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Assalam alaykum,

Beautiful rituals in Islam,
dhul hijjah is fast approaching(likely starting 17th October 2012).

another opportunity for us to inshAllahu

-increase our account of good deeds.

-seek forgiveness for our deliberate and unintentional wrong deeds.

-make up for lapses that we may have had in the past months e.g Ramadan.

-build our self discipline.

-supplicate to Allah: the Everlasting Refuge etc.

may Allah make our paths easy for us.

below is an article on the first 10 days of Dhul hijjah, hope we find it beneficial; taken from:
http://sunnahonline.com/library/hajj-umrah-and-the-islamic-calendar/182-superiority-of-the-first-ten-days-of-dhul-hijjah-the

Superiority of the First Ten Days of Dhul-Hijjah, The

Muhammad ibn Salih ibn Al-'Uthaymin
14
All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the Worlds. May peace and blessings be upon the Chief of the Messengers, Muhammad.

Indeed it is a great favour and blessing from Allah that He has made for His righteous servants periods of time within which they can increase in good deeds to attain great rewards and one of these opportunistic periods is the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah (the final month of the Islamic Calendar, in which the Hajj is performed).

SUPERIORITY OF THE FIRST TEN DAYS OF DHUL-HIJJAH

The excellence of these ten days have been mentioned in the Qur'an and the Sunnah.

1. Allah says in the Qur'an:

"By the dawn and by the ten nights … " [Al-Qur'an 89:1-2]

Ibn Kathir said that "the ten nights" referred to here are the ten days of Dhul-Hijjah, and this opinion was also held by Ibn Abbas, Ibn az-Zubair, Mujahid and others.

2. The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:

"There are no deeds as excellent as those done in these ten days." They (the companions listening) said, "Not even Jihad?" He, peace be upon him, said, "No, not even Jihad except a man who goes forth endangering his life and wealth and does not return with anything." [Recorded by Imam al-Bukhari]

3. Allah says:

" … and remember the name of Allah in the appointed days." [Al-Qur'an 2:203]

Ibn Abbas and Ibn Kathir said this means in the ten days of Dhul-Hijjah.

4. The Messenger of Allah, upon whom be peace, said:

"There are no other days that are as great as these in the sight of Allah, the Most Sublime. Nor are there any deeds more beloved to Allah then those that are done in these ten days. So increase in tahlil (to say la illaha illallah), takbir (to say allahu akbar) and tahmid (to say alhumdulillah)." [Reported by at-Tabarani in al-Mu'jum al-Kabir]

5. With regards to the noble companion Sa'id bin Jubair, when the days of Dhul-Hijjah began he would strive to increase in good actions with great intensity until he was unable to increase anymore. [Reported by ad-Darimi]

6. Ibn Hajar says in Fath al-Bari:

"The most apparent reason for the ten days of Dhul-Hijjah being distinguished in excellence is due to the assembly of the greatest acts of worship in this period, i.e. salawat (prayers), siyam (fasting), sadaqah (charity) and the Hajj (pilgrimage). In no other periods do these great deeds combine."

WHAT ARE THE RECOMMENDED ACTS IN THESE DAYS?

1. Prayer - It is highly recommended to perform the obligatory acts at their prescribed times (as early as possible) and to increase oneself in the superogatory acts, for indeed, this is what brings a person closer to their Lord. The Messenger of Allah, upon whom be peace, said:

"Upon you is to increase in your prostration to Allah, for verily you do not prostrate to Allah with even one prostration, except that He raises you in degrees and decreases your sins because of it." [Reported by Muslim]

2. Fasting - This has been mentioned as one of the acts of righteousness where Hanbada ibn Khalid reports on the authority of his wife who reports that some of the wives of the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "The Prophet, upon whom be peace, would fast on the ninth of Dhul-Hijjah, the day of Ashura and three days in every month." [Recorded by Ahmad, Abu Dawud, an-Nisa'i and others]

Imam an-Nawawi said that fasting in these ten days is extremely recommended.

3. Saying allahu akbar, la illaha illallah and alhamdulillah - It is found in the aforementioned narration of Ibn 'Umar:

"So increase yourselves in saying la illaha illallah, allahu akbar and alhamdulillah."

Imam al-Bukhari, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

"Ibn 'Umar and Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with them both, used to go out to the markets in the ten days saying the takbir causing the people to follow them in this action."

He also said:

"'Umar ibn al-Khattab used to say the takbir in his mimbar in Mina, whereupon the people of the mosque hearing 'Umar, would start to say the takbir as would the people in the markets until the whole of Mina was locked in glorifying Allah."

Ibn 'Umar used to say the takbir in Mina during these ten days and after prayers, whilst on his bed, in his tent, in his gathering and whilst walking. What is recommended is to say the takbir aloud due to the fact that 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, his son and Abu Hurayrah used to do likewise, may Allah be pleased with them all.

Strive with us O Muslims in reviving this sunnah that has become lost in these times and it was almost forgotten, even amongst the people of righteousness and goodness all of which is unfortunately in opposition to what the best of generations were upon (preserving and maintaining the superogatory acts).

There are a number of ways of making takbir that have been narrated by the companions and their followers and from these ways is the following:

Allahu akbar, allahu akbar, allahu akbar kabirun.
Allahu akbar, allahu akbar, la ilaha illallah, wallahu akbar, wallahu akbar, wa lillahil hamd.
Allahu akbar, allahu akbar, allahu akbar, la ilaha illallah, wallahu akbar, allahu akbar wa lillahil hamd.
4. Fasting on the day of 'Arafah - Fasting has been affirmed on the day of 'Arafah, where it has been confirmed from the Prophet, peace be upon him, that he said regarding fasting on the day of 'Arafah:

"Be content with the fact that Allah will expiate for you your sins for the year before (the day of 'Arafah) and the year after (the day of 'Arafah)." [Reported by Muslim]

However, whoever is at 'Arafah as a pilgrim then fasting is not expected of him, as the Prophet, peace be upon him, stopped at 'Arafah to eat.

May the peace of Allah be upon his Prophet, the family of the Prophet and all of his companions.

no one having a true knowledge and understanding of Islam leaves the religion.

@Fatima(sis fatie); you are obviously an intelligent and independent minded young lady. but being born into a muslim family does not make one muslim. you have been presented with an oppressive image of Islam hence your angry backlash.
focus on Islam and not on muslims.
i was initially going to be silent but i hurt when i see a person move from truth into falsehood, so i will be brief.i respect your right to decide not to believe as a muslim, but i am quite positive that that decision is based on misinformation. sister do not be deceived by your intelligence, there is a God or else "Who wrote the Koran", have you seen any mistake in the Koran.
i hate to barge in unto people's lives but i will ask you only one favour that is that you wait sometime before making your decision and that during this period you try to seek knowledge about true islam from reliable sources. thereafter decide on the path to follow.
May God bless and have mercy on you.

Mac, God bless you, well done!!! Umar II is indeed a reference muslim.

Historians have documented the life of Umar ibn Abdulaziz, it is neither a lie nor an exaggeration.

There were several exemplary caliphs, why would his reign be singled out?

The "4" rightly guided caliphs are held in greater esteem than Umar II, no one has claimed that it was hard to find people to receive the zakat during their respective periods. peace be on them all.

2:214 Or do ye think that ye shall enter the Garden (of bliss) without such (trials) as came to those who passed away before you? They encountered suffering and adversity and were so shaken in spirit that even the Apostle and those of faith who were with him cried: "When (will come) the help of Allah?" Ah! Verily, the help of Allah is (always) near!
Am hasibtum an tadkhuloo aljannatawalamma ya/tikum mathalu allatheena khalaw minqablikum massat-humu alba/sao waalddarraowazulziloo hatta yaqoola alrrasoolu waallatheenaamanoo maAAahu mata nasru Allahi alainna nasra Allahi qareebun

Indeed the help of Allah is near.

Q33:36(al Ahzab)
It is not for a believing man or a believing woman, when Allah and His Messenger have decided a matter, that they should [thereafter] have any choice about their affair. And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger has certainly strayed into clear error.

logic boy, muslims do not debate decrees that are clear.

go away, and stop being a nuisance.

come back when you are a muslim.

end of thread

[quote
author=AbdulSleek]Well, I have to disagree with Allah then. What if I told you that my mom
is dating a white man who is a non-muslim? Should I caution my mom?
Someone who raised me on her own. My mom is 43 and she has her own house
and has raised her child (me). Who am I or anyone to tell her who she
can marry? My father, a muslim man with 3 wives was maltreating my
mother. The white man my mom is dating and soon to be engaged with has
been nothing but an angel to my mom and I.



So when I talk about non-muslim marriage dont think that I woke up one
day to insult Allah.[/quote]logicboy,
you is still one heck of a funny dude though, i really wish you were on
this side. are u still looking for answers to the BIG questions: where
are we from? why are we here? what happens after here? then i wish u
luck man but know that life is short and u just have to do what you can
in the time that you have. peace.

vedaxcool: Lol! this would probably go down as one of the most hilarious thread of the year 2012, it seems to frustrate respondents and op alike.

Abdul sleek or should it be sleeky abdul cause Abdul sleek reads servant of sleek, and sleeky abdul would read sleeky servant and u know ur username does really sound sleek.

Anycase, Abdul"sleek" I understand you support homosexuality, No?

superb poetic humor sir.

"well, I have to disagree with Allah then".

so which kind of muslim makes a statement like that.

i can swear that this poster is logicboy, but i have to give it to him; one he is undoubtedly a very clever guy to pull this off, and two he has a lot of spare time on his hands to waste on endless debates.

also i wasn't aware that muslims used to debate on matters that were already clear, heya I really feel for the Islam apologists.

finally, lagos shia; permit me to commend you for your conduct on this blog. i felt like giving you a hug when i read some of your responses. but my man, no one in this section beats you at resilience sha, you just don't quit.

ma salam.

heya, i just saw in another post that enin uses a translation software. i initially thought the errors were due to some sort of copyright protection. no wahala sha.

a wonderful verse to remind us of the Signs around us:


2:164
Behold! in the creation of the Heavens and the Earth;
in the alternation of the night and the day;
in the sailing of the ships through the ocean for the profit of mankind;
in the rain which Allah sends down from the skies, and the life which He gives therewith to an earth that is dead;
in the beasts of all kinds that He scatters through the earth;
in the change of the winds, and the clouds which they trail like their slaves between the sky and the earth;
(here) indeed are Signs for a people that are wise.

Inna fee khalqi alssamawatiwaal-ardi waikhtilafi allayli waalnnahariwaalfulki allatee tajree fee albahri bimayanfaAAu alnnasa wama anzala Allahumina alssama-i min ma-in faahyabihi al-arda baAAda mawtiha wabaththa feehamin kulli dabbatin watasreefi alrriyahiwaalssahabi almusakhkhari bayna alssama-iwaal-ardi laayatin liqawminyaAAqiloona

good clarification lagoshia, but try to resist the urge to bring in divisive sectarian statements into your posts. you make some of us laugh.

can this post be edited before re posting? please mods, it seems to have some scientific basis.

confirm! u will be lucky to get 1 out of 10 ladies who will be able to follow you. naija no jus dey sentimental like dat.

i was just randomising o. no personal experience. me i can't write poetry to save my life or let me try:

twinKle, twinkle little star
how i wonder what you are
up above the world so high
like a diamond in the sky.......

ah mac, se you want to put me in trouble ni. wen NL sisters start to tackle mi, don't go and hide o.

80:34 That Day shall a man flee from his own brother,
Yawma yafirru almaro min akheehi


80:35 And from his mother and his father,
Waommihi waabeehi


80:36 And from his wife and his children.
Wasahibatihi wabaneehi


80:37 Each one of them, that Day, will have enough concern (of his own) to make him indifferent to the others.
Likulli imri-in minhum yawma-ithinsha/nun yughneehi.

the verse in bold about a man fleeing from his own brother[surah Abasa] is another ayah that fills me with fear. I have 2 brothers that I love to death, and when I read this verse I start to wonder how terrifying that Day would be. Our Lord, have mercy on us.

nice poem, tbaba. I swear I can relate, and I,m sure these things go through the mind of every young man about to "take the plunge".
I wonder what sort of poems our sisters would write when in a similar situation. any volunteers?

I think poetry is lost on most Naija ladies though. so I guess it's rather harmless not to be skilled at it.

good tbaba, suratul Baqarah has a certain gravity about it. i find it difficult to smile after studying it. it also has the greatest verse i.e. the verse of The Throne:

2:255
Allah! There is no god but He,-the Living, the Self-subsisting, Eternal.
No slumber can seize Him nor sleep.
His are all things in the heavens and on earth.
Who is there can intercede in His presence except as He permitteth?
He knoweth what (appeareth to His creatures as) before or after or behind them.
Nor shall they compass aught of His knowledge except as He willeth.
His Throne doth extend over the heavens and the earth, and He feeleth no fatigue in guarding and preserving them for He is the Most High, the Supreme (in glory).

Allahu la ilaha illahuwa alhayyu alqayyoomu la ta/khuthuhusinatun wala nawmun lahu ma fee alssamawatiwama fee al-ardi man tha allatheeyashfaAAu AAindahu illa bi-ithnihi yaAAlamu mabayna aydeehim wama khalfahum wala yuheetoonabishay-in min AAilmihi illa bima shaawasiAAa kursiyyuhu alssamawati waal-ardawala yaooduhu hifthuhumawahuwa alAAaliyyu alAAatheemu.

maclatunji: The woman is very confused. I am beginning to understand some things better though.

did you get to look up the blog? no I don't think she's confused really, more like she's too intelligent for her own good. She has a point you know, a rigid, literal interpretation of Islam can be devastating. Unfortunately some people have been victims of these sorts of interpretations.
try to go over the blog well, especially about her background. you will get more light on her perspective.
ma salam.

@op, barka Jumuah, May your path be easy InshAllahu.

here are some islamic dating websites that may be helpful. however, note that most of them require you to pay certain fee before you can use effectively. it is advised to be cautious while dating online.

http://salaamlove.com/

http://www.muslima.com/

http://www.qiran.com/

http://www.bestmuslim.com/

also you may want to check a Nigerian site: http://www.naijamuslims.org/.

another practical option would be to contact the Imam at a mosque where Friday prayers are held in your area, if you are not averse to that.
you may also contact the Imam of the central mosque of a tertiary institution in your state. e.g Unilag(formerly?) central mosque.

in all cases pls don,t forget your istikhara.

I will send you a mail later.

ma salam.

sorry about the delay mac, was really time constrained. i sent u an e mail. i don't want to post it here, some of her opinions are controversial and may influence some people.

@tbaba, kindly tell us why you are particular about those chapters you stated.

@abujabir, you love the whole Quran mashAllah. pls be a little more specific, take 1 surah or ayah at a time with detailed reasons why. . .
ma salam.

lol, some questions have no answers.
i thot the thread was dead and buried. mac i want to direct u to a blog sometime later, i swear it will engage you, if u're not already familiar with it that is.

don Allah fellis, kindly allow me to apologize to you sincerely. it was an insensitive slip of "hand". next time i would read slowly and not conclude hastily.

understand that i felt how could you be asking these questions when you should know. these are the times we live in. were a similar event to occur next week, there's bound to be a similarly disproportionate reaction. we can only try to educate ourselves and those we can about how to handle such matters in an appropriate manner.
ma salam.

tbaba, God bless you sir. I second your posts on this thread.

I may be wrong but I think fellis is subtly having doubts about her faith due to certain discussions she has been engaging in lately. this is perfectly normal, however remember to reflect on the teachings of Islam and not the failings of Muslims. science allows men to dominate their environment, but men went ahead and made the atomic bomb. Do we reject science?

please who is this smug gutalife coming here with his oily manners, feeling like a character from one sociopathic movie. saying stuff like this is what "I and fellis" find disturbing, "you and I" know...., bla, bla, bla. young man speak for yourself or carry your twisted hypothetical scenario elsewhere!

The media is presently engrossed in covering events related to the movie trailer(title above) recently released on the internet. While those who orchestrated the whole thing are gloating in self adulation over their accomplishments. And some nairalanders, simple and ignorant, are opening threads full of name calling, stereotyping invectives all over the place, secretly rejoicing in their simple minded self righteousness.

But those who know, know that
Islam is clear in its condemnation of violent disturbance of society. This is not a religion of lawlessness where you irresponsibly take matters into your own hands and start causing mayhem when you feel slighted by the base actions of people of other faiths.

So we would like to ask a few questions, just so to be in the clear, about the origin of the whole matter. And thereby knowing how to perceive events in an intelligently appropriate way should a similar occurrence take place in the future(and this is bound to happen)

1. Who made this movie?: of what faith is he? Is he a movie producer? What other movies has he made in the past?

2. to what intent was this movie made?: to educate the people? To entertain them? To amuse the maker himself? To slander with malice? To incite to anger and consequent violence and widespread media coverage and condemnation?

3. Why was this movie trailer uploaded on the internet at a time close to the commemoration of the events of September 11, 2001: an innocent co-incidence? Deliberate seeking of an association/multiplier effect?

4. Who actually carried out the events of 9/11? Yes, who actually carried out the events of 9/11?


5. Has there always been a U.S embassy in Libya? Was this embassy or any other embassy in Libya subject to violent attacks when similar provocative events occurred in the past under Muammar Ghadafi?


6. How did sophisticated arms get into uncontrolled hands in Libya? Have “the chickens come home to roost” again?



7. Have there been violent protests in Muslim societies where the people are educated, prosperous, and have not had their communities fragmented by foreign agents?


So we ask these and other questions not stated here.
Indeed, the truth comes to those who seek to know sincerely.

asalam alaykum, nice to see this thread back. please help keep it here by posting regularly. events may come and go, but the Quran and our reactions to it are timeless. isn,t the Quran such a wonderful text. You think one verse is awesome, then some other day you see another and you are like wow! how did I miss that? in fact, a whole book can be written on a single Quranic verse. so if u see a verse that you like on this thread you can say what you like about it, or how it makes you feel, or an experience related to it that you had etc. or you can post a verse(s) and do likewise.

snubish: 90:4 Verily We have created man into toil and struggle.
Laqad khalaqna al-insana feekabadin

I love the above verse because I find myself referring to it at several moments when I consider the obstacles we have to face everyday in different aspects of life: health, finance, social, spiritual. "created in toil and struggle": the truest thing.

really awe inspiring. this is a very touching and humbling story. some of us can't even remember "Alif lam mim". Islam is indeed fair to women.

Olatunji, put up my post now! wot is dis, wen they attack u mods, u leave the posts alone. u did not even allow my post to stay 1 hour. is this modesty or pride? ok modify the title or stuff but put it back!!!

90:4 Verily We have created man into toil and struggle.
Laqad khalaqna al-insana feekabadin

l have observed a tendency for some unserious troublemaking characters on nairaland to question the competence of one of the moderators of the Islam section: maclatunji, to the extent of requesting for his removal as a moderator in the section. as you may have rightly guessed these are mostly non muslim characters frustrated that their ignorant and confused attempts to

1. disrepute Islam directly or with guile, or

2. to propagate their misguided ideologies;

are being met with firm and prompt resistance.

I say carry on with your duties my brother, as sincerely and conscientously as you can, God help you. muslims at the islam section approve of your conduct as a moderator. maclatunji is not perfect; same with the rest of us. there is no course for moderating that he has attended, every moderator learns on the job. the reason why these people have found him conflicting is mostly because he is not a passive moderator, and he loves his religion.

most of these people who are running their mouths have not even read the rules of the forum. you think it's easy being a mod on a public forum 24hrs a day? those who are interested in being moderators should write an application to Seun stating why they think they would be ideal candidates for the position. they should include evidence of any relevant experience in their application!
so I say Desist!!! there are other sections on the forum like the romance, jokes etc. sections where your silly contributions would be highly welcome and uncensored.

mac, JazakAllahu Khair akhee.

@centje, in an ideal islamic state, legal rulings are passed by scholars/jurists. Islamic jurisprudence is an advanced field developed over centuries and studied for several years before competence is certified. should this situation which you have described arise, the involved parties would be referred to these jurists. that said we would never get perfect justice in this life, we can only try to regulate affairs. for example if a man singlehandedly murders say 10 men, how do you serve justice in such a situation; by killing 9 of his relatives along with him? only God is The Just.