The Roadmap to Knowledge

The Roadmap to Knowledge - Principles of Seeking Knowledge:-
a two day course provided by Al- Kauthar Institute by Shaikh Waleed AbdulHakeem. http://www.alkauthar.org/

This was a course that was much anticipated by myself and by many Brs and Ssts alike that I came across on other courses. The course was Alhamdullillah good platform for all seekers of Ilm to use as a tool to be able to start acquiring and managing ones sacred knowledge and more importantly steps to applying this in one daily life.

The main topics that were covered were:

-Introduction to seeking knowledge:
This was good as it created the bones for the meat to be put on that would come later in the course.

-Ethics with Yourself:
Good Characther (Ikhlas), having sincere intention (and one should try and have multiple intentions all for the pleasure of Allah swt, which will increase ones reward).

The more you Love Allah (swt) and the Prophet (saw), the more you will have sincere intention and this will increase your passion to seek Ilm.

Being utmost humble with the knowledge you seek and attain, and staying away from arrogance, It has been said in a well known hadith says that a person with a grain of arrognace so that he looks down on others, will not be granted Jannat (Paradise).

-Methods of seeking knowledge: There were too many to list down here. But you should always try and seek a reputable Shaykh in your local area for Hidayya to Ilm.

-Manners of the student with the Sheikh: -Acting upon what you have learnt:

Learn from the Shuyuk of your local place before embarking upon another Shaikh.

The Shaikh covered the various texts in quite some detail and was a great insight and for me the best part of the course. It provided me with a great outlook of the breadth of books on various Islamic Disciplines such as Aqeedah, Fiqh, Hadith, Quranic Sciences and to more recent issues such as Islamic Finance etc.

The order of learning the various Islamic Sciences:

1. Aqeedah then;
2. Fiqh (eg. Fiqh of Tahara (Purification), Salaat, Sawm (Fasting), Hajj)
   
3. Qur'an (eg. Tajweed (min. Surat Fatiha))
4. Hadeeth (the saying of the Prophet (SAW))
5. Seerah (The biography of the Prophet (SAW))
6. Other History (eg. About the Caliphate, Abu Bakr, Umar and Uthman)

For reading material:

-Best to have a smaller texts on the subject matter which is recommended from a scholar who follows the Ahlus Sunnah Wa Jammat.
-Once going through a summarised text one can move onto more larger texts where more details are dealth with Insha'Allah.
-The will of moving to small or large texts will depend on the individual person and how long one has been seeking Ilm.

My own GEM notes I have taken:
-Manners First, Roadmap to Last.
-The RoadMap is a trust
-Glorify Allah with his Asma (Names) and Sifa (Attributes), not just say "Allahu".

Some Q&As which the Shakh responded to:

Q. What is the best of deeds?
A. Depending on the time, place and situation, the deeds may differ.

Q. Is Hajj (specific act of Worship) obligatory for All?
A. Only when you have the means, it becomes obligatory upon you.

Q. Is knowledge about the other sects in the Muslim Community important?
A. Yes, as knowing the other sects, helps one not to fall into the incorrect ways (avoiding bid'a) and thus sticking to the Qur'an and the Sunnah Insha'Allah.

Q. What can pollute the students intention and remove the blessing from his knowledge?
A.
i) Self-ego via other peoples perception of himself and praise from others' (riyaa) ;
ii) False comparison with a deviate intention of improving himself to other knowledge seekers
ii) Solely relying on your own knowledge it can lead you to ignorance
iv) Self-satisfaction of the knowledge you have

Q. What if the intention was not pure when I started seeking Ilm, should I study everything again?
A. No. Make sincere Tawbah and re-read and implement what you have learnt with this new niyaat. This is trap which the Shayateen put into one, to doubt the purity of ones intention all the time via waswas (whispering).

Q. How do you deal with a Shaikh who practices some Innovation? Is it ok to learn from the Shaikh?
A. Once needs to know what specific subject matter the Shaikh causes him to act in bid'a.
One needs to also distignuish between Mukaffira (out of Islam) and Non-Mukaffira (dislike such people). It is better for a new student of knowledge to avoid such Shaikhs as s/he would not know what is bid'a and what is from the Qur'an and Sunnah.

Salah

Just a short reminder in regards to prayer (salah), how important it is, and how at times, we neglect it or become weak within it.

(The above picture is an example of devotion to keep to the commandments of Allah, and to perform Salat at the correct times to please Allah (swt)).

"Be ever mindful of prayers, and of praying in the most excellent way; and stand before God in devout obedience." [Qur'an 2:238]

"And be steadfast in prayer and regular in charity: And whatever good you send forth for your souls before you, you shall find it with Allah. for Allah sees Well all that you do." (Quran: 2:110)

On the authority of Abu Malik al-Harith bin 'Asim al-Ash'ari, radiyallahu 'anhu, who said: The Messenger of Allah, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, said:

"Purification is half of iman (faith). Saying 'Al-Hamdulillah' (Praise be to Allah) fills the scales.

Saying 'Subhanallah wa al-Hamdulillahi' (Exhalted be Allah and Praise be to Allah) fills the space between the heavens and the earth. Salah (prayer) is a light. Sadaqah (charity) is a proof.

Sabr (patience) is a shining glory.

The Qur'an is an argument either for you or against you. Everybody goes out in the morning and sell themselves, thereby setting themselves free or destroying themselves." (Sahih Muslim)

Narrated Abu Huraira: I heard Allah's Apostle saying, "If there was a river at the door of anyone of you and he took a bath in it five times a day would you notice any dirt on him?" They said, "Not a trace of dirt would be left." The Prophet added, "That is the example of the five prayers with which Allah wipes away (annuls) evil deeds." (Sahih Al Bukhari)

`Uthman ibn `Afan (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "If the time for a prescribed Salah comes, and a Muslim performs Wudu' properly (and then offers his Salah) with humility and bowing (to Allah), it will be an expiation for his past sins, so long as he has not committed a major sin; and this is applicable to all times." (Reported by Muslim)

Salat is a pillar of the religion (Islam). He who establishes it, establishes religion; and he who destroys it, destroys religion." [Tabrani]

CEI Monthly Saturday Outreach Programme

CEI Monthly Saturday Outreach Programme organised by the Crawley Educational Institute (CEI) at Friends House, Euston. Visit www.ceiuk.com for further details.

The first of these monthly sessions was held at the Education - Lecture theatre at Friends House on 7th Feb 2009. The Session lasted for 2hours and must have had over 600 people. Well given that these are gratuity events, the numbers were very high.

Feb Lectures:
-Glad Tidings of A Prophet - Shaykh Ibrahim Osi-Efa (Liverpool)
-The Covenant of the Prophets -Habib Ali al-Jifri (Tarim, Yemen)

CEI and myself was blessed to have Habib Ali al-Jifri, a direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad (on Him be Blessings and Peace), to open this monthly Seerah Course, which will be taught by Shaykh Ibrahim Osi-Efa and various guest lecturers over the coming year.As much as it may at first be difficult to understand Shaykh Irahim Osi-Efa, you cannot say he is not emotionless!

March Lectures:
This is the 2nd lecture of the Seerah Course, which will be taught by Shaykh Ibrahim Osi-Efa and various guest lecturers over the coming year.

-The Early Years: The Nurturers -Shaykh Ibrahim Osi-Efa (Liverpool)
-The Preparation of a Prophet: Lessons for a Prophetic Community - Shaykh Jihad Brown (USA)

CEI was blessed to host Shaykh Jihad Hashim Brown for the monthly Seerah Course at Friends House. Shaykh Jihad is the deputy director of the Tabah Foundation (link below) which was founded by Habib Ali al-Jifri.

http://www.tabahfoundation.com/Together, they have successfully brought together a council of eminent scholars including Abdullah bin Bayyah, Ramadan al-Bouti and Habib Umar bin Hafidh to tackle international and global Muslim issues whilst reconnecting such 'Ulama with the Muslim community.

Shaykh Jihad, having studied and taught Islam in Damascus and Tarim, will bring much knowledge and blessing to this Seerah Course, insha'Allah.

The idea is that regular attendees (Insha’Allah I am one of these) will be able to complete a biographical study on the life of the Prophet Muhammad (on Him be Blessings and Peace) by way of two lectures, each lasting approximately 50 minutes. Light refreshments and an opportunity for informal questions and discussion will follow the lectures.

The beautiful thing about the course, is that the idea is to provide access to knowledge to a wider audience but also for a humanitarian cause to provide free hot food for homeless people too during the night, so it is important that those who are in need are invited to this event and donations are therefore most welcomed.

http://www.ceiuk.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=15%3Acei-monthly-saturday-outreach-programme&catid=1%3Acurrentclasses&Itemid=4

Fiqh of Janazah & Spiritual Preparation

The Inevitable Event - The Fiqh of Janazah

This course was not for the faint hearted and not something that you would say was top priority learning on a Saturday Morning!

The course was organised by Utrujj and taught by Shaykh Hatham Tamim at SOAS. I was looking forward to the course as the topic of death has to be in our minds as much as life as we know it. The course was exceptional, however on such a topic one day was far to less to go through all the content, practical demo' and Q&As. It is a start and one must read on and understand InshaAllah.

I have not witnessed death in family or have close Friends passing away. Those that have passed away have been extensions to my families or friends parents that have passed away or I have have known for a short time. Seeing my parents from being active and healthy to being dependant on us especially in recent years has made me think about death much more, thus me attending the course. May Allah swt provide me the Ilm to understand and learn from this course. Ameen.

Contents

The course covered the following topics:

• What to do and say when someone is at the point of approaching death
• The Sunnah of the Prophet (Peace be upon him) regarding attitude towards death
• The importance of remembering death and preparing for it
• How to wash the body correctly (with practical demonstration)
• How to pray Janazah (funeral prayer)
• The rulings and etiquette's of burial
• Where to bury deceased Muslims
• The etiquette's of grieving
• The etiquette's of visiting the graves
• Common misconceptions surrounding the above topics

Each and every one of us will one day meet with our death.

There was much things on the course which due to the time cannot be expanded on right here. Some of my own Questions such as how long is it permissible to delay the funeral? does the maut (deceased) feel and hear when they die? What should one read pre-death? How should one prepare the mawt body for the burial? And who is permitted by Shariah to do this? What are the etiquette's of grieving and visiting the graves?

The course covered all the Questions and more, with a practical demonstration too on how to wash the body and cloth it in preparation for the burial.

There are some differences between Madhabs on certain specific issues too. One should not concern themselves with the differences as the Imams that the Madhabs have such Ilm one should not be in a position to comment.

The Light Of Guidance

The Light of Guidance - Fundumental of Faith 101 this was the first Al-Maghrb Insttitue course that I have attended on the recommendation from a good Akhi I met at another Institure, Tayyibun. It was in a way just like being at Uni' with the first 101 course!

I was very impressed with the structure of the course, timing and content coverage was impeccable (who said the UK Muslim Ummah cannot organise things, dispels the idea that their is a MST (Muslim Standard Time) well for this course only).

It was a 4.5 days course, split over two weekends near Earls Court, and had Alhamdullilah 500+ students taking part. As always with such events, the sisters outnumbered the Brothers, so Akhis, where are you....we need to win this battle of the sexes!

The course started around 9.50am and finished around 7.00pm so all in all was a long day. I went on my own for the first weekend and met some really nice Brothers there, and this was a crowd that was different than other courses I had been on. They had a real good ethos and balance about them, from all kind of backgrounds and nationalities (Sri Lankan, Brunei, Malaysian, Somalian, Afghanistan, India and from all around the UK... and oh yes the French contingent too! (Can't forget them on stage with their rather weird accents.lol).

The Al-Maghrib UK group was known as Qabeelat Al-Shams (Yes the Sun, for a nation that does not get much sun - how ironic). The Ameer (leader) of the Qabeelat was great as were all the volunteers, it was really like a family gathering. MashAllah.

The seminar was a great opportunity to grasp a greater understanding and fall in to depths of the awareness and knowledge about the crucial beliefs that form the skeleton of Islam, and to tie our hearts to these truths.

The LoG on Aqeedah Seminar covered in summary the following:

• Definition of Tawheed
• Importance of Tawheed
• Categories of Tawheed (history; differences of opinion regarding categorization schemes)
• Tawheed in Allah's Lordship (Ruboobiyyah): reality and definition
• Quranic Proofs of Ruboobiyyah
• Western Proofs for the Existence of God (Ontological, Cosmological, Kalam, etc.)
• Critique of Western Proofs; comparison w/ Islamic Proofs
• Atheism (arguments; refutation)
• Ruboobiyyah by itself is incomplete (proofs)
• Allah's Right to Be Worshipped (Uloohiyyah)
• Definition of Worship
• Meaning of Ilah; meaning of Kalimah
• Manifestations of Worship (Du'a, Sajdah, Tawwakul, Sabr, etc...)
• Deviations in Worship (Talismans, Magic, Astrology, etc...)
• Other concepts (Tabarruk; Tawassul; Shafa'aah; etc...)
• Shirk: definition; history; dangers; categories; causes
• Evidences used by Muslims who seek to justify Shirk
• Kufr and Nifaq: definition; dangers; categories; relationship with Shirk
• Manifestations of Major Kufr

It was truly an eye opener especially the key issues for me, was "Sihr" ("Black Magic") that is not so prominenent especially in the sub continent culture and is important to the see the tell tell signs.

Few things I had taken note from the course was amongst many:

- If one wears a "Tabeez" (pocket chain round the necks with the so called Words of Allah written on in it, in order that it protect them from the Shaytan, it is better avoid having such things with you as this may be a sign of shirk without one knowing it, and also it may in fact do you more harm then good. There was incidents that the Shaykh had witnessed himself and showed in his Seminar too, where in opening the Tabeez, he found the names of the Shayateen written in them, and this broought a sigh of 500 odd people in the hall, which said it all.

-Breaking down Tawheed into 3 constituent parts: (1) "Ruboobiyyah" - The One Lord (2) "Ismu wa Sifa" (Names and Attributes of Allah) and (3) "Uloohiyyah" - the right to be worshipped. All three must be present to have Tawheed.

- To understand the principles of Tawheed is to understand and bring you closer to the Devine Lord and how Allah (swt) would want to be worshipped. This may help one to undertand the pitfalls of entering into "Shirk" (to associate another object with Allah).

-Intercession specific to the Prophet صل الله عليه و سلم:
Every single prophet was guaranteed one dua

• Nuh عليه السلام- used his for the flood.
• Musa عليه السلام- used his to seal the heart of Pharaoh
• Suleiman عليه السلام- Asked for a kingdom the likes of which nobody had, and would ever have.
• The Prophet صل الله عليه و سلم- Saved it for the Ummah for the Day of Judgement. This shows us the mercy of the prophet صل الله عليه و سلم.

Other information from the Al-Maghrib course guide:

Aqeedah is linguistically derived from the term 'aqadah' - a verb which means "to hold fast to" or "to establish". Our 'aqeedah is the pillar by which our deen stands firm, the fertile land from which all of our actions blossom, and it is the foundation from which all other Islamic sciences grow. '

According to our scholars, 'aqeedah is the firm creed and beliefs that one's heart is fixed upon without any wavering or doubt.

Are we certain about these beliefs to which our hearts should be tied? How well do we know the fundamental tenets of Islam, relating to our eman in Allah (swt), in the prophets, the books, the angels, the Last day and Qadr [fate]? Imam Abu Haneefah, rahimahullah, called his work on 'aqeedah "al-Fiqh al-Akbar" (The Greater Understanding), while he referred to shari'ah as simply, "the understanding of science".

"...Knowledge is the discerning proof of what is right and what is wrong, and it is the positive force that will help you surmount the trials of comfort, as well as those of hardships. Knowledge is your most powerful sword against your enemy, and finally, it is your most dignifying raiment in the company of your close companions." -- Mu'aadh ibn Jabal, radi' Allaahu 'anhu

This is one of many seminars on Fundamentals of Faith from Al-Maghrib Inst. with others and the series, 201, 301, 401, and Comparative Religion.

There were some memorable events:

-Shaykh (who is from Texas, USA), tells us a story of him going into a corner shop in the country to top up him mobile phone, as he asks the women on the counter, "...can I top up my Oxygen?"

-The 'Paper Bag" shirk blow up! - Where we had written Shirk and Kufr on each side of the paper bag and then in kind of perfect harmony we blow and burst. This was a good end to a long 4.5 days.

-Chinese Fortune Cookies - where each person had to eat the cookies and make sure that they do not peep into the fortune script, as a sign we can abstain from listening or reading predictions for the future from sources inc. horoscopes etc.

-French contingent with their 100 per cent perfection in their transmission of their answers in the group exercise with the analogy of the TV in the bath tub, synonymous to having a manual i.e. the Qur'an and Sunnah and not following it with disastrous consequences.

-The food was great - day one was kebabs, and then it got better, with biryani and chicken. There was coffee and tea throughout the day in the break out rooms just keep us awake in the afternoon, though the Ameer saw to that in any case if anyone was nodding off.

Plus you had Islam Channel recording the whole seminar, so watch this space, this seminar is coming on a TV near you (try to have a look out for me - doh!).

Ashurra - 10th Day of Muharram

It is Maghrib on Tuesday 6th January 2009. I have just broken my fast with some brothers are work, had a nice chicken shish from the local Kebab shop near my work. It was abs great, Alhamdullilah!

We now enter Yawm Ashura, which means the 10ths Day. This is unlike any other 10th day of the month and has many significant events taking place on this day.

On this 10th of Muharram,

• Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta'ala) accepted the repentance of Sayyidina Adam ('Alaihis-Salaam) after his exile from Paradise;
• Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta'ala) saved Sayyidina Nuh ('Alaihis-Salaam) and his companions in the ark;
• Allah extinguished the fire in which Sayyidina Ibrahim ('Alaihis-Salaam) was thrown by Nimrod;
• And Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta'ala) spoke directly to Sayyidina Musa ('Alaihis-Salaam) and gave him the Commandments.
• Sayyidina Ayyub ('Alaihis-Salaam) was restored to health (from leprosy);
• Sayyidina Yusuf ('Alaihis-Salaam) was reunited with his father Ya’qub ('Alaihis-Salaam);
• Sayyidina Yunus ('Alaihis-Salaam) was taken out from the belly of the fish; and the sea was divided as the nation of israel was delivered from captivity and Pharoah’s army was destroyed.
• ‘Ashura is also the day when the kingdom of Sulaiman ('Alaihis-Salaam) was restored;
• Sayyidina Isa (Jesus) ('Alaihis-Salaam) was raised to Jannah (Paradise); and
• Sayyidina al- Imam Husayn (Radiyallahu 'anh) (the Holy Nabi’s, Sall Allahu alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim, grandson) achieved the honor of Martyrdom

Fasting:

Mu’awiyah ibn Abu Sufyan (Radiyallahu 'anh) relates:

I heard the Messenger of Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta'ala) say: "It is the day of ‘Ashura. Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta'ala) has not made fasting obligatory for you. But I am fasting. He who likes to observe fast among you should do so, and he who likes not to observe it (does not have to) observe it." [Sahih Muslim]

Abu Qatada (Radiyallahu 'anh) relates that the Holy Nabi (Sall Allahu alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim) said that the fast on the 10th of Muharram atones for the sins of the preceding year. [Sahih Muslim]

Abu Huraira (Radiyallahu 'anh) reports that the Holy Nabi (Sall Allahu alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim) said that after Ramadan, the fasts of Muharram have the greatest excellence. [Sahih Muslim]

Alhamdulillah, Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta'ala) has blessed us to see another year. The first month of this year is Muharram. In this month is an excellent day—the day of ‘Ashura—which falls on the 10th of Muharram. The Holy Nabi (Sall Allahu alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim) recommended that we fast on this day, by his Sunnah. He also indicated how we should observe the fast of ‘Ashura. Hakam ibn Al-Arat (Radiyallahu 'anh) relates: I went to Ibn Abbas (Radiyallahu 'anh)… I said to him: Tell me about fasting on ‘Ashura. He said, "When you seen the new moon of Muharram count the (days) and (begin to) observe fast on the 9th." I said to him: "Is it how the Holy Messenger of Allah (Sall Allahu alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim) observed the fast?" He said, "Yes." [Sahih Muslim]

Hazrat Ibn Abbas (Radiyallahu 'anh) relates that when the Holy Nabi (Sall Allahu alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim) said: "If I survive till next year, I will definitely observe fast on the 9th of Muharram (as well)." [Sahih Muslim]


(Note: What the Holy Nabi (Sall Allahu alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim) meant was that he would also fast on the 9th as well as the 10th to which he was accustomed. We also should try fasting on the 9th and the 10th of Muharram.)

Pictures of Banbury Living ...

The Banbury Town Centre.....on the 25th....thus the deserted roads! Went on a stroll at lunch time to clear my head....though it was chilled and had to rush back for much needed chai....



The Brothers quarters at the Mosque, here we ate sleep and drank @ the Winter Halaqa 2008! To the left where the brother in white appears to be prostrating is where my I sleep! Through the curtain at the back to the right is where the Main Hall of the Mosque is situated.

After one of the the Question and Answer session Brother Omar asks Shaykh Samir Al Nass a question, think it was on "Black Magic"....with his helper to the left and the Banbury host "rude bhoy" to the right (not sure whos kid that is...)

Friday "Mafia" Night, suspects close in hand, Talhat, Shezzad out of the picture, with the others in the circle discussing suspects.

Traditional Halaqa - Banbury (20th Dec 2008 - 28th Dec 2008)

Traditional Halaqa Winter 9 Day course in Banbury was a very enlightening experience. http://traditionalhalaqa.org/ Words don't do justice to the vast experience and heightened knowledge this Halaqa has bestowed upon me, thanks to the Majesty of Allah (swt), I am ever so grateful for the shining light that has now stroke a cord through thee heart.

The trip to Banbury was a straight forward drive and the the road was like a beacon of light, on the Saturday of the 20th December 2008 one I will never forget. I made my intention on Jummah Day the previous day that I will attend. Having never stepped out of my comfort zone for a Halaqa of this magnitude, I had 100% faith in Allah (swt) that he would give me the strength and Sabr to get through the course. So A406, A40, M40 and from the virtues of Mr Thomas Thomas, I was in Banbury Mosque registering in the just before the time of Asr Salat (all in around 80 minutes).

After the Introduction from the organisers Ash-Shifa Trust http://www.ash-shifa.org.uk/ and then meeting the other Brothers that had already arrived. First and foremost met 2 reverts, and it did cross my mind then whether I did actually come to the right course. This doubt settled down once I saw the sub-continent submerge in their usual desi timing coming any time before night break! With the rear guard being taken by the Brothers later known as the "Lutonians" and given their attendance in recent events, they are known to be the late ones! So watch this space.

Shaykh Abdul Aziz opened the Winter Halaqa with an excellent speech and introduction and welcoming the students (some old and many new). Never met this Shaykh before but I tell you his face is so radiant with light. You see the light shining from a mile away and the smile is ever so encapsulating. Alhamdulillah. He had many stories to tell and all amazing you can listen to him all night and day. MashaAllah.

Shaykh Khaleed - He was a Leiceter man, and his looks are very deceptive, when he opends his mouth, the leicester in him comes out. He gave the Halaqa much to think about on the first day with Duas and Supplications and also covered the benefits of learning the deen and Aqeeda from the Hadith Al-Gabriel (Rules and regulations derived from the hadith) which covered the foundations of your imaan (qaid).

He noted a few Duas:

Al Ratib Al Shahir:
This consists of to name a few, Surah Fatiha, Last Ruku of Surah Baqara, Ayatul Qursi, Surat Falaq, Surat Nas and many others. The Halaqa group recited this every day after our Maghrib Salat which was great Masha'Allah. It was really inspiring and gave us much energy to continue though to the depths of the evening classses.

Ones to increase your knowledge (Ilm):

سُبْحَانَكَ لاَ عِلْمَ لَنَا إِلاَّ مَا عَلَّمْتَنَا إِنَّكَ أَنتَ الْعَلِيمُ الْحَكِيمُ

Subhanaka la 'ilma lana 'illa ma 'allamtana 'innaka 'antal-'Alimul Hakim

Glory be to you, we have no knowledge except what you have taught us. Verily, it is You, the All-Knower, the All-Wise [surah Baqarah; 2:32]

رَبِّ زدْنيِ عِلْماً وَ رْزُقْنيِ فَهْماً

Rabbi zidni 'ilman war zuqni fahman

O Allah! Advance me in Knowledge and true understanding

Tips from Shaykh Khaleed:

"...every knowledge you recieve never have pride in it; it is better to think you have no knowledge; as Allah (swt) in the one with all the knowledge"

"...never have pride with the knowlegde of the deen, when you get rid of this you will be elevated and this will increase your modesty"

How to do this:
-Remember that us humans have been made out of dirt/dust
-We will be raised up again
-Constantly ask Allah (swt) to remove the pride in us
-Serve the community of Allah (swt) by doing the jobs that no one wants to do; this will get rid of pride/arrogance and you will become endowed with humility.

In the evening I unpacked my mini-suitcase, consisted of the Quran, Arabic and English translation, Jubba, khaki pants, 3 t-shirts, 6 boxers, and the usual toiletries, and oh yes the all important sleeping bag and pillows.

The course officially started on Sunday the 21st December 2008 with the classes in full swing. With the time-table looking fully jammed between 7am - 10pm for all days. Mind you there was enough break in between to get the blood circulating around the legs which was muy necessario especially given we were crossed legged the first two days, not something you get taught in comprehensive UK schools I must add.

Course Content:
Hanifi Fiqh - Covering Water, Wudu, Ghusl, Salat, Jammat Salat, Eid Salat, Funeral Salat
Aqeedah
Akhlak - A Pure Heart
Seerah - Chronological Overview of the Life of our Beloved Prophet Mohammed (SAW).

Teachers include:
Shaykh Samir Al Nass, Shaykh Tanveer & Hussain Shaykh Thaqib

Highlights of the Course:

• Beloved Prophet Mohammed (SAW) Hair at the Banbury Mosque - the Mosque embraced the arrival of the hair from the Prophet (pbuh) on Thursday Night (Jummah Night). There was 3 hours of Mowlouds done over the course of the evening, it was absolutely breathtaking ended up in the car park trailing the car taking the Prophets (SAW) hair on my bare feet. It was later noted that there was no shadow when a torch was pointed to the hair, this is reconciled with the Prophet not having a shadow as narrated in the various Hadiths.
  

• Tajweed Lessons - Shaykh Samir Al Nass & Shaykh Tanveer - this only happened once for the men or rather boys of the group, as men became boys when they sat down to recite with a pedigree of Shaykh Samir person who has ijazah n 10 style of recitations on the narration of Shatibiyyah and Durra from Shaykh Muhammad Sukr. This was evident when a brother completely lost his words of Surat Fatiha just being in the presence of a scholar like Shaykh Samir. Shakyh Tanveer was no pushover either but compared to Shaykh Samir, it was much the better option. Good luck to the sisters that has the rest fo the week with SS I say.

• Seerha Lessons - Shaykh Thaqib - I recall when we went into the 10 year of Al-Hijra, this brought tears to the whole class. You can hear a pin drop when the Shaykh Thaqib recalled the account of Abu Talib and Khadijah (RA) passing away within days of each other, to leave our Prophet to (SAW) to send the message without two of the most favoured people that have helped him to date not there besided him.

• Surat Yaseen recitation after Fajr - with Shaykh Samir -This surat is to be recited each day preferable straight after Fajr. The Surah is knows as the heart of the Qur'an. It is to be recited when a new child enters the World, so s/he becomes a Saheeh child. To those that leave the dunya, it should be recited too them too.
  

• Question & Answer Sessions - Shaykh Samir Al Nass & Shaykh Abdul Aziz - these session were really good with Q&As on aspects as varied from Aqeedah, Fiqh, Dawah Issues, Struggles with our Deen, Temptations from our Nafs, and some very personal accounts too. Mind you the anonymity was an excellent idea and some Qs definitely need to be. Alhamdullilah.
  

• Closing Ceremony and Gifts: This was the students paying our respects to the Teachers for their time out and efforts.

Few notes from the course....:-)

(1) Blinds...
It was like Blind Date with the partitioning of the walls inside the Mosque during classes and Q&As, which was something I did not experience before in prior courses. This was at first weird for me given you can only hear voices, but as I grew more into the course it gradually saw the real merits of this practice, and the beauty of it both from a Male and Female Perspective. Alhamdullilah.

(2) Games...
Morning madness with all groups there are the 'weird' ones, the comedians they like to be regarded as, or more clown, no doubt I am one of thee! So a Brother who had a tune called "Its your Wife" belted this monstrosity from his mobilo into the ears of those laying in the cushions wakening well after the Fajr Azzan! Yes many a time I was on the receiving end of this albeit with the sub woofers sticking out of the top of the sleeping quarters were large enough to deafen you was not enough from the Azaan.

There was lots of wrestling going on with the younger folks in the Mosque quarters during the late evening right up to the morning, so lack of sleep was a product of this. No doubt the coke on tap at the Mosque was a direct source of this hyperactivity in them.lol

On the Friday night, we had an 'all nighter', not on the town but across the car park at the Ash-Shifa School. The sisters were out of sight and definitely out of mind, so the brothers got their Wii out and ordered Pizza. We ended up playing a group dynamic game of "Mafia" and this went on and got rather interesting into the early hours of 3am. 3 Hours later were up and brothers were feeling it on Saturday with sore heads!

It was really sad leaving the Halaqa met so many Brothers there and made lots of friends and contacts. This was a stepping stone increase my Ilm of my Deen Insha'Allah. Long road ahead May Allah Keep Us All on the Seeratul Mustaqeem. Ameen.

Knock Knock...

*When death knocked upon a bedroom door. Who is there? The sleeping one cried. I'm Malakul Mawt, let me inside. *

*At once, the man began to shiver,* *As one sweating in deadly fever,* *He shouted to his sleeping wife,* *Don't let him take away my life.* *Please go away, O Angel of Death! Leave me alone; I'm not ready yet. * *My family on me depends,* *Give me a chance, * *O please prepense! * *The angel knocked again and again, * *Friend! I'll take your life without a pain,* *This your soul Allah requires. I come not with my own desire. * *Bewildered, the man began to cry, * *O Angel I'm so afraid to die, * *I'll give you gold and be your slave. * *Don't send me to the unlit grave. * *Let me in, O Friend! The Angel said, Open the door; get up from your bed,* *If you do not allow me in,* *I will walk through it, like a Jinn.* *The man held a gun in his right hand,* *Ready to defy the Angel's stand.* *I'll point my gun, towards your head. * *You dare come in; I'll shoot you dead.* *By now the Angel was in the room,* *Saying, O Friend! Prepare for your doom. * *Foolish man, Angels never die,* *Put down yourgun and do not sigh.* *Why are you afraid! Tell me O man. To die according to Allah's plan? * *Come smile at me, do not be grim, * *Be Happy to return to Him.* *O Angel! I bow my head in shame,* *I had no time to take Allah's Name. From morning till dusk, I made my wealth, Not even caring for my health. * *Allah's command I never obeyed, * *Nor five times a day I ever prayed. * *A Ramadan came and a Ramadan went,* *But no time had I to repent. The Hajj was already FARD on me,* *But I would not part with my money.* *All charities I did ignore,* *Taking usury more and more.* *O Angel! I appeal to you,* *Spare my life for a year or two.* *The Laws of Quran I will obey,* *I'll begin SALAT this very day. My Fast and Hajj, I will complete,* *And keep away from self-conceit.* *I will refrain from usury,* *And give all my wealth to charity,* *We Angels do what Allah demands,* *We cannot go against His commands. Death is ordained for everyone,* *Father, mother, daughter or son.* *I'm afraid this moment is your last,* *Now be reminded, of your past,* *I do understand your fears,* *But it is now too late for tears. You lived in this world, two score and more,* *Never did you, your people adore.* *Your parents, you did not obey,* *Hungry beggars, you turned away.* *Instead of making more Muslims,* *You made your children non-Muslims. You ignored the Mua'dhin Adhaan,* *Nor did you read the Holy Quran.* *Breaking promises all your life,* *Backbiting friends, and causing strife.* *From hoarded goods, great profits you made, And your poor workers, you under paid. * *Horses and cards were your leisure, * *Moneymaking was your pleasure. * *You ate vitamins and grew more fat, * *With the very sick, you never sat. * *A pint of blood you never gave. Which could a little baby save? * *O Human, you have done enough wrong,* *You bought good properties for a song. * *When the farmers appealed to you,* *You did not have mercy, this true.* * * *Paradise for you? I cannot tell. Undoubtedly you will dwell in hell.* *There is no time for you to repent,* *I'll take your soul for which I am sent.* *

The ending however, is very sad,* *Eventually the man became mad* *With a cry, he jumped out of bed. And suddenly, he fell down dead.* * * *O Reader! Take moral from here,* *You never know, your end may be near.* *Change your living and make amends* *For heaven, on your deeds depends.* * *

End of the Road -Ramadan & Eid-Ul-Fitr

It was a very sad time to see that the month of Ramadan was over. Insha'Allah I will see it in 11 months time.

Ramadan emerged first to be my companion, as the each day went, it became a really good freind, then a brother and then it was routed into my heart and soul, I was finally breathing Ramadan.

I embraced Ramadan this time like no other, May Allah accept my Fast, Salat, Duas and Tawbah. It taught me a lot about myself and others around me, the temporal World we live in and the the World that we can only imagine. It brought me to be lot more patient not so much with others but more with myself foremost, as Sabr with others will come through the Sabr of oneself.

Reading the Qur'an, recitation and translation aided my understanding and love for the words of Allah (swt). My love for humanity and all that Allah has created grew, not just the things I know but also the things I did not know or was ignorant albeit subconsciously.

The fasting was not just a hardship for the stomach but one for the mind too, it was one of control for me. I rarely used energy to speak about things that did not concern me and that I did speak about, I had the intention for good cause. It was not just the speech, but everything, one hearing, their sight and limbs can also play a role, and my observation of my own actions and its affect on others and through observing other piuos people around me aided me.

These are all something which I have the intention to carry forward to my day to day life not for the one month of Ramadan. Ramadan for me was me training to become a better fighter, better man, one that can centre himself and think in a balanced frame of mind.