The 4 Greatest Women...

As-salam alaykum!
I'm sorry for not updating this as much as I envisioned, alhamdulillah there's a lot of exciting and time consuming activities going on this Ramadan.. if you don't know already what I mean by that, insha'Allah you'll be finding out! ;)
I quickly just wanted to share 2 things inshaAllah. 1) There's a good book I've recently read entitled Who Moved My Cheese? It's a realllly quick read ( I actually read it on my train ride to work!) and it has a lot of great lessons when you read it through an Islamic perspective. It's about 2 little mice named Sniff and Scurry, and 2 "little people" named Hem and Haw who learn about change through finding New Cheese in a maze. It's a great way to analyze your own life and how we all deal with change by reading about these characters whose names are perfectly chosen to portray how they are in the book. 2) I've been listening to Imam Anwar al-Awlaki's cd set on the Meccan period of the Life of Muhammad sallalahu alayhi wa salam, and he discussed how there's lessons to be learned about the 4 greatest women: Khadeeja, Maryam, Aasiyah, and Fatima (ra). These four great women were just that because they were the greatest mothers and the best of wives. Khadeeja (ra) was the best wife to the prophet sallalahu alayhi wa salam and he stated how no one ever replaced her! She was the one who comforted him when no one else was there, and she had faith that Allah would never disgrace such a great man! Fatima too was a great wife to `Ali and worked hard day and night in her house. She was the daughter of our prophet sallalahu alayhi wa salam and her hands would crack from doing so much cleaning and cooking! SubhanAllah. Maryam and Aasiyah were great mothers to the anbiya! It makes so much sense why heaven lies under our mothers' feet alhamdulillah! Imam Anwar commented that Aisha (ra) had great knowledge-- more than Khadeeja and Fatima, but she was not considered one of the four greatest women. Of course there's an importance to get educated in Islam; in my eyes it's a responsibility as well as a communal obligation since as a mom, you'll be teaching your own children. But subhanAllah to reflect on what made these women so great, above any other women to come...
Sorry if the above didn't make any sense, but if you've talked to me recently, you know why I even mention any of this =)
and Allah knows best!

A Delightful Breakfast

As-salam Alaykum
Alhamdulillah during our trip we were allowed to stop at a well where the prophet sallalahu alayhi wa salaam also had stopped on during his journey to drink from a well, eat fresh dates, and bread. We were wonderfully surprised with our very own breakfast consisting of yummy yellow dates, well water, fresh baked bread, and yogurt...




Shaykh Hamza briefing us by the well..

This was the best breakfast ever!

Above is the path that the prophet sallalahu alayhi wa salam and his companions used to take on their journeys.

Ramadan Mubarak!

As-salam Alaykum wa Rahmatullah!
Insha'Allah you are all doing well and are in an ever increasing state of iman and taqwa, especially in this blessed month of Ramadan! Today is my family's first day of Ramadan as we are following Zaytuna... please refer to the website for a GREAT article Shaykh Hamza wrote. The following link is the abstract of the article; http://www.zaytuna.org/articleDetails.asp?articleID=100 but please read the whole article (it's about 40 pages but inshaAllah if you're intention is to read for the sake of sincerely learning and understanding, then the 40 pages is nothing!) I am including the abstract below...
Sorry it's been awhile since I have written. Alhamdulillah life has been busy.
Insha'Allah may we take advantage of this blessed month of Ramadan and use it as a great spiritual training ground in which we set goals for ourselves, realize the true weaknesses of our own soul, and inshaAllah try to go about curing our diseases of the heart. Ramadan is a month that Allah has graciously bestowed us with to improve ourselves immensely and be greatly rewarded for that inshaAllah, such that we continute to build upon that foundation for the rest of the Islamic year, so that the next Ramadan is even greater inshaAllah!

Since I've already included pictures from Madina, I will be posting up my reflections from the bus trip from Jeddah to Madina as well.

First is the abstract:

CESAREAN MOON BIRTHSBy Hamza Yusuf
Article Abstract:This paper will examine the issue of Muslims physically sighting the crescent moon as the basis for beginning the months that constitute their lunar calendar. The argument posed here is especially relevant in the United States and Canada where the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) and its allied Fiqh Council of North America are attempting to establish a norm of using calculations as the basis for determining the beginning of the lunar calendar, and the timing of associated devotional acts such as the Fast of Ramadan and the Hajj. This paper advances several arguments and rebuts others in an effort to prove that the only acceptable basis for determining the lunar month is the actual sighting of the dawning crescent. At the root of the problem is a failure to recognize that the crescent moon’s appearance is a legal cause (sabab) determined by God in the Qur’an and through His Prophet’s words. That being the case, no scholar in the history of Islam has ever permitted calculation in lieu of sighting until the modern era. Moreover, predicting the new moon’s visibility with absolute certainty is impossible, even by modern scientific calculations, as opposed to the degree of certainty that has been attained in predicting the astronomical new moon, which is invisible to the naked-eye. Furthermore, the ability to predict the new moon’s probable appearance has not increased greatly from premodern times. For these reasons, and others discussed in this paper, actual sighting poses difficulties in terms of the scheduling requisites created by a modern industrial or postindustrial society.I argue that the actual naked-eye sighting is the standard demarcator for establishing the entrance of the Islamic lunar month based on the fact that the Qur’anic verse, They ask you about the crescent moons; say they are a means to measure your specific times and are also for the commencement of the Hajj (2:189), can only be interpreted literally. This conclusion ensues because the verse is decisive in its evidentiary nature and unequivocal in meaning. As far as the fast of Ramadan, it is only validly begun on the basis of affirming the entrance of the month by sighting the crescent moon. I will present the textual and linguistic evidence to substantiate this position. In the eventuality of an obscure horizon on the twenty-ninth day of the month, the overwhelming majority of scholars argue that the month should be completed by fasting a thirtieth day. There are a few divergent opinions from this ruling. However, they do not establish the basis for standardizing a lunar calendar based on calculations, as I will show. I will also establish that observational astronomy has advanced little during the last 2000 years. Premodern people had extensive knowledge of the calculations needed to make advanced calendars, predict eclipses, and ascertain with certainty the births of new moons based upon separation after the point of lunisolar conjunction. The Arabs in the pre-Islamic period, during the prophetic epoch, and thereafter made both lunar and solar calendars. The Arabs were using a sometimes calculated and intercalated lunar calendar in the pre-Islamic period, until its abolition by the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him, who replaced it with a calendar based on actual sighting. Hence, I argue that, far from being an advancement, moving to a calculated lunar calendar is a reversion to pre-Islamic (jahili) custom. Similarly, I will show how the Jews also used a lunar calendar based on actual sighting until political developments forced its abandonment.In addition to advancing proofs showing that none of our scholars advocated standardizing the determination of the beginning of the lunar months based on calculations, I will show how the opinion of Ibn Daqiq al-‘Id has been misrepresented by the advocates of such calculations. This section of the paper will also present the brilliant explanation of Imam al-Qarafi for the divergent methodologies in establishing prayer times by calculations and the beginning of the lunar months by actual naked-eye sighting. In this section of the paper, I will advance the methodological proofs that demonstrate the flaws in Ahmad Shakir’s argument, which posits that the end of widespread illiteracy and innumeracy in the Muslim community lead to ending a reliance on actual crescent sighting to establish the entrance of the lunar months. I conclude my argument by presenting the opinion of the four Sunni schools and the Ja’fari Shia school that the norm for establishing the beginning of the lunar month is the actual naked-eye sighting. I have endeavored in this paper to adhere to the highest standards of Islamic scholarly discourse. Although my conclusion on the issue under discussion differs from that of the scholars whose works and opinions have informed ISNA’s decision, I retain my respect for them and their accomplishments. I also recognize their sincere efforts in facilitating acts of worship for the Muslims, which is a noble endeavor. We should understand that a lack of uniformity in our opinions around this issue should not affect our overall unity. At the end of this paper, I present a series of policy prescriptions that should help us to move forward constructively.

My reflections from the trip from Jeddah to Madina:

Tuesday, August 8th: On The Road to Madina
Two nights ago, we ended classes early and some sisters were going shopping with one of the sisters’ husband at a place called Balad. I decided to tag along to finally go buy the niqab I wanted. This was my second time venturing out into Saudi society, and I realized that practically all taxi drivers are Bangladeshi. Who would have thought that we needed to brush up on our Urdu instead of Arabic to come to Saudi! Although we went to Balad pretty late in the evening, it was very hot—like unbearably hot. I don’t think I’ve ever sweated so much in my life while shopping. I was so excited when we actually went to a store and there was AC. Now, if you’ve ever been to Saudi, you know that most of the shops are all open; it’s not like a mall where it’s enclosed. There were a lot of people out and the center was comprised of various alleys with shops and booths along with people sitting on the floor with their merchandise spread out. I noticed that the poor people who were there carried boxes around so instead of begging, they offered to carry our purchases in these boxes for money. I felt sorry for them, and how could this be a Muslim country if 2.5% of peoples’ wealth is donated to charity.
Khayr, I bought some abayas, scarves, and the niqab I wanted—and I ended up wearing it on my way back too! It wasn’t so bad, and I felt a lot more protected; although just a tad claustrophobic. I did bargain a little with the store owners using my broken Arabic skills (or lack thereof I should say) although their prices are so cheap compared to how much we get things for in America! I realized how even in Saudi, you think you’re getting an abaya for less than $4 (10 riyals), and you find out the abaya was made in India!
With my interactions with the Saudi shop owners, I realized the men are pretty gross. It’s such a different environment where they’re not used to women talking back, being assertive (or are these my assumptions?), and smiling! Although we don’t mean it in any flirtatious way, we don’t know what they’re thinking. I’ve even felt this way at the hotel where a friend and I used the business center for like 15 minutes and we didn’t have to pay!
Last night, some of the sisters had the opportunity to perform `umrah in case they wouldn’t be able to do it at the end. Many tried coercing me to go, but I didn’t feel ready. In my heart, I knew that I wanted to go to Madina and visit the blessed Rasul before going to the house of Allah! Instead, some of us sisters had a once in a lifetime opportunity! Alhamdulillah some sisters were getting together to go to Shaykh Abdullah bin Bayyah’s house. A small group of approximately 15 loaded in a small bus and were taken to his house—about a 30 minute ride from Jeddah on the outskirts of Jeddah’s border to Mecca. We were invited by his daughter in law Habiba, who is of Irish descent from California who now lived in Jeddah. I was able to talk to her for some time and found out that she got married pretty young to Shaykh Abdullah’s son who was her Arabic teacher at Zaytuna. She now is my age and has three children mashaAllah! I questioned her about how it is to live in Jeddah especially when I’m sure she stands out since she looks American and is really tall mashaAllah. She apparently enjoys it and has gotten used to it. We also were able to find out about Shaykh Abdullah’s family—he has 9 children who live all around the world; some in Saudi, Mauritania, Indonesia, and the UK. I assumed many of the sons were shuyukh just like their father, but it turns out that many are computer programmers. They displayed great hospitality as immediately we walked into the door, one of the helpers served us a variety of fruit juices. They also opened up various packaged desserts and then served us really hot and fresh green tea that was really strong! As is the Islamic way, I didn’t refuse anything but it was hard for me to gulp down that green tea—I just couldn’t do it! The shaykh then came in to greet us, and asked us if we had any questions. All of us were too shy to speak up, so he responded that he would let us enjoy our refreshments and then perhaps later we could ask questions inshaAllah. As soon as he left the room, we all regretted not saying anything! We wanted him to come back! I realized that we were just in awe of his presence, I couldn’t believe he was there looking right at us and he is at such a state that he knows the states of our souls. Unfortunately, it was pretty late at the time, and he had his dinner and ended up going to bed. We left at midnight after scourging their house through taking their blessed fruit, and returned to the hotel, where we packed a little. It was so pleasant to be sitting with such great sisters—some teachers at Zaytuna, others who have gone to study abroad; it made me feel the blessing of having this noble company. We had sat on the floor and talked about beneficial things and had a great time—when the company is great, the conversation is noble, and you just walk out knowing you really utilized your time alhamdulillah! I thank Allah for having given me this immense blessing of going to the shaykh’s house, and allowing me to come across these wonderful sisters who truly are an inspiration and a role model. Girls can go to Syria and study Arabic, and come back here and inshaAllah have everything taken care of—put full trust and reliance in Allah and He provides us with openings.. let’s ride the wave inshaAllah!
Currently, we’re on our way to Madina and I’m so excited! We stopped at a shopping market called “Shopping Time!” (how fobby is that?) to get drinks and then resumed our way. We were supposed to stop at Badr on our way, but the organizers decided not to because it makes for a lengthy trip. As we drive, I don’t see very much—it’s kind of like driving up to northern California or to Las Vegas, minus the cacti. The skies are pretty cloudy and you can’t see into the horizon maybe because of the sand. There’s a lot of rubble in the dirt, and I’m not too sure where it’s from—broken down masjids? Or perhaps ruins from the houses people once lived in. Allahu Alim. Shaykh Abdullah al-Kadi told us that we would be passing the grave of Maymunah bint al-Harith (ra), but no one can really tell where it is. SubhanAllah to think that she wanted to be buried at the place where she was married to the prophet sallalahu alayhi wa salam! As the Shaykh romantically commented, she’s waiting for him on the highway!

Masjid al-Nur

After our trip to Masjid al-Jumuah, we ventured on the road and turned into a dirt path that looked like it led nowhere. Gates were opened for us, where our buses drove through and parked. We were at Masjid an-Nur. This is a place where some of the companions (ra) studied with the prophet (saw) until really late. When they wanted to leave, it was too dark so the prophet (saw) gave them a cane that shed light (like a modern day flashlight). Close to this masjid, which now is rubble with a persian rug laying on the dirt to pray on, is a well. There is also a path that leads to the Well of Arees which is where the Prophet (saw) one day came and put his feet in the water. Abu Musa guarded him, and Abu Bakr(ra) came and asked permission to join the prophet (saw), who granted him permission and gave glad tidings that he would be entering heaven. Umar (ra) then came and asked permission to enter. Abu Musa asked the prophet (saw) and he gave the same response. Uthman (ra) also came and joined them later who also received the good news of attaining Heaven. Abu Bakr sat to the right, Umar sat to the left, and Uthman sat in front of the prophet (saw). This well is known to be one of the 7 wells in paradise. SubhanAllah.

The prophet (saw) had a ring that said Muhammad Rasul Allah. Abu Bakr (ra) had the ring after the prophet (saw) died, then `Umar, then Uthman. Uthman dropped the ring in a well. He couldn’t find it and even ordered that the well be emptied. This was symbolic of the fall of the ummah.

Masjid Jumuah

as-salam alaykum!
here's a brief post for today about Masjid Jumuah which is where the first jumuah in jamaat (congregation) was prayed. The prophet sallalahu alayhi wa salam was requested by the companions in Madinah to stay at their place. Bani Salim ibn Awf told him that he had honored their cousins in Quba by accepting their hospitality, so their cousins would remain more honorable than they till the end of time. So he stopped and prayed here. His (saw) camel chose where he would stay and she chose where the current pulpit is.

In the area of Quba, there is also Masjid Banu Unayf. This is where the prophet (saw) visited Talha who passed away soon after.

Sorry these pics are so blurry... I had more but they were way too blurry to share. We didn't spend much time here; rather, we quickly stopped and prayed 2 rakahs and went on our way to Masjid Nur... more to come about that later inshaAllah ta ala!

Masjid Quba

As-salam Alaykum folks Sorry it's been awhile... there's currently lots of stuff going on in my life alhamdulillah. I figured I would post up some pictures to add to the blog since it's been full of my rantings thus far...

Masjid Quba was the first masjid to be built. There is a hadith that states, “Whoever makes wudu and leaves to Quba and has the intention to pray there, it will be like making umrah.”
The prophet (saw) arrived at Masjid al-Quba on his migration from Mecca to Madinah on 12th Rabi al-Awwal. There was a tribe of `Amr ibn Awf, and the prophet (saw) stayed with Khulthum ibn Haden (sp?). `Ali (ra) brought Aisha, her mother, Sawdah, and Asmaa bint Abu Bakr the following day. Abdullah ibn Zubair (son of Asmaa) was the first Muslim born during Muhajirah. The Prophet’s (saw) camel chose this place for the prophet (saw) to build a masjid.
The prophet (saw) stayed at Quba from Monday to Thursday and left on Friday. Khulthum ibn Haden was the first to die after the prophet (saw) reached Madinah. The cousin of `Amr ibn Awf requested that the prophet (saw) stay with them on Friday-- more to be said about Masjid Jumuah in the next picture posting inshaAllah...

Above: Upstairs in the sisters' praying area. No pictures are allowed to be taken in this masjid, but they allowed us to alhamdulillah...

Shaykh Abdullah bin Bayyah class

There is a related hadith by Abd al-Razzaq that before prophecy, Allah looked at people on earth and loathed them except for a small group of Christians. Allah sent the prophet sallalahu alayhi wa salam as a test for people as well as a test for himself.

The birthplace of the prophet sallalahu alayhi wa salam, Mecca, was a place known for prophecy (Ibrahim (as) and Ishmael…) The Arabs were divided into 3 groups:
1) Ancient Arabs who were destroyed because they preferred error over guidance
2) Pure Arabs who only spoke Arabic
3) Semitic people from the northeast who migrated to the Arabian peninsula and learned Arabic. The prophet sallalahu alayhi wa salam descended from them (Adnaniun lineage who were descendants of Ibrahim; people of Ishmael who had learned Arabic from the Dirhimites).


The ka`bah was a place Allah was worshipped since it was built until a supposedly “religious” man introduced idols to the kabah. (Listen to Imam Anwar al-Awlaki’s cd set on the Life of Muhammad (saw), and you’ll get great details)

The era before the prophet sallalahu alayhi wa salam was known as jahiliyya (age of ignorance). Amongst the tribes were the Ansar and the Quraysh, who were also known as Muhajirun because they had performed hajj.

After describing the social context of the era, Shaykh Abdullah bin Bayyah continued on with the political and economic landscapes.

The economy depended upon commerce (international trade) and agriculture/husbandry. There was no industry or serious craft like textiles. There was tribal solidarity and a hierarchal system where the shaykh in charge would take one fourth of any gains of the tribe. He made the rules and gains were made from war. When it rained, they believed they should go to war because the water disrupted the cattle. Tribes made political allegiances with surrounding areas. They had ties with Persians; in the north, they had ties to the Byzantians, and also had ties with Yemen and Ethiopia.

It is important to remember that these people would later be transformed from those who Allah did not like to those who would praise Him. These people would also take this tawheed to different countries like Europe. Most people were illiterate during this time. There were some Yemenis who knew how to write an ancient script, but these people boasted about it. Thus, Islam was an immense gift. In the du`a recited before eating, it praised Allah and thanked Him for food and drink and also for letting them become Muslims and saving them from blindness. (Blindness in the metaphorical sense).

The time in which the prophet sallalahu alayhi wa salam was born is to be celebrated. There were some miracles that occurred before the birth: the fire the Zoroastrians worshipped blew out; the oil from the tree zaytun was lit without having fire.

The prophet sallalahu alayhi wa salam was born in a noble lineage. We can trace it back to Adnan with certainty. His sallalahu alayhi wa salam lineage does not have any illegitimacy—none of his ancestors commited adultery.

As we know, when things are very dark, this is when dawn is about to come. We also know the position of the constellation of stars. The names of the stars present during the birth of the prophet sallalahu alayhi wa salam all relate to joy (sa`ad).

The prophet sallalahu alayhi wa salam was born circumcised with his head raised towards the heavens. He didn’t have the normal “gunk” that babies are born with. During this era, people preferred children to be raised in a harsh environment so they could endure. The prophet sallalahu alayhi wa salam was taken to Halima’s house, and since then, miracles occurred. He was very trustworthy and known as “al-Amin”. People would leave their trusts with him whenever they would go on journeys.

The prophet sallalahu alayhi wa salam liked khalwa (spiritual retreats by himself). This is a sign of people who have intellect because people should enjoy the company of God by himself over the company of others. He was inspired to know not to believe in shirk (associating partners with Allah).

In Mecca, there were 12 tribes; 10 inside and 2 outside of Mecca. They argued about who should put the last stone on the ka`bah. They agreed that the next person to enter would decide. The prophet sallalahu alayhi wa salam entered and he got a cloak and put it over the stone, and all 12 tribes placed the stone. Once, when rebuilding the ka`bah, his uncle told him to put his clothes below his waist as it was known that people were ok with nakedness. He didn’t want to disobey his uncle, but when he tried to fulfill the request, an angel came and physically prevented him from doing so and the prophet sallalahu alayhi wa salam fell.

There’s a saying that no man is a hero in his house, but the prophet’s sallalahu alayhi wa salam family were the first to convert to Islam because they were in awe of him.

All prophets peace be upon them all received prophecy at age 40. Prior to age 40, the prophet sallalahu alayhi wa salam never claimed prophecy. This transformation changed all of society—people who were astray became guides, people who were nothing became scholars.

As was the case with every prophet, people originally denied him. The first group of Muslims were patient and none of them apostated away from Islam. Tribes boycotted them and some wouldn’t sell food. The belief of the people during this time was to not leave the beliefs of their forefathers. There were 13 years of patience; but the events that occurred within these 13 years was in preparation for what lay ahead. The turning point was when Umar (ra) converted.

Shaykh Abdullah bin Bayyah

As-salam alaykum ya alls!
So insha'Allah I'm including some notes I typed up last week alhamdulillah. Alhamdulillah there's been a lot going on, and insha'Allah I'm trying to prep up for Ramadan, and also do some reading for hajj! Before my notes, I wanted some feedback from all of you-- are my blogs too long? Tell me what I can do to better serve you inshaAllah ta`ala!
Oh yeah, and for those who don't know who Shaykh Abdullah bin Bayyah is, please refer to www.zaytuna.org to get a good description. All I have to say is mashaAllah and subhanAllah.... may Allah preserve him and grant him the highest state in jannah!

Insha’Allah I will start sharing notes from Shaykh Abdullah bin Bayyah’s classes. He covered two different lectures—one on Usool ul-fiqh (these were deep and hardcore dude, you HAD to really think and reflect because the magnitude at which he thinks and taught.. subhanAllah) and another on Seerah.

Here are some highlights from his welcoming class and seerah class.

Whoever fears Allah will have doors to gain more knowledge open. There is a hadith related by Muawiya where the prophet sallalahu alayhi wa salaam said “Whoever Allah desires good for, He gives him sound knowledge.”

Seeking knowledge is mandatory for Muslims such that we can take action. We should hasten to learn it, act upon it, and spread it.

Allah will not take knowledge away by taking it out of our breasts; rather, He will take it away through taking away scholars, such that ignorant people will be giving rulings. When scholars die out, who do we turn to?

What is the seerah? It’s more than how the prophet sallalahu alayhi wa salaam was raised, or how he lived his life; it’s a proof of truthfulness of him as well as a proof that he’s a Messenger. It is also a clarification of the true message of Islam, as Muslims believe all prophets (peace be upon them all) proclaimed the same faith to mankind.

The seerah teaches us akhlaq (the virtuous nature of the prophet’s sallalahu alayhi wa salam) character, and love for him. His life and his being is miraculous. If we look at the history of the prophet sallalahu alayhi wa salam, there is so much clarity and comprehensiveness that is unmatched. No one other person in history has been as documented as he (pbuh). With Jesus (as), we don’t know very much. He was born in Egypt and we know about the 3 years of his 33 years in life, but we don’t know how he prayed, etc…
The wives of the prophet (sallalahu alayhi wa salaam) wrote down exactly what he would do at home, so there was transparency between what he was doing in public and at home. They were also commanded to clarify things in detail to others. Amongst his companions (ra) are those who had characteristics of certain aspects the prophet salallahu alayhi wa salam had, but they didn’t have the totality of the aspect! His (sallalahu alayhi wa salam) character was of perfection and this in it of itself is overwhelming and he encompassed all the qualities and characteristics that all previous prophets (peace be upon them all) had. This has great wisdom in it because he was able to reach and relate to everyone. How could one person have all these qualities? It is only a miracle.

What are the sources of the seerah?
1) Qur’an: this describes the victories and defeats of the Muslims; there is no prohibition or commandment in the Qur’an that the prophet sallalahu alayhi wa salam didn’t practice himself. It talks about the first stages of his (peace be upon him) life as an orphan, and also discusses the conspiracies against the prophet (peace be upon him), which all took place in privacy! So, how can something like this be fabricated when no one could have known what disbelievers were plotting against the prophet sallalahu alayhi wa salam in such great detail? Allah also admonishes the prophet (sallalahu alayhi wa salam) in the Qur’an, like that in surah Abasa where the prophet (saw) frowned to a blind man, and Allah warned him. However these examples in the Qur’an were for us to take heed of things—it served as a lesson for all of mankind!
2) Hadith: discusses the events that occurred between the prophet sallalahu alayhi wa salam and inanimate objects. We know of 500,000 companions through the hadith. Even non-Muslims testify for the greatness in the science of recording and relating hadith!
3) Maghazi: battles of the prophet sallalahu alayhi wa salam and ghazwa: military operation led by the prophet sallalahu alayhi wa salam which was distinguished from the military operations led by asahaba.
4) History books

The early period of Muslims contained people who were extremely engaged in sciences of the time. Now, there’s not as many Muslims engaging themselves and writing books dealing with this knowledge. Many scholars before were able to memorize with such greatness! But these people were given these blessings such that WE could benefit from it and we can learn our deen!

Once, Abu Hurayra (ra) went to the prophet sallalahu alayhi wa salam and complained that he couldn’t retain information. The prophet sallalahu alayhi wa salam put a cloak over him and threw some type of liquid or dust on him, and then made him cover his face with it. Since then, Abu Hurayra memorized everything that the prophet sallalahu alayhi wa salam said!

3 pillars of the seerah:
1) Time- He salallahu alayhi wa salam was born in 6th century year of the elephant. Makkah had been attached by a Yemeni man originally from Ethiopia who had many elephants in his army, especially one large elephant. The majority opinion believes that he (peace be upon him) was born in the 12th of Rabi al-Awwal in the year 571.
2) People- there was a crossroad of civilizations during his life. It was difficult for an entire army to enter the Arabian peninsula because of the sand. There were polytheists, Jews (out of which some believed in anthropomorphism), and Christians (mainly Trinitarians). Despite the dry and arid environment, the people were hospitable. Mecca was a place known for its prophecy (i.e: Ibrahim and Ishmael (as)).
3) Place- it was a meeting place for 3 great continents: Asia, Africa, and Europe.

blog 2 for today

Just as I had written down goals prior to my trip, and currently reflect and analyze the progression of them, I have requested readers to do the same as we journey together in retrospect. I’ve been highly reflecting on how amazing it is to see the various openings and stations that one can receive from Allah in traveling the path to learn and study this sacred deen of ours. My brother had made remarkable points in his post-rihla advice to some of the students—imagine the experience the asahaba had whilst living with the Prophet sallalahu alayhi wa salaam. Everything in their lives fell in place, they were guided by the best of guides salallahu alayhi wa salaam, and they traversed to a level of iman that will be unmatched by any one of us who comes after them. As Shaykh Hamza put it, they experienced so much meaning in those 23 years of revelation, along with 63 years of enjoying the company of the best of creation, the one who was sent down as a mercy to the worlds to perfect moral character, the blessed nabi salallahu alayhi wa salam. After his death, all of the asahaba felt the impact of the loss they immediately felt in their lives. Bilal (ra) left Madina and he only returned when he saw the prophet salallahu alayhi wa salam in his dreams. The people of Madina beckoned him to issue the adhan, and the moment he did, the masses came out weeping, remembering the days of Allah subhana wa ta`ala. The prophet sallalahu alayhi wa salaam was beautiful on the inside and on the outside, he was generous, and he was courageous. All of creation is dependent on Allah and the most loved are the ones who are beneficial to others. This is what strengthens one’s heart, and hearts are inclined to those who do good to them!

I’ve really been thinking about how subhanAllah amazing the companions of the prophet sallalahu alayhi wa salam were. How many of us not only try to emulate the character of the prophet sallalahu alayhi wa salaam knowing we can never achieve it, but also strive to be like the blessed wives of the prophet or his blessed companions (ra)? Whenever they heard an ayah of the Qur’an they would immediately act upon it; none of this debating that so many Muslims do today! SubhanAllah, when the ayahs of hijab were revealed, the Muslimahs immediately went to cover themselves and protect their chastity! Yet today, we are constantly found questioning things, debating things, and who are we to even question the wisdom behind things? Even if we were to know it, would we be able to fathom it? The prophet sallalahu alayhi wa salam warned us to avoid excessive questioning, as Banu Israel ran into so many problems from their questioning of Musa (as) when Allah had commanded them to sacrifice a cow—they asked what color, what size, how old? SubhanAllah just sacrifice a good cow! This religion totally is easy on us, but we are the ones to make it hard on ourselves.

SubhanAllah, sisters especially have been blessed to not have the responsibility to work. Yes Islam encourages us to get educated and Allah has given us brains for a reason, but know that the weight we take of working is something we do to ourselves (yes inshaAllah it’s for the right intention for Allah and we definitely need Muslimah professionals), but we shouldn’t complain that we don’t have time to do things for ourselves. We have the option to study if we wanted for the sake of improving our deen, but we choose not to. This in no way is to reprimand anyone, but just be grateful—especially for being able to have the right to choose if we want to work or not.

Sisters had a special session with Imam Zaid one night in Jeddah at which time he answered some of our questions—one being how the brothers tend to hog him and the other shuyukh as soon as the classes are done; sisters wish we could have more time to spend with them. Imam Zaid responded that sometimes our hearts need to be squashed so we become humble! SubhanAllah! He said, in the U.S., we’re so used to being assertive and demanding our rights to be fulfilled and alhamdulillah that we have so much freedom. Alhamdulillah we were all thankful to be in Mecca and Madinah, but we were also thankful of the freedom at home. However, we shouldn’t let our assertiveness get the best of us, if we got what we wanted all the time, would it be that easy to remain modest?

On another note, at the sisters’ deen intensive of 2006, Imam Zaid gave a class on following a madhab, at which time he discussed the issue of blind following. SubhanAllah many people (I won’t refer to their grouping =)) constantly ask, where’s the proof behind that? Where is that in the Qur`an, hadith, or sunnah? Yes—of course we should do our own research and definitely we can find the wisdom and proof behind things—but it should be with an open heart to strengthen our iman. We shouldn’t approach it already being skeptical! We should also, more importantly, analyze ourselves and the state of our heart. Question yourself, what’s in your heart? Are you already biased? What are the diseases that afflict us? This knowledge we are gaining and implementing inshaAllah is ONLY for the sake of ourselves because verily, it is only helping us in the end! How can things be blind following if an entire madhab is doing it? The imams that arrived to certain conclusions for rulings had immense wisdom that NONE of us could attain, let alone fathom.

Imam Zaid said the madhab is a refinement of following the prophet (saw). It is like seeing a snowcapped mountain, then looking at it through binoculars. The binoculars help to see the mountain and you are able to see various distinctions, but you’re looking at the mountain not at the binoculars. Similarly, a madhab is a tool to be used to see prophetic guidance with more detail/clarity than what we could have done on our own.

Furthermore, there is an evolution of specialists. Every person has their own niche in life; if all of us had the task of doing the work these scholars have done, we would never get anything else done. It is a fard kifaya (Communal obligation) for people to become doctors, engineers, etc…There is no such thing as blind following; blind following would be us following each other, not following a madhab that has been kept intact for years. If you’re following a madhab, you’re not following a single person; you are following a school of thought that was built upon the work of thousands of scholars!

So enough of my thoughts and insha’Allah I’ll continue with some of my rihla notes…

Here are just a couple of stories that Imam Zaid covered in his classes about the characteristics of the beloved Prophet sallalahu alayhi wa salaam:

During the Battle of Uhud, the prophet’s sallalahu alayhi wa salaam tooth was broken, his lip was injured, and there was a gash on his head. He dried his blood so none of it would fall on the ground. He said that if the blood fell on the ground, Allah would wipe out their enemies. SubhanAllah how he even had mercy with the people who were trying to kill the Muslims! Some would ask the prophet sallalahu alayhi wa salaam why he didn’t pray against his enemies and why he didn’t let the blood fall on the ground? The prophet sallalahu alayhi wa salaam said “I have not been sent to curse people, rather I’ve been sent as a mercy. Ya Allah! Guide my people because they don’t know what they’re doing. O Allah! Forgive my people for they know not.”

SubhanAllah! He prayed for his own people that they be guided!

There are a plethora of lessons to be learned from this story alhamdulillah. One of which being that we truly need to be introspective—like I’ve said in a previous post, it is no wonder why the Muslim ummah is so weak and in a state that we’re in all across the world, because look at us! May Allah guide us all, Muslims and non-Muslims, to the truth of Islam and may we live and die by following the sunnah of the prophet sallalahu alayhi wa salaam and the Qur’an. May Allah open and soften our hearts to deal with each other patiently, respectfully, with mercy and with justice! May He forgive us for the weaknesses of our own nafs and forgive us for our heedlessness! Ameen!

There is another story that took place in Taif where 3 brothers of Banu Taif insulted and stoned the prophet sallalahu alayhi wa salaam. He sat at the base of the trunk of a tree—bloody, sad, and he grieved. (SubhanAllah how this story should touch our own hearts and make us cry!) The prophet (sallalahu alayhi wa salaam) prayed 2 rakahs under the grapevine tree and prayed “Oh Allah unto You I complain the weakness of my power, my lowliness… Oh Merciful, You are the Lord of my affair… If You aren’t angry then I’m not concerned… I seek refuge of the light of Your noble face that You reform everything. I will continue to seek forgiveness until You’re please with me.” SubhanAllah!!!

Let’s remember that the prophet sallalahu alayhi wa salaam was sent as a mercy to ALL mankind—not just Muslims! On the day of judgment, each prophet will be with their ummah; the prophet sallalahu alayhi wa salaam will be with ALL the people who lived after him, including Muslims and non-Muslims!

Notes from Imam Zaid's and reflections...

As-salam Alaykum!
I don't have very much time to post but insha'Allah I have 3 posts that I've compiled in the past couple of days. This one is just comprised of random highlights from a class with Imam Zaid, and some of my own reflections... Please remember my notes are just that--mine, so there may be errors... and of course, Allahu Alim.

Throughout the Qur’an, Allah swears by the Arabic letter nun and assures the prophet sallalahu `alayhi wa salam that he’s not insane. The power of the pen (qalam) is of something that writes. (The pen truly is mightier than the sword). This is the first thing that Allah created and He ordered it to write that which would sustain until the Day of Judgment. After Allah swears on the letter, He swears on all that would happen on the day of judgment. The station of the message and the Divine Law are at the highest state so how could people accuse this great wisdom as insanity?

“And surely you, O Messenger of Allah, for your patience…” in speech and action, he practiced patience and forebearance with his enemies, and for this there is a guaranteed reward that isn’t limited.

Aisha (ra) was asked about the prophet’s (saw) character and he was known to have the most beautiful character and he became angry at that which was against the Qur’an and endorsed the Qur`an. He never was rude with anyone and didn’t reciprocate vileness.
Today, what is our character when people all around the world are attacking (verbally and physically) and killing Muslims?

Aisha (ra) said that whenever one of the companions or a person from the prophet’s (saw) house called him, he would always answer that he was at their service! The leader of the people is their servant who is ALWAYS accessible to the people and responds to their needs. The prophet (saw) was the greatest example of a person with outer physical beauty and inner beauty. If we ever see any type of physical beauty, we should pray that Allah makes their inner character as beautiful as the outside. Character gives a light and this can take away any outer unpleasantness.

The prophet’s (saw) character was exalted because he had no other concern but with Allah! If we were concerned with Allah alone, we wouldn’t have any envy, jealousy, etc… The greatest motivation to lie is fear of punishment. If we only feared Allah, we wouldn’t fear anything from the creation.

The prophet (saw) combined all the noble characteristics that all the prophets (peace be upon them all) before him brought. He (saw) perfected them. All the prophets (pbut) declared tawheed.

A Jewish Rabbi who lived in Yemen narrated a lot of righteous descriptions of the prophet’s (saw) character:
“If he were to walk past a candle, it would blow out because of his coolness/calmness… he would open hearts that are closed… serenity his garden, righteousness his banner… truth will be his law… guidance will be his leader… Ahmad is his name.”

Our approach to life has been united by the prophet (saw) “I will unite nations that have been split up.”

“Save great groups of people from damnation”- if it weren’t for Islam, where would be? It teaches us to not have any drama with friends, family, etc…

Islam started off as something strange and will return to something strange.

Tyranny in the family will bring tyranny in society. Sociological theory of congruence—what happens in one social institution (at home) can be repeated in broader society. Patterns are recyclical: those oppressed will oppress others. Patterns of behavior are top down and bottom up.

By seeing a cheerful character, your own spirits will rise up and this is how people are affected. Through seeing this, the companions wanted to be like this. The prophet (saw) always smiled. However, even in jokes, he would only speak the truth and it was purposeful. This cheered people up and showed they can have a good time. Excess laughter/joking hardens the heart and people may begin to have an enmity towards the person. Today, with joking and sarcasm, children start being rude to adults. We need to have a balance of being friendly with children and being authoritative. Extremes of any kind distort relationships.

It is not lawful for a Muslim to startle another Muslim. No more scaring each other that means!

If a man is light and jokes with his family, this is highly liked from the Divine Law because homes should be a balance that is conducive to seriousness of life along with light fun.

Imam Ahmad relayed that Aisha (ra) said that once a women came to the prophet (saw) and asked him if she could rebuke her husband because he hit her. The prophet (saw) asked what was going on. The husband said she abused him. The wife replied that she didn’t abuse him, he was praying and he had broke wind, so she had told him that the prophet said to make wudu after breaking wudu. After hearing this, the husband got up and hit her. The prophet (saw) laughed and said to not rebuke the wife for something good she told.

All relationships start off in jannah (SUBHANALLAH!!) and those who knew each other in paradise are friends on earth!

Hold fast to the rope of Allah and remember His blessing by putting love between you and your enemies.

Lessons of humility from the prophet (saw):
-Aisha (ra) relates that the Prophet (saw) used to sew his own garments, repair his own sandals, and do housework.
-Prophet (saw) would respond to invitations of a slave.
-His blanket was coarse.
-He chose the life of a servant over a king
-He would ride behind the children and he didn’t find this disrespectful.
-He said “Do you know the right Allah has over His servants? They worship Him and don’t associate partners. Do you know the rights of the servants? He doesn’t torment them in the hellfire.”
-A troubled woman came to the prophet (saw) to talk and said “I need you.” He (saw) sat with her on the sidewalk in Madina until she was at peace!
-On pilgrimage, the prophet (saw) asked for water. The people said this water is public and people have scooped their hands in it, so they offered to get him water from the house, but the prophet said “I have no need for that water, I want to drink the water of the people.” The peoples’ hands would be blessed in the water that he has that was his reason for drinking from the same water.
-The prophet (saw) would ask his companions to pray for him when they went for hajj!

SubhanAllah… when hearing these accounts our hearts should be soft and yearn to be with the beloved!

Reflections from Thursday, August 3
Shaykh Abdullah bin Bayyah gave an introduction/welcoming session yesterday. SubhanAllah how his presence in the room just made my heart feel at rest! The shuyukh are so genuine and sincere. This has all been such a humbling experience for me thus far. More than anything they teach, seeing their character is what truly affects us (the students). We know without a doubt that these shuyukh are really implementing the sunnah of our beloved Rasul sallalahu `alayhi wa salam. It makes me realize that we really do need to hasten to gain sacred knowledge. Just to think that these shuyukh can die off any day makes me think where we would all be without them? Who would take their place, as we know no one can! Who would carry this struggle on and who will be the defenders of Islam?!

“Leaders” now are no longer “servant leaders” as the prophet sallalahu `alayhi wa salaam was, but these shuyukh are those who live humbly, wash their own dishes, and clean their own houses.

We say we want to live and die for Islam, but what are we doing with our lives? Alhamdulillah many of us were blessed to go to UCLA and have a great MSA, but it’s nothing compared to the training we would go through with these shuyukh. We need to do a better job learning our deen, implementing this knowledge, and spreading it. It’s great to have a good social group, but we need to take more advantage of it for Islam—for ourselves to get closer to Allah.

I think I’ve gained a better understanding (inshaAllah) of loving for the sake of Allah. I’ve really rethought so many things about myself and what I want. I think western notions and ideals have convoluted many perceptions and things I want. Alhamdulillah I feel more focused… inshaAllah I can only pray that Allah forgives me and grants me patience, tawfiq, and a greater understanding of Him.

Imam Zaid discussed the relationship between students and teachers. He told us about how much adab we should have. One of the organizers relayed a story of how he went to visit Shaykh Mar Abdul Hajj and how he’s very old and weak. The organizer held his hand and asked the shaykh to pray for him. The shaykh was so weak that he could barely squeeze his hand nor can he really be heard when reciting du`a, but when this brother said he was the servant of Shaykh Hamza, the shaykh grasped his hand and began reciting dua really loudly! Even people outside came in to see what was going on. SubhanAllah! When the organizer conveyed this story to Shaykh Hamza, he broke down and cried profusely. SubhanAllah how much respect and love they have for each other! May we all have such a relationship with someone!

Be like a saltwater fish

As-salam alaykum folks!
First, I’d like to apologize to you all for the formatting and grammar of my blogs… I type up these reflections in Word and copy and paste them into the blogger home page which causes some formatting problems—apparently some paragraph indentations are not showing up when I paste for some reason. Also, I try to take out a chunk of time to write reflections in one sitting, but it doesn’t really happen. This is why my reflections may be incoherent, or are just a conglomeration of random thoughts/notes/pictures put together in a horrible fashion. (My thoughts, as you all may be able to tell, are ALL over the place. I’m honestly overwhelmed with recalling the information, reviewing notes, reflecting, having epiphanies all the time, realizing how immense the test has been coming back, etc…) I apologize and please bare with me insha’Allah. I’ll try doing a better job. Also, when uploading pictures, my computer for some reason only does one at a time which makes it really difficult when I have over 200 some pictures! Alhamdulillah… Life has been really busy subhanAllah even if I’m sleeping a lot less than before and spending a significantly less amount of time on the computer, alhamdulillah. So, I can’t promise being able to post everyday.. I think it’s worth having better and coherent blogs every other day (ones I can actually read over and edit!) or so, rather than stinky nonsensical blogs everyday, right? I think I enabled a feature on this blog where you can sign up to receive emails whenever I update anything? Let me know if I did or didn’t =)

Before I continue with some more Uhud pictures, I've had some thoughts I wanted to share. On Sunday, my family had some guests over, and alhamdulillah my sister and I had the opportunity to share some pictures and thoughts about the rihla. I realized that honestly, even with all the pushing and shoving to get into Masjid Nabawi, which seriously taught us to be really patient, and with the lack of customer service at certain places, the generosity of a lot of individuals I encountered was just.. subhan'Allah. Total strangers would offer me and others iftar (the food to break one's fast) or du`a books in the masjid—both in Madina and Mecca. Alhamdulillah to think that one's rewards (and sins for that matter) are multiplied by 50,000 in Madina (and in Jerusalem), and by 100,000 in Mecca! SubhanAllah! So many of the shuyukh were really scared of being in these cities. Shaykh Abdullah bin Bayyah would only want to visit Madina for an hour at a time; whenever Imam Malik had to use the restroom, he would go outside the skirts of Madina to relieve himself! As much as I'd like to live in Madinah, it's such a HUGE responsibility! So for now, I just pray that insha'Allah Allah gives me the gift to visit these cities again, and insha'Allah die in Madinah, so I can also be amongst the first to be resurrected on the Day of Judgment alongside the beloved companions of the prophet sallalahu alayhi wa salam! Practically every prayer we had in Madina also had a janazaa (funeral prayer) prayer with it! SubhanAllah to think about the amounts of people and ANGELS praying for someone who has passed away! The shuyukh kept reminding the students that you never know who you are praying next to—it may be an angel or a wali! The prophet Muhammad sallalahu `alayhi wa salaam himself has 70,000 angels who rub their wings over his grave everyday, and every day these 70,000 angels are replaced by 70,000 new ones! To imagine this many angels and then the thousands of angels who come to just pray in this blessed masjid along with the souls of the companions of the prophet sallalahu alayhi wa salaam who are buried in janat-al-Baqi` (a cemetery in Madina)!

Shaykh Hamza would constantly remind us of being careful in these cities. He relayed a story about a man who came from Syria, and once stated how the cheese in Syria is cheaper than in Madinah. That same night, he had a dream that the prophet sallalahu `alayhi wa salam told him that if the cheese was cheaper in Syria, then to go back. SubhanAllah! The PROPHET peace be upon him told him to go back home! It shows us that we really need to be grateful, because in these cities, Allah is our host; HE is the one who invited us there to take heed and benefit from being in these wonderful cities-- we should never complain, and we should definitely take heed for what we say and even think, because we really never know what can make us end up in the Hellfire, but insha'Allah we also know that just one thing can be our key to jannah!

Honestly, it's not the people of Madinah or Mecca who lack adab, or respect, it's all the foreigners who come and go. It's no wonder why the state of the ummah is in the state it is in! If these Muslims can push and shove and yell at each other in Masjid Nabawi and whilst doing tawaaf, how can we ever expect them to behave kindly towards one another when they're at home? In his farewell session, Shaykh Hamza told us how so many people ask him why he became a Muslim; but that’s not the question, it's why he remains a Muslim, especially through seeing how Muslims are-- we are not correctly practicing our religion, and we know it. The farewell session was very emotional, and I'll insha'Allah delve further into it in a later post-- but subhanAllah is all I have to say. He also made a great analogy in class-- in the world, honorable and noble animals are the ones becoming extinct—the killer whale (I think it is the killer whale), great birds, etc... we don't hear about cockroaches or rats becoming extinct! Similarly, the good qualities in people are no longer there and honorable shuyukh who are beacons of light are dying off, and no one is able to replace them. What are we left with? You answer that question, and enough said. SubhanAllah. Even then, the animals are better than we are because at least they are doing what they’re created to do. Even when I went to the kabah, you could see the birds flying around the kabah in circles making tawaaf!
So, you may be wondering why I titled this blog "Be a salt fish".. so a sister who was at my house reminded us how some of her teachers would say to be a saltwater fish in this life. (She said this more eloquently than I can ever say this...) Saltwater fish live in water that contains a high concentration of salt. When humans eat or cook them, they have to add salt to them because they lack taste without it-- thus, the amount of salt in the water has no affect on the fish itself. "So, what?" you say, "Where's the analogy?" Humans need to live in this dunya and not have it affect them. WORD?.... Microsoft...

Alhamdulillah though, the same sister made me feel better by reminding me that when you have a fever, your sins are being washed away (same as when you physically get hurt). To think I was in Madina with a 100 degree fever and I was sad because I couldn't do anything!! What BETTER place to be cleansing myself of my immense amount of sins! And another thing that totally made my LIFE... I found out that regarding the hadith about praying 40 consecutive prayers in Masjid Nabawi to be protected from hypocrisy and the hellfire (if you want the hadith, let me know and I'll inshaAllah type it up for you), women apparently can pray in their hotels and get the same reward! Sorry brothers! SubhanAllah I think I did my 40 then!! (inshaAllah!)

Khayr, here are some more pictures that were taken at the site of Uhud. Our buses took us to the site where the “v” is in the mountain. The brothers had the opportunity to climb up to a cave where the prophet sallalahu alayhi wa salaam and his companions retreated in. The sisters were not able to as the steps were pretty steep, and there wasn’t much space for 150 students to climb, so he recommended that sisters climb up when it was a tad more safer, alhamdulillah. Instead, Shaykh Abdullah al-Kadi who is SO caring masha`Allah took us to a site of an old masjid where the prophet sallalahu alayhi wa salaam prayed in. Unfortunately, there’s only ruins of it left. I’m also including some pictures of these cute little kids who were selling water to us. They noticed we were taking pictures of them from the bus, so they even got together and struck a pose! Masha’Allah! =)




Close up of the cave. Sorry for the blurryness as the zoom on my camera ain't all that grand, but alhamdulillah


Above: I think those are goats, or ram? I don't know my animals... regardless, isn't that so amazing? Just imagine the amount of blessing these animals have to be living first of all in Madina, and secondly on Mount Uhud!

There is a hadith (totally paraphrasing) that states that the prophet sallalahu alayhi wa salam stated that he loves Mount Uhud and Mount Uhud loves him. The shuyukh commented how we should be careful not to take anything from there as we wouldn’t want the rocks or dust to cry and yearn to return to its rightful place; we wouldn’t want it to testify against us on the day of judgment! SubhanAllah

Once, the prophet sallalahu alayhi wa salam, Abu Bakr (ra) and Umar (ra) were on Mount Uhud and the mount started shaking a bit. The prophet (saw) told the mount to be still as no one else was on it but a prophet, a siddiq, and a martyr.

Below: Brothers climbing up to the cave in Uhud.

This area used to be a masjid. What is depicted in the picture is the minbar where the prophet (saw) would pray in.

Shaykh Abdullah al-Kadi relaying stories to the sisters as the brothers were in the cave. If you look closely, you can see his cool camel-colored loafers! Shaykh Yaqoubi told students last year that the prophet sallalahu alayhi wa salam would wear yellow-colored shoes, and this is known as good luck.
Cuteness! =) MashaAllah

Sorry for the delay...

As-salam alaykum folks!
I'm so sorry (especially to the anonymous commenter!) for the delay in posting anything up. SubhanAllah this weekend has been busy, but also enjoyable with a lot of great company mashaAllah. I'm currently working on a post, but I haven't been able to finish. I have to go right now to another gathering to watch a hajj documentary insha'Allah. (Please pray for me as my family and extended relatives are planning on going for hajj this year insha'Allah. May Allah grant us ease with our journey, patience in handling the trials that will come along, and may He accept our pilgrimage for His sake alone! May He grant us all the means and tawfiq to perform `umrah and hajj over and over for His sake alone! Ameen!)
As for now, I'd like to share an interview my brother shared to help us in some post-Rihla advice...
Here's a brief interview by Shaykh Hamza long ago (full text link: http://www.icna.org/tm/hy_interview.htm ):
"RH: What do you say to Muslims who seem to glorify the past when they were at their peak?HY: This is all pathetic nostalgia for returning to the glory of the past and its romanticism. The past has nothing to do with us. That was them. We are a whole other people. It's not our past, it was their present. Now it's over. That's why the Quran has this concept ofletting go of your fathers, and not being proud of your fathers because they are not you! You have to create your own future. Don't belike an old war veteran. However, it is important to have some historical continuity because the Qur'an says "Look at the people whowent before" as the way of learning lessons.One thing that is wrong with some modern Muslim mentality is the idea of "if we do what they did, we will be glorious." Someone asked me, "How can we get an empire back?" There is this idea that Islam is all about glory. No! It's like you exercise to maintain your health, but the exercise is not your goal. It's just the means to achieve your goal.
of the side effects of that is that Allah elevates you and gives you "tamkeen," but that is not the goal. It's just a side effect. Now you don't hear people talk about Allah very much, just about Islam.The Quran says, "To your Lord is your goal." The path of coming to know God results in victory because of your struggling for truth. One of the things about sincerely struggling for truth is that Allah gives you\nvictory by the nature of the struggle. It follows that by the nature of the struggle itself, you gain worldly success. You see, worldly success has nothing to do with the intentions. Because if those are your intentions, then you will never gain worldly success. In fact, Allah will give the "kafiroon" success over you. If the people of truth are not seeking truth, but instead the benefits of truth (merely the side effects), then they will never achieve them.
RH: Then how should Muslims look at life?
HY: Life is mundane. Life is praying, getting up for Fajr and day-to-day chores. All this "glory" some aspire to is just an abstract\nin the mind. And the reality of it is even the kings of the past had to get up in the morning and go through daily routines. Life is by its nature perfunctory and Islam is just to harmonize it, put it into\nperspective, and make its goals dignified goals, instead of low,worldly goals."

Uhud

As-salam alaykum!
Here are some pictures and briefings about the significance of Uhud from the first field trip we took in Madinah after fajr!

It is at the foot of Mount Uhud where the battle took place. 3000 pagans from Mecca were met by 700 Muslims. A small force of 50 archers protected their rear on the Hill of `Aynayn, which now is known as Archers’ Hill or Jabal al-Ruma.
In the beginning of the battle, it was a clear Muslim victory, so some of the pagan Meccans began to flee. In opposition to the Prophet’s sallalahu `alayhi wa salaam orders, some of the Muslim archers even came down from the hill when they saw that the Muslims were being victorious. Khalid ibn Walid who later became one of the greatest Muslim generals, was commanding one wing of the pagan army. When he saw the Muslim archers going down, he seized the opportunity and sent some of his horses up the hill. The Muslim victory now had turned into defeat. The prophet (sallalahu alayhi wa salaam) retreated because he was heavily injured. Part of his metal armor that was worn on his face sliced into his cheek. Abu `Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrah (ra) used his teeth to take out a chain, thus breaking two of his front teeth. SubhanAllah!
The prophet (saw) and some of his companions climbed up Mount Uhud and retreated into a place where there is an opening (shaped like a V in the pictures). When the pagans came to attack him here, the mount closed up on them so the prophet sallalahu `alayhi wa salaam would be protected.

At the northeastern foot of the Archers’ Hill, Hamza (ra) who was the Prophet’s (saw) uncle, was killed by Wahshi’s javelin. He and other martyrs were laid to rest here. The present burial place is NOT the original spot due to a flood which threatened the graves in the year 40 A.H.

Last year at the rihla, Shaykh Hamza told the story of how he knows a man who used to watch over the graves. A flood had occurred and the body of Hamza (ra) was uncovered. The man said that the body was totally in tact! SubhanAllah!

Shaykh Abdullah Kadi and Shaykh Hamza Yusuf translating another shaykh who was briefing us on the Battle of Uhud.
Below: The "V" shaped opening in the mountain is where the prophet sallalahu alayhi wa salaam retreated with some companions. The mount closed up when the pagans came to attack there. SubhanAllah!

We climbed up to Archers' Hill

Above: Uhud

Below: Archers' Hill again

Above: Another picture of the mountains of Uhud

Below: the masjid at Uhud
Below: The gravesite of Hamza (ra) and other martyrs from the Battle of Uhud

Pics, Reflections, and Imam Zaid's class

The love between the student and the teacher. Shaykh Abdullah bin Bayyah and Shaykh Hamza Yusuf truly enjoy each others' company as they smile at one another during class.
Above: Cuban food in Saudi?



Left: First outing in Jeddah was to Al-Hakeem Food Stuff: I was surprised that everything was written in English and Arabic.














Shaykh Yaqoubi quote for the day..."To err is human. To blame others is politics. To forgive is divine." He actually was mixing a quote from Winston Churchill with another quote. How often do we complain when things don't go the way we want. SubhanAllah...

I was re-listening to a snippet of one of his lectures and it's like he was talking to me. How many of us are alhamdulillah educated in non-Islamic sciences, yet how much have we studied our deen? We wouldn't like it if the same person kept mispronouncing our name, yet we continuously mis-pronounce the Qur'an. How old are we, and truly, what have we accomplished not just for the deen, but for ourselves to practice this deen?

So as we embark on this rihla (in retrospect), Imam Zaid said this entails many things. Our first physical rihla is to the city of Madinah where we are journeying to the messenger of Allah sallalahu `alayhi wa salaam. Muslims are told to follow him in ALL that he brought-- this is the higher rihla which is a function of both love and faith. Allah commanded our beloved Rasul (sallalahu alayhi wa salaam) to command people "If indeed you love Allah, then follow me..." We can't just simply say we love Allah and His messenger; rather, let's prove it through action! This also requires faith because verily, "No one of you truly believes until his very inclination is following that which I brought" as the hadith goes. Love and faith are the means that facilitate the following of our beloved-- the best of creation (peace be upon him) because "None of you truly believes until I (the prophet pbuh) am more beloved than his father (one's parents), his son (one's children), and all of humanity" (Sahih Bukhari). Verily, the prophet (pbuh) has more rights than our own souls! We can't even fulfill rights to our own bodies, how can we fulfill rights due to him?
What should we do? Measure our own state! What was the state of your soul when a clear ruling from the religion opposed your own inclination?
1) The believer accepts his or her imprisonment graciously
2) A prisoner is not home
3) A prisoner can not fulfill his/her desires
4) A prisoner must adhere to the warden's schedule

Are we believers or are we prisoners?

Shaykh Muhammad al-Yaqoubi in previous lectures always says that a person in love always wants to talk about his/her beloved. But as much as we can claim to love a person or a thing, we have to prove it through actions. After all, in all those dramatic TV shoes, characters often are caught saying "If you love me, then prove it!" In this case, let's prove it to ourselves and to Allah that we truly love the prophet (sallalahu alayhi wa salam) insha'Allah. The most visible sign of this love is the willingness to give preference to the desire of the beloved. A sign of the empty claim of love is the lack of preoccupation with the words of the beloved. Imam Junayd has said "One who does not recite the Qur'an nor records the hadith has nothing to do with the affair of ours."

So how do we struggle to overcome the soul?
Love one for the sake of Allah which entails giving up things you love as well for the sake of the beloved for Allah. Imam Zaid gave a comical analogy of a husband and wife. Prior to marriage, a brother may REALLY love strawberry ice cream. He eats it everyday and exclaims to others how it just melts in your mouth. He converts others to adore strawberry ice cream as much as he does. If there's anything in the freezer but strawberry ice cream, he gets upset and says chocolate isn't the same, or vanilla isn't the same-- it's all about the strawberry ice cream. So he gets married, and what does his wife buy? Chocolate ice cream. He's surprised? How can she like chocolate ice cream, when strawberry ice cream is just so gosh darn good? His wife proclaims how much she LOVES chocolate ice cream and can't have anything but the chocolate (she doesn't realize his love for the strawberry ice cream). What does the husband do? Since he loves his wife so much and wants to please Allah through pleasing her, he decides to share the chocolate ice cream eating fest with his wife and realizes, hey chocolate ice cream ain't that bad after all. He eventually grows to love the chocolate ice cream.

Allah guarantees in the Qur'an, "Surely we will test you." So what makes us ever feel relaxed? We will be tested with food, money, death, etc... but there is the great promise "Glad tidings to those who are patient" So don't focus on the struggle, focus on the end result; insha'Allah the reward and the happiness of knowing insha'Allah this is bringing you closer to Allah.

Imam Zaid quoted the prophet sallalahu alayhi wa salam. I think it was his (pbuh) last sermon. "O believers! Be upright for justice as witnesses for Allah; even if it is against yourselves... Do not follow your vain inclinations less it causes you to distort the truth or turn away from it..." Allah is truly aware of everything, so who do we think we are?