---THE TEARS OF RASULULLAH...( S.A.W) ---
InshAllah please forgive me for the incorrect version posted a couple of days ago, Alhumdulilah it was brought to attension and the post has been mended accordingly! JazakAllah Khairun,
Assalaamulaikum Warahmatulahi Wabarkatahu my dear brothers and sisters, indeed we claim to be from the Ummah of the Noble Muhammad Sallalhu alayhi Wasalaam, yes??? we do don't we??? BUT HOW MUCH DO WE KNOW ABOUT HIM???
Such a example like his Mubarak Sunnah WILL NEVER EVER BE FOUND! GUARENTEED! So how much do we strive to know about him, his life, his conduct, his character, his dealings, all that we can know about him???? and of those from us who know all these, how many of us implement Rasulullah sallalahu alayhi wasalaam's way? his rightly guided path set from Allah, HIS SUNNAH!!!!
Such a mercy was Muhammad sallalahu alayhi wasalaam, that though he was the seal of prophethood, though he was guarenteed Jannah, he kept straight to the guidelines of Allah, the command of Allah!
I'm speaking of no other than the one who lead the Muslims and gave us the Islam that WE TAKE FOR GRANTED TODAY!!! THIS VERY DAY!!! HOW MANY DIED STRIVING TO ESTABLISH ISLAM????? HUNDREDS, THOUSANDS, COUNTLESS NUMBERS!!!!
HOW MANY TIMES DO WE TAKE EXTRA TIME IN SALAH, ASKING FOR ALLAH'S BLESSINGS UPON THESE PEOPLE!!!!
Such was Muhammad sallalahu alayhi wasalaam that he would pray Tauhajjad, till his blessed ankles were swollen, such was his conduct that he was the best of mankind yet he humbled himself to Allah, his Lord like he was the lowest of the low, and today we see US MUSLIMS having so much pride, arrogance, being big-headed and ego-istic!!!!
WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME WE PRAYED TAUHAJJAD TILL WE FELT LIKE WE COULD GO ON NO LONGER, TILL OUR ANKLES SWELL UP?????????????????????
Such was Muhammad sallalahu alayhi wasalaam, such was his mercy that his Mubarak face showed signs of stress, worry and distress constantly! Why? you may Ask, BECAUSE OF YOU! BECAUSE OF ME! BECAUSE OF EVERY BROTHER! EVERY SISTER! EVER MOTHER! FATHER! SON! DAUGHTER! THE UMMAH!!!! HIS UMMAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Such was Muhammad sallalahu alayhi wasalaam, that he desired Jannah for us ALL!!!! Hence constantly teaching the Sahabah the Sunnah; the rightly guided path!
How do ever even begin to show Allah how grateful we are to Rabbil Alamin for giving us such a guide as Muhammad sallalhu alayhi wasalaam?????? Despite knowing he was guarenteed Jannah he carried on the Path of Islam, the Path Allah commanded, Let's be honest if that was you or me that was given news of Jannah, we'd be partying! "YAY! FORGET SALAH, FORGET IT ALL I'M GUARENTEED JANNAH!! YIPEEE!"
How many of us would actually stop to think "SubhanAllah!!!! ALLAH has given me Jannah, should i not be ever grateful and even grow stronger in my Deen!!!" ......WELL GUESS WHAT! That's how Muhammad Sallalahu alayhi wasalaam saw it!
How many times do we recite the durood upon Muhammad sallalahu alayhi wasalaam? just because we love him fisabillah (for the sake of Allah), because he is our Prophet, our intercessor on the Day of Reckoning InshAllah!? even after knowing that you get a ten-fold hasanah (reward) for each time you recite the durood!!!!!
READ MY BROTHERS AND SISTER, READ THE TEARS OF RASULULLAH! Such a Rahmah (mercy) was Muhammad sallalhu alayhi wasalaam, and yet however ungrateful we are as mankind!
I speak to myself first and foremost before i lecture anyone else about such simple acts of Islam, InshAllah let's help one another to grow stronger in the Deen as each day goes by, as each hour goes by, as each minute goes by, as each second goes by, for this time will not return to us!!!! once it's gone, it's gone, a lot like life my brothers and sisters, life is very very very very very SHORT!!!! Let's not waste it checking out The Dark Knight in cinemas, or "Oh My God, Is Tanya from eastenders gonna dump Jack!!!"
Firstly, forget Tanya's life and look to yours, Allah won't ask you about what Tanya did with her life, Allah will ask you about YOURS!!!! so what are we going to say, "Well Allah you see Maghrib came in, but i was busy looking at so and so shacked up together on the T.V!!!" SubhanAllah!!!!
Secondly, watching such nonsense makes one think "oo its ok to go out, yipee!" leading to the bitter fruits of ZINA!!!! YES ZINA, THAT WORD THAT WHEN IT IS MENTIONED EVERONE LOOKS DOWN THINKING "UH OH"!
Thirdly, forget wasting a minute, you just wasted 30 MINUTES OF YOUR LIFE!!!!
InshAllah i'll be putting on a post about all the deeds you can do in ONE MINUTE, so i guess you will really be kicking yourself for wasting 30 WHOLE MINUTES!!!!
There is sooooooo much we can learn, even from the death of the Prophet Muhammad sallalahu alayhi wasalaam, how our conduct should be if we were facing such a situation either by ourselves or via someone else, 'A'ishah (May Allah be pleased with her) wasn't wailing and ripping her hair out, as you see so commonly today, death is inevitable, and indeed the believers should look forward to the time they will meet their Lord, "for the world is like a prison for the believers and a Paradise for the disbelievers"
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'A'ishah (May Allah be pleased with her) narrated that she was proud that when it was her turn, in her apartment, in her lap, the Prophet Sallalahu alayhi wasalaam passed away.
Her brother, 'Abdur-Rahman came in during his last moments with a Miswak* in his hand; the Prophet sallalahu alayhi wasalaam looked longingly at it.
'A'ishah (May Allah be pleased with her) understood what he wanted, and asked him if she could offer one to him. When he nodded, she took it from her brother; since it was hard she softened it with her teeth and offered it to him.
He cleaned his teeth; and dipping his hand frequently into a bowl of water kept near him, he kept wiping his face again and again, repeating the words, "There is none worthy of worship but Allah. Verily, death has pains."
Then he pointed upward with his blessed hand and said, "Toward the best friend." Thus the soul soared up from the prison of the body.
Previously 'A'ishah (May Allah be pleased with her) had a dream that three moons descended into her apartment. When the Prophet sallalahu alayhi wasalaam passed away he was buried in her apartment. Then her father told her that part of her dream came true that day - the first moon irradiated her apartment. Later, her father was buried next to the Prophet sallalahu alayhi wasalaam and still later 'Umar Farooq.
Thus the prophecy of her dream was fulfilled.
Imam Thahbi quoted a saying of the Prophet sallahu alayhi wasalaam that a Prophet's soul leaves its body in the place that he likes the best.
{Source:Taken from "Great Woman of Islam" or "Nisa'a Jaleelat" by Mahmoud Ahmad Ghadanfar, 2001.}
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SUBHANALLAH!!! WORDS CANNOT DESCRIBE SUCH A MERCY MUHAMMAD SALLALAHU ALAYHI WASALAAM IS! WALLAH!!!
My Sisters, My Brothers, Muhammad sallalahu alayhi wasalaam faced pains at the time of death yet he remained in a state of calm.
YET FOR ALL THE PAINS MUHAMMAD SALLALAHU ALAYHI WASALAAM WAS INFLICTED WITH, ALL THE PAINS AND HARDSHIP HE ENDURED FOR US, WHILST HE WAS ALIVE, ARE WE AWARE???
DO WE WEEP AND CRY WHEN WE HEAR HIS PAINFUL STORIES OF THEBATTLES HE ENDURED???
DO OUR HEARTS BLEED WHEN WE HEAR SUCH HARDSHIP WERE FACED BY HIM????
DO WE EVEN FLINCH, TO HEAR HIS BLESSED NAME SLUNG INTO MUD IN THE DAY AND AGE WE LIVE IN TODAY???????????????????????????????
SO AGAIN I ASK, SO WE LOVE MUHAMMAD SALLAHU ALAYHI WASALAAM HUH?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
KEEP THE UMMAH IN YOUR DUAS,
WASALAAM, XXX MEHAK XXX
Sunday 27 July 2008
Friday 25 July 2008
The Third is ALWAYS The Shaitan!!!!
The third is always Shaitan.....
Men (non-mahram) + Women (non-mahram) = Shaytan (3rd Party)
Asalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakathahu beloved sisters and brothers...
I wanted to share some useful tips with you sisters and brothers in regards to the “INTERNET”…the internet is a world in its own right… You mustn't think all that you come across is real or even the truth.
The Scholars have been inundated with emails from people who have tasted the bitter taste of Zina due to online chats that has led from one thing to another...How do you know this guy/girl that you confide in, won't hesitate to offload all that to some one else or when Shaytan has his way, he will make that thing so alluring that you won't even hesitate to ask yourself is this right or wrong...
One post I came across online was that of a Saudi sister, she was chatting to some guy, as friends talking about the Deen, eventually over a period of time, they developed feelings for each other, so they started to send pictures of each other...Then one day, the guy from nowhere said to her, he doesn't want to be with her... AS EASY AS THAT!
So eventually she decides that she will get married to some one of her parents choice, to add to her stress, her ex "boyfriend"(i.e. the guy from the internet) starts sending her mails saying to not to get married otherwise he will show her parents her pictures... What’s the saying? - Alls fair in love and war!!
Fortunately for us Islam doesn't have that stance... I'm not suggesting everyone is committing Zina out there on the internet, but remember, many times people say "oh we're gonna get married and then we can repent" Not being funny but how do YOU know when your time will be up and the Angel of Death will come for your soul?????...
The is a reason why there are many rules in Islam about opposite sex mingling... Its for YOUR OWN SAFETY... Online world, anything goes, you can be anyone you want to be and dupe as many people as you can, because these people aren't thinking about anything apart from satisfying their desires, their NAFS!!!..
REMEMBER when you go out with some one there is NO REWARD IN IT, BUT SIN... But in a marriage... what ever you endure, be it good or bad, there is a reward and what is with Allah SUBHANA WA'TALAA is everlasting!!!...
When a husband and wife look at each other lovingly that is counted as Sadaqah.. When you endure hardship with Sabr know that Allah SWT out of His Mercy will expiate your sin and reward you for exercising patience…
Marriage in Islam does not have the western ideology of trying and testing your future spouse to be, some people think "how can I marry him without knowing him first?", some people go out for many years and then their marriages break up within the year... It’s all Allah SUBHANA WA'TALAA’s Hukm!!! (command), you may plan for your relationship, but know that Allah SUBHANA WA'TALAA is the Best of Planners!!!...
Ask your self what is better? a boyfriend/girlfriend relationship, incurring Allah's Wrath, the Wrath of AL JABBAR (THE OVER-POWERING LORD)? or a marriage which Allah SUBHANA WA'TALAA blesses with love for each other...CAN WE? THE CREATION TAKE ON THE CREATOR???? If you think you can then SubhanAllah, you will need help on that day when there is NO SHADE BUT THE SHADEOF ALLAH....THE AKIRAH...THE DAY OF RESURRECTION!!!
"This Day, We Shall Seal Up Their Mouths & Their Hands Will Speak To Us & Their Legs Will Bear Witness To What They Used To Earn" - [36 - 65]
{Source taken from Hi.5-United Muslim.Sister Ummtwin ak}
Men (non-mahram) + Women (non-mahram) = Shaytan (3rd Party)
Asalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakathahu beloved sisters and brothers...
I wanted to share some useful tips with you sisters and brothers in regards to the “INTERNET”…the internet is a world in its own right… You mustn't think all that you come across is real or even the truth.
The Scholars have been inundated with emails from people who have tasted the bitter taste of Zina due to online chats that has led from one thing to another...How do you know this guy/girl that you confide in, won't hesitate to offload all that to some one else or when Shaytan has his way, he will make that thing so alluring that you won't even hesitate to ask yourself is this right or wrong...
One post I came across online was that of a Saudi sister, she was chatting to some guy, as friends talking about the Deen, eventually over a period of time, they developed feelings for each other, so they started to send pictures of each other...Then one day, the guy from nowhere said to her, he doesn't want to be with her... AS EASY AS THAT!
So eventually she decides that she will get married to some one of her parents choice, to add to her stress, her ex "boyfriend"(i.e. the guy from the internet) starts sending her mails saying to not to get married otherwise he will show her parents her pictures... What’s the saying? - Alls fair in love and war!!
Fortunately for us Islam doesn't have that stance... I'm not suggesting everyone is committing Zina out there on the internet, but remember, many times people say "oh we're gonna get married and then we can repent" Not being funny but how do YOU know when your time will be up and the Angel of Death will come for your soul?????...
The is a reason why there are many rules in Islam about opposite sex mingling... Its for YOUR OWN SAFETY... Online world, anything goes, you can be anyone you want to be and dupe as many people as you can, because these people aren't thinking about anything apart from satisfying their desires, their NAFS!!!..
REMEMBER when you go out with some one there is NO REWARD IN IT, BUT SIN... But in a marriage... what ever you endure, be it good or bad, there is a reward and what is with Allah SUBHANA WA'TALAA is everlasting!!!...
When a husband and wife look at each other lovingly that is counted as Sadaqah.. When you endure hardship with Sabr know that Allah SWT out of His Mercy will expiate your sin and reward you for exercising patience…
Marriage in Islam does not have the western ideology of trying and testing your future spouse to be, some people think "how can I marry him without knowing him first?", some people go out for many years and then their marriages break up within the year... It’s all Allah SUBHANA WA'TALAA’s Hukm!!! (command), you may plan for your relationship, but know that Allah SUBHANA WA'TALAA is the Best of Planners!!!...
Ask your self what is better? a boyfriend/girlfriend relationship, incurring Allah's Wrath, the Wrath of AL JABBAR (THE OVER-POWERING LORD)? or a marriage which Allah SUBHANA WA'TALAA blesses with love for each other...CAN WE? THE CREATION TAKE ON THE CREATOR???? If you think you can then SubhanAllah, you will need help on that day when there is NO SHADE BUT THE SHADEOF ALLAH....THE AKIRAH...THE DAY OF RESURRECTION!!!
"This Day, We Shall Seal Up Their Mouths & Their Hands Will Speak To Us & Their Legs Will Bear Witness To What They Used To Earn" - [36 - 65]
{Source taken from Hi.5-United Muslim.Sister Ummtwin ak}
My dear brothers and sisters, my only point from this post is to show you the realities of the internet, talking to a boy/girl is haraam, whether on the internet or whether in person!!!
So please be careful, for this is just sincere advise from a fellow sister in Islam out of my love for you Fisabillah (For the Sake of Allah).
Keep the Ummah in your duas,
Wasalaam, XXX MEHAK XXX
Wednesday 23 July 2008
The Hidden Shirk....
The hidden Shirk...
Assalaamulaikum Warahmatulahi Wabarkatahu, respected brothers and sisters we must ever be aware of the word "Shirk" (meaning association of others with Allah) and bare in mind that we may be protected from the major shirk due to Allah's protection and be ever grateful to our dear Lord for that, but we should also keep in mind the minor shirk such as Riyaa...
Linguistically "Riyaa" comes from the root "Ra'aa" which means to see, to behold, to view.
The derived word 'Riyaa' means "eye-service, hypocrisy, dissimulation; dissemblance."
From the Shara'i point of view, "to perform acts which are pleasing to Allah, with the intention of pleasing other than Allah" is called Riyaa.
Thus, Riyaa originates in the heart.
Such a thing is Riyaa, such a danger to us, beloved and respected Brothers and Sisters, that if one has riyaa in his/her heart it can negate one's belief and break the concept of Tauheed (Islamic Monotheism)!!!!!
(1). The love of praise:
As mentioned in a Hadith of the first three people being thrown into the hellfire; the scholar (who taught for fame), the martyr (who fought for fame), and the person who gave his money in charity (so that people would say he is generous). All three of these people desired the pleasure of people over the pleasure of Allah. The person who desires the praise of people must feel some pride in himself, for he feels himself worthy of being praised. There is a danger, therefore, of him becoming arrogant and boastful.
Abu Hurairah (Radhi Allahu anhu) quoted Allah's Messenger Muhammad (salallahu alayhi wa salam) as saying:
"Allah, Most Great and Glorious said: Pride is My cloak, and greatness is My robe, so whoever competes with Me, with respect to either of them, I shall cast him into Hell."
(Sahih Muslim, Vol 4, No 6349, Sunan Abu Dawood, Vol 3, No 4079)
Allah also warned against falling into the category of those Christians and Jews whom the Holy Qur’an mentions:
(2). Fear of Criticism:
No one likes to be criticized. The dislike of criticism regarding religious practices may be divided into two categories:-
(2) Du’a: we are taught the specific Du’a for Riyaa:
Assalaamulaikum Warahmatulahi Wabarkatahu, respected brothers and sisters we must ever be aware of the word "Shirk" (meaning association of others with Allah) and bare in mind that we may be protected from the major shirk due to Allah's protection and be ever grateful to our dear Lord for that, but we should also keep in mind the minor shirk such as Riyaa...
Linguistically "Riyaa" comes from the root "Ra'aa" which means to see, to behold, to view.
The derived word 'Riyaa' means "eye-service, hypocrisy, dissimulation; dissemblance."
From the Shara'i point of view, "to perform acts which are pleasing to Allah, with the intention of pleasing other than Allah" is called Riyaa.
Thus, Riyaa originates in the heart.
Such a thing is Riyaa, such a danger to us, beloved and respected Brothers and Sisters, that if one has riyaa in his/her heart it can negate one's belief and break the concept of Tauheed (Islamic Monotheism)!!!!!
Mahmood bin Labeed reported that the Allah's Messenger Muhammad (salallahu alayhi wa salam) said:
"The thing that I fear most for you is the minor Shirk; Riyaa."
(Musnad Ahmad)
Abu Saeed (Radhi Allahu anhu) reported that the Messenger of Allah Muhammad (salallahu alayhi wa salam) came to us while we were discussing about Dajjal and said:
"Should I not inform you of that which I fear for you even more than the dangers of Dajjal? It is the hidden Shirk; a person stands to pray, and he beautifies his prayer because he sees the people looking at him."
(Sunan Ibn Majah Vol 2, No 3389)
"The thing that I fear most for you is the minor Shirk; Riyaa."
(Musnad Ahmad)
Abu Saeed (Radhi Allahu anhu) reported that the Messenger of Allah Muhammad (salallahu alayhi wa salam) came to us while we were discussing about Dajjal and said:
"Should I not inform you of that which I fear for you even more than the dangers of Dajjal? It is the hidden Shirk; a person stands to pray, and he beautifies his prayer because he sees the people looking at him."
(Sunan Ibn Majah Vol 2, No 3389)
Abu Musa al-Ash'ari reported that Allah's Messenger Muhammad (salallahu alayhi wa salam) delivered a sermon to them one day and said:
"O people! Fear this Shirk (meaning Riyaa), for it is more inconspicuous (more hidden) than the crawling of an ant."
(Authenticated in Sahih al-Targheeb wat-Tarheeb, No 33)
"O people! Fear this Shirk (meaning Riyaa), for it is more inconspicuous (more hidden) than the crawling of an ant."
(Authenticated in Sahih al-Targheeb wat-Tarheeb, No 33)
The primary cause of Riyaa is weakness in faith!!!!
When a person does not have strong faith in Allah Subhana Wa'talaa, he will prefer the admiration of people over the pleasure of Allah. There are three symptoms that are indicative of Riyaa, and it is essential that a believer should avoid all of them.
(1). The love of praise:
As mentioned in a Hadith of the first three people being thrown into the hellfire; the scholar (who taught for fame), the martyr (who fought for fame), and the person who gave his money in charity (so that people would say he is generous). All three of these people desired the pleasure of people over the pleasure of Allah. The person who desires the praise of people must feel some pride in himself, for he feels himself worthy of being praised. There is a danger, therefore, of him becoming arrogant and boastful.
Abu Hurairah (Radhi Allahu anhu) quoted Allah's Messenger Muhammad (salallahu alayhi wa salam) as saying:
"Allah, Most Great and Glorious said: Pride is My cloak, and greatness is My robe, so whoever competes with Me, with respect to either of them, I shall cast him into Hell."
(Sahih Muslim, Vol 4, No 6349, Sunan Abu Dawood, Vol 3, No 4079)
Abu Hurairah (Radhi Allahu anhu) quoted Allah's Messenger Muhammad (salallahu alayhi wa salam) warning about a person's adoration of himself:
"There are three destructive things: desires that are followed, greediness that is obeyed, and a person's self-admiration and conceit; and this is the worst of the three."
"There are three destructive things: desires that are followed, greediness that is obeyed, and a person's self-admiration and conceit; and this is the worst of the three."
Allah also warned against falling into the category of those Christians and Jews whom the Holy Qur’an mentions:
"Do not assume that those who rejoice in what they have done, and love to be praised for what they have not done, think not that they are absolved from punishment, (but rather) for them is a painful torment."
(Al-‘Imran: 188)
(Al-‘Imran: 188)
(2). Fear of Criticism:
No one likes to be criticized. The dislike of criticism regarding religious practices may be divided into two categories:-
(a) The first category is that of a person who neglects a commandment of Allah in order to avoid the criticism of his peers. However, the true believers are described in the Holy Qur’an as follows:
"...They do not fear the criticism of those who criticize. And this is the blessing of Allah; He gives it to whomsoever He wishes. Verily, Allah is Self-Sufficient, All-Knowing."
(Al-Maidah: 54)
"...They do not fear the criticism of those who criticize. And this is the blessing of Allah; He gives it to whomsoever He wishes. Verily, Allah is Self-Sufficient, All-Knowing."
(Al-Maidah: 54)
(b) The second category is that of a person who obeys certain commandments of Islam, not for the sake of Allah, but because he fears people will look down on him and criticize him if he does not do it.
For example, a man may make his formal prayers in the mosque because he does not want people to criticize him for praying at home, or to think that he is not praying at all.
(3). Greed for people's possessions:
If a person covets what other people possess, whether it is rank, money or power, then he will wish them to envy him similarly.
For example, if he is jealous of a position of a certain person in society, he will try by every possible means to attain the same position. Such desires lead people to spend their lives putting on a show for other people so that they will admire their rank, money, or power.
These three categories are implied in the following statement of Prophet Muhammad (salallahu alayhi wa salam).
Abu Musa related that a person came to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (salallahu alayhi wa salam) and asked:
"A person fights to defend his honor, another to prove his bravery (i.e. to be praised for it), and a third to show off (i.e. so that his position can be seen); of these three, which one fights in the way of Allah?"
The Holy Prophet Muhammad (salallahu alayhi wa salam) answered:
These three categories are implied in the following statement of Prophet Muhammad (salallahu alayhi wa salam).
Abu Musa related that a person came to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (salallahu alayhi wa salam) and asked:
"A person fights to defend his honor, another to prove his bravery (i.e. to be praised for it), and a third to show off (i.e. so that his position can be seen); of these three, which one fights in the way of Allah?"
The Holy Prophet Muhammad (salallahu alayhi wa salam) answered:
"Whoever fights to make the word of Allah present [i.e. to bring honor to Islam, and to establish it in the land], he is the one who fights in the way of Allah."
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Vol 4, No 65)
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Vol 4, No 65)
Some scholars advised:
"Remove the causes of Riyaa from yourself by considering the opinion of people as important to you as animals and small children. Do not differentiate in your worship between the presence of people or their absence, or between their knowledge of your actions and their ignorance. Rather be conscious of the infinite knowledge of Allah alone."
"Remove the causes of Riyaa from yourself by considering the opinion of people as important to you as animals and small children. Do not differentiate in your worship between the presence of people or their absence, or between their knowledge of your actions and their ignorance. Rather be conscious of the infinite knowledge of Allah alone."
There are several ways to avoid Riyaa, which are as follows:-
(1) Increasing knowledge of Islam
(2) Du’a: we are taught the specific Du’a for Riyaa:
"O Allah, we seek refuge in you from committing shirk knowingly, and ask your forgiveness for the shirk that we may commit unknowingly."
(3) Reflecting upon Heaven and Hell
(4) Hiding one's good deeds from others
(5) Reflection upon one's shortcomings
(6) Accompanying the pious
(7) Knowledge of Riyaa.
{By Abu Ammar Yasir, from http://jang.com.pk/thenews/jun2008-weekly/iqra-06-06-2008/index.html}
{By Abu Ammar Yasir, from http://jang.com.pk/thenews/jun2008-weekly/iqra-06-06-2008/index.html}
May Allah make us from amongst those weary of Riyaa, and from amongst those who do good deeds and refrain from bad deeds for the pleasure of Allah Subhana Wa'talaa alone, ameen!
Keep the Ummah in your duas,
Wasalaam, XXX MEHAK XXX
Tuesday 22 July 2008
Internet Fatwahs are Fitnah
I went to a friend’s salon recently to trim my hair. As I was getting my hair done, two sisters walked in (roughly around my age). One of them was getting married and wanted to book an appointment to get her hair and make-up done for the wedding. So my friend said ok and asked her what style she wanted for her hair. She said she wanted an up-do style but needs to put extensions in her hair because her hair was short and that she wanted her eyebrows to be trimmed and so on. My friend didn’t judge her and perhaps thought maybe she didn’t know having extensions put in and trimming the eyebrows were haraam so she just explained it to them. Her reaction? ‘Nuh uhh, Shaykh so-and-so on the internet said it’s not haraam’. Then she started hitting us with fatwas from left to right about what this so-called ‘Shaykh’ said (I can’t even remember his name, doesn’t matter, I just refer to them as Shaykh Google anyways).
My friend apologised and told her she already consulted a Scholar on these issues and they told her it was not permissible for her to do them and if they wanted she would be more than happy to bring them proof that it’s not allowed, if not they could always go to another salon. Obviously they weren’t very happy and said they also had proof that it was permissible. One of the other hairdressers intervened and started to quote some hadiths relating to the issue. But they still wouldn’t have it. One of them went as far as to say (and I quote) ‘It’s only one night anyways, it’s my BIG DAY, I want to look pretty and make it special. I can always say Istighfaar afterwards.’ SubhanAllah! I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Tears started to flow, I couldn’t even help it. What if this sister died on her wedding day and never got the chance to repent? What would she say in front of Allah? I think death was the last thing on her mind, wallahu ‘alam.
Anyways, I don’t want to go on about what happened that day or judge those sisters, that’s not the purpose of this post. What I wanna talk about is a little about internet fatwahs. It's amazing how....in these days people mostly use internet fatwahs for everything. Is something halal? "I dunno...let me ask "sh. google ibn yahoo" but what we don’t realise is these can be specific to a situation that has NOTHING to do with us.
Some people, once they gain a bit of knowledge in the deen or a specific topic, they think they’ve become scholars and can give fatwahs. I’ve seen it so many times; even my teacher told me some stories of people who have little knowledge of the deen giving fatwahs. He was telling us how it seems everyone’s become a scholar these days, hence why we have so many ‘shaykh googles’ giving internet fatawah and so many people doing ‘fatwah shopping’ (i.e., searching the net until you find a shaykh that agrees with your opinion; just like these two sisters who found a shaykh who said it was permissible to trim the eyebrows and put in extensions).
We were studying the history of the scholars of the past and found that the early imams were so cautious about speaking about [the lawful and unlawful] because one who speaks about such matters is relating information from Allah, enunciating His commandments and prohibitions, and passing on His sacred law. It was said about Ibn Sirin, "If he was asked about something regarding the lawful or the unlawful, his colour would change. He would be transformed until he no longer seemed the same person." Ata' ibn al-Saib said, "I met people who, when asked for a religious verdict, would tremble as they spoke." SubhanAllah
Imam Ahmad was extremely hesitant to speak on the lawful and unlawful, to claim that something was abrogated, or related matters which others would too readily expound. He frequently prefaced his answers with phrases such as, "I hope that..," "I fear..," or "It is more beloved to me..." He would often say on an issue with which righteous forbears had various opinions, "The most likely answer is, 'I do not know.' Similarly, Imam Malik and others would frequently say, "I do not know." It is related that when Imam Malik was asked about a legal matter, it was as if he were suspended between Heaven and Hell.
Compare this to the so-called ‘Internet Scholars’ of today. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that all the Shuyukh who give fatawah online are causing fitnah. In fact, there are many Islamic websites that have well-known scholars who give authentic fatawah based on the Quran and Sunnah. All I’m saying is we should be careful where we seek to get our fatwahs. The internet has opened a door where by EVERY SINGLE opinion in the world, and its mother, has a website. So if someone says, ‘I found this on the internet supporting my opinion’, who cares? It’s not rocket science. The concept of ‘fatwah shopping’ in Islam is not permissible.
May Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala forgive us and protect us from falling into haraam. May He help us in gaining more knowledge of the Deen and help us to follow the footsteps of our Beloved Prophet Muhammad salallahu ‘alayhi wassallam, Ameen.
My friend apologised and told her she already consulted a Scholar on these issues and they told her it was not permissible for her to do them and if they wanted she would be more than happy to bring them proof that it’s not allowed, if not they could always go to another salon. Obviously they weren’t very happy and said they also had proof that it was permissible. One of the other hairdressers intervened and started to quote some hadiths relating to the issue. But they still wouldn’t have it. One of them went as far as to say (and I quote) ‘It’s only one night anyways, it’s my BIG DAY, I want to look pretty and make it special. I can always say Istighfaar afterwards.’ SubhanAllah! I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Tears started to flow, I couldn’t even help it. What if this sister died on her wedding day and never got the chance to repent? What would she say in front of Allah? I think death was the last thing on her mind, wallahu ‘alam.
Anyways, I don’t want to go on about what happened that day or judge those sisters, that’s not the purpose of this post. What I wanna talk about is a little about internet fatwahs. It's amazing how....in these days people mostly use internet fatwahs for everything. Is something halal? "I dunno...let me ask "sh. google ibn yahoo" but what we don’t realise is these can be specific to a situation that has NOTHING to do with us.
Some people, once they gain a bit of knowledge in the deen or a specific topic, they think they’ve become scholars and can give fatwahs. I’ve seen it so many times; even my teacher told me some stories of people who have little knowledge of the deen giving fatwahs. He was telling us how it seems everyone’s become a scholar these days, hence why we have so many ‘shaykh googles’ giving internet fatawah and so many people doing ‘fatwah shopping’ (i.e., searching the net until you find a shaykh that agrees with your opinion; just like these two sisters who found a shaykh who said it was permissible to trim the eyebrows and put in extensions).
We were studying the history of the scholars of the past and found that the early imams were so cautious about speaking about [the lawful and unlawful] because one who speaks about such matters is relating information from Allah, enunciating His commandments and prohibitions, and passing on His sacred law. It was said about Ibn Sirin, "If he was asked about something regarding the lawful or the unlawful, his colour would change. He would be transformed until he no longer seemed the same person." Ata' ibn al-Saib said, "I met people who, when asked for a religious verdict, would tremble as they spoke." SubhanAllah
Imam Ahmad was extremely hesitant to speak on the lawful and unlawful, to claim that something was abrogated, or related matters which others would too readily expound. He frequently prefaced his answers with phrases such as, "I hope that..," "I fear..," or "It is more beloved to me..." He would often say on an issue with which righteous forbears had various opinions, "The most likely answer is, 'I do not know.' Similarly, Imam Malik and others would frequently say, "I do not know." It is related that when Imam Malik was asked about a legal matter, it was as if he were suspended between Heaven and Hell.
Compare this to the so-called ‘Internet Scholars’ of today. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that all the Shuyukh who give fatawah online are causing fitnah. In fact, there are many Islamic websites that have well-known scholars who give authentic fatawah based on the Quran and Sunnah. All I’m saying is we should be careful where we seek to get our fatwahs. The internet has opened a door where by EVERY SINGLE opinion in the world, and its mother, has a website. So if someone says, ‘I found this on the internet supporting my opinion’, who cares? It’s not rocket science. The concept of ‘fatwah shopping’ in Islam is not permissible.
May Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala forgive us and protect us from falling into haraam. May He help us in gaining more knowledge of the Deen and help us to follow the footsteps of our Beloved Prophet Muhammad salallahu ‘alayhi wassallam, Ameen.
Sunday 20 July 2008
Check Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself
Assalamu Alaykum. I wanna share with you guys an article I read on Imam Suhaib's Blog which I found really beneficial and inshaAllah a good reminder for all of us...
>>>What do you think of when you see a sister who isn’t wearing hijab? How about a brother who is laughing with a whole lot of girls?
Ever look down on them? Think you are better than them? It’s really easy to be self righteous. It’s even easier to fall prey to this attitude if you sport the ‘righteous’ look.
But let’s ask ourselves this question: has Allah written us amongst His righteous servants? Or is that a title we have only given ourselves?
Check this:
Today I was sitting at the dawah table on my campus and a female student, dressed in typical jeans and a shirt approached it. I was decked out in my hijab, and I really had no idea what she was thinking as she made the move to speak to me. She asked if she could have a Qur’an, and of course, I was happy to give one to her. Then she said, “Can I ask you a question?” “Sure,” I answered. The question sounded kind of deep, so I invited her to sit next to me on the empty chair. She took up the offer.
“Please don’t judge me,” she began. Allah! I had a feeling this was a sister. SubhanAllah, the courage it must have taken for her to come and speak to me, considering that we were dressed so differently from each other.
After reassuring her, how could I judge her? She began—
She told me that she became involved in a relationship for the first time in her life with a brother. Her intention was for long term, but she felt so terrible doing it. She told me when she is with the brother, she feels horrible, even though she is supposed to feel good. She told me that she knows that this is such a big sin, that she wants to stop, but that it is just so, so hard. And she asked me: Can Allah forgive me?
Allah… subhanAllah. While this girl was speaking, I was looking at her thinking: look at the jihad she is going through for Allah. She hates what she is doing, she asks Allah to forgive her, but it is so hard for her to leave the sin. Her desire to repent became so intense that she came to a girl she has never met before, who could easily judge her, and poured out her heart. And, the part that just hits me now as I write this, she was so desperate, she wanted to know: Can Allah forgive her? Could HE (subhanahu wa ta’ala) really forgive such a sin?
I told her, Allah is Ghafooro Raheem! He will forgive ANYTHING. Even if a person commits zina (which she Alhamdullilah has not done, and may Allah protect her and us all from falling into it) Allah will forgive this person if they repent and leave it. I kept telling her about Allah’s Mercy, about how He is so, so happy to turn and accept the repentance of His Slaves.
We kept talking about how Allah ‘Azza wa Jal must be pleased with her struggle- that she is making jihad everyday (she was like: YEAH!)… we looked at the Hadith Qudsi that talks about the servant who keeps sinning, and keeps going back to his Lord, and, what I loved so much from this conversation—we looked at WHAT dua? The same dua that was posted on the site below: sayyidul istighfar. We read the meaning together, about upholding this covenant, about how we are trying, ya Rabana, but we keep falling into error. She loved it subhanAllah.
I told her to keep strong with her salah. Because of course, Allah is Forgiving, but He is also strong in punishment, and we have to be careful not to do things that make us eligible to be punished. After some time we departed and I’m still in wonderment. I wasn’t supposed to be at the dawah table at that time, we were looking for a brother to sit there, but none were available, so we pushed back what we had planned to do and Allah destined for me to be there. How He knows, while we know not.
While the sister and I were sitting and talking, another female student walked up to the dawah table. She was intensely unclothed, and she came up and asked for a copy of the Qur’an. “I’m Muslim,” she told me. ALLAHU AKBAR. Look at the good in the Muslims. Look at how badly the Muslims desire, seek, need Allah. That the woman who comes to the dawah table could be wearing practically nothing, but she is willing to admit that she is Muslim. Before she left she asked me, “Does Ramadan start on the 13th?” SubhanAllah, how the people are seeking this Month of Mercy.
The lessons from these experiences were beyond words for me…but right now, I want you to go back to your original answer when I first posed the question. What would you be thinking of a Muslim brother or sister who has a girlfriend or boyfriend? Or who is wearing basically nothing?
Yes, they may be outwardly sinning, but perhaps internally they are struggling and fighting every time they commit the sin, and are continually seeking to turn back to Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala. Perhaps in some people’s eyes, these people are ‘sinners.’ But perhaps in the Sight of Allah, they are more beloved to Him because of their struggle, than of us who can easily fall into feeling arrogant about our Islamic activism, our Islamic appearance, or our ‘hard-core’ connection with the Rabil’alameen. We need to be careful. Are we really connected? Am I really connected?
And don’t get me wrong: the struggle of those who are trying to stay straight, to dress properly, to please Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala is a weighty, honorable and noble one. May Allah make us amongst those He uses to spread His Deen, those whom He guides and keeps guided, and those who wear the dress that please Him, both externally and internally.
But for those of us who might have ‘been there’ and left it, and then feel arrogant that we’re no longer involved in the “ways of the sinners,” and perhaps even might feel better than others because we’re so pure and special, then my advice to myself is what Umar radi Allahu anhu used to say: used to say, “Take account of yourselves before you are audited.”
Put in our language it is what I’ve heard Ustadh Suhaib say numerous times:
''Check yourself before you wreck yourself.''
May Allah help us and guide us to perpetually, continually, sincerely, and endlessly please Him, and may He make it easy for all of us to eagerly and continually turn back to Him, and leave whatever sins we are committing and replace them with good works for His Sake. Ameen
The author would also appreciate if you all could give some advice on how we can humble ourselves [in our hearts] and renew our sincerity for His Sake.
Link: Check Yourself Before Your Wreck Yourself: Sr. Maryam
>>>What do you think of when you see a sister who isn’t wearing hijab? How about a brother who is laughing with a whole lot of girls?
Ever look down on them? Think you are better than them? It’s really easy to be self righteous. It’s even easier to fall prey to this attitude if you sport the ‘righteous’ look.
But let’s ask ourselves this question: has Allah written us amongst His righteous servants? Or is that a title we have only given ourselves?
Check this:
Today I was sitting at the dawah table on my campus and a female student, dressed in typical jeans and a shirt approached it. I was decked out in my hijab, and I really had no idea what she was thinking as she made the move to speak to me. She asked if she could have a Qur’an, and of course, I was happy to give one to her. Then she said, “Can I ask you a question?” “Sure,” I answered. The question sounded kind of deep, so I invited her to sit next to me on the empty chair. She took up the offer.
“Please don’t judge me,” she began. Allah! I had a feeling this was a sister. SubhanAllah, the courage it must have taken for her to come and speak to me, considering that we were dressed so differently from each other.
After reassuring her, how could I judge her? She began—
She told me that she became involved in a relationship for the first time in her life with a brother. Her intention was for long term, but she felt so terrible doing it. She told me when she is with the brother, she feels horrible, even though she is supposed to feel good. She told me that she knows that this is such a big sin, that she wants to stop, but that it is just so, so hard. And she asked me: Can Allah forgive me?
Allah… subhanAllah. While this girl was speaking, I was looking at her thinking: look at the jihad she is going through for Allah. She hates what she is doing, she asks Allah to forgive her, but it is so hard for her to leave the sin. Her desire to repent became so intense that she came to a girl she has never met before, who could easily judge her, and poured out her heart. And, the part that just hits me now as I write this, she was so desperate, she wanted to know: Can Allah forgive her? Could HE (subhanahu wa ta’ala) really forgive such a sin?
I told her, Allah is Ghafooro Raheem! He will forgive ANYTHING. Even if a person commits zina (which she Alhamdullilah has not done, and may Allah protect her and us all from falling into it) Allah will forgive this person if they repent and leave it. I kept telling her about Allah’s Mercy, about how He is so, so happy to turn and accept the repentance of His Slaves.
We kept talking about how Allah ‘Azza wa Jal must be pleased with her struggle- that she is making jihad everyday (she was like: YEAH!)… we looked at the Hadith Qudsi that talks about the servant who keeps sinning, and keeps going back to his Lord, and, what I loved so much from this conversation—we looked at WHAT dua? The same dua that was posted on the site below: sayyidul istighfar. We read the meaning together, about upholding this covenant, about how we are trying, ya Rabana, but we keep falling into error. She loved it subhanAllah.
I told her to keep strong with her salah. Because of course, Allah is Forgiving, but He is also strong in punishment, and we have to be careful not to do things that make us eligible to be punished. After some time we departed and I’m still in wonderment. I wasn’t supposed to be at the dawah table at that time, we were looking for a brother to sit there, but none were available, so we pushed back what we had planned to do and Allah destined for me to be there. How He knows, while we know not.
While the sister and I were sitting and talking, another female student walked up to the dawah table. She was intensely unclothed, and she came up and asked for a copy of the Qur’an. “I’m Muslim,” she told me. ALLAHU AKBAR. Look at the good in the Muslims. Look at how badly the Muslims desire, seek, need Allah. That the woman who comes to the dawah table could be wearing practically nothing, but she is willing to admit that she is Muslim. Before she left she asked me, “Does Ramadan start on the 13th?” SubhanAllah, how the people are seeking this Month of Mercy.
The lessons from these experiences were beyond words for me…but right now, I want you to go back to your original answer when I first posed the question. What would you be thinking of a Muslim brother or sister who has a girlfriend or boyfriend? Or who is wearing basically nothing?
Yes, they may be outwardly sinning, but perhaps internally they are struggling and fighting every time they commit the sin, and are continually seeking to turn back to Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala. Perhaps in some people’s eyes, these people are ‘sinners.’ But perhaps in the Sight of Allah, they are more beloved to Him because of their struggle, than of us who can easily fall into feeling arrogant about our Islamic activism, our Islamic appearance, or our ‘hard-core’ connection with the Rabil’alameen. We need to be careful. Are we really connected? Am I really connected?
And don’t get me wrong: the struggle of those who are trying to stay straight, to dress properly, to please Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala is a weighty, honorable and noble one. May Allah make us amongst those He uses to spread His Deen, those whom He guides and keeps guided, and those who wear the dress that please Him, both externally and internally.
But for those of us who might have ‘been there’ and left it, and then feel arrogant that we’re no longer involved in the “ways of the sinners,” and perhaps even might feel better than others because we’re so pure and special, then my advice to myself is what Umar radi Allahu anhu used to say: used to say, “Take account of yourselves before you are audited.”
Put in our language it is what I’ve heard Ustadh Suhaib say numerous times:
''Check yourself before you wreck yourself.''
May Allah help us and guide us to perpetually, continually, sincerely, and endlessly please Him, and may He make it easy for all of us to eagerly and continually turn back to Him, and leave whatever sins we are committing and replace them with good works for His Sake. Ameen
The author would also appreciate if you all could give some advice on how we can humble ourselves [in our hearts] and renew our sincerity for His Sake.
Link: Check Yourself Before Your Wreck Yourself: Sr. Maryam
Saturday 12 July 2008
Lacking Khushoo' in Salaat
I rushed into the room and, checked the time, only 5minutes left for my break. I guess I should just pray the fardh salah and get out of there in time. Allaahu Akbar …hey this carpet design looks awkward! Allaahu Akbar...oh man, should’ve tied my belt lower, it’s too tight! Allaahu Akbar…When is the deadline for my project? What was I supposed to do before work? I wonder if my friends are waiting for me at the mall…better call them right after salah. Oh, wait which rakah am I at? Hmm is that three or four. Probably four. May Allah forgive me, I can’t remember! Salamu alaykum wa rahmatullaah. Did I have wudoo?!! Oh man, I’m already late! I got up and wore my shoes and jolted out of the room.
Sounds familiar?
Great, plenty of time to get ready. What should I wear? Oh yes, I like this suit; looks nice and it’s comfortable as well. I even feel nice in these! Ok, what else. My portfolio, check. My watch, check. Matching shoes, check. Ok let me review some of the notes now to get their early. Thirty minutes early! No problem, just sit here patiently till they call me in. Oh, wow time almost flew, it’s my turn! Ok, just be cool, and remember to concentrate on details! Better be careful, he might be my boss. Give him all the answers to get this job…''Yes sir, I’ll learn this as well. Yes sir, I have studied these concepts as well as applied them already''.…Hmm this isn’t bad, I actually know these things! Good thing I reviewed in advance!
Wow, that interview was long! He asked me so many questions. I think I did well. I hope I get the job! I better jot down the things I wasn’t able to understand. It will help significantly towards my next interview.
Sounds familiar?
Is it any surprise that most Muslims lack khushoo in salah? As described by the above two scenarios, where does salah lie in terms of our priorities? We strive to understand and implement everything that might benefit us in this dunya, yet how meagre the effort we put in for the required duties towards our Creator! No doubt, the salah we perform in such lack of concentration and effort is doomed for rejection! How much do we benefit from our salah? Or has salah in itself has become difficult to establish? Do we even know how to come closer to Allaah? We can come close to Allaah, by following his commands, and amongst the very first command following tawheed is to establish salah.
“Successful indeed are the believers, those who offer their salah (prayers) with all solemnity and full submissiveness.” [al-Mu’minoon 23:1-2]
How can we attain Khushoo’?
In order to attain khushoo’ we must have knowledge of the main obstacles in our path. Shaytan’s number one project is diverting us from salah, as the prophet (sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam) mentioned, the first thing that our religion loses will be khushoo’.
Khushoo’ means calmness, serenity, tranquility, dignity and humility. It comes from fearing Allah in a calm manner; the heart stands before the Lord in humility and submission. Salah is extremely difficult, except for the people who have khushoo.
“And seek assistance through patience and prayer, and most surely it is a hard thing except for the humble ones.” [al-Baqarah 2:45]
Every time the slave wants to turn his thoughts towards Allaah, thoughts of other matters come sneaking into his mind. The Shaytaan is like a bandit lying in wait to launch an ambush: every time the slave wants to travel towards Allaah, the Shaytaan wants to cut off his route.
When the slave stands up to pray, the Shaytaan feels jealous of him, because he is standing in the greatest position, one that is closest [to Allaah] and most annoying and grievous to the Shaytaan. So he tries to stop him from establishing prayer in the first place, then he continues trying to entice him and make him forget, and making assaults on him with his cavalry and infantry, until he thinks of prayer as less important, so he starts to neglect it, and eventually gives it up altogether.
If the Shaytaan fails to achieve this, and the person ignores him and starts to pray, the enemy of Allaah will come and try to distract him, by reminding him of things that he did not remember or think of before he started praying. A person may have forgotten about something altogether, but the Shaytaan will remind him of it when he starts praying, so as to distract him from his prayers and take him away from Allaah, so that his heart will no longer be in his prayers, and he will lose out on the honour and reward of Allaah turning toward him, which is only attained by the one whose heart is really in his prayer. Thus he will finish his prayer no better off than when he started, with his burden of sins not reduced at all by his salaah, because prayer only expiates for sins when it is done properly, with perfect khushoo, and the person stands before Allaah in body and soul. (Al-Waabil al-Sayib, p. 36).
How the Salaf used to Pray
When Saeed al-Tanookhi prayed, there would be tears rolling down his cheeks onto his beard. We heard that one of the Taabieen, when he stood up to pray, his colour would change, and he would say, Do you know before Whom I am going to stand and with Whom I am going to talk?
Who amongst us has fear and respect like this?
Abu Bakr al-Subghi said: I lived through the time of two imaams (leaders) although I was not fortunate enough to hear them in person: Abu Haatim al-Raazi and Muhammad ibn Nasr al-Marwazi. As for Ibn Nasr, I do not know of any prayer better than his. I heard that a hornet stung him on his forehead and blood started flowing down his face, but he did not move. Muhammad ibn Yaqoob al-Akhram said: I have never seen any prayer better than that of Muhammad ibn Nasr. Flies used to land on his ears, and he did not shoo them away. We used to marvel at how good his prayer and khushoo were. His fear [of Allaah] in prayer was so great that he would put his chin on his chest as if he were a piece of wood standing up. (Tazeem Qadr al-Salaah, 1/58).
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him), when he started to pray, used to tremble so much that he would lean right and left.
Compare this with what some of us do nowadays, looking at our watches, adjusting our clothes, fiddling with our noses, thinking of deals and counting our money whilst praying, or tracing the patterns of decorations on carpets and ceilings, or trying to see who is beside us. Think of how anyone would behave before some great leader of this world, would he dare to behave in such a manner then?!
Many methods exist to help improve your khushoo'—gain knowledge about all that benefits your salah and strive harder towards it inshaAllaah!
Lastly, the following is a reflection of what we all must strive to achieve while realising that we will always require more knowledge and practice in improving our salah and ourselves. May Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta’aala) help us perform our salah with proper khushoo’ and accept them from us. (Ameen!)
We have been studying here for hours, I can’t wait to relieve myself with salah! Is it time yet? Maaan, still half an hour! All this work makes me really realize that meaning of that hadith, seek comfort in salah.
Perfect, it’s time! “Hey guys, please excuse me. I have an obligatory prayer soon. I’ll be back shortly, please do not do my section of the assignment, I’ll come and take of that myself.” They all look up from behind their books, “Sure, Fatima.” The rest nodded.
Finally! Ok, do I have enough time? Yes. Let me do wudoo’ first before the rush begins. Bismillaah. Alhamdulilaah, the water feels great! I feel fresh again. SubhanAllaah. Ok, they haven’t yet started the salah. I guess I can read my mushaf till then. “Verily with every hardship there is ease.” Alhamdulilaah. That was so relevant to me! It’s like Allaah is talking directly to me through this Qur’an! Alhamdulilaah. They are giving the aqamah, finally.
And I prayed, how soon the salah ended. Let me pray two more rakats before I go back. Wow, I actually spent 15 minutes! Alhamdulillaah that felt so great. I have to return to studies. Allaah, I know I didn’t pray enough, for You deserve much more worship then what I offered. I wonder if You will accept it from me. Astaghfirullaaah, ya Rabb. Forgive me in my shortcomings. (Ameen)
Even though I felt sad for not having more time to finish nafl salah, I feel much better then before. The Qur’an reading and salah totally opened my mind and motivated me to try harder for finishing up my work. I left to join the study session.
Ok let’s get this done. Hmm hey you know what? I know how to solve this….before we knew it, we were done! The non-muslims asked, “Fatima, what exactly did you do in your prayer? You left so tired and you returned completed hyped up! Did they drug you?” And I smiled, before giving them my answer…
Sounds familiar?
Great, plenty of time to get ready. What should I wear? Oh yes, I like this suit; looks nice and it’s comfortable as well. I even feel nice in these! Ok, what else. My portfolio, check. My watch, check. Matching shoes, check. Ok let me review some of the notes now to get their early. Thirty minutes early! No problem, just sit here patiently till they call me in. Oh, wow time almost flew, it’s my turn! Ok, just be cool, and remember to concentrate on details! Better be careful, he might be my boss. Give him all the answers to get this job…''Yes sir, I’ll learn this as well. Yes sir, I have studied these concepts as well as applied them already''.…Hmm this isn’t bad, I actually know these things! Good thing I reviewed in advance!
Wow, that interview was long! He asked me so many questions. I think I did well. I hope I get the job! I better jot down the things I wasn’t able to understand. It will help significantly towards my next interview.
Sounds familiar?
Is it any surprise that most Muslims lack khushoo in salah? As described by the above two scenarios, where does salah lie in terms of our priorities? We strive to understand and implement everything that might benefit us in this dunya, yet how meagre the effort we put in for the required duties towards our Creator! No doubt, the salah we perform in such lack of concentration and effort is doomed for rejection! How much do we benefit from our salah? Or has salah in itself has become difficult to establish? Do we even know how to come closer to Allaah? We can come close to Allaah, by following his commands, and amongst the very first command following tawheed is to establish salah.
“Successful indeed are the believers, those who offer their salah (prayers) with all solemnity and full submissiveness.” [al-Mu’minoon 23:1-2]
How can we attain Khushoo’?
In order to attain khushoo’ we must have knowledge of the main obstacles in our path. Shaytan’s number one project is diverting us from salah, as the prophet (sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam) mentioned, the first thing that our religion loses will be khushoo’.
Khushoo’ means calmness, serenity, tranquility, dignity and humility. It comes from fearing Allah in a calm manner; the heart stands before the Lord in humility and submission. Salah is extremely difficult, except for the people who have khushoo.
“And seek assistance through patience and prayer, and most surely it is a hard thing except for the humble ones.” [al-Baqarah 2:45]
Every time the slave wants to turn his thoughts towards Allaah, thoughts of other matters come sneaking into his mind. The Shaytaan is like a bandit lying in wait to launch an ambush: every time the slave wants to travel towards Allaah, the Shaytaan wants to cut off his route.
When the slave stands up to pray, the Shaytaan feels jealous of him, because he is standing in the greatest position, one that is closest [to Allaah] and most annoying and grievous to the Shaytaan. So he tries to stop him from establishing prayer in the first place, then he continues trying to entice him and make him forget, and making assaults on him with his cavalry and infantry, until he thinks of prayer as less important, so he starts to neglect it, and eventually gives it up altogether.
If the Shaytaan fails to achieve this, and the person ignores him and starts to pray, the enemy of Allaah will come and try to distract him, by reminding him of things that he did not remember or think of before he started praying. A person may have forgotten about something altogether, but the Shaytaan will remind him of it when he starts praying, so as to distract him from his prayers and take him away from Allaah, so that his heart will no longer be in his prayers, and he will lose out on the honour and reward of Allaah turning toward him, which is only attained by the one whose heart is really in his prayer. Thus he will finish his prayer no better off than when he started, with his burden of sins not reduced at all by his salaah, because prayer only expiates for sins when it is done properly, with perfect khushoo, and the person stands before Allaah in body and soul. (Al-Waabil al-Sayib, p. 36).
How the Salaf used to Pray
When Saeed al-Tanookhi prayed, there would be tears rolling down his cheeks onto his beard. We heard that one of the Taabieen, when he stood up to pray, his colour would change, and he would say, Do you know before Whom I am going to stand and with Whom I am going to talk?
Who amongst us has fear and respect like this?
Abu Bakr al-Subghi said: I lived through the time of two imaams (leaders) although I was not fortunate enough to hear them in person: Abu Haatim al-Raazi and Muhammad ibn Nasr al-Marwazi. As for Ibn Nasr, I do not know of any prayer better than his. I heard that a hornet stung him on his forehead and blood started flowing down his face, but he did not move. Muhammad ibn Yaqoob al-Akhram said: I have never seen any prayer better than that of Muhammad ibn Nasr. Flies used to land on his ears, and he did not shoo them away. We used to marvel at how good his prayer and khushoo were. His fear [of Allaah] in prayer was so great that he would put his chin on his chest as if he were a piece of wood standing up. (Tazeem Qadr al-Salaah, 1/58).
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him), when he started to pray, used to tremble so much that he would lean right and left.
Compare this with what some of us do nowadays, looking at our watches, adjusting our clothes, fiddling with our noses, thinking of deals and counting our money whilst praying, or tracing the patterns of decorations on carpets and ceilings, or trying to see who is beside us. Think of how anyone would behave before some great leader of this world, would he dare to behave in such a manner then?!
Many methods exist to help improve your khushoo'—gain knowledge about all that benefits your salah and strive harder towards it inshaAllaah!
Lastly, the following is a reflection of what we all must strive to achieve while realising that we will always require more knowledge and practice in improving our salah and ourselves. May Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta’aala) help us perform our salah with proper khushoo’ and accept them from us. (Ameen!)
We have been studying here for hours, I can’t wait to relieve myself with salah! Is it time yet? Maaan, still half an hour! All this work makes me really realize that meaning of that hadith, seek comfort in salah.
Perfect, it’s time! “Hey guys, please excuse me. I have an obligatory prayer soon. I’ll be back shortly, please do not do my section of the assignment, I’ll come and take of that myself.” They all look up from behind their books, “Sure, Fatima.” The rest nodded.
Finally! Ok, do I have enough time? Yes. Let me do wudoo’ first before the rush begins. Bismillaah. Alhamdulilaah, the water feels great! I feel fresh again. SubhanAllaah. Ok, they haven’t yet started the salah. I guess I can read my mushaf till then. “Verily with every hardship there is ease.” Alhamdulilaah. That was so relevant to me! It’s like Allaah is talking directly to me through this Qur’an! Alhamdulilaah. They are giving the aqamah, finally.
And I prayed, how soon the salah ended. Let me pray two more rakats before I go back. Wow, I actually spent 15 minutes! Alhamdulillaah that felt so great. I have to return to studies. Allaah, I know I didn’t pray enough, for You deserve much more worship then what I offered. I wonder if You will accept it from me. Astaghfirullaaah, ya Rabb. Forgive me in my shortcomings. (Ameen)
Even though I felt sad for not having more time to finish nafl salah, I feel much better then before. The Qur’an reading and salah totally opened my mind and motivated me to try harder for finishing up my work. I left to join the study session.
Ok let’s get this done. Hmm hey you know what? I know how to solve this….before we knew it, we were done! The non-muslims asked, “Fatima, what exactly did you do in your prayer? You left so tired and you returned completed hyped up! Did they drug you?” And I smiled, before giving them my answer…
Thursday 10 July 2008
I Want...I Want...I Want!!!
"I want Jannah man!"; "I wanna study overseas..."; "I want to bring peace to the world..." and so on. We all have these hopes, but do we really want them to come true?
At the recent Light Upon Light class in New York, Shaykh Yasir Qadhi marvellously summarised the relationship between our wants and salaatul tahajjud:
Perplexed, you might be thinking:
A closer examination of the Qur’anic text and Prophetic traditions reveals the truthfulness behind Shaykh Yasir’s genuinely enlightening statement. In describing His righteous servants, Allah subhanahu wa ta’aala says: “Verily, the Muttaqoon (the pious) will be in the midst of Gardens and Springs (in Paradise), taking joy in the things which their Lord has given them. Verily, they were before this Muhsinoon (good-doers). They used to sleep but little by night [invoking their Lord and praying, with fear and hope].” [adhDhariyaat: 15-17]
And the Prophet (peace be upon him) beautifully described the golden opportunity awaiting those who forsake their beds at night: "Our Lord, the Blessed, the Superior, comes every night down on the nearest Heaven to us when the last third of the night remains, saying: "Is there anyone to invoke Me, so that I may respond to invocation? Is there anyone to ask Me, so that I may grant him his request? Is there anyone seeking My forgiveness, so that I may forgive him?" [alBukhari]
It is also reported by Imam Ahmad that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Whenever a Muslim goes to bed in a pure state (with wudhu), falls asleep while mentioning Allah and then wakes up during the night and asks Allah for anything good, He grants it to him.”
So, if you really want something you will strive hard and get up in the middle of the night to ask Allah for it at that time when He is waiting to answer your prayers, and forgive your sins. If you are not willing to sacrifice some sleep, then you don’t really want it.
Think about the people who camp outside stores for a week when the new video game system is released. Why? Because they really want it, and they are doing whatever it takes to ensure that they get it, even if it means skiving off work or school.
The reasons and virtues of praying tahajjud are too numerous to mention here so Insha’Allah the aforementioned verse and hadeeth will suffice. In any case, the best way to learn about the blessings of tahajjud is to experience it yourself. Instead, the rest of this brief reminder will be better served providing helpful guidelines to facilitate the night prayer for yourself and family.
Sincerity
Every action begins with the proper intention. What makes the night prayer so beautiful is the sincerity that is innate to this act of worship: waking up in the middle of the night when everyone else is sleeping solely for the sake of Allah, weeping over your sins, seeking His Forgiveness and asking of His Infinite Bounties. Similar to fasting, nobody but Allah would know about it unless you went out of your way to advertise it, i.e. "Uncle, I'd definitely like to discuss my rishta (proposal) for your daughter, but I can't make it after midnight because I gotta pray tahajjud."
The salaf were very keen to conceal their acts of worship such as qiyaam al-layl. A man asked Tameem ibn Aws al-Daari (may Allaah be pleased with him), ‘How do you pray at night?’ He got very angry and said, ‘By Allaah, one rak’ah that I pray in secret in the small hours of the night is more beloved to me than praying the whole night long and then telling people about it.’
Ayyoob al-Sakhtiyaani used to spend the entire night in prayer, then when dawn approached, he would go back to bed and lie down, and when dawn came, he would raise his voice as if he had just woken up.
Ibn al-Qayyim brilliantly summarised the importance of sincerity: "The degree to which a person is helped and aided by Allah depends on the degree of his intention, drive, aim and hopes. Help from Allah comes to people in proportion to their drive, intention, hopes and fears, and failure comes to them in like manner."
Therefore, the greater your sincerity in praying tahajjud, the easier Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala will make it for you to wake up and perform it, and the more you will benefit from it.
Avoid Sins
Sins deaden the heart and prevent it from receiving the Mercy of Allah, thus depriving a person the opportunity to stand before Allah and ask of His Infinite Blessings. A man said to Ibraaheem ibn Adham, "I cannot pray qiyaam al-layl, so tell me the cure for this." He said, "Do not commit sin during the day, and He will help you to stand before Him at night, for your standing before Him at night is one of the greatest honours, and the sinner does not deserve that honour."
A man said to al-Hasan al-Basri: “”O Abu Sa’eed, I sleep in good health, and I love to pray qiyaam al-layl, and I prepare water with which to purify myself, so why can I not get up?” Al-Hasan said: “Your sins are restricting you.” He said, may Allaah have mercy on him, “The slave who commits a sin will be denied the opportunity to pray qiyaam at night and to fast during the day.”
Al-Fudayl ibn ‘Ayaad said: “If you cannot pray qiyaam al-layl, or fast during the day, know that you are indeed deprived and restricted, chained by your sins.”
Fear of Punishment, Hope for Mercy, Fearing the torment that awaits the inhabitants of the Hellfire will surely wipe out your sleep, as will the prospect of having your sins forgiven by Allah who is waiting in the lowest heaven for your repentance. ‘Amri ibn al ‘Aas used to say ‘Weep, and if you cannot weep, then pretend to weep. I swear by Him in Whose hand my life is, that if any of you really knew, you would plead until your voice went, and pray until your back was broken’. When Allah forgives you of your sins, Allah puts Noor in your face. Hassan al-Basri was once asked, “Why are those people who pray the night prayer so beautiful?” He responded, “Because Allah beautifies them with His light while others are sleeping in the dark.”
`Abdullah bin Rawaaha said: "Verily, when the servant of Allah is reminded of Paradise, his longing for it increases, and when he is reminded of the Fire, his sleep immediately disappears."
Daytime Nap
Taking an afternoon nap is a sunnah that has been practiced by our own Prophet (peace and blessing of Allah be upon him), his companions and scholars of all times. Even if for only 20 or 30 minutes, you will find this time-out to be vital to your ability to get up for tahajjud. It is reported by at-Tabarani that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Take a nap, for the shayaateen do not take naps.” Ishaaq ibn ‘Abd-Allaah said: “Taking a nap is one of the deeds of good people. It revitalizes the heart and helps one to pray qiyaam al-layl.”
Sleeping on Time
This point may seem elementary, but it deserves mention because it is often overlooked. Although sleeping abilities vary from person to person, it is safe to say that if you stay up until 1:00am partying, you will have difficulty waking up to pray tahajjud.
Sunnahs of Sleeping & Waking
Al-Baraa’ ibn ‘Aazib, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “When you want to go to bed, do wudoo’ as for prayer, then lie down on your right side.” Imaam Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “There is a reason for his lying on his right side, which is that the heart is located on the left, so if a person lays on his left side, he will sleep too deeply, because the heart’s position will be too comfortable, but if he sleeps on his right side, he will not be too settled, so he won’t sleep deeply.” There are many other sunnahs related to sleeping and waking up that you can easily find and should adhere to, as they will keep you in a state that is conducive for praying tahajjud.
Avoid Excessive Eating
Ever go to a wedding and eat two plates of biryani, two ladoos, and drink three mango lassis? You probably slept the night away and felt like a massive ogre afterwards. Overeating causes laziness and promotes sleep, both of which are factors that hinder the night prayer. Therefore, to help yourself pray tahajjud, it’s best to follow the sunnah of eating only as much as you need to. Imam Sufyaanal-Thawri said: “You should eat little, so that you will be able to pray qiyaamal-layl.”
Striving
Praying tahajjud requires determination because it’s not easy to leave your soft pillow-top mattress and cosy blanket. Always remember that the more you strive, the more Allah will assist you, as He says: “And as for those who strive hard in Our Cause, We will surely guide them to Our Paths. And verily, Allaah is with the muhsinoon (good-doers).”
[al‘Ankabut: 69]
Shaykh Yasir’s encouragement for the night prayer is further emphasised by the following statement of the Prophet (peace be upon him): “When a man from my ummah gets up to pray at night, striving against his own self to get up and purify himself, there are knots on him. When he washes his hands in wudoo’, one knot is undone. When he washes his face, another knot is undone. When he wipes his head another knot is undone. When he washes his feet, another knot is undone. Then Allaah says to those who are veiled (in the Unseen): ‘Look at this slave of Mine, he is striving against his own self and asking of Me. Whatever My slave asks of Me shall be his.”
One of greatest blessings that a person can have is the honour of speaking to his Lord in the depths of the night. Are you taking advantage of this opportunity, or are you sleeping
away the time about which the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “The closest that the Lord is to His slave is in the later part of the night, so if you can be one of those who remember Allaah at that time, then do so.” [at-Tirmidhi]
So before you go to sleep tonight ponder the following: in the middle of the night, Allah will be there waiting for you; the question is: will you be there to meet Him?
When the night is completely dark,
It finds them staying up in the night
Fear has chased away their sleep
So they stay up
While those who feel secure in this life
Quietly sleep on.
Ibn al-Mubarak (part of a poem from 'purification of the soul')
At the recent Light Upon Light class in New York, Shaykh Yasir Qadhi marvellously summarised the relationship between our wants and salaatul tahajjud:
"If you want something and don't pray tahajjud, you don't really want it."
Perplexed, you might be thinking:
“What is that supposed to mean? I don’t pray tahajjud, but I still want Jannah.”
A closer examination of the Qur’anic text and Prophetic traditions reveals the truthfulness behind Shaykh Yasir’s genuinely enlightening statement. In describing His righteous servants, Allah subhanahu wa ta’aala says: “Verily, the Muttaqoon (the pious) will be in the midst of Gardens and Springs (in Paradise), taking joy in the things which their Lord has given them. Verily, they were before this Muhsinoon (good-doers). They used to sleep but little by night [invoking their Lord and praying, with fear and hope].” [adhDhariyaat: 15-17]
And the Prophet (peace be upon him) beautifully described the golden opportunity awaiting those who forsake their beds at night: "Our Lord, the Blessed, the Superior, comes every night down on the nearest Heaven to us when the last third of the night remains, saying: "Is there anyone to invoke Me, so that I may respond to invocation? Is there anyone to ask Me, so that I may grant him his request? Is there anyone seeking My forgiveness, so that I may forgive him?" [alBukhari]
It is also reported by Imam Ahmad that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Whenever a Muslim goes to bed in a pure state (with wudhu), falls asleep while mentioning Allah and then wakes up during the night and asks Allah for anything good, He grants it to him.”
So, if you really want something you will strive hard and get up in the middle of the night to ask Allah for it at that time when He is waiting to answer your prayers, and forgive your sins. If you are not willing to sacrifice some sleep, then you don’t really want it.
Think about the people who camp outside stores for a week when the new video game system is released. Why? Because they really want it, and they are doing whatever it takes to ensure that they get it, even if it means skiving off work or school.
The reasons and virtues of praying tahajjud are too numerous to mention here so Insha’Allah the aforementioned verse and hadeeth will suffice. In any case, the best way to learn about the blessings of tahajjud is to experience it yourself. Instead, the rest of this brief reminder will be better served providing helpful guidelines to facilitate the night prayer for yourself and family.
Sincerity
Every action begins with the proper intention. What makes the night prayer so beautiful is the sincerity that is innate to this act of worship: waking up in the middle of the night when everyone else is sleeping solely for the sake of Allah, weeping over your sins, seeking His Forgiveness and asking of His Infinite Bounties. Similar to fasting, nobody but Allah would know about it unless you went out of your way to advertise it, i.e. "Uncle, I'd definitely like to discuss my rishta (proposal) for your daughter, but I can't make it after midnight because I gotta pray tahajjud."
The salaf were very keen to conceal their acts of worship such as qiyaam al-layl. A man asked Tameem ibn Aws al-Daari (may Allaah be pleased with him), ‘How do you pray at night?’ He got very angry and said, ‘By Allaah, one rak’ah that I pray in secret in the small hours of the night is more beloved to me than praying the whole night long and then telling people about it.’
Ayyoob al-Sakhtiyaani used to spend the entire night in prayer, then when dawn approached, he would go back to bed and lie down, and when dawn came, he would raise his voice as if he had just woken up.
Ibn al-Qayyim brilliantly summarised the importance of sincerity: "The degree to which a person is helped and aided by Allah depends on the degree of his intention, drive, aim and hopes. Help from Allah comes to people in proportion to their drive, intention, hopes and fears, and failure comes to them in like manner."
Therefore, the greater your sincerity in praying tahajjud, the easier Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala will make it for you to wake up and perform it, and the more you will benefit from it.
Avoid Sins
Sins deaden the heart and prevent it from receiving the Mercy of Allah, thus depriving a person the opportunity to stand before Allah and ask of His Infinite Blessings. A man said to Ibraaheem ibn Adham, "I cannot pray qiyaam al-layl, so tell me the cure for this." He said, "Do not commit sin during the day, and He will help you to stand before Him at night, for your standing before Him at night is one of the greatest honours, and the sinner does not deserve that honour."
A man said to al-Hasan al-Basri: “”O Abu Sa’eed, I sleep in good health, and I love to pray qiyaam al-layl, and I prepare water with which to purify myself, so why can I not get up?” Al-Hasan said: “Your sins are restricting you.” He said, may Allaah have mercy on him, “The slave who commits a sin will be denied the opportunity to pray qiyaam at night and to fast during the day.”
Al-Fudayl ibn ‘Ayaad said: “If you cannot pray qiyaam al-layl, or fast during the day, know that you are indeed deprived and restricted, chained by your sins.”
Fear of Punishment, Hope for Mercy, Fearing the torment that awaits the inhabitants of the Hellfire will surely wipe out your sleep, as will the prospect of having your sins forgiven by Allah who is waiting in the lowest heaven for your repentance. ‘Amri ibn al ‘Aas used to say ‘Weep, and if you cannot weep, then pretend to weep. I swear by Him in Whose hand my life is, that if any of you really knew, you would plead until your voice went, and pray until your back was broken’. When Allah forgives you of your sins, Allah puts Noor in your face. Hassan al-Basri was once asked, “Why are those people who pray the night prayer so beautiful?” He responded, “Because Allah beautifies them with His light while others are sleeping in the dark.”
`Abdullah bin Rawaaha said: "Verily, when the servant of Allah is reminded of Paradise, his longing for it increases, and when he is reminded of the Fire, his sleep immediately disappears."
Daytime Nap
Taking an afternoon nap is a sunnah that has been practiced by our own Prophet (peace and blessing of Allah be upon him), his companions and scholars of all times. Even if for only 20 or 30 minutes, you will find this time-out to be vital to your ability to get up for tahajjud. It is reported by at-Tabarani that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Take a nap, for the shayaateen do not take naps.” Ishaaq ibn ‘Abd-Allaah said: “Taking a nap is one of the deeds of good people. It revitalizes the heart and helps one to pray qiyaam al-layl.”
Sleeping on Time
This point may seem elementary, but it deserves mention because it is often overlooked. Although sleeping abilities vary from person to person, it is safe to say that if you stay up until 1:00am partying, you will have difficulty waking up to pray tahajjud.
Sunnahs of Sleeping & Waking
Al-Baraa’ ibn ‘Aazib, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “When you want to go to bed, do wudoo’ as for prayer, then lie down on your right side.” Imaam Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “There is a reason for his lying on his right side, which is that the heart is located on the left, so if a person lays on his left side, he will sleep too deeply, because the heart’s position will be too comfortable, but if he sleeps on his right side, he will not be too settled, so he won’t sleep deeply.” There are many other sunnahs related to sleeping and waking up that you can easily find and should adhere to, as they will keep you in a state that is conducive for praying tahajjud.
Avoid Excessive Eating
Ever go to a wedding and eat two plates of biryani, two ladoos, and drink three mango lassis? You probably slept the night away and felt like a massive ogre afterwards. Overeating causes laziness and promotes sleep, both of which are factors that hinder the night prayer. Therefore, to help yourself pray tahajjud, it’s best to follow the sunnah of eating only as much as you need to. Imam Sufyaanal-Thawri said: “You should eat little, so that you will be able to pray qiyaamal-layl.”
Striving
Praying tahajjud requires determination because it’s not easy to leave your soft pillow-top mattress and cosy blanket. Always remember that the more you strive, the more Allah will assist you, as He says: “And as for those who strive hard in Our Cause, We will surely guide them to Our Paths. And verily, Allaah is with the muhsinoon (good-doers).”
[al‘Ankabut: 69]
Shaykh Yasir’s encouragement for the night prayer is further emphasised by the following statement of the Prophet (peace be upon him): “When a man from my ummah gets up to pray at night, striving against his own self to get up and purify himself, there are knots on him. When he washes his hands in wudoo’, one knot is undone. When he washes his face, another knot is undone. When he wipes his head another knot is undone. When he washes his feet, another knot is undone. Then Allaah says to those who are veiled (in the Unseen): ‘Look at this slave of Mine, he is striving against his own self and asking of Me. Whatever My slave asks of Me shall be his.”
One of greatest blessings that a person can have is the honour of speaking to his Lord in the depths of the night. Are you taking advantage of this opportunity, or are you sleeping
away the time about which the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “The closest that the Lord is to His slave is in the later part of the night, so if you can be one of those who remember Allaah at that time, then do so.” [at-Tirmidhi]
So before you go to sleep tonight ponder the following: in the middle of the night, Allah will be there waiting for you; the question is: will you be there to meet Him?
When the night is completely dark,
It finds them staying up in the night
Fear has chased away their sleep
So they stay up
While those who feel secure in this life
Quietly sleep on.
Ibn al-Mubarak (part of a poem from 'purification of the soul')
Monday 7 July 2008
Tajweed Classes for Sisters
Assalamu 'Alaykum Warahmatullah,
Sisters, there will be a Tajweed class starting soon, Insha'Allah. If interested please email your name and contact number to the email below. This course is absolutely free and will last 4 weeks insha'Allah.
Starting: Monday 21st July 2008
Finishing: Wednesday 13th August 2008
Every Mondays, Tuesdays & Wednesdays
Time: 1.30pm - 4.00pm
Location: Newham North Islamic Association
88 Green Street> > Forest Gate> > London> > E7 8JG
(Nearest station: Upton Park, district line & Hammersmith & city line)
This course is open to all ; you can be a begginer or an advanced student.
The course is a detailed explanation of the Makhaarij (Articulation points and the attributes of the letters). This information is not available in English Tajweed Books.
Taught By: Umu Salmaan Al-Maghrabiya (A qualified Quraan teacher that has an Ijaazah from Egypt; Cairo and can issue it)
She specialises in teaching the quran the way it was revealed to non arabic speakers, and has created her own teaching methodolgy and she (umm salmaan) has written a simplified, yet very detailed book on the Makhaarij & Sifaat which is comprised from Arabic Tajweed Books which contain knowledge that are not available in the English Language. She also specialises in training and teaching Quran teachers.
The teacher mentioned that through her teaching experience she has come accross many students & teachers that have memorised the Quran also, but lack knowledge in this area and due to that they do not impliment it when reciting; & that is because they didnt study the Quran under a qualified Quran teacher, or this knowledge was rushed through or the teacher didnt spend enough time practicing with the student.
So you will learn letter by letter, learning about its attributes and articulation point, learning how to pronounce each letter correctly by the will of Allah leading to recite the way it was revealed. The teachers will practice with you. Also you will be informed of your mistakes and other common mistakes that are found in recitors so you can avoid them.
The aim in these weeks, is not how much the student will cover of knowledge, but how much they can impliment from what they learn.
There will be other teachers alongside Umm Salmaan to teach you, so more time can be spent on practicing.
Insha'Allaah this will help you prepare to read the Quran more fluently with less mistakes; the way it was revealed upon our Messenger -Peace be upon Him- by Ramadan, which is just around the corner.
If you would like to participate in this blessing from Allaah then please e-mail your full name, location, and contact details to:
esma_institute@hotmail.com
Sisters, there will be a Tajweed class starting soon, Insha'Allah. If interested please email your name and contact number to the email below. This course is absolutely free and will last 4 weeks insha'Allah.
Starting: Monday 21st July 2008
Finishing: Wednesday 13th August 2008
Every Mondays, Tuesdays & Wednesdays
Time: 1.30pm - 4.00pm
Location: Newham North Islamic Association
88 Green Street> > Forest Gate> > London> > E7 8JG
(Nearest station: Upton Park, district line & Hammersmith & city line)
This course is open to all ; you can be a begginer or an advanced student.
The course is a detailed explanation of the Makhaarij (Articulation points and the attributes of the letters). This information is not available in English Tajweed Books.
Taught By: Umu Salmaan Al-Maghrabiya (A qualified Quraan teacher that has an Ijaazah from Egypt; Cairo and can issue it)
She specialises in teaching the quran the way it was revealed to non arabic speakers, and has created her own teaching methodolgy and she (umm salmaan) has written a simplified, yet very detailed book on the Makhaarij & Sifaat which is comprised from Arabic Tajweed Books which contain knowledge that are not available in the English Language. She also specialises in training and teaching Quran teachers.
The teacher mentioned that through her teaching experience she has come accross many students & teachers that have memorised the Quran also, but lack knowledge in this area and due to that they do not impliment it when reciting; & that is because they didnt study the Quran under a qualified Quran teacher, or this knowledge was rushed through or the teacher didnt spend enough time practicing with the student.
So you will learn letter by letter, learning about its attributes and articulation point, learning how to pronounce each letter correctly by the will of Allah leading to recite the way it was revealed. The teachers will practice with you. Also you will be informed of your mistakes and other common mistakes that are found in recitors so you can avoid them.
The aim in these weeks, is not how much the student will cover of knowledge, but how much they can impliment from what they learn.
There will be other teachers alongside Umm Salmaan to teach you, so more time can be spent on practicing.
Insha'Allaah this will help you prepare to read the Quran more fluently with less mistakes; the way it was revealed upon our Messenger -Peace be upon Him- by Ramadan, which is just around the corner.
If you would like to participate in this blessing from Allaah then please e-mail your full name, location, and contact details to:
esma_institute@hotmail.com
Thursday 3 July 2008
The End of Music by Sh Kamal el-Mekki
Must Watch Video on what Islam says about Music!
Sheikh Kamal El Mekki points out logic, statistics, stories from our time and the time of the Sahabah and evidence from the Quran and Sunnah to explain why music is haram.
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Saheeh al-Bukhari