Favorite story:
Made of Earth
The closest we can get to Allah in this Dunya is in Salah, particularly in prostration. We lower our knees and forehead to the earth, to the dirt the lowest of all elements. Not only does it instill humility in the depths of our souls but it also reminds us where we are from. We have been created from the earth, born in the wombs of our mothers, taking the journey of life and soon to taste death, returning us to the depths of the earth. Whereupon reality will become crystal clear…
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Remembrance of Allah (swt) and His Noor
A very short and tiny summary of 2 lectures (I listened to both one after another) I heard by Mufti Abdur-Rahman ibn Yusuf Mangera (Nur of Allah and The Darkness of Kufr & True Contentment Only though His Remembrance). I heard it some time ago and since it's beneficial knowledge, I'd like to share it with you. May Allah (swt) forgive me if I made any errors.
When one is away from the remembrance of Allah (swt), whether it may be in the form of Salah, Recitation of the Qur’an, dhikr, etc it causes the heart to become hard. It blocks away the Mercy, Light and Guidance (Rahma, Noor wal-Hidaya) that comes from Allah (swt) alone. The person will then dwell deeper and deeper in darkness until they can no longer see their surroundings. They will become deluded, depressed, sucked into the life of this Dunya and what it holds. The right path (Siratul Mustaqim) will become unclear the haram will be seen as halal and the halal as haram.
The soul will be in turmoil, and there will be no contentment of the heart, the core of man. The heart will yearn for the Mercy of Allah (swt) and for Hidaya and it will thirst for His Noor. True contentment and purification of the heart will only come from the remembrance of Allah (swt). And it is only by the will of Allah (swt) that He places His Noor on who’s ever heart He (swt) desires. When the heart is filled with the Light of Allah (swt), then success is his in this world and with certainty in the Hereafter. May Allah (swt) guide us all and place His Rahma and Noor in our hearts, so that we may be amongst those that He (swt) is pleased with. Ameen
Allah is the Protector of those who have faith: from the depths of darkness He will lead them forth into light. Of those who reject faith the patrons are the evil ones: from light they will lead them forth into the depths of darkness. They will be companions of the fire, to dwell therein (For ever). {2:257}
With it Allah guides him who will follow His pleasure into the ways of safety and brings them out of utter darkness into light by His will and guides them to the right path. {5:16}
Then as for those who believe in Allah and hold fast by Him, He will cause them to enter into His mercy and grace and guide them to Himself on a right path. {4:175}
Alif Lam Ra. (This is) a Book which We have revealed to you that you may bring forth men, by their Lord's permission from utter darkness into light-- to the way of the Mighty, the Praised One, {14:1}
Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The similitude of His light is as a niche wherein is a lamp. The lamp is in a glass. The glass is as it were a shining star. (This lamp is) kindled from a blessed tree, an olive neither of the East nor of the West, whose oil would almost glow forth (of itself) though no fire touched it. Light upon light. Allah guideth unto His light whom He will. And Allah speaketh to mankind in allegories, for Allah is Knower of all things. {24:35}
(This lamp is found) in houses which Allah hath allowed to be exalted and that His name shall be remembered therein. Therein do offer praise to Him at morn and evening. {24:36}
Or like utter darkness in the deep sea: there covers it a wave above which is another wave, above which is a cloud, (layers of) utter darkness one above another; when he holds out his hand, he is almost unable to see it; and to whomsoever Allah does not give light, he has no light. {24:40}
O ye that believe! Fear Allah, and believe in His Messenger, and He will bestow on you a double portion of His Mercy: He will provide for you a Light by which ye shall walk (straight in your path), and He will forgive you (your past): for Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. {57:28}
On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: Allah (mighty and sublime be He) said:
Whosoever shows enmity to someone devoted to Me, I shall be at war with him. My servant draws not near to Me with anything more loved by Me than the religious duties I have enjoined upon him, and My servant continues to draw near to Me with supererogatory works so that I shall love him. When I love him I am his hearing with which he hears, his seeing with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes and his foot with which he walks. Were he to ask [something] of Me, I would surely give it to him, and were he to ask Me for refuge, I would surely grant him it. I do not hesitate about anything as much as I hesitate about [seizing] the soul of My faithful servant: he hates death and I hate hurting him
