Many amongst the companions were giants, known for their feats and accomplishments. Abu Bakr As-Siddique RA for example, was known as the first Muslim, the person to affirm whatever the Prophet Muhammad S said. Bilal bin Rabbah, meanwhile, was known as the slave who cried naught but “Ahadun Ahad” as he laid burning on the ground, and whose rank Allah SWT raised to be the one who called Muslims towards prayer. Other companions, however, were not known for their exemplary characters, but for how the Prophet Muhammad (S) treated them.

Nuayman ‘ibn Amr Al-Ansari RA was one of them.

Belonging to the Banu an-Najjar of Madinah and being amongst the earliest Muslims of the city, Nuayman RA, just as the rest of the companions, had participated actively in numerous battles including the Battle of Uhud, Khandak and Badr, alongside the Prophet Muhammad (S).

Resident Prankster

Unlike the rest of the companions, however, Nuayman RA was infamous amongst them as the resident prankster.

Once, Nuayman RA went to the market and saw some food which appeared to be delicious. He ordered some and sent it to the Prophet (S), meaning it to be a gift. Upon receiving it, the Prophet (S) was delighted and ate it with his family, only to be approached for payment by the vendor of the food moments later. When Nuayman RA was summoned and questioned, his reply was, “I thought you would like it and I wanted you to eat some of it so I had it presented to you. But I don’t have any dirhams to pay the vendor for it. So, pay, O Messenger of God!”

The Prophet Muhammad (S) had a good laugh listening to Nuayman’s reason, and he paid the vendor the amount promised.

In another incident, Nuayman RA was on a trading expedition to Busra together with several companions like Abu Bakr As-Siddique RA and Suwaybit ibn Harmalah RA. Each of the companions was given a task, and Suwaybit RA’s task was responsible for food and provisions.

Knowing this, Nuayman RA who was hungry went up to ask for some food, but was turned down by Suwaybit. Disgruntled, Nuayman RA approached some Arab traders in the market and told them he had a slave boy to sell. “He has got a ready tongue and is very articulate. He would resist you and say: ‘I am free.’ But don’t listen to him,” Nuayman RA warned them.

Several dirhams were exchanged, and Nuayman RA pointed the traders towards innocent Suwaybit RA. They grabbed him and dragged him by the neck despite his repeated objections and scoffed as he claimed to be a free man, “He (Nuayman) told us you would say that.”

When word got out to the other companions and reached Abu Bakr As-Siddique RA, the latter ran to catch up with the traders and explained the true story. The dirhams paid were refunded, and all the companions – Abu Bakr, Nuayman, and even Suwaybit RA himself – had a good laugh. They later recounted the story to the Prophet Muhammad (S), and he too laughed even more.

Alcohol Addiction

On top of being known for his pranks, Nuayman RA too was known to have issues with alcohol. Despite knowing the ruling of Islam towards the intoxicating drink, Nuayman RA struggled with breaking his addiction, and was flogged twice for drinking.

Upon the second flogging, ‘Umar RA who was angered by Nuayman’s RA behaviour quipped, “La ‘nat Allah alayhi – may God’s curse be on him”.

The Prophet Muhammad (S), upon hearing this, was quick to intervene, “No, no, don’t do (such a thing). Indeed he loves God and His Apostle. The major sin (as this) does not put one outside the community and the mercy of God is close to the believers.”

Subhanallah.

In recounting the tales of Nua’yman RA, what were apparent were his love for tomfoolery, and his struggles in becoming a better Muslim. What was subtle was the fact that despite his shortcomings, he participated and risked his life for the sake of Allah and His Messenger S during the numerous battles for Islam.

What could have easily been missed, however, were the lessons we can learn from how the Prophet Muhammad (S) dealt with him.

A Unique Companion

Firstly, the Prophet (S) recognized that Nuayman RA had a unique character about him that was unlike the other major companions. Instead of chastising him for being different, the Prophet (S) took Nuayman RA’s antics in his stride and recognized his good intentions.

Secondly, despite Nuayman RA’s pranks and alcohol addiction, the Prophet Muhammad (S) did not deride him, but exercised patience in ensuring he remained part of the community. Perhaps in this is a lesson to learn in this day and age where takfir – the act of proclaiming someone a kafir – is easily thrown around when small misunderstandings occur.

Thirdly, from the Prophet (S)’s interactions with Nuayman RA, we find a sense of light-heartedness and ease. When Nuayman RA committed one prank after another, the Prophet Muhammad (S) did not bring up previous pranks, or make mention about the amount of dirhams he had to spend previously due to Nuayman, or even so much as groan. Instead, the Prophet Muhammad (S) laughed, again and again. He (S) appreciated the moment as what it was, held no grudges, and facilitated ease for Nuayman RA to get out of the hole he dug for himself.

The Prophet Muhammad (S) was indeed a Mercy to the Worlds. As for Nuayman RA, he indeed loved God and His Messenger (S), just as the Prophet Muhammad (S) had claimed; when fitnah struck the ummah after the Prophet’s passing, Nuayman RA was so distraught and filled with anguish that he laughed no more.

May Allah SWT’s blessings be on Nuayman RA, and the other companions of the Prophet Muhammad (S). Ameen.

Nur Fadhilah Wahid
Fadhilah is a seeker of knowledge at the International Islamic University of Malaysia. She blogs at www.fadhilahwahid.com

The Ethics and Etiquette in Disagreement – 9 August 2013

Celebrating Diversity Within the Muslim Ummah – 16 August 2013

Strengthening Religious Understanding – 23 August 2013

Developing a Sense of Spiritual Maturity in Facing Diversity – 30 August 2013

The series of khutbahs given across Singapore over the past month discussed a topic that is widely known but rarely publicly discussed: division and disagreement among the Muslim community in Singapore.

Ostensibly, the ummah in Singapore is fairly united. The vast majority of Singaporean Muslims follow the Shafi’i madhab in fiqh and the Ashari school of aqidah, and are either Malay by heritage or speak the Malay language. There appears to be little room for sectarianism or division given the general uniformity of the Muslim community here. In reality though, anyone with any involvement in the community knows about how much divison there really is. Those affliated with one teacher will condemn those affliated with another, and laymen will question the validity of one another’s tariqa, manhaj or other religious methodology. Even the learned are not immune to this, and their arguments lead to the confusion of the average Muslim. The age of the internet and Facebook on our smartphones means that these disagreements, which once were whispers in private gatherings, have become screams in the arena of social media. I found this particular section from the khutbah on 16 August very enlightening:

“Sometimes we see those with differences of opinion arguing on social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter and so on, when in fact there are those among us who have yet to be motivated to be closer to Allah s.w.t. We busy ourselves saying that so and so has been led astray, misguided or even deviated from the teachings of Islam, when in fact these issues that we are passionately debating about are issues that are still considered as khilaf (debatable) between the scholars. There are still many of our dear friends who have yet to know Allah s.w.t. and Rasulullah s.a.w, what more to fully understand Islam.” ¹

What is the use of debating over the merits of Al Ghazali or Ibn Taymiyyah, for example, when there are so many out there who have never heard of either? Worse still, there are many who do not know about our messenger, the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, let alone those who know about Allah, our Lord and Creator? And how can we love Allah and His messenger without first knowing them? I am speaking here about people who were born Muslim, who would never outwardly reject their faith and yet have little understanding of what Islam truly entails. Should da’wah not first be directed to them?

There are some who are worried, justifiably, that encouraging a diversity of opinions in Islam will encourage the propagation of deviant or liberal viewpoints among Muslims in Singapore. However, as stated in the khutbah on 13 August entitled “Strengthening Our Religious Understanding” there are certain points of division that cannot be accepted and could lead to one leaving the fold of Islam entirely, such as deviation in key points of aqidah or denying the necessity of worship or the prohibition of major sins. It is important to emphasise that there are things which are not acceptable in Islam so as not to water-down our religion. Yet the vast majority of arguments are not on such issues but on matters which are a matter of khilaf. It is vital that we as an ummah do not let disagreements become division to the point where one believes him or herself superior to another Muslim and it becomes takabbur, or pride, which was the downfall of Iblis. I quote Shaykh Nuh Keller, who writes:

“Most of us have acquaintances among this Umma who hardly acknowledge another scholar on the face of the earth besides the Imam of their madhhab, the Sheikh of their Islam, or some contemporary scholar or other. And this sort of enthusiasm is understandable, even acceptable (at a human level) in a non-scholar. But only to the degree that it does not become ta’assub or bigotry, meaning that one believes one may put down Muslims who follow other qualified scholars. At that point it is haram, because it is part of the sectarianism (tafarruq) among Muslims that Islam condemns.” ²

This focus on the assumed shortcomings of others is something that can distract us from our primary concern of rectifying our own selves and purifying our own souls. From the khutbah entitled “Developing a Sense of Spiritual Maturity in Facing Diversity”, delivered on 30 August:

“If we notice, the conflicts and divisions that have weakened our ummah today are driven by differences of opinion, which actually result from an illness of the heart. This illness is called i’jab bilra’yi, or being proud of one’s own opinions… If we allow this illness to take control of us, without realising it, we will waste a lot of time looking for the mistakes and shortcomings of our own brothers, and we will then exaggerate it. As a result, we will no longer feel at peace with ourselves because we will view others with hatred.” ³

I know that I myself am guilty of such mistakes, and that I should seek from Allah the removal these sins of pride and fault-finding from my heart, and instill in me love and brotherhood for all, especially my fellow Muslims.  I should strive to follow in the footsteps of Imam ash-Shafi’i, well-known for his humility even when debating others. Yunus as-Sadafi , a student and companion of Imam ash-Shafi’i, said of him:

“‘I have never seen a wiser man than ash-Shafi’i. I was arguing with him once about an issue and I left him. Then one day, he met me, held my hand and said: ‘Cannot we be brothers, even if we disagree about something?’’

Ahmad Zhaki Abdullah
Ahmad Zhaki holds a degree in English Literature from the University of London. He is a full-time executive at a local research institute and a part-time writer.

At the mention of “Nasi Padang”, I am sure most of us are more than familiar with this term. But how about “Nasi Ambeng”, especially one where you can eat as a group of 4-5 in a big tray! Sounds enticing, doesn’t it?

Nasi Ambeng is a traditional Javanese cuisine that is not easily found here in Singapore (at least to me!). The special thing about Nasi Ambeng is that the fragrant rice and about 7-8 dishes are traditionally served in large trays and eaten in groups of about 4-5 people. This becomes sort of a feast culture in the Malay community.

I had a chance to try out Nasi Ambeng with my family for dinner at Pu3 Restaurant. We did an advance reservation even though it’s a weekday night. I appreciated the fact that they had already prepared our table with the 2 high-chairs that I requested in advance. So, when we came, all we had to do was sit and eat! J Usually, restaurants wait for you to arrive and then they will start bring out the high chairs, and you have to stand and wait for them to prepare the chairs.

The food was already waiting for us when we sat down. Truly appreciated too! The service was good and the staff was very helpful with our requests. As it was already around 7pm, there was not much crowd in the restaurant when we were there.

The rice came with dishes such as:

• Sambal Goring
• Ayam Lemak Cili Padi
• Prawns
• Mixed Beansprout Vegetables
• Potato Cutlets
• Beef Rendang
• Serunding
• Kacang Ikan Bilis
• Paru

What more can one ask for? We also ordered an extra Tahu Telor, Asam Pedas Ikan Duri and Ayam Goreng Bumbu.

Now to review the dishes, well what can I say? Firstly, I must say that it’s a good deal for money as the portions are generous and for SGD$44.80 nett for 5 people, that’s a real good deal. The rice was soft and the dishes were tasty. Just one thing I must add here, the asam pedas and Ayam lemak cili padi sure is very spicy. So, for those of you who do not take spicy food, you might take a pass on the asam pedas.

However, the chicken and other dishes are simply amazing. The chicken or Ayam goring bumbu is very crispy and I really enjoyed it. Well, after all, it’s a nice setting to eat with your family for dinner! J

I also tried the éclairs which was super nice and soft! It’s like in a packet of 8-10 pieces at SGD$5.50. Good deal huh? The Pu3 restaurant not only serves Nasi Ambeng as it also offers other Malay traditional cuisine as well. Check out the website to learn more about the numerous menus it has. Not only that, the restaurant also does catering!

Oh by the way, it is always better to call in advance and reserve and the Nasi Ambeng set is at SGD$44.80 and if you walk in the Nasi Ambeng is at SGD$48. Would I go there again? The answer is yes! To try out the other dishes!

Suryanie Ismail
Suryanie Ismail is a freelance writer who graduated from Bachelor of Arts in Mass communication. As an avid traveler and gourmet food aficionado, she writes articles on food reviews, children and any other topics of interest!

What: “Glimpses from the Patience of Scholars”
Where: Singapore Post Auditorium
Who: Shaykh Ahmad Saad Al-Azhari
When: 11 Muharram 1435 (15^th November 2013), 8pm
By: SimplyIslam.sg

“Fantastic, very informative. He talks about the giants of the past but he is a giant for us! Inspiring, anecdotal, relatable. I left the evening full of hope.”

Bina Rahmah-Shephert, homemaker and student of knowledge

On a beautiful Friday evening, Shaykh Ahmad Saad began by telling his audience of 200 how much he dislikes his biography being read out at the beginning of his talks. A long biography so impressive to us but he asserts is nothing compared to the scholars of the past. SubhanAllah. Scholars so impressive, they should be considered ‘giants’, as some affectionately call them. Scholars with astounding patience. Many of us think of patience as simply waiting. But through the stories of these giants, we come to understand inshaAllah that patience can also mean perseverance and unwavering efforts.

Contrary to the descriptions that have been put up about the talk though, Shaykh Ahmad covered knowledge, in addition to patience. And as such, his talk the very next night complements if not completes this one.

The importance of knowledge

Many of us know the hadith in which the Prophet Muhammad (S) tells us the three things that continue after our death:

حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ حُجْرٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ، عَنِ الْعَلاَءِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، رضى الله عنه أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ ”‏ إِذَا مَاتَ الإِنْسَانُ انْقَطَعَ عَمَلُهُ إِلاَّ مِنْ ثَلاَثٍ صَدَقَةٌ جَارِيَةٌ وَعِلْمٌ يُنْتَفَعُ بِهِ وَوَلَدٌ صَالِحٌ يَدْعُو لَهُ ‏”‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ ‏.‏

Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Prophet Muhammad (S) said: “When a person dies, his deeds are cut off except for three: Continuing charity, knowledge that others benefited from, and a righteous son who supplicates for him.” (Jami` at-Tirmidhi Vol. 3, Book 13, Hadith 1376)

But we don’t realize that knowledge is all these three things at the same time. Knowledge taught to others is something that others benefit from, a form of continuing charity and in Shaykh Ahmad’s words, ‘The book of a scholar is his eternal son’. This is because the book continually lives on, as long as people keep reading and benefiting from it. In this way, the book is a son who ‘supplicates’ for him or her.

However, knowledge does not come to someone without his or her immense effort and perseverance. As such, Shaykh Ahmad shared with us four types of efforts or patience that our revered scholars go through to deliver the Islamic knowledge that we know today.

1. Journeying for knowledge

Shaykh Ahmad believes that one should travel to knowledge and that knowledge doesn’t just come to anyone. Journeying is evident in the stories of scholars such as the renowned four mazhab’s imams: Imam Syafie, Imam Hanafi, Imam Maliki and Imam Hanbali.

In particular, Shaykh Ahmad shared a story of Baqyi ibn Makhlad, a scholar who journeyed from across the seas to learn from Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (Hanbali). Unfortunately, Ibn Hanbal could not teach anyone openly as he was on house arrest. So every day, Baqyi ibn Maklad would dress as a beggar and visit Ibn Hanbal’s house. And every single time, Ibn Hanbal would write for and pass to Baqyi ibn Maklad one or a few hadith. Eventually, Baqyi ibn Maklad collected from Ibn Hanbal up to 300 hadiths!

2. Abandoning sleep and other pleasures

As someone who valued sleep very much, this part was the hardest for me to understand. Many of the scholars sacrificed sleep for knowledge and studying. Muhammad bin Muhammad At-Tusi was a scholar who divided his night into three: 1/3 for writing, 1/3 for Quran and the other 1/3 for sleeping. Another scholar simply states that he doesn’t usually eat or sleep.

Instead, such scholars only sleep when sleep overcomes them and once awake, immediately goes back to studying. Shaykh Ahmad commented that today we treat learning knowledge like being imprisoned. Throughout lessons in school, we look forward to breaks more than the lesson. Once classes are over, most of us rush out in glee.

Compared to the scholars of the past? The past giants had unmatched zeal indeed.

3. Undergoing poverty and selling belongings

Since worldly matters were not of importance to the scholars, many faced poverty too. Imam Malik was of the opinion that: “No one can achieve higher status in knowledge until he is hit by poverty or even until he prefers poverty to everything.” Such was the priority of scholars.

4. Losing books or having to sell them

Finally, a scholar or a lover of knowledge would hate to sell his or her books. Shaykh Ahmad mentioned that he recently (5^th Nov) shared a video on his Facebook account about an Iraqi man who had to sell his books because he needed to earn money for his children and family.The man was tearfully selling books that he’d kept for up to 20 years because he had no other choice. We may not understand the language used in the video, but the man’s emotions easily comes through.

But what is the parallel today?

How can we emulate these seemingly far-fetched efforts and patience of yesterday’s giants?

Shaykh began the answer to this by explaining that today, although things are easier with the technology that we have, some elements of the efforts remain the same. For example, it might be easier to travel today on plane than on foot in the past. However, in both instances, one leaves the family and has to adjust to new places as well as new people.

Knowledge is better taken in this way than if it was just within one’s home town and comfort. Only through these efforts, this patience, will the knowledge be taken with ‘two hands’. Additionally, the meeting of the people and experiences gained will add to that knowledge received. And then Shaykh Ahmad reminded us of a portion of verse 286 of Surah Al-Baqarah and shared an insight that saddened me.

لَا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا ۚ لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَعَلَيْهَا مَا اكْتَسَبَتْ ۗ

On no soul does Allah place a burden greater than it can bear. It gets every good that it earns and it suffers every ill that it earns. (Quran 2:286)

If Allah SWT only burdens people with what they can bear, then technology today doesn’t mean we’re better off than the people of yesterday. One of the reasons Allah SWT allows this technology to make our lives ‘easier’ could be because He knows we cannot bear as much as our past scholars. Physically at least, if not mentally as well, we are weaker. If we have access to such technology, we are much weaker. SubhanAllah.

Finally, Shaykh Ahmad answered the last question from the audience of the day by sharing that there was no such thing as the English phrase, ‘One’s patience wearing thin’. We either have patience or we don’t. We either bear with ignorance for now whilst we study to no longer be ignorant, or we remain ignorant for the rest of our lives. Such is a reminder for us all.

 “We have the lamest excuses to postpone studying about the deen. He reminded us of the obligation to seek knowledge. And we need these reminders.”

Yazmin Samsudeen, social work volunteer.

By being there at the talk, through this review or through the words of other attendees, may we all benefit from the talk and the beautiful insights of both the speakers and attendees, inshaAllah. To complement, or complete, insights from this event, read about Shaykh Ahmad’s talk the very next day on ‘Seeking Sacred Knowledge’ at the same venue and time, here.

Noor Hanisah Binte Noordin
Noor Hanisah is a full-time Muslimah, daughter, sister and learner. She is passionate about community service, outreach & development.

Bio of speaker: Shaykh Ahmad Muhammad Saad Ash-Shafi’ie Al-Azhari Al-Hasani is modest man of smiles, stories and poetry, frequently shares his own experiences during his talks as well as makes his audience laugh. Born into an Egyptian family of scholars descending from the Prophet(S), he memorized the Quran at age 10, studied Islamic Sciences from various scholars and graduated with a B.A. (Hons) in Islamic Studies from the Al-Azhar school system. He is a father of three, Director of Ihsan Institute for Arabic & Islamic studies, and teaches in the North London Central Mosque.

What: Seeking Sacred Knowledge
Where: Singapore Post Auditorium
Who: Shaykh Ahmad Saad Al-Azhari
When: 12 Muharram 1435 (16^th November 2013), 8pm
By: SimplyIslam.sg

“The event was well done, credits to be given to the dedicated committee who have planned and executed this knowledge seeking event and to have made it possible for the audience to meet and learn from Syakh Ahmad Saad Al-Azhari! Someone whose lineage can be traced back to Rasullulah (S)! In connection with this, Syakh has mentioned this when he was explaining about the importance of sacred knowledge for us. I quote, ‘We have a responsibility to be connected to the Prophet through a chain transmission.’ I feel humbled by this opportunity.” 

Shahirah Nassir, student

Just as the talk began, my friend whispered that she didn’t even notice Shaykh Ahmad Saad enter the auditorium of 200 attendees. Such was the humility of Shaykh Ahmad and the lack of fanfare for his entrance. Masha Allah.

Mentioning the previous day’s talk (Glimpses from the Patience of Scholars), Shaykh Ahmad Saad began the evening by reminding us of the importance of knowledge.

وعن أبي الدرداء رضي الله عنه قال سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول‏:‏ ‏ ”‏من سلك طريقًا يبتغي فيه علمًا سهل الله له طريقًا إلى الجنة، وإن الملائكة لتضع أجنحتها لطالب العلم رضا بما صنع، وإن العالم ليستغفر له من في السماوات والأرض حتى الحيتان في الماء، وفضل العالم على العابد كفضل القمر على سائر الكواكب، وإن العلماء ورثة الأنبياء وإن الأنبياء لم يورثوا دينارًا ولا درهما وإنما ورثوا العلم‏.‏ فمن أخذه أخذ بحظ وافر‏”‏ ‏(‏‏(‏رواه أو داود والترمذي‏)‏‏)‏‏.‏

Abud-Darda (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet Muhammad (S) said, “He who follows a path in quest of knowledge, Allah will make the path of Jannah easy to him. The angels lower their wings over the seeker of knowledge, being pleased with what he does. The inhabitants of the heavens and the earth and even the fish in the depth of the oceans seek forgiveness for him. The superiority of the learned man over the devout worshipper is like that of the full moon to the rest of the stars (i.e., in brightness). The learned are the heirs of the Prophets who bequeath neither dinar nor dirham but only that of knowledge; and he who acquires it, has in fact acquired an abundant portion.” [Abu Dawud and At- Tirmidhi] (Riyad As-Salihin Book 13, Hadith 1388)

Shaykh Ahmad shared that because the attendees came to seek knowledge, Allah’s forgiveness and blessings began not upon entering the auditorium, it began as early as when we first decided to attend the talk and seek knowledge. SubhanAllah.

Why is knowledge sacred?

In Shaykh Ahmad’s words, knowledge is ‘so sacred that we can’t just open a book a get it’. This vastly contrasts the common perception today where we usually just google or refer to our textbooks. The following saying of the scholar Abu Nu’aym hints that knowledge includes the adab and way of seeking it.

“He who does not respect the elders, show mercy to the young and honour the rights of our scholars, does not belong to us.” (Abu Nu’aym)

Knowledge is also sacred because it connects us directly to Allah SWT. With knowledge, we learn to understand and worship Allah. With knowledge, we are following the legacy of our prophets, the blessed men directly connected to Allah.

What does scared knowledge do?

Sacred knowledge saves a person from ignorance and sin. With knowledge, we come to understand why something is done or so. With knowledge, we learn to do things Allah is pleased with.

Sacred knowledge also gives one power over rulers. Whilst Shaykh Ahmad shared stories of Caliph Harun (during the Abbassid rule) asking his scholars to help settle national problems, we can also see this in our everyday lives. With knowledge, we don’t have to rely on authority. This doesn’t mean we don’t respect them. But we are better equipped to make our own decisions.

Tools for seeking sacred knowledge

There are 4 tools that Shaykh Ahmad explained we should use to seek sacred knowledge:

1.    Authentic books

Both content and order are important. We should be using books of valid, true knowledge and at a level which is suited for us. For example, we could be learning beginners’ Arabic but it wouldn’t help if we used a book for advanced speakers. The way the book is arranged will also make it easier for us to understand its content. This was why the students of renowned past scholars such as those of the four mazhabs took years to assemble and compile the teachings of their teachers into books. Books we easily obtain today such as Imam Tirmidhi’s hadith book Jami Timidhi and Imam Syafie’s fiqh book Riyad as-Salihin.

2.    Talented teachers

These have both knowledge and the ability to teach it. Shaykh Ahmad shares that talented teachers teach in appropriate levels: bite-sized first and then much more. For instance, Prophet Muhammad (S) taught a man to memorize the Quran by first verbally repeating the three Quls (Surah al-Ikhlas, Surah an-Nas, Surah al-Falaq) throughout a journey together.

During prayer together, the Prophet (S) reads the same surahs. Then, he advises the man to pray similarly every day. The Prophet (S) also had the man sit with him when the Prophet (S) settled disputes. Eventually, the man memorizes the whole Quran and even goes on to settle national disputes as a leader. SubhanAllah.

3.    A sound mind

Our food should be halal. Our activities should please Allah. Shaykh Ahmad reminds us to strive to obey Allah even in our thoughts.

4.    Studying and revision

I sat up at this. Shaykh Ahmad questioned what we’ll be doing with the notes we took during the talk. Does it sit on a shelf? Does it hide in the book, hardly looked at again? He reminded us to keep revising and re-reading it. Alhamdulillah, writing this event review got me to revise my notes. InshaAllah, during later revision, I should rewrite my notes into proper sentences (Admit it. You write in random words and doodles too!). I should also verify hadith and verses I heard snippets of and only scribbled (illegibly).

Importance of sacred knowledge for me (yes, you.)

We have a moral responsibility towards purifying our souls and that is through knowledge. We also have a responsibility to stay away from extreme ideas to differentiate scholars from claimants. Shaykh Ahmad asserts that Allah SWT may forgive us for our ignorance now but will He forgive us for choosing to be ignorant?

Is there a distinction between sacred and ‘secular’ knowledge?

Does math, science, languages and humanities quality as sacred knowledge or only ‘secular’ knowledge? Shaykh Ahmad clarifies that sacred knowledge is that which is for Allah SWT only. ‘Secular’ knowledge usually has more than just one reason. We may study for Allah but we will later use that knowledge (and the diploma/degree we earn) for a job, to earn money, to attain status. However, some also study religious knowledge to qualify for a job (to be an ustaz). And so, religious knowledge is not necessarily sacred knowledge.

Thus, every form of knowledge is split into two parts: for dunya and for akhirah. The bigger the part we use up in this world, we get a smaller remaining part of it in our akhirah. The bigger the part for akhirah, be it by the nature of the knowledge or how we use that knowledge, the more sacred it is. Notably, sacred knowledge is also that which teach us how to survive in the akhirah as compared to ‘dunya survival’.

Do we self-study? How should we start?

Finally, Shaykh Ahmad cautions us against studying without a teacher. Alone, there is no one to tell us when a certain information or knowledge is wrong or invalid. Syaitan may become our teacher. May we all be reminded and careful always, inshaAllah. 

Shaykh Ahmad also reminds us that the pleasure of doing haram will disappear but the sin will stay with us. Similarly, the pain or difficulty of doing halal will disappear but the reward will stay. We should focus and do little at a time. Imagine that if we memorize an ayat a day, we memorize the Quran in 8 years. And how many of us remember 8 years ago like it was yesterday? SubhanAllah.

Other answers and reminders

I left the evening with many of my internal questions answered. A newfound friend that I travelled home with shared her thoughts on whether we should aspire to forgo sleep as much as the past scholars did. I was still thinking about this aspect of patience that Shaykh Ahmad shared during his talk ‘Glimpses from the Patience of Scholars’ the day before!

She shared that whilst we sleep for 8 hours, scholars ‘napped’ for 2 to 3 hours and feel as well-rested as we do. Masha Allah. Doing zikir before sleep may help us get this kind of rest, inshaAllah. May we all benefit from the talk and the beautiful insights of both the speakers and attendees, inshaAllah.

Noor Hanisah Binte Noordin
Noor Hanisah is a full-time Muslimah, daughter, sister and learner. She is passionate about community service, outreach & development.

What: “I Don’t Believe In Reality”
Where: Drama Theatre, School of the Arts
Who: Mohsin Hamid
When: Sun, 10 Nov
By: National Arts Council, Singapore Writers Festival

You may have read the books, you may have seen the movie, you may even share a similar heritage with this South Asian writer. Or you may be like me…Pakistani but never been to Lahore, loves books but never read a Mohsin Hamid, adores Kate Hudson, but never watched The Reluctant Fundamentalist.

So on a very ethnic day (I say this as I had been scouring Kandahar street at noon), I set out to discover who Mohsin Hamid is. I mean, I had seen his books in libraries and heard of him, but more importantly, I wanted to find out what about reality he doesn’t believe in.

I was greeted by posh-sounding South Asian literary contemporaries-with their crop haircut and pashmina wrapped around their plump shoulders, carrying a Mohsin or two in their hands. I was lost in conversations not involving me, but rather, surrounding me. The air was filled with laughter and loud banter in thick accents.

I sat there, not a desi, but a typical Pakistani.

And here’s this man, brown, semi-bald and short-bearded- a classic desi man, but not a typical Pakistani. The Princeton and Harvard graduate who weaves themes such as politics, modern society and success into his prose with great eloquence, claims he has no first language. Having learnt Urdu and Punjabi before English, Hamid tried to reconcile the two worlds he lived in- Pakistan and America- through creating imaginary countries of his own that didn’t exist in reality. But then again, he doesn’t believe in reality…or does he?

Hamid started off with a introduction to set the scene, so non-readers like me would be able to grapple with his writing. After listening to him read out chapters from his books, I realised instantly, that I was a fundamental player in this literary work. That is, I get to shape what happens. I am not passive. And so are you.

The novel unfolded like a court trial as contradictory narratives were presented. And the reader becomes the judge in his novel (a law school dissertation in disguise). But then, he says, there are essays and there are novels. An essay is an opportunity to present a point of view, a novel, is something else.

He speaks of the urban reality of growing up in Lahore- the crime, drug use and sexuality in Moth Smoke, while The Reluctant Fundamentalist quickly evolves into more mature concepts like identity and spirituality. It is about a man living in New York. A man, who like many of us, questions, “Why am I here?” and “What am I doing?”

Mohsin Hamid had completed his book before the September 11 attacks in 2001, so he had to, then, grapple with the aftermath of 9/11. And he didn’t want to deal with 9/11.

“I wanted to create a mirror for the reader, not a gramophone for myself,” he said, standing at the rostrum.

He questioned, “If Islam was a voice, what would that voice be?”, then answered, “There is no such thing as a Muslim voice.” In a sense, he meant that Muslims as individuals are unique. While The Reluctant Fundamentalist evokes a feeling of dealing with religion, it is not at all about religion.

Hamid cites an example of an encounter he had with a dreadlocks guy from the USA who thought he was writing about him and that the book actually described him. On the other hand, a young lad from Karachi wrote in a letter to Hamid that his friends and him loved the drug and sex scenes the most. Basically, Hamid is trying to point out that the generalisations we make about each other are often false.

He then talks about the creation of the film, based on his book, which served as a political act where people could all transcend their differences and make a film together. The film was a collaborative effort by Americans, Pakistanis, Indians and other nationalities.

Mohsin Hamid, goes on to talk about his self-help-sounding-title novel, How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia. It entertains with underlying issues like, “How do we live?” and “How do we die?” spiritual questions. He adds that so much of religion is now politicized: “It’s not getting rid of the anxiety, it’s monetizing it.”

The book resonates with everyone and is not a purely Muslim, Hindu or Atheist book.

Finally, Mohsin Hamid tackles the much-awaited statement we were all there for, “I don’t believe in reality.”

“I don’t believe in reality. We are all constructing this. Whether you are a Zen master, Sufi mystic, or neuroscientist, the stories we tell about ourselves are partly fictional,” he says.

In other words, we create our realities.

With regards to books, “We [writers] create a half novel, the reader creates the novel. Writing a novel is a quest to answers I don’t know.”

“I never know what I am,” says Mohsin Hamid.
I, the audience, the reader, was left to construct. My own reality.

Nawira Baig
Nawira Baig is a Mass Communication graduate from Ngee Ann Polytechnic’s School of Film & Media Studies, and is currently pursuing a degree in psychology. She has a newfound passion-being a hijabi.

Bio of speaker: Mohsin Hamid was born in 1971, in Lahore, Pakistan. He is the author of Moth Smoke, The Reluctant Fundamentalist, and How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia. He is an award-winning author with his books making it to the bestsellers list and translated into over 30 languages. His book has also been adapted into film. Mohsin Hamid regularly writes for the New York Times, The Guardian and other publications. Having studied in the USA, he now resides in Lahore. 

Some time ago, the following message attributed to an esteemed scholar went viral all around the world:

It is a wonderful, motivating and uplifting message… Except that a third of it was not even from that particular scholar.

I know this because the original source of the message is a close friend of mine. In a private online group, she had paraphrased what her friend in Tarim had relayed to her, and added on to it her personal du’a for members of the group.

Out of good intentions, several of the group’s members shared the message both online and offline in its entirety, without seeking permission or clarification, and with the mistaken assumption that the whole message was from the scholar. True to the click-happy nature of people today, that message was then forwarded, shared and liked to the extent that it was impossible to rectify the error (my friend did try).

In a matter of hours, hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of Muslims from Morocco to Malaysia had become the audience of a message that was meant for a private group of ten. And it was not even the ‘right’ message.

Internet: Your Guru?

The above incident, coupled with several things I learnt from attending a forum titled “Internet, Your Guru?” organized by Muhammadiyah Association of Singapore, made me realize two things.

Firstly, as the source of a message, we have to take full responsibility of its contents. Unfortunately, messages that look good only on the surface are not as easily weeded out as messages that are explicitly bad, like aiding in the public shaming of a fellow Muslim or engaging in online fitnah.

In our zeal to share a ‘good’ message and accrue the rewards that come with it, many of us fall into the error of not checking the reliability of said message. Because clicking ‘share’ seems like a shortcut to doing good, many of us do not care to take the arduous task of verifying what we spread.

Reliability, according to brother Walid during the forum, can be discerned through four factors – the accuracy of the message, its coverage (partial or full), the objective as to why the message was created, and the authority by which the source of the message holds in sharing that message.

Some questions brother Walid proposed we ask ourselves before we go on a sharing frenzy are, “What is the basis, background and motivation of the author, publisher or paper?”, “What is the benefit of me sharing this information?” and lastly, if we are able to argue both for or against that message.

Secondly, as receivers of a message, we have to be wise in discerning what is wrong, what is right, and where we take our messages and information. This was the focus of the forum, and rightfully so in this day and age of Syeikh Google, Ustadh Facebook and Mawlana Twitter.

All three panelists of the forum agree that the Internet is not meant to be anybody’s “Guru”, but its function is merely as a tool. Learning the Deen has to be an offline endeavor; our resources should be real teachers and syeikhs we can meet and ask questions from in real life.

Ustaz Mohd Kamal likened the Internet to a jungle – in it are many resources, but without the right knowledge of navigation and survival, in it too are many dangers. As it is, even published works with editors and gatekeepers contain countless disinformation and misinformation, what more the Internet that gives the power of publishing to any layman with a 56k dial-up connection.

As such, Ustaz Abd al-Halim reminded the 70 attendees of the forum of verse 6 in surah Al-Hujurat, where Allah swt said, “O you who have attained to faith! If any iniquitous person comes to you with a [slanderous] tale, use your discernment,lest you hurt people unwittingly and afterwards be filled with remorse for what you have done.” Therein lies the importance of verification in accepting and in disseminating messages.

Additionally, Ustaz Halim too mentioned that reading or understanding a message does not necessarily means having knowledge. Al-’Ilm is light, and light comes with having Taqwa of Allah swt.

Taqwa, on the other hand, does not come from ignorantly sharing, forwarding and liking any and every ‘good’ message. Taqwa comes with being mindful of Allah swt, and hence, with being mindful of every action we make and every message we spread. Taqwa shows in practicing adab, right from seeking permission to share private messages, to seeking knowledge of the Deen.

Just as the esteemed scholar in the cited example had mentioned that the Muslims won the battle of Badr even as they were severely outnumbered due to Divine Help, we too have to remember that in the tangles of messages that the World Wide Web hold, quality and blessings from Allah swt far surpass quantity.

And yes, my close friend, the organizers of the forum, Brother Walid, Ustaz Kamal and Ustaz Halim have all given their permission for this article to be published.

Please, feel free to share it ;)

Nur Fadhilah Wahid
Fadhilah is a seeker of knowledge at the International Islamic University of Malaysia. She blogs at www.fadhilahwahid.com

In this new era, technology has become an essential part of our lives. We are connected to the Internet and more importantly, connected to the people around us and around the world. Conducting ourselves in person, we know all too well the rules that govern it. In the online world, it is not written black and white on the etiquettes we must uphold and we tend to lose ourselves in all the easily accessed information.

With the advance in technology, social media has turned into a big part of our lives. Grandmothers can see their grandchildren’s photos, you can share a new cafe with amazing coffee art, or a best friend can be half way around the world for a vacation and still be able to communicate with us and show us photos of another country. We want to be close to our friends and families, sharing as much of our lives with them as we can.

Behind all the typing, uploading, and updating of our walls, we feel this sense of security and safeness because there is a ‘barrier’ between us and the rest of the world – the barrier of our devices: iPhones, Samsung Galaxy, iPads, tablets, laptops, desktops and any devices we use more than 5 hours daily. But, how much is too much?

Despite being able to hide behind them, the information we share and the way we behave online may not be enough to protect ourselves.

Our privacies are invaded the moment we sign up with any form of social media, or basically anything on the Internet. Our personal information is taken from us and our profiles are available for everyone to see.

We can be dressed and covered modestly in our hijab in person, and watch our own behaviour around others publicly, following the Qur’an and Sunnah. However, when we tap on that Facebook app and go on to read updates or update our status, we need to remember that the hijab takes on more forms that just how we conduct ourselves in person.

In modern times with technology by our sides, we should try our best to also protect ourselves online since we interact with many people across the Internet. Here are some online etiquette we can follow:

No. 1: Set up privacy settings for your own personal updates, photo albums and profile.

An update or upload of a single photo on Facebook or Instagram may seem like nothing on our side, but many others connected to us via the social media will see a new notification pop-up. It means even your acquaintances or your friends’ friends, or even that one person who added you because you were from the same school but of different graduating year, can see what you are having for lunch today.

The guy who lives in the next block knows what you are wearing today – that cute pink headscarf with a beautiful pink dress, carrying that dainty white handbag, or your group of hang out buddies can see how beautiful your wife is on your wedding anniversary date. It is kind of uneasy knowing someone on the streets will know how you look and so much more!

So, sort out your friends list if the social media platform allows. Set blocks and permissions allowing only your family and close friends to be able to view all that you want to share.

No. 2: Cut down on leaving comments, chatting or liking photos and updates for people (especially of the opposite gender).

Not that you cannot share your thoughts on things, try to cut down on having unnecessary interaction with friends or acquaintance of the opposite gender. Imagine it as though you are interacting with them face-to-face, online makes no difference. Especially with your future wife or husband being able to see all your activities, it will be wise to communicate with those who are important and friends of the same gender only than to strain your relationship just because you liked a photo.

Another thing is to watch your language. Being online does not grant us the permission to freely use obscene languages while communicating with others. The same Hadith still applies to online communication.

No. 3: Avoid uploading excessive photos and giving too much information.

We must protect our modesty and the modest of the people around us. While it is understandable that we would want to show our beautiful children, wives, husbands, family or anything in our lives to everyone else. However, we must remember our duties to take care of the privacies of the people around us. Do not upload photos excessively of families and friends, or posing and uploading 200 selfies. Remember, there are so many other people that we do not know in person seeing our photos!

Not only photos we must moderate, our status updates on our thoughts and happenings in our life must be moderated as well. There is no need to post every single thought and happenings in our lives. It will not be nice for the neighbour to know what we are fighting about last night, or the counter-arguments you had in mind that you cannot voice out to your wife who keeps going on and on. TMI! Or, the thoughts we have of the girl we saw in the train who is not dressed appropriately – protect ourselves from unnecessary sins of gossiping.

No. 4: Do not stalk people we don’t know or people we think are ‘hot’ or good-looking.

It is not okay to flirt or openly stare at other people in the train or in public because we think they are pretty or handsome. In person, we watch ourselves to lower our gaze (for both men and women). Same goes for online, we should lower our gazes online and only look or interact with the circle of friends and family we have. We do not want to turn into a creepy stalker if it is in real life.

This will help to preserve any loving relationship we have because we are guarding ourselves from checking out ‘new’ people and causing unnecessary arguments.

No. 5: Share any new knowledge on your social media platform.

Da’wah does not stop outside of our computer. Learning and sharing knowledge on Islam goes beyond classes and talking to the people around us. Take the opportunity that we have many people that (majority we hardly meet in real life) are connected to our pages, perform da’wah by clicking share on any Islamic Hadiths or advices or even updating your own status with anything you learnt offline.

That way, not only will your friends and family be able to learn from you, non-Muslim friends will be able to gain some knowledge on Islam when they scan through their news feed. Minimize any sins committed and gain some rewards from using your Facebook everyday!

As we move into modern times, all which had been revealed to our Prophet (S), more than 1400 years ago, are not irrelevant in our times. Striving to improve ourselves as Muslims and trying our best to follow the Sunnah, the teachings from the Qur’an and Hadiths should be adapted to our modern context. With the advancement of society and technology, all the more we cannot forget our foundations. Make the Internet and social media a way for us to earn rewards from Allah SWT.

Nawira Baig
Nawira Baig is a Mass Communication graduate from Ngee Ann Polytechnic’s School of Film & Media Studies, and is currently pursuing a degree in psychology. She has a newfound passion-being a hijabi.

In Singapore, parents start sending their children  at young age to pre-schools and then to secular Primary school and so on, for the sake of their children’s future – to gain as much knowledge as they can. What about Islamic Education that is missing from secular schools? Islamic education is equally as important to a Muslim child, or even more important, as to the secular education.

1. Islamic education instills in a child the foundations of Islam.

Islam is a way of life for us Muslims, not simply a belief. In order for a Muslim to grow up living his life in the Islamic way, he must learn and practice Islam from a young age. When a child is young, he is the most impressionable and absorbs knowledge just as how it is taught. A quote from Al-Ghazali that a child “is a trust (placed by Allah) in the hands of his parents, and his innocent heart is a precious element capable of taking impressions”. When a child is born, he starts learning about life and everything around him. Information is absorbed like a sponge.

In Madrasahs around Singapore, children will be able to learn about the basic foundations of Islam formally such as Fiqh, Qur’an, Hadith, Tauhid, Arabic language, History of Islam and our Prophet (S). The formal Islamic education will keep the values and basics of Islam ingrained into the life of a child.

2. Islamic education educates the child with the right knowledge of Islam.

Providing Islamic education allows the right knowledge of Islam to be taught to children. Parents or grandparents may not have 100% knowledge or correct information as they may not have gone to classes formally for all aspects of Islam.

Rather than a child living his life believing or practicing something wrong, formal Islamic education enables a child to learn about Islam from properly trained teachers and from reliable resources provided for them. At weekend Madrasahs such as SimplyIslam, teachers are certified to teach Islam and textbooks or materials are provided with strict accordance from MUIS and Iqra International Education Foundation.

3. Islamic education keeps Islam in the life of the child.

For children attending secular primary, or teens attending secular secondary school, they hardly have any contact with Islam in any part of their lives in school or after school. To keep Islam close to the hearts of our children, sending them for Islamic education at weekend Madrasahs for a few hours a week puts Islam into their minds. Throughout their school week, they will be able to keep in mind the teachings from their Madrasah over the weekend.

Moreover, there are many options close to home for such weekend Madrasahs. Mosques in all parts of Singapore provide a.L.I.V.E. programmes for children as they grow from age 5 to 20. This can help to facilitate the learning process progressively, and he never stops learning and keeping in contact with Islam daily or weekly.

4. Attending weekend Islamic schools gifts them good companions.

In the secular schools, religion is rarely or ever mentioned or seen. If Islam is not being practised at home, our kids might never see the importance of Islam in their lives at all. When your children attend Islamic school, even if for an hour each week, he/she is exposed to other Muslim peers in their age group who are also learning.

If religion and piety is seen as ‘uncool’ in secular schools, weekend madrasahs such as SimplyIslam or at the mosques allow students to practise it with ease and to even compete in goodness and piety!

Giving a child formal Islamic education is as or more important as providing any other form of education. For the best for our children and for them to grow to be good Muslims, we must provide them the easily available Islamic education for them to start living their lives with Islam from young.

Azzahra Durra
Azzahra Durra is a Chinese Muslim, and has been a Muslim since she’s 21. She’s a married, crazy cat-lady who blogs whenever she can in her blog at http://herharem.wordpress.com.

Book Review: Muhammad (saw) The Perfect Teacher: An Insight Into His Teaching Methods

by Sheikh ‘Abd Al-Fattah Abu Ghuddah. Revised Translation by Moulana Mahomed Mahomedy

As a teacher in a primary school just starting out, feelings of inadequacy and stress wash over me from time to time. Sometimes, one needs constant reminders and motivation. Then, a beloved sister pointed me towards this book and I immediately grabbed my hands on it and read it.

Alhamdulillah. It made me feel immediately connected to Rasulullah (saw) for he (saw) was a teacher too, and he (saw) was the best teacher that ever lived. MashaAllah, what an inspiration. And it is a good book not just for school teachers but for everyone for we all are teachers in our own way, be it to our children, our siblings, our friends.

The book starts first with illustrating the Prophet’s (saw)  role as a teacher, and continues with his (saw) personality as a teacher, detailing his excellence and perfection. Then, the book describes forty teaching methods of Rasulullah (saw), referring to various ahadeeth. Reading the book, one can only, inshaAllah, grow in admiration, respect and love for  Rasulullah (saw), at his immense wisdom, patience, and kindness.

For example, Rasulullah (saw) would answer a question such that it suited the needs and individual differences of students. When Abu Dhaar (ra) once asked the Prophet (saw) for advice and he (saw) said, “I advise you to fear Allah wherever you may be. And follow an evil deed with a good deed so that the latter wipes the effect of the former. And deal with people in a noble manner.”

In another hadith, Abu Hurairah (ra) reported that a man once asked Rasulullah (saw) for advice and he (saw) said, “Don’t get angry.” The man repeated the request for advice several times and each time the answer was the same. This just illustrates how much Rasulullah (saw) was familiar with his students (ra) and how much thought he put into his teaching.

I was also inspired in the book when I read how it describes Rasulullah’s (saw) patience and determination – he changed the Arabs who were once stern, crude, some with detestable temperaments, all of which did not faze him. He tolerated such behaviours until they submitted and changed to become amazing personalities (ra) who submitted to Allah and followed His Messenger (saw), defending and rallying around him (saw). If there was no other miracle at the hands of Rasulullah (saw) besides the transformation of the companions (ra), that would have been enough of a miracle to attest to his prophethood (saw).

This book gave me so much hope, because in following the methods of Rasulullah (saw) as described in the book, perhaps we too can handle difficult students or situations encountered while teaching.

This used-to-be-helpless primary school teacher, through reading the book has, alhamdulillah, managed to learn practical tips for teaching, such as using stories, and similes, using humour at appropriate times and so on.

More than that, what I gained was enthusiasm and renewed passion for my role as a teacher, because I have the comforting knowledge that Rasulullah’s (saw) example is present for me to follow, and his way (saw) is the best way. May we ultimately inshaAllah, gain the favour of Allah (swt) as we try to emulate the methods of our beloved Prophet (saw). And may Allah bless Sheikh ‘Abd Al-Fattah Abu Ghuddah for this book. Ameen.

Sumaiyah Mohamed
Sumaiyah is currently a teacher at a primary school. She enjoys reading books, drinking lots of tea and taking walks.

Event Review: Shaykh Ahmad Saad – Approaching Allah: Understanding the concept of Tawassul

What: Approaching Allah: Understanding the Concept of Tawassul
Where: SimplyIslam.sg, 152 Still Road
Who: Shaykh Ahmad Saad Al-Azhari
When: 20th November 2013
By: SimplyIslam.sg

Shaykh Ahmad Saad began the final lecture of his visit to Singapore by addressing the supposed controversial nature of the topic at hand. He stated that not only did the four Sunni madhabs permit tawassul, or the act of taking an intercessor or intermediary to Allah, within the Hanbali madhab it is a recommended act with prescribed methods and formulas. There was thus no reason why it should be a controversial topic.

Linguistically, wasila, the root of tawassul, referred to the means used to get to something. The Shaykh stated the point of contention for those who contested the validity of tawassul was whether it was possible to ask from Allah through someone else, and why a person could not go directly to Allah with his du’as. It was a false analogy, he said, to compare tawassul to Catholics seeking forgiveness from their priests as Muslims did not believe that prophets or saints had the ability to act independently from Allah. Rather, they believed that the righteousness of these individuals brought them closer to Allah.

He described tawassul as falling into two categories, tawassul through deeds and tawassul through people, and as an example of tawassul through deeds he described the story of three people from Bani Israel, who found themselves trapped in a cave and asked Allah to free them through the baraka of their good deeds.

The shaykh stressed that those who sought tawassul through deceased awliyah were not grave worshippers. He stated there were great blessings at their graves due to the multitude of angels delivering continuous thawab to the dead because of their good deeds, and said the angels would say “amin” to all the du’as made there.

Tawassul in the Qur’an and Hadith

Shaykh Ahmad gave numerous examples from the hadith of tawassul. Among them was an incident before the time of the prophethood of Rasulallah (SAWS) during a time of drought when the Quraysh came to Abu Talib, the uncle of the Prophet, who was known to be a righteous man, to make du’a to Allah for rain. Abu Talib made du’a then took the hand of Rasulallah (SAWS) and pointed it towards the sky, and wherever he pointed rain clouds would follow.

He also stated that the companions would rush to grab the Prophet’s hair and sweat for baraka, and Sayyidina Khalid bin Walid even kept a strand of his blessed hair under his helmet, attributing his victories in battle to it.

He also stated that great scholars such as Imam Shafi’i and Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal also sought tawassul through each other.

The Shaykh spoke of his own experiences with tawassul. He said that when he was going through difficult situations while in Egypt, making du’a at the maqams of the scholars such as Ibn Ata’illah Iskandari, Imam Shafi’i and others, helped with his problems.

As an example of tawassul in fiqh, the shaykh said that when performing the istisqa prayers for rain , women, children and even animals should follow, even though they did not need to pray, so that those performing would gain barakah from the weaker members of society.

Questions and Answers

One question was asked as to how one could make tawassul through the ulama and awliyah if one was far away from them, or had no connection to them. Shaykh Ahmad responded by saying that one should read the du’as or qasidahs composed by them, as doing so grants thawab to the person and establishes that connection.

Another questioner stated her concerns over tawassul after being asked to kiss a supposed hair of the Prophet. Shaykh Ahmad first stated that kissing the hair was a mark of honour for the Prophet, and not an act of worship. He agreed though that many people made fake claims to owning hairs of the Prophet (SAWS)  for profit or status, and stated that the authentic hair of the Prophet had certain properties, including being able to grow, not burning when lit with fire, and not casting a shadow.

A question was asked as whether it was permissible to take the hair given by someone who claimed to be a wali and keep it in a shop for good fortune. The Shaykh replied by saying that the true awliyah would not claim to be walis, and in fact disliked showing off any miracles that they might have received.

 Responses

Najib, an IT consultant,who had attended all of Shaykh Ahmad Saad’s lectures said, “The Shaykh is very knowledgable. This is the first time I have had the chance to listen to someone of his calibre.” He added that though the topic was controversial and often polarising, the talk helped strengthen his knowledge, prevent doubts and repelled ignorance.

Tawassul is indeed a topic that is hugely misunderstood and often divisive., Alhamdulillah Shaykh Ahmad Sa’ad Al-Azhari gave a very enlightening talk, based on the Qur’an, the sunnah of Rasulallah and the tradition of the scholars, that helped demystify the sacred practice of tawassul beyond the frequent claims of bid’ah and shirk.

Ahmad Zhaki Abdullah
Ahmad Zhaki holds a degree in English Literature from the University of London. He is a full-time executive at a local research institute and a part-time writer.

What: From MTV to Mecca
Where: Shine Auditoroum, Shaw Towers.
Who: Kristiane Backer
When; 10 Jan 2014
By: Darul Arqam

An award-winning MTV Video Jockey. Rumors of dating world-renowned (and indubitably dashing) cricketer Imran Khan. A conversion to Islam that made waves throughout the the Pop and media industry. And now, a book, From Mtv To Mecca, detailing her movement from the glamorous star-studded high-life to one of contentment and peace anchored by Islam. Its with no surprise that Kristiane Backer’s talk drew a full-house to the Shine Auditorium, on a Friday evening nonetheless.

Becker took her rapt audience on a fascinating journey that weaved through her past as a VJ who rubbed shoulders with the Rolling Stones, hung-out with the likes of Liv Hurley and presented to crowds of up to 70,000 live and millions more on television to her life now, as a journalist and host based in the UK who has been the face of multiple Islamic awareness campaigns.

With her very own talk show on MTV Europe, Becker was at the pinnacle of her glitzy career but in the rush of hedonism and materialism, she soon found that she lived a world of polar extremes where she would return from the high of being surrounded by celebrities and their diamond crusted champagne glasses to an empty hotel room, lonely and internally disatisffied. This internal dissatisfaction that she described as a bottomless pit, could never be filled by alcohol and drugs, rather needed something far more potent, powerful, and real which turned out to be prayer and dhikr.

Over one fateful dinner, Becker had been introduced to handsome sportstar Imran Khan who was engrossed in a conversation about the movie Basic Instincts which at the time, was the epitome of the hyper-sexualisation that the media was beginning to embody (sadly fading terribly in comparison to the Miley Cyrus’s of our time).

Khan had commented, that in Muslim countries, the movie would be banned and that the Western world had “lost its sense of shame”. Having personally embodied the movement that ‘if you have it, flaunt it’, this conservativeness was fresh for Backer, and Imran’s views that were heavily infused by faith subsequently lead to multiple thought-provioking discussions setting the stage for a strong friendship between the two.

It was through these philosophical debates as opposed through the doling out of Fatwas or the haram-halal dichotomy, which had seduced Becker towards Islam.

She was initially taken in by Islam’s concept of shame justaposed with pop culture’s objectification of women, and the normalisation of the selling of bodies.

Other elements of the religion that wooed her included Sufistic music especially from Qawwali master, Nurat Fateh Ali Khan which she said touched her more deeply than any music on MTV.

Backer fell in love with the concept of God in Islam. God was no longer some lofty figure, judging from the heavens above. Rather, she loved that God in Islam was presented to believers within an intimate framework. And her allusion here to Surah-Qaf could not have been more apt, “And We have already created man and know what his soul whispers to him, and We are closer to him than [his] jugular vein” (Al Quran 50:16).

The concept of self-responsibility too was another facet of Islam, which she was taken in by. Having been born a Christian, Backer could never understand fully the concept of original sin, nor the idea that someone else could possibly die for the sins of others. In a tongue-in-cheek comment, she also spoke of how shedding any inherited guilt was inherently important to her, as a German. In Islam, each believer is born pure and is responsible only and solely for oneself. It is Islams tradition of applogising, repenting and trying to better oneself constantly, which made complete sense to Backer.

Having spoken of how philosophical arguments had paved her way to conversion, it was also no surprise that Backer revealed she felt that Islam’s requirement for beleivers to reflect and to use their intellectual faculty in understanding before believing, had wooed her too.

Largely, it was the immense contentment that she found in the hearts of the poor whom she met during her travels through Pakistan with Imran Khan. She found generosity, gratitude and compassion that she had never experienced amoungst the wealthiest and most popular people of the modern world. And all those who found a stillness and serenity in them had one thing in common – Islam.

She finally found the key that freed her from the shackles of the showbiz world. Backer was no longer held down by hyper-sexuality or the obsession with youth. She now had her heart and mind set on bettering the state of her everlasting soul. Backer also prized how Eastern women dressed decently while being adorned with a beauty that was drawn from faith and family. It was the preponderance on the inner beauty as opposed to outer looks which drove Backer to want to be a better person.

Having sated her questions about Islam, in 1995 Backer finally wanted to taste the sweeetness of faith she had been reading about and witnessing, when she took her Shahadah.

This, however, was the beginning of the end of her career. At the zenith of her success, Backer became the butt of many jokes in showbiz, was denied her signed contract with MTV and was soon shunned by the many Islamaphobes in the industry.

As much as this period was trying and there was no circumventing the difficulties that she had to now face being a Muslim in the public eye, Backer reflects that there were multiple blessings in what seemed like struggles.

She saw Allah removing impurities from her life and this forced her to let go of ‘clutter’ – everything around her that was not necessarily helping, rather, impeding her journey as a Muslim.

All of Allah’s affairs are indeed good. There are no good nor bad years, but only patience and lessons. And once we have mustered patience and internalised lessons that we can realise, like Backer, that rough patches can be the greatest gifts of all. As the Japanese would term it, Kintsukuroi, a noun to explain the repairing of pottery with gold or silver – an understanding that the pieece is more beautiful for having been broken.

Farah Bawany
Farah is an undergraduate at the National University of Singapore, studying Communications and New Media. She aspires to be a change-maker, ground-breaker, time-shifting, paradise-seeker.

1. Set the right intentions.

Being a leader is regarded as a privilege but in truth, it is a trust (amanah) and to fulfill your responsibility you must begin with the right intentions. It is easy to say “I’m doing this for the sake of pleasing Allah subhanahu wa taala” but setting intentions also include knowing your purpose, goals and priorities. This reflects your sincerity and calibre as a leader.

Be aware that good intentions can be corrupted by various factors along the way, such as the desire to feed one’s ego by gaining fame and recognition. Fame is a by-product of our actions but it should not be our primary aim. At the same time, should one become famous it is only by the will of the All-Knowing and All-Wise and our goal should be to use it to serve Him and benefit His creations.

2. Understand your leadership style.

Personalities vary from one person to another and so do leadership styles. For instance, extroverts and introverts have very different ways of communicating and interacting with people and this impacts the way they lead and manage their teammates and organisations. In order to know your harness strengths and weaknesses it is important to improve and develop your leadership without “faking” your abilities but cultivating the skills that will make you a genuinely better leader.

While having a dominant and outgoing personality is beneficial in many ways it is a misconception that extroverts are better leaders than introverts. A study done by Harvard Business School (2010) has discovered that in certain situations introverts may in fact be better leaders and bosses.

“In a dynamic, unpredictable environment, introverts are often more effective leaders—particularly when workers are proactive, offering ideas for improving the business. Such behavior can make extroverted leaders feel threatened. In contrast, introverted leaders tend to listen more carefully and show greater receptivity to suggestions, making them more effective leaders of vocal teams.” The Hidden Advantages of Quiet Bosses, Harvard Business Review

Whether you are an extrovert or an introvert, the key is to trust yourself and be confident with your ability to achieve the goals and tasks you have as a leader, and you do not need to be outgoing, talkative or enjoy socialising to do that. Once you have established trust among your colleagues, they will respect you as a leader.

3. Accept that you do not know everything.

As a leader, people will turn to you for answers and solutions but that does not mean you must have the answers to everything. Instead, you must know how to find and create practical solutions and that begins by acknowledging that you do not know everything but you have the skills to assess the situation, collaborate with others and connect the dots. In order to do so, you must be prepared to learn new things all the time.

Leaders are not know-it-all’s and that is a good thing because nobody likes a know-it-all. Your team mates and colleagues are there to support you so lead them with rahmah (mercy). Encourage them to ask questions and give feedback. Give advice tactfully. Inspire them to be more productive and proactive by moulding them to become leaders themselves and not mere followers or yes-men.

4. Read this.

21 Ways to Be a Better Leader Without Breaking a Sweat. Enough said.

5. Identify and communicate your vision and mission effectively.

When you imagine yourself doing something great in school, in your organisation or with your family, what is it? Now, that’s your vision. Prepare a vision statement but do not get it confused with a mission statement. It’s important to know the difference so you can effectively communicate them.

A vision is a long-term goal whereas a mission underlines the purpose of what you do.

A vision statement answers the question, “Where do I see this project, organisation or group going?” whereas as a mission statement answers the question, “Why are we doing this or why does my organisation exist?”. In other words, your mission statement is your ‘Why?’ as described by Simon Sinek who wrote about how great organisations like Apple began with a great ‘Why?’ in his book Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action.

“People don’t buy WHAT you do; they buy WHY you do it. And what you do simply proves what you believe… We are drawn to leaders and organizations that are good at communicating what they believe. Their ability to make us feel like we belong, to make us feel special, safe and not alone is part of what gives them the ability to inspire us.” – Simon Sinek

Your clients or colleagues must be convinced by your vision and driven by your mission. Here are some tips on how to write a killer vision statement and mission statement that will reflect you and your organisation’s goals and aspirations. http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/3882-vision-statement.html

6. Adopt the concept of servant leadership.

Allah (swt) has chosen us to be khalifahs (guardians or vicegerents) on this Earth and the best way we can do that is by becoming servant leaders. It may sound like a paradox but it makes a lot of sense once you understand it. Servant leadership is:

“…a leadership philosophy which implies a comprehensive view of the quality of people, work and community spirit. It requires a spiritual understanding of identity, mission, vision and environment. A servant leader is someone who is servant first, who has responsibility to be in the world, and so he contributes to the well-being of people and community.

A servant leader looks to the needs of the people and asks himself how he can help them to solve problems and promote personal development. He places his main focus on people, because only content and motivated people are able to reach their targets and to fulfill the set expectations.”

Find out if you have what it takes to be a servant leader. Remember, we were all born to lead and serve His creations but of course no is born with the skills to do so. It is up to us to learn and apply them in our lives. MuzlimBuzz has a good article on a servant leadership workshop conducted by Imam Afroz Ali that is worth checking out.

http://theislamicworkplace.com/leadership-and-islam/

7. Lead by example.

It sounds clichéd but truer words have never been said. A leader sets the standard or example of a dedicated worker. Take your work seriously. Take yourself seriously. The rest will follow suit.

8. “Be a better leader. Have a richer life.”

Being a good leader, entrepreneur or boss does not mean you should only prioritise your work or career. In fact, if you want to be successful in school or at work and create meaningful, sustainable changes in the world you have to know that your emotional and mental health plays a big role in making that happen.

“Be real. Understand what really matters to you – your core values, the legacy you want to leave.” – Stewart Friedman

In this interview, Professor Stewart Friedman of the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School and author of Take the Four-Way View: Leadership with Authenticity, explains that the key to living a more productive and fulfilled life as a leader is not balance because it implies that you have to trade-off what is important to you in order to attain success in your career. Instead he suggests fulfilling your responsibilities and integrating leadership into all aspects of your life – work, community, home and self – so you are more empowered to make the positive difference that you want in various parts of your life.

Friedman also encourages people to be innovative and experiment with new ways of increasing productivity such as working from home once a week or turning off digital devices during certain hours.

9. Be likeable.

This does not mean getting more ‘likes’ on Facebook. You don’t have to try to win an award for this or anything like that. Just try to be a likeable leader by not losing sight of the simple things, like listening to other people’s suggestions and showing gratitude someone’s hard work and dedication. Want to more likeable? Read all about the ‘11 Simple Concepts to Become a Simple Leader’.

10. Create a more conducive work environment.

Assess your office space or work environment from time to time. Ask your teammates or colleagues what is causing them stress at work and how you can make them feel more productive yet comfortable. You cannot please everybody but you can at least tell them their concerns are important to you and they are being considered or provide simple solutions to their workspace problems. Here are some tips on how to create the perfect workspace courtesy of LifeHacker and 99U:

- When office workers get to arrange their own space, productivity is increased.
- Rounded furniture tends to provoke more creativity.
- Blue and green are linked to creativity, while red is linked to a better attention to detail.
- Office plants lower stress levels.

11. Be creative with team-building events.

Make sure you colleagues know they are important to you and that you know there is more to teamwork then being in the same space or wearing the same uniform. Team-building events are important but they can get quite cheesy or feel forced after a while. Get creative ideas from your team so everyone has a chance to do what they want to do and share their interests with the people they work with. Moreover, it gives people a chance to be exposed to new ideas and activities which is a plus for personal development.

The people you work with want to know you are looking out for them and one of the ways to do this is by giving back to others them when they have given you their loyalty, hard work and effort. More and more leaders have to be aware that money is not the only reason why people choose a particular job or career path. Helping your colleagues to achieve their goals and become better individuals is what will set you apart from the rest of the leaders.

“If our leaders are to enjoy the trappings of their position in the hierarchy, then we expect them to offer us protection. The problem is, for many of the overpaid leaders, we know that they took the money and perks and didn’t offer protection to their people. In some cases, they even sacrificed their people to protect or boost their own interests. This is what so viscerally offends us. We only accuse them of greed and excess when we feel they have violated the very definition of what it means to be a leader.” – Simon Sinek

It is not easy being a leader but it is very rewarding to be able to empower others. Most importantly, do not let the responsibility scare you or abuse your privileges because God has entrusted you this role because He is giving you a chance to do a lot of good deeds and collect more hasanah and ‘ajr! Being a leader is about serving others and inspiring them to spring into action.
So what will you do today to become a better leader?

Shahirah Elaiza Wan Hassan
Shahirah Elaiza is a Communication Studies graduate who is currently living in New Zealand. She is a modern-day Muslimah who is always rediscovering the true meaning of Islam and what it means to believe in God. In her spare time, Shahirah enjoys travelling and blogging about Islam, fashion and her latest adventures on her personal blog, Colours of My Life.

What: Young Muslim Entrepreneurs Seminars
Where: Singapore Management University
Who:  Harasha Bafana, NurHafihz Noor, Ustaz Syed Mustafa Alsagoff, Ustaz Muhammad Tarmizi Abdul Wahid, Aminordin Omar, Mohamed Nassir Abdul Shukur
When: 11^th January 2014
By: SIM Malay Cultural and Muslim society

Entrepreneurship has become a lost trade in the Muslim community, and something which Muslims do not hold on to with pride. It was nice to see people of different ages yearning to learn the tricks and trades of business and came under one roof to learn together. The six speakers who were present gave deep insights and fresh perspective on what business is about and how imperative it is in developing the Muslim community in Singapore and beyond.

Each speaker had their own insights on business, and personally I feel everything that was said and stated in the notes has tons of benefits that we can implement in our lives, but I shall elaborate more on the main points which I feel is important and more beneficial for the readers.

The seminar kicked off with zeal as Ms. Harasha Bafana attacked the audience with wild ideas and creative insights as to what being an entrepreneur really means. Her puns never failed to crack the audience up.

She began by asking:

What is entrepreneurship?

“Entrepreneurship” she says, “are those who identify a need – any need – and fill it.”

“It is the urge to identify the need of the people, the problems that bother them and serve them in the best way possible, thereby making the world a better place,” she adds on.

She gave six main points on why we should become an entrepreneur:

1)      Entrepreneurs take charge of their lives; are proactive when it comes to controlling their incomes.

2)      Entrepreneurs stretch themselves – they will do anything to stretch their potential.

3)      Entrepreneurs create their ideal lifestyle

4)      Becoming an entrepreneur enables one to help their community

5)      It enables them to improve the condition of the world

6)      To get closer to Allah SWT

Mr. Nurhafihz Noor, focused on Islamic marketing, and why we should dive into this ‘relatively new term’ as mentioned by him. It’s interesting that he infuses his presentation, or rather his marketing just by deriving lessons from the Qur’an and seerah of Rasulullah (S). This goes to show value that the Qur’an and the Sunnah of Rasulullah (S) have in our lives and the relevancy that upholds our lives today.

One of the examples that he used was from Surah Luqman verse 27, in which Allah SWT states, “And if all the trees on the earth were pens, and the sea replenished with seven more seas, the Words of God would not be spent. Truly God is Mighty, Wise.”

We can derive two lessons from this: One, Allah SWT uses analogies so as to make us ponder upon His Divine Words, and secondly, analogies, if used in marketing, is useful when a comparison is made in order to aid the purpose of explanation or clarification.

He says ‘Islamic Marketing’ is still new, and hopes that people would take their time to learn marketing by infusing Islamic concepts and marketing, because part of learning Islamic marketing enables one to be smarter in their dealings and it will also get them to learn more about their Deen.

Ustaz Syed Mustafa Alsagoff presented the concept of wealth from the Islamic perspective, and he shared with us that ‘’Islam gives complete freedom to economic enterprise, and that freedom does not and must not operate without a sense of responsibility.” He further emphasized that wealth is a responsibility that every Muslim must accounts himself for, and that it is important to understand the halal and haram of doing business; the fiqh of wealth and business, the fiqh muamalah, so as to please Allah SWT.

Brother Mohamed Nassir, founder of SimplyIslam, focused on ‘doing business with Allah SWT’. The factors that he heavily emphasized were:

1. Have pure intentions and be sincere, for the main goal is to please Allah SWT, and no one else.
2. Avoid worldly ambitions, for competition for fame and attention will only sway a person away from really seeing the true Goal.
3. Ihsan, for striving for excellence in our actions and deeds bring us closer to Allah SWT.
4. Having complete reliance on Allah SWT, for at the end of the day, it is Allah SWT who provides for us.
5. Always supplicate to Allah SWT, for what are actions without dua’? Always make dua’ to Allah SWT for assistance in whatever you are doing and that He may be pleased with our efforts to please Him.

Throughout the seminar, I managed to pick out the main message all speakers were trying to get across:

• Muslims are entrepreneurs and should practice accountability
• Muslims should build a community to support one another.
• And lastly, Muslims should work with the intention to please Allah SWT and only Him alone.

Comments by Attendees:

Bio of Speakers

Hazrul Fitri
Hazrul Fitri is a lover of books and aspires to be an advocate of reading to the younger generation.

What: The Mantle Adorned: Reflections on Burdah
Where: Simply Islam, Still Rd
Who: Shaykh Ahmad Saad
When: 22 November 2013, 8pm
Organised by SimplyIslam

When was the last time you wrote something out of love?

Yeah the once in a while birthday/mother’s/father’s day dedication on social media but that’s about the best I can remember. I used to write my family cards for their birthdays but in the era of everything digital, those heartfelt thoughts and wishes have turned into channels like instagram, facebook, twitter and blog pages.

But honestly, when it comes to dedications of love in the human world, ain’t nobody got anything on Imam Busiri. I mean, he had volumes and volumes of poems and beautiful words dedicated to the most perfect person in the universe; Sayyidina Muhammad (S).

How could anyone beat that?

The majlis started with the Singapore Haqqani Ensemble reciting a few Qasaids to get the crowd warmed up in anticipation for the arrival of Shaykh Ahmad Saad who arrived very soon after the Qasaid started. And before he treated us to a recitation of the Burdah, Shaykh Ahmad delivered a short and succinct speech about the things we can learn from it.

History of Qasidah Burdah

The Burdah is a love poem, praising the Prophet, peace be ever upon him, spanning volumes and volumes of chapters. It was written by Imam Al-Busiri who was a well known poet in history. He used to write poems praising kings and noblemen to earn a living. There came a time when merely being good with words was not enough anymore as the kings and noblemen had their own private poets and writers to sing praises hence needing less of Imam Busiri’s services.

He was at a point where it got difficult to feed his family and life was basically giving him a hard time. He fell ill and was paralyzed which was hard because he was the sole breadwinner of the family. Hence, Imam Busiri decided that instead of praising other people, hoping for rewards from them, he would dedicate his time and efforts to praise the man that deserves, to this day, the highest praise one can give; the blessed Messenger of the Almighty (S).

As Shaykh Ahmad advised us that sometimes we wish for something to happen and then it doesn’t flourish, that is because it is not what’s best for us. Place hope in Allah and pray for He will not disappoint us.

Nowadays the Burdah is a poem that is given as gifts to scholars and kings only. It is the most recited and celebrated Qaseedah in the world.

Reflections

Burdah is something we can recite over and over again and still find new meanings to it. Our situations change but the Burdah doesn’t and hence, through it we find and discover gems and precious jewels of love inserted into and manifested in the heartfelt words that are strung together beautifully.

Love is the key to connect with Rasulullah (S). It is also the language we use to connect to the Almighty and His universe. Love is the softening of hearts. Without love, our hearts feel empty and hollow. It is merely a machine pumping blood in our body without a spiritual purpose. Allah warns His servants that have stiff hearts that lack love.

When a person is in love, he/she can see anything that reminds them of the object of their affection and they will feel the love emanating from within. Hence, if we love the All loving and His apostle, whatever you look at, the trees, mountains, animals and even witnessing heartfelt moments will remind you of Him and you will understand that the Creator of love has the best love one can have, for it is unconditional.

When Imam Busiri wrote the Burdah, our beloved Prophet (S), visited him in his dreams and put a mantle/blanket over his paralysed legs. (Side note: Burdah means Mantle or Blanket hence why it is named as such. ) Imam Busiri’s legs miraculously healed by the grace of Allah and he could walk again. It was out of love that Rasulullah (S) visited Imam Busiri and it was his love for the Messenger of Allah that the Almighty healed him. When one loves the prophet may peace be upon him, Rasulullah (S) returns that love and reciprocates with even more. And when you love Rasulullah (S), the Almighty loves you.

At this point, I kind of feel like a brat for ever complaining that I haven’t found love.

Love, as with all other emotions, is a gift from the All Loving. There is no buying of love and it can never be forced. Shaykh Ahmad says “If your love is sincere, then Allah gives us the love from Him.” And how exactly do we love Allah? We look at how Rasulullah (S) loves the Almighty.

True love occupies the whole body. That is how the sahabah managed to attain complete focus in their prayers. When our hearts are completely obsessed and intoxicated with the love for Allah, all the other body parts will be follow suit. That is how some of them could manage getting arrows taken out of their legs without feeling pain because prayer is the ultimate anesthetic.

If we have this kind of love, we would not need alarm clocks to wake up for Fajr as the love automatically wakes us up. As Shaykh Ahmad puts it ” The heat of love is drawn to what makes us closer to Allah.”

However, love and desire are not the same things. To paint a picture describing the relationship between the two, Shaykh Ahmad gives the example of a person standing with a bow and arrow. The person who is in love is like someone with a bow and arrow. The target is his/her desire. Everytime we love, we pull the bow and arrow and point it towards the target to attain our desires but it is up to us, to regulate the strength of the pull and withstand the attractiveness of our desires. To put it simply, true love regulates desire. And the more we control it, the weaker our nafs gets and the more we feed it, the stronger it gets.

Love that is eternal is only for the Almighty and it elevates one from being attached to things and drifting further from Allah.

Some of us become very possessive when we love and we freak when people/ things that we love change or do not go as how we want it to.

Sometimes, Shaykh Ahmad reminds us, we forget that we are going in the same direction as the universe. So we resist and we are adamant about the things that are out of our control and that becomes the root of all unhappiness. These words reminded me of a local Ustaz who said “Change does not have the ability to make us unhappy. It is the inability to accept change is what makes us unhappy.”

Yes, I see all of you nodding vigorously from the truth resonating from these words. Yup. I feel you.

Personal reflections

Personally, I have heard about the Burdah countless times but never really understood the full meaning of it. Not in terms of the literal meaning but what this poem embodies. It is the most epic compilation of love notes not because it is volumes and volumes long but because of who it is meant for. In this day and age, where some people have a limit for loving Rasulullah (S), it brings new meaning to loving the prophet. One does not write page after page of praise and expressions of longing if not out of genuine love.

Imam Busiri’s efforts overshadow what I claim my love for the Messenger of Allah to be and I will forever not be able to love the Almighty and His Apostle as how they love me. Some people say that you only know your lover when you let them go. But with Allah ‘azza wa jall and Rasulullah salla llahu ‘alaihi wasallam,

Even when you let go, they don’t.

Radhiatul Mardhiyah Mustaffa
Mardhiyah graduated from Temasek Polytechnic with a Diploma in Applied Food Science and Nutrition. She’s an aspiring writer who blogs her mind at http://marmardee.wordpress.com/