Sunday, October 29, 2006

Sunna and Hadith



Sunna is the way of life of the blessed Prophet Muhammad, may Allah exalt him and bless him and shower him with light. The sunna of the Prophet is the living manifestation of La ilaha Ilallah. It is the expression of his pure and perfect nature, in complete submission to the Source of Love and in compassionate caretaking of the human family. He is perfect in intention, in thought and in action, and he is the shining model for humanity. His life is the interpretation of Holy Quran. By coming close to him we come close to Allah Most High.

The sunna of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, is preserved in the great body of Hadith—the recorded accounts of his life and teachings. Hadith Qudsi are the direct words of Allah Most High spoken into the Prophet’s heart—this places them on the level of Holy Quran.

Nine hadith Qudsi recorded in Atom from the Sun of Knowledge:

The noble Caretaker who guards the ocean of Quranic meaning, Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace, proclaims: When Allah Most High decreed the existence of creation, He firmly committed Himself by inscribing in His Original Book, “My Divine Mercy extends infinitely beyond My Divine Judgement.”

The Beloved Muhammad, upon him be peace, reports these words directly from the Most High: My love belongs to those who love each other in Me, who experience intimacy in Me, who shower each other with goodness for My Sake, and who visit each other joyfully for My Sake.

While pointing at his noble heart three times, the glorious Seal of Messengers proclaims: True religion is right here!

Pronounces the President of the Parliament of Prophets: No one has become truly faithful to universal religion until they wish for their sisters and brothers exactly what they desire for themself.

Reveals the Mercy to all Worlds, upon him be peace: Every single repetition of praise—every Subhanallah, every Al-hamdulillah, every Allahu Akbar, and every La ilaha Ilallah—is a supreme form of charitable giving.

The noble Bearer of Glorious Quran recites these words directly from the Revealer of the Quran: O My servants, I do not permit Myself a single act of compulsion, so neither is compulsion of any kind permissible among you.

Advises the Friend of all souls, upon him be peace: Abandon instantly whatever makes you feel doubtful, and embrace wholeheartedly whatever genuinely frees you from doubt.

The intimate Beloved of Allah reveals these astonishing words directly from his most precious Lord: When I intensely love one of My servants, I alone become the hearing with which they hear, the seeing with which they see, the hands with which they grasp, and the feet with which they walk. Were such a servant to request absolutely anything of Me, I would instantly grant it.

The First Light and Universal Intellect, upon him be peace, relates these words directly from the Source of the Universe: I manifest in the manner in which each conscious being expects Me to manifest.


Shaykha Fariha al Jerrahi

Saturday, October 21, 2006

As for the outward appearance of Muhammadun Rasul Allah s


As for the outward appearance salla Allah alayhi wa sallam,

Truly, he was

Stately, held in honor by others, with a face like the circular moon.

Above average in height, but shorter than tall, his height stood out.

His head was large but suitable, his color was white mixed with red, and his face was wide with long and thin eyebrows that were unconnected.

His hair never reached his earlobes and it was neither curly nor straight.

Between his eyebrows was a vein that appeared when he got angry.

His nose, an adornment to his face, was pointed a little upwards.

His beard was thick, and his cheeks a bit raised.

His beauty was natural; the pupils of his eyes were very black.

His mouth was wide, and when he talked he used all of his mouth.

He had a mustache, and it has been proven that between his front teeth was a small gap.

He had fine hair from below his chest to his navel.

His neck was beautiful like ivory and pure like silver.

His body was properly proportioned and gave off the fragrance of musk.

His stomach was flat, his chest was without hair, and his shoulders were wide.

He has Large joints

There is hair on the shoulders and the upper parts of the chest, and on the arms

His breasts are without hair, as has been authenticated by the book, as-Shama’il al-Muhammadiyya, a book written by Imam at-Tirmidhi

His arms are long, his palm of his hand and the soal of his foot is wide, full and soft

The muscles of his body are smooth and even, he always looked down, and his looks are beautiful

If water is poured on his feet it spreads, if he laughs his sparkled teeth pure and white like hail stones

These hails which are so popular

He looked to the earth more than to the sky, most of the time he would only glance, and he would always walk behind his companions.

Always cheerful, and he was always the first to greet someone with a salam; and when he walked it was as if he was descending a slope, such was spiritual nature.

Always thinking, he was silent for long periods of time; sad, dwelling long in fear of Allah.

O Allah bless and grant peace upon the dhat al-Muhammadiya

And forgive us what might be and what has been.

from the Mawlid of the Prophet (Uthmani)

Tuesday, October 17, 2006


"My eyes never beheld anyone more beautiful than you;
No woman gave birth to one more handsome,
Born faultless as if it was your wish."

Hassan ibn Thabit , speaking to the Prophet

Monday, October 16, 2006

Love is the Essence of Creation


The Pride of Humanity was a man of love and affection. One of his names was Habib Allah (the Beloved of God). In addition to meaning one who loves, habib also means one who is loved, one who loves God and is loved by God. Sufi masters like Imam Rabbani, Mawlana Khalid, and Shah Waliy Allah al-Dahlawi state that love is the ultimate station of the spiritual journey.

God created the universe as a manifestation of His love for His creatures, especially humanity, and Islam became the fabric woven out of this love. In the words of Bediuzzaman, love is the essence of creation. Just as a mother's love and compassion allows a surgeon to operate on her sick to save his or her life, jihad does not rule out war, if needed, to preserve such fundamental human rights as the right to life and religious freedom. Jihad does not exclusively mean war, although some claim that that is its only meaning.

Once a friend said to me: "Without exception and regardless of faith, you meet with everyone, and this breaks the tension of Muslims. But it is an Islamic principle to love what or who must be loved in the way of God and dislike what or who must be disliked in the way of God also." Actually this principle is often misunderstood, for in Islam all of creation is to be loved according to the rule of loving in God's way. "Disliking in the way of God" does not apply to human beings but to feelings, thoughts, and attributes. Thus, we should dislike such things as immorality, unbelief and polytheism, not those who engage in them. God created humanity as noble, and everyone shares to a certain degree in this nobility. God's Messenger once stood up out of respect for man as the funeral procession of a Jew passed by. When reminded that the deceased was a Jew, the Prophet replied: "But he's a human being," thereby the value Islam gives to human beings.

This shows how highly our Prophet respected each person. Given this, the involvement of some self-proclaimed Muslim individuals or institutions in terrorist activities do not lie in Islam. The reasons should be sought in themselves, their false interpretations, and other factors and motives. Islam does not support terror, so how could a Muslim who truly understands his or her religion be a terrorist?

Within this framework, if we exclude certain periods and individuals, the Turks' interpretation of Islam, with respect to the issues open to interpretation, is correct and positive. If we can spread globally the Islamic understanding of such heroes of love as Niyazi Misri, Yunus Emre, and Mawlana Rumi, and if we can extend their messages of love, dialogue, and tolerance to people who are thirsty for this message, everyone will will run toward the embrace of love, peace, and tolerance that we represent.

Islam's definition of tolerance is such that the Prophet prohibited verbal abuse. For example, Abu Jahl died before embracing Islam despite all of the Prophet's efforts. His unbelief and enmity toward the Prophet was such that he deserved the title "Abu Jahl": "the father of the ignorant and impudent." His untiring opposition to Islam was a thorn on the side of Muslims. Despite such hostility, however, the Prophet always warned his Companions against making disparaging remarks about Abu Jahl. Once, in an assembly of Companions where Abu Jahl's son Ikrima was present, the Prophet admonished a Companion who was heard insulting Abu Jahl: "Do not hurt others by criticizing their fathers." Another time, he said: "Cursing your mother and father is a great sin." The Companions asked: "O Messenger of God, would anyone curse their parents?" The Prince of Prophets replied: "When someone curses another's father and the other curses his father in return, or when someone curses another's mother and the other does the same in return, they will have cursed their parents." [Muslim, Sahih, "Iman," 145; Tirmidhi, Sunan, "Birr,", 4]

While the Prophet of Mercy, upon him be peace and blessings, was inordinately sensitive when it came to respecting others, some Muslims today justify their abrasive behavior on the basis of religion. This shows that they do not understand Islam, which has no place for malice and hatred.

The Qur'an strongly urges forgiveness and tolerance. In one verse, it says of pious people: They swallow their anger and forgive people. God loves those who do good (3:134). In other words, Muslims do not retaliate when verbally abused or attacked. If possible, as Yunus says, they act as if they had no hand and tongue to respond or heart to resent. They swallow their anger and close their eyes to others' faults. The words selected in the verse are very meaningful. Kezm, translated as swallowing, means swallowing something like a thorn that is not swallowable; kzm means someone who has swallowed his wrath. Again verse, while mentioning the characteristics of believers, says: and if they pass by futility, they pass by it with honorable avoidance (25:72).

When we look at the exalted life of God's Messenger, we see that he always practiced the precepts presented in the Qur'an. For example, a Companion once repented of a sin and admitted: "I am guilty of fornication. Whatever my punishment is, give it and cleanse me." The Prince of the Prophets said: "Go back and repent, for God forgives all sins." Another time, a Companion complained to God's Messenger about someone who had stolen his belongings. But at the moment the punishment was going to be given, the Companion said: "I have changed my mind and do not want to pursue my case. I forgive this individual." Muhammad asked: "Why did you bring this matter to court? Why didn't you forgive him from the outset?"

When such examples are studied from their original sources, it is clear that the method used by those who act with enmity and hatred, who view everyone but themselves with wrath, and who blacken others as infidels is un-Islamic, for Islam is a religion of love and tolerance. A Muslim is a person of love and affection who avoids very kind of terroristic activity and who has no malice and hatred for anyone or anything.

M. Fethullah Gülen

Saturday, October 14, 2006



Allah (ta'ala) says in the Glorious Qur'an (Surah 33:56):

"Surely Allah and His angels bless the Prophet; O you who believe call for (Divine) blessings on him and salute him with a (becoming) salutation."

The very name "Muhammad" means "the one who is praised, often praised" and the name of the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) is also known as "Ahmad" meaning "the one deserving of praise".

Imam Jalaludin as-Suyuti mentions:

His name is Muhammad and Ahmad; his people are the people of praise (hamd)- and his prayer rite and the prayer rite of his people is opened with praise (hamd). In the Preserved Tablet in God's abode it was written that his Caliphs and his Companions in writing the Sacred Volume, should open it with praise (Surah 1:1). And in his hand on the Resurrection Day will be the banner of praise. And when he then prostrates himself before God in intercession in our behalf and it is accepted he will praise the Lord with a new song that shall then be revealed to him, for his is the Heavenly Station of Praise (al-maqam al-mahmud, Surah 17:79)-and when he rises up in that Station all the assembly shall praise him, Muslims and misbelievers alike, the first and the last, and all meanings and modes of thankful praise shall be gathered up and offered to him. [quoted from And Muhammad is His Messenger by Annemarie Schimmel p. 107]


O Allah bless Muhammad, whose qualities are praiseworthy

The source of hope

The splendor of the heaven and earth

He by whose blessing we are freed from every fatigue blindness and distress

The best who became the imam of the army of the selected messengers

The night-friend of the divine manifestations of the divine matters

The one with whose blessing al-Janun, the paradise of Eden, became mad

Applying the rules

Warning against illusions

Doubts and Sins

The top of glory which has a special acceptance with Allah

In his hand is the flag of praise

My Lord, be pleased with his companions, the finest

The ones by whose blessing we are freed of harm

Be pleased with the tabi’in

The people of the Friday prayer and gathering, the people of Sunnah

Allah bless him and grant him peace


From The Prayer of Glowing coals of the Muhammadan lights and the Divine Secrets

By the Arif billah the Exalted Joining the Shari’ah and the Truth the Shaykh Abd al-BaqiUmar Ahmad al-Mukashafi