Baseerath

Before I genuinely began to cultivate and nurture my relationship with God, I regarded the five daily prayers that Islam enjoins on believers as laborious. It seemed impractical to expect that I would be able to stop what I was doing during my busy work schedule to take time out and pray. Working as a news wire journalist, I was often spending upwards of 10 hours a day in the office or at conferences, interviews and meetings, barely able to make time for a lunch break. If I wasn't working, my time was divided between house chores, errands, family and friends, and exercise. I was punctual with everything in my life, except that I was late five times a day. In my mind, it was not viable to expect that I could wake up before the crack of dawn to pray the early-morning prayer, fajr, otherwise I would be too tired to work effectively later that morning. It also seemed inefficient to interrupt my work meetings to pray duhr, the mid-day prayer, and asr, the afternoon prayer. Making the su

One of the worst forms of theft or cheating is cheating in prayer. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “The worst type of thief is the one who steals from his prayer.” The people asked, “O Messenger of Allah, how can a person steal from his prayer?” He said: “By not doing rukoo’ and sujood properly.” (Reported by Imaam Ahmad, 5/310; see also Saheeh al-Jaami’, 997). This lack of composure and failure to pause in rukoo’ and sujood and to stand up straight after rukoo’ or sit up properly between sujoods may be observed in many of those who pray, and hardly any mosque is free of examples of people who do not have the proper composure in prayer. Correct composure is one of the pillars of prayer, without which prayer is invalid. This is a serious matter. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “A man’s prayer is not good enough until his back is straight in rukoo’ and sujood.” (Reported by Abu Dawud, 1/533; see also Saheeh al-Jaami’, 7

(A true story related in Al-Mawaa’idh wal-Majaalis: 85) A burglar scaled the wall of Malik bin Dinar’s* house one night and easily managed to get inside. Once inside the house, the thief was disappointed to see nothing worth stealing. Malik was busy performing prayer. Realizing he was not alone, he quickly ended his prayer and turned around to face the thief. Without showing any signs of shock or scare, Malik calmly extended greetings of peace and said, “My brother, may Allah forgive you. You entered my home and found nothing worth taking, yet I do not want you to leave without taking away some benefit.” He went in another room and came back with a jug full of water. He looked into the eyes of the burglar and said, “Make wudhu’ and perform two rakaah of prayer, for if you do so, you will leave my home with a greater treasure than you had initially sought.” Humbled by Malik’s manners and words, the thief said, “Yes, that is a generous offer indeed.” After making wudhu’ and performing t

Sahih Muslim : Book 42 "Kitab Al-Zuhd wa Al-Raqa'iq", Number 7061] Mutarrif (Radi Allah Anhu) reported on the authority of his father: I came to Allah's Apostle (sal-allahu-alleihi-wasallam) as he was reciting: "Abundance diverts you" He said (sal-allahu-alleihi-wasallam): "The son of Adam claims: My wealth, my wealth. And he (the Holy Prophet) said: O son of Adam. is there anything as your belonging except that which you consumed, which you utilized, or which you wore and then it was worn out or you gave as charity and sent it forward?" [Sahih Muslim : Book 42 "Kitab Al-Zuhd wa Al-Raqa'iq", Number 7063] Abu Huraira (Radi Allah Anhu) reported Allah's Messenger (sal-allahu-alleihi-wasallam) as saying: "A servant says, My wealth. my wealth, but out of his wealth three things are only his: whatever he eats and makes use of or by means of which he dresses himself and it wears out or he gives as charity, and this is what he store

The first ten days of Zul Hijjah are among the most magnificent days in Islamic calendar. The Messenger of Allah, Sallallaahu Alayhi Wa Sallam said: "There are no days in which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allah than these ten days."(Bukhari) Almighty Allah Ta’ala says, (By the dawn; by the ten nights) (Quran-Al-Fajr 89: 1-2). Ibn `Abbas, ibn az-Zubayr, Mujahid and others of the earlier and later generations are of the opinion that this refers to the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah. Ibn Kathir said: "This is the correct opinion." (Tafsir Ibn Kathir, 8/413) The Messenger of Allah, Sallallaahu Alayhi Wa Sallam, has said, "One fast during these days is equal to the fasting of one complete year, and the worship of one night during this period is equal to the worship of "Lailatul-Qadr". (Tirmizi) Every Muslim should avail oneself of this wonderful opportunity by performing as much Ibadah (acts of worship) as he or she can during this period. THE

Once a man came to the prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) and said, "Oh prophet of Allah, I have many bad habits. Which one of them should I give up first?" The prophet said, "Give up telling lies first and always speak the truth." The man promised to do so and went home. At night the man was about to go out to steal. Before setting out, he thought for a moment about the promise he made with the prophet. "If tomorrow the prophet asks me where have I been, what shall I say? Shall I say that I went out stealing? No, I cannot say that. But nor can I lie. If I tell the truth, everyone will start hating me and call me a thief. I would be punished for stealing." So the man decided not to steal that night, and gave up this bad habit. Next day, he felt like drinking wine, when he was about to do so, he said to himself, "What shall I say to the prophet if he asks me what did I do during the day? I cannot tell a lie, and if I speak the truth people will hate me, because

A Vital Skill to Cultivate Sheikh Salman al-Oadah It gives me some satisfaction to recall the times I have been able to swallow back my bitterness and restrain my anger when one of my dear brothers (who may not think of me as such) abused me because they disagreed with me on some point. However, I mean it when I say: there are far more things that we have in common than the points of contention in which we disagreed. I feel happy when I recall how Allah helped me to restrain myself and therefore avoid getting into useless and base arguments, the type that is heated and impassioned, where I would have inevitably stooped – witting or unwitting – to the level of disputing for the sake of my own ego instead of for the truth. In the heat of the moment, there is a strong impulse to “clarify” the “truth” or “give full disclosure”, or any other justification for mean-hearted and vain disputation. We enter into a wild and barren desert when we let ourselves succumb to that impulse. The strengt

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If we look back at our ramadhan, we would have seen ourselves performing many good acts Alhamdulillah like standing long for taraweeh hearing the Quran, reciting more Quran, staying away even from halal provision and intimate relation and many good acts. Lets ponder are we able to do that many acts after ramadhan, are we able to even open the Quran, are we performing salatul fajr when we used to pray tahajjud in Ramadhan? If we see there is a lack, we have lost the strength that we obtained in ramadhan and how, that could be seen in the previous article, ‘Sins and its effects on our life and soul.’ Now we know the bad effect of sins, we would be determined to lead a sin free life and if you are struggling how to lead that path, this article is for you for here is a starting point, taken from a lecture from my sheikh Maulana Abdus Sattar Hafizahullah. This is a short summary of his lecture. When we save ourselves from five major sins, inshaaAllah because of that barakat, we will be save

Like Christians, Muslims believe that the present life is only a trial preparation for the next realm of existence. This life is a test for each individual for the life after death. A day will come when the whole universe will be destroyed and the dead will be resurrected for judgment by God. This day will be the beginning of a life that will never end. This day is the Day of Judgment. On that day, all people will be rewarded by God according to their beliefs and deeds. Those who die while believing that “There is no true god but God, and Muhammad is the Messenger (Prophet) of God” and are Muslim will be rewarded on that day and will be admitted to Paradise forever, as God has said: And those who believe and do good deeds, they are dwellers of Paradise, they dwell therein forever. (Quran, 2:82) But those who die while not believing that “There is no true god but God, and Muhammad is the Messenger (Prophet) of God” or are not Muslim will lose Paradise forever and will be sent to

Praise be to Allaah, we seek His help and His forgiveness. We seek refuge with Allaah from the evil of our own souls and from our bad deeds. Whomsoever Allaah guides will never be led astray, and whomsoever Allaah leaves astray, no one can guide. I bear witness that there is no god but Allaah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. Bismillah Walhamdulillah Was Salaatu Was Salaam 'ala Rasulillah As-Salaam Alaikum Wa-Rahmatullahi Wa-Barakatuhu Life After Ramadaan Complied by Imran Ayub Are you a Ramadaan Muslim? · Are you a Muslim who prayers 5 times a day, and fasts, throughout Ramadaan, but stops when ‘Eid arrives? · Do you do good deeds in Ramadaan but return to your sins after ‘Eid? · Do you grow the beard (brothers) and wear the hijaab (sisters) when Ramadaan arrives, then abandon your obligations as soon as ‘Eid is announced? It’s time to wake up from this ‘dream state’ and realize the reality of our actions. If you are a Muslim

By Abdur Rahmaan Umar (abdurrahmaan@iafrica.com) “What! Are they crazy?” shouted Fatima, banging the knife on chopping board hard enough to scatter carrots in every direction and send the cat racing for the back door. “What do they think? How can they possibly...” she sighed deeply, and raised the knife for another assault on the chopping board. “Don’t they realise we have so much work to do? I mean who schedules a prize giving for the night before Eid.” “But ma...that’s what Moulana(Sheikh) said today. That there definitely is a prize giving,” whispered Ahmed, cowering behind a chair in case another barrage of carrots was launched. “Which Moulana? And why don’t they think!” she continued, pausing just long enough to heave another heavy sigh, “We have so much to do the night before Eid. Get the kids clothes ready, prepare the plates, layer the biryani...and...this year Eid is by us, so everyone from ninety nine kilometres around will be here. So is Moulana going to come

Praise be to Allaah, we seek His help and His forgiveness. We seek refuge with Allaah from the evil of our own souls and from our bad deeds. Whomsoever Allaah guides will never be led astray, and whomsoever Allaah leaves astray, no one can guide. I bear witness that there is no god but Allaah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. By Asma bint Shameem Subhaan Allaah! The beautiful month of Ramadaan is flying by! Its blessed days and fragrant nights are soon about to leave. And it breaks our hearts to let it go. Yet, O Muslim, Rejoice! For there is good news for you! A great opportunity is about to dawn upon you...... A once-in -a -lifetime chance ! Its an offer that you cannot pass by! Allah Subhaanahu wa Taala, in his Infinite Mercy, has bestowed upon you a Great and Noble night..... Its the Night of Power…. the Night of Divine Decree. A Night in which angels descend and send salutations to the believers… A Night of innumerable blessi

Bismillah Walhamdulillah Was Salaatu Was Salaam 'ala Rasulillah Alhamdulillah, we are into the month of Ramadhan. May Allaah subhanahu wa ta'ala make this Ramadan the best Ramadan for you and your family, Allaahumma aamin. Some Common Mistakes in Ramadaan Lets Strive Not to Repeat the Same. By Asma bint Shameem 1 : Taking Ramadaan as a ritual For many of us Ramadaan has lost its spirituality and has become more of a ritual than a form of Ibaadah. We fast from morning to night like a zombie just because everyone around us is fasting too. We forget that its a time to purify our hearts and our souls from all evil....we forget to make dua, forget to beseech Allaah to forgive us and ask Him to save us from the Fire. Sure we stay away from food and drink but that's about all. Although the Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said: “Jibreel said to me, May Allaah rub his nose in the dust, that person to who Ramadaan comes and his sins are not forgiven, and I said, Ameen.

A lot of us yearn to prepare for Ramadan, but we have no idea how to start. Below are a few tips to insha'Allah (Allah willing) help prepare our minds and hearts for this upcoming Month of Mercy. Make the Intention Simple to do, with a powerful impact. Maybe you want to prepare for Ramadan, but between school, work, family, and your other activities, you just have no idea how to fit in 'prepare for Ramadan' time. Instead of separating 'prepare for Ramadan' from your daily activities, make your daily activities a MEANS of preparation for Ramadan. For example, perhaps your mom asked you to pick up your brother from school on the day you finally had time to read a few extra pages of Qur'an. Instead of feeling upset as if you have lost a great opportunity to prepare for Ramadan, make the intention that you are picking up your brother to please Allah and prepare for Ramadan by obeying your mother, helping your family members, building ties of kinship...and the list

Very soon, {Insha Allah by August 1st}, we may enter the holy month of Ramadhan. Here are few quick tips which may insha Allah help us while preparing ourselves these days Ramadan is the month of excitement for Muslims. Ramadan is the month of revelation of Quran, the month of reading and reciting the whole Quran, the month of Tahajjud and Qiyam al-layl prayers, Sadaqah, Zakah al-Fitr and Zakah al-Mal. Ramadan is also a month of social activities among Muslims. No one can go anywhere without preparation, and no one invites a guest without preparing to welcome him / her. Similarly, to welcome Ramadan, the month of fasting, one has to prepare. The following are some tips to help the reader prepare accordingly: Start reading Quran daily after Salat al-Fajr. Spend some time listening to recitations from the Quran. Train yourself to go bed early so that you can wake up far Salat al-Fajr. Keep yourself in a state of Wudu (Ablution) most of the time. Evaluate yourself daily before going bed.

Unity of Muslim Ummah is so important, it cannot be emphasised enough. Likewise disunity amongst the Ummah can be disastrous. Allah, the Most Wise, says: "And hold fast, all together, by the rope of Allah, and be not divided among yourselves..." (Quran-3:103) While we are living and enjoying the comforts and luxuries of this world, our brothers and sisters are suffering and being oppressed all around us. Has it become such that we have become immune and insensitive to such afflictions and find so hard to assist the Ummah let alone shed even one tear. Have we forgotten the Hadith of Rasullullah(salallaho alaihe wassallam): “The Muslim Ummah is like one body. If the eye is in pain then the whole body is in pain and if the head is in pain then the whole body is in pain” The enemies of Islam are attempting to destroy this Ummah, piece by piece and for this to happen all we got to do is…. NOTHING ! Once upon a time three bulls lived in the forest. One white, one brown and one bla

Fever wipes out ones sins and rids his body from dead substances and germs. It is a blessing in disguise. The Prophet said: “When a believer gets sick or feverish, it is like metal when put on fire, the bad is gone and the good remains.” [Al-Bayhaqi] He also describes the intensity of fever by saying: “Fever is coal from hell, get rid of it by using cold water.” [Ibn Maajah] The Prophet forbade the cursing of fever by saying: “Do not curse a fever because it abolishes sins like fire abolishes dirt from iron.” [Ibn Maajah] A bacterial or viral infection usually raises the temperature of a person, antibiotics are useless with viral infections, such as the influenza and the common cold, although the patient might sweat and have a very high fever. How do chills occur and why ? The temperature level in the temperature regulator rises suddenly form its normal level to a higher level, due to damage in the tissues, due to the release of temperature generating substances or due to dehyd

1. When the Du'a' is weak in itself , because it involves something inappropriate, or involves bad manners towards Allah, may He be exalted, or it is inappropriate, which means asking Allah for something which it is not permitted to ask, e.g. when a man asks to live forever in this world, or he asks for a sin or something Haram, or he prays that he will die, and so on. Abu Hurairah said: The Messenger of Allah (Peace and blessings be upon him) said: "A person's Du'a will continue to be answered so long as he does not pray for something sinful or for the breaking of family ties." [Narrated by Muslim] 2. When the person who is making Du'a' is weak in himself, because he is faint-hearted in his turning towards Allah. This may be either because of bad manners towards Allah, may He be exalted - such as raising his voice in Du'a' or making Du'a' in the manner of one who thinks he has no need of Allah; or because he pays too much attention to

1. When the Du'a' is weak in itself , because it involves something inappropriate, or involves bad manners towards Allah, may He be exalted, or it is inappropriate, which means asking Allah for something which it is not permitted to ask, e.g. when a man asks to live forever in this world, or he asks for a sin or something Haram, or he prays that he will die, and so on. Abu Hurairah said: The Messenger of Allah (Peace and blessings be upon him) said: "A person's Du'a will continue to be answered so long as he does not pray for something sinful or for the breaking of family ties." [Narrated by Muslim] 2. When the person who is making Du'a' is weak in himself, because he is faint-hearted in his turning towards Allah. This may be either because of bad manners towards Allah, may He be exalted - such as raising his voice in Du'a' or making Du'a' in the manner of one who thinks he has no need of Allah; or because he pays too much attention to

After the assumption of office as the Caliph, Umar addressed the Muslims who had assembled in the Prophet's mosque. In the course of the address, Umar said: "O ye faithful! Abu Bakr is no more amongst us. After having led us for about two years, he has returned to His Maker. He has the satisfaction that he has successfully piloted the ship of the Muslim state to safety after negotiating the stormy sea. He successfully waged the apostasy wars, and thanks to him, Islam is now supreme in Arabia. Islam is now on the move and we are carrying Jihad in the name of Allah against the mighty empires of Byzantine and Persia. After Abu Bakr, the mantle of Khilafat has fallen on my shoulders. I swear it before God that I never coveted this office. I wished that it would have devolved on some other person more worthy than me. But now that in national interest, the responsibility for leading the Muslims has come to vest in me, I assure you that I will not run away from my post, and

The Prophet (peace be upon him) was a perfect teacher and instructor. He used a variety of educational methodologies and enjoyed brilliant teaching methods. In bringing up his companions, Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) adopted various educational methods. Following are some of them: 1. Being Joyful in advice so that his companions would not get bored: In this context, we recall the incident when a man came to the prophet (peace be upon him) and said, “O Messenger of Allah! Give me a mount.” The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “We shall give you a she-camel’s child to ride on.” He said, “What shall I do with a she-camel’s child?” The Prophet (peace be upon him) replied, “Do any others than she-camels give birth to camels?” )Reported Abu Dawud). 2. Considering the state of the addressee: Abu Wai’l reported that ‘Abdurrahman used to give a religious talk to the people on every Thursday. Once a man said, “O Abdur-Rahman! (By Allah) I wish if you you could preach us da