السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته

In our second Tadarrus session yesterday night on Surah al-Kahf, we covered the story of the Owners of the Two Gardens. While the lessons on greed, pride, thanklessness and being unappreciative of Allah’s blessings were clearly fleshed-out (and these characteristics are all present within everyone of us still), there is another profound yet beautiful lesson contained within these verses. For me, it is a stark lesson on the temporal nature of everything: and in this case, reflected by the aftermath of a disobedient and audacious servant of Allah s.w.t.

Verse 45 seems to encapsulate this notion and it is translated to mean: “And present to them the example of the life of this world: [its being is] like rain which We send down from the sky, and the vegetation of the earth mingles with it and [then] it becomes dry remnants, scattered by the winds. And Allah is ever, over all things, Perfect in Ability.”

Allah s.w.t. offers us to consider our life in this world like those elements mentioned above: rain sent from the sky, which results in good harvests and vegetation, caused by the mingling of the rain and dry earth, and in time the harvests or the land becomes dry remnants, and finally in that state, it gets scattered by the winds at last!

This is an exact reflection on life: everything happens only by the Will and Blessings of Allah s.w.t., and through that blessing we achieve success, yet although we must work for that success, it only comes from Allah’s inspiration and guidance. Eventually, we amassed wealth and authority in the land but when the time appointed arrived, we have to leave the material wealth behind or relinquish our worldly position either through retirement or death. In short, everything happens from Allah and by Allah. He alone Gives, and He alone Takes. We have and hold nothing, except for Taqwa and contentment of the heart.

No one is exempted from this cycle of life. While at one point you may have it all, it will definitely one day perish or diminish. Conversely, you may be disadvantaged due to poverty or a devastating experience of losing something/someone, but what life teaches us is that even this is also temporary. SubhanAllah! It truly reminds us not to be too materialistic with worldly possessions and pleasure, because surely that will be one of the fitnahs of Dajjal in the last days.

This brings us to a paramount question: if we are not to hold on dearly to the possessions of the world, what do we hold on to? People are usually measured by their academic qualifications, by the location and type of their residence, by the car they drive, by the position they hold in their jobs, by the travel destinations they journey, by the brands of their wallets and bags, and especially now, by the food they consume as reflected in their Instagram accounts. 

These are in fact, simulated hyper-reality: created to give an impression of a certain lifestyle and standard of life that is not real. We all know that Person A (for example) on Instagram or Facebook is not the same person we know in reality. As this created hyper-reality gets perpetuated, even Person A begins to believe in his made-up world. In the end, what is Reality?

The antithesis of this is that we must first and foremost traverse beyond such superficiality and value people for who they really are as a person, and not by their wealth or their jobs. When was the last time we look at a person and get attracted to his/her piety, to his/her penchant for charity, to his/her knowledge of the Deen, to his/her discipline in reading the Qur’an? These are the yardsticks that we ought to measure ourselves. In the end, we will all stand before Allah s.w.t. on the Day of Judgement bringing nothing, and being judged by nothing, except Taqwa. He says in Surah al-Hujurat 49:13 “Indeed, the most honourable among you in the sight of Allah is the most Taqwa (God-conscious) among you.” And the beauty of Taqwa is that it is an internal state and that no one can judge you except the One Who Created you, Alhamdulillah.

Through the consciousness of our temporal nature, we should then prioritize toward working and developing attributes that are permanent: those that we can bring as our provisions in the Hereafter such as piety and good deeds. While we should not preclude ourselves from achieving success in this world, we should view success with a refreshed perspective. Allah s.w.t. keeps reminding us: “O you who believe! Observe your duty to Allah. And let every soul look to what provisions he send for the morrow. And observe your duty to Allah. Indeed! Allah is well-acquainted with all that you do.” [al-Hashr 59:18]

Temporality is not a curse. In fact, it is a blessing. Do not get too nervous about relationships, about friendships, about that job or about the next sustenance – for they are all temporary. The only thing that will abide forever is “the Countenance of thy Lord of Might and Glory.” [ar-Rahman 55:27] It reassures me that whatever pain and heartache I am experiencing right now will fade away in time. It makes me be more accountable of my worldly success so that with it, I must help to uplift my community. It reminds me that while in the brazen daylight I wield my authority and influence, to put that very acquired-authority in check by prostrating and humbling myself before the One Who has True Power every night. Temporality keeps my balance. Temporality makes me whole.

Let us all then look inward and evaluate what is the meaning of ‘success’? Whatever that may mean to every single one of you out there, make sure it is something you will not be ashamed to present before Allah s.w.t. on the Day when all that you have is what you bring along with you.

Be at Peace, always.

Love,
The Alchemist.

السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته

If you have been following our Ramadhan program, you will noticed that we have commenced weekly Tadarrus session for both Muslims and Muslimahs over the weekend. I am glad to inform you that a group of youths have requested to continue the sessions beyond the month of Ramadhan. Since it was a Thursday night, we decided to read Surah al-Kahf.

In addition to the Tadarrus session, we have a tazkirah about the verses which we read. These are some learning points that I shared from tonight’s session:

1. Benefits
From authoritative narrations, there are many benefits from reading Surah al-Kahf. Abu Darda' reported Allah's Messenger s.a.w. to have said: “If anyone learns by heart the first ten verses of the Surah al-Kahf, he will be protected from the Dajjal.” [Muslim]  The Messenger of Allah s.a.w. also said, "Whoever reads Surah al-Kahf on Friday, a light will shine for him between the 2 Fridays (until the next Friday)”.  [an-Nasai, Hakim, Bayhaqi]

2. Protection
It is clear from the above 2 ahadeeth, that reciting this Surah is a protection against Dajjal. However, the beauty of this Surah is that it not only protects, but it paves the way in guiding us to deal with the fitnah(s) of Dajjal. There are four main stories in this Surah, and each one carries instructive lessons about our challenges in the last days and how to obviate them. 

3. People Of The Cave [18: 9-31]
The Surah begins with the story of the “People Of The Cave” to highlight the test of faith that will befall Muslims, particularly in these last days. It narrates the story of a group of youths who fled their homes in order to preserve their faith. It reminds us of the virtues of youth: that they should be a source of strength for one another, to live in the bonds of brotherhood and support each other in goodness. It inspires us that there is always a solution for every problem: these youths were oppressed for their belief but they did not make that an excuse. They persevered and remained courageous standing for what is right and never gave up. It highlights the important advice that the Prophet s.a.w. gave us – choose our companions wisely. Good companions always guide us to goodness.

4. Owners Of The Two Gardens [18: 32-45]
The second story describes two neigbours and how Allah s.w.t. had given one of them more wealth than the other. In this, Allah s.w.t. reminds us of the important virtues of gratitude, humility and our absolute dependence on Him, as the Creator of all things. Wealth can be both a blessing and a test, but it is not, in and of itself, a bad thing. If used properly, it will open to many doors of goodness that can benefit our family and our community. But, we should bear in mind that wealth is merely an instrument and not the ultimate end-objective of life. We must be careful not to value others by their financial wealth – but instead, to look for valuable wealth: piety, manners, a gentle heart, generosity, courteous disposition, and so on. Use your wealth for good, and wealth will serve you well.

5. Prophet Musa And Khidr [18: 60-82]
This is probably the most famous of the story in this Surah and so I will just discuss this briefly. This story teaches us about diligence in seeking knowledge: Allah s.w.t. made Prophet Musa a.s. go out in search of knowledge from someone more knowledgeable than him. This only serves to remind us not to stop seeking knowledge. But the etiquette [adab] of seeking knowledge is equally important than the knowledge itself. The condition which Khidr imposed on Prophet Musa (to remain silent and to not ask) emphasizes the virtue of patience, especially about many things which we do not know, while seeking knowledge. There are many people who are knowledgeable these days, especially with easy access to the internet, but lack patience and humility of possessing those secondary knowledge. This explains why, despite the vast knowledge we possess, we are not able to practice them consistently. Simply put: no adab, no barakah.

6. DhulQarnayn [18: 83-98]
The final lesson is about this amazing ruler who went to the farthest corners of the world and met with many people in his travels, benefitting them. He guided them and established the law allowing no one to encroach upon each other’s rights. It is noteworthy at this juncture to clarify that DhulQarnayn is not Alexander The Great. When DhulQarnayn reached the dwellings of the people who complained about the injustices inflicted by the two tribes of Gog and Magog, he did not stand with his hands tied; rather, he made up his mind and handled the issue tenaciously as a ruler and a great king. He asked them for iron, melts them, pours molten copper over them and made a strong dam to protect the people. The important lesson here is that he shouldered the responsibility of leadership graciously, helped the weak and protected them, used the intellect that was given to him by Allah s.w.t. to reach a solution to benefit others. He was amazing in his handling of the situation, wise in his ways and unique in the manner of his thinking.

7. Forward-Thinking
It is amazing to realise, once you have a scan idea of this Surah and what it does, that the stories related to us were taken from events so ancient, yet the lessons are aimed at the future of Islam and the protection for Muslims in the long distant future of the last days. It provides tips and guidance for salvation on how we can protect ourselves from the deceptions of Dajjal. The stories narrated above are a brief overview, but the detailed lessons behind them are laden with so much wisdom and information. I would urge you to learn this Surah in detail.

But mostly, what we learned tonight is the beauty of the Arabic language as used in this Surah. Tonight, we had time to dissect in detail verse 1 – only. Can you imagine the depth and treasures that lay within this Surah?

We mentioned during our preparations for Ramadhan that the sprit of Ramadhan must be carried beyond that month: as a gauge of our success in transforming ourselves back to a state of Fitrah. One of the most important habits that we should continue cultivating is in our interaction with the Qur’an. In fact, it could even be our salvation on the Day of Judgment.

So, if you want to continue pursuing the Qur’an, and you are available on Thursday nights from 8pm – 9:30pm, join us at The Alchemy/’ILM Centre next week. We will be reading Surah al-Kahfi 18: 30-60.

Come one, come all!

Love,
The Alchemist.

السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته

A few days ago, I had qiyamullail with a group of friends. In between sahur and Fajr prayers, we had a short tazkirah and I was asked about the significance of Laylatul Qadr.

There are two types of believers who stand in night vigils during the last ten nights of Ramadhan: one group are those who wakes up only on the odd nights, while the other group wakes up every of the last ten nights irrespective of it being an odd or an even night. Both are hoping to be granted with the reward of meeting with the Night of Power – Laylatul Qadr, insyaAllah.

Allah s.w.t. asked us to consider what that night may be. He posed the question: “And what will explain to thee what the Night of Power is?” [al-Qadr 95: 2] And usually when we think of that blessed night, we are guided by the ‘ultimate prize’ – rewards valued at more than one thousand months! Allah s.w.t. said in the preceding verse: “The Night of Power is better than a thousand months” [al-Qadr 95: 3] This magnanimous gift is truly a blessing from Allah s.w.t. – as a beautiful gift to His striving servants. Imagine if you were standing in night prayers on that night, you will be rewarded as if you are standing continuously for one thousand months! MasyaAllah and Alhamdulillah!

But what makes that night worth more than one thousand months? The answer for me is contained within the next two verses of that same Surah. On that blessed night, Allah sends down angels, including Jibril a.s. to perform all manners of tasks as commanded by Allah, but the main decree is to provide and secure Peace (Salam) to his striving servants who are in a state of worship that night. He says at the conclusion of this Surah: “Peace! Until the break of dawn” [al-Qadr 95: 5]

Many of us were taught that the aim of Laylatul Qadr is to obtain the reward equivalent of one thousand months. But what is the impact of that generous reward? The answer is a convincing state of Peace, within and without.

Let us examine why this is so. First, Peace is the penultimate outcome of Laylatul Qadr as explained in Surah Al-Qadr [95: 5] above. Second, Laylatul Qadr is only available to us on the last ten nights of Ramadhan: after an extensive period of purification as a result of fasting, after a rigorous period of intense worship particularly during the last ten nights of qiyamullail, and after a period of humble submission throughout the month of Ramadhan. Laylatul Qadr is not situated at neither the beginning nor the middle of Ramadhan, but at the last one-third of the month so that we are physically and spiritually prepared to reap its full benefits.

What is the effect of these acts of submission: such as fasting, extra prayers and regular recitation of the Quran? They develop a heart that is purified and tranquil, a soul that is humbled and appreciative of every blessing, and it instills discipline through extra prayers and restraint from food and drinks throughout the day – all of these add up to a heart that is more ready to return and to surrender completely to Allah s.w.t. This surrender is the fitrah of our being and when the heart, body and mind are in this equilibrium state, it is then, and only then, do we find peace with ourselves and with others.

Ultimately, the reward of Laylatul Qadr is really the attainment of Peace. If you can put a monetary value on that peace, what is the value of peace? The best place to begin thinking of this question is to bring yourself back to the moment when you were inundated with worries, stress, pain and sadness. How much would you pay to obtain your peace of mind? Consequently, will this be of a value close to one thousand months? 

Therein lies the reward of one thousand months. It is for peace and it is about peace. For after all, is not Islam a path toward peace? So, if you want to achieve Laylatul Qadr this year, upgrade yourself from working to “get” that one special night, but instead journey within and embrace the richness of the process so that you can consciously achieve a state of peace – and that will be your Night of Power. 

This state of peace is important to a believer, because Allah personally sends an invitation to peaceful hearts to enter Paradise. He says: “O soul who are in a state of peace! Return unto thy Lord, content in His good pleasure! So enter among My servants, and enter My Paradise!” [al-Fajr 89: 27-30]

I pray that you will meet with Laylatul Qadr. I pray you will find the peace that you deserve, and may we all be invited by Allah s.w.t. to His Paradise, carrying nothing but only our tranquil hearts.

Amin ya Rabbal ‘Alamin.

Love,
The Alchemist.

السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته

Here we are: the last 10 nights of Ramadhan has finally reached us. All the fasting and anticipation of the first 20 days is really to prepare us for the coming of these last nights in Ramadhan. 

As a way of life, Islam prepares its believers for what is to come. Consider the following: the commanding verse for fasting [al-Baqarah 2:183] was revealed in Sya’aban – a month before Ramadhan, the first revelation of the Quran [al- ‘Alaq 95:1-5] was revealed on the 27th day of Ramadhan, and Laylatul Qadr [al-Qadr 97:1-5] occurs on the last 10 nights of Ramadhan, instead of the first. The pedagogy of its timing is to prepare us to purify ourselves before we deserve to embrace the purity of the Qur’an or the rewards of Laylatul Qadr.

Indeed, all these come from the Mercy and Love of Allah s.w.t. for His obedient servants, in order for us to reap the maximum benefits that He has prepared for us. As I have mentioned in my earlier classes, the main purpose of Ramadhan is really to celebrate the Qur’an. When Allah s.w.t. mentioned Ramadhan in the Quran, you will find that He emphasizes on the Quran instead. He says: “The month of Ramadhan is that in which the Quran was revealed: as Guidance for mankind and as clear proofs of such Guidance and Criterion (between right and wrong)”  [al-Baqarah 2:185]

However, we fast in Ramadhan to purify our hearts and soul, in order to embrace this beautiful miracle, and as long as we read and engage with the Quran, we are able to enliven the greatest miracle of our Beloved Prophet s.a.w. Try to compare if, like in any other months when we do not fast, it becomes a bit more difficult to read, let alone to memorize the Quran.

Another current and relevant example is the rigorous debates some Muslims engage in social media to determine the exact date of Laylatul Qadr. This is made worst by some “scholars” making declaration as to its alleged exact date. Personally, I think this is rather foolish and divisive to the Ummah. I am satisfied to accept that we will never be able to predict that day because, the best and most beloved man amongst us, Prophet Muhammad s.a.w., himself did not know the exact date. On authenticated authority, all we have is the guidance that our Beloved s.a.w. gave us: “Look for Laylatul Qadr in the last ten nights of Ramadhan” [Muslim] and "Search for Laylatul Qadr in the odd nights of the last ten days of Ramadhan.” [Bukhari]

But this is exactly where I find the true beauty, the hidden treasure and the generous reward of Laylatul Qadr: its elusiveness. The wisdom is that the true believer will have to strive, to search, to find – all attributes of a lover for the Divine – until he or she finds that Night Of Power – which is better than one thousand months! 

However, the sophistication of Laylatul Qadr is that it is not completely hidden: all ahadeeth confirming Laylatul Qadr are realized only after the night has passed, usually by the time of Fajr prayers. For example, the drizzling of rain during the night or the day after, and the sun rising in the morning without rays [Muslim].
 
The right spirit is therefore, for us to increase our worship and stand in night vigil every of these last 10 nights. After all, "With the start of the last ten days of Ramadhan, the Prophet used to tighten his waist belt and used to pray all the nights, and used to keep his family awake for the prayers." [Bukhari] There are three important examples paved by our role-model s.a.w.: reduce our (food and worldly) consumption, pray all 10 nights, and get our family to join us in the search.

Let us reflect sincerely: if we are calculative in waking up only on the odd nights and fortunately found Laylatul Qadr, where is the proper adab with our Creator? While we are stingy in our sacrifice, how can we expect our Lord to be Generous to us? Should not we, as a process of searching for Laylatul Qadr, aim for intimacy and closeness in our relationship with our Maker? 

After all, such consistency we have acquired through daily restraint, daily relationship with the Quran and the rigor of our night vigils must be maintained beyond the month of Ramadhan: that is the only way that the spirit of Ramadhan will never leave us. 

These are the reasons why we celebrate the coming and leaving of this blessed month of Ramadhan – there is no sadness involved: for if we are sad of its leaving, we have yet to embrace the true value of Ramadhan. Ramadhan comes into our lives to give a jolt to our consciousness of the need to improve our state of being, and it leaves us after imparting valuable life-habits that we should continue to pursue beyond Ramadhan.

With these thoughts in mind, I often ask myself these questions: which of the last ten nights is NOT Laylatul Qadr? Is (real) fasting only limited to the month of Ramadhan? Personally, I know the answers to these questions, but you will need to find the answer for yourself.

To conclude, the first 20 nights of Ramadhan is really to prepare us to embrace the last 10 nights of Ramadhan properly. The month of Ramadhan has returned us to a state of Fitrah, in order for us to continue living in Fitrah in all the other months, until we get refreshed in the next Ramadhan, insyaAllah.

I pray to Allah s.w.t. that you benefit from Ramadhan this year, and may you all meet with Laylatul Qadr. Remember, the reward is not only the Laylatul Qadr itself, but the true reward is in the sincere daily search – which instills in us the value of true humility, sincere submission and complete dependence in our King, Owner and Maker. I pray that Allah s.w.t. makes it easy for you, and for me.

Amin ya Rabbal ‘Alamin.

Love,
The Alchemist.

السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته

Over one of the classes I conducted last weekend, I was asked about a profound Hadith narrated in Sahih Bukhari when the Prophet s.a.w. said: “There are two pleasures for a fasting person: one when he breaks his fast, and the other when he meets his Lord.”

There are really two distinct dimensions covered in this hadith as a reward for fasting: first, is the pleasure we derived during Iftar after a full day of abstaining not only from food and drinks, but also of suppressing our nafs and manifesting noble actions. Second, is the ultimate pleasure of beholding the majesty of Allah s.w.t. and being in his Divine Presence in Jannah, insyaAllah. 

Interestingly, the Prophet s.a.w. juxtaposed this worldly pleasure with the pleasure we hoped to derive in the Hereafter. This highlights several learning points:

1. Life’s Experiences
We sometimes wonder why we are subjected to joys and pains in this world. To me, every of these emotions are Allah’s ways of giving us a taste of the absolute emotions we will experience in the Hereafter. He gave us joy so that we are dedicated to do what is necessary to achieve our ultimate joy of being in Jannah. The reverse is also true: so that we will strive our best to avoid His Prohibitions because we are given a taste of pain through the loss of love or the death of a family member, for example.

2. Pleasure of Iftar
The first pleasure mentioned in this Hadith is significant because during Iftar, we are in fact celebrating our small victories for having successfully completed the fast, for restraining our anger earlier in the day, for being able to do some charity work, and so on. That is why when we sit with our family members for Iftar, we are embracing not only our success, but also the presence of those who are close and intimate to us. What it does is that it heightens our senses so that even a small amount of food seems sufficient and even plain water tastes sweet. The pleasure we derived is in the relief from a full day of hunger and thirst, the company we keep while experiencing this intimate moment, and the inevitable gratitude and humility this brings about.

3. Pleasure Of Meeting Allah
Obviously, this is the ultimate pleasure, victory and reward for any servants of The Almighty s.w.t. It is the penultimate aim of everyone to meet with Allah in His Paradise: it is an experience like no other, reminiscent of the joy felt when meeting someone who is most beloved. It is the meeting of the fasting person with his Lord, and the very pleasure in which he is experiencing can be caused by none other than that very same Lord which is before him. This will be such an overwhelming joy that all earthly pains and sufferings that he used to experience in the world will be immediately overshadowed by this meeting.

4. What Do I Do: The Process
Islam is not a difficult way of life, and I am so humbled by the Mercy and Love that Allah s.w.t. has for us. Just by taking a moment and savoring the experience we have during Iftar, and while at it – reflecting on the struggles we went through during the day of fasting, leading to a heightened sense of dependence on Allah, an enhanced gratitude and humility, followed by an increased rigor to do better the next day – is a mirror towards embracing the pleasure of meeting with Allah s.w.t. in the Hereafter. This is the ultimate reward for those who fast. And Allah s.w.t. gives us the opportunity to experience this joy every day! MasyaAllah. 

I hope this short reminder will give you a heightened appreciation when you break your fast tomorrow onwards, insyaAllah, when you know that Allah wants you to experience something more than just eating, drinking or satiating your desires. And I also pray that during moments when you were about to give up on your fasting, just hold on a little bit longer so that you can experience this momentary earthly pleasure of Iftar, as a taste of ultimate pleasure that awaits you in Jannah.

Amin ya Rabbal ‘Alamin.

Love,
The Alchemist.

السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته

Abu Umamah r.a. asked: “O Messenger of Allah, tell me of an action by which I may enter Paradise.” The Messenger of Allah s.a.w. replied: “Take to Fasting, there is nothing like it.” [An-Nasaa'ee, Ibn Hibbaan, Al-Haakim, Sahih] 

For Muslims who are currently fasting in this blessed month of Ramadhan, the wisdom of this Hadith is easily understood as we go through the struggles of fasting. What fasting does is, among others, develop our discipline, our willpower, our physical and spiritual strength, our emotional empathy for others, our inspiration to help others, and the list goes on…

But Muslims also know that fasting is not easy. Mere theoretical knowledge of the greatness of fasting in itself is not enough to attain Allah’s Pleasure. One has to fast sincerely for the sake of Allah s.w.t., disciplining the body and soul to maintain the fast for 30 continuous days, with the view of purifying his deeds, intentions and being, in order to achieve the objective of becoming a more God-conscious person (muttaqin).

As such, our Beloved Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. issued a warning for us to be more concerted in our efforts during fasting, in the following words: "Perhaps a fasting person will receive nothing from his fasting, except hunger and thirst."  [Ibn Majah, Ad-Dharimee, Ahmad, al-Baihaqi, Sahih] 

Fasting is more than mere abstaining from food and drinks. It demonstrates not merely our potential, but our ability and capacity to control psychological aspects of our behavior, such as our reaction to things that displeases or angers us. Ironically, it is in these moments of physical emptiness (from food and drinks) that we learn how to manage our ego and emotion judiciously – by portraying a more respectable and honourable response. On any other day and month, this internal processing of our reactions gets truncated.

And simply by such acts of benevolent restraints, our actions become acts of ‘ibadah and we get rewarded in multiple portions by the Most Gracious and Most Generous s.w.t. SubhanAllah!

This reflection convinces me on one elementary point: fasting transcends beyond merely being a simplistic ritual. In Surah al-Baqarah verse 183, Allah s.w.t. says: “O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed upon you as it was prescribed to those who came before you; that you may become God-Conscious (Taqwa).” This Taqwa is only achieved when, due to the deed of fasting, it transforms us to become a Muslim who is constantly conscious of his complete dependence on His Lord, as a Muslim who is constantly hungry and thirsty for His Lord’s Mercy and Benevolence upon him, and as a Muslim who is continuously in a state of self-improvement through the acts of self-restraint.

Sometimes, I cannot help but to think that this is a tall order for anyone to achieve. But, through the Grace of Allah s.w.t., I am also reminded that being a Muslim of piety is a process and a personal journey that each and everyone of us take. Importantly, we must not give up – and we are only judged by our best efforts.

A final reflection for me to conclude is this: I am raised in my consciousness that I cannot do and achieve this alone. And so, with no where to turn, I turn my hopes completely to my Creator for His Help in realizing the person that I am intended to be. 

In my readings, I came across a beautiful quote by our female Islamic scholar, Shaykha Fariha Fatima. It reads as follows:

“There are as many forms of fasting as there are organs of perception and sensation, and each of these has many different levels. So we ask to fast from all that Allah does not love for us, and to feast on what the Beloved loves for us. Let us certainly fast from the limited mind, and all that it conjures up. Let us fast from fear, apart from fear and awe of Allah's majesty. Let us fast from thinking that we know, when Allah alone is the Knower. Let us fast from thinking negatively of anyone. Let us fast from our manipulations and strategies. Let us fast from all complaint about life experiences that Allah gives us. Let us fast from our bad habits and our reactions. Let us fast from desiring what we do not have. Let us fast from obsession. Let us fast from despair. Let us fast from not loving our self, and from denying our heart. Let us fast from selfishness and self-centered behavior. Let us fast from thinking that only what serves us is important. Let us fast from seeing reality only from our own point of view. Let us fast from seeing any reality other than Allah, and from relying on anything other than Allah. Let us fast from desiring anything other than Allah and Allah's Prophets and friends, and our own true self. Essentially, let us fast from thinking that we have any existence separate from Allah.”

And I humbly beseech from Allah s.w.t., Amin ya Rabbal ‘Alamin.

Love,
The Alchemist.

السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته

Ramadhan is a month full of blessings. It is therefore important for us to bring that reality into our daily lives. One of the blessings of Ramadhan is that it helps to foster family relations.

Let us consider how easy this can be implemented: 

1. Sahur
Since we have to wake up early morning for sahur, it is a good opportunity to have sahur together as a family. During sahur, perhaps parents may ask about their children’s plan for the day to get the family conversation going. When was the last time you had breakfast at home, with the whole family?

2. Tahajjud Prayers
Since we are awake for sahur and have some time before Fajr, encourage your family to perform the tahajjud prayers. It does not have to be many sets of prayers, but one or two sets is good enough – especially if is consistent. In this way, you can help instill the value of discipline and istiqamah (consistency) to our family members.

3. Fajr Prayers
When was the last time we pray congregational Fajr prayers at home with our family? It is such an important prayer and since we are all already awake, it is the best opportunity to do this together. As we begin the day with prayers as a family, insyaAllah, blessings will accompany us throughout the day. After all, a family that eats together and prays together, stays together. Amin!

4. Iftar
As the whole family then goes about their daily activities either to work or school thereafter, make it a habit that the whole family come back home for Iftar together. Nothing is more nutritious and blessed than to eat home-cooked food. A father provides the resources for buying ingredients, a mother puts her love into cooking for the family, and the children consume with appreciation the food prepared. In this way, everyone in the family gets rewarded as ibadah by simply eating and conversing together. But make sure the television is switched off!

5. Maghrib Prayers
Right after Iftar, it is also more convenient to gather the family together to pray Maghrib as a family. Such is the blessing of Ramadhan and having Iftar together.

6. Terawih Prayers
What is beautiful after that is when the family proceeds to a mosque nearby to perform the terawih as a family, together with the Muslim community in the area. Alternatively, the father can be the Imam for terawih at home, and to alternate with their sons to take the imam-ship, in order to train them and to instill confidence in being an Imam.

This cycle, with modifications depending on the circumstances of each family, continues to the next day and insyaAllah, by the end of Ramadhan, you will have instilled noble values for your family. This will be your gift and inheritance for your children to be guided by Islam through the challenges that they may face in the future. 

As we do this often, it will be easier to perform, as it becomes a way of life in our family. As parents, we need to show some leadership to lead the way and inculcate these values in order to maximize the blessings that Ramadhan has to offer. A strong family will definitely lead to building a better community and society.

I urge you to try and give this a chance. I pray that Allah s.w.t. will make things easy for you and may your family relationship in this Ramadhan be an intimate one. Amin, ya Rabbal 'Alamin.

Love,
The Alchemist.

السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته

I was reading a book of poems by Mawlana Jalalluddin Rumi earlier in the day and re-read a poem describing the virtues of fasting. An abstract of the first few stanzas of the poem goes like this:

"There's a hidden sweetness in the stomach's emptiness.
We are lutes: no more, no less. If the soundbox is stuffed full of anything, no music.
If the brain and the belly are burning clean with fasting, every moment a new song comes out of the fire."

The poem seems to corroborate the advice given by our beloved Prophet s.a.w. who said: "The worst vessel the son of Adam ever fills is his stomach. It is sufficient for the son of Adam to eat what will support his back. If this is not possible, then a third for food, a third for drink and a third for his breath."  [at-Tirmidhi]

The Persian scholar Sahl al-Tustari was asked about a man who ate once a day and he replied, “This is the way of the prophets.” Asked about someone who eats twice a day, he said, “This is the way of the righteous.” Finally, he was asked about someone who eats three meals a day and he replied, “Dig for him a hole!” 

This blessed month of Ramadhan is a most opportune time for us to reflect on the blessings of food and satiety. Fasting allows us to experience once a year what many throughout the world experience almost daily. Hunger, for them, is not a choice - it is their fact of life. Yet, on the opposite side of their world, we consume more than we need, we take pride in our frivolities to do so and we post endless food-photos on Instagram for the world to see. 

One of the blessings of Ramadhan is that it provides us with an opportunity, when our own self-induced hunger should bring us closer to those whose hunger is caused by circumstance and not by choice. As a result, we become more empathetic and are spurred into charitable actions.

Imam al-Ghazzali mentions in his Ihya' Ulum ad-Din, one of the benefits of our hunger is that it makes us more responsive and generous by giving food to orphans and to the poor, so that on the Day of Resurrection we would dwell in the Shade of Allah’s Generosity. The beloved Prophet s.a.w. said: "Whoever feeds a fasting person will have a reward like that of the fasting person, without any reduction in his reward."  [at-Tirmidhi] It is that rare moment in our opulent lives when feeding others in need, supersedes our own hunger and greed. This is another reason to celebrate the month of Ramadhan.

These virtuous act points to the unity of the global Islamic community. There is a network of us all across the globe, all doing the same thing at the same time. However disparate our lives, whatever privileges and freedoms we enjoy, however different our experiences – someone else is probably feeling exactly the same way you and I feel: that physical hunger and thirst symbolizing our spiritual hunger and thirst. This, I find to be incredibly moving and life-affirming.  

Being hungry in this blessed month truly appeals to me. It reduces me to be the person whom I need to be. It provides me with a reality jolt to my physical and spiritual senses.

I humbly pray, for me and for all of you, that this physical hunger and thirst will deliver a burst of hungering and thirsting for Allah, The Most Merciful, The Most Compassionate. And may this hunger continue to transcend us to all the other months of the year. Amin, ya Rabbal 'Alamin.

Love,
The Alchemist.

السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته

Every Sunday mornings, I conduct a class called “Knowing Islam Session” – where anyone from all walks of live can have an overview before deciding to learn more on Islam. Over the years, I have met people from various backgrounds and with different purposes – and each class can uniquely turn out to be either enlightening or difficult. In one such class last weekend, I was asked on the importance of “Zikr” in Islam. 

Allah s.w.t. says in Surah Al-Ahzab: “O you who believe! Remember Allah with much remembrance,” and when the companions learned of this revelation, were worried and asked our Beloved Rasulullah s.a.w. “How much is much?” The Prophet replied by saying: “Remember Allah until people say that you are crazy” [Ahmad]

If we pause to consider the importance of following the Sunnah in our lives, we will see some of its manifestations in the following ways: we wake up every morning with Alhamdulillah, walk into the bathroom for a shower with our left leg and exiting with our right leg – both accompanied with do’a of protection, put on clothes while looking in the mirror making a do’a for Allah to beautify our characteristics as He beautifies our physical bodies, perform our prayers, leave for work with our right leg out the door etc.

While all these can be described as following the Sunnah of our Beloved s.a.w., there is another way to describe them to make practical sense of the value of the Sunnah. If you consider carefully the process of following the Sunnah, it is about constantly being in a state of engagement with Allah and the Prophet, so that through this engagement, you are spiritually guided to choose a better way of doing things.

For example, while it is not a sin to eat with your left hand, Muslims do so with their right hand as it is the Sunnah. The effect of such action is to make us engage with the questions: what would the Prophet do in this situation? Which is a better way to eat so that we can achieve barakah (blessings)? It is through these lines of questioning, that we are subconsciously subjecting our minds to make better choices in life.

This is then, the purpose of the Sunnah. It is not simply a physical choice of your actions, but it demands from you to constantly mentally engaging yourselves with the preferences of Allah s.w.t. and Rasulullah s.a.w. above all else, in all of your choices. 

In this way, following the Sunnah becomes an act of Zikrullah. And a Muslim who actively engages with the Sunnah, is always in a state of Zikrullah – complying with the command of Surah Al-Ahzab mentioned earlier.

Simply put, Zikrullah makes us become intimate with Allah s.w.t. and our Prophet s.a.w. Zikrullah puts us in the protection of Allah’s Guidance. Zikrullah softens our hearts so that we can love our Prophet s.a.w. enough to want to put him as the priority and model in our life. It is because of these basic reasons that Zikrullah leads to our success, both in this life and the next.

So, go ahead and let people call you crazy, for as long as your heart beats only for The Creator and His Beloved. Have a great week ahead!

Love,
The Alchemist.

السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته

I wish I had more time to write regularly. Now that most of my classes are on recess for Ramadhan, I am left with a generous amount of time to continue writing on this Blog, insyaAllah. Please make doa’ for me.

Last week, I posted an entry on Instagram, which states: “They say you can never love someone whom you have never seen. I just smiled and said: I haven’t seen my Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. but I love him dearly.” 

It reminded me of a hadith on the flip side of this perspective, which I included under the “comments” section. Narrated by Imam Ahmad, the Prophet s.a.w. said: “I wish I could see my brothers.” The Companions asked: “Aren’t we your brothers, O Messenger Of Allah?” He replied: “No. You are my Companions. My brothers are those who come after me and believe in me, without even seeing me.”

I cannot help but feel so touched by the Prophet’s words. To be considered as his brother, and hence a family-member, is truly the biggest honour for any believer. While our deeds are surely undeserving, he nonetheless embraced us with such tender and loving kindness – having faith that we will eventually measure up.

This serves as a reminder for us to enhance our resolve to heighten our efforts in emulating his examples, as best as we can, so that we can realize the love that we should have for our Beloved Prophet s.a.w. In fact, the perfection of our faith depends on it. He explained in a hadith narrated by Imam Bukhari and Imam Muslim: "None of you will truly believe until I am more beloved to him than his father, his son and all of mankind." And what better way to improve ourselves with the training that the month of Ramadhan provides?

But the key to achieving this success is in planning and preparation. While I noticed that the Geylang bazaar stalls are already constructed and ready in advance before Ramadhan, it really begs the question: how ready and prepared are we for fasting next week? Similarly, while preparations for the current SEA Games were made since early last year, how early have Muslims prepared for this deed of fasting, that if we are victorious, will render us as men and women of Taqwa – surely a wining provision for the Hereafter?

Our enthusiasm for watching the SEA Games or planning for business ventures at the Ramadhan bazaars must prick our conscience to also show the same level of enthusiasm (if not more) and rigorously prepare for this important month of Ramadhan, instead of it being looked upon as being disruptive or a burden. Prepare ourselves well physically and spiritually. Plan to be able to achieve something tangible that we can measure in this Ramadhan, so that we can upgrade our achievements in the next Ramadhan. If we can prepare meticulously for this temporal world, surely we must have an effective action plan for the permanent abode.

“If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail!” [Benjamin Franklin]

Its good to be back! InsyaAllah, tomorrow I will try and share with you some tips that you can implement. Watch this space!

Love,
The Alchemist.