The Personality Of A Da’ee

This was a post by brother Mohammad Ali on Facebook. Posting it on the blog so people can know how a Da’ee should be. Share it with whoever is involved in Da’wah work.

This is a part taken from my lecture notes of “Personality of a Da’ee”. This actually applies to every practicing Muslim and not just a Da’ee.
So what should be the personality of a practicing Muslim? How he/she must behave? What should be the body language?
The answer to this question is, the best example for us is of course, one and only, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). So first let’s take a glance at his personality. It would take a lot of space if I start writing and describing each and every trait. So let me summarize: (read Shamail Tirmidhi for detail)
1- He had a very formidable (robdaar) yet friendly personality.
2- He had a very lively and loving nature.
3- His presence used to awe people.
4- His manners would impress even his enemies.
5- He never did excessive joking or laughing.
6- He would speak in a clear manner and at moderate pace.
7- He would express how he felt through his emotions.
8- His body language was extremely decent and calm.

Now consider Hazrat Umar’s personality:
1- Brilliantly formidable.
2- Serious and mature nature
3- Awe inspiring
4- No excessive joking or talking.

And every Sahabi was like that. Now compare this with the picture shared in this post (character buck from Ice Age movie). These days Muslim youth and Da’ees seem to be inspired by such cartoon characters and act like them. Hence losing that maturity, awe (rob) and inspiration which a practicing Muslim must possess. On the contrary, they’re acting stupid, immature, joking all the time, laughing, jumping and doing all sorts of things which decrease the charm from their personality. Time to think. Whom should we take as the ideal? Hollywood cartoon characters or the formidable men who inspired people just by their mere walk?

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Valentine’s Day: A Muslim’s Response

Assalam u alaikum everyone! :) It’s been a while since I’ve made a post (I just posted a few days back -_-), so please give special attention to this special post for someone special in your life (sounds interesting right?).

That’s right, my very own Debute Spoken Word video about Valentine’s Day.

1. Listen,

2. Understand,

3. Apply, and finally,

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May Allah bless the whole of Muslim Ummah.

What’s Wrong?!

Bismillah.

It’s been 11 days. Longest break in two years. (O_O) May Allah forgive me for my laziness and other various shortcomings.

1. I’m stuck on a Hadith. And I shall post it only when I’ve understood it inshaAllah.
2. I’ve been somewhat busy. Not a very genuine excuse but anyhow.. Winds of Change have been blowing from UK to Pakistan. Did you hear?

Prepare NOW and Fear ONLY HIM!

Assalam u alaikum! So as I was coming back to GIKI from Rawalpindi, I learned/reflected upon 2 things. Would just like to share them. Yeah yeah I know this isn’t poetry :P

FIRST:

I fell asleep in the van. The guy drove exceptionally good (fast?) today and when I woke up after about half an hour, we were really close (maybe because of the new motorway route). I woke up and realized that I had almost reached the end of my journey. I could see it by the signs around me. From that airbase or whatever that is, from the wind that had changed, from the atmosphere that was cleaner. I had to send some texts so I was like man if I hadn’t slept I would’ve sent them earlier. Now I’m almost there and since I just woke up I don’t feel like going through all that trouble right now. Let’s just wait till I reach back to my room.

Then it suddenly hit me, isn’t our life similar? We’re all on a journey aren’t we? Most of the time we are asleep, forgetting our real purpose. We wake up when most of it has already passed. Then it dawns upon us that we have indeed wasted a lot of time sleeping, while we could have done something productive in that time – something that would make the rest of the life (hereafter) better. But by that time, most of us don’t have the same strength. We are old. Our strength is not the same. All that excitement, all those hormones, all that vigor, dynamism, it’s just not there! So we feel tired even by thinking about what we could do back then. How would it feel? It would hurt. You’d want to cry, and you would. You’d turn to Allah when most of the people do.

But this was no ordinary journey. You were in a race. You slept while others worked hard. They did what was in their capacity, and by now they are far, far ahead of you.

The best deeds are those that are done in one’s YOUTH.

One of the five questions that would be asked on the day of judgement, and without answering which a person would not be able to move, would be How did you spend your YOUTH?

Better start working now than regret later, no?

May Allah give us the Tawfeeq to wake up from the delusion of this world, and make us realize the reality. So we work for our resting place.

“….And what is the worldly life except the enjoyment of delusion.”

(57:20)

So we do what Allah says in Surah Al-Hadeed (57:21), the very next verse of the one mentioned above.

“Race toward forgiveness from your Lord and a Garden whose width is like the width of the heavens and earth, prepared for those who believed in Allah and His messengers. That is the bounty of Allah which He gives to whom He wills, and Allah is the possessor of great bounty.”

SECOND:

The conductor when was about to drop me said that at this time there is no rickshaw how would you go to the gate from the turn (from where he would go left and I would have to go right). I said I’ll walk. He replied but it is 3 kilometers! I said nah it’s less than 1. Then he’s like ok.. I was only saying because yesterday a guy gave 100 rupees and we dropped him at the gate. I replied the guy must not like to walk :P lol

Then he stayed quiet, after a while he said, it’s 9PM and these are dangerous times. I said have Faith in Allah :) He’s like of course I have faith in Allah, but are 100 rupees dearer than your life? I knew what he was doing so I just kept saying that I’ll walk insha’Allah. He’s like suit yourself.

I read Ayat ul Kursi and the 3 Quls for protection and started walking. That road is a bit creepy, I admit. Some parts were lit up while others were in utter darkness. As I walked down the road I remembered the verse:

“160. If Allâh helps you, none can overcome you; and if He forsakes you, who is there after Him that can help you? And in Allâh (Alone) let believers put their trust.”Surah Al-Imran.

And what was said by the Prophets…

“…And upon Allah let those who would rely [indeed] rely.”  Surah Ibraheem (14:12)

I accept I was freaked out for a while (mainly because I fear dogs a bit). Even seemed to hear voices from the fields towards my right. But I looked up at the stars (yeah, crazy about stargazing). And I said Allah if I can hear something you can hear it too, so I seek refuge in you from the evil out there and I ask you to give me the good out there.

And I remembered when the Prophet PBUH was asked that who would save you now and he replied ALLAH and the man dropped the sword in fear. There were different thoughts going on in my head.

I reached safely Alhamdulillah and there are two things I wanna mention here.

First, Why are we so afraid of the dark (or unknown)? I was reading Ammar Al-Shukry’s article the other day and I loved the part where he says we fear the darkness because we’re not familiar with it, because of the unknown. We fear the unknown. Then why is it that man is so heedless about his hereafter? Has he seen what hell is like and is not afraid? Or has he seen that he would be saved? We are afraid of little things in this world but we are not afraid of the ONE WHO CREATED ALL OF IT? The One Who knows the number of turns a leaf takes before falling to the ground. The One Who knows of a black ant, on a black stone, in a black night? We dare not fear HIM yet we are afraid of this world? Then I think that is exactly the reason for us being afraid. We have failed to realize the MIGHT of Allah. We have failed to realize the POWER of Allah. We have failed to obey HIM like HE ought to be obeyed. We have failed to FEAR HIM like he ought to be feared. And as a result we are afraid of a million other things.

Second thing is, why is it that we keep saying we have FAITH in Allah but cannot prove it? Again it comes to the same thing that we’re too afraid of things. How did Khalid bin Waleed RA drink poison and yet survive? Why did the Prophet PBUH not panic when he had no one but Allah to protect him? I’m not trying to say you should drink poison now lol But see the point!! It really amazes me! Why do we lack that belief in Allah! Is HE not able to do everything?! Is HE not able to protect you?! OF COURSE HE IS!! Someone (or may be a lot of people) might disagree with me and say “tie your camel and then trust in Allah.” But like seriously it’s not that I was walking in a battle field without a sword! But taking EXTRA PRECAUTIONS because I live a life of fear of a million things but Allah… that I cannot accept!

This was a reminder to me first and foremost. May Allah increase us all in Emaan, help us really race for reward and keep our intentions purely for HIS sake and grant us a place in Jannat ul Firdous!

Hope I was able to convey the message. Feel free to criticize, I couldn’t care less lol Joking (a little lol), say whatever you want to insha’Allah. :)

All good is from Allah SWT and only the mistakes are mine.

Youth

بسم اللہ الرحمن الرحیم

السلام علیکم ورحمة اللہ وبرکاته

“We relate to thee their story in truth: they were youths who believed in their Lord, and We advanced them in guidance: We gave strength to their hearts: Behold, they stood up and said: “Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and of the earth: never shall we call upon any god other than Him: if we did, we should indeed have uttered an enormity!” (Al-Kahf 18:13-14)

I always believed that youth is a power of any nation. Because it’s the prime time of one’s life. The time when one is energetic, enthusiastic, has hopes, ready to do anything. Just for a moment give a thought about today’s youth, what comes to mind… pretty simple… modern trends of life, loud stereo music, baggy pants, friends, talking about ‘ Hey! I got a new iPhone 4s’ and list goes on and on..aaahhhh.. Youth or young Muslims of today who seems to be indulged entirely into this glittery materialistic world.

Because youth is the peak time of one’s  life, that is why it is very precious to Allaah Subhana’talaah. Allaah has prepared a shade on the Day of Judgement for those people who used to worship Allah in their youth. On that Day, when there will be no other shade except the shade from the throne of Allaah.

Whenever I think about ‘Youth of Islaam’ I find myself thinking of someone, and I start comparing youth of today with that legendary youth. Someone who lies buried in the blood-wet earth of ‘Uhud, feet covered by scented grass and his body covered only by a square woolen sheet that was not even sufficient to cover him completely.

The most ostentatious young man of the Quray’sh, who left a life full of luxuries to gain the pleasure of Allaah. He was Mus’aab bin ‘Umair who was also known as Mus’aab al Khayr.

His journey to Islaam was not easy. He went one night to the house of Al-Arqam Ibn Al-Arqam,yearning and anxious. There, the Prophetﷺ was meeting his Companions, reciting the Quraan to them and praying with them to Allaah the Most Exalted. Mus’ab had hardly taken his seat and contemplated the verses of the Quraan recited by the Prophet ﷺwhen his heart became the promised heart that night. The pleasure almost flung him from his seat as he was filled with a wild ecstasy. In the twinkling of an eye, the youth who had just become Muslim appeared to have more wisdom than his age and determination that would change the course of time.

Mus’ab’s mother was Khunaas Bint Maalik and people feared her almost to the point of terror because she possessed a strong personality. Mus’ab was satisfied with his faith and avoided the anger of his mother who had knowledge of his embracing Islam. Mus’aab bin Umair left his luxurious life and love ones for the sake of Allaah. Wallaahi this was the level of Emaan…

The Prophet  ﷺcommissioned him with the greatest mission of his life, which was to be his envoy to Al-Madinah. His mission was to instruct the Ansar who believed in the Prophet and to call others to Islam, and to prepare Al-Madinah for the day of the great Hijrah. There were among the Companions of the Prophetﷺ at that time who older than Mus’ab and more prominent and nearer to the Prophetﷺ by family relations but the Prophetﷺ chose Mus’ab the Good. Mus’ab was equal to the task and trust which Allah had given him and he was equipped with an excellent mind and noble character. He won the hearts of the Madinites with his piety, uprightness and sincerity. And so they embraced the religion of Allah in flocks. At the time the Prophetﷺ sent him there, only 12 Muslims had pledged allegiance to the Prophetﷺ. During the next pilgrimage season, a few months after that, the Madinite Muslims sent a delegation of 70 believing men and women to Makkah to meet the Prophetﷺ. They came with their teacher and their Prophet’s envoy, Mus’ab Ibn ‘Umair. Mus’ab had proven, by his good sense and excellence, that the Prophetﷺ knew well how to choose his envoys and teachers.

In the battle of Uhud, Mus’ab-bin-Umair held the flag of Islam. When the Muslims on meeting defeat were dispersing in confusion, Mus’ab-bin-Umair held the flag and stood at his post like a rock. An enemy soldier came and cut off his hand with a sword, so that the flag might fall down and proclaim defeat for the Muslims. Mus’ab-bin-Umair at once grabbed the flag in the other hand. The enemy soldier then slashed the other hand. Mus’ab-bin-Umair still stood clinging the flag to his bosom with the help of his bleeding arms. Lastly, an enemy arrow pierced through him, and Musab-bin-Umair fell dead on the battlefield. But as long as he was alive, he did not let the flag go down. Immediately, another Muslim ran and took over the flag.

The great hero, thus fell to the ground reciting the following verse of Quraan

 “And Muhammad (peace be upon him) is only a prophet of Allah.  Many other Prophets have passed away before him. (Aal-Imraan)

When the battle came to an end the Holy Prophet ﷺ stood by the dead body of  Mus‘ab ibn ‘Umair and recited the verse:

“There are some persone among the devoted Muslims (momeneen) who kept ther promise made to Allah.” (Ahzaab)

Then the Holy Prophetﷺ addressed the dead body thus

“When I saw you for the first time in Mecca there was nobody more handsome and well-dressed than  you.  But, I see that today your hair is uncombed and only a sheet of clothe covers your body!”

At the time of his burial, Mus’ab-bin-Umair had only one sheet to cover his body. This sheet was too short for his size. When it was drawn to cover his head, the feet remained exposed and vice versa. The Holy Prophetﷺ said:

“Cover his head with the sheet, and his feet with the Azkhar’ leaves.”

Such was the end of a youth who was brought up in luxury and comfort. Once an individual develops faith, it makes the individual forget everything else, whether be it wealth, luxury or life itself. Musab-bin-Umair a true youth of Islaam  شباب الاسلامیهand one of the great martyrs.

May Allaah Subhaana’talaa bless us to follow the path of righteous people.. Aameen

السلام علیکم ورحمته اللہ وبرکاته