Muhammad-Nur’s Blog

“The most important thing is practice in daily life; then you can know gradually the true value of religion. Doctrine is not meant for mere knowledge, but for the improvement of our minds. In order to do that, it must be part of our life. If you put religious doctrine in a building and when you leave the building depart from the practices, you cannot gain its value.”
His Holiness the Dalai Lama, from ‘ A Policy of Kindness‘

The Prophet Muhammad said, “Any word of wisdom is the stray of the believer, who has the better right to it wherever it may be found.”

Imâm W. D. Mohammed and The Third Resurrection
by Sherman Abd al-Hakim Jackson

The passing of Imam W.D. Mohammed, may God have mercy upon him and
grant him Paradise, has brought the Blackamerican Muslim community
face to face with a reality that it has been more comfortable with
ignoring than coming to terms with. Imâm Mohammed’s death has
signaled the end of the era of charismatic leadership in which the
rank and file can look to a single leader to settle all major
questions and chart the Community’s course for the future. Rather
than being decided by a single voice, that future will have to be
negotiated by the collective understandings and perspectives of the
Community’s learned. This implies, of course, general agreement on
who is learned and what the rules of engagement are. If the
criterion is set too high, it will marginalize valuable voices and
confirm an already widespread distrust of religious knowledge and
those who claim to represent it. If it is set too low, it will open
the Community to the ravages and abuses of those who think that the
role of religion is to sanction their and or the dominant culture’s
every undisciplined whim and passion.

In the years leading up to his death, Imam Mohammed strove mightily
and with great farsightedness to empower his Community to carve out
a dignified existence for themselves, to transition to what I have
referred to as the “Third Resurrection,” whereby, individually and
collectively, the Community is able to negotiate American reality in
light of the Qur’ân and Sunna. For the most part, however, the Imam
had to go it alone, with few contributions from Blackamerican Muslim
scholars outside his own movement.

Here we come to an embarrassingly sad fact about the state of
Blackamerican Islam. For decades, Blackamerican Muslims have been
venturing abroad to learn Arabic and the Islamic religious sciences.
Yet, this has translated into little benefit and even less
interfacing with the Community of Imam W.D. Mohammed — despite that
community’s historically unique role in indigenizing Islam among
Blackamericans. When we think across the spectrum of the most noted
Blackamerican Muslim scholars – from myself to Zaid Shakir, from
Aminah Wadud to Aminah McCloud – what we see is a veritable brain-
drain out of the Blackamerican community into discourses and
activities whose primary beneficiaries are not Blackamerican Muslims
and or whose primary focus is not Blackamerican Muslim problems or
concerns. Of course, there are exceptions, both in terms of
individuals who contradict this description and in terms of some of
the activities of the scholars named. But the fact that these are
exceptions points to the reality that I am trying to describe:
Blackamerican Muslim scholars have a closer relationship with the
immigrant community than they have with the community of Imam W.D.
Mohammed.

To be fair, there are understandable reasons for this: 1) it is
easier (and safer) to direct the Islamic sciences to the realities
of the Muslim world and by extension the perspective of Muslim
immigrants; 2) Muslim immigrants have more financial wherewithal to
support such activities as lecturing, teaching and writing; 3) the
immigrant community has a greater ability to validate scholars as
scholars; and 4) the media (which plays an enormous role in setting
the Muslim agenda in America) tends overwhelmingly to focus on
immigrant issues. Beyond all of this, however, there lurks a far
more subtle, sadder and less talked about reality that has for
decades plagued the relationship between the followers of Imam W.D.
Mohammed and the rest of the Blackamerican Sunni community.

I remember Philadelphia in the late 70s and early 80s, when Imam
Mohammed was in this midst of his history-making transition. Those
of us converts who had been blessed with greater access to (what we
thought was) traditional learning would deride the way members of
the World Community of Al-Islam in the West recited al-Fâtihah, joke
about how they gave salâms and relish their inability to keep up
with us on all of the irrelevant minutia on which we so self-
righteously prided ourselves. We were better than them; for we were
real Sunnis, not half-baptist wannabes. For all our `knowledge,’
however, we were completely devoid of wisdom and even more ignorant
of the Sunna of Muhammad (SAWS). Of course, our high-handed
arrogance would produce over time an understandable counter-
arrogance. To the Imam’s community, we were confused, self-hating
Negroes, wannabe Arabs, fresh off the back of the bus onto the back
of the camel. If what we displayed was what the so-called Islamic
sciences were supposed to be about, they would have little use for
them. Ultimately, this would lead to a quiet resentment, mistrust
and even hostility, not only towards us but also towards the so-
called Islamic tradition that we so dismally (mis)represented. Of
course, there were those from Imam Mohammed’s community who managed
to transcend some of this alienation. But this was far more the
exception than it was the rule.

I may be wrong, but I suspect that Philadelphia was no anomaly in
this regard, that this was a fairly widespread phenomenon across the
country. The death of Imam Mohammed, however, has now forced us all
to take collective responsibility for this toxic state of affairs.
Imam Mohammed may be succeeded by another leader; but he is not
likely to be replaced; for who could fill his shoes? The new
leadership, therefore – not unlike Blackamerican Muslim leadership
in general — will have to find ways to spread greater Islamic
literacy among the rank and file, to empower them to engage the
religion on their own, in order to enable them to sustain their
commitment to it. As for the rest of the Blackamerican Sunni
community – especially the scholars – I pray that Allah will inspire
us and show us the way to mend this relationship. And I ask Allah
(and the followers of Imam Mohammed) to forgive me for whatever I
may have contributed to our mutual estrangement.

This is not time for a blame game; there is enough blame to go
around – on all sides. The time now is for us to put all our “hidden
differences” aside and come together to work for the glory of God.
In concrete terms, perhaps this year’s MANA conference in
Philadelphia could be the starting point of a broad-based dialogue.
And if not the MANA conference, perhaps the conference held by Imam
Mohammed’s community next year could be the forum. The important
point is that we find a way to move beyond where we are now, that we
come together in safe space where we can air our differences,
establish bonds of mutual respect, identify our common objectives
and strengths and renew our commitment to upholding the truth, as
Allah says, “even if against ourselves.”

In the meantime, may Allah shower his mercy upon our beloved Imam W.
D. Mohammed. May He keep him firm in the grave and raise him among
those who have earned His pleasure. May He reward him richly for all
that he has done and sacrificed for Islam in this land. And may He
bless and guide us to overcome our insecurities through
strengthening our bond with Him. May He empower us to conquer the
evil whisperings of our souls and grant us the resolve to resist the
temptations of Satan. And may He gift us the wisdom to prepare
ourselves for a Day on which neither wealth nor progeny will avail,
and none shall be spared save those who come to God with a purified
heart.

Dr. Sherman Jackson is an Arthur F. Thurnau Professor of Near
Eastern Studies, Visiting Professor of Law and Professor of Afro-
American Studies at the University of Michigan. He is the author of
several books including Islam and the Blackamerican, The Boundaries
of Theological Tolerance in Islam and Islamic Law and the State: The
Constitutional Jurisprudence of Shihâb al-Dîn al-Qarâfî as well as
numerous essays. For more information on Dr. Jackson, see here.

This is a quote for the comments section of the Muslim Matters website.  I quote it here because the brother really summed up how I feel and better than I would have been able to express it.

from the Muslim Matters blog

Yasir Qadhi (Author) said:

Salaam Alaikum

This person has just died, and I personally refuse to begin or participate in a discussion of this nature, especially in such a manner and on such a forum and with such brothers.

It is so easy to find such quotes, which really all Sunni Muslims would disagree with, and no one defends, yet to look at the bigger picture and see what he has done requires a larger heart and a sense of history. Allah will judge him… and He will take into account the courage and commitment that he had to ‘pure’ Islam; the bravery that was required of him in order for him to change the course of his father’s movement from blatant kufr to recognizable Islam (even if it still had elements of incorrectness in it). No one forced him to do this; in fact there was no pressure on him from within or from without to change the teachings of the NOI. He had inherited an empire, with all of its fame, and glory, and prestige. He could have avoided any controversy and lived a very comfortable life following the footsteps of his father.

Those brothers who are writing from overseas, or even us ‘immigrant’ Americans (even though the term doesn’t apply to second-generation Americans, but you get my point) who don’t interact much with the African-American community: all that I ask of you is to visit a NOI temple, and then visit a masjid that respects Warith Din as their national leader, and you will see with your eyes the difference between the two, which is greater than the difference between night and day. This difference, after the blessings of Allah, is due SOLELY to this one man’s desire to bring his father’s followers from kufr to Islam, and if he made mistakes (perhaps some very large and major mistakes) in the process, in the end the result was accomplished. His followers today - and I know many of them, as do all activists and community leaders in America - do not even know these quotes that you so adeptly manage to dig up from your sources and so eagerly proliferate amongst others, nor do they believe him to be such (even if he himself might have uttered such statements years and decades ago). They do not view him as being the Mahdi or Messiah or anything more than an ‘Imam’, a mentor whom Allah blessed them with and who managed to lead them away from blatant heresy to the worship of Allah and the Sunnah of the Messenger. Were it not for this man, millions (yes, millions) of people in America would believe that Allah came down in the form of a man by the name of Fard Muhammad and that His final prophet was Elijah Muhammad; millions of those who claim to be Muslim would not be praying five times a day, they would be fasting in the month of December, they would be unconcerned about performing Hajj - in fact, they would not even be saying the shahadah.

But through him, Allah guided an entire population of people to believe in Allah alone as being worthy of worship, that the Arabian prophet Muhammad salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam is the final messenger and his Sunnah is worthy of being emulated; they pray five times a day facing the Kabah; they fast in Ramadhan, and go for Hajj. Because of the blessings of Allah, and then the efforts of this man, African-Americans now constitute over 30 % of Muslims in America. Even those who have left his movement to more orthodox or traditional understandings of Islam credit the fact that it was HIS initiative that allowed them to be exposed to the Sunnah, even if he himself did not take them that far.

And all of this was done because he genuinely felt that his father was wrong, and that the Islam of the Prophet Muhammad salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam was right.

So, I say clearly and unabashedly, with conviction and sincerity: may Allah forgive Him! May Allah drown out the mistakes that he made in all the good that he achieved! May Allah overlook his shortcomings! May Allah raise his ranks! May Allah allow his legacy - the legacy that he is actually remembered for, and not the ones that strangers cut and paste from his quotes - to live on and to be even more perfected!

In conclusion, I do recommend that the more open-minded and interested readers read through Dr. Abul Hakim Jackson’s work: Islam and the Blackamerican: Looking toward the Third Resurrection.

Yasir

The Messenger of Allah (sallahu alaihi wa sallam) said, The intelligent one is he who has subdued his lower self and who has worked for what comes after death, and the stupid one is he who has put his lower self in pursuance of its desires and who has vain hopes about Allah. (Tirmidhi, ibn Majah)

By Dr. G.F. Haddad

Al-Nu`man ibn Thabit al-Taymi, al-Imam Abu Hanifa (d. 150), called “The Imam” by Abu Dawud, and “The Imam, one of those who have reached the sky” by Ibn Hajar, he is known in the Islamic world as “The Greatest Imam” (al-imâm al-a`zam) and his school has the largest number of followers among the four schools of Ahl al-Sunna. He is the first of the four mujtahid imams and the only Successor (tâbi`i) among them, having seen the Companions Anas ibn Malik, `Abd Allah ibn Abi Awfa, Sahl ibn Sa`d al-Sa`idi, Abu al-Tufayl, and `Amir ibn Wathila.

Abu Hanifa is the first in Islam to organize the writing of fiqh under sub-headings embracing the whole of the Law, beginning with purity (tahara) followed by prayer (sala), an order which was retained by all subsequent scholars such as Malik, Shafi`i, Abu Dawud, Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi, and others. All these and their followers are indebted to him and give him a share of their reward because he was the first to open that road for them, according to the hadith of the Prophet: “He who starts something good in Islam has its reward and the reward of those who practice it until the Day of Judgement, without lessening in the least the reward of those who practice it. The one who starts something bad in Islam will incur its punishment and the punishment of all those who practice it until the Day of Judgement without lessening their punishment in the least.” Al-Shafi`i referred to this when he said: “People are all the children of Abu Hanifa in fiqh, of Ibn Ishaq in history, of Malik in hadith, and of Muqatil in tafsîr.”

Al-Khatib narrated from Abu Hanifa’s student Abu Nu`aym that the latter said: “Muslims should make du`a to Allah on behalf of Abu Hanifa in their prayers, because the Sunan and the fiqh were preserved for them through him. Al-Dhahabi wrote one volume on the life of each of the other three great Imams and said: “The account of Abu Hanifa’s life requires two volumes.” His son Hammad said as he washed his father’s body for burial: “May Allah have mercy on you! You have exhausted whoever tries to catch up with you.”

Abu Hanifa was scrupulously pious and refused Ibn Hubayra’s offer of a judgeship even when the latter had him whipped. Like al-Bukhari and al-Shafi`i, he used to make 60 complete recitations (khatma) of Qur’an every Ramadan: one in the day, one in the night, besides his teaching and other duties. Ibrahim ibn Rustum al-Marwazi said: “Four are the Imams that recited the entire Qur’an in a single rak`a: `Uthman ibn `Affan, Tamim al-Dari, Sa`id ibn Jubayr, and Abu Hanifa.” Ibn al-Mubarak said: “Abu Hanifa for a long time would pray all five prayers with a single ablution.”

Al-Suyuti relates in Tabyid al-Sahifa that a certain visitor came to observe Abu Hanifa and saw him all day long in the mosque, teaching relentlessly, answering every question from both the scholars and the common people, not stopping except to pray, then standing at home in prayer when people were asleep, hardly ever eating or sleeping, and yet the most handsome and gracious of people, always alert and never tired, day after day for a long time, so that in the end the visitor said: “I became convinced that this was not an ordinary matter, but wilâya (Friendship with Allah).”

Al-Shafi`i said: “Knowledge revolves around three men: Malik, al-Layth, and Ibn `Uyayna.” Al-Dhahabi commented: “Rather, it revolves also around al-Awza`i, al-Thawri, Ma`mar, Abu Hanifa, Shu`ba, and the two Hammads [ibn Zayd and ibn Salama].”

Sufyan al-Thawri praised Abu Hanifa when he said: “We were in front of Abu Hanifa like small birds in front of the falcon,” and Sufyan stood up for him when Abu Hanifa visited him after his brother’s death, and he said: “This man holds a high rank in knowledge, and if I did not stand up for his science I would stand up for his age, and if not for his age then for his Godwariness (wara`), and if not for his Godwariness then for his jurisprudence (fiqh).” Ibn al-Mubarak praised Abu Hanifa and called him a sign of Allah. Both Ibn al-Mubarak and Sufyan al-Thawri said: “Abu Hanifa was in his time the most knowledgeable of all people on earth.” Ibn Hajar also related that Ibn al-Mubarak said: “If Allah had not rescued me with Abu Hanifa and Sufyan [al-Thawri] I would have been like the rest of the common people.” Dhahabi relates it as: “I would have been an innovator.”

An example of Abu Hanifa’s perspicuity in inferring legal rulings from source-texts is his reading of the following hadith:

The Prophet said: “Your life in comparison to the lifetime of past nations is like the period between the time of the mid-afternoon prayer (‘asr) and sunset. Your example and the example of the Jews and Christians is that of a man who employed laborers and said to them: ‘Who will work for me until mid-day for one qirât (a unit of measure, part of a dinar) each?’ The Jews worked until mid-day for one qirât each. Then the man said: ‘Who will work for me from mid-day until the ‘asr prayer for one qirât each?’ The Christians worked from mid-day until the ‘asr prayer for one qirât each. Then the man said: ‘Who will work for me from the `asr prayer until the maghrib prayer for two qirât each?’ And that, in truth, is all of you. In truth, you have double the wages. The Jews and the Christians became angry and said: ‘We did more labor but took less wages.’ But Allah said: ‘Have I wronged you in any of your rights?’ They replied no. Then He said: ‘This is My Blessing which I give to whom I wish.’”

It was deduced from the phrase “We did more labor” that the time of mid-day to `asr must always be longer than that between `asr and maghrib. This is confirmed by authentic reports whereby:

The Prophet hastened to pray zuhr and delayed praying `asr.

The Prophet said: “May Allah have mercy on someone who prays four rak`as before `asr.

`Ali delayed praying `asr until shortly before the sun changed, and he reprimanded the mu’adhdhin who was hurrying him with the words: “He is trying to teach us the Sunna!”

Ibrahim al-Nakha`i said: “Those that came before you used to hasten more than you to pray zuhr and delay more than you in praying `asr.” Al-Tahanawi said: “Those that came before you” are the Companions.

Ibn Mas`ud delayed praying `asr.

Sufyan al-Thawri, Abu Hanifa, and his two companions Muhammad ibn a-Hasan and Abu Yusuf therefore considered it better to lengthen the time between zuhr and `asr by delaying the latter prayer as long as the sun did not begin to redden, while the majority of the authorities considered that praying `asr early is better, on the basis of other sound evidence to that effect.

Like every Friend of Allah, Abu Hanifa had his enemies. `Abdan said that he heard Ibn al-Mubarak say: “If you hear them mention Abu Hanifa derogatively then they are mentioning me derogatively. In truth I fear for them Allah’s displeasure.” Authentically related from Bishr al-Hafi is the statement: “No-one criticizes Abu Hanifa except an envier or an ignoramus.” Hamid ibn Adam al-Marwazi said: I heard Ibn al-Mubarak say: “I never saw anyone more fearful of Allah than Abu Hanifa, even on trial under the whip and through money and property.” Abu Mu`awiya al-Darir said: “Love of Abu Hanifa is part of the Sunna.”

from

http://www.sunnah.org/publication/khulafa_rashideen/hanifa.htm

Sayyidi wa sanadi Shaykh Mufti Mohammad Taqi Usmani (may Allah preserve him) said,

“Controlling the gaze is the first step to rectification (islah).

The one who doesn’t control his gaze will not be able to progress spiritually.”

from Ashrafiya

Knowledge is not the abundance of narrations.  It is only a light that Allah Most High places in the hearts.

-Imam Malik (rahimullah)

Hazrath Abu Bakr (Radiallahu anhu) has been reported to have said:’ Invoking blessing on the Prophet is more effective for washing away sins than cold water is for extinguishing fire. It is the source of illumination and blessings and the key to the doors of all-good fortune and bliss. Many Spiritual Guides who were very particular in this regard have been blessed with high rewards from Allah. Some of these guides have said: When there is no perfect guide (Murshid e Kamil) available to guide him one should make it incumbent on himself to invoke blessings on the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam). This is the method by which a seeker attains union with Allah. (Waasil ba Haq).  This turning to the Prophet and salaat-o- salaam will be the best guide to acquire the noble manners and customs of the Prophet, and attain the highest perfection and nearness to Allah. It will also win him the nearness of the prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam). (Madarrijun Nabuwah.). Whoever invokes blessing on the Prophet extensively is blessed with the Prophets love and association, and will be blessed with the vision of the prophet both in waking and in a dream. (Sheikh Imam Ali Mutaqqi’s Dawatul Kabir.)

from  http://www.sufi.co.za/articles%20salami.htm

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My Memoir

From the darknesses…into the Light.

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“A real mureed is one who when looked at reminds the onlooker of the shaykh.”

from here