Last night when approached I
Asked she about the light In my eye
“Your cheeks with love Are red
In whose lap have you laid Your head?
Light emanates, from your brow
What makes, such passion show?
In which pool, did you bathe
With which fairy, did you seat
As if stars surround you
As if the angels bound you
O Share with thy comrade
This secret in me confide
I am no stranger, To your life, for
I was the sole hope, In your days of strife
I have laid bare before for you
My thoughts on ‘Merciful Him’
Remember the old days
Came you with a swollen face
And my Him-loving words
Put you in joyful daze
Tell me then-
What happened when?
I replied -
My heart lost
In state Medinized
Mustafa’s love
Had my soul amazed
The more I
Thought about him
The more I
Got closer to my soul
He makes
Me warm and calm
Melody keeps
Grazing in my heart’s farm
My pains
Find their balm
My joys
Aloof from every harm
Medinized love
Put me in ecstasy
Houris 70 or more
Be lost in my charm
Muhammad, Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam
The secret of Creation
Worlds learned from him
The meaning of compassion
Oh! Time stood still
In wonder
Struck as if
With a thunder
As the Trader of Makkah
Passed through the skies and stars
Light was taken aback during that night
Another being could travel much fast
He is the height of perfection
Of man and jinn’s position
Humanity’s created
To have him imitated
If you think
My love has increased
‘Tis because I have
In him immersed
In his love
I get humanized
My mission in life
To become Medinized
How could I-
Be depressed in life?
A beloved like him
I have to endear in life
With all my failings,
Paradise I go on aspire
I believe in the compassion
Of a Medinized Savior
Were I to lose
All belongings in life
I shall continue to swim
Towards Meem’s Ark
I make not any claim (that)
None but me burnt in his flame
But his love leaves me no room
To think of others lost in Meem
Medina is the window
In this world and next
For the rays of His Mercy
To extinguish my sins
(Thoughts inspired by incident of Mi’raj)
Notes
Houris 70 or more : Pure Consorts with “beautiful big and lustrous eyes” for the inmates of Paradise with whom desires are shared. (A controversial topic often misunderstood to be the glorification of sensual excess in the Islamic traditions)
Meaning of Compassion: one of the titles of Prophet is ‘mercy to all worlds’
Trader of Makkah : The Prophet was a trader by profession before receving revealation
Light was taken aback : Light is the fastest object known to Man. However, the Holy Prophet travelled faster than it during the night of Ascension covering the seven heavens and back in a single night.
The dua recitation is from last years Hajj season recorded at Masjid Nabwi
O Allah! Bless Syedina Muhammad Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam his blessed companions and his progeny.
O Allah! I beseech Thee by Thy mercy which encompasses all things And by Thy power by which Thou overcometh all things and submit to it all things and humble before it all things And by Thy might by which Thou hast conquered all things And by Thy majesty against which nothing can stand up
And by Thy grandeur which prevails upon all things And by Thy authority which is exercised over all things And by Thy own self that shall endure forever after all things have vanished And by Thy Names which manifest Thy power over all things And by Thy knowledge which pervades all things And by the light of Thy countenance which illuminates everything O Thou who art the light!
O Thou who art the most holy! O Thou who existed before the foremost! O Thou who shall exist after the last!
O Allah! Forgive me my such sins as would affront my continency O Allah! Forgive me my such sins as would bring down calamity
O Allah! Forgive me my such sins as would change divine favours (into disfavours (O Allah! Forgive me my such sins as would hinder my supplication O Allah! Forgive me such sins as bring down misfortunes (or afflictions) O Allah! Forgive my such sins as would suppress hope
O Allah! Forgive every sin that I have committed and every error that I have erred O Allah! I endeavour to draw myself nigh to Thee through Thy invocation And I pray to Thee to intercede on my behalf And I entreat Thee by Thy benevolence to draw me nearer to Thee And grant me that I should be grateful to Thee and inspire me to remember and to invoke Thee
O Allah! I entreat Thee begging Thee submissively, humbly and awestrickenly To treat me with clemency and mercy, and to make me pleased and contented with what Thou hast allotted to me And cause me to be modest and unassuming in all circumstances
O Allah! I beg Thee as one who is passing through extreme privation and who supplicates his needs to Thee and his hope has been greatly raised by that which is with Thee
O Allah! Great is Thy kingdom and exalted is Thy greatness Thy plan is secret, Thy authority is manifest, Thy might is victorious and subduing and Thy power is prevalent throughout and it is not possible to escape from Thy dominion
O Allah! Except Thee I do not find any one able to pardon my sins nor to conceal my loathsome acts Nor have I any one except Thee to change my evil deeds into virtues There is no god but Thou glory and praise be to Thee I have made my own soul to suffer I had the audacity (to sin) by my ignorance Relying upon my past remembrance of Thee and Thy grace towards me
O Allah! My Lord! How many of my loathsome acts hast Thou screened (from public gaze) How many of my grievous afflictions (distresses) hast Thou reduced in severity And how many of my stumblings hast Thou protected, how many of my detestable acts has Thou averted, and how many of my undeserving praises hast Thou spread abroad!
O Allah! My trials and sufferings have increased and my evilness has worsened, my good deeds have diminished and my yokes (of misdeeds) have become firm And remote hopes restrain me to profit (by good deeds) and the world has deceived me with its allurements and my own self has been affected by treachery and procrastination
Therefore, my Lord! I implore Thee by Thy greatness not to let my sins and my misdeeds shut out access to my prayers from reaching Thy realm and not to disgrace me by exposing those (hidden ones) of which Thou hast knowledge nor to hasten my retribution for those vices and misdeeds committed by me in secret which were due to evil mindedness, ignorance, excessive lustfulness and my negligence
O Allah! I beg Thee by Thy greatness to be compassionate to me in all circumstances and well disposed towards me in all matters My God! My Nourisher! Have I anyone except Thee from whom I can seek the dislodging of my evils and understanding of my problems?
My God! My Master! Thou decreed a law for me but instead I obeyed my own low desires And I did not guard myself against the allurements of my enemy He deceived me with vain hopes whereby I was led astray and fate helped him in that respect Thus I transgressed some of its limits set for me by Thee and I disobeyed some of Thy commandments;
Thou hast therefore a (just) cause against me in all those matters and I have no plea against Thy judgement passed against me I have therefore become (justifiably) liable to Thy judgement and afflictions
But now I have turned Thee, my Lord, after being guilty of omissions and transgressions against my soul, apologetically, repentantly, broken heartedly, entreating earnestly for forgiveness, yieldingly confessing (to my guilt) as I can find no escape from that which was done by me and having no refuge to which I could turn except seeking Thy acceptance of my excuse and admitting me into the realm of Thy capacious mercy
O Allah! Accept my apology and have pity on my intense sufferings and set me free from my heavy fetters (of evil deeds) My Nourisher! Have mercy on the infirmity of my body, the delicacy of my skin and the brittleness of my bones O’ Thou!
Who originated my creation and (accorded me) my individuality, and (ensured) my upbringing and welfare (and provided) my sustenance (I beg Thee) to restore Thy favours and blessings upon me as Thou didst in the beginning of my life
O’ my God! My master! My Lord! And my Nourisher! What! Wilt Thou see me punished with the fire kindled by Thee despite my belief in Thy unity?
And despite the fact that my heart has been filled with (pure) knowledge of Thee and when my tongue has repeatedly praised Thee and my conscience has acknowledged Thy love and despite my sincere confessions (of my sins) and my humble entreaties submissively made to Thy divinity?
Nay, Thou art far too kind and generous to destroy one whom thyself nourished and supported, or to drive away from Thyself one whom Thou has kept under Thy protection, or to scare away one whom Thy self hast given shelter, or to abandon in affliction one Thou hast maintained and to whom Thou hast been merciful
I wish I had known o’ my Master, my God and my Lord! Wilt Thou inflict fire upon faces which have submissively bowed in prostration to Thy greatness, or upon the tongues which have sincerely confirmed Thy unity and have always expressed gratitude to Thee, or upon hearts which have acknowledged Thy divinity with conviction, or upon the minds which accumulated so much knowledge of Thee until they became submissive to Thee, or upon the limbs which strove, at the places appointed for Thy worship, to adore Thee willingly and seek Thy forgiveness submissively?
Such sort (of harshness) is not expected from Thee as it is remote from Thy grace, o’ generous one! O’ Lord! Thou art aware of my weakness to bear even a minor affliction of this world and its consequence and adversity affecting the denizen of this earth, although such afflictions are momentary, short-lived and transient
How then can I bear the retributions and the punishments of the hereafter which are enormous and of intensive sufferings, of prolonged period and perpetual duration, and which shall never be alleviated for those who deserve the same as those retributions will be the result of Thy wrath; and Thy punishment which neither the heavens nor the earth can withstand and bear! My Lord!
How can I, a weak, insignificant, humble, poor and destitute creature of Thine be able to bear them?
O’ my God! My Lord! My King! And Master! Which of the matters shall I complain to Thee and for which of them shall I bewail and weep? shall I bewail for the pains and pangs of the punishment and their intensity or for the length of sufferings and their duration?
Therefore (my Lord!) If Thou wilt subject me to the penalties (of hell) in company of Thy enemies and cast me with those who merited Thy punishments and tear me apart from Thy friends and those who will be near to Thee, then my God, my Lord and my Master, though I may patiently bear Thy punishments, how can I calmly accept being kept away from Thee?
I reckon that though I may patiently endure the scorching fire of Thy hell, yet how can I resign myself to the denial of Thy pity and clemency? How can I remain in the fire while I have hopes of Thy forgiveness?
O’ my Lord! By Thy honour truly do I swear that, if Thou wilt allow my power of speech to be retained by me in the hell, I shall amongst its inmates cry out bewailingly unto Thee like the cry of those who have faith in Thy kindness and compassion And I shall bemoan for Thee (for being deprived of nearness to Thee) the lamentation of those who are bereaved, and I shall keep on calling unto Thee: “Where art Thou o’ Friend of the believers! O’ (Thou who art) the last hope and resort of those who acknowledge Thee and have faith in Thy clemency and kindness; o’ Thou who art the helper of those seeking help! O’ Thou who art dear to the hearts of those who truly believe in Thee! And o’ Thou who art the Lord of the universe.”
My Lord! Glory and praise be to Thee, wouldst Thou (wish) to be seen (disregarding) the voice of a muslim bondman, incarcerated therein (the hell) for his disobedience and imprisoned within its pits for his evildoings and misdeeds, crying out to Thee the utterance of one who has faith in Thy mercy and calling out to Thee in the language of those who believe in Thy unity and seeking to approach Thee by means of Thy epithet “the Creator, the Nourisher, the Accomplisher and the Protector of the entire existence”?
My Lord! Then how could he remain in torments when he hopefully relies upon Thy past forbearance, compassion and mercy?
And how can the fire cause him suffering when he hopes for Thy grace and mercy and how can its roaring flames char him when Thou hearest his voice and sees his plight? And how can he withstand its roaring flames when Thou knowest his fraility? And how can he be tossed about between its layers when Thou knowest his sincerity?
And how can the guards of hell threaten him when he calls out to Thee? “My Lord”, and how would Thou abandon him therein (the hell) when he has faith in Thy grace to set him free?
Alas! That is not the concept (held by us) of Thee nor has Thy grace such a reputation nor does it resemble that which Thou hast awarded by Thy kindness and generosity to those who believe in Thy unity I definitely conclude that hadst Thou not ordained punishment for those who disbelieved in Thee, and hadst Thou not decreed Thy enemies to remain in hell,
Thou wouldst have made the hell cold and peaceful and there would never have been an abode or place for any one in it; but sanctified be Thy Names, Thou hast sworn to fill the hell with the disbelievers from amongst the jinns and mankind together and to place forever Thy enemies therein
And Thou, exalted be Thy praises, hadst made manifest, out of Thy generosity and kindness, that a believer is not like unto him who is an evil-liver.
My Lord! My Master! I, therefore implore Thee by that power which Thou determineth and by the decree which Thou hast finalised and ordained whereby Thou hath prevailed upon whom
Thou hast imposed it, to bestow upon me this night and this very hour the forgiveness for all the transgressions that I have been guilty of, for all the sins that I have committed, for all the loathsome acts that I have kept secret and for all the evils done by me, secretly or openly, in concealment or outwardly and for every evil action that Thou hast ordered the two noble scribes to confirm whom Thou hast appointed to record all my actions and to be witnesses over me along with the limbs of my body, whilst Thou observeth over me besides them and wast witness to those acts concealed from them?
Which Thou in Thy mercy hast kept secret and through Thy kindness unexposed and I pray to Thee to make my share plentiful in all the good that Thou dost bestow; in all the favours that Thou dost grant; and in all the virtues that Thou dost allow to be known everywhere; and in all the sustenance and livelihood that Thou dost expand and in respect of all the sins that Thou dost forgive and the wrongs that Thou dost cover up O’ Lord! O’ Lord! O’ Lord!
O’ my God! My Lord! My King! O’ Master of my freedom! O’ Thou who holdeth my destiny and who art aware of my suffering and poverty,
O’ Thou who knoweth my destitution and starvation, o’ my Lord! O’ Lord, o’ Lord! I beseech Thee by Thy glory and Thy honour, by Thy supremely high attributes and by Thy names to cause me to utilise my time, day and night, in Thy remembrance, by engaging myself in serving Thee (Thy cause) and to let my deeds be such as to be acceptable to Thee, so much so that all my actions and offerings (prayers) may be transformed into one continuous and sustained effort and my life may take the form of constant and perpetual service to Thee
O’ my Master! O’ Thou upon Whom I rely! O’ Thou unto Whom I express my distress!
O’ my Lord! My Lord! My Lord! Strengthen my limbs for Thy service and sustain the strength of my hands to persevere in Thy service and bestow upon me the eagerness to fear Thee and constantly to serve Thee
So that I may lead myself towards Thee in the field with the vanguards who are in the fore rank and be swift towards Thee among those who hasten towards Thee and urge eagerly to be near Thee and draw myself towards Thee like them who sincerely draw themselves towards Thee and to fear Thee like the fear of those who believe firmly in Thee and thus I may join the congregation of the faithful congregated near Thee (for protection)
O’ Allah! Whosoever intendeth evil against me, let ill befall on him and frustrate him who plots against me and assign for me a place in Thy presence with the best of Thy bondsmen and nearer abode to Thee, for verily that position cannot be attained except through Thy grace and treat me benevolently, and through Thy greatness extend
Thy munificence towards me and through Thy mercy protect me and cause my tongue to accentuate Thy remembrance and my heart filled with Thy love and be liberal to me by Thy gracious response and cause my evils to appear fewer and forgive me my errors.
For verily, Thou hast ordained for Thy bondsmen Thy worship and bidden them to supplicate unto Thee and hast assured them (of Thy) response
So, my Lord! I look earnestly towards Thee and towards Thee, my Lord! I have stretched forth my hands therefore, by Thy honour, respond to my supplication and let me attain my wishes and, by Thy bounty, frustrate not my hopes and protect me from the evils of my enemies, from among the jinns and mankind o’ Thou! Who readily pleased, forgive one who owns nothing but supplication for Thou doest what Thou willest o’ Thou!
Whose Name is the remedy (for all ills) and Whose remembrance is a sure cure for all ailments and obedience to Whom makes one self sufficient; have mercy on one whose only asset is hope and whose only armour is lamentation O’ Thou! Who perfecteth all bounties and Who wardeth off all misfortunes!
O’ Light! Who illuminateth those who are in bewilderment! O’ Omniscient! Who knoweth without (acquisition of) learning! Bless Syedina Muhammed Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam and the Descendants of Syedina Muhammed Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam and His companions and do unto me in accordance with that which befitteth Thee,
and deal with me not in accordance to my worth May the blessings of Allah be bestowed upon His Apostle and the Rightful Imams from his appointed Caliphs and Descendants and His peace be upon them plentifully
Sallallahu ala Muhammad Sallallahu alahi wa salam!
Notes:
Kumayl Ibn Ziyad Nakha’i was a confidant amongst the companions of Amir al Muminin, Imam Ali Ibn Abi Talib (as.) and this sublime Du’a was first heard from the beautiful, though anguished, voice of Imam Ali.
Kumayl had attended an assembly in the Mosque at Basra which was addressed by Imam Ali in the course of which the night of the 15th of Shaban was mentioned. Imam Ali said-”Whosoever keeps awake in devoutness on this night and recites the Du’a of Khizr, undoubtedly that person’s supplication will be responded to and granted. When the assembly at the Mosque had dispersed, Kumayl called at the house where Imam Ali was staying, and requested him to acquaint him with Hazrat Khizr’s “Du’a”. Imam Ali asked Kumayl to sit down, record and memorise the “Du’a” which Imam Ali dictated to Kumayl.
Imam Ali then advised Kumayl to recite this “Du’a” on the eve of (i.e. evening preceding) every Friday, or once a month or at least once in every year.
And We sent not you, but a mercy for all worlds. Surahe Al-Anbiyaa(21) 107
Quietly and patiently I have loved you Softly I walked your path Gently I have moved the spirit within……..loving you is all that I do Living through the vicissitudes of time…..sleeping in the realms of light Visiting on heavens mists ……I have loved you, I watch as you seek pardon for me from your Beloved …I whisper with intent so true
I am your lover tis you I desire You are my comforter….oh how I love you Words do not exist! Patiently I await you…knowingly I do not despair As shores of reality ascend ….I give myself to thee Oh how I love you!
My passion cannot hold thee My desires rapture into starlets of light Sincerity compels me…To love thee greater Soaring my very being into the lovers flight
Exhaling my spirit…there is no return. Lilac angels carry me home Tears of compassion…..amber rain To higher dimensions I have not seen Emeralds displaying….smokeless text Oh how I love thee…..thy beauty I see Unseen companions take life’s breath
Can you see my Beloved in Me ?
The beloved is hidden in Thy heart. If thou art gifted with eyes, come, I will show thee his holy face., His lovers are lovelier than all the beloved of the world, More beautiful, more elegant and more loveable.
Through his love the heart gains strength, And the earth attains the exalted status of the Pleiades. The land of Yathrib was made vigilant ingenious through his grace, In a state of ecstasy it flew higher than the heavens.
The heart of the Muslim in the seat of al-Mustafa SallAllahu alahi wasallam Whatever respect we command is due to his name. Mount Sinai is nothing but dust that arose from his House, His parlour is sacred even for the Ka’bah.
The mat is grateful to him that he prefers to sleep on it, The Taq-e Kisra is trampled under the feet of his Ummah. He retired to the privacy of the Cave of Hira’, And brought forth a nation, a constitution and a government, Night after night passed by his bedside finding him awake, So that his people could rest on the throne of Khusrow.
Asolaato Wasalaamo Alaika Ya Rahmatalilalameen
Notes:—-
In spring a dove decided to settled and made the nest on the book shelf, beside all the books. Then went on to give birth, May god preserve them wherever they maybe! the nest was beside the holy Koran and comfortably with ease built on the postcard representing the footstep of the Beloved Prophet Muhammad SallAllahu alahi wasallam… (the holy footstep is preserved in Topkapı Palace Museum, İstanbul)
According to one account, Shams Tabrez’s Master, Bibi Kamaluddin Jandi, ordered him to proceed to Rum and give solace and peace to one pining heart there. Shams Tabrez thereupon came to Koniya. One day Maulana Rumi’s procession was proceeding with great pomp and splendor.
Shams Tabrez, stopping the procession on the way asked Maulana Rumi, “What is meant by Mujahida and Riazat (penances and similar practices)”? Maulana Rumi replied, “It is to obey the command of the Shariyat [law]”. Shams Tabrez retorted, “That of course, everybody knows”. Maulana Rumi thereupon asked, “What can be of greater significance that this?” Shams Tabrez replied, “The purpose of knowledge is to take you to the Abode of God.” So saying, he recited the following couplet of Hakim Sanai:
Ignorance is better than
the kind of knowledge
which does not rid you
of egotism and I-ness.
Hearing this from Shams Tabrez, Maulana Rumi accepted him as his Master.
When the Master discloses the
Secrets and Mysteries of the
human microcosm, your soul
and mind will rush in rapture
towards the high heavens.
I have, at last, grasped the beginning and the end:
I have seen the whole spectacle of past, present
and future pass before my eyes.
Within my heart are fourteen realms:
chambers of Light — ablaze
with the profusion of God’s Radiance.
Those who have not realized God will wander,
homeless in this world, destitute in the next.
But watch the lovers dance with ecstasy,
as they merge into the oneness of God.
The Lord is an ocean of oneness
in which lovers swim as they please, free of care.
In their own turn, they appear in the world
to dive deep into that ocean, to gather pearls.
Among the pearls is a gem —
unique in value, unmatched in lustre —
that shines like the moon.
We are all in the employ of the Lord, O Bahu;
let us pay homage to him through our prayers.
Repeat the Name of God, O Bahu,
and free yourself from the worries of life.
Those who enshrine the Lord in their hearts,
O Bahu, have both the worlds at their command.
Lovers remain completely intoxicated
in the ecstasy of their love for the Beloved.
They offer their souls to the Beloved
while still living and thus immortalize themselves
in this life and the hereafter.
Through Love, the bitter becomes sweet;
Through love, cooper becomes gold;
Through love, dregs become clear;
Through love, pains become healing;
Through love, the dead become living;
Through love, the lost become found;
Through love, night is day;
Through love, two seem one;
Through love, distance seems non existent;
Through love, Oceans seem like puddles
Through love, the king becomes a slave
All Prayers and Blessings of Allah be upon the Prophet of Allah.
Today let us look at the first name of Allah’s most beautiful names, Al-Fattah; The Superb Arbiter. I will try and divide into four main parts: the first part tackles the meanings of The Superb Arbiter; the second part mentions four important points to bear in mind when remembering The Superb Arbiter, the third part is that Ramadan is the month of conquests and grants (As it is less the 20 odd days away from us now and the last part is about our duties towards The Superb Arbiter.
The name Al-Fattah has three meanings. The first meaning is that when all doors are closed, Allah with His will and power opens all of them, reveals all distresses, and resolves all difficulties. Bearing this meaning always in heart would make you the most powerful person in the world. Prostrate, abase yourself, and cry between His hands, Allah will grant you all what you desire. Allah says what can be translated as,
“Whatever mercy Allah opens for mankind, then none can be holding it back; and whatever He holds back, then none can be sending it forth after Him; And He is The Ever-Mighty, The Ever-Wise” (35:2)
In the battle of Badr, the Muslims numbered 300, with only two horses, and the rejecters of faith numbered 1000 men and 100 horses. The Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam kept on supplicating Allah over and over to fulfill what He had promised him, to the extent that Hazrat Abu-Bakr patted him on the shoulder as a reassurance, fearing for his best friend from the urgency of his supplication. Then the Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam stood up and announced to the Muslims that Jibril (AS) is leading 1000 angels to fight with them. Thereafter the Muslims were granted victory.
It is said that when facing a scientific problem, a scholar writes he used to go to the desert, lay his face in the sand, and ask for Al-Fattah’s forgiveness, for as long as it took. He said that he never came back except that Allah had resolved his problem. Furthermore, a friend of mine had a son who went through a difficult delivery, where he was pulled with an instrument that damaged the neurological cells, resulting in a severe tremble. The doctors predicted that he would either be paralyzed or die; that his father wished for his son to pass away and not have to endure paralysis. He sought Allah’s help and supplicated Him. Once when he was going to a friend he met another doctor, by chance, who told him that there was another form of medicine available, and the boy was cured by the grace of Al-Fattah. He is now a few years old and is alive and well.
The second meaning is The Superb Arbiter, who opens the doors of success at the beginning of everything. Allah says what can be translated as, “And in His Providence are the keys of the Unseen; none knows them except He” (6:59). Allah says “And in His Providence are the keys of the Unseen” not “the keys of the Unseen are in his Province” to indicate that He alone holds these keys not any one else.
The last meaning is that Al-Fattah arbitrates with justice between opponents. Allah says what can be translated as, “Say, Our Lord will gather us together; (Literally: “between” us) thereafter He will arbitrate between us with the Truth, and He is The Superb Arbiter, The Ever- Knowing” (34:26). Allah also says what can be translated as, “Our Lord! Arbitrate with the truth between us and our people, and You are The Most Charitable of arbiters” (7:89).
Syeda Aisha (RA) was unfairly accused of adultery. The people kept on slandering her for a whole month. When the Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam asked her to ask for Allah’s forgiveness if she had committed any sin, she kept weeping and asked her father Hazrat Abu-Bakr to answer for her. However, he could not. She could only say what can be translated as, “So, patience is becoming. And Allah is (The One) Whose help is to be sought against what you describe” (12:18). Hence, Allah revealed Surat An-Nûr (The Light) to refute the alleged charges and declare her innocence. The same happened to Hazrat Yusuf (AS) (Joseph) when he was unlawfully charged with soliciting the wife of al-Aziz (the governor). He entered prison for nine years, only to leave due to a vision seen by the king. At the end, the wife of al-Aziz said what can be translated as, “…Now the truth has come to light; I did solicit him” (12:51). Throw yourself into Al-Fattah’s hands and ask for His forgiveness for we seek His freedom from the hellfire.
We approach Allah in the coming Ramadan with humility and ask him for inspiration or settlement of our matters. Approach Allah with humility tonight, go to your room, close the door and make a sajdah (prostration) asking Allah to help you solve your problems and chase away your sadness. You never know where you will be next year, or whether you will be alive or not, so ask Allah to inspire you and open doors for you with a simple act of prostration, or while you make dua’a (supplication), or as you shed a tear.
How should we deal with Allah’s name Al-Fattah (The Superb Arbiter)? First of all, Al-Fattah wants us to work diligently and full-heartedly because we never know when He may open doors for us. Sometimes Allah delays granting us solutions to test our sincerity and trust, so we should never lose hope. No matter how many times you knock on Allah’s door without it opening, it will eventually, so don’t give up and keep on trying. Keep knocking on His door even if you were rejected or denied at first. Sometimes we see people in hajj making tawaf (circumambulation of the Ka’ba) making dua’a with tearful eyes. Be an intruder then, these people may have been accepted by Allah so go make dua’a with them instead. Allah wants us to be insistent. Sometimes we refuse to take a certain phone call, but the phone keeps on ringing and ringing till we finally do answer. Al-Fattah gives us hope that nothing is really impossible and that every problem has a solution. If you love serving Islam, Allah will test your persistence, just like He tested the Prophet’s SallAllahu alaihi wasallam persistence when he called the people of tribes of Aus and Khazraj into Islam. In addition, Al-Fattah sends solutions when we least expect it. Some matters may seem like dilemmas at first when in fact they could be the key to a solution. Prophet Yusuf’s (AS) imprisonment may have seemed like a problem that was impossible to solve, but it was actually a source of good, and he later became the king of Egypt. Our nation may be in a similar state right now, even it if seems like we are only facing hardships. Remember when the Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam and Hazrat Umar Ibn-Khattab (RA) were not allowed to make umrah during the treaty of Hudaybiya? When the ayah, which can be translated as, “Surely We have given you an evident conquest” ( 48:1) was revealed, Umar (RA) couldn’t understand how the treaty’s terms could allow for such a solution. The proof was that the number of people who embraced Islam shortly after the treaty of Hudaybiya was equal to the number of all those who joined it ever since the Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam declared his prophethood amongst the masses of Makkah.
Moreover, the simplest of things could be lead to solutions, such as a simple word, a tear or even an ayah. We sometimes pass by an ayah we’ve read a hundred times in the Qur’an, yet one day we hear or read that ayah from a totally different perspective which completely changes our life.
Allah sends us solutions that exceed our expectations. When Syeda Hajara kept running back and forth between the two hills of Safa and Marwa in Makkah, looking for water for her son Hazrat Isma’il (AS) (Ishmael), Allah sent her zamzam water which we still drink till this very day. All I’m trying to tell you is that you should ask Allah by his name Al-Fattah to aid you, open doors for you this coming Ramadan, and solve all your problems. Would you like this Ramadan to be exceptional? Ask Allah. Remember that on the very first night of Ramadan, the gates of heaven are opened and we are granted great rewards: good deeds are multiplied by more than seventy times; our sins are forgiven every time we fast and make qiyam (voluntary night prayer). Remember the great rewards of Lailat Al-Qadr (the Night of Determination) which equals a thousand months of worship in reward. In addition, every night of Ramadan, some people are freed from the hellfire.
How should we deal with Allah’s name, Al-Fattah (The Superb Arbiter)? First, approach Him with humility. Second, have great hope in Allah’s victory, and third, be a source of good for others. Help someone tomorrow so that Allah will open doors for you. Allah’s name Al-Fattah (The Superb Arbiter) has an important meaning in our death as well as our lives. Allah helps us when the angels ask us in our graves and opens a door from which we can see our seat in heaven. Allah is with us all the time.
This probably Is the most sincerely recited recitation of the praise of the best of creation SallAllahu alaihi wasallam I have heard for a very long time, I pray that it’s effects last on us for a long while.
All Prayers and Blessings of Allah be upon the Prophet of Allah.
