2 SEPTEMBER 2024

This weekend saw the death anniversary of the Prophet (pbuh).
This awesome personality founded a state, built a nation, laid down a moral code, initiated numberless social and political reforms, and  revolutionised the worlds of human thought and action for all time.
Jeffrey Katzenburg  who produced  the  ‘Prince of Egypt’  said :“ We had only 88 minutes to tell the life of Moses; we’ve edited God but we have not re-written him”
I had 45 mins  yesterday to talk about a man whom the Encyclopaedia Brittanica calls the most successful of all religious personalities of the world.
 
I’d like to share some words on Love as taught by the Prophet (pbuh) with you as the weekend has panned out to be one about grinning hearts, joining hearts, a broken heart and healing hearts and of course the messenger sent by the Creator of hearts…..
 
There are two types of love.
There will be some people you love because of what you get from them: what they give you, the way they make you feel. This is perhaps where the majority of our ‘love’ interactions fall which is also what makes much of love so unstable. A person’s capacity to give is inconsistent and changes. One’s response to what is given is also inconsistent and changing. If love is dependent on this, it too becomes inconsistent and changing. And just like everything in this world, the more you chase it, the more it will run away from you.
 
But, once in a while, people enter your life that you love, not for what they give you but for what they are. The beauty you see in them is a reflection of the Creator, so you love them. Now suddenly it isn’t about what you’re getting, but rather what you can give. This is unselfish love. This second type of love is  rare. And if it is based in, and not competing with the love of God, it is the most fulfilling. There is a beautiful song which depicts this message  “Tujhme Rabb dikhta hai” (I see my Rabb in you…)

Once you are there what you hold onto will no longer be just a fleeting emotion but a constant — Divinity. We call this concept TAWALLA and it is a fundamental manifestation on our belief. This means you will love what He loves and not love what He does not love.

As Imam Ali (pbuh) says:
”O my God! It is sufficient pride for me that I am Your ‘Abd (one who is attached to You), And it is sufficient honour for me that You are my Rabb (Nourisher, Cherisher, Sustainer), You are as I love You to be, Make me as You would love me to be.”

20 AUGUST 2024

So I have the honour and privilege of reciting majalis at Stanmore for the 6 days leading upto Arbaeen from tomorrow.
Like all of you I am addicted to the Qur’an and since childhood ( credit to my papa) the 1st Aya of Suratul Mu’minun (23) has intrigued me

‎قَدْ أَفْلَحَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ

The ‘believers’ are definitely already successful .
No ‘ifs’ no ‘buts’ – it’s a definitive.

And so I will base the majalis on a tick box of 13 qualities listed in this sura which ensure the success of a human being in the eyes of Divinity. It’s not rocket science – if we can tick all 13 boxes then Janna in the dunya and the aakhira is guaranteed.

Would be an honour and a privilege if you joined me on this tick box journey……..

DOWNLOAD HERE>>

4 AUGUST 2024

Preparing for Ashre Zaynabiyya majalis and am ‘overawed’ by the encyclopaedia on Imam Husayn (pbuh)
Dāʾirat al-maʿārif al-Ḥusaynīya –  authored by Shaykh Muhammad Sadiq Al Karbassi  and runs into 700 volumes….
His inspiration – the words of the Prophet (pbuh) “Husayn is from me and I am from Husayn”.
He began in 1987 and has not stopped working on it since… Have a look –
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hussaini_Encyclopedia

He mentions the awesome female companions of Imam Husayn (pbuh) who we rarely talk about:
Amongst them:
Umm Wahab Al Ansariyya
Dulhum bin ‘Amr (wife of Zuhayr ibn Qayn)
Maria bintal Munqathal ‘Abdi (sister of 3 brothers – those who killed Ali Akber, Burayr Hamadani, and one who trampled the body of Imam Husayn).
Anwar Hazramiyyaa (wife of Khuli) – she walked out on him
Bahriyya bin Mas’ud Al Khazrajiyya

Back to the journey of the prisoners of Karbala – He writes that the journey from Karbala to Kufa to Damascus and back to Karbala was 40 days and they arrived in Karbala on the 20th of Safar of the same year….. He has illustrated the journey in his works…

24 JULY 2024

DUA SAHAR (BAHAA)

Reading about the life of Imam Hasan Askery (Pbuh), I came across a narration as to why the capital was moved from Baghdad to Samarrah (Surr man ra’aa- who sees it rejoices) by Mu’tasim.
It said that the Turkish soldiers who formed a large contingent of the Abbasid army were harassing the women in Baghdad and were getting away with it because of being part of the army (sound familiar)….
The people of Baghdad went to complain to the Khalifa and when he asked what they would do – their answer was that they would fight him with Dua Sahar…I was intrigued.

Looked it up and it is awesome with a capital ‘A’.

Also known as Dua Al Bahaa – Narrated from  Imam Ridha that Imam Baqir read it every morning (Sahar).
He continues to say that if I say that there is Isme ‘Adham in this dua-  I will be right. If people knew what they can achieve through Dua Sahar, they would have drawn swords.
Similar text in Dua Mubahila taught by Imam Ja’fer As Sadiq (pbuh)
The following paragraph introduces the Du’ā al-Saḥar  in Muhammad Baqir Majlisī’s  (d. 1111/1699-1700) Kitāb Zad al-ma’ād: 
“As for the worthy, greatly respected supplication (du’a),  it has been related that Imam `Ali al-] Riḍā stated that this is a supplication that Imam Muhammad Bāqir would recite in the mornings. He would say that if people knew the greatness (‘azamat)  of this supplication before God, the speed with which it would [enable the devotee to] be answered, they would certainly kill each other with swords in order to obtain it  And if I took an oath that the ism Allāh aI-a`ẓam (Mightiest Name of God) is in this prayer, I would be stating the truth.  Thus, when you recite this supplication, recite it with all concentration and humility….”
 
 
Sahar is the most significant time of the day to connect with Divinity  (Last one third of night before Fajr is called Sahar)
1.      Time for munajat
2.      Forgiveness
This dua moves mountains….

22 July 2024

It’s been a week dedicated to tying loose ends. Answering the feedback and questions from the majalis has been time consuming and tedious. Have Alhamdulillah answered all 137 WhatsApp messages and the countless phone queries.
The questions ranged from “Why is there no punishment raining on the unjust?” to “Why did you pick Suratul Inshiqaaq?”
Now it’s trying to focus on the Ashre Zaynabiyya majalis and everything else in between

Would like to share some thoughts on what I am reading this week about the most awesome man who walked the earth
He overawes me every time I read about him. I fall in love again and again with this man… The Qur’an says he is for is the best of those to emulate if we wish to reach our personal best – Like some sort of obsession  I want to find out everything about him – how he sat, walked, slept…what he ate, drank, liked , didn’t like… what made him tick….Ever time I read about him -there is something new to fall in love with……
Ill list some of the stuffs:
1.      His favourite perfume was Musk
2.      He used Violet oil for his hair and body
3.      He structured his seating so it was always towards Qibla
4.      Favourite foods were watermelon, grapes, dry dates with milk, vinegar, endives, chicory and purslane ( look it up on your search engines)
5.      Favourite colours for clothes were white and green – for white he said “Clothe your living and shroud your dead with it”
6.      When ill, the chosen foods were apples and cold water and avoidance of dates…..
7.      His favourite sura was Suratul A’laa….
Have attached Sunan An Nabi by Allama Mohammed Husayn Taba Tabai for you to read and fall in love (don’t mind sharing him..)💞