The Reality of Istikhara - SeekersGuidance

SeekersGuidance - The Reality of Istikhara - Blog: “In this lecture, Shaykh Faraz discusses istikhara (the prayer of guidance) by defining it, debunking misconceptions regarding it, the best way to perform it, and easy ways to integrate it into our lives in a meaningful manner. “

Jabir (Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)used to teach us the way of doing Istikhara in all matters as he taught us the Suras of the Qur’an. He said, “If anyone of you thinks of doing any job he should offer a two Rakat prayer other than the compulsory ones and say (after the prayer): ‘Allahumma inni astakhiruka bi’ilmika, Wa astaqdiruka bi-qudratika, Wa as’alaka min fadlika al-’azlm Fa-innaka taqdiru Wala aqdiru, Wa ta’lamu Wala a’lamu, Wa anta ‘allamu l-ghuyub. Allahumma, in kunta ta’lam anna hadha-l-amra Khairun li fi dini wa ma’ashi wa’aqibati amri (or ‘ajili amri wa’ajilihi) Faqdirhu wa yas-sirhu li thumma barik li Fihi, Wa in kunta ta’lamu anna hadha-lamra shar-run li fi dini wa ma’ashi wa’aqibati amri (or fi’ajili amri wa ajilihi) Fasrifhu anni was-rifni anhu. Waqdir li al-khaira haithu kana Thumma ardini bihi.’ (O Allah! I ask guidance from Your knowledge, And Power from Your Might and I ask for Your great blessings. You are capable and I am not. You know and I do not and You know the unseen. O Allah! If You know that this job is good for my religion and my subsistence and in my Hereafter… (or said: If it is better for my present and later needs). Then You ordain it for me and make it easy for me to get, And then bless me in it, and if You know that this job is harmful to me In my religion and subsistence and in the Hereafter… (or said: If it is worse for my present and later needs). Then keep it away from me and let me be away from it. And ordain for me whatever is good for me, And make me satisfied with it). The Prophet added that then the person should name (mention) his need. (Download Slides)

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Fahad Faruqui: Sufi Islam: Reclaiming Muslim Spirituality - Huffington Post

Fahad Faruqui: Sufi Islam: Reclaiming Muslim Spirituality

After two bombs recently claimed dozens of innocent lives at the shrine of esteemed Sufi Ali Hajviri, fingers were pointed at the al-Qaeda-linked militants who see Sufism as the work of heretics. The New York Sufi Music Festival was brought to U.S. to showcase the spiritual dimension of Islam and the rich heritage of Pakistan, counteracting a view that Pakistan is predominantly a country known for its terror factories. Sadly, the image of militants waging war is overwhelming and hard to supersede.

Hearing Abida Parveen sing Bulleh Shah’s ecstatic poetry, which enriched the centuries-old Sufi tradition of the Indus valley, made me realize how the Islamists have stripped away spirituality from the religion and left believers with rituals, sketchy interpretations of the divine laws and fear of God’s wrath. Sufi Muslims of the subcontinent, who converted to Islam in the pre-partition era, were drawn to the Sufi path of knowledge that has been hijacked by the al-Qaeda ideology of violence.

The rapturous quality of Sufi poetry continues to fascinate me, but the very idea of loving and seeking God while listening to radical mullahs (like the clerics of Red Mosque) is deeply troubling. Prostration to God devoid of spirituality is no different from doing sit-ups. Surely, the label Sufi is not necessary. What’s important is the sentiment. It helps the cause of clarity to call those on the path “Sufis” rather than “mystics,” which will more likely conjure images of Aladdin on his flying carpet.

Islam is the fastest-growing religion but has too few religious scholars with requisite understanding to link rituals and divine laws to creative spiritual ascension. I reached a level of comfort with my faith through good guidance from prominent Muslim thinkers such as Hamza Yusuf, Faraz Rabbani and Zaid Shakir, who drink deeply of the Quran’s spring of wisdom.

Faith is ineffable; so is our search for God. Ecstatic poetry and Sufi treatises speaking of “annihilation of self” and “Oneness with the Creator” are merely tools to evoke the Sufi sentiment, which is not peculiar to Islam. Teresa of Avila’s “Libro de la Vida,” Bulleh Shah’s ecstatic poetry, Allama Iqbal’s intimate conversation with God in “Shikwa” (complaint) and Mansoor Al-Hallaj’s proclamation “Anal-Haq” (I am the Truth) are all expressions of the acquired wisdom gleaned from deep introspection.

Though unsuccessful, Iqbal tried to revive the true spirit of Islam. He was quick in identifying that the hardline mullah was a hopeless case. But the Sufis were either consumed in “other worldliness” or digressing from the core of Sufism. For Iqbal, a profound religious experience is one that benefits humanity, which is most unlikely if the seeker retreats to constant seclusion.

Saudi Arabia’s government is often accused of demolishing tombs of the companions of the prophet, fearing veneration of graves, and of discouraging Muslims from praying at prominent sites like the Cave of Hira (where Muhammed received his first revelation). Why they discourage is another column, but one thing is certain: visiting graves and sites mentioned in the Quran will not miraculously lead to divine illumination. The essence of Sufism is to dig into the depths of your soul to seek the One. In the shrines of Sufi masters in the subcontinent, one can expect to find numerous vagabonds pretending to be Sufis, who earn a living by giving false hopes to troubled wives, jobless men and childless couples. This defeats the premise of Sufism — absolute reliance on Almighty.

In a phone conversation, a prominent Sufi scholar, William Chittick, said, “The core of Sufism is to strive for nearness to God.” Even though God is absolutely Other, he presupposes a direct relationship with the seeker. No doubt. Allah says in the Quran (50:16): “I am closer to you than your jugular vein.”

It is our egos that have created boundaries between sects within Islam and ensuring rivalries with non-Muslims. Reviving the spiritual dimension of Islam may be the only way to fight intolerant radical elements internally.

YouTube - SeekersGuidanceVideo’s Channel

YouTube - SeekersGuidanceVideo’s Channel: “Imam Siraj Wahhaj shares words of wisdom and long experience about how to be effective in calling to Allah, and the need for Prophetic mercy and concern. In Ann Arbor Michigan, after SeekersGuidance organizational meetings”

 

Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad - The Pursuit of Happiness - cambridge khutbas etc.

cambridge khutbas etc.: The Pursuit of Happiness (Friday sermon (jum’ah khutba) by Sheikh Abdal Hakim Murad - Cambridge - 21st May 2010 - 25 mins 46 secs)

In this sermon, the Sheikh explores how the Glorious Names of Al-Qabid (The Constrictor) and Al-Basit (The Expander) reflect states that human beings naturally pass through and how these are spiritual extensions of the concepts of fear (khawf) and hope (rajaa’) . The

 

Believer is one in whom these 2 states are in constant balance. Happiness and joy, thus, can only be fully appreciated after one has known fear and sadness and it is Allah (swt) who bestows the sakinah into the hearts of whomsoever He wishes.

Listen to this sermon

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Cambridge Muslims Need Your Help!

Spirit Of Islam: ReliefWorks, the Swat Valley Crisis, and the Importance of Service - Nader Khan - YouTube

YouTube - Nader Khan - Spirit Of Islam

Part 1 & 2 of Nader’s recent interview with Spirit Of Islam’s host Br. Ashraf Zaghloul, where he discussed ReliefWorks, and our current campaign to raise funds for the people of Swat.

The Virtues of Prostrating to Allah Alone - Faraz Rabbani - SeekersGuidance Podcasts

The Virtues of Prostrating to Allah Alone - Faraz Rabbani

Understanding Virtue through the Prophetic Teachings (Lesson Nineteen): This lesson discusses the virtues of prostrating to the one alone worthy of worship. Rabi`a ibn Ka`b al-Aslami (Allah be pleased with him) said that he would sleep by the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) and then give him water for his ritual ablutions (wudu’) and needs. He said to me, “Ask.” I said, “I ask you for your close company in Paradise.” He said, “Anything else?” I said, “This is what I want.” He replied, “So assist me against yourself with much prostration.” [Muslim (489), Abu Dawud (1320), Nasa’i (1139)]

Download Options:

(1) Download this talk here. (right click and “save”)

or (2) Download podcasts directly onto your iPod by going to Seekers Guidance Islamic Knowledge Podcasts (at iTunes)

YouTube - Stealing from Imam Siraj Wahhaj & a Prophetic Dua for Love of Allah - SeekersDigest - Faraz Rabbani

YouTube - Stealing from Imam Siraj Wahhaj & a Prophetic Dua for Love of Allah - SeekersDigest - Faraz Rabbani

SeekersDigest - Faraz Rabbani’s Reflections on Travel, Teaching, and Life… SeekersDigest - Episode 002 - Stealing from Imam Siraj & Prophetic Dua for Love.

Islamic Beliefs for Seekers: Dardir’s Kharida Explained

Islamic Beliefs for Seekers: Dardir’s Kharida Explained - (with Faraz Rabbani) SeekersGuidance.com

This course aims to enhance ones understanding of Islamic Beliefs and will cover one of the foremost core texts (mutun) in Islamic beliefs, Imam Ahmad al-Dardir’s al-Kharida al-Bahiyya.

Lesson Sample: How “La ilaha illa’l Llah” Summarizes all Belief

This course will cover one of the foremost core texts (mutun) in
Islamic beliefs, Imam Ahmad al-Dardir’s al-Kharida al-Bahiyya, with the
goal of giving us a solid understanding of:

(1) The essential beliefs–we must believe about Allah, Prophets, and
Transmitted Matters–with clarity and depth, as transmitted by the
great imams of Islam.

(2) The underlying methodology of mainstream Islamic beliefs—the way of
the Ash`aris and Maturidis—including the breakdown of rational and
normative rulings, which is the basis of sound reasoning, and a brief
overview of traditional Islamic logic.

(3) The centrality of transcendence (tanzih) in sound beliefs, and its
clear Qur’anic basis, through investigation of the verses some
interpret in ways that entail affirming similitude between Allah and
His creation (tashbih, anthropomorphism).

(4) How the traditional understanding of Islamic beliefs assists in
bringing one’s faith to life, and is a means towards realization and
understanding of the light of the Qur’an and Prophetic example.

Islamic Beliefs for Seekers: Dardir’s Kharida Explained - (with Faraz Rabbani) SeekersGuidance.com

Read more

Ustadha Zaynab Ansari - Hijab: It’s More Than a Piece of Cloth

Hijab: It’s More Than a Piece of Cloth

- Ustadha Zaynab Ansari

Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds and Allah’s peace and blessings upon our beloved Messenger, his family, and companions.

Sometime ago – I am embarrassed to say how long—Shaykh Faraz asked me to write an article on hijab. At the time, SunniPath was getting ready to publish an excellent article by Shaykh Nuh Keller entitled, “Why Hijab?” Shaykh Faraz wanted to know if I could lend a woman’s voice to the discussion. In particular, he requested that I focus on the spiritual and legal bases of hijab. My first response (to myself of course) was: O no, why me? What could I possibly add to the erudite words of our scholars? And who’d be interested in reading yet another piece about hijab? Hasn’t this topic been talked about ad infinitum?

Nevertheless, a promise is a promise and I am suffering from insomnia because I didn’t keep my promise. Here’s my humble attempt to understand why we wear hijab.

My first question is to my dear readers. Why not wear hijab? There is something so natural, so comfortable about wearing hijab that I have a hard time comprehending why it’s become such a contentious issue in some circles.
Some say it’s a political symbol. Some say that it’s a sign that Muslims are planning on taking over the West and imposing Shariah law on hapless non-Muslims. Others argue that hijab is no more than a hang over from the Persian and Byzantine elites whom the unsophisticated Arabs sought to emulate.

Apparently, Muslim women weren’t imaginative enough to come up with their own style of clothing. So they decided to don the veil and enter the harem. (Of course, being victims of patriarchal males, we’re told, they really didn’t have a choice in the matter.) And there’s always the cultural argument. Hijab? O yes, well you see, Muslim cultures are so backwards. All we have to do is modernize Islam, make it a little more progressive if you will, and – voila—the hijab will come flying off. Yes, all the Muslim world needs are some beauty pageants and swimsuit contests, the hallmark of democratic reform.

Please forgive my tongue-in-cheek tone…. [unfinished]

Prayer - The Best of Remembrance - Khutba - Faraz Rabbani (from SeekersGuidance Islamic Knowledge Podcast)

SeekersGuidance Islamic Knowledge Podcast

Muslims have been commanded to establish the prayer as a means of purifying themselves, but were also warned that some people do not benefit from the prayer. In this khutba, Faraz Rabbani elucidates the three steps to realizing the fruits of the prayer.

Direct download: Prayer_-The_Best_of_Rememberance.mp3

Subscribe to the SeekersGuidance Islamic Knowledge Podcast at iTunes. (here)

YouTube - Nader Khan - Video Clip - Allahu

YouTube - Nader Khan - Video Clip - Allahu

Album now available through iTunes:
Nader Khan - Take My Hand (iTunes)

The Prophet - A Tremendous Blessing - Faraz Rabbani on SeekersGuidance Islamic Knowledge Podcast

SeekersGuidance Islamic Knowledge Podcast

In His Book, Allah Most High describes the Prophet, may Allah grant him eternal peace, as a person of tremendous character. In this khutba, Shaykh Faraz Rabbani explains what a tremendous blessing the Prophet is, and provides practical advice on how to establish a living connection with Allah’s Final Messenger.

Direct download: The_Prophet_-_A_Tremendous_Blessing.mp3

To Subscribe to the SeekersGuidance Islamic Knowledge Podcast through iTunes, click here.

What did you learn? - Deep Words from Shaykh Hamza Karamali - SunniPath Blog

SunniPath Blog - » What did you learn?

This is an excellent article by Shaykh Hamza Karamali, of SunniPath Academy, one of the truly brilliant scholars of our Umma (may Allah preserve him and all true inheritors of the way of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)).

Well worth reading and reflecting deeply upon.

http://blog.sunnipath.com/2009/03/21/what-did-you-learn/

Faraz Rabbani
SeekersGuidance (www.SeekersGuidance.com)

Vatican offers Islamic finance system to Western Banks - World Bulletin

World Bulletin [ Vatican offers Islamic finance system to Western Banks ]

The Vatican offered Islamic finance principles to Western banks as a solution for worldwide economic crisis.

Daily Vatican newspaper, ‘L’Osservatore Romano, reported that Islamic banking system may help to overcome global crisis, Turkish media reported.
The Vatican said banks should look at the ethical rules of Islamic finance to restore confidence amongst their clients at a time of global economic crisis.

‘The ethical principles on which Islamic finance is based may bring banks closer to their clients and to the true spirit which should mark every financial service,’ the Vatican’s official newspaper Osservatore Romano said in an article in its latest issue late yesterday.

Author Loretta Napoleoni and Abaxbank Spa fixed income strategist, Claudia Segre, say in the article that ‘Western banks could use tools such as the Islamic bonds, known as sukuk, as collateral’. Sukuk may be used to fund the ”car industry or the next Olympic Games in London,’ they said.

They also said that profit share, gained from sukuk, may be an alternative to the interest. They underlined that sukuk system could help automotive sector and support investments in infrastructure area.

Islamic sukuk system is similar to bonos of capitalist system. But in sukuk, money is invested concrete projects and profit share is distributed to clients instead of interest earned.

Pope Benedict XVI in an Oct. 7 speech reflected on crashing financial markets saying that ‘money vanishes, it is nothing’ and concluded that ‘the only solid reality is the word of God.’ The Vatican has been paying attention to the global financial meltdown and ran articles in its official newspaper that criticize the free-market model for having ‘grown too much and badly in the past two decades.’

The Osservatore’s editor, Giovanni Maria Vian, said that ‘the great religions have always had a common attention to the human dimension of the economy,’ Corriere della Sera reported today.

Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad: Islam, Gender, Marriage & Sexuality

cambridge khutbas etc.: Islam, Gender, Marriage & Sexuality: “Talk by Sheikh Abdal Hakim Murad - Rhodes House, Oxford - 9 February 2009 - 1 hr 00 mins 04 secs

In another talk for OUISOC’s Experience Islam Term, Sheikh Abdal Hakim offers some further thoughts on gender in Islam (which dovetail quite nicely with previous talks posted here and here). He begins, with characteristic catholicity, by discussing the career of Valentine de Sainte Point, an early French feminist and Futurist who in later life rejected what she perceived as the dehumanising trajectory of Western culture and converted to Islam, in which she found a more integrated and integrative understanding of human nature.

From that, the sheikh moves on discuss some aspects of the Islamic understanding of gender and sexuality, and how in this respect, as in others, the message of the Qu’ran and the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) acted as a rectification to misinterpretations of previous revelation; in this case, the rejection and excoriation of human sexuality often manifested by Christianity. The Prophet, by contrast, as ‘mankind perfected’, embraced this aspect of his humanity as he did every other, according to the Divine Guidance. His role as exemplar was thereby extended to women partly through his marriages, which provided multiple models of exemplary female behaviour. The sheikh finishes by discussing this in relation to the Prophet’s wives (may God be pleased with them) and Qur’anic examples of ideal women.

Listen to this talk

Download this talk (MP3)

Was Bridges TV Beheading An Honor Killing? : NPR

Was Bridges TV Beheading An Honor Killing? : NPR: ” The beheading of Aasiya Hassan allegedly by her husband, Muzzammil ‘Mo’ Hassan, the founder of Bridges TV has prompted American-Muslim leaders to criticize domestic violence. [Shaykh] Hamza Yusuf, founder of the Zaytuna Institute in California, says Muslims are being held to a different standard than Americans of other faiths.”

YouTube - Shaykh Hamza Yusuf: Removing the Silence on Domestic Violence by Shaykh Hamza Yusuf

YouTube - Sermon: Removing the Silence on Domestic Violence by Shaykh Hamza Yusuf: “The title says it all: Removing the Silence on Domestic Violence, a sermon by Shaykh Hamza Yusuf. Recorded on February 20, 2009 in San Jose California. www.zaytuna.org”

Spring 2009 Registration is open. Don’t miss out.
www.SeekersGuidance.com
Learn to Live.

SunniPath Blog - » For Aasiya Zubair Hassan - Ustadha Zaynab Ansari

SunniPath Blog - » For Aasiya Zubair Hassan: “Nonetheless, my heart and mind have been reeling from news which has shocked the North American Muslim community and provided Islamophobia’s representatives with yet more cannon fodder for the vilification of our beautiful religion and its adherents.

Sister Aasiya Hassan, co-founder of the Bridges TV network, was brutally murdered by her husband on Thursday, February 12, 2009, Safar 16, 1430.

Together, Aasiya and her husband, Muzzammil, brought Muslim-oriented programming to Muslims and members of other faith communities across the United States. Their vision was to provide television audiences with a positive image of Islam and Muslim life.

I did not know Sister Aasiya, but I remember seeing her on the cover of Azizah Magazine some years ago, dressed in her bridal finery. She spoke of her enthusiasm for the Bridges TV project and talked of her husband and family. She wanted to counter the images of violent, angry Muslims that were widespread in mainstream American media, particularly after September 11, 2001.

Now Sister Aasiya is dead and all of us are asking why. “

Class for Advanced Seekers: Tanwir al-Absar of Imam Tumurtashi [Hanafi Fiqh, in Arabic] - with Faraz Rabbani

In the Name of Allah, the Benevolent, the Merciful

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah,

There is a closed class on Tanwir al-Absar of Imam Tumurtashi beginning in two weeks, with Faraz Rabbani, in Arabic, through SeekersGuidance (www.SeekersGuidance.com). This text is commented on by Imam Haskafi in his Durr al-Mukhtar, on which Imam Ibn Abidin wrote his Radd al-Muhtar (famous as Hashiyat Ibn Abidin, or just al-Hashiya).

The class has only limited spaces (most of which are taken already). It is open for both sisters and brothers. If interested, please email me directly (with a clear subject line, please) at faraz[at]seekersguidance[dot]com

Format of the Class

There will be two recorded (downloadable) lessons per week, and online forums for questions. While the lessons themselves will be in Arabic, questions can be asked both in English and Arabic (and in Urdu, though responses would be in Arabic or English).

Student Requirements

Students need to have covered at least a full text of Hanafi fiqh previously, and must be able to understand Arabic.

The students participating in the Tanwir al-Absar course can be divided into one of two types, with each division being characterized by distinct requirements. They are:

(1) Listeners

The ”Listener” is a student who wishes to fulfill the basic goals of the course, namely understanding the text itself. The requirements of the Listener, therefore, are as follows:

(a) Reading the text (matn) before every lesson.
(b) Listening to the recorded lessons.
It is also recommended for the Listener to read the Durr al-Mukhtar along with the text as regularly as possible.

(2) Seekers

The ”Seeker” is a student who wishes to go beyond the basics and attain mastery (itqan) of the material being studied. The requirements of the Seeker, therefore, are much more rigorous than the Listener, requiring more time, effort, and resolve. These requirements are as follows:

(a) Reading the text (matn) itself before every lesson.
(b) Reading the commentary of Imam Haskafi, Durr al-Mukhtar, with the text on a regular basis.
(c) Listening to the recorded lessons.
(d) Reading the relevant sections of the Radd al-Muhtar that the instructor advises the students to read, and understanding the discussions therein.
(e) Asking questions related to understanding the text and the underlying details and reasoning.

One of the goals of this course is guided reading of the Hashiyah, and this is key to attaining mastery of the text itself.

It is also recommended for the Seeker to read the Hashiyah as regularly as possible to deepen one’s understanding of the key issues, beyond what the instructor may advise one to read.

If interested, please email me directly (with a clear subject line, please) at faraz[at]seekersguidance[dot]com

And Allah alone gives success.

Destiny and Human Responsibility in Islam - Faraz Rabbani - Video

I answer a question on “Is Death Decreed by Allah?” in which he explains the Islamic understanding of decree and destiny (qada’ wa qadar) …

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