Shaykh Yusuf da Costa: Prejudice against others
Perhaps in this country, more than in most other countries, people are judged by the colour of their skins, the shape of their noses, the type of hair they have, and their African countries of origin. We have lived through long periods of different forms of racism,...
Shaykh Yusuf da Costa: Futuwwah towards the inheritors of the Prophets (a.s.)
In a previous letter to you, I mentioned that Futuwwah is the best possible behaviour that one can have towards Allah Almighty and His Messenger (ﷺ). There are also a number of other categories and in this letter I wish to cover Futuwwah towards the inheritors of the...
Shaykh Yusuf da Costa: Futuwwah with regard to Allah Almighty and His Messenger (ﷺ)
Obeying the principle of “Futuwwah” is one of the most difficult things in Tasawwuf. By Futuwwah we mean to have the proper adab (etiquette or refined behaviour) on all occasions. Because of the way we have been reared, and the way we live, these principles have never...
Shaykh Yusuf da Costa: 10th of Muharram
There are times in our lives when we do things or say things that cause major damage to our spiritual growth. This is mainly on an individual level. On a social or political level, there have been events in Islam, which not only caused major damage to the ethos...
Shaykh Yusuf da Costa: The need for a guide
Allah Almighty says: وَ اصْبِرْ نَفْسَكَ مَعَ الَّذِيْنَ يَدْعُوْنَ رَبَّهُمْ بِالْغَدٰوةِ وَ الْعَشِىِّ يُرِيْدُوْنَ وَجْهَهُ وَ لاَ تَعْدُ عَيْنَاكَ عَنْهُمْ And keep your soul content with those who call on their Lord morning and evening, seeking His Face, and let...
Shaykh Yusuf da Costa: Working towards loving each other in Allah (ﷻ)
On numerous occasions we have mentioned to you that we are so specially privileged by being in the Naqshbandi Tariqah that came from Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddiq (r.a.). We are also so specially privileged, because we are the nation of the greatest Messenger (ﷺ), the...
Shaykh Yusuf da Costa: Imraan, the Malawian
Perhaps the greatest blessing that we have received from Allah Almighty is the blessing of existence. If this blessing were not there, then we would not have been able to come to know of Allah (ﷻ), of His Messenger (ﷺ) and of His Message. Our existence means that we...
Shaykh Yusuf da Costa: The spread of the Wahabi-Salafi discourse
Perhaps the major challenge that we have to our work in this country is a very subtle and not very noticeable spread of the Wahabi-Salafi discourse. In fact, even a very cursory assessment of what goes on in our mosques and madrassas, shows a general decline in the...
Shaykh Yusuf da Costa: “Dissension is greater (as a sin) than murder”
This is one of the forgotten verses in the Qur’an. If not forgotten, then, of course, ignored, because the Muslim Ummah has been split into numerous pieces, with some at war with others. I can understand today why on so many occasions Nabi Muhammad (ﷺ) said: “Ummati,...
Shaykh Yusuf da Costa: Losing the Prophetic Practice
There are many matters in our religion that we have to deal with in very special ways as we walk this path of Tariqah with our hand in the hand of our shaykh. I’ve spoken to you on numerous occasions about the obstacles on this path and how difficult it is to see to...