Hazrat Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan, a brilliant Indian musician, came to the West in 1910 at the behest of his Sufi teacher, Sayyed Muhammad Abu Hashim Madani, who charged him with a mission: to harmonize East and West with the music of his soul.
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Lailat-ul-Bara’at or Shab e Barat (as it is known in the Indian Sub-continent) is the night of the full moon of the Islamic month of Sha’ban. Some scholars equate this night with Lailat Mubaraka (night of blessing) which is mentioned in the Qur’an. This is considered a very auspicious night for prayer and asking of forgiveness from Allah (swt). In English it can also be translated as night of emancipation, night of forgiveness or night of freedom or night of deliverance. It is also a preparation for the fasting and prayers during the holy month of Ramadhan. It is the special night of seeking forgiveness and repenting to God (tauba), remembering past sins and sincerely settling the mind that one will never commit sins in the future.
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Thinking about and trying to understand meanings of the Glorious Qur’an, which Allah (SWT) has sent down for His slaves to clarify all things and as a Light that He gives to whom He wills among His slaves. Indeed, the Qur’an contains tremendous medicine for all ills of the heart, as Allah said,
وَنُنَزِّلُ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ مَا هُوَ شِفَاءٌ وَرَحْمَةٌ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَلا يَزِيدُ الظَّالِمِينَ إِلا خَسَارًا
” And We sent down from the Quran that which is a healing and a mercy to those who believe” [Qur’an 17:82]
The Qur’an contains the deen; Allah’s promises, warnings and commandments; stories of previous nations; and codes of the best conduct and behavior.
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My dear brothers and sisters. This week we have entered the month of Sha’ban, alhamdul’illah. It is a great gift that Allah (swt) has allowed us to again come to this time of the year. And in just under one month, insha’allah we will enter the most blessed month of Ramadan. Sha’ban is a great opportunity for us to think about the things we need to from the past year and to look forward to and prepare for Ramadan.
Continue readingWith the coming of Shaban we are reminded that our beloved guest, Ramadan, will soon be here. We prepare our innermost self for the arrival and pray that Allah (swt) will bring us once again to that sacred meeting.
“Sweep out the chambers of your heart, make it ready to be the dwelling place of the beloved.” – Shabistari
‘A’ishah (ra) said: “The Messenger (saw) used to fast until we thought he would never break his fast, and not fast until we thought he would never fast. I never saw the Messenger of Allah fasting for an entire month except in Ramadan, and I never saw him fast more than he did in Sha’ban.” (Narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim).
Ihsan Center - Islam From The Heart 