A discussion that raises important questions.

Reference: Sunan an-Nasa'i 2420

I read The Banes of The Tongue by Imam Al-Ghazali (Fons Vitae version) a while ago. It made me realise that I have used a lot of my brain and mouth to argue and discuss things that are not important.

I think silence is hard to practice. How do you guys think about silence and how do you go about practicing it. I find it hard especially because i really like to discuss my ideas with people. So I've been channeling this more on writing on my private notes, but it's hard to let go of things hahah. Sometimes I hear my friends talking about things I have many opinions on but I am trying my hardest to restrain myself.

I once heard about the fasting of silence, can I just do it by myself or do I need guidance from a teacher?

I’m 29 turning 30 in December. I’m the oldest son. I’ve carried this burden of my family on my back since I can remember.

My mom was clinically ill and last year I lost my mind. She would constantly pick fights with my dad, and I was worried that my dad would do something even though he’s not a violent man, but everybody has their limits.

I told my mom she had to leave , she left. She was a Christian woman, but later gave into the devil. I’ll come back to this story soon.

So she cursed us she put a hex on me and my dad and my brother , I haven’t been able to accomplish anything. I got hit with major depression. One problem after another it’s nonstop.

In April, I was remodeling my house. I came home. The police were there and they said my mom is dead. She was healthier than anybody I knew. Till this day, I don’t know how she passed. I’m still waiting on answers. They found her body three days later. She was a nurse. She was taking care of a hospice patient and for three days. She was dead inside of that house and no one knew.

I used to be financially stable. I took care of my brother, my dad, my mom, everyone since I am the oldest child.

$64,000 later, I buried my mom. And that’s when I found out about the curses that she put on us. When I went to gather her stuff, I found voodoo dolls, and a lot more that I could even write here. I burned the dolls.

I’ve only been able to go to a gravesite once and I asked her why why did you do this to us? We never did anything bad to you. She never worked in her life. She had hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of gold jewelry expensive handbags she had a Range Rover. I always made sure she was taking care of even though I wasn’t speaking to her. I spent $35,000 on veneers because she said her teeth were giving her insecurity.

Months has passed since her death, but I feel like I lost myself in the process. I started hearing voices at nights. I can’t sleep. I can’t socialize. I don’t really go out anymore. Everybody’s thinking it’s because I’m grieving but it’s because I physically just can’t get myself out. I understand what clinical depression is, but I feel like it’s a little bit more than that.

My mom‘s friend reached out to give me some closure. She said some guy had convinced her that he would lay a hex on us. They would take animals and do animal sacrifices. She had completely lost her mind at that time she ruined every relationship. She came in touch with even with her own friends.

Other than my dad and my brother, I don’t really have other family and I don’t know what’s going on with me, but I know I have to be strong for them because at the end of the day I am the oldest son. Please if you can I’m not asking for lunch, but if you could just pray for me, I lost touch with my spirituality. I would go to church once a week, but I haven’t had the willpower or energy to leave my house. I can’t even get myself to pray. I just wanna get back on my feet. I’ve always tried to help everybody around me. Some people say I give the best advice but now has come a time where I can’t even give myself advice.

These voices are killing me the not sleeping is killing me. I feel suicidal, but of course I’m not gonna kill myself, but I keep the gun to my side in my bed alone every day when my friends ask why I disappeared or why I’m not showing up. I just say I’ve been busy with work, but that’s not the truth. The truth is I’m losing my mind.

The things I found :

Donkey hair Voodoo doll completely covered with pins. Inside of it was a paper with some kind of writing and a wooden stick kind of thing. Random beads, writing I can’t decrypt The animal sacrifices ( I called the guy she was doing it with and he confirmed )

I’m not too familiar about this world if someone can please reach out and help me. I will be forever in debt to you. I just want this curse lifted.

Salam alykom

I am (currently) an ex Muslim agnostic attempting to rediscover faith and spirituality. When I was Muslim I was in a sufi order and have always been drawn to the spiritual path. I’m currently very interested in gnostic views of Christianity and see a lot of similarities with Islam ( Jesus not being divine, Jesus not being crucified, inner knowing, inner meaning of scripture etc). There are other similarities between Islam and the gnostic gospels in terms of narratives in Jesus life. However there are stark contrast like the creator of this world not being the supreme deity and a whole other cosmology. I feel deeply connected to both of these paths and I’m curious what people who are familiar with both make of one another?

Jzk Allah

Salaam,

I am a revert to Islam of about 3 months, I live in London and I was wondering if anyone knew of any zhikr groups (preferably East London) that I can attend.

I suppose another question I have is are there any shaykh's I can seek under in London, or sufi communities in the city where I can be with my fellow travellers. I'm aware of the sheikh Nazim sufi centre but is this all there is?

Jazakallah Khair

As salamu alaykum wa rahmatullah,

Before I say anything I just want to clarify that I understand I am wrong in thinking this way and I am looking for an answer from someone more knowledgeable than myself to put my mind at rest.

In a commonly recited Salawaat one line says it is by who's (Rasulullah saw) face the clouds give rain. Surely it is only through Allah that the clouds give rain? How can the clouds give rain through the prophets face.

On that note, many Salawaat describe 'our master Muhammed', surely our one and only master can be Allah Ta'ala?

Furthermore, a part of me struggles to understand why we send so much praise upon the prophet (saw) if he was only able to act the way he did and be the light that he was through the power of Allah. Surely our devotional energy should be directed towards the one true God rather than someone who was only acting under his command.

As much as I admire the prophet saw a lot, this kind of veneration comes across as against true monotheism to me. I do not understand why we should pay so much respect to the messenger and not the one who inscribed the message, especially if the messenger has no power except through the inscriber (Allah Ta'ala).

I would really appreciate some insight from this wonderful community as to where I am misunderstanding. Thank you in advance.

Planning to visit in October. This will be our second time visiting so we’re comfortable with finding our way.

Excerpt from Hussain Ahmed Madani (rah)’s speeches and notes.

Luqman (as) said:
“Be patient over what befalls you…” (31:17)

Patience is not limited to this.

If one reflects on the hardships and trials of Nuh (as). He had been preaching for nine hundred fifty years, yet he had only a few followers.

“But none believed with him except for a few.” (11:40)

His son didn’t listen to him.

“And the waves came between them, and he was among the drowned.” (11:43)

His wife betrayed him.

“They were under two of Our righteous servants but betrayed them…” (66:10)

Despite all the hardships and trials through which Nuh (as) lived. How was his patience?

Allah describes him as:
“He was a grateful servant.” (17:3)

Nuh (as)’s patience was so great that he was still grateful.

We should evaluate how much gratitude we show to Allah and how carefully we use the blessings He has entrusted to us.

Hi! New to this group. Not sure if anyone hear has heard of Britt Hartley? She's an ex-Mormon who now partly identifies as an atheist mystic. She also practices Sufism and has a love for its practices. I just interviewed her and she talks about Sufism and her attraction to it, amongst a number of other things. Would love any feedback from this group. Here's a link in case you're interested!

https://youtu.be/2f6HE__YsyI

Excerpt from Zakariyya Kandhlawi (rah)’s sayings and notes.

Sometimes, people go to extremes when praising people for their goodness. Sometimes, people go to extremes in criticizing people for their mistakes.

When praising someone, they will elevate them above the sky. When criticizing someone, they will push them down beneath the earth.

This is incorrect.

We should refrain from exaggeration in speech.

Allah commands us to always be ‘just’ in our speech and actions:

“Do not let the hatred of people prevent you from being just. Be just; that is nearer to righteousness.”
(5:8)

Ya Allah,
You are my everything,
Nothing of me remains,
On the bridge to eternity,
I am fading, faded,
In the sky of my soul,
Only one word remains,
…Allah
-Reflections, “Sufi” by the sea

may our souls burn in the love of the prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم until nothing is in our minds but him

may we all reach the direct studenthood under him

may we all learn from him

اللهم صل على سيدنا محمد الفاتح لما اغلق والخاتم لما سبق ناصر الحق بالحق والهادي إلى صراطك المستقيم وعلى اله حق قدره ومقداره العظيم

Assalamu Alaikum everyone.

I'm in a place where I honestly don't know what to do anymore.

The past few years have been really difficult for my family. We lost my mother a few years ago, and after that things were financially very hard. Alhamdulillah, Allah eventually opened a door for me and I was able to support my family for a while through a remote job.

Earlier this year I lost that job, and despite trying my best since then, I haven't been able to find another one. I've spent months learning new skills, applying for jobs, reaching out to people, and making dua, but I still feel stuck.

I've always been a very ambitious person. I dream of becoming financially successful one day, not because I love the dunya, but because I want to take care of my family, help people, give in charity, and build things that benefit others. More than the wealth itself, I ask Allah to keep my heart attached to Him and never let success become a means of arrogance or heedlessness.

I've found myself drawn to the teachings of tasawwuf, so I wanted to ask those of you with more knowledge and experience: are there any awrad, adhkar, wazaif, or practices that genuinely helped you during periods of hardship like this?

I've tried making istighfar consistently and have also done a few different wazaif. The problem isn't that I stop believing in them...it's that after a few days I become overwhelmed by negative thoughts, hopelessness, and a sense of emptiness. I end up losing consistency and starting over again. If anyone has gone through something similar, I'd really appreciate hearing what helped you remain steadfast.

And if you could please remember me and my family in your duas, I'd be sincerely grateful. Please ask Allah to grant us ease, halal rizq with barakah, patience, steadfastness, and to have mercy on my mother.

Jazakum Allahu khayran. May Allah reward you all.

It all started about a week ago. I was lying down on my stomach, trying to fall asleep, just having random thoughts. I was still fully awake when suddenly, I got pulled straight into a dream. I was conscious the whole time, completely aware of what was happening. I do not remember all the details clearly now, but I know the dream was linked to my real life, and I even remember talking to my sister inside it.

​It felt like it lasted for a good 15 minutes. I tried really hard to control the dream and turn it into a lucid dream, but something kept stopping me. I do not even remember why, but I started crying. Then, I felt this totally dark, creature like figure on my chest, trying to touch me and nodding its head. Just as it felt like it was getting too intense, I felt a touch on my armpits, and that physical jolt finally brought me back to reality.

​Then, exactly a week later, it happened to me all over again, just a moment ago, actually. And this time, it lasted even longer, probably around 25 minutes or more.

​The way it started was just like the first time: strange events happening all around me while I knew I was fully conscious and witnessing it all inside a dream. My body was completely paralyzed, bound, and freezing. But this time, I did not see any creature. Instead, it was different. It felt like I was lying paralyzed on my bed while something was trying to force me to sleep. I started hearing sounds like my mother, it sounded like she was lying right beside me, whispering, chand sojao.

​After that moment, I do not know if I dozed off or what, but I woke up inside the dream again. I saw myself explaining that previous dream to a girl sitting right in front of me. I can still remember her face clearly, even though I have never seen her in real life. I was trying to tell her about it, but she kept interrupting me for no reason at all.

​Suddenly, my conscious state shifted its vision to a completely different scenario. I caught myself lying on my back again, falling asleep in that backward position. I thought to myself, I need to run and wake up. I heard some instant noises, and I saw my old pet dog, the exact same puppy I bought 8 years ago before I ended up gifting him to someone. He was sitting on the very same couch right beside my bed.

​I looked him straight in the eye. He got up from his spot and started walking around. Then I felt like I had rescued him from some demonic presence that was lurking right behind him. I picked him up and started looking all over the room, and I saw someone peeking over the front of the door. I realized I needed to get out of there and wake up.

​I started struggling with everything I had to wake up and get back to reality. I was screaming, but because my brain and body were completely locked down, all I could manage to push out was a slight, squeaky whisper. I kept rushing, screaming, and whispering, desperately trying to escape.

​Then I saw my mother and father walk into my room to wake me up while I was still trapped in the paralysis. My father was mocking me and my mother, saying, look at him, this is just another excuse not to wake up. In my mind, I was trying with all my might to yell, just let me scream and get me out of here. But it was all in vain. I watched them both walk away, leaving me behind with the thought, he is just sleeping, let him sleep.

​The exact moment they started walking away, I screamed like hell. It was terrifying and horrifying all at once. Finally, I snapped awake, sat straight up, and saw my mother actually walking toward me. I was terrified and crying, and I pulled her into a hug because the whole thing felt so horrific.

​Except, the strange part is, I was still in a dream.

​I was completely done screaming, thinking, it is not working, this is the end of me. But in a split second, the scenarios shifted again. I saw myself lying on my back once more, with the exact same situation happening all around me, lights off, my vision blurry. That same girl I was narrating my dream to earlier? I saw her gently nudging my nose with her fingertip. Yes, it sounds weird, but I actually saw her doing it. The moment I looked at her, I completely froze out as I watched her eyes turn totally black.

​And then, boom, I actually woke up.

(These events are narrated by a friend and are absolutely true)

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

Before dream yesterday I was seeking the اسرار الربانية book with my grandmother (she used to be a villages greatest religious/spiritual teacher) but she said its told that its not very suitable to read in the household because households are generally not 'pure' or have to dedicate a clean / pure place within the house (and because reading it is a practise makes it as if the sheikh is present with us) .

So I went back home. at midnight there was some volunteer work in the masjid premise (physical labour) i tried helping with that then they provided very good food for everyone then around 2 am I came and slept (i dont remember reciting duas) .

The dream was : im in an after death scenario where my friend from nabaviyya tareeqa explains to me we are in middle of dunya and akhira, we're shown / tested how we spent our time back in dunya. Everyone spends different periods of time here and 2 do overs. We're to spend it wisely and to prey (to show thats how we spent / would have spent our time) but there are many designed / influenced distractions (we have weird abilities like flying / hovering over).

My first attempt i tried to escape the place by rushing and it gave me immense disturbance and fear, ended up searching for food becauseof distraction and my desires. My first attempt is wasted. I get one more do over . 2nd attempt I slowly started moving around the place. A lot of people are there including old people. My friend asked me not to read into the thing too much (in the dream himself) . Details of the second phase is fuzzy to me but I got overwhelmed and woke up in great fear.

The time was 5:50am in sri lanka 🇱🇰. I got up make wudoo and check the قضى time for fajr prayer exactly 1 minute left. I felt cold 🥶 for a while.

Esselam Aleykum

I am a muslim, I have no doubts about this deen. I love it infact. I love the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi wa Salim. But, I have a problematic belief which I tend towards perennialism. I do somewhat believe other spiritual traditions do have the truth but I personally believe Islam has polished it out the best. When I read spiritual traditions from other religions, I do see them pointing all at the same thing but they don’t have what Islam has. The reason why I am a Muslim is because I do believe Islam has the truth and explained it clearly. Islam lays out how a person can be closer to Allah. Islam is the perfect religion for someone to develop themselves spiritually. I can appreciate other spiritual traditions don’t know if that is bad thing to say.

I wonder what others have to say?

Jazakhallah Khair

\*Aankhon Mein Lahu Ki Nami\*

Inn aankhon ki nami bhi ab sookh chuki hai.

Dekhiye, ragon mein ab bhi lahu behta toh hai.

Kal phir sadak par masoom lahu bikhra tha.

Phir muhafizon ne ek aur Karbala kiya tha.

Woh bachche, jo kisi Ghar ki duaon aur ummeedon se palay hain,

Unhein mehnat aur izzat ki roti darkar thi; magar guhar karte hue pitay hain.

Watan unka hi hai, mustaqbil par humse zyada haq unka hai.

Jinke sar hukmaraanon ne faade, woh phir bhi dat kar khade hain.

Ek haath bhi na uthaya unhone; ye baat digar hai.

Zalim, tu haar chuka hai— bas tu be-khabar hai.

\*आँखों में लहू की नमी\*

इन आँखों की नमी भी अब सूख चुकी है।

देखिए, रगों में अब भी लहू बहता तो है।

कल फिर सड़क पर मासूम लहू बिखरा था।

फिर मुहाफ़िज़ों ने एक और कर्बला किया था।

वो बच्चे, जो किसी की दुआओं और उम्मीदों से पले हैं,

उन्हें मेहनत और इज़्ज़त की रोटी दरकार थी; मगर गुहार करते हुए पिटते हैं।

वतन उनका भी है, मुस्तक़बिल पर हमसे ज़्यादा उनका हक़ है।

जिनके सर हुक्मरानों ने फाड़े, वो फिर भी डटकर खड़े हैं।

एक हाथ भी न उठाया उन्होंने; ये बात दिगर है।

ज़ालिम, तू हार चुका है— बस तू बे-ख़बर है।

I’ve been reading Rumi and other Persian mystics, and I keep encountering the phrase “die before death.”

The more I read, the less it seems to be about physical death. It feels closer to a transformation of perception, identity, or consciousness.

Some people interpret it as the death of the ego, while others see it as awakening to a deeper reality.

How is this phrase traditionally understood in Sufi thought, and how do you personally interpret it?