Ulama finally awake to Durban Masonic Cult

Almost six years ago I had written two articles against the Satanism spreading in Durban which a supposedly Islamic publication had advertised for.

https://kindi313.wordpress.com/2013/10/14/alert-zuhur-jewish-masonic-infiltration-of-islam-12/

https://kindi313.wordpress.com/2013/10/14/alert-zuhur-jewish-masonic-infiltration-of-islam-22/

I wrote to the various jamiats in South Africa and others. No response.

Five years later a Durban scholar phoned me, he is on his way to a meeting with people leaving Islam for this cult, what should he say! The cult is spreading!

I'm supposed to be clued up to answer in minutes what they had ignored in their backyard for five years. Really!

Now six years later Durban ulama have finally published a warning which I reproduce below. I am not overly impressed with the timing, but may Allah reward them.

سليمان الكندي

@sulayman_kindi

From: Jamiatul Ulama KZN <newsletter@jamiat.org.za> 
Sent: 15 July 2019 05:31

 

 

 

A Satanist Cult disguised as Deen

 

Based on several cases which some Ulama in Durban and surrounding areas have had to deal with and treat in the recent past, it is necessary to draw the attention of the public to a Satanic Cult preying on Muslims. This cult has elements of Satanism, Kabala (Jewish witchcraft), Free-masonry and Shiasm as its underpinnings. 

The outer façade which this cult uses to draw the unwary into its clutches is the appearance of a Deeni and holy atmosphere. It preys primarily on Muslim women, and manipulates their soft nature. Some of the catch phrases used to get the unguarded individuals interested are:

• Its time to find your true purpose and meaning in life


• Your spirit is calling for a revolution and rebirth


• You need to link to the Law of the Universe and the secrets of the Taurah


• You need a Muslim life coach to help you along this journey

 

On the surface, these appear to be very innocent and well-meaning. 

“Islamic Fashion” is employed as a malevolent promotional tool. As a Trojan horse, the cult uses Durood programs to ensnare the gullible into their circles. Members are initially prescribed some forms of Zikr in order to make them feel that they are progressing in the Islamic pathway. 

(Note: Salawaat upon Nabi Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, referred to as Durood in Urdu, is a highly meritorious act of Ibaadah. There is sufficient guidance from Quráan and Sunnah as to the significance and method of this indispensable aspect of Deen. Muslims are in no need of some “new guidance” in this regard. See Fazail Durood for more details).

Muslim radio stations have, negligently or unwittingly, given this cult promotional airtime. Hence their reach has expanded. 

Once individuals show interest, they are invited to “spiritual retreats”, often held at exotic overseas tourist locations. Women mostly travel alone, without a Mahram, where they are easily brainwashed. 

Women who become suspicious and start to question the workings of the cult are, as typical with all cult movements, made to feel guilty. They are run down as being judgemental and “influencers” (a term used in social media) make them feel uncomfortable to the point that they start doubting themselves. 

As the members progress in the cult, they are advised to study these books:

·         The Kybalion (author unknown)

·         A Celestine Prophecy, by James Redfield

·         The Secret, by Rhonda Bryne

·         The Magic, by Rhonda Bryne

·         The Power of Kabalah, by Yehuda Berg

 

Some of the books prescribe daily mental exercises, which members are required to diligently follow. From the patients treated, it was discovered that the effect of these exercises is psyche-capture and mind-control over the initiates. 

Followers are urged to give up being in Purdah, and then to advertise this on social media platforms, where other cult members laud praise on this Rubicon of “emancipation”. 

After being led through many phases and layers within this cult, the ultimate book which is prescribed is “Al Zuhur”, also referred to as “The Book of Enlightenment”. Its author is described as “Nur Muhammdiyah”. It is referred to as a “Book of Allah”, which unravels the secrets of the Taurah. 

The final straw is when members of the cult sell their souls to Shaytaan and begin making sacrifices for him. 

The Deen of Allah Ta’ala is perfect and complete. In a Hadith, Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:

قد تركتكم على البيضاء ليلها كنهارها لا يزيغ عنها بعدي إلا هالك

I have left you on such a pathway which is clear and bright, its day is like its night (there are no hidden dark corners or mysteries). After I have gone, no one will divert from (this pathway) except that he will be destroyed. (Sunan Ibn Majah)

All the spiritual enlightenment we need is found in Quráan and Sunnah. There is absolutely no need to resort to other ideologies and newly introduced methods of spiritual progress. As a simple rule of thumb, if the promoters of any ideology cannot trace it back to Quráan and Sunnah, then stay far away from it even at the expense of losing one’s life. A Muslim is willing to lose his/her life, but not his/her Imaan.  

May Allah Ta’ala guide us all and protect us from the clandestine trappings of Shaytaan, Ameen.

 

Jamiatul Ulama (KZN)
Council of Muslim Theologians
223 Alpine Road, Overport
Durban, South Africa

Tel : +27 (0) 31 2077099
Fax : +27(0) 31 2074163
Website : www.jamiat.org.za

  

Ramaḍān & Socialising

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ

O you who believe! Fasting has been prescribed upon you as it was prescribed upon those before you, that you may acquire taqwā. [ʾal-Baqarah: 183]

 

Tweet and a question

 

I had tweeted:

People who have 11 months to socialize but don't, now desperately need to chat and invite to meals during #Ramadaan. So much precious time lost in this delusion

@HowardFeldman replied:

Please educate: Is #Ramadan not meant to be a time for gathering (in the evening)? Is it only at the end of the holy month?

Mr Feldman is a Jewish journalist of note. Although we hold diametrically opposite views on matters such as Palestine, I do believe that there is mutual respect amongst us, as fellow followers of Abrahamic faiths. I am therefore preparing a concise reply, but also further details for my usual Muslim readers which Mr Feldman is of course welcome to read if he wishes.

 

Concise Reply

 

Ramaḍān is a month of purification of the self. Every possible moment should be spent in building one’s relationship with God. There are gatherings at night for the special Tarāwīḥ prayer at Masjids (mosques) and then one should meet with friends and family on the day of ʿĪd, after Ramaḍān. Social gatherings during Ramaḍān are a cultural phenomenon, not a command of Islām. They may be permissible, but participants should be aware that every second that passes is precious and lost forever.

What is the purpose of Ramaḍān?

 

It has become fashionable in a politically correct era to tell ourselves, and more so, non-Muslim whom we seek to impress, that fasting is a social movement of sympathy for the poor. While that is without any doubt one of the benefits of fasting and part of the teaching and traits of the beloved Messenger of Allāh, Muḥammad (Allāh’s salutations and peace be upon him), that is not the purpose which Allāh mentions. He says, “O you who believe! Fasting has been prescribed upon you as it was prescribed upon those before you, that you may acquire taqwā.” [ʾal-Baqarah: 183]

Taqwā is difficult to express in English, but encompasses piety, righteousness, God-awareness and avoidance of God’s displeasure.

Islām teaches us balance [ʾal-Baqarah:143]. We have individual and social obligations. However, Ramaḍān is a time of acquiring taqwā, of focusing on building our relationship with our Creator. This is clearly demonstrable in the noble example of our Master, Muḥammad (Allāh’s salutations and peace be upon him). For example, our Mother, ʿĀʾishah (may Allāh be pleased with her) narrates:

عن عائشة رضي الله عنها قالت كان النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم إذا دخل العشر شد مئزره وأحيا ليله وأيقظ أهله

When the last ten days of Ramaḍān entered, the Prophet (Allāh’s salutations and peace be upon him) would fasten his loincloth and spend his night in worship, and awaken his family. [ʾal-Bukhārī]

Fasten the loincloth is a metaphor for exertion and avoidance of sexual relations. His focus was on personal devotion. This was not only during the prophetic period, but Allāh’s Messenger (Allāh’s salutations and peace be upon him) used to spend his Ramaḍān in isolation in the Cave of Ḥirā, even before Prophethood. It was during such a spiritual retreat that the angel came with the first revelation. For centuries Muslims had understood the link between spiritual cleansing and Ramaḍān and thus imitated Allāh’s Messenger (Allāh’s salutations and peace be upon him) in his practice of ʾIʿtikāf, spiritual retreat in the masjid during the last third of Ramaḍān.

Of course when communal obligations arose, he fulfilled those duties too. Yet the balance of evidence points to focus on personal spirituality, and fulfilment of community duties only as per necessity.

Yes, the two great Battles of Badr and Makkah occurred during Ramaḍān, but the operative word is occurred. An examination of the facts (the Quraysh violating the truce) would make it far fetched to claim that Allāh’s Messenger (Allāh’s salutations and peace be upon him), chose to time these events during Ramaḍān. Even during those events, history records his intense spiritual devotions. The night before Badr, was spent on the muddy earth begging Allāh, “O Allāh! If this little group is destroyed, then never again will You be worshipped.” Six years later he entered Makkah as a peaceful conqueror, head lowered, carrying the child of his recently martyred daughter, reciting Sūrah ʾal-Fatḥ. Then standing on the steps of the Kaʿbah he addresses his defeated enemy, “There is no god, but God alone, Who has no partner. He fulfilled His promise. He helped His slave. It is He alone Who defeated the alliance [of unbelievers]. O gathering of Quraysh, how do you wish me to treat you?”

There is no moment that he turned his attention away from Allāh in frivolous pursuits. His focus was entirely on Allāh.

No Second of Ramaḍān can be wasted

 

There are so many narrations of Allāh’s Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) exhorting us to value Ramaḍān. We cannot afford to lose out on this annual bargain, which for some, might be their last. For example:

فقد ورد في صحيح ابن خزيمة وغيره حديث طويل فيه: أيها الناس قد أظلكم شهر عظيم، شهر مبارك، شهر فيه ليلة خير من ألف شهر، جعل الله صيامه فريضة، وقيام ليله تطوعا، من تقرب فيه بخصلة من الخير، كان كمن أدى فريضة فيما سواه، ومن أدى فيه فريضة كان كمن أدى فيه سبعين فريضة فيما سواه.

“O people! There has come upon you a great month, a blessed month, a month in which there is a night better than a thousand months. Allāh has made its fast compulsory, and standing in prayer during its nights an optional virtue. He who draws closer to Allāh through an optional virtue during it, is like one who has fulfilled a compulsory deed outside of it. He who observes a compulsory deed in it is like one who observes 70 compulsory deeds outside of it…” [ʾIbn Khuzaymah]

The Benefits and Rights of the Qurʾān

 

The Qurʾān is to be lived by and recited. Its every letter grants the reciter a special reward, and that multiplied by 70 during Ramaḍān. Those of us living in non-Muslim lands generally have full working days during Ramaḍān. Surely intelligence demands that what little free time we have should be spent on the purpose of Ramaḍān and not socialising? The rewards are for our eternal life, why do you want to be a comparative permanent pauper in Paradise? Why do you not multiply your investment by 70? Allāh’s Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said:

روى أبو داود والترمذي عن عبد الله بن عمرو بن العاص رضي الله عنهما، وهو حديث صحيح، قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: (يقال لصاحب القرآن: اقرأ وارتق ورتل كما كنت ترتل في الدنيا(

It will be said to the Companion of the Qurʾān, “Recite and ascend [the stages of Paradise]. Read slowly like you used to read in the world.” [ʾAbū Dāwūd]

So choose the Qurʾān as your Ramaḍān companion. Will your buddies be able to give you the same benefit when you are resurrected?

In the attempt to build our relationship with Allāh, we need to purify our hearts.

عن ابن عمر قال : قال رسول الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم - : " إن هذه القلوب تصدأ كما يصدأ الحديد إذا أصابه الماء " قيل : يا رسول الله وما جلاؤها ؟ قال : " كثرة ذكر الموت وتلاوة القرآن " روى البيهقي الأحاديث الأربعة في شعب الإيمان

Allāh’s Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said: “These hearts rust just as iron rusts when water damages it. “O Messenger of God,” someone asked, “What is its polish?” He replied, “Frequent remembrance of death and recitation of the Qurʾān.” [ʾal-Bayhaqī]

If we spend our free time in Ramaḍān socialising, then when do we build our personal relationship with Allāh, when do we polish our hearts?

 

Touring Negates Completion of the Qurʾān

 

In South Africa there exists the phenomena which the participants therein call “touring”. A person will not attend every night of the Tarāwīḥ prayer at a single masjid, but will tour from masjid to masjid as his heart pleases. Part of the motivation is socialising. Yet even the term “touring” reveals that the tourist’s intention is self-pleasure, not Allāh’s pleasure. What religiously sanctioned reason can there be for this practice? Rather, the right of the Qurʾān is not fulfilled.

It is Sunnah (practice of Allāh’s Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) that the entire Qurʾān must be recited or listened to during Tarāwīḥ. This means every letter from the first B of the Qurʾān to the last S. In our weak state it is almost unheard of that no mistake is every made. Those not versed in Arabic and the Qurʾān will not realise that every night the mistakes of the previous night are first rectified before the recitation of that night itself. The tourist misses out on that rectification and his Qurʾān is not complete. He loses out on a precious Sunnah all for the sake of self-pleasure and socialising.

There are others for whom touring is not intended in itself, but is a consequence of accepting invitations in another area. They too will attend another masjid and they too will be deprived of the Sunnah.

  Is Socialising a Virtue or a Sin?

Most deeds are not innately good or evil, but depend on the intention and method of implementation. The average Muslim is aware of the famous statement of Allāh’s Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم), “Actions are according to the intentions.” [ʾal-Bukhārī].

Meeting with friends and family too can be virtuous, but with criteria. Allāh’s Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said:

عن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه قال: قال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم: ((سَبْعَةٌ يُظِلُّهُمْ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى فِي ظِلِّهِ يَوْمَ لَا ظِلَّ إِلاَّ ظِلُّهُ إِمَامٌ عَدْلٌ، وَشَابٌّ نَشَأَ فِي عِبَادَةِ اللَّهِ، وَرَجُلٌ قَلْبُهُ مُعَلَّقٌ فِي الْمَسَاجِدِ، وَرَجُلَانِ تَحَابَّا فِي اللَّهِ اجْتَمَعَا عَلَيْهِ وَتَفَرَّقَا عَلَيْهِ، وَرَجُلٌ دَعَتْهُ امْرَأَةٌ ذَاتُ مَنْصِبٍ وَجَمَالٍ فَقَالَ: إِنِّي أَخَافُ اللَّهَ وَرَجُلٌ تَصَدَّقَ بِصَدَقَةٍ فَأَخْفَاهَا حَتَّى لَا تَعْلَمَ شِمَالُهُ مَا تُنْفِقُ يَمِينُهُ وَرَجُلٌ ذَكَرَ اللَّهَ خَالِيًا فَفَاضَتْ عَيْنَاهُ))

There are seven categories whom Allāh Most High will shade in His shade on that day when there will be no shade except His…. Two men who love each other for Allāh’s sake. They gather for His sake, and depart for His sake...” [ʾal-Bukhārī]

It is clear that socialising is not a virtue in itself, but becomes a virtue through God-consciousness. Are our Ramaḍān parties truly God-conscious events or opportunities for gossip, slander etc? Allāh says:

لَّا خَيْرَ فِي كَثِيرٍ مِّن نَّجْوَاهُمْ إِلَّا مَنْ أَمَرَ بِصَدَقَةٍ أَوْ مَعْرُوفٍ أَوْ إِصْلَاحٍ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ ۚ وَمَن يَفْعَلْ ذَٰلِكَ ابْتِغَاءَ مَرْضَاتِ اللَّهِ فَسَوْفَ نُؤْتِيهِ أَجْرًا عَظِيمًا

No good is there in much of their private conversation, except for those who enjoin charity or that which is right or conciliation between people. And whoever does that seeking means to the pleasure of Allah - then We are going to give him a great reward. [ʾan-Nisāʾ: 114]

In his commentary to the above, the famous commentator, ʾIbn Kathīr reproduces the statement of Allāh’s Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم):

عن أم حبيبة قالت : قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم : " كلام ابن آدم كله عليه لا له ما خلا أمرا بمعروف أو نهيا عن منكر [ أو ذكر الله عز وجل "

The speech of the son of Adam is entirely against him, not for him, except for ordering good, forbidding evil, or remembering Allāh Most Mighty and Majestic.”

Even if one does avoid evil speech, one still loses on the chance to polish one’s heart. A common teaching of the spiritual masters is that qillatul ʾikhtilāṭ [lessening of social intermingling] is necessary for spiritual cleansing.

Talbīsul ʾIblīs

 

There is no living psychologist greater than Satan. He has had millennia to perfect deceiving us. One type of deception is to take us away from a greater and more urgent virtue to a lesser virtue. For example, ʾal-Ghazzālī condemned the wealthy person who goes for optional pilgrimage while his neighbour is hungry.

ʾIbnul Jawzī has written a veritable encyclopaedia on the topic called Talbīsul ʿIblīs (Deception of Satan). Please read it.

Sit and ponder with an honest heart how much of your Ramaḍan’s spirituality is lost through self-deception. I cannot point out every condition. Let us ask for example if we really need to listen to every broadcasted sermon of every scholar on radio during Ramaḍān? Certainly some time set aside in the path of knowledge is commendable, but how often is the amount of time used in that simply an excuse to avoid our own personal spiritual exertions? Can we not abandon frivolities outside of Ramaḍān and then listen to their podcasts? For the record I do not think that you need ʾIbnul Jawzī to explain the deception of the obscene dramas on certain “Islamic” Radio Stations, but you might need ʾas-Sulamī, the great scholar during the Crusades, to explain the evils of these media bootlicking the Satanic Saudi regime.

 

Rights of Family & Children

 

I think I need to conclude and attend to my own polishing. I hope that I have given you some food for thought and conclude with one final thought. As a parent you work the whole day and do not have much time with your family as you would like to. If you spend the intense spiritual time of Ramaḍān with friends, or even extended family, instead of your own household, what memories will your children have, and when do you expect to find a more blessed time to bond with them? When will the realisation hit you that when your child looks at you, you are a stranger?

 

سليمان الكندي
Twitter: @sulayman_Kindi

 

Concerns on the Modern “Education” System - a Historical Perspective

There appears to have been an above average interest in a recent tweet I made (I do not know what is the correct verb here, tweet I tweeted? Tweet I posted? Issued?) In response to the outrage on a UK school teaching little children to write same-sex love letters, I responded to this outrage, expressing the following, which I paraphrase as:

1. Muslim parents have always held western schooling to be sacrosanct and many have been willing to sacrifice their religious principles for a “good education” for their children. Thus I am not impressed at their sudden outrage. Prayer, Islamic diet, Islamic dress, separation of sexes, covering the thighs during sport, keeping a beard, etc. are amongst the many commands of Allāh we were happy to discard for decades. Arrogating to yourself the right to decide which command’s violation is sufficient enough to upset you, is placing yourself on a divine pedestal.


2. Over and above the discarding of outward practice, is the steady erosion of faith which is intrinsic to the western education system. Muslims are incapable of thinking like Muslims. Their mental colouration is not Allāh’s [ʾal-Baqarah: 138] but that of His enemies. There are many Muslims who outwardly pray and indeed exceed me in implementing the religion, may Allāh reward them, but an examination of their faith can leave one in tears. When parents have never bothered before that their children have greater faith in what is preached at schools than what Allāh says, then really, spare me your belated outrage. You may have a child that prays, but you could not have cared less that that child believes Charles Darwin more than Muḥammad صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ. I have touched on this topic before. For those who wish for further details, this will not be the topic here, perhaps you may exert yourself to see what is staring at Muslims in the face. For those who find what I say unpalatable, you are welcome to stop reading and tune into your favourite entertainer on certain so-called Islamic TV and Radio stations, whose job is only to make you happy and himself more popular, never speak what is bitter to hear.


3. I must apologise for perhaps being unfair. Since my earliest memories I have always been searching out any fact of history. In the light of the troves Allāh has granted me, I tend to view matters with a different scope and often get frustrated that why do others not see what should be so obvious in the light of historical facts. Were I wiser and humbler, I would pause to reflect that others are more gifted than I in other worthy sciences (or trashy facts of indoctrination like western sports, movies and music). I do not have a right to assume that what is obvious to me should be crystal clear to all. I am therefore devoting this article to a brief overview on the anti-Islamic and indoctrinating lineage of the western education system. People who can only criticise might rightfully point out that even with a common lineage there is great diversity in educational system. True, but people who are willing to reassess and accept the truth, will admit that this system of forced education, does not only take children away from their mothers, but also creates distance between Creator and slave, long before same-sex love letters were ever thought of.

I have provided links at certain points. The least further reading you can do on your own is read those links.

 

The West

 

I would trust that the dear reader agrees that the western mandatory public schooling system is modelled on the English system, i.e. US and UK schools. Should the dear critic find a hut on some Pacific island free of this system, I would think that you should be honest enough to admit that the tentacles of the west will soon spread there as well. The founding fathers of this system were the Englishman Mathew Arnold (d. 1888) and the American, Horace Mann (d. 1859). Arnold argued for state intervention in schools and through his efforts, elementary education became compulsory in 1880. Parents who hold public mandatory schooling to be sacred, above their religion, should reflect how mankind survived for thousands of years before 1880.

Although this article aims to avoid details, the six principles of Mann, which now form the foundation of public schools, are worth mentioning. Kindly pause, and reflect what would the eventual outcome of these be and why same-sex love letters should be no surprise to anyone with two brain cells. Please note that point four in contemporary English means “secularism”, i.e. no religion:

• that a republic cannot long remain ignorant and free, hence the necessity of universal popular education; (2) that such education must be paid for, controlled, and sustained by an interested public; (3) that such education is best provided in schools embracing children of all religious, social, and ethnic backgrounds; (4) that such education, while profoundly moral in character, must be free of sectarian religious influence; (5) that such education must be permeated throughout by the spirit, methods, and discipline of a free society, which preclude harsh pedagogy in the classroom; and (6) that such education can be provided only by well-trained, professional teachers.

 

Prussia

 

Mann and Arnold received their inspiration for using the public school, as a tool for the state to control the masses, from Prussia. Now despite going to schools descending from the Mann-Arnold system, many readers might not have heard of Prussia.

Prussia was one of the German states which existed before the unification of Germany in 1871. Since the 13^th century it was ruled as a monastic state by the warrior monks of the Teutonic Order. The last Grandmaster of the Teutonic Order, Albert, established schools in every town of Prussia. However, as early as 1427 schools were being used as tools as part of the forcible conversion of the local Prussians to Christianity.

The commentator, Bryan Hyde, aptly states the Prussian school system to be a tool for controlling the masses, with these five aims:

1. Obedient workers for the mines.


2. Obedient soldiers for the army.


3. Well-subordinated civil servants to government.


4. Well-subordinated clerks to industry.


5. Citizens who thought alike about major issues.

Apply this to current events, and pay attention to Mann’s 4^th point and Hyde’s fifth point.

 

The Teutonic Order

 

So who were these monks to whom ultimately the brain washing western school system can be traced to? I had erroneously “tweeted” that they originated from the Knights Templar. They were however a separate order. I summarise the following from https://www.ancient.eu/Teutonic_Knight/:

The Third Crusade was called by Pope Gregory VIII following the capture of Jerusalem in 1187 CE by Saladin… some German knights pressed on and assisted in the siege of Acre which terminated in July 1191 CE. Despite other successes, the Crusaders only managed to get within sight of Jerusalem and no attempt was made to attack the holy city. Instead, control of a small strip of land around Acre was negotiated and the future safe treatment of Christian pilgrims to the Holy Land.

… In March 1198 CE Pope Innocent III (r. 1198-1216 CE) granted its members the status of an independent military order under the name Fratres Domus hospitalis sanctae Mariae Teutonicorum (Brethren of the German Hospital of Saint Mary). Thus the organisation was born which would later become much better known as the Teutonic Order and its members as Teutonic knights. Like other military orders of the medieval period (e.g. the Knights Templar and Knights Hospitaller), it was a combination of two ways of life: knighthood and the monastery.

 

What’s Your Point?

 

My point is that Muslims get excited over isolated issues, which they are blind to its obvious coming, because they do not care about the bigger picture. As outrageous as making little children write love letters (to any sex) may be, it is but a ripple in the sea of drowning out Islām from our youth and future generations. Parents who help their children with homework, but never bothered to help with their children’s spiritual state, have absolutely zero sympathy from me.

 

 

سليمان الكندي
Twitter: @sulayman_Kindi

 

Three Lessons of Wisdom from Catholic History

الكلمة الحكمة ضالة المؤمن فحيث وجدها فهو أحق بها

Abū Hurayrah (may Allāh be pleased with him) narrates that Allāh’s Messenger (Allāh’s salutations and peace be upon him) said, “The Wise Word is the lost camel of the believer. Wherever he finds he is the most entitled to it.” [ʾat-Tirmiẓī]

Amongst the facts of history which clutter my brain, three events stand out from the history of the Catholics, at least to me. It is not to say that these events affirm their beliefs or their personal status, but in the light of the words of Allāh’s Messenger (Allāh’s salutations and peace be upon him), I see these as opportunities to reflect and gain wisdom. I list these three incidents in chronological order:

 

1.      Remembering the King of Kings during triumph

 

Ever since Henry VIII broke with the Catholic Church in 1534, England was intensely divided between the two Churches – Anglican and Catholic. Edward VI (1537–1553) was his Anglican son and successor. He attempted to replace his successor, His Catholic sister, Mary I, with his Anglican cousin, Jane I. Upon his death on 6 July 1553, Mary knew her life to be in danger and having no resources of her own, went into hiding. Yet on the 3 August she rode triumphantly into London, reciting, “If God is with us, who can be against us.”

 

From zero to conquering England in a few days was truly a miracle. As we believe that not a leave moves except by His permission, this event assuredly has some role in Allāh’s greater cosmic scheme. Yet what it might be, I cannot grasp.

 

What I can however learn, is humility and attention to Allāh during triumph. When Muslims forget Allāh when they achieve some aim and arrogate their triumph to themselves, they imitate Allāh enemy, Qārūn:

 قَالَ إِنَّمَا أُوتِيتُهُ عَلَى عِلْمٍ عِنْدِي أَوَلَمْ يَعْلَمْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ أَهْلَكَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِ مِنَ الْقُرُونِ مَنْ هُوَ أَشَدُّ مِنْهُ قُوَّةً وَأَكْثَرُ جَمْعًا وَلَا يُسْأَلُ عَنْ ذُنُوبِهِمُ الْمُجْرِمُونَ

He said, "I was only given it because of knowledge I have." Did he not know that Allah had destroyed before him of generations those who were greater than him in power and greater in accumulation [of wealth]? But the criminals, about their sins, will not be asked. [ʿal-Qaṣas: 78]

Worse is the ecstatic adulation Muslims show for achievements of beings besides Allāh, achievements which have no substance in even this world, let alone the next. What a triumph it is for Muslims today, when a soccer ball is kicked! Allāhu Akbar, there is nothing more glorious in their eyes. No wonder we in turn are kicked pillar to post.

It is sad, but undeniable, that however incorrect her belief might have been, in remembering Allāh at the moment of her triumph, Queen Mary’s actions were a closer reflection of the Sunnah, than that of some Muslims. For Allāh’s Messenger (صلى الله عليه و سلم) focused on Allāh during his triumphant entry into Makkah, reciting Sūrah ʾal-Fatḥ.

An interesting side note - when man (including Muslims) submit religion to their desires there will be contradictions. The British monarch, as head of the Anglican Church, proudly bears the title, “Defender of the Faith.” This title has been inherited from Henry VIII. The irony is that the Pope awarded him that title for defending the Catholic faith against the Protestants! Henry VIII later made his own Protestant religion for worldly reasons and kept the title for him and his successors.

2.      Choosing Faith over a Crown

 

The Anglican-Catholic drama continued to play out until parliament feared that Catholics might retake the throne upon the death of the childless Anglican, Queen Anne. Parliament therefore passed the Act of Settlement in 1701, decreeing that the crown should pass to the nearest Protestant relative of the Queen. It specifically stated that the monarch “shall join in communion with the Church of England”.

I recall that during my student days, English students would confidently announce to all who would hear, that Lady Diana had been assassinated because she had secretly become Muslim under the influence of her Egyptian boy-friend and was set to make her son, William, a future Muslim king of England. They would say this as if it was some personal accomplishment of the Muslims of England. When I mentioned that even if true, the Act of Settlement would exclude William from the succession, they were not interested. Who cares about facts when we have a good conspiracy theory going?

To return to the conspiracy of 1701, the problem the English faced, was that Anne’s closest remaining relatives were Catholics. Over 50 Catholics refused to convert in order to accept the crown of England. Eventually her Protestant German relative, George I, became king, the first of the House of Hanover which still reigns in its morphed form of Windsor.

In this I find an interesting question to English racists. What is the reality of your racism and nationalist pride when your monarchs have been foreigners for almost a thousand years? French kings ruled you from 1066 to 1485, then Welsh until 1603, Scots until 1707, and finally a German family to this day.

Enough of the history lesson, what lesson do I learn from all this? Mainly that if over 50 people of incorrect belief could choose that belief over the crowns of England, Scotland and Ireland, how do I, as a Muslim, compromise my faith for the pettiest of worldly gains? Sometimes these gains are not even material gains, but perceived gains of the ego, such as fame.

 

3.      We leave the World with nothing

 

Empress Zita was the widow of the last Hapsburg Emperor, Karl, who had been deposed in 1918. The Hapsburgs had been staunch Catholics and had ruled much of Europe for centuries, and by extension, much of both American continents as well.

Zita died in 1989, aged 96. Her body was brought to the Hapsburg crypt in Vienna. The wardens asked who wished to enter. The bearers recited her numerous titles which took a lengthy time, “Queen of Bohemia, Dalmatia, Croatia, Slavonia, Galicia. Queen of Jerusalem. Grand Duchess of Tuscany and Cracow…”. Bear in mind the staggering number of territories they had ruled over the centuries. “I do not know this person,” said a priest.

Again the pallbearers knocked. “Who goes there?” they were asked. They gave her royal titles, in a much shorter form, as only, “Zita, Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary,” and again they were turned back.

The third time, however, the pallbearers replied, “We come with the sinful mortal, our sister Zita.” The gates opened.

Do I need to point out a lesson here?

 

سليمان الكندي
Twitter: @sulayman_Kindi

 

 

 

 

Is Islām Dead? A Question Posed To Me

عن عمر - رضي الله عنه - ذكر عنده أبو بكر فبكى وقال : وددت أن عملي كله مثل عمله يوما واحدا من أيامه ، وليلة واحدة من لياليه ، أما ليلته فليلة سار مع رسول الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم - إلى الغار فلما انتهيا إليه قال : والله لا تدخله حتى أدخل قبلك ، فإن كان فيه شيء أصابني دونك ، فدخل فكسحه ، ووجد في جانبه ثقبا ، فشق إزاره ، وسدها له ، وبقي منها اثنان فألقمهما رجليه ، ثم قال لرسول الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم - : ادخل ، فدخل رسول الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم - ووضع رأسه في حجره ونام فلدغ أبو بكر في رجله من الجحر ولم يتحرك مخافة أن يشبه رسول الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم - فسقطت دموعه على وجه رسول الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم - فقال : ( مالك يا أبا بكر ؟ ) قال : لدغت ، فداك أبي وأمي ، فتفل رسول الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم - فذهب ما يجده ، ثم انتقض عليه ، وكان سبب موته وأما يومه ، فلما قبض رسول الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم - ارتدت العرب وقالوا : لا نؤدي زكاة فقال : لو منعوني عقالا لجاهدتهم عليه فقلت : يا خليفة رسول الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم - ! تألف الناس وارفق بهم فقال لي : أجبار في الجاهلية وخوار في الإسلام ؟ إنه قد انقطع الوحي وتم الدين أينقص وأنا حي ؟ رواه رزين

Abū Bakr (may Allāh be pleased with him) was mentioned before ʿUmar (may Allāh be pleased with him). He wept and said:
How I wish that all my deeds were equal to but one night of deeds and one day of deeds out of his life. As for the night, it was when he went with Allāh’s Messengerصَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ to the cave. He said, “By Allāh, you will not enter until I enter before you. Thus, if there be anything in it, it will strike me, not you.” He entered and swept through it. He found a hole in the side, which he plugged with cloth which he tore from his garment. But then there remained two holes which he filled with his legs. He then said to Allāh’s Messengerصَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ , “Enter.” Allāh’s Messengerصَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ entered and placed his head on his lap to sleep. Abū Bakr was stung on the leg in the hole, but did not move out of fear of disturbing Allāh’s Messengerصَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ . His tears fell on Allāh’s Messengerصَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ who asked, “What is wrong, Abū Bakr?” He replied, “I have been stung, but may father and mother be sacrificed for you.” Allāh’s Messengerصَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ spat there, and what he felt then left him. Later that was undone and was the cause of his death. As for his day, it was when Allāh’s Messengerصَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ was taken [from the world]. The Arabs apostatised and said, “We shall not pay Zakāh.” He said, “If they so much as refuse me a camel’s rope, I shall wage jihad on them for it.” “O Successor to Allāh’s Messengerصَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ,” I said, “Draw people to you and be lenient with them.” He said to me, “Were you a strong tyrant before Islām and now a bellowing cow during Islām? Revelation has terminated and this religion is now complete. Will the religion become imperfect while I am living?” [Ibn Razīn]

Today (Monday), a brother posed this question to me. (Is Islām dead?). My first thought was that I had advised him previously on his choice of words in matters of faith. Fortunately, his question was followed by more of a comma than a full stop. Fortunately, too, he was addressing the temperamental Sulaymān al-Kindī and not the far more sensitive Miqdād al-Kindī (may Allāh be pleased with him), who had exploded at less.

The brother continued, expressing his anxieties, that as so many facets of Islām are not being practised upon, and in fact cannot be implemented and will never be implemented as can far as we can see, is Islām dead, in that there will never be a whole Islām? He specifically referred to political authority as an example, which is not only a legislated branch of Islām in itself, but a facilitator for several other branches.

Here are some of the thoughts I shared with him. Of course, I must emphasise that these are my interpretations, and in no way do I imply the slightest knowledge of the unseen plans of Allāh.

1. Such Anxiety is the hallmark of faith

Whatever the reality of the situation, and whatever humanly unchangeable predicament we may find ourselves in, it is to be expected of the believers that we mirror the anxiety and zeal for faith which Abū Bakr displayed in the above narration. I say “mirror” because whoever says that he can “emulate” the greatest man after Allāh’s Messengerصَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ , has either deceived himself or is a shameless liar.

There is an Arabic saying, “A judicial decision and no Abul Ḥasan for it,” meaning a hard decision requiring an amazing intelligence and understanding of the law similar that to of Ali (may Allāh be pleased with him). Shaykh Abul Ḥasan ʿAlī Nadwī played on the expression by saying, “Apostacy and no Abū Bakr for it.” In other words, we live in an era in which Islām faces an extinction like that of the apostacy of the Arabs. The difference is that we have no champion like Abū Bakr to crush it. That of course does not absolve us of at least feeling hurt at the decline of Islām.

Allāh’s Messengerصَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ said, “Whosoever of you sees an evil, let him change it with his hand; and if he is not able to do so, then [let him change it] with his tongue; and if he is not able to do so, then with his heart — and that is the weakest of faith.” [Muslim]

2. The decline was foretold

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ عَنْ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ إِنَّكُمْ فِي زَمَانٍ مَنْ تَرَكَ مِنْكُمْ عُشْرَ مَا أُمِرَ بِهِ هَلَكَ ثُمَّ يَأْتِي زَمَانٌ مَنْ عَمِلَ مِنْكُمْ بِعُشْرِ مَا أُمِرَ بِهِ نَجَا
Allāh’s Messengerصَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ said, “You [the Ṣāḥābah] are in such an era that should those amongst you leave a tenth of what you have been commanded with they will be destroyed. Then an era will come. Those amongst you [Muslims] who practice on just a tenth of what they have been commanded with will be saved. [Tirmiẓī]

Several points can be drawn from this Ḥadīth, and they do not contradict the narration of Abū Bakr.

• Islām started with vigour and a full ten out ten was expected from the first Muslims.
• Circumstances will be so changed and difficult that Allāh will have mercy on a latter generation who only manage to get one of ten on their Islām score card.
• As much as the decline of Islām hurts us, we accept Allāh’s will. We are the slaves. Slaves do not command or even think of questioning the King!
• Had Islām never declined, then the various Ḥadīth which predict it would be null. I cannot pen with respect what that would imply on the lofty status of Allāh’s Messengerصَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ . I shall not make a comparison between his status and that of the rest of us combined, for there is no comparing to him. The outward decline of Islām is one of the many testaments to his truth. If we are spending two centuries of utter humiliation to the West solely to prove a single sentence of Allāh’s Messengerصَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ , then so be it and congratulations to us. May we be sacrificed for Allāh’s Belovedصَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ . Allāh knows the reality of His plan.
• Note that managing to only practice a tenth due to weakness and circumstance is way different from intentionally rebelling against Allāh’s majesty and discarding the nine-tenths. One the one hand, there is narrational evidence for being rewarded for sincere intention. The “one-tenth” Muslim may indeed be a ten-tenths Muslim in the court of Allāh, purely through his intention, and his unique sacrifices may earn him unique rewards. On the other hand, those with Muslim sounding names, even those with the Prophet’s name, but fight for the destruction of Allāh’s religion, should really give up the pretence of being Muslims. The weakest, most sinful, wine-guzzling, fornicating criminal who has never prayed or fasted can still have love for Allāh and His Messengerصَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ . He is still a Muslim.
• The Ḥadīth proves that Allāh does not judge every individual the same. He is the King and has every right to do so. Yet seemingly, there is a logic and reason behind different scales of judgement. The reward and expectation of one who witnessed Allāh’s Messengerصَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ and the revelation of the Qurʾān would be on a different level to one who did not witness these, but instead underwent the tribulations of the Anti-Christ. Similarly, the Ḥadīth singles out the youth engaged in worship. Why should they be rewarded more than their parents for the same deed? It is reasonable. They have greater desires and attractions to curb than their parents, and they do so with less experience and understanding. Still, they turn away from the world, and run towards Allāh. Why should Allāh not reward such youth exponentially more than their parents? Yet the brother who questioned me should note that youth have access to a “limited Islām”. They may perhaps not be giving as much charity as their parents. They do not have the rewards of marriage as their parents. They do not have the rewards of raising children. Each group has their own scale. The parents have the “complete Islām” the brother yearns for, but the children receive the higher reward of what is within their capacity.
• Miqdād bin ʾAswad ʾal-Kindī had exploded at a man who expressed the wish to have seen Allāh’s Messengerصَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ . Miqdād explained that one issue was that he had questioned Allāh’s will. Another was that he had not expressed gratitude for being a Muslim of whatever generation, for he had seen people like Abū Jahl. They had seen Allāh’s Messengerصَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ hundreds of times but had died as disbelievers.
• ʿAbdul Qādir ʾal-Jīlānī had consoled the poor in the following words, but I would leave it to the reader to deduce how Allāh in His wisdom knows best how to place us in different times and circumstances and judge us accordingly:
• “O Empty-handed beggardly fellows, the world would appear to be at loggerheads with you; you are barefooted, unclothed and unfed, broken hearted and ill-starred, evicted from every place and deprived of your longings and fancies. But do not say that Allah has reduced you to poverty, turned the world against you, abandoned, maligned or persecuted you, did not assign the portion of earthly pleasures due to you, or did not bestow honour and fame upon you. Nor is it proper for you to complain that Allah has granted his favours to others, made them reputed and honoured, although they belong to the same faith as you do and are the progeny of Adam and Eve like you.

“It is really so because you are like a fertile land on which Allah is sending down the rains consisting of endurance and resignation, conviction and faith, knowledge and grace. The tree of your faith is taking roots, sprouting forth its branches, its shade closing over you, pushing out new shoots and fruits, getting higher and bigger without your providing any fertiliser to it. Allah Almighty knows what you really need. He had, therefore, assigned a befitting place for you in the Hereafter. He has made you a lord in the life-to-come where His bounties are countless, inconceivable and unheard of. As Allah has said, nobody knows what delights have been stored for your eyes in the Paradise. This shall be your recompense for the faithful performance of what has been enjoined unto you, and your endurance, resignation and submission to the will of Allah.

“As for those who have been well-afforded in this world, they have been placed in easy circumstances for they are like a barren land, rocky and sandy, which neither stores nor absorbs the rains, and it is difficult to implant the tree of faith in it. It has, therefore, to be provided with fertilisers so that the weak saplings of their faith may get nourishment and push out the shoots of righteous actions. Thus, if the wealth, honour and fame are taken away from them, the tree of their faith shall waste away and its leaves and fruits shall wither although Allah intends to make it strong. Therefore, my poor brethren, you ought to know that the faith of the wealthy does not have deeper roots, it lacks that strength which has been endowed to you, and it needs the riches and earthly prizes for its nourishment. If these gifts were to be taken away from them, their faith will give place to blasphemy and they shall join the ranks of infidels, apostates and hypocrites, unless, of course, Allah bestows on them spiritual light and illumination, endurance and resignation to strengthen their faith.” [end of quote]

3. Do not confuse Allāh & Islām

As great as Islām is, it should not be forgotten that Allāh is greater. Allāh is above all and independent of all, including Islām. Allāh is the object and free of any defect. If there is a decline in our practice of Islām, does that affect the majesty of Allāh? We need practise Islām as best we can but keep our gaze on Allāh.

This concept is so difficult for some to understand that a new secular Islām arises minus any Allāh. Thus I see Palestine activists with every slogan but no Allāh in their mission whatsoever. Palestine has become an idol. I hear orators blaring a plethora of political benefits of pilgrimage and economic benefits of charity, but not once is Allāh mentioned in their religious concert disguised as a sermon. We love everything associated with our King – Palestine, pilgrimage and charity. However, religion divorced of Allāh is nothing but Satanism.

4. Individual Criteria has been there since the beginning

Allāh, the King has always treated different people with a different criterion. Oh, isn’t that unfair? No, unfair is that the humanist and secularist whisperings of Satan have become of equal merit to you as against the decree of Allāh, which His slaves are happy to accept.
عَنِ ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ ، قَالَ : كَانَ الرَّجُلُ أَحْسِبُ عَبْدَ الرَّزَّاقِ ، قَالَ : كَانَ الرَّجُلُ فِي بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ إِذَا أَذْنَبَ أَصْبَحَ عَلَى بَابِهِ مَكْتُوبًا : أَذْنَبَ كَذَا وَكَذَا ، وَكَفَّارَتُهُ مِنَ الْعَمَلِ كَذَا ، فَلَعَلَّهُ أَنْ بِتَكَاثُرِهِ يَعْمَلُهُ ، قَالَ ابْنُ مَسْعُودٍ مَا أُحِبُّ أَنَّ اللَّهَ أَعْطَانَا ذَلِكَ مَكَانَ هَذِهِ الآيَةِ : وَمَنْ يَعْمَلْ سُوءًا أَوْ يَظْلِمْ نَفْسَهُ ثُمَّ يَسْتَغْفِرِ اللَّهَ يَجِدِ اللَّهَ غَفُورًا رَحِيمًا سورة النساء آية 1
ʾal-Bayhaqī records ʾIbn Masʿūd (may Allāh be pleased with him) as saying that when an Israelite committed a sin then the sin and its required atonement would be found written on his door. Yet Allāh wished that this practice be replaced by giving us the verse, “He who does an evil or wrongs himself, then seeks forgiveness from Allāh, will find Allāh Most Forgiving and Merciful.” [Shuʿb ʾal-ʾĪmān]

This is also indicated in the Ḥadīth of ʾal-Bukhārī wherein the previous nations are compared to labourers who give up their tasks and lose their wages and thus the Muslims receive the wages of labour they had not even done.

عَنْ أَبِي مُوسَى، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ مَثَلُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَالْيَهُودِ وَالنَّصَارَى كَمَثَلِ رَجُلٍ اسْتَأْجَرَ قَوْمًا يَعْمَلُونَ لَهُ عَمَلاً إِلَى اللَّيْلِ، فَعَمِلُوا إِلَى نِصْفِ النَّهَارِ، فَقَالُوا لاَ حَاجَةَ لَنَا إِلَى أَجْرِكَ، فَاسْتَأْجَرَ آخَرِينَ فَقَالَ أَكْمِلُوا بَقِيَّةَ يَوْمِكُمْ، وَلَكُمُ الَّذِي شَرَطْتُ، فَعَمِلُوا حَتَّى إِذَا كَانَ حِينَ صَلاَةِ الْعَصْرِ قَالُوا لَكَ مَا عَمِلْنَا‏.‏ فَاسْتَأْجَرَ قَوْمًا فَعَمِلُوا بَقِيَّةَ يَوْمِهِمْ حَتَّى غَابَتِ الشَّمْسُ، وَاسْتَكْمَلُوا أَجْرَ الْفَرِيقَيْنِ ‏"
"The example of Muslims, Jews and Christians is like the example of a man who employed labourers to work for him from morning till night. They worked till midday and they said, 'We are not in need of your reward.' So the man employed another group and said to them, 'Complete the rest of the day and yours will be the wages I had fixed (for the first group). They worked until the time of the `Asr prayer and said, 'Whatever we have done is for you.' He employed another group. They worked for the rest of the day till sunset, and they received the wages of the two former groups."

5. Differences within the Prophetic era

The Companions were expected to be ten out of ten Muslims. Yet the “ten” parts of Islām was not the same. In the beginning there were not many regulations and tests were on faith. Thus Miʿrāj [Ascension to the heavens] was a test of faith which all did not pass. Some Muslims refused to believe the incident and left Islām. Later tests were on deeds which had not been promulgated at the time of the Miʿrāj, e.g. battles, fasting, etc.

6. Benefits of an inferior position

The loss of Islām’s previous position of domination is not without benefit. We no longer have people pretending to Islām with the aim gaining lucrative government positions. Amongst those positions was that of the paid Islamic scholars, particularly palace scholars and judges. That kind of insincerity is far less. Some still lick the boots of the kings (MBS and Sisi) and some still turn religion in lucrative posts (radio and television), yet your average post-islamic empire scholar, has little financial incentive in his calling and despite personal weaknesses, is a far surer ally in preserving your faith when Mr Anti-Christ reveals himself.

7. There are parallels between the first and later generations

In as much as Allāh can test every people and individual differently, His Messengerصَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ has indicated a kind of similarity between the tests of the first and later generations.
أن النبي ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ قال: بدأ الإسلام غَريبًا وسيعود غريبًا كما بدأ، فطُوبى للغرباء
“Islām began forlorn and rejected. Soon it will be forlorn and rejected as it had started, so congratulations to the forlorn ones.” [Muslim]

A similarity may be in that the first generation and the latter in that the first were tested when Islām was yet incomplete and the time has now come when we are tested when forces have made Islām again incomplete, in a manner of speaking. If it is that you are the generation being referred to, and your tests have given you the honour of being compared with Abū Bakr, ʿUmar, ʿUthmān and ʿAlī (may Allāh be pleased with them), then o brother, then o sister, from the lips of Allāh’s Messengerصَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ , “congratulations” unto you!!!!!!

سليمان الكندي

Twitter: @sulayman_Kindi

Yasir Qadhi - some points on groups with incorrect belief

My first encounter with Dr Yasir Qadhi was when a scholar of good character (other than perpetual lack of punctuality) and sound  knowledge, suggested that I draw from Dr Qadhi's Seerah programme for my own, which I had two years ago. I regret that I found his work way too "tweaked", bending the facts to suit his narratives. I therefore abandoned further delving into his work.

The still  not punctual friend of Allah invited me to attend Dr Yasir Qadhi's seminar, last night (13 Muharram 1440, 23 Sep 2018), in Fordsburg, Johannesburg, South Africa.

I do acknowledge that the doctor appears to be far superior to myself in knowledge, sincerity and exerting himself for Islam. That does not negate that his talk raises serious questions. I raised some of them at the Q&A, but apparently there was no time to respond to me.

Before going into specifics, it must be pointed out that the Ahlus Sunnah which Dr Qadhi belongs to, is hallmarked by the trait of moderation. I fail to see how his arguing against the extremism of sectarianism is different to his  extremism of  including any group as Islamic as long as they claim to be Muslim. Both are extremes and miss the desired moderation in our attitude.

I have addressed some concerns to Dr Qadhi on Twitter, which I reproduce below. (The unpunctual scholar had more technical objections). I apologise for not having time for a more fleshed out article:

Sulayman al-Kindi‏ @sulayman_Kindi

@YasirQadhi Thank you for your insights at last night's talk, but there are matters which I must address without negating the overall good of your work.

1) Your equating deeds and belief and explicitly stating that good deeds negate wrong belief. I cannot belittle you by pointing out where the Quraan distinguishes between the two.

2) You specifically mention sajdah and charity. I am sure that there are Catholics who make more sajdah than some Muslims and Jews who give more charity than us. To whom does your doctrine of deeds>belief apply? If you intended a restriction, you might be more explicit in stating thus.

3) You spent well over a half-an-hour blasting the Ulama of South Africa. Every point your raised was possibly valid and I do not argue against them. However, was it mature to address those issues to all andsundry instead of a specific Ulama forum? You mentioned an example where you addressed a Sunni Ulama forum in your land, so the concept is not foreign to you. The lack of confidence certain sectors feel towards SA Ulama is their own doing, as you point out, but consider the added damage you have contributed.

4) As in [the] previous point [3] you came across as extremely patronising. How much time did you spend researching a people or spending time with different sectors before your judgements? Islam exists only 100 years in SA??? Do not equate the history of a few to the overwhelming majority - to paraphrase a statement you made several times last night.

5) I salute your superior knowledge but do not respect the patronising way you assume we know nothing of the Shiah. After putting us in our place and touting your qualifications you proceed to declare that do we even know of the Alawis being a group of the Itha Ashariyah! Yes, we all err, but you state this after elevating yourself and lowering your audience.

6) Your interpretation of inmates of Hell being liberated on the basis of their atomic faith

referring to their faith being correct on at least SOMETHING although wrong on most things; rather than a statement of weak but correct belief as per narrow minded people like myself, is problematic. How does your interpretation exclude the Jews who might have more points of coincidence with Islamic belief than certain deviant sects?

7) You said NOTHING new. If these are then the interpretations of Ibn Hajar etc whom you mentioned, please provide references.

8) Later you contradict yourself. Everything you said is purported from classic scholars

on the other hand, it does not matter if you say something new, because whatever you say is from the Quraan.

9) I am not convinced that Sunnis were always the majority at every point in our history, but that is a minor point

was salaam

A Muslim’s Thoughts on his Diet

عَنْ عَوْنِ بْنِ أَبِي جُحَيْفَةَ ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ , قَالَ : " آخَى النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بَيْنَ سَلْمَانَ وَأَبِي الدَّرْدَاءِ ، فَزَارَ سَلْمَانُ أَبَا الدَّرْدَاءِ ، فَرَأَى أُمَّ الدَّرْدَاءِ مُتَبَذِّلَةً ، فَقَالَ لَهَا : مَا شَأْنُكِ يَا أُمَّ الدَّرْدَاءِ ؟ قَالَتْ : إِنَّ أَخَاكَ أَبَا الدَّرْدَاءِ يَقُومُ اللَّيْلَ وَيَصُومُ النَّهَارَ وَلَيْسَ لَهُ فِي شَيْءٍ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا حَاجَةٌ ، فَجَاءَ أَبُو الدَّرْدَاءِ ، فَرَحَّبَ بِهِ وَقَدَّمَ إِلَيْهِ طَعَامًا ، فَقَالَ لَهُ سَلْمَانُ : اطْعَمْ ، فَقَالَ : إِنِّي صَائِمٌ ، قَالَ : أَقْسَمْتُ عَلَيْكَ لَتُفْطِرَنَّهُ ، قَالَ : مَا آكُلُ حَتَّى تَأْكُلَ . ثُمَّ بَاتَ عِنْدَهُ ، فَلَمَّا كَانَ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ أَرَادَ أَبُو الدَّرْدَاءِ أَنْ يَقُومَ فَمَنَعَهُ سَلْمَانُ ، فَقَالَ لَهُ : يَا أَبَا الدَّرْدَاءِ إِنَّ لِجَسَدِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا ، وَلِرَبِّكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا ، وَلأَهْلِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا ، فَصُمْ وَأَفْطِرْ ، وَصَلِّ وَآتِ أَهْلَكَ ، وَأَعْطِ كُلَّ ذِي حَقٍّ حَقَّهُ ، فَلَمَّا كَانَ فِي الصُّبْحِ ، قَالَ : قُمِ الآنَ إِنْ شِئْتَ ، قَالَ : فَقَامَا فَصَلَّيَا ثُمَّ رَكَعَا ، ثُمَّ خَرَجَا إِلَى الصَّلاةِ ، وَجَاءَ أَبُو الدَّرْدَاءِ لِيُخْبِرَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِالَّذِي أَمَرَهُ سَلْمَانُ ، فَقَالَ لَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : " إِنَّ لِجَسَدِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا مِثْلَ الَّذِي قَالَ لَكَ سَلْمَانُ " .

ʿAwn bin ʿAbī Juḥāyfah narrates from his father that Allāh’s Messenger صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ   said, “Indeed your body has a right over you...” [al-Bukhārī]

 

The first time that I can recall realising that I need to do something about my physical wellbeing, was years ago when I performed sajdah (prostration in prayer)and my belly bounced to the ground, not just my head. I could not offer a basic act of worship with the dignity it deserved. Sadly I went off course. Some factors are in my control, and some are not. A few years have now gone by wherein about two thirds of the time I was walking with crutches, leading to a vicious cycle of lack of exercise and care, which compounded existing health issues. On the 1^st September 2017 I decided to grab the bull by the horns and go on a vigorous diet. Here are some thoughts I would like to share.

 

Fear Allah as best you are able to

فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْ

Sūrah ʾat-Taghābūn (verse 16) instructs us, “Fear Allāh as best you are able to…”. So why do we restrict this only to purely “religious” matters? I had reached a state of zero exercise. There were times when crawling for ablution and prayer made me scream. However, I thought, what is within my capacity? I could not exercise, but I could stop stuffing myself. So I concentrated on what I am able to do and a few months later I am now able to undertake light exercise again.

But what will people say?

 

A major stumbling block for many in doing the right thing is, “But what will people say?” What Allāh says is secondary to them. Again I thought, this is not exclusively a religious phenomenon. I do not feel hunger in the early morning and am always hungry at night irrespective whether and what I ate during the day. The people say that you HAVE to stuff something down your throat in the morning even if you do not feel hunger. Further you have to be a slave to food and have SIX small meals throughout the day. Is it Sunnah to eat when not hungry? What happened to keeping a third of the belly empty? Did the first generations of Muslims formally sit down to eat at fixed times and fix these at three? I say no and my body said no. Based on my requirements, I researched a bit andI came across OMAD (One Meal A Day). I have implemented this diet for nearly four months (with maybe 5 cheat days) and thank Allāh for the overall benefits of a diet which is closer to the Sunnah than the lifestyle of gluttony we have become accustomed to. I have lost 7kg so far. I feel much better. For the first time in my life I am having deep sleep. I am praying from a standing position, not sitting on a chair. There is less strain on my poor damaged ankles and knees. All praise belongs to Allāh.

 

A Believer can control his expenditure

 

The great saint of India, ʾAshraf ʿAlī Thānwī (Allāh’s mercy be upon him) advised that when we are in financial difficulties we tend to seek ways to increase our income, whereas this is fixed and predetermined by Allāh. On the other hand, expenditure is within our hands. It is that end which we should focus on. I once joked that there is not much for me to cut down on except to stop eating. After all, I already “coast” when driving downhill to save on fuel. Now that I have gone through four months of no breakfast and lunch including no snacks, however supposedly healthy, I have seen financial benefits as well. I normally live on my credit card (without incurring interest!). When I receive my salary I immediately pay my monthly bills and there is not much left on the very day of receipt. With a bit of a lower expenditure, this was this first month in years that I had some respectable amount left. In fact I was genuinely confused, since I have become so used to allocating almost everything to third parties and am not used to having an amount left over.

 

Our Focus on the material diverts us from Allāh

 

This is a topic on its own and requires further elucidation. Certainly Allāh’s Messenger صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ  utilised physical means and to deny the world’s reality is not Sunnah. However, we just love to exaggerate what we like until the truth becomes a means of falsehood. So yes, Allāh’s Messenger صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ   taught us cleanliness, but using that as an excuse for your glamorous dressing and cosmetics is a most unjust lie when attributed to the simple  Messenger صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ  . Similarly many of the religious like to enumerate the number of Sunnah ways they eat, but never reach the issue of amount. Food has become an obsession (look at the size of the bellies of the religious) and we forget that it is a simple means which Allāh had created for our sustenance and that the actual Sustainer is Allāh. The amount we require according to Sunnah, which we do  not mention, is quite minimal. When one attends a meal at a religious gathering (Tablīgh, the spiritual reformatories or the educational institutions etc) in South Africa, then without fail one will hear someone who does not eat much being mocked, “You are a poor batsman, eat more!” How heart-breaking that a religious gathering, Sunnah is regarded as a defect, and contravention of Sunnah is a virtue.

Some people become more obese during Ramaḍān, whereas in this month spiritual energy is so much more apparent. During this blessed month I normally have a cup of green tea, a glass of water and a date in the morning. In the evening I have a date, green tea and 2 litres of water. If I feel real adventurous, I party with a few olives. I do not imply anything special about myself. I write these words in the same vein as I would I say that I inhale and exhale to survive. Food is but a means from our Sustainer, and this is readily apparent to anyone who wishes to see it during Ramaḍān.

Allāh’s Messenger صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ  sought out the absent and those in difficulty

 

Not so his supposed followers. Illness keeps one away from people and in the home. Meet someone after a lengthy duration and it is, “Hey, I haven’t seen you for ages!” Supposedly for some, Islām suffices with external virtues such as the length of a beard and a cut of a cloth. Sunnahs of the heart are foreign concepts.

 

Everything is black and white for this community

 

For some reason our minds have become programmed to see everything in very narrow constructs, there is just no grey area or consideration for another opinion. This attitude is not restricted to major religious and political issues of the day, but permeates to petty social interactions of our lives. An example in my life….. my left knee is still very weak. I cannot sit in the prayer posture or between prostrations without stretching out to my right. Sitting normally is extremely painful. On the other hand, I currently have the strength to stand, and do not deem praying while sitting for the entire duration to be permissible for me. As such, I need to be by the right hand side wall, or have nobody to my right, as I am forced to stretch in that direction. Try and explain this to the illustrious intellectual descendants of ʾal-Ghazzālī and ʾIbn Kathīr. No, either you are ill and I’ll get you a chair, or you are fine and can’t ask me to make space for you. The small minds of this community make it difficult to attend the Masjid, even when physically capable. How many other issues we face due to such attitudes I cannot enumerate.

 

We have been prohibited from artificial formalities

عن عمر رضي الله عنه قال: نُهِينَا عَنِ التَّكَلُّفِ. رواه البخاري.

ʿUmar (may Allāh be pleased with him) said, “We have been prohibited from takalluf [artificial formalities].” [al-Bukhari]

My teacher, Muḥammad Doodat (may Allāh guard him and accept him), is famous for his tough love. One lesson I always value is when he walked by carrying his books and eager beaver student me rushed forth to shake his hands. He rebuked me that did I expect him to drop his books just because I think I am being respectful? His hands are occupied and in fact what I am doing is not Sunnah, but causing difficulty to another Muslim, who in addition, happens to be my teacher.

Somehow, my peers, who might not have received the same tough love lesson, but definitely learnt the above Ḥadīth, seem to regard my crutches as the latest fashion accessories. Who cares what difficulty and pain they put me through. They expect me drop my crutches and to shake their pious hands. If you cannot assist, then at least desist from harm. I do not regard their hand grabbing as Sunnah. Sunnah is based on thoughtfulness, not artificial social formalities.  Again, a petty example of the broader mentality issues that need to be addressed.

سليمان الكندي

Twitter: @sulayman_Kindi