[center]Allah ta’aala says: What landed you in As-Saqar (Hell)?
They said: We were Not of those who made Salaah
(almusalleen)
[Al-Qur’an 76:42-43][/center]

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF HAJJ

Every year between the 8th and the 13th of dhul Hujjah, Muslims from all over the world, gather in the holy city of Makkah for Hajj. Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam. It is a visit to the Ka’ba, the house of Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala. The Ka’ba is a cube-like building that was built by Hadrat Adam Alayhissalam. During the battles that took place over time, the Ka’ba was damaged. Hadrat Ibrahim Alayhissalam and his son Hadrat Ismail Alayhissalam then rebuilt the Ka’ba and restored its dignity. The Ka’ba is the oldest House and was built for the purpose of worshipping Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala.

It is Fardh for every Muslim to make at least one journey in their lifetime to Makkah for Hajj if they can afford it. Going on Hajj consists of many memorable events. Performing Hajj brings us closer to Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala. It brings thawaab (rewards) and is a memorable experience that teaches us many valuable lessons in Islam.

The teachings of Hajj are very significant to a Muslim’s daily life. During Hajj, we learn to pray salah five times a day and stay clean and pure at all times. Praying salah is mandatory during the period of Hajj as well as throughout one’s life. Praying salah near the Ka’ba rewards a Muslim more then 100,000 times the thawaab of praying one salah anywhere else in the world.

Sacrificing a lamb or goat during Hajj teaches us to share and to give to the poor. It teaches us generosity, kindness, and the ability to share with others less fortunate. In Mina, when we throw pebbles at the three pillars representing shaitaan, we learn that we should be truthful and clean and live a life free of sins. We learn to disobey the shaitaan’s evil ways and stand against him.

Apart from kindness and generosity, Hajj teaches us that Allah has blessed us greatly. The water from Zam Zam is a special gift from Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala to Muslims till the Day of Judgement. It is that anyone who drinks the water from Zam Zam will be granted shifa’a from all the illnesses and diseases. Making dua at Arafaat is also a blessing. All duas are answered and all wishes are made true.

This pilgrimage helps us learn the history of Islam and see how it has been held up over the past centuries. We should remember the work of our Beloved Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam. We should learn the patience and the sacrifices made by our Prophet at this very time and place many centuries ago. The gathering of Muslims all around the world helps us to remember that we are all Muslims and worshippers of Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala and that we are all brothers and sisters in Islam. We learn the different nations. We see that Muslims are not joined together on the basis of color or race. They are joined together on the basis of Islam-the way of faith and right action. The pilgrimage brings Muslims of all countries, colors, and races to one place-the Ka’ba. This strengthens the spirit of unity, equality and brotherhood. These are the values on which Islam builds the human society and it will continue this way till the Day of Judgement.

Universal Lessons of Hajj

Millions of pilgrims from all over the world will be converging on Mecca in the coming days. They will retrace the footsteps of millions who have made the spiritual journey to the valley of Mecca since the time of Adam.

Hajj literally means, "to continuously strive to reach one's goal." It is the last of the five pillars of Islam (the others include a declaration of faith in one God, five daily prayers, offering regular charity, and fasting during the month of Ramadan). Pilgrimage is a once-in-a-lifetime obligation for those who have the physical and financial ability to undertake the journey.

The Hajj is essentially a re-enactment of the rituals of the great prophets and teachers of faith. Pilgrims symbolically relive the experience of exile and atonement undergone by Adam and Eve after they were expelled from Heaven, wandered the earth, met again and sought forgiveness in the valley of Mecca. They also retrace the frantic footsteps of the wife of Abraham, Hagar, as she ran between the hills of Safa and Marva searching for water for her thirsty baby (which according to Muslim tradition, God answered with the well of Zam Zam). Lastly, the pilgrims also commemorate the willingness of Abraham to sacrifice his son for the sake of God. God later substituted a ram in place of his son.

Yet, the Hajj is more than these elaborate rituals. The faithful hope that it will bring about a deep spiritual transformation, one that will make him or her a better person. If such a change within does not occur, then the Hajj was merely a physical and material exercise devoid of any spiritual significance.

As all great religions teach, we are more than mere physical creatures in that we possess an essence beyond the material world. Indeed, this is why all great religions have a tradition of pilgrimage. In the Islamic tradition, Hajj encapsulates this spiritual journey toward this essence.

The current state of affairs -- both within and outside the Muslim world -- greatly increases the relevance of some of the spiritual and universal messages inherent in the Hajj.

As Islamic scholar Ebrahim Moosa asks rhetorically: "after paying homage to the two women Eve and Hagar in the rites of pilgrimage, how can some Muslims still violate the rights and dignity of women in the name of Islam? Is this not a contradiction?"

Indeed, the Qur'an teaches: "I shall not lose sight of the labor of any of you who labors in my way, be it man or woman; each of you is equal to the other." (Quran 3:195)

Clearly, the white sea of men and women side by side performing tawaf (circling) around the Kaaba (the stone building Muslims believe was originally built by Adam and rebuilt by Abraham and his son Ishmael) should lay to rest any claim that Islam -- as opposed to some Muslims -- degrades women.

The fact that millions of Muslims transcending geographical, linguistic, level of practice, cultural, ethnic, color, economic and social barriers converge in unison on Mecca, attests to the universality of the Hajj. It plants the seed to celebrate the diversity of our common humanity. Pilgrims return home enriched by this more pluralistic and holistic outlook and with a new appreciation for their own origins.

One of the most celebrated Western Hajjis (one who has completed the Hajj) is none other than African-American civil rights leader El-Hajj Malik El Shabbaz, more commonly known as Malcolm X. The man who was renowned for preaching that whites were "devils" -- especially the blond, blue-eyed ones -- profoundly reassessed these views during the Hajj. This transformation, of course, sealed his break with the Black nationalist movement of the Nation of Islam.

Contrary to the teachings of the Nation, he concluded that Islam encompassed all of humanity and transcended race and culture. Malcolm X later said, "In my 39 years on this Earth, the holy city of Mecca had been the first time I had ever stood before the Creator of all and felt like a complete human."

In Mecca, he discovered himself mixing with, "fellow Muslims, whose eyes were the bluest of blue, whose hair was the blondest of blond, and whose skin was whitest of white." Malcolm X was so inspired by what he witnessed, that, in letters to friends and relatives, he wrote, "America needs to understand Islam, because this is the one religion that erases from its society the race problem."

Upon returning to America, he embarked on a mission to enlighten both blacks and whites with his new views. Malcolm X understood that in order to truly learn from the Hajj, its inherent spiritual lessons must extend beyond the fraternal ties of Muslims to forging a common humanity with others.

In fact, as part of the spiritual experience, the pilgrimage links people across religions through a past shared by several Abrahamic traditions. This combined with the Islamic teaching of the common origin of humanity holds out much hope. Indeed, the Qur'an teaches: "We created you from a single pair of a male and female (Adam and Eve), and made you into nations and tribes that ye may know each other and not that you might despise each other. The most honored of you in the sight of God is the most righteous of you" (Quran 49:13). This is a great celebration of the differences and at the same time unity of all of humanity.

Another essential spiritual message of the Hajj is one of humility to God and His supremacy and control over all that we know. The multitude of people and their inner beliefs and practices are all to be judged by God and God alone in His infinite wisdom and full knowledge. Indeed, as the Qur'an insists, "Let there be no compulsion in matters of faith, truth stands out clear from error." (Quran 2:256)

The result of a successful Hajj is a rich inner peace, which is manifested outwardly in the values of justice, honesty, respect, generosity, kindness, forgiveness, mercy and empathy. And it is these values all attributes of God almighty -- that are indispensable to us all if we are just to get along in this world.

SOME HADITH THAT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE FOR GOOD


1. Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah, (PBUH), said, "This world is the prison of the believer and the paradise of the unbeliever." [Muslim]

2. Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah, (PBUH), said, "The Fire is surrounded by indulgence (pleasures) of appetites and Jannah is surrounded by things people dislike." [Agreed upon]

3. Abu Hurayra reported that the Prophet, (PBUH), said, "A man follows the religion of his close friend, so each of you should be very careful about whom he takes as a close friend." [Abu Dawud and at-Tirmidhi]

4. Sahl ibn Sa'd reported that the Messenger of Allah, (PBUH), said, "Anyone who safeguards for My sake what is between his jaws and what is between his legs, I will safeguard Jannah (Paradise) for him." [Agreed upon]

5. Anas reported that the Prophet, (PBUH), said, "None of you can truly be said to believe until he wants for his brother what he wants for himself." [Agreed upon]

6. An-Nu'man ibn Bashir reported that the Messenger of Allah, (PBUH), said, "The metaphor of the believers in their mutual love, mercy and affection is that of the body. When one limb of it (the body) complains, the rest of the body collapses with sleeplessness and fever." [Agreed upon]

7. Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah, (PBUH), said, "The strong man is not the one who throws people in wrestling. The strong man is the one who has control of himself when he is angry." [Agreed upon]

8. Jarir ibn 'Abdullah reported that the Messenger of Allah said, "If someone does not show mercy to people, Allah will not show mercy to him." [Agreed upon]

9. Abu Muhammad al-Hasan ibn 'Ali ibn Abi Talib said, "I memorised from the Messenger of Allah, (PBUH): 'Abandon anything that gives you doubt for what gives you no doubt. Truthfulness is peace of mind and lying is doubt." [At-Tirmidhi]

10. Abu Umama Sudayy ibn 'Ajlan al-Bahili said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah, (PBUH), speaking in the Hajj of Farewell. He said, 'Fear Allah, pray your five prayers, fast your month (of Ramadhan), pay the Zakat on your property and obey your leaders and you will enter Jannah of your Lord." [at-Tirmidhi]

11. Jabir also reported that the Messenger of Allah, (PBUH), said, "No Muslim plants something without what is eaten from it being sadaqa for him. Even what is stolen from it is sadaqa for him. And no one visits it without that being sadaqa for him." [Muslim]

12. Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah, (PBUH), said, "All of my community will enter Jannah except those who refuse." He was asked, "Who are those who refuse, Messenger of Allah?" He said, "Those who obey me will enter Jannah and those who disobey (disregard my sunnah) me refuse." [al-Bukhari]

13. Abu Hurayra, reported that the Prophet, (PBUH), said, "Whoever has done an injustice to his brother with regard to his honour or anything else should seek to be absolved by him before the day when there will be neither dinar nor dirham. If he has right actions, they will be taken from him to counterbalance the injustice he did, and if he does not have any good actions, some of the bad actions of his friend will be taken and he will be made to carry them." [al-Bukhari]

14. Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah, (PBUH), said, "Anyone who believes in Allah and the Last Day should not harm his neighbour. Anyone who believes in Allah and the Last Day should honour his guest. Anyone who believes in Allah and the Last Day should speak well or be silent." [Agreed upon]

15. Anas reported that the Messenger of Allah, (PBUH), said, "Anyone who desires the expansion of his provision or to have the best of his life prolonged, should maintain ties of kinship (blood-relationship s).'" [Agreed upon]

In a related Hadith, 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr reported: "The Prophet, (PBUH), said, 'A person who maintains ties of kinship is not someone who only does so with those who maintain ties with him. A person who maintains ties of kinship is someone who restores them when they have been cut off.'" [al-Bukhari]

16. Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah, (PBUH), said, "It is better for one of you to take a rope and carry firewood on his back than for him to go to a man to beg from him who then gives to him or refuses to." [Agreed upon]

17. Ibn Mas'ud reported that the Messenger of Allah, (PBUH), said, "Which of you loves the property of his heir more than he loves his own property?" They said, "O Messenger of Allah, there is none of us who does not love his own property more." He said, "His property is what he sends ahead (i.e. gives in the way of Allah), and the property of his heir is what he keeps back (i.e. the property he will leave if he died tomorrow)." [al-Bukhari]

18. Abu Mas'ud 'Uqba ibn 'Amr al-Ansari al-Badri reported that the Messenger of Allah, (PBUH), said, "Anyone who shows the way to something good has the same reward as the person who does it." [Muslim]

In another Hadith, Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah, (PBUH), said, "Anyone who calls people to guidance has the same reward as that received by those who follow it, without that decreasing their reward in any way. Anyone who calls people to misguidance, is attributed with wrong actions the same as those who follow it, without that decreasing their wrong actions in any way." [Muslim]

19. On the authority of Sahl bin Saad Al-Saedi, who said : A man came to the prophet and said: "O Messenger of Allah, direct me to an act which, if I do it, [will cause] Allah to love me and people to love me." He said: "Renounce the world (i.e. give-up or control your worldly desires) and Allah will love you; and renounce what people possess (i.e. keep off people's property) and people will love you." [Ibn Majah]

20. Narrated 'Umar bin Al-Khattab (May Allah be pleased with him), reported: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "The deeds are considered by the intentions, and a person will get the reward according to his intention (i.e. whether to please Allah or fellow men). So whoever emigrated for Allah and His Messenger, his emigration will be for Allah and His Messenger; and he whose migration was to achieve some worldly benefit or to take some woman in marriage, his emigration would be for what he emigrated for".


Abu Mas'ud 'Uqba ibn 'Amr al-Ansari al-Badri reported that the Messenger of Allah, (PBUH), said, "Anyone who shows the way to something good has the same reward as the person who does it." [Muslim]

E.g. if you encourage someone to go for Salah, or pay Zakat and the person actually goes ahead and prays or pays Zakat, Allah will reward him for the good deeds and at the same time give you (the one that encouraged them to do good) an equal reward as he has given them- without decreasing what he gave them.[/b]

[b]So Encourage Others To Do Good And Refrain From Bad Deed

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25 Steps To Be Closer To Allah

1. Start off each day with ‘adhkaar al-istiyqaadh’ (waking up Supplications), thanking Allah for waking up in good shape.

2. Put Allah first in your life.

3. Broaden your horizons - learn 5 new verses from the Quran every day, travel to pray far in the mosque to brighten your day, take up a booklet having supplications and read them.

4. Pray Salaat Al-dhuhaa (after sunrise).

5. If someone says something mean to you, just shrug it off and dismiss it in a friendly, laidback manner, and pray that Allah shall forgive them.

6. When you get angry, remember Allah, and how short and worthless life is to waste in being Angry.

7. Remember that you can never have too many friends, but you can have few quality friends that help you fulfill the purpose of your creation (i.e. live for Allah).

8. When you’re happy, try to share your happiness with others. Thank Allah for that, and pray its continuation.

9. When something bad or embarrassing happens to you, just think that it could always be worse, remember the reward of patience, and thank Allah that it’s not worse than it is.

10. Do something extra of goodness once in a while, like feeding a poor person, or caressing an orphan’s head.

11. Never stop believing that you can win Allah’s love and thus work For it. Then you can win the love of Allah’s slaves.

12. Spend some time thinking of Allah’s amazing creation.

13. Always love those who love Allah unconditionally. This way you will ensure that you live for Him, love for Him, and hate for Him (those who are enemies of Him).

14. Find the righteous ways to express yourself, and if you think that what you are about to say shall cause no benefit, maintain silence (this is tough!!).

15. Every now and then, give yourself a break. Play sports, give time to your family, friends, but always remember Allah and that He is watching you.

16. Pray for blessing to come to those being lost, and pray to Allah to guide them to the right path.

17. Hug your parents, kiss their hands and heads and always obey but stop at Allah’s orders.

18. Smile to everyone, for your smile makes a big difference to him or her and you are rewarded.

19. Forgive, forget and smile.

20. Tears are not for women only… tears are for all human beings with feelings remaining in them. Don’t restrain your tears when remembering Allah.

21. When people criticize your actions and effort, revise your actions and see if they please Allah or not. If they do; then ignore and remember how the Prophet (SAW) and the Sahaba were criticized, made fun of and even physically harmed, so have patience.

22. Read the Quran daily and try to have a schedule for completing it as much as you could. As you open the Quran daily, read with observing not just passing your eyes through the words.

23. Don’t let popularity go to your head, for it never lasts and you may lose from it more than gain.

24. Never look down on anybody, for, to Allah, they may be better than you.

25. Send this to all with the intention of having a healthy society living for Allah and pray,

“This is by Grace of my Lord - to test me whether I am grateful or ungrateful! And whoever is grateful, truly, his gratitude is for himself; and whoever is ungrateful, (it is for the loss of only himself).

Certainly my Lord is Rich, Bountiful.” (27:40).

The Birth of the Prophet Muhammed

Seerah of the Prophet Muhammed (Peace Be Upon Him)

Praise be to Allaah the Lord of the Worlds, and blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and all his family and companions.

When Abdullah, the father of the Prophet (peace be upon him) grew up Abdul-Muttalib decided that he should get married. So he then got married to Amina Bint Wahb. She is also from Bani Abdi Manaf and hence from the Quraysh who are from the decendants of Ismaeel. So the Prophet (peace be upon him) is from the most respected and honourable lineage. Aminas’ mother was from Yathrib and Amina lived in Yathrib. Abdul-Mutallib hence took his son and got him married to Amina in Yathrib. They returned thereafter to Makkah. Amina got pregnant and after a few months into her pregnancy Abdullah passed away, the father of the Prophet(peace be upon him). He became an orphan before he was even born.

When the time came close to the birth of the Prophet (peace be upon him), his mother saw a dream that she gave birth to a boy and with this boy a magnificient emergence of light spread out and enveloped the earth until it reached Busra in al-Sham. She also saw herself in the dream saying ‘u’iithuhu bilahil-wahid min shari kuli hasid’ which means ‘I seek for him, refuge in Allah the One from the evil of every envier’.

On a Monday, the 12th of Rabee’ al-Awwal (based on the strongest opinion) during the year that became known as the ‘Year of the Elephant’, 50 days after the incident of the Elephant, the Prophet (peace be upon him) was born. And with his birth, a number of interesting and extraordinary incidents occurred. We recall them, keeping in mind that the greatness of the Prophet (peace be upon him) is not in these incidents, but simply that it is from the signs and glad tidings of his arrival. His greatness is not in his birth, but rather it is within the message and teachings that he brought to mankind.

Hassan Ibn Thabit, (the poet of the Prophet peace be upon him) who was in Madina when he was seven years old, says about the birth of the Prophet (peace be upon him) that, ‘One day when I was seven years old, I was with or at the place of the Jews in their suburb, and there was a rabbi from the Jews who was sitting high on top of a house and was calling out ‘O Jewish people, today the star of Ahmad has emerged or appeared, and it does not appear except with his arrival’.

From amongst the signs also was that his mother while she carried him during her pregnancy, it was a pregnancy with no hardships or discomfort. Even though the norm is that pregnancy brings with it hardship. Allah says about the pregnant woman, ‘She carried him with hardship and she bore him (gave birth to him) with hardship’.

Furthermore, from the extraordinary incidents reported, was that when he was born, he came out supporting himself with his hands, and he raised his head to the sky. He was born Makhtun (circumcised) and Masrur (his umbilical cord was cut off). His birth was made easy.

When his mother gave birth to him, the good news reached Abdul-Mutallib, who was overjoyed by the news. And when he heard about the way he was born, circumcised, umbilical cord cut off, and supporting his body with his hands, his joy and happiness increased, and he said, ‘By Allah, verily for this son of mine there is an important matter’. He took Muhammed (peace be upon him) before he was even named, into the Ka’bah and raised him and thanked Allah for his birth.

As for naming him Muhammed, there is a story behind it. Abdul-Mutallib was on a journey in al-Sham with three of his companions. Along the way they met with a group of rabbi Jews. The Jews asked, ‘From where did you come?’ They replied ‘We are from Makkah'. So one of the rabbis said to them 'That from your country a Prophet will emerge'. They asked, ‘What is the name of this Prophet?’ He replied ‘His name will be Muhammed’. Until then, the name Muhammed was not used by the Arabs. These four companions, when they returned, each one of them decided to name any of their new offspring Muhammed. Abdul-Mutallib could not have anymore children, so he wanted to name the first child that would be born to any of his children Muhammed. And so it happened to be the Prophet (peace be upon him) and so he named him Muhammed.

Rulings on celebrating the Prophet’s birthday

The commands mentioned in the Qur’aan and Sunnah to follow the laws of Allaah and His Messenger, and the prohibitions on introducing innovations into the religion are quite clear. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Say (O Muhammad to mankind): ‘If you (really) love Allaah, then follow me (i.e. accept Islamic Monotheism, follow the Qur’aan and the Sunnah), Allaah will love you and forgive you your sins’” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:31]

“Follow what has been sent down unto you from your Lord (the Qur’aan and Prophet Muhammad’s Sunnah), and follow not any Awliyaa’ (protectors and helpers who order you to associate partners in worship with Allaah), besides Him (Allaah). Little do you remember!” [al-A’raaf 7:3]

“And verily, this is My straight path, so follow it, and follow not (other) paths, for they will separate you away from His path” [al-A’naam 6:153]

And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The most truthful of speech is the Book of Allaah and the best of guidance is the guidance of Muhammad, and the most evil of things are those which are newly-invented.” And he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever innovates anything in this matter of ours (i.e., Islam), that is not part of it will have it rejected.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, no. 2697; Muslim, no. 1718). According to a version narrated by Muslim, “Whoever does anything that is not in accordance with this matter of ours (i.e., Islam), will have it rejected.”

Among the reprehensible innovations that people have invented is the celebration of the birthday of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in the month of Rabee’ al-Awwal. They celebrate this occasion in various ways:

Some simply make it an occasion to gather and read the story of the Mawlid, then they present speeches and qaseedahs (odes) for this occasion.

Some make food and sweets etc., and offer them to the people present.

Some hold these celebrations in the mosques, and some of them hold them in their houses. 1011426450

Some people do not limit themselves to the actions mentioned above; they include in these gatherings haraam and reprehensible things, such as free mixing of men and women, dancing and singing, or committing actions of shirk such as seeking the help of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), calling upon him, seeking his support against their enemies and so on.

Whatever form it takes and whatever the intentions of those who do this are, there is no doubt whatsoever that it is an invented, haraam innovation which was introduced by the Shi’a Faatimids after the three best centuries, in order to corrupt the religion of the Muslims.

This is the origin of this celebration on the occasion of the Prophet’s birthday. More recently idle entertainment, extravagance, and wasting of money and time have become associated with an innovation for which Allaah has not sent down any authority.

What Muslims should do is to revive the Sunnah and put an end to bid’ah (innovation); they should not do any action until they know the ruling of Allaah concerning it.

Celebrating the occasion of the birthday of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is forbidden and is to be rejected for a number of reasons:

1 – it is not part of the Sunnah of the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) or of the khaleefahs who succeeded him. Since this is the case, then it is a forbidden innovation, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “I urge you to follow my Sunnah and the way of the rightly-guided khaleefahs after me; adhere to it and cling to it firmly. Beware of newly-invented things, for every newly-invented thing is an innovation (bid’ah) and every innovation is a going-astray.” (Narrated by Ahmad, 4/126; al-Tirmidhi no. 2676).

If a person does anything in order to draw closer to Allaah which was not done by the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) or enjoined by him, and was not done by the khaleefahs who succeeded him, this action implies that he is accusing the Messenger of not explaining the religion to the people, and that he disbelieves in the words of Allaah (interpretation of the meaning):

“This day, I have perfected your religion for you” [al-Maa'idah 5:3]

Because he is adding something extra and claiming that it is a part of the religion, but the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did not bring this.

2 – Celebrating the birthday of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is an imitation of the Christians, because they celebrate the birth of the Messiah (peace be upon him). Imitating them is extremely haraam. The hadeeth tells us that it is forbidden to imitate the kuffaar, and we are commanded to differ from them. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever imitates a people is one of them” (narrated by Ahmad, 2/50; Abu Dawood, 4/314). And he said, “Be different from the mushrikeen” (narrated by Muslim, 1/222, no. 259) – especially with regard to things that are the symbols or rituals of their religion.

3 – Besides being bid’ah and an imitation of the Christians, both of which are haraam, celebrating the birthday of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is also a means that leads to exaggeration and excess in venerating him, which even goes as far as calling upon him (making du’aa’ to him) and seeking his help, instead of calling upon Allah, as happens now among many of those who observe the bid’ah of the Mawlid, when they call upon the Messenger instead of Allah, and ask him for support, and sing qaseedahs (odes) of shirk praising him, like Qaseedat al-Burdah etc. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) forbade going to extremes in praising him, as he said: “Do not extol as the Christians extolled the son of Maryam. For I am just His slave, so say, the slave of Allah and His Messenger” (narrated by al-Bukhaari, 4/142, no. 3445; al-Fath, 6/551), i.e., do not exaggerate in praising me as the Christians exaggerated in praising the Messiah and venerated him until they worshipped him instead of Allaah. Allah forbade them to do that when he said (interpretation of the meaning):

“O people of the Scripture (Christians)! Do not exceed the limits in your religion, nor say of Allaah aught but the truth. The Messiah ‘Eesa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary), was (no more than) a Messenger of Allaah and His Word, (“Be!” — and he was) which He bestowed on Maryam (Mary) and a spirit (Rooh) created by Him” [al-Nisaa’ 4:171]

Our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade us to exaggerate concerning him lest the same thing happen to us as happened to them, so he said: “Beware of exaggeration, for those who came before you were destroyed because of exaggeration” (narrated by al-Nasaa’i, 5/268; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Sunan al-Nasaa’i, no. 2863).

4 – Observing the innovation of the Prophet’s birthday opens the door to other kinds of bid’ah and being distracted by them from the Sunnah. Hence you find that the innovators are very active when it comes to bid’ah and very lazy when it comes to the Sunnah; they hate it and regard those who follow it as enemies, until their entire religion is innovated anniversaries and Mawlids.

May Allah (SWT) guide us to the right path.

Well, this may not be 'learning' but inferences. Iqraa's sheikh was talking about 'Unity in the muslim ummah' and how these days, it's got to the extent of naming mosques after nationalities (one readily comes to my mind) or tribe etc which segregates the ummah. If Nigerians build a mosque in, say Cameroon, we should not name it 'Naija Moshalashi' or 'Hausa mosque' or the sorts because the community must be considered andhe further gave examples of how he'd been to a place in Amsterdam whereby he wanted to pray and he was asked "are you Turkish", "no" he replied and he was directed to the arab mosque. Subhanallah!


Later on, a scholar was interviewed from US and it was encouraged that we make the mosque area a multi-purpose one whereby Muslims can engage in different activities and look forward to going to the Masjid as there are entertaining, learning etc activities there. This he noted is important for our women and children. It should also be observed that this depends on the size of the land parcel and funds of the project.

The incident when Rasoolullah (saw) ordered the Sahabah to ask dua from a tabi'i.
[English Subtitles]

Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rClUpezLmrY&list=UUzQbiQXyzTSbSPTMIwFlxBQ&index=1&feature=plcp

Transcript:


Sahabah asked him for dua
Maulana Tariq Jameel



The Prophet [s.a.w] said to Umar [r.a]
“O Umar, in your time there will be a person by the name of Uwais. His tribe will be called Muraad. His village will be Qarn. His complexion will be dark. He will be of medium height and there will be a white mark on his body. O Umar and Ali. When he comes, ask him to supplicate for you."

For I swear by Allah, if the likes of Uwais, fill the earth they can’t equal one hair on the body of Umar and Ali. But through this, he [s.a.w] wanted to make a point.

Umar and Ali [r.a] became astonished that they were being told to ask Uwais to make dua for them for they were sahabah and he was a Tabi’ee. The Prophet [s.a.w] said “He has served his mother so well that whenever he raises his hands to ask Allah, Allah doesn’t send those hands back empty”

This point needed to be made, to be humble in front of your parents. The pace of the work life in the country in which you live is fast. If one has parents, very few are fortunate to have children who look after them, otherwise they spend their later life with the walls of their house.

So when Umar [r.a] became the Khalifah, he would do hajj every year. Every year he would search for him [Uwais]. I don’t know, it may be the middle years, when Umar [r.a] gathered all the pilgrims. He asked them to stand and then requested “every one sit down apart from those who are from Yemen”. Then everyone sat down apart from the Yemenis. He then said “Everyone sit down, apart from those from the tribe of Muraad” so all the Yemenis sat down apart from those of the tribe of Muraad.

This year when I went for the purpose of dawah in Yemen, I went to the village of Uwais al Qarni. I saw where he was born. I met with the people of his tribe. I went through the locality marvelling at the fact that Uwais was born here. There are dry mountains there…dry mountains.

Then Umar [ra] said, “Those of the tribe of Muraad sit down, those of Qarn remain standing”, then there remained only one man standing. So he [r.a] asked “Are you Qarni?” he replied “yes”. “Do You know Uwais” I Know him, he is my nephew/brother’s son, but he’s a bit crazy, why do you ask about him?” Umar [r.a] began to cry and said “He is not crazy; it seems you are the crazy one”. He then asked “where is he, has he come to hajj?” His uncle said “He has come but he has gone towards Arafah to graze his camels.

Umar and Ai [ra] then hastened towards Arafah and when they arrived they saw a person praying underneath a tree whilst the camels were grazing around him. They then sat down and waited. Uwais felt some people were waiting for him so he shortened his prayer. When he finished Umar [r.a] asked “Who are you?” He replied “I am a worker”. He asked “What is your name”. He replied “Abdullah (the servant of Allah)”. Umar [r.a] then said “We are all the servants of Allah; I am asking the name which your mother called you with”

He didn’t recognise that this was the Khalifah Umar and this was Ali, as this was the first time he had come to hajj. He said “Who are you to take my interview” interview is from my own words. “Who are you to ask me?” Then Ali [r.a] said “This is Ameer ul mu’mineen Umar bin Khataab and I am Ali bin Abi Talib”. Then he became shocked and made salaam to them saying “I apologize, I did not recognize you”.
Umar [r.a] said “Raise your hands [in supplication for us]”

this was to tell the future generations how to serve their mothers, such that the likes of Umar and Ali were asking him to raise his hands.

He exclaimed “How can I raise my hands for you? Me. What is my significance that I make dua for you?”
He heard the reply “Yes, we were ordered by the Prophet [s.a.w]; if you see Uwais then you must ask for his dua. When he raises his hands for dua, it is answered”.

For what reason? Tahajjud, Jihad, Tableegh, dhikr, tilawah, tasbeeh, hajj, umrah, salah, fasting, dhikr, tilawah…for what reason? No, none of these, only one reason: Serving his mother.

In another narration it is mentioned: When people are going to Jannah Uwais will be going as well. When he will get to the doors of jannah it will be said “Everyone else can proceed apart from Uwais”. Uwais will become scared and will ask “O Allah, why have you stopped me?” Allah will say “You stay, let the rest go. Now, in front of you stand the people who are going to Hellfire, intercede for them, because of you thousands will be given Paradise. This is why I have stopped you, so that you may intercede. To whomever your finger points, I will give those Jannah”

Pounds (money) is not everything, Mothers are valuable as well.

The Woman: a parable
© Nuh Ha Mim Keller 2001

A man was walking through the marketplace one afternoon when, just as the muezzin began the call to prayer, his eye fell on a woman’s back. She was strangely attractive, though dressed in fulsome black, a veil over head and face, and she now turned to him as if somehow conscious of his over-lingering regard, and gave him a slight but meaningful nod before she rounded the corner into the lane of silk sellers. As if struck by a bolt from heaven, the man was at once drawn, his heart a prisoner of that look, forever. In vain he struggled with his heart, offering it one sound reason after another to go his way—wasn’t it time to pray?—but it was finished: there was nothing but to follow.

He hastened after her, turning into the market of silks, breathing from the exertion of catching up with the woman, who had unexpectedly outpaced him and even now lingered for an instant at the far end of the market, many shops ahead. She turned toward him, and he thought he could see a flash of a mischievious smile from beneath the black muslin of her veil, as she—was it his imagination?—beckoned to him again.

The poor man was beside himself. Who was she? The daughter of a wealthy family? What did she want? He requickened his steps and turned into the lane where she had disappeared. And so she led him, always beyond reach, always tantalizingly ahead, now through the weapons market, now the oil merchants’, now the leather sellers’; farther and farther from where they began. The feeling within him grew rather than decreased. Was she mad? On and on she led, to the very edge of town.

The sun declined and set, and there she was, before him as ever. Now they were come, of all places, to the City of Tombs. Had he been in his normal senses, he would have been afraid, but indeed, he now reflected, stranger places than this had seen a lovers’ tryst.

There were scarcely twenty cubits between them when he saw her look back, and, giving a little start, she skipped down the steps and through the great bronze door of what seemed to be a very old sepulcher. A soberer moment might have seen the man pause, but in his present state, there was no turning back, and he went down the steps and slid in after her.

Inside, as his eyes saw after a moment, there were two flights of steps that led down to a second door, from whence a light shone, and which he equally passed through. He found himself in a large room, somehow unsuspected by the outside world, lit with candles upon its walls. There sat the woman, opposite the door on a pallet of rich stuff in her full black dress, still veiled, reclining on a pillow against the far wall. To the right of the pallet, the man noticed a well set in the floor.

“Lock the door behind you,” she said in a low, husky voice that was almost a whisper, “and bring the key.”

He did as he was told.

She gestured carelessly at the well. “Throw it in.”

A ray of sense seemed to penetrate for a moment the clouds over his understanding, and a bystander, had there been one, might have detected the slightest of pauses.

“Go on,” she said laughingly, “You didn’t hesitate to miss the prayer as you followed me here, did you?”

He said nothing.

“The time for sunset prayer has almost finished as well,” she said with gentle mockery. “Why worry? Go on, throw it in. You want to please me, don’t you?”

He extended his hand over the mouth of the well, and watched as he let the key drop. An uncanny feeling rose from the pit of his stomach as moments passed but no sound came. He felt wonder, then horror, then comprehension.

“It is time to see me,” she said, and she lifted her veil to reveal not the face of a fresh young girl, but of a hideous old crone, all darkness and vice, not a particle of light anywhere in its eldritch lines.

“See me well,” she said. “My name is Dunya, This World. I am your beloved. You spent your time running after me, and now you have caught up with me. In your grave. Welcome, welcome.”

At this she laughed and laughed, until she shook herself into a small mound of fine dust, whose fitful shadows, as the candles went out, returned to the darkness one by one.

Four Principles for a Noble Character
-Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah (RA).

“It is not imagined that one can have noble character except if it is founded upon four pillars:

The First: Sabr(Patience)

The Second: ‘Iffah (Chastity)

The Third: Shujaa’ah (Courage)

The Fourth: Adl (Justice)

Patience, inspires him to be tolerant, control his anger, endure the harms that he receives from others, to be forbearing and deliberate in his decisions. It motivates him to be gentle and not to be rash or hasty.

Chastity, inspires him to avoid every imprudent characteristic, whether in statement or action, and encourages him to have a sense of modesty and integrity which is the epitome of all good. It prevents him from fornication, stinginess, lying, backbiting and spreading tales to cause separation and discord between the people.

Courage, inspires him to have a sense of self esteem, to emphasize high and noble manners and to make it apart of his natural disposition. It also encourages him to exert himself and to be generous, which is in essence, true courage and it leads to strong will and self determination. It encourages him to distance himself from his ardent lowly desires, to control his anger, and to be forbearing because by such, he can control his temper, take it by the reins and curb his violent and destructive behavior just as the Messenger () said:

“The Strong is not the one who can wrestle his opponent to the ground but rather the strong is the one who can control himself when he gets angry.”

This is true genuine courage and it is the sole trait that the slave utilizes to conquer his opponent.

Justice, encourages him to be impartial in his behavior with people and to be moderate between the two extremes of negligence and extremism. It motivates him to be generous and kind which is the middle course between absolute degradation and arrogance, and to make this apart of his disposition and makeup. It encourages him to be courageous which is the middle course between cowardice and imprudence, and to be forbearing which is the middle course between extreme unnecessary anger and ignominy.

These four virtuous characteristics are the axis and provenance of all noble manners

and the foundation of all repugnant and ignominious characteristics are built upon four pillars:

The First: Jahl (Ignorance)

The Second: Dhulm (Oppression)

The Third: Shahwah (following ones lowly desires)

The Fourth: Ghadab (Anger)

Ignorance, allows him to view good in the form of evil and evil in the form of good, and to consider that which is complete to be incomplete and that which is incomplete to be complete.

Oppression, causes him to put things in places which are not appropriate for them, so he gets angry when its time to be happy and he is happy when its time to be angry. He is ignorant and hasty when its time to be deliberate and deliberate when its time to be hasty, he is stingy when it is time to be generous and generous when its time to be stingy. He is weak when it is time to be courageous and assume responsibility, and he assumes responsibility when it is time to take a step back (and let someone else undertake the initiative). He is gentle and lenient when it is time to be harsh and firm and he is harsh and firm when it is time to be lenient. He is humble when it is time to be superior and arrogant when it is time to be humble.

Following (his) lowly desires, encourages him to be diligent in obtaining that which the soul ardently desires, to be stingy and greedy. It encourages him to adorn himself with all types of despicable and imprudent characteristics.

Anger, incites him to be arrogant, jealous, envious, to hold enmity of others and to be imprudent and shameless.

Love for the Quran-Shaykh Hasan Ali:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dERozpuZB4

Prophet’s Love and Tolerance for Mankind


The Prophet Muhammad is introduced in the Qur’an in these words:

[And We have not sent you forth but as a mercy to mankind.] (Al-Anbiyaa’: 107)[/b]

This shows that his distinctive quality was that he was a blessing incarnate in word and deed.
According to a tradition recorded in the Sahih of Imam Muslim, when the Prophet’s opponents greatly increased their persecution, his Companions asked him to curse them. At this the Prophet replied, “I have not been sent to lay a curse upon men but to be a blessing to them.”[b] His opponents continued to treat him and his Companions unjustly and cruelly, but he always prayed for them.
Once he was so badly stoned by his enemies that the blood began to spurt from all over his body. This happened when he went to Ta’if, where the Hijaz aristocracy used to while away their summer days. When he attempted to call them to Islam, instead of listening to his words of wisdom, they set the street urchins upon him, who kept chasing him till nightfall. Even at that point, when he was utterly exhausted and bleeding from head to foot, all he said was, “O my Lord, guide my people along the true path, as they are ignorant of the truth.”
His heart was filled with intense love for all human kind irrespective of caste, creed, or color. Once he advised his Companions to regard all people as their brothers and sisters. He added, “You are all Adam’s offspring and Adam was born of clay.”[b][/b]

All this tells us what kind of awareness he wanted to bring about in man. His mission was to bring people abreast of the reality that all men and women, although inhabiting different regions of the world, and seemingly different from one another as regards their color, language, dress, culture, etc., were each other’s blood brothers. Hence a proper relationship will be established between all human beings only if they regard one another as sisters and brothers. Only then will proper feelings of love and respect prevail throughout the world.

According to a hadith, the Prophet once said, “A true believer is one with whom others feel secure. One who returns love for hatred.” [/b]The Prophet made it clear that one who would only return love for love was on a lower ethical plane. We should never think that we should treat people well only if they treat us well. We should, rather, be accustomed to being good to those who are not good to us and to not wronging those who harm us.

According to another hadith, the Prophet once said, “By God, he is not a believer, by God, he is not a believer, by God, he is not a believer, with whom his neighbors are not secure.” [b][/b]This hadith shows how much he loved and cared for all human beings. One of the lessons he taught was that we should live among others like flowers, and not like thorns, without giving trouble to anybody.

In another hadith the Prophet said, “If a believer is not able to benefit others, he must at least do them no harm.”[b] This shows that to the Prophet the man who becomes useful to others leads his life on a higher plane. But if he fails to do so, he should at least create no trouble for his fellow men. For a man to be a really good servant of God, he must live in this world as a no-problem person. There is no third option.

The Prophet’s own example was testified to by Anas ibn Malik, who served the Prophet for ten years. He said that the Prophet never ever rebuked him. “When I did something, he never questioned my manner of doing it; and when I did not do something, he never questioned my failure to do it. He was the most good-natured of all men.”[/b] Such conduct gained him the respect even of his enemies, and his followers stood by him through all kinds of hardship and misfortune. He applied the principles on which his own life was based in equal measure to those who followed his path and to those who had harmed or discountenanced him.

In the present world, everyone’s thinking, tastes, aptitude, likes, and dislikes can never exactly coincide. For many reasons, differences do arise in this world. But then, what is the permanent solution to the problem? The solution lies in tolerance. The Prophet’s entire life served as a perfect example of this principle. According to his wife `A’ishah, “He was a personification of the Qur’an.”[b]

That is to say, the Prophet molded his own life in accordance with the ideal pattern of life that he presented to others in the form of the Qur’an. He never beat a servant, or a woman, or anyone else. He did, of course, fight for what was right. Yet, when he had to choose between two alternatives, he would take the easier course, provided it involved no sin. No one was more careful to avoid sin than he. He never sought revenge on his own behalf for any wrong done to him personally. Only if God’s commandments had been broken would he mete out retribution for the sake of God. It was such conduct which gained the Prophet universal respect.
In the early Makkan period when the antagonists far exceeded the Prophet’s Companions in number, it often happened that when the Prophet would stand to pray, his detractors would come near him and whistle and clap in order to disturb him, but the Prophet did not even once show his anger at such acts. He always opted for the policy of tolerance and avoidance of confrontation.

When the opposition became very strong, the Prophet left Makkah for Madinah. But his antagonists did not leave him in peace. They began to attack Madinah. In this way a state of war prevailed between the Muslims and non-Muslims.
Since the Prophet avoided war at all costs, he strove to bring about a peace agreement between him and the Makkans. After great efforts on his part, the non-Muslims agreed to the finalizing of a 10-year peace treaty, which was drafted and signed at Al-Hudaybiyyah.

While the Hudaybiyyah treaty was being drafted, the Makkans indulged in a number of extremely provocative acts. For instance, the agreement mentioned the Prophet’s name as “Muhammad the Messenger of Allah.” [b][/b]They insisted that the phrase “the Messenger of Allah” be taken out and replaced by “son of Abdullah.” The Prophet accepted their unreasonable condition and deleted the appellation with his own hands. Similarly, they made the condition that if they could lay their hands on any Muslim they would make him a hostage, but if the Muslims succeeded in detaining any non-Muslim, they would have to set him free. The Prophet even relented on this point. For the restoration of peace in the region, the Prophet accepted a number of such unjustifiable clauses that were added by the enemy. In this way he set the example of peace and tolerance being linked with one another. If we desire peace, we must tolerate many unpleasant things from others. There is no other way to establish peace in society.

Once the Prophet was seated at some place in Madinah, along with his Companions. During this time a funeral procession passed by. On seeing this, the Prophet stood up. One of his Companion remarked that the funeral was that of a Jew. The Prophet replied, “Was he not a human being?”[b][/b]

This incident illustrates how an atmosphere of mutual love and compassion can be brought about in the world only when we consciously rise above all insidious demarcation of caste, color, and creed. Just as the Prophet did, we, too, must look at all men as human beings who deserve to be respected at all events.

Month of Muharram: Ethics & Significance

The month of Muharram is one of the sacred months. A Muslim is supposed to gain the advantage of these months so as to draw nearer to Allah by offering voluntary religious deeds such as supererogatory prayers, voluntary fasting, charity, etc.

The 1st of Muharram marks the beginning of the Islamic (Hijri) Calendar. Its real significance lies in the major turning point in the course of Islam.

As told in the Noble Qur'ân: "Verily the number of months with Allah is twelve months (in a year), so was it ordained by Allah on the Day when He created the heavens and the earth; of them four are Sacred. That is the right religion, so wrong not yourselves therein …". [At-Taubah: 36]

As we usher in the new year, many of us take the time to at least briefly reflect on the major lessons in the past year and anticipate new experiences in the fresh year of 1435 Hijrah. This is also the day that we should be reminded of the Prophet's [peace and blessing be upon him and his companions] last pilgrimage and the message that he wants us to carry in our hearts.

In the month of Muharram, we should remember the Hijrah of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) from Makkah to Madinah. There are many lessons in this story and it can help us understand the basic significance of the Hijrah calendar. It is good to remember that Hijrah was a significant move for the growth of Islam and throughout history, Islam has benefited from the Hijrah. The presence and growth of Islam in America also came by the efforts of those who migrated to this land and worked for the cause of Allah.

It is also the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to fast on the 9th and 10th of Muharram. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to fast on the 10th day (`Ashura'). When he came to Madinah, he found out that the Jews of Madinah were also fasting on this day remembering Prophet Musa (peace and blessings be upon him). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) admired this tradition and he said to the Jews, "We are closer to Musa than you are." [/b]He fasted and he also told his Companions to fast on this day. Later, before the end of his life on this earth, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) told Muslims to add the 9th day also. Thus, it is highly recommended to fast on both the 9th and 10th of Muharram by the Sunnah. Imam At-Tirmidhi reported that Ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) used to say: We should fast on two days: the 9th and 10th of Muharram to distinguish ourselves from the Jewish community. (At-Tirmidhi)

Moreover, in his well-known book, [b]Fiqh As-Sunnah, the late Sheikh Sayyed Sabiq states:

Abu Hurayrah reported: "I asked the Prophet: 'Which Prayer is the best after the obligatory Prayers?' He said: 'Prayer during the mid of the night.' I asked: 'Which fasting is the best after that of Ramadan?' He said, 'The month of Allah that you call Muharram’" (Ahmad, Muslim, and Abu Dawud).

Mu`awiyyah ibn Abi Sufyan reported that he heard the Messenger of Allah say: "Concerning the day of `Ashura’, it is not obligatory upon you to fast on it as I do. Whoever wishes may fast and whoever does not wish to is not obliged to do so" (Al-Bukhari and Muslim).

It is also good to remember the great sacrifice of Al-Husain and his family (may Allah be pleased with all of them). Theirs was the true Jihad for the cause of truth and justice.

The Day of `Ashura' (10th of Muharram) is certainly a sad day in the history of Islam. It was on this day that the grandson of the Prophet (i.e. Imam Al-Husayn, may Allah be pleased with him) along with many members of his family were brutally massacred in Karbala. We should learn the lessons of courage, patience and perseverance from the episode of Karbala' (year 61 A.H. / 680 C.E).

The Month of Muharram

By E Islam


INTRODUCTION

With the sighting of the new moon the Islamic New Year is ushered in. The first month Muharram, is a month of great reward and virtue. Muharram itself means `sacred' and is from those months which have been mentioned as sacred in the Holy Qur’an. Almighty Allah states in the Holy Qur’an:


"Four of them ( Zil-Qadah, Zil-Hijjah, Muharram and Rajab) are sacred."(Surah At-Tawbah:36)

From out of the four sacred months, Muharram has been blessed with certain specific virtues:- The Holy Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu-Alayhi-Wasallam) said: "The best of fasts besides the month of Ramadhan is the fasting of Allah's month of Muharram."(Hadith-Muslim)
[/b]

[b]"The one that keeps a fast in the month of Muharram will receive the reward of thirty fasts for each fast (in this sacred month)."(Hadith:Tabraani)

Although the fasts of the month of Muharram are not obligatory, the one who fasts in these days out of his own will and choice is entitled to a great reward by Almighty Allah.

THE DAY OF AASHORA (10TH MUHARRAM)

Although the month of Muharram is a sacred month as a whole, the 10th of Muharram is the most sacred among all its days. The day is named 'Ashurah'. It is one of the most important and blessed days of Allah Ta’ala in the Islamic calendar.

FASTING

The Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu-Alayhi-Wasallam) has exhorted and encouraged his Ummah to fast on this day. He said:

"This fast is a compensation for the (minor) sins of the past year." (Hadith:Muslim)


"Observe the fast of Aashora and oppose the Jews. Fast a day before it or a day after."(Hadith:Baihaqi)[/b]

Hence, it is important to either fast on the ninth and the tenth or the tenth and the eleventh of Muharram. To fast only on the day of Aashora is Makrooh(undesirable).

[b]BEING GENEROUS

One should be generous on one's family and dependants and spend more on them than what is normally spent.

Rasulullah (Sallallahu-Alayhi-Wasallam) said: "One who generously spends on his family on the day of Aashora, Allah will increase (his provision) for the whole year." (Hadith:Baihaqi)

These are the actions supported by Ahadeeth. Let us observe this great Month according to the ways of Rasulullah (Sallallahu-Alayhi-Wasallam) and the Sahabah (Radhiyallahu-Anhum), and refrain from all actions which deprive us of the blessings from Almighty Allah.


May Allah guide us all upon the Straight Path and save us from every act which brings His displeasure. …Ameen.

Living to Die or Dying to Live

Death is a harsh and fearful reality faced by everyone who lives. No one has the power to avoid it, nor does anyone around a dying person have the ability to prevent it. It is something that happens every moment and is something encountered by the young and the old, the rich and the poor, the strong and the weak. They are all the same in that they have no plan, nor any means of escaping it, no means of intercession, no way to prevent it, nor to delay it.

Allâh - the Most High - says:"Say: Indeed, the death from which you flee will surely meet you, then you will be sent back to Allâh, the All-Knower of the unseen and the seen. And He will then tell you what you used to do." [Sûrah al-Jumu'ah 62:8]

"Every soul shall taste death. And We shall make a trial of you with evil and with good, and to Us will you be returned." [/b][Sûrah al-Anbiyâ 21:34-35].

Indeed it is death which causes fear in the souls, and with it one's actions are sealed, and what comes after is even more fearful and fear-inducing. For is there a place one can flee to in order to escape from the constrictions suffered in the grave? What will our reply be when we are questioned in the grave? Indeed, not a single one of us knows where we will end up. Will it be Paradise whose width is like the heavens and the earth, or shall it be the Fire whose fuel is of men and stones?

Ibrâhîm ibn Adham said, when he was asked about the verse: "Call upon Me and I will respond to you."[b] [Sûrah Ghâfir 40:60] They said: We call upon Allâh, but He does nor respond to us. So he said:

"You know Allâh; yet you do not obey Him.

You recite the Qur'ân; yet you do not act according to it.

You know Shaytân; yet you continue agreeing with him.

You claim to love Allâh's Messenger(Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasallam); yet you abandon his Sunnah (guidance and way).

You claim to love Paradise, yet you do not work for it.

You claim to fear the Fire; yet you do not stop sinning.

You say, Indeed death is true; yet you have not prepared for it.

You busy yourselves with the faults of others; yet you do not look at your own faults.

You eat the sustenance that Allâh provides for you; yet you are not grateful to Him and

You bury your dead; yet you have not heeded its lesson." [Khushû' fis-Salâh, Ibn Rajab]

So this - O noble reader - is the reality which must be firmly established in one's heart; the reality that life in this world is limited and has an appointed end, and that this end will surely come ...

The righteous will die; And the wicked will die. The warriors who fight jihâd will die; And those who sit at home will die. Those who busy themselves with correct beliefs will die; And those who treat people as their slaves will die. The brave who reject injustice will die; And the cowards who seek to cling to this vile life will die. The people of lofty-goals and ambitions will die; And the wretched who live for cheap enjoyment will die.

"Every soul shall taste death."[b][/b] [Âl-'Imrân 3:185].

So keep in mind the point of death, and of one's passing on to the next life, and the number of sins that one has committed and the small amount of good that one has done. Think of the good that you would earnestly like to do at that time - then bring that forward and do it today. And think of all those things which you would desire to clear yourself of- then clear yourself from them now.

The Path to Paradise

The First Step to Paradise

The first step in self development is to concentrate single-mindedly on paradise. Indeed, the one who is unsure of his destiny in life, torn between this world and the next, like one standing with his feet in two separate boats, will be thrown off balance.

Many of the difficulties that we face are due to this lack of commitment and inability to focus on the real and ultimate goal. If you can keep your focus on paradise, then everything else will be possible.

Beginning a New Journey

The selection of the ultimate goal of paradise must be made consciously and may involve an absolute break with the past. To choose this new goal as the ultimate goal in one's life is in fact to choose a new life, to begin a new journey.

Embark on this new journey by refreshing your ablution and offering two rakahs (units) of Salah (prayer) reminding yourself of all the punishment of Hell-fire you have just resolved to avoid at all costs and all the rewards of paradise that you will strive to achieve.

Remind yourself also of the important stations and landmarks on the journey: imagine death as near; imagine the moment when the Angel of Death will declare, "your time is over, now you must follow me", i[/b]magine that moment when you will be made to stand in the presence of Allah, Most High, so that the final judgment of life may be passed on you and imagine the consequences of that judgment.

When you have completed the two rakahs then resolve once more that all efforts will be directed towards achieving paradise, beseech Allah and pray with humility:

[b]"O Allah, I ask for Your mercy and whatever brings me closer to it, in word and deed. O Allah, I ask for a faith that will never vanish, a blessing that will never diminish, a pleasure that will never abate, and the most elevated position in paradise distinguished by the companionship of Your Messenger, Muhammad."

While improvement in your habits and actions is a life-long process, the desire to achieve it can thus be sparked in a moment. This desire will provide the momentum for attaining your goal -- the good pleasure of Allah and paradise.

Your Mission

Having taken the first step and resolved to attain Paradise, you may ask yourself, what does Allah require from me in order for me to succeed?

What Allah requires of you, in Quranic vocabulary, is for you to be a mumin and mujahid.A mumin is one who is true and firm in his faith in God.

A mujahid is one who strives his utmost, with all the means at his disposal, to gain God's pleasure. If you are a mumin and a mujahid,Allah, the Most Exalted in Power and yet the Most Compassionate, will assist you to rise to higher stations both in this world and in the Hereafter. Allah has promised this to those who possess the qualities of iman (faith) and the active resolve for jihad, or struggle. The Quran states:

[The Believers are only those who have attained to faith in God and His Messenger and have left all doubt behind, and who strive hard in God’s cause with their possessions and their lives: it is they, they who are true to their word.] (Al-Hujurat 49:15)

You now have a mission: to become a mumin and mujahid. [/b]As you embark upon this mission you may come to feel that your knowledge of Islam is somewhat limited or perhaps that you are unable to attain those heights of submission and purification that you desire or others expect of you.

This is only natural. You must not, however, allow these feelings of personal shortcomings to undermine your efforts to practice Islam.
[b]
A State of Becoming

Remember that Islam is a state of becoming not a state of being. Each day you must strive to improve and better yourself -- and you will improve.

You cannot expect to change all at once. This is against the laws of nature. The Prophet was always aware of this when he was dealing with his Companions.

Whenever someone embraced Islam, the Prophet would not ask that person to do everything immediately. Instead, he would teach and expect that person to start fulfilling his obligations only as much as he could bear at a time.

This gradual process of change is also clearly reflected in the manner in which the Quran was revealed over a period of 23 years. In all your efforts towards becoming a better believer, you must bear in mind this principle of gradualism, otherwise you may try to attain the impossible, and when you do not achieve it, you may become frustrated.

A Bargain with the Divine

At this stage, what matters most is that your bargain with Allah,iman, remains sound and firm. This definition of iman is perhaps a little different from the definition you usually hear. It is, however, a definition that we find in the Quran.

Furthermore, attainment of such iman,allows you to be counted among the true and sincere servants in the eyes of your Lord. The Quran states:

[Behold, God has bought of the Believers their lives and their possessions, promising them Paradise in return, they fight in God’s cause, and slay, and are slain: a promise which in truth He has willed upon Himself in the Torah, and the Gospel, and the Quran. And who could be more faithful to his covenant than God?](At-Tawbah 9:111)

Once you have committed yourself to Allah, all that you have must be spent in His way. This is the ideal. Ideals, however, are always difficult to achieve -- and this you must understand and accept.

I[b]deals are always to be pursued; if they are easily and always achievable, they can hardly remain as ideals. Keeping to your side of the bargain then, is an ideal that you must always seek to maintain[/b].

It is this seeking and this striving to spend all that we have in the way of Allah that is known as jihad and alternatively, in this instance, as tazkiya.

Creating the Balance

Islam does not subscribe to the type of asceticism where we purify our hearts and yet remain immersed in political, economic or social corruption. Purification must encompass our entire life, the privacy of our thoughts as well as their social manifestations in our daily life.

Everything must be in conformity with Allah's will. This will of God also requires you to seek and maintain a delicate balance between the various obligations that demand your attention; between your obligations to Allah, your obligations towards others and your obligations towards yourself.

The Prophet advised us against extremism of any kind. It is reported that he said to Abdullah ibn Amr,

Have I heard right that you fast everyday and stand in prayer all night? Abdullah replied, "Yes, O Messenger of Allah" The Prophet said, "Do not do that. Fast, as well as eat and drink. Stand in prayer, as well as sleep. For your body has a right upon you, your eyes have a right upon you, your wife has a right upon you, and your guest has a right upon you." (Muslim)

Unless you approach purification as an all-embracing process, you will find that your life is compartmentalized, certain parts impeding the development of others. This can only result in a life of disharmony and unhappiness.

Approached as a comprehensive and all-embracing process, however, you will find that each part of your life will complement some other part.

This should, God willing, make your struggle on the path to God and Paradise easier and full of grace. As you struggle to make headway on the path to God, always remember that you have an excellent example before you. This is the example of the Prophet Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace.

Often we would like to emulate our sports heroes, our parents, our teachers, our friends or others who attract our attention.

For your spiritual development, however, the most beautiful example is that of the Prophet. Allah says in the Quran:

{You have, indeed, in the Messenger of God an excellent exemplar, whoever places his hopes in God and the Final Day, and who remembers Allah much.}(Al-Ahzab 33: 21)

Blessings and Benefits[b][/b]

The decision to purify and develop yourself requires that you clearly define the path and consider the ways and means to achieve Paradise. This whole process will not only purify your heart, but also affect your entire life and the will of Allah will become so much easier for you to follow.

Following the Divine Will is, of course, purification itself. Soon, all your efforts will be directed towards the ultimate goal – the pleasure of Allah and Paradise.

Know that every sin can be effaced through forgiveness, and forgiveness is a sure way to Paradise. As you strive to better yourself, then, simultaneously and continuously pray for forgiveness for all your shortcomings.

{God says: And whoever repents and believes and works righteous deeds, God changes evil deeds into good ones, and God is Ever-Forgiving, Merciful.}(Al-Furqan 25:70)

It is a misconception to believe that simply by setting up Paradise as the ultimate goal, one can get there without any further effort.

It is also a misconception that Paradise can solely be achieved by concentrating only on certain aspects of life, the "religious and the spiritual."

The very fact that Paradise is the ultimate objective means that purification must be pursued in all aspects of life, and in life as a whole. Consider, for example, the following:

· Is not honesty a means to enter Paradise?

· Will not a sense of responsibility enable me to enter Paradise?

· Will not striving to fulfill the needs of fellow human beings make me deserve Paradise?

· Will not abstaining from vain talk and aimless actions bring me closer to Paradise?

· Is not consciousness of the best use of my time a key to Paradise?

· Will not keeping promises and offering prayer on time, which are distinguishing traits of the righteous, put me on the highway to Paradise?

· Must not all of the above be sought to attain Paradise? Every effort that is legitimate and is aimed at attaining Paradise is also an integral part of the process of purification.

Insha' Allah (God willing), if you take heed of all the prerequisites, blessings and benefits of purification, you will surely find the right environment, the true companionship and brotherhood and the most appropriate training programs to make the task of self development easier and more rewarding.

{So give the good news to My servants who listen to the word [of God], then follow the beauty in it. Such are they whom God has guided. And such are they who are endowed with understanding } (Az-Zumar 39:17-18[b][/b]

The repentance of a Drug Addict:



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4-p4waA0Ro

nuru:
@Mukhtar

Moriabban. You should also tell others to join us here to learnt from our Sheikhs and Sheikhats.

@Babs

Late Adebowale of Izharul Haqq was my friend. May Allah forgive him and grant him Jannat.

ameena