Interpreter's Path
the blog of AbdulKarim YahyaRamadan Du’a
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Ramadan Mubarak!
The following is a du’a that is constantly read in Tarim, Hadhramawt, throughout the blessed month of Ramadan. This beneficial du’a has been translated and made available through Sidi Amin Buxton (Allah preserve and increase him):
Sayyiduna Salman narrates that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) spoke to the Companions on the last day of Sha`ban. He informed them that they were about to enter a great and blessed month, a month in which there is a night better than a thousand nights. He mentioned some of the merits of the month of Ramadan. Then he said: “Do four things in abundance: two things with which you please your Lord, and two things which you cannot do without. As for the two things with which you please your Lord: your testification that there is nothing worthy of worship other than Allah and your seeking His forgiveness. As for the two things which you cannot do without: your asking Allah for Paradise and seeking refuge in Him from the Fire.”1
The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) taught al-Sayyida `A’isha to say on Laylat al-Qadr:
“O Allah, truly You are all-Pardoning, You love to pardon so pardon us.”2
On the basis of these two hadiths the scholars and people of Tarim repeat the following du`a throughout the month of Ramadan:
أشْهَدُ أن لا إلهَ إلا الله نَسْتَغْفِرُ الله نسأَلُكَ الجنَّةَ ونَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ النَّار (3)
Ashadu alla ilaha illallah, nastaghfirullah, nas’aluk’l-jannata wa na`audhu bika min an-nar
“I testify that there is nothing worthy of worship other than Allah and we seek the forgiveness of Allah. We ask You for Paradise and take refuge in You from the Fire.” (3 times)
اللهمَّ انَّكَ عَفُوٌ تُحبُّ العفْوَ فَاعْفُ عَنَّا (3) يا كريم
Allahumma innaka `afuwun tuhibbu-l’`afwa f`afwa `anna
“O Allah, truly You are all-Pardoning, You love to pardon so pardon us” (3 times). On the third time say “O Most Generous” (Ya Karim).
1 Narrated by Ibn Khuzayma
2 Narrated by Ahmad, Ibn Majah and Tirmidhi with a sahih chain of transmission
Seeking His Gaze in Ramadan
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful and Compassionate
Praise is for Allah, Lord of the Worlds
May Allah bless and grant peace to our liegelord Muhammad as well as his folk and companions
Dear brothers and sisters from the nation of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him),
As we wait in eager anticipation of the noble guest who approaches, the blessed month of Ramadan in which the Quran was revealed, we undoubtedly are making physical and spiritual preparations therefore.
Among the preparations that the scholars of Islam have encouraged is preparing our hearts for Allah’s gaze. Baihaqi relates, “When it is the first night of the month of Ramadan, Allah, Mighty and Majestic, gazes to them and the one to whom Allah looks, He does not punish him, ever.” The place to which Allah looks is the heart. So what will Allah see in your and my heart if He were to look to us on the first night of Ramadan?
One of the qualities that would prevent us from this blessed gaze (and from many other opportunities for forgiveness) is malice. The Prophet, May Allah bless him and grant him peace, taught us of the Night of Power and the Half Night of Sha’ban that those who harbor rancor, mistreat parents, severe bonds of kinship or drink are prevented from Allah’s merciful gaze. Do we want Allah to look to His servants on the first night of Ramadan and overlook us because we are bearing ill will against each other? Is whatever anyone has done to hurt us so important that we can not overlook it in exchange for an opportunity for eternal salvation from Allah’s punishment? What about all of those whom we have wronged? Do we not need Allah’s pardon as well as theirs?
We can purify our hearts in preparation for this gaze from our Merciful, Forgiving Lord and also expose ourselves to an opportunity for His pardon when we need it most, by pardoning His servants. Allah said, “The one who pardons and reconciles his reward is upon Allah;” Quran (42:40). Tabarani relates that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “A caller will call [on the Day of Rising], ‘Let him stand whose reward is upon Allah and let him enter paradise’ Then he will call a second time, ‘Let him stand whose reward is upon Allah and let him enter paradise’ It will be said, ‘Who is the one whose reward is upon Allah, Mighty and Majestic?’ He will say, ‘Those who pardon people.’ Then he will call a third time, ‘Let him stand whose reward is upon Allah and let him enter paradise.’ Then so and so many thousand will stand and enter paradise without reckoning.” Imagine being among that fortunate group and having all of our many sins forgiven and receiving our reward directly from Allah!
In preparation for the blessed first night of Ramadan, Insha’Allah, and that day in which each of us will meet Allah, let us pardon one another and all of Allah’s servants. I will begin with my own sinful self. O Allah, if any of Your slaves have transgressed the rights You have prescribed to me, they are excused. I ask You to grant them and me Paradise, and that You make us among its dwellers whom You have described in Your saying, “We have removed what was in their breasts of rancor, brethren on couches facing one another;” Quran (15:47).
I also ask anyone who I have wronged to seek their due from me and to forgive me.
“Our Lord forgive us and our brethren who preceded us in faith and do no place in our hearts ill will towards those who believe. Our Lord, indeed You are Compassionate and Merciful.” Quran (54:10)
And Allah alone grants tawfiq (success),
AbdulKarim Yahya
Welcoming the Blessed Month of Sha’ban
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
الحمد لله رب العالمين
وصلى الله على سيدنا محمد وعلى آله وصحبه أجمعين
The Sha‘bān Letter
- compiled and translated by Sidi Amjad Tarsin
All praises are due to Allah the Exalted who has blessed us to be on the doorstep of Ramaḍān. Many of the pious predecessors used to spend months preparing for the efforts they were going to exert in the holy month of Ramaḍān. These are excerpts from the book, “Kanz An-Najāḥ wa As-Surūr” (The Treasures of Success and Happiness) regarding the greatness of Sha‘bān and some of the recommended things to do during this month.
(Please refer to your local mosque for when the month of Sha‘bān begins (either Monday, July 12 or Tuesday, July 13) or check this website for updates: http://www.crescentwatch.org/cgi-bin/Cw/cw.cgi)
1. Repentance & Fasting:
It is highly recommended to repent frequently (tawbah) and increase in acts of worship, especially fasting. Whosoever prepares themselves with acts of worship and repentance in Sha‘bān will reap the benefits of those acts in Ramaḍān.
Usama ibn Zayd, may Allah be pleased with him, asked the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, “I have never seen you offer fast in a month as you do in Sha‘bān.” The Prophet said, “It is a month people disregard that is between Rajab and Ramaḍān. In that month deeds are presented to the Lord of the Worlds, so I like my deeds to be presented while I am fasting.” [Nasa'i].
2. Salutations Upon the Prophet (peace be upon him):
Sha‘bān is the month of the Prophet peace and mercy of Allah be upon him, for he said, “Sha‘bān is my month.”
It was in this month that the famous verse regarding sending blessing and peace on the Prophet was revealed:
{ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ وَمَلاَئِكَـتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى ٱلنَّبِيِّ يٰأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ صَلُّواْ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُواْ تَسْلِيماً}
{ Allah and His Angels send their blessings upon the Prophet, O you who believe send blessings upon him and salutations of peace} (33:56)
Therefore, it is highly encouraged to increase in sending one’s salutations upon the Prophet, peace and mercy of Allah be upon him. Scholars have said, “Rajab is the month of repentance, Sha‘bān is the month of sending salutations upon the Prophet, peace and mercy of Allah be upon him, and Ramaḍān is the month of the Qur’an.”
3. The 15th Night of Sha‘bān:
On the relation of ‘Atā’ ibn Yasār, may Allah be well pleased with him, who said, “On the 15th night of Sha‘bān the Angel of Death, peace be upon him, copies down the names of all those who will die from that Sha‘bān to the next Sha‘bān…and there is no night after Laylat Al-Qadr better than the 15th night of Sha‘bān.”
Other hadiths also describe the 15th night as being the night in which Allah decrees everyone’s provisions, even after-worldly provisions (Paradise, Hell), therefore it is important to bring that night to life through Prayer, reading Qur’an, and repentance.
Related by Ibn ‘Umar, may Allah be well pleased with him and his father, that the Prophet, peace and mercy of Allah be upon him, said, “There are five nights on which du‘ā’ is not turned back: Friday eve, on the eve of Rajab, the 15th night of Sha‘bān, Laylat Al-Qadr, and on the eve of the two ‘Eids.”
It is also recommended to say the du‘ā’:
اللّهُمَ إنَّكَ عفوٌ كريمٌ تُحِبَّ العَفْوَ فَاعْفُ عَني، اللّهُمَّ إنّي أسْألُكَ العَفْوَ والعَافية والمُعَافَاةَ الدَّائِمة في الدِّين والدُّنيا والأخِرَة
Allahumma innaka ‘Afūwun Karīmun tuḥib ul ‘afwa fa‘afu ‘annī, Allahumma innī as’aluka al-‘afū, wa al-‘āfīyah wa al-mu‘āfāt ad-da’imah fī ad-dīni wa ad-dunyā wa al-ākhirah.
O Allah, You are Pardoning and Generous and You love to pardon, so pardon me. O Allah, I ask You for pardoning, good health [in body], and to be [spiritually] health always in my religion, and in this life, and in the hereafter.
It is also highly recommended to read Surah Yā-Sīn 3 times that night, each time with a specific intention:
1. The first time with the intention of Allah increasing the length of your life in worship and good deeds.
2. The second time with the intention of Allah protecting you from tribulations.
3. Lastly, with the intention of Allah not making you reliant on other people.
Clarification: “Giving life to the night” is said to be staying up most of the night in worship, although other scholars have said just one hour. Others have said just be determined to pray ‘Ishā in congregation and Fajr in congregation and that will fulfill “giving life to the night.”
May Allah bless us all and the whole Ummah throughout this month and bless us even more in Ramaḍān.
والحمد لله رب العالمين
Supplication in Times of Need
Bismillah
The following is a beneficial du’a that Sayyidi Habib Umar mentioned in one of the Red Sulfur lessons. Please benefit and share:
Imam Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah relate in their Sunan collections, and likewise Nasa’i in `Amal al-Yawm w’al-Layla, Tabarani, Hakim, Bayhaqi and others on the authority of `Uthman ibn Hunayf that a blind man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: “Ask Allah to heal me.” He replied: “If you wish I will pray for you and if you wish you can be patient for this is better for you.” “Pray to Allah for me” he said. So the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) ordered him to make good his wudu’ and then to make the following supplication:
اللهم إني أسألك وأتوجه إليك بنبيك محمد نبي الرحمة، يا محمد إني أتوجه بك إلى ربي في حاجتي هذه لتقضى، اللهم فشفعه فيّ
‘O Allah, I ask You and I turn to You by Your Prophet Muhammad, the Prophet of Mercy. O Muhammad! I turn by you to my Lord concerning this need of mine that it may be fulfilled. O Allah, grant him intercession for me.’
`Uthman bin Hunayf said: “By Allah we did not disperse nor did we converse for long before the man entered and it was if there had never been anything wrong with him.” The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) then said to him: “if there is a similar need, do the same.”
And Allah Most High knows best.
Welcoming the Sacred Month of Rajab
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
الحمد لله رب العالمين
و صلى الله على سيدنا محمد و على آله وصحبه وسلم تسليما كثيرا
THE RAJAB LETTER
- compiled and translated by Sidi Amjad Tarsin (Allah preserve and increase him)
This is an excerpt from the book Kanz Al-Najah wa As-Suroor (“The Treasures of Success and Happiness”), a book highlighting the special qualities of each month. As the blessed and holy month of Rajab approaches (please check your local sightings or mosques to know when the month of Rajab begins in your area - http://www.crescentwatch.org/cgi-bin /Cw/cw.cgi ), hopefully this information will be of use in allowing us all to appreciate it and benefit from it:
So, my dear friend, put forth a great effort in the month of Rajab, may Allah have mercy on you. It is the season of great profits, so take advantage of your time! Whoever is spiritually sick due to their sins – know that the medicine has come.
- Know that Rajab is a virtuous month in which worship is gloriously rewarded – especially fasting and seeking repentance (istighfar).
- Also, making du’a during the eve of the first of Rajab is highly recommended. The Prophet, peace and mercy be upon him, said, “There are five nights in which du’a (supplication) is not rejected: the eve of Rajab, the 15th night of Sha’aban, the eve of Friday, on the eve of Eid Al-Fitr, and on the eve of Eid Al-Adha.”[Al-Suyuti in his Al-Jami'].
- On the 27th night of Rajab, the Prophet, peace and mercy be upon him, was taken on the Isra wa Mi’raj (The Night Journey and Ascension to the Heavens). This was a great and glorious night, as is known to most Muslims, in which the Prophet, peace and mercy be upon him, met his Lord and was given the commandment to perform the 5 daily prayers.
- Rajab is one of the four sacred months mentioned in the Quran (the four months are : Rajab, Dhul Qi’da, Dhul Hijjah, and Muharram):
إن عدة الشهور عند الله اثنا عشر شهرا في كتاب الله يوم خلق السموت والارض منها اربعة حرم
{The number of months is twelve according to Allah, in the decree of Allah, on the day Allah created the heavens and the earth; and four of them are sacred} (9:36)
- Rajab is Allah’s month in which He pours His Mercy upon the penitent and He accepts the actions that people have done for His sake. The Prophet, peace and mercy be upon him, said, “Rajab is the month of Allah, and Sha’aban is my month, and Ramadan is the month of my Ummah.” (Imam Al-Suyuti in Al-Jami )
- Scholars say: Rajab is the month of repentance ( istighfar ), and Sha’aban is the month of sending peace and mercy ( salawat/durood shareef ) upon the Prophet, and Ramadan is the month of Qur’an.
- One highly recommended act to do is say 70 times after the Fajr and ‘Isha prayers every morning and night of Rajab:
“ربّ اغفر لي وارحمني وتب عليّ“
Transliteration: “Rabb ighfir li w’ arhamni wa tub ‘alayya.”
Translation: Oh Allah forgive me, have mercy upon me, and grant me repentance.
- Sayyidna ‘Ali, may Allah be well pleased with him, used to allocate extra amounts of time for worship on four nights – the first night of Rajab, the nights before the two Eids, and the 15th night of Sha’aban.
- It is also highly recommended to say the following Prophetic prayer (known as Sayyid Al-Istighfar or the Master of Repentance) 3 times every morning and every evening in Rajab:
الَّلهُمَّ أَنتَ ربِّي لا إِلهَ إِلاَّ أَنتَ، خَلَقْتَنِي وأَنَا عَبْدُكَ، وأَنا عَلى عَهْدِكَ وَوَعْدِكَ ما استَطَعْتُ، أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِن شرِّ مَا صَنَعْتُ، أَبُوءُ لَكَ بنِعمَتِكَ عَليَّ وأَبُوءُ لَكَ بذَنبِي فاغفِرْ لِي، فإِنَّه لا يَغفِرُ الذُّنوبَ إِلاَّ أَنتَ
Transliteration: Allahumma anta rabbi la ilaha illa ant, khalaqtani wa ana ‘abduk, wa ana ‘ala ‘ahdika wa wa’adika ma astata’at, ‘audhu bika min shar ma san’at, abu’u laka bi ni’matika ‘allaya wa abu’u bi dhanbi, faghfir li fa’innahu la yaghfir al-dhunuba illa anta.
Translation: O Allah, you are my Lord, and there is no god but you. You created me and I am your servant, and I am upon the convenant to the best of my ability. I seek refuge in you from the evil I have brought upon myself. I admit all the blessings you have given me and I admit my sins, so forgive me, for no one can forgive sins save You.
And success is from Allah
والحمد لله رب العالمين
On Inviting to Allah
In the Name of Allah, Most Compassionate and Merciful
The following is the answer to a question that was asked on the forum for the course Living Islam in which we study Commanding the Good and Forbidding the Wrong, and we thought it would be of general benefit.
Some general points on da’wa for the occasion about which you asked and any occasion are:
(1) Da’wa is for Allah, meaning that it is sincere obedience to His command;
(2) Da’wa is to Allah, we call the creatures to the Creator; we do not call to ourselves nor our school of thought, tariqa, jamat, etc., etc.;
(3) we do so out of mercy and with gentleness according to the Sunna,
(4) the most important means are prayer and good character prior to speech; I Habib Umar bin Hafiz (Allah preserve him) say, “90% of this da’wa is prayer in the midst of the night;”
(5) for each situation one should strive his or her utmost to pick the most appropriate person, methods and means;
(6) ends do not justify means; we call out of obedience to Allah seeking His pleasure, so we can’t bend His rules in that call;
(7) guidance is from Allah alone.
Most people when they ask about da’wa are referring to point 5 and this is important, but bear in mind that 1 through 4 are more fundamental.
Allah Most High knows best and He alone gives success.
Flight of the Believers – On Repentance, Hope and Fear
For some of us, despite our performance of the day-to-day outward acts of worship — our daily motions of prayer, paying your zakat, fasting in Ramadan — an inner void; a feeling of disconnectedness from Allah Most High, remains.
In addition to feeling distant from our Lord, many of us have a tendency to feel hopeless and overwhelmed after falling into the same sin time and again. There comes a point in our lives where we genuinely long for forgiveness and guidance from our Creator, and yet we don’t know where or how to turn.
Allah Most High knows His creation, and He wants us to turn to Him. He says to us: “Then ask those who know well if you do not know.” (Qur’an, 21:7 and 16:43).
Imam ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Alawi al-Haddad, a descendant of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), is one such spiritual giant.
His brilliant text on Islamic Spirituality, the Book of Assistance, covers various spiritual issues that a believer encounters and much more in 32 practical, succinct, and moving chapters.
In the following SunniPath CourseLens Live Event — a sneak-preview to Imam al-Haddad (Allah be well-pleased with him)’s Book of Assistance course, SPR101: Introduction to Islamic Spirituality — AbdulKarim Yahya addresses our deepest spiritual concerns through a discussion of the chapter on Repentance, Hope and Fear.
Tune in to the following live session recordings to learn more about repentance and gain insight into how to best strike a balance between hope and fear as they both fuel our flight and wayfaring to Allah Most High:
The Dowra 2010
Bismillah
All praise be to God; applications for the Dowra Summer Intensive held annually in Tarim, Yemen, for 2010 are now open.
During the Dowra, students will get the opportunity to study the following subjects either via English/Arabic translation or directly through the medium of the English language:
- Qur’an memorization
- Hadith Commentary (The Light of Faith – Habib Umar bin Hafiz)
- Fiqh (Hanafi and Shafi’i)
- Islamic spirituality (tasawwuf): various texts, including Qut al-Qulub (the Sustenance of the Hearts), The Beginning of Guidance, The Lives of Man
- Da’wah in the West
- Sirah of the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace)
Teachers of the previous Dowra include Habib Umar bin Hafiz, Habib ‘Ali al-Jifry, Habib Kadhim as-Saqqaf, Habib ‘Ali Abu Bakr and Shaykh Umar al-Khatib (may Allah preserve them and allow us and all Muslims to benefit by them).
Please visit The Dowra for more information regarding the blessed program and to download your application form.
May Allah give you success!
May Allah Protect Us
In the Name of Allah, Most Compassionate and Merciful
As-salamu alaykum,
Recently someone has been sending slanderous messages about me via email and a certain social networking website.
I do not know who they are, but they are very sophisticated technologically and the techniques seem like those used against activists in the 1960′s by certain security agencies.
They have fabricated emails, sent real emails, changed real emails and sent messages from email addresses without the owners knowledge.
They also appear to be sending messages to people with whom I have disagreed in the past in order to cause discord.
Please simply delete and disregard any emails you receive from/about me or others. If you change your privacy settings on the social network site, you won’t get them.
This is a trial, ultimately and in the Hereafter these tests only increase us. For me it is an opportunity to apply this aphorism of Ibn Ata’illah:
“When you are hurt by people not showing you favor, or by them directing their criticism towards you, then return to Allah’s knowledge of you. If His knowledge does not satisfy you, then your misfortune through your dis-satisfaction with Allah’s knowledge is worse than your misfortune through the presence of their harm.”
For you, take it as an opportunity to apply this prophetic tradition:
“From the good of a person’s Islam is leaving what does not concern him.”
And just ignore this and any other emails that is wrongfully or accidentally sent to you.
Do not reply to me regarding this over the net because it will just create an unnecessary commotion.
Do not worry about me, I am fine and Allah is my sufficiency.
Lastly, may Allah guide those who are doing this.
Peace,
AbdulKarim
Red Sulfur and the Greatest Elixir – continued
By the Grace of Allah, we had a seamless second lesson in ‘Abdullah bin Abu Bakr al-Aydarus’ Red Sulfur (may Allah have mercy upon him).
Habib Umar (Allah preserve him) mentioned that we would study texts from the Imams of the Ba’Alawi Tradition. In preparation for this lesson, we were struck by how very steeped in this tradition the lives of the scholars here are.
After last week’s lesson, we visited the author, al-Aydarus (Allah have mercy upon him), Monday morning and the local scholars recited a mawlid at his grave.
As Habib Umar left the event, we took permission to begin translating the text for this lesson, hoping that this permission would be enveloped by the blessing of having visited the author that morning. And on the morning of (or the day before) the second lesson, in preparation for the class, we prayed at our neighborhood mosque which is the mosque of the uncle of the author, Habib Hasan bin Abdur-Rahman as-Saqqaf (may Allah have mercy on them).
So we ask Allah, just as He has allowed us to visit them and pray in their mosques, that He grant us to follow their footsteps in this lesson and in all good.
And tawfiq (success) is from Allah,
AbdulKarim
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