All good is from Allah (swt), the most merciful, the most kind, all mistakes are my own

May Allah (swt) grant the reader of this Jannah-tul-firdous.

ILM FEST
Who says you cant change: Success secrets of the Khulafa - Br. Farhan Aziz

Dec, 2011

Ibn Masud (ra) was once sitting with The Prophet (saw), when The Prophet (saw) drew a line in the sand, and he drew many lines, perpendicular and so on, The Prophet (saw) said: These are all paths, and everyone of these paths are the Shaytaan calling you to take an exit, with all these lines the straight path to Allah (swt). Quran: Surely this is the straight path, so follow it. And do not follow any of these other paths that will lead you astray Today we see in our daily lives people taking different paths, searching for success, and they all use different paths. In times like these, when facing such tests, we are required to apply patience. Allah (swt)s sunnah is that anyone who chooses to take this straight path, they will be tested: Do people think that they will be left alone and they wont be tried and tested The Prophet (saw) said in a hadith: Allah will not leave the believers be the way they are in until he separates the good from the bad These tests are different for different people, and based on their level of Emaan. A hadith to encourage us for our situation today: The Prophet (saw) told his companions: Trials will be presented to the hearts, like a straw mat, one stick after another. The one who sticks to the reward of Allah (swt) will be given the reward of 50 of you. Sahaba asked: Do you mean the reward of 50 of one of them, The Prophet (saw) replied: No, from you - When we reflect, we think about an epidemic spreading amongst the people, especially youth, about people who have left the religion and this hadith encourages us to be good At the time of the treaty of Hudaybiyyah, The Prophet (saw) sent letters to many. Heracle, the leader of the Romans, was one such person. He inquired if there was anyone who knew The Prophet (saw), and there was a delegation at that time. Abu Sufyaan (ra) came forward as the man who knew The Prophet (saw) most. The setup was such that there were three people behind who were to indicate if Abu Sufyaan was lying to Heracle. The following questions were asked with Heracles objective to see if he (saw) matched the signs of prophethood that Heracle knew: 1. What was his lineage, Ans: amongst the best 2. Did you call him a liar before he became a The Prophet (saw), Ans: No, he was truthful and trustworthy 3. From amongst his family, was there anyone who was a king Ans: No, for if that were the case maybe he was seeking a kingdom from his followers 4. Who are his followers? Ans: Amongst the weak, the poor. Heracle affirmed that these are the followers of the Prophets 5. Are the numbers of the Muslims increasing or decreasing. Ans: Increasing. Heracle: This is the way of the truth 6. After anyone enters the religion, do they leave? Ans: No (despite the context of torture to the Muslims that we know). Heracle affirmed that this is the sweetness of Emaan When we truly reflect we must ask ourselves, their trials were bigger yet they never turned back, what about us? Emaan is such that when it enters the heart the heart enjoys its sweetness that it would never want to go back upon. After this interrogation, Heraclea answered: he is a Prophet, and if I were there I would wash his feet, and his kingdom will enter this land At the battle of Mutah: The Muslims were 2,000 against 300,000 Romans. At-Thabit answered Abu Hurayrah (a new Muslim at the time) who was very concerned: You were not with us at Badr, we are not a people who were given a victory by numbers, if we keep our duty with Allah (swt), victory is around the corner At this battle, multiple standard bearers were killed, of them were Jaafir Ibn Talib (ra): Whose torn arms would be replaced by wings in Jannah Abdullah Ibn Rawaha (ra): Oh my soul, I promise you that you will go to Jannah, why are you so afraid IN Madina, The Prophet (saw) knew what was going on, and would be silent every time a flag bearer was killed.

 The people gathered around The Prophet (saw) at the time for they were concerned about the state of the ummah, how about us? The magnificence of the people of the time Jibreel himself was sent by Allah (swt) to say Salam to Khadija (ra) When Saad Ibn Muadh died, The Prophet (saw) narrates that this shook the throne of Allah (swt) Today we must reflect on this description that Heraclius gave of Emaan? Why is it that we dont have that Emaan that was mentioned? An Emaan that hits the heart with sweetness Abdullah Ibn Rawaha, the blind companion mentioned in Surah Abasa, was going out to battle. Ummar (ra) asked him what a blind man can do to help the army Abdullah Ibn Ruwaha ans: At least I will increase the number by 1 Why do we prevent the people around us from embracing the ideals of Islam, we should never ever do this. A few advices to walk the path of patience (Istiqaama) 1. Have good companionship, people who will help you in times of difficulty The Prophet (saw) taught us the dua: Oh Allah, guide us from those amongst you guided, and make us friends of yours just like you made others friends of yours 2. The Prophet (saw)s most frequent dua: Oh Allah, the turner of the hearts, firm your heart upon my religion Ibn Masud ans: Ya The Prophet (saw) do you fear for us that we will leave, The Prophet (saw) ans: The hearts are in the hands of Allah (swt), He turns them as he wishes 3. Thing about our desires for success that are holding us back, and prioritize - for surely Jannah is better Quran: Allah (swt) promises us in Jannah, that which no eye has ever seen, no ear has ever heard, no heart has ever imagined 4. Emaan is such that when it enters the heart, the heart embraces it fully When Aasiyah was being tortured by the soldiers of Firoun, and when asked she answered my lord is Allah (swt), Firoun told his companions: Arent you amazed at her crazy-ness?, We are torturing her and she is laughing Today we have this in Syria, large big men saying, their lord is Bassam - to get out of the pain of torture - yet still being killed after saying this Yet Aasiyah answered: Oh Allah, build me a house in Jannah. She would only concede to her true lord and would settle only for a destination that would bring her close to him She was shown her home in Jannah and the angels surrounded her, and so she was laughing When we desire Allah (swt), nothing else will come in the way

Who is Allah (swt) - Br. Ammar AlShukry We must attribute success through closeness with Allah (swt), and that comes from knowledge of Him (swt) Quran: Our destiny and our return is to Allah (swt) We must reflect upon the smallest of things that we see in our daily lives - Even the sun that hits our face when we walk outside -- The sun 93 million miles away which takes 8 minutes to hit the Earth Quran: And with him are the keys to the unseen, no one has them except for Him, and He knows what is in the land and the sea, there is not a leaf that falls, and not a grain of sand that falls, except it is in a recorded book Quran: they didnt give Allah (swt) his due right - When we reflect upon how the single drops of water are good for us to how they destroy civilizations, to the uniqueness of a single snowflake yet creates an avalanche, we must reflect upon the magnificence of our lord - We must reflect upon the ash cloud in 2010 which shut down European space, or the small earth quake that destroyed the most technologically advanced country today (Japan), we must attribute true greatness to Allah (swt) - Allah (swt) gives us so much, yet we constantly sin against Him The Prophet (saw) said: There is no one more patient with harm that he heard than Allah (swt), they attribute a son to Him, but He continues to give them health and wealth

This applies to Muslims as well not just those who attribute a son to Him (swt) - If someone ever tells you they feel distant from Allah (swt), ask which one of you moved? We must teach our kids that Allah (swt)s primary quality is Rahman, Raheem - not that they are going to Hellfire without doing anything wrong Imam Shafi (?) said: If you think that you have done many good deeds, and than you fear your fate on Day of Judgement, the forgiveness of Allah (swt) has reached you If Allah (swt) wanted bad for you, He would never have inspired your heart to Islam, He never would have put you in the presence of angels Quran: Oh my slave, oh son of Adam, as long as you seek forgiveness for me, I will forgive you, and I will not mind. Oh son of Adam, if your sins were to reach the heavens and than you seek forgiveness for me, I will forgive you. Oh Son of Adam, if you were to come with me in sins equal to the weight of Earth, and you did not commit shirk, you would find Me forgiving - All He requires of us, is to worship Him On Day of Judgement a man will be brought forth in front of Allah (swt), if you had everything on this Earth, would you use this to save yourself from the Hellfire, the man will answer Yes, and Allah (swt) will answer I asked you to do something that is much less than that (i.e. worship Him only)

Women of Paradise - Sheikh Abdul Bary Yahya From the very beginning, The Prophet (saw) was supported by his wife while others rejected him (saw) The Prophet (saw) had just came from the cave of Hira, with pain in his chest from the squeezing of Jibreel, not knowing what happened, he asked to be covered in blankets. Khadija (ra) calmed him down and told him: Never by Allah (swt) will He disgrace you (saw), indeed you keep good relations with your kith and kin, and you stand for the truth, and you help the poor and the destitute, you serve your guests well and you deal with calamities well The sacrifice of Khadija (ra) and the love The Prophet (saw) had for her Once there was a knock on the door while The Prophet (saw) was sleeping, Aisha (ra) came in to answer this and asked who this was, the ans was: Hala, the sister of Aisha (ra). Halas voice was similar to Khadija (ra)s. When The Prophet (saw) smiled as he heard Halas voice, Aisha (ra) was jealous. Aisha (ra) asked The Prophet (saw): Did Allah (swt) not give you in exchange someone better than an old woman from the Quraysh who has lost her teeth already?, The Prophet (saw) immediately became angry and said: By Allah (swt), Allah (swt) did not give me anyone better, for she supported me when others didnt, and she believed in me when others rejected me, and no wealth of all the people who gave for the sake of Allah (swt), no wealth benefited me more than wealth of Khadija (ra) Finding a spouse When looking for character, see how they treat other people, especially those closest to them. - Look for those who are respectful to their parents. Look at their speech, how they speak to those around them Social stigmas should not be a consideration 1. Previous marriage - Even if they were married before, this does not matter. This social stigma should not be a consideration - Even Aasiyah was married twice before to bad people, one including Firoun 2. Age - The Prophet (saw) married Khadija (ra) even though she was much older than he was Had 6 kids even though Khadija (ra) was 40. Fatima was born after Khadija (ra) was 50. Sarah was in her 80s, yet she still gave birth The Prophet (saw) was an example of kindness to women - The Prophet (saw) said that the best of you are the best to their women, and I am the best to mine The wife is an important home maker, for the house and for the community

- From Fatima (ra), came the great Hassan and Al-Hussain who changed the course of history Al Hassan facilitated the strength and peace of the ummah later on his life - The Prophet (saw) said: This grandson of mine is a Syed, and he will bring two conflicting Muslim groups together - All the careers must be there to support this role of the wife The Prophet (saw) advised Fatima (ra) after she complaint of her hardship through Ali (ra) that it was better for her to say SubhanAllah 33x, Allah Hu Akbar 33x and Alhumdulilah 33x The Prophet (saw) even visited them at their house at night time, what in-laws ever do this? The Prophet (saw) actually went and sat on their bed in between them The reciprocal love of Fatima (ra) for The Prophet (saw) After The Prophet (saw) passed away, Fatima (ra) was never seen to smile again and was constantly seen in worship When The Prophet (saw) passed away, Fatima (ra) was so sad that she also passed away 5 months later IN her final moments, Fatima (ra) asked for some water, perfume and than asked Salma (ra) to put her bed in the courtyard of her house. She (ra) was seen smiling, and when asked why she answered: I have an appointment today with Rasool-Allah (swt). She loved him (saw) more than anyone else Why is it today that we dont have a lot of information about Fatima (ra), Khadija (ra)? If we want to know them, we need to look at what they produced The strength in our ummah comes from our households The Ummah today gets its strength not because of its numbers (The Prophet (saw) once mentioned how non-Muslims would plunder the Muslims like hungry men fighting over a platter of food), the Sahaba (ra) asked how could this happen, that was this because they were few in numbers, The Prophet (saw) replied: You will be plenty on that day, but you will be like the foam on the sea) - Today most of us are in our teens, and half are the women, yet not many programs are done for them. - Remember we call her, Umm because she is the ummah - Again the most important career is that of the home maker, and this must be supported. Our responsibilities as parents are because of our own. If we want to produce the likes of Hassan (ra) and Hussain (ra), we must plant our seeds properly in the home - and if the branches are growing crooked we must fix them immediately The virtues of Khadija (ra) The Prophet (saw) was approached by Jibreel who told him (saw), Khadija (ra) has come to you with a drink, when she comes than give her the salaams of Allah (swt), and give her the glad tidings of a house made of pearls The importance of the family, the strength of the ummah lies with the family When choosing a spouse, look for the strong spouse in deen and in character A flaw in our childrens character lies because of our own deficiencies - Today we blame the times that we are living in, there is nothing wrong with the times that we are living in except for us Allah noticed them Sh. Mohammed Ibn Faiqh The man who got into Jannah for one special deed The hadith of The Prophet (saw) once sitting with his Sahaba (ra) saying how the next person to walk in will be a person of Jannah, and all the Sahaba (ra) wished it were them. It was not someone special, but an ordinary man from the Ansar. He was an ordinary man who came in, did salah, and left. This happened the next day and the day after i.e. it was definitely the same Sahaba. We dont know the name of this Sahaba (ra) , not many schools or institutions are named after this Sahaba (ra), yet he made it to Jannah and he was great in the eyes of Allah (swt) Abdullah Ibn Ummar (ra) went to shadow this companion, and saw nothing extraordinary for 3 days. When asked, the Sahaba (ra) replied that all he did was go to bed everyday without holding grudges.

- What is most special about these people (given the glad tidings while being alive) is that whenever they find out they are of the people of Jannah, they behave like the people of Jannah The man whose one deed of cutting a branch of the tree that was in the way of people was so beloved to Allah (swt) that he was granted Jannah The thought is what matters, that man thought to himself how it could harm someone else - he did not think that this was his mess The Prophet (saw) said: Allah (swt) appreciated this and forgave all of his sins - This isnt about being recognized in the duniya by the people, rather the recognition of Allah A Scholar would often make dua: I seek refuge in being significant in the eyes of men, and insignificant in the eyes of Allah (swt) - Your moment of glory may be that one small deed that you do for the sake of Allah (swt), as small as changing the diaper of your child or seeing something in the masjid that needs to be fixed and fixing it. Do not expect a reward from the people for what you do. Think that today this event will not happen again and this day will not come again, think today not of that large task which is really impractical but of that small task that may get you into Jannah that you have been neglecting The Parents Hood - Sheikh Yasir Birjas A son was rude to his Bedouin father, so the father presented in front of the governor asking why. The governor asked: Have you ever taught your son Quran?, Have you taught them the adab of dealing with your parents? The reply for these two question was in the negative, and so the governor wasnt surprised that his son behaved the way he did; your son treats you like he does the animals A parental conversation between the father and son in the Quran - Surah Luqman This has special lessons for the children and for parents to teach children the proper adab We and our children should memorize these verses in Surah Luqman Lessons from Surah Luqman Quran: We have bestowed upon Luqman wisdom, be grateful to Allah (swt). If you are grateful to Allah (swt) you will reap the benefits yourself, and if you deny and reject Allah (swt) He is free of all wants Important qualities to have for parents to their children 1. To have wisdom in raising your children - this wisdom could be knowledge, patience etc - We must ask ourselves how much time and effort have we spent reading books to educate ourselves, so where is our wisdom? - We dont read books and educate ourselves because we look at our parents and this is what we emulate, but this is not the case when it comes to upbringing Ali (ra): When you raise your children, give them the manners and the etiquettes that fits the current times - Today we tell our children that we have been through the same things as them, so big deal when they complain. This is incorrect according to the verse of Ali (ra) 2. Be grateful to the blessing of being able to have children - Do we understand how many people are trying so hard just because they arent married, or are unable to have children - Understand that this process is a pleasant experience, something that we reflect upon later and realize how sweet that time was 3. The importance of the father initiating the conversation and using reasoning instead of an authoritative term Allah (swt) says: Behold, Luqman said to his son as he was advising him, - This speaks about the style of that conversation. Luqman here initiated the conversation to his son, but how often do we do this in our life today? How much time do we spend on our children? - Luqman did not use an authoritative language and instead reasoned with his children

When children today ask why? The common ans from parents is: Because I said so. Kids today need an explanation, even if they dont understand it. Luqman was advising his son, and when he did this he also explained why - this may be illogical and irrational to the children, but here we see it does not mater Quran: Dont you turn your cheek to the people when you talk to them, and when you walk dont walk (arrogantly). (The alternative) Instead walk humbly, (the reason) cause Allah (swt) does not like those people that walk like this Why than do parents command their children the way they do? Partly because they dont want to look bad in front of their children 4. What was the first thing Luqman spoke to about his son? Tauheed Freeing your mind, your soul from all associations with Allah (swt) Quran: My dear son, never associate partners with Allah (swt) when you worship, cause associating partners with Allah (swt), committing shirk, is the greatest oppression against yourself and your own soul. - How often do we as parents do this? And this is not speaking about doing this in a formal setting E.g. when driving, think of the brilliance of the trees, and remind your children about the creator of them Everything taught to your child, non-secular included, tauheed must be incorporated in this 5. Luqman focused on one aspect, Watchfulness i.e. that Allah (swt) is watching all the time - An important quality, because you as a parent can not always monitor them How did Luqman do this with his child? Quran: My dear child, the weight of a mustard seed, had this been hidden somewhere under a big rock under a mountain or in the heavens, or anywhere on the Earth, Allah (swt) shall bring this forth 6. The right of the parents The entire surah has a beautiful adab of addressing the child; My dear child, my dear son Quran: And we have enjoined man to be good to his parents If Luqman had said this, the child may have thought a bias from the parents, but Allah (swt) intercedes here on behalf of the parents - Allah (swt) gave us this favor that He told our children to be good to us Quran: You be grateful to me, and youll be grateful to your parents Allah (swt)teaching the children, so if we teach our children this they will internalize being good to you Quran: And if they strive and they struggle to persuade you into associating partners with Allah (swt), than do not obey them - Obedience is thus not a blind obedience Never put your children in a situation where they must choose between obeying the parents conflicts with obeying Allah (swt) Quran: Keep very good companionship with them (i.e. when they ask you to disobey Allah (swt) I.e. do not insult them or be rude to them, be very nice and kind to them instead Quran: And follow the path of those who return/repent to Allah (swt) 7. To worship Allah (swt) and Allah (swt) alone And the most important of those being Salah, how often do parents come to the mosque without bringing their son, or waking their daughter for salah Quran: Salah helps people abstain from all kinds of evils 8. To be active and positive in this society 9. Teach your children the value of patience Patience is a better prize than getting what they want when they want it The Prophet (saw): Allah (swt) never bestowed a bounty or favor on anyone better than patience 10. Minor etiquettes Dont show off as you walk Dont turn your face when talking to people

The Prophet (saw): When you talk to people, do not be too loud, talk humbly Of the many things from Surah Luqman, we learn that we must teach our children the akhlaaq, again dont expect them to learn through observation. This has become a cultural norm where we dont actively teach our children how to behave. In conclusion -Surah Luqman is a road map for conversing with our children This is chapter 31 in the Quran, and all sincere parents must make every effort to make our children memorize this Q & A Session With Sh. Abdul Hakim Quick and Sh. Yasir Qadhi Advice on attending conferences and learning knowledge Sh. Quick: When your eyes are open to the smallest thing in your life, you can actually feel the presence of Allah (swt) Narrating his story of how he was sent by Sh. Baz to find Muslims in a country not known to have Muslims, yet at the immigration a brother by the name of Saleem said Salam to him. On the etiquettes of learning Islamic knowledge Sh. Qadhi: Adab is not the exclusive domain of Scholars in Islam, ignorant people may also have adab Imam Hanbal was once sitting with his students, and he narrates that he learnt adab from a barber during Hajj. How so? Imam Hanbal was tired and told the barber to hurry and just shave his head, but the barber showed very good adab: The barber said he would not do it quickly because the Prophet (saw) said when one of you does something you should do it perfectly Imam Hanbal acknowledged this and asked him just proceed with the haircut, and the barber said no again, The Prophet (saw) encouraged to start on the right and Imam Hanbal was facing the left with the Barber. And so Imam Hanbal acknowledged this adab again but asked the barber to hurry and start, but the barber again didnt as he said The Prophet (saw) encouraged saying Bismillah- before beginning, and so he did Sh. Qadhi: Further a scholar must understand that he can always learn from his student and in any situation Sh Qadhis reflections on his trip to Andalus When the Muslims were driven out, Christians didnt have the heart to destroy the mosques. Today most churches there are former mosques, many where you can see the minarets cut off and replaced with statues Grenada was the final Muslim post to fall in 1492, a plaque is commemorated here where the sultan is seeing bowing to Ferdinand and Isabella, who are receiving the key. Columbus was also here and observed this. There was a place in the sheikhs trip where Columbus had stayed for about 6 months before his discovery of America, and it turns out this was a mosque where Columbus had stayed. Columbus had asked for financing for his voyage to discover India (where he accidently discovered America instead), but was continually refused so by Ferdinand. Columbus was in fact being financed by a mosque and had hired Arabs (Arabs were experts at sea-faring). It was here, at the mosque where he stayed for 6 months, that he had drawn out his charts, even though he had intended to go to India he ended up in America. In Jan, 1492 Grenada fell, and in Sept, 1492 he discovered America. Thus Muslims were the ones who financed his discovery. Ar-Raabita mosque was eventually changed to Arabeeda, where Columbus launched all his ships as the Christians converted that mosque into a church. Sh Quick: Today the Spanish government has allowed lineage tracing, and so today many many Spanish people are converting to Islam as they trace their roots and find that they their lineage was Muslim. Quran affirms what is happening: This Earth belongs to Allah (swt), and He gives it to whom He pleases, ultimately to those who have Taqwa. Sh. Quicks reflections on travelling in Africa Africans were the only people whose names were taken away as they lost their Islam, as they lost Arabic, they lost Salah, couldnt fast and so on. Islam was literally snatched away from these people due to their restrictions by their captors. In Cape Town this did not happen, a man by the name of Sh Yusuf Muqased established a madrassa where Islam was kept alive and transmitted through generations. The people of his congregation were the Cape Malays. A new language was invented by them and it was called, Afrikaans and written in Arabic script. Today this is spoken across Africa. The oldest Afrikaan books are in Aqeedah, Fiqh etc

The Cape Malay people would wake up late night in chains and pray Tahajjud, making dua that their future generations have Islam. They would recite a certain verse of the Quran over and over again - Quran: Verily for the friends of Allah (swt), there is nothing for them to fear and there is nothing for them to grieve about. It was through these verses that they established hope. 150 masjids in one city today in Cape Town because of these duas, and they have developed some of the top Quran readers in the world. When Sh. Abdul Basit passed away, Qari Abdul Rahman Saadi from Cape Town recited Quran at a ceremony commemorating Sh. Abdul Basit, and he read such that it sounded like the sheikh was alive, it was imitated in such a precise way. In this story we find good news and hope for Africans and Europeans that have suffered from their Islam being snatched away from them. On Abu Ubaydah Ibn Jarrah (ra) - Sh. Abdullah Hakim Quick Today as the economies and the systems of the world crash, Islam provides hope. The character of the Muslim is one of the most important aspects of his Islam The Prophet (saw) said: I have been sent to complete the best in character The best of role models are the Sahaba (ra) of The Prophet (saw) and one of the best of these was Abu Ubaydah (ra) Tall, thin, his beard was very thin with spots and he had a pleasurable appearance i.e. he was polite, courteous and was described as being very modest and soft. This was interesting considering he was said to be the, the sharp edge of a sword when needed i.e. in combat Abdullah Ibn Omar describes him: There were 3 in the Quraysh who had the best of character and were extremely modest people. When they spoke they spoke the truth, and when you speak to them they do not have suspicion about you These three were Abu Bakr (ra), Uthman (ra) and Abu Ubaydah (ra). Abu Ubaydah (ra) accepted Islam a day after Abu Bakr (ra) and went through the trials of early Islam to the conquests later on. He was also seen as far as Ethiopia later on. The qualities of Abu Ubaydah (ra) His ability to overcome his tribal/national connections At The battle of badr he hesitantly killed his own father Abu Ubaydah (ra) was seen such that a man approached to attack him, but Abu Ubaydah (ra) turned away, but the man cut him off when he went the other way. This happened a few times where Abu Ubaydah was avoiding the man. Abu Ubaydah (ra) did not want to engage this person, but eventually had to, and with one blow killed this man. Later Abu Ubaydah (ra) was seen crying, and was asked why he was running away from this man. Abu Ubaydah (ra) replied that this man was in fact his father who he had just killed The Quran mentions such people that cut the ties of kinship for the sake of His deen Abu Ubaydah (ra) was able to overcome all such tribal and nationalistic connections He was flexible enough to practically deal with people of other religions Abu Ubaydah (ra) was sent to a Christian delegation to judge between their affairs, chosen by The Prophet (saw) for his truthfulness A Christian delegation came to Madina once, and came to The Prophet (saw) and said: We have great respect for you Muslims. They asked for a judge from these Muslims to judge between their disputes (property etc). Ummar (ra) narrates that he went to the masjid and waited after Dhuhr and hoped for his name to be called, but The Prophet (saw) looked around Ummar (ra) and chose Abu Ubaydah (ra) to solve the Christians property disputes. The trust and truthful reputation that he had The Prophet (saw) one day called in Abu Ubaydah (ra) and said: Every nation has a truthful, trustworthy person, and the truthful, trustworthy person of this nation is Abu Ubaydah (ra) At the battle of Uhud, when the mushriks returned to take revenge on the Muslims, Abu Ubaydah (ra)s intention was not just to protect the city, but The Prophet (saw) as he knew the intent of the mushriks was to kill the Muslims leader. He thus had one eye on the battle and one on The Prophet (saw). After the setback, when the Muslims were losing and The Prophet (saw) was under a personal attack (his helmet lodged into his face and crushed his jaw and his teeth), Abu Ubaydah (ra) was

one of those people who shielded The Prophet (saw) with his physical body. After the metal was lodged into the face of The Prophet (saw), Abu Ubaydah (ra) used his teeth (and lost his teeth) pulling out this metal from The Prophet (saw)s face. His Humility After the death of The Prophet (saw), Ummar (ra) gave pledge to Abu Ubaydah (ra) as the next khalifa, quoting: You are the most trustworthy person of this nation. But Abu Ubaydah (ra) turned this over immediately to Abu Bakr (as). Abu Ubaydah (ra) had the humility to give leadership to one who was most deserving Abu Ubaydah (ra) seen here did not have desire for leadership When the Muslims were attacked by the Romans, Abu Ubaydah (ra) and his army was sent to the area. Here a terrible plague had overcome the people. Ummar (ra), the khalifa at the time, sent a letter to Abu Ubaydah (ra) to return immediately to Madina. The intent of this letter being to protect Abu Ubaydah (ra). Abu Ubaydah (ra) replied, acknowledging Ummar (ra)s concern, but said that he had no desire to separate himself from his people and that when Ummar (ra) received the letter to relieve him of leadership of the army i.e. that he would die with the plague. Abu Ubaydah (ra) did contract a disease and eventually died. Abu Ubaydah (ra) on his deathbed gave an advice to us Muslims: Establish prayer, fast in Ramadan, give Sadaqah, perform hajj and umrah, remain united and support one another, be sincere to your leaders and do not conceal anything from them. Do not let the world destroy you, for even if a man were to live a 1000 years, he would still end up in the fate that you see me in. And than he said Salam, He than turned to Muadh Ibn Jabbal (ra) and asked him to lead the salah. Muadh (ra) than turned to the Muslims: Oh people, you are stricken by the death of a man, by Allah (swt) I have not seen a man of more righteousness and so close to Allah (swt) Lessions from the life of Abu Ubaydah (ra), on achieving a better character Quran: Allah (swt) will not change the condition of the people till they change what is within themselves 1. His character of truthfulness and that he held no suspicions of the people 2. Humility, yet he was strong when needed 3. Polite, courteous and unafraid to stand up for the truth 4. He did not scandalize people, did not accuse them of lying Sh Quick narrates that in Cape Town a 5 floor nightclub was set up neighboring the mosque This became a fitnah for the community, and many Muslims were seen at the club. Sh. Irfan, the imam of the mosque, physically went in to this club and removed his students from the club. Someone saw him, and the rumor spread that he was not just there but breakdancing in the middle of the club. It would have been better to just approach the imam directly without scandalizing the imam. The Prophet (saw) said: The person who carries scandals will not enter paradise 5. He had patience in adversity - in Makkah and Ethiopia 6. He rose above tribalism and culture He killed even his own father 7. He had no desire for leadership When needed than yes, but he had nothing in his heart for this 8. He obeyed leaders Abu Ubaydah (ra) served Abu Bakr (as) and Ummar (ra) when they were the khalifa, even though The Prophet (saw) called him the most trustworthy IF you are unwilling to follow, than you are not a leader 9. Selflessness He thought himself equal to the people in his congregation, seen in how he stayed with his army and endured the plague

10. Amanah - trust Without trust there is no relationship, and this applies to husband and wife 11. Even though he was committed to his faith, he was flexible enough to work with other religions Reflecting on the advice that he gave, he asked us to 1. Carry out our obligations (Salah, hajj etc) 2. That we should unite ourselves Khalid bin Waleed (ra)was a leader and a follower, At the time of Salah he was in the back as he was a new Muslim and hadnt had the time to memorize Quran and recite it properly, yet in battle he was the leader 3. Be sincere to your leaders He advised us to speak up in the family, in the mosque 4. Do not be fooled by the duniya Quran: The life of this world is but a deception Ultimate Success: Lessons from the Lives of the Prophets - Sheikh Omer Sulayman The story of Aasiyah (ra) A righteous woman who was going through such hardship, she had married the person of her dreams only to find hardship through him, so she turned her heart to Allah (swt). And her first instincts in her trials was to make dua to her beloved Allah (swt) to grant her a house in Jannah And through all that hardship she is granted Musa (as), the coolness of her eyes And she confronts Firoun directly: I have disbelieved in you, Firoun, and I have believed in the God of Musa and Haroon We must understand that Firoun was a gruesome and horrible human being - that he would cut off the limbs and poke out the eyes of people in public who would even slightly disobey him. Firoun had no reservations about torture and brutality toward the people. Aasiyah comes up to this man and confronts him directly that she does not believe in him. - Firoun thus orders her to be tied to 4 pegs in the burning desert with no food, no drink She had it all in terms of duniya, and she was missing companionship, and all she desired the companionship of Allah (swt) We must understand that Aasiyah had it all in terms of duniya, she was the most spoiled of human beings, and now she had this trial all of a sudden which was the worst of trials. She went from a princess to the lowest of lows from a duniya aspect. Aasiyah endured the peak of torture. Every day they would come and torture her, and after her torture session finished, the angels would come and shade her. While they tortured her, she laughed, and Firoun would ask why this is so. She would reply: I have only increased in Emaan and certainty, and I disbelief in you Firoun, and I believe in my lord the lord of Musa and Haroon When Firouns ego suffered so much and he realized he could not torture her possibly more, he asked his soldiers to go to the highest point and drop a boulder on her And her dua again at the time of her death was Oh Allah, build for me a palace with you She longed for companionship, and all she wanted was Allah (swt) for she gave up Firoun. And she continued, And save me from Firoun and his actions, and save me from a transgressing people And as the rock dropped, Allah (swt) answered both her duas - she could see her palace in Jannah, and she was seen smiling and laughing, and before the rock dropped, Allah (swt) took away her soul so the rock crushed her lifeless body Quran: Whoever leaves something for Allah (swt), Allah (swt) will certainly give them something that is better than that The case of a working woman hair dresser who did not have anything in this duniya Firouns daughter was once at the hair dresser, who once drops her comb, and says Bismillah- This dresser was a working woman who would return home once a day to feed her children Firoun was shocked when he found this out and brought this woman in front of the entire army. She is making this statement without being the wife of Firoun, so think of the implications this woman would now endure Firoun orders the army to bring the barbers children in front of her and orders each and every child to be burned right infront of the mothers eyes. Despite this, she did not commit kuffar.

When it came her time, she made one request - I was forbidden in this world from the companionship of my family, dont make distance between us in the akhira, so whenever you kill me, take my bones and their bones in one coffin. Firoun did grant this wish After she is killed her bones are put with her children. In the two above situations, one woman had married the man of her dreams only to long for companionship of Allah (swt), and in another situation, this woman had tasted nothing good of this world. The Prophet (saw) once smelt a beautiful smell in Isra-Wal-Miraaj, and asked Jibreel about this beautiful smell. Jibreel replied that this is the perfume of Jannah of the dying person. To all those who have no one, they should know that they have Allah (swt) and those who only have Allah (swt) they need no one. Sometimes Allah (swt) allows you to fall apart, but this is only so because He (swt) wants to put you back together. Umm Salama When she lost her husband Abu Salama (ra) and this man was actually a great husband and mujahid. When he died she asked how could she get better than him (ra)? Yet she was patience, and Allah (swt) answered with The Prophet (saw) as her husband Be patient and understand that Allah (swt) will give you something better, so long as you are patient. You will than taste the sweetness of Emaan. And if you have nothing in this life, than you have Allah (swt) The reality of this world is that someone will do something to you that you wont get back, but Allah (swt) gives us reassurance that He (swt) will give you Your rights back Quran: Allah (swt) has struck the example of the wife of Firoun for all of those who have believed. We must learn to be honest with ourselves, and apply the characteristic of siddiq in our daily lives The Prophet (saw), one day after returning slept in the house of a woman by the name of Um Harum. The Prophet (saw) woke up laughing, and when asked he replied: I saw something strange, a group of men from my ummah travelling in the seas in Jihad. She asked The Prophet (saw) to make dua that she were one of them, this is very strange and unlikely considering their desert life. The Prophet (saw) made this dua and it was granted 28 years later when the Muslims were crossing into Cypress under Muawiyahs rule. Um Harum fell off the ship and died right there, and today her grave is in cypress. Islamophobia - Sh. Yasir Qadhi Quran: We know, Ya Rasool Allah (saw) that your heart is at pain/your chest is constricted because of the things that they are saying. This verse shows an inner psychology of The Prophet (saw), of how he felt hurt when the critics spoke and acted out against Islam at the time - Thus if we feel internal anger and frustration from the Islamophobia, this is sunnah and natural And do not feel bad that you feel hurt, feel good about this inner aspect of yourself, this verse shows us to take this as a glad tiding. Again this is but a sign of Emaan. 1. Thank Allah (swt) for the frustration in your heart, it is a sign of Emaan The more anguish you feel, the more you should thank Allah (swt) for this anguish for this is a frustration that stems from Emaan. What did The Prophet (saw) do when he was faced with this hostility and persecution? Firstly the Prophet (saw) was not expecting this, when he was told by Waraqa Ibn Nawful that he (saw) will be kicked out, The Prophet (saw) was surprised and unprepared.

What was the first revelation ever revealed to counter Islamophobia? Allah (swt) revealed this surah to ease the struggle of The Prophet (saw) Surah Inshirah The purpose of this surah to console The Prophet (saw) against Islamophobia 1. Have we not opened your chest 2. Have we not lifted the burden on your back 3. This burden was causing your back to go down 4. And have we not raised your remembrance Rhetorical questions (i.e. answers for which are already known) here are asked in these verses. The purpose of a rhetorical question being to emphasize the obvious. 1. Have we not opened up your chest Thus Allah (swt) answers that He opened the chest of The Prophet (saw). Opening your chest in Arabic is an expression, a symbolic meaning, for making things easy. Scholars answer that The Prophet (saw) was so concerned before Islam that he began seclusion and avoiding the people, he (saw) did not know how to worship Allah (swt) until Islam came. Thus opening the chest in this case means the gift and blessing of Islam Quran elsewhere: give the example of the one whose chest we have opened with Islam Through this the purpose and main questions of life are now answered Also, The Prophet (saw)s chest was literally opened up 2. Have we not lifted the burden on your back Scholars have differed, but most say this means - have we not forgiven all your sins, otherwise your sins would have caused your back to go down We must reflect that if the sins of The Prophet (saw), as trivial as they may be, affect him, what about us? Quran: Allah (swt) tells The Prophet (saw): All your sins are forgiven 4. And have we not raised your remembrance Never is Allah (swt) mentioned that The Prophet (saw) is also mentioned after Him E.g. Adhaan, Tashahud, Salawat, Adhkaar And how does this relate to Islamophobia? This surah teaches us to look at the bright side of things, dont get bogged down by the negativities, the trivial matters in your life. Reflect upon the largest of blessings that you have been given - Quran, Islam, Forgiven sins, Being raised above other human beings etc This surah further teaches us that all of us share a blessing of The Prophet (saw) by perfecting our religion - we have Islam, and we must be thankful for this for it is all that matters. 5. Realize that with every difficulty there is ease A reminder of the three questions in a more generic form That with every problem there are blessings as well, but sometimes we only genuinely appreciate a blessing is when it is taken away from us For every difficulty, there are 2 eases Ibn Abbas: Never will we have the difficulty exceed the ease This verse also tells us that difficulty and ease are joined together i.e. with each trial that is sent down, Allah (swt) is sending multiple blessings at the same time. With every difficulty, Allah (swt) will give at least 2 eases if not more. This verse applies to all aspects of our life, not just Islamophobia 6. (There are multiple meanings, one mentioned here) Ibn Ashur comments on this verse: I dont think that there is any verse in the Quran that is more comprehensive and more deeper in meaning than these three words Therefore when you have free time, stand up and do something else From this we understand that we must be productive always in our lives

Allah (swt) did not tell him exactly what to do, but just to do for there are many things that can be done and this depends on the context of time and place From this we also derive that Allah (swt) will not take care of everything, we must do work This also means that when we finish our tasks of the day, stand up to Allah (swt) and ask Him to accept those tasks i.e. that when you finish your worldly actions, never forget your spirituality and your relationship with Allah (swt) 7. And remember that your desires (ultimate goal) is only going to be Allah (swt) (and His pleasure) The beauty of our religion is not in results, but in the sincerity and effort. Reflect - what other aspect of our lives will give us this kind of reward without results? Again, Allah (swt) rewards us for our efforts even if we did not reach our goal Thus in this Surah, Allah (swt) lays out the basic frame work for what we need to do to battle Islamophobia: 1. Anger and frustration must be put up in its proper place The Prophet (saw) channeled this frustration into something productive 2. Realize that whatever situation you are facing, Allah (swt) is blessing you with many good things but you are ignoring them 3. We all have a lot to do, and individually we all have a role to play 4. Never lose track of the ultimate goal - the pleasure of Allah (swt) Lastly Sh. Yasir comments that today there is a divide between the religious side of activism and the political side of activism. Our imams do not promote the physical side, where The Prophet (saw) went out and spoke to the mushriks, sent letters, advocated etc Political activism on the other hand neglects the spiritual side - These two messages must be intertwined together Again, the Sheikh concludes: 1. We need to have that relationship with Allah (swt), without this there is no success 2. Even if you have that relationship, you need to do something with it Stand up and be active and do something for your communities This must be assessed at an individual level, only one individual knows his own dispositions unique to them that will help the community, and this is all that Allah (swt) requires of you Allah (swt) will than reward you on your sincerity and efforts, even if you did not succeed in your efforts Houston we have a problem: Success in Crisis - Sh. Waleed Basyouni Allah (swt) has made the son of Adam connected to tests, wherever you may be and however you may be Quran: We created mankind to live a life of struggle Your tests are individual to you, and all individuals have tests; from debt, to your relationships, or lack thereof, or your work, or your health etc Instead of talking about your problems, talk to your problems Do something about the problems that you have, faced them directly The Prophet (saw): Allah (swt) did not send a single disease except with it was sent a cure 10 principles to live by in dealing with adversity 1. Whenever you see any challenge in life, first and foremost remember - trust Allah (swt), do not ever give up hope in Allah (swt)s mercy We see this in the Quran with the beautiful story of Yusuf (as) Quran: Only the disbelievers, ones who give up hope, would give up hope in Allah (swt)s mercy And so the children were asked to search for Yusuf Quran: Allah (swt)s mercy is so close to you, if you are amongst the believers Quran: And in Allah (swt) put your trust if you truly are a believer

The story of Musa (as) who led his followers to a dead end, a sea infront of them and Firoun and his army behind them. What was Musas response: Quran: No, Allah (swt) is with us The trust that you place in Allah (swt) will change the outlook of your life. On Imam Nawawi, he was trying to study medicine for the longest time but eventually he chose the deen for a better purpose in life. And today he has authored books such as the 40 hadith and Kitab-Us-Saliheen. 2. Hardships and ease come together Ibn Abbas (ra) commenting on this: I am so grateful to you Allah (swt) that you said with hardship comes ease, and not after 3. Always think about what Allah (swt) wants for you A black diamond and charcoal are of the same substance i.e. carbon, the difference being that atoms inside the black diamond are attuned to resisting pressure having been through a lot of physical tests Think of this as what Allah (swt) wants for you, to refine you through hardships It could be that Allah (swt) wants to raise you to a high level of Jannah, and so He pushes you toward it so that you may gain it - the push may be you striving to improve yourself on an aspect of your life that you have been neglecting 4. We should not be led by our problem It should not occupy our mind and heart 24/7 Our dreams, faith and goals should lead our life 5. Do not ever let your problems defeat you from the inside Live life as a victor, even if you may have lost never let this internalize The palm tree has the ability to be flexible, it will bend and turn but will always come back firm and straight - this should be the quality of the believer 6. Whenever you have a problem, do not deal with the symptoms, deal with the root of the problem 7. Watch your words, language is the dress of thoughts Do not say I cant, say I will try Use positive words 8. Be optimistic The Prophet (saw) loved this and embodied this characteristic In an experiment, two rats were placed to drown in a box of water within a few minutes. One rat was shown the exit while another wasnt, the rat that saw the exit managed to stay alive for 36 hours versus the other that died in a few. 9. Make dua Quran: Call upon me and I will answer your call Know with certainty that Allah (swt) will answer you 10. Consult do not complain Consult people for solutions instead of complaining to them Seek their advice