musaafir-e dasht

To Allah belongs the Kingdom of the heavens and the earth. Allah is powerful to do every thing. Surely, in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the alternation of night and day, there are signs for the people of wisdom, who remember Allah standing and sitting, and (lying) on their sides, and ponder on the creation of the heavens and the earth (and say) "Our Lord, You have not created all this in vain. We proclaim Your purity. So, save us from the punishment of Fire. Our Lord, whomsoever You admit into the Fire, he is disgraced by You indeed, and for the unjust there are no supporters. Our Lord, We heard a herald calling towards Faith: 'Believe in your Lord.' So we believed. Our Lord, forgive us, then, our sins, and write off our evil deeds, and make us die only when we have joined the righteous. Our Lord, give us what You have promised us through Your messengers, and do not put us to disgrace on the Day of Judgement. Surely you do not go back on You...

Found this book review at At-Tahawi on a book that serves the need of the hour. I don't know where to get it from. If anyone knows where to buy this one in Pakistan, please let me know. Jazaakumullah! Review by Dr. Mahmood Ghazi Title: Slippery Stone: An Inquiry into Islam’s Stance on Music Author: Khalid Baig Publisher: Open Mind Press Year: 2008 384 pages. Slippery Stone: Cultural Colonialism and the Music Question The dawn of the colonization of Afro-Asian world in general and the Muslim world in particular brought in its wake efforts by the western academia to justify colonization in a variety of ways. The so-called “white man’s burden” to educate and civilize the barbaric, primitive and illiterate masses of Asia and Africa was based on the presumption of the total absence of all culture, civilization, religious beliefs and knowledge in the countries occupied by the colonial powers, initially for commercial purposes under purely economic motives. The colonial ...

If your intention in seeking knowledge is between God Most High and yourself and not merely to gain information, then rejoice! The Angels will spread out their wings for you while you walk, and the creatures in the sea will ask God to pardon you. [ Imam Al’Ghazali in his Bidaya al Hidaya ] From: Drops of Wisdom

He was an International Relations teacher. We the students who had just entered the university were so inspired by his knowledge that most of us almost started considering him to be a mentor. And he always did dutifully discharged his responsibilities as one. Years passed. We no more were students of International Relations but we used to regularly attend his gatherings/sessions where we used to discuss almost every topic under the sun: Religion, Philosophy, History, Psychology, Literature and what not! When the Lal Masjid fiasco was at its peak many of us went to him, too disturbed, about the scenario. We did not know what to think. Who to consider as being right...  Allah gives His people, His friends an exclusive ability to stay calm in all circumstances - no mater how worse they become. Same was the case with this teacher of ours. All of us refrained from commenting on the situation and kept quiet. None of us agreed with the way a 'rebellion' was being curbed in our count...

A must listen/watch: Du'a-e Khatm ul Qur'aan

And she said to me: "Even if I die, it won't really matter; for we'll be together in Jannah ! The concept of death is not really a bad one for us. It is a pity that since childhood, we drill into the minds of children the fear of death. "Don't do this, for you'll die!" "Don't do that for it might dangerous for your life," etc. Death isn't a bad thing at all. I just want to look upon Allah and see Him smile at me. And then I will tell Him that see I do not have anything considerable with me. I just want You to forgive me because of Your fadl (blessings). Your rahmah (Mercy). And I am hopeful... " And this reminded me of this couplet: ik tosha-e ummiid-e karam le ke chala huu~ kuchh is ke siva paas nahi~ zaad-e safar aur What else do we have with us to accompany on the solitary road we walk... 

"O Allah, make Thy love the most coveted thing and Thy fear the most strongest sentiment for us; and remove all the worldly wants from my heart by infusing into it a ruling passion for meeting Thee; and when people addicted to the worldly pursuits are enjoying them let my eyes be cooled with the acts of devotion to Thee." Excerpted from Mulla Ali Qaari's collection of supplications from the Qur'aan and Prophetic traditions, al-hizb ul a'azam