AL-FATIHA LIMA UGHLIQ (THE OPENER FOR THAT WHICH WAS CLOSED)
بسم اللهِ الرحمن الرحيم
We praise Allah the Lord of the worlds, Who created mankind that we may
know Him, and He created the world full of signs and indications and revealed guidance
through His messengers that we may fulfill that purpose. May the best
benedictions and peace be upon the best of creation, the seal of prophethood,
Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). To proceed:
In this blessed month of Rabi’al-Awwal, the blessed month in which the
Imam of the Prophets (peace and blessings be upon him) entered into this world,
I had hoped to complete a children’s reading book going over the life of the
beloved (peace and blessings be upon him). Unfortunately, my time, attention
and energy has been pulled in many other directions and I fear this will not
come to fruition. Still, not wanting the month to pass without having done some
service for the Ummah in regard to the beloved (peace and blessings be upon
him), I decided upon something I could complete with some ease, if Allah allows
it. We pray Allah accept this effort and grant it success and
acceptance...ameen.
I have heard that there are works that discuss the Qur’an in its entirety
as a reflection of the beloved of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and
that some scholars have shown that every Ayat ultimately returns to the Master
of the Messengers (peace and blessings be upon him). Unfortunately, I do not
know these works and hence, they are not available to me. Despite this, upon
hearing of them, I longed to have something like this. Since this was the
situation I found myself in, I must assume it is the case for many like me. It
is because of this that I decided to write this paper and make it available for
anyone interested. We have named it,
Al-Fatiha
Lima Ughliq
The Opener
For That Which Was Closed
This work is based upon a narration which I took from several of my
Sheikh’s including Sheikh Samir An-Nas, Sheikh Muhammad Daniel, and Sheikh Dhaahir
Ad-Deen Mubarakpuri (May Allah be pleased with them all) with sound chains
going back to Imam Muslim who narrated with his chain to Qatadah who said, “I
said to the mother of the believers, A’isha (May Allah be pleased with them),
‘O Umm Al-Mu’mineen, inform me about the character of The prophet of Allah
(peace and blessings be upon him).’ She responded, ‘Have you not read the
Qur’an?’ I said, ‘Of course.” She then said, ‘surely the character of the
prophet of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was the Qur’an’.”
Both he and the Qur’an are but lights from the light of Allah emanating
upon this world as Allah has said,
فَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا بِهِ وَعَزَّرُوهُ
وَنَصَرُوهُ وَاتَّبَعُوا النُّورَ الَّذِي أُنزِلَ مَعَهُ أُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ
“As for those who believe in him and honor him and help him,
and follow the light which has been sent down with
him,
they are the successful.”
(7:157)
And,
قَدْ جَاءَكُم مِّنَ اللهِ
نُورٌ وَكِتَابٌ مُّبِينٌ
“There has come to you, from Allah, a light and a clear book”
(5:15)
Indeed, the Master of Creation, Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon
him), was a manifestation of the Divine Speech of Allah. Nothing was uttered
from his blessed mouth or manifested upon his limbs but it was from the wisdoms
of the Lord of creation as Allah has mentioned,
وَمَا يَنطِقُ عَنِ الْهَوَىٰ
إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا وَحْيٌ يُوحَىٰ
عَلَّمَهُ شَدِيدُ الْقُوَىٰ
“Nor does he speak of his own accord,
It is naught but revelation that is revealed,
Taught to him by the Lord of Mighty Power.”
(53:3-5)
Allah has informed us,
لَوْ أَنزَلْنَا هَٰذَا الْقُرْآنَ
عَلَىٰ جَبَلٍ
لَّرَأَيْتَهُ خَاشِعًا مُّتَصَدِّعًا
مِّنْ خَشْيَةِ اللهِ
وَتِلْكَ الْأَمْثَالُ نَضْرِبُهَا
لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ
“Had We sent down this Quran on a mountain,
you would certainly have seen it crumpling,
splitting asunder due to fear of Allah,
and We set forth these parables that men may
reflect.”
(59:21)
But it was not revealed upon a mountain, rather, the Qur’an was revealed
upon the heart of the messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and
he bore it, and he manifested it upon his limbs and he transmitted it upon his
blessed tongue, an answer to the supplication of his forefather Abraham (peace
be upon him),
رَبَّنَا وَابْعَثْ فِيهِمْ
رَسُولًا مِّنْهُمْ
يَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِكَ
وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ
إِنَّكَ أَنتَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ
“Our Lord! and raise up amongst them a messenger from them,
who shall recite to them Your signs and teach them
the Book and the wisdom, and purify them;
Indeed You are the Mighty, the Wise.”
(2:129)
Certainly, He is the content and the context of the Qur’an and it is only
by his life, his teachings and his example that we understand it as it is meant
to be understood. He is the key to the exegesis of the Qur’an.
Too, some from amongst the exegetes of the Qur’an have said about it
that all of it is contained in Al-Baqarah and all of Al-Baqarah is in
Al-Fatiha. Some have said, Al-Fatiha is the Qur’an (as Allah has named it as
such) and everything which follows it is its explanation. In this way, Al-Fatiha
too is the key to understanding the entire Qur’an. This can be understood in
light of the fact that each of the eight major themes of the Qur’an is
established in Al-Fatiha. That is, those themes which every ayat, group of
ayaat and each surah expounds upon are well established in Al-Faitiha and as
such, not only does everyone who knows Al-Fatiha have the keys to the Qur’an,
they also possess the method by which the message from Allah should be
responded to.
That the character of the beloved (peace and blessings be upon him) was
the Qur’an and Al-Fatiha is the Majestic Qur’an and the key to all which
follows thereafter, it can also serve as a key to knowing the beloved (peace
and blessings be upon him). This, then, is the objective of this work: Using
Al-Fatiha as a glimpse at the Beloved of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him).
The method we will use to do this is by looking at each ayat of Surat-l-Fatiha
and then mentioning the major theme and it’s proper response while looking at
the manifestation of this in the being of the Beloved of Allah (peace and
blessings be upon him).
We begin as Allah began His Majestic Book and His Beloved (peace and
blessings be upon him) began every endeavor in word and deed,
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
“In, with and by the Name of Allah,
The Most Compassionate, Most Merciful”
After this,
الْحَمْدُ للهِّ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ
“All praise belongs to Allah,
Lord of all creation”
(1:1)
One of the first connections worthy of note is that from the names of
this blessed Surah is Suratu-l-Hamd (the Chapter of Praise) due to this opening
ayat beginning with this idea of praise and gratitude for Allah, Lord of the
worlds. The prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) has four names stemming
from the same root. He (peace and blessings be upon him) is Muhammad (the one
who is praised continuously and with much praise), Ahmad (the one who praises
continuously and is himself most worthy amongst creation of praise), Haamid
(the one who praised Allah to His servants and praised His servants to Him),
and Mahmoud (the one whom Allah has praised to His creation and the creation
praises to Allah). Muhammad is the name Allah revealed for him in this life,
Ahmad was the name used by previous prophets (upon them be peace) to foretell
of him, while Mahmoud will be his name in the Gardens of Bliss (peace and
blessings be upon him). The entire Qur’an and the entire being of the beloved
(peace and blessings be upon him) were but matters of praise. They are the
weighty signs by which mankind may know their Lord, manifest gratitude and thus
exude praise for Him.
It is in this first ayat that the absolute and perfect singularity of
our Lord is established. He is One without partner, equal or likeness. Every
ayat of the Qur’an which informs us regarding our Lord, His names, attributes
and actions are rooted in this ayat. The proper response when we are blessed to
recite or hear these ayat is to have a sense of awe of our Lord and a yearning for
Him. It is a knowing of Him that is the very purpose for our existence and it
leads to our loving reverence. This then translates into our worship of him in
our words, deeds and our very being.
This detailed knowledge of our Lord is only known through the revelation
He revealed upon the heart of His beloved (peace and blessings be upon him). We
only know لا آلھ إِلَّا لله (there is
no God but the One True God, Allah) through محمّد رسول لله (Muhammad
is the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him). We only understand
the realities of Allah’s Divine One-ness through the teachings of Muhammad
(peace and blessings be upon him), and we only know how to manifest it in our
lives according to his blessed example.
Some are the great scholars who have said that the greatest name of
Allah is Muhammad. This is in no way meant to say that Muhammad is God or a
partner to God. Rather, it is to say that a name is that by which an object is
known and that which is the greatest, most noble and clearest indication of our
Lord is His beloved (peace and blessings be upon him). Our deen, its beliefs, regulations
and spirituality is nothing other than the words of Abu Bakr As-Siddeeq, “If he
said it, it is the Truth”. Or, put another way, “everything which the prophet
Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) came with is real and true.” Without
the prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), Tawheed (belief in
Allah’s Divine One-ness) is but a hollow word often misunderstood and misapplied
throughout history.
When his people offered to him paths of compromise whereby he would be
able to call people openly without continued oppression of his followers, if only
he would show respect to the pagan deities, the prophet (peace and blessings be
upon him) replied with what meant, “were they to give me the sun in my right
hand and the moon in my left, I would never abandon this call until either
Allah grants it success or He removes me from it.” He called mankind to the fundamental
reality, the essence of the prophetic message: “there is no God but the One a
true God, Allah”. Never did he compromise in calling to this or manifesting it
in his own life (peace and blessings be upon him).
الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
“The Most Merciful, The Most Compassionate”
(1:2)
This ayat serves as a key to unlock every glad tiding from our Lord.
Every mention of God’s bounties, every reminder of His graces and all of His
promises are encapsulated in this ayat.
There should be no question about the Mercy of our Lord as He is the
Most Merciful of those who show mercy. There is nothing that is except that it
exists from the mercy of the All-Merciful Creator. More than this, all of the
mercy that is found encompassing the entirety of creation, from its beginning
to its end, is but one part of the mercy of Allah as He has retained the other ninety-nine
parts for the Day of Reckoning.
From that mercy, and we would say the greatest portion thereof, is the
prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), about whom Allah has said,
وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلَّا
رَحْمَةً لِّلْعَالَمِينَ
“And We have not sent you but as a mercy to the worlds.”
(21:107)
The Beloved of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was the Prophet
of Mercy and Allah attributed to him, in the Qur’an, two of His own attributes,
calling him, Ra’oof, Raheem (kind and merciful). But understand clearly that he
wasn’t just merciful, he was an embodiment of mercy, he was a mercy from the
mercy of Allah, as Allah has mentioned, and Allah’s mercy encompasses all
things. The prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) displayed mercy to the believers,
the disbelievers and even the hypocrites. He manifested mercy to humans, Jinn, animals
and even the earth itself. There was no interactions with him (peace and
blessings be upon him) but he injected mercy into it.
With the believers the beloved of Allah (peace and blessings be upon
him) delivered the glad tidings and promises of Allah and made easy the path
which exposes us to His grace. There is example after example of the humanity
of the companions being met with the compassion of Allah’s beloved (peace and
blessings be upon him). We can see this in his home when one of his wives broke
the serving bowl full of food in front of his guests, or when his grand
children played upon his back while he prayed. We can see it with those who
played practical jokes such as Nu’man, and those serious at work such as when
they dug the trench. It can be seen when he was tested by those who wanted
certainty and so displayed poor etiquette with him just to witness his response
before they formally entered Islam, as well as with those who believed yet made
their Islam conditional on a dispensation to commit sin. In every case, the
Beloved of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) showed a compassion and
mercy which penetrated the hearts of those around him.
With the disbelievers he was patient and forbearing, bearing their harms
for the sake of Allah. Despite their assaults upon him, he (peace and blessings
be upon him) continued to meet with them and invite them to guidance. They
spread rumors about him, oppressed him, assaulted him, attempted to kill him
and launched wars against him and never did he become angry for himself.
Instead, he honored their trusts and accepted them whenever they turned back to
their Lord. On the Day of Badr he wept for those disbelievers taken captive due
to where their ingratitude to their Lord would inevitably lead them.
The Hypocrites, those who shall be in the lowest depths of the fires of
Hell, experienced the mercy of Allah’s beloved (peace and blessings be upon
him) in several forms but perhaps the greatest of these was that he kept their
identities hidden in order to give them room to realize their error and repent.
He knew that Abdullah ibn Ubay was their leader and yet he still gave his shirt
as a burial shroud for him and made supplications that Allah forgive him his
wrongs.
He wanted for the hypocrites good even while they continued to plot
harm. Despite their treasons harming the Muslims again and again, he (peace and
blessings be upon him) was always ready to accept their excuses and forgive
them.
The Prophet of Mercy (peace and blessings be upon him), advised his
companions to care for the animals in their custody, defending the rights of
those service animals which aged out. Too, he heard the cries of a mother bird
and it exposed his compassion. One of his companions had lawfully taken the
eggs from her nest but the prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) heard the
anguish of the bird and told the companion to return the eggs. His attribute of
mercy reached the animals but also the very earth itself as he taught that the
lowest branch of faith, that which everyone has access to, is to remove harms
from the pathways.
Allah’s beloved (peace and blessings be upon him) conveyed the glad
tidings of his Lord, informing of the promises for those who believe and do good
but too, through his life we witness those glad tidings and promises fulfilled
in the life of this world before the hereafter (and we pray Allah make us from
amongst those who witness it in this life and the next...ameen). This can be
seen during the hijra, on the day of Badr and culminating with the opening of
Mecca. Anyone in doubt about the glad tidings of Allah need only look at the
seerah of His beloved (peace and blessings be upon him) for indeed, the promise
of Allah is True.
Knowing this, whenever we read any ayat mentioning the promises of our
Lord and His glad tidings we should meet them with high aspirations and hope.
مَالِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ
“King of the Day when debts fall due”
(1:3)
This Ayat reminds us that, despite the Mercy of our Lord, we remain
responsible before Him and to Him is our ultimate return. The major theme
imbedded in this ayat is the warnings from our Lord and so, it serves as the
key to every ayat which mentions the consequences of ingratitude, disobedience,
rebellion, and transgression. If we understand this ayat well we would meet
every ayat warning of the trials and difficulties in this life, in the grave or
in the hereafter with fearful awareness and awe of our Lord for He alone is the
Reckoner.
When Allah mentioned, “O My servants, were the first of you and the last
of you, the human of you and the Jinn of you to be upon the same level of taqwa
as the most fearfully aware heart amongst you all, it would not increase my
dominion in anyway.” , He was in reality, speaking of the heart of His
messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). In this way, He described His beloved
(peace and blessings be upon him) as the one with the most taqwa, the most
fearfully aware, the one most inspired with awe. In a sound narration the prophet
(peace and blessings retorted to a foolish word uttered towards him, reminding
the one who spoke, “If I do not have taqwa, then who will have taqwa?” for
indeed, he is the source of obedience steeped in God consciousness.
Not only did he exemplify Taqwa, which is a shielding one’s self from
the displeasure of Allah, he exemplified Wara’a (scrupulousness) which is a
means of exposing one’s self to His good pleasure. The prophet (peace and
blessings be upon him) exemplified austerity knowing that this life is but
limited and temporary while the hereafter is abundant and everlasting.
Allah called the beloved (peace and blessings be upon him) Nadheer, the
bringer of warnings as he warned the disbelievers of the impending consequences
of their ingratitude and warned the believers against falling into misguidance.
He advised his companions against the allures of this life and becoming
attached to it until it distracts one from Allah. Still, we find even
companions slipping upon a slope that lead them to depths they were unable to
recover from such as he who ceased to pray in the masjid and refused to pay
Zakat out of attachment to his flock of sheep which Allah had multiplied for
him. And too, we witness at Uhud the consequences of making excuses to turn
away from the prophetic guidance, seeking instead some part of this world.
Those who compromised in obeying the prophetic command caused those
faithful to it to be flanked and killed, the believers to be routed and the
beloved, himself (peace and blessings be upon him), to be harmed. How many
today cause the beloved of Allah harm through our compromise of the prophetic
guidance?
As for those who reject, rebel and transgress, Allah’s messenger (peace
and blessings be upon him) informed them regarding the impending outcome of
their ingratitude and they tasted that in this life, as the promise of Allah is
ever with those who believe and put forth their efforts.
What was witnessed in the life of the beloved of Allah (peace and
blessings be upon him) is played out again and again throughout history as
those who declare war on Allah and His guidance are replaced by those of His
choosing. This is in this life, while we know that they find worse in the grave
and worse still on the Day of Reckoning. One need go no further for evidence of
the truthfulness of Allah’s warnings than Surah Al-Masad.
إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ
“You Alone we worship”
(1:4)
The modern usage of the word “worship” is so limited. So often it is
used only in connection to formal rites and rituals or informal acts of
devotion such as supplication and fasting. The word, however conveys the
meaning of paying reverent homage to the One Who is worthy of our devotion.
This is included in our current understanding of and connection to it, but the understanding
and application of the believer must also include our interactions with our fellow
man, our world, and ourselves. The way we carry ourselves, the way we speak,
the way we earn and spend, eat and drink, sleep and dress, and more, all become
acts of worship. The way we interact within our families, with our neighbors,
with strangers, even with our enemies, become acts of devotion. In this light,
worship ceases being dogmatic religion and becomes a way of life that flows
from us. It becomes a love emanating forth. But sometimes lovers overstep the
bounds, falling into poor etiquette, and so there is a need for chaperones. The
role of the chaperone is nothing more than to remind the lovers of the limits,
protecting them from being driven by their love to act rashly.
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was the
ultimate chaperone, reminding those who love the life of this world, as well as
those who have a yearning steeped in love for the Divine, of the limits that
must not be transgressed. He (peace and blessings be upon him) was the paradigm
of love, of devotion and of moderation, exemplifying proper etiquette before one’s
Lord. He was the palatine of Allah in this world and so obedience to him (peace
and blessings be upon him) is nothing less than obedience to Allah. His sunnah,
meaning here his words, deeds and tacit approvals, establish the rules,
regulations and limits as he (peace and blessings be upon him) was sent to
convey and model the commands and prohibitions of Allah for all of mankind. It
is due to this that the Straight Path of Allah is nothing but the following in his
footsteps (peace and blessings be upon him).
In this way we see that this part of the fourth ayat of Al-Fatiha establishes
for us the theme of the Shariah and serves as the essence of every ayat that
speaks to us about commands, prohibitions and the limits set by our Lord. When
these ayat are recited our hearts should be inclined towards submission to the
guidance of our Lord, aligning the trust of our limited free will with His
Divine commanding will. But as to how this is to be done, this can only be understood
in light of the prophetic sunnah. It is in this way that none of us can claim to
truly believe in Allah and the Last Day if our hearts are not inclined to the
sunnah of His beloved (peace and blessings be upon him).
وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ
“And You alone we seek for assistance”
(1:4)
There are realities beyond what is observed with our senses, beyond even
the limits of our intellects. There are spheres of existence and we should have
no doubt that there are realities beyond the physical plane. We affirm with
certainty there are angels and jinn and realms beyond our own such as the
intermediate realm after death. Along with this, we also affirm Divine
providence met with Divine aid and assistance. Every Ayat of the Qur’an that
speaks to us of the haqa’iq (Metaphysical realities) relate back to this portion
of the ayat. Whenever theseayat are recited we should be reminded of our
limitations and the noble station of humility.
Examples of this are many and take many forms, be they those ayat that
inform us of the creation as signs of Allah, the aims and wisdoms behind
creation or ultimate realities such as Allah’s saying,
وَمَا رَمَيْتَ إِذْ رَمَيْتَ
وَلَٰكِنَّ اللهَّ رَمَىٰ
“And you did not throw when you threw but rather Allah threw”
(8:17)
Notice how Allah affirms the physical experience of throwing but negates
that it was the beloved (peace and blessings be upon him) who threw, but
rather, the reality is that God is the Sole Actor with nothing occurring but by
His knowledge, will and power. And too, there is the ayat wherein our Lord
draws our attention to the physical observations of conventional relationships
but then immediately reminds us that there is a greater reality behind the
material existence,
أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا إِلَى الطَّيْرِ
فَوْقَهُمْ صَافَّاتٍ وَيَقْبِضْنَ
مَا يُمْسِكُهُنَّ إِلَّا الرَّحْمَٰنُ
إِنَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ بَصِيرٌ
“Do they not observe the birds above them,
spreading their wings and flapping them?
Nothing keeps them aloft except the Most Gracious;
Indeed He sees all things.”
(67:19)
The most noble of all creation (peace and blessings be upon him) was
taken, by his Lord, on a night journey from Mecca to Jerusalem and on that
journey he was shown realms beyond that which we are used to experiencing. But
then, after having lead the souls of all the prophets and messengers in prayer
to their Lord, manifesting his reality as the Imam of the Ambiyya (peace and
blessings be upon him), he was ascended into the heavens, and finally even
beyond the furthest most boundary beyond which even the Arch-Angel Jibreel
(peace be upon him) can not pass. It was there that he (peace and blessings be upon
him) was engulfed in light and his Lord spoke to him directly. The chosen of
Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, as it is recorded in an authentic
narration in which there is no doubt, “I saw my Lord”. However, his seeing Him
was not there on the Night of the Ascension but rather, years later, in
Medinah. The prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was later than normal
coming out for the Fajr prayer and after the community prayed, he turned to
them and said, “My Lord, Blessed is He and Most High, came to me in the best of
appearances. He said: 'O Muhammad!' and I responded, 'Here I am O my Lord! And
I am at Your service.' He said: 'What is it that the most exalted group busy themselves
with?' I said: 'My Lord, I do not know.' So He placed His Hand between my shoulders,
until I sensed its coolness between my breast, and I became knowing of all that
is between the east and the west.” He (peace and blessings be upon him) had an
awareness granted him by Allah, permitting him an intimate knowledge of
metaphysical realities in the world around us as well as the ultimate realities
beyond this material existence.
The messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) taught us
wisdom born of these understandings. Know that if we rebel and transgress there
are natural consequences that occur and spread forth through time and space; it
is this that we term evil. But also, when we do our part, with sincerity and
uprightness, Allah will certainly take care of the rest.
Due to this awareness of the realities we find the Beloved of Allah
(peace and blessings be upon him) exemplifying qualities such as trust,
reliance and a turning over of affairs to the Lord of the heavens and earth. It
was in this way that he (peace and blessings be upon him) exhibited humility
which manifested in a complete surrender to His Lord, and he is indeed the best
example for those who believe in Allah and the Last Day.
اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ
“Guide us upon the Straight Path”
(1:5)
If we were to ask, “What is the Straight Path?”, this question could be
answered in several ways.
For this work, I prefer to say that the prophet (peace and blessings be
upon him) is the guide, the guidance and the Straight Path itself. His
teachings and examples, everything about him (peace and blessings be upon him),
is the shortest, most direct and safest pathway to our Lord.
It is by following him that we manifest our love for God, we receive His
Love reciprocated, and we attain forgiveness for the many times in which we
fall short. This is as Allah has said,
قُلْ إِن كُنتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ
اللهَّ فَاتَّبِعُونِي
يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللهُ وَيَغْفِرْ
لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ
وَاللهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ
“Say: If you love Allah, then follow me,
Allah will love you and forgive you your sins,
and Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.”
(3:31)
Everything the beloved did was done sincerely seeking the favor of
Allah, done according to His revealed guidance and connected to Him through
supplication and remembrance. Everything the prophet (peace and blessings be
upon him) did was done with the invocation of Allah and supplications to Him,
even the most mundane acts such as being with one’s spouse, relieving one’s
self or getting dressed. Indeed, these three aspects should govern all we do: sincere
intention, proper methodology and, invocations and supplication. In word, in
deed, inwardly and outwardly, we attach ourselves, all we do and all we are, to
Allah, Lord of all creation and That is the sunnah of the best of creation (peace and blessings be upon him).
When our mother A’isha (May Allah be pleased with her) was asked about
the beloved (peace and blessings be upon him) she said that he used to remember
Allah in all of his states. This is important to understand as there was never
a moment except that the prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was in the
remembrance of Allah and we know Allah is with those who remember Him. It is
exactly this concept of “with-ness” that comes with the invocation and supplication
of God Almighty that is rooted in this fifth ayat of Al-Fatiha. Every ayat that
calls upon man to remember his Lord, every reminder and every supplication
returns us back to this ayat for it is the key to understanding and responding
to them. When our Lord gives us the glad tidings,
فَاذْكُرُونِي أَذْكُرْكُمْ
وَاشْكُرُوا لِي وَلَا تَكْفُرُونِ
“Remember Me and I’ll remember you,
Be grateful and do not be ungrateful”
(2:152)
We respond with immediate invocations, praising and glorifying He Who
told us that when we draw near to Him a hand’s span He will draw us nearer an
arm’s length and if we were to go to him walking He would surely hasten the
nearness. When He gives us words by which He wants us to call Him, we do not
hesitate but to say,
رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا
حَسَنَةً وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ
“Our Lord! grant us good in this world and good in the
hereafter,
and save us from the chastisement of the fire.”
(2:201)
رَبَّنَا لَا تُزِغْ قُلُوبَنَا
بَعْدَ إِذْ هَدَيْتَنَا
وَهَبْ لَنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ
رَحْمَةً
إِنَّكَ أَنتَ الْوَهَّابُ
“Our Lord! Keep our hearts from deviating after You have guided
us aright,
and grant us, from You, mercy;
Indeed, You are the Abundant Bestower.”
(3:8)
If one but studied the sunnah of the prophet (peace and blessings be
upon him) you would find that he was the most prayerful of people and the one
most in the remembrance of his Lord.
صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ
عَلَيْهِمْ
“The Path of those upon whom are Your favors.”
(1:6)
This ayat holds the key to every ayat which mentions the stories of the
righteous. All of the stories of the believers from the nations of old, those
ayat addressing the pious companions in the prophet’s time (peace and blessings
be upon him), as well as those describing the character traits pleasing to our
Lord have their essence in this ayat. We are asking Allah to guide us upon the
Straight Path which they were upon and every ayat which come after this in the
Qur’an is but a Divine response showing us the way. When they are recited we
should reflect on where we are in relation to them and what we need to do to
align ourselves with what we are being informed regarding.
We have already mentioned that the Best of Creation (peace and blessings
be upon him) exemplified piety in every facet of life. If one wants to
understand what it means to live an upright, principled life there is no need
to look any further that Allah’s Beloved (peace and blessings be upon him).
Still, we are not ignorant of the fact that we are upon varying nature’s and
diverse personalities. In light of this we look at a narration that has some
weakness ascribed to it, wherein the prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)
is said to have said what means, “My companions are to my sunnah as salt is to
meat”. The prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is like the sun shining
bright and to look directly at him may startle the vision and hurt the eyes of
those who have remained in darkness for too long. His companions (may Allah be
pleased with them all) serve as gentle rays, filtered so as to acclimate us.
The sunnah is surely all we need, it is the macro and micro nutrients by which
we are nourished, but some of us, based on our own tastes, prefer one flavor
over another. Because of the diversity amongst mankind, we find the sunnah
dispersed through the personalities of those who looked upon the
sun directly and had that light seared into their breasts. Those who are
wealthy have an example in Abdur-Rahman ibn Awf while those who are in a state
of poverty can look at Abu Hurairah; the noble and elite can look at Uthman
while those from rougher backgrounds can look towards Abu Dharr Al-Ghifari,
those who are studious can look at the example of Ibn Abbass while those great
warriors can look at Khalid ibn Walid. And do not think there is a neglect for
our women folk as they have examples in all of the prophet’s wives as well as
the many great sahabiyyaat (may our Lord be pleased with all of them). This is
the case regardless of your nature, your background and your personality -
there are companions to which we can all relate and take lessons.
The companions were the direct students of the Beloved of Allah (peace
and blessings be upon him), seeing him, meeting him, sitting with him and,
believing in him - such is the greatest of the favors of Allah in the life of
this world! They were certainly humans with all that that entails of
weaknesses, foibles and mistakes. But they were also from the fruits of the
Light Giving Lamb (peace and blessings be upon him) and as such, they were well
pleased with Allah and He too is pleased with them. So too, they serve for us
as rays of light which can be followed in order to apply the pure prophetic
sunnah and attain to the pleasure of our Lord.
غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ
وَلَا الضَّالِّينَ
“Not the path of those who have incurred Your anger,
nor those who have gone astray.”
(1:7)
This ayat is the key to understanding every ayat throughout the Qur’an
which mentions the stories of the wicked and their character traits. Whenever these
ayat are recited we should swiftly seek refuge in our Lord and take ourselves
to account that we may ensure we have purged ourselves of such qualities.
Regardless of their motivations, anyone who displays ingratitude to their Lord,
rebelling, rejecting and transgressing, falls under the essence of this ayat.
To know the Beloved of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was to
love him. Simply looking upon his blessed face one could see the light of
nubuwwa and this was enough to change the hearts of many. Despite this reality,
which was borne witness to again and again, there were some from amongst his
people who, due to their materialist world views, could not see the prophet
(peace and blessings be upon him) but rather, only saw As-Saadiq, Al-Amin (the Truthful
and Trustworthy), Muhammad ibn Abdullah, the Noble Chief from amongst the Quraish.
They looked at the entire world around them horizontally, incapable of
accepting that which is vertical and so they were unable to see his reality
(peace and blessings be upon him).
Then there were those who saw him and knew his reality just as they knew
their own sons, they recognized his signs just as they recognized their own
hands, and yet still they rejected. These were those who attested in private
that they knew that he was a prophet sent by their Lord butout of pride,
arrogance and tribal loyalties found themselves unable to take him as the
rectifier sent by their lord to guide them aright.
Still worse were those who gazed upon him, sat with him and took benefit
while harboring in their hearts animosity rooted in their own wants and desires.
Those who called themselves Muslims seeking some social or political benefit
while rebelling secretly, plotting and planning against the one Allah described
as Kind and Merciful.
Despite their states and what was between them and their Lord, the one
whose truthfulness they all bore witness to (peace and blessings be upon him)
continued to treat these folk with the best of etiquettes, never repaying a
wrong with a wrong. He went on supplicating to Allah and doing his best to save
them from the fire of Hell. Rather than focusing on their agendas, their plots,
their schemes, he (peace and blessings be upon him) focused on his mission,
calling to Allah and manifesting the prophetic guidance for all of mankind.
Allah chose Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and sent him
forth as His messenger with guidance and benefit for mankind, that we may reach
our fullest human potential, attaining success in this life and the next. Who
is it that is more wicked than one who takes him as an enemy, rejecting and
attacking him? But know Allah has promised, and His promise is True,
إِنَّ شَانِئَكَ هُوَ الْأبتَرُ
“Indeed your enemy, he is the one who shall be cut off.”
(108:3)
May Allah protect us from being from amongst those who fall short in
love for His beloved (peace and blessings be upon him). Indeed, none of us can
claim true faith until he is more beloved to us than everyone else, our
parents, our children and even our own selves. May Allah grant us His love and
the love of those whom He loves, and who is more beloved to him than the one He
shall grant the noble station of intercession on the Day of Judgement; O Allah
grant the best benedictions upon our master, Muhammad, the opener of that which
was closed, the seal of that which went before, the one who assists the truth
by The Truth and the guide to Your Straight Path, and upon his family,
according to His immense position and grandeur...ameen.
We praise Allah for its completion, by His
permission,
On the Saturday, the twelfth of Rabi’a-l-Awwal,
1441
It has now been edited and made a gift for the
beloved
(peace and blessings be upon him)
On The night of the second Monday of Rabi’a-l-Awwal
AVAILABLE @ PRISTINE SUFISM PRODUCTION/SMILEBAK GLOBAL
EMPORIUM
Dalā’ilu l Khayrāt - Collection of prayers upon the Prophet “in Plain Arabic and Warsh script” (by Shaikh Sulaiman Jazūlī) - Arabic
Kanzul Masūn - Collections of Prayers/Supplications (by Shaikh Ibrahim Niasse) - Arabic
Dawāwīn as-Sitt (Six Anthologies) on Prophetic Eulogy (by Shaikh Ibrahim Niasse) - Arabic
Ahzāb wa Awrād (Collection of Prayers/Liturgies and Litanies) of Shaikh Ahmad at-Tijani - Arabic
Al-Yaaqutatul Fareeda Fii
Tariqatul Tijaniyyah (The Unique Ruby in the Tijaniya Spiritual Path), by Sheikh Muhammad Nazifi (R.A), translated by Sayyidi Jafaru Ibrahim
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Dalā’ilu l Khayrāt - Collection of prayers upon the Prophet “in Plain Arabic and Warsh script” (by Shaikh Sulaiman Jazūlī) - Arabic
Kanzul Masūn - Collections of Prayers/Supplications (by Shaikh Ibrahim Niasse) - Arabic
Dawāwīn as-Sitt (Six Anthologies) on Prophetic Eulogy (by Shaikh Ibrahim Niasse) - Arabic
Ahzāb wa Awrād (Collection of Prayers/Liturgies and Litanies) of Shaikh Ahmad at-Tijani - Arabic
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1. Majmū’at ad-Dawāwīn (Collection of Eulogy Works) of Shaikh Ibrahim Niasse’ (English translation) - Translated by Dr. Awwal Baba Taofiq
2.Vessel of Spiritual Flood, Translation of Goran Faydah by Shaykh Balarabe Haroon Jega (Translated by Dr. Awwal Baba Taofiq)
3.Shariah and Haqeeqah: In the Light of the Qur'an and the Prophetic Traditions(Translated by Dr. Awwal Baba Taofiq)
4.The Icon of Mystics: Shaykh Ibrahim Niasse Al-Kawlakhy (Translated by Dr. Awwal Baba Taofiq)
5. Tahniat (Congratulatory Ode) of Shaikh Ibrahim Niass - (Translation
& Transliteration of Majmuu' Qasaid al-Mawlid of Baye) - (Translated by Sayyid AbdulQadri Okeneye)
6. Handbook for every Tijaniyyat (by Shaikh As-Sufi)
8. Risalat at-Tawbah (Epistle of Repentance) of Shaykh Ibrahim Niyass al-Kawlakhi" - (Translation & Commentary by Dr. Razaq Solagberu)
9. Katsina and Kaduna Conferences (Jadhbul ahbab ila hadrat Rabbil arbab) and Mecca Conference - (Translated by Sayyidah Bilqis Grillo)
10. Softcopy of Numerous Sufi Literature (Arabic & English) - (To be sent via CD & email/googledrive)
12. Sayyida Fatimat Zahara (The Rose): The Beloved Daughter of the Holy Prophet (SAW) - (by Sayyid Ahmad Bello As-Suufi Harazimi)
13. Sheikh Ahmad Tijani and his Spiritual Path (Tariqat) - (by Sayyid Ahmad Bello As-Suufi Harazimi)
14.Special Prayers from Kanzul Masun- (Translated by Sayyid AbdulQadri Okeneye)
15.Facts about Sufism by Ismaheel Abdulrauf
16. Who is Shaykh Jamiu Bulala (by Ustaz Olanipekun Shittu Tunde)
17. Mawlud lectures of Shaikh Ibrahim Niass - (Translated by Sayyidah Bilqis Grillo)
18. Practical Guide on the Wird(Litany) of the Tariqah Faydah Tijaniyyah (The Adherent Handbook) - (Translated by Sayyidah Bilqis Grillo)
19. Hizbu Sayfi & Hizbul Mughni (Arabic text, Translation, Transliteration by Imam Marooph Raji)
20. Hizbul Bahri (Arabic text, Translation, Transliteration by Imam Marooph Raji)
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1. Majmū’at ad-Dawāwīn (Collection of Eulogy Works) of Shaikh Ibrahim Niasse’ (English translation) - Translated by Dr. Awwal Baba Taofiq
2.Vessel of Spiritual Flood, Translation of Goran Faydah by Shaykh Balarabe Haroon Jega (Translated by Dr. Awwal Baba Taofiq)
3.Shariah and Haqeeqah: In the Light of the Qur'an and the Prophetic Traditions(Translated by Dr. Awwal Baba Taofiq)
4.The Icon of Mystics: Shaykh Ibrahim Niasse Al-Kawlakhy (Translated by Dr. Awwal Baba Taofiq)
5. Tahniat (Congratulatory Ode) of Shaikh Ibrahim Niass - (Translation
& Transliteration of Majmuu' Qasaid al-Mawlid of Baye) - (Translated by Sayyid AbdulQadri Okeneye)
6. Handbook for every Tijaniyyat (by Shaikh As-Sufi)
8. Risalat at-Tawbah (Epistle of Repentance) of Shaykh Ibrahim Niyass al-Kawlakhi" - (Translation & Commentary by Dr. Razaq Solagberu)
9. Katsina and Kaduna Conferences (Jadhbul ahbab ila hadrat Rabbil arbab) and Mecca Conference - (Translated by Sayyidah Bilqis Grillo)
10. Softcopy of Numerous Sufi Literature (Arabic & English) - (To be sent via CD & email/googledrive)
12. Sayyida Fatimat Zahara (The Rose): The Beloved Daughter of the Holy Prophet (SAW) - (by Sayyid Ahmad Bello As-Suufi Harazimi)
13. Sheikh Ahmad Tijani and his Spiritual Path (Tariqat) - (by Sayyid Ahmad Bello As-Suufi Harazimi)
14.Special Prayers from Kanzul Masun- (Translated by Sayyid AbdulQadri Okeneye)
15.Facts about Sufism by Ismaheel Abdulrauf
16. Who is Shaykh Jamiu Bulala (by Ustaz Olanipekun Shittu Tunde)
17. Mawlud lectures of Shaikh Ibrahim Niass - (Translated by Sayyidah Bilqis Grillo)
18. Practical Guide on the Wird(Litany) of the Tariqah Faydah Tijaniyyah (The Adherent Handbook) - (Translated by Sayyidah Bilqis Grillo)
19. Hizbu Sayfi & Hizbul Mughni (Arabic text, Translation, Transliteration by Imam Marooph Raji)
20. Hizbul Bahri (Arabic text, Translation, Transliteration by Imam Marooph Raji)
21. Sufi Tasbih/Prayer Beads/Rosary 📿
To place orders;
Call: +2348074393996
WhatsApp Link:
https://api.whatsapp.com/send?phone=2349078376281
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