WiththeNameofAllah,AllMerciful,MostMerciful.

REFLECTIONS
byUsamaHasan
(InspiredbySaydalKhatirofIbnalJawzi,KhawatirofSalmanalAwdahandContentions
ofAbdalHakimMurad)

1 AllPraisebetoAllah.(Q.1:1)
2 Say:HeisAllah(Q.112:1)
3 Say:HeisMostMerciful(Q.67:29)
4 Say:HeisOmnipotent(Q.6:65)
5 Thequietprayersareassociatedwiththebustleoftheday;theloud
prayersareassociatedwiththestillnessofthenight.
6 Allahdeprivesribaofblessing,butHegivesribaoncharity.(Q.2:276)
7 InterestisnegativeZakat.
8 Allahsays,FastingisforMe.Mansays,Fastingisnotforme!
9 TheHajj:aJourneyofLove.(IbnalQayyim,QasidahMimiyyah)
10 MeccaisMajesty;MedinaisBeauty.
11 TheKabahisclothedinMajestyembroideredwithBeauty.(Ibnal
Qayyim,QasidahMimiyyah)
12 IntheOldTestament,hisnameisMuhammad,aquantitativeaspect
(fromtheformfaala),appropriatefortheMosaicLaw.IntheNewTestament,
hisnameisAhmad,aqualitativeaspect(fromtheformafal),appropriatefor
theChristianSpirit.IntheQuran,hisnameisbothAhmadand
Muhammad,appropriatefortheBalanceofIslam.(IbnalQayyim,Jalaal
Afham)
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13 AsurahofMajestyfollowedbyasurahofBeauty:alQamar(The
Moon)followedbyarRahman(TheAllMerciful).
14 Nuclearfissionisatypeoffalaq:donotuseittodisobeyRabbalfalaq.
(Q.113)
15 FromtheevilofthatwhichHecreated.(Q.113:2)Thereisevilinthe
worldbecausetheworldisnotGod.(MartinLings)
16 Ifwhatyousayistrue,mayAllahforgiveme!Ifwhatyousayis
false,mayAllahforgiveyou!(ReplyoftheCompanionsandFollowersto
peoplewhoabusedthem.)
17 TheMuslimtheoryofrelativity:lailahaillAllah,allisrelativetothe
Absolute.
18 Theturbanisthesymboloftheamanah(trust,responsibility)borneby
Man.(ShaykhAbdalQadiralMurabit)
19 Everything(shay)isamanifestationofHisWill(shaa,yashau,
shayan).
20 HistoryisapowerfulwitnesstothefactthatMuhammad(mayAllah
blesshimandgranthimpeace)wasindeedtheLastProphet,fortherehasnot
beenapersonevenremotelycomparabletohimsince.
21 Fromthebaraka(blessing)ofknowledgeistomentionitssource.
(ImamNawawiandothers)
22 The[apparent]anthropomorphismofGodintheQuranimpliesthe
theomorphismofMan.(FrithjofSchuon,UnderstandingIslam.i.e.Theissueof
theAttributesofGodreturnstothehadith,AllahcreatedAdaminHisimage.
cf.Khan&Hilali,TranslationoftheNobleQuran,4:86)
23 Thenumbersoftherakaatandadhkarareinperfectbalance,likea
chemicalorculinaryrecipe.(ImamGhazzali,TheAlchemyofHappiness)
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24 Theprayershaverakaat:two,threeorfour.Theangelshavewings:
two,threeorfour.Therakaatofthebelieverarelikethewingsoftheangel,on
hisFlighttohisLord.(IbnalQayyim)
25 TheGardenissurroundedbyhardships;theFireissurroundedby
lusts.Anothertransmissionofthishadithwithanimportantvariation:The
Gardenisveiledbyhardships;theFireisveiledbylusts.
26 HebeganthesecondquarterofHisBookwithPraise:theopeningof
alAnam.(ImamSuyuti)
27 Thecongregationalsalatistherealgroupdhikr.
28 Doeswearingaturbanorhijabelevatesonessense,aswellasones
centre,ofgravity?
29 Islamislikeasocietyofmarriedmonksandnuns.(SeyyedHossein
Nasr,TheYoungMuslimsGuidetotheModernWorld)Thehomeisthe
monasteryofthebeliever.(Asayingoftheulama)
30 Whenyoufearforhim,throwhimintotheriver!(Q.28:7)
31 Profanephilosophy:chewingthecud.
32 TheWahhabisemphasiseTranscendence;theSufisemphasise
Immanence.
33 TheWahhabisemphasiseMajesty;theSufisemphasiseBeauty.
34 TheWahhabisemphasisethefirstshahadah;theSufisemphasisethe
second.
35 TheWahhabisareasectoftheJews.(AcontemporarySufishaykh)
Inthatcase,theSufiswouldbeasectoftheChristians.
36 Thesonisthesecretofthefather.(IbnArabi)Thedaughteristhe
secretofthemother.(U.H.)
37 Everythinghasalreadybeensaid.(FrithjofSchuon)
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38 IsntitironicthatSchuon,anextreme,PerennialistSufirefutesthe
AsharisanddefendsIbnHanbal,appreciatingthedepthofhisapparently
superficialstatementswhilsttheorthodoxAshariscontinuetoattackthe
Hanbalis?
39 Alghuslminaljanabah:everypartofyourbodyhasenjoyedtheclimax
withanothercreature,sowasheveryinchofyourskintostandbeforeMein
purity!(IbnArabi)
40 Nofear,exceptofHim.Nohope,exceptinHim.(IqbalNasim)
41 Thewomanistheincarnationofthehome.(FrithjofSchuon)
42 Themadhhabistsforgetthatitispossibletostandontheshouldersof
giants.
43 TruerecitationoftheQuranistoactualiseitsteachings,fortilawah
meanstofollow:cf.Q.91:2(ImamAjurri)
44 MenreflectTranscendence;womenreflectImmanence.
45 MenreflectMajesty;womenreflectBeauty.
46 Prophethoodhasfortysixaspects.(Hadith)Everyhumanbeinghas
fortysixchromosomes,intwentythreepairs.ThePropheticqualitiesarelikea
spiritualDNA.
47 So,wehaveTheWahhabiwholovedBeauty.WhereistheSufiwho
fearedMajesty?
48 Hallajsaid,IamGod!Darwinsaid,Iwasanape!Each
accordingtohisownaspiration!(AkbarofAllahabad,satiricalpoet)
49 Thekharijisaremiskharijisofjustice.
50 Islamisthetariqa.
51 HebeganthesecondhalfofHisBookwithPraise:theopeningofal
Kahf.(ImamSuyuti)
52 Celebratingbirthdaysischildish.
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53 Ifanybirthdayhadbeenworthcelebrating,itwouldhavebeenhis
(mayAllahblesshimandgranthimpeace).
54 Thesunisthesiraj,theblazinglamp.Themoonisthenurmunir,the
reflectedlight.TheProphet(mayAllahblesshimandgranthimpeace)isSiraj,
NurandMunir.
55 Waveparticleduality:theparticlereflectsalHayy(TheLiving);the
wavereflectsalQayyum(TheSelfSubsisting).(AdaptedfromAishaBewley)
56 AnIslamicquantumtheory:lahawlawalaquwwataillabiLlah,thereis
nohawl(changeofstate)orquwwah(force),exceptbyAllah.
57 SufismandAdvaitaVedantismareessentiallythesame,withasurface
differenceofterminology.(MartinLings,WhatisSufism?)
58 WhatisSufism?IfitisotherthanIslam,thenwewantnothingtodo
withit.IfitisnothingbutIslam,thenIslamistheonlywaybywhichwereach
Allah.(ShaykhAbuBakrtheAlgerian,ofMadinah)
59 WhatisSalafism?IfitisotherthanIslam,thenwewantnothingtodo
withit.IfitisnothingbutIslam,thenIslamistheonlywaybywhichwereach
Allah.
60 ThefalsesufisshouldcelebrateChristmas,too.
61 Noonecancontainthewholetruth,excepttheMessengerofAllah.
(ShaykhHamzaYusuf)
62 Lifesajourneytakeaguide.(Coverslogan,mailordercatalogue.)
63 Betterapollutedjamaahthanapuresect.(ShaykhHamzaYusuf)
64 Thefitnahamongsttheulama(IbnArabi,IbnTaymiyyah,Subki,etc.)
islikethefitnahamongsttheCompanionswewithholdourtonguesandpray
forthemall.(ShahWaliullahofDelhi)
65 Everythingisoutwardlycreated(khalq),inwardlyaresultoftheDivine
command(amr).(ShaykhNuhKeller,cf.Q.7:54)
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66 Whoeveropposesfalsehood,wins.(MottoinscribedonanArabic
audiocassette.)
67 Raisingthehandsinprayersymbolisestheraisingoftheveilbetween
usandGod.(ShaykhIbnUthaymin)
68 MostpeopleoftheFirearewomenisnotthesameas,Mostwomen
arepeopleoftheFire.Aslongtherearemorewomenthanmenintotal,the
twosexeshaveanequalchanceofsalvationordamnation.StudyBayesruleof
mathematicalprobability!
69 NeverUnderEstimatethePowerofthePrayerStation.
70 ThefalsesalafisveiltheProphetwithhisSunnah.(ShaykhAbdal
HakimMurad)ThefalsesufisseparatetheProphetfromhisSunnah,andveil
himwithbidah.
71 Hewasneitherveiledbyunityfrommultiplicity,norbymultiplicity
fromunity.Thisiswhy,andAllahknowsbest,hekepthiseyesopenduring
salat.(ShaykhNuhKeller)
72 Theheadhascaughtfirewithgreyhair!(Q.19:4)
73 TheSunnahwithinIslamislikeIslamamongstthereligions.(Asaying
oftheSalaf)TrueIslamisnothingbutthetrueSunnah.Hence,Islamisthe
SunnahandtheSunnahisIslam.(AnothersayingoftheSalaf)
74 PoliticalIslam:politicalactivitybeforelearningIslamproperlyislike
marriagebeforepuberty.(ShaykhAbdulGhaffarHasan)
75 Loveyourbeloved,butdontgetcarriedaway:perhapshellbeyour
enemyoneday.(Alib.AbiTalib,mayAllahbepleasedwithhim)
76 HebeganthethirdquarterofHisBookwithPraise:theopeningsof
SabaandFatir.(ImamSuyuti)
77 Hateyourenemy,butdontgetcarriedaway:perhapshellbeyour
belovedoneday.(Alib.AbiTalib,mayAllahbepleasedwithhim)
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78 IslamisneitherIslamismnorSufism.
79 WhatwouldthefalsesufisdoiftheyevertookoverinMecca,God
forbid?PerformagianthadraharoundtheKabah?
80 Criticismisinfectious.(ShaykhAbdalHakimMurad)
81 Backbitingiscowardly.
82 Sarcasmisthelowestformofwit,andoftenthegreatestchasm
betweenfriends.(Englishsayings)
83 TheqafiyahoftheQasidahBurdahismim,forobviousreasons.Every
ayahofSurahMuhammadendswithmim,exceptfortwothatendwithalif.
84 Tosome,itisunbearablethatIslamhasmorethanonemadhhab.
(ShaykhAbdalHakimMurad)Toothers,itisunbearablethatweshould
benefitfrommorethanonemadhhab.(U.H.)
85 Hesaidtothefire,Becool!anditwas.Hesaidtothem,Beye
apes!andtheywere.WheneverHedecreesamatter,Hemerelysaystoit,
Be!anditbecomes!
86 AlQadr(Fate;Predestination)isasecretofAllahinHiscreation.
(SayingofAlib.AbiTalib&ofImamTahawi,Aqidah)
87 Theliteralmeaningofmortgageisthegripofdeath.
88 PeopletodayattackingImamsGhazzaliandIbnTaymiyyah:goats
buttingmountains.
89 Thesalafiideaofprogress:letsstartatthebeginningeveryday.
(ShaykhAbdalHakimMurad)Themubtadiideaofprogress:letskeepgoingin
thewrongdirection.
90 MenreflecttheOutward;womenreflecttheInward.
91 Islamophobiaisbecomingourequivalentofantisemitism:astickused
tostiflelegitimatecriticism.
92 Afterthereformersandreformers,wehavethedeformersofIslam.
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93 ThedeformersofIslamreplacethebreadthandflexibilityofthe
Sunnahwithanarrow,rigidmadhhabism.
94 ThedeformersofImanpollutethelightofrevelationwithconvoluted
kalam.(ThisislikedrinkingsewageinsteadofmilkandhoneyIbnalQayyim,
QasidahNuniyyah)
95 ThedeformersofIhsanabandonthespaciousStraightPathleadingto
Allahinfavourofalabyrinthofnarrow,cultlike,bidahriddledtariqahs.
96 Thebloggerhaskilledbalaghah.
97 ThecrescentisnottheonlysymbolofIslam.Alltheayatullah,the
SignsofGod,aresymbolsofIslam.Ininterfaithormultifaithforums,please
note!
98 Wheneverhesawme,hesmiledatme.(Jarirb.Abdullah,mayAllah
bepleasedwithhim).
99 ToAllahbelongtheMostBeautifulNames:calluponHimbythem.
(Q.7:180)
100 ToHimbelongsPraiseintheend.(Q.34:1)

London,29
th
Shaban1426/3
rd
October2005(updated8
th
June2009)
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