Renewing Religion: An Overview of Ghazali's Ihya

In this session, Shaykh Muhammad Abu Bakr Ba-Dhib looks at the second root for the Branches of Faith relating to belief in Allah Most High, believing in those points of faith which relate to Allah's actions and His commands. This from Imam Zabidi's text "ʿIqd al-Juman fi Bayan Shuʿab al-Iman" (The Necklace of Pearls in Clarifying the Branches of Faith). He explains the nine branches that fall under this root: belief in (1) the angels, (2) the messengers, (3) the Books, (4) that the world is created, and (5) belief in Destiny, and what belief in each of them means. He discusses practical implications of this belief - for instance, the angels whom we are required to specifically know, the number of prophets and messengers, and Islam and modern cosmological theories.

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This is part of the series presented in Ramadan 2018: "Branches of Faith: The Virtues and Fruits of Faith".

It is narrated that Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Faith is seventy some branches". In this series some of the leading scholars will cover and explain the different branches of faith, as they have come in the works of the Islamic tradition. The branches of faith include (1) branches of belief and certitude, (2) branches of spiritual works, and (3) branches of social excellence.

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Help Seekershub build a Global Islamic Seminary and spread the light of guidance to millions around the world by supporting us through monthly donation by going to https://seekersguidance.org/donate - your donations are tax deductible in the US and Canada.

Shaykh Muhammad Abu Bakr Ba-Dhib continues the series on sayyid al-istighfar (the foremost way of seeking forgiveness) where he covers Imam al-Habshi's treatise on this supplication. In this session Shaykh Ba-Dhib starts breaking down and explaining the different parts of the formula of seeking forgiveness, and bringing forth all the different points of knowledge that could be found in it. The supplication begins with affirming God's divinity, His oneness, His lordship, and our complete need and slavehood to Him. Through the supplication there is also an affirmation of God's absolute bounty over his creation, and that one needs God's assistance to be able to have gratitude for God's blessings. Shaykh Ba-Dhib closes the session by addressing the part of the supplication where one confesses of their wrongdoing and falling short of the right that God deserves, and thus begins to seek God's forgiveness.

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This is part of the series presented in Ramadan 2018: "The Foremost Way of Seeking Forgiveness: Sayyid al-Istighfar Explained".

In this five-part series, Shaykh Muhammad Abu Bakr Ba-Dhib covers a short treatise on explaining the foremost way of seeking forgiveness as has come to us from Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). The work, "Tiryaq al-Qulub w al-Absar fi Bayan al-Ulum allati Tadamanha Sayyid al-Istighfar" (The Healing of Hearts and Eyesight in Exposition of the Knowledges Contained in The Foremost Way of Seeking Forgiveness) is by Imam Ahmed bin Zain al-Habshi (d. 1145 AH).

Text, transliteration and translation of sayyid al-istighfar can be found below.

اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ رَبِّي لا إِلَهَ إِلا أَنْتَ خَلَقْتَنِي وَأَنَا عَبْدُكَ وَأَنَا عَلَى عَهْدِكَ وَوَعْدِكَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُ أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا صَنَعْتُ أَبُوءُ لَكَ بِنِعْمَتِكَ عَلَيَّ وَأَبُوءُ لَكَ بِذَنْبِي فَاغْفِرْ لِي فَإِنَّهُ لا يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلا أَنْتَ

Allahumma anta Rabbi la ilaha illa Anta Khalaqtani wa ana abduka, wa ana ‘ala ahdika wa wa’dika mastata’tu, A’udhu bika min Sharri ma sana’tu, abu’u Laka bini’matika ‘alaiya, wa Abu’u Laka bidhanbi faghfirli fainnahu la yaghfiru adhdhunuba illa anta

O Allah, you are my Lord. There is no god but you. You have created me, and I am your servant—and I am upon Your covenant and promise as best I can. I seek refuge in You from the worst of what I have done. I fully admit to You Your blessings upon me, and I fully admit to You all my sins. So forgive me, for there is none to forgive sins but You.

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For more SeekersGuidance podcasts and podcast shows, visit seekersguidance.org/podcasts.

Help SeekersGuidance build a Global Islamic Seminary and spread the light of guidance to millions around the world by supporting us through monthly donation by going to https://seekersguidance.org/donate - your donations are tax deductible in the US and Canada.

In this session on the Branches of Faith, Shaykh Muhammad Abu Bakr Ba-Dhib begins covers the first root for the branches of faith, which is the belief in God's entity, attributes and actions. He covers this from Imam Zabidi's text "'Iqd al-Juman fi Bayan Shu'ab al-Iman" (The Necklace of Pearls in Clarifying the Branches of Faith). He begins the lesson by looking at the author's introduction to the text, and the breakdown he provided for the branches of faith. Imam Zabidi divided the branches of faith into three main categories: (1) faith regarding God, (2) faith regarding matters of this world, and (3) faith regarding matters of the hereafter.

Shaykh Muhammad Ba-Dhib then explained that the first root breaks down to: (1) the belief in God's entity and attributes, and (2) the belief in God's actions. He explained the nine branches that fall under the belief in God's entity and attributes, which are: the belief in (1) God's existence, (2) His oneness, (3) His life, (4) His knowledge, (5) His will, (6) His power, (7) His hearing, (8) His sight, and (9) His speech. Shaykh Ba-Dhib explains that these attributes of God are absolute, unique, and are absolutely unlike any of the creation's attributes.

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This is part of the series presented in Ramadan 2018: "Branches of Faith: The Virtues and Fruits of Faith".

It is narrated that Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Faith is seventy some branches". In this series some of the leading scholars will cover and explain the different branches of faith, as they have come in the works of the Islamic tradition. The branches of faith include (1) branches of belief and certitude, (2) branches of spiritual works, and (3) branches of social excellence.

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For more SeekersGuidance podcasts and podcast shows, visit seekersguidance.org/podcasts.

Help Seekersguidance build a Global Islamic Seminary and spread the light of guidance to millions around the world by supporting us through monthly donation by going to https://seekersguidance.org/donate - your donations are tax deductible in the US and Canada.

Shaykh Muhammad Abu Bakr Ba-Dhib begins the series on sayyid al-istighfar (the foremost way of seeking forgiveness) by citing the hadith that mentions this formula. He moves on to begin Imam al-Habshi's treatise on this supplication, where he looks at repentance, its conditions, its cause, and how to remain in a state of repentance.

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This is part of the series presented in Ramadan 2018: "The Foremost Way of Seeking Forgiveness: Sayyid al-Istighfar Explained".

In this five-part series, Shaykh Muhammad Abu Bakr Ba-Dhib covers a short treatise on explaining the foremost way of seeking forgiveness as has come to us from Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). The work, "Tiryaq al-Qulub w al-Absar fi Bayan al-Ulum allati Tadamanha Sayyid al-Istighfar" (The Healing of Hearts and Eyesight in Exposition of the Knowledges Contained in The Foremost Way of Seeking Forgiveness) is by Imam Ahmed bin Zain al-Habshi (d. 1145 AH).

Text, transliteration and translation of sayyid al-istighfar can be found below.

اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ رَبِّي لا إِلَهَ إِلا أَنْتَ خَلَقْتَنِي وَأَنَا عَبْدُكَ وَأَنَا عَلَى عَهْدِكَ وَوَعْدِكَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُ أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا صَنَعْتُ أَبُوءُ لَكَ بِنِعْمَتِكَ عَلَيَّ وَأَبُوءُ لَكَ بِذَنْبِي فَاغْفِرْ لِي فَإِنَّهُ لا يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلا أَنْتَ

Allahumma anta Rabbi la ilaha illa Anta Khalaqtani wa ana abduka, wa ana ‘ala ahdika wa wa’dika mastata’tu, A’udhu bika min Sharri ma sana’tu, abu’u Laka bini’matika ‘alaiya, wa Abu’u Laka bidhanbi faghfirli fainnahu la yaghfiru adhdhunuba illa anta

O Allah, you are my Lord. There is no god but you. You have created me, and I am your servant—and I am upon Your covenant and promise as best I can. I seek refuge in You from the worst of what I have done. I fully admit to You Your blessings upon me, and I fully admit to You all my sins. So forgive me, for there is none to forgive sins but You.

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For more SeekersGuidance podcasts and podcast shows, visit seekersguidance.org/podcasts.

Help Seekersguidance build a Global Islamic Seminary and spread the light of guidance to millions around the world by supporting us through monthly donation by going to https://seekersguidance.org/donate - your donations are tax deductible in the US and Canada.

In this introductory session on the Branches of Faith, Shaykh Muhammad Abu Bakr Ba-Dhib gives an introduction to the topic. He gives an overview of the history of the genre, the narrations regarding the branches and their number, and the great works on the Branches, before moving on on to introduce the text and its author. He will be covering a text entitled "'Iqd al-Juman fi Bayan Shu'ab al-Iman" (The Necklace of Pearls in Clarifying the Branches of Faith) by Imam Murtada al-Zabidi (d. 1205 AH).

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This is part of the series presented in Ramadan 2018: "Branches of Faith: The Virtues and Fruits of Faith".

It is narrated that Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Faith is seventy some branches". In this series some of the leading scholars will cover and explain the different branches of faith, as they have come in the works of the Islamic tradition. The branches of faith include (1) branches of belief and certitude, (2) branches of spiritual works, and (3) branches of social excellence.

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For more SeekersGuidance podcasts and podcast shows, visit seekersguidance.org/podcasts.

Help Seekersguidance build a Global Islamic Seminary and spread the light of guidance to millions around the world by supporting us through monthly donation by going to https://seekersguidance.org/donate - your donations are tax deductible in the US and Canada.

In this podcast Shaykh Faid Mohammed Said explains the different opportunities we have to attain the gifts of mercy that Allah Most High has provided us. Shaykh Faid begins by talking about the difficulties that Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing be upon him) and his family went through. However, through the difficulties we see a complete portrayal of mercy through the Prophet's choices (peace and blessing be upon him). He explains that life is about choices, and that the best of choices is choosing to be somewhere Allah is remembered.

Shaykh Faid then mentions some of the virtues of the month of Sha'ban. It was from prophetic practice to fast most of the month of Sha'ban. The Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) informed us that Sha'ban is a month where out deeds are presented before Allah, and that he wanted his deeds to be presented while in a state of fasting.

Shaykh Faid goes on to discuss that among the signs of and accepted repentance, is being eager to perform acts of worship. A believer should never despair. Allah is happy when his servants repents. The Mercy of Allah covers over everything. A believer should be humble when asking Allah, this is from prophetic practice. A believer should be in a state of happiness while worshipping Allah. The purpose of worship is to purify oneself. 

For more SeekersGuidance podcasts and podcast shows, visit seekersguidance.org/podcasts.

Help Seekersguidance build a Global Islamic Seminary and spread the light of guidance to millions around the world by supporting us through monthly donation by going to https://seekersguidance.org/donate – your donations are tax deductible in the US and Canada.

In this Friday sermon, Shaykh Faraz begins by reminding the believers that the first ten verses of Surat al-Kahf are a protection from the Dajjal as Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) has informed us. The verses are gifts of mercy, and each verse is a key to mercy. The sunna of the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) in its entirety is mercy, and following the sunna in preserving the first ten verses of Surat al-Kahf is a key to attain on to that mercy. It is a protection from the Dajjal. The Dajjal preys on weakness of faith and attacks those who have weak faith. In time of confusion hold fast to the Qur’an. One of the keys to faith is to make regular practice to recite the first ten verses of Surat al-Kahf. Surat al-Khahf  is a summation of faith and the lessons of Surat al-Kahf are summarized in the first ten verses. Shaykh Faraz ends the khutba by reminding the believers of the reward and merit of the month of Sha'ban.

For more SeekersGuidance podcasts and podcast shows, visit seekersguidance.org/podcasts.

Help Seekersguidance build a Global Islamic Seminary and spread the light of guidance to millions around the world by supporting us through monthly donation by going to https://seekersguidance.org/donate – your donations are tax deductible in the US and Canada.

In Surat al-Fatiha the believer says "Praise be to Allah, Lord of all the worlds” this is teaching us how to thank Allah.

In a hadith Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing be upon him) said: “Praise be to Allah, as much as the number of all created things."

"Praise be to Allah for as much as His creation in the heavens and earth, and as much as His books have counted."

Shaykh Faid reminds the believers to keep praising and thanking Allah. Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing be upon him) thanked Allah even when there was no food in his house. There is always something to praise and thank Allah Most High for.

For more SeekersGuidance podcasts and podcast shows, visit seekersguidance.org/podcasts.

Help Seekersguidance build a Global Islamic Seminary and spread the light of guidance to millions around the world by supporting us through monthly donation by going to https://seekersguidance.org/donate – your donations are tax deductible in the US and Canada.

In this podcast Shaykh Faid Mohammed Said explains the benefits of reciting and connecting with the Qur’an on a daily basis. He reminds us all that the people of the Qur'an are the elite people of paradise. They are in the best of stations, and they constantly say words of goodness in this life. Just as one is careful what they intake into their bodies , one should be careful of what one listens to. Shaykh Faid counsels everyone to only listen to that which is of benefit . And what is better than reciting and listening to the words of Allah?

For more SeekersHub podcasts and podcast shows, visit seekersguidance.org/podcasts.

Help Seekershub build a Global Islamic Seminary and spread the light of guidance to millions around the world by supporting us through monthly donation by going to https://seekersguidance.org/donate – your donations are tax deductible in the US and Canada.

In this khutbah, Shaykh Faraz Rabbani reminds the believers of what it means to love Allah and love for Allah. He highlights that the greatest quality a believer can strive to attain in their lives is the love of Allah. The highest praise Allah grants to a believer is to be beloved to Him. And the the highest quality a believer can have is to be beloved by Allah. Shaykh Faraz explains what love is, and what does love for Allah entail. He distinguishes between a servant obeying Allah, and a servant loving Allah. The highest motivation for a believer is to be beloved by Allah. Shaykh Faraz ends by explaining that Allah loves the one who takes all means for the love of Allah alone, while loving all else out of the love of Allah.

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This Friday khutba was delivered by Shaykh Faraz at Jamiat-ul-Ansar (www.jamiatulansar.ca/) in Brampton, in March 2018.

For more SeekersGuidance podcasts and podcast shows, visit seekersguidance.org/podcasts.

Help Seekersguidance build a Global Islamic Seminary and spread the light of guidance to millions around the world by supporting us through monthly donation by going to https://seekersguidance.org/donate – your donations are tax deductible in the US and Canada.