Welcoming roseate Rejab 1433 Hijri (2022) | Lessons from Habib Umar bin Hafiz

Bismillah.

It's the second day of Rejab. Its wonderful vibe is becoming apparent. I have just listened to a tausiyah streamed live from Majelis Rasulullah FB. Ustaz Ahmad Afif Abdullah (pic) began by sharing the remarks made by the venerable Habib Umar bin Hafiz pertaining to the arrival of Rejab.

Habib Umar elucidated the oft-quoted saying about Rejab being a month for sowing [the seeds of one's ibadah], Syaaban a month for watering the seeds and Ramadan a time to reap the fruits that one has sowed. So what do these analogies mean? To live Rejab means to repent truthfully, that is to aim for hakikat taubah (ultimate repentance), that is to admit one's mistakes, to have a strong resolve in not repeating them and to show remorse for one's misconducts, and to refrain from committing makruh deeds, let alone the haram (forbidden). 

In Syaaban, one waters one's good seeds by nurturing the longing one has for Allah and Rasulullah, longing for the rewards that Allah normally would grant to the solehin. To water the seeds with plenty of affection and selawat for Rasulullah. When making selawat for the Prophet salallah alaihi wasalam, be conscious of the quality. Sit facing the qibla and establish a heart connection with the Prophet. Just recite a few selawat but with high quality, by invoking one's longing and love for Rasulullah. If you can do more while maintaining the quality, then that would be better. 

  

In Ramadan, one may anticipate three bounties from the Lord, on account of the seeds that one sowed in Rejab and nourished during Syaaban: that is obtaining His mercy, earning His pardon and getting protection from the torments of hellfire.  

Therefore, sow the good seeds in Rejab. If you do not sow, how can you expect to enjoy the fruits in Ramadan? If you don't water the seeds well in Syaaban, they won't grow and you'll have nothing special to look forward to in Ramadan.

Allahumma bariklana fi Rajaba wa Syaaban

wa ballighna Ramadan

***

Allahu a'lam.

I encourage those who understand the Indonesian language to listen to the tausiyah here:

https://www.facebook.com/MajelisRasulullahSAWOfficial/videos/675630500543957

Ustaz Ahmad Afif on Majelis Rasulullah FB
3rd Feb 2022

 

On a personal note, I am just grateful that my family had recently hosted yet another gathering with our Huffaz friends. In conjunction with the event, I laboured wholeheartedly cleaning and prepping the house. Now with the arrival of the three auspicious months Rejab, Syaaban and Ramadhan, I can enjoy being at home especially spending time at my new desk in my neater Study, now that I have decluttered and reorganized all my stuff. Truly grateful for the tawfiq from Allah subhanahu wa taala! Alhamdulillah wa shukru lillah.

29th Jan 2022

Best regards,

E. Ismail

Penang's much loved scholar and former Imam at Masjid Kapitan Keling, Shaykh Datuk Abdullah Al-Bukhari passed away on 9 Jan 2022

Bismillah.

Shaykh Abdullah Bukhari
(pic taken in May 2015 at his residence in Penang)

He was truly the pearl of the 'Pearl of the Orient' (Penang) for those who knew him; his former students at Al-Mashoor, the first Islamic school in Penang; seekers of knowledge at countless majlis taalim; and those who frequented the famous Masjid Kapitan Keling where he served as Imam from the mid 1970s to 2018. He was one ulama and murabbi of Penang who was loved and adored beyond the shores of this little island. 

I had the privilege to interview him at Masjid Kapitan in 2007. The interview was subsequently published in a local magazine. Plenty of facts on Shaykh's background was shared in the article. I will look for it and update this posting later In Sha Allah.

Alhamdullilah wa shukrulillah, for the opportunity to visit him again in May 2015. This occasion was briefly mentioned here: The Kernels

During the visit, Shaykh Abdullah was kind to allow us to record his words of advice which is still relevant to this day, certainly. He spoke about the importance of continually polishing one's spiritual state and encouraged us to pray for our family and friends during their absence. It goes without saying that our tongues often engage in sinful talks, but the Shaykh emphasized on "a tongue that is void of sins" that is one who secretly makes du'a for her/his family and friends.    

I am grateful and humbled to have had the opportunity to pay my last respect to the Shaykh at his burial at Maqam Nordin, within the compound of Masjid Kapitan, yesterday. May Allah witness the love that all who were present had for him and allow us to reunite with him in the best of realms - Jannatul Firdaus. Aamin ya Rabbal Alamin.   

I humbly invite you to recite Surah Al-Fatihah for Allahyarham Shaykh Abdullah Al-Bukhari.

Thank you.

..

[For the record the Shaykh's full name is Abdullah bin Abdul Rahman. He's well known as Ustaz Abdullah Bukhari, short for Al-Bukhari because of his profound knowledge on hadith.]

 

Proclaiming this special bounty of my Lord | Graduated for the third time

Bismillah.

Assalamualaikum dear loyal visitors,

Twenty twenty-one is coming to an end very soon, so I must leave these beautiful memories here and certainly it's something to carry with me year after year. Alhamdulillah wa shukrulillah I shall continue to acknowledge the generous bounties of my Lord and that people too could see His wonderful af'al.

Needless to say, it was great to travel to Scotland with my mom for the third time. It was great that she was able to attend my graduation. Allah Kareem! 

The graduation ceremony was held at the beautiful Barony Hall on the Strathclyde University campus in Glasgow. It was the first time in two years that the Uni had organized an in-person graduation ceremony, so I am very grateful to be in the Class of 2021. Conducting research during the Covid 19 pandemic was very challenging indeed. It would not have been easy if Allah had not facilitated my journey. 

I will also admit that it felt special to be seated in the front-row reserved seats for Distinction students 

: )

 

May Allah grant maqbul to all your good wishes too!

May Allah grant you success in your endeavours too!

Aamiin.

Best,

E. Ismail

Just arrived!
19 Jan 2022
(My beloved brother in law passed away
on this date, last year. I had deferred working on my MBA project to offer some moral support to his family. It's worth it.
Alhamdulillah ala kulli hal)

The much loved mu'alleem Shaykh Fahmi Zamzam Al-Banjari An-Nadwi Al-Maliki returns to Him

Bismillah.

Innalillah wa inna ilai hira'jiun.

Allahu Allah....I don't know how to begin.

His words of wisdom had first graced this space in June 2009. Most of them were from the majlis taa'lim organized by Ba'alawi KL in Kemensah, hosted by Sister Ina & spouse.

Without a doubt, we'll have to revisit the lessons. I made a niyyat (pledge) to translate his most recent lessons that were shared on his Pesantren Yasin's FB page InSha Allah, as many as possible, bi-iznillah.

https://www.facebook.com/ahmadfahmizamzam

I must thank Sis Ina for the opportunity to participate in a group Quran Recital for Almarhum Shaykh Fahmi Zamzam this morning. A very sad morning indeed.

I'll be honest. The passing of any mu'aleem/Habaib/Shuyukh saddens us, for sure but I'd never cried so hard as I did today. I pray the tears will serve as proof of my respect and love for one extremely learned and loving man as Shaykh Fahmi Zamzam. Coincidently, his last lesson as shared on his FB is about respect for learned men, one's guru. He said, in Malay: 'Tidak sampai orang yang sampai kecuali dengan menghormati gurunya.' 

'Sampai' (arrive) is an old Malay term that is commonly used among salik, meaning to obtain the knowledge that one seeks, its usefulness and its blessings. It means one has attained success in esoteric terms due to the respect one offers to the guru.

I felt funny as I was reciting the holy verses. I thought, what am I doing? The shaykh does not need it. He is way up there. He is a beloved soul. Even in his passing, he taught me something. The recitation is for me, the hasanah is for me even though it's dedicated to him. I am the faqir. He has most definitely read the Quran a whole lot more than I can ever match. He is meeting the Lord with plenty of credits. Subhanallah.

So I said in my doa so that Allah pardon any mistakes in my recital. My deeds are full of flaws. How can I offer something worthy for an honourable person like Shaykh Fahmi?! It's simply a humble gesture of respect and love that I have for him, no more than that. You know love is subjective. The matter of the heart is latif (subtle), you feel what you feel. You feel a bit more strongly to some souls than to others. Only God knows why.

I can only thank God for the beautiful and memorable experiences of being in his majalis. The fatherly tone of his voice, interspersed at times with laughter, the clarity of his message...and of course it was lovely to see him at his peak, so to speak, about nine years ago 2009 to 2013, he was in his early 50s. If you listen to his recent talks, you'll know what I mean, it's obvious that he had been giving way too many lessons than he should. But Allah knows best. And certainly, as we all know, the shuyukh are all tireless and selfless. MaShaAllah.

Now, what about us? We fall every now and then, we need a frequent refresher of the advice and wisdom he has left us with. We need to keep our hearts connected with the ruhul qudus, the muqarabeen those who still grace this land and those who have passed on.

Wama taufiqi illa billah.

*** 

Bismillah.

Links to Shaykh Fahmi's lessons from 2009 - 2013 that I managed to capture by the grace of Allah. Those years, there were not many YouTube channels or FB pages that published such lessons. So we must be grateful and take advantage of the abundant resources and access that we now have.

https://lisanaldin.blogspot.com/2012/01/shaykh-fahmi-zamzam-on-kitab-al-hikam.html

https://lisanaldin.blogspot.com/2011/04/be-gentle-and-avoid-being-proud-shaykh.html

https://lisanaldin.blogspot.com/2013/09/sebesar-hati.html

https://lisanaldin.blogspot.com/2010/05/good-intention-multiple-intentions.html

https://lisanaldin.blogspot.com/2011/08/23rd-ramadhan-1432h.html

https://lisanaldin.blogspot.com/2010/07/honor-both-learned-and-learners.html

https://lisanaldin.blogspot.com/2010/04/al-targhib-wat-tarhib-encouragement.html

https://lisanaldin.blogspot.com/2009/06/discovering-salawat-imam-ibn-mashish.html

https://lisanaldin.blogspot.com/2013/05/glory-be-to-only-one-who-exists.html

https://lisanaldin.blogspot.com/2009/12/fajr-prayers-practised-by-prophet.html

https://lisanaldin.blogspot.com/2010/01/ijazah-certificate-sanad-of-shaykh.html

https://lisanaldin.blogspot.com/2011/07/shaykh-fahmi-zamzam-on-preparations-for.html

https://lisanaldin.blogspot.com/2013/04/shaykh-fahmi-zamzam-al-maliki-on-al.html

https://lisanaldin.blogspot.com/2012/12/shaykh-fahmi-zamzam-on-levels-of.html

https://lisanaldin.blogspot.com/2013/05/shaykh-fahmi-zamzam-al-maliki-on-praise.html

https://lisanaldin.blogspot.com/2013/04/certainly-certainty.html

https://lisanaldin.blogspot.com/2009/12/reflecting-on-muharram-and-ashura.html

https://lisanaldin.blogspot.com/2009/05/sheikh-fahmi-zamzam-on-virtues-of-al.html

https://lisanaldin.blogspot.com/2009/05/proclaim-grace-of-your-lord-talqin.html

https://lisanaldin.blogspot.com/2013/05/shaykh-fahmi-zamzam-al-maliki-on-praise.html

 

   

Selawat for Rabiul Awal 1443 Hijri as taught by Habib Umar bin Hafiz

Bismillah.

This faqir is a little late this year. May Allah pardon any mistakes that might have caused my slack. May Allah forgive, grant aid and relief -- waghfir, wa aghis wa farrij. 

Aaamin.

This has to be here. It's 3000 times ya folks.

Allahumma solli wa sallim 'ala Sayidina Muhammad

The key to the door of Your mercy

the master of those whom You love

and upon his family, companions, Your Prophets,

those that follow them

Your angels

and all of the righteous among Your creation,

prayers and peace to the extent of Your knowledge,

and forgive, 

and grant aid, 

and relief

by Your grace and favour!

Allahumma solli wa sallim ala Sayidina Muhammad

miftaahi baabirahmatik

wa sayyidi ahli mahabbatik

wa 'ala alihi wa sohbihi

wa ahli nubuwwatik

wa taabi'ihim wamala ikatik

wa jami'is solihina min bariyyatik

'adada 'ilmika

waghfir wa aghis wa farrij

bifadlika wa minnatik

Credit: Muwasala IG

WaSalamualaikum warahmatullah.

Wish you all a fruitful and pleasant week.

- E

(Completed 3000 on 30th Oct. Alhamdulillah. Oh what joy!)

Advice to 18 year olds

Bismillah.

Hello peeps.

It's oh October already. Me in the mood for rambling after having cruised the coastal road at Batu Feringghi, Penang for the umpteenth time, joyfully.

One impressive 18 year old of this decade has got to be Emma Raducanu (pic left). I had been wondering what I have in common with this remarkable 2021 US Open Champion, and more importantly what attitude I wish I had when I was 18 - to believe in oneself, to not get ahead of oneself that is to focus on the present ONLY, that's really Zen in action seen in such an amazing young girl.

At 18, one should be more willing to engage with as many people as possible, to listen to them and exchange a decent conversation. You will never know she/he might/might not be crossing your path again. 

At 18, it's about exploring your talents at the fullest, maximizing your rocket-fueled energy.

At 18, it's about being comfortable in your own skin, and not worry about fitting in.

At 18, be your sweetest self so that when you are 50 you can look back and relive the sweetness once again so you know your soul is ageless.

At 18, be your most competitive so you would build a reservoir of drive, vigor, hunger and thirst in forging ahead towards the best version of you. This dam will be crucial as you age because you will need to come back to it to draw the elixir of life over and over again.

Emma & Ezza at 18

Most importantly, enjoy!

- E -

The ever generous Lord | Distinction | 3 Millions

Bismillah.

Alhamdulillah wa shukrulillah.

Yet again, the ever-generous Lord has showered His mercy on this faqir. I have been awarded an MBA with Distinction! The official results were released two days before my birthday. MaShaAllah!

The sweetest jaw-dropping part was when I saw the high score I got for my final project. Super grateful that I managed to pull through at the last minute and completed it in 3 solid months. I swear it was all due to the wonderful souls who made du'a for my success especially those select few from whom I had pleaded for their special du'a. God bless them all.

Ok...I don't know what else to write LOL. It's a beautiful night, I am listening to Boyce Avenue singing Whitney's "I will always love you". LOL. Sorry, that's so random. 

But it's just a normal night really, doing some homework assigned by a professional speech coach that I've just hired and thinking what story to craft for the 'Study UK Alumni Award' upon invitation from my other UK alma mater - Stirling. 

I think Scotland loves me, woo-hooo! LOL.

OK when too many LOLs appear, it's time to sign off. [What la wei!]

On a serious note, I hope my small success will inspire the young ones to work hard and always give a bit more than their best in anything they do. And that life-long learning is the way to go.

Luv,

E. Ismail

The University of Strathclyde, Glasgow - Class of 2021.
Times Higher Education (THE) named Strathclyde 'UK University of the Year' twice, in 2012 and 2019.
Its business school won the 'UK Business School of the Year' award in 2016.
So I shall remain humble to have been awarded the 'Strathclyde MBA Scholarship Award for Female Leader of the Future - Malaysia' and graduated with a good Distinction.
Alhamdulillah indeed!

c o n t e n t e d

a s  e v e r

****************

By the way, in case you wanted:

1 million goodies from your Lord.

1 million ugly traits deleted. 

1 million ranks elevated.

Total = 3 millions!

When you are at the mall or at a party, be sure to recite:

Laa ilaha illallah wahdahu la shari kalah

lahul mulku walahul hamdu

yuhyi wayumit

wahuwa hayyun la yamut

biyadihil khair

wahuwa 'ala kulli syai in qadir

That's what the poster says. I got it from Bro. P. Amir's IG. We all know the tasbih pretty well, but I doubt we are fully aware of its marvellous virtues.