The PROPHET (PEACE BE UPON HIM) is ALLAH'S NOOR

Why The Prophet peace be upon him cannot be Allah's Noor?
Dr.Zubair Fattani
dr_fattani@hotmail.com
Allah's noor can never beparted in any case. If some one believes that
he sallallahu alaihi wasallam was a part of Allah's noor he is really
amushrik. However he sallallahu alaihi wasallam was from the noor
Allah Almighty in such a way that no part of Allah's noor
separatedfrom the noor of Allah Almighty. It can be understood by an
example that if we put a mirror in the direction of Sun so its
reflection will appear in the mirrorand no part of the sun will
separate from it or itcan be understand by the example that if we
kindle a lamp by anotherburning lamp likewise if we kindle hundreds of
lamps no light decreases from the first lamp but the all other lamps
also be kindled. Likewise wasthe example of our beloved Prophet
sallallahu alaihi wasallam, when the eternal noor of Allah Taala came
on the mirror of edam (nothing) the first creation which came into
being was our holy Prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam in a manner no
light separated from the eternal light of Allah Almighty.
Here I write down some proofs that our Holy Prophet sallallahu alaihi
wasallam was not only a bashar but he was a noor too. These examples
have been written in order to makeit easy to understand otherwise
Allah Almightyis beyond the examples.
Hazrat Ibn-e-Abbas (Allahis well pleased with him)cousin of the holly
prophet (Allah's Grace and Peace be upon Him) says in the commentary
of the verse 35 from chapter 24: Sura Noor."The similitude of the Noor
(Light) of Allah is Noor (light) of the Holy Prophet (Allah's Grace
and Peace be upon Him),when he was in the backs of ancestors".
(Tafseer-e-Ibne Abbas page 372)
Now I am giving you the names of the books in which this hadith has
been narrated. Allama Ibne Hagar hatiami wrote in his book that the
hadith,"Undoubtedly Allah Almighty created the"Noor of Prophet
Muhammad (Allah's grace and Peace be upon Him) before every thing",
has been narrated by Imam Abdur Razzaq in his book of hadith (Fatawa
-e- Hadithia, page 289) There are many other great ulmas who have
narrated this hadith in their books , I am writing for you the names
of few books with their writers
1. Allama Hassan -bin- Muhammad Diyar Becri,"Tarekh -ul- Khamees".
2. Shah Abdul Haq Muhaddith Dehlvi,"Madarig-un-Nabuwwah" Vol 2, page 2
3. Allama Zarqani,"Sherha Movahib", vol. 1,page 55
4. Allama Abdul Ghani, " Al Hadiqa tul Ndiyah", Vol. 2, page 375

The Excellence of Reciting the Durood Sharif

A. THE EXCELLENCE OF DUROOD SHAREEF FOR THE UMMAH AS EXPLAINED IN THE
HOLY QURAN AND AHADITH
This book contains valuable information about Durood Shareef (Salawat)
on Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim).
The message of Allah Ta'ala to Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (Sallal Laahu
Alaihi Wasallim) has come down to us in the form of the Holy Quran and
the teachings of Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim)
have reached us in the form of the Ahadith. Let us see what both the
Holy Quran and Ahadith say about Durood Shareef (Salawat):
Innal llaha wa Malaa'ikatahu Yu sallunaallan nabiyi.
Ya Ayyuhal lazeena aamanu sallu alaihi wasallimu tasleema.
Almighty Allah says:"Surely Allah and His Angels send blessings on the
Holy Prophet (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim). Oyou who believe! Send
Blessings (Durood) and Salutations (Salaams) on the Prophet with
worthySalutation".(Surah al-Ahzab: 56)
In this verse of the Holy Quran, Almighty Allah, His Malaa'ikah and
the Muslims have been mentioned as sending Durood upon Sayyiduna
Rasoolullah (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim). So, Durood Shareef is
actually "a Du'a in praiseof the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Sallal
LaahuAlaihi Wasallim)."
Hazrat Anas (radi Allahu anhu) narrates that Sayyiduna Rasoolullah
(Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim) said: "He who reads a single Durood
upon me, Almighty Allah blesses him ten times, ten of his sins are
forgiven, and he is increased ten times in stages (internally).
(Mishkaat)
Hazrat Abdullah ibn Ma'sud (radi Allahu anhu) also narrates that
Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim) said: "On the Day
of Qiyamah, the closest to me from among the people will be those who
have read the most amount of Durood Shareef". (Tirmidhi)
It is now evident that the recitation of Durood Shareef (Salawat) is
in perfect obedience to theDivine Command and in complete conformity
with the teachings of Holy Prophet (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim)
ofIslam. There is no scope to choose anything else when we have with
us the words of Allah Ta'ala and His Apostle, Sayyiduna Rasoolullah
(Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim).
B. WHAT IS DUROOD SHAREEF AND THE IMPORTANCE OF DUROOD SHAREEF
Divine blessings on Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (Sallal Laahu Alaihi
Wasallim) is the highest and the most meritorious act in our Deen.
This "Divine Blessings" is called Durood Shareef.
When Almighty Allah sends Durood and Salaams upon SayyidunaRasoolullah
(Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim), He is actually blessing him. When the
Malaa'ikah and the Muslims send Durood and Salaams to Sayyiduna
Rasoolullah (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim), they are actually showing
Almighty Allah their respect for the Holy Prophet (Sallal Laahu Alaihi
Wasallim).
Muslims hope that, through the blessings of the Durood and
Salaams,Almighty Allah will forgive them of their sins and increase
their status in this world and in the Aakirah. The Malaa'ikah hope
that Almighty Allah will increase their status.
Durood is a sure means of Allah Ta'ala granting blessings, peace,
prosperity and favours of great magnitude on one who recites Durood
Shareef on the Holy Prophet (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim). The
reciter of Durood Shareef receives all the benefits in this world and
utmost gain in the next world with addition to the love of the Holy
Prophet (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim).
The invocation of Blessings on the Holy Prophet (Sallal Laahu Alaihi
Wasallim) is styled in Arabic as "Salawat", inPersian as "Durood",
andin Urdu as "Salawat-o-Salaam".
The regular recitation of Durood Shareef on Sayyiduna Rasoolullah
(Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim) lifts up our hearts on to a plane of
comprehension where we gaze in our new found peace and moral armour.
The reciter of Durood Shareef will, after some time, come to realise
by himself that it is the spontaneous outpouringof his heart before
the Great Prophet (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim) ofIslam, whose love
and attachment is needed to get all the present day problems solved
and obtain mercy in the next world.
The more Durood Shareef we recite, the greater the gain and benefit
will be achieved in both the worlds. Hazrat Shaikh-e-Akbar Mo'inuddin
ibn Arabi (radi Allahu anhu) has stated that, "Those who claim to love
and revere the Holy Prophet (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim) should
increase their recital of the Durood Shareef in patience and
perseverance until, through the mercy of Rasoolullah (Sallal Laahu
Alaihi Wasallim), they have the opportunity of witnessing his blessed
countenance".
The special and exclusiveaspect of this prayer is that Durood Shareef
is immediately accepted byAllah Ta'ala. No one can doubt its
acceptance, as Durood Shareef is being recited by Allah Ta'ala too.
Not only this, but Hehas revealed this secret in the Holy Quran by
saying:
Wara fa'na laka zikrah
"Have I not exalted thy name."
Muslims are a very fortunate people. Allah Ta'ala chose for them the
name of Islam as a religion, declared to be comprehensive and finalfor
mankind. The personchose to deliver this message in this specific form
and extra-ordinary style of love and hope was the most beloved of
Allah Ta'ala and became the Light of Divinity to be shed upon the
entire universe. This Light devastated all the domains of darkness
anddepression. By reciting Durood Shareef (Salawat) we invite Lightand
drive away all darkness from our inner soul. Our mind becomes soft and
love saturated. If there is softness in everything, it tends beauty to
it. People become ugly owing to lack of this essential beauty of the
inner part of the mind. This ugliness cannot be glossed over by any
amount of cosmetics. It is the Durood Shareef onthe Holy Prophet
(Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim) which works wonders.
In the same manner, the Holy Prophet (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim)
taught us Durood Shareef to attain salvation, perfect peace and
maximum gain in this world as well as the next. The soul is the soil
where the faith of Allah is to be implanted firmly and faithfully
which requires continuous recitation of Durood Shareef to thrive and
flourish.
We have been told by Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (Sallal Laahu Alaihi
Wasallim) that Durood Shareef is itself Light and when Light enters
the soul every aspirationis achieved and every goal is won. Nothing
remains thereafter to worry about.
Human spirit today is depressed everywhere and mankind has come to the
edge of destruction, decay and devastation. Everyone is engulfed in
untold miseries and tragedies of a very great magnitude. Troubles
andtortures, pain, poverty, hunger, ill-health, frustrations and
accidents have broken the back of a human being. All this can
evaporate with the recitation of Durood Shareef on the Holy Prophet
(Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim) who hasclearly proclaimed that Durood
Shareef is the panacea of all ills and that if any one comes across a
calamity he should recite Durood Shareef in the maximum number. Allah
Ta'ala has promised that if anyone recites Durood only once, He
showers ten blessings on the reciter immediately.
It is narrated that once Hazrat Musa (alaihis salaam) walked a very
long distance in the desert during summer atnoon. He fainted due to
thirst and hunger. After a while, when he regained his consciousness,
Allah Ta'ala sent Hazrat Jibrael(alaihis salaam) to go and inquire
from Hazrat Musa (alaihis salaam) if he was thirsty or not. Hazrat
Musa (alaihis salaam) replied that he was thirsty. Allah Ta'ala told
him that the thirst on the Day of Judgementwill be a million times
more than what Hazrat Moosa (alaihis salaam) experienced. Hazrat Musa
(alaihis salaam) was told that if he wished to get rid of that thirst
on the hottest Day of Judgement, he would have to do one thing. When
Hazrat Musa (alaihis salaam) enquired as to what should be done, Allah
Ta'ala told him that he should recite Durood Shareef in abundance on
His last Prophet, Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (Sallal Laahu Alaihi
Wasallim). Hazrat Musa (alaihis salaam) thanked Allah Ta'ala and
immediately began reciting Durood Shareef on the Sayyiduna Rasoolullah
(Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim).
From the above fact it is quite clear that Allah Ta'ala has given
orders even to his Ambiya to recite Salawat on the last and final
Prophet of Islam, and that Durood Shareef is not only panacea and a
solution to the ills of this world but in the next too.
In another story, it is narrated that when Hazrat Adam (alaihis
salaam) saw Bibi Hawa (radi Allahu anha) he wanted to be close to her,
but Allah Ta'ala sent Hazrat Jibrael (alaihis salaam) to stop him.
Allah Ta'ala told him thatif he wanted to take BibiHawa (radi Allahu
anha) as his wife, he should first pay Mahr (dowry). On his inquiry as
to whatthe Mahr was, Allah Ta'ala told Hazrat Jibrael (alaihis salaam)
to inform him that the best way of paying the dowry is for him to
recite Durood Shareef 3 times on His last Prophet,Hazrat Muhammad
(Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim). Hazrat Adam (alaihis salaam) did so,
Bibi Hawa (radi Allahu anha) was granted to him as his legal and
legitimate wife.
The highest blessings which Islam has conferred on man is the concept
of Tauheed or Unity of Allah in its purest form. This has been
furnished to mankind through Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (Sallal Laahu
Alaihi Wasallim), the last of the Prophets. It is a cardinal duty of
every Muslim man and woman, young and old to entertain the highest
respect, regard, love and esteem for the Prophet (Sallal Laahu Alaihi
Wasallim) and his family. It should be clear that obedience to
Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim) is always to
becharged with intense love and highest regard for him, for it is
through love and esteem that truth can be comprehended and communion
with the Creator can be vouch-safed. In fact, love is the motive
force, reverence dissolves and implicit obedience to the Prophet
(Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim) which isthe natural outcome. It
istherefore incumbent on those who love him, to pray to Allah Ta'ala
and His Angels in wishing for him peace according to the Divine
Command. This will reshape the life which is otherwise infested with
turmoil. The reciter will get countless and matchless benefits in both
the Worlds and can claim to be the lover of Holy Prophet (Sallal Laahu
Alaihi Wasallim).
As Muslims we should recite Durood Shareef in the Arabic language.
Islam seeks to create a unified outlook and it is in the Arabic
language alone which welds all Muslims into one great brotherhood.
Besides, Arabic is the language ofHeaven, it is the language of
Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim), it is the
language of the Angels and it is the language of Hazrat Abu-Bakr,
Hazrat Umar, Hazrat Uthman and Hazrat Ali (radi Allahu anhuma).
The daily recitation of Durood Shareef has a tremendous effect on the
human head, heart, mind and person. It purifies thoughts and
intensifies actions. It makes passages for perfect peace and personal
satisfaction.

Giving Sincere Advice

The giving of sincere advice enjoys a sublime and exalted position in
Islam, and how could thisnot be so? The Prophet considered the giving
of sincere advice on a parwith the religion as whole. The Prophet
said: " Religion is giving sincere advice. "
A person would give sincere advice to others when he loves and
sympathizes with them, when he wishes goodness for them, and when he
wishes to thwart evil and harm from them. Thus, Ibn Al-Atheer said
that giving sincere advice is an indication of the advisor's wish to
bring about goodness for the one advised.
The Companions gave an oath of allegiance to the Prophet that they
would sincerely advise the Muslims: Jareer ibn 'Abdullaah said, " I
gave the oath of allegiance to the Prophet that I would perform
prayers, pay the Zakaah, and give advice to every Muslim. "
In fact, a person who sincerely advises people, seeking goodness for
them, is one of the vicegerents of Allaah The Almighty upon the earth.
Al-Hasan said, " There still exist persons who give sincere advice for
the sake of Allaah The Almighty. They sincerely advise people for the
sake of Allaah and educate them as to what is due to Him. They
implement the order of Allaah The Almighty uponthe earth by giving
sincere advice - and these are the vicegerents of Allaah upon the
earth. "
To Whom Should Sincere Advice be Given?
Sincere advice is for Allaah, His Messenger, His Book, and to the
Muslim leaders and the public at large. Imaam ibn Hajar said,
Sincere advice for Allaah The Almighty means describing Him with the
appropriate attributes, submitting to Him overtlyand covertly, seeking
His pleasure through obeying Him, fearing His anger by not disobeying
Him, and striving to help sinners return to Him.
Sincere advice for His Book means learning andteaching it, reciting
and writing its letters properly, understanding its meanings,
observing its boundaries, applying its instructions and rebutting the
allegations that fabricators try to raise against it.
Sincere advice for His Messenger means venerating him, supporting him
during his life and after his death, reviving his Sunnah by learning
and teaching it, following his example in sayings and actions, and
loving him and his followers.
Sincere advice to the Muslim leaders means assisting them in the tasks
with which they areassigned, alerting them when they are heedless,
covering their unintentional mistakes, uniting people upon their
obedience, and guiding straying hearts back to them. The greatest
sincere advice that a person may give tothem is to prevent them -in
the best way possible -from oppression.
The Imaams of Ijtihaad [those who issue rulings] are among the Muslim
leaders, and sincere advice to them means disseminating their
knowledge and merits and thinking good of them.
Sincere advice to the Muslim masses means having compassion for them,
seeking what benefits them, teaching them what is useful for them,
preventing harm from them, loving for them what a person would love
for himself, and hating for them what a person would hate for himself.
Shaykh 'Abdur-Rahmaan ibn Naasir As-Sa'di said, " Sincere advice for
Allaah and His Messenger implies true belief in them, sincerity in
makingJihaad, determination to perform it when one can do so, and
trying one's best to encourage and urge Muslims to do so. Sincere
advice begins with sincerely advising oneself first, for rarely will a
person advise others sincerely if he cheats himself. "
The Messengers were the Most Concerned of all with Sincerely Advising
Their People
The Prophets of Allaah, may Allaah exalt their mention, endeavored to
call people to Allaah. They were extremely keen on guiding them and
spared no effort in giving them sincere advice. For instance, Prophet
Nooh (Noah) said to his people (what means): {But [I] am a messenger
from the Lord of the worlds. I convey toyou the messages of my Lord
and advise you...} [Quran 7:61-62] The messengers who succeeded Nooh
followed his way in giving sincere advice. Prophet Hoode (Hud) said to
his people (what means): {I am to you a trustworthy adviser.} [Quran
7:68] Prophet Saalih said (what means): {I advised you, but you do not
like advisors.} [Quran 7:79] Prophet Shu'ayb said (what means): {O my
people, I had certainly conveyed to you the messages of my Lord and
advised you.} [Quran 7:93]
Also, the Companions of Prophet Muhammad confirmed that he conveyed
the message of Allaah The Exalted and sincerely advised his people. It
was narrated on the authority of Jaabir that the Prophet said to his
Companions: " You will be questioned about me [in the Hereafter]; what
are you going to say? " They replied, "We will testify that you have
conveyed the message, fulfilled it and have given sincere advice."
Giving Sincere Advice is a Due Right upon a Muslim from His Brother
The Prophet considered the giving of sincere advice as one of the
greatest rights that are due upon Muslims; he said: " There are six
rights due upon a Muslimfrom his Muslim brother… " one of which was: "
… giving him sincere adviceif he asks for it. " The Prophet also said:
" If any of you consults his [Muslim] brother, he [the latter] should
sincerely advise him. "
Allaah The Almighty has doubled the reward of the sincere advisor who
gives his advice hoping for the wellbeing of other Muslims. It was
narrated on the authorityof 'Abdullaah ibn 'Umar that the Prophet
said: " If a slave sincerely advises his master and worships Allaah
properly,he will have his reward doubled. " Moreover, he will be one
of the first people to enter Paradise. He also said: " I have been
shown the three types of people who will enter Paradise first: A
martyr; a chaste person who sought chastity; and a slave who
worshipped Allaah properly and gave sincere advice to his masters. "
Etiquettes of Sincerely Giving Advice
Advice has a sublime position in Islam. A beneficial sincere advice is
the one in which the advisor abides by the etiquettes of the Sharee'ah
that the scholars have mentioned.Among those etiquettes are:
1- The advisor should give his advice sincerely for the sake of Allaah
TheAlmighty, without seeking ostentation, fame, worldly gain or
showing superiority.
2- The advisor should have enough knowledge about the advice which he
is giving. This is because advising is a form of enjoining the good
and forbidding the evil. If a person does not have enough knowledge
about what he is advising about, he may forbid the good, thinkingthat
he is forbidding an evil, and vice versa.
3- He should give it privately. Giving advice publicly is a reproach
andrebuke that is disliked. Mis'ar ibn Kidaam said, "May Allaah have
mercy upon a person who presented my faults to me in secret, for
givingadvice in public is a rebuke."
4- Gentleness in giving advice and avoiding excess and rebuke. The
Prophet said: " Gentleness does not enter anything except that it
adorns it. "
On his part, the one being advised should listen to the advice,
applythe good that it contains and rid himself of the evildesires of
the self. The righteous predecessors would consider advice a gift that
the advisor had presented them. 'Umar said, " May Allaah havemercy
upon a person who gifted me my faults! " Also the advisee should not
let harshness of the advisor deprive him of benefiting from the
advice.
We ask Allaah The Almighty to make us all from those who listen to
speech and follow the best of it.

A Drowning Man’s Story - II

We decided go to the beach before sunrise to enjoy swimming before the
beach became crowded and full of sights that can affect one's faith
negatively.
However, this group of young men preceded us to the beach and when we
reached there we found something completely unexpected. One of the
young men met us, screaming, "He is drowning!"
We inquired, "Who?" He said, "Ahmad, who joined you in the Fajr Prayer!"
We hurried to the beach with ourhearts beating fast. When we reached
the beach, we found people gathered without any trace of Ahmad! One of
those who had seen him drowning saidthat he kept fighting the waves
amidst a whirlpool. When his friends saw this, they fled to the shore
leaving him to die. When the man who had witnessed the mishap said
this, the gathered people looked scornfully at his friends.
My friends and I kept searching for a lifeguard or boat that
mightcarry us to the open sea to searchfor Ahmad. One of my friends
called a number written by the lifeguard teams on a signboard near us.
When they told him that they would take some time to reach our
location, he started shouting at them, weeping helplessly, and hung up
the phone.
All the people at the scene, including us, were very angry at the
coldness that Ahmad's friends showed at that time.
None of them even took the trouble to search for any means to save
him; they only cared about saving themselves and remaining unharmed.
The young man who was their companion, whose life they misled and
destroyed, was left to his fate as if they did not know him at all!
Twenty minutes later, one of the people said that he could see
something floating on the water.We all looked at his friends,
expecting that they would immediately go and see if this was their
friend so that they might save him. Nonetheless, they did not move a
muscle.
So, I, accompanied by two of my friends and another young man among
those who were present on the beach, entered the water which was very
deep, but Allaah The Almighty saved us. We got hold of him and he was
as stiff asa piece of wood. I was very frightened because this was the
first time I carried someone who was in such a condition.
We took him out and checked hisbreath and pulse but he was dead.
Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): #{Wherever you may be, death
will overtake you, even if you should be within towers of lofty
construction.}## [Quran 4:78]
Now his soul is lonely and it receives the retribution of its actsjust
as his body, which remained lonely after his cowardly friends escaped,
leaving him to his destiny. They disappeared after each one of them
had packed his bags, leaving the corpse of their "friend" alone! It
was unclear where it will go! Will it go to his house so that his
mother sees him for the last time or will sadness kill her because she
did not even have the chance to bid farewell to her son?
All this happened because Ahmadmade a great mistake when he decided to
take these scoundrels as friends. They know nothing but playing,
frolicking, committing sins and satisfying their evil desires. If you
can do this, then you are their friend andclose companion and they
will bearound you all the time. However,in times of difficulty and
disasters, you will not find any of them by your side to support you.
In fact, you may even find one of them pushing you in his stead to
save himself. Hence, you will find yourself face to face withyour own
destiny alone. Then, you will remember the Aayah (Quranic Verse) in
which Allaah The Almighty Says (what means):#{And the Day the
wrongdoer will bite on his hands [in regret] he will say, "Oh, I wish
I had taken with the Messenger a way.* Oh, woe to me! I wish I had not
taken that one as a friend. * He led me away from the remembrance
after it had come to me. And ever is Satan, to man, a deserter."}##
[Quran 25:27-29]
Ahmad's body remained covered with newspapers until the police came,
accompanied by an ambulance that took him to the morgue.
This is the story of a drowned young man and it is our turn to learn
lessons from it and to start our journey back to Allaah The Almighty.
Ahmad has passed away, but you still have a chance to join the flock
of the repentant. I would like to conclude by sending a message to
every young man whom Allaah The Almighty has provided with righteous
companions who help him adhere to the obedience of AllaahThe Almighty,
and a message to everyone who is deceived by evil friends who
beautified sins and evil desires in his eyes.
Dear young man, I truly love you for the sake of Allaah The Almighty
and I entreat Allaah TheAlmighty to make our last moments good. I call
you before the advent of death and its agonies, that sadden the young
and the old, as well as the rich and the poor…
Dear brother, always keep good company and search for companions in
blessed places likethe circles for learning the Quran and other
assemblies of knowledge.
Accompany them to enjoy the warmth of living according to theDivine
Law. Such righteous friends are a source of pride in times of ease,
and a helping handduring times of hardship.
Do not ever leave them to accompany bad friends, because they are the
source of all evils. Allaah The Exalted Says (what means): #{Close
friends, that Day, will be enemies to each other, except for the
righteous}## [Quran 43:67]