Spirituality vs. Character

Keep in mind that with your spirituality also comes your conscious and aware character you present to the people.

Ibn al-Qayyim (rh) said, “The religion itself is entirely good character, so whoever surpasses you in character has surpassed you in religion.” Ponder upon this. No, this does not belittle `ibadah. It only increases it. Like Imām al-Ghazālī (rh) put it, “Good character is a disposition deeply ingrained in the soul from which beautiful acts spring easily.” It all points to the worship of God.

Rihla 2013 – Sh. Hamza Yusuf on dress code

I remember at the Rihla after taraweh when we met with Shaykh Hamza Yusuf. We were heading out to our soccer game at a field close by, at around 1am just before suhoor. So we gathered at the hotel lobby, and were ready in our sports attire. He came by and said to a friend beside me, “I hope you did not go to the masjid like that (for taraweh)!”. He was wearing a t-shirt. I quickly replied, “No, no we are going for soccer”. He nodded and left. We sighed.

SubhnaAllah. I was speechless. I was shy and of course afraid of uttering even more than what I could. But the conviction he had about dress code and that of respect for the House of Allah really represented his high caliber of faith. His determination. His love. Him being so real about it. The fact that we belong to the ummah of the beloved Prophet (sa) and to the honoured religion of Allah (sw), why shouldn’t we dress properly? Why not?

One Friday during Jummuah, he sat beside me for the entirety of the khutbah. I did not budge or looked in his direction for fear of disturbing him or even being a nuisance. Even though I knew, he would not mind it at all. But I realized the beautiful thobe he was wearing, and the amamah along with it. 🙂 Really, it was beautiful! Clothes especially reserved for yawmul-jummuah! May Allah preserve him and the likes like him, ameen.

Ramadhan 2013 – Brother Yousuf

I met a brother at our local mosque the other day. He is one of those special brothers who helps out during iftaar/taraweh and suhoor. Always there and ready to run around with a big lovely smile. The day I met him we exchanged greetings, smiles, and names. But brother Yousuf was unlike anyone I met. I did not show up to taraweh the day after and already when I met him a couple of days later, he smiled and questioned my absence. “Tariq, I didn’t see you yesterday. Everything’s okay?”

I met this brother like you would meet any random brother on Jummuah, offering salaams and nothing more than casual greetings “Hey, how are you doing?”. A min or 2, or even less.

But the fact that he was so aware, so God-conscious made me reflect upon some of our own state. We are never in the moment, and we forget people’s name!

But by Allah, some people like him are just so amazing. So real! They will remember your name and that’s something very special Allah has gifted some with, but on top of that they will show concern about your well-being. La ilaha illallah. These are the true people of khidma, and we look up to them. May Allah preserve and enoble them, ameen.

On feeling unsatisfied

If you feel unsatisfied with what Allah has provided you with, seek istighfaar. Ask Allah to forgive you.

From the story of the few men who came to Imam Al-Hasan Al-Basri rahimahullah in finding a solution to their problems, he kept replying to each one of them with the same answer: seek istighfaar. One was about his barren land, seek forgiveness and Allah will send down rain in abundance. Another about his poverty, seek forgiveness and Allah will relieve you from your problems. Another about his barren woman, seek forgiveness and Allah will bless you with a child. Another about his dried garden, seek forgiveness and Allah will bestow fruitful gardens upon you.

“Ask forgiveness from your Rabb (Lord). Verily, He is Oft-Forgiving. (If you do so), He will send rain to you in abundance. And give you increase in wealth and children, and bestow on you gardens and bestow on you rivers ”. – [71: 10-12]

Ask for forgiveness and Allah will give. You will be satisfied.

There is another beautiful story, that of Imam Ahmed Bin Hanbal rahimahullah. It has been narrated that while he was on journey, he stopped by a little town where he did not know anybody. So after prayer in a mosque, he decided to stay there. Out of humility and humbleness, he did not reveal his identity and therefore the caretaker of the mosque not knowing who he was, dragged him out. Imam Ahmed was in his old age. A baker by, felt pity and took him in for the night. Imam Ahmed realized something very special about this bread baker. He kept reciting istighfaar, seeking forgiveness from Allah, constantly. A tap here, istighfaar, another tap here, istighfaar. So Imam Ahmed questioned the baker if the practice of istighfaar did have any affect on him.

The baker replied, “Allah has answered all of my duas, whatever I have asked of Him, Allah gave. But there was one dua that Allah did not answer yet.” And when he was asked about it, the baker replied, “In meeting the famous Imam Ahmed Bin Hanbal rahimahullah.” On account of this, the great scholar, Imam Ahmed, said, “Allah not only listened to his dua but had dragged me onto his doorsteps.”

• Taken from [Summarized from Al Jumuah magazine, vol 19, issue 7]

Find a habit in asking Allah for forgiveness. Commit to it and put your trust in Him. It will do wonders for you.

-From last Friday’s halaqa at our local mosque