Yusuf Circle Sheffield

Abu Sufyaan Ibn Harb رضي الله عنه (S2) Abu Sufyaan رضي الله عنه narrates a business trip he and Umayya Ibn Abu al-Salt went on to Syria. They encounter a village of Christians and discuss Religion - the priests mention the final Messenger ﷺ. Umayya thought he would’ve been the final Prophet himself, but the priest said the final Prophet ﷺ will be from the Quraysh. Umayya was from Ta’if. Abu Sufyaan رضي الله عنه returns to Makkah and sees the Companions رضي الله عنهم being persecuted.

Abu Sufyaan Ibn Harb رضي الله عنه (S1) His name: Sakhr Ibn Harb Ibn Umayya Ibn Abd Shams Ibn Abd Manaf رضي الله عنه. Abu Sufyaan رضي الله عنه was the chief of Banu Umayya. This tribe was second to Banu Hashim. The Messenger ﷺ and Abu Sufyaan رضي الله عنه were 3rd cousins. Abu Sufyaan رضي الله عنه was one of those who could read and write. He رضي الله عنه was ~10 years older than the Messenger ﷺ. When the Messenger ﷺ began preaching privately in the first 3 years, his business transactions remained with Abu Sufyaan رضي الله عنه. There was a trusting relationship between them.

Reflections (S11) Surah [76:20]: “a Majestic Kingdom”. This refers to the constant descending of the Angels (a.s) and their giving of Salaam to the dwellers of Paradise. The residents of Paradise will have the height of Adam (a.s), the beauty of Yusuf (a.s), the heart of Yaqoob (a.s), the age of Eesa (a.s) and the tongue of the Messenger ﷺ. Surah [4:122]: “and whose word is more truthful than Allah’s?” (سُبْحَانَهُ وتَعَالَى) Paradise awaits - the question is are you willing to work for it?

Reflections (S9) The Messenger ﷺ: “Al-Kawthar is a river in Paradise whose banks are of gold and it flows over pearls. Its water is whiter than milk and sweeter than honey”. Paradise: The Messenger ﷺ: “The climes of Paradise are temperate - neither too cold nor too hot”. Surah [76:13]: “Never seeing scorching heat or bitter cold”. Surah [76:14]: “and their fruits will be placed totally under their command”. Whenever you desire fruit, the branch will lower itself and you will take what you wish. The branch then retracts. Thus, if you desire something in Paradise just think about it!

Reflections (S8) The Day of Judgment: Abu Zharr رضي الله عنه: “Even the stone will be asked why it broke the man’s finger”. The Messenger ﷺ: “and ants will settle their scores with other ants”. The goblet of Kawthar - the blessed drink the Muslims will recieve on The Day of Judgement. The Messenger ﷺ: “By Him سُبْحَانَهُ وتَعَالَى in Whose Hand is my soul! Whoever of you stretches out his hand will get the goblet of Kawthar. The blessed water will keep him from ever having to relieve himself again or break wind again”.

Reflections (S7) The Messenger ﷺ: “A believer is able to walk in his grave 70 feet all around, in lush green fields. The brightness is like the moon’s on the 14th night”. The Messenger ﷺ: “Beware of urinating in graveyards, for it brings about leprosy”. Discussion regarding passing rewards onto the deceased: Aisha رضي الله عنها observed itikaaf and freed a slave and passed this reward onto her brother Abdul Rahman Ibn Abu Bakr رضي الله عنهم who had passed away.

Reflections (S6) The Messenger ﷺ: “Bury your deceased amongst the pious, for proximity to the evil doers pains the deceased”. Many claim: “Where you are buried has no effect”. This is an incorrect statement. We do not have to look far to refute this claim, Umar رضي الله عنه asked Aisha رضي الله عنها if he could be buried next to The Messenger ﷺ and Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه. Musa (a.s) asked to be buried a stones throw away from Baytul Maqdis. One must supplicate that he be buried in a virtuous place.

Reflections (S5) What should one recite at the grave when the deceased has just been buried?: When the body is buried, one should recite Surah Fatihah and the opening of Surah Baqarah at the head of the deceased. Read the last 3 verses of Surah Baqarah at the feet of the deceased. A beggar asked Imam Ahmed (r.h) for something. Imam Ahmed (r.h) gave him something. Another person began bidding for that thing, increasing the price. The Beggar said no, I want the blessings for myself.

eflections (S4) Mujahid (r.h): “No believer dies, except the Heaven and Earth weep for him for 40 days”. Before the body is buried, the soul sees the final acts performed on the body; the bathing, shrouding and carrying etc. The soul is in the hand of an Angel (a.s). The Messenger ﷺ: “Whoever carries the deceased for 40 steps, 40 of his major sins will be forgiven”.

Reflections (S3) The appearance of grey hairs is a great attainment, it marks the end of vain entertainment. Surah [23:13]: “Then We placed each as a sperm drop in a secure place”. The secure place is the womb. Surah [2:36]: “You will find in the Earth a residence and provision for your stay”. The words used for womb and Earth have the same root, thus both places have provisions, residence etc. As you go through life, more provisions are given to you. As a foetus, you have one source. The umbilical cord. When you’re born, you have two sources, your mothers milk. After weaning, you’re given four sources; 1). Meat, 2). Water, 3). Crops and 4). Dairy. When you die, you’re given the 8 gates of Paradise. Each time, the source doubles: 1 to 2 to 4 to 8. Transitioning to each phase has some grief but then you are happy with the next state. Just as once you started eating whole food and you didn’t want to return to your mother’s milk, once in Paradise you will not want to return to the Duniya.

Reflections (S2) Imam Junaid al-Baghdaadi (r.h): “If you grieve over the loss fortune, why do you not weep over the passing of your life?”. We lose sleep over money - but when is the last time you was distressed over the passing of your time? We are a number of days before we will die. Death comes for us all. The question is who will you be when the Angel of Death (a.s) comes to take your soul? Ali رضي الله عنه: “Is there no true free man who will this bit of scrap for those who deserve it?”. The Duniya is called the Abode of Deception. Our hopes and desires are distracting us. Safeguard whatever time you have left.

Reflections (S1) Ali رضي الله عنه: “Everything to which one limits himself, suffices”. The Messenger ﷺ: “Good deeds are numerous, but few are those who do them”. Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه said we are taking the comfort of this world, all the while this world is preparing to get rid of us! Do not let the few objects of this world distract you from the many things of the Hereafter.

Character (S6) Humour in our beautiful Deen: Huzhayfah Ibn al-Yaman رضي الله عنهم eloquently jokes with Umar رضي الله عنه to lighten the workload on Umar’s رضي الله عنه shoulders as he was the Ameer. A Bedouin got married at and old age. When asked why, he said: “I prefer my son to become an orphan before he could be able to disobey me!”. A Bedouin said: “I wasn’t good looking but I was intelligent. I married a beautiful woman who wasn’t intelligent, hoping my children would inherit my intelligence and her looks. They inherited my looks and her foolishness!”.

Character (S5) The Messenger ﷺ: “Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وتَعَالَى will conceal the faults of the one who restrains his tongue”. The Messenger ﷺ: “The most beloved deed to Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وتَعَالَى is simply guarding one’s tongue”. Akhlaaq is a shop. The tongue is the lock. When the lock opens, you know whether the shop sells gold or coal. Silence beautifies the scholar and it protects the ignorant.

Character (S4) Ali رضي الله عنه: “Whoever exaggerates small hardships then Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وتَعَالَى will test him with great hardships”. Ali رضي الله عنه: “Deprivation is better than complacency”. Ali رضي الله عنه: “Backbiting is the jihad of the feeble”. The Messenger ﷺ: “Backbiting is worse than zina”.

Character (S3) Whoever is proud of his knowledge has been seduced. Whoever is impressed with his deeds is deluded. The Messenger ﷺ: “That I walk with a brother in need is more beloved to me than doing itikaaf in Masjid Nabi for one month”. When you fulfill the need of your bother, Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وتَعَالَى will make your feet firm on the Day where feet will not be firm. Ali رضي الله عنه said to fulfill a need of a brother is more beloved to him that this entire Earth full of gold.

Character (S2) The importance of humility: The Messenger ﷺ: “Shall I not inform you of the one who is forbidden from the fire? It is the one who is accessible, polite and easy going”. The Messenger ﷺ: “Despite everything Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وتَعَالَى gave to Sulaimaan (a.s) he (a.s) never raised his head to look at the sky due to the fear and reverence of Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وتَعَالَى”. Prophet Sulaimaan (a.s) was given the wind as he sacrificed his horses. When you give up something for the sake of Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وتَعَالَى, Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وتَعَالَى gives you something better.

Surah 27 An Naml The Female Ant v87-88 Session 22 The 3 stages of the blowing of The Horn The first blowing of the horn will cause everyone to be suddenly struck with terror. At that time they wll witness the general confusion and the upsetting of the order of the universe. On the second blowing everyone will fall down dead, and when it is blown for the third time, all the dead will rise back to life and present themselves before the Lord of The Alamin.

Surah 27 An Naml The Female Ant v83-86 Session 21 Marshalled Troops in The World & The Hereafter You will joined with those whom you resembled in deeds. 'O Allah SWT bless my Ummah in their mornings.' 'O Lord reckon me with a light reckoning.'

Surah 27 The Female Ant v80-81 Session 20 You cannot make the dead hear, it is Allah SWT who makes them hear. "....the dead can hear the speech of the living in general, but it does not mean that they can hear them all the time," Ibn Taymiah (rah).