The philosophy of Ramadan

Fast of Qada':
The month of Ramadan is the season of divine blessings. It is the month of purification. It is meant for annual renovation of the inner spiritual qualities. It is a golden opportunity for every Muslim to strengthen his ‘iman, to purify his heart and soul and to remove the evil effects of the sins committed by him.
This month invites a Muslim to minimize his other mundane involvements and maximize the acts of worship. One should plan his schedule for this month, before-hand, so as to spare maximum time for ‘ibadah.
Here is a brief list of the acts which should be carried out in Ramadan with due care:
1. To offer every prayer with jama’ah in a masjid.
2. To rise up a little earlier than the exact time of suhoor and to offer the salah of tahajjud. There is no prescribed number of the Tahajuud prayer. Yet, it is better to pray 8 Rak’at.
3. To offer the nafl prayers of Ishraq (two rak’at after the sunrise) Duha (Four rak’at which may be performed at anytime after Ishraq before noon) and Awwabin (six rak’at after maghrib).
4. The recitation of the Holy Qur’an. No specific limit is prescribed. But one should recite as much of it as he can.
5. Dhikr or Tasbeeh, specially the following recitations:
Apart from reciting these words, one hundred times each, at a particular time, they may also be continued frequently throughout the day, even if one is engaged in some light work, when walking and when in bed.
6. Prayers and supplications: No particular prayer is prescribed. One can pray for everything he needs both in this world and in the Hereafter. However, the supplications of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) are so comprehensive that they encompass all that a Muslim can need in his life and after his death. It is, therefore, much advisable to pray Allah Almighty in the prophetic words used by the Holy Prophet (PBUH).
There are several books where these prophetic supplications have been complied. Here is the name of two books, which should be kept by every Muslim in his home and be used for praying daily:
(i) Al-hisnul-hasin By ‘Allamah al-jazri.
(ii) Munajat-e-Maqbool By Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi.
7. Sadaqah (charity): Apart from paying zakah, which is obligatory, one should also pay optional sadaqah in Ramadan according to his best ability. It is reported in authentic ahadith that the Holy Prophet (PBUH) used to pay special attention in Ramadan to look after the poor and to help them financially. Therefore, a Muslim should give as much money in sadaqah as he can afford.

What should be avoided in Ramadan:
Whoever has missed a fast of Ramadan is liable to compensate it with fasting after Ramadan. This fast if called ‘the fast of Qada’.
Fast of qada’ may be observed any day during the year except for the following days:
(a) First of Shawwal (Eidul-fitr)
(b) Tenth of Zulhijjah (Eidul-adha)
(c) Eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth of Zulhijjah.
On these days fasting is strictly prohibited. So the fast of qada’ cannot be observed on these days.
Fast of Qada’ should be observed as soon as possible after one has missed a fast of Ramadan. Delaying the performance of qada’ without a valid reason is not desirable. If some one has missed more than one fast, he can perform qada’ for all of them continuously, or with intervals. But the fasts of kaffarah should necessarily be continuous without any interval. Any interval makes the previous fasts nullified for the purpose of kaffarah, and one has to begin the fasts all over again.
Unlike the fast of Ramadan and optional (Nafl) fasts, in the fast of Qada’ it is necessary to make niyyah before the dawn.
If a person has an obligation to keep a large number of the fasts of qada’ he should write down the exact number of the fasts due on him. He should also make a will that if he could not fast in his life time, his heirs should pay fidyah (redemption from obligation not carried out) from his left over property. The amount of fidyah for one fast is one kilo and six hundered sixty two grams of wheat or its price. If the amount of fidyah can be paid from one-third property of a deceased person who has made a will to pay fidyah, the heirs are bound to pay it from his left over property. But if the deceased made no will to pay fidyah, the heirs are not bound to pay it from his property. Similarly, if the amount of fidyah exceeds one-third of the property left by the deceased, the heirs are not liable to pay the excess, unless they wish to do so by their free will.

Tarawih:
Another important feature of the month of Ramadan is Tarawih. It is a special Salah (prayer) consisting of 20 rak’at which is performed immediately after the ‘Isha’ prayer. This Salah is Sunnah mu’akkaddah (repeatedly emphasized), and should not be missed. The Holy Prophet (PBUH) said,
“Allah has made fasting in Ramadan obligatory,
and I have made the special prayer of Ramadan
(i.e. the Tarawih) a Sunnah.”
It is a Sunnah Mu’akkadah’ ‘alal-kifayah to perform Tarawih in jama’ah. It means that it is a Sunnah mu’akkadah for the people of every mosque to arrange for the jama’at of the Tarawih. If a person after being sure that the jama’ah of Tarawih is being held in his mosque, performs the Tarawih in his home without jama’ah, the sunnah of the Tarawih is discharged, but he will be deprived of the great thawab (reward) of praying with jama’ah. So, one should perform the Tarawih in the mosque as far as possible.
It is also a Sunnah to complete the recitation of the whole Quran in Tarawih in Ramadan. It is thus advisable to request a hafiz (one who has memorized the Holy Quran by heart) to lead the prayer of Tarawih. However, paying any fee to the hafiz for this purpose is not allowed. If no such hafiz is available, the Tarawih should be led by any Imam, and he can recite in it whatever Surahs of the Holy Qur’an he remembers.
As a general practice, the Holy Qur’an is completed in most of the mosques a few days before the end of Ramadan, on the 27th night or even earlier. In such a case, Tarawih should be continues till the last night of Ramadan with recitation of different surahs. Those who leave Tarawih after the completion of the Holy Qur’an are not correct, because Sunnah of the Tarawih remains unchanged unto the last night.
The time of Tarawih begins after the performance of the obligatory (Fard) prayer of ‘Isha. Therefore, the one who has not performed the Fard prayer of ‘Isha cannot join the prayer of Tarawih. He should perform the Fard of ‘Isha first, then join the Tarawih. If he missed some rak’at of Tarawih, he can complete it after the Witr. For example, a person came to the mosque when the Imam has performed four rak’at of Tarawih, he should perform the Fard of ‘Isha first, then join the jama’ah for Tarawih. If he has missed 4 or 6 rak’at of Tarawih, he should also perform the Witr prayer with the Imam, then pray the four or six rak’at he has missed on his own, individually.
Laylatulqadar:
One of the most meritorious aspects of the month of Ramadan is that it contains Laylatulqadr, the most blessed night of the year. It is the night, which Allah Almighty chose to reveal the Holy Qur’an. The Holy Qur’an has mentioned that this night is better than one thousand month. It means that the worship performed in this night brings more reward than the worship performed in one thousand months. The authentic Traditions of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) mention that, in this night, Allah Almighty directs His special mercy towards the people of the earth, accepts the supplications made by His slaves and forgives a large number of people who repent and pray.
Laylatulqadr falls in one of the last five odd nights of Ramadan i.e. 21st, 23rd, 25th, 27th and 29th. According to authentic sources, Laylatulqadr falls in any one of these nights alternately. The purpose of this Alternation is that one should spend all the five nights in worship and prayers, so that he may find Layalatuqadr with certainty.
No special form of worship is prescribed for Laylatulqadr. The night should be spent by offering as much nafl prayers as one can offer, in recitation of the Holy Qur’an, in dhikr and Tasbeeh, in supplication and in making sadaqah (charity.)It is not advisable in this night to hold ceremonies or meetings or delivering long lectures or illumination the mosque. This is a night meant for developing a special connection with one’s Creator, for offering acts of worship in solitude and seclusion, for having constant and exclusive contact with his Lord who is the Lord of the universe, for minimizing the diversity of thoughts and actions and for devoting oneself to Allah Almighty with his heart and soul.
This purpose can seldom be achieved in congregations and assemblies. That is why the Holy Prophet (PBUH) never tended to celebrate this night by lectures, meetings, and illumination or even by offering prayers in jama’ah. Instead, he used to perform acts of worship individually, and in solitude.
Sayyidah ‘Aishsh (R.) once asked the Holy Prophet (PBUH) as to what du’a (supplication) she should recite in the Laylatulqadr. The Holy Prophet (PBUH) taught her following du’a:Allah, You are surely most forgiving and You like forgiving, so forgive me.
The best way to benefit from the blessings of this night is to keep awake for the whole night and spend it in worship and prayers. But people who cannot do so for any reason should spare at least a considerable part of the night for acts of worship. At least 8 rak’at should be prayed after midnight as Tahajjud, some part form the Holy Qur’an should be recited and the supplications of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) should be offered. Any Dhikr or Tasbeeh should be constantly recited, specially the following Dhikr has numerous merits: Even when one is not in the state of wudu, the Dhikr and Tasbeeh may be recited. Similarly, the dhikr may also be performed during other states, when walking or in bed.

I’tikaf:
Another unique form of worship in this month is “i’tikaf” in which a person gives up all his activities, abandons his attachments, associations and routines and enters the mosque for a specific period.
Islam does not approve monasticism which is based on the concept that Allah’s pleasure cannot be attained without abandoning all worldly activities forever. The Holy Qru’an has expressly condemned this concept. Islam has, instead, emphasized on earning one’s livelihood through permissible means, on one’s mingling with his family members and on discharging all the obligations toward his wife, children, relatives, neighbours and other acquaintants. But the same time, as explained earlier in more detail, sometimes one’s deep involvement in these activities slows down his spiritual progress. In order to repair this loss, a Muslim is required to spare a time in which he separates himself from the normal routine of worldly activities and to sit in seclusion, devoting his heart and soul for pure spiritual acts. I’tikaf is a beautiful way to carry out this objective. In I’tikaf one leaves his home and family and undertakes to remain in the mosque for a limited period. This unique mode of worship can be done any time in the year. However, it has been declared as a ‘sunnah mu’akkadah’ in the last ten days of Ramadan, because Ramadan is the most suitable time to carry out this worship. Moreover, the last ten days of Ramadan are the days in which ‘Lailat-ul-Qadr’ normally occurs and as explained earlier, its definite time is unknown. It may occur in any of the odd nights of these days. When one is in the state of I’tikaf for the last ten days of Ramadan, he can surely benefit from its infinite merits, because even if he is sleeping in the ‘Lailat-ul-Qadr’, while he is in the State of I’tikaf, it will be credited to his account as ‘worship’ in the ‘Lailatul-Qadr’, because each and every second in the state of I’tikaf is ‘ibadah, even if one is eating, drinking or sleeping. This extraordinary privilege cannot be attained in one’s home. That is why the Holy Prophet (PBUH) used to perform I’tikaf every year in Ramadan.
The detailed injunctions and regulations of I’tikaf are explained in my book ‘The Rules of I’tikaf ’ and it is not proper to reproduce all of them here. However, some fundamental rules of I’tikaf are summarized here:

Some Rules of I’tikaf:
1. I’tikaf in the last ten days of Ramadan is sunnah ‘alal kifaya. It means that in each mosque, at last one person should sit in I’tikaf. If he does so, the requirement of Sunnah is fulfilled for the whole locality. However, if no person performs I’tikaf, the whole locality is responsible for not observing the Sunnah. Therefore, the residents of locality should make sure that some person is performing I’tikaf in their mosque. If no such person is available, they should prepare someone to do so.
2. The time of this I’tikaf commences immediately after the sunset of the twentieth day of Ramadan. Therefore, a person who wants to sit in I’tikaf, must enter the mosque before sunset on that day, so that sunset takes place while he is in the mosque.
3. The main requirement for a valid I’tikaf is that one remains in the limits of the mosque throughout the period of I’tikaf and never comes out of it, except for the necessities like easing oneself by attending the call of nature.
4. The “limits of the mosque” for the purpose of I’tikaf are restricted to the places meant for offering salah and determined as such by the founders of the mosque or by its administration. Therefore, the places like the place of ablution, toilets etc., are not included in the “limites of a mosque” for the purpose of I’tikaf. Therefore, if a person enters these places without the aforesaid necessity, his I’tikaf shall terminate.
5. One can go out of the mosque during I’tikaf only for the following needs:
(i) To answer the call of nature.
(ii) To make obligatory ghusl, i.e. in the state of impurity (janabah) (It should be remembered that it is not allowed during I’tikaf to go out of the mosque for having a non-obligatory bath, like the bath of Friday etc.)
(iii) To bring food where no other person is available to bring it. In this case it is allowed either to bring food to the mosque or to have food elsewhere outside the mosque.
(iv) To offer the jum’ah prayer, if no jum’ah prayer is offered in the same mosque in which he is sitting in I’tikaf.
(v) To move to another mosque in the event of a serious danger to one’s life or property.
6. It is advisable that a person performing I’tikaf avoid all unnecessary activities and spends the most of his time in the acts of worship, like salah, recitation of the Holy Qur’an or making dhikr or tasbeeh. However, it is makruh to remain silent totally.
7. The following acts result in terminating the I’tikaf:
(i) To leave the mosque even for a moment without the aforesaid needs.
(ii) To remain outside the mosque after fulfilling the aforesaid needs.
(iii) To have sexual intercourse, or emission through some other intentional acts like kissing, cuddling etc., which are totally prohibited in I’tikaf.
(iv) Any act which breaks one’s fast, like eating, drinking etc. (Since fasting is pre-condition for a valid masnun I’tikaf, the I’tikaf is automatically terminated by breaking of the fast).
8. If the I’tikaf is terminated for any reason, it becomes obligatory on the relevant person that he makes qada’ of the I’tikaf for one day only (He needs not to perform I’tikaf for ten days.). For example, started a masunu I’tikaf on 21st night of Ramadan with intention to sit in I’tikaf for ten days, but on 25th of Ramadan he came out of the mosque mistakenly or unconsciously, his I’tikaf is thus terminated. Now, he has to make qada’ of one day only. He needs not to repeat the I’tikaf for ten days, nor for five days. He is required to make qada’ only for one day. Therefore, he can discharge this obligation by starting I’tikaf for one day, either in the same Ramadan, or after Ramadan by keeping a nafl fast, or in the next Ramadan. If he elects to perform qada’ in the same Ramadan, he can sit in I’tikaf before the sunset of 25th Ramadan (in which his I’tikaf was terminated) and observed I’tikaf up to the sunset of 26th. His obligation will be discharged. Then, he is at liberty either to go home or to continue his I’tikaf as nafl (and not as a sunnah or wajib.)

Great Spiritual Events with Shaykh Hisham Kabbani in June 2009, Singapore

Great Spiritual Events with Shaykh Hisham Kabbani in June 2009, Singapore

"Sufism - Longing for the Divine"
A Lecture by Maulana Shaykh Hisham Kabbani
Date/Time: Tuesday 9 June 2009, 8 p.m.
Fee: $20 per person/$15 per student
Venue: Singapore Expo, Conference Hall A
(Address: 1 Expo Drive)

"Saints & Mystics"
A Short Lecture by Maulana Shaykh Hisham Kabbani
Date/Time: Wednesday 10 June 2009, 12.30 p.m.
Venue: Maqam Habib Nuh Alhabshi
(Address: 37 Palmer Road)
Program: Ziyarah of Maqam & Lecture "Saints & Mystics" by Maulana Shaykh Hisham Kabbani
Free admission, All are welcome!

Date/Time: Wednesday 10 June 2009, 7.30 p.m.
Program: Maghrib, Maulid & Qasidah & Suhbah by Maulana Shaykh Hisham Kabbani
Free admission, All are welcome!

"A Night of Remembrance"
A Session with Maulana Shaykh Hisham Kabbani
Date/Time: Thursday 11 June 2009, 7.30 p.m.
Venue: Madrasah Al-Khairiah
(Address: 152 Still Road)
Program: Maghrib, Dhikr & Lecture "Remembrance" by Maulana Shaykh Hisham Kabbani
Free admission, All are welcome!

*All times are venue's local time.

The Life of Prophet Muhammad S.A.W by Dr Karim Douglas Crow, Associate Professor at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang

" Dr Karim Douglas Crow, Associate Professor at the S. Rajaratnam
School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore "

Date: Saturday, June 6, 2009
Time: 10:30am - 1:30pm
Location: Raffles Town Club
Street: Bukit Timah Road
City/Town: Bukit Timah, Singapore (View Map)

About the Speaker :
Dr Karim Douglas Crow is Associate Professor at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, where he researches and teaches on Contemporary Islam. Born and raised in Beirut of Lebanese-American parentage, Dr Crow received his university education in Beirut and Cairo, and his Doctorate from the Institute of Islamic Studies at McGill University. During 1980-1992 he taught Islamic Studies and Arabic Language and Literature at: Columbia University, New York University, Fordham University, The University of Virginia, and the University of Maryland. In 1999 & 2000-2005, he served as Professor of Islamic Thought, teaching philosophy, theology and intellectual at the International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilisation (ISTAC) in Kuala Lumpur. He has published articles and book chapters on Islamic metaphysics, contemporary Islamic intellectual and spiritual currents, Islamic peace studies, and values and ethics and an edited volume Facing One Qiblah: Legal and Doctrinal Aspects of Sunni and Shi’a Muslims (Singapore, Pustaka National, 2005). He has conducted research for many years on Islamic understandings of intelligence, reason, and his textual study of tradition history “When God Created Wisdom’: Islamic “Aql Creation Narratives is under consideration by Brill Publishers. He is working on an historical survey of Islam and Rationality, and a monograph on the life and thought of imam Ja’far al-Sadiq (d.148H/765 CE). Dr Crow also serves as an advisor for several non-governmental programs and institutions treating Islamic peace issues in North America, Palestine, the Caucasus, Iran, and Aceh (Indonesia).

Ticket is $20 per person incl of light refreshment.
Email alexterrace@hotmail.com for RSVP

Shaykh Hisham Kabbani lecture - Sufism - Longing for the Divine Tuesday, June 9, 2009

" Shaykh Hisham Kabbani "

Date: Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Time: 8:00pm - 10:00pm
Location: Singapore Expo Conference Hall A
Street: 1 Expo Drive
City/Town: Singapore, Singapore (View Map)

SimplyIslam.sg is pleased to announce a special lecture entitled Sufism - Longing for the Divine by a visiting eminent scholar of Islam, Shaykh Hisham Kabbani. He is also the Chairman of the Islamic Supreme Council of America and the As-Sunnah Foundation of America. Click here for Shaykh Hisham Kabbani’s detailed biodata. All

Please note that entry for the lecture is by a valid ticket which is available through the following:

* Online Purchase - Participants can purchase the tickets online using CREDIT CARD or PAYPAL. Buy tickets now!

* SimplyIslam Office - Tickets can be purchased by CASH or CHEQUE at SimplyIslam’s office located at No. 152 Still Road. Call 65474407 for enquiries.

* Wardah Books - Tickets can be purchased by CASH or VISA at Wardah Books located at 58 Bussorah Street (Masjid Sultan area, near Arab street)

Majlis Maulidur Rasulullah SAW 30 May 2009, After Maghrib : Ayat-ayat Cinta Kepada Rasulullah SAW

When: 30 May 2009, After Maghrib
Where: Darussalam Mosque
Language: Malay
Organiser: Tradisi Halaqah (Badan Agama & Pelajaran Radin Mas)

Synopsis:
Know that someone who loves a person prefers them and prefers what they like. Otherwise, he is a pretender, insincere in his love. Someone who has true love of Rasulullah SAW will manifest ayats (signs). But, what are the signs?

Further Details:
Tradisi Halaqah is an educational centre founded by people, under a registered non-profit, charity organisation Badan Agama & Pelajran Radin Mas [BAPA - ROS Reg No 0272/1958], committed to reviving time-tested methods of educating and transforming human beings. We at the Tradisi Halaqah aim to teach the tools individuals need in order to live lives of guidance and obedience to the sacred order and to restore broad-based pluralistic and true scholarship to its proper place as a 1st priority of Muslims.

Another very special value of Tradisi Halaqah is that every knowledge are transmitted in a way that stand the test of time, it is "isnad", or sound and verifiable links that stitches each generation of believers to the preceding one all the way back to the Blessed Messenger SAW.

"Isnad" is the secret of this Ummah and a gift from Allah. Without "isnad", the entire tradition could very well collapse. The system of ijazah (teaching licenses) is intricately linked to isnad in that one takes his knowledge from noble men and women who took their knowledge from those who took their knowledge from those….all the way back to that model community and to the blessed Messenger himself, whose knowledge, without a shadow of doubt, came from the Lord of the Divine Throne through his messenger, the angel Gibril, upon him be peace.

There is a tested and established tradition aimed at preserving and transmitting sacred knowledge within the overall tradition of Islam. We recognize its validity and importance today especially when the "sacred" has been demoted to an inferior position in our modern educational system.

Tradisi Halaqah and it’s asatizah have dedicated themselves to preserving and re-establishing the traditional educational method of teaching the Islamic sacred sciences to the present generation.We hope to be an active promoter for the attributes of the Singapore Muslim Excellence and be a model to the community at-large and contribute significantly to Singapore.

The Night of Dalail Al-Khayrat by Shaykh Zamhuri bin Ramli Al Hafiz

" event poster from www.soutilaahi.com "

Organized by our great brothers from www.soutilaahi.com. Shaykh Zamhuri bun Ramli Al Hafiz will lead recitation for the love of Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. this Friday 6th February 2009 at Masjid Hji Muhd Salleh Maqam Habib Noh - Palmer Rd after Ishak. 

All are Welcome to attend this great event. Shaykh Zamhuri was born in Aceh, graduated from one of the University in Jakarta, mastering in Quran. He then became Hafiz Quran and won several competition on Qari Quran. His major achievement was winning the Quranic reading competition for the whole of Indonesia. After the tragedy of tsunami in 2004, he decided to return to Aceh after spending many years in Jakarta. He felt that he need to contribute to the Acheh society.

Upon his return, he became one of the Imam at Masjid Baitur Rahman (the national mosque of Banda Aceh) till today. He begun to teach Quran at various places especially to orphans whose parents died during the tsunami. He also propagate Islam on the creed of Ahlus Sunnah Wa Jemaah with peace and love. He is also a mureed of Mawlana Shaykh Nazim Adil Haqqani and Mawlana Shaykh Hisham Kabbani, leading the Zikir of Naqshbandi Haqqani in Aceh.

Dzikir Majlis @Malabar Mosque 29 Jan 2009

A spiritually uplifting Dzikr Majlis @Malabar Mosque led by Ustaz Mohd Hasbi bin Hassan (President PERGAS). Majlis will be conducted after Isyak prayers in the Main Prayer Hall on the 29th January 2009. Dinner will be serve at end of the dzikr session. All are welcome

For this majlis, it coincides with the Haul (Death Anniversary Commemoration) of an Auliya, Sayyid Muhammad bin Ahmad ad-Dandarawi of Egypt who was the founder of the Usrah Dandarawiah as well as the 3rd successor of the Sufi Order of Ahmadiah Idrisiah Dandarawiah which has branches and spread all over the world.

Visit their website : www.ahmadiah-idrisiah.com

Islamic lecture by Habib Salim As Ahatiri in Singapore 2009

" lecture poster from simplyislam.com.sg "

" picture at masjid hji salleh, makam habib noh 2008 visit "

Ustaz Tengku Mohd Fouzy umrah/haji lecture and Zikir Tariqah Qadriyah (Sheikh Affeefudin) in Singapore 2009

" Religious class schedule and Zikir Tariqah Qadriyah
(Sheikh Affeefudin) in Singapore 2009 "

Three great Haul event this Saturday 25th Oct 2008 in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur

Alhamdulillah (الحمد لله) there will be three great Haul event this coming saturday 25th Oct 2008 around Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. All are welcome.

1. Haul Syaikh Khwaja Habibullah Shah (Mursyid Tariqah Chisti-Qadiri wal Arbaiin: 25th Oct 2008, Saturday - 8am at Kubur Kassim lead by Shaykh Ibrahim and his congregation.

2. Haul Al-Marhum As-Sayyid Ust Abdillah bin Ahmad Al-Jufri: 25th Oct 2008, Saturday - 5pm at Masjid Sultan after asar prayer.

3. Haul Shaykh Abdul Qadir al Jelani in Kuala Lumpur: 25th Oct 2008, Saturday - 7pm - 11.30pm at Surau Miftahul Falihin Kampung Tengah Tambahan, Taman Melati 53100 Gombak, Selangor Darul Ehsan

Al-Habib al-Allamah Sultanul Ulama as-Sayyid Salim bin Abdullah bin Umar asy-Syathiri, Mudir of Rubat Tarim, Hadhramaut, in Singapore 2008

" last year 2007 photo at Ba'Alwi, more picture of Habaib "

Alhamdullilah, today Al-Habib al-Allamah Sultanul Ulama as-Sayyid Salim bin Abdullah bin Umar asy-Syathiri, Mudir of Rubat Tarim, Hadhramaut, just arrived in Singapore. He will hold a series of lecture here.

Habib Salim Asy-Syatiri's Lecture Series Schedule :

1. Thursday 23 Oct 2008
11:30am - Maqam Habib Noh
7pm - Masjid Ba'alwie

2. Friday 24 Oct 2008
12pm - Masjid Sultan
7pm - Masjid Alkaff Upper Serangoon

3. Saturday 25 Oct 2008
5pm - Masjid Sultan (Haul Al-Marhum As-Sayyid Ust Abdillah bin Ahmad Al-Jufri)

4. Monday 27 Oct 2008
8pm - Masjid An-Nahdhah

Any new program info will be updated soon. All are welcome

Habib Salim bin 'Abdullah bin 'Umar asy-Syathiri was born in Tarim, Hadhramaut in the year 1359H. His father, Habib 'Abdullah is Rubath Tarim's founder, which produce thousandth of great 'ulama' and 'santri' from every Muslim country around the world. He was famous as a clergy sholih. Habib Salim's mother, Syarifah Ruqayyah binti Muhammad bin Hasan Mawla Aidid, is a sholehah who likes beruzlah, praying to God.

When he was 3 years old, Habib Salim became an orphan with the departure of his father to rahmatUllah. Yet his religion's upbringing and education were never ignored, even before the age of 11, he was already a hafiz Quran. He learned various knowledge from around 80 great ulamas in Hadhramaut and Haramain, among his teacher are:-

Habib Muhammad al-Mahdi;
Habib Abu Bakar;
Habib Hasan bin 'Abdullah asy-Syathiri;
Habib 'Alwi bin Syihabuddin;
Habib Ja'far bin Ahmad al-'Aydrus;
Habib 'Alwi bin 'Abbas al-Maliki al-Hasani;
Syaikh Hasan bin Muhammad Masyath;
Syaikh 'Abdullah Sa`id al-Lahji asy-Syafi`i;
Habib Hasan bin Muhammad Fad`aq;
Syaikh Hasan bin Sa`id dan ram

After he return to Yemen, he use his time to preach and teach his knowledge. He used to live for 15 year in Aden being a teachers and preacher at Masjid Habib Abu Bakar Al-'Adni bin 'Abdullah Al-Aydrus. In the year 1403, on the request of Habib Zain bin Ibrahim BinSmith and Habib Muhammad al-Haddar, he moved to Madinah and teach at Rubath al-Jufri.

A lot of santri learned from the depth of his knowledge. He was also known to be high sincerity, honorable and always look after sunnah Junjungan Nabi s.a.w. Preaching and spreading his knowledge non stop. With his busy schedules, he still worship religiously in khususiyyah as sholat sholat sunnat, he did 100 times night prayer nightly in each Ramadan. Currently Habib Salim is passionate Islamic educator at Rubath Tarim with 500 student from various country including Malaysia, Indonesia & Singapore. Apart from that, he still do rehlah preaching in every Muslim country around the world. May Allah gives perfect health and long life to Habaib Salim "Sulthanul 'Ilmi" so that we can learned so much from him and be quided . Inshaallah

Haul of The Great Imam Abdallah Al-Haddad on 1st-2nd November 2008 at Masjid Baitul Aman Kuala Lumpur

" event poster from simplyislam.com.sg "

Masjid Baitul Aman Kuala Lumpur and the Al-Haddad family are organising the Haul of the great Imam Abdallah Al-Haddad.

The Messenger of God, salallahu alaihi wasallam, prophesied that in every century Allah would raise up amongst his nation a man who would renew its religion. Imam 'Abdallah al-Haddad was the renewer, or Mujaddid, of the 12th Islamic century. He was renowned, and deservedly so, for the breadth of his knowledge and his manifest sanctity. The profundity of his influence on Muslims is reflected by the fact his books are still in print throughout the Islamic world. He was born in Tarim, in the hills of Hadramaut, one of the southerly regions of the Arabian peninsula, and grew up in an environment where the accent was upon piety, frugality, erudition, and an uncompromising thirst for gnosis (ma'rifa). His lineage is traced back to the Prophet, salallahu alaihi wasallam, through Imam al-Husayn. 

Read more about The Great Imam Abdallah Al-Haddad . 

SimplyIslam.sg is organising a wisata or travel to Kuala Lumpur to participate in the Haul (see programme poster above). Leaving Singapore on Saturday 1 November 2008, at 7 am and return to Singapore on Sunday 2 November 2008 (9 pm). 

The Fee is only $60 per person - the fee includes transportation, 1 night accommodation at Sucasa Apartments and insurance (meals are not included). The fee is heavily subsidised. Details:

Date & Time of Departure: Saturday 1 November 2008, 7 am
Point of Departure: Eunos MRT Station
Fee: $60 per person (subsidised)
Inclusive: Transportation (coach bus), 1-night Accommodation at Sucasa Apartments & Insurance
Other Details: Meals not included
Return Date & Time: Sunday 2 November 2008, 9 to 10 pm

Programme:
Saturday 1 November 2008
7 am - Depart for Kuala Lumpur (Meet @ Eunos MRT)
4 pm - Haul of Imam Abdullah Al-Haddad at Masjid Baitul Aman (KL)
9 pm - Back to Sucasa Apts

Sunday 2 November 2008
10 am - Session with Shaykh Afeefuddin Al-Gaylani (pending confirmation)
12 pm - Maulid/Hadrah @ Shah Alam (men only) (women separate prog)
4 pm - Depart for Singapore (expected SIN arrival 9-10 pm)

Those interested to participate in the haul of Imam Al-Haddad, please email Brother Nassir here with details - full name, passport number, passport expiry date, contact number and email address (details for each participant). Alternatively, please call Sis Saira Elley at 65474407 to register with your details ready.

Very limited seats, so register early!

Haul event of Sulthonul Auliya Khwaja Sayyidina Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani 19th Oct 2008 and others

1. I am happy to announce that we will be having the Haul of Sulthonul Auliya Khwaja Sayyidina Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani r.a., on the 19th October 2008, Sunday - 8am. It will be held insya'Allah at Masjid Darussalam - Clementi. All are welcome to this blessed event. I will post detailed programs of that day as I got the info.

2. Haul Almarhum Ustaz Syed Abdillah Aljufri at Masjid Sultan, Saturday, 25 October, after Asar.

3. Maulidurrasul Saw & Haul Sayyidatuna Khodijah rha at Masjid Hj Muhd Salleh (Makam Habib Noh), Palmer Road,Sunday, 2 November 08, 8am.

Habib Shaykh Habib Salim Bin Abdullah Bin Umar As-Shatiri will be in Singapore this October 2008. He is the Principal of Rubat, an Islamic learning institute that is over 100 years old, based in Tarim, Hadhramaut, Yemen. Habib Umar Bin Hafiz will also have a schedule stop here in January 2009 Insha'Allah. I will update both event soon.

" Illustration of Al-Qutb Imam Ahmad ar-Rifa'i r.a and Al-Ghawth 

ul-Azam Imam Abdul Qadir al-Jilani r.a "

A short Biography Sulthonul Auliya Khwaja Sayyidina Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani r.a.

Raised by his mother and grandfather after his father's passing, Jilani was a descendant of the Islamic prophet Muhammad from both of his parents - his father was descended from Hasan while his mother was descended from Husayn.[1][2][3] At the age of eighteen he went to Baghdad (1095), where he pursued the study of Hanbali law under several teachers. Abdul Qadir received lessons on Fiqh from Abu Ali al-Mukharrimi, Hadith from Abu-Bakar-bin-Muzaffar, and tafsir from the renowned commentator, Abu Muhammad Jafar.

In Sufism, his spiritual instructor was Shaikh Abu'l-Khair Hammad bin Muslim al-Dabbas. From him, he received his basic training, and with his help he set out on the spiritual journey.
After completion of education, Abdul Qadir Jilani abandoned the city of Baghdad, and spent twenty-five years as a wanderer in the desert regions of Iraq as a recluse.[4] He was over fifty years old by the time he returned to Baghdad in 1127, and began to preach in public. He moved into the school belonging to his old teacher al-Mukharrimii, there he engaged himself in teaching. Soon he became popular with his pupils. In the morning he taught hadith and tafsir, and in the afternoon held discourse on mysticism and the virtues of the Qur'an.

He busied himself for forty years in the service of Islam from 521 to 561 AH. During this period hundreds of people converted to Islam because of him and organized several teams to go abroad for missionary purposes. He arrived in Indian sub-continent in 1128, and stayed at Multan, Pakistan.

He died on Saturday night 1166 (8th Rabi' al-Awwal 561AH on the Islamic calendar) at the age of eighty-nine years, and was entombed in a shrine within his Madrassa in Baghdad.

Please visit www.al-baz.com for more info and collection of his books.

Islam and the Arts, Saturday, 11 October 2008 at NUS

The Department of Malay Studies, National University of Singapore; 

and Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Religion Research Cluster, 

National University of Singapore

present a seminar on

Islam and the Arts

Saturday, 11 October 2008

Time: 2 pm – 6 pm

Venue: Lecture Theatre 12, AS3, Faculty of Arts and Social Science,

10 Kent Ridge Crescent, Singapore 119260, National University of Singapore

Speakers: 

Associate Professor Syed Farid Alatas, National University of Singapore; Ms Sharifah Hanan Alsagoff; Associate Professor Larry Francis Hilarian, Nanyang Technological University; Mr. Muhammad Salihin Sulaiman, Imankreativ; Associate Professor Bobby Wong Chong Thai, National University of Singapore; Professor Md Salleh Yaapar, Universiti Sains Malaysia.

The aim of the seminar is to give people an appreciation of the function of Islam in artistic expression. The seminar will cover various aspects of the visual and performing arts, such as literature, calligraphy, music and dance in the Malay World of Southeast Asia. Paper presenters come from Singapore and Malaysia and include academics who specialise in the arts and are artists themselves.

Please RSVP your attendance to Rodney Sebastian at fasrodn@nus.edu.sg

Eid al Fitr Mubarak, Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri 2008 to you and your families

" please enjoy this Malay classic evergreen 'Raya' song by Saloma 

"Selamat Hari Raya", also a favorite song of my late Mom... 

I miss her so very much, it's just different without Mom "

Today is the first Shawal, and I'm extremely sad that Ramadhan just left us. I would like to wish my reader Eid al Fitr Mubarak, Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri to you and your families. May the Blessings of Ramadhan be our guiding light for Shawal and the months ahead. May Allah reward you for the days you spent in fasting, recitation of the Quran and praying Taraweeh and Qiyam in the mosque. Inshallah we will be among those who gained Taqwa, and from those who promissed shelter from the hellfire. And Inshallah we will have the chance to meet again in the blessed month of Ramadan once agine next year.

All my "manja uncle's" and sisters 'balik kampong' for Hari Raya Aidilfitri 2008 at my Dad/Grandfather house (yap, Singapore still have kampong at District 10 Sixth Ave). I did installed about 15 pelita (oil lamps) around the garden (traditionally favored by my late Grandmother) for them to play there bunga api (sparkles) with lampu lap-lip (fairies light) strung on the front porch. Overall fun for the little lot.... and please enjoy this Malay classic evergreen 'Raya' song by Saloma "Selamat Hari Raya", also a favorite song of my late Mom... I miss her very much, she passed away during last year Ramadan (Please read surah Al-Fateha for my late Mom... Ameen)

In Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei, Eid is also commonly known as Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Hari Raya Idul Fitri or Hari Raya Puasa. Hari Raya literally means 'Day of Celebration' i.e. 'The Day'. Muslims in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore celebrate Eid like other Muslims throughout the world.

The night before Eid is with the takbir which is held in the mosques or musallas. In many parts of Indonesia as well as Malaysia, especially in rural areas, pelita or panjut (oil lamps) are lit up in house compounds. Eid also witnesses a huge migratory pattern of Muslims, from big metropolitan cities to rural areas. This is known as balik kampung or pulang kampung in Indonesian — literally going back to home town to celebrate Eid with one's parents. Special dishes like ketupat, dodol, lemang (a type of glutinous rice cake cooked in bamboo) and other Indo-Malay delicacies are served during this day.

It is common to greet people with "Selamat Hari Raya Idul Fitri" or "Salam Aidilfitri" which means "Happy Eid". Muslims also greet one another with "maaf lahir dan batin" in Indonesian and "maaf zahir dan batin" in Malaysian, which means "Forgive my physical and emotional (wrongdoings)", because Eid ul-Fitr is not only for celebrations but also the time for Muslims to cleanse their sins and strengthen their ties with relatives and friends

Finding Willingness of Allah At The End of Night for Ramadhan with Uztaz Abu Zaki Yusuf, 31st Aug 2008

Masjid Haji Muhammad Salleh @ Makam Habib Noh are having Qiamullail with after Subuh lecture. On sunday 31st August 2008, beginning at 3.30am with Solat Taubat, Hajat, Tasbih, etc. Followed up with Kuliah Subuh with the heading: "I Implore Forgiveness dear God! In Arch of Ramadhan". This majlis, steered by : Ustaz Abu Zaki Yusuf. Breakfast will follow with discussion, all are welcome

Synopsis
Preparation from spiritual dimension to welcome the blessed month of Ramadhan. Looking at our personal weaknesses and to be aware, that our soul are prepared for Allah grant in this noble month.

Preparation for the blessed month of Ramadhan-ul-Mubarak 1429/2008

Ramadan is fast approaching, every Muslim should prepare himself to welcome the blessed month of Ramadan by strengthening his relationship with the Qur’an, busing himself with the spirit of fasting, and recharging his spiritual battery to prepare himself to make the whole blessed month of Ramadan a real occasion of sincere obedience.

" Wishing all, a blessed Ramadhan-ul-Mubarak from hatzputra "

Fasting - Imam al-Ghazali

Excerpt from Imam al-Ghazali’s (d. 1111 CE / 505 AH) Book of Forty Principles from the Foundations of Religion:

Translated by: Khalil Abu Asmaa (Christopher Moore)

[ After discussing the Prayer and Zakah, Imam al-Ghazali goes on to say: ]

The Third Principle: Fasting

The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said that God said:

Every good deed is ten times its likeness, up to seven hundred times, except for fasting, for verily it is for Me, and I will reward it. [al-Bukhari and Muslim]

He (peace and blessings be upon him) also said:

For everything there is a door, and the door of worship is fasting. [Ibn al-Mubarak]

Fasting has been singled out with these amazing qualities for two main reasons:

1. Its essence is that it is a personal abstinence, and such is a hidden action that no one but God can see, unlike the prayer, the zakah, or other (acts of worship).

2. It is a grief for, and subdual of, the enemy of God. Shaytan is the enemy, and the enemy cannot gain strength except through the medium of the passions. Hunger breaks all the passions that are the tool of Shaytan. For this reason, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

Verily Shaytan runs in the Son of Adam like blood. Therefore, constrain the passageways of Shaytan with hunger. [al-Bukhari and Muslim, except after “Therefore”]

Such is the secret of his statement (peace be upon him):

When Ramadan comes the doors of Paradise are opened, the doors of the Fire are shut, the shaytans are restrained, and a caller calls: ‘Oh seeker of good, come forward! Oh seeker of evil, back off!’ [al-Tirmidhi, and al-Hakim said it was sound]

Know that fasting, in addition to its rank, has three levels, and in addition to its secrets, has three levels as well.
As for the levels of its rank:

The least of them is to only fast the month of Ramadan. The highest of them is the fast of David (peace be upon him), which entails fasting every other day. It is mentioned in an authentic narration (in both al-Bukhari and Muslim) that such is “the fast of all time” and that it is the best of all fasts. The wisdom behind this type of fast lies in the fact that whoever fasts daily, fasting will become completely habitual and he will not feel brokenness in his soul, purity in his heart, or weakness in his desires. For indeed, the soul is only impacted by what comes to it (occasionally), not by what it has become used to. This shouldn’t be hard to imagine, for medical doctors also discourage their patients from developing a dependence for medicine, and they say, “Whoever becomes accustomed to that he will not benefit from it when he is sick, for his temperament will becomes used to it and it will henceforth not affect him.”

Know that the doctoring of the hearts is akin to that of the doctoring of the bodies. This is the wisdom of the statement of the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) to ‘Abdullah b. ‘Amr b. al-‘Aas (may be pleased with them both) when he asked him about fasting: “Fast one day, break your fast the next.” He replied, “I want something better than that.” The Prophet (peace be upon him) responded, “There is nothing better than that.”

It is for this reason that when it was said to the Messenger of God (peace be upon him), “So-and-so fasts all the time,” he said, “He neither fasted, nor broke his fast.” This is just like when Aisha (may God be pleased with her) said to a man that was reciting the Quran in a rapid fashion: “This one here has neither recited the Quran nor kept silent.”

As for the middle level, it is to fast one third of the time. Whenever you fast every Monday and Thursday, adding to it Ramadan, then you have fasted four months and four days out of the year, which is slightly over a third. With that said, it is necessary that one day will be broken during the days of tashriq (during Hajj), so the total left is now three days. It is also imagined that the days of Eid will be lost as well, so this makes three days missed altogether, leaving us with one day. So think about the arithmetic and you will figure it out.

Therefore, it is inappropriate for your fast to be less than this, for it is light on the nafs (self) and its reward is immense.

As for the levels of its secrets, they are three:

1. The least of them is that one abstains from those things that break the fast, all the while not preventing his limbs from that which is disliked. This is the fast of the masses and it is indicative of their being pleased with the name (of “fasting”).

2. The second level is when you add to it prevention of the limbs. Hence, you guard the tongue from backbiting and the eye from looking at doubtful things, as well as guarding the rest of the body parts.

3. The third level is when you add to it the maintenance of the heart from (bad) thoughts and whisperings, and when you restrict it to the remembrance of God (Mighty and Majestic). This is the fast of the elect of the elite and it is the perfection of the fast.

Finally, fasting has a last matter by which it is completed: to break the fast with that which is permissible, not that which is doubtful. In addition, not to be excessive in the eating of the permissible, in an attempt to make up for what was lost in the morning. In this case one would be merging two meals into one thereby weighing down the stomach and increasing the desires. This will invalidate the wisdom of the fast and its benefit, and will lead one to be too lazy to get up for tahajjud (night vigil prayer) and possibly cause one to not even get up before Fajr (to have suhur and prepare for prayer). All of this is a complete loss and it may be that such a one will not even benefit from the fast at all.

As-Shafa’ah Al-Kubra - A Morning of Divine Devotions with Shaykh Hisham Kabbani Video

" a great event and I did enjoyed it very much 

and would like to share with you, sorry with 

resolution. I use my small camera "

As-Shafa’ah Al-Kubra - A Morning of Divine Devotions
Date: Sunday 24 August 2008
Time: 8.30 am to 1.30 pm
Venue: The Arab Association
No. 11 Lorong 37 Geylang Singapore 387908

As-Shafa’ah Al-Kubra - A Morning of Divine Devotions organized by SimplyIslam.sg on Sunday 24 August 2008 with Shaykh Hisham Kabbani and other Islamic scholars and personalities. The programme includes the following:

Congregational Recitation of Surah Yasin led by Ustaz Abu Zaki Yusuf
Lectures by Shaykh Hisham Kabbani, Ustaz Mohamed Iqbal Abdullah, Ustaz TM Fouzy & Ustaz Jalaluddin Hassan
Dhikrullah led by Shaykh Hisham Kabbani
Qasidah & Salawat recitals/performances by the Haqqani Malaysia Ensemble
Qawwali recital by A. Jainullabidin Faizi
Devotional Poetry recitals by Art Fazil & Friends

Conversation with God by Shaykh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani in Singapore 2008

" auditorium at Singapore Power was very crowded "

" part lecture by Shaykh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani, Conversation with God "

Alhamdulillah. I had the opportunity to attend a public lecture entitled “Conversation with God” by Shaykh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani. Suppose to start at 8pm but Shaykh, was stucked in a traffic jam at Serangoon Road. It was an enlightened talk, and am please to share part of his lecture with you in my YouTube channel. I hope you, the reader, benefit from this sharing. Thank you to brother Mohamed Nassir and his team from simplyislam.sg in organizing this event. Please attend our next gathering this Sunday (please read my previous post).

Defining Tasawwuf: by Azhar Scholar Imam Abdul Halim Mahmoud

Defining Tasawwuf:
Abu bakr al-Kitaaniy said in defining tasawwuf, that it is manners and whomever increase on another in manners thus has more clarity and abul-Hasan an-Nawawi said, tasawwuf is not a set of rules or knowledge but manners, because if it was rules, then it would have been acquired through hard training, and if it was knowledge then it could have been achieved through studying. but it is through copying the manners of Allah. And the Shebly has defined it as its beginning is knowing Allah and its end is declaring his oneness.

And the general definition is what Abu bakr al-katani said: " Tasawwuf is clarity and observation. And Tasawwuf had started immediately with Islam and that is because it is of refined manners and a direction towards Allah in the easy parts of the deeds and the tough ones.

And from the first of the Sufis after the Sahabas and the followers are Ibrahim bin Adham and al-Fadil bin `Iyad. And because of the confusion between the people in distinguishing between an ascetic and a worshipper and a Sufi, we say:

The ascetic: The one who shuns away from the temptations of this world and its pleasures.

The worshipper: The one who is steadfast in the acts of worshipping like awaking in the night and prayer and so forth

The Sufi:
The one who is the ascetic and the worshiper, because the Sufi dispense with little from this world because he abstain from having anything distract him from Allah. And the Sufi is a worshipper because of his firm and continuous connection with Allah the exalted. He worships Allah because he is worthy of worshipping and not for desire or fear.

Rabe`a al-`Adawiyya (may Allah be pleased with her): Oh my Lord, if I worship you for fear of your hell fire then throw me in it, and if I worship you in greed for your heaven then forbid me from having it and if I am worshipping you for your generous face [an Arabic expression that means for no direct or indirect benefit] then forbid me not from seeing you.

FATAWA al-Imam Abdul Haleem Mahmoud Page 334, Vol 38 - Dar al-Ifta' al-Masriyya