Exquisite Gem

The ‘ruh’ of Ilm is Aml, and the ‘ruh’ of Aml is Ikhlaas, and the ‘ruh’ of Ikhlaas is not to even think that you are mukhlis.

Ruh : soul

Ilm : knowledge

Aml : Practice

Ikhlaas : Sincerity

Mukhlis : sincere 

The Concealment of Women

Throughout the Qur`aan Shareef, besides the name of Hazrat Maryam (عَليْهَا السَّلام) there is no name mentioned of any other woman; and yet there are so many verses relating to women; in fact an entire Surah has been named ‘An-Nisaa’ (The Women).

When the Beloved wife of Rasulullah (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi waSallam), Hazrat Ayesha (رَضِىَ الله عَنْهَا) was slandered, Allah Ta’ala revealed 10 verses in Surah Noor^[1], proving her innocence. However, her name is not mentioned.

Allah Ta’ala mentions the wife of Hazrat Nuh (عَليْهِ السَّلام) and the wife of Hazrat Lut (عَليْهِ السَّلام) as Disbelievers.

ضَرَبَ اللّٰهُ مَثَلًا لِّلَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوا امْرَأَتَ نُوْحٍ وَّامْرَأَتَ لُوْطٍ ^ط كَانَتَا تَحْتَ عَبْدَيْنِ مِنْ عِبَادِنَا صَالِحَيْنِ فَخَانَتٰهُمَا فَلَمْ يُغْنِيَا عَنْهُمَا مِنَ اللّٰهِ شَيْئًا وَّقِيْلَ ادْخُلَا النَّارَ مَعَ الدّٰخِلِيْنَ ◌

 “Allah sets for an example to the Unbelievers,  the wife of Nuh and the wife of Lut : They were (respectively) under two of Our righteous servants but they betrayed their husbands (i.e. in regard to matters of Truth ) and they profited nothing before Allah on their account, but were told : ‘Enter the Fire along with (others) that enter!’”

[Surah Tahreem 66 : 10]

The mother of Maryam (عَليْهَا السَّلام) is mentioned as ‘Imraan’s wife’.  The vow she took, when she had conceived, has been mentioned in the Qur`aan Shareef as follows:

إِذْ قَالَتِ امْرَأَتُ عِمْرٰنَ رَبِّ إِنِّىْ نَذَرْتُ لَكَ مَا فِىْ بَطْنِىْ مُحَرَّرًا فَتَقَبَّلْ مِنِّىْ ^ج إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ السَّمِيْعُ الْعَلِيْمُ ◌

“When ‘Imraan’s wife said : ‘O my Lord, I have vowed what is in my stomach to be exclusively for you. So accept (it) from me. You, certainly You, are The All Hearing, The All Knowing.”

[Surah Aal-‘Imraan 3 : 35]

Hazrat Aasiya (عَليْهَا السَّلام) is mentioned as ‘the wife of Fir’aun’.

وَضَرَبَ اللّٰهُ مَثَلًا لِّلَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوا امْرَأَتَ فِرْعَوْنَ ^م إِذْ قَالَتْ رَبِّ ابْنِ لِىْ عِنْدَكَ بَيْتًا فِى الْجَنَّةِ وَنَجِّنِىْ 

مِنْ فِرْعَوْنَ وَعَمَلِهٖ وَنَجِّنِىْ مِنَ الْقَوْمِ الظَّالِمِيْنَ ۙ

“And Allah sets forth as an example to those who believe the wife of Fir’aun (Pharoah) : Behold she said : ‘O my Lord! Build for me, in nearness to You,  a house in Paradise, and save me from Fir’aun and his doings and save me  from those who do wrong.’”

[Surah Tahreem 66 : 11]

Allah Ta’ala mentions only Hazrat Maryam (عَليْهَا السَّلام) by name.

وَمَرْيَمَ ابْنَتَ عِمْرٰنَ الَّتِىْٓ أَحْصَنَتْ فَرْجَهَا فَنَفَخْنَا فِيْهِ مِنْ رُّوْحِنَا وَصَدَّقَتْ بِكَلِمٰتِ رَبِّهَا وَكُتُبِهٖ وَكَانَتْ مِنَ الْقٰنِتِيْنَ◌

“And Maryam, the daughter of ‘Imraan, who guarded her chasity…”

[Surah Tahreem 66 : 12]

Why has Allah Ta’ala specifically mentioned the name of Maryam (عَليْهَا السَّلام)?

Besides proving the purity and chastity of Hazrat Maryam (عَليْهَا السَّلام) against the false accusations of the Jews, as mentioned in Surah An-Nisaa:

وَبِكُفْرِهِمْ وَقَوْلِهِمْ عَلٰى مَرْيَمَ بُهْتَانًا عَظِيْمًا ۙ

‘…That they uttered against Maryam, a grave false charge.’

(i.e. that she was unchaste)

[Surah An-Nisaa 4 : 156]

Allah Ta’ala presents her elevated rank in Surah Aal-Imraan :

وَإِذْ قَالَتِ الْمَلٰٓئِكَةُ يٰمَرْيَمُ إِنَّ اللّٰهَ اصْطَفَاكِ وَطَهَّرَكِ وَاصْطَفَاكِ عَلٰى نِسَآءِ الْعٰلَمِيْنَ ◌

‘Behold! The angels said : ‘O Maryam, Allah has chosen you and purified you – chosen you above the women of all nations.”

 [Surah Aal-Imraan 3 : 42]

Hazrat Ibn Abbas (رَضِىَ الله عَنْهُ) narrates that Rasulullah (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi waSallam) once said : ‘The most highly esteemed women of Paradise will be Hazrat Khadeeja, daughter of Khuwailid; and Faatima, daughter of Muhammad (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi waSallam); and Maryam, daughter of Imraan; and Aasiya, daughter of Muzaahim; the wife of Fir’aun.’ (Ahmad)

Allah Ta’ala mentions Hazrat Maryam by name in the Qur`aan Shareef, stating very clearly the miraculous birth of Hazrat ‘Eesa (عَليْهِ السَّلام). By mentioning ‘Eesa (عَليْهِ السَّلام) as the son of Maryam – ‘Eesa Ibn Maryam’, Allah Ta’ala highlights the fact that Hazrat ‘Eesa  (عَليْهِ السَّلام) is not the son of any father.

اسْمُهُ الْمَسِيْحُ عِيْسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ وَجِيْهًا فِى الدُّنْيَا وَالْاٰخِرَةِ وَمِنَ الْمُقَرَّبِيْنَ ۙ

“…his name will be ‘Eesa the son of Maryam, held in honour in this world and the Hereafter and of those nearest to Allah.”

[Surah Aal-Imraan 3   : 45]

This also teaches us a very important lesson : Allah Ta’ala has granted women, respect and honour, and He wants them to guard this. Therefore, if there is no real need to reveal her name, then it should not fly around in newspapers, magazines, faxes, over Radio stations, on car number plates, etc.

There is no harm in revealing a woman’s name when there is a need to do so. For example, the names of many, many women have been mentioned in the Ahaadeeth of Rasulullah (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi waSallam), including that of Rasulullah’s (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi waSallam) wives and daughters. There was a genuine need for this since there had to be verification of Ahaadeeth and so forth.

In our times of fitnah^[2] and high crime, the concealment of a woman’s name is for her own protection, from the mischief of pranksters and other evil-minded people. There is no lack of evidence to prove the harassment, so many women have faced, who published their names, addresses, telephone numbers, and photographs in newspapers and magazines.

Beside the above protection that such concealment offers, it is also a protection from the efforts made by nafs, in seeking ‘name and fame’ – which has become a common motive behind many, both men and women, announcing and publishing name, qualifications, and so forth. This love for ‘name and fame’ is a sickness of the spiritual heart, which renders deeds unacceptable in the Court of Allah Ta’ala. One has to be very much on guard against the snares of nafs and shaytaan.

As has been mentioned, there is no sin if this is required or the intention is not “name and fame”.

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[1] Surah Noor : Verses 11 - 20

[2] Fitnah : Trial (It also implies corruption, mischief, etc.)

A Glimpse at the life of Hazrat Maulana Yunus Patel (RA)

http://yunuspatel.co.za/books-alabraar.php

EXTRACT

Hazrat Maulana Yunus Patel (رَحْمَةُ اللهِ عَلَيْهِ) received his higher Islamic education at Darul-Uloom Deoband during the period 1962 – 1969. Hazrat Maulana studied the first volume of Sahih al-Bukhari under the tutorship of Hazrat Maulana Fakhruddeen (رَحْمَةُ اللهِ عَلَيْهِ) and the second volume under Hazrat Mufti Mahmood (رَحْمَةُ اللهِ عَلَيْهِ).

In Hazrat Maulana’s final year of studies, he would accompany Mufti Mahmood (رَحْمَةُ اللهِ عَلَيْهِ), on Thursdays and Fridays, to sit in the company of Shaykhul Hadith, Hazrat Maulana Muhammad Zakariyya (رَحْمَةُ اللهِ عَلَيْهِ).

After completing his studies, he was advised by Mufti Mahmood Saheb (رَحْمَةُ اللهِ عَلَيْهِ), his Ustaad, to derive benefit from Hazrat Maulana Abrarul Haq Hardoi (رَحْمَةُ اللهِ عَلَيْهِ). Hazrat Maulana Yunus Patel (رَحْمَةُ اللهِ عَلَيْهِ) thus proceeded to Hardoi and stayed there for seven or eight days. Hazrat Maulana Abrarul Haq (رَحْمَةُ اللهِ عَلَيْهِ) showed great compassion towards him during his stay.

Heart Surgery : An Analogy

Being a heart patient and having gone through a quadruple bypass, I have taken many lessons from the experience of ill health and cardiac surgery…

One lesson is analogous to the present condition of the Ummah.

In the initial stage, the heart’s condition begins to weaken and one suffers from Angina, where there is a lack of oxygen to the heart and there is a feeling of heaviness and crushing pain in the chest, accompanied by shortness of breath, fatigue, etc. On consultation, one’s doctor prescribes medication, healthy diet, regular exercise and avoiding stress.

If one takes the required care, then a little medication clears the problem. If one is negligent in respect to the prescription, then the condition of the heart will deteriorate and this leads to heart damage.

If the heart is severely injured, then a heart attack occurs, where there is a blockage in one or more of the arteries – which does not allow blood to flow to an area of the heart. The person needs to be hospitalized and requires a period of rest, together with medication, diet, etc. Sometimes an Angioplasty is necessary to clear the blocked arteries or widen the narrowed arteries, enabling the flow of blood, which contains oxygen and food for the tissues.

If this prescription is also not followed through, then the cardiac condition will worsen and reach a stage where neither medication nor an Angioplasty will help. The solution is either a bypass or in the extreme circumstance, a heart transplant.

I had reached the stage where four arteries were blocked and an artery bypass was regarded as the only option. Alhamdulillah, the operation was very successful. However, the analogy that came to mind was that this damage of the physical heart and blockage of the coronary arteries is exactly the situation with the Ummah…

In the final analysis, we have severely injured the spiritual heart with sins and we have blocked the arteries of Aqaa`id (beliefs), Ibaadaat (worship), Mu`aamalaat (Business transactions and dealings), Mu`aasharaat (Social dealings) and Akhlaaq (character)^[1] with our ignorance, indifference, negligence, as well as in adopting un-Islamic culture, dress, and practices. …Our business dealings, our relationships with wives, parents, children, neighbours, Muslim and non Muslim, does not in any way reflect the beauty and purity of Islam.

The ‘ECG’ (electrocardiogram) for the spiritual hearts has disclosed the spiritual heart failure of so many due to their statements reflecting weak faith, or faith on the threshold of kufr^[2] or outright rejection of the teachings of Qur`aan and Sunnah^[3].

Since we did not heed the warnings of the righteous Scholars of Islam and ‘Ulama^[4] and Mashaa`ikh<sup>[5]</sup> in the initial stages, the spiritual heart is now so damaged, that speeches upon speeches, quotations upon quotations from the Qur`aan Shareef and Sunnah do not cause any change, except in a few. The only solution is the transplant of the spiritual heart.    

What is this transplant of the spiritual heart? …It is sincere Taubah as well as ‘return’ to Allah Ta’ala (Rujoo Ilallah) and obedience to Rasulullah (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi waSallam).

Why should we wait for punishment to hit us in the form of earthquakes, tornadoes, bombs and other disasters? Let us employ the protection given to us against punishment: Sincere repentance and mending our relationship with Allah Ta’ala and His Rasul (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi waSallam), with obedience. 

When we are going to make use of the prescriptions of sincere Taubah, Du’aa and Zikrullah^[6], which is the food and oxygenated ‘blood’ for the spiritual heart, then we will gain in spiritual health and strength, and we will not suffer spiritual imbalance. The arteries will become unblocked without the pain and discomfort of a transplant or bypass.

However, just as a heart patient has to submit himself to a surgeon, so is there a requirement that we submit ourselves to a pious, learned, qualified, spiritual mentor, guide and specialist; whom Allah Ta’ala uses as the medium in the bypass or transplant of the spiritual heart.

After an operation, there are follow-up assessments, visits to the doctor and an ECG is done, at least once a year. In the same vein, there has to be very regular visits and correspondence with one’s spiritual mentor for assessment of one’s internal condition.

We should understand that an attack of the physical heart, at the most, only leads to death, whereas that of the spiritual heart leads to death of Imaan and loss in the Hereafter.

By Hazrat Maulana Yunus Patel (RA)

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[1] This is an analogy of the 5 branches of Shariah :

Π Aqaa`id : Beliefs 

Π Ibaadaat : Worship

Π Mu’aamaalaat : Business transactions and dealings.

Π Mu`aasharaat : Social dealings

Π Akhlaaq : Character

[2] Kufr : Rejection

[3] Sunnah : The practice of the Prophet Muhammad e and his noble companions j.

[4] ‘Ulama : Scholars (of Islam)

[5] Mashaa`ikh : Spiritual mentors and guides

[6] Zikrullah : The Remembrance of Allah Ta’ala.

Gems 16 - 20

Bismihi Ta’ala

Selected and concise advices / sayings of 

Hazrat Maulana Yunus Patel (Rahmatullahi ‘alayh)

16.

There is Perfection in Nabi (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi waSallam) and the Sahabah (RA) 

were a Reflection of Nabi (Sallallaahu alayhi waSallam).

17.

One’s akhlaaq (character) is an indication of one’s nisbat (connection) 

with Nabi  (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi waSallam).

18.

Wherever you go, you must have the niyyah (intention) to convey this beautiful Deen to others.

19.

Our teeth have gone ‘blunt’ in chewing the Divine Bounty of food, 

but Shukr (gratitude) does not come to our lips.

20.

When we come into this world, people are happy and joyous, whilst we are crying. 

We should lead our lives in such a manner that when we leave this world, we are happy and joyous, and people are crying.

Reflections of Noor

Once, we were walking in Masjidun Nabawi (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa Sallam), at night. My gaze was directed to the ground and as we walked, I took note of the shine on the tiles of the Haram.

There is brightness, shine and sparkle in those tiles, due to the effort of washing, cleaning and polishing. As a result, whatever is outside, and above, is reflected onto the tiles. There is the exact likeness, a mirror image.…It is as if all the light fittings that are on the outside, and high up, are now gone into the tiles - because of the reflection seen on tiles.

So as you are walking across the tiles, it is as if you are walking on those chandeliers, those light fittings, and even different architectural designs. The tiles shine so brilliantly and brightly that they take the complete reflection of the different lights.

Giving this thought and the following came to mind: These are tiles. Nothing but stone. …But when man made an effort on that stone, on that tile – He cleaned it, polished it and shined it – a total reflection of light and beauty came into that tile. SubhanAllah.

If stone can, by the means of some effort and shine, receive the total reflection of the light outside … then what of the heart of the Muslim, which has been cleaned and purified and which now sparkles with Divine Love?

What will then be the experience when at the Raudah Mubarak which is filled with Noor, when in Riyadhul Jannah which is overflowing with Noor, when near the Mimbar and Mehraab which is covered with Noor … There is nothing but Noor in the entire Masjidun Nabawi. …And, above all of this, is Mustafa, Mujtaba, Habibullah, Nabi-ar-Rahmah, Sayyid-al-Mursaleen, Imaam-al-Mutaqqeen, Rasulullah (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi waSallam) – Noorun ala Noor…. Allah Ta’ala blesses us with all these beautiful, shining, bright lights. SubhanAllah.

If only we made some effort on our hearts, if only we polished and shined these hearts, then what would be the radiant reflections that would fall onto our hearts and souls, when we go and stand there at the Raudah Mubarak…?

When we stand there with Adab and Ihtiraam, with sincere Taubah and Istighfaar, with humility and humbleness… it is beyond words to describe the Anwaar that will fall onto that heart and into that heart … and thereafter the effect of that Anwaar will become evident in the person’s life, as well as the lives of those who come into contact with the person.

Maulana Jalaluddeen Rumi’s words come to mind and are most apt :  “When the fragrance (i.e. the nearness) of my Beloved Allah comes into my heart, then the languages of the world fail to describe this.”

When the brilliant Anwaar of our visit to Rasulullah (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi waSallam) comes into our hearts, then the languages of the world prove inadequate in trying to describe that experience and reality.

 By Hazrat Maulana Yunus Patel (Rahmatullahi ‘alayh)

Latest Book

http://yunuspatel.co.za/books.php

Synopsis

‘Rujoo Ilallaah’ presents a touching story of the sincere repentance of a Companion of Rasulullah (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi waSallam).  The book draws attention to and brings to light the genuineness of the repentance, loyalty and piety of the Sahabah-e-Kiraam (RA), as well as their distinction and lofty status in the sight of Allah Ta’ala.

Beautifully narrated by Hazrat Maulana Yunus Patel Saheb (RA), the story, together with the discussion, refreshes our commitment to Allah Ta’ala, creates an earnest inclination to repent from all sins, engenders deep hearted hope in the Mercy of Allah Ta’ala, and increases one’s appreciation and gratitude for His Kindness and Forgiveness.

Pages – 64