Eid Mubarak!

A belated Eid Mubarak! Below is Shaykh Hamza’s Eid Khutbah… a lecture that has many great points that are well worth a few listens, and time spent reflecting on the Shaykh’s words. May Allah help us to carry the fragrance of Ramadan into the rest of the year. Ameen.

great article..

An excellent read.

You can find it here.

sonnet 116

One of my favourite Shaykh Hamza talks ever ever, is a lecture titled “Love has Conditions”. It’s been a while since I’ve heard it, but today I was thinking about some of the points that Shaykh Hamza makes in the talk (about how we say we love God, but don’t necessarily do the things that that love demands..and also about how we can devote more time to choosing a watermelon than to our own sajda, and the destinations of those two acts are very very different!)

To listen you can find the talks here in the Audio Section of the Zaytuna site.

(the talks are the fifth and sixth link on the page)

One of my favourite parts of the talk is when Shaykh Hamza quotes a few lines (below) from Shakespeare’s sonnet 116. I’m paraphrasing, but the point he was making is that when we say, “I love Allah but I don’t know what happened” that means our love wasn’t love in the first place.

Love is not love

Which alters when it alteration finds,

Or bends with the remover to remove:

O no! it is an ever-fixed mark

That looks on tempests and is never shaken;

May our love and wayfaring be true insha’Allah..

wise counsel

These two paragraphs are at the end of the book, Agenda to Change our Condition, as part of one of the appendices. The truth of these words really struck me when I read this section, and insha’Allah this is a section of the text that I shall read often and commit to memory. (A side note: the cd set titled The Poor Man’s Book of Assistance is an incredible listen as well).

“Never demand a right from anyone, whether a relative or a stranger, for the simple reason that a stranger owes you nothing, and a relative is far too important to direct your blame at. Never assume that anyone in the world can really understand your circumstance other than from their own perspective. People perceive things based only upon their own personal frames of reference and their personal experiences. However, when aims, purposes and aspirations are similar, people tend to work together toward a common goal

Never belittle any discussion about people in their absence, even what appears to be harmless, due to the harm that can result from it. Guard your secrets, even if you feel safe with someone, because the one to whom you divulge your secret is not a safer vessel than your own heart before you revealed it.”

Source: Agenda to Change Our Condition, The Counsel of Sidi Ahmad Zarruq, Excerpts from The Poor Man’s Book of Assistance.

Jum’ah Mubarak!

Assalamu alaykum,

Jum’ah Mubarak! Hope everyone is having a salawat and dhikr filled Jum’ah! Here is a beautiful video about the Prophet’s dua after he was chased out of Taif that is worth several listens. Hope you enjoy…

always hope

I read this paragraph today and thought it was too beautiful and inspiring to keep to myself.

A man once came to a sage and said, “I think your path is a wonderful path, but it is too arduous for me to follow.” The sage responded, “Most people attempt something before they give it up, but you have already defined your limits before testing them.”

The path of Allah is indeed arduous, and it would appear to one looking at it that treading it is too difficult for most of us. Let us first set out and then see how long we can last. God willing, a divine wind will blow on our backs, our feet will become light, and wondrous fellow wayfarers will show up with sustenance just when we thought we had none. Our success is by Allah, upon Him we place our trust, and to Him do we return.

Source: Agenda to Change our Condition, Introduction. (Zaytuna Institute)

Spring’s Gift

One of my favourite poems..Hope everyone had a lovely Jum’ah..

Spring’s Gift By Hamza Yusuf

!–> I envy the sand that met his feet I’m jealous of honey he tasted sweet Of birds that hovered above his head Of spiders who spun their sacred web To save him from his enemies I envy clouds formed from the seas That gave him cover from the heat Of a sun whose light could not compete With his, whose face did shine so bright That all was clear in blinding night I envy sightless trees that gazed Upon his form completely dazed Not knowing if the sun had risen But felt themselves in unison With those who prayed, and fasted too Simply because he told them to With truth and kindness, charity From God who gave such clarity His mercy comes in one He sent To mold our hearts more heaven bent I envy all there at his side Who watched the turning of the tide As truth prevailed and falsehood fled And hope restored life to the dead Men and Women through him found grace To seek together God’s noble face I envy the cup that gave him drink His thoughts that helped us all to think To be one thought that passed his mind Inspiring him to act so kind For me this world is not one jot If I could simply be a thought From him to God throughout the ages As revelation came in stages I pity all who think it odd To hear him say there is one God Or he was sent by God to men To hone their spirits’ acumen It’s pride that blinds us from the sight That helps good men to see his light He taught us all to be God’s slaves And he will be the one who saves Humanity from sinful pride Muhammad has God on his side So on this day be blessed and sing For he was born to grace our Spring With lilies, flowers, life’s rebirth In a dome of green like his on earth

Making the Quran the Spring of our hearts..

I was re-reading this from the Seasons Journal today, and masha’Allah, it is a article that is worth reflecting upon.

Spring is coming to a end, but insha’Allah the dua of the Prophet (peace be upon him): ““O Allah make the Quran the Spring of my heart” is one that stays with us all year round.

I’m curious to learn how others work to develop a meaningful dynamic living relationship with the Quran in their daily lives though..all reflections welcome.

western muslims: issues and concerns

I watched an interview of Shaykh Hamza Yusuf a few days ago on the Islamic Information Service, and an interviewer who did another interview with the shaykh years and years ago.

The link to the first part of the interview is below, and there are 6 parts to the interview. Each part is about 10 minutes long. Interview is well worth a watch-not only because the points they make/topics they cover are really good (what is freedom? do we have it?) but also because the conversation is a really lively discussion.

On the frontlines.

Yesterday I saw a couple of videos that were really uplifting, and for a moment, almost made me want to be a lawyer..

The first video is the first of five videos (each a couple of minutes long) of an interview with Shaykh Hamza Yusuf and the UK District Judge Marlyn Moringten, a new Muslimah and overall super lady. All five parts are very interesting, and there is a lovely moment during part 5 of the interview where Shaykh Hamza thanks her for the work that she does, and she thanks him for his teaching of others, which is a nice inspiring reminder that there are lots of ways to contribute to the deen, we just need to find that area that fits us best and then strive for excellence in that area..

Part 1:

The second video is part of the same Shaykh Hamza series and is with Michael Ratner, a US judge that has been fighting for several years now for the rights of arbitrary detainees. There is a moment during the where Shaykh Hamza turns to him and asks, “what is driving you?”. His detailed answer and his acknowledgement that the work he does is extremely unpopular, really struck me because it is a question I don’t think I ask myself enough: on a day to day basis, what is driving me personally? And how am I contributing to my community ? Definitely something I need to devote attention and thought towards.