What is Tarbiyya?

We all must suffer from one of two things: The pain of discipline or the pain of regret.

Adaab of Learning

Before we can hope to learn anything at all about Islam, Allah or Rasoolullah it is essential to remind ourselves of the Adaab (manners) of approaching the knowledge of Islam. The knowledge of Islam is not a mechanical collection of random information. It is the thoughtful acquisition of knowledge with the intention to practice it because the Muslim realizes that this is essential for his life in this world and the next. Allah called it a sign of His guidance. Allah said:

Al-Anam: 6:125 Whoever Allah wishes to guide, He opens his heart to Islam When Islamic knowledge is approached without Adab (respect) it does not guide the student to the truth. Students get embroiled in pointless argument and worthless debate that leads them astray. Adaab (manners) of learning are essential to understanding and benefiting from the knowledge that the teacher is trying to share. These Adaab are as follows: 1. Consider yourself to be in critical and dire need of this knowledge. Remember it is your need and not the need of the teacher to teach you in particular. Remember that we are not learning about Islam as a matter of idle curiosity or even of genuine interest. We are learning about it because it is essential and critical to our own existence and our future in the Hereafter. Its more than just interest.

2. Ask Allah to open our hearts to His Word and to the knowledge of Islam because Hidaya is only in His control. Pray Salt-ul-Haajah before coming to the class and make dua that Allah should enable us to understand what is being taught. 3. Come with the intention of practicing what we learn. Acquiring knowledge of Islam is obligatory on us. To practice it, is the only way to benefit from it. Remind ourselves that if we learn and dont practice we will become liable for punishment. Remember that ignorance is not defense in law so remaining ignorant is not an option to learning but not practicing. 4. Focus on What. Not on Who or How. Focus on what is being taught. Not on who is teaching or his/her style or accent or looks or way of speaking. 5. Remind ourselves that not liking what you hear with respect to Islam and the orders of Allah or the Sunnah of His Nabi is a disease of the heart and a sign of the sickness of our Imaan. It must be corrected through Tawba. Not pampered and allowed to lead us back into the darkness of ignorance. 6. Behave with the utmost respect and consideration for the teacher and fellow students. Dont interrupt, or disturb the session by talking to others, or making or answering phone calls, or fidgeting or otherwise behaving in ways that can be distracting for others. 7. Be fanatical about punctuality. NEVER be late. Punctuality is a sign of respect and being late is a sign of disrespect. If you have to leave for some personal reason, tell the teacher in advance and leave quietly without disturbing others. 8. Dont argue. Remember that this knowledge is not mere words. To sink in, it takes time and practice. It takes lots of dua and effort to get control of our Nafs (heart full of desires) which has become used to having its own way all our lives. Now suddenly when you want it to become obedient to Allah, it will resist. It is not the teachers responsibility to convince you. It is his responsibility to convey the knowledge to you clearly and with proof. You are free to accept or reject what you learn. Both options produce their own results. 9. So listen carefully, record the learning and then stand in the night (in Tahajjud) and ask Allah to allow it to sink into our hearts. Arguing with the teacher who is speaking with proof from the Quran and Sunnah is fruitless and indicates our own ignorance and

lack of manners. The teacher did not make the rules and he cant change them whether we like the rules or not. 10. LISTEN, LISTEN, LISTEN. Once again remind yourself that listening and hearing are two different things. Dont get so engrossed in writing down every single word that the teacher says that you miss the whole atmosphere and essence of what has been said. It is far better to listen and then note down what you remembered. That way you may miss some points but you can fill them in later. Meanwhile Allah will enable you to retain what you really need to know. 11. If you have any questions, please note them down and ask them privately after the class or during the Q&A session if there is one. Dont suddenly interrupt the class with your question. 12. Listen with the intention to accept and to practice. Not with the intention to find fault or judge. 13. Respect the teacher because he is the link between you and the knowledge that leads to Allah. He may not be the best teacher in the world but he is all youve got. So take advantage of what you have and always seek for more and better. 14. Thank Allah for giving us the opportunity to learn. Thank the teacher for taking the time and trouble to teach you. It is your need to learn, not his need to teach. Remember that Rasoolullah said: The one who does not thank the person has not thanked Allah . General Guidelines of Behavior: 1. Always be in a state of Wudhu and pay great attention to Tahara 2. Pray all Fardh Salawaat at their correct times (men in the masjid) 3. Stay away from everything that is Haraam. If in doubt, find out. 4. Consider yourself to be most in need of Tarbiyya. That is why you are in the Tarbiyya class. The only saving grace is that Allah guided you to change yourself. That is His Grace. Not your achievement. 5. Thank Allah all the time. Make a list of all that you need to thank Allah for, each day and do that in Sajda in Tahajjud. 6. Never criticize anyone or point a finger at anyone. You are not their keeper and will not be questioned about them. You will be questioned about yourself, so focus on that.

7. Forget your Rights from others and concentrate on your Duties. You will not be questioned about your Rights but you will be held accountable for your Duties. So seek to fulfill them. 8. Guard your tongue: From Gheebat, Nameema, Kufr, Shirk, lies even if spoken in jest, foul language. 9. Guard your eyes: From all that Allah made Haraam. The eyes are the windows of the heart. 10. Smile and be polite: Being religious is not synonymous with being harsh, ill mannered, rude and arrogant. Arrogance is the surest way to earn Jahannam, not Jannah. 11. Remember that you are important and valuable only if you are a Standard Bearer of Islam. If you, by your actions, speech or demeanor, harm Islam or are a discredit to Islam then you have no value. 12. Remember that Allah created us for one purpose only: To worship Him. So if there is anything in our lives that is not the worship of Allah , then it must be stopped. 13. Remember that it is only the pleasure of Allah which matters because we only seek to please Him. The pleasure of others is immaterial and has no value. Class Routine 1. Take notes in each class. But dont try to write down every word that is said. Listen carefully and note only the major points. 2. When classes are over, please go over your notes and record learnings in the Learning Journal. 3. Sincerely try to practice what you learn. Know that it will be difficult. Anything new is difficult. And that difficulty is proportional to the delta of displacement. 4. Notice what is easy to do what is difficult. Try to reflect on why it is difficult. 5. Actively participate in the class, share your learnings and ask questions. 6. Dont make excuses. It does not change the situation and wastes the time of those who have to listen to them. Just ensure that you complete all assignments and maintain discipline. Its not tough if you make up your mind to do it.

The position of the Mumin Between Khawf (fear and awe) and Tamaa (hope) Between Shukr (gratitude) and Sabr (patience)

What is the Daleel for Tarbiyya?

Aal Imraan 3: 164. Indeed Allah conferred a great favor on the believers when He sent among them a Messenger (Muhammad) from among themselves, reciting unto them His Ayaat (the Qur'an), and purifying them (their bodies & hearts), and instructing them (in) the Book (the Qur'an) and AlHikmah [the wisdom and the Sunnah of the Prophet] while before that they had been in manifest error.

Ibrahim 14: 37. "O our Rabb! I have made some of my offspring to dwell in an uncultivable valley by Your Sacred House (Kaaba); in order, O our Rabb, that they may establish As -Salat (Iqamat-asSalat), so fill some hearts among men with love towards them, and (O Allah) provide them with fruits so that they may give thanks. Please note the sequence of what Ibrahim (AS) is asking. First the connection with Allah, the result of which is that people will love you and respect you and obey you and finally provisions of the world which are a natural consequence of all this. Nobody understood the value of the connection with Allah better than the Anbiya and so when the Khaleel of Allah made dua, he asked for that first. What was the purpose of leaving his family in the valley of Makkah? To establish the worship of Allah. What is the result of fulfilling your Maqsad? The world will love you and provision will come to you. Then all that remains is for you to give thanks to Allah for having chosen you for His work and for His bounty and grace. 5

Allah mentioned those He loves and said that He declares war against those who trouble them. Note that Allah declared war only against two kinds of people: Those who deal with interest and those who trouble and torture His slaves, who He loves. Why Tarbiyya? So that we can become those who Allah loves. Note also that when Allah loves a slave, love for him is established in the world and all of creation and when Allah hates a slave, hatred for him is established on earth and all of creation. Allah created a connected world where our actions have two kinds of consequences: benefit or harm in this life and reward or punishment in the Aakhira. Every action produces these two kinds of consequences. One in this life and an attendant one in the Aakhira. Assignment: Identify the actions (including speech) that you do and their consequences in this life. Then research and see what their result is in the Aakhira. Hadith Qudsi: On the authority of Abu Hurayrah, who said that Rasoolullah said: "Allah said: Whosoever shows enmity to someone devoted to Me, I shall be at war with him. My slave draws not near to Me with anything more loved by Me than the religious duties I have enjoined upon him, and My slave continues to draw near to Me with supererogatory (Nawaafil) works so that I shall love him. When I love him I am his hearing with which he hears, his seeing with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes and his foot with which he walks. Were he to ask [something] of Me, I would surely give it to him, and were he to ask Me for refuge, I would surely grant him it. I do not hesitate about anything as much as I hesitate about [seizing] the soul of My faithful slave: he hates death and I hate hurting him." [Bukhari] On the authority of Abu Hurayrah, who said that Rasoolullah said: "If Allah loves slave [of His], He calls Jibreel (AS) and says: 'I love So-and-so, therefore love him.'" He (Rasoolullah) said: "So Jibreel loves him. Then he (Jibreel) calls out in heavens, saying: 'Allah loves So-and-so, therefore love him.' And the inhabitants of heaven love him." He (Rasoolullah) said: "Then acceptance is established for him on earth. And if Allah hates a slave [of His], He calls Jibreel (AS) and says: 'I abhor So-and-so, therefore abhor him.' So Jibreel abhors him. Then Jibreel calls out to the inhabitants of heaven: 'Allah abhors So-and-so, therefore abhor him.'" 6

He (Rasoolullah) said: "So they abhor him, and hatred is established for him on earth." [Muslim (also by al-Bukhari, Malik, and at-Tirmidhi).] Why Tarbiyya? Why connect with Allah? So that we may be loved by Allah. So that our dua may be accepted. So that we may be protected by Allah and defended by Him against our enemies. Assignment: Ask yourself, How much do I truly want this? Remember: You can only lie to yourself. It is not about convincing anyone else. It is about convincing yourself so that you will make the effort. It may not be easy but then nothing worth having is easy. So decide if you want this or not. Obedience first The path to the love or Allah and connection with him is through His obedience and through following the Sunnah of His Messenger. There must not be any doubt in your mind about this. If anyone believes that he can disobey Allah or ignore the Sunnah of His Messenger or go against the Sunnah of Rasoolullah and still be able to have Taalluq MaAllah, he is only fooling himself. Allah said about being close to his slaves:

Nahl 16:128. Truly, Allah is with those who fear Him (Muttaqoon) , and those who are Muhsinun And He said to those who claim to love Him and want to connect with Him:

Aal Imraan 3:31. Say (O Muhammad to those who claim to love Allah): "If you (really) love Allah then follow (imitate) me (follow the Sunnah), Allah will love you and forgive you of your sins. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." Assignment: Please see the article on the difference between Itaat and Ittiba which has been sent to you. I have added it as an appendix here also. Then please check your life and see which of the orders of Allah you are not obeying and which of the Sunnah of His Messenger you are not following. And then???

Why Tazkiyya? Because for the best seed to germinate and grow, the soil must first be prepared. Just as a farmer tills the soil, removes rocks and weeds, breaks up the big lumps and makes the soil friable, mixes fertilizer in it before he sows the seed; just as an electrician cleans the oxidation on the copper wire before he splices it to the power cable; so also the heart and mind have to be prepared to receive the Word of Allah so that it can connect the slave to Allah. Without proper preparation, the best seed will not germinate or will germinate and die soon after. So anyone who is serious about connecting to Allah must make the effort to purify his heart because Allah is pure and does not connect with the impure. Connecting with Allah is the highest station of ones being and will take effort. There are three stages for Tarbiyya: 1. Tazkiyatun Nafs: Purification of the heart 2. Acquiring correct knowledge: Correcting what you already know 3. Practicing what you have learned: Communicating it to others through action & word There are three stages of Tazkiyya: 1. At-Tawba wal Istighfaar: 2. Identify what needs to be changed: 3. Practice: Ask forgiveness for each sin Start: Stop: Continue

Practice what is learnt

At-Tawba wal Istighfaar

What is the meaning of Tawba and what kind of Tawba will be accepted and what will not be accepted? Allah said:

An-Nisa 4: 17. Allh accepts only the repentance of those who do evil in ignorance and foolishness and repent soon afterwards; it is they to whom Allh will forgive and Allh is Ever All-Knower, AllWise. 18. And of no effect is the repentance of those who continue to do evil deeds until death faces one of them and he says: "Now I repent;" nor of those who die while they are disbelievers. For them We have prepared a painful torment. Allah particularly warned us against cherry picking in the Deen things we like and leaving out what we dont like. This is the ultimate form of arrogance and invites the wrath of Allah. Today there are Muslims who have legitimized all that Islam has prohibited and still they pray. They will not leave what Allah dislikes so with what face do they stand before Him and say: Iyyaka Naabudu wa iyyaka nastaeen. This kind of arrogance of taking what we like and discarding what we dont leads to punishment both in this world and the next. It is essential therefore that we make Istighfaar and Tawba immediately and instantly leave everything that is disobedience of Allah and against the Sunnah of His Messenger. How long do we have before we need to do this? As long as we expect to live. See the ayah of Sura Nisa at the beginning about the Tawba of those who face death.

Al Baqara 2:85 Then do you believe in a part of the Scripture and reject the rest? Then what is the recompense of those who do so among you, except disgrace in the life of this world, and on the Day of Resurrection they shall be consigned to the most grievous torment. And Allh is not unaware of what you do. 86. Those are they who have bought the life of this world at the price of the Hereafter. Their torment shall not be lightened nor shall they be helped. Allah tells us about the real power of Shaytaan:


An Nahl 16: 99. Verily! He (Shaytaan) has no power over those who believe and put their trust only in their Rabb (Allh). 100. His power is only over those who obey and follow him (Shaytaan), and those who join partners with Him (Allh) Allah tells us about the sincere people who try their best to do good but sometimes they may slip up; not because they want to or try to disobey Allah deliberately but because of their weakness or forgetfulness; such people immediately make Tawba as soon as they realize their mistake. Allah promised His forgiveness for them. The key is not to commit sin deliberately and to seek forgiveness as soon as we realize our mistake. To continue to do wrong deliberately attracts the wrath of Allah .

At-Tawba 9: 102. And (there are) others who have acknowledged their sins, they have mixed a deed that was righteous with another that was evil. Perhaps Allh will turn unto them in forgiveness. Surely, Allh is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful

Tahreem 66: 8. O you who believe! Turn to Allh with sincere repentance! It may be that your Lord will remit from you your sins, and admit you into Gardens under which rivers flow (Paradise) the Day that Allh will not disgrace the Prophet (Muhammad SAW) and those who believe with him, their Light will run forward before them and with (their Records Books of deeds) in their right hands they will say: "Our Rabb! Keep perfect our Light for us [and do not put it off till we cross over the Sirt (a slippery bridge over the Hell) safely] and grant us forgiveness. Verily, You are Able to do all things.

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Finally for those who make sincere Tawba, the glorious Mercy of Allah who promised not only to forgive our sins but to actually convert them to good deeds. What more can anyone ask?

Furqan 25: 70. Except those who repent and believe (Islm), and do righteous deeds, for those, Allh will change their sins into good deeds, and Allh is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful

Daily Timetable
Period Daily 1. 2. Tahajjud 8 rakaat Read the Quran for one hour irrespective of how much you read. Learn to read it properly with the rules of Tajweed. Learn the rules of Tajweed if you dont know them. 3. 4. Pray all Fardh Salawaat in the masjid (for men) After Fardh Salah do all the Masnoon Adhkaar: Ayatul Kursi, Ikhlaas, Falaq, Naas, Tasbeeh Fatima. Then stand up for Sunnah. Making your own dua after Fardh Salah is recommended as that is one of the times for acceptance of dua 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Pray Tahiyyatul Wudhu after you make Wudhu Pray Tahiyyatul Masjid when you enter the masjid Pray 2 Rakaat Nafl between Adhaan and Iqama and make dua Pray all Sunnan, Witr and Nawaafil Pray Salat ud Duha Activity

10. Read Sura Al Mulk, Sajda and last 2 Ayaat of Sura Al Baqara every night before going to bed. If you read 100 Ayaat your name will be written among the Obedient Slaves of Allah, so read a little more to complete 100 Ayaat. 11. Make a program to memorize the Quran. 12. Daily Adhkaar: SubhanAllah, Alhamdulillah, Allahu Akbar, Astaghfirulla, Durood Ibrahim (100 times each with concentration on the meaning and the mercy and blessings of Allah) Weekly 1. 2. 3. Read Sura Al Kahf before Jumaa Prepare for Jumaa with care and attend it with tranquility Monitor your memorizing weekly and see how many new Ayaat you learnt.

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Monthly Annual

1. 1. 2. 3.

Fast every Monday, Thursday and the 13, 14, 15 of every month Itikaaf in the last 10 days of Ramadan Taraweeh every night Read more Quran in Ramadan at least 1 hour per day more than usual

Assignment: In Tahajjud make a list of all the things that you need to be grateful to Allah for and thank Him for each of them, one by one. Then make a list of all the people in your life you need to thank and do that because the one who does not thank the person, does not thank Allah.

The Meanings of Tawba and Istighfaar

(Madaarijus Salikeen Imam Ibn Al Qayyim)

Scholars interpret Tawba (repentance) to mean all of the following: (i) immediate renunciation of the sin, (ii) firm intention and determination to not return to the sin ever again, (iii) regret over having committed a sin, and, if the sin was against the rights of another human being, then one must also, (iv) compensate for it. These are known to be the conditions of Tawba, or repentance. However, in the words of Allah and His Messenger Tawba has a wider meaning, and includes not only the aforementioned conditions, but also generally carrying out all the commandments of Allah with persistence. Tawba also requires disliking and renouncing those people who refuse to repent, encouraging them to repent and advising them against ignoring the practice of repentance. So repentance is the opposite of committing sins in every way, and, in its general sense, does not consist merely of renouncing the sin and regret over it.

The essence of Tawba is to return to Allah and to adhere to what He loves and renounce that which He dislikes. Tawba is a journey (Hijra) from the disliked to the liked; from disobedience to obedience; from Allahs anger to His grace.

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Istighfaar and Tawba

Istighfaar means to seek forgiveness and Tawba means to return to Allah. When one realizes his mistakes then he seeks the forgiveness of Allah and then becomes obedient to Allah and so by his actions he is returning to Allah . Both are required for the person wanting to connect to Allah. He/she must admit their mistakes, sins and evil deeds before Allah and seek his forgiveness. They must simultaneously give up those evil deeds, unconditionally and immediately and become obedient to Allah . For example if a person did not used to pray then he was guilty of one of the most evil of deeds. He then realizes the seriousness of what he was doing so he makes Tawba and asks Allah to forgive him. And then he immediately starts to pray regularly. So he sought forgiveness (Istighfaar) and started praying (Tawba). His action of praying regularly is Tawba in itself without which his Istighfaar would have no meaning.

Istighfaar, meaning seeking forgiveness, is mentioned in the Qur'an in two ways: either by itself or coupled with Tawba (repentance). The single mention of Istighfaar (without the mention of Tawba) finds an example in the saying of Saleh to his people:

Naml 27:46. He said: "O my people! Why do you seek to hasten the evil (torment) before the good (Allah's Mercy)? Why seek you not the Forgiveness of Allah, that you may receive mercy?"

Allah also said:

Baqara 2:199. And ask Allah for His Forgiveness. Truly, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most-Merciful. And He said that seeking forgiveness protects the person from His s anger:

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Anfal 8:33. And Allah would not punish them while you (Muhammad) are amongst them, nor will He punish them while they seek (Allah's) Forgiveness.

The mention of Istighfaar coupled with Tawba appears in the following Ayaat:

Hud 11: 3. And (commanding you): "Seek the forgiveness of your Rabb, and turn to Him in repentance, that He may grant you good enjoyment, for a term appointed, and bestow His abounding Grace to every owner of grace (i.e. the one who helps and serves the needy). But if you turn away, then I fear for you the torment of a Great Day

Hud 11:52. "And O my people! Ask forgiveness of your Lord and then repent to Him, He will send you (from the sky) abundant rain, and add strength to your strength, so do not turn away as Mujrimun (criminals, disbelievers)."

Hud 11: 61. And to Thamud (people, We sent) their brother Saleh. He said: "O my people! Worship Allah, you have no other Ilah (God) but Him. He brought you forth from the earth and settled you therein, then ask forgiveness of Him and turn to Him in repentance. Certainly, my Lord is Near (to all by His Knowledge), Responsive." Of course, if one insists on sinning and demands from Allah forgiveness (without fulfilling its conditions), then this is not a true Istighfaar, and it does not prevent the punishment. Istighfaar (seeking forgiveness) includes Tawba (repenting), and Tawba includes Istighfaar: each one is implied by the other in its entirety.

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This comprehensiveness of the meanings of Istighfaar includes its meaning of asking for forgiveness as a shield or cover: cover from our human shortcomings and faults that are harmful and destructive. And the greatest and most harmful of all human shortcomings are his ignorance (of one's faults) and transgression. By virtue of this ignorance and transgression, the enemy drags a human being into what utterly destroys him. The shield against these two errors is to be aware of one's faults and be keen to bring out in one's character the God-given virtues of knowledge, justice and righteousness. The more a person ignores his human nobility bestowed upon him by Allah, when Allah put into him his spirit (rooh), the more he lowers himself to the animalistic ground, and the most his ignorance and transgression are fuelled.

When the two words Tawba and Istighfaar are used together, (always Istighfaar followed by Tawba), then the first one (Istighfaar) means asking for safety from the evil and harm of what has occurred, and the second one (Tawba) means returning to Allah and begging for safety from the evil of what one fears in future. So here we are concerned with two things: one is the sin that has already occurred, and Istighfaar (in its specific sense) is to seek protection from its evil effects; and the other is the repetition of the same sin in future, which we fear, and Tawba is the determination to not do it again. A complete return to Allah (rujoo) includes and necessitates both of these: Istighfaar as well as Tawba. When used in a couple, both aspects of this return to Allah are emphasized individually, whereas, when used alone, either one of these two words implies the other. Assignment: In Tahajjud tonight list before Allah all the sins, major and minor, that you can recall and make sincere Tawba. The conditions of Tawba are three: 1. That the person specifically recalls what he/she did and is genuinely ashamed, regretful and contrite about having committed that sin. 2. That he/she resolves never to commit that sin again and finds the very thought of committing it, abhorrent and disgusting.

3. That if the sin involved usurping or transgressing against the rights of another
person, then the individual makes good whatever he/she had done against the other person by apologizing, restoring to them their property, compensating them

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materially for the harm done to them and asking Allah to forgive them and himself. Assignment: Please identify the rocks, weeds, dirt and thorns in your heart and mind and list them.

Some of them can be:

1. Lack of Adab: Respect towards Islam, Allah, Rasoolullah & Ulama 2. Jealousy 3. Hatred 4. Greed 5. Envy 6. Anger for personal reasons 7. Forgetfulness of Allah (Ghafla) 8. Laziness 9. Wasting time 10. Idle/useless talk 11. Gheeba (backbiting) 12. Suspicion 13. Lack of Gheerah 14. Lack of Haya 15. Arrogance and pride 16. Dry eyes (that do not weep for the fear of Allah)

17. Rebelliousness about orders of Allah 18. Lack of thankfulness to Allah 19. Pretense of humility 20. Critical of others 21. Focused on others faults, 22. Stinginess/miserliness (money related) 23. Lack of generosity (not money related) 24. Petty mindedness 25. Fear of others (opinion of others leading to disobedience of Allah) 26. Desire to please others (Riya) 27. Hardness of the heart (heart is not affected by the Ayaat of Allah) 28. Lack of Taqwa: carelessness about sin

Assignment: Now that you have identified the rocks and thorns, pick three and write a note on what you believe you need to do to eliminate each one.

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Appendix

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Ittiba and Itaat the importance of the Sunnah

It is a widespread misunderstanding in the Ummah today that to follow the Sunnah of Rasoolullah is something that Allah has left to the discretion of the individual and is not very important in the individuals practice of Islam. Consequently we often hear people speaking of the various Sunan of Rasoolullah , in tones bordering on disdain (But after all that is only a Sunnah!). It is therefore critical for us to understand the importance of following the Sunnah and to differentiate between obeying the orders of Rasoolullah (Itaat) and doing what he used to do, how he used to do it (Ittiba of the Sunnah). This is especially important for those who wish for the love of Allah and for the acceptance of their dua and seek to be close to their Rabb. The way to that closeness to Allah is only through the blessed Sunnah of His Messenger. There is no closeness to Allah for those who reject, disregard or play down the importance of His Messenger and his Sunnah. Allahused two words in connection with His Messenger: Itaat (obedience) and Ittiba (to copy, imitate or follow). About the importance of Itaat (obedience) of Rasoolullah there are many ayahs in the Qur'an some of which are quoted below:

Nisa 4: 80. He who obeys the Messenger (Muhammad), has indeed obeyed Allah, but he who turns away, then we have not sent you (O Muhammad) as a watcher over them . Allah made obedience to His Messenger a condition of Imaan and said that a person had no faith until he not only obeyed Rasoolullah completely without question but did not even have any resistance in his heart about the orders of Rasoolullah . Not only obey but also like the decision of Rasoolullah , whatever it may be. Allah swore by His Own Majesty and Grace and said:

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Nisa 4:65. But no, by your Rabb, they can have no Faith, until they make you (O Muhammad) the judge in all disputes between them, and find in themselves (in their hearts) no resistance against your decisions, and accept (them) with full submission.

Ahzab 33:36. It is not for a believer, man or woman, when Allah and His Messenger have decreed a matter that they should have any option in their decision. And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger, he has indeed strayed in a plain error. These ayahs among several others of similar meaning clearly emphasize the importance of obeying Rasoolullah as being something that is a condition of faith and critical to the perfection of faith. Allah stated this categorically. The principle is established therefore that if Rasoolullah gives and order, he must be obeyed without question or argument. However what must be noted is that for Itaat (Obedience) to be possible, there has to be an order in force. If no order is in force then there is nothing to obey and in that case there is no sin either. For example: at 10.00 a.m. if one has a desire to obey the order to establish (Fardh) Salah, it will be impossible to do so, since at that time there is no order for Fardh Salah. However after two hours or so if one did not obey the same order one would be committing a sin by not praying Salat-ud-Dhuhr. So also if a person wants to obey the order to pay zakh but does not have the means to do so, then he is not being disobedient. However the day he has the means and does not pay he will be considered a sinner as the order now comes into force on him. I hope that these examples clearly establish the principle of Itaat or obedience. Now let us look at the other word: Ittiba or to copy, imitate, follow.

Allah said:

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Aal Imraan 31. Say (O Muhammad to those who claim to love Allah): "If you (really) love Allah then follow (imitate) me (follow my Sunnah), Allah will love you and forgive you of your sins. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."

It is clear from this ayah that it is not enough to claim to love Allah. Many people in many religions (who dont even believe in Allah) claim to love Allah and refer to Him by all sorts of names and attributes. The Bhakti movement in India in which Kabir and Meera Bai became very famous was a movement that preached love of God. However one must realize that as in the case of people, it is not important who you claim to love; what is important is whether that person loves you or not. Allah is about and independent of all examples; but in His case also it is not important who claims to love Him. What is important is what he said about what it takes for Him to love us. If those who claim to love Allah disregard that and fool themselves into believing that they can do whatever pleases them and claim that they are the beloved of Allah and that they love Him, then they are liars and their claims have no basis.

For anyone who claims to love Allah and wants Allah to love him, the way is clear and simple: Follow the ways of Rasoolullah. Follow his Sunnah. Imitate him in everything that he used to do. Obey all his orders and then imitate all his ways, so that the angels who rove the earth, recognize him in you.

Allah made it abundantly clear in this ayah that the proof of this love is to do the Ittiba of Rasoolullah and to follow the religion that He brought. And if one does that, then Allah says that He will love that individual and forgive his / her sins. If we look at the word Ittiba, it is clear that unlike in the case of Itaat, in order for one to do Ittiba or follow the way of someone, there is no necessity for the leader to give any order. Obedience requires an order to be obeyed. Imitation is an expression of intense love and needs no order.
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The one you imitate may not even know of your existence but you imitate him because you want to be identified as one of his.

For example: Fans of Michael Jackson follow his way (do the Ittiba of) by wearing a glove on one hand and do the break dance. Similarly fans of Michael Jordan, walk with a spring in the step and wear a Chicago Bulls cap with the peak backwards in his Ittiba. They both do this with pride and as a mark of their love and are recognizable by this as being the followers of their ideal. One can see countless examples of similar Ittiba in our society and recognize people and group them according to their ways. There is some very interesting research by the name of Urban Tribes, which shows the effect, and power of such following and brotherhood.

In all these cases there is obviously no specific order from the person who is the originator of the practice to obey him or follow his way. Michael Jordan or Jackson dont say to each of their admirers, Please wear a glove on one hand, or whatever the case may be. The admirer wears a glove on one hand because he loves his ideal and wants to emulate his every action and associate himself with the ideal and be identified as his admirer. And nothing delights the true admirer more than when someone recognizes the original in him. The many fake Elvis Presleys are testimony to that.

The principle of Ittiba can therefore be said to be; Imitating the ideal in every one of his ways and actions, such that by looking at the imitator, the originator is remembered. There is therefore no necessity for an order, for Ittiba to happen.

It is a mark of the love of Allah for His Messenger that He wishes the memory of His Messenger to be forever alive and so He ordered that we imitate His Messenger in every one of his ways and if we do that, Allah promises us His
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forgiveness, which is the most crucial need for the human being on the Day of Judgment. Forgiveness is the gift for imitating Rasoolullah. To be loved by Allah we need to be like Rasoolullah because he was the beloved of Allah and Allah loves only those who are like him.

Given this understanding of the ayah of the Qur'an relating to the Ittiba of Rasoolullah the importance of learning about and obeying every one of His Sunnah becomes perfectly clear.

In the same breath, the whole argument of whether something was a practice of Rasoolullah that must be obeyed or something that was merely a habit that by inference is not really important to obey; gets demolished. My Allah protect us from such ignorance.

Allah said:

Najm 53:1. By the star when it goes down, (or vanishes). 2. Your companion (Muhammad) has neither gone astray nor has erred. 3. Nor does he speak of (his own) desire. 4. It is only an Inspiration that is inspired. It is our Aqeeda based on the Qur'an that whatever Rasoolullah said or did was the result of Divine order and guidance and that everything He said or did is worthy of obedience and following.

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But to stay with the meaning of Ittiba as I have discussed above, it is a duty of every Muslim to do this, for every action of Rasoolullah is Itaat of the order of Allah. That is why Allah said they He would love the one who makes Itaat. It is therefore important to understand that to obey the Sunnah is Fardh and to deny the Sunnah is Kufr.

The Beard and whether it is Sunnah or Fardh In the light of the above I hope this never ending argument about the beard becomes clear. The beard is both Sunnah and Wajib or Fardh. It is not only something that Rasoolullah did himself (so something that comes under the definition of Ittiba) but also something that he ordered his followers to keep (Itaat); as narrated in the famous hadith about his conversation with the people from Persia who came to meet him. Therefore to shave it is a direct disobedience of both Allah and Rasoolullah. If only we understand. In addition it amounts to changing the creation of Allah which is Haraam. He made men with beards and so for that reason also it is Haraam to shave it. Finally to shave the beard due to your personal desire is to allow personal desires to supercede the orders of Allah and Rasoolullah.

Furqan 25: 43. Have you (O Muhammad) seen him who has taken as his ilah (god) his own desire? Would you then be a Wakil (a disposer of his affairs or a watcher) over him? 44. Or do you think that most of them hear or understand? They are only like cattle; nay, they are even farther astray from the Path. (i.e. even worse than cattle). Allah describes allowing personal desires to supercede His orders as shirk and calls such people worse than animals.

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If men still want to shave their beards, deliberately begin each day with destroying a Sunnah of Rasoolullah and look effeminate that is their choice for which they will answer to Allah. If after that they expect to connect with Allah and to have their dua accepted then they are living in fantasy and fooling themselves. Finally since the Sunnah is a sign of Rasoolullah and since the one who protects it and practices it is promised the reward of a Shaheed, to deliberately erase it every day is to erase the sign of Rasoolullah from ones being. This is nothing but inviting the wrath of Allah and takes away the blessing from life. So when we talk of the Sunnah and whether it is important to follow it or not, let us remember the meaning of the words that Allah used in the Qur'an, when He ordered us to follow His Messenger. And let us keep in mind the reward that Allah promised to those who do this.

It must obviously be clear to everyone that irrespective of what one chooses to do in life or whichever way one wants to live, he / she is obviously going to end up imitating or following someone or the other. Be it trendsetters in the west or east. Be it traditions of family or society. Be it norms of custom and practice. When this is inevitable, how much better for the Muslim to consciously adopt the way of the Rasoolullah in every detail and thereby become obedient to Allah, have Allah love him and be forgiven on the Day of Judgment? Which other trend, fad, identity, following, fashion or imitation guarantees this? In addition the ways of the Rasoolullah are so endearing and inspiring that one will naturally end up being liked and loved by all and become the recipient of Allahs mercy and grace in this world as well.

For one who believes that he/she is going to die one day; has implicit faith in the Aakhira and in the resurrection and the Day of Judgment, it is comforting indeed to be shown the way to deliverance so clearly and in such an easy and acceptable way.

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