Living Islam: A commentary on the “book of assistance” by Imam al-Haddad

1. presents Ilm Intensive Courses Living Islam:A commentary on the “book of assistance” by Imam al-Haddad Presented by MlnAbdurragmaan Khan

2. INTRODUCTORY CLASS • Welcoming • Merits of seeking knowledge • Knowledge of the inner aspects of worship • Biography of the author • Introduction of “The Book of Assistance” √

3. MERITS OF SEEKING KNOWLEDGE • Allah subhanahuwata‘alasays, • "Say: 'My Lord! increase me in knowledge” • "Say: 'Are they the same – those who know and those who do not know?" • "Allah will raise in rank those of you who believe and those who have been given knowledge," • "Only those of His slaves with knowledge have fear of Allah."

4. MERITS OF SEEKING KNOWLEDGE • Mu'awiyaradiyaLlahuanhustated that RasuluLlahsallaLlahualayhiwasallamsaid, "When Allah desires good for someone, He gives him correct understanding in the deen." [Agreed upon] • Abu HurayraradiyaLlahuanhusaid, "I heard the RasuluLlahsallaLlahualayhiwasallamsay, 'This world is cursed, and everything in it is cursed, except for the remembrance of Allah Almighty and obedience to Him, and a scholar or a teacher.'" [at-Tirmidhi]

5. INTRODUCTORY CLASS • Welcoming • Merits of seeking knowledge • Knowledge of the inner aspects of worship • Biography of the author • Introduction of “The Book of Assistance” √ √

6. KNOWLEDGE OF THE INNER • Our jurists divided Tahara or cleanliness into two: cleansing of the body and cleansing of the heart. • Imam Gazzali said, “knowledge of its definitions/names, causes and cures is fardaynand thus compulsory upon each individual to study” • All acts of worship have an inner and outer, discussed in “The Book of Assistance”

7. INTRODUCTORY CLASS • Welcoming • Merits of seeking knowledge • Knowledge of the inner aspects of worship • Biography of the author • Introduction of “The Book of Assistance” √ √ √

8. BIOGRAPHY OF THE AUTHOR Imam AbduLlahibn Alawi al-Haddad Who is the author?? • A sayyid from the Prophetic Household • A jurist of high rank • A spiritual master • Compiler of the famous Ratib al-Haddad

9. INTRODUCTORY CLASS • Welcoming • Merits of seeking knowledge • Knowledge of the inner aspects of worship • Biography of the author • Introduction of “The Book of Assistance” √ √ √ √

10. The Book of Assistance - Introduction • Imam al-Haddad’s objective and similarly ours. • In his own words, “I was moved to write it by the wish to obey the command of Allah and that of His Prophet sallaLlahualayhiwasallam, and the desire for that which has been truthfully promised to those who give guiding directions, invite to goodness and spread knowledge.”

11. The Book of Assistance - Introduction وَلْتَكُنْ مِنْكُمْ أُمَّةٌ يَدْعُونَ إِلَى الْخَيْرِ وَيَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ Let there be a community among you who call to the good, and enjoin the right, and forbid the wrong. They are the ones who have success. [3:104] قُلْ هَذِهِ سَبِيلِي أَدْعُو إِلَى اللَّهِ عَلَى بَصِيرَةٍ أَنَا وَمَنِ اتَّبَعَنِي وَسُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ وَمَا أَنَا مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ Say: ‘This is my way. I call to Allah with inner sight, I and all who follow me. Glory be to Allah! I am not one of the idolaters!’ [12:108]

12. Introduction - Objective behind authorship « مَنْ دَعَا إِلَى هُدًى كَانَ لَهُ مِنَ الأَجْرِ مِثْلُ أُجُورِ مَنْ تَبِعَهُ لاَ يَنْقُصُ ذَلِكَ مِنْ أُجُورِهِمْ شَيْئًا وَمَنْ دَعَا إِلَى ضَلاَلَةٍ كَانَ عَلَيْهِ مِنَ الإِثْمِ مِثْلُ آثَامِ مَنْ تَبِعَهُ لاَ يَنْقُصُ ذَلِكَ مِنْ آثَامِهِمْ شَيْئًا» If anyone calls others to follow right guidance, his reward will be equivalent to those who follow him (in righteousness) without their reward being diminished in any respect, and if anyone invites others to follow error, the sin, will be equivalent to that of the people who follow him (in sinfulness) without their sins being diminished in any respect

13. Introduction - Objective behind authorship Hen then says, “I seek Allah’s forgiveness and do not claim that my intention in writing this treatise is confined to these good religious purposes; how may I do so when I am aware of the hidden desires, egotistic passions and worldly wishes that I harbour. “I do not claim innocence for my self; the self / ego is indeed an inciter to evil, save when my Lord shows mercy” The ego is an enemy that should never be trusted

14. Introduction - “You must do” I have begun each chapter in this treatise by saying, “You must do …” this being addressed particularly to my own self, my brother who was the cause for writing this treatise and generally to every Muslim who reads it. This expression has an effect on the heart of those who it is addressed to, and I hope that, having used it, I will escape the reproaches and threats directed against those who say but do not do, and who know but do not act …

15. Introduction - “You must do” … for if I address myself saying, “You must do this” this indicates that the thing has not yet become a reality through my practicing of what I know, and that I am still at the stage of prompting myself to practice what I preach. In this manner, I will neither be deceiving the believers nor forgetting myself, for this is how Allah has described those who have no understanding: “Do you exhort people to goodness and forget yourselves, and you recite the Book? Have you no understanding?”

16. Introduction - The name Imam Haddad thus names the book: رسالة المعاونة والمؤازرة لمريدي سالكي طريق الآخرة The Book of Assistance, Support and Encouragement for Such Believers as Desire to Follow the Way of the Afterlife

17. INTRODUCTORY CLASS • Welcoming • Merits of seeking knowledge • Knowledge of the inner aspects of worship • Biography of the author • Introduction of “The Book of Assistance” √ √ √ √ √

18. Abu HurayrahradiyaLlahuanhureported that RasuluLlahsallaLlahualayhiwasallamsaid, "Anyone who calls others to guidance will have the same reward as those who follow him, without that decreasing their reward in any way." [Muslim]