“Two unique events have been produced as a special 7-DVD set featuring some of the most important voices and personalities in contemporary Islam, including:
Habib Umar bin Hafiz, Habib Ali al-Jifri, Shaykh Muhammad al-Yaqoubi, Shaykh Ahmed Ben Omar Tijani, Shaykh Hamza Yusuf, Shaykh Nuh Keller, Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad, Shaykh Babikir Ahmed Babikr, Shaykh Muhammad Bashu’aib, Maulana Imdad Hussain Pirzada, Shaykh Jihad Brown, Shaykh Hasan Le Gai Eaton, Sidi Yusuf Islam, Daniel Abdal Hayy Moore, Fuad Nahdi, Moez Masoud and – giving his final public lecture – Shaykh Abu Bakr Siraj al Din (Dr Martin Lings) who passed away just 10 days after this historic gathering which was also addressed by special guests including the Bishop of Bolton, the Right Reverend David Gillett.
Sacred music and poems were performed by Sada Hijaz, Ahbab al Mustafa, Harmonia Alcorani, Shaam, Qari Hafeez ur Rahman, Mesut Kurtis, Tariqa Burhaniyya, Poetic Pilgrimage, Albashar, Waseem Yaqub and others.”
1. Glad tidings be to you O sinners; your intercessor is the prince of righteous 2. Congratulations! the Lord Almighty is Al-Ghaffār, the Forgiver.
The Imām raĥimahullāh contrasts it thus: Sinners should be glad with the hope of intercession by the Prince of Righteous and in the presence of the Oft-Forgiving.
3. The earth under his feet is like the Exalted Throne; and the sole of his foot is above the Throne 4. By Allāh! what a graceful walk thou possess!
The first line is an allusion to the Ascension when RasūlAllāh şallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam went past the Throne and hence, the earth under his feet is as precious as the Throne.
And the second line should actually be: ‘kyā nirālī tarz ki – Allāh! – raftār hai’ But Alahazrat has modified it to fit the meter by replacing the name itself with a pointer instead: ‘nām-e-khudā’ as an interjection.
5. the moon was split; trees spoke and animals prostrate 6. Allāh’s Blessings upon him; he is the refuge, a sanctuary for the world.
The first line mentions miracles of the Prophet şallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam which are used to draw the conclusion in the next line: ‘He is the refuge towards whom the world turns.’ Naturally, this is granted by Allāh táālā to His beloved Prophet.
7. He spread them towards the heavens and filled the earth with rain 8. O beloved! We too need the alms given from those blessed hands.
In ĥadīth, there is a story about a companion who complained to RasūlAllāh şallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam about famine and he şallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam was sitting on the pulpit. He raised his hands and prayed for rain and before his raised hands came down, the skies began to pour. It poured so much that after a while people complained of flood.
Alahazrat says, when RasūlAllāh şallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam raises his hands towards the heavens, we are flooded with blessings. We are in dire need for you to raise those beautiful hands and give us alms.
An amazing speech on this subject by Shaykh Muhammad Bin Yahya Al-Ninowy
For those who can understand Urdu, this will sooth your hearts, Insha’Allah!
Poem written by the great Lover of the Beloved Prophet (Sall’Allahu Ta’ala ‘alayhi wa’alihi wa’sallam), Imam Ahle Sunnat Ahmad Raza Khan Barelwi (Rahmathullahi Ta’ala alay).
Read the full text to see the shocking actions and statements by the Saudi regime.
Mecca Bucks: Why Saudis invited Starbucks to Islam’s holiest city
Zvika Krieger, The New Republic Published: Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Multinational capitalism and its edifices rise in the shadow of Mecca’s Grand Mosque.
According to some popular Muslim accounts, the marble Kaaba structure at the center of the Grand Mosque in Mecca was built first by the angels before God created mankind, reconstructed by Adam, and later rebuilt by Abraham and Ishmael. It’s safe to say that none of these builders could have anticipated the latest use of the Mosque’s image, in a promotional DVD for the Abraj Al Bait Towers, a giant new skyscraper complex slated to be built just across the street from one of the entrances to the Grand Mosque. The DVD shows a beautiful woman sitting in one of the towers’ luxury apartments with floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook thousands of pilgrims circling the Kaaba below. Eyes flashing a come-hither stare from beneath her tightly wound headscarf, she asks prospective buyers in Arabic, “Would you like to be here in this place in front of the Kaaba year after year?” Read the rest of this entry »
In 2007, Mawlid was celebrated by Sunni Muslims on March 31st. It was celebrated by Shi’as on April 5th. In the Gregorian calendar, the standard calendar of Western countries, the date moves each year, because the Islamic calendar is lunar, while the Gregorian is solar. In Arabic, Mawlid means “birthday” and Mawlid An-Nabi is one of the formal names given to the specific day to celebrate Muhammad, or in Shi’a Islam, the family of Ali in particular.
Mawlid is the day when Sunnis and Shi’as mark the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad. In fact, the 12th of Rabi’ul’Awwal, or 17th for Shi’as, is traditionally believed to be the date of Muhammad’s death. It was arbitrarily fixed as the date to celebrate his birth, in 1207, when Muzaffar ad-Din Gökburi, brother-in-law of the famous Saladin.
This year Isam Rasheed documented some of the celebrations in Adhamiya, where the Abu Hanifa Mosque is located. Because of the location of the Abu Hanifa Mosque, or Imam Adham Abu Hanifa Mosque, Sunnis from all over Baghdad, and even many provinces in Iraq used to travel to Adhamiya for the celebrations.
This year, due to insecurity and on-going sectarian violence, it has become difficult for even Sunnis in Baghdad to make it to Adhamiya. Despite all of these difficulties Iraqis such as Qusay Al-Adhamiy and Waleed Tarek would not let the celebrations occur without the proper festivities. They each helped pay for the festivities in their area of Adhamiya by donating time and money.
As we are not scholars of Hadith and Tafseer, we cannot claim to understand the orders of theQur’an and Hadith by ourselves. For this reason, Allah (Subhanahu Wata’ala) selects from theUmmah of His Prophet (Sallallahu ‘Alaihi Wasallam) people who are Masters of Islamicknowledge and Islamic Law. Hence, when we need guidance with matters pertaining to Islam,we need to refer to the writings of these pious Ulema (scholars). Let us now examine what the scholars have said about the Meelad Shareef.
Allamah Isma’il Haqqi writes in ‘Tafseer Roohul Bayaan’:
“To commemorate Meelad Shareef is showing respect for the Prophet (Sallallahu ‘AlaihiWasallam) so long as the Meelad is free from bad things. Imam Suyuti says that to proclaimhappiness at the birth of the Prophet (Sallallahu ‘Alaihi Wasallam) is Mustahab(recommended).
Hafiz ibn Hajar and Imam Suyuti
Allamah Isma’il Haqqi writes in ‘Tafseer Roohul Bayaan’ that Hafiz ibn Hajar and ImamSuyuti have proven the validity of the Meelad Shareef from the Sunnah and have answeredthose people who call it a bad practice.
Muhammad bin Isma’il Bukhari narrates in Sahih Bukhari:
When Abu Lahab died, someone from his household saw him in a dream and asked him howhe was. Abu Lahab replied, “After parting from you, I am not given any good or relief.However, because I released Thuwayba (Abu Lahab’s slave), I get water every Monday fromthe finger with which I pointed for her to go free and I feel some comfort”. Abu Lahab released Thuwayba after hearing that his brother’s wife, Aaminah (RadiyallahuTa’ala Anha) had given birth to our beloved Prophet (Sallallahu ‘Alaihi Wasallam).
Shaikh Abdul Haq Muhaddith-e-Dehlwi writes in ‘Madarij-un-Nubuwah’:
“Abu Lahab was a kaafir and he receives a reward for showing happiness at the birth of theProphet (Sallallahu ‘Alaihi Wasallam). It is evident from this that the celebrators of theMeelad Shareef are indeed performing a useful act. Abu Lahab was a kaafir and is rewardedsimply because he released a slave, then what a great reward it will be for that Muslim whospends his wealth for the Meelad Shareef”.
Muhaddith ibn Juzri writes in ‘Zarqani Shareef’:
“When Abu Lahab, the kaafir, was rewarded for showing gratitude at the birth of the Prophet(Sallallahu ‘Alaihi Wasallam) then what will be the merit of that believing Muslim who showsimmense love for the Meelad Shareef and also spends his wealth towards its enactment? Iswear by my life, his reward, by the eternal Mercy of Allah, will be that he will be enteredinto heaven”.
Allamah Qastalani (commentator of Bukhari) writes in ‘Mawahibul Ladunya’:
“And the gatherings of Meelad have been occurring always within the Ahl-e-Islam. Alongwith happiness and joy, they cook food and invite others. In the nights of Rabi-ul-Awwal,they perform all kinds of virtuous acts and show their gratitude. Therefore, upon such peopleis Allah’s special favour and grace. The year in which Meelad is commemorated, that yearbecomes full of peace and safety. The celebrators’ inner demands become fulfilled. Allahendows great mercy upon that person who made the nights of Rabi-ul-Awwal into an Eid”.
Both Allamah Qastalani (in Mawahibul Ladunya) and Shaikh Abdul Haq Muhaddith-e-Dehlwi (in Masabatu Bissunnah) write: “The night of the birth of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu ‘Alaihi Wasallam) is better than the ‘Lailatul Qadr’ which is better than a thousand months”.
This is a tribute to all those who are suffering because of oppression, famine, etc. The track is from Ashiq-e-Rasul‘s album Sultan of Madinah(Sall’Allahu Ta’ala Alayhi Wa’alihi Wa’sallam), titled Intercession.
(For those that say the current traditions Mawlid was invented centuries after the passing away from this world of the Holy Prophet (Sall’Allahu Ta’ala Alayhi Wa’alihi Wa’sallam), should look at this piece, especially the dates)
The beginning of the celebration of the Meelad Shareef in its present form lies with the ruler of Irbil, Sultan Muzaffar whose full name is Abu Said Kukabri Ibn Zain al-Din Ali Ibn Baktagin, who is counted among the great Sultans and generous leaders. He was responsible for many other noble works as well. Among the many monuments set up by him was the Jami Muzaffari, which he had constructed near Mount Tasiyun.
Ibn Kathir (radi Allahu anhu) writes about Sultan Muzaffar as follows: “Sultan Muzaffar used to arrange the celebration of the Meelad Shareef with due honour, glory, dignity and grandeur. In this connection, he used to organise a magnificent festival. He was a pure-hearted, brave and wise Alim and a just ruler. May Allah shower His Mercy on him and grant him an exalted status. Sheikh Abu al-Khattab Ibn Dhiyah also wrote a book for him on the Meelad Shareef entitled ‘al-Tanwir fi Mawlid al-Bashir al-Nadhir’ (Enlightenment on the Birthday of the Bearer of Good News, the Warner). For this book Sultan Muzaffar awarded him a gift of one thousand dinars. Sultan Muzaffar remained the ruler until his death, which occurred in 630 A.H. in the city of ‘Akka when he had the Europeans under siege. In short he was a man of piety and noble disposition”.
“Two unique events have been produced as a special 7-DVD set featuring some of the most important voices and personalities in contemporary Islam, including:
