maulood shareef

‫ ں‬ɡ  The Dawn of BlessingsThis booklet was written by Shaikh-e-Tareeqat Ameer-e-Ahl-e-Sunnat, founder of Dawat-e-Islami Hazrat AllamaMoulana Muhammad Ilyas Attar Qadiri Razavi   ‫  ﮐ‬in Urdu.The translation Majlis has translated this bookletinto English. If you find any mistakes in the translation orcomposing, please contact the translation Majlis on thefollowing address and gain reward. PRESENTED BY: Translation Majlis (Dawat-e-Islami) Aalami Madani Markaz Faizan-e-Madina, Mahalla Saudagran, Old Sabzi Mandi, Baabul Madina Karachi, Pakistan. Contact #: +92-21-34921389 to 91 [email protected]

THE DAWN OF BLESSINGSCONTENTSEXCELLENCE OF DUROOD SHAREEF ..................................3THE DAWN OF BLESSINGS ...............................................4MIRACLES ...................................................................... 4THE NIGHT GREATER THAN SHAB-E-QADR.......................6EID OF EIDS ...................................................................6ABU LAHAB AND MILĀD ..................................................6HOLY PROPHET ‫ ﻋ‬ʄ GETS PLEASED WITHTHOSE WHO CELEBRATE HIS BIRTH ..............................8FLAGS IN THE HAPPINESS OF MILĀD.................................8PROCESSION WITH FLAGS ................................................9REWARD OF CELEBRATING MILĀD ................................ 13DAWAT-E-ISLAMI AND MILĀD-CELEBRATION ................ 15(1) CURE FOR SINS ...................................................... 15(2) THE DIRT OF HEART WAS REMOVED ....................... 16(3) RAIN OF NOOR (LIGHT) ......................................... 18(4) ONE CAN BEHOLD THE PROPHET EVEN TODAY ......... 1912 MADANI FLOWERS ABOUT CELEBRATING MILĀD ....... 20ATTAR'S LETTER ABOUT CELEBRATING MILĀD .............. 24INTENTIONS ABOUT CELEBRATING MILĀD ..................... 3218 INTENTIONS OF CELEBRATING MILĀD ...................... 33 2

THE DAWN OF BLESSINGS      ʄ‫           ﻋ‬                  ¡ THE DAWN OF BLESSINGS EXCELLENCE OF DUROOD SHAREEFThe Prophet of Rehmah, the Intercessor of Ummah, the Distributor of Nemah     ‫      ﻋ‬ʄ said, ‘Allahsends one hundred mercies on the one reciting DuroodShareef ten times on me.' (At’targheeb wat’tarheeb, V2, P322)  ʄ‫   ﻋ‬ʄ    ¡ ʏ  ʄ‫ﻋ‬As soon as the month of Rabi-un-Noor Shareef comes,springtime prevails everywhere. The lovers of the HolyProphet become excited and delighted. Every true Muslimwhether young or old expresses their heart-feeling. Nisaar teri chahal pahal par hazaar eidain rabi-ul-awwal siwa’ai iblees ke jahan mein sabhi to khushian mana rahay hain We sacrifice thousands of Eids on the beauty of Rabi-ul-Awal Everyone is rejoicing in the world except satanWhen the darkness of disbelief and idolatry prevailedeverywhere in the universe, a light shone in the sacred house of 3

THE DAWN OF BLESSINGSSayyidatuna Amina     in Makka-tul-Mukarrama, whichbrightened the entire universe. The Holy Prophet, the mostgenerous, the Noor incarnate     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ for whom thetroubled humanity was anxiously waiting, came as a mercy forall the worlds. Mubarak ho ke khata-mul-mursaleen     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ tashreef la’ai aa’e Janaab-e-rehma-tul-lilaalameen     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ tashreef lai aa’e Congratulation! The last Prophet     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ has comeCongratulation! The mercy for all the worlds     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ has come THE DAWN OF BLESSINGSThe Holy Prophet     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ came into the world on the12th of Rabi-un-Noor Shareef at the time of dawn and changedthe dark night of miseries, difficulties, troubles and tribulationsinto the bright and auspicious morning of happiness. Musalmaano subh-e-baharan Mubarak Wo barsaatay anwaar sarkaar     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ aa’e Congratulation on the arrival of the blessed morning Our Lord     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ has come showering Noor (light) MIRACLESAs soon as Allah’s Noor (light)     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ arrivedon the earth on 12th Rabi-un-Noor, the dark clouds ofoppression and disbelief disappeared. An earthquake struckthe palace of Kisra, the Iranian king, fourteen spikes fell off,the flame which had been continuously blazing for one 4

THE DAWN OF BLESSINGSthousand years in Iran was extinguished, river ‘sava’ got dry,the Ka’ba began to sway and idols fell on their heads. Teri aamad thi ke baitullah mujray ko jhuka Teri haibat thi ke har buth thar thara kar gir gaya Upon your arrival, the Ka'aba swayed Every idol fell tremblingly, it was afraid  ʄ‫   ﻋ‬ʄ    ¡ ʏ  ʄ‫ﻋ‬Beyond doubt, the Holy Prophet     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ was sent as amercy and indeed, the day when Allah's mercy descendsis the day of happiness. Allah says in the Holy Qur’an,Para 11, Sura Yunus, Verse 58:         ٖ     Say- you, 'Only Allah’s' grace and only His mercy, on ittherefore let them rejoice. That is better than all their wealth.Allah-o-Akbar ! The Quran is itself ordering us to rejoiceover Allah's mercy, and Allah's greatest mercy is in theform of the Holy Prophet     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ as clearly stated inthe Holy Qur’an, Para 17, Sura Al-Ambiya, Verse 107:       And We sent you not, but a blessing for all worlds. 5

THE DAWN OF BLESSINGS THE NIGHT GREATER THAN SHAB-E-QADRSayyiduna Sheikh Abdul Haq Muhaddith Dehlvi ‫    ﻋ‬says,‘Indeed, the night of the birth of the Holy Prophet     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ is greater than even Shab-e-Qadr which is oneof nights given to the Holy Prophet     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ . In fact,the night whose greatness lies in the arrival of the HolyProphet     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ is more sacred than the night whosegreatness lies in the arrival of the angels. (Masabat bisunnah, p289,Karachi) EID OF EIDSAlhamdu-Lillah ! The 12th of Rabi-un-Noor is the Eid ofall the Eids for Muslims. Indeed, if the Holy Prophet     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ had not come into this world, there would beno Eid and no Shab-e-Bara’at. In fact, all the glory andgreatness of the world as well as the here-after is due to theblessed arrival of the Holy Prophet     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ . Wo jo na thay to kuch na thaa, wo jo na hoon to kuch na ho Jaan hain wo jahaan ki, jaan hai to jahaan hai Without him was nothing--without him is nothing He is the essence, without soul is no being ABU LAHAB AND MILĀDAfter the death of Abu Lahab, some of his family members hada dream in which they saw him in trouble, they asked how hewas treated after death. He replied, 'I did not get any goodnessafter leaving you, however, I get water from my index finger 6

THE DAWN OF BLESSINGSbecause I freed my slave girl, Suwaiba, with its gesture. (Bukhari,V1, P153, Hadith No. 5101)  ʄ‫   ﻋ‬ʄ    ¡ ʏ  ʄ‫ﻋ‬ MUSLIMS AND MILĀDCommenting on the foregoing narration, Sayyiduna SheikhAbdul Haq Muhaddith Dehlvi ‫    ﻋ‬states, “In this incidentthere is credible evidence for those who celebrate the birth ofHoly Prophet     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ and spend their wealth on thisoccasion. Abu Lahab, who was a staunch disbeliever, was alsogiven a benefit because of rejoicing and freeing his slave girl,Suwaiba for breastfeeding, upon hearing the news of theblessed birth of the Holy Prophet     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ nowimagine, how great reward the Muslim spending his wealthwhole-heartedly on this occasion will attain. However, it isnecessary to avoid songs and music in Milād gatherings.”(Madaari-jun-nubuwwat, V2, P34)  ʄ‫   ﻋ‬ʄ    ¡ ʏ  ʄ‫ﻋ‬ CELEBRATE MILĀD ENTHUSIASTICALLYDear Islamic Brothers! Mark the blessed birth of the HolyProphet     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ enthusiastically. Even a staunchdisbeliever like Abu Lahab was also benefited due to expressinghappiness over the birth of the Holy Prophet     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ ,we are Alhamdu-Lillah Muslims, Abu Lahab rejoiced over 7

THE DAWN OF BLESSINGSthe birth of a nephew, not that of the Prophet of Allah     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ   , still he was benefited. If we celebrateMilād with love and honour, how can we be deprived ofreward? Ghar Amina ke syede abrar     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ agaya Khushiyan mana’o ghamzado ghamkhaar     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ aagayaIn Amina's     house, Prophets' King     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ has comeRejoice, O, the troubled, your comforter     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ has come  ʄ‫   ﻋ‬ʄ    ¡ ʏ  ʄ‫ﻋ‬HOLY PROPHET ‫ ﻋ‬ʄ GETS PLEASED WITHTHOSE WHO CELEBRATE HIS BIRTHAn Islamic scholar says he saw the Holy Prophet     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄin his dream and asked, ‘Ya Rasool-Allah     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ   ,do you like Muslims' celebrating your birth every year?’ TheHoly Prophet     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ replied, ‘I get pleased with theone who gets pleased with me.’ (Tazkira-tul-wa’izeen, P600) FLAGS IN THE HAPPINESS OF MILĀDSayyidatuna Amina     says, when Holy Prophet     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ was born ‘I saw that three flags were hoisted,one in the east, one in the west and one on the roof of theKa’ba. ’ (Khasais-e-kubra, V1, P82) Ru-hul-ameen nein ghaara ka’bay ki chatt pay jhanda Ta arsh urra pharaira subh-e-shab-e-wiladat 8

THE DAWN OF BLESSINGS Rooh-ul-Ameen erected a flag onto the roof of Ka'aba That will fly up to the Arsh on the Blessed Morning PROCESSION WITH FLAGSWhile migrating to Madina, when the Holy Prophet     ‫      ﻋ‬ʄ reached a place, near Madina, known as‘mo’za’ai ghameem’, Bareeda Aslami along with seventyhorsemen from the tribe of bani Sehm chased the caravan withthe intention of capturing the Holy Prophet     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄbut they themselves got captivated by the love of the HolyProphet     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ and embraced Islam. They said, ‘YaRasool-Allah     ‫      ﻋ‬ʄ   , we will welcome you inMadina with flags.’ Therefore, the horsemen took off theirturbans, placed them on the top of their spears and moved toMadina. (Wafa ul wafa, v1, p 243, Beirut)  ʄ‫   ﻋ‬ʄ    ¡ ʏ  ʄ‫ﻋ‬ A WAY TO PROTECT YOUR IMAAN (FAITH)Sheikh-ul-Islam Allama ibn’e Hajar Makki ‫    ﻋ‬writes in‘Ann-e-ma-tul-kubra’ (page 24) 'Sayyiduna Junaid Baghdadi ‫    ﻋ‬said, 'The faith of the one attending the Milād-Ijtimareverently will remain safe.' In’shaa-Allah  ʄ‫   ﻋ‬ʄ    ¡ ʏ  ʄ‫ﻋ‬ 9

THE DAWN OF BLESSINGS THE FAMILY THAT USED TO CELEBRATE MILĀDThere was a pious person whose name was Ibraheem living inMadina-tul-Munawwara. He was a true lover of HolyProphet     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ . He always earned Halaal money andused to save1 half of his earnings for the celebration of thebirth of the Holy Prophet     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ .When the month of Rabi-un-Noor Shareef would come, heused to celebrate Milād enthusiastically, abiding by thecommandments of Shariah. He would distribute a lot of foodamong the people for the Esaal-e-sawaab of Holy Prophet     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ . He would spend his money in good ways. Hiswife was also a great lover of the Holy Prophet     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ .She would also co-operate with her husband with heart andsoul in this righteous deed. After a few years, his wife passedaway but he continued the process of celebrating Milād.One day, Ibrahim called his son and made his will, ‘Dear son! Iwill die tonight; I have 50 dirhams and 19 yards of cloth. Usethe cloth for my shroud and spend the money in any goodway.” Having said these words, he recited the Kalima and hissoul left his body.The son buried his father according to his will but he wasrather confused about spending the money his father left.When he slept that night, he had a dream in which he saw that1 Would that we would also save either 12% or at least 1% of our income forthe celebration of the birth of the Holy Prophet     ‫      ﻋ‬ʄ and spend iton the promotion of religion. 10

THE DAWN OF BLESSINGSthe Day of Judgement had occurred and everyone wasextremely frightened. The fortunate people were goingtowards Heaven whereas the unfortunate ones were beingdragged into Hell. He stood shivering with fear as to what hisdestination would be! Meanwhile, an announcement wasmade, “Let this young man enter Heaven”.Therefore, he entered the Heaven happily where he wanderedfearlessly. After visiting seven Heavens, when he reached thegate of the 8th Heaven, he was told that only those whocelebrated the birth of the Holy Prophet     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ in theworld are allowed to enter this Heaven. Upon hearing this, heenvisioned that his parents would be there. A voice was thenheard, ‘Let this young man enter; his parents want to meethim.’Therefore, he went in and saw his mother sitting near thestream of Kauser. Nearby, there was a throne on which anhonourable lady was sitting. There were also some other chairson which many venerable ladies were sitting. He asked anangel, “Who are they?” The angel replied, “The one sitting on the throne isSayyidatuna Fatima Zahra     and other ladies on thechairs are Khadija-tul-Kubra, Aisha Siddiqa, SayyidatunaMaryam, Sayyidatuna Asia, Sayyidatuna Sara, SayyidatunaHajira, Sayyidatuna Rabia and Sayyidatuna Zubaida    ʝ .”He became very happy and resumed walking and saw an evenmore faith-refreshing scene. He saw a very big throne on 11

THE DAWN OF BLESSINGSwhich the Holy Prophet     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ was seated. Aroundthe throne, there were four chairs upon which the Khulafa-e-Rashideen (caliphs)   ‫ ﻋ‬were seated. At the right side,there were golden chairs upon which the Prophets   ‫ﻋ‬were sitting and at the left, the martyrs were seated. The youngman saw his father Ibrahim amongst a crowd near HolyProphet     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ .Ibraheem hugged his son happily. The son asked, 'Dear father,how did you attain this status?' Ibrahim replied,“Alhamdu-Lillah I have been blessed with this status dueto celebrating the birth of the Holy Prophet     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ ”.On the morning, he sold his house and prepared a feast withthe money he got by selling his house along with his father's 50dirhams. He invited Islamic scholars and pious Muslims andserved them. As he was no longer interested in the world, hedecided to stay in a Masjid and spent the rest of his 30 yearsworshipping Allah . After his death, someone saw him ina dream and asked what had happened to him. He replied,“With the blessings of celebrating Milād Shareef, I have alsogot the same status which my father has in the Heaven.”(Tazkira-tul-wa’izeen, Urdu, P321)Baksh day mujh ko Ilahi ! Behr-e-Milād-un-Nabi     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ Naama-e-A’maal isyaan se mera barpoor hai Almighty , forgive me for Milād's sakeThough my book of deeds is replete with sins 12

THE DAWN OF BLESSINGS REWARD OF CELEBRATING MILĀDSheikh Abdul Haq Muhaddith Dehlvi ‫    ﻋ‬says, ‘Thoserejoicing at the night of the birth of The Holy Prophet     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ will enter Janna-tun-Naeem with the mercy ofAllah .Muslims have always been celebrating the birth of the HolyProphet     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ by cooking feasts, inviting guests andgiving Sadqah (alms) in abundance. They express theirhappiness, spend whole-heartedly, hold congregation for thecelebration of the birth of the Holy Prophet     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ ,decorate their houses and Allah showers His blessings onthem due to these blessed deeds.’ (Ma sabata bis’sunna, P290) JEWS EMBRACED ISLAMSayyiduna Abdul Wahid bin Ismail ‫    ﻋ‬narrates that agreat lover of The Holy Prophet lived in Egypt. He used tocelebrate the birth of the Prophet of Allah     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ  with full zeal and zest.A Jewish family lived in his neighbourhood. When the monthof Rabi-un-Noor Shareef came, the Jewish woman asked herhusband “Why does our Muslim neighbour arrange such a bigfeast during this month?” Her husband replied, “In thismonth, his Prophet     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ was born, therefore, hedoes so to celebrate his Prophet’s     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ birth andMuslims honour this month a lot.” Upon hearing this, the wife 13

THE DAWN OF BLESSINGSsaid, “It is a nice thing that Muslims do by celebrating the birthof their Prophet     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ every year.”When the Jewish lady went to sleep that night, she had adream in which she saw a beautiful and stunning saint; therewas a crowd of people around him. She walked forward andasked someone about the noble saint. The man replied, “He isthe last Prophet of Allah     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ   ”. He has cometo meet and bless your neighbour for celebrating his birth.”The Jewish woman then asked, “Will he     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ talk tome?” The man replied, “Yes”. The woman then called the HolyProphet     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ . The Prophet of Allah     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄreplied, “Lab’baik” (I am here). Impressed by Holy Prophet'sreply, she said, “I am not a Muslim, still you replied to me.”The Holy Prophet     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ said, “Allah has toldme that you are going to embrace Islam very soon.” Uponhearing this, she spoke spontaneously,' You are a Merciful andhighly Well-mannered Prophet, the one disobeying you willnever succeed and the one trifling with you will confronthumiliation.' Then she read the Kalima. When she awoke fromher dream, she embraced Islam from the bottom of her heart.On the morning, she decided to spend all her savings on thecelebration of the birth of the Holy Prophet     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ byserving people with meal. When she got up, she saw that herhusband was busy preparing a feast. She asked him inastonishment, “What are you doing?” He replied, “I am makingarrangement for a feast in the happiness of your embracing14

THE DAWN OF BLESSINGSIslam.” She asked, “How did you get to know?” He replied,“Like you, I also beheld the Holy Prophet     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ lastnight in my dream and I have also embraced Islam.” (Tazkira-tul-wa’izeen, P598) Aamad-e-Sarkaar     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ se zulmat hui kafoor hai Kya zameen kya aasmaan har samt chaya noor haiHis     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ arrival has removed darkness from everywhere There is light from earth to sky everywhereDAWAT-E-ISLAMI AND MILĀD-CELEBRATIONAlhamdu-Lillah ! Dawat-e-Islami, a worldwide non-political movement for the preaching of the Quran andSunnah, has a unique way of celebrating Milād. Huge Ijtimasof Milād are held in many different countries including Karachiwhere probably the biggest Ijtima of the world is held everyyear. These are extrmely blessed Ijtimas which have causedMadani revolution in the lives of thousands of sinners whohave now adopted the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet    ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ .Listen to four blessed incidents. (1) CURE FOR SINSA lover of the Prophet says: On the occasion of Eid-e-Milād-un-Nabi     ‫      ﻋ‬ʄ (1426 A.H.) once a friend of minewho was extremely fond of latest fashion and did not say salahattended the Ijtima-e-Milād held at Kakri ground, Baab-ul- 15

THE DAWN OF BLESSINGSMadina, Karachi. At the time of welcoming Subh-e-Baharan(the dawn of blessing), everyone was reciting Durood andSalaam, he got very impressed, he felt hatred for sins andmade a firm intention to say salah regularly and grow beard.Alhamdu-Lillah , actidng upon his intentions he has notonly started saying salah regularly but also has grown hisbeard. He had a bad habit that is inappropriate to be mentioned;he also got rid of it with the blessing of attending the Ijtima. Inother words, the patient suffering from the lethal disease of sinshas found the cure. Maang lo maang lo unka gham maang lo, chashm-e-rehmat nagah-e-karam mang lo Ma’siyyat ki dava la jaram maang lo, maangnay ka mazza aaj ki raat hai Ask for his grief, mercy and blessings, It is a sacred night, ask for the cure for sins (2) THE DIRT OF HEART WAS REMOVEDThe gist of a written statement given by an Islamic brotherfrom North Karachi is presented: During the first week ofRabi-un-Noor Shareef, some lovers of the Prophet, makingindividual effort, invited me to attend Ijtima-e-Milād beingheld at Kakri ground, Baab-ul-Madina, Karachi. It was mygood fortune that I assured them of my participation in theIjtima. When the night of the 12th came, I kept my promiseand sat on the bus with all the other Islamic brothers who werealso leaving for the Ijtima-e-Milād. A lover of the Holy 16

THE DAWN OF BLESSINGSProphet had some sweets called ‘cham cham’ which he dividedapproximately into thirty small pieces and distributed themequally among the brothers. I was really impressed by hisaffectionate way. Anyway, we reached the Ijtima-e-Milād. Thatwas the first time that I saw such a beautiful and spiritualIjtima in my life.The sound of Na'at and Salam was echoing in the atmosphereand people were chanting slogans enthusiastically \"MarhabaYa Mustafa     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ \". I felt as if the spirituality of theIjtima was gradually cleaning the dirt of my heart. Alhamdu-Lillah I joined the Madani environment of Dawat-e-Islami forthwith. By the grace of Allah , now I wear agreen turban and have grown my beard. I am presentlyrendering my services as the Alaqai Nigran of Dawat-e-Islamiin an area for spreading Sunnahs.Ata-e-habeeb khuda     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ   Madani Mahol, Hai Faizan-e-Ghous-o-Raza Madani Mahol Yahan sunnatain seekhnay ko milain gi, Dila’ai ga khauf-e-khuda Madani Mahol Yaqeenan muqaddar ka who hai sikandar, Jissay khair se mil gaya Madani Mahol A favour of Allah is the Madani Environment, Benevolence of Ghos and Raza is the Madani EnvironmentVerily, fortunate is the one who has joined the Madani Environment  ʄ‫   ﻋ‬ʄ    ¡ ʏ  ʄ‫ﻋ‬ 17

THE DAWN OF BLESSINGS (3) RAIN OF NOOR (LIGHT)On the occasion of Eid-e-Milād-un-Nabi     ‫      ﻋ‬ʄ(1417A.H.), the procession of Dawat-e-Islami (Nazimabad,Karachi) started after Sala-tuz-Zuhr. There were a large numberof participants who were rejoicing ardently chanting differentslogans enthusiastically. The procession stopped at many placesfor presenting call towards righteousness. Everybody listenedquietly. After the Bayan (speech) finished, a person stood upand told the Nigraan.“During the Bayan, I saw with my own eyes that Noor (light)was being showered to everyone including the child Mubaligh(preacher), I am not a Muslim, please revert me to Islam.’ Theparticipants chanted slogans more enthusiastically. Seeing thegreatness of the Madani procession and blessing of Dawat-e-Islami, the devil lost his senses. After embracing Islam, thenew-Muslim went to his home to invite his family members toIslam as well. Due to his cordial spiritual invitation, his wife,three children and his father, all embraced Islam. Eid-e-Milād-un-Nabi     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ he har koi masroor hai Haan magar Shaitaan bima’ rufaqa barra ranjoor hai On Eid-eMilādun-Nabi     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ , every one is in high sprit But satan with his accomplices is in low sprit  ʄ‫   ﻋ‬ʄ    ¡ ʏ  ʄ‫ﻋ‬ 18

THE DAWN OF BLESSINGS(4) ONE CAN BEHOLD THE PROPHET EVEN TODAYA lover of the Holy Prophet states “we attended (probably thebiggest) Ijtima-e-Milād held by Dawat-e-Islami at Kakriground, Baab-ul-Madina, Karachi. During conversation, anIslamic brother said, ‘The Ijtima-e-Milād of Dawat-e-Islamiused to be very touching earlier but it’s not so impressiveanymore.’ Upon hearing this, another Islamic brother said,‘My friend! You are wrong! The Ijtima is still the same, howcan the Prophet’s     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ zikr change, our hearts andmentality have changed! Even today, if we listen to Na’atShareef whilst engulfing ourselves in the love of Prophet    ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ instead of criticising, In’shaa-Allah wewill get a lot of blessings.’ The first Islamic brother's baselessobjection could make a participant lose his interest in theIjtima and go home but second Islamic brother's reply wasvery appropriate. Anyway, plucking up the courage, I sat inbetween the lovers of the Holy Prophet and began to listen toNa'ats fondly. The time of dawn approached and all the Islamic brothersstood up to welcome the dawn of blessing. The participantswere in a state of ecstasy. The calls Marhaba (welcome) couldbe heard from every direction. Durood and Salaam was beingrecited upon the Prophet     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ . There were tears inthe eyes of the lovers of the Prophet. People were weepingeverywhere in the Ijtima. I was also in an ecstatic state. Withmy sinful eyes, I saw droplets falling on the Ijtima. It was as ifthe Ijtima was being showered with mercy. I closed my eyes 19

THE DAWN OF BLESSINGSand began to recite Durood and Salaam. Suddenly, the eyes ofmy heart opened and, truly speaking, I saw the beloved whoseMilād we were celebrating; I beheld the Holy Prophet    ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ . Alhamdu-Lillah my heart got spiritualpeace.” Really, the Islamic brother was right when he said thatthe Ijtima-e-Milād held by Dawat-e-Islami is always touchingbut these are our hearts that have been changed. If we remainattentive, then even today, one can behold the belovedProphet     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ .Koi aaya paakay challa gaya, koi umar bhar bhi na paa sakkaYe barray karam ke hain faislay, ye barray naseeb ki baat haiSomeone came and got immediately, whereas someone couldnever get, these are sacred decisions which are predestined12 MADANI FLOWERS ABOUT CELEBRATING MILĀDBY: AMEER-E-AHL-E-SUNNAT HAZRAT ALLAMA MOULANA MUHAMMAD ILYASATTAR QADIRI ‫ﮐ‬MADINA 1: Decorate your homes, Masajid, shops and vehicleswith flags in the happiness of the birth of The Holy Prophet    ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ ® Illuminate your home with at least 12 bulbs.Arrange an Ijtima-e-Zikr-o-Naat on the 12th night, and at thetime of dawn, welcome the dawn of blessings with tearful eyesraising your flags in hands and reciting Durood and Salaam.If possible, keep fast on the 12th of Rabi-un-Noor Shareefbecause our Holy Prophet     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ would celebrate hisbirthday by fasting every Monday. Therefore, SayyidunaQatada     says that the Prophet     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ was 20

THE DAWN OF BLESSINGSasked as to why he fasted on every Monday. The Holy Prophet     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ replied, ‘I was born on this day and therevelations descended on me on the same day.’ (Sahih Muslim,p591, Hadith no 198, Beirut) The commentator on Sahih Bukhari, Sayyiduna ImaamQastalaani ‫    ﻋ‬says, ‘One of the main tried and testedbenefits of celebrating the birth of The Holy Prophet     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ is that, the year will be peaceful and every wishwill be fulfilled sooner. May Allah‘s mercy be upon theperson who celebrates the nights of this month like Eid.’(Mawahi-bulla-dunya, V1, P27)MADINA 2: Nowadays, models of the Ka’ba and dolls doingTawaaf are displayed at some places. This is a sin. In the pre-Islamic era of ignorance, there were 360 idols in the Ka’ba. Afterour Prophet     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ conquered Makkah, he removedall the idols from Ka’ba. Therefore, even models containingidols (dolls) should not be displayed. Plastic flowers can beplaced instead, (It is permissible to display such a picture inyour house, Masjid etc. in which the face of the people doingTawaaf-e-Ka’ba is not recognizable. However, it is impermissibleto display such a picture in which the people’s faces are clearlyrecognizable.)MADINA 3: It is not permissible to erect such decorated gatescontaining the pictures of peacocks and other birds. 21

THE DAWN OF BLESSINGS Read the following two Hadiths in the condemnation ofmaking images of living things: The angels of mercy do not enter the house in which thereis a picture or a dog. (Sahee Bukhari, v2, p409, Hadith 3322, Beirut)Whoever makes the picture (of a living thing) will be punishedon the Day of Judgement until he puts a soul in the picture,and he will never be able to do so. (Sahee Bukhari, v4, p422, Hadis42)MADINA 4: Some people play music in the name of celebratingthe birth of the Holy Prophet     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ . By Sharia, it is asin to do so. Following are two hadith of Prophet     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄin this regard.The Holy Prophet     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ said, ‘I have been orderedto break the drum and the flute.’ (Firdos-ul-akhbar, v1, p483, Hadith1612, Beirut) Hazrat’e Dahaak ‫    ﻋ‬narrates that music spoils heartand displeases Allah . (Tafseeraat-e-Ahmediya, p603 Peshawar)MADINA 5: You can play Na’at cassettes but take care at thetime of azan and salah. Further, make it sure that the sound ofNa'at does not disturb the sick etc. Don't play cassettes ofNa'ats in the voice of any woman.MADINA 6: It is not permissible to decorate the roads or streetsetc. in such a way that causes any kind of worry or distress topassers by or drivers. 22

THE DAWN OF BLESSINGSMADINA 7: Women's coming out of their homes withoutpurdah (veil) to watch illuminations is a shameless and Haramact. Further, doing so even with purdah and the resultantintermingling of men and women is also extremely regretful.Moreover, it is also not permissible to use electricity illegally.Therefore, contact the electricity department and useelectricity legally by paying its bill either in advance or later on.MADINA 8: In the Milād Shareef procession, try to remain inthe state of wuzu as long as possible. Offer salah with Jamat. Ifthere is no Shari compulsion, offering salah with jamat in themasjid is wajib even during the procession. The lovers of theProphet are not expected to miss the jamat.MADINA 9: Avoid riding horse-cart and camel-cart etc. duringthe procession as their urine or dung can make people’s clothesimpure.MADINA 10: During the procession, distribute booklets andpamphlets, as many as possible, published by Maktabat-ul-Madina. Further, give fruits etc. in the hands of people insteadof throwing. Fruits and other things are disrespected if they arethrown on the floor and people walk over them. Wasting thebounties of Allah by crushing under feet is a sin.MADINA 11: Chanting inflammatory slogans can result in anyunpleasant incident and can sabotage your prestigiousprocession. Your own safety lies in remaining calm andpeaceful. 23

THE DAWN OF BLESSINGSMADINA 12: Neither get emotional nor try to retaliate even incase of light stoning as it will cause dispersion in your procession,which is the desire of the enemy. Ghunchay chatkay phool mehkay har taraf aa’ee bahar Ho ga’ee Subh-e-Baharan Eid-e-Milād-un-Nabi     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ   Springtime has prevailed everywhere on the Blessed Morning ATTAR'S LETTER ABOUT CELEBRATING MILĀD(It is a Madani request that this letter should be read out everyyear as a reminder in the last weekly Ijtima of Safar-ul-Muzaffar everywhere. Islamic brothers and sisters can makeappropriate amendments.) %Sage-Madina Muhammad Ilyas Attar Qadri Rizvi   ‫  ﮐ‬says Salam from the bottom of his heart to all the lovers of theHoly Prophet on the delightful occasion of Milād celebration.   ‫ ﮐ‬ʄ‫ ﻋ       ﮐ ٗ          ﻋ‬ Tum bhi karke unka charcha apnay dil chamka ’o Oonchay mein ooncha Nabi ka jhanda     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ ghar ghar mein layra o Brighten your heart praising him Wave the Prophet's flag at every home 24

THE DAWN OF BLESSINGSMADINA 1: On the first night of Rabi-un-Noor, make thisannouncement three times in all the Masajid. “Congratulations to all Islamic brothers and sisters. Themoon of Rabi-un-Noor Shareef has appeared.” Rabi-un-Noor umeedoon ki dunya saath lay aaya Duaoon ki qabooliat ko hatho hath lay aya The world of hopes has come in Rabiun-Noor All the prayers will be answered very soonMADINA 2: Men's shaving their beard or trimming it less thana fist-length is Haraam. Islamic sisters' indulging inimmodesty is also Haraam. In reverence of the birth of TheHoly Prophet     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ , Islamic brothers should try tolet their beards grow from the 1st to the 12th of Rabi-un-NoorShareef and Islamic sisters should try to observe veil. With theblessing of doing so, Islamic brothers should make theintention of having a fistful beard permanently and Islamicsisters should make the intention of observing Shari Pardah,preferably wearing a Madani Burqa’ (a long loose piece ofclothing worn over the dress covering a woman from head tofeet.) (Man's shaving his beard or trimming it less than afist-length and woman's indulging in immodesty is Haraam. Itis wajib (necessary) to repent of these sins and give them up) Jhuk gaya Ka’ba sabhi bhut munh ke bal aunday girray Dab daba aamad ka tha, ahlawa sahlan Marhaba 25

THE DAWN OF BLESSINGS The Ka'abe bent, all the idols fell Upon your arrival, Marhab! MarhabaMADINA 3: One of the ways of acting persistently upon Sunnahand other good deeds and refraining from sins is to fill in thebooklet of Madani Ina'amaat practicing Fikr-e-Madina andhand it in to the relevant responsible Islamic brother/sister.Say In’shaa-Allah raising your hand. Badliyan rehmat ki cha’een boondian rehmat ki aa’een Ab muradain dil ki pa’een aamed-e-shah-e-Arab hai The clouds and drizzle of blessing have come Desires will be satisfied now, Marhaba MarhabaMADINA 4: All the lovers of the Prophet including Nigraan andZimadaar should travel with a Madani Qafila (caravan) for atleast three days. Islamic sisters should give Dars from Faizan-e-Sunnat for at least thirty days in their home (only to familymembers) and then make the intention to continue it afterRabi-un-Noor Shareef as well. Lootnay rehmatain Qafilay mein chalo Seekhnay sunnatain Qafilay mein chalo For getting blessings, travel with Qafila For learning Sunnah, travel with QafilaMADINA 5: Display 12 flags or at least one flag in your Masjid,house, shop, workplace etc. for the whole month. Buy someflags and display them on buses, wagons, trucks, trolleys, taxis,rickshaws, horse and carriage etc. 26

THE DAWN OF BLESSINGSHoist flags on your cycle, scooter and car. In’shaa-Allahthe whole city will look green. Usually, there are big pictures ofliving things or filthy couplets are written on the back of bigtrucks. It is my wish that the sentence “I Love Dawat-e-Islami”clearly be written at the back side of trucks, buses, wagons,rickshaws, taxies and cars etc.Make efforts in this regard by meeting and persuading thetransporters and bus or truck owners and get my sincereprayers. PRECAUTIONIf the flag has a picture of a Na’lain Shareef (shoe image ofHoly Prophet     ‫      ﻋ‬ʄ ), make it sure that it neithertears nor falls on the ground.Further, as soon as the month of Rabi-un-Noor Shareef ends,remove the flags immediately. If there is a chance that the flagsmight be disrespected, use simple green flags (without the shoeimage of Holy Prophet     ‫      ﻋ‬ʄ ). (Sag-e-Madinadisplays a simple green flag at his home) Nabi     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ ka jhanda laykar niklo dunya mein chaa ja’oNabi     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ ka jhanda aman ka jhanda ghar ghar mein layra’o Rule the whole world with Prophet's     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ flag Wave, at every home, this sacred flag  ʄ‫   ﻋ‬ʄ    ¡ ʏ  ʄ‫ﻋ‬ 27

THE DAWN OF BLESSINGSMADINA 6: Illuminate your home with 12 light strings or atleast 12 bulbs; further, make a lot of illuminations in your areaand Masjid (but using electricity illegally for this purpose isHaraam, therefore, use electricity legally by paying its fullbill). Decorate all your area with green flags and bright lights.Display big banners (12 metres long or whatever size is needed)on the roof of your house, Masjid and roundabout etc. butmake it sure that people's rights are not violated.Don’t erect flags in the middle of the road as this will obstructtraffic. Do not decorate any such place where the way getsnarrow, Muslims are disturbed and their rights are violated. Bait-e-Aqsa, baab-e-ka’ba, barmakaan-e-Amina     Nasb parcham ho gaya ahlawa sahlan Marhaba Flags have been erected on Bait-e-Aqsa, The roof of the Ka'aba and the house of Amina    MADINA 7: Every Islamic brother should distribute as manybooklets or different pamphlets published by Maktabat-ul-Madina as possible among the participants of procession;Islamic sisters should also get the booklets etc. distributed. Inthe same way, make your contribution to the promotion ofreligion by distributing booklets etc. throughout the year ondifferent occasions such as Ijtima, wedding, death etc. Persuadealso others to do the same. Bant kar madani rasail deen ko phailaiay Ker ke razi Haq ko haqdare jina ban jaiay 28

THE DAWN OF BLESSINGS Spread religion distributing booklets Get deserving of Heaven pleasing AllahMADINA 8: If possible, buy 12 booklets 'The Dawn of Blessings'and 112 pamphlets titled ‘12 Madani flowers on celebrating thebirth of The Holy Prophet     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ from Maktabat-ul-Madina and gift them especially to the organizers of Milādgatherings.During the month of Rabi-un-Noor Shareef, give 1200 or, ifnot possible, 112 or at least 12 rupees to a Sunni Alim (onlyadults should do so). To give this money to your Masjid Imam,mu’azzin or servants is also right; it would be excellent to do soevery month. It is better to give the money on Friday becausethe reward of every good deed is increased 70 times on Friday.Alhamdu-Lillah ! The cassettes of Bayans (Islamicspeeches) released by Maktabat-ul-Madina have played a vitalrole in the reformation of many people’s lives. Even some ofyou may also have joined Dawat-e-Islami by listening to abayan cassette. Distributing these cassettes to people is a greatservice to Islam and is a means of great reward. Therefore, ifpossible, sell 12 bayan cassettes a week or at least 12 everymonth.Wealthy Islamic brothers should also make their contributionto the propagation of religion by distributing the cassettes ofBayan for free. Distribute as many Bayan cassettes as you can.On the occasion of weddings, gift a booklet or a bayan cassettewith the wedding card. Do the same on the occasion of Eids 29

THE DAWN OF BLESSINGSinstead of gifting Eid card. People send me expensive Eid cardsbecause of which my heart burns instead of getting happy.Would that people spend their hard-earned money on thepromotion of religion instead of Eid cards! Further, theglittering powder on these cards also causes great problems. Unke dar pay palnay waala apna aap jawaab Koi Ghareeb Nawaaz ‫    ﻋ‬to koi Data ‫    ﻋ‬lagta hai Those trained by the Prophet     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ are matchless Someone becomes Ghareeb Nawaz ‫    ﻋ‬and someone Data ‫   ﻋ‬  ʄ‫   ﻋ‬ʄ    ¡ ʏ  ʄ‫ﻋ‬MADINA 9: In big cities, every area (alaqai) Nigraan shouldhold glorious Sunnah-inspiring Ijtimas at different Masjids forthe first 12 days of Rabi-un-Noor Shareef (Responsible Islamicsisters should hold Ijtimas at homes). If possible, everyoneshould attend the Ijtima with green flags in Rabi-un-Noor. Lab par Naat-e-Rasool-e-akram     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ haathoon mein parcham Deewaana sarkaar     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ ka kitna pyara lagta hai The lover of Prophet     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ reciting Na'ats and Holding flag in his hand looks very beautifulMADINA 10: Take bath on the evening of the 11th or at the 12thof Rabi-un-Noor Shareef. If possible, buy everything new, forexample, white clothes, turban, bandana, cap, shawl, Miswaak,handkerchief, slippers, tasbeeh, Itr (perfume), watch, pen, Qafila 30

THE DAWN OF BLESSINGSpad etc. (Islamic sisters should also buy new things according totheir needs) Aa’ee na’ee hukoomat sikka naya challay ga Aalam nein rang badla subh-e-shab-e-wiladat A new coin will be used as a new government has come, The world is changing, the blessed morning has comeMADINA 11: Spend the 12th night in an Ijtima-e-Zikr-o-Na’atand welcome the 'The Dawn of Blessings' with tearful eyes atdawn, raising your flags and reciting Durood and Salaam.After Sala-tul-Fajr, say salaam and congratulate each other onthis occasion of Eid and continue to do so for the rest of theday. Eid-e-Milād-un-Nabi     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ to Eid ki bi Eid hai Aaj to hai Eid-e-Eidaan Eid-e-Milād-un-Nabi     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ Beyond all doubt, Eid-e-Milādun-Nabi     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ is the Eid of All the EidsMADINA 12: Our Holy Prophet     ‫      ﻋ‬ʄ wouldcelebrate his birth by fasting on every Monday. Keeping this inmind, you should also fast on 12th Rabi-un-Noor Shareef andparticipate in the Madani procession carrying green flags.Remain in the state of Wudu as long as possible. Recite Na’ats,Durood and Salaam and walk properly with your gaze lowered.Don’t commit any inappropriate act due to which others maycriticise your procession. 31

THE DAWN OF BLESSINGS Rabi-ul-awwal Ahl-e-Sunnat tujh pai kyun na ho qurbaan Ke teri baarween tareekh who Jaan-e-Qamar     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ aaya Rabi-ul-awal, why should the Ahl-e-Sunnah not sacrifice their lives for you, As the beloved Prophet     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ came on your 12th date? INTENTIONS ABOUT CELEBRATING MILĀDThe first Hadith of Bukhari Shareef says ʮ  Meaning ‘actions are dependant upon intentions’ (Sahih Bukhari,V1, P5)Remember! Whenever you perform any good deed, you musthave the intention of gaining reward for it from Allah ,otherwise, you will not gain any reward. Likewise, it isnecessary to have the intention of gaining reward whilecelebrating Milād. When making the intention of gainingreward, the action must be according to Shariah and must beperformed with sincerity. If someone celebrated Milādshowing off, using electricity illegally, forcing people to givemoney, hurting other Muslims without Shari’ permission,violating public rights, playing Na’ats etc. with the loudspeakerwhich can cause distress to the ill or sleeping people, then eventhe intention of gaining reward will be considered invalid inthe afore-mentioned cases; and the person doing so is a sinner.The more good intentions you make, the more reward you willgain. 18 intentions are presented but they are not complete,you can add according to your situation. A person withknowledge of intentions can increase these intentions as many 32

THE DAWN OF BLESSINGSas possible. To begin with, you can make the followingintentions: 18 INTENTIONS OF CELEBRATING MILĀD1. Acting upon the Quranic commandment       “And publicise well the favours of your Rab” (Sura Duha, Verse 11) I will publicise the biggest blessing of Allah .2. I will make Milād illuminations to gain the pleasure of Allah .3. I will wave flags following Hazrat Jibreel   ‫ ﻋ‬who placed 3 flags on the day the Prophet     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ was born.4. I will wave green flags because the dome of the Prophet     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ Masjid is green.5. I will show the greatness of the Prophet     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ to the non-Muslims by celebrating Milād (upon seeing illuminations and green flags, the non-Muslims will certainly be inspired and will think that the Muslims love their Prophet     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ a lot).6. I will annoy satan by celebrating Milād enthusiastically.7. In addition to outer decoration, I will decorate my inner self as well by repenting of sins.8. I will attend the Ijtima-e-Milād on the 12th night, and 33

THE DAWN OF BLESSINGS9. I will participate in the procession on the 12th of Rabi-un-Noor Shareef and will remember Allah and HisProphet     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ .10. I will behold Islamic scholars, and11. The pious, and12. I will gain blessings by being close to the lovers of the Prophet.13. I will wear turban in the procession, and14. I will remain in the state of Wudu as long as possible, and15. I will perform my Salah with Jama’at in the Masjid during the procession.16. I will distribute booklets, pamphlets and cassettes or VCDs of bayans etc. published by Maktaba-tul-Madina during the Ijtima-e-Milād and procession.17. Making individual efforts, I will persuade 12 brothers to travel with the Madani Qafila.18. I will recite Durood, Salaam and Na’at during the procession observing Qufl-e-Madina of the tongue and eyes. ʄ‫   ﻋ‬ʄ    ¡ ʏ  ʄ‫ﻋ‬ 34

THE DAWN OF BLESSINGSOh Allah ! Enable us to celebrate the birth of Yourbeloved Prophet     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ whole-heartedly with goodintentions and grant us entry into the Heaven without beingheld accountable due to the blessing of celebrating the blessedday of Your Prophet's     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ birth.Baksh day hum ko Ilahi ! Behr-e-Milād-un-Nabi     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ Nama-e-A’maal isyan say mera bhar poor hai Almighty , forgive me for Milād's sake Though my book of deeds is replete with sins     ‫     ﻋ‬ʄ     ʮ  ö   Was’salaam ma’al ikraam 17th Safar-ul-Muzaffar 1427 A.H  ʄ‫   ﻋ‬ʄ    ¡ ʏ  ʄ‫ﻋ‬ 35

THE DAWN OF BLESSINGSNEW ENGLISH TRANSLATED BOOKS OF AMEER-E-AHL-E-SUNNAT ‫ﮐ‬ Faizan-e-Ramazan (The Blessings of Ramadan) Twelve Discourses of Attar Islamic Manners of Eating Laws of Salah And other Booklets. 36