Opening Dua- 25/05/06

“If you turn to Allah, Allah shall run to you”, so lets start walking towards Allah.

When one is on a train, or coach or on a boat. Does one focus on the thing nearby for a long time on a long journey? It is not stable or fixed; its shaking and quivering may make you sick. So let us look outward, beyond, above and far, to the horizon that has left us and to the one that is to meet us.

Dunya is this world. It is moving, unstable and not fixed. We are on a long journey. Dunya comes from a word meaning ‘lowest of the low’, so too much Dunya will make you sick. Another meaning is something that you can not grasp, even with all your effort, however close it may seem. Like someone chasing their shadow, it keeps escaping them and gets farther and farther, even though it is really quite close. The wise guided one knows to go straight for the source. So find the Sun and walk towards it, the source of the shadow, then the shadow that is Dunya, that is Creation, will chase after you, as it can not escape you either.

Opening Dua



There are two hand outs with the Arabic, the transliteration and translation of certain verses from the Quran. These are for when starting a lesson and closing a lesson, or a gathering of even two people or even when going through it by yourself revising alone. It is highly recommended that one opens and closes with the dua that you have been given and are about to be told about. Know that this dua has come down the generations, practiced by many saints and their students. So follow in their laid out example. The first sheet to read is the one starting with ‘Sura 2 – Ayat 32’.





As you can see, they are short verses, so the dua should not be burdensome and should be easy to memorise naturally; as you should be using it to close and open at least twice a week insha-Allah. After reading the verses, you should end the dua with the following…

Ila hadratin – nabiy Muhammadin Mustafa
Rasulallah (s.a.w.)
Al Fatihah
(recite Al Fatiha)
AMEN

Ila hadratin means ‘in the presence of’. Sometimes you have the title Hudrat before the name, to mean that the person has a great ‘presence’ that keeps you in remembrance of Allah.
Read through the translation and you shall notice why such verses are chosen. With the first bit relate to the story of Khidr and Moses(as). This can be found in the Koran in Sura Al-Kahf(18), verses 60 to 82. Please read and familiarise yourself with this. Now there was a time when they were both walking near the coast I believe. Khidr saw a stalk bend its neck and drop its head, so that its beak would scoop up water from the ocean. Immediately Khidr(ra) said this is a sign from Allah. He said knowledge is an ocean and Allah’s Knowledge is infinite and eternal. Like the amount scooped up by the beak, be humble, knowing that the only two immediate sources of knowledge you have, are your eyes and ears. Know that they are weak, limited and impotent. Your hearing and sight is restricted and not permanent. The details of how they function are also beyond most people’s knowledge and also beyond your immediate control. What is meant here, is that you do not know how light reflected from something beyond your own body goes into your eye, through the lens, hits the retina, is converted into another form, sent down the optic nerve to somewhere in the back of the brain and then some processes occur which are a complete mystery. You have very limited power over how your eyes focus and how your ears focus. Most of all the details of the process of hearing and seeing is carried out without your knowledge and outside your immediate control. So reflect upon what a statement our Creator has made upon His Creation with that verse.

The second verse is what Moses (as) said and prayed to Allah. Moses had a speech impediment, yet is a great Prophet. Why great? Cause he begged to Allah sincerely and really sincerely wanted to be closer with Allah. The line that says “Expand me my breast”, look how Allah gives and how Allah takes. We receive from Allah and we give back to Allah. Who controls our heart and breathing? So be humble and if you sincerely believe in Allah, then sincerely ask of things from Him alone. Follow the example of Moses (as), beg for means of pleasing Allah and being closer to Allah.

The third verse relates to the fact that revelation does not just land on Earth from Heaven as just a book or scroll to be freely interpreted and implemented by anyone in anyway. Here the Koran is telling you that the Messenger is also the Message. Allah sends “Messengers from amongst yourselves; so that we can relate directly to them. Just like me and my Sheikh relate to one another, and you and I relate to one another. Sunnah of Rasul (s.a.w.). What does the words following mean? See the concern between teacher and student, the guide and the guided, like the shepherd and the sheep. ‘The Alchemist’; all this derives from Rasul (s.a.w.), all the way down through the chains of transmission, from Shaikh to student and so forth. Also note, that Allah knew who was to read and every letter of Koran, when, where and how. That the Koran came before Creation. So know when you read Koran, Allah is speaking directly to you. So there is an element of a personal relationship within the universal relationship.

The fourth verse, yes there is deep concern and love, but the main support and source is Allah. So go to Allah when worried of flock and stay with Allah. If still flock leaves, don’t follow them over the cliff. Keep trust with Allah, not too much with Creation. Maintain the right balance and moderation. Stick within boundaries. My shepherd is Sheikh, his shepherd is his Sheikh, and so forth to the Greatest of all shepherd Muhammad (s.a.w.), who was guided and protected by Allah.

The fifth verse … my Sheikh says that there are people that love Allah, but Allah will not fully love them back until they follow His Beloved (s.a.w.). Follow Rasul (s.a.w.), Allah will love you and forgive you. So do not worry into a state of depression if you fail sometimes and mess up. ‘You can only try your best, And leave to Allah the rest’. Allah will forgive you.

We are getting closer to our graves. What knowledge have we acquired and what has it done for us? Is knowledge just for knowledge itself? To know what? Is it not to lead to know what to do or not to do? To do and not to do what? So new knowledge, real knowledge must be with acknowledgement of this. People of disbelief are blind, thus can only assume and presume. Like those trapped in “The Matrix”.

Emaan & Ignorance - 23 May 2006 23:29

Emaan & Ignorance - 23 May 2006 23:29

There are two types of ignorance (jahil)

• Jahil Basit – simple ignorance, as in someone acknowledging that they lack knowledge or do not have the correct knowledge or understanding. For instance, when you ask someone do they know what colour is a carrot, they say they do not know.
• Jahil Morakab – compound ignorance; as in someone who believes they really know something, but in reality they do not. This is one foundation and cause of Kuffar. For instance, you ask someone what colour a carrot is they say “Yes I know for certain, it’s Black of course!”

Mukallaf

This is someone who takes responsibility for their actions, or is taken account of for their own actions. There are four criteria that have to be satisfied before one is mukallaf.

1. Intellect must be functioning
2. Must have reached age of puberty (baligh)
• Women = first menstruation or nine.
• Men = first wet dream or fifteen.
3. Five senses must be intact (Saleemal wahaas). The two most important being sight and hearing, for without sight or hearing, how can one receive any message?
4. True message of Islam must have been conveyed to you.

So for instance, a child below the age of puberty, their bad actions are not really counted, only their good actions. Once puberty is reached, the angel on the left shoulder begins writing down bad deeds. Parents/guardians are thus somewhat held responsible for children. This is the same with disabled people and their carers. So, if you are mukallaf, you take responsibility for yourself and also any non-mukallaf under you.

Most of this is self explanatory. However, with puberty there is some difference of opinion. For instance, in some societies children at very young ages take on great responsibilities, whilst in largely affluent western societies the young take on very limited responsibilities till later in life.

With the fourth criterion there is again a difference of opinion. For instance, someone in a remote Island that has not been discovered would not know about Islam, so thus they are not accountable. Yet what about someone who only knows of Islam through western largely anti-Islamic propaganda or someone who only sees bad examples of Muslims and false Muslims?

Criteria of Emaan

There are three aspects of true belief

• Lisaan – to articulate on the tongue
• Jawari – establish in limbs
• Qalbi – affirm in the heart

Emaan Taqlid is “blind faith”, ie taking understanding with no recourse to its source or evidence. This is generally seen as negative, yet for Madhubs and Aqeedah it is not.

There are two scholarly opinions on this issue. One is that its unacceptable, the other is that its acceptable under certain conditions.

• If your conviction of belief is in question
• Correct (thus have to study to establish its correct), ie Fiqh and Tawheed, as they are fard to learn.
• Must continue to believe, even if people and surroundings change, if you believe yours is correct.

My notes are shady on the above, I don’t understand it well. I shall have to recourse to someone else to understand this better.

Emaan Ilm is belief based on knowledge.

There are five levels of conviction (jazaam)

1. wahm – improbable – 25% belief thus 75% doubt
2. shak – indifference – 50% belief thus 50% doubt
3. zun – probable – 75% belief thus 25% doubt
4. Yakeen – certainty – 100% belief

Islam only accepts Yakeen Jazaam. You must attain Yakeen Jazaam in your deen. If there is any doubt you must pursue to clear it, as Islam is Haq from Al-Haq. There is no doubt in Islam, so you must search out knowledge and understanding to satiate any doubt you have. You must not leave it and ignore it for Satan to grow upon.

Mutabatul Haq is when it is in accordance with reality/truth. In other words in line with Sunnah.

Dalil means proof. Faith must be based on two Dalils.

1. AQL – intellectual/logical/rationale proofs
2. NAQL – proof from Revelation/Prophecy.

You see in science, there is a difference between factual and theoretical. Its mainly always ZUN, even Big Bang and Evolution are Theories. Without revelation this is all that one can have.

Marifa is to know Allah. Three levels

• Ilmul Yakeen – certainty through knowledge
• Ainul Yakeen - certainty through witnessing
• Haqul Yakeen - certainty through experiencing

At each of these, you have the five levels of conviction. Even if Yakeen Jazaam at Ilmul level, once you reach Ainul Level, Ilmul on its own before Ainul looks seems like doubt in comparison. Same with difference between ainul and haqul. The idea of you never really know until you see it, or you never really know until you been through it yourself. I have talked to you about this before.

HUKMS - 23 May 2006 12:06

HUKM (Law / Ruling)

A law is to decide or make a judgment.

There are three types of Hukms.

· Hukm AQL – Laws of Intellect

· Hukm Adat – Laws of Nature

· Hukm Shari’ - Sacred Law

Hukm AQL

1. Wajib – Necessary

2. Jaiz – Possible/Concievable

3. Mustahil – Impossible/Inconcieveable

These are the only three ways the mind can judge, or categorise anything that is in existence or not in existence.

If I told you ‘square triangle’, your mind will try to conceive what I am talking about. It is inconceivable so it puts it Mustahil. If I say a shape is either a Square or a Triangle, then you place it in Jaiz.

If I say the father is younger than the son, you would place it in mustahil (lets not talk of Time Travel yet). Yet the father is older than the son, it is Wajib.

If I say to you something is outside, it is both moving and still at the same time, in the same place. You can not conceive it, its Mustahil.

It is either moving or still. Well then for it to be either one of those two options is Wajib. It has to be either moving or either still. For it to be still or to be moving, it is Jaiz that something is moving and Jaiz that something is still.

Now knowing how rationale and logic works on a common basic basis. After establishing this, we can communicate with others and form a logical rationale basis for the existence of God. This is what we shall do when going through the 68 Aqeedah, seeing what is Mustahil, Jaiz and Wajib for Allah and Rasul(saw), their Essence, Attributes and Actions; plus those of Creation and our own selves.

Most people gather their beliefs through experience alone, or just through following the crowd around them. They do not themselves personally form a rationale or logical understanding of their own convictions or lack of conviction.

“Logic is Maths in Language” – you can not separate the two, otherwise you get conflict. Both come from the same source.

Hukm Adat

1. YES – YES

2. YES – NO

3. NO – NO

4. NO – YES

The laws of nature are rules and principles based on trial and error explaining natural phenomena. There is Cause and there is Effect.

Materialists believe in Casuality, in that all effects have a cause and all causes have an effect. The Counter Factual Statement is that there can not be an effect without a cause… well then what was the cause of the universe, the world and this life?

In Islam, we believe that yes, the way nature behaves is a sign of Allah’s creativity. However Allah is not bound by such laws. Hence we have miracles that break these so-called laws of casual nature. Allah has not cause, Allah is the cause of all effects. Can it be otherwise?

You put the person in fire, the person burns. Yes Person in Fire, Yes Burns. Don’t place person in fire, doesn’t not Burn. No Person in Fire, No Burning. Place Prophet Ibrahim(a.s.) in fire, he did not burn! Also, there is spontaneous combustion and other things. Not to forget the spiritual and unseen realms. The realms of Jinn and Angels. There is Black Magic, so you can create fire out of seemingly nothing.

With materialist and casuality attitudes, Science gets into a headache, it cant fit anomalies and phenomena’s. In Islam, we are not meant to be so caught up and trapped in this. Science should be the study of how Allah has decided things. Not how things decided for themselves upon chance and probability.

Hukm Shari’

1. Wajib – necessary

2. Mustahub – recommended

3. Mubah – optional

4. Macruh – disliked/offensive [deviant belief]

5. Haram - [kafir belief]

We will be looking at different types of beliefs in many areas whilst going through the 68 Aqeedah. We will see how some beliefs fall into these five categories and why.

You must understand, that when something is made Wajib or Fardh, Allah is not being a Tyrant. Allah is All-Wise and All-Loving, yet we do not know. You see Halal/Fard/Wajib things are what keeps you close to Allah and Rasul(s.a.w.) or draws you closer to them. Haram things are those that take you away from them. So, what is it that you want?

In the West, their rulings are either Legal or Illegal, with some rare exceptions.

In Islam some scholars have stretched this to 12 categories. So now you can see how comprehensive Shariah really is meant to be. When Westerners look at Shariah, they apply their own understanding of legal and illegal to Shariah. So you either get your Head Cut off, or something cut off, or not. They make it black and white like that, cause their systems are black and white. Our system is meant to be a spectrum, reflecting all the colours of Allah’s Creation.

Imam Said Nursi said that a sign of intelligence is to distinguish between the three hukms. Some people confuse, blur and mix them up. For instance… because you caused something to happen, it led to a bad effect or consequence, thus you get punished. Or the idea that it’s the Intellect that makes Shari. No, that’s wrong. The main things in Shari are not made by Man’s intellect. Of course there is lots of areas that are not defined strictly by Shariah so Qiyas and Ijma is there to facilitate; then intellect takes it part.

However, one must have it clear, that Prophecy leads Philosophy. In the West we try to justify Prophecy with Philosophy. Or we choose what to follow based on Philosophy first. If you have true knowledge and understanding of Prophecy, your Intellect will have submitted to it. If you are arrogant and ignorant, you will follow your own Intellect above that which Prophecy has dictated.

Four Sources of where we get our Deen from

1. Quran

2. Haddith

3. Qiyas

4. Ijma

Ijma is scholarly consensus, on whatever issue. Qiyas, is for instance, it says in the Quran not to *tut* at your parents, so from that you infer that you must not at all strike your parents; even though Allah does not say specifically literally and directly if it is allowed to strike your parents or not; as you and I know, the Quran is in poetry, poetry excepts the reader to read deeply. Qiyas is like (scholarly) inference then.