10 Muharram (day of 'Aashooraa’)

The Prophet sallAllaahu 'Alayhi wa sallam said: “by fasting the day of 'Ashuraa’, I hope that Allaah will accept it as expiation for the year that went before.”

09 Muharram = Sunday, 4th December 2011

10 Muharram (day of 'Ashuraa) = Monday, 5th December 2011

wAllahu'alam..

[Expiation = the act of atoning for sin or wrongdoing (especially appeasing a deity)]

My sins block my du'a...

(Author unknown)

As I sit here alone, the tears rolling down my face

It is not salt, but pain that I taste

So I leave now to go stand before You

I am helpless and alone, what else can I do?

I have asked, I have begged but my sins block my du'a

I will come now still begging, forgive me O Allah

Forgive me and grant me what it is that I ask

For me it is impossible but for You a simple task

I try and I try but I do not succeed

But I understand and know it is because Your Words I do not heed

I hear, yes I hear but I do not always obey

Perhaps that is why I am destitute, isolated and why You have written that I will be alone this way

I have no one to blame but the person in the mirror I see

No one else must pay for my sins,
no one else, no one else,
no one else but me

So I stand before You to again beg forgiveness because You said that I can

You have told us in Your Book that You are Ar-Rahman

I will ask, I will beg but my sins block my du'a

But I will keep asking, forgive me O Allah.

SALAM MAAL HIJRAH ~ 1433 HIJRAH

"Our Lord! We believe, so forgive us, and have mercy on us, for You are the Best of all who show mercy!"

(Soorah 23 (Al-Mukminoon) : Verse 109)

"Wahai Tuhan kami, kami telah beriman; oleh itu ampunkanlah dosa kami serta berilah rahmat kepada kami dan sememangnya Engkaulah jua sebaik-baik Pemberi rahmat."

(Surah 23 (Al-Mukminuun) : Ayat 109)

"My Lord! Grant me the power and ability that I may be grateful for Your Favours which You have bestowed on me and on my parents, and that I may do righteous good deeds that will please You, and admit me by Your Mercy among Your righteous slaves."

(Soorah 27 (An-Naml) : Verse 19)

"Wahai Tuhanku, ilhamkanlah daku supaya tetap bersyukur akan nikmatMu yang Engkau kurniakan kepadaku dan kepada ibu bapaku dan supaya aku tetap mengerjakan amal soleh yang Engkau redai dan masukkanlah daku dengan limpah rahmatMu dalam kumpulan hamba-hambaMu yang soleh."

(Surah 27 (An-Naml) : Ayat 19)

*******************

Beautiful Arabic nasheed (Agheebo) by Mishary Alafasy

Power of “Istighfar”

(A moving story from the life of Imam Ahmad)

by AbdurRahman.org

This story about "Istighfar" (seeking forgiveness from Allah) is from the life of Imam Ahmed Bin Hanbal, who is considered as a renowned scholar of Islam and a famous theologian. Imam Ahmed is also considered to be the founder of the Hanbali school of fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) and is one of the most celebrated Sunni theologians, often referred to as the "Sheikh ul-Islam" or the "Imam of Ahl al-Sunnah."

During his old age, while Imam Ahmed was travelling he stopped by a town. After the prayers, he wanted to stay for the night in the masjid yard because he didn't know anyone in the town. Owing to his humility, he hadn't introduced himself to anyone thinking that if he did, he would be welcomed by many people.

Failing to recognize Ahmed bin Hanbal, the caretaker of the mosque refused to let him stay in the mosque. As Imam Ahmed was quite old, the caretaker had to drag him out of the mosque. On seeing this, a baker from a nearby place felt pity for this man (Imam Ahmed) and offered to be the host to him for the night.


During his stay with the baker, Imam Ahmed observed that the baker would constantly recite Istighfar (seek forgiveness from Allah). Imam Ahmed asked the baker if the constant practice of saying Istighfar had any effect on him. The baker responded by telling Imam Ahmed that Allah had accepted all of his duas (supplications), except one.


When he asked him what dua was it that hadn't been accepted, the baker replied that he had been asking Allah to provide him the privilege to meet the famous scholar Imam Ahmed bin Hanbal.

On this, Imam Ahmed bin Hanbal said that Allah had not only listened to his dua but had dragged him onto his (the baker's) doorsteps.


[Summarized from Al Jumuah magazine, vol 19, issue 7]

This story is a reminder of the power of saying Istighfar (seeking forgiveness) frequently. Let's remember that the prophet used to say Istighfar frequently during the day.

Prophet Muhammad(peace be upon him) said,

"If somebody recites it during the day with firm faith in it and dies on the same day before the evening, he will be from the people of Paradise and if somebody recites it at night with firm faith in it and dies before the morning he will be from the people of Paradise."

(Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 8, Book 75, Number 318)

ASTAGHFIRULLAAH - اســـــــــتــــــــــغـــفرالـــلـــه

My Beloved

Poem by : Rabi'ah al Adawiyya (here)

[Rabi'ah al-Adawiyya al-Basri (may Allah be pleased with her and sanctify her secret) was one of the foremost sufis, and towered over the men of her time with her lofty spiritual rank. May Allah enable us to understand. This is taken from Tadhkirat ul-Awliya]

My peace, O my brothers and sisters, is my solitude,

And my Beloved is with me always,

For His love I can find no substitute,

And His love is the test for me among mortal beings,

Whenever His Beauty I may contemplate,

He is my "mihrab", towards Him is my "qiblah"

If I die of love, before completing satisfaction,

Alas, for my anxiety in the world, alas for my distress,

O Healer (of souls) the heart feeds upon its desire,

The striving after union with Thee has healed my soul,

O my Joy and my Life abidingly,

You were the source of my life and from Thee also came my ecstasy.

I have separated myself from all created beings,

My hope is for union with Thee, for that is the goal of my desire.

********************

Hamba MU (Servant of Allah)

- Theme song of "Imam Muda 2" program

(By : Mawi & Akhil Hayy)

Perfect days for perfect Ibaadah

By Asma bint Shameem

(From my mail box - excerpt)

What are these magnificent days?

These blessed days are the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah.

Just like the last ten nights of Ramadaan are the best ten nights out of the whole year, the Ulama tell us that out of the 365 days of the year, these first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah are the best days of the year and the most beloved to Allaah as they combine acts of worship in a way unlike any other times.

The Prophet testified to that. He said: "There are no days in which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allaah than these ten days." The people asked, "Not even jihaad for the sake of Allaah?" He said, "Not even jihaad for the sake of Allaah, except in the case of a man who went out to fight giving himself and his wealth up for the cause, and came back with nothing." (Bukhaari)

Subhaan Allaah wal-Hamdulillaah!

What a blessing!

The question is.....what do I do on these magnificent days and how can I make the most of this perfect, golden, golden opportunity to earn rewards and Jannah?

Obviously, Hajj is one of the best deeds that one can do during these ten days. However for those of us who were not invited to His House this year, there are still many, many good deeds that one can do and earn the Pleasure of Allaah.

Some of these are:

1) Fast all nine days and especially fast the Day of 'Arafah

The Prophet said: "Anyone who fasts for one day for Allah's pleasure, Allah will keep his face away from the (Hell) fire for (a distance covered by a journey of) seventy years." (Bukhari, Muslim)

The Prophet used to fast on the ninth day of Dhu'l-Hijjah and he said: "Fasting the Day of 'Arafah (ninth Dhul-hijjah) is an expiation for (all the sins of) the previous year and an expiation for (all the sins of) the coming year." (Muslim)

2) Do a LOT of Dhikr and Takbeer

The Prophet said: "There are no days on which good deeds are greater or more beloved to Allaah than on these ten days, so recite much Tahleel (saying Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah), Takbeer (saying Allaahu akbar) and Tahmeed (saying al-hamdu Lillaah)." (Ahmad -Saheeh)

Ibn 'Umar and Abu Hurayrah used to go out in the marketplace during the first ten days of Dhu'l-Hijjah, reciting Takbeer, and the people would recite Takbeer when they heard them. (Bukhaari)

Takbeer at this time is a Sunnah that has mostly been forgotten, especially during the first few days. So say it in the masjid, in your home, on the street and every place where it is permitted to remember Allaah. Revive the Sunnah that have been virtually forgotten and earn great rewards for doing so.

The Prophet said: "Whoever revives an aspect of my Sunnah that is forgotten after my death, he will have a reward equivalent to that of the people who follow him, without it detracting in the least from their reward." (Tirmidhi- a hasan hadeeth)

Obviously, men should recite these phrases out loud, and women should recite them quietly.

3) Stand in Night Prayers:

Remember the virtues of spending the night in prayer, and its sweetness in Ramadan?! Why not revive this beautiful act of worship during these nights as well?!

Remember, how in the last third of every night, Allah Almighty calls out to us, His servants:

"Is there anyone to invoke Me, so that I may respond to his invocation? Is there anyone to ask Me, so that I may grant him his request? Is there anyone seeking My forgiveness, so that I may forgive him?"

4)Make Sincere Repentance.

One of the best and most important things to do during these ten days is to repent sincerely to Allaah and to give up all kinds of disobedience and sin right away because we do not know when we will die, and also because one evil deed leads to another.

But what does 'repentance' exactly mean?

It means that you come back to Allaah and give up all the deeds, open and secret, that He dislikes.... that you regret whatever you did in the past, giving it up immediately and be determined never ever, to return to it, and resolve to adhere firmly to the Truth by doing whatever Allaah loves.

"But as for him who repented, believed and did righteous deeds, then he will be among those who are successful." [al-Qasas 28:67]

5) Come back to the Qur'aan

It is time now to dust off your copy of the Qur'aan and return to its refuge.Make it a daily habit, using these 10 days the beginning of a strong and beautiful relationship with it. Read it with meaning, understand it, and then implement it and change your lives for the better, as much as you can.

Remember that reading one letter of the Qur'aan earns you 10 rewards.

In this way, reading Surat Al-Fatihah,which doesn't take more than two minutes will give you more than one thousand rewards!

This is on ordinary days, so what about these magnificent days! Certainly the reward will be far greater, Insha Allaah.

6) Generally increase in doing ALL good deeds

We should strive in doing more good deeds in general, because good deeds are loved by Allaah and will bring us closer to Him. So if we are not able to go to Hajj this year, we should occupy ourselves during these blessed days by worshipping Allaah, praying extra prayers, reading Qur'aan, remembering Allaah, sending Salaams on the Prophet , making dua, giving charity, honoring our parents, upholding ties of kinship, enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil, and other good deeds and acts of worship.

"So whosoever does good equal to the weight of an atom, shall see it; And whosoever does evil equal to the weight of an atom, shall see it."[al-Zalzalah 99:7-8]

7) Get the reward of Hajj wherever you are:

You may be unable to do Hajj this year, and you may feel sad because you are deprived of the great reward of Hajj. But you can achieve a similar reward in whatever place you may be.

The Prophet said: "Whoever prays Fajr Prayer in congregation, and then sits and remembers Allah until the sun rises, then (after a while) prays two rak'as, he will gain a reward equal to that of making perfect Hajj and Umrah." [He repeated the word "perfect" thrice.] (At-Tirmidhi)

Isn't that easy, Alhamdulillah?

8) Slaughter an animal and distribute the meat

Ibn Umar said: The Prophet lived in Madeenah for 10 years and every year he slaughtered an animal." (Ahmad-Saheeh by al-Albaani)

9) Attend Eid prayers

But remember that Eid prayer is a form of worship and we shouldn't be doing things that are unIslaamic (especially) during these times, such as listening to music, women going out for prayer without proper Hijaab, mixing of men and women, etc.

10) Thank Allaah

One of the biggest forms of worshipping Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta'ala is to thank Him, deeply, sincerely and continuously. After all, it is He who gave you every single thing that is in you, on you or around you. In fact, you wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for the Mercy of your Creator.

So thank Him for ALL that He gave you, the Islaam that He gave you, the very life He gave you. And thank Him for the chance that He gives you in these ten days, to ask for forgiveness and guidance.

Alhamdulillah, there is much to be gained in these days. So make the most of this perfect opportunity offered by these invaluable and irreplaceable ten days.

Hasten to do good deeds and appreciate this blessing and make the most of it, striving hard in worship .

"And worship your Lord until there comes unto you the certainty (death)." [al-Hijr 15:99]

Hajj - A Symbol Of Submission

Talk by Sheikh Hazem Rajab at Fanar, Doha, Qatar.

(youtube : here)

AL-ASMA-UL-HUSNA.

AL-ASMA-UL-HUSNA (NAMES of ALLAH)

By- Mishary Al-Afasy

From Youtube (here)

"Allah! there is no god but He! To Him belongs the Most Beautiful Names." (Qur'an 20:8)

1. Ar-Rahman

* The One who has plenty of mercy for the believers and the blasphemers in this world and especially for the believers in the hereafter.

* The Most Merciful

2. Ar-Rahim

* The One who has plenty of mercy for the believers.

* The Most Compassionate

3. Al-Malik

* The One with the complete Dominion, the One Whose Dominion is clear from imperfection.

* The King, The Monarch

4. Al-Quddus

* The One who is pure from any imperfection and clear from children and adversaries.

* The Holy One

5. As-Salam

* The One who is free from every imperfection.

* The Peace, The Tranquility

6. Al-Mu'min

* The One who witnessed for Himself that no one is God but Him. And He witnessed for His believers that they are truthful in their belief that no one is God but Him.

* The One with Faith

* The Faithful, The Trusted

7. Al-Muhaymin

* The One who witnesses the saying and deeds of His creatures.

* The Protector

* The Vigilant, The Controller

8. Al-'Aziz

* The Defeater who is not defeated.

* The Mighty

* The Almighty, The Powerful

9. Al-Jabbar

* The One that nothing happens in His Dominion except that which He willed.

* The All Compelling

10. Al-Mutakabbir

* The One who is clear from the attributes of the creatures and from resembling them.

* The Haughty, The Majestic

* The Imperious

11. Al-Khaliq

* The One who brings everything from non-existence to existence.

* The Creator, The Maker

12.Al-Bari'

* The Creator who has the Power to turn the entities.

* The Artificer, The Creator

13.Al-Musawwir

* The One who forms His creatures in different pictures.

* The Fashioner

* The Organizer, The Designer

14.Al-Ghaffar

* The One who forgives the sins of His slaves time and time again.

* The Forgiving, The Forgiver

15.Al-Qahhar

* The Subduer who has the perfect Power and is not unable over anything.

* The Almighty, The Dominant

16.Al-Wahhab

* The One who is Generous in giving plenty without any return.

* The Donor, The Bestower

17. Ar-Razzaq

* The Provider, The Sustainer

18. Al-Fattah

* The One who opens for His slaves the closed worldly and religious matters.

* The Opener, The Revealer

19. Al-'Alim

* The Knowledgeable; The One nothing is absent from His knowledge.

* The All Knowing, The Omniscient

20. Al-Qabid

* The One who constricts the sustenance.

* The Contractor, The Restrainer, The Recipient.

21. Al-Basit

* The One who expands and widens.

* The Expander, He who expands

22. Al-Khafid

* The One who lowers whoever He willed by His Destruction.

* The Abaser, The Humbler

23. Ar-Rafi'

* The One who raises whoever He willed by His Endowment.

* The Raiser, The Exalter

24. Al-Mu'iz

* He gives esteem to whoever He willed, hence there is no one to degrade Him;

* The Honorer, The Exalter

25. Al-Muzil

* Degrades whoever He willed, hence there is no one to give Him esteem.

* The Abaser, The Degrader, The Subduer

26. As-Sami'

* The One who Hears all things that are heard by His Eternal Hearing without an ear, instrument or organ.

* The Hearer, The All hearing, All knowing.

27. Al-Basir

* The One who Sees all things that are seen by His Eternal Seeing without a pupil or any other instrument.

* The Seer, The discerning, The All seeing.

28. Al-Hakam

* He is the Ruler and His judgment is His Word.

* The Arbitrator, The Judge

29. Al-'Adl

* The One who is entitled to do what He does.

* The Justice, The Equitable. The Just.

30. Al-Latif

* The Most Gentle, the Gracious.

* The One who is kind

31. Al-Khabir

* The One who knows the truth of things.

* The Aware. The Sagacious, One is who is aware.

32. Al-Halim

* The One who delays the punishment for those who deserve it and then He might forgive them.

* The Gentle. The Most Patient, The Clement.

33. Al-'Azim

* The One deserving the attributes of Exaltment, Glory, Extolment, and Purity from all imperfection.

* The Great, Mighty

34. Al-Ghafoor

* The One who forgives a lot.

* The Forgiving, The Pardoner.

35. Ash-Shakur

* The One who gives a lot of reward for a little obedience.

* The Grateful, The Thankful

36. Al-'Ali

* The One who is clear from the attributes of the creatures.

* The Most High, The Exalted.

37. Al-Kabir

* The One who is greater than everything in status.

* The Great, The Big.

38. Al-Hafiz

* The One who protects whatever and whoever He willed to protect.

* The Guardian, The Preserver.

39. Al-Muqit

* The One who has the Power.

* The Maintainer, The Nourisher

40. Al-Hasib

* The One who gives the satisfaction.

* The Noble, The Reckoner

41. Aj-Jalil

* The One who is attributed with greatness of Power and Glory of status.

* The Majestic. The Honorable, The Exalted.

42. Al-Karim

* The One who is clear from abjectness.

* The Most Generous, The Bountiful.

43. Ar-Raqib

* The One that nothing is absent from Him. Hence it's meaning is related to the attribute of Knowledge.

* The Guardian, The Watchful. Watcher.

44. Al-Mujib

* The One who answers the one in need if he asks Him and rescues the yearner if he calls upon Him.

* The Responder. The Respondent, One who answers.

45. Al-Wasi'

* The Englober. The Enricher, The Omnipresent, The Knowledgeable.

46. Al-Hakim

* The One who is correct in His doings.

* The Most Wise, The Judicious.

47. Al-Wadud

* The Affectionate, The Loving.

48. Al-Majid

* The One who is with perfect Power, High Status, Compassion, Generosity and Kindness.

* The Glorious, The Exalted.

49. Al-Ba'ith

* The One who resurrects for reward and/or punishment.

* The Resurrector, The Raiser from death.

50. Ash-Shahid

* The One who nothing is absent from Him.

* The Witness

51. Al-Haqq

* The One who truly exists.

* The Truth, The Just.

52. Al-Wakil

* The One who gives the satisfaction and is relied upon.

* The Guardian, The Trustee

53. Al-Qawee

* The One with the Complete Power.

* The Powerful,Tthe Almighty, The Strong

54. Al-Matin

* The One with Extreme Power which is un-interrupted and He does not get tired.

* The Strong, The Firm

55. Al-Walee

* The Supporter, The Friend, The Defender the master.

56. Al-Hamid

* The Praised One who deserves to be praised.

* The Praiseworthy , The Commendable

57. Al-Muhsi

* The One who the count of things are known to him.

* The Counter

58. Al-Mubdi'

* The One who started the human being. That is, He created him.

* The Beginner, The Creator, The Originator

59. Al-Mu'eed

* The One who brings back the creatures after death.

* The Restorer, the Resurrector.

60. Al-Muhyee

* The One who took out a living human from semen that does not have a soul. He gives life by giving the souls back to the worn out bodies on the resurrection day and He makes the hearts alive by the light of knowledge.

* The Bestower, the Life Giver.

61. Al-Mumeet

* The One who renders the living dead.

* The Bringer of Death. The Death Giver.

62. Al-Hayy

* The One attributed with a life that is unlike our life and is not that of a combination of soul, flesh or blood.

* The Living. The Alive, the ever living.

63. Al-Qayyum

* The One who remains and does not end.

* The Self-Subsistent, The Eternal, the Self Sustaining.

64. Al-Wajid

* The Rich who is never poor. Al-Wajd is Richness.

* The all perceiving, the Opulent, the Finder.

65. Al-Wahid

* The One without a partner.

* The One, the Unique.

66. Al-Majid

* The One who is Majid.

* The Noble, the illustrious.

67. Al-Ahad

* The Only, the Unique.

68. As-Samad

* The Master who is relied upon in matters and reverted to in ones needs.

* The Perfect, the Eternal.

69. Al-Qadir

* The One attributed with Power.

* The Able, the Capable, the Omnipotent.

70. Al-Muqtadir

* The One with the perfect Power that nothing is withheld from Him.

* The Capable, The all Powerful

71. Al-Muqaddim

* He makes ahead what He wills.

* The Presenter, The Advancer, The Expediter

72. Al-Mu'akhkhir

* The One who delays what He wills.

* The Fulfiller, the keeper behind, The Deferrer

73. Al-'Awwal

* The One whose Existence is without a beginning.

* The First

74. Al-'Akhir

* The One whose Existence is without an end.

* The Last

75. Az-Zahir

* The Apparent, the Exterior, The Manifest

* The One that nothing is above Him and nothing is underneath Him, hence He exists without a place.

76. Al-Batin

* The Hidden, the Interior, the Latent

77. Al-Wali

* The One who owns things and manages them.

* The Governor, The Ruler, The Master

78. Al-Muta'ali

* The One who is clear from the attributes of the creation.

* The Exalted, The Most High, one above reproach.

79. Al-Barr

* The One who is kind to His creatures, who covered them with His sustenance and specified whoever He willed among them by His support, protection, and special mercy.

* The Benefactor, The Beneficent, the Pious.

80. At-Tawwab

* The One who grants repentance to whoever He willed among His creatures and accepts his repentance.

* The Acceptor of Repentance, The Forgiver, the Relenting.

81. Al-Muntaqim

* The One who victoriously prevails over His enemies and punishes them for their sins. It may mean the One who destroys them.

* The Avenger

82. Al-'Afuww

* The One with wide forgiveness.

* The Forgiver, The Effacer, The Pardoner

83. Ar-Ra'uf

* The One with extreme Mercy. The Mercy of Allah is His will to endow upon whoever He willed among His creatures.

* The Merciful, The Ever Indulgent.

84. Al-Muqsit

* The One who is Just in His judgment.

* The Just, the Equitable

85. Aj-Jami'

* The One who gathers the creatures on a day that there is no doubt about, that is the Day of Judgment.

* The Collector, The Comprehensive, Gatherer

86. Al-Ghanee

* The One who does not need the creation.

* The Rich, The All Sufficing, Self-Sufficient

87. Al-Mughnee

* The One who satisfies the necessities of the creatures.

* The Enricher, sufficer, the bestower.

88. Al-Mani'

* The Supporter who protects and gives victory to His pious believers. Al-Mu'tiy

* The Withholder

* The Preventer, The Prohibiter, The Defender.

89. Ad-Darr

* The One who makes harm reach to whoever He willed.

* The Distresser , The Afflictor, The Bringer of Adversity.

90. An-Nafi'

* The One who gives benefits to whoever He wills.

* The Beneficial Benefactor

91. An-Nur

* The One who guides.

* The Light

92. Al-Hadi

* The One whom with His Guidance His believers were guided, and with His Guidance the living beings have been guided to what is beneficial or them and protected from what is harmful to them.

* The Guide

93. Al-Badi'

* The One who created the creation and formed it without any preceding example.

* The Wonderful, The Maker, Incomparable

94. Al-Baqi

* The One that the state of non-existence is impossible for Him.

* The Enduring, The Everlasting, The Eternal

95. Al-Warith

* The One whose Existence remains.

* The Inheritor, The Heir

96. Ar-Rashid

* The One who guides.

* The Rightly Guided, The Conscious, the Guide

97. As-Sabur

* The One who does not quickly punish the sinners.

* The Most Patient, The Enduring.

98. Malik Al-Mulk

* The One who controls the Dominion and gives dominion to whoever He willed.

* The Ruler of the Kingdom, King of the Universe

99. Zul-l-Jalal wal-Ikram

* The One who deserves to be Exalted and not denied.

* Lord of Majesty and Generosity

Source from IslamCan.com (here)

A beautiful Hadeeth about Hajj

It is narrated on the authority of Ibn 'Umar - radiAllaahu 'anhuma - who said: I was

sitting with the Prophet - sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam - in the Masjid in Mina when a man from the Ansaar came and a man from the Thaqeef, they gave salaams and said, "O Messenger of Allaah, we came to ask you questions."

So the Messenger (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said: "If you want I can inform you why you came and what you want to ask, and I will do so, and if you want I will hold back and you can ask me and I will answer you."

They said: "Tell us O Messenger of Allaah!"

The man from Thaqeef said to the Ansaari: "Ask." So the Ansaari man said: "Inform me O Messenger of Allaah!"

The Messenger of Allaah (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said: "You came to me, to ask about leaving your house and aiming for the Bait-ul-Haraam and the reward for it; about praying two Rakah after Tawaaf and the reward for it; going between as-Safa and Marwa and the reward for it; your staying the evening in Mina, and the reward for it; stoning the Jamarah and the reward for it; slaughtering an animal and the reward for it; and the Tawaaf of al-Ifaadh."

The man said: "I swear by the One who sent you with the truth! This is what I came to ask you about."

The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said: "As for you leaving your homes aiming for the Bait-ul-Haraam: then your she-camel does not place its foot nor does it raise it except that Allaah writes for you a reward due to it, and wipes off one of your sins.

As for the two Rakaah after the Tawaaf, then it is equivalent to freeing a slave from the Children of Ismaeel.

As for your circuiting of as-Safa and al-Marwa, then it is the same as freeing 70 slaves.

As for you staying till the evening in Arafah, then Allaah descends to the sky of the Duniya and He boasts about you to the Angels, and says: 'My slaves have come to Me, looking rough, from every deep valley hoping for My mercy, so if their sins were equivalent to the amount of sand or the drops of rain or like the foam on the sea I will forgive them. So go forth My slaves! Having forgiveness and for what or who you have interceded for.'

As for stoning the Jamaar (the pillars), then for every stone that you throw, it removes a big sin from the deadly sins.

As for your slaughtering, then it is saved for you with your Lord.

As for shaving your head, then there is a reward for every strand of hair that you shaved, and a sin is wiped off by it.

As for you performing Tawaaf of the House after all this, then by this time you are performing Tawaaf with no sin upon you and an Angel comes and places his hand between your shoulders saying:"Perform good deeds in what you face of the future, for verily your past sins have been forgiven."

(Reported by at-Tabarani in his book "al-Kabeer" and by al-Bazaar. Shaykh Al-Albaanee graded it Hassan. Taken from 'Saheeh al-Targheeb wa Tarheeb'. Volume 2, Page 9-10,hadeeth no. 1112)

The Last Moment / The Hereafter

Imam Al Ghazali - The Last Moment

On Monday the 18th December IIII Abu Hamid Muhammad or known as Imam Al Ghazali awoke. At dawn he performed prayer and prepared himself for his death. He asked his younger brother, Ahmad Ghazali to bring his burial shroud, kissed it, stretched himself full length; breathed his last.

And underneath his head rest they found the following verses; composed by him, probably, during the night.



Say to my friends when they look upon me dead
Weeping for me and mourning me in sorrow
Do not believe that this corpse you see is myself.

In the name of God I tell you it is not I
I am a spirit and this is nothing but flesh

It was my abode and my garment for a time.
I am a treasure, by a talisman kept hid,
Fashioned of dust which served me as a shrine.

I am a pearl which has left it’s shell deserted
It was my prison where I spent my time in grief.

I am a bird and this body was my cage
Whence I have now flown forth and it is left as a token,

Praise be to God Who has now set me free
And prepared for me my place in the highest of the heaven.

Until today I was dead though alive in your midst.
Now I live in truth with the grave-clothes discarded.

Today I hold converse with the saints above.
Now with no veil between I see God face to face

I look upon the tablet (Lawh Al-Mahfuz) and therein I read
Whatever was and is and all that is to be.

Let my house fall in ruins. Lay my cage in the ground.
Cast away the talisman. It is a token, no more.

Lay aside my cloak. It was but my outer garment.
Place them all in the grave. Let them be forgotten.

I have passed on my way and you are left behind
Your place of abode was no dwelling-place for me.

Think not that death is death. Nay, it is life,
A life that surpasses all we could dream of here.

While in this world we are granted sleep.
Death is but sleep, a sleep that shall be prolonged.

Be not afraid when death draws near.
It is but the departure for this blessed home

Think of the mercy and love of your Lord,
Give thanks for His Grace and come without fear.

What I am now even so shall you be
For I know that you are even as I am.

The souls of all people come forth from God.
The bodies of all are compounded alike.
Good and evil alike it was ours.

I give you now a message of good cheer.
May God’s peace and joy for evermore be yours.



-This is only a translation.
Wallahu a’lam - Allah Knows best - والله أعلم

The Hereafter In Islam Serie(English)

The Hereafter in Islam [ENG] Intro (here)

The Hereafter in Islam [ENG] Ep.1 (here)

For full series (here)

The obligation of the fast of Ramadhaan and it's time

Fasting in Islam is one of its great (important) pillars, without which one's religion is incomplete.

Al-Baqarah (183 - 185)

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

184. (Fasting) for a fixed number of days; but if any of you is ill, or on a journey, the prescribed number (Should be made up) from days later. For those who can do it (With hardship), is a ransom, the feeding of one that is indigent. But he that will give more, of his own free will,- it is better for him. And it is better for you that ye fast, if ye only knew.

185. Ramadhan is the (month) in which was sent down the Qur'an, as a guide to mankind, also clear (Signs) for guidance and judgment (Between right and wrong). So every one of you who is present (at his home) during that month should spend it in fasting, but if any one is ill, or on a journey, the prescribed period (Should be made up) by days later. Allah intends every facility for you; He does not want to put to difficulties. (He wants you) to complete the prescribed period, and to glorify Him in that He has guided you; and perchance ye shall be grateful.

The Prophet (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam) said:

((Whoever fasts during the month of Ramadhaan, out of sincere faith and hoping to attain Allaah's rewards, then all his previous sins will be forgiven)).

The Prophet (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam) also said:

((When the month of Ramadhaan starts, the gates of the Heaven are opened and the gates of Hell are closed and the devils are chained)).

The Prophet (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam) also said:

((Fasting is a shield or protection from the fire and from committing sins. If one of you is fasting, he should avoid sexual relation with his wife and quarrelling, and if somebody should fight or quarrel with him, he should say, "I am fasting")).

The Prophet (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam) also said (on the authority of Allaah):

((All the deeds of the son of Aadam are for for himself; a good deed is eqaul to ten times it's equivalent except fasting, for certainly it is for Me, and I will give the reward for it. He left his desires, his food, his drink for My sake. There are two pleasures for the fasting person, one at the time of breaking his fast, and the other at the time when he will meet his Lord. The unpleasant smell coming from the mouth of a fasting person is more pleasant to Allaah than the smell of musk)).

The Prophet (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam) used to announce the good news of the arrival of the month of Ramadhaan to his companions, and would say to them:

((The month of Ramadhaan has come to you. It is the month of blessings. During this month, Allaah sends down mercy, ones mistakes are forgiven, supplications are answered and Allaah praises you in the presence of His angels, so show Allaah your virtues. For certainly the unfortunate individual is he who is prohibited from the mercy of Allaah)).

The Prophet (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam) said:

(One who does not abandon evil talk and actions, then Allaah is not in need of him abandoning his food and drink (i.e. his fasting)).

(Ref : Fatwa-online)

"Have a blessed month of Ramadhan"

The Importance of Islamic Knowledge

 ~ Taken from facebook, posted by a friend : AllhumdulilahForEverything @ http://www.facebook.com/AllhumdulilahForEverything

"If Allah wants to favor someone, He grants him comprehension of this religion." [Sahih Bukhari vol.1 # 71, Tirmidhi and Musnad Ahmad]

"The example of guidance and knowledge with which, Allah has sent me is like abundant rain falling on the earth, some of which was fertile soil, absorbed rain water and brought forth vegetation and grass in abundance. And another portion of it was hard and held the rainwater and Allah benefited the people with it and they utilized it for drinking, making their animals drink from it and for irrigation of the land for cultivation. And a portion of it was barren which, could neither hold the water nor bring forth vegetation (then that land gave no benefits).

The first is the example of the person who comprehends Allah’s religion and gets benefit (from the knowledge), which Allah has revealed through me (the Prophet) and learns and then teaches others. The last example is that of a person who does not care for it and does not take Allah’s guidance revealed through me (He is like that barren land.)”

[Sahih Al-Bukhari v.1 no.79. Narrated by Abu Musa]

“It is only those who have knowledge amongst His slaves that fear Allah.”

[Soorah Al-Fatir (35): 28]

“Seek knowledge, because seeking it for the sake of Allah is a worship. And knowing it makes you more fearing of Allah; and searching for it is jihad, teaching it to those who do not know is charity, reviewing and learning it more is like tasbeeh. Through knowledge Allah will be known and worshipped. With the knowledge Allah will elevate people and make them leaders and imams, who will in turn guide other people.”

[Fatawa Ibn Taymiyya vol.10, p.39]

“Whoever treads on a path in search of Islamic knowledge, Allah will ease the way to Paradise for him. The angels will lower their wings, pleased with this seeker of knowledge, and everyone in the heavens and on earth will ask forgiveness for the knowledgeable person, even the fish in the deepest of waters will ask for his forgiveness”

[Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, Tirmidhi # 2835-sahih hadith]

“He whom death overtakes while he is engaged in acquiring knowledge with a view to reviving Islam with the help of it, there will be one degree between him and the Prophets in Paradise .”

[Al-Tirmidhi Hadith no. 249. Narrated by Al-Hasan al-Basri]

*********

(Note : I hope the owner of the said FB does not mind me sharing his/her posting here)

Soul Food

By : Wayfarer - Mon, 09/05/2011

(here)

Too many of us walking around

With icy hearts

And

Frozen minds

With

A keen awareness

Of

An emptiness inside

That

Nothing fills;

Not food, nor wealth

Not love, lust nor romance

Not offspring, parents nor siblings

Still

Not understanding

That

It is soul food we need;

Surrender, Prayers, Good Deeds

To

A Majestic Being

A conscious affirmation

Of

That which each and everyone of us

Testified to even before our births

Submission to

The One-and-Only,

Declare!

And

Taste the Freedom

In

Slavery only to ALLAH SWT.

************

Heart of a Muslim

(Zain Bhikha Nasheeds)

Morning prayer

*******************

(Nasheed by : Hamza Tom Robertson)

There is a reason why to Allah we pray
In the morning on every day
It’s a meeting and we must not be late
If we want to have peace we must obey and pray

CHORUS:
There is no better feeling
Than when we pray on time
And we know the rest of our days
Will work out just fine
So we must work hard and wake up before sunrise
So we can leave our homes with the blessings of Allah

Idha hafadhta ‘alal salah
Hayatuka tumla’ baraka
Idha hafadhta ‘alal salah
Tanal ridhaa’ Allah
If you maintained your prayers
Your life will be filled with blessings
If you prayed on time
Allah will be pleased with you

No excuses of why you cannot pray
Coz we need him on everyday
So don’t tell me just why you turned up late
If we want to have peace we must obey and pray

CHORUS

Idha hafadhta ‘alal salah
Hayatuka tumla’ baraka
Idha hafadhta ‘alal salah
Tanal ridhaa’ Allah
If you maintained your prayers
Your life will be filled with blessings
If you prayed on time
Allah will be pleased with you

Listen brother and sister it’s all been said before
You’re too tired now so you sleep some more
But when you wake up there’s an emptiness inside
If we want to have peace we must swallow our pride

Bridge:
I know my friend it’s not easy
But we must try believe me
And we will feel a difference
In our lives and Allah will give us strength

CHORUS

Begin With Yourself

(Penned by Qalamuddin 23/7/2010)

***************************

The good you want others to do

Must begin from yourself too

None but a few

Has this view

We want others to behave

By not being this world’s slave

We criticize and look down

When red they painted the town

To the other dude

We have this attitude

As we think we are already good

A place for us at the heaven’s foot

We judge others by a simple look

Oh! This man must be a crook

And yes! This girl is cheap

Don’t forget my neighbor is a creep

Just that easy we picture others to be

Least we forget in Islam that shouldn’t be

Yes, enjoining good and prohibiting evil

Don’t be easily swayed by the devil

In Islam there is a method

Even Rasulullah (pbuh) shows no hatred

The way to the heart is through kindness

The actions, the words point to politeness

Who are we to judge others when we are not sinless?

A good advice is not pointless

And Yes! Others will show their gratitude

If it is done sincerely and with the correct attitude

The message here is not for you to stop advising

Even there is a saying

“Judge yourself before judging others”

As human we are ‘birds of the same feathers’

Mistake done by a stranger

Must be corrected without showing our anger

The good we show others

Will be rewarded by Allah in a way or another.

Yes! Begin with you

Start being true

Don’t contradict

As only Allah (SWT) gives the final verdict