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Real Value

Monday, 14 April 2014 14:55

Consider a person with the following profile:

Age: In the prime of life. Health: Super fit. Beauty: Outstanding. Wealth: Multi billionaire. Qualifications: 7 PHDs. Social Standing: Among the most influential people in the country

Two days later he passed away. His re-written profile now reads:

Age: Dead. Health: Not applicable. Beauty: Body decaying. Eyes have disappeared leaving empty sockets. Hair and teeth have fallen off. Wealth: Left empty handed. Qualifications: Soul did not qualify in anything. Social standing: Besides a few people everyone has largely forgotten him and are not concerned about him in any way.

This is the reality that faces one when death strikes. One is stripped of all external valuables, denuded from one's branded attire and wrapped in plain sheets of cloth, dispossessed of one's wealth, distanced from one's home and luxuries, divested of one's titles and even deprived of one's name – one is now referred to as “the deceased, “the mayyit” or “the janaza”. But... there is some wealth, beauty and strength which will go along with one to the grave. The wealth of Imaan, sincerity, compassion, forgiveness and maintaining family ties; the beauty of hayaa, simplicity and good character; the strength of tawakkul (trust in Allah Ta'ala) and contentment – all these and other such inner values will accompany one to the grave. They will be one's companion on the day of Qiyamah (judgement) and will pave the way to Jannah. Therefore, while making a moderate effort to earn a halaal living, the focus of one's heart and mind must be towards acquiring real values.

Novel Company

Saturday, 12 April 2014 16:17

A beautiful parable in the hadith compares a good friend with a perfume seller and a bad friend with a blacksmith. The least benefit one will acquire in the company of a perfume seller is that one will certainly get the beautiful scent of perfume, which will freshen the mind and heart. Likewise, a good friend will always be a means of benefit. Merely being in his company will incline the heart towards good. On the contrary the least harm in the company of a blacksmith is that one will breathe the toxic smoke that will be all around his environment. Likewise the company of a bad friend is spiritually toxic. Merely being in bad company will influence one towards evil and sin.

STORIES SHAPE LIVES

While human companionship will generally have the greatest effect and influence on one, the company one keeps is much broader than being in the company of friends and associates. Many people spend long hours in the company of novels. Novel addicts can read a thick novel of a few hundred pages in a night or two. “Reading cannot harm you,” exclaim novel readers. The question is: Does a novel really have no effect on the reader? Scientists believe otherwise. According to Dr. Gregory S. Berns, director of Emory University's Center for Neuropolicy in Atlanta, “Stories shape our lives and in some cases help define a person.” Berns says their findings "suggest that reading a novel can transport you into the body of the protagonist." Using MRI scans, the investigators noticed heightened connectivity in an area of the brain (of their subjects) which is associated with making representations of sensation for the body. They explain that, for example, when we merely think about running, we can activate neurons in the brain that are associated with the actual physical motion of running."

In the light of the above consider the contents of the vast majority of novels read by young and old alike. If merely thinking of running activates the neurons in the brain associated with running, which will make one want to start running, what happens to a person reading a novel whose entire plot is intertwined with materialism and illicit relationships? If “stories shape our lives” as scientists have found, what happens to the mind (and body) of the person reading the lurid scenes of zina in almost every novel? The minimum disastrous effect that this will most likely result in is that the heart and mind of the reader will regularly become engaged in zina – Allah forbid. When the mind and heart will be repeatedly engaged in zina, what next? Novel-reading is also among the major contributors towards the shameless behaviour that is becoming the norm (merely to highlight this, a non-Muslim librarian expressed his “confusion” to his Muslim friend as to how come so many Muslim girls and young women donned in purdah borrow such “racy” novels. May Allah Ta’ala save us all from such shamlessness).

Q & A: Indecent Dressing?

Saturday, 12 April 2014 16:13

Question: I often wear jeans and other western attire indoors. If I leave the home, I always don an abaya over my clothes and also wear hijaab. My husband is ok with my dressing but my mother keeps fighting with me that my dressing is indecent. I do not see anything indecent in how I dress, especially since it is only indoors. Please advise. (summarized).

Answer: There are several aspects in your question. We will briefly deal with some of them in point form.

It is most commendable that you don the abaya and hijaab when leaving the home. May Allah Ta'ala keep you steadfast and enable you to progress further towards adopting the true spirit of hijaab.
Read more: Q & A: Indecent Dressing?

Whose Jeans?

Saturday, 12 April 2014 16:10

The excerpts below (taken from various websites) about the history of jeans reveal some noteworthy points:

“Starting in the 1950s, jeans, originally designed for cowboys and miners, became popular among teenagers especially members of the Greaser subculture. Greasers were a youth subculture that originated in the 1950s in north eastern United States. Their style became popular as an expression of rebellion. Jeans are particularly identified with American culture, especially the American Old West.”
Read more: Whose Jeans?

Faqihul Ummah: What Wrong Have I done?

Saturday, 12 April 2014 16:05

Respected Mufti Saheb

Assalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakaatuh

I am in severe problems and difficulties. I cannot even think why these difficulties have come upon me. What wrong have I done that I have been taken to task in this manner? Kindly make dua for me.

Download Al-Haadi Volume 21 Number 2

Saturday, 12 April 2014 16:01

"Download Al-Haadi Volume 21 Number 2 (PDF)

Inspirational Advice

It’s only a Sunnah

Once Imaam Abu Dawood (rahimahullah), who’s “Sunan” is one of the six classical books of hadeeth, was on board a ship. He heard a person on the shore sneezing and saying “Alhamdulillah” (all praise is due to Allah). So he hired a rowing boat for one dirham (silver coin) and went to shore to reply to this person by saying “Yarhamukallah” (may Allah have mercy on you), as is the sunnah of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam). When he was asked about this action of his, he replied: “It is possible that this person who sneezed is a person whose supplication is accepted by Allah Ta‘ala.” When the people on board the ship fell asleep, they heard someone calling out: “O people of the ship! Surely Abu Dawood purchased paradise from Allah Ta‘ala for one dirham.” (Risaalatul Mustarshideen pg. 157)

Lesson: Despite the great services which he rendered to Islam, a “small” sunnah like this became the means of his entry into Jannah. We cannot regard any good deed as small or any sin as trivial. Every good deed has the potential of securing us a place in Jannah, while every sin has the possibility of landing us into eternal ruin and misery.

Lessons from the Lives of the Pious

I have Forgiven her

A person once came to Hazrat Shaikh Moulana Muhammad Zakariyya Sahib (rahimahullah) and said: “Half of my mother’s body is lifeless and the other half is alive (she is suffering from the pangs of death). This is causing her a lot of difficulty. Since she used to abuse you and Hazrat Madani (rahimahullah), I am requesting you to forgive her.” Hazrat Shaikh (rahimahullah) said: “Go, I have forgiven her and I have also forgiven her on behalf of Hazrat Madani (rahimahullah).” This person then left and returned home. As he reached his house, his mother had passed away and that which was difficult became easy.

Thus we understand that it is extremely dangerous to speak ill of the pious, to swear them and to cause them harm. Allah Ta‘ala says in a hadeeth qudsi: “Whoever harbours hatred for a friend of Mine, I announce war with him.” (Malfoozaat of Faqeehul Ummat vol. 2 pg. 470)

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Latest Majlis

Preparation for Ramadhaan and the Evil of Pride

(Highlights of Mufti Ebrahim Salejee’s majlis - Saturday 12th April)

1. With the approaching of the month of Ramdhaan, every person’s desire is that whatever he does must be accepted. Thus, for acceptance you require to ensure that the asbaab (means) of acceptance are also in place. The hadeeth speaks of a person’s fast being rejected when he breaks his fast with haraam, whether it is haraam food or food purchased with haraam wealth. The pain that you undertake does not deserve rejection, but one has brought into it something that has ruined it. Similarly, engaging in gheebat and vain talk causes the fast to be rejected. For many of us it is better to sleep and save ourselves from these ruining deeds. Some Mashaayikh say that if one has the urge to make gheebat then make gheebat of one’s parents and pass over your thawaab to them as they deserve it the most. The appropriate thing is that one should get into a routine before the month of Ramadhaan comes. One should get things in order, pay off all outstanding debts even if you are put into constraints. Likewise, covering up qadhaa namaaz, fasts etc.

2. One serious problem in our lives is the aspect of pride. We are speaking of gheebat, but why is it so serious, that it is considered worse than zina which we consider so filthy. The zina which we do not consider as zina is the porn that we watch or the novels that we read or the billboards that we look at. This is absolute zina, yet we do not consider it as zina. This is the nature of sin, gradually we become accustomed to it and the disgust for it is lost and it eventually becomes acceptable. The right way is to nip it in the bud. One should not go to such places where there is a chance to fall into sin. Yes, if there is a need to go to such places then just go to the extent of the need and return. Nowadays going to malls has become like a culture. We all know what happens there. In reality we acquire everything in the musjid and then we are dumping it there. The second wrong in gheebat is that the person is not there to defend himself. So this is a sign that one is a coward and speaking ill of the next person behind is back. Another point is that you make gheebat of someone who you feel inferior to yourself. You won’t hear someone making gheebat of Hadhrat Abu Bakr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) or Sayyid Abdul Qaadir Jeelaani (rahmatullahi ‘alaih). So in gheebat you are despising someone. This pride was what had got shaitaan banished and rejected. He had pride and arrogance.

Contents:

Inspirational Advice

Lessons from the Lives of the Pious

Programmes of Hadhrat Mufti Ebrahim Salejee Saheb

Programmes of Hadhrat Moulana Ilyas Patel Saheb

Latest Majlis