Attari.Rafique

The Nasiha of Shaikh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani Shaikh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani Radi Allahu ‘Anhu taught Muslims and preached to non-Muslims in Baghdad. His nasiha (advices) and mawa’iza (sermons, discourses) were written down by scribes as he delivered them and they have been compiled and handed down through centuries as classics of Muslim spirituality. One of the beauties of his discourses is that you feel he is addressing you directly. His major spiritual works, that is, the kutub (books) he wrote, as well as collections of his discourses are: Al-Ghunya Li Talibi Tariqi’l Haqq (Sufficient Provision for Seekers of the Path of Truth) This kitab (book) is a comprehensive explanation of Arkan al-Iman (Pillars of Faith), Arkan al-Islam (Pillars of Islam), and Ihsan (Spiritual Excellence). It is a kitab (book) on Hanbali fiqh (jurisprudence) with special emphasis on salah (obligatory five times daily prayer). It is indispensable for those who want to do tabligh (propagate Islam) as it deals with amr bi’l ma’ruf wa nahi anil munkar (enjoining good and forbidding evil). Futuh al-Ghaib (Revelations of the Unseen), a collection of 78 discourses. Al-Fath ur Rabbani (The Endowment of Divine Grace). This a collection of 72 discourses, the main message of which is to raise yourself up to such spiritual heights as to devote your whole life in worshipful service of Allah, purely to earn His Rida (Pleasure) and His Qurb (Nearness) without hoping for any other reward in the Hereafter. In these discourses, he admonishes the munafiqin (hypocrites) who forget their religion and who cringe before kings and princes for worldly gain. Jila al-Khatir (Purification of the Mind), a collection of 45 discourses. Sirr al-Asrar (The Secret of Secrets). This kitab (book) explains matters related to shari’a (sacred law), tariqa (spiritual path), haqiqi ma’rifa (knowledge of spiritual realities) and tasawwuf (spiritual culture). Malfuzat (Talks and Sayings). Khamsata ‘Ashara Maktuban (Fifteen Letters). These were written in Persian and translated into Arabic by ‘Ali ibn Husam ud-Din al-Muttaqi, Rahmatullahi ‘alayh (passed away 977 A.H/1569 C.E). Besides the Qur'an Karim and Hadith Sharif, these can be considered to be required minimum reading for someone who aspires to be an ‘aalim (scholar). To catch a glimpse of his nasiha (advice), perhaps the best place to begin is to see how he advises his own son Shaikh ‘Abdur Razzaq, Rahmatullahi ‘alayh. He advised him to acquire eight character traits that are basic to tasawwuf (spiritual culture). These are: Sakha (generosity) of Nabi (Prophet) Ibrahim, ‘alayhissalam (peace be upon him) Rida (joyful contentment with whatever Allah ordains) of Nabi Is-haq, ‘alayhissalam Sabr (patience) of Nabi Ayyub, ‘alayhissalam Ishara (symbolic instruction) of Nabi Zakariyya, ‘alayhissalam Ghurba (life as a stranger in far-off lands) of Nabi Yusuf, ‘alayhissalam Lubs us suf (the wearing of Sufi clothes) of Nabi Yahya, ‘alayhissalam Siyaha (wandering travel) of Nabi ‘Isa, ‘alayhissalam Faqr (worldly poverty with spiritual riches) of Nabiyyuna wa Habibuna wa Shafi’una Muhammad Mustafa, Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa Sallam. (Cited by Al-Hajj Isma’il ibn as-Sayyid Muhammad Sa’id al-Qadiri, in al-Fuyudaat ur Rabbaniyya, Emanations of Lordly Grace, p. 40). His mawa’iza (exhortations, discourses) deal with various subjects) For example, the first few discourses in Futuh al-Ghaib (Revelations of the Unseen) are on “The essential tasks of every believer”, “Sharing good advice”, “Being tried and tested”, “Spiritual death”, “The nature of this world, detachment from which is strongly advised”, “Passing beyond the creation”, “Removing the cares of the heart”, “Drawing near to Allah”, “Disclosure and contemplation”, “The self and its states”, and “Controlling carnal desire”. The theme of each discourse is supported with verses of the Holy Qur’an and Hadith Sharif. For example, in the First Discourse of Al-Fath ur Rabbani (The Endowment of Divine Grace), he quotes the following verse of the Holy Qur’an: Surely, Allah is with those who are patient. (2:153) And in the Sixth Discourse of Futuh al-Ghaib (Revelations of the Unseen, p. 17-18), he quotes this Hadith Qudsi which is dear to the heart of every Muslim (translation is by Shaikh Muhtar Holland). In a sacred tradition (hadith qudsi) the blessed Prophet related that Allah (Exalted is He) says, “My servant constantly approaches Me through supererogatory acts of worship until I love him, and when I love him, I become his eyes with which he sees, his hands with which he holds, and his legs with which he walks.” In another version, the wording is: “So through me he hears, through me he sees, and through me he understands.” This Hadith Qudsi has been narrated by Hadrat Abu Hurayra, Radi Allahu ‘Anhu and reported by Imam Bukhari, Rahmatullahi ‘alayh (194-256 A.H, 810-870 C.E). The essence of his teaching is to achieve qurb Ilallah (nearness to Allah) in the sense of achieving His love, as He is our Khaliq (Creator) and the Musabbib ul Asbab (the Original Cause of all the causes). The description of someone who has attained nearness to Allah is succinctly summarised in Futuh al-Ghaib (Revelations of the Unseen, p. 12, translation is by Shaikh Muhtar Holland). “Gone forth from his own self out into his Master’s work, he now sees nothing but that Master and His work, and neither hears nor comprehends from any other source. If he perceives at all, if he does hear and learn, His speech is what he listens to, and His knowledge is what he comes to know. His favour he enjoys, through His nearness he prospers, through His proximity he is graced and honoured, by His promise he is pleased and reassured. With Him he feels at peace, and in His discourse he takes delight, while from all others he recoils and shrinks away. In remembrance of Him he finds refuge and support. In Him, the Almighty and Glorious, he puts his faith and in Him he places his trust. By the light of His awareness he is guided as he wraps and clothes himself therein. Strange marvels of His science he discovers, and of the secrets of His power he is apprised. To Him he listens and from Him he learns, then for all this he offers praise, gives thanks, and turns to prayer.” The next step to take is perhaps to open another of the compilations of his mawa’iza (discourses). This is a suggested interpretation of the opening of his first discourse in Al-Fath ur Rabbani (The Endowment of Divine Grace). In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. O Allah! O You Who know my inability to praise You, I ask of You – for the sake of the most perfect of all those who praise You, (that is, Sayyidina Muhammad), to whom You unveiled the realities of Your Names and Your Attributes, and the subtleties of the emanations of Your Essence, so that he came to know You in a manner befitting Your Perfection, and whom You thereupon inspired with Your praises as You inspired none other than him, as You will inspire him many times more on the Day when his uniqueness will be manifested, (that is, on the Day of Judgement), when his glorious character will be manifested in all its glory, (I ask of You, O Allah!) to bestow upon him, who is more precious than any other being, such blessings and salutations that befit Your most Sanctified Perfection, and let the noble blessings and peace You confer upon him, encompass the whole of his physical being as well as his essence, as well as everything that pertains to him in the world of creation and in the world of the Divine Command, so that, O our Lord, You leave out none of Your Prophets, Your Messengers, Your Angels and Your righteous servants, but include them all within the compass of Your Tremendous Grace. Sallu ‘ala’r Rasul Allahumma Salli wa Sallim ‘alayh. We find that Shaikh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani Radi Allahu ‘Anhu begins his discourse with an exalted, inspiring and comprehensive salaat (invocation of blessings on Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him) in which he manifests his deep love for him. In one breath he tells us that Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, praised Allah as no one else did, that he knew Allah as no one else did and that he was inspired by Allah as no one else was. He reminds us that the grandeur of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, has already been manifested in this world and is yet to be revealed in all its glory on the Day of Judgement. The salaat begins with the Name of Allah and uses the wasila (means) of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. In the same breath, it breathes in the Asma and Sifat of Allah, the Most Beautiful Names and Attributes of Allah, Wahdahu laa sharika lahu. The salaat is on the reality and essence of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, as well as everything that pertains to him or is connected with him in the world of creation and in the world of Allah’s Commad. And all the Prophets, as well as the Messengers of Allah, the angels and the pious people are connected with him. So the salaat is on all of them as well. In one sweep, both the reality and the essence of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, have been linked to the two worlds of Allah’s creation and Allah’s Command. When you have completed reciting this salaat, you know for sure that you are in the presence of a shaykh, a man of Allah, and you want to establish ta’alluq (connection) with him, as you know that following his teaching and obtaining his baraka (blessings), coming as they do from the pure fount of his blessed ancestor, will lead you to salvation. Aameen. As we read his masterpieces, we are struck by the fact that his style of expression is different from that of any other shaikh, ‘aalim or wali. He is so much saturated with the spiritual power of Tawhid (monotheism) that his exposition and its flow has a spiritually confident personality all its own so that anyone who reads his nasiha spontaneously admits that he is the Qutb-al-aqtaab (the centre of all spiritual pillars), the Shaikh-ul-Mashaaikh (the spiritual master of all spiritual masters), the Gousul A'zam (the greatest helper) and much more.... a Shaikh who epitomised mujaddidiyyah (faith revival) and wilayah (sainthood), Qaddas Sirrahu’l ‘aziz (may Allah sanctify his sublime innermost being)

The ‘Aqida of Shaikh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani His ‘aqida (tenets of belief) was that of the Ahl u’s-Sunnah wa’l Jama'ah, based on the Qur'an, and the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa Sallam. All the sufi saints and mashaayikh (spiritual masters) through centuries have expounded on and lived by this ‘aqida, foremost among them being Imam ul A’zam Imam Abu Hanifa (80-150 A.H), Imam Abu’l Hasan al-Ash’ari (260-324 A.H, 874-935 C.E), and Imam Abu Mansur al-Maturidi (passed away 332 A.H, 944 C.E), Rahmatullahi ‘alayhim ajma’in. Shaikh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani Radi Allahu ‘Anhu has explained it in Al-Ghunya Li Talibi Tariqi’l Haqq (Sufficient Provision for Seekers of the Path of Truth). The foundation of this aqida is the belief that Allah Ta’ala is the only One worthy of worship and that Prophet Muhammad is His Divinely Ordained Final Prophetic Messenger (Rasul). Its nurturing is with Asma u’l Husna and mahabba (love) of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, his Pure Household and Blessed Companions. Its manifestation is the spontaneous pride felt in the achievements of the Khulafa ar-Rashidun, that is, Sayyidina Abu Bakr as-Siddiq, Sayyidina ‘Umar al-Faruq, Sayyidina ‘Usman Dhun-Nurayn, and Sayyidina ‘Ali al-Murtada, Radi Allahu ‘Anhum. Its daily life is governed by shari’a (sacred Muslim law). Its spread is through nasiha (good advice), zikr of Allah Ta'ala and salawaat and salaam on the Holy Prophet Muhammad, Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa Sallam. Its peak is jihad (battle to eliminate oppression of Muslims by non-Muslims and to establish Islamic justice), and its ultimate is fana Fillah (annihilation of oneself for the sake of, and in the love of Allah Ta'ala), after which Allah Ta'ala showers you with Baqa Billah (spiritual life everlasting) in His Rida (Pleasure). So you begin with rida’l waalidayn (living in the pleasure of your parents) and end with Ridallah (living to please Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala). And the Sahaba (Companions) of the Holy Prophet Muhammad are referred to as Radi Allahu ‘Anhum wa Radu ‘Anhu (Allah is well pleased with them and they are pleased with Him as their Lord). And according to Shaikh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani, his own position is equal to the dust under the feet of the Sahaba. If that is the case, then what is the stature of the blessed Sahaba of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa Sallam? Their spiritual stature derives from the fact that they were blessed with the opportunity of beholding the Holy Prophet Muhammad with the eyes of iman (faith). That being the case, how can anyone be capable enough to explain in full the sifat (attributes) of Muhammad ‘Arabi, Rasuli Rabbi’l ‘Aalameen, Rahmatullil ‘Aalamin. Only Allah Ta’ala is aware of what He bestowed on His beloved Prophet Muhammad, Allahumma salli wa sallim ‘alayh.

The Spiritual Roots of Shaikh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani Any tariqa has a silsila or spiritual chain linking the teachings of the Shaikh to the teachings of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa Sallam. The spiritual roots of Shaikh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani Radi Allahu ‘Anhu are traced back to the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, as follows: Imam u’l Anbiya, Sayyidina wa Mawlana Muhammad ibn ‘Abdillah, Nurin min Nurillah, (53 B.H-11 A.H; 571-632 C.E), the master of Sayyiduna’l Imam ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (23 B.H-40 A.H; 600-661 C.E), the father of Sayyid-ush-shuhadaa Imam Husain ibn ‘Ali (4-61 A.H), the father of Sayyidina Imam Zayn u’l ‘Abidin ‘Ali ibn Husayn (38-94 A.H), the father of Sayyidina Imam Muhammad al-Baqir ibn ‘Ali (59-114 A.H), the father of Sayyidina Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (83-148 A.H), the father of Sayyidina Imam Musa al-Kazim (passed away 182 A.H), the father of Sayyidina Imam ‘Ali ar-Rida (passed away 203 A.H), the master of Sayyidina Shaikh Ma’ruf al-Karkhi (passed away 201 A.H/817 C.E), the master of Sayyidina Shaikh as-Sari as-Saqati (passed away 251 A.H/866 C.E), the master of Sayyidina Shaikh Abu’l Qasim, Junayd al-Baghdadi (passed away 298 A.H/910 C.E), the master of Sayyidina Shaikh Abu Bakr ibn Jahdar ash-Shibli (passed away 334 A.H/945 C.E), the master of Sayyidina Shaikh ‘Abdul Wahid at-Tamimi, the master of Sayyidina Shaikh Abu’l Faraj at-Tarsusi (Abu’l Farah according to some narrations, instead of Abu’l Faraj), the master of Sayyidina Shaikh Abu’l Hasan, al-Qurashi al-Hakaari, the master of Sayyidina Shaikh Qadi Abu Sa’id al-Mubarak al-Makhzumi (passed away 513 A.H), the master of Sayyidina Shaikh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani (470-561 A.H; 1077-1166 C.E). (Cited in al-Jawhar u’n Nafis, The Most Precious Pearls p. 34). Imam Ahmad Raza Khan Rahmatullahi ‘alayh, (1272-1340 A.H, 1856-1921 C.E) has versified on these spiritual roots in “Shajara Qadria” (“The Spiritual Tree of the Qadria Spiritual Masters”), in Hadaaiqi Bakhshish (The Gardens of Gifts, p. 65-66). It has been narrated in Qalaid al-Jawahir (Necklaces of Gems) by Shaikh Muhammad ibn Yahya at-Tadifi, Rahmatullahi ‘alayh that Shaikh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani did not start preaching in Baghdad until he reached the age of 50. Before that, for many years, he was a wandering darwish in the wilderness of Iraq practicing zuhd (abstinence), totally immersed in the worship of Allah. Then the Holy Prophet Sayyidina Muhammad, peace be upon him, and Amir u’l Mu’minin Sayyidina ‘Ali, may Allah ennoble his face, came to him in a dream to bless him and to encourage him to start preaching in Baghdad. This then was the direct ijaza (permission) to him to preach from the Beloved Prophet himself who is the Madinat u’l ‘ilm (the City of Knowledge) as well as from Sayyidina ‘Ali who is Bab u’l ‘ilm (the Gate of Knowledge). With such an ijaza, was there anything that the beloved Piran-e-Pir (Shaikh of Shaikhs), Dastagir (the helping hand) could not accomplish?

The Tariqa of Shaikh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani. Muslims follow Tariqa (spiritual path leading to Allah Ta’ala) based on Shari’a (sacred Muslim law). In matters of Shari’a (sacred Muslim law), Mahbub Sub-hani Shaikh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani Radi Allahu ‘Anhu was an authority in the Hanbali madhhab (school of sacred Muslim law) as well as the Shafi’i madhhab, and a chief exponent of the Ahl u’s-Sunnah wa’l Jama'ah (the people who follow the lifestyle of the Holy Prophet Muhammad and of his blessed Companions). The way to draw nearer to Allah Ta'ala is through the fulfilment of obligatory religious duties, additional voluntary prayers day and night, through constant remembrance (zikr) of Allah, unceasing salawaat (invocations of blessings) on the Holy Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa Sallam, Sunnah fasting, charity, zuhd (abstinence) and juhd (exertion in the way of Allah Ta'ala) as exemplified by the Holy Prophet Muhammad himself. This then is the tariqa (spiritual path leading to Allah Ta'ala) which is rooted in shari’a (sacred Muslim Law). Shaikh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani learned about the mysteries of tariqa and imbibed spiritual culture (tasawwuf) at the hands of Shaikh Hammad ibn Muslim al-Dabbas, Rahmatullahi ‘alayh. Traditionally, when someone is initiated into a tariqa, he is given a khirqa (Sufi robe). Shaikh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani was bestowed the khirqa by Shaikh Qadi Abi Sa’id al-Makhzumi, Rahmatullahi ‘alayh, (referred to as Al-Mukharrimi or Al-Makhrimi in some texts). A Shaikh (spiritual master), musk-scented in shari’a, tariqa and haqiqi ma'rifa (knowledge of spiritual realities), is able to ascertain the spiritual level of a murid (spiritual seeker/disciple) and can assign additional awraad and azkaar (regular voluntary invocations) to be performed to attain spiritual progress. Shaikh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani went on to become the epitome of such spiritual masters. The tariqa followed by Shaikh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani Radi Allahu ‘Anhu came to be called after him as the Qadria tariqa and it came to be universally accepted as a divinely-guided path to spiritual progress through zikr (remembrance) of Allah to cleanse one's heart of all evil, to lead a virtuous life, to attain the love of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa Sallam, the love of the Ahl u’l Bayt (the Prophet's blessed Household), the love of his Sahaba (Companions) and the love of the awliya Allah (friends of Allah); and to follow the shari’a (sacred Muslim law) according to the teachings of any one of the four Imams of madhhab, that is Imam Abu Hanifa, Imam Shafi’i, Imam Malik and Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, may Allah Ta'ala be pleased with them all.

Huzur Sayyadana Gause Aazam Ke Mazare Puranwaar Ki Jaali Mubarak K Andar Se Ziyarat Khas 3aur 4 link mai jaali mubarak ke andar ka video hai

Shaikh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani (Radi Allahu Anhu) is Both Hasani and Husaini. The most universally acclaimed saint of all times and the most celebrated in all the ‘aalamin (worlds), among jinn and men as well as among the arwaah (souls), the malaaika (angels), and the rijaal u’l ghayb (men of the unseen), the beloved of Allah Ta'ala who throughout history has been showered the titles of Muhiyuddin (reviver of the faith), Qutb Rabbani (the spiritual axis established by the Lord), and Ghousul A'zam (the greatest helper, the greatest saint), Sayyidi wa Imami Abu Muhammad ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani, Radi Allahu ‘Anhu was born in Ramadan 470 A.H/1077 C.E in Jilan, Persia. His father, Abu Salih, was a man of taqwa (piety) and a direct descendant of Sayyidina Imam Hasan ibn ‘Ali Radi Allahu ‘Anhu. His mother, Ummu’l Khair Fatima was a saintly daughter of a saintly father Shaikh ‘Abdullah Sawma'i who was a direct descendant of Sayyidu’sh shuhadaa Imam Husain ibn ‘Ali Radi Allahu ‘Anhu. Thus Muhiyuddin Shaikh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani was both Hasani and Husaini, a descendant of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa Sallam from his beloved daughter Sayyidatina Fatima az-Zahra, Radi Allahu ‘Anha. For this reason, the Sindhis for example, lovingly call him "putar mithe mahbub jo" (the blessed son of the sweet beloved Holy Prophet), Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa Sallam. The genealogical roots of Shaikh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani Radi Allahu ‘Anhu can be traced to Habib u’l A’zam Sayyidina Muhammad, Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa Sallam, as follows: Ghousul A’zam Sayyidina Shaikh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani, son of As-Sayyid Abu Salih Musa, son of As-Sayyid ‘Abdallah al-Jili, son of As-Sayyid Yahya as-Zahid, son of As-Sayyid Muhammad, son of As-Sayyid Dawud, son of As-Sayyid Musa, son of As-Sayyid Abdallah, son of As-Sayyid Musa al-Jawn, son of As-Sayyid ‘Abdallah al-Mahd, son of As-Sayyid al-Hasan al-Muthanna, son of Sayyidina al-Imam al-Hasan, Radi Allahu ‘Anhu, son of Imam u’l mashariqi wa’l magharib, Sayyidina ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, Radi Allahu ‘Anhu, and of Sayyidatina Fatima az-Zahra, Radi Allahu ‘Anha, the blessed daughter of Khaatam an-Nabiyyin Habibi Rabbi’l ‘aalamin Sayyidina wa Mawlana Muhammad ibn ‘Abdillah, Nurin min Nurillah, Allahumma Salli wa Sallim wa Baarik ‘alayh. (Cited by Shaikh ‘Abdur Rahman ibn Shaikh ‘Umar ‘Ali al-Qadiri, in Al-Jawhar u’n Nafis, The Most Precious Pearls, p. 29). What better way is there to end this section and indeed all the remaining sections than with this hymn which is full of blessings and mercy of Allah. Shaikh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani Attained the Spiritual Station of Siddiqin The Holy Prophet Muhammad Mustafa Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa Sallam is the last Prophet and there is no prophet after him. But people can still aspire to spiritual progress, acquire taqwa (piety) and saintliness and become awliya Allah (friends of Allah). And the highest spiritual state after the anbiya (prophets) belongs to the siddiqin (the truthful). That is why the Holy Prophet Muhammad taught us to make the supplication: Allahummaj 'alnaa min-as-siddiqin (O Allah make us among the truthful). Well, Shaikh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani Radi Allahu ‘Anhu manifested to the world that he ranked among the siddiqin at the ripe age of 18. At that age, his thirst for knowledge and eagerness for the company of the awliya Allah (friends of Allah) took him to the city of Baghdad. It is related that as he was about to leave home on this momentous journey, his widowed mother sewed forty gold coins inside his coat as part of his inheritance, and as parting advice told him to be forever truthful. The caravan with whom he was travelling had gone as far as Hamadan when it was attacked by a gang of robbers. In the course of their loot, one of the robbers asked him whether he had anything with him and he truthfully replied that he had forty gold coins sewn in his coat. The robber obviously thought he was joking and narrated this incident to his chief who decided to see this young man. When his coat was torn open, sure enough there were forty gold coins. The gang leader was astounded. He asked Shaikh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani as to why he revealed this when he could have kept it secret. Shaikh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani told him that his mother had advised him not to lie and he was duty bound to obey his mother, Hearing this, the gang leader was overtaken with remorse, repented, accepted Shaikh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani as his Shaikh and so did all his followers and they went on to acquire wilayah (sainthood) themselves. This is how Shaikh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani came to be ranked among the Siddiqin. Allahummaj 'alnaa min-as-Siddiqin, Aameen Yaa Rabbal 'Aalamin. This incident has been narrated in almost all the biographies of the Shaikh, among them being Qalaid al-Jawahir (Necklaces of Gems, p. 33), one of the earliest and major biographies, by Shaikh Muhammad ibn Yahya at-Tadifi, Rahmatullahi ‘alayh (passed away 963 A.H, 1556 C.E) Sayyid ‘Abdur Rahim ibn Muhammad Isma’il Shirazi Rahmatullahi ‘alayh has captured the essence of this incident most beautifully in the following verse of his Urdu poem on the Ghousul A'zam: Choron pay tum nay kar kay tawajjoh Abdal banaaya 'aali shaan Yaa Ghousul A'zam ajab tumhaaree shaan Focusing your spiritual glance at the thieves you turned them into great saints O, the great helper, your stature is truly astounding (Gulzare Tayyiba, The Pleasant Garden, vol. 3, p. 18)

"O Allah, Inspire us to remember you, to be grateful to You and to worship You well." Abdul Qadir Jilani Hazrat Sheikh Syed Muhiyyudin Abdul Qadir Jillani is the descendant of Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa The Great Ghous or Ghous al Azam as he is called [literally meaning the great helper] was the son of Abu Salih Jangi Dost, a descendant in the direct line of Imam hassan the grandson of the Holy Prophet s.w. His mother Syedah Fatimah Ummulkhair, was the descendant of Imam Hussain. This way, Syed Abdul Qadir Jillani was the unalloyed descendant of the Prophet s.w. It is narrated that the night of his birth, his father Abu Salih, saw the Holy Prophet in his dream, who had come to his house and said "O Abu Salih! Allah has bestowed a son to you who is my son,my beloved and the beloved of God. His rank amidst the saints is like that of mine amidst the messengers. Ghous al Azam was born in the month of Ramadan in the city of Jilan [Persia]. It is reported that he refused to take suckle during the fasting hours.This came to be known as such a sure-shot act of Divinely guided piety, that the people of Jilan, whenever in doubt of the moon-sighting for Ramadan, would run to ask the mother of Abdul Qadir, whether he had suckled or not. Even prior to the birth of Abdul Qadir Jillani, many sufi-saints had foretold his advent and commented upon his great station. Hazrat Junaid Baghdadi d 910 A.D, one day while sermonizing said "his foot will be on my neck". The people inquired as to the nature of the statement. Junaid Baghdadi said that it had been revealed to him that at the end of the 5th century A.H, a greatly venerable person would be born to the descendants of the Holy Prophet ., whose name would be Abdul Qadir and appellation Muhiyyudin. His birth place would be Jilan and abode Baghdad, and his foot would be on the neck of all former and latter day saints. This prediction came true when years later Sheikh Abdul Qadir from the of the mosque, said "My foot is on the neck of all the saints". "Qadami haazihi ala raqabati kulli waliallah." Expounding the meaning of the proclamation, Hazrat Pir Mehr Ali Shah, in Mehre-Munir says "Everyone accepts this proclamation of Ghous Pak as this was uttered under Divine command, and certainly not for personal gratification.Hazrat Bahauddin Zakariya Multani said about him "All the saints of the first and the last placed their heads under his feet by the command of the Lord of the universe." In praising his sublime status Hazrat Sultan Bahu said "Sag-e-dargahe-miran sho choo khwahi qurbi rabbani / ki ber sheraan sharfi dared sag-e-dargahi Jillani", translated as "Become a dog at the door-court of Miran {Abdul Qadir} if you seek Divine nearness / for the dog of his door-court is known to prevail upon lions." This Sultan al Auliya was born in the city of Jilan [Persia] in 1078 A.D [471 A.H]. Since childhood he exhibited traits of a unique personality. He did not play around casually with other children his age. Whenever he was tempted to join in with the other children gamboling in the streets, he would hear a Heavenly Voice calling out to him, "O’ Divinely Blessed, come to Me, I created you for My sake and not for play." Frightened by the call from the unseen, he would run to the security of his mother’s lap. He was a shy and quiet lad, given to meditation and reflection. Having lost his father very early in childhood, he was looked after by his maternal grandfather. By the age of five he was left alone with his mother as his sole guardian. Ghous al Azam’s mother being a woman of exceptional piety herself, sowed the seeds of spiritual longing in her son’s heart. He completed his primary and further education in Jilan by the age of eighteen. One day on the eve of Eid al Adha, he went to the fields to till the farmland. While he was driving the oxen, one turned around and said "you are not created for this". Terrified he ran back to the house and climbed the roof. Standing there in disturbed perplexity, he witnessed the gathering of the pilgrims in the plain of Arafat right before his eyes. From that moment, an uncontrollable fire raged in his heart and soul to travel to Baghdad [a great centre for spiritual learning at the time] for seeking further knowledge. The mother who was quite old by now, judging that she would not see her son again once he left, nevertheless, permitted him to continue as she did not want to hinder his search for God. Her parting words to the beloved son cautioned him to always speak the truth, to be diligent in the observance of Divine Commands, keep away from the unlawful and be content with the Divine Decree. Taking the forty dinars that his mother gifted him, Abdul Qadir left for Baghdad. His journey to Baghdad is famous for the incident that led to the conversion of a band of robbers to the way of Islam. The brigands attacked and looted the caravan. Abdul Qadir, whose appearance amply reflected his modesty, was matter of factly asked whether he was carrying anything valuable. Much to the surprise of the robbers he replied that he had forty dinars on him that were stitched into the inner part of his sleeve. Out of curiosity, the chief ordered the boy to give proof of his frankness. The garment was cut open and the forty dinars retrieved. When the chief questioned Abdul Qadir as to why he divulged the truth about his hidden treasure whereas he could have easily kept it hidden, he replied that it was in keeping with the parting promise he had made to his mother that he could not lie. This confession moved the chief to tears and saying that "you cannot disobey your mother, and I have been disobeying the Lord all my life", he repented and strengthened his spiritual resolve at the hands of Ghous al Azam. Such was the charismatic power and spiritual benediction of Abdul Qadir even at this young age. He reached Baghdad in the year 1098 A.D. The city was the capital of the Abbasid caliphate at the time and a great centre of learning. He began his religious education at the Jamia and made do with the meager amount he had. He remained steadfast in the face of all tribulations that came his way. During the day he studied Fiqh and at night he would withdraw to the jungle for periods of spiritual training. During this period of educational training, Abdul Qadir faced many hardships and trials of hunger and destitution. Owing to the nobility of his spirit, he never resorted to beggary. Unmatched perseverance, contentment and trust in the Almighty were the strengths that pulled him through his phase of unbearable hardship. In Baghdad, Abdul Qadir shared the company of the saints and holy men of the time. Soon he started experiencing strange and agonizing spiritual states which oppressed him. He prayed to Allah for a guide, someone who could explain these states to him. Next day a person came to his door and inquired of him what he had solicited of God the day before. This was Hazrat Hammad al Dabbas, who had identified the worth of Abdul Qadir’s esoteric state. From here began the formal spiritual training of Abdul Qadir. Along with acquiring esoteric knowledge, he devoted himself to the study of exoteric Islam as well. Being admitted to the jamia of Hazrat Sheikh Abu Saeed Mubarik bin Ali Makhzoomi, a Hanbalite School of Fiqh, he studied Islamic law, Tafseer, Hadeeth, and Arabic literature. His teachers remarked of him "You Abdul Qadir! Will infuse new life into Deen-i-Muhammadi and all the creatures of the world will benefit from you" It took Ghous al Azam eight years from 488 A.H to 496 A.H at the Jamia to conclude his higher education. Being twenty-six years of age then, instead of taking up a post in the Jamia or some government office, he retired to a life of seclusion. According to biographers, he spent fifteen years in jungles and dreary places following the call of his ascetic mission, subjecting his soul to hardship and mortification for it’s purification. During the formative phase of his mystical life, he was given to varied states. He would at times become absent from himself and wander about and at times lose consciousness. During this period Satan and his allies appeared to him in various forms in order to scare him away from his devotional engagement. Abdul Qadir would however, find the resolve to fight against them and remain steadfast owing to the Divine Help that gave him unlimited courage. Ghous al Azam has described his travails regarding Satan as once appearing in front of him saying that being humiliated and defeated he and his companions wanted to serve him. Ghous al Azam however rejected his plea saying that he felt no peace with him. He would return repeatedly and every time the Sheikh would take refuge with Allah and make him turn to his heels, rebuking him for his hypocrisy and cunningness. But then Satan began to spread a number of traps around him. These were the traps of worldly temptations. For one year Abdul Qadir dealt with the worldly enticements. Then the worldly means were revealed to him. These were the causes of creation connected with him. For another year he addressed the causes, disconnecting them from himself and identifying the Causer. Then his innermost was unveiled to him. He saw his heart caught up in worldly relationships. He looked into the nature of these and discovered them as resolves and powers. He then rid himself of these attractions bringing peace to his heart. After this the lower soul with it’s many ailments manifested itself. It took another year to eliminate all the ailments of the lower self. It was then that all the desires were annihilated and the Satan of the soul turned Muslim. He had separated from the ego-self and reached the door of Trust. Through this he entered the door of contentment, then contemplation and finally arrived at the door of spiritual poverty. Here is where he found the great spiritual treasure and found subsistence in the True Self. By 511 A.H his spiritual journey had been completed. He forsook his hermit’s life and returned to the Jamia in Baghdad. His spiritual preceptor and teacher Sheikh Abu Saeed Makhzoomi now endowed heavy academic responsibility for running the Jamia on Sheikh Abdul Qadir. Here he remained active as a mufti and teacher of religious and mystical sciences. His spiritual and mystical power found predominant fame. His lectures and discourses changed the destinies of many people. The popularity of his teachings spread far and wide. He served the cause of the Jamia till 561 A.H. It was only after the death of his preceptor in 513 A.H that Sheikh Abdul Qadir started his own initiation work. All the disciples of Sheikh Abu Saeed renewed their novitiateship at the hands of Ghous al Azam. His sermons evidently describe him as an educationist, a keen lover of knowledge and a staunch supporter of mass literacy. In those days Baghdad had a great reputation for the art of oratory. Abdul Qadir being a non-Arab was aware of the disadvantage of not being as fluent and eloquent in his Arabic speech as his contemporary orators. It is narrated that in 521 A.H he was blessed with the vision of the Holy Prophet s.w. who urged him to preach. Ghous Pak humbly admitted that being an Ajami he did not have enough command over the Arabic language so to sermonize publicly. The Holy Prophet then blessed him by putting his blessed saliva in the mouth of Abdul Qadir seven times repeating the verse of the Quran "Call unto the way of thy Lord with wisdom and fair exhortation and reason with them in the better way." After this Sheikh Abdul Qadir mounted the pulpit and delivered his sermon in impeccable Arabic oratory that stirred the audience beyond comparison. His sermons became so popular that people would come in droves, men of different faiths, divergent views and status. Muslims, Christians, Jews all flocked to hear the miracle of his words and at the end of the Khutba there would be a long line of people wanting to take Bayt at his hands, resolving to give up their previous lives of sinful living. There would be nearly 70,000 people attending his sermon at one given time. During his time the Muslim world was infested with confrontations and power struggles, particularly amongst the Seljuks. The atmosphere carried the miasma of sycophancy and material hypocrisy. The saint of Jilan observed the state of affairs very patiently and was fearless in speaking up against such social evils, making no distinction between a prince or a commoner. He was disinterested in worldly gains and never compromised on justice. The caliph of the time Muktafi Al Amar Allah also became his devotee. About his station he himself said "Every saint is at the foot of a prophet and I am at the foot of my grandfather the Apostle Muhammad s.w. Whatever steps my grandfather took I put my step over there, but I could not get to the way of prophethood for only Prophets have access there." God Most High on account of his mystical state, bestowed a sublime authoritative rank on him. He being on the footsteps of the Prophet s.w. is also understood in the context of the hierarchical construction of the hidden spiritual council. According to Ibn Arabi there are twelve Qutbs or poles in all equaling the number of the twelve constellations. All of them are under the command of the twelve prophets respectively, Hazrat Nuh, Hazrat Ibrahim, Hazrat Musa, Hazrat Isa, Hazrat Daud, Hazrat Suleman, Hazrat Ayub, Hazrat Ilyas, Hazrat Lut, Hazrat Hud, Hazrat Salih and Hazrat Shuayb. They are the analogues in the absent domain of the twelve constellations that rule over the witnessed domain. The Qutbs are upon the hearts or footsteps of all the corresponding Prophets according to the twelve earthly divisions that they are given to supervise. This means that they are the inheritors of the knowledge, stations and states of these specific Prophets. The Qutb al Aqtab is at the head of all these Qutbs and is the inheritor of the Muhammadan Knowledge. The whole council functions with mutual consultation and agreement, the final command coming from the Holy Prophet s.w. Ghous as Saqlain, Ghous al Azam meaning the helper of man and jinn, the great helper was given command over the communities of man and jinn. The rank of Ghausiyyat-i-Uzma that was conferred on him is free from the constraints of time and space. He was made the sultan of the saints among all the walis who came before and after him, apart from the descendants Imams of the Prophet’s lineage. The invisible hierarchy of Auliya Allah has at it’s head the Prophet s.w under whom is the viceregency of Hazrat Ali. Then there is the office of Ghous al Azam, He holds sway over the whole spiritual administration below him. All appointments, promotions and demotions are done by his recommendation, and he in turn takes the command from the Prophet s.w. The Qutb al Aqtab is the pivot or highest spiritual authority under him. He is chief of the temporal world in regard to it’s governance, whereas the Ghous al Azam is the chief in the spiritual realm. The Qutb is surrounded by three nuqba [ watchers], four awtad [ pillars ], seven abrar [ pious ones ], forty abdaal [substitutes ], three hundred akhyaar [ good ones ], and four thousand hidden saints whose saintship is not even known to themselves. Abdul Qadir Jillani’s spiritual philosophy hinged on the same guidelines as that of Ghazali’s thought. The twelfth century is marked with the influence of these two great spiritual thinkers. Sheikh Abdul Qadir shared Ghazali’s mission of reconciliating orthodox Islam with it’s mystical aspect. The Sultan of Baghdad showered his benediction on all his followers during his lifetime here in this world and continues to do so from the celestial realm. According to belief, there are different stages of the life of the soul after death. The first is life in the grave which is entered upon the passing away of the individual. The soul is aware in the grave as the Holy Prophet s.w. said " when a servant is laid in the grave and his companions return, he even hears the footsteps leaving his grave." Subsequent to the examination by Munkar and Nakir in the grave, the deceased is transitioned either to the world of the grave or the Barzakh. In the world of the grave the person experiences a new dimension of life similar to the one he experiences during sleep. He either knows it as heaven or hell-fire in the grave according to what his deeds have merited him, and he remains in that state upto the day of resurrection. The world of Barzakh, however, is reserved for the martyrs, Anbiya, Rasuls and Auliya Allah who have been known to have died before death actually came to them. They move, travel and communicate freely according to their status. They are free from the limitations of the grave. This is the executive hierarchy that administers control from the invisible realm with the command of Allah. Out of these the auliya who reached the spiritual state of "Fatih" [the access to direct spiritual experience] in their lifetime, can communicate with the living in the world. Thus the saints continue to bless and guide their followers and spiritual seekers from the world of Barzakh. The tombs of men of God are alive with their sublime energy.

Asforsalutation2upontheMessengerofAllah, ,its virtueisgreatandbenefitinthisworldandthehereafterforthosewhoareex cessiveinitare plenty. Allah the Exalted said: “Indeed Allah and His angels confer blessings upon the Prophet,Obelievers!Conferblessingsuponhimand salutehimwithaworthy salutation” [33:56] So make conclusion from what Allah stipulates in this verse in great honour for his messenger; an encouragement and stimulus for thebelievingworshippers to sendblessings andsalutationuponhim. He, , said:“Allah confers ten blessings upon the personwho confers one blessing uponme”. Some of the rightful scholars,mayAllah have mercyonthem,havesaid:IfAllahwastosendoneblessinguponaslaveduring hisentirelife, thatwouldbeenoughhonourandbountyforhim.Sowhat(canbesaid)fortenbl essingsfor everyblessing theMuslim sends tohisProphet?!So,praisebe toAllah for thisgreatvirtue andrichgift. He, , said:“He who confers blessings uponme, Allahconfersuponhim tenblessings, raiseshim in ten ranks,writes ten virtuousdeeds for him,andforgivestenofhissins”. He, ,said:“Indeed,thoseclosesttomeontheDay ofJudgementwillbethosewhoconferblessingsuponmethemost.” He, said:“Myintercessionwillbecomeincumbent uponwhoeverconfersthefollowingblessing:OAllah,conferblessingsuponMuIa mmadand bestowuponhimthestationofproximitytoYouontheDayofJudgement.” He, , said: “Whoever says: ‘May Allah reward MuIammadonourbehalfwitha rewardbefittingwhathedeserves’,Allahwillput seventy angelstotroubleinwritingitsrewardforonethousanddays.” He, , said:“Sendblessingsuponmewhereveryou areasindeedyourblessingsareconveyedtome” He, ,said:“Allahhascertainangelswhoroamthe earthandconveythesalutationsofmyfollowerstome.” (From)anarration: Indeednoone fromhis community sends salutationsuponhimexcept Allahreturnshisnoblesoultohimuntilherepliestohim.ShaykhIbnajarme ntionsin‘Dur al-Mandud’ , ithas reachedus from theMessengerofAllah, that he said: “There is not one of youwho sends salutations upon him except Allahreturnshisnoblesouluntilherepliestohim” He, , said:“May that person be destroyed who refrains from conveying blessings upon me when I am mentioned in his presence”, and “WhoeverforgetstoconferblessingsuponmehaslostthewaytoParadise.” Indeed he, , instructed specifically on the day of Friday to increase in sending blessings upon him.He, said: “Confer blessings upon me abundantly on Friday, for the blessings of my followersarepresentedtomeeveryFriday.Whoeverconfersthemostblessingsu ponmethe closerheshallbewithmeontheDayofJudgement.”He, ,said:“Conferblessingsuponmeabundantlyon the luminousnightand the luminous day”(meaning:ThenightanddayofFriday). Hence, it isparamount for eachbeliever to increase in their sendingof blessings upon the Messenger ofAllah, , during all periods and in particularthenightofFridayandit’sday.Sendsalutationsalongwithbless ingsuponhimas indeedAllahhas commanded themboth together. Ina tradition,Allah theExalted said to him, ,“WhoeverconfersblessingsuponyouIconfer blessingsuponhimandhewhoconferssalutationsuponyouIconfersalutations uponhim”. It is vital that for the onewho sends blessings and salutations upon hisProphet: to send blessingsandsalutationsuponhisfamilyafterit,asindeedhelovedforthem that,. Ithas reachedus from traditionsand from somenarrations that the blessings presentedwithwhich no blessings conferred upon the household (of the Prophet) isknownasavoidblessing. AndAllahknowsbest. By:-Imāmal-abīb‘Abdullāhal-addād (Rehmatullahi Alaih)

Disobedience to one’s father is disobedience to Allah Subhaanahu Wata’ala, and displeasure of the father, is displeasure of Allah Ta’ala. If a person keeps his parents pleased, then that is his Jannat (Heaven), and if he displeases them, then that is his hell. Until a person does not gain the pleasure of his parents, neither are his fardh or his nafl actions accepted in actuality. Such persons will not only be faced with punishment in the hereafter, but they shall face great hardships even in this world. Allah forbid, but for such persons, there is a fear of not having the opportunity of reciting the Kalima on their deathbed. Our Beloved Rasool has mentioned the following: “Obedience to Allah is through obedience to ones father, and Allah’s displeasure is through the displeasure of ones father.” “Pleasure of Allah is in the pleasure of the father, and displeasure of Allah is in the displeasure of the father.” “Parents are either your heaven or your hell.” “The father is the middle door, from all the doors of Jannat. Now if you desire, then your may lose this door or keep it protected.” “Three persons will not enter Jannat: one who disobeys his parents, a fornicator and a woman who dresses like a man.” “The punishment for all sins, Allah will give in the hereafter, except for that of one who disrespects his parents. He starts receiving his punishment whilst on earth.” “A forsaking (giving up) of the prayers for parents results in the cut off of a man’s earnings.” “Offer Nafl Ibaadat on behalf of your parents. Whenever you do so, they get the sawaab of it and in turn nothing in your own sawaab is decreased.” “Anybody going for Hajj on behalf of his father or mother gets the Hajj sanctioned to his credit too. In fact he earns the reward from Allah Ta’ala ten times more than a single Hajj.” It is in one narration, that there was a young man who on his deathbed could not recite the Kalima. This message came to the Holy Prophet who went to him and reminded him of the Kalima, and he replied by saying that he could not recite it (even though he tried). It was then confirmed that his mother was displeased with him. After gaining her pleasure (forgiveness), then only was he able to recite the Kalima. Hazrat Abu Huraira (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anhu) cites that in the holy service of the Beloved Rasool someone asked, “Ya Rasoolallah who is the most rightful with whom I should behave kindly?” He replied, “Your mother.” He again asked and the Prophet replied “Your mother.” He again asked and received the same reply. When he asked the fourth time the Beloved Prophet ordered, “Your father.” Aala Hazrat Imam Ahmed Raza Khan (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anhu) says that the reason for this excess stress is to offer superiority to the mother over the father in the matters concerning their service, nursing or giving something .e.g. if you have hundred rupees you should give twenty five rupees to the father and the rest of the seventy five rupees to the mother. Or if both father and mother ask for a glass of water simultaneously, then you should serve the mother first and then the father should be given the water afterwards. And if they have returned from journey, then priority in pressing their feet should be given to the mother. There is a consensus amongst the Ulema-e-Kiram (Religious heads) that a mother enjoys superiority in the matters of nursing and attendance while the father bears greater rights as far as the matter of respect is concerned. Hazrat Abdullah Bin Umar (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anhu) narrates that once a man solicited before the holy court of the Prophet , “Ya Rasoolallah I have committed a great sin. Can my expiation be granted?” The Prophet asked him if his mother was alive. He replied, “Yes.” He was then advised by the Prophet to behave kindly with her. (Tirmizi) The moral is that the noble behaviour with parents serves as the Kaffaara (compensation) of one’s sins. Aala Hazrat Imam Ahle Sunnat Imam Ahmed Raza Khan (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anhu) was asked, “What are the rights of parents that are lasting upon the children even after death?” Aala Hazrat (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anhu), amongst other things, mentioned the following points: 1) Always read Istighfaar and pray for them. Never be ignorant, idle or indifferent towards these things. 2) Send them sawaab by giving sadqa, khairaat (charity) and doing righteous deeds as per your ability and never minimize them. Recite salaah for them along with your salaah and do fasting for them with your own. 3) If they could not go to Hajj, then you should perform Hajj (Hajje-Badal i.e. Hajj being done for others who could not do it due to physical weakness or death), you should settle out their zakaat if not paid, and distribute Kaffaara for any namaaz or fasts they might have outstanding. 4) You should visit their graves every Friday and recite the Holy Quran in such a loud voice so that they may hear it and confer the sawaab of it to their souls. 5) Never afflict pain and sadness on them in their graves by doing sinful action. This is the greatest and most public right of them, they bear forever. The parents are informed about all the good and bad actions of their children in their graves. Virtuous deeds performed by their children delight them and their faces start shinning while bad deeds offend them deeply and their hearts suffer restlessness and pains. So to distress them even after their deaths and to sadden them in their graves is not a right of parents. O Muslims! After reading the above Hadith-e-Mubaraka and advice given by Aala Hazrat (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anhu), you decide whether you are amongst those who are obedient to their parents or those who are disobedient. If you are obedient, then definitely your soul must have received great pleasure after reading the Ahadith of Rasoolullah . If you feel that you have been disobedient, become conscious and ask your parents for forgiveness, for death can come at any moment. Repent in the Court of Almighty Allah, with the Wasila of Rasoolullah and please your parents, so that you may protect your worldly life and your life in the hereafter from destruction. May Almighty Allah bless us all with the guidance to always please our parents. Ameen

One day of the many days There was a man traveling on a trip with his Wife and Kids And on the way he met someone standing in the roadway So he asked him: Who are you? He said: I am the money So the man asked his wife and kids : Should we ask him to ride with us? They said together: Yes of course because with the money it can help us if we wanted to do anything, and if we wanted to get anything we desired, So they took the Money to ride with them. And the vehicle continued its way until the man met someone else on the road So the Father asked: Who are you? He said: I am the high position and power So the father asked his wife and kids : Should we ask him to ride with us? So they all answered together in one voice: Yes of course because with the high position and power we have the ability to do anything we want and own anything we desired. So they took the high position and power with them And the vehicle continued to finish its trip . And likewise he met in the same manner many people which give the pleasures and desires of this life, UNTIL .. They met one person on the way.. The Father asks him Who are you? He said: I am the Deen (Islam) So the father, wife, and kids said all together in one voice: No no this isn't the time, we desire the pleasures of this life and dunyah, and the Deen will prevent us and ban us from these things and it will take control over us, and we will be worn-out from being loyal to it and its learning. And the halal and the Haram, and this thing prayer and that thing hijab, and this fasting , and and and and and etc, It will be a burden upon us!!! But what is certain is that we will definitely return for you to pick you up but only after we enjoy this life and everything in it. So sadly they left him behind and the vehicle continued its trip. And out of no where something appeared in the middle of the road It was a check point in the road and it had a sign saying STOP!!! And they found a man gesturing for the father to get out of the vehicle. So the man said to the father: The trip has ended as far as you are concerned!!!! And it is upon you to get out and come with me. The father was shocked with fear and didn't say a word. So the man said to him: I am searching for the DEEN.e Islam Is he with you? He answered: No I left him not too far back. So if you can let me go back, I can get him for you : You do not have the ability to go back, your trip has ended and there is no going back now.. returning is impossible said the man. But I have The Money, The high position and power, My Wife, My Kids, and and and and and and on. The man said to him: They will not benefit you nor will they protect you in front of Allah. Not one bit! And you will leave all of this, and not one of them will help you except for The Deen e Islam you know? The one which YOU left back in the road. So the father asked: And who are you exactly? I AM DEATH The one which you were needless of and didn't take into account in your trip!! The father looked at his vehicle and found his wife taking control of it and continuing the trip with all of its passengers but him And none of them stayed with him, and none of them helped him in any way. His Majesty said: "Say: If it be that your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your mates, or your kindred; the wealth that ye have gained; the commerce in which ye fear a decline: or the dwellings in which ye delight - are dearer to you than Allah, or His Messenger, or the striving in His cause;- then wait until Allah brings about His decision: and Allah guides not the rebellious." Qur'an 9:24 And Allah the Majestic said: "Every soul shall have a taste of death: And only on the Day of Judgment shall you be paid your full recompense. Only he who is saved far from the Fire and admitted to the Garden will have attained the object (of Life): For the life of this world is but goods and chattels of deception." Qur'an 3:185 Leave alone those who take their religion to be mere play and amusement, and are deceived by the life of this world. But proclaim (to them) this (truth): that every soul delivers itself to ruin by its own acts: (HOLY QURAN:- Al -An am:70)

REFRESHER FOR AHLE IMAAN….& REMINDER FOR AHLUL HAWAJ 164. Indeed Allâh conferred a great favour on the believers when He sent among them a Messenger (Muhammad) from among themselves, reciting unto them His Verses, and purifying them, and instructing them (in) the Book and Al­Hikmah, while before that they had been in manifest error. (Q3:164) Evidence from the Qur'an al-kareem The Qur'anic verses proves that to celebrate Milad is not only a proper deed but it is also a praiseworthy. 1) Allah Almighty says in al Qur'an : "The peace is on Him the day when he was born and the day when he will die and the day when he will be raised alive." (Kanz al-Iman : Sura Al-Maryam, Verse 15) In the above verse Allah Almighty has mentioned the complete Milad of Hadrat Yahya alayhis salam. And before this Allah Almighty has mentioned the events which took place before the birth. It is the same way of celebrating birth day as Ahl as-Sunnat w'al Jama'at adopts for the Milad of the last Prophet of Allah Almighty. In other words the Prophet of Allah Almighty, Hadrat Isa alayhis salam, celebrates his own Milad. 2) As Allah Almighty says: "And the same peace on me the day I was born and the day I will die and the day I would be raised alive." (Kanz al-Iman : Sura Al Maryam, Verse 33) Before this verse Allah Almighty has stated the whole story of Hadrat Maryam radi Allahu anha that who she got pregnant and gave birth her great son, Isa alayhi Salam. Allah Almighty also mentioned the words of Hadrat Isa alayhis Salam by which Isa alayhis Salam praised himself. This particular style of narrating storys is nothing but celebration of Milad of Hadrat Isa alayhis Salam. Ahl as-Sunnat w'al Jama'at also narrate the story of the Beloved Prophet Muhammad in the same style. We too narrate the events which took place before the birth and after it as Allah Almighty narrated about Hadrat Yahya and Hadrat Isa (alaihim as-Salam). Therefore, a person who has eyes of justice will obviously accept that to celebrate Milad is an important deed which Allah Almighty has done. So it proves that the basis of Milad is found in the Qur'an al-kareem. 3) Allah Almighty says: "And remind them of the days of the Allah." (Kanz al-Iman : Sura Ibrahim, Verse 5) In this verse Allah Almighty orders his prophet Musa alaihis Salam to remind his nation the days of Allah Almighty. "The days of Allah" are those days in which great events took place or Allah Almighty bestowed his great rewards to his creature. As the Qur'an al-kareem testifies this explanation of the days of Allah Almighty. In the Qur'an al-kareem Hadrat Musa alayhis Salam says: "And when Musa said it his people remember Allah's favour upon you, when he delivered you from Firawn's people who used to afflict you worstly, and slaughter your sons and let your daughters live and in it there was shown great mercy of your lord." (Kanz al-Iman : Sura Ibrahim, Verse 6) According to the Qur'anic verse emancipation of the nation of Musa alayhis Salam from Firawn is a day of Allah, so the birth day of the Beloved Prophet Muhammad is, with any doubt, also a day of Allah, because the Prophet Muhammad emancipated whole world from the darkness of ignorance and brought them to the light of guidance. Therefore, the birthday (Milad) of the Beloved Prophet deserves to be celebrated then the celebration of any other event. In case we would not be grateful to Allah Almighty for his favour, which is Muhammad .He will punish us severely. As Allah Almighty says: "And remember when your lord proclaimed, if you will be great full then I shall give you more and if you’re thankless then my treatment is severe." (Kanz al-Iman : Sura Ibrahim, and Verse 7) 4) Allah Almighty says: "Then remember the bounties of Allah and wander not in the earth spreading mischief." (Kanz al-Iman : Sura Araf, Verse 74) In the above verse Allah Almighty orders us to remember his bounties and rewards. The last Prophet of Allah Almighty Muhammad is, undoubtedly, great blessing of Allah Almighty for whole mankind. Allah Almighty himself considers the Prophet his great favour for mankind as He says: "Undoubtedly, Allah did a great favour to the Muslims that in them from among themselves sent a messenger who recites unto them His signs and purifies them and teaches them the book and wisdom and necessarily before that they were certainly apparent error." (Kanz al-Iman : Sura Al'i-Imran, Verse 164) Therefore, according to the Qur'anic commandments we must remember the beloved Prophet of Allah Muhammad and Milad-un-Nabi is a best way of remembrance of the greatest Prophet . In another words Allah Almighty says: "And publicize well the favour of your lord" (Kanz al-Iman : Sura Al Duha, Verse 11) The companion of the Beloved Prophet Hadrat Abdullah Ibn-e-Abbas radi Allahu anhu explained the word 'favours'. He says here, In this verse 'favour' signifies the Prophethood and Islam. (Tafseer Ibn-e-Abbas, Sure Al Duha, Page 651). So in the light of the given explanation by the cousin of the Beloved Prophet , we can say that Allah Almighty orders us to remember Beloved Prophet in our gatherings between the people, in our mosque between the worshiper and in our houses between our families and Milad an-Nabi , as I have written is a best way for this Qur'anic purpose. 4) Allah Almighty orders us: "Say you oly Allah's grace and his mercy, on it therefore let them rejoice. That is better then all their wealth." In this verse Allah Almighty orders us to enjoy on his grace and mercy. If we see around us we find that each favour of Allah Almighty is great mercy for us. Even our existence is also a mercy of Allah Almighty. But the greatest of Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'alas the Beloved Prophet . As Allah Almighty says: "And we sent not you but mercy for all worlds." (Kanz al-Iman : Sura Al Ambiyaa, Verse 107) So according the Qur'anic teachings it is necessary for us that you must be happy and pleased on the birthday of the Beloved Prophet . The one who pleases with the Beloved Prophet is really a true follower of the Qur'an al kareem. And it is obvious that, in whole world Muslims celebrates Milad un Nabi , especially for enjoying the Mercy of Allah Almighty that is the Beloved Prophet of Allah Almighty. Therefore the Qur'an al-kareem itself confirms the Milad an-Nabi . 5) The gathering of Milad an-Nabi incite Muslims on saying Durood and Salam ( to pray for Prophet of blessing and peace) Allah Almighty says: "Oh you who believe send upon Him blessings and salute Him fully well in abundance. (Kanz al-Iman : Sura Al-Ahzab, Verse 56) According to the law of Shariah, a thing which is desired by Shariah, is exactly a like an aim of Shariah. And the benefits of Durood-o-salam are so much in numbers that can not be counted. Durood-o-salam causes for the help of Allah Almighty in this world and here after. So Milad an-Nabi is a source of fulfilling the commandments of Allah Almighty 6) Allah Almighty says: "And all that we narrate to you of the tidings of the messengers is for the purpose of strengthening your heart therewith." (Kanz al-Iman : Sura Hood, Verse 121) This Qur'anic verse reveals that the wisdom of mentioning the stories and events of Prophets alayhim as-salam was to stand fast the heart of the last prophet . And it is obvious that we are, also today, in need of being stand fast. We must know that how; the Prophet of Allah faced the problems of his time so that we may face the problems of our times according to the Sunnah. Therefore Milad an-Nabi provides us an opportunity to know about the affair of the Prophet . Evidence from Hadith Evidence of Hadith (Narrations of the Beloved Prophet There are many narrations, which prove validity of celebrating Milad Shareef but I have written a few. 1) The Prophet of Allah himself stated his own birth from very beginning, He says: "I had been transferred, continuously, from purified offspring to purified wombs. I had been given birth by a lawful marriage not by adultery. When Allah Almighty sent Adam alaihis Salam on earth, He put me in his spine and then transferred me in Nuh alaihis salam's boat, and then Ibrahim alaihis salam. Allah Almighty transferred me continuously from noble offspring to the purified wombs. He brought me into my parents who never committed adultery." (Tafseer Ruhul Bayan, Vol. 3, Page 54) As I have written in the beginning that Milad means the time of birth or place of birth. So the Beloved Prophet (Allah's Grace and Peace be upon him) himself celebrated his own Milad. In the same way Ahl as-Sunnat w'al Jamaat following the Beloved Prophet narrate the events of the birth of the Beloved Prophet . This hadith is the clear proof Milad an-Nabi (Allah's Grace and Peace be upon him) and as well as tell us that to celebrate Milad an Nabi is not innovation (bidat) but it is a sunnah (tradition) of Prophet . There are many other narrations which narrate that the Prophet of Allah celebrated his own Milad several times, some of those narrations have been written in Mishkat Shareef. 2) "The one who rejoices the birthday of the Beloved Prophet would not be severely punished and it is hoped that a Muslim who celebrates the Milad un Nabi , will not be punished in hell. Imam Bukhari Rahmatullah Alayh narrates that Abu Lahab would be punished lightly in the hell on Monday. Because he rejoiced and freed his handmaid indicating by his finger, when the Prophet of Allah Almighty took birth. So as a reward of happiness on Milad un Nabi he would be given water by his finger. (Sahih al Bukhari Vol. 2, Page 764) Imam Shams al-Din Naseer Al Damaishqi narrates this hadith in poetry. Here is its translation. If such kaafir was denounced (in the Qur'an) So perished are his hands, in the flame as his eternal abode. It is narrated that every Monday, His torment is made easy for his joy at the birth of 'Ahmad'. What is the expectation then of a servant who spent all his life. Happy with the arrival of Ahmad and died on the oneness of Allah Almighty. (Haul-ul-Ahtifal Bil Mawlid Al-Nabvi Al Sharif, Page 11) 2) The Most Beloved Prophet Muhammad celebrated his own Milad by keeping fast [sayyam]. Imam Wali al din writes this narration with reference to Sahih Muslim. When the Prophet of Allah was asked about the fast of Monday. He said: "I took birth and the Qur'an was revealed upon me in this day." (Mishkat Shareef, Page 179) This narration proves that to celebrate Milad an Nabi [Mawlid] is a tradition of the Most Beloved Messenger of Allah (Allah's Grace and Peace be upon him) on every Monday. Secondly it is perfectly lawful to fix a particular day for Milad an Nabi .Thirdly it is an act of sunnah to do ibadat (worship) in the cause and for the pleasure of the Milad an-Nabi .

Rabiul Awwal is that bountiful month of Islam in which the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) graced the universe. On the 12th of Rabiul Awwal an inextinguishable light known as Muhammad (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) was born, triumphing over darkness which had prevailed till then. Allah Subhaanahu Wata’ala in His Infinite Mercy endowed mankind with a gift, immeasurable in worth. Celebrating, remembering and showing gratitude for that auspicious day on which we received this precious gift is known as Jashne Eid-Milad-un-Nabi (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). Indeed, it is a day of great and splendorous celebration, for in it we thank Allah Ta’ala for His gift, whose appreciation is beyond the power of mortal man. It is with this Meelad-un-Nabi (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) that we avail ourselves the opportunity of rejuvenating our souls and strengthening our belief in Allah Subhaanahu Wata’ala and His Beloved Rasool (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). Allah Ta’ala exclaims in the Holy Qur’an, “And remind them of the days of Allah.” [surah Ibrahim, V5] Indeed all the days and nights, every fraction of a second of existence are among His creations and belong to Him, so of which days does Allah Ta’ala remind His servants? The days are those wherein Allah Ta’ala has sent His Bounties unto His servants. And which is the Bounty of Bounties? Those who believe know that above all the gifts from Allah Ta’ala none is more apparent in greatness than the very person of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). Allah Ta’ala further says in the Holy Qur’an, “Say (Oh Muhammad), with the receival of Allah’s Bounty and Mercy the believers should be happy.” Therefore, the Holy Qur’an clearly sanctions the fact that the believers should remember and express joy at the receival of the gifts of Allah Ta’ala. Almighty Allah then says, “Proclaim and publicise the Bounty of thy Lord.” [surah Duha, V11] Imam Bukhari (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) says that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) is the greatest Bounty of Almighty Allah. Therefore in accordance with the Aayat and narration above, our Beloved Aaqa (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) should become the object of most publicity. The intention of celebrating Milad Shareef is to show joy and gratitude to Allah Ta’ala on the auspicious birth of the Noble Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) and there is no doubt from the above Aayaat that this is a virtuous and commendable act. The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) came into this mundane world on a Monday and as a mark of gratitude to Allah Ta’ala for this day, he would fast every Monday. When asked about his fasting on Mondays he replied, “I was born on a Monday and revelation also began on this day.” Therefore even the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) himself celebrated the day of his birth and showed gratitude to Allah Ta’ala, which is the essence of Milad-un-Nabi (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) celebrations. When the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) was born, Abu Lahab’s slave-girl Thuwaibah brought the news of a child (Rasoolullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) born to his brother Hazrat Abdullah (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh). In his frenzy of happiness Abu Lahab freed Thuwaibah from her chains of servitude. All Muslims know that Abu Lahab was a kaafir and that Surah Lahab is Almighty Allah’s Wrath upon him, yet Oh Muslims listen: It is stated in Bukhari Shareef that when Abu Lahab died he was seen in a dream by Hazrat Abbas (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) in a very bad state. Hazrat Abbas (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) asked him, “What has come to pass?” Abu Lahab replied, “I have known no peace since my separation from all of you but yes, from this forefinger of mine I receive water because with this finger I freed Thuwaibah.” In another narration Imam Hafiz Ibn Asqalani (Rahmatullah Alaih) writes that Hazrat Abbas (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) said that, “One year after Abu Lahab died I saw him in a very bad state in a dream saying to me that, “I have known no peace since I departed from you all but yes every Monday my punishment is lessened.” This was because Abu Lahab freed Thuwaibah on a Monday after hearing the good news of the birth of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). Shah Abdul Haq Muhaddis Dehlvi (Rahmatullah Alaih) commenting on this narration writes, “In this incident there is clear proof for the celebration of Milad Shareef and that those who are happy and spend in the celebration of Milad Shareef then indeed they will be in a laudable position, because if a kaafir such as Abu Lahab received a gift for showing happiness at the birth of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) then greater by immeasurable extent will be the reward for Muslims who do likewise.” Allamah Ibn Hajar Makki (Rahmatullah Alaih) writes in his great book Ne’matul Kubra the sayings of the first four Caliphs of Islam: Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddique (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) said, “He who hath spent in the recital of Milad Shareef one dirham, then he shall be my companion in Jannat.” Hazrat Umar Farooq (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) said, “He who hath kept in veneration the Milad of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam), he hath kept Islam alive!” Hazrat Uthman Ghani (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) said, “He who hath spent one dirham in the recital of Milad Shareef, it is as if he had been a participant in the battles of Badr and Hunain!” Hazrat Maula Ali (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) said, “He who revered the Milad Shareef and was instrumental in its recital, he shall leave this world upon Imaan and shall enter Jannat without reckoning!” Allamah Ismail Haqqi (Rahmatullah Alaih) writes in his famous Tafseer Roohul Bayaan under the Qur’anic Verse “Muhammadur Rasoolullah” that the celebration of Milad Shareef is also a mark of respect for the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). Furthermore, Imam Jalaaluddin Suyuti (Rahmatullah Alaih) and Allamah Ibn Hajar Makki (Rahmatullah Alaih), who were giants of knowledge in Islam, proved the permissibility of Milad Shareef and at the same time, refuted the corrupt beliefs of those who claimed Milad Shareef to be ‘Bid’at-e-Sayyiah’ (bad innovation). Hazrat Shah Waliullah Muhaddis Dehlvi (Rahmatullah Alaih) reports that, “In Makkah Shareef on the day of Milad-un-Nabi (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) I was present. The people sent salutations on the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) and mentioned his birth and the miracles at the time of his birth, and I saw Noor (light) and Blessings in that gathering. I ventured to find out where the Noor was coming from and I came to know that the Noor was that of the angels who are sent to such gatherings and I saw the Light of the angels and the Light of Mercy together.” He further goes on to explain that once his honourable father said that, “During the day of the birth of the Beloved Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) I always have food cooked for the people but one year besides roasted chana (gram) I did not have anything else to give to my guests and I was saddened.” After this I had a dream wherein I saw the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) and around him lay roasted chana and the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) was indeed very happy.” If after all these proofs there are people who still do not want to acknowledge the permissibility of Milad Shareef, then they should ponder over the following statement. Imam Mujaddid Alfe Thaani (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) who was the Mujaddid of the 11th century has stated in his writings on Milad Shareef, “What matters when the Qur’an is recited sweetly and when praises are sung in honour of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam)?” There are many more proofs on the permissibility of Milad Shareef however one more incident is being presented which will reinforce our belief in the permissibility of Milad Shareef. On the night of the birth of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam), angels came and stood at the door of Sayyidah Amina’s (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anha) home and commenced the recital of Salaat and Salaam. Yes, the natural wretch and disgraced Shaitaan ran in sadness. [Madaarijun-Nubuwwah] Therefore those, in whose bosoms kindles the light of belief, who celebrate the birth of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) and stand to send Salaam upon him, are following the practice of the angels. And those who stop others from attending such gatherings by calling it haraam and bid’at-esayyiah and run far from such gatherings are following the practice of shaitaan. So we should ponder carefully on this and decide whether we want to follow the angels or to follow shaitaan. Unfortunate beyond measure indeed, are those who are bereft of these bounties! May Allah Ta’ala grant us all the Taufeeq to participate in the beautiful occasion of Jashne Eid-Miladun- Nabi (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam), so that we may show our happiness and gratitude to Almighty Allah and attain the Mercy and Bounties of Allah Ta’ala that descend on this auspicious day, Ameen

HIS IMPACT IN THE WORLD TODAY - BY MUFTI NASEEM ASHRAF HABIBI No tribute to Imam Ahmed Raza (alaihir rahmah) could be complete without understanding the sustained restlessness of the Imam in providing true leadership throughout his life, when he was faced with leading the Muslims in a fragile moment in the history of Islam in the Indo-Pak sub-continent. The continued emergence of false sects like the Qadianis, Wahabis, and other sects which sought to prove that Almighty Allah indulges in falseness - Ma'aazallah, Summa Ma'aazallah - proved a genuine threat when these sects began imitating unsuspecting but uneducated Muslims into their fold. It was against such a background that Imam Ahmed Raza (alaihir rahmah) rose forth to defend the true Islamic principles as a scholarly giant, and in doing so, also succeeded in securing a place in the Urdu language as a literary giant in Na'athia Kalam. In typical tyrannical behaviour, the envious opponents of the Imam embarked on futile attempts at issuing propaganda aiming to discredit the Imam by labelling him as an "innovator" and "mischief maker"; and announcing that the sole providers of Islamic research in the Indo-Pak sub-continent were the Deobandi Ulema. It is interesting to note that history has proved that the volume of work the Imam had completed in Islamic Research singlehandedly was beyond the capability of the entire Deobandi Ulema to this day. We thank the Almighty Allah that as He unfolds the truth before the masses. Islamic scholars the world over are recognising the Imam's superiority in issuing Islamic judicial decrees with incisiveness and substantiated detail. Today, expensive research is being taken on the Imam's writings and decrees the world over in the Urdu, Persian, Arabic and English languages. Special permissions for such research were made in Birmingham University, England, Holland, India and Pakistan. Little publicised is the fact that Imam Ahmed Raza (alaihir rahmah) produced more researched decrees in annihilating Bid'at practices in India in the last century than any other scholar. Established anti-Islamic customs in Muslim society were accepted without question until Imam Ahmed Raza started a reform campaign armed with Quranic injunctions and researched Hadith to wipe out such customs. More than just issuing Fatawas, Imam Ahmed Raza (alaihir rahmah) prepared researched treatises on an academic level on these issues which fast saw the decline of most of the anti-Islamic practices. To this day the Muslim masses benefit from his Fatawa-e-Razvia, Ahkam-e-Shariat, Irfaan-e-Shariat, Al Malfooz, Fatawa-e-Africa, etc. which deal with deal with almost every masaa'il of our day-to-day life. Imam Ahmed Raza (alaihir rahmah) was very sensitive to the pains and afflictions that befell the Muslim Ummah. In this regard he used every scholarly resource at his disposal to assist the Muslims regain their honour in the face of all anti-Islamic forces. In his Hada'iq-e-Bakshish he wrote an entire nazm "Soona Jungle" warning the Muslims about safeguarding their Imaan. This Nazm became very popular with the masses as its clear message was arranged in a style that appealed to the masses. It should be the duty of the Ulema and organisers of Meelad to popularise this Nazm in our society as it stirs up the fear of Almighty Allah and the Aakirah in the minds of the listeners. GREAT BREAKTHROUGH AT THE AL AHZAR UNIVERSITY: The famous Al Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt has granted permission for a graduate to research on the topic of A'la Hazrat, Imam Ahmed Raza (alaihir rahmah) and his services for Hanafi Fiqah. This research is towards the M.Phil. Degree and Mustaq Ahmed Shah of Pakistan is doing this research. IMAM AHMED RAZA AND MEDICINE (TIBB): Hakeem Mohammed Saeed Dehlwi, the founder of Madinatul Hikmat University, Karachi (Research Centre for Unani Medicine) and owner of Hamdard Dawa Khana did research and compiled A'la Hazrat's (alaihir rahmah) theory about medicine. The book is titled, "Imam Ahmed Raza aur Fann Tibb," and is printed and published in Pakistan. IMAM AHMED RAZA FOUNDATION: The IARF was recently established in the Kerala State India to research and propagate the teachings of Imam Ahmed Raza (alaihir rahmah). NEW TRANSLATIONS OF IMAM AHMED RAZA PUBLISHED: The "Islamic Times" of the U.K. has recently published two articles by A'la Hazrat (alaihir rahmah). These are: (1) "A Commentary upon Paper Currency Notes," which was researched and translated by Dr. Muhammad A. Junejo and (2) "Imam Ahmed Raza and Topology," by Dr. Abdul Naim Azizi of Jasoli, Bareilly Shareef. HISTORIC A'LA HAZRAT MAZAAR STAMP PRINTED BY GOVERNMENT OF INDIA: The Postal Services Department of the Indian government have acknowledged the Islamic and Academic services of the great Mujaddid (Reviver) of Islam, A'la Hazrat, Imam Ahmed Raza Khan Al-Qaderi (alaihir rahmah). They have printed a new Indian stamp portraying the Mazaar Shareef of A'la Hazrat (alaihir rahmah) in full colour. The words "A'la Hazrat Barelvi" have been printed along the side of the stamp in English and Hindi. This stamp is currently being sold at all Post Offices in India. This is India's way of saluting a great genius and Islamic scholar of his time, A'la Hazrat (alaihir rahmah). RESEARCH WORK ON IMAM AHMED RAZA KHAN: Hazrat Maulana Ahmed Raza Khan, an eminent jurist, also known as A'la Hazrat (alaihir rahmah) was born at Bareilly, India in 1856. He completed the Holy Quran at the age of four and became astonishingly well-versed in more than fifty branches of learning, pertaining to Ancient Sciences, Current Sciences and Oriental Learnings and left contributions in all these academic disciplines. At Makkah Mu'azzama and Madina Munawwara, he was visited by many scholars who received diplomas and fatawas from him. Due to his distinction in this field, the Islamic world acknowledged him as a great Jurist. The renowned poet of the East, Dr. Allama Iqbal, remarked, "Such a genius and intelligent Jurist did not emerge." Despite being well-versed in scores of branches of knowledge, he restricted his interest to the following branches: 1. To support and defend the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam). 2. To uproot the innovations prevalent in the Muslim society. 3. To issue fatawa according to the Hanafi School of Jurisprudence. In short, he was a Jurist, Theologian and a Reformer whose life revolved around the motto "Love the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam)." In recognition of this eminent personalities life, the following researches are being carried out by these individuals, amongst others: 1. Dr. Usha Saanpaal, Ph.D Colombo University, "Ahmed Raza and the Ahle-Sunnat Wa Jamaat Movement (1921-1947)", Oxford University, Press, New Delhi. 2. Dr. Ghulaam Qureshi Dastageer, who translated A'la Hazrat's Qalaam in English which was published in the "Islamic Times" U.K. 3. Muhammed Muazzam Ali who wrote "Fundamental Faith of Islam -Treaties of Ahmed Raza" 4. Prof. J.M. Baljo of Leiden University, Holland, who presented and delivered research material on A'la Hazrat at an international forum. 5 . British scholar, Dr Muhammad Haroon, who has compiled a thesis on "The World Importance of Imam Ahmed Raza Khan Bareilly." RESEARCH AND TRANSLATION OF A'LA HAZRAT'S WORKS: A'la Hazrat, Imam Ahmed Raza Khan (alaihir rahmah), the Muslim Revivalist (Mujaddid) of the previous Islamic Century, wrote and compiled numerous commentaries and treatises on various topics. As an author, Imam Ahmed Raza Khan Al-Qaderi (alaihir rahmah) has left to his credit more than a thousand books on fifty different subjects ranging from Tafseer, Logic, Grammar, Literature, Islamic Jurisprudence, Education, Sociology, Astronomy, Mathematics, Physics, History, Science of History, Engineering, Biographies, Philosophy, Mysticism to Persian, Arabic, Urdu and Hindi Literature. His poetry includes such works as "Mustapha Jaan-e-Rahmat." At present, many Islamic and Western universities, colleges and Darul Uloom's, throughout the world, are researching nd translating the works of this great Muslim scholar. Some of the countries in which research is being carried out are: India, Pakistan, United States of America, England, Holland, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and South Africa. Perhaps one of his more famous scientific theories lies in his proof that the sun and other bodies revolve around the earth! UNIVERSITIES CONDUCTING RESEARCH ON A'LA HAZRAT'S WORKS: More than twenty five Universities throughout the world are actively researching the works of the great Islamic Scholar and Saint, A'la Hazrat (alaihir rahmah). "KANZUL IMAAN" NOW AVAILABLE: "Kanzul Imaan", the internationally renowned Urdu translation of the Holy Quran by A'la Hazrat, Imam Ahmed Raza Khan Al-Qaderi (alaihir rahmah) has been translated into the English language by many Islamic scholars. This momentous task was first undertaken by Professor Fatimi, a highly acclaimed academic of the University of Kuwait. He had it published in Karachi, Pakistan. The second translation was undertaken by Professor Shah Fareedul Haq of Pakistan and was published in India and Pakistan. The commentary notes on "Kanzul Imaan" by Sadrul Faadhil, Maulana Na'eemuddeen Muradabadi (rahmatullah alaihi) has been translated into the English language by Dr. Professor Majeedullah of Lahore, Pakistan. A'la Hazrat, Imam Ahmed Raza's (alaihir rahmah) translation of the Holy Quran - "Kanzul Imaan" - is now available from our offices. This translation of the Holy Quran is in the English language, but is without a commentary (Tafseer). It is a must in every Muslim home. KANZUL IMAAN IN SINDHI: The Urdu translation of the Quran, "Kanzul Imaan" by A'la Hazrat, Imam Ahmed Raza Khan (alaihir rahmah) has been translated into the Sindhi language by Mufti Muhammad Raheem Sikandari. KANZUL IMAN - HOLY QURAN IN CREOLE LANGUAGE: In Mauritius A'la Hazrat's Kanzul Iman has been translated into the Creole language, thanks to the combined effort of Maulana Mansoor and Maulana Najeeb of Mauritius. This historic translation of the Holy Quran was first published on 17-01-96 under the guidance and patronage of the Khatib of the Jaame Masjid Mauritius, Hazrat Allama Shameem Ashraf Azhari. Many Ulema and politicians also partook in this great service. The translation was greatly welcomed and accepted by all. NEW RESEARCH MATERIAL ON A'LA HAZRAT (alaihir rahmah): Three new research thesis on A'la Hazrat (alaihir rahmah) by Professor Dr. Muhammad Mas'ood Ahmad was published in Pakistan. Two of his books, viz. "Fundamental Faith of Islam" and "Imam Ahmad Raza - The Reformer of the Muslim World", are in English and one in Arabic. Whilst numerous books and research on A'la Hazrat (alaihir rahmah) has been published in Urdu, only a limited material is available in English and Arabic. This move is, therefore, greatly encouraged. (Ashrafia Monthly Mubarakpur) PH.D ON A'LA HADRAT: Twenty-one (21) Scholars in Pakistan have completed their research works on A'la Hadrat (alaihir rahmah) and have received their Doctrate. Amongst them were: 1. Professor Dr Hafiz Abdul Baari Siddiqi 2. Professor Dr Majeedullah Qaaderi, who is also doing a indepth research on the works of A'la Hadrat (alaihir rahmah). FATAWA RADAWIYYAH: Alhamdulillah, eleven volumes of A'la Hazrat's (alaihir rahmah) scholarly work "Fatawa Radawiyyah" has now been published by Darul Uloom Amjadiya under the expert supervision of Qari Raza-ul-Mustapha Azmi. This famous work, which contains hundreds of questions and answers pertaining to almost every aspect of Islamic life, is in the Urdu language. T.V. DOCUMENTARY ON A'LA HAZRAT: An investigative and informative documentary on the life and services of A'la Hazrat (alaihir rahmah) was broadcast by the National Pakistan Television. It was featured as a special programme of "Television Encyclopedia." This programme was unanimously applauded and due to popular public demand it was presented once again on the occasion of Urs-e-Razvi. Consequently, a learned and well-known scholar of "Razviat," Sayyed Aarif Ali Razvi, of Kalyaan Bombay has exhorted the Doordarshan, India's state television channel, to present an indepth documentary on the life of Imam Ahmed Raza (alaihir rahmah). A'LA HAZRAT'S HISTORY INCLUDED IN ENCYCLOPEDIA: The Islamic book publications section of the Punjab University is to launch a new Urdu Encyclopedia of Islam. In the 10th volume, pages 278 to 287, incorporates a brief history of the life and works of A'la Hazrat, Imam-e-Ahle Sunnat, Imam Ahmed Raza Khan (alaihir rahmah). This brief history was prepared by Professor Dr Muhammad Ma'sud Ahmed, M.A. Phd., on the request of Dr.Sayed Abdullah. RESEARCH ON A'LA HAZRAT'S "FAUZ-E-MOBEEN": Scientists from the Allama Iqbal Open University in Islamabad have taken a keen interest in researching A'la Hazrat's (alaihir rahmah) "Fauz-e-Mobeen" which deals with the movement of the sun and planets around the earth. At present, research is about to commence on the subject. CHRISTIAN CONVERTS TO ISLAM AFTER READING "KANZUL IMAAN": In 1974, Dr. Hannif Faatimi of London University brought the Professor of Kuwait an English translation of "Kanzul Imaan" (A'la Hazrat's translation of the Holy Quran) for printing. Prof. Faatimi at that time had met a Christian scholar who had revealed that he was interested in reading more about Islam. Prof. Faatimi was two-minded about giving him an English copy of Kanzul Imaan. Eventually, he gave him a copy to read. The Christian scholar, after reading this translation, accepted Islam.

The Janaazah Salaah is Fardh-e-Kifaya. Meaning that it is compulsory for at least one person from the community to perform it. If nobody performs it then the entire community is accountable. (Those who are aware of it) Jamaat is not a condition of Janaazah Salaah, therefore it can be performed by one person alone. There are 2 Fardh of Janaazah Salaah. One is Qiyaam (standing) and second is the 4 takbeers. With regards to the conditions of Salaatul Janaazah, the same conditions which apply for normal Salaah is applicable. vis. Cleanliness of clothes, cleanliness of the place, covering of the body, facing of Qiblah and Intention.[Durr-e-Mukhtaar]. Another important point to mention, is that the same criteria that is required from an Imaam in any other salaah is also appilcable for the Janaazah Salaah Imaan, so if the person leading the Janaazah Salaah has corrupt beliefs (eg. Shias, Ghair Muqallid, Wahaabis, Deobandis, Tableeghis etc) or is a Faasiq Mu'llin(eg. has excessively long hair, no beard etc) , then Salaah (including Janaazah Salaah) behind such would not be permitted. Janaazah Salaah should NOT be performed in the Masjid, regardless of whether the Janaazah is outside or inside the boundry of the masjid. This is Makrooh Tahrimi and close to Haraam. If the person died on a Friday and it is possible to complete the Janaazah before Salaatul Jumu'ah, then this should be done. It is Makrooh to delay the Janaazah with the intention that there would be more people available to perform the Janaazah due to Jumu'ah. The Janaazah Salaah should be prayed for all Muslims regardless of whether they are(were) grave sinners. There are however a few extreme exceptions... for example, A thief who dies whilst stealing, or those who have strangled several people or those who have killed their own parents. The Janaazah Salaah of these should not be performed.[Alamgiri, Durr-e-Mukhtaar, Bahaar-e-Shariat] When possible, there should be at least 3 saffs (rows), or an odd number of saffs. If there are only 7 men then 1 should be Imaam, while 3 stand in the first saff, 2 stand in the second saff, and the remaining 1 stands in the third saff. [al Guniya li Taalibi Tareeq Al Haqq, Bahaar-e-Shairat] The Janaazah should be placed with the head on the right of the Imaam and it is Mustahab for the Imaam to stand in line with the chest of the Janaazah. After raising the hands to the ears and reciting the first Takbeer, the hands should be folded and Thana should be recited : "Subhaanak Allahumma wa bihamdika wa tabaarakasmuka wata'aala jadduka wa jalla thanaa'uka wa Laailaaha ghairuk." Thereafter the second Takbir is recited (without raising of the hands to the ears). Darood-e-Ebrahim should be recited. If one cannot remember Durood-e-Ebrahim, then any Durood Shareef may be recited. Thereafter the third Takbeer is recited (keeping hands folded), and it is preferable that the following du'aa (supplication) be recited, otherwise any masnoon du'aa would be fine: "Allahummagh Fir Lihayyina Wa Mayyatina Wa Shaahidina Wa Ghaw'ibina Wa Saghirina Wa Kabirina Wa Dhakarina Wa Unthana. Allahuma man Ahyaytahu Minna Fa'ahyihi Alal Islam, Wa Man Tawaffaytahu Minna Fatawaffahu Alal Imaan" If the Mayyit (Deceased) is a child who has not reached the age of puberty, or someone who has been insane from before reaching the age of puberty, then the following du'aa should be recited : If male: "Allahummaj'alhu lana fataranni waj'alhu lana ajran wathukhran waj'alhu shaafi'an wamu shaffa'aa" If female: "Allahummaj'alha lana fataranni waj'alha lana ajran wathukhran waj'alha shaafi'atan wamu shaffa'at" After the fourth Takbeer is recited, one should turn their head towards shoulders and make Salaam with the intention that the Salaam is for the deceased, the angels and those who are present. [Durr-e- Mukhtaar, Radd-ul-Mohtaar].

Allah Ta’ala has granted every Nabi Mu’jizas (miracles) according to their environment and the understanding of their nations, in order that they may witness and accept the truth of them being Prophets of Allah. Rasoolullah in his physical life on earth performed numerous miracles and it is impossible to discuss all of them. Many volumes can be written on them yet it would still not be sufficient to document all of his miracles. Insha Allah we will discuss a few of them below so that we may strengthen our Imaan and increase our love for Nabi-e-Kareem . Shaqqul Qamar (Splitting of the Moon) is a distinct and decisive mu’jiza of the leader of the Prophets, Muhammad Mustafa .It has been narrated that the Kuffaar of Makkah once impelled Rasoolullah to perform a miracle as proof of his Prophethood, and on their demand, he split the moon in two. Hazrat Abdullah bin Mas’ood (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) narrates that the moon was split in two; one piece was seen on top of the mountain, and the other below. After demonstrating this miracle to the Kuffaar, he said to them, “Be witness to this! Be witness to this!” [bukhari Shareef, Vol. 2] Nevertheless the arrogant Kuffaar did not bring Imaan upon Rasoolullah even after witnessing this great mu’jiza but rather chose to say, “Muhammad has performed magic for us, and this kind of magic and illusions occur all the time.” This incident is further proved by the Holy Qur’an wherein Allah Ta’ala states, “The hour came near and the moon was split. And if they see any sign, they turn their faces and say this is magic perpetual.” [surah 54, Verses 1-2] Sayyidah Bibi Asmaa bint Umais (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anha) narrates, “In Sahbaa, on their return from the Battle of Khaibar, Rasoolullah rested his head on Hazrat Ali’s (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) lap after performing his Asr Salaah and fell asleep. Hazrat Ali’s (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) lap had the blessed opportunity of having Rasoolullah’s blessed head rest on it until the sun had set, after which Rasoolullah knew that his Asr Salaah had become qaza and he made the following Dua, “Ya Allah, Indeed Ali (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) was obeying You and Your Prophet .Make the sun re-appear so that he may perform his Asr Salaah in its correct time.” Sayyidah Asmaa bint Umais (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anha) further states, “I saw with my own eyes that the sun re-appeared, with the peaks of mountains and ground becoming bright with its rays.” [Zarqaani, Vol. 5; Shifa Shareef, Vol. 1] In this incident Hazrat Ali (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) watched the sun set, knowing that he is going to make his Salaah qaza but he did not want to disturb the Holy Prophet .He sacrificed his Salaah for the love and respect of Rasoolullah . for he knew that even Ibaadat is through the blessing of the Beloved Rasool .We therefore learn from this incident that after bringing Imaan, to respect Rasoolullah(saw). is the greatest Fard of all Fard acts. [bahaare Shariat ] In another Hadith, it is mentioned that in the Cave of Thoor Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddique (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) entered first and then tore his clothes and covered all the holes in the cave. One hole was still open, so he covered it with his toe. He then requested Rasoolullah to enter. The Holy Prophet entered and rested on his lap. There was a snake in the cave which desired to see the Holy Prophet . It rubbed its head against the feet of Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddique (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh), but he did not move his foot, thinking that it would disturb the rest of Rasoolullah .Eventually the snake bit him on his toe. When Hazrat Abu Bakr’s (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) tears, due to pain, fell on the blessed face of Rasoolullah , he awoke and Siddiq-e-Akbar (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) explained to him what had happened. Rasoolullah applied his blessed saliva on the wound and this provided comfort to Hazrat Abu Bakr (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) and removed the pain and the venom. [Zarqaani, Vol.1; Bahaare Shariat] Hazrat Ali (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) states, “While I was once accompanying Rasoolullah as he walked in Makkah, every tree and stone we had passed began to say, “Assalaamu Alaika Ya Rasoolullah” to him, which I was able to hear.” [Tirmidhi Sahreef, Vol. 2] Hazrat Abdullah bin Umar (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) narrates that once while they were travelling with Rasoolullah ,a Bedouin came to him and was invited to accept Islam by Rasoolullah . When the Bedouin asked if there was anyone who could bear testimony to his Prophethood, Rasoolullah said, “Yes, that tree at the end of that field shall bear witness concerning my Prophethood.” Thus after freeing itself from the earth, the tree came to him upon being called and loudly testified to the Prophethood of Rasoolullah three times. It then returned to its place after the Holy Prophet gestured it to do so. [Zarqaani, Vol. 5] Hazrat Allama Sharfuddeen Busairi (Rahmatullah Alaih) in his Qaseedah Burdah Shareef, refers to the above incident in the following stanza: Jaa’ath li Da’wathihil Ashjaaru Saajidathan, Thamshi Ilaihi ‘Ala Saaqin Bala Qadami Trees came travelling without legs on their trunks To perform Sajdah before Rasoolullah by his calling Once, when the sword of Hazrat Ukasha bin Muhsin (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) broke in the Battle of Badr, Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) gave him a branch and said, “Fight with this.” As soon as the stick was held by Hazrat Ukasha (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh), it turned into a magnificent sword, with which he fought his entire life thereafter, until he eventually became Shaheed during the Khilaafat of Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddique (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh). [Madaarijun Nubuwah, Vol. 2] Before a Mimbar was built in Masjidun Nabawee, Rasoolullah used to rest against a date tree trunk and give Khutbas, until an Ansariyah woman made one for the Masjid. When he ascended it to begin giving the sermon, a crying sound was suddenly heard from the trunk. The entire congregation in the Masjid was able to hear the lamenting of this tree trunk, due to the sorrow it felt from being separated from Rasoolullah . Nabi-e-Kareem descended from the Mimbar and embraced the crying pillar in an attempt to console it, and it began to sob as how a child does when being consoled. Rasoolullah then asked the pillar, “If you wish I can send you back to the place where you originally came from so that you can become a green and fruitful tree, or if you wish you can become a tree in one of the Gardens of Jannah from which the Friends of Allah may eat fruit.” The pillar answered in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear, “Ya Rasoolullah ,I wish to be a tree in Jannah from which the Friends of Allah can eat from, and gain an everlasting existence from it.” The Beloved Rasool replied, “I have accepted your wish”, and then addressing the people present, he said, “O people! Look at this pillar that has discarded a life in an abode set for ruin (dunya) and has gained an existence in an eternal abode (Jannah).” [bukhari Shareef, Vol. 1; Shifa Shareef, Vol. 1] Rasoolullah then buried the trunk near the Mimbar and we should note that the tree trunk was promised Jannah but was being placed at the feet of Rasoolullah .We therefore learn from this that if anyone wishes to attain Jannah, then he should become a slave at the feet of Rasoolullah . Furthermore, with regard to it being buried, Allama Zarqaani (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) states the following, “Even though this pillar was a withered and dry piece of wood, it attained the excellence and rank of a human mu’min. Why? Because it cried in the love of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam), and to cry in his love is a unique quality of a mu’min.” [shifa Shareef, Vol. 1; Zarqaani, Vol. 5] Subhaanallah! This is the status of our Beloved Aaqa that if he wishes even a dry and worthless piece of a tree receives the status of a mu’min. Once, an Ansari’s camel became stubborn, with none able to control it as it began to attack people. People informed Rasoolullah and said that the camel is attacking and biting people like a rabid dog. He replied, “I have no fear of it”, and proceeded in its direction. Upon seeing Rasoolullah coming towards him, the camel proceeded to bow its head in Sajdah, and Rasoolullah thereafter stroked its head with his blessed hand, causing it to become completely quiet and subservient. He then held the camel and gave it to its owner saying, “Every creation of Allah Ta’ala believes that I am the Messenger of Allah except Kuffaar jinn and humans.” After seeing the camel making Sajdah to Rasoolullah ,the blessed Sahaabah replied, “Ya Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam), when animals make Sajdah to you, then we humans are more entitled to do so.” To this he replied, “If I was to make Sajdah permissible to any human, I would have ordered that wives perform Sajdah to their husbands.” [Mishkaat Shareef, Vol. 2] Referring to such miracles of Rasoolullah , A’la Hazrat Imam Ahle Sunnat Imam Ahmad Raza Khan (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) states in one of his Naaths: Apne Maula Ki Hai Bas Shaane Azeem, Jaanwar Bhi Kare Jin Ki Tha’zeem Sange Karthe Hai Adab Se Tasleem Per Sajde Me Gira Karthe Hai My Master (Rasoolullah possesses a unique glory that animals also respect him. Stones greet him with respect and trees fall into prostration before him. During the Battle of Uhud, an arrow struck the eye of Hazrat Qathaada bin Nu’maan (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh), causing his eyeball to dangle by his cheek. He proceeded straight to Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam), who said, “If you wish, I can put back your eye in its socket and heal it, or you could make Sabr and receive its reward in Jannah.” Hazrat Qathaada (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) replied, “Ya Rasoolullah ,I request you to fix my eye and also make Dua for me to attain Jannah.” The Mercy unto Creation accepted both requests of his beloved Companion. He held the hanging eye and placed it back into its socket. After removing his blessed hand, the eye was correctly positioned in its socket and was brighter and more beautiful than the other. Hazrat Qathaada (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) states that he could see further and clearer with this healed eye than with his other normal eye. Subhaanallah! [Al Kalaamul Mubeen] From this incident we learn that the blessed Companions knew the status of Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) and they did not hesitate to ask him for their needs. Yet we have ignorant people today that say that it is Shirk to ask Rasoolullah for anything. Astaghfirullah! It has been reported that Rasoolullah once invited a particular person towards Islam, who said, “I shall bring Imaan upon you if my dead daughter comes back to life.” The Beloved Rasool was then shown the grave of this man’s daughter. He called out to her by her name and she, coming out of her grave, answered him by saying, “O Master, I am present in your service.” When Rasoolullah asked if she wished to return to the world, she replied, “No. Ya Rasoolullah ,Allah Ta’ala Is more Merciful to me than my parents, and the Aakhirah is better than the Dunya.” [Zarqaani, Vol. 5] There is no end in discussing the miracles of Rasoolullah .The few that are presented here are just a drop in the vast ocean which one would never be able to encompass. May Allah Ta’ala in His Infinite Mercy grant us true love for Rasoolullah ,and may He grant us the belief and love that was possessed by the Blessed Sahaabah and even by the animals and lifeless objects, Ameen

Khalifah Haroon Rashid Rahmatullah alaihe had a son, about sixteen years of age, who used to associate frequently with the ascetics and spiritual leaders of those times. He would often go to the graveyard, sit by the graves and say, "There was a time when you inhabited this world and you were its masters. But the world did not protect you and you ended up in graves. Would that I knew what you are experiencing now! I wish I knew what you said in reply to the questions that were asked of you!" He used to recite this couplet very often: "The funerals frighten me everyday, and wailings of the female mourners make me sad." One day, the young boy came to the court of his father, Haroon Rasheed, while he was sitting in company with viziers, lords and noblemen. The boy was dressed in simple clothes; with a turban on his head; when the courtiers saw him in this condition, they said, "The ways of this mad boy are a disgrace to the Amir-ul-Mo'mineen, in the sight of the kings; if he could admonish him, the boy might give up his foolish habits". The Khalifah heard this and said to his son, "My dear son, you have disgraced me in the sight of the kings". At this, the boy did not say a word (to his father), but called out to a bird sitting nearby, "O bird, I ask you, in the name of Him Who created you, to come and sit on my hand," whereupon the bird flew across to him and perched on his hand. The boy then told it to fly away and it flew back to perch as before. After this, he said to his father, "My dear father, as a matter of fact, it is your attachment of the world that is a disgrace to me. I have made up my mind to part from you". And, saying this, the boy went away, taking only the Qur'an with him. When he went to take leave from his mother, she gave him a precious ring (so that he might sell it and use the money in case of need). The boy then went to Basrah, to work among the labourers. He accepted employment only on Saturdays, using his day's wages for seven days, spending a Danaq (One sixth Dirham) each day. The remaining story has been related by Abu Aamir Basri Rahmatullah alaihe, who says. "Once a wall of my house collapsed and I needed a mason to rebuild it. Somebody told me that there was a young boy who did the work of a mason and I went looking for him. Outside the city, I saw a handsome young boy sitting on the ground and reciting the Holy Qur'an with a bag lying beside him. I asked him if he would like to work as a labourer and he said, 'Certainly, we have been created to toil and labour. What work would you want me to do?' I said that I needed a mason to do some construction. He said, 'I shall take a Dirham and a Danaq as my wages for the day, and I shall have to stop work and go to the Masjid when it is time for Salaat; I shall resume work after Salaat.' I agreed; he came with me and began to work on the wall. I came back in the evening and I was surprised to see that he had done as much work as ten masons. I gave him two Dirhams, but he refused to accept more than a Dirham and a 'Danaq' and was gone, taking just as much as had been agreed upon. 'Next morning, I went out again, 1ooking for him, but I was told that he worked only on Saturdays and that nobody could find him on other days of the week. As I was greatly satisfied with his work, I decided to postpone the remaining construction till Saturday. When Saturday came round, I again went looking for him and found him in the same place, reciting from the Holy Qur'an as usual. When I greeted him, saying Assalaam-o-Alaikum' , he returned my greetings, saying, 'Wa-'Alaikum- as-Salaam' and agreed to work on the wall. Wondering how he had done ten days' work last Saturday, I watched him working, without being noticed by him. I saw, to my amazement, that, when he put mortar on the wall, the stones automatically joined together. I was sure that he was one the favourites of Allah, as such people are assisted by unseen help from Allah Ta'ala. In the evening, I wanted to give him three Dirhams but he took just a Dirham and a Danaq and went away, saying, I have no use for more than this amount'. I waited for him for another week and went out looking for him again next Saturday, but could not find him anywhere. On my enquiring from people, a man told me that he had been ill for three days and was lying in a deserted place; so I engaged a guide on payment to lead me to the place. We reached there to find him lying unconscious on the ground, his head pillowed on a piece of broken brick. I greeted him, but he did not respond and I said, 'Assalaam-o- aIaikum' a bit louder. This time he opened his eyes and recognized me. I laid his head in my lap, but he put it back on the piece of brick and recited a few couplets, two of which I still remember: 'O my friend, do not be beguiled by the luxuries of the world, for, your life is passing away; the luxuries are short-lived. And when you carry a bier to the grave, remember, one day you, too, will be carried to the graveyard.' The boy then said to me, 'Abu Amir, when my soul departs, wash me and shroud me in the clothes that I am wearing now.' I said, "Dear me, I see no harm in buying new cloth for your shroud". He said, 'The living are more in want of new clothes that the dead.' (These, exactly, were the words spoken by Abu Bakr Radhiallaho anho when he was nigh unto death and willed that he should be shrouded in his old garments, when they asked his permission to buy new cloth for his shroud). "The boy added, 'The shroud (old or new) will quickly decay. What remains with a man after his death are his deeds. Give this turban of mine and the jug of water to the grave-digger and, when you have buried me, convey this copy of the Holy Qur'an and this ring to Khalifah Haroon Rashid and mind you, deliver it into his own hands and say, 'These things were entrusted to me by a stranger boy who bade me convey them to you,' with the words: 'O Father, take heed, lest you die in heedlessness, beguiled by the world'. With these words on his lips the young boy gave up his soul. At that moment I came to know that he was a prince. "After his death, I washed him, shrouded him and laid him in the grave, even as he had desired and I gave his turban and the jug to the grave-digger. After this, I undertook a journey to Baghdad in order to deliver the ring and the Holy Book to the Khalifah. Luckily for me, when I reached the Khalifah's palace, his cavalcade was just coming out of the court. I stood on a raised platform and watched the pageant. There came out from the palace a troop of a thousand horsemen, followed by ten more troops, in each a thousand horse¬men. In the last troop rode the Amir-ul-Mo'mineen, himself, on seeing whom I called in a loud voice, 'O, Amir-ul-Mo'mineen, , I beseech you, in the name of your kinship with Rasulullah Sallallaho alaihe wasallam, to stop awhile' The Ameer-ul-Mo' mineen stopped and looked round, I went forward at once and handed over to him the two trusts of the deceased prince, saying, 'These things were entrusted to me by a stranger boy who passed away, leaving a will that these should be delivered into your own hands. The Khalifah looked at the ring and the Holy Qur'an and hung his head in sorrow. I saw tears dripping from his eyes. The Ameer-ul-Mo' mineen, then, told his chamberlain to escort me to his palace and to present me to him when he came back from the promenade. I stayed with the chamberlain in the palace. "When the Khalifah came back in the evening, he ordered the curtains of his palace to be drawn down and told the chamberlain to call me into his presence, even though, he said, 'The man will just revive my sorrow'. The chamberlain came to me and said, 'The Ameer-ul-Mo' mineen wants you, but mind you, he is grievously shocked. If you want to say something in ten words, try to put it in five.' He then ushered me into the private room of the Khalifah, who was sitting there all by himself. The Khalifah told me to sit closer to him and when I had taken my seat, asked me, 'Do you know that son of mine?' I said Yes, and he asked me, 'What did he do for a living?' I said that he did the work of a mason. The Ameer-ul-Mo' mineen, said, 'Did you also engage him to do the work of a mason?' I said that I had done so. The Ameer-ul-Mo' mineen said, 'Did it not occur to your mind that he had a kinship with Rasulullah' (Haroon Rasher was a descendant of Abbas Radhiallaho anho, the uncle of Rasulullah Sallallaho alaihe wasallam). I said, 'O Ameer-uI Mo'mineen! First of all, I beg forgiveness of Allah Ta'ala and then beg your pardon, but I did not know of it at that time. I only learnt about it after he had passed away.' The Khalifah said, 'Did you wash your body with your own hands?' I said, 'Yes' and he said, 'Let me touch your hand'. He then held my hand to his bosom, caressing his chest with it, and recited a few verses which meant: O thou estranged from me, my heart melts away with grief over thee; my eyes shed tears of sorrow! O thou whose burial-place is far, too far, thy grief is closer to my heart. True, death disconcerts most excellent pleasures of the world. Ah, my estranged son was like a moon hanging above a silvery bough. The moon has set in the grave, the silvery bough gone to dust. After this, Haroon Rashid decided to go to Basrah to visit the grave of his son. I, Abu Aamir also accompanied him. Standing by his son's grave, Haroon Rasheed recited the following verses, 'O voyager to the Unknown, never shalt thou come back home. Death snatched you away in the first bloom of youth. O coolness of my eyes, thou wert my solace, my heart's peace, in long lonely hours of night and in brief moments of death, which thy father shall drink in old age. Indeed, each one must taste of Death, be he nomad or a town dweller. All praise be to Allah, the One, Who has no partners; for, these are the manifestations of His Divine Decree. The following night, when I went to bed after observing my daily devotional practices, I dreamt that I saw a domed building bathed in Noor, above which there hung a cloud of Noor. Out of this cloud of Noor came the voice of the deceased boy, talking to me, 'Abu Aamir, May Allah grant you the best reward (for washing and shrouding me and for acting upon my will)!' I asked him, 'My dear friend, how are you faring in the next world?' He said, 'I have been admitted to the presence of my Lord, Who is the Most Bounteous One and Who is well pleased with me. He has granted me such Bounties as eyes have never seen, ears have never heard of and minds have never thought of.' (The reference is to a Hadith Qudsi which narrates as follows: Rasulullah reports Allah Ta'ala as saying "I have prepared for my righteous servants, things that no eye has seen, nor any ear heard of; nor entered in the mind of man". Abdullah bin Mas'ood Radhiallaho anho narrates; 'It occurs in the Torah that Allah Ta'ala has prepared for those who forsake their beds to cry unto their Lord (observe Tahajjud Salat) such bounties as no eye has seen, nor any ear heard, nor occurring in the mind of any man, nor does any angel (however near to Allah) know of them, nor are they known to any Nabi or Rasul. Allah Ta'ala says, in the Holy Qur'an: No soul knoweth what is kept hidden for them of joy (mosty pleasing to their eyes). (Sajdah: 17) The boy then said to me (in the dream), 'Allah Ta'ala has promised me, swearing by His Glory, that He would grant such honours and bounties to all those who come out of the world like me, without being tainted by it!' The author of 'Raudh' says that this story has also come down to him through another chain of narration. This version adds: Someone asked Haroon Rashid about this boy and he said, "This son was born before my ascension to the Caliphate and was brought up very well and was taught good manners. He had learnt the Holy Qur'an and other related branches of religious knowledge, but when I rose to be a Khalifah, he forsake me and went away. My worldly magnificence did not bring him any comfort in life, for he did not like to benefit from it in any way. When he was going away, I asked his mother to give him the ring, the pearl set in which was very precious, but he did not make use of it and sent it back before his death. The boy had been very obedient to his mother." (Raudh) From Aulia-e-Hind.com --~--~------ ---~--~-- --~------ ------~-- -----~--~ ----~ None of you is Momin (true believer) unless I am dearer to him than his parents, his children and all other persons. (Sahih Bukhari)

Nikah is a great Sunnah of our Beloved Rasool , about which he has said, “He who marries secures one half of his religion, so let him beware of Allah where the other half is concerned.” However, with marriage comes responsibilities and duties which need to be fulfilled by both spouses in order for the marriage to be successful. Insha Allah below we will discuss a few points regarding the duties of the husband and wife as well as the rewards they attain, as told to us by Rasoolullah . Allah Ta’ala states in the Glorious Qur’an, “They are a garment for you and you are a garment for them.” [surah 2, Verse 187] The purpose of a garment is to protect, beautify and hide the faults and blemishes of the person wearing the garment. In the same way the husband and wife should protect, beautify and hide the faults of each other. Instead, we find today that husbands instead of protecting their wives, abuse them and both husband and wife expose each other’s faults to everyone. This type of behaviour goes against what Allah Ta’ala has told us in the Holy Qur’an and we should correct our behaviour if we are to have success in our marriages. Regarding the rights of the wife, Allah Ta’ala states in the Holy Qur’an, “...And treat them with kindness.” [surah 4, Verse 19] From this we learn that Allah Ta’ala has commanded us to treat our wives with kindness. In another Verse Allah Ta’ala states regarding Talaaq, “...Retain them with honour and release them with kindness. And do not retain them intending harm that you may transgress the limit.” [surah 2, Verse 231] Here again we are commanded to treat them with kindness even though we might be giving them Talaaq. Regarding the above verse, Mufti Ahmad Yaar Khan Naeemi (Rahmatullah Alaih) states that to increase the period of Iddat merely to gain something from the wife or to ill-treat her is regarded as cruel and sinful. The laws of Allah must not be treated lightly by using marriage or divorce as a means of tormenting the wife. If you do this you will be in great harm, as you will become the criminal of Allah. [Tafseer Noorul Irfaan] Regarding the duties of the husband, Rasoolullah has stated, “The best of you is the best to his family. If you spend a dinar in Allah’s cause, a dinar to free a slave, a dinar in alms for the poor, and a dinar for your family, the most meritorious is the one you spend on your family.” [ihya-ul-Uloom, Vol. 2] We should take heed of this because many of us are miserly when it comes to spending on the family, yet the entire community knows us to be very generous people due to the amount of charity we give to others. From this Hadith we learn that spending on the family reaps the most reward; and why not, when we know that to look after the family is incumbent on the husband, whereas to give charity is a Nafl Ibaadat. Rasoolullah also said, “The most perfect of believers in faith is he who has the best character, and is most gentle towards his family.” [ihya-ul-Uloom, Vol. 2] In another Hadith Rasoolullah reiterated, “The perfect believer is one who is the best in courtesy and good manners, and the best among you people is one who is most kind and courteous to his wives.” [Tirmidhi Shareef ] In yet another Hadith regarding the duty of the husband, Rasoolullah said, “It is sin enough for a man to neglect those in his care. [ihya-ul-Uloom, Vol. 2] He further said, “The best of you is the best toward his wife, and I am the best of you toward my wives.” [ihya-ul-Uloom, Vol. 2] We can therefore see that Rasoolullah has stressed in numerous Ahadith how to treat our wives and hence we should try to follow the example of Rasoolullah and be gentle and kind to our wives. Hazrat Imam Hassan (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh), the beloved grandson of Rasoolullah , states that Rasoolullah once said, “You must treat the womenfolk with kind consideration, for they are captives at your disposal. They have nothing they can call their own. You hold them only by virtue of the trust of Allah, and it is only because of the word of Allah that you can claim lawful access to their genital organs.” [Ghunyalit Taalibi Tareeqal Haq, vol. 1] Regarding the duties of the wife Rasoolullah said, “The best of your women is she who is pleased when her husband looks at her, who obeys him when he commands her, and who guards for him in his absence both herself and his property.” [ibn Majah] Rasoolullah also said, “The woman who leaves the house without the permission of her husband is cursed by the angels until she returns.” [Tibraani ] Rasoolullah further stated, “A woman who dies, leaving her husband content with her, will enter Paradise.” [ihya-ul-Uloom, Vol. 2] The greatest right of the husband is that the wife should obey him in every respect, as long as he does not command anything against the Shariah. Once, a man who was going on a journey made his wife promise that she would not come downstairs from the upper quarters of the house. Now, her father lived downstairs and he fell sick. The woman therefore sent for Rasoolullah to ask permission to go down to her father. The Blessed Prophet said, “Obey your husband!” Then her father passed away, so she asked again, but again he said, “Obey your husband!” Then her father was buried. Rasoolullah then sent word to her that Allah Ta’ala had forgiven her father on account of her obedience to her husband.” [ihya-ul-Uloom, Vol. 2] From this incident we learn how much Rasoolullah has stressed for the wives to obey the husband and we also learn that the wife’s obedience to the husband has merits that we ourselves cannot sometimes understand. Let us now look at some of the rewards that are attained in a marriage. Hazrat Anas (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) reported that Rasoolullah said, “Whenever a woman takes something away from her husband’s house and disposes of it, wishing to effect an improvement by doing so, Allah Ta’ala records a good deed to her credit, erases a bad deed from her balance sheet and promotes her to a higher spiritual level. Whenever a woman becomes pregnant by her husband and bears his child, her spiritual reward is equal to that of the man who stays awake all night in prayer, of the man who fasts all day long, and of the warrior in the cause of Allah. Whenever a woman experiences labour pains, for every pain she is credited with the emancipation of a living soul, for every act of suckling she is credited with the manumission of a slave, and then, when she weans her child, an angelic voice calls out to her from the heavens, “O woman, you have satisfactorily completed the task in the time that has gone by, so set about the task anew in the time that still remains.”” On hearing this, Hazrat Aisha Siddiqa (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anha) said, “The women seem to have been given a lot, so what about all you menfolk?” The Beloved Rasool smiled at this and then went on to say, “Whenever a man takes his wife seductively by the hand, Allah Ta’ala records a good deed to his credit. When he hugs her he is credited with ten good deeds. When he has sexual intercourse with her, it is worth more than this world and all that it contains. Then, when he gets up to perform Ghusl, the water does not reach a hair on his body without a good deed being recorded in his favour, a bad deed being erased from his balance sheet, and a promotion to a higher spiritual level being awarded to him. What he receives for his Ghusl is worth more than this world and all that it contains. Allah Ta’ala will commend him to the angels in glowing terms, saying, “Just look at My servant! He got up in the middle of a chilly night to remove his ritual impurity by taking a bath. He must be surely convinced that I am his Lord. Bear witness, all of you, to the fact that I have forgiven him!”” [Ghunyalit Taalibi Tareeqal Haq, vol. 1] On another occasion Rasoolullah said, “Whoever endures his wife’s bad character, Allah will give him a reward like that He gave to Hazrat Ayub (Alaihis Salaam) for his tribulation, while to one who endures the bad character of her husband, Allah will give a recompense like that of Hazrat Asiya (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anha), the wife of Firoun.” [ihya-ul- Uloom, Vol. 2] Hazrat Anas (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) reports that once the women sent him as their representative to Allah’s Messenger and asked him to say on their behalf, “Ya Rasoolullah , the menfolk have carried off all the merit, especially for doing battle in the cause of Allah, so what worthy task is there for us to perform, by which we could match the worthy task of those warriors in the cause of Allah?” Our Beloved Aaqa (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) replied, “The housework done by any one of you women, in her own home, is equal to the worthy task of those warriors in the cause of Allah.” [Ghunyalit Taalibi Tareeqal Haq, vol. 1] In another Hadith, Rasoolullah has stated, “The best of the men in my Ummah are those who are the best to their wives, and the best of the women in my Ummah are those who are the best to their husbands. In the credit account of every woman among them, every day and night, there is filed the reward of a thousand martyrs, slain while fighting patiently and self-sacrificingly in the cause of Allah. The superiority of any such woman over the maidens of Paradise is comparable to the superiority of Muhammad over the most inferior man amongst you. The best woman of all in my Ummah is she who seeks to delight her husband in everything that gives him pleasure, as long as it involves no disobedience to Almighty Allah. The best man of all in my Ummah is he who treats his wife as tenderly as a mother would treat her child. To the credit of every such man, every day and night, there is recorded the reward of a hundred martyrs, slain while fighting patiently and self-sacrificingly in the cause of Allah.” When Hazrat Umar ibn Khattaab (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) heard this he exclaimed, “Ya Rasoolullah , how can it be that the woman is credited with the reward of a thousand martyrs while the man gets only that of a hundred martyrs?” The Beloved Rasool replied, “Surely you must have realized by now that the woman is entitled to a vastly greater recompense, and to a far superior spiritual reward, since Allah Ta’ala promotes the man to higher spiritual levels in the Garden of Paradise, above and beyond his personal level of attainment, because of his wife’s approval of him and in response to her prayer of supplication (Dua) on his behalf? Surely you must have realized by now that the most serious sinful offense after the attribution of partners to Allah Ta’ala is that committed by a wife when she disobeys her husband? You must be very conscious of your duty to Almighty Allah, especially where the two weaklings are concerned, because Allah will hold you responsible for them both, namely the orphan and the woman. If someone treats them well, he will attain to Allah and earn His good pleasure, but if anyone treats them badly, he can be sure of nothing but Allah’s wrath. The right of the wife over the husband is like my right over you. If someone fails to respect my right, he has failed to respect the right of Allah. If anyone fails to respect the right of Allah, he has brought the wrath of Allah upon himself; the place he is bound for is Hell, and that is a terrible destination!” [Ghunyalit Taalibi Tareeqal Haq, vol. 1] It is therefore important for both spouses to be firmly convinced of the reality of the spiritual reward referred to in the above Ahadith, at the time of the marriage contract as well as throughout their subsequent conjugal relationship. Each must faithfully discharge the duty owed to the other, in accordance with the words of Almighty Allah, “And the women have rights similar to those over them according to law, and men have superiority over them and Allah is Dominant, Wise.” [surah 2, Verse 228] This is required of them so that they may both be obedient to Almighty Allah and may both be in compliance with His commandment. From these Qur’anic Verses and Ahadith we should remember that in the same way that it is incumbent on the husband to treat the wife gently and with kindness, similarly it is incumbent on the wife to be strictly obedient to the husband. The problem in this day and age is that couples get married without knowing their respective rights and duties and insignificant matters lead to huge arguments and divorces. Both spouses usually fail to some extent in fulfilling their obligations. Insha Allah we should all make an effort to gain the knowledge about marriage and the responsibilities therein so that we may realise our duties and identify our shortcomings. We should also, before criticizing the other or being harsh with the other due to some shortcoming, look at ourselves first and realize our own shortcomings so that we may strive to correct ourselves. And most importantly we must try to attain the knowledge of how Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) treated his beloved wives and how they respected and obeyed him so that we may follow their most beautiful example and live in harmony Insha Allah. May Allah Ta’ala grant us the Taufeeq to gain the knowledge pertaining to the rights of the husband and wife and may He in His Infinite Mercy grant us the Taufeeq to follow the beautiful example of His Beloved Habeeb , Ameen. From Raza-e-Khushtar Team

It is very important and necessary to safeguard the tongue against improper use since most corruptions and vices are from misuse of the tongue. Sometimes an informal talk and backbiting spoils years of worship, good deeds and devotion to Allah Ta’ala, which is why many Awliya Allah have stated, “There is nothing more deserving of prolonged imprisonment than the tongue.” Hazrat Sufyan bin Abdullah (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) has narrated that once he asked Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) as to what was the most harmful for him. Beckoning to his tongue, Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said, “This.” [Minhajul Abideen, Pg 124] The tongue is a great asset of man and a wonder out of the wonderful creations of Allah Ta’ala. Though it is insignificant its power is unrestrained, its sins heinous, its virtues are great and infidelity and faith do not find expression except through the tongue. The tongue can express what has been created and what has not been created, the known and the unknown. It explains what intellect brings in mind, whether truth or untruth. No other organ has got so much power to express the mind and in fact the power of the tongue is unlimited. However, the dangers of the tongue are just as many, including useless talks, quarrels, disputes, rebukes, scolding, harsh words, curses, false speaking, backbiting, self praise etc. There is no rescue from such dangers except through silence. It is for this reason that Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said, “He who keeps silent gets salvation.” He also said, “Silence is a rule and few people can observe it.” In another Hadith Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) stated, “If a man can give me guarantee of the things placed between his two cheeks and his two thighs, I can give him guarantee of paradise. [ihya ul Uloom, Vol. 3, Pg 108] Hazrat Safwan bin Sulaiman (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) was once asked by Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam), “Shall I inform you about the easiest divine service and the most comfortable thing to the body? …Silence and good conduct.” In another Hadith Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said, “Let one who believes in Allah and the next world speak good or remain silent.” He (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) also said, “May Allah Ta’ala show His Mercy on one who acquires rewards by talk or remains safe by keeping silent.” Hazrat Isa (Alaihis Salaam) was once asked, “Teach us such a thing by virtue of which we can enter paradise.” He replied, “Don’t talk.” They said, “We shall not be able to do it.” Hazrat Isa (Alaihis Salaam) then replied, “Then do not talk except good.” [ihya ul Uloom, Vol. 3, Pg 110] Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) stated, “Save your tongue from talks other than good, you can then defeat the devil. Allah Ta’ala is near every utterance of a man. So let him take care of what he utters.” Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) further said, “He who talks too much commits blunders. He who blunders much commits many sins. For one whose sins are great, the hell-fire is good.” Hazrat Isa (Alaihis Salaam) stated, “There are ten portions of divine service, nine of which are in silence and the remaining one is in loneliness.” Hazrat Abu Zarr (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) narrates that Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) once asked him, “Shall I not tell you about such an action which is light for the body but heavy in the Balance?” Hazrat Abu Zarr (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) replied, “Yes,” upon which our Beloved Rasool (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said, “Silence, good conduct and giving up unnecessary things.” [ihya ul Uloom, Vol. 3, Pg 112] Safeguarding the tongue is a difficult task of which Hazrat Yunus bin Abdullah (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) has said, “I have courage enough to observe fasting during the hottest days of Basra, but I have no courage to stop my tongue from uttering useless and nonsensical words.” The tongue is the most dangerous part of the body and it must be safeguarded carefully. It requires great strength to keep it under control and Hujjatul Islam Hazrat Imam Ghazzali (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) gives five principles to protect it. · Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) is reported to have said, “When a man gets up in the morning from his sleep the limbs of the body address his tongue saying, “Pass the day in truthfulness and righteousness; refrain from nonsense and loose talks. If you go aright we too shall go aright. On the other hand if you take the wrong path we too shall follow the same path.” What the tongue utters affects rightly or wrongly the other limbs of the body. Pure and nice words take the speaker nearer to Allah but heinous and nasty words cause him dishonour and disgrace. · Time is precious. Recognize its value and spend it in the remembrance of Allah, because what is uttered with the tongue other than this remembrance, is generally useless and nonsense and thereby you are laying waste your precious capital of life i.e. time. It is related about Hazrat Hassan bin Sinwan (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) that once, while getting down from the first floor, he asked the owner of the building how long ago that the floor had been built. However, immediately after posing this question he felt awfully ashamed and addressed his self, “You proud self! You are wasting your precious time in such useless matters!” Thereafter he wept for this action for a year. Fortunate indeed are those who value the precious asset of time, and spend it in reforming themselves. On the other hand unfortunate are those who have let loose their tongues unbridled, which remain busy in uttering nonsense. · Protection of the tongue guarantees protection of righteous deeds. This is because those who leave their tongues unbridled remain uttering nonsense and unworthy words including the grievous sin of backbiting. Backbiting is a sin which destroys good deeds as lightning destroys cultivation and turns everything into ashes. A man once told Hazrat Hasan Basri (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) that such and such a person had backbitten the Shaikh. Hazrat Hasan Basri (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) sent this man to the backbiter with a bag of dates as a gift, for the reward which he had transferred to the account of the Shaikh by backbiting him. · By safeguarding his tongue against its misuse a man remains safe from all sorts of trials and calamities. Hazrat Sufyaan Sauri (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) has said, “Never utter such things with your tongue that on hearing them the people may break your teeth.” Hazrat Ibn Mutee (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) said, “Man’s tongue is like an arrow lying in an ambush ready to shoot at its target. So put on this tongue the bridle of silence to be safe from all calamities. There are many words which demand that they should not be uttered.” It is stated in Ihya ul Uloom that Hazrat Ibn Mysarah (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) has said, “The figure of a man who talks obscene things will be that of a dog on the Day of Qiyaamah.” · One of the causes of punishment inflicted on man in the hereafter will be the misuse of the tongue. This should be visualized along with the punishment appointed for the sins of the tongue. Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) has stated, “I saw on the night of Me’raj a community who were eating carrion. I asked Hazrat Jibra’eel (Alaihis Salaam) who they were. He said that they were those who used to eat carrion in the world i.e. they used to backbite.” On another occasion Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said to Hazrat Ma’az (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh), “Protect your tongue from backbiting the bearers of the Qur’an (i.e. the Huffaz) and the seekers of knowledge (students) and do not tear (backbite) the people with your tongue lest the dogs of hell should tear you.” Hazrat Abu Qulabah (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) has said, “Backbiting deprives the heart of the right guidance.” [Minhajul Abideen, Pg 124] It can therefore be seen that the Prophets and the Awliya Allah have placed great emphasis on controlling the tongue and talking as less as possible as this would bring us closer to our Creator and will be a means of salvation for us. We should therefore take heed of their words of wisdom and try to remain silent as much as possible while at the same time not engaging ourselves in lying, slandering, backbiting, swearing, arguing, useless talks etc. when we do talk. And the best way to do this is to think before we say anything, if what we are about to say is useless and unnecessary or not. In fact if we can do that and say “Subhaanallah” for every time we stop ourselves from uttering useless talks, imagine how much it would benefit us in this world and in the hereafter. Think of the precious moments of our lives which we have wasted in loose talks and gossips. If we had spent these moments in seeking forgiveness, our repentance would have perhaps been accepted and our sins wiped off. If we had rehearsed during these precious moments the Zikr (Remembrance) of “Laa Ilaaha Illallah” we would have deserved untold rewards and recompense. If we had prayed during these moments for peace and security our prayers would have perhaps been granted and we would have received freedom both from the anxieties of the world as well as the hereafter. Is it therefore not a matter of great loss to spend the precious moments of life in useless and irrelevant gossips? May Allah Ta’ala grant us the Taufeeq to utilize our tongues for beneficial acts such as uttering pious words, reciting Allah Ta’ala’s Sacred Names or reading Durood Shareef, and may Allah Ta’ala save us from engaging ourselves in useless talk and backbiting, Ameen. [ihya ul Uloom and Minhajul Abideen are from amongst the great works of Hujjatul Islam Hazrat Imam Muhammad Ghazzali Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh]

A man came home from work late, tired and irritated, to find his 5-year old son waiting for him at the door. SON: 'Daddy, may I ask you a question? DAD: 'Yeah sure, what it is?' replied the man. SON: 'Daddy, how much do you make an hour?' DAD: 'That's none of your business. Why do you ask such a thing?' the man said angrily. SON: 'I just want to know. Please tell me, how much do you make an hour? DAD: 'If you must know, I make $50 an hour. SON: 'Oh,' the little boy replied, with his head down. SON: 'Daddy, may I please borrow $25?' The father was furious, 'If the only reason you asked that is so you can borrow some money to buy a silly toy or some other nonsense, then you march yourself straight to your room and go to bed. Think about why you are being so selfish. I don't work hard everyday for such childish frivolities. The little boy quietly went to his room and shut the door. The man sat down and started to get even angrier about the little boy's questions. How dare he ask such questions only to get some money? After about an hour or so, the man had calmed down , and started to think: Maybe there was something he really needed to buy with that $25.00 and he really didn't ask for money very often The man went to the door of the little boy's room and opened the door. 'Are you asleep, son?' He asked. 'No daddy, I'm awake,' replied the boy. 'I've been thinking, maybe I was too hard on you earlier' said the man. 'It's been a long day and I took out my aggravation on you. Here's the $25 you asked for.' The little boy sat straight up, smiling. 'Oh, thank you daddy!' he yelled. Then, reaching under his pillow he pulled out some crumpled up bills. The man saw that the boy already had money, started to get angry again. Th little boy slowly counted out his money, and then looked up at his father. 'Why do you want more money if you already have some?' the father grumbled. 'Because I didn't have enough, but now I do,' the little boy replied. 'Daddy, I have $50 now. Can I buy an hour of your time? Please come home early tomorrow. I would like to have dinner with you.' The father was crushed. He put his arms around his little son, and he begged for his forgiveness. It's just a short reminder to all of you working so hard in life. We should not let time slip through our fingers without having spent some time with those who really matter to us, those close to our hearts. Do remember to share that $50 worth of your time with someone you love. If we di tomorrow, the company that we are working for could easily replace us in a matter of hours. But the family & friends we leave behind will feel the loss for the rest of their lives. The Prophet said, "When a Muslim spends something on his family intending to receive Allah's reward it is regarded as Sadaqa for him."

Aasmaan Ki Taraf Thuknese Thuk Palatkar Muh Per Hi Ayega Aasmaan Per Nahi Jayega

History of Qurbani Qurbani (Sacrifice) is an ancient form of worship that is prevalent from the time of Hazrat Adam (Alaihis Salaam). The first sacrifice to be offered was that of Haabil and Qaabil, the two sons of Hazrat Adam (Alaihis Salaam). Hazrat Bibi Hawa (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anha) used to give birth to twins and Haabil was born with Leewa while Qaabil was born with Aqleemah. In terms of the Shariah during that time, Aqleemah was unlawful for Qaabil but Leewa was lawful for him. But because Aqleemah was prettier Qaabil tried to marry her. He argued with Hazrat Adam (Alaihis Salaam) who eventually told both his sons to offer a sacrifice, and the one whose sacrifice is burned by a heavenly fire would be true and sincere. Thus Qaabil brought a heap of wheat and Haabil slaughtered a sheep and placed it on a mountain. A fire from an unknown source appeared and burnt the meat, leaving the wheat untouched. At this miraculous happening Qaabil became jealous and made a firm intention to kill Haabil. [Tafseer Noorul Irfaan] Referring to this incident, Allah Ta’ala states in the Glorious Qur’an, “And narrate to them the true story about the two sons of Adam, when each of them offered a sacrifice (to Allah). It was accepted from one, but was rejected from the other. He (Qaabil) said, “I swear that I shall kill you.” The other (Haabil) said, “Allah accepts (the offering) only from the God-fearing.” [surah 5, Verse 27] From this verse we learn that the eating of sacrificial meat was not permissible for the previous Ummahs. Their accepted sacrifice would be burnt by fire from Almighty Allah, while the rejected sacrifice would be left to rot. The eating of sacrificial meat is a distinctive privilege of the Ummah of Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). [Tafseer Noorul Irfaan] We can therefore see how Allah Ta’ala has bestowed His special favour upon us just because we are the Ummatis of His Beloved Rasool (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). Subhaanallah! The month of Hajj and the day of Eid-ul-Adha remind us of the sacrifices of Hazrat Ibrahim Khaleelullah (Alaihis Salaam). Allah Ta’ala loved his act of devotion and sacrifice so much that He has made it incumbent on us to follow this beautiful Sunnah of Hazrat Ibrahim (Alaihis Salaam) till the Day of Qiyaamah. In fact sacrifices have been made for Allah Ta’ala since the time of Hazrat Adam (Alaihis Salaam) yet it was that of Hazrat Ibrahim (Alaihis Salaam) that Allah Ta’ala made incumbent on us to follow, further emphasizing how much Allah Ta’ala loved that act. From this we also learn that true devotion to Almighty Allah demands that one must be willing to sacrifice everything in the name of Allah, whether it be your wealth, family or life. Qurbani instils in us selflessness, sharing and sacrifice and removes from us the carnal desire to hoard money. The intention of Qurbani is not to feed or eat the meat of Qurbani, but to fulfil a command of Allah Ta’ala and to renew the Sunnah of Hazrat Ibrahim (Alaihis Salaam). The Holy Qur’an bears testament to this in the following verse, “Neither their flesh reaches to Allah nor their blood, but your piety reaches Him.” [surah 22, Verse 37] Significance of Qurbani Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) once said to his beloved daughter Hazrat Bibi Fatima (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anha), “You must stand in the presence of your animal sacrifice, and bear witness to it, for then you will be granted forgiveness, with the first drop of blood that drips from it, for every sin you have committed. (As you stand there) you must say ‘Inna Salaati wa Nusuki wa Mahyaaya wa Mamaati Lillaahi Rabbil Aalameen’” [Ghunyalit Taalibi Tareeqal Haq, Vol. 3] What Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) told Hazrat Bibi Fatima (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anha) to recite in the above Hadith is a verse of the Holy Qur’an, the translation of which is, “Undoubtedly, my prayer, and my sacrifices, and my living and my dying are all for Allah Who is the Lord of all the worlds.” [surah 6, Verse 162] Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) once said, “Hazrat Dawood (Alaihis Salaam) asked, “Ya Allah, what will be the spiritual reward of a member of the Ummah of Muhammad (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam), who offers an animal sacrifice?” Almighty Allah replied, “As his spiritual reward, he will be granted ten good deeds for every hair (on the animal’s body), and ten bad deeds will be erased from his record. He will also be promoted by ten degrees.” Hazrat Dawood (Alaihis Salaam) then asked, “Ya Allah, what will be his spiritual reward when he carves open the stomach?” To this Almighty Allah replied, “When the grave is split open to release him, Allah Ta’ala will bring him forth secure from hunger and thirst, and safe from the terrors of the Resurrection. O Dawood, for every piece of its meat, he will be awarded poultry in the Garden of Paradise, and those birds will be the size of Bactrian camels. For every one of its forelegs, he will be awarded one of the steeds of the Garden of Paradise. For every hair on its body, he will be awarded a palatial mansion in the Garden of Paradise. For every hair on its head, he will be awarded a maiden from among the houries (of Paradise). Surely you must know O Dawood, that the animal sacrifices represent the riding animals (of Paradise), and that those sacrifices wipe out sinful errors and drive away misfortunes.” [Ghunyalit Taalibi Tareeqal Haq, Vol. 3] Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said, “Offer your sacrifices and feel happy about letting them go, for if someone takes his sacrificial animal, and turns it to face the Qibla, its blood and its hair will be preserved for him until the Day of Resurrection. When the blood falls into the dust, it is falling into Allah’s safekeeping. Spend freely, that you may be recompensed abundantly!” Once Hazrat Ali ibn Abi Talib (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) first recited the verse, “The day We shall carry the duty-bound (pious) towards the Most Affectionate as guests.” [surah 19, Verse 85] He then went on to say, “And who will the guests consist of other than riders mounted on their thoroughbred camels? Those thoroughbred camels of theirs are now their sacrificial animals. (At the Resurrection) they will be provided with she-camels, the likes of which no creatures have ever seen, and these will be equipped with saddles of gold and bridles of chrysolite. Then they will transport them to the Garden of Paradise, so that they may enter through its gate.” [Ghunyalit Taalibi Tareeqal Haq, Vol. 3] Ettiquettes of Qurbani Qurbani is wajib upon every Muslim male and female who is of sound mind, ###### (reached puberty), not a traveller and possesses the amount of Nisaab. It is not necessary that the amount of Nisaab be in one’s possession for a complete lunar year as is the case for Zakaat. Qurbani is not wajib upon a child or an insane person even if they own the amount of Nisaab. However, if a person on whom Qurbani is not wajib, purchases an animal with the intention of performing Qurbani, it will then become wajib to perform that Qurbani [shaami ] The Ibaadat of Qurbani is prescribed only for three special days i.e. the 10th, 11th and 12th days of Zil Hajj. Qurbani may be performed on any of these days but the first day is better. It is makrooh to perform Qurbani at night. By giving in Sadaqah the equivalent amount of Qurbani during these three days will not compensate nor fulfil the Qurbani and one will be committing a sin for not fulfilling a wajib act. Qurbani is a unique Ibaadat, and in the same way that Salaah cannot compensate for Fasting or Zakaat cannot compensate for Hajj, similarly Sadaqah and Charity cannot compensate for Qurbani. [Fatawa Alamgiri ] A person should show mercy and affection to the sacrificial animal and must not treat it harshly. Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said, “You must treat your sacrificial animals properly, for they will be your riding animals on the Day of Resurrection.” A camel, cow or sheep can be sacrificed provided they have reached the necessary age for Qurbani and they are not defective in any way. If more than a third of the ear or tail of an animal is cut off, such an animal is not suitable for Qurbani. [Durre Mukhtar] A sheep or goat must be at least one year old, a cow two years old and a camel five years old. When slaughtering, one should face the Qibla and ensure that a sharp knife is used so that the animal will not suffer. After slaughtering, the animal should not be skinned or cut up into pieces until it becomes completely cold. One animal should not be slaughtered in the presence of another animal. If an animal that has been selected for Qurbani gives birth before its slaughter or while slaughtering it, then the newly born animal should also be slaughtered. With regard to the distribution of the meat, A’la Hazrat Imam Ahle Sunnat Imam Ahmad Raza Khan says that it is desirable to divide the meat into 3 parts: one for oneself, one for relatives, and one for the poor, or if he wants, he can eat it all of it or distribute it all. [Fatawa-e-Razvia] Furthermore, it is Haraam to sell the Qurbani meat and the slaughterer or skinner etc. cannot be given the skin or meat as payment for their services. A separate remuneration must be given. Ayyam-e-Tashreeq Allah Ta’ala states in the Holy Qur’an, “And remember Allah during the numbered days.” [surah 2, Verse 203] The ‘numbered days’ refer to the Days of Tashreeq which begin from Fajr of the 9th of Zil Hajj to the Asr Salaah of the 13th of Zil Hajj. [Tafseer Noorul Irfaan] It is wajib to recite the Takbeer once, loudly immediately after every Fardh Salaah during these days, however it is better to recite it three times. The Takbeer to be recited is ‘Allahu Akbar Allahu Akbar Laa Ilaaha Illallaahu Wallaahu Akbar Allahu Akbar wa Lillaahil Hamd’. It is wajib on both males and females, but females should recite the Takbeer softly. [shaami ] However, if a person is a traveller (Musaafir) who has not made an intention to stay in the city then Takbeer is not wajib upon him. [Durre Mukhtar] May Allah Ta’ala grant us the Taufeeq to sincerely fulfil the Sunnah of Hazrat Ibrahim (Alaihis Salaam) and May Allah Ta’ala through His Infinite Mercy accept all our Qurbani and Ibaadaat, Ameen.

Usule Barkat Ke Liye Hamare Dada Peer Huzur Qutbe Madina Hazrat Ziyauddin Madni Razwi Qadri Rehmatullahalaih Ki Pyari Pyari Awaz Mai Dua. Dua___Qutb_E_Madina.mp3

The beard is the Sunnah of the Ambiya (Alaihimus Salaam), the recognition of a Muslim and the beauty to the face of a man. Hereunder is proof from the Holy Qur’an and Ahadith about the importance of following this beautiful Sunnah of our Beloved Rasool . To shave off the beard is the way of the kuffaar, mushrikeen and majoosis (fire-worshippers). It is for this reason that Rasoolullah commanded us in numerous Ahadith to act against this by lengthening our beards and trimming our mustaches. Hazrat Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Umar (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) narrates that Rasoolullah said, “Oppose the mushrikeen (polytheists); lengthen the beards and trim the moustaches.” [bukhari Shareef ] Imam Nafi' (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) further states, “Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Umar (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh), during Hajj or Umrah used to hold on to his beard with his fist and cut off whatever was in excess of that.” [bukhari Shareef ] This Hadith in which we are commanded to lengthen the beards has also been narrated by Sayyiduna Abu Huraira (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) and he also trimmed his beard to one fist length. [sahih Muslim] The verdict of growing the beard as being wajib is deduced from the above mentioned Hadith, which is one of many Ahadith with a similar command. This is because any explicit command of Rasoolullah is regarded as wajib, if there is no apparent or clear proof which states that that particular command is for a certain preference. This is an established fact in the principles of Fiqh. Therefore it becomes wajib upon us to follow the command of Rasoolullah in lengthening our beards. Allah Ta'ala has mentioned in the Holy Qur'an, “Therefore let those who do against the command of the Messenger fear, lest some trial befall them or a painful torment overtake them.” [surah Noor, Verse 63] This verse clearly tells us the result of not following the command of Rasoolullah . Furthermore, the Imams of all four Mazhabs i.e. Imam-e-Azam Imam Abu Hanifa, Imam Shafi’ee, Imam Malik and Imam Ahmad bin Hambal (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anhum) are in consensus that it is Haraam to shave the beard. Therefore no one can say that he belongs to a different Mazhab and is allowed to shave his beard. A’la Hazrat Imam Ahle Sunnat Imam Ahmad Raza Khan (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) states that to shave off completely or trim the beard very short once is a minor sin and to habitually do so is a major sin. This continuous act will make one a Faasiq-e-Mu’lin (Open Transgressor) and the court of Shariah will reject such a person as a valid witness. To perform Salaah with Jama’at behind such a person is forbidden and if Salaah is performed, it will be incumbent to repeat that Salaah. [Malfuz Shareef ] We therefore learn from the above that it is wajib for a Muslim male to grow a beard. It is also wajib to let the beard grow to a fist length and it is prohibited to shave the beard or to trim it less than a fist length. It is however permissible to trim the beard if it is beyond a fist length as reported by Hazrat Abu Huraira (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) and other Tabi’een. [Fathul Baari] Nobody has permitted the trimming of the beard to lesser than a fist length. [Durre Mukhtar, Fathul Qadeer] Mufti Ahmad Yaar Khan Qadri Naeemi (Rahmatullah Alaih) explains some of the benefits of lengthening the beard: · The beard is the beauty and the Noor of a man’s face. · A beard hinders a person from committing sins. · A beard increases the virility of a man. [islami Zindagi ] But most importantly growing a beard is following the command as well as the beautiful Sunnah of Rasoolullah . Do we even need any more motivation than this? Some individuals acknowledge that it is wajib to keep a beard, but argue that there is no mention of any specific length in the Hadith. Therefore if one has a bit of hair on his face, irrespective of the length, it would fulfil the command of growing a beard. This is due to a lack of understanding of the Hadith. Rasoolullah has commanded us to lengthen the beard and not just to keep a beard. The difference between the two is quite clear. If one just keeps a shortened beard he will not be fulfilling the command of Rasoolullah . Therefore, to intentionally keep a short or stubble beard is not sufficient; lengthening the beard is wajib. Let us look at what Allah Ta’ala says in the Holy Qur’an with regard to following the commands of Rasoolullah : · “O believers! Obey Allah and His Messenger, and turn not away from him after hearing him.” [surah 8, Verse 20] · “Undoubtedly, you have the best in the following of the Messenger, for him who hopes for Allah and the Last Day and remembers Allah much.” [surah 33, Verse 21] · “And whatsoever the Messenger gives you take it, and whatsoever he forbids you, abstain from that. And fear Allah; undoubtedly the torment of Allah is severe. [surah 59, Verse 7] · “O Beloved! Say you, “O people! If you love Allah, then follow me; Allah will love you and will forgive your sins and Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.”” [surah 3, Verse 31] · “Whoso obeys the messenger, has indeed obeyed Allah, and whoso turns away his face, then We have not sent you to save them.” [surah 4, Verse 80] Allah Ta’ala clearly tells us in the Holy Qur’an to obey Rasoolullah and to take what he gives us. He has given us his beautiful Sunnah but we choose to ignore it and follow the appearance of the kuffaar. Allah Ta’ala says that if we love Almighty Allah then we must follow Rasoolullah . Can we then claim to love Allah Ta’ala when we cannot even follow such a simple command of Rasoolullah to grow a beard on our faces? Do we not fear the torment of Allah Ta’ala? Why is it so difficult to at least make our faces resemble in some way to the blessed face of our beloved Aaqa ? May Allah Ta’ala grant us the Taufeeq to adorn our faces with beautiful beards as our Master Muhammad Mustafa has commanded us to do, Ameen.

Al-Masjid Al-Nabawi (The Prophet's Mosque), the second holiest place in Islam, the second of the holy mosques, is at the very centre of Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah. The first thing that any visitor to Madinah sees is the mosque, with its ten very tall minarets reaching high into the sky. The building itself, is in the shape of a rectangle. Its length runs from north to south and its width, east to west. The centre of the southern wall protrudes out more than one-quarter of its distance. The front of the building is sixty metres in length. (This is the old, original building). Above this section of the mosque, in the eastern area, is the famous green dome and a square minaret of medium height. Over the western section of this part of the building is a cylindrical minaret, also of medium height and many small, silver coloured domes. The two minarets mentioned, are of less height than the others and their shapes and design are different, as they were erected in past eras. The front section of the old part of the mosque, (the original building), was renovated in the past (1277 A.H.; corresponding to 1860 AD), during the rule of Sultaan 'Abd Al-Majeed, It included a new building, which was constructed at the end of the north front. When we enter the Prophet's Mosque from Baab Al-Salaam, (the Gate of Peace), we find ourself in the old building. The insides of the domes are painted very beautifully with geometric decorations and flora. Under the domes, the cylindrical columns, which are reinforced by lead, support stone arches, which in turn support the roof of the building. The two capitals (crowns) of the columns are decorated. The columns are painted a light ivory-cream colour. The walls in this building are decorated with in-laid mosaic tiles and running at a height of one and one-half metres along the south wall, there is a horizontal band, upon which are written verses from the Glorious Qur'an. After praying two raka'ats of greeting (Tahhiyat) to the mosque, the visitor moves to the final resting place of our Most Beloved, the Prophet of Allah, Mohammed (Peace be upon him), in the Sacred Chamber; the room of 'Aishah (Allah be pleased with her). Interred in the same place are his two beloved and respected friends, respectively, Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq and 'Umar bin Al-Khattaab (Allah be pleased with them both). In front of the Sacred Chamber are three tall gates, with three large medallions made of gold-coated brass, on them. There is also some silver decoration on these gates. Visitors to the Sacred Chamber stop in front of it and greet the Prophet and then in turn, his two companions. Through the metal strips in the gate, the green velvet drapery (kiswah) covering the inner wall is visible. Since the fifth century Hijrah [eleventh century C.E.], the walls surrounding the Sacred Chamber have been supported by lead. After having made salutations and having faced the Qiblah to make supplications for the Prophet, TO ALLAH, the visitor then goes to Al-Raudah Al-Shareef. The Raudah is between the western wall of the Sacred Chamber and the Minbar. The Prophet said "What is between my house and my mimbar is a garden (Raudah) from the gardens (Riyadh) of Paradise". The western face of the Sacred Chamber has another wide room attached to it from behind. This was the room of Al-Sayyedah Faatimah (Allah be pleased with her), daughter of the Prophet . Behind it is a high, wide platform called Al-Suffah. It was here that the new immigrants, the poor and strangers used to live (inside). Stone columns are spread throughout the Raudah. They are decorated with well-known golden lines. On their capitals (crowns) are written descriptions, which define the border of the masjid, at the time of the Prophet . With every column, there is biographical information about the life (Seerah) of the Prophet and his Companions (Allah be pleased with them all). In the front of the Raudah is the mihrab, (a semi-circular place indicating the direction of prayer, the Qiblah) of the Prophet, Peace be upon him). It was installed at the time of the first Ummayyad expansion, in the year 91 Hijrah [709 C.E.], in the exact place from which the Prophet led the prayers as Imam of the Noble Companions (May Allah be pleased with them all). It has been restored with subsequent renovations. The minbar (the place where the Imam stands to deliver the sermon (khutbah) during the Friday, congregational prayer, is situated in the Raudah. It was put in the place where the Prophet gave his sermons; which was where he had stood, leaning against the trunk of a date-palm tree. In the 9th year of the Hijrah, a wooden minbar was made for him. It remained in place for a long time, but was eventually replaced by other minbars. Kings and Sultans vied to outdo each other in making gifts (i.e. a minbar) to enhance the mosque. There are three gates along the western side of the old building. Baab Al-Salaam, (the Gate of Peace), is the southern most of the three. Next to it is the second gate of the three called Kaukh (hut) Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq. The third and northern most of the three is Baab Al-Rahmah, (the Gate of Mercy). On the eastern side of it, after the Sacred Chamber in the old part of the mosque, is Baab Al-Jibreel (the Gate of Gabriel). Next to it, to the north is Baab Al-Nissaa' (the Gate of Women). North of the old building, on the longer side, there are two separate courtyards, one behind the other, which are open to the sky. Between them and surrounding them, there are colonnades that run east to west and north to south. Huge light coloured umbrellas that open and close by remote, electronic control have been erected. The columns that support them are of similar design to those in the recent additions to the building and in the exterior plazas. Adjacent to this building, lies the recent Sa'udi expansion of the masjid. This, the newest building addition, spreads out in three directions. There are vast interior plazas that are interconnected by long colonnades. The tall columns therein are clad in a light-coloured marble. The brass capitals (crowns) of these massive columns contain lamps, which provide ample light. Over the columns are arches, constructed of stone of contrasting colours, sandy and dark-grey. The arches support the ceiling and subsequently, the roof. The ceilings, the design of which is based on that of traditional wooden ceilings, are decorated with huge geometric forms. Suspended over the interior plazas are massive circular, gold-coated brass chandeliers, which combine tradition and technology. There are lamps hanging from them that emit diffused white light for illumination. This light is heat-less. The pedestals (bases) of the columns have brass diffuser grills for the air conditioning system, the cold air of which emanates from the basement of the mosque. Near the windows, high up in the walls, are the brass, return-air grills. (The stale air is removed after circulation, thus affording a constant supply of fresh, clean air). The complex and efficient air conditioning network that has been installed is connected to a huge chilled-water plant, which is seven kilometres away and which is connected to the mosque by a wide, underground tunnel. Twenty-seven massive domes (80 tonnes each) are evenly distributed across the roof of this the newest building and combine traditional Islamic architecture with advanced, modern technology. The interior surfaces of the domes are covered with Arabesque designs fashioned of expensive wood, gemstones and gilding. The gold in each of the domes amounts to 2.5 kilograms in weight. The domes are of steel construction, the outer surfaces coated with anti-rust material. Designed to open and close, by remote computer operation, they move with precision on tracks high above the surface of the roof and provide natural light and fresh air ventilation, as required. The interior walls of the mosque are covered with alabaster of light-colours. At a height of one and one-half metres, there is a horizontal band that runs the length of the walls. Inscribed on them are Qur'anic verse in letters protruding from the alabaster band's surface. Distributed high up in the walls are wide windows, whose frames are made of expensive teak and whose panes are of dark (smoked) glass. The walls themselves are of alabaster, with Arabesque decoration, whose design is unprecedented. Spread along the galleries, are large (thermos') containing cold water from the well of Zamzam, in Makkah. The Zamzam water is transported daily to the mosque, in special tanker trucks from Makkah, which is 430 kilometres away. The mosque now has eighty-five doors spread across forty-one wide gates. These doors are composed of fine, rare teak. Covering the outside surfaces of the doors are brass Arabesque medallions and other designs, the hardware of which is gold-coated, (and are thus resistant to the verdigris caused by oxidation). The width of one of them is three metres, the height six metres. Inscribed in the centre of each are the words, “Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, Peace be upon him”. The words of Allah, the Almighty, from Surat Al-Hijr, The Rocky Tract, Verse 46, “Enter therein, (Paradise) in peace and security”, have been chiseled into the stone lintel over each of the doors. This recently completed expansion includes escalators to move worshippers during peak times, to the rooftop. The roof itself was planned and designed to accommodate the large numbers of worshippers during times of peak crowding. Along the perimeters of the sides of the building are four long, narrow porticos. Most of the roof is open to the elements. However, when the domes are moved into the open position, worshippers can still pray under them, as well. No space has been wasted. The mosque now has a total of ten minarets, evenly distributed around the building. Two of them are very old and sit atop the southern corners of the old building. The rest are new, having been erected during the two Sa'udi expansions. The height of each of these is more than one hundred metres, which pierce the sky. Surrounding the mosque on all sides, is a vast expanse of plaza, whose surface is covered with alabaster and marble. Distributed evenly across the plaza are columns clad in light-coloured marble that have lamps at the top, which emit powerful fluorescent light. Also evenly distributed across the plaza are small pavilions that are actually (gates) entrances with escalators and stairways descending to the Ablution areas and car-park, both of which have been constructed beneath the plaza. Around the perimeter of the plaza surrounding the mosque, is a wall that is interposed with gates and guard houses, whose posts and roofs are topped with small domes

1. Qurbani is wajib upon every adult muslim male and female who is sane, not a traveller, and is owner of nisaab. (fatawa alamgiri, v5, p292,) 2. What usually happens is that a single goat is sacrificed on behalf of all the family members even though qurbani was wajib upon the family members individually, as they were owners of nisaab. Qurbani should be given individually for all these people. (az faadaat:- fatawa-e-razaviya new edition, v20 p369) 3. A single cow, bull, buffalo and camel will be sufficient for seven sacrifices. (fatawa alamgiri, v5, p304) 4. Although it is not wajib to perform qurbani on behalf of a child, it is preferable to do so and there is no need for his permission. If you want to perform qurbani on behalf of your wife or adult children, you must ask their permission otherwise their wajib will not be completed.(fatawa alamgiri, v5, p304, quetta / bahar-e-shariat, part 15, p134, madina-tul-murshid) there are two types of permissions: (1) clear. For example, somebody clearly says perform qurbani on my behalf, (2) evidential. It is understood that a person does qurbani for his wife or children and they are aware and happy about it. (fatawa ahlesunnat) 5. It is compulsory to perform qurbani within its fixed days and time. Anything else cannot be an alternative to it, e.g. Instead of performing qurbani, to give the value of a goat in the form of money is insufficient. (fatawa alamgiri, v5, p293) 6. Age of a qurbani animal: a camel has to be 5 years old, a cow 2 years old, a male or female goat, lamb & sheep has to be at least 1 year old. If the age of the animal is less, the qurbani is not permissible. If the age of the animal exceeds the required age of sacrifice then not only it will be permissible, it is even better. If a lamb, or a ewe’s young (female sheep’s young) is very healthy at the age of six months that by looking at it from a distance it looks to be a year old then it can be used for qurbani. (dur-e-mukhtaar, v9, p33, dar-ul-ma’rifa, ) however, keep in mind that the qurbani of a six months old lamb is certainly not universal in its permissibility. It is important that it is tall and healthy and that from a distance it assumes to be to a year old. If a six month old lamb or a ewe’s young, (even if it is just a single day less than a year) does not assume to be a year old from at a distance, its qurbani will not be counted. 7. It is important that the qurbani animal does not have any faults & defects. If there is minor & insignificant fault with the animal i.e. Its ear is torn or pierced then the qurbani will count but it is makrooh but if there is a major fault with the animal, the qurbani will not be counted. (dur-e-mukhtaar, ma’ rad-dul-muhtaar, v9, p536 / bahar-e-shariat, part 15, p140) 8. An animal which was born without horns can be used as qurbani, but if it does not have ears from birth, or only has a single ear, its qurbani is impermissible. (fatawa alamgiri, v5, p297, ) 9. A mad animal or a thin animal that has no marrow in its bones cannot be used for qurbani. Also an animal which is one-eyed whose defect is obvious, a sick animal whose sickness is obvious, a lame animal whose limp is obvious and travels to the designated place of qurbani with difficulty, an animal whose ear, tail, are cut more than a 1/3, is teeth less, has cut teats, dry teats or has a cut nose cannot be used for qurbani. For a goat, one teat to be dry, and for a cow or a buffalo two teats to be dry are enough to suggest its impermissibility for qurbani. (dur-e-mukhtaar, ma’ rad-dul-muhtaar, v9, p535 / bahar-e-shariat, part 15, p140) 10. It is preferable for a muslim to slaughter the animal of his qurbani with his own hands. However, if he is unable to slaughter the animal himself, or does not want to do so for some reason, he can request another person to slaughter it on his behalf. In this case, it is more preferable that he be present at the time of slaughter. (fatawa alamgiri, v5, p300, ) 11. Qurbani has been done and you discover that the animal was pregnant and the young one comes out alive then it should also be slaughtered. It is permissible to consume its meat. If the young one is dead, it should be disposed of. (bahar-e-shariat, part 15, p146, madina-tul-murshid,) (if a dead young one was taken out, the validity of the qurbani still remains and the meat is perfectly fine to consume). 12. If you had asked someone else to sacrifice the animal for you and you also placed your own hand upon the knife so that both may slaughter it together, it is wajib for both of you to recite Bismillah ;. If even one person had intentionally avoided reciting the blessed name Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala when slaughtering an animal thinking to himself that ‘the next person has recited it so i don’t need to’ then that animal is not halaal. (dur-e-mukhtaar, v9, p551, dar-ul-ma’rifa )