Bismillahi rahmani rahim

Assalam alaikum warahmatullah wabarakatu

Alhamdulillahi rabbil-'alamin was salatu was salamu 'ala ashrifil-anbiya wa'l-mursalin nabiyina Muhammad wa 'ala alihi wa sahbihi ajma'in. Amma ba'ad.

To many of you reading this the title may seem absurd, and may have even caught you off-guard, as love generally is not associated with the month of worship and blessing. Yet, if we were to contemplate the actions that we partake during this blessed month we would see that the vast majority of them revolve around love.

"We are often people that just fail to reflect."

The first thing that is needed to actually conceptualize where I am coming from would be to understand what love really is, or at the very least how it is being defined in this treatise. We all know that love has many manifestations, degrees, and types. The way a child loves his or her parents is not the same as the way a woman may love her husband, and likewise, the way a person may love chocolate, per se, is not the same way a person would love his or her Lord (or at least we hope not). 

However in all of these types of love there is a common and key theme, that of sacrifice and fulfilment. The more we love something, the more we are willing to sacrifice for it, and the more we will strive to fulfil the every command and wish of our beloved. This should not be misunderstood as sacrifice and fulfilment being the only components of love, but rather they are from amongst the essential components that make up love, along with longing and cherishing. And this is why we should see that love, along with hope and fear, is a pillar of our worship. Our worship will not be complete nor acceptable until it encompasses the right amounts of love, hope, and fear. After having comprehended this, we can see how shirk can be performed even in love, yet most of mankind knows not.

If we were to take just a moment to reflect what Islam means linguistically (let alone conventionally), we would see that submission (the true linguistic definition of Islam, and not peace contrary to common belief), entails a common theme with love and that being sacrifice. When we truly submit to Allah we are willing to sacrifice anything and everything for Him. This can be seen in one of the most fundamental mottos of a Muslim: "Say: Indeed my prayer, and my sacrifice, and my living, and my dying are for none other than Allah, Lord of all that exists." [ Al-Qur'an 6:162]

So when one goes about sacrificing and fulfilling the wants of other than Allah, just as much or, more than what he does for Allah then such an individual has fallen into shirk . And if one fails to meet the necessary sacrifices and falls short in fulfilling the required obligations then such an individual has fallen into disbelief. It is in light of these words that we understand the verse: "From mankind are those people who have taken deities other than Allah, they love them as they love Allah, and those who have faith (i.e. are Muslims) are stronger in their love for Allah." [ Al-Qur'an 2:165]

We are now beginning to get a clearer picture of how love is associated with this blessed month. It is a woman's love for her child and husband that will make her wake up in the late hours of the night to prepare a nice meal for suhur (the pre-dawn meal). It is a man's love for his community that will drive him to take time off of work to ensure his fellow Muslims have sufficient food for iftar (the meal at sunset). And it is our love for Allah, as Muslims, which drives us to sacrifice the two pinnacles of desire, food and marital relations, for no other reason than the pleasure of our very Creator.

Our love for Allah ( glorified and praised is He ) does not stop here but, rather, merely just begins. One of the key pillars of loving Allah lies in following the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him , and an exemplary role model he is, as can be seen by Allah's statement, "Say (O Muhammad to the people): 'If you really love Allah, then follow me. And He (Allah) in return will love you, and will forgive you for you sins, and indeed Allah is oft-forgiving and most merciful.' Say: 'Obey Allah and the Messenger', and if they turn away, then verily Allah does not love the disbelievers." [ Al-Qur'an 3:31-32]

So what are some of the traditions that we have been left with to follow?

01. Waking up to have suhur , even if it is something little. The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him , said: "Eat suhur for in suhur there is blessing." [Narrated by al-Bukhari and by Muslim]

02. Not delaying the iftar. The Messenger of Allah, upon whom be peace , said: "The people will remain upon goodness as long as they hasten in breaking their fasts." [Narrated by al-Bukhari and by Muslim]

03. Supplicating throughout the day and night, especially during iftar time. The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: "Three prayers are not rejected: the prayer of a father, the prayer of a fasting person, and the prayer of a traveller." [Narrated by al-Bayhaqi 3/345 and classified as authentic in Silsilat al-Ahadith as-Sahihah #1797] "Indeed there is for the fasting person, when he breaks his fast, a supplication which is not rejected." [Narrated by Ibn Majah and al-Hakim] And upon breaking his fast, "The thirst is gone, the veins have been moistened and the reward is assured, if Allah wills." [Narrated by Abu Dawud, al-Bayhaqi and classified as hasan in Irwa al-Ghalil 4/39] 'A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, reported that Allah's Messenger, peace be upon him , instructed her to say: "O Allah indeed you are one that pardons, and you love to pardon, so pardon me." [Narrated by Ahmad, at-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah]

04. Spending the nights in prayer, as well as encouraging the family to do so. The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him , said: "Whoever stands in prayer with the Imam until its conclusion, will be like the one who prayed the whole night." [Narrated by at-Tirmidhi (who graded it as sahih ), Abu Dawud, an-Nisa'i, and Ibn Majah] "Whoever establishes prayers during the nights of Ramadhan out of sincere faith and hoping to attain Allah's rewards, all his past sins will be forgiven." [Narrated by al-Bukhari]

05. Being generous and feeding the people iftar . The Messenger of Allah said: "Whoever gives iftar to one who is fasting will have a reward like his, without detracting from the reward of the person fasting." [Narrated by al-Bukhari and by Muslim] He was also described as "being the most generous of people, and he was at his most generous during Ramadhan ." [Narrated by at-Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, and Ibn Hibban]

06. Staying away from all immoral acts, especially those of the tongue. The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: "Fasting is not abstaining from eating and drinking alone, but it is also abstaining from vain speech and foul language. If one of you is being cursed or annoyed, he should say: I am fasting, I am fasting." [Narrated by al-Bukhari and by Muslim] "Allah does not need the fast of the one who does not abandon falsehood in speech or in action." [Narrated with this wording by Ibn Khuzaymah, Ibn Hibban, and al-Hakim. The key portion of the hadith can also be found in al-Bukhari and Muslim] "Perhaps a fasting person will get nothing from his fast except hunger, and perhaps the one who stands to pray at night will get nothing from his prayer except tiredness." [Narrated by an-Nisa'i, Ibn Majah, and al-Hakim]

Lastly, it is not hidden from anyone that indeed Ramadhan is a month of blessings. In it everything is blessed from, our food to our actions. It is in this very month that we should plant the seeds for goodness that we hope will last us throughout the year. It was the Prophet, peace be upon him , who said: "The best of deeds are the most consistent of them." [Narrated by at-Tirmidhi]

So we should always be looking for self-improvement, and enrichment, and not just in Ramadhan. At the end of the day we have enough ' Ramadhan Muslims', now we are in need of Muslims who live in Ramadhan all year long.

And Allah knows best.

- Adopted -

With all the best wishes of a blessed, beneficial, benevolent, and fruitful Ramadhan.

Your Brother : Abu 'Abdir-Rahman Muhammad Navaid Aziz

From the Holy City of Al-Madinah

Bismillahi rahmani rahim 

Assalam alaikum warahmatullah wabarakatu

Transcribed Video of Wahaj Tarin.

When the hisab (reckoning) finishes, when the account of man ends, he goes to Jannah (heaven) or to Jahannam (hell), and we have become negligent of the fact that we will have to pay an account. We will have to stand in front of Allah, and give an account of the life that we have spent.

Allah rabbul izza says, the hisab of man has come clear, has come near, the hisab is on the precipice, and poor man is still heedless in the sleep, he's in ghafla (heedless), but hisab will come, and after hisab, it is either heaven or hell, and may Allah make me and you of the people of Jannah. Ameen.

I will start with Jahannam, but before I start, I must clarify certain ethic,  it's when the adhab of Allah rabbul izza is being mentioned, when the ashab used to hear about Jahannam they used to tear until their beards would become wet and the ground under their feet would start to become wet, and this is for two reasons;  one is that the verse has had a direct impact in their hearts, and second, they didn't want their Lord to see them as people being not affected by the punishment of Allah.

So today when we discuss the adhab, ensure that your Lord sees you as people afraid of the punishment, because the punishment of Allah is severe. May Allah save me and you from His Wrath and His punishment - Ameen. 

In a hadith narrated in the Saheeh by Numan ibn Bashir, he says that I heard the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) saying, the most lightest, gentlest, simplest punishment of Jahannum is that a man will be made to stand in two bits of coal, and these special coals will make his brains boil and that is the lowest level of punishment in Jahannum, that is and the hadith says that the strange thing is, he will think he is enduring the greatest punishment yet it is the easiest of (punishments in Jahannum), Subhan Allah.

May Allah protect us from His Wrath.

Bismillahi rahmani rahim

Assalam alaikum warahmatullah wabarakatu 

Ramadhan 1438 Alhamdhulillah, May Allah bless us with more of this beautiful month. Ya Rahman accept our fasts and forgive us, Ya Ghaffar for what we knew and whatever knew not. Ameen

Ramadhan is a month of empowerment, not just a month of rituals, not just a month of exercises, it is not just a month of sacrifice. It is not simply a month to listen to the Quran or to stand in prayer or to fast. All these things are the virtues and the characteristics of Ramadhan.

But it is the Month of these actions, it is the desire outcome of these actions that we need to ponder upon for a moment. Ramadhan is a month of empowerment. We are seeking Mercy, Forgiveness and Freedom from the hell fire. Either this is something we are given it denied. If we are given that, it is given by authority, that's called empowerment.

Ramadhan is a month of discipline, a month of focus and a month of concentration. Whoever is denied the benefit of discipline and focus and concentration about their life. And about the value of their life. About their family. About their society and how to produce or to participate in a better world, this person has only went though exercise.

It is like  a boxer who goes to the gymnasium and prepares for one year but they never enter the ring of competition.

Ramadhan is a month of research and reflection. Ramadhan is a month of making new resolutions about our lives. Ramadhan is a month of creativity, concentration and reflection. Making new resolutions on what I would like to do, better this year than I did last year.

[Khalid Yasin]

Assalam alaikum warahmatullah wabarakatu 

Bismillahi rahmani rahim

Alhamdhulillah for this day and all the days Allah blesses us with to improve ourselves, becoming better Muslims. 

So I'm mostly on public transport, from home to work and back home again and in between a bit of a walk, and I'm always eyeing, one two, three things. And I recently noticed that much of what I was living with just 5 years ago has changed so much, for the worse in terms of either self-respect and self-worth or honour, it's no longer valuable. Fitnah has become such a norm, blended in with our lives we don't find it a big deal anymore. 

[Sheikh Bilal Assad]

Rasul of Allah told us that in the last hour, towards the last hour their will be extreme display - the trial and tribulations. The fitnah will be displayed before you, a very intrigue word is used here meaning they will be placed in front you. You don't even looking for it, it will be placed in front of you - just like the pieces of straws in a straw mat, there are so many of them - like all the individual straws, maybe hundred thousand straws in it, individually, all at once. 

Rasul is using a metaphor here, he's saying the fitana, they'll be so many on that day that you will look at them, you'll see them all at once in front of you, and you will recognise that each one on its own, fitnah after fitnah, after fitnah, after fitnah, after fitnah, all displaying themselves in front of you.

He said, they'll be two hearts. One heart would be pure and the other type of heart, milky, stinky, ugly and dark.  The pure heart are ones that reject these fitanas and try to go against it. And the hearts that are dark and ugly are the one who take it, accept it and love it. 

Once I was driving out of my house, I went down to the next street. This street is a two-way, cars coming this way, cars going that way.  So if you go down in one direction, it's very hard to overtake another vehicle. I was reaching around the roundabout and there was a bus stop, I looked at the bus a few metered and right at the back of the bus is a huge picture of a woman, partially naked. Now you shouldn't even be shocked because this is very normal, isn't it. Very normal. Everywhere you drive, you can see it, it's very normal. 

So I said I better beat that bus, because the bus is gonna be right in front of me and I can't overtake because cars are gonna be coming this way and I have to look at the bus because otherwise they'll be an accident. What I'm I looking at? The Picture. 

So then the bus went in front of me, how strong is Shaytan? So the bus went in front of me. Driving behind this bus where so I look? Trying to look away,  I'm gonna have an accident. Until the bus Alhamdhulillah went away, Astaghfirullah-adhim. I said, sadaqa rasulullah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), truthful is he, that the fitnah will be displayed in front of your eyes, you can't even run away from it. 

This day and age. The other day, a brother said, I lowered my gaze to the ground and I see a magazine with a woman on it. I looked away from this, at a shop right there was displayed on the window Lahaula walaquwata ilabillah. You going to read your emails, bang! right in front of you this junk mail comes up, sometimes a display, isn't that correct? Everywhere!!

Grade 5s and 6s now are looking at stuff they shouldn't be looking at by the time they are in year 9, Allahu Akbar! Gone with the wind. 

Pornography has become a wide spread epidemic today, Rasul of Allah told us, before the last hour, there will be a time when people will look at this as very normal. 

[MERCIFUL SERVANT]

Bismillahi rahmani rahim

Assalam alaikum warahmatullah wabarakatu 

By Shaykh Hassan Ali.

People will look for Shaytan, and they will find him. There he is! Iblis. Grab a hold of him! Let's tear him apart..its him! So they'll come to him and they will say, Iblis.. Mr. Big Man, the biggest of all Mr. Big Man, you're the one who led all of us.. all of us are in hell today because of you!

He's gonna say.. You know Iblis, he's crafty but you're going to see how crafty he is on the Day of Judgement. He's gonna say this, Allah gave you a promise and I gave you a promise, Allah gave you the promise of the Quran and I gave you the promise of whispering into your minds and hearts. Allah told you, you will get paradise for this, I told you don't worry about it.

Just do it.. Just do it. It's nice man.. it's nice. Enjoyable man.. Enjoy it bro! I said that to you! I gave you a whisper in your hearts and I promise you. Do not worry about it. You didn't listen to Allah but you listened to me!

Who you gonna blame? Who you gonna blame me for leading you to hell? It was you who led yourself! You had the choice to believe the Rahman or the Shaytan and you chose the Shaytan over the Rahman. So don't come to me today telling me what I should do for you. You cannot save me today and I cannot save you today. I cannot come to yourselves today, you can't come to my rescue today. We both here, we both here in hell.

" Basically what his motto is, now we're even Steven! "

Because Shaytan wants that! He wants us to go to Jahannam. We know that Shaytan, made a pledge with Allah or declared himself arrogantly.. that he is going to build up the hopes of human beings. As such that they will turn away from Allah. He would led them away from the worship of the one God. 

So what we know more generally is that Shaytan builds up hopes of human beings for a long life in this world. And ultimately that they will have good in this life regardless of whether they worship Allah or not. So he promises them immortality and immorality.

When the Final Judgement is made.. and Allah.. reveals His power and His control, that's when people will realise that Shaytan has beguiled them and Shaytan himself will now confess. I made a promise to you.. and that was a false promise. Allah made a promise to you.. and that was the true promise.

But Shaytan also defend himself against blame, because now people know this score and begin to blame Shaytan, you're the one who misled us. But Satan's response to that is, do not blame me, bit blame yourselves. The extent of my work was only that I gave you this promise and you obeyed, you followed, so don't blame me, blame yourselves.

And in the end even if you were to blame Shaytan, Satan says I'm not able to respond to your cries, not would you be able to respond to my cries. 

" And certainly for the wrong doers, this is a painful punishment. "

Bismillahi rahmani rahim

Assalam alaikum warahmatullah wabarakatu 

And understand this young Muslims. Today you have the same type of problems. Sin hasn't gone to your neighbour's house, it has come into your bedroom, you call it the laptop. Sin has come on your pillows, you call it mobile phones.

You sit there watching TV till your feel like your vomiting, so you go Khalas you know your click. And then there's nothing after a few hours so Khalas then you go to your laptop, and you sit and you watch, Halal and Haram. May Allah ﷻ guide you to Halal. Then when nothing is left, on your under pillow you're still playing with your phone.

Sin has come into your bedrooms.

Sin has become pervasive and invasive and engulfing and all overtaking in this time. Watch out for two things. Watch falling for the sins,  especially in seclusion (private). Listen to this Hadith - it should make the hairs on the back of your neck stand. Listen to the warning of the Prophet ﷺ

I know a group of my ummah, they will come on the Day of Judgement with good deeds like mountains glowing bright. Not little good deeds. Mountains of good deeds. And Allah will make it perish in the wind, it will disappear. So Rasul Allah ﷺ says, these are not ordinary people, they are your brothers. Muslims. And not ordinary Muslims. And these are Muslims, the type that wake up in the middle of the night and pray. They're are good Muslims, but what's their sin?

But they're of people that when they're alone, they overstep the boundaries of Allah. So in seclusion when you're there on your phone remember Allah ﷻ will delete all your good deeds if you're not careful. If you grow to Jurrah..the bravery against Dhul Arshi Majid, that you know He's watching, and you feel He's watching and you persist, one is out of fear and mistakes and you but one of insistence. Fear that. 

And second, for those of you that have the capacity and ability to hold back from the Haram, listen to the glad tidings. And I will end with this Hadith. The Prophet ﷺ says, O! Sahaba after you will come the day of patience. The days of difficulty, the days where it is hard to be a Muslim and righteous. But.. Whoever on these days of difficulties and in those days of vice and in those days of the internet. If in those days whoever holds on to what you have held on to. If they hold on to the deen as you are holding O! Sahaba. They will get the reward of 50. So they asked, Ya Rasul Allah the tears if 50 of us or 50 of them? So the Rasul said, No! 50 of you my Sahaba.

And whoever leaves Haram for the sake of Allah and returns it for a Halal, Allah ﷻ will replace it with unimaginable things.

The ahsab gave up their homes for Islam, Allah ﷻ gave them the dominion of earth instead.

Suleiman gave up his horses for the sake of Allah, Allah ﷻ gave him wind to command.

Yusuf gave up Haram women, Allah ﷻ gave him the dominion of Egypt instead.

Leave the Haram that you're in and Allah ﷻ will replace it with what you didn't anticipate. May Allah guide and guard you.

- Wahaj Tarin -

[ YouTube - Merciful Servant ]

Bismillahi rahmani rahim 

Assalam alaikum warahmatullah wabarakatu 

This is my story of how I reverted to Islam, it's a story of plans. I made plans; the group I was with made plans, and Allah made plans. And Allah is the Best of Planners.

When I was a teenager, I came to the attention of a group of people with a very sinister agenda. They were and probably still are a loose association of individuals who work in government positions but have a special agenda — to destroy Islam. It is not a governmental group that I am aware of, they simply use their positions in the US government to advance their cause.

One member of this group approached me because he saw that I was articulate, motivated and very much the women’s rights advocate. He told me that if I studied International Relations with an emphasis in the Middle East, he would guarantee me a job at the American Embassy in Egypt. He wanted me to eventually go there to use my position in the country to talk to Muslim women and encourage the fledgling women’s rights movement.

I thought this was a great idea. I had seen the Muslim women on TV; I knew they were a poor oppressed group, and I wanted to lead them to the light of 20th century freedom.

With this intention, I went to college and began my education. I studied Quran, hadith and Islamic history. I also studied the ways I could use this information. I learned how to twist the words to say what I wanted them to say. It was a valuable tool.

Once I started learning, however, I began to be intrigued by this message. It made sense. That was very scary. Therefore, in order to counteract this effect, I began to take classes in Christianity. I chose to take classes with this one professor on campus because he had a good reputation and he had a Ph.D. in Theology from Harvard University. I felt I was in good hands. I was, but not for the reasons I thought. It turns out that this professor was a Unitarian Christian. He did not believe in the trinity or the divinity of Jesus. In actuality, he believed that Jesus was a prophet.

He proceeded to prove this by taking the Bible from its sources in Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic and show where they were changed. As he did this, he showed the historical events which shaped and followed these changes.

By the time I finished this class, my religion had been destroyed, but I was still not ready to accept Islam.

As time went on, I continued to study, for myself and for my future career. This took about three years. In this time, I would question Muslims about their beliefs. One of the Individuals I questioned was a Muslim brother with the MSA [Muslim Students’ Association]. Alhamdulllah, he saw my interest in the deen, and made it a personal effort to educate me about Islam. He would tell me about Islam at every opportunity which presented itself.

One day, this man contacts me, and he tells me about a group of Muslims who were visiting in town. He wanted me to meet them. I agreed. I went to meet with them after Isha [night] prayer. I was led to a room with at least 20 men in it. They all made space for me to sit, and I was placed face to face with an elderly Pakistani gentleman.

MashAllah, this brother was a very knowledgeable man in matters of Christianity. He and I discussed and argued the varying parts of the bible and the Quran until the fajr [dawn prayer]. At this point, after having listened to this wise man tell me what I already knew, based on the class I had taken in Christianity, he did what no other individual had ever done. He invited me to become a Muslim.

In the three years I had been searching and researching, no one had ever invited me. I had been taught, argued with and even insulted, but never invited.

So when he invited me, it clicked. I realized this was the time. I knew it was the truth, and I had to make a decision. Alhamdulillah [All praise be to Allah], Allah opened my heart, and I said, “Yes. I want to be a Muslim.”

With that, the man led me in the shahadah [the testimony of faith] – in English and in Arabic. When I took the shahadah, I felt the strangest sensation. I felt as if a huge, physical weight had just been lifted off my chest; I gasped for breath as if I were breathing for the first time in my life.

Alhamdulillah, Allah had given me a new life — a clean slate — a chance for Jannah [Paradise], and I pray that I live the rest of my days and die as a Muslim. Ameen.

[revert2islamtoday.blogspot.com]

Bismillahi rahmani rahim

Assalam alaikum warahmatullah wabarakatu 

Rabia Awwal Mubaarak! It is the third month of the Hijri Calendar which in many Muslims celebrate the birthday of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon) believing it to have occurred on the 12th of this month. However, the truth is that his actual date of birth is unknown just as the date of birth of Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him) is unknown. Furthermore, its celebration is an innovation in Islamic worship as it was not instructed by the Prophet nor was it done by his companions. Even the celebration of birthdays in general is not permissible because of its pagan roots. As a result even the early Christians did not celebrate Christ’s birth because they considered the celebration of anyone’s birth to be a pagan custom.

The Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them) were the people who loved the Prophet most. Was it reported that Abu Bakr, who was the closest of people to him and the one who loved him the most, celebrated the birthday of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)? Was it reported that ‘Umar, who ruled for twelve years, or ‘Uthmaan, did this? Was it reported that ‘Ali, his relative and foster son, did this? Was it reported that any of the Sahaabah did this? No, by Allah! Is it because they were not aware of its importance, or did they not truly love the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)? No one would say such a thing except one who has gone astray and is leading others astray.

Did any of the Imams – Abu Haneefah, Maalik, al-Shaafi’i, Ahmad, al-Hasan al-Basri, Ibn Seereen – do this or command others to do it or say that it was good? By Allah, no! It was not even mentioned during the first and best three centuries. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said in a saheeh hadeeth: “The best of mankind are my generation (or my century), then those who come after them, then those who come after them. Then there will come a people who will not care if their testimony comes before their oath or vice versa (i.e., they will not take such matter seriously).” [Reported by al-Bukhaari, Muslim and al-Tirmidhi].

The celebration of the Prophet’s birthday appeared many centuries later, when many of the features of true religion had vanished and bid’ah had become widespread. This celebration became a sign of one’s love for the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)? But can it be possible that the Sahaabah, the Imams and the people of the best three centuries were unaware of it, and it was only those who came later who were aware of its importance?! What the Qur’aan tells us is that love of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is demonstrated by following the guidance he brought. 

Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Say (O Muhammad): ‘If you (really) love Allah, then follow me, Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. Say: ‘Obey Allah and the Messenger.’ But if they turn away, then Allah does not like the disbelievers.” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:31-32] 

The first aayah explains that love is just a claim, but the proof of sincerity is following what the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) brought. The second aayah reaffirms the importance and necessity of obeying Allah and His Messenger. Hence Allah ended the aayah with a very stern warning in which those who refuse to obey are described as kaafirs, and Allah does not love the disbelievers. We ask Allah to keep us safe from that. 

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) told us of the danger of not obeying him, and the danger of adding to what he brought. The celebration of Mawlid or his birthday is indeed an addition to what he brought – as all the scholars agree. He said: “The best of speech is the Book of Allah, and the best of guidance is the guidance of Muhammad. The most evil of things are those which are newly-invented (in religion), and every innovation is a going astray.” (Reported by Muslim and al-Nisaa’i).

So instead, let us apply the lessons learned from the life of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and increase our efforts to spread the true religion of Allah in this month, while keeping alive the Ramadhan lessons of making fasting truly a way of life by also fasting Monday's and Thursday's of every week, and 13th, 14th and 15th according to the recommendations of Rasul. It is worth noting that when the Prophet was asked why he fasted Monday's,  he replied that it was the day on which he was born!! So, for those bent on commemorating the Prophet's birth, let them do as he did and FAST EVERY MONDAY!! 

We ask Allaah to protect us from bid’ah and to bless us by helping us to follow. Allaah knows best. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad.

blog.islamiconlineuniversity.com

Islamqa.com

Bismillahi rahmani rahim

Assalam alaikum warahmatullah wabarakatu 

QUESTION

I am a young Muslim man who believes in Allah and His Messengers and His Books, praise be to Allah. But sometimes I feel too lazy to pray. I am looking for a solution and a way to make me not be so lazy. Please note that this is what I want but the tricks of the Shaytaan are too strong.

ANSWER

Praise be to Allah.

If a person truly believes in Allah, His Messengers and His Books, and believes that prayer is obligatory and is the greatest pillar of Islam after the Shahaadatayn, we cannot imagine that he would neglect to pray or be careless in performing the prayers. Rather he would never feel at ease unless he performs this important ritual regularly.

The more a person’s faith increases, the more he will be concerned to do that which Allah has enjoined upon him, and this is also because of his strong faith. Hence the way to make you pray more regularly may be summed up as follows:

1 – You should believe firmly that prayer is obligatory and that it is the greatest pillar of Islam. You should realize that a stern warning is issued to the one who neglects prayer, and he is a kaafir who is beyond the pale of Islam according to the more correct of the two scholarly opinions, based on a great deal of evidence, such as the hadeeth in which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Between a man and shirk and kufr there stands his giving up prayer.”  [Narrated by Muslim, 82.] And he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “The covenant that stands between us and them is prayer; whoever gives it up is a kaafir.” [Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2621; al-Nasaa’i, 463; Ibn Maajah, 1079; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi]

2 – You should understand that delaying prayer beyond the time when it is due is a major sin, because Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): "Then, there has succeeded them a posterity who have given up As‑Salaah (the prayers) [i.e. made their Salaah (prayers) to be lost, either by not offering them or by not offering them perfectly or by not offering them in their proper fixed times] and have followed lusts. So they will be thrown in Hell” [Maryam 19:59] Ibn Mas’ood said concerning al-Ghayy [translated in the verse quoted above as Hell): This is a valley in Hell which is very deep and foul. And Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “So woe unto those performers of Salaah (prayers) (hypocrites). Those who delay their Salaah (prayer from their stated fixed times)” [al-Maa’oon :4,5]

3 – You should strive to offer the prayers in congregation in the mosque, and not neglect any of them, knowing that praying in congregation in the mosque is obligatory according to the more sound of the two scholarly opinions, based on a great deal of evidence, such as the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): “Whoever hears the call to prayer and does not respond, his prayer is not valid unless he has an excuse.” [Narrated by Ibn Maajah, 793; also by al-Daaraqutni and al-Haakim, who classed it as saheeh; also classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Ibn Maajah] Muslim (653) narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: A blind man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and said: “O Messenger of Allah, I do not have anyone to guide me to the mosque,” and he asked the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) to give him a dispensation allowing him to pray in his home and he allowed him that, then when he turned away he called him back and said: “Can you hear the call to prayer?’ He said, “Yes.” He said: “Then answer it.” And there is other evidence too. See question no. 40113. 

4 – There is the hope that if you adhere to that, you will be included among the seven whom Allah will shade with His shade (on the Day of Resurrection), among whom is “a young man who grew up worshipping his Lord” and “a man whose heart was attached to the mosque”. [Al-Bukhaari, 660; Muslim, 1031]

5 – You will earn the great reward for prayer, especially prayer in congregation. In al-Saheehayn it is narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “A man’s prayer in congregation is twenty-five times better than his praying in his house or marketplace, because when he does wudoo’ and does it well, then goes out to the mosque, only going there to pray, he does not take a single step but he is raised in status and a sin is erased thereby. When he prays, the angels continue to send blessings upon him so long as he is still in the place where he prayed, (saying), ‘O Allah, send blessings on him, O Allaah have mercy on him.’ And one of you is still in a state of prayer so long as he is waiting for the prayer.” [Al-Bukhaari, 647; Muslim, 649] Muslim (232) narrated that ‘Uthmaan ibn ‘Affaan said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say: “Whoever does wudoo’ for prayer and does wudoo’ well, then walks to (perform) the prescribed prayer, and offers the prayer with the people or with the congregation or in the mosque, Allah will forgive him his sins.”

6 – You should read about the virtue of prayer, and the sin of those who are careless or too lazy to pray. We advise you in particular to read the book Al-Salaah, limadha (Prayer – why?) by Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ismaa’eel al-Muqaddim; and listen to the lecture, “Limadha la tusalli (Why don’t you pray?) by Shaykh Muhammad Husayn Ya’qoob, as these will be very beneficial for you in sha Allah.

7 – You should choose good friends who are keen to pray and pay attention to that, and keep away from those who are the opposite, because a person is influenced by his friends.

8 – Keep away from sin in all aspects of your life, and adhere to the rulings of sharee’ah in your dealings with others, especially with women, because sin is one of the things that most distract a person from doing acts of worship and increase the Shaytaan’s influence on him.

We ask Allah to make us and you among His righteous slaves and those who are close to Him.

And Allah knows best.

Islam Q&A. [Adopted from Muslim by Choice]

Bismillah ir-rahman ir-rahim

Assalam alaikum warahmatullah wabarakatu 

This is another lecture that is transcribe from Mufti Ismail Menk for our benefit In Sha Allah. May Allah grant him and his family and all of us understanding of our Deen. Ameen. 

Justice for All: Who Will Be Bankrupt In Allah Subhanahu wa taala's Court? There is a Hadeeth where Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “On the day of Qiyamah, there will come a person who is bankrupt”- in fact, he asked a question: “Do you know who a bankrupt person is?” The Sahabah said: “Well, according to us, a person who doesn’t have Dirhams and Dinars, or gold or silver, is a bankrupt person.” In our terms, perhaps, it’s someone who doesn’t have dollars and pounds. It is a fact that someone who doesn’t have material things is a bankrupt person. Rasool Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “No, it is a person who comes on the Day of Judgement with a lot of Salah, with a lot of Zakah, and with a lot of acts of worship.”

You know, if I heard that, I would think I am hearing wrong. The bankrupt person on the Day of Judgement is someone with a lot of prayers, a lot of worship, and lots of acts of charity! A lot! How can that person be bankrupt? The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) continued: “And then when they are standing in front of Allah Subhanahu wa taala with all these deeds, they have backbitten this one, gossiped about that one, slandered this one, eaten the wealth of the other, deceived another, and harmed another and so on. So Allah takes away these good deeds one by one as a payment because on that day, the currency will be deeds.”

The payback is in the form of your good deeds. Such as salah in the first row - gone, zakah - gone, hajj - gone, fasting - gone, all the good deeds - gone. What happens thereafter? There are still so many people waiting for their rights. The Prophet of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “There will come a time when that man has nothing remaining and the people in front still want their right. Allah will say: Take their sins and put them on his shoulder.” So the sins are put on the shoulder of the individual who violated somebody’s rights. He was the one who used to read Salah in the first row; he was the charitable one; he was the pious one according to the whole world; but because he usurped the rights of the fellow human beings and disregarded them completely, he is going to pay for that. When he went, he went with a lot and as he is progressing on that day (in fact, there is no progress, he is going back) because he has lost everything and on top of that, he has got sins committed by other people. May Allah Subhanahu wa taala) forgive us. Ameen.

So, this is the clear Hadeeth that explains the importance of fulfilling the rights of fellow human beings. We need to make sure that we are humble; and remember, it doesn’t mean that you fulfill the rights of those who are pious alone. No! It doesn’t mean you fulfill the rights of the Muslims alone. Whether they are sinful, whether they are non-Muslims, no matter who they are and what they have done, they have rights! So much so, it doesn’t stop at human beings! In fact, it continues to all the creatures of Allah, including the ecosystem. Subhan’Allah!

May Allah Subhanahu wa taala have mercy on us and may He open the doors on us. Ameen. I hope the explanation would help in understanding the importance of fulfilling the rights of fellow human beings; and how actually, these are the fruits that are seen clearly on the person who is really close to Allah Subhanahu wa taala.

And Allah knows best.

Bismillah ir-rahman ir-rahim

Assalam alaikum warahmatullah wabarakatu 

Dear friend, 

I saw you yesterday as you began your daily chores. You awoke without stopping to pray. As a matter of fact, you didn't even bless your meals, or pray before going to bed last night. You are so unthankful, I like that about you. I cannot tell you how glad I am that you have not changed your way of living, Fool, you are mine.

Remember, you and I have been going steady for years, and I still don't love you yet. As a matter of fact, I hate you, because I hate Allah. I am only using you to get even with Allah. He kicked me out of heaven, and I'm going to use you as long as possible. You see, Fool, Allah loves you and He has great plans in store for you. But you have yielded your life to me and I'm going to make your life a living hell. That way we'll be together twice. Thanks to you.

I'm really showing Him who's boss in your life. With all of the good times we've had..... We have been watching dirty movies, cursing people, out partying, stealing, lying, being hypocritical, indulging in fornication, overeating, telling dirty jokes, gossiping, back stabbing people, disrespecting adults and those in leadership position, no respect for the mosque, bad attitudes: Surely you don't want to give all this up.

Come on, Fool, let's burn together forever. I've got some hot plans for us. This is just a letter of appreciation from me to you. I'd like to say " Thanks! " for letting me use you for most of your foolish life. You are so gullible, I laugh at you. When you are tempted to sin, you give in HA HA HA, you make me sick. Sin is beginning to take its toll on your life. You look 20 years older, I need new blood. So go ahead and teach some children how to sin.

All you have to do is smoke, drink alcoholic beverages, cheat, gamble, gossip, fornicate, and listen to and dance to the top 10 jams. Do all of this in the presence of children and they will do it too. Kids are like that. Well, Fool, I have to let you go for now. I'll be back in a couple of seconds to tempt you again. If you were smart, you would run somewhere, confess your sins, ask forgiveness from Him, live for Allah with what little bit of life that you have left. It's not my nature to warn anyone, but to be your age and still sinning, it's becoming a bit ridiculous. Don't get me wrong, I still hate you.

May Allah protect us from the whispers of Shaytan and guide us away from the path that he leads. 

Bismillah ir-rahman ir-rahim

Assalam alaikum warahmatullah warahmatullah wabarakatu

Sajdah is a unique position or stance in the regular prayers, which a Muslim is supposed to offer at least five times a day. Although the basic purpose of obligatory prayers is not to provide an exercise for people yet it is being increasingly recognized that it has plenty of medical advantages for the human body. Here it is worth mentioning that Holy Prophet Muhammad has mentioned in a hadith in Ibn Majah that prayer is a cure for many diseases. The fact is that a person who offers his prayers regularly that too in the mosque is protected from many diseases which he many not even know.

The position of Sajdah in which the forehead touches the earth is exclusively associated with the Muslim form of prayer. It is the climax of a Muslim’s prayer and as mentioned in a Hadith a Muslim is nearest to Allah in this position. Abu Huraira (radiAllahu anhu) reported that the messenger of Allah (sallAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “The nearest a servant comes to his Lord is when he is prostrating himself, so make supplication (in this state)” [Sahih al-Bukhari] A’ishah Siddiqa (radiAllahu anha) narrates that The Prophet (sallAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) used to prolong the prostration to such an extent that one could recite fifty verses (of the Qur’an) before he would lift his head [Sahih al-Bukhari] In another Hadith narrated by Anas bin Malik (radiAllahu anhu) the Prophet (sallAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) advised Muslims to perform Ruku (bowing) and Sajdah properly. In another Hadith the Prophet (sallAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) advised to perform Sajdah and Bowing calmly and to get up only when the body has come to ease.

In supplication for the victory, He (sallAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) also performed long bowing (Ruku) and Sajdah in the special prayers at the time of eclipse. Hence the first positive effect upon a person who prostrates or does Sajdah is that he comes nearest to Allah and hence in that condition he can supplicate . This is a great psychological advantage and it gives relief to the person concerned as life is full of worries and in this position he gets at least a transient refuge from the agonizing problems. When a person goes to the position of prostration Sajdah his whole body is in active motion. This position can be considered as a mini dive as the musalli (one who offers prayer) goes to rest his forehead on the ground while his hands are placed at the sides . This brings most of the body muscles if not all in active motion and serves to give them some exercise. The hands are then specifically stretched out and thence the forearm as well as arm muscles are supposed to bear the weight in the Sajdah position. It gives good exercise to the muscles of the upper limb. The Prophet (sallAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) in a hadith advised not to put the forearms flatly on the ground but to keep them elevated above ground and this is better for the forearm and arm muscles.

Sujud is a unique position as this is the only position in which brain (or head) becomes lower than the heart and hence for the first time the blood gushes towards the brain with full force whereas in all other positions (even when lying) brain is above the heart when it has to work against gravity to send blood to the brain. In the position of Sajdah due to the increased blood supply the brain receive more nourishment and it has good effect upon memory, vision, hearing, concentration, psyche and all other cognitive abilities. People who offer their prayers regularly have more will power and can cope with the difficulties of life in a much better manner. They have less incidence of headaches, psychological problems and other defects of cognitive function.

The neck muscles get best exercise. They have to bear the load when the forehead lies at the ground hence the neck muscles become stronger. One can note the tense pressure at the neck muscles in the position of Sajdah specially the active motion of the neck and the facial muscles when the head is being lifted. (e.g. one inch above the ground) and it will be noticed that they are in a very active motion. More strong cervical muscles mean the cervical vertebra will be better protected. Strength of cervical muscles is important as the head rests upon cervical vertebra supported by cervical musculature. In fact head performs rotator movements over the cervical vertebra. In any accident cervical neck examination is especially important to the physicians because of its extraordinary importance. It is uncommon that a person who offers his prayers regularly will get the usual neck myalgias or cervical spondylosis as the neck muscles particularly become very strong due to the 34 sajdahs offered daily in five prayers. Position of Sajdah is also said to be a good treatment for the retroversion of uterus, a disease of women.

Most of us do not know that the position of Sajdah is an excellent exercise for men (for manpower). It may be a good information to the Viagra dependents. While getting up from Sajdah the perennial muscles are one of those muscles which have to pull the trunk back to sitting position and they contract actively. Similarly while standing up from Sajdah the perennial muscles are again actively mobilised and this gives much strength to the muscles important for manpower.

Sajdah also has positive effects upon the back muscles as while going into Sajdah and getting up from it the back muscle contract actively and they become stronger. Probably it is because of this reason that a person who is regular in prayers will uncommonly get backache. After performing Sajdah either the musalli stands up or he sits to pray Attahiyyat. In this position the person sits calmly while his hands rest at his thighs which are folded backwards. This is much similar to the relaxation position of Yoga and has soothing effect upon one’s health and mentation.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to elongate the position of Ruku (bending) and Sajdah positions and he advised to do so. In the light of the above facts it is appropriate to say that from medical point of view as well this advice is a golden rule for health. Finally it must be reminded that prayer is not meant to be an exercise. However there are a lot of medical advantages associated with it.

Still the best blessing is the peace of mind, which a person derives by the accomplishment of his duty to Allah by fulfilling an obligation.

Dr. Muhammad Karim Beebani

And Allah knows best. 

Bismillah ir-rahman ir-rahim

Assalam alaykum warahmtullah wabarakatu

A friend of mine once shared the story of a young woman who had accepted Islam and fell sick shortly thereafter and was hospitalized. Her new Muslim companions would gather at her bedside reciting Qu’ran and keeping her company. One day one of the Muslims was reciting Qur’an and the woman started to turn her head back and forth in apparent agitation. Concerned, the Muslims asked what was wrong.

The sick woman responded by saying that it was hard to concentrate because she didn’t know whom to listen to.

“What do you mean?” the Muslims asked her.

Agitated, she said to the one reciting Qur’an, “Should I listen to you and should I listen to them?”

The reciter turned and didn’t see anyone. “I’m the only one reciting,” he said.

The woman, who did not know Arabic, responded saying, “I hear someone else saying, ‘Yaa ayyu han-nafsul mut-ma-innah. ‘Irji’ee ilaa rabbiki raaDiyya-tam marDiyyah. Fad-khulee fee ‘ebaadee, wad-khulee jannatee.”

O reassured soul, Return to your Lord, well-pleased and pleasing [to Him]. And enter among My [righteous]servants. And enter My Paradise (Qur’an; Al-Fajr , 89:27-30).

A moment later, she died…

When I heard the story of the girl hearing the last verses from Soorat Al-Fajr before death, my eyes welled with tears. I longed to hear those Divine words recited to me. But as I reflected on my life and my shortcomings, I wondered if I’d be given that gift.

What was it, I wondered, that she had done that pleased Allah so much that she earned this momentous blessing? Was there something—anything—that I could do to earn something similar?

I thought of my parents and my deeds what could I do to achieve such an ending.

[Umm Zakariya]