@ dominique
Read 'Towards Understanding Islam" by Nasirdeen Albani.
If U can also lay your hands on 'Fiqh of the family series' 1-10. It's a very good collection containing all what one needs to be a complete Muslim. This one is from the stables of Deen Communications Limited.
'Ideal Muslimah' is also a good book.

[center][size=20pt]Advice of 15th of Sha'ban[/size][/center]

A general and brief advice about the virtues related to 15th night of Sha’ban.

All Praise Belongs to Allah (swt), and May the Saláh and Salám of Allah (swt) be upon our beloved Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم

I was asked by some of my beloved brothers about the Authenticity of a Hadeeth that relates the virtue of 15th of Sha’ban. After seeking the assistance of Allah (SWT) I made the intention of answering their request.

The Hadeeth that is in discussion is the following:

Narrated by Mu’adh ibn Jabal, and Abee Tha’labah and others (ra) that the Messenger of Allah (SA) said:
“Allah looks at His creation in the night of mid-Sha’ban and He forgives all His creation except for a Mushrik (The one who associates partners with Allah (SWT) in His Essence, Names or Attributes) or a Mushaahin (one having hatred against his brothers/ or one leaving the true group of Muslims).”

[Related by Ibn Hibban, Tabarani, Ibn Khuzayma and classified Sahih by Shaykh Shu’ayb Arnaut and Shaykh Albani]'

I will advice you brothers to ask Sincere, Knowledgeable, Muttaqi, and Trustworthy scholars amongst this Ummah. Also read and study some of the writings and articles that are written on this issue.
My brief and general advice on issues like these and similar issues is that:

Firstly, in any issue a Muslim must act according to the Speech of Allah and the Hikmah (Sunnah) of Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم , and the Ijma' of the Sahabas without falling into any kind of Bid'ah, whether it is Bid'ah Haqiqiyyah (a innovation that has no base (Asl) in the Deen) or Bid'ah Idáfiyyah (a Bidah that has some base (Asl) in the Deen).

Every kind and every single Bid'ah in the Deen leads a Muslim to falsehood and more worryingly covers and removes a Sunnah.

Therefore a Muslim must be careful of not committing a Bid'ah in worship and be aware that it is one of the greatest sins, rather it is the greatest sin after Kufr and Shirk against Allah, (swt). Bid’ah leads a person to kufr and shirk whilst some are kufr and shirk.

A person who commits a Bid'ah in any kind of worship, instead of receiving rewards from Allah (aw) this person receives the displeasure of Allah (aw) and His Wrath (we take refuge with Him from that all).
As the Messenger of Allah Muhammad (sa) said: “Whosoever innovates anything in our Matter of this (i.e. Islam) which is not part of it, then it is rejected” (rejected back to the person without receiving any rewards from Allah (swt)).

[Agreed upon; Bukhari & Muslim]

Also the Messenger of Allah Muhammad (sa) said: “Whosoever does an action which is not according to our matter (i.e. Islam), then it is rejected”

Also we must be careful of not making something that is from the Deen into Bid'ah. Shaytan comes both ways, he makes Haram Halal and also makes Halal Haram, so take heed of the deceptions of Shaytan.



Secondly, Allah (swt) always from His Sunnah Emphasizes upon the greater evil that is happening in the society before He (swt) Emphasizes on the lesser evils. The Prophets (sa) did the same and their Inheritors (scholars) did and are implementing this Sunnah till today. For example, Allah (swt) Emphasized on kufr and shirk before He (swt) Emphasized on not taking Alcohol.

The Messenger of Allah (sa) also did the same, when three Sahaabah’s came to some of the wives of the Messenger of Allah (SA) and asked about his (sa) worship, after they were told about his worship, Anas bin Malik says “as if they took (sa) worship to be little”…so then one of them said:

“I will pray all night, the other said I will fast continuously, and the last said I will not marry…” when the Messenger of Allah was told of this, he gathered everyone and said:

“…As for me I stand during the night (Pray) and sleep, and I fast and break my fast, and I marry, so the one who dislikes my sunnah then he is not from me…”

[Bukhari, Muslim & others.]

Nawawi Hadith #6 - Purification of the heart
[flash=425,344]http://www.youtube.com/watch/v/7JHrMRmG_ZQ[/flash]

Nawawi Hadith #5 - Ibadah & Bida`ah
[flash=425,344]http://www.youtube.com/watch/v/odCebXTADyI[/flash]

Nawawi Hadith #11 - Avoiding Doubtful Acts
[flash=425,344]http://www.youtube.com/watch/v/lJ0U4nuN-Nk[/flash]


The Sháhid (point and evidence) here is that The Messenger of Allah (sa) did not speak of the virtues of voluntary prayer nor voluntary fasting, because the defect was not that they did not take these actions as virtuous, but the defect was in the way they wanted to implement these actions. So the Messenger of Allah (sa) emphasised the way of implementing these actions; He (sa) emphasized more on Sleeping after the prayer and Breaking the Fast than Praying and Fasting itself.

Praying at night and fasting (other than Ramadhán) is voluntary, whereas not sleeping after prayer and not breaking fast is not from the Sunnah of (sa), rather it is Bid’ah; which is a greater evil than leaving the voluntary actions in the first place. Therefore he (sa) emphasized more on the greater evil.

Coming to the subject of Nisf Sha’ban, for the sake of argument say the Hadeeth is Authentic. Is the defect today in the society that they do not virtue this night? Or is it that they virtue it too much, and worship Allah (swt) in ways which are not according to the Sunnah of Muhammad (sa)?

It’s very obvious from the actions of the society that they virtue this night too much. The way they act in that night, is against and contrary to the Sunnah of (sa). Therefore where should our emphasis be? On the virtue of this night or upon the actions which takes place on this night; which are contrary to the Sunnah of Muhammad (sa)?

From the above Hadeeth it is very clear that we should emphasise on the greater evil that takes place rather than the voluntary virtues.

A person who sleeps the whole night of Nisf Sha’ban without any voluntary worship is far better than the one who stays awake for a moment and commits an action that is against the Sunnah of the Messenger of Alláh (sa).

Thirdly, a Muslim should always be on the safe side, especially a lay person. The evidences for this principle can be found in the Quran and the Sunnah. There are many evidences in the Quran, take for example, Surah Hajj verse 11:

" and among mankind is He who worships Allâh as it were, upon the very edge (i.e. In doubt); if good befalls him, He is content therewith; but if a trial befalls him, He turns back on his face (i.e. reverts back to disbelief after embracing Islâm). He loses both This world and the Hereafter. that is the evident loss."

Allah (swt) speaks about people who worship Allah on the Edge (close to haram and kufr), then eventually a trial comes to them, and they could not be steadfast.

Allah (swt) affirms their worship of Him but the problem was that they were too close to haram and kufr, therefore they could not be steadfast when they were tried. So the further a person is from the Edge the safer he is from falling into haram and kufr when he is tried, and the more likely he will be steadfast in times of trial and difficulty.

From the Sunnah also there are many Ahádeeth on this principle, for example take the Hadeeth where The Messenger (sa) said;
“…whomsoever fears (stays away from) doubtful matters verily he has protected his deen and his dignity, and whomsoever falls into doubtful matters (regularly) falls into haram…and then the Messenger (SA) gave an example in the Hadith just like the verse in Surah Hajj, verse11,…and then he said…”verily in the body there is a flesh, if it is pure then the whole body will be cured, and if it is diseased than the whole body will be diseased, verily (this piece of flesh) is the Heart”.

(Bukhari & Muslim, also in 40 Hadith of Imam An-Nawawi)
In the above Hadith the Messenger of Allah (sa) affirms the person who stays away from the doubtful matters to have saved his Deen and Dignity, and the one who is consistently falling into doubtful matters will eventually fall and commit haram.

Here The Messenger of Allah (sa) is advising us to stay away from the doubtful matters as far as possible, and then he (sa) says something very interesting. He says (sa) …verily in a body there is a flesh…until the end. Why does he (sa) mention the two conditions of the Heart? What is the connection between the doubtful matters and the Heart? The connection is that, the one who stays far away from the doubtful matters, he stays away because he has a pure Heart, and by staying away from the doubtful matters he keeps his Heart clean and purified from all kinds of diseases. The one who falls into doubtful matters, he falls into it because he has diseases in his heart. And by consistently falling into these doubtful matters he increases the diseases in his Heart.

And thus it is essential for a believer to stay far away from doubtful matters and stay on the safe side in any issue, especially where the scholars differed in order to keep his heart clean and purified from all types of diseases.


Innovations of the Month of SHA`BAAN

What is innovation in Islan Bida

The Deen Is Complete


The Deen Show - All About Bida (Innovations)

Also the Messenger of Alláh (sa) said: “leave what is doubtful to what is not doubtful” (Tirmdhi; Hasan Saheeh)

[In the above Hadeeth, as well as the other verses and Ahádeeth which I have mentioned, there are many benefits, which I cannot and could not highlight because of limited time].

Coming back to the issue of 15th night of Sha’ban, in which its virtue the scholars have differed upon.
Ask this question to yourself; what is safer for a lay person; to sleep the whole night without falling into any doubtful matter? Or worshipping the whole night and falling into doubtful matter? Or far worse, falling into something that is not from the Deen?

There is no doubt, it is far better and safer to sleep the whole night knowing that you have not fallen into a doubtful matter, and hence you could not have committed a single Bid’ah.

Also note that all the scholars who have Authenticated the Ahádeeth of 15th of Sh’ban are agreed upon that the virtue which is mentioned in these Ahádeeth are all under the category of Mustahabbáth (recommended), so there is no sin on a person who sleeps the whole night without performing any acts of voluntary worship. This is agreed upon by the scholars.

So for a lay man in any issue where the scholars differed between Mustahab (recommend) & Wajib (Obligatory) it is safer to Implement the Wajib e.g. Niqáb, where they differed between Jaaiz and Haram, its safer to Implement Haram, e.g. instruments in Nasheeds, where they differed between Sunnah and Bid’ah, it is safer to Implement Bid’ah, e.g. Ta’weedth (Amulets) of the Quran.

(I used the word “Implement” as the one who implements e.g. Niqáb, not necessarily she believes or takes it as Wájib).

Fourthly, the Hadeeth that is quoted and other Ahádeeth that are quoted on this issue are differed upon in its Authenticity amongst the Scholars of Hadeeth.

Sheikh Al-Bani and Sheikh Shu’aib Al-Arnaut (May Allah reward them with the best of rewards) are from the most knowledgeable and trustworthy scholars in Hadeeth of this century, and are the light and guide of Ahl As-Sunnah Wal- Jam’ah (followers of the Aqeedah and the Methodology of the Salaf As Salih (Pious Predecessors of first 3 generations)), but as scholars before them, they are not free from making mistakes.
I wanted to speak about the chain of the Hadeeth, and what the scholars of the past and present have said about the Ahádeeth of Nisf Sha’ban, and how we should worship Allah on that night. But because of limited time I could not.

Insha-Allah I may write something in the future with the Assistance and Guide of Allah (swt) and after the permission of our beloved Shaykh Muhammad ‘Amr ‘Abdul Lateef (may Allah preserve him for the benefit of the Ummah).

[This article was written before he (ra) passed away].

But Insha-Allah I will give some basic guidelines on how one should understand the differences that occur amongst the scholars in the Authenticity of a Hadeeth, and how we should implement the Ahádeeth:

1 - Know my beloved brothers, not every scholars conditions are the same; for example the conditions of Imam Bukhari in Authenticity are more stronger than Imam Muslim’s; amongst Imam Bukhari’s conditions is that it must be affirmed that the Narrator met the person he is narrating from.

As for Imam Muslim that was not from his condition. His condition was that if they lived in the same era, and it is possible for them to meet then that suffices.

For this reason Imam Bukari’s ‘Saheeh Al-Bukhari’ is given more precedence in terms of Authenticity than Imam Muslim’s ‘Saheeh Muslim’.

[Note: Imam Muslim in general Implemented Imam Bukhari’s condition in his ‘Saheeh Muslim’].

2 - Also not all scholars of Hadeeth imply the same meaning when they use a terminology in a Hadeeth; for example; some scholars when they used the terminology “Hasan” in the authenticity of a Hadeeth they mean “saheeh” (highest degree of Authenticity), others use the terminology “Hasan” to mean in the level of Acceptance,(meaning; it has not reached the level of highest degree of Authenticity, but the Hadeeth is accepted within the Authentic category), and sometimes they use the terminology “Hasan” on a Hadith that is Weak which has some strength from other Ahádeeth.

Some scholars at times use the terminology “Hasan” on a Hadeeth that is Gareeb, or Hadeeth that is Munkar, or even on a Hadeeth that is Muwdu’, IF THE WORDINGS AND MEANINGS OF THE HADEETH ARE GOOD.

Therefore, one must know and understand exactly what meaning is intended when a scholar is using a specific terminology. The way to know what he is intending is by asking him or studying and researching his works and writings.

3 - This knowledge (science of Hadeeth) is undoubtedly the most difficult and amongst the vast knowledge that cannot be grasped so easily. A person, who studies this subject, needs to have a photographic memory, he has to be a Muttaqi (have Taqwa), be trustworthy, and his character has to be at the highest level and so fourth… Those who excel in this field, they excel only by the Mercy of Allah (aw).

This field of knowledge is so extraordinarily vast, for that reason a scholar can easily make a mistake. Therefore other scholars have to check his works in order to verify the Soundness or the Weakness of a Hadith. Just to give you an Idea of how vast this knowledge is, take the example of a book written by our beloved Shaykh Muhammad ‘Amr ‘Abdul Lateef. He only speaks about two Hadeeth and its chains in more than 400 pages, explaining the chains strengths and weaknesses. Can you comprehend how a person can write so much just on two small Hadeeth? Also is it not possible for him to have a single mistake and for him to make a wrong Ijthihád in any of these chains within those 400 pages? Of course it’s possible.
[Books Name: Ahádeeth wa Marwiyyáth fi Al-Mizán; vol; 1-2, published by Multhaqá Ahl Al-Hadeeth]
And thus my beloved brothers, know with certainty that no book of the creation is free from mistakes and contradictions. The only Book that is free from any kind of mistakes and contradictions is The Book of The Creator of the creations, The Speech of The Rabb Al ‘Aaalameen, The Light of Allah (Jalla Jaláluhu):

“ …And it is an Honourable and Respected Book. Falsehood cannot come to it from front nor from behind; It is Sent Down by The Wise, Worthy of All-Praise.”

(Surah Al-Fussilath; 41-42)

One may ask; what does a lay person do when scholars differ upon the Authenticity of a Hadeeth?
Firstly, if you are a student of Hadith, then you must check and verify what they said, and then follow the strongest view according to the evidences you find and see.

As for a lay person, if the Authenticity is Jumhur (Majority) in Hasan or in Da’eef, then you follow the Jumhur Muhadditheen.

If the Authenticity in not Jumhur (majority) in Hasan or in Da’eef, then you ask the most knowledgeable and trustworthy person in this field, who you believe to be sincere, Muttaqi, trustworthy and reliable, or you go back to the principle of doubtful matter.

As for the Hadeeth the brothers requested it’s Authenticity, it is Narrated by Mu’adh ibn Jabal and Abee Th’labah and others (RA) that the Messenger of Allah (sa) Said:

“Allah looks at His creation in the night of mid-Sha’ban and He forgives all His creation except for a Mushrik (The one who associates partners with Allah (swt) in His Essence, Names and Attributes) or a Mushaahin (one having hatred against his brothers/ or one leaving the true group of Muslims).”

[Related by Ibn Hibban, Tabarani, Ibn Khuzayma and classified Sahih by Shaykh Shu’ayb Al-Arnaut, and Shaykh Al-bani]'

Know my beloved brothers every Hadeeth that specifically speaks about the virtue of 15th night of Sha’ban, is either fabricated, very weak, weak, or differed upon in its soundness by the Muhadditheen. You will not find one Hadeeth that specifically speaks about the virtue of 15th night of Sha’ban whom the scholars are agreed upon in its soundness.

Rather the Majority of the Muhaddtheen (scholars of Hadeeth) weaken all the Hadeeth related to the 15th night of Sha’ban, as said by Hafiz Ibn Rajab Al-Hanbali:

“and about the virtue of night of mid-Sha’ban (15th night of Sha’ban) there are many Ahádeeth, and verily they are differed upon, and the Majority of the scholars have weakened them, and Ibn Hibban Authenticated some of them, ”

(Lathaaif Al-Ma’aarif; P: 143)

About the Hadeeth in discussion Imam Ad Daraqutni (ra) spoke lengthily about its chain and then said “both of these (chains) are not protected” he also said “the Hadith is not affirmed” in his book Al ‘Ilal (6/50-51 N0: 970 )

Also Imam Ar-Razi (ra) Said: “This Hadith is Munkar with this chain” in ‘Ilal of Ibn Abee Hatim (2012).
And many other scholars have spoken about the severe weaknesses of these chains. Therefore the minimum one can say is that, the Hadeeth is differed upon.

As for why did S. Al-bani and S. Shu’aib Al-Arnaut classify this Hadeeth in the Accepted category, (as I indicated above; not all the scholars conditions are the same), but If Allah Wills, I will concentrate on this question and try to explain with its History in future Insha Allah.

There is nothing wrong for a lay person in following S. Al-bani or S. Shu’aib Al-Arnaut and others on this Hadeeth, if they believe this Hadeeth to be in the accepted category of Authenticity.

And hence if a believer takes this Hadeeth to be from the accepted category of Authenticity, then he should implement the Hadeeth. And the way to implement this Hadith, is that, the person should not to be amongst the Mushrik (the one who associates partners with Allah (swt) in His Essence, Names and Attributes) and Mushaahin (the one who has hatred against his brothers/ or the one who leaves the true group of Muslims) as the Hadeeih states, only then one can achieve the forgiveness of Allah (swt) on that night.

The Hadeeth does not speak about any voluntary prayer or voluntary fasting, and every Hadeeth that speaks about voluntary prayer & fasting specifically on the 15th night or day of Sha’ban, is either weak, very weak or fabricated.

Allahu A’laa Wa A’lam (Allah is The Most High and The Most knowledgeable.) And Allah Knows Best!
After speaking lengthily on the greater evil that takes place in the society, I would like to quote some Authentic Ahádeeth on the virtue of the Month of Sha’ban in general, in order for us to come close to Allah (swt) the correct way:

سألت عائشة رضي الله عنها عن صيام رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فقالت :
" كان يصوم حتى نقول : قد صام . ويفطر حتى نقول : قد أفطر .
ولم أره صائما من شهر قط أكثر من صيامه من شعبان .
كان يصوم شعبان كله . كان يصوم شعبان إلا قليلا"


Trans: ‘Aaishah (ra) said when asked about the fasting of the Messenger of Allah (sa): “…and I would not ever see Him (sa) fast more than in the month of Sha’ban” ولم أره صائما من شهر قط أكثر من صيامه من شعبان ,

In a narration: “He (SA) used to fast all of Sha’ban” كان يصوم, شعبان كله

And in another narration: “he used to fast in Sha’ban except little” (few days)”, كان يصوم شعبان إلا قليلا

[Bukhari, Muslim and others]

In another Hadith Trans: Narrated by Usamah (RA) The Messenger of Allah (SA) Said:

“That is a month (Sha’ban) people are heedless of, it is between Rajab and Ramadhan and it is a month where in the good deeds ascend to the Rabb of Al ‘Aalameen, and I love my deeds to be raised up while I am fasting.”

[An Nisaaee, Hasan]

Thus it is recommended to prepare for Ramadhan by voluntary fasting during the majority of the days of Sha’ban in general, without specifying any specific day, night or time.

There are other Sound Ahádeeth about the virtue of fasting in the month of Sha’ban in general, please forgive me my beloved brothers and sisters for not quoting them, as I just do not have enough time.

Most importantly I do not want this article to be used as a means of refutation or for the sake of arguments, let this Advice be a reminder to you as an individual; verily reminders benefits the believers. So let this be just a reminder for those who have a heart or give an ear with heedfulness.

I ask Allah with His Beautiful Names and Highest Attributes to accept this work as khaalis for Him (swt). I ask Him with His Beautiful Names and Perfect Attributes to guide me and all the Muslims to the straight path and make us steadfast upon it till Yaqeen comes to us. Allahumma Ameen!

And may the Saláh and Salám of Allah (swt) be Upon our beloved Messenger of Allah Muhammad (sa), his Family, his Companions and those who follow them exactly in faith and worship.

And my last words are: “All Praise Belongs to Allah The Rabb Al ‘Aalameen”.

Jazákumullahu Khayran!

Wassalaamu ‘Alaikum warahmathullahi wabarakaathuhu.

Abu Hasan, written on Thursday the 17th of Sha’ban 1428 Hijri, Nasar city, Egypt.

Assalam Alaykum,

One day 'Umar ibn al-Khattab came into the house of the Prophet to find him lying on a simple mattress which left its marks on his body. Umar started to sob. 'Why are you crying? O 'Umar', said the Prophet. 'I thought of Caesar and Chosroes sitting on thrones of gold, wearing silk. And you are the messenger of Allah, yet here you are sitting on this simple mattress.'

'O Umar', said the Prophet, 'are you not satisfied that they have this world and we have the next?' So simple and austere were his living habits that he went half-hungry most of the time. 'A'ishah reported that for three consecutive nights, a fire was not kindled in the homes of the Prophet because there was nothing to be cooked. When asked how they managed, she said they depended on water and dates (the two blacks). Where is the basis for the image of a self-indulgent, luxury-loving ruler with his 'harem' which some critics of the Prophet have contrived to draw for him?

I just want to make a correction of my earlier post. 'Towards Understanding Islam' was written by Abu A'la Mawdudi not Albani.

Prohibition of Backbiting and Slandering in Islam


AS-SALAM ALEIKUM WARAMOTULAH

All praise belongs to Allah, We praise him, We seek his aid, we seek his forgiveness and we turn unto him in repentance. We seek refuge with Allah from the evil of our souls and from sinful deeds. Whomever Allah guides, none can misguide him; and whomever He leaves astray, none can guide him. I bear witness that there is no god worth of worship except Allah and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger.

May Allah bestow His peace and blessing upon Prophet Muhammad, upon his good and pure family, as well as all the noble Companions and those who follow them in righteousness until the day of reckoning.

We call on Allah to bless the souls of our leaders Abu Bakri and Umar and Uthman and Alli and there household and their righteous companions and the immediate followers of them and those that follows them in goodness till the day f reckoning.

I remember one of the hadith of the prophet which was narrated by one of the companion Abu Musa Al-Ash’aree narrated that I ask him Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) said:
"Messenger of Allah: Who is the best Muslim? The Messenger of Allah replied, "He is the one from whom Muslims are safe from the evil of his tongue and hands

Major sins are indeed the cause for all misery, evil and torment in this world and the hereafter.
And the worst of all sins are those that are greatest in harm and danger to humanity. Among the destructive major sins are backbiting and slandering. These two sins are forbidden by Allah because they sow enmity, evils and discord among people and lead to destruction. They cause hostilities between people of the same household and between neighbours and relatives. They can decrease in good deeds and increase in evil ones and lead to dishonour and ignominy

Backbiting (gheebah) means mentioning something about a person (in his absence), that he hates (to have mentioned), whether it is about: His body, his religious characteristics, his worldly affairs, his self, his physical appearance, his character, his wealth, his child, his father, his wife, his manner of walking, his smile, it is the same whether you mention that about him with words, through writings, or whether you point or indicate him by gesturing with your eyes, hand or head.

Allah says in the Qur'an:

"O you who believe! Avoid much suspicion, in deeds some suspicions are sins. And spy not neither backbite one another. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? You would hate it (so hate backbiting). And fear Allah, verily, Allah is The One Who accepts repentance, Most Merciful" (Qur'an 49: 12)


Ibn 'Abbas (May Allah be pleased with him) reported that Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) once passed by two graves and said:

"Verily, they (occupants of graves) are both being tormented and they are not being tormented for something major." In the report from Al-Bukhari:

"Rather, it is indeed something major. As for the first one, he used to go around spreading gossip (nameemah) and as for the other, and then he used not to protect himself from his own urine."

The scholars say the meaning of "and they are not being tormented for something major" is "something major" according to their opinion or "something major" for them to have abandoned doing.

Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) also said:

"Who protects his tongue entrance into Paradise."from unlawful utterances and his private parts from illegal sexual intercourse; I shall guarantee him

Prophet Muhammad Love for the Poor

The Prophet enjoined upon Muslims to treat the poor kindly and to help them with alms, zakat, and in other ways. He said: "He is not a perfect Muslim who eats his fill and lets his neighbor go hungry." He asked, "Do you love your Creator? Then love your fellow beings first." Monopoly is unlawful in Islam and he preached that "It is diffucult for a man laden with riches to climb the steep path that leads to bliss." He did not prohibit or discourage the aquisition of wealth but insisted that it be lawfully aquired by honest means and that a portion of it would go to the poor. He advised his followers "to give the laborer his wages before his perspiration dried up." He did not encourage beggary either and stated that "Allah is gracious to him who earns his living by his own labor, and that if a man begs to increase his property, Allah will diminish it and whoever has food for the day, it is prohibited for him to beg." To his wife he said, "O Ayesha, love the poor and let them come to you and Allah will draw you near to Himself." (Sahih Bukhari)

One or two instances of the Prophet's concern for the poor may be given here. A Madinan, Ibad Bin Sharjil, was once starving. He entered an orchard and picked some fruit. The owner of the orchard gave him a sound beating and stripped off his clothes. The poor man appealed to the Prophet who remonstrated the owner thus: "This man was ignorant, you should have dispelled his ignorance; he was hungry, you should have fed him." His clothes were restored to the Madinan and, in addition, some grain was given to him.

A debtor, Jabir Bin Abdullah, was being harassed by his creditor as he could not clear his debt owing to the failure of his date crop. The Prophet went with Jabir to the house of the creditor and pleaded with him to give Jabir some more time but the creditor was not prepared to oblige. The Prophet then went to the oasis and having seen for himself that the crop was really poor, he again approached the creditor with no better result. He then rested for some time and approached the creditor for a third time but the latter was adamant. The Prophet went again to the orchard and asked Jabir to pluck the dates. As Allah would have it, the collection not only sufficed to clear the dues but left something to spare.

His love for the poor was so deep that he used to pray: "O Allah, keep me poor in my life and at my death and raise me at Resurrection among those who are poor."

Today is 15th of Shaban (August 16). How many of my brothers and sisters are fasting today?

The night journey and the ascension of prophet Muhammad

The Night Journey(Al-Isra')

After the Prophet performed the Evening Prayer (^Isha'), Jibril came to him with a white animal, slightly larger than a donkey yet smaller than a mule. This animal was the buraq,--one of the animals of Paradise. Jibril held the buraq by his ear and told the Prophet to mount it. When the buraq was mounted, the Prophet set forth.

The buraq is a very fast animal; the length of the buraq's stride is the farthest distance it's eye can see. The Prophet and Jibril arrived to a land with palm trees. Jibril told the Prophet to dismount and pray, so the Prophet dismounted the buraq and prayed two rak^as. Jibril asked him, "Do you know where you prayed?" and the Prophet answered, "Allah knows best." Jibril told him, "This is Yathrib; this is Taybah. "." (These are two names for the city of al-Madinah.) Before the Prophet emigrated to al-Madinah, it was called Taybah and Yathrib. It earned the name al-Madinah after the Prophet emigrated to it.

The buraq continued with the Prophet and Jibril until they reached another place. Again Jibril told the Prophet to get down and pray. The Prophet dismounted there and prayed two rak^as. Jibril informed the Prophet of the name of that place; it was Tur Sina'.

Once again the buraq took off with the Prophet and Jibril. Once again it stopped, and the Prophet dismounted and prayed two rak^as. This was in Bayt Lahm, where Prophet ^Isa (Jesus) was born. Then the buraq continued with the Messenger of Allah until they entered the city of Jerusalem. There the Prophet went to Masjid al-Aqsa. Outside was a ring used by the Messengers of Allah to tie their animals. The Prophet tied his buraq to this ring. Then the Prophet entered the masjid where Allah assembled for him all the Prophets--from Adam to ^Isa. Prophet Muhammad moved forward and led them all in prayer. This is an indication the Prophet is higher in status than all the rest of the prophets and messengers.


1- On Prophet Muhammad's journey from Masjid al-Haram to Masjid al-Aqsa, Allah enabled him to see some of His wondrous creations. Allah enabled the Prophet to see the world (dunya) like an old woman. However, this old woman was wearing a great deal of jewelry, and in this there is an indication signifying the reality of the world.

2- Allah enabled the Prophet to see Iblis. The Prophet saw something on the side of the road which did not dare to stand in his way or speak to him. What the Prophet saw was Iblis. Originally, Iblis was a believer and lived with the angels in Paradise. When Allah ordered the angels to prostrate (sujud) to Prophet Adam, Iblis was ordered to prostrate to him as well. The angels prostrated to Adam in obedience to Allah, because angels do not disobey Allah. However, Iblis did not obey, and he objected to the order of Allah. He said, "You created me out of fire, and You created him out of clay. How do You order me to prostrate to him?" So this objection by Iblis to the order of Allah was the first blasphemy he committed.

3- On his journey, the Prophet smelled a very nice odor. He asked Jibril about this pleasant scent and Jibril informed him this good smell was coming from the grave of the woman whose duty used to be to comb Pharaoh's daughter's hair. This woman was a good, pious believer. One day, as she was combing Pharaoh's daughter's hair, the comb fell from her hand. At this she said, ""Bismillah. "Pharaoh's daughter asked her, "Do you have a god other than my father?" The woman said, "Yes. My Lord and the Lord of your father is Allah." Pharaoh's daughter told her father what had happened. Pharaoh demanded this woman blaspheme and leave Islam, but she refused. At that, Pharaoh threatened to kill her children. He brought a great pot of water and built a great fire under it. When the water boiled, Pharaoh brought her children and started to drop them into that pot one after the other. Throughout all this, the woman remained steadfast to Islam, even when Pharaoh reached her youngest child--a little boy still breast feeding--but she felt pity for him. At that, Allah enabled this child to speak. He said to his mother, "O Mother, be patient. The torture of the Hereafter is far more severe than the torture of this life, and do not be reluctant, because you are right." At this the woman requested Pharaoh collect her bones and the bones of her children and bury them in the same grave. Pharaoh promised her that--then dropped her into that boiling water. She died as a martyr. The good odor the Prophet smelled coming from her grave is an indication of her high status.

4- During his trip, the Prophet saw people who were planting and reaping in two days. Jibril told the Prophet, "These were the people who fight for the sake of Allah (mujahidun). "."

5- The Prophet also saw people whose lips and tongues were clipped with scissors made of fire. Jibril told the Prophet, "These are the speakers of sedition (fitna) who call people to misguidance."

6- He also saw a bull which exited a very small outlet, then was trying in vain to return through that small outlet. Jibril told the Prophet, "This is the example of the bad word--once spoken, it cannot be returned."

7- The Prophet saw people grazing like animals, with very little clothing on their private parts. Jibril told the Prophet, "These are the ones who refused to pay zakat. "."

8- The Prophet saw angels smashing some people's heads with rocks. These heads would return to the shape they had been, and then the angels would smash their heads again--and so on. Jibril told the Prophet, "These are the ones whose heads felt too heavy to perform prayer--the ones who used to sleep without praying."

9- On his journey the Prophet saw people who were competing to eat some rotten meat--ignoring meat that was sliced and unspoiled. Jibril told the Prophet, "These are people from your nation who leave out that which is permissible (halal), and consume that which is forbidden ((haram). "This reference was to the fornicators, that is, the ones who left out the permissible (marriage) and committed sins (fornication).

10- Also, the Prophet saw people who were drinking from the fluid coming from the bodies of the fornicators, (water mixed with blood). Jibril indicated to the Prophet these were the ones who were drinking the alcohol which is prohibited in this world.

11- The Prophet saw people scratching their faces and chests with brass finger nails. Jibril said, "These are the examples of those who commit gossip ((ghibah). "."


The Ascension(Al-Miraj)

1- After the Prophet took this night journey from Masjid al-Haram to Masjid al-Aqsa, he ascended to the upper heavens. The Prophet ascended to the heaven on stairs, called al-mirqat, in which one step is made of gold and the next of silver, and so on. These stairs are veiled from us. The Prophet ascended these stairs until he reached the first heaven. When the Prophet and Jibril arrived at the first heaven, Jibril requested the gate to be opened. The angel assigned to that gate asked Jibril, "Who is with you?" Jibril answered, "It is Muhammad." The angel asked Jibril, "Was he dispatched? Is it time for him to ascend to the heaven?" Jibril said, "Yes." So, the gate was opened for him, and Prophet Muhammad entered the first heaven.

There, Prophet Muhammad saw Prophet Adam. To Adam's right, the Prophet saw some bodies, and to Adam’s left, other bodies. If Adam would look to his right he would laugh, and if he would look to his left he would cry. Adam was seeing the souls of his descendants. Those on his right were his descendants who would die as believers and those on his left were his descendants who would die as non-believers.

Then the Prophet ascended to the second heaven. In this second heaven was where Prophet Muhammad saw Prophets Isa and Yahya. Isa and Yahya are cousins; their mothers were sisters. They welcomed the Prophet and made supplication (du^a') for him for good things. The Prophet ascended to the third heaven, where he found Prophet Yusuf. Prophet Yusuf was extremely handsome. Allah bestowed half the beauty on Yusuf. Yusuf received the Prophet with a warm welcome and made supplication (du^a') for him for good things.

Then the Prophet ascended to the fourth heaven, where he found Prophet Idris. Idris welcomed the Prophet and made supplication (du^a') for him for good things. In the fifth heaven, the Prophet encountered Harun, the brother of Prophet Musa. In the sixth heaven, he encountered Prophet Musa. Each of these Prophets received Prophet Muhammad with a warm welcome and made supplication (du^a')') for him for good things.

Then the Prophet ascended to the seventh heaven, and that is where our Messenger saw Prophet Ibrahim. Prophet Ibrahim is the best of the prophets after our prophet, Muhammad. The Prophet saw Prophet Ibrahim with his back against al-Bayt al-Ma^mur. To the inhabitants of the skies, al-Bayt al-Ma^mur is like the Ka^bah is to us, the inhabitants of the earth. Every day 70,000 angels go there; then exit from it, and never return. The next day another 70,000 angels go, come out, and never return. This will continue until the Day of Judgment. In this, there is an indication as to the greatness of the numbers of the angels--their numbers are far more than the numbers of the humans and the jinns together.

In the seventh heaven, Prophet Muhammad saw Sidrat al-Muntaha--a very big tree of sidr. Each of the fruits of this tree is as large as a big jar. The leaves of this tree are similar to the ears of the elephants. Sidrat al-Muntahais an extremely beautiful tree. It is visited by butterflies made of gold. When these butterflies gather on this tree, its beauty is beyond description.

Then the Prophet ascended to what is beyond the seven skies; he entered Paradise. He saw examples of the inhabitants of Paradise and how their situation would be. He saw most of the inhabitants of Paradise are the poor people .

The Prophet saw other things on the night of his ascension. He saw Malik, the angel in charge of the Hellfire. Malik did not smile at the Prophet when he saw him, and the Prophet asked why. In answer to the Prophet's question, Jibril said, "Malik did not smile since the day Allah created him. Had he smiled for anyone, he would have smiled for you."

In Paradise, the Prophet saw some of the bounties Allah prepared for the inhabitants of Paradise. He saw the Hur ul-^In: females Allah created who are not humans or jinn. They are in Paradise and will be married to those men Allah willed them to marry.

The Prophet saw the wildan ul-mukhalladun: creations of Allah who are not human, jinn, or angels. They are a very beautiful creation of Allah whose appearance is like laid-out pearls. They are servants of the inhabitants of Paradise. The least in status of the People of Paradise will have 10,000 wildan ul-mukhalladun to serve him. Each one of them would carry a tray of gold in one hand and a tray of silver in the other hand.

The Prophet saw the Throne (^Arsh), which is the ceiling of Paradise. The Throne is the largest creation of Allah in size; Allah did not create anything bigger in size than it. The seven heavens and the earth in comparison to the Kursiyy, are like a ring thrown in a desert, and the Kursiyy in comparison to the Throne, is like a ring thrown in a desert. The seven heavens and the earth in comparison to the Throne are like a seed of mustard compared to the ocean. Allah created the Throne as a sign of His Power and He did not create the Throne to sit on it.

Allah created the Throne to show His Power. It is carried by four angels, and on the Day of Judgment, it will be carried by eight. The Prophet said he was permitted to speak about one of these angels who carry the Throne. In describing this angel, the Prophet told us the distance between his ear lobe and shoulder is the distance a fast-flying bird would cover in 700 years.

Then the Prophet ascended beyond Paradise. He reached a place where he heard the creaking of the pens used by the angels who are copying from the Preserved Tablet. It is at that location Prophet Muhammad heard the Kalam of Allah, which is an attribute of the Self of Allah. He heard the Kalam of Allah which does not resemble our speech--so it is not something that occurs bit after bit. It is not letter after letter or a word that comes after another word. Rather, it is an attribute of Allah which is eternal and everlasting. It does not resemble our attributes. The Kalam of Allah has neither silence nor interruptions. It is an attribute of Allah, and it does not resemble the attributes of the creation.

The Prophet understood several things from hearing this Kalam of Allah. He understood the obligation of the five Obligatory Prayers. At first, Allah obligated fifty prayers. When Prophet Muhammad encountered Musa, Musa told him to make supplication (du^a') to his Lord to ease the obligation of fifty (50) prayers, because his nation could not handle that. Musa said, "I have experience with the people of Israel, and I know your nation cannot bear that." So the Prophet asked his Lord to lessen these prayers for his people. Five prayers were eliminated. Once again, Musa told the Prophet to ask Allah to lessen the number of prayers. Allah did. Nine times the Prophet made supplication to Allah to lessen these prayers--until these prayers were lessened to five Obligatory Prayers. So Prophet Musa was a great benefit to us. Had we been obligated to pray fifty prayers a day, this would have been a difficult matter for us.

From the Kalam of Allah, the Prophet also understood that a good deed would be written for the person who intends to do a good deed, even if he did not do it. Also, the good deed performed would be registered for he who performs it as at least ten good deeds--up to 700 good deeds. For some people, Allah would multiply the reward of their deeds more than that. Additionally, if one performs a bad deed, it is registered for him as one bad deed; yet for he who inclines towards committing a bad deed and then refrains from committing it, a good deed would be registered for him. Here one should note the difference between two matters. If a thought crossed a person's mind about doing something sinful, and this person wavered in this thinking, i.e., considered whether he should do it or not, then he refrained from doing this for the sake of Allah, this is written as a good deed. However, if a person has the firm intention in his heart that he wants to commit a sin, it would be written for him as a sin, even if he does not do it.


The Prophet Returns to Makkah


After all these matters took place with the Prophet, he returned to the city of Makkah. Some scholars said the Prophet's journey took about one-third of the night, i.e., his journey from Makkah to Jerusalem, then to the heavens and what is above them, and then back to Makkah The next day the Prophet told the people what happened to him the previous night. The blasphemers belied the Prophet and mocked him, saying, "We need a month to get there and back, and you are claiming to have done all this in one night?" They said to Abu Bakr, "Look at what your companion is saying. He says he went to Jerusalem and came back in one night." Abu Bakr told them, "If he said that, then he is truthful. I believe him concerning the news of the heavens--that an angel descends to him from the heavens. How could I not believe he went to Jerusalem and came back in a short period of time--when these are on earth?" At that, the Companion, Abu Bakr, was called "as-Siddiq"--because of how strongly he believed all what the Prophet said.

The blasphemous people questioned the Prophet: "If you are truthful, then describe to us Masjid al-Aqsa and its surroundings." They asked this because they knew Prophet Muhammad had never been there before the previous night. Allah enabled the Messenger to see Masjid al-Aqsa, and he described the masjid and its surroundings in exact detail. Moreover, the Prophet said, "On my way back, I saw some of your shepherds grazing their animals in a particular location. They were searching for a camel they had lost." The Prophet continued by giving the description of the camel. When these shepherds came back, they told their people what happened to them--precisely as the Prophet had already told them.

These blasphemers admitted the Prophet's description was exact. Despite that, they were still stubborn and rejected the faith. They did not accept Islam. Only those whom Allah willed to be guided, will be guided. The person whom Allah did not will to be guided, will not believe--regardless of how much explanation or how many proofs he is shown. The person whom Allah willed to be guided, surely he will be a believer. Many people witnessed miracles and still did not believe. Many people witnessed the miracle of the Prophet's splitting of the moon. Those who refused to embrace Islam said, "This is magic. Muhammad played a magic trick on our eyes." They even asked the people of a faraway land who witnessed the moon split in two. Despite this, they still did not believe. They said, "The magic of Muhammad is powerful; it even reached the faraway lands!" This was their response to witnessing a miracle--instead of believing and becoming Muslims.

We ask Allah that we would all die as Muslims. We ask Allah to bestow on us the bounty of entering Paradise without torture.

Allah knows best.

Assalam Alaykum,
"God loves the righteous who are good to others." The Holy Quran, 3:148
"God loves those who put their trust in Him." 3:159
"God loves those who are fair and just." 49:9
"God loves those who are kind to others." 5:13
"God loves those who judge with fairness." 5:42
"For God loves those who do good deeds." 5:93
"In fact God loves the equitable." 60:8
"Surely God loves those who turn to Him in repentance." 2:222

[center]Death and The Grave
Translated By a student of Darul Uloom, Bury, U.K[/center]

Introduction

Death is considered a certainty, to the point that you would fail to find any rational person who would deny it. It is a common observation that every thing, whether it consists of life or not, is destined towards annihilation.

What will confront man after death? What will become of him in the grave? How will he rise again on the Day of Judgement? These, are those states of affairs, which we have not yet witnessed. But Allah Ta’ala has made all these circumstances clear to us, in great detail, through his Messengers alaihimus salaam and lastly through the Holy Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alaihe wasallam who is the Seal of Prophethood.

Allah Ta’ala has also repeatedly made references, concerning these circumstances, in the Holy Qur’aan. It is therefore necessary upon every Muslim to believe in resurrection (to be brought back to life) and the Day of Judgement from the deepest recesses of their hearts. At present, if you were to hold a discussion regarding ‘Death and the Day of Judgement’, you will either be ignored or you will be given the impression that they are matters of no real concern.

As a Doctor I have witnessed the deaths of approximately a hundred Muslims, and have also been in a position of knowing their final words. Only three people, out of the hundred, were fortunate to have died with the kalimah at the moment of death. The others died with worldly concerns on their lips e.g. One person asked for a milkshake whereas another was singing. Some were praising the names of their film heroes whilst others were discussing matters regarding their estate.

During these last forty years of my life, which have largely been spent practising medicine, I have personally heard and/or seen many matters which I considered necessary to relate so that it may prove beneficial to the readers. May Allah Ta’ala gives us all divine guidance to prepare for the hereafter. Aameen.

The Corpse of a Centuries Old Martyr and its Sustenance

This incident goes back thirty years, to when a friend of mine was the supervising engineer at an irrigation department. He had a son who was mentally ill who they constantly had to keep bound, because he would otherwise wreck the house. One day, due to the servant’s lack of attention, the boy got into the drawing room and caused damage worth thousands of rupees. My friend brought him to me and close to tears said, "Doctor, he has tormented me more than I can bear, please do something about him otherwise I will strangle him." I, whilst trying to explain to him said, "Sir! Fear Allah. Do not say such things which could become a cause for your punishment on the day of judgement." Upon this he replied, (Allah Forbid) "Who is going to live after death? And who is going to ask?" I became silent fearing he may say something more blasphemous. Thus, the conversation ended.

A few days later the friend of mine went to inspect the ‘Daryah Gaazi Khan Canal’ (which was being drawn out from the Tunsi barrage; the digging of which had now been completed). When he arrived, he saw that all the workers had gathered in one place and were causing a commotion. Upon seeing the engineer the workers came towards him, and informed him that part of a man’s body had been seen from an opening below the river. The engineer decided to inspect this for himself and ordered for the earth around the body to be cleared away. Once this had been done, a human body became evident. However, there were two strange things about the corpse. Firstly, the clothes were soaked in blood; from which it was assumed as being the body of a martyr. Secondly, there was something, which resembled fruit, above his mouth and at intervals some drops would fall into it. The river, in which the body had been sheltered, was approximately twenty feet deep, from which it can be assumed that many centuries had passed since this man had died.

That same night the Engineer came to my house, and relating the whole incident to me he said, "The verse related in the Qur’aan meaning, ‘Think not of those who are killed in the Way of Allah as dead. Nay, they are alive, with their Lord, and they have provision.’ I have seen a live example of this verse and now have complete faith that there is life after death in which there is also a day of reckoning. If there was not, then the Earth would have eaten away the Martyr’s body which has remained secure beneath the Earth for centuries." He claimed, "It looked as though the dead was in anticipation for the time when he would be brought back to life, when his soul would be returned and he would rise for the day of judgement." I told the Engineer that there was a difference between his belief and of our belief in the day of judgement. I informed him, "We had faith merely upon hearing the sayings of our Holy Prophet sallallahu alaihe wasallam, whereas you did not believe until you saw the truth for yourself." From that day forward the Engineer refrained from hurting his son and repented sincerely for his past misgivings.

The Transfer of Hazrat Hamzah’s radiyallahu anhu Grave

This incident dates back to 1968 while I was working as a physician in Buraydah, Saudi Arabia. I came to Madinah on a Friday for Ziyaarah (visiting the blessed tomb of our Holy Prophet sallallahu alaihe wasallam) and during my stay I resided with a friend of mine who was also a Doctor. The doctor became ill and there were many patients to be seen, so he requested of me to see to them. I therefore examined the patients and discharged them.

One day an old Bedouin took me with him to see a patient near Mount Uhad, who lived in a tent which was in close proximity to the cemetery where the Martyrs of Uhad were buried. Having examined him I wrote him a prescription. Thereafter, the Bedouin took me to the blessed grave of Hazrat Hamzah radiyallahu anhu and informed me that fifty years ago Hazrat Hamzah’s radiyallahu anhu's grave had been situated beneath the valley. However, one day, due to torrential rainfall, his grave was flooded with water. The chieftain of Makkah, who in those days was the ruler of Hijaaz, saw Hazrat Hamzah radiyallahu anhu in his dream, and informed him to make arrangements to stop the rainwater from entering his grave, as it was causing him severe distress. The chieftain of Makkah informed the scholars and together they decided that his grave be raised to a higher level. When the grave was finally unearthed it was discovered that the water had, in fact, seeped into the grave.

The old Bedouin informed him that he was also amongst the people who had participated in unearthing the grave. He told me that while they were digging, a casual blow from a pickaxe accidentally hit Hazrat Hamzah’s radiyallahu anhu ankle and people were shocked to see that fresh blood began to gush from the wound. A bandage was bound around it to stop the bleeding. When Hazrat Hamzah’s radiyallahu anhu body was finally exposed, we saw that the kafn burial shroud only covered the lower portion of his body. Fresh blood was gushing from his wounds, one of his eyes had been dislocated from the eye-socket, his ears had been severed and his stomach had also been slit. All the people who were present saw Hazrat Hamzah radiyallahu anhu

Hazrat Hamzah radiyallahu anhu was transferred from the old grave to a higher level in the same condition. The reason why the Bedouin related this story was so that we could strengthen our belief in the existence of life after death. If there were no life after death then Hazrat Hamzah radiyallahu anhu who had achieved martyrdom fourteen hundred years ago, would not have remained so secure in the Earth.

Pleasant Fragrance in the Grave

The following incident took place a few years ago. A grave had been prepared for a person in the Rajanpoor cemetery. The strange thing about this was the whole cemetery had become fragrant with a delightful smell even before the people had arrived with the body. All the people were bewildered as to where the sweet smell was coming from, there were only a few trees and some wild plants in the cemetery and even they did not emit any fragrance. It became known, after a search had been made, that the source of the fragrance was an opening situated in the freshly dug grave. Once the opening had been widened, it was discovered that another grave existed underneath, in which an old man with a white beard rested. The astonishing fact was that a flower lay on top of him emitting the sweet fragrance. All the people in the city witnessed this phenomenon.

It was Hazrat Maulana Ahmed Ali Lahori rahmatullahi alaihe who had passed away in Lahore and was buried there. After he had been buried, a sweet fragrance began to emanate from his grave and his devotees began to carry the soil away. It has been related that the fresh soil that had been brought to refill the grave also began to emit the sweet smell. This continued for forty days. I was working in Saudi Arabia, at the time, as a physician. I was shown the soil from the grave by one of Hazrat Lahori’s disciples, which even then, was emitting a sweet smell.

Recitation of the Kalimah After Death

Doctor Nawazish Ali Bhut was an eye surgeon at Bhawalpur hospital and was considered to be a very pious man. He was suffering from jaundice (yellow skin fever) due to a disease in his liver. The disease had spread to such an extent that the time of his death drew near. I was at his bedside at the time of death. I noticed that the pupil of his eyes had dilated, his heartbeat had halted and he had stopped breathing. Medically he had died. His family, who were also present in the room, began to cry. I instructed his elder brother and wife to recite the Kalimah and informed them that Doctor Bhut was now departing from this world and it was better for them to recite the Kalimah, rather than cry. Consequently, they began to recite the Kalimah loudly. All of a sudden Doctor Bhut opened his eyes and sat up. He recited the Kalimah and said, "Doctor Noor, bear witness that I am going towards Allah’s abode having recited the Kalimah." He lay down on the bed again and passed away.

Conversation in Arabic at the Time of Death

A few years ago, I went to see a patient suffering from paralysis. He was in critical condition and looked as though it would only be a matter of time before he passed away. In any case I decided to examine him. During the course of the inspection he tried to talk but was unsuccessful. However, when I asked the patient for his name in Arabic he answered me immediately. He also complied when I asked him to open his mouth and eyes. After a short while he passed away. Upon enquiring, from his dependants, I learned that the person was uneducated. Arabic was out of the question, he did not even know Urdu. I had learned from scholars that Arabic will be the language spoken in the grave, on the day of judgement and all question and answers, that will take place in the grave, will also take place in Arabic. I believe, that this is what I had been made witness to, by the authority of Allah Ta’ala.

The Truth about Punishment in the Grave

A few years ago I was travelling in a jamaat which happened to reach a smallholding outside Mansehrah. Having placed our possessions in the Masjid we began our Ta’lim. We noticed that there were quite a lot of people sitting idle around the Masjid, so we invited them to join us. One person came and told us, "I will be here for salaah, after which I will relate a story to you concerning punishment in the grave." Therefore, as promised, the person sat beside us after the afternoon prayers and introduced himself. He stated that he was a retired young army recruit. During the 1965 India-Pakistan war, he, along with other youths, had been given duty to protect a temporary hoard (store) of arms, which had been placed in a cemetery.

He narrated, "It was around daytime, and I had nothing to do, so I decided to wander around the cemetery. As I passed by an old grave, I felt as though I heard noises of bones breaking coming from within. My curiosity was aroused so I began to remove a few bricks from around the grave with the butt of my gun so that I could discover the source of the noise. The noise seemed to get louder and louder the more I dug away, which only added to my curiosity and fear. What I witnessed, were the skeletal remains of a human body lying in the grave and sitting along it was a beast resembling a rat. This, it seemed, was the cause of the noise. As the creature bit into the skeleton it would cause it to stiffen and the noise of bones breaking and splitting would be heard. The animal repeated this three times as I stood by and watched. This made me feel sympathy for the dead person; as he was suffering so much pain. Thus, I decided to hit the animal with the rifle and no sooner had I tried it buried itself in the earth. When it appeared a short while later it leapt towards me, I was struck with so much terror that I began to run for my life. Having covered quite a distance I looked back only to see that the animal was still rapidly pursuing me. I spotted a lake nearby and waded into it hoping this would be my escape from the animal. As I looked back, I saw that the lake had indeed stopped the creature by the edge of the water. It seemed to stand there for quite a while and then suddenly put its mouth to the water. Just as soon as it had the water began to boil and I had to leap quickly out. My feet began to burn to such an extent that they turned red and began to blister. The pain made it unbearable to walk and so I called out to my companions.

Thereafter, I was admitted into the Aybatabaad hospital only to be transferred to the general army hospital in Rawalpindi. The flesh around my feet had now began to decay and an unpleasant smell hung around the blood and pus, which oozed constantly. When all treatments failed I was sent to America, but even that failed to help. By this time, the disease had reached such an extent that the flesh had rotted away exposing the bone and a stench rose with it resembling that of a decayed corpse.

He then revealed his feet to us, which were still wrapped in bandages

No Islam without Submitting To the Qur’an

Human beings who do not know what humanity is and what the difference is between man and animal will inevitably indulge in behaviour unworthy of the human race and attach no value to being human. Similarly, people who do not know the true meaning of being Muslims and how a Muslim is different from a non-Muslim will behave like non-Muslims and will not be worthy of being Muslims.

Every Muslim, adult or child, should therefore know what it means to be a Muslim, what difference being a Muslim must make to his life, what responsibilities devolve on him, and what limits are set by Islam within which a man remains a Muslim and by transgressing which he ceases to be a Muslim.

Islam means submission and obedience to God. To entrust yourselves completely to God is Islam. To relinquish all claims to absolute freedom and independence and to follow God’s will iS Islam. To surrender your selves before the sovereignty of God is Islam. If you bring all the affairs of your lives under God you are Muslims and if you keep any of the affairs in your own hands or entrust them to someone other than God you are not Muslims.

To bring your affairs under God means to accept unreservedly the guidance sent by God through His Book and His Messengers. It, therefore, becomes necessary to follow only the Qur’an and Prophet’s sunnah. Muslims follow no authority other than that of God, whether it be their reason or customs. In every matter they seek guidance from God’s Book and His Messenger to find what they should do not what they should not do. They accept without hesitation whatever guidance they get from there and reject whatever they find opposed to it.

Such total surrender to God is what makes one a Muslim. By contrast, people are certainly not Muslims who, instead of following the Qur’an and the Sunnah, obey the dictates of their own reason and desires, follow the practices of their own reason and desires, follow the practices of their forefathers, accept what is happening in society, and never bother to ascertain from the Qur’an and Sunnah how to run their affairs, or refuse to accept the teachings of the Qur’an and Sunnah by saying: ‘They do not appeal to my reason’, or ‘They are against the ways of my forefathers’ or ‘The world is moving in an opposite direction’. Such people are liars if they call themselves Muslims.

The moment you recite the Kalimah: ‘La ilaha illa’llah Muhammadu’ r-rasulu’ llah’, you accept that the only law you recognize is the law of God, only God is your sovereign, only God is your ruler, only God you will obey, and only the things given in God’s Book and by His Messengers are true and right. It means that as soon as you become Muslims you must renounce your authority in favour of God’s authority.

Consequently, you have no right to say, ‘My opinion is this, the prevalent custom is this, the family tradition is this, that scholar and that holy person say this’. In the face of Allah’s word and His Messenger’s Sunnah, you cannot argue in this manner. You should judge everything in the light of the Qur’an and Sunnah; accept what is in conformity with them and reject what runs counter to them, irrespective of the people who may be behind them. It is a contradiction in terms to call yourselves Muslims on the one hand, and, on the other, follow your own opinions or the customs of society or some person’s words or actions as against the Qur’an and the Sunnah. Just as a blind person cannot claim to have eyes, nor a deaf person to have ears, so a person who refuses to subordinate the affairs of his life to the dictates of the Qur’an and the Sunnah cannot call himself a Muslim.

No one who does not want to be a Muslim can be compelled to be one against his will. You are free to adopt any religion you like and call yourselves by any names you like. But, once having called yourselves Muslims, you must fully understand that you can remain Muslims only as long as you stay within the bounds of Islam. These bounds are: to accept the word of God and His Messenger’s Sunnah as the ultimate criteria of truth and justice and to consider everything opposed to them as wrong. If you remain within these bounds you are Muslims, but if you overstep them you cease to be part of Islam. To continue, in such circumstances, to consider yourselves and call yourselves Muslims is tantamount to both self-deception of others. ‘Whose judges not according to what God has sent down, they are the unbelievers’ (al-Ma’idah 5: 44).

They glory in the Grace and the bounty from Allah, and in the fact that Allah suffereth not the reward of the Faithful to be lost (in the least). (172) Of those who answered the call of Allah and the Messenger, even after being wounded, those who do right and refrain from wrong have a great reward;- (173) Men said to them: "A great army is gathering against you": And frightened them: But it (only) increased their Faith: They said: "For us Allah sufficeth, and He is the best disposer of affairs."
(Al-'Imran: 171 - 173)

[center]The night journey and the ascension of prophet Muhammad Part Two[/center]

Was Miraj Physical or a Dream?

Had the Prophet's journey of Al-Israa' and Al-Mi`raj been in soul only, it would not have been regarded as a miracle. It would have been then an ordinary dream. While sleeping, many people visit remote places and see extraordinary things without moving an inch from the places they are already in, and there is nothing extraordinary about that to other people.

These questions, in this view, have been resolved by the text of the Quran itself. The opening statement: "Holy is He Who carried His servant by night from the Holy Mosque to the farther Mosque,  " (verse 1) itself indicates that it was an extraordinary event which took place by dint of the infinite power of Allah.

For quite obviously, to be able to perceive the kind of things mentioned in connection with the event, either in a dream or by means of intuition, is not so wondrous that it should be prefaced by the statement: "Holy is He Who carried His servant by night, " ; a statement which amounts to proclaiming that Allah was free from every imperfection and flaw. Such a statement would make absolutely no sense if the purpose of it was merely to affirm that Allah had the power to enable man to have either visions in the course of a dream, or to receive information intuitively.

As per this view, the words of the experience or a dream vision, was an actual journey, and the observation in question was a visual observation. All was contingent upon Allah's will that truths be revealed to the Prophet in this fashion.

The Creator is infinite and transcends both time and place, yet in dealing with His creatures He has to have recourse to the means which are finite and are circumscribed by time-space limitations. This is because of the inherent limitations of man. Hence when Allah speaks to His creatures, He employs, of necessity, the same means of communication which can be comprehensible to the latter even though His Own speech transcends the means employed in the speech.

In like fashion, when Allah wants to show someone the signs of His vast kingdom, He takes him to certain places and enables him to observe whatever he is required to observe. For it is beyond the power of man to view the universe in the manner Allah can. While Allah does not stand in need of visiting a certain place in order to observe something that exists there, man does need to do so.

The same holds true of having a direct encounter with the Creator. Although Allah is not confined to a particular place, man needs to experience His presence at a defined place where the effulgence of His Being might be focused. For it is beyond man's power to encounter Allah in His limitlessness.

Then the splendid vision drew nearer and came still nearer till there was a distance of two bow lengths or even less so Allah revealed to His beloved servant what He wanted to reveal (53:8-10)

So Basically the ayat does support the fact that the Miraj was a physical journey as is demonstrated in the FIRST ayat of the Sura Isra:


سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي أَسْرَى بِعَبْدِهِ لَيْلاً مِّنَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ الأَقْصَى الَّذِي بَارَكْنَا حَوْلَهُ لِنُرِيَهُ مِنْ آيَاتِنَا إِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ البَصِيرُ
Glorified be He Who carried His servant by night from the Inviolable Place of Worship to the Far Distant Place of Worship the neighborhood whereof We have blessed, that We might show him of Our tokens! Lo! He, only He, is the Nearer, the Seer. Surah Isra:01

Answer to this question from the viewpoint of Hadeeth

The numerous ahadith reported in Bukhari, Muslim and other books do indicate this journey was not a dream. Qadi Iyaad al Malaki, in his commentary on Sahih Muslim says:
“The majority of the pious predecessors and later jurists, scholars of Hadith and men of learning believe the Miraj to be bodily. Four reasons are given by the scholars for this
conclusion:

Firstly, the word ‘Abd’ in the ayah of the Miraj refers categorically to mind and soul together.

Secondly, all the ahadith about the Miraj actually talk about the Prophet  mounting the Buraq, eating, drinking, meeting pas prophets, leading them in the prayer. All these are physical actions. No where is it mentioned that this was a dream.

Thirdly, if it was a mere dream, which the beloved Messenger  narrated to the people of Makkah, why did they deny it? Surely don’t people see many weird and wonderful dreams ?

Fourthly, how could it have been a test of people’s faith it was a mere dream ?
This is why the great Hanafi scholar, Imam Nasafi mentioned in his classical work “Aqaid an Nasafi”. “In the Miraj, he was taken to Masjid al-Aqsa and then to Sidrat-ul-Muntaha, and wherever Allah wished.”

All this took place in a state of wakefulness and with the body. However it took place in the realm of the Barzakh, which is the state between the physical and spiritual. Hence spiritual laws govern the body and the spiritual elements appeared in the bodily form. In fact all the ‘strange’ events of Miraj were expressed in this state of Barzakh.
Shah Wali Allah’s comments on the intercession: (Sirat un –Nabi, page 451, in Hujja
Tullahil Balaagah) Shah Wali Allah goes on to interpret many of the scenes of the Miraj in light of the above.
For example, the Hadith mentioned two cups were presented to the Prophet . Once was a cup of milk and the other was a cup of wine. He  chose the cup of milk, and there upon the angel said: “You selected the natural state. If you had chosen the cup of wine, your entire nation would have been lead astray.” In this world for Barzakh, milk represented the natural state, and misguidance was in the form of wine.

Purpose of Miraj

The Quran explaines the reason for taking Muhammad (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam)  on this miraculous journey as “to show him our signs.” The Messenger  visited heaven and hell, met the prophets and the angels and above all his  Majestic Lord, 

According to Imam Nawawi and Zarqaani, this took place on 27th Rajab, 17 months before Hijrah. This was the year which biographers call “the year of sorrow” when his  beloved wife and caring uncle die. The Messenger  was very sad that he  lost two great supporters and comforters. The ascension in a was was a “Divine treat” for him . Some of the other purposes of the journey are as follows:

• Declaration of the universality of Islam
o By leading the prophets
o By praying in Masjid al-Aqsa
o Warning the Kuffar of the imminent punishment

• The twelve commandments:
o Not to commit shirk
o Kindness to parents
o Respect others rights
o Avoid spend thriftiness
o Do not kill your children
o Do not commit adultery
o Do not kill
o Be kind to orphans
o Fulfill your promise
o Be fair in your dealings
o Do not be suspicious of others
o Do not be arrogant
o Prelude to Hijrah
o The obligatory five prayers


Another Scholarly article on Miraj, the greatness of Allah, Islam, and His Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam)

Glorified be He Who carried His servant by night from the Inviolable Place of Worship to the Far distant place of worship, whose precincts We have blessed, that We might show him of Our Signs! Lo! He, only He, is the Hearer, the Seer. [17:1]

Allah (swt) has revealed this as the first verse of Quran's chapter al-Isra, Night Journey, which is also known as the chapter of the Children of Israel or the chapter of Glorification ( Subhan ). In it Allah mentions the Night Journey ( Isra ) in which He called the Prophet (s) to His Divine Presence.

As Allah opened the Holy Qur'an in the Opening chapter Surat al-Fatiha, with the words “ Al-Hamdu Lillah - Praise be to Allah,” in this verse of Surat al-Isra (17:1), He opens the chapter of the Night Journey with, “ Subhana - Glory be to Allah (swt)."
Allah is glorifying Himself saying, “ Subhana alladhi asra'” which means “Glory to Me, the One who brought the Prophet on the Night Journey calling him to My Divine Presence.” This is beyond the comprehension of the human mind. Allah is not just reminding us about this event, rather, He is glorifying Himself on account of it. That is because the Night Journey, moving almost instantaneously from Makka to Masjid al-Aqsa and the Ascension, traversing in an incredibly short span of time the worldly domain of this universe and beyond, transcend the laws of physics governing movement. There is no way for any scientist's mind to comprehend how the Prophet (s) moved across the globe and was then carried to Allah's Divine Presence. Such a journey is beyond the scope of imagination. Therefore Allah (swt) glorifies Himself saying, "Yes it happened! Glory to Me Who can do this! I am beyond these laws and systems. I am the Creator of all systems."

Malik bin Anas (r) related that the Prophet (s) said, “I was lying in the hijr (of the Inviolable Mosque of Makka) when someone [the archangel Jibril (as)] came to me and cut open my chest from throat to belly. He removed my heart and cleaned it with the water of the well of Zamzam before putting it back in its place. Then he brought me a white creature called al-Buraq by whose means I was lifted.”

Another narration relates that the two archangels “Jibril and Mika'il (as) came to the Prophet (s) when he was laying down in al-Hijr [of the Inviolable Mosque in Makka] and carried him to the well of Zamzam. They laid him down on his back and Jibril (as) opened his chest from top to bottom, despite which there was no bleeding. He said to Mika'il (as), ‘Get me water from Zamzam,' which he did. Jibril (as) took the Prophet's heart and washed it thrice before putting it back. He filled it with faith and wisdom. Then he closed his chest and they took him out from the door of the masjid to where the buraq was waiting.”

Archangel Jibril could have removed the Prophet's heart miraculously by means of a small opening or without opening his chest at all. Yet we see in this Tradition of the Prophet (s) a hint of how to perform open heart surgery. This same technique of opening the entire chest cavity is used by heart surgeons today.

How did Allah describe the one whom He brought on the Night Journey? He describes him (as) as "His servant." Abu Qasim Sulayman al-Ansari said that when the Prophet (s) reached the highest levels and distinguished stations, Allah revealed to him, “With what shall I honor you?” The Prophet said, “By relating me to you through servanthood ( ‘ubudiyya ).” This is why Allah revealed this verse of the Holy Qur'an honoring the Prophet (s) by the title "His servant ” when describing the Night Journey. Allah did not grant such an honor to Moses. Rather He said, "And when Moses came to Our appointed tryst…" [7: 143] referring to Moses (as) by his name. Instead of saying, “ Glory be to Him Who made Muhammad (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) to go …”Allah honored the Prophet (s) by referring to him as “` abdihi ", His servant.”

Another subtle inference from Allah's use of the term “` Abdihi” - a construct in the absent form or third person - is the meaning that, ‘He called the Prophet to a void where there was nothing except His Own Presence.' Allah called the Prophet to a point where there is no place and there is no time, no ‘where' and no ‘when.' More miraculous than calling the Prophet (s) to His Presence was His bringing the Prophet's (s) body and soul, which exist in time and place, to where there is no time and place. Allah brought His sincere servant, our master Muhammad (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) (as), from a physical form of this worldly life to the completely abstract Divine Presence which is beyond any laws of science and physics which govern the universe.

The verse goes on to describe the Prophet's movement through stations. Allah's description of the Prophet (as) as servant ‘ abd, precedes His mention of the two mosques: the Inviolable Mosque (Masjid al-Haraam) and the Far Distant Mosque (Masjid al-Aqsa). Having perfected his character through constant worship, ` ubudiyya, the Inviolable Mosque, or Holy Sanctuary, is here an indication of the Prophet's (s) having already been elevated beyond all sin. Allah did not say His Servant was taken “from Makka,” rather He said, “from the Inviolable Mosque.” “Inviolable” means that no sin is permitted within its precincts, nor backbiting, cheating, or lying. There one must be ever mindful of Allah's (swt) Presence. Masjid al-Haraam is a station where those sins which signify the animal life, can never be committed. 'Aqsa' in Arabic means 'the Farthest'. Thus Masjid al-Aqsa here is named as the farthest mosque in relation to Masjid al-Haraam and symbolizes the spiritual realm. The literal meaning is, ‘He brought His servant from Masjid al-Haraam to the mosque at the farthest end.' Symbolically, Allah brought the Prophet away from that which is forbidden, things of this earthly life, haraam , to the place furthest away from it - al-Aqsa. The furthermost point from the animalistic life is the spiritual dimension.

The contrast between these 'stations' is further demonstrated by the famous stone at each of these holy sites. In Masjid al-Haraam the Black Stone is a stone governed by physical constraints, held up in an encasement, having fallen from heaven and been darkened by the sins of humanity. At Masjid al-Aqsa the holy stone marking where the Prophet (as) ascended to the heavens is miraculously suspended in the air, disregarding the physical law of gravity, seeking to leave the earthly pull of gravity to soar towards the Divine Presence.

The subtle meaning derived from the order of the words here is that Allah's one true servant, the Prophet (s) began from station of `abdiyya, servanthood, for which he was created, allowing him to begin from the station of perfected and flawless character (`ismat) and move from there to the farthest station, the highest rank of all creation, as indicated by the station of the farthest mosque.

Allah brought Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) (s) to Masjid al-Aqsa in Palestine from which most of the prophets hail. There he found all of the prophets gathered there, and they prayed in congregation behind him (as). From there Allah raised him to the heavens, as if saying, ‘O My prophets! I did not raise any one from Masjid al-Aqsa as I am raising Muhammad (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) (s).' This was in order to demonstrate to them Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam)'s (as) ascendancy - unlike any one of them he was not restricted by the laws of this universe.
Allah then moved him from Masjid al-Aqsa by means of the Miraj, lifting him up to His Divine Presence. Why did Allah use the words, ‘ laylan - by night'? Why didn't He say, ‘ naharan - by day'? ‘ Laylan' here illustrates the darkness of this world which becomes illumined only by the bright moon of the Prophet (s) to illuminate every darkness.
Subhan alladhee asr'a bi `abdihi laylan . "Glorified be He Who carried His servant by night…" Look at every word of this holy verse. First Allah praised Himself in the third person, in absence. Allah then miraculously moved the Prophet ( asra' ) from Makka to Masjid al-Aqsa. Then He referred to the Prophet as ‘ 'abd, servant', distinguishing him through that elevated title as being related to the spiritual life, not the animal life.
The message of Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) (s) completed and perfected both the physical discipline and jurisprudence ( shariah ) of Musa and the spirituality ( rawhaniyya ) of ‘Isa. The shariah of Musa relates to the worldly life and the spirituality of ‘Isa relates to the heavenly life. By passing from the worldly life, represented by the Night Journey, to heavenly life, represented by the Ascension, the Prophet (s) was carried on these two wings. No prophet was carried on both except our master Muhammad (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) (s).

In his Musnad Imam Ahmad said that the Dajjal (Anti-Christ) would be prevented from entering four places: Masjid al-Haraam in Makka, Masjid an-Nabawiyy in Madina, Masjid al-Aqsa and Tur, Mount Sinai where Moses used to speak to Allah.
Imam Ahmad says in his Musnad that Maymuna said she asked the Prophet about Bayt al-Maqdis. He said, “It is the place of Judgment Day where everyone will be called. Come to it and pray in it because one prayer in it is like 1,000 prayers anywhere else.”
In another hadith the Prophet said that “One prayer in Masjid an-Nabawiyy is like 10,000 prayers elsewhere. One prayer in Masjid al-Haraam is like 100,000 prayers elsewhere.”
In another narration of Ahmad one of the Prophet's wives asked what one should do if they are not able to go to Masjid al-Aqsa. He said, “If someone is not able to go let them send lamp oil there to give light in the mosque. If anyone sends lamp oil to light the mosque it is as if you went and prayed there.”

According to this hadith one can send something to the mosque from far away attain the reward of one having reached the masjid despite not going there oneself, this though it is not a human being, but only four walls. This is one of many text proofs that intercession in Islam is accepted.

Allah mentioned in the Holy Qur'an “whenever Zakariya entered the sanctuary to (see) her, he found with her food. He said: O Mariam! whence comes this to you? She said: It is from Allah. Surely Allah gives to whom He pleases without measure.” [3: 36] Allah then stresses the importance of this place, “ There did Zakariya pray to his Lord…” [3: 37] as one in which prayers are answered, having become holy as Maryam's place of worship. Here we see that a place, whether a mosque or a sanctuary, once it becomes holy, can provide blessings and rewards to those who worship in it or send oil to, in the case of Masjid al-Aqsa. This is for a place, consisting of nothing more than four inanimate walls, what then of asking a pious person for dua? That is the case of the intercession of the Prophet (s).

There is another narration from Abu Dawud in which the Prophet was asked by Abu Dharr which was the first masjid placed on earth. The Prophet replied, “Al-Masjid al-Haraam.” (The mosque Sayyidina Ibrahim made in Makka). Then he asked which was next. “Masjid al-Aqsa.” (in Jerusalem). Abu Dharr asked how much time was in between the two. “Forty years. Sayyidina Ibrahim made the Mosque in Makka, Sayyidina Y'aqub founded Masjid al-Aqsa then his son Sayyidina Sulayman finished it.”

One of the great scholars of Quranic exegesis, al-‘Ala'i said, ‘On the Night of Ascension the Prophet had five different vehicles. The first was the Buraq, a winged creature which carried him from Makka to Masjid al-Aqsa. The second was the Ascension by which the Prophet (s) reached the sky of this world, as- sama' ad-dunya .' There are two explanations for Mi`raj: either the Buraq carried the Prophet (s) up or a ladder that descended and took the Prophet up very rapidly. ‘The third vehicle was the wings of angels taking the Prophet up to the seventh heaven. The fourth vehicle was the wings of Jibril (as) from the seventh heaven to sidrat al-muntaha . The fifth vehicle was ar-raf raf to ka`ba kawsayn .' The Prophet (s) stopped in ten different stations: the seven heavens and the eighth at the Furthermost Lote Tree, sidrat al-muntaha. The ninth is where he heard the sound of the angels' pens writing people's actions. The tenth level was at the Throne. And Allah knows best.' ( Tafsir ruh al maani. Al-alusi. Dar al-fikr. Tafsir surat bani israil )

Allah supports His prophets with miracles ( m'ujizat ) to be able to go beyond the laws of physics and beyond the constraints of our human realities. If Allah grants a miracle we should not view it as something improbable otherwise we will be like scientists who cannot understand anything beyond the physical laws of the universe.

These miraculous events happened on the Night of the Night Journey and Ascension, Laylat al Isra wal Miraj. The many hadith of Isra were authenticated by numerous huffaz (hadith masters) such as Ibn Shihab, Thabit al-Banani, and Qatada. Some scholars have different opinions on when this night occurred. Imam Nawawi said that it happened in Rajab. In ar-Rawda, Nawawi says it happened 10 years and 3 months after the beginning of the prophecy, while in Fatawa he states it was after five or six years of prophecy. Whatever the case, all scholars say that the Isra and Miraj took place both in body and spirit.

Allah said in the Holy Qur'an

75. So also did We show Ibrahim the malakut kingdom and glories behind the magnificent powers and laws of the physical universe that he might have certitude.
76. When the night covered over him he saw a star. He said ‘This is my lord.' But when it set he said, ‘I do not love those that set.'

77. When he saw the moon rising in splendor he said, ‘This is my lord.' But when the moon set he said, ‘Unless my Lord guides me I shall surely be among those who go astray.'

78. When he saw the sun rising in splendor he said, ‘This is my lord.' But when the sun set he said, ‘O my people, I am innocent and free from the sin of you giving partners to Allah.

79. ‘For me I have set my face firmly and truly towards the One Who created the heavens and the earth, and I am not one who gives partners to Allah.' (Al-An'am 6:75-79).

Allah opened the kingdom of heavens and earth to Sayyidina Ibrahim without an Isra or Miraj. He opened Prophet Ibrahim's baseera (spiritual vision) to see the wonders of the universe from where he was on earth. Allah showed him what is beyond the laws of the physical universe through the eyes of his heart. Yet immediately after this verse where Allah has shown Ibrahim the glories behind the physical universe, in verse 76 Ibrahim sees a star and says, ‘This is my lord!' In verses 77 and 78 he similarly “mistakes” the moon and sun for his lord.

Allah showed Ibrahim (as) the truth, and he is conveying the heavenly message. If he tried to directly present unseen spirituality to those who worship only physical objects, they would not understand it. How could he explains the heavens and glorifying the Lord to those who only understand literal meanings and physicality and not interpretative meanings or spirituality? Ibrahim was trying to gently tell the people ‘don't worship the stars, or moon, or sun. Go beyond what you can see physically.' Ibrahim knew the reality of the universe as Allah had shown it to him. The verses of the stars, moon, and sun are for the non-believers, to slowly build up their beliefs. They rejected anything beyond the comprehension of their minds. He wanted everyone to be under Allah's mercy so he was trying to let them understand by process of elimination that there is a spiritual dimension. He eliminated the star (something small), then the moon, then the sun (the biggest heavenly body). This means don't run after things of this worldly life but run after the spiritual dimension which is beyond the laws of the physical universe.

In our time, materialistic scientists and certain narrow minded Islamic sects try to negate spirituality, the fourth dimension, which Allah showed to Ibrahim (as). Those rejecting the spiritual dimension of Islam are falling into the same trap as the people of Ibrahim. The Prophet (s) said, ‘ akhwaf ma akhafu ala ummati ash-shirk il-khafi what I fear most for my community is the hidden shirk (associating partners to Allah).' For a person to be prideful of himself. Sayyidina Ibrahim was shown the realities of this universe and tried to guide his people to Allah. Finally, in verse 79 he reaffirms his true belief in Allah and his turning away from worldly distractions. From his place on earth, Ibrahim was shown by Allah (swt) the malakut of heavens and earth.

Sayyidina Musa did not see this malakut , but he was able to hear and talk to Allah from Mount Sinai. Although Ibrahim was granted to see in spiritual dimensions, and Musa was granted to hear Allah directly, both of their bodies were still on earth and subject to its physical laws. Sayyidina Ibrahim's vision and Sayyidina Musa's hearing went beyond the physical through the power of the soul, but their bodies did not move beyond the physical world.

However, Allah made Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) to move in spiritual dimensions with his physical body in complete freedom from the physical laws. Allah called the Prophet, ‘ li nuriyahu min ayatina to show him from Our signs, '(Isra 17: 1) Allah showed Ibrahim malakut of this universe, but He showed Muhammad (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) His signs. Allah moved the Prophet in body and spirit beyond the physical laws of this universe and showed him His signs ‘ ayatina Our signs.' This possessive form relating the signs as being Allah's directly indicates a greater honor and knowledge bestowed to the Prophet as opposed to knowledge about Allah's creation in general. The malakut of samawat (heavens or skies) and ard (earth) shown to Ibrahim were the workings of this physical universe and did not reach to Paradise. Allah's signs are directly related to Allah and are not associated with this world.

Imam Nawawi and the late Imam Mutwalli Sh'arawi side with the majority of scholars in interpreting this to mean that the Prophet saw his Lord another time- not that he saw Jibril another time as claimed by some. Nawawi relates in his commentary on Sahih Muslim, “Most of the scholars say that the Prophet saw his Lord with the eyes of his head ra'a rabbahu bi ‘aynay ra'sihi.”

Fa awha ila abdihi ma awha
53:10 Allah revealed to His servant what he revealed

Ma kadhaba al-fu'adu ma ra'a
53:11 The Prophet's heart in no way falsified what it saw.

A fatumarunahu ala ma yara
53:12 Will you then dispute with him about what he saw?

Wa laqad ra'ahu nazlatan ukhra
53:13 And he saw Him again another time

ainda sidrat al-muntaha
53 :14 at the Lote-tree of the utmost boundary

‘aindaha jannat al-ma'wa
53:15 at the Garden of Abode

idh yaghsha as-sidrata ma yaghsha
53:16 Behold the lote-tree was shrouded with what shrouds

Ma zagha al-basaru wa ma tagha
53:17 His sight did not swerve or go wrong.

Imam Sh'arawi asks, “What would make the Prophet's sight swerve? Some say it was Jibril, but the Prophet had seen Jibril many times and Jibril was with him for the duration of the Night Journey and Ascension. It is irrelevant to say at this juncture that the Prophet's sight did not swerve or go wrong, because if this was in reference to Jibril the Prophet had many opportunities to see him already. Allah doesn't say anything irrelevant which is why I side with the majority of ‘ ulama (including Imam Nawawi) in saying that with his physical eyes the Prophet saw Allah (swt).”

The Prophet came all the way to the Divine Throne( ‘arsh ), reached qab kawsayni (the distance of two bow lengths), and reached the Paradise of Jannat al-Ma'wa near the Lote-Tree ( sidrat al-muntaha ). After all this what could possibly make his sight swerve or go wrong? As mentioned above, the Isra and Miraj took place several years after Jibril brought the first revelation to the Prophet. Thus, it is illogical that after being seen by the Prophet so many times that now Jibril would have the potential to make his sight swerve.

Ma zagha al-basaru wa ma tagha
53:17 His sight did not swerve or go wrong.

Laqad ra'a min ayati rabbihi al-kubra
53:18 Indeed he saw the Greatest Signs of his Lord

A fa ra' aytum al-lat wal ‘uzza
53: 19 Have you seen Lat and ‘Uzza (two pagan idols)

Wa manat ath-thalithata al-ukhra
53:20 And the third one Manat (another idol)

Why does Allah mention these three false deities here immediately after mentioning the “Greatest Signs of his Lord” in 53:18? Scholars say that verses 53:19-20 name the idols that people were worshipping in order to contrast them to Allah (swt) mentioned in 53:18. If 53:18 referred to Jibril then it would not follow to mention the false idols after it.

That is the greatness of Sayyidina Muhammad (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam). No one saw his Lord except for Muhammad (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam), so he is the only real muwahhid . No one except Muhammad (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) has real tawhid , only imitation tawhid .

Prophet Abraham was the father of the prophets and was granted spiritual vision to see the workings of the universe and Prophet Moses was granted to speak with his Lord. But Allah moved Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) with his physical body in defiance of the physical laws of the universe to the Unseen, a place where there is nothing and no possibility of anything to be there- la khala wa la mala . Allah took Muhammad (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) there and revealed Himself to him, in the manner He wished. How this was we don't know. It is ghayb (unseen, unknown). But we know that this is not in reference to Jibril who was seen by the Prophet many times. We again recall the opinion of Imam Nawawi who said, “Most of the scholars say that the Prophet saw his Lord with the eyes of his head ra'a rabbahu bi ‘aynay ra'sihi.”
Looking at these verses in Surat Isra and Surat Najm we see that the Isra and Miraj was not like Allah showing Ibrahim malakut of the universe. Allah gave this universe to all of humanity whether in dunya or akhira. However Allah showed Muhammad (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) something related to Himself “ ayatina Our Signs.”

Bukhari Volume 8, Book 77, Number 610:
Narrated Ibn 'Abbas:
(regarding the Verse) "And We granted the vision (Ascension to the heavens "Miraj" which We showed you (O Muhammad (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) as an actual eye witness) but as a trial for mankind.' (17.60): Allah's Apostle actually saw with his own eyes the vision (all the things which were shown to him) on the night of his Night Journey to Jerusalem (and then to the heavens). The cursed tree which is mentioned in the Qur'an is the tree of Az-Zaqqum.
Volume 7, Book 69, Number 482:
Narrated Abu Huraira:
On the night Allah's Apostle was taken on a night journey (Miraj) two cups, one containing wine and the other milk, were presented to him at Jerusalem. He looked at it and took the cup of milk. Gabriel said, "Praise be to Allah Who guided you to Al-Fitra (the right path); if you had taken (the cup of) wine, your nation would have gone astray."

The Dome of The Rock


This is the oldest Muslim building which has survived basically intact in its original form. It was built by the Caliph Abd al-Malik and completed in 691 CE. The building encloses a huge rock located at its center, from which, according to tradition, the Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) ascended to heaven at the end of his Night Journey. In the Jewish tradition this is the Foundation Stone, the symbolic foundation upon which the world was created, and the place of the Binding of Isaac. The Caliph Omar is said to have cleared the waste which had accumulated on the rock during the Byzantine period. The structure is octagonal and the dome is borne by a double system of pillars and columns. The walls, ceiling, arches, and vaults are decorated with floral images. The dome, on the inside, is covered with colored and gilded stucco. Abd al-Malik marked the end of the construction with a dedicatory inscription (still visible) which reads: "This dome was built by the servant of Allah Abd al- Malik Ibn Marwan, emir of the faithful, in the year seventy-two" (Hejira 72 in the Muslim calendar is691/692 CE). Under the Abassid ruler, Caliph al-Mamun (r. 813-833), repairs were carried out, and the caliph also seized the occasion to replace the tiles bearing al- Malik's name with others bearing his own name as the building's founder.

Al-Aqsa Mosque



The term the "farthest mosque" is considered in Islamic tradition as the general name for the precinct of al-Haram al-Sharif ("The Noble Sacred Enclosure" in Jerusalem, as well as the specific name for the congregational mosque located at its southern edge.
The contemporary congregational mosque of al-Aqsa is a result of different stages of construction and renovations. It is usually agreed upon that Abd al-Malik, the Umayyad
Caliph who was the patron of the Dome of the Rock, started the construction of al-Aqsa Mosque at the end of the 7th century. A major building phase took place during the time of the Caliphate of his son, Abd al-Malik (709-715 AD). The building suffered from several major earthquakes and was renovated and reconstructed during the Abbasid period by Caliph al-Mahdi (775-785) and possibly by Caliph al-Mansur (743-75). A further reconstruction was executed during the Fatimid period, in the 11th century. During the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem the mosque was considered as Templum Salomonis (the royal palace of Solomon) and it served as the palace of the Kings of Jerusalem and later as the dwelling place of the Knights Templars. At the same time the Dome of the Rock was regarded as the Templum Domini (The Temple of the Lord). Moreover, several major restorations are known to have taken place during the 14th and 20th century.
The mosque consists today of a seven bay hypostyle hall with several additional small halls to the west and east of the southern section of the building. Unlike most hypostylestyle mosques the building does not have a clearly delineated courtyard unless one considers the whole Haram as its court. It is capped with a silver dome, made of lead sheets, which together with the golden dome of the Dome of the Rock, formulate the icon of the Haram in Jerusalem.

Seun u are here again, i dnt knw u were a muslim,i see in all discussions and in all the forums.it is good ramadan kareem.

[center]From the Merits of Reciting Qur’an and its Types
Sheikh Muhammad Bin Saleh Bin ‘Uthaymeen[/center]


Allah (SWT) says, “Those who rehearse the Book of Allah, establish regular Prayer, and spend (in Charity) out of what We have provided for them, secretly and openly, hope for a commerce that will never fail”

There are two ways to recite the Book of Allah.

The first is by believing what you read, following its rulings, doing what it commands, and staying away from what it forbids. We will talk about this in another sitting inshallah.

The second way is just vocalization. This is also known as Qira’a (recitation). There have been many texts that talk about the virtues of this type, whether it be reciting the Qur’an, surahs, or just ayahs. Utman Ibn Affan narrates that the Prophet (SAW) said, “The best of you is who learns the Qur’an and teaches it.” (Bukhari) In the Saheehayn on ‘Aisha (RA) that the Prophet (SAW) said, "A person who recites the Qur'an, and reads it fluently, will be in the company of the obedient and noble angels, and he who reads the Qur'an haltingly and with difficulty will have a double recompense."

In the Saheehayn as well on the authority of Abu Musa Al Ashari (RA) that the Prophet (SAW) said, “The example of a believer, who recites the Qur’an and acts on it, is like an orange (utrujjah) which tastes nice and smells nice. And the example of the believer who does not recite the Qur’an but acts on it is like a date that tastes sweet but has no smell.” In Saheeh Muslim on the authority of Amama (RA) that the Prophet (SAW) said, “Recite the Qur’an for it will come n the Day of Judgment as an intercession for it’s companion.” Also in Saheeh Muslim on the authority of Aqbah bin ‘Amir (RA) that the Prophet (SAW) said, “Would one of you not go to the Masjid and learn or recite two verses from the Book of Allah, the Mighty and the Majestic. That would be better for him than two she-camels. And three verses would be better for him than three she-camels. And four verses would be better than four she-camels, and whatever their number may be of camels.” In Saheeh Muslim as well on the authority of Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (SAW) said, “No people meet in the house of Allah reciting Qur’an and teaching it to each other, but the angels surround them, mercy covers them, tranquility descends on them, and Allah mentions them to those who are with Him.” The Prophet (SAW) also said, “Maintain the Qur'an. For verily, by He in Whose Hand Muhammad's soul is in, it (the Qur'an) is more intense in escaping (memory) than a camel from its rein.” (Agreed upon) He (SAW) also said, “None of you should say, 'I forgot such-and-such an ayah.' Rather he was made to forget.” (Muslim) On the authority of Abdullah Ibn Masood, that the Prophet (SAW) said, “Whoever reads a letter from the Book of Allah, he will have a reward, and this reward will be multiplied by ten. I am not saying that ‘Alif, Laam, Meem’ (a combination of letters frequently mentioned in the Holy Quran) is a letter, rather I am saying that ‘Alif’ is a letter, ‘Laam’ is a letter and ‘Meem’ is a letter.” (Tirmidhee) Also on the authority of Ibn Masood that the Prophet (SAW) said, “This Qur'an is the Banquet of Allah. Learn as much as you can from His banquet. This Qur'an is the Rope of Allah, and it is the Clear Light and Useful Healing. It is a protection for the one who clings to it and a rescue for the one who follows it. It is not crooked and so puts things straight. It does not deviate so as to be blamed. Its wonders do not cease. It does not wear out with much repetition. So recite it. Allah will reward you with ten good deeds for every letter of its recitation. I am not saying that ‘Alif, Laam, Meem’ (a combination of letters frequently mentioned in the Holy Quran) is a letter, rather I am saying that ‘Alif’ is a letter, ‘Laam’ is a letter and ‘Meem’ is a letter.” (Hakim)

These are the benefits of reciting the Qur’an. These rewards are for those that anticipate it along with Allah’s pleasure. A big reward for an easy action and the loser is the one who lets this opportunity pass. There are specific rewards for reciting certain surahs. In Saheeh Bukhari on the authority of Abu Saed bin al Mo’lee (RA) that the Prophet (SAW) said to him, “Surely I will teach you the greatest surah in the Qur’an (Fatiha).” The Fatiha is the seven-oft repeated verses of the Qur’an. From its greatness is that it is a pillar of prayer. A prayer is invalid without the Fatiha. As the Prophet (SAW), “No prayer is valid without the opening of the Qur’an.” (Agreed upon)

Some other surahs are Al-Baqarah and Ali-‘Imran. The Prophet (SAW) said, “Learn how to recite Surah Al-Baqarah for there is a blessing in it, and there is sorrow for abandoning it, and it is unbearable for the idle and that Al-Baqarah and Ali-‘Imran are like two flowers which will shade those who learned them by heart on the Day of Judgment, as if there were two large clouds or two flocks of birds.” (Muslim) Abu Hurayrah narrates that the Prophet (SAW) said, “The house in which Al-Baqarah is recited will not be entered by the Shaytan.” (Muslim) That is because it contains ayatul-kursi as the Prophet (SAW) said, “Whoever recites ayatul kursi at night…then the Shaytan will not approach them until they wake.”

On the authority of Ibn ‘Abbas that Jibreel (AS) said to the Prophet (SAW), “This is a door in the heaven which has been opened today, and it has never been opened before today, and an angel has come down through it. This is an angel who has come down to the earth, and he never came down before today. He [that angel] gave the greeting of Salaam and said: 'Rejoice, for you have been granted two lights which have not been given to any Prophet before you: the Opening (chapter) of the Book (chapter Al-Faatihah) and the closing verses of chapter Al-Baqarah. You will not read even one letter of them but you will be granted reward.” (Muslim)

Another specific surah is surah Ikhlaas. In the Saheehayn on the authority of Abu Sa’eed al Khudri, that the Prophet (SAW) said, “By He who my soul is in His hand, indeed it is equal to one third of the Qur’an.” Also Al-Falaaq and An-Naas have virtues associated with them. So strive much my brothers in reciting much Qur’an in this blessed month. Jibreel (AS) used to review the Qur’an with the Prophet (SAW) once every Ramadhan, except the year that the Prophet (SAW) passed away. In that year Jibreel (AS) reviewed with him twice to make it strong and firm. Our pious predecessors (RA) used to increase in reciting the Qur’an during Ramadhan. Azzuhree used to say that when Ramadhan came it is just reciting of the Qur’an and feeding of the poor. And Imam Malik (RA) used to stop his sittings of hadeeth and would only focus on the Qur’an. Qatada (RA) used to constantly finish the Qur’an every seven nights, and during Ramadhan every three nights, and during the last ten days of Ramadhan, every night. Ibrahim Anakhee used to finish it during Ramadhan every three nights, and in the last ten days every two nights. And Al-Aswad (RA) used to recite it every two nights throughout the month.

[center] From the Rulings of Praying in Ramadhan Sheikh Muhammad Bin Saleh Bin ‘Uthaymeen[/center]


Allah has made many different types of acts of worship obligatory upon us so that we may take a part from every type. So that we do not just fill up on only one act of worship and end up leaving that act. From these acts of worship, Allah has made some obligatory, which we are not permissible to have deficiencies in performing nor are we allowed to leave them. Allah has also made some acts nafl (supererogatory), from which we can attain getting closer to Allah, and completeness.

From this Allah has made the five daily prayers obligatory. They are five in action, and fifty in the scale. Allah has made the nafl prayers as a way to perfect the obligation, and to attain closeness to Allah. From these acts are the set nafl prayers, which are with the obligatory prayers. Two rak’ahs before Fajr, four before Dhuhr, and two after it, two after Maghrib, and two after ‘Isha. Then there is the night prayer which Allah talks about those whom perform them in the Qur’an by saying, “Those who spend the night in adoration of their Lord prostrate and standing” and by saying, “Who forsake their beds to cry unto their Lord in fear and hope, and spend of what we have bestowed on them. No soul knows what is kept hid for them of joy, as a reward for what they used to do.” The Prophet (SAW) said, “The best prayer after the obligatory ones is the prayer at night.” (Muslim) He (SAW) also said, “Oh people, Spread salaam, offer food generously, uphold the ties of kinship, stand in prayer at night when people are sleeping, and enter Paradise in peace.” (graded Saheeh by Trimidhe and Al-Hakim)

From the night prayer, is the witr prayer. The least of it being just one rak’ah and the most being eleven rak’ahs, and you make it odd by having just one rak’ah by itself. As the Prophet (SAW) said, “Whoever wants to pray one rak’ah for witr, then they may.” (Abu Dawood and Annisaae) Or you may make witr with three rak’ahs as the Prophet (SAW) said, “Whoever wants to pray three rak’ahs for witr, then they may.” (Abu Dawood and Annisaae) If you wish, you may perform these rak’ahs with just one salaam as is narrated by Attahawee, that Umar bin Alkhataab (RA) used to make witr three rak’ahs without making tasleem except at the end. And if you prefer to pray three with a tasleem after the first two as is related by Bukhari that Abdullah Bin Umar used to make the after the first two rak’ahs then make tasleem again after the third even so that he would do something important between the two parts of the witr prayer. And it is possible to pray five rak’ahs without sitting or making tasleem except at the end. This is due to the statement of the Prophet (SAW), “Whoever wants to make witr five, then they may.” (Abu Dawood and Annisaae) ‘Aisha (RA) said, “The Prophet (SAW) used to pray 13 rak’ahs at night, from those he would make the last 5 witr without sitting in them except at the end. (Agreed upon) Or He (SAW) would make seven rak’ahs witr and would perform them just like the five rak’ahs as stated by Umm Salama (RA), “The Prophet (SAW) used to make seven rak’ahs witr as well as five, he would not have a salaam or talk in between. (Ahmad, Nisaee, Ibn Majaah)

The Prophet (SAW) would also make witr with nine and would sit at the end of the eighth rak’ah and make tashahud and dua, then he would get up and pray the ninth rak’ah and make tashahud at the end of it and then make tasleem. This is known because of the hadeeth narrated by ‘Aisha (RA) who said, “The Prophet (SAW) would pray 9 rak’ahs, not sitting except at the eight in which he would praise Allah and make dua, he wouldn’t make tasleem, then he would get up and pray the ninth in which he would praise Allah and make dua, then make tasleem.” (Ahmad and Muslim) He (SAW) would also pray 11 rak’ahs, and if he wished he would make tasleem after every two rak’ahs, and make the last rak’ah witr. This is known from the hadeeth narrated by ‘Aisha (RA) in which she said, “The Prophet (SAW) used to pray in the time between ‘Isha and Fajr 11 rak’ahs, making tasleem after every two, and making witr with the last one.” (Al Jama’ah except Tirmidhee) And if he wished, he (SAW) would pray four then four then three. As ‘Aisha (RA) said, “The Prophet (SAW) would pray four, and don’t ask about how perfect and lengthy they were, then he would pray four more, and don’t ask about how perfect and lengthy they were, then he would pray three.” (Agreed upon) The scholars of fiqh from the Hanabil and the Shafi’ee say that it is permissible to make witr 11 with one tashahud or with two, one in the second to last and one in the last rak’ah.

Praying during the night in Ramadhan has special benefits. The Prophet (SAW) said, “Whoever stands for prayer at night, with faith and anticipation of reward, he is forgiven for his past sins.” (Agreed upon) With faith means faith in Allah, and belief in being rewarded for his act. Anticipation means that they don’t do the act out of showing off, or out of expecting to get money. Taraweeh is the praying at night during Ramadhan with belief that you will be rewarded for the action. It is called taraweeh because the people used to make it long, and whenever they would reach four rak’ahs, then they would rest for a little.

The Prophet (SAW) was the first to make this prayer in congregation in the masjid, then he left it for fear of people thinking it was a fardh. As is stated in the Saheehayn, on ‘Aisha (RA) that the Prophet (SAW) prayed in the masjid one night with some people, then more people came, then on the third or fourth night even more people came, so he didn’t come out to them. Then he later said, “I saw what you were doing, and nothing stopped me from coming to you except the fear of this becoming an obligation on you.” This was during Ramadhan. Abu Dhar (RA) said, “We fasted with the Prophet (SAW) and he didn’t lead us in prayer until there were just seven days left in the month, so he lead us in prayer until the last third of the night, then he didn’t lead us the following day, then he lead us up until just until half of the night. So we said, “O messenger of Allah, why didn’t you pray the entire night?” He said, “Whoever prays with the Imam until the Imam is finished, then they get rewarded for praying the whole night.” (Narrated with a Saheeh chain)

The pious predecessors have disagreed about the number of rak’ah that should be performed for taraweeh and witr. Some said 41, some said 30, some said 29, some said 23, some said 19, some said 13, some said 11, and other than this was said as well. The strongest of them is 11 or 13 as is stated in the Saheehayn on ‘Aisha (RA) that she was asked how the Prophet (SAW) used to pray in Ramadhan. She said, “He never used to during Ramadhan or otherwise, pray more than 11 rak’ahs.” Ibn ‘Abbas (RA) said, “The prayer of the Prophet (SAW) was 13 rak’ahs, meaning the night prayer.” (Bukhari) Saib bin Yazeed (RA) said, “Umar bin Alkhataab (RA) ordered Ubay bin K’ab and Tamima Adaree to lead the people with 11 raka’ahs.” Our pious predecessors used to make the prayer very long. Saib bin Yazeed (RA) said, “The imam used to recite with (maeen), so much so that we used to rely on using sticks from the length of standing.” And this is the opposite of what a lot of people practice today. Some people pray tarweeh with immense speed, they do not have the mandatory calmness and serenity, which is a pillar of the prayer. The prayer is not valid without the calmness. So they leave this pillar and make it hard for those behind them from the weak, sick, and old. The scholars may Allah have mercy on them say that it is makrooh for the imam to make the prayer exceedingly fast.

It is not fitting for men to leave this prayer and miss out on all of the rewards, and they should not leave until the imam finishes the prayer and the witr so that they may receive the reward of praying the entire night. It is permissible for women to attend the taraweeh prayers in the masjid if it won’t cause any fitnah. As the Prophet (SAW) said, “Do not prevent the slave women of Allah from coming to the masjid.” This is from the actions of the pious predecessors as well. But it is obligatory that she must dress modestly observing proper hijab, and not inappropriately dressed, and not with perfume, and not speaking loudly, and not beautifying herself. As Allah (SWT) says, “that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof.” Um Atee said about when the Prophet (SAW) ordered the women to come to the Eid prayer, “Oh Messenger of Allah, one of us does not have a jilbab” so he replied, “Let one of her sisters give her one to wear.” (Agreed upon) The sunnah for women is to arrive after the men, and to be far from them, and to start from the last line, for the last line is the opposite of the men. As the Prophet (SAW) said, “The best of lines for the men is the first, and the worst of lines is the last. The best of lines for the women are the last lines, and the worst are the first lines.” (Muslim) And they should leave the masjid after the imam makes tasleem, and they should not stay later except if they have an excuse to do so. Um Salamah (RA) said: "When the Prophet (SAW) used to make tasleem, the women got up and left while the prophet (SAW) remained shortly in his place before he got up. She said: this is and Allah knows best, because the Prophet (SAW) wanted the women to leave before the men can catch up with them." (Bukhari)

O Allah forgive us and our parents and the Muslims, with your mercy. And send peace and blessings on the Prophet Muhammad, and his family, and his companions.

162) Say: "Truly, my prayer and my service of sacrifice, my life and my death, are (all) for Allah, the Cherisher of the Worlds: (163) No partner hath He: this am I commanded, and I am the first of those who bow to His will. (164) Say: "Shall I seek for (my) Cherisher other than Allah, when He is the Cherisher of all things (that exist)? Every soul draws the meed of its acts on none but itself: no bearer of burdens can bear of burdens can bear the burden of another. Your goal in the end is towards Allah. He will tell you the truth of the things wherein ye disputed."
(Al-An'am: 162 - 164)

Achieving Piety through Fasting


(O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that ye may (learn) self-restraint.) (Al-Baqarah 2:183)

Islam teaches that the purpose of fasting is not to make people hungry and thirsty, or to deprive them some of their comfort and conveniences. The real purpose of fasting, according to Islam, is to learn piety.

Piety is highly emphasized in the Quran and Sunnah. There are more than 158 verses in the Quran on piety, and there are hundreds of hadiths on this subject.

Muslim scholars see piety as being Islam itself. It is the total sum of all Islamic values and virtues. If one has piety, one has achieved everything. Piety is the consciousness of God. It is to do one's best efforts to live by His commands and to avoid His prohibitions.

The Quran has used the word piety to mean consciousness of God, fear of God, worship of God, sincerity in faith, and avoidance of disobedience to God.

How does fasting build the character of piety according to the Islamic worldview? Let us look at some of the things that a fasting person is supposed to do, and see how they are related to the concept and spirit of piety.

1. Unlike Prayers, charity, and pilgrimage, fasting is an invisible act. According to Islam, only God and the person who is fasting know whether he or she is fasting or not. One may quietly eat or drink something and no one will notice and no one can find out.

However, the fasting person has made this commitment for the sake of God and he or she wants to guard the purity of his or her fast for the sake of God. Fasting thus teaches sincerity and it helps a person learn to live by the principles of his or her faith regardless whether others know or do not know. This is the very purpose and essence of piety.

2. Food and sexual intercourse are two needs and desires that are essential for human survival and growth, but they can become easily corruptive and disruptive if they are not properly controlled and disciplined. Piety requires observing the rules of God when one eats and when one enjoys sexual relations. Fasting teaches how to control and discipline these desires.

3. The world is full of temptations. It takes a lot of discipline to say "no" to something that is very tempting but not good for us. During fasting we learn how to say "no" to things that are otherwise permissible and good, but are forbidden during fasting. When one learns how to say "no" to that which is generally permissible, then one can easily control oneself to avoid that which is forbidden. This is the spirit of piety.

4. People generally care for themselves and their families, but they often ignore the needs of others. Those who are wealthy do not feel the pain and suffering of those who are hungry, homeless, and living in poverty.

Through fasting we taste — to some extent — the pain and suffering of those who are poor and destitute. Fasting teaches empathy and sympathy, and it takes away some of our selfishness and self-centeredness. This is the spirit of piety.

5. When Muslims fast together in the month of Ramadan, it builds an atmosphere of virtues, brotherhood and sisterhood. They come closer to their Creator and also come closer to each other. Unity, peace, harmony, brotherhood and sisterhood are the fruits of piety.

In Ramadan, Muslims enjoy these fruits as they learn to grow in piety.

HADITH FOR THOUGHT

The Authority Of Abu Dharr al-Ghifari RAA
------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- -
From the Prophet (peace be upon him) is that among the sayings he relates from his Lord (may He be glorified) is that He said :

"O My servants, I have forbidden oppression for Myself and have made it forbidden amongst you, so do not oppress one another. O My servants, all of you are astray except for those I have guided, so seek guidance of Me and I shall guide you, O My servants, all of you are hungry except for those I have fed, so seek food of Me and I shall feed you. O My servants, all of you are naked except for those I have clothed, so seek clothing of Me and I shall clothe you.

O My servants, you sin by night and by day, and I forgive all sins, so seek forgiveness of Me and I shall forgive you. O My servants, you will not attain harming Me so as to harm Me, and will not attain benefiting Me so as to benefit Me. O My servants, were the first of you and the last of you, the human of you and the jinn of you to be as pious as the most pious heart of any one man of you, that would not increase My kingdom in anything.

O My servants, were the first of you and the last of you, the human of you and the jinn of you to be as wicked as the most wicked heart of any one man of you, that would not decrease My kingdom in anything. O My servants, were the first of you and the last of you, the human of you and the jinn of you to rise up in one place and make a request of Me, and were I to give everyone what he requested, that would not decrease what I have, any more that a needle decreases the sea if put into it.

O My servants, it is but your deeds that I reckon up for you and then recompense you for, so let him finds good praise Allah SWT and let him who finds other that blame no one but himself."

Reporters.
It was related by Muslim (also by at-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah).

DUA!

"Our Lord! do not punish us if we forget or make a mistake; Our Lord! do not lay on us a burden as Thou didst lay on those before us, Our Lord do not impose upon us that which we have not the strength to bear; and pardon us and grant us protection and have mercy on us, Thou art our Patron, so help us against the unbelieving people."

Amin!

Keeping Ramadan Spirits Alive:

10 tips to help you keep those Ramadan habits

Ramadan was great for some of us. We actually started praying five times a day on time. But once the blessed month is over we fear the momentum, drive and motivation that kept us going will fade out. Then we get worried that this good habit might not last.

But it doesn't have to be that way. In fact, a number of psychologists agree that a person needs about three weeks to develop a good habit. If you've been praying regularly, fasting, controlling your temper, trying to be more patient, or keeping any other good habit during Ramadan, you're almost sure, Insha Allah, to keep up with it afterwards.

Nonetheless, we all slip up. As well, the drive that pushes us to do good in Ramadan is usually not as strong the rest of the year. Here are a few things you can do to maintain the good habits you picked during Ramadan:

1. Make Dua

It was Allah who gave you the ability to keep the good habit in Ramadan, and only He can help you maintain it afterwards. Make Dua that Allah helps you not only keep the habit, but that He accepts it and makes it a way for you to grow in closeness to Him.

2. Make it a habit

If you want to keep good habits, you've got to make sure they remain part of your daily schedule. For instance, fasting. Did you know that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) encouraged fasting on Mondays and Thursdays? He said: A man's deeds are reported (to Allah) on Mondays and Thursdays and I prefer that I should be fasting when my deeds are reported (Tirmidhi).

This is a great way of maintaining the habit so you're not rusty by next Ramadan.

Or for example, were you extra generous during Ramadan? Well, maybe you can portion out a set amount of your weekly or monthly paycheck to a charitable cause to maintain the habit of giving.

Make the habit part of your daily and weekly schedule. The point is to keep the action in practice, and of course gain rewards from Allah.

3. Think about your day each night

Evaluating ourselves, our intentions, words and actions, every night is a very good way to maintain good habits.

Self-evaluation doesn't only help you see where you are and where you've got to go. It's also a great reminder of what you were supposed to do and didn't.

Add a question or two (or three or four) about your specific habit into a daily self-evaluation questionnaire. Ask yourself, for instance, how often did I pray today? What was the quality of my prayer? Did I pray on time? etc. These serve to remind you to keep up the habit and do better next time.

4. Evaluate yourself weekly

This helps you see the bigger picture. You'll be able to evaluate on a more long-term level how well you've been keeping your habit in practice. You can do the same thing on a monthly and yearly basis.

For those who are really into the technical aspect of self-evaluation, maybe you can make a graph to help you chart how well (or not so well) you've been keeping up with your good habit.

5. Get a friend to help

What are friends for anyway? If you've got a close friend you feel you can share your new habit with, let them join you in keeping up with it and keeping tabs on you while they're at it. This will not only encourage you, but Insha Allah, it'll deepen your brother/sisterhood as well.

Alternatively, look for groups where you can maintain the habit. If, for instance, you memorized Quran regularly in Ramadan and want to keep the habit, join an Islamic study circle focused on memorization.

6. Don't fall apart once you make one mistake

The beauty of Tawbah (repentance) in Islam, is that Allah blesses us with this opportunity to return back to Him after doing something wrong. We should remember that we are humans and that we will err. Only Allah is Perfect.

This is why, for instance, if we were able to pray on time all through Ramadan, but become slack afterwards, we must realize it, seek Allah's forgiveness sincerely, and try our best to get back on track, asking Allah to help us.

We should not give up trying to pray on time just because we have missed doing so on a couple of occasions.

7. Ask yourself WHY you kept the habit

Niyyah or intention is a key to Allah's acceptance of our good deeds. If we developed a habit to impress others, for instance, we may be able to keep the momentum for a while, but most probably it'll wear out afterwards.

But if we maintained a habit sincerely for the sake of Allah, Insha Allah, not only will we be rewarded for it, but our intention will help us maintain the necessary motivation to continue to do good.

8. Don't expect the same results

If you were ready to spring out of bed in anticipation for Fajr during many of the days of Ramadan, but find yourself barely waking up for the prayer afterwards, don't be surprised, but don't become slack either.

Good habits are often easy to maintain in Ramadan, the blessed month. The hard part is doing so after the "high" of Ramadan. This is where you'll have to work hard to force yourself to maintain your habit, whether it's waking up for Fajr, not smoking, eating less, being more patient, etc.

Be thankful when you're able to maintain your habit and think about practical things you can do to keep it up on a regular basis.

9. Work your way up slowly

Aisha reported that Rasulullah said: Do good deeds properly, sincerely and moderately, and remember that you shall enter Paradise only through Allah's Mercy, and also remember that the most beloved deed to Allah is that which is regular and constant even if it is little (Bukhari).

The wisdom in this Hadith is tremendous and it is one way of keeping up good habits you have picked up in Ramadan.

For example, let's say you were motivated to read Quran for half-an-hour on a daily basis in Ramadan. But now that it's over, you feel sluggish, lazy and want to give it up. Yet, you had wanted to maintain this habit after the blessed month was over.

Instead of trying to read Quran for the same amount of time, reduce the time period to as much as you are initially able to do, even if it's just five minutes a day.

If you keep up this 'five minutes a day' habit, Insha Allah, you will see the amount of Quran you read will increase slowly but gradually, perhaps even surpassing your Ramadan maximum in the long-term, Insha Allah!

10. Don't give yourself the option

What makes you get up for work in the mornings, no matter how tired you are? What makes you drag yourself out of a warm bed on a cold morning to get ready for work or school? It's the fact that you have no option, and you know that there are negative consequences to not going to work (you'll be fired) or school (you'll fail).

Use the same kind of psychology on yourself when it comes to maintaining your good habit. Tell yourself, for instance, that Allah will be very angry with you if you do not pray Fajr, no matter how cold your room is on a frosty season. That in turn can lead to more bad deeds, which could lead to decreased faith, and a downward spiral in your life. And Allah can punish you in various ways in this world as well as the next for not praying. You could lose your job; you could have a family crisis, etc.

Dear brothers and sisters, do not be one of those who do not pay heed to Allah Most High except in Ramadan. The righteous predecessors said about them, “Woe to those people who do not become mindful of Almighty Allah but in Ramadan!”

May Allah help us to be steadfast in the right path and make us witness the next Ramadan in good health and condition.

"And among the followers of the Book there are some such that if you entrust one (of them) with a heap of wealth, he shall pay it back to you; and among them there are some such that if you entrust one (of them) with a dinar he shall not pay it back to you except so long as you remain firm in demanding it; this is because they say: There is not upon us in the matter of the unlearned people any way (to reproach); and they tell a lie against Allah while they know."
Al Imran 75

Muslim Unity (Ittihad)

Assalam Alaikum


May this reach you in the best of health and strongest of Imaan.

Allah (SWT) says in the Noble Qur'an: "And hold fast, all together, by the rope which Allah (stretches out for you), and be not divided among yourselves." (3:103)

Allah (SWT) says in the Noble Qur'an: "The believers are but a single brotherhood. Make peace and reconciliation between your two (contending) brothers and fear Allah so that you may receive mercy." (49-10)

Allah (SWT) says in the Noble Qur'an: "As for those who divide their religion and break up into sects, you have no part in them in the least: their affair is with Allah. He will in the end, tell them the truth of all that they did." (6-159)

Messenger of Allah (saw) said, "The Muslims are like a body, if one part of the body hurts, rest of the body will also suffer."

Messenger of Allah (saw) said, "Believers are brethren, their lives are equal to each other and they are as one hand against their enemy."

Messenger of Allah (saw) said, "It is not permissible for two Muslims to be annoyed and angry for more that three days."

Messenger of Allah (saw) said, "When Muslims are angry with each other for three days. If they do not compromise then they go away from the limits of Islam and the one who compromise first will enter Jannah ( Paradise ) earlier."

The utmost important duty for every Muslim is to preserve and protect the Muslim unity and not to cause any division in the Muslim rank. O Muslims: Know that union is strength and division is weakness. A building will not be strong except by the cohesion of its bricks. A tower will not arise except on correct foundations and solid principles. So, there are not sects in ISLAM, we should always call ourselves as Muslims, follower of Islam.

The Tailor's Needle

A tailor was at work. He took a piece of cloth and with a pair of shining, costly, scissors; he cut the cloth into various bits.

Then he put the pair of scissors at his feet. Then he took a small needle and thread and started to sew the bits of cloth, into a fine shirt. When the spell of sewing was over, he stuck the needle on to his turban.

The tailor's son who was watching it asked him: "Father, the scissors are costly and look so beautiful. But you throw them down at your feet. This needle is worth almost nothing; you can get dime a dozen. Yet, you place it carefully on your head itself. Is there any reason for this illogical behaviour?"

"Yes, my son. The scissors have their function, no doubt; but they only cut the cloth into bits. The needle, on the contrary, unites the bits and enhances the value of the cloth. Therefore, the needle to me is more precious and valuable. The value of a thing depends on its utility, son, not on its cost-price or appearance."

Similarly, there are two classes of people in the world-those who create dissensions and disharmony, who separate man from man; and those who bring about peace and harmony, who unite people.

The former are generally the rich people, powerful politicians and kings; the latter are generally the poor devotees of Allah (SWT), the penniless wandering monks, and mendicants. The Lord makes use of both to carry on his function of providing the field for the evolution of individual souls. He throws down on the dust the mighty kings and millionaires who create wars and disharmony; and He keeps the poor, pious devotee over the top. In His eyes the scale of values is entirely different!

Visit http://www.ezsoftechcom/stories/mis65.asp to read more newly added Muslim unity stories ,

Infusing Vigor into the Muslim Ummah After Ramadan

The blessed month of Ramadan has come and gone. Today while celebrating our achievements, our spiritual victories, we must stop to review some of the most important lessons we have or should have learned from this exercise.

The spiritual regimen of fasting, vigils, recitations and devotions were meant to inculcate in us a true sense of spiritual identity.

It was primarily meant to teach us who we really are; why we are here in this world; and where we go from here.

Ramadan took us from the fast-paced life around us to make us aware of our spiritual roots; it taught us that what makes us truly human is not our material possessions, passions or physical cravings, but our spiritual and moral essence.

Once we recognize this spiritual core of our personalities, we could indeed change our whole perspective on life. In this vision of Islam, there is no room for materialism, there is no time to be caught up in the rat race, there is no room for greed, and there is no justification for oppressing others.

Allah says: (Seek through what God has bestowed on you the abode of the next world, and forget not your portion of the mundane world; do good unto others even as God has done good unto you, and do not sow corruption in the land, for certainly, God loves not those who sow corruption.) (Al-Qasas 28: 77)

Our spiritual disciplines in Ramadan taught us how to keep the thought of Allah and the Last Day always in our mind, whatever activities we are engaged in.

A Muslim who is recharged during Ramadan is ever conscious of his standing before the Lord. Such a true believer cannot take any life which Allah has declared as sacrosanct; he cannot rob others of what they possess; and he cannot but treat everyone as he himself would like to be treated.

This is the essence of what it means to be a true Muslim.

The second most important lesson of Ramadan is to be compassionate and caring. Ramadan exposed us to hunger and thirst. After feeling the pangs of hunger and thirst, we should have become more empathetic to the plight of millions of less fortunate people around the globe. A true Muslim can never be apathetic to the suffering of others.

In a Hadith Qudsi (a sacred saying) the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) narrated from Allah: "O Son of Adam, I asked you for food, yet you did not feed Me.” The man will ask: how can I feed you when You are the Lord of the worlds? Allah will say, "Didn’t you know My servant so-and-so was hungry and you did not feed him; didn’t you know that if you were to feed him, you will find Me with him?" (Reported by Muslim)

To put this into practice, we as Muslims must take responsibility and get involved in real projects that are aimed at fighting poverty, hunger, and homelessness. Unfortunately, such problems do exist in every corner of the world. We have religious and civic obligation to help make the whole world a better place for all of Allah's Creation.

This cannot be a marginal issue, when we know how serious it is in the sight of Allah. We can no longer remain selfish and inward looking. We must contribute to the mainstream.

Another important lesson of Ramadan is the collective responsibility for building a more ethical and moral society. This can only be done if we stand together and become united on ideals and values we cherish.

Today Muslims are misunderstood. We cannot blame others for our predicament. We and we alone must take responsibility for changing our condition. Allah says: (Certainly Allah never changes the condition of a people unless they themselves change what is in themselves.) (Ar-Ra`d 13: 11)

There is no denying of the fact that there are many in the media, think tanks and government who are busy creating the image of Muslims as "The Other" in order to promote their own agendas of imperialism, greed and colonialism.

The so-called clash of civilizations propounded by Samuel P. Huntington has now become a buzzword. It is a dangerous slogan which all intelligent people must guard against. Today it is used to target the Muslims, tomorrow it may be another religion, race or people.

As Muslims we have a responsibility to tell the world what we stand for and what we are against.

We are for peace, justice, pluralism and tolerance.

We are against terrorism, injustice, and imperialism.

We must stand and speak up against the discourse of hate, intolerance, selfishness and bigotry that are increasingly raising their heads among some Muslims and non-Muslims alike.

We must speak out against the "hijacking of Islam" by the extremists.
We believe that there is much in common among all great religions of the world, that we can work together to create a better world for all of humanity.

Since the world has become a global village, the survival of humanity depends on whether we can live in tolerance. This is the core message of the Qur’an as is stated in this verse: (O mankind! We have created from a male and a female, and then rendered you nations and tribes so that you might know one. Certainly, the noblest of you in the sight of God is he who is most conscious of Him.) (Al-Hujurat 49: 13)

In order to get this message across we must come out of our cocoons and realize the crucial nature of the challenges facing us as a people. We must know that the phase of building mosques is over. It is high time that we focus on developing a new generation of Muslims who can shoulder the responsibilities of carrying the message of mercy reflected in Islam as intelligently and responsibly as possible.

This requires from us a reassessment of our priorities as Muslims and charting new directions with courage and foresight. As the old saying goes, a dog barking in the backyard cannot bring about any real change. We must make our presence felt in all segments of the mainstream society. We must become more active in community service and politics, and struggle to make our Muslim community an inspiration and model of how to be responsible citizens of the whole world. In this regard:

1. We should continue our relationship with the Book of Allah, the Almighty, by reading, reflecting and acting upon it;

2. We should be consistent in dhikr or remembrance of Allah;

3. We should be more charitable and generous;

4. We should increase our daily share of nawafil (supererogatory acts of worship), which includes prayers as well as fasting;

5. We should break our bad habits and acquire new good habits.

In this way we will insha' Allah, improve ourselves as individuals as well as members of the Ummah. Thus we will be able to make a difference in ourselves and in the society we are part of.

Finally, let us make our voices heard in speaking out against oppression of any people. Let us make our voices heard in speaking out against poverty and hunger. Let us make our voices heard in speaking out against homelessness. Let us make our voices heard in speaking out against injustice. Let us join hands with all peace loving people of the world to build a better world. Most importantly, let us act on these Islamic ideals.

Let us remember those who are suffering in various parts of the world under various forms of oppression and persecution.

Let us remember our brothers and sisters in Palestine , in Iraq , afghanistan , Chechnya , Kashmir , Somalia , etc.

Let us remember all those who are oppressed regardless of their race, religion or nationality.

Let us remember that the Lord of the worlds will hear their prayers and will come to their help in His Own time.

Let us pray for those who have passed away, both the young and old, the male and female; may the beneficent Lord shower them with His mercy.

Let us remember those who are sick and suffering; may the Merciful Lord heal them and grant them health and wellness.

Let us implore Allah to bring sanity into the minds of our rulers and leaders, to restrain themselves and thus build bridges of understanding, instead of seeking to solve problems through war, violence and aggression.

Let us pray that Allah grant us peace and felicity and success, Amen.

1. What is Islaam?

Islam (or Islaam) is the name of the religion, or more properly the ‘way of life’, which God (Allaah) has revealed and which was practiced by all of the Prophets and Messengers of Allaah that He sent to mankind. Even the name stands out unique among other religions in that it means a state of being; it does not refer to any particular person, such as Christianity, Buddhism or Zoroastrianism; a tribe like Judaism; or a nation like Hinduism. The root Arabic word from which Islam is derived implies peace, safety, salutation, protection, blamelessness, wholesomeness, submission, acceptance, surrender, and salvation. Islam specifically means being in the state of submission to Allaah, worshipping Him Alone, and reverently accepting and obeying His Law. Through this submission, the peace, security, and wholesome well-being implied in its literal meaning is achieved. Hence, a Muslim or Muslimah is a person (male or female) in that state of submission. A person’s Islam weakens through sins, ignorance, and wrong-doing, and becomes nullified in totality by associating partners with Allaah or disbelieving in Him.

2. What are Muslims?

The Arabic word “Muslim” literally means “someone who is in a state of Islaam (submission to the will and law of Allaah)”. The message of Islaam is meant for the entire world, and anyone who accepts this message becomes a Muslim. Some people mistakenly believe that Islaam is just a religion for Arabs, but nothing could be further from the truth. In actuality, over 80% of the world's Muslims are not Arabs! Even though most Arabs are Muslims, there are Arabs who are Christians, Jews and atheists. If one just takes a look at the various peoples who live in the Muslim World - from Nigeria to Bosnia and from Morocco to Indonesia - it is easy enough to see that Muslims come from all different races, ethnic groups, cultures and nationalities. Islaam has always been a universal message for all people. This can be seen in the fact that some of the early companions of the Prophet Muhammad were not only Arabs, but also Persians, Africans and Byzantine Romans. Being a Muslim entails complete acceptance and active obedience to the revealed teachings and laws of Allaah the Exalted. A Muslim is a person who freely accepts basing his beliefs, values and faith on the will of Almighty God. In the past, even though you do not see it as much today, the word “Mohammedans” was often used as a label for Muslims. This label is a misnomer, and is the result of either willful distortion or sheer ignorance. One of the reasons for the misconception is that Europeans were taught for centuries that Muslims worshipped the Prophet Muhammad in the same way that Christians worship Jesus. This is absolutely not true, since one is not considered a Muslim if he worships anyone or anything besides Allaah the Exalted.

3. Who is Allaah?

Often one hears the Arabic word “Allaah” being used in discussions regarding Islaam. The word “Allaah” is simply the Arabic word for Almighty God, and is the same word used by Arabic speaking Christians and Jews. As a matter of fact, the word Allaah was in use far before the word God ever came into existence, since English is a relatively new language. If one were to pick up an Arabic translation of the Bible, one would see the word “Allaah” being use where the word “God” is used in English. For instance, Arabic speaking Christians say that Jesus is, according to their canon belief, the Son of Allaah. In addition, the Arabic word for Almighty God, “Allaah”, is quite similar to the word for God in other Semitic languages. For example, the Hebrew word for God is “Elah”. For various reasons, some non-Muslims mistakenly believe that Muslims worship a different God than the God of Moses and Abraham and Jesus. This is certainly not the case, since the Pure Monotheism of Islaam calls all people to the worship of the God of Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and all the other prophets, peace be upon them.

4. Who is Muhammad?

The last and final prophet whom God sent to humanity was the Prophet Muhammad, may the peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him. At the age of forty, he received the revelation from Allaah. He then spent the remaining portion of his life explaining, and living the teachings of Islaam, the religion that Allaah revealed to him. The Prophet Muhammad, may the Peace and Blessings of Allaah be upon him, is the greatest of all prophets for many reasons, but primarily because he was chosen by Allaah to be the last prophet - whose mission to guide humanity would continue until the Last Day - and because he has been sent as a mercy to all of mankind. The result of his mission has brought more people into the pure belief in One God than any other prophet. Since the beginning of time, Allaah sent prophets to the earth, each one to his own specific nation. The Prophet Muhammad, however, was sent as the final Messenger to all of humanity.

Even though other religious communities have claimed to believe in One God, over time, some corrupted ideas entered into their beliefs and practices leading them away from the pure sincere monotheism of the prophets. Some took their prophets and saints as intercessors with Almighty God. Some even believed that their prophets were the manifestations of God, or “God Incarnate” or the “Son of God”. All of these misconceptions lead to the worship of created beings instead of the Creator, and contributed to the idolatrous practice of believing that Almighty God may be approached through intermediaries. In order to guard against these falsehoods, the Prophet Muhammad, may the Peace and Blessings of Allaah be upon him, always emphasized that he was only a human-being with the mission of preaching and obeying Allaah's message. He taught Muslims to refer to him as “the Messenger of God and His Slave”. Through his life and teachings, Allaah made Muhammad, may the Peace and Blessings of Allaah be upon him, the perfect example for all people - he was the exemplary prophet, statesman, military leader, ruler, teacher, neighbor, husband, father and friend. Unlike other prophets and messengers, the Prophet Muhammad, may the Peace and Blessings of Allaah be upon him, lived in the full light of history, and all his sayings and acts were meticulously recorded and collected. Muslims don't need to have mere ‘faith’ that he existed, or that his teachings are preserved - they know it to be a fact. Allaah took it upon Himself to protect the message revealed to Muhammad from distortion or from being forgotten or lost. This was necessary because Allaah promised that Muhammad, may the Peace and Blessings of Allaah be upon him, was to be the final Messenger to mankind. All of Allaah's Messengers preached the message of Islaam - i.e. submission to the law of God and the worship of God alone – but Muhammad, may the Peace and Blessings of Allaah be upon him, is the last prophet of Islaam who brought the final and complete message which was never to be changed until the Last Day.

5. What are the Teachings of Islaam?

The foundation of the Islaamic faith is belief in absolute Monotheism (the Oneness of God). This means to believe that there is only one Creator and Sustainer of everything in the Universe, and that nothing is divine or worthy of being worshipped except for Him. Truly, believing in the Oneness of God means much more than simply believing that there is “One God” - as opposed to two, three or four. There are a number of religions that claim belief in “One God” and believe that ultimately there is only one Creator and Sustainer of the Universe, but true monotheism is to believe that only the One True Deity is to be worshipped in accordance to the revelation He sent to His Messenger. Islaam also rejects the use of all intermediaries between God and Man, and insists that people approach God directly and reserve all worship for Him alone. Muslims believe that Almighty God is Compassionate, Loving and Merciful.

A common misconception is the claim that God cannot forgive His creatures directly. By over-emphasizing the burden and penalty of sin, as well as claiming that God cannot forgive humans directly, people often despair of the Mercy of God. Once they become convinced that they cannot approach God directly, they turn to false gods for help, such as heroes, political leaders, saviors, saints, and angels. We often find that the people who worship, pray to, or seek intercession from these false deities, do not consider them to be a ‘god’. They claim belief in One Supreme God, but claim that they pray to and worship others beside God only to get closer to Him. In Islaam, there is a clear distinction between the Creator and the created. There is no ambiguity or mystery in issues of divinity: anything that is created does not deserve to be worshipped; only Allaah, the Creator, is worthy of being worshipped. Some religions falsely believe that God has become part of His creation, and this has led people to believe that they can worship something created in order to reach their Creator.

Muslims believe that even though God is Unique and Exalted beyond speculative comprehension, He definitely has no partners, associates, peers, antagonists or offspring. According to Muslim belief, Allaah “neither begets, nor was He begotten” - neither literally, allegorically, metaphorically, physically or metaphysically. He is Absolutely Unique and Eternal. He is in control of everything and is perfectly capable of bestowing His infinite Mercy and Forgiveness to whomever He chooses. That is why Allaah is also called the All-Powerful and Most-Merciful. Allaah has created the Universe for man, and as such wants the best for all human beings. Muslims see everything in the Universe as a sign of the Creatorship and Benevolence of Almighty God. Also, the belief in the Oneness of Allaah is not merely a metaphysical concept. It is a dynamic belief that affects ones view of humanity, society and all aspects of practical life. As a logical corollary to the Islaamic belief in the Oneness of Allaah, is its belief in the oneness of mankind and humanity.

6. What is the Qur'aan?

The Qur'aan is the final revelation of Allaah to all of mankind, which was spoken by Allaah the Exalted Himself and conveyed through the Arch-Angel Gabriel in Arabic to the Prophet Muhammad, in sound, word and meaning. The Qur'aan, (sometimes incorrectly spelled Koran), was then relayed to the Prophet's companions, and they diligently memorized it verbatim and meticulously complied it into written form. The Holy Qur'aan has been continually recited by the companions of the Prophet and their successors until the present day. In short, the Qur'aan is the revealed book of Divine scripture from Allaah to all humanity for their guidance and salvation.

Today the Qur'aan is still memorized and taught by millions of people. The language of the Qur'aan, Arabic, is still a living language to millions of people. Unlike the scriptures of some other religions, the Qur'aan is still read in its original language by countless millions of people. The Qur'aan is a living miracle in the Arabic language, and it is known to be inimitable in its style, form and spiritual impact, as well as the unique knowledge that it contains. The Qur'aan was revealed in a series of revelations to the Prophet Muhammad over a period of 23 years. In contrast to many other religious books, the Qur'aan was always believed to be the exact Word of Allaah. The Qur'aan was recited publicly in front of both the Muslim and non-Muslim communities during the life of the Prophet Muhammad, and thereafter. The entire Qur'aan was also completely written down in the lifetime of the Prophet, and numerous companions of the Prophet memorized the entire Qur'aan word-for-word as it was revealed. The Qur'aan was always in the hands of the common believers: it was always thought to be God's word; and, due to wide-spread memorization, it was perfectly preserved. Never was any part of it altered or decreed by any religious council. The teachings of the Qur'aan comprise a universal scripture addressed to all of mankind and not to any particular tribe or ‘chosen people’. The message that it brings is nothing new but the same message of all of the prophets: 'submit to Allaah the One God and worship Him alone and follow Allaah's Messengers for success in this life and salvation in the hereafter'. As such, Allaah's revelation in the Qur'aan focuses on teaching human beings the importance of believing in the Oneness of Allaah, and framing their lives around the guidance which He has sent, which is articulated in the Islamic Law. The Qur'aan contains the stories of the previous prophets, such as Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus, peace be upon all of them, as well as commands and prohibitions from God. In our modern times, in which so many people are caught up in doubt, spiritual despair and social and political alienation, the Qur'aanic teachings offer solutions to the emptiness of our lives and the turmoil that is gripping the world today.

7. How Do Muslims View the Nature of Man, the Purpose of Life and the Life Hereafter?

In the Holy Qur'aan, Allaah teaches human beings that they were created in order to glorify and worship Him, and that the basis of all true worship is God-consciousness. All of Allaah's creatures worship him naturally and only the humans have the free will to worship Allaah their Creator or to reject Him. This is a great test, but also a great honor. Since the teachings of Islaam encompass all aspects of life and ethics, God-consciousness is encouraged in all human affairs. Islaam makes it clear that all human acts are acts of worship if they are done for God alone and in accordance to His Divine Scripture and Law. As such, worship in Islaam is not limited to religious rituals, and for this reason it is more properly known as ‘way of life’ than a religion. The teachings of Islaam act as a mercy and a healing for the human soul, and qualities such as humility, sincerity, patience and charity are strongly encouraged. Additionally, Islaam condemns pride and self-righteousness, since Almighty God is the only judge of human righteousness.

The Islaamic view of the nature of man is also realistic and well-balanced in that human beings are not believed to be inherently sinful, but are seen as equally capable of both good and evil; it is their choice. Islaam teaches that faith and action go hand-in-hand. God has given people free-will, and the measure of one's faith is their deeds and actions. However, since human beings have also been created innately weak and regularly fall into sin, they are in need of continually seeking guidance and repentance, which is, in itself , also a form of worship loved by Allaah. The nature of the human being as created by God in His Majesty and Wisdom, is not inherently ‘corrupt’ or in need of repair. The avenue of repentance is always open to all. Almighty God knew that humans were going to make mistakes, so the real test is whether they seek repentance for their sins and try to avoid them, or if they prefer a life of heedlessness and sin, knowing well that it is not pleasing to God. The true balance of an Islaamic life is established by having a healthy fear of Allaah's rightful punishment for crimes and sins, as well as a sincere belief that Allaah, in His infinite Mercy, takes pleasure in bestowing His reward for our good deeds and sincere worship to Him. A life without fear of Allaah leads to sin and disobedience, while believing that we have sinned so much that God will not possibly forgive us only leads to despair. In the light of this fact, Islaam teaches that only the misguided despair of the Mercy of their Lord, and only wicked criminals are devoid of the fear of Allaah their Creator and Judge.

The Holy Qur'aan as revealed to the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, also contains a great deal of teachings about life in the hereafter and the Day of Judgment. Muslims believe that all human beings will ultimately be judged by Allaah, the Absolute Sovereign King and Judge, for their beliefs and actions in their earthly lives. In judging human beings, Allaah the Exalted will be both Absolutely Just, by only punishing the truly guilty and rebellious unrepentant criminals, and Absolutely Merciful for those people who He, in His wisdom, judges worthy of mercy. None will be judged for that which was beyond their capacity, or for that which they did not actually do. It is sufficient to say that Islaam teaches that life is a test designed by Allaah, the Creator, Almighty and Most Wise; and that all human beings will be accountable before Allaah for what they did with their lives. A sincere belief in the life of the hereafter is the key to leading a well-balanced and moral life. Otherwise, life is viewed as an end in itself, which causes people to become more selfish, materialistic and immoral by their blind pursuit of pleasure even at the expense of reason and ethics.

MAY ALLAH GUIDE US TO THE RIGHT PATH, AMIN

The Prophet Muhammad: a mercy for all creation


“Indeed, in this [Quran] is notification for a worshipping people. And We have not sent you, [O Muhammad], except as a mercy to the worlds.” (Quran: 21:106-107)

Allah's Messenger was the kindest of men in the same way as he excelled all others in courage and valour. Being extremely kind-hearted, his eyes brimmed with tears at the slightest sign of inhumanity. A Companion, Shaddaad bin 'Aws reported the Apostle as saying: "Allah has commanded you to show kindness to everyone, so if you have to kill, kill in a good manner, and if you slaughter an animal, slaughter it gently. If anyone of you has to slay an animal, he should sharpen the blade first and treat the animal well." Ibn 'Abbas relates that a man threw a goat on its side and then started sharpening his knife. When the Prophet saw him he said: "Do you want to kill it twice? Why did you not sharpen the knife before throwing it on the ground?"[/b]

[b]A Mercy for the Believers

The Messenger’s compassion towards the believers was of the utmost degree. The Quran describes his compassion in the following verse, which means: “There has certainly come to you a Messenger from among yourselves. Grievous to him is what you suffer; [he is] concerned over you [i.e., your guidance] and to the believers is kind and merciful.” (Quran: 9:128)

Sa‘d bin ‘Ubaadah once became ill, so Allah's Messenger visited him in his house. On seeing his faithful Companion in a pitiful state, he was moved to tears. Then, he said: “Allah does not punish because of tears, nor because of grief, but he punishes because of this."- and he pointed to his tongue. (Al-Bukhari)[/b]

[b]A Mercy Towards his Enemies

The prisoners of war taken captive at the battle of Badr were amongst his bitterest enemies. Nevertheless, he made sure that they were given the best of treatment. Among them was Suhayl bin 'Amr who was a fiery speaker and was denouncing the Prophet . 'Umar one the Prophet’s closest companions, suggested that two of his lower teeth be pulled out so that he might not be so vile in his speeches. The Prophet replied: “Were I to do this, Allah would disfigure me on the Day of Judgement, despite the fact that I am His messenger.” (Hadith)

In Makkah, his people inflicted him with every kind of suffering, eventually forcing him to emigrate to Madinah, and then waged war on him for five years. However, when he conquered Makkah without bloodshed in the twenty-first year of his Prophethood, he asked the Makkan unbelievers who were awaiting his decision about them: “How do you expect me to treat you?” They responded unanimously[b]: "You are a noble one, the son of a noble one[/b]." He announced to them his decision:

“You may go free! No reproach this day shall be on you; may God forgive you.”[/b]

[b]A Mercy for Women

Prophet Muhammad was also very kind and affectionate towards women. Women were very badly treated in those times. The Noble Prophet gave them honour and dignity at par with men in the community. 'Umar reported: "We did not have much regard for women while we were at Makkah, but they were better treated in Madinah. Allah's Messenger established women's rights through his sayings and commandments, which improved their position and status."

A Mercy for Children

Allah's Messenger was particularly compassionate towards children. When he saw a child crying, he sat beside him or her and shared his or her feelings. He felt the pain of a mother for her child more than the mother herself. Once he said: “I stand in prayer and wish to prolong it. However, I hear the cry of a child and cut the prayer short for the anxiety which the mother is feeling.” (Al-Bukhari)

He would take children in his arms and embrace them. He was once hugging his beloved grandsons, Hasan and Hussain, when Aqrah bin Haabis told him, ‘I have got ten children. So far, I have not kissed any of them.’ Allah’s Messenger responded: “The one with no pity for others is not pitied.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

According to another version, he said: “What can I do for you if Allah has removed from you the feeling of compassion?” (At-Tirmidhi)

A Mercy for Slaves

The Prophet strongly enjoined the duty of kind and generous treatment upon slaves, servants and labourers engaged in manual work. Jaabir related the Apostle of Allah as saying: "Feed them with the food which you eat, clothe them with such clothing as you wear, and do not cause trouble to Allah's creatures." The Apostle is further stated to have said: "Those whom Allah has made your dependents are your brothers, servants and helpmates. Anybody whose brother has been made subservient to him ought to feed him with the food he eats and clothe him with the clothes he wears; command him not to do that which he is unable to do and if it becomes necessary to do so then he should help him in doing the job."

A Mercy for Animals

His compassion encompassed not only human beings, but also animals.

The Prophet forbade his companions to keep the unintelligent creatures hungry or thirsty, to disturb or to overburden them. He commended that kindness and putting them at ease were meritorious acts tending to bring man nearer to Allah. Abu Hurairah reports the Prophet as saying: "A traveler who was thirsty saw a well in the way. He got inside the well and when he came out he saw a dog licking mud due to thirst. The man realised that the dog was as thirsty as him, so he got into the well again, filled his leather sock with water and carried it out holding it with his teeth. Thus, he quenched the thirst of the dog. Allah was pleased with this act of kindness and pardoned his sins." The Companions asked: "O Messenger of Allah is there recompense in the matter of beasts and wild animals also?" The Prophet replied: "There is recompense in regard to every creature that has a living heart."

'Abdullah bin 'Umar related that the Prophet said: "A woman was cast away to hell only because she had withheld food and water from her cat and refused to set it free so that the cat might satisfy its hunger by eating worms and insects."

Once on return from a military campaign, a few Companions took away the chicks of a bird from their nest to stroke them. The mother bird came back and when it could not find its chicks in the nest, it began to fly around screeching. When informed of the matter, Allah’s Messenger became angry and ordered the chicks to be put back in the nest. (Abu Dawood)

Conclusion
The love and compassion of Allah’s Messenger for all kinds of creatures was not of the kind claimed by today’s ‘humanists’. He was sincere and balanced in his love and compassion. He was more compassionate than any other person. He was a Prophet raised by Allah, the Creator and Sustainer of all beings, for the guidance and happiness of conscious beings - mankind and jinn - and the harmony of existence. Therefore, he lived not for himself but for others; he is a mercy for all the worlds.

Narrow Escape - Better said - Another Chance By Y.Yilmaz

Since my childhood, I have been afraid of small, confined spaces and furiously fled such places. Later, I understood that this condition was known as claustrophobia, but I have never been able to master it. Now, unwillingly, I had to enter a closed narrow space. I was wrapped in a shroud and lying in a long coffin. I could hear the voice of the people around me quite well. And although my eyes were closed, I could see them clearly.

"He died so young," they said and added, "He had so many things to do."

It was true that I had left a great deal of work half done; I had not set up a good business for my son, completed the payment of the instalment of the car and TV. Winter was around the corner, but I had not prepared the leaking roof or bought the fuel. Now the dream to establish a big firm and employ my friends had dispersed to nothing.

Suddenly, I was irritated by a noise that, as if coming through a microphone, echoed in every remote cell of my brain:

"It is all over!"

I wished it had not been all over, I did not know why the accident happened. I was a good driver.

As I was trying to recall the events that had taken place, I realized that my friends surrounding the coffin were covering it by putting the lid over me. No matter how much I wanted to shout, I could neither move nor speak. I was in complete darkness and turned my eyes towards the light coming from the gaps in the coffin.

I said to myself in horror, "Oh my God! What am I going to do now?"

Seized with fear, I could think of nothing. Later, I was lifted onto their shoulders as they began to carry the coffin. Hearing the noise coming from outside, I understood that it was raining. The noise of the raindrops mingled with the creaking of the coffin. We must have gone to the mosque for the funeral prayer.

I remembered that although the mosque was so close to my home, I had never paid it a visit. I had planned to start prayers after the age of fifty and I would quit the bad habits everyone complained about. If the accident had not occurred, I would have been a good fellow.

The voice that I heard before repeated, "It is all over!" A little later my funeral prayer was completed. The imam was asking people's opinion as to "what kind of character I was." I knew that among them were some eight or ten persons who did not give an opinion. I accepted that I had given them some evil and harm, but if the accident had not occurred, I would have been pleased to make amends and duly compensate them for the equivalent of any harm done. After the prayer in the mosque was completed, I was lifted onto the shoulders again.

Due to the inclination of the coffin, I understood that we were on the road uphill to the grave. I was aware that it was pouring rain and the rain was seeping through the cracks in the coffin onto the shroud, making it damp. Nevertheless, I tried to listen to the conversations coming from outside. Some of my friends were talking about the stagnation of the market, some were commentating on a Western film they had seen the previous evening on the TV. Another, carrying my coffin whispered, "What a bad day the deceased chose to die, we have got wet through and through."

I could not believe what I heard and I thought that I must have misunderstood. Were they not the ones for whom I had sacrificed my wealth and my health?

A little later my journey finished and my coffin was put down on the ground. The lid was removed again. The arms holding my weak and lifeless flesh put it into the hole where a little water had collected. Lying on the ground, I looked around:

"Oh my God, was it a grave?" I did not know why I had not thought until then that I would be buried in a grave. No one heard my silent cries, and my best friends seemed to be competing each other to cover my body with thick boards.

I was in complete darkness once more. I began to pray with all my cells, "Oh my Merciful God," I said, "Is there another chance to be a real servant of Yours?"

The same voice repeated, "It is all over, everything has finished."

I was shaken by the noise of the earth.

With a final effort to get up, I opened my eyes. I was lying on my comfortable bed and it had all been a nightmare. One of my neighbours, a doctor, was standing at the bedside.

"It is all over," he repeated. "You are all right."

I sat up slowly from the bed. I was dripping with perspiration, feeling I had lost twenty kilos in weight. It was raining heavily outside and the whole house was shaken by thunder.

While I was trying to recover myself in front of the bewildered eyes of the others, I whispered, "Oh my Lord, a thousand thanks to You. What would I do if You had not given me another chance to be an obedient servant of Yours?

Remember death.

But our lives are such that we become so occupied with the things of this life that we forget that we are going to die. As Allah said, the gathering of wealth has deluded man from the realities of life and they only wake up when they end up in their graves.

At-Takathur 102: "The mutual rivalry for piling up (the good things of this world) diverts you (from the more serious things), until ye visit the graves. But nay, ye soon shall know the reality…"

This is a fearful statement, that if we live lives unconscious of our deaths and thereby be lost in trivialities, these are things that are really ultimately not going to benefit us in the next life.

And what happens on the Day of Judgement, when we stand before Allah and answer for each and every deed that we have done, when nothing escapes Allah, when the things that we have in this life will be of no benefit to us. The only thing that will benefit us is to stand before Allah with a pious and healthy heart.

'When we die, we leave behind all that we have and take with us all that we are.'

MAY ALLAH GUIDE US ALL ON TO THE STRAIGHT PATH.

Story from the Holy Quran


COMPANIONS OF THE CITY

In the beginning they were two in number. But their strength rose with joining another person; all the three felt more strong enough to spread the Message. All of them relentlessly continued to tell the people of the City that there is no god but Allah, Creator of the whole universe. They told them that it is wrong to worship any other object except one God; it is better for them to give up worshipping any god other than Allah. They offered the people true way of life as ordained by Allah.

But the people refused to believe them or in Allah. They said to the three that they were also human beings like others, and that there was no specialty in them. Then, how could they believe the three were sent by Allah as His messengers.

Allah says “When we (first) sent to them two apostles, they rejected them: but We strengthened them with a third: they said: ‘Truly, we have been sent on a mission to you’.”

“The people said: ‘you are only men like ourselves; and (Allah) Most Gracious sends no sort of revelation: ye do nothing but life.

“The three apostles said: ‘Our Lord doth know that we have been sent on a mission to you: And our duty is only to proclaim the clear Message’.” They continued: This entire universe is not created by man. And in your heart of hearts you also believe that there is One Who created this universe. Now you yourselves decide whether it is right or wrong to worship any god other than the One God.

The people had no answer to these plain talks. They had no reply. But they still were adamant. They were not going to digest the plain speaking; they refused to see the reason. They said: “For us, we augur an evil omen from you: if ye desist not, we will certainly stone you, and a grievous punishment indeed will be inflicted on you by us.”

The apostles said: “Your evil omens are with yourselves: (deem ye this an evil omen), if ye are admonished? Nay, but ye are a people transgressing all bounds.”

There used to live a righteous person on the outskirts of the City, He knew they were the apostles of Allah and whatever they were saying was Truth. He knew how the people were continuously rejecting the apostles. He also knew that the salvation of the people of the City lay in accepting the Right Path shown by these apostles and lives accordingly. But when he saw that the people were refusing to accept the apostles he decided not to sit idle and remain a silent spectator. And he decided this was time to tell the people that it was all true whatever the consequences. So he “came running” from the farthest part of the City, saying, “O my People! Obey the Apostles! “Obey those who ask no reward of you (for themselves) and who have themselves received guidance. It would not be reasonable in me if I did not serve Him Who created me, and to Whom ye shall (all) be brought back. Shall I take (other) gods besides Him? If (Allah) Most Gracious should intend some adversity for me, of no use whatever will be their intercession for me, nor can they deliver me. I would indeed, if I were to do so, be in manifest Error. For me, I have faith in the Lord of you (all): listen, then, to me!”

Alas! the transgressors were not going to listen to him either. They became furious over the good tidings the righteous person told them. They all pounced upon him and lynched him to death. Truly those who refuse to listen to anything good reason never dawns on them and Truth becomes anathema to them and elude them.

But the man who was done to death was ordained with peace and immense blessing of Allah. He was said: “Enter thou the Garden.” And when he opened his eyes in the Paradise full of choicest things, he said: “Ah me! Would that my People knew (What I know)! – For that my Lord has granted me Forgiveness and was enrolled me among those held in honour!”

On the other hand, the people of the City were not left alone. There are many ways of Allah’s Punishment. He did not send down upon them any army to crash them for their transgression. And He has no particular mode or Penalty. Similarly these people also received a different kind of wrath. Allah says, “And We sent not down against his People, after him, any hosts from heaven, nor was it needful for Us to do so. It was no more than a single mighty Blast, and behold! They were (like ashes) quenched and silent.”

Unfortunately people seek help of others in mitigating their sufferings, instead of finding solution in the system of life which Allah has sent to us through His true apostles and prophets. “Ah! Alas for (My) servants! There comes not an apostle to them but they mock him.” They deem the divine law as outdated. They conveniently ignore and forget the fate of the previous generations. “See they not how many generations before them We destroyed?” Those who do not take lesson from such examples should go through the history and find out how those who followed the prophets were successful and how those who disobeyed them met their doom. Allah says ‘Not to them will they return: But each one of them –all-will be brought before Us (for Judgement).” So everyone has right unto himself to choose his way of life- mundane, worldly or eternal.

You have read the fate of the people of the City. You might be thinking as to who were these people of the City, where was this City, who were the apostles, who was the righteous person, so on and so forth. But since this is a parable, what is of utmost importance to us is to draw lessons from it.

1. Whenever people reject outrightly divine guidance and never relent despite best efforts to persuade them, their end and ruination becomes inevitable. Allah sends His grievous punishment in the form of earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, cyclones, fie and stones from heaven, storm, drought, severe diseases or other such calamities, which banish the transgressors from the surface of the earth. This is apart from the punishment in store for wrong-doers after death.

2. If one comes to understand and distinguishes between the right and wrong, one is not supposed to sit idle. He should fight for the cause of right and spend all his might in upholding the same.

A Momin (true believer) never cares for life after accepting the Truth-whether it will be constructed one or get ruined. It is only power of Truth that he leaves no stone unturned in upholding the banner of Truth.

SIGNS OF WEAK IMAAN

1. Committing sins and not feeling any guilt.

2. Having a hard heart and no desire to read the Qur an.

3. Feeling too lazy to do good deeds, e.g. being late for salat.

4. Neglecting the Sunnah.

5. Having mood swings, for instance being upset about petty things and bothered and irritated most of the time.

6. Not feeling anything when hearing verses from the Qur an, for example when Allah warns us of punishments and His promise of glad tidings.

7. Finding difficulty in remembering Allah and making dhikr.

8. Not feeling bad when things are done against the Shariah.

9. Desiring status and wealth.

10. Being mean and miserly, i.e. not wanting to part with wealth.

11. Ordering others to do good deeds when not practicing them ourselves.

12. Feeling pleased when things are not progressing for others.

13. Being concerned with whether something is haram or halal only; and not avoiding makrooh (not recommended) things.

14. Making fun of people who do simple good deeds, like cleaning the masjid.

15. Not feeling concerned about the situation of muslims.

16. Not feeling the responsibility to do something to promote Islam.

17. Being unable to deal with calamities, for instance crying and yelling in funerals.

18. Liking to argue just for the sake of arguing without any proof.

19. Becoming engrossed and very involved with dunya, worldly things, i.e. feeling bad only when losing something in terms of material wealth.

20. Becoming engrossed and obsessive about ourselves.

WAYS TO INCREASE OUR IMAAN

1. Recite and ponder on the meanings of the Qur an. Tranquility then descends and our hearts become soft. To get optimum benefit, remind yourself that Allah is speaking to you. People are described in different categories in the Qur an; think of which one you find yourself in.

2. Realize the greatness of Allah. Everything is under His control. There are signs in everything we see that points us to His greatness. Everything happens according to His permission. Allah keeps track and looks after everything, even a black ant on a black rock on a black moonless night.

3. Make an effort to gain knowledge, for at least the basic things in daily life e.g. how to make wudu properly. Know the meanings behind Allah's names and attributes. People who have taqwa are those who have knowledge.

4. Attend gatherings where Allah is remembered. In such gatherings we are surrounded by angels.

5. We have to increase our good deeds. One good deed leads to another good deed. Allah will make the way easy for someone who gives charity and also make it easy for him or her to do good deeds. Good deeds must be done continuously, not in spurts.

6. We must fear the miserable end to our lives; the remembrance of death is the destroyer of pleasures.

7. Remember the different levels of akhirah, for instance when we are put in our graves, when we are judged, whether we will be in paradise or hell.

8. Make dua, realize that we need Allah. Be humble. Don't covet material things in this life.

9. Our love for Subhana Wa Ta'ala must be shown in actions. We must hope Allah will accept our prayers, and be in constant fear that we do wrong. At night before going to sleep, we must think about what good we did during that day.

10. Realize the effects of sins and disobedience- one’s imaan is increased with good deeds and our imaan is decreased by bad deeds. Everything that happens is because Allah wanted it. When calamity befalls us- it is also from Allah. It is a direct result of our disobedience to Allah.

O Allah Your mercy is our desire, Do not abandon us to our affairs even for the twinkle of an eye and rectify all our affairs; there is no god except You.

Al-Mubaah


Conditions for al-Mubaah to Become an Act of Worship

1 -- Al-Mubaah (the permissible) acts, such as walking, eating, standing and wearing clothes, should not be considered acts of worship themselves. This is why the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, criticized Abu Israel when he saw him standing in the sun. When he asked why he was standing, they told him, "This is Abu Israel ! He made a vow to stand and not sit down, to avoid the shade, to keep silent and to fast." The Prophet said, "Order him to speak, seek the shade, sit down and let him continue his fast (which is the only act of worship Abu Israel vowed to perform)." [Abou Dawood, ibn Majah & others, also al-Bukhari related the Hadith without mentioning standing in the sun]

2 -- When Al-Mubaah is a means of performing acts of worship. Ibn Ash-Shaat said, "When one intends to be stronger and able to perform the various acts of worship by performing the Mubaah, such as eating, sleeping and earning money, it (each of these permissible acts) will become an act of worship." It must be noted here, however, that Al-Ezz ibn Abdu As-Salam said that in this case, the Muslim will only gain a reward for the intention and not for the act itself. Ibn Taymiyyah said, "One should only perform the acts of Al-Mubaah that will enable him to perform acts of worship, and should also intend by doing them to be able to perform the acts of worship."

3 -- To perform Al-Mubaah believing that it is legislated by Allah. When the Muslim performs Al-Mubaah, he should do so believing that Allah has permitted it for him. Allah likes that His permissible be made use of, just as He likes that one fulfills His obligations. Also, Allah does not accept from one to be difficult with himself, going to the extreme and becoming like monks. What Islam legislates is the middle and the best way to demonstrate and prove one's slavery to Allah. One conducts himself according to a complete, yet reasonable set of codes of conduct. The Halal is what Allah has made Halal, the Haram is what Allah has made Haram and Al-Mubaah is what Allah has made Al-Mubaah. Those who treat Al-Mubaah in this manner will gain Allah-s reward, Allah willing.

4 -- When an act of worship is conditionally permitted (Mubaah), like voluntary fasts, then one is not allowed to exhaust or physically harm himself by going to the extreme with regards to this Mubaah. In this case, it is an obligation that one breaks his fast and eat and drink to save himself from harm. If he does not do this, then he may be punished for harming himself. On the other hand, if people abandon and avoid various Mubaahs, such as marriage, commerce, agriculture or industry, they will all be committing a sin. These areas are required in our Muslim Nation.

Salam Llaha Allaykum yah Jamahatul Muumiin wa li Muumiinat

Dua During Salaat

1) Dua Before Takbeeratul Ehram
Before uttering the Takbeeratul Ehraam, it is worthy that he recites the invocation of attention (doa-e-tawajjoh) which, in the narration of Abdullah Ibn Jafar Himyari (received in the tawqee’ of Imam-e-Zamana (a.t.f.s.) is as follows:
I turn my face towards the One Who has created the heavens and the earth, being upright and submissive, on the nation of Ibrahim and the nation of Muhammad and the guidance of Ameerul Momineen. And I am not of the polytheists. Surely, my prayers, my sacrifice, my life and my death are (only) for Allah, the Lord of the worlds. There is no partner unto Him. And thus have I been commanded. And I am from those who submit. O Allah! Make me from those who submit.

before takbeeratul ehram

(Al-Ehtejaaj, vol. 2, p.7; Wasaaelush Shia, vol. 6, p.25)

How great it is if somebody utters these words, synchronizes his heart with his tongue, and gives his words a practical shape in its truest sense, really turns his heart towards Allah, and removes all other thoughts from his mind. Yes! How good indeed is the servant who, at any given moment of his life, does not do anything or commit any deed against the wishes of his Master and Lord and even goes to the extent of dying in His cause. If at all he does commit some sin or transgression, he immediately begs Him for forgiveness and seeks His refuge. May Allah make us, and all the friends of the Ahle Bait (a.s.), from those who submit to His wishes and may He not turn His attention away from us even for a moment.



(2) It is recommended that "before Takbiratul Ehram with Niyat of 'Rija'" a person should say this:
O Lord Who are Beneficent! This sinful has come before You and You have ordered the charitable to show indulgence to the sinners. You are Beneficent, and I am a sinner. Bestow Your blessings on Muhammad and his progeny, and pardon my evil acts of which You are aware.


Ya muhsinu qad atakal musiu wa qad amartal muhsina an yatajawaza 'anil musiei antal Muhsinu wa anal Musio bihaqqi Muhammadin wa Ali Muhammadin salli 'ala Muhammadin wa Ali Muhammadin wa tajawaz 'an qabihi ma ta'lamu minni,

It is, however, better to make the following supplication in qunoot :

qunoot

La ilaha illallahul Halimul Karim, La ilaha illallahul 'Aliyyul 'Azim, Subhanallahi Rabbis samawatis sab', wa Rabbil 'arazinas sab', wama fi hinna wama bayna hunna, wa Rabbil 'arshil 'azim, wal hamdu lillahi Rabbil'alamin.

Another Recommended Qunoot :-

Allahuma Inni Asaluka bi Hakki Fatimata wa Abiha wa Ba’liha wa Baniha wa Sirril Mustawdai Fiha an Tusaaali ala Muhammadin wa aali Muhammad. Wa an Taf’al bi Ma Anta Ahlu wa la Taf’al bu Ma Ana Ahlul.”

(3) While in Sajdah one should pray to Allah swt and express his wishes, and should recite this supplication:
O You Who are the best from whom people seek their needs, and O You, Who are the best bestower of gifts! Give me and the members of my family sustenance with Your grace. Undoubtedly You possess the greatest grace).

dua in sajdah

Ya Khayral Mas'ulin wa Ya Khayral Mu'tin, Urzuqni warzuq 'Ayali Min Fazlika Fa Innaka Zulfazlil 'Azi

(4) It is also Mustahab in Tashahud, to place one's hands on one's thighs, with joined fingers, and to look at one's laps, and to say this after tashahhud and salawat:
And accept his intercession* and elevate his rank (referring the Holy Prophet)

Tashahud

Wa taqabbal shafa'atahu warfa' darajatahu

5)In the Rukuu, especially of the last rakaat, after Zikr recite salawaat in this way: “Allahumma Sali Ala Muhammadin wa aali Muhammad wa Taraham ala Aajizna wa Aghisna Bihakkihim.”