Shaykh Dr Muhammad Bin Yahya Al-Husayni Al Ninowy launched his new book “The Book of Love” at the Westville Soofie Masjid on Friday 21 September. It comprises four chapters: Awakening to Self-Realization; Signs on the Path of Love; Illuminations and Live your Love.
In a lecture which accompanied the launch, the Shaykh recounted in moving detail the events at Kerbala and how Imam Hussein gave his life out of love to the Almighty. He mentioned that while we perceive the blood and massacre that took place at the battleground we need to look beyond the physical events and read into it what true love really means. In this ultimate sacrifice the memory of Imam Hussein lives on whilst those of his oppressors are lost to history.
In his introduction, Hafez Fuzail spoke of the Shaykh as being one of the intellectual giants to grace our shores and Imam Mahmood Khatib in his conclusion said that South Africa was fortunate to have a personality of this calibre amongst us.
On Saturday the Shaykh was a guest of the Islamic Forum at the SLI at an event where he answered to “No Questions off the Table”. There are moves to bring the Madina Institute program to Durban. They have been accredited to offer the B.Com Degree in Islamic Studies in Usul-ud-Deen.
Copies of “The Book of Love” can be ordered from the Madina Institute at a cost of R250. It’s an essential book to add to your library.
From “The Book of Love”
Page 62 – The key to genuine love is absolute gratitude. It is no coincidence the “The Opening” (alFatiha) starts with “al-hamd”. For this reason, if this is the only surah you read (ie experience) in your prayers, it is enough, as this is all the prayers you will need. Yet Allah Ta’ala informed us in the Qur’an that abundant gratitude calls for abundant giving.
Page 71 – From a spiritual view, the worlds have multiple dimensions: an apparent one and a concealed one. Those who look at things through the lens of their nafs see the apparent, and those who look at things through the lens of their heart see more – just like the earth whose apparent dimension is greenery and water, yet underneath is boiling magma.
Page 122 – Islam is a religion that came to give life, not take it away.