ALMISKEENAH

We are servants of whatever we love. The Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam said, “May the servant of the dinar whither! May the servant of the dirham whither! May the servant of coins whither! May their hands whither, their heads hang low, and their feet stumble! If they should step on a thorn may there be nobody to remove it for them!” So be a servant of God with every object and in every situation, whether you are given to or prevented from receiving, whether you are debased or ennobled, whether you are raised to power or stripped of power, whether you are enriched or impoverished, whether you are expanded with joy or contracted with pain, whether you have what you need or need what you don’t have, whether you are in a hopeful condition or a desperate condition, whether you are passing away or remaining. These states are all the changing traces of divine activity. They are circumstances other than God that necessarily change and, in changing, transport you.

Now it is clear to you that people who are with their circumstances exist only for circumstances while circumstances exist for those who are with the One who transforms their circumstances. Shaykh al-Mursi has said, “Those who love to appear before others are servants of appearing. Those who love to be hidden from others are servants of hiding. But servants of God do not care whether God makes then appear before others or become hidden in anonymity.” Realize that the eternal One places you in a circumstance in order that you take something from the circumstance rather than having the circumstance taking something from you. Circumstance comes upon you bearing a gift for you: the potential for you to gain new knowledge about God. So turn to face each new circumstance uttering the name of the One who initiates (al-Mubdi)  Enter each changing circumstance and remain in it as you have received the gifts that it bears for you. Stay respectfully attentive and cultivate proper comportment while it faces you, turning your whole attention toward it. Recognize when it is beginning to pass away, and uttering the name of the One who calls to return (al-Mu’id) (Ibn ‘Ata’ Allah al-Iskandari)

~*~ 

May we all be sincere servants to Allah Ta’ala in each and every circumstance. 

All good is from Allah Ta’ala whereas mistakes are from this humble speck. May Allah Ta’ala Bless all readers, bringing you all closer to Him and His Rasul SallAllahu alaihi wasallam. May He accept our humble efforts and grant us the capacity to be good and do good. Ameen. 

Our Beloved Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam said, There is a certain hour in the night wherein if a Muslim asks Allah Ta’ala for any good of this world and the Hereafter, Allah Ta’ala will certainly give it to him. And this continues throughout the night. 

Tahajjud; a most blessed prayer. (previous detailed post)

O Allah! All the praises are for you, You are the Holder of the Heavens and the Earth, and whatever is in them. All the praises are for You; You have the possession of the Heavens and the Earth and whatever is in them. All the praises are for You; You are the Light of the Heavens and the Earth and all the praises are for You; You are the King of the Heavens and the Earth; and all the praises are for You; You are the Truth and Your Promise is the truth, And to meet You is true, Your Word is the truth and Paradise is true and Hell is true and all the Prophets (Peace be upon them) are true; and Muhammad is true, and the Day of Resurrection is true. O Allah! I surrender (my will) to You; I believe in You and depend on You. And repent to You, and with Your help I argue (with my opponents, the non-believers) and I take You as a judge (to judge between us). Please forgive me my previous and future sins; and whatever I concealed or revealed You are the One who make (some people) forward and (some) backward. There is none to be worshipped but You.

And We have sent you not but as a mercy for the Alameen, Al-Anbiya 21:107 is the main verse with the names Muhammad, Hameed, Mahmoud and Ahmad reading clockwise from the top right around the circular verses. I do not know the origin of this work either, please share if you know, Insha’Allah.

NASRUN LINA ALLAH WA FATHUN QAREEB WA BASHIR AL MU’MINEEN
Help from Allah and a near victory. And give glad tidings to the believers.  As-Saff  61:13

All good is from Allah Ta’ala whereas mistakes are from this humble speck. May Allah Ta’ala Bless all readers, bringing you all closer to Him and His Rasul SallAllahu alaihi wasallam. May He accept our humble efforts and grant us the capacity to be good and do good. Ameen. 

From the traditions of our Noble Nabi SallAllahu alaihi wasallam:

Knowledge is an indispensable weapon against the ploy of Shaytan, without which couples remain susceptible and vulnerable.

The woman is like a rib; if you try to straighten her, she will break. So if you want to get benefit from her, do so while she still has some crookedness.

The world and all its contents are but perishable commodities, and the best of perishable commodities is a pious wife.

No believing man should totally dislike a believing woman, his wife. If he dislikes something in her, there would be something else in her that he would like.

Should I not inform you of the best of man’s treasures? A pious wife, when he looks at her she pleases him.

The most perfect belief is that of those who are best mannered and tender to their wives.

A man will be rewarded for spending on his wife, even for putting a morsel of food in her mouth.

O people, fear Allah Ta’ala concerning your wives. You have taken them into your possession with the permission of Allah.

The best of you are those who are best to their wives, and I am the best of you to my wives.

You shall not enter Paradise until you have faith, and you will not have faith until you love one another. Have mercy on those on the earth, and He Who is in Heaven will have mercy on you.

When a woman seeks the pleasure of her husband and carries out her domestic duties to his satisfaction, she gets the same reward as the men get for their services to Allah Ta’ala.

If it were permissible to prostrate to any one besides Allah Ta’ala, I would have asked the woman to prostrate before the husband.

A woman cannot do what she owes to Allah Ta’ala until she has done what she owes to her husband.

Everyone of you should adopt a remembering tongue, a thanking heart, and a believing wife who may help you in preserving your Iman.

The Road of Deliverance; a talk given to sisters by an Alim Rahmatullah alaihi, who rests in Jannatul Baqi having spent decades in Makkah and Madinah tracing the footsteps of Rasulullah SallAllahu alaihi wasallam and the Sahabah RadhiAllahu anhum.

1.       One pious woman is better than 70 Saints, Awliya, and one pious woman means the whole family is pious, while one sinning woman affects seven generations.

2.       One sinning woman is worse than one thousand sinning men.

3.       The two raka’at prayer of a pregnant woman is 80 times better than the two raka’t prayer of a non-pregnant woman.

4.       Allah Ta’ala grants a breast feeding woman one good deed for every drop of milk she feeds her baby.

5.       The woman that welcomes and comforts her husband when he comes home, Allah Ta’ala grants her the reward equal to that of half a jihad.

6.       The woman that cannot sleep at night due to her child’s crying is given a reward equal to that of freeing 20 slaves.

7.       For the husband or wife who looks upon each other with kindness, Allah Ta’ala looks upon both of them with His Mercy.

8.       If a woman cannot sleep due to comforting her sick child Allah Ta’ala forgives all her sins and bestows upon her a reward equal to twelve years of worship.

9.       If a woman recites ‘Bismillah’ before milking her cow or buffalo, that animal prays for her.

10.   If a woman recites ‘Bismillah’ while kneading flour Allah Ta’ala adds Barakah to the flour.

11.   The woman who enjoys looking at other men is cursed by Allah Ta’ala. As it is Haram for men to look at non-mehrim women it is also Haram for women to look at non-mehrim men.

12.   The woman who does Dhikr whilst doing her housework is rewarded by Allah Ta’ala as if she was cleaning the Ka’abah.

13.   If you do not practice modesty then do as you like.

14.   A woman who is steadfast with her prayer and fasting and is chaste and loyal to her husband has the choice of entering Jannah through any door.

15.   There are two people whose prayers do not go above their heads; the runaway slave and the woman who is disloyal to her husband.

16.   A pregnant woman’s day is considered equal to a day of fasting and her night to a night of worship.

17.   When a woman gives birth, Allah Ta’ala bestows upon her a reward similar to that of 70 years of worship, plus for every pain she endures during labour she receives the reward equivalent to one Hajj.

18.   If a woman dies within 40 days after childbirth she is given the rank of a martyr.

19.   If a baby cries and the mother feeds it without cursing she will be given a reward equivalent to one year of Ibadah.

20.   When a child reaches the age of weaning an angel comes to give the good news to the mother that he child’s entry to Jannah is Wajib.

21.   Whenever a husband returns from a journey and is fed by his wife who has remained chaste and loyal during his absence she will be rewarded with 12 years of nafl worship.

22.   When a woman massages her husband without him asking she is bestowed with the reward equal to 7 tola (1 tola=11grams) of gold in sadaqat. If she massages him after her requests it then she is rewarded 7 tola of silver.

23.   For the woman whose husband is satisfied with her and then she dies, Jannah becomes Wajib for her.

24.   To teach one’s wife one mas’ala is to get the reward equal to 80 years of worship.

25.   In Jannah people will go to visit Allah Ta’ala, but for the woman who practices purdah and modesty in Dunya, Allah Ta’ala will come to visit her.

Our Lord, give us joy in our spouses and offspring. Make us good examples to those who are aware of You.   (25:74)

O Allah! Unite our hearts, grant us compatibility and love. Bless us with contentment and happiness.

O Allah! Forgive us and shroud us with Your protection and mercy. Ameen. 

All good is from Allah Ta’ala whereas mistakes are from this humble speck. May Allah Ta’ala Bless all readers, bringing you all closer to Him and His Rasul SallAllahu alaihi wasallam. May He accept our humble efforts and grant us the capacity to be good and do good. Ameen. 

Allah has not created a disease except that He has created a cure for it; except for a single disease: old age. (Tirmidhi)

We are all wayfarers on the ‘Hereafterly Path’, each step taking us closer to this destination as well as taking us further from our youth. This is a touching Du’a for those of us stepping into the soft and subtle hue of twilight!

O Allah make most of the rizq you bestow upon me during my old age when nothing is left of my time.

O Allah make the best of my time at the end of it and the best of my deeds the last of them and the best of my days the day I meet You.

O You the Supporter of Islam and its people, make me firm upon it till I meet You. Ameen.

…new season dates shyly adorn dense groves…

….and the speck almost takes off on the way to the water containers…

…we prayed Maghrib here… 

On Silence (Samt)

‘Abd Allah bin Yusuf al-Isphahani informed us…through Abu Hurairah RahdiAllahu anhu that the Messenger of God SallAllahu alaihi wasallam said, “Whosoever believes in God and the last day, let him not trouble his neighbor. Whosoever believes in God and the last day, let him be generous to his guest. Whosoever believes in God and the last day, let him say what is good or let him be silent.”

Ali bin Ahmad Abdan informed us….that Ukbah bin Amir RadhiAllahu anhu said, “I asked, O Messenger of God, what is salvation?” He said, “’Keep your tongue to yourself, stay home, and weep over your sins.’”

Silence is security. That is the root of the matter. This can be cause for remorse on occasions when keeping quiet is blameworthy. What is necessary is that one choose speech or silence according to the divine law and the obligation of a Muslim to command what is good and forbid what is evil. To say nothing at the proper time is a characteristic of true men, just as to speak at the proper occasion is one of the noblest qualities. I heard Abu Ali al-Daqqaq say, “Whoever holds back from speaking the truth is a devil without a tongue.”

One should be silent in the presence of God. God Most High said,

When the Qur’an is recited, hearken to it and give ear so that you may receive mercy  (7:204)

And He said, referring to the Jinn who were in the presence of the Messenger,

When they were present with him, they said, ‘Listen!’  (46:29)

And

Voices will be lowered for the Beneficent, so that nothing will be heard but a whisper  (20:108)

What a difference is there between a servant who is silent to protect himself from lying and gossiping and a servant who is silent because he is overwhelmed by the power of the awe he feels!

Silence has two parts, outer quiet and the quiet of the heart and mind. Someone who trusts in God stills his heart as a way of laying claim to his sustenance. The Gnostic stills his heart in acceptance of destiny through the quality of harmony with God. The one relies upon the fineness of His work. The other is content with the totality of His decrees. With this meaning they have said:

His misfortunes came over you,

And the cares of your inner being were relieved.

Bishr bin al-Harith said, “When speech makes you conceited, be silent. When silence makes you conceited, speak.” Sahl ibn Abd Alah al-Tustari said, “Silence is not appropriate for a person until his ego has been compelled to retreat. Repentance is not appropriate for a person until his ego has been compelled to silence.”

It is related that Muadh bin Jabal said, “Speak to people little and speak to your Lord much. Perhaps your heart will see God Most High. Someone asked Dhul-Nun al-Misri, “Who among people best protests his heart?” He replied, “The one among them who best controls his tongue.”

Ibn Masud said, “Nothing is worthier of a stay in prison than the tongue.” Ali bin Bukkar said, “God Most High made two doors for everything, but He made four doors for the tongue, the lips are two leaves of a door, and the two jaws are the two leaves of a door. It is said that Abu Bakr as-Siddiq, for many used to hold a stone in his mouth in order to limit his speech.

A wise man said that the human being was created with only one tongue, but with two eyes and two ears so that he may hear and see more than he says. Ibrahim bin Adham was invited to a banquet. When he sat down the guests began to gossip. He remarked, “It is our custom to eat the meat course after the bread, but you have begun by eating the meat! (He was pointing to the saying of God,

Would one of you like to eat the dead flesh of his brother? No, you would abhor it  (59:12)

A Sufi said, “Silence is the tongue of forbearance.” Another said. “Learn silence as you have learned speech. Speech will guide you, and silence will protect you. It is said, “The chastity of the tongue is its silence.” And it is said, “The tongue is like the beast of prey. If you do not tie it up, it will attack you.”

Abu Hafs was asked, “Which is better for the Friend of God, speech or silence?” He replied, “If the one who speaks knew what disasters there are in speech, he would be silent even if he lived as long as Noah, and if the one who keeps silent knew what disasters there are in silence, he would pray to God Most High twice as much as Noah did until he could speak.”

Excerpts from Qushayri. This is a brilliant book, elaborating the main stations and states while referring to Qur’an, Hadith and a rich array of scholars.

JUMA’AH MUBARAK!

…a respectful reflection on silence one.

All good is from Allah Ta’ala whereas mistakes are from this humble speck. May Allah Ta’ala Bless all readers, bringing you all closer to Him and His Rasul SallAllahu alaihi wasallam. May He accept our humble efforts and grant us the capacity to be good and do good. Ameen. 

‘Abdullah bin Mas’ud RadhiAllahu anhu related that the Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam said: Earning an honest living is a duty next to the principal duties of Iman.  (Bayhaqi)

‘Umar bin al-Khattab RadhiAllahu anhu narrated that the Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam said: Pay a worker his wages before the sweat dries on his brow.  (Ibn Majah)

Ibn ‘Umar RadhiAllahu anhu reported that the Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam said: Whoever buys a garment with ten dirhams in which even only one dirham is earned unlawfully will not have his prayer accepted by Allah the Almighty, as long as the garment lasts upon his body. (Ahmad and Bayhaqi)

All good is from Allah Ta’ala whereas mistakes are from this humble speck. May Allah Ta’ala Bless all readers, bringing you all closer to Him and His Rasul SallAllahu alaihi wasallam. May He accept our humble efforts and grant us the capacity to be good and do good. Ameen. 

On Supplication (Dua)

From The Risalah Principles of Sufism by Abu-l-Qasim ‘Abd-al-Karim bin Hawazin al-Qushayri

God Most High said:

Call upon your Lord humbly and secretly (7:55)

And

Your Lord says, ‘Call upon Me; I will answer you’  (40:60)

Abu Ali bin Ahmad bin Abdan reported….from Anas bin Malik that the Messenger of God said, “Supplication is the core of worship.”

Du’a, supplication, is the key of need, the comforter of the distressed, the refuge of the destitiute, the breath of relief for those who are in want. God Glorious and Exalted has condemned a people who abandoned such prayer, saying:

And they close their hands   (9:67)

that is, “They do not stretch them towards Us, asking.” Sahl bin Abd Allah al-Tustair said, “God Most High created the creation and said, ‘Confide in Me, and if you do not, then look toward Me, and if you do not, then listen to Me, and if you do not, then be at My door, and if you are not, then lay upon Me what you need of Me.”

I heard Abu Ali al-Daqqaq say that Sahl bin Abd Allah said, “The prayer that is closest to being answered is the prayer expressed in one’s state. ‘The prayer expressed in one’s state’ means that the one who prays is in absolute need and has no other recourse.

It is correctly said that in the case of things that are the rightful lot of a Muslim or that involve some service to the Truth, asking is better. When supplication involves asking for something for one’s lower self, silence is more perfect.

According to a transmitted hadith, “When a servant is supplicating God and God loves that servant, He says, ‘O Gabriel, delay My servant’s need, for I love to hear his voice.’ And when a servant is supplicating God and God is angry at that servant, He says, ‘O Gabriel, satisfy My servant’s need, for I hate to hear his voice!’”

It is related that Yahya bin Said al-Qattan saw the Truth, glory to Him in a dream and said, “My God, how often I have supplicated You and You have not answered me!” He said, “O Yahya, it is because I love to hear your voice.”

The Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam said, “By Him in Whose hand is my life, the servant will supplicate God Most High while God is angry with him, and God will turn away from him. Again he will supplicate, and God will turn away, and again he will supplicate, and God will turn away. The again he will supplicate, and God Most High will say to the angels, ‘My servant refuses to call upon anything other than Me so I have answered him.’”

Abu-l-Husayn Ali bin Muhammad bin Abd Allah bin Bushran of Baghdad reported…from Anas bin Malik RadhiAllahu anhu, “There was a man who made an arrangement with the Messenger of God SallAllahu alaihi wasallam to trade between Damascus and Madinah and between Madinah and Damascus. Placing his trust in God Almighty and Glorious, he would not have the caravans accompanied by guards. He said that he was coming from Damascus intending to go to Madinah when suddenly a brigand on horseback appeared and shouted, ‘Halt, halt!’ So the merchant stopped and said to him, ‘Your business is with my property so let me go free.’ ‘The property is my property anyway,’ said the brigand. ‘I want your life!’ ‘What do you want with my life?’ the merchant asked him. ‘Your business is the merchandise. Let me go free!’ But the brigand replied to him with the same speech as before. So the merchant said, ‘Wait until I perform ablution and a prescribed prayer and call upon my Lord.’ ‘Do what has occurred to you,’ said the thief. So the merchant stood up, performed ablution and offered four cycles of prescribed prayer. The he raised his hands to heaven and said in his supplication, ‘O Loving One, O Loving One, O Owner of the Glorious Throne, Beginner of things and Returner of everything to its proper state, constant Doer of what He wills, I ask You through the light of Your Countenance that floods the Pillars of Your Throne, through Your Omnipotence by which You have total power over Your Creations, and through Your Mercy which encompasses everything, there is no god but You, O Granter of help, help me! (three times).’ When he had finished his prayer, suddenly there appeared a rider upon a grey horse wearing green garments and holding in his hand a spear of light! When the thief saw the rider, he left the merchant and began to edge toward him. But when he had drawn close, the horseman charged the thief and pierced him with a stab that threw him away from his horse. Then he came to the merchant and said, ‘Rise and kill him!’ ‘Who are you?’ the merchant asked him. ‘I never killed anyone in my life, and death is not sweet to me!’ The rider went up to the brigand and killed him. Then he came to the merchant and said, ‘Know that I am an angel of the third heaven. When you prayed the first time, we heard the doors of heaven shake and said, “Something is happening!” When you prayed the second time, the doors of heaven opened with sparks like flames of fire. The when you prayed the third time, Gabriel descended to us from the height of heaven and cried, ‘Who is for this man in distress?’ Then I prayed to my Lord that he assign me to kill the one who threatened you. And know, O Servant of God that whoever offers this supplication of yours in any difficulty, any danger, any calamity, God Most High will liberate him from it and help him.’ So the merchant proceeded safe and sound until he entered Madinah, where he went to the Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam, told him the story and told him the supplication. The Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam said to him, ‘God Almighty and Glorious has instilled in you those Beautiful Names of His which, when you call upon Him by them, He answers, and when you ask of Him by them. He gives.’”

Part of the conduct proper to supplication is presence of heart, that you are not inattentive while you supplicate. It is related that the Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam said, “God Most High will not answer the supplication of a servant whose heart is heedless.”

Another one of the conditions of supplication is that your food be lawful. The Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam said to Sad RadhiAllahu anhu, “Earn your livelihood lawfully so that your supplication will be answered.” It has been said that supplication is the key to need, and the teeth of that key are lawful morsels.

~*~ 

I have several copies of this compilation by Mullah Ali Qari Rahamtullah alaihi to post if requested in the comments. The following is from the preface: “It is a well recognized fact that out of the many factors leading to happiness in this world and the Hereafter, whole-hearted prayer is the only one which contributes equally to success in the world and matters of faith.  The all encompassing nature of prayer demonstrates its power. This is why in the Qur’an and in the Hadith the excellence of prayer has been repeatedly emphasized and its observance has been strongly advocated. Many saintly believers have stated that whatever merit they have earned has been through prayer." The text is Arabic with English translation.

All good is from Allah Ta’ala whereas mistakes are from this humble speck. May Allah Ta’ala Bless all readers, bringing you all closer to Him and His Rasul SallAllahu alaihi wasallam. May He accept our humble efforts and grant us the capacity to be good and do good. Ameen. 

Narrated Al-Bara’ bin ‘Azib RadhiAllahu anhu, the Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam said, "When a faithful believer is made to sit in his grave, the angels come to him and he testifies that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and Muhammad is Allah’s Apostle. And that corresponds to Allah’s Divine Words:

 Allah will keep firm those who believe with the word that stands firm . . . (14.27). 

Narrated Ibn Abbas RadhiAllahu anhu: The Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam once passed by two graves and said, “The deceased persons in these graves are being tortured not for a great thing to avoid." And then added, "Yes, they are being punished for a big sin, for one of them used to go about with calumnies while the other never saved himself from being soiled with his urine." Ibn Abbas added RadhiAllahu anhu,  Rasulullah then took a green leaf of a date-palm and split it into two pieces and fixed one piece on each grave and said, "May their punishment be abated till these two pieces become dry." 

Narrated Abu Huraira RadhiAllahu anhu, Allah’s Apostle SallAllahu alaihi wasallam used to invoke Allah: "Allahumma ini a’udhu bika min ‘adhabi-l-Qabr, wa min ‘adhabi-nnar, wa min fitnati-l-mahya wa-lmamat, wa min fitnati-l-masih ad-dajjal.”

“O Allah! I seek refuge with you from the punishment in the grave and from the punishment in the Hell fire and from the afflictions of life and death, and the afflictions of Al-Masih Ad-Dajjal.”

~*~

Alf alf alf JazakumuLlalhu khairans to a special Ashiq who so generously became a temporary resident blog photographer venturing to places I never could enter. These two dramatic images are his work, Masha’Allah, with more to follow, Insha’Allah.

All good is from Allah Ta’ala whereas mistakes are from this humble speck. May Allah Ta’ala Bless all readers, bringing you all closer to Him and His Rasul SallAllahu alaihi wasallam. May He accept our humble efforts and grant us the capacity to be good and do good. Ameen. 

A simple man came to Nabi Sulaiman Alaihis Salam in a state of fear and anxiety, his face pale and distressed. Nabi Sulaiman Alaihis Salam asked him: “Why are you so struck with fear?”

He replied: “Izraeel Alaihis Salam stared at me with very angry eyes which has made me worried and tense.” Nabi Sulaiman Alaihis asked what he could do for him, whereupon the man requested him to send him immediately from where he was to India. Nabi Sulaiman Alaihis commanded the wind to transport him to any place in India where he wished to go.

The following day Nabi Sulaiman Alaihis met Izraeel Alaihis Salam and asked him: “Why did you stare at that man in such a manner making him so afraid. Was it your intention to take his soul away in a land where he has no heirs?” Izraeel replied: “I stared at him in astonishment because I had received the command to take hold of his soul in India. Allah Ta’ala ordered me to take his soul this day in India. But when I saw him here I was astonished and confused. When through the order of Allah Ta’ala I reached India, I found him there, where I took his soul.

O You Listener, compare all the world’s affairs in the light of this and open your eyes to witness it.

Who are we fleeing from? From Allah Ta’ala? This is impossible.

Against who are we rebelling? Against Allah Ta’ala? This is pure disaster, disaster, disaster.

It does not befit man to remain negligent in this world.

He shall have to remember death at all times.

To every man who ever comes to this world,

Destiny says: “I am following you, take heed.”

All good is from Allah Ta’ala whereas mistakes are from this humble speck. May Allah Ta’ala Bless all readers, bringing you all closer to Him and His Rasul SallAllahu alaihi wasallam. May He accept our humble efforts and grant us the capacity to be good and do good. Ameen. 

All good is from Allah Ta’ala whereas mistakes are from this humble speck. May Allah Ta’ala Bless all readers, bringing you all closer to Him and His Rasul SallAllahu alaihi wasallam. May He accept our humble efforts and grant us the capacity to be good and do good. Ameen. 

In remembrance of the passing of Shaykh ‘Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani Rahmatullah alaihion the 11th Rabi uth-Thani I include the words of one poet:

Upon his arrival the clouds gave forth refreshing rain,

and green grass covered the whole if Iraq.

Sinful transgression passed away,

and the right direction was made quite clear.

Its palm trees flourished, its desert became a haven,

its pebbles turned into pearls, and its lights shone plain to see.

Because of him, the bosom of Iraq swelled with an ardent longing,

and in the heart of Najd his virtues were the cause of ecstasy.

In the East the sparks of his light were seen as lightning flashes,

and in the West the mention of his splendor was heard

as the clap of thunder.

*

Shaykh ‘Abd al-Qadir Jilani Rahmatullah alaihi explains the meaning of faqir, “spiritual pauper”. In Arabic it is written with the letters fa, qaf, yay, and ra.

The initial fa of faqir stands for his absorption [fana] in his essence,

and his detachment from his description and his attributes.

The qaf stands for the strength [quwwa] of his heart

In [its dedication to] his Beloved,

And his commitment [qiyam] to Allah for the sake of His good pleasure.

The yay shows that he pins hope [yarju] on Him, and fears [yakhafu] Him,

And performs [yaqumu] his duty as true devotion demands.

The ra stands for the refinement [riqqa] of his heart and its purity,

And its return [ruju] to Allah from its carnal desires.

What is required of the spiritual pauper [faqir] is that he should be flexible in his thinking [fikr] and centered in his remembrance [dhikr], courteous in his disagreement [munaza’a] and ready to assist in his reconciliation [muraja’a]. He must seek nothing from the Lord of Truth but the Truth [Haqq], and he must practice nothing but truthfulness [sidq]. He must be the most tolerant of people, and the most self-effacing. His laughter should be of the cheerful, smiling kind, and his curiosity should be used as an instrument of learning. He should be a reminder to the heedless, and a teacher to the ignorant. He must not hurt those who hurt him, and he must not meddle in things that do not concern him.

May Allah Ta’ala be well pleased wth Shaykh ‘Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani, and may He sanctify the innermost beings of His saints.

May Allah Ta’ala bless our Prophet Muhammad SallAllahu alaihi wasallam, his family and his companions, and may He grant them all peace.

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. Ameen.

All good is from Allah Ta’ala whereas mistakes are from this humble speck. May Allah Ta’ala Bless all readers, bringing you all closer to Him and His Rasul SallAllahu alaihi wasallam. May He accept our humble efforts and grant us the capacity to be good and do good. Ameen.