An Illuminating Night with Shaykh Abu Bakr Al-Shatri

We were honoured to host the world-renowned Qari and Imam, Shaykh Abu Bakr Al-Shatri at Masjid Al Farouq on the night of 2nd Ramadan 1445 / 11th March 2023.

Before commencing the tarawih prayer, the Shaykh held a private gathering, upstairs in our madrasah, personally meeting all of the huffaz and hifz students leading the main and supplementary tarawih jama'at. Shaykh complimented the students, noting their shyness was a sign of adab (good etiquette). He also lightly humoured the students, encouraging the sunnah of nikah.

Shaykh led eight of the twenty rak'at, reciting the second and third quarters of Juz' 2, comprising Surah Al-Baqarah. Our huffaz then recited in their usual positions to complete the rest of the rak'at.

After the completion of the tarawih, the Shaykh delivered some nasihah (guidance) to the congregation emphasising the importance of salah. Below is a summary list of some of the main points of his address:

• Salah is very important, and we need to focus on it, more than we currently do.
• If a person's salah is rectified, the rest of their life will be rectified. This is because salah is a link between us and and our Lord.
• We see this in the prayer of our father, Prophet Ibrahim ﷺ: "My Lord, make me, upright in my prayer and [also] from my progeny. Our Lord, accept this plea" (14:40).
• If a person establishes their salah, Allah will secure their relationships with their spouse, their family members and their loved ones. He will rectify their affairs in both the worldly life and afterlife.
• In marital disputes and divorces, the Shaykh has seen that one of the significant contributors is that one or both members of the couple had issues with their salah.
• Shaykh mentioned the hadith of Prophet ﷺ : "Salah is the mast of the religion". So, if the salah is upright, the rest of your religion will be upright.
• Salah will be the first thing to be taken account of on the Day of Judgement. If the salah is correct, then everything else will be correct also.
• We see the state of worldly affairs today and we do not know who to turn to and how to seek help. Shaykh mentioned the best way of isti'anah (seeking help) is through salah.
• Shaykh emphasised two key aspects for a happy life: (1) Never missing any salah and (2) Reciting the sunnah prescribed adhkar of the morning, evening, before sleep and other miscellaneous occasions (e.g. entering/leaving toilet). Please find a link to the Life with Allah app which is a easy and authentic way to keep up with these supplications.
• Shaykh quoted Allah's instruction: "When you enter houses, then say salam to each other, a greeting from Allah, blessed and pure" (24:61). Shaykh advised that, if one desires blessings in their health, wealth and time, they must make sure to salam when they enter any house.
• Shaykh stressed the importance of reciting the du'a' when entering the house, to the extent that if one forgets, they should leave and reenter with the right foot, read the du'a' and say salam. He warned that a lack of punctuality of this would lead to a bad mood at home, fighting between family members, bad dreams, being attacked in sleep and a lack of sukun (tranquility) and barakah (blessings). He stated that Allah had shown him personally many examples of this upon forgetting the du'a'.
• He also advised that this is one of the reasons people feel they do not have barakah, despite a healthy income and reiterated that this is why we need to be a close with Allah.
• Shaykh concluded by making du'a' of acceptance for the congregation and asked Allah to grant them success in this life and the next and grant them deliverance from the Fire. Shaykh finished with a humorous remark to eat biryani once a week for a happy life.

Prior to departing, Shaykh praised the recitation of the huffaz who he prayed the remaining rak'at behind and passed on advice to be mindful when dealing with wuquf (stopping places) in the Qur'an.

May Allah bless the Shaykh in this life and the next for giving us his time and for his words of wisdom.

Click here to access a recording of the tarawih and the Shaykh's nasihah