Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Your Mercy I Almost Forgot



Allah, again I forgot
with your Mercy
the blind will see
the deaf will hear
the dumb will think
the mute will talk
the skeptic becomes convinced
the stammer becomes eloquent

and Allah, I'd almost forgotten to ask
that You Pour the utmost blessing and absolute peace onto our master Muhammad
with which complications are undone
and problems are removed
and all needs are fulfilled
and wishes are realized
and good ending to life
and the cloud showers rain with his (Prophet’s saw) countenance
and (pour also mercy) onto his family and companions
in every glance and breath
as many times as what You Already Know.

Wallahu a'lam

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Hidayatus Salikin - Staying Away From Sins of The Tongue #3

The prophet (saw) said:

مررت ليلة اسرى بي على قوم يخمشون وجوههم بأظافيرهم فقلت يا جبريل من هؤلاء فقال هؤلاء الذين يغتابون الناس ويقعون في اعراضهم

During the night of Isra’ I passed by a group of people scratching their faces with their fingernails so I said “O Jibril, who are they?” Jibril said “they are people who backbite and humiliate others.”


Imam Ghazali (rh) said:

“Backbiting is more evil than 30 fornications in Islam, such is reported in hadith of the Prophet (saw)”

Backbiting is defined as talking about a third person, which if heard, that person he will not like it. The subject could be about his physical flaw, his words, his actions, his religion, his life, his house, his clothes, his animal, his ethnicity or anything else. These are all deemed backbiting and cruel (zolim), even if the accusations are all true.

Know that talking behind somebody’s back is sometimes allowed in 6 circumstances because these could bring good outcomes:
1. In reporting acts of injustice to the authority (qadhi); or report acts of injustice by an authority to the ruler (sultan).
2. In reporting sinful behavior with the intent that the perpretor cease doing it.
3. In talking about others in order to get a ruling (fatwa) from a mufti, such as “somebody is being cruel to me, what is your verdict, and what should I do about it?”
4. To prevent a person from befriending a sinner, as in saying “don’t mix with him, he is a sinner, a tyrant, or evil.”
5. To mention a name, which is tied to a deficiency he is well known for such as “the Blind”, “the Leper”, “the Limp”.
6. To mention somebody who is well know for being a sinner such as famous for his cruelty, fornication, drinking, thievery or others.


Wallahu a'lam

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Saturday, April 21, 2012

Hidayatus Salikin - Staying Away From Sins of The Tongue #2

Imam Ghazali said in Ihya Ulumiddin:

"For every noble intention that can be reached either by tellling the truth or lies in equal likelihood, then lying is not allowed (haram), and if the intention can be achieved only by telling lies, not by truth, then lying is allowed (mubah). This if the intention is of mubah nature.

If the intention is of wajib nature, then telling lies is wajib to make. An example is if telling the truth would spill a fellow Muslim’s blood, who is hiding from a tyrant.

If the following intention cannot be realized except through deceit, then lying is allowed:
1. In a war fi sabilillah
2. In fighting off rebellion against a just government
3. In trying to reconciliate a person who is emotionally hurt

However it is proper that one tries very hard not to tell lies."


Prevent yourself from breaking a promise except due to weakness or emergency. Nabi (saw) has said (what we translate):


Three characteristics, any of them in possession shows a person as a hypocrite (munafiq) even if he fasts and prays: When he talks he lies, when promises he breaks, when entrusted he betrays


Safeguard yourself from backbiting , Allah The Most High said (what we translate):

Do not backbite each other, would you enjoy eating your own dead brother’s flesh? So be repulsed with it.


What we learn from this verse is that backbiting is as unlawful and disgusting as eating rotten flesh. Our Nabi (saw) had said (what we translate):

Fear backbiting, for it is more evil than fornication (zina). A man fornicated and later he repents, and Allah forgives. But Allah does not forgive a backbiter until he is forgiven by the person being backbitten.


Wallahu a'lam

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Sunday, April 15, 2012

Hidayatus Salikin - Staying Away From Sins of The Tongue

The tongue is for you to make plenty remembrance of Allah, to read the Quran, to lead others towards Allah and the Hereafter, to invite people to good deeds and prevent from bad conducts.

With the tongue you are able to deliver what is in your heart, therefore refrain yourselves from telling lies whether for real or playful. Lying in humor will soon make you lie in earnest. Imam Ghazali said lying is a major sin, and the Nabi (saw) once said (what we understand from it):
Fear telling lies, liars are companies of the sinners, and both will be in Hell.

Lying is a door from doors of nifaq (hypocrisy).


Know that telling lies sometimes becomes obligatory (wajib) and sometimes allowed (mubah) due to need.

If lying is the only way out, then it becomes obligatory in these cases:
1. To prevent a person from being killed by a tyrant
2. To prevent another person’s property from being seized by tyrant
3. To safeguard another muslim’s wife or property from a tyrant.

If there is no other way, lying is allowed in these circumstances:
1. To make peace between opposing or arguing parties
2. To make peace between conflicting wives

Wallahu a'lam

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Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Hidayatus Salikin - Staying Away From Sins of The Ears

As for the ears, they are created to listen to the Words of Allah (a-Quran) and ahadith of the Nabi (saw) and to listen to the wisdom of the auliya of Allah (knowledge that enables you to know and fear Allah, and know the Akhirah). Safeguard your ears from listening to 5:

1. Matters of bid’ah, that are foul and out of consensus with syari’ah.
2. Backbiting. Anybody listening also gets a share of sin. A hadith translation: A person listening is a partner to the person speaking, and he is one of the backbiters.
3. Anything vulgar and disgusting.
4. Useless talk.
5. Conversation on sins committed by others.

Wallahu a'lam

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Friday, January 27, 2012

Hidayatus Salikin - Staying Away from Sins of the Eyes

Eyes are for you to see in the land and sea, with which you accomplish what you need, you see beautiful and magnificent sights in the earth and sky that shows existence of zat and sifat of Allah. Safeguard your eyes from 4 evils:
1. Forbidden sights such as foreign (non-mahram) women
2. (Forbidden sights such as) good looking youth
3. Making disparaging look upon fellow muslims
4. Looking at anything disgusting and humiliating


Wallahu a'lam

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Thursday, January 26, 2012

Hidayatus Salikin Chapter 3 – Regarding Staying away from the Physical Sin

Imam Ghazali (rh) said:
Know that the religion is made up of two parts: First keeping clear of what is forbidden, second being obedient to what is commanded. Staying away from what forbidden is very difficult, but performing obedient duties is not impossible. To leave desires behind is very hard except for the siddiqun and for this the Nabi (saw) said (translated)

A muhajir is a person who leaves evil behind and a sabil on jihad is a person who declares war on desire.


And Imam Ghazali (rh) said further: "Know that you commit sin towards Allah Azzawajalla with all parts of your body, while they are gifts and trust from Allah, as if you ask for Allah’s help to commit sin towards Him. And that is the worst kufr towards Allah because all parts of your body are created to perform obedience towards Him. This is kufr on ni’mah not kufr on religion. What more, Allah entrusted you with your body, then you commit sin with them, so the betrayal (khianah) is the worst kind of sin."

All your body parts are citizens of your kingdom, so watch closely what you do with them. In the day of Judgement you will be taken into account, and there is no lying or hiding because your limbs will take witness with your past actions clearly, even if that day you hold your tongue from talking. Allah says (translated):

The day that we seal shut their mouth while their hands speak and their legs bear witness with sins they committed.


And Allah says more (translated):

On the day when their tongue, their hands, and their legs become witness with whatever they did.


Therefore it is appropriate that you safeguard all your body especially the seven parts: eyes, ears, tongue, private part, stomach, hands, and legs.
Hell has seven doors and you will not enter from any of them until you commit sin with any of your seven bodily parts.


Wallahu a'lam

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Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Hidayatus Salikin by al-Falimbani

Hidayatus Salikin was written in the 1700s by Sheikh Abdus Samad al-Falimbani (rh). This book was mainly adapted from Imam Ghazali’s (rh) Ihya’ Ulumiddin, discussing some elementary fiqh issues like solah with a tasawwuf flavor. Other issues discussed include manners, outward/inward sins, sifats mazmumah etc.

Sheikh al-Falimbani was born in Palembang in 116 AH (1704 AD). His father was a Yemeni - Sheikh Abdul Jalil bin Sheikh Abdul Wahhab bin Sheikh Ahmad Al-Mahdani, who had been appointed as a Kedah State Mufti. His mother, Radin Ranti was a Palembang native.

He studied Sufism of Sheikh Muhammad bin Samman al-Madani, and explored the mystical books of Shaykh Abdul Rauf Singkel and Samsuddin Al-Sumatera’i. Some of his other well-known sheikhs include Muhammad ibn Sulayman al-Kurdi, Abd Al-Mun'im Al-Damanhuri, Ibrahim Al-Rais, Mohammed Murad, Muhammad Al-Jawhari, and Al-Mashri Athaullah. Al-Falimbani later became one of the most respected scholars in the Malay Archipelago.

Related to tasawuf Sheikh Al-Palembani took the middle path between the doctrine of Imam Al-Ghazali's mysticism and the teachings of 'wahdatul wujud’ of Ibn Arabi.

It is told that Sheikh Abdus Samad hated the Dutch tyrant who colonized Palembang so much, that he and his students fell trees and made their own ship to sail to Makkah.

Wallahu a'lam

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Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Not for the glory of it

Trying to keep awake…the least I could do is translate something.
After
almost 30 years A Romzi and Ramli Sarip
sang this
, I *think*I begin to get the message.


Chase not after sweet words
For it can put you to ruins
Chase not after lovely face
For it is a poison to you

Listen o friends
Listen along
I write not for the glory
But for the love
I have for fellow mankind
And to let your love be known

We on equal footing, we on common quest
What set us apart, merely world and its glitter

Listen not to the poems of deceit
For all they do is destroy your soul
Do listen to the poems of tradition
Handed down for generations today

Taint not your heart
Even with a blot of darkness
For it is like termites
Sooner or later they bring your downfall

Wallahu a'lam