Islam-786.com (Islamic Point)

Shisha - Don't Be Fooled

2011-12-19T16:44:00.002Z

Islamic Talk by Muhammad Abdul Jabbar in Birmingham

2011-12-16T20:39:00.002Z

The talk by Brother Muhammad Abdul Jabbar (delivered on 16th December 2011 in Alum Rock, Birmingham, UK) was interesting and informative at the same time. The brother used a loud and angry tone in his voice and he argued that given the situation of the Muslims and what is happening in our society, there is reason to be emotional as he was.

He said that the young Muslims in our community have taken Tupac, Jay-Z, Beyonce, J-Lo, Ronaldo, etc. as role models in their lives. But, the only role model that we should follow is Prophet Muhammad (saw) and we should aspire to follow his example in our everyday lives and our behaviour, as well as actions.

Drug dealers have become role-models, youngsters see the Ferraris and Q7's and are attracted by that kind of lifestyle. But Allah (swt) has punished many drug dealers in the past and will continue to do so, none of them can escape his punishment. A drug dealer would not be able to tolerate it if he came down the stairs in the morning and saw his mother, his sister, his father or brother as a crack-head (drug addict). Yet a drug dealer ruins the lives of hundreds of people by supplying drugs to people and ruining entire families.

They think Allah (swt) Won't Punish them or they might escape, but they realise not that the Punishment can come at any time and Allah Will Grab them and their punishment will intensely severe. How can such people be our role-models?

People like Tupac and 50-Cent, we watch them on YouTube, Facebook, follow them on Twitter, they have become role-models for the Muslims of today. A role model is someone you look up to and aspire to be like.

The brother also went on to say that brothers across Birmingham naming most of the areas including Alum Rock and Sparkhill, think they are hard, selling and taking drugs, they walk around as if people should fear them, but do they not realise that Allah Can punish them as and when He Wishes.

He also criticised Sheesha lounges, mentioning Moon Lounge, Exhale and others, and claimed that they are corrupting the young generation and promoting a culture that contradicts the teachings of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (saw). He stated that even Muslim brothers practising their religion commonly attend such environments, as well as sisters that wear the Hijab. The brother also gave examples of shocking events that have taken place amongst Muslim youth. Brother Abdul Jabbar also criticised Diary of a Bad Man on YouTube for making a mockery of Islam and questioned why such material has become widespread and popular when it shows utmost disrespect against Islam. He also criticised a Muslim woman that wears the Hijab and makes jokes involving Islam and claimed that she is making a mockery of our beliefs.

The video of the talk will be uploaded on YouTube once the same talk has been delivered at other cities within UK.

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Islamic Talk Review by Sameer

Good Character from the Life of Abu Bakr As-Siddeeq (RA)

2011-12-10T19:13:00.000Z

Rabee'ah Al-Aslami (ra) said:

I used to serve the Messenger of Allah (saw), so he gave me some land. Then we began arguing about a cluster of palm trees.

Abu Bakr said, "The palm trees are within the boundary of my property" and I said, "they are within my boundary". Some harsh words were exchanged between Abu Bakr and myself, and Abu Bakr said something to me that I did not like.

Afterwards Abu Bakr felt sorry for what he had said and he said to me, "O Rabee'ah, say the same back to me so that you can retaliate against me."

I said, "I will not."

Abu Bakr then said, "You either say the same to me or I will go and get the Messenger of Allah (saw) involved against you."

I replied, "I will not do it."

Therefore, Abu Bakr (ra) went to the Prophet (saw) and I went behind him.

Then a group of people came and said to me, "May Allah have mercy on Abu Bakr. Why is he going to the Messenger of Allah (saw) for when he was the one who said to you what he said?"

Rabee'ah said, "I then asked them, 'Do you all know who this is?! This is Abu Bakr As-Siddeeq and he is the second of the two [who were mentioned in the Q'uran (9:40) i.e. Prophet Muhammad (Saw) and Abu Bakr (ra)].

He is the respected elder of the Muslims. Beware of him coming and seeing you all helping me against him, or he may become angry. Then the Messenger of Allah (saw) will come and get angry because of Abu Bakr's anger. Then Allah will become angry because of the anger of both of them. Then Rabee'ah would be destroyed."

The people said, "What do you command us to do?"

Rabee'ah said, "Go back to your homes." Therefore Abu Bakr (ra) went to Messenger of Allah (saw) and I followed him by myself until he came to the Prophet (Saw).

Then he informed the Prophet (Saw) of what happened, just as it happened.

The Messenger of Allah (saw) raised his head towards me and said, "O Rabee'ah, what is the matter with you and As-Siddeeq (Abu Bakr)?"

I said, "O Messenger of Allah, such and such happened, then he (Abu Bakr) said something to me that I disliked. Then he said, 'Say back to me what I said so that it may be a retataliation (for you)."

Then, the Messenger of Allah (saw) said, "Yes, by all means (retaliate), but do no respond to him with the same.

Rather, you should say, 'May Allah forgive you, O Abu Bakr, may Allah forgive you O Abu Bakr.'

Therefore, I said, 'May Allah forgive you, O Abu Bakr.'

Then Abu Bakr turned away and began crying.

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When we reflect upon this story, we find the character of Abu Bakr (ra) to be good. He said a word out of anger, that Rabee'ah hated. Then what happened after that? He felt bad for what he said. Someone who has good character feels sorrow about his wrongdoing. He confessed and accepted his mistake.

People make mistakes and say things in anger, we must learn to forgive them and if we hurt others, we must learn to apologise and to resolve our issues rather than to extend them.

The Shepherd

2011-11-19T04:43:00.000Z

Once upon a time, there lived in Basra an old man whose only
occupation was caring for and loving his only son who was a handsome
young man. The old man invested all his money on his son's education.
The young man went away for a few years and acquired an education at a
well known university under the great scholars of that age.
The day had arrived for the son to return from his studies and the old
man waited at the door for his son. When the son came and met his
father, the old man looked into his eyes and felt great
disappointment. "What have you learnt my son?" he asked, "I have
learnt everything there was to be learnt, father", he said. "But have
you learnt what cannot be taught?" asked the father. "Go, my son and
learn what cannot be taught", said the old man.

The young man went back to his master and asked him to teach him what
cannot be taught.
"Go away to the mountains with these four hundred sheep and come back
when they are one thousand", said the master.

The young man went to the mountains and became a shepherd. There for
the first time he encountered a silence. He had no one to talk to. The
sheep did not understand his language. In his desperation, he would
talk to them but they would look back at him as if to say he was
stupid. Slowly but surely he began to forget all his worldly
knowledge, his ego, his pride and he became quiet like the sheep and
great wisdom and humility came to him.

At the end of two years when the number of sheep had grown to one
thousand, he returned to his master and fell on his feet. "Now you
have learnt what cannot be taught," said the master.

NB. It is interesting to note that the Nabis of Allah Taala (Alayhimus
salaam) at some time in their lives, generally before Nubuwwat, tended
to sheep, and other such animals.

Islamic Alphabet A-Z

2011-11-14T16:54:00.001Z

A is for ALLAH

B is for Bismillah

C for Concentrate only on the right path, and staying away from following the Satanic footsteps.

D for Dua'a for everyone to do better in this life, and a peaceful ending and Hereafter. Ameen.

E for Eternal blessed life may we all get Jannah when we die. Ameen.

F for Faith in ONE ALLAH and His Final Messenger Muhammad (pbuh).

G for Grave may ALLAH protect us from its darkness and open its window to Jannah.

H for Honour everyone with love and respect so you be honoured by ALLAH.

I for ISLAM the only true and best religion.

J for Jihad, struggling for the Sake of Allah.

K for Kill all the evil desires raised in our hearts by Satan and be strong in faith.

L for "La ilaha illa Allahu,Muhammad ur-rasul ALLAH" heartbeat of every Muslim.

M for Muhammad (pbuh) the best human, for whom ALLAH made this entire universe.

N for Nourish your soul with loads of Ibadah and extra supplications.

O for ONE Life and ONE Death so make this life so pure, our next life be full of peace.

P for Peace, Peace and only Peace and we should be proud to be Muslims.

Q for Qur'an which we must recite daily and understand and implement in daily life.

R for Riba means INTEREST which is illegal in Islam.

S for Sunnah of our Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)which we will follow In shaa'Allah.

T for Truth which leads to a peaceful life.

U for Un-blessed people who disgrace and don't respect their parents.

V for Victory of ISLAM Insha'Allah.

W for Watch which way you're going in this world, are you sure it will lead to Jannah?

X for Xerox means copy The Qur'an in your and heart and follow the Sunnah.

Y for YA-ALLAH our ONLY Saviour in this world and in the Hereafter.

Z for Zealous towards Islam and bring new hope for a blessed life in both worlds.

A Beautiful Eid Story

2011-11-07T22:18:00.002Z

Waleed received a car from his brother as an Eid gift. On Eid day when
Waleed came out of his house, a small poor boy was walking around the
new car, admiring it. “Does it belong to you, Uncle” he asked. Waleed
replied in negative. “This is Eid gift from my brother.” The boy was
amazed.

“You mean your brother gave it to you and it cost you nothing? Boy, I
wish…” He hesitated. Of course Waleed knew what he was going to wish
for. He was going to wish he had a brother like that. But what the lad
said jarred Waleed all the way down to his heels. “I wish,” the boy
went on, “that I could be a brother like that.” Waleed looked at the
boy in astonishment, then impulsively he added, “Would you like to
take a ride in my car?” “Oh yes, I’d love that.”

After a short ride, the boy turned and with his eyes aglow, said,
“Uncle, would you mind driving in front of my house?” Waleed smiled a
little. He thought he knew what the lad wanted. He wanted to show his
neighbors that he could ride home in a big car. But Waleed was wrong
again. “Will you stop where those two steps are?” the boy asked. He
ran up the steps. Then in a little while Waleed heard him coming back,
but he was not coming fast. He was carrying his little crippled
brother. He sat him down on the bottom step, then sort of squeezed up
against him and pointed to the car.

“There it is, little brother, just like I told you before. His brother
gave it to him for Eid and it didn’t cost him a penny. And some day
I’m gonna give you one just like it…then you can see for yourself all
the pretty things in the shop windows that I’ve been trying to tell
you about.”

Waleed got out and lifted the boy to the front seat of his car. The
shining-eyed older brother climbed in beside him and the three of them
began a memorable ride. That Eid, Waleed learned what the
Prophet(pbuh) meant when he had said: “love for your brother what you
love for yourself”.

Forgiveness in Islam

2011-09-30T19:06:00.001+01:00

My Fellow American - Teaser

2011-06-23T19:29:00.002+01:00

If you had only 10 days to live, what would you strive for NOW?

2011-02-01T01:21:00.002Z

Stay Away From Zina

2011-01-04T03:08:00.000Z

Some of the worst of sins like Zina are all to often caused by a single look in the wrong direction then the inability to lower our gaze.

Why have we been told to avoid certain actions?

2010-12-17T18:20:00.006Z

Allah created us and gave us many abilities - to think/cry/see/hear/walk/talk/dream/emotions/love/hate/etc, our own planet, a partner, one after the other we have so many great gifts from Allah, and many ways to enjoy this life and be happy. Allah gave us so many things to do, so many places to visit, so that we stay happy in life. But He also warned us about the things that can be destructive and damaging.

Some things are obviously dangerous and we avoid them e.g. we don't pour boiling water over ourselves because the impact will be immediate (a few seconds). With others it is less obvious, e.g. smoking or drinking - the pain/harm is not experienced immediately but usually after a period of time. One man might get drunk and get run over by a car. Another might drink for 70 years and then suffer with liver problems. Allah is our Creator, He warned us out of Love for us, not because he didn't want us to be happy and enjoy ourselves. Sometimes we like a thing which is bad for us.

Had He not told us, we would've been like lost children, not knowing the difference between good and bad or right and wrong. We would have used our knowledge and abilities to work out some things for ourselves but our reasoning and assessment have limitations. But the sad fact today is that people choose to neglect the Guidance from Allah and live life according to their own rules, so in effect, they do end up as lost children, not knowing what is good, what is bad, believing whatever is popular and following the crowd in general, like blind sheep.

Sameer

http://islamicpoint.blogspot.com

For the Disbelievers: Miserable Life Unavoidable (Verses From Surah 20 of The Holy Q'uran)

2010-12-13T21:55:00.004Z

[20:124] "As for the one who disregards My message, he will have a miserable life, and we resurrect him, on the Day of Resurrection, blind."

[20:125] He will say, "My Lord, why did you summon me blind, when I used to be a seer?"

[20:126] We will say, "Because you forgot our revelations when they came to you, you are now forgotten."

[20:127] We thus requite those who transgress and refuse to believe in the revelations of their Lord. The retribution in the Hereafter is far worse and everlasting.

[20:128] Does it ever occur to them how many previous generations we have annihilated? They are now walking in the homes of those before them. These are signs for those who possess intelligence.

[20:129] If it were not for your Lord's predetermined plan, they would have been judged immediately.

[20:130] Therefore, be patient in the face of their utterances, and praise and glorify your Lord before sunrise and before sunset. And during the night glorify Him, as well as at both ends of the day, that you may be happy.

[20:131] And do not covet what we bestowed upon any other people. Such are temporary ornaments of this life, whereby we put them to the test. What your Lord provides for you is far better, and everlasting.

What do we talk about the most?

2010-12-13T03:23:00.000Z

It is often said that when people sit together, they will discuss topics that are of most interest to them and issues that are close to their hearts. Typically, we discuss subjects that matter the most to us and those which we give priority to in our lives. So next time you are in a gathering with friends or family, ask yourself what is being discussed and how important it is.

People spend hours talking about topics that are related to the life of this world and rarely allocate time to discussing Islam related issues. For example, if you were to enter a Muslim house in Birmingham, you will probably find the front room packed with brothers talking about politics and current affairs. Then there will be the youngsters in their own gangs, talking about movies and music, cars and the list of topics is endless.

Talking about worldly issues is not the real problem, instead the problem is ONLY talking about these. We become so lost in the life of this world, that we forget our religious duties. The fact that we rarely discuss Islam in our gatherings is a major weakness. It clearly shows that we don't regard Islam as our number one priority. We don't seem to care how many times our brother's and sister's are praying or how much good they are doing, instead we talk about job, salary, car and other issues that are less important.

Remember, when you are in a group of people, the topic of discussion will be dictated by their interests. So if you're hanging around with people who only ever talk about politics, making money, cars, films, sport, etc. you ought to discuss Islam with them at times, otherwise you should not associate yourself with them too often and look for better company. In simple terms, you only talk about the stuff you really love and you must talk about Islam so that you can develop interest and enthusiasm towards it. Good company will save you and bad company will ruin you. The choice is yours, the decision is yours, you choose your friends, be wise and be careful.

Sameer Hussain
http://islamicpoint.blogspot.com

Islamic Jokes

2010-11-29T03:47:00.002Z

A man is taking a walk in Central park in New York. Suddenly he sees a little girl being attacked by a pit bull dog . He runs over and starts fighting with the dog. He succeeds in killing the dog and saving the girl's life. A policeman who was watching the scene walks over and says: "You are a hero, tomorrow you can read it in all the newspapers: "Brave New Yorker saves the life of little girl" The man says: - "But I am not a New Yorker!" "Oh ,then it will say in newspapers in the morning: 'Brave American saves life of little girl'" – the policeman answers. "But I am not an American!" – says the man. "Oh, what are you then? " The man says: - "I am a Saudi !" The next day the newspapers says: "Islamic extremist kills innocent American dog.

Here is the story of an Imam who got up after Friday prayers and announced to the people:"I have good news and bad news. The good news is, we have enough money to pay for our new building program. The bad news is, it's still out there in your pockets."

An Imam shocked his community when he announced that he was resigning from that particular Masjid and moving to a drier climate. After the session, a very distraught lady came to the Imam with tears in her eyes, "Oh, Imam, we are going to miss you so much. We don't want you to leave!" The kind hearted Imam said "Now, now, sister, don't carry on. The Imam who takes my place might be even better than me".

"Yeah", she said, with a tone of disappointment in her voice, "That's what they said the last time too . . . "

True Incident: During a Jumah Khutbah in a small town, an Imam talked about the significance of saying "Insha Allah" (which means if Allah wills) when planning to do something in the future. After a few days, a man who had also attended the Khutbah was going to buy a cow from the market. On the way, he met a friend who asked him where he was going. He told him about buying the cow but did not say Insha Allah in the end. His friend reminded him about the Khutbah and told him to say Insha Allah. However, this individual said that he had the money he needs and the energy to go to the market, thus, there is no point of saying Insha Allah as he will certainly buy the cow. He thought that saying Insha Allah will not make any difference.

When he reached the market, he found a cow that met his expectations. He bargained with the seller and came to a reasonable price. Finally, he decided to pay for the cow but was dumbfounded when he discovered that his money was missing. A thief had stolen the money while he was walking through the busy market. The cow seller asked him whether he was going to buy the cow or not. "Insha Allah, I will buy it next week," he said. When he reached home, his wife inquired about the cow. He told her about how he forgot to say Insha Allah, and also added, "Insha Allah, I wanted to buy the cow. But Insha Allah, my money was stolen. Insha Allah, I will buy it next week." His wife clarified to him that we should say Insha Allah for things that are yet to happen, not for those things that had already happened. He never forgot his "Insha Allah" again.

Once, the people of the city invited Mulla Nasruddin to deliver a speech. When he got on the minbar (pulpit), he found the audience was not very enthusiastic, so he asked "Do you know what I am going to say?" The audience replied "NO", so he announced "I have no desire to speak to people who don't even know what I will be talking about" and he left. The people felt embarrassed and called him back again the next day. This time when he asked the same question, the people replied "YES" So Mullah Nasruddin said, "Well, since you already know what I am going to say, I won't waste any more of your time" and he left. Now the people were really perplexed. They decided to try one more time and once again invited the Mullah to speak the following week. Once again he asked the same question - "Do you know what I am going to say?" Now the people were prepared and so half of them answered "YES" while the other half replied "NO". So Mullah Nasruddin said "The half who know what I am going to say, tell it to the other half" and he left!

True Incident: A young man in a village refused to believe that Allah has total control of everything. He claimed that Allah cannot make him eat food if he didn't want to eat. To prove his point, he decided to stay hungry for a day and see if Allah can make him eat. His mother tried her best to stop this foolishness but he paid no attention. Annoyed of his mother in the evening, he decided to climb a tree and isolate himself there. Being compassionate, his mother decided to leave the food under the tree incase her son finally gives up and wants to eat. When the night fell, a group of robbers were passing by that tree. They noticed a plate of delicious food placed under the tree. They looked at each other in amazement and thought that someone must be playing a trick on them. May be someone is trying to poison them with good food. They looked around to see if there was anyone nearby and noticed the young man on top of the tree. The robbers got him down and told him to eat the food to see if it is poisoned. But the young man refused to eat as he is still carrying on his challenge against Allah. The robbers became suspicious and started beating the young man to eat. He gave up and started eating. Seeing that the food was not poisoned, the robbers left him and went away. Finally, the young man admitted that yes, Allah has total control of everything!

An old woman came to the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) and said: "O Messenger of Allah, pray to Allah (subhanahu wa ta`ala) that I will enter Paradise." He said jokingly, "O Mother of So-and-so, no old women will enter Paradise." The old woman went away crying, so the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) said, "Tell her that she will not enter Paradise as an old woman, for Allah (subhanahu wa ta`ala) says: (We have created [their Companions] of special creation, and made them virgin-pure [and undefiled]) (Qur'an 56:35-36)." Reported by al-Tirmidhi, it is hasan because of the existence of corroborating reports.

An elderly lady was well-known for her Iman and for her confidence in talking about it. She would stand in front of her house and say Alhamdulilah "Allah be praised" to all those who passed by. Next door to her lived an atheist who would get so angry at her proclamations he would shout, "There ain't no Lord!!" Hard times came upon the elderly lady, and she prayed for Allah to send her some assistance. She would pray out loud in her night prayer" Oh Allah! I need food!! I am having a hard time, please Lord, PLEASE LORD, SEND ME SOME GROCERIES!!" The atheist happened to hear her as she was praying, and decided to play a prank on her. The next morning the lady went out on her porch and noted a large bag of groceries and shouted, "Alhamdulilah, Allah be praised!." The neighbor jumped from behind a bush and said, "Aha! I told you there was no Lord. I bought those groceries, God didn't." The lady started jumping up and down and clapping her hands and said, "ALHAMDULILAH WA SHUKRILLAH”. He not only sent me groceries, but he made the devil pay for them!"

"When I was in the desert," said Nasruddin one day, "I caused an entire tribe of horrible and bloodthirsty bedouins to run."

"However did you do it?" asked a person.

"Easy. I just ran, and they ran after me."

An Imam was selling his horse in the market. An interested buyer came to him and requested if he could get a test drive. The Imam told the man that this horse is unique. In order to make it walk, you have to say Subhanallah. To make it run, you have to say Alhamdulillah and to make it stop, you have to say Allahu Akbar. The man sat on the horse and said Subhanallah. The horse started to walk. Then he said Alhamdulillah and it started to run. He kept saying Alhamdulillah and the horse started running faster and faster. All of a sudden the man noticed that the horse is running towards the edge of the hill that he was riding on. Being overly fearful, he forgot how to stop the horse. He kept saying all these words out of confusion. When the horse was just near the edge, he remembered Allahu Akbar and said it out loud. The horse stopped just one step away from the edge. The man took a deep breath, looked up towards the sky and said Alhamdulillah!

True Incident: The incident took place in South Asia. A man was offering salah in his house. He was praying as fast as he could as many of us do. All of a sudden, he heard the door behind him open. Since, someone entered the room, he started making his ruku and sujud longer. Upon completion of the salah, he looked back to see who it was. To his amazement, it was a dog!

Two men were on a plane on a business trip when a Muslim couple boarded the plane and were seated right in front of them. The two men, eager to have some fun, started talking loudly. "My boss is sending me to Saudi Arabia", the one said, "But I don't want to go...too many Muslims there!" The Muslim couple noticeably heard and grew uncomfortable. The other guy laughed, "Oh, yeah, my boss wanted to send me to Pakistan but I refused...WAY too many Muslims!" Smiling, the first man said, "One time I was in Iran but I HATED the fact that there were so many Muslims!" The couple fidgeted. The other guy responded, "Oh, yeah...you can't go ANYWHERE to get away from them...the last time I was in FRANCE I ran into a bunch of them too!" The first guy was laughing hysterically as he added, "That is why you'll never see me in Indonesia...WAY too many Muslims!" At this, the Muslim man turned around and responded politely, "Why don't you go to Hell?", he asked, "I hear there's not very many Muslims THERE!"

Source: http://www.islamcan.com/islamic-jokes.shtml

Rules of Joking in Islam

2010-11-29T03:42:00.002Z

Some people joke too much and it becomes a habit for them. This is the opposite of the serious nature which is the characteristic of the believers. Joking is a break, a rest from ongoing seriousness and striving; it is a little relaxation for the soul. ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Azeez (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “Fear joking, for it is folly and generates grudges.”

Imaam al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “The kind of joking which is forbidden is that which is excessive and persistent, for it leads to too much laughter and hardening of the heart, it distracts from remembrance of Allaah, and it often leads to hurt feelings, generates hatred and causes people to lose respect and dignity. But whoever is safe from such dangers, then that which the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to do is permissible for him.”

Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqaas said: “Set a limit to your jokes, for going to extremes makes you lose respect and incites the foolish against you.”

The amount of joking should be like the amount of salt in one’s food.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Do not laugh too much, for laughing too much deadens the heart.” (Saheeh al-Jaami’, 7312)

‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “Whoever laughs too much or jokes too much loses respect, and whoever persists in doing something will be known for it.”

So beware of joking, for it “causes a person to lose face after he was thought of as respectable, and it brings him humiliation after esteem.”

A man said to Sufyaan ibn ‘Uyaynah (may Allaah be pleased with him), “Joking is not right, it is to be denounced.” He replied, “Rather it is Sunnah, but only for those who know how to do it and do it at the appropriate time.”

Nowadays, although the ummah needs to increase the love between its individual members and to relieve itself of boredom, it has gone too far with regard to relaxation, laughter and jokes. This has become a habit which fills their gatherings and wastes their time, so their lives are wasted and their newspapers are filled with jokes and trivia.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If you knew what I know, you would laugh little and weep much.” In Fath al-Baari it says: “What is meant by knowledge here has to do with the might of Allaah and His vengeance upon those who disobey Him, and the terrors that occur at death, in the grave and on the Day of Resurrection).

Muslim men and women have to be inclined to choose righteous and serious friends in their lives, who will help them to make good use of their time and strive for the sake of Allaah with seriousness and steadfastness, good and righteous people whose example they can follow. Bilaal ibn Sa’d said: “I saw them [the Sahaabah] jokingly pretending to fight over some goods, and laughing with one another, but when night came they were like monks.”

Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) was asked, “Did the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) laugh?” He said, “Yes, and the faith in their hearts was like mountains.”

So you have to follow the example of such people, who were knights by day and monks (i.e., devoted worshippers) by night.

May Allaah keep us, you and our parents safe on the Day of the Greatest Terror, those to whom the call will go out on that great Day:

“Enter Paradise, no fear shall be on you, nor shall you grieve”

[al-A’raaf 7:49 – interpretation of the meaning]

Source: http://www.islamcan.com/islamic-jokes.shtml#RulesofJokinginIslam

Punishment in the Grave

2010-11-29T03:08:00.001Z

The punishment in the grave is the result of the sins committed by the heart,
the eyes, the ears, the mouth, the tongue, the stomach, the private parts, the
hands, the feet, and the body as a whole. The following are some sins which
bring about punishment in the grave:

􀁸 􀀃 Tale-bearing, backbiting, and slandering.

􀁸 􀀃 Giving false testimony.

􀁸 􀀃 Causing disputes between people.

􀁸 􀀃 Innovating in matters of religion.

􀁸 􀀃 Talking on behalf of Allaah and His Messenger without knowledge.

􀁸 􀀃 Consuming Riba (interest and usury).

􀁸 􀀃 Devouring the wealth of orphans without due right.

􀁸 􀀃 Dealing with bribery.

􀁸 􀀃 Consuming the money of fellow Muslims, or one with whom a person has
an agreement, without due right.

􀁸 􀀃 Consuming intoxicants.

􀁸 􀀃 Fornication, adultery, and homosexuality.

􀁸 􀀃 Theft and murder.

􀁸 􀀃 Deception, betrayal, and fraud.

􀁸 􀀃 Usage of deception to change what is Islamically unlawful to lawful, or to
prevent the performance of Islamic obligations and encourage committing
of prohibitions.

􀁸 􀀃 Harming Muslims and hunting for their mistakes.

􀁸 􀀃 Ruling with other than what Allaah legislated, or passing Islamic rulings
which differ from what Allaah prescribed and legislated.

􀁸 􀀃 Assisting oppressors and evil doers.

􀁸 􀀃 Incapacitating the meaning of the Names and Attributes of Allaah or
disbelieving in them.

􀁸 􀀃 Giving precedence to one's own opinions, tastes or politics over the
Sunnah of the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, or slandering our
Salaf (pious predecessors).

􀁸 􀀃 Being a woman who is hired by the family of a deceased person to cry
loudly upon his death, or being one of those who listen to her.

􀁸 􀀃 Singing, being a musician, or being one who listens to them.

􀁸 􀀃 Building mosques over graves.

􀁸 􀀃 Giving less in measure to others when one is weighing, but taking more
for oneself when being weighed for.

􀁸 􀀃 Tyranny, arrogance, boasting, and aiding those who have such
characteristics in these qualities.

􀁸 􀀃 Indifference to being reminded of Allaah, but refraining from what one is
doing when threatened by mere humans.

􀁸 􀀃 Going to fortunetellers and magicians, and believing them.

􀁸 􀀃 Not paying attention or giving importance to the words of the Prophet
sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, but listening and adhering to admonition
from a regular human being,

􀁸 􀀃 Reciting the Quran, but not being affected by it, and even becoming
preoccupied by something else during it; but when listening to music,
which is an introduction to adultery and the substance for hypocrisy,
rejoicing and becoming excited, and even wishing that the music would
never stop.

􀁸 􀀃 Giving false oaths when swearing by Allaah, but being truthful when
swearing by the name of one's Shaykh, father, leader or anyone else whom
one loves dearly.

􀁸 􀀃 Openly bragging about one's sins.

􀁸 􀀃 Being untrustworthy with regards to people's wealth or honor.

􀁸 􀀃 Having a licentious tongue, which causes others to avoid one for fear of
his evil.

􀁸 􀀃 Delaying prayer to the end of its prescribed time, then praying it
hurriedly.

􀁸 􀀃 Paying Zakaah resentfully and only due to coercion.

􀁸 􀀃 Not performing Hajj despite being physically and financially capable.

􀁸 􀀃 Not fulfilling people’s due rights despite being capable of doing so.

􀁸 􀀃 Not fearing Allaah in one's means of earning provisions.

􀁸 􀀃 Severing ties of kinship.

􀁸 􀀃 Showing no mercy to the needy, widows and orphans.

􀁸 􀀃 Showing no mercy to animals.

All of the above mentioned categories of people, and others like them, will

be punished in their graves on account of their crimes, each according to
how much he committed. He will be punished accordingly unless he repents
to Allaah and Allaah forgives him due to his repentance, or due to His
general mercy upon the Muslims

Some Common Mistakes in Ramadhan

2010-09-06T18:23:00.000+01:00

Taken from Lets Strive Not to Repeat the Same.

By Asma bint Shameem

1 : Taking Ramadaan as a ritual

For many of us Ramadaan has lost its spirituality and has become more of a ritual than a form of Ibaadah. We fast from morning to night like a zombie just because everyone around us is fasting too. We forget that its a time to purify our hearts and our souls from all evil....we forget to make dua, forget to beseech Allaah to forgive us and ask Him to save us from the Fire. Sure we stay away from food and drink but that's about all.

Although the Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said:

“Jibreel said to me, May Allaah rub his nose in the dust, that person to who Ramadaan comes and his sins are not forgiven, and I said, Ameen.

Then he said, May Allaah rub his nose in the dust, that person who lives to see his parents grow old, one or both of them, but he does not enter Paradise (by not serving them) and I said, Ameen.

Then he said, May Allaah rub his nose in the dust, that person in whose presence you are mentioned and he does not send blessings upon you, and I said, Ameen.’”

(Tirmidhi, Ahmad, others. Saheeh by al-Albaani)

2 : Too much stress on food and drink

For some people, the entire month of Ramadaan revolves around food. They spend the ENTIRE day planning, cooking, shopping and thinking about only food, instead of concentrating on Salaah, Quraan and other acts of worship. All they can think of is FOOD. So much so that they turn the month of fasting into the month of feasting. Come Iftaar time, their table is a sight to see, with the multitudes and varieties of food, sweets and drinks. They are missing the very purpose of fasting, and thus, increase in their greed and desires instead of learning to control them. It is also a kind of waste & extravagance.

".....and eat and drink but waste not by extravagance, certainly He (Allaah) likes not Al-Musrifoon (those who waste by extravagance) " [al-Araaf :31]

3 : Spending all day cooking

Some of the sisters (either by their own choice or forced by their husbands) are cooking ALL day and ALL night, so that by the end of the day, they are too tired to even pray Ishaa, let alone pray Taraweeh or Tahajjud or even read Quraan. This is the month of mercy and forgiveness. So turn off that stove and turn on your Imaan!

4 : Eating too much

Some people stuff themselves at Suhoor until they are ready to burst, because they think this is the way to not feel hungry during the day and some people eat at Iftaar, like there is no tomorrow, trying to make up for the food missed. However, this is completely against the Sunnah. Moderation is the key to everything.

The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said: "The son of Adam does not fill any vessel worse than his stomach; for the son of Adam a few mouthfuls are sufficient to keep his back straight. If you must fill it, then one-third for food, one-third for drink and one-third for air." (Tirmidhi, Ibn Maajah. saheeh by al-Albaani).

Too much food distracts a person from many deeds of obedience and worship, makes him lazy and also makes the heart heedless.

It was said to Imam Ahmad: Does a man find any softness and humility in his heart when he is full? He said, I do not think so.

5 : Sleeping all day

Some people spend their entire day (or a major part of it) sleeping away their fast. Is this what is really required of us during this noble month? These people also are missing the purpose of fasting and are slaves to their desires of comfort and ease. They cannot bear to be awake and face a little hunger or exert a little self-control. For a fasting person to spend most of the day asleep is nothing but, negligence on his part.

6 : Wasting time

The month of Ramadaan is a precious, precious time, so much so that Allaah calls this month "Ayyamum Madoodaat" (A fixed number of days). Before we know it, this month of mercy and forgiveness will be over. We should try and spend every moment possible in the worship of Allaah so that we can make the most of this blessing. However, there are some of us who waste away their day playing video games, or worse still, watching TV, movies or even listening to music. Subhaan Allaah! Trying to obey Allaah by DISOBEYING him!

7 : Fasting but not giving up evil

Some of us fast but do not give up lying, cursing, fighting, backbiting, etc. and some of us fast but do not give up cheating, stealing, dealing in haraam, buying lotto tickets, selling alcohol, fornication, etc. and all kinds of impermissible things without realizing that the purpose of fasting is to not stay away from food and drink; rather the aim behind it is to fear Allaah.

“O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become Al-Muttaqoon (the pious)” [al-Baqarah 2:183]

The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said: "Whoever does not give up false speech and acting upon it, and ignorance, Allaah has no need of him giving up his food and drink." (Bukhaari)

8 : Smoking

Smoking is forbidden in Islam whether during Ramadaan or outside of it, as it is one of al-Khabaaith (evil things). And this includes ALL kinds of smoking material eg.cigars, cigarettes, pipes, sheesha, hookah etc.

"he allows them as lawful At Tayyibaat (all good and lawful things), and prohibits them as unlawful Al Khabaa'ith (all evil and unlawful things) [al-Araaf :157]

It is harmful, not only to the one smoking, but also to the ones around him. It is also a means of wasting ones wealth.

The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said: "There should be no harming or reciprocating harm."

This is especially true during fasting and it invalidates the fast. (Fatwa -Ibn Uthaymeen)

9 : Skipping Suhoor

The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said: "Eat suhoor for in suhoor there is blessing."(Bukhaari, Muslim).

And he (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said: "The thing that differentiates between our fasting and the fasting of the People of the Book is eating suhoor." (Muslim)

10 : Not fasting if they missed Suhoor

Some people are too scared to fast if they miss Suhoor. However, this is a kind of cowardice and love of ease. What is the big deal if you missed a few morsels of food? Its not like you will die. Remember, obedience to Allaah overcomes everything.

11 : Delaying breaking fast

Some people wait until the adhaan finishes or even several minutes after that, just to be on the safe side. However, the Sunnah is to hasten to break the fast, which means breaking fast whenever the adhaan starts, right after the sun has set. Aaishah (RA) said: This is what the Messenger of Allaah (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) used to do. (Muslim)

The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said: "The people will continue to do well so long as they hasten to break the fast." (Bukhaari, Muslim)

Determine to the best of your ability, the accuracy of your clock, calendar, etc. and then have tawakkul on Allaah and break your fast exactly on time.

12 : Eating continuously until the time for Maghrib is up

Some people put so much food in their plates when breaking their fast and continue eating, enjoying dessert, drinking tea, etc., until they miss Maghrib. That is obviously not right. The Sunnah of the Prophet (pbuh) was that once he broke his fast with some dates, them he would hasten to the prayer. Once you are done with the prayer, you can always go back and eat some more if you wish.

13 : Missing the golden chance of having your Dua accepted

The prayer of the fasting person is guaranteed to be accepted at the time of breaking fast.

The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said: "Three prayers are not rejected: the prayer of a father, the prayer of a fasting person, and the prayer of a traveler." (al-Bayhaqi, saheeh by al-Albaani).

Instead of sitting down and making Dua at this precious time, some people forego this beautiful chance, and are too busy frying samosas, talking, setting the food, filling their plates and glasses, etc. Think about it....Is food more important than the chance to have your sins forgiven or the fulfillment of your Duas.

14 : Fasting but not praying

The fasting of one who does not pray WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. This is because not praying constitutes kufr as the Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said: "Between a man and shirk and kufr there stands his giving up prayer." (Muslim)

15 : Not fasting because of exams or work

Exams or work is NOT one of the excuses allowed by the Shariah to not fast. You can do your studying and revision at night if it is too hard to do that during the day. Also remember that pleasing and obeying Allaah is much more important than good grades. Besides, if you will fulfil your obligation to fast, even if you have to study, Allaah will make it easy for you and help you in everything you do.

"Whosoever fears Allah, He will appoint for him a way out and provide for him from where he does not expect, Allah is Sufficient for whosoever puts his trust in Him." (Surah at-Talaaq 2-3)

16 : Mixing fasting and dieting

DO NOT make the mistake of fasting with the intention to diet. That is one of the biggest mistakes some of us make (esp. sisters). Fasting is an act of worship and can only be for the sake of Allah alone.

17 : Praying ONLY on the night of the 27th

Some people pray ONLY on the 27th to seek Lailat ul-Qadr, neglecting all other odd nights, although the Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said: "Seek Lailat ul-Qadr among the odd numbered nights of the last ten nights of Ramadaan." (Bukhaari, Muslim).

18 : Wasting the last part of Ramadaan preparing for Eid

Some people waste the entire last 10 days of Ramadaan preparing for Eid, shopping and frequenting malls, etc. neglecting Ibadah and Lailatul Qadr. although, the Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) used to strive the hardest during the last ten days of Ramadaan in worship (Ahmad, Muslim) and not in shopping. Buy whatever you need for Eid before Ramadaan so that you can utilize the time in Ramadaan to the max.

Aaishah (RA) said: “When the (last) ten nights began, the Messenger of Allaah (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam)) would tighten his waist-wrapper (i.e., strive hard in worship or refrain from intimacy with his wives), stay awake at night and wake his family.” (Bukhaari and Muslim).

19 : Iftaar parties

Although inviting each other for breaking fast is something good and encouraged, some people go to extremes with lavish Iftaar parties with all sorts of disobedience to Allaah, from flirting, mixing of the sexes and hijaab-less women, to show-off and extravagance, to heedlessness to Salaah, and Taraweeh to even music and dancing.

Dua for Lailat Ul Qadr

2010-08-31T00:42:00.001+01:00

Tarawih Recitation: A message to all Imams

2010-08-21T16:37:00.001+01:00

I call upon committee members and Imāms to seek the pleasure of Allah and not the pleasure of their congregation.

Imāms should respect the Qur’ān when leading the Tarāwīḥ Prayer

Article Source: ISLAM21C.COM

All praises be to Allah and may the blessings and salutation be upon his messenger Muhammad.

The greatest favour bestowed upon humanity is the revelation of the Qur’ān as it is the only way human beings can be in continuous touch with their Creator. People can easily measure their level of attachment to their Lord by measuring their level of attachment to the Qur’ān - recitation, study and contemplation of it. This divine writ was not revealed to be a book of hymns for aural enjoyment, but instead as a book of guidance, for Allāh says in the Qur’ān, “(This is) a Book (the Qur’ān) which We have sent down to you, full of blessings that they may ponder over its verses, and that men of understanding may remember.”^[1] As the Qur’ān is the unique and inimitable speech of Allāh, reciting it is a tremendous act of worship. However, its reward and comprehensive benefit can only be achieved once we put into practice what we understand. In fact, not putting enough attention to understanding the Qur’ān is condemned as Allāh the Most High says, “Do they not then think deeply about the Qur’ān, or are there locks upon their hearts (from understanding it?)”^[2] Many early scholars also condemned those who read the Qur’ān without putting enough effort into understanding it, for example, it is narrated from Ibn Masʽūd that he said, “Do not scatter it (i.e., recitation of the Qur’ān) like the scattering of cheap dates, and do not ramble with it like the rambling of poetry. Stop at its marvels and stir your heart with it. None of you should let his concern be to reach the end of the chapter.”^[3]

The way many Imāms recite during the Tarāwīḥ prayer is inexcusable and should be condemned in the strongest of ways by the people of knowledge, and in fact, any individual who respects the words of God. These Imāms recite the Qur’ān as if they are competing with the allocated time in order to finish the set amount and be rid of a heavy burden placed on their shoulders. In listening to some of them it is extremely difficult to make out what they are saying, whilst simultaneously, they make constant mistakes. There are reports of some mosques completing both twenty rak‘ah (units) of the Tarāwīḥ prayer and a whole juz’ of the Qur’ān in thirty minutes. This means that each rak‘ah takes ninety seconds in which one page of the Qur’ān is recited! What justification can such Imāms (and consequently the committees of such mosques) possibly give?

I would like to pose the following question to individuals who legitimize such conduct and deem it acceptable: Imagine that you are standing before God and that He is looking at you while you are praying, do you think Allāh is happy seeing and hearing His words read in this manner without giving them their due rights in terms of recitation and contemplation? Furthermore, I wonder if any of these Imāms or committee members are bold enough to allege that the Prophet would endorse this kind of prayer.

This kind of recitation is exactly what has been condemned by many of the scholars of the early generation. In fact, of one the characteristics of the Khawārij, a deviant sect, the Prophet informed us of is that their recitation of the Qur’ān will not go beyond their throats, i.e., they only pay lip-service to it; we should be very concerned not to have this trait within us. It was reported that Abῑ Jamrah, a scholar of the second generation, informed Ibn ʽAbbās that he recited very quickly and read the Qur’ān in three days, Ibn ʽAbbās replied by saying. ‘That I recite al-Baqarah in a night and reflect on it and reciting it slowly is more beloved to me than to recite in the manner you mention.’

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allāh have mercy on him) summarised what the Muslim has to do in order to remedy the hardness of his heart with the Qur’ān. He said, ‘There is nothing more beneficial for the heart than reading the Qur’ān with contemplation and reflection. The Qur’ān encompasses all the levels of the travelers, the conditions of the workers, and stations of those possessing knowledge. It is the Qur’ān that generates love, desire, fear, hope, repentance, reliance, pleasure, entrustment, gratitude, patience and the rest of the different states that are life to the heart and perfection of it. Likewise, it repels all the rebuked characteristics and actions that cause the corruption and ruin of the heart. If people were to possess a realization of what the recitation of the Qur’ān with contemplation contains, they would devote themselves to it at the expense of everything else. When the person reads it with reflection and he comes across an āyah (verse) that he is in need of for curing his heart, he repeats it, even if he does so a hundred times or the whole night. Hence, to recite a single āyah of the Qur’ān with contemplation and reflection is better than reciting the Qur’ān to completion without any contemplation. It is also more beneficial for the heart and more conducive to attaining īmān (faith) and tasting the sweetness of the Qur’ān.’

The Prophet used to read in a very slow style and stop at verses that mention paradise or the hell fire. Once he repeated the verse where Allāh says ‘If You punish them, they are Your slaves, and if You forgive them, verily You, only You are the All-Mighty, the All-Wise’^[4] for the whole night.^[5] Muhammad Ibn al-Kaʽb al-Quraẓῑ (d. 120H) preferred to read Sūrah al-Zalzalah and al-Qāriʽah and repeat them a number of times over reading the whole Qur’ān in a very hasty way. Imām Abū Ḥanῑfah once kept repeating Sūrah al-Zalzalah for the whole night.

Many of our acts of worship (ʽibādāt) have lost their spirit and have been transformed into meaningless ritual images where the focus is on completing them irrespective of whether they leave an impact on our souls or not and if they were perfected or at least performed in a truly satisfactory manner. That is why our worship does not change us for the better; our commitment to the dīn (religion/way of life) of Allāh is very weak and our willingness to sacrifice for the sake of Allāh is even more so - our morals and manners are not improving. Many of us want to be rid of the Tarāwīḥ prayer, no matter how it is offered. Humility, tranquility and reflection are insignificant elements for such Muslims. This is the opposite of what Allāh wants from us; we have removed the very elements from our acts of worship that have been purposely placed there to better us and focus instead on quantity rather quality - for those of us who have any focus at all.

I believe it is time we should put a stop to this and mend our relationship with the Qur’ān as Allāh has commanded: “O mankind! There has come to you a good advice (i.e. the Qur’ān) from your Lord, and a healing for that (diseases of ignorance, doubt, hypocrisy and differences, etc.) in your breasts, - a guidance and a mercy for the believers.”

I call upon committee members and Imāms to seek the pleasure of Allah and not the pleasure of their congregation. I call upon Muslims to advice such Imāms and committee members who do not manifest enough respect to the Qur’ān and to consider appointing other Imāms who recite according to the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him). We should also remember that completing twenty Rak’ah or even the whole Qur’an during Tarāwīḥ is not compulsory, yet listening to it attentively and reciting it with moderate speed is. If the Tarāwīḥ prayer has to be completed in a specific time, then the amount set to be recited should be reduced so that a better quality of worship is achieved.

I ask Allah to guide us all to follow His Book and the Sunnah of his Messenger and to pardon our shortcomings for He is the Oft-Forgiving Oft-Pardoning.

Source: www.islam21c.com

[1]Sūrah Ṣād, 38:29

[2]Sūrah Muḥammad, 47:24

[3]Reported in various places such as Akhlāq Ḥamalah al-Qurʽān by al-Ājurrῑ and al-Baghawῑ in his Tafsῑr.

[4]Sūrah al-Mā’idah, 5:118

[5]Reported by Ibn Abī Shaybah and Aḥmad in his Musnad.

Headache After Fasting

2010-08-18T02:25:00.000+01:00

It seems that people sometimes get headaches whilst fasting or after fasting (during the evening).

Headaches may be caused from two things.

If the body becomes too Acidic, this may cause a Headache.

If the blood sugar drops to much too rapidly, this may cause the other type of headache.

If your headache starts in the back of your neck, this type of headache is generally because the body has become too Acidic.

Now as to the other kind of headache, it is one which generally starts in behind the eyes, and this kind of headache is caused by Low blood sugars.

This kind may be solved by drinking a Lemon juice.

And some times one may have both kinds of headache as the body floats from one problem to the other.

You must identify which area the headache starts from and then apply the proper solution.

Now as to why one may get a headache whilst fasting.

When one is fasting, this causes the body to draw on it's reserves of the body, which means the body fats.

The body fats contain stored Toxins and excess body Acids, so when you release these into the Lymph system through fasting, this may cause the body to become to Acidic, thus causing your problems.

HalfOurDeen.com

2010-08-15T15:46:00.002+01:00

Missing Fast Without Excuse

2010-08-14T15:48:00.002+01:00

Narrated by Abu Dawood, Al Tirmizi and Ibn Majah from Abu Huraira that the Prophet [Peace Be Upon Him] said:

"Whoever leaves fasting a day in Ramadan without an excuse, that Allah has set out for him, will not be able to make up for it even if he fasts for the whole eternity"

Hilarious Video about Ramadhan

2010-08-13T23:09:00.002+01:00

Losing Weight During Ramadan

2010-08-12T23:28:00.008+01:00

By Karima Burns

"Fast [the month of Ramadan] so that to heal your bodies from diseases," says a Hadith, or saying of the Prophet Mohammad (SAAW).Weight gain could be seen as one of these diseases. However, to lose weight during Ramadan fasting must be done in a very careful manner. There are many ahadith that give us advice on how to eat healthy while fasting during Ramadan. However, people often forget these healthy eating habits during Ramadan.

Ironically, as well, there are more "eating traps" during Ramadan than any other month. So, as we struggle to be good Muslims and fast, we may inadvertently be straying from the path of the Prophet by breaking all rules of good health. The most common "Ramadan pitfalls" are: Eating a large iftar (meal at breaking of fast) right after the Maghrib azhan(sunset call to prayer), eating unusual or new foods, too many salty foods, too many sweet foods, increasing consumption of tea or coffee, not sleeping enough, skipping meals, eating too much bread or other foods, changing lifestyle habits, and reducing exercise.

Eating a large iftar right after the azhan is not recommended in the Hadith. The large influx of food consumed after a day of fasting can cause the digestive system to "clog". For this reason it is recommended that Muslims break their fast on dates and water or a simple soup, perform the Maghrib prayer and then eat a moderate iftar. Ideally, another small meal should then be eaten after the Tarawih (evening prayers during Ramadan) prayers.

Eating a large iftar can also be a problem because it can involve "trigger foods". Trigger foods are foods that cause people to desire more and more of the same food. Sugar is one popular trigger food. The opposite of "trigger foods" are "ideal foods". You can find out your trigger foods by observation or by visiting a naturopath. Everyone should know what foods they are allergic to, what foods are their "trigger" foods and what foods are their "ideal foods".

Eating too much is an obvious pitfall to weight loss during Ramadan. The Qur'an says, "Eat of the good things we have provided for your sustenance but commit no excess therein" (20:81). Many people do not realize that they are eating more because they try not to. However, keep in mind that the rest of the year people usually eat a small breakfast, rush off to work or school and then eat a small lunch and a larger dinner. Then they sleep. In some cultures they eat a larger lunch and then a smaller dinner.

In Ramadan, however, iftar tends to be quite large and eating can continue into the night with numerous visits to family and friends. The morning suhur (pre-fast meal) is often quite large as well. It helps during this time to keep an eating diary for a "reality check". I am sorry to say that most people in my practice that say they are not eating too much find out otherwise when they write it down.

Eating new or unusual foods is also a problem for weight loss during Ramadan. In fact, making any lifestyle changes can be stressful and contribute to weight gain. Stress can cause weight gain in people that are susceptible to stress. If you are the type of person who does not like change and prefers that "everything has its place and everything is in its place" or you are happiest at home then you are probably a person who does not deal with the stress of change very well. Vitamin B complex vitamins can help people deal with stress. There are also many herbs that can help with stress.

Eating new foods also increases the chance you may be allergic to something you are eating. The Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) said, "The stomach is the pool of the body and the veins lead to it. When the stomach is healthy, the veins convey health from it: When the stomach is ill, the veins convey illness." Foods you are allergic to can make your stomach ill, resulting in asthma attacks, hives and weight gain. There is now scientific proof that allergies or food sensitivities can cause weight gain. Many people have lost enormous amounts of weight by discovering their allergies and eliminating those foods from their diets. Common allergens are eggs, peanuts, milk, wheat, soy and many others.

The types of food you chose to eat during Ramadan can also defeat your efforts to lose weight. If you eat too many salty foods your body will retain water and cause you to feel bloated. At the same time, a lack of water in the body causes the body to retain fat and other toxins more readily, as it does not have enough fluid to "flush" toxins out of the body.

The Qu'an clearly states, "Ye people eat of what is on earth, lawful and wholesome" (2:168). If you eat too many un-wholesome foods, such as processed breads and sweets, you will gain weight. These processed and sugary foods are "trigger foods". These foods also leach nutrients from your body and thus cause your body to crave more food in general because it feels very unsatisfied.

Eating too many breads and starches can also cause weight gain. Ramadan is often the time when women like to display and share their cooking abilities. Breads are usually considered the mark of a good cook and the way to display an inviting table to your guests. However, not everyone considers bread to be the height of good cooking. The books The Zone Diet by Barry Sears and the McDougall Plan by Dr. McDougall explains in great detail how starches and grains contribute to weight gain. The book Your Health...Your Choice by Ted Morter, MD goes into even more detail about bread, including how most grains and legumes, along with milk and meat, contribute to the acid environment in our body which promotes overall bad health.

The best way to solve the problem of eating too many starches is to make sure you eat the right proportions from the various food groups to ensure weight loss. Imagine that you are preparing your plate with only vegetables and you are only allowed to use meat, milk, and grains as the condiments. Limit yourself to one cup of any given grain per meal and use meat and milk products as condiments. Start thinking of celery as something to spread peanut butter on instead of bread, think of carrot sticks with hummus instead of pita bread, and try a lettuce leaf instead of tortilla shells. Don't give up eating breads and meat, just de-emphasize them and save them for special dishes only. Your goal should be to consume about 70% vegetables (and fruits, but less of them) and 30% grains, beans, milk products and meat.

There is also an entire category of foods that contribute to weight loss because they are "bitters" or contain a high percentage of water. As a rule any herb or food that is bitter helps move fats through the system faster and more efficiently. You must still eat these foods in moderation and correct proportion.

They are not foods you can eat unlimited amounts of. Bitter and watery foods include: amaranth, quinoa, oats, corn, rye, adzuki beans, cucumber, zucchini, summer squash, sweet potatoes, celery, asparagus, kale, brussel spouts, cabbage, and other sprouts. You can also cook with spices that help speed your metabolism. These spices include: cardamom, cayenne, cinnamon, ginger.

Discontinuing exercise can also cause weight gain during Ramadan. Most people reduce their workloads in some way stating "It's Ramadan so I should rest." For most people, this is untrue. If you have an unstable health condition the stress of fasting may mean that you should be careful. However, if you are so unhealthy that you cannot lead a normal life during Ramadan then you should not be fasting anyway. We need to exercise to pump blood and lymph through our bodies. The heart pumps blood but the feet and legs pump the lymph; and the lymph glands are what help us process and get rid of excess fats and toxins in the system. To really get the lymph flowing you need to have a good twenty minutes of NON-stop brisk walking. However, remember that exercise alone may not help some people lose weight so don't get discouraged if it does not help you. Keep in mind that you should not overwork and that moderate exercise will at least help you keep up your motivation to do the other therapies!

The increase of social coffee and tea drinking also contributes to weight gain during Ramadan. Caffeine (found in coffee, tea, chocolate and even decaffeinated teas and coffees) can cause weight gain in people. This is because carbonated beverages and caffeine leach calcium from your system, which means that you will feel less full all the time and tend to eat the wrong or more things.
Using some herbal teas instead of coffee and tea can also assist in weight loss. I recommend using "single" mixtures or weight loss mixtures that have been tested for hundreds of years and are still in use.

Many herbal weight loss formulas on the market have been tested thoroughly, but only for short periods of time. There is a growing pressure to create new formulas all the time, so as a result many weight loss formulas on the market now have not been tested for long-term effects to organ systems; many contain shocking mixtures of various herbs that do not combine well.

Secondly, each person is unique depending on their physiological type as well as their lifestyle and their unique allergies or health conditions. A tea which may help one person lose weight may cause another to gain weight. A professional herbalist, when creating a program for you will consider the herbs of oat straw, dandelion, alfalfa, fennel, fenugreek, milk thistle, and other herbs that cleanse the liver or lymphatic system. The herbalist may also recommend using some essential oils in a bath or massage such as juniper, bergamot, citrus oil, rosemary, or sage oil.

Surprisingly, lack of sleep can also cause weight gain in people. And it is common in Ramadan for people to not get enough sleep. Not getting enough sleep can put excess stress on the body, which can trigger weight gain.

Not eating enough can also be a surprising cause of weight gain. Not eating Suhur triggers a starvation response in your body, which actually slows down your metabolism for the rest of the day. This is like putting all that food you are eating on "slow motion" instead of "fast". If you skip breakfast your food will metabolize sluggishly in your system and contribute to your weight gain.

Taking vitamins during Ramadan may also cause weight gain. Vitamin D supplements or Multi-vitamins contribute to weight gain. Many people think that since they are not eating the foods they are used to during Ramadan that they should take a vitamin "just in case". Vitamins should never be taken for that reason and should always be recommended by a health care professional. Vitamins can cause damage to organs, malnutrition or other health problems when taken inappropriately.

Last, but not least, remember that Ramadan does not have to be the time of year to lose weight. Don't focus on losing weight this Ramadan. Focus on the meaning of Ramadan, follow the tenants of good health recommended by our Prophet and you will find the weight will come off.

Sehri Tips

2010-08-12T03:10:00.000+01:00

Try to eat protein, high-fiber foods, and complex carbohydrates that will stay with you during the day.

Avoid salty and fried food, which can make you thirsty (e.g. fries, samosas, etc.).

Avoid sugary stuff for suhoor, because it can cause your blood sugar to fluctuate.

Take plenty of liquids and also be careful to drink enough after iftar and during the night to replenish the liquids you have lost. Being dehydrated can make a person dizzy.

Many people find that a cup or two of plain yogurt at Sehri time reduces thirst, as well as hunger, during the day.

Importance of Sehri

2010-08-12T03:04:00.000+01:00

Ibn Umar (Radhi Allaho anho) relates: Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) said:

'Verily Allah and His Malaa'ikah send Mercy upon those who eat 'Sehri' (sower-Suhoor)."

In another Ahadith, Rasulullah (Sallallahu alaihe wasallam) said:

'The difference between our fasting and that of the Ahlul-Kitaab (Jews and Christians) lies in our partaking of food at "Sehri" which they do not."

One Hadith says, in Sahih Bukhari:

"Eat 'Sehri' and strengthen yourself for the fast. And sleep in the afternoon (Siesta), so as to gain assistance in waking up in the latter portion of the night (for "Ibaadah")."

"This is a thing full of blessings, which Allah has granted you. Do not give it up."

In his commentary on "Sahih Bukhari", Ibne Hajar has mentioned various reasons for the blessedness of "Sehri":

• Because in it, the 'Sunnah' is followed. • Through "Sehri", we differentiate ourselves from the ways of Ahlul-Kitaab, which we are at all times called upon to do.
• It provides strength for "Ibaadah".
• It promotes greater sincerity in "Ibaadah".
• It aids in elimination of bad temper, which normally comes about as result of hunger. • 'Sehri' is the time when prayers are accepted.
• At the time of 'Sehri', one gets the opportunity to remember Allah, makes Dhikr and lifts up the hand to Him in prayer.
These are a few of the major reasons; there are many others as well.

How great is Allah’s favour upon us that even the partaking of food before dawn for fasting is so greatly rewarded. There are many Ahaadith in which the virtues of “Sehri” are expounded and the rewards mentioned.

Allaamah Ain - Commentator on Bukhari - has quoted the virtues of “Sehri” from seventeen different ‘Sahaabah’ and all the “Ulama” are agreed on its being “Mustahab” (desirable).

Many people are deprived of this great reward because of their own laziness. Some even go so far as to finish ‘Taraweeh’, eat (what they suppose to be “Sehri’!) and go to bed.

What great blessings do they lose! “Sehri” actually means partaking of food shortly before dawn. Some authorities say that the time for “Sehri” commences after half the night has passed (Mirquat). The author of Kash-shaff (Zamakhshari) divided the night into six portions, stating that the last one of these is the time of “Sehri”; so that, when the night (from sunset till dawn) extends over twelve hours, the last two hours would be the correct time for “Sehri”.

Then it must also be remembered that to eat at the latest possible time is better and greater in reward than eating earlier, subject to the condition that no doubt remains as to whether “Sehri” had been eaten before the time of dawn. The Ahaadith are full of virtues of “Sehri”.

The Prophet has said, “Eat Sehri, because in it lie great blessings; and again. “In three things, are the great blessings: in “Jama’ah” (company), in eating “Thareed” and in “Sehri”. In this Hadith, the use of the word “Jama’ah” is general, wherefrom we deduce that it includes “Salaat” with “Jamaa’ah” and all those righteous deeds done in company, as thus Allah’s help comes to them. “Thareed” is a tasty preparation, in which baked bread is cooked with meat. The third thing mentioned in this Hadith is “Sehri”. When Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) used to invite any of the companions to eat “Sehri” with him, he used to say: “Come and partake of blessed food with me."
Abdullah bin Haarith (Radhiallahu Anhu) reports that one of the Sahaaba said: “I once visited Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihi wasallam) at a time when he was busy in partaking of ‘Sehri’. Rasulullah then said: “This is a thing full of blessings, which Allah has granted you. Do not give it up.”

Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) in urging us repeatedly for ‘Sehri’ has said: “Even though there be no food, then one date should be eaten or a drink of water taken.” Thus, when there are definitely great advantages and reward in ‘Sehri’, Muslims should endeavour to observe this practice as much as possible. However, in all things moderation is important, and going beyond the bounds of moderation is harmful: neither should so little be eaten that one feels weak throughout the period of fasting, nor should so much be eaten that it causes discomfort. Repeatedly, we have been prohibited from filling the stomach excessively.

Source: Virues of Sehri by Sheikhul Hadith Maulana Muhammad Zakariyya.

Fasting Saves You From Fire

2010-08-12T01:35:00.001+01:00

The Prophet (pbuh) said "There is not a servant who fasts a day in the way of Allah , except that Allah removes his face from the fire by the distance of seventy years because of that" Reported by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim.

The Coming of Ramadhan

2010-08-10T13:21:00.004+01:00

Baihaqi reported on the authority of Salman Al-Farsi (Radhi Allah ‘Anh) that Prophet (‘Alaihi Salat was-Salam) delivered a sermon on the last day of the month of Sha’ban. In it he (‘Alaihi Salat was-Salam) said,

“O People! The month of Allah (Ramadan) has come with its mercies, blessings and forgivenesses. Allah has decreed this month the best of all months. The days of this month are the best among the days and the nights are the best among the nights and the hours during Ramadan are the best among the hours. This is a month in which you have been invited by Him (to fast and pray). Allah has honoured you in it. In every breath you take is a reward of Allah, your sleep is worship, your good deeds are accepted and your invocations are answered.

Therefore, you must invoke your Lord in all earnestness with hearts free from sin and evil, and pray that Allah may help you to keep fast, and to recite the Holy Qur’an. Indeed!, miserable is the one who is deprived of Allah’s forgiveness in this great month. While fasting remember the hunger and thirst on the Day of Judgement. Give alms to the poor and needy. Pay respect to your elders, have sympathy for your youngsters and be kind towards your relatives and kinsmen. Guard your tongue against unworthy words, and your eyes from scenes that are not worth seeing (forbidden) and your ears from sounds that should not be heard.

Be kind to orphans so that if your children may become orphans they will also be treated with kindness. Do repent to Allah for your sins and supplicate with raised hands at the times of prayer as these are the best times, during which Allah Almighty looks at His servants with mercy. Allah Answers if they supplicate, Responds if they call, Grants if He is asked, and Accepts if they entreat. O people! you have made your conscience the slave of your desires.

Make it free by invoking Allah for forgiveness. Your back may break from the heavy load of your sins, so prostrate yourself before Allah for long intervals, and make this load lighter. Understand fully that Allah has promised in His Honour and Majesty that, people who perform salat and sajda (prostration) will be guarded from Hell-fire o n the Day of Judgement.

O people!, if anyone amongst you arranges for iftar (meal at sunset) for any believer, Allah will reward him as if he had freed a slave, and Allah will forgive him his sins. A companion asked: “but not all of us have the means to do so” The Prophet (SAAWS) replied: Keep yourself away from Hell-fire though it may consist of half a date or even some water if you have nothing else.

O people!, anyone who during this month cultivates good manners, will walk over the Sirat (bridge to Paradise) o n the day when feet will tend to slip. For anyone who during this month eases the workload of his servants, Allah will make easy his accounting, and for anyone who doesn’t hurt others during this month, Allah will safeguard him from His Wrath o n the Day of Judgement. Anyone who respects and treats an orphan with kindness during this month, Allah shall look at him with kindness o n that Day. Anyone who treats his kinsmen well during this month, Allah will bestow His Mercy o n him o n that Day, while anyone who mistreats his kinsmen during this month, Allah will keep away from His Mercy.

Whomever offers the recommended prayers during this month, Allah will save him from Hell, and whomever observes his obligations during this month, his reward will be seventy times the reward during other months. Whomever repeatedly invokes Allah’s blessings o n me, Allah will keep his scale of good deeds heavy, while the scales of others will be tending to lightness. Whomever recites during this month an ayat (verse) of the Holy Qur’an, will get the reward of reciting the whole Qur’an in other months.

O people!, the gates of Paradise remain open during this month. Pray to your Lord that they may not be closed for you. While the gates of Hell are closed, pray to your Lord that they never open for you. Satan has been chained, invoke your Lord not to let him dominate you.”

Ali ibn Talib (RAA) said: “I asked, ‘O messenger of Allah, what are the best deeds during this month’?” ‘He replied: ‘O Abu-Hassan, the best of deeds during this month is to be far from what Allah has forbidden’.”

Pre Ramadhan Reflections

2010-07-27T01:36:00.000+01:00

It is important for us to prepare for the Holy Month of Ramadan in order to reap the maximum benefits from this month. Rasulullah (may the prayers of Allah and peace be upon him) and his noble Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) used to look forward to the coming of the blessed month of Ramadan. The Holy Prophet (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) would say in his supplications:

Allahumma barik lana fi Rajab wa Sha’ban wa ballighna Ramadan
“Allah bless us in the month of Rajab and Sha’ban and help us to meet and spend Ramadan (in a deserving manner).”

Ramadan is the month of excitement and enlightenment for Muslims. It is the month of revelation of the Holy Qur’an, the month of reading and reciting the entire Qur’an, the month of tahajjud and qiyamul layl, of tarawih prayers, of sadaqah, zakatul fitr, and zakatul mal.

No one can go anywhere without preparation, and no one invites a guest without preparing to welcome him/her. Similarly, to welcome Ramadan — the month of fasting — one has to prepare. The following are some tips to help you receive and welcome this noble month of Ramadan.

1. Try to fast on Mondays and Thursdays, as of today.

2. Start reading Qur’an daily after Salatul Fajr.

3. Spend some time listening to recitations from the Qur’an.

4. Train yourself to go to bed early so that you can wake up for Salatul Fajr.

5. Keep yourself in a state of wudu’ at all times.

6. Evaluate yourself daily before going to bed. Thank Almighty Allah for all the good deeds you do, and repent to Him for your mistakes and sins.

7. Give yourself some time alone, so that you can meditate, make dhikr, tasbih, takbir, tahmid, tahlil, and other forms of dhikr. You will experience spiritual elevation and you will enjoy life tremendously.

8. Those who can afford to make ‘Umrah before Ramadan comes should do so, and those who are able to perform ‘Umrah in Ramadan should do so. ‘Umrah in Ramadan is equivalent to (the reward of) a hajj.

9. Start giving (charity) daily, no matter how little it is. Make it a habit, like eating and drinking.

10. Find time to pray extra nawafil (optional) salah, such as Salatul Duha, Qiyamul Layl, and Salatul Tahajjud. (note: If you have fardh – obligatory – prayers to make up, it is much more important to fulfill those first.)

11. Spend more time reading Islamic books, especially the Holy Qur’an, books on Seerah (the life of the Messenger of Allah), hadith, and fiqh.

12. Find time to help others with your wisdom, knowledge, and other talents.

13. Try to write articles on Islam for Muslims and others for non-Muslims.

14. Associate with Muslim scholars, ‘ulama, and pious believers so that you may learn from them.

15. Train yourself to do good, no matter how insignificant it may seem, and render useful service to others.

16. Try to learn how to make da’wah to non-Muslims, and engage in this noble activity. It is an art requiring knowledge and training.

17. Try to spend more time with your family, and remind them to prepare for Ramadan as well.

From Ramadan Companion
by Faisal Abdur Razak

Be Kind To Your Parents

2010-04-14T22:30:00.001+01:00

A short film in Urdu (with English subtitles) about the importance of looking after parents.

Aik Mauqa (One Chance) Short Film About Adultery

2010-04-14T00:19:00.002+01:00

A short film which tells the story of a man who has an extra-marital affair and how he comes to understand the consequences of his actions.

Taqwa

2010-03-05T14:35:00.001Z

Fourty Ahadeeth of Imam Nawawi

Hadith Number 18/40 : http://fortyhadith.iiu.edu.my/hadith18.htm

Abu Dhar Jundub bin Junadah and Abu Abdul Rahman Mu’adh bin Jabal, radiyallahu anhuma, reported that the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, said:

“Fear Allah wherever you may be; follow up an evil deed with a good one which will wipe (the former) out, and behave good-naturedly towards people.”

[Al-Tirmidhi relates it, saying: It is a good (hasan) Tradition. In some copies he says: It is a good and genuine (hasan and sahih) Hadith.]

Background

Taqwa is one of the most important and comprehensive Islamic concepts. The term is derived from its root "waqayya" which means “to protect.” Taqwa therefore means to protect one own self from the severe punishment of Allah by following His guidance.

Some translate Taqwa as “to fear Allah”. However, fearing Allah is only one aspect of this comprehensive concept. Ali ibn Abi Talib, radiyallahu anhu, defines it as: “Fearing Allah, adhering to His commandments, being content with what He provides one with, and getting ready for the Day of Judgement.”

Mohammad Asad translates it as “to be conscious of Allah.” It might be better according to some Muslim linguist to use the transliteration of this Qur’anic term and keep it as it is.

The term has been mentioned many times both in Qur’an and Sunnah. Allah the Almighty says:

"O believers! Have Taqwa of Allah as is His right to have Taqwa. And die not except while you are Muslims"

[Surah Al-Imran (3): ayat 102]

By realization of Taqwa a Muslim is granted many bounties and blessings which he/she may gain. Among them are: the Love of Allah, a criterion by which to judge and distinguish between right and wrong, a way out of difficulties, matters will be made easier for him/her, sins will be remitted, guidance, help to acquire beneficial knowledge, prosperity and success.

Lessons

According to Ibn Rajab's view as well as other scholars, Taqwa is to fulfill obligations and avoid prohibitions and doubtful matters. It is the advice of Allah to all humankind, and it is the advice of all prophets, alayhim al-salam, to their people. Prophet Mohammad, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, used to advise and continuously remind his Companions about Taqwa in all his talks and on different occasions.

Those who define Taqwa as “fearing Allah” look at the concept as a motive, because according to early scholars the minimum level of fearing Allah is what motivates a Muslim to fulfill obligations and keeps him/her away from prohibitions.

Taqwa does not imply perfection. Those who have Taqwa are subject to commit sins. However, if they do so, they repent right away and follow up the bad deed they have done with a good deed to wipe the bad one out as mentioned in this hadith. This clarifies the debatable issue between some scholars: whether or not avoiding minor sins is considered an aspect of Taqwa.

Allah the Almighty and all Merciful has left the door of forgiveness opened to many means by which the punishment for a sin might be removed. To do good deeds right after bad ones to wipe them out is one mean. This is mentioned in Surah Hud, ayat 114: "Verily, the good deeds remove the evil deeds."

There are other ways and means by which sins are forgiven as stated in the Qur’an and Sunnah such as:

* Istighfar (seeking forgiveness by supplication)

* Tubah (repentance)

* Du'a’ of Muslims for one another

* The intercession by the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam

* The intercession of pious Muslims

* Performing the daily five prayers regularly and on time

* Afflictions

* The torment in the grave

* The horrible scenes and events of the Last Day

* The mere Mercy and Forgiveness from Allah

If we do a good deed, Allah will reward us by guiding us to do another good deed. Hence, doing a good deed will lead to doing another good deed. Doing a bad deed without regretting it or without istighfar or wiping it out by doing a good deed will most likely lead to doing another bad deed, whether of the same type or of a different type. By doing a bad deed with that attitude makes the person subject to repeat it again and again and doing other bad deeds becomes possible until the heart of that person is “sealed” and the person turns into a transgressor.

It is an obligation that every Muslim should treat others, deal with them, and interact with them in a good manner. Ibn Rajab says in his commentary: “Having good character is a characteristic of Taqwa. Taqwa cannot be complete without it. It was mentioned here by itself due to the need for explicitly explaining that point. Many people think that Taqwa implies fulfilling the rights of Allah without fulfilling the rights of humans. Therefore, the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, explicitly stated that he/she must deal with people in a kind manner.” This ruling is stressed in many other hadiths, of which the following are some:

“Piety and Righteousness is being of good character.” [Recorded by Imam Muslim]

“The believer with the most complete Iman (faith) is the one with the best behavior.” [Recorded by Imam Ahmad and Abu Dawud]

“There is nothing heavier in the scales than good character.” [Recorded by Imam Ahmad and Abu Dawud]

The Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, made Iman (faith) and good character as the main basic criterion whether or not to accept a man for marriage.

Conclusion

To fear Allah the Almighty, to adhere to His commandments, to follow doing a bad deed with a good deed to wipe it out, and to deal with others in a good manner and good character are all aspects of the concept of Taqwa.

Bid’ah alert Celebrating Prophet’s birthday

2010-02-26T19:17:00.002Z

An article written by Humza Mullick

IT was a typical day in England, the sun was out and the bitterness of the afternoon breeze cut through my skin. As I walked around the park, the leaves swaying and birds chirping, I noticed a minibus within the boundaries of the park. I thought what a strange sight it was and what is the bus doing inside the park? As my eyes moved up, I saw a chair, decorated with a green what-seemed-to-be silky cloth, fixed on its roof.
To my utter amazement, there were, what I can only describe as frantic Muslims, running behind the bus. I didn’t have a clue what was happening. I asked a fellow passerby in the park what on earth was going on. He told me that they were celebrating Prophet Muhammad’s (peace be on him) birthday. I was flabbergasted. They were chasing a bus with an empty chair on it?! Then he further explained that they “believed” the Prophet was actually sitting in the chair and the runners were trying to get some blessings from him! Allah’s refuge is to be sought from such false and repugnant beliefs. It looked like people from a mental asylum were let loose.

Muslims who celebrate Meelad-un-Nabi (the Prophet’s birthday) do it thinking it is a great deed. They have Insha Allah good intentions. But having good intention is not sufficient when it comes to religion – one must have proper knowledge of the right action.

Here’s a question, think about it: A man who wanted to get closer to Allah decided to go on top of a mountain and stand up on one leg the whole day long. He thought he will be purified from his sins and get closer to Allah. Do you think his action is correct? Why not? Yes, his intention was good, but his action was not in accordance with what Allah and His Messenger have laid down. He should have instead repented to Allah, prayed Salah, given in charity and tried to act on Islamic teachings in his life. He did not do the right thing because he did not know how one gets closer to Allah.

So knowledge of what one must do is a pre-requirement to any action. No doubt loving the Prophet more than everything in this world is required of every Muslim. And if one wants to show his love for the Messenger, that’s very good. But the question is how? By celebrating his birthday?

Muhammad (peace be on him) lived for 63 years, 23 years of which as a Prophet and Messenger. He never celebrated his birthday in his entire life. After he passed away, Abu Bakr, the closest companion to the Prophet (peace be upon him), became the Caliph. Then Umar, Uthman and Ali (may Allah be pleased with them) ruled as the rightly-guided Caliphs. But none of them – or any of the Companions or Tabi’een – ever celebrated the Prophet’s birthday. Does that mean they didn’t love the Prophet?

In fact there can be no one on this earth until the Day of Judgment who can love and sacrifice for the Prophet (peace be upon him) more than the Sahabah. They gave up their wealth, land, and lives for the Prophet (peace be upon him). What about the Prophet’s beloved wife Ayesha (Allah be pleased with her)? Can anyone claim to love the Prophet more than her? Why didn’t she ever celebrate Meelad-un-Nabi?
Religion is complete

Islam is a complete religion. So complete that nothing can be added to it and nothing can be subtracted from it. Allah said in the Qur’an:

“This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion.” (Qur’an, 5:3)

The innovation of celebrating the Prophet’s birthday was first introduced 300 years after the death of the Prophet (peace be upon him), but it was still not practiced. It was only 600 years after the death of the Prophet (peace be upon him) that this celebration really started in the Muslim Ummah. (See Ibn Kathir’s Al-Bidayah wa’l-Nihayah, 13/137)
The Prophet (peace be upon him) has told us several times to stay clear of innovations in religion.

“I urge you to follow my Sunnah and the way of the rightly-guided Caliphs after me; adhere to it and cling to it firmly. Beware of newly-invented things, for every newly-invented thing (in the religion) is an innovation (bid’ah) and every innovation is misguidance.” (Narrated by Ahmad, 4/126; Al-Tirmidhi, no. 2676).

Apart from being an innovation it is imitating the Christians, who celebrate the birthday of Jesus (peace be upon him). Both, innovating in religion and imitating other religions, are Haraam in Islam.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Whoever imitates a people is one of them.” (Ahmad, 2/50; Abu Dawood, 4/314)

Then how do we express our love for the Prophet? Allah says in the Qur’an:

“Say (O Muhammad, peace be upon him, to mankind): ‘If you (really) love Allah, then follow me (i.e. accept Islamic Monotheism, follow the Qur’an and the Sunnah), Allah will love you and forgive you your sins.” (Qur’an, 3:31)

Loving Allah and His Messenger means to obey them. Loving Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) means following his Sunnah, reviving his practices which have become uncommon in our societies. It doesn’t mean introducing our own way of worship and rituals.

Allah and His Messenger did not say to hold celebrations where men and women mix, sing and dance with music playing. These Haraam activities can be found in the heart of London on a Friday or Saturday night, in the name of loving the Prophet (peace be on him). How absurd!

One of the early scholars, Al-Barbahari, one of the companions of Ahmed Ibn Hanbal, said,

“Beware of innovation, because every innovation started out as something small and resembling the truth and people were fooled by it and followed it until it became bigger and bigger and were trapped by it and it took them out of Islam.”

Isn’t this what is exactly happening today? We find that in some places this event has become so important that if it is not practiced you are seen as a sinner! People who do this do not even give importance to prayer.

The important lesson to learn here is that when something is innovated into the religion, a Sunnah is lost. People are celebrating the birthday, which is not legislated, and are leaving the established Sunnahs. Let us ask ourselves: how many of us fast on the 13th, 14th and 15th of every month? How many of us fast Mondays and Thursdays? How many of us pray the Qiyam Al-Layl (the night prayer) or Tahajjud?

It is also important to know that the correct date of the Prophet’s birth is not known. Some scholars say it was 9th Rabi Al-Awwal and others say it was 12th. However, it is known for sure that the Prophet (peace be upon him) died on the 12th, which in fact was the greatest calamity that has ever struck Muslims.

Islam and Music

2010-01-10T02:39:00.003Z

When it comes to Islam, music is a very interesting and heavily debated topic. Before I continue any further, I’d like to make it clear that my intention is not to take any side of the argument but instead to present both opinions in a short article. My aim is not to tell you what is haram (forbidden) or what is halal (permissible) but instead to explore some of the points we often debate. I’d like to add that I myself do listen to music, but I assure you that this won’t affect the neutrality of the article.

We all listen to music, so what can be wrong with it? For me, that argument is about as weak as they get, just because something is common or popular, it doesn’t become acceptable, I’ll leave the additional examples to your very own imagination. What is it about music that could potentially make it prohibited in Islam? It relaxes the mind and helps you to be calm and focused in life. No, that doesn’t seem like a major risk of listening to music. Music is difficult to define especially because it means so many different things to so many different people. There are many different types of music in the world, and if I chose to evaluate each and every type, you’d be moving to another webpage at the speed of light! So let me have a go at only one or two types of music.

Music enters the ears and moves down to the heart and eventually influences the soul. Some argue that it can control your lifestyle, your actions and your thoughts, put simply it can control you. One would ask, how might that be possible? You listen to a song written by a murderer, who kills for enjoyment, and then you go out and do exactly the same as him. Not quite, it is a little more sophisticated than that. A youngster spends five hours daily (remember you can do other stuff whilst listening to your tracks) listening to rap music which, just like a jam-sandwich is packed with jam, is packed with abusive language. The rap artist is a drug addict, living in a land where money grows on trees. Music is his voice, his frustration, anger, whatever you call it, his way of expressing himself and his heart presented in an audio format. The heart of a man (or a woman) is influenced by what he/she sees and hears, so if the youngster in our example, is constantly exposed to ‘filth’, what are the chances his mind will become corrupted? There is no rocket science in this example; it is plainly obvious that music can influence people. Now, to throw the argument on it’s head, what about those youngsters who listen to rap music but they are not influenced by it in any way. Good for them, why not throw them in a pool of snakes because they might be lucky enough to survive?

Romantic music doesn’t contain swearing or abuse, but it does often encourage men and women to engage in acts that are forbidden by Islam. “Your eyes are so beautiful, you’re so sweet, I wish I was with you for the rest of my life”, harmless, right? Well, one will say that it totally depends on the listener, some people will be easily influenced (e.g. to engage in forbidden acts outside marriage) but others won’t be. But again the key point is that music is an influence. Allah has warned us not only to abstain from that which is clearly forbidden but also that which may lead to it. The song may not be harmful but how it affects your character and your way of thinking is what could potentially become harmful. Music which encourages lewd behaviour usually results in increased vulgarity and disrespect for women in society. Islam doesn’t tell us to live on the edge, where there are risks of falling off the edge; we’ve been told to keep our distance. Sounds simple, if you want to avoid an accident, keep your distance from the car in front.

Now, there are many other types of music, there is even music that reminds us of our religion and that influences us positively. Some Muslims promote such music though there are others who pose questions about its sincerity. I’m also aware that the use of certain instruments is discouraged by our religion. One of the important points is that The Holy Q’uran doesn’t explicitly forbid music in the way it labels alcohol and gambling as ‘haram’. It seems that there are many different types of music out there, and the way in which people are influenced by music differs significantly. For example, a Nasheed (Islamic music) might appeal to one person because it contains the message of peace, but for another person it could be the ego or arrogance of the performer that is more appealing. Had our religion given us a blanket statement, such as all music is forbidden, it would’ve been quite misleading. No doubt, we can argue that Islam totally discourages music which blatantly promotes and explicitly glamourises sinful activity. Islam doesn't plainly forbid music and the reason for that might be because music takes many forms, it would be unfair and misleading to label them all as one. But for me, the important concept which we must understand is that music can heavily influence the mind and the heart. As Muslims, we must protect ourselves from all influences which take us away from the straight path of Islam. What sometimes annoys me is that the music debate gets far too much attention, and we get people on both sides holding up the ‘halal’ or ‘haram’ card. For me, what is more important is that each individual understands the role of music in their life and whether it is ruining their character, improving it or not affecting it at all. Paying attention to detail is important but there are times, we must learn not to lose ourselves in it, take a step back and look at the big picture, and ask yourself what music means in your life and how it influences you.

Sameer Hussain

sampowa@googlemail.com

Sheikh Ahmad Kutty on Music

2010-01-10T01:17:00.001Z

Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and an Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, states:

“Music is an issue that has been hotly debated by scholars of the past and the present. While many of them have been generally inclined to condemn all forms of music, with the singular exception of ad-duff (tambourine) in weddings, quite a few of them have taken a more positive approach of considering only music containing sensual, pagan, or unethical themes or subliminal messages as being categorically forbidden.

The latter view seems to be more consistent with the general nature of Islam, which is undoubtedly a complete way of life that caters to all of the genuine human instincts and needs within permissible limits. Thus, to say that all music is forbidden in Islam does not seem to agree with the balanced approach of Islam to issues of human life and experience.

Traditions often cited by the first group scholars to justify condemnation of all musical instruments and music, according to some scholars, are considered as either spurious, or phrased in such way solely because of their associations with drinking, dancing, and sensuality.

While everyone agrees that all forms of music that contain pagan, sensual themes, or subliminal messages are clearly forbidden, the latter group of scholars considers all forms of music free of such themes and messages as permissible.

As a matter of fact, we know from the authentic traditions that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, not only allowed music in the weddings but also listened to girls singing: While listening to girls singing on such an occasion, he interrupted them only once when they sang the following verse, “In our midst is a prophet who knows what will happen tomorrow”; whence, the Prophet, peace be upon him, told them, “Cut this sentence out, and continue singing what you have been singing earlier.” There is nothing in the sources to indicate that the above permission is limited to the occasion of wedding, as some people tend to think.

In light of these, according to the last mentioned group of scholars, music that is deemed to be free of un-Islamic and unethical themes and messages, the same is true of musical instruments so long as they are not used for the above, have been considered as permissible.

But we have to stress that Islam clearly prohibits mixed dancing of males and females.”

The Accident

2009-12-12T22:31:00.001Z

Eid ul Adha Mubarak Friday 27th November 2009

2009-11-25T17:09:00.003Z

Follow Islamic Point on Facebook

2009-10-20T00:20:00.002+01:00

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Islamic-Point/144991324480?ref=ts

Zakat in Islam

2009-09-17T18:32:00.001+01:00

Source:
http://www.ukim.org/webpages/Zakah.aspx

"Take from their wealth a portion for charity, in order to clean them thereby, and sanctify them."

Literal Meaning: Zakat or Zakah means grow (in goodness) or 'increase', 'purifying' or 'making pure'. So the act of giving zakat means purifying one's wealth to gain Allah's blessing to make it grow in goodness.

One of the most important principles of Islam is that all things belong to God, and that wealth is therefore held by human beings in trust. The word zakat or Zakah means both 'purification' and 'growth'. Our possessions are purified by setting aside a proportion for those in need, and, like the pruning of plants, this cutting back balances and encourages new growth.

Zakat or Zakah not only purifies the property of the contributor but also purifies his heart from selfishness and greed. It also purifies the heart of the recipient from envy and jealousy, from hatred and uneasiness and it fosters instead good-will and warm wishes for the contributors.

A certain fixed proportion of the wealth and of the each and every kind of the property liable to Zakat of a Muslim to be paid yearly for the benefit of the poor in the Muslim community.The Zakat is a form of giving to those who are less fortunate. Zakat is a 2.5% levy on most valuables and savings held for a full year if their total value is more than a basic minimum known as nisab. Cash money in your bank and building society accounts, and the release value of bonds, securities and shares in any form are zakatable if they are purchased as an investment. There is no Zakat on family home or household furniture, carpets, car, etc. This is done before the beginning of the month of Muharram, the first of new year. Giving the Zakat is considered an act of worship because it is a form of offering thanks to God for the means of material well-being one has acquired.

The payment of Zakat is obligatory (Fard) as it is one of the five pillars of Islam. Zakat is the major economic means for establishing social justice and leading the Muslim society to prosperity and security. [See Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol. 2, Book ofZakat (24)]. The Qur'an says that only those who pay zakat are in the "brotherhood of faith". The Holy Qur'an also says that Zakat purifies assets and creates virtue ( Surah 9: 103 ).

Distribution of Zakat:

Zakat is distributed among 8 categories of people, namely:

Fakir - One who has neither material possessions nor means of livelihood.
Miskin - One with insufficient means of livelihood to meet basic needs.
Amil - One who is appointed to collect zakat.
Muallaf - One who converts to Islam.
Riqab - One who wants to free himself from bondage or the shackles of slavery. (In Singapore, zakat due to this category of recipients is spent on those who need help to pursue education or to improve their standard of living).
Gharmin - One who is in debt (money borrowed to meet basic, halal expenditure).
Fisabillillah - One who struggles for the cause of Allah.
Ibnus Sabil - One who is stranded in journey.

The Holy Qur'an (Sura Al-Tauba: 60) classifies the due recipients of zakat under the following eight categories.
"Zakat is for the poor, and for the needy and those who are employed to administer and collect it, and the new converts, and for those who are in bondage, and in debt and service of the cause of Allah, and for the wayfarers, a duty ordained by Allah, and Allah is the All-Knowing, the Wise".

Calculate Zakat:

Click here to calculate your zakat (Islamicity.com)

Ramadhan in Two Different Countries

2009-09-12T10:20:00.001+01:00

This Ramadhan has been unique for me because I spent the first half in Pakistan, living in a village in Azad Kashmir and the second half back here in the UK. As one would expect, the challenges of fasting vary from one country to another.

I found it much more challenging to fast in Pakistan because conditions were very humid as you can imagine it being August in Pakistan! The first few days were a bit of a struggle as I went from drinking lots of water to having no water all day. After a few days, I guess the body learns to adjust and things got much easier. I didn’t feel hungry at any time during the day, but started to get thirsty even six hours before Iftaari time! I’ve never experienced that kind of thirst whilst fasting in England, I think it really made me feel mega-fortunate to have easy access to water on a day to day basis. I remember thinking that we people are so stupid (me included) that we want so many materialistic things in life e.g. money, bigger house, etc. But we already have what we really need, I mean what we really really need i.e. water and food.

In Pakistan, I noticed that the prices of food went up significantly as Ramadhan started, the food retailers knowing well that the rich will be able to pay higher prices for having good food at Iftaar. But this kind of situation makes it very hard for the poor because the cheapest tub of Kajoor (dates) was 70 rupees and bearing in mind that an average daily wage (for those fortunate enough to be working) is between 150 and 300 rupees. As a result of such pricing activity in the market, the poor can’t even think about buying Kajoor for themselves. Fruit prices went sky high with grapes at 300 rupees per kilo, almost the same price as in the UK (despite the two economies being so far apart). Fruit and Kajoor are merely two examples; food in general is more expensive in the month of Ramadhan. Consequently, the poor are left with very few options and even after a day of fasting, they can only eat a very modest meal.

Back in the UK, second half of Ramadhan, the menu (as at almost every Muslim house) contains pakoras, samosas, kebabs, rice, all sorts of curries and sweet dishes i.e. lots of luxury food. Often there is too much to eat, and people tend not to eat yesterday’s food because they feel that they deserve better when fasting, so the left over food – typically plates full can be found in the bin. Of course, having a good Iftaar meal is not a bad thing but I just couldn’t help thinking about the poor people who would come home to their families with bags containing very little food and to the disappointment of their kids, no fruit or sweets to enjoy. It must be difficult to explain to your family that you cannot afford to buy Kajoor for Iftaari time.

From a personal point of view, I’m glad I experienced fasting in Pakistan, standing up in Taraweeh with sweat pouring down my back and conditions that sometimes made me feel as if there is no air to breathe in! The harder the conditions, the greater the test becomes and thanks to Allah, more reward is on offer. Alhumdolillah fasting in Pakistan has made me feel more upbeat about the next few years of fasting in the UK i.e. when the days will be longer. There are of course many challenges in fasting in the UK too, waking up for Sehri and then waking up for work/school and feeling tired throughout the day, etc. Fortunately, in Pakistan I was on holiday so could get plenty of sleep and had a flexible schedule. Here in the UK, lack of sleep makes it harder to fast for many people because the body is hungry, thirsty and also tired! Though the challenges and conditions vary, the utmost intention of fasting is the same i.e. striving to fulfil religious duty.

12 Foods of Prophet Muhammad (SAW)

2009-06-28T01:45:00.002+01:00

(Arranged Alphabetically)

Barley:
Good in fever, while use in a soup form.

Dates:
The Prophet (SAW) said that a house without dates has no food. It should also be eaten at the time of childbirth.

Figs:
It is a fruit from paradise and a cure for piles.

Grapes:
The Prophet (SAW) was very fond of grapes - it purifies the blood, provides vigour and health, strengthens the kidneys and clears the bowels.

Honey:
Considered the best remedy for diarrhoea when mixed in hot water. It is the food of foods, drink of drinks and drug of drugs. It is used for creating appetite, strengthening the stomach, eliminating phlegm; as a meat preservative, hair conditioner, eye soother and mouthwash. It is extremely beneficial in the morning in warm water.

Melon:
The Prophet (SAW) said: 'None of your women who are pregnant and eat of water melon will fail to produce off spring that is good in countenance and good in character.'

Milk:
The Prophet (SAW) said that milk wipes away heat from the heart just as the finger wipes away sweat from the brow. It strengthens the back, improved the brain, renews vision and drives away forgetfulness.

Mushroom:
The Prophet (SAW) said that mushroom is a good cure for the eyes; it also serves as a form of birth control and arrests paralysis.

Olive Oil:
Excellent treatment for skin and hair, delays old age, and treats inflammation of the stomach.

Pomegranate:
The Prophet (SAW) said it cleanses you of Satan and evil aspirations for 40 days.

Vinegar:
A food Prophet Muhammad (SAW) used to eat with olive oil. [That's now a fashion in elite Italian Restaurants]

Water:
The Prophet (SAW) said the best drink in this world is water, when you are thirsty drink it by sips and not gulps, gulping produces sickness of the liver.

So 'darood' and praise be upon our beloved Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (SAW) who related us with marvelous knowledge, which dazzles the wisest minds. May this information be beneficial to all of us. Insha'Allah.

Michael Jackson Dead

2009-06-26T18:06:00.005+01:00

The news of the death of an extremely popular celebrity, Michael Jackson, has shocked the world and millions of people are sad to hear of his death. Last year, there were reports in the media that Michael, whose brother is a Muslim, had accepted Islam as his religion. Whether or not this is true, is of little importance to you and me and Allah knows best the intentions and actions of each and every one of His creation. I don't know too much about Michael and how he spent his life but I get the impression that he was in search of happiness which he didn't fully achieve despite all the fame, money and the change in physical appearance!

We must remember that no amount of fame or wealth (or other type of success) can protect anybody from the certainty of death. In fact many of us will have ambitions that we plan to achieve and these are close to our hearts, yet achieving them is not a certainty. In fact, there is no certainty that a new born baby will speak when he grows up, there is no certainty that he will go to school, there is no certainty that he will get married and have kids. However, death is something which is guaranteed. Allah tells us in the Q'uran that "Every soul shall taste death; In the end to us shall ye be brought back" (Surah 29 Verse 57).

Yet we avoid thinking about the reality of death, and to avoid something is rarely a solution. Think about it, even the most popular man in the world has died in a state of stress. In that case, what can the life of this world offer to us? Allah has told us time and time again that the life of this world is limited and temporary so we must not be attached to what it offers. Instead we must remember the Guidance of Allah and strive to prepare ourselves for life after death. Our life on this earth must be spent with understanding of the life that follows, otherwise our lives will be empty and pointless. If you were living in a temporary house and you knew you wouldn't be there for long, would you not prepare yourself for leaving? Our condition is like the person who spends all his time decorating the temporary house, forgetting that he is there only for a short while.

Shahrukh Khan Controversy

2009-06-25T19:42:00.005+01:00

Please read the article below and make your own judgement on this controversy, remember always check the source of information before taking it for the truth. Initially, I was very angry when I heard this on the radio but later found out that the media is corrupt and unreliable.....especially certain Indian news channels....their stories are full of hype and sensation.....

A typing error, i.e. using a comma instead of a full stop has caused so much controversy. Article follows.......

Rumours have been circulating that in a recent magazine interview, Shahrukh Khan compared the Prophet Mohammad to negative figures in history, such as Hitler. Obviously, these comments have offended many people in the Muslim community.

According to the rumors, the Mumbai Aman Committee has issued a complaint against Shahrukh Khan to the Bandra Police Station. They claim that SRK has offended the attitudes of their community and a clarification from the actor is in order.

According to reports, the interview, which was printed in “Time’n Style Luxury” magazine, reads as follows:

“According to you who is the most impressive figure in history?

‘There are lots of them, some negative ones like Hitler, then Napoleon, Winston Churchill and if I can call it history, then Prophet Mohammed and from recent time - Nelson Mandela. And there are the nice ones like Gandhiji and Mother Teresa.’”

However, in an attempt to cover their tracks, the magazine published a clarification of the interview in a tabloid. The Magazine claims that the answer to the question should have appeared in the following way:

”There are lots of them, some negative ones like Hitler. Then Napoleon, Winston Churchill were impressive. If I can call it history, then most impressive positive figure is Prophet Mohammed. And from recent time - there are nice ones like Nelson Mandela, Gandhiji and Mother Teresa”.

In a message, the Bollywood actor who is currently abroad shooting for Karan Johar’s “My Name is Khan”, said that there is no more important figure in history than Prophet Mohammad. “Being a Muslim and standing up for the tenets of Islam is my most important agenda,” he said.

Benefits of Reciting Ayat Al-Kursi

2009-06-10T13:10:00.001+01:00

Obama reaches out to Muslim world

2009-06-04T21:44:00.007+01:00

I can't claim to have read any newspapers today, but on the radio and on TV, there is much talk about Obama and his speech to emotionally engage Muslims all over the world. At times, it seems that we almost expect Obama to change the world with his inspirational speeches. One thing is for sure, Obama is an intelligent man because he understands that by improving the image of the US amongst the Muslim world, he can significantly reduce the public support that Al-Qaeda cherishes. If Muslims no longer regard America as the enemy, Al-Qaeda will suffer because their recruitment campaign will be left without vigour.

Had Obama been a fool like Bush, he’d continue to be unpopular amongst Muslims and play the game with a traditional approach i.e. openly hating the enemy. Obama is miles ahead though, which is why he realises that the key to his success lies in keeping the masses happy, at least he is learning from the mistakes of the Bush administration. Mr. Nice guy has his own style, his own image, his wonderful words and Will Smith looks. But the bottom line is that words alone are worth very little, Obama can impress as many people as he likes but if American foreign policy doesn’t change, little can be achieved.

Obama wants the Muslim world to forget the past and make a new start. I want him to go to Iraq/Afghanistan/Palestine/Lebanon and tell an orphan to forget his parents and how they were killed by American bombs. The number of people that have died because of America is not even measurable. Can sweet words and quotes from the Q’uran and love for Islam, all expressed in a memorable speech by the President himself, be enough to compensate?

Obama seems like a great guy but I sometimes have my doubts. Is he the same old product (just like good old Bush) being marketed in a new packet (i.e. the sweet words)? For the sake of world peace, I just hope that these thoughts in my head are false and Obama proves me wrong with time!

The 90/10 Principle

2009-05-08T20:46:00.001+01:00

Source: Qisas.com

10% of life is made up of what happens to you. 90% of life is decided by how you react. What does this mean?

We really have no control over 10% of what happens to us. We cannot stop the car from breaking down. The plane will be late arriving, which throws our whole schedule off. A driver may cut us off in traffic. We have no control over this 10%. The other 90% is different. You determine the other 90%.

How? By your reaction. You cannot control a red light, but you can control your reaction. Don’t let people fool you; YOU can control how you react.

Let’s use an example.

You are eating breakfast with your family. Your daughter knocks over a cup of coffee onto your business shirt. You have no control over what just what happened. What happens when the next will be determined by how you react. You curse. You harshly scold your daughter for knocking the cup over.

She breaks down in tears. After scolding her, you turn to your spouse and criticise her for placing the cup too close to the edge of the table. A short verbal battle follows. You storm upstairs and change your shirt. Back downstairs, you find your daughter has been too busy crying to finish breakfast and get ready for school. She misses the bus. Your spouse must leave immediately for work.

You rush to the car and drive your daughter to school. Because you are late, you drive 40 miles an hour in a 30 mph speed limit. After a 15-minute delay and throwing £60 traffic fine away, you arrive at school. Your daughter runs into the building without saying goodbye. After arriving at the office 20 minutes late, you find you forgot your briefcase. Your day has started terrible. As it continues, it seems to get worse and worse. You look forward to coming home, When you arrive home, you find small wedge in your relationship with your spouse and daughter.

Why? Because of how you reacted in the morning. Why did you have a bad day?

A) Did the coffee cause it?
B) Did your daughter cause it?
C) Did the policeman cause it?
D) Did you cause it?

The answer is ” D”.

You had no control over what happened with the coffee.
How you reacted in those 5 seconds is what caused your bad day. Here is what could have and should have happened.

Coffee splashes over you. Your daughter is about to cry. You gently say, “It’s ok honey, you just need, to be more careful next time”. Grabbing a towel you rush upstairs. After grabbing a new shirt and your briefcase, you come back down in time to look through the window and see your child getting on the bus. She turns and waves. You arrive 5 minutes early and cheerfully greet the staff. Your boss comments on how good the day you are having.

Notice the difference?
Two different scenarios. Both started the same. Both ended different.

Why? Because of how you REACTED.

You really do not have any control over 10% of what happens. The other 90% was determined by your reaction.

Here are some ways to apply the 90/10 principle.
If someone says something negative about you, don’t be a sponge. Let the attack roll off like water on glass. You don’t have to let the negative comment affect you! React properly and it will not ruin your day. A wrong reaction could result in losing a friend, being fired, getting stressed out etc.

How do you react if someone cuts you off in traffic? Do you lose your temper? Pound on the steering wheel? (a friend of mine had the steering wheel fall off).
Do you curse? Does your blood pressure skyrocket? Do you try and bump them? WHO CARES if you arrive ten seconds later at work? Why let the cars ruin your drive?
Remember the 90/10 principle, and do not worry about it.

You are told you lost your job. Why lose sleep and get irritated? It will work out. Use your worrying energy and time into finding another job. The plane is late; it is going to mangle your schedule for the day. Why take out your frustration on the flight attendant? She has no control over what is going on. Use your time to study, get to know the other passenger.

Why get stressed out? It will just make things worse. Now you know the 90-10 principle. Apply it and you will be amazed at the results. You will lose nothing if you try it.

The 90-10 principle is incredible. Very few know and apply this principle.

The result? Millions of people are suffering from undeserved stress, trials, problems and heartache.

We all must understand and apply the 90/10 principle.

It CAN change your life!!!

Quran Explorer

2009-04-23T22:05:00.000+01:00

http://quranexplorer.com/quran/

Shaytaan Influences You To Miss Fajr Prayer

2009-03-31T22:03:00.001+01:00

Dinner with Shaytaan

2009-03-31T22:01:00.001+01:00

Shaytaan Whispers About Hijab

2009-03-15T21:17:00.001Z

Remembering Allah is Success

2009-03-14T17:22:00.004Z

Our Creator, Allah has given us the precious gift of life and with it comes the freedom to live it as we desire. We are able to make our own decisions and choices in life and this freedom in itself is a gift from Allah. Our Creator knows us very well and is aware of our weaknesses and so has given us guidance on how to spend our lives so that we can be successful.

We accept that Allah is the Greatest and we hear these words every so often. However, our hearts and minds do not truly appreciate the significance of this statement. Surely, if we believe that Allah is the Greatest, we must regard the path that he has prescribed for us as the Greatest path. Therefore, the way we choose to live our lives should be based around the guidance that Allah Has given us because He is the Greatest and those who follow His divine guidance will be truly successful.

Despite knowledge and awareness of the above, we are drawn into alternative ways of life which conflict with that which Islam has recommended for us. A lifestyle which distances us from the beauty of Islam and the guidance of Allah, unfortunately becomes attractive and desirable. When I refer to adopting a lifestyle which takes you away from Islam, I am not referring to embracing a culture or integrating within a society. In fact, understanding the culture of different societies across the world is beneficial because one is able to understand the diversity which Allah has blessed mankind with. However, as a Muslim, one must be aware that the guidance of Islam is not neglected in the process of embracing any culture – be it your own culture or any other culture.

There are Muslims across many different nations of the world, they all have their own cultures and backgrounds, e.g. they have their own unique dress, cuisine, language, etc. Despite all their cultural differences, what brings them together is their belief in Allah. Problems will only arise when we forget the guidance that Allah has given us and embrace a culture to such an extent that we neglect Islam. For example, we make it culturally acceptable to drink alcohol; discrimination based on caste becomes a norm, having relationships outside marriage is nothing to be concerned about. These examples seem quite severe, but they will no doubt become prevalent in any society which gradually moves away from the guidance of Allah.

Remember, there is no compulsion in Islam and nobody can force you to accept it as a way of life. In fact, I don’t believe that Islam can ever be forced upon anyone. You might be able to force an individual to pray or carry out any other action of Islam but you can never force him/her to have inner belief. Islam can only be complete with inner belief in the Oneness and Greatness of Allah and belief in His Final Prophet, Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him). Actions themselves are something that support belief, so when there is no belief, what good are actions? For example, if someone doesn’t believe in the existence of God yet spends most of their time in activities which are deemed Islamic, there is little value in their actions because the foundation of faith i.e. belief is missing. Allah knows best what lies in our hearts and minds.

Allah has described an approach to life; the choice is ours whether or not we choose to accept it. However, we cannot avoid the consequences of whatever decision we make. Let us consider the example of a crying toddler who wants to grab a hot cup of tea and his mother doesn’t allow him to do so. The child is limited in his knowledge, so from his perspective, he only sees a cup full of something nice. When the mother stops him, the child cannot comprehend the actions of the mother and feels anger and disappointment. The mother acts in the interest of her child and out of love for him. In the same way, our Creator, the One who has given us everything we have, is advising us on how to live our lives, His advice demonstrates the love that He has for His creation. The issue is that we fail to see this great love and continue to follow our own desires against the will of Allah, in the hope that they will lead us towards contentment. When the child doesn’t listen to his mother, the result is that he will burn himself. When we neglect the advice of Allah, it also has negative consequences for us.

Today, mankind feels a sense of pride and achievement and believes his own reasoning and knowledge to be powerful enough to question the law of the Creator. By following our own desires, we are only fooling ourselves and moving towards self-destruction. Islam is all about breaking this arrogance in oneself and realising that we as humans are limited and weak and must submit to the will of our Creator. Allah knows what we know not and He understands what we can never understand, that is why we repeat in our prayers, that Allah is The Greatest. The human mind and heart are weak, they need to be reminded of this fact - time and time again.

Remember brothers and sisters in Islam and in humanity, it is Allah who helps us to open our eyes in the morning and Allah who gives us sleep at night. We must keep reminding ourselves that Allah is the Greatest and without His blessings we would cease to exist. Many of us are going astray from the path of Islam, and out of love, we must help one another to return to success. The life of this world presents success in various guises - wealth, fame, luxury are only a few of these. Each person lives in pursuit of success yet many realise not that it lies in obeying Allah, following His commands and living life according to them. I believe that life is a great gift from Allah and Imaan (belief in Allah) is an even greater gift which must be cherished and protected. Your life will eventually come to an end but the benefits of Imaan will continue to support you for eternity.

Native Deen - Not Afraid to Stand Alone

2009-03-04T20:55:00.000Z

Maulana Tariq Jameel Sahab's bayan on Be Hayai (Urdu)

2009-02-23T00:57:00.000Z

We Will Not Go Down - Song for Gaza

2009-02-15T19:35:00.000Z

Daddy, can you give me £10?

2009-02-14T11:15:00.001Z

Source: Qisas.com

A man came home from work late, tired and irritated, to find his 5 year old son waiting for him at the door.

“Daddy, may I ask you a question?”

“Yeah, sure, what is it?” replied the man.

“Daddy, how much money do you make an hour?”

“That’s none of your business! What makes you ask such a thing?” the man said angrily.

“I just want to know. Please tell me, how much do you make an hour?” pleaded the little boy.

“If you must know, I make £20.00 an hour.”

“Oh, ” the little boy replied, head bowed. Looking up, he said, “Daddy, may I borrow £10.00 please?”

The father was furious. “If the only reason you want to know how much money I make is just so you can borrow some to buy a silly toy or some other nonsense, then you march yourself straight to your room and go to bed. Think about why you’re being so selfish. I work long, hard hours everyday and don’t have time for such childish games.”

The little boy quietly went to his room and shut the door. The man sat down and started to get even madder about the little boy’s questioning. How dare he ask such questions only to get some money? After an hour or so, the man had calmed down, and started to think he may have been a little hard on his son. May be there was something he really needed to buy with that £10.00 and he really didn’t ask for money very often. The man went to the door of the little boy’s room and opened the door. “Are you asleep son?” he asked.

“No daddy, I’m awake, ” replied the boy.

“I’ve been thinking, maybe I was too hard on you earlier, ” said the man. “It’s been a long day and I took my aggravation out on you. Here’s that £10.00 you asked for.”

The little boy sat straight up, beaming. “Oh, thank you daddy!” he yelled. Then, reaching under his pillow, he pulled out some more crumpled up bills. The man, seeing that the boy already had money, started to get angry again. The little boy slowly counted out his money, then looked up at the man.

“Why did you want more money if you already had some?” the father grumbled.

“Because I didn’t have enough, but now I do, ” the little boy replied. “Daddy, I have £20.00 now… Can I buy an hour of your time?”

Heroes of Gaza

2009-02-07T14:15:00.002Z

Log on to www.heroesofgaza.com

A Humble Reminder

2009-02-03T12:20:00.007Z

One day of the many days
There was a man traveling on a trip with his Wife and Kids
And on the way he met someone standing in the roadway
So he asked him: Who are you?
He said:
I am the money

So the man asked his wife and kids :
Should we ask him to ride with us?

They said together: Yes of course because with the money it can help us if we wanted to do anything, and if we wanted to get anything we desired,
So they took the Money to ride with them.

And the vehicle continued its way until the man
met someone else on the road

So the Father asked: Who are you?

He said:

I am the high position and power

So the father asked his wife and kids :
Should we ask him to ride with us?

So they all answered together in one voice:

Yes of course because with the high position and power we have the ability to do anything we want and own anything we desired.

So they took the high position and power with them
And the vehicle continued to finish its trip .

And likewise he met in the same manner many people which give the pleasures and desires of this life, UNTIL ..
They met one person on the way..

The Father asks him Who are you?

He said:

I am the Deen (Islam)

So the father, wife, and kids said all together in one voice: No no this isn't the time, we desire the pleasures of this life and dunyah, and the Deen will prevent us and ban us from these things and it will take control over us, and we will be worn-out from being loyal to it and its learning. And the halal and the Haram, and this thing prayer and that thing hijab, and this fasting , and and and and and etc, It will be a burden upon us!!!
But what is certain is that we will definitely return for you to pick you up but only after we enjoy this life and everything in it.

So sadly they left him behind and the vehicle continued its trip.

And out of no where something appeared in the middle of the road

It was a check point in the road and it had a sign saying

STOP!!!

And they found a man gesturing for the father to get out of the vehicle.

So the man said to the father:
The trip has ended as far as you are concerned!!!!
And it is upon you to get out and come with me.

The father was shocked with fear and didn't say a word.

So the man said to him: I am searching for the DEEN.e Islam Is he with you?

He answered: No I left him not too far back. So if you can let me go back, I can get him for you :

You do not have the ability to go back, your trip has ended and there is no going back now.. returning is impossible said the man.

But I have

The Money,
The high position and power,
My Wife,
My Kids,
and and and and and and on.

The man said to him:
They will not benefit you nor will they
protect you in front of Allah. Not one bit!

And you will leave all of this, and not one of them will help you except for The Deen e Islam you know? The one which YOU left back in the road.
So the father asked: And who are you exactly?

I AM DEATH

The one which you were needless
of and didn't take into account in your trip!!

The father looked at his vehicle and found his wife taking control of it and continuing the trip with all of its passengers but him
And none of them stayed with him, and none of them helped him in any way.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Abu Hurairah (r.a.) reported: Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said,

" Be prompt in doing good deeds (before you are overtaken) by turbulence which would be like a part of the dark night. A man would be a believer in the morning and turn to disbelief in the evening, or he would be a believer in the evening and turn disbeliever in the morning, and would sell his Faith for worldly goods" Riyadh-us Saliheen Muslim Haidth number 87 Chapter 106

Allah says in The Holy Quran Chapter 102 Surah Takhathur verses 1-2:

1 The mutual rivalry for piling up (the good of this world) diverts you (from the more serious things; ie. salvation in the life Hereafter)

2 Until ye visit the graves (ie. until one is buried in one's grave!)

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Salma Yaqoob Protests Against BBC Refusing Gaza Appeal Broadcast

2009-01-26T00:46:00.001Z

Ten Things We Waste

2009-01-23T21:14:00.000Z

1. Our Knowledge

Wasted by not taking action with it.

2. Our Actions

Wasted by committing them without sincerity.

3. Our Wealth

Wasted by using on things that will not bring us ajr (reward from Allah). We waste our money, our status, our authority, on things which have no benefit in this life or in the akhirah (hereafter).

4. Our Hearts

Wasted because they are empty from the love of Allah (swt) and his Messenger (sallallahu 'alahi wasallam), and a feeling of peace and contentment. In it's place, our hearts are filled with something or someone else.

5. Our Bodies

Wasted because we don't use them in ibadah (worship) and service of Allah.

6. Our Love

Our emotional love is misdirected, not towards Allah, but towards something/someone else.

7. Our Time

Wasted, not used properly, to compensate for that which has passed, by doing what is righteous to make up for past deeds.

8. Our Intellect

Wasted on things that are not beneficial, that are detremental to society and the individual, not in contemplation or reflection.

9. Our Service

Wasted in service of someone who will not bring us closer to Allah, moreover something that will benefit us in dunya.

10. Our Dhikr (Remembrence of Allah)

Wasted, because it does not effect us or our hearts.

Boycott List Card

2009-01-10T23:34:00.002Z

Please share these posters with as many people as possible to spread awareness.

The Plight of the Three Bulls

2009-01-10T15:49:00.002Z

By Shaykh Tawfique Chowdhury, Al-Kauthar Institute.

If you were to travel through the barren dunes of Arabia, you could be forgiven into thinking that the average Bedouin is a very simple person. After all, the harsh Arabian Desert, the difficult camels of Arabia, the tough unforgiving desert - where could the Bedouin find poetry and inspiration? Rather, for inspiration, one would need to go to the most beautiful of sceneries, just like the English poets used to do when they used to go to the Lake District in northern UK.

Yet in my travels through Arabia, I have found the Arabian Desert to have parables and examples that bewilder the mind. One such parable was from a wise old man who used to sell the miswak in the gates of the Prophet's mosque. At a time when America was bombing Afghanistan, I and a couple of friends came up to the man and wanted to buy some miswak. Whilst we were looking over the miswak, one of us mentioned the indiscriminate bombing and the human cost of the war. At that point, the old man looked at us and said: "Let me tell you the story of the three bulls." What he was to tell us, was a parable I have not forgotten till today.

"There was once three bulls - a red bull, a white and a black one. When they were all together, they were very strong and the lions could not eat them. So one day, a lion came and told the black and red bull - if you help me eat the white bull, I will let you go. After a lot of deliberation, the red and black bulls agreed. So the red and black bulls looked on whilst the lion killed and ate the white bull. Many months later, the lion came to the black bull and said - if you help me eat the red bull, I will let you go. Without daring to hesitate, the black bull agreed to the proposition. So the lion came and ate the red bull whilst the black bull looked on. Many months later, the lion was hungry again. Now there was nothing but the black bull left. As the black bull looked on whilst the lion pounced on him and as he was choking and dying - with his last breath, the black bull said: Truly, I was killed the day the white bull was killed." With that, we gazed into the man's eyes lost in thought from the wisdom of his speech.

If we Muslims continue to deny our brotherhood, continue overlooking the plight of our brothers and sisters around the world, continue with our own life being oblivious to the problems facing them, continue to spy and cheat and harm - then know that our fate will have been sealed already.

If you were to ask me, which of the three bulls do I most sympathize with? I would have to reply: the black one. Truly the one, who Allah had mercy on, was the first bull who died a death free of guilt. However, the black bull lived a life of guilt and sorrow that was worse than death itself.

I pity our brothers and sisters who harm the Muslims and are not moved at their plight. How miserable their lives must be! A life that is devoid of tasting the sweetness of emaan and devoid of love that is in the Islamic brotherhood is truly a miserable life. If only they knew how rewarding it was to help the Muslims, how good it felt to hear a person thank you and make dua for you, how great it felt to see a smile on your brother and sister. What a wonderful feeling and how pitiful are those who deny themselves this blessing.

"And those who before them, had homes (in al-Madinah) and had adopted the Faith, love those who emigrate to them, and have no jealousy in their hearts for that which they have been given, and prefer (their brothers) over themselves, even though they were in severe need. And whosoever is saved from his own covetousness, then such are the successful." [59:9]

Boycott Israel

2009-01-07T23:26:00.004Z

It is a great shame for all of mankind that hundreds of innocent people have lost their lives in Palestine yet nobody in the world is able to stop Israel from carrying out such evil. The silence of our leaders (or words that are equivalent to silence) who are supposed to represent us is the most depressing aspect of the situation. The least we can do as human beings is to boycott the companies that are funding Israel by stopping ourselves from buying from them. If people all over the world were to think like this and even if they decided to boycott 4 or 5 companies...it would definitely have a negative impact on Israel. Please forward this poster to everyone that you know so that it spreads this message across nations and touches the hearts of those who have a heart....

Mushtaq Ahmed Interview

2008-10-18T11:01:00.000+01:00

Read this interesting interview where Mushtaq Ahmed (former Pakistani cricketer) talks about his career and religion:

How did the change from a boisterous young cricketer to this serene alter ego come about? Some have said the match-fixing controversy of the 1990s damaged Mushtaq, and that his religious turn was inspired by a desire for redemption. He only offers a lack of peace of mind as the reason. "I had got wickets, I had played for Pakistan, but peace was missing. If you have a new car and are getting worried that someone will smash it, then what's the use of that car?"

Read full interview at CricInfo:
http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/magazine/content/current/story/373799.html

Eid Mubarak

2008-09-30T12:57:00.000+01:00

- - - Eid Mubarak to all of you from Islamic Point - - -

You may share this card with friends and family by using the 'Email post' button below

Taqwa -- A State of Submission

2008-09-30T12:47:00.000+01:00

By AbuBakr Karolia

South Africa, July, 2003

Taqwa is an Arabic word which is explained as a shield against wrongdoing and further expounded as to be "conscious of Allah" or to have "fear of Allah" or to be "cautiously aware of Allah".

The origin of the word Taqwa is from the Arabic root letters wa' ka' ya (meaning shield) and its verb is from the word "Ittaki". Ittaki means to be careful or to be protected or to be cautious. Taqwa is an internal compass on the path that leads towards Allah. The broader meaning and character of Taqwa is to develop one's behaviour, so as to be cautiously aware in the worship of Allah and attain nearness to Him and in so doing, perfect oneself.

This consciousness and fear of Allah is understood as a protection and a shield against wrongdoing. The abstention of evil through this fear, consciousness and establishing a cautious awareness of Allah, ultimately develops one's love of Him.

The universal principle of submission to the Divine Will is beautifully expressed in the character of one who is a servant of Allah, known as an "Abd-Allah" which is an ideal state of Taqwa.

Abu Darda (R) said: "From the completion of Taqwa is that the servant fears from His Lord even with regards to things, the weight of an atom." Abu Darda's advice for servants who wish to accomplish a character of Taqwa should fear to commit the smallest of sins.

The messenger of Allah said in a Hadith, reported in the Sahih Muslim that, "Taqwa is here", and he pointed to his chest.

Taqwa is profoundly explained in a discussion, between Umar (R) and Kaab (R) who were companions of the Prophet (S) of Islam. Umar (R) asked Kaab (R), the meaning of Taqwa as he was renowned for his deep understanding of the Qur`an Al Kareem.

Kaab (R) then inquired from Umar (R), whether he had walked through a thorny bush path with his cloak. Umar (R) replied that he had done so on numerous occasions. Kaab (R) asked Umar (R) to describe his movements through this thorny path. Umar (R) replied that he moved very cautiously, so as not to tear his clothing. Kaab (R) said that was the description and the meaning of Taqwa.

The path that inculcates and embraces a character of Taqwa is one that must be carefully and cautiously treaded. On this path one must be completely aware of oneself and one's surroundings, to be disciplined with the correct action and behaviour which will achieve one's closeness to Allah.

Taqwa is one of the most profound concepts in Islam. It is an avenue by which Muslims relate to one another in society and a means to channel actions for the pleasure of Allah. Possessors of Tawqa are called Al-Muttaqun or Muttaqeen.

The following verse of the Qur`an Surah 2 Al Bakarah, Verse 183 confirms that Taqwa is for everyone and not for a select group:

"O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, so that you may attain Taqwa."

This verse confirms two points. Firstly, that fasting is for everyone and secondly, that the development and attaining of Taqwa is an essential part for all who aspire for tranquillity and a contented heart. To establish Taqwa is for the rich and the poor, the knowledgeable and the uneducated, the leader and the follower, the ruler and the ruled, the old and the young, the man and the women. All must develop and enhance Taqwa.

The most honoured in the sight of Allah is the believer with the most Taqwa, i.e. the most conscious and aware of Him.

The Glorious Qur`an illustrates this in Surah 49 Al Hujurat (the Inner Apartments), Verse 13:

"O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other (not that ye may despise (each other). Verily the most honoured of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous of you (Muttaqi). And Allah has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things)."

The ideal Islamic society is a Taqwa conscious society, conferring its highest respect on those considered to be high in Taqwa.

Though Taqwa is a state of the heart, we cannot judge the Taqwa of others, but many aspects of Taqwa will have a reflection in their character and behaviour. The Qur`an though, prohibits anyone from claims of self-purity.

In Surah 53 An Najm (The Clans), Verse 32 reminds us that:

"Hold not yourself purified. Allah knows best who has Taqwa."

In Islam there is only one Shari'ah (Divine Law) and one scale of righteousness for everyone and that is measured through a character of Taqwa.

The word Taqwa has been mentioned 151 times in the Noble Qur`an. Allah has taken us through the various aspects of His Guidance and Blessings in the Glorious Qur`an. The Qur`anic descriptions of Taqwa are so precise and distinct that it is an indication of the importance of the involvement of this concept in the life of Muslims. These numerous verses elaborate the different dynamics and dimensions of inner meanings of Taqwa that enables Muslims to be an ideal and a living example as a vicegerent of Allah.

The four verses in Surah 2 Al Bakarah Verse 2-5 summarises the guiding principle in the Noble Qur`an for the people of Taqwa:

2. This is the Book; in it is guidance sure, without doubt, to those who fear (or are conscious) of Allah (Taqwa).
3. Who believe in the Unseen, are steadfast in prayer, and spend out of what We have provided for them;
4. And who believe in the Revelation sent to you, and sent before your time, and (in their hearts) have the assurance of the Hereafter.
5. They are on (true) guidance, from their Lord, and it is these who will prosper.

The Muttaqun are those that believe, fear Allah and look to what He has ordained in carrying out His actions to avoid His displeasure and sadness. These people are involved and active in his/her life with the Ummah (the Muslim community), concerned with the affairs of humanity, whilst at the same time praying , fasting, spending in Allah's cause, having good morals, are forgiving and just. All these descriptions can be attributed to a person who has Taqwa and will be assured and successful in the Hereafter.

Hence, for the moral development and correct behaviour of a good Muslim it necessary that he strictly analyse and establish his Taqwa, but never claims to be a possessor of it.

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA.

http://www.nuradeen.com/contributions/Taqwa.htm

Losing Weight During Ramadan

2008-09-13T13:49:00.000+01:00

Read this interesting article:

http://www.islamonline.net/english/Science/2001/12/article5.shtml

Ramadhan Documents

2008-09-05T21:04:00.002+01:00

Ramadhan for Body and Soul (.pps)

Ramadhan Action Checklist (.pdf)

If you have any problems accessing these files, please let me know via e-mail (sampowa@googlemail.com) and I'll send them to you.

Brick and the Jaguar

2008-09-05T12:33:00.001+01:00

Source: Qisas.com

A young and successful executive was traveling down a neighborhood street going a bit too fast in his new Jaguar. He was watching for kids darting out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something.

As his car passed, no children appeared. Instead a brick smashed into the Jag’s side door! He slammed on the brakes and drove the Jag back to the spot where the brick had been thrown.

The angry driver then jumped out of the car, grabbed the nearest kid and pushed him up against a parked car shouting, “What was that all about and who are you? Just what the heck are you doing? That’s a new car and that brick you threw is going to cost me a lot of money. Why did you do it?”

The young boy was apologetic. “Please mister. . . . please, I’m sorry.

I didn’t know what else to do. I threw the brick because no one else would stop” With tears dripping down his face and off his chin, the youth pointed to a spot just around a parked car. “It’s my brother. He rolled off the curb and fell out of his wheelchair and I can’t lift him up.”

Now sobbing, the boy asked the stunned executive “Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He’s hurt and he’s too heavy for me.”

Moved beyond words, the driver tried to swallow the lump in his throat. He lifted the handicapped boy back into the wheelchair, then took out his handkerchief and wiped at the fresh scrapes and cuts. Too shook up for words, the man simply watched the boy push his wheelchair-bound brother down the sidewalk toward home. It was a long, slow walk back to the Jaguar.

The damage was very noticeable but the driver never repaired the dented side door. There are many lessons in this story; but he kept the dent to remind him of this message:

Don’t go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at you to get your attention. Every day we are reminded of the ‘whispers’ of our experiences around us. When our Creator has blessed us with ’sight’; then why do we continue life blindly. Sometimes when we don’t take the time to take heed, A ‘brick’ is thrown at us ; so that we may take lessons therefrom.

Listen to the ‘whisper’…….. or wait for the ‘brick’……

Drops of Wisdom

2008-07-11T22:44:00.001+01:00

Watch your eye, should it ever reveal to you the faults of others, say to it: “O my eye, other people have eyes too.” [Ahmad al Zarruq]

“The word “shams” (sun) is feminine, and “qamar” (moon) is masculine. The sun burns itself out to give light and life to everything around, and the moon is muneer, meaning it reflects the light. Within itself it has no light; it radiates the brilliance of the sun. So when we shine as men, the implication is that we are reflecting the glorious light of our women. May Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’aala be pleased with them.”- [Shaykh Abdullah Adhami]

Find more inspirational quotes at Drops of Wisdom

The Beautiful Story of Abu Ghayth

2008-06-23T21:17:00.001+01:00

Source: Qisas.com

From the signs of truthfulness is fear of Allah and asceticism in life; for the truthful with conviction fears consuming from what is impermissible and bears poverty and hardship for the sake of Islam. If he commits sin then he does not sleep until he returns to his Lord and repents, in order to free himself from the sin, and its burden.

Ibn Jarir at-Tabari: I was in Makkah during the season of Hajj and I saw a man from Khurasaan calling out to the people: “Oh pilgrims, oh people of Makkah – from those who are present and those far off, I have lost a pouch that contains a thousand dinars. So whoever returns the pouch, Allah will reward them with good, save them from the hell fire, and His bounty and favours will be acquired on the Day of Accounting (Day of Judgment).”

An old man from the people of Makkah approached him and said: “Oh Khurasaani, our city is in a very tough condition, and the days of hajj are few, and its season is appointed, and the doors of profit-making are closed. This money might fall in the hands of a believer who is poor and old in age. Maybe he plans to give it if you make a promise that you will give him a little bit of money that is halal (permissible) for him to use.”

The Khurasaani said: “How much does he want?”

The old man said: “He wants one-tenth of the money (a hundred dinars).”

The Khurasaani said: “No. I will not grant him the money and instead I will take my case to Allah, and complain to Him on the day we meet Him, and Allah is sufficient for us and the best one to trust in.“

Ibn Jarir at-Tabari said: “I realised that it was the old man who was poor, and he was the one who took the pouch of dinars and wishes to have a little portion of it. So I followed him until he returned to his home. My assumptions were confirmed. I heard him calling onto his wife:”Oh Lubabah.”

She said: “I am at your service, O Abu Ghayth.”

The old man said: I found the owner of the dinars calling for it, and he does not intend to give any reward to the person who finds it. I said to him “Give us a hundred dinars and he refused and said he would take his case to Allah. What should I do O Lubabah? I must return it, for I fear my Lord, and I fear that my sin is multiplied.

His wife said to him: Oh Man! We have been struggling and suffering from poverty with you for the last 50 years, and you have 4 daughters, 2 sisters, my mother and I, and you are the ninth. Keep all the money and feed us for we are hungry, and clothe us for you know better our situation. Perhaps Allah, the All-Mighty, will make you rich afterwards and you might be able to give the money back after you fed your children, or Allah will pay the amount you owe on the day when the kingdom will belong to the King (Allah).

He said to her: Will I consume haram after 86 years of my life, and burn my organs with fire after I have been patient with my poverty, and become worthy of Allah’s anger, even though I am close to my grave?! No, By Allah, I will not do so!

Ibn Jarir at-Tabari said: I left with amazement concerning his condition and that of his wife. At a later point during the day, I heard the owner of the pouch calling out…

Saying: “O people of Makkah, O pilgrims, whoever of you find a pouch containing a thousand dinars, let him return it and they shall surely find great reward with Allah.”

The old man said: Oh Khurasaani, I have addressed you the other day and advised you that our land is low on cultivation, so reward the person who found the pouch so that he is not tempted to break the laws of Allah. I have advised you to pay the person who finds it a hundred dinars but you refused. If your money falls into hands of a person who fears Allah the All-Mighty, will you give him 10 dinars at least, instead of a 100?

The Khurasaani said: I will not do so, and I will complain to Allah on the day I meet him, and Allah is sufficient for us and the best one to trust in.“

Ibn Jarir at-Tabari said: The people dispersed and left. Later on during the hours of the day, once again, the Khurasaani made the same call, saying:

“O people of Makkah, O pilgrims, whoever of you find a pouch containing a thousand dinars, let him return it and they shall surely find great reward with Allah.”

The old man came again and said: O Khurasaani, I said to you the day before yesterday to reward the finder a hundred dinars and you refused. Then I advised you to give him ten dinars and you refused, so will you give only one dinar so that he can buy with half of it things he needs and with the other half, sheep milk, so that he can give to the people and feed his children?

The Khurasaani said: I will not do so, and I will complain to Allah on the day I meet him, and Allah is sufficient for us and the best one to trust in. “

The old man angrily said: Come you, and take your money so that I can sleep at night, for I have not had a good mood ever since I found this money.

Ibn Jarir said: So the old man went with the owner of the money and I followed them until the old man entered his house, dug a hole and pulled out the money and said: Take your money and ask Allah to forgive me and bless me from His bounty.

The Khurasaani took the money and intended to leave, but when he reached the door he said: O old man, my father died, May Allah have mercy on him, and left behind three thousand dinars and said to me: Take out a third of this money and give it to a person from the people who is most deserving of it. Therefore I tied it in a pouch so that I may spend it on someone who is worthy of it. By Allah, I have not seen a person, since I left Khurasaan until now, who is more worthy of it than you. So take it, May Allah’s blessing be upon you, and May He reward for the trust you kept, and your patience during poverty. The Khurasaani man left without the money.

The old man wept and prayed to Allah, saying: May Allah bless the owner of the money in his grave, and May Allah bless his son.

Ibn Jarir said: I left after the Khurasaani but Abu Ghayth (the old man) followed me and brought me back. He asked me to sit down, and said: I have seen you following me since the first day; you have come to know of our situation yesterday and today. I have heard that the Prophet said: “If you are gifted from the provision of Allah, without begging or asking, then accept it and do not reject it.” So this is a gift from Allah to all those attending.

The old man called: O Lubabah, O so and so, O so and so. He called on his daughters and his sisters and wife and her mother, and sat down and made me sit down. We were 10. He opened the bag, and said spread your clothing over your laps.

So I (Ibn Jarir) did, but the girls did not have proper clothing that would enable them to do that, so they extended their hands. The old man gave dinar by dinar in order until he reached me (Ibn Jarir) and said: “Here is a dinar.” The process continued until the bag was empty and I received a hundred dinars.

Ibn Jarir at-Tabari said: So joy filled my heart because of the provision they received more than the joy I had because I received a hundred dinars.

When I was leaving the old man said: O young man. You are blessed; keep this money with you for it is halal. And know that I use to wake up for Fajr prayer with this wet shirt. After I was done I would take it off, and give it so that my daughters can pray - one by one. Then I would go to work between Dhuhr prayer and Asr prayer and then I would come back at the end of the day with what Allah has given me from dates and dry pieces of bread. Then I would take off my clothes for my daughters and they would pray Dhuhr prayer and Asr prayer, and the same would happen for the Maghrib and Isha prayers. And we did not ever expect to see this kind of money. So may Allah make us make good use of them, and may Allah bless the person in his grave and multiply the reward for him.

Ibn Jarir said: So I greeted him goodbye, and took the hundred dinars and used them to write knowledge for two years! I used it to buy paper and pay rent and after sixteen years I returned to Makkah and inquired about the old man. I was told that he died a few months after the incident that occurred between us. His wife died, along with her mother, and his 2 sisters. The only ones that remained were the daughters whom, when I asked about, found that they were married to kings and Princes. I dropped by and they honored me as a guest and treated me kindly until they died also. So May Allah bless them in their graves.

al-Qur’an: at-Talaq 65: 2-3
That will be an admonition given to him who believes in Allâh and the Last Day. And whosoever fears Allâh and keeps his duty to Him, He will make a way for him to get out (from every difficulty).

And He will provide him from (sources) he never could imagine. And whosoever puts his trust in Allâh, then He will suffice him. Verily, Allâh will accomplish his purpose. Indeed Allâh has set a measure for all things.

[Translated from Arabic to English by Ibrahim Hindy]

Only for Allah

2008-06-14T12:20:00.000+01:00

From the book "Ihyaa-ul Uloom Ud Deen" by Imam Ghazzali (RA):

There was a pious man among the Banu Israel who always remained busy in the worship of Allah. A group of people came to him and told him that a tribe living nearby worshipped a tree. The news upset him, and with an axe on his shoulder he went to cut down that tree. On the way, Satan met him in the form of an old man and asked him where he was going. He said he was going to cut a particular tree. Satan said, "You have nothing to be concerned with this tree, you better mind your worship and do not give it up for the sake of something that does not concern you." "This is also worship," retorted the worshipper.

Then Satan tried to prevent him from cutting the tree, and there followed a fight between the two, in which the worshipper overpowered the Satan. Finding himself completely helpless, Satan begged to be excused, and when the worshipper released him, he again said, "Allah has not made the cutting of this tree obligatory on you. You do not lose anything if you do not cut it. If its cutting were necessary, Allah could have got it done through one of his many Prophets." The worshipper insisted on cutting the tree. There was again a fight between the two and again the worshipper overpowered the Satan. "Well, listen," said Satan, "I propose a settlement that will be to your advantage." The worshipper agreed, and Satan said, "You are a poor man, a mere burden on this earth. If you stay away from this act, I will pay you three gold coins every day. You will daily find them lying under your pillow.

By this money you can fulfil your own needs, can oblige your relative, help the needy, and do so many other virtuous things. Cutting the tree will be only one virtue, which will ultimately be of no use because the people will grow another tree." This proposal appealed to the worshipper, and he accepted it. He found the money on two successive days, but on the third day there was nothing. He got enraged, picked up his axe and went to cut the tree. Satan as an old man again met him on the way and asked him where he was going. "To cut the tree," shouted the worshipper. "I will not let you do it," said Satan. A fight took place between the two again but this time Satan had the upper hand and overpowered the worshipper. The latter was surprised at his own defeat, and asked the former the cause of his success. Satan replied, "At first, your anger was purely for earning the pleasure of Allah, and therefore Almighty Allah helped you to overpower me, but now it has been partly for the sake of the gold coins and therefore you lost."

Change in 6 Simple Steps

2008-06-07T01:18:00.000+01:00

Please follow these instructions to play this simple game:

Step 1
Get some paper and make a note of 3 things which you know are wrong but you still do them

Step 2
Write down a reason (why you do something) for each thing you wrote in Step 1

Step 3
Think about how important it is that you change these 3 things

Step 4
Write some notes on how you can stop yourself from the 3 bad actions you've identified

Step 5
Keep these 3 things in your mind and keep thinking about them

Step 6
Pray to Allah that you stop getting involved in these 3 things and be patient

Intoxication

2008-06-07T00:59:00.004+01:00

Received this via a forwarded e-mail:

A passage from The Holy Quran...

'Satan's plan is to sow enmity and hatred among you with intoxicants and gambling, and to hinder you from the remembrance of Allah and from prayer. Will you not then give up?'
The Holy Quran - Surah 5 Verse 90

Allah Subhaanahu wa ta'ala makes it clear in our book of guidance The Holy Quran, that intoxicants are all part of satan's handy work. Intoxicants and all those things alike are forbidden for muslims. It does not befit a muslim to be a part of satan's evil plan; to be so strictly dependent on something other than Allah Subhaanahu wa ta'ala (Glorified and High is He); to be in a state of mind where we do not have full control over our emotions and when we are not fully aware of the consequences of our actions....

'They ask thee concerning wine and gambling. Say: 'In them is great sin, and some profit, for men; but the sin is greater than the profit'
The Holy Quran - Surah 2 Verse 219

Over the last few years we have heard doctors say that having a glass of wine everyday is good for you. Allah Subhaanahu wa ta'ala told us this over 1400 years ago! Nothing was left out, knowing that some might say 'well the doctor said its good for me so thats why i have it' Allah Subhaanahu wa ta'ala has made it clear having firstly acknowledged that it does have its benefits, that the sin outweighs the good. Subhaan-Allah! Glory be to Allah The Al-Alim, The Knower of All.

In the hadith it is narrated by Jabir (May Allah be pleased with him) that a man came from Yemen and asked the prophet Muhammed (peace & blessings be upon him) about a wine made from corn called ‘Mizr’, which they drank in their land. (to the nearest effect)

The Prophet (peace & blessings be upon him) asked:

'Is it intoxicating?'
He replied; 'Yes'

The Prophet (peace & blessings be upon him) said:

'Every intoxicant is unlawful. Verily there is covenant upon Allah for one who drinks intoxicating drinks, that He will make him drink from ‘Teenatul Khabal.'

They asked, 'O messenger of Allah, what is Teenatul Khabal?'

He (peace & blessings be upon him) said:

'The sweat (or impurities) of the inmates of hell.'
(Muslim)

Ok, think we can safely say that no matter what benefits some intoxicants may have, they are certainly not worth it!

So when talking about intoxicants we are referring to alcohol, marijuana, weed, skunk, hash, cocaine, extacy, magic mushrooms, heroin, crack, acid, paan, yes, thats exactly what i said PAAN and any thing else that gets you buzzin!!

So where does smoking cigarettes come into this??? hmmm......

Well simply... there are generally 2 views on this...

Some say its HARAM (forbidden) others say its MAKROOH (disliked)

Nagatives of smoking - damage to own health as well as others, very addictive, bad odour, waste of money....

Positives of smoking - ermmm.... can i ask the audience?!

It is clear that smoking has no benefit in our lives and the negative aspects of smoking mentioned above all go against the teachings of islam and therefore it does not befit the muslim ummah to be involved in such actions. Many people nowadays smoke sheesha and those who generally are against smoking cigarettes find smoking sheesha acceptable! And it has become very very popular amongst mainly muslims!!! Subhaan-Allah! What are we doing?!!
Its the same as smoking! Some might say well its only a tiny, tiny amount of the nicotein that cigarettes have in them. Lets see what our beloved prophet (peace & blessings be upon him) had to say about this...

In the hadith it is narrated by Jabir (May Allah be pleased with him) that the prophet Muhammed (peace & blessings be upon him) said:

'If a large amount of anything causes intoxication, a small amount of it is prohibited'
(Abu Dawud)

And lets just say its not haraam but its makrooh, what does makrooh mean?? It means disliked. Oh ok, but disliked by who?? Disliked by The Greatest!! Disliked by The Highest!! Disliked by the Creator of the universe! Disliked by the Giver of Life & Death! Its not our families, our partners, our friends or even the scholars that are saying they dislike it, its ALLAH!!! So why would we want to do something that Allah Subhaanahu wa ta'ala dislikes?!! Think about it!!

Oh, here's a few facts about the effects of sheesha (from the NHS)
http://www.phleicester.org.uk/Documents/trs/THE%20FACTS%20ABOUT%20SHEESHA.pdf

Some of us might be reading this and think well we don't do any of these things so it DOESN'T MATTER. Sorry guys of course it matters! We live in a society where its quite EASY for our friends and family and even ourselves to fall into these HABITS and once something becomes a habit its not easy to REMOVE.
So we need to HELP one another. Remind each other how it is DISLIKED by ALLAH Subhaanahu wa ta'ala. Remind one another about the effects intoxicants have on our HEALTH. Remind each other of all the money we may be WASTING. What is normally routine, try and CHANGE so doing these things is not part of a timetable that we need to follow. SUPPORT one another in the EFFORT to remove the bad habits from our lives. If you dont like your friends or family doing these things try and make it more DIFFICULT for them to do it, don't ENCOURAGE it!

'...it is possible that ye dislike a thing which is good for you & that ye love a thing which is bad for you. But God knoweth & ye know not.'
The Holy Quran - Surah 2 Verse 216

May Allah Subhaanahu wa ta'ala help us in our efforts to remove the bad habits we may have in our lives and replace them with good ones.

May Allah Subhaanahu wa ta'ala also give us the ability to help and support our friends & families and to remove intoxicants far away from the muslim ummah.

I ask Allah Subhaanahu wa ta'ala, The Al-Ghaffar - The Forgiver, for His Mercy & Compassion and forgive me for anything that I may have said that was not correct.

“Verily never will Allah change the condition of people until they change the condition themselves”
The Holy Quran - Surah 13 Verse 11

To Allah we belong & to Allah we return
The Holy Quran - Surah 2 Verse 156

A servant of Allah,

Attique

King Solomon

2008-06-03T19:11:00.002+01:00

Source: Qisas.com

There is Jewish folktale about King Solomon who commissioned a jeweler to make him a very special ring. The king ordered an inscription on the ring, which would be sure to convert his sadness and depression to happiness every time he read the words.

After much time, thought and deliberation, the royal jeweler presented his finished product to the king. Upon reading the inscription, King Solomon was so impressed that he directed his treasurer to pay the jeweler twice the agreed upon price.

The inscription read: “This too shall pass.”

Better to Give

2008-06-03T19:09:00.000+01:00

Source: Qisas.com

A young man, a student at one of the universities, was one day taking a walk with a Professor, who was commonly called the student’s friend, from his kindness to those who waited on his instructions.

As they went along, they saw lying in the path a pair of old shoes, which they supposed to belong to a poor man who was employed in a field close by, and who had nearly finished his day’s work.

The student turned to the professor, saying: “Let us play the man a trick: we will hide his shoes, and conceal ourselves behind those bushes, and wait to see his perplexity when he cannot find them.”

“My young friend,” answered the professor, “we should never amuse ourselves at the expense of the poor. But you are rich, and may give yourself a much greater pleasure by means of this poor man. Put a coin in each shoe, and then we will hide ourselves and watch how this affects him.”

The student did so and they both placed themselves behind the bushes close by. The poor man soon finished his work, and came across the field to the path where he had left his coat and shoes.

While putting on his coat he slipped his foot into one of his shoes, but feeling something hard, he stooped down to feel what it was, and found the coin. Astonishment and wonder were seen upon his countenance. He gazed upon the coin, turned it around, and looked at it again and again.

He then looked around him on all sides, but no person was to be seen. He now put the money into his pocket, and proceeded to put on the other shoe; but his surprise was doubled on finding the other coin.

His feelings overcame him; he fell upon his knees, looked up to the heavens and uttered aloud a fervent thanksgiving in which he spoke of his wife who was sick and helpless, and his children without bread, whom this timely bounty, from some unknown hand, would save from perishing.

The student stood there deeply affected, and his eyes filled with tears. “Now,” said the professor, are you not much better pleased than if you had played your intended trick?”

The youth replied, “You have taught me a lesson which I will never forget. I feel now the truth of these words, which I never understood before: “It’s more blessed to give than to receive.”

Abdullah bin Abbas (radi Allahu anhu) reported that the Prophet (sallAllahu alaiyhi wassallam) said that encouraging good, prohibiting evil, lifting the burden of the weak person and removing an offensive thing from a path are all acceptable prayers to Allah.

The Fisherman

2008-06-03T19:03:00.003+01:00

Source: Qisas.com

An investment banker was at the pier of a small coastal village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large yellow fin tuna. The investment banker complimented the fisherman on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them.

The fisherman replied, “Only a little while.”

The investment banker then asked, “Why didn’t you stay out longer and catch more fish?”

The fisherman said, “With this I have more than enough to support my family’s needs.”

The investment banker then asked, “But what do you do with the rest of your time?”

The fisherman said, “I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siesta with my wife, stroll into the village each evening and spend time with my family, I have a full and busy life.”

The investment banker scoffed, “I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing; and with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat: With the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy several boats. Eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the processor; eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to a big town and eventually to the city where you will run your ever-expanding enterprise.”

The fisherman asked, “But, how long will this all take?”

To which the investment banker replied, “15 to 20 years.”

“But what then?” asked the fisherman.

The investment banker laughed and said that’s the best part. “When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich, you would make millions.”

“Millions?…Then what?”

The investment banker said, “Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings and spend time with your family.”

The Classroom of Hassan al-Basri

2008-06-03T18:59:00.000+01:00

Source: Qisas.com

Hassan al-Basri was one of the greatest Tabi’en (students of the Companions RA). Once, after giving the Friday sermon a group of slaves came to him and said, “Shaykh please, next week, give a speech about freeing the slaves!” Hassan agreed and next week there, waiting anxiously, were the slaves. Hassan ascended the pulpit as the sun rises to the heavens. His speech moved hearts and brought tears to dry eyes, but he failed to mention anything about freeing slaves? The slaves thought to themselves that the Shaykh must have forgot, thus, once again, the following week they took the 50 yard line seats and waited hoping soon to be free. However, the Shaykh failed to mention anything again? After a number of weeks the slaves were sure that the Shaykh sold them out, gotten cold feet and they began to hold the Shaykh in contempt.

One year passed and the tired slaves entered the Masjid of the Shaykh. They had long since forgotten their request and were taken aback, when suddenly he began to mention the conditions of slaves and the importance of freeing them! Their faces looked like bright lamps as the Shaykh encouraged all to free their slaves in exchange for Allah’s mercy and pleasure.

After the sermon the slaves were freed and they ran to the Shaykh asking why he waited one year to give the speech. Hassan al-Basri responded: “At the time you ask me to give the speech I readily agreed. However, after you left I realised that I had no slave of my own. Being a poor man I had to save some money for around one year’s time in order to purchase a slave. Today, alhumdulillah! I was able to purchase a slave. After I purchased him I went to the market and freed him. Finally, I went to the Masjid and gave my sermon.” Looking baffled the freed men asked, “But why? Why did you go to all this trouble?” The Shaykh responded, “If I gave that speech a year ago I would have been encouraging the people to do something that I had not done. Thus, I decided to wait until I freed a slave so that my actions and words would be equal.”

May Allah reward Hassan al-Basri, enlighten his grave and bless us to be those who act on what they know.

Thirst for Learning

2008-06-03T18:57:00.000+01:00

Source: Qisas.com

Hadhrat Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) says:

“After the passing away of the Prophet (peace be upon him), I said to an Ansari friend of mine: ‘The Prophet is not now with us. But a large number of Sahabah are still among us. Let us go to them and get knowledge of the Islamic practices.’ He said: ‘ Who is going to approach you for learning a regulation in the presence of these eminent Sahabah?’ I was not discouraged. I kept up my quest for knowledge and approached every person who was supposed to have heard something from the Prophet. I managed to gather substantial information from the Ansar.

If on my visit to someone of the Sahabah, I found him asleep, I spread my shawl at the gate and sat waiting. Sometimes my face and body would get covered with dust, but I kept sitting till they woke and I was able to contact them. Some of them said: ‘Abdullah you are the cousin of the Prophet; you could have sent for us. Why did you take the trouble of coming to our places?’

I said to them: ‘I must come to you, for I am a student and you are my teachers.’ Some people for whom I had waited said: ‘Since when have you been waiting for us?’ I informed them that I had been sitting there for a pretty long time.

They said: ‘What a pity! You could have awakened us from our sleep.’ I said: ‘I did not like to disturb you for my own sake.’ I thus carried on my pursuits, till there came a time when people began to flock to me for learning. My Ansari friend realised this at that time and remarked: ‘This boy has surely proved himself more sensible than us.’”

[from the book “stories of the sahabah” by shaikh muhammad zakariyya kaandhlawi]

Besides our quest for knowledge to earn a livelihood in this world, we must as well gain sufficient knowledge of Islam. No matter what age group we belong to at this moment, we should at least have that much Islamic knowledge with which we can turn our 24 hours life into worship. Those with knowledge and practice will be exalted in this World and in the Hereafter.

Give your Parents roses while they are Alive

2008-05-03T11:56:00.000+01:00

Source: Qisas.com

My mom only had one eye. I hated her… she was such an embarrassment. My mom ran a small shop at a flea market. She collected little weeds and such to sell… anything for the money we needed she was such an embarrassment.

There was this one day during elementary school… It was field day, and my mom came. I was so embarrassed. How could she do this to me? I threw her a hateful look and ran out.

The next day at school… “your mom only has one eye?!?!”… and they taunted me. I wished that my mom would just disappear from this world so I said to my mom, “mom… Why don’t you have the other eye?! If you’re only going to make me a laughingstock, why don’t you just die?!!!”

My mom did not respond… I guess I felt a little bad, but at the same time, it felt good to think that I had said what I’d wanted to say all this time… maybe it was because my mom hadn’t punished me, but I didn’t think that I had hurt her feelings very badly. That night… I woke up, and went to the kitchen to get a glass of water. My mom was crying there, so quietly, as if she was afraid that she might wake me.

I took a look at her, and then turned away. Because of the thing I had said to her earlier, there was something pinching at me in the corner of my heart. Even so, I hated my mother who was crying out of her one eye. So I told myself that I would grow up and become successful. Because I hated my one-eyed mom and our desperate poverty… then I studied real hard. I left my mother and came to Seoul and studied, and got accepted in the Seoul University with all the confidence I had. Then, I got married. I bought a house of my own. Then I had kids, too…

Now I’m living happily as a successful man. I like it here because it’s a place that doesn’t remind me of my mom. This happiness was getting bigger and bigger, when… what?! Who’s this …it was my mother… still with her one eye. It felt as if the whole sky was falling apart on me. My little girl ran away, scared of my mom’s eye. And I asked her, “who are you?!” “I don’t know you!!!” as if trying to make that real. I screamed at her,” How dare you come to my house and scare my daughter!” “GET OUT OF HERE! NOW!!!” and to this, my mother quietly answered, “oh, I’m so sorry. I may have gotten the wrong address,” and she disappeared out of sight. Thank goodness… she doesn’t recognize me… I was quite relieved. I told myself that I wasn’t going to care, or think about this for the rest of my life. Then a wave of relief came upon me…

One day, a letter regarding a school reunion came to my house. So, lying to my wife that I was going on a business trip, I went. After the reunion, I went down to the old shack, that I used to call a house… just out of curiosity there, I found my mother fallen on the cold ground. But I did not shed a single tear. She had a piece of paper in her hand…. it was a letter to me.

My son… I think my life has been long enough now… And… I won’t visit Seoul anymore… but would it be too much to ask if I wanted you to come visit me once in a while? I miss you so much… and I was so glad when I heard you were coming for the reunion. But I decided not to go to the school. …for you… and I’m sorry that I only have one eye, and I was an embarrassment for you.

You see, when you were very little, you got into an accident, and lost your eye. As a mom, I couldn’t stand watching you having to grow up with only one eye… so I gave you mine… I was so proud of my son that was seeing a whole new world for me, in my place, with that eye.

I was never upset at you for anything you did… the couple times that you were angry with me, I thought to myself, ‘it’s because he loves me…’ my son. Oh, my son… I don’t want you to cry for me, because of my death. My son, I love you my son, I love you so much.

What Goes Around Comes Around

2008-05-03T11:46:00.001+01:00

Source: Qisas.com

He almost didn't see the old lady, stranded on the side of the road. But even in the dim light of day, he could see she needed help. So he pulled up in front of her Mercedes and got out. His Pontiac was stills puttering when he approached her.

Even with the smile on his face, she was worried. No one had stopped to help for the last hour or so … was he going to hurt her? He didn’t look safe; he looked poor and hungry.

He could see that she was frightened, standing out there in the cold. He knew how she felt. It was that chill which only fears can put in you. He said, “I’m here to help you, ma’am. Why don’t you wait in the car where it’s warm? By the way, my name is Khalifa.”

Well, all she had was a flat tyre but for an old lady, that was bad enough. Khalifa crawled under the car looking for a place to put the jack, skinning his knuckles a time or two. Soon he was able to change the tyre. But he had to get dirty and his hands hurt.

As he was tightening up the lug nuts, she rolled down the window and began to talk to him. She told him that she was from Babylon and was only just passing through. She couldn’t thank him enough for coming to her aid.

Khalifa just smiled as he closed her boot. She asked him how much she owed him. Any amount would have been all right with her. She already imagined all the awful things that could have happened had he not stopped. Khalifa never thought twice about being paid. This was not a job to him.

This was helping someone in need, and God knows there were plenty who had given him a hand in the past. He had lived his whole life that way, and it never occurred to him to act any other way. He told her that if she really wanted to pay him back, the next time she saw someone who needed help, she could give that person the assistance they needed, and Khalifa added, “And pray for me.”

He waited until she started her car and drove off. It had been a cold and depressing day, but he felt good as he headed for home, disappearing into the twilight.

A few miles down the road the lady saw a small cafe. She went in to grab a bite to eat, and take the chill off before she made the last leg of her trip home. It was a dingy looking restaurant. Outside were two old gas pumps.

The whole scene was unfamiliar to her. The cash register was like the telephone of an out-of-work actor - it didn’t ring much. The waitress came over and brought a clean towel to wipe her wet hair. She had a sweet smile, one that even being on her feet for the whole day couldn’t erase. The lady noticed the waitress was nearly eight months pregnant, but she never let the strain and aches change her attitude.

The old lady wondered how someone who had so little could be so giving to a stranger. Then she remembered Khalifa.

After the lady finished her meal and the waitress went to get change for her hundred Dinar bill, the lady slipped right out the door. She was gone by the time the waitress came back.

The waitress wondered where the lady could be. Then she noticed something written on the napkin under which were four hundred Dinar bills. There were tears in her eyes when she read what the lady wrote: “You don’t owe me anything. I have been there too. Somebody once helped me out, the way I’m helping you. If you really want to pay me back, here is what you do: Do not let this chain of love end with you.”

Well, there were tables to clear, sugar bowls to fill, and people to serve, but the waitress made it through another day. That night when she got home from work and climbed into bed, she was thinking about the money and what the lady had written. How could the lady have known how much she and her husband needed it? With the baby due next month, it was going to be hard. She knew how worried her husband was, and as he lay sleeping next to her, she gave him a soft kiss and whispered soft and low, “Everything is going to be all right. I love you, Khalifa.”

Holy Qur’an says: “But he who gives to others more out of his own will then it is better for his own self…” [2:184]

Your Ticket Has Been Confirmed

2008-03-19T12:18:00.002Z

SUMMARY
Ticket type: One Way
Price: Absolutely free (booking confirmed)

PASSENGER DETAILS
Name: One of the 'Children of Adam'
Origins: From clay
Address: Planet Earth

CONDITIONS OF TRAVEL
Departure: from life on Earth
Destination: eternal life
Stop-over: hotel (2 metres under the ground, for one person)
Duration of flight: from couple of seconds to several million years
Departure time: Time of death (exact time is unknown, but it can happen earlier than expected)
Arrival time: on Judgment Day (not specified in the timetable)

INFORMATION ABOUT INTERROGATION
Condition on arrival to the hotel (grave): incorruptible
Auditors: Two angels, Munkar & Nakir, will immediately start questioning. Three questions will be asked:
1) Who is your God?
2) Who is your Prophet?
3) What is your religion?
Notes: Questions will follow about your life on Earth. For more information, refer to 27th Ayah of Sura "Ibrahim" of the Holy Qur’an.

LUGGAGE
Despite the fact that the aeroplane transfers only one passenger at a time, there are some restrictions on the amount of baggage that you can take with you:
1) You can take with you 5 metres of white cloth.
2) Any items of material life on Earth are strictly forbidden.
3) Realistic luggage should consist of good deeds, modest behaviour and of well spent time on calling people to Islam.

IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONS
All the passengers should remember that tickets are not exchangeable or refundable.
This journey is compulsory for representatives of all races, nationalities, religions and of all ages.
Delays are not stipulated.

CAPTAIN
Angel of Death will not compromise on changing the date and time of departure.

FOR MORE INFORMATION
Read instructions, which you can find in The Holy Qur’an and Sunnah. You could also consult alims (scholars) . Please do it as soon as possible.
During your journey you will not be provided with an oxygen mask, as your breathing system will be terminated just before departure time.

ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS
You don't need to take care of your boarding pass, passport and other travel documents. To prepare for the flight:
· Pray 5 times a day
· Read the Holy Qur’an
· Follow the Sunnah to the best of your ability
· and be ready for your flight, as you may have to depart any minute (even now)

FINAL WARNING
Final destination depends on you! please do not waste your time on planet earth. Remember, you have a one-way ticket to Hell or Paradise.

The Character of a Believer

2008-03-13T21:53:00.000Z

As Muslims, it is important that we demonstrate our Islamic character through our everyday interaction with others. This can only be achieved if we acknowledge the importance of our behaviour and the impact it has on society. Needless to say, the character of a believer is as important as any religious duty. However, despite being aware of this fact, we often find ourselves in situations where we put our Islamic temperament to the back of our minds and behave like the very people we hate to associate ourselves with.

Here are a few phrases which describe courtesy:

• ‘Courtesy costs nothing and profits everybody’
• ‘Good manners are treating other people in the way we expect to be treated’
• ‘Listen, smile and take time in our dealings with each other’

Being courteous does not require you to go out of your way to help others. There are much simpler tasks which help to demonstrate this quality. Examples include: holding a door open for someone, offering your seat to a person who needs it more and giving way to a fellow motorist. I’m sure that as drivers, many of us forget our courteous traits whilst in the driving seat, often horning at one another with immense frustration!

It is very easy to do what is common by following the norm. However, the character of a believer is not supposed to be ordinary. It must act as a shining example of the beauty which lies within Islamic conduct. Islam teaches us to be considerate and understanding of one another, so that we can live in peace and harmony. This approach arises from believers having an appreciation of diversity and awareness of the fact that we are all constantly experiencing different circumstances.

Giving Salaam is an important part of Islam, it is this very greeting which unites the hearts of believers and conveys a genuine affection. Unfortunately, in practice, many Muslims often hesitate to use this greeting, others don’t reply appropriately and this can lead to a sense of hesitation which contrasts the desired effect of Salaam. The manner in which we give Salaam is also important, a smile and a positive look are good but they should be the output of a genuine feeling of delight. The importance of the way in which we greet one another can never be underestimated. Giving Salaam is a good deed and it means that you are greeting someone with the intention of earning the pleasure of Allah (SWT). Surely, this is the best way to commence an interaction.

Gold Wrapping Paper

2008-03-09T16:52:00.000Z

The story goes that some time ago a mother punished her five year old daughter for wasting a roll of expensive gold wrapping paper. Money was tight and she became even more upset when the child used the gold paper to decorate a box to put under her bedroom.

Nevertheless, the little girl brought the gift box to her mother the next morning and then said, 'This is for you, Momma.'The mother was embarrassed by her earlier over reaction, but her anger flared again when she opened the box and found it was empty. She spoke to her daughter in a harsh manner.'Don't you know, young lady, when you give someone a present there's supposed to be something inside the package?' She had tears in her eyes and said, 'Oh, Momma, it's not empty! I blew kisses into it until it was full.'

The mother was crushed. She fell on her knees and put her arms around her little girl, and she begged her forgiveness for her thoughtless anger. An accident took the life of the child only a short time later, and it is told that the mother kept that gold box by her bed for all the years of her life.

Whenever she was discouraged or faced difficult problems she would open the box and take out an imaginary kiss and remember the love of the child who had put it there. In a very real sense, Allah swt has bestowed on human beings a Golden box filled with unconditional love and kisses for our parents, children, family, relatives & friends. There is no more precious possession anyone could hold.

Narrated by Abu Hurayrah:The Prophet (peace be upon him) said,
"Give presents to one another, for a present removes rancor from the breast; and a woman should not despise even the gift of half a sheep's trotter from her neighbour." Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 3028