Shaykh Amin's Quotes
It is okay to fall down, but it isn't okay to stay down.
Lecture series The Names of Allah, during a discussion of the name Al-Wakeel, with respect to falling into sin, in the context of losing hope in Allah) ,
From the Traditions
From the Hadith Qudsi
(Hadith – Bukhari and Muslim)
Gist of the Eid Khutba 2006 by Shaykh Amin
There is a simple litmus to see if we are true believers or not. Think about the Munkar and Nakeer's questions in the grave. They will ask: What is your Deen? The answer to us is obvious now in the privacy of our living room. But if this question is posed by our employer in front of other employees at our work place - or in any other confrontational situation - what would our response be and how quickly will we answer the question?
If we believe our answer will come to us naturally and spontaneously, we can say al-Hamdulillah, we are Muslim by faith. But if we feel our response may be delayed or even not forthcoming, then we should fear hypocrisy and ask Allah to strengthen our Iman. The questioning of the Munkar and Nakeer will be confrontational and not against the back drop of Paradise.
Remember, this amount of Iman is the bare minimum that is required of all. May Allah strengthen our iman and make us answer the questions in the grave with ease and comfort.
Al-Wasaya, p. 143
Regarding Dreams
What you see in dreams (subject to interpretation) is far more real than what you perceive with your five senses.
Shaykh Amin in the context of a lecture on the etiquette of seeking interpretations of dreams.
Counsel from the Wasiyyâ of Shaykh Muhyiddin Ibn ‘Arabi
Dala’il al-Khayrat
Dala’il al-Khayrat, the most celebrated manual of Blessings on the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) in history, was composed by the Sufi, wali, Muslim scholar of prophetic descent, and baraka of Marrakesh Muhammad ibn Sulayman al-Jazuli (d. 870/1465). Born and raised among the Gazulah Berbers of the Sus region in southern Morocco, he studied the Qur’an and traditional Islamic knowledge before travelling to Fez, where he memorized the four-volume Mudawwana of Imam Malik and met scholars of his time such as Ahmad Zarruq, and Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah Amghar, who become his sheikh in the tariqa or Sufi path.
Amghar traced his spiritual lineage through only six masters to the great founder of their order Abul Hasan al-Shadhili and thence back to the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace). After initiating Jazuli into the way, he placed him in a khalwa or solitary retreat, where he remained invoking Allah for some fourteen years, and emerged tremendously changed. After a sojourn in the east and performing hajj, Jazuli himself was given permission to guide disciples as a sheikh of the tariqa.
Imam Ahmad al-Sawi relates that one day Jazuli went to perform his ablutions for the prescribed prayer from a nearby well but could not find any means to draw the water up. While thus perplexed, he was seen by a young girl who called out from high above, “You’re the one people praise so much, and you can’t even figure out how to get water out of a well?” So she came down and spat into the water, which welled up until it overflowed and spilled across the ground. Jazuli made his ablutions, and then turned to her and said, “I adjure you to tell me how you reached this rank.” She said, “By saying the Blessings upon him whom beasts lovingly followed as he walked through the wilds (Allah bless him and give him peace).” Jazuli thereupon vowed to compose the book of Blessings on the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) which came to be known as his Dala’il al-Khayrat or “Waymarks of Benefits.”
His spiritual path drew thousands of disciples who, aided by the popularity of his manual of Blessings on the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), had a tremendous effect on Moroccan society. He taught followers the Blessings upon the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), extinction of self in the love of Allah and His messenger, visiting the awliya or saints, disclaiming any strength or power, and total reliance upon Allah. He was told by the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) in a dream, “I am the splendor of the prophetic messengers, and you are the splendor of the awliya.” Many divine signs were vouchsafed to him, none more wondrous or unmistakable than the reception that met his famous work.
Its celebrity swept the Islamic World from North Africa to Indonesia. Scarcely a well-to-do home was without one, princes exchanged magnificently embellished copies of it, commoners treasured it. Pilgrims wore it at their side on the way to hajj, and a whole industry of hand-copyists sprang up in Mecca and Medina that throve for centuries. Everyone who read it found that baraka descended wherever it was recited, in accordance with the Divine command: “Verily Allah and His angels bless the Prophet: O you who believe, bless him and pray him peace” (Qur’an 33:56).
(al-Mutrib fi awliya’ al-Maghrib, 143–44).
-Sheikh Nuh Keller
The Wisdom of Imam Abu Hanifa
Recovering stolen goods
One night a gang of thieves broke into a man's house and stole his household goods. They also forced the owner to take an oath to the effect that if he identified the thieves he would be irrevocably divorced from his wife. The next morning the owner saw the thieves selling his goods but he could say nothing because of the oath he had taken. He came and related the incident to Imam Abu Hanifa. The Imam requested him to gather the Imam, Muazzin and other influential people. When they all arrived Imam Abu Hanifa asked them : "Would you all like to see the goods of this man returned to him?" They replied : "Yes, we do." He then said : "Gather all the evil people you know of amongst you in a house or masjid. Then let them come out one at a time and ask the owner if he is the thief. If he is not the thief he should say so. If he is the thief then the man should remain silent. When he remains silent you should arrest the thief." They did as Imam Abu Hanifa had advised them and all the stolen good were recovered. (Al-Azkiya)
Refreshing your memory
A man came to Imam Abu Hanifa and explained that he had burried some wealth in a place but he had forgotten where it was. Imam Abu Hanifa said to him : "This is not a question of fiqh (jurisprudence) that I can give you guidance on. However, go home and perform Salaah the entire night. Insha-Allah you will soon remember. The man did as he was told. Not even a quarter of the night had passed when the man remembered where he had burried his wealth. He came back to Imam Abu Hanifa and told him what had happened. The Imam explained : "I knew that Shaitaan would not allow you to perform Salaah the entire night and he would make you remember the place. Why did you not spend the remainder of the night in Salaah in gratitude to Allah?" (Al-Azkiya)