Tasawwuf: a Legitimate Part of Islam?

بســـــــــــــــــــم الله الرحمن الرحيم

What's the first thing the average lay Muslim thinks of when he hears the word “Sufism”? Whirling dervishes? Funny “breakdancing”? Crazy “worship rituals”? Grave worship?

Taṣawwuf is a commonly misunderstood concept among many Muslims, especially in recent times. Let's clarify a few things about what taṣawwuf actually is and whether it is compatible with the orthodox, Sunni Islam. 

Exam Tips from Qur’anic and Prophetic Wisdom

بِسْــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

Before the Exam

• Be mindful of Allah at all times, where ever you may be, and fear Him. It is not appropriate for you to consciously disobey your Lord but then expect Him to fulfil all your requests during your times of need.

• Be grateful. Allah says,

لَئِن شَكَرْتُمْ لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ

“If you are grateful, I will surely increase you [in everything].” (Qur’ān 7:14)

• If you have an act of worship you're regular with (e.g. praying ‘Ishā’ in the masjid, reading Qur’ān for 30 minutes a day), don't give it up for exam study. You only succeed in your exams through the assistance of Allah, so what makes you think that prioritising study over His worship will get you over the line?

• Before sleeping, say Subḥān Allāh (How perfect Allah is!) 33x, al-Ḥamdu lillāh (Praise and thanks be to Allah!) 33x and Allāhu akbar (Allah is greatest!) 34x.

• Sleep early, and make sure you wake up for and pray Fajr, as well as the two sunnah rak‘ahs before it.

• Have a good, healthy, halal breakfast.

• Recite the dhikr for leaving the house:

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ، تَوَكَّلْتُ عَلَى اللَّهِ، وَلاَ حَوْلَ وَلاَ قُوَّةَ إِلاَّ بِاللَّهِ

Bismillāh, tawakkaltu ‘ala Llāh, wa lā ḥawla wa lā quwwata illā billāh.

(In the name of Allah. I put my trust in Allah. There is no strength nor power except with Allah.)

• Don't forget to ask for your parents' du‘ā’, for their du‘ā’ for you is of great chance of being accepted.

• Offer at least two rak‘ahs (preferably, at least six rak‘ahs) of Ṣalāt al-Duḥā in the morning (from 7:30 a.m. onwards is a good time). Follow this up with sincere du‘ā’ to Allah, seeking His Help and Assistance.

• Be positive!

In the Exam Hall

• Do your exams in a state of wuḍū’.

• Begin with Bismillāh, for mentioning the name of Allah before any [permissible] action brings about blessing in it.

• Put in 100% effort, while at the same time placing your trust in Allah that He will bring your efforts to fruition. As the ḥadīth goes, “Strive to attain that which will benefit you and seek the help of Allah, and do not feel helpless.” (Narrated by Muslim)

• Remembering Allah (dhikr) dispels anxiety and tension. If something is too difficult for you, ask to Allah to make it easy for you.

• If you forget something during the exam, send ṣalawāt (prayers of blessing and mercy) upon the Prophet (ﷺ), for in sending ṣalawāt upon him lies a secret by which Allah aids the slave who does so. As the Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Whoever ever sends ṣalawāt upon me once, Allah sends ṣalawāt upon him ten times.” (Narrated by Muslim) This can be done by saying, for example, “Allāhumma ṣalli ‘alā Muḥammad” (more complete versions are mentioned towards the bottom).

• Don't rush when answering, for the Prophet (ﷺ) said: “To take time is from Allah, and to be hasty is from the Shayṭān.” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhī) Though at the same time, manage your time wisely!

• Cheating is ḥarām. Leave out the ḥarām and Allah will suffice you from His bounty. Whoever gives up a thing for the sake of Allah, Allah will compensate him with something better. (Don't let the fact that your exam supervisors are dodgy tempt you!)

After the Exam

• If you discover after the exam that you answered some questions incorrectly, take it as a lesson. Accept the will and decree of Allah, and don't fall prey to frustration and despair. Remember the ḥadīth of the Prophet (ﷺ), ‘If anything befalls you, do not say, “If only I had done such-and-such.” Rather say:

"قَدَرُ اللهِ وَمَا شَاءَ فَعَلَ"

“Qadaru -Llāhi wa mā shā’a fa‘al”

(“It is the decree of Allah, and He does what He wills"),

for saying "if only" opens the door for the Shayṭān.’ (Narrated by Muslim)

• Don't engage in the post-exam chatter of, “Oh, what did you write?” and, “Man, I wrote the wrong thing!” and, “I stuffed up cuz. I think TAFE's waiting for me now…” That's going to leave you in a bad psychological state which could affect your performance in your other exams. A more productive thing to do is to go home, do wuḍū’, pray two rak‘ahs and then make du‘ā’ to ask Allah to have the marker mark in your favour – after all, the marker's heart is in Allah's Hands, right?

• If things didn't go as you would've liked them to, keep in mind:

1) It's not the end of the world. Things could've gone worse. Would you prefer getting a bad exam mark or having an accident on the way to school that leaves you paralysed for life?

2) Allah tells us in the Qur’ān,

وَعَسَىٰٓ أَن تَكْرَهُوا۟ شَيْـًٔا وَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ ۖ وَعَسَىٰٓ أَن تُحِبُّوا۟ شَيْـًٔا وَهُوَ شَرٌّ لَّكُمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ وَأَنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ

“It may well be that you all hate something and it is actually better for you. It may well be that you all love something and it is actually worse for you. Allah knows. And you – you don't know!” (Qur’ān 2:216)

Some Du‘ā’s

رَبَّنَآ ءَاتِنَا فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِى ٱلْءَاخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ ٱلنَّارِ

Rabbanā ātinā fi -d-dunyā ḥasanatan wa fi -l-ākhirati ḥasanatan wa qinā ‘adhāba -n-nār

Our Lord! Grant us goodness in this world, goodness in the Hereafter, and save us from the punishment of Hellfire.

رَبِّ ٱشْرَحْ لِى صَدْرِى وَيَسِّرْ لِىٓ أَمْرِى

Rabbi -sh-raH lī ṣadrī wa yassir lī amrī

My Lord! Expand my chest for me (i.e. put my heart at peace for me), and make my matter easy for me.

اللَّهُمَّ لا سَهْلَ إلا ما جَعَلْتَهُ سَهْلاً وأنْتَ تَجْعَلُ الحَزَنَ إذا شِئْتَ سَهْلاً

Allāhumma lā sahla illā mā ja‘altahū sahlā, wa anta taj‘alu -l-ḥuzna idhā shi’ta sahlā

O Allah! There is no ease other than what You make easy! And You, when You will, turn sorrow to ease.

رَبِّ يَسِّرْ وَلَا تُعَسِّرْ، رَبِّ تَمِّمْ بِالْخَيْرِ

Rabbi yassir wa lā tu‘assir, rabbi tammim bi -l-khayr

My Lord! Make easy my affairs, and don't make them difficult. My Lord! Complete my affair with goodness.

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى سَيِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِهٖ وَصَحْبِهٖ وَسَلِّمْ

Allāhumma ṣalli ‘alā sayyidinā Muḥammadin, wa ‘alā ālihī wa ṣaḥbihī wa sallim

O Allah, send prayers and peace upon our master Muhammad, and upon his family and companions.

Also, the Ṣalāt al-Ibrāhīmiyyah that we say at the end of our daily ṣalāh.

From the best of du‘ā’s is the du‘ā’ that comes from your heart, in your own words. Remember, du‘ā’ outside ṣalāh doesn't need to be in Arabic.

وآخر دعوانا أن الحمد لله ربّ العالمين. وصلّى الله على سيّدنا محمّد وعلى آله وصحبه وسلّم.

Finding the Qiblah Using a Smartphone

بِسْــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

Except for those of us who are still intimate enough with the beautiful signs of nature such as the Sun and the night stars (a sad rarity indeed of our "civilised" times!), most of us turn to our compasses – usually that of our smartphones – to help us find the qiblah direction. But are you doing it correctly?

One factor many people ignore when determining the qiblah direction with their phones is the fact that Earth has in fact two norths: a true north and a magnetic north. True north (a.k.a. geographic north) is the physical highest point on Planet Earth's surface, the geographic north pole, where the Earth's rotational axis meets the planet's surface – 0° N. Magnetic north, on the other hand, is the north pole of the Earth's magnetic axis. Now the Earth's magnetic axis isn't exactly aligned with the Earth's rotational axis, and so as a result,  magnetic north is angled slightly away from true north. Exactly how much magnetic north deviates from true north depends on where you are in the world and is described by the term "magnetic declination". And because the Earth's magnetic axis is continuously deviating ever-so-slighty away from Earth's rotational axis, the magnetic declination at any given location is likewise constantly changing.

So how does this affect your average Adam who's trying to figure out where the qiblah is using his compass? Well, your typical compass is aligned to magnetic north. However, your typical qiblah direction bearings are usually given in relation to true north. As such, if the Qiblah in your part of the world is at, say 277° (WNW), chances are that pointing your compass to 277° won't give you the accurate qiblah reading, as your compass is aligned to magnetic north, while the qiblah bearings that you're relying upon are based on true north.

Therefore, in order to solve the issue, one would need to find out the magnetic declination in one's location and then take that into account when trying to determine qiblah direction.

Taking Sydney, Australia as an example: the qiblah bearing there is about 277 degrees (WNW) with respect to true north. However, the magnetic declination there is about 12 degrees east (Source: http://www.magnetic-declination.com/). This means that in order to locate 277 degrees with respect to true north, you'll have to point your compass towards 277 minus 12 degrees, i.e. 265 degrees.

As such, if the magnetic declination at your location is easterly, then subtract the declination angle from whatever bearing you're trying to determine and point your compass to that. Whereas if the magnetic declination at your location is westerly, then add the declination angle to whatever bearing you're trying to determine and point your compass to that. For example, if the qiblah bearing at your location is 100° and the magnetic declination is 10° east, then to find the qiblah, point your compass to 100° − 10° = 90°. And if the qiblah bearing at your location is 100° and the magnetic declination is 10° west, then to find the qiblah, point your compass to 100° + 10° = 110°.

All this applies to your typical physical compass as well as your typical smartphone compass. However, there are smartphone compass apps that do give the option of displaying bearings with respect to true north. In such a case, there's no need to do all the above – just simply configure the settings to display bearings with respect to true north, turn your location services or phone GPS on (so that the app can determine the magnetic declination at your location), point your compass towards the qiblah direction, and you're done!

It's also worth noting that not all smartphones come with a proper compass built-in – those that don't will usually try to improvise using the phone's other sensors. As such, it's probably best to check your smartphone's specs to see whether you should even be using it as a compass to start with (especially for the purposes of the qiblah – it's your prayers that are at stake!).

وآخر دعوانا أن الحمد لله ربّ العالمين، وصلّى الله على سيّدنا محمّد وعلى آله وصحبه وسلّم

Seeking Divine Love?

Bismi llāh, wa l-ḥamdu lillāh, wa ṣ-ṣalātu wa s-salāmu ‘alā rasūli llāh, sayyidinā Muḥammadini bni ‘Abdi llāh, wa ‘alā ālihī wa ṣaḥbihī wa man wālāh. Wa ba‘d:

Many people ask: how can I attain the love of Allah and closeness to Him?

Allah Himself answers this question in numerous places in the Qur’ān when describing the attributes of those whom He loves.

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱسْتَعِينُوا۟ بِٱلصَّبْرِ وَٱلصَّلَوٰةِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ مَعَ ٱلصَّٰبِرِينَ

“O you who believe! Seek help through steadfastness and prayer, for Allah is with the steadfast.” (Qur’ān 2:153)

وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَٱعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ مَعَ ٱلْمُتَّقِينَ

“Yet be ever God-fearing, and know that God is with the God-fearing.” (Qur’ān 2:194)

وَأَحْسِنُوٓا۟ ۛ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ

“But do good, for Allah indeed loves those who do good.” (Qur’ān 2:195)

إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلتَّوَّٰبِينَ وَيُحِبُّ ٱلْمُتَطَهِّرِينَ

“Allah indeed loves those who turn to Him, and He loves those who keep themselves clean.” (Qur’ān 2:222)

قُلْ إِن كُنتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ ٱللَّهَ فَٱتَّبِعُونِى يُحْبِبْكُمُ ٱللَّهُ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ وَٱللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

“Say (O Prophet), ‘If you love Allah, follow me, and Allah will love you and forgive you your sins; Allah is most forgiving, most merciful.’” (Qur’ān 3:31)

بَلَىٰ مَنْ أَوْفَىٰ بِعَهْدِهِۦ وَٱتَّقَىٰ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُتَّقِينَ

“Rather, whoever fulfils his covenant and fears Allah, [know that] Allah, indeed, loves the God-fearing.” (Qur’ān 3:76)

وَٱللَّهُ يُحِبُّ ٱلصَّٰبِرِينَ

“Allah loves those who are steadfast.” (Qur’ān 3:146)

فَإِذَا عَزَمْتَ فَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُتَوَكِّلِينَ

“Then, when you have decided on a course of action, put your trust in Allah: Allah indeed loves those who put their trust in Him.” (Qur’ān 3:159)

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ مَن يَرْتَدَّ مِنكُمْ عَن دِينِهِۦ فَسَوْفَ يَأْتِى ٱللَّهُ بِقَوْمٍ يُحِبُّهُمْ وَيُحِبُّونَهُۥٓ أَذِلَّةٍ عَلَى ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَعِزَّةٍ عَلَى ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ يُجَـٰهِدُونَ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَلَا يَخَافُونَ لَوْمَةَ لَآئِمٍ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ فَضْلُ ٱللَّهِ يُؤْتِيهِ مَن يَشَآءُ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ وَٰسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ

“O you who believe! If any of you go back on your faith, Allah will soon replace you with people He loves and who love Him, people who are humble towards the believers, hard on the unbelievers, and
who strive in Allah’s way without fearing anyone’s reproach. Such is Allah’s favour. He grants it to whomever He wills. Allah has endless bounty and knowledge.” (Qur’ān 5:54)

وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ مَعَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ

“For Allah is assuredly with the believers.” (Qur’ān 8:19)

وَٱللَّهُ يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُطَّهِّرِينَ

“Allah loves those who seek to purify themselves.” (Qur’ān 9:108)

إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ مَعَ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّقَوا۟ وَّٱلَّذِينَ هُم مُّحْسِنُونَ

“Indeed, God is with those who are God-fearing and who excel in doing good.” (Qur’ān 16:128)

وَأَقْسِطُوٓا۟ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُقْسِطِينَ

“And be even-handed: Allah indeed loves those who are even-handed.” (Qur’ān 49:9)

إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلَّذِينَ يُقَٰتِلُونَ فِى سَبِيلِهِۦ صَفًّا كَأَنَّهُم بُنْيَٰنٌ مَّرْصُوصٌ

Allah truly loves those who fight in solid lines for His cause, like a well-compacted wall.” (Qur’ān 61:4)

He also describes for us that which distance one from His love.

وَٱللَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلْفَسَادَ

“Allah does not like corruption.” (Qur’ān 2:205)

وَٱللَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ كُلَّ كَفَّارٍ أَثِيمٍ

“Allah does not love the ungrateful sinner.” (Qur’ān 2:276)

قُلْ أَطِيعُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَٱلرَّسُولَ فَإِن تَوَلَّوْا۟ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلْكَٰفِرِينَ

“Say, ‘Obey Allah and the Messenger,’ but if they turn away, [know that] Allah does not love the unbelievers.” (Qur’ān 3:32)

وَٱللَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ

“Allah does not love evildoers.” (Qur’ān 3:140)

إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ مَن كَانَ مُخْتَالًا فَخُورًا ۝ ٱلَّذِينَ يَبْخَلُونَ وَيَأْمُرُونَ ٱلنَّاسَ بِٱلْبُخْلِ وَيَكْتُمُونَ مَآ ءَاتَىٰهُمُ ٱللَّهُ مِن فَضْلِهِۦ ۗ وَأَعْتَدْنَا لِلْكَـٰفِرِينَ عَذَابًا مُّهِينًا ۝ وَٱلَّذِينَ يُنفِقُونَ أَمْوَٰلَهُمْ رِئَآءَ ٱلنَّاسِ وَلَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱللَّهِ وَلَا بِٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلْـَٔاخِرِ ۗ وَمَن يَكُنِ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ لَهُۥ قَرِينًا فَسَآءَ قَرِينًا ۝

“Allah indeed does not like arrogant, boastful people, who are miserly and order other people to be the same, hiding the bounty Allah has given them. We have prepared a humiliating torment for such ungrateful people. [Nor does He like those] who spend their wealth to show off, who do not believe in Him or the Last Day. Whoever has Satan as his companion has an evil companion!” (Qur’ān 4:36-38)

إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ مَن كَانَ خَوَّانًا أَثِيمًا

“Allah indeed does not love anyone given to treachery and sin.” (Qur’ān 4:107)

لَّا يُحِبُّ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْجَهْرَ بِٱلسُّوٓءِ مِنَ ٱلْقَوْلِ إِلَّا مَن ظُلِمَ ۚ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ سَمِيعًا عَلِيمًا

“Allah does not like bad words to be made public unless someone has been wronged: He is all hearing and all knowing.” (Qur’ān 4:148)

وَٱللَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُفْسِدِينَ

“Allah does not love those who corrupt.” (Qur’ān 5:64)

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تُحَرِّمُوا۟ طَيِّبَٰتِ مَآ أَحَلَّ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمْ وَلَا تَعْتَدُوٓا۟ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُعْتَدِينَ ۝ وَكُلُوا۟ مِمَّا رَزَقَكُمُ ٱللَّهُ حَلَٰلًا طَيِّبًا وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَنتُم بِهِۦ مُؤْمِنُونَ

“O you who believe! Do not forbid the good things Allah has made lawful to you – do not exceed the limits: Allah indeed does not love those who exceed the limits – but eat the lawful and good things that Allah provides for you. And fear Allah, in whom you believe.” (Qur’ān 5:87-88)

يَٰبَنِىٓ ءَادَمَ خُذُوا۟ زِينَتَكُمْ عِندَ كُلِّ مَسْجِدٍ وَكُلُوا۟ وَٱشْرَبُوا۟ وَلَا تُسْرِفُوٓا۟ إِنَّهُۥ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُسْرِفِينَ

“Children of Adam, dress well whenever you are at worship, and eat and drink [as We have permitted] but do not be extravagant: indeed, He does not like extravagant people.” (Qur’ān 7:31)

ٱدْعُوا۟ رَبَّكُمْ تَضَرُّعًا وَخُفْيَةً إِنَّهُۥ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُعْتَدِينَ وَلَا تُفْسِدُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ بَعْدَ إِصْلَٰحِهَا وَٱدْعُوهُ خَوْفًا وَطَمَعًا إِنَّ رَحْمَتَ ٱللَّهِ قَرِيبٌ مِّنَ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ

“Call on your Lord humbly and privately – He indeed does not like those who transgress His bounds: do not corrupt the earth after it has been set right – call on Him fearing and hoping. The mercy of Allah is close to those who do good.” (Qur’ān 7:55-56)

إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلْخَآئِنِينَ

“Allah indeed does not love the treacherous.” (Qur’ān 8:58)

إِنَّهُۥ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُسْتَكْبِرِينَ

“He indeed does not love the arrogant.” (Qur’ān 16:23)

إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ كُلَّ خَوَّانٍ كَفُورٍ

“Allah indeed does not love the unfaithful or the ungrateful.” (Qur’ān 22:38)

لَا تَفْرَحْ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلْفَرِحِينَ

“Do not gloat, for Allah indeed does not like people who gloat.” (Qur’ān 28:76)

وَلَا تُصَعِّرْ خَدَّكَ لِلنَّاسِ وَلَا تَمْشِ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ مَرَحًا إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ كُلَّ مُخْتَالٍ فَخُورٍ

“Do not turn your nose up at people, nor walk about the place arrogantly, for Allah indeed does not love anyone who is arrogant or boastful.” (Qur’ān 31:18)

وَٱللَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ كُلَّ مُخْتَالٍ فَخُورٍ ۝ ٱلَّذِينَ يَبْخَلُونَ وَيَأْمُرُونَ ٱلنَّاسَ بِٱلْبُخْلِ

“Allah does not love the conceited, the boastful, those who are miserly, and who tell other people to be miserly.” (Qur’ān 57:23-24)

Furthermore, there is a ḥadīth qudsī in which Allah informs His slaves the of road to His Love and Closeness:

مَنْ عَادَى لِي وَلِيًّا فَقْد آذَنْتهُ بِالْحَرْبِ، وَمَا تَقَرَّبَ إلَيَّ عَبْدِي بِشَيْءٍ أَحَبَّ إلَيَّ مِمَّا افْتَرَضْتُهُ عَلَيْهِ، وَلَا يَزَالُ عَبْدِي يَتَقَرَّبُ إلَيَّ بِالنَّوَافِلِ حَتَّى أُحِبَّهُ، فَإِذَا أَحْبَبْتُهُ كُنْت سَمْعَهُ الَّذِي يَسْمَعُ بِهِ، وَبَصَرَهُ الَّذِي يُبْصِرُ بِهِ، وَيَدَهُ الَّتِي يَبْطِشُ بِهَا، وَرِجْلَهُ الَّتِي يَمْشِي بِهَا، وَلَئِنْ سَأَلَنِي لَأُعْطِيَنَّهُ، وَلَئِنْ اسْتَعَاذَنِي لَأُعِيذَنَّهُ

“Whoever shows enmity to a waliyy (close servant) of Mine, I declare war upon. My servant draws close to Me by nothing more beloved to Me than what I have made obligatory upon him. And My servant continues to draw close to Me by voluntary works until I love him. Then, when I love him, I become the hearing by which he hears; the seeing by which he sees; the hands by which he strikes; and the legs by which he walks. Were he to ask Me, I would indeed grant him. And were he to seek refuge in Me, I would indeed grant him refuge.” (Narrated by al-Bukhārī)

As such, the path to attaining Allah's Love and Closeness entails:

• First and foremost, fulfilling all of the obligations (farā’iḍ) He has ordained for us and refraining from that which He has prohibited (muḥarramāt) for us.
• Further adding on to the above by performing voluntary acts of obedience and virtue (nawāfil) for Him (it's foolish to prioritise the nawāfil over the farā’iḍ – that's just like placing salt, pepper, and sauce onto chips which are still frozen).
• Striving to attain the character traits of those whom Allah loves as described in His book. This entails constantly turning to Him in repentance, keeping oneself clean, following the sunnah, being patient, relying upon Allah, and so on.
• Striving to purify oneself of the character traits which Allah dislikes as described in His book. This entails purging one's heart of arrogance, boastfulness, treachery, ungratefulness, evil-doing and so on.

In simpler terms, it's by following the sharī‘ah, prioritising what it prioritises.

And what is the result? I become the hearing by which he hears; the seeing by which he sees; the hands by which he strikes; and the legs by which he walks. That is, Allah becomes the protector of our limbs and organs, such that our limbs and organs will only do that which is well-pleasing and beloved unto Him; our limbs and organs are protected from sin and all that which is unbecoming. Not only that: Were he to ask Me, I would indeed grant him. And were he to seek refuge in Me, I would indeed grant him refuge. How amazing! Allāhu akbar!

May Allah make us from His awliyā’ and people of His obedience.

Conclusion to "Cesarean Moon Births" by Sh. Hamza Yusuf

Copyright Hamza Yusuf ©2006

God has made the heavens one of His greatest signs. He has told us that Muslims are those “who reflect on the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alteration of night and day. Surely in that are signs for those who possess innermost understanding” (3:190). He has hidden the unseen and the future from us and warned us that “It is God who has knowledge of the end of time, and who showers the rain, and who knows what is in the wombs. No soul knows what it will earn tomorrow, and no soul knows in what land it will die: but God is omniscient, completely aware.” (31:34). Yes, there are discernable patterns in the world that make up the empirical sciences, but they have limitations, and we should take care lest in our arrogance we think that we have control over our lives and natural order:

Then when the earth takes on golden ornamentation [lights of our cities seen from space], and is all adorned, and people think they have power over it. Our order comes to it by night or by day; then we have it mown down, as if it had not flourished the day before. Thus do we explain the signs to people who reflect. And God calls to the abode of peace, and guides anyone at will to a straight path” (Qur’an 10:24-25).

God has hidden from us the power to predict the actual appearance of the crescent moon on the first day. Even modern scientists admit this. Yet, we wish to fit God’s plans into our plans instead of fitting our plans into God’s plans. Convenience store Islam is the Islam of the day, where we can buy a pre-packaged Islam that fits into our busy schedules. But Ramadan is God’s month; it is a time of slowing down and reflecting, of looking at our lives and questioning ourselves, “Are we in harmony with God’s creation. Are we bypassing signs right before our eyes?” God has veiled Ramadan’s greatest night from us, and if He chooses to ask us to inconvenience ourselves just a little bit for His sake to seek out Ramadan’s onset, then praise be to God. I find it altogether odd that a month that is meant to teach us patience and is called “the month of patience,” is no longer patiently waited for by eager Muslims to see what God has in store for them tonight or perhaps tomorrow night. I believe sighting the moon is an intended purpose of Ramadan. It is indeed an act of worship, as the Prophet ﷺ has clearly said, “The best of God’s servants are those who monitor the sun, crescents, and stars as a way of remembering God.”⁴⁰ Every morning before dawn, the Prophet ﷺ would awaken, go out into the late night air, and look up in the heavens and recite the final verses of Āl ʿImrān: “Surely in the creation and the heavens and the earth, and the alternation of the night and the day are signs for people….”⁴¹  The signs are indeed clear for those who reflect.

Ibn Taymiyyah wrote hundreds of years ago,

It is impossible to determine, by means of mathematics, the exact time the crescent moon appears. For even though the astronomers may know that the light emanating from the moon is a reflection of the sun, and that when the two bodies meet in the conjunction, the light of the moon disappears, and when it separates from the sun, it regains its light, yet the best they can do is to determine exactly, through calculation, the distance between the moon and sun when the latter sets…. If we did assume that they managed to determine the moon’s position at sunset, this would not prove that the crescent had actually been sighted. Visibility is a sensory matter and is affected by several factors, such as the clarity or density of the atmosphere, the high or low position of the celestial body, and finally, the strength or weakness of one’s eyesight…. When they realized that the shariah commands the sighting of the crescent moon, they desired to determine it by means of mathematics, and thus they went astray and led others astray. Those who argue that the crescent cannot be seen at twelve or ten degrees, etc., have erred, for one person can sight it at the smaller number of degrees while another cannot at the same degree. They have resorted neither to reason nor to revelation, and because of this, the eminent scholars in their field have rejected their views.⁴²

What Imam Ibn Taymiyyah said is as valid today as it was when he wrote it. Several hundred years ago, a scholar in Libya was put to death because he refused to start Ramadan with the Fatimid ruler’s decree of calculation. He spoke out against the innovation and lost his life for obeying God and disobeying man. Thank God we live in a time and place in which we can freely dissent if our conscience tells us we must. May that Imam’s life not be in vain. Our Prophet ﷺ did not leave us with out guidance, nor did our scholars leave us without elucidation of that guidance for they are the “inheritors of the prophets.” In these latter days, the Sunnah is disappearing from the face of the earth. The Prophet ﷺ came to teach the simple and sophisticated, the meek and the mighty, and he gave each his dignity and his place. In following his example, we follow the best in ourselves, and in leaving his guidance, we open ourselves to great calamities and tribulations. Allah, the Exalted, said, “So let those who oppose his command beware lest a trial befall them or a painful chastisement” (24:63). The Prophet ﷺ has commanded us in a hadith that is of no less authority than the Qur’an itself: “Fast upon seeing the crescent, and break your fast upon seeing it; and if it be obscured, then calculate it.” The meaning is clear as has been clarified by the illustrious imams quoted in this paper. They are my proof; after God and then His messenger, I have no others. What is left is to follow their guidance. And may God give us the success to do so. And Allah knows best.

---

40 The hadith is related in Imam al-Ḥākim’s Mustradrik and is sound. As quoted in al-Imam Aḥmad al-Khatīb al-Baghdādī, ʿIlm al-Nujūm (Dār al-Kutub al-ʿIlmiyyah, n.d.), 22-23.^↩
41 Imam Muḥyi al-Dīn al-Nawawī, al-Adhkār (Dār al-Minhāj, 2005), 67.^↩
42 Jalāl al-Dīn al-Suyūṭī, Jahd al-qarīhah fī tajrīd al-naṣīḥah mukhtaṣir al-radd ʿalā al-Manṭiqiyyīn (Dār al-Naṣr li al-Ṭibāʿah, 1970). And Ibn Taymiyyah, Trans. Wael B. Hallaq, Against the Greek Logicians (Oxford: Claredon Press, 1993), 140-141. (Note: Some retranslating done.)^↩

Configuring Your Prayer App – Part II

Bismi llāh, wa l-ḥamdu lillāh, wa ṣ-ṣalātu wa s-salāmu ‘alā rasūli llāh, sayyidinā Muḥammadini bni ‘Abdi llāh, wa ‘alā ālihī wa ṣaḥbihī wa man wālāh. Wa ba‘d:

In the previous post, we stated that the time for ‘Ishā’ starts when the white twilight that trails the setting Sun disappears below the horizon. However, there is actually a noteworthy difference of opinion on this matter (just like there is for the ‘Aṣr prayer). The difference of opinion relates to whether ‘Ishā’ starts with the disappearance of the white twilight (al-Shafaq al-Abyaḍ) or the red twilight (al-Shafaq al-Aḥmar).

According to Imam Abū Ḥanīfah (Allah have mercy on him), ‘Ishā’ starts with the disappearance of the white twilight, which is the definition we've been working with so far. However, according to the Mālikī, Shāfi‘ī, and Ḥanbalī madh'habs, ‘Ishā’ actually begins with the disappearance of the red twilight from the horizon; this is also the view of Imam Abū Hanīfah's two disciples, Imam Abū Yūsuf and Imam Muḥammad al-Shaybānī (Allah have mercy on them both). Consequently, the latter view is in fact the majority view. However, most – if not all – prayer calendars and apps give the ‘Ishā’ time based on the former view, i.e. the view of Imam Abū Ḥanīfah that ‘Ishā’ starts with the disappearance of the white twilight.

This is a very important fact to note for those who do not follow the Ḥanafī school. Important because for the majority, Maghrib actually ends before the ‘Ishā’ time given by your prayer app or calendar. Thus, if you were to delay your Maghrib prayer up until just 20 minutes prior to the ‘Ishā’ time given by your prayer app, you'd actually be praying Maghrib outside its time – and remember that it is sinful to delay a prayer without a valid shar‘ī excuse.

So you might ask: how do I configure my app to display the ‘Ishā’ time as per the majority opinion?

Here, things get a bit tricky. First of all, you need an app where you can actually customise the Fajr and ‘Ishā’ angle. For Android, there's the Prayer times: Qibla & Azan app; for iOS, there's the alQibla app.

Thereafter, set the ‘Ishā’ twilight angle as being 13.5°. This applies for most of the year, except from around early May until around late August, when a 14.5° angle should be used instead. (From late April until early May, the red twilight angle gradually changes from being 13.5° to being 14.5°. Then, from early to late August, it gradually changes again from being 14.5° to being 13.5° again.)

Here's a demonstration with screenshots for the Android Prayer times: Qibla & Azan app:

And here's a demonstration with screenshots for the iOS alQibla app:

Remember that from early May to late August, an angle of 14.5° is used instead. And don't forget to also configure your Fajr twilight angle! (To 18°, that is. Not 13.5° or 14.5°. There's no difference of opinion among the jurists about when Fajr time starts.)

Also note that these figures of 13.5° and 14.5° are specific to Sydney, Australia. Other regions may/will have their own respective figures. (The more common angle at which the red twilight sets for many regions is in fact 12°.)

Two more notes:

1. Ḥanafīs should nevertheless avoid delaying Maghrib past the "red twilight" (al-Shafaq al-Aḥmar) ‘Ishā’ time such that they pray it just before the "white twilight" ‘Ishā’ time enters. This is due to:
(a) precaution
(b) the fact that many Ḥanafī scholars have held that it is in fact the disappearance of the red twilight that defines the start of ‘Ishā’, this being the stronger position in the madh'hab according to them.

2. Non-Ḥanafīs should nevertheless delay ‘Ishā’ until the "white twilight" (al-Shafaq al-Abyaḍ) time enters, due to:
(a) precaution
(b) this being mandūb (recommended) by the sharī‘ah (at least in the Shāfi‘ī madh'hab).

BUT I'M NOT BOTHERED HAVING TO CHANGE MY PRAYER APP SETTINGS EVERY NOW AND THEN

With regards to all that has been mentioned about ‘Ishā’ according to the majority of the schools actually starting before the time your average prayer app or calendar says it does, yes, all that configuration about twilight angles and degrees can be a bit confusing, not to mention having to explain to others why your phone's ‘Ishā’ adhān goes off half-an-hour before everyone else's.

If you don't want to go through all the hassle, what you can do is just simply set your app's calculation method to the University of Islamic Sciences, Karachi method, and then ensure that you pray Maghrib as soon as possible (something you should be doing anyway as the aḥādīth especially emphasise performing Maghrib as soon as its time enters) and that you don't delay it to within 30-40 minutes of the ‘Ishā’ time as given by your phone app using the University of Islamic Sciences, Karachi method. That way, you guard your Maghrib, guard your ‘Ishā’, and avoid the hassle of having to tweak around with settings every now and then.

Hopefully, this has clarified some confusion with regards to all those settings on your prayer app, as well as with regards to the actual end of Maghrib and start of ‘Ishā’. If not, please do not hesitate to comment.

We ask Allah to make us of those who guard their prayers, both in quantity and quality.
And Allah knows best, and with Allah lies ultimate success.

Configuring Your Prayer App

Bismi llāh, wa l-ḥamdu lillāh, wa ṣ-ṣalātu wa s-salāmu 'alā rasūli llāh, sayyidinā Muḥammadini bni 'Abdi llāh, wa 'alā ālihī wa ṣaḥbihī wa man wālāh. Ammā ba'd:

Chances are that you've got an app on your phone to give you the times of the five daily prayers. But have you got it configured correctly? What if the whole time your prayer app was configured incorrectly and so it turns out that you've been praying at the wrong time for all these years?

Pretty important then that you've got your settings configured correctly, isn't it?

So you open your phone's flashy prayer app. You then go to the settings to set your location. But then you're greeted with a whole bunch of other options:

- Calculation method: ISNA, Muslim World League, Umm al-Qura, etc.
- ‘Aṣr method: Standard vs Ḥanafī
- Minutes adjustment
- etc.

So how do we go about with all these settings? Read on to find out.

I JUST WANT TO SET UP MY APP. I DON'T CARE ABOUT ALL THE TECHNICALITIES.

If all you're worried about is setting up your app to give you accurate prayer times, then adjust your app's settings as follows.

Calculation Method (Fajr and ‘Ishā’ Method)

Use the University of Islamic Sciences, Karachi method.

(Generally, this method is the one to use for most places around the globe – Sydney, Australia included. However, in various other regions around the globe, a different method[s] would need to be used.)

‘Aṣr Method

This depends on the madh'hab you follow (read this if you have no clue what a madh'hab is). If you follow the Ḥanafī madh'hab, use the Ḥanafī option (applies mostly, though not exclusively, to those from the Indian subcontinent and the Afghan region). For those who follow one of the other three madh'habs, use the Standard option (your app may call it something like the "Shāfi‘ī" or the "Shāfi‘ī, Mālikī, Ḥanbalī" option).

Minutes Adjustment

For Ẓuhr, adjust it by at least +3 minutes (many suggest +5 minutes; this is safer).
For Maghrib, also adjust it by at least +3 minutes..

OK, COOL. BUT WHY THESE SETTINGS?

Hmm. So you are curious, eh? Read on.

Calculation Method (Fajr and ‘Ishā’ Method)

So you might be asking: why the University of Islamic Sciences, Karachi method?

First of all, let's look at how the sharī‘ah has defined the entry times of Fajr and ‘Ishā’. The time for Fajr is said to start at al-Ṣubḥ al-Ṣādiq (true dawn), i.e. when the sky around the horizon begins to grow light. In other words, Fajr starts with the appearance of the white dawn twilight. The time for ‘Ishā’, meanwhile, is said to start when the white dusk twilight (more discussion on the white twilight later on) that trails the setting Sun disappears below the horizon. (Just to put things into perspective, three different twilights trail the Sun as it sets, as stated by our Islamic scholars: a red twilight, a yellow twilight, and a white twilight. ‘Ishā’ starts when the white twilight sets.)

Now, astronomers can calculate when both al-Ṣubḥ al-Ṣādiq and the setting of the white twilight occur. They do this by calculating the angle between the centre of the Sun's disc and the horizon. Now, for most regions of the world, the angle at which both al-Ṣubḥ al-Ṣādiq and the setting of the white twilight occur is 18°, i.e. both al-Ṣubḥ al-Ṣādiq and the setting of the white twilight occur when the centre of the Sun makes an angle of 18° with the horizon. These two diagrams both illustrate it well.

Going back to all those different calculation methods, the reason there are several calculation methods on your app is because several institutions have determined different angles at which both al-Ṣubḥ al-Ṣādiq and the setting of the white twilight occur, based on which figures they deem most correct. For example, the "Egyptian General Authority of Survey" method has Fajr and ‘Ishā’ start when the Sun's centre is 19.5° and 17.5° respectively below the horizon, while the "Muslim World League" method has ‘Ishā’ start at an angle of 17°. Although these figures may be used for certain parts of the world, they can't be used for all – Sydney definitely included. Meanwhile, the only calculation method out of the whole lot that has both al-Ṣubḥ al-Ṣādiq and the setting of the white twilight occur at 18° is the "University of Islamic Sciences, Karachi" method. Accordingly, this is the one you should configure your prayer app to.

‘Aṣr Method

So you might be asking: why are there two different ‘Aṣr calculation methods?

It all goes back to the difference of opinion amongst the fuqahā’ (jurists) on when the time for ‘Aṣr enters. According to the Mālikī, Shāfi‘ī, and Ḥanbalī schools, ‘Aṣr time starts when the length of an object's shadow, in addition to the length of its shadow at the time of zawwāl, equals the object's height. However, according to the Ḥanafī school, ‘Aṣr time starts when the length of an object's shadow, in addition the length of its shadow at the time of zawwāl, is double the object's height. For example, say we stood up a 30 cm ruler on the ground outdoors and its shadow at the time of zawwāl was 5 cm. According to the majority opinion, ‘Aṣr would start when the shadow of the ruler reaches 35 cm in length (30 cm + 5 cm), while according to the Ḥanafi opinion, ‘Aṣr would start when the shadow of the ruler reaches 65 cm in length ((30 cm × 2) + 5 cm).

As such, there are two methods for calculating ‘Aṣr, depending on which opinion you follow.

Minutes Adjustment

So you might be asking: why do I need to adjust the minutes for Ẓuhr and Maghrib?

Let's address Ẓuhr first. Ẓuhr is defined as starting when the Sun begins to decline from its zenith (i.e. its highest point in the sky for the day). Now, the thing with your prayer app is that when it comes to Ẓuhr, it actually calculates the time when the Sun is actually at its zenith, not when it begins to decline from it. This can be problematic: it is actually ḥarām/makrūh taḥrīman, and therefore sinful, to offer ṣalāh when the sun is at its zenith. Furthermore, since Ẓuhr time starts when the Sun declines from its zenith, if one were to therefore begin praying right when the Sun is at its zenith, one's prayer would be invalid as one began performing it before its time. The same applies with the pre-Ẓuhr sunnah prayers.

Obviously, what all that means is that we need to wait a few minutes after the Sun reaches its zenith before we can pray Ẓuhr. Now, long story short, the Sun can be said to first decline from its zenith 65 seconds after reaching its zenith. Round that forward to the next minute and you get two minutes. (Yes, we round to the next minute here, not the nearest minute - try figuring out why.) However, an extra one minute should be added as a safety factor, for various reasons. Thus, the Ẓuhr time on your prayer app should be adjusted so as to reflect this. Adding three minutes to the time calculated by your app is the minimum, though it is safer to add at least five minutes, as recommended by various scholars and Islamic authorities.

As for Maghrib:

"Maghrib should be calculated at least as 3 minutes after theoretical sunset (reported in newspapers) for the following considerations:

1. The effects of actual humidity, temperature, and pressure in the atmosphere may cause a different refraction of sun light than assumed in calculations of theoretical sunset.
2. In some areas there could be a downward sloping ground towards western horizon that causes a delayed sunset for an observer compared to a perfectly level ground as assumed in calculations of theoretical sunset.
3. For major metropolitan cities, the sunset in a 30 mile (approx. 48 km) radius from the point assumed in calculation will vary. Since the people may live all around the city, this may delay sunset for some areas." (Adapted from moonsighting.com)

A VERY IMPORTANT NOTE ON ‘ISHĀ’

Earlier, we stated that the time for ‘Ishā’ starts when the white twilight that trails the setting Sun disappears below the horizon. However, there is actually a significant difference of opinion amongst the fuqahā’ on this matter (just like there is for ‘Asr prayer). The difference of opinion relates to whether ‘Ishā’ starts with the disappearance of the white twilight (al-Shafaq al-Abyaḍ) or the red twilight (al-Shafaq al-Aḥmar).

The implications of this difference opinion are quite significant: for those who hold that ‘Ishā’ time enters with the disappearance of the red twilight, whatever was mentioned about the University of Islamic Sciences, Karachi calculation method being the correct method to use now falls flat on its face, as this method (the other methods likewise) works on the basis that ‘Ishā’ time enters with the disappearance of the white twilight. Not only that, but the majority of the schools of fiqh actually hold the red-twilight opinion to be the correct and relied-upon opinion.

This dilemma will be dealt with in more detail in the upcoming post, in shā’ Allāh.

In shā’ Allāh, this has clarified some confusion with regards to all those settings on your prayer app. If not, please do not hesitate to reply and ask.

We ask Allah to make us of those who guard their prayers, both in quantity and quality.
And Allah knows best, and with Allah lies ultimate success.

"Why Are You Muslim?" – Part II

Bismi llāh, wa l-ḥamdu lillāh, wa ṣ-ṣalātu wa s-salāmu ‘alā rasūli llāh, sayyidinā Muḥammadini bni ‘Abdi llāh, wa ‘alā ālihī wa ṣaḥbihī wa man wālāh. Ammā ba‘d:

This part deals with proving the Qur’ān to be the Word of God and thus the truthfulness of Prophet Muḥammad's (ﷺ) claim to prophethood. (Note that some of the below is copy-paste; I've placed a reference list at the bottom of sources from where I've done this. I may try properly tracing back each quote to its source another time in shā’ Allāh.)

Going Back a Bit

Previously, we proved God's existence: that He definitely exists, He is One and Only, and that He is beyond all need and limitation. But since He created us, does He demand anything from us? Or did He create us purposelessly? To answer this, one would analyse the claims of all religions that call to belief in one god and see if they hold merit. If none of them do, then it could be that God doesn't demand anything from us. Or is it?

With most religions that call to one god, their claims to one god are flawed. They are all unable come up with sufficient proof to back up their claims as being the "true religion". From Christianity (with its unsound approach to "one" god) to Sikhism (which has no idea how to prove that its teachings indeed came from God – pretty much like every other religion), none are able to rationally prove the correctness of their religions.

Except Islam that is.