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God Is Enough For Us; And How Excellent A Guardian Is He!|Yahya Ibrahim

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The Garden is hypnotic. Enchantingly reverent and dignified. Those who visit the Rawdah and are blessed to pray near the grave of our Prophet Muhammad ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) in the very masjid that he erected with his own hands, find it difficult to leave.

I love the Rawdah. I spend every waking second of my short stays in Madinah seated next to the house of Ā’ishah raḍyAllāhu 'anha (may Allāh be pleased with her), the wife of the Prophet and honoured mother of the faith – Allāh be pleased with her- which encases the sanctified grave of our Prophet Muhammad ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him).

Shocking Discovery

Last year, near the end of April, 2013, just after Maghrib prayers as I sat a meter from the house of Ā’ishah raḍyAllāhu 'anha (may Allāh be pleased with her), my phone exploded with messages, tweets, emails about an investigative article published in the Daily Telegraph UK. The article which featured my photograph was picked up and carried along in other publications in the UK, like the Daily Mail, and abroad, as far away as China. The article discussed the criminally, barbaric, murderous terrorism of the Boston Bombings, and linked a “Yahya Ibrahim,” to it.  The problem was that they published my photograph in the article and in so doing readers were led to believe that I and the individual being investigated, using the pseudonym “Yahya Ibrahim,”  were one and the same.

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As I sat in the Rawdah, a Garden from the gardens of heaven on Earth, I complained to my Maker of my inability. I was in a foreign country, away from my family. My wife and young children in Australia and my father and family in Canada were frantic, worried about my safety.

Ironically, days before my departure for ‘Umrah, and this traumatic episode, I was honored by the Western Australian State Government with the prestigious Individual Excellence Award in the WA Multicultural Community Service Awards of 2013. Curtin University, where I remain an Islamic Chaplain nominated me for the award and the Vice-Chancellor had this to say, while the Office of Multicultural Interests said this.

This wasn’t the first time that I was mistakenly identified by the Daily Telegraph of the UK in this manner.  Words that I never spoke and quotes that were falsely attributed to me were published in an article on January 23, 2010, including a picture of me and alleging that I was a hard-line Islamist with anti-Semitic views who had advocated violence and conflict.

I was forced to mount a legal battle that would require a copious amount of money and hundreds of hours trying to undo the damage done to my reputation. Using the expertise of a top law firm and specialised counsel, I filed in the High Court to clear my name.

A Formal Apology

On the 24th of July 2011, the Daily Telegraph published a formal apology, agreed to a settlement, and provided a letter of comfort.

You can therefore imagine my dismay when I once again found myself falsely identified by the very same newspaper, and linked to the barbarity and sinful terrorism that is the Boston Bombings.

But I was in Madīnah, having just completed ‘Umrah in Makkah. I was at Al Habib Muhammad’s ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) Masjid, seated near him ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him). I left the Rawdah with a peace of heart that I wish I could share with you all. I asked my Lord for help and my heart was certain I was answered.

Once again, great expenditure and nearly a year later, I have received a long awaited apology from the Daily Telegraph UK  and the Daily Mail UK,  and both have agreed to financial settlements.

Much Gratitude

I thank all those who helped me to pursue this course of justice and acknowledge the many well-wishers who supported me throughout the trial. In particular, I extend my humble gratitude to my dedicated, attentive, knowledgeable legal team at Saracens Solicitors in London, UK. They were a blessing. They responded to all my queries comprehensively, supported me throughout the proceedings and reached out to others when there was a need. I thank Allāh subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He) for placing them in my life.

Allāh subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He) is with those who endure patiently, and I pray that He judges us all worthy of His Love, Guidance and Mercy.

Ya Allāh accept the little we all do and reward us more than we deserve.

So what have I learned from all of this?

In life there are things that happen to us and within us that are beyond the realm of our control. The fate that determined when we would be born, gifted to which parents and of what ethnicity, social status, faith and disposition is all beyond our control. The pre-destiny that strikes us in life wherein we find ourselves blind-sided by sudden, unexpected news is equally out of our hands.

However, how we react to the ordained, and the faithful, enduring patience that we demonstrate during our trial is fundamentally and squarely within our control and we are accountable to the Al-Mighty for it. We are accountable for our actions, statements and the inner belief in our heart about Allāh subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He) and all that we encounter as consequence of His Will for us in life.

In Sūrat’l-Baqarah,
وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُم بِشَيْءٍ مِّنَ الْخَوْفِ وَالْجُوعِ وَنَقْصٍ مِّنَ الْأَمْوَالِ وَالْأَنفُسِ وَالثَّمَرَاتِ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ الصَّابِرِينَ
And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient,

الَّذِينَ إِذَا أَصَابَتْهُم مُّصِيبَةٌ قَالُوا إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ

Who, when disaster strikes them, say, “Indeed we belong to Allāh , and indeed to Him we will return.”
أُولَٰئِكَ عَلَيْهِمْ صَلَوَاتٌ مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ وَرَحْمَةٌ ۖ وَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُهْتَدُونَ

Those are the ones upon whom are blessings from their Lord and mercy. And it is those who are the [rightly] guided.

[2:155-157]

The Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) said:

“How amazing is the condition/affair of the believer. There is good for him in everything and that is for no one but the believer. If good times come his way, he expresses gratitude to Allāh and that is good for him, and if hardship comes his way, he endures it patiently and that is better for him.”[Imam Muslim]

Remember the words of the Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) whenever you are visited by hardship, “He whom Allāh intends good, He sends  them some affliction.”

I am heading back to Umrah again, one year later, almost to the day, and as you read this I firmly believe that truly, all that needs to be said is, God is enough for us; and how excellent a guardian is He!

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The Prophet (SAW) has taught us the best of deeds are those that done consistently, even if they are small. Click here to support MuslimMatters with a monthly donation of $2 per month. Set it and collect blessings from Allah (swt) for the khayr you're supporting without thinking about it.

Imam Yahya Ibrahim, Director of Islamic Community Service; A/Principal of the Langford Islamic College, Perth & Head of Islamic Studies. Imam Yahya Ibrahim is also Curtin University & University of Western Australia's Muslim chaplain and sits on the Human Research Ethics Committee at St Charles Gairdner Hospital for Western Australian Health Services. Imam Yahya is also an instructor for the world-renowned AlMaghrib Institute. His initiatives in Australia and internationally include diversity training, cultural sensitivity programs, educational lectures, and media presentations. His expertise is sought by schools, universities, and a wide range of government & non-government organizations. In recognition of his valuable contribution, Imam Yahya was awarded the West Australian Multicultural Community Service Award for Individual Excellence. He currently oversees a unique educational Online project through https://YahyaIbrahim.com/School and his social media outreach.

12 Comments

12 Comments

  1. Nesreen A (@_realitycheck)

    April 18, 2014 at 7:05 AM

    May Allah protect you and bring you back to us safely. Please send my salaam to the Prophet, sheikh.

    • O H

      April 25, 2014 at 11:32 PM

      You can send salams to the Prophet (peace be upon him) yourself :)

      Read this fatwa below:

      I have heard some people saying in Madeenah, “My father asked me to give his salaams to the Messenger,” but this is wrong. The Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is not alive so that the salaams of a living person may be passed on to him. If your father sends salaams to the Messenger, the salaam is conveyed by those who are more able than you to convey it and are more trustworthy than you too, namely the angels.

      So there is no need for that, and we say: You are where you are, wherever you are on earth you can say, “Peace be upon you, O Prophet,” and it will reach him faster and more reliably than that.

      Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn Baaz, 23/416, 417

  2. Wael Abdelgawad

    April 18, 2014 at 1:03 PM

    Alhamdulillah that you were able to resolve the matter successfully. Incredible that the same newspaper slandered you twice. I hope they now have your photo tacked up on their cubicles with a warning: “Do not slander this man!” I wonder if there were any consequences to the reporters who made those mistakes.

  3. imr8

    April 18, 2014 at 2:55 PM

    This brings to mind that Allah (SWT) tests people according to their level of relationship with him. Subhanallah.

  4. Imran

    April 18, 2014 at 8:34 PM

    Shaykh love you for the sake of Allah, jazakAllah kheiran! Still remember when you spoke to the youth at JoF many years ago. May Allah protect you and your family and bless you with the best in this dunya and in the akhira. Ameen.

  5. MariamA

    April 19, 2014 at 10:41 PM

    Assalamu’alaikum,
    I read this article and it brought tears and relief to my heart. I have been suffering with black magic done on me. And it has affected my life. I made dua and fell asleep angry becos I have been doing so plus ruqyah for quite a while now and I felt even worse today.
    Waking up and reading this was just like Allah was speaking to me.
    May Allah accept your umrah.
    And made dua for me at the haram if you can that Allah should bless me with umrah too this summer.

    • Aly Balagamwala

      April 23, 2014 at 1:58 AM

      WaAlaikum Assalam:

      May Allah (SWT) protect you from the evil of men and jinn. I particularly enjoy the Ruqyah recitation of Shaykh Ahmed al-Ajmy

      http://www.ruqyashariyah.org/ahmed-ibn-ali-al-ajmy

      -Aly
      *Comment above is posted in a personal capacity and may not reflect the official views of MuslimMatters or its staff*

  6. Aly Balagamwala

    April 23, 2014 at 1:05 AM

    May Allah (SWT) protect our Shayookh and the Muslim Ummah from the falsehood that is propagated against them by the Shayateen amongst men.

  7. O H

    April 26, 2014 at 12:20 AM

    Tabarak Allaah he was great in the Twins of Faith Conference held in Sydney this month. He mentioned this incident during the event and he said one of the things which helped him then is to send salams to the Prophet (peace be upon him) if I remember correctly.

  8. Linda Sobhee

    June 3, 2014 at 12:51 AM

    As salaam wailaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuhu Brother Ibrahim I inbox recently you concerning my daughter, she is not Muslim and is having problem with her husband, She will be needing legal assistance and is not in a position to afford it. I will be traveling to AU soon. And maybe will stay until of Ramadan to support her and would like to know how to meet some sisters concerning my deen and also how I can help help legal and financial support if possible. If this is impossible I will understand. MayAllah reward you and your family for all the good work to the oummah.

  9. Hira Amin

    December 29, 2014 at 3:44 AM

    Masha Allah very happy this was resolved. Jazak Allah Khair for the reminder.

  10. Mohammed Ali

    January 12, 2018 at 4:37 PM

    May Allah protect you and bring you back to us safely.

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