Tuesday, October 29, 2019

One birthday that matters | Welcoming Rabi'ul Awal

Bismillah.

The only birthday that matters this year and every year, takes place in this blessed month of Rabiul Awal.

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Who cares about those seemingly cool, fanciful, thematic birthday parties for other mortals? Who cares?

My life began to matter the year I realized the existence of the honorable Prophet Muhammad salallah alaihi wasalam. My existence began to carry meaning only from the time I became conscious of making salawat for the Prophet salallah alaihi wasalam. The times, the years prior to this realization, were as if, nullified, as if I was not yet alive.

It is quite likely that our years in the grave will be greater than the number of years we spend on this earth. Do you think those who are still alive when we are dead, would care about planning an elaborate party for us every single year, on our birthday? No way. But it is our salawat that would light up our grave, way brighter than all the birthday cakes' candles could. 

But, yes, there is a very small group of people who are extremely special that their passing is remembered hundreds of years after their demise; that their names live on, long after their death. And these people never bothered about celebrating birthdays.

For Muslims, the only one birthday that should matter is that of the Prophet salallah alaihi wasalam.  I came to this consciousness quite late in life, that I do not care about how many assets, qualifications, etc. I have to this day, instead, I rejoice with much gratitude and humility, the number of salawat that Allah has made easy for me to memorize to this day, that He made light on the tongue to recite. This is the most expensive "branded" stuff we should be proud to carry. Our attachment to making salawat is a mark of achievement. This is my advice to the young ones in my family who follow this blog.

Moreover, as said Habib Umar bin Hafiz and this I picked up from Muwasala IG, the more we thank Allah for the blessing i.e. our connection with the Prophet through salawat, our knowledge about his prophethood, greatness, and station in the sight of Allah; the more we thank Allah for these, the more Allah would increase the blessings. So acknowledge the blessings we have been given.

Now, here's another new salawat to learn and memorize by heart, and recite over and over. The "challenge" given by Habib Umar bin Hafiz for this year is to recite it 5000 times in this blessed month. [Source: Muwasala FB] 

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Allahumma Ya Robba
Sayyidina Muhammad wa ali Sayyidina Muhammad
solli 'ala Sayyidina Muhammad
wa 'ala ali Sayyidina Muhammad 
wa soh bihi wasallim 'adada 'ilmik
wa az hib huzna qalbi (remove sadness from my heart)
fid dunya wal akhirah (in this world and the hereafter)

wa far rij kuruba ummatihi (relieve the hardship of this ummah)
wa hawwil ahwa lahum (and make their state)
ila ahsanil ahwal (the best possible state)
Ya Rahman

(Please refer to the original poster below from Muwasala FB for the correct pronunciation and transliteration.)
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Oh well, if you find it hard to memorize, then try this shorter one. This salawat has been quite popular in Malaysia lately as it's taught by many a da'ie.

Jazallahu anna Sayyidina Muhammadan 
(sallallah alaihi wasalam)
ma huwa ahluh.

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