The Journey Starts Here

Don’t go off sightseeing.
The real journey is right here.
The great excursion starts
from exactly where you are.
You are the world.
You have everything you need.
You are the secret.
You are the wide opened.

Don’t look for the remedy for your troubles
outside yourself.
You are the medicine.
You are the cure for your own sorrow.

Threshold to freedom.

Do not be ruled by lust; 
seek freedom by following the righteous.
Mere claims of piety will not earn you inner freedom. 
Remain patient in adversity to attain peace,
for adversity is the threshold to freedom.
[Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani]

Praise belongs to God

When someone praises you, you must feel dislike for his praises within your heart. If he has praised you for something you truly possess say: 'Praise belongs to God Who has revealed the good things and concealed the ugly ones.' And if he praises you for something which you do not possess, say as one of our predecessors said: 'O God! Do not call me to account for what they say, forgive me what they do not know, and make me better than they think.'

In your case do not praise anyone unless you know that your praises will incite him to more good works or unless he is a superior man whose superiority is not well known and you wish to make it so, this being on condition that you are safe from lying and he is safe from conceit. [Al-Haddad, The Book of Assistance]

four signs of a diseased heart

There are four signs of a diseased heart:

1. To feel no enjoyment in worship.

2. To be in a state without fearing God.

3. To take no lessons from worldly events.

4. To learn something and not to put into practice. [Dhunnun al Misri]

A Valuable Lesson In Life From The 'Proof Of Islam' Hazrat Imam Ghazali (Rehmatullahi ’Alaih)

Having completed his studies, Imam Ghazali (Rehmatullahi ’Alaih) was en route back home. On the way the caravan in which he was travelling was waylaid by robbers. Together with his co-travellers, Imam Ghazali (Rehmatullahi ’Alaih) was dispossessed of all his goods. Amongst his possessions were the carefully written notes of the lectures delivered by his ustads. These notes were also taken by the robbers. Imam Ghazali (Rehmatullahi ’Alaih) sought out the leader of the band of robbers and pleaded with him: "Your men have taken all my possessions except for the clothes I wear. You may keep the extra clothes and other valuables - I do not lament their loss. However, please ask your men to return the papers they have taken."

The leader of the band of robbers was amazed at this unusual request. This young man was not worried about clothes and valuables, but he was asking for some pieces of paper to be returned!

Very curious, he asked: "What papers are these?"

Imam Ghazali (Rehmatullahi ’Alaih) explained: "I am a student returning home after completing my studies. When my teachers used to lecture, I used to make notes. These are those very pages of 'ilm that I am requesting to be returned to me."

The leader of the robbers said, "What you have just said fills me with great sorrow and regret. Young lad! Is your 'ilm on pieces of paper when it should have been in your heart? Papers can get lost. Papers can be destroyed by fire, become parched by the sun, get eaten by moths, become damaged with damp, etc., etc. You are dependent on papers? It fills me with great pity. Your 'ilm should be in your heart! Be that as it may, your papers will be returned."

He summoned one of his men and ordered him, "Give back to this boy his papers." The notes were retrieved and returned to Imam Ghazali (Rehmatullahi ’Alaih).

Imam Ghazali (Rehmatullahi ’Alaih) was of noble character. He was, moreover, a dedicated student. The words of the gang-leader were like a knife piercing his heart. On reaching home, he lost no time in memorising all his notes!
source: islamic forum/spreading the light of islam

I Don’t Get Tired of You – Rumi

I don’t get tired of you. Don’t grow weary
of being compassionate toward me!

All this thirst equipment
must surely be tired of me,
the waterjar, the water carrier.

I have a thirsty fish in me
that can never find enough
of what it’s thirsty for!

Show me the way to the ocean!
Break these half-measures,
these small containers.

All this fantasy
and grief.

Let my house be drowned in the wave
that rose last night in the courtyard
hidden in the center of my chest.

Joseph fell like the moon into my well.
The harvest I expected was washed away.
But no matter.

A fire has risen above my tombstone hat.
I don’t want learning, or dignity,
or respectability.

I want this music and this dawn
and the warmth of your cheek against mine.

The grief-armies assemble,
but I’m not going with them.

This is how it always is
when I finish a poem.

A great silence comes over me,
and I wonder why I ever thought
to use language.

By: Maulana Rumi
Translation: Coleman Barks

tawakkul (trust and reliance on Allah)

The Marvels of Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani

Sayyidi wa Imami, Imam ‘Abdallah ibn ‘Alawi al-Haddad, Rady Allahu ‘Anhu, (1044-1132 A.H) in expounding on tawakkul (trust and reliance on Allah) in his spiritual masterpiece Risalat u’l Mu’awanah (The Book of Assistance) explains the signs of tawakkul and supports his position with the example of Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani,Rady Allahu ‘Anhu whom he calls “sayyidi” (“my master”).

“The one whose reliance is sincere has three marks. The first is that he neither has hopes in nor fears other than God. The sign of this is that he upholds the truth in the presence of those in whose regard people usually have hope or fear, such as princes and rulers. The second is that worrying about his sustenance never enters his heart, because of his confidence in God’s guarantee, so that his heart is as tranquil when in need as when his need is fulfilled, or even more. The third is that his heart does not become disturbed in fearful situations, knowing that that which has missed him could never have struck him, and that which has struck him could never have missed him. An example of this was related of my lord ‘Abdal-Qadir al-Jilani, may God spread his benefit. He was once discoursing on Destiny when a great viper fell on him, so that his audience panicked. The viper coiled itself around the shaykh’s neck, then entered one of his sleeves and came out from the other while he remained firm and unperturbed, and did not interrupt his discourse”. (Risalat u’l Mu’awanah, The Book of Assistance, translated by Dr. Mostafa al-Badawi, p. 121-122).

Open the Window

There's a street where the Beautiful One

 is known to take a stroll.

When a certain radiance is noticed

through the laticed windows

of that neighborhood,

people whisper, The Beloved

must be near.

One of the greatest rewards – achieving the love of Allah swt

Imam Ibn ul Qayyim,   said there are 10  ways of bringing about  the love of Allah  swt.  All of them  involve seeking knowledge:

• Recitation of Quran, reflection and understanding
• After obligatory acts of ibadat, doing superogatory acts
• constant remembrance in every circumstance by the to tongue and actions
• Preferring His love over your own
• Comprehension of Allah swt Names and attributes, witnessing them and having knowledge of them
• Witnessing and acknowledging His generosity and His Benevolence, Favours and blessings
• The hearts total defeat and humility in front of Allah
• Being alone at the time of descent of Allah for having private conversations with Him, reciting His Words and repenting in front of Him
• Sitting with the truthful lovers of Allah and gathering the good fruits
• Keeping distant from everything that comes between the heart and Allah, the Mighty the Majestic

From  these 10 ways can  the love of Allah  be reached and the  chief fundamental principle  behind that comprise  two.  Preparing the  soul for it and  opening the eye to  keen, sure knowledge.

Tender Words

Tender words we spoke

to one another

are sealed

in the secret vaults of heaven.

One day like rain,

they will fall to earth

and grow green

all over the world.
--Mawlana Rumi

And a youth said, "Speak to us of Friendship."

Friendship  by Khalil Gibran

And a youth said, "Speak to us of Friendship." 

Your friend is your needs answered. 

He is your field which you sow with love and reap with thanksgiving. 

And he is your board and your fireside. 

For you come to him with your hunger, and you seek him for peace. 

When your friend speaks his mind you fear not the "nay" in your own mind, nor do you withhold the "ay." 

And when he is silent your heart ceases not to listen to his heart; 

For without words, in friendship, all thoughts, all desires, all expectations are born and shared, with joy that is unclaimed. 

When you part from your friend, you grieve not; 

For that which you love most in him may be clearer in his absence, as the mountain to the climber is clearer from the plain. 

And let there be no purpose in friendship save the deepening of the spirit. 

For love that seeks aught but the disclosure of its own mystery is not love but a net cast forth: and only the unprofitable is caught. 

And let your best be for your friend. 

If he must know the ebb of your tide, let him know its flood also. 

For what is your friend that you should seek him with hours to kill? 

Seek him always with hours to live. 

For it is his to fill your need, but not your emptiness. 

And in the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and sharing of pleasures. 

For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed

Jihad Al-Nafs [Fighting The Ego]

Translated from the following parts of 

'Ihya' `Ulum al-Din' [The Revival of the Religious Sciences] by imam al ghazali

a)Definitions at the beginning of the book "Kitab sharh `aja'ib al-qalb"

 [Book of the Explanation of the Mysteries of the Heart]

b)Section entitled: "The Soldiers of the Heart" in the same book

c)Section entitled: "Shaytan's domination over the heart through whispering [al-waswas]" in the same book

d)Section entitled: "Proofs..." from the book "Kitab riadat al-nafs wa tahdhib al-akhlaq wa mu`alajat amrad al-qalb" [Book of the training of the ego and the disciplining of manners and the healing of the heart's diseases]

Golden Principles of Raising Children

Imam Ghazali (May God Shower His Mercy Upon Him)'s Arabic Book on the Subject from His Three-Volumes Collection of Short Books

"Majmu'a Rasail Imam Ghazali"

Translated into English By Irfan Hasan


CHILDREN'S INITIAL EDUCATION, TRAINING, AND ATTAINMENT OF MORAL VALUES INTRODUCTION OF THE BOOK

Adopting an effective method for training children is extremely important and necessary. It is because a child is Allah's trust in parents' hands and the child's heart is like a nice, clean, and simple mirror which, although, is devoid of any types of impressions or shapes, is capable of accepting the influence of all types of impressions and influences and it can be inclined towards any thing you like. Therefore, if good habits are inculcated in the child and if he/she is instructed in knowledge, then the child after gaining such excellent nourishment (upbringing), achieves the real success of this life and of the life hereafter.

O Allah!

[From Imam Ghazali's My Dear Beloved Son]

“O my Allah! I desire from You the completion (abundance/perfection) of Your blessings and from purity (inner and outer) I desire its permanence and from Your mercy [I desire] its inclusion [in all matters] and from health [I desire] its attainment and from sustenance [I desire] its increase and from life [I desire] its happiness and from life [I desire] its real success and from good qualities [I desire] their completion and from your rewards [I desire] the reward which is the most common and from your plenitude [I desire] the plenitude which is the sweetest and from your favors [I desire] the favor which is the most plentiful and from deeds [I desire] the deed which is the best and from knowledge [I desire] the knowledge which is the most beneficial and from the sustenance [I desire] the sustenance which is the most plentiful.

The Basis of Inner Peace or Peace of Heart by Sayyidi Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani

Taken from Qur'anic Psychiatry

"Know that in the thikr of Allah (also following the guidance in the Holy Qur'an) lies the peace of quloob (heart)."
In this ayaat the Creator of the physical and non-physical bodies, Allah Ta'ala, has declared the very basis of the immutable law governing a person's health.
Therefore, the very structure of spiritual health rests on "peace of heart." If this does not exist many psychological disorders, such as nervousness leading to neurosis, and other similar disorders will develop.

The heart filled with love for Allah

“Truly in the heart there is a void that cannot be removed except with the company of Allah.  And in it there is a sadness that cannot be removed except with the happiness of knowing Allah and being true to Him.  And in it there is an emptiness that can not be filled except with love for Him and by turning to Him andalways remembering Him.  And if a person were given all of the world and what is in it, it would not fill this emptiness.”

Imam Ibn ul Qayyim

Attar's Seven Valleys of Love

The Valley of the Quest
When you enter the first valley, the Valley of the Quest, a hundred difficulties will assail you; you will undergo a hundred trials. There, the Parrot of heaven is no more than a fly. You will have to spend several years there, you will have to make great efforts, and to change your state. You will have to give up all that has seemed precious to you and regard as nothing all that you possess. When you are sure that you possess nothing, you still will have to detach yourself from all that exists. Your heart will then be saved from perdition and you will see the pure light of Divine Majesty and your real wishes will be multiplied to infinity.One who enters here will be filled with such longing that he will give himself up completely to the quest symbolized by this valley. He will ask of his cup-bearer a draught of wine, and he has drunk it nothing will matter except the pursuit of his true aim. Then he will no longer fear the dragons, the guardians of the door, which seek to devour him. When the door is opened and he enters, then dogma, belief and unbelief--all cease to exist.

The Valley of Love
 The next valley is the Valley of Love. To enter it one must be a flaming fire--what shall I say? A man must himself be fire. The face of the lover must be enflamed, burning and impetuous as fire. True love knows no after-thoughts; with love, good and evil cease to exist.

Good Manners - Imam al-Haddad

Know disciple, that the beginning of the path is patience, and its end is thankfulness. 

Its beginning is difficulty, and its end is bliss. Its beginning is toil and weariness, 

and its end is opening, unveiling and arrival at the ultimate goal 

which is gnosis of God, arrival to Him, being comforted by Him, 

and standing in His noble presence with His angels standing before Him.

The one who makes gracious patience 
the foundation of all his affairs turns to every goodness, 

reaches everything that he hopes for, and wins all that he seeks.

Taqwaa: The key to Learning

Sheikh Abu Anas Hamad Ibn Ibrahim al-'Uthmaan

Short reminder to those seeking knowledge concerning the aspect of taqwaa, since this is a useful tool long forgotten by many of those who enter themselves into the various sciences of this noble, pure Religion.

Whosoever loves that Allaah should open-up his heart for him and grant light to him, then let him abandon speech about that which does not concern him, and abandon sins and turn away from disobedience.

Allaah – the Most Perfect, Most High – said:

"O you who believe! Have taqwaa (fear) of Allaah, and believe in His Messenger; and He will bestow upon you a double portion of His Mercy, and He will provide you with a light by which you will walk." [2]

Seeking Knowledge

by a Muslim sister
Allah (SWT) says in the Holy Qur'an in Surah Al Baqarah, "He granted wisdom (Hikmah) to whom He pleased; and to whom wisdom (Hikmah) is granted received indeed a benefit overflowing; but none will grasp the Message but men of understanding" (2:269). This ayah, as well as others in the Holy Qur'an, illustrates to us the importance of knowing and understanding our beautiful religion. Without knowledge of our Deen we run the risk of falling into misguidance and innovation, and that misguidance could ultimately lead us to the Hellfire. Allah's Messenger (SAW) used to say in every Friday khutba, "The best discourse is the Book of Allah and the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, and the worst matter is that of innovation and every innovation is misleading."