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This is a message that was captured from the archives of 2019. It grips your heart and motivates one to refresh their Imaan. It also serves as a reminder of what our objectives of life should be.
Almighty Allah Taala blessed us with the opportunity to be in in the company of our illustrious Ustad Hazrath Moulana Suleman Choksi Sahib last weekend.
Hazrath delivered a talk on Ijtima Fikar at Masjid-e-Hilal and also advised the Ulama the following day at Masjid-e-Saliheen in Sherwood. As usual every statement of Hazrath was unique and thought provoking and filled with spiritually. The audience sense a feeling of inhaling oud in Hazraths talk after which we feel refreshed and energetic.Hazraths wife known to us as khala passed away recently. May Allah Taala grant her the highest stages in Jannah and grant our beloved Ustaad and his sons, Moulana Muhammad Musayyab and Moulana Haroon and other children sabr. Ameen.We requested Hazrath to tell us some of the noble qualities of Khala.
Our mothers and sister’s will be amazed at such qualities in a woman in this era of materialism and entertainment which are central to the lives of women. I decided to note down some of Khala’s qualities to share with our mothers and sister’s and I am sure it will be beneficial and a means to reflect upon ourselves.
ADHERENCE TO THE SUNNAH
A family member of Hazrath Moulana Suleman Choksi Sahib who is close to Hazrath Mufti Radha-ul-haq Sahib saw a dream about ten days before Khala passed away to the effect that Rasulullah صلي الله عليه وسلم passed away. Hazrath Mufti Radha-ul-haq Sahib stated that it appears a person who is a muttabi(follower) of sunnah will pass away. Zuhd was an outstanding Sunnah ofRasulullah صلي الله عليه وسلم. It appears the dream referred to the demise of Khala.
On this Hazrath Moulana Suleman Choksi Sahib described the zuhd and abstinence of materialism by Khala. When Khala passed away, she owned no jewellery and had only six pairs of clothing and two burqahs. When they removed her clothes from the cupboard it filled up only 2 spar packets. The few pairs of clothes she had were old and had patches on them. She did not have an extra pair of shoes.
IBADAT AND ADHKAAR.
She was punctual on her Nawafil Salah, Ishraq, Chasht, Awwabeen and Tahajjud.ï Reading Quran and other Adhkaar were her daily habit.ï
Khala used to perform all 17 rakats of Esha Salah. Hazrat stated we would read 9 rakats, 4 fardh,2 Sunnahs and 3 Witr. When Khala would go to perform her Salah, she was like a person on duty fulfilling her tasks diligently.
NON-WASTAGE
Khala would take a bath with a bucket to avoid abuse of water through a shower.ï Khala valued everything in the house. She would not upgrade anything until it can be used.
Khala avoided wasting. She would cook fresh food for all but eat left over food and roti. She used to say that if I don’t eat left over food it will get wasted.
GENEROSITY
Khala would always give any workers at her home some food of what she had. They would never go empty handed. Her maid accepted Islam. She would treat her maid like her daughter. She would cook food and give her maid to take home. When Moulana Haroon got married, she told Moulana Muhammad to buy a new abaya for her as it is a wedding and others will be wearing new clothes. How will she feel?
STAYING AWAY FROM FRIVOLOUS ACTIVITIES
Khala attended only two weddings in South Africa and that too of very close relatives.ï When she was advised to see the ocean, she said, ‘I saw the sea once.’ ‘What’s the point of repeatedly seeing the ocean?’
SAFEGUARDING THE TONGUE
Some responsible women had stated that they never heard backbiting or gossip by Khala and neither would she permit backbiting and gossip.
TRUST AND NURTURING HER CHILDREN
Moulana Muhammad also stated that when he went to Nelspruit, he took a brick from Darul Uluum Zakariyyah for some reason. When she noticed that, she told him that the brick belongs to the Darul Uluum. It is Waqf. She insisted he return the brick to the Darul Uluum which he did. It was only thereafter she felt at ease and said that now I am happy as your house is free from haram.
Subhanallah, What an amazing example of trust!
ENDURANCE
Khala had great endurance in her, she would never show her pain to anyone. Moulana said that when people would repeatedly ask Khala about her health. She had sugar, pressure and weight loss. She would always say that I am well. She never complained.
GHAAFILAAT (UNKNOWINGNESS/SIMPLE MINDNESS)
Almighty Allah describes some of the outstanding qualities of believing women. One is Ghaafilaat being simple minded and not knowing anything about the glitters and glamour’s of the world.Moulana Suleman Choksi Saheb stated Khala never knew or saw a TV, Moulana Muhammad Musayyab stated his mother did not even know how to use or speak on the cell phone.
While some people may interpret the quality of unknowingness in a different way, Allah praises this quality in women. In these days women are distracted with so many things that becomes an obstacle for them in their objective of worshipping Allah, reciting the Quran and zikr. It was this quality in Khala that made her focus in her tilaawat and zikr.
It is stated in a hadith,
كما تعيش تموت
You will die as you live.On a Friday morning, Khala made Wudhu to perform Ishraaq Salah. She stood on the musallah and was greeted by Malakul Maut to be taken to Allah Taala to meet Allah Taala.
Subhanallah, what an honourable death! Friday and on a musallah. Khala passed away in India after living in South Africa for approximately 20 years.
It is though she came to South Africa; a modern country – to practically demonstrate how women could be transported back in time and live a life of a practising Allah conscious woman.
SHE LEAVES BEHIND GREAT LESSON FOR THE WOMEN OF OUR TIME
-1. Adherence to the Sunnah /zuhd (abstinence) from the glamour of this transitory world.
قَالَ: جَاءَ رَجُلٌ إلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه و سلم فَقَالَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ! دُلَّنِي عَلَى عَمَلٍ إذَا عَمِلْتُهُ أَحَبَّنِي اللهُ وَأَحَبَّنِي
Property
؛ فَقَالَ: “ازْهَدْ فِي الدُّنْيَا يُحِبَّك اللهُ، وَازْهَدْ فِيمَ عِنْدَ النَّاسِ يُحِبَّك النَّاسُ” .
Translation: A man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and said, “O Messenger of Allah, direct me to an act which, if I do it, [will cause] Allah to love me and the people to love me.” So he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Renounce the world and Allah will love you, and renounce what the people possess and the people will love you.”
2. Ibadat and adhkaar.
أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، قال: “يقول الله تعالى: أنا عند ظن عبدي بي، وأنا معه إذا ذكرني، فإن ذكرني في نفسه، ذكرته في نفسي وإن ذكرني في ملإٍ ذكرته في ملإٍ خير منهم” ((متفق عليه)).
Translation:
Allah the Exalted says: ‘I am as my slave expects me to be, and I am with him when he remembers me. If he remembers me inwardly, I will remember him inwardly, and if he remembers me in an assembly, I will remember him in a better assembly (i.e., in the assembly of angels).”
3. Non-wastage.
أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ مَرَّ بِسَعْدٍ وَهُوَ يَتَوَضَّأُ فَقَالَ ” مَا هَذَا السَّرَفُ ” . فَقَالَ أَفِي الْوُضُوءِ إِسْرَافٌ قَالَ ” نَعَمْ وَإِنْ كُنْتَ عَلَى نَهَرٍ جَارٍ ” .
Translation:
The Messenger of Allah passed by Sa’d when he was performing ablution, and he said: ‘What is this extravagance?’ He said: ‘Can there be any extravagance in ablution?’ He said: ‘Yes, even if you are on the bank of a flowing river.’
4. Generosity
.ن عبد الله بن عمرو بن العاص رضي الله عنهما أن رجلاً سأل رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم : أى الإسلام خير؟ قال: “تطعم الطعام، وتقرأ السلام على من عرفت ومن لم تعرف”.
Translation: “Which act in Islam is the best?” He (ﷺ) replied, “To feed (the poor and the needy) and to greet those whom you know and those you do not know.”
5. Staying away from frivolous activities.
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ ” مِنْ حُسْنِ إِسْلاَمِ الْمَرْءِ تَرْكُهُ مَا لاَ يَعْنِيهِ “
Translation: “Part of a person’s goodness in Islam is his leaving alone that which does not concern him.”
6. Safeguarding the tongue.
ـ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ” مَنْ كَانَ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ فَلْيَقُلْ خَيْرًا أَوْ لِيَصْمُتْ » . مُتَّفَقٌ عَلَيهِ .Translation: Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should talk what is good or keep quiet,
7. Trust and nurturing her children.
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ” الْمُسْلِمُ مَنْ سَلِمَ الْمُسْلِمُونَ مِنْ لِسَانِهِ وَيَدِهِ وَالْمُؤْمِنُ مَنْ أَمِنَهُ النَّاسُ عَلَى دِمَائِهِمْ وَأَمْوَالِهِمْTranslation: “The Muslim is the one from (the harm of) whose tongue and hand (other) Muslims are safe, and the believer is the one with whom the people trust their blood and their wealth.
عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ” أَلاَ كُلُّكُمْ رَاعٍ وَكُلُّكُمْ مَسْئُولٌ عَنْ رَعِيَّتِهِ فَالأَمِيرُ الَّذِي عَلَى النَّاسِ رَاعٍ عَلَيْهِمْ وَهُوَ مَسْئُولٌ عَنْهُمْ وَالرَّجُلُ رَاعٍ عَلَى أَهْلِ بَيْتِهِ وَهُوَ مَسْئُولٌ عَنْهُمْ وَالْمَرْأَةُ رَاعِيَةٌ عَلَى بَيْتِ بَعْلِهَا وَوَلَدِهِ وَهِيَ مَسْئُولَةٌ عَنْهُمْ وَالَعَبْدُ رَاعٍ عَلَى مَالِ سَيِّدِهِ وَهُوَ مَسْئُولٌ عَنْهُ فَكُلُّكُمْ رَاعٍ وَكُلُّكُمْ مَسْئُولٌ عَنْ رَعِيَّتِهِ ” .
Translation: Each of you is a shepherd and each of you is responsible for his flock. The amir (ruler) who is over the people is a shepherd and is responsible for his flock; a man is a shepherd in charge of the inhabitants of his household and he is responsible for his flock; a woman is a shepherdess in charge of her husband’s house and children and she is responsible for them; and a man’s slave is a shepherd in charge of his master’s property and he is responsible for it. So each of you is a shepherd and each of you is responsible for his flock.
8. Endurance
.قَالَ ايْمُ اللَّهِ لَقَدْ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ ” إِنَّ السَّعِيدَ لَمَنْ جُنِّبَ الْفِتَنَ إِنَّ السَّعِيدَ لَمَنْ جُنِّبَ الْفِتَنَ إِنَّ السَّعِيدَ لَمَنْ جُنِّبَ الْفِتَنَ وَلَمَنِ ابْتُلِيَ فَصَبَرَ فَوَاهًا ” Translation: The happy man is he who avoids dissensions: happy is the man who avoids dissensions; happy is the man who avoids dissensions: but how fine is the man who is afflicted and shows endurance.
Noted By: (Mufti) Ebrahim Desai.
Darul Iftaa, Sherwood.Student of Hazrat Moulana Suleman Choksi Saheb Maddizulluhu
