QUR’AN JOURNALLING SESSIONS AT HUJJAT STANMORE

VIDEO RECORDINGS OF THE THURSDAY NIGHT SESSIONS
AVAILABLE TO WATCH AT YOUR OWN CONVENIENCE

Journalling the Qur’an Audio

15 JANUARY 2025

A’MAAL UMMI DAWUD

13 JANUARY 2025

Wiladat Mubarak
A few thoughts on IMAM ALI (pbuh)
1. One of the most phenomenal human beings that walked the earth.
2. Most perfect student of Rasulullah
3. Defender and Supporter of the Prophet

Only way to love someone is to get to know them.
“Every human being lies under his words”
Prophet (pbuh)

My father died when I was 10. There were 3 books he cherished – The Qur’an, Mafatihul Jinaan & Nahjul Balagha.-
His Nahjul Balagha was a brown book embossed with his initials with a translation in Farsi and Urdu. I used to leaf through the pages after he died praying that one day I would be able to read it

One bookmark etched into my mind was a neatly folded corner with my birthdate marked on it – LETTER NO 31
The little Urdu i knew told me it was the letter written by Imam Ali to Imam Hasan on his way back from Siffeen.
I made a mental note that one day I would make it my life plan. Days become months and months became years – When my son was born in 1985 and I looked at him for the first time there was an overwhelming feeling which said what my father used to say to me:
“I find you a part of myself, rather i find you as a my whole, so much so that if anything befalls you it is as though it befalls on me, if death comes to you, it is as thought it comes to me.”

I bought a copy of Nahjul Balagha and have since tried to fall in love with Ali through its words.
So to inspire you to do the same I will share some drops from this vast ocean with you…

A line from the first sermon
“The first step in religion is its acknowledgement or its understanding”
When Imam Said
MAN “ARAFA NAFSAHU FAQAD ‘ARAFA RABBAHU
this book teaches that the greatest achievement for humanity is not in it’s works of art, science, technology.. but the recognition of its own disfunction.

Imam (the perfect student of Rasulullah) speaks of suffering and delusion says – Observe yourself
“LOOK HOW YOU LIVE, SEE WHAT YOU ARE DOING, THE SUFFERING YOU CREATE”
This teaching, however simple, is a powerful force to evaluate especially in these days of Rajab, Sha’ban & Ramadhan.

SERMON 91 KHUTBATUL AS BAAH
SERMON OF SKELETONS
(Describe Allah so we may understand Him)
Look beyond the surface layer – we are connected with everyone and to the source of life from which we all came.
Even a bat (Sermon 155) or a Peacock (Sermon 165) can show you the way to Allah – when you look at creation – look beyond the mental label and create a sense of awe.
This is what artists do and succeed in conveying their art.
VAN GOGH didn’t say – that’s just an old chair. He sensed the being ness in the chair and then took his brush to the canvas
The chair was worth a few pounds – the painting today is worth over $100 million

NAHJUL BALAGHA encourages a depth in life – Imam stresses MORTALITY – warns of unchecked striving for MORE in the WORLD
AN obsessive pre occupation with things and the illusion of ownership.
He warns against identifying with I HAVE THEREFORE I AM & THE MORE I HAVE THE MORE I AM
Descartes said
“I think therefore I am”

Imam 1400 years ago said
I AM WHEN I LET GO OF SELF DEFINITIONS AND WHEN I SURRENDER TO DIVINITY

In Letter 31 there are precise instructions to get to this stage
1. Hold on to God Conciousness
2. No connection is more reliable than the one between you and Allah
3. Study the lives of past people – ponder over their activities, where they were and where they are now
4. Give up discussing what you dont know
5. WA TAFAQQAH FID DEEN – Acquire insight into religion
6. Make yourself the measure of dealings between you and others
7. Do not say to others what you do not like to be said to you
8. Know that He who owns the treasures of the heavens and the earth has permitted you to pray to Him and has promised acceptance of due. He has not placed anything between you and Him. And if you make a mistake, He has not prevented you from repentance nor does He hasten punishment.
9. So place before Him your needs, unveil yourself before Him, complain to Him of your worries, seek help in your affairs – He has placed the keys of His treasures in Your hand in that He has shown you the way to ask Him
10. Place your religion and your world at Allah’s disposal and beg Him to ordain the best for you in respect to the near and far, this world and the next, and that is the end of the matter.

AND FROM HIS WILL
I advise you, and all my children, my relatives, and whosoever receives this message, to be conscious of Allah, to remove your differences, and to strengthen your ties. I heard your grandfather, peace be upon him, say: “Reconciliation of your differences is more worthy than all prayers and all fasting.”
·        Remain attached to the Quran. Nobody should surpass you in being intent on it, or more sincere in implementing it.
·        Be in awe of  Allah in relation to your salaa. It is the pillar of your religion
·        Maintain communication and exchange of opinion among yourselves. Beware of disunity and enmity.
·        Persist in striving in the cause of Allah, with your money, your souls, and your tongue.
DO NOT YEARN FOR THE WORLD, AND DO NOT BE SEDUCED BY IT. DO NOT RESENT ANYTHING YOU HAVE MISSED IN IT

18 DECEMBER 2024

It is the Wafat of Sayyida Ummulbanin ( pbuh) – besides being the Mum to 4 awesome sons including H Abbas, she was a phenomenal poet.

A main feature of her poems was to raise awareness of the then political events. After the event of
Karbala, she was able to convey the message of Ashura to future generations; and awaken people to the truth.
1. She was the first person to compose and recite marthiya and nawha for Imam Husayn (pbuh) as soon as she got the news about ‘Ashura in Madina.
2. She was the first one to gather the women and do a majlis for Imam Husayn (pbuh) in Madina like Sayyida Zaynab (pbuh) did in Damascus
3. If you are stuck with a problem, recite 100 salawat and dedicate them to Ummulbanin. Ask Allah with her waseela to remove your difficulties.

17 DECEMBER 2024

CONVERSATION WITH UMMULBANIN MERALI ON KHOJA KONNECTION PODCASTS

11 DECEMBER 2024

DUA TAUGHT TO SAYYIDA FATIMA (PBUH) BY THE PROPHET (PBUH) WHEN IN DIRE NEED

Recite dua then ask for your hajaat

6 DECEMBER 2024

THE TASBEE OF SAYYIDA FATIMA ZAHRA (pbuh)

It all Started Before Allah created Adam (pbuh).  The Angels Were Trying To Move The Arsh (Throne) Of Allah But It Was Too Heavy And Wouldn’t Budge.
So They Asked Him For Help. Allah Told Them To Recite “Subhanallah.”
The Angels Did As They Were Told And Found That it Gave Them  Power And  Strength  And  They  Were  Able  To  Move  The  Arsh.
They Liked This So Much That They Began Constantly repeating “Subhanallah.”- (Glory be to Allah)
 
Then  Allah  Created Adam (pbuh). When  Allah  Blew  Life  into  Adam. The  First  Thing  He  Did  Was  Sneeze  And  Say “Alhamdulillah” (All parise be to Allah) The Angels  Liked  It  So  Much  That  They  Added  This  To  Their   Glorification of Allah. Thus  it  Became “Subhanallah Walhamdulillah”
 
Hundreds  Of  Years  Passed  And  The Prophet Nuh (pbuh) Was  Now  On  Earth. For Nine Hundred  Years  He  Proclaimed  The  Oneness  Of  Allah  With  The  Words “La illaha illalah.”
The  Angels  Loved  This  Act  So  Much  That  They  Added  This . Thus, it  Became “Subhanallah Walhamdulillah Wa La illaha illalah.”
The  Angels  Kept  Repeating This  Day And Night.
 
Many  Centuries  Passed  And  Prophet Ibrahim (pbuh)  Was  Asked  By  Allah To Sacrifice  His   Son Ismail (pbuh) He  Was  About To  Sacrifice  His  Son  And  He Needed  Something  To Give  Him  The  Courage  He  Needed  To  Do  This  Difficult Deed. So  He  Recited “Allahu Akbar.” (Allah is Great) The  Angels  Loved  This  Act  So  Much  That They  Added  This.
Thus   It  Became “Subhanallah Walhamdulillah Wa La illaha illalah Allahu Akbar.”
 
More  Centuries  Passed.  It  Was  The  Night  Of Mi’raj, When  Rasulullah (pbuh) Ascended  To  The  Heavens  With JibraIl.  There  Jibrail told Rasulullah (pbuh) the story and added the final part –  “Wala Hawla Wa La Quwwata Illah Billahil Aliyyil Azheem.” 
 
Thus  it Now  Became Subhanallahi Walhamdulillahi Wa La illaha illalahu WAllahu Akbar Wala Hawla Wa La Quwwata Illa Billahil Aliyyil Azheem” 
 
And  Up  To  This  Day,  Its recitation  Buzzes  Around  The Arsh  Of  Allah and It became the tasbee of Sayyida Fatima Zahra (pbuh).

In the Hadith of the A’immah (pbuh) there is a great deal of emphasis on reciting this effective tasbih of Fatima Zahra (pbuh).
Perhaps one of the secrets behind the merits of reciting this tasbih is from a hadith in which we are told that a man came to Imam Sadiq (pbuh) and asked: What is the secret behind the Ka’ba having four rukn (corners) and it being cubic square (in shape)?”
The Imam (pbuh) replied, “It is because the baitul Ma’mur has four rukn.” The person then asked, “Why does the Baitul Ma’mur has four rukn?” The Imam (pbuh) said, “Because the ‘Arsh has four rukn.”
Imam (pbuh) continued:
…every Arsh is dependent upon (or made firm by) the rukn (as its supports). The first of these is Allahu Akbar; the second is Subhanallah; the third is Alhamdulillah and the fourth is La Ilaha Illallah.
This hadith also means that whatever is in this material world has a secret which is linked to the spiritual realms.

A CURE FOR ALL AILMENTS
One of many ahadith…..
A man went to Imam Sadiq (pbuh) for help . Even though the Imam (pbuh) was speaking to him, he could not hear what Imam (pbuh) was saying. The man complained of ear ache
Imam (pbuh) told him, “Recite ‘Allahu Akbar’ 34 times; ‘Alhamdulillah’ 33 times and ‘Subhanallah’ 33 times as this makes a complete 100 (rememberances),
His earache was cured after a short time.

6 DECEMBER 2024

It is the wafat is she who is the link between Nabuwwa and Imama
and then there is Fatima whom the Qur’an refers to as ‘Kawthar’ (abundance of goodness).

IMAM ALI’S SOUL MATE
When describing their marriage, he said; “We lived like two pigeons in a cocoon.’
At her death said – “I placed you in your grave but you will always exist in my heart – My sorrow is eternal and my nights sleepless without any peace – If I leave you it is not that I do not want to stay near you and if I stay here have I not been unfair to the fate that Allah promises for those with patience.”
“O Binte Muhammad, with whom shall I console myself. Every meeting between 2 souls is followed by separation. Everything other than separation is little. My loss of Fatima is proof that no soul mate lasts forever…

AND SHE SAID…..
UHIBBU ILAYYA MIN DUNYAKUMA THALAATHAA ( from your world I love 3 things)
1. Kitaabullah 55,56,57 ( The book of Allah especially suras Rahman, Waaqia and Hadeed)
2. Infaaq fiy sabilillah ( giving in the way of Allah)
3. An nazhara ‘alaa wajhiy Rasulullah ( looking at the face of the Prophet)

When the 5th Imam was ill with a fever
His companion Abu Baseer saw him dip hand in water – place it on his forehead and say
YAA UMMAH ( O my Mother) 
YAA FATIMA BINT MUHAMMAD
AGHITHINIY (I plead to you to help me)

GIFTS FROM ZAHRA
And finally two gifts from Fatima Zahra – The Tasbee of Fatima Zahra and the salawat which has the ability to move mountains.