Khalf, I've actually seen another chanting of that dude, only women were included in that clip. Looks like the only thing missing from the gathering is marduufyo jaad ah. How did this kind of Dikr come about? As simple as any other act of deviance or innovation, I suppose. In this case, I believe, over-veneration of righteous scholars (awliya) of the past; much similar to the origin of Shirk. Somalia probably had the lowest prevalence of these types of hard-core Sufi practices when compared to some of its neighbouring countries, ie Ethiopia and Sudan, or far in the Northwestern countries. Most likely, it was the early Arab settlers who have brought these practices into the country, perhaps the Yemenis in particular. While I haven't heard much about the stories of Sufi Somalis, I was told many times the Tales of The Sufis in Harar, Ethiopia: the city of saints as they call it. This small city had hundreds of shrines of locally known saints, the most poplular of which is called, Aw (father) Abaadir. It was a great custom (religious to them) of the Hararis to pay visit to the shrine together, frequently, where jaad was distributed to the attendees (women and men alike) and everybody danced and chanted while chewing away and saying prayers to the saint; it was where they felt closest to God, through Mirqaan. On a visit to this historical city when I was younger, I remember accompanying relatives to visit the Aw Abaadir shrine, we (well, the elders) simply said their salaams and we left (though we weren't allowed to turn our backs so we had to walk backwards :rolleyes: ). My maternal grandfather (rahimahullah) was one of the great revivalists in the area before the 60s who fiercely opposed and took strong measures against the innovators and, alhamdulilah, succeeded in eradicating some of their tendencies. He also started the same mission in Xamar when he migrated there in the mid-60s. May Allah forgive all the Muslims who indulge in bidca.

I'll check out the audio version, Insha'Allah. For some reason, the pdf lec is not working for me. Kheyr Ilahay ha ku siiyo.

^Nice to see you back sis. Wonderful quotes, jazakallah. Ameen, I had missed your request to share Ayah's earlier. Insha'Allah, I'll share some of the ones that randomly but repeatedly come to mind. Among them, the end of surahtul Fajr: O tranquil soul! Come back to your Lord, well-pleased, well-pleasing. Enter then among My servants And enter My Paradise! May Allah elevate our souls to the level of mudhma inna, and allow us to hear that delightful call to jannah. Originally posted by Kimiya: Haneefah I feel it in my fingers sister. Jizaak Allah for the reminder, it’s so easy to take your loved ones for granted. Anyways, I'm not a person of loving expressions but surely you know that I love you and me amiga Bonita *waves*. May Allah unite us in jannah Allahuma Ameen. LoL@feeling it in the fingers, bal huuno qalbiga gaarsii Love you too hon, and Miss Bonita as well!

Aaah, Morocco! Would love to retire there early. Story telling would be the last thing I'd spend time on in Marrakech; I'd be busy bargaining in the souqs, visiting popular xamams, and exploring the exquisite architecture of historical local buildings. I have been particularly generous to this wallah ! I have given him a lot of advice. LoL. Wadaadkan hortaa jire ayaa kala daaley waano. Waa Af-kanool, if you will. Brownow, huuno, we both know Marrakech is not the ultimate destination for urban Faraxs ee just enjoy a virtual tour.

Originally posted by Shucayb: Kalgacayl kugu galay 8 jir, jacayl ma noqon karaa? Interesting! I can almost argue inuu jaceyl qiimo leh yahay ka yaraanta lagu dareemo Liked your story thus far Shucaybow, bal sii wad hadaba... Oh and anu story ma hayo, bas khalas sida loo dhageysto umbaan aqaanaa

One of those excellent threads...deserves to be reawakened!

Absolutely brilliant! I just love your eloquent way of relating the two concepts. Indeed freedom is like nuur, the more nuur one attains, the freer he becomes from any of the sources that make him susceptible to worldly enslavement. Again, Sheikh Nur, I've enjoyed this piece like none other. Beautiful and thought provoking Masha'Allah!

I just stumbled upon a clip part of which one of my fav abtiyo is reciting the discussed ayaat beautifully. . :cool:

Jazakumallah ya jamaca, loved reading your contributions. Kimiya: no sis, but I just did, thanks :cool: I was aware of his launching of the DiscoverU though. Insha'Allah, today I'd like to share couple of ahadeeth regarding loving each other for the sake of Allah (swt). 1. Mu`adh (bin Jabal) (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Allah, the Exalted, has said: `For those who love one another for the sake of My Glory, there will be seats of light (on the Day of Resurrection), and they will be envied by the Prophets and martyrs". [At-Tirmidhi]. Commentary: This Hadith tells us that Allah will grant an exalted position to such people who love one another for His sake. "They will be envied by the Prophets and martyrs'' does not mean that they will be granted a place higher than even the Prophets because the highest position will be granted to the Prophets, as these are the best of Allah's creation. These words simply draw our attention to the superiority and the exalted position those who love one another for Allah's sake will have on the Day of Resurrection. 2. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "On the Day of Resurrection, Allah, the Exalted, will say: `Where are those who have mutual love for the sake of My Glory? Today I shall shelter them in My Shade when there will be no shade except Mine". [Muslim] 3. Abu Idris Al-Khaulani (May Allah had mercy upon him) reported: I once entered the mosque in Damascus. I happened to catch sight of a young man who had bright teeth (i.e., he was always seen smiling). A number of people had gathered around him. When they differed over anything they would refer it to him and act upon his advice. I asked who he was and I was told that he was Mu`adh bin Jabal (May Allah be pleased with him) The next day I hastened to the mosque, but found that he had arrived before me and was busy in performing Salat. I waited until he finished, and then went to him from the front, greeted him with Salam and said to him, "By Allah I love you.'' He asked, "For the sake of Allah?'' I replied, "Yes, for the sake of Allah". He again asked me, "Is it for Allah's sake?'' I replied, "Yes, it is for Allah's sake.'' Then he took hold of my cloak, drew me to himself and said, "Rejoice,! I heard Messenger of Allah (PBUH) saying, `Allah, the Exalted, says: My love is due to those who love one another for My sake, meet one another for My sake, visit one another for My sake and spend in charity for My sake". [Malik] Commentary: Besides the merit of mutual affection, contact and co-operation for the pleasure of Allah, this Hadith tells us that one should disclose one's affection to him whom one loves. It also tells us that when a person is engaged in worship or daily round of recitation, his visitor should not sit before him so that his concentration is not affected. He should sit behind him and wait till he has finished his prayer. The Hadith also teaches us to approach someone from the front so as not to scare him. 4. Abu Karimah Al-Miqdad bin Ma`dikarib (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (PBUH) said, "When a man loves his brother (for Allah sake) let him tell him that he loves him". [At-Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud]. Subhanallah, there's wisdom behind expressing one's love to the beloved for it nurtures that love and creates mutual love and affection between the two. How often do we find ourselves expressing our love towards our brothers and sisters in Islam? Do we work hard to cultivate that love or even try to discover it? Have we become so immersed in our own immense egos and succumbed to the enslavement of our earthly lower selves, so much so that we can't even afford our sis's/bro's a simple sincere praise or acknowledgment let alone love? Are we too caught up in focusing on their shortcomings and harboring grudges instead of focusing on their beautiful qualities and showing mercy? I can recall one time when a sister on this very board told me that she loved me for the sake of Allah (without having seen me, or known me well etc), and I could truly feel her sincerity. It struck me deep. Walahi, without any sense of hesitation or any drop of pretentiousness, I found myself uttering the same words back to her and it felt amazing, subhanallah. We've become quite close since and keep in touch, alhamdulilah. Where else can you find that beauty except in Islam? Let's spread love...

Waxaan la yaabay dadkan aad wada moodid inay dagaal markasta ku jiraan. Aqoon yari baa badanaa seeflaboodnimada keenta walal. Insha'Allah, let us show sabr. Kheyr, I'm simply bemused by that comment of yours. I don't know what to make of it really.

How neat. Turns out I was born in Shawwal. Mom tells me that she actually observed fasting during the whole month of ramadan while 9 months pregnant. :cool:

Excellent idea Ameen. We used to have a thread entirely dedicated to sharing ahadeeth some time ago, I couldn't locate it. I'd like to share couple of related hadiths all concerning the importance of clemency/forbearance in Islam; virtuous characteristics one must strive to cultivate. 1. "Allah is Forbearer and He loves forbearance, and rewards for forbearance while He does not reward severity, and does not give for any thing besides it (forbearance)." [Muslim] Commentary: Mildness is the opposite of harshness. Allah enjoins softness and dislikes stiffness in human relations. Allah assures of reward for gentle behaviour in society, not for unkindness or anything like that. However, inflexibility is preferred to flexibility when there arises a question of religious matters and the limits set by Allah. 2. Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported: The Prophet (PBUH) said, "Whenever forbearance is added to something, it adorns it; and whenever it is withdrawn from something, it leaves it defective." [Muslim] Commentary: To be soft-spoken is such a quality that by virtue of which a man is not only endeared to people but also to Allah. And by being bereft of it, he not only becomes a contempt incarnate in the eyes of people but also with Allah. 3. Jarir bin `Abdullah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "He who is deprived of forbearance and gentleness is, in fact, deprived of all good." [Muslim]. Let us resort to gentleness in all of our matters Insha'Allah, so that Allah caza wajal can be gentle towards us.

Subxanallah. Have we not taken for granted Allah's blessings upon this ummah? When will we wake up to the realities we have collectively forsaken? Very powerful ayaat, in fact, the whole surah is. As usual, I found myself contemplating about the current state of affairs when I suddenly recalled the second ayah mentioned above; overwhelmed by emotions I literally broke into tears. May Allah revive the bond of brotherhood. Jazakallah bro SOS, a great commentary and a timely reminder!

One of those moments, eh? School stress? That usually tends to manifest in just about every aspect of your life...Insha'Allah it'll pass What I find comfort and tranquility in is to remember Allah's blessings and mercy on me, and I mean really reflect upon it; then before I know, it awakens me like a hot slap across the face. Then I quickly cheer up and start to repent "Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest"

Perhaps by veil she is referring to the niqaab used to cover the face and not the head covering, in which case her assertion of it being a personal choice would hold valid. However, what I don't quite understand is her urging of the so called 'moderates' to stand up. Against what? For whom? "Islam neither requires one to be practising, nor to dress in one way or another," And here, she completely lost me :rolleyes: She maintains that ignorance is the root cause of the problem, yet this comment of hers indicates her high level of ignorance about this religion that she's seemingly trying to portray in a positive light.

I see odayaashii SOl have mastered the art of hijacking threads. Xiin & Castro, tan iyo waagii ma shopping baad ku jirtaan? Oo ma daashaan

Aisha, jazakallah kheyr sis for the reminder. This also happens to be in the last ayah of surah at-taubah where Allah SWT commands the Prophet SAW to recite this dhikr if the hypocrites/disbelievers turn away (from his message). And its translation is, for anyone interested: "Allah is sufficient for me. There is no God but He, in Him I put my trust and He is the Lord of the Mighty Throne."

Sis/ bro Urban, are you trying to memorize? :cool: Was the above site helpful?

Indeed, the story of Salman al-farisi (RA) is an incredible story of one man's never ending quest for the truth. Shows the endless mercy of Allah upon His slaves; He chooses them, revives them from darkness and death by guiding them to His noor, and purifies them. Subhanallah! Barakallah feek bro/sis Thierry

Alhamdulilah, I'm doing well dear. guess who started saying 'Alaaaaaaaaa' and 'Aaahu-ba' [then laying flat-down and kissing the ground]. Super cute :cool: Aawwww, Bismillah Masha'Allah, how adorable. You have to send me pics, lady! My niece ( almost 2) also has a habit of joining prayers, then starts to mumur while closing her eyes, then skips the rukuuc and goes straight for a flat sujud Kids are just something else. Oh and pass some of those cabayas over here will ya, greedy ha noqon Ok getting back to the topic, am loving the traslation of the Asmaa; very beneficial, undertanding them not only helps in the process of memorizing but also facilitates the path of seeking to adorn ourselves with the characteristics of Allah SWT, to the best of human capacity that is. Jazakallah khair!

^true! Remember, this issue of the youth came up in our conversation earlier on today too. It's quite sad really. Though I never knew this former rapper, subhanallah, I'm very impressed with him Masha'Allah; very inspiring journey. His love and attachment to Islam and Allah SWT is ever more visible on his face. May Allah increase him in knowledge and reward him for his efforts. Daacis like him could truly make a huge difference in the lives our youth in diaspora today.

Indeed, understanding this is very crucial. Bro Nur has few threads regarding tawheed and poses some interesting questions there. You might want to contribute your thoughts there too, Insha'allah. Jazakallah Khair.

Pretty sad but not surprising. It's not like all types of Muslims, pilgrims or not, are not monitored under a microscope in the west these days. Any sort of dhaqdhaqaaq and you're in for some suspicion. However, there's a greater watcher Whose knowledge is all-encompassing. We should put our tawakul on Him and not be bothered by these challenges in the west Insha'Allah.

Wa alaikumu salam, 100 million does seem a little on the israaf side, wouldn't you say? I've received your email abt it, thanks, and I already voted yes. Insha'Allah it will be a successful project. :cool:

Kimiya? Is you who I'm thinking you is? War ileen...and here I was thinking who's this lady flaunting the pretty cabaaya. How have you been darling? How's the memorization coming along? I've tried counting how many I could recall, couldn't go beyond 30 I think