Renewing Religion: An Overview of Ghazali's Ihya

Shaykh Yahya highlights that the greatest gift that we have been given, is the gift of faith because enables us to live a life of purpose. Faith is also the greatest gift we can give to the modern world in which we live. As people move further and further away from belief, resulting in a state of agitation and a state of panic. Faith (iman) is related to security (amn). With faith one finds security in their Lord who absolutely sustains and takes care of everything from its beginning to its fruition.

Shaykh Yahya reminds us that history is in good hands. The umma of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is granted mercy. There are many things of this deen and in this world that one cannot fully understand or comprehend the wisdom of, until they take into consideration the afterlife, and see how it plays out in the next life.

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In this Friday khutba, Shaykh Faraz Rabbani calls the believers to reflect on the great favor sent by Allah Most High, the messenger of Allah, Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing be upon him). Shaykh Faraz goes on to remind us all to renew our gratitude during this month of Rabi al-Awwal, and be grateful for the Divine Mercy of Allah of sending us the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessing be upon him). He provides key advice on how we can express this gratitude by connecting to the guidance of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him).

Shaykh Faraz explains in this khutba that both faith and righteous deeds entail following the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessing upon him). Surat al-Asr (chapter 103 in the Qur'an) encapsulates how the believers should be. Be thankful of both the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessing  upon him), and the message that he came with. He ends the khutba by reminding all to send peace and blessings on the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing be upon him).

This Friday sermon was delivered in November of 2017 at the International Muslims Organization of Toronto (IMO)  (http://imooftoronto.com/).

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In this podcast Shaykh Faid Mohammed Said  calls the believers to realize the reality of repentance, it is not simply repenting and turning to Allah when one sins. But it is to be suspect of one’s repentance. He goes on to mention some secrets of repentance. The one constantly making repentance will make excuses for others as well.

Shaykh Faid also gave a prior talk on the Importance of Repentance found on our SeekersHub Podcast here: https://seekersguidance.org/podcasts/2017/11/12/importance-repentance-shaykh-faid-mohammed-said/

Shaykh Faid Mohammed Said is the resident scholar at the Larayb Institute For Education, in the UK.

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In this podcast Shaykh Faid Mohammed Said  calls the believers to realize the real wrongdoing, is in not repenting and turning to Allah when one errs. He also defines what repentance is. Shaykh Faid goes on to emphasize that Allah is always watching, and that we should be heedful of that. He also explains the state of those who do not make repentance, and how their lack of repentance is a turning away from Allah Most High. Conversely, repentance is one of the key traits of the believers.

Shaykh Faid Mohammed Said is the resident scholar at the Larayb Institute For Education, in the UK.

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In this podcast, Shaykh Faid Mohammed Said  explains the blessings of the high rank of Sayyida Khadija, and how she reassured the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing be upon him). Shaykh Faid goes onto to explain how  Sayyida Khadija was blessed with a number of first. She w as the first to believe, the first to do wudu, and the first to pray. Allah the Most High blessed  Sayyida Khadija with a house in paradise and give her sallams. Shaykh Faid closes by calling the believers whether male or female to learn about the high rank of  Sayyida Khadija.

This talk took place at the Harrow mosque in the U.K.

Larayb Institute for Education 

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Shaykh Faraz Rabbani explains the closing ten verses of Surat Aal-Imran (3.190-200):Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of he day and night  there are signs for people of reason,˹They are those who remember Allah while standing, sitting, and lying on their sides, and reflect on the creation of the heavens and the earth ˹and pray˺, “Our Lord! You have not created ˹all of˺ this without purpose. Glory be to You! Protect us from the torment of the Fire. Our Lord! Indeed, those You commit to the Fire will be ˹completely˺ disgraced! And the wrongdoers will have no helpers. Our Lord! We have heard the caller to ˹true˺ belief, ˹proclaiming,˺ ‘Believe in your Lord ˹alone˺,’ so we believed. Our Lord! Forgive our sins, absolve us of our misdeeds, and allow us ˹each˺ to die as one of the virtuous Our Lord! Grant us what You have promised us through Your messengers and do not put us to shame on Judgment Day—for certainly You never fail in Your promise.”So their Lord responded to them: “I will never deny any of you—male or female—the reward of your deeds. Both are equal in reward. Those who migrated or were expelled from their homes, and were persecuted for My sake and fought and ˹some˺ were martyred—I will certainly forgive their sins and admit them into Gardens under which rivers flow, as a reward from Allah. And with Allah is the finest reward!”Do not be deceived by the prosperity of the disbelievers throughout the land. It is only a brief enjoyment. Then Hell will be their home—what an evil place to rest! But those who are mindful of their Lord will be in Gardens under which rivers flow, to stay there forever—as an accommodation from Allah. And what is with Allah is best for the virtuous.Indeed, there are some among the People of the Book who truly believe in Allah and what has been revealed to you ˹believers˺ and what was revealed to them. They humble themselves before Allah—never trading Allah’s revelations for a fleeting gain. Their reward is with their Lord. Surely Allah is swift in reckoning. O believers! Patiently endure, persevere stand on guard, and be mindful of Allah, so you may be successful. (translation from Clear Qur’an by Dr. Mustafa Khattab, taken from Quran.com)

 In which the Messenger of Allah (peace & blessings be upon him) regularly recited when he got up for night worship.

These verses affirm the importance of Reflection and Remembrance (fikr and dhikr) as the means for certitude (yaqin) and true, living, transformative faith (Iman).

And they close with a memorable verse calling believers to patience, steadfastness, fortitude, and mindfulness as keys to eternal success.

Khutba from Jamiat-ul-Ansar (www.jamiatulansar.ca/) in Brampton.

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In this podcast, Shaykh Yahya Rhodus calls the believers to reflect on the history in the Qur’an being a sacred history. Shaykh Yahya goes on to explain the high rank of Sayyida Khadija and how every time the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)left the house he mentioned her out of a heartfelt connection.

Shaykh Yahya goes on to give a lovely metaphor when he said Sayyida Khadija was like the womb for the birth of Islam. She nurtured, comforted and gave reassurance to the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), and supported him. The first bond of Islam was with Sayyida Khadija.

At the first revelation she gave testimony of 5 things about the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him): 1)He maintains family ties 2) You bare the burdens of others 3) You give to the needy and raise them4) You show hospitality 5) You assist during times of calamity

Shaykh Yahya ended by saying when he thinks of Sayyida Khadija he thinks 3 things: Support, Sacrifice, and Service.

This talk took place at the Harrow mosque in the U.K.

Larayb Institute for Education 

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In this Friday khutba, Shaykh Faraz Rabbani calls the believers to reflect on the urgent call in Surat al-Waqi’a (Sura 56 of the Qur'an) to turn to Allah through realization of the majestic qualities of Allah. Shaykh Faraz explains how none will deny the reality of the hereafter to occur.

Shaykh Faraz goes on to explain that there are three groups that will be resurrected on the day of judgment:

1) People of the right hand - eternal contentment, reward, and joy

2) People of the left hand - eternal loss, and external misery

3) Very foremost - they are drawn closer to Allah

Lastly the three qualities of the foremost are mentioned:

1) Sincerity in everything one does.

2) Strive in everything one does in the best way possible.

3) Hasten to forgiveness when one falls short.

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This Friday khutba was delivered by Shaykh Faraz at the Bosnian Islamic Association “Gazi Husrev-Beg” (http://www.biaghb.com/) in Toronto, in October 2017.

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Renowned Muslim author and story-teller were interviewed by Aashif Sacha, in Auckland, New Zealand. He says: "I was fortunate enough to meet Ustadha Mehded Maryam Sinclair on a sunny Auckland morning. From the moment I met her, she filled the room with grace.  As she gazed out of the window, Ustadha Mehded spoke candidly about her journey into storytelling, the challenges she experienced and she also offers some timeless wisdom that all listeners will benefit from."

With that, we invite you to listen to the interview.

Checkout Ustadha Mehded's books here at Firdous Books

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In this Friday sermon, Shaykh Faraz Rabbani reflects on the momentous day of Ashura (10th of Muharram), and the great events that historically took place on that day. The stories tell of noble struggles for good, for the sake of Allah Most High. Shaykh Faraz then asks: "what is our individual struggle through which we turn to Allah and seek His closeness?"

Shaykh Faraz recounts the stories of Moses with Pharaoh, because it was on this day that Allah Most High saved Moses and his people from Pharaoh, as has come in the hadith. He also recounts the story of the martyrdom of al-Hussayn (may Allah be pleased with him), the grandson of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). Shaykh Faraz also recounts the migration (hijra) of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), as we have just entered into the new Hijri year. All of these stories portray a struggle for good, for the sake of Allah Most High. Shaykh Faraz then calls everyone to ask themselves "what is my struggle in this life to turn to Allah?" The struggle could be getting up for Fajr, keeping up the five daily prayers, spending in the way of good, upholding justice, etc. The struggle is anything that one exerts themselves, time and effort seeking Allah thereby. He finally calls to take ourselves into account on how we spend our time, and to try to make good use of our lives.

This Friday sermon was delivered in September of 2017 at the University of Toronto.

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