Posts

Showing posts from December, 2011

A Secret in the Acceptance of Du'a by Sheikh Zulfiqar Ahmad

Some friends say: "Hadrat! We make a lot of du'a but it is not accepted". Students many times say that they are in difficulties. Sometimes, the Ulama even say: "There are obstacles and difficulties. Please make du'a. I have been making du'a for a long period of time but signs of acceptance have not become apparent." At such times I teach my friends a secret for the acceptance of du'as. I will teach it to you also. If you practice upon it, Insha Allah, you will no longer need to search for the Isme A'zam. You will see it before your eyes just as you complete saying the words. I have experienced this not a hundred times but thousands of times. The action is small but the results is great. If only we could understand the reality of this. Today, you too will come to know the method for the acceptance of du'as. The du'as of the pious are accepted. The pious are not made out of gold, neither are they any superhuman creation. They

Sincere Repentance

Image
Allah says that even if our sins are as numerous as all the stars in the sky, all the grains of sand on this earth, or all the leaves of all the trees in this world, even then our sins are few in comparison with His mercy. Allah tells us to be penitent and He will accept our repentance. Hadrat Hasan Basri (May the mercy of Allah be upon him) was a great shaykh from among our righteous predecessors. A woman would come to him whose husband had died, leaving behind a great fortune to their only son. The boy went astray because of this wealth and started wasting his youth in vain indulgences. The mother kept counseling him to mend his ways, and brought him to Hadrat Hasan Basri year after year, but the young man refused to pay heed. Time came when his evil ways took their toll and the young man fell fatally ill. His mother seized this opportunity to counsel him towards repentance. This time her son paid attention and said to his mother, "I don't even know

Victory of Truth

Image
A piece of land in India was once in dispute among Hindus and Muslims with each side claiming it as theirs. The Hindus of course wanted to build a temple on the land and the Muslims a mosque. The matter was so delicate and escalated to such a degree that the whole area threatened to by engulfed in war over the dispute, and the ruling British at the time worriedly sought a solution. The British convened a court to try to resolve the issue and before its convening the presiding judge asked both sides for a potential settlement to the land dispute. The Hindus said that they had a possible resolution, and suggested that the judge call forth a specific Muslim alim of their choosing and the question of rightful ownership should be posed to him. The Hindu side further claimed they would be satisfied with that whatever that particular alim said but insisted against naming him in public but only in secret to the judge. The judge hence agreed and set a future date for the case

Spiritual Diseases

Image
People are very familiar with physical ailments such as diabetes and high blood pressure. Similarly people have spiritual ailments such as hatred, greed, lust and the like that are much more dangerous than any physical disease can ever be. Allah has referred to these spiritual ills as diseases in the Holy Quran and hence tazkia is absolutely mandatory on everyone. In their hearts is a disease ( 2:10 ) Likewise the women of the believers were ordered to veil themselves so that the person with a disease of the heart would not be tempted and fall to lust. Hence, looking at unfamiliar women with lustful eyes is an indication of a disease within the heart because the gaze is yet impure. Tazkia is mandatory to purify our hearts of these spiritual diseases, and this is the main reason why we need to surrender ourselves to the care of a trained shaykh who can cleanse us of these. In this world no one can say that he will read all there is to know about his disease from

Month of Safar

Image
“SAFAR” is the second month in the Islamic Calender. It is one of “Al-Ashhur-al-hurum” the four sanctified months in which the battle was prohibited in the days of Holy Prophet Muhammad   ( Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasallam). However, no specific mode of worship or other special rules are set by Shari’ah to observe in this month. Some people believe that this month is an unlucky month, therefore, they avoid to hold marriage ceremonies or any happy gatherings in this month.This beleif is totally baseless and it is part of the superstitions rampant in the ignorants of arabia before the advent of Islam. The Holy Prophet Muhammad ( Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasallam) eradicated all such superstitious beliefs. Specially in the case of the month of safar, He ( Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasallam) expressly said, لا سفر (To Hold) the month of safar ( as unlucky) is nothing. Therefore, Muslims should not give ear to such superstitions. There is no problem in holding Marriages in t

Shaytaan's Delusion

Image
A common and dangerous misconception is that people can be anything on the outside as long as the heart itself is clean. This is a delusion of Shaitan because the effects of a clean and pure heart should resonate to the outside and rectify one’s actions and personality. If this is not the case then this is clear proof that the heart is not clean. It is essential that people work on both hand in hand. Muslims are weak and unable to rectify themselves unless they submit all to Allah . If people were to work diligently on trying to rectify their outer characteristics Allah will rectify and purify their inner being through their intention and hard work. Abu Madhura was a youth at the time of the Messenger of Allah who had not accepted Islam as of yet. One day he was seated with some friends laughing and mocking Hadrat Bilal’s call to prayer [ adhan ] when the Messenger of Allah passed by. Seeing him all the children ran away except Abu Madhura, who was the oldest of the g

White Bearded Yet Twelve Years Old

A white bearded sage was once asked his age and so this venerable gentleman replied, “I must be around ten to twelve years old.” His questioner was very surprised and asked, “How can you say you are twelve years old when your hair has started to grow white?” The elderly gentleman replied, “Yes my son, it has been twelve years since I sincerely repented for my sins. Before that I did not have a life, only shame.”

Sincere Repentance

Image
An elderly gentleman passed by a group of debating youths who asked him to settle a matter between them. One of them asked, “We are debating whether Allah keeps special watch on the heart of a righteous and sinless person or on the heart of a grave sinner who sincerely repents?” The man replied to the youth, “My son, I am not a scholar, but I have observed one thing in my profession as a cloth weaver. As I work the spool a thread no doubt breaks and so I tie it back up, and from that point on keep a special eye on that specific thread to see that it does not break again. Its entirely possible that when someone repents from a previous satanic life and returns to Allah that Allah keeps a special watch on him to make sure that that heart does not slip and go astray again.”

A Warning Sign

Image
A youth migrated from India to Pakistan but lost touch with all his relatives over time and thus found himself all alone. An uncle had also migrated but the two became separated and thus they lost all contact. This youth was hard working and thus Allah rewarded him with wealth and a large comfortable house. An elderly gentleman then approached him one day and said, “I am old and alone here without any family or relation. I am willing to work and keep watch in front of this house if you employ and feed me.” The youth agreed and fixed a wage for the elderly man. Now since this man was elderly he moved slowly and sickly due to age and health. Hence if working slowly or not at all due to illness at anytime his employer would become very angry and curse him, something that would deeply hurt the old man so that he would even be reduced to weeping. Once it so happened that the young man cursed this old man so severely that the latter said, “My son, Allah is the Provider,

Difference Between a Horse and Man

Image
A horse, being a dumb animal is nevertheless loyal to the master who raised it and subsequently owns it. If worked endlessly all day it cannot complain if it is sick or ask for water if thirsty, and will work endlessly the following day in the same way for its master. The horse can only hope for some rest only if the master happens to stop for his own business and in the same way hope for some water only if it happens to be available. It cannot stop according to its will if the need arises and has to relieve itself while pulling the cart on its way. Moreover if given less than its full share of feed at the end of a long hard day it cannot even complain at that. The master retires to his warm bed at night but there is nothing but the cold stable for the horse, no wife and children to give it comfort and joy. If this horse develops an open wound it still cannot complain that the master did not bandage it, and if whipped will also bravely withstand this cruelty if only

An Awakening Moment

Image
Hadrat Ahmed Ali Lahori (May the mercy of Allah be upon him) once said while instructing class that at one time he met a special lover of Allah in the bazaar. Hadrat Ahmed Ali greeted him and so this man asked a seemingly strange question. He asked, “Ahmed Ali, where do people live? Where are all the people?” Hadrat Ahmed Ali was slightly surprised and pointing to the scores of people he said, “Hadrat, these are all people you see in front of you.” Hearing this the man cast a strange look at the people in the bazaar and said, “Really? These are all people?” Hadrat Ahmed Ali said that the man’s tawajjoh affected him so deeply that when he looked again he only saw cats and dogs milling around. Regarding this incident Hadrat Ahmed Ali Lahori used to say that there are very few individuals who surrender in totality to Allah . Whoever is for Allah then Allah is for him [Hadith]

Three Days

Image
A venerable sage would say that days are of three types. One type is yesterday, a day that has passed and hence is no longer within reach. A second type is tomorrow, a day in the future about which one does not yet know because the future is ever changing. The third type is today, a day that is still here and within one’s control. Thus this sage would say, “O man, neither should you postpone till tomorrow nor hope that tomorrow will come. Today is in your hands so use it to please Allah .”

Holy Quran: The Water of Life

Image
The treasury of truths and wisdom that is the Holy Quran is the nourishing lifeblood for humanity. Allah revealed this Book so that humanity would come out of darkness into light, and so whoever reads and applies it will be successful both in this life and the Hereafter. The Holy Quran has been revealed to polish mankind’s heart and character and give him dignity so that he may be successful. If this Book is implemented throughout life then Allah’s help and blessings shower upon the individual and with Allah’s help a person surely reaches his destination. How oft, with Allah’s Will has a small force vanquished a large one? [ 2:249 ] Allah is with those who steadfastly persevere [ 2:249 ]

Purpose of Life

Image
The purpose of life is servitude to Allah and the purpose of existence is His remembrance. A servant is only one who has the qualities of servitude otherwise his existence is a lie and has no meaning. Food, shelter, and occupation are all necessities in life but the real purpose is the pleasure and remembrance of Allah . Unfortunately most of the time people reverse this paradigm by making this life their purpose.

Life: An Exam Room

This life is not a place for fun nor is it for rest and relaxation. This life is an exam room where we as Muslims need to undergo trials and tribulations to prepare for the next life. Unfortunately people today have made this life their sole purpose and forgotten that they have to use the time allotted to them here to prepare for their Hereafter.

A Prayer

O, Creator! You are our shelter, from hell fire, we call upon You, Only You.. in sickness and in health, in happiness and when sad. You created us from mere dust, and enabled us to conquer universe, what are we without You.. and everything with You, keep us save from Your anger, we only intend to gain Your approval! accept our plea, Oh, Al-Bari*! -Noor Note *: Al-Bari is one of Allah's ninety nine names, it means; The Evolver, the Maker, the Creator who has the power to turn the entities. Source: Jannah.org

Understanding Ba'ayah By Shaykh Zulfiqar Ahmed

Image
07.23.02 Understanding Bayah 25' 26"