Works are like lifeless forms and the presence of sincerity endows them with spirit.
Works, like ritual prayers, fasting and hajj without sincerity are like lifeless forms. They are like pictures of animate beings and the presence of sincerity therein endows them with life. Sincerity means to perform works solely for the pleasure of Allah. The presence of sincerity renders the work fruitful in the hereafter, and its absence renders it fruitless. Continue reading →
“When you have to do one of the following chores, invite your child to help – let him or her watch as you demonstrate, then have a go. Give plenty of praise for effort and progress. Next time it crops up, invite your child to help again, and this time to do a little more. Give lots more praise. Eventually, you can hand over the task. But don’t rush at it – it’s not a race – and don’t get impatient if your child takes a long time to acquire the skill. Just enjoy the oppurtunity to spend time together. Continue reading →
How can the heart be illumined whilst images are reflected in its mirror? How can it travel to Allah, whilst it is still shackled with the fetters of desire? How can it hope to enter Allah’s presence whilst it has not purified itself of forgetfulness? How can it hope to understand subtle secrets whilst it has not refrained from offensive acts?
The following is a letter by Shaykh Rashid Ahmad Gangohi 
addressed to Shaykh Haji Imdadullah.
Jason Burke (2004), who is a journalist for the Observer, has spent more than a decade reporting in the Middle East South East Asia, and draws the conclusion that seeing al-Qaeda as a single international organisation is an over simplification of the ‘war on terror’.
Perhaps you might say tell me about the Pledge (bay’ah)
(1) Is it obligatory or Sunnah? (2) What is the wisdom behind its legislation in Sacred Law? (3) What are the pre-requisites of the shaykh? (4) What are the conditions of one who takes the pledge? (5) How does one fulfil the pledge, and how does one violate it? (6) Is it permissible to repeat the pledge with one scholar or multiple scholars? (7) What are the transmitted words of the pledge?
So I say: Continue reading →
The training of travellers has successive stages. Firstly, he must correct his beliefs. Thus when an individual is desirous of the divine path, first command him to correct his beliefs, according to the creed of the pious forebears.
This world is temporal. Everyone born into this world, rich or poor, king or pauper, has departed despite trying to gain immortality.
Travelling the path means ridding oneself of b
lameworthy traits and adopting praiseworthy ones so that one is able to arrive at Allah’s presence.
Shaykh As‘ad Madani was the son of Shaykhul Islam Husain Ahmad Madani and was a descendant of the Prophet Muhamm
ad [Allah bless him and give him peace] through his grandson Husayn [Allah be well pleased with him]. He taught at Darul Uloom Deoband in his early years and was the President of the Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind.
Micropaedia 