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01.28.2012 A Tale of Attempted Seduction - The Story of Zulekha
It was an amazing tale of attempted seduction. Yusuf (peace be upon him) lived for years in the house of Zulekha, a woman of beauty, power and influence. Day in and day out, Zulekha was exposed to his physical allure, a composition so stunning that the Messenger Muhammad [peace be upon him and his family] said "Yusuf has been given half of all beauty"[Muslim]. Zulekha suppressed her desire for&Yusuf;until she could no longer control it. She waited until her husband left the home. Alone with Yusuf, she locked the doors and called him to fulfill her lust.
Imam Muhammad Al Qurtubi, the great Quranic commentator, recounts the story:
“Oh Yusuf! You have the most handsome of faces.” Yusuf, sensing what Zulekha is attempting to do, replies, “This is how my Lord fashioned me in the womb.”
“Oh Yusuf!"she says, “You have the finest of hair!” "It will be the first portion of me to wither in my grave," he replies.
12.01.2011 A Fragrance of Paradise - The Grandchildren of the Messenger (peace be upon him)
It was the third year after the hijrah, during the middle of the blessed month of Ramadan. God had blessed Fatima, daughter of the Messenger of Allah, with her first son. Ali, the boy’s father, recounts the story himself :
The Prophet of Allah dearly loved Hasan and Husain as his sons and would say, “Oh Allah, I love them and I love anyone who loves them, so love them and love anyone who loves them” [Tirmidhi]. He would also equate loving him (peace be upon him) to loving them when he said “ If anyone loves me, he must love these two (Hasan and Husain)”. [Nisai]
They possessed both physical and spiritual qualities of perfection, and the Messenger himself would often remind his companions of these qualities. For Hasan, he said, “This son of mine is a Chieftain”. As for Husain he said, “If it delights someone to look at a man among the people of the Garden of Paradise, let him look at al-Husain ibn Ali” [Bukhari]. When speaking of them both, he said “ Al-Hasan and al-Husain are the Chieftains of the youths of Paradise, except the maternal cousins Isa and Yayha ibn Zakariya”. [Ibn Hibban]
Their physical appearance was akin to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), and their father Ali said Al-Hasan resembled the Messenger of Allah from head to chest, and Al-Husain resembled the Messenger of Allah from below the chest. Fatima once brought her children to the Messenger (peace be upon him) and asked him: “ Oh Messenger of Allah, these are your sons, so bequeath something to them.” He replied: “ As for Hasan, to him belongs my appearance and power, as for Husain, to him belong my courage and generosity.” [Tabarani]
11.17.2011 Marriage, Jobs and Moses - A Unique Link
Far removed from the comforts of the palace of Pharaoh he once called home, Prophet Musa (peace be upon him) now toiled in the desert of Egypt for days. As blazing sun scorched his skin and his feet ached from the long journey, his stomach wailed of hunger and thirst. With the physical world exerting all of its weight on every inch of his body, he neared collapse and took refuge under the shade of a tree in the ancient land of Madyan.
He soon found two young women shepards fighting off crowds of men trying to water their sheep, and despite his exhaustion, he sprung to their aide. His nobility would not allow him to rest while he saw others in need, no matter how dire his own situation. He fought off the crowds of men, watered the sheep of the women, and returned to his place of rest. Musa had no one to turn to in the physical world. He was in a foreign land, penniless, and physically broken. At this moment, he was inspired to turn to Allah the Most Generous and made a supplication to God that will forever be remembered in history:
فَسَقَىٰ لَهُمَا ثُمَّ تَوَلَّىٰ إِلَى ٱلظِّلِّ فَقَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّي لِمَآ أَنزَلْتَ إِلَيَّ مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَقِيرٌ
So he drew water for them; then he turned away to the shade, and he said, 'O my Lord, surely I have need of whatever good Thou shalt have sent down upon me.' (Surah Qasas, verse 24)
The secrets carried in the simple words of Musa opened up the spiritual world, and caused an immediate impact in his physical existence. No sooner did he utter this supplication that the two women returned to him carrying the news that their father would like to reward him for his noble act.
As we know the story, their father later offered Musa a job and one of his two daughters in marriage! In nearly the blink of an eye, the circumstances of Musa were transformed by his spiritual words, words that were light on the tongue, but heavy in the sight of Allah.
The spiritual masters of the past, knowing that the Qur'an was the solution to all problems, would later encourage their students to often repeat this supplication of Musa when they were in need of a job or a spouse. Today, we find that this supplication is as important now as ever before.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 9.1% of Americans are unemployed. Current economic woes in America and Europe are having a negative impact on most households. Many people have lost, or are in fear of losing, their jobs. The world is undeniably in a recession.
Like everything else though, the answer can always be found in the Qur'an and the example of our Messengers. Sure, you can search online for a job or spouse or ask others for help, but before that go to Allah first and rely on Him throughout the whole process. Repeat the supplication of Musa, day in and day out. Who knows what it will unlock for you!
Moutasem Atiya
09.08.2011 Join Shaykh Muhammad Ninowy this Saturday – United We Stand : One Nation, One Destiny
Join Shaykh Muhammad Ninowy, Karen Armstrong, Dr.John Esposito, Shaykh Hamza Yusuf, Imam Zaid Shakir, Imam Sayed Hassan Al-Qazwini, Imam Mohammed Magid and many others this Saturday September 10th at the "United We Stand: One Nation, One Destiny" Conference to be held at the DC Convention Center in Washington D.C. from 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM.
To Purchase your tickets click here
Read More08.26.2011 A Message from Al-Madina Institute
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said,
"Allah makes the way to paradise easy for the one who treads the path in search of knowledge." (Muslim).
Since its inception in 2008, Al-Madina Institute's mission has been to make this path of knowledge easy and accessible for all those who seek it.
In less than two years, Al-Madina Institute has become one of the fastest growing Islamic educational programs in North America, with over 3,000 attendees at its educational seminars held in masaajid throughout the United States.
We at Al-Madina Institute realize that this is both a blessing from Allah, subhanahu wa ta'ala, and a trust, as we have the responsibility to move foward and facilitate the spread of sacred knowledge, and we need your help to do so. In launching our "Yes, I Care!" program, we are looking for people like yourself who are willing to contribute a monthly donation of any amount to help Al-Madina get to the next level and serve the Muslim community better. Your donation will help Al-Madina:
- Make education accessible to Muslim communities.
- Bring scholarship to you. Our programs are taught by reputable and renowned scholars, providing students with a scholarly and spiritual understanding of the religion.
- Produce leaders of tomorrow. By focusing its curriculum on core Islamic disciplines, Al-Madina seeks to identify students with aptitude whose learning can be further cultivated under the instruction of its teachers and through additional programs, an essential step towards bringing about a new generation of educated Muslims balanced in both the internal and external elements of the deen.
Al-Madina Institute is a non-profit 501(3)c organization and all donations are tax-deductible and will be used to support its educational activities.
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08.12.2011 Imam Zaid Shakir Invites You to the 3rd Annual United for Change Conference
We know, the forces of anti-Muslim bigotry are gaining strength and momentum daily. In addition to the mounting threats faced by American Muslims in their daily lives, the current wave of negativity transcends the boundaries of this country. It threatens to create a climate where popular support for unjust and unfounded wars could potentially wreak unimaginable havoc upon innocent Muslims in far off lands.
As the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks approach, and as the initial run-up to the presidential election campaign begins, we can expect the anti-Muslim defamation, demonizing and fear-mongering to intensify. That being the case, unless there is a strong countervailing message of peace, reconciliation and mutual cooperation and respect, the tide of bigotry and hatred may become so strong that it cannot be turned back.
08.09.2011 When Feeding Others in Need Supersedes Our Own Hunger and Greed - Hamza Yusuf
As Ramadan moves along, we realize the rapidity with which the month travels. The word “month,” derived from “moon,” essentially measures one lunar cycle: the roughly 29.5 days it takes the moon to circle the earth. A lag time is involved due to the earth’s spin and its own movement around the sun. The Qur’an tells us that fasting is prescribed so we may learn to ward off evil, and then reminds us of the “limited days” (ayyaman m’adudat) before fasting comes to an end (2:183-184). The plural form used for “days” is known in Arabic morphology as a “plural of paucity,” meaning the number is not large. In other words, Ramadan is a limited time of spiritually powerful days.
During Ramadan, one can achieve spiritually what would take far longer during other times of the year. But restraining our zest for food is a prerequisite. In his book Hujjat Allah al-Balighah, Imam Shah Wali Allah al-Dahlawi explains that our faith provides special times of blessing that have enhanced spiritual power, and only a receptive soul will experience great openings during such times. To prevent the openings from blockage, he recommends, among other things, ensuring that the stomach is not sated. This advice is in the prophetic tradition. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “The worst vessel the son [or daughter] of Adam ever fills is his [or her] stomach.” He also said, “It is enough for the son of Adam to eat a few morsels that will maintain his back’s uprightness. But if he must add more to his stomach, then let it be one third for food, one third for water, and one third for air.” The Persian scholar Sahl al-Tustari was asked about a man who ate once a day, and he replied, “This is the way of the prophets.” Asked about someone who eats twice a day, he said, “This is the way of the righteous.” Finally, he was asked about someone who eats three meals a day, and he replied, “Build for him a trough!” Abu Madyan al-Ghawth, who laid the foundations along with Imam al-Ghazali for the way of Shaykh Abd Allah al-Haddad of Hadhramaut, remarked that his own path was one of hunger.
Read More08.03.2011 Book Release: Reflections on the Qur’an by Shaykh Mohamed Magid and Hanaa Unus
The Qur’an was revealed in the blessed month of Ramadan. As it is recited over the course of the month, Muslims are encouraged to develop a deeper connection with it by focusing on the recited text and maximizing their effort to understand its meaning. This book is a compilation of summaries of all the surahs that would be recited one day after another during Taraweeh prayer. We hope that these summaries will allow those who attend Taraweeh prayer to understand the deeper meanings of the words being recited each night. By summarizing the major themes of each surah of the Qur’an, this book will encourage the reader to become familiar with the lessons of each surah ahead of the imam’s recitation. Furthermore, this revised third edition of the book includes exercises and discussion points to encourage the reader to apply Qur’anic lessons into everyday life in practical and easy ways.
Click Here to Purchase from Amazon.com
Read More08.01.2011 Why do Muslims Fast - Dr.Seyyed Hossein Nasr
Certain truths are by nature evident and need not be discussed in normal circumstances.
But, in a day and age when the most evident truths are shrouded by the clouds of doubt and questioned, one is forced to discuss even the most obvious of them.
One such truth is the necessity for an ascetic element in human life. Without an element of self-denial and asceticism no religion and therefore no human culture is possible.
One must withdraw occasionally from the full life of the senses even in order to be able to enjoy the fruit of sensual perception.
As the Taoist saying affirms, it is the empty space of the wheel which makes the wheel. It is only a certain degree of restraint from the material objects of the senses that makes even the life of the senses balanced, not to speak of making possible an opening in the human soul for the spiritual life.
One such practice of restraint is fasting, promulgated in Islam as obligatory for the month of Ramadan and recommended for other periods of the year. As the Holy Qur'an asserts, it is a practice which existed in older religions and in Islam it was only revived and institutionalized in the form of the sawm of Ramadan.
"But the most difficult aspect of the fast is the edge of the sword of abstention directed toward the carnal soul, the al-nafs al-ammarah of the Holy Qur'an..."
Fasting during this month possesses, of course, many social and external benefits and features which have been discussed often and in fact even somewhat overemphasized in certain quarters, where the chief virtue of fasting is reduced to charity towards the poor.
This element of charity is, of course, there but like all true charity it becomes spiritually significant only when it is directed towards God. And in fasting it is the obeying of the Divine Will which has as its fruit charity towards the poor and the needy and an actual participation in their hunger and thirst.
But the most difficult aspect of the fast is the edge of the sword of abstention directed toward the carnal soul, the al-nafs al-ammarah of the Holy Qur'an.
In fasting, the rebellious tendencies of the carnal soul are gradually dampened and pacified through a systematic submission of these tendencies to the Divine Will, for at every moment of hunger the soul of the Muslim is reminded that it is in order to obey a Divine command that the passions of the carnal soul go unheeded. That is also why the fast does not include only food but also abstention from every form of lust and carnal passion.
As a result of this systematic restraint, the human soul becomes aware that it is independent of its immediate natural environment and conscious that it is in this world but not of it.
A person who fasts with complete faith becomes aware very rapidly that he is a pilgrim in this world and that he is a creature destined for a goal beyond this material existence. The world about him loses some of its materiality and gains an aspect of "vacuity" and transparence which in the case of the contemplative Muslim leads directly to a contemplation of God in His creation.
The ethereal and "empty" nature of things is, moreover, compensated by the appearance of those very things as Divine gifts. Food and drink which are taken for granted throughout the year reveal themselves during the period of fasting more than ever as gifts of heaven (ni'mah) and gain a spiritual significance of a sacramental nature.
To fast is also to wear the armor of purity against the passions of the world. It is to incorporate even "physically" in one's body the purity of death which is of course coupled with spiritual birth.
In fasting, man is reminded that he has chosen the side of God over the world of passions. That is why the Holy Prophet loved fasting so much. It was a basic element of that "Muhammadan spiritual poverty" (faqr), about which he said, "al-faqr fakhri" (spiritual poverty is my glory).
This death of the passions cleanses the human soul and empties it of the putrid water of its negative psychic residues. The individual and through him the Islamic community is renovated through this rite and reminded of its moral and spiritual obligations and goals.
That is why the arrival of the blessed month is greeted with joy. For in it the doors of heaven are opened further for the faithful and the Divine Compassion descends upon those who seek it. To have completed the fast of Ramadan is to have undergone a rejuvenation and rebirth which prepares each Muslim to face another year with determination to live and act according to the Divine Will.
The fast also bestows a spiritual perfume upon the human soul whose fragrance can be perceived long after the period of abstinence has come to an end. It provides for the soul a source of energy upon which it feeds throughout the year.
The holy month has therefore been called "the blessed", mubarak, one in which the grace or barakah of God flows upon the Islamic community and rejuvenates its deepest sources of life and action.
From the author's Islamic Life and Thought (Albany: State University of New York Press, 1981).
05.23.2011 Curing the Hearts: A Commentary of Al-Ghazali’s Ayyuhal Walad
Al-Madina Institute announces a new digital release: Curing the Hearts: A Commentary of Al-Ghazali's Ayyuhal Walad, with Shaykh Mokhtar Maghraoui and Shaykh Muhammad Ninowy, available for purchase on iTunes and on Amazon.com.
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