The True Wealth of Madina Munawwarah

My respected Shaykh, Hazrat Maulana Hakeem Muhammad Akhtar Saheb (Rahmatullahi ‘alayh), mentioned, in his poetry, that our value is dependent on our Nisbat (connection) with Madina Munawwarah.

When anything is purchased and brought from Madina Munawwarah, then a lover of Nabi (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam)  will naturally appreciate and value it – no matter how small or how cheap. Why? …Because it has a connection with the city of the Beloved (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam). It has been touched by the air of Madina Shareef, or it has been produced from the blessed land of Madina Shareef - and this is what has made it special.

The residents of Madina Shareef are the neighbours of Rasulullah (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam)  and they are the envy of the heavens, because they have such extreme physical closeness to Nabi (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam). They are the envy of all of us as well – for we too desire the honour of being in such proximity to Nabi (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam), at all times.

Allah Ta’ala, in His infinite Mercy and Grace, does not want to deprive anyone of us of this blessing of being close to Rasulullah (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam), so He has given us a simple recourse to always being near to our Beloved Rasulullah (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam). This nearness is attained via our Nisbat with the A`maal of Madina Munawwarah – i.e. the Sunnah (way of life) of Rasulullah (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam).

Our value, in the sight of Allah Ta’ala, is dependent on our relationship with His beloved  Rasul (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam).

Allah Ta’ala has informed us of this in the Qur`aan Shareef :

 “Say (O Muhammad (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam)) : If you do love Allah, follow me. Allah shall love you and forgive you your sins; And Allah is Most-Forgiving, Very-Merciful.”

 [Surah Aal-Imraan 3 : 31]

And my Shaykh had presented the same message in poetry form:

The footprints of the Beloved of Allah,

Nabi Muhammad (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam),

is the road to Jannat;

The Sunnats of Rasulullah (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam)

connect one with Allah Ta’ala .

It is a misconception that a person’s repeated performance of Hajj and Umrah and repeated visits to Madina Munawwarah is to be taken as the yardstick of piety. The yardstick of piety is not how many Umrahs or Hajj, a person has made.

The present day scenario is saddening to say the least, since Umrah and Hajj have become a holiday, a shopping spree, and a “tour” for the majority. …The deficit is in “sincerity of intention”. As has been said: “The visitors are many, but the pilgrims are scarce.”

For many, these trips are now for business and trade. And for others, each trip is another “feather” in their caps – which must be made known and announced to the world. There are those that boast of their yearly trips, whether for Hajj or ‘Umrah, or both, updating us on the number of visits they make to Makkah Mukarramah and Madina Munawwarah.

We have heard people say : “I have made Umrah/Hajj for the past 20 or 30 years and have never missed out one.” …Yet, the reality is that we cannot count our Umrahs and Hajj. We cannot say how many have been performed, because we do not know how many have been accepted. Those Umrahs and Hajj that are accepted are the only ones that we can count. And we will only come to know of their acceptance on the Day of Judgement.

Despite the frequent visits to the Haramayn Sharifayn, there is generally not much improvement in our spirituality. If we have not brought a reformation in our lives: If we have not fulfilled the rights of people, if we have not returned to people that which is their due, if we have not asked forgiveness from those whom we have wronged, if we are not punctual with Salaah, and if our zaahir (external condition) and our baatin (internal condition) do not reflect the purity and spirituality that come with visits to the Haramayn Sharifayn, then we should truly be concerned as to the quality and acceptance of our Hajj and Umrah.

I have mentioned many times that the “maal” (wealth/material goods) of Madina Munawwarah is not what is available in its market places, bazaars and shopping complexes. Unfortunately, when we visit Madina Munawwarah, then more often than not, the objective is the “maal” of Madina Sharief.

The majority of those visiting Madina Munawwarah forget the purpose of their visit once their gazes fall on the commercial centres of Madina Sharief. Many who do know about the material commodities being sold, plan in advance – that there will be an exchange or purchase of gold, there will be this commodity and that commodity bought. …Whilst in Madina Sharief, the talk is the latest technology, the cellphones, the best gold shops, cloak shops, and so forth. 

The intention and pursuit becomes the “maal” of Madina and not the A`maal of Madina Munawwarah. And this is how our stay of seven or eight days passes : “mauled by the malls” . Our Imaan, our love for Rasulullah (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam), our time, our energy, our money are “mauled” in the obsession we have of shopping. We forget, and sometimes we do not even care to give any kind of attention or express any kind of appreciation to our host, Rasulullah (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam)  because we are so caught up in material purchases. 

Instead of filling up the pockets of our hearts with the wealth of the Love for Rasulullah (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam)  and with the wealth of his noble characteristics, we fill up suitcases and suitcases – many a time, even purchasing more suitcases – for filling up the material commodities of Madina Sharief.

I am not saying that it is Haraam to shop there. It will be meritorious if a person makes purchases with the intention to support the businessmen and traders of Madina Munawwarah.

The Hadith also makes mention that when we are on a journey, we should bring back gifts for our families no matter how small or how cheap – because there is always an expectation from those who remain behind, at home, that the person on a journey will remember his loved ones and bring back something for them – but this should not be misconstrued.

Shopping is not meant to be the “be all and end all” – especially of our visit to the Haramayn Sharifayn. The person should purchase a few gift items a day or two before departure. And the gifts that we should be appreciating most are the Duas of the Haramayn Sharifayn, Salaam at the Raudha Mubarak, the Zam Zam of Makkah Mukarramah and the Kajoor (dates) of Madina Munawwarah.

Almost everything else is made in China, Taiwan and Japan and can be purchased anywhere else in the world, including our own country, or city or town. However, the Haramayn Sharifayn offer a different “market” where such spiritual bounties are obtained, which cannot be obtained anywhere else in the world.

The true lovers of Rasulullah (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam)  make this trip to fill their hearts and lives with the ‘A`maal’ of Rasulullah (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam)  - with his beautiful Seerat and Soorat, with his kindness, forgiveness, mercy, compassion, generosity, abstinence and the treasure trove that we know of his noble life.

The visit should be purely to visit Rasulullah (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam), to make Salaam to our Beloved Nabi (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam), to spend time in his Mubarak city and glean from our visit, those virtues, those qualities that will be the medium of bonding with him and being the means of our own value increasing in the sight of Allah Ta’ala.

If all the visitors to Madina Sharief were to return home with the true “maal” and wealth of Madina Sharief – i.e. the Akhlaaq (character) and A`maal of Nabi (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam), then the value of the entire Ummah will increase.

The Sahabah were the “stars” of mankind – guides and leaders for all nations and people. They had to thus make the great sacrifice of leaving Madina Sharief to spread the religion of Islam. Despite them being distanced from their beloved Madina Sharief, they traveled with the Nisbat of Madina Sharief. This was the key to their success. Wherever they went, there was progress and success.

On the other hand, we put price tags on ourselves by looking at our material possessions. What are material possessions? …Fanaa (annihilation and destruction) will come over them.

Let us introspect and consider our value in the light of the Nisbat that we have with Madina Sharief. …The reality is that we have discarded our nisbat with Madina Sharief, and as such our value has decreased. Today, the Ummah as a whole is being sold very cheaply in the markets of the kuffaar. This is our own doing and downfall.

If we have to re-connect with the way of life, the actions and characteristics of Nabi (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam), then most definitely, we will fetch a high price in Allah Ta’ala’s esteem, and we will be successful in both worlds.

WHY?

Bismillahir Rahmaanir Raheem

Hazrat Maulana Yunus Patel Saheb (Rahmatullahi 'alayh)

    

A woman called and asked that if Allah Ta’ala is so fair and just, then why do women get half the share of men in the matter of inheritance.

This disease of WHY?  has to be cured. It is a disease and a very serious disease. It can lead to Kufr, because this kind of questioning means, that if we do not understand, we will not accept. نَعُوْذُ بِاللّٰهِ مِنْ ذٰلِك

This attitude is extremely dangerous for a person’s Imaan.

Allah Ta’ala prescribes only what is good for us. He is both Haakim (One Who Commands) and Hakeem (The Wise). He Orders and Commands with great wisdom.

Yes, Allah Ta’ala created “AQL” and reason and we make use of these faculties, but this is not the starting point of Shari’ah (Islamic Law). The starting point is the Qur`aan Shareef and Ahaadeeth.

As Muslims, we say that we believe in Allah Ta’ala and His Rasul (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam). We say that we believe in the Qur`aan Shareef. We are thus bound to accept every Commandment of Allah Ta’ala.

One reason as to why a man gets twice the share of inheritance in comparison to the female is that Allah Ta’ala did not place any burden or financial responsibility upon women.

As a daughter, her father has to maintain and provide for her. As a wife, her husband is obliged to maintain and provide for her. Her expenditure is nil. On the other hand, the male has to utilize his share of inheritance to also take care of his mother and sisters.

The Qur`aan Shareef and the Ahkaam of Allah Ta’ala are full of Hikmah (wisdom). We need not to question Shari’ah; rather, we need to question our own weaknesses.

We should work on developing our Imaan, in the light of the outstanding attribute of the Sahaba-e-Kiraam (Radhiyallahi ‘anhum) which was:

‘…WE HEAR AND WE OBEY…’

[SURAH AN-NOOR 24 : 51]

Overcoming Jealousy

Bismillahir Rahmaanir Raheem

Allah Ta’ala, in His Infinite Wisdom, which we, with our limited intelligence cannot comprehend, distributes amongst mankind of His bounties. Wealth, intelligence, health, beauty and all other goodness are given by Allah Ta’ala.

There is no need to burn the heart over someone else’s gifts, fortunes and possessions. Harbouring jealousy in the heart only harms the one who is jealous, ruins his peace of mind, torments his heart, and destroys his own good deeds.

It mentioned in a Hadeeth: "Beware of jealousy, for verily it destroys good deeds the way fire destroys wood."^[1]

Hazrat Maulana Shah Muhammad Ahmad Saheb (Rahmatullahi ‘alayh)  aptly conveyed the reality of jealousy in his poetry:           

“Why are you burning yourself in the fire of jealousy?  

Why are walking towards the Fire of Hell? 

Are you unhappy with the distribution made by

Allah, Himself?   

Why are you rubbing the palms of your hands in deep regret?”

Expel the evil of jealousy from the heart. Seek goodness from Allah Ta’ala and make the correct effort by making use of the Halaal means to acquire what is permissible to acquire. Be satisfied and content with whatever is achieved.

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[1] Abu Dawood

Do not delay Nikah

Bismillahir Rahmaanir Raheem

If the proposal has taken place, make the so-called engagement, the Nikah[1], and whatever is to be given to the girl, make that the Mahr[2].

                                 

To delay in performing Nikah, which in itself takes only a few minutes, leads to many problems. A person called saying that his daughter who is engaged is already four months pregnant. The question asked: Will the child be regarded as legitimate or illegitimate?

If a child is born before six months of the marriage has passed, it is regarded as illegitimate.

Because of delay in performing the Nikah, a child will now be illegitimate.

One young Muslim girl studying at one of the universities called me and said that she is overcome by the guilt of her sins. She is proposed but her parents said that the Nikah can only be performed after she completes her studies and qualifies. They were not willing to have the Nikah performed before her graduation. She said, herself, that in two years, she had three abortions and now cannot live with the guilt.

These are realities which many parents do not want to consider because of their selfish reasons.

To delay Nikah so that the Nikah will be performed at a certain Ijtima, Jalsa, or that some Buzurg  may perform the Nikah are also not valid reasons in delaying Nikah.

In a Hadeeth related by Hazrat ‘Ali (Radhiyallaahu ‘anhu), Rasulullah (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam) mentioned three matters wherein there should be no delay:

1.) Salaah when its time arrives,

2.) Offering the Janazah Salaah when the body is brought forth (after the completion          of the washing) and

3.) Marriage of a woman whose match is found.[3]

Hazrat Abdur Rahmaan Ibn Auf (Radhiyallaahu ‘anhu) married without even inviting Rasulullah (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam), who was present in Madina Munawwarah at the time. That was the simplicity and quickness of their Nikahs.

May Allah Ta’ala give us the understanding and the Taufeeq of setting noble examples, and discarding all the fanfare, with halls, with receptions and with décor – which is extravagance and wastage.

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[1] Nikah : Marriage

[2] Mahr : Dowry

[3] Tirmidhi

Istikharah

Bismillahir Rahmaanir Raheem

Hazrat Maulana Yunus Patel Saheb (Rahmatullahi 'alayh)

Istikharah is a Sunnah that should be resorted to whenever there is indecision. There is great goodness and great blessings in doing so, and Insha-Allah, Allah Ta’ala will make clear, in some way, what is best.

Rasulullah (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam): “It is from the good fortune of man that he makes Istikharah (seeks good) from Allah, and it is from his misfortune that he discards Istikharah.” [Mustadrak lil Haakim]
 

Istikharah builds one’s Tawakkul (Trust) in Allah Ta’ala. The person hands his matter over to Allah Ta’ala, asking for the best and trusting in His Guidance. And who knows us best? And who knows best what is best for us? …Allah Ta’ala!

It also nurtures the noble qualities of Tafweez  and Ridha bil Qadha . The person then resigns himself to the decisions of Allah Ta’ala and is pleased with whatever the outcome is. He understands that that is the best for him, since he sought from Allah Ta’ala, what would be to his benefit and goodness.

So we should read Istikhara and draw these blessings.

Many people request others to read Istikharah on their behalf. There is no substantiation in the Ahaadeeth for this. The individual should read Istikharah for himself or herself. This is the Sunnah.

May Allah Ta’ala grant us the Taufeeq.

Tafweez : Accepting the Decisions of Allah Ta’ala

Ridha bil Qadha:  Being happy with the decisions of Allah Ta’ala

The Love that Occupies the heart

Bismillahir Rahmaanir Raheem

Hazrat Maulana Yunus Patel Saheb (Rahmatullahi 'alayh)

When a person talks about something EXCESSIVELY, then know that the love of that thing has entered his or her heart. The one who talks excessively about fast cars, fashionable clothes and accessories, pretty women, handsome men, multi-storey buildings, palaces, gold and silver and oil wealth, then the love of these things has entered and settled in that heart. Such excessive attachment and love for material things, spoils the heart and darkens the heart.

There is no sin in earning and using wealth to provide for comfort and maintenance. However, the love for material possessions must not enter the hearts. …A Muslim earns a Halaal livelihood not for seeking and just acquiring ‘Dunya’; rather to spend on his family, without being extravagant and lavish, and he earns with noble intentions of going for Hajj and Umrah, assisting the poor and needy, and to channel his money in other Deeni causes.

The toilet is a necessity and some homes have beautiful toilets; some even have gold taps, etc. But what would we think of the person who talks excessively about his toilet? …Just like the toilet, the things of this world are necessities - we, therefore, don’t make the material things of this world objects of reverence and veneration. Just like we would not give our hearts to our toilets, we should not give our hearts to worldly commodities.

The one who talks excessively about Deen, about the Love of Allah Ta’ala and His Beloved Rasul (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam), then their love has entered and settled in that heart. This love beautifies and enlightens the heart and the life of the person.

Of course, during business hours, the businessman will talk mainly about business with his clients and customers, the doctor will talk about medicine and health, and the fruit seller will call upon passers-by to purchase his fruit. All this talk, with the correct intention, causes no harm to the spiritual self.

A Lesson in Begging

Bismillahir Rahmaanir Raheem

  Hazrat Maulana Yunus Patel Saheb (Rahmatullahi ‘alayh)

There are signs outside the Haram in Makkah Shareef and Madina Shareef, which clearly instruct that there should be no begging. Outside our Masjid also, we have a sign that reads, “No Begging.”

But this is outside the Masjid. There is no begging outside the Masjid and, indeed, Shari'ah discourages begging. The Hadeeth also tells us:  “The upper [giving] hand is superior to the lower [taking] hand.”[1]

So on this level, begging is not at all encouraged. It is disliked in Islam, unless the person is destitute and in dire need.

However, on another level, a Muslim must beg – but a Muslim must beg of only Allah Ta’ala. This is something beloved to Allah Ta’ala. Rasulullah (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam) said: “There is nothing dearer to Allah than a servant making Dua to Him.”

Allah Ta’ala's treasures are unlimited. So, inside the Masjid, we beg of Allah Ta’ala.

Furthermore, we find that beggars teach us how to beg of Allah Ta’ala – we find this especially so in Makkah Shareef. We see how beggars follow us, and they will persist and insist in asking from us, to the extent of even catching the person’s garment. They even cry for something, for anything. …They just refuse to leave until something is given. They have that Yaqeen that the person they are begging from has something and will give if they persist. 

These beggars outside the Haram Shareef are teaching us a lesson of how to beg of Allah Ta’ala, inside the Haram Shareef or whenever we are making Dua.

…Sadly, we do not consider who we are asking when we make Dua. As such, we make Dua casually, in a relaxed manner: legs are stretched out, leaning against a wall, and no effort is even made to raise the begging bowls of the hands. And we make a Dua in this laid-back, careless manner – and we say we begged of Allah Ta’ala. And we sometimes do not even have conviction that Allah Ta’ala will give and will do and will provide.  …A far cry from the beggars who beg from human beings.

These beggars teach us to keep begging – to persist in asking, and to ask of Allah Ta’ala with full Yaqeen: ‘O Allah, there is no shortage in Your Treasures… You have unlimited treasures. Everything is in Your control… Grant us complete forgiveness…’

Nothing is difficult for Allah Ta’ala to do and Allah Ta’ala will do, when we ask sincerely. Rasulullah (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam) said: “Indeed Allah Ta’ala is extremely Bashful and Generous. If His servant raises his hands to Him (in supplication) He becomes shy to return them empty”[2]

May Allah Ta’ala grant us all the Taufeeq of raising our hands and asking of Him, with sincerity and with conviction.

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[1] Sahih Bukhari / Sahih Muslim

[2] Sunan Tirmidhi, hadith: 3556