فهل من مدكر؟

Distance from the Qur’ān is the first step to destruction of Īmān. Every change starts slowly and gradually. Reading less than usual… Skipping revision to just recite, or vice versa… Missing a day here and there… Missing multiple days at a time… Before you know it, the sweetness of Īmān no longer fills your heart. The night prayer begins to slip away. Sins have entered into your life and your time is consumed with them. The Qur’ān grounds you in faith. It anchors you in Taqwā. It shields you from Munkar. It rejuvenates your soul. Don’t be shocked at the darkness which consumes you once you begin to distance yourself from the Kalām of Allāh سبحانه وتعالى. Beware of pulling away from it, for how many shining stars did we witness becoming mere pebbles due to their abandonment of Allāh’s Book! How many righteous youth molted until we no longer recognized them due to their distance from the Qur’ān! Indeed, the Messenger ﷺ said, “Verily, Allāh elevates some people by (virtue of) this Book and abases others." [Muslim] Awaken yourself from the pits of heedlessness before you are forced awake. Truly, the one who does not take himself to account in this matter is in for a rude awakening.

And Allāh wants to show you that at least part of the fruit, you are rewarded. Also, it’s telling you that the Shaykh‘s teaching and message are the correct way by Allāh and His Messenger ﷺ.” By Allāh, I would indeed be fortunate and ecstatic to know for sure that even one of my tweets or projects was accepted by Allāh and pleasing to Him, let alone anything more than that! I only ask Allāh for acceptance and I hope for His reward, not because I view anything I’ve done as deserving of it, but because I have confidence in His Vast Mercy. May Allāh سبحانه وتعالى reward Shaykh Mūsā and Shaykh Ahmad and accept their struggle and sacrifice in His cause, and their efforts to convey the pure Manhaj to us despite censorship, persecution, and oppression. I hope that this dream can inspire even one person to become stubbornly committed to spreading Da’wah to the Haqq, despite the obstacles they’re promised to face.”

On the topic of how Da’wah to the correct Manhaj is extremely censored online, facing a lot of resistance and restrictions from major platforms (like suspension of accounts, etc), someone spoke some beautiful, beneficial words that can serve as a reminder to us all إن شاء الله: “Just because Da’wah online is temporary and always gets deleted, we should not forget that Allāh has each and every little post recorded and rewarded for you — if your intentions were truly for Him alone. Your accounts will be forgotten, people may no longer see your pages as relevant or important, but to Allāh, it was very important, because of the strength of your pure intentions. I ask Allah to make us all sincere in everything we do and say and post. May He accept every tiny word, and may we act upon every thing we spread. And may He forgive us for the many shortcomings in our intentions and sincerity.” Their words reminded me of a dream someone else I knew had, from some time ago. I obtained permission to share it solely to inspire others to take part in Da’wah and to not become disheartened at the pushback one will face from those who aim to erase the Da’wah and wipe it out. This person had spent the better part of their youth losing their social media platforms to censorship, constantly creating new accounts for Da’wah. While they were hopeful of Allāh’s reward, they couldn’t help but feel annoyed at having to start over from scratch tens of times. One day, they saw the following dream: “I was in a mansion with a bunch of rowdy kids, in order to get away from them I wander off into the mansion. I came upon a room with bunch of computers (like a computer lab) and there was a lone woman sitting at a desk with head phones, typing away. She glances at me as I'm observing the room, and without a word, points her thumb to the room behind her, motioning me to go there. I turn in the direction she gestured towards and see two glass doors half slid open revealing a room with some greenery inside. As I enter, I see it's a room full of trees with beautiful fresh leaves (as if it’s late spring/early summer). There were around 7 trees, short to fit in the room, bushy and full with rustling leaves, illuminated by the soft glow of golden sunlight filtering through the large windows. I marveled at how beautiful and intriguing it was that there was a room with trees growing indoors, and somehow, a slight breeze ruffling through the leaves while there were no open doors or windows. I flipped over one leaf on a tree and was surprised to find "Shaykh Ahmad Jibrīl" written on it. I was puzzled, and when my confusion was noticed, I was told by someone unknown behind me that all these leaves represent tweets or original Da’wah works of the Shaykh (حفظه الله) that I had made/spread online. The first thought I had as I stepped back and looked at all the trees and leaves was slight astonishment at just how much I tweet, judging from the abundance of leaves in the room. I always had felt slight embarrassment that I was perhaps, too active on my Da’wah pages. I walked to another tree and flipped a leaf and saw a tweet I recognized from an old account of mines that Twitter had suspended. As I gazed at the trees, the breeze ruffled some leaves and as they flipped, I caught glimpses here and there of some tweets and Da’wah work I had done that I recognized written on them, many of which I had forgotten of until that moment. Most of them were either quotes of Shaykh Ahmad’s or tweets I made about him and spreading his works. Then I woke up. I sent the dream to Shaykh Mūsā Jibrīl حفظه الله for interpretation many months later, and his response was lengthier than what I’ll share, and I ask Allāh سبحانه وتعالى to make it true. The part that stands out for our purpose was that he said that the dream was a glad tidings, indicative of many good things insha’Allāh, and he ended it saying, “All of this, because of actions and activities that are spreading and promoting the message of Allāh with sincerity, and accordingly to Shaykh Ahmad.

Met a very elderly villager recently (الله يجزاهم خير), who spoke in a dialect of my native language that I have trouble understanding. We attempted to converse with difficulty (due to my slow understanding of the dialect) here and there over the days we spent…

Imām Ash-Shāfi’ī رحمه الله said: “If you wish for the rectification of your heart, or your son, or your brother, or whoever you wish for their rectification, then place him in the garden of the Qur’ān and in the company of the Qur’ān. For verily Allāh will rectify him, whether he wills for it or not, by His permission The Exalted!” [Hilyatul Awliyā]

The heart feels ready to burst at times… Sometimes from sheer joy at the Ni’mah of Allāh — of Hifdh, And sometimes from the overwhelming responsibility of carrying His Book in the heart. Every action and word followed by deep rumination — “Was that befitting of a person who carries the Qur’ān in their breast?”, or “Perhaps these words/actions that are done without prior consideration are the reasons I forget what I memorized later and struggle in revision.”

‘Abdullah Ibn ‘Īsā رحمه الله said: “The Ummah will not cease to be upon good as long as they teach their children the Qur’ān!” [Mawsū’ah Ibn Abī Dunyā 8/75]

We seek Allāh سبحانه وتعالى’s refuge from ever being deprived of the Qur’ān.

“If a person has been granted good memory, and he committed the Book of Allāh to his memory first — before any other worldly books —what greater Ni’mah is there than that?” — My Mother حفظها الله تعالى

Academic achievements and trophies are framed and hung on designated walls in peoples homes, while the Mus’hafs are in the back of a drawer or shelf somewhere covered in a layer of thick dust. Parents celebrate and display joy like madmen upon the worldly achievements of their children, but they don’t even notice when their children pass weeks without picking up their Mus’haf. They never forgot to do their homework a day in their lives, but when someone inquires about the month that passed by where they never touched their Mus’haf, the excuse is “I forgot”. The things that people consider valuable in their lives are always very obvious — and they will be even more obvious on Yawm Al-Qiyāmah. وَقَالَ ٱلرَّسُولُ يَـٰرَبِّ إِنَّ قَوْمِى ٱتَّخَذُوا۟ هَـٰذَا ٱلْقُرْءَانَ مَهْجُورًۭا And the Messenger has said, "O my Lord, indeed my people have taken this Qur’ān as [a thing] abandoned." [25:30] Do you think yourself exempt from having the Messenger ﷺ testify against you for your neglect of Allāh’s Book? If your “forget” about the Qur’ān often, be afraid of Allāh forgetting you.

Throughout most of my Hifdh journey, I was very open with people as to how much I had memorized. I wanted to share my progress as an encouragement to those close to me, and as an inspiration to them. Alhamdulillah, after I began, most of my family began and made huge progress in their Hifdh as well. Near the end of it, I switched that up completely, to the point that not a single soul is aware of where I am or whether I’m done or not. I achieved my desire (in encouraging others), now it’s time for me to guard my most precious treasure and ensure its sincerity. Many loved ones felt strongly about it — some slightly offended and others confused. Some don’t even know it’s a secret, and they’re still expecting an announcement of completion from me whenever it may happen. When one memorizes the entire Qur’ān , the threat to sincerity is imminent and heavy. You are celebrated like no other, you are praised beyond measure. You become a status symbol for family and a source of pride for your parents. Everywhere you step foot, you’re introduced as “The Hāfidh”. While the respect and love the masses have for the book of Allāh سبحانه وتعالى is commendable and lovely, that treatment doesn’t appeal to me in the slightest. Why would I want any of that? Why would I want to risk losing all the hardship and sacrifices I made in this journey, and all the anticipated rewards, due to mere publicity? If I did it seeking Allāh’s Majestic Face, then who else needs to know but Him? They (family/loved ones) want to rejoice in the blessing of Allāh (completion of my Hifdh), but by Allāh, I am rejoicing in my secret and in the blessings of the journey already. If they come to know, my rejoicing will cease, doomed to be forever in doubt of my intentions. At the same time, I do not censure those who are open or public about their progress in the slightest — no doubt, there are many benefits and reason one may choose to do so. I know my secret cannot always remain a secret, as there are some that I cannot hide from forever — but I pray that Allāh covers me in the good the same way He has hidden my faults. May our Niyyah never waver and our eyes never lose sight of Firdaws.

Met a very elderly villager recently (الله يجزاهم خير), who spoke in a dialect of my native language that I have trouble understanding. We attempted to converse with difficulty (due to my slow understanding of the dialect) here and there over the days we spent around each other. At one point, they asked me, “How much Qur’ān have you memorized thus far?” I hesitated, as I wanted to maintain the secrecy of the deed, and responded with a general truth. “Probably somewhat more than [insert amount] Ajzā’.” They responded, “Oh Masha’Allah.” And then, after a pause, continued saying, “You will have to lessen your sleep soon.” “Sleep??” I inquired, confused at the sudden switch of topics. Perhaps I was misunderstanding again. “Sleep!” they responded, as if it was obvious. “You know, once one becomes a Hāfidh, they can’t sleep a lot anymore, they have to sleep less at night because of the Qur’ān they know.” They were referring to Qiyām Al-Layl. The answer struck me in the heart like a ton of bricks. I was shaken at the reminder. I spent hours awake that night thinking about their statement. They didn’t know my answer had been a deliberate understatement, nor were they anything near a Hāfidh or person of knowledge themselves, but they understood the responsibility of Hifdh better than me. How can I sleep? How can I smile? How has the worldly life beguiled me so? If a human expects my worship to be increased merely due to what they think they know of my Hifdh, then what are the expectations of the One who surely knows the reality of the amount of my Hifdh of His Words?! Perhaps I have failed the test and only gained the Qur’ān as a witness against me on Yawm Al-Qiyāmah! Allāh Allāh! What has become of my state!

During the most difficult days of my life, I was coincidentally memorizing Sūrat Yusūf. The Sūrah was revealed to the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ as a consolation after some very difficult period of his life and messagehood, and it served as the greatest consolation to me, to an extent that I can’t describe. After that season passed, Allāh سبحانه وتعالى granted me double the amount of happiness and good news as the hardship I had endured — an unwavering promise. During that time, I was reviewing my memorization and I reached the Āyah, وَءَاتَىٰكُم مِّن كُلِّ مَا سَأَلْتُمُوهُ ۚ وَإِن تَعُدُّوا۟ نِعْمَتَ ٱللَّهِ لَا تُحْصُوهَآ ۗ إِنَّ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ لَظَلُومٌۭ كَفَّارٌۭ And He gave you from all you asked of Him. And if you should count the favor [i.e., blessings] of Allāh, you could not enumerate them. Indeed, mankind is [generally] most unjust and ungrateful. [Ibrāhīm:34] An Āyah that has quickly become one of my favorites and echoes in my head upon realization of every blessing. It’s amazing how the Qur’ān has consolation for every difficulty and reminders for every moment of ease. No matter what one is going through, there is always a benefit to be extracted for his situation and pondered upon. Even more of a blessing and benefit is when one can understand the Qur’ān as he recites it. Those who neglect to learn the language are only missing out on something indescribable. May Allāh سبحانه وتعالى enable us.

Upon nearing the destination, the traveler usually begins to hasten towards the end of his journey with anticipation and longing. But what can I tell you about a journey so beautiful that the traveler cannot bring himself to end it? He hesitates and slackens his pace, lingering reluctantly around the finish line, knowing that once he crosses it, the most dearest days of his life and a most magnificent journey will come to a close. That’s Hifdh without a doubt.

A Hadīth I’m Grateful for تَعَاهَدُوا هَذَا الْقُرْآنَ فَوَالَّذِي نَفْسُ مُحَمَّدٍ بِيَدِهِ لَهُوَ أَشَدُّ تَفَلُّتًا مِنَ الإِبِلِ فِي عُقُلِهَا Keep refreshing your knowledge of the Qur’ān, for I swear by Him in Whose Hand is the life of Muhammad that it is more liable to escape than camels which are hobbled. [Muslim] As of late, I’ve been attempting to keep my progress in Hifdh a secret, as I don’t see the need for anyone besides me to know how far along I am or whether I’ve finished or not. However, those I spend the majority of my time with usually are usually vaguely aware of my progress due to the competition between us. Recently, someone close asked me, “How does it feel to be so close to the end of your Qur’ān journey?” Caught off guard, I hesitated for a moment, attempting to find an honest answer, before responding, “It never really ends, that’s the best part about it.” One has to revise continuously and rigorously throughout his life to maintain the Kalām of Allāh سبحانه وتعالى in his heart. What most outsiders consider “the end” is really just the beginning of a new, beautiful turn in the journey.

Sihr, Jinn, and ‘Ayn (evil eye) My family seems to have some type of effects from all three, much of which has been confirmed. To be brief, some of the issues are generational (when a parent has an issue, it’s usually effects the children and so forth) and some are inflicted upon us by enemies (like Sihr and ‘Ayn), and Alhamdulillāh for all of it. In fact, I know without doubt that the severity of the things that our enemies attempted to inflict upon us is great, but Allāh سبحانه وتعالى protected us from a lot and the bit that reached us is not half as severe nor as harmful as it was intended to be. I believe this is from the Fadhl of Allāh alone. However, I vividly remember that as a child, I frequently suffered from nightmares and general fear and paranoia without reason. Not just any type of nightmares, but Jinn nightmares, and those make up most of my first memories. I had just accepted these nightmares as part of my life and nobody ever gave it much thought. They continued into my pre-teen years, and I would jolt awake many nights in sweat, paralyzed with fear, unable to move or make a sound for hours. But once I started memorizing the Qur’ān, everything changed. I no longer suffered from nightmares miraculously, and I no longer felt that type of fear. As the years passed and the enemies increased their efforts against us, many of my siblings began to experience issues related to the unseen, but SubhānAllāh, I never suffered a single day. Some days it got so bad that every single person would wake up with something uncanny having occurred with them the night before, yet I never had any experiences to contribute to the discussion ولله الحمد. Aside from a few rare instances, it’s almost as if everything would skip over me SubhānAllāh. If this is the effect of the Qur’ān without the intention of Ruqyah (as I had not intended it as Ruqyah when I first started memorizing), then imagine the effect with the intention for Ruqyah! A common theme in all my nightmares would be that when I would face any creature or Jinn attempting to harm me, I would immediately recite from the Āyāt of the Qur’ān and they would quite literally disintegrate before my eyes while being in visible pain. This is something that many of my relatives have seen in their own dreams and wakeful experiences as well. SubhānAllāh, at times I would recite verses in my dreams relating to Shayātīn and Jinn that I had never even memorized in real life, and I would wake up having forgotten them again, only remembering them generally. The verses protected me from the evil of the unseen world in my dreams and in my wakefulness, and I ask Allāh that they come to protect me and you from the heat of the sun on Yawm Al-Qiyāmah, as clouds or flocks of birds (as mentioned in the Hadīth), and that they intercede for us when we stand to be judged before Him.

Some trials, along with the damage they caused, remain fresh in your mind for years. Sometimes, you relive small moments and experiences that remind you of those difficult tests you endured. Tests that broke every ounce of strength you had within you, except that small bit which Allāh سبحانه وتعالى allowed to persevere. The memories and feelings come rushing back. The anxiety begins to heighten. The tears begin to well up. The wounds that had just began to heal start to bleed again. And just as the page began to get blurry and my racing thoughts caused me to lose any Khushū’ I may have had, my mind snapped back, and all the fear and anguish came to a halt as my worries clashed with the Āyāt: وَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى ٱلْعَزِيزِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ And rely upon the Exalted in Might, the Merciful, ٱلَّذِى يَرَىٰكَ حِينَ تَقُومُ Who sees you when you arise (alone at night for Tahajjud prayers). وَتَقَلُّبَكَ فِى ٱلسَّـٰجِدِينَ And your movement among those who prostrate. إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلْعَلِيمُ Indeed, He is the Hearing, the Knowing. Such magnificent Words — are my eyes even worthy to behold them? Is my heart even eligible to preserve them? The Qur’ān got me through it before, it will get me through it again. and again. and again.

#NEW | Tips for Lowering the Gaze | (25) Ramadān 1445 Q&A