notes

To get into heaven

1. Faith in the Messenger (saw)
2. Believe in Allah
3) Believe in Last Day + Akhirat
4) Act righteously (do good deeds)
- avoiding sin
- solat, zakat, fasting, sincerity
-dzikir, hajj, iman, akhlak (morals)

Prophet Daud - when he prayed, nature would pray with him
very powerful yet humble and wise

when prophet Daud was in his private quarters high in the tower
fasir =fear that removes your logic (react without thinking)

2 brothers dispute. one has 99 sheep, the other 1 sheep
99-sheep bro asks 1-sheep bro for his 1 sheep (applies to business owners/family members)
ppl are more likely to wrong those close to you
prophet daud just heard the 1-sheep bro and did not ask for the other side of the story from the richer bro before making judgement
even though in most cases, the rich is wrong, a fair judge should still hear both sides/stories

if you are asked to pass judgment and you are not in the right mind (logical/rational and calm), don't pass the judgement first. do it another time when you are more calm.

don't follow whim/impulsive desires
it will mislead you from Allah's path

everybody is asked to be a fair judge
we maintain the integrity of our ummah
sense of justice to those who are closest to us

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women/wives

if you don't take care of it, it will die. -marriage

your treatment of your husband is a direct reflection of your connection with Allah

NO corrupt attitude, NO spiteful demeanor
active effort to maintain her attitude

willing, obedient and subservient to Allah

constantly check yourself

guarding what can't be seen
-respect, dignity, trust of husband when he's not around
-caretaker
-trust your husband (he resists many temptations to be good to you)
-provide peace and tranquility to your husband

ADMIT YOUR FAULT
communication

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prayer to ask for:
1. the good of this world
2. the good of the hereafter
3. to be protected from the punishment of the hereafter

not asking for more but asking to be pleased with what you have
and that your deeds are accepted by Allah swt

what to doa for in hasanah dunya (goodness in this world)
1. beneficial knowledge
2. pure sustenance - halal earnings
3. Allah accepts your good deeds

what You've given me: material blessings, knowledge, Allah being pleased with me

Islam is a tool to enter jannah

Ihsan > Taqwa

Principles of Happiness:
something to do
something to love
something to look forward to
muslims have it all

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Make sure your investment in your light is not killed before the Last Day

Those who buried their light away

Blinded  TYPE #1 - what you see isn't actually there

like in a desert, seeing a mirage
Runs towards water but there is nothing there except Allah
You are so thirsty
Allah will give you what you deserve (and He will be quick in His audit)

Just because of your external appearance (committed to faith on the outside)
aka Reputable people
but your inner diseases still occur
so you think that you will get your 'mirage'

sense of superiority
"I'm better than the other guy who doesn't even pray"
you're just in a desert

whether or not people praise/criticize means nothing (only what Allah thinks is important)


Blinded TYPE #2 - 

layers of darkness out at sea
waves get worse and worse
a wave so huge, it overtakes him
you are now underwater
and more waves and storms still hit you while you're underwater and in darkness
cannot get up from rock bottom, cos waves keep crashing onto him again and again

Allah doesn't give light to those who choose not to

bad influence in environment
addiction of the elements (haram things/behaviour) of that entire scene
even in darkness (at rock bottom of the sea), you still have some light in your heart. you can almost see your hand = still have hope
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Quran  is the protection of the heart

light (lamp) = guidance (in hearts) which can light up others

light gets appreciated when you're in the dark

all prophets were a minority

on the day of resurrection, the light in your heart is going to be seen
it will be total darkness, light only comes from people to guide them towards their destination (Heaven or hell)

light
- from our hearts (sincere to Allah and your faith)
- from our right hands (good deeds)

Light given by Allah in your heart
Never blows out completely
no matter how far gone you think you are
Allah is saying "You are the one who gives up on Me, not that I gave up on you."

but...there are situations where the light in your heart is completely gone
-when people knowingly suffocated it
heart turned to stone
you don't even feel guilty anymore
haram temptations are justified (coming from syaitan)

believe in Allah and His messenger and the light He sends down
keep coming back to Allah's Quran with sincerity



Al-Baqarah verse 30

Allah brought you to life from death, then death and life again

2 beginnings:
1. Adam's beginning
2. 1st guided nation

1. Adam was not sent to earth as a punishment
Allah swt had already planned for Adam to be earth's khalifa
we are born with innocence, unlike what christians believe

khalifa - someone who will proceed one after another (offsprings)

Allah created humans to be in harmony with the enivronment
in reality, many humans don't respect the honour and gifts given by Allah swt

believers are the ones to prove that there are exceptions to this statement


Al- Baqarah verses 31-35

Allah swt taught humans language and articulation
in many studies in this world, it boils down to terminologies
"he (adam/man) was taught the names of things"

'names of things' - knowledge of dunya came from what Allah taught us
man-made inventions -from the human mind, but the human mind was gifted from Allah swt

the honour is our admitting our weakness as slaves of Allah swt
your words are just a symptom of a pre-existing disease (eg. arrogance, greed of power)
iblis - rationalizes his disobedience to Allah


36-38

Iblis has animosity towards mankind
the animosity between women and men are also fueled by iblis

tools on this earth are to use, not to enjoy
in your hands, not your heart

Allah accepted the repentance of Adam
Allah gave Adam words to recite, Adam recited sincerely, his repentance was accepted





Surah Al-Bagarah 39-44

investigate that the guidance is from Allah swt
when non-believers challenge islam, we need to think about what they say in terms of verifying the 'doubt' and clarify the teachings

ensure there is evidence/proof of what teachings tell you (e.g. quoted from ARABIC Quran)

Fear is associated with the future (scared of what may happen)
sadness is associated with the past

muslims will not be worried like how others will be worried/fearful

having a fear vs having a fear on them (more dangerous)

on judgement day, even when you feel afraid, there will be no fear on you


believers are nothing else but brothers to one another
believers don't let one group make fun of another group of believers

if you try to fulfil happiness that is not from Allah's guidance, you will be filled with sadness.

fear - noun (permanent)
grief/sadness - verb (temporary)

in this dunya, there is no loss for the believer

when someone who is sick, it's a good thing. "It is a purifier from Allah's will"
the longer you are sick, the more purified of your sins

2 trials that test your faith:
1.extreme difficulty/calamities
2. extreme luxury (may stop being faithful)


"If you follow Allah's guidance, it will not be they who will be grieving."

if you are a believer, that means you follow guidance. if you don't follow guidance, don't claim that you are a believer

following guidance (it's an individual thing)
sometimes you are alone, swimming upstream

muslims being obsessed with hoarding too much wealth (saving money)
don't need!
bani Israel (jews)
remember the favours of Allah (gifts, to be followers of the last prophet)
fulfill Allah's promise, and Allah will fulfill His promise to you

"And be afraid only of Allah"

softening of heart first (being grateful)
then fear of Allah will come easily and naturally

"believe of what I have sent down that confirms what you already have."
Torah -> Quran *last messenger

1. First faith: faith in the messenger
2. believe in Allah
3. last day +  Akhirat
4. good deeds

iman = believe 100% of Quran, cant take anything less than 100%

"Don't sell my ayat for a small price"
small price = dunya elements

Taqwa = fear/seeking protection
don't diguise truth with falsehood
Taqwa only of Allah, don't fear people/dunya

should not interpret Quran from grief or fear of dunya (personal agenda)

zakat = purification (increases your fear of Allah)

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Surah Al-Baqarah is the peak of Quran

understand that you cannot understand everything
only Allah knows all
you can only attempt to understand the Quran and insyaAllah, doors of knowledge will open to you

read the Quran with this humility

point to something far away, means you look up to it (it's above you)

those who ask for guidance, to protect yourself, to be cautious, you will feel something in your heart. it's called taqwa

if you believe in the unseen,
1. establishing solat is easy

only from We provided for you (it's not mine)

2. you spend for Allah

believe in what was sent to you and sent before you (Muhammad saw)
proof that there is no other Rasul after prophet Muhammad (saw)

'faizun' vs 'muflihun' (after a long time of labour/effort to be successful)

whether you warn them or not, they will not believe. door to dakwah is closed to them. Allah has placed a seal upon their hearts

not applying to all believers, only some

Types of people (in all of humanity)

1. people who have taqwa - iman, spending, fear of Allah =  believers

2. people who are bent upon disbelief  = kafir

3. people who say "we have come to believe in Allah" = munafik/hypocrites
seems as we are one with the believers. Allah says they have no iman at all, they try to deceive Allah but only to deceive themselves (attempting to be spies, and they don't even realise)

hypocrites:

1. Great punishment
non-muslim but pretending to be muslim
ulterior motives (eg. from churches trying to get proof that muslims are terrorists)

2. constantly painful punishment
they themselves don't even know that you are a hypocrite, you think you are muslim

look for symptoms of hypocrisy (2nd type)
disease of the heart
even if you see the slightest symptom, address it immediately

symptoms:
1. continuously lie (cause corruption). they called the sahabah 'fools' for sacrificing everything for Allah

Legacy of Ibrahim - making sacrifices
those who abandon sacrifice

2. paranoid that people can see them for who they really are
overcompensates for needing to announce their faith

3. wen argued/confronted, he will get angry

4. makes friends with both sides. muslims and enemies of muslims
'amiah' - blind of the eyes
'amihah' - blind of heart

5. did not make an effort to be guided
joined islam easily, during a time when islam was very easy to join


iman is inside your heart
islam is outside

Tafsir of Surah Al-Mulk (by Nouman Ali Khan)

Source: http://stream.bayyinah.tv/watch/quran/a-deeper-look/al-mulk/5239345328001/01-al-mulk---a-deeper-look

You can only see it if you pay USD$11 per month.


Prophet Muhammad (saw) particularly mentions this surah more than most others.


A remarkable surah that argues on behalf of his companion, until it gets him into heaven.
Before even judgment day begins, when we are in our graves, we are already warded from the fire.

total 6 parts
2nd section is the longest (also unique in its signature)
-more talk of hellfire than talk of heaven
focused more on disbelievers
tension, warning and discourse on disbelievers are more intensified
When the Quran is getting less and less 'soft' in its rhetoric against disbelievers (not just disbelieving but also enemies of Islam)


(1) ١  تَبَارَكَ الَّذِي بِيَدِهِ الْمُلْكُ وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ

Blessed is He in whose hand is dominion, and He is over all things capable

تَبَارَكَ

Baraka = Goodness that increases and becomes permanent (while for most other things/issues, when a good thing grows beyond expectation, more problems occur)

meaning 1) excess in goodness, beyond what is expected, more good came from it than what is expected, enhancing something far beyond expectation

meaning 2) something to become stable, constant, permanent, always lasts

Allah is the only one with the ability to empower goodness into everything

Allah Himself is more than what we expect, in every way (more than our minds can encompass, and this is a constant) Cannot be compared to any other creation.

Our concept of Allah is above our imagination

Eg. Our hope in Allah is beyond our hope in other people

Tabaraka = extremely intensified baraka

Allah doesn't mention His name. He made it a mystery on purpose. 

"The one with Whose Hand all the kingdom lies" -> exclusive and all of it 

This is for listeners who will not associate it to Allah. but there is no King that isn't challenged and is a constant, stable power.

Mulk = everything grand, power, authority, respect, dignity, ability to legislate, greatness

A human king is not able to have direct control over everything and everyone both Macro-ly and Micro-ly

Qadir = can also mean limit, Allah sets limits to everything else and Allah Himself has no limit

the One who is unlimited Himself can put limits to everything else

the whole line (1) is a statement you make out of emotion, not just stating facts

one should be in awe of Allah

facts employs your mind, statements of emotions employs our hearts. the first ayah already employs both our minds and heart

kingdom and authority is defined by Allah, our shallow definitions disappear

eg. Prophet Musa (as) vs Firaun

our definition of Mulk would be Firaun, but Musa (as) has the true power cos of his loyalty to The King

you have to ask yourself which side of the kingdom do you want to be in

at that time, minority muslims are the one "disrespecting" authority and are the "rebels" in the eyes of society

but Allah is saying that the muslims are the ones who are following authority (the real authority) and the disbelievers are the ones who are the rebels (disrespecting Allah, the true king)

coming from Rasul (saw) who at that time who has no power and nothing in society, challenging their authority to their face 

it was very offensive to the Quraysh (cos it says that they are capable of nothing)

it empowers the believer in saying that Allah is behind them

challenges the disbeliever in an aggressive, non apologetic way

(2) ٢  الَّذِي خَلَقَ الْمَوْتَ وَالْحَيَاةَ لِيَبْلُوَكُمْ أَيُّكُمْ أَحْسَنُ عَمَلًا ۚ وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْغَفُورُ

[He] who created death and life to test you [as to] which of you is better in deed - and He is the Exalted in Might, the Forgiving -

Here is a sampling of what I'm capable of

it is a surah of warning: Allah is capable of giving you death

Allah created death

disbelievers think of death as absence of life, but death is an actual entity on its own, it is a creation of Allah

dunya is one phase that Allah created for me, and death, grave, after death are also created for me

vs the ignorant folks who think death is absence of life and nothing more after that

if Allah created death, that entails that He is beyond it

Allah has absolute control AND will not die (unlike human kings who will die and that's the end of their authority/power, also when they get older, they get less capable)

Allah's power is beyond death and is constant throughout time

you can't think of Allah as any other king

a human can create something and someone else can replicate it, but Allah's creations - life and death - cannot be replicated

what Allah creates is above and beyond whatever you can do

surah Al-Baqarah, the original state of you is death: a drop of semen/earth for Adam (You used to be dead, and you were brought to life)

nothing will get you to get your act together other than the prospect of you dying

so when Allah mentions that He created death, it creates a sense of urgency for the listener, like telling them 'you'd better be obeying the King who can cause you to die before He does it'

Allah is in control of every single death and every single breath of life

not 'no doubt, you are going to die and no doubt, they are going to die'

it is, 'no doubt, you are dying and no doubt, they are dying' 

-imagine an hourglass, the sand is going through the gap every second

as we age, some parts of us are constantly dying

where is it that you have life free from this ageing? Akhirah

so what Allah is saying is that He created worldly life which ends in death, and He also created the ultimate life which lasts forever

لِيَبْلُوَكُمْ أَيُّكُمْ أَحْسَنُ عَمَلً     So He may test all of you

why is this life a test for the believer? when are we going to know if we pass or fail? only in the next life. if none of the afterlife is of my concern (the disbeliever's point of view), then the worldly life is just here and now and nothing else after (i.e. you can do whatever you want)

the value of what you do comes forward into the next life

just like 'TABARAKA', beyond expectation

after death, beyond your expectation, there is another life

this is one of the biggest samples of Allah's capability beyond expectation

Allah has promised a beautiful thing to all of us, as long as we continue to do good deeds 

as long as we become better than who we were yesterday, not necessarily being the best among everyone

Surah Al-Fatihah (Nouman Ali Khan, Bayyinah.TV)

ALHAMDULILLAH

'HAMD' - Praise AND Thanks
You can praise something/someone but not thank them
and you can thank something/someone but not praise them

Mentally prepare yourself to praise Allah and then thank Him on top of that
Not, mention something bad that happened to you (i.e. say Alhamdulillah and then complain at the same time.)

Our religion begins with a positive attitude ('Alhamdulillah is the first ayah in Quran)
People who think negatively don't understand when they stand in front of Allah and say "Alhamdulillah"

'HAMD' also means - GENUINE praise and thanks

gratitude/thanks is a reaction
Somebody does you a favour, and after that then you say thanks
You have to acknowledge it
To acknowledge it, you have to know it

but HAMD is gratitude is not limited to a reaction,
cos sometimes you don't even know all the favours of Allah for you


nouns vs verbs

Difference #1
nouns don't have past, present or future - it is timeless
but verbs, are dependent on time

Difference #2
you need a subject associated with verb
eg. "She ate the apple."

but for Noun, don't need a 'do-er' (Allah doesn't need you, anyone or anything to praise Him)
Allah is praise in it by Himself

Praise and thanks - they are nouns
nouns - place, person, thing, idea

ALHAMDU - it is a noun, it is timeless, no need for a 'do-er'
Allah used a noun and not a verb
Means?

The praise of Allah is timeless.

Allah doesn't need you to praise Him.

Realistically, if Allah tells us to have taqwa, it can lead to two things, you can either do it, or not do it

when Allah issues a command, He does not need you for HAMD to exist

INNA - for sure/indeed

how come did not use INNA ALHAMDULILLAH? to emphasise it?

two kinds/purposes of sentences

1. to communicate information - it could be right or it could be wrong

2. to communicate emotion - cannot be said to be wrong

ALHAMDULILLAH - can be used for both purposes, it is flexible

when you use INNA, you are guaranteeing that the sentence that is coming is a info sentence

by not using INNA, Allah says it is not only used for info

LILLAHI-ALHAMD = HAMD only belongs to Allah 

- it also means that HAMD does not belong to anyone/anything else

- you only use this when you're debating with someone

- mentioned in Surah #45 - the surah is about people committing shirk

ALHAMDULILLAH = HAMD belongs to Allah

- is the voice of guidance in every human being (fitrah)

- the argument doesn't even exist

- it is a natural conclusion in everyone's heart

ALHAMDULILLAHI RABBILA'LAMEEN

RABB is a name of Allah, then why need to mention 'Allah' before that?

RABB only shows appreciation/acknowledgement that Allah is the Creator/the One Who raises you

Al-Fatihah is the Quran introducing itself, so the name ILLAH is important, not just one name of Allah (RABB)

If you just say RABB/lord, other people could get confused. They would not think you're referring to Allah, but you're referring to others.

We also praise and thank other than Allah too. E.g. Prophet Muhammad (saw)
The ultimate HAMD belongs to Allah, but some HAMD can go to others (but that is because you know that all is from Allah and that people/situations/things are gifts from Allah, so you are indirectly attributing HAMD for Allah anyway.)

if you start reading the Quran with the right lens (first impression - Surah Al-Fatihah), then everything following that will be understood properly insyaAllah

meaning? no one will be saying that Allah is stern in punishment, only making things hard for us, making everything haram, etc..

RABB

- first meaning: owner (MALIK)
- 2: the one in control/in charge (SAYYID)
- 3: makes sure something grows and is taken care of (TARBIYYAH)
- 4: maintainer / makes sure something does not fall apart, makes sure it stays intact (AL-QAYYIM)
- 5: the Giver of gifts, which are not something we earned, have the right to, etc. You are not getting something you deserve, if you don't get it, you don't have any right to complain. Whatever you get or don't get in life, it's not because you earned it. Allah is an incredibly generous giver. and there is no way you can compensate for His gifts

you can own something and not take care of it
you can own something but not be completely in charge of it

Meaning?
We cannot do anything ourselves, without Allah

so the English translation of LORD, does not have the same connotations of the many meanings of RABB

therefore, Eng translation of MASTER is a better alternative
also denotes that we are SLAVES
but SLAVES also have a connotation that they are in a bad situation
why? because of their master, and the best thing for a slave is freedom from his master

so is it good for us to translate RABB = MASTER, means we are SLAVES being oppressed and abused?
humans have an innate desire to get away from authority
you hate when people tell you what to do
but it is a delusion that you want freedom
you are going to be enslaved by something or other (trends, culture, money, others' impression of you, societal demands, etc)
might as well be enslaved by Allah, the MERCIFUL, THE COMPASSIONATE
the only FREEDOM is being a slave of Allah

the only One you have to make 'happy' is Allah (the only One you really need to please)
everything else looks like freedom on the outside, but it is a hidden slavery
it is a tragedy that humans try to run away from the only One that will make them FREE

a Slave is a Slave, not dependent on time, place, event, situation, etc.
our relationship with Allah is not just through worship, but it is a constant state
worship is there to reinforce that you are a SLAVE, to remind you that you live your life to please Allah, for those moments of worship, you are in complete submission (your body, your tongue, your thoughts, etc) SubhanAllah

AL-ALAMEEN

commonly translated to 'OF THE WORLDS'
but the mountains, clouds, etc, dont need a warning, intellectual creations are the ones who needs the warnings.
but better to say: OF THE NATIONS (of people)
connotation: referring to people/jinn/angels - all creations with intellect
a different world - referring to a different culture, generation, society, people, mentality, etc.

Allah cares for ALL OF THE NATIONS
Allah wants Every Nation to develop and grow better - despite where they're from, which nation they live in, what culture they're in, etc.

Think about how Allah owns YOU
it is personalised to people, that's why Allah doesn't mention the earth, land, skies, universe, etc.

AR-RAHMAN AR-RAHEEM

RAHMAH = EXTREME and IMMEDIATE (right now) Mercy, Love and Care

RAHM = state of foetus in womb of a mother

Why two words?

Mercy is used when you were about to get into trouble, then you got saved from it

it has a negative connotation

However, the word RAHMAH/RAHM has nothing to do with a negative situation

when you are in your mother's womb, everything has been taken care for you

your food, drink, defecation, shelter, warmth, etc

the child is in complete care by his mother, he has no idea of what his mother has to go through to take care of him

We are not capable to understand/comprehend how Allah takes care of us

Allah is conscious and ensures you are maintained FOR YOU, CONSTANTLY in COUNTLESS of ways.

you are just as ignorant as the baby in the mother's womb

the mother goes out of her way to show love

the foetus causes harm to the mum and they don't even know it

when in labour, the mother is even close to death, bleeds for hours

but when baby comes out, the mother even loves the baby and immediately feeds it

'Being' patient vs 'Is' patient

'being' patient means as of now

'is' patient, means not necessarily at that moment

words with '-AN' at the end means = it is there but can be taken away
but there is a possibility that Allah's extreme and immediate mercy, love and care could be taken away

Similarly,

AR-RAHMAN

- as of now (covers your present, immediate needs)

- can be taken away (you can do something in this world that will lose Allah's Rahmah for you)

--for the people of this world

AR-RAHEEM

- permanent/always (covers your future needs)

- not necessarily happening right now

--for the believers of the afterlife

people cannot think about the future until my present is taken care of (the current problem you are going through)

Allah is unimaginably loving and unimaginably caring

HAMD --- RABB ---- AR-RAHMAN, AR-RAHEEM

When Allah tells you to do something, it is out of His Extreme Love for you

It is not even for Him, He does not need it

It is for your benefit

If you have reached Ihsan, it is for yourself

Allah wants to lighten your burden, that is why He gives you Syariah Law

MALIKI YAWMIDDEEN

Praise and thanks belongs to Allah because...
(1) RABBIL A'LAMIN
(2) AR-RAHMAN, AR-RAHEEM
(3) MALIKI YAWM IDDEEN

If just have (2), then you will take advantage of Allah's kindness
(3) balances the equation
"Human Being, what turned you away from your Gracious Rabb?"
MAALIK/MALIK - Rahmah is removed from the equation a little bit

MAALIK = Owner (of things that are small) - Micro Manage
MALIK = King (of things that are huge, eg. country, nation, etc.) - Macro Manage

King only owns the big decisions, but not the small decisions (eg. what your citizens will eat for lunch)
Allah is both.

Day of Judgement
'day' is a unit of time
humans can own things but we don't own time
Allah takes ownership of something that only He can control
Allah owns time, He owns The Day, and everything inside that Day

DIN = Judgement
everything and everyone will be dealt with, and everything that is owed will be paid off
Justice does not exist in the perfect sense in this world
but nothing you did (good and bad) will go unaccounted for on The Day

AR-RAHMAN, AR-RAHEEM    <        Judgement        >     PUNISHMENT

instead of countering the Positive with the Negative, He counters it with the Neutral,
All Allah does is being fair
whoever gets questioned on Judgement Day, they are getting Allah's justice, that means you're doomed to Hell


First 3 ayah concisely describes Allah, He introduces Himself

Part 1 - Allah is talking
Part 2 - You are talking to Allah
Al-Fatihah confirms that you have your own conversation with Allah, you have to have your own relationship with Allah

Messengers came to connect people to Allah
Nothing can get in the way between you and Allah, there is no barrier

IYYAKA NA'BUDU

It is only to You that we willingly give ourselves in slavery and worship

not just 'worship', because that limits the relationship to just the duration of time you are in worship (Salah)


Allah created the human in two moulds - mind and heart
some decisions we make, because we thought through it properly (thinking)
some decisions we make because we just felt like it (feeling)

for this ayah, humans thought about it and gave it serious thought and consideration
at the same time, it is emotional too
i am heart and mind together coming to the conclusion that i will give myself to You in slavery and worship

Al-Fatihah is like a conversion each time, like you're restarting with Allah
revisiting why you are a slave of Allah and why you are worshiping and believe in Allah


slavery is all the time, not just during your Salah
I made my commitment to Allah to stay within the lines in between the Salah
Salah reminds you of that commitment and refreshes your commitment with Allah

being a slave to Allah is not easy, you can't do it on your own
therefore...

WA IYYAAKA NASTA'EEN

We seek Your help and only Your help

also shows that you don't need anyone else's help, other than Allah's
You don't need any other help, support, friends or resources
Just recite Al-Fatihah, and mean what you recite

the fact that Allah is the only One worthy of slavery to, there is no other relationship more important
now that you have committed to being His slave, then you can ask for Help
Purpose: To be Allah's slave
Getting the help from Allah is a benefit, after you put in your effort
What you do for Allah comes first, then asking from Allah


Human Effort then Divine Help

ISTI-ANA is only one word of many words referring to HELP -
HELP that only comes when you have placed effort

One extreme: Allah does everything, and I can't do anything (blame everything on 'Allah's help didn'tcome yet)

Other extreme: I did everything, every result came cos of my own efforts

Effort & Results
Allah is asking you for your best effort
Results will always be in the Hand of Allah
because you made effort, the results comes from Allah


when you ask for help, you usually need to specify what kind of help you need
but in this ayah, the kind of help you need from Allah is not specified

Why? cos you need Allah's help for everything

imagine you are falling off of a cliff, hanging on by one hand
You just need to say 'HELP!!'
When you're desperate, you're short on words

this ayah shows the desperation of the human being asking Allah for help desperately
desperation is not in our words, desperation is an attitude
what is your attitude when you recite and ask for help?
Allah concerns Himself only for words that comes from the heart, doesn't matter how well you recited the ayah with the best tajweed, etc
you can recite something well but not ask for guidance

one who especially just came to Islam and just finally found Allah, but the one thing that is most important to them, that they don't want to ever ever lose, is the right course

It is GUIDANCE

the most desperate need you have is Guidance
Guidance is like Water
it's not like you need it once and you have it and not need it anymore
you always need it
again and again and again and again

everything else, Allah gives you without you asking - food, water, safety, comfort, luxuries of this world

but guidance is only given to those who ask

so for your sake, Allah asks you to come to Him every rakaat and ask Him for guidance, even Prophet Muhammad (saw) asks Allah for guidance

Guidance doesn't come from memorising the Quran, it doesn't come from knowledge
you may know more than others but still not be guided
You can also be a muslim but still not be guided
Guidance is not one act, it is in EVERY DECISION you make
Allah is the One who can and is willing to give you His Guidance for every decision you make

IHDINA SIRAT AL-MUSTAQEEM

Guide us to the Straight Path

A master-slave relationship is defined by the instructions from the master

The greatest gifts of all is guidance
so that we will not be lost ever again

the moment you are unappreciative about it, guidance can be taken away
how to gauge how much you appreciate Allah's guidance?
-How moved and emotionally attached you are in Salah
-The Quality of your conversations with Allah


there are many Arabic words for PATH

SIRAAT qualities:
- straight path (no confusion, you can see what's coming in front of you, it's not like it has hidden corners)
- wide road (many people are on it with you)
- long road

in this world, we usually ask for directions/guidance to a destination, not a path
why then we ask Allah to guide us to a path, not say 'Guide us to Jannah' ?

understand that in this life, your destination is the road itself
you just have to make progress
if you get to a destination, you can stop cos you've already reached there
but no
Islam is about continual progress
As long as you are on the path - doesn't matter slow, fast / far ahead, way behind - you're on the right track
it eliminates you comparing yourself with others
you just need to compare yourself with yourself from yesterday
Allah created everyone differently

Guidance is NOT = Knowledge
Ya Allah, I've learnt this. Through it, guide me.

MUSTAQEEM = Straight up (going vertically/upwards)

The Straight Path is literally Upwards
Going Up takes more effort
When you stop making effort, you start going down (getting lost in Dunya)
Dunya and its temptations will keep pulling you down - Gravity will always pull

it doesn't matter how long you've been on this road
the higher up you get, the more dangerous it is
if you fall from a greater height, you will crash (be in a worse state)



AN'AMTA = Whom you've made their journey easy and luxurious
'made'?
that's past tense
just like when you're in school, you take advise from your seniors (those who've already made the journey, not those who are still in journey)

that's why the Quran is full of examples of Good, Successful people
They are the ones who are your 'seniors' who have made it


GHAYR = Change / away from

AL-MARGHDUBI 'ALAYHIM WALA AD-DALLEEN

Not anything like of those who receive rage, Nor of those who are lost

receive (it is a noun, not verb) = timeless, you can find them in the past, present and future

(1A) when someone does something wrong, when knowing that it was wrong, then they deserve more anger
(2A) the one who does not know and did wrong, is also responsible for his doing

when Rasul (saw) said that these refer to Jews and Christians (as case studies)
but these terms are not interchangeable with AL-MARGHDUBI 'ALAYHIM WALA AD-DALLEEN

(1B) Jews are very knowledgeable, but they do wrong, and also increase wrong in the world. they influence others who follow them

(2B) Those who don't know and do wrong (people who don't even want to know so that think they will not be blamed for their wrongdoing)

 AL-FATIHAH is balanced (//) that is humanly impossible

HAMD => Praise // Thanks

LOVE and CARE // MASTER OF DAY OF JUDGEMENT

first 3 lines 

- about Allah (NOUN sentences - Allah is Permanent)

- about Knowledge

fourth line 

- between us and Allah (NOUN and VERB sentences)

- conclusion to first part and also intro to the second part

- about Action

last 2 lines 

- about us (VERB sentences - we are temporary)

- Learn from people who have Knowledge and Action, 

not of those who have Knowledge but no Action, 

or those who have Action but no Knowledge

The last 2 lines describe the entire population of the world
doesn't matter where you're from or who you are, you are in one of these 3 categories

AL-FATIHAH also // AN-NAAS (with negatives and positives)

 

World problems that will never be solved:

a) SOCIAL: men vs women

b) ECONOMIC: capital/money vs labour (boss vs employee, boss wants you to work more, you want to work less)

c) POLITICAL: govt. vs people (govt wants control, people want to be free)

d) INTRAPERSONAL: body vs soul 

So who can be a fair judge? Nobody can be given supreme judgment and control over all. 

Only Allah can be a fair judge who can give balance to the world, just like the balance shown in Al-Fatihah.

SubhanAllah.

Ramadan Transformation

Assalamualaikum. :)

I'm listening to this guy's podcast now from http://www.quranforbusypeople.com/18/

Mamoon Yusaf is an Arabic Teacher and Quran Coach, Founder of QuranForBusyPeople at www.quranforbusypeople.com. After working as Islamic Society President and Students’ Union Communications Officer of Manchester University in 2004/05, he took to a serious study of NLP Leadership & Coaching techniques. He holds a BA (Hons) in Arabic & Politics from SOAS, University of London. He currently resides in Barcelona, coaching people online to understand, contextualise and memorize the Holy Quran 
(Source: http://productivemuslim.com/improve-quran-recitation/#ixzz53g870vE0)

To know more about him, you can check out his website http://mamoonyusaf.com/about/

DISCLAIMER: Please research about this dude on your own. It's very important to "background check" the speakers you listen to so that their teachings are validated, i.e. they have some forms of qualifications or credentials. And always, always refer to other sources of information (my rule is at least 3) to confirm that their teachings are valid and based on thorough and deep research about the topic (and not just them rambling what they think, without facts to back up what they say - even some qualified speakers may fall into that trap).


In this series, he focuses on transforming the self through psychological "inside-out paradigm shift". The following are my notes:


1. Thought and Feelings are best friends (inseparable)

They come together, and you can't have feelings without the power of thoughts. Therefore, when you say "You make me sad", it really is not true. The truth is "My thoughts make me sad."


2. Nafs and Ruh

Nafs is the lower level of self - what you want to fight [jihad]
Ruh is the higher level of self - what you want to achieve [level of the Prophets]


Criteria to know if you are acting from nafs:

When you use your imagination to create an illusion of separation between thought from feelings.
E.g. "This work is making me feel stressed." 

That illusion (the space between the thoughts and the feelings) is nafs. When you remove that illusion, you will know that you're not acting on your nafs.
E.g. "My stressful thoughts is making me feel stressed."


3. Self correction

Automatically checking yourself - "Am I coming from ego (nafs)?"

Inside/Out - Feelings comes from thoughts of the moment (towards Allah swt)

vs 

Outside/In - Feelings comes from external factors* (towards ego)

*External factors refer to the circumstances of your situation or because of other people.


Nafs Trap #1 - "Allah will only love me when I do..."

It is the illusion that Allah is not with you right now. You are already so deeply close and connected with Allah swt. All you need to do is stop pretending you're not. Allah is closer to you than your jugular vein.

It's an illusion that you're not already good enough. Allah is the One who gives you feelings from the power of thought. It is how you direct those feelings - towards your ego (external factors) or towards Allah?


Nafs Trap #2 - "I'll only be happy when..."

Achievement of this worldly things does not bring happiness. Happiness comes from thought.
"Allah is not with me right now, but when I do these things (memorize Al-Quran, learn Arabic language, be a good parent, etc.), then Allah will be with me and love me."

Happiness is only one thought away. Sadness is only one thought away. You have the ability to abuse your thoughts pretending that you need to achieve something to be happy (even if happiness to you means being closely connected with Allah).

What immensely rich people and absolutely poor people have in common is that both of them know that money does not bring you happiness.


Nafs Trap #3 - "My experiences are created by external factors."

Everything you're seeing is created by your power of thought. Your experience of the circumstances are being generated by your mind. 100% of what you're feeling and experiencing is from your thought.

Thought is a divine gift that Allah swt gave you to navigate yourself in this world.

The fact of thought itself is underestimated thing in the world. We think that other people or the circumstances around us create our experiences in life, but that's falsehood. The truth is that our thoughts create our experiences in life. The moment we underestimate the power of thought, we overestimate the power of external factors.

Allah creates our whole experience of life for us through the power of thought.


4. Fearlessness

Omar Suleiman - Faith Revival

Assalamualaikum.

http://productivemuslim.com/6-steps-to-get-closer-to-allah/

I've been listening to this site's audios - https://www.muslimcentral.com/playlists/

Omar Suleiman

Faith Revival audio - How to renew your iman

1.      Ask Allah swt to renew your faith

Faith wears out in your heart the way garments wear out. It’s natural that your iman goes up and down. Iman is faith that settles your heart.

2.      Protect your tongue

Tongue needs to speak in a faithful manner. Whoever believes in Allah and the last day, speak well or be quiet. A person who sins frequently with the tongue, is reckless with the tongue. A person cannot be pure if they constantly commit sin with the tongue. You cannot have faith settle in your heart when you cannot settle your tongue with faith. Allah will not build iman in a heart with a sinful tongue. Tongue is the medium where we commit sin. When you speak, ask yourself, how is this going to affect my heart and my iman. Is it not with the remembrance of Allah that the heart finds tranquillity?

3.      Avoid major sins at all costs! Do not insist on minor sins

Destructive sins, should not do even in your lowest of imans. When a man commits zina, Allah removes the roof above him in his iman. Until he stops committing that act and repents to Allah, He will put the roof back. A person does not commit adultery, steals, drink alcohol, kills while he is a believer. In the moment of those deeds, the person is devoid of faith – iman leaves him (temporary departure). They are worshipping their own desires. a believer cannot be a liar. A person’s belief is sound so long as he doesn’t murder. Not all sins are equal especially when it affects our faith. You do not want death to come to you when you are in that state – as a disbeliever – you don’t want to meet Allah at that state. Stay away from major sins and do not insist on the minor sins, even at our lowest imans. Repent immediately, do not leave this world without repenting.

4.      Have a good opinion of Allah (He is Exceeding Merciful, and Most Forgiving)

Allah forgives all sins as long as you do not insist on them. Even if you commit zina and steal. As long as you repent and say to Allah ‘la illah ha ilallah’. Story of the murderer (100 murders). “O my servants who transgress against themselves, don’t despair from the mercy of Allah. Allah forgives all sins. You need to turn back to the path of Allah.” As long as you disperse from your previous sinful path. Whoever has an Adam’s worth of faith of your heart. Syaitan tries to get us to think that you are doomed just because you have a low iman. Die in the state of repentance.

5.      Set realistic standards in your good deeds and MAINTAIN your obligations to Allah (5 pillars)

How is your spiritual heart beating? Imagine a line graph. It doesn’t die. There are healthy fluctuations of faith for every human being, even for the Prophet’s sahabah. When you’re not in the good environment, don’t undo the good deeds that you’ve done in those good environments (eg, in the masjid compared to when at a public mall). “Do not be like the woman who undid her knot after it was strong.” Don’t be like the woman with your oaths to Allah, to other people. Don’t undo your good deeds when you’re not in your optimal condition. Sometimes, you set unrealistic standards for yourself. And dive in at one time to get close to Allah swt. It will collapse if you’re not building on a strong foundation.

Iman is meant to be settled, cannot be crazy like completely doing major sins at one time and then doing all obligations and good deeds at another point in life. (all the good deeds will perish from the major sins you’ve done). Every action has its peak and every peak has its low point. Our peak has to be reasonable and focus on the low points (prevent yourself from the crash). What is between belief and disbelief is the prayer. Never not pray your obligatory prayers. Allah will not punish you for not doing good deeds, but will punish if you don’t perform your obligations (5 pillars). Don’t ever underestimate that your 5 prayers are important. Never allow your crashing point undo all the good you’ve done. Maintain steadiness.

6.      Be vigilant against major sins, even if you think you’re far from it.

Humans are not like angels who don’t have free will. Unlike the angels, we can fall. We are not secured from our desires. no matter how high we reach, we have to worry about our iman. Fear for yourself, that you may fall into sins. No one fears hypocrisy except for a believer and no one feels safe from it except a hypocrisy. “Oh Allah, protect me from hypocrisy, drinking alcohol or committing adultery.” “Verily, a man is snatched away from his religion in a moment and it escapes.” Iman can leave you in a moment, when we become complacent. Not being paranoid with our iman but we are being vigilant and feel overly protective with our iman. The more we fear hypocrisy, the more we are protected from it.

7.      Take the time to continuously settle your heart

The very vessel that holds your iman (the heart) is always inconsistent, in movement. The person has to keep it still with iman. Iman settles the heart, but the heart is always moving so you need to keep filling it with iman. Take time to internalize your faith, learn slowly (gain knowledge, understand it, apply it and only then, move on) slowly stabilize the heart rather than taking in too much. Iman grows gradually, and you need to keep your heart consistent.

The most frequent supplication of the Prophet saw: “Oh, Turner of hearts, make my heart firm on your path.” Even the Prophet saw feared hypocrisy. Another dua “O Director of hearts, direct my heart to your good deeds.

8.     How much am I doing to guard my iman?

Your iman can never be too much, it just needs to be consistent. Some iman is deep in their hearts where others cannot see. Just like how a garment protects the body from harm, the iman / your deen protects your heart from the punishment from the Hellfire. Distinguish between truth and falsehood, and safeguard your faith. 

9.      When Allah calls you, act immediately

When you spend too much time after Allah gives you opportunities, act immediately so that syaitan cannot intervene with your thoughts and cause your heart to harden. Think about the wake up calls, catalyst moments that Allah sends to you (saved you from something bad). Capitalize from what Allah already has given you. Do not let time pass and your heart to harden. "Even the worse disbelievers, if they find themselves in darkness, will call themselves to Allah." Anyone in that state of desperation can call upon Allah when He sends them those moments. "Isn't it time for those who believe to soften their hearts to the truth that has been revealed?" There are major moments that Allah invites us to wake up/ re-establish your connection with Him. Jump into those opportunities so that your heart will soften. Commit yourself to Allah. If you don't act with immediacy, time will pass, you'll go back to your heedlessness and your heart will be harder and it will be more difficult for the next opportunity to work.

10.      Catch yourself when committing sins, picture yourself facing Allah s.w.t. on Judgement Day and stop yourself immediately

Just as a believer is about to commit a sin, when Allah’s name is mentioned, their hearts shake. The believer, just as he is about to commit a sin, he remembers his standing in front of Allah swt, he turns away from the sin, he says astarghfirullah (seeks refuge in the words of Allah swt and his faith is increased) and repents due to fear of Allah. As soon as you remember Allah, stop. Don’t say you’re already halfway through, let me finish this sin then repent afterwards. Right away, Stop! When syaitan whispers, remember Allah. Catch yourself. Place yourself in front of Allah like on Judgement Day. Remember Allah’s sight on you as if you are right in front facing him. Believers can’t stop sinning, but we can change our attitude towards sins. Humble. How can I take my iman at risk for the sake of that temporary pleasure? To replace, do a good deed instead of doing the bad deed (sin), or even thinking of doing a sin. Replace what would have been a sin, with a good deed (eg, reading the Quran). Faith increases with obedience and decreases with disobedience.

11.      Have faith in Allah first, then seek guidance (Iman, then hidayah)

‘roosh’ is a more intensified form of hidayah. Guiding every action you do. Is your heart willing to take the steps in surrender to Allah swt?

12.      Feeling guilty for having that doubt

Syaitan is always going to whisper. You don’t want that whisper to turn into actions. “we hate thinking about these things. And would never want these thinking to turn into actions” All praises is due to Allah to reduce syaitan’s plans to whispers. Don’t worry about your thoughts, as long as you fear Allah and deal with the thoughts with remembrance of Allah.

13.       

Intellectually, increasing yourself with knowledge increases your faith. It is ok to ask questions. “I do have iman but I wish to further deepen my iman.” – Prophet Ibrahim as

When our faith is challenged, say “Allah is sufficient for us, and He is the best disposer of our affairs.”- Nabi Ibrahim as said when he was about to enter the fire

14.       

What is the most dangerous threat to your iman? There is nothing more dangerous to a person’s faith than two hungry wolves that go into a flock of sheep. The wolves represent the love of wealth and the love of fame. It will make you start having expectations on those things, resorting to unethical behaviour and being lead to being away from Allah.

Prevention?

a.      Charity. Every time you earn. Make it routine.

b.      Not be extravagant. Need or want?

c.       If you have the comfort of something, don’t be in that luxury often so that you will appreciate it more (eg. Don’t always sleep in your comfy bed, don’t always eat good food.)

Never pursue something for the sight of the people (it is a hidden shirk). You turn them into gods by acting for pleasure of their sight. A person has to make the sight of Allah more that the sight of others. Forget about being famous on the people.

15.       

Poverty may lead to disbelief. Poverty is a difficult test to a person’s iman. In poverty, you may do things that will harm your faith. When a person is in debt, he may tell lies and do crimes and this may lead to disbelief. If a person is forced into poverty (not self-afflicted!), seek refuge in Allah: “Oh Allah, I seek refuge in you from disbelief and poverty.” “and I seek refuge on you from the torment of the grave.”

Society’s responsibility to eradicating poverty, not the individual. (just like da’wah, educating people about Islam for those who do not know) Not one of you believe and sleeps at night while your neighbour goes hungry.

16.       

Faith and envy (the bad kind where you want the other person to fall) cannot co-exist in your heart

Stinginess and faith cannot co-exist in your heart

Aka. Wanting something of this world and wishing harm on them.

Prevention?

For envy - When you see something that someone else has, make dua for them that Allah swt keeps that blessing for them. Disconnect yourself from it, don’t keep looking at it.

For stinginess - If you are the one who has the wealth, if you hold back, that is syaitan’s doing. Just give it away.

17.       

You will not taste the reality of faith until you understand that the one (situation) that comes to you was not meant to have missed you, and the one (situation) that does not come to you was meant to miss you.”

It is so easy to talk about faith when you’re not parched. Faith is put to the test when you get hit with something of divine decree that you were not expecting. Someone of real iman can respond to the test.

Starts with knowledge.

Never start with “if”, like “if I had done this… etc”. come to realise that even if you did all those things, your situation will still happen regardless. My circumstances are beyond my control. All of this has already been written, only Allah knows.

18.       

Taste the sweetness of faith.

a.      Love someone purely for the sake of Allah swt.

b.      Allah and His messenger are more beloved to me above ALL else

·       They would hate to return into disbelief (back to placing importance in worldly things) more so than being thrown into a fire

c.       Your iman is more precious to you than the love of worldly things

“we are living in happiness and the sweetness of iman.”

Printed for the home

Learning from lectures

Assalamualaikum.

Cool links:

$11/month subscription for free lectures - http://bayyinah.tv/

99 names of Allah - https://onedrive.live.com/?cid=8D42BF4FFA7C3781&id=8D42BF4FFA7C3781%215742

English translated Quran - http://www.kaskas.com/home/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Quran-Abdel-Haleem-Translation-1.pdf

Nouman Ali Khan

Alif Lam Mim - This is the writing itself

There is no room for doubt (Step 1. intellectual relationship with the Quran)

Doubt gets removed when you see a miracle, sometimes not for the eyes, but for the ears (not for every ear)

Purpose of miracles is to remove doubt

But for the next generation, the doubt occurs again because the next generation didn’t see it from their own eyes. Cos to them, it’s just a story

Now, the only way you can see the Quran as a miracle is when you come looking for it.

If you study Quran in a shallow way, you will find contradictions

But if you ponder and really read into it, there are no contradictions

It’s a guidance, counsel, advice (to those who are lost)

A hadiah (gift)

I am constantly seeking guidance (like a body needs water) (Step 2. Emotional relationship with the Quran)

Fill the thirst of your heart every few hours – solat

Quran has the power to guide you, and it is already actively guiding you.

Al mutaqim – people who are protecting yourself and carefully taking a step at a time (like a horse without his battle shoes)à NOUN

Verbs are temporary

Nouns are permanent (timeless)

Look for role models in the past

Al ghaib – those who believe in the unseen

Accept there is a reality that you cannot see, including the appreciation of the invisible. Also eg, feeling bad when you gossip, etc. conscience is heightened (Allah is always watching) eg, when you see others who have more worldly possessions than you, remember the unseen (your reward with Allah swt.)

Eg, going through physical pain, sickness (those who are patient will be rewarded)

Eg. Being alone in this world (Allah is always with me)

There are angels whose only jobs are to protect us

We have always been your protecting friends in this world and the next -angels say to those who are dying

Allah alone owns dignity – He is the one who grants dignity

Backbiting is a big deal – be careful what you blurt out with your mouth

2:10

1^st disease of the heart – ghaib (doubt)

Syaitan has access to your chest, NOT your heart. Our job is to sense that syaitan is knocking on our hearts, don’t open the door. If you open the door enough times, you let him move in. what used to be beautiful becomes ugly and whatever was ugly becomes beautiful (sins)

Master does not owe His slave anything (Allah swt does not owe us anything)

Primary bond between them is love

Do not associate anything else to Allah swt. i.e. do not love anything more or together with your love with Allah, including material obsessions like music, food, money, etc

Whatever has been placed on the earth has been made FOR you, subdued to you

·       meteors don’t attack the earth, even though the solar system is actually in constant chaos

·       natural disasters can occur on us ANYTIME

·       Allah humbled the earth and the universe, he kept it calm FOR us

Your ruh needs nur, your physical body needs material needs

Before Adam was created, we were ALL (non-believers too!) souls with Allah, we died, then we were placed in physical bodies in the wombs of our mothers

-traits of Allah are influenced on us (we are a little bit like Allah’s 99 names)

He made the world supportive for us to strengthen us to be obedient and grateful to Him

Bilal Khan

Prohibited:

string and wind instruments

haram content

liking musicians – they are doing haram things (drinking, drugs, other sins)

Pictorial representations of human beings (image making) – idolatry started through the making of images (to the next generation who were not communicated how the images were used permissibly during the previous generation)

People worshipped idols in the shape of people or animals (so other things like plants, planets and landscapes are still safe)

Permissible:

Percussion instruments (drums)

Singing the Al-Quran