Abu Zakariyya Ahmed Al-Hudaydi

Who Are the True Awliyāʾ of Allah? Neither Lineage, Colour, Country, nor Race Makes One an Ally of Allah — It Is Only by These Qualities! Shaykh Muhammad bin Ramzan Al-Hajiri حفظه الله

The Meaning of the Prophet’s ﷺ Statement: “The Supplication of One of You Will Be Answered So Long as He Is Not Hasty” Shaykh Muhammad ibn Salih al-Uthaymeen, may Allah have mercy upon him, said: Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said: “The supplication of one of you will be answered so long as he is not hasty.” Meaning: a person is deserving of having Allah answer his supplication unless he becomes hasty. The Prophet ﷺ explained what hastiness means: that a person says, “I supplicated and supplicated, but I did not see my supplication being answered.” Then, at that point, he becomes weary and gives up making duʿa. This is from a person’s ignorance, because Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, does not withhold from you what you have asked Him for except due to wisdom, or because there is some impediment preventing the supplication from being answered. But when you supplicate to Allah, then supplicate to Him while allowing hope to outweigh despair, and think well of Allah until He grants you what you desire. Then, if Allah gives you what you asked for, that is what you sought. And if He does not give you what you asked for, then He may repel from you a calamity greater than it—and you do not know—or He may store its reward for you with Him until the Day of Resurrection. So do not despair and do not grow weary. Rather, continue supplicating to your Lord, and do not think badly of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, for Allah, the Most High, is All-Wise. Allah, the Most High, says: ﴿وَعَسَىٰ أَنْ تَكْرَهُوا شَيْئًا وَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ وَعَسَىٰ أَنْ تُحِبُّوا شَيْئًا وَهُوَ شَرٌّ لَكُمْ﴾ “Perhaps you dislike a thing while it is good for you, and perhaps you love a thing while it is bad for you.” [Sūrah al-Baqarah: 216] And since supplication itself is an act of worship, then why should you not increase in it? We ask Allah to grant us and you success in that which He loves and is pleased with. 📚Sharḥ Riyāḍ al-Ṣāliḥīn (4/266).

Entering the Mosque at the Time of the Adhān: Should You Sit, Stand, or Pray? Shaykh Sulayman Ar-Ruhayli حفظه الله

The Sunnah of Praying Two Rakʿahs After Returning from Travel Shaykh Muhammad ibn Salih al-Uthaymeen, may Allah have mercy upon him, said: Regarding the statement: “He would begin with the mosque and pray two Rakʿahs.” This is a Sunnah that many people have either neglected or are unaware of: when you first return from travel, you should enter the mosque and pray two Rakʿahs, even if it is during a time in which prayer is generally prohibited, because this prayer is connected to a specific cause. The Prophet ﷺ used to do this, and he also instructed Jābir, may Allah be pleased with him, to do so in the story of the sale of his camel. When Jābir came to the Messenger ﷺ to hand over the camel, the Prophet ﷺ instructed him to enter the mosque and pray two Rakʿahs there. But in which mosque should you pray them? We say: What appears to be the case is that you may pray them in any mosque in the town to which you have returned, whether it is on the outskirts or in the centre, and whether it is the mosque of your own neighbourhood or another mosque. However, if you are able to pray them in the mosque of your neighbourhood, then that is better and more preferable. This is because Madinah contained many mosques, yet the Messenger ﷺ would only pray in his own mosque. 📚Taʿlīq ʿalā Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī (9/699).

The Houthi Rāfiḍah Are Enemies of Allah and His Messenger ﷺ! Shaykh Al-Allamah Muhammad bin Hadi Al-Madkhali حفظه الله

Shaykh Dr. ʿAbd al-Rahman al-ʿUmaysān: “O Allah, aid Your monotheistic servants, and intensify Your assault upon the Houthis. O Allah, Revealer of the Book, Controller of the clouds, and Defeater of the ahzāb, defeat the Houthis, break their strength, turn the tables against them, and make them spoils for the monotheists. Heal the hearts of the believers through their removal, and grant us relief from their wickedness and filth. O Allah, make the shots of the monotheists accurate, and make them steadfast. O Strong, O Mighty, O Compeller.”

Shaykh Sulayman Ar-Ruhayli, may Allah preserve him, said: “O men of Yemen! O people of wisdom, chivalry, dignity, and strong determination! Hold fast, hold fast to the Rope of Allah; remain united, remain united; and strike with one hand, so that your Yemen may once again become prosperous. Do not pay attention to those who discourage you, nor to the whispers of the devils among mankind and the jinn. For indeed, you are engaged in jihād for which you are commended, and, by Allah’s permission, before long you will praise the outcome. We bear witness—a testimony for which we will be held accountable—that your Saudi brothers and neighbours want good for you and honour for your country. They are joining you in your efforts to cleanse your country of the mischief of the Houthis, at the request of your legitimate leadership and in coordination with it. They bear whatever burdens they bear because of this, without holding it over you as a favour. So cooperate with them, for cooperating with them is an obligation. And know that whoever calls you to do otherwise has deviated from the correct path and has other motives. So do not be among the heedless.”

Shaykh Sulayman Ar-Ruhayli, may Allah preserve him, said: “O men of Yemen! O people of wisdom, chivalry, dignity, and strong determination! Hold fast, hold fast to the Rope of Allah; remain united, remain united; and strike with one hand, so that your Yemen may once again become prosperous. Do not pay attention to those who discourage you, nor to the whispers of the devils among mankind and the jinn. For indeed, you are engaged in jihād for which you are commended, and, by Allah’s permission, before long you will praise the outcome. We bear witness—a testimony for which we will be held accountable—that your Saudi brothers and neighbours want good for you and honour for your country. They are joining you in your efforts to cleanse your country of the mischief of the Houthis, at the request of your legitimate leadership and in coordination with it. They bear whatever burdens they bear because of this, without holding it over you as a favour. So cooperate with them, for cooperating with them is an obligation. And know that whoever calls you to do otherwise has deviated from the correct path and has other motives. So do not be among the heedless.”

How Can I Not Yearn for the Blessed City of the Prophet ﷺ? The home of the beloved is naturally dear to the one who loves him, so what then of the city of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ? The believing heart longs for it, softens when its outskirts come into sight, and may find tears flowing before the tongue can even describe what the heart feels. Yet the believer who knows the Sunnah knows that acts of worship are governed by revelation; he does not undertake a religious journey to Madīnah except with the legislated intention of travelling to the Masjid of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. And once Allah brings him there, how many reasons does he find for his heart to love this blessed city? How can I not yearn for the blessed city of the Prophet ﷺ when he ﷺ himself loved Madīnah and hastened toward it upon returning from a journey? Anas ibn Mālik رضي الله عنه narrated: “The Prophet ﷺ, whenever he returned from a journey and saw the walls of Madīnah, would urge his riding camel to go faster; and if he were upon another riding animal, he would move it to hasten it, because of his love for Madīnah.” Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, no. 1886. How can I not yearn for the blessed city of the Prophet ﷺ when he ﷺ declared it a sacred sanctuary, just as Ibrāhīm عليه السلام declared Makkah sacred? Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī رضي الله عنه narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said: “O Allah, Ibrāhīm declared Makkah sacred and made it a sanctuary, and I have declared Madīnah sacred, the area between its two mountain passes: blood is not to be shed therein, weapons are not to be carried therein for fighting, and its trees are not to be beaten down except for fodder.” Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, no. 1374. How can I not yearn for the blessed city of the Prophet ﷺ when he ﷺ informed us that faith itself retreats to Madīnah and returns to it? Abū Hurayrah رضي الله عنه narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said: “Indeed, faith retreats to Madīnah just as a snake retreats to its hole.” Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, no. 1876; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, no. 147. How can I not yearn for the blessed city of the Prophet ﷺ when he ﷺ informed us that neither the plague nor al-Masīḥ ad-Dajjāl will enter it? Abū Hurayrah رضي الله عنه narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said: “At the entrances of Madīnah are angels; neither the plague nor the Dajjāl will enter it.” Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, no. 1880; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, no. 1379. How can I not yearn for the blessed city of the Prophet ﷺ when within it stands the Masjid of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, in which a single prayer is better than one thousand prayers elsewhere, except al-Masjid al-Ḥarām? Abū Hurayrah رضي الله عنه narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said: “One prayer in this Masjid of mine is better than one thousand prayers in any other mosque, except al-Masjid al-Ḥarām.” Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, no. 1190; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, no. 1394. How can I not yearn for the blessed city of the Prophet ﷺ when within his Masjid lies a place the Messenger of Allah ﷺ described as a garden from the gardens of Paradise? He ﷺ said: “What is between my house and my pulpit is a garden from the gardens of Paradise, and my pulpit is upon my Ḥawḍ.” Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, no. 1196; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, no. 1391. How can I not yearn for the blessed city of the Prophet ﷺ when he ﷺ promised his intercession or testimony on the Day of Resurrection for the Muslim who patiently bears its hardship and difficulty? The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “No one remains patient upon its hardship and difficulty and then dies except that I will be an intercessor or a witness for him on the Day of Resurrection, if he is a Muslim.” Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, no. 1374. How can I not yearn for the blessed city of the Prophet ﷺ, when every authentic virtue I learn concerning it gives the heart yet another reason never to forget it?

To all my dear brothers and sisters of Ahlus-Sunnah, I extend my sincere apologies for the recent absence of translated videos from our noble scholars and mashāyikh on this channel. For years, by the immense grace and favour of Allah, we have striven to remain consistent—day after day—carrying their beneficial words, translating their guidance, and seeking to make the speech of the scholars of the Sunnah accessible to our English-speaking brothers and sisters. These past days, however, have been particularly demanding due to travel and the many responsibilities that accompany it, and this has made it difficult for me to maintain the level of consistency that I would have wished. Allah is my witness, I do not feel at ease when I am distant from daʿwah, nor do I feel like myself when my days pass without editing, translating, preparing, or doing something—however small—in service of this blessed path. It has become, by the favour of Allah, a part of my life that my heart has grown deeply attached to. Yet there are times when circumstances restrain a person from what his heart longs to continue, even while his desire for it remains unchanged. So I ask you, my dear brothers and sisters, to excuse this brief interruption and to remember your brother in your sincere supplications. By the permission of Allah, the translated videos will return very soon, and we hope to resume with renewed consistency, greater strength, and even greater benefit than before.

A Matter of Agreement Between Those Who Celebrate the Mawlid and Those Who Do Not: The Prophet ﷺ and His Companions Never Celebrated It! Shaykh Abdurrazzaq Al-Badr حفظه الله

Indeed, Good Deeds Erase Bad Deeds As I sit within the precincts of the Ancient House of Allah, surrounded by a place in which countless servants have wept, repented, supplicated, and returned to their Lord, I remembered a ḥadīth that had been lingering in my mind—one that fills the heart of the sinful servant with immense hope in the mercy of Allah. ʿAbdullāh ibn Masʿūd, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that a man came to the Prophet ﷺ after having fallen into sin with a woman, though he had not committed intercourse with her. He came burdened by what he had done, presenting himself before the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, ready for whatever judgement might be passed upon him. He said, as reported: «إِنِّي أَصَبْتُ مِنِ امْرَأَةٍ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ إِلَّا أَنِّي لَمْ أُجَامِعْهَا» “Indeed, I did everything with a woman except that I did not have intercourse with her.” ʿUmar, may Allah be pleased with him, said to him: “Allah had concealed you; if only you had concealed yourself.” The Messenger of Allah ﷺ remained silent. The man departed, but then revelation descended. The Prophet ﷺ sent someone after him, called him back, and recited to him the words of Allah: ﴿وَأَقِمِ الصَّلَاةَ طَرَفَيِ النَّهَارِ وَزُلَفًا مِنَ اللَّيْلِ إِنَّ الْحَسَنَاتِ يُذْهِبْنَ السَّيِّئَاتِ ذَلِكَ ذِكْرَى لِلذَّاكِرِينَ﴾ “And perform As-Ṣalāt (Iqāmat-as-Ṣalāt), at the two ends of the day and in some hours of the night. Verily, the good deeds remove the evil deeds. That is a reminder for the mindful.” [Hūd 11:114] A man from those present asked whether this was specifically for him. The Prophet ﷺ replied: “Rather, it is for all of the people generally.” Narrated by ʿAbdullāh ibn Masʿūd, may Allah be pleased with him. Reported by Muslim in his Ṣaḥīḥ, no. 2763. Al-Bukhārī also reported it with similar wording, no. 4687. What an ocean of hope lies within those words. The servant sins, his heart becomes stained, his chest constricts, and Shayṭān whispers that because yesterday was filled with disobedience, tomorrow must also belong to it. But Allah, the Most Merciful, opens another door: return to Me, repent to Me, and fill the place of your sins with obedience. The believer does not respond to a sin by surrendering to another sin. He responds to darkness by increasing the light. He responds to a forbidden glance by lowering his gaze thereafter. He responds to words that displeased Allah by occupying his tongue with Qurʾān, dhikr, repentance, and beneficial speech. He responds to negligence in prayer by guarding his prayers more carefully. He responds to a night of disobedience with a night in which his forehead is placed upon the earth before his Lord. For from the greatest means by which a servant strengthens his repentance—alongside sincere regret, abandoning the sin, and resolving not to return to it—is that he multiplies righteous deeds until obedience begins to overpower his life and purify his heart. And how beautiful it is that among the greatest of these deeds is the prayer. Perhaps you entered the masjid carrying sins no one knows except Allah. Perhaps you raised your hands before Him carrying memories you wish had never occurred. Perhaps you stood in prayer ashamed of what your limbs had committed. Yet your Lord is the One who taught you: ﴿إِنَّ الْحَسَنَاتِ يُذْهِبْنَ السَّيِّئَاتِ﴾ “Verily, the good deeds remove the evil deeds.” So do not allow your past disobedience to convince you that you are unworthy of obedience today. Rather, let the ugliness of the sin drive you toward the beauty of repentance. Let every fall teach you to cling more tightly to your Lord. Let every stain drive you toward another purification. Let every moment of distance awaken within you a greater yearning for nearness.

The Sunnah of Lightening the Two Rakʿahs Before Fajr From the beautiful Sunnahs of our beloved Prophet ﷺ regarding the two Rakʿahs before Fajr is that he would perform them lightly and briefly, while still fulfilling the prayer properly. They were two Rakʿahs that he guarded with great consistency, yet from his guidance was that they were not prolonged. ʿĀʾishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said: كان رسول الله ﷺ يصلي ركعتي الفجر فيخفف، حتى إني أقول: هل قرأ فيهما بأم القرآن؟ “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ would pray the two Rakʿahs of Fajr and make them so light that I would say: Did he even recite Umm al-Qurʾān [Sūrah al-Fātiḥah] in them?” Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, no. 724. Likewise, Ḥafṣah, may Allah be pleased with her, said: أن رسول الله ﷺ كان إذا اعتكف المؤذن للصبح، وبدا الصبح، صلى ركعتين خفيفتين قبل أن تقام الصلاة. “That the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, when the muʾadhdhin had settled for the morning prayer and the dawn had appeared, would pray two light Rakʿahs before the prayer was established.” Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, no. 618. This was the guidance of the Prophet ﷺ: once the true dawn appeared and the time of Fajr had entered, he would stand and perform two brief Rakʿahs before the obligatory Fajr prayer. Their lightness was so noticeable that ʿĀʾishah, may Allah be pleased with her, expressed amazement at how quickly he completed them. And this teaches us that following the Sunnah is not merely in performing an act of worship, but also in performing it in the manner in which the Messenger of Allah ﷺ performed it. The servant may sometimes assume that greater length must always mean greater virtue, yet the perfection of worship lies in conformity to the guidance of the Prophet ﷺ. Where he prolonged, we seek to prolong; where he shortened, we seek to shorten. The voluntary prayers are from the immense mercy of Allah, for through them deficiencies in the obligatory prayers are repaired, ranks are raised, and the servant draws nearer to his Lord. And among the most emphasised of these prayers are the two Rakʿahs before Fajr — two light Rakʿahs at the opening of the day, performed after the entrance of Fajr and before the obligatory prayer, upon the guidance of the one whose guidance is the most complete guidance: Muḥammad ﷺ.

The Innovation of Celebrating the Mawlid: A Celebration Unknown to the Prophet ﷺ and His Companions—Introduced Almost Three Centuries Later! Shaykh Abdurrahman Al-Umaysan حفظه الله

All praise is due to Allah, who allows us to perform righteous deeds though we are not worthy of such favour, and though we fall short in perfecting them as they deserve. Yet from His mercy, He opens for us the doors of obedience so that the rust which has settled upon our hearts may be polished away, the dryness within them may be softened, and the soul may once again taste the sweetness of īmān after the bitterness of heedlessness. He grants us acts of worship that revive what sin has weakened, awaken what negligence has put to sleep, and draw the servant back to the warmth of closeness to his Lord. How generous is Allah: we disobey Him, yet He calls us back; we fall short, yet He grants us opportunities to mend what we have broken; our hearts become stained, yet He gives us deeds by which they may be cleansed. And from the greatest of these blessed acts of worship is ʿUmrah—a journey in which the body travels, but the heart travels further; a journey of tawāf, supplication, remembrance, humility, tears, repentance, and hope. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: «العُمْرَةُ إِلَى العُمْرَةِ كَفَّارَةٌ لِمَا بَيْنَهُمَا» “From one ʿUmrah to another is an expiation for whatever occurs between them.” Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, no. 1773. So all praise belongs to Allah who does not merely command His servants to return to Him, but places upon the road of return deeds that cleanse them as they walk, revive them as they worship, and allow them to taste a sweetness that nothing in this fleeting world can imitate: the sweetness of faith, the tranquillity of obedience, and the nearness of the servant to his Lord.

The Duʿāʾ of the Traveller: Remembering the Final Journey From the Sunnahs of the Prophet ﷺ when setting out upon a journey is to remember Allah, acknowledge His favour, and entrust the journey, one’s family, and one’s return entirely to Him. Travelling carries with it hardship, weariness, distance, uncertainty, and separation from those whom a person loves. Yet from the immense mercy of Allah, the Most High, is that He has subjected for His servants the means by which they cross the earth, the sea, and the sky. In earlier times, they travelled upon camels, horses, and ships; today, people travel by cars, trains, ships, and aeroplanes. The means may change, but the Sunnah remains: when the servant settles upon his means of transport and begins his journey, he remembers the One who subjected it for him. ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿUmar, may Allah be pleased with them both, narrated that whenever the Messenger of Allah ﷺ mounted his camel and was setting out on a journey, he would say “Allāhu Akbar” three times: اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ، اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ، اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ “Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest.” Then he would recite: سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي سَخَّرَ لَنَا هَذَا وَمَا كُنَّا لَهُ مُقْرِنِينَ، وَإِنَّا إِلَى رَبِّنَا لَمُنقَلِبُونَ، اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّا نَسْأَلُكَ فِي سَفَرِنَا هَذَا الْبِرَّ وَالتَّقْوَى، وَمِنَ الْعَمَلِ مَا تَرْضَى، اللَّهُمَّ هَوِّنْ عَلَيْنَا سَفَرَنَا هَذَا، وَاطْوِ عَنَّا بُعْدَهُ، اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ الصَّاحِبُ فِي السَّفَرِ، وَالْخَلِيفَةُ فِي الْأَهْلِ، اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ وَعْثَاءِ السَّفَرِ، وَكَآبَةِ الْمَنْظَرِ، وَسُوءِ الْمُنْقَلَبِ فِي الْمَالِ وَالْأَهْلِ. “Glory is to the One Who has subjected this to us, though we could never have subdued it ourselves, and indeed, to our Lord we shall surely return. O Allah, we ask You on this journey of ours for righteousness and taqwā, and for deeds with which You are pleased. O Allah, make this journey easy for us and fold up its distance for us. O Allah, You are the Companion on the journey and the One entrusted with the family. O Allah, I seek refuge in You from the hardship of travel, from a distressing sight, and from an evil return regarding wealth and family.” And when the Prophet ﷺ returned from his journey, he would repeat these words and add: آيِبُونَ، تَائِبُونَ، عَابِدُونَ، لِرَبِّنَا حَامِدُونَ. “We return, repenting, worshipping, and praising our Lord.” Narrated by ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿUmar, may Allah be pleased with them both, and reported in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, no. 1342. There is profound meaning in these words. The Prophet ﷺ would begin by magnifying Allah: “Allāhu Akbar.” As the traveller rises above the ground upon his mount, he remembers that Allah is greater than everything before him: greater than the distance, greater than the difficulties of the road, greater than every fear and every uncertainty. Then he declares, “Glory is to the One Who has subjected this to us.” The vehicle beneath you may appear to be in your control, yet it is Allah alone who created it, enabled mankind to make use of it, and subjected the means of travel to His servants. Were it not for His favour, man would possess neither the strength nor the ability to conquer these distances. Then, in the very midst of beginning a worldly journey, the believer is reminded of another journey: “And indeed, to our Lord we shall surely return.” How remarkable that, when a person departs from one land towards another, the Sunnah directs his heart towards the final departure from this world. Then he asks Allah to shorten its distance, ease its hardship, accompany him with His protection and care, and preserve the family he has left behind. What reassurance could be greater than: “O Allah, You are the Companion on the journey and the One entrusted with the family”? And when he finally returns, he does not return merely as a traveller who has reached home. He returns saying: “We return, repenting, worshipping, and praising our Lord.” As though the Sunnah teaches that every departure and every return should bring the servant closer to Allah.