Jalal

Mercy, a Gift to Mankind – a Thought by Imam Abdul Latif Finch

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The Prophet, ﷺ, has called himself simply an absolute gift. Abū Hurayra, may God be pleased with him, reported Allāh’s Messenger ﷺ said,

“O People! I am only mercy gifted to you!” [1]

gift box

That is to say, if one were to ask just what the Prophet, ﷺ is, the answer is a gifted mercy. Whatever is beyond the right of a dependent is a mercy. A gift is beyond the rights of the needy. Therefore a gift is a mercy. Hence, in this tradition he stated, ﷺ, to all people without exclusion that he is but compounded mercy.

To compound something is to multiply it. The increased mercy here epitomizes the nature of his relationship with God’s dependents. These creatures have no foreseeable limit, as even the inhabitants of Paradise are dependent on God.  Therefore, the compounded mercy mentioned in the tradition of the Prophet ﷺ has an unqualified nature. With this point in mind, it may be said that he, ﷺ, is nothing more than unqualified mercy.

Imam Muhammad Abdul Latif Finch

May 2015

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[1] al-Darimi 1:21 Hadith #10 ;Ibn Abi Shayba in Al-Musannaf,6:325 Hadith #31782;Al-Hakim Al-Mustadrak 1:91 Hadith #100;Al-Tabarani in Al-Mu’jam Al-Awsat, 3:223 Hadith #2981; Al-Bayhaqi Sh’ab al-Iman 2:143 Hadith #1402;Al-Haythami in Majma al-Zawaid 8:257

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Tragedy to diamond – a quote by Imam Abdul Latif Finch

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“Sometimes we mistake tragedy as punishment from God but diamonds are made from compressed coal. Mercy in disguise.”

– Imam Muhammad Abdul Latif Finch 2015

diamond

Muhammad Abdul Latif converted to Islam at the age of 20 and has earned ijazas in Islamic Sciences including Quranic Sciences, Hadith, Maliki and Shafi’i Jurisprudence, Usul al-Fiqh, Seerah, Logic, and Arabic Grammar and Morphology under the tutelage of numerous scholars, including Shaykh Hamza Yusuf, Shaykh Salik bin Siddina, Imam Zaid Shakir, Shaykh Abdur Rahman Taahir, Qari Umar Bellahi, Shaykh Abdullah Ali, and Shaykh Yahya Rhodus.

Imam Muhammad Abdul Latif Finch co-founded the Lighthouse Mosque in Oakland, California where he served as the Imam till for 3 years until he resigned in 2012 to focus on his graduate studies. In addition, he was a teacher and a program developer for Deen Intensive Foundation, Seekers Guidance and has assisted Zaytuna College ‘s Summer Arabic Intensive program for three years in a row.

Imam Muhammad Abdul Latif Finch has recently attained a Master’s degree in Philosophy at the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology, a member of the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley.

Many thanks to Imam Muhammad Abdul Latif Finch for contributing to this blog.

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Contentment – a quote by Imam Abdul Latif Finch

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“Contentment with God is a type of Paradise. Lack of contentment with God is a kind of Hell.”

– Imam Muhammad Abdul Latif Finch 2015

paradise and hell quote

Muhammad Abdul Latif converted to Islam at the age of 20 and has earned ijazas in Islamic Sciences including Quranic Sciences, Hadith, Maliki and Shafi’i Jurisprudence, Usul al-Fiqh, Seerah, Logic, and Arabic Grammar and Morphology under the tutelage of numerous scholars, including Shaykh Hamza Yusuf, Shaykh Salik bin Siddina, Imam Zaid Shakir, Shaykh Abdur Rahman Taahir, Qari Umar Bellahi, Shaykh Abdullah Ali, and Shaykh Yahya Rhodus.

Imam Muhammad Abdul Latif Finch co-founded the Lighthouse Mosque in Oakland, California where he served as the Imam till for 3 years until he resigned in 2012 to focus on his graduate studies. In addition, he was a teacher and a program developer for Deen Intensive Foundation, Seekers Guidance and has assisted Zaytuna College ‘s Summer Arabic Intensive program for three years in a row.

Imam Muhammad Abdul Latif Finch has recently attained a Master’s degree in Philosophy at the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology, a member of the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley.

Many thanks to Imam Muhammad Abdul Latif Finch for contributing to this blog.

Imam Muhammad Abdul Latif Finch’s website

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Imam Muhammad Abdul Latif Finch’s LinkedIn page

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Attachments – a quote by Imam Abdul Latif Finch

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 “If you can attach your heart to anything, anything can break it.”

– Imam Muhammad Abdul Latif Finch 2015

heart quote by imam abdul latif finch

Muhammad Abdul Latif converted to Islam at the age of 20 and has earned ijazas in Islamic Sciences including Quranic Sciences, Hadith, Maliki and Shafi’i Jurisprudence, Usul al-Fiqh, Seerah, Logic, and Arabic Grammar and Morphology under the tutelage of numerous scholars, including Shaykh Hamza Yusuf, Shaykh Salik bin Siddina, Imam Zaid Shakir, Shaykh Abdur Rahman Taahir, Qari Umar Bellahi, Shaykh Abdullah Ali, and Shaykh Yahya Rhodus.

Imam Muhammad Abdul Latif Finch co-founded the Lighthouse Mosque in Oakland, California where he served as the Imam till for 3 years until he resigned in 2012 to focus on his graduate studies. In addition, he was a teacher and a program developer for Deen Intensive Foundation, Seekers Guidance and has assisted Zaytuna College ‘s Summer Arabic Intensive program for three years in a row.

Imam Muhammad Abdul Latif Finch has recently attained a Master’s degree in Philosophy at the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology, a member of the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley.

Many thanks to Imam Muhammad Abdul Latif Finch for contributing to this blog.

Imam Muhammad Abdul Latif Finch’s website

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Turning to Allah – a thought from Imam Abdul Latif Finch

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Allah commanded us in the Quran to run to Him and also shows us how to do so.

He says: “So flee to Allah. Indeed, I am to you from Him a clear warner.” (1)

The first part of the verse, “So flee to Allah” is in reference to our running from the difficulty we face, created by Him, back to Allah who also creates the refuge we seek from Him.

Usually, this is due to the Jalali (Mighty) aspects of God’s presence, those overwhelming aspects of life.

The Jamali (Beautiful) aspects of God’s presence are the merciful and more subtle signs of His existence.

At times one can be so taken by these symbolic aspects of His gentle indications that we forget the beauty of God, Himself.

As a result we have to detach ourselves from the beautiful and gentle things of this world.

This back and forth, is the fleeing from His Jalal (Might) to His Jamal (Beauty) and from His Jamal to His Jalal.

For those who are drawn close with intimate knowledge regarding their Lord (al Aarifeen) this fleeing is even past the Jamal and the Jalal mentioned above.

They flee from the World, Creation, Ego, the Hereafter and all those things which occur in time and space.

Having traversed creation in every sense of the term, they are really fleeing directly from Him to Him as indicated above.

The second half of the verse, “Indeed, I am to you from Him a clear warner” is in reference to the Prophet, God’s mercy and peace be upon him, our guide who shows us how to do this as in the following supplication: “(O God!) I seek refuge in You from You.” (2)

When we put these two aspects together we see the declaration of faith, “La ilaha illallah, Muhammad Rasulullah” (3)

 Imam Muhammad Abdul Latif Finch

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Footnotes:

(1) Surat Adh Dhaariyaat: 50.

(2) I put my hand on the inside of his feet and he was in the mosque. They were upright and he was saying, ‘O Allah, I seek refuge in Your pleasure from Your anger, and Your pardon from Your punishment. I seek refuge in You from You. I cannot reckon Your praise. You are as You praised Yourself.’“” [Muslim]

(3) “There is no god but God and Muhammad is His Messenger”

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