Allah (Alone) is fully sufficient

Surah Al-Imran (3 : 173)

"That is those to whom people said, “The people have gathered against you; so, fear them.” It increased them in Faith and they said, “Allah is fully sufficient for us, and the best One in whom to trust.” " (verse : 173)

(The saying) "Allaah (Alone) is Sufficient for us, and He is the Best Disposer of affairs (for us)" was said by Ibraahiim `alehi wa salaam when he was thrown into the fire; and it was said by Muhammad (salla Allahu `alehi wa salaam) when they (the hypocrites) said, "Verily, the people (pagans) have gathered against you (a great army), therefore, fear them", but it (only) increased them in Faith and they said "Allaah (Alone) is Sufficient for us, and He is the Best Disposer of affairs (for us)." 

(Hadith : Sahih al-Bukhari )

Seek forgiveness frequently

Bismillahirohmanirrohiim

Luqmaan said to his son, commanding him to seek forgiveness frequently, "Make your tongue accustomed to seeking forgiveness as there are hours when Allaah The Almighty does not let down a supplicating person."

Furthermore, Al-Hasan rahimu Allaah said, "Seek forgiveness frequently in your houses, at your tables, in your roads, markets, gatherings and wherever you go for you do not know when forgiveness is granted."

In addition, Qataadah said, "The Quran guides you to your illness and your cure. Your illness is sins and your cure is seeking forgiveness." The accursed Shaytaan (Satan) said, "I destroyed people with sins, and they destroyed me with saying 'Laa ilaaha illa Allaah (I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah)’ and seeking forgiveness."

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The greater the test, the greater the reward

Allaah says in Surah Al-Hajj (22:11) :

"There are among men some who serve Allah, as it were, on the verge: if good befalls them, they are, therewith well content; but if a trial comes to them, they turn on their faces: they lose both this world and the Hereafter: that is loss for all to see! (11)"

[Dan ada di antara manusia yang menyembah Allah dengan sikap dan pendirian yang tidak tetap, iaitu kalau dia beroleh kebaikan, senanglah hatinya dengan keadaan itu dan kalau pula dia ditimpa fitnah kesusahan, berbaliklah dia semula (kepada kekufurannya). (Dengan sikapnya itu) rugilah dia akan dunia dan akhirat, itulah kerugian yang terang nyata. (11)]

Walhamdulillah. The greater the test, the greater the reward, the greater the hardship the greater the reward, the greater the difficulty, the greater the reward from Allaah (tabarak wa ta'ala). And the Salaf understood this.

Urwah Ibn Zubair, a well known from the Salaf had a problem with his foot. So the doctors decided that they had to cut it off, cut the foot off. When the doctors cut it off he didn't say anything except these words: 'O Allaah, for you are Full praise. For if you have taken some, you have left some. And if you have tested, and put through difficulty you have also put in good condition. If you have tested and tried and put through difficulty you have also put good health, good circumstances and good conditions.'

The next day his son was riding a horse or mule and fell off of it and died. So they came to Urwah with the information of the death of his son, he didn't say anything except : 'O Allaah, for you is full praise. For if you have taken some, you have left some. And if you have tested and tried you have also placed us in good situations and good condition.'

So when he was asked about this he said: 'I had 4 limbs (meaning 2 arms and 2 legs) and Allaah took some and left some. 'I had 4 limbs 2 arms and 2 legs Allaah took o­ne and left me three.

I had 7 sons, Allaah (tabrak wa tala) took o­ne and left six.

And he gave me good condition, or good situation my whole life up until this time.

Then he tested me.

Should I not praise Allaah for that?

Should I not praise Allaah for that?'

A STORY OF AN IMAAM

From my mail box..

Several years ago an Imaam moved to London. He often took the bus from his home to the downtown area. Some weeks after he arrived, he had the occasion to ride the same bus. When he sat down, he discovered that the driver had accidentally given him twenty pence too much change.

As he considered what to do, he thought to himself, you better give the twenty pence back. It would be wrong to keep it.

Then he thought, oh forget it, it's only twenty pence. Who would worry about this little amount? Anyway, the bus company already gets too much fare; they will never miss it. Accept it as a gift from Almighty Allah and keep quite.

When his stop came, the Imaam paused momentarily at the door, and then he handed the twenty pence back to the driver and said "Here, you gave me too much change."

The driver with a smile replied "Aren't you the new Imaam in this area? I have been thinking lately about going to worship at your mosque. I just wanted to see what you would do if I gave you too much change."

When the Imaam stepped off the bus, his knees became weak and soft. He had to grab the nearest light pole and held for support, and looked up to the heavens and cried,

"Oh Allah, I almost sold Islam for twenty pence!"

We may never see the impact our actions have on people.

(23/11/2009)

You are the author

“You are the author of your own book. So make sure its worth reading on the day of judgement.” (Anonymous quote)

[Soorah Al-Israa, v:13-14]

“And We have fastened every man’s deeds to his neck, and on the Day of Resurrection, We shall bring out for him a book which he will find wide open. (It will be said to him): “Read your book. You yourself are sufficient as a reckoner against you this Day”. [soorah Al-Israa, v:13-14]

Dan tiap-tiap seorang manusia Kami kalongkan bahagian nasibnya di lehernya dan pada hari kiamat kelak Kami akan keluarkan kepadanya kitab (suratan amalnya) yang akan didapatinya terbuka (untuk di tatapnya). (13) (Lalu Kami perintahkan kepadanya): Bacalah Kitab (suratan amalmu), cukuplah engkau sendiri pada hari ini menjadi penghitung terhadap dirimu (tentang segala yang telah engkau lakukan). (14)

"On the day when their tongues, their hands, and their feet will bear witness against them as to their actions". surat An-Nur, (verse 24).

Also Allah (S.W.T.) says what could be translated as, "And they will say to their skin:" Why did you bear witness against us? "They will say "Allah has caused us to speak, as He cause all things to speak." ( Surat Al-Fussillat, Verse 21)

The Messenger described the questioning in a speech reported by Imam Muslim that the prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) said:

"Allah (S.W.T.) will meet a person and ask him: "O person, Wasn't I generous with you, and made you with a spouse, and made the horses and camels at your disposal? The servant will reply "yes"! Allah (S.W.T.) will then ask “Did you think that you will meet Me?” He will reply: "No!" Allah (S.W.T.) will say: "I will forget you like you forgot Me"!

Then Allah (S.W.T.) will meet another person and his reply will be the same as the first person.

Then Allah (S.W.T.) will meet a third person and will ask similar questions, and the person's reply will be: "O Lord I believed in you, in your books, and in your messengers. I prayed, I fasted, and I gave charity. And he will praise Allah as much as he can.

Allah (S.W.T.) will say: "Hold on to your words, Now We will bring the witnesses. The person will ask himself “Who will testify against me?”

Then that persons mouth will be sealed, and his thighs, flesh and bones will be asked to speak. They will speak about his bad deeds. He will know that he has no excuse.

That is the hypocrite Allah (S.W.T.) will be furious with!”

We will be asked in the Day of Judgement about five things.

The prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) said:

“The son of Adam will not pass away from Allah until he is asked about five things: how he lived his life, and how he utilized his youth, with what means did he earn his wealth, how did he spend his wealth, and what did he do with his knowledge.”

{Good hadith reported by Imam At-Tirmithi}

Best companions.

The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم (peace be upon him) was reportedly asked:

“Which of our companions are best?”

The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم replied:

“One whose appearance reminds you of God, and whose speech increases you in knowledge, and whose actions remind you of the hereafter.”

Increase of Provision through Forgiveness

A) Hasan al Basri -Rahimullaah- mentioned:

‘That a man complained to him concerning drought so it was said seek forgiveness from Allaah, another complained about another matter so it was said seek forgiveness from Allaah, another complained about lack of rain for his land so it was said seek forgiveness from Allaah another complained of no offspring so it was said seek forgiveness from Allaah, then he (Hasan al Basri) recited.

ٱسۡتَغۡفِرُواْ رَبَّكُمۡ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ غَفَّارٗا ١٠ يُرۡسِلِ ٱلسَّمَآءَ عَلَيۡكُم مِّدۡرَارٗا ١١ وَيُمۡدِدۡكُم بِأَمۡوَٰلٖ وَبَنِينَ وَيَجۡعَل

لَّكُمۡ جَنَّٰتٖ وَيَجۡعَل لَّكُمۡ أَنۡهَٰرٗا ١٢

"Ask forgiveness of your Lord. Indeed, He is ever a Perpetual Forgiver. He will send [rain from] the sky upon you in [continuing] showers, And give you increase in wealth and children and provide for you gardens and provide for you rivers."

[Soorah Nuh: 10-12]

[Taken from: ‘Fath al-Bari’ Chapter: the Best Method of Seeking forgiveness]

B) al-Hafidh Emaad ad-Deen Isma’eel Ibn Katheer (d. 774 A.H.) -Rahimullaah- said in his Tafseer about the previous Ayaat:

‘If you repented to Allaah and sought forgiveness from Him and showed obedience to Him your Rizq (provision) would increase and rain would fall from the blessings of the skies, and the blessings of the earth would spring forth, crops would grow for you. You will be given abundant livestock. You will be aided with wealth and offspring; meaning that offspring and wealth would be given to you. And you will be given gardens that have numerous types of fruits and through out there will be rivers that flow in these gardens. This is the way of giving Dawa’ by encouragement.’

[Taken from: ‘Tafseer al-Qur’aan al-Atheem’ 4/p.536]

C) It is narrated from Abi Saeed Al-Khudri that the Messenger of Allaah -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- said: ‘Whoever performs Wudu and then says:

‘ Subhanaka Allahuma wabihamdika la ilaha ila anta astaghfiruka wa atooboo ilaika’

(‘Far are You O Allaah from imperfection, and You have all praise, there is none worthy of worship in truth except You, I seek forgiveness from You and I repent to You),

then this reward is written in a parchment and it is stamped with a seal and no falsehood can break it until the day of Judgment.’

[Taken from ‘Silsilah as-Saheehah’ No. 2333 declared Hasan by Shaykh al-Albaani]

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)]

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

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)

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 Boy and the Cookie [Translated]

Sharing the "tazkirah" received through my mail-box. JazakAllah to the sister who sent it..may the blessings of Allah SWT be with her.

The sweetness of trusting in Allaah

^^^^^^^^^^^^^

If the servant of Allaah knows that he cannot escape nor change the plan of Allaah, he will commit all his affairs to Allaah and throw himself between His hands as a humble servant throws himself between the hands of a mighty king who has authority over him- and indeed the servant has no power of his own.

When the servant knows all that, he will be relieved from all distress and sadness and will pass the burden to Allaah who does not get tired. Allaah will carry them, and show him kindness and mercy without any tiredness.

The servant has paid attention to Allaah alone and Allaah paid attention to the needs and benefits of his life and emptied his heart from them, and, as a result, his life will be good and his heart will be happy.

The sweetness of trusting in Allaah
Taken from Al – Fawaa’id’ by Imam Ibn al-Qayyim rahimahullaah

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

Darb Al Saleen - Tabballah (Arabic nasheed)
(with english subtitle)

Reminder : Fasting on 9 & 10 Muharram

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09 Muharram = Wednesday, 15th December 2010

10 Muharram (day of Aashooraa') = Thursday, 16th December 2010

Ibn Abbaas radi Allaahu Anhu said:

“I never saw the Messenger of Allaah sallAllaahu 'Alayhi wa sallam so keen to fast any day and give it priority over any other than this day, the day of Aashooraa’, and this month, meaning Ramadaan.”

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

Mustahabb (encouraged) to fast Taasoo'aa’ with 'Aashooraa’

Abd-Allaah ibn Abbaas radi Allaahu Anhuma said: “When the Messenger of Allaah sallAllaahu Alayhi wa sallam fasted on Aashooraa’ and commanded the Muslims to fast as well, they said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah, it is a day that is venerated by the Jews and Christians.’ The Messenger of Allaah sallAllaahu Alayhi wa sallam said, ‘If I live to see the next year, insha’ Allaah, we will fast on the ninth day too.’

But it so happened that the Messenger of AllaahsallAllaahu Alayhi wa sallam passed away before the next year came.”

Read More: http://islamqa.com/en/ref/21785

Virtues of Allah’s sacred month of Muharram (Pt. 2)

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Written by towardshuda

The virtues of fasting Aashooraa

Ibn Abbaas radi Allaahu Anhu said: “I never saw the Messenger of Allaah sallAllaahu Alayhi wa sallam so keen to fast any day and give it priority over any other than this day, the day of Aashooraa’, and this month, meaning Ramadaan.”

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

This is from the bounty of Allaah towards us: for fasting one day He gives us expiation for the sins of a whole year. And Allaah is the Owner of Great Bounty.

Not relying too much on the reward for fasting it:

Some people who are deceived rely too much on things like fasting on Aashooraa’ or the day of Arafaah, to the extent that some of them say, “Fasting on Aashooraa’ will expiate for the sins of the whole year, and fasting on the day of Arafaah will bring extra rewards.”

Ibn al-Qayyim said: ‘This misguided person does not know that fasting in Ramadaan and praying five times a day are much more important than fasting on the day of Arafaah and Aashooraa’, and that they expiate for the sins between one Ramadaan and the next, or between one Friday and the next, so long as one avoids major sins. But they cannot expiate for minor sins unless one also avoids major sins; when the two things are put together, they have the strength to expiate for minor sins.

Which day is Aashooraa’?

Ibn Abbaas said: ‘The Messenger of Allaah sallAllaahu Alayhi wa sallam commanded us to fast Aashooraa’, the tenth day of Muharram.”

It is mustahabb (encouraged) to fast Taasooaa’ with Aashooraa’:

Abd-Allaah ibn Abbaas radi Allaahu Anhuma said: “When the Messenger of Allaah sallAllaahu Alayhi wa sallam fasted on Aashooraa’ and commanded the Muslims to fast as well, they said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah, it is a day that is venerated by the Jews and Christians.’ The Messenger of Allaah sallAllaahu Alayhi wa sallam said, ‘If I live to see the next year, insha’ Allaah, we will fast on the ninth day too.’ But it so happened that the Messenger of AllaahsallAllaahu Alayhi wa sallam passed away before the next year came.”

Al-Shaafaee and his companions, Ahmad, Is-haaq and others said: “It is mustahabb to fast on both the ninth and tenth days, because the Prophet sallAllaahu Alayhi wa sallam fasted on the tenth, and intended to fast on the ninth.”

On this basis it may be said that there are varying degrees of fasting Aashooraa’, the least of which is to fast only on the tenth and the best of which is to fast the ninth as well. And the more one fasts in Muharram, the better it is.

Bidaahs (acts not from sunnahs) common on Aashooraa’:

Some are wearing kohl, taking a bath (ghusl), wearing henna, shaking hands with one another, cooking grains (huboob), showing happiness….

They also reported a fabricated hadeeth that is falsely attributed to the Prophet sallAllaahu Alayhi wa sallam, which says, “Whoever is generous to his family on the day of Aashooraa’, Allaah will be generous to him for the rest of the year.” Reporting all of this from the Prophet sallAllaahu Alayhi wa sallam is tantamount to lying.’

Nothing to that effect has been reported in any saheeh hadeeth from the Prophet sallAllaahu Alayhi wa sallam or from his Companions. None of the imaams of the Muslims encouraged or recommended such things, neither the four imaams, nor any others. No reliable scholars have narrated anything like this, neither from the ProphetsallAllaahu Alayhi wa sallam nor from the Sahaabah, nor from the Taabieen; neither in any saheeh report or in a daeef (weak) report.

We ask Allaah to make us followers of the Sunnah of His Noble Prophet and may Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad and all his family and companions...amiin.

Extracted from Booklet by Shaykh Saleh Munajjid
Islamqa.com

Why Does Allah SWT Test Us.

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A Timely Reminder.

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Allah tests His believing servants with various types of crises and disasters in order to:


1) Reveal the Patient from the Impatient:


“And certainly, We shall test you with a bit of fear, hunger, loss of wealth, lives and fruits. But give glad tidings to the patient ones who, when afflicted with a calamity, say: “Truly! To Allah we belong and truly, to Him we shall return.” They are those upon whom are the blessings, descend from their Lord, and they receive His Mercy, and it is they who are guided.” (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:155-157)


“And among mankind is he who worships Allah as if he were upon the very edge (i.e. in doubt); if good befalls him, he is content with it;. But if a trial befalls him, he turns back on his face. He loses both this World and the Hereafter. That is the evident loss.”(Surah al-Haj 22:11)

“So, it is a must for the souls to be nurtured by way of tests, and to be severely tested during the course of the battle between truth and falsehood with fear and hardship, and with hunger and decrease in wealth and life and fruits.

This testing is a necessity so that the believer can give his share of what his belief requires; so that it becomes dear to him in accordance with that he gives for its sake of sacrifice and burden; so that it becomes dear to him in accordance with what he is willing to give for its sake!

The bearers of worthless beliefs that do not require any type of sacrifice will not hesitate to abandon their beliefs at the first sign of hardship. So, the burden here is the personal price that one pays so that this belief becomes dear and valuable in the hearts of its bearers before it becomes dear to the hearts of anyone else.

Whenever they experience pain for its sake, and every single time they are forced to give something up for its sake, it becomes even dearer and more valuable to them, and they become even more honored with it.

With this, nobody else will realize its value until they see how its bearers are tested because of it and how patient they are upon such tests.”



2) Remove Our Sins and Reward the Righteous:


“And, when he was old enough to walk with him, he said: “O my son! I have seen in a dream that I am slaughtering you, so what do you think?” He said: “O my father! Do that which you are commanded, if Allah Wills, you will find me to be of the patient.” Then, when they had both submitted, and he had laid him prostrate on his forehead, and We called out to him: “O Ibrahim! You have fulfilled the dream!” Verily! Such do We reward the good-doers.” (Surah as-Saffat :102-7)


Sa’ad bin Abi Waqqas reported that he asked the Messenger of Allah (SAW): “Which of the people are tested most severely?”

Rasulullah (SAW) replied: “The Prophets, then the righteous, then those who are most like them, then those who are most like them from the people. A man is tested according to his religious commitment. So, if his religious practice is sound, then his testing is increased, and if his religious practice is weak, then his testing is reduced. A servant continues to be tested until he walks the Earth without a single sin on him.”
(Ahmad, Tirmidhi)



3) Purify the Ranks and Distinguish the Righteous from the Wicked:


“Allah will not leave the believers in the state in which you are now until He distinguishes the wicked from the good.” (Surah Al ‘Imrân 3:179)


“And when the believers saw the Confederates, they said: “This is what Allah and His Messenger had promised us, and Allah and His Messenger had spoken the truth,” and it only added to their faith and submissiveness.” (Surah Ahzaab 33:22)


“Allah might make easy the affairs of the people of evil so that they may increase in sin and corruption, and so that they might increase in their buildup of sins and crimes. Then, he may deal with them in this World or the Hereafter – depending on His Wisdom and Decision – on account of this sinister buildup of deeds!

On the other hand, He may also prevent them from ease so that they would increase in evil and sin and crimes and suffocation, eventually losing hope in the Mercy of Allah, resulting in an increase in their buildup of evil and misguidance.

Likewise, Allah can make easy the affairs of the people of good so that they may become established in their righteous actions and carry out as much of them as they can while increasing in their sustenance, so that they may thank Him for these blessings with their hearts, tongues, and pleasant actions. With all of this, they increase in a buildup of good deeds that they rightfully deserve with Allah because of their righteousness and because of the good that Allah Knows is in their hearts.

On the other hand, He may also prevent them from ease in order to observe their patience upon this state, as well as their confidence and hope in their Lord, their relaxation at the realization of His Power, their being pleased with Him as their only Lord – and He is better than all others – resulting in an increase in their buildup of good.”



4) Emphasize the Hardships of This World in Comparison to the Hereafter:


“Blessed is He in Whose Hand is the kingdom, and He is Able to do all things. The One Who has created death and life in order to test you and see which of you is best in deed, and He is the All-Mighty, the Oft-Forgiving.” (Surah al-Mulk 67:1-2)



5) Expose the Reality of the Human Being:


“Verily, We have created man from drops of mixed semen in order to test him, so We made him hearer, seer. Verily, We showed him the way, so he is either grateful or ungrateful.” (Surah al-Insan 76: 2-3)


“Verily, We have made that which is on earth as an adornment for it so that We may test them as to which of them are best in deeds.” (Surah al-Kahf 18:7)


“And it is He Who has made you generations after generations, replacing each other on the earth. And He has raised you in ranks – some above others – that He may test you in that which He has bestowed on you. Surely, your Lord is Swift in retribution, and certainly He is Oft*-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (Surah al-An’am 6:165)


“A human being is tested so that he may come to know the reality of himself and others. Life is consists of constant testing; testing with what is bad, or testing with what is good.

However, what is best for the believer may be found in what he hates, and what is bad for him may be found in what he likes. The true believer is the one who loves that which Allah has chosen for him.

So, if He tests him with something that he loves, he thanks Him, and if He tests him with that which he hates, he is patient and thanks Him in this case, as well. And Allah – the Glorified – gives the believer in accordance with what will lead to his happiness in either this World or the next.

So, if it is better for him to have something, Allah gives it to him. If it is better for him not to have something, Allah prevents him from having that thing, just as one who is sick is prevented from too much food or water.

Therefore, it is upon a person to completely submit to Allah – the Glorified – in regards to what He has chosen for him, and to be pleased with what Allah has given him, and to understand that if Allah prevents him from something, then it is because Allah wishes to save him from being tested with that thing.”

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Maher Zain - Always be there

Video done by emobawang

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The month of Dhul Hijjah

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What’s So Special About Dhul Hijjah?

The first ten days of this month are full of blessings and are very special for many reasons, as followed:


* Allah swears an oath by these 10 days, and when Allah swears an oath by something it indicates its importance and great benefit.


* Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): “By the dawn; by the ten nights” [al-Fajr 89:1-2].


* Ibn ‘Abbaas, Ibn al-Zubayr, Mujaahid and others of the earlier and later generations said that this refers to the first ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah. Ibn Katheer said: “This is the correct opinion.” (Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 8/413)


* The Prophet (may peace be upon him) testified that these are the best days of this world and Allah has preferred them over all the other days of the year.


* The Prophet (may peace be upon him) commanded us to recite a lot of Dhikr (remembrance) of Allah, example – Allahu Akbar, La ilaha illallah, Alhamdulillah, Subhaanallah


* These days include the Day of Arafaah, on which Allaah perfected / completed the religion of Islaam and fasting on this day will expiate for the sins of two years. (Don't miss this opportunity!)


* These days include the pilgrims (hujjaj) performing Hajj in Makkah

(The Wuquf in Arafah is one of the pillars of Haj which must be performed)

* These days include the Day of Sacrifice – Eid ul Adhaa


Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (sallallahu'alayhi wasallam) 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 (sallallahu'alayhi wasallam) 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.”

[Hadith Reported by Sahih Al-Bukhaari]


Spread the knowledge and remind about these blessed days to your family & friends.


As Salaamu'Alaykum.

Ikhlaas and Riyaa` - Part 4 (Riyaa')

There are some details about Riyaa':



If a worshipper does a deed with the goal of having people see it, and he remains with this evil intention, then his deed is disgraced, and he commits minor shirk, and he runs the risk of it leading him to major shirk.



If the worshipper does a deed intending the Face of Allaah AND with that, he is also intending it for the sight of people - if he does not remove the riyaa' from his deed, then the texts are clear that this deed is also false.


When the worshipper does a deed for the Face of Allaah alone but riyaa' surfaces for an instant during the deed, if he wards it off and purifies his sincerity for Allaah, then there is no harm in that deed.


But if he settles for that - becoming tranquil with it - then the value of the deed diminishes, resulting in a weakening of his faith in proportion to the amount of riya' that survived in his heart. Still, the deed remains for Allaah, but whatever portion of it he mixed up and was confused about is riyaa'.


Riyaa is a dangerous disease which requires the soul to hasten to disciplining itself in sincerity, to wage war in defence against the destruction caused for riyaa', to oppose its assault, seeking Allaah's help to defend against it, so that perhaps Allaah will purify the worshipper's faith and complete his tawheed.

Ikhlaas and Riyaa` - Part 3 (Riyaa')

These are some narrations brought by the Shaykh `Abdul-Malik ar-Ramadaanee (hafidhahullaah) in his excellent book "Sittu Durar":

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In his book, al-Qawlus-Sadeed fee Maqaasid-it- Tawheed Sharhu Kitaab-ut-Tawheed (القول السديد في مقاصيد التوحيد شرح كتاب التوحيد) (which is an Explanation of the Book of the Imaam Muhammad ibn AbdulWahhaab rahimahullaah, Kitaab-ut-Tawheed ),


..the 'Allaamah, 'Abd-ur-Rahmaan ibn Naasir as-Sa'dee rahimahullaah mentions in the commentary of the Chapter 36: "What is said about Riyaa' (showing off)" and Chapter 37: "Intending deeds in the world for the sake of humans is a type of Shirk":



Know that sincerity for Allaah is the foundation of the Religion and the essence of Tawheed and worship. It is when the worshipper intends all of his deeds for the Face of Allaah, for His rewards, and His favours.


So he maintains the six foundations of faith, the five signs of Islaam, and the fulfillment of faith - ihsan - as well as the rights of Allaah and the rights of His worshippers.


In this way his intention is perfected for the Face of Allaah and for the abode of the Hereafter. He does not intend by this to be seen, nor to be heard of, nor does he do it for position, or for worldly matters. By this he will have completed his faith and tawheeed.



Among the worst behaviours that diminish sincerity is to perform deeds just to be seen by people, for their praise, or to honour them, or doing deeds for the sake of worldly matters. This degrades sincerity and tawheed.



Nasheed : Ana Al-Abd Mishary Rashid
(with lyrics/translation)