Untitled

The door of Success

2010-05-18T14:21:00.000-07:00

Ibn ul Qayyim Al Jawziyah (Rahimahullah) mentioned in his book “Fawaa’id ul Fawaa’id” on the authority of Shaqeeq Ibn Ibrahim (Rahimahullah) ,

Who said: The door of Tawfeeq (success) has been closed on the people because of six things:

The First: Because they busy themselves with the Ni’mah (blessing) bestowed upon them and forget about the gratitude they should express to Allah, the One who bestowed the favor on them.

The Second: Because they have an ardent desire for knowledge however, they abandon acting upon it.

The Third: Because they hasten to commit sin but delay repentance for the sin.

The Fourth: Because they are deceived by the companionship of the righteous but fail to emulate their actions.

The Fifth: Because the life of this world is behind them but they are insistent on chasing after it.

The Sixth: Because the hereafter is in front of them but they turn away from it.

The source of all of this stems from a lack of Raja’a (hope in Allah’s mercy) and Khowf ( fear of Allah’s punishment and the fact that He may not accept any of your deeds). And the origin of this stems from a weakness in Yaqeen (certainty). And the origin of this stems from a weakness in Baseerah (sound legislative knowledge). And the origin of this stems from humiliation and ignobility and exchanging that which is superior for that which is mediocre.

If the individual was noble and ambitious he would not settle for mediocre. The source of every good is by the Tawfeeq of Allah as well as by His will, the nobility of the soul, its magnanimity and exaltedness. Subsequently, the source of every evil is the villainousness of the soul, its ignobility and lowliness, as Allah says:“Indeed he will be successful who purifies his soul and he who corrupts his own soul will fail…”

Meaning, the one who exalts his soul, multiplies it’s good and nurtures it upon obedience to Allah, will be successful. However, the one who disgraces his soul and humiliates it by exposing it to sin and disobedience to Allah will utterly lose. Thus the noble souls are not satisfied except with the finer things in life, those things that reap the most praiseworthy outcome. On the other hand, the ignoble souls loiter around the lowliest affairs just as the fly that only lands on feces.

Hence the noble and superior soul is not satisfied with oppression, fornication/ adultery, stealing or betrayal due to the fact that he considers himself more dignified to commit such acts. However, the ignoble soul is the total opposite. And every soul will incline towards what is in conformity with it’s desire(s) and what it deems suitable. This is consistent with the statement of Allah: “Every soul shall act according to what it inclines towards…”

Meaning, every soul will act upon what is in conformity with it’s desires. The soul will act upon what it deems suitable and appropriate for it. Thus, every soul will proceed upon the path that is natural for it. So the Fajir (i.e. criminal) soul will act according to what is natural for it, of welcoming the blessing(s) of Allah with sin while turning away from Al Mun’im.

Yet the believer acts according to what is natural for him, of gratitude to Allah, the One who grants His bounty to whomsoever He wills. Also loving Him, praising

Him, showing affection to Him and being modest before Him, while the slave is conscious of the fact that Allah is evaluating his every movement, coupled with magnification and glorification of Him.

2009-12-13T16:37:00.001-08:00

If..

2009-11-01T01:32:00.000-07:00

If
If you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you; If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, But make allowance for their doubting too; If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies, Or, being hated, don't give way to hating, And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master; If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim; If you can meet with triumph and disaster And treat those two imposters just the same; If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools, Or watch the things you gave your life to broken, And stoop and build 'em up with wornout tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss, And lose, and start again at your beginnings And never breath a word about your loss; If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew To serve your turn long after they are gone, And so hold on when there is nothing in you Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on";
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch; If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you; If all men count with you, but none too much; If you can fill the unforgiving minute With sixty seconds' worth of distance run - Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it, And - which is more - you'll be a Man my son!

Rudyard Kipling

The ignorant people complain

2009-10-26T00:24:00.000-07:00

The ignorant people complain to people about Allaah, and this is the highest degree of ignorance, for if he had known his Lord, he would not have complained about Him, and if he had known the people he would not have complained to them.

One of the predecessors saw a man complaining to another man about his poverty and dire necessity. He said to him, ‘O you! By Allaah, you have done nothing but complain about He who has mercy for you, to the one who has no mercy for you’.

The following verses have been mentioned about the meaning of the previous statement of the predecessor.

When you complain to a son of Adam
verily you complain about the Most Merciful
to the one who does not pity.

On the contrary, the person who is profoundly knowledgeable about Allaah complains to Allaah alone. And the most knowledgeable person about Allaah is the one who complains about himself to Allaah, and never to people. He complains about the causes that make people do wrong to him, for he knows about the following Qur’anic verses,

‘And whatever of misfortune befalls you it is because of what your hands have earned. And He pardons much’
(Ash-Shura, 42: 30)

‘Whatever of good reaches you, is from Allaah but whatever of evil befalls you, is from yourself.’
(An-Nisa, 4: 79)

‘(What is the matter with you?). When a single disaster smites you, although you smote (your enemies) with one twice as great, you say: ‘From where does this come to us?’ Say (to them), ‘It is from yourselves (because of your evil deeds). ‘And Allaah has power over all things.
(Al-Imran, 3: 165)

Therefore, there are three levels: the lowest one is to complain about Allaah to his creatures, the highest one is to complain about yourself to Him and the middle one is to complain about His creatures to Him. May Allaah make us from those who complain to Him alone about ourselves, He the Majestic and Most High, Ameen.

Ibn alQayyim alFawaid page 134

source: http://theclearsunn ah.wordpress. com/2009/ 10/24/the- complaint- of-the-ignorant/

2009-10-14T00:10:00.000-07:00

Isn't it crazy how a person can live brain dead, but would die without a heart.

On the authority of Abu 'Abdullah al-Nu'man bin Bashir, radiyallahu 'anhu, who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, say:

"Truly, what is lawful is evident, and what is unlawful is evident, and in between the two are matters which are doubtful which many people do not know. He who guards against doubtful things keeps his religion and honour blameless, and he who indulges in doubtful things indulges in fact in unlawful things, just as a shepherd who pastures his flock round a preserve will soon pasture them in it. Beware, every king has a preserve, and the things Allah has declared unlawful are His preserves. Beware, in the body there is a flesh; if it is sound, the whole body is sound, and if it is corrupt, the whole body is corrupt, and behold, it is the heart."

[Al-Bukhari & Muslim]

2009-10-14T00:01:00.000-07:00

7th & 8th benefit

2009-08-30T12:00:00.000-07:00

أنى رأيت كل أحد يسعى بجد ، ويجتهد بمبالغة لطلب القوت والمعاش
بحيث يقع فى شبهة وحرام ويذل نفسه وينقص قدره
فتأملت فى قوله تعالى : ( وما من دابه فى الأرض إلا على الله رزقها)
فعلمت أن رزقى على الله تعالى وقد ضمنه ، فاشتغلت بعبادته ، وقطعت طمعى عمن سواه

The seventh benefit ~ I saw everyone working very hard, exhausting themselves in obtaining food and sustenance, tempted by doubts and forbidden things. They degrade themselves and diminish their potential..
I pondered over the saying of the Exalted: وما من دابه فى الأرض إلا على الله رزقها
“There is no moving creature on earth but its sustenance dependent on Allah.”

I knew that my livelihood is guaranteed by Allah the Exalted so I engaged myself in worship and cut off my covetousness of other than He.

الفائدة الثامنة : أنى رأيت كل واحد معتمدا على شىء مخلوق ، بعضهم على الدينار والدرهم ، وبعضهم على المال والملك ، وبعضهم على الحرفة والصناعة ، وبعضهم على مخلوق مثله، فتأملت فى قوله تعالى :
( ومن يتوكل على الله فهو حسبه إن الله بالغ أمره قد جعل الله لكل شىء قدرا)
فتوكلت على الله تعالى فهو حسبى ونعم الوكيل

The eighth benefit ~is that I saw that everyone relied on some created thing, some on the dinār and dirham, some on wealth and property, some on trade and industry and some on creatures like themselves.
I meditated upon the saying of the Exalted: ومن يتوكل على الله فهو حسبه إن الله بالغ أمره قد جعل الله لكل شىء قدرا

“And whosoever places his reliance on Allah, sufficient is [Allah] for him. For Allah will surely accomplishes His purpose. Verily for all things has Allah appointed a due proportion for everything.”

I therefore placed full reliance in Allah the Exalted. He is sufficient for me and He is the best Disposer of affairs.’

Shaqīq then said: “May Allah bless you and grant you success. I looked into the Old Testament, and Gospel, the Psalms and the Qur’an and have found that the four books revolve around these eight benefits. Whoever acts according to them is acting according to these four books.”

6th benefit

2009-08-30T00:00:00.000-07:00

أنى رأيت الناس يعادى بعضهم بعضا لغرض وسبب
فتأملت فى قوله تعالى : ( إن الشيطان لكم عدو فاتخذوه عدوا)
فعلمت أنه لا يجوز عداوة احد غير الشيطان

The sixth benefit ~ I saw people becoming enemies of each other for various reasons. I mediated upon the saying of the Exalted: “Verily Satan is an enemy to you, so treat him as an enemy.”

I became aware that enmity with anyone but Satan was not permissible.

2009-08-29T16:39:00.000-07:00

original:

Edited:

2009-08-29T16:06:00.000-07:00

4th & 5th benefit

2009-08-29T00:00:00.000-07:00

أنى رأيت بعض الخلق يظن أن شرفه وعزه فى كثرة الأقوام والعشائر فاعتز بهم. وزعم آخرون أنه فى ثروة الأموال وكثرة الأولاد ، فافتخروا بها. وحسب بعضهم أن العز والشرف فى غصب أموال الناس وظلمهم وسفك دمائهم. واعتقدت طائفة أنه فى اتلاف المال واسرافه وتبذيره،

فتأملت قوله تعالى : ( إن أكرمكم عند الله أتقاكم) فاخترت التقوى واعتقدت أن القرآن حق صادق، وظنهم وحسبانهم كلها باطل زائل.

The fourth benefit ~ I observed some people thought that their dignity and honor lie in the multitude of their family and large clans and they were fascinated by those things. Others considered honor and dignity to be in abundance of wealth and children and they were proud of it. Some believed honor and power abide in appropriating the wealth of others, oppressing them and killing them. Others considered dignity to consist of extravagance and spending wealth like water. I meditated upon the saying of the Exalted: إن أكرمكم عند الله أتقاكم

“The most honored of you in the sight of Allah is he who is the most righteous of you.”

I chose righteousness for myself, convinced that the Qur’an is right and true and those claims and opinions of people are false and temporal.”

الفائدة الخامسة : أنى رأيت الناس يذم بعضهم بعضا ، ويغتاب بعضهم بعضا
فوجدت أصل ذلك من الحسد فى المال والجاه والعلم
فتأملت فى قوله تعالى : ( نحن قسمنا بينهم معيشتهم فى الحياة الدنيا)
فعلمت أن القسمة كانت من الله تعالى فى الأزل، فما حسدت أحدا ورضيت بقسمة الله تعالى

The fifth benefit ~ I noticed the people undermining each other and speaking ill of one another and I found that was due to envy of fortune, power or knowledge. I meditated upon the saying of Allah: نحن قسمنا بينهم معيشتهم فى الحياة الدنيا

“It is We who divide their livelihood among them in the life of this world.”

I realized that the process of dividing livelihood is in the hands of Allah since the beginning of time. I therefore never envied any one anyone and was satisfied with the distribution of Allah the Exalted.

3rd benefit

2009-08-28T00:00:00.000-07:00

أنى رأيت كل واحد من الناس يسعى فى جمع حطام الدنيا ، ثم يمسكه قابضا يده عليه
فتأملت فى قوله تعالى : ( ما عندكم ينفد وما عند الله باق )
فبذلت محصولى من الدنيا لوجه الله تعالى ففرقته بين المساكين ليكون ذخرا لى عند الله تعالى.

The third benefit ~ I noted that every human being rushes to accumulate as much as he can from the wreckage of this material world and then holding on strongly to it. I meditated on the saying of the Most High: ( ما عندكم ينفد وما عند الله باق)

“What is with you must vanish’ what is with Allah endures.”

So I gave freely my worldly possessions for the sake of the Most High by distributing them among the poor so that it would be my provision in the future with Him the Exalted.

2009-08-27T00:18:00.000-07:00

2nd benefit

2009-08-27T00:00:00.000-07:00

أنى رأيت الخلق يقتدون أهواءاهم، ويبادرون إلى مرادات أنفسهم،

فتأملت قوله تعالى ( واما من خاف مقام ربه ونهى النفس عن الهوى ، فإن الجنه هى المأوى).

وتيقنت أن القرآن حق صادق فبادرت إلى خلاف النفس وتشمرت بمجاهدتها ، وما متعتها بهواها ، حتى ارتاضت بطاعة الله تعالى وانقادت.

The second benefit ~ I saw that creation(people) were following their lusts and hastening towards (fulfilling the demands of lowly) desires of the selves; and I meditated on the saying of the Exalted: واما من خاف مقام ربه ونهى النفس عن الهوى ، فإن الجنه هى المأوى

“Whoever has feared the lofty position of his Lord and has refrained his soul from lust, truly the Garden shall be his dwelling place.” Convinced that the Qur’an was true and tight, I began to oppose the notion of yielding to the demands of the self and hastened to combat it and refuse it its lowly desires, until it enjoyed satisfaction in being obedient to Allah the Exalted.

1st benefit..

2009-08-26T05:12:00.000-07:00

إن حاتم الأصم كان من أصحاب شقيق البلخى رحمة الله تعالى عليهما
فسأله يوما قال : صاحبتنى منذ ثلاثين سنة ما حصلت؟ قال : حصلت ثمانى فوائد من العلم ، وهى تكفينى منه لأنى أرجو خلاصى ونجاتى فيها.

Hātim Al-Asam was among the friends of Shaqīq Al – Balkhi (may Allah have mercy on them both). One day Shaqīq asked Hātim: “You have accompanied me for thirty years; what have you gained?” Hātim replied: “I have gained eight benefits from the knowledge which suffices for me as I hope my success and safety are embodied in them.”

فقال شقيق: ما هى؟ قال حاتم

Shaqīq asked; “What are they?”

Hātim replied:

الفائدة الأولى: أنى نظرت إلى الخلق فرأيت لكل منهم محبوبا ومعشوقا يحبه ويعشقه، وبعض ذلك المحبوب يصاحبه إلى مرض الموت وبعضه يصاحبه إلى شفير القبر، ثم يرجع كله ، ويتركه فريدا وحيدا، ولا يدخل معه فى قبره منهم أحد فتفكرت وقلت: أفضل محبوب المرء ما يدخل معه فى قبره، ويؤنسه فيه، فما وجدته غير الأعمال الصالحة ، فأخذتها محبوبه لى ، لتكون لى سراجا فى قبرى، وتؤنسنى فيه ، ولا تتركنى فريدا.

The first benefit ~ I observed the creation and saw that everyone had a loved one and one passionately desired whom he loved and longed for. Some of the beloved accompany the lover up to the brink of sickness and death and others to the gate of the graveyard. All of them return and leave him there alone. No one goes into the tomb with him. I reflected on that and said to myself:

أفضل محبوب المرء ما يدخل معه فى قبره، ويؤنسه فيه

“The best beloved is that which would enter the tomb with the lover to console him”; I found nothing other than good works, so I took this as my beloved where with to illuminate my grave and to comfort me in it and not leave me alone.

رسالة من الامام الغزالي لتلميذه … أيها الولد
Extract from Ayyuhal Walad by Imām Abu Hāmid Al- Ghazāli

killOWNED..

2009-08-26T03:29:00.000-07:00

The other day, in hope of spending more time with younger brother, I sat down to play some PS3; but boy oh boy games aren’t like they used to be! Now I’m no stranger to gaming consoles, in my life time I’ve progressed from Nintendo to Sega to PlayStation to Playstation2 and now to Playstation3. Although my ‘gaming’ experience with playstion3 has been very limited, only games I have played so far have been nba2k9 and madden 09.

Yet my thumbs have been put to shame, but that shame came at the hands of a different game, fittingly titled Killzone(2). So not only do you have to keep both hands on the analog control sticks at all times, while trying to survive the onslaught of the “helghasts”, you must also attempt to keep yourself atop the leader board, and try to complete many objectives that range from locating and returning a target to protecting an assassination target. Remember when it was all about collecting rings in Sonic? Or the simple science of Duck Hunt?

Needless to say after dying about 7 times in less than 10 mins, I utterly failed at Killzone and did not gain any admiration from my 15 year old brother. I do commend him though after getting annoyed at what he called “suckiness” he took the controller away from me proceeded to move my rank from 15th (out of 16) to 1st place; after doing that he placed the controller down and made some cocky comments. I simply relied “Oh yea?! Its Ramadan why don’t you go do something useful?!” and walked away thinking “I sure showed him”

i dont understand ur hatred..

2009-08-26T02:26:00.000-07:00

Your incessant intense hostility lead me to post this.. I don’t understand why you hate them so? Just give them a chance.

لا ضير

2009-08-23T13:14:00.000-07:00

قَالَ لَهُم مُّوسَىٰ أَلْقُوا مَا أَنتُم مُّلْقُونَ

Mûsa (Moses) said to them: "Throw what you are going to throw!" (43)

فَأَلْقَوْا حِبَالَهُمْ وَعِصِيَّهُمْ وَقَالُوا بِعِزَّةِ فِرْعَوْنَ إِنَّا لَنَحْنُ الْغَالِبُونَ

So they threw their ropes and their sticks, and said: "By the might of Fir'aun (Pharaoh), it is we who will certainly win!" (44)

فَأَلْقَىٰ مُوسَىٰ عَصَاهُ فَإِذَا هِيَ تَلْقَفُ مَا يَأْفِكُونَ

Then Mûsa (Moses) threw his stick, and behold, it swallowed up all that they falsely showed! (45)

فَأُلْقِيَ السَّحَرَةُ سَاجِدِينَ

And the sorcerers fell down prostrate. (46)

قَالُوا آمَنَّا بِرَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ

Saying: "We believe in the Lord of the 'Alamîn (mankind, jinn and all that exists). (47)

رَبِّ مُوسَىٰ وَهَارُونَ

"The Lord of Mûsa (Moses) and Hârûn (Aaron)." (48)

قَالَ آمَنتُمْ لَهُ قَبْلَ أَنْ آذَنَ لَكُمْ ۖ إِنَّهُ لَكَبِيرُكُمُ الَّذِي عَلَّمَكُمُ السِّحْرَ فَلَسَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ ۚ لَأُقَطِّعَنَّ أَيْدِيَكُمْ وَأَرْجُلَكُم مِّنْ خِلَافٍ وَلَأُصَلِّبَنَّكُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ

[Fir'aun (Pharaoh)] said: "You have believed in him before I give you leave. Surely, he indeed is your chief, who has taught you magic! So verily, you shall come to know. Verily, I will cut off your hands and your feet on opposite sides, and I will crucify you all." (49)

قَالُوا لَا ضَيْرَ ۖ إِنَّا إِلَىٰ رَبِّنَا مُنقَلِبُونَ

They said: "No harm! Surely, to our Lord (Allâh) we are to return; (50)

إِنَّا نَطْمَعُ أَن يَغْفِرَ لَنَا رَبُّنَا خَطَايَانَا أَن كُنَّا أَوَّلَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ

Verily! We really hope that our Lord will forgive us our sins, as we are the first of the believers [in Mûsa (Moses) and in the Monotheism which he has brought from Allâh]." (51)

سُوۡرَةُ الشُّعَرَاء -- Al-Shuara 43:51

--

The magicians were touched by the glorious Light of Allah, they realized that nothing in this dunnya (world) is worthy enough to make them recant their faith. When Pharaoh said to them “I will cut off your hands and your feet on opposite sides, and I will crucify you all.” They simply said لا ضير, no harm, whatever, hakuna matata, because we will return to our Lord, Allah swt. They had firm belief in their Lord, and only when one has firm belief can they see past worldly matters. No matter what was going to be done to them, it didn’t matter because they knew that they were on the truth, they had found Islam.

Rules of tajweed..

2009-08-22T23:57:00.000-07:00

I'm memorizing these poems to help me with the rules of tajweed. They are actually very fun to learn and recite!

تحفة الأطفال والغلمان في تجويد كلمات القرآن

وهذا هو متن تحفة الاطفال والغلمان في تجويد القرآن

يَقُـولُ رَاجِـي رَحْمَـةِ الْغَـفُـورِ دَوْمًـا سُلَيْمَـانُ هُـوَ الجَمْـزُوري

الْحَمْـدُ لـلَّـهِ مُصَلِّـيًـا عَـلَـى مُحَـمَّـدٍ وَآلــهِ وَمَــنْ تَــلاَ

وَبَعْـدُ هَــذَا النَّـظْـمُ لِلْمُـرِيـدِ فِـي النُّـونِ والتَّنْوِيـنِ وَالْمُـدُودِ

سَمَّيْـتُـهُ بِتُحْـفَـةِ الأَطْـفَــالِ عَنْ شَيْخِنَـا الْمِيهِـىِّ ذِي الْكَمـالِ

أَرْجُـو بِـهِ أَنْ يَنْـفَـعَ الطُّـلاَّبَـا وَالأَجْــرَ وَالْقَـبُـولَ وَالثَّـوَابَـا

أَحْكَامُ النُّونِ السَّاكِنَةِ وَالتَّنْوينِ

لِلـنُّـونِ إِنْ تَسْـكُـنْ وَلِلتَّنْـوِيـنِ أَرْبَـعُ أَحْـكَـامٍ فَـخُـذْ تَبْيِيـنِـي

فَـالأَوَّلُ الإظْهَـارُ قَبْـلَ أَحْـرُفِ لِلْحَلْـقِ سِـتٌّ رُتِّبَـتْ فَلْتَـعْـرِفِ

هَمْـزٌ فَهَـاءٌ ثُـمَّ عَـيْـنٌ حَــاءُ مُهْمَلَـتَـانِ ثُــمَّ غَـيْـنٌ خَــاءُ

والثَّـانِ إِدْغَــامٌ بِسِـتَّـةٍ أَتَــتْ فِي يَرْمَلُـونَ عِنْدَهُـمْ قَـدْ ثَبَتَـتْ

لَكِنَّهَـا قِسْمَـانِ قِـسْـمٌ يُدْغَـمَـا فِـيـهِ بِغُـنَّـةٍ بِيَنْـمُـو عُلِـمَـا

إِلاَّ إِذَا كَــانَ بِكِلْـمَـةٍ فَـــلاَ تُدْغَـمْ كَدُنْيَـا ثُـمَّ صِنْـوَانٍ تَـلاَ

وَالثَّـانِ إِدْغَـامٌ بِغَـيْـرِ غُـنَّـهْ فِـي الـلاَّمِ وَالـرَّا ثُـمَّ كَرِّرَنَّـهْ

وَالثَّالـثُ الإِقْـلاَبُ عِنْـدَ الْـبَـاءِ مِيمًـا بِغُـنَّـةٍ مَــعَ الإِخْـفَـاءِ

وَالرَّابِعُ الإِخْفَـاءُ عِنْـدَ الْفَاضِـلِ مِـنَ الحُـرُوفِ وَاجِـبٌ لِلْفَاضِـلِ

فِي خَمْسَةٍ مِنْ بَعْدِ عَشْـرٍ رَمْزُهَـا فِي كِلْمِ هَذَا البَيْـتِ قَـد ضَّمَّنْتُهَـا

صِفْ ذَا ثَنَا كَمْ جَادَ شَخْصٌ قَدْ سَمَا دُمْ طَيِّبًا زِدْ فِي تُقًى ضَـعْ ظَالِمَـا

InshAllah post the rest as I learn them

The Meadows of Heaven

2009-08-21T15:56:00.000-07:00

Whoever wishes to dwell in the meadows of Heaven in this world should frequent the gatherings of remembrance, for these are the meadows of Heaven.

Ibn Abi l-Dunya and other relate a hadith transmitted by Jabir ibn 'Abd Allah: 'The Messenger of God [may Allah bless him and grant him peace] came out to us and said, "O people, roam the meadows of Heaven!" And we asked, "And what are the meadows of Heaven, Messenger of God?" He answered, "The gatherings of remembrance." Then he said, "So be nourished and take your rest and remember. Let anyone who wishes to know his place with God behold what place he has given God [in his sould], for verily God will give to a servant the [same] place with Him that the servant has given to God within himself." Bayhaqi, Shu'ab al-Iman,528

Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya- Al-Wabil al-Sayyib min al-Kalim al-Tayyib p.92

Styracosaurus

2009-08-20T23:52:00.000-07:00

Allah's creations are so amazing.. especially dinos..

Styracosaurus

Pronounced:

sty-RAY-uh-sore-us

Styracosaurus means:

Spiked lizard

Fossils found:

United States and Canada

Period:

Cretaceous

Diet:

Herbivore (plant eater)

Size:

Length - 18 feet

Height - 6 feet

Weight - 3 tons

Interesting Facts:

The Styracosaurus had six spikes around its head, each as long as a human arm, and a 2-foot horn on its nose.

The Heaven of this World..

2009-08-18T23:10:00.000-07:00

I heard the Shaykh of Islam, Ibn Taymiyya, say, 'Truly, there us a Heaven in this world, [and] whoever does not enter it, will not enter the Heaven of the next world.' And once he said to me, 'What can my enemies do to me? I have in my breast both my Heaven and my garden. If I travel they are with me, and they never leave me. Imprisonment for me is religious retreat [khalwa]. To be slain for me is martyrdom [shahada] and to be exiled from my land is a spiritual journey [siyaha].

During his imprisonment in the fortress, he would say, 'I could not be more grateful for this blessing were I to have this entire fortress in gold'; or, 'I could never repay them for the good that has come to me in [this prison].' And in prostration he would say, 'O God, help me in my gratitude to you, remembrance of You and the most comely worship of You, God willing.'

Once he said to me, 'The real prisoner is someone whose heart is imprisoned from his Lord; the true captive is someone captured by his passions.' And when he entered the fortress and was inside the walls, he gazed upon them and then recited the verse, 'And a wall between them is struck which has a gate. On the inside there is mercy, on the outside punishment.'

God knows, I have never seen anyone who had a better life than his. Despite the difficulties and all that expunges comfort and luxury, nay, things completely opposite to them; despite imprisonment, intimidation and oppression, Ibn Taymiyya had a purer life than anyone could. He was the most generous, the strongest of heart and the most joyful of soul, with 'the radiance of bliss' in his face. When we were sized with fear and our thoughts [about God's decree] turned negative, and the earth grew narrow for us, we would go to him. No sooner did we look at him and hear his words than all these [feelings] would leave us, to be replaced by relief, strength, certainty and tranquillity. So glory be to the One who lets His servants witness His Heaven well before they meet Him, who opens its doors to them in this world of deeds and who gives them something of its refreshment, its breeze and its perfume--that they might seek it and hasten towards it with all their strength.

A gnostic once said, 'If kings and the sons of kings knew what we had, they would try to take it from us by the sword!' Another said: 'How pitiful, the worldly people! They leave this life without ever having tasted the sweetest thing in it.' When asked what that was, he replied, 'The love of God, the knowledge of God and the remembrance of God,' or words to that effect. Another said: 'There are times when the heart dances in joy.' And another said, 'There are times when I say, If the people of Heaven have anything like this how truly sweet their lives!'

To love God, to know Him intimately, to remember Him constantly, to find peace and rest in Him, to make Him alone the [ultimate] object of love, fear, hope, and trust; to base one's acts on His control of His servants' cares, aspirations and will--such is this world's Heaven, and such is a blessing with which no other blessing can compare. It is by this that the hearts of those who love God are gladdened and that the gnostics find life. As their hearts are gladdened by God, so other are gladdened by them. For whoever finds his source of gladness in God, gladdens all hearts; whoever does not finds nothing in this world but restlessness.

Anyone with life in his heart will confirm this. But someone whose heart is dead will only estrange you from God; and so seek intimacy [with God] without him, where you can, for his mere presence will estrange you. If you are tested by him, show him only your outer aspect, but leave him behind in your heart. Depart from him with your soul and do not let him distract you from the One who is most important to you. Know that the greatest of all losses is the involvement with someone who weakens your relationship and standing with God, cutting you off from Him, wasting your time, dispersing your heart, weakening your resolve and dividing your aspirations. Therefore, if you are tested by this [kind of situation]--and it is inevitable that you will be--then bear up for the sake of God, and acknowledge Him as much as you are able.

Draw near to God by whatever of it please Him. Make your association [with wordily people] a profit, not a loss. Be like the man travelling along, whom another invites to stop; seek to take him along with you. When he comes along lead him but be not led by him. And if he refuses, and you have no hope that he will journey, then [at least] do not let him detain you. Rather, hasten on, pay him no heed. Do not [even] turn in his direction, for he is a highway robber regardless.

Protect your heart and be careful of how you spend your day and your night. Let not the sun set on you before you reach camp, 'lest you be carried off'. Nor let the dawn find you abandoned in the camp after the caravan has moved on, and the time is nigh for you to reach them.

Ibn Qayyiam al-Jawziyya, Al-Wabil al-Sayyib min al-Kalim al-Tayyib, p.57-60

2009-08-18T00:37:00.000-07:00

"Allah's promise is in itself Truth. There is no interposition of time or condition between His will and its consequences, for He is the Ultimate reality. He is independent of the proximate or material causes, for He Himself creates them and establishes their laws as He pleases."

footnote on Surah an-Nahl, aya 40

Striving Hard, Competing for Good Deeds in Ramadan

2009-08-09T23:02:00.000-07:00

Striving Hard, Competing for Good Deeds in Ramadan

by Shaykh 'Abdul-'Azeez bin Baaz

All Praise is due to Allaah, and may the peace and blessings be upon His Messenger Muhammad. It is legislated for all the Muslims to strive hard in the various types of worship during this noble month. They should strive to pray voluntary prayers and recite the Qur`an with reflection and thinking. They should increase the glorification of Allaah [saying "SubhanAllaah"], declaring Allaah's right to be worshiped alone [saying "La illaaha il Allaah"], praising Him [saying "Al-Hamdulillaah"], declaring His greatness [saying "Allaahu Akbar"] and seeking His forgiveness.

They should say legislated supplications, command the good, forbid the evil, invite to Allaah, be generous to the poor and needy, strive to be kind to parents, keep good family ties, honor the neighbor, visit the sick, and other types of good deeds.

This is due to the Prophet's (salallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) statement:
"Allaah looks at your competing for good works during it and He proudly tells the angels about you all. Therefore, show Allaah goodness from yourselves. For verily, the wretched person is the one who is deprived of Allaah's Mercy during it (Ramadaan)."
- Majma 'uz-Zawa'id 3:142; Kanzul-'Ummal no. 23692.

This is also due to what is reported from him (salallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) that he said: "Whoever draws near to Allaah during it (Ramadaan) with a single characteristic from the characteristics of (voluntary) goodness, he is like whoever performs an obligatory act in other times. And whoever performs an obligatory act during it, he is like whoever performed seventy obligatory acts in other times." - Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah, no. 1887.

This is also due to his (salallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) statement in the authentic hadith: "An 'Umrah performed during Ramadaan is equal to a performance of Hajj - or he said - a Hajj with me." - Al-Bukhari (no. 1863) and Muslim (no. 1256).

The ahadith and narrations that prove the sanctioning of competing, and being aggressive in performing the various acts of goodness in this noble month are numerous.

Allaah is the one Who is asked to help us and the rest of the Muslims to do all that contains His Pleasure and to accept our fast and standing for night prayer. We ask Him to correct our situations and protect us all from the deviations of trials and temptations. Likewise, we ask Him to make the leaders of the Muslims righteous, and unite their word upon the truth. Verily, Allaah is the Guardian of that, and He is capable of doing it.

Source: Fataawa Islamiya, pp. 220-221

He speakes privately with his Lord..

2009-07-20T05:17:00.000-07:00

Speaking Privately with Allah

Virtues of the Prayer - by Shaykh Muhammad Saleh Al Uthaymeen

The Prayer: is a link between the servant and his Lord. The Prophet (saws) said: "Indeed, when one of you prays, he speaks privately with his Lord." [Reported by Al-Bukhaaree]

And Allaah says in the qudsee hadeeth: "I have divided the prayer between Myself and My servant into two parts, and My servant will have what he asks for.

So when the servant says: ‘Al-Hamdulillaahi Rabb-il-‘Alameen’, Allaah says: ‘My servant has praised Me.’

And when he says: ‘Ar-Rahmaan-ir- Raheem’, Allaah says: ‘My servant has extolled Me.’

And when he says: ‘Maaliki-yawm- id-Deen’, Allaah says: ‘My servant has honored Me.’

And when he says: ‘Iyyaaka Na’bdu wa Iyyaaka Nasta’een’, Allaah says: ‘This is between Me and My servant and My servant will have what he asks for.’

And when he says: ‘Ihdinaas-Siraat- al-Mustaqeem. Siraat-aladheena an’amta ‘alaihim. Ghairil-Maghdoobi ‘alaihim wa lad-Daalleen’, Allaah says: ‘This is for My servant and for My servant will be what he asks for.’" [Reported by Muslim]

The Prayer: is a garden of ‘ibaadaat (acts of worship), in which every splendid type of worship is found.

There is the takbeer, by which the prayer is initiated, the standing in which the person praying recites the words of Allaah, the bowing in which he extols his Lord, the rising from the bowing position, which is filled with the praising of Allaah, the prostration in which he glorifies Allaah by His highness and in which he implores him through supplication, the sitting in which there is the tashahhud and (more) supplication and the closing with tasleem.

2009-07-17T13:28:00.000-07:00

Afghan children play football in a street in Kabul, Afghanistan on Friday, July 17, 2009. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Best of both worlds..

2009-07-15T00:05:00.000-07:00

Supplication for the Best of Both Worlds
Taken From the articles "Reflections" , Al-Istiqaamah Magazine, Issue No.6 - Dhul-Qa'dah 1417H / March 1997

'Abdullaah ibn Mas'ood radiallaahu 'anhu relates that the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam would supplicate:

"O Allah! I ask You for guidance, piety, safety and well-being, and contentment and sufficiency."

[Allaahumma innee as'alukal-hudaa wat-tuqaa wal-'afaafa wal-ghinaa]. Sahih Muslim (no.2721)

Imaam as-Sa'dee (d.1376H) - rahimahullaah - said:

This du'aa (supplication) is from the most comprehensive and beneficial du'aas (supplications) , since it includes asking Allah for well-being with regards to both the Religion and the world.

Thus, al-hudaa (the guidance) is beneficial knowledge, and at-tuqaa (i.e. taqwaa or piety) is righteous actions and leaving-off what Allaah and His Messenger have forbidden; and this is (asking) for correctness and well-being of a person's Religion. For indeed, the Religion comprises of beneficial knowledge and recognising the truth - which is guidance - and standing firm upon obedience to Allaah and His Messenger sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam - and this is piety.

And al-'afaafa (well-being and safety) and al-ghinaa (contentment and sufficiency) comprises of being safe from (the harms of) the creation and that the heart is not attached to them. And it also comprises of being contented with Allaah and what He provides, and seeking whatever will cause the heart to be satisfied with Him.

So with this, happiness in this worldly life is completed, and the heart tastes true sweetness and delight - and this is a goodly life. So whosoever is granted the provisions of guidance, Piety. well-being and contentment has indeed achieved true happiness, and has acquired all that could be possibly sought after, as well as being saved from all that is dreadful and frightening." [Bahjatul-Quloobul- Abraar (p.198)]

Seeking Allahs Forgiveness..

2009-07-13T00:13:00.000-07:00

The Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam said:

"The master of supplications for seeking Allaah's forgiveness is when a servant says: O Allaah! You are my Lord and none has the right to be worshipped except You. Indeed You created me and I am Your slave. I abide by my promise and covenant to You as best as I can. I seek refuge in You from the evils that I have done. I acknowledge Your favours upon me and I acknowledge my sin. So forgive me. Indeed none can forgive sin except You.

[Allaahumma anta Rabbee, laa ilaaha illaa anta, khalaqtanee, wa anaa 'abduka, wa anaa 'alaa ahdika wa wa'dika mastata'tu, a'oodhu bika min sharri maa sana'tu, aboo'u laka bi ni'matika 'alayaa, wa aboo'u bi dhanbee, faghfirlee, fa innahu laa yaghfirudh-dhanooba illaa anta]

Whosoever enters upon the evening saying this, then dies that night, would enter Paradise. And whosoever enters upon the morning saying this, then dies that day, will enter Paradise."
[Related by al-Bukhaaree (11/97-98) and Ahmad (5/356), from the narration of Shaddaad ibn Aws and Buraydah ibn al-Haseeb radiallaahu 'anhumaa.]

Ibn al-Qayyim (d.751H) - rahimahullaah - said in al-Waabilus- Sayyib (pp.16-17):

"Shaykhul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah (d.728H) said: "Knowing the path to Allaah lies in recognising Allaah's favours and considering the sins and shortcomings of one's self." This is the meaning of the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam's saying - as occurs in the authentic narration from Shaddaad and Buraydah radiallaahu 'anhumaa - that he said: "The master of supplications in seeking the forgiveness of Allaah is when a savant says: O Allaah! You are my Lord... " So recognition of Allaah's favours and consideration of one's own sins and shortcomings have both been collectively mentioned in the (above) supplication, since he sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam said: "I acknowledge Your favours upon me and I acknowledge my sins."

So recognition of Allaah's Favours necessitates praising and thanking Him for His favours and bounties, which in turn necessitates love for Him. Whilst consideration of one's own sins and shortcomings necessitates humility to Allaah and a feeling of lowliness and humbleness to Him. This in turn necessitates repenting to Allaah continuously, and that one considers himself as being poor and in need of Allaah."

how I wish..

2009-07-07T00:00:00.000-07:00

Ya Allah I ask You to make me one of those who get to go to Hajj this year!!

The Hajj - The Journey

By Him whose House the loving pilgrims visit, Responding with ihram at the appointed limit, Uncovering their heads in total humilityBefore One to Whom faces bow in servility. They exclaim in the valleys, "We have responded to You -All Praise is Yours, and Kingdom too!" He invited and they answered, with love and pleasure; When they called upon Him, nearer came the Divine treasure. You see them on their mounts, hair dusty and dishevelled, Yet never more content, never happier have they felt; Leaving homelands and families due to holy yearning, Unmoved are they by temptations of returning. Through plains and valleys, from near and far, Walking and riding, in submission to Allah.

At the Ka’bah

When they see His House - that magnificent sight
For which the hearts of all creatures are set alight -
It seems they’ve never felt tired before,
For their discomfort and hardship is no more.
Now the eye of the Lover drowns in its streams,
It sees through its tears the goal of its dreams;
Now for Allah, how many tears are issued,
Each one being followed by a multitude?
When the eye perceives the House, its darkness clears,
And from the sorrowful heart, pain disappears;
Vision cannot encompass this beautiful sight:
Each glance returns with greater delight!
No wonder at this, for when the Merciful preferred
The House for Himself, it became most honoured.
He clothed it in Majesty, a magnificent garment;
Embroidered it with Beauty, a wonderful ornament!
The hearts all love the House therefore,
Awed and humbled, in respect and honour.

‘Arafat

Now to ‘Arafat, hoping for Mercy and Forgiveness
From the One overflowing with Generosity and Kindness;
Now for Allah is that Magnificent Standing
Like, though lesser than, the Day of Reckoning.
The Irresistible draws near, His Majesty manifest,
Boasting to His angels, for He is the Mightiest,
"My slaves have come to Me so lovingly,
I’ll be Generous and Merciful, willingly.
I have forgiven their sins, – to this you are witness –
Fulfilled their hopes, and showered them with goodness."
So joyous news! O people of that standing,
When sins are forgiven and Mercy is spreading;
How many slaves are set completely free?
Whilst others seek a cure, and heal will He.
Now Satan is never known to lose such face:
He’s blameworthy, rejected, in utter disgrace.
For he sees a matter that enrage him must:
He flees, slaps his face and covers it in dust!
Such Forgiveness he never did see
As granted by the Lord, and such Mercy!
He built his edifice from every temptation available
Till he thought it was complete, unassailable;
Then Allah struck his building at its very foundation,
So it fell upon him, tumbling in devastation;
What worth has his structure, this evil ploy,
That he does build, and the Lord does destroy?

Muzdalifah & Mina

Now to Muzdalifah, to spend the night
In the Sacred Area, then Prayer at first light;
Now on to the Great Pillar, which they need
To stone at the time of the Prayer of ‘Id;
Now to their tents for the sacrifice prepared,
Reviving the tradition of a Father revered.
If sacrificing themselves were Allah’s demand,
They would respond, submitting to the command;
Just as they’d expose their necks in Jihad
To Allah’s enemies, till these stream with blood;
They discipline themselves, presenting the head for a shave:
Bringing humility and happiness to the obedient slave.

The Tawaf of Ifadah/Ziyarah

So when they’ve removed those natural growths,
Completed their rites, and fulfilled their oaths,
He invites them again to visit His House:
What honour and welcome this visit allows!
By Allah, they visit it in so much splendour,
Receiving their rewards and plenty of honour;
There Allah bestows Grace, Favour and Kindness,
Showing Generosity, Mercy and Forgiveness.

Mina

Then they return to Mina, each to his tent,
Every minute wish is granted, and they are content;
They stay there a day, then another, then a third,
They’re allowed to depart early, but to stay is preferred;
They stone the pillars daily after the sun’s decline,
With a slogan of Takbir in the presence of the Divine!
If only you could see their standing there:
Palms outstretched, hoping for Mercy’s share!
"O Lord! O Lord! Knowing as You do
That we hope for no-one, only You!
Then grant our wish, O You All-Knowing,
We pray for Your Mercy overflowing."

The Farewell Tawaf

When they’ve achieved at Mina all their gains,
Once more they fill the valleys and plains:
To the Ka’bah, the Sacred House, by the end of the day,
To circle it seven times, and then to Pray.
When departure nears and they are certain
That the bond of proximity is about to loosen,
There’s only a last stand for a final farewell:
Now for Allah are the eyes that swell,
And for Allah are the heavy hearts that turn
Into cauldrons of desire where fire does burn;
And the passionate sighs whose heat so vigorous
Nearly melts the Lover, ecstatic, rapturous!
Now you see those bewildered, perplexed in the throng,
Whilst others chant their sorrowful song:
"I depart, but there remains for You my yearning,
My fire of grief is raging and burning;
I bid farewell, but longing pulls my reins -
My heart is encamped in Your eternal plains!"
No blame today for saying what you feel:
No blame for expressing what you used to conceal!

by Imam Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah Translated by Usama Hasan

Alhamdulilah..

2009-07-06T16:50:00.000-07:00

The Meaning of Al-Hamd

Abu Ja`far bin Jarir said, "The meaning of (Al-Hamdu Lillah) (all praise and thanks be to Allah) is: all thanks are due purely to Allah, alone, not any of the objects that are being worshipped instead of Him, nor any of His creation. These thanks are due to Allah's innumerable favors and bounties, that only He knows the amount of. Allah's bounties include creating the tools that help the creation worship Him, the physical bodies with which they are able to implement His commands, the sustenance that He provides them in this life, and the comfortable life He has granted them, without anything or anyone compelling Him to do so. Allah also warned His creation and alerted them about the means and methods with which they can earn eternal dwelling in the residence of everlasting happiness. All thanks and praise are due to Allah for these favors from beginning to end.''

Further, Ibn Jarir commented on the Ayah,

(Al-Hamdu Lillah), that it means, "A praise that Allah praised Himself with, indicating to His servants that they too should praise Him, as if Allah had said, `Say: All thanks and praise is due to Allah.' It was said that the statement,

(All praise and thanks be to Allah), entails praising Allah by mentioning His most beautiful Names and most honorable Attributes. When one proclaims, `All thanks are due to Allah,' he will be thanking Him for His favors and bounties.''

The Difference between Praise and Thanks

Hamd is more general, in that it is a statement of praise for one's characteristics, or for what he has done. Thanks are given for what was done, not merely for characteristics.

The Statements of the Salaf about Al-Hamd

Hafs mentioned that `Umar said to `Ali, "We know La ilaha illallah, Subhan Allah and Allahu Akbar. What about Al-Hamdu Lillah'' `Ali said,

"A statement that Allah liked for Himself, was pleased with for Himself and He likes that it be repeated.'' Also, Ibn `Abbas said, "Al-Hamdu Lillah is the statement of appreciation. When the servant says Al-Hamdu Lillah, Allah says, `My servant has praised Me.''

Ibn Abi Hatim recorded this Hadith.

The Virtues of Al-Hamd

Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal recorded that Al-Aswad bin Sari` said,

"I said, `O Messenger of Allah! Should I recite to you words of praise for My Lord, the Exalted, that I have collected' He said, (Verily, your Lord likes Al-Hamd.)''

An-Nasa'i also recorded this Hadith.

Furthermore, Abu `Isa At-Tirmidhi, An-Nasa'i and Ibn Majah recorded that Musa bin Ibrahim bin Kathir related that Talhah bin Khirash said that Jabir bin `Abdullah said that the Messenger of Allah said,

(The best Dhikr (remembering Allah) is La ilaha illallah and the best supplication is Al-Hamdu Lillah.)

At-Tirmidhi said that this Hadith is Hasan Gharib. Also, Ibn Majah recorded that Anas bin Malik said that the Messenger of Allah said,

(No servant is blessed by Allah and says,`Al-Hamdu Lillah', except that what he was given is better than that which he has himself acquired.)

Further, in his Sunan, Ibn Majah recorded that Ibn `Umar said that the Messenger of Allah said,

(A servant of Allah once said, `O Allah! Yours is the Hamd that is suitable for the grace of Your Face and the greatness of Your Supreme Authority.' The two angels were confused as to how to write these words. They ascended to Allah and said, `O our Lord! A servant has just uttered a statement and we are unsure how to record it for him.' Allah said while having more knowledge in what His servant has said, 'What did My servant say' They said, `He said, `O Allah! Yours is the Hamd that is suitable for the grace of Your Face and the greatness of Your Supreme Authority.' Allah said to them, `Write it as My servant has said it, until he meets Me and then I shall reward him for it.)

Al before Hamd encompasses all Types of Thanks and Appreciation for Allah

The letters Alif and Lam before the word Hamd serve to encompass all types of thanks and appreciation for Allah, the Exalted. A Hadith stated,

(O Allah! All of Al-Hamd is due to You, You own all the ownership, all types of good are in Your Hand and all affairs belong to You.)

Tafseer Ibn Kathir-- Surah al-Fatiha

10 ways to develop love for Allah..

2009-07-05T19:57:00.000-07:00

Ibn Al-Qayyim said: “The reasons which cause mahabbah [love] of Allah to develop, are ten:

Firstly: Reciting the Qur‘an, reflecting and understanding its meaning and its intent.

Secondly: Drawing closer to Allah - the Most High - through optional deeds, after fulfilling the obligatory duties.

Thirdly: Being continuous in the dhikr (remembrance) of Allah, with the tongue, the heart and the limbs - under all circumstances. The more constant the dhikr, the more mahabbah develops and intensifies.

Fourthly: Giving precedence to what Allah loves over personal loves, when being overcome by desires.

Fifthly: Contemplating and deliberating over the Names and Attributes of Allah.

Sixthly: Recognising and remembering the favours and bounties of Allah - both the manifest and hidden.

Seventhly: To be humble and submissive before Allah - and this is the greatest matter.

Eightly: To be in seclusion reciting the Qur‘an, during that time in which Allah descends to the lowest heaven (which is the last third of every night), finishing this recitation with seeking Allah’s forgiveness and repenting to Him.

Ninthly: To sit in the gatherings of true and sincere lovers of Allah, reaping the fruits of their speech, and not to speak except if there is benefit in it and that you know that such talk will increase you in goodness and that it will benefits others as well.

Tenthly: To stay clear of all those causes which distances the heart from Allah - the Mighty and Majestic.

So these are the ten reasons which cause the person to develop true love for Allah and to reach the rank of al-muhabbah, by which he reaches his Beloved.”
[Madarijus-Saliki n (3/17-18).]

The affair of the believer..

2009-07-05T19:34:00.000-07:00

On the authority of Suhaib (may Allaah be pleased with him) he said: The Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said:

"Amazing is the affair of the believer, verily all of his affair is good and this is not for no one except the believer. If something of good/happiness befalls him he is grateful and that is good for him. If something of harm befalls him he is patient and that is good for him" (Saheeh Muslim #2999)

From this we understand that the state of affairs for the believer changes in the life of this world. Shaykhul Islaam ibn Qayyim al-Jawzeeyah (may Allaah have mercy upon him) said regarding the state of affairs for the believer:

"One of them is the state of (receiving a) blessing. It's obligatory upon him (the believer) in this state (to display) the gratitude.

The second: is the state (of being) tested. It is obligatory upon him (the believer) in this state (to observe) the patience.

The third: is the state (of committing) a sin. It is obligatory upon him (the believer) in this state to seek the forgiveness from it (the sin).

The servant does not go outside of the fluctuation between these three states.
One of them is either a blessing or a virtue from Allaah of good health, wealth, a child to other than that.

It is obligatory upon him that he thanks Allaah for this bounty. Let the servant contemplate over the statement of Allaah:

" ٱعۡمَلُوٓاْ ءَالَ دَاوُ ۥدَ شُكۡرً۬اۚ وَقَلِيلٌ۬ مِّنۡ عِبَادِىَ ٱلشَّكُورُ "

"Work you, O family of Dâwud (David), with thanks!" But few of My slaves are grateful." (surah Sabaa: 13)

So how many of those whom Allaah has favored them:

"وَإِن تَعُدُّواْ نِعۡمَةَ ٱللَّهِ لَا تُحۡصُوهَآ‌ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَغَفُورٌ۬ رَّحِيمٌ۬"

"And if you would count the favours of Allâh, never could you be able to count them. Truly! Allâh is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." (surah an-Nahl: 18)

How many show thanks to Allaah for these favours? Less than a few!

Or there is a (state of being) tested. It is obligatory upon him in this state (to observe) the patience. Meaning that Allaah from His overwhelming wisdom He could test the believing servant from the different types of test. It's obligatory upon him to (observe) the patience because this is from the belief in the divine decree and from submitting the the decree of Allaah.

Also (the servant must know) that what has befalling him was never going to pass him by. All of that is written in the book of Allaah (al-Lawhul-Mahfooth ). Verily Allah doesn't test him (the servant) to destroy him. He only test him in order to test his patience and servitude. Verily there is for Allaah upon the servant servitude in times of hardship just as there is for Him (Allaah) upon the servant servitude in times of happiness. There also is for Him (Allaah) upon the servant servitude in that which he (the servant) dislikes just as there is for Him (Allaah) upon the servant servitude in that which he (the servant) loves. Most of the creation give the servitude in that which they love. However the matter is giving the servitude in that which there is his hardship.

The other state is (a state of) sin. It is obligatory upon him (the servant) in this state to seek the forgiveness this is clear with regards to the obligation of turning to Allaah (repentance) displaying ones need for him."

--Ibn Al-Qayyim "al-Waabil as-Sayyib"

i ♥

2009-07-02T23:33:00.000-07:00

I love Leaves.. All types of leaves.. All shapes and sizes.. All colors.. All Leaves..

Fun Random Facts!

2009-07-01T19:41:00.000-07:00

Carrots, which came from Central Asia and and Middle Eastern countries, were originally purple, white, and yellow in color!

*When buying carrots looks for smooth, firm, and well-shaped carrots with an even color. Avoid carrots that are crackled, shriveled, soft, or wilted.*

Duaa of Prophet Adam..

2009-06-25T20:59:00.000-07:00

I recently had a conversation with a nonmuslim who told me that in her religion they do not believe that Prophet Adam [May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him] is a Prophet nor was he forgiven by God. This hadith came to my mind, SubhanAllah how beautiful Islam is.

أخرج البيهقي وابن عساكر بسند لا بأس به عن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه وعن عائشة رضي الله عنها أيضاً عن النبي (ص) قال : - قال سيدنا آدم عليه السلام لرب العالمين :-" اللهم إنك تعلم سري وعلانيتي فاقبل معذرتي ,وتعلم حاجتي فاعطني سؤلي ,وتعلم ما في نفسي فاغفرلي ذنبي, اللهم إني أسألك إيماناً يباشر قلبي ,ويقيناً صادقاً حتى أعلم أنني لن يصيبني إلا ما كتبته لي , و رضني بما قسمت لي " قال الله سبحانه وتعالى : - " يا آدم إني قد غفرت لك , ولا يدعوني أحد من ذريتك بمثل ما دعوتني به إلا : - غفرت له ذنوبه , وكشفت عنه همومه وغمومه , ونزعت فقره من بين عينيه , وتاجرت له من وراء كل تاجر حتى تأتيه الدنيا وهي راغمه وإن كان لا يريدها " ---

Al Bihaki and Ibn Akakir recorded (Acceptable Sanad) narrated by Abu Hurrirah and Aisha (R) that prophet (S) said:

Prophet Adam (PBUH) said to the lord of all that exists:

“Oh Allah! You know what I declare and what I hide, so accept my repentance, and you know my needs, so give me my desire, and you know my thoughts, so forgive my sin, I ask you a faith that fill up my heart, and a true belief so that I know that what my fate is predetermined, and make me accept my fate.”

Allah (SWT) replied:

“O Adam, I forgive you, and If one of your offspring asked me the same, I will forgive his sins, relieve his grief and worries, he will never feel poverty, I will support his strive and force the worldly needs to be available to him even he does not want it."

Judgment of the Prophets...

2009-06-22T14:18:00.000-07:00

‘Ali, the Armor, and the Christian

During his Caliphate, ‘Ali b. Abi Talib – Allah be pleased with him – saw some armor of his with a Christian. He decided to take the matter up legally, so he took the dispute to Shurayh (the Judge).

‘Ali said, “This is my armor, and I have not sold it nor given it away.”

Shurayh said to the Christian, “What have you to say about what the Amir of the Believers claims?”

The Christian replied, “It is my armor, although I do not regard the Amir of the Believers to be a liar.”

Shurayh then turned to ‘Ali, “O Amir of the Believers, do you have any proof (of ownership)?”

‘Ali laughed and said, “Shurayh is correct, I have no proof.”

So Shurayh judged that the armor was the Christian’s. The Christian took it and began to walk away but then returned.

He proclaimed, “As for me, I testify that this is the judgment of the Prophets – the Amir of the Believers himself takes me to his judge and the judge rules against him! I bear witness that there is no deity deserving worship but Allah and I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. By Allah, the armor is yours o Amir of the Believers. I followed the army when you were on your way to the Battle of Siffîn and the armor came out of your equipment.”

‘Ali said, “If you have accepted Islam the armor is yours.” And then he put him on his horse.

Al-Sha’bi (the reporter of this incident) said, “I was later informed by those who saw this man that he fought the Khawarij (alongside ‘Ali) at the battle of Nahrawan.”

Ibn Kathir, Al-Bidayah wa Al-Nihayah Vol.8 p5.

Patience..

2009-06-22T13:52:00.000-07:00

Patience Preserves the Health of Hearts and Bodies

By: Ibn al-Qayyim

Ibn al-Qayyim said in The Prophetic medicine regarding patience:

Patience is half of faith; for this is a quality composed of patience and gratitude (shukr). As one of the ancestors (salaf) has said: Faith is in two halves: one half patience, one half gratitude. And the Most High said:

Indeed in that there are signs for each one who is patiently persevering and truly grateful [Surah Ibrahim: 5].

Patience in relation to faith is like the head in relation to the body. It is of three types:
patience concerning the obligations (fard) laid down by Allah, that one should not neglect them; patience in abstaining from actions forbidden by Him, that one should not commit them; patience concerning His judgments (qada') and decrees (qadar), that one should not resent them.

Whoever perfectly fulfills these three degrees has perfected patience. For the pleasure of this world and the next, their blessings, and victory and conquest can only be reached over the bridge of patience, just as no-one reaches Paradise except by crossing over the Path. 'Umar b. al-Khattab said: We attained the best of life through patience.

If you reflect on the degrees of perfection acquired in the world, you will see that they are all dependent on patience. And if you reflect on imperfection, which one is blamed for possessing, you will see it all stemming from lack of patience. Thus courage and purity, goodness and love of others, all this is the patience of an hour.

Most sicknesses of the body and heart arise simply from lack of patience. And there is naught like patience for preserving the health of hearts, bodies and spirits. For it is the great remedy, the mighty tiryaq, even if it were to contain only the company of Allah

"for Allah is with the patient" [Surah Al-Baqarah:153] ,

and His affection for them for indeed

"Allah loves those who are patient" [Surah Al-Imran:146] ,

and His giving victory to His people 'for victory comes with patience'; and that it is a good for the people of patience,

"And if you show patience, that is indeed the best course for those who are patient" [Surah An-Nahl: 126]

,and that it is the cause of prosperity,

"O you who believe! Persevere in patience, vie in perseverance, be ever vigilant, and fear Allah, that perchance you may prosper" [Surah Al-Imran:200] .

Source: Healthy Muslim

Me, Myself and I...

2009-06-17T23:16:00.000-07:00

Ibn al-Qayyim said:
‘Every Muslim should be warned of the oppression of:

‘I – My/Mine – I Possess’

Indeed these three words are what Iblees (Shaytan), Fir’awn and Qaroon were tried with.

Iblees said: ‘I am better than him’
Fir’awn said: ‘Is not mine the Kingdom of Egypt,’
Qaroon said: ‘This has been given to me only because of knowledge I possess.’

So regarding the saying of the Slave of Allaah ‘I’ – then the best that he can be described with is:

I am a slave who sins, makes mistakes, seeks forgiveness and recognizes this.

So regarding the saying of ‘My/Mine’ – and those statements similar to that is:

My sins, my crimes, my humbleness, my depravation and submissiveness.

So regarding the saying of ‘I Possess’:

Forgive me for my mistakes and what I do intentionally, in jest, or in seriousness and I possess all these shortcomings.

Shaykh ul –Islaam -Rahimullaah-
From his book ‘Za’ad al-Ma’aad’
Translated byAbbas Abu Yahya

[Taken from ‘Za’ad al-Ma’aad’ 2/475 – By Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawzeeyah]

http://followingthe sunnah.wordpress .com/2009/ 06/16/me- myself-i/

Mercy Centers!

2009-06-12T00:34:00.000-07:00

Assalamu ‘Alaykum!

Check out this blog! And find out how you can help!

Help build mercy centers! What's a mercy center?

find out here: http://islamicreliefusa.blogspot.com/

Don't procrastinate!

2009-06-05T23:44:00.000-07:00

The Hadeeth of Ka'b Ibn Maalik (rahimahullaah)

Saheeh al Bukhaaree Volume 5, Book 59, Number 702

Narrated 'Abdullah ibn Kab bin Malik:

Who, from among Kab's sons, was the guide of Kab when he became blind: I heard Kab bin Malik narrating the story of (the Ghazwa of) Tabuk in which he failed to take part.
Kab said,

"I did not remain behind Allah's Apostle in any Ghazwa that he fought except the Ghazwa of Tabuk, and I failed to take part in the Ghazwa of Badr, but Allah did not admonish anyone who had not participated in it, for in fact, Allah's Apostle had gone out in search of the caravan of Quraish till Allah made them (i.e. the Muslims) and their enemy meet without any appointment. I witnessed the night of Al-'Aqaba (pledge) with Allah's Apostle when we pledged for Islam, and I would not exchange it for the Badr battle although the Badr battle is more popular amongst the people than it (i.e. Al-'Aqaba pledge). As for my news (in this battle of Tabuk), I had never been stronger or wealthier than I was when I remained behind the Prophet in that Ghazwa. By Allah, never had I two she-camels before, but I had then at the time of this Ghazwa. Whenever Allah's Apostle wanted to make a Ghazwa, he used to hide his intention by apparently referring to different Ghazwa till it was the time of that Ghazwa (of Tabuk) which Allah's Apostle fought in severe heat, facing, a long journey, desert, and the great number of enemy. So the Prophet announced to the Muslims clearly (their destination) so that they might get prepared for their Ghazwa. So he informed them clearly of the destination he was going to. Allah's Apostle was accompanied by a large number of Muslims who could not be listed in a book namely, a register."

Ka'b added, "Any man who intended to be absent would think that the matter would remain hidden unless Allah revealed it through Divine Revelation. So Allah's Apostle fought that Ghazwa at the time when the fruits had ripened and the shade looked pleasant. Allah's Apostle and his companions prepared for the battle and I started to go out in order to get myself ready along with them, but I returned without doing anything. I would say to myself, 'I can do that.' So I kept on delaying it every now and then till the people got ready and Allah's Apostle and the Muslims along with him departed, and I had not prepared anything for my departure, and I said, I will prepare myself (for departure) one or two days after him, and then join them.' In the morning following their departure, I went out to get myself ready but returned having done nothing. Then again in the next morning, I went out to get ready but returned without doing anything.Such was the case with me till they hurried away and the battle was missed (by me). Even then I intended to depart to take them over. I wish I had done so! But it was not in my luck. So, after the departure of Allah's Apostle, whenever I went out and walked amongst the people (i.e, the remaining persons), it grieved me that I could see none around me, but one accused of hypocrisy or one of those weak men whom Allah had excused. Allah's Apostle did not remember me till he reached Tabuk. So while he was sitting amongst the people in Tabuk, he said,

'What did Ka'b do?'

A man from Banu Salama said, 'O Allah's Apostle! He has been stopped by his two Burdas (i.e. garments) and his looking at his own flanks with pride.'

Then Mu'adh bin Jabal said, 'What a bad thing you have said! By Allah! O Allahs Apostle! We know nothing about him but good.'

Allah's Apostle kept silent."

Kab bin Malik added, "When I heard that he (i.e. the Prophet ) was on his way back to Medina. I got dipped in my concern, and began to think of false excuses, saying to myself,

'How can I avoid his anger tomorrow?'

And I took the advice of wise member of my family in this matter. When it was said that Allah's Apostle, had come near all the evil false excuses abandoned from my mind and I knew well that I could never come out of this problem by forging a false statement. Then I decided firmly to speak the truth. So Allah's Apostle arrived in the morning, and whenever he returned from a journey, he used to visit the Mosque first of all and offer a two-Rak'at prayer therein and then sit for the people. So when he had done all that (this time), those who had failed to join the battle (of Tabuk) came and started offering (false) excuses and taking oaths before him. They were something over eighty men; Allah's Apostle accepted the excuses they had expressed, took their pledge of allegiance asked for Allah's Forgiveness for them, and left the secrets of their hearts for Allah to judge.Then I came to him, and when I greeted him, he smiled a smile of an angry person and then said,

'Come on.'

So I came walking till I sat before him.

He said to me, 'What stopped you from joining us. Had you not purchased an animal for carrying you?'

I answered, "Yes, O Allah's Apostle! But by Allah, if I were sitting before any person from among the people of the world other than you, I would have avoided his anger with an excuse. By Allah, I have been bestowed with the power of speaking fluently and eloquently, but by Allah, I knew well that if today I tell you a lie to seek your favour, Allah would surely make you angry with me in the near future, but if I tell you the truth, though you will get angry because of it, I hope for Allah's Forgiveness. Really, by Allah, there was no excuse for me. By Allah, I had never been stronger or wealthier than I was when I remained behind you.

'Then Allah's Apostle said, 'As regards this man, he has surely told the truth. So get up till Allah decides your case.'

I got up, and many men of Banu Salama followed me and said to me. 'By Allah, we never witnessed you doing any sin before this. Surely, you failed to offer excuse to Allah's Apostle as the others who did not join him, have offered. The prayer of Allah's Apostle to Allah to forgive you would have been sufficient for you.'

By Allah, they continued blaming me so much that I intended to return (to the Prophet) and accuse myself of having told a lie, but I said to them,

'Is there anybody else who has met the same fate as I have?'

They replied, 'Yes, there are two men who have said the same thing as you have, and to both of them was given the same order as given to you.'

I said, 'Who are they?' They replied, Murara bin Ar-Rabi Al-Amri and Hilal bin Umaiya Al-Waqifi.'

By that they mentioned to me two pious men who had attended the Ghazwa (Battle) of Badr, and in whom there was an example for me. So I did not change my mind when they mentioned them to me. Allah's Apostle forbade all the Muslims to talk to us, the three aforesaid persons out of all those who had remained behind in that Ghazwa. So we kept away from the people and they changed their attitude towards us till the very land (where I lived) appeared strange to me as if I did not know it. We remained in that condition for fifty nights.

As regards my two fellows, they remained in their houses and kept on weeping, but I was the youngest of them and the firmest of them, so I used to go out and witness the prayers along with the Muslims and roam about in the markets, but none would talk to me, and I would come to Allah's Apostle and greet him while he was sitting In his gathering after the prayer, and I would wonder whether the Prophet did move his lips in return to my greetings or not. Then I would offer my prayer near to him and look at him stealthily. When I was busy with my prayer, he would turn his face towards me, but when I turned my face to him, he would turn his face away from me. When this harsh attitude of the people lasted long, I walked till I scaled the wall of the garden of Abu Qatada who was my cousin and dearest person to me, and I offered my greetings to him. By Allah, he did not return my greetings.

I said, 'O Abu Qatada! I beseech you by Allah! Do you know that I love Allah and His Apostle?'

He kept quiet.

I asked him again, beseeching him by Allah, but he remained silent. Then I asked him again in the Name of Allah.

He said, "Allah and His Apostle know it better.'

Thereupon my eyes flowed with tears and I returned and jumped over the wall."

Ka'b added, "While I was walking in the market of Medina, suddenly I saw a Nabati (i.e. a Christian farmer) from the Nabatis of Sham who came to sell his grains in Medina, saying,

'Who will lead me to Kab bin Malik?'

The people began to point (me) out for him till he came to me and handed me a letter from the king of Ghassan in which the following was written:

"To proceed, I have been informed that your friend (i.e. the Prophet ) has treated you harshly. Anyhow, Allah does not let you live at a place where you feel inferior and your right is lost. So join us, and we will console you."

When I read it, I said to myself,

'This is also a sort of a test.'

Then I took the letter to the oven and made a fire therein by burning it.
When fourty out of the fifty nights elapsed, behold ! There came to me the messenger of Allah's Apostle and said,

'Allah's Apostle orders you to keep away from your wife,'

I said, 'Should I divorce her; or else! what should I do?'

He said, 'No, only keep aloof from her and do not cohabit her.'

The Prophet sent the same message to my two fellows. Then I said to my wife.

'Go to your parents and remain with them till Allah gives His Verdict in this matter.'

Kab added, "The wife of Hilal bin Umaiya came to Apostle and said,

'O Allah's Apostle! Hilal bin Umaiya is a helpless old man who has no servant to attend on him. Do you dislike that I should serve him? '

He said, 'No (you can serve him) but he should not come near you.'

She said, 'By Allah, he has no desire for anything. By, Allah, he has never ceased weeping till his case began till this day of his.'

On that, some of my family members said to me,

'Will you also ask Allah's Apostle to permit your wife (to serve you) as he has permitted the wife of Hilal bin Umaiya to serve him?'

I said, 'By Allah, I will not ask the permission of Allah's Apostle regarding her, for I do not know What Allah's Apostle would say if I asked him to permit her (to serve me) while I am a young man.'

Then I remained in that state for ten more nights after that till the period of fifty nights was completed starting from the time when Allah's Apostle prohibited the people from talking to us.

When I had offered the Fajr prayer on the 50th morning on the roof of one of our houses and while I was sitting in the condition which Allah described (in the Qur'an) i.e. my very soul seemed straitened to me and even the earth seemed narrow to me for all its spaciousness, there I heard the voice of one who had ascended the mountain of Sala' calling with his loudest voice,

'O Kab bin Malik! Be happy (by receiving good tidings).'

I fell down in prostration before Allah, realizing that relief has come. Allah's Apostle had announced the acceptance of our repentance by Allah when he had offered the Fajr prayer. The people then went out to congratulate us. Some bringers of good tidings went out to my two fellows, and a horseman came to me in haste, and a man of Banu Aslam came running and ascended the mountain and his voice was swifter than the horse. When he (i.e. the man) whose voice I had heard, came to me conveying the good tidings, I took off my garments and dressed him with them; and by Allah, I owned no other garments than them on that day.

Then I borrowed two garments and wore them and went to Allah's Apostle.The people started receiving me in batches, congratulating me on Allah's Acceptance of my repentance, saying,

'We congratulate you on Allah's Acceptance of your repentance."

Kab further said, "When I entered the Mosque. I saw Allah's Apostle sitting with the people around him. Talha bin Ubaidullah swiftly came to me, shook hands with me and congratulated me. By Allah, none of the Muhajirin (i.e. Emigrants) got up for me except him (i.e. Talha), and I will never forget this for Talha."

Kab added, "When I greeted Allah's Apostle he, his face being bright with joy, said

"Be happy with the best day that you have got ever since your mother delivered you."

Kab added, "I said to the Prophet 'Is this forgiveness from you or from Allah?'

He said, 'No, it is from Allah.'

Whenever Allah's Apostle became happy, his face would shine as if it were a piece of moon, and we all knew that characteristic of him. When I sat before him, I said,

'O Allah's Apostle! Because of the acceptance of my repentance I will give up all my wealth as alms for the Sake of Allah and His Apostle. Allah's Apostle said,

'Keep some of your wealth, as it will be better for you.

'I said, 'So I will keep my share from Khaibar with me,' and added, 'O Allah's Apostle! Allah has saved me for telling the truth; so it is a part of my repentance not to tell but the truth as long as I am alive. By Allah, I do not know anyone of the Muslims whom Allah has helped fortelling the truth more than me. Since I have mentioned that truth to Allah's Apostle till today, I have never intended to tell a lie. I hope that Allah will also save me (from telling lies) the rest of my life.

So Allah revealed to His Apostle the Verse:

"Verily, Allah has forgiven the Prophet, the Muhajirin (i.e. Emigrants (up to His Saying) And be with those who are true (in word and deed)." (9.117-119)

By Allah, Allah has never bestowed upon me, apart from His guiding me to Islam, a Greater blessing than the fact that I did not tell a lie to Allah's Apostle which would have caused me to perish as those who have told a lie perished, for Allah described those who told lies with the worst description He ever attributed to anybody else.

Allah said:-- "They (i.e. the hypocrites) will swear by Allah to you when you return to them (up to His Saying) Certainly Allah is not pleased with the rebellious people--" (9.95-96)

Kab added, "We, the three persons, differed altogether from those whose excuses Allah's Apostle accepted when they swore to him. He took their pledge of allegiance and asked Allah to forgive them, but Allah's Apostle left our case pending till Allah gave His Judgment about it.

As for that Allah said):-- And to the three (He did forgive also) who remained behind." (9.118)

What Allah said (in this Verse) does not indicate our failure to take part in the Ghazwa, but it refers to the deferment of making a decision by the Prophet about our case in contrast to the case of those who had taken an oath before him and he excused them by accepting their excuses.

Oh Allah! Make us of the truthful, and of those who do not procrastinate!

The past and the future..

2009-06-05T12:52:00.000-07:00

"Your life at the present moment is in between the past and the future.
So what has preceded can be rectified by tawbah (repentance) , nadam (regret) and istighfaar (seeking Allaah's forgiveness) . And this is something which will neither tire you, nor cause you to toil as you would with strenuous labour. Rather it is an action of the heart.
Then as regards the future (then it can be corrected) by withholding yourself from sins. And this abandonment is merely the leaving of something and to be at ease from it. This also is not an action of the limbs which requires you to strive and toil. Rather this is a firm resolve and intention of the heart - which will give rest to your body, heart and thoughts.
So as for what has preceded, then you rectify it with repentance. And as for the future - then you rectify it with firm resolve and intention. Neither of these involves any hardship nor exertion of the limbs.
But then your attention must be directed to your life in the present - the time between to times. If you waste it, then you have wasted the opportunity to be of the fortunate and saved ones. If you look after it, having rectified the two times - what is before it and after it, as we have said - then you will be successful and achieve rest, delight and ever-lasting bliss. However, looking after it is harder than that which comes before and after it, since guarding it involves keeping to that which is most benefiting and beneficial for your soul, and that which will bring it success and well-being."

--Ibn Al-Qayyim

Al-Fawaid (A Collection of Wise Sayings) (pp.151-152)

Hope with feathers..

2009-06-01T00:39:00.000-07:00

Hope is the thing with feathers

That perches in the soul,

And sings the tune without the words,

And never stops at all.

Emily Dickinson

when they smile..

2009-05-20T23:16:00.000-07:00

“Those who love each other for Allah’s Sake, when they smile at each other, their sins fall from each other, just as the leaves fall from a tree before the winter.”

Mujahid

between the Hands of Allah..

2009-05-19T23:14:00.000-07:00

“The slave will be brought between the Hands of Allah – the Exalted – on the Day of Resurrection, and Allah will Say to him: ‘Did you love one of my awliya’, so that I can join you with him?’"

Abu Hurayrah

those whom he loved..

2009-05-19T23:11:00.000-07:00

“If a man were to stand for seventy years worshipping Allah between the Yemeni Corner and the Maqam of Ibrahim (at the Ka’bah), he would still be resurrected on the Day of Judgement with those whom he loved.”

‘Abdullah bin Mas’ud

blessed with..

2009-05-18T23:10:00.000-07:00

“If one of you is blessed with affection from his brother, he should hold onto that as tightly as possible, as it is quite rare for one to be blessed with this.”

‘Umar bin al-Khattab

righteous friend..

2009-05-17T23:08:00.000-07:00

“Nobody is given anything besides his Islam better than a righteous friend.”

‘Umar bin al-Khattab

All humans are dead..

2009-05-15T23:47:00.000-07:00

All humans are dead except those who have knowledge; and all those who have knowledge are asleep, except those who do good deeds; and those who do good deeds are deceived, except those who are sincere; and those who are sincere are always in a state of worry.. Imam Ash Shafi'e (rahimahullaah)

Have You Ever Tasted Jannah?

2009-05-15T18:41:00.000-07:00

Have You Ever Tasted Jannah?

by Muhammad Alshareef

In Saheeh Muslim, Ibn Masood narrates from RasulAllah sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam the warming story of the last man to escape Hellfire:

His crawl away from Hellfire is filled with his face sliping into the dirt, a tremoring walk, and a fire that licks him until he finally escapes.

When he is past it, he looks back, horrified, and announces with the loudest voice, “All praise is due to Allah Who saved me from you.” Then he says, most proud, “Verily I have been rewarded with something that no one from the beginning to the end of creation has been blessed with.”

At that moment, a tree catches his eye – a tree that was commanded to be raised for him. He quickly raises his hands, “O Allah! Allow me to draw near to that tree so that I can cool off under its shade and drink from its water.”

Then Allah ta’aala calls him, “O son of Adam! I fear that if I grant you what you ask, you shall ask for more.”

“Nay, O Allah!” pleads the man and he testifies that he shall ask no more.

As the man basks in the glory of the tree, another tree is raised, one more bounteous and lush than the first. The man pleads, “O Allah! Allow me to draw near to that tree so that I can cool off under its shade and drink from its water.

Allah then says, “Did you not promise me that you would ask no more? Perhaps if I give it to you, you shall ask for yet even more.”

The man testifies that he will not, and is permitted that tree. Just then a tree is raised near the doors of Jannah, one bigger and lusher than all the rest and the man’s heart sinks. “O Allah, that tree, that tree. I’ll ask for nothing else.”

“Did you not promise you would ask for nothing more?”

“After that tree, yaa Allah, nothing more!” He is permitted to draw nearer to the tree and there, as he nears the doors of Jannah, he hears the sounds of its inhabitants and he leaps, “O Allah! Enter me into Jannah!”

“O son of Adam!” Allah announces, “What shall satisfy you and finish your pleading?” Then Allah offers, “Will it please you if I give you all the treasures and bounty of the entire world and then double it!”

The man’s smile shuts off and his eyes lock up. “My Lord, You’re the Lord of the universe…Are You mocking me?” …

Ibn Masood started laughing.

He said to his students, “Ask me why I’m laughing. I’m laughing because RasulAllah laughed when he told us this. And he also asked us, ‘Do you know what makes me laugh? I’m laughing for Allah’s laughter when the man said, ‘You are the lord of the universe…are you mocking me?’”

Allah then tells him, “I am not mocking you, rather I am capable of doing whatever I so wish.”

Allahu Akbar! Turn to almost every page of the Qur’an and you’ll find mention of Jannah. Jannah…have you ever seen it? Have you ever smelt it? Have you ever touched it? Have you ever tasted it?

RasulAllah sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam taught us that in Jannah there is that “which no eye has witnessed, no ear has heard, and that which has never been imagined by any human.”

Recite the verse if you wish: And no soul knows what has been hidden for them of comfort of the eye (satisfaction) as reward for what they used to do (As-Sajdah 32/17).

Many Muslims tasted the eman of Jannah, and Bilal radi Allahu anhu was one of them. His slave master, Umayyah, would drag Bilal out to the grilling desert at noontime – the fiercest moment of the day. Umayyah would press Bilal to the scalding ground and place a boulder on top of his chest to increase the torture. As his back would melt away Bilal would say nothing but, “Ahad! Ahad! – One! Only One.” Later in his life, when companions would see Bilal’s scarred back, tears would well in their eyes and they would ask him how he survived the punishment. Listen to his answer: “The pain of punishment mixed with the sweetness of eman. I tasted both and the sweetness of eman overcame everything until I felt no more pain.”

Today, let us sample Jannah, as offered to us in the Qur’an and Sunnah. The Gates of Jannah Imagine yourself present on the day when the gates of Jannah will be opened with all of the splendor that lies beyond it.

Allah tells us in the Qur’an about when the muttaqoon are escorted to the gates of Jannah by the most handsome of Angels: “And those who feared their Lord will be led to the Garden in crowds, until – behold – they arrive there. Its gates will be opened and its keepers will say, “Peace be upon you! You have done well, so enter (Jannah) and live in it eternally.”

RasulAllah sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam spoke to the Sahaabaa about the gates of Jannah. He mentioned the gate of prayers, the gate of jihaad, the gate of siyaam, and the gate of charity. Abu Bakr asked with the desire that took him to where he reached in eman, “Will anyone be called from all gates?”

RasulAllah sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam said, “Yes, and I hope that you will be one of them.” The Shade in Jannah Imagine yourself in Jannah’s cooling shade – water springs surrounding you, and fruits dipping in hands reach.

Allah tells us: Indeed, the muttaqoon will be amid shades and springs / And fruits from whatever they desire / Eat and drink to your hearts content for what you used to do (in the dunya) / Such we certainly reward the doers of good (Al-Mursalaat 77/41-44).

The Ambience in Jannah Imagine yourself in Jannah. Jannah doesn’t have any gossip; no,

“Did you hear about brother so and so,” or “Did see what sister so and so is wearing.”

Your face is shining with joy and you’re so glad that you woke up for Fajr all those days, glad you paid your zakah, glad you wore hijab all those summer days. This is what the atmosphere is like in Jannah: Faces that day will be joyful (radiant) / Satisfied with the effort they put (in the dunya) / In an elevated garden / Where they shall hear no unsuitable speech (Al-Ghaashiyah 88/8-11).

Jannah: The Greatest Gift In Masjid An-Nabawee I had been reciting the Qur’an to Shaykh Muhammad Ahmad Ma’bad for over a year. Finally when the time of the Khatm Al-Quran came, I brought a recorder to the halaqah and told him that I wanted to record the Khatm and the du’a for my mother who was in Canada. When he made du’a he prayed for my parents saying, “O Allah! Bless Muhammad’s parents with crowns of noor (light) on the Day of Repayment!” A month later in Canada, when I was handing out gifts, I pulled out this tape for my mother. She took it and listened to the entire thing. When my mother heard this du’a, she sat crying. She told me, “This is the greatest gift I could have gotten.”

Truly, Jannah is the greatest gift one can get. As Allah subhaanahu wa ta 'aala says: “Indeed Jannah is the greatest attainment!”

PART II

Regarding the inhabitants of Jannah: “You can tell in their faces the radiance of the blessing.” The inhabitants of Jannah shall be in: “Gardens and rivers.” The inhabitants of Jannah are: “Most pleased with what Allah gave them from His bounty.”

Dear brothers and sisters, Jannah is the fruit of a seed planted in this dunya; it is the retirement package that you save up in all your years of work.

There once lived a pious man who was enslaved to a wicked master. The righteous slave wanted to teach his master a lesson that he would not forget; a lesson that would make him change his ways. The master told him one day to plant wheat. The slave took the opportunity and went and collected seeds of barley and planted them instead. As the season drew near, the master was enraged to see that after all this work and time, the slave had planted the wrong seed. In his thrashing rage, he scolded the slave saying, “Why did you do this?” The righteous slave said, “I had hoped that the barley seeds would come out as wheat.” The master said, “How can you plant barley seeds and expect it to come out as wheat?” The slave stopped and said quietly, “How can you disobey Allah and expect for His bounteous mercy? How can you openly challenge his deen and hope for Jannah.” The master was stunned and silent. He understood. “You have taught me something today that I had never realized. You are free for the sake of Allah.”

A poet once wrote: There is no home for a man after death Except that which he used to build before he died. If he built it with bricks of good deeds, Then the architecture shall come out beautiful. And if he built it with evil, Its architect will fall into ruin. Dear brothers and sisters, do you know what the greatest blessing for the inhabitants of Jannah is? Don’t let any laziness in Salah block you from being here. Don’t let anything anything stand between you and this blessing.

RasulAllah sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam told us: “When the inhabitants of Jannah enter Jannah, Allah will ask them all,

‘Is there anything more that I can give you?’

They will say, ‘Have you not illuminated our faces? Have you not entered us into Jannah? Have you not saved us from Hellfire?’

“Then Allah will uncover the veil (and all shall see Allah). After that moment there would be nothing more beloved to them than seeing their Lord" (Bukhari and Muslim).

Let’s go home today driving towards Jannah!

belongs to Allah, is for Allah, and is with Allah..

2009-05-11T23:49:00.000-07:00

"A servant should overcome his soul and be continuous in the remembrance of his Lord. Establishing the rights of his Lord, focusing upon Him with his heart. The late of fear setting a blaze upon his heart whilst drinking from the vessel of true love, and certain realities become unveiled to him, so when he talks, it is due to Allah When he speaks, it is from Allah When he moves, it is by the command of Allah, and when he is serene, then it is from Allah He belongs to Allah, is for Allah, and is with Allah."

If you love Allah..

2009-05-10T23:45:00.000-07:00

If you love that Allah should keep you upon that which you love, then remain upon that which He loves, and the good is in the one who sees no good in himself.. Ahmad ibn Hanbal (rahimahullaah)

2009-05-10T22:37:00.000-07:00

Pakistani children walk along a path in a refugee camp..

How Strange..

2009-05-09T23:44:00.000-07:00

How strange it is that when a servant of Allah has a [worldly] problem, he seeks help of Allah, but he never asks Allah to cure his heart before it dies of ignorance, neglect, fulfilling one's desires and being involved in innovations. Indeed, when the heart dies, he will never feel the significance or impact of his sins. Ibn al Qayyim (rahimahullaah)

Perfection..

2009-05-08T23:42:00.000-07:00

The perfection of Tawheed is found when there remains nothing in the heart except Allaah, the servant is left loving those He loves and What He loves, hating those He hates and what He hates, showing allegiance to those He has allegiance to, showing enmity towards those He shows enmity towards, ordering what He orders and prohibiting what He prohibits. Ibn al-Qayyim, al-Madaarij 3/485

Nothing but Allah..

2009-05-07T23:56:00.000-07:00

A' is for Allah, nothing but Allah..

a sadness that can not be removed except..

2009-05-07T23:32:00.000-07:00

Truly in the heart there is a sadness that can not be removed except with the happiness of knowing Allah and being true to Him. And in it there is an emptiness that can not be filled except with love for Him and by turning to him and always remembering Him. And if a person were given all of the world and what is in it, it would not fill this emptiness.. Ibn al Qayyim (rahimahullaah)

Equal to Hajj?

2009-05-07T01:15:00.000-07:00

With regard to sitting after Fajr prayer until the sun rises then praying two rak’ahs, it is narrated that the

Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever prays Fajr in congregation then sits remembering Allaah until the sun rises, then prays two rak’ahs, will have a reward like that of Hajj and ‘Umrah, complete, complete, complete.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi (586).

Shaykh al-Albaani (may Allaah have mercy on him) :classed it as hasan in Saheeh Sunan al-Tirmidhi.

Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked about it and he said:
This hadeeth has some isnaads with which there is nothing wrong, thus it is regarded as hasan li ghayrihi (hasan because of corroborating evidence), and it is mustahabb to offer this prayer after the sun has risen to the height of a spear, i.e., approximately fifteen or twenty minutes after sunrise. End quote from Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn Baaz (25/171).

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked: It says in the hadeeth, “The one who sits in the place where he prayed after Fajr prayer until the sun rises, it will be like a complete, complete Hajj and ‘umrah,” or words to that effect. Does this mean that the one who does that will have the reward like that of Hajj and ‘umrah, or what does it mean?

He replied: Firstly: this hadeeth is subject to further discussion. Many scholars classed it as daeef (weak). Secondly: if we assume that it is saheeh, the reward of Allaah is not subject to analogy. A person may be rewarded greatly for a small deed, because the reward is a bounty from Allaah that He gives to whomsoever He will. End quote from al-Liqa’ al-Shahri (74/22).

More Monet..

2009-05-06T23:46:00.000-07:00

Saule pleureur: Weeping Willow

Claude Monet..

...make us among those whom You love!!

2009-04-27T00:00:00.000-07:00

The love of Allah is “the status for which the righteous compete and strive… It is the nourishment of hearts and souls… the delight of the eyes… It is the life of which one who is denied it is dead… the light which the one who loses it is in deep darkness… the healing of which the one who is denied is sick… the joy which the one who is deprived of it lives in distress and pain…

It is the spirit of faith and good deeds… by means of which one may draw closer to Allaah… which, when it is absent, one is like a body in which there is no soul.”

O Allah, make us among those whom You love.

The love of Allaah has signs and causes which are like the key to the door. These causes include the following:

1 –Following the guidance of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Allaah says in His Holy Book (interpretation of the meaning):

“Say (O Muhammad to mankind): If you (really) love Allaah, then follow me (i.e. accept Islamic Monotheism, follow the Qur’aan and the Sunnah), Allaah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allaah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful”

[Aal ‘Imraan 3:31]

2-5 – Being humble towards the believers and stern towards the kaafirs, waging jihad for the sake of Allaah, and not fearing anyone or anything but Him. Allaah has mentioned these qualities in a single verse, in which He says (interpretation of the meaning):

“O you who believe! Whoever from among you turns back from his religion (Islam), Allaah will bring a people whom He will love and they will love Him; humble towards the believers, stern towards the disbelievers, fighting in the way of Allaah, and never fear of the blame of the blamers”

[al-Maa'idah 5:54]

In this verse Allah describes the attributes of those whom He loves, the first of which is: humility and not being arrogant towards the Muslims, and being stern towards the kaafirs, and not humbling or humiliating oneself before them. They (the ones whom Allaah loves) strive for the sake of Allaah, against the Shaytaan, the kuffaar, the hypocrites and the evildoers, and they strive against their own selves (jihad al-nafs). They do not fear the blame of any blamer, because so long as they are following the commands of their religion, he will not care about anyone who mocks him or blames him.

6 – Doing naafil (supererogatory) acts of worship. Allaah says – according to a hadeeth qudsi – “My slave keeps drawing near to me by means of supererogatory acts of worship until I love Him.” Supererogatory acts of worship include naafil prayers, charity, ‘Umrah, Hajj and fasting.

8-12 – Loving, visiting one another, helping one another (financially) and offering sincere advice to one another for the sake of Allaah.

These attributes were mentioned in a single hadeeth in which the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) narrated that his Lord said: “My love is guaranteed for two who love one another for My sake; My love is guaranteed for two who visit one another for My sake; My love is guaranteed for two who help one another (financially) for My sake; My love is guaranteed to two who uphold ties with one another for My sake.”
Narrated by Ahmad, 4/236 and 5/236; al-Tanaasuh by Ibn Hibbaan, 3/338; the two ahaadeeth were classed as saheeh by Shaykh al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Targheeb wa’l-Tarheeb, 3019, 3020, 3021.

What is meant by “two who visit one another for My sake” is that they only visit one another for the sake of Allaah, seeking thereby His pleasure for their loving one another for His sake or cooperating in worshipping Him.

From al-Muntaqa Sharh al-Muwatta’, hadeeth 1779.

13 – Being tested. Calamities and disasters are a test for a person, and this is a sign that Allaah loves him, because this is like medicine: even though it is bitter, but still you offer the medicine, despite its bitterness, to the one whom you love; and Allaah’s is the highest description. According to a saheeh hadeeth: “The greatest reward comes from the greatest trial. When Allaah loves people, He tests them, and whoever accepts it gains the pleasure of Allaah and whoever complains earns His wrath."
Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2396; Ibn Maajah, 4031; classed as saheeh by Shaykh al-Albaani.

For calamities to befall the believer is better than punishments being stored up for him in the Hereafter. How can it be otherwise when he is raised in status and his bad deeds are erased thereby? The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “When Allaah wills good for His slave, He hastens his punishment in this world, and when He wills bad for His slave, He withholds his sins until he comes with them on the Day of Resurrection.”

Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2396; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani.

The scholars have explained that the one from whom calamities and trials are withheld is the hypocrite, for Allaah withholds [his punishment] in this world, so as to bring him with all his sins on the Day of Resurrection.

O Allah, make us among those whom You love.

If Allah loves you, do not ask about the good that you will attain and the virtue that you will acquire… it is sufficient for you to know that you are beloved of Allaah. The great fruits of the love of Allah for His slave are as follows:

1 – People will love him and he will be accepted on earth, as it says in the hadeeth narrated by al-Bukhaari (3209): “When Allah loves a slave, He says to Jibreel, 'I love so-and-so, so love him,' so Jibreel loves him and then calls out to the people of heaven, 'Allaah loves so-and-so, so love him,' and the people of heaven love him, and then acceptance is placed in the Earth for him."

2 – What Allah has mentioned in the hadeeth qudsi of the great virtues of those whom He loves. It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whosoever shows enmity to someone devoted to Me, I shall be at war with him. My servant draws not near to Me with anything more loved by Me than the religious duties I have enjoined upon him, and My servant continues to draw near to Me with supererogatory works so that I shall love him. When I love him I am his hearing with which he hears, his seeing with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes and his foot with which he walks. Were he to ask [something] of Me, I would surely give it to him, and were he to ask Me for refuge, I would surely grant him it. I do not hesitate about anything as much as I hesitate about [seizing] the soul of My faithful servant: he hates death and I hate hurting him.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6502.

This hadeeth qudsi includes a number of benefits of Allah’s love for His slave:

(i) “I am his hearing with which he hears” i.e., he does not listen to anything but that which Allaah loves."

(ii) “his seeing with which he sees” i.e., he does not see anything but that which Allaah loves."

(iii) “his hand with which he strikes” i.e., he does not do anything with his hand but that which Allaah loves."

(iv) “and his foot with which he walks” i.e., he does not go towards anything but that which Allaah loves."

(v) “Were he to ask [something] of Me, I would surely give it to him” i.e., his du’aa’s are heard and his requests are granted."

(vi) “and were he to ask Me for refuge, I would surely grant him it” i.e., he is protected by Allah from all things…"

Oh Allah! Make us amoung those whom You love!

2009-04-26T00:32:00.000-07:00

Whoever helps a believer with a hardship from the hardships of this life, Allah will help him with a hardship from the hardships of the Day of Resurrection. Whoever shows leniency towards someone in difficultly, Allah will show him leniency in this life and the hereafter. Whoever conceals (the faults of) a Muslim, Allah will conceal him in this life and the hereafter. And Allah will continue to aid the servant as long as the servant aids his brother.

Obtaining Success and Prosperity

2009-04-26T00:06:00.000-07:00

Praise be to Allaah.

Peace of mind, contentment, happiness and freedom from worries and anxiety… these are what everyone wants, and these are the ways in which people can have a good life and find complete happiness and joy. There are religious means of achieving that, and natural and practical means, but no one can combine all of them except the believers; although other people may achieve some of them, they will miss out on others.

There follows a summary of the means of achieving this aim for which everyone is striving. In some cases, those who achieve many of them will live a joyful life and a good life; in other cases, those who fail to achieve all of them will live a life of misery and hardship. And there are others which are in between, according to what the means he is able to attain. These means include the following:

1 – Faith and righteous deeds:

This is the greatest and most fundamental of means. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Whoever works righteousness — whether male or female — while he (or she) is a true believer (of Islamic Monotheism) verily, to him We will give a good life (in this world with respect, contentment and lawful provision), and We shall pay them certainly a reward in proportion to the best of what they used to do (i.e. Paradise in the Hereafter)”

[al-Nahl 16:97]

Allaah tells us and promises us that whoever combines faith with righteous deeds will have a good life and a good reward in this world and in the Hereafter.

The reason for that is clear: those who believe in Allaah – with sincere faith that motivates them to do righteous deeds that change hearts and attitudes and guides them to the straight path in this world and the Hereafter – follow principles and guidelines by means of which they deal with everything that happens to them, be it the causes of happiness and excitement or the causes of anxiety, worry and grief.

They deal with the things that they like by accepting them and giving thanks for them, and using them in good ways. When they deal with them in this manner, that creates in them a sense of excitement and the hope that it will continue and that they will be rewarded for their gratitude, which is more important than the good things that happen to them. And they deal with bad things, worries and distress by resisting those that they can resist, alleviating those that they can alleviate, and bearing with goodly patience those that they cannot avoid. Thus as a result of the bad things they gain a lot of benefits, experience, strength, patience and hope of reward, which are more important and which diminish the hardships they have undergone and replace them with happiness and hope for the bounty and reward of Allaah. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) expressed this in a saheeh hadeeth in which he said: “How wonderful is the situation of the believer, for all his affairs are good. If something good happens to him, he gives thanks for it and that is good for him; if something bad happens to him, he bears it with patience, and that is good for him. This does not apply to anyone but the believer.” (Narrated by Muslim, no. 2999).

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told us that the believer is always gaining and the reward for his deeds is always multiplying, no matter what happens to him, good or bad.

2 – Being kind to people in word and deed, and all kinds of doing good. This is one of the means of removing worry, distress and anxiety. By this means Allaah wards off worries and distress from righteous and immoral like, but the believer has the greater share of that, and is distinguished by the fact that his kindness to others stems from sincerity and the hope of reward, so Allaah makes it easy for him to be kind to others because of the hope that this will bring good things and ward off bad things, by means of his sincerity and hope of reward. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“There is no good in most of their secret talks save (in) him who orders Sadaqah (charity in Allaah’s Cause), or Ma‘roof (Islamic Monotheism and all the good and righteous deeds which Allaah has ordained), or conciliation between mankind; and he who does this, seeking the good Pleasure of Allaah, We shall give him a great reward”

[al-Nisa’ 4:114]

Part of that great reward is relief from worry, distress, troubles, etc.

3 – Another of the means of warding off anxiety that stems from nervous tension and being preoccupied with disturbing thoughts is to occupy oneself with good deeds or seeking beneficial knowledge, for that will distract one from dwelling on the matters that are causing anxiety. In this way a person may forget about the things that are making him worried and distressed, and he may become happy and more energetic. This is another means that believers and others have in common, but the believer is distinguished by his faith, sincerity and hope of reward when he occupies himself with that knowledge which he is learning or teaching, or with the good deeds that he is doing.

The work with which he occupies himself should be something that he likes and enjoys, for that is more likely to produce the desired results. And Allaah knows best.

4 – Another thing that may ward off worry and anxiety is focusing all one’s thoughts of the present day, and not worrying about the future or grieving about the past. Hence the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) sought refuge with Allaah from worry and regret, from regret for things in the past which one cannot put right or change, and worry which may come because of fear for the future. So one should focus only on the present day, and focus one's efforts on getting things right today. For if a person is focused on that, this means that he will do things properly and forget about worry and regret. When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said a du’aa’ or taught a du’aa’ to his ummah, as well as urging them to seek the help of Allaah and hope for His bounty, he was also urging them to strive to attain the thing they were praying for through their own efforts and to forget about the thing which they were praying would be warded off from them. Because du’aa’ (supplication) must be accompanied by action. So a person must strive to attain that which will benefit him in worldly and spiritual terms, and ask his Lord to make his efforts successful, and he should seek His help in that, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Strive for that which will benefit you and seek the help of Allaah, and do not be helpless. If anything (bad) happens to you, do not say, ‘If only I had done such-and-such, then such-and-such would have happened.’ Rather you should say, ‘Qaddara Allaah wa ma sha’a fa’ala (Allaah decrees, and what He wills He does),’ for (the words) ‘If only’ open the door to the Shaytaan.” (Narrated by Muslim). The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) connected the matter of striving to achieve good things with the matter of seeking the help of Allaah and not giving in to feelings of helplessness which are a harmful kind of laziness, and with the matter of accepting things in the past which are over and done with, and acknowledging that the will and decree of Allaah will inevitably come to pass. He described matters as being of two types:

1 – Matters which a person may strive to achieve or to achieve whatever he can of them, or to ward them off or alleviate them. In such cases a person must strive and make the effort, and also seek the help of Allaah.

2 – Matters where such is not possible, so he must have peace of mind, accept them and submit to Allaah’s will.

Undoubtedly paying attention to this principle will bring happiness and relieve worry and distress.

5 – One of the greatest means of feeling content and relaxed and of acquiring peace of mind is to remember Allaah a great deal (dhikr). That has a great effect in bringing contentment and peace of mind, and relieving worry and distress. Allaah says:

“verily, in the remembrance of Allaah do hearts find rest”

[al-Ra’d 13:28]

Remembering Allaah (dhikr) has a great effect in achieving this aim because it has a special influence and because of the hope that it brings of reward.

6 – Another of the means of bringing happiness and relieving worry and distress is striving to eliminate the things that cause worry and to achieve the things that bring happiness. That may be done by forgetting about bad things in the past which cannot be changed, and realizing that dwelling on them is a waste of time. So a person must strive to stop himself from thinking of that, and also strive to stop himself from feeling anxious about the future and the things that he may imagine of poverty, fear and other bad things that he thinks may happen to him in the future. He should realize that the future is something unknown, he cannot know what good or bad things are going to happen to him. That is in the hand of the Almighty, the Most Wise, and all that His slaves can do is to strive to attain the good things and to ward off the bad things. A person should realize that if he diverts his thoughts from worrying about his future and puts his trust in his Lord to take care of his situation, and puts his mind at rest concerning that, if he does that, then his heart will be at peace and his situation will improve and he will be relieved of worry and anxiety.

One of the most effective ways of dealing with worries about the future is to recite this du’aa’ which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to recite:

“Allaahumma aslih li deeni alladhi huwa ‘ismatu amri, wa aslih li dunyaaya allati fiha ma’aashi, wa aslih li aakhirati allati ilayha ma’aadi, waj’al al-hayaata ziyaadatan li fi kulli khayr, wa’l-mawta raahatan li min kulli sharr (O Allaah, correct my religious commitment which is the foundation of my life, and correct my worldly affairs in which is my livelihood, and grant me good in the Hereafter to which is my return. Make my life a means of accumulating good, and make death a respite for me from all evil).” (Narrated by Muslim, 2720).

And he said, “Allaahumma rahmataka arju fa la takilni ila nafsi tarfata ‘aynin wa aslih li sha’ni kullahu, laa ilaaha illa anta (O Allaah, for Your mercy I hope, so do not abandon me to myself even for a moment. And correct all my affairs. There is no god but You).” (Narrated by Abu Dawood with a saheeh isnaad, no. 5090; classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Kalim al-Tayyib, p. 49).

If a person utters these du’aa’s, which ask that his spiritual and worldly affairs may be set right or corrected, with proper presence of mind and sincerity of intention, whilst striving to achieve that, Allaah will grant him what he has prayed for, hoped for and striven for, and He will turn his worry into joy and happiness.

7 – If a person experiences anxiety and distress because of a disaster, then one of the most effective means of relieving himself of that is to think of the worst scenario to which that may lead, and try to accept that. When he has done that, then he should try to alleviate it as much as possible. By means of this acceptance and these efforts, he will relieve himself of his worries and distress, and instead of worrying he will strive to bring about good things and to deal with whatever he can of the bad things. If he is faced with things that cause fear or the possibility of sickness or poverty, then he should deal with that by striving to make himself accept that, or something even worse, with contentment, because by making himself accept the worst-case scenario, he lessens the impact of the thing and makes it seem less terrible, especially if he occupies himself with efforts to ward it off as much as he can. Thus as well as striving to achieve something good which will distract him from his worries about calamity, he will also renew his strength to resist bad things, and put his trust and reliance in Allaah. Undoubtedly these matters are of great benefit in attaining happiness and peace of mind, as well as bringing the hope of reward in this world and in the Hereafter. This is something which is well known from the experience of many who have tried it.

8 – Steadfastness of heart and not being disturbed about the imaginary things that bad thoughts may bring to mind. For when a person gives in to his imagination and lets his mind be disturbed by these thoughts, such as fear of disease and the like, or anger and confusion stirred up by some grievous matter, or the expectation of bad things and the loss of good things, that will fill him with worries, distress, mental and physical illness and nervous breakdowns, which will have a bad effect on him and which causes a great deal of harm, as many people have seen. But when a person depends on Allaah and puts his trust in Him, and does not give in to his imagination or let bad thoughts overwhelm him, and he relies on Allaah and has hope of His bounty, that wards off his worries and distress, and relieves him of a great deal of mental and physical sickness. It gives indescribable strength, comfort and happiness to the heart. How many hospitals are filled with the mentally sick victims of illusions and harmful imagination; how often have these things had an effect upon the hearts of many strong people, let alone the weak ones; how often have they led to foolishness and insanity.

It should be noted that your life will follow your train of thought. If your thoughts are of things that will bring you benefit in your spiritual or worldly affairs, then your life will be good and happy. Otherwise it will be the opposite.

The person who is safe from all of that is the one who is protected by Allaah and helped by Him to strive to achieve that which will benefit and strengthen the heart and ward off anxiety. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And whosoever puts his trust in Allaah, then He will suffice him”

[al-Talaaq 65:3]

i.e., He will be sufficient for all that is worrying him in his spiritual and worldly affairs. The one who puts his trust in Allaah will have strength in his heart and will not be affected by anything he imagines or be disturbed by events, because he knows that these are the result of vulnerable human nature and of weakness and fear that have no basis. He also knows that Allaah has guaranteed complete sufficiency to those who put their trust in Him. So he trusts in Allaah and finds peace of mind in His promise, and thus his worry and anxiety are dispelled; hardship is turned to ease, sadness is turned to joy, fear is turned to peace. We ask Allaah to keep us safe and sound, and to bless us with strength and steadfastness of heart, and complete trust, for Allaah has guaranteed all good things to those who put their trust in Him, and has guaranteed to ward off all bad and harmful things from them.

If bad things happen or there is the fear of such, then you should count the many blessings that you are still enjoying, both spiritual and worldly, and compare them with the bad things that have happened, for when you compare them you will see the many blessings that you are enjoying, and this will make the bad things appear less serious.

See al-Wasaa’il al-Mufeedah li’l-Hayaat al-Sa’eedah by Shatkh ‘Abd al-Rahmaan ibn Sa’di

Ibn al-Qayyim summed fifteen ways through which Allaah may dispel worries and regret. These are as follows:

1- Tawheed al-Ruboobiyyah (belief in the Oneness of Divine Lordship)

2- Tawheed al-Uloohiyyah (belief in the Oneness of the Divine nature)

3- Tawheed of knowledge and belief (i.e., Tawheed al-Asma’ wa’l_Sifaat, belief in the Oneness of the Divine names and attributes)

4- Thinking of Allaah as being above doing any injustice to His slaves, and above punishing anyone for no cause on the part of the slave that would require such punishment.

5- The person’s acknowledging that he is the one who has done wrong.

6- Beseeching Allaah by means of the things that are most beloved to Him, which are His names and attributes. Two of His names that encompass the meanings of all other names and attributes are al-Hayy (the Ever-Living) and al-Qayyoom (the Eternal).

7- Seeking the help of Allaah Alone.

8- Affirming one's hope in Him.

9- Truly putting one’s trust in Him and leaving matters to Him, acknowledging that one's forelock is in His hand and that He does as He wills, that His will is forever executed and that He is just in all that He decrees.

10-Letting one's heart wander in the garden of the Qur’aan, seeking consolation in it from every calamity, seeking healing in it from all diseases of the heart, so that it will bring comfort to his grief and healing for his worries and distress.

11-Seeking forgiveness.

12-Repentance.

13-Jihad.

14-Salaah (prayer).

15-Declaring that he has no power and no strength, and leaving matters to the One in Whose hand they are.

We ask Allaah to keep us safe and sound from worries and to relieve us of distress and anxiety, for He is the All-Hearing, Ever-Responsive, and He is the Ever-Living, Eternal.

Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid

Pursue the dunyâ...

2009-04-11T00:07:00.000-07:00

It is reported that Al-Hasan Al-Basrî often used to say,

“O youth! Seek the hereafter, for we often see people pursuing the hereafter and finding it as well as the dunyâ (worldly wellbeing), but we have never seen anyone pursue the dunyâ and gain the hereafter as well as the dunyâ.”

Al-Bayhaqî, Al-Zuhd Al-Kabîr, article 12.

Sin that will lead to Jannah..

2009-04-10T13:19:00.000-07:00

Ibn al-Qayyim (rahimahullah) said:

"Sin may be more beneficial for a person, if it leads him to repent, than doing a lot of acts of worship. This is what is meant by the words of one of the salaf:

'A person may commit a sin and enter Paradise because of it, or he may do an act of worship and enter Hell because of it.'

They said: 'How is that?'

He said: 'He may commit a sin and continues to think about it, and when he stands or sits or walks he remembers his sin, so he feels ashamed and repents and seeks forgiveness and regrets it, so that will be the means of his salvation.
And he may do a good deed and continue to think about it, and when he stands or sits or walks he remembers it and it fills him with self-admiration and pride, so it is the cause of his doom.

So the sin may be the factor that leads him to do acts of worship and good deeds and to change his attitude so that he fears Allah and feels shy before Him and feels humiliated before Him, hanging his head in shame and weeping with regret, seeking he forgiveness of his Lord. Each of these effects is better for a person than an act of worship that makes him feel proud and show off and look down on people. Undoubtedly this sin is better before Allah and is more likely to bring salvation than one who admires himself and looks down on others, and who thinks that he is doing Allah a favour. Even if he says words that indicate something other than that, Allah is the Witness over what is in his heart. Such a person may feel hatred towards people if they do not hold him in high esteem and humiliate themselves before him. If he were to examine himself honestly, he would see that clearly."

-Madarij as-Salikeen, 1/299

I see you full up with food, yet starved...

2009-04-10T00:00:00.000-07:00

It is reported that Abû Al-Dardâ` - Allâh be pleased with him – used to say,

“Learn knowledge before it is taken way, and it is taken away by its people (scholars) being taken away. The scholar and the student are partners in good and there is no good in any other people. The richest of men is the knowledgeable man whose knowledge is needed: he benefits those who need him and if done without, he benefits himself with the knowledge Allâh ‘azza wa jalla has placed with him. So how is it I see your scholars dying yet the ignorant amongst you not learning? I fear that the predecessor will depart and the successor will not learn. If the scholar studies, he only increases in knowledge, and he does not take anything away from knowledge. And if the ignorant studies, he will find knowledge firm and established. So how is it that I see you full up with food, yet starved of knowledge?”

Ibn ‘Abd Al-Barr, Jâmi’ Bayân Al-‘Ilm wa Fadlihi Vol. 2 p233.

2009-03-17T13:42:00.000-07:00

The first of people..

2009-03-16T15:36:00.000-07:00

SubhanAllah reading this Hadith always puts me in check and reminds me to check my intentions before every single thing that I do.

The first of people against whom judgment will be pronounced on the Day of Resurrection will be a man who died a martyr.

He will be brought and Allah will make known to him His favours and he will recognize them. [ The Almighty] will say: And what did you do about them? He will say: I fought for you until I died a martyr.

He will say: You have lied - you did but fight that it might be said [of you]: He is courageous. And so it was said. Then he will be ordered to be dragged along on his face until he is cast into Hell-fire.

[Another] will be a man who has studied [religious] knowledge and has taught it and who used to recite the Quran. He will be brought and Allah will make known to his His favours and he will recognize them.

[The Almighty] will say: And what did you do about them?

He will say: I studied [religious] knowledge and I taught it and I recited the Quran for Your sake.

He will say: You have lied - you did but study [religious] knowledge that it might be said [of you]: He is learned. And you recited the Quran that it might be said [of you]: He is a reciter. And so it was said. Then he will be ordered to be dragged along on his face until he is cast into Hell-fire.

[Another] will be a man whom Allah had made rich and to whom He had given all kinds of wealth. He will be brought and Allah will make known to his His favours and he will recognize them.

[The Almighty] will say: And what did you do about them?

He will say: I left no path [untrodden] in which You like money to be spent without spending in it for Your sake.

He will say: You have lied - you did but do so that it might be said [of you]: He is open-handed. And so it was said. Then he will be ordered to be dragged along on his face until he is cast into Hell-fire.

2009-03-09T17:30:00.000-07:00

إِنَّ لِلۡمُتَّقِينَ مَفَازًا

How can one actualize one's love..

2009-03-09T17:11:00.000-07:00

Question: How can one actualize (their) love for the Messenger (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam)?

Response: Love of the Messenger (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam) and love of Allaah (Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala) is actualised by following the Messenger (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam), and everyone who follows the Messenger (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam) is more eligible for the love of Allaah and the love of His Messenger. Allaah (Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala) says:

{Say: "If you (really) love Allaah then follow me (Muhammad), Allaah will love you}, [Soorah Aal-'Imraan, Aayah 31].

And the sign of the love of the Messenger (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam) is that a person inquires about his sunnah and then follows it and does not add nor take anything away from that. Based upon this, then those who innovate in anything related to the Prophet (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam) and state that this is from their love and honouring of him (the Prophet) then in reality they do not love him and nor honour him. And that is because true love and honouring of him is to follow his sayings and not to add to his Sharee'ah and nor to take away from it.

And indeed whoever desires to innovate in the Sharee'ah of Allaah that which is not from it, then his love of Allaah and His Messenger is limited without doubt, because completeness of manners and honouring is not to extend oneself before Allaah and His Messenger. Allaah (Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala) said:

{O you who believe! Do not put (yourselves) forward before Allaah and His Messenger, and fear Allaah. Verily! Allaah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing. O you who believe! Raise not your voices above the voice of the Prophet, nor speak aloud to him in talk as you speak aloud to one another, lest your deeds may be rendered fruitless while you perceive not}, [Soorah al-Hujuraat, Aayahs 1 and 2].

Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen

Fataawa Noorun 'alad-Darb - Volume 2, Page 522, Question 414

Published: 4 June 2000

Dhikr for the day of Jumuah

2009-03-06T13:16:00.000-08:00

Question:

Regarding the night and day of Jumu'ah - are there any adkhaar (words of remembrance) and eebaadaat (acts of worship) prescribed to be done a specific number of times and in a particular sequence?

Answer:

Yes, there is a special dhikr. The Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم said: Do as much as you can do of sending blessings and peace upon me.[1] So this is the dhikr that is special for the day of Jumu'ah and the night before Jumu'ah which is the night that falls on Jumu'ah.

Other than that the Ulamaa say that recitation of Suratul Kahf on the day of Jumu'ah is something recommended.

As well as that, there is a time which is not a particular hour, but a time during the day of Jumu'ah , from after the Khutbah of Jumu'ah until sunset “ there is a time for supplication. So if one spends this time after Jumu'ah and before sunset, mostly sending salaat upon the Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم and supplication, this would be a special thing on that day, wallahu aalam.

Answered by: Shaik Muhammad al-Maalikee

[1] With the following wording Shaykh al-Albaanee رحمه اللهsays Hasan in Saheeh al-Jaamiae as Sagheer (#1209) and as-Saheehah (#1407)

A Mother’s Advice To Her Daughter For Marriage

2009-03-03T22:40:00.000-08:00

‘Abd al-Malik (RA) said: “When ‘Awf ibn Muhallim al-Shaybani, one of the most highly respected leaders of the Arab nobility during the jahiliyyah, married his daughter Umm Iyas to al-Harith ibn ‘Amr al-Kindi, she was made ready to be taken to the groom, then her mother, Umamah came into her, to advise her and said:

‘O my daughter, if it were deemed unnecessary to give you this advice because of good manners and noble descent, then it would have been unnecessary for you, because you posses these qualities, but it will serve as a reminder to those who are forgetful, and will help those who are wise.

‘O my daughter, if a woman were able to do without a husband by virtue of her father’s wealth and her need for her father, then you of all people would be most able to do without a husband, but women were created for men just as men were created for them.

‘O my daughter, you are about to leave the home in which you grew up, where you first learned to walk, to go to a place you do not know, to a companion to whom you are unfamiliar. By marrying you, he has become a master over you, so be like a servant to him, and he will become like a servant to you.

‘Take from me ten qualities, which will be a provision and a reminder for you.

‘The first and second of them are: be content in his company, and listen to and obey him, for contentment brings peace of mind, and listening to and obeying one’s husband pleases Allah.

‘The third and fourth of them are: make sure that you smell good and look good; he should not see anything ugly in you, and he should not smell anything but a pleasant smell from you. Kohl is the best kind of beautification to be found, and water is better than the rarest perfume.

‘The fifth and sixth of them are: prepare his food on time, and keep quiet when he is asleep, for raging hunger is like a burning flame, and disturbing his sleep will make him angry.

‘The seventh and eighth of them are: take care of his servants (or employees) and children, and take care of his wealth, for taking care of his wealth shows that you appreciate him, and taking care of his children and servants shows good management.

‘The ninth and tenth of them are: never disclose any of his secrets, and never disobey any of his orders, for if you disclose any of his secrets you will never feel safe from his possible betrayal, and if you disobey him, his heart will be filled with hatred towards you.

‘Be careful, O my daughter, of showing joy in front of him when he is upset, and do not show sorrow in front of him when he is happy, because the former shows a lack of judgment whilst the latter will make him unhappy.

‘Show him as much honor and respect as you can, and agree with him as much as you can, so that he will enjoy your companionship and conversation.

‘Know, O my daughter, that you will not achieve what you would like to until you put his pleasure before your own, and his wishes before yours, in whatever you like and dislike. And may Allah choose what is best for you and protect you.”

Jamharah Khutah al-‘Arab, 1/145

Taken from: http://theclearsunn ah.wordpress. com/2008/ 03/25/a-mothers- advice-to- her-daughter- for-marriage/

When is the “hour of response” on Friday?

2009-03-03T22:38:00.000-08:00

Shaykh Ibn Baaz, Majallat al-Buhooth, issue no. 34, p. 142

There are two opinions concerning the hour of response on Friday which are likely to be correct:

The first is that it lasts from after ‘Asr until the sun sets, for those who sit and wait for Maghrib, whether that is in the mosque or at home, making du’aa’ to their Lord, whether they are men or women; whoever does that is more deserving of seeing a response to his or her du’aa’. But men should not pray Maghrib or any other prayer at home unless they have a legitimate shar’i excuse, as is well known from the evidence of sharee’ah.

The second is that it lasts from the time when the imaam sits on the minbar to deliver the khutbah on Friday until he finishes the prayer.

Du’aa’ at either of these times is deserving of being answered.

These two times are more likely to be the times of response on Friday, because of the saheeh ahaadeeth which indicate that. The hour of response may also be sought at other times of the day. And the bounty of Allaah is great.

Among the moments when response may come to a du’aa’ in all prayers, obligatory and naafil alike, is the moment of sujood (prostration) , because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The closest that a person may be to his Lord is when he is prostrating, so say a great deal of du’aa’ in sujood.” (Narrated by Muslim in his Saheeh from the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him), in al-Salaah, 482).

And Muslim (may Allaah have mercy on him) narrated in his Saheeh from Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with them both) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “As for rukoo’ (bowing), proclaim the greatness of your Lord in rukoo’ and strive in du’aa’, for you will be more deserving of being responded to.” (Muslim, al-Salaah, 479).

Shaykh Ibn Baaz, Majallat al-Buhooth, issue no. 34, p. 142

Light on the Tongue But Heavy on the Scales

2009-02-28T23:20:00.000-08:00

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "There are two statements that are light for the tongue to remember, heavy in the Scales and are dear to the Merciful: `Subhan-Allahi wa bihamdihi, Subhan-Allahil- Azim [Glory be to Allah and His is the praise, (and) Allah, the Greatest is free from imperfection)'.'' [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Riyad-ul-Saliheen Commentary:

This Hadith affirms that man's actions carry weight. On the Day of Judgement, his actions will be cast into the Balance. At that time Allah will endow these actions with weight, or according to some scholars, those records which register man's actions will be weighed. This is quite possible for the reason that Almighty Allah is Capable of weighing things without even their physical form. This discussion apart, when actions will be cast into the Balance, the formula mentioned in the Hadith, the utterance of which is very easy, will prove weighty. Every Muslim should make it a practice to repeat them frequently.

Juwairiyah bint Al-Harith (May Allah be pleased with her) reported, the Mother of the Believers: The Prophet (PBUH) came out from my apartment in the morning as I was busy in performing the dawn prayer. He came back in the forenoon and found me sitting there. The Prophet (PBUH) said, "Are you still in the same position as I left you.'' I replied in the affirmative. Thereupon the Prophet said, "I recited four words three times after I had left you. If these are to be weighed against all you have recited since morning, these will be heavier. These are: Subhan-Allahi wa bihamdihi, `adada khalqihi, wa rida nafsihi, wa zinatah `arshihi, wa midada kalimatihi [Allah is free from imperfection and I begin with His praise, as many times as the number of His creatures, in accordance with His Good Pleasure, equal to the weight of His Throne and equal to the ink that may be used in recording the words (for His Praise)].''[Sahih Muslim]. Commentary: The recitation of the words quoted in this Hadith is highly meritorious and rewarding because they are full of Praise and Glorification of Allah.

Expression that is most loved by Allah

Abu Dharr (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said to me, "Shall I tell you the expression that is most loved by Allah?'' It is `Subhan-Allahi wa bihamdihi' (Allah is free from imperfection and His is the praise)'.''[Sahih Muslim].

Obliterating Sins of the extent of the foam of the ocean

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "And he who utters: `Subhan-Allahi wa bihamdihi (Allah is free from imperfection and His is the praise)' one hundred times a day, his sins will be obliterated even if they are equal to the extent of the foam of the ocean.''[Al-Bukhari and Muslim]. Commentary: Here sins mean minor sins and those which do not relate to the rights of people.

A Palm-tree will be planted in Jannah

Jabir (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (PBUH) said, "For him who says: `Subhan-Allahi wa bi hamdihi (Allah is free from imperfection, and I begin with praising Him, and to Him),' a palm-tree will be planted in Jannah.''[At-Tirmidhi] .

Commentary: Jannah is so vast that we cannot even imagine its vastness. The planting of trees in return for the Praise and Glorification of Allah is, therefore, neither something difficult nor surprising. So, there should not be any hesitation in accepting it as a fact. Some people take it is as a metaphor for a plentiful reward.

2009-02-16T17:01:00.000-08:00

Sometimes its better not to say anything at all..

Valentine's Day

2009-02-13T00:00:00.000-08:00

Sheikh Muhammed Saalih Ibn al-Uthaimeen

Question:

In the recent times there has spread the celebrating of `Eid ul-Hubb (Valentine's Day) – particularly among the female students. And it is a holiday from the holidays of the Christians, and the clothing will be completely in red garments and shoes, and they exchange red flowers with each other. We hope from your eminence an explanation of the ruling of celebrating the likes of this holiday. What is your advice to Muslims regarding the likes of these affairs, and may Allaah preserve you and protect you?

Answer:

In the Name of Allaah, the Most Merciful, the Giver of Mercy Wa `alaykumus-salaam wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuh Celebrating the Holiday of Love (i.e. Valentine's Day) is not permissible for various reasons.

The first: That is an innovated holiday that has no basis for it in the Sharee'ah.

The second: That it calls to passion and infatuation.

The third: That it calls to busying the heart with the likes of these affairs that are trivial and opposed to the guidance of the Righteous Predecessors (As-Salaf us-Saalih), may Allaah be pleased with them.

So it is not permissible to introduce on this day (i.e. Valentine's Day) anything from the aspects of holiday celebrating, regardless of whether it is foods, or drinks, or clothing, or exchanging gifts, or other than that.

It is incumbent upon the Muslim to be distinguished and noble with his religion, and that he not be a characterless person who follows everyone who cries out.

I ask Allaah, the Most High, to protect the Muslims from all of the trials, whatever is apparent or hidden of them, and that He guards over us with His care and His aid.

Written by Muhammad Saalih Al-`Uthaymeen on 5/11/1420 hijri

Utrujjah

2009-02-12T19:08:00.000-08:00

"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.

And the example of the hypocrite who recites the Quran is like a sweet basil which smells good but tastes bitter.

And the example of a hypocrite who does not recite the Qur'an is like a colocynth (bitter apple) which tastes bitter and has a bad smell."

[Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim ].

Commentary: This Hadith tells us that a believer who recites the Qur'an and acts upon it, Allah will grant him a high rank. He is loved by Allah and also enjoys public esteem. The believer who does not recite it but acts upon its teachings is also loved by Allah and people. The hypocrite who recites the Qur'an to have a good show has an evil and dark mind. Last of all comes that hypocrite who does not recite the Qur'an and has a dark mind and appearance.

Source for the above:
Riyadh ul Saleeheen

Essence

2009-02-10T22:43:00.000-08:00

Essence: es·sence

es·sence [éss'nss]
(plural es·sences)
n

1. identifying nature: the quality or nature of something that identifies it or makes it what it is
You've described the city, but you haven't communicated its essence.

2. most important feature: the most important element or feature of something
The essence of leadership is said to be the willingness of other people to follow.

3. perfect form: the perfect or idealized form of something, especially when embodied in a person
She's the essence of tact.

They say that dua’a` is the essence of worship.. So it is one of the most important forms of worship.. Calling out to Allah is one of the most perfect forms of worship.. To acknowledge that Allah is the only One who can help you.. To acknowledge that he can hear you when you call upon him.. When you call out to him.. When you are alone.. When no one else can hear you.. When no one else even cares.. Allah is there for you.. Listing to you.. Inshallah answering your dua’a` in one form or another.. Never lose hope in Allah swt.. He is there and He will help you in a way that is the best for you either in this life, or the hereafter..

Here are some tight du’a`s from the Qur’an and hadeeth:

1. Our Lord! Grant us good in this world and good in the life to come and keep us safe from the torment of the Fire (2:201)

2. Our Lord! Bestow on us endurance and make our foothold sure and give us help against those who reject faith. (2:250)

3. Our Lord! Take us not to task if we forget or fall into error. (2:286)

4. Our Lord! Lay not upon us such a burden as You did lay upon those before us.(2:286)

5. Our Lord! Impose not on us that which we have not the strength to bear, grant us forgiveness and have mercy on us. You are our Protector. Help us against those who deny the truth. (2:286)

6. Our Lord! Let not our hearts deviate from the truth after You have guided us, and bestow upon us mercy from Your grace. Verily You are the Giver of bounties without measure. (3:8)

7. Our Lord! Forgive us our sins and the lack of moderation in our doings, and make firm our steps and succor us against those who deny the truth. (3:147)

8. Our Lord! Whomsoever You shall commit to the Fire, truly You have brought [him] to disgrace, and never will wrongdoers find any helpers (3:192)

9. Our Lord! Behold we have heard a voice calling us unto faith: "Believe in your Lord" and we have believed. (3:193)

10. Our Lord! Forgive us our sins and efface our bad deeds and take our souls in the company of the righteous. (3:193)

11. Our Lord! And grant us that which you have promised to us by Your messengers and save us from shame on the Day of Judgment. Verily You never fail to fulfill Your promise. (3:194)

12. Our Lord! We have sinned against ourselves, and unless You grant us forgiveness and bestow Your mercy upon us, we shall most certainly be lost! (7:23)

13. Our Lord! Place us not among the people who have been guilty of evildoing.(7:47)

14. Our Lord! Lay open the truth between us and our people, for You are the best of all to lay open the truth. (7:89)

15. Our Lord! Pour out on us patience and constancy, and make us die as those who have surrendered themselves unto You. (7:126)

16. Our Lord! Make us not a trial for the evildoing folk, and save as by Your mercy from people who deny the truth (10:85-86)

17. Our Lord! You truly know all that we may hide [in our hearts] as well as all that we bring into the open, for nothing whatever, be it on earth or in heaven, remains hidden from Allah (14:38)

18. Our Lord! Bestow on us mercy from Your presence and dispose of our affairs for us in the right way. (18:10)

19. Our Lord! Grant that our spouses and our offspring be a comfort to our eyes, and give us the grace to lead those who are conscious of You. (25:74)

20. Our Lord! You embrace all things within Your Grace and Knowledge, forgive those who repent and follow Your path, and ward off from them the punishment of Hell. (40:7)

21. Our Lord! Make them enter the Garden of Eden which You have promised to them, and to the righteous from among their fathers, their wives and their offspring, for verily You are alone the Almighty and the truly Wise. (40:8)

22. Our Lord! Relieve us of the torment, for we do really believe. (44:12)

23. Our Lord! Forgive us our sins as well as those of our brethren who proceeded us in faith and let not our hearts entertain any unworthy thoughts or feelings against [any of] those who have believed. Our Lord! You are indeed full of kindness and Most Merciful (59:10)

24. Our Lord! In You we have placed our trust, and to You do we turn in repentance, for unto You is the end of all journeys. (60:4)

25. Our Lord! Perfect our light for us and forgive us our sins, for verily You have power over all things. (66:8)

"Oh Allah, guide me with those whom You have guided, and strengthen me with those
whom You have given strength. Take me to Your care with those whom You have taken to Your care. Bless me in what You have given me. Protect me from the evil You have
ordained. Surely You command and are not commanded, and none whom You have
committed to Your care shall be humiliated (and none whom You have taken as an enemy
shall taste glory). You are Blessed, Our Lord, and Exalted".

Lord, do help me and do not help anyone else against me, grant me success and do not
enable my enemy to get the better of me, do support me by Your hidden manoeuvring and do not favour my opponents in similar manner against me; grant me guidance and make it easy for me to pursue the right path and help me in the event of an enemy rising against me. My Lord, grant me that I remember and remain grateful to You intensely and hear and obey You thoroughly and make me one who supplicates to You profoundly and make me one who is obedient to You and make me one who contemplates about You with incessant tears and devotion. My Lord, accept my repentance, wash off my sins, grant my prayer, strengthen my argument, straighten my speech, guide my heart aright and quench its irritation".
Abu Dawud, Book 8, Number 1505

"Unless my Lord guide me, I shall surely be among those who go astray".

O Allah. I beg of You guidance, piety, chastity and independence (from your creation)
"We have entered a new day and with it all the dominion which belongs to Allah, Lord of all that exists. Oh Allah, I ask You for the goodness of this day, its victory, its help, its light, its blessings, and its guidance. I seek refuge in You from the evil that is in it and from the evil that follows it".
(Abu Dawud, Book 41, Number 5065

O Allah, set aright my religious life which is a safeguard in all my affairs, set aright my worldly life which is a source of my maintenance, set aright my life of the hereafter unto which I am bound to return, and make my life a source of earning more and more good and make my death a refuge against all troubles."
Muslim, Book 035, Number

O Allah! I surrender to You and entrust all my affairs to You and depend upon You for Your Blessings both with hope and fear of You. There is no fleeing from You, and there is no place of protection and safety except with You O Allah! I believe in Your Book (the Qur'an) which You have revealed and in Your Prophet Muhammad (SAW) whom You have sent".
(Bukhari, Volume 1, Book 4, Number 247)

True friendship

2009-02-09T20:34:00.000-08:00

"However rare true love may be, it is less so than true friendship." -- La Rochefoucauld

Throughout your life you meet certain people.. Some people you form this instant bond to them, some it takes awhile for you to warm up to them, and others you just don’t wanna be around..
What makes you gravitate towards some people and not others? Why can you spend hours talking to one person and never run out of things to say, yet while with others you struggle to keep a conversation going and flowing about something meaningful.. We all can have “small talk” with anyone, but you cant have deep, intellectual, spiritual, thought provoking, tear jerking conversations with everyone..

Life takes us all in different directions, sometimes leading us away from our greatest friends.. Friends who you may have connected with on a deeper level.. No doubt everything in our lives happen for a reason, although sometimes we lack the wisdom to realize what that reason is.. But those types of friends aren’t easily forgotten, but can they be replaced? I know that sounds extremely harsh, but it’s a fact of life that we humans eventually move on; its something that happens naturally over time, we attempt to find something better.. But is there always something better out there?

I believe once someone was a true friend, then they will always remain a true friend no matter what happens and where life takes them.. Alhamdulilah, I have been extremely blessed with about 7 great friends, who even if I don’t see for months, the moment I’m with them, it feels like we never left. Friends who know all the good and all the bad about me, and yet still talk to me.. Friends who I can hit up at anytime of the night and I know they will be there for me.. Some of these friendships were formed many, many, many years ago, and some that were formed very recently.. Friends who I see and talk to everyday, and some who I never get to see.. Friends who I can just look at and they know exactly what I’m thinking, without having to utter a word.. Friends who know me, the real me..

Alhamdulilah, Alhamdulilah, Alhamdulilah I hope Allah well increase us with love for each other, and keep us as friends in this life and the hereafter..

Rain..

2009-02-08T22:02:00.000-08:00

Rain

I opened my eyes

And looked up at the rain,

And it dripped in my head

And flowed into my brain,

And all that I hear as I lie in my bed

Is the slishity-slosh of the rain in my head.

I step very softly,I walk very slow,

I can't do a handstand--

I might overflow,

So pardon the wild crazy thing I just said--

I'm just not the same since there's rain in my head.

Shel Silverstein

Its been raining since last Thursday.. For some reason rain gets me feeling more artsy-fartsy.. I’m a big fan of Shel Silversein’s work, it reminds me a lot of my childhood.. I also really like Emily D’s work..

I'm nobody! Who are you?

Are you nobody, too?

Then there's a pair of us - don't tell!

They'd banish us, you know!

How dreary to be somebody!

How public like a frog

To tell one's name the livelong day

To an admiring bog!

Emily Dickinson

I love poetry, but I love the paintings of Claude Monet so much more.

"Giverny in Springtime"

"I am not a great painter, great poet. I just know that I do what I can to express what I feel in front of nature."
Claude Monet

And who doesn’t love Van Gogh’s work?

"Branches of an Almond Tree In Blossom"

Al-'Adiyat

2009-02-08T21:17:00.000-08:00

SubhanAllah, the Qur'an is so deep. Its so engaging, it asks mankind questions, give us parables and examples, makes you think..

Al-'Adiyat--

By the (Steeds) that run, with panting (breath),
And strike sparks of fire,
And push home the charge in the morning, And raise the dust in clouds the while, And penetrate forthwith into the midst (of the foe) en masse;-
Truly man is, to his Lord, ungrateful;
And to that (fact) he bears witness (by his deeds); And violent is he in his love of wealth. Does he not know,- when that which is in the graves is scattered abroad
And that which is (locked up) in (human) breasts is made manifest-
That their Lord had been Well-acquainted with them, (even to) that Day?

"An example of stallions is given to reflect on human attitude towards Allah. Stallions whom man provides only food and water, are so grateful to him that they jump into the valley of death on his command, while man whom Allah has given life, faculties, food and other provisions is ungrateful to Allah and he himself is a witness to this fact. This example shows that an ungrateful person is worse than an animal. Sucha a person is so blinded by the love of worldly wealth that he tries to obtain it by every means, however impure and filthy it maybe. He would never have behaved so, had he known that the time when dead would be raised from their graves for accountability.."

Why are we as humans so ungrateful? Even if there was no Heaven or Hellfire, shouldn’t we still feel obligated to worship Allah?

We have such a narrow sighted view about life and the hereafter; most humans are only concerned with attaining and consuming more. We are a people plagued with commercialism, materialism and consumerism. Inshallah one day our focus will shift from wanting to attaining worldly goods to attaining the bounty of the hereafter.

2009-02-08T01:24:00.000-08:00

“Truly, my prayer, my service of sacrifice, my life and my death are all for God the Cherisher of the Worlds. No partner has He, this I am commanded. And I am the first of those who bow to Allah in Islam.” (Holy Qur’aan 6:162-163)