Shaykh Faraz Rabbani discusses the lessons of the great day of Ashura - the 10th of Muharram. This is one of the greatest days of the year - a day the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) highly encouraged us to fast.

This is the day in which...

• Prophet Adam was absolved of his error;
• the day in which Prophet Nuh was saved from the flood;
• the day in which the people of Prophet Yunus were forgiven;
• the day in which Prophet Musa and Bani Israel were saved from the Pharaoh

It is from the days in which Allah has favoured and honoured those whom He has tested with trials and challenges - and who responded right through the right choices.

Shaykh Faraz explains the sunnahs related to fasting and devotion on the 10th of Muharram, as well as how the great historical events that happened on this day can help us respond right to the challenges in our life.

The importance of knowing the history of faith - the life of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) himself, the past Prophets, the righteous, scholars, saints, and virtuous - is that it gives us embodied examples of turning to Allah through the tests of life, towards becoming of His honoured and beloved servants.

Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad talks about how one should approach the balance needed in life, to put everything where it deserves to be put. How should one manage the different influences and complexity of life as a student? How does one find the right balance between what may seem deen and what may seem Dunya? The shaykh explains how we must strive for the fully integrated life and shares some useful tips from the works of Hujjat ul-Islam Imam Al-Ghazali.

Our deepest gratitude to Cambridge Khutbahs for making this recording available.

Shaykh Faraz Rabbani covers a neglected topic: the importance of the "instrumental sciences". He says, "These are the means to sound knowledge. Without them, one's knowledge will not be sound, one's expressions will not be sound, and one's knowledge will not be trustworthy."

This lesson is a must-watch for learners at all stages. It discusses the proper way to pursue the path of knowledge, and the common pitfalls of students and teachers alike.

The Prayer for Drinking Coffee – The Power of Purpose and High Intentions

At SeekersHub Toronto’s weekly Circle of Praise, Shaykh Faraz Rabbani explained the Smaller Fatiha for Drinking Coffee, of the noble scholar al-Habib Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Mihdar (Allah have mercy upon him).

This prayer and statement of intent has many lessons, including:

(1) having high purpose–seeking Allah Most High–in all our affairs, worldly and religious;

(2) thankfulness, through seeing everything as a blessing from the Bestower;

(3) having expansiveness of appreciation of blessings, and recognizing the greatest of our blessings;

(4) seeing everything as a sign of Allah;(5) seeking the good of this life and the next–for oneself and others;

(6) sending blessings on the one who taught us to turn to Allah in all matters–the Beloved Messenger of Allah (peace & blessings be upon him & his folk)–and other high spiritual meanings. 

We also see why we recite the Fatiha before good matters and when seeking good from Allah. The key to this is to understand what it means to ask Allah to “Guide us to the Straight Path,” as this ‘straight path’ is the path to Allah’s pleasure and closeness in the pursuit of the good of this life and the next. 

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