He is Greater than....

Allah Akbar.


Words that we usually proclaim in the Salah.


If we find in any translation in the Quran, it will give us the meaning of Allah is the Greatest. However, it has deeper linguistic meaning to it.


Okay let me give you an example between two different sentences.


"Amin is the cleverest" and "Alia is smarter than Abu". The former sentence "Amin is the cleverest" shows the superiority of the object (Amin), without comparing the subject with other objects, while the latter "Alia is smarter than Abu" shows the comparative between two, Alia (being the subject of the sentence) and Abu (as the object for comparative measure).


The superiority and the comparative sentences is also being used in the Arabic language.


The real meaning of Allah Akbar is not "Allah is The Greatest, rather it means "Allah is Greater than....." When we give comparative sentence, the statements will depend highly on the objects that it is compared to. "Alia is smarter than Abu" Hence, Abu is required in the sentences to show the dominance of Alia over Abu.


When we say "Allah is Greater than...." The question(s) arise 

1. Why the object (to be compared with Allah) is left blank (not named) ? It is normal in the Arabic language to leave a comparative statement without naming the objects (that is being compared to Allah). This shows that the statement is applicable to everyone and no one is excluded from being able to reflect on this sentence.
2. Another question arise, what is the object that is being compared to Allah? In this statement, it means an object (whatever it is or whoever) that is distracting us in the prayer, Allah is Greater than that.

During fajr when you feel tired to wake up, Allah is Greater than your sleep and exhaustion.
During Zhur, when you are engaging in your work or studies, Allah is Greater than that.


Every time you say Allah Akbar in the prayer, ask yourselves "What is distracting you at this moment? " "What is preoccupying your mind and your heart now? " I'm reminding myself Allah is Greater than that! 


May Allah make us of those who could attain the real sense of connection with Him during Salah.


Allah knows best.

Connection

Standing.
Bending.
Prostrating.
Sitting.
Trying to find the connection that was missing.
I close my eyes.
"Where are you?"
You were there.
But I wasn't.
My heart wasn't presence.
My mind was busy.


As i stood there, thinking.
As i reciting, wondering.
My eyes gazed upon the mattress
"Where is my heart?"


I tried to read it out loud.
And then I shut my eyes.
I forced my mind to focus.


I do this many times before.
It feels the same.
Nothing change.
I have to struggle with my limbs and mind to stay concentrate.
and then i became tired.
I count seconds when I pray.
But I lose hours in everything else.


I let the thoughts overwhelmed me.
Expectations.
Attachement.
Hopes.
Dreams.
In the end,it is just my physical body that remain.


"Why?"
I no longer looking forward towards this.
I just want to get it over with.
I might not say it.
But it is reflected through my actions.


But this is a special connection between us.
This connection is what change me in the first place.
This connection is what guide me till here.
"Where is the connection?"
"Where is the essence? "
I perform it.
But I don't experience it.


And then i realize.
The problem is with my heart.
A barrier that I cultivated.
Actions that i persisted.


Hence, when I stand.
The connection wasn't there.


As I reach the final prostration.
I ask You.
To give a heart that is close to You.
I'm indeed in need of You.

Reflections

What is distracting you ?

What else has caught your attention ?

What is turning you from Allah?

Why are you turning around in another direction?

Why are you looking somewhere else?

Is there any Creator that sustain you, feed you and takes good care of you? Is there anyone else?

This is Allah, your Lord. He creates all the creations in this world. Everything else is just the creations. Allah is the Originator of all the creation. So why do you seek for your needs and happiness other than Him?

"Is He (not the best) who responds to the desprate one when he calls upon Him, and remove all his sorrow (difficulties and sadness)" (An Naml 27 : 62)

I turn my face towards Him

Ibrahim a.s said "Indeed I turn my face towards He who created the heavens and the earth, inclining towards the Truth, and I am not of those who associate others with Allah" (Al-An'am 6:79)

When we read the translation from the Quran, the literal meaning for wajhi is face. To translate it as face and to accept the meaning as it is, is wrong. Wajhi has deeper meaning to it; it is an expression of nobility of the whole body. When Ibrahim a.s said that he turn his face towards Allah, it means that he turn completely, wholeheartedly, devotedly and dedicated himself; internally and externally to the One who originates the heavens and the earth (give existence out of nothingness)


It means that the person understood responsibility and purpose and to act consistently towards fulfilling the responsibility. If an ayah from the verse of the Quran and the Shahih Sunnah shows that something is  haram or halal, that person will quickly act upon the truth and leave the old ways of doing things.


May Allah make us of those who truly seeks to purify his heart.

Gifts

"Allah gives us gifts, but We come to love them as we should only love Him. We become dependent on those gifts, instead of him. And we become distracted by those gifts. We take those gifts and inject them into our hearts. Soon we cannot live without them. Every walking moment is spent in contemplation of them. The heart and the mind created by Allah, for Allah becomes the property of someone else. And then the fear comes. The fear of losing those gifts consume us. Soon what was once a gift becomes a prison that torture us. At times, Allah free us, by taking those gifts away " 

Yasmin Mogahed (check her articles at wwwsuhaibwebb.com )

Modesty

“MashaAllah…..! She is a very pious sister!”

“Do you know that he lowers his gaze when he walk?!”

“And the beard..!!!!!”

“His jubah is above his ankle, Tabarakallah…! Very modest..!”

I’m sure you have heard all this comments before. People that dress in a certain way are called modesty. Big Hijab. Niqab. Loose-fitting Jubah.

But then the question arise,

Is part of being modesty is what confirms with the appearance?

Obviously there’s a missing element here.

The inner dimension of modesty

Being modesty is not just when you are outside, being seen by people,

but also when you are with yourselves and your attitude towards Allah.

The real value of modesty is what

Guides your thought and your desires.

Directs your actions and the content of your speech

“When you are alone, what are things that you will usually think about?”

Do you keep wondering around and end up in useless thoughts?

Or committing sins that you wouldn’t even think of doing it if someone is there?

The Prophet told a man he was advising: “I advise you to have shame with Allah as you would have shame (in the presence) of a righteous man from your people.”

When we develop modesty and shamelessness in our hearts, then it becomes easier for our thoughts, desires, conversation and actions to reflect modesty.

So how to gain modesty?

1. Refrain from shameless talks and actions
2. Consistently observe the obligatory and recommended worship. “Verily prayer prevents from shamelessness and evil deeds”
3. Surround yourselves with righteous people. This is because if you want to remain pure, you have to be in a company that will improve you. A Mujahid said, “If a Muslim benefits from his brother is the feeling of shame of committing sins due to the presence of his brother, and this prevent him from sinning, than that would be sufficient.
4. Remove oneself from corrupted environment. A believer must always be alert with environment that contains lagwu (anything that could be in terms of speech or actions that doesn't bring any benefit in your deen)
5. Gain knowledge by studying the example of modesty from the Prophet and His companions.

“When you do something remember that Allah sees you, and when you speak remember that Allah hears you and when you are silent, remember than Allah’s knowledge of your inner thoughts and feelings”

I am weak!

"....The Pursuer (the one who seek worldly pleasures) are the pursued (worldly pleasure) are both weak" (Al Hajj 22:73) 

In this world everyone is seeking something, running after things or obsess with certain things. Let it be their appearances, wealth, status, and love for someone or their career. In the Quran, it is mentioned that, those who are running over these worldly pleasure are weak and thing that they are running after is also weak.


The Question here is WHY? And what does it meant that the thing is weak and it will make us weak?


Okay, let me give you an example.

Try to imagine that you had save some money for the past 10 years to buy a car that you always dream of. And at last when you bought the car, it makes you feel really happy and the whole day you can't stop smiling and talking about it to your friends. Then out of sudden, a new edition came in. The car has better design, it uses less petrol, the cushion is made of leather and it has integrated gps, Bluetooth and security system. Guess what? You also want the new edition.  

Remember, There's always the NEXT car. The NEXT house. The NEXT food. The NEXT guy :) What happen to the car that you just bought? You've invested your 10 years thinking about it, dreaming about it and you deprive yourself to live comfortably in order to save money to buy the car. Why does the feeling disappear? Where's the happiness now? And now you are thinking about the NEXT car?  

This is because every time you look for these worldly things for satisfaction, it becomes your disappointment. And then we go after the NEXT THING, and it will disappoint us again. What will happen to the car after 10 years? The condition will change; the body of the car will start to rupture. The thing that suppose to give us fulfillment, finally fail to give us CONTINUOS fulfillment.


This is the condition of the humankind. They will go around and around, one thing after another to fulfill the void inside the heart. Allah start the ayah in the Quran by saying, "O you mankind" Hence, it is not the condition of a BELIEVER! Or not Allah would have said, "O you believe" If we are truly a believer, we wont find ourselves in this difficult situation. We shouldn't seek the worldly pleasure for fulfillment. Rather it is used as MEANS to fulfillment, to be close to GOD! 


The next ayah, Allah said:

 "They have not appraised Allah with true appraisal. Indeed Allah is the Most Powerful and Exalted in Might" (Al Hajj 22: 74)

The previous ayah mention about the weakness of mankind and the next ayah mention about the Strength of Allah, subhanallah!  The condition of the humankind is that they appraise their wealth, family, beauty, and status - more than they should appraise Allah. Allah is trying to give reminder to all humankind that if you do that, you will be weak.


Lesson to be learn from the ayah are:

1. If we run after the Pleasure of Allah, then we will become strong.This is because, "I'm running after the Source of all Strength"
2. If we run after the things in this life, we'll be weaken. Just like the condition of the car after 10 years.  

Ibn al - Qayyim al Jawziyya said,

"Truly in the heart there's a void that cannot be removed except with the company of Allah. And in it there is sadness that cannot be removed except with the happiness of knowing Allah and being true to Him"

The Mother or the Police Officer?

Bismillah Ar Rahman Ar Rahim.


In the praying area of the mosque, a seven year old boy  ran around and screamed on top of his voice, oblivious of his surroundings. He was totally caught up in his own little world. However, the commotion was realised by a  police officer standing nearby who quickly demanded that the boy sat quietly but to no avail.  In fact the boy defiantly screamed even louder. 

A while later, the little boy's mother came and was confronted by the police officer who reported about his son's mischief.  To the police officer's surprise, just as his mother showed her disapproval look and raised her hands up pretending she may spank him as punishment, the boy quickly sat down and kept quiet like a good little boy. 


In reality who is more powerful in terms of position and having the authority?
The police officer or the mother?

"...The police officer..."

BUT who is more powerful to the little boy?

"...The mother..."

Why?
Because he understood the credibility of a mother and the consequences of not obeying her orders.


Hence the issue here is not, who is MORE POWERFUL but who is MORE POWERFUL IN YOUR HEART. 


This matter goes back to our relationship with Allah swt.


By reality, Allah swt is the  Most Powerful, but why do most people prefer to obey their desire? Because the power of the desire is more powerful in the heart.


Before a person think about being obedience to Allah swt, The Greatness of the One of whom he should obey should enter the heart first.


So don't tell people, "Why don't you wear hijab?", "Why don't you pray?", "Why don't you fast" or "Don't do this or that, it is haram" 
How could they obey something without understanding the greatness of the one of whom he or she should obey?


The love of Allah swt should enter the heart first, then it becomes easy for him or her to be obedience to Him.


Allah knows best.


Waallahu 'Alam.

Ask Him without conditions

Bismilillah Ar Rahman Ar Rahim

Last week, I watched a lecture and the sheikh said this:

When he (Prophet Zakariyya) called to his Lord in private supplication. He said, "My Lord, indeed my bones have weakened, and my head has filled with white, and never have I been in my supplication to You, my Lord, unhappy.And indeed, I fear the successors after me, and my wife has been barren, so give me from Yourself an heir. (Maryam 19: 2-5)

What can we learned from the ayah above?

1) When we stand before Allah swt, speak to Him about our own weakness(es) and helplessness. Just like the Prophet Zakariyya who acknowledge his own weaknesses.

Said, "My Lord, indeed my bones have weakened, and my head has filled with white, and never have I been in my supplication to You, my Lord, unhappy.."

 

2) We have to make doa with total yaqin that Allah can give you whatever He wishes 

Make up your mind now! Who are you making doa to? You are not asking from your mother, father, sister, brother or your friends. 

This is Allah you are asking for.
The One who created the heavens and the earth just by saying ‘Be’.
The One that get a pregnant she-camel out of a rock !   

3) Keep in mind the Majesty of Allah swt and remember that Allah is not bound by your rules.

Prophet Zakariyya said, “And indeed, I fear the successors after me, and my wife has been barren, so give me from Yourself an heir..”

Some people might say, “My wife can't conceive a child because the doctor said this and that.." or “She is proven medically barren..”

In the Quran, Allah said: 

Indeed, Allah does whatever He wills" (Al Hajj 22: 18)  

Allah can do whatever He wishes. He never say, "Indeed Allah does whatever he wills but it is within the boundaries of  medical and scientific knowledge. 

Have total reliance in Allah swt. Know that Allah is always doing the best for us. 

4) Don't get sad or depress if your doa is not (in quoted) "answered".

Prophet said: "If you know that value of those doa that is not "being answered", you will wish that you make doa to Allah every single minute and none of them are accepted.

On the day of Judgement, they'll be a group of people who will be witnessing a mountain of reward prepared for them. Then they asked Allah "O my Lord, for what reason I am receiving this? He will be told "That's the doa that you have made in the dunya but I have not grant it to you in your worldly life , but today it is answered and it will be forever yours in eternity"

If you make doa for a child, still one day you will die, and the child will be away from you. Or the child will die, and you will be separated from him. There's a separation here. 

The recipe is to have a complete trust in Allah. If Allah does not give what you wanted, there's khair in that.

A man came to the Prophet (saw) and said, "O Prophet, can you please make doa to Allah so that i could be wealthy?" At first, Prophet ignored him. But the same man keep coming back to the Prophet, asking for the same request. Prophet continue to ignore him. Eventually after several of times, Prophet finally make doa for him: "O Allah please make this man wealthy" 

The man finally become rich and started to become busy with his business affairs. He never missed the Prayer in Jamaah before, but for the first time he came late (missing one rakaat). He felt guilty and said to the Prophet, "O Prophet I felt guilty that i miss one rakaat in prayer (today), so I decided to give away all my profits that I have made today" and the Prophet said, "Whatever that you have missed (in Prayer), could never be replaced by the amount of profits that have you made. 

Sometimes we make doa without any knowledge what is the implications of the things that we asked for. Only Allah posses the knowledge. Everytime you ask, say: "Give me something with khair"

Prophet said:

 

"Verily when Allah withholds, He actually gives. And Allah never withholds out of stinginess or to cause you misery, but He knows the benefit to His servants"