Imam Abu Hanifa and His neighbor

It is well known that Abu Hanifa (radi Allahu 'anhu), did tahajjut every night. He would spend his night reciting the Quran. He had a neighbor who was an alcoholic, and he used to drink a lot and sing love poems. This used to bother the imam.

But one day, the imam did not hear this man's revelry, so he went and asked about him. They said, "Oh, so-and-so. They took him to jail." So, the very well respected imam went to the jail. He was the most respected imam and qaadi at the time in that place. When the ruler found out the imam went to the jail, he asked for the reason and was told that the imam was concerned about his neighbor who had been arrested. So, the ruler said to release the man, and he was released.

The neighbor then asked Abu Hanifa why he did that, and he replied, "Because you have a right upon me as a neighbor, and I have not been neglectful of that." That was the reason that the neighbor made tauba to Allah subhâna wa ta'âla [that is: embraced islam]."

Shaykh Samir in Toronto

As salamu `alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu

Alhamdulillah wa shukrillah, we are pleased to announce the arrival of Sayyiduna Shaykh Samir al-Nass who will arrive in Toronto on Thursday April 8th, 2010. He will be staying in Toronto till the following Sunday, insha Allah. Let us make this short stay of his immensely beneficial for ourselves and our families, wa billahi-l-tawfiq.

The following is a brief itinerary of the programs he will be engaged in during his short stay:

Friday 9th April 2010 1:30 PM – 1st Jummu’ah Khutba @ ISNA Masjid

Friday 9th April 2010 7:30 PM – The Quran & Your Family @ The Lote Tree Foundation

Saturday 10th April 2010 10:00 AM – Class on a short text in Tajwid & a lecture on the Importance of Quranic Memorization @ The Lote Tree Foundation

Saturday 10th April 2010 1:00 PM – Discussion on Islamic Medical Ethics @ Location To Be Announced

Saturday 10th April 2010 7:30 PM – Lecture with ISNA’s Saturday Evening Family Program @ ISNA Masjid

The details for these events can be found at the following blog: http://shaykhsamirintoronto.wordpress.com/ You can also use the blog to ask questions about the events. Please try to make it out to any of the events, insha Allah! Whether you can make it, or you cannot, you can certainly help us to spread the word! Please email this invitation out to anyone and everyone you think that might be able to benefit by attending! If you use Facebook, the following links will also be of benefit to you, insha Allah:

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=102772009765016&ref=mf

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=106707846034523&ref=mf

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=111343498893462&ref=mf

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=108394909194996&ref=mf

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=102652673109343&ref=mf

wa bi-llahi-l-tawfiq

jazak allahu khayran

Wisdom and the Sunnah

"The Prophetic Sunnah was called wisdom because wisdom is comprised of sound speech and upright actions, placed in their appropriate places."

Our Master Muhammad (Peace and Blessings be upon him) by Imam Abdullah Sirajuddin al-Husayni (translated by Khalid Williams)

Being Pleased with One Self

"The source of every disobedience, heedlessness and desire is being pleased with the self, and the source of every obedience, awareness and self respect is your not being pleased with it. To keep the company of an ignoramus who is not pleased with himself is better for you than to keep the company of a scholar who is pleased himself, for what ignorance does and an ignoramus have who is pleased with himself and what knowledge does a scholar have who is pleased with himself?"

[Ibn Ata'ilah, Maxim 35 from Book of Wisdoms -al-Hikam al-‘Ata'iyya]