SUPPLICATIONS OF IBRAHIM (AS): 14: 35-41

KAAABA 1953: Courtesy http://www.flickr.com/photos/essam/2251613869/

( وَإِذ قَالَ إِبرَهِيمُ رَبِّ ٱجعَل هَـذَا ٱلبَلَدَ ءَامِنًا وَٱجنُبنِى وَبَنِىَّ أَن نَّعبُدَ ٱلأَصنَامَ (٣٥

رَبِّ إِنَّہُنَّ أَضلَلنَ كَثِيرًا مِّنَ ٱلنَّاسِ‌ فَمَن تَبِعَنِى فَإِنَّهُ  مِنِّى‌ وَمَن عَصَانِى فَإِنَّكَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ (٣٦

رَّبَّنَآ إِنِّىٓ أَسكَنتُ مِن ذُرِّيَّتِى بِوَادٍ غَيرِ ذِى زَرعٍ عِندَ بَتِكَ ٱلمُحَرَّمِ رَبَّنَا لِيُقِيمُواْ ٱلصَّلَوةَ فَٱجعَل أَفـِٔدَةًمِّنَ ٱلنَّاسِ تَہوِىٓ إِلَيہِم وَٱرزُقهُم مِّنَ ٱلثَّمَرَتِ لَعَلَّهُم يَشكُرُونَ (٣٧)

رَبَّنَآ إِنَّكَ تَعلَمُ مَا نُخفِى وَمَا نُعلِنُ‌ وَمَا يَخفَى عَلَى ٱللَّهِ مِن شَىءٍ فِى ٱلأَرضِ وَلَا فِى ٱلسَّمَآءِ (٣٨

ٱلحَمدُ لِلَّهِ ٱلَّذِى وَهَبَ لِى عَلَى ٱلكِبَرِ إِسمَـعِيلَ وَإِسحَـقَ‌ إِنَّ رَبِّى لَسَمِيعُ ٱلدُّعَآءِ (٣٩

رَبِّ ٱجعَلنِى مُقِيمَ ٱلصَّلَوةِ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِى‌ رَبَّنَا وَتَقَبَّل دُعَآءِ (٤٠

رَبَّنَا ٱغفِر لِى وَلِوَلِدَىَّ وَلِلمُؤمِنِينَ يَومَ يَقُومُ ٱلحِسَابُ (٤١

	Transliteration 35: Waith qala ibraheemu rabbi ijAAal hatha albalada aminan waojnubnee   wabaniyya an naAAbuda alasnama
	Yusuf Ali 35: Remember Abraham said:   “O my Lord! make this city one of peace and security: and preserve me and my sons from worshipping idols.
	French 35: Et (rappelle-toi) quand Abraham dit:   ‹Ô mon Seigneur, fais de cette cité un lieu sûr, et préserve-moi ainsi que mes enfants de l’adoration des idoles.
	Spanish 35: Y cuando Abraham dijo: “¡Señor! ¡Que esté segura esta ciudad!   ¡Y evita que yo y mis hijos sirvamos a los ídolos!
	Indonesian 35: Dan (ingatlah), ketika Ibrahim berkata: “Ya Tuhanku, jadikanlah negeri ini (Mekah), negeri yang aman, dan jauhkanlah aku beserta anak cucuku daripada menyembah berhala-berhala.
	Melayu 35: Dan (ingatlah) ketika Nabi Ibrahim berdoa dengan berkata:   Wahai Tuhanku! jadikanlah negeri Mekah ini negeri yang aman dan jauhkanlah daku dan anak-anakku dari perbuatan menyembah berhala.
	German 35: “Und damals sagte Abraham:   “”Mein Herr, mache diese Stadt zu einer Stätte des Friedens und bewahre mich und meine Kinder davor, die Götzen anzubeten;
	Bosnian 35: A kada Ibrahim reče: “Gospodaru moj, učini ovaj grad sigurnim i sačuvaj   mene i sinove moje da se klanjamo kumirima,
	Urdu 35: اورجس وقت ابراھیم نے کہا اے میرے رب ! اس شہر کوامن والا کر دے اور مجھے اور میری اولاد کو بت پرستی سے بچا

And when Abraham said: My Lord! Make safe this territory, and preserve me and my sons from serving idols. (35)

My Lord! Lo! they have led many of mankind astray. But who so followeth me, he verily is of me. And whoso disobeyeth me – Still Thou art Forgiving, Merciful. (36)

Our Lord! Lo! I have settled some of my posterity in an uncultivable valley near unto Thy holy House, our Lord! that they may establish proper worship; so incline some hearts of men that they may yearn toward them, and provide Thou them with fruits in order that they may be thankful. (37)

Our Lord! Lo! Thou knowest that which we hide and that which we proclaim. Nothing in the earth or in the heaven is hidden from Allah. (38)

Praise be to Allah Who hath given me, in my old age, Ishmael and Isaac! Lo! my Lord is indeed the Hearer of Prayer. (39)

My Lord! Make me to establish proper worship, and some of my posterity (also); our Lord! and accept my prayer. (40)

Our Lord! Forgive me and my parents and believers on the day when the account is cast. (41)

SUMMARY OF THE TAFSEER, AND BACKGROUND OF THESE SUPPLICATIONS BY DR. FARHAT HASHMI

He leaves her and his infant son Ismail……………a son that had been born after long years of prayer and yearning. He leaves them in the arid desert with nothing but rocks and sand. He looks at the bag of dates and the water, and what he feels in his heart he does not bring to his lips.
She asks him, “why are you leaving me here?” she looks around the arid desert and the hard rocks spread all around her without any indication of human life.
His heart is full, he remains silent, and nothing must leave his lips that would seem like a complaint to the decree and command of Allah Subhanawataala.

“Is this a command from Allah?” She asks. He remains silent in assent. “Then He will take care of us,” she says in submission to her Lord.

After he leaves with a heavy heart he climbs to a nearby hill and duas flow out of his heart, admitting to his lord but not verbalizing the sadness, which he is hiding in his heart at the separation from his wife and his precious child.

He then sets an example for all generations to come by supplicating from his heart in all earnestness and humility, for the protection and benefit of his child, and family, for the place where he is leaving them to become a place of worship, and for it to flourish and always have the protection of Allah, and to give protection to him and his progeny from worshiping idols.

As the supplications leave his lips they disperse into the winds, and are forever available to the believer if he or she so wants to make his connection with their Lord. His prayer for his children, which he had in his old age, is prefaced with gratefulness to His Lord………….

This month the pilgrims will remember this remarkable sacrifice and struggle by walking and sometimes running in her footsteps as she had, looking for water for her infant son…….and will remember her struggle, her saee.

In this month of Hajj, five million Muslims will walk in the footsteps of one woman, a mother, a wife and a momin who even in the desolation of the desert did not give up hope and faith in Allah.She struggled to find water for her child.

She was resourceful, independent and brave and in complete obedience to Allah. A beacon of light for all women.

These were the beginnings of Mecca stemming from the obedience of Ibrahim AS and our mother Hajar (RA). It is his duas and her duas and struggle that today Mecca is what it is, a Center of worship for the Believers, and bustling with trade and commerce.

ITS THE HOLIDAY SEASON………….

WHAT SHOULD I SPEND ON? 14:31

yellow sapphires and diamonds courtesy:http://www.flickr.com/photos/theappraiserlady/206059688

SURAH IBRAHIM 14:31

قُل لِّعِبَادِىَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ يُقِيمُواْ ٱلصَّلَوةَ وَيُنفِقُواْ مِمَّا رَزَقنَـٰهُم سِرًّا وَعَلَانِيَةً مِّن قَبلِ أَن يَأتِىَ يَومٌ لَّا بَيعٌ فِيهِ وَلَا خِلَـلٌ (٣١)

Tell My bondmen who believe to establish worship and spend of that which We have given them, secretly and publicly, before a day cometh wherein there will be neither traffick nor befriending. (31)

BACKGROUND

Rizq, Sadaqa and Salah, are some keywords in this ayah. We always think of Rizq as food, Sadaqa as money given in charity (thus only for those who can afford) and Salaah as an expression of worship. Dr. Farhat Hashmi in the tafseer of this ayah clarifies these terms succinctly.

TAFSEER BY DR. FARHAT HASHMI 14:31

Allah Subhanawataala commands Prophet Muhammad pbuh to” tell those people of mine who have imaan that they should establish salaat and give sadaqa”

The first part of the command is to establish salah as the very definition and expression of emaan is to establish salaah.

The second part of the command is to give Sadaqa. This is to be given from what Allah Subhanawataala has given us and is not only restricted to money, but also other naimah mentioned below. Give from that to others, not all of it but some of it.

What is rizq? It includes ALL beneficial things that He (Subhanawataala has given us (the people of faith and slaves of Allah) i.e. intellect, material goods, good advice, good words, ilm knowledge of dunya and of Deen. He commands us to give in secrecy, as well as openly. Giving from person to person is best done in secrecy. Giving in secrecy prevents Riya. (Which is a disease of the heart that leads to shirk)

Hadith:

SEVEN PEOPLE WILL BE GIVEN SHADE ON THE DAY OF JUDGMENT

One you gave with his right hand and gave it in secrecy such that even his left hand does not know what the right hand gave.

The quality (not necessarily quantity only) of the sadaqa will become itself a shade for the believer on the Day of Judgment

And further more in some cases also give sadaqa openly to inspire others to the right path, by example.

Thus all those people who will follow this sadaqa giving habit, the person who set the example by giving overtly to a good cause will also benefit from it on the Day of Judgment.

What we spend overtly and openly e.g. for Tabligh-e Deen, jihad fi sabillallah, ilm of deen (teach others) or teaching ilm that is beneficial to another, whether it is for deen or dunya is all encompassed in sadaqa.

Thus teaching a skill is also a sadaqa (teaching a prayer, sewing, teach someone how to cook, or read)

Hadith: the sadaqa of each joint deserves a sadaqa every day, even repeating dhikr is sadaqa. (Kalimatu tayabatu sadaqa)

So the command is to do Sadaqa before the Day of Judgment, which is that day when there will be no trade and no friendship will be of any use

Elsewhere in the Quran Allah Subhanawataala says:

AL-BAQARA (THE COW) 002.123 Translations by YUSUFALI:

Then guard yourselves against a-Day when one soul shall not avail another, nor shall compensation be accepted from her nor shall intercession profit her nor shall anyone be helped (from outside).

AL-BAQARA (THE COW) 002.254  O ye who believe! Spend out of (the bounties) We have provided for you, before the Day comes when no bargaining (Will avail), nor friendship nor intercession. Those who reject Faith they are the wrong-doers.

AZ-ZUKHRUF (ORNAMENTS OF GOLD, LUXURY) 043.067

Friends on that day will be foes, one to another, – except the Righteous.: On that day even friends will become enemies of one another, except those who have taqwa.

SUMMARY:

Those who have emaan must give proof of it by establishing salaah and giving sadaqa.

 

 

Will I return as a Dog in my Next Life? 14:21-22

Human embryo: "Nutfah" at 5 days.courtesy:http://www.wellsphere.com/pregnancy-fertility-article/the-human-embryo/258756

Surah Ibrahim 14:21-22

وَبَرَزُواْ لِلَّهِ جَمِيعًا فَقَالَ ٱلضُّعَفَـؤُاْ لِلَّذِينَ ٱستَكبَرُوٓاْ إِنَّا نَّا لَكُم تَبَعًا فَهَل أَنتُم مُّغنُونَ عَنَّا مِن عَذَابِ ٱللَّهِ مِن شَىءٍ قَالُواْ لَو هَدَنَا ٱللَّهُ لَهَدَينَـم سَوَآءٌ عَلَينَآ أَجَزِعنَآ أَم صَبَرنَا مَا لَنَا مِن مَّحِيصٍ (٢١) وَقَالَ ٱلشَّيطَـنُ لَمَّا قُضِىَ ٱلأَمرُ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ وَعَدَم وَعدَ ٱلحَقِّ وَوَعَدتُّكُم فَأَخلَفتُم وَمَا كَانَ لِىَ عَلَيكُم مِّن سُلطَـنٍ إِلَّآ أَن دَعَوتُكُم فَٱستَجَبتُم لِى‌ فَلَا تَلُومُونِى وَلُومُوٓاْ أَنفُسَم‌ مَّآ أَنَا بِمُصرِخِم وَمَآ أَنتُم بِمُصرِخِىَّ‌ إِنِّى فَرتُ بِمَآ أَشرَتُمُونِ مِن قَبلُ‌ إِنَّ ٱلظَّـلِمِينَ لَهُم عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ (٢٢)

They all come forth unto their Lord. Then those who were despised say unto those who were scornful: We were unto you a following, can ye then avert from us aught of Allah’s doom? They say: Had Allah guided us, we should have guided you. Whether we rage or patiently endure is (now) all one for us; we have no place of refuge. (21) And Satan saith, when the matter hath been decided: Lo! Allah promised you a promise of truth; and I promised you, then failed you. And I had no power over you save that I called unto you and ye obeyed me. So blame me not, but blame yourselves. I cannot help you, nor can ye help me, Lo! I disbelieved in that which ye before ascribed to me. Lo! for wrong-doers is a painful doom. (22)

This is my understanding of Dr. Farhat Hashmi’s explanation (Tafseer) of these ayahs with some reflections of my thoughts. May Allah forgive me for my mistakes as they are completely inadvertent.

I know without a doubt after listening to these ayahs that I will never be raised or reincarnated in my next life in the form of a dog, a donkey or an untouchable human to atone for my sins.

I know now that I have been given one life on this earth where I can do what I wish, I can sin, repent for them, do good deeds, obey or disobey Allah Subhanawataala or obey someone else.

I know that if I follow others, i.e. other than Allah they will be of no help to me onThe Final Day

I know that if I follow Shaytaan, he will withdraw and say that I followed him of my own volition, he merely “suggested” disobedience of Allah, it is I who carried it out.

In the final analysis I will die and be resurrected cell by cell in the form that I am, even if I am cremated and my ashes are thrown to the winds in the four corners of this earth. He who created me the first time will put me together again!

I know that I will be raised silent where my body parts will give witness to how I used them or did not use them in the obedience of Allah Subhanawataala.

A hologram of my past actions will appear on Judgment Day for all to see and in the scorching heat of that Final Day as I am judged, I pray that I will inshallah cross the Pul e Siraat and end up in the gardens of Paradise.

On a scary note I do not even want to entertain the idea but if I remain disobedient to Him I will be immersed into the Hellfire, the depth and duration depending on the extent of my sins and disobediences.

Like gold , the fire will burn off my impurities and if I do have a core of purity, I will be purified and returned to Jannah. However if my impurities outweigh my purity then I am told in these ayahs a harrowing description of what awaits me in the bowels of Hell.

What will happen to me as I stand now I do not know, but from these ayahs I know that I will be accountable for each of my actions, and it is only in this world that I have the option to correct them, and to correct the intentions of why I do them and change my direction to orient my intentions and actions towards the will and command of my Creator.

………………He has told me, in no uncertain words in these ayahs, that I have no excuse, none at least stemming from ignorance.

I do want to ask him for yet one more thing. I want to ask him for strength of purpose, of intention and unashamedly ask him to  give me strength for achieving my goal to reach Jannah. I want to ask him to not allow me to even feel the heat of the Hellfire even from afar.

I want to tell him and He knows that I need a lot of strength…………….lots and lots of it coupled with a memory of these ayahs, never to leave me for a moment as I plan and execute my day and my night.

People who belittle others and give excuses of their higher caste birth or status in life don’t have a clue what awaits them at the end point of their life, and for aeons after that.

Any reincarnation will be on the day of judgment and will be of every cell as we have it now and there will be no escape from how we lived this one life that was given to us on earth.

We will see, along with everyone present our life actions in excruciating detail in what sounds like a 3D hologram depicting each and every act for which we were responsible on earth…………it is foolish to try and fool ourselves that we will be able to deny what we did on this earth and that we can live in this world and not be accountable to our Creator  for what we do here.

We will be unable to say “He did it too” for His turn will come also.

He Subhanawtaala reminds us in several ayahs of our humble origins, a sperm and an egg coming together and developing into a small “nutfah” a little piece of tissue which looks like a piece of “snot” and then look at that piece of snot that when grown challenges his Creator by deliberately being disrespectful and sometimes even not believing in Him and sometimes not even believing in any Creator per se …………the gall of this piece of snot and yet Allah Subhanawataala our Creator does not squash such a piece of snot grown into a human for his or her arrogance and audacity but waits patiently……….hoping that His words in the Quran brought to us by His messenger may sink in and this person who is way out of line may recognize his or her error and change his or her attitude and ways.

Day three human embryo, the humble beginning of a human created by Allah Subhanawataala .

All judgment is held till Judgment Day……………….meanwhile while it is a relief to know that I will not be raised or reincarnated as a dog or a donkey to do amends for my sins, it is far more mind shaking to hear the clock ticking and know how much time has already been wasted in trivial pursuits, and not know how much is left to make amends, repent and return to Him by my actions and words.

It is a moment of humility: We the  “nutfah” He the Creator, we don’t stand a chance of hiding or manipulating facts.

Allah knows best!

Second picture: Courtesy of:http://www.ivf-indiana.com/education/embryo-assessment.html

MORNING DHIKR ACCORDING TO THE SUNNAH

THE REWARD FOR GOOD DEEDS? 14:18

Humanitarian from Pakistan known for her care of orphans

Surah Ibrahim ayah 18

18              مَّثَلُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بِرَبِّهِمْ  أَعْمَالُهُمْ كَرَمَادٍ اشْتَدَّتْ بِهِ الرِّيحُ فِي يَوْمٍ عَاصِفٍ  لَّا يَقْدِرُونَ مِمَّا كَسَبُوا عَلَى شَيْءٍ  ذَ‌لِكَ هُوَ الضَّلَالُ الْبَعِيدُ

Transliteration 18:   Mathalu allatheena kafaroo birabbihim aAAmaluhum karamadin ishtaddat bihi alrreehu fee yawmin AAasifin la yaqdiroona mimma kasaboo AAala shayin thalika huwa alddalalu albaAAeedu

Yusuf Ali 18 The parable of those who reject their Lord is that their works are as ashes, on which the wind blows furiously on a tempestuous day: No power have they over aught that they have earned: that is the straying far, far (from the goal).

The following is my understanding of this ayah after listening to Dr.Farhat Hashmi’s tafseer, all mistakes are from me and every thing good and correct is from Allah Subhanawataala.

GOOD DEEDS: WITH OR WITHOUT TAWHEED?

Why do we do good deeds? There are so many people in the world Muslim and non-Muslim doing beautiful work for humanity, green activism, social work, and standing up for the rights of others.

Why are they doing it?

The answer to that question actually lies in depths of their hearts. Analytically speaking a person does a good deed for three overt reasons:

1. For himself or herself, meaning doing it makes him or her” feel good” that feeling of goodness can be teased out into subcategories of he feels satisfied and vindicated that what he felt was right has been accomplished, his desire to do good has been successfully accomplished.                             In this his intention is to please himself i.e. His or her Nafs, which then means that the sorts of rewards that would satisfy him would be a feeling of self aggrandizement, and a development of a holier than thou attitude, examples of this are found in CEOs of large companies who excel in their work, human rights workers who lie down in the streets and stop traffic and people who picket for a cause.These good acts satisfy their egos, their Nafs and self satisfaction sets in.
2. The second reason is to do good deeds to show others and thus reap rewards from others, excelling in social work, community service and collecting accolades from people, and being elevated to a higher status. If I was to guess, Gandhi and Sister Teresa belong to the first two groups, but only Allah knows the state of the hearts.
3. The only intention for doing good is neither to show other people, nor to satisfy ones own Nafs is to do it for the sake of Allah and only Allah alone. The precursor of this is emaan and the action of doing good deeds is one of the component of emaan.

WHAT IS THE DEFINATION OF EMAAN?

Unflinching belief of Tawheed in the heart

Declaration of Tawheed by the tongue

Confirmation of Tawheed by ones action.

What is tawheed?

Continuous sincere affirmation of the Oneness of God.

The act of good deed done with the intention of purely pleasing our Creator falls under the third subgroup of emaan.

THE SOURCES FOR REAPING REWARDS

Thus the reward reaped will be from three different sources dependant on the intention with which we performed the good deed.

If we performed the good deed because we “felt” it was the right thing to do and it felt good to support that cause then we seek the reward from feeding our Nafs with more of it and it spills into the second group sometimes when we get accolades from others for doing it.

If we perform the good deed to bring the attention of the world or a loved one towards us and get into the good books of someone then we should expect rewards from those whose attention we sought and those for whose attention we performed the good deed

Allah Subhanawataala states in this ayah that those who have done good works for others will feel deep regret)” hasarat” on the Day of Judgment because there will be no reward for them on the Day of Judgment. One gets reward from the person for who one performs the task, not someone else.

We need to do some serious soul searching for each action that we do. Is it the confirmation of our Tawheed or is for the other two reasons mentioned above and then be ready to be accountable on the Day of Judgment.

Allah knows Best!

DISEASES OF THE HEART & BODY………….

Diseases of the heart and body, are both serious, here the speaker addresses the diseases of the body:

October Readings 09

A Souk in Old City Damascus, Syria

These were read uniquely:

7:26 WHAT SHOULD I WEAR TODAY?
DISEASES OF THE BODY AND DISOBEDIENCE OF
WHAT IS HAJJ TO ME?
Naf’s Ammara
20 THINGS I NEED TO KNOW FOR A HAPPY
TRAVELING WITH MY DAUGHTER
NISYAAN AND THE SEAT OF OUR MEMORY……
OUR LOVE AFFAIR WITH COKE…………..
HOW TO SEEK GUIDANCE FROM THE ALMIGHTY?
SAINT TAKALA……. AND THE MOUNTAIN
WHAT ARE HEARTS FOR?
MY DAILY JIHAD
SABR IN ADVERSITY: SURAH HUD 11:9-11

These were read repeatedly:

GRADUATION…….
THE MOST MISQUOTED AYAHS OF THE QURAN SI
THE CONCEPT OF SABR (PATIENCE) IN ISLAM
Does Islam Allow Muslim Men To Marry Non
Hijab a la Syria
GOING HOME FOR EID……..
SAJDAH- E- TILAWAT: First Sajdah in the
ITEMS FOR HAJJ
IN PREPARATION FOR YOUR FRIEND’S WEDDING
FOR MY DEAREST DAUGHTER ON HER BIRTHDAY.
WHO WILL INHERIT PAKISTAN?
CHANGING YOUR TAQDEER WITH DUA DUA AND M

GARDENS FOR DELIGHT………..

Tulips of Madrid, cultivated by Muslims: courtesy:http://www.flickr.com/photos/nathanmhouse/3728325812/

The concept of Jannah, has been the inspiration for muslims to make Gardens for the purpose of beauty and peace.

Mediaeval Europe had kitchen and herb gardens, but it was the Arab Muslims who developed the idea of the garden as a place of beauty and meditation. The first royal pleasure gardens in Europe were opened in 11th-century Muslim Spain. Flowers which originated in Muslim gardens include the carnation and the tulip. (Courtesy: The Independent)

Gardens in Alhambra: Muslim Spain Courtesy Flickr.com

DO I HAVE TO FOLLOW THE SUNNAH?

Growing up in Pakistan, as a child, Sunnah was something a mullah, uneducated villagers and servants practiced. They did so by hitching up their shalwaars and sporting beards. And women wore burqas, and did not make eye contact.

(I  noticed recently from the fashions in Pakistan that the women wear hitched up pajamas showing their ankles and men wear droopy pants that cover theirs)

In beginning to studying the tafseer of the Quran and the life of the Prophet peace be upon him, I realize, that I have barely touched the tip of the iceberg of what is the Sunnah leave alone attempt to practice it in its entirety. I will need a long lifetime and dedicated study to do so.

The question was asked by a sister in a halaqa which set my mind searching:

“Prophet Muhammad used to go to Hajj on a camel, why don’t we do that? Isn’t it a Sunnah?

In teasing out the information for my own use, I have come to the following conclusion. if it is incorrect, please correct me.

Dua:  May Allah Subhanawataala forgive me and correct my mistakes through increased ilm and expert compassionate mentors:

From my understanding of what I have read: Sunnah means

“The actions and methods of doing things as was done by our beloved Prophet Muhammad pbuh

The question is what are these “things”?

In my mind from my review, I understand that there are three types of sunnahs:

1. Sunnahs of Ibadah
2. Sunnahs of daily living and interaction with people, business transactions, social interactions, personal life, principles of character and behavior.
3. Sunnahs of logistics, use of conveyance, e.g. camels, horses etc for conveyance,  material used for buildings, use of stones to make fire etc.

1. SUNNAH OF IBADAH

The first Sunnah i.e. the Sunnah of Ibadah is an absolute Sunnah, it came directly from God to Prophet Muhammad and he transmitted it to us to teach it to all future generations.

This includes the obligatory fulfillment of the pillars of Islam, the method of the nafila prayers, and fasts and the essence of comportment while doing so. Changing or modulating these Sunnahs amounts to “innovation” or “inventing “ Deen, which is prohibited and comes under “Bidah”.

Allah Subhanawataala says in the Quran that” Obey Allah and His Rasool”

These sunnahs are clearly delineated with well-referenced lines of isnad, i.e. documentation by linear references of scholars whose work and character has been well researched for authenticity and honesty.

On a side note I  realize how gullible and unquestioning we are in that we will firmly believe in an email or a you tube clip as a fact but have no idea where it originated and who is the author leave alone the authenticity and character of the author.  Sometimes even if one asks for the author or origin we are not aware of the source. Yet the very same otherwise gullible people question the well-researched “Sahih “ i.e. authentic Sunnah by reputable scholars.

2. THE SUNNAH OF DAILY LIVING

The Sunnah of daily living is an example of Prophetic behavior:  Hazrat Aisha RA described Prophet Muhammad as “the living Quran”.

Thus if one cannot read or understand the Quran due to some learning deficiency we can follow Prophet Muhammad pbuh’s behavior and we would end up living as Allah Subhanawataala has commanded in the Quran for us to do so. We will become closer to What Allah Subhanawataala likes.  Therefore the Sahabah followed it to a T.

FREEDOM OF CHOICE

Here we have a choice, we can either want to be liked and loved by Allah Subhanawataala by obeying the Rasool and following his manner, etiquette and way of life or we can choose to go with our Nafs and indulge in the desires dictated by it. (I am not saying making that choice is easy though it may appear to be so untill it is applied to our personal lives. I have not reached the point of always choosing the pleasure of Allah, but I will inshallah! Please make dua for me).

THE LIVING GUIDEBOOK FOR EMOTIONS AND ACTIONS

Allah Subhanawataala has given us a guiding light in this world with the example of a man who eats, breathes sleeps just like us, he is not super human, nor is he an angel.

He, like us, has emotions of grief, love, happiness, sadness and disappointment and by observing his reaction to these emotions and emulating them we can find peace and comfort.

LIFE IN SCRUTINY

We have been awarded a living guidebook from Allah in the person of Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him. His life and movements even his personal habits have been documented in great detail by several authentic scholars, and to this day he remains the most well described man in the history of the world. Perhaps no other human being would stand up to such scrutiny.

RESOLUTION OF ISSUES TO FIND PEACE & HARMONY

We can use his example to resolve issues, respond to feelings of despondency or ecstasy and power or powerlessness; in a manner that we know is pleasing to Allah. We know this because this is how it was done by His  (Subhanawataaala’s) beloved Messenger Prophet Muhammad peace and blessings be upon him.

Thus by responding to challenges as he (pbuh) did we remain within the circle of approval with Allah Subhanawataala.

HOW TO DO IT?

In order to respond to adversarial circumstances in the manner that Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him did, we have to develop a character like him. If we eat, sleep, pray and behave like him then when we are faced with a major challenge in life, we will by default respond to it like him. Only because we have absorbed those attributes of strength and consistency within us and will thus be able to absorb the shock and yet survive in a graceful and thankful manner.

HOW TO PLEASE ALLAH?

The more we emulate Prophet Muhammad peace and blessings be upon him,  the more we please Allah. The proof is in the answer to: Did  he (pbuh) not please Allah with his behavior?  We know that for a fact because Allah Subhanawataala validates that in the Quran, by saying “Obey Allah and his Rasool”

3. THE SUNNAH OF LOGISTICS

The third type of Sunnah is logistics of materials of the “asbaab” or means. This could also be called Seerah rather than Sunnah but it does fall under “things” that Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him, used.

For example we have to get to Muzdalifa from Arafat in a fixed time period, then we have to come up with a logistical means to do so. The only fixed point in this equation is the time as to when we have to reach Muzdalifa, not “how”

Thus using camel, cars, airplanes or futuristic conveyances do not interfere with the Sunnahs that will develop our character, our strength and our faith.

As long as the means used are halal and are obtained with halal earnings we are within the realm of the Sunnah.

THE ORDER OF IMPLEMENTING THE SUNNAH IN MY LIFE

My efforts are to first learn and practice the sunnahs of ibadah, and here and there add the Sunnah of daily living (such as eating and sleeping habits) , progressively immersing myself in these as these facilitate my ibadah.

Inshallah this will give me strength to go to the next and higher levelof “obeying Allah and His Rasool“

This is how I understand the Sunnah.

Please feel free to comment, add with references or refute with references.

Allah knows best!