Message Islam

As humble as they come, UK performer, Sami Yusuf who shot to fame in the last four years across the globe, insists that he is a musician who uses music as a medium to speak to audiences well beyond the Muslim community, rather than being typecast as a nasheed artist. While his music is a form of da’wah, it is not only nasheed, he told VOC shortly after his arrival in Cape Town on Wednesday. He will be performing at five venues around the country to some 40,000 Muslims, starting on Friday and Saturday in Cape Town at the Bellville Velodrome.

Humble, down-to-earth and deeply spiritual – that was how UK-born Muslim singing sensation Sami Yusuf came across on Wednesday at an exclusive press conference held at the Mount Nelson hotel. The UK born self-professed “musician” jetted into Cape Town for the first leg of his Sami Yusuf World Tour presented by Oasis Group Holdings. Yusuf, who has sky-rocketed to fame in the last fours across the globe, will perform at two concerts in Cape Town on Friday and Saturday at the Bellville Velodrome.

A modest Yusuf told VOC News that his music transcended all social, religious and political barriers and should be seen a as a form of da’wah. He added that he drew his inspiration from people all over the world and his global experiences had been communicated through his music. “I do not consider myself a nasheed artist but rather a musician. While I do sing about Islam, Allah (SWT) and the beloved Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), I believe my message appeals to all audiences, no matter what religious or ethnic group,” he said. Yusuf said many countries had been “very accepting” of his music and the response to his numerous global concerts was proof of that. He added that he has never encountered any negative backlash from the global Muslim community or from the media.
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By Imam Zaid on 12 September 2008

Imam Warith Deen Muhammad, who passed away this past Tuesday, in Chicago, Illinois, was not the best known American Muslim of his generation. Unlike his friend Malcolm X (al-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz), he would not become a symbol of black rage with excerpts of his speeches creatively spliced into the songs of contemporary artists who have defined the evolving hip hop movement.

Unlike Muhammad Ali, his refusal to be inducted into the United States Armed Forces, and his resulting three-year prison sentence would pass unnoticed. Such was his life and example of courage, dedication and a stubborn defense of his principles. If one was not a member of his community, one would probably not notice his momentous deeds.

Unlike Minister Louis Farrakhan, he was not a charismatic orator capable of mesmerizing crowds for hours on end. His recordings are not circulated widely among Muslim students on college campuses across this country like those of Imam Siraj Wahhaj and Shaykh Hamza Yusuf, and others. Perhaps, fittingly, that is not the case, for Imam Muhammad will always be best remembered for what he did, not for what he said.

During the 1950s and 1960s, his father, Elijah Muhammad, ably assisted by Malcolm X, had built the Nation of Islam into a movement that came to epitomize, in the hearts and minds of many urban African Americans, black pride, self-sufficiency, and militancy. However, for white Americans familiar with its teachings, the organization was a mysterious cult-like group that in the name of combating white racism, countered with a menacing brand of black racism, whose signature slogan, “The white man is the devil!” served to place a wedge between the “Black Muslims” and mainstream American society.
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Assalaamu ‘Alaykum brothers and sisters

I’m sure that by now everyone knows Shaykh Faraz Rabbani because I have mentioned him so much over the past few years. Shaykh Faraz is a highly qualified Fiqh scholar, and has a very high reputation across the world. Alhamdu’Lillah I have been blessed to receive advice and guidance from Shaykh Faraz, and I can testify to his excellence as a scholar, and his commitment to the Deen of Allah. I met Shaykh Faraz (online) when he was living and teaching in Jordan, and now he is living and teaching in Canada, Alhamdu’Lillah.

Shaykh Faraz has recently launched Seekers Guidance (www.SeekersGuidance.com) - which is “…an Islamic educational portal that provides: (1) Relevant and inspiring Courses; (2) Reliable and clear Answers to your Islamic questions; and (3) Uplifting and inspiring downloadable Islamic media–spiritual songs, lesson sets for adults and children… and much more.”

New online courses have been launched in the following categories:

1. Islamic Law (Fiqh)
2. Beliefs & Understanding (Aqida)
3. Prophetic Guidance
4. Qur’anic Studies
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By Shaykh Abdul Hakim Murad

Your greatest liability is your lie-ability.

No-one is more extroverted than the contemplative saint.

Modernity: an accelerating attempt to shovel matter into the growing hole where religion used to be.

Jesus said ‘Allah’, not ‘Deus.’ (‘Say: Allah! and leave them plunging in their confusion.’)

‘Never despise any Muslim, for the least of the Muslims is great in the eyes of God.’ (Abu Bakr al-Siddiq r.a.).

Remember: you once knew the whole Qur’an.

Wara’ is the shift from fear to hope.

Only if the body is the temple of the spirit does the veil not belong to the high priest.

We do not lack a rib, we lack a lung.
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by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Islam has two major holidays, Eid al-Fitr (Post-Fasting Festival) and Eid al-Adha.

The word Eid itself is an Arabic word, whose root connotation is that which comes back, time after time, and rejoicing. Its particular usage in Islam, for the two major holidays, is because these two days are meant to be days of rejoicing. [1]

The Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, They are days of eating, drinking, and remembrance of God. [Reported by Bukhari in his Sahih, an authoritative collection of the sayings of the Prophet.]

In this same spirit, the Quran mentions that, Jesus, son of Mary, said: “O Allah, Lord of us! Send down for us a table spread with food from heaven, that it may be a feast (Eid) for us, for the first of us and for the last of us and a sign from You. Give us sustenance, for You are the Best of Sustainers.” (Quran, 5: 114)

Eid al-Fitr celebrates the completion of the month of Ramadan, in which Muslims fast and increase their spiritual devotions, and is meant to be a recognition the material and spiritual favors of God to His creation.

On this day, Muslims all over the world thank God for the gift of fasting, in which they avoided food, drink and intercourse from dawn to dusk, out of obedience and servitude. The Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Whoever fasts the month of Ramadan out of faith, seeking its reward, shall have all their past sins forgiven.” [Also reported by Bukhari in his Sahih, and others]
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It should be known that there are three grades of fasting: ordinary, special and extra-special.

Ordinary Fasting means abstaining from food, drink and sexual satisfaction.

Special Fasting means keeping one’s ears, eyes, tongue, hands and feet — and all other organs — free from sin.

Extra-special Fasting means fasting of the heart from unworthy concerns and worldly thoughts, in total disregard of everything but God, Great and Glorious is He. This kind of Fast is broken by thinking of worldly matters, except for those conducive to religious ends, since these constitute provision for the Hereafter and are not of this lower world.

Those versed in the spiritual life of the heart have even said that a sin is recorded against one who concerns himself all day with arrangements for breaking his Fast. Such anxiety stems from lack of trust in the bounty of God, Great and Glorious is He, and from lack of certain faith in His promised sustenance.

To this third degree belong the Prophets, the true awliya and the intimates of God. It does not lend itself to detailed examination in words, as its true nature is better revealed in action. It consists in utmost dedication to God, Great and Glorious is He, to the neglect of everything other than God, Exalted is He. It is bound up with the significance of His words: ‘Say: ‘Allah (sent it down)’: then leave them to play in their vain discussions.’ [al-An'am, 6:91]

Inward Requirements

As for Special Fasting, this is the kind practiced by the righteous. It means keeping all one’s organs free from sin and six things are required for its accomplishment. (more…)

Glory be to Allah who has allowed us to see another Ramadaan. It is a month of immense blessings, we cannot even comprehend its blessings. The atmosphere and feelings we have in Ramadaan is unlike any other month. Our lives literally change from the first night of Tarawih prayers, just before the first day of fasting.

Last night I experienced this. Leaving to the mosque with my entire family, and attending the Tarawih prayers is the start of this spiritual journey. We went to the Muir Street mosque in the city to listen to the melodious recitation of Shaykh Ismail Londt, a world renowned reciter. Many people traveled especially to hear the Shaykh recite. This is in itself a blessing – that people love the Quran so much and appreciate it’s beautiful recitation so much. Glory be to Allah!

This is a month of forgiveness, and a month of softening the heart. During the Tarawih prayers my heart became very soft. Today it turns out that someone else’s heart has also become soft. Glory be to Allah!
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Assalaamu ‘Alaykum everyone

I trust that you are all well in Imaan and in health Insha’Allah. This has been another week that I have not been able to write. Please forgive me (again!). And please make dua that Allah makes it easy for me to do what I need to do.

I would like to wish each and every Muslim, across the world, a happy and joyous Ramadaan. May Allah Almighty bless us all with the full benefits of this month, and may He Almighty open our hearts to the Quran in love and understanding of the Divine Word, Ameen.

This is just a short note, I cannot write much more now. Jummu’ah Mubarak. Please keep this weak servant in your prayers.

Muhammad Jamaal

More than five hundred years ago, Shaykh Ahmad Zarruq, a Moroccan jurist, scholar, and saint, sought to combine correct adherence to the Muslim legal tradition with tasawwuf, the tradition of inner spirituality or spiritual psychology. Living during a politically tumultuous age, Zarruq was a critic of “opportunistic jihad” and was exiled from his hometown of Fes for criticizing Moroccan revolutionaries on Islamic and political grounds.

Now comes a book about Shaykh Ahmad Zarruq, titled Rebel Between Spirit and Law: Ahmad Zarruq, Sainthood, and Authority in Islam, written by Dr. Scott Kugle. The book notes that Zaytuna Institute’s Shaykh Hamza Yusuf is one of a few twenty-first century Muslim voices who rely on Zarruq’s legacy to craft a coherent intellectual approach to contemporary challenges.

“Five centuries earlier, Zarruq wrestled with many of the same problems of constructing an authoritative voice of ‘integral Islam’ in which Islamic law was balanced with the cultivation of virtue,” writes Dr. Kugle. “Zarruq’s goal was, like Hamza Yusuf’s goal is, to limit opportunistic rhetoric of jihad and prevent Muslims from making scapegoats of other communities in order to increase their own communal strength.”
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Assalaamu ‘Alaykum

On Friday last week, just before Magrib, I was inspired to write this article. As you all know, Shaykh Hassan Cisse passed away on Thursday morning. Thursday evening myself and Sidi Yaseen visited the Tijani Zawiya in Guguletu, and then Shaykh Fakhruddin Owaisi requested me to film the proceedings on Friday night, the normal Friday dhikr programme plus the Salaatul Janaazah al-Gha-ib (Funeral prayer in abstentia).

I arrived in Guguletu around 5.40pm, and around 5.50pm – 30 minutes before Magrib – the dhikr started. I sat at the back, beside the camera as it was recording, and the intensity of the dhikr increased in the same way that the room started filling up with more and more people. At this time I realized the importance of love of Allah, the Creator of the universe. I also realized that the love of your Shaykh, your Guide, is because he teaches you about Allah, and how to gain nearness to Allah – The Magnificent!

Shaykh Hassan had been teaching, guiding, and inspiring these young – and some older – men and women for many years. He passed on. And what do they do? They continue their rememberance of Allah. Why? Because their love of Shaykh Hassan was not for wealth, or material gain, or any such matter. Their love of Shaykh Hassan was because of their love for Allah.
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