others’ calamity - at-taqwa academy€¦ · calamity and leave this world do not have the...

At Taqwã January 2019 2

Others’ Calamity - Our Responsibility

By Shaykh-ul-Ḥadīth, Ḥaḍrat Mawlānā Muhammad Saleem Dhorat ḥafiẓahullāh

When a person is afflicted with a

calamity, catastrophe, grief etc., the

people around him/her; the family,

friends and the wider Muslim

community, all have a role to play. We

often remain neglectful and fail to fulfil

our duties in this regard. I would like to

mention a few points concerning this

which will be of benefit inshā‟allāh.

1. Feel for others

The Sharī„ah has advised us that we

should realise and feel the pain the

afflicted Muslim is going through. It is

unfortunate that we have become very

hard-hearted and do not feel the pain

of others. Rasūlullāh sallallahu alayhi

wasallam has given much emphasis to

brotherhood and having feeling for

one-another, rather feeling for every

living creature. Take a look at the

beautiful teachings of Islām:

Allāh Ta‟ala states in a verse

mentioning the qualities of the

Ṣaḥābah radhiyallaahu anhu,

“…compassionate among

themselves…” (48:29)

In another verse, Allāh Ta‟ala instructs

us regarding non-Muslims:

“Allāh Ta‟ala does not forbid you as

regards those who did not fight you on

account of Faith, and did not expel you

from your homes, that you do good to

them, and deal justly with them. Surely

Allāh Ta‟ala loves those who maintain

justice.” (60:8)

Rasūlullāh sallallaahu alayhi wasallam

has stated:

a. “The Muslims are like one body. If the

eye is in pain, the whole body will feel

that pain; if the head is in pain, the

whole body will feel that pain.” (Muslim)

b. “A true believer is one from whose hands

and tongue other people are safe (be they

Muslims or non-Mulisms).” (An-

Nasā‟ī)

c. “Fear Allāh ta‟ala with regards these

speechless animals; ride them whilst they

are healthy and consume them whilst they

are healthy.” (Abū Dāwūd)

2. Give Support

Together with realising the difficulties

and pain the ones afflicted are

undergoing, the Sharī„ah has instructed us

to give support and condolence. Rather

3 At Taqwã January 2019

than becoming bystanders, we should act

positively. It is for this reason the

instruction of ta„ziyah (consoling) has

been given. In one ḥadīth Rasūlullāh

sallallaahu alayhi wasallam has stated:

“The one who consoles a bereaved mother, will

be dressed with a [special] garment in

Jannah.” (At-Tirmidhī)

“A Muslim who consoles his brother during

a calamity or distress, will be clothed with

garments of honour by Allāh Ta‟ala on the

Day of Qiyāmah.” (Aṭ-Ṭabrānī)

So, Rasūlullāh sallallaahu alayhi

wasallam has encouraged us to

console the one afflicted and the

whole purpose of consoling is to give

support and lessen the grief from the

one afflicted. It is strange to note our

adverse conduct in this regard that we,

instead of offering supporting words,

increase the grief and sorrow by our

statements. We, in order to show we

are very much grieved, say and do

those things which act as salt on the

wound. Lāḥawla walā quwwata illā

billāh!

When consoling, we should give a

positive outlook to the difficulty. (The

points mentioned of positive thinking

in the previous editorial can be used

to console the grieved.) A positive

aspect to the matter works wonders in

reducing the grief of the afflicted. If

someone‟s father has passed away,

one can give a negative aspect to the

issue and say, „What a great loss! Truly

you have now lost a great person.

How will you cope without him?‟ etc.

and one can also speak positively and

say, „You were very fortunate that the

cool shadow of your father remained

over you for 40 years. There are so

many people whose fathers have

passed away in their childhood…‟

It is narrated that after the demise of

„Abbās radhiyallaahu anhu, his son,

Ibn „Abbās radhiyallaahu anhu

remarked, “No one consoled me

better than the Bedouin.” The story is

that a Bedouin came to console Ibn

„Abbās radhiyallaahu anhu and said

the following couplets:

اصرب نكن بك صابرين فامنا صرب الرعية بعد صرب الرأس

و خري من العباس اجرك بعده و هللا خري منك للعباس

Exercise patience so that we too will be able to

exercise it through you. Indeed the patience of

the people is dependent upon the patience of

the leader.


Better for you than [your father] „Abbās

radhiyallaahu anhu is your reward [upon

exercising patience] after him; and Allāh

Ta‟ala is better for „Abbās radhiyallaahu

anhu than you!

3. Make du‘ā

Making a du„ā is one of the best ways

to assist the one afflicted. Rasūlullāh

sallallahu alayhi wasallam has stated

that from amongst the du„ā that is

most quickly accepted is the du„ā of

the absent person for another. (Abū

Dāwūd)

Du„ā is the most powerful weapon a

believer has. Rasūlullāh sallallahu

alayhi wasallam has stated,

“Du „ā is a weapon of the believer…” (Al-

Ḥākim)

Our du„ā should not be restricted to

the affected. If such a calamity has

occurred wherein there is some

mischief from a person, then also

make du„ā of divine guidance for that

person too. Our attitude should be to

pray for the enemies instead of cursing

and making inappropriate statements.

To understand this, we only need to

look into the sīrah of Rasūlullāh

sallallahu alayhi wasallam. Whilst

returning from Ṭā‟if, after having been

persecuted by its people, Rasūlullāh

sallallahu alayhi wasallam made du„ā

for them instead of cursing them.

4. Take lesson and prepare

Seeing another in a pitiful condition is

an opportunity to learn a lesson. It was

the Grace of Allāh Ta‟ala that we are

not in their shoes, but Allāh Ta‟ala is

All-Powerful. He can bring such

adverse conditions upon us too;

therefore, we should use such

incidents to bring a positive change in

our lives. One should reflect in the

following ways:

a. Look at the one afflicted and start

to prepare for such times. We

should always ask Allāh Ta‟ala for

„āfiyah, however, as we have

discussed previously, difficulties

and hardships in this world are

inevitable, hence we should

mentally prepare ourselves so that

we react correctly in such

circumstances. We should embed

in our minds that should I be

afflicted, I will exercise patience

and think positively, so that I may

reap the rewards promised for

patience.

b. In preparation for such times, one

needs to begin to rectify his life


and make it one of taqwā, as this is

the only tool which will allow a

person through difficult

circumstances. Allāh Ta‟ala states,

“…Whoever creates the veil of taqwā between

himself and the disobedience of Allāh

Ta‟ala, Allāh Ta‟ala will bring forth a

way out for him.” (65:2)

c. When such catastrophes occur to

close ones or to someone in our

locality, the feeling of loss can be

more easily perceived and lessons

can be learnt. In a recent incident,

in our locality, a whole family was

lost out by a fire and only one

member remained. It is not

difficult to understand the extent

of this loss and how the remaining

individual must be feeling. Having

realised the severity of this loss,

one should reflect on the ḥadīth of

Rasūlullāh sallallahu alayhi

wasallam that whoever misses the

„Aṣr ṣalāh, it is as if he has lost his

whole family and wealth. (Muslim)

This way it will become easy for us

to realise the loss we are making

daily and this realisation will

encourage us to repent sincerely

and submit to the Commands of

Allāh Ta‟ala.

5. Think about the future

When calamities strike they tend to be

sudden. Those who are afflicted with a

calamity and leave this world do not

have the opportunity to decide in what

state they wish to leave. If they leave in

a good state, with Īmān and taqwā;

they are fortunate. The same can be

our state; death may come

unannounced. We need to

contemplate and ponder whether we

are ready to face death if it was to

strike suddenly without notice.

Rasūlullāh sallallahu alayhi wasallam

has said,

“Each person will be resurrected in the state he

she has died.” (Muslim)

Therefore, we should immediately

begin preparing for the inevitable and

remain ready at all times. May Allāh

Ta‟ala grant us all the tawfīq. Āmīn.

© Riyāḍul Jannah (Vol. 22 No. 11,

Nov 2013)


The Two Abandoned

Companions

By Mawlana Ahmad Teladia

If we study history we will see that the

practice of Allah Ta‟ala has been to send

books, coupled with Prophets to guide

humanity towards gaining Allah‟s

pleasure and securing everlasting bliss.

This blessed chain started from Hadrat

Adam alayhi assalam and ended on the

coming of our beloved Prophet sallallāhu

„alayhi wasallam. Whosoever followed

the Prophet of their respective era was

successful in this world and will be

successful in the hereafter, Insha‟Allah.

Allah Ta‟ala has made us from the nation

of Muhammad sallallāhu „alayhi wasallam

and has granted us the Glorious Quran.

Sadly, many Muslims have disconnected

themselves from the Glorious Quran and

only have it in their homes as an

ornament or stored away on the shelves

of their cupboards. This divine book of

guidance only makes an appearance

either in the blessed month of

Ramadhan, or when a tragedy befalls.

Remember: The Glorious Quran is for

ourselves, not for our shelves.

Allah Ta‟ala says in the Glorious Qur‟an;

“And the messenger will say, “O my Lord, my

people had taken this Qur‟an as

deserted.” (25:30)

Commentating on this verse, the ulama

highlight the following ways in which we

can ensure that we do not abandon and

desert the Glorious Quran:

1. Believe in it. The first right of the

Glorious Quran is to believe in every

single verse of it, as it is the word of

Allah Ta‟ala, which has come from Him

via the medium of Jibrail alayhi assallam

to our beloved Prophet Muhammad

sallallāhu „alayhi wasallam. It has been

preserved and till today it remains

unchanged and it will be preserved till

the end of time.

2. Read it. In order to read the Glorious

Quran we will need to learn correct

tajweed. If we recite without tajweed; a

letter will change and therefore the

meaning of Allah‟s words would change.


If a person has forgotten how to read; or

hasn‟t read for an extended period of

time; a few days of effort under a good

teacher will easily put them back on

track. Also, one must try to re learn and

revise any chapters that they may have

learnt at a young age. Many a time we

learn things when younger and forget

them as we age. This is a sin which is

easily avoidable through minimal effort

and practice.

3. Understand it. The verses of the

Glorious Quran can be divided into 2

categories:

1. The verses of reminders. Verses

wherein Allah reminds us of His might,

the Hereafter, Jannah and Jahannam etc.

2. The verses pertaining to laws, rules,

and regulations.

The Quranic verses pertaining to

reminders can easily be understood by all.

However, the verses pertaining to laws

need to be understood under the

guidance of a qualified reliable aalim or

through their works e.g. books and talks.

The above can be understood through

the following example. The ocean has

many benefits. For example, a person can

wash his clothes with the water; he can

wash his body with it and he can use it

for drinking. But, it also has treasures

such as pearls which can only be found at

the bottom of the ocean. Only a

professional diver will be able to acquire

these pearls. The Glorious Quran has

benefits which are accessible to all, in the

same way that the basic benefits of the

ocean water are accessible to all.

However, some benefits are hidden deep

in the depths of the ocean, and can only

be attained by professionals in the

sciences of the Glorious Quran. If we

decide to embark on the journey of

understanding the Glorious Quran then

we must take guidance from the reliable

ulama.

4. Act upon it. To practice upon the

teachings of the Glorious Quran, lest it

becomes a proof against us on the Day of

Judgment. The Prophet sallallāhu „alayhi

wasallam has said, in a hadeeth narrated

by Imam Muslim rahimahullah;


"The Quran will be a witness for you or against

you”

The second blessing of Allah Ta‟ala

which many Muslims are disconnected

from is the life of Muhammad sallallāhu

„alayhi wasallam. If we follow his lifestyle

completely; we will gain Allah‟s love and

ultimately the success of both worlds,

InshaAllah.

To build a true connection with his life,

we can start off with the following:

1. Reading the sīrah of Nabī sallallāhu

„alayhi wasallam, written by reliable and

authentic ulama, either alone or with

family and friends.

2. Studying the Sunnah of Nabī sallallāhu

„alayhi wasallam and aiming to bring

every Sunnah into practice.

Many of the day to day activities which

we are carrying out are contrary to the

Sunnah. By focusing a little more and

carrying it out according to the practice

of our beloved Muhammad sallallāhu

„alayhi wasallam, will earn us great

rewards. The Sunnah of our beloved

Nabi sallallāhu „alayhi wasallam has a

magnetic effect. One Sunnah practice

will bring more Sunnah practices in a

person‟s life, making them into someone

who is beloved to the inhabitants of the

heavens and the earth.

3. By reciting durūd (salāt-„alan-Nabī) at

least 300 times daily and trying to

increase the recitation of Durūd on

Fridays.

In conclusion, Allah Ta‟ala has guided us

with these two great blessings; one in the

form of the Glorious Quran and the

second; in the being of the Prophet

sallallāhu „alayhi wasallam. It‟s high time

we repent to Allah for our negligence

towards these two blessings; endeavour

to reconnect with these two favours of

Allah; keep them as our companions

wherever we go and make our lives a

living example of the Glorious Quran

and the life of Muhammad sallallāhu

„alayhi wasallam.

The Prophet sallallāhu „alayhi wasallam

has said, in a hadeeth which has been

recorded in the Muatta of Imam Malik


rahimahullah,

"I have left two matters with you. As long as you hold onto them, you will not go astray. They are

the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Prophet."

May Allah grant us all the ability to hold firmly onto the Quran and the Sunnah of

His Prophet sallallāhu „alayhi wasallam. Aameen.


The Perfect Employee

By Mawlana Jabir Maljee

Employing a potential work candidate

can be a very difficult task. What qualities

should you look for? Is it credibility,

intelligence or likeability to name a few?

It can be a very stressful time to find the

right candidate who will make your

workplace excel and meet the goals and

objectives you desire.

Below is an incident from the Glorious

Qur‟ān defining two important qualities

we should prioritise when looking for a

candidate.

The life of Musa alayhis salaam is

mentioned in considerable detail

throughout the Glorious Quran. One

episode that has been recounted is when

Musa alayhis salaam, fearing for his life,

left Egypt and arrived at a place called

Madyan. Allah Ta‟ala says;

“When he reached the water of Madyan, he

found a group of people watering. He also

noticed two women keeping their distance. He

asked, “What is the matter with you two?”

They replied, “We cannot water until the

shepherds return. Our father is an extremely old

man.”

So Musa alayhis salaam watered on their behalf

and then turned to some shade saying, “O my

Rabb! I am needy of whatever good you bestow

on me.”

One of the two ladies came to him walking

bashfully. She said, “My father is calling you to

reward you for watering for us.” When Musa

alayhis salaam came to the father and related the

stories to him, he said, “Do not fear. You are

safe from the oppressive nation.

One of the ladies said, “O father! Employ him.

Indeed the best person you can employ is one who

is strong and trustworthy.” (23-26:28)

Ibn katheer rahimahullah, under the last

verse mentions the incident further. The

father asked his daughter as to how she

became aware of these two qualities of

Musa alayhis salaam. She replied, “With

regards to his strength; he lifted a large

rock which would normally take 10

strong men to lift. And concerning his

trustworthiness; as we returned home I

began to walk ahead of him. Upon seeing


this he told me to walk behind him and

whenever he needed help in the correct

direction, he ordered me to throw stones

along the correct way so that he may

follow.”

The daughter of Shuayb alayhis salaam

recognized that the job of a shepherd

requires the two very important qualities

of strength and trustworthiness, hence

she urged her father to hire Musa alayhis

salaam as he excelled in both of them.

Every task requires a person who is

capable of handling that task well. The

work of keeping accounts will require a

person with knowledge of accounting,

just as the work of construction will

require the skill of bricklaying and

engineering etc. Along with the

knowledge and skill, strength and

trustworthiness should also be

considered.

Strength

Strength here refers to physical, spiritual

and mental capacities (Anwār-ul-Bayān

V7; Pg. 91). If a person has the quality of

strength, he will also encompass many

other qualities. For example, if he has

inner strength he will be driven to

complete set tasks and objectives as well

as completing them to the best of his

ability. Furthermore, he will be able to

bear the workload of intense work.

Trustworthiness

Being trustworthy refers to being

trustworthy with finances as well as with

time. The person who is

„amin‟ (trustworthy) will ensure that he

completes the required time for which he

is paid. Nowadays, an employee will work

diligently only when he is being watched.

No sooner is the employers back turned;

the employee is busy doing something

else. Another example is of people

accepting their full salaries even though

they have not completed their work for

the month. Some people are absent

without a valid excuse. All these

constitute betrayal and cheating (Anwār-

ul-Bayān V7; Pg. 91).

The Glorious Quran and the Sharī„ah

which our beloved Prophet sallallaahu

alayhi wasallam came with; contrary to


common misconception, provide guidance and enlightenment in all avenues of a

person‟s life. Looking for the above two qualities in a prospective candidate as per

the wisdom of the Glorious Qur‟ān will ensure a harmonious work environment as

the candidate will be liked by others, determined, and eager to learn and add to his

skills. He will possess high work ethics, morals and good conduct. In short,

adherence to the teachings of the Glorious Qur‟ān in all aspects of this worldly life

results in a happy life in this world and eternal bliss in the hereafter.

If you have any feedback regarding this publication please

contact us on the following:

At Taqwa Magazine,

104 - 106 Ley Street, IG1 4BX

or [email protected]

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Words of Worth

A collection of short sayings of Shaykh

Muhammad Saleem Dhorat hafidhahullah

Any good that exists in the heart will

make its effect apparent, just as a bottle

of musk emits its fragrance.

~

Whenever doing anything -good or bad-

think to yourself that it may be your last

action.

~

It is not possible to aim without a target,

so make Allah Ta‟ala your target and

then aim.

~

Never delay in securing du‟as from three

people: your parents, your shaykh and

your teachers.

Din is not about doing things to please

yourself; Din is about pleasing Allah

Ta‟ala.

~

Every human being is born with a sound

nature, through which he/she may

understand the beauty of Islam.

However, two things are barriers from

this: heedlessness and stubbornness.

~

Detaching yourself from the love of the

world will attach you to the love of Allah

Ta‟ala.

~

The secret to strengthening your

connection with Allah Ta‟ala is to

suppress your base desires.

~

Allah Ta‟ala put humans through trials to

wake them up from their slumber, so

that they may mend their ways.

For more lectures, articles and publications of Shaykh-ul-Hadith,

Hadrat Mawlana Muhammad Saleem Dhorat hafizahullah visit,

Www.at-tazkiyah.com

At Taqwa

Kids page


‘Ilm: Honour in this

world and the next

The famous Imaam and Judge; Imaam

Abu Yusuf rahimahullah narrates,

“My father passed away and left me in

the care of my mother. In turn, she

entrusted me to a laundryman so that I

may serve him and also learn the skill.

However, I would leave the laundryman

and attend the lessons of Imaam Abu

Hanifah rahimahullah and there i would

sit and learn. In protest, my mother

would follow me to the lesson; take me

by the hand and personally drop me off

to the laundryman.

Upon seeing my passion for learning,

Imaam Abu Hanifah rahimahullah would

pay special attention towards me.

However, when this state of affairs

became unbearable to my mother, she

one day came and began to complain to

the great Imaam.

“There is no one more damaging to my

son than you! He is an orphan who has

no means of income. I provide for him

through my sewing and my desire is that

he earns 1 „daaniq‟ so that he may spend

it upon himself.”

The great Imaam replied, “Go away old

woman! There is your son studying. A

day will come when he will be eating

„faaloothaj‟ made with groundnut oil.”

The mother turned to leave muttering

“He has become senile and his senses

have left him!”

Imaam Abu Yusuf rahimahullah

continues;

“After this incident, I stuck to the great

Imaam and Allah the All Mighty blessed

me with knowledge and elevated me to

the position of High Judge. I would have

the honour of sitting with the Khalifah

Haroon ar Rasheed on his tablecloth.

Once I was eating with him on his

tablecloth when he presented me a dish


with his own hands. He said “Oh

Yaqoob, eat from this dish. It is not

everyday that this dish is prepared.”

“O ameerul mo‟mineen! What is this

dish?”

Ameerul Mo‟mineen answered “This is

faaloothaj made with groundnut oil.”

Upon hearing this I began to laugh.

Seeing my outburst of laughter, the

khalifah enquired, “Why are you

laughing?”

I replied, “Something which I

remembered o Ameerul Mo‟mineen. May

Allah ta‟ala give you a long life.”

Despite my reply, the khalifah continued

insisting until I finally narrated to him the

incident of my mother and the words of

Imaam Abu Hanifah rahimahullah. In

astonishment the khalifah exclaimed, “By

Allah Ta‟ala, verily „Ilm elevates a person

and brings benefit in this world and the

hereafter. May Allah ta‟ala have mercy

upon Imaam Abu Hanifah rahimahullah.

He could see with his far sightedness that

which people cannot see with their eyes.”

Morals:

1. Upon embarking on the journey of

acquiring knowledge; never feel

inferior. Allah ta‟ala will always

look after you.

2. Those who busy themselves in

acquiring knowledge will never

need to run after the world. The

world will submit itself to them.

3. The words of a saint should never

be taken lightly, for they speak

with farsightedness.

Adapted from „hayaatus salaf baynal qawli wal

amal‟

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