"DU'A MAKAARIM AL-AKHLAQ"

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This is the "Du'a Makarem Al-Akhlaq" (Supplication seeking of Noble traits) as taught by Imam 'Ali ibn Hussayn, Zein-al-'Aabideen [great grandson of Prophet Muhammad s.a.w.].

It is a Du'a which is at the same time a coincise discourse/lesson of Islam - teaching us what noble disposition / character / traits ["Akhlaq"] should be as examplified by Ahl-al-Bayti Rasulillaah [progeny of the Household of our Prophet a.s.].

Inculcating Noble Disposition is one of the most important aspect of Al-Islam & ultimate purpose of our Prophet Muhammad's Holy mission [s.a.w.] as alluded to in a saying:

إِنَّمَا بُعِثْتُ لِأُتَمِّمَ مَكَارِمَ اْلأَخْلاَقِ

.
"Verily I have not been raised (as a Prophet) except

to perfect the noble nature (akhlaq) of mankind''. (Hadith)

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بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

In the Name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful.

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَّآلِهِ

وَبَلِّغْ بِإِيمَانِي أَكْمَلَ الإِيمَانِ

وَاجْعَلْ يَقِينِي أَفْضَلَ الْيَقِينِ

وَانتَهِ بِنِيَّتِي إِلَى أَحْسَنِ النِّيَّاتِ

وَبِعَمَلِي إِلَى أَحْسَنِ الأَعْمَاِل

O Allah, bless Muhammad and his Household, cause my faith to reach the most perfect faith, make my certainty the most excellent certainty, and take my intention to the best of intentions and my works to the best of works!

اللَّهُمَّ

وَفِّرْ بِلُطْفِكَ نِيَّتِي

وَصَحِّحْ بِمَا عِندَكَ يَقِينِي
وَاسْتَصْلِحْ بِقُدْرَتِكَ مَا فَسَدَ مِنِّي

O Allah, complete my intention through Thy gentleness, rectify my certainty through what is with Thee, and set right what is corrupt in me through Thy power!

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَّآلِهِ

وَاكْفِنِي مَا يَشْغَلُنِي الإِهْتِمَامُ بِهِ

وَاسْتَعْمِلْنِي بِمَا تَسْألُنِي غَداً عَنْهُ

وَاسْتَفْرِغْ أَيَّامِي فِيمَا خَلَقْتَنِي لَهُ

وَاغْنِنِي وَأَوْسِعْ عَلَيَّ فِي رِزْقِكَ

وَلا تَفْتِنِّي بِالنَّظَرِ

وَأَعِزَّنِي وَلا تَبْتَلِيَنِّي بِالْكِبْرِ

وَعَبِّدْنِي لَكَ وَلا تُفْسِدْ عِبِادَتِي بِالعُجْبِ

وَأَجْرِ لِلنَّاسِ عَلَى يَدَيَّ الْخَيْرَ وَلا تَمْحَقْهُ بِالْمَنِّ

وَهَبْ لِي مَعَاِلي الأَخْلاَقِ

وَاعْصِمْنِي مِنَ الْفَخْرِ

O Allah, bless Muhammad and his Household, spare me the concerns which distract me, employ me in that about which Thou wilt ask me tomorrow, and let me pass my days in that for which Thou hast created me! Free me from need, expand Thy provision toward me, and tempt me not with ingratitude! Exalt me and afflict me not with pride! Make me worship Thee and corrupt not my worship with self-admiration! Let good flow out from my hands upon the people and efface it not by my making them feel obliged! Give me the highest moral traits and preserve me from vainglory!

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَّآلِهِ

وَلا تَرْفَعْنِي فِي النَّاسِ دَرَجَةً إِلا حَطَطْتَنِي عِندَ نَفْسِي مِثْلَهَا

وَلا تُحْدِثْ لِي عِزّاً ظَاهِراً إِلاَّ أَحْدَثْتَ لِي ذِلَّةً بَاطِنَةً عِندَ نَفْسِي بِقَدَرِهَا

O Allah, bless Muhammad and his Household, raise me not a single degree before the people without lowering me its like in myself and bring about no outward exaltation for me without an inward abasement in myself to the same measure!

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلى مُحَمَّدٍ وَّآلِ مُحَمَّدٍ

وَمَتِّعْنِي بِهُدَىً صَاِلحٍ لا أَسْتَبْدِلُ بِهِ

وَطَرِيقَةِ حَقٍّ لا أَزِيغُ عَنْهَا

وَنِيَّةِ رَشْدٍ لا أَشُكُّ فِيهَا

وَعَمِّرْنِي مَا كَانَ عُمْرِي بِذْلَةً فِي طَاعَتِكَ

فَإِذَا كَانَ عُمْرِي مَرْتَعاً لِلشَّيْطَانِ فَاقْبِضْنِي إِلَيْكَ

قَبْلَ أَن يَّسْبِقَ مَقْتُكَ إِلَيَّ، أَوْ يَسْتَحْكِمَ غَضَبُكَ عَلَيَّ

O Allah, bless Muhammad and Muhammad's Household, give me to enjoy a sound guidance which I seek not to replace, a path of truth from which I swerve not, and an intention of right conduct in which I have no doubts! Let me live as long as my life is a free gift in obeying Thee, but if my life should become a pasture for Satan, seize me to Thyself before Thy hatred overtakes me or Thy wrath against be becomes firm!

اللَّهُمَّ

لا تَدَعْ خِصْلَةً تُعَابُ مِنِّي إِلاَّ أَصْلَحْتَهَا

وَلا عَائِبَةً أُؤَنَّبُ بِهَا إِلاَّ حَسَّنتَهَا،

وَلا أُكْرُومَةً فِيَّ نَاقِصَةً إِلاَّ أَتْمَمْتَهَا

O Allah, deposit in me no quality for which I will be faulted, unless Thou settest it right, no flaw for which I will be blamed, unless Thou makest it beautiful, no deficient noble trait, unless Thou completest it!

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَّآلِ مُحَمَّدٍ

وَأَبْدِلْنِي مِنْ بُغْضَةِ أَهْلِ الشَّنَانَ الْمَحَبَّةَ

وَمِنْ حَسَدِ أَهْلِ الْبَغْيِ الْمَوَدَّةَ

وَمِن ظِنَّةِ أَهْلِ الصَّلاَحِ الثِّقَةَ

وَمِنْ عَدَاوَةِ الأَدْنَيْنَ الْوَلايَةَ

وَمِنْ عُقُوقِ ذَوِي الأَرْحَامِ الْمَبَرَّةَ

وَمِنْ خِذْلانِ الأَقْرَبِينَ النُّصْرَةَ

وَمِنْ حُبِّ الْمُدَارِينَ تَصْحِيحَ الْمِقَةِ

وَمِن رَّدِّ الْمُلاَبِسِينَ كَرَمَ الْعِشْرَةِ

وَمِن مَّرَارَةِ خَوْفِ الظَّالِمِينَ حَلاَوَةَ الأَمنَةَ

O Allah, bless Muhammad and Muhammad's Household and replace for me the animosity of the people of hatred with love, the envy of the people of insolence with affection, the suspicion of the people of righteousness with trust, the enmity of those close with friendship, the disrespect of womb relatives with devotion, the abandonment of relatives with help, the attachment of flatterers with love set right, the rejection of fellows with generous friendliness, and the bitterness of the fear of wrongdoers with the sweetness of security!

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَّآلِهِ

وَاجْعَل لِّي يَداً عَلى مَن ظَلَمَنِي

وَلِسَاناً عَلَى مَنْ خَاصَمَنِي

وَظَفَراً بِمَنْ عَانَدَنِي

وَهَبْ لِي مَكْراً عَلَى مَن كَايَدَنِي

وَقُدْرَةً عَلَى مَنِ اضْطَهَدَنِي

وَتَكْذِيباً لِمَن قَصَبَنِي

وَسَلاَمَةً مِّمَّن تَوَعَّدَنِي

O Allah, bless Muhammad and his Household, appoint for me a hand against him who wrongs me, a tongue against him who disputes with me, and a victory over him who stubbornly resists me! Give me guile against him who schemes against me, power over him who oppresses me, refutation of him who reviles me, and safety from him who threatens me!

وَوَفِّقْنِي لِطَاعَةِ مَن سَدَّدَنِي

وَمُتَابَعَةِ مَنْ أَرْشَدَنِي

Grant me success to obey him who points me straight and follow him who guides me right!

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَّآلِهِ

وَسَدِّدْنِي لأَنْ

أُعَارِضَ مَنْ غَشَّنِي بِالنُّصْحِ

وَأَجْزِي مَنْ هَجَرَنِي بِالْبِرِّ

وَأُثِيبَ مَنْ حَرَمَنِي بِالْبَذْلِ

وَأُكَافِئَ مَن قَطَعَنِي بِالصِّلَةِ

وَأُخَاِلفَ مَنْ اغْتَابَنِي إِلَى حُسْنِ الذِّكْرِ

وَأَنْ أَشْكُرَ الْحَسَنَةَ

وَأُغْضِي عَنِ السَّيِّئَةِ

O Allah, bless Muhammad and his Household and point me straight to resist him who is dishonest toward me with good counsel, repay him who separates from me with gentle devotion, reward him who deprives me with free giving, recompense him who cuts me off with joining, oppose him who slanders me with excellent mention, give thanks for good, and shut my eyes to evil!

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلى مُحَمَّدٍ وَّآلِهِ

وَحَلِّنِي بِحِلْيَةِ الصَّاِلحِينَ

وَأَلْبِسْنِي زِينَةَ المُتَّقِينَ فِي

بَسْطِ الْعَدْلِ

وَكَظْمِ الْغَيْظِ

وَإِطْفَاءِ النَّائِرَةِ

وَضَمِّ أَهْلِ الْفُرْقَةِ

وَإِصْلاَحِ ذَاتِ الْبَيْنِ

وَإِفْشِاءِ الْعَارِفَةِ

وَسَتْرِ الْعَائِبَةِ

وَلِينِ الْعَرِيكَةِ

وَخَفْضِ الْجَنَاحِ

وَحُسْنِ السِّيرَةِ

وَسُكُونِ الرِّيحِ

وَطِيبِ الْمُخَالَفَةِ

وَالسَّبْقِ إِلَى الْفَضِيلَةِ

وَإِيثَارِ التَّفَضُّلِ

وَتَرْكِ التَّعْيِيرِ

وَالإِفْضَاِل عَلَى غَيْرِ الْمُسْتَحِقِّ

وَالْقَوْلِ بِالْحَقِّ وَإِنْ عَزَّ

وَاسْتِقْلاَلِ الْخَيْرِ وَإِن كَثُرَ مِن قَوْلِي وَفِعْلِي

وَاسْتِكْثَارِ الْشَّرِ وَإِن قلَّ مِن قَوْلِي وَفِعْلِي

وَأَكْمِلْ ذَلِكَ لِي

بِدَوَامِ الطَّاعَةِ

وَلُزُومِ الْجَمَاعَةِ

وَرَفْضِ أَهْلِ الْبِدَعِ، وَمُسْتَعْمِلِي الرَّأْيِ الْمُخْتَرَعِ

O Allah, bless Muhammad and his Household, adorn me with the adornment of the righteous, and clothe me in the ornaments of the godfearing,

through spreading justice,

restraining rage,

quenching the flame of hate,

bringing together the people of separation,

correcting discord,

spreading about good behaviour,

covering faults,

mildness of temper,

lowering the wing,

beauty of conduct,

gravity of bearing,

agreeableness in comportment,

precedence in reaching excellence,

preferring bounteousness,

refraining from condemnation,

bestowing bounty on the undeserving,

speaking the truth, though it be painful,

making little of the good in my words and deeds,

though it be much,

and making much of the evil in my words and deeds,

though it be little!

Perfect this for me through lasting obedience,

holding fast to the community,

and rejecting the people of innovation

and those who act in accordance with original opinions!

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَّآلِهِ

وَاجْعَلْ أَوْسَعَ رِزْقِكَ عَلَيَّ إِذَا كَبِرْتُ

وَأَقْوَى قُوَّتِكَ فِيَّ إِذَا نَصِبْتُ

وَلا تَبْتَلِيَنِي بِالْكَسَلِ عَنْ عِبَادَتِكَ

وَلا الْعَمى عَن سَبِيلِكَ

وَلا بِالتَّعَرُّضِ لِخِلاَفِ مَحَبَّتِكَ

وَلا مُجَامَعَةِ مَن تَفَرَّقَ عَنْكَ

وَلا مُفَارَقَةِ مَنِ اجْتَمَعَ إِلَيْكَ

O Allah, bless Muhammad and his Household, appoint for me Thy widest provision in my old age and Thy strongest strength when I am exhausted, try me not with laziness in worship of Thee, blindness toward Thy path, undertaking what opposes love for Thee, joining with him who has separated himself from Thee, and separating from him who has joined himself to Thee!

اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْنِي أَصُولُ بِكَ عِندَ الضَّرُورَةِ

،وَأَسْألُكَ عِندَ الْحَاجَةِ

وَأَتَضَرَّعُ إِلَيْكَ عِندَ الْمَسْكَنَةِ

وَلا تَفْتِنِّي بِالإِسْتِعَانَةِ بِغَيْرِكَ إِذَا اضْطُرِرْتُ

وَلا بِالْخُضُوعِ لِسُؤَاِل غَيْرِكَ إِذَا افْتَقَرْتُ

وَلا بِالتَّضَرُّعِ إِلَى مَن دُونِكَ إِذَارَهِبْتُ

فَأَسْتَحِقُّ بِذَلِكَ خِذْلانَكَ وَمَنْعَكَ وَإِعْرَاضَكَ

O Allah, make me leap to Thee in times of distress, ask from Thee in needs, and plead to Thee in misery! Tempt me not to seek help from other than Thee when I am distressed, to humble myself in asking from someone else when I am poor, or to plead with someone less than Thee when I fear, for then I would deserve Thy abandonment, Thy withholding, and Thy turning away,

يَا أَرْحَمَ الرَّاحَمِينَ

O Most Merciful of the merciful!

اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْ مَا يُلْقِي الشَّيْطَانُ فِي رَوْعِي

منِ التَّمَنِّي وَالتَّظَنِّي وَالْحَسَدِذِكْراً لِعَظَمَتِكَ

وَتَفَكُّراً فِي قُدْرَتِكَ، وَتَدْبِيراً عَلَى عَدُوِّكَ

وَمَا أَجْرَى عَلَى لِسَانِى مِن لَّفْظَةِ فُحْشٍ

أَوْ هَجْرٍ أَوْ شَتْمِ عِرْضٍ أَوْ شَهَادَةِ بَاطِلٍ

أَوِ اغْتِيَابِ مُؤْمِنٍ غَائِبٍ

أَوْ سَبِّ حَاضِرٍ أَوْ مَا أَشْبَهَ ذَلِكَ

نُطْقاً بِالْحَمْدِ لَكَ

وَإِغْرَاقاً فِي الثَّنَاءِ عَلَيْكَ

وَذَهَاباً فِي تَمْجِيدِكَ

وَشُكْراً لِّنِعْمَتِكَ

وَاعْتِرَافاً بِإِحْسَانِكَ

وَإِحْصَاءاً لِّمِنَنِكَ

O Allah, make the wishing, the doubt, and the envy which Satan throws into my heart a remembrance of Thy mightiness, a reflection upon Thy power, and a devising against Thy enemy! Make everything he causes to pass over my tongue, - the indecent or ugly words, the maligning of good repute, the false witness, the speaking ill of an absent man of faith or the reviling of one present, and all things similar - a speech in praise of Thee, a pursual of eulogizing Thee, an excursion in magnifying Thee, a thanksgiving for Thy favour, an acknowledgement of Thy beneficence, and an enumeration of Thy kindnesses!

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَّآلِهِ

وَلا أُظْلَمَنَّ وَأَنتَ مُطِيقٌ لِّلدَّفْعِ عَنِّي

وَلا أَظْلِمَنَّ وَأَنتَ الْقَادِرُ عَلى الْقَبْضِ مِنِّي

وَلا أَضِلَّنَّ وَقَدْ أَمْكَنَتْكَ هِدَايَتِي

وَلا أَفْتَقِرَنَّ وَمِنْ عِندِكَ وُسْعِي

وَلا أَطْغَيَنَّ وَمِنْ عِندِكَ وُجْدِي

O Allah, bless Muhammad and his Household, let me not be wronged while Thou canst repel from me, let me not do wrong while Thou art powerful over holding me back, let me not be misguided while Thou art able to guide me, let me not be poor while with Thee is my plenty, let me not be insolent while from Thee comes my wealth!

اللَّهُمَّ
إِلَى مَغْفِرَتِكَ وَفَدتُّ
وَإِلَى عَفْوِكَ قَصَدتُّ
وَإِلَى تَجَاوُزِكَ اشْتَقْتُ
وَبِفَضْلِكَ وَثِقْتُ
وَلَيْسَ عِندِي مَا يُوجِبُ لِي مَغْفِرَتَكَ
وَلا فِي عَمَلِي مَا أَسْتَحِقُّ بِهِ عَفْوَكَ
وَمَا لِي بَعْدَ أَنْ حَكَمْتُ عَلَى نَفْسِي إلاَّ فَضْلُكَ
فَصَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَّآلِهِ
وَتَفَضَّلْ عَلَيَّ

O Allah, I come to Thy forgiveness, I go straight to Thy pardon, I yearn for Thy forbearance, and I trust in Thy bounty, but there is nothing with me to make me warrant Thy forgiveness, nothing in my works to make me merit Thy pardon, and nothing on my behalf after I judge my soul but Thy bounty, so bless Muhammad and his Household and bestow Thy bounty upon me!

اللَّهُمَّ
وَأَنطِقْنِي بِالْهُدَى
وَأَلْهِمْنِي التِّقْوَى
وَوَفِّقْنِي للَّتِي هِي أَزْكَى
وَاسْتَعْمِلْنِي بِمَا هُوَ أَرْضَ

O Allah, make my speech be guidance, inspire me with reverential fear, give me success in that which is most pure, and employ me in what is most pleasing to Thee!

اللَّهُمَّ اسْلُكْ بِي الطَّرِيقَةَ الْمُثْلَى
وَاجْعَلْنِي عَلَى مِلَّتِكَ أَمُوتُ وَأَحْيَا

O Allah, let me tread the most exemplary path and make me live and die in Thy creed!

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَّآلِهِ

وَمَتِّعْنِي بِالإقْتِصَادِ

وَاجْعَلْنِي مِنْ أَهْلِ السَّدَادِ

وَمِنْ أَدِلَّةِ الرَّشَادِ،

وَمِن صَاِلحِي الْعِبَادِ

وَارْزُقْنِي فَوْزَ الْمَعَادِ

وَسَلاَمَةَ الْمِرْصَادِ

O Allah, bless Muhammad and his Household, give me to enjoy moderation, make me into one of the people of right behaviour, the proofs of right conduct, and the servants of righteousness, and provide me with triumph at the place of Return and safety from the Ambush!

اللَّهُمَّ
خُذْ لِنَفْسِكَ مِن نَّفْسِي مَا يُخَلِّصُهَا
وَأَبْقِ لِنَفْسِي مِن نَّفْسِي مَا يُصْلِحُهَا
فَإِنَّ نَفْسِي هَاِلكَةً أَوْ تَعْصِمَهَا

O Allah, take to Thyself from my soul what will purify it and leave for my soul that of my soul that will set it right, for my soul will perish unless Thou preservest it!

اللَّهُمَّ

أَنتَ عُدَّتِي إِنْ حَزِنتُ

وَأَنتَ مُنتَجَعِي إِنْ حُرِمْتُ

وَبِكَ اسْتِغَاثَتِي إِن كُرِثْتُ

وَعِندَكَ مِمَّا فَاتَ خَلَفٌ

وَلِمَا فَسَدَ صَلاَحٌ

وَفِيمَا أَنكَرْتَ تَغْيِيرٌ

فَامْنُنْ عَلَيَّ قَبْلَ الْبَلاءِ بِالْعَافِيَةِ

وَقَبْلَ الطَّلَبِ بِالْجِدَةِ

وَقَبْلَ الضَّلاَلِ بِالرَّشَادِ

وَاكْفِنِي مَؤُونَةَ مَعَرَّةِ الْعِبَادِ

وَهَبْ لِي أَمْنَ يَوْمِ الْمَعَادِ

وَامْنَحْنِي حُسْنَ الإِرْشَادِ

O Allah, Thou art my stores when I sorrow, Thou art my recourse when I am deprived, from Thee I seek aid when troubled and with Thee is a substitute for everything gone by, a correction for everything corrupted, and a change from everything Thou disapprovest. So show kindness to me with well-being before affliction, wealth before asking, right conduct before misguidance; suffice me against the burden of shame toward the servants, give me security on the Day of Return, and grant me excellent right guidance!

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَّآلِهِ
وَادْرَأْ عَنِّي بِلُطْفِكَ
وَاغْذُنِي بِنِعْمَتِكَ
وَأَصْلِحْنِي بِكَرَمِكَ
وَدَاوِنِي بِصُنعِكَ
وَأَظِلَّنِي فِي ذَرَاكَ
وَجَلِّلْنِي رِضَاكَ
وَوَفِّقْنِي إِذَا اشْتَكَلَتْ عَلَيَّ الأُمُورُ لأَهْدَاهَا
وَإِذَا تَشَابَهَتِ الأَعْمَالُ لأَزْكَاهَا
وَإِذَا تَنَاقَضَتِ المِلَلُ لأَرْضَاهَا

O Allah, bless Muhammad and his Household, repel from me through Thy gentleness, feed me through Thy favour, set me right through Thy generosity, heal me through Thy benefaction, shade me in Thy shelter, wrap me in Thy good pleasure, and give me success to reach the most guided of affairs when affairs confuse me, the purest of works when works seem similar, and the most pleasing to Thee of creeds when creeds conflict!

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَّآلِهِ

وَتَوِّجْنِي بِالْكِفَايَةِ

وَسُمْنِي حُسْنَ الْوِلاَيةِ

وَهَبْ لِي صِدْقَ الْهِدَايَةِ

وَلا تَفْتِنِّي بِالسَّعَةِ

وَامْنَحْنِي حُسْنَ الدَّعَةِ

وَلا تَجْعَلْ عَيْشِي كَداًّ كَداًّ

وَلا تَرُدَّ دُعَائِي عَلَيَّ رَدّاً

فَإِنِّي لا أَجْعَلُ لَكَ ضِدّاً

وَلا أَدْعُو مَعَكَ نِدّاً

O Allah, bless Muhammad and his Household, crown me with sufficiency, place in me excellent guardianship, give me to guide correctly, tempt me not with plenty, grant me excellent ease, make not my life toil and trouble, and refuse not my supplication in rejection, for I make none rival to Thee and I supplicate none with Thee as equal!

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَّآلِهِ

وَامْنَعْنِي مِنَ السَّرَفِ

وَحَصِّن رِّزْقِي مِنَ التَّلَفِ

وَوَفِّرْ مَلَكَتِي بِالْبَرَكَةِ فِيهِ

وَأَصِبْ بِي سَبِيلَ الْهِدَايَةِ لِلْبِرِّ فِيمَا أُنفِقُ مِنْهُ

O Allah, bless Muhammad and his Household, hold me back from prodigality, fortify my provision against ruin, increase my possessions through blessing them, and set me upon the path of guidance through piety in what I spend!

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَّآلِهِ

وَاكْفِنِي مَؤُونَةَ الإكْتِسَابِ

وَارْزُقْنِي مِنْ غَيْرِ احْتِسَابٍ

فَلا أَشْتَغِلَ عَنْ عِبَادَتِكَ بِالطَّلَبِ

وَلا أَحْتَمِلَ إِصْرَ تَبِعَاتِ الْمَكْسَبِ

O Allah, bless Muhammad and his Household, spare me the burden of earning, and provide for me without reckoning, lest I be distracted from Thy worship through seeking and carry the load of earning's ill results!

اللَّهُمَّ

فَأَطْلِبْنِي بِقُدْرَتِكَ مَا أَطْلُبُ

وَأَجِرْنِي بِعِزَّتِكَ مِمَّا أَرْهَبُ

O Allah, bestow upon me what I seek through Thy power and grant me sanctuary from what I fear through Thy might!

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَّآلِهِ

وَصُن وَّجْهِي بِالْيَسَارِ

وَلا تَبْتَذِلْ جَاهِي بِالإِقْتَارِ

فَأَسْتَرْزِقَ أَهْلَ رِزْقِكَ

وَأَسْتَعْطِي شِرَارَ خَلْقِكَ

فَأَفْتَتِنَ بِحَمْدِ مَنْ أَعْطَانِي

وَأُبْتَلي بِذَمِّ مَن مَّنَعَنِي

وَأَنتَ مِن دُونِهِمْ وَلِيُّ الإِعْطَاءِ وَالْمَنْعِ

O Allah, bless Muhammad and his Household, save my face through ease, and demean not my dignity through neediness, lest I seek provision from those whom Thou hast provided and asks for bestowal from the worst of Thy creatures! Then I would be tried by praising him who gave to me and afflicted with blaming him who held back from me, while Thou - not they - art patron of giving and holding back.

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَّآلِهِ

وَارْزُقْنِي صِحَّةً فِي عِبَادَةٍ

وَفَرَاغاً فِي زَهَادَةٍ

وَعِلْماً فِي اسْتِعْمَالٍ

وَوَرَعاً فِي إِجْمَالٍ

O Allah, bless Muhammad and his Household and provide me with soundness in worship, detachment in renunciation, knowledge put into action, and abstinence in measure!

اللَّهُمَّ اخْتِم بِعَفْوِكَ أَجَلِي

وَحَقِّقْ فِي رَجَاءِ رَحْمَتِكَ أَمَلِي

وَسَهِّلْ إِلَى بُلُوغِ رِضَاكَ سُبُلِي

وَحَسِّن فِي جَمِيعِ أَحْوَاِلي عَمَلِي

O Allah, seal my term with Thy pardon, verify my expectation in hoping for Thy mercy, smooth my paths to reach Thy good pleasure, and make my works good in all my states!

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَّآلِهِ

وَنَبِّهْنِي لِذِكْرِكَ فِي أَوْقَاتِ الْغَفْلَةِ

وَاسْتَعْمِلْنِي بِطَاعَتِكَ في أَيَّامِ الْمُهْلَةِ

وَانْهَجْ لِي إِلَى مَحَبَّتِكَ سَبِيلاً سَهْلَةً

أَكْمِلْ لِي بِهَا خَيْرَ الدُّنيَا وَالآخِرَةِ

O Allah, bless Muhammad and his Household, incite me to remember Thee in times of heedlessness, employ me in Thy obedience in days of disregard, open a smooth road for me to Thy love, and complete for me thereby the good of this world and the next!

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَّآلِهِ كَأَفْضَلِ

مَا صَلَّيْتَ عَلَى أَحَدٍ مِّنْ خَلْقِكَ قَبْلَهُ

وَأَنتَ مُصَلٍّ عَلى أَحَدٍ بَعْدَهُ

وَآتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً

وَّفِي الآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً

وَقِنِي بِرَحْمَتِكَ عَذَابَ النَّارِ

O Allah, and bless Muhammad and his Household the best Thou hast blessed any of Thy creatures before him and wilt bless any of them after him, and give to us in this World good, and in the next world good, and protect me through Thy mercy from the chastisement of the Fire!

إِنَّكَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْء قَدِيرٌ

وَهُوَ عَلَيْكَ يَسِيرٌ

You are powerful over everything, and that is easy for You!

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"LIFE OF SALAHUDDIN AL-AYOUBY R.A." - Talk by Sheikh Ahmad Jibril.

Salahuddin 1 - Seikh Ahmad Jibril

Salahuddin 2 - Sheikh Ahmad Jibril

Salahuddin 3 - Sheikh Ahmad Jibril

Salahuddin 4 - Sheikh Ahmad Jibril

Salahuddin 5 - Sheikh Ahmad Jibril

Salahuddin 6 - Sheikh Ahmad Jibril

TO WATCH VIDEO: BRIEF HISTORY OF ISLAM & SALAHUDDIN (CLICK HERE)----------------------------------------

SHAYKH HAMZA YUSUF HANSON - "Between Ignorance And Extremism"

Shaykh Hamza Yusuf Multimedia The Radical Middle Way - Shaykh Hamza Yusuf

Shaykh Hamza Yusuf

Like Sidi Abdal Hakim said, “Tradition or extradition” - it's not a joke, and people really have to think about the presence of over 25 million Muslims in Western Europe. We have to really think about what we’re doing here, what we’re planning to do here in the future. For those of you who have children, you have to really think about what’s going to be the situation of your children and your children’s children. I mean, these are really serious situations. Unfortunately, we have sufaha.

We have people who are simply safeeh(foolish), and I don’t care how sincere they are, there are plenty of sincere people out there but we have people who are fools. They are foolish people. There are people that read things and take them literally. This is what Shaykh Abdallah was talking about. You have naqal and you have ‘aqal... Unfortunately, we have some naqal-heads out there.

We have people who are not using their intellect when they read verses. Don’t think these people haven’t been around since the beginning, really. They believe they are rightly guided and our Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said “Yahmilu hadha al-ilm min kul qarnin uduluhu” – that this knowledge will be carried in each generation by upright people, “yanfuna ‘anhu tah rīth al-ghalīn”– they’ll repudiate the misquotations of extremists.

Tah rīth is – yuh arrif al-kalim ‘an muwād i’i – is to take something out of context. So the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said that rightly guided scholars will repudiate the misquotations of extremists – wa intih āl al-mubtilīn, and plagiarisms of people that are trying to undermine the religion or attack the religion, these are just fabrications, people that fabricate – wa ta’wīl al-jahilīn - and interpretations of zealots, of ignorant people.

Now there’s no doubt that the Muslims are suffering in many different places. But again, this is not new. There have been many many periods where Islam was under siege, had troubles, had difficulties. We have two sunnah. In fact, we have three sunnah. We have the sunnah of the prophet in Mecca. One of the things that Ibn Taimiyyah said (rahimahu Allah) is that there’s nothing that’s abrogated in Islam so that if the same circumstance(s) in which a ruling was applicable returns, then the earlier ruling becomes applicable to the present circumstance(s) as well. In other words, there’s no absolute abrogation. There is no verse in the Qur’an that’s absolutely abrogated with the exception of about four verses on which there is no difference of opinion. All of the verses in the Qur’an (Wasbir ‘ala ma yaqulun, wahjurhum hajirun jamilah, lasta ‘alayhim bi musaytir, laysta ‘alayhim bi wakil, laysta ‘alayhim bi jabar) are verses in which the Prophet was told to be patient. Those verses are all applicable because that’s the sunnah of Mecca.

One of the things Hudaybiyya Ibn al Yamaan said is "In the end of time,( yukhair al-maru bayn al-‘aji wa al-fujur), and of the tabi’in listening to this (qabaha Allahu al-‘ajaz), Qabahak Allahu anta – al-‘aju khairun min al-fujur,” He said that there will be a time when people will be given a choice between powerlessness and going to extremes (fajara means to go beyond a limit). One of the tabi’in heard him say this and said, ”May Allah make ugly powerlessness.” To this, Hudaybiyya Ibn al Yamaan replied, “May Allah make you ugly. Powerlessness is better than going outside of the boundaries.”

So the sunnah of ibtihal, the sunnah of being oppressed is Makkah. Look how the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) behaved. One of the reasons that I stayed a Muslim was when I studied the seerah, the period of Makkah was an overwhelming period. Anybody that studies it has to come to that conclusion about our Prophet (s.a.w.s.). It’s what made him great. And if you’re denying the Makkan period, you're denying something that’s absolutely overwhelming…there’s more time in Makkah than there was in Medina: thirteen out of twenty three years! So if you deny the Makkan period and say that that was all just strategies until he got into power, then at that point you stop forgiving and you stop overlooking. We seek refuge in Allah from misunderstanding who the Messenger of our Allah was. Kana ah-lam al-nas – the prophet (s.a.w.s.) was the most forbearing of people. And this is what we have to return to our community because we’ve created a culture now in which people can’t see any other way out than this reactionary mode. We’ve been spinning our wheels for far too long, and the Muslims really need to think at a deeper level.

Hikma - wisdom, wherever it is, wherever you find it, you should follow it. Einstein said that the definition of madness is to do the same thing over and over again and expect different results. The Muslims, really, we have to ask ourselves what we’re doing about our strategy, about our attitudes and behaviours.

Then finally, about Denmark, because you are having your demonstration tomorrow, I find it really odd that the very thing that we are accusing so many people in the West of doing towards Muslims is that which Westerners blame all Muslims for: the actions of a handful of people. This is the same thing that Muslims end up doing. I mean whoever did these cartoons was a fool, and unfortunately there was some malevolent intent there. I don’t have any doubt because it wasn’t like an artist who drew some pictures and then there was an editorial decision whether they print them or not. It was actually somebody who wanted to find somebody to do this.

But part of this, unfortunately - and we have to be honest - is that the Muslim community of Denmark has failed to be an upright community. Some of the really serious social problems with Muslims in Europe are occurring in Denmark. You can study the situation there because there are plenty of statistics that have been done on this. This is what we have to ask ourselves as a community: “Have we been honouring our prophet?” In other words, “Has there been anything in our behaviour in these lands that has lead to people having a bad opinion of who our Prophet (s.a.w.s.) is to us? We have to ask because we are ambassadors of the messenger of Allah. We are his ambassadors and people are going to judge him based on our actions. You cannot honour your Prophet by dishonouring his sunnah. You cannot honour your Prophet by dishonoring his sunnah. If you want to honour the Prophet (s.a.w.s.), if you really want to honour him, then practice his character, practice his moral probity, practice his excellence and his virtue towards people. Practice his forgiveness; practice his ability to smile despite all of the incredible difficulties.

This is an age, unfortunately, of brawling. We’re dealing with people now, we’ve gone down into the ghetto, and we’re just swinging it out. This is not an age of discussion; this is not an age of discourse. This is something the poet Yeats said in a poem that he wrote in the earlier part of the last century. He said, “Come let us mock at the great, That had such burdens on the mind, And toiled so hard and late, To leave some monument behind, Nor thought of the levelling wind.” And then he goes on, “Come let us mock at the wise,… Come let us mock at the good,…” and finally, “…Mock mockers after that, That would not lift a hand maybe, To help good, wise, or great,To bar that foul wind out, for we, Traffic in mockery.” And this is the age that we are living in. It’s not an age of virtue; it’s not an age that respects the other. This includes the Muslim and the non-Muslim alike.

Islam is a high religion and it calls to the highest human ideals. We as Muslims have to live up to that. If we want to have the moral high ground where the sacred is honoured than we have to honour the sacred in ourselves and in others. But if we lose that moral high ground, then we sound like hollow men. When we have anti-Semitism in our newspapers all over the Arab world, what moral high ground do we have to talk about what’s put in cartoons, and what’s not put in cartoons? We have to be people of truth in order to call others to the truth.

The Qur’an says to the people of the book, “Laystum ‘ala shay hata tuqimatu taratu wa al-injil” – You have nothing until you apply your Tawrah and your Gospel. Well the mafhum al-awla, the a priori understanding of that verse, is that you have nothing until you apply your Qur’an. Muslims, we have nothing until we apply our Qur’an. Wa Qulu lil-naasi husna.

We condemn this, and we recognize the double standards in the West. When you have people now that are being prosecuted in England for holding up a sign that says, “Cut off the heads of anybody that criticizes the prophet Muhammad,” I mean, that person is not going to go and cut off anybody’s head. They are just expressing themselves, and it’s more silliness, but if you are going to prosecute him for inciting to hatred, but then attacking the messenger of God? That’s something that 1.3 billion people hold sacred, and that’s not inciting to hatred? So there are double standards here, we recognize those double standards, and I’m opposed to those double standards, but I also recognize the fact that we as Muslims will not have a strong moral voice until we ourselves are applying our truths. We have to do it ourselves, and Denmark is a nation of good people. This stupidity of demonizing an entire nation because of the actions of one or two fools in that nation. That is as silly as condemning the Saudi Arabians for the actions of a handful of Saudi Arabians and their criminal activities. The Danish defend human rights in the Muslim world. The embassies that were in Egypt, the Danish embassy actually, is involved in monitoring human rights transgressions in prisons in Egypt. I mean, this is the work that the Danish have been doing. And trampling on their flag is absolutely unacceptable. First of all the flag has a religious symbol on it, which is the cross. And second of all, Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala says “La tasub allazina yada’una min dun illah, fa yasub Allah ‘ajwan bi ghair ‘ilm.” Do not curse the idols of other people because they will curse God. So there are people that will take the Saudi Arabian flag that has “la illaha illa Allah; Muhammad al-Rasul Allah” and stomp on it as a retaliation. The prophet said, “Let not one of you curse his parents” and they said to him “How do we curse our parents?” It is done by cursing their parents and they in turn curse your parents. These are the types of things that, as a community, we have to break down. I really believe the onus is on us. We have to tell them who our Prophet (s.a.w.s.) is. Whoever that caricature was, I don’t recognize him because that’s not my Prophet. That’s some poor man’s projection in his own self, of complete misunderstanding. And I reject that, and I reject any insult or denigration. Our Prophet (s.a.w.s.), we honour him and we love him, but we should honour him and love him by living up to his words, by living up to his religion, and then by telling people about him. Tell who he was, not just in our words, but in our actions.

Jazakum Allahu Khair.

Wa Assalamu Alaikum.

[Transcribed by Amina Nawaz. Edited by Karen Nooruddin. ]

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SHEIKH 'ABDALLAH IBN BAYYAH [hafizahullaah] : "Ignorance and Extremism"

Shaykh Abdallah bin Mahfudh ibn Bayyah

[The following is a transcript of Shaykh Hamza Yusuf's live translation of Shaykh Abdullah bin Bayyah's lecture on 10th February 2006, at Kensington Town Hall, London.]

"Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim”, the Shaykh said, first praising Allahu subhanahu wa ta’ala, “and also prayers and blessings on the Prophet, seeking refuge in Allahu subhanahu wa ta’ala from Shaytan.”

Shaykh Yusuf said that we listened to the Qur’an reciter mention a verse which says in part, “…and the balance that We set down, in order that you not transgress the balance….” “Tonight,” he said, “we’re going to attempt to really come to an understanding of what the balance is. Before we do that, I want to convey my gratitude to Fuad Nahdi and to these different organizations that have been involved in this because it’s a good thing that they’ve done.”

First of all, the topic is about ignorance and extremism, and ignorance and extremism are two sides of the same coin. In fact, we could say that ignorance is actually the primary cause for extremism. This is a time that we are living in, in which Islam unfortunately is under siege, and also those things that we hold most sacred are being attacked, so it’s very important that we actually try to consider and think of ways to get out of the current crisis and current situation. In some ways, much of what is happening, if we are critical, we have to come to the conclusion, is in fact partially our own blame.

I’m not saying that we are the cause of what these fools, or whoever these fools who drew these cartoons were. But because we have failed to really explain to people who we are, to let people know what our religion is, what we believe, there are many repercussions from that that we are suffering. In this condition, it’s absolutely very important that we attempt to arrive at some solutions to the current crisis and the situation that we find ourselves in. This, here this evening, is actually an attempt to do so. Also, it’s very important first that we actually have a sound understanding of our religion before we attempt to convey what it is to other people. Therefore, it’s very important that we come to know and understand our own traditions so that we can actually covey them to others.

Brother and sisters, the world today is living in an immense amount of anxiety, some of which is directed towards us. The questions that are being put to us are “Who are we? What do we want? What are we going to do?” Our answer to those questions is that we’re Muslims. And we have to ask ourselves then, “What is Islam?” Islam is a state of resignation towards your Lord. It’s a state of submission towards Allahu subhanahu wa ta’ala. The Qur’an tells us that Allah calls or invites to the abode of peace. The word peace itself, al-Salam, is one of the names of Allah. The greeting that we have amongst ourselves is peace. So a question that we have to ask ourselves is “How can we introduce a culture of peace?”

Hassan Al Basri, the early scholar and well known tabi’i, follower of the sahaba, said that Islam is between the extreme of neglect and the extreme of excess, that these are both extremes, and that Islam was between the two. Ibn ‘Abbad al-Navsi said that the soul inclines toward extremism both in guidance and in error, so it’s part of the nature of the soul to incline towards extremism. Now the way out of that is to understand what are the aims and purposes of the sacred law, what are the aims and purposes of Islam itself. Moderation is something that prevents a human being from falling into this extremism, and therefore it is demanded of the Muslim that they be moderate. But conditions invite to extremism, oppression invites to extremism, and aggression invites to extremism. These things that happen in the world are things that cause people to respond in certain ways, but even though that invitation is there, to go to an extreme, there has to be a constraint on the soul that prevents the soul from doing so. This is why the Qur’an tells us, “Do not allow the hatred of a people to cause you to transgress.” Be people of justice because that is closer to piety with Allah. Also the Qur’an says ta’awanu, work together, or cooperate in righteousness and in Godliness, and do not cooperate in sinfulness and in aggression.

In order to prevent a civil strife from breaking out in the sanctuary, the Prophet (saw) actually compromised and chose not to enforce or impose on the polytheists of Mecca with his entrance into the sanctuary even though the Muslims had come to fulfil their lesser pilgrimage, the sacred rights. But the verse was revealed telling the Prophet that it was a good thing that he had done because they were working to preserve the sanctity of the holy places. The Prophet also said that the foundation of our relationship with the other is a foundation of righteousness. It’s a foundation of goodness. For that reason Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala says, “Allah does not prohibit you concerning those who do not persecute you, or drive you from your homes, from showing them goodliness and righteousness.”

Qadi Abu Bakr Ibn Arabi said that this verse is fully implemented, that it is not abrogated by the verse of the sword like some people have claimed, but rather it is a verse that still has a legal standing and is foundational in our relationship with ‘the other’. Our relationship with the other is one of birr, goodness, of righteousness, before anything else, so if there is no aggression then there is no reason to be other than good towards those people. This means honouring them, and also accordingly, birr is the extent of all virtue so it’s really goodness in its essence. Even Qadi Abu Bakr said that one of the meanings of birr is to share wealth, that you can actually share your wealth with people of other faiths, of other traditions, and that the Qur’an doesn’t prohibit you from doing that.

That’s one of the meanings of the verse. Now conditions that are extreme when they arise cause people to lose their balance, but we also have to remember that the Qur’an tells us that these conditions are going to arise. The Qur’an says, “We will test you in yourselves and in your wealth and in hardship, loss of life, loss of property….” - all these things - and it tells us to be patient. It tells us to have Godliness and also it reminds us that if you show patience, if you show Godliness, then that is the essence of this matter, that is the essence of the affair, It’s very important that we maintain that understanding in the midst of extreme conditions.

The Shaykh said, “I want to look at some challenges that we are facing.” The first challenge is “How do we preserve our religion and our identity as Muslims?” The Qur’an reminds us that when Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala, when his Lord said to Muhammad, “Enter into Islam” he said, “I enter into Islam, aslamtu.”

The second challenge is “How do you live in your house as a Muslim?” Isma’il was praised for commanding his family to prayer, and so this is something that you take it upon yourself, as a personal matter, but also it has to translate to your family. How do you transmit your religion to your family? Also, how do you establish your religion in your environment? How do you preserve religious teachings? We know that the Prophet (saw) said that in order that they may die Muslims, people must hold to this religion even if they have to bite onto the root of a tree to hold onto it. Also, how do we become an excellent example, a mercy, a rain that gives sustenance, a rain that brings the earth back to life and provides foliage for the creatures to sustain themselves, not a hurricane that comes and damages and creates destruction in its path?

Look at the hadith of one of the sahaba whose name was Fudaik. This man became Muslim and was living with people who weren’t Muslim. He decided to make hijra. But when he told his people that he was going to make hijra to the Prophet (saw), they said, “You’re a good man. All of us respect you You’re somebody that takes care of people. We don’t want you to leave, we want you here. We want you to be part of our society.” So Fudaik went to the Prophet (saw) and he told him his situation. The Prophet (saw) said, “Establish the prayer, pay zakat, abandon anything foul, and live amongst your people wherever you want.” Tthe narrator of the hadith, Ibn Hubban, said, “I think he also said, ‘If you do that you’ll be a muhajar. It’s as if you’ve migrated. ‘” So basically what the Prophet (saw) was saying was, “Be a British citizen. Be a citizen wherever you are.” Just be, and if they are not preventing you from practicing your religion, that hadith is permission from the Prophet to live amongst a people. But look at the conditions that he put upon Fudaik (that he prayed, that he paid his zakat, but also that he avoided wrongs and didn’t do anything evil because he has to be a mercy and that’s why it’s very important for him to be an example).

The Shaykh mentioned that yesterday he gave a talk at the House of Lords on ‘how a law is made in Islam.’ There was a Christian man in there who he doesn’t know, but he thinks might have been a lawyer. The Christian man asked him about the Muslim fatwa that was issued by some of the ‘ulema here. The ‘ulema had said that the reason 7/7 was haram was because people here had entered into a trust, or a social contract of security, and if you have a contract of security than you are obliged to follow that law and not to break it. The man said that he was troubled by this idea, that that’s the reason it was prohibited. He had askec, “What about the innocence of the people that were involved?” The Shaykh said that was a good point and that’s why he had brought this issue to attention, but that the fact they were innocent is just one of the reasons why it was prohibited. The Shaykh had mentioned the aman, or this contract of security that we’re bound to follow, was to emphasize the fact that we are bound by the law of the land. That was very important, he said. We need to remember that.

One of the problems that we have is that we have a misunderstanding of jihad. Our concept of jihad has to be rectified. If you look at the verses that came down about jihad, you’ll find the first one revealed, called Ayat-ul-jihad, granted permission for those who were oppressed. These were people who were being religiously persecuted. We could say in the parlance of the modern era that their freedom of religion was not being allowed and so they were given permission to defend themselves.

The second verse that was revealed was a verse that called into question people’s lack of defense for other people that were being oppressed. It said, “What’s wrong with you that you don’t defend and struggle (fi sabil illah, fight; fi sabil illah, to defend) those who are oppressed amongst the men, women, and children, and asking Allah to give a guardian or a protector?” Finally, the verse was revealed to fight in the way of Allah against those who fight you, but do not be the aggressor. “Allah reminds us, even within these verses,” the Shaykh said. “If you look at them, you’ll find, for instance, that there is no blame on people who fight to defend themselves. But, the verses immediately following, about those who forgive and rectify, that Allah loves the people that do that, we find that that’s a good thing to do. Also the Prophet (saw), when given permission by Allah (s.w.t.) for parity in battle, was told, “Just as they oppose you, you may oppose them,” but immediately it’s followed up by saying, “but if you show patience, and if you overlook and forgive, that is better for those who do that.”

So if we look at what the Prophet (saw) is teaching us, these lessons are also being taught in the Qur’an. One of the things, for example, the Shaykh said that the Prophet (saw) taught us, is what they call today anger management. He said that if you are standing and you get angry, then sit down. If you are sitting and you get angry, then lie down. And if you’re lying down and you’re still angry, go do wudu. That,he said, was a necessary process of controlling ones anger because otherwise allowing anger to take over your state is a very unhealthy thing to do. That’s something for all of us to think about.

The Shaykh said that jihad has a broader meaning than fighting, and it shouldn’t be limited to that meaning. Ibn Taymiyya’s definition for jihad was any good action, any action that was virtuous. That was actually his definition for jihad and it’s mentioned by the ‘ulema. When it talks about war, the Qu’ran says, specifically, “harb.” It says, “Until the war sets down all of its burdens.” That’s talking about an actual physical conflict. So the word in Arabic, when it’s used for the conflict of war, is qital, not jihad. Jihad has a broader meaning, and all of its full meanings should be incorporated when we say the word jihad instead of specifically meaning it to be some martial event because that’s not correct. For instance, somebody again in the meeting the other night asked the Shaykh if he thought it was a jihad to elect good officials. He said that yes, this would go under the category of the good actions (people that are doing good things, that are supporting the truth, that are supporting just causes). That’s mercy. The Prophet (saw) said that the Qur’an makes it clear he was only sent as a mercy to all the worlds. So people that are doing good things for others, those are people who are doing acts of mercy that encompass everybody. If you look at the Qur’an and the hadith, you will find that humanity is included in many of these hadith. For instance, the Prophet (saw) said the best and most beloved of you in the eyes of God are those who are most beneficial to the servants or dependents of God. The Qur’an says, “Speak beautifully to humanity,” to al-nas, which is the word for humanity.

The Prophet (saw) also told people, “…and treat people well….” and again, the Shaykh said, you should notice he used the word nas, which means human beings in general. When the Prophet (saw) was visited by a delegation of Christians from Nejran, they came into the masjid, the Prophet met them in his masjid. When their time for prayer came, the sahaba did not want them to pray in the masjid because the masjid was for the Muslims, their area of worship. But the Prophet (saw) permitted them to pray in the masjid. This is mentioned by Ibn Ishaq and Ibn Hisham in their sira. Ibn Qaym al Jawzia said about this event, the reason for this approval, was that the Christians were not going to do this every Sunday. Rather, it was a for a specific time, and so if the same situation arose in another time and place, he felt that it should be permitted also because it wasn’t a habitual practice, it was just something out of necessity. We can see this also with Sayyidina ‘Umar (radi Allahu anhu) when the Prophet (saw) dealt with some Ethiopians who were dancing in the masjid. Sayyidina ‘Umar wanted to take some stones and throw them at the Ethiopians to get them to stop, but the Prophet (saw) told him, “Leave them alone. This is bani arfida.” In other words, this was their custom, and so the Prophet, even though it wasn’t the custom of his people, indicated there was nothing that he saw they were doing wrongly and so permitted them to do that.

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[Transcription by Amina Nawaz. Edited by Karen Nooruddin.]

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BACKGROUND PROFILE OF SHEIKH 'ABDALLAH IBN BAYYAH (born 1935CE 1362H) is an Islamic scholar born in Mauritania (West Africa). Currently he teaches at King Abdal Aziz University.

From an early age, his profound intellectual gifts and ability allowed him to memorise massive texts. In his youth, he was appointed to study legal judgements in Tunis. On returning to Mauritania, he became Minister of Education and later Minister of Justice. He was also appointed a Vice President of the first president of Mauritania. However, in part because of the military coup in Mauritania, he began to teach and traveled to Saudi Arabia where he became a distinguished professor at The University of Uṣūl al-Fiqh.

The shaykh is presently involved in several organizations in the Muslim world, such as al Majma’ al-Fiqhi, which comprises a body of scholars from across the Muslim world and from different madhhabs and viewpoints. They analyze and study modern issues confronting Muslims to formulate Islamic solutions.

Shaykh Abdallah is also an author, having written several books and delivered lectures in different countries. He has expertise in areas such as Fiqh al-`Aqalīyāt, the jurisprudence related to Muslim minorities in non-Muslim lands.

-------http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdullah_bin_Bayyah--------------

Habib 'Ali ibn Zein al-'Abidin al-Jifri (hafizahullaah) speech in UK - launch of "The Radical Middleway Project"

HABIB ALI-The Radical Middle Way - Habib Ali Al Jifri



[Transcript of lecture in the launch of "The Radical Middleway" delivered in the UK]

Habib Ali al-Jifri

Introduction

We thank Allah that He has chosen us to be among the people of ‘there is none worthy of worship but Allah’ in this blessed age. And I say blessed because the blessedness of time is in accordance to what Allah inspires and makes flow into the heart of the believer at that time.

The Prophet of Allah peace be upon him said that at the end of time, the Messiah, Jesus the son of Mary would descend upon the Earth and that he would find amongst my nation, men who would stand with him like his disciples stood with him, i.e. in the certainty they have in Allah and truthfulness that marks their relationship with Allah.

Sufficient it is as a blessing of our time that it has begun with the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him, as he, peace be upon him said, “I was sent and I and the Hour are like this (and he places his two fingers by one another, i.e. very close near)."

Before us now, in these days, is a great opportunity, which I believe was not granted to the generations before us, but the problem is that we have not been mindful. This opportunity is unprecedented in that the whole world, and I emphasize the whole world, is willing to listen to the message of Islam. It is true, that a big part of that concern is due to negative causes, but the end result is that the whole world listens carefully to you, so be mindful of what you say, be mindful of what you say, be mindful of what you say. Understand that we are people with a mission.


The Mission

Firstly, it is appropriate that we understand that Islam does not stand accused such that we must stand to defend it. Islam is the religion of Allah, to which all of creation needs to be connected.

But what accusations of today, are directed to us? The true accusation directed to us is of a different nature, differing from what the media transmits. The true accusation which we must fear and worry about is that which says, ‘we have not delivered the message of Allah to His creation in the correct way.’

For this, it is upon us today to have a role. I desire for all of those present or listening or watching to feel that he or she has a mission that, despite all circumstance, he or she should never forgets that. The more difficult the circumstances become, the more the bite and constriction of time tighten around us, the more it is a message to us that we have a mission. Even those who harm us today. It is as if they are telling us, ‘I am seeking my revenge, for you have not fulfilled your duties. In your possession is a precious jewel, something amazing, why have you not delivered it to us?’ Thus, these days are days of rolling up the sleeves and working, in this country and in the East and the West; you are people with a mission.

The origin of this mission is that Allah has created us solely to actualize our slavehood to Allah, to live a life in worship to Him. He has also made us responsible with a task and that is to cultivate this world, and we are thus in need for seriousness in our lives.


The Attribute of Balance

And it is not appropriate, for us as an ummah, to attempt this mission without being characterized with the attribute with which Allah has described us in His Book, “and We also made you a balanced nation to bear witness upon mankind and that the Messenger can bear witness upon you.” Therefore, the description of the ummah is that it is balanced (ummatun wasat). And if we do not understand this and do not actualize it, it becomes difficult for the ummah to fulfil its mission in this life. For this reason, we, on this night, [will] speak about balance (al-wasatiyya).

Some ask, ‘Why is there are so much talk after the incident (9/11), which was followed by other incidents, about the middle way, balance, tolerance, forgiveness, good character, courtesy, about the beauty of Islam? Is this because the world today is pressuring us to?’ This is a justified question.

But the answer must in turn be with two questions. The first question is, ‘Are we, in reality, characterized by Allah as being balanced (wasat)?’ If the answer is ‘yes,’ then there is another question. ‘Are we, today, continuing to be a balanced nation?’ Are we today, a balanced nation? This is a question directed to you. Are we a balanced nation? Do we still live the balance of Islam that allows us to be witnesses upon the other nations? The question is directed to you. Are we enjoying and reaping the benefits of the balance which Allah puts forth in His Book?

[Audience says] ‘No’

Why not?

[Audience says] ‘Yes’

If yes, then why yes?

For this, we must talk about the middle way.


The Meaning of Wasat in the Arabic Language

The real question is what does the middle way mean? I will speak first about the vocabulary of the Arabic language, for in the Arabic language, the wasat is used for many meanings.

In the language of the Arabs, the word wasat is used to describe the thing that is equidistant from both its outer ends, as told by the author of the Misbah. Also, the Arabs use the word tawsit which is taken from wasat for cutting a thing in two equal halves. If we can be a balanced nation, then we will help all of humanity to decide with which group they seek to be associated of good and evil. Does the love of good outdo the love evil, mercy over harshness, justice over injustice, courtesy over harm?

Also, it means something which has a parameter encircling it. Imam al-Nasafı (d. 642/1245) says that corruption always begins eating at the parameters of things, and if we are at the middle, then the deterioration which is a consequence of corruption, immorality, and the loss of principles will not begin with us (and we will be the last to be affected). These are among the meanings of ‘the middle way.’

The author of al-Mukhtar said that from the meanings of the word tawsit is heart of a thing. Imam al-Qurtubi (671/1272) said in his tafsır, “and for this reason the description of the ummah as balanced is among the verses the ordain the shift of the prayer direction (qibla) from Jerusalem to the Kaaba, because the Kaaba is located in the exact middle of the world (the umbilicus mundus)” In this is a hint that as the qibla turns to the middle of the world, so we transform our lives into one of balanced behaviour.

These are some of the meanings for the word wasat and tawsit. They said there is also tawassut which comes from seeking to gather two opposing views or perspectives. Imam al-Tabarī (d. 310/923) may Allah have mercy on him, in his tafsır that this means to be the middle between the Prophet and the nations, i.e. you carry the light of the Prophet to those who have yet to receive it. So the word is in the sense of a middle man or a means to an end. It is appropriate here to pause briefly with ourselves. Are we means between our Prophet and the people, or are we a barrier between him and them.

And the meaning of tawassut also has meaning regarding truth and giving judgement. The exegetes say about the verse, “and their most balanced one said” (qala awsatuhum), i.e. their most correct in judgement. The indication here is that we likewise should be an ummah that searches for the truth, not the ego and whim and the desires. Wherever the truth is, [this ummah] quickly turns.

Also wasat means fairness. So whoever does not live fairly with family, neighbours, friends, associates, allies, and enemies has not actualized balance. Also it means the thing which is between highly advanced and poor. Neither good nor bad. Today in the West they say, “Not bad.” Wasat, also, and this is the more important meaning, is implied for the best of all things, that which is between two undesirable extremes. What is in the middle is the peak. The balance between the undesirable over-spending and the undesirable stinginess I generosity. Between rashness and cowardice is courage. By this, measure things. Also for the Arabs, to say something is in the middle means that it is in the centre. For example, the most precious gem in a chain is placed in the middle.

Lastly, the word wusta is used to mean the middle finger and if we contemplate Allah’s wisdom in creation, you will find it the longest of all the fingers. Likewise, the people of the middle way will have the highest standing and the furthest reach in rectifying the word.

When you consider the variety of meanings this word possesses, you will find that one of essential traits for [the attainment of] balance is variety itself. Thus the word itself has many different meanings. The middle way, therefore, accepts differences and a variety of perspectives just as the word accepts many definitions. This is the word that describes our ummah.


The Origins of Balance in Islam

As for understanding the depth of this wasatiyya (balancedness), it is a great thing rooted in the fact that it originates from two things. The first is doctrine (‛aqīda) and the second is the heart (al-qalb), which is the depository of certainty (yaqīn), in what a person believes and understands.


Part one: balance originates from our doctrine (‛aqida)

As for doctrine, the first deviation in it occurred during the lifetime of the Prophet peace be upon him, and it happened before he left this world peace be upon him so that we could witness his stance and his utter refusal in it so that we can follow suit. It occurred when some people who fasted and prayed and even prayed the whole night and even sacrificed their lives in battle. But the flaw was their belief that only they were right, that they were the guardians of the next world and could judge who was right and who was wrong, to the point that Dhul Khuwaysira came to the Prophet peace be upon him when he was dividing something up and accused him, “This is an unfair division that was not done to please Allah. Fear Allah and be fair.”

Thus, the first deviation from the middle way begins in matters of belief. The Khawarij would sit before Amir al-Mu’minin ‛Ali ibn Abi Talib may Allah be pleased with him and ennoble his countenance and listen to ‘the door of the city of knowledge,’ the rightly guided caliph, the cousin of the Prophet peace be upon him. Then if they left the one would say to the other, “How knowledgeable is this little kāfir.”

The heart of balance is in the doctrine. Our doctrine neither claims Allah’s attributes to be all metaphoric, nor claims that Allah has a physical body (anthropomorphism). We are between exaggerating about the prophets and sufficing with only one prophet, for we believe in all the prophets. We are in the middle regarding our dealing with this world and the next world. Belief in the Afterlife does not stop us from working in this life, nor does any task in the world obstruct us from preparing for the Afterlife. Our doctrine itself is based on balance. Regarding prophethood, we stand between those who killed prophets and those who made them gods.


Part two: its location is the heart (al-qalb)

The balance that we have is thus, rested upon certainty (yaqīn), which is in turn located in the locus of our heart. Such a balance is different than one based merely on an emotion or the membership of a group that shares a certain thought. The latter is unstable, but the former can never be shaken, because certainty (yaqīn) itself never quakes or wobbles.

Balance with us is based on something that can never be denied. If one denies it, they would no longer count as a Muslim. It is based on the Qur’an. Balance with us is not merely an idea that emerged among one of the generations, such that it would change and die out with the change and death of the generations. Whoever denies balance (wasatwiyya) would no longer count as a Muslim because [this concept] came from the Qur’an. This is the importance of knowing that balance starts in our ‛aqīda.

Balance is therefore a necessity for the uprightness of a Muslim. We must believe by the doctrines taught in the Book of Allah that the ummah must be characterised by balance. Who denies this, is actually denying their entire Islam. This is the importance of connecting balance to ‛aqīda.


Balance in Fighting Back Oppression

When a companion asked the Prophet peace be upon him and said, “Someone has transgressed against me and taken my rights.” As an aside, defence against transgressors and occupiers is a duty in our law. It is important that the Muslims of Britain or anywhere in the West not be ashamed to say that our deen gives us the right and obliges us to fight back those who have transgressed and occupied our lands with the one condition that we do not transgress against those who have done no wrong.

We must know however that there is a point [of contention]. Resistance and fighting back is not an outlet for anger. But it is rather a worship with which we draw near to Allah, and it thus has rules that govern how we do it.

Regarding the Prophet peace be upon him was asked, “A man kills out of bravery, and another with anger, and another for fame, so which is the one who kills for the sake of Allah?” He said, “The one who fights so that the word of Allah is the highest.” Thus the one who fights to show off bravery is not for Allah, nor the one who is merely angry at what happened to him, nor is the one who fights to be famous for his courage actually fighting for Allah’s sake. But rather it is the one who fights, desiring that the word of Allah is most high. And it is therefore, inappropriate for one fighting for Allah to disobey Allah in the process [of his fighting].

Consider how the Companions praised one who fought hard and earnestly in the battle and then died, and they say, “May Paradise be prepared for him.” This is a man who put forth his soul between the hands of the Prophet peace be upon him. But the Prophet peace be upon him said, “And how do you know? For perhaps he is sinking into the pit of Hell over a garment he stole from the booty?” This man, the Companions said, sinks in the Fire after putting forth his soul easily in jihād with you, over a cheap garment he stole?” Yes, because the issue is about the principle of following the rules, being obedient to commands. Actions are not to be dictated by whims.

One of the Companions, in the sahıh˛ hadith, asked the Prophet peace be upon him, “Is it acceptable for me to kill a man who fights me, then cuts off my hand, then runs behind a tree and declares his faith in Islam?” Consider that his desire for killing him is now anger and revenge from having his hand cut off and the pain it caused. The Prophet said, “No. If you kill him, your position is as his was when he fought you, and his position is as your was before killing him.”

This is our deen. It delves deeply into the purposes of our actions in our hearts. Because the issue is how we are interacting with Allah, Whose gaze is upon the hearts. Behaviour upon the middle path is the fruit of strong belief and certainty regarding the doctrine of balance. Then, this balanced behaviour will triumphantly emerge in circumstances that would otherwise destabilize a person. Such a one [with strong faith in this matter] can remain stable and preserve that balanced behaviour.

We have witnessed resistance in Europe, in the Arab lands, in the East, in the West, where people have made permissible all things with the justification that they are sacrificing. They have killed millions of people. How many people were killed in WWII in Europe? Why couldn’t either side control themselves? Why was it difficult for many of them to stabilize their manners and morals? Because they are human. And human beings, if they are angered, cannot control themselves. For this we need balance. Not that it is merely an idea to discuss, but that it is deen which we believe and a certainty which is firmly implanted in the heart, such that if the anger that is from our humanity emerges, the strong faith and certainty that is in the heart also emerges to control it and dictate [our] reactions as is appropriate. This is the power of balance.


The Present Condition: Returning to Principled Behaviour

Now there is a question. Where is our balance today? It has [only] gone where our deen and certainty of faith has gone. And exactly when our bond with our ‛aqida returns to a state of strength, and when the light of our faith becomes anchored in our hearts, this balance will burst forth in our life and interactions with creation.

We suffer from many problems today. We have rights taken from us, lands occupied, and in every news cast a many number of us are killed to the point that we are accustomed to seeing our own blood being shed. Some of us say, ‘Look at this scene, a murder in Palestine or Iraq.’ And the other will say, ‘Oh I have saw that already, new pictures came out.’

Everyday, we witness our weakness among the nations. I speak to you and the turban on my very head which I wear to emulate the Beloved peace be upon him was imported into my country but manufactured outside the Muslim world. The food we eat is grown elsewhere despite that in my land we have many plantations that can produce crops. I speak to you, and in everything [we use], from the needle to the plane, we are dependent upon other nations. This is a problem that we are suffering from today, even though our deen seeks to make us independent and sufficing for ourselves.

I ask myself when I come here, ‘How many of the Muslim youth in Britain are living on benefits, whilst they are young men and capable of gaining a livelihood by the halal means?’ Today, how many of us lie so as to gain more credit with the benefit system.

And yet, we all have excuses. How many of us say, ‘This is our rightful wealth which they stole during the colonial days.’ And some of us say, ‘They are just infidels and the wealth of an infidel is halal.’ And some say, ‘I am from Somalia; they have destroyed my country.’ Another says, ‘I am from Kosovo; they stood by watching my people get slaughtered and did nothing.’ And on and on and on. The excuses are many. But I have one question. In our belief, is lying halal? Are we allowed to lie? [Allah says] “Verily those who say lies are those who do not believe.” Verily Allah speaks the truth.

It is my right to say, whilst I am here in Britain, that the role the government played in the Iraq war was a crime. But does that justify the killing of innocent people here? I know and you know that London is the only city in which over one million people took to the streets protesting the Iraq war.

At one point in history, the Muslims were attacked in a certain part of China. Fighting broke out and eventually, the Muslims managed to besiege the enemy city. After weeks of the siege, in which the enemy was forced to surrender, they wrote a letter to the Muslims, saying, “Your faith obliges you to make an offer of three things before fighting. Either to pay the jizya, or to become Muslim, or to fight. But you fought without offering any of this. Therefore, you should retreat.” The case was raised to a Muslim judge, and he judged, that despite the toil and difficulty they went through and even though victory was at hand, it was not done correctly and the Muslim army must go back. Because we are a people of principle.

In the time of ‛Umar ibn al-Khattab, an army was sent out and it besieged the fortress of the Franks who had transgressed against the Muslims. At the most tense moments of the siege, and while there was amongst the Muslim ranks a Frank who had become Muslim (he was of the clients (mawālı): an enemy soldier, who was captured, then became Muslim and freed). The Franks, from their side began addressing this man in their own language. So he took a piece of parchment, wrote on something on it and shot it into the Franks’ fortress. Suddenly, the fortress door opened and some men began walking out unarmed. This was because the Frankish Muslim had written them a note of security, as in Islam, any Muslim may write a security note for any non-Muslim even an enemy, so long as they do not have a history of treachery. All Muslims must give that person security, regardless of who wrote it.

The Muslims did not know what to do. They had exhausted themselves in the siege and now one of them who was not long ago a non-Muslim has given them full amnesty. They wrote to ‛Umar and he replied, “The Muslims are one. And the promise of the smallest of them must be abided by all of them. The army should return.”

This discipline to principle was the cause of our strength. Some may think, ‘If we follow [principles] like this, given our circumstances now, we will appear weak and it will worsen our scenario.’ Such a one is told, ‘Verily, the principled behaviour is the secret of the ummah’s strength, to which it is now high time to return.’

The admiration of these chivalrous actions and sublime principles is in the natural predisposition of all people, Muslim and not. Who of us does not admire the behaviour of Salahuddin Al-Ayyubi, when we read about him, may Allah have mercy on him, that he sent his own personal doctor to tend to Richard the Lion Heart who came to occupy the Land and fought him face to face. But when Richard the Lion Hear fell ill, Salahuddin Al-Ayyubi sent his own doctor to see him. Who of us does not admire this? Do we not stand proud of this act coming from one of our leaders?

Do you not feel pride by a Muslim who was so strong? He liberated Jerusalem, and then acted this way with the enemy leader. You have pride no doubt. The question is, when it is time for me to do the same, will I do it, or will I retreat, considering this a weakness? This is the difference between those whom Allah helps and gives His support and those whom He leaves to themselves.


Pre-requisites of Attaining Balance: Knowledge and Discipline

All this is why we need balance. Balance is easy to talk about but its implementation is something else. Going to extremes [on the other hand] is easy. Those who go to extremes can be ignorant; they do not have to maintain high standards of morals and character. Such a one is not required to restrain himself at times of anger, nor are they asked to submit their whims to principles. But rather, they submit themselves to their whims.

Balance on the other hand, requires knowledge, of which we are today in need. Balance also requires struggling against the nafs. Balance requires us to leave off something we might like and do something we might find burdensome. Because balance has an exemplar. He is our master Muhammad peace and blessings be upon him, his family, and friends.

In conclusion, we would like all those present to pick up their pens and write. We need our youth to take to the road of knowledge, to understand our religion as it should be understood, connected to a sound chain of transmission in knowledge and upbringing, in self purification, transmission, and understanding. We must understand our deen. We cannot just take our religion from satellite [TV] programs or newspapers, nor by gathering of youth sitting together, none of whom have sought to learn. Upon leaving seek a path to proper knowledge. We are in dire need to learn our deen. Along with knowledge, we need the pure intention, to learn for only Allah, not for fame or to be seen or heard.We said that we are an ummah with many rights taken away from us. But we are also people with many responsibilities. Seek knowledge about your responsibilities before your rights. If you are a man, open the books and ask, ‘What is my duty towards my wife?’ If you are a woman, what duties do you have towards your husband? And you are a son, what do you have towards your mother? And you are a father, what duties do you have towards your daughter? You are a neighbour, what are the rights of your neighbour, Muslim or not? You are an associate in business. What do you owe your fellow associates? You are a member of a country. What rights does your country have upon you? You are a member of an ummah; what is the ummah’s right upon you? You are a human being; what is the right of humanity upon you? You are the regent of Allah on earth; what are the rights of His creation upon you? We begin with our responsibilities and act upon them. The one who looks to his rights first is one who does not want to act; he wants to take from others only. He does not want to give.

A Message to the Sisters

We need the Muslim woman to fulfil her role in her society. The society which does not allot the opportunity for the woman to do her part does not produce a stable environment for living. Muslim women, regardless of your circumstance, you have a mission. If you are young, you inherit the position of A’isha, for she was quite young when she married the Messenger of Allah peace be upon him. If you are widow, you are our mother, as was Sawda who was a widow when she married the Prophet peace be upon him. If you are very old, so you are our mother, as Umm Salama was. If you are divorced, you are our mother: Hafsa. And if you were not a Muslim before and were Christian, you too are our mother: Māriyya. If you were Jewish and became Muslim, you are our mother: Safiyya. If you are a rich business woman, then you are our mother: Khadīja. If you are a generous woman, you are or mother Zaynab. In any circumstance you are in, the Prophet of Allah peace be upon him taught us to respect you because he took on wives of a great variety of difference, not for pleasure, or else he would have taken the most beautiful ones, but he was permitted to take this large number so that we can be taught that regardless of a woman’s circumstance, it is not permitted for her to be looked down upon, nor deprived of her rights, and that any degrading look towards a woman for any circumstance she is in childhood, old age, divorce is a degrading look to a wife of the Prophet peace and blessings be upon him.When we discuss your role, we need it to be in accordance to this sublime middle way. Do not surrender yourselves to injustice. As men, we must acknowledge injustices in our homes done in the name of Islam, and Islam is innocent of them. But neither should we push them to what is termed ‘liberation,’ but is in reality depriving them of every sublime quality they could possess. It makes them a piece of merchandise that is marketed to sell a car or otherwise.


Conclusion

To finish, do not be afraid in this country. You are a part of it. Feel that you have a responsibility towards improving it and remedying its ailments. Be open about your attendance at masjid and take an active part in the Muslim community. If you see good, follow it through, and if you see wrong, be the first to reject it. If someone wants to do harm to the country in the name of Islam, we are the first to reject him. If you find a shortcoming in yourself, then stand in the middle of the night, offering two rakaahs, weeping before Allah. Then you shall see the outpouring of His Divine Aid, empowering you to overcome yourself. By this, you will truly see wonders.

[dua]

Translated by Shadee Elmasry. Edited by Amina Nawaz.

[ from: http://radicalmiddleway.co.uk/ ]