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WELCOME TO |
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MADRASA AL-HIDAYA |
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MUSLIM SCHOOL OF RIGHT GUIDANCE |
Bismillāh ar-Rahmān ar-Rahīm
MANBA‘ AL-IMDĀD: A FOUNTAIN OF HELP
A Compendium of the talks of:
AL-HABĪB AHMAD MASH-HŪR BIN TĀHĀ AL-HADDĀD
Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu
Compiled by his grandson:
As-Sayyid Muhammad bin Mustafā Bū Numay
Rahmatullāhi ‘alayh
DARS 20: DRAW NEAR TO ALLAH
WITH THE FARAID AND THE NAWAFIL
This is what my master, my grandfather, may Allah make people benefit from him, said about this Hadith Qudsi.
Whoever draws near to Me among those drawn near by fulfilling what I have made obligatory on them, and a devotee does not cease to draw near to Me with nawafil (additional worship) until I love him. So when I love him, I become his hearing with which he hears, and his eyesight with which he sees, and his tongue with which he talks, and his hand with which he strikes, and his feet with which he walks. (Hadith Qudsi in Sahih al-Bukhari, narrated by Hadrat Abu Hurayra, Rady Allahu 'Anhu).
He explained , may Allah be pleased with Him
This is a very exalted Hadith. Allah, the Exalted says:
Whoever draws near to Me among those drawn near by fulfilling what I have made obligatory on them.
O my brethren! In this life mankind wishes to draw near to His (Allah's) approval because He helps in many matters in this world. So he should draw near to Allah, the Glorified and the Exalted. What should you do to draw nearer to Allah? When you call upon Him, He responds and when you ask Him for anything, He gives it to you. Draw nearer to Allah as He is the Doer, the Bestower, the Preventer, the Able, the Glorified and the Exalted. And when you are near Him, all your intentions are enabled and you become close to Him.
So how will you draw near? The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) has guided us. And Allah, the Glorified and the Exalted, has guided us how to draw near to Him. as He said:
Whoever draws near to Me among those drawn near by fulfilling what I have made obligatory on them.
You do not draw near to Allah except by fulfilling the obligatory duties which Allah has made obligatory on you; (that is) the obligatory duties from the obligatory duties (Faraid) such as Prayers, and Zakat (obligatory charity), and Hajj, and Fasting and being good to Parents. and all these obligatory duties on you draw you near to Allah, the Glorified and the Exalted. And the faraid (obligatory duties) are the first things that draw you near to Allah. You do not reach the door of nearness nor do you reach to the presence of nearness except by fulfilling the obligatory duties. This is the first thing that draws you near to Allah, the Glorified and the Exalted, and you are in His Presence.
And a devotee does not cease to draw near to Me with nawafil (additional worship) until I love him.
A devotee does not cease to taste (nearness) and witness the benevolence of Allah and to get the taste of worship and nearness to Allah, the Glorified and the Exalted, with nawafil until He helps him with the (spiritual) light and He helps him with gnosis.
And what are the nawafil? People are not permitted to abondon the faraid (obligatory duties) or to leave them out continously. It is incumbent upon him to perform it like the five times daily Prayers, and zakat (obligatory charity), and fasting and the obligatory duties which Allah has made obligatory. These are the faraid. So when he has performed them, he comes to the nawafil (the additional workship). And the nawafil follow the faraid and help to restore the faraid. For example, the Sunnah (Prayer) helps to restore whatever is your shortcoming in (the performance of) the faraid (obligatory). For example, when you have prayed the Zuhr prayer and there is a shortcoming (in your performance) in its necessary and Prophetic tradition, then afterwards you pray two raka'a additional Sunnah, it covers the shortcoming in the Fard. Then it draws you near to His Presence until you are near to Him. Then Allah loves you.
O my brethren! In the Hadith, something marvellous is seen it its meanings. All of us wish for the love of Allah. Is there anyone of you who does not love (to obtain) the love of Allah? If Allah loves you, your affairs are made easy. If Allah loves you, your chest is expanded (with love). If Allah loves you, doors (of goodness) are opened for you. If Allah loves you, you are tied to the Friends of Allah (the awliya). If Allah loves you, you are bound to His Good Pleasure.
How do you find the love of Allah? If you wish for it, (then) draw near to Allah with nawafil (additional worship) and exert (yourself). The nawafil are well-known in sacred Muslim law. Prayer has nawafil (additional prayers). There is nawafil (additional) fasting. There is nawafil Hajj (after one has performed Hajj the first time). Zakat has nawafil. Other ibadaat (acts of worship) have nawafil. Expand in it and seek it until you find the love of Allah, the Glorified and the Exalted.
And what is the result if Allah loves you? He (Allah) made it clear for us and He said:
So when I love him, I become his hearing with which he hears.
How does He become his hearing with which he hears? He gives you power of hearing from His hearing, so you hear from far. You are here in Mombasa, and you hear people talking in Hadramawt, and you hear the voices of the angles in the first row. Whatever you hear, you are given the power to hear it.
And his sight with which he sees.
He gives you sight from His sight. Allah does not hide from him the hidden. And you see the matter from far.
As it happened with Sayyidina 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, when he said:
O the military troop on the mountain! O the military troop on the mountain! From Madina (where Sayyidina 'Umar was) to Syria (where the military was). (And they heard him and obeyed his command). And how many are the miracles that have been performed by the awliya (Friends of Allah)? And it is not (only) for any one specific (anyone can aspire to it). So if you wish for this privilege, then draw nearer to Allah by fulfilling the faraid (obligatory duties) to completion and the nawafil (additional duties) to completion.