Transcribed from the Islaahi Majlis conducted on 27/10/2022
Seerah programmes during the month of Rabi-ul-Awwal
During the month of Rabi-ul-Awwal, many programs are hosted detailing the Seerah and Sunnah of Nabi Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam. This should prompt us to internally reflect on and gauge just how much of the Sunnah is emulated in our lives. Once we visited Maulana Salmaan Moosaji in Port Elizabeth on the occasion of an Islaahi Jalsa. We were in the company of Hadrat Maulana Abdul Hamid Saheb when he got up to leave. As Hadrat Maulana approached the exit, he asked whether he should step out with his right foot or the left, as the shoe was placed to be worn and the shoe is worn with the left foot first. After giving it some thought based on when we enter a place of goodness, we enter with the right foot, and we leave with the left, Maulana was advised to exit with the left foot. This is the level of concern of our pious elders for the Sunnah.
Electronic Trimmer
The level of their concern can be seen in the example of trimming of the moustache. The moustache should be clipped with a scissors and not shaved with a blade. When the electronic trimmer was introduced, Hadrat Hakim Akhtar Saheb Rahimahullah sent it to Hadrat Mufti Taqi Uthmani Saheb DB to determine if it was according to Sunnah or not.
After examining the trimmer and how it functions, they concluded that it used the same principle as the scissors and, thus, it could be used. Once, Hadrat Mufti Ahmad Khan Puri Saheb D.B visited South Africa. Cotton socks, which some people claimed that Masah can be made on them, were placed in front of him. Hadrat Muftisahib didn’t just give a ruling. He took the socks and cut them. He pointed out that the sock had an elastic which held the sock on the ankle, which was against the condition of the validity of the Khuffain. The Khuffain should remain on the leg without support. On this, Hadrat Muftisahib concluded it was not permissible to make Masah on those socks.
Walimah is a Sunnah
To host a Walimah is a great Sunnah. When Nabi Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam met Hadrat Abdur Rahman bin Auf Radiallahu Anhu, Hadrat Abdur Rahman told Nabi Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam that he had just made Nikah. In fact, Nabi Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam made Dua for him and instructed him to host a Walimah, even if it be with a goat.
When returning from a battle, Nabi Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam was unaware that Hadrat Jabir Radiallahu Anhu had made Nikaah, but it was evident from a yellow mark that could be seen on his clothing. When Jabir Radiallahu Anhu informed Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam that he had made Nikaah on being asked, Nabi Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam instructed him as well to host a Walimah even if it be by slaughtering a goat.
From here we need to reflect how we, on one hand, will fulfill one Sunnah, and on the other hand, we will discard so many other Sunnahs just to fulfill that one Sunnah. Today, we will host the Walimah in a hall instead of at home. Coupled with that, we have Nasheeds playing to the tune of music in emulation of a Kuffar function. We are seated on chairs, at heavily decorated tables, ignorant to the many Sunnahs we have broken just to have the Sunnah of Walimah.
Solution to our problems is in emulating Sunnah
Hadrat Hakim Akhtar Saheb Rahimahullah used to say that should the Ummah come onto the Sunnah, we will be able to navigate our way through the current storm we are in.
گر سنت نبوی کی پیروی کریگی امت
تو طوفان سے نکل جایئگا پھر ان کا سفینہ
A Canadian drinks water in accordance to Sunnah and is saved from surgery
Maulana Abdullah Kapotra Saheb Rahimahullah, the rector of Falaah-e-Daarain Takeshwar, emigrated to Canada. He once passed by a shop and asked for water. The shopkeeper, who was a Canadian, gave Hadrat Maulana a glass of water to drink. Maulana squatted and drank the water. On seeing this, the shopkeeper made a mockery of Maulana. Hadrat Maulana did not react to the man and went home. At night, whilst eating, a hair got stuck in the shopkeeper’s throat. He was rushed to hospital where they advised that they have to operate on him the next day. On returning home, the thought came to him to squat and drink some water. On emulating Hadrat, the hair went down, and he was safeguarded from surgery. If you follow the Sunnah of Nabi Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, it will take you out of difficulty.
Observing the Sunnah when eating will prevent us from many illnesses. To eat when one is hungry and to stop before one reaches his fill. To fill the stomach with 1/3 food, 1/3 water and 1/3 air. However, we eat so much that we can’t even sit up from the Dastaarkhan. Our poor eating habits have sparked a rise in various illnesses.
Observing the sunnah whilst relieving oneself is beneficial to one’s health. By squatting and relieving oneself, it is more hygienic and more effective in emptying the bladder and bowels. Today, we have removed the low toilet and replaced it with a high toilet. The irony now is the west have introduced a stool that’s placed under the toilet bowl which enables a person to raise his legs while relieving himself.
The Harms of the Western Toilet
Another danger of using the high toilet is that splashes of urine drops could possibly fall onto a person’s body and clothing. Nabi Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam said regarding this, “Keep yourself pure from urine drops. This is a cause for most Adhaab in the Qabr.”
روى:الدَّارَقُطْنِيّ: عَن أبي هُرَيْرَة رَضِي الله عَنهُ أَن رَسُول الله صلى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسلم قَالَ: ” استنزهوا من الْبَوْل فَإِن عَامَّة عَذَاب الْقَبْر مِنْهُ “.
Once Mufti Boda Saheb of De Deur was visiting the Qabrastaan in Lenasia when he saw a fire emerging from one of the graves. Muftisahib informed his Sheikh, or one of his seniors, who informed Muftisahib that Allah Ta’ala showed it to him hence he should inform the public. When Muftisahib visited Mountain Rise Masjid, he mentioned that he told the students in the Hifz class: “Speak the truth, you will be rewarded. How many of you use the high toilet?” Majority of the students answered that they used the high toilet. Muftisahib said further, “Speak the truth! When you use the high toilet, is it that there are splashes of urine drops?” They replied in the affirmative. And now, in such a state of impurity, they learn Quraan Sharif, perform their Salaah, etc.
There are people who, if they have no option but to use the high toilet, they take a full Ghusl thereafter, and then feel satisfied to perform Salaah. Our Sheikh mentioned that two people that he knew of who would take Ghusl after using the high toilet viz. Hadrat Maulana Yunus Patel Saheb and Hadrat Mufti Hussain Bhayat Saheb. When they would go for Umrah, in the hotels there are only high toilets. Both would take a Ghusl thereafter, on account of impurity on the body and clothes. By adopting the Sunnah, it is a solution to all our problems.
Making a mockery of Sunnah
Making a mockery of the Sunnah is extremely dangerous. Once, Hadrat Maulana Hussain Ahmad Madni Rahimahullah was teaching Bukhari Sharif. In his lesson, he mentioned the incident of a person who visited Madinah Sharif and drank sourmilk. He commented on how sour the milk of Madinah Sharif was. That night, he had a dream in which Nabi Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam ordered him to leave Madinah Sharif. The next morning, he woke up disturbed and worried and visited many Ulama seeking their advice. They advised him to go to the Qabr of Hadrat Hamza Radiallahu Anhu and make Dua there. He did as they said and that night, he saw Hadrat Hamza Radiallahu Anhu in a dream. In the dream, Hadrat Hamza Radiallahu Anhu told him that if he wishes to protect his Imaan, he should leave Madinah Sharif. This teaches us not to treat the matters of Deen lightly, as we don’t know at which point, we could lose our Imaan.
Simplicity is part of Imaan
Another great Sunnah of Nabi Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam which we discarded to a great extent, is mentioned in a Hadith, “Simplicity is part of Imaan.” However, we strive for a lavish lifestyle filled with luxury. The result is that we fear leaving our homes unattended. We procure the services of an alarm company, security guards, and the like thereof. Had we adopted a simple lifestyle, we would have peace of mind. In choosing to live according to Sunnah, Allah Ta’ala will grant us success in Dunya and in Aakhirah.
The Ulama question as to what is holding us back from inculcating the Sunnah. The answer lies in us not having the true love for Nabi Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam. If we did, then to follow the Sunnah becomes very easy.
Laila and Majnoo
We often hear the story of Laila and Majnoo. The real name of Majnoo was Qays, but he became known as Majnoo due to his intense love for Laila. Although she wasn’t an attractive woman, he composed many poems about her. In one poem in which he rendered his love for Layla he said:
“I pass by the walls of houses of Laila,
And I kissed the walls of the city of Laila,
It is not the love for these houses or walls
That have engulfed my heart,
But it is the love of the people residing therein”
أمر على جدار ديار ليلى … أقبل ذا الجدار وذا الجدارا
وما تلك الديار شغفن قلبي … ولكن حب من سكن الديارا
Due to his love for Laila, he had love for the city and the houses in which she lived. The father of Majnoo once took him to Makkah Sharif and instructed him to make Dua to Allah Ta’ala to take the love of Laila out of his heart. Majnoo picked up his hands and made Dua that Allah Ta’ala should never take the love for Laila out of his heart. He ended by saying that Allah Ta’ala should have mercy on that person who says Aameen to his Dua.
يارَبِّ لا تَسْلُبَنَّي حُبَّها أَبَدًا … وَيَرْحَمُ اللهُ عبدًا قال آمينا
If a person has love on this level for Nabi Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, it will be easy for him to follow the Sunnah. When writing the Kitaabs of Hadrat Maulana Abdul Hamid Saheb, Hadrat requested that we write his Malfoozaat as well. We hesitated thinking about all the other work we had. Hadrat told us that if we had love, then the work will be easy. On that, we accepted.
Hadrat had spent many years in the company of Hadrat Umar Paalanpuri Rahimahullah. Hadrat Maulana Umar Saheb Paalanpuri Rahimahullah was the mouthpiece of Dawat and Tabligh. Once Hadrat saw Hadrat Maulana Umar Saheb in a dream in which he gave a Kurta to Hadrat. Someone commented that the Kurta won’t fit Hadrat. Hadrat Maulana Umar Saheb said that if the Kurta would fit him, it will fit Maulana Abdul Hamid Saheb as well, so give Hadrat the Kurta. At the time of the Madrassah Jalsa, Hadrat related this dream to the audience. At this moment, a Mashwera was taken to collect all Hadrat’s Bayaans and this is how the compilation of Hadrat’s kitaabs came about. This is the effect of a person’s love for someone. An instruction just has to be given and the person is ready and willing to fulfil it. Allah Ta’ala bless us all with the love of Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, Aameen!
