Kawan ingat nak share jugak tips tips ni sebab kawan rasa Quran adalah satu mukjizat yang terulung yang kadang2 kita ter-abaikan. At least we should make an effort to memorize some soorahs or verses in the Holy Quran, if not the whole Quran itself. May ALlah ease our roads to reach His Blessings.
Memorizing the Qur'an
From Abdur-Rahman Abdul Khaaliq's "Al-Qawaaid
adh-Dhahabiyyah lil-Hifdh il-Quran il-Adheem"
English Translation by Amjad ibn Muhammad Rafiq
University of Essex Islamic Society
My Brother and Sister Muslim - there is no doubt that you know of excellence of memorising the Quran and the excellence of teaching it. The Messenger of Allaah (sas) said:
"The best amongst you is the one who learns the Qur'aan and teaches it." [Reported by Bukhaaree]
Presented to you are some rules which will assist in memorising the Qur'aan, may Allah benefit us by them.
1. Ikhlaas - (Sincerity)
2. Pronunciation and Recitation
3. A Daily Limit for Memorisation
4. Not Surpassing your Limit.
5. Using the Same Copy of the Quran
6. Understanding is the Way to Memorising
7. Only move on when recitation flow's.
8. Reciting to Others
9. Constantly Returning to what one has Memorised
10. Being Aware of the Resembling Parts of the Quran
11. Taking Advantage of the Golden Years of Memorising
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Ikhlaas - (Sincerity)The purification of ones intention and correcting ones desire is obligatory. It is likewise for making ones concern with and memorisation of the Quran for the sake of Allaah, the Sublime and Exalted, and for gaining success with His Paradise and obtaining His pleasure.
Also for obtaining those mighty rewards which are reserved for those who recited the Quran and memorised it. Allaah the Exalted said:
So worship Allaah, making the Deen sincerely for Him. Is it not to Allaah that sincere worship is due? [Zumar 39:2-3]
He also said:
Say: I have been commanded that I worship Allaah making the Deen sincerely for Him. [Zumar 39:11]
And the Messenger of Allaah (sas) said:
"Allaah the Exalted said: I am so self-sufficient that I am in no need of having an associate. Thus, he who does an action for someone elses sake as well as Mine will have that action renounced by Me to him whom he associated with Me." [Bukhaaree and Muslim]
Therefore, there is no reward for the one who recited the Quran and memorised it to show off and to be heard of. There is also no doubt that the one who recited the Quran desiring by it the world and seeking some sort of worldy reward for it is sinful.
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Correction of ones Pronunciation and Recitation
The first step in memorising the Quran after that of Ikhlaas is the obligation of correcting the pronunciation of the Quran. This does not occur except by listening to a good reciter or a precise memoriser of the Quran. The Quran is not learned except by acquiring it (from another). Thus, the Messenger (sas) who is the most eloquent of the arabs in speech, took it from Jibreel (as) orally. The Messenger (sas) himself used to recited the Quran to Jibreel once in every year and in the year that he died he recited it to him twice. [Reported by Bukhaaree]
Likewise, the Messenger taught it to the Companions (ra) orally and those who came after them heard it from the Companions and so on for each generation after them.
Taking the Quran from a good reciter is obligatory. Likewise, correcting ones recitation firstly and not depending on oneself in its recitation even if one is knowledgeable of the Arabic language and of its principles, is also obligatory. This is because in the Quran there are many verses which occur in a way that is opposed to what is well known in the rules of the Arabic language.
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Specifying a Daily Limit for Memorisation
It is necessary for the one desiring to memorise the Quran that he sets himself a daily limit for memorising. a number of verses for example, perhaps a page or two pages or even an eighth of a juz (one thirtieth of the Quran). So he begins, after he has corrected his recitation and set his daily limit, to learn by frequent repetition. It is also necessary that this repetition is done melodiously and this is so that a person follows the Sunnah firstly and that it the memorisation is made firm and strong secondly. Melodious recitation is pleasing to ones hearing and also assists in memorisation. Furthermore, the tongue will always return to a specific tone (of voice) and as a result of this it will become familiar with any mistake whenever the balance in ones recitation and familiar tone becomes disordered or imbalanced. The reciter will know therefore, that his tongue will not comply with him when he makes a mistake and that if the tone is wrong or out of tune, his memorisation will return to him.
All of this is because reciting the Quran and beautifying it with ones voice is a matter which has been commanded. It is not permissible to oppose this command due to the saying of the Messenger (sas):
"Whoever does not beautify the Quran (recite it melodiously) he is not of us." [Bukhaaree]
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Not Surpassing One's Daily Limit until You Have Perfected its Memorisation
It is not permissible for the memoriser to move to a new portion of the Quran until after he has perfected the memorisation of his previous limit. This is so that whatever he has memorised is firmly established in his mind. There is no doubt that amongst those things which aid the memoriser is his occupation with what he has memorised through the hours of the day and night. This occurs by reciting it in the silent prayers, and if he is the imaam then in the loud prayers. Also in the superogatory prayers (nawaafil) and in the times when one is waiting for the obligatory prayers. By this method the memorisation will become a lot easier. In this way it is possible for a person to practise it even if he is occupied with other matters and this is because he does not simply sit at a specific time for memorising the Quran. Thus the night will not arrive except with those verses memorised and firmly established in the mind. And if there is something which has occuppied the memoriser during this day, he should not move onto his next portion of the Quran, rather he should continue on the second day with what he had started with the day before until the memorisation becomes perfected.
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Memorise Using the Same Copy (Mushaf) of the Quran
Among the things which aid the memorisation is that the memoriser should keep for himself a specific mushaf (copy of the Quran) which he should never change. This is because a person memorises using the sight just as he memorises using the hearing. The script and form of the verses and their places in the mushaf leave an imprint in the mind when they are recited and looked at frequently. If the memoriser was to change his mushaf from which he memorises or if he was to memorise from a number of different copies the places of the verses would be in different places and also the script may also be different. This makes the memorisation difficult for him. Therefore it is obligatory for the one memorisng the Quran that he does so from a single script and mushaf and he should never replace it.
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Understanding is the Way to Memorising
Among the things which greatly aid the process of memorisation is understanding the verses that one has memorised and knowing their relationship and link, one to another. This is why it is necessary for the memoriser to read the tafseer (explanation) of those verses which he desires to memorise and that he knows their connection, one with another. Also, that he brings this to mind when he is reciting. This makes it easier for him to memorise the verses. Having said this, it is also necessary that he does not depend on knowing the meaning of the verses alone in memorising them. Rather the repetition of these verses should be the foundation. This should be done until the tongue can recite the verses even if the mind is occupied with other than the meaning of these verses. This is sign that the verses are firmly established in the mind. As for the one who relies upon the meaning alone then he will forget often and his recitation will be disjointed due to his mind being scattered and occupied with other things. This occurs frequently, especially when the recitation is long.
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Do not move on from a Complete Surah until you have connected the first part of it to the last
After one surah from among the surahs of the Quran has been completed it is desirable for the memoriser that he does not move onto another surah except after having perfected its memorisation and connecting its first part to its last so that his tongue can flow in reciting it, from its beginning to its end. He should be able to recite it without having to think or go through trouble in remembering the verses. Rather it is a must that the memorisation (and recitation) of these verses is like (flowing) water and that the memoriser recites these verses with out hesitation, even if his mind is occupied with more than one thing, away from the meaning of these verses. It should be as a person recites Surah Faatihah without any difficulty or having to think about it. This occurs by repeating thes e verses frequently and reciting them often. However the memorisation of every surah of the Quran will not be like that of Surah Faatihah except rarely but the intent and desire should be to try to make it as such. Therefore, it is necessary that when a surah is completed it is firmly established in the mind, with its beginning connected to its end and that the memoriser does not move onto another surah until he has memorised it with precision.
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Reciting to Others
It is necessary for the memoriser not to depend on himself for his memorisation. Rather he should test his memorisation by reciting the verses or surah in question to somebody else, or he should recite them by following the mushaf. And how excellent this would be if a person had with him a precise memoriser (who would test his memorisation). This is so that the memoriser becomes aware of the possibility of his being forgetful or confused in his recitation (without knowing it). Many individuals amongst us who memorise a surah make mistakes and a person may not realise that until he looks into the mushaf. Furhtermore, the one who desires to memorise may not realise by himself at which place he makes an error in his recitation despite the fact that he may be reciting from a mushaf. For this reason making others listen to his recitation of what he has memorised from the Quran is a means of perceiving and knowing these errors and being constantly aware of them.
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Constantly Returning to what one has Memorised
The Quran is different from any other material that is memorised such as poetry and prose. And this is because the Quran is quickly lost from ones mind. In fact the Messenger of Allaah (sas) said: "By Him in whose Hand is my soul, it is faster in escaping than a tied camel." Reported by Bukhaaree and Muslim.
No sooner does the memoriser of the Quran leave it for a while until the Quran slips away from him and so he forgets it quickly. This is why it is necessary to constantly follow up what one has memorised and to be vigilant over it. Regarding this we have the saying of the Messenger (sas):
"Verily, the example of the owner of the Quran is like the example of the owner of the tied camel. If he keeps it tied (commits himself to it) he will hold it back and if he lets it loose it will escape from him."
And he also said:
"Commit yourselves to the Quran, for by Him in Whose Hand is my soul, it is faster in slipping away than a tied camel." [Reported by Bukhaaree and Muslim]
This means that it is obligatory upon the memoriser of the Quran to continuously recite what he has memorised from the Quran. With this constant attention and returning to what has been memorised will the Quran remain in his mind and without it, it will escape.
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Being Aware of the Resembling Parts of the Quran
The various parts of the Quran resemble each other with respect to the meaning, wording and (repetition of) verses. The Exalted said:
Allaah has sent down the most beautiful of speech, a Book, (parts of it) resembling (others) oft-repeated. The skins of those who fear their Lord shiver from it. Then their skins and their hearts soften to the remembrance of Allaah [Zumar 39:23].
The Quran has approximately six and a half-thousand verses. And there are approximately a thousand verses in which there is a resemblance of some sort. Sometimes there is agreement or difference due to a single letter or a word or two or more. For this reason it is necessary for the good reciter of the Quran that he has special concern for the parts of the Quran that resemble each other in terms of their wording. The excellence of ones memorisation will be according to the extent that one has concern for these resembling parts. One of the ways to aid oneself in this matter is to study those books which deal with this topic of resembling verses in the Quran. Among the most famous of them are:
1. Durratul-Tanzeel wa Ghurratut-Ta'weel fee Bayaan il Aayaat al-Mutashaabihaat fee Kitaab il-Laahi il-Azeez by al-Khateeb al-Iskaafee
2. Asraar ut-Tukraar fil-Quran by Mahmood bin Hamzah ibn Nasr al-Kirmaanee.
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Taking Advantage of the Golden Years of Memorising
The succesful one, inevitably, is the one who takes advantage of the best years of memorisation and these are from the age of five to twenty-three approximately. A person's ability to memorise during these years is very good. In fact these are the golden years of memorising. Therefore, it is necessary for a person to keep himself occupied during the these years of his life, memorising the Book of Allaah as much as he can.
Commiting things to memory at this age can be done very quickly and forgetting is not so easy. This is in opposition to what happens after this time when a person memorises with difficulty and forgets with great speed. He spoke the truth who said:
Memorising in youth is like engraving on stone And memorising when old is like engraving on water
Thus, it is necessary for all of us to take advantage of the golden years of memorising. If we cannot then we should encourage our sons and daughters to do so.
And with Allaah is success and prayers and peace be upon our Messenger Muhammad, upon his family and all his Companions.
Friday, July 25, 2003
Rehlah ke Windsor Castle
Hari isnin haritu, kawan dengan baper orang ikhwah pegi berjalan jalan melegakan mental dan fizikal dari keja cleaner ke Windsor Castle. Windsor Castle tu kat mana ek...kawan pun tak sure sangat ke arah mana..tapi utara aa dari london. Pagi-pagi lagi kawan dah keluar rumah pegi ke train station Waterloo. Tunggu depa semua mai, pastu kawan pun ramai-ramai naik train pukul 9.57 kot. Dalam train makan sandwich tuna, sedaaappp. Bukan kawan yang buat, ada la orang lain buat. Kawan tukang makan je. Kawan bawak keropok Walkers, biskut dgn air minuman. Ada la dalam sejam agaknye dalam train tu, pastu kami pun sampai la ke station windsor tu.
Dah sampai kat station tu, kena jalan kaki dalam seplo minit, baru jumpa castle. Nasib baik kami dah beli tiket awal2, so takyah le susah2 nak keluar duit kat situ. Dah beli tiket pun kena beratur jugak, ingatkan takyah beratur dah. Lepas beli tiket, kena lalu dekat scanning device yang macam kat airport tu. Fuih, macam nak balik msia pulak. Ada sorang kawan punya kawan kena soal jawab jap, sebab dia bawak air mineral yang besor tu, pastu agaknya minah tu ingat dia bawak bahan letupan apa agaknye..hehehe. tapi sumer takde kena tahan pun. Bawak air pun takkan nak kena tahan.
Dah lepas sumer tu, bermula la sesi amik gambar banyak2....macam2 gambar kawan amik, gambar castle, gambar pokok, gambar kawan sendiri..hehehe. Jalan agak2 dalam setengah jam, kami pun terasa lapar lalu beramai ramai la kami bentang tikaq pastu bersila kat windsor castle tu sambil makan mee goreng, ayam goreng, keropok + minum air yang kawan bawak. heheh. macam piknik kat msia pulak. mat saleh semua pakat tengok tapi kami pedulik apa. Makan je, tak layan pun, perut tengah lapar. Bila dah kenyang sambung jalan balik. Masuk dalam castle tu, ada bilik yang simpan anak2 patung, ada bilik simpan gambar2....pastu ada bilik2 royalty sumer aa, bilik sambut VIP la, bilik King la, bilik queen la...macam macam bilik ada...tapi sumer tak best.....kawan pikir, camne la agaknya kalau tinggal dalam castle ni. mesti mati bosan punya. Dah la toilet dalam castle pun tak jumpa, camne agaknye King nak qadha' hajat. hehehe. Pastu kawan cari internet connection pun takde..ish..castle besar tapi internet takde baik takyah. apa aa castle ni...bosan aa.. heheheh..saja je kawan terpikir time tu.
Tak banyak sangat sebenarnya tempat nak tengok2 dalam castle tu sebab Windsor Castle takde la besar sangat. So dalam sejam dua je kitorang pun abis merayau2 dalam tu. Pastu jalan kaki lagi pergi satu kawasan tu...lawa jugak. Nama dia the long walk. Tempat tu....camne nak describe ye. Tengah2 dia ada jalan panjang yakmat....menjangkau ke horizon. pastu kiri kanan dia ada pokok2...rumput2 ....kira mcm garden skit...tempat bersantai. Cantik gak tapi tak cukup masa nak jalan kat tengah2 tu sampai ke hujung...kalau ada time memang kawan nak jalan sorang2....tengok jalan ni tembus sampai mana....silap2 sampai Msia..haa..mana nak tau. heheh.
Lepas semayang + relax2 legakan otot kaki yang dah lenguh berjalan, kitorang pun balik ke station...nak balik rumah dah. pukul 4.30 la lebih kurang balik. Seronok gak jalan2 sekali sekala ni. Bukan selalu. Nanti kalau dah balik msia ke...dah keja ke...dah kawin ke....dah tak dapat jalan2 dgn member2 lagi ye tak...dah nak jalan ngan isteri tercinta pulak....dah lain dah dia punya mood...hehehe. Sampai rumah kawan pun tido..penat bejalan ni. Esoknye kena keja balik...baik tido...recharge balik energy. Camtu la citer kawan gi jalan2. Ni kawan plan nak jalan2 gak lagi..nak pegi Kent pulak. Kent tu kat south east of England....kira kat tepi pantai. Alaaa...yang mamat Malik Mydin nak gi berenang tu...nanti dia singgah Kent la. Tempat tu pun lawa gak...ada garden, ada castle...best best. Dah la hari ni kawan dapat gaji....banyak jugak..ok la....buat menampung perbelanjaan nak jalan2. Tapi kawan tak nak pakai banyak sangat duit tu. Nak kumpul buat belanja kawin. Ntah bila dapat kawin pun tak tau la kawan....kumpul je.. ^_^
Dah sampai kat station tu, kena jalan kaki dalam seplo minit, baru jumpa castle. Nasib baik kami dah beli tiket awal2, so takyah le susah2 nak keluar duit kat situ. Dah beli tiket pun kena beratur jugak, ingatkan takyah beratur dah. Lepas beli tiket, kena lalu dekat scanning device yang macam kat airport tu. Fuih, macam nak balik msia pulak. Ada sorang kawan punya kawan kena soal jawab jap, sebab dia bawak air mineral yang besor tu, pastu agaknya minah tu ingat dia bawak bahan letupan apa agaknye..hehehe. tapi sumer takde kena tahan pun. Bawak air pun takkan nak kena tahan.
Dah lepas sumer tu, bermula la sesi amik gambar banyak2....macam2 gambar kawan amik, gambar castle, gambar pokok, gambar kawan sendiri..hehehe. Jalan agak2 dalam setengah jam, kami pun terasa lapar lalu beramai ramai la kami bentang tikaq pastu bersila kat windsor castle tu sambil makan mee goreng, ayam goreng, keropok + minum air yang kawan bawak. heheh. macam piknik kat msia pulak. mat saleh semua pakat tengok tapi kami pedulik apa. Makan je, tak layan pun, perut tengah lapar. Bila dah kenyang sambung jalan balik. Masuk dalam castle tu, ada bilik yang simpan anak2 patung, ada bilik simpan gambar2....pastu ada bilik2 royalty sumer aa, bilik sambut VIP la, bilik King la, bilik queen la...macam macam bilik ada...tapi sumer tak best.....kawan pikir, camne la agaknya kalau tinggal dalam castle ni. mesti mati bosan punya. Dah la toilet dalam castle pun tak jumpa, camne agaknye King nak qadha' hajat. hehehe. Pastu kawan cari internet connection pun takde..ish..castle besar tapi internet takde baik takyah. apa aa castle ni...bosan aa.. heheheh..saja je kawan terpikir time tu.
Tak banyak sangat sebenarnya tempat nak tengok2 dalam castle tu sebab Windsor Castle takde la besar sangat. So dalam sejam dua je kitorang pun abis merayau2 dalam tu. Pastu jalan kaki lagi pergi satu kawasan tu...lawa jugak. Nama dia the long walk. Tempat tu....camne nak describe ye. Tengah2 dia ada jalan panjang yakmat....menjangkau ke horizon. pastu kiri kanan dia ada pokok2...rumput2 ....kira mcm garden skit...tempat bersantai. Cantik gak tapi tak cukup masa nak jalan kat tengah2 tu sampai ke hujung...kalau ada time memang kawan nak jalan sorang2....tengok jalan ni tembus sampai mana....silap2 sampai Msia..haa..mana nak tau. heheh.
Lepas semayang + relax2 legakan otot kaki yang dah lenguh berjalan, kitorang pun balik ke station...nak balik rumah dah. pukul 4.30 la lebih kurang balik. Seronok gak jalan2 sekali sekala ni. Bukan selalu. Nanti kalau dah balik msia ke...dah keja ke...dah kawin ke....dah tak dapat jalan2 dgn member2 lagi ye tak...dah nak jalan ngan isteri tercinta pulak....dah lain dah dia punya mood...hehehe. Sampai rumah kawan pun tido..penat bejalan ni. Esoknye kena keja balik...baik tido...recharge balik energy. Camtu la citer kawan gi jalan2. Ni kawan plan nak jalan2 gak lagi..nak pegi Kent pulak. Kent tu kat south east of England....kira kat tepi pantai. Alaaa...yang mamat Malik Mydin nak gi berenang tu...nanti dia singgah Kent la. Tempat tu pun lawa gak...ada garden, ada castle...best best. Dah la hari ni kawan dapat gaji....banyak jugak..ok la....buat menampung perbelanjaan nak jalan2. Tapi kawan tak nak pakai banyak sangat duit tu. Nak kumpul buat belanja kawin. Ntah bila dapat kawin pun tak tau la kawan....kumpul je.. ^_^
Friday, July 18, 2003
Profil Mujahid : Abul-Mundhir ash-Shareef
Abul-Mundhir Ash-Shareef (Mansoor Al-Barakaati), from the Ahlul-Bait (Direct Descendants of the Prophet (SAWS)'s family), Makkah, Arabian Peninsula. Killed during a Communist mortar attack on Qandahar, South Afghanistan, Summer 1990. 1st Hand Account.
"I love Allah! I love Allah! I love Allah!"
"Never in my life have I seen one man love another man as much as I saw Abu Muhammad love Abul-Mundhir..." [Sheikh Abu Sulaiman]
Born into a family who were direct descendants of the Prophet (SAWS), Abul-Mundhir grew up in Makkah with his five younger brothers and sisters. Unfortunately, he found bad company even in Makkah itself and began to drink alcohol within the Sacred City of Makkah. By the time he reached his late teens, both of his parents had passed away and he was left with the responsibility to bring up his five younger brothers and sisters, being the eldest of them all.
In 1987, at the peak of the Afghan Jihad, one of his younger brothers left the house without Abul-Mundhir's permission and he travelled to Afghanistan to join his brothers in the Jihad there. When Abul-Mundhir found out, he was furious. He tried for several months in vain to get his brother to return, but it was no use. Having exhausted all other means, Abul-Mundhir was left with no choice but to travel to Afghanistan himself in order to bring his brother back personally. Full of anger, he travelled to Afghanistan in summer of 1987 with the intention of bringing his younger brother back home. However, Allah had willed another purpose for his visit to Afghanistan.
The moment he crossed the Pak-Afghan border and entered Afghanistan, he felt his 'heart shake' as he himself later described. He experienced feelings of all types as he entered into Afghanistan, feelings that he was entering a divine and blessed place. Instead of searching for his brother, Abul-Mundhir decided that he may as well as get some military training whilst he was there and see for himself what all the uproar of Jihad was about. He thus travelled to Jalalabad and entered one of Usama bin Ladin's Jihad training camps. He stayed there for approximately two months.
By the end of his training, his mind and heart and turned around 180 degrees. He was no longer interested in returning home himself, let alone search for his brother in order to send him home.As he left the training camp, he said to brothers with whom he had developed a close friendship:
"From Afghanistan, lights will shine all over the World."
After spending some time on the Front in Jalalabad, he travelled to the Southern city of Qandahar, where some of the most vicious fighting in the whole of Afghanistan was taking place, due to the vast open, barren areas around Qandahar, hardly containing any natural cover. He stayed in Qandahar, fighting the Russian Forces and displayed unbelievable feats of bravery and heroism.
During one reconnaissance patrol, he ventured alone to the positions of the Russians in order to obtain intelligence about them. As he was approaching their positions, he came across a Russian post manned by six Russian soldiers and one Afghan Communist. Undeterred, Abul-Mundhir removed the safety catch from his assault rifle and quietly crept up to the post, without the enemy noticing. Once he was within five or xi metres of them, he opened fire on them. With the Help of Allah and his advantage of surprise, Abul-Mundhir was able to kill all seven of the enemy soldiers without receiving a single scratch. He gathered their weapons and walked back to the Mujahideen camp.
It was similar feats to this, together with his lovable personality and incredible popularity amongst the Afghan Mujahideen, who would normally keep to themselves and not mix too much with the Arabs, that he was chosen to sit on the Mujahideen Command Council for the entire Qandahar region. It was only a matter of time before the Council, together with all the other Afghan and Foreign Mujahideen in Qandahar, decided who they wanted to be their leader. After all, who else could they choose for their leader, other than the direct descendant of the Prophet (SAWS), who was, at the same time, brave, wise, intelligent, lovable and an excellent leader? In late 1988, Abul-Mundhir was made Ameer of the entire Foreign Mujahideen forces in the Qandahar region.
At that time in Qandahar, there was not a single man loved by as many people than Abul-Mundhir. Both the Afghan and the Foreign Mujahideen used to jokingly say to him:
"You are the Mahdi! You are our Ameer and you are the Ameer-ul-Mumineen (Leader of the Believers) since you are from the Quraish Tribe and a direct descendant of the Prophet (SAWS)!"
Abul-Mundhir would become angry at the brothers for saying that to him and he would seek forgiveness from Allah for them attributing something to him which he felt he was not worthy of. The Mujahideen also made many poems and songs about him to this effect and they would tease him with them. Whenever a successful operation would be carried out against the enemy, the Mujahideen would jokingly say to each other that Allah gave the Mujahideen success in the battle because of the presence of the Mahdi (i.e. Abul-Mundir) in their ranks. Abul-Mundhir would become very angry at such suggestions and would leave their company to sit by himself and seek forgiveness from Allah for what they were saying.
And so, month after month passed and the Mujahideen witnessed victory after victory until the Soviet Red Army withdrew from Afghanistan in February 1989, defeated and humiliated. The Jihad continued against the Communists and was not much lighter than the Jihad against the Soviets, since the Communists were still being helped by Soviet weapons, officers and logistics. Abul-Mundhir remained with his brothers, patient under fierce aerial bombing attacks and harsh conditions.
His Martyrdom
Thus came the summer of 1990, by which time Abul-Mundhir had spent over two full years in Afghanistan of which one year was spent as the Ameer of the Mujahideen in Qandahar. Abu Muhammad, the beloved companion and best friend of Abul-Mundhir, describes what happened on that midsummer evening, just before Maghrib (sunset) time.
"I was on a motorbike and had just returned to the Mujahideen base from the village nearby. I glanced in the distance and about 30m away I saw Abul-Mundhir sitting alone on a chair on the roof of a small stone house. The sun was about to set and the sky was filled with the reddish glow of Maghrib time. Abul-Mundhir was alone on the roof of the house and he was looking at the sky, making the remembrance of Allah. I looked at him and shouted to him, 'Abul-Mundhir!'.
No sooner had I said that, that a 120mm mortar shell landed on the house and exploded. The force of the explosion knocked me off my motorbike and I fell to the floor. Once the dust and daze of the explosion had gone, I stopped worrying about myself, but immediately thought about Abul-Mundhir. I looked to the house and could only see rubble. All the brothers rushed to the house to see if Abul-Mundhir was OK. One of the brothers helped me to go there.
We reached the house, and there, in the midst of the rubble, Abul-Mundhir was lying, loudly shouting 'Allahu-Akbar' and 'La ilaha illalah'. Large chunks of shrapnel had sheared open the side of his stomach and his inner body parts had spilt out. He was bleeding heavily. Immediately, the brothers rushed him to the Mujahideen ambulance and began the journey to Quetta, across the Pakistan border, where he could receive expert medical attention."
One driver and two brothers accompanied Abul-Mundhir in the ambulance. One of these brothers was Julaybeeb, from Makkah, and the other one was Sheikh Abu Sulaiman, also from Makkah. Sheikh Abu Sulaiman describes the journey:
"Night had fallen and the sky was dark by the time we joined the main road to the Pakistan border. The driver was driving without lights, since the enemy would almost certainly have bombed us had they seen us. Abul-Mundhir had lost a lot of blood. He was still conscious, but in a daze. He was saying to me:
'O Abu Sulaiman! I love Allah! I love Allah! I love Allah! O Abu Sulaiman! I am fed up from this Worldly life! I want to go to Allah and rest once and for all, away from this World! O Abu Sulaiman! I really love Allah! I really love Allah!'
I replied to him,
'O Abul-Mundhir! What are you saying?! You are the Ameer of the Mujahideen! You have only received a slight injury. Soon we will be in Quetta, have your injury attended to and then you'll come back!'
However, he kept on saying to me:
'No, O Abu Sulaiman! I have had enough of this World and want to rest! Abu Sulaiman, I really love Allah! I really love Allah!'
Saying this, he fell asleep. The journey was long and we had now been travelling for several hours into the night. A little distance before we reached the Afghan border town of Spin Boldak, I fell asleep but Julaybeeb remained awake."
Julaybeeb describes what happened next:
"Sheikh Abu Sulaiman was very tired and had dozed off to sleep. Abul-Mundhir was also asleep. A little while later, Abul-Mundhir suddenly opened his eyes. He stared into the distance, raised his right index finger and began to say 'La ilaha illalah Muhammadur-Rasoolullah', 'La ilaha illalah Muhammadur-Rasoolullah', 'La ilaha illalah Muhammadur-Rasoolullah'. After saying that three times, he closed his eyes and his pure, innocent soul (we hope from Allah but do not sanctify anyone above him) left his body to join the One he was impatient to meet.
As that happened, I witnessed two things for which Allah is also Witness. The entire ambulance filled with a beautiful scent the likes of which I have never ever experienced before in my life. Secondly, I heard a sound inside the ambulance, similar to the sound of the humming of bees and the chirping of birds, even though we were in an ambulance in the middle of the Afghan desert, in the middle of the night."
Sheikh Abu Sulaiman later commented that this sound was probably the remembrance being made by the Special Angels of Mercy who descend and personally witness the great ceremony of the Shaheed's soul leaving his body to join its Creator.
The ambulance continued to the town of Spin Boldak, near the Pakistani border, where Abul-Mundhir was buried. Sheikh Abu Sulaiman himself placed Abul-Mundhir's body into his grave, where it remains to this day to be raised up infront of Allah on the Day of Judgement, from a blessed land; the land on which there fell the blood of caravans upon caravans of martyrs in order to bring life to the Muslim Ummah.
Sheikh Abu Sulaiman and Julaybeeb returned to Qandahar with the sad news. This news hit the Mujahideen like a thunderbolt that devastated them. The Mujahideen began to weep at the loss of their dear friend, brother, leader, fighter, warrior, example, and direct descendant of the Prophet (SAWS). That day was not the day that only the Foreign Mujahideen wept, but it was also the day when hundreds of the Afghan Mujahideen, who rarely weep even when their parents die, wept at the departure of Abul-Mundhir from this World on his journey to the Eternal Paradise in the Company of His Beloved
"I love Allah! I love Allah! I love Allah!"
"Never in my life have I seen one man love another man as much as I saw Abu Muhammad love Abul-Mundhir..." [Sheikh Abu Sulaiman]
Born into a family who were direct descendants of the Prophet (SAWS), Abul-Mundhir grew up in Makkah with his five younger brothers and sisters. Unfortunately, he found bad company even in Makkah itself and began to drink alcohol within the Sacred City of Makkah. By the time he reached his late teens, both of his parents had passed away and he was left with the responsibility to bring up his five younger brothers and sisters, being the eldest of them all.
In 1987, at the peak of the Afghan Jihad, one of his younger brothers left the house without Abul-Mundhir's permission and he travelled to Afghanistan to join his brothers in the Jihad there. When Abul-Mundhir found out, he was furious. He tried for several months in vain to get his brother to return, but it was no use. Having exhausted all other means, Abul-Mundhir was left with no choice but to travel to Afghanistan himself in order to bring his brother back personally. Full of anger, he travelled to Afghanistan in summer of 1987 with the intention of bringing his younger brother back home. However, Allah had willed another purpose for his visit to Afghanistan.
The moment he crossed the Pak-Afghan border and entered Afghanistan, he felt his 'heart shake' as he himself later described. He experienced feelings of all types as he entered into Afghanistan, feelings that he was entering a divine and blessed place. Instead of searching for his brother, Abul-Mundhir decided that he may as well as get some military training whilst he was there and see for himself what all the uproar of Jihad was about. He thus travelled to Jalalabad and entered one of Usama bin Ladin's Jihad training camps. He stayed there for approximately two months.
By the end of his training, his mind and heart and turned around 180 degrees. He was no longer interested in returning home himself, let alone search for his brother in order to send him home.As he left the training camp, he said to brothers with whom he had developed a close friendship:
"From Afghanistan, lights will shine all over the World."
After spending some time on the Front in Jalalabad, he travelled to the Southern city of Qandahar, where some of the most vicious fighting in the whole of Afghanistan was taking place, due to the vast open, barren areas around Qandahar, hardly containing any natural cover. He stayed in Qandahar, fighting the Russian Forces and displayed unbelievable feats of bravery and heroism.
During one reconnaissance patrol, he ventured alone to the positions of the Russians in order to obtain intelligence about them. As he was approaching their positions, he came across a Russian post manned by six Russian soldiers and one Afghan Communist. Undeterred, Abul-Mundhir removed the safety catch from his assault rifle and quietly crept up to the post, without the enemy noticing. Once he was within five or xi metres of them, he opened fire on them. With the Help of Allah and his advantage of surprise, Abul-Mundhir was able to kill all seven of the enemy soldiers without receiving a single scratch. He gathered their weapons and walked back to the Mujahideen camp.
It was similar feats to this, together with his lovable personality and incredible popularity amongst the Afghan Mujahideen, who would normally keep to themselves and not mix too much with the Arabs, that he was chosen to sit on the Mujahideen Command Council for the entire Qandahar region. It was only a matter of time before the Council, together with all the other Afghan and Foreign Mujahideen in Qandahar, decided who they wanted to be their leader. After all, who else could they choose for their leader, other than the direct descendant of the Prophet (SAWS), who was, at the same time, brave, wise, intelligent, lovable and an excellent leader? In late 1988, Abul-Mundhir was made Ameer of the entire Foreign Mujahideen forces in the Qandahar region.
At that time in Qandahar, there was not a single man loved by as many people than Abul-Mundhir. Both the Afghan and the Foreign Mujahideen used to jokingly say to him:
"You are the Mahdi! You are our Ameer and you are the Ameer-ul-Mumineen (Leader of the Believers) since you are from the Quraish Tribe and a direct descendant of the Prophet (SAWS)!"
Abul-Mundhir would become angry at the brothers for saying that to him and he would seek forgiveness from Allah for them attributing something to him which he felt he was not worthy of. The Mujahideen also made many poems and songs about him to this effect and they would tease him with them. Whenever a successful operation would be carried out against the enemy, the Mujahideen would jokingly say to each other that Allah gave the Mujahideen success in the battle because of the presence of the Mahdi (i.e. Abul-Mundir) in their ranks. Abul-Mundhir would become very angry at such suggestions and would leave their company to sit by himself and seek forgiveness from Allah for what they were saying.
And so, month after month passed and the Mujahideen witnessed victory after victory until the Soviet Red Army withdrew from Afghanistan in February 1989, defeated and humiliated. The Jihad continued against the Communists and was not much lighter than the Jihad against the Soviets, since the Communists were still being helped by Soviet weapons, officers and logistics. Abul-Mundhir remained with his brothers, patient under fierce aerial bombing attacks and harsh conditions.
His Martyrdom
Thus came the summer of 1990, by which time Abul-Mundhir had spent over two full years in Afghanistan of which one year was spent as the Ameer of the Mujahideen in Qandahar. Abu Muhammad, the beloved companion and best friend of Abul-Mundhir, describes what happened on that midsummer evening, just before Maghrib (sunset) time.
"I was on a motorbike and had just returned to the Mujahideen base from the village nearby. I glanced in the distance and about 30m away I saw Abul-Mundhir sitting alone on a chair on the roof of a small stone house. The sun was about to set and the sky was filled with the reddish glow of Maghrib time. Abul-Mundhir was alone on the roof of the house and he was looking at the sky, making the remembrance of Allah. I looked at him and shouted to him, 'Abul-Mundhir!'.
No sooner had I said that, that a 120mm mortar shell landed on the house and exploded. The force of the explosion knocked me off my motorbike and I fell to the floor. Once the dust and daze of the explosion had gone, I stopped worrying about myself, but immediately thought about Abul-Mundhir. I looked to the house and could only see rubble. All the brothers rushed to the house to see if Abul-Mundhir was OK. One of the brothers helped me to go there.
We reached the house, and there, in the midst of the rubble, Abul-Mundhir was lying, loudly shouting 'Allahu-Akbar' and 'La ilaha illalah'. Large chunks of shrapnel had sheared open the side of his stomach and his inner body parts had spilt out. He was bleeding heavily. Immediately, the brothers rushed him to the Mujahideen ambulance and began the journey to Quetta, across the Pakistan border, where he could receive expert medical attention."
One driver and two brothers accompanied Abul-Mundhir in the ambulance. One of these brothers was Julaybeeb, from Makkah, and the other one was Sheikh Abu Sulaiman, also from Makkah. Sheikh Abu Sulaiman describes the journey:
"Night had fallen and the sky was dark by the time we joined the main road to the Pakistan border. The driver was driving without lights, since the enemy would almost certainly have bombed us had they seen us. Abul-Mundhir had lost a lot of blood. He was still conscious, but in a daze. He was saying to me:
'O Abu Sulaiman! I love Allah! I love Allah! I love Allah! O Abu Sulaiman! I am fed up from this Worldly life! I want to go to Allah and rest once and for all, away from this World! O Abu Sulaiman! I really love Allah! I really love Allah!'
I replied to him,
'O Abul-Mundhir! What are you saying?! You are the Ameer of the Mujahideen! You have only received a slight injury. Soon we will be in Quetta, have your injury attended to and then you'll come back!'
However, he kept on saying to me:
'No, O Abu Sulaiman! I have had enough of this World and want to rest! Abu Sulaiman, I really love Allah! I really love Allah!'
Saying this, he fell asleep. The journey was long and we had now been travelling for several hours into the night. A little distance before we reached the Afghan border town of Spin Boldak, I fell asleep but Julaybeeb remained awake."
Julaybeeb describes what happened next:
"Sheikh Abu Sulaiman was very tired and had dozed off to sleep. Abul-Mundhir was also asleep. A little while later, Abul-Mundhir suddenly opened his eyes. He stared into the distance, raised his right index finger and began to say 'La ilaha illalah Muhammadur-Rasoolullah', 'La ilaha illalah Muhammadur-Rasoolullah', 'La ilaha illalah Muhammadur-Rasoolullah'. After saying that three times, he closed his eyes and his pure, innocent soul (we hope from Allah but do not sanctify anyone above him) left his body to join the One he was impatient to meet.
As that happened, I witnessed two things for which Allah is also Witness. The entire ambulance filled with a beautiful scent the likes of which I have never ever experienced before in my life. Secondly, I heard a sound inside the ambulance, similar to the sound of the humming of bees and the chirping of birds, even though we were in an ambulance in the middle of the Afghan desert, in the middle of the night."
Sheikh Abu Sulaiman later commented that this sound was probably the remembrance being made by the Special Angels of Mercy who descend and personally witness the great ceremony of the Shaheed's soul leaving his body to join its Creator.
The ambulance continued to the town of Spin Boldak, near the Pakistani border, where Abul-Mundhir was buried. Sheikh Abu Sulaiman himself placed Abul-Mundhir's body into his grave, where it remains to this day to be raised up infront of Allah on the Day of Judgement, from a blessed land; the land on which there fell the blood of caravans upon caravans of martyrs in order to bring life to the Muslim Ummah.
Sheikh Abu Sulaiman and Julaybeeb returned to Qandahar with the sad news. This news hit the Mujahideen like a thunderbolt that devastated them. The Mujahideen began to weep at the loss of their dear friend, brother, leader, fighter, warrior, example, and direct descendant of the Prophet (SAWS). That day was not the day that only the Foreign Mujahideen wept, but it was also the day when hundreds of the Afghan Mujahideen, who rarely weep even when their parents die, wept at the departure of Abul-Mundhir from this World on his journey to the Eternal Paradise in the Company of His Beloved
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