0:22:15 most go to umrah to see the ka'abah, only a few go to be near the Lord of the ka'abah
0:34:00 when are you going to switch to the 'allah' channel? 0:37:00 " oh soul blessed with tranquility, come, return to your Lord!" 0:41:00 for 60,70 years we look after our body, at the end of our time, it is shrouded in a ten dollar shroud and sent to the hole in the ground... and what have we done to our souls this 60, 70 years ? 0:53:15 how to open the channel of the heart?....have to feel the 'love in the air'.. 0:58:00 you should not be defined by what others say about you...YOU define what you are.. 1:10:00 the Companions celebrate 'the Prophet's birth everyday of the year......
Detachment is not that you should own nothing, but that nothing should own you [ Saidina Ali radiyallahu'an ] ................................................... Biodata of Shaykh Ninowy:
Born in Aleppo,Syria, Shaykh Muhammad al-Ninowy is the direct descendant of the family of Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him). His studies and teachings have come directly from father to father all the way down to Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him)’s teachings to his daughter Fatima Azzahra (RA). He currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A., as an Imam and Khateeb at Masjid Al-Madina where he delivers the Friday Sermons and gives a weekly majlis in Hadith and Tawheed.
Al-Ninowy began his study under his father, As-Sayyed Yahya ibn Muhammad, memorising the Qur'an and acquiring knowledge in Islamic sciences, including Aqidah (Islamic theology), Fiqh (Islamic jurispudence), Hadith (Prophetic tradition) and Ihsan (perfection and excellence), with ijazahs (certificate to teach). He particularly specialises in the fields of Hadith and Tawheed.
He attended Al-Azhar University, Faculty of Usool ud-Deen, where he studied under many scholars. He was also under the tutelage of many who resided in Syria, Madina, Makkah, Tangiers, Fez, Rabat, Egypt, Sudan.
Al-Ninowy was a professor of Anatomy and Physiology at the University of Georgia. He is an outspoken proponent for peace and against violence, hatred and bigotry.
Al-Nur, in particular, has established the means by which illicit sexual activity, promiscuity, and loose moral behavior are to be curtailed and prohibited in Muslim society. It hits hard at those who wish to undermine the moral fabric of society, saying: And they say: We believe in Allah and the messenger, and we obey; then after that a faction of them turn away. Such are not believers. (47) And when they appeal unto Allah and His messenger to judge between them, lo! a faction of them are averse; (48) It is curious to note that those who refuse God's teachings and the leadership of the Prophets in political, legal, and economic matters are usually non-practising Muslims who do not observe their basic Islamic obligations. Yet it is the same people who are most adamant in opposing Islam and undermining the very foundation of Muslim society and civilization. No wonder that the surah goes on to say: The saying of (all true) believers when they are called unto Allah and His messenger to judge between them is only that they say: We hear and we obey. And such are the successful. (51) He who obeyeth Allah and His messenger, and feareth Allah, and keepeth duty (unto Him): such indeed are the victorious. (52) This is yet another form of the perennial conflict between those who reject religion in its totality and champion every possible cause to destroy it, and those who defend religion and devote their energies to bringing people closer to God and to the way of life HE has ordained for humankind. Muslims today are dispirited, divided, and weak. But this surah brings them hope: Allah hath promised such of you as believe and do good work that He will surely make them to succeed (the present rulers) in the earth even as He caused those who were before them to succeed (others); and that He will surely establish for them their religion which He hath approved for them, and will give them in exchange safety after their fear. They serve Me. They ascribe no thing as partner unto Me. Those who disbelieve henceforth, they are the miscreants. (55) This victory, however, does not come easily. It has to be earned with hard work, sacrifice, and devotion. Muslims today will have to learn from example of the Prophet and his Companions. They spent almost a quarter century fighting paganism and polytheism before they were able to establish Islam a sthe dominant force in Arabia. From there, and within phenomenally short period of time, they emerged to take on the Roman and the Persian empires and it was not very long afterwards that the Muslims came to be the most powerful and dominant force in the world. Within thirty years of the first words of the Qur'an being revealed to Muhammad, a single man from a poor family in the heart of Arabia, a powerful nation brought was established with influence extending to all corners of the globe: a nation brought up under the watchful eyes of God to uphold HIS laws and establish HIS way of life on earth. But what are the conditions that the Muslims must satisfy to assume the leadership of the world again? The surah replies: "....They serve Me. They ascribe no thing as partner unto Me...."(55), and "Establish worship and pay the poor-due and obey the messenger, that haply ye may find mercy. "(56) Cynics and unbelievers will say that this naive and idealistic, pie -in-the sky thinking, but God says: "Think not that the disbelievers can escape in the land. Fire will be their home - a hapless journey's end!" (57) It is not surprising that skeptics and doubters are unable to understand this rationale or appreciate its gravity. They would rather dismiss the whole argument. To the believers, however, it is a certainty that stems from the unshakable faith and trust in God Almighty. " A Thematic Commentary On The Qur'an " Shaykh Muhammad al-Ghazali [ 1917 - 1996 ]
Recitation of whole surah by Shaykh Mishari Rashid al-Afasy,
THE SURAH GOES ON TO SPEAK about God's power and splendor, as manifested in the physical world, urging intelligent and discerning people to study these manifestations and reflect upon them in order to gain deeper understanding of God and of themselves. We read: Hast thou not seen that Allah, He it is Whom all who are in the heavens and the earth praise, and the birds in their flight? Of each He knoweth verily the its worship and the its praise; and Allah is Aware of what they do. (41) And unto Allah belongeth the Sovereignty of the heavens and the earth, and unto Allah is the journeying. (42) No believers can fail to be moved by such powerful and reassuring words. Reflecting on the subject matter of the surah, one would be justified in wanting to know and understand the relationship between family etiquette and moral and social conduct [ which earlier passages had covered ] and the greatness and omnipotence of God. The answer is that Islam recognizes a close link between law[ shari'ah ] and faith [ aqidah ] which are two interrelated and complementary concepts. In al-Baqarah, verses 226 -227, for example, we read : Those who forswear [ renounce them on oath ]their wives must wait four months; then, if they change their mind, lo! Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. (226) And if they decide upon divorce (let them remember that) Allah is Hearer, Knower. (227) We notice that four of God's attributes are mentioned in this short passage dealing with divorce. In the Qur'an, faith and belief, or aqidah, are linked to actions, or amal. Man's ordinary, mundane affairs and behavior are linked to his awareness of, and faith in, God. This inseparable bond between shari'ah and aqidah is fundamental to Islam. Some people in the Muslim world are trying to separate the two and compartmentalize them, thereby proposing and seeking sources of law to govern Muslims societies other than those of Islam itself. " A Thematic Commentary On The Qur'an " Shaykh Muhammad al-Ghazali Reflection and commentary by Imam Zia, Session 7.1 ...from ayat 41 onwards
...the 'liberal Islamists' want an 'easy' religion', therefore the advent of anti hadith groups etc etc...and of late, new groups, usually the elites of society, such as in the local setting here in Malaysia, but I will be polite and would not wish to name names here................
THE SURAH TAKES its title from the following: Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The similitude of His light is as a niche wherein is a lamp. The lamp is in a glass. The glass is as it were a shining star. (This lamp is) kindled from a blessed tree, an olive neither of the East nor of the West, whose oil would almost glow forth (of itself) though no fire touched it. Light upon light. Allah guideth unto His light whom He will. And Allah setteth forth for mankind similitudes, for Allah is Knower of all things. (35)
Scholars, such as the eleventh-century philosopher Abu-Hamid al-Ghazali, understood this 'light' or nur, to be the true quintessential light or the definitive source of all light in the universe. He goes on to explain that to describe God as Light puts HIM above everything else in existence and points to HIS power to create living matter out of dark nothingness. The evidence of God's existence and power is so overwhelming and pervasive in the physical universe as well as in our own everyday lives, that only the ignorant or the arrogant can be blind to it. Others interpret 'light' as guidance God infuses into the hearts of believers that gives them the ability to discern right from wrong, good from evil, and give them a strong belief and confidence in their faith and what they profess to be true. The Qur'an is one aspect of that nur which illuminates man's way towards God. It has been described as such on several occasions in the Qur'an: "So believe in Allah and His messenger and the light which We have revealed. And Allah is Informed of what ye do " (al-Taghabun: 8). and,: "O mankind! Now hath a proof from your Lord come unto you, and We have sent down unto you a clear light; "(an-Nisa: 174) On closer reflection, the two meanings of the word nur will be found to be complementary. As one marvels at the light observed in the physical world, it leads to guidance being imbued inside one's heart, drawing one closer to God. Those who fail to be aware of God and deny or ignore HIS power will be deprived of the privilege of God's Light and guidance, no matter how materially fortunate or advanced or successful they may be. The surah asserts that: "Or as darkness on a vast, abysmal sea. There covereth him a wave, above which is a wave, above which is a cloud. Layer upon layer of darkness. When he holdeth out his hand he scarce can see it. And he for whom Allah hath not appointed light, for him there is no light. "(40) " A Thematic Commentary On The Qur'an " Shaykh Muhammad al-Ghazali Shaykh Ninowy on ''Bringing Sirajan Munira, 'The Shining Light', into Your Life'' ,
FEB 27/2012: The distinguished scholar and spiritual guide, al-Sayyid Shaykh Muhammad ibn Yahya al-Ninowy visited SeekersHub Toronto (http://www.SeekersHub.org/) and delivered a beautiful, memorable talk on the meanings of "The Shining Light" (al-Siraj al-Munir). This is one of the descriptive names of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), given to him in the Qur'an. ...26:50 "...information is not the point, transformation is the point " ...29:00 "..are you becoming more Muhammadi? " ...30:20 " Unity does not mean conformity. We can see one thing but means two different ways to us"
Commentary and reflection by Imam Zia,
Session 6.1
Session 6.2
Session 6.3
Session 6.4
.."Or as darkness on a vast, abysmal sea. There covereth him a wave, above which is a wave, above which is a cloud. Layer upon layer of darkness. When he holdeth out his hand he scarce can see it. And he for whom Allah hath not appointed light, for him there is no light. " I have a personal experience here, and the meaning of this verse really dawned upon me like a load of stone. It was some 10 years back when I was mad about scuba diving. It was a late late evening pleasure dive somewhere off the coast of Terengannu, in open sea off Perhentian Island. As always, I ran out of 'air' faster than the rest [ anxiety and over breathing ]and had to surface earlier than the rest of my friends. Thinking that our boat men would be there waiting for me at the surface, I motioned my diving buddy to continue with the rest. On reaching the surface, the boat men were gone for some shelter at a nearby islet, as there was a storm building up. My 'transient fear' was tremendous. Myself bobbing about up and down in a vast, stormy sea with darkness all around and the fearful unknown below me....The verse below encapsulates my, then, sense of loss and fear! :
.."Or as darkness on a vast, abysmal sea. There covereth him a wave, above which is a wave, above which is a cloud. Layer upon layer of darkness. When he holdeth out his hand he scarce can see it. And he for whom Allah hath not appointed light, for him there is no light. " politicians, ministers, CEO's COO's , ambassadors, shakers and movers of society, princes and princesses, sultans, kings and queens...oftentimes we overestimate our self importance and our positions in this life, until it is too late...by then it is curtain : Man Rabbuka?
The surah goes on to outline some rules of social etiquette which Muslims should observe, not only in their daily interactions with members of the the external community but also within their own homes as well. One of these area of etiquette concerns the protocol which should be observed by Muslims when entering the homes of other people for, as places of rest and privacy, their sanctity should be respected. The surah teaches that among the first thing one must do upon entering someone's house is to announce one's presence, greet those inside it and obtain permission to enter and that these formalities should be observed when entering the house from the outside but also when moving from room to room within it.
With a similar rationality for preserving decency and discouraging corruption and promiscuity in society, the surah also urges modesty and a strict sexual morality in the relationship between men and women. Although these rules and regulations were not new to Islam [ as earlier religions had also advocated and promoted them ], the difference was that Islam set them out more succinctly and elaborated on them with more detail. Islam also provided rulings on various aspects of dress, personal hygiene, and the wearing of jewelry as well as guidelines on the use of such thing as perfume and cosmetics, and the subtle features that make a person adorable or attractive. In contrast to these high standards of decency and morality, some cultures, which profess to be religious, stand for the extreme opposite, exporting permissive sexual morality, vulgarity, nudity, pornography, indulgence and perversion.
Indeed, one has only to look at the role played by the mass media tod ay to understand how it is being used as a powerful tool to promote indecency and encourage loose standards of morality such that it strongly threatens to destroy not only the very foundations of the family but also society as well.
Islam looks at marriage as a religious obligation, and directs members of society to seek lawful and decent relationships, avoid the breakdown of the family and, more generally, to protect society from social disintegration. It is comforting and reassuring to know that the Qur'an gives such care and attention to these basic aspects of human life, subjects which occupy more than a third of the surah, especially verses 27 -34 , and verses 58 - 61 :
O ye who believe! Enter not houses other than your own without first announcing your presence and invoking peace upon the folk thereof. That is better for you, that ye may be heedful. (27) And if ye find no-one therein, still enter not until permission hath been given. And if it be said unto you: Go back, then go back, for it is purer for you. Allah knoweth what ye do. (28)(It is) no sin for you to enter uninhabited houses wherein is comfort for you. Allah knoweth what ye proclaim and what ye hide. (29) Tell the believing men to lower their gaze and be modest. That is purer for them. Lo! Allah is aware of what they do. (30) And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and be modest, and to display of their adornment only that which is apparent, and to draw their veils over their bosoms, and not to reveal their adornment save to their own husbands or fathers or husbands' fathers, or their sons or their husbands' sons, or their brothers or their brothers' sons or sisters' sons, or their women, or their slaves, or male attendants who lack vigour, or children who know naught of women's nakedness. And let them not stamp their feet so as to reveal what they hide of their adornment. And turn unto Allah together, O believers, in order that ye may succeed. (31) And marry such of you as are solitary and the pious of your slaves and maid-servants. If they be poor, Allah will enrich them of His bounty. Allah is of ample means, Aware. (32) And let those who cannot find a match keep chaste till Allah give them independence by His grace. And such of your slaves as seek a writing (of emancipation), write it for them if ye are aware of aught of good in them, and bestow upon them of the wealth of Allah which He hath bestowed upon you. Force not your slave-girls to whoredom that ye may seek enjoyment of the life of the world, if they would preserve their chastity. And if one force them, then (unto them), after their compulsion, lo! Allah will be Forgiving, Merciful. (33) And verily We have sent down for you revelations that make plain, and the example of those who passed away before you. An admonition unto those who ward off (evil). (34)
O ye who believe! Let your slaves, and those of you who have not come to puberty, ask leave of you at three times (before they come into your presence): Before the prayer of dawn, and when ye lay aside your raiment for the heat of noon, and after the prayer of night. Three times of privacy for you. It is no sin for them or for you at other times, when some of you go round attendant upon others (if they come into your presence without leave). Thus Allah maketh clear the revelations for you. Allah is Knower, Wise. (58) And when the children among you come to puberty then let them ask leave even as those before them used to ask it. Thus Allah maketh clear His revelations for you. Allah is Knower, Wise. (59) As for women past child-bearing, who have no hope of marriage, it is no sin for them if they discard their (outer) clothing in such a way as not to show adornment. But to refrain is better for them. Allah is Hearer, Knower. (60) No blame is there upon the blind nor any blame upon the lame nor any blame upon the sick nor on yourselves if ye eat from your houses, or the houses of your fathers, or the houses of your mothers, or the houses of your brothers, or the houses of your sisters, or the houses of your fathers' brothers, or the houses of your fathers' sisters, or the houses of your mothers' brothers, or the houses of your mothers' sisters, or (from that) whereof ye hold the keys, or (from the house) of a friend. No sin shall it be for you whether ye eat together or apart. But when ye enter houses, salute one another with a greeting from Allah, blessed and sweet. Thus Allah maketh clear His revelations for you, that haply ye may understand. (61)
" A Thematic Commentary On The Qur'an "
Shaykh Muhammad al-Ghazali Reflection and commentary by Imam Zia : Session 3.1 ayat 21 onward..
