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Commentary of Darkness Verse - Mishkat al-Anwar

by Imam Ghazali, may Allah, most High, have mercy upon him

I call upon you, Allahu, Allahu, Allahu

To have and to hold, looking for life,

Longing to love, needing to find,

Easing my mind, homing my heart,

Seeking my beloved, total trust in you

Compiled by Motiur Rahman

Sheikh al-Hakim al-Tirmidhi, may Allah sanctify his secret

Introduction

To give a short biographical sketch (see further my Al-Hakim at-Tirmidhi. Freiburg 1980, p. 1-58): Hakîm Tirmidhî was born around 820 in Tirmidh. This town is situated on the border between what is today the USSR and Afghanistan, next to the city of Balkh. He was descended from a family of theologians. At the age of about thirty he made the pilgrimage to Mecca. Upon his return, he devoted himself to mysticism and became an extremely prolific writer in this field. Thus in this he also resembles Ibn al-'Arabî. Hakîm Tirmidhî lived to a great age and died somewhere between 905 and 910. His tomb in Tirmidh has been preserved and has recently been restored.

Compiled by Motiur Rahman

786 - A brief proof of the permissibility of celebrating the noble birth of the holiest prophet and the saviour of both mankind and Jinn, Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa (Sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam)

All praise is for Allah (SWA), whose pleasure is the purpose of the inscription of this article and who created the entire universe, the seven heavens and earths and all that they contain from the illuminated noor of his beloved Habib, Muhammad-ur-Rasoolullah (SAW) and unlimited gratitude to Him who, in his infinite mercy, granted us the blessings of being born into the ummah of the best of creation (SAW). I also send millions and millions of salawat and salaam upon the Imam and seal of the Ambiya (prophets) (AS), who exterminated evil and showed the path to paradise to both mankind and Jinn, Ashraf-il-Ambiya-i-wal-Mursaleen, Sayyidina Rasoolullah (SAW), the one whose acceptance is also the intention of writing this article. May the countless blessings of Allah (SWA) be upon him, his family, his companions, the Awliya-e-kiraam and all those who follow him until the day of Qiyamah, especially our Peer-o-Murshid, Wali-e-Kamil, Shams-ul-Ulama, Hazrat Allama Abdul Latif Choudhury saheb Qiblah Fultoli (ra).

by Muhammad Muhiyus-Sunnah Choudhury

Differentiation and Integration – The pursuit of Identity

My precious child, since you have matured, wizened and reached certain heights, it is now high time for me to allude to issue of identity. It was not possible for me to do this earlier; it would have been beyond your reach to grasp the sublime subtleties in thought, definition and comprehension. Now that you are ready, I shall no longer abstain but inform you of these truths and realities in accordance with your asking.

by Motiur Rahman

Ijma Circle

Monday 7:30 - 8:30 pm

venue: In the East End of London (E2 area)

Discussions on Sufism
Islamic philosophical perspectives
Weekly topics
Non-judgemental group
All welcome regardless of background

To reserve your place or for more information please contact Motiur Rahman,

email: motiur@ijma.org.uk

Ibn Tufayl, Abu Bakr Muhammad (before 1110-85 CE)

Ibn Tufayl's thought can be captured in his only extant work, Hayy Ibn Yaqzan (The Living Son of the Vigilant), a philosophical treatise in a charming literary form. It relates the story of human knowledge, as it rises from a blank slate to a mystical or direct experience of God after passing through the necessary natural experiences. The focal point of the story is that human reason, unaided by society and its conventions or by religion, can achieve scientific knowledge, preparing the way to the mystical or highest form of human knowledge. The story also seeks to show that, while religious truth is the same as that of philosophy, the former is conveyed through symbols, which are suitable for the understanding of the multitude, and the latter is conveyed in its inner meanings apart from any symbolism. Since people have different capacities of understanding that require the use of different instruments, there is no point in trying to convey the truth to people except through means suitable for their understanding.

“When you submit yourself to Allah, you will be safe”

Aided by the Holy Spirit, al Ruh al Qudus

Said Jesus, the spirit of God,

“Peace is on me

The day I was born, the day that I die,

And the day I shall be raised up again.”

Was salamu alayya

Yawma wulidtu wa yawma amootu

wa yawma ob’asu hayya.

by Motiur Rahman

Above image is the property of Todd Ricker http://www.an-sionnach.net/2008/01/06/al-salaam/

A very brief proof of the excellence of Shabe-Barat

“Lailatun-Nisfe-Min-Sha’ban” as it is referred to in the hadith is in fact an extremely blessed and virtuous night in which Allah (SAW) forgives millions of people except for the non-believers and one whose parents are upset with him (as found in the hadith). The word “Shabe-Barat” (The night of excellence) is actually a Persian word. Mufti Muhammed Taqi Usmani has said, “It is in fact absolutely wrong to say that no excellence of Shabe-Barat is proven from the hadith. It is a fact that ten noble companions of Rasoolullah (SWA) have narrated that the Holy Prophet (SWA) did mention the excellence of this night.

Compiled by Muhammad Muhiyus-Sunnah Choudhury Dubagi

“Milad-e-Benazir: A Historical and Proven Document”

Published in

“Renaissance of Islam in the World”

The Daily Inqilab

(A National Daily in Bangladesh)

Dhaka Thursday, 03 Joishto 1414, 29 Robi’u-thani 1428 Hijri, 17 May 2007

Bismillahi-ir-Rahmani-ir-Raheem

The Mirror

ALMU’MINU MIR’ATUL MU’MININ

(The Believer is a mirror for the Believer)

When the most Beautiful

Al-Jameel – the fairest of all

Wished to see His Face,

Willed for time and space,

Through the Prophet He has said,

“Do not curse time, for I am time”

by Motiur Rahman

“The spirits are a gathered force: those who are acquainted love one another, and those not, remain aloof to one another.”

Cogito, ergo sum, I think, therefore I am

I ask “what am I?” ask “who am I?”

I am what I am, I am what I am

Him whom I love, I am I am,

Cogito, ergo sum, I think, therefore I am.

by Motiur Rahman

Abu ‘Abdullah ‘Amr ibn ‘Uthman al-Makki, a disciple of al-Junaid, d. 291 AH (904 CE) or 297 AH (9I0 CE), may Allah sanctify his secret.

"Sufism is that at each moment the servant should be in accord with what is most appropriate (awla) at that moment."

"Patience means to keep close to Allah and to accept calmly the trials He sends, without complaining or feeling sad."

Sulami stated the following concerning al-Makki: His name was 'Amr ibn 'Uthman ibn Kurab ibn Ghusas and that his kunyawas Abu 'Abd Allah. Sulami noted that Makki associated with Junayd (fi al-suhbah) and in this way was connected with him. He met Abu 'Abd Allah al-Nibaji and [also] associated with Abu Sa'id al-Kharraz and other older shaykhs (al-mashayikh al-qudama'). He was a scholar of jurisprudence (al-'usul) and his discourse was fine (hasan).

compiled by Motiur Rahman

Transnational Forced Marriage: From the UK to Pakistan

We recall that ‘marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses’ (Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948, Article 16(2)). Heightened media sensitivity surrounding the practice of forced marriage helped to lead to the Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act 2007, implemented in autumn 2008, incorporating the Act into a new Part 4A of the Family Law Act 1996. The High Court and county courts now have powers to protect victims of forced marriage through Forced Marriage Protection Orders (FMPOs) and can make orders which extend to conduct outside the United Kingdom. Consular staff at the British High Commission in Islamabad rescue at least two UK and UK-Pakistani nationals from a forced marriage every week. But how far do the legal tentacles stretch to ensure the immediate and successful repatriation of UK residents, UK-Pakistani nationals and UK nationals from Pakistan to the UK?

by Charlotte Rachael Bailye

(cb672@cam.ac.uk)

Muraqaba - Sufi meditation in Islam

What is the meaning of muraqaba? The implicative meaning of muraqaba is to take care of something or to guard it carefully, according to Bab al Mufayalater Masder.

by Mufti Ahsan Ahmed

Take me safely to the other side

"When the sky is torn apart, so it was (like) a red rose, like ointment." Quran [Surah55:Ayah37]

We see it now in the years 1999/2000! Quran mentioned it 1400 years ago. The picture is taken by the NASA Hubble Space Telescope of the "Cat's Eye Nebula." It is an exploding star 3,000 light years away. http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap991031.html