifixion. Jesus came to him on the Mt of Olives and he comforted him and said to him “Don’t worry, I am Jesus, I am the Messiah, and the one crucified is another one.”
Our Islamic teaching matches this. It is the original teaching.
[The Islamic Rationale]
In Islam we have Usool ul Fiqh which is the basic principles of jurisprudence; how we understand Quran, how we understand Hadith and how we interpret them. One of the matters in Usool ul Fiqh that is absolutely essential is the distinction between proofs of the Quran and the Hadiths that are definitive (qat’i) – with just one opinion about the matter.
They are Usool ul Deen. They are the foundations of religion. – and (on the other hand) other proofs in the Quran and the Hadith that are open to interpretation (than’ni).
In these, for example, Imam Abu Hanifa has an opinion and Imam Malik has an opinion and they’re both correct. Imam Shafi’i has a third opinion which is also correct and Ahmad ibn Hanbal has a forth opinion which is also correct.
The latter is part of our religion because of the fact that we have to think. We have to exercise legal judgement. Not everything is black and white. There are many things in the law that are open to interpretation. Thus in Islam we always identify what is based on conjectural evidence (than’ni) and we accept differences of opinion. If we don’t, what kind of Muslims are we? We will become ignorant Muslims, rigid and fanatic.
When it comes to Belief (Aqeedah) – what I must believe and you must believe – then that has to be certain. That must be based on definitive evidence (qat’i). For example, the belief that God is one, Prophet Muhammad (may peace be upon him) is the last prophet, you must pray 5 times a day, you must fast Ramadan, and so on.
On the other hand, looking at a question like: When is the time of Asr? Is it when the shadow is at one length or two lengths? There are different ahadith on that, so we have different opinions, and that’s okay. Muslims have lived like that for the last 1400 years and we will continue to live like that.
This is the Mercy from Allah, Exalted is He.
[What the Quran Says]
When Allah, Glorified is He, talks about the Christians and the crucifixion He says ‘they don’t have knowledge’. What that means is the evidence they have of the crucifixion is not adequate.
Why?
Because no one saw the crucifixion, none of the disciples saw it. They could not be there, because if they were there they would be apprehended by the romans and either killed or crucified themselves. That’s why John was sitting up on the Mt of Olives.
The gospel story tells us that the one carrying the cross fell. Jesus (may peace be upon him) would never fall or stumble because the prophets and messengers were perfect human beings.
Prophet Muhammad (may peace be upon him) is the best of creation. Who dares differ on that? Who comes after that? Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Noah and the Prophets and Messengers. Great people, beautiful people, handsome people.

Prophet Muhammad, if you looked at him you would be astonished. He was so beautiful, he was so powerful, his enemies were in awe of him. Those who loved him, melted in the love of him. Jesus was like this too. He was a perfect human being, a created human being, a prophet, a messenger, a messiah. Jesus would not have fallen under a cross.

Imam Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), took the gates of Khaybar and he carried them on his back. He was not a prophet but he was a blessed Sahabi and one of the best of all human beings who ever lived. So do you think Jesus would stumble under a cross? Jesus could carry the gates of Khaybar. Jesus is strong, intelligent and beautiful.
That’s why the people said it was not Jesus. It looks like him on the upper body, but the lower body doesn’t look like him.
[What a Muslim Concludes]
Whenever there is doubt there is no Aqeedah. The belief you must believe in can never be based on doubtful issues. Our Deen must be based on definitive evidence.
Allah, the Exalted, says “He is God, the One who sent down the Book. Of it there are verses of unequivocal meaning (definitive)… and there are other verses that are open to interpretation…” (Quran 3:7)
The above verse was revealed about the Christians of the Nejran (Southern Arabia) who came to the Prophet and tried to use the Quran by saying the Quran believed in the Trinity because God says “We”. So Allah corrected this.
There are verses that are clear and are not open to interpretation. That’s what you follow if you want the truth. And there are other ones that are non definitive. Those verses you leave to God or people who are steeped in knowledge. This is a basic fundamental of Islam that is extremely important. Having a good opinion of your brothers and your sisters is an act of worship. We have to watch our hearts and be with each other, love each other and work with each other.
Our teaching is a teaching that is very ancient. It is the original teaching – it is the true teaching. We are the followers of Christ as the Messiah.
We believe that the Messiah Jesus was not crucified, but that it was only made to appear so. This is definitive in the Quran (4:157). How that appearance was carried out is a matter that was non definitive and we respect the varying opinions.

Sunday, December 20, 2020

"SUFISM ITS ESSENCE & THE TRAITS OF ITS PEOPLE ": Al Habib Umar Bin Hafiz , English Translation by Ustadh Amjad Tarsin (Video Lectures)

Mahiyatu al-Tassawuf wa samat ahlahu. In Arabic and parallel English translation.

Sufism (Taṣawwuf), the path of spiritual purification, is the essence of Islam.

Session 1 Video  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hio9sFjPN6o&list=PLkV-tEbsWhdOxaVTH_FfCaPf_P0np4e1-

Session 2 Video :  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awgi6FDRMYw&list=PLkV-tEbsWhdOxaVTH_FfCaPf_P0np4e1-&index=2

Session 3  Videohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfl_XILbGu0&list=PLkV-tEbsWhdOxaVTH_FfCaPf_P0np4e1-&index=3


Ustadh Amjad Tarsin is the translator of the newly published book, "Sufism: Its Essence & the Traits of its People," by Habib Umar bin Hafiz. In this one-day seminar, he explains the text and each of the ten characteristics of the people of spirituality (tasawwuf).  

In this first session, he provides an introduction by defining sufism and other related terms, and expounds on the first characteristic. The ten characteristics of the people are tasawwuf, are characteristics taken from the Prophet, peace be upon him. Recorded at Masjid Muhammad of Atlantic City, July 14, 2018.



About The Book

Sufism (Taṣawwuf), the path of spiritual purification, is the essence of Islam. Ironically, misunderstandings regarding it remain prevalent. This book's author, Al-Ḥabīb 'Umar bin Ḥafīẓ, is a living master of both the inward and outward sciences of Islam. With clarity and authority, he succinctly provides a definitive understanding of Sufism and the ten most important traits of its true people. Any claims that contradict these qualities have no authentic connection to Sufism.

May Allah magnify its benefit for the author, reader, scribe, listener, and the entire Ummah of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him).

Contents:

First Trait: Knowledge of the Book & the Sunna

Second Trait: Their Concern with the Attributes and Actions of the Heart

Third Trait: Sincerity

Fourth Trait: Trueness

Fifth Trait: Humility of Heart

Sixth Trait: Recognizing the People of Honor & Eliminating Envy

Seventh Trait: Remembering Allah Abundantly

Eighth Trait: Conveying with Excellence & Eliminating Discourteous Argumentation

Ninth Trait: Responding to Evil with Goodness

Tenth Trait: Love of Allah & Preferring Him Over All Else

https://www.meccabooks.com/1529-sufism-its-essence-the-traits-of-its-people-9780620791731.html

Friday, December 18, 2020

Imam `Abdullah bin `Alawi al-Haddad's 'Kitab Adab Suluk al-Murid' (The Treatise on the Good Manners of the Spiritual Disciple) - Shaykh Musab Penfound.

Imam `Abdullah bin `Alawi al-Haddad's 'Kitab Adab Suluk al-Murid' (The Treatise on the Good Manners of the Spiritual Disciple's wayfaring) taught by Shaykh Musab Penfound. This is the first of two sessions taught in Brisbane, Australia on the 20th and 21st October, 2018. Hosted by al Hikam Institute (https://www.facebook.com/alhikambrisb...) Video and Audio by Sidi Abdul Majid Mafot (https://www.facebook.com/AbdulMajidPh...)

Video Lesson-1/2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eiz8as03bCg

Video Lesson 2/2   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2pjuc0Etvs

Shaykh Musa’b Penfound (Luke Martin Gregory)

Shaykh Musa’b Penfound was born and raised in Manchester, England. After a two year journey, he entered Islam at the age of eighteen.

Education

Since 2005, after an interim period at the University of Manchester attaining a degree in Arabic Language & History, he has been studying full-time under authentic scholarship, with unbroken chains of transmission back to the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him.

He has received training through a classical syllabus based upon the formal Islamic sciences combined with the disciplines of inward purification. He has received scholastic permission and licences (ijazah) from leading traditional scholars, providing authentic credentials that ensure a trustworthy and credible source for accurate teaching and demonstration of the faith.

Main Teachers

His main teacher is the distinguished Islamic scholar; Al-Habib Umar bin Muhammad bin Hafidh under which Shaykh Musa’b has received guidance and tutelage.

He has also studied under scholars in the renowned seminary of Dar-Al Mustafa in Tarim, Yemen which include the Grand Mufti of Tarim, Habib Ali Mashour bin Hafidh, Shaykh Umar Al-Khatib, Al-Habib Muhammad bin Abdullah Al-Idrus, Al-Habib Musa Khadhim As-Seggaf among others.

Islamic Teaching Credentials

Shaykh Musa’b has received teaching licences in the Islamic sciences with a particular focus upon;

  • Sacred law (Islamic Jurisprudence),
  • Spirituality (Tarbiyyah / Adāb)
  • The Prophetic methodology of Calling (Da’wa)

He travels regularly and has taught and lectured in the UK, the Middle East, South Africa, Kenya, the Comoros Islands, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand.

Areas of Interest

Shaykh Musa’b’s areas of interest include the Sciences of Inward Purification (Tazkiyya), Prophet’s Biography (Seerah) and the biographical texts of the early Muslims and scholars (Salaf-al-salih).

Currently, Shaykh Musa’b lives in Tarim, Yemen where he is continuing his advance studies under the tutelage of his teachers and serving the global community.

THREE TREATISES : MUTUAL REMINDING, GOOD MANNERS & THE APHORISMS


About The Book

This volume contains three concise treatises of the venerable Imām al-Ḥaddād. The first treatise, Mutual Reminding, distils the ethic and content of offering good counsel to one another. The chief elements of counsel, says the Imām, are Taqwā, an active fear and consciousness of God, and detachment from the material world. 

These elements connect with the topic of the second treatise, Good Manners, which discusses the manners recommended of the spiritual wayfarer as he or she takes the path to spiritual felicity. The third treatise, The Aphorisms, is a compilation of Imām al-Ḥaddād’s wise insights on a broad range of topics and includes the commentary of Shaykh Muḥammad Ḥayāt al-Sindī.

About The Author

Imam Abd Allah ibn Alawi al-Haddad was born in 1634 CE (1044 Hijri). He lived his entire life in the town of Tarim in Yemen’s Valley of Hadramawt and died there in 1720 CE (1132 Hijri). In Islamic history, he was considered one of the great Sufi sages. He was an adherent to the Ashari Sunni Creed of Faith (Aqeedah), while in Islamic jurisprudence (Fiqh), he was a Shafi'i.

He lived at Tarim in the Hadramaut valley between Yemen and Oman, and is widely held to have been the ‘renewer’ of the twelfth Islamic century. A direct descendant of the Prophet, his sanctity and direct experience of God are clearly reflected in his writings, which include several books, a collection of Sufi letters, and a volume of mystical poetry. He spent most of his life in Kenya and Saudi Arabia where he taught Islamic jurisprudence and classical Sufism according to the order (tariqa) of the Ba'Alawi sayids.

In spite of being a major source of reference among the Sunni Muslims (especially among Sufis), only recently have his books began to receive attention and publication in the English-speaking world. Their appeal lies in the concise way in which the essential pillars of Islamic belief, practice, and spirituality have been streamlined and explained efficiently enough for the modern reader. Examples of such works are The Book of Assistance, The Lives of Man, and Knowledge and Wisdom.

About The Translator

Dr. Mostafa al-Badawi is a consultant Psychiatrist and member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. He studied under many shaykhs, foremost among whom is the late Habib Ahmad Mashur al-Haddad.

Dr. Badawi is also one of the leading contemporary translators of Islamic books from Arabic to English, and his work includes Book of Assistance, The Lives of Man, Key to the Garden, and Degrees of the Soul

https://www.meccabooks.com/1344-three-treatises-mutual-reminding-good-manners-the-books-of-aphorisms-9781939256010.html

Wednesday, December 16, 2020

Imam Abdul Aziz Suraqah: The Lives of Man by Imam al-Haddad (RA)- Video Lectures & Excerpts from the Book

Imam Abdul Aziz Suraqah (Religious Director, Muslim Community Center of Greater Pittsburg-MCCGP) : The Lives of Man by Imam al-Haddad- Video Lectures 


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUjKjl5vCwY&list=PLuWczz79ppw0szEwOtWLpW8VnicX1c1u8


Translated by Mostafa Al Badawi with a Preface by T.J. Winters.

Based on the Qu’ran and Hadith, in this fascinating book, Imam al-Haddad explains that every human being passes through several “lives:” before conception, life in the world, life in the grave, the Resurrection, and finally, the Garden of the Fire. A complete Muslim must be aware of each of these if he is to be sufficiently prepared for eternal life.

What happens after Death? Who are “Munkar and Nakir?” What will Heaven and Hell be like? What signs should we expect before the day of Judgement? Who is the Dajjal? When will the Mahdi appear?

These and many other questions are answered, on the basis of the Qu’ran and Hadith, in this fascinating book. Imam al-Haddad explains that every human being passes through the “lives:” before conception, life in the world, life in the grave, the Resurrection, and finally, the Garden of the Fire. A complete Muslim must be aware of each of these if he is to be sufficiently prepared for eternal life.

From Timothy Winters preface to the book:

“No culture since Adam has lived in deeper ignorance of what man truly is: a symmetrical, noble form enshrining a soul, an organ capable of such translucence that it can, when the senses and passions which distract it are stilled, form a window onto that Reality of which this world offers no more than a distorted reflection. For those human beings who have been granted this state of awakening, the real world which they survey is truer than anything they had known here-below. All of us will see the real world, the ākhira, at death. But only the Prophets fully know of it before they die, and hence can warn their contemporaries. The revelations which God gives them, and which they give to mankind, are thus the only sources of meaning and understanding which will ever be available. To hold to them is to cling to a rope let down from God, while to let go is to fall ineluctably into chaos.”

Excerpts from ‘The Lives of Man’ by Imam al Haddad:

The First Life: (Life Before Conception)
“The first life began with the creation of Adam, upon whom be peace, and the entrusting of his progeniture to his blessed loins, both the people of the Right and those of the Left, namely the people of the Two Fistfuls. Then God brought this progeniture out from Adam’s loins all at once, to take the covenant that they recognized (His) Unity and Lordship.” “Because of these events there can be no doubt that the progeniture was possessed of existence, hearing and speech; this, however, was at a degree or dimension of existence other than that of this world.”

We must also know that the Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu ‘alahi wa Sallam) had a more perfect and unique stature in this stage, so much so that his light (peace be upon him) could be heard glorifying Allah while within Adam’s (peace be upon him) loins, making a sound like that of birds.

The Second Life: (“Dunya” – The Lower World.)
“The second life begins when one is delivered from one’s mother’s womb, and ends when one departs from the world in death. This which is the middle of the lives, is also their purpose. It is the period when man is held accountable for (responding to) the divine injunctions and prohibitions, the consequences of which will be reward or punishment, endless happiness in the proximity of God, the High and Majestic, or perpetual torment and remoteness from Him.”

This section of existence is essentially broken down into the stages of Gestation, Childhood, Youth, Maturity, Seniority, Decrepitude, and ultimately Sickness and Death. The Imam beautifully explains the important aspects of each of these sub-stages and gives wise council and advice as to how to understand and succeed in them. Ultimately the key to understanding the gist of this chapter can be summed up in the Hadith which is mentioned at the end of the Afterward stating: “A man dies in accordance with what he had lived in, and is resurrected in accordance with what he had died in.” (Hadith)
In another narration of Hadith the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu ‘alahi wa Sallam) stated to Abu Darr: “O Abu Darr! The world is the prison of the believer, the grave his place of safety, and the Garden his end. O Abu Darr! The world is the Garden of the disbeliever, the grave is his torment, and the Fire his end.”

May Allah make us one of those who dwell in the Garden of the Afterlife, Amen!

The Third Life: (The Intermediate Realm)
“The third life extends from the time a man leaves the dunya at death until the moment he rises from his grave at the blowing of the Horn. This is the Intermediate Realm (Barzakh). God the Exalted has said:
And behind them is a barzakh until the day when they are raised. (23:100)

In this section Imam Al-Haddad breaks the chapter into several useful categories, namely; a Description of the Torment of the Grave and its Aspects, How the Living May Help the Dead, and Visiting the Graves.

Perhaps one of the most striking aspects of this chapter appears in the Afterword in which it is stated: “Created beings may, however, know about those signs and conditions which indicate its imminent advent. Many of these, which are described in many sound hadiths, have already come about, and only the major ones such as the sun rising from the West, the Dajjal (God curse him!), the Beast, and the coming of Jesus remain.”

The Fourth Life: (Judgement Day)
“The fourth life extends from the time when a person leaves his grave for the Resurrection and Gathering, until the moment when mankind enter the Garden or the Fire.”
Imam Al-Haddad uses this section to highlight the dire situation of the last day and the different events which will occur. This section is broken down into the sub-sections of; The Balance and the Bridge, The Hawd, and The Intercession. Each of these areas are dealt with in the necessary details with mention of why we would be in our specific predicament at that time and the ways to avoid bearing the sorrowful and difficult punishments and trials on that day. Perhaps one of the most riveting quotes from this chapter is a quotation from the Holy Qur’an relating to after the animals are given their judgment and due and God says to them “Become dust!”
“At that the disbeliever will say, would that I were dust!”(78:40)

The noble Imam goes on to highlight in detail, the respect, honor, and elevation that the Holy Prophet Muhammed (Sallallahu ‘alahi wa Sallam) will have on that day, and the relief that will be permitted to the believers through his intercession (shafa’a)

The Fifth Life: (The Fire and the Garden)
“The fifth life extends from the time the people of the Fire enter the Fire and the people of the Garden enter the Garden, and continues into unending, limitless eternity.

This is the longest of all lives, the best, most pleasant and most joyous for the people of the Garden, and the worst, hardest, and most hateful and wretched for the people of the Fire.”

This section outlines details pertaining to the Fire, admonitions, and advise as to how to avoid spending time in this wretched and painful place. To give a taste of the severity of this place the Imam relates Quranic verses and hadith including the following: “O people! Weep! And if you cannot weep then make as though you were weeping, for the people of the Fire shall weep in Jahannam until their tears run over their faces like streams. Then the tears will stop, blood will flow, and eyes ulcerate, so that if ships were launched therein they would float.” (Hadith)

The Imam goes on to elucidate aspects of the Garden and its countless pleasures, the foremost being the beatific vision of Allah. Relating to one of the beautiful aspects of the Garden, Imam Al-Haddad quotes the Hadith stating: “The area of the Garden which could be surrounded by a whip is better than the world and all that it contains. Should one of the women of the Garden appear to the people of the earth, she would illuminate it entirely, and render it fragrant with musk. The scarf which is upon her head is better than the world and all it contains.”

The treatise is concluded in accordance with classical Islamic tradition, with a description of the vision of God, and His overwhelming Mercy. In the final section Imam al-Haddad quotes the Hadith stating: “God has a hundred mercies, one of which He has sent down to be divided between humans, jinn, birds, cattle, and insects, and by which they have compassion and mercy towards each other. And He has saved ninety-nine mercies, with which He will be merciful to His slaves on the Day of Rising.”

The above is simply a brief taste of the Lives of Man, and after reading this we hope that one of two things occur: One, if you had never heard of Imam Al-Haddad and the Lives of Man, that you will read it and take heed, and two, that if you had heard of the book, or had already read it, that you will read it again to refresh yourself on the true reality of:

“The Way to Remember and Learn From the Lives of Man that Wane and Perish.”

All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the Worlds, and countless blessings upon the Holy Prophet Muhammed (Sallallahu ‘alahi wa Sallam), his family and companions. May Allah be pleased with, and may we benefit from Imam Al-Haddad and his legacy. Any mistakes in this work are assuredly mine and may Allah forgive us all. Amen.

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