The Story of Two Pillars

An inspiring and eloquent look at the story of two pillars, which encapsulate the sum of all the duties of human beings- perfecting one’s relationship with Allah (Salah) and perfecting one’s relationship with the creation (Zakah). By Shaykh Yasir Birjas, at MCMC June 23 2009. [click to listen]

Truthfulness- A Modern Casualty

In today’s world, the qualities of truthfulness and honesty have become casualties, and Muslims are no exception. Deception and falsehood are rewarded, while honesty does not get you very far. There are professional institutions thriving- and much money being made, on various schemes of making you seem younger through different means, padding or “enhancing your resumes,” changing your eye color, teaching you how to promote your viewpoints and propaganda irrespective of the truth, political correctness, etc.

One of the most basic teachings Islam promotes is al-Sidq (truthfulness), and gives the promise of a day to come, when the truthful will profit from their truth [5:119]. In this khutbah from Masjid al-Iman, we examine this teaching in some detail. [click to listen]

New Medicine and Supplements Page

The Muslim community remains rightfully vigilant, to a large-extent, with respect to the consumption of food items, but unfortunately, in the realm of medications— particularly supplements and non-essentials, there is far too little awareness of what goes into them. Furthermore, the principle of necessity is often wrongfully invoked in these cases. We intend to post on this page our ongoing research with respect to specific items and brands common in our medical experience. Please visit the page by clicking on the Medicine and Supplements Page to the right.

Prophetic Training in Sabr

Having concluded our lessons this week in the Chapter of Sabr in Riyadh al-Saliheen, we present a summary of these valuable gems and lessons. [Click here for a pdf version of these]

الصبر

Prophetic Training in Ṣabr

from Imām al-Nawawīʼs Riyāḍ al-Ṣāliḥīn

• Life is accompanied by ups and downs, health and illness, prosperity and adversity
• The teachings of Sabr orient and train the believers to deal with day-to-day life
• There are 4 levels of human response to calamity and tragedy, arranged in order of closeness to Allah:
• Displeasure/annoyance [natural default reaction, most common]
• Patience [advised for believers]
• Contentment [only real believers can experience this]
• Gratitude [the highest stage of belief]
• 3 basic types of Sabr: In dealing with tribulations (lowest level), in refraining from sin, and in the obedience of Allah (highest level)
• Allah commands sabr in the Qur’an, gives glad tidings to its practitioners, and rewards it without limits
• The Prophet described sabr as illumination and warmth for our lives (ḍiyā), and the absolute greatest provision granted to a believer
• The Prophet advised sabr over begging for those in need, pointing out that real poverty and richness is that of the heart
• Sabr allows the believer to always be in a good state, for he/she adopts gratitude (shukr) in prosperity and sabr in adversity, the 2 states of life
• The Prophet endured harsher trials than other human beings in every aspect of his life (including illness and disease), and the only wisdom behind that is to earn the great reward and status of sabr
• Natural crying does not negate sabr, for the Prophet cried and attributed it to the natural mercy created by Allah
• The Prophet taught us to place things in perspective when dealing with calamities- the comforting reality that all things belong to Allah and that everything, no matter how difficult, is temporary, and advised us to be patient and anticipate its reward
• Importance of intention in sabr (anticipating reward brings additional rewards above atonement of sins, but bearing difficulties because you have no choice is not necessarily the sabr that is rewarded-although Allah may reward it if He chooses)
• Sabr must be voluntary and conscious
• Sabr must be at the first strike
• The Prophets were the most patient people on earth
• Every iota of suffering, however big or small, serves as atonement for a believers sins; the Prophet likened it to leaves falling from a tree; it is even possible for some to wind up meeting Allah with no sins at all due to their suffering
• Don’t consider any aspect of your life insignificant, for good comes out even a thornprick
• It is a good sign that one is afflicted with suffering
• Wishing for death prohibited, for it is a sign of extreme impatience and questioning the wisdom of Allah’s decree; if one cannot help it, then it should be in vague terms that as for good and resign one’s trust in Allah
• What leads to success, victory and achieving ones goals is sabr, along with long-term strategic planning
• The Prophet would remind his tortured Companions in Makkah to have sabr and assure them that victory and peace would surely prevail one day
• Anger is the opposite of sabr, and sabr demands that one avoid anger to the best of one’s ability
• Among the tools that mitigate anger is the istiadhah supplication (seeking refuge in Allah from Shaytan)
• Those who restrain their rage while having the capacity to act it out will have tremendous rewards in the Hereafter
• The Prophet advised us to avoid anger
• Avoiding anger has 3 meanings- avoid the means that lead to it, restrain it when it does occur, and never act out of anger
• When your rights are deprived, be patient and don’t let that hinder you from fulfilling the rights of others
• Don’t ask for suffering and don’t desire to meet the enemy in battle but always ask for peace and safety and health; but when you do meet your enemy be firm and steadfast, knowing Paradise awaits you

Prophetic Guidance in Anger Management

Consider this:

• The US has the highest homicide rate of any industrialized Western nation

• Anger is the 2nd leading cause of death for 15-24 year olds

• Anger is a leading cause of domestic violence

• Anger is behind the rising “Road-Rage phenomenon”

• Anger is even behind many physical diseases, such as heart disease (e.g. ”type A personalities”)

“America is suffering from a kind of internal terrorism that is killing more of our citizens than any external threat from our enemies. The violence resulting from out collective inability to manage anger is having a devastating toll on our country, in terms of both damage to property and loss of lives.” -Leonard Ingram, president Chicago Anger Institute

[click here for audio]

In this session, we look at Prophetic narrations dealing with anger from the beautfiul Riyadh al Saliheen collection and conclude with 8 principles of  Anger Management from the Qur’an and Sunnah:

ANGER MANAGEMENT FROM THE SUNNAH

1. Istiadha

• The Prophet said after seeing a man overcome with rage, “I know a word, the saying of which will cause him to relax, if he does say it. If he says: ‘I seek Refuge with Allah from Satan’ then all his anger will go away.” [Bukhari, Muslim]

إنّي أعلمُ كلمة ً لو قالها لذهبَ عنه ما يَجِد –

لو قال أعوذ بالله من الشيطان الرجيم

2. Water/Wudu

• “Anger comes from the devil, the devil was created of fire, and fire is extinguished only with water; so when one of you becomes angry, he should perform ablution.” [Abu Daud, Ahmad, authenticated by al-Arnaut but weak as per Albani]

إن الغضبَ من الشيطان ، و إن الشيطان خلِقَ من النار ، فإذا غضبَ أحدكم فليتوضأ

• Wudu as an activity takes your mind off anger; water has calming effect

3. Change Positions

• Abu Dharr narrated: The Apostle of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam, said to us: “When one of you becomes angry while standing, he should sit down. If the anger leaves him, well and good; otherwise he should lie down.” [Abu Daud, Ahmad, authenticated by Albani]

إذا غضب أحدكم و هو قائمٌ فليجلس فإن ذهبَ عنه الغضبُ ، و إلا فليَضطَجِع

• Physical change likely to lead to a mental change
• Modern Techniques:
  • Find quiet place, lie down and relax.
  • Physical time out: change activities.

4. Remain silent

• Hadith: “If one of you becomes angry then he should be silent.” [Ahmad, authenticated by Albani]

إذا غضب أحدكم فليسكت

• Modern techniques: Mental Time Out.

5. Never Act on Anger

• Narrated ‘Abdur Rahman bin Abi Bakra: Abu Bakr wrote to his son who was in Sijistan: Do not judge between two persons when you are angry, for I heard the Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam, saying: “A judge should not judge between two persons while he is in an angry mood.” [Al-Bukhari; Vol. 9, No. 272]

6. Remembering Allah

• Al-Toofi: The strongest means of preventing anger is understanding the reality of tawheed; when one realizes that there is no mover or controller of affairs other than Allah, and all persons and actions are His instruments, then one accepts His will with calm
• Ibn Hajar: This is the secret behind isti‘adha: draws your attention to Allah and His tahweed.
• Modern techniques: Think pleasant thoughts.

7. Humbling yourself

• Among the most powerful precipitants of anger is Kibr- arrogance, the one who humbles himself and rids himself of arrogance will be protected from anger

8. Forgiveness

• Islam proposes forgiveness and giving up your rights as a remedy [See al-A'raf 199, Al-Shura 40-41]
• Also see al-Nisa 148-149: theseverses revealed in early days of persecution, when natural and justified feelings of rage and anger were developing in the Muslims; Allah encourages them to take the higher moral ground: continue practicing virtue even in the face of evil and at least refrain from reciprocating evil [Maududi]

Disney World versus Jannah

The other day we were walking in the park. My four-year old, a little girl obsessed with castles and fairies and the Magic Kingdom, remarks: “Disney World is better than Jannah!” My six-year old, Zayd, corrects her, “No, Sarah, Jannah is better! In Jannah you can think about something and have it. You can even have all the candy you want, and you won’t get cavities! And if the candy is hard, it becomes soft so you can eat it!”

كلّ مولودٍ يُولد على الفطرة

We can learn a lot from children, created on the pure nature of the fitrah. At times their skills of logical deducton and advanced understanding is incomparable to ours, cluttered with our own complexes and colored views of the world.

Letter to Shaykh Alafasy

سماحة الشيخ العفاسي ، السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته.

 

إسمي عبيدالله و أنا طبيب في ولاية نيو جرسي في أمريكة.

فقد وصلت أليّ البشارة أنـّك ستزورنا في بلدنا . فو الله أنا حريص إلى لقائك .

 

أريد أن أخبرك أني أستمع إليك منذ زمان ، فإن نشاطك في قراءة القرآن و أناشيد الإسلامية الطاهرة لا يزال ان ترتفع همتي و روحي في جوّنا الشاقة . فو الله حياة المسلمين في أمريكة صعبة جدًا خاصّة  للشباب . و أنا نشئت هنا و أكملت جميع دراساتي من البداية إلى كلية الطبّ ، فما كان ممكن لي أن أكمل هذا بدون تشجيع من خلال خدمتك.

 

فقراءتك تستيقظ حرسي لكتاب الله فبدأت ان أدرس تجويد القران حتى حصلت إلى إجازة في رواية حفص بفضل الله ، فالآن أنا أعلـّم شباب و أشتغل أيضا بالتعليم و الدعوة  في المراكز الإسلامية و الكليّات و غيرها من الأماكن. فقبل كل محاضرتي أو خطبتي أسمع من أناشيدك لترتفع همتي .

 

فجزاكم الله خير الجزاء عني و عن الجميع المسلمين ، و أدعوك لزيارتنا في نيو جرسي عن قريب بإذن الله .

 

الدكتور أبو زيد عبيدالله بن محمد الشودري

New Jersey, USA

March 16, 2007

Arabic Grammar Crash Course Notes

Arabic is the chosen medium for the conveyance of the Divine message. It is the key to understanding Islam and its sciences, and no serious student of Islam can do without it. These are my notes to a crash course in Arabic grammar I last taught in 2006. It is an unfinished work as I got side-tracked by other projects, but I am still posting it for the benefit of fellow students.

Click here to download: grammar-by-the-book1

The Story of a Serial Killer

Ted Bundy killed 40 women in the 1970s, Jeffrey Dahmer killed 12 in the 90s (and ate them), and Jack the Ripper- perhaps the most famous serial killer of all time, has 11 official victims attributed to him from the late 1800s. Yet all of these paled in comparison to our depraved murderer. This is his story . . .

Click on . . . [if you dare]

From the Mimbar of Masjid al-Tawheed:

al-Khushoo’: the Spirit of Salah 1/23/09

with recitation by Shaykh Rajab

• Is Making Salah a Chore for You?
• Does your mind wander during prayer?
• Do you yearn to begin enjoying your prayers?
• Would you like to see a glimpse at the Salah of the Prophet and his early followers?

Then, Click to listen