Rumaysa's Blog

The Barzanji Mawlid

2009-10-05T20:26:00.000+11:00

The Barzanji Mawlid

The Jewelled Necklace of the Resplendent Prophet's (peace be upon him) Birth

The Barzanji Mawlid was composed by Imam Barzanji, and celebrates the birth and life of the prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), in beautiful poetic prose.

More Information about the Barzanji Mawlid

Lailatul Qadr 2009 - Lakemba Mosque

2009-10-01T11:26:00.001+10:00

Assalam Aalaikum,

This Ramadan at Lakemba Mosque, Sydney, Australia, there was a beautiful program for the 27th night. The qasidahs were amazing.

Watch Part 1 of the Video here

Back Online

2009-10-01T10:21:00.002+10:00

Assalam Aalaikum

I am looking forward to returning to my Blog. I will be checking previous posts as there are many lost weblinks. I will try to rectify this as much as possible.

Watch this space..

This is Jihad?

2005-11-19T12:07:00.001+11:00

Sheikh Nuh Ha Mim Keller

A series of 7 tracks from a lecture Shaykh Nuh gave to a London audience at Friends House on August 29, 2005 regarding the crisis of understanding Islam.

Listen here...

Mini Midsummer Mawlid

2005-10-21T00:01:00.000+10:00

Sheikh Diya

01 - Lawlaka Ya Zeenat al-Wujudi
‘Were it not for you, O Adornment of Creation, our life or existence wouldn’t have been bearable… nor would we have fasted or prayed…’

02 - Tadhallaltu fi'l Buldan - By Abu Madyan.
‘I wandered the lands when You captured me, and I spent my nights turning over in the pangs of passion…’

03 - A bi Hubbi Ahbabi Ulam
‘Can I be blamed for loving Them?’

Download it Here..

The Waymarks of Benefits

2005-10-20T23:15:00.000+10:00

Imam al Jazuli

Dala'il ul Khayrat by Sheikh Nuh Ha Mim Kellar

Patience

2005-07-19T23:45:00.001+10:00

Ease and hardship are the feathers that give strength to the wings of your faith so that your heart and your innermost being can use them to fly to the door of your Lord, Almighty and Glorious is He.

How can you lay claim to faith, when you have no patience at all. Surely you must have heard the saying of the prophet, peace and blessings be upon him "patience is to faith, as the head is to the body".

- Jala' Al Khawatir (Removal of Cares) - Sheikh Abdul Qadir al Jilani

Know disciple, that the beginning of the path is patience, and its end is thankfulness. Its beginning is difficulty, and its end is bliss. Its beginning is toil and weariness, and its end is opening, unveiling and arrival at the ultimate goal which is gnosis of God, arrival to Him, being comforted by Him, and standing in His noble presence with His angels standing before Him. The one who makes gracious patience the foundation of all his affairs turns to every goodness, reaches everything that he hopes for, and wins all that he seeks.

- Good Manners - Imam al-Haddad

Light Shining Forth

2005-05-16T23:35:00.000+10:00

by Hassan B-Thabit
(written over 1400 hundred years ago)

'When I saw his light shining forth,
In fear I covered my eyes with my palms,
Afraid for my sight because of the beauty of his form.
So I was scarcely able to look at him at all.
The lights from his light are drowned in his light and his face shines out like the sun and moon in one.
A spirit of light lodged in a body like the moon, a mantle made up of brilliant shining stars.
I bore it until I could bear it no longer.
I found the taste of patience to be like bitter aloes.
I could find no remedy to bring me relief other than delighting in the sight of the one I love.
Even if he had not brought any clear signs with him, the sight of him would dispense with the need for them..... '

Spring's Gift

2005-05-05T21:29:00.000+10:00

Shaykh Hamza Yusuf

On the Coming of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)

I envy the sand that met his feet

I’m jealous of honey he tasted sweet

Of birds that hovered above his head

Of spiders who spun their sacred web

To save him from his enemies

I envy clouds formed from the seas

That gave him cover from the heat

Of a sun whose light could not compete

With his, whose face did shine so bright

That all was clear in pitch-black night

Read whole poem here...

AL-MAQASID

2005-04-25T20:46:00.000+10:00

Imam Nawawi

Al-Maqasid: ma yajib ma'rifatuh min al-Din
(The Objectives: what is necessary to know of the religion)

Recorded Supplications from Al Maqasid

Dhikr.org

The Litany of Imam Nawawi

2005-04-25T20:37:00.000+10:00

Allah be pleased with him

Text and Audio Link to the wird of Imam an-Nawwawi
(may Allah be pleased with him)

Dhikr.org

That Which God Said to the Rose

2005-04-19T01:44:00.000+10:00

Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi

That which God said to the rose,
and caused it to laugh in full-blown beauty,
He said to my heart,
and made it a hundred times more beautiful.

(Mathnawi, III, 4129)

What is Iman?

2005-03-30T00:10:00.000+10:00

Shaykh Habib ‘Ali al Jifri says:

Iman is not something that I just “perform” in a place of worship.
Iman is life.
Iman is how I interact with Allah during all the breaths that I take.

[Audio Lecture]

“The Prophet’s Perspiration Gave Off Light”

2005-03-29T23:32:00.000+10:00

by GF Haddad – Safar 1426

Our Mother the Faqīha of the world, Ā’isha al-Nabawiyya said, Allah be well-pleased with her:

I was spinning while the Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) was mending his sandals and I was observing him. His forehead began to perspire and his perspiration gave off light. I gaped in astonishment. He looked at me and said: “What is the matter? Why are you gaping?” I said: “Messenger of Allāh! I looked at you and your forehead began to perspire and your perspiration gave off light. If Abū Kabīr al-Hudhalī had seen you he would have known that you are most deserving of his poetry.” The Prophet  asked: “And what does he say, ‘Ā’isha, this Abū Kabīr al-Hudhalī?” She said: “He says:

Exempt of any remain of menses,
born of hale nurse unsoiled,
Were you to look at his facial traits
– they beam like a white lightning-cloud!

Wa mubarra’in min kulli ghubbari haydatin
wafasādi murdi‘atin wadā’in mughīli
Fa’idhā nazarta ilā asirrati wajhihi
baraqat kabarqi-l-‘āridi-l-mutahallili

Hearing this, the Prophet rose and kissed me between the eyes, saying: “Allah grant you goodness on my behalf, ‘A’isha! You make me happier than I could make myself.”

Narrated through al-Bukhārī by Abū Nu‘aym in Hilyat al-Awliyā’ (1985 ed. 2:45-46), al-Khat īb with two more chains in Tārīkh Baghdād (13:252-253), Ibn ‘Asākir (3:307-309 and 59:424) through al-Khat. īb’s and Abū Nu‘aym’s three chains, and al-Bayhaqī in al-Sunan al-Kubrā (7:422 #15204) and Dalā’il al-Nubuwwa cf. al-Ghazzālī’s Ih yā’ (3:126-127) and al-Suyūtī’s Khas. ā’is. (1:115). Al-Mizzī narrated this hadīth in Tahdhīb al-Kamāl (28:318) as an example of a rare, lone-narrated report that comes only through the reliable Khārijī Imām, genealogist, philologist, and centenarian historian Ma‘mar ibn al-Muthannā Abū ‘Ubayda al-Taymī al-Bas. rī. The verses are cited in Abū Kabīr al-Hudhalī’s chapter in Dīwān al-Hamāsa.

That the perspiration-beads of the Prophet  were luminous is confirmed by the hadīth of Anas in the Sahīh: “He was rosy-colored and his perspiration seemed like pearls” (kāna azhar al-lawn ka’anna ‘araqahu al-lu’lu’). Narrated by Muslim, Ahmad, and al-Dārimī.

Dedicated to Imam Ash-Shadhili

2005-03-25T23:29:00.000+11:00

Radiya Allah ‘anhu

By Muhammad al-Yaqoubi

"This is a rough translation of the poem that I wrote yesterday (14th Aug.) on the way to the shrine of al-Imam Abul Hasan ash-Shadhili, may Allah be satisfied with him and may He allow us to benefit from his secrets and knowledge."

The Qutb of all Qutbs throughout times is
Abul Hasan ash-Shadhili;
An Ocean of Secrets and an Imam of Guidance
For whom the soul is the least price.

He led to the Master and climbed
in virtue to highest peaks
And brought in this discipline what
Made it more august than all branches.

Read Poem Here...

Stay Close By the Door

2005-03-12T01:23:00.000+11:00

Stay close by the door, if you desire all beauty
And leave aside sleep, if you wish to arrive

And make of the spirit your first place of account
To the beloved, whose lights shine as from gold

All of them worship out of fear of the fire –
And consider deliverance abundant good fortune -

Or, so they may dwell in the gardens, and reach
To the meadows of paradise, and there drink from its rivers

Of gardens or fire I have no opinion
I seek no exchange for my dearest love

- Rabia Al-Adawiyya

Duaa Nasiri

2005-02-25T01:06:00.000+11:00

O You to Whose mercy one flees!
You in Whom the one in need and distress seeks refuge!

O Master, You Whose pardon is near!
O You Who help all who call on Him!

This highly potent du'a by the renowned Sufi Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Nasir, was recited across Morocco and inspired resistance to the French Occupation. So powerful was it that the French President had to issue an order banning its recitation from the mosques. Moroccans date the movement to return King Muhammad from that outlawing of the du'a. It is appropriate to the present state of the 'Umma.

An Audio Link of Du'a Here...

English Translation by Aisha Bewley and Arabic Text Here...

Who is Rumaysa?

2005-02-17T21:15:00.000+11:00

I came across the story of Rumaysa (may Allah be pleased with her) and it inspired me. She was a model Muslimah who sacrificed and loved for the sake of Allah. The prophet muhammed (peace be upon him) had compassion for her. . . So do I.

Rumaysa bint Milhan, one of the women companions of the prophet (peace be upon him), also known as "Umm Sulaym", was known for her excellent character, the power of her intellect and her independent attitude of mind.

It was noticed that the Prophet, peace be on him, had a special compassion for Umm Sulaym and her family and when asked about it, he replied: "Her brother was killed beside me."

The Prophet used to visit their home. Sometimes he would have a siesta in their house and, as he slept, she would wipe the perspiration from his forehead. Once when the Prophet awoke from his siesta, he asked: "Umm Sulaym, what are you doing?" "I am taking these (drops of perspiration) as a barakah (blessing) which comes from you ," she replied.

Umm Sulaym was a model Muslim, a model wife and mother. Her belief in God was strong and uncompromising. She was not prepared to endanger her faith and the upbringing of her children for wealth and luxury, however abundant and tempting.

She was devoted to the Prophet and dedicated her son Anas to his service. She took the responsibility of educating her children and she played an active part in public life, sharing with the other Muslims the hardships and the joys of building a community and living for the pleasure of God.

More about Rumaysa...

Hizb ul Bahr

2005-02-16T22:36:00.000+11:00

Litany of the Sea

The Mystical Teachings of al-Shadhili from Ibn al-Sabbagh's Durrat al-Asrar wa Tufat al-Abarar

By God, I did not utter it (the litany of the Sea) except as it came from the prophet of God, from whose instruction I learned it. "Guard it; he said to me, "for it contains the greatest name of God"

Excerpt from the Litany of the Sea

"Help us, for Thou art the best of helpers.

Open to us the hand of mercy, for Thou art the best of openers. Pardon us, for Thou art the best of pardoners.

Be compassionate toward us, for Thou art the best of those who show compassion.

Sustain us, for Thou art the best of sustainers. Guide us and rescue us from the unjust people.

Send us a gentle breeze, as Thou dost know how to do, and let it blow on us from the storehouses of Thy mercy.

Let it bear us along as it by miraculous intervention, with security and well-being, in religion, worldly affairs, and the hereafter."

Click here for translation of litany

Click here for transliteration of litany

Mawlid Hajji Imran

2005-02-12T20:58:00.000+11:00

DeenPort Audio: Mawlid Hajji Imran - with Shaykh Diya'
Burdah and Hadra

A beautiful mawlid held for Hajji Imran Chowdhury with Shaykh Diya (a young scholar, Qur'anic reciter, and Islamic singer).

Track 1: Stunningly beautiful Qur'anic recitation.
Track 2: A very lively rendition of the Qasida Burda (first 2 chapters).
Track 3: A passionate and moving hadra.

To Download: Mawlid Hajji Imran

This is absolutely beautiful!! I pray that I am chosen among the blessed people of gatherings such as these.

Sayyid Muhammad ‘Alawi al-Maliki

2005-02-12T20:43:00.000+11:00

Obituary
By Mostafa Badawi

Just before dawn on Friday the 15th of Ramadan of this year the Muslim community lost one of its most eminent scholars and men of Allah. Sayyid Muhammad ‘Alawi al-Maliki came from a long line of eminent scholars...

May Allah have mercy on his soul and perfume his resting place. Ameen.

For the full obituary see: http://www.islamicamagazine.com/alawi.htm

In the midst of a flower garden...

2005-01-22T01:50:00.000+11:00

I came across this quote today by Maulana Rumi:

Whoever is sitting with friends
is in the midst of a flower garden,
though he may be in the fire.
Whoever sits with an enemy is in the fire,
even though he is in the midst of a garden.

-Rumi, "Mathnawi" [IV, 1976-1978]

It reminded of one of the aphorisms of ibn Ata'illah, one that i always quote...

If someone's state does not lift you up,
and his words do not lead you to Allah.
Then do not keep his company.

It may well be that you are in a bad state,
But to keep company with someone worse than you
would allow to see good in yourself.

There is so much wisdom in this. True knowledge is passed from heart to heart, not from books.

As Abu Madyan says in his ode,

The pleasure of life is only in the company of the fuqara....

Therefore keep their company and have adab in their assemblies....

Watch the Shaykh carefully in his states, perhaps a trace of his approval will be seen on you.

May we find ourselves in the midst of a flower garden... in company with the friends (ameen).

Rumaysa Says..

2005-01-18T18:15:00.000+11:00

I thought it was about time I posted something in my own little space on the world wide web. I usually hesitate before writing. I guess its just difficult to transfer your thoughts to words and then share it with the world.

Why did I create Rumaysa's Blogspot?

I believe everyone is on a journey, and along the way they might stop and reflect upon the various things they see or the people they meet. These reflections may influence the journey's destination, direction or pace. My blogspot, will hopefully be an account of these reflections. An account of the people and things that inspire me, in hope that they might be a source of inspiration to others. A reading, a quote, a nice poem or song. . .anything beautiful.

The ambition of the spiritual traveller never wants to stop with what it has been shown save that the voices of reality call to him, "what you seek is ahead of you."
[Ibn 'Ata'illah]

While you are alive, your worldy self is like a collector of benefits from Allah's bounties, which come to you from myriads of hands.
[Ibn 'Arabi]

Dala'il al Khayrat

2005-01-16T01:12:00.000+11:00

The Index of Good Things

By Imam Jazuli

It is said that the writer of Dala'il ul-Khayrat once went on a journey , when in great need of water for making ablutions. he came upon a well but could not reach the water without a bucket and rope which he did not have. He became very worried . A young girl saw this and came to his assistance. She spat into the well whereupon the water rose to the top of its own accord. Seeing this miracle, he asked the girl " And how is that possible?" The replied "I was able to do this through my asking for blessings upon the Prophet, Allah's blessings and peace be upon the him." Having thus seen the benefit of asking for blessings upon the Prophet, Allah's blessings and peace be upon him , he decided to write Dala'il ul-Khayrat.

Translation of Morroccan Edition of the Dala'il al Khayrat Here ...

The Maqam of Imam Juzali (May Allah sanctify his soul)

Sayiddina Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani

2005-01-09T23:00:00.000+11:00

(1077 CE/472H - 1166 CE/561 H)

"Leave the lower self to this world, the heart to the hereafter, and the innermost being to the Master. Do not approach this world with confidence, for it is actually a serpent in beautiful disguise. It lures people with its charming appearance, then it destroys them.

You must affirm the oneness of the Lord of Truth, (Almighty and Glorious is He) until not a single atom of the entire creation is left within your heart, and you wish for nothing except that which is compatible with the affirmation of Divine Unity (Tawheed)."
[The Removal of Cares]

Who is Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani?

Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani's Names and Titles...

Books by Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani...

Necklaces of Gems - A Biography of Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani...

The resting place of Shaykh Jilani
(May Allah perfume his resting place)

Al-hikam al-'Ata'iyyah

2005-01-04T01:33:00.000+11:00

The Aphorisms of Ibn Ata'illah Iskandari

The translation has been posted before, however this is a link to the original text in arabic. I think those that can read arabic will understand and benefit from it alot more than from reading a translation..

"If you make intense supplication
and the timing of the answer is delayed,
do not despair of it.
His reply to you is guaranteed;
but in the way He chooses,
not the way you choose,
and at the moment He desires,
not the moment you desire."

Read Entire Arabic Text Here...

Rabi`a al `Adawiyya Once Said...

2005-01-02T01:33:00.000+11:00

"O Lord...
Once I wanted You so much
I didn't even dare walk past Your house--
And now
I am not even worthy to be let in"

"My Joy
My Hunger
My Shelter
My Friend
My Food for the Journey
My Journey's End
You are my breath,
My hope,
My companion,
My craving,
My abundant wealth"

Sufiyan:: This is my prayer: let God be satisfied with me.
Rabi'a:: How dare you pray that -- when you are not satisfied with God?

"May God steal from you
All that steals you from Him."

"Let me hide in You
From everything that distracts me from You,
From everything that comes in my way
When I want to run to You."

"I swear that ever since the first day You brought me back to life,
The day You became my Friend,
I have not slept --
And even if You drive me from your door,
I swear again that we will never be separated--
Because You are alive in my heart."

"I look everywhere for your love--
Then suddenly I am filled with it.
O Captain of my Heart,
Radiant Eye of Yearning in my breast..."

"O God!
If I adore You out of fear of Hell, burn me in Hell!
If I adore You out of desire for Paradise,
Lock me out of Paradise.
But if I adore You for Yourself alone,
Do not deny to me Your eternal beauty. "

"O God,
You know that the only thing I want in this life
Is to be obedient to Your command.
Even the living sight of my eyes
Is service at your court."

"The real work is in the Heart:
Wake up your Heart! Because when the heart is completely awake,
Then it needs no Friend. "

My Greatest Need is You

2005-01-02T01:05:00.000+11:00

Rabi'a al 'Adawiyya

Your hope in my heart is the rarest treasure
Your Name on my tongue is the sweetest word
My choicest hours
Are the hours I spend with You --
O Allah, I can't live in this world
Without remembering You--
How can I endure the next world
Without seeing Your face?
I am a stranger in Your country
And lonely among Your worshippers:
This is the substance of my complaint.

The Story of Rabi'a Al- Adawiyya, a Great Sufi Saint ...

Qasidah Adab al-Tariqa

2004-12-30T23:40:00.001+11:00

The Ettiqute of the Way
A song by Abu Madyan Al Gawth

"This life has no sweetness save company of the mystics
They are the sultans, the masters, the princes

So keep their company and manners of their gatherings.
And leave your own fortune behind when they push you forward.

Take advantage of your time, attending always with them.
And know that Allah's pleasure singles out those who attend.

And hold fast to silence unless you are asked, then reply,
"I don't know anything," and hide yourself in ignorance."

Arabic Text of Qasidah...

Ya Latif!

2004-12-29T13:15:00.001+11:00

O Gently Kind!

The Lattifiyeh Dhikr is one of the invocations of the Shadhili Order.

Download Audio file of Dhikr Here...

Read the English Translation and Transliteration of the Dhikr

Q. What’s the proof of latifiyya (saying ya latif 1000 times)? And why '' ya latif '' particularly?

Answered By Sheikh Nuh Ha Mim Kellar...

A. Reciting the Lattifiyeh and the question of good innovation...

The Hajj

2004-12-26T13:42:00.000+11:00

Pilgrimage to Mecca

The Hajj Season is upon us, and many people are preparing their trip to the holy city of Mecca.

May Allah be with them and keep them safe and protected. May they come back safe and renewed in faith and spirit. Ameen.

Click here

On the right hand side of the page you will see this picture..

click on it to access a Virtual Hajj Tour!

What the Seeker Needs

2004-12-24T14:48:00.001+11:00

Shaykh Muhyiddin Ibn 'Arabi

This is a beautiful article that i read before I knew who Ibn 'Arabi was... and was inspirational at the time and a constant reminder. I could read it over and over...

"This short guide is a response to one who wishes to take the path of faith, hope, and love so that he might become complete and perfect as he was created. It was written to answer his questions about what he should believe in and what he should do in the beginning, before anything else.

O you who yearn for eternal beauty, traveler on the path of the true wish, may Allah make you successful in knowing the true way, finding it, and being upon it. May He use you and us in actions that please Him and are done for His sake. For the beginning and the end and what is in between, and success in them all, belong only to Him."

Read Article Here...

Ibn Arabi's own signature

The Place of Tassawuf in Traditional Islam

2004-12-23T20:15:00.000+11:00

Sheikh Nuh Ha Mim Keller

This article explains precisely what tassawuf is and clears alot of confusion that exists today about tassawuf or sufism..



"Tassawuf basically consists of dedication to worship, total dedication to Allah Most High, disregard for the finery and ornament of the world, abstinence from the pleasure, wealth, and prestige sought by most men, and retiring from others to worship alone. "



Read the Article Here...



Other Articles and Audio recordings of Sheikh Nuh Ha Mim Kellar Here... 



And Here...

Rumi

2004-12-21T20:45:00.000+11:00

Till man destroys "self" he is no true friend of God.

Once a man came and knocked at the door of his friend. His friend said, "who art thou. O faithful one?" He said, "'Tis I."

He answered, "There is no admittance. There is no room for the 'raw' at my well cooked feast. Naught but fire of separation and absence can cook the raw one and free him from hypocrisy! Since thy 'self' has not yet left thee, thou must be burned in fiery flames."

The poor man went away, and for one whole year journeyed burning with grief for his friend's absence. His heart burned till it was cooked; then he went again and drew near to the house of his friend. He knocked at the door in fear and trepidation
lest some careless word might fall from his lips.

His friend shouted, "Who is that at the door?"

He answered, "'Tis Thou who art at the door. O beloved!" The friend said, "Since 'tis I, let me come in, there is not room for two 'I's' in one house."

From Rumi's Mathnawi...

Audio: The Qasida Burda of Imam Busiri

2004-12-20T15:16:00.000+11:00

The greatest poem in praise of the Messenger of Allah
(peace and blessings be upon him)

I received this in an email:

The Burda of Imam al-Busiri (Maghribi rendition) is available from DeenPort MP3. The direct link: Download the Qasida Burda - full Maghribi rendition.

A full rendition of the Burda by a Maghribi group. Ustadh Amin Tirmidhi gave this to Shaykh Diya' on tape, and said that he considers this one of the very best renditions he has heard.

Made available to DeenPort courtesy Sidi Faraz Rabbani

Qasidah: al-Mustapha al-Hashimy

2004-12-19T01:17:00.000+11:00

This arabic qasidah about the prophet Muhammed is beautiful, especially if you understand its meaning..

I will try and get it translated soon and post it up, insha'Allah.

My arabic isn't too good... But this is the meaning (or an attempt at the meaning) of one of the verses from the qasidah:

"His light overpowers the moonlight

Like the morning sun in his illuminated face.."

Listen here....

Qasidah Burdah

2004-12-17T15:18:00.000+11:00

The Poem of the Scarf
By Imam al-Busairi (Rahmatullah Alayhi)

The writer IMAAM AL-BUSAIRI had become paralysed. His doctors and physicians gave up all hope of his recovery. Eventually in this state of complete helplessness and despair he composed this poem expressing the grandeur and excellence of Sayyidina Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam. Using this as his sole means of asking Allah Ta'aala to cure him from his illness. He isolated himself in a quiet place one Thursday night and with complete devotion, concentration and sincerity began reciting this poem. While reciting it sleep overcame him. He had a vision of Sayyidina Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam. He told Sayyidina Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam of his illness whereupon Sayyidina Rasulullah Sallallahu Alyahi Wasallam passed his blessed hand over Imaam Busairi's body. Through the barakat and blessing of Sayyidina Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam, Allah Ta'aala granted him complete cure from his paralysis. When he awoke he found a scarf or shawl on his body which he had seen Sayyidina Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhl Wasallam place on his paralyzed limbs. This resulted in the poem being named "Qasidah Burdah" (The Poem of the Scarf).

Sheikh Ahmed ibn Mustafa al-'Alawi

2004-12-16T16:16:00.000+11:00

Ahmed al-'Alawi is Ahmed ibn Mustafa Ibn 'Aliwa, Abu al-'Abbas al-'Alawi, born in Mostaghanem, Algeria, in 1291/1874. He was a Sufi, Maliki Scholar, Koranic Exegete, poet, and the sheikh and renewer of the of the Shadhili tariqa, of which he founded the 'Alawi-Darqawi order that bears his name.

Sheikh Ahmed al-'Alawi, whose order has spread to the farthest reaches of the Muslim world, certainly stands as one of the greatest Sufi Masters of Islamic History. He died in Mostaghanem in 1353/1934.

Sheikh al-'Alawi is the Grandsheikh of Sheikh al-Kurdi, who is the sheikh of Sheikh al-Shaghouri, who is the Sheikh of Sheikh Nuh Kellar.

More About Sheikh al-'Alawi (May Allah be pleased with him)...

Lord, I wish for nothing beside Thee...

2004-12-16T15:31:00.000+11:00

A beautiful narration from Imam Al-Ghazzali's "Alchemy of Happiness"...

One of my favourite books written by Imam al-Ghazzali (May Allah be pleased with him)

Yahya Ibn Muaz relates,

"I watched Bayazid Bistami at prayer through one entire night. When he had finished he stood up and said, 'O Lord! some of Thy servants have asked and obtained of Thee the power to perform miracles, to walk on the sea, and to fly in, the air, but this I do not ask;some have asked and obtained treasures, but these I do not ask.'

Then he turned, and, seeing me, said, 'Are you there, Yahya?' I replied, 'Yes.' He asked, 'Since when? I answered, 'For a long time.'

I then asked him to reveal to me some of his spiritual experiences. 'I will reveal,' he answered, 'what is lawful to tell you.

The Almighty showed me His Kingdom, from its loftiest to its lowest; He raised me above the throne and the seat and all the seven heavens.

Then He said, "Ask of me whatsoever thing thou desirest." I answered, "Lord! I wish for nothing beside Thee."

"Verily," He said, "thou art My servant.'"

Anasheed: Salamun Salam

2004-12-16T15:13:00.000+11:00

Ustadh Abul Hasan
With an opening from al Burdah of Imam al Busiri

This is a beautiful nasheed I remember learning during High School.

Download here...

Poetry: Rumi's Mathnawi

2004-12-16T01:37:00.000+11:00

The Spiritual Couplets of Maulana Jalaludin Muhammed Rumi

Rumi's poems are testimony of his state... drowning in love.

Commentary of the Book of Wisdoms

2004-12-15T23:53:00.000+11:00

Sheikh Nuh Ha Mim Kellar has written a beautiful commentary of the first verse of the book of wisdoms of Ibn Ata'illah:

"One of the signs of relying on deeds is loss of hope when a misstep occurs."

He is currently working on the commentary of the book of wisdoms in its entirety.

The Hikam of Ibn Ata'illah

2004-12-15T23:32:00.000+11:00

The Book of Wisdoms of Ibn Ata'illah Iskandari is very close to my heart and has been a source of great inspiration to me.

One of my favourite quotes from the book:

"If someone's state does not lift you up,
and his words do not lead you to Allah
- then do not keep his company!

It may well be that you are in a bad state -
but to keep company with someone worse than you
would allow you to see good in yourself."

Sheikh Abdul Rahman Al-Shaghouri (1910-2004)

2004-12-15T22:59:00.000+11:00

Light Upon Light in Damascus

by NUH HA MIM KELLER

Sheikh ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Shaghouri left this world on Tuesday 8 June 2004 in Damascus after a lifetime of serving Islam and Muslims. Thousands came to his funeral on Wednesday at the mosque of Sheikh Muhyiddin Ibn al-‘Arabi in the Salihiyya quarter. Among the people who prayed over him and buried him were those who knew him as a father, friend, religious scholar, teacher, mystical poet and vocalist, and Sufi sheikh....

More here...