When being starved, remember the Prophet tying two stones to his stomach in the battle of Khandaq.

When becoming angry, remember the Prophet’s control of anger on the martyrdom of his beloved Uncle Hamza.

When losing a tooth, remember the Prophet’s tooth in the battle of Uhud.

When bleeding from any part of the body, remember the Prophet’s body covered in blood on his return from Ta’if.

When feeling lonely, remember the Prophet’s seclusion in Mount Hira .

When feeling tired in Salaat, remember the Prophet’s blessed feet in Tahajjud.

When being prickled with thorns, remember the Prophet’s pain from Abu Lahab’s wife.

When being troubled by neighbours, remember the old woman who would empty rubbish on the Prophet.

When losing a child, remember the Prophet’s son, Ibrahim.

When beginning a long journey, remember the Prophet’s long journey to Madinah.

When going against a Sunnah, remember the Prophet’s intercession, (Ummati, Ummati, Ummati) (My Ummah).

When sacrificing an animal, remember the Prophet’s sacrifice of 63 animals for his Ummah.

Before shaving your beard, remember the Prophet’s face rejecting the two beardless Iranians.

When falling into an argument with your wife, remember the Prophet’s encounter with Aisha and Hafsa.

When experiencing less food in the house, remember the Prophet’s days of poverty.

When experiencing poverty, remember the Prophet’s advice to Ashaab-e-Suffa (People of Suffa).

When losing a family member, remember the Prophet’s departure from this world.

When becoming an orphan, remember the Prophet’s age at six.

When sponsoring an orphan, remember the Prophet’s sponsor for Zaid ibn Haritha.

When fearing an enemy, remember the Prophet’s saying to Abu Bakr in Mount Thour .

Whatever situation you may find yourself in, remember your role model, the best of creation: Prophet Muhammad.

Whatever you may do, remember that your deeds are presented before our Prophet. Are we pleasing him or displeasing him?

Fundet via Qisas

The gardens of the spiritual world [malakût] are adorned with the flower of his beauty, and the pools of the world of omnipotence [al-jabarût] overflow with the outpouring of his lights. There exists nothing that is not linked to them, even as it was said: Were there no mediator, everything that depends on him would disappear! [Bless him, O my God,] by a blessing such as returns to him through You from You, according to his due.

O my God, he is Your integral secret, that demonstrates You, and Your supreme veil, raised up before You.

O my God, join me to his posterity and justify me by Your reckoning of him. Let me know him with a knowledge that saves me from the wells of ignorance and quenches my thirst at the wells of virtue.

Carry me on his way, surronded by Your aid, towards Your presence.

Strike through me at vanity, so that I may destroy it. Plunge me in the oceans of Oneness [al-ahadîyah], pull me back from the sloughs of tawhîd, and drown me in the pure source of the ocean of Unity [al-wahdah], so that I neither see nor hear nor am conscious nor feel except through it. And make of the Supreme Veil the life of my spirit, and of his spirit the secret of my reality, and of his reality all my worlds, by the realization of the First Truth.

O First, O Last, O Outward, O Inward, hear my petition, even as You heard the petition of Your Servant Zacharia; succour me through You unto You, support me through You unto You, unite me with You, and come in between me and other-than-You: Allâh, Allâh, Allâh! Verily He who has imposed on you the Qur'ân for a law, will bring you back to the promised end

[Qur'ân 28:85].

Our Lord, grant us mercy from Your presence, and shape for us right conduct in our plight [Qur'ân 18:10].

Verily God and His angels bless the Prophet; O you who believe, bless him and wish him peace

[Qur'ân 33:56].

May the graces [salawât] of God, His peace, His salutations, His mercy and His blessings [barakât] be on our Lord Muhammad, Your servant, Your prophet and Your messenger, the un-lettered prophet, and on his family and on his companions, [graces] as numerous as the even and the odd and as the perfect and blessed words of our Lord.

Glorified be your Lord, the Lord of Glory, beyond what they attribute unto Him, and peace be on the Messengers. Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds

[Qur'ân 37:180-2].

Ibn Mashîsh

Was it a breeze of musk or the fragrance of [the Prophet’s] Garden
or was it Layla’s smile that sent her perfume to us?
Was it a flash of lightning or the brightness of her forehead
that released the light when she showed her affection
They both have added joy to my happiness
and swept away my troubles; so my fear has vanished.
The breath of the Living One moves my heart when it comes
to Wadi Al-`Aqiq, and tears cry out.
How often we spent there, in favor,
in junction and intimacy—but time changes
And after junction I am now far from them
and news from them diminish and dwindle away.
Incessantly I think of them—tell me, messenger,
do you not have good news from them that may comfort me?
Thrilled has my heart he whose tomb is in Tayba
by the beauty it encompasses, beyond description.
Passionately loved I him before I knew of worldly love—
ask me not [how much I love him] now that I know it!
I go to sleep in his love and wake up in it
my heart knows him, my mind and my eye.
The beloved—all hearts he captivated, so they grew,
O young man, truly longing for his sight!
He is wrapped in the mantle of beauty, covered;
vestments of beauty are spread over him.
A prophet who led us in guidance on the way
and who let down a curtain indescribable
Upon the faults of those of us who are at fault, out of mercy.
He shows compassion for the disobedient among us, and clemency.
No other apostle resembles him in character and physiognomy;
this is a special grant of favor from his Lord.
If Abraham is distinguished by friendship
as [God’s] friend, [Muhammad] is characterized by love and closeness.
Moses was spoken to on Mount Sinai; Ahmed
on the Throne—above the veils he receives this gift.
The dead spoke to Jesus, Mary’s son;
but Yasin—the pebbles on his right found words.
Supreme is his rank among angels and apostles
and yet he is the most submissive of men to his Lord, the most fearful.
True! All the prophets on [the Day of] Congregation
pass responsibility for intercession to him; he takes it upon himself.
They all say, “Myself!” to mankind;
he calls out, “My community—men and jinn!
Come unto me, all you who are congregated!
The banner of praise flutters with me!”
and he is given what he wishes—so the fearful can feel safe!
God’s peace upon him—God elevated him to a rank
that cannot be surpassed and not described—
From the weak slave Majdhub who
through your rank with God becomes acquainted with you.
God’s blessings upon you, and his peace
Verily, O Apostle of God, I am full of fear!

Shaykh Muhammad Majdhub

From this oyster came that lustrous pearl.

After she conceived from ‘Abdallah

Came the time of birth with days and weeks.

As Muhammad’s birth was drawing near

Many signs appeared before he came!

In the month of Rabi’al-awwal then

On the twelfth, the night of Monday, look,

When the best of mankind was born-

O what marvels did his mother see!

Spoke the mother of that friend: “I saw

A strange light; the sun was like its moth.

Suddenly it flashed up from my house,

Filled with world with light up to the sky.

Heavens opened, vanquished was the dark,

And I saw three angels with three flags.

One was in the East, one in the West,

One stood upright on the Ka’ba’s roof.

Rows of angels came from heaven, and

Circumambulated all my house;

Came the houris group on group; the light

From their faces made my house so bright!

And a cover was spread in mid-air,

Called ‘brocade’-an angel laid it out.

When I saw so clearly these events

I became bewildered and confused.

Suddenly the walls were split apart

And three houris entered in my room.

Some have said that of these charming three

One was Asiya of moonlike face,

One was Lady Mary without doubt,

And the third a houri beautiful.

Then these moonfaced three drew gently near

And they greeted me with kindness here;

Then they sat around me, and they gave

The good tidings of Muhammad’s birth;

Said to me: “A son like this your son

Has not come since God has made this world,

And the Mighty One did never grant

Such a lovely son as will be yours.

You have found great happiness, O dear

For from you that virtuous one is born!

He that comes is King of Knowledge high,

Is the mine of gnosis and tauhid [monotheism].

For the love of him the sky revolves,

Men and Djinn are longing for his face.

This night  is the night that he, so pure

Will suffuse the worlds with radiant light!

This night, earth becomes a Paradise,

This night God shows mercy to the world.

This night those with heart are filled with joy,

This night gives the lovers a new life.

Mercy  for the worlds is Mustafa,

Sinners’ intercessors: Mustafa!’

They described him in this style to me,

Stirred my longing for that blessed light.”

Amina said: “When the time was ripe

That the Best of Mankind should appear,

I became so thirsty from that heat

That they gave me sherbet in a glass.

Drinking it, I was immersed in light

And could not discern myself from light.

Then a white swan came with soft great wings

And he touched my back with gentle strength.

And the King of Faith was born that night:

Earth and heaven were submerged in light!”

Then begins the great Welcome, which all nature extended to the newborn Prophet, whose coming they had expected with such longing, a welcome to the Friend of God in whose intercession at Doomsday all can trust:

Welcome, O high prince, we welcome you!

Welcome, O mine of wisdom, we welcome you!

Welcome, O secret of the Book, we welcome you!

Welcome, O medicine for pain, we welcome you!

Welcome, O sunlight and moonlight of God!

Welcome, O you not separated from God!

Welcome, O nightingale of the Garden of Beauty!

Welcome, O friend of the Lord of Power!

Welcome, O refuge of your community!

Welcome, O helper of the poor and destitute!

Welcome, O eternal soul, we welcome you!

Welcome, O cupbearer of the lovers, we welcome you!

Welcome, O darling of the Beloved!

Welcome, O much beloved of the Lord!

Welcome, O Mercy for the worlds!

Welcome, O intercessor for the sinner!

Only for you were Time and Space created…

Süleyman Chelebi

And Muhammad is His Messenger:The Veneration of the Prophet in Islamic Piety, Annemarie Schimmel 

I am the slave of the Master of Prophets
And my fealty to him has no beginning.

I am a slave of his slave, and of his slave's slave,
And so forth endlessly,

For I do not cease to approach the door
Of his good pleasure among the beginners.

I proclaim among people the teaching of his high attributes,
And sing his praises among the poets.

Perhaps he shall tell me: "You are a noted friend
Of mine, a truly excellent beautifier of my tribute."

Yes, I would sacrifice my soul for the dust of his sanctuary.
His favor should be that he accept my sacrifice.

He has triumphed who ascribes himself to him!
- Not that he needs such following,

For he is not in need of creation at all,
While they all need him without exception.

He belongs to Allah alone, Whose purified servant he is,
As his attributes and names have made manifest;

And every single favor in creation comes from Allah
To him, and from him to everything else.

Translated by Shaykh Gibril

Fundet via Ishaatdurud.com

There is a well-authenticated hadith from Tirmidhi and others that Ubayy bin Ka’b said to the Prophet, peace be upon him, “I reserve all the blessings I send for you.” The Prophet replied, “Then your concerns will be taken care of and your sins forgiven.” There is no doubt that the sicknesses of the heart and the body cause a person much concern and turmoil. Sending blessings upon the Prophet, peace be upon him, can be a guarantor for relief from that, Allah willing.

Based upon this, sending blessings upon the Prophet is a factor in healing. The particular wording that you have mentioned is not very different from the words of the famous Salat al-Tibbiyya, which says, “O Allah, send blessings on our master Muhammad, the medicine of hearts and their cure, the health of bodies and their healing.”

Læs resten her på sunnipath

The Question: i just wanted to get one thing more cleared up. The folks at sunnipath,seem to give the impression that permissibility of using words like “Yarasoolullah madad” is the view of majority of ummah

The Answer:

It is important to understand a fundamental issue regarding substantiations in Shari’ah. The order and sequence of substantiations is as follows: a)Qur’aan, b) Hadith, c) Ijmaa and, d) Qiyaas (analogy)

Majority ruling as a substantiation follows far beyond the four fundamental substantiations. It is only when there are no substantiations preceding that and there are differences of opinion among contemporary Ulama. The issue in reference, saying ‘Yaa Rasoolullah’ and seeking help from Rasoolullah[sallallaahu alayhi wasallam] is clear. Only Allah is Omnipresent and we seek the help of Allah Alone. It is obsolutely incorrect to regard Rasulullah [sallallaahu alayhi wasallam] as Omnipresent and address him as ‘Yaa Rasoolullah’ with that belief. It is also incorrect to seek the assistance of Rasoolullah [sallallaahu alayhi wasallam] and address him as ‘Yaa Madad’. The prohibition of these two issues are clearly in the very first source of substantiations – the Qur’aan. There is no need to consider the issue from an angle of majority view. Consider this – Allah condemns Kufr whereas the majority of the world is in Kufr. Will that make Kufr correct?

Comment: How does that make one different from Salafis?

Imam Taqi al-Din Subki makes clear that tawassul (seeking means) and istighatha (calling upon others) are conceptually the very same, and that they were both permitted by the imams of early and late Islamic scholarship, without noteworthy disagreement until Ibn Taymiyya came along in the 7th Islamic Century.

Imam Muhammad Zahid al-Kawthari wrote a brilliant treatise, Mahq al-Taqawwul fi Mas’alat al-Tawassul (see Arabic text), explaining how the permissibility of tawassul is entailed by sound Sunni understanding of Divine Oneness and the difference between means and effects.

Imam Kawthari (Allah have mercy on him) is regarded as an Imam in the Islamic Sciences and the “Sword of Ahl al-Sunna” by the ulema across the Muslim lands was because he truly had [a] mastery right across the Islamic sciences; [b] very wide reading built on that mastery; [c] clear understanding of the way of Ahl al-Sunna; [d] commitment to that way.

As for Istighatha [calling upon the dead], see:
Istighatha: Calling Someone Other Than
Allah for Help
Calling on Other than Allah?

Related answers:

Sunni Saint Worshippers? – Shaykh Nuh Keller

Istighatha: Calling Someone Other Than
Allah for Help – Shaykh Muhammad ibn Adam

Tawassul Through the Awliya

Tawassul through the pious

Making tawassul through one’s actions

Tawassul of `Umar through al-`Abbas

Al-Shafi`i’s Tawassul with Abu Hanifa

Calling on Other than Allah?

We need to understand are a few issues:

a) It is a fundamental belief of Muslims that only Allah benefits or harms; that only Allah gives and takes;

b) It is also a fundamental belief of Muslims that Allah has created means for humans to take;

c) However, the relationship between these created means and their effects is only normative: it is Allah who creates the means, and Allah who creates the results.

This is why Shaykh Abd al-Rahman al-Shaghouri (Allah have mercy on him), the great spiritual guide and master of the sciences of faith (aqida) from Damascus, explained,

“Taking means is necessary, and denying that they are effective is
necessary. Whoever negates means is denying the Wisdom of Allah, and
whoever relies upon means is associating others with Allah.”

This is the understanding upon which Muslims ‘call upon other than Allah.’

It is no different from taking medicine when sick, or going to a mechanic when your car is giving trouble: if you think that the medicine itself creates the healing, or that the mechanic is the one himself creates the fixing, then you have serious innovation in belief. It is conceptually the same as asking another Muslim in person to make dua for us–we do so understanding that their dua for us is a means, and that it is Allah alone who gives.
The sound understanding is that Allah creates the healing when you use the medicine, and He creates the fixing when the mechanic does their job: we affirm these means, but also affirm that it is Allah who created both the means and the resultant effect.

This is pure affirmation of Divine Oneness. How can it ‘smack of shirk’?

A few nice songs:

Ya Imam al-Rusli – Ustadh Mahmoud Faris

Ya Rasul Allahi Ya Sanadi – Maghribi

al-Wadhifa al-Shadhiliyya - Recited by Shaykh Amjad Rasheed. The Wadhifa contains a high understanding of the spiritual reality of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him).

Madad Ya Rasul Allah – Khalid Belrhouzi

Fundet via Shaykh Faraz Rabbanis Seeker’s Digest

O Messenger of Allah, I come to you seeking refuge
May my Lord’s blessings be upon you and all peace

I come distressed, seeking assistance and succor
For a soul that wrongs despite not having been wronged

O Messenger of Allah, I come to you seeking your protection
And your Lord grants you protection and you can’t be let down

O Messenger of Allah, I come to you as a guest
And the rights of guests are known to those noble

I come to you indigent and needy
With a soul possessing only tremendous sins

A stranger who has come from a strange land
Without any companions or partners

…..

Help me, O Messenger of Allah, for I
Am at a loss, and despair has reached my very bones

Grant mercy, O Son of Aminah, grant mercy
For in sin have I been nursed and grown

It is your intercession I seek in distress and ease
And your healing when sickness befalls me

You are my support when darkness befalls
And in struggles you are my sure sword

If you seek forgiveness for me, O Master, even once
I’ll be of those upright on religion

Every limb of mine obeys you as if a slave
And in my heart love for you is constant

O God grant me success throughout my life
To pray weeping while others are asleep.

[Source: Munajat-e-Maqbool, 234-238, Idara-e-Islamiyat, Lahore, 1995]

Fundet via Shaykh Faraz Rabbanis Seeker’s Digest