-Reading: Page 75-84

-“Mirbad”: Refers to the place dates are placed on so that they become dry.

-This Hadith cited that mentions Abu Lubabah is weak.

Why is there difference of opinion when the Qur’an and Sunnah are one?

-We have many angles here: Linguistic, method of deduction, etc.

-It is an intricate topic, and there are various ways of deducting rulings from the Qu’ran and sunnah, right from the companions.

-Some scholars from the Sahabah had confidence in looking at meaning of texts a bit more than others, whilst others wore content to stick tot he apparent ruling of the text.

-One example of this difference in understanding the statement of the Prophet(s) in different ways is from this hadith:

Narrated Abd-Allah ibn Umar: On the day of Al-Ahzab (i.e. Clans) the Prophet (s) said, “None of you Muslims) should offer the ‘Asr prayer but at Banu Qurayza’s place.” The ‘Asr prayer became due for some of them on the way. Some of those said, “We will not offer it till we reach it, the place of Banu Quraiza,” while some others said, “No, we will pray at this spot, for the Prophet did not mean that for us.” Later on it was mentioned to the Prophet and he did not berate any of the two groups. [Bukhari and Muslim]

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Zaad lesson 14:

Recap:

-From the Prophet’s (s) routine we learn that the first thing that came to his mind when he woke up was Allah, and the last thing on his mind before he slept was Allah.

-If the Prophet’s (s) past and future sins are forgiven, then why does he seek forgiveness in his gatherings and when he wakes up?

Because he (s) is our teacher. We are always in debt to Allah.

-That’s why difficulties are an opportunity to return to Allah, it is not a reason for us to feel Allah is harming us.

-The benefit of learning Arabic. We need to develop ourselves to become breathless when we read the book of Allah?

-“Shakur” is the hyperbolised version of the word “Shakir”, i.e. “One who is immensely grateful”.

-No matter what we do, we will never truly be grateful to Allah. Mankind is “Shakir”, thankful, but Allah is “Shakur”.

-The most important thing to realise is that Allah knows what is best for you, better than what you think is best for yourself.

-Insights and reflections from surah kahf that expand on this. The people of the cave ask Allah, “Give us from what you know to be mercy.”

-Despite being the most knowledgeable of creation, as soon as he woke up, he would first and foremost say, “O’ Allah, increase me in knowledge.” He took care of Allah’s commandment the moment he woke up.

-Then, he asks Allah to protect him from misguidance. In today’s world where it is a test to even publicly identify as Muslim, these du’as are important.

-When we say ‘Hamd’ “Belongs to Allah”, that means that irrespective of us, Allah did not need us to be created for him to be considered the “Most praiseworthy”.

-The word “Madh” is also translated as praise, but the difference is that one may praise someone else without really meaning it. That can be considered “Madh”.

-Al Hamd constitutes praising with the feelings of sincere love and exhaltation.

-True Hamd is only due to Allah himself.

-The du’a for waking up: Teaches us we experience a form of death when we sleep (known as the lighter death).

-Reading: Pages 64-72.

Lesson 13 – Summary Notes

Knowledge & Patience

– Seeking knowledge requires patience and patience requires effort. Whenever the Shariah speaks of knowledge it is always synonymous to patience.

– When we work for Allah we are always being payed for our work with rewards in dunya and the akhirah.

– Shaytaan can cause us to doubt this and attack our sense of patience. This leads to a loss in motivation.

– When we don’t see the fruits of our labour now, we must remember that life is not only till the grave but beyond.

– Working for Allah should be motivating within itself.

– Imam alJawzi (r) wrote a book, ‘Tablis Iblis’ – add to your read list! Discusses the different ways Shaytaan attacks us.

– He explains in his book how love for position comes about when you come sad and dsiturbed when another scholar is given a platform and you haven’t.

– Check your intentions! You want to be a means of guidance for the world and so does he.

Seeking knowledge

-The Prophet(s) said, “Whoever treads a path seeking knowledge, Allah will make easy for him the path to Paradise.” [ibn majah]

So, the path requires ‘effort’ or treading.

-Patience entails dealing with imminent issues with wisdom, such as posting immediately on social media when difficult and testing issues happen worldwide. We need to focus on long-term, proactive solutions such as developing our salah and wudu, rather than do keyboard warfare on social media.

Long-term solutions

-We are not going to stop the bombs falling by protesting, or walking in the streets. We need to work on fixing the world fifty years from now by creating a voice for ourselves.

-The Prophet(s) took 23 years before removing the idols from around the ka’bah. Keep doing good, teaching good, focusing on the long-term.

-In our da’wah organisations, these events should inspire us to increase our studying and our proactiveness in our da’wah.

The benefits and purpose of salah (continued)

-To continue the topic of salah, “Surely those who believe, and those who are Jews, and the for Christians, and the Sabians, whoever believes in Allah and the Last day and does good, they shall have their reward from their Lord, and there is no fear for them, nor shall they grieve.” [Al Baqarah: 62]

-“O you who have believed, indeed, intoxicants, gambling, [sacrificing on] stone alters [to other than Allah ], and divining arrows are but defilement from the work of Satan, so avoid it that you may be successful.” [Al Ma’idah: 90]

That’s why we say that from the benefits of salah is repelling shaytan, because shaytan only misguides us by keeping us busy in acivities that repel us from remembering Allah.

-As we mentioned in the last lesson, our salah can only improve us and keep us away from shamelessness and evil, only if it is ‘The salah’ i.e. specifically that salah taught to us by the messenger of Alah (s).

-“The angels keep on asking Allāh’s forgiveness for anyone of you, as long as he is at his Musalla (praying place) and he does not pass wind. They say, ‘O Allah! Forgive him, O Allah! be Merciful to him.” [Bukhari]

-“Whoever makes wuḍū’ at home and then walks to the House of Allāh to perform one of the five prayers, every step he takes wipes away a sin and the next step raises his status with Allāh.” [Muslim]

These ahadith teach us that our prayer raises our rank, and is a means of Allah forgiving our sins. Both, the prayer itself, and walking to it.

The Prophet(s) said, “When the worshipper stands up in prayer, all his sins are brought and placed upon his head and shoulders, so whenever he bows and prostrates, they fall from him.” [Bayhaqi, Tabaraani]

The Prophet(s) said, “When the imām says āmīn (after Sūrat’l-Fātiḥah), say ‘āmīn’ because if you say ‘āmīn’ at the same time the angels say ‘āmīn,’ then all of your sins you have committed are wiped away.” [Bukhari, Muslim]

– This is why we pray in congregation with others, our sins are forgiven.

– The best and most important thing to devote our energy to is salah, aren’t our sins a means of our retrogression?

Hence, we are not saying other initiatives are not important, but rather than salah is the most important of all priorities.

– “Make a lot of sajdah (i.e. make a lot of prayer) because for every time you make a prostration to Allāh, your rank is raised and your sin is forgiven.” [Muslim]

-Do not belittle the importance of salah. Many people use sarcasm when advised to pray and supplicate in response to problems occuring in the world. If our salah is not rectified, how will all our other issues be rectified?

-“The angels will pray for you as long as you are in the same position that you just prayed in and don’t break your wuḍū’. The angels say, ‘O Allāh forgive him. O Allāh have mercy on him.’” [Bukhari]

 

-The salah teaches us to be good followers, we can’t say ameen before the imam, or move before him. It teaches us respect for position in society.

-Salah teaches us not to speak over each other, to listen attentively and communicate effectively.

-We are not allowed to speak when the imam is reciting, and thus we have a place and time when we can speak.

-Salah teaches us to vary things so that we don’t become bored or inattentive.

-However, it also teaches us that parts of life should be constants; like reciting fatiha. That being static, our dynamic matters (that can change) should be more than our constant matters.

-Salah teaches us a subtle balance between static and dynamic.

-Salah teaches us the balance between rest and work; like when we sit between sujud. But it teaches us to be more active than passive.

For more subtleties of salah:

 

 

Ibn alQayyim: Provisions for the Hereafter

Taught by Sheikh Sajid Umar

 

Season 2, Lesson 12

Notes of a student

Session 12:  1st December 2015

 

Introduction

Assalaamu alaykum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuhu,

The Sheikh welcomes session 10 of the ‘Provisions for the Hereafter’ course. He begins by praising Allah and sending blessings upon the final messenger Muhammad (Khutbatul Haajah).

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Ibn alQayyim: Provisions for the Hereafter

Taught by Sheikh Sajid Umar

 

Season 2, Lesson 11-

Notes of a student

Session 11: 24^th November 2015

 

Introduction

Assalaamu alaykum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuhu,

The Sheikh welcomes session 10 of the ‘Provisions for the Hereafter’ course. He begins by praising Allah and sending blessings upon the final messenger Muhammad (Khutbatul Haajah).

 

Reading – Pg 29 – 51

 

Lessons from the text;

Detailed Seerah:

– The documentation of the Seerah is very detailed because of how special the Prophet (s) was to his people.

– Some Museums have acutal sculptures explaining the Seerah.

– The Sahaabah would consider every matter, even the small ones such as when the Prophet (s) cleared his throat in his Salaah.

– Through this, Allah protected the life of the Prophet (s). He inspired the people to have an acute focus on everything he did.

– The Prophet (s) taught us to pray as we have seen him pray.

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